["I told you... my answer is no."]
[The True You's Dao Resonance remained unchanged, seemingly untroubled by the situation at hand:]
["I already told you, when it came to a deal, there were only ever two choices. But now... I imagine there is only one."]
["Then it seems we have nothing left to discuss."]
[Past Li Ping's gaze grew ever colder, his Great Dao's Voice speaking through the images of memory:]
["Yes. Given your temperament, you could never choose to work with me again. But..."]
[He abruptly changed tack, saying coldly:]
["What can you do now? You cannot use the Major Divine Ability [Sage of Today]. Your only choice is to work with me."]
[It was indeed just as Past Li Ping had said.]
[Perhaps Past Li Ping had anticipated that the True You would discover his contingency involving the [Venerable Lord of Yin-Yang Authority].]
[But presumably, he did not care. His ultimate aim was simply to prevent you from turning the tables.]
[Without being able to use the Major Divine Ability [Sage of Today] and [Purple Talent: Wish Echo] together, everything else was futile.]
[Then Past Li Ping's Great Dao's Voice continued, carrying an inscrutable undertone:]
["Strictly speaking, you should indeed have won this game."]
["But you still lost. You lost not in scheming, but in accumulated reserves!"]
["You possess a heaven-defying Golden Finger like the Simulator. After several simulations, the situation could very well change. In fact, by your next simulation, I might be powerless against you."]
["But at least for now, I have snatched victory from defeat with reserves you cannot hope to catch up to."]
["To be precise, you have not lost, have you?"]
["You can still use [Purple Talent: Transform All Beings] to transform into me and resolve this desperate predicament."]
[That was merely his