“Qiaoyun.” Chu Tianqiu’s expression remained calm. “I don’t know what impression Qi Xia left on you, but I’ve interacted with him many times, and he’s truly not that kind of person.”
“Oh…?” Wen Qiaoyun knew she didn’t understand Qi Xia well and could only nod blankly.
“I once arranged for him to participate in a game called ‘Seesaw’ in the ‘Human Dragon’ series,” Chu Tianqiu said. “During that game, I realized just how ruthless Qi Xia has become. He’s completely devoid of humanity, practically a monster. It’s only been a few days since then—how could he possibly have turned into someone emotional?”
“Qiao Yun.” Chu Tianqiu said with an unchanged expression, “I don’t know what gave you that impression of Qi Xia, but I’ve interacted with him many times. He really isn’t that kind of person.”
“Is that so…?” Wen Qiaoyun knew she didn’t understand Qi Xia well and could only nod blankly.
“I once arranged for him to participate in a game called ‘Seesaw’ in the ‘Human Dragon’ series,” Chu Tianqiu said. “During that game, I truly saw how ruthless Qi Xia has become. He’s completely devoid of humanity, practically a monster. It’s only been a few days since then—how could he possibly have turned into an emotional person?”
“Alright…” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. After a brief pause, she pulled a “character” from her pocket—”马” (horse).
“This is the ‘character’ from that writer,” Wen Qiaoyun said. “It’s the same as the one on me—both are ‘马’.”
“Good.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded, took the “马,” and arranged it on the screen for a while, resulting in “马” and “码” (code).
The two characters were swapped and used as homophones for each other, earning two points.
Chu Tianqiu’s screen now showed a total of fourteen points:
“十” (ten), “寸” (inch), “夕” (dusk), “从” (follow), “士” (scholar), “壮” (strong), “象” (elephant), “石” (stone), “包” (wrap), “砲” (cannon), “矽” (silicon), “矸” (waste rock), “马,” and “码.”
Although they didn’t know the opponent’s score, their team was now very close to victory.
“Tianqiu,” Wen Qiaoyun called out.
“What?”
“There’s something that might not be appropriate to say, but if you could make a move now, our chances of winning would be much higher.”
“Me, make a move…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned.
“Yes,” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “First, the opponent’s strongest fighter has already been severely injured. Ordinary ‘snatching’ is hardly feasible now. If we want to reliably obtain ‘characters,’ we’ll have to rely on the various games in the rooms.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded. “And then?”
“Second, your skill in games of strategy is stronger than most people here,” Wen Qiaoyun continued. “If you’re convinced that Qi Xia is waiting in the opponent’s ‘preparation zone,’ we could do the opposite. You, me, and Yan Zhichun could each engage the opponent in games, control three people before they realize what’s happening, and then collect their ‘characters.’ By the time they catch on… we could win by stalling for time.”
“The ‘commander’ stepping out to play games…” Chu Tianqiu thought for a few seconds. “But Qiaoyun, you should also know… I can’t guarantee a hundred percent victory.”
“I know, but the issue now is…” Wen Qiaoyun added, “those ‘referees’ don’t seem experienced either. If you step out, not only could you suppress the opponent, but you could also intimidate the referees. The probability of winning the games would be higher than usual.”
Chu Tianqiu knew his thinking was often biased, and Wen Qiaoyun’s suggestions frequently helped correct those biases.
But was this time the same?
Should he, as the “general,” lead the charge and break through the opponent’s defenses one by one?
“Not yet. I need to think about it,” Chu Tianqiu said. “At least until we have ‘Echo,’ it’s too risky.”
“Speaking of which…” Xu Liunian, who had been silent nearby, spoke up. “Regarding ‘Echo,’ I’ve made some progress. I came back specifically to tell you how to master ‘Echo.'”
“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Let’s hear it.”
Xu Liunian took a breath, as if organizing her thoughts, then slowly said, “First, I only know how to achieve ‘Echo’ here, but I haven’t found a way to摆脱 (break free from) this ‘Echo.'”
“Alright,” Chu Tianqiu agreed.
