"Everyone knows that extraterrestrial monsters can't stay out there forever." The captain of the guard looked at the sky. "The idea of guarding this world, hiding here indefinitely, and living the life of a landowner without being discovered by the outside world, can't last forever."
The King of Qin looked at the other person; it was the first time he had heard a guild member talk about the internal workings of the guild, and he immediately became interested.
He was genuinely curious about the current mindset of the Four Great Guilds, who were the most powerful forces in this world, and he also wanted to know why they had turned this world into what it was.
What does "not being discovered by outsiders" mean?
"The literal meaning." The head guard sighed, leading the King of Qin towards the Elder Council' quarters as he recounted past events.
"The guild players in the beginning were very competitive, but you can't do without it. After all, it was an era where demons ate people. If you didn't fight, you would become food for others. If you wanted to change your fate and not be someone else's food for generations, you had to fight for it. Back then, everyone believed in themselves because they were transmigrators and felt they had a destiny. Especially when they had information, all the players used their methods and showed their unique abilities. Different information created different players. Back then, everyone was a group of passionate young people."
"Oh?" The King of Qin sensed the memory within his body, his smile ambiguous. Indeed, it was a game mentality; death was just a fresh start. Who wouldn't become a warrior in that situation? What a lucky bunch.
I'm different. I have the memories of a player, but not the life of a player. If I really die, there's no Samsara to protect me, so I live in constant fear.
It was only when he was ambushed by the emperor and nearly killed that he realized he was fundamentally different from the other Samsara players.
"And then?" King of Qin asked. Now that he was no longer on the battlefield, he was less anxious and it was rare for someone to mention those players. He was genuinely interested in hearing about it.
"Then, as you know, that group used the prophet's intelligence and known strategies to gradually acquire the power of this world, eventually forming a massive power group."
The King of Qin nodded. This wasn't surprising. Players had intelligence and strategies, and they could start over if they died. If one player couldn't succeed, there were tens of thousands of players involved; someone was bound to succeed. If one succeeded, it would inspire others, and gradually, these Four Great Guilds would form.
"I'm curious. They've already climbed to the top of this world, and you're one of them, enjoying immense benefits and longevity. Why would you rebel? Is it really for the sake of the so-called living beings of this world?"
To be honest, he didn't believe it. Even Chen Qing, if he had experienced betrayal and Samsara, probably wouldn't have been able to maintain his original intentions. People's hearts would eventually recognize reality amidst immense power and fear.
"Because that's human nature," the captain of the guard sneered. "People are often daring and adventurous when they have nothing, but once they have a certain amount of capital, they become hesitant and timid, especially when they reach the top."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "The road ahead won't be like this. There are no clear strategies or abundant information. Everyone is groping in the dark. Most importantly, there's no going back. How many people do you think would be willing to take on this challenge?"
"I see." Upon hearing this, the King of Qin nodded in agreement again. Putting himself in their shoes, he could understand why those people chose to be cowards.
Everything here is so wonderful; even if you make a mistake, you can start over. But in the next version, things will be completely different. There will be no starting over, no intelligence. What's the difference between you and the ordinary NPCs around you?
Who would be willing to do that?
Here, everyone can live forever, standing atop the clouds, looking down upon all living beings. After a period of hibernation, they will awaken to the long life of an emperor. Why take the risk?
"But it's not something they can simply avoid the challenge." The captain of the guard smiled bitterly. "They've tried everything to delay the arrival of that era, but everyone knows that those things from beyond the heavens can't be stopped forever. You'll have to face them sooner or later."
"If they were running away, why did Kagura choose to take the initiative instead of directly destroying the Four Saints Formation? And judging from your tone, those guys have already started researching the outer realms?"
"Not everyone is willing to play dead," the head guard sneered. "There will always be people who know. This can't go on like this. But there's a contradiction here. If you want to study outer space, then there's a risk of things from outer space arriving prematurely. Nobody wants to take that risk. Your superiors want to do it, but most of the people below don't. What can you do?"
"Interest groups?" King of Qin suddenly understood. Indeed, with so many members in the Four Great Guilds and such great benefits, their leaders often couldn't act unilaterally.
A powerful interest group hijacked the decision from above, and none of the Four Great Guilds dared to openly investigate it. So that's how it is.
" Kagura dares?"
"She didn't dare, which is why she created the Demon Buddha," the head guard said sarcastically.
"So that's how it is." Now everything makes sense.
He had been wondering why Kagura, a top figure in the Divine Martial Guild that had already taken control of the entire Buddha Kingdom, would use the Demon Buddha Method. History clearly showed that it was a failed method with the risk of backlash, and now it seemed that's why.
Even if the research is exposed by using the identity of Demon Buddha's avatar, it can still be explained to the subordinates. Demon Buddha are inherently capable of devouring their masters, so it's normal for them to do things that the original owner strongly opposed. It can't be said that she instructed them, right?
If we get caught, we'll just step in and confront them. As for the outcome... well, it's already come to this, so we might as well go all the way down this path.
This move is forcing guild members to participate.
That makes sense. In the end, for those top figures, they never respected Ancient Demon or human emperors. They just used you to create a sense of crisis and to create unexpected events.
If it weren't for deliberate cover-up, with the Ancient Demon' limited resources, how could they possibly have kept their research into the outer realms a secret from the Four Great Guilds?
Now everything makes sense.
"And you, Commander of the Guards?" King of Qin looked at the other man, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Was your betrayal due to your own will, or was it instigated by the guild?"
"I don't need to explain to you," the captain of the guard said coldly.
"Oh, I think it's the latter. After all, surely he wouldn't do something like this if he really fell in love with the Ancient Demon Queen?"
These words instantly chilled the atmosphere. The head guard stopped, turned around, and stared intently at the King of Qin, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "I will only say this once: if you use her to test me again, you will die!"
King of Qin: "."
Is this guy serious?
The Ancient Demon Queen? Isn't that just an insect?
He possesses the memories of a player; it's truly unimaginable that a player with human thinking could fall in love with an insect.
Meanwhile, before Chen Qing and Ziyue could appear, suddenly, the entire Cloud Capital was shrouded in dark clouds.
Everyone looked up in astonishment, as if something enormous was blocking out the sun!