Chapter 1310: The Path of Exile

“What’s going on outside?” Qi Xia asked.

“It seems like there’s something…” Chu Tianqiu recalled, his voice trailing off. “An invisible force is spreading through the hallway. Anyone it touches freezes in place…”

Before the two could fully explain the situation outside, their gazes landed on the massive hole in the wall.

Chu Tianqiu and Tian Tian stood silently before the gaping fissure, the vast expanse of stars beyond rendering them speechless.

“What… is this?” Chu Tianqiu asked.

Qi Xia glanced at the hole with a grim expression before replying, “Consider it a door for ‘banishment.'”

“Banishment…” Chu Tianqiu slowly stepped closer to the opening, raising his eyes to the boundless starry sky. “Is there even a path for ‘banishment’ here…?”

“Never choose that path,” Qi Xia murmured. “Is everything resolved on your end?”

“Yes.” Chu Tianqiu nodded before turning back to look at Tian Tian.

Though stunned by the sight before her, Tian Tian remained solemn. Speaking now might shatter the fragile “door” of memories in her mind.

“I can recreate that ‘door’ immediately…” Tian Tian said. “Where do you want it?”

Qi Xia pointed to the room’s door, then to the fissure behind them. “Use this room’s door as the material. Copy the new ‘door’ onto the fissure.”

Tian Tian nodded and approached the crack, closing her eyes in deep concentration.

To memorize the intricate patterns, complex craftsmanship, and countless textures of the original “door,” Tian Tian had translated its cracks and designs into sequences of numbers stored in her mind. Now, recalling those numbers would allow her to recreate an identical “door.”

“Wait…” Chu Tianqiu suddenly thought of something and lowered his voice as he turned to Qi Xia. “Using this room’s ‘door’ as material to make a new one…?”

“What about it?” Qi Xia looked at him.

“Doesn’t that mean we’re trapped?” Chu Tianqiu glanced back at the “door,” sensing something off. “This room will only lead to Tianlong’s chamber—which sounds incredibly dangerous.”

“No,” Qi Xia countered. “It only sounds dangerous. In reality, this will be the safest room—at least for a while.”

“The safest room for a while…” Chu Tianqiu hesitated. “You mean those invisible things outside won’t be able to enter?”

“Exactly,” Qi Xia confirmed. “So this is both our means of escape and our method of attack.”

“Alright…” Tian Tian nodded. “In that case… I’ll begin crafting it.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the room’s door began vanishing piece by piece, revealing the bare wall behind it.

“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu thought of another concern. “Yun Yao and Zhang Chenze are heading this way… Without a door…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Qi Xia dismissed. “They have ‘strong luck’ protecting them. They’ll find a way to survive. We should worry about ourselves. Once Tian Tian finishes the ‘door,’ we’ll need to figure out how to invade Tianlong’s dream.”

Though Chu Tianqiu found the plan odd, he could only nod in agreement, plucking the lone “dream-entering” eyeball from his clothing and clutching it in his hand.

“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu frowned. “You keep saying ‘together.’ I can ‘enter dreams,’ but how exactly are you going to get into Tianlong’s dream?”

Qi Xia turned to face him, his gaze steady. “Tianlong has been searching for me. As long as I fall asleep, he will inevitably enter my dream. Then, you invade his dream, and we’ll find a way to meet in the same dream.”

“This…” Chu Tianqiu felt the situation growing increasingly absurd. “You plan to fall asleep under these circumstances…?”

“Exactly,” Qi Xia affirmed. “You’re not a specialized ‘dream invader,’ so to ensure success, you must touch Tianlong before he wakes—keep him trapped in the dream and buy time for my ‘dream intrusion.'”

Chu Tianqiu fell silent for a long moment before finally nodding. “Fine…”

“Remember, you must touch Tianlong at all costs,” Qi Xia stressed. “Even if it kills you, you have to reach him. Otherwise, there’s no next step.”

……

**”The Sun.”**

Yan Zhichun, Jiang Ruoxue, and Lin Qin lay sprawled on the ground, utterly drained, their conditions unknown.

Zheng Yingxiong anxiously checked on them, his worry evident.

Tiangu realized that at some point, he could no longer hear Qi Xia’s voice—the room he was in must have closed its door.

But before the door shut, he had clearly caught the phrases “divine deceit,” “the end is nigh,” and “none shall survive.” Even Tiangu, upon hearing such ominous words, began to hesitate.

No one would survive?

Then what did that make him?

Qi Xia had explicitly assured him that if he could help trigger this “moment of madness,” he wouldn’t attack him—and neither would Tianlong or Qinglong.

As a “celestial,” with so many high-ranking figures refraining from harming him, why wouldn’t he survive?

The “participants” here had been deceived, but if they harbored resentment, it would be directed at Qi Xia, Qinglong, or Tianlong—even the child had proven he wasn’t lying.

Wait… did Qi Xia not realize his words would reach Tiangu’s ears?

He turned to look at the distant solar surface. The air had already begun to warp, countless transparent threads pouring into the “train.” The “moment of madness” had begun. Even if Tiangu now realized he’d been deceived, it was too late to stop it.

So… had Qi Xia lied? Did he never intend to ensure Tiangu’s survival?

“No… I should still trust him…” Tiangu hesitated before gritting his teeth. “I have no other choice…”

He knew refusing meant death, while compliance offered a slim chance of survival. In this situation, there was no better option.

“Is this enough?” Digou’s sudden question startled Tiangu.

“Huh?” Tiangu snapped back to reality. “Yes… the ‘moment of madness’ has been activated… I’ve done everything he asked…”

“So the rest of the plan can proceed smoothly?” Digou pressed. “Your role is complete now, isn’t it?”

A chill ran down Tiangu’s spine as he slowly turned to face him. “What do you mean…?”

“Oh,” Digou replied nonchalantly. “I just wanted to confirm—if you died now, it wouldn’t affect anyone else’s plans, especially Qi Xia’s.”

“What are you planning?” Tiangu took a cautious step back.

Nearby, Zheng Yingxiong sensed the tension and subtly retreated as well.

“Revenge,” Digou answered bluntly. “You once used your ‘spiritual scent’ to expose a Digou—and she was my mentor.”