Chapter 833: The Best Timing
Qi Xia walked forward without looking back. He had now roughly confirmed the stance of every "Zodiac" on the map.
Except for the "Dragon," the remaining seven could be stabilized. After all, he and Earth Tiger were already working on these people from two fronts.
Now that this cycle was about to end, these "Zodiacs" might have previously paid no attention to the concept of a ten-day cycle. But things were different now. They should realize that this matter couldn't be accomplished by just a few of them alone—they would definitely need help from the "Participants."
But once the "Participants" experienced "Annihilation," many people's memories could be washed away, further reducing their chances of success in "rebellion."
So if they were going to act, they could only seize this opportunity.
Qi Xia knew he had probably gotten as thorough a read on these eleven "Zodiacs" as possible. Most of the "Earth-level" ones were people he had once trusted. Now it was time to cash in on that trust.
As for the few others who had no prior connection with his former self, through recent contact and Earth Tiger's hints and nudges, they had been given sufficient reason to stand on his side.
Swaying over a dozen "Zodiacs" into a united rebellion as an ordinary "Participant"—no matter how you looked at it, it was a pipe dream.
Yet now, through Qi Xia's maneuvering, the arrow was already nocked.
Only two things remained to be done.
First, determine who could stand on the "Participants'" side. For this, he needed to meet with Tian Chuqiu in the "Earth Dragon's" game.
Even at the very worst—if Tian Chuqiu proved less capable than anticipated and lacked extraordinary talents under his command—then the "Participants'" representative would have to be chosen from the remaining two factions.
Qi Xia turned his head and looked into the distance, toward the direction of "Cat." The "needle" he had planted through Chen Junnan should be about ready to fulfill its true purpose now.
They had never been mere "mercenaries." From the very beginning, their goal was to "kill the Divine Beasts."
"It's just a pity about Qian Wu..." Qi Xia murmured to himself. "No, I'm overthinking it. Qian Wu isn't dead. He should be in the prison with Zhou Liu right now, using Zhou Liu's 'Sound Transmission' to continuously gather his teammates. After all, their teammates are also scattered throughout the city."
As he finished speaking, Qi Xia felt a momentary dizziness in his mind, which then faded away completely.
Qi Xia snapped back to attention and sorted out the second thing he needed to do: meet with Yan Zhichun.
She was another "needle," aside from "Cat" and the "Zodiacs."
The "Path of the Ultimate."
But this particular "needle" was far too special. They knew the truth about the entire "Land of the End" and were willing to stand in opposition to the "Participants," enduring loneliness willingly. So they always remained hidden, undetectable.
The strong individuals in this city had only a few possible destinations once they showed their abilities.
Either "Heaven's Gate," or "Cat," or the "Path of the Ultimate."
Qi Xia had given them a maximum of seven years to gather the strong.
Even if there were truly some who slipped through the cracks and joined none of the three factions, Qi Xia would find a way to turn them into his teammates.
Whether it was Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajing, who had been assigned to his room, or wanderers like Su Shan and Qin Dingdong.
The timing now seemed just right. Both the "Participants" and the "Zodiacs" were likely in the best state for rebellion in history.
Speaking of Su Shan, Qi Xia suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Qin Dingdong.
"What's up, Classmate Qi?"
Qi Xia was about to speak when he realized someone was missing from behind him. "Where's Chen Junnan?"
The two of them looked back and saw that, after all this time, Chen Junnan was only just belatedly running out of the Earth Snake's game arena.
"Yo! Chatting, are we?!" Chen Junnan came over with a grin. "Your young master just learned something new. That old geezer's game is sneaky as hell."
"Doesn't matter," Qi Xia said. "We probably won't be playing his game."
Qin Dingdong paused for a moment, then asked, "Classmate Qi, what were you going to ask me?"
Qi Xia turned his face back, thought for a moment, and asked, "Did you know Su Shan from before?"
"Yeah, Xiao Shan and I were... good friends." Qin Dingdong gave an awkward smile. "I did kill her once, but she's not a bad person."
"Has she 'Echoed'?" Qi Xia asked.
"Yeah." Qin Dingdong nodded. "If you want to know about Xiao Shan's 'Echo,' why not just ask me directly? I've known what her 'Echo' was for a long time. It's just a pity she's dead now..."
"No, she's not dead," Qi Xia said.
As soon as he said this, Qi Xia felt something strange. A slight dizziness suddenly hit his mind, but it quickly subsided.
"Not dead...?" Qin Dingdong was stunned. Beside her, Qiao Jiajing and Chen Junnan also showed peculiar expressions.
"Yes, she should be right now..." Qi Xia paused, then continued, "...standing exactly where you thought she died. She'll probably be reunited with you all soon."
"Old Qi..." Chen Junnan finally spoke up. "I think you'd better stop saying stuff like that... I keep getting this weird feeling..."
Qi Xia reached up and rubbed his forehead. "But this is a necessary measure..."
Even as he said it was a necessary measure, Qi Xia's heart was uneasy. Saying the same thing a few times before had been fine, but this time, he felt an almost imperceptible dizziness.
Could it be because "Cat" had suffered heavy casualties during the "Pegasus Moment"... too many people needing to be revived?
"Looks like I have to throw away all rationality..." Qi Xia murmured to himself. "I still have room to grow."
"Old Qi...?" Chen Junnan called out tentatively again. "What the hell are you muttering about over there?"
"It's nothing." Qi Xia shook his head. "Qin Dingdong, what is Su Shan's 'Echo'?"
Although Qi Xia had witnessed the moment Su Shan's "Echo" activated, he had never figured out what ability she had used.
"It's 'Spirit Vision,'" Qin Dingdong replied. "Hasn't anyone told you? Her eyes can not only see through 'Echoes,' but also perceive 'Essence.'"
"So she's the 'Spirit Vision.'" Qi Xia nodded. "The person I was looking for was right beside me all along. Makes sense."
Qi Xia had just finished speaking and was about to lead the group forward when his mind suddenly went haywire again.
"Wait..." He lowered his head, stroked his chin, and then asked, "Qin Dingdong... Can 'Spirit Vision' 'see through things'?"
"What do you mean by 'see through things'?" Qin Dingdong asked. "I doubt it can see through a person's heart."
"Not a person's heart. Things like playing cards, for example."
"Of course it can." Qin Dingdong nodded. "If you're talking about that aspect, 'Spirit Vision' does include a degree of 'X-ray vision.'"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Jiajing and Chen Junnan both understood what Qi Xia was getting at.
"Meaning..." Qi Xia looked at Qiao Jiajing and Chen Junnan. "The 'Heavenly Snake's' research direction was wrong all along... The 'Immortal Art' of this place was never 'Dwelling Soaring Bird.'"