Chapter 992: Assembly

Xu Liunian was perhaps the most hesitant among all the people at this moment.

Standing on the rooftop of “Paradise Entrance,” she gazed down at the rotting, crumbling city below.

If she truly had to choose, she would join neither Qi Xia nor Chu Tianqiu.

As one of the few who had retained her memories the longest, she knew all too well that these two were on an entirely different level from her.

Getting involved in their game would be like willingly becoming a leaf caught in a storm—utterly powerless to resist.

Every time she thought she had deciphered their schemes and tried to make a different choice, she would immediately find herself falling into another trap.

This feeling of danger and helplessness terrified her.

She knew better than anyone that neither of them saw her as an ally. But where else could she run?

The name “Earth Dragon” was just as fearsome as “Qi Xia” or “Chu Tianqiu.” Years of retained memories had taught Xu Liunian one thing: attempting to flee now would only lead to worse consequences.

“Can’t you just leave me alone…?” she whispered at the pitch-black door of light. “I’m just an ordinary person… Why do all your choices have to involve me…?”

But storms don’t ask leaves for permission before tearing through the forest.

The Earth Dragon didn’t answer her question. It simply waited in silence for her decision.

What choice did Xu Liunian have? She knew she had none.

After flickers of fear, despair, and helplessness, her eyes finally dimmed like those of the dead.

—

Chu Tianqiu’s team was now fully assembled.

Yet for him, the game of “Point Selection” wasn’t over. He still had to choose one last person for Qi Xia’s team.

Approaching Qi Xia’s device, his mind raced.

The one person he absolutely couldn’t pick was “Lin Qin”—otherwise, this entire exchange would be meaningless.

His ultimate goal was to disrupt Qi Xia’s plan of having all seven members be his own people, so he needed to force someone entirely unrelated onto his team.

But while it sounded simple, the reality was trickier.

If he chose someone who had no connection to Qi Xia, the other side would likely refuse. Qi Xia’s team might end up short one person, increasing Chu Tianqiu’s chances of winning—but that would create an unbalanced game, making victory hollow.

“Got it…” Chu Tianqiu suddenly had an idea. “Your team already has plenty of weak links… What’s one more?”

He knew this person had some history with Qi Xia but was ultimately useless. That meant Qi Xia wouldn’t refuse the invitation—he’d accept.

Once this person joined, Qi Xia wouldn’t ignore them. He’d expend energy trying to protect them.

But this person’s “Echo” was support-based, and right now, Qi Xia was already at a disadvantage.

His team’s “Break All Laws,” “Scapegoat,” “Soul Shift,” and “Ingenuity” were all support-type. The only “Echo” with any offensive potential was “Invite Disaster.”

Adding this person to the mix would be perfect.

**”Zheng Yingxiong.”**

When Qi Xia saw the name, he paused—then burst into laughter. The reaction left Chu Tianqiu unsettled.

“What’s this…?” Qi Xia cackled. “This is your carefully considered choice…?”

Only then did Chu Tianqiu realize he might have overlooked something. Judging by Qi Xia’s indifference, had he and Zheng Yingxiong played a game together before?

He had meant to disrupt Qi Xia’s strategy, but now it seemed like Qi Xia never had one to begin with.

Had “Lin Qin” never been needed in the first place?

Zhang Shan once mentioned that Zheng Yingxiong’s “Echo” likely allowed him to detect the types of other people’s “Echoes.” Even if Qi Xia had some history with him, how could such a seemingly useless “Echo” possibly help him win against Chu Tianqiu’s team?

Chu Tianqiu’s team boasted “Heavenly Strength,” “Soul Theft,” “Phase Leap,” “Dissolution,” and “Shapeshift.”

The only support-type “Echo” was Wen Qiaoyun’s “Energy Storage.”

But Wen Qiaoyun’s sharp mind more than compensated for the weakness of a support “Echo.” Combined with Chu Tianqiu’s own “Echo Repository” ability… Why was Qi Xia still so calm?

The Earth Dragon turned and pulled open the lone door behind it. This time, however, something was different.

Beyond the door lay only darkness—as if it led nowhere, just an empty frame.

Neither Qi Xia nor Chu Tianqiu understood what was happening. The Earth Dragon frowned.

A few seconds later, it turned back and asked, “Is the name correct?”

Both men were certain it was. A name like “Zheng Yingxiong” wasn’t easy to forget.

“It shouldn’t be wrong,” Chu Tianqiu replied. He had met Zheng Yingxiong before—a boy no older than ten. What were the odds he’d use a fake name?

“There is no ‘Zheng Yingxiong’ in ‘Taoyuan,'” the Earth Dragon stated. “Are you sure the name is correct?”

After a moment of thought, Qi Xia spoke up. “Try homophones.”

Nodding, the Earth Dragon closed the door, silently mulling over possible variations before reopening it.

This time, light spilled through.

Zheng Yingxiong was sprinting down a road, and the door followed his movement like a camera tracking a fast-moving subject.

He quickly noticed the change and slowed to a stop, panting heavily.

“What… words…?” Zheng Yingxiong muttered, reading the five characters on the black door—his name and the phrase “accept command.”

The Earth Dragon hadn’t expected the last member to be a child. Seeing the boy, it hesitated. Forget combat ability—could he even understand the rules?

Recovering, the Earth Dragon recited mechanically: “Commander Qi Xia has selected Zheng Yingxiong to join ‘Cangjie’s Chess’ in support. To accept, step through the door. To refuse, retreat five steps.”

“Qi Xia…?” Zheng Yingxiong froze, instinctively removing his crown in a gesture of deference.

The Earth Dragon could never have guessed that Qi Xia was the “master” this eight- or nine-year-old boy revered.

Zheng Yingxiong glanced toward the distance, where a crowd was gathering, then back at the door—not hesitating out of fear, but weighing which side he should commit to.

He wanted to join the masses to protect everyone, yet he also wanted to follow Qi Xia’s orders.

After a brief struggle, he stepped through the door.

With that, both teams were complete.

Closing the door, the Earth Dragon announced, “Now, please wait here. I will take you both to ‘Review the Troops.'”