“Actually, the principle is simple,” Xu Liunian continued. “When using an ordinary ‘Echo’ ability, you need to believe that the ability will definitely activate. This increases the success rate of ‘Echo.'”
Although Wen Qiaoyun didn’t quite understand, Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao nodded in agreement.
Believing that the ability would undoubtedly work when activating an “Echo” was common knowledge among all “Echoers.”
Seeing Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao agree, Xu Liunian added, “In this strange space, to activate ‘Echo,’ you need to take one step further before that: ‘believe that you are already an Echoer at this moment.'”
Chu Tianqiu glanced at Dr. Zhao upon hearing this, then slowly furrowed his brow.
This concept was even more abstract than “Echo” itself.
First, believe that you are an “Echoer,” then believe that the ability activated by “Echo” will succeed.
Now Chu Tianqiu also understood why Xu Liunian couldn’t revert to her original form.
According to her logic, to become an “Echoer,” you must believe you are one. Similarly, to undo this “Echo,” you must believe you are not an “Echoer.”
But with Xu Liunian now wearing Chen Junnan’s face, how could she possibly believe one hundred percent that she wasn’t an “Echoer”?
“This space is strange…” Xu Liunian said. “We can’t even hear the ‘bell’ from outside, so ‘whether Echo activates’ depends entirely on us, not on anything external.”
Chu Tianqiu felt uneasy hearing this. This principle shouldn’t be heard by so many people at once because, after understanding it, the difficulty of achieving “Echo” would increase even further.
Dr. Zhao was stunned. “Miss Xu… how do you know so much?”
“This might be the only thing the most seasoned ‘Echoers’ can do…” Xu Liunian said. “Here, we don’t need any ‘trigger.’ If you believe you are one, then you are.”
“Belief makes it real,” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “So this place makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker.”
After saying this, he looked at the people before him and said, “I suspect no one on Qi Xia’s team has achieved ‘Echo’ yet. This is our only advantage for now. Before they do, adjust your mindset, strive to achieve ‘Echo,’ and find a way to inform our teammates on the ‘front line.'”
“But how do we explain something so abstract…?” Xu Liunian asked.
“It’s not that hard,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Just tell them directly, ‘You are already Echoers now.'”
Xu Liunian felt this approach might work. Explaining the principle to others could backfire.
“This way, even if Qi Xia hears this, he won’t understand the underlying logic,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Let’s all use our abilities and give him a good fight here.”
“Qiao Yun.” Chu Tianqiu said with an unchanged expression, “I don’t know what gave you that impression of Qi Xia, but I’ve interacted with him many times. He really isn’t that kind of person.”
“Is that so…?” Wen Qiaoyun knew she didn’t understand Qi Xia well and could only nod blankly.
“I once arranged for him to participate in a game called ‘Seesaw’ in the ‘Human Dragon’.” Chu Tianqiu said, “It was during that game that I realized just how ruthless Qi Xia has become. He’s completely devoid of humanity, practically a monster. And it’s only been a few days since then—how could he possibly have turned into an emotional person?”
“Alright…” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. After a few seconds, she pulled out a “character” from her pocket—”马” (horse).
“This is the ‘character’ from that writer.” Wen Qiaoyun said, “It’s the same as the one on me—both are ‘马’.”
“Good.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded, took the “马,” and arranged it on the screen for a while, resulting in “马” and “码” (code).
The two characters were swapped, each serving as a homophone for the other, earning two points.
Chu Tianqiu’s screen now showed a total of fourteen points:
“十” (ten), “寸” (inch), “夕” (dusk), “从” (follow), “士” (scholar), “壮” (strong), “象” (elephant), “石” (stone), “包” (wrap), “砲” (cannon), “矽” (silicon), “矸” (waste rock), “马” (horse), “码” (code).
Although he didn’t know the opponent’s score, his team was now very close to victory.
“Tianqiu.” Wen Qiaoyun called out.
“What?”
“There’s something that might not be appropriate to say, but if you could make a move now, our chances of winning would be much higher.”
“Me, make a move…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned.
