# 1454
Chapter 1455: Shattered Reflection
Before arriving, Lin Qiye had already隐隐 guessed this possibility.
After all, in the mist, there were only three major divine kingdoms—the Olympian Gods, the Shrine of the Gods, and Great Xia. Now that the Shrine of the Gods had been destroyed and the Great Xia gods were gravely injured, if Zeus were to strike now, it would pose an enormous threat to them.
"Although we cannot verify the authenticity of this information, it never hurts to be cautious." Zuo Qing rubbed his tired eye corners. "Fortunately, we've now dealt with one threat from the Shrine of the Gods and gained a brief respite. The longer they delay, the more advantageous it is for us."
"I see…" Lin Qiye hesitated for a moment before asking, "But Commander, given the current state of the Great Xia gods and us… if the Olympian Gods really do come, can we hold the line?"
Zuo Qing did not speak. He silently gazed at the injured divine figures descending near Chennan Pass to receive treatment, then slowly said:
"Whether we can hold or not, the enemy is right there. We have no choice but to face them."
Lin Qiye paused slightly. From Zuo Qing's words, he heard a hint of resignation.
"In any case, don't tell the other surviving Night Watch about this for now. They've just survived a battle to the death. Learning of this would only add to their panic and despair." Zuo Qing withdrew his gaze and spoke to Lin Qiye and the others.
"Understood."
Zuo Qing sat in his wheelchair and slowly made his way toward the general command room. Lin Qiye and the others exchanged glances, all seeing the heavy凝重 in each other's eyes.
Although Zuo Qing had not said it explicitly, the Great Xia gods' condition was visibly poor. If the Olympian Gods descended, it would likely be an even more brutal battle than the one against the Shrine of the Gods.
"Qiye… what should we do?" Cao Yuan looked at the injured divine silhouettes sitting cross-legged outside the walls, worry evident in his voice. "Setting aside everything else, if Zeus himself arrives, that's another Supreme God. Right now our two Great Xia Heavenly Venerables are both occupied fighting the Indian Supreme God in outer space. Who could possibly stop him?"
Lin Qiye shook his head. "Battles at that level are already beyond our ability to intervene. Now that we've exhausted the National Fortune Golden Dragon… besides waiting alongside everyone else, there's nothing else we can do. I just hope the Gods of Great Xia still have some cards left to play."
As Lin Qiye and the others spoke, they descended the steps.
At the very rear of the group, Baili Pangpang's lips pressed slightly together. Just as he was about to descend, a soft sound came from his side.
Baili Pangpang turned to look. The emergency room window had suddenly cracked into several fine lines. His reflection stood within the glass, sliced apart by the broken patterns—恍惚间 as if shattered into two people.
One was Baili Pangpang draped in the Crimson Cloak. The other wore a Taoist robe, their face obscured, but he could sense a pair of eyes gazing steadily at him.
Baili Pangpang stared at the reflection in the glass, rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.
"Pangpang?"
Lin Qiye and the others ahead, noticing Baili Pangpang standing frozen alone, couldn't help but walk back. He glanced at the cracked glass Baili Pangpang was looking at and asked疑惑ly, "What are you looking at?"
Baili Pangpang snapped back to reality. The reflection before him had already returned to normal—one Baili Pangpang after another standing within the cracks, his expression complicated.
"…Nothing. Let's go."
Baili Pangpang turned away and strode directly down the stairs.
As a Class-A war fortification, Chennan Pass had ample internal space and buildings. Specialized personnel had arranged accommodations for the Night Watch and military personnel whose injuries were just beginning to heal, and they were all basically given individual rooms—including Lin Qiye and his group.
"This is your temporary lodging. Five rooms in total. Please take your keys." A logistics worker handed the keys to each person. An Qingyu then returned one of the keys.
"The two of us can share one room." An Qingyu gestured to Jiang Er floating beside her.
The ghost Jiang Er's cheeks flushed slightly as she turned her head away.
"Alright." The worker took the key back and continued, "However, I'm sorry to inform you that Chennan Pass's cafeteria was destroyed by invading giant beasts. We currently cannot provide regular hot meals. We only have canned goods and frozen meat from the warehouse for emergency supplies. In half an hour, there will be a organized distribution in the square. Please make sure to pick up your rations."
After arranging accommodations for the group, the worker hurried off to receive other people. Right now, Chennan Pass had many injured, and personnel were stretched thin in every area.
"Too bad." Cao Yuan sighed. "I was actually looking forward to finally having a hot Chinese meal…"
"It's wartime. We should just be grateful there's food at all." Lin Qiye smiled. "It's not like we haven't eaten worse in training camp."
"Didn't Pangpang have quite a lot of food supplies? He could share some with everyone later." An Qingyu turned to look at Baili Pangpang.
Baili Pangpang, who had been spacing out, snapped back and nodded. "…Right. I still have quite a bit of seasonings and grilling equipment."
"We have half an hour. Everyone should go rest for a bit… especially you, Pangpang. Ever since the battle ended, you haven't looked well at all." Lin Qiye gazed at Baili Pangpang and said.
Baili Pangpang said nothing, only scratching his head and forcing a smile.
Afterward, everyone collected their keys and returned to their respective rooms.
Baili Pangpang entered his room but did not turn on the lights. He quietly closed the door, feeling a heavy weight in his heart.
Yuanshi. The Marquis of Triumph. Gongyang Wan. And the other heroic spirits… From the very beginning, they had recognized him as Lingbao Tianzun, one of the Great Xia Three Pure Ones. But only he himself knew the truth—that he had always been, and only ever was, Baili Pangpang.
Since the Great Xia Heavenly Court returned, he had indeed awakened his past-life memories and could even动用 a tiny amount of divine powers… But these things and memories were, after all, not truly his. He had simply recalled them, that was all. The four characters "Lingbao Tianzun," though familiar to him, felt more like strangers.
In the end, he was simply Baili Pangpang who possessed Lingbao Tianzun's memories.
At first, it hadn't been a problem. But as everyone else began treating him as Lingbao Tianzun, the burden that shouldn't have been his gradually pressed down on his shoulders, leaving him almost breathless.
He could speak with Yuanshi Tianzun in the identity of Lingbao Tianzun, answer Gongyang Wan's questions—but he could not promise when Lingbao Tianzun would return, because even he himself didn't know…
But just now, the moment he saw that figure in the reflection, he understood. That moment was drawing near.
In the dimness,
Baili Pangpang slowly walked to a mirror and gazed at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, murmuring to himself:
"The world needs Lingbao Tianzun… right?"