Li Chen's gaze deepened as he said, "So you plotted against me."
"You just didn't expect me to go down this extreme path, did you?"
Yu Qingnian shook his head and sighed.
"Everyone has their own ideas. Just like when you first graduated from the Chuanhai Academy, I asked you, 'Have you thought about which path you want to take?'"
"Actually, you may have already made a choice in your heart at that time, whether it was for money, fame, or other pursuits, but these were all your own choices."
"We're just guiding you, letting you choose."
"The world is now in ruins, and although we may see it differently, everything is on the right track."
"Human Race can now ascend to godhood."
Li Chen paused slightly as he spoke.
Yu Qingnian laughed and said, "Elder Gu schemed everything because he knew that the world was restricted, and the Human Race could not ascend to godhood. They could only rely on you to break through this restriction. Now, the God Realm is no longer the end point for the Human Race."
"Then Human Race still has a future."
"Otherwise, relying solely on the experts of the Wasteland Realm, the Human Race will eventually turn to dust."
Li Chen frowned, his tone gradually turning cold as he said, "Aren't you afraid I'll wipe out the Human Race completely? Did that old man plan all this way?"
Yu Qingnian chuckled and said, "No, although you are now the Eerie Lord, your heart belongs to another. You have nothing but a filthy body."
"Aside from a few people who were kind and compassionate to you back then, you have nothing left. Your obsession has persisted throughout, but you've forgotten that humans should have feelings. Just like what you just did, wasn't it giving Human Race a glimmer of hope?"
"That's your softness."
These words stirred a ripple in Li Chen's ears.
He only heard one word: "Human".
If you ask him what's in his heart, he no longer considers himself a "human being." Humans also have feelings... His feelings are still there, but they're quickly fading away.
So everything was already decided long ago.
"Those people and those things are the last shackles you've placed on me, but also the strongest."
"You succeeded."
Li Chen stood up and looked at Yu Qingnian, who was sitting in front of the chessboard. He slowly placed his hand on the chessboard, and suddenly the chessboard shattered into pieces.
"No need to download anymore."
"I'm tired of this game."
"Now you have won, your Human Race has won."
"I too am going to explore that unknown world. Teacher Yu, I have wronged you. I will spare one-tenth of the Human Race, and then I will no longer care about the rest. This is the greatest leniency I can offer, and it is also the price for this game of chess between you and this monster of mine."
Yu Qingnian smiled and nodded.
Li Chen glanced at Teacher Yu one last time before disappearing in an instant.
The wind and snow carried a hint of sadness.
Yu Qingnian sat in front of the shattered chessboard, remaining silent for a long time, until a loud "bang" echoed as the chessboard turned to dust and scattered, at which point he stood up.
A dragon's shadow appeared behind them.
"Owl, let those people escape."
"Head south, where the Black Mist has dissipated."
Xiao asked, somewhat puzzled, "You trust that 'Eerie Lord' so much?"
Yu Qingnian smiled and said, "Do we really have a choice, whether we want to believe it or not?"
"He's the one in charge now, we've all been dethroned. Do you really want to play against him?"
Xiao quickly waved his hand and said, "Get lost! Who wants to gamble with that monster? I'd probably lose before it even starts. Maybe it would be okay if it were Gu Cheng."
"By the way, where's that guy from Gu Cheng?"
"Shouldn't the Main Brain have already been moved over?"
When asked this question, Yu Qingnian suddenly fell silent, and Xiao's expression immediately changed drastically.
"Does he... not want to leave?"
"What was there in that dilapidated city that he would miss?"
Yu Qingnian slowly walked towards the top of the wind, but there was no response.
He already knew everything.
"The wind is already strong," Lan Feng. Perhaps he had been waiting for a long time, and Gu Cheng had also been looking forward to this day.
They are about to meet.
In the blink of an eye.
Jianping sat atop the Dawn Pass wall, his sharp gaze sweeping over the now-empty walls and city, remaining silent.
Suddenly, he moved his hand, pulled out the Demon Blade stuck in the wall, and swung it in one direction.
With a "bang".
It clearly struck something.
Li Chen slowly emerged from the Black Mist.
Jianping Ping immediately drew his Demon Blade and charged forward, while Li Chen also summoned his Demon Blade Vermilion, to clash with it.
The two collided, and sword energy scattering in all directions.
Many cracks appeared on the walls of Dawn Pass.
There were no words, only the clash of swords. This was the way of the swordsman. Words sometimes could not express his thoughts; only the sword could.
At the same location, Jianping lost last time.
The result remains the same.
Li Chen stared silently at the unyielding Jianping.
They were already taciturn, and even less so in the past. One was a silent man, and the other was obsessed with sword practice, so the only thing they could talk about was fighting.
However, the current balance is tilted too much.
Jianping wouldn't listen to reason... He could only grip his sword and keep attacking Li Chen, even if his arm was broken, even if he still had a sliver of strength, he would fight on.
This is why Li Chen fought alongside him.
Only when the aftershocks grew weaker and Jianping lay on the ground panting heavily did Li Chen stop his attack and slowly walk to his side.
After a long silence...
Are they enemies?
Not entirely. It's just that both sides were kept in the dark because they were pawns, which led to this outcome.
Jianping asked weakly, "Li Chen... are you really my enemy?"
"I've asked my own heart, I've asked others, and the answers I've received are all different. I only want to hear your answer."
Looking up at the vast expanse of sky and earth, Li Chen said, "Do I still need an answer?"
"The enemy is merely what you imagine."
"Whether you consider me an enemy or not, I am still an enemy. Don't you already have the answer?"
Jianping lay flat on the ground, not getting up to look at Li Chen's back, and said, "Are you chasing the dawn, or the Dao; or what are you chasing?"
Li Chen replied, "Freedom... In Jianping world, only freedom can guide my entire life. I have already embarked on the path of pursuing freedom and will never turn back, but I fear losing myself in this freedom."
"And now... I want to talk to you."
Can you sever this freedom that should never exist?
"They can't, but I know you can."
Only you can do that.
Jianping closed his eyes and remained silent. Whether in the past or present, he disliked making choices. If he could cut through everything with a single sword stroke, he would absolutely not make a choice.
"Freedom... Li Chen, what exactly do you want to do?"