“Yes.” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “First, the opponent’s strongest fighter has already been severely injured. Ordinary ‘snatching’ is hardly feasible now. If we want to reliably obtain ‘characters,’ we’ll have to rely on the various games in the rooms.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded. “And then?”
“Second, your skill in games of strategy is stronger than most people here.” Wen Qiaoyun continued, “If you’re convinced that Qi Xia is waiting in the opponent’s ‘preparation zone,’ we could do the opposite. You, me, and Yan Zhichun could each engage the opponent in games, control three people before they realize what’s happening, then collect the ‘characters.’ By the time they catch on… we could win by stalling.”
“The ‘commander’ stepping out to play…” Chu Tianqiu thought for a few seconds. “But Qiaoyun, you should also know… I can’t guarantee a hundred percent victory.”
“I know, but the problem now is…” Wen Qiaoyun added, “Those ‘referees’ don’t seem experienced either. If you step out, not only could you suppress the opponent, but you could also suppress the referees. The probability of winning the games would be higher than usual.”
Chu Tianqiu knew his thinking was often biased, and Wen Qiaoyun’s suggestions often helped correct those biases.
But was this time the same?
Should he take the “general” and strike, breaking the opponent’s players one by one?
“Not yet. I need to think about it.” Chu Tianqiu said, “At least without ‘Echo,’ it’s too risky.”
“By the way…” Xu Liunian, who had been silent nearby, spoke up. “Speaking of ‘Echo,’ I’ve made some progress. I came back this time specifically to tell you how to master ‘Echo.'”
“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Let’s hear it.”
Xu Liunian took a breath, as if organizing her thoughts, then slowly said, “First, I only know how to achieve ‘Echo’ here, but I don’t know how to break free from this ‘Echo.'”
“Alright.” Chu Tianqiu agreed.
“Actually, it’s quite simple.” Xu Liunian continued, “When using an ordinary ‘Echo’ ability, you need to believe that the ability will definitely activate. This increases the success rate of ‘Echo.'”
Although Wen Qiaoyun didn’t understand this concept, Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao nodded in agreement.
When activating an “Echo” ability, you must firmly believe that the ability will take effect—this was common knowledge among all “Echoers.”
Seeing Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao agree, Xu Liunian added, “In this strange space, to activate ‘Echo,’ you need to take one step further: ‘believe that you are already an Echoer at this moment.'”
Chu Tianqiu glanced at Dr. Zhao upon hearing this, then slowly furrowed his brow.
This idea was even more abstract than “Echo” itself.
First, believe that you are an “Echoer,” then believe that the “Echo” ability will succeed.
Now Chu Tianqiu also understood why Xu Liunian couldn’t revert to her original form.
According to her logic, to become an “Echoer,” you must believe you are one. Similarly, to break free from this “Echo,” you must believe you are not an “Echoer.”
But with Xu Liunian now wearing Chen Junnan’s face, how could she possibly believe one hundred percent that she wasn’t an “Echoer”?
“This space is strange…” Xu Liunian said, “We can’t even hear the ‘bell’ from outside. So ‘whether Echo activates’ depends entirely on us, not on anything external.”
Chu Tianqiu felt uneasy hearing this. This principle shouldn’t be heard by so many people at once, because after understanding it, the difficulty of achieving “Echo” would increase even further.
Dr. Zhao was stunned. “Miss Xu… how do you know so much?”
“This might be the only thing the most experienced ‘Echoers’ can do…” Xu Liunian said, “Here, we don’t need any ‘trigger.’ If you believe you are one, then you are.”
“Belief makes it real.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “So this place makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker.”
After saying this, he looked at the people in front of him. “I suspect no one on Qi Xia’s team has achieved ‘Echo’ yet. This is our only advantage. Before they do, adjust your mindset, try to achieve ‘Echo,’ and find a way to inform our teammates on the ‘front line.'”
“But how do we explain something so abstract…?” Xu Liunian asked.
“It’s not that hard.” Chu Tianqiu said, “Just tell them directly, ‘You are already Echoers now.'”
