No Unsolvable Game in a Thousand Years; Forbidden Item ACE-002 Sees Daylight Again!
Countdown: 4:50:00
Inside Prison No. 18, Li Shutong glanced at the time. "Over in City No. 18, it should have been successful."
Thinking of his former comrades who were freed eight years later, he felt that his eight years of waiting had not been in vain.
As Cheng Xiao said, if it weren't for the lives of his friends, he wouldn't be trapped here.
However, Li Shutong never regretted it.
In his youth, he was willing to die for a certain belief with his friends, but as he grew up, he was also willing to live a life of hardship and humiliation for a certain ideal.
"Boss, I'm a little curious," Lin Xiaoxiao asked doubtfully, "You said that someone in City No. 18 went to rescue Cheng Xiao and the others, but you didn't see you using the knight's courier or the power of Hengshe. So who rescued them? Did you train other subordinates? Why don't I know!"
This time, not only was Qing Chen unaware of the details of Li Shutong's plan, but Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan were also unaware.
All they knew was that after their boss brought Qing Chen back to City No. 18, Qing Chen went to school, but the boss went off on his own to arrange a number of things.
Qing Chen thought Li Shutong was leisurely buying houses and cars, but in fact Li Shutong was not idle for a moment and had not slept for several days and nights.
Fortunately, he was a demigod; otherwise, no one could withstand it.
At this moment, Ye Wan also showed some unusual doubt. "Boss, if they are business partners, I don't understand why anyone would be willing to offend the Chen family or the Qing family at a time like this?"
Although the secret prison was under the Chen family's control, the transfer or execution of prisoners still required the Qing family's approval.
This was originally established by the two families to contain Li Shutong.
Therefore, breaking into prison meant offending both the Chen and Qing families at the same time.
Li Shutong thought for a moment and said, "Keep it a secret."
It wasn't that Li Shutong didn't trust Lin Xiaoxiao, Ye Wan, and Qing Chen, but rather that certain matters were simply too important, involving too many people, and a leak could lead to unpredictable consequences.
At this moment, Li Shutong and the other two were sitting in the dining room. All the alloy gates of Prison No. 18 were closed, except for one exit passage in the cold storage behind them.
Before the final moment arrived, Li Shutong had to ensure that not a single person who deserved to die in this prison could escape.
The prisoners dared not risk being riddled with bullets to break through the gate, nor did they dare to provoke Li Shutong. As a result, more than 3,700 people were like headless flies, searching for a chance to escape in the prison.
Even if we can't escape, finding the prison's signal jamming device to call for help from the outside world would be better than nothing!
Some say that Li Shutong once secretly left prison, and even the conglomerate couldn't monitor the whereabouts of this demigod, so there must be a secret passage here.
Once the passage is found, everyone can leave.
But now, Prison No. 18 is like a giant iron box, and no one has been able to find the so-called secret passage.
However, at this moment, Li Shutong suddenly frowned and looked behind him. Footsteps came from the kitchen, and the person stopped just before stepping out of the kitchen.
They seemed to be worried about being seen by the prisoners outside.
"Uncle, can we go into the restaurant to talk? I have something I'd like to ask you for a favor."
Li Shutong recognized the voice; it was Yang Yang's voice.
He raised an eyebrow, got up, and went into the restaurant, followed closely by Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan.
A long-haired girl wearing a hoodie and a sweatshirt stood in the kitchen and greeted Li Shutong politely, "Hello, Uncle."
Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan looked over in surprise. When did their boss gain a junior? And why was he addressing him so affectionately?
"Yang Yang is here," Li Shutong touched his cheek. He thought to himself that he had already given the Forbidden Item ACE-005 to Qing Chen and restored his appearance, but he was still recognized by the other party.
As expected, those who possess force field abilities are always Chosen One.
Lin Xiaoxiao asked in confusion, "How did you get in? Why do you know the entrance to the secret passage?"
"Oh," Yang Yang pointed behind her and said, "When I flew outside, I found a series of abnormal force field fluctuations on the ground. I followed the force field fluctuations to find the entrance. After entering the secret passage, I found that it was a series of tritium lamps."
Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves that these Force Field Awakened were truly like having a cheat code, able to see the essence of things directly.
No wonder such extraordinary individuals only appear once every hundred years; if there were more, the world would be in chaos.
"So what do you want to do here?" Li Shutong looked at Yang Yang and smiled, "Many people here want to get out but can't."
"Uncle, I want to take Guo Huzhan away. Please spare his life," Yang Yang said obediently.
"What a bold little girl," Li Shutong said curiously. "Do you know that if I hadn't discovered that you hadn't revealed Qing Chen's secret, you might be dead today along with Guo Huzhan?"
"I know, so I didn't leak it," Yang Yang continued obediently across from Li Shutong. "Of course, it wasn't entirely for that reason."
Li Shutong looked at him and said, "Guo Huzhan, this bald guy, attacked me as soon as he came in, claiming he wanted to steal the Forbidden Item. If you want me to spare his life, you'll have to give me a good reason."
"The goal of Spade is the same as yours, though different in approach; we both want to change the world," Yang Yang said.
"That's a reason, but not enough. Changing the world doesn't make a difference if we don't have one more Guo Huzhan," Li Shutong shook his head.
"Once I've established myself in Spade, I can do a lot of things for Qing Chen in the future," Yang Yang said again.
"You're in Spade, yet you want to help Qing Chen?" Li Shutong asked with a smile.
"As you know, I am Time Walker, so rather than feeling a sense of belonging to Spades, I'd rather hope that Qing Chen will create an organization belonging to the Time Walker. I think that's more reliable," Yang Yang replied. "Isn't that exactly what you want? I promise you, if one day he decides to build his own power, I will join him."
"Young lady, why don't you create your own organization to recruit Time Walker?" Li Shutong asked.
Yang Yang shook her head. "I'm not as smart as Qing Chen."
"Alright, I'll spare Guo Huzhan's life. You can go now," Li Shutong waved his hand, "Remember your promise."
Yang Yang whispered, "You're so good to him."
Li Shutong said earnestly, "He deserves it."
"Goodbye, Uncle. I hope you'll have the chance to cook for me next time. I'm leaving now because I don't want Spade to know about my identity as Time Walker yet."
"Go."
Yang Yang came quickly and left quickly; she sensed that something big was about to happen here, so she couldn't wait to leave.
"Xiao Xiao, go and call Guo Huzhan here," Li Shutong said.
Lin Xiaoxiao led over a bald, burly man who looked completely bewildered. Guo Huzhan asked, puzzled, "What do you want?"
"Someone pleaded for you, so I've decided to spare your life," Li Shutong said calmly. "You can leave now; the secret passage in the kitchen has been opened."
Guo Huzhan looked completely bewildered. "Why...?"
"Roll."
"Alright!" Guo Huzhan turned around and went into the kitchen!
Inside Prison No. 18, Chen Yu and the others watched as Guo Huzhan walked into the kitchen. Everyone realized that the secret passage was inside!
Right behind Li Shutong!
Chen Yu snarled through the crowd, "Li Shutong has no intention of letting any of us go tonight. Those who don't want to die, charge forward!"
However, the prisoners were not stupid. They looked at each other and thought the same thing: a bunch of chickens and dogs being tricked into rushing towards Li Shutong was no different from sending them to their deaths.
In the dimly lit prison, Li Shutong glanced at the holographic clock on the wall. "It's time."
"Boss, what are you waiting for?" Lin Xiaoxiao asked.
Li Shutong thought for a moment and joked, "Waiting for a star in the sky?"
At this moment, few people have noticed that the most famous airship of the Federal First Group Army, the Scepter, has arrived over Prison No. 18.
Prison No. 18 sits like a fortress on the outskirts of the city. During the day, its gray-black exterior looks exceptionally solemn and dignified, forming a unified whole.
Just then, the massive Scepter slowly hovered above it, resembling a black Aerial Fortress.
The two fortresses, one in the sky and one on the ground, suddenly came to a standstill.
In the past, the sky was always the domain of birds of prey.
Once a small aircraft passes by, some birds of prey that transcend the order of species will attack it.
