The Hardest Choice

The Fat Daoist's words clearly offered no important secrets, but since he had laid out the consequences first, he wanted Chen Fan to listen with greater focus and caution.

Even Ink Dragon straightened up upon hearing this, his expression turning somewhat tense.

The Fat Daoist continued, "Back then, I had dealings with Equal to Heaven. It was a hero, but also someone whose sharpness was laid bare—someone who sought only results and cared nothing for the consequences. It was somewhat like you were back then. If it truly returns in the future, as I said, its strength will surely soar by leaps and bounds, rising to a level where it can battle the Heavenly Dao. But no matter which of the two wins or loses, the Dark Void Realm will collapse. No living being below the Integration Realm will have anywhere to escape to, and even spatial pouches will be unable to protect them."

"What?" By this point, Chen Fan already understood what the Fat Daoist meant. If Equal to Heaven and the Heavenly Emperor came to blows, Chen Jingjing, Qin Xian'er, and the others would be unable to escape death.

Unless they could reach the Integration Realm before then, but that was clearly impossible. Chen Fan had encountered countless fortuitous opportunities and spent so many years to reach this point. With so many people like Chen Jingjing and Qin Xian'er, it was impossible for the world's fortunes to let every one of them reach the Integration Realm in such a short time. And just how short that time might be—perhaps a hundred years, perhaps fifty, perhaps only these next few years—no one could guarantee when Five Finger Mountain would be broken.

After all, Chen Fan had returned from the relic world several years ago, yet decades had already passed