Qi Xia recalled the moment he encountered those “ants.”
Indeed, they had no facial features—their eyes and mouths were hollow voids, bleeding from those very spots. These so-called “ants” showed no aggression; they merely groped around in the darkness, as if searching for something.
Due to years of hiding during the day and emerging at night, never exposed to sunlight, their skin had turned deathly pale. Without facial features or the ability to speak…
Had these creatures once been the unrivaled “Zodiacs”?
These people had once possessed “Echoes” and “divine power,” yet because they failed to please the Dragon and the Azure Dragon, they were reduced to their current state.
First, they were “participants,” then they became “Zodiacs,” and now, they had devolved into “ants.”
In other words, ever since arriving here, their lives had been toys in the hands of the Dragon and the Azure Dragon. They diligently followed the rules set by these two, repeatedly believing they saw hope, only to ultimately become monsters forever trapped in this hell.
The Azure Dragon slowly cracked his neck and continued, “But later, the Dragon told me they still didn’t quite resemble ‘ants’—they still looked too human. Those who offend us don’t deserve to stand like humans. So, we had their limbs twisted backward at the joints. Thanks to the robust physique of ‘Earth-level’ beings, they healed quickly, but their limbs remained bent permanently, forcing them to crawl on the ground. Hahahaha!”
The Azure Dragon seemed to be sharing a hilarious joke, but Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu simply stared at him expressionlessly.
Some things sounded absurd at first, but upon reflection, in a place like this, under the influence of the Dragon and the Azure Dragon, it all made perfect sense.
This was exactly the kind of thing they would do.
“This is absolutely fascinating!” the Azure Dragon exclaimed. “How did the Dragon come up with such a brilliant idea?! At the time, I was worried… I asked him, ‘What if they can’t walk anymore? What if they move even slower?’ But the Dragon told me they’d figure out how to move faster on their own. I didn’t take his words seriously at first, but soon enough, I realized he was absolutely right.”
He turned to Qi Xia, eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Come on, Qi Xia! Guess again! How did they make themselves move faster?”
Qi Xia’s pupils flickered slightly. After a moment of thought, he answered, “They climbed the walls.”
“Exactly!!” The Azure Dragon burst into laughter. “You’re truly delightful! You guessed it again!! They climbed the walls! Those people could only crawl on the ground, their limbs splayed out like spiders. In that ridiculous posture, their speed was severely hampered. But many of them had once been ‘Earth-level,’ so they quickly discovered a trick—if they wanted to reach certain places faster, they shouldn’t try to stand up. Instead, they had to dig their fingers into the walls. That way, even if the ‘chips’ were hidden in tall buildings, these creatures could scale the walls to retrieve them. Thus, the perfected ‘ants’ were born! Tell me, is this a coincidence, or is it fate? Things called ‘ants’ actually move like ants… Hilarious… Absolutely hilarious!!”
Qi Xia exhaled softly and said, “But there’s a flaw.”
“Oh?” The Azure Dragon raised an eyebrow eagerly. “What flaw? Did I not explain it well enough?”
“There couldn’t have been that many ‘Earth-level Zodiacs,'” Qi Xia replied. “Gathering ‘chips’ from all the cities would require a massive workforce. The number of Zodiacs who violated the rules wouldn’t be enough.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because ‘Earth-level Zodiacs’ fear death more than anyone else,” Qi Xia said. “Not only do they possess unprecedented power, but they also retain extensive memories. More importantly, they delude themselves into believing they’re closer to the end than anyone else. The moment a single ‘ant’ appears, it serves as a warning to these Earth-level beings, triggering the ‘Barnum Effect.'”
“Ha.” The Azure Dragon’s eyes widened further. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard something so familiar. Qi Xia, in your opinion, how should we ensure we have enough ‘ants’?”
“I don’t know,” Qi Xia shook his head. “I only know you and the Dragon must have used ‘Echoes’ to create an endless supply of ‘ants.'”
“Correct.” The Azure Dragon nodded. “We only used this method to create the first batch of ‘ants.’ After all, the first ability the Dragon chose was ‘Soul Migration.’ If he realized the numbers needed were vast, he could simply use corpses to produce an endless stream of genuine ‘ants.’ The ones you see now are a rather… mixed bunch.”
Qi Xia frowned again.
He knew his most crucial memories hadn’t returned yet, and now there was a paradox he couldn’t explain.
If offending the Dragon and the Azure Dragon resulted in being turned into an “ant,” why was he still standing here unharmed?
He distinctly remembered the Vermilion Bird telling him, “You offended the Dragon.”
So what had happened back then? How had he avoided becoming an “ant” after offending the Dragon, instead remaining an ordinary “participant”?
“Qi Xia, you know this too,” the Azure Dragon added. “To ensure something proceeds smoothly, you must first set an example. Didn’t you once tell me what this was called… the ‘Horse Division Principle’?”
“I didn’t see any ‘Horse Division Principle,'” Qi Xia retorted. “All I saw was the ‘Broken Window Effect.’ Once you started exploiting your powers recklessly, things spiraled out of control. The cracks in the windows multiplied, letting in the freezing wind, turning this place into a true hell.”
“Is that so…?” The Azure Dragon chuckled lightly. “Qi Xia, I still can’t understand. What unspeakable crimes did the Dragon and I commit that made you all see this place as hell?”
“You told an enormous lie,” Qi Xia said. “A lie that toyed with everyone here.”
“No, the liar wasn’t me.” The Azure Dragon shook his head, eyes widening. “It was the Dragon…!”
“So you’re shifting the blame?” Qi Xia pressed. “None of this was your doing? It was all the Dragon’s work?”
The Azure Dragon only smiled faintly, offering no reply.
Chu Tianqiu, standing nearby, spoke grimly, “So this is what ‘gods’ are like? If I drag you two off your thrones, can I also do whatever I please?”
“Watch your tongue,” the Azure Dragon snapped, turning sharply toward him. “Do you really think you have the power to defy me to my face?”
Though Chu Tianqiu wore a smile, his hand secretly tightened around the “Heavenly Path” in his grip.
Even he wasn’t sure whether this eyeball would have any effect on the Azure Dragon.
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