Chapter 1351

On that unassuming morning, Qi Xia remade himself once more in this empty room.

He felt he had reached his peak condition, with his thoughts now focused on everything in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di.

He missed everyone here and longed to lead them all to escape.

He began to fully mobilize the Sheng Sheng Bu Xi within him.

This was his final day.

He was just one step away from achieving the greatest rebirth: shedding his "divinity" and reclaiming his full "humanity."

He lifted his head and gazed at the other Qi Xia before him, who stared back with the same profound expression.

"The Can Yu Zhe here return every ten days, including you," Qi Xia said, staring at the other Qi Xia. "I have endured eternity. The next tasks are yours to handle."

"Then… what about you?" Qi Xia asked.

"After I exhaust my Xin Nian, I'll fall into slumber. You need to kill me, or the next Lun Hui will go wrong," Qi Xia replied. "My memories will then scatter into the air, for you to gather gradually one day."

"It's… been tough on you," Qi Xia murmured. "For so long… it's been tough."

"The hardship is ours, not just mine," Qi Xia said with a blank expression, shaking his head. "After your rebirth, I'll delete most of your memories. To ensure we don't fail, everything I say next will become your subconscious, guiding you steadily until you recover all your memories."

"I appreciate it," Qi Xia responded, walking over and slowly sitting down in front of him.

The two sat across the round table, their eyes locked.

It felt like a long-awaited reunion, yet also like brewing a desperate farewell.

"Qi Xia, I'll dissolve the sins on Chun, Qiu, and Dong, so they start to doubt themselves and awaken their rebellious thoughts faster," Qi Xia said. "In the future, you'll quickly identify who the reliable allies are. One day, these three will lead the Fan Pan Zhe, the Can Yu Zhe, the Yuan Zhu Min, and you into battle side by side."

"Alright," Qi Xia paused before asking, "And what about us… ourselves…?"

"We…" Qi Xia fell silent before saying, "We're just a fraud who deceived two million… a con artist."

Qi Xia's expression grew heavy, and he nodded. "Alright… we're just con artists."

"I'll slightly alter everyone's memories in this room, subtly weaving in the concept of 'two million' to confuse things," Qi Xia continued. "Others probably won't notice, but you will use this clue to gradually uncover my existence. Then, you, I, and Bai Yang will join forces to break through here. Tian Long won't be able to escape."

Qi Xia nodded and slowly closed his eyes, engraving all the content into his subconscious.

"Due to the influence of your subconscious, you'll see a different 'reality,'" Qi Xia added. "After all, all 'reality' is just a dream. At first, you'll deceive yourself and see a false yet real 'home.' But as your returns to 'reality' increase and your memories grow, you'll gradually witness 'reality' collapsing in your dreams. Your dreams will reveal the city of flesh and blood, which is the true form of your dreamscape. A complete city of flesh and blood will grant you the deepest despair and the strongest Hui Xiang."

As Qi Xia spoke, his eyes began to redden.

The other Qi Xia listened, closed his eyes, and sighed deeply. "I understand."

"If time is tight… find a way to draw Tian Long into action; he'll help you see the true city of flesh and blood," Qi Xia advised. "But be careful—our inner city of flesh and blood is the most fragile dream. Everything from the buildings to the passersby is fake, so it's extremely easy to collapse. If possible, try to create a 'guardian' in your dream to ward off Tian Long and other 'dream intruders.'"

His voice was soft, as if speaking to the only family in the world.

"Alright," Qi Xia nodded again.

"I'll transfer Chu Tian Qiu's terminal illness to you," Qi Xia said, changing the subject. "This illness will suppress your sorrow, making it easier for you to awaken Sheng Sheng Bu Xi rather than Ling Wen. But…"

"But we ourselves won't be able to leave."

"Yes," Qi Xia said gravely. "What do you think?"

"I don't think it's right," Qi Xia replied.

"Not right?"

"Yes, don't 'copy' it," Qi Xia said. "Transfer it to me instead. Chu Tian Qiu has no reason to die here or out there. Let him live."

"That makes sense," Qi Xia said, his face growing somber as he nodded. "Although Chu Tian Qiu remembers having the terminal illness, once you awaken, it will be on you."

"Alright."

Qi Xia's expression gradually turned desolate. "You must remember: 'As long as you miss someone, you'll meet again.'"

Qi Xia stared at him, his face showing emotion as he asked, "Are you… alright…?"

Qi Xia didn't answer; he just shook his head and said, "On this path, I, Bai Yang, and you ourselves have planted countless helpers. Countless people will join this effort, even Ye Li and Yin Guo are aiding you…"

"I will," Qi Xia nodded. "I'll lead everyone and charge toward the pinnacle of the Zhong Yan Zhi Di."

"Our original intention… it hasn't changed, has it?"

"It hasn't."

"Promise me… you have to get everyone out of here, okay…?"

His address had shifted from "we" to "you" without him noticing.

His voice choked up slightly.

If not for the quiet room, even Tian Long might have thought he misheard.

Even someone as strong as Qi Xia was choking up at this moment.

