Chapter 1228: Dirty Trick

Joe looked down at his body, which was now being reshaped like modeling clay.

Though the patterns on his skin remained, the contours of his muscles were no longer his own.

“Dang it… this is intense…”

He clenched his fist, feeling a surge of power coursing through his fingertips. Qian Wu quickly signaled for him to stay still.

Joe glanced at him and noticed Qian Wu’s face had turned as pale as paper. Clearly, replicating “Tian Xing Jian” had taken a heavy toll on him.

“Qian Wu…” Joe said, “Maybe we should stop? I feel like I’ve got enough power…”

“No,” Qian Wu shook his head. “It’s not stable enough yet. My ability can’t forge an entirely new ‘Tian Xing Jian’ body for you. The best I can do is establish a stable twin connection between you two.”

“Twin connection…?”

“One flower blooms, two flowers flourish. One withers, both perish,” Qian Wu murmured. “From now on, Zhang Shan must remain in ‘Tian Xing Jian’ state at all times. Any damage either of you takes will also affect the other.”

“Oh…?” Joe turned to Zhang Shan. “Big guy, how’s your dodging? Try not to get hurt.”

Zhang Shan hadn’t felt much of anything throughout the process, only watching as Joe’s body gradually grew taller.

“I’m not great at dodging…” Zhang Shan admitted. “But I can take a hit.”

“Dang it…” Joe blinked, suddenly feeling the odds of him getting hurt had inexplicably risen. “You can take hits, but I might not. I usually dodge.”

Listening to their conversation, Chu Tianqiu pondered silently.

If even someone like Qian Wu couldn’t forge a new “Tian Xing Jian,” what kind of conviction had Qi Xia poured into reviving it?

Could his “Endless Cycle” truly sustain everyone’s survival…?

As they spoke, “Earth-level” and “Human-level” Zodiacs began gathering outside the door.

Some Zodiacs shared the same sentiment as the earlier Earth Ox—they didn’t care what these people were up to, only that their gathering threatened their interests.

These reckless “Participants” weren’t just throwing the already mature Zodiac system into chaos—they’d even killed someone on the “Train.”

Whispers spread outside the door as uncertainty gnawed at everyone.

“Didn’t an Earth Ox just die?” one Zodiac muttered. “Isn’t White Tiger supposed to handle ‘Zodiac killings’? Why hasn’t he shown up?”

“Maybe the Earth Ox isn’t dead yet?” another suggested. “So it doesn’t count as ‘Zodiac killing’…”

“No way… even if they didn’t kill him, beating him like that proves they tried…”

“Hold on, I think it’s because the attackers were ‘Participants,’ not Zodiacs. So White Tiger probably…”

The Zodiacs outside bickered among themselves, never realizing that White Tiger never cared about so-called “Zodiac killings.”

If not for his pity toward Zodiacs, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill them himself.

Now, torn between duty and disdain, he had simply left the “Train.”

After much deliberation, the Zodiacs outside finally decided to band together and subdue these clearly unhinged “Participants.”

Earth Rat, noticing the growing crowd, turned back with a grim expression to glance at the “power transfer” happening inside before sighing and stepping forward to block the door.

“All of you look so human, yet here I am taking the bullets,” Earth Rat muttered bitterly. “Wonder who’s the real beast here.”

Earth Dog, sensing trouble, quickly shifted from inside the room to the doorway.

“Hey… you all…” he twitched his facial muscles nervously, eyeing the aggressive Zodiacs. “You’re finally here!”

“Whose side are you on?” an Earth Pig demanded.

“I’m being forced, okay? Help me out here!” Earth Dog pleaded.

Earth Rat shot him a cold glance. “I know another Dog leader. Lazy and unreliable as he is, compared to you, he’s practically a police dog.”

“Hilarious,” Earth Dog sneered. “We’re about to be screwed, and you’re still putting on airs.”

Chu Tianqiu sensed the tension escalating at the door. With Qian Wu still needing time, he stood up, gripping an eyeball, and moved behind Earth Rat.

“Hey, Earth Rat,” Chu Tianqiu called, frowning. “You can’t hold them alone. Let’s buy time.”

“Boss, you overestimate me…” Earth Rat chuckled dryly. “Against this many? I can’t fight or talk my way out.”

Chu Tianqiu scanned the doorway—at least four unfamiliar “Earth-level” Zodiacs and over a dozen “Human-level” ones.

And Earth Dog, who’d promised to protect them earlier, now stood among them as the fifth “Earth-level.”

Chu Tianqiu had only one “Tian Xing Jian” left, along with a few auxiliary abilities. He’d planned to use it inside Tianlong’s dream, but now, it seemed unavoidable.

If he wanted to protect three lives from this many “Earth-level” Zodiacs at once, he’d likely need to consume more.

“Boss…” Earth Rat turned to him. “You’ve got a trump card too?”

“Something like that,” Chu Tianqiu nodded.

“Never judge a book by its cover,” Earth Rat mused. “You all have ways to fight ‘Earth-level’ head-on. If I’d known, I’d have swayed more eagerly.”

“I can’t guarantee killing them all, but buying time shouldn’t be a problem,” Chu Tianqiu replied.

“In that case…” Earth Rat shook his head. “I don’t recommend we attack together.”

“Oh?”

“Focused fire is meant to overwhelm and win quickly,” Earth Rat explained quietly. “But our goal is to stall. We should take turns. I’ve got a trick up my sleeve too.”

“You do?” Chu Tianqiu eyed him skeptically. Earth Rat might have an “Earth-level” body, but he clearly wasn’t a fighter. What could his trump card be?

Earth Rat smirked. “Yeah. Learned a dirty move from a socially awkward teammate back in the day.”

“Dirty move…?”

Earth Rat turned, calmly sweeping his gaze across the Zodiacs before locking eyes with Earth Dog.

Before Earth Dog could retort, Earth Rat asked coolly,

“Boss, aren’t you going to make your move?”