"You... are the Apocalypse? What kind of joke is this?!"
Gu Qingshan looked at Su Xue'er, a wave of fear unlike anything he had ever known surging through him.
From the very beginning to the very end, he had always looked forward to reuniting with her and building a future together after the Apocalypse was over.
—Yet Xue'er had become the Apocalypse?
Su Xue'er softened her tone and gently reassured him. "It's all right. This way, I can help you..."
She covered Gu Qingshan's mouth to stop him from asking any more questions, but she herself began to speak faster.
"Qingshan, there isn't much time. Listen carefully."
"The Fire Saint Pillar's soul artifact granted the Heavenly Emperor's wish, but it also took the most precious thing from him: his power to fight the Apocalypse."
"The Heavenly Emperor had always avoided confronting the Apocalypse directly. Even when he had no other choice, he merely left it to his subordinates."
"The Flame Spirit Pendant concealed the truth. I spent all my strength and made countless journeys through the river of history before I finally figured out what had happened, relying on my identity as the Apocalypse—but even I couldn't stop the Heavenly Emperor from fulfilling his wish," Su Xue'er said.
She gazed cautiously into Gu Qingshan's eyes and said dejectedly, "To travel through time and space, I destroyed many worlds to gain enough power."
Their gazes met.
Gu Qingshan moved her hand aside and said gravely, "You're not someone who kills indiscriminately. You've been through so much."
Su Xue'er shook her head and continued, her voice firm.
"The Six Paths Competition has begun. If the Heavenly Emperor wins, he'll obtain the ultimate power of the evolved Six Paths—he'll recover all the power he lost, and become even stronger!"
"Qingshan, I'm the Apocalypse.