Hearing Qi Xia’s slightly deranged words, the two of them wore expressions of hesitation, as if they had something to say but held back.
Even Di Hu, who had weathered countless storms, couldn’t comprehend why someone would willingly plant a tumor in their own brain.
Those who managed to retain their sanity here—whether they were “participants” or “Zodiacs”—all shared the ultimate goal of escaping. Yet, under such circumstances, would anyone actually choose to implant a tumor in their brain?
Even if they truly escaped, would they just die outside?
“Yang… Qi Xia,” Di Hu said, his eyes wide. “So you claim to be ‘Eternal Life’… Has that ever been confirmed?”
“Yes,” Qi Xia replied. “Though I haven’t personally stood before a screen to see those words appear, based on this cycle, the behavior of all the ‘Celestials’ and ‘Divine Beasts’ has given me the answer. I am the living ‘God.'”
Di Hu furrowed his brow, his expression still one of disbelief.
“This is utterly absurd…” His plump cheeks twitched as he wrestled with the thought. “Qi Xia… what exactly did you do in the real world?”
“Have I… never told you before?” Qi Xia countered.
“I only knew you were a broke student…” Di Hu’s expression grew increasingly strange. “But what were you thinking about back then…? ‘Creating people’?”
“What…?” Qi Xia paused. “What kind of question is that? What does what I thought about in school have to do with ‘Eternal Life’?”
“Haven’t you realized it yet…?” Di Hu gestured emphatically. “Among all the ‘Echoers’ we’ve encountered here, the abilities they’ve gained mostly stem from their own ‘lives’…”
“I only knew that ‘obsessions’ influence ‘triggers’—but are you saying ‘life experiences’ also shape ‘abilities’?”
Qi Xia felt Di Hu had raised a point he’d never considered before.
“That’s exactly how it is!” Di Hu exclaimed. “No one’s ‘Echo’ comes out of nowhere—they all have traces leading back! Think about the people you know… Whose ‘Echo’ is baseless? Every ability is inevitably tied to their life experiences!”
Qi Xia narrowed his eyes and instinctively glanced at Xu Liunian beside him.
To understand the connection between a person’s ‘Echo’ and their ‘life experiences,’ he’d need not only familiarity with their abilities but also a rough grasp of their personal history.
Xu Liunian, for instance, had been an ‘actor’ in the real world. Hence, her ability was ‘Morphing,’ allowing her to assume others’ forms—the deeper her conviction, the more complete the transformation.
What about the others…?
Chen Junnan had once mentioned that Han Yimo had spread malicious rumors in reality, leading to someone’s death. Thus, his ‘Echo’ mirrored his ‘life experience’—even without lifting a finger, disaster would rain down upon his enemies, ruining their lives while leaving his own in perpetual turmoil. He was the living embodiment of ‘Calamity.’
Officer Li had died fighting a scammer. In his life, he’d failed to produce money when his daughter needed saving and couldn’t draw his gun fast enough when confronting the fraudster. His two most critical moments of choice had slipped through his fingers, so he became ‘Pickpocket’—in the ‘Land of End,’ as long as his subconscious was strong enough, he could manifest anything.
Following this logic, even without knowing someone’s life story, one could make educated guesses.
Qiao Jiajin’s ‘Lawbreaker’ forcibly nullified all opposing ‘Echoes,’ forcing even the mightiest ‘participants’ to face him in a fair duel. Given how often he insisted, “No cheating,” it was reasonable to infer that his life’s defining moment involved deception—perhaps a rigged gamble. Whatever happened had left him powerless to ‘protect’ something, so when he yearned to ‘guard,’ he became ‘Lawbreaker.’
Zhang Shan’s ability granted him physical prowess rivaling that of a ‘Terrestrial’ for a short time. Considering his muscular build, his lifelong desire might’ve been to grow stronger. At some point, his lack of strength had cost him dearly, so when he ‘wanted to win,’ he became ‘Heavenly Might.’
Qi Xia increasingly found this line of reasoning sound—it seemed applicable to nearly every known ‘Echo.’
By this logic, Chen Junnan’s ‘Scapegoat’ must also conceal a despairing tale. At some point in his life, he’d desperately wanted to shoulder the burden of another’s suffering—likely something terrible—but failed, leaving him haunted. Thus, in the ‘Land of End,’ ‘Scapegoat’ became his ability.
Extending this further with bold speculation:
– Doctor Zhao wanted to destroy something, hence ‘Disintegration.’
– Yun Yao had always been plagued by terrible luck, so she gained ‘Fortune.’
– Li Xiangling longed to reunite with someone she missed, becoming ‘Manifestation.’
– Wang Ba had been short all his life, thus acquiring ‘Gigantification.’
– Saturday desperately sought communication, manifesting ‘Telepathy.’
– Luo Shiyi had endured too much suffering, giving rise to ‘Forget Sorrow.’
Countless examples followed—their ‘Echoes’ were their ‘experiences.’
Viewed this way, the formidable ‘Echoers’ roaming the ‘Land of End’ were, at their core, nothing more than unresolved regrets and walking obsessions.
Where was the transcendence in that?
The ‘Land of End’ seemed to mock them with contemptuous pity, allowing each person to briefly grasp the shadow of what they’d failed to achieve in reality.
And the cruelest joke? These individuals would carry their so-called ‘abilities’ back to the ‘real world’ for a single day, as if bestowed by divine grace.
Yet they’d slowly realize that no matter how they wielded their powers, the so-called ‘past’ would never change.
It would always be there, waiting for their return.
But even so, some ‘Echoes’ defied explanation—and these inexplicable abilities seemed to serve extraordinary purposes.
They didn’t appear designed to fulfill an individual’s wish but rather the ‘Land of End’s’ own agenda.
If brought into the real world, these abilities would be utterly ineffective—they belonged solely to the ‘Land of End.’
Such as Qi Xia’s former ‘Spirit Hearing’ or Zheng Yingxiong’s ‘Spirit Scent.’
Somewhere unknown, there might also exist ‘Spirit Sight,’ ‘Spirit Sense,’ or ‘Spirit Touch.’
And now, something unprecedented had emerged—an ability that belonged here yet transcended it, both exclusive to the ‘Land of End’ and surpassing all its rules.
It was ‘Eternal Life.’
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage