# Chapter 2107: Caged Tiger! Can Roar in the Mountains
Jiu Lan was somewhat puzzled. Even now, when Jiangnan had been thrown into prison, facing such circumstances—
He still didn't regret it, firmly believing he had done the right thing?
Was this his true thoughts?
"Freedom... is it really that important?"
Jiu Lan was still walking, not facing Jiangnan, so he couldn't see her expression.
But Jiangnan recalled the disgusted look in Jiu Lan's eyes when she first saw the Starry Sky Races.
The corners of his mouth curled into a smile.
Opportunity!
"Not important? Then let me ask you—does the Netherworld Clan truly possess freedom?"
"Because of your racial talent, Stygian Energy, aren't you also imprisoned in the Minghe Star Domain? The Ming He Death Prison holds criminals from all the Starry Sky Races! Yet the Netherworld Clan is likewise imprisoned in the Minghe Star Domain by those same races! Isn't that absurd?"
Jiu Lan's heart tightened, and she clenched her fists.
"We have a cooperative relationship with the Sacred Law Council. The Netherworld Clan can operate outside the Minghe Star Domain, but we need to report to the Sacred Law Council, and..."
Jiangnan cut her off: "Only you know the actual situation. This is false freedom."
"I didn't see the Netherworld Clan in the Starry Sky Sequences. You don't even qualify to participate in the Sequence War, do you?"
"The only reason you still exist today is because of the Starry Sky Races' charity and compromise."
"Though you're not slave seeds, have you ever truly possessed freedom? You've been locked in this Minghe Star Domain for too long—have you forgotten how dazzling this starry sky really is?"
Jiu Lan bit her lip, her eyes turning fierce. Her dissatisfaction with the Sacred Law Council and the Starry Sky Races' treatment of the Netherworld Clan was no ordinary resentment.
"So what? Fight back? What can a single clan accomplish? How many people would have to die to get the freedom you speak of?"
Jiangnan said flatly: "What can be accomplished? Didn't humanity already do it?"
Jiu Lan's body stiffened, and she took a deep breath.
"What did humanity accomplish? The current situation is just a facade. In the end, isn't it the same?"
"The Starry Sky Races have controlled the starry sky for over two billion years since the Cosmos War. How could they possibly give humanity a chance to rise? Let them touch their cake?"
"You're in prison, and you're still talking tough?"
Jiangnan grinned: "The Starry Sky Races indeed don't want humanity to touch their cake. So I started the Thousand Stars Calamity, flipped the table, and snatched the cake to eat."
"Besides, why are you so certain humanity's ending will be extinction? Who told you that?"
Jiu Lan frowned: (๑•̌～•̑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ "Isn't it?"
Jiangnan spread his hands, looking completely matter-of-fact.
╮(•́～•̀)╭ "Of course not. In reality, humanity now has the Black God as their backing, using the Dimensional Gap as their stronghold. No race in the starry sky can shake humanity's foundation. We're inherently in an invincible position. Extinction is just empty talk."
"Moreover, with the Black God present, the Dimensional War can end at any time. That's the Starry Sky Races' pain point. Even humans living in the starry sky, the myriad races don't dare oppress or boycott them openly."
"Now, humanity is using the Dimensional Gap to master a third type of star route under the starry sky—Dimensional Star Navigation. It's already coming online in phases. This is exactly the means to enter the game."
"With our stronghold in the Dimensional Gap and our status as a Starry Sky Sequence eating the resource cake in the starry sky, what awaits humanity is only rapid development, growing wildly like bamboo shoots after spring rain."
Saying this, Jiangnan looked up at Jiu Lan.
"What makes you think humanity is doomed? Right now, humanity is standing at the starting point. Nourished by resources and time, one day we will stand at the peak of the Starry Sky Races!"
Jiu Lan's scalp tingled as she listened blankly to Jiangnan's analysis of the situation.
Was this the real state of humanity now?
The things she had heard secondhand were just superficial—what the Sacred Law Council and the Starry Sky Races wanted the Netherworld Clan to know?
Heavens!
Humanity had actually come this far?
"Then... then weren't you still thrown into the Ming He Death Prison by Di Chou's schemes? Humanity has lost its Era Lord, its backbone. It must be a leaderless situation. How can they..."
Jiangnan shook his head: "This is where you're even more mistaken. Humanity can still thrive without me. No race can't continue without any single individual."
"Moreover, every person from my Blue Star humanity is like a dragon. So what if I'm not there? I've already done what an Era Lord needs to do. Humanity has now entered a new era."
"So now I'm completely free, and besides, I don't think I'm the most outstanding human. There are plenty of humans more impressive than me!"
Xiao Yeye, Wu Zang, Xiao Laodi—all of them were more impressive than himself.
Jiu Lan's eyes widened. Jiangnan wasn't the strongest human?
Jiangnan let out a disdainful snort: "As for Di Chou's schemes? Schemes my ass! Hey, hey—you don't actually think I was forced into the Ming He Death Prison by the Starry Sky Races, do you?"
