“Hahaha!” The restrained Earth Tiger suddenly burst into laughter. “Bringing your students to settle a score? How ridiculous!”
“You dare laugh?!” Earth Pig tightened his grip. “Your life is in my hands, and you still act this arrogant?”
“I can’t help it. Not laughing would suffocate me…” Earth Tiger chuckled. “You beat and berate your students, threaten them with their lives to hand over their 「Dao」, and now, in a life-or-death crisis, you drag them here to fight for you… How the hell does a runt like you have the nerve?”
“Is there a problem with me disciplining my own students?” Earth Pig sneered. “I doubt those idiots would dare defy me here.”
“True,” the Black Sheep standing opposite him spoke up. “Your students didn’t defy you, but that doesn’t make them any less pitiful.”
“Oh?” Earth Pig frowned. “And what wisdom do you have to share?”
“You might not know this yet,” the Black Sheep smirked. “But when your top disciple, Human Pig, was in mortal danger, he didn’t turn to you for help—he went to Sheep Brother.”
“What…?”
“What’s wrong? Your top disciple gambled his life against a 「Participant」 and died. Are you pretending not to know?” Earth Sheep sneered. “I heard he often disobeyed your orders? Yet when he spoke to Sheep Brother, he was humble, bold, and full of ideas. Such a promising person… How did he end up so desperate that he knelt before Sheep Brother?”
Earth Pig’s expression twisted with rage.
“Oh, could it be that being your student is what drove him to desperation?” Earth Sheep tossed aside the iron rod in his hand. “Earth Pig, whether you admit it or not, you’re a paper tiger now. You’re used to bullying the 「Human-level」, but we at the 「Earth-level」 aren’t afraid of you.”
Seeing Earth Pig remain silent, Earth Sheep continued, “Earlier, I said I had a few things to say to you. Why not listen first before deciding whether to crush that dumb cat in your hand?”
“Who the hell are you calling a dumb cat?!” Earth Tiger flared up, struggling to turn his head toward Earth Pig. “Listen, runt, kill me if you want, but make sure you slaughter this pitch-black bastard right after! Otherwise, I’ll die pissed!”
“Who do you think you are to order me around?”
“I’m ordering your mother!” Earth Tiger roared. “What, you’ve got the guts to kill me but not Black Sheep? What the hell are you scared of?!”
Earth Pig’s eyes flickered before he looked up at Earth Sheep. “What exactly do you want to say?”
“I…” Earth Sheep glanced at Earth Horse, who was clutching her ankle and groaning on the ground. “I want to know how exactly she relayed things to you.”
“Huh?” Earth Pig looked between Earth Horse and Earth Sheep. “What are you getting at?”
“Haha!” The restrained Earth Tiger couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Bringing students to demand an explanation? How ridiculous!”
“You fucking dare laugh?” Earth Boar increased the pressure in his grip. “Your life is in my hands now, and you’re still this arrogant?”
“I really can’t help it—not laughing would be unbearable…” Earth Tiger chuckled a few times. “You beat and scold your students, threaten their lives to extort their ‘Tao,’ and when your own life is in danger, you drag them along to fight for you… How dare you, you dwarf?”
“I discipline my own students strictly—what’s the problem?” Earth Boar sneered. “I don’t think those idiots would dare defy me here.”
“True.” The Black Sheep standing opposite Earth Boar spoke up. “Your students didn’t defy you, but they’re still pitiable.”
“Oh?” Earth Boar frowned at him. “What brilliant insight do you have?”
“You probably don’t know this yet.” Black Sheep let out a cold laugh. “Your top disciple, Human Boar, in his most desperate moment, didn’t turn to you for help—he went to Brother Goat.”
“What…?”
“What? Your top disciple gambled his life with a ‘participant’ and died, and you’re pretending not to know?” Earth Goat sneered. “I heard he often defied your orders? When he communicated with Brother Goat, he was humble, courageous, decisive, and full of ideas. Such a remarkable person… how did he end up so desperate that he knelt before Brother Goat?”
Earth Boar’s expression shifted through shades of anger, clearly furious.
“Oh, could it be that becoming your student is what drove him to desperation?” Earth Goat tossed the iron rod in his hand aside and said, “Earth Boar, whether you admit it or not, you’re a paper tiger now. You’re used to throwing your weight around at the ‘Human Level,’ but we at the ‘Earth Level’ aren’t afraid of you.”
Seeing Earth Boar remain silent, Earth Goat continued, “Earlier, I said I had a few words for you. Why not listen first before deciding whether to crush that dumb cat in your hand?”
“Who the fuck are you calling a dumb cat?!” Earth Tiger flared up at this, struggling to turn his head toward Earth Boar. “Dwarf, killing me is fine, but after you kill me, make sure you slaughter this black-ass thing too. Otherwise, I won’t die in peace!”
“Who are you to order me around?”
“Who the hell is ordering you?!” Earth Tiger cursed. “What, killing me is easy, but killing Black Sheep scares you? What the fuck are you afraid of?!”
Earth Boar’s eyes darted around before he looked up at Earth Goat. “What exactly did you want to say?”
“I…” Earth Goat glanced at Earth Horse, who was on the ground clutching her ankle and moaning. “I want to know exactly how she conveyed the message to you.”
“Huh?” Earth Boar looked at Earth Horse, then back at Earth Goat. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not a fool, are you?” Earth Goat laughed. “Did rage cloud your judgment? To come charging in ready to fight in front of so many Earth-Level players just because of someone else’s words… The message you heard must be different from what we heard, right?”
At this point, Earth Rat also stepped forward with a cold laugh. “This sheep leader makes a good point. Pig Leader, you seem like a smart person, so how did you end up being used like a fool? Did you really want this fight, or did someone else want it?”
Earth Boar seemed to realize something and looked down at Earth Horse. “Hey… you couldn’t have… lied to me, could you?”
“I…” Earth Horse didn’t speak, but her hesitant expression said it all.
“Damn it…” Earth Boar immediately released Earth Tiger, stepped forward, and bent down to grab Earth Horse by the collar. “It was never ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement, was it?!”
“Don’t waver… Brother Pig…” Earth Horse smiled painfully. “Even if it wasn’t ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement, capturing them would still earn you merit…”
“Merit…? You think I care about ‘merit’?” Earth Boar’s expression gradually cooled. “Haven’t I earned enough merit over the years? What I want isn’t superficial achievements—I want a ‘promise’… a promise from the ‘Heavens’!”
“It’s the same… Brother Pig… as long as you capture them, it’s the same…”
“It’s not the same!! I’m just one step away… If they would just give the word, I could be promoted…” Earth Boar gritted his teeth. “I’ve already killed 3,599 people… I’m just one ‘participant’ away from completing the task. Do you think I haven’t been able to finish it?! I’ve been waiting for the ‘Heavenly Level’ to give the order! Today, those leather-clad people came swaggering in front of me, and I had to deliberately hold back to let all of them survive. Do you have any idea how frustrating that feels?!”
Black Sheep narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and exchanged a glance with Earth Rat.
“Wait a minute…” Black Sheep said. “Earth Boar, why haven’t you killed the full 3,600 people? What are you waiting for?”
“I…” Earth Boar paused for a moment, then sighed. “I’m waiting for a 100% chance to be promoted to ‘Heavenly Level.’ I don’t want to end up like White Sheep…”
“You…”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock at these words.
“If I’m not mistaken… White Sheep never got promoted…” Earth Boar spoke, his body trembling uncontrollably. “He was such a fool. It’s fine to oppose anyone in the ‘Endless Abyss,’ but he had to oppose ‘Heavenly Dragon’—that person is a ‘god’ who stands above everyone else… Do you know why ‘Zodiacs’ never ‘Echo’…?”
“…Why?”
“Because ‘Echoing’ can shake ‘Heavenly Dragon’s’ position…” Earth Boar lowered his head. “Whether it’s ‘immortal arts’ or ‘divine power,’ ‘Heavenly Dragon’ separated these two forces and granted them to ‘participants’ and ‘Zodiacs’ to make it easier to manage this place… No matter how physically powerful we ‘Zodiacs’ are, we’re ultimately fragile stone giants, worthless in the eyes of Heavenly Dragon. And the ‘participants’ are even more laughable—mortals who can use ‘immortal arts,’ lightly losing their minds, heavily destroying themselves… ‘Heavenly Dragon’ can even accomplish such things, yet someone dared to try to overthrow him…”
Everyone’s expressions shifted upon hearing this. Earth Boar was indeed a veteran here—he had been surviving in the shadows, and the intelligence he possessed seemed to surpass that of any other ‘Zodiac.’
