“‘Paradise Gate’…?” Wei Yang asked.
“Yeah,” Qi Xia nodded. “Talking to someone who can ‘read minds’ really saves a lot of trouble.”
“There’s a big playground there…” Wei Yang slowly twisted his lips into a sinister smile. “Can I… hear the ‘Scarecrow’s’ song there?”
“It’s a big project, but if you want to, of course.” Qi Xia nodded. “There are plenty of corpses there now, and there’ll be even more in the future.”
“You’re such a freak,” Wei Yang said. “You’ve been with me for so long, yet you haven’t asked a single question.”
“Maybe I can ‘read minds’ too,” Qi Xia replied. “We’ll meet at ‘Paradise Gate.’”
Seeing Qi Xia about to turn and leave, Wei Yang finally couldn’t hold back.
He pointed at the black bead floating above Qi Xia’s head and asked, “Are you really going to walk around with that thing…?”
“Of course,” Qi Xia grinned. “This is the best ‘lie detector’—even ‘Earth-Level’ beings can’t defy it. Not to mention, you personally demonstrated how to use it.”
“You…” Wei Yang froze. “You’re seriously planning to interrogate ‘Earth-Level’ beings under the ‘Heavenly Serpent Hour’?!”
“Yeah. Like you said, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Qi Xia sneered at him. “If I’m not mistaken, the ‘Heavenly Hours’ will only grow more frequent from now on.”
Wei Yang nodded slowly. “Even if you figure out everything that’s happening… there won’t be many people left alive here. What then?”
“No one will die.” Qi Xia’s smile turned manic, his eyes widening unnaturally. “Even if the ‘Heavenly-Level’ beings work themselves to death, the people here will be just fine.”
“Your ‘Endless Cycle’ is…”
“I haven’t tested its limits yet,” Qi Xia said. “This is the perfect chance. So don’t be afraid to die—go ahead and become a corpse. It doesn’t matter how gruesome it looks.”
Wei Yang fell silent for a few seconds before asking, “What if your ‘Echo’ fails…? What then?”
Qi Xia’s lips curled slightly as he whispered back, “You should’ve asked me that when you were dangling that black bead over my head. I’d have been dead for sure.”
“So even you don’t know the answer…?” Wei Yang’s expression darkened. “Aren’t you afraid this place will spiral out of control because of your ability?”
“Out of control is for the best.” Qi Xia’s voice was ice-cold. “This place is long overdue for total chaos.”
“Qi Xia… just what are you…”
“Stop wasting my time. Either go back to your farm and wait to die, or head to ‘Paradise Gate’ and wait to die.”
With that, Qi Xia pushed past Wei Yang and stepped out the door.
Wei Yang stood frozen in the room, staring blankly at Qi Xia’s retreating figure. He had come here full of confidence, but now all his carefully laid plans had been shattered by Qi Xia. He had no idea what to do next.
Maybe he never should’ve teamed up with someone so dangerous in the first place. All he wanted was a simple, straightforward collaboration—one plus one equals two. But the other party was trying to use him to deduce the laws of the world.
Their levels had been worlds apart from the very beginning.
“So you’ve finally lost it… Maybe that’s for the best… heh…” Wei Yang bared his teeth and looked up. “Heavenly Serpent… I’m heading to ‘Paradise Gate’ now… I’ll uncover everyone’s plans… Just you wait.”
……
Qi Xia stepped onto the street. By now, all the black raindrops had fallen from the sky, hovering above the heads of every living person.
“More people survived than I expected,” Qi Xia murmured, recalling the earlier ‘downpour.’
Had the lethality of the ‘Heavenly Hour’ weakened, or were there simply too many survivors here?
This place was the size of an entire city, yet the living were scattered and hidden everywhere. The only way to find them was through the ‘Heavenly Hours.’
With that thought, Qi Xia reached up toward the bead floating above his head.
But it seemed to have a life of its own—for every centimeter his hand moved closer, it retreated by the same distance, maintaining an unbridgeable gap.
Shaking his head, Qi Xia oriented himself and continued forward.
This inky black rainstorm had brought an unusual wind to the ‘Land of the End.’
When that sticky, foul-smelling breeze brushed against faces, making it hard to keep one’s eyes open, people finally realized that the gentle winds that soothed the soul in the real world had turned into bone-scraping blades here in the ‘Land of the End.’
They tore at the tattered clothes of corpses on the ground, whipped up clouds of red powder, and sent these stench-laden remnants swirling into the already putrid sky, only to rain back down after lingering in the air.
Wind? This wasn’t wind. It was the accumulated corpses of seventy years, the wails of countless souls forever denied peace.
……
**The Train.**
The Azure Dragon strode through the train, passing rows of tightly shut doors without pause. Before long, the wooden doors disappeared entirely, leaving only endless walls on either side.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the very end of the train.
There stood a half-open iron door.
Pushing it open gently, he saw a large round table inside, surrounded by several figures—some slumped over the table, others sprawled in their chairs—all deep in slumber.
At the center of the table stood an ornately carved clock, ticking away.
Frowning, the Azure Dragon scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the empty seats. Something felt off.
Where was the **Heavenly Serpent**?
Clearing his throat, he realized none of the sleepers stirred. Ignoring them, he crossed the room to another, larger iron door—this one firmly shut.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished from his spot and reappeared on the other side.
Beyond lay an impossibly vast, pure-white chamber, like a golden throne room drained of all color.
Dominating the center of the hall was a solitary tree—decades old, its lush green leaves a stark contrast to the bleakness of the ‘Land of the End.’
Circling the tree, the Azure Dragon ascended a series of steps leading to twin thrones atop a raised platform.
The **Heavenly Dragon** lounged lazily on the right throne, his body slightly tilted, eyes half-lidded, one hand propping up his cheek—still asleep.
The enormous room was deathly silent, devoid of any sign of life.
Standing at the foot of the steps, the Azure Dragon stared coldly at his counterpart.
Their faces were identical, save for a faint mark on their foreheads.
“Did you deliver my message to the **Heavenly Serpent**…?” the Azure Dragon murmured.
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