Chapter 840: The Moment of Termination
Chen Junnan's face was etched with contemplation, but he felt he couldn't quite figure it out.
Qi Xia's line of thought could already perfectly align with the madmen here, but he himself still couldn't.
"I can't understand it," Chen Junnan said. "For everyone, time here really is stopped. But I don't think stopping time works this way... This is way too absurd... And what you said about 'controlling people is controlling time' sounds even more ridiculous..."
"It's normal that you can't understand," Qi Xia said. "Time doesn't exist in this world. Time is a concept humans have given to the universe. If people stop, time stops."
"So...?" Chen Junnan asked.
"So for our time not to be stopped, and for everyone to return to their correct lives, we need the most powerful 'fast-forward' in history," Qi Xia said. "I told you, my goal is to take everyone out."
"Old Qi..." Chen Junnan's expression darkened, and he lowered his voice. "Tell your bro the truth... Does this 'copy' of yours have any side effects?"
"No," Qi Xia said without hesitation.
Chen Junnan knew he couldn't understand Qi Xia's thoughts from a normal angle anymore. After thinking for a long time, he said, "Old Qi, anyway... no matter what you're going to do, I'll try my best to help you."
Qi Xia didn't reply, just nodded thoughtfully.
Before long, Qin Dingdong emerged from the teaching building in the distance and came to their side. "Qi Xia, Yan Zhichun and Lin Qin are back. They're waiting for you now."
Qi Xia paused briefly, then said, "I only need to see Yan Zhichun. Tell her to find an empty classroom and wait for me. I still have some other things to do."
"Just her?" Qin Dingdong hesitated. "They also brought back a woman... named Wen Qiaoyun. Don't you need to see her?"
"No need," Qi Xia said. "Let the people who want to see her do so."
Qi Xia left Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong and went alone to the rooftop of the teaching building.
He slowly raised his head, and just as he was about to speak, "Qinglong" appeared before him. He wore a long robe and materialized in the blink of an eye, as if he had been standing there all along.
"What's wrong?" Qinglong asked with a smile.
As he spoke, he gently waved his hand, silencing all sounds around them.
"I don't like things that go beyond my expectations," Qi Xia said. "What's with the 'Heavenly Snake Moment'?"
"That wasn't my doing," Qinglong shook his head. "The 'Heavenly-level Zodiacs' take orders directly from Tianlong. I can't interfere."
"Why did he do it?"
"I don't know either," Qinglong shook his head. "Do you want me to wake Tianlong and ask?"
"Ridiculous," Qi Xia said. "What is he thinking? Is there still time left?"
"Qi Xia..." Qinglong reached out and smoothed his dark green hair by his ear, speaking softly. "Now that this 'Heavenly Snake Moment' has appeared, I'm curious too—not just you."
"Oh?"
Qinglong's gaze instantly turned cold, and he took a slow step toward Qi Xia. "Qi Xia... I feel like something isn't right. Could someone have screwed me over?"
"What do you mean?" Qi Xia narrowed his eyes and asked.
"What exactly did Tianlong tell you?" Qinglong asked. "Are you working for him?"
"Working for Tianlong?" Qi Xia let out a cold laugh. "You're overthinking it. Is Tianlong that important to me? I only work for myself."
"Ha." Qinglong took another step forward. "You only work for yourself? Saying that makes 'I want to lead everyone out' sound quite ironic. Do you really think I'm a fool to be toyed with?"
"You actually believe that?" Qi Xia sneered. "Qinglong, you know I'm aware you're listening to me from above. How could I lie to you to your face?"
"Can I interpret that as... you don't actually want to take everyone out?" Qinglong asked. "Just as you said, everything you do is for yourself?"
"Of course," Qi Xia nodded. "Qinglong, I have no real connection to anyone here. Even the people closest to me, like Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan, can be abandoned at a moment's notice. After all, in the real world, I'd never meet them, and they'd never interfere with my life. So our deal is simple. You don't need to listen to what I usually say. Just remember this: I kill Tianlong for you, you let me go. It's that simple."
"Let you go...?" Qinglong laughed coldly. "Why do you think I'd let you go?"
"There are tens of thousands of people here. One less won't matter," Qi Xia said. "You must have a way. I can promise you that once I leave here, I'll live in obscurity. No one will ever know what happened to me here. Even if the real 'God' captures me, they'll never get anything out of me about the 'Land of Endings.'"
After hearing this, Qinglong was silent for a moment, then said, "But that's not safe for me... If word of the 'Land of Endings' leaks out, things won't end well for me."
"Don't be foolish," Qi Xia cut him off. "Keeping me here will put you in even greater danger."
The two stood on the empty rooftop, staring into each other's eyes. Neither could tell how much truth was in the other's words.
"Qi Xia, I can't fully trust you," Qinglong said. "But I do need someone to kill Tianlong for me. If you do it, I'll do my best to send you away. But if you try any tricks, I won't hesitate to discard a talent like you and take away your sanity."
"Maybe I used to worry about that," Qi Xia said. "But now, you wouldn't dare."
"I wouldn't dare...?"
"If I lose my sanity, I'll be even more terrifying than I am now. You and Tianlong will be trapped here forever," Qi Xia said. "If you don't believe me, you can turn me into an 'original inhabitant' right now and try."
Qinglong stared at Qi Xia cautiously for a long time, but found that those gray eyes genuinely carried a hint of threat. With things having come this far, Qinglong naturally didn't dare gamble again. In the end, he could only let out a deep sigh.
"Qi Xia, I can't let Tianlong know I'm meddling. Otherwise, I'll be in big trouble," Qinglong said. "So I'll only help you within my means."
"Alright. Then stop the 'Heavenly-level Moment,'" Qi Xia said. "No one else can die tonight."
"I told you... the 'Heavenly-level Zodiacs' take orders from Tianlong. How am I supposed to—"
"That's your problem to solve," Qi Xia interrupted. "Right now, everyone is doing things beyond their means. You can't be too comfortable either. Find a way to stop the 'Heavenly-level Moment,' or I'll meet Tianlong in my dreams tonight. You know I'm on the verge of madness. There's no telling what I might say."