Chapter 1225: Picking a Fight

Zhang Shan paused slightly after hearing that and couldn't help but blurt out five words—

"Capture the thief first by capturing the king."

Chu Tianqiu nodded slightly after listening. "So, your target is also Tianlong or Qinglong? We're on the same path, then."

"But I still feel this mission is a bit too difficult."

Zhang Shan lowered his head and clenched his fist, sensing this was an extremely rare situation—after the fight was over, his "Tian Xing Jian" state was still active.

Even during past battles in "Wo Cheng," "Tian Xing Jian" had never lasted this long.

If even someone like him, with his level of "Hui Xiang," could maintain it for so long, then others who gained "Hui Xiang" should also have it last indefinitely.

This could be due to the "barrier" in the sky disappearing, or possibly because the giant bell and display screen were destroyed.

In the past, people here had relied too much on the display screen and giant bell for prompts.

The bell would ring when "Hui Xiang" was gained, and it would ring again when it was lost.

This convenient system helped stabilize "Hui Xiang" for everyone, but it also severely capped its limits.

Something as elusive as "Hui Xiang," if constantly tied to the thought of "it will disappear when the bell rings," meant the mind was wavering, and the bell would inevitably ring.

Now, with the giant bell and display screen gone, no one would hear the sound announcing the dissipation of "Hui Xiang," so they wouldn't even know when theirs might fade.

Zhang Shan quickly summarized his thoughts and shared them with Chu Tianqiu in a few words.

After all, if his own simple mind could reach this conclusion, Chu Tianqiu would surely think of even more.

As expected, after hearing Zhang Shan's ideas, Chu Tianqiu began to process them rapidly and tried to piece together the scattered clues in his mind.

"You said there's always been a 'barrier' here...?"

If there was any important figure who died today due to someone's scheme—

It had to be the judge Di Long of "Cang Jie Qi."

When Chu Tianqiu first saw her, he had vaguely sensed a special aura about her, and now he realized it was the obsession of "resolutely facing death."

From the moment Di Long appeared, she had prepared for her own death.

So, she was the one who released the "barrier."

In the midst of her life-or-death gamble with the "participants," she chose suicide first and used it as her stake to exchange for the lives of Chu Tianqiu's entire team from Qinglong.

This unexpected death caught Qinglong off guard, and in Chu Tianqiu's view, it had tremendous strategic value, almost single-handedly shifting the entire battlefield.

So, the signal for rebellion didn't start with destroying the giant bell and display screen—it began with Di Long's death.

"Removing the 'barrier' boosts the strength of 'Hui Xiang,' and destroying the giant bell extends its duration." Chu Tianqiu murmured to himself. "These two actions seem unrelated, but they're actually enhancing all the remaining 'participants' comprehensively."

"But they're double-edged swords, right?" Zhang Shan said. "Removing the 'barrier' might strengthen 'Hui Xiang,' but it could also make people more unstable. Destroying the giant bell makes 'Hui Xiang' harder to lose, yet it might prevent those with weak willpower from gaining it in the first place."

"There are hardly any people with weak willpower left now," Chu Tianqiu replied. "Anyone who could board this 'train' is no ordinary person."

Zhang Shan paused for a moment, then looked at Chu Tianqiu and Qin Dingdong with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?" Chu Tianqiu asked.

"It's just strange..." Zhang Shan scratched his head. "We're talking about things that affect the 'participants,' but you two... you're not affected at all?"

"These changes might impact most people, but there are exceptions," Chu Tianqiu said, glancing back at Qin Dingdong with a meaningful look. "Like those whose memories are preserved long enough. They won't feel confused by more memories and already have a strong enough 'Hui Xiang.'"

"So it can work like that..." Zhang Shan nodded, though he only half-understood.

Chu Tianqiu chuckled lightly, turned to Qin Dingdong, and said, "The impressive people I know use all sorts of methods to preserve their memories. What's yours?"

"Sister won't tell you," Qin Dingdong said with a pout. "You all just keep asking and asking. Is this some kind of press conference?"

Chu Tianqiu shrugged and decided not to press Qin Dingdong further. He turned back to Zhang Shan. "Zhang Shan, you said you want to 'capture the thief first by capturing the king.' Is that your whole strategy?"

"Pretty much." Zhang Shan nodded. "I'm planning to have a fight with them."

"A one-on-one with Tianlong and Qinglong? That sounds too reckless—not something Qi Xia would come up with." Chu Tianqiu thought for a moment. "You at least need a helper of similar skill."

"Hey! Big guy!" A poorly accented Mandarin voice called out from a distance, and two figures approached from the hallway.

Chu Tianqiu glanced at the two. "Now that's more like it."

Zhang Shan turned his head and saw Qian Wu and Qiao Jiajin walking over.

"Tianqiu boy!" Qiao Jiajin stepped forward and greeted everyone warmly. "Whoa, and the big rat and Dingdong sis."

If not for the "Sheng Xiao" members standing nearby, the group might have thought they were running into old friends at a night market.

"Wha..." Zhang Shan looked Qiao Jiajin up and down. "Kid, you've made it up here too?"

"Yeah." Qiao Jiajin nodded. "Big guy, got a minute? Fancy joining me for a beatdown?"

"I'm busy," Zhang Shan replied. "I'm heading to the 'train head' to pick a fight."

"What a coincidence!" Qiao Jiajin laughed. "I'm also planning to go to the 'train head' to pick a fight..."

After saying that, Qiao Jiajin froze for a second and quickly asked, "Wait, the person you're looking to fight isn't me, is it?"

"The hell? Are you crazy?" Zhang Shan was baffled by Qiao Jiajin's line of thinking and furrowed his brow. "Did I come all the way to the front of this 'train' just to fight you? Am I the one who's nuts, or are you?"

"Oh, ha ha." Qiao Jiajin forced a laugh. "As long as it's not me, that's good. I was worried you'd hold a grudge."

"Hold a grudge...?"

"Ah, never mind, never mind." Qiao Jiajin waved it off and stepped forward to sling an arm around Zhang Shan's shoulder. "Now that's a relief. Hearing it's not you I'm fighting makes me feel so much lighter, ha ha ha. Another round with you would really wear me out."

"You're acting all mysterious..." Zhang Shan scratched his head and said, "Anyway, is it just us two going?"

"And the weirdo." Qiao Jiajin thumbed toward Qian Wu. "The three of us together."

"I'm not going," Qian Wu interjected from the side. "And don't call me the weirdo."

"Huh?" Qiao Jiajin looked at him. "You're not coming? But the trickster said..."

"I'm not going. My task is to use 'Shuang Sheng Hua' to turn both of your bodies into 'Tian Xing Jian' states."

"Ah?"