Chapter 993: Space

As Di Long turned around and opened the wooden door, Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu discovered that it led to a space that was just as pitch-black as their current location. Although both inside and outside the door were dark, it was clear that the door led to somewhere entirely different.

Murmurs of conversation could be heard from within, indicating that all the previously selected participants were there—exactly twelve in total.

Di Long stepped inside first, while Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu hesitated, their eyes fixed on her back.

“Qi Xia… why did you decide to join this game?”

“Isn’t it because Qing Long arranged it?”

“Now that we’ve come this far… there’s no need to keep lying to me, is there?” Chu Tianqiu said. “Let me guess—your real goal is to find these ‘Men,’ right?”

“No…” Qi Xia replied, “It’s related to the ‘Men,’ but my ultimate purpose isn’t the ‘Men’ themselves.”

“So, you already knew about the strangeness of this place…”

“Isn’t that thanks to you?” Qi Xia said.

“Me…?”

“Yes.” Qi Xia nodded. “Forgotten? My first time in the ‘Ren Long’ game was a trap you set up, making us turn on each other… But I have to thank you for that, because it gave me a bold hypothesis from then on.”

“Ha…” Chu Tianqiu smirked. “I see… So the ‘answer’ to this world really lies in the games… And it’s the ‘Long’? I should have jumped in myself and gotten more hands-on experience.”

“In that game…” Qi Xia said, “We entered a strange space through different ‘Men.’ Not only that, but others could also reach the same space through their own ‘Men,’ which means the ‘Men’ aren’t the main thing—the ‘space’ is.”

“Have you figured out the meaning of these ‘Men’?” Chu Tianqiu asked.

Qi Xia took a deep breath and said, “Chu Tianqiu… All I can say is that the so-called ‘train’ is just something that looks like a train. If you break it down, its true form is countless ‘Men’ that can ‘traverse.’”

“What…?” Chu Tianqiu was stunned. “Are you saying there’s no ‘train,’ only ‘Men’…?”

“Suppose you open your bedroom door and end up in the bathroom, then walk a few steps and open the bathroom door to reach the kitchen or living room—wouldn’t you naturally think the house is rectangular?”

Chu Tianqiu frowned after hearing this. “Isn’t it?”

“But if someone tampers with the ‘Men,’ making them lead to other spaces, it would change your perception. If they force unrelated rooms to connect subconsciously, people walking through it would just feel like it’s a ‘corridor’ or a ‘train,’ even though it’s actually a collection of countless non-adjacent spaces pieced together.”

Chu Tianqiu, no ordinary person, quickly grasped what Qi Xia was implying.

“But that disturbance with the ‘Men’ earlier…” Chu Tianqiu still had a major doubt, especially after Qi Xia had written the character “Yu.” “Could it lead to some space beyond reality…?”

“No.” Qi Xia denied it. “You’re overthinking it. It only takes us to spaces that truly exist.”

“That ‘Men’ looked like it had gone mad…” Chu Tianqiu’s voice grew softer. “Are you sure what’s on the other side is real?”

“Of course.” Qi Xia nodded meaningfully. “A space you can reach just by opening a door—how could that not be real?”

Chu Tianqiu fell silent, his expression serious as he continued to ponder.

Based on Di Long’s earlier behavior… whatever was on the other side of the ‘Men’ hardly seemed “real” anymore. Di Long spent her days in places like the “End of All Things,” so was there a more terrifying world that could scare her?

“Right now, all the ‘Men’ are stable,” Qi Xia said. “They’re as steady as a ‘train,’ with long corridors and countless fragmented spaces. But think about it—if this place can’t even hold a massive object over ten li long…”

“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu lowered his voice and leaned in closer. “You know all this so clearly… Aren’t you worried Qing Long might hear?”

“Hear…?” Qi Xia shook his head. “From what I guess, Qing Long can’t hear anything here.”

“What…?”

“If Qing Long could really hear, then when I wrote the character ‘Yu’ just now, it wouldn’t have been Di Long who stopped me.” Qi Xia said seriously. “Besides, I tested it earlier—Qing Long wanted to come watch your and my game in person, which proves that if he’s not here, he can’t know what’s happening.”

“You’re making such a bold guess about Qing Long based on that alone?”

“But this guess still needs verification.” Qi Xia said. “Come on, let’s face off with your full strength against mine.”

The two followed Di Long through the door and found themselves in another vast, pitch-black space.

The first thing that caught their eye was a large square. The ground here wasn’t black; instead, it was paved with white tiles, and in the distance stood massive white walls, some over seven or eight meters high.

The team members they had “summoned” were standing around in small groups. Since Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu weren’t in completely opposing camps, the people they selected weren’t mortal enemies either.

Qiao Jiajin was chatting and laughing with Zhang Shan, Han Yimo and Zhao Yisheng were whispering about something, and Chen Junnan was talking non-stop to a speechless Xu Liunian.

Zheng Yingxiong was holding his nose, while Tiantian stood beside him, asking with concern.

If no one had mentioned this was a “Di Long” game, anyone would think it was just a gathering of old friends.

As soon as the crowd saw Di Long and the other two emerge, they quieted down and gathered around.

“You two… next is the ‘review of troops,’” Di Long said. “If you’re sure your teams are ready, I’ll take you to the game site separately.”

“Separately?” Qi Xia asked. “Isn’t this game supposed to involve all of us together?”

“Yes.” Di Long nodded. “But the only time you’ll all be together is right now. What follows is a ‘team versus team’ confrontation.”

At that moment, everyone’s expressions varied. Some were there because they trusted their “commander,” while others hadn’t even expected to be chosen by their “commander.”

“That’s fine,” Qi Xia said. “Give everyone a chance to chat among themselves.”

“Go ahead.” Di Long replied. “I’ll take you to the site in five minutes.”

After hearing this, the crowd erupted into excited chatter.