"The truth is, if I didn't want to come here myself, no one in this starry sky could force me into prison!"
"Remember the farewell ceremony the Starry Sky Races gave me when I left Thousand Stars City?"
Jiu Lan nodded repeatedly, her mouth twitching: "I remember. How could I forget?"
That grand spectacle was impossible to forget. The top ten sequences' Star Devourers escorted him all the way, myriad race citizens waved flags and cheered—all celebrating Jiangnan's imprisonment!
Jiangnan grinned: "This was just me shifting the Starry Sky Races' hatred, clearing obstacles for humanity to better establish itself in the starry sky and stretch its limbs."
"After all, I slaughtered too many lives. The Starry Sky Races needed an outlet. If I suffered, they wouldn't hate humanity as much."
"Di Chou wanted me dead, wanted my secrets, so he wanted me in prison. I entered prison to pave the way for humanity."
"Ultimately, it's just a transaction of mutual benefit and compromise. If I didn't want to come, hiding in the Dimensional Gap—who could do anything to me?"
Jiu Lan stared dumbfounded at Jiangnan. Was this the truth behind his imprisonment?
Paving the way for humanity by entering the Ming He Death Prison?
"Sacrificing yourself to give humanity opportunities in the starry sky? I have to admit, I admire you for that."
Jiangnan rolled his eyes: (꒪ั～꒪ั*) "What sacrifice? I have no intention of dying here!"
"Ultimately, this is just a game between me, Di Chou, and the Sacred Law Council. If they win—they get the secret and kill me. I'll take the loss."
"If I win—humanity gains a foothold. This Ming He Death Prison is just one scenic spot in my wonderful life!"
Jiu Lan's face darkened, and she turned to stare at Jiangnan:
(๑ŏ～ŏ) "So! You're telling me, the Deputy Warden of Ming He Death Prison, that you plan to escape?"
"You're really bold, aren't you? Do you believe I'll nip that plan in the bud right now?"
Jiangnan's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. GiaO!
(｡･ˇㅂˇ･｡:) "Ah-ha~ Ahaha... You wouldn't bear to, would you? If I die, you'll have nowhere to advance your Netherworld Eight Forms!"
Jiu Lan remained expressionless, staring into Jiangnan's eyes.
"Are you so confident you'll win this game? Honestly! In this Ming He Death Prison, if those above want you dead, you won't see tomorrow's sun."
"The only reason you're still alive is because they want your secrets, want to make you suffer."
"Their patience will run out one day, won't it?"
Jiangnan smiled: "At least I'm not dead yet, so there's still a chance. It's not that I'm confident I'll win this game."
"It's that I must win! This situation is far from certain death—small potatoes."
"When you've been surrounded by three Star Devouring大佬s all attacking at once, that's when you know what true despair is!"
Yet Jiangnan had still survived using Black Hole Devouring Star.
Compared to that, this really was small potatoes.
Jiu Lan was astonished. Jiangnan's mentality was truly good—he could still laugh.
"Aren't you afraid I'll report this to the higher-ups and have them kill you immediately?"
Jiangnan met Jiu Lan's gaze directly: "Since I dare to say it to you, I'm not afraid you'll snitch. I'm pretty good at reading people."
"I'm just telling you: if you don't do anything, nothing will change."
"The ending is already decided? All efforts are useless? Pure bullshit!"
"If you don't strive to change things, how can you change the outcome? No one knows the ending until the very last moment. No effort is ever wasted!"
Jiu Lan bit her lower lip and remained silent.
She couldn't help thinking of the Netherworld Warden's warning, but now she was hearing completely different viewpoints from Jiangnan!
"Do you think what you did was right?"
Jiangnan said flatly: "What's right or wrong? For the comrades who died in the war, for those Starry Sky Races—what I did was wrong."
"For the human race, what I did was right. I only know that if I hadn't done it, there would be no current situation for humanity."
"What awaits humanity is becoming slave seeds, falling into eternal damnation."
"Through struggle, I achieved the results I wanted. I gave humanity freedom. As for right or wrong? Does it really matter?"
Jiu Lan opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, her eyes dimming.
Only a long silence remained.
Jiangnan watched Jiu Lan's back, his eyes flickering.
He could see that Jiu Lan wanted to change the status quo. She wasn't satisfied with the Netherworld Clan being oppressed and imprisoned.
But she alone couldn't change anything.
Moreover, unlike humanity in its early days, the Netherworld Clan had a choice—they had a retreat.
This Minghe Star Domain was their retreat.
Fighting the Starry Sky Races to win equal rights for their race seemed to come at too heavy a price.
But precisely because the Netherworld Clan had a retreat, they had been content with the status quo for too long, imprisoned for too long. Their edge had been worn down, and they had lost the courage to fight.
Yet without fighting, how could anything change?
Jiangnan said lightly: "A caged tiger! Can roar in the mountains!"
"The question is: does the tiger have the determination to step out of the cage?"
Jiu Lan's expression stiffened. "Don't say anymore. The tool room is here."