Chapter 840: Termination Time

Chen Junnan kept showing a thoughtful expression, but he still felt a bit unable to figure it out.

Qi Xia's way of thinking had already perfectly aligned with the lunatics here, but he himself still couldn't align with it.

"I can't understand," Chen Junnan said. "For everyone, the time here is indeed stopped, but I don't think stopping time is done this way... This is really too absurd... Your so-called 'manipulating people is manipulating time' sounds even more absurd..."

"It's normal that you can't understand," Qi Xia said. "Time doesn't exist in this world; it's a concept that humans impose on the universe. When people stop, time stops."

"So...?" Chen Junnan asked.

"So, to keep our time from stopping, to let everyone return to their proper lives, we must perform the most powerful 'fast-forward' in history," Qi Xia said. "I've said it before—my goal is to lead everyone out."

"Lao Qi..." Chen Junnan's face darkened as he said quietly, "Tell me the truth, buddy... Does this 'copying' of yours have any side effects?"

"None," Qi Xia said without hesitation.

Chen Junnan knew he couldn't understand Qi Xia's ideas from a normal perspective anymore, so after thinking for a long time, he said, "Lao Qi, anyway... No matter what you want to do, I'll try my best to help you."

Qi Xia didn't say anything; he just nodded thoughtfully.

Before long, Qin Dingdong appeared from the distant teaching building and came over to the two of them, saying, "Qi Xia, Yan Zhichun and Lin Qing have returned; they're waiting for you now."

Qi Xia pondered for a moment and said, "I only need to see Yan Zhichun. Tell her to wait for me in a private classroom. I still have some other things to handle right now."

"Private?" Qin Dingdong paused. "They also brought back a woman named Wen Qiaoyun... Do you need to see her?"

"No need," Qi Xia said. "Just let the people who want to see her do so."

Qi Xia said goodbye to Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong, then went alone to the rooftop of the teaching building.

He slowly looked up, and before he could even open his mouth, Qinglong was already there in front of him, dressed in a long robe and appearing suddenly, as if he had been standing there all along.

"What is it?" Qinglong asked with a smile.

With that, he gently waved his hand, silencing all the sounds around them.

"I don't like things that go beyond my expectations," Qi Xia said. "What about Tian She Shi Ke?"

"This wasn't my doing," Qinglong shook his head. "Tianji Shengxiao answers directly to Tianlong; I can't interfere."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," Qinglong shook his head. "Do you need me to wake Tianlong and ask him?"

"Absurd," Qi Xia said. "What exactly is he thinking? Is there still time ahead?"

"Qi Xia..." Qinglong reached up to smooth the ink-green hair by his ear and said softly, "Now that Tian She Shi Ke has appeared, it's not just you—I'm curious too."

"Oh?"

Qinglong's gaze turned instantly cold as he took a slow step toward Qi Xia: "Qi Xia... I have a feeling something's not right. Could someone be playing me?"

"What do you mean?" Qi Xia asked, narrowing his eyes.

"What exactly did Tianlong tell you?" Qinglong asked. "Are you working for him?"

"Me, working for Tianlong?" Qi Xia let out a cold laugh. "You're overthinking it. Is Tianlong that important to me? I only work for myself."

"Ha." Qinglong took another step forward. "You only work for yourself? In that case, your words about 'I want to lead everyone out' sound pretty ironic. Are you really trying to play me for a fool?"

"You actually believe that?" Qi Xia sneered. "Qinglong, I know you're listening from up there, so how could I deceive you to your face?"

"Can I take that to mean... you don't actually want to lead everyone out?" Qinglong asked. "Just as you said, everything you're doing is for yourself?"

"Of course," Qi Xia nodded. "Qinglong, none of the people here have anything to do with me. Even Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan, who seem closest to me, I could abandon without a second thought. After all, in the real world, I wouldn't even encounter them, and they'd never interfere in my life. So, our deal is simple: you don't need to pay attention to what I say normally; just remember that I'll kill Tianlong for you, and in return, you let me go. That's it."

"Let you go...?" Qinglong let out a cold laugh. "Why do you think I'd let you go?"

"There are tens of thousands of people here; one more or less doesn't matter," Qi Xia said. "You must have a way. I can guarantee you that once I leave here, I'll live quietly without a trace, and no one will know what happened here. Even if the real 'gods' catch me, they won't learn anything about Zhongyan Zhidi from me."

Qinglong fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then said, "But that's not safe for me... If anything about Zhongyan Zhidi leaks out, I won't come out of it well."

"Don't be foolish," Qi Xia interrupted. "If you keep me here, your situation will be even more dangerous."

The two stood on the empty rooftop, staring into each other's eyes, unable to tell how much truth or lies was in their words.

"Qi Xia, I can't fully trust you," Qinglong said. "But I do need someone to help me kill Tianlong. If you succeed, I'll do my best to let you leave. If you try any tricks, I'd rather give up on you and take your sanity away without hesitation."

"Maybe I would have worried about that before," Qi Xia said. "But now, you wouldn't dare."

"I wouldn't dare...?"

"If I lose my sanity, I'd be even more terrifying," Qi Xia said. "You and Tianlong would be trapped here forever. If you don't believe me, you can turn me into a 'native' right now and test it."

Qinglong stared at Qi Xia carefully for a long time and saw a hint of threat in those gray eyes. Things had come to this point, and Qinglong didn't dare gamble anymore, so he just sighed deeply.

"Qi Xia, I can't let Tianlong know I'm meddling in this, or I'll be in trouble," Qinglong said. "So, I'll only help you within my capabilities."

"Good, then make Tianji Shi Ke stop," Qi Xia said. "No one else should die tonight."

"I told you... Tianji Shengxiao answers to Tianlong; how am I supposed to...?"

"That's your problem to handle," Qi Xia said. "Everyone's doing things beyond their limits right now; you can't just sit comfortably. Figure out a way to stop Tianji Shi Ke, or tonight I'll meet Tianlong in my dreams. You know I'm on the verge of going mad, so who knows what I might say."