Chapter 753: Countless Plots

“Did Tianlong… not tell you his purpose?” Qinglong’s gaze shifted as he looked at Qixia. “Think carefully again.”

As soon as the words fell, Tianlong’s words from his dream echoed instantly in Qixia’s mind.

He had said: “Baiyang, it was you who deceived me, yet in the end, you still guard against me.”

He had said: “Baiyang, if you’re willing, return now and become ‘Tianyang.'”

He had said: “Baiyang, in this place, only you and I have the chance to become ‘gods.'”

At that time, Tianlong didn’t even have a face, yet he still entered his dream and spoke these words.

Upon reflection, none of Tianlong’s words seemed to carry any hostility.

But he also appeared impatient—otherwise, given Tianlong’s status and methods, how could he have so easily fallen into Qixia’s trap?

If he were capable of being trapped, he should have been caught long ago. Why now, of all times?

Qixia’s intention was merely to test Tianlong’s depth, yet the latter had lashed out violently in his dream, as if staking all his hopes on this single act of “dream invasion.” What was he in such a hurry for?

And why was Qinglong not among those Tianlong mentioned as candidates to become a “god”?

Slowly, Qixia narrowed his eyes, sensing that the truth was finally coming to light.

If his guess was correct, both Tianlong and Qinglong wanted each other dead.

Though the two had employed entirely different methods, they had both unwittingly chosen him as their “weapon.”

This made the situation even stranger.

Both possessed divine power and immortal techniques, yet neither was willing to strike directly—instead, each had placed their bets on him.

Every time Qinglong appeared, he would invoke “Silence,” while Tianlong manifested through “Dream Invasion.”

They had both chosen methods that the other would never detect to contact him, laying out their own schemes.

Even though Qixia had regained some of his past memories, they had never shown such frequent interactions with these two. Now, armed with so much information, he had to proceed with even greater caution than before.

“Well?” Qinglong asked. “Have you remembered? His purpose…”

Qixia slowly curled his lips and replied softly, “Sorry, I can’t recall. Tianlong told me nothing.”

“If he didn’t say anything… good.” Qinglong narrowed his emerald-green eyes. “Tianlong is even crazier than I am. I’d advise you to stay away from him.”

Qixia blinked, feeling the fog on the path ahead shift once more.

This time, instead of clearing, a blinding sandstorm had risen atop the existing haze.

That familiar sensation had returned.

The last time he had locked horns with Chu Tianqiu in his memories, he had felt this same mix of complexity and exhilaration.

Back then, he, Chu Tianqiu, and Xu Liunian had each set their own strategies, unleashing their deadliest moves on the same night. This time, the feeling was similar, but the scent of a “game” was far stronger.

He, Chu Tianqiu, Qinglong, and Tianlong had all spent considerable time weaving their schemes, which had now become entangled within this cycle.

Each had their own grand, mid-sized, and minor games, each with its own purpose—and each might have lied.

Under such convoluted circumstances, in such a hopeless environment, deducing their true intentions seemed almost impossible.

After all, all three of them had completely lost their minds. Their logic couldn’t be judged by normal standards.

No… two of them weren’t even “human.”

To guess their motives, one had to adopt a far broader perspective.

If I were already a “god,” what would I do?

“Right…” Qixia narrowed his eyes. “I realized long ago—if I set a trap, why would any of you just sit and wait?”

“So, Qixia…” Qinglong said, “You should still meet those ‘Zodiacs.’ I don’t know what you’re planning, but I feel it might help you.”

Qixia glanced at the sky—the sun was already setting.

If he were to follow Qinglong’s suggestion and meet the “Zodiacs,” it would have to wait until tomorrow morning.

Today had been a fruitful day. Not only had he gained much information, but he had also reclaimed himself.

He was one step closer to “complete liberation.”

“I’ll meet them,” Qixia said. “After all, there’s still time.”

“Good.” Qinglong glanced at Qixia, then shifted his gaze to Chu Tianqiu. “I genuinely hope you succeed.”

“How flattering,” Chu Tianqiu chuckled.

Just as Qinglong turned to leave, Qixia suddenly called out.

“Qinglong.”

“Hm?”

“You never answered—how do you plan to eliminate one of the two of us?” Qixia asked cautiously. “When I asked earlier, you suddenly questioned whether I’d met those eight people. What’s the connection?”

“Of course,” Qinglong replied. “Once you meet ‘the Dragon,’ everything will become clear.”

“Earth Dragon…?” Qixia nodded thoughtfully.

“Yes. I’ll be waiting.” Qinglong pointed to his dark green eyes. “