For example, Azure Falcon of Forbidden Zone No. 002 has included the entire airspace above Forbidden Zone No. 002 under his control. Apart from A-Class Airship, very few aircraft can get close to that place.
However, at this time, the birds of prey near Prison No. 18 were invaded by the Aerial Fortress, but they showed no fighting spirit as usual and fled the airspace one after another.
"3492 meters above the ground."
"Gravity Anchor No. 1 has been activated."
"Gravity anchor No. 2 has been activated."
"Reduce turbojet engine power by 37%."
"The reactor temperature is normal."
"Scan the terrain to create a holographic sand table."
"Suspicious target detected on the ground..."
"Perform multi-point identification..."
In the ground command post of the 112th Division, middle-aged officer Qing Wan quietly looked at the holographic sand table.
In that holographic sand table, the Scepter was flying high in the sky, and the snow was falling silently, covering the black Aerial Fortress with a layer of white, just like a magnificent aerial city.
The ground is Prison No. 18. From the sky, the prison looks like a Rubik's Cube, its sides reflecting a metallic sheen.
Just north of this prison, hundreds of people were trekking across the wilderness, their footsteps firmly treading through the snow.
These people were all wrapped in black cloaks, the hoods of which covered their heads, obscuring their faces. On the right side of the hood of each cloak was a white flame symbol.
The group of over a hundred people walked resolutely through the snow, like a group of ascetic monks emerging from the snow-capped mountains of the southwest. The fierce wind whipped their cloaks, but it could not shake their resolve.
"They're from the Tribunal of Taboos," Qing Wan said. "Use the motion camera to focus and see who led the team."
Just as the Scepter began identification, the young woman at the front of the group calmly looked up, her gaze piercing through thousands of meters to the Aerial Fortress.
In an instant, the Aerial Fortress's dynamic cameras quickly captured the woman's facial features.
The next moment, the Qing soldiers in the Aerial Fortress felt as if they were being seen through from a distance by the large screen in their cabin.
That gaze was so sharp it pierced straight to the heart, like a knife that went straight in.
That cold gaze held no emotion whatsoever.
"It's actually March," Qing Wan said calmly. "It seems the commotion at Prison No. 18 is too big, so March came in person."
"Sir, should we lock onto them as targets? In case they sabotage the plan," the operations officer asked.
"No need," Qing Wan shook her head. "They won't interfere in this matter, nor can they. Besides, they'll need to clean up Prison No. 18 afterward. Let the professionals handle the professional matters."
Qing Wan knew very well that the targets of the Tribunal of Taboos were only superhumans who were about to die, Forbidden Item, and Forbidden Zone. The reason why these people suddenly came here was probably because they foresaw that a large number of superhumans would die in Prison No. 18.
If this land is allowed to be nourished by the flesh and blood of superhumans, then decades later, City No. 18 will become the third most Forbidden Zone in the entire Federation.
The Forbidden Zone formed after the death of Li Shutong, a demigod, is terrifying enough.
Prior to this, there were precedents of cities being destroyed and becoming Forbidden Zone.
There are a total of 25 cities in the Federation, each with a large number of residents, and any one of them has a permanent population of tens of millions.
The Federation cannot afford to lose a city as a price.
Therefore, few people actually manage the Tribunal of Taboos, since these people have been doing the work of cleaners for hundreds of years and rarely get involved in other matters.
What was unexpected was that the current leader of the Tribunal of Taboos, "March," would come in person.
It seems that the other party also takes this matter very seriously, worried that Li Shutong's death will cause irreversible environmental damage.
Soon, the Tribunal of Taboos's steps came to a halt. The hundreds of people stood silently in the wind and snow, gazing at the snow-covered horizon and Prison No. 18.
The black prison, situated on the white snowfield, appeared particularly out of place and lonely.
At one point, Qing Wan suddenly felt that the people from the Tribunal of Taboos were like crows or vultures, as if these people would appear wherever many superhumans died.
After the superhuman dies, these people will use special Forbidden Item to contain the superhuman's body.
Thinking about this, Qing Wan felt that the Tribunal of Taboos should perhaps change its symbol, replacing the flame with a crow.
