Let's rewind to six hours earlier.
The Eerie Tide had not yet begun; a light rain was still falling from the sky. On the scorched earth, Li Chen held up a black umbrella and stared at the entire city wall of Huizhou City, with countless Eerie Monsters behind him.
A flash of light appeared, and the fourth door in the Throne Space slowly opened, its surface adorned with incredibly intricate patterns.
Li Chen walked in expressionlessly.
Does it represent Precognition Authority?
From knowing nothing to knowing everything, Li Chen has long since overcome the feelings of panic and curiosity that once filled his heart.
The Black Mist swept past him.
A gentle breeze seemed to blow through the dimly lit space, fluttering Li Chen's black robe. The space shifted rapidly, and the entire world was once again pulled into someone's memory fragments.
Li Chen looked at him with a smile.
"--You've arrived."
The two no longer asked each other questions when they met, unlike before.
The sunlight outside the window was no longer dazzling, but rather gloomy, with only a single candle illuminating their faces in the entire room.
"It seems you already know the truth about the world."
So what would you do?
Li Chen tapped the table, the sound was very soft, almost inaudible, but the entire table seemed to have been hit hard and turned into dust. However, the candlelight did not go out, but floated in the air, supported by a newly generated energy.
Li Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled, "Oh? Is that really the case?"
Don't you still have friends and family?
Li Chen's slender fingers seemed to tremble slightly as the faces of Su Zhe and the others flashed through his mind, but the images quickly faded, and he calmly said, "So what?"
"Human life is like a piece of paper; once it begins to burn, it cannot be stopped. Every life, though possessing value, is only created within the rules it exists in. I do not need them to possess value; I will annihilate everything, resetting the entire universe to zero, whether it be Eerie Monsters or humans."
"If everything returns to the starting point, then new life will be born in this world. Isn't that what's called Forbidden?"
"I created Realm of Freedom in the name of Forbidden; isn't this the best outcome?"
Li Chen's expression didn't change much. He smiled as he looked at himself, who was pouring out his heart. The two hadn't met often, hardly more than ten times, but they were the only "people" he could confide in.
"Have you ever considered that after all life is eliminated, this universe might not become the free world you imagine?"
"Or what if countless civilizations, powerful beings, and monsters just like humans burst forth from outside the universe to carve up your world, and you can't defeat them? Would the Forbidden be the 'wall' protecting this universe?"
Li Chen fell silent... His thoughts and will suddenly became somewhat chaotic. Of course, he had considered the existence of other powerful beings and Gods outside the universe, but as someone trapped in a cage, the prerequisite for them to see the truth was that they possessed the ability to leave the universe.
And isn't this so-called ability simply to become God?
Li Chen turned to look at the glass that was slowly cracking, smiled at him, and then suddenly said in a serious tone, "Li Chen, tell me, are you moving forward to annihilate the world and create a new one, or are you moving forward for the freedom in your own heart?"
"The rules aren't made by us, but rather guided by unseen Trajectory. Is what you believe truly correct?"
Li Chen, expressionless, also looked out the window as the sound of shattering glass grew louder.
"Yes, right, wrong, who knows?"
"I have already embarked on what I consider the path of freedom, which is nothing more than the ideals brought about by my will. What I believe to be right is right, and the final result is the only true measure of success."
"I'm not stopping anymore."
"I will keep moving forward, always looking towards more distant worlds. Whether it's beyond the Starry Sky, beyond the universe, or some unknown world, I will trample on everything and establish my own rules."
"My will has not been extinguished."
The two fell silent once again...
Click~ Click~
As the cracks in the windowpane multiplied, the outside world became invisible, and the window itself could no longer hold up and was on the verge of shattering.
Li Chen stood up and looked at Li Chen, his tone much lower. "Isn't there enough time?"
"I didn't expect it to be this much shorter this time."
Li Chen shook his head and said, "It was just a wisp of residual consciousness to begin with. By the time you were able to get here, I didn't have much left to tell you."
"You've probably already guessed the essence of this universe, so what's the point of me saying more?"
I don't represent you, and I am not you.
"You are Li Chen, and I am just a loser."
His words were tinged with melancholy.
However, Li Chen's expression was not very clear. The two had similar personalities. Li Chen was just much older than Li Chen and had different past experiences, which meant that they both understood many things, but they just didn't want to talk about them.
Li Chen had called him a loser from their very first meeting, but Li Chen didn't consider him a loser, at least not in his eyes.
Li Chen looked at Li Chen and laughed, "So be it. Loser or winner, if I hadn't failed, how could your era have come about? The transition has already begun."
"Li Chen, the outside world is truly amazing. We are all just frogs in a well. Go and see for yourself, and let me carry with me the will I once had to see if that world beyond the universe is indeed a perfect world."
Click~ Click~
Consciousness shattered... everything returned to square one.
The rain was getting heavier. What had just happened was just a memory from before, a conversation with Li Chen to open the fourth door.
These memories are deeply etched in my heart.
Li Chen opened his eyes and looked at the distant city wall. After a few seconds of silence, he took a step forward. The Eerie Monsters behind him surged out like a wave, rushing towards the city where the humans were.
In the darkness, the entire Eerie Tide was not even visible as it rapidly approached the city, and the Black Mist further obscured the view, ensuring that the Eerie Monsters could reach the walls unimpeded.
Cang Yue stood gracefully, holding a red umbrella; her white hair stood out starkly in the darkness. She and Ling stood behind Li Chen, and she said, "Chen, by doing this, you've made yourself a complete enemy of humanity."
"The Supreme Being will take effective action against you."
"Powerful beings from the Wasteland Realm could arrive at any time."
Zero snorted coldly and said, "What are humans? They're nothing but lowly reptiles. My Lord is the only one, and whoever comes will be killed."
Li Chen, his expression unreadable under the umbrella, lifted his foot and walked forward. After a few steps, he paused, and his indifferent voice reached the ears of the two.
"I have no way out."
"Only by moving forward..."
"Zero, go tell the disaster..."