Xu Liunian felt this approach might work. Explaining the principle to others could backfire.
“This way, even if Qi Xia hears this, he won’t understand the underlying logic.” Chu Tianqiu said, “Let’s all use our abilities and give him a good fight here.”
“Good.”
“Qiao Yun.” Chu Tianqiu said with an unchanged expression, “I don’t know what gave you this impression of Qi Xia, but I’ve interacted with him many times. He really isn’t that kind of person.”
“Is that so…?” Wen Qiaoyun knew she didn’t understand Qi Xia well and could only nod blankly.
“I once arranged for him to participate in a game called ‘Seesaw’ hosted by the ‘Human Dragon,'” Chu Tianqiu said. “During that game, I truly saw how ruthless Qi Xia has become. He’s completely devoid of humanity, practically a monster. It’s only been a few days since then—how could he possibly have turned into an emotional person?”
“Alright…” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. After a brief pause, she pulled out a “character” from her pocket—”马” (horse).
“This is the ‘character’ from that writer,” Wen Qiaoyun said. “It’s the same as the one on me—both are ‘马’.”
“Good.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded, took the “马,” and arranged it on the screen for a while, resulting in “马” and “码” (code).
The two characters were swapped and used as homophones for each other, earning two points.
Chu Tianqiu’s screen now showed a total of fourteen points:
“十” (ten), “寸” (inch), “夕” (dusk), “从” (follow), “士” (scholar), “壮” (strong), “象” (elephant), “石” (stone), “包” (wrap), “砲” (cannon), “矽” (silicon), “矸” (waste rock), “马” (horse), “码” (code).
Although they didn’t know the opponent’s score, their team was now very close to victory.
“Tianqiu,” Wen Qiaoyun called out.
“What?”
“There’s something that might not be appropriate to say, but if you could take action now, our chances of winning would be much higher.”
“Me, take action…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned.
“Yes,” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “First, the opponent’s strongest fighter has already been severely injured. Ordinary ‘snatching’ is hardly feasible now. If we want to reliably obtain ‘characters,’ we’ll have to rely on the various games in the rooms.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded. “And then?”
“Second, your skill in games of strategy is stronger than most people here,” Wen Qiaoyun continued. “If you’re convinced that Qi Xia is waiting in the opponent’s ‘preparation zone,’ we could do the opposite. You, me, and Yan Zhichun could each engage the opponent in games, control three people before they realize what’s happening, and then collect their ‘characters.’ By the time they catch on… we could win by stalling for time.”
“The ‘commander’ stepping out to play games…” Chu Tianqiu thought for a few seconds. “But Qiaoyun, you should also know… I can’t guarantee a hundred percent victory.”
“I know, but the issue now is…” Wen Qiaoyun added, “those ‘referees’ don’t seem experienced either. If you step out, not only could you suppress the opponent, but you could also suppress the referees. The probability of winning the games would be higher than usual.”
Chu Tianqiu knew his thinking was often biased, and Wen Qiaoyun’s suggestions frequently helped correct those biases.
But was this time the same?
Should he take the initiative with the “general,” breaking through the opponent’s defenses one by one?
“Not yet. I need to think about it,” Chu Tianqiu said. “At least until we have ‘Echo,’ it’s too risky.”
“Speaking of which…” Xu Liunian, who had been silent nearby, spoke up. “Regarding ‘Echo,’ I’ve made some progress. I came back this time specifically to tell you how to master ‘Echo.'”
“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Let’s hear it.”
Xu Liunian took a breath, as if organizing her thoughts, then slowly said, “First, I only know how to achieve ‘Echo’ here, but I don’t know how to rid myself of this ‘Echo.'”
“Alright,” Chu Tianqiu agreed.
“Actually, it’s quite simple,” Xu Liunian continued. “When using an ordinary ‘Echo’ ability, you need to believe that the ability will definitely activate. This increases the success rate of ‘Echo.'”
Although Wen Qiaoyun didn’t quite understand, Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao nodded in agreement.
Believing that the ability would undoubtedly work when activating an “Echo” was common knowledge among all “Echoers.”
