# 1703
Chapter 1696: Severing the Forbidden Ruins
"Count me in!" Zhan Yuwu rushed forward right behind Huo Qubing, taking a piece from Lin Qiye's hand, and grinned. "Wherever the Marquis goes, I go."
"Tsk, you're quick with your hands." Yan Zhong was clearly right behind Lin Qiye, yet he hadn't been fast enough to beat Zhan Yuwu. He glared daggers at him and also took a white piece. "What, are you trying to show you're more loyal to the Marquis than me?"
"I'm doing this for the people of the world!"
While Yan Zhong and Zhan Yuwu were arguing, Wu Quan silently walked forward and took a piece.
After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Brother Seven Nights, will Brother Qingzhu receive one of these pieces too?"
"Of course. He's Shen Qingzhu." Lin Qiye smiled.
Wu Quan nodded and tightly gripped the piece in his hand. "I'll protect him well."
"This first move was made by me, so it seems I can't escape this no matter what." Chloe helplessly shrugged. "Get me one too."
Hu Jia walked up to Lin Qiye and took a white piece with both hands, saying solemnly:
"Lord Lin, Hu Jia will not disgrace this mission!"
Seeing everyone taking pieces, Jialan blinked and stood up, reaching for the last white piece in Lin Qiye's palm.
Before her fingertips could touch Lin Qiye, the hand withdrew.
Jialan froze, then glared at Lin Qiye with hands on her hips. "Lin Qiye, what do you mean? Am I not worthy of contributing to the people of the world?"
"You wait a moment." Lin Qiye quickly soothed her. "The Immortal Elixir inside your body can't be hidden by this thing alone. Why not leave it for someone who needs it more..."
As he spoke, Lin Qiye's gaze fell on Gongyang Wan in the corner.
Sensing Lin Qiye looking at her, Gongyang Wan frowned:
"Why should I join you and fight for all beings? Even without using 【Yixin Tour】, I can live forever."
"Don't you want your brother to be reborn?"
At these words, Gongyang Wan's pupils contracted sharply. She stared at Lin Qiye, her breathing growing heavy.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, although you devoured Gongyang Zhuo alive, his consciousness still remains as a remnant in your mind. How do you know there won't be a chance of resurrection in the future, as long as death isn't complete?" Lin Qiye pointed at Hu Jia.
"Not to mention anything else, Hu Jia's 【Yixin Tour】 is specifically aimed at the spiritual world. If he acts, perhaps he could separate your brother's consciousness from your body? In that case, as long as we find a way to guide his consciousness back into a new physical body, there's no reason rebirth would be impossible."
Gongyang Wan's body trembled. She opened her mouth but couldn't utter any words. Finally, she charged straight to Lin Qiye, snatching the last white piece!
"Fine, I'll trust you this once!" Gongyang Wan's lips pressed together, her eyes slightly reddened. "If you can save my brother... I'll do anything!"
Huo Qubing's gaze fell on Gongyang Wan, seemingly somewhat puzzled.
"With that, our core team can be said to have taken initial form." Lin Qiye's gaze swept across everyone, taking a deep breath. "Next, there's a crucial issue..."
"What?"
"To play this game... I'm not qualified enough."
Everyone was stunned. "???"
"What I mean is, our opponent is an extraterrestrial Supreme God with an omniscient and omnipotent perspective... They can survey the entire river of history, have their back to the Gate of Truth, and possess nearly limitless computational and logical deduction capabilities.
Even if I can alter causality and hide my presence, relying on these alone, there's no way to outplay them. I'm just flesh and blood. I can't accurately deduce every causal thread extending two thousand years into the future... that kind of load is impossible for the human brain to bear. I need a 'brain' that can also control causality and precisely place every piece where it should be, a 'supercomputer' that can perfectly conceal all traces of causality and keep pace with the computing power of the 【Key to the Gate】."
"Super... what chicken?" Jialan licked her lips.
"Right, you yourself cannot be involved in causality, yet you're manipulating a chess game spanning two thousand years of history... That's fundamentally impossible." Yan Zhong was the only one who could keep up with Lin Qiye's thoughts.
"Then what do we do? Where do we find someone this smart?" Zhan Yuwu was at a loss.
"No need to look."
Lin Qiye slowly raised both hands. In his vision, two light masses extending dense threads appeared in his palms. "To counter 'rules,' only 'rules' can... Causality has the ability to self-correct. They are my best substitutes."
Lin Qiye turned to look at Hu Jia. "Hu Jia, you said you could sever one of these abilities for me, correct?"
"Yes."
Lin Qiye took a deep breath and extended his right hand, which carried 【Causeless Cause】, toward Hu Jia.
"Help me. Sever it."
"Lord Lin, have you thought this through?"
"The twin pair of cause and effect — at my current level, I cannot bear them both. Since I'm destined to temporarily sever one, now is the best timing... Cause and effect are inherently connected. Even if you sever 【Causeless Cause】, I can use 【Causeless Cause】 to establish a connection with it.
In this way, not only can I solve the problem of my spirit being unable to bear the load, but I can also gain an entity with autonomous agency, capable of correcting causality and deducing the future — a super brain. This is the best choice.
I will control 【Causeless Cause】 to create 'pieces'; the other one, born from 【Causeless Cause】, will, relying on massive computational power and an absolutely calm brain, serve as the one playing the game.
He and I will each be responsible for half the chess game. Only then will there be a sliver of hope for victory."
Seeing Lin Qiye's determination, Hu Jia stopped trying to dissuade him. He immediately drew the stone ocarina from his waist and began to play softly.
Lin Qiye relaxed his spirit and let Hu Jia enter his spiritual world. In the next instant, a massive sword shadow pierced through the sky, directly slicing the sun on the right side!
A sharp pain flooded Lin Qiye's mind. He bent over in agony. The pain of the Forbidden Ruins being forcibly torn away nearly choked him. At the same time, the light mass on his right hand also gradually slipped from his control.
Just then, threads of causality extended from Lin Qiye's left hand's 【Causeless Cause】, binding 【Causeless Cause】 in place, like a balloon covered in yarn.
Lin Qiye, enduring the agony, looked around. He had to find a new vessel for 【Causeless Cause】.
Soon, he strode forward, heading directly to the center of the ruined temple. With a wave of his hand, 【Causeless Cause】 collided into the clay Buddha statue and vanished without a trace...
"Success?" Huo Qubing asked.
"Preliminarily successful... 【Causeless Cause】 has left my body. It will take some time to birth self-awareness. At that time, it will become a precision brain connected to my思绪 but without emotional fluctuations. When I become a god, I can reabsorb it into my body."
Hearing this, everyone finally relaxed.
"Cause and effect are both so powerful. Even my 【Dominion Emperor】 is far inferior." Huo Qubing sighed deeply. "Lin Qiye, since he has become an entity tightly connected to you, and is the player behind us all... won't you give him a name?"
"A name, eh..."
Lin Qiye struggled to stand upright, his gaze falling on the clay Buddha statue. The consciousness born from 【Causeless Cause】 also could not be observed by 【Key to the Gate】. Therefore, he must create another causal "paradox" to hide this history. Since that was the case...
"【Causeless Cause】 is 'fate'...
Let him be called, 【Fate Buddha】."