Chapter 942: Desperate Heavens
"How could there be such a life...?"
Tianniu smiled bitterly. "How much hardship did I endure back then just to survive...? Do you think I don't know that myself? How could it be that after just one trip to the 'Peach Blossom Spring,' after serving as 'Tianniu' for a time, when I go back out, my life would suddenly become smooth sailing...?"
As Tianniu spoke, she pointed toward the sky, her face filled with sorrow as she asked, "Qinglong, tell me, does the 'Peach Blossom Spring' look like some kind of sacred place that can grant us whatever we wish for...? How could this not make people suspicious?"
Under the dim lighting, despair began to creep across everyone's faces. Though each person present was a 'Heavenly Level,' they still felt as insignificant as ants.
"But what's the real difference?" Qinglong asked.
"What...?"
"You all live a full life in a dream until you die of old age. What's the essential difference between that and living until you die of old age in the real world?"
Qinglong's words stunned everyone seated. They all seemed to want to say something, but couldn't immediately find grounds to refute him.
Yes... what exactly was the difference between these two lives?
"In any case... I just can't understand it," Qinglong said. "For all of you, it's simply finding a place to live out your lives. Isn't a flawless, perfect life more tempting than your reality full of scars and holes? Where did I go wrong? And where did Tianlong go wrong?"
"How could that possibly be the same..." Tianniu had lost some of her conviction. "A dream is, after all, just a dream... there's still a difference between it and reality..."
"But Tianlong's dream immersion is extremely powerful," Qinglong said. "Even in your dreams, you can feel pain and pleasure. You can experience all joys and sorrows, anger and happiness. For you, there's simply no difference between the two."
"But... but our lives... wouldn't be so smooth..." Tianniu still managed a weak rebuttal. "It's precisely because life has its ups and downs... that we want to go back and see..."
"Hahahahaha!" Qinglong suddenly burst into loud laughter.
The booming laughter drew everyone's gaze toward him in the room.
"What a ridiculous way of thinking!" Qinglong said, his eyes curving into crescents. "Because it's too smooth, it's not a real life? It has to have ups and downs? Tell me... where did this pathetic way of thinking come from?"
"You..."
"All of you struggled in the real world precisely to make your future lives smooth sailing, didn't you?" Qinglong's tone grew increasingly sharp. "Who told you that life can only be about suffering?"
He slowly walked over to Tianniu, who at this point seemed to have completely lost the strength to argue back.
"Tianniu... if you think your life is too smooth... then why not just ask Tianlong to give you a life full of scars and holes?" Qinglong said with a smile, placing his hand on Tianniu's shoulder. "If you suffered enough hardships in your dreams... would you then believe it was real? Would you then never wake up?"
"I... I..."
"Your thinking isn't wrong, but maybe real life really is smooth sailing," Qinglong said, slowly leaning his mouth close to Tianniu's ear, whispering softly, "Maybe all the suffering is just the dream."
Tianniu's eyes flickered for a moment after hearing this, then she slowly lowered her head.
"Do you want to die?" Qinglong whispered again in her ear. "Everything now is just a dream. If you die, you'll be liberated."
Seeing Tianniu's psychological defenses crumbling step by step, the newly awakened Tianzhu could no longer sit still. He quickly changed the subject.
"Qinglong... when can we move freely?" he asked.
The sudden question snapped Tianniu back to reality, and Qinglong's expression immediately soured.
"Move freely...?"
"We can't just sit here forever, can we?" Tianzhu said. "Why don't you just be straightforward with us about what you're planning? Maybe some of us would be willing to help you. That way, those who oppose you die, and those who comply live. What do you think?"
Qinglong nodded after hearing this. "That's... somewhat reasonable."
"So, are you going to tell us what your actual intentions are?" Tianzhu pressed. "I can state my position first. Since you freed me from that slumber and brought me back to reality, I consider that a debt of gratitude. So I'll stand on your side."
Tianshe timidly looked up toward Tianzhu after hearing this, countless thoughts from him streaming into her ears.
How ridiculous Tianzhu was. The voice in his heart wasn't even leaning toward Qinglong's side; it sounded more like he wanted to kill Qinglong and Tianlong to claim the credit.
"Too bad I'm not stupid..." Qinglong paced slowly around the room, soon arriving behind Tianhu. "The reason all of you can still sit here bearing the title of 'Heavenly Level Zodiac' is precisely because every single one of you is deeply calculating. Even someone like Tianhu, a child wearing nothing but a bellyband..."
He reached out and slowly stroked Tianhu's head, while Tianhu wisely remained silent.
"...is actually a old monster in his fifties or sixties, right?" Qinglong laughed. "Facing you people, ordinary lies and promises are completely useless. Only supreme power can keep you all in check."
Upon hearing this, Tianzhu flexed his fingers. His prolonged slumber had made control over his body gradually unfamiliar.
But how were they supposed to contact Tianlong now?
They had spent so long climbing to this position, and none of them wanted to die.
Even if both Tianlong and Qinglong weren't good people, only Tianlong could keep Qinglong in check.
The reason the two had coexisted peacefully for so long was precisely their mutual restraint. Once one ruler turned against them, the situation here would become even more tyrannical, and only deeper despair awaited them.
"Relax," Qinglong said again. "My demands for you are very simple, just as I said from the start. As long as you obediently sit here, no one will be harmed. I never intended to take your lives from the beginning. But the precondition is that you don't go looking for death yourselves."
Tianshe found this somewhat strange after hearing it, because just a moment ago, she had seen a very concrete murderous intent in Qinglong's eyes. Yet now he claimed he didn't want to kill anyone.
"After all, you are 'Heavenly Levels,'" Qinglong continued. "We've been working together for decades now. Even 'coworkers' in the real world couldn't last this long. So I do still have a tiny shred of feeling for you all."
Upon hearing this, Tianhou and Tianji simultaneously looked up at Qinglong, then asked in unison, "We really won't be in trouble?"
"Yes," Qinglong said. "But at the same time... you must absolutely never mention what happened tonight in front of Tianlong. That will buy you your lives. Understood?"
The various 'Heavenly Levels' knew they had no bargaining chips left to negotiate with Qinglong, so they had no choice but to agree.
But Tianzhu seemed to have other ideas. His eyeballs rolled around, then he slowly closed his eyes.
At that moment, Qinglong's ears twitched slightly, and he turned his head to look at him.
"'Puppet'...?" He laughed. "Tianzhu... didn't I say... no tricks?"
"I..." Tianzhu quickly shook his head after hearing this. "You misunderstood. I just haven't used my 'Immortal Art' in so long... I wanted to see if it was still there."