Myriad Realms as Cages, New Achievement: [Breaker of Cages]

In the chaos, the mixed-race individuals who had been lurking nearby transformed into streaks of light and rushed towards the rift without hesitation.

Their eyes burned with hope and determination; most believed that the passage led to Foreign Lands.

Only a handful of people at the very front, just before disappearing into the darkness, would suddenly turn back to look at you.

In the instant their eyes met, there was shock, gratitude, and even glistening tears.

Only these few people knew that the place behind the rift was not Foreign Lands.

Instead, it is the Outer Realm, where one can completely break free from the shackles of bloodline and where there are no established rules or discrimination.

You are suffering the backlash from the Stone Chisel; your body has already reached its limit.

The bones emitted a faint cracking sound, and eerie Blood Bead, mingled with starlight and shadow, seeped from beneath the skin.

You already knew your fate.

Forcibly guiding and bearing such a scale of energy to break through the boundary with an ordinary body, even if successful, would inevitably lead to the disintegration of that body.

The previous body tempering was merely to prolong the crack by one more breath.

But there was no fear, no regret, not even pain on your face.

There was only a tranquil peace, almost a sense of liberation, and a faint yet intense light deep within his eyes.

You watch as the figures of your compatriots disappear into the crevice, open your mouth, as if to say something one last time.

His throat was blocked by surging Blood Qi.

In the end, you just used your last strength to mouth the words to those figures rushing towards freedom:

Go ahead.

Go to that... new world of freedom.

The crack lasted for less than five breaths before it exploded with a roar.

"Puff--!"

A terrifying surge of energy violently tosses you away like a broken doll, plunging your consciousness into complete darkness.

When you open your eyes again, you find yourself lying on the cold, muddy ground.

The tenacious vitality brought by your Alien Race bloodline has kept you alive, but at a terrible cost—your lower body is nowhere to be found, your only remaining left arm has also disappeared at the shoulder, and your torso is covered with horrific cracks and scorch marks.

You strained to turn your neck, your blurry vision trying to make out the surrounding scenery.

The dilapidated stone path looked very familiar.

I tried crawling forward for a while, and sure enough, I saw the ruins of a stone pavilion in the distance.

I remember now.

Many years ago, you were critically injured and lay dying in the wilderness.

It was the old man who was in charge of looking after this secluded grove who discovered you, brought you back, and used this as a lead to guide you into the gates of the Wandao Academy.

This was once a place where you could rarely catch your breath.

Sadly, he is no longer with us.

Now, it's finally your turn.

That's fine.

Consciousness is like a candle in the wind, flickering and heading towards extinction.

In these final moments, you feel an unusual calmness, even a fleeting, cold, imperceptible mockery.

"In my life, I have knelt before Alien Race and bowed to Human Race. My spine has bent again and again, my knees have been broken again and again, all for a tiny patch of ground to eke out a living, but I have never been able to... truly look at someone on equal footing."

"Human Race cannot be trusted, nor can Alien Race... Only oneself can be trusted."

"They schemed against Human Race, instigating war; they schemed against Alien Race, seizing resources; and even... they dragged their fellow countrymen, who shared their plight, into the Chess Game."

"Finally, it's done."

"I won."

"You've all been tricked by me."

In the final darkness, several faces flashed past without warning—the mixed-race companions who had rushed into the crevice.

"Will they be doing well in that new world?"

The idea came abruptly and ridiculously; even you yourself find it absurd.

"Anyway, it's none of my business anymore. You guys just keep living."

"If there is an afterlife..."

His last thoughts were almost delirious, gently dispersed by the cold wind blowing through the forest.

"... I do not wish to be born here again."

[You are dead]

[Simulation Ended]

[Achievement: Breaker of Cages]

(Interpretation: The Myriad Realms are like a cage. You wield your Mortal Body a blade, ignite your resolve as fire, break free from the infinite constraints, and thus transcend the cage set by the supreme authority, roaming freely.)

Qin Wangchuan stared silently at the final, frozen image, speechless for a moment.

Through simulation, he roughly pieced together the movement trajectories of the Human Race, Alien Race, and hybrids.

The Alien Race wanted to start a war and create chaos, but had no reason to do so, so they brought out Tan Lingfei as a pawn.

On the Human Race side, due to the successive disappearances of their Prodigy, they took fierce revenge, killing an important Alien Race Prodigy.

This became the trigger, and the long-simmering conflict finally erupted, leaving no room for maneuver in the ensuing war.

Meanwhile, Tan Lingfei secretly plotted to use the conflict between the two sides to send the mixed-race members of the Wandao Academy, who were in dire straits, to an unknown Outer Realm.

In his view, a new world that might be more likely to accept them than Foreign Lands.

Is Tan Lingfei evil?

From the perspective of the Human Race, and from the perspective of those Prodigy he plotted against, or even potentially killed, there is no doubt that he is evil.

He is a traitor, an executioner.

But for those mixed-race individuals who rushed into the rift, he was the one who tore open a hole in the darkness, giving them hope of breaking free from their shackles.

Even if this hope is built on keeping it from some of them, even if this hope comes with scheming and sacrifice.

What troubled Qin Wangchuan the most were Tan Lingfei's last words.

There was no protest against the injustice of the world, no cursing of fate, only a deep-seated weariness and a willingness to die.

Even that slight sense of uncertainty and concern for the future of his compatriots seemed as light as self-mockery.

Ultimately, all that remained was the most complete rejection of this world—the unwillingness to be reborn here.

This was a strange and heavy shock to Qin Wangchuan.

This was the first time he had realized it so clearly.

For some beings, the Three Thousand Provinces they inhabit are a prison with nowhere to belong.

Should we stop him?

The thought came to mind naturally.

From the perspective of the Academy, from the greater good of Human Race, and even from the perspective of avoiding a future earth-shattering war that might be caused by him, it seems that he should be stopped.

But... what happens after you stop it?

Will the great wars end?

No, it will only erupt at another moment.

Will the deep-seated prejudices and conflicts between Human Race and Foreign Lands disappear?

No, it will only get worse.

Thinking of this, Qin Wangchuan suddenly shook his head.

"The question might not be whether or not to stop it," he murmured to himself, his gaze lingering deeper, "But rather... whether it can be stopped at all."

Tan Lingfei offered his own solution in his own way.

Even if this solution is extreme, cruel, and destined for self-destruction.

Even if we intervene this time and stop the plan...

"Given his unwillingness to live and his willingness to die to prove his innocence, if the conditions change even slightly, there will be a next time, and a time after that."

Although I have a general understanding, there is still one thing I don't know.

"If the Foreign Lands went to such lengths to set up this scheme merely to weaken the younger generation of Human Race, they wouldn't have needed to create such a commotion, much less use the descendants of King Sovereign as bait."

There must be a deeper scheme behind this.

After pondering for a moment, Qin Wangchuan gradually formed an idea in his mind.

"It's better to guide than to block, and better to resolve than to obstruct."

"The primary task is not simply to stop Tan Lingfei —the real key lies in both protecting the Prodigy of those Human Race and preventing unnecessary sacrifices, and using this opportunity to uncover the true purpose behind the Alien Race's large-scale war."

He thought of Yun Zexuan was currently investigating the matter in secret.

"Yun Zexuan... although he is investigating this undercurrent, it seems he hasn't yet reached the core."

A feasible plan took shape in my mind.

"Tell him the key information. This will both protect the Prodigy and allow us to trace the clues backward, forcing out the true intentions of the Alien Race hiding behind the scenes."

"This is the optimal solution."