He had crossed eternity and endured the infinite.

He had been alone, without even finding anyone to talk to.

And now, he was leaving without anyone knowing.

When tomorrow came, everyone in the room would forget this. Whether it was the renewed Qi Xia or the already deranged Bai Yang, they would only have faint subconscious traces proving that something had happened here.

"This journey… thank you so much," the other Qi Xia said, his voice trembling slightly. "I'll get everyone out of here. I promise you."

"I'm so tired; I want to sleep for a while," Qi Xia said with a bitter smile, his voice choking more clearly. "Before I go… can you say goodbye to me…?"

Qi Xia's expression flashed with sadness. He walked over, slowly raised his hand, placed it on Qi Xia's shoulder, and whispered,

"Qi Xia, good night."

At those words, a tear finally slipped from Qi Xia's eye.

He bowed his head, clutching his hair and crying out loudly, though he didn't even know what he was feeling.

Bone-chilling loneliness and endless pain erupted all at once, watering his heart, which had turned to leaden stone.

What an incredibly long road…?

What an impossibly distant end…?

"You have to bring them home…" Qi Xia sobbed with his head down. "I've walked the hardest part… you… you have to…"

Watching Qi Xia bent over and wailing, Tian Long realized that Qi Xia was just an ordinary person.

From beginning to end, not a single path he took was meant to become a "god."

Yet, in this eternal solitude, he had achieved it.

He had so many words he wanted to say and so many things he wanted to do.

But he was exhausted.

Flashes of shouts echoed in his mind—

"Swindler kid!"

"Old Qi!"

"Yang Ge!"

"Bai Yang brother!"

He wanted to respond, to say "Don't worry, I'm here," to say "I've been trying my best," but he was truly so tired.

He had walked the longest road of his life and seen the most distant sights.

In this final moment of solitude, he could only bid farewell to himself in the empty room.

He told himself it had been tough and thanked himself.

Was that… enough?

A thousand words weighed on his chest as his humanity burst through the endless divinity, erupting from Qi Xia in a radiant glow that Tian Long had never seen before.

Yet, in the end, Qi Xia just wiped his red eyes, lifted his head, and amid that massive glow, smiled softly and whispered to himself—

"Good night… Qi Xia…"

That day, the winds of change swept through the Zhong Yan Zhi Di.

A powerful Sheng Sheng Bu Xi, carrying the purest human glow, erupted from the Lie Che.

Gods experience joy and sorrow; gods also sigh at the suffering of mortals.

All beings returned here in their forms from seven years ago.

The Yuan Zhu Min began wandering the streets, the Sheng Xiao awoke on the Lie Che, and the "ants" and "divine beasts" took their positions.

Even the twin dragons appeared at the train head.

All the Can Yu Zhe gathered in the interview room, and everything started anew in the empty room.

The old man by the giant clock completely lost his sanity from that moment. He hadn't endured "eternity," only a solitary hundred years in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di.

In everyone's eyes, he had simply aged overnight.

In a place like Tao Yuan, there were many ways for someone to age overnight, so no one investigated further.

But he had witnessed everyone being "disintegrated" by Tian Long and seen the place restore its prosperity. He had wandered alone for a hundred years.

He saw faceless ones running in the streets and people slaughtering monsters.

Yet, he couldn't make sense of it.

The only explanation was that Tian Long had become a "god."

If everyone could return even after a hundred years of death, wouldn't this place trap people forever?

So, he began wandering near the giant clock, muttering the same phrase to anyone he met—

"We can't fight him… We'll be lost here forever… No wonder the Sheng Xiao has returned… No wonder even the Sheng Xiao is back…"

He felt Tian Long had told a colossal lie. If he had become a "god," why not let these people go…?

What was he still pursuing?

He had seven years to gradually regain his sanity, but people just saw him as another mad old man in the Zhong Yan Zhi Di, and no one paid attention.

Also on that day, a solitary Bai Yang stood in front of a building with a look of despair and coldness in his eyes. A girl in white approached him.

"Yang Ge?" she called softly.

Bai Yang heard the call and stared at her, sizing her up from head to toe. A few seconds later, he lowered his head as if he hadn't seen anything.

Who was she…?

It seemed like he had met her before, but also not.

After "eternity," his mind was a vast blank; even the most familiar faces became strangers.

There were too many memories; he couldn't extract her name from the endless time.

She might just be a fleeting illusion or a substitute among the million faceless ones.

"Bai Yang…?" The girl took a few steps forward and called again.

Only then did Bai Yang react, as if confirming someone was calling him.

He looked up at the girl and asked coldly,

"Is there something?"

From that moment, the predetermined gears began to turn relentlessly.

It was like an unstoppable train, carrying everyone's beliefs forward.

On the same day, Xuan Wu looked up—

She involuntarily pressed her hands together, bowed humbly, and murmured, "Mercy."

God sighs at the suffering of mortals; gods also suffer.

Then, countless wails mixed with faint hints of hidden hope echoed once more through the Zhong Yan Zhi Di.