The deafening explosion reverberated throughout the “Land of the End.”
The shockwave shattered almost all the remaining glass in the city.
Every “participant” standing at the “Zodiac” gate first felt the ground tremble violently, followed by the thunderous roar seconds later.
Had they not still been able to see the color red with their eyes open, anyone would have thought the city had already been annihilated.
“It’s time,” Qi Xia said as he stood up after the explosion faded, glancing around at the others. “Let’s go.”
The group nodded, taking one last look at the ruined building before them, as if bidding farewell to the scene forever, and then stepped through the “door” one by one.
Meanwhile, every “Extremist” team, as if by unspoken agreement, boarded the “train” alongside their respective “Zodiac” members.
Each face was grim with resolve—everyone knew what awaited them.
If facing a single “Divine Beast” had left them in such disarray, how much worse would it be against all the “Earth-Level” and “Celestial-Level” foes?
Yet none of them had any retreat left.
This hopeless existence had dragged on for far too long, where even death couldn’t free them from the “Land of the End.”
If that was truly the case… what did it matter if they died on the “train”?
Whether this plan succeeded or failed, these unbearable days were coming to an end.
Chu Tianqiu took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Zhang Shan, and the two strode toward the “door.”
Beside them, Qin Dingdong crossed her arms, her gaze repeatedly flickering into the distance.
Wei Yang had just led a thousand “natives” toward Vermilion Bird’s territory alone, but that direction had erupted in a massive explosion—was the old bastard alive or dead?
“Well, well… esteemed leaders,” Earth Rat squinted at Chu Tianqiu, who was at the forefront. “You’ve decided to leave now?”
“That explosion felt like a sudden signal,” Chu Tianqiu murmured after a moment of thought. “I think it’s time.”
“Very well…” Earth Rat bent slightly, gesturing with an exaggerated sweep of his arm. “Three honored guests, welcome to the ‘Endless Hell.'”
Kim Won-hoon stood behind the three of them, unmoving, his eyes fixed on the distant “door.”
Chu Tianqiu and Zhang Shan steadied themselves and stepped through the door in turn, while Li Xiangling and Glasses watched silently as they disappeared.
Next were Qin Dingdong and Earth Rat—four figures vanishing without a trace.
After waiting a few seconds to confirm nothing had gone wrong, Glasses and Li Xiangling turned back, only to find Kim Won-hoon gone as well.
“Eh…?” Glasses blinked. “Where’s Won-hoon?”
Li Xiangling also realized something was off—he had clearly been standing there moments ago.
“Oh no…” Glasses paled as he glanced at the portal. “His ‘Warp’ can only take him to places he can see… so where is he now?”
——
When Wei Yang arrived at Vermilion Bird’s territory, all he found was a massive crater resembling a meteor impact.
Thick smoke billowed around the area, as if a missile had struck and obliterated half the street. Severed limbs and chunks of flesh were faintly visible, but it was impossible to tell how many people had been there originally.
Could an “Echo” really cause destruction on this scale…?
He and the thousand “natives” behind him stood in stunned silence.
Not even “Mind Reading” could tell him what had happened here.
“Vermilion Bird… is dead?” Wei Yang muttered uncertainly.
If Vermilion Bird was dead… then what about the “natives” behind him?
Wei Yang slowly turned around—and was met with a thousand pairs of eyes.
Their gazes flickered, as if they were processing something unbelievable.
At the sight, Wei Yang actually took a step back.
How many times in the “Land of the End” had “natives” regained their sanity?
As far as he knew—never.
As long as Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird lived, the “stolen minds” would never be returned to their owners.
After all, this wasn’t just a method of control—it was their way of toying with humanity.
But how would these “natives” treat him now?
To keep them obedient, he had subjected them to endless physical and psychological torment.
If they truly regained their reason… what would they do to him?
Having never experienced anything like this, Wei Yang had no idea what to expect.
“This is…”
A man at the front, the first to regain his senses, spoke slowly.
“I think I…”
He looked down at his own body, as if realizing something was off.
It felt like he had been suffering from amnesia, only just now remembering why he was here.
But it wasn’t quite like amnesia—he remembered every single day vividly, as if he had been a mindless child, blindly following a “grown-up.”
“A… grown-up…?”
The man lifted his head and stared straight at Wei Yang.
Uncertain of the man’s intentions, Wei Yang feigned indifference and met his gaze.
Then, one by one, more “natives” began to regain the light in their eyes.
No longer were they blank-faced, soulless husks—they had become real people again.
But what Wei Yang hadn’t expected was… the eerie silence.
A thousand pairs of eyes fixed on him, yet not a single voice spoke up.
Why were they all just staring at him… without saying a word?
“Wait…” A realization struck Wei Yang.
Though he didn’t understand how the “natives” had regained their minds, he understood human nature.
For years, he had been their worst nightmare.
To train these beast-like “natives,” he had instilled in them the deepest fear imaginable. Even if their reason had returned…
The fear remained.
Their subconscious had been so thoroughly broken that, even now, a voice in their heads would scream at them not to defy him.
It was the same abstract control that Azure Dragon and Celestial Dragon wielded.
Plant the deepest fear in every heart, and no one would dare rebel.
These “natives” were now caught between two terrors—their ingrained fear of the Dragons, and their fresh fear of him.
The only question was… which fear ran deeper?
“What are you looking at?” Wei Yang demanded.
The front rows flinched, instinctively lowering their heads and averting their gazes.
“Good… perfect!” Wei Yang thought triumphantly.
They hadn’t even considered rushing him en masse to tear him apart—the one act that could set them free.
It was as absurd as two armed soldiers escorting a hundred prisoners in wartime.
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