Seeing their agreement, Xu Liunian added, “To activate ‘Echo’ in this strange space, you need to take one step further before that: ‘believe that you are already an Echoer at this moment.'”
Chu Tianqiu glanced at Dr. Zhao upon hearing this, then slowly furrowed his brow.
This concept was even more abstract than “Echo” itself.
First, believe you are an “Echoer,” then believe the ability activated by “Echo” will succeed.
Now Chu Tianqiu also understood why Xu Liunian couldn’t revert to her original form.
According to her logic, to become an “Echoer,” you must believe you are one. Similarly, to undo this “Echo,” you must believe you are not an “Echoer.”
But with Xu Liunian now wearing Chen Junnan’s face, how could she possibly believe one hundred percent that she wasn’t an “Echoer”?
“This space is strange…” Xu Liunian said. “We can’t even hear the ‘bell’ from outside. So, ‘whether Echo activates’ depends entirely on us, not on anything external.”
Chu Tianqiu felt uneasy hearing this. This principle shouldn’t be heard by so many people at once, because after understanding it, the difficulty of achieving “Echo” would increase even further.
Dr. Zhao was stunned. “Miss Xu… how do you know so much about this?”
“This might be the only thing the most experienced ‘Echoers’ can do…” Xu Liunian said. “Here, we don’t need any ‘trigger.’ If you believe you are one, then you are.”
“Belief makes it real,” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “So this place makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker.”
After saying this, he looked at the people in front of him and said, “I suspect no one on Qi Xia’s team has achieved ‘Echo’ yet. This is our only advantage for now. Before they catch on, adjust your mindset, try to achieve ‘Echo,’ and find a way to inform our teammates on the ‘front line.'”
“But how do we explain something so abstract…?” Xu Liunian asked.
“It’s not that hard,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Just tell them directly, ‘You are already Echoers now.'”
Xu Liunian felt this approach might work. Explaining the principle to others could backfire.
“This way, even if Qi Xia hears this, he won’t understand the underlying logic,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Let’s all use our abilities and give him a proper fight here.”
The two characters were swapped, each serving as a homophone for the other, earning them two points.
Now, Chu Tianqiu’s screen showed a total of fourteen points, consisting of:
“Qiao Yun.” Chu Tianqiu said with an unchanged expression, “I don’t know what gave you that impression of Qi Xia, but I’ve interacted with him many times. He really isn’t that kind of person.”
“Is that so…?” Wen Qiaoyun knew she didn’t understand Qi Xia well and could only nod blankly.
“I once arranged for him to participate in a game called ‘Seesaw’ in the ‘Human Dragon’ series,” Chu Tianqiu said. “During that game, I realized just how ruthless Qi Xia has become. He’s completely devoid of humanity, practically a monster. It’s only been a few days since then—how could he possibly have turned into an emotional person?”
“Alright…” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. After a brief pause, she pulled out a character from her pocket— “马” (Horse).
“This is the character from that writer,” Wen Qiaoyun said. “It’s the same as mine—’马’ (Horse).”
“Good.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded, took the character, and spent some time arranging it on the screen. The characters were “马” (Horse) and “码” (Yard).
By swapping the two characters and using them as homophones for each other, he earned two points.
Chu Tianqiu’s screen now showed a total of fourteen points:
“十” (Ten), “寸” (Inch), “夕” (Dusk), “从” (Follow), “士” (Scholar), “壮” (Strong), “象” (Elephant), “石” (Stone), “包” (Wrap), “砲” (Cannon), “矽” (Silicon), “矸” (Waste Rock), “马” (Horse), “码” (Yard).
Although he didn’t know the opponent’s score, his team was now very close to victory.
“Tianqiu,” Wen Qiaoyun called out.
“What?”
“There’s something that might not be appropriate to say, but if you could take action now, our chances of winning would be much higher.”
“Me, take action…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned.
“Yes,” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “First, the opponent’s strongest fighter has already been severely injured. Ordinary ‘snatching’ tactics are hardly effective anymore. If we want to reliably obtain characters, we’ll have to rely on the various games in the rooms.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded. “And then?”
