# 1042
Chapter 1043: Loki's Backup Plan
(The previous Yang Jian supporting Qiye bug has been fixed)
Asgard.
Loki passed through the dim Western-style corridor and stepped into his own temple. The black hem of his robe swayed between the intersecting light and shadow. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught something, and he paused in place.
In the center of the black temple, a golden-haired figure in red clothing stood with their back to him, motionless.
"Thor." Loki raised an eyebrow. "For you to come to my temple voluntarily—this is truly rare..."
Thor slowly turned around, his deep blue eyes fixed intently on Loki, his expression grave.
"Only three days remain until the Great Xia Tianzun questions Asgard." Thor's low voice echoed within the temple. "Things should never have developed to this point. Asgard has no reason to be hostile toward Great Xia... We should never have placed Asgard in such a dangerous position."
"Oh, my dear Thor." Loki strode forward, shaking his head with a cold laugh. "It seems you still haven't understood the situation. Hostility toward Great Xia was not a decision I made alone. I, Loki, don't have that much influence. This is the joint decision of the Four Divine Kingdoms."
"But it was Asgard that led the Four Divine Kingdoms in attacking Great Xia! And it was you who traveled to the other divine kingdoms, persuading them to join the alliance!" Thor reached out and grabbed Loki's collar abruptly, shouting: "Asgard has existed for so many years and rarely provoked other divine kingdoms. This time, Father King didn't hesitate to wager the entire Asgard to oppose Great Xia—why? What... what did you fill Father's head with?"
Loki's upper body was lifted by Thor's single hand. His narrow eyes gradually grew cold, and he spoke faintly: "Thor, who do you think you are? What gives you the right to question me on behalf of Asgard? How do you know that everything I did... wasn't for Asgard's own good?"
"You? I don't trust you." Thor spoke with certainty. "You're nothing but an evil god who delights in chaos! An absolute scoundrel!"
"Evil god? So what if I'm an evil god? What do you think you are?" Loki sneered. "Have you... forgotten how Idun died?"
Upon hearing the name Idun, Thor's eyes narrowed.
Loki continued: "A hundred years ago, if you hadn't refused to sacrifice mortals to obtain the Fruit of Life from Idun, the goddess of youth, for those so-called 'benevolent gods' of Asgard, how could she have been forced—due to insufficient Life Fruit—to sacrifice herself to save that废物 Bragi?
Benevolent gods? Heh heh heh...
Throughout all of Asgard, only Idun, the Goddess of Youth who sacrificed herself and provided the Life Fruit to save half of Asgard, truly deserves to be called 'benevolent.'
And wasn't it you who caused the fall of this benevolent goddess? You sacrificed one Goddess of Youth to save the other gods of Asgard. Your actions—sacrificing mortals for survival—how are they any different from mine?"
Thor clenched his right fist, the veins on his arm bulging prominently. He stared furiously at Loki, his eye sockets slightly reddened.
His eyes were filled with fury and anguish.
After a long while, he abruptly released Loki's collar, took a deep breath, and slowly spoke: "I will keep watching you, Loki... whatever schemes you're brewing, I won't let you continue harming Asgard."
"Whatever you say."
Loki casually walked up to his throne and lay back on it, crossing his legs. The man appeared utterly carefree.
Thor stood quietly beneath the throne, watching him with cold eyes.
Loki's narrow eyes swept over him, a barely perceptible trace of mockery flickering within them.
As if you... could even keep me under surveillance?
He slowly closed his eyes. A wisp of his split soul coiled around the black ear on his right hand, piercing through the void, and in the blink of an eye, vanished without a trace.
...
Kunlun Ruins.
Si Xiaonan and the other two, draped in the Disconnected Veils, walked another circle across the barren land but still couldn't find the trace of that gate.
"It's truly gone." Si Xiaonan's brow furrowed tightly. "In that case, how are we supposed to get out?"
"Someone must not want us to leave so easily, so they moved the gate elsewhere." An Qingyu pondered thoughtfully.
"The Great Xia deities noticed we entered?"
Si Xiaonan's expression grew grave.
Although she and Leng Xuan were of the party of Han (serving one master while secretly working for another), they alone knew this in their hearts. From the standpoint of their identities, she was still an external deity's spy embedded within Great Xia. If they were truly captured by Great Xia deities, the outcome wouldn't be favorable.
Most importantly, if they were caught in Great Xia, some of their subsequent plans would be difficult to execute.
Upon hearing this, An Qingyu was about to ask something, but after hesitation, he shook his head instead.
To this day, he still knew nothing about Si Xiaonan and Leng Xuan's identities and purposes. Even though he had guessed they might be under coercion, this fragment of information was far from sufficient.
He wanted to ask for more details, but because of the existence of Loki's Ear, he didn't dare probe freely.
As if sensing An Qingyu's dilemma, Leng Xuan was silent for a moment, then proactively stood up: "I'm a bit hungry. I'll go find something to eat."
Previously, due to Singh's presence, even if Si Xiaonan wanted to find time to be alone with An Qingyu, it would have been difficult. Now that Singh was dead, everyone present was one of their own, so certain matters would naturally become more convenient.
As long as Leng Xuan temporarily stepped away, it would give Si Xiaonan and An Qingyu an unmonitored environment of freedom.
Si Xiaonan quickly grasped Leng Xuan's intention and nodded.
After Leng Xuan had completely walked away, just as An Qingyu was about to speak, Si Xiaonan made a silencing gesture toward him, then waved her hand through the emptiness. A large Disconnected Veil condensed from the air and covered the two of them, isolating all sound.
"We're safe now." Si Xiaonan nodded. "Loki's methods are far too strange. We must be cautious in everything."
An Qingyu let out a long breath. "Now, can you explain what's going on?"
"Mm." Si Xiaonan paused. "The matter begins from when we left Cangnan..."
...
On the other side.
Leng Xuan stuffed his hands into his pockets and casually walked along the edge of the barren land.
He needed to leave sufficient time for Si Xiaonan and An Qingyu to be alone, while simultaneously not arousing Loki's suspicion. Therefore, he could only pretend to be searching for celestial birds or beasts.
Just as he had his eye on a plump, white crane, he seemed to sense something and his body jolted violently.
He looked down at the back of his hand—the black ear was rapidly merging into his flesh, and a blackness like a tide was spreading across his body!
He was losing control of his own body!
In merely two or three seconds, this darkness covered his entire body, eventually converging entirely into those struggling eyes.
When he opened them again, a cold smile had already curved at the corner of his mouth.
"The backup plan left within that ear... has finally been activated..."