Chapter 943: Heavenly Pig

Before Tianzhu could finish speaking, Qinglong had already appeared behind him.

“Q-Qinglong… wait a second—”

Before the words even settled, Qinglong’s hand clamped onto the back of his head and slammed him face-first into the wooden table with brutal force.

**BANG!!**

The deafening impact echoed through the room. Before Tianzhu could even resist, his forehead had already collided with the solid wood surface. Despite being made of wood, the table didn’t crack under Qinglong’s overwhelming strength.

The other Celestials turned their heads away, but flecks of blood still splattered onto their cheeks.

Tianzhu’s head was pinned mercilessly to the table. His physiology was clearly abnormal—though his skin split open and the pain was excruciating, his skull remained intact.

“Q-Qinglong…” Tianzhu groaned, voice muffled against the table. “Hear me out… I had no choice…”

“Why did you activate the **Puppets**?” Qinglong demanded coldly.

“I… It’s—”

Qinglong didn’t give him a chance to explain. He grabbed Tianzhu’s hair, yanked him upright, and before the man could even gasp for breath, smashed his face back down.

**BANG!**

Blood sprayed again. Tianma covered Tianhu’s eyes with a hand, while the others lowered their heads in silence.

“AAAAH!!” The impact was devastating. Tianzhu let out a piercing scream before desperately shouting, “Qinglong—calm down! I—I had no choice!!”

Qinglong seized his hair again, lifting his mangled face, and leaned in close to his ear. “I asked, **why did you activate the Puppets?**”

Before Tianzhu could answer, he was slammed into the table once more.

**BANG!!**

“GAHHH!! Damn it… Qinglong… you really don’t see us as human at all!!” Tianzhu’s voice was a choked, furious growl against the wood.

With a final burst of strength, he wrenched himself free from Qinglong’s grip and shot upright with a **whoosh**, his stance screaming defiance—ready to fight to the death.

The Celestials who dared to look up saw Tianzhu’s face drenched in blood, a chunk of his forehead missing, his nose broken, and several front teeth gone.

Now, he had no options left. Qinglong was out for blood. If he didn’t fight back, he’d be slaughtered where he stood. But if he did…

Qinglong’s brow lifted slightly. Then, deliberately, he took a step back.

“Oh?” His lips curled into a slow, chilling grin. “What’s this? Coming to kill me?”

“I… I…” Tianzhu wiped blood from his face, panting. “The **Puppets**… it was a mission assigned by **Tianlong**! I couldn’t defy either of you! What was I supposed to do?!”

“My apologies, then.” Qinglong idly wiped blood from his hands. “I had no idea Tianlong gave you orders. Must’ve been a misunderstanding.”

“Bullshit…!” Tianzhu’s lips trembled with barely contained rage. “A ‘**misunderstanding**’?! You call **this** a misunderstanding?!”

“So?” Qinglong tilted his head. “What do you want to do about it?”

“I know I’m dead either way,” Tianzhu spat. “Tianlong **did** give me a message. He ordered me to activate the Puppets. In the dream, he’d kill me. In reality, **you** would. I had no choice—so now, I fight.”

His eyes darted around the room, desperately hoping someone would stand with him.

But no one moved. None of them were under immediate threat. They kept their heads down, pretending nothing was happening.

Once, they had all been warriors. Now, after decades, they had become true puppets.

“Everyone,” Tianzhu rasped. “If we rise together now and fight Qinglong, some of us **will** survive. If we don’t, he’ll pick us off one by one—and then, we’re **all** dead.”

Only Tianshe knew Tianzhu spoke the truth. He saw the murderous intent in Qinglong’s eyes.

But rebelling against Qinglong? It was laughable. The man had **Soulsteal**—the power to strip reason and control actions. Even with their enhanced bodies, how could they fight that?

Tianshe had just one thought: *If the others stand, I’ll stand.*

*If death is inevitable, better late than sooner.*

The young Tianhou, hearing Tianzhu’s plea, found his words utterly logical. She started to rise—only for Tianji to grab her wrist.

She turned, confused. Tianji shook his head, his expression grim. For the first time in decades, disagreement flickered between them.

“Everyone… stand up,” Tianzhu pleaded. “You know I’m right. This is our **last chance**. The Celestials’ hierarchy has never changed—but now, people **are** going to die. Don’t you understand how serious this is?!”

His lone voice echoed through the dim room, but it couldn’t wake those pretending to sleep.

By the time Qinglong threw his head back in laughter, only he and Tianzhu remained standing.

“Tianzhu, you’ve lost your mind. Asking them to choose between **me** and you?” Qinglong smirked. “But this is good. It’s been too long since I’ve had a real fight.”

“You—”

“Come.” Qinglong beckoned. “I won’t use **Soulsteal**. Let’s make this a fair brawl.”

Tianzhu swallowed hard. He tore off his shirt, wiped the blood from his face, then ripped it into strips, binding his head to staunch the bleeding.

“Someone had to take the first step,” he muttered bitterly. “When I think about it… returning to reality isn’t so bad. In the dream, I’m already dying of old age.”

He rolled his neck, then flexed limbs that hadn’t moved in decades.

“Seventy years…” His gaze hardened. “Even if I go back… would my family still be waiting for me?”

“Who knows?” Qinglong mused.

“They’re probably long dead.” Tianzhu laughed darkly. “Going back now would just burden them.”

“How noble.” Qinglong grinned. “I **love** watching noble men die helplessly in front of me.”

“I’ll die—but not helplessly.”

With a snarl, Tianzhu charged.

Just before reaching Qinglong, his body erupted in blinding light—forcing everyone to shut their eyes.

Qinglong barely registered the **Flashbang’s Resonance** before a crash like a wrecking impact exploded between them as limbs collided.

……

On the playground of **Paradise’s Edge**, the long-dead corpse of a woman twitched upright. Like a marionette, she tested her stiff limbs—then, unnervingly, began walking toward the school building.