“Second, your strategic skills are stronger than most people here,” Wen Qiaoyun continued. “If you’re convinced that Qi Xia is waiting in the opponent’s ‘preparation zone,’ we could do the opposite. You, me, and Yan Zhichun could each engage the opponent in games, control three people before they realize what’s happening, and then collect the characters. By the time they catch on… we could stall for time and secure victory.”
“The ‘commander’ stepping in to play…” Chu Tianqiu thought for a few seconds. “But Qiaoyun, you should also know… I can’t guarantee a hundred percent victory.”
“I know, but the issue now is…” Wen Qiaoyun added, “Those ‘referees’ don’t seem experienced either. If you step in, not only can you overpower the opponents, but you can also intimidate the referees. The chances of winning the games would be higher than usual.”
Chu Tianqiu knew his thinking was often biased, and Wen Qiaoyun’s suggestions often helped correct those biases.
But was this time the same?
Should he lead the “general” into battle and break the opponent’s forces one by one?
“Not yet. I need to think about it,” Chu Tianqiu said. “At least until we have ‘Echo,’ it’s too risky.”
“Speaking of which…” Xu Liunian, who had been silent nearby, spoke up. “About ‘Echo,’ I’ve made some progress. The reason I came back was to tell you how to master ‘Echo.'”
“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Go on.”
Xu Liunian took a deep breath, as if organizing her thoughts, then slowly said, “First, I only know how to achieve ‘Echo’ here, but I don’t know how to break free from it.”
“Alright,” Chu Tianqiu agreed.
“Actually, it’s quite simple,” Xu Liunian continued. “When using an ordinary ‘Echo,’ you need to believe that the ability will definitely activate. This increases the success rate of ‘Echo.'”
Although Wen Qiaoyun didn’t understand this concept, Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao nodded in agreement.
Believing that the ability would work when activating an “Echo” was common knowledge among all “Echoers.”
Seeing Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao agree with her, Xu Liunian added, “In this strange space, to activate ‘Echo,’ you need to take one step further: ‘believe that you are already an Echoer at this moment.'”
Chu Tianqiu glanced at Dr. Zhao upon hearing this, then slowly furrowed his brow.
This idea was even more abstract than “Echo” itself.
First, believe that you are an “Echoer,” then believe that the ability unleashed by “Echo” will succeed.
Now Chu Tianqiu also understood why Xu Liunian couldn’t revert to her original form.
According to her logic, to become an “Echoer,” you must believe you are one. Similarly, to undo the “Echo,” you must believe you are not an “Echoer.”
But with Xu Liunian now wearing Chen Junnan’s face, how could she possibly believe one hundred percent that she wasn’t an “Echoer”?
“This space is strange…” Xu Liunian said. “We can’t even hear the ‘bell’ from outside. So whether or not we ‘Echo’ depends entirely on ourselves, not on anything external.”
Chu Tianqiu felt uneasy hearing this. This principle shouldn’t be heard by so many people at once, because after understanding it, the difficulty of achieving “Echo” would increase even further.
Dr. Zhao was stunned. “Miss Xu… how do you know so much about this?”
“This might be the only thing the most experienced ‘Echoers’ can do…” Xu Liunian said. “Here, we don’t need any ‘trigger.’ If you believe you are one, then you are.”
“Belief makes it real,” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “So this place makes the strong stronger and the weak weaker.”
After saying this, he looked at the people in front of him and said, “I suspect no one on Qi Xia’s team has achieved ‘Echo’ yet. This is our only advantage. Before they do, adjust your mindset, try to achieve ‘Echo,’ and find a way to inform our teammates on the ‘front line.'”
“But how do we explain something so abstract…?” Xu Liunian asked.
“It’s not that hard,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Just tell them directly, ‘You are already Echoers now.'”
Xu Liunian felt this approach might work. Explaining the principle to others could backfire.
“This way, even if Qi Xia hears this, he won’t understand the underlying logic,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Let’s all use our abilities and give him a good fight here.”
Though they didn’t know the opponent’s score, their team was now very close to victory.