No one knows why the Tribunal of Taboos can always foresee the deaths of superhumans. This ability makes them mysterious, just like the Forbidden Item they have contained.
At this point, a communications officer said, "The Garrison Troops of City No. 18 requests to speak with their superior. He wants to inquire why our unit temporarily entered the airspace of City No. 18 and whether we have received operational approval from the Federation Group Army Command. If there is no approval, please withdraw 80 kilometers from City No. 18."
Qing Wan proudly in front of the holographic sand table with her arms crossed and calmly said, "Make him get lost."
"Receive."
Qing Wan said to her adjutant, "Conduct a final check."
"The Scepter Satellite has entered its designated orbit at an altitude of 800 kilometers."
"Kinetic energy has been calculated."
"The Scepter has completed guidance and locked onto the target for destruction."
Someone brought over a suitcase. Inside, there were two small keys and a screen in the middle for entering a password.
Qing Wan silently unlocked the box, but hesitated to press the launch button.
The adjutant beside Qing Wan looked at him. "Sir, should we launch?"
Countdown: 4:31:12.
It's already night.
Qing Wan glanced at the precise time displayed in the command center, "Wait one more minute. Not too early, not too late."
The operations staff in the command post all stopped what they were doing, as if time had stood still.
No one needs to do anything else; just wait quietly for the Deity's Scepter to fall from space.
Everyone silently looked at the electronic timer in the command center, counting down each second in their minds.
This is the first time in the history of the Federation that a space-based kinetic weapon has been launched, Deity's Scepter seems to be the most appropriate weapon to kill the gods.
Everyone in the command post felt like they were witnessing a new chapter in history.
A minute seems short; it passes in the blink of an eye when playing games.
A minute seemed like an eternity, and everyone in the command post had dry eyes from waiting.
Countdown: 4:30:00
"Launch," Qing Wan pressed the red button in the box, and the signal was transmitted to space at the speed of light. In the orbit above the sky, a satellite was slowly starting up.
The name of the Scepter Satellite, is very similar to that of the Scepter Aerial Fortress.
800 kilometers above the ground, in the deep and boundless space.
This is the flight altitude of many weather satellites.
Behind the Scepter Satellite lies a dazzling galaxy, while in front of it stretches a beautiful blue planet.
Blue represents the ocean, and the planet's surface is covered with a layer of flowing clouds, making it look like there's another ocean above the first one.
This tiny satellite in space is like a small, lonely boat, seemingly stationary in terms of relative velocity.
Suddenly, the air-driven mechanism outside the satellite's cylindrical body began to completely disintegrate the excess structure, discarding it piece by piece into space.
It was like a white cocoon that suddenly burst open, revealing the missile's main body inside.
The white missiles spewed out black ginkgo leaf symbols, the symbol of the Qing family.
At this point, the Scepter Satellite no longer needed a thermal control system, a power supply system, an attitude control system, an orbit control system, a radio telemetry and control system, or those two long solar photovoltaic panels.
It discarded all the unnecessary burdens and traveled light.
The next second, the Scepter Satellite transformed into the Deity's Scepter missile, its tail spewing out huge flames as it began to slowly advance towards the blue planet.
The process started slowly, but quickly accelerated.
No one expected that a world-destroying star was hidden in the sky!
The operations staff in the command post began to get busy again.
"The booster has successfully ignited."
"Entering the preset ballistic trajectory."
"The speed is approaching Mach 3..."
"Speed exceeding Mach 6..."
"Speed exceeding Mach 9..."
"At 100 kilometers above the ground, we are beginning to enter the atmosphere, and our speed is decreasing!"
The projectile structure outside the Deity's Scepter burned with a huge flame due to friction with the atmosphere, leaving a long trail of flame, like a shooting star in broad daylight!
However, once it entered the atmosphere, the bulky missile increased air resistance, causing its speed to decrease instead of increase.
However, in the next instant, the main body of the missile disintegrated on its own again!
A black tungsten rod burst out from the projectile, carrying enormous kinetic energy as it struck the ground.
It turns out that this 2.6-meter-long, 30-centimeter-diameter, and 3.55-ton tungsten rod is the real Deity's Scepter!
Everything that was wrapped around it before was just its outer garment.
"After final rudder adjustments, the Deity's Scepter has successfully entered its guidance orbit!"
Who would have thought that a god-slaying staff was hidden in the sky? Who would have thought that the 112th Division raised the Scepter into the sky just to guide this heavy weapon?
Who could have imagined that on this turbulent night, the Qing family would choose to use the Deity's Scepter to execute Li Shutong?!
A divine weapon falls from the heavens!
By the time you get here, the outcome is already predetermined!
If someone looks up at this moment, they can see the long flame that the tungsten rod leaves after rubbing against the air.
Cheers erupted in the 112th Division headquarters, but Qing Wan remained silently gazing at the holographic sand table.
He watched as the marked Deity's Scepter in the holographic image rapidly descended towards Prison No. 18. In this battle to slay the gods, the 112th Group Army of the Federation, commanded by Qing Wan, would be remembered in the history of the Federation.
But throughout the entire garrison, he remained somber and showed no sign of happiness.
Because only he knows the truth.
The next moment, the Deity's Scepter, carrying unparalleled kinetic energy, forcefully pierced through the dome of Prison No. 18, which resembled a fortress!
The black Rubik's Cube began to disintegrate instantly, as if a black hole was sucking up the surrounding light and heat.
The ground began to tremble in waves, and then the entire Prison No. 18 collapsed, raising clouds of dust!
But the smoke and dust were strange; it seemed as if thousands of souls were howling in the thick haze, and then being pulled by an invisible force.
They roared in despair, filled with anger and despair.
But it was to no avail.
This made it seem as if thousands of fluids were rapidly swirling within the smoke and dust, until finally all souls were drawn into the earth's core and returned to stillness.
The commotion caused by the destruction of Prison No. 18 quickly attracted the attention of the city's residents.
On the tallest buildings closest to the prison, everyone felt the buildings shaking, as if the vibrations of an earthquake were constantly being transmitted.
Residents on the outskirts of the city looked down in terror at Prison No. 18 from their high-rise buildings, only to see billowing dust burying the entire prison.
That prison, which had stood in the Federation for hundreds of years, has become history.
Only then did the Scepter Fortress in the sky begin its slow descent, as they were about to complete the final finishing touches.
On the distant snowfield, hundreds of members of the Tribunal of Taboos stood like statues in the wind and snow.
Looking at the shocking scene before her, March gently removed the hood from her head, letting her long hair inside be blown about by the wind and snow. "To kill Li Shutong, the Qing family actually used something like this."
"Boss, won't this make containment more difficult for us? And if Li Shutong dies, won't the entire City No. 18 be covered by Forbidden Zone?"
"April and Winter Solstice, you two go to ACE-010 and bring them over," March said, turning to look at the man and woman behind her.
"Okay," the girl said in April, turning around and running away. She quickly returned carrying a birdcage.
In March, he pulled out a pure black raven from inside, facing the direction of Prison No. 18.
Strangely, this crow had two rows of six eyes on its face, making it look extremely eerie.
Immediately afterwards, she took out a small hawthorn from her bosom and offered it to the crow's beak, only to see the crow open its sharp beak and gently peck at it.
As the hawthorn entered its mouth, the Six-Eyed Crow closed four of its eyes due to the sourness.
March whispered, "Only four eyes closed? Does that mean only one A-rank died?"
Li Shutong did not die.
This is good news for the Tribunal of Taboos.
The death of a Class A superhuman is not common, and if a Class A person dies and is not contained in time, it can absolutely become Forbidden Zone.
However, the original plan of the Tribunal of Taboos was to take in Li Shutong. Now that they have discovered that he may not be dead, it will save everyone a lot of trouble.
This is certainly good news.
"Keep moving forward," March glanced at the sky, "We'll take them out before dawn."
In April, he suddenly asked, "Boss, if Li Shutong isn't dead, will he think we're trying to steal the Forbidden Item if we get close?"
March glanced at her sideways. "You're spineless, what are you afraid of?"
"Profound..."
Countdown: 4:00:00
In the distance, a hovercar is flying towards the city from Prison No. 18. The hovercar has a pure silver, streamlined design and exudes a sense of boundless technology.
