Council of Conqueror Qins
"If it's a maid, I can do it myself."
Long Yue paused almost imperceptibly as she spoke.
Those words were on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back.
Actually, her current situation is very awkward.
Serving the supreme Ancestral Dragon was my predetermined destiny.
However, her current position in the clan is still that of the Fate Warden.
According to the traditions of the True Dragon Clan, only "Dragon Attendants" who have been crowned through a ceremony can fulfill such a close duty as serving the Ancestral Dragon.
The ceremony has not yet taken place.
Her identity hangs between [the Fate Warden] and [the Dragon Servant].
Without a proper name and proper speech, it is difficult to make intimate remarks and actions.
Despite Long Yue's intense desire for recognition and the right to serve the Ancestral Dragon.
But she also knew.
The Dragon Lord's current state... is definitely not the right time.
"No need."
Qin Wangchuan shook his head, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of weariness, "Step down."
"Yes."
Long Yue bowed her head in response, her posture respectful.
She didn't leave immediately after she finished speaking.
Instead, he simply raised his hand and waved it gently.
The pearls embedded in the four corners of the Quiet Room emitted a softer, more soothing glow, and the concentration of Spirit-Calming Incense in the air seemed to have been subtly adjusted as well.
After doing all this, the Dragon Clan Fate Warden quietly retreated outside the door.
"Long Yue is waiting outside. If the Dragon Lord has any orders, please summon me at any time."
She remained standing with her head bowed until the jade door closed silently, completely isolating the inside from the outside.
Silence surged in like a tide, engulfing the entire Quiet Room.
The throbbing pain deep within my soul was not soothed; instead, it seeped into my very bones in this absolute silence, every ripple feeling like a needle grinding through my nerves.
Qin Wangchuan lay flat on the bed, but did not close his eyes.
He turned his head and his gaze fell on the jade table beside him.
The debris and fragments piled up on the table were the remains of the Wheel of Fate.
"If the Wheel of Fate shatters..."
Qin Wangchuan murmured to himself, his voice unusually clear and heavy in the empty, Quiet Room, "What would happen to me in another timeline...?"
He didn't continue speaking.
Qin Wangchuan felt little hatred towards Xuanye, the instigator of all this.
That was an enemy destined to be eliminated, an obstacle that had to be cleared on the road ahead.
Adding hatred is pointless.
What truly lingered in his heart was a heavy... guilt.
It was so difficult to get in touch with them.
But now, because of the changes in this world, and because of my own misuse.
That supreme object connecting different destinies shattered.
Have I let everyone down?
The thought surfaced uncontrollably, then weighed heavily down upon me.
Qin Wangchuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"No."
"Perhaps there is another way."
"That solution is..."
Exhaustion washed over my limbs like a tide, and the deep ache in my soul became clearly audible in the silence.
Consciousness began to sink uncontrollably downwards, as if dragged by an invisible force, once again plunging into that boundless, dark abyss.
I've lost count of how many times I've been here.
There was no light, no sound, only a constantly falling void.
Occasionally, a gaze seems to fall from the very distance above, like distorted light and shadow seen through a thick layer of water.
Cold and indifferent, yet carrying an indescribable sense of scrutiny and constraint.
That was the gaze of countless "Qin Wangchuan".
Falling, an endless fall.
Just as he was about to merge into this nothingness, becoming part of that cold gaze—
Suddenly, there was nothing beneath him!
It was as if he had instantly broken through an invisible layer of water; the feeling of weightlessness transformed into a tangible, violent tug, throwing him forcefully into the deep sea!
The next moment.
Qin Wangchuan suddenly opened his eyes!
My vision suddenly opened up.
The Quiet Room of the Dragon Palace was no longer before them; instead, they had arrived at a massive... venue?
A vast, breathtaking circular space.
The stone stands, ring after ring, spiraled upwards from the center, like the rings of a tree carved by the hand of a giant god, reaching into the endless darkness.
Until it disappeared beneath a shadowy dome that could not be penetrated by sight.
A dense crowd of people stood in circles.
Behind every figure lies a slowly turning "Wheel of Fate".
The roulette wheel above the stands continued to light up, opening silently.
Each time the door opens, a figure emerges from the trajectory of their own destiny, strides across, and lands in their preordained seat within the circular arena.
Qin Wangchuan looked up and around.
It was obvious that he was surrounded by himself.
But--
There is no color, no detail, only a sharply defined black silhouette.
It was as if only shadows were standing there.
The difference is that a shadow has no eyes.
But they have it.
Thousands of eyes fell from all directions and every angle, focusing on one point.
Absolute silence here has weight, pressing down on eardrums until they buzz.
As he gazed, a word unexpectedly surfaced in Qin Wangchuan's mind—
[Council of Ten Thousand Qins]
"But why is there no color...?"
Thinking about it, I subconsciously lowered my head--
Once his gaze fell upon himself, the answer became instantly clear.
He became a black silhouette indistinguishable from his surroundings.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's not that everyone is like this," Qin Wangchuan thought, "But rather because... I no longer have the Wheel of Fate; only I see others as black."
Without the Wheel of Fate, it shouldn't be here by any logic.
The problem is that he is indeed here—not in his physical body, but as a projection of consciousness that has been forcibly brought here.
I could feel that my connection with this space was extremely thin, as if it would dissipate like smoke at any moment.
"Surprised, Way of Ten Thousand Laws?"
A voice came from the side.
Qin Wangchuan turned his head to look, and although it was only a silhouette, the unique sharpness and aloofness in that tone... it was undoubtedly the Sword Dao.
"You're really amazing, you've completely outmaneuvered the Wheel of Fate."
The voice on the other end carried a hint of mockery and helplessness; it must have come from Spirit Law Dao.
The silhouette swayed slightly, as if shaking its head.
"The Three-Character Heaven and Earth Law, the Way of Ten Thousand Laws —you have forged a path none of us had ever imagined."
The voice was deep and resonant, carrying a certain ancient rhythm; its origin was unknown.
"The mistake cannot be undone. Think carefully about the future." A calm voice came from above.
"Why not give him one of the Wheel of Fate?" someone suggested.
"I'm afraid that won't work. Don't forget, the Wheel of Fate was started by him."
A rebuttal immediately arose. "Our Wheel of Fate is a product stripped from a tributary of destiny; it can never become the mainstream."
"Then what should we do?"
"Wait, haven't you forgotten something—why is our Wheel of Fate still running?"
A previously silent silhouette suddenly spoke, its voice thoughtful, "Logically speaking, since his wheel, as the source, shattered, ours should also be affected."
"That's certainly something to think about, and that's why we've gathered here."
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, discussing and offering suggestions.
The debate raged on, with everyone seemingly having a point, yet no one could reach a conclusion.
The sounds echoed and intertwined in the huge circular venue, creating a unique resonance.
Qin Wangchuan smiled upon seeing this.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it spread out strangely, clearly reaching the senses of every "self," suppressing all arguments and attracting all attention.
Thousands of eyes were focused on them once again.
"Are you doing this on purpose, or are you waiting for me to speak?"