“Tianqiu,” Wen Qiaoyun called.
“What?”
“There’s something I probably shouldn’t say, but if you could take action now, our chances of winning would be much higher.”
“Me, take action…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned.
“Yes.” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “First, the opponent’s strongest fighter has already been severely injured, making ordinary ‘snatching’ difficult. If we want to reliably obtain characters, we have to rely on the various games in the rooms.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded. “And then?”
“Second, your strategic skills are stronger than most people here,” Wen Qiaoyun continued. “If you firmly believe Qi Xia is waiting in their ‘preparation zone,’ we can turn the tables by having you, me, and Yan Zhichun engage them in separate games. We can control three people before they react, collect their characters, and by the time they realize it… we can stall for time and win.”
“The ‘commander’ personally engaging in games…” Chu Tianqiu thought for a few seconds. “But Qiaoyun, you should also know—I can’t guarantee a 100% victory.”
“I know, but the issue now is…” Wen Qiaoyun added, “those ‘referees’ don’t seem experienced either. If you step in, not only can you overpower the opponents, but you can also intimidate the referees, increasing our chances of winning the games.”
Chu Tianqiu knew his thinking could sometimes be biased, and Wen Qiaoyun’s suggestions often compensated for that.
But was this time the same?
Should he, as the “general,” take the offensive and dismantle the opponents one by one?
“Not yet—I need to think about it,” Chu Tianqiu said. “At least before we regain our ‘Echoes,’ this is too risky.”
“Speaking of ‘Echoes’…” Xu Liunian interjected, “I’ve made some progress. The reason I came back was to tell you how to master them.”
“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Go on.”
Xu Liunian exhaled, as if organizing her thoughts, then spoke slowly: “First, I only know how to trigger an ‘Echo’ here, but I don’t know how to undo it.”
“Understood,” Chu Tianqiu replied.
“The logic is actually simple,” Xu Liunian continued. “Normally, when unleashing an ‘Echo,’ you must believe it will succeed—that increases the odds.”
Though Wen Qiaoyun didn’t understand, Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao nodded in agreement.
Believing in the success of an “Echo” was common sense for every “Echo” user.
Seeing their approval, Xu Liunian added: “In this strange space, to trigger an ‘Echo,’ you must go one step further—you must first ‘believe you are already an Echo user.'”
Chu Tianqiu glanced at Dr. Zhao, then slowly furrowed his brow.
This idea was even more abstract than “Echoes” themselves.
First, believe you are an “Echo” user; then, believe the ability will succeed.
Now, Chu Tianqiu understood why Xu Liunian couldn’t revert to her original form.
If becoming an “Echo” user required believing you were one, then undoing it required believing you weren’t.
But with Xu Liunian wearing Chen Junnan’s face, how could she possibly believe, with absolute certainty, that she wasn’t an “Echo” user?
“This space is bizarre…” Xu Liunian said. “We can’t even hear the ‘bells’ from outside, so whether we ‘Echo’ depends entirely on us—nothing external.”
Chu Tianqiu felt uneasy. This shouldn’t have been revealed to so many people at once, because knowing the principle would only make triggering “Echoes” even harder.
Dr. Zhao frowned. “Miss Xu… how do you know so much?”
“Perhaps this is the only thing a veteran ‘Echo’ user can do…” Xu Liunian said. “Here, we don’t need any ‘trigger’—if you believe you are one, then you are.”
“Belief makes it real,” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “So this place amplifies the strong and weakens the weak.”
He glanced at the group before him. “I suspect Qi Xia’s team hasn’t triggered any ‘Echoes’ yet—that’s our only advantage. Before they do, adjust your mindset, try to trigger yours, and find a way to inform our frontline teammates.”
“But how do we explain something so abstract…?” Xu Liunian asked.
“It’s not hard,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Just tell them: ‘You are already Echo users now.'”
Xu Liunian thought the approach made sense—explaining the principle might backfire.
“That way, even if Qi Xia hears it, he won’t grasp the logic,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Let’s all bring out our abilities and give him a real fight.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage