Chapter 1332: The Crack
Tianlong continued in a deep voice, "Even someone like me, who has been sleeping all this time, can guess what you’re trying to achieve by letting those people onto the 'Train.'"
"Tianlong... how could you think that... I..."
"You found some way to sever our 'live and die together' bond, didn’t you?"
Qinglong was silent for a moment, neither denying nor admitting it.
"Our 'Twin Flowers' only established the most basic connection, which means our injuries aren’t shared, but our lives are still linked," Tianlong said. "But it’s precisely this basic connection that gives you such a headache—am I right?"
"I..."
"So you wanted to set up a trap to get rid of me, but unfortunately, things started to spiral beyond your control." Tianlong sighed. "You realized that under Bai Yang’s full-force assault, you couldn’t hold your ground, so you had to wake me up to clean up the mess you created—am I right?"
"Tianlong..." Qinglong didn’t know how to respond to Tianlong’s questions, his face a complex mask of silence.
"When you were pinned down, you couldn’t sever our connection, which means your method is only temporary and even requires preparation in advance. You wanted to seize that one moment to let me die and find your own complete liberation." Tianlong sighed. "Qinglong... am I right?"
After speaking, Tianlong reached up and pressed a hand to his chest, his expression somewhat strange.
"What's... wrong?" Qinglong asked uncertainly.
"Nothing... just suddenly having trouble breathing," Tianlong said. "Qinglong, there are many things I don’t say, but that doesn’t mean I’m unaware of them."
Qinglong knew there was no point in hiding anything further. Finally, he let out a sigh and said, "Yes, I want to kill you. I’ve had enough."
"Hearing that makes me a little regretful," Tianlong said. "But I fully understand you."
"You’re the only one who’s asleep..." Qinglong’s voice grew slightly hoarse. "Yet I’m the one trapped by you. Every day, I worry that someone might enter that room and kill you... I fear even more that I might die in some unknowable way in the dead of night... You’re just sleeping, but you’ve become my greatest weakness in this world."
"Then why am I the one asleep?" Tianlong asked.
The question seemed to strike at the heart of the matter, leaving Qinglong speechless.
"Qinglong, I understand you," Tianlong said. "But you know full well that I sleep because I exhaust all my 'Conviction' in just half a day and become utterly insane. With all the 'Immortal Arts' I carry, if I remained awake... the entire 'Taoyuan' would be turned upside down."
"Yes... I know. Everything you do is to protect the stability of 'Taoyuan,'" Qinglong said through gritted teeth. "But is 'stability' what we want...? Don’t you want to take a gamble... and become a true 'God'?"
"Of course I do..." Tianlong kept his hand pressed to his chest, taking a few deep breaths before he felt his breathing ease. "But if I didn't 'separate' those people... when new lives arrive... countless versions of them meet each other, how can we ensure no other situations arise?"
"It’s all Bai Yang’s fault... Bai Yang, he..."
Tianlong adjusted his breathing, his face heavy as he said, "Just one Bai Yang has already caused this. If many Bai Yangs met each other in 'Taoyuan'... they would scheme together and coordinate flawlessly—would the scales still tip in our favor? By then, even 'Heaven’s Will' wouldn’t be able to help you or me."
"Stop bringing up 'Heaven’s Will'..." Qinglong said. "Your so-called 'Twelve Heavenly Intentions' have almost been completely destroyed by Bai Yang. He schemed to sow discord among the 'Heavenly Sheep,' he refused to become a 'Heavenly Grade,' and in the room he’s in, there’s only one Referee. He has already torn a crack in your 'Twelve' with his own strength."
"It doesn’t matter," Tianlong said. "You and I both need to use him. That’s the only reason he’s still struggling to survive."
Watching Qinglong’s long silence, Tianlong slowly stood up and glanced at the corridor outside the door.
"Qinglong, if I really die... what identity would you live on with?"
"Identity?" Qinglong looked up, confusion on his face.
"The irony is, the one who survives won’t be you, nor will it be me," Tianlong said. "You carry half of me, and you killed half of yourself. So in the end, which one of us lives? And which one dies?"
"No..." Qinglong hesitated for a few seconds before speaking. "No matter what we’re composed of, right now we exist as two separate individuals. If you truly died, I would still live on as 'Qinglong.'"
Tianlong kept his back turned to Qinglong, his expression hidden.
"We each have a part of the other, and even our thoughts are starting to change." Tianlong gazed at the corridor, speaking softly. "You and I both want to become true 'Gods,' but the methods we take are completely different. You’ve had enough, and so have I."
"What do you mean?"
"You’re plagued by a constant weakness, and I’m plagued by ruling over this illusory two days. Neither of us is satisfied with the current state," Tianlong said. "Since there’s a way... why don’t we give it a try?"
"What...?"
"The method you have to undo the 'Twin Flowers,'" Tianlong said. "Show it to me."
Qinglong frowned slightly and slowly rose to his feet. "Now...?"
"Yes. Why make it so complicated?" Tianlong said. "You go behind my back and set up an elaborate trap, but the result is less satisfying than if I simply agree."
Hearing Tianlong’s proposal, Qinglong hesitated, a rare occurrence.
"So you’re telling me to undo the 'Twin Flowers' now, and then..."
"Kill me," Tianlong said.
Qinglong paused for a few seconds, then asked, "Tianlong, are you lucid right now?"
"Mostly," Tianlong nodded. "There aren’t many people to 'separate' this time, so I can still think and talk for now. But after I activate 'Dream Entry,' I can’t say the same. So, what’s your decision?"
Qinglong truly found it hard to gauge Tianlong’s intent. Though each possessed half of the other, it was clear that his half and the other’s half held different thoughts.
"Why?" Qinglong asked. "Nothing you just said made me think you want to die."
"You said it yourself—if we keep going like this, you and I will one day run into danger. Even following 'Heaven’s Will' to the letter might not spare us," Tianlong said. "So I was thinking... if only you remained here, would you manage this place better?"