Inside the car, Qing Chen had somehow regained consciousness and was looking out the window at the cloud of dust behind him.
However, he remained quiet and did not say anything.
A neutral voice sounded from inside the car, "Do you need me to take you back? Of course, even if you make that request, I won't grant it, because I promised Li Shutong I would get you out of there safely. It's very dangerous there right now."
"I'm not going back," Qing Chen said.
"Ah?"
"I don't need to go back," Qing Chen confirmed again.
"I thought you would cry," Yi Ping said calmly.
"Don't cry," Qing Chen said softly.
"Crying is a normal human emotion," Yi said. "Many men like to see crying as a sign of weakness, but in fact, tears are a way for the brain to relieve grief. When people are in pain, crying is the best choice. Because when one is under too much pressure, one needs to relieve stress."
"There's nothing to cry about," Qing Chen said stubbornly.
The boy showed no sadness, nor did he cry out to go back and save his master, which was completely beyond Yi's expectations and defied common sense.
The young man remained calm as always, his fierce nature contained deep within his bones, flesh, and heart.
"This makes me feel a little strange. Don't you feel grief when your master dies? Am I misunderstanding human emotions, or am I misunderstanding you?" Yi asked curiously.
"What kind of person am I in your eyes?" Qing Chen suddenly asked.
"You have reason hidden in your emotions, and emotions hidden in your passion. In my opinion, you value other people's kindness to you extremely much, so I don't understand why you don't feel sad," Yi said.
"Because I know that Master is not dead," Qing Chen said.
"How is that possible? The Qing Clan used a space-based weapon— the Deity's Scepter, a sharp tungsten rod that is 2.6 meters long, 30 centimeters in diameter, and weighs 3.55 tons. It fell from an altitude of 1,000 kilometers at a speed of Mach 9 with enormous kinetic energy. Even a demigod wouldn't survive against such a weapon," Yi said. "Not just demigods, it could probably easily penetrate any known man-made armor in the world."
"Yes, thanks for reminding me," Qing Chen nodded. "I didn't understand what that thing was at first, but now that you've filled in this clue for me, it's even less likely that my master is dead. I was a little worried before he was knocked unconscious in Prison No. 18, but now I'm not worried at all."
"Why?" Yi asked.
"You can fool others with this so-called tungsten rod space-based kinetic energy weapon, but you can't fool me," Qing Chen calmly analyzed. "A space-based kinetic energy weapon, and it's even called the Deity's Scepter. It sounds impressive, but it's not as powerful as you might imagine."
At one point, Yi felt as if he was being looked down upon.
Qing Chen closed his eyes and silently calculated something, then continued, "If it falls from an altitude of 1000 kilometers, even with a booster to accelerate it, it will decelerate again upon entering the atmosphere. Even if it can maintain a speed of Mach 9, or 3111 meters per second, as you say, the kinetic energy it carries at the end is only E=? mv2=? x1x31112=4839160.5 joules. The destructive power of one kilogram of tungsten rod is roughly equivalent to one kilogram of TNT."
Qing Chen added, "Moreover, this is just the hypothetical speed you just mentioned. I tend to think that its final landing speed is not Mach 9 at all, and may even be far below Mach 9."
Yi fell silent.
Qing Chen continued, "The detonation point of this kinetic weapon is extremely concentrated. The fantasy that a single tungsten rod is comparable to a nuclear weapon ultimately remains just a fantasy. Falling at such a high speed, it's more likely to directly pierce the ground, creating a hole 30 centimeters in diameter. To kill my master, it would have to hit his body with extreme precision, which I think is impossible. So, if it's just the aftershocks of the kinetic weapon, destroying the structure of Prison No. 18 might be possible, but my master is definitely capable of surviving. Even Mother Ye's defensive force field would be enough to withstand it."
"I think the most dangerous thing at that moment wasn't the kinetic weapons, but the main structure of Prison No. 18 that collapsed. I estimate that 90% of the thousands of prisoners there were crushed or killed by the shockwave. I saw the Aerial Fortress the sky and believed that there must be powerful weapons inside. In fact, the Aerial Fortress should have been enough to kill my master; there was no need to use space-based weapons."
In Qing Chen's view, if the goal was simply to kill Li Shutong, then using space-based kinetic energy weapons would be somewhat unnecessary.
Yi suddenly said, "It's so boring to be around someone like you... You're absolutely right about that. After researching kinetic weapons, the Qing Clan discovered that space-based kinetic weapons aren't actually as powerful as they seemed. At most, they're just pollution-free, but high-energy explosives can achieve the same result. So, this is the first Deity's Scepter, and also the last one that the Qing Clan launched into space."
"Then why would the Qing family develop a project that is destined to 'fail'?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled. "Sending a tungsten rod into the air at an altitude of 1,000 kilometers must be very expensive."
"In terms of striking power, it is indeed not a qualified weapon," Yi replied, "But it was not designed to strike or destroy the enemy."
This answer puzzled Qing Chen. Could it be that the Deity's Scepter had another purpose?
"Moreover," Yi said, "Killing those prisoners with pure kinetic weapons might make it easier for the Tribunal of Taboos to take in the deceased superhumans, so that City No. 18 won't become a ruin in a few decades."
"I see."
One asked, "Did you think of all this just from seeing the trajectory of the Deity's Scepter?"
"Actually, I already had a guess when I was in Prison No. 18," Qing Chen said.
"What did you guess?" Yi asked.
"Let me ask you a question first. Were my master's friends rescued?" Qing Chen asked.
"35 people were rescued, and one person is still missing," Yi honestly replied.
"Does anyone know where these prisoners are being held?" Qing Chen asked calmly.
"A small number of people from the Chen and Qing families," one replied.
"Hmm, that makes sense now. The Deity's Scepter also belongs to the Qing Clan," Qing Chen nodded. "Actually, my master already had a way to save them, right? Also, my master could have killed all the prisoners in the prison long ago, but he just kept waiting. I can understand why those prisoners dared to make a move only after he appeared at night, but I can't understand what my master was waiting for."
"Now I understand that he was waiting for the satellite carrying the Deity's Scepter to enter its attack orbit, and then watching it destroy Prison No. 18."
It wasn't that the Deity's Scepter suddenly struck Prison No. 18; rather, Li Shutong had been waiting for it to fall from the sky.
Li Shutong knew when it would land because the other party had already made a deal with the Qing family.
Although no one knows the details of the transaction.
Yi seemed intrigued. "Then guess why your master did this?"
"To fake his death and leave, to confuse the public," Qing Chen said, "But I'm thinking, since I can guess that he's not dead, others should be able to guess as well. So this can only confuse a large number of people, and there will still be people who wonder whether he is really dead."
"It's enough to make some people uncertain. The disappearance of Li Shutong is enough to deter them," Yi said. "However... his faked death is not the key. The important thing is that you are 'dead.' He promised you that he would make you a real shadow."
Qing Chen was taken aback. He had considered this before: even if the appearance of "Qing Shi Qing Chen" had changed in the Federation's records, there would still be problems if two Qing Chen lived at the same time. Li Shutong, the demigod, couldn't keep impersonating him to cover up his alibi, especially since the Forbidden Item ACE-005 was already in Qing Chen's hands, and Li Shutong had no way to impersonate "Qing Shi Qing Chen".
Therefore, his identity will be exposed sooner or later.
But things are different now. Qing Chen of the Qing Clan has died under the Deity's Scepter!
From this day forward, there will only be Qing Chen in this Inner World, and no more Qing Chen Clan!
Of the nine candidates in the Shadow Struggle, two are already dead in the eyes of the world!
So, the true meaning of "starting a life of one's own" is to free him from all burdens, even his past identity, and to truly begin a life that belongs to Qing Chen.
Yi said, "He has another purpose, can you guess it?"
Qing Chen pondered for a long time without saying a word.
Yi realized that she had finally grasped information that even Qing Chen couldn't have guessed, and her tone immediately became cheerful. "He wants you to awaken."
Qing Chen was shocked and surprised.
Yi said, "According to the timeline, I should have already piloted the hovercar into the city, but I've been slowing down because I promised Li Shutong I would wake you up, let you see Prison No. 18 destroyed with your own eyes, and then try to awaken you."
Qing Chen recalled a story his master had told him: a family hired assassins to kill off their relatives one by one in order to awaken the genius in their family, thus prompting the genius to advance in rank time and time again!
Li Shutong is now trying to awaken Qing Chen by faking his death!
The other party wanted Qing Chen to witness his own death under the Deity's Scepter, in order to stimulate the potential within Qing Chen's body that could not be fully released even in the Life and Death Trial.
Li Shutong probably didn't expect that Qing Chen felt neither sadness nor pain, and therefore did not awaken.
He sighed, "This time your master miscalculated. He knew you were calm and intelligent, but he still underestimated your composure and intelligence."
Qing Chen was stunned. Had he missed an opportunity to awaken because of his low intelligence?
Imagine if Li Shutong were really dead, I would be devastated, but the problem is, I really can't feel any grief right now.
"Am I wasting Master's painstaking efforts?" Qing Chen murmured.
Thinking about this, he finally felt a pang of grief...
"However, your master only made you witness this scene as a matter of convenience," Yi said. "I admit he's been very good to you, doing so much for you, even faking his death to help you awaken, but that doesn't justify using the Deity's Scepter. Can you guess what he really wants?"
Qing Chen fell silent.
All the clues kept flashing through his Memory Palace.
The waiting time...
Behind-the-scenes deals...
The falling Deity's Scepter...
The imprisoned prisoners...
Forbidden Item...
The boy suddenly said, "ACE-002 should be contained underground in Prison No. 18. The container containing it is probably difficult to open silently by human means. So, he needs to use the Deity's Scepter to open that container... No, the Deity's Scepter itself is a weapon used to open that container, which is why you said that the purpose of the Deity's Scepter is not to strike or destroy the enemy."
"This is so boring."
Yi said.
"Take me to the boxing gym," Qing Chen said calmly.
Yi asked, "At a time like this, you still have the mood to watch the boxing match? Even if you're not sad at all, you should at least have some emotional ups and downs from just experiencing some turmoil."
Qing Chen calmly said, "Master went to great lengths to fake my death. Now I should find a place and, with the calmest of emotions, prove my alibi to those who have ulterior motives. Although this evidence is not perfect, it is enough."
"Are you really human?" Yi asked from the depths of his soul.
If it has a soul.
Beneath the smoke and dust of the collapsed Prison No. 18.
In a secret space beneath the prison.
An ordinary wooden Go board lies quietly inside a container that has been opened.
The container had been struck by the Deity's Scepter, leaving a huge gash, but the wooden chessboard remained intact, without even a speck of dust.
Next to the chessboard, there are two wooden jars, containing 180 white pieces and 181 black pieces respectively.
This is the Forbidden Item that everyone wants to find.
Someone walked up to it gently and picked it up.
"3,610 lives, 361 chess pieces."
"The Heaven and Earth Chessboard, spanning nineteen lines and unparalleled throughout the ages, has finally seen the light of day again. The Forbidden Item, ACE-002, has been revealed once more."
A long chapter of 10,000 words, please vote for me!
There are two more things.
First, there's an activity at the end of the chapter to predict the sales performance of "The Naming of the Night." It seems the sales record can be broken, so everyone can hold on and bet high! As for monthly tickets and favorites, I've discussed it with the major alliances and administrators, and there's hope. I think the success rate is around 80%. Those with a bit of guts can bet on "Success"! Give it a shot, and you might just turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!
I don't think there's much hope for the last first order. As for breaking 100,000 average daily subscriptions as quickly as possible, I think it's only a matter of time. The average daily subscriptions are already 76,200, but it seems like we can't reach that before July 1st.
During our sprint to break records, we hope you'll continue to support us with subscriptions and monthly passes!
Secondly, knowing that everyone sometimes experiences a reading slump, I recommend a book by a truly conscientious author called "The First Sequence." This book is absolutely amazing, and I hope it can alleviate your reading slump.
Thank you to inisk and Lazy Fat Cancer Patient for becoming new ally of this book! The boss is generous; may the boss prosper!