“Sounds like another form of divide and rule…” Earth Rat nodded, his smile returning as he stepped forward. “Pig Leader, I still want to ask—why do you think White Sheep failed to get promoted?”
Earth Rat chuckled and stepped forward. “Sheep Leader here makes a good point. Pig Leader, you seem like a smart person. How’d you end up being used like a fool? Was this fight really your idea, or someone else’s?”
Earth Pig seemed to realize something and looked down at Earth Horse. “Hey… You didn’t… lie to me, did you?”
“I…” Earth Horse didn’t speak, but her hesitant expression said it all.
“Damn it…” Earth Pig released Earth Tiger and grabbed Earth Horse by the collar. “This was never 「Heavenly Horse’s」 plan, was it?!”
“Don’t waver now, Pig Brother…” Earth Horse forced a pained smile. “Even if it wasn’t 「Heavenly Horse’s」 plan, taking them down would still earn you merit…”
“Merit…? You think I care about 「merit」?” Earth Pig’s expression darkened. “Haven’t I earned enough merit over the years? What I want isn’t superficial rewards—I want a 「promise」… A promise from 「Heaven」!”
“It’s the same… Pig Brother… As long as you defeat them, it’s the same…”
“It’s not the same!! I’m one step away… If they just gave the word, I could ascend…” Earth Pig gritted his teeth. “I’ve already killed 3,599 people… Just one more 「Participant」, and my task would be complete. Do you think I haven’t finished because I couldn’t? No! I’ve been waiting for the 「Heaven-level」 to give the order! Today, those leather-clad bastards strutted in front of me, and I had to hold back and let them all live. Do you have any idea how humiliating that feels?!”
Black Sheep narrowed his eyes and exchanged a glance with Earth Rat.
“Wait a minute…” Black Sheep said. “Earth Pig, why haven’t you killed the 3,600th person? What are you waiting for?”
“I…” Earth Pig froze momentarily before sighing. “I’m waiting for a guaranteed chance to ascend to 「Heaven-level」. I don’t want to end up like White Sheep…”
“You…”
The room fell silent as everyone’s eyes widened.
“Haha!” The restrained Earth Tiger suddenly burst into laughter. “Bringing students to demand an explanation? How ridiculous!”
“You fucking dare to laugh?!” Earth Pig tightened his grip. “Your life is in my hands now, and you still act this arrogant?”
“I really can’t help it—not laughing would suffocate me…” Earth Tiger chuckled a few times. “You beat and scold your students, threaten their lives to extort their ‘Tao,’ and when your own life is in danger, you drag them here to fight for you… How dare you, you damn dwarf?”
“I discipline my own students strictly—what’s wrong with that?” Earth Pig sneered. “I don’t think those idiots would dare to defy me here.”
“True,” the Black Sheep standing opposite Earth Pig spoke up. “Your students didn’t defy you, but they’re still pathetic.”
“Oh?” Earth Pig frowned at him. “What brilliant insight do you have now?”
“You probably don’t know this yet,” Black Sheep said with a cold laugh. “Your top disciple, Human Pig, didn’t turn to you in his most desperate moment—he went to Brother Sheep.”
“What…?”
“What? Are you pretending not to know that your top disciple gambled his life with a ‘participant’ and died?” Earth Sheep sneered. “I heard he often defied your orders? When he communicated with Brother Sheep, he was humble, courageous, decisive, and full of ideas. Such a remarkable person… How did he end up so desperate that he knelt before Brother Sheep?”
Earth Pig’s expression shifted through shades of anger, clearly furious.
“Oh, could it be that becoming your student is what drove him to desperation?” Earth Sheep tossed the iron rod in his hand aside. “Earth Pig, whether you admit it or not, you’re nothing but a paper tiger. You’re used to throwing your weight around among the ‘Human-Level,’ but we ‘Earth-Level’ aren’t afraid of you.”
Seeing Earth Pig remain silent, Earth Sheep continued, “As I said earlier, I have a few words for you. Why not hear me out before deciding whether to crush that dumb cat in your hands?”
“Who the hell are you calling a dumb cat?!” Earth Tiger flared up, struggling to turn his head toward Earth Pig. “Dwarf, killing me is fine, but after you kill me, make sure you take out this black bastard too. Otherwise, I won’t rest in peace!”
“Who are you to order me around?”
“Order your mom!” Earth Tiger cursed. “What, killing me is easy, but killing Black Sheep scares you? What the hell are you afraid of?!”
Earth Pig’s eyes darted around before he looked up at Earth Sheep. “What exactly do you want to say?”
“I…” Earth Sheep glanced at Earth Horse, who was clutching her ankle and wailing on the ground. “I want to know exactly how she conveyed the message to you.”
“Huh?” Earth Pig looked at Earth Horse, then back at Earth Sheep. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not a fool, are you?” Earth Sheep laughed. “Did rage cloud your judgment? You started a fight in front of so many Earth-Level beings based on someone else’s word… The message you heard must be different from what we heard, right?”
At this point, Earth Rat also stepped forward with a cold smile. “This sheep leader makes a good point, Pig Leader. You seem like a smart person, so how did you end up being used like a fool? Did you want this fight, or did someone else want it?”
Earth Pig seemed to realize something and looked down at Earth Horse. “Hey… you couldn’t have… lied to me, could you?”
“I…” Earth Horse didn’t speak, but her hesitant expression said it all.
“Dammit…” Earth Pig released Earth Tiger, stepped forward, and grabbed Earth Horse by the collar. “This was never ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement, was it?!”
“Don’t waver now… Brother Pig…” Earth Horse forced a pained smile. “Even if it wasn’t ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement, capturing them would still earn you merit…”
“Merit…? You think I care about ‘merit’?” Earth Pig’s expression grew cold. “Haven’t I earned enough merit over the years? What I want isn’t superficial achievements—I want a ‘promise’… a promise from the ‘Heavens’!”
“It’s the same… Brother Pig… As long as you capture them, it’s the same…”
“It’s not the same!! I’m one step away… If they just give the word, I can be promoted…” Earth Pig gritted his teeth. “I’ve already killed 3,599 people… I’m just one ‘participant’ away from completing the task. Do you think I haven’t been able to finish it?! I’ve been waiting for the ‘Heaven-Level’ to give the order! Today, those leather-clad people flaunted their power in front of me, and I had to deliberately hold back to let them all survive. Do you know how frustrating that feels?!”
Black Sheep narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and exchanged a glance with Earth Rat.
“Wait a minute…” Black Sheep said. “Earth Pig, why haven’t you killed the full 3,600 people? What are you waiting for?”
“I…” Earth Pig paused for a moment, then sighed. “I’m waiting for a 100% chance to be promoted to ‘Heaven-Level.’ I don’t want to end up like White Sheep…”
“You…”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock.
“If I’m not mistaken… White Sheep never got promoted…” Earth Pig trembled unconsciously as he spoke. “He was such a fool. It’s fine to oppose anyone in the ‘Endless Land,’ but he had to oppose ‘Heavenly Dragon’—that person is a ‘god’ who stands above everyone else… Do you know why ‘Zodiacs’ never ‘Echo’…?”
“…Why?”
“Because ‘Echoing’ can shake ‘Heavenly Dragon’s’ position…” Earth Pig lowered his head. “Whether it’s ‘immortal arts’ or ‘divine power,’ ‘Heavenly Dragon’ separated these two forces and granted them to ‘participants’ and ‘Zodiacs’ to make it easier to manage this place… No matter how physically powerful we ‘Zodiacs’ are, we’re ultimately fragile stone giants, worthless in the eyes of Heavenly Dragon. And the ‘participants’ are even more laughable—mortals who can use ‘immortal arts,’ risking self-destruction or worse… If ‘Heavenly Dragon’ can accomplish something like this, how could anyone possibly think of overthrowing him…”
Everyone’s expressions shifted upon hearing this. Earth Pig was indeed a veteran here—he had been surviving in the shadows, and the intelligence he possessed seemed to far exceed that of any other ‘Zodiac.’
“Sounds like another form of divide and rule…” Earth Rat nodded, his smile returning as he stepped forward. “Pig Leader, I’d still like to ask—why do you think White Sheep failed to be promoted?”
“…Why?”
“Haha!” The restrained Earth Tiger suddenly burst out laughing. “Bringing your students to settle a score? How ridiculous!”
“You fucking dare laugh?!” Earth Pig tightened his grip. “Your life is in my hands, and you still act this arrogant?”
“I just can’t help it—not laughing would be unbearable…” Earth Tiger chuckled a few times. “You beat and scold your students, threaten their lives to extort their ‘Tao,’ and when your own life is in danger, you drag them here to fight for you… How dare you, you damn dwarf?”
“I discipline my own students strictly—what’s wrong with that?” Earth Pig sneered. “I don’t think those idiots would dare oppose me here.”
“True.” The Black Sheep standing opposite Earth Pig spoke up. “Your students didn’t oppose you, but they’re still pathetic.”
“Oh?” Earth Pig frowned at him. “What brilliant insight do you have now?”
“You probably don’t know this yet.” The Black Sheep let out a cold laugh. “Your top disciple, Human Pig, in his most desperate moment, didn’t turn to you for help—he went to Brother Sheep.”
“What…?”
“What? Your top disciple gambled his life with a ‘participant’ and died, and you’re pretending not to know?” Earth Sheep sneered. “I heard he often defied your orders? When he communicated with Brother Sheep, he was humble, courageous, decisive, and full of ideas. Such a remarkable person… How did he end up so desperate that he knelt before Brother Sheep?”
Earth Pig’s expression shifted through shades of anger, clearly furious.
“Oh, could it be that becoming your student is what drove him to desperation?” Earth Sheep tossed the iron rod in his hand aside and said, “Earth Pig, whether you admit it or not, you’re nothing but a paper tiger. You’re used to throwing your weight around among the ‘Human-Level,’ but we ‘Earth-Level’ aren’t afraid of you.”
Seeing Earth Pig remain silent, Earth Sheep continued, “Earlier, I said I had a few words for you. Why not hear me out before deciding whether to crush that dumb cat in your hands?”
“Who the hell are you calling a dumb cat?!” Earth Tiger flared up at this, struggling to turn his head and say to Earth Pig, “Dwarf, killing me is fine, but after you kill me, make sure you slaughter this black bastard too. Otherwise, I won’t die in peace!”
“Why should I take orders from you?”
“Who the fuck is ordering you?!” Earth Tiger cursed. “What, killing me is easy, but killing Black Sheep scares you? What the hell are you afraid of?!”
Earth Pig’s eyes darted around, and he looked up at Earth Sheep. “What exactly do you want to say?”
“I…” Earth Sheep glanced at Earth Horse, who was on the ground clutching her ankle and moaning. “I want to know exactly how she conveyed the message to you.”
“Huh?” Earth Pig looked at Earth Horse, then back at Earth Sheep. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not a fool, are you?” Earth Sheep laughed. “Did you lose your temper so easily? Just because of someone else’s words, you came here to pick a fight in front of so many Earth-Level members… The message you heard must be different from what we heard, right?”
At this point, Earth Rat also stepped forward with a cold laugh. “This sheep leader makes a good point. Pig leader, you seem like a smart person, so how did you end up being used like a fool? Did you want this fight, or did someone else want it?”
Earth Pig seemed to realize something and looked down at Earth Horse. “Hey… you couldn’t have… lied to me, could you?”
“I…” Earth Horse didn’t speak, but her hesitant expression said it all.
“Dammit…” Earth Pig immediately released Earth Tiger, stepped forward, and bent down to grab Earth Horse by the collar. “This wasn’t ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement at all, was it?!”
“Don’t waver… Brother Pig…” Earth Horse forced a pained smile. “Even if it wasn’t ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement, capturing them would still earn you merit…”
“Merit…? You think I care about ‘merit’?” Earth Pig’s expression gradually cooled. “Haven’t I earned enough merit over the years? What I want isn’t superficial achievements—I want a ‘promise’… a promise from the ‘Heavens’!”
“It’s the same… Brother Pig… as long as you capture them, it’s the same…”
“It’s not the same!! I’m just one step away… If they would just give the word, I could be promoted…” Earth Pig gritted his teeth. “I’ve already killed 3,599 people… I’m just one ‘participant’ away from completing the task. Do you think I haven’t been able to finish it?! I’ve been waiting for the ‘Heaven-Level’ to give the order! Today, those people in leather jackets swaggered right in front of me, and I had to deliberately hold back and let all of them survive. Do you have any idea how frustrating that feels?!”
Black Sheep narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and exchanged a glance with Earth Rat.
“Wait a minute…” Black Sheep said. “Earth Pig, why haven’t you killed the full 3,600 people? What are you waiting for?”
“I…” Earth Pig paused for a moment, then sighed. “I’m waiting for a 100% chance to be promoted to ‘Heaven-Level.’ I don’t want to end up like White Sheep.”
“You…”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock at these words.
“If I’m not mistaken… White Sheep never got promoted…” Earth Pig spoke, his body trembling uncontrollably. “He was such a fool. It’s fine to oppose anyone in the ‘Endless Abyss,’ but he had to go against ‘Heavenly Dragon’—that person is a ‘god’ who stands above everyone else… Do you know why ‘Zodiacs’ never ‘Echo’…?”
“…Why?”
“Because ‘Echoing’ can shake ‘Heavenly Dragon’s’ position…” Earth Pig lowered his head. “Whether it’s ‘immortal techniques’ or ‘divine power,’ ‘Heavenly Dragon’ split these two forces and granted them to ‘participants’ and ‘Zodiacs’ to make it easier to manage this place… No matter how powerful we ‘Zodiacs’ are physically, we’re ultimately fragile stone giants, worthless in the eyes of Heavenly Dragon. And the ‘participants’ are even more laughable—a bunch of mortals who can use ‘immortal techniques,’ lightly losing their minds, heavily damaging themselves… ‘Heavenly Dragon’ can even accomplish something like this, and yet someone actually dared to try to overthrow him…”
Everyone’s expressions shifted upon hearing this. Earth Pig was indeed a veteran here—he had been surviving in the shadows, and the intelligence he possessed seemed greater than any other ‘Zodiac.’
“Sounds like another form of divide and rule…” Earth Rat nodded, his smile returning as he stepped forward and asked, “Pig leader, I’d still like to ask—why do you think White Sheep failed to get promoted?”
“Haha!” The restrained Earth Tiger suddenly burst into laughter. “Bringing students to seek an explanation? How ridiculous!”
“You fucking dare laugh?” Earth Pig tightened his grip. “Your life is in my hands, and you still act this arrogant?”
“I really can’t help it—holding back the laughter is unbearable…” Earth Tiger chuckled a few times. “You beat and scold your students, threaten them with their lives to hand over ‘Tao,’ and when your own life is at risk, you drag them along to fight for you… How dare you, you damn dwarf?”
“I discipline my own students strictly—what’s the problem?” Earth Pig sneered. “I don’t think those idiots would dare oppose me here.”
“True.” The Black Sheep standing opposite Earth Pig spoke up. “Your students didn’t oppose you, but they’re still pitiful.”
“Oh?” Earth Pig frowned at him. “What brilliant insight do you have now?”
“You probably don’t know this yet.” Black Sheep let out a cold laugh. “In his most desperate moment, your top disciple, Human Pig, didn’t turn to you for help—he went to Brother Sheep.”
“What…?”
“What? Your top disciple gambled his life with a ‘participant’ and died, and you’re pretending not to know?” Earth Goat sneered. “I heard he often defied your orders? When he communicated with Brother Sheep, he was humble, courageous, decisive, and full of ideas. Such a remarkable person… How did he end up so desperate that he knelt before Brother Sheep?”
Earth Pig’s expression shifted through shades of anger; he seemed utterly enraged.
“Oh, could it be that becoming your student is what drove him to desperation?” Earth Goat tossed the iron rod in his hand aside and said, “Earth Pig, whether you admit it or not, you’re nothing but a paper tiger. You’re used to throwing your weight around among the ‘Human-Level’ beings, but we ‘Earth-Level’ aren’t afraid of you.”
Seeing Earth Pig remain silent, Earth Goat continued, “Earlier, I mentioned I had a few things to say to you. Why not hear me out before deciding whether to crush that dumb cat in your hands?”
“Who the hell are you calling a dumb cat?!” Earth Tiger flared up upon hearing this, struggling to turn his head and say to Earth Pig, “Dwarf, killing me is one thing, but after you finish me off, make sure you slaughter this pitch-black thing too. Otherwise, I won’t die in peace!”
“Who gave you the right to order me around?”
“Order your mother!” Earth Tiger cursed. “What, killing me is easy, but killing Black Sheep scares you? What the hell are you afraid of?!”
Earth Pig’s eyes darted around before he looked up at Earth Goat. “What exactly do you want to say?”
“I…” Earth Goat glanced at Earth Horse, who was clutching her ankle and wailing on the ground, then asked, “I want to know exactly how she conveyed the message to you.”
“Huh?” Earth Pig looked at Earth Horse, then back at Earth Goat. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not a fool, are you?” Earth Goat laughed. “Did anger cloud your judgment? To start a fight in front of so many Earth-Level beings based on someone else’s words… The message you heard must be different from what we heard, right?”
At this point, Earth Rat also stepped forward with a cold smile. “This sheep leader makes a good point. Pig leader, you seem like a smart person, so how did you end up being used as a pawn like an idiot? Was this fight your idea, or someone else’s?”
Earth Pig seemed to realize something upon hearing this and looked down at Earth Horse. “Hey… You couldn’t have… lied to me, could you?”
“I…” Earth Horse didn’t speak, but her hesitant expression said it all.
“Dammit…” Earth Pig immediately released Earth Tiger, stepped forward, bent down, and grabbed Earth Horse by the collar. “This wasn’t ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement at all, was it?!”
“Don’t waver… Brother Pig…” Earth Horse forced a pained smile. “Even if it wasn’t ‘Heavenly Horse’s’ arrangement, capturing them would still earn you merit…”
“Merit…? You think I care about ‘merit’?” Earth Pig’s expression gradually cooled. “Haven’t I earned enough merit over the years? What I want isn’t superficial achievements—I want a ‘promise’… a promise from the ‘Heavens’!”
“It’s the same… Brother Pig… As long as you capture them, it’s all the same…”
“It’s not the same!! I’m just one step away… If they would just give the word, I could be promoted…” Earth Pig gritted his teeth. “I’ve already killed 3,599 people… I’m just one ‘participant’ away from completing the task. Do you think I haven’t been able to finish it?! I’ve been waiting for the ‘Heaven-Level’ to give the order! Today, those leather-clad people flaunted their power in front of me, and I had to deliberately hold back to let all of them survive. Do you have any idea how frustrating that feels?!”
Black Sheep narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and exchanged a glance with Earth Rat.
“Wait a minute…” Black Sheep said. “Earth Pig, why haven’t you killed the full 3,600 people? What are you waiting for?”
“I…” Earth Pig paused for a moment, then sighed. “I’m waiting for a 100% chance to be promoted to ‘Heaven-Level.’ I don’t want to end up like White Sheep.”
“You…”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock upon hearing this.
“If I’m not mistaken… White Sheep never got promoted…” Earth Pig spoke, his body trembling uncontrollably. “He was such a fool. It’s fine to oppose anyone in the ‘Endless Land,’ but he had to oppose ‘Heavenly Dragon’—that person is a ‘god’ who stands above everyone else… Do you know why ‘Zodiacs’ never ‘Echo’…?”
“…Why?”
“Because ‘Echoing’ can shake ‘Heavenly Dragon’s’ position…” Earth Pig lowered his head. “Whether it’s ‘immortal magic’ or ‘divine power,’ ‘Heavenly Dragon’ separated these two forces and granted them to ‘participants’ and ‘Zodiacs’ to make it easier to manage this place… No matter how physically powerful we ‘Zodiacs’ are, we’re ultimately fragile stone giants, worthless in the eyes of Heavenly Dragon. And the ‘participants’ are even more laughable—mortals who can use ‘immortal magic,’ risking self-destruction or worse… If ‘Heavenly Dragon’ can accomplish something like this, how could anyone possibly think of overthrowing him…”
Everyone’s expressions shifted upon hearing this. Earth Pig was indeed a veteran here—he had been surviving in the shadows, and the intelligence he possessed seemed to far exceed that of any other ‘Zodiac.’
“Sounds like another form of ‘divide and rule’…” Earth Rat nodded, his smile returning as he stepped forward and asked, “Pig leader, I still want to ask—why do you think White Sheep failed to get promoted?”
“Sounds like another form of divide and rule…” Earth Rat nodded, his smile returning as he stepped forward. “Pig Leader, I’d still like to ask—why do you think White Sheep failed to ascend?”
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