At this moment, Qi Xia finally believed that no matter how much he trusted his teammates, they might not know the full picture of the situation.
“I’m not sure,” Qi Xia said. “I just wanted to ask about the current arrangement of the ‘Dragons.'”
“What does it matter if you know?” Earth Ox replied. “Anyone who becomes a ‘Dragon’ is no saint. If one of us truly becomes a ‘Dragon,’ I suggest you abandon them immediately.”
“I think the opposite is true,” Qi Xia countered. “Those who become ‘Earth Dragons’ are exceptional talents. If we can gain their help, our chances of success will increase.”
“Qi Xia…” Earth Ox frowned and lowered his voice. “How could someone who becomes a ‘Dragon’… possibly be on your side?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Qi Xia answered. “If they were once mine, they still are now. If they aren’t now, they will be in the future. This place is about to be turned upside down by me.”
“You’re insane…” Earth Ox stared at him in horror before lifting his gaze to the sky. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
“I do. There’s no need to worry,” Qi Xia said. “Right now, everyone is in ‘free time.’ There’s nothing we can’t say.”
Earth Ox glanced around skeptically but found no anomalies—not even the slightest rumble of “thunder.”
“What do you plan to do… once you find the ‘Earth Dragon’?” Earth Ox asked again.
“Naturally, I’ll go see what his game is like,” Qi Xia replied. “I want to know how he plans to deal with me.”
Earth Ox’s expression darkened. “Qi Xia… no sane person would willingly participate in a ‘Dragon’s’ game. The difficulty of a ‘Human Dragon’s’ game already surpasses that of an ordinary ‘Earth-level’ game, and an ‘Earth Dragon’s’ game symbolizes nothing but dark human nature and death.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Qi Xia said. “Since I can’t find the ‘Heavenly Dragon Game,’ I’ll settle for the ‘Earth Dragon Game’ and see what it’s really made of.”
Earth Ox stared into Qi Xia’s eyes and fell silent for a long while before finally speaking. “There are four ‘Earth Dragons’ now—two men and two women. One pair is in ‘Dao City,’ and the other will likely converge there soon, considering even I’ve been transferred here.”
“Where were you originally?” Qi Xia asked.
“I was in ‘Jade City,'” Earth Ox replied. “But that city is already dead. At most, it will be declared fallen in the next cycle.”
Hearing the words “Jade City,” Qi Xia frowned slightly, his mind flashing back to the day Zheng Yingxiong appeared.
“That city is gone?” Qi Xia asked.
“Yes,” Earth Ox nodded. “No one can leave the interview rooms anymore. Those pitiful people heard rumors of a way to ‘ascend’ and lined up to gamble their lives in the Earth Dragon’s game. But they didn’t resist—they just let the Earth Dragon slaughter them all.”
Only then did Qi Xia realize that if Zheng Yingxiong died this time, he would be trapped in “Jade City” forever.
“Go on,” Qi Xia said.
“All ‘Dragons’ in the ‘Land of Finality’ are divided into ‘Yin and Yang.’ The two dragons of ‘Jade City’—the ‘Earth Yang Dragon’ is a man. His game is called ‘Sixteen Golden Stars,’ played with a traditional ‘sixteen-ounce scale.’ The game has traveled through many cities since its inception, with an extremely high mortality rate. It’s a ‘cooperative’ game.”
“What about the other dragon?”
“The ‘Earth Yin Dragon’ is a woman. Her game is called ‘Envious Ducks,’ where participants are supposedly boiled alive in a massive yin-yang pot. It’s a very young game, making its debut in ‘Jade City.’ Since its creation, no one has survived. It’s a ‘bloodbath’ game.”
Qi Xia nodded. Though he wanted to understand the “Earth Dragons,” it was difficult to guess which one the “ant” had been pointing to based on the game descriptions alone. It seemed all “Dragons” were the same—their games revolved around “scales” or “yin and yang.”
“Next are the two dragons who have been in ‘Dao City’ for a long time,” Earth Ox continued. “Neither of them is easy to deal with—their hands are stained with far more than 3,600 lives. The ‘Earth Yang Dragon’ of ‘Dao City’ runs a game called ‘Five Peaks Ascension,’ where five participants stand on five stone mountains. It’s a ‘quiz’ game.”
“A quiz game…?”
Hearing this description, Qi Xia couldn’t immediately tell whether the game used “scales” or “yin and yang.” But fragments of memories suddenly flashed through his mind.
Yet those fragments were strange. In them, Qi Xia had clashed with this “Earth Yang Dragon” countless times, and neither could stand the other.
Earth Ox exhaled heavily. “The ‘Earth Yin Dragon’ is also infamous among the ‘Zodiacs.’ Her game is called—’Cangjie’s Chess’!”
“‘Cangjie’s Chess’…?” Qi Xia paused. “What is that?”
“I’m not sure,” Earth Ox admitted. “I haven’t heard of her game in years. I only knew of it when I first became a ‘Zodiac.’ It’s as if she vanished. All I remember is that her game is ‘competitive.'”
“That’s it…” Qi Xia murmured. “If it’s ‘competitive,’ then it must be her.”
“Her?” Earth Ox seemed puzzled. “Are you really looking for someone?”
“Exactly,” Qi Xia nodded. “She must be the ‘Chen’ marked on the map. She’s the one I need to find this time.”
Qi Xia pondered for a moment, realizing that mature “Earth Dragons” indeed differed from younger ones. The latter two, whether in name or content, seemed far more dangerous than the first pair. Perhaps someone had guided them, or perhaps they had refined their games over time.
“So you plan to participate in this ‘competitive’ ‘Earth Dragon Game’…” Earth Ox said with concern. “Not only will you have to find this Earth Dragon, but you’ll also need an opponent.”
“I already have one,” Qi Xia said. “Thank you for your answers today. I have no further questions.”
With that, Qi Xia turned away with a stern expression. Now, only two names remained unaccounted for on the map—the “Earth Dragon” and the “Earth Snake.”
“Before entering the ‘Earth Dragon Game’… I might as well pay the ‘Snake’ a visit,” Qi Xia muttered to himself.
Seeing Qi Xia about to leave, Earth Ox stepped forward and called out to him, his voice grave. “It seems there have been many ‘Heavenly Moments’ these past two days. Be careful not to die out there.”
“After ‘Si Snake’ comes ‘Wu Horse,'” Qi Xia said. “Anyone who uses their ability will suffer side effects. I doubt ‘Heavenly Horse’ will activate his moment consecutively. And after ‘Wu Horse’ is ‘Wei Sheep,’ but the ‘Heavenly Sheep’ position remains vacant. So, I should be safe for the next few hours.”
Earth Ox nodded, having no choice but to bid Qi Xia farewell.
Just as Qi Xia took three steps away, Earth Ox suddenly spoke again. “Qi Xia, do you know the flower language of the fallen petals?”
Qi Xia stopped and glanced back. “Fallen petals? …No, I don’t.”
“…Alright then,” Earth Ox nodded. “Stay safe.”
Qi Xia gave a slight nod before walking out of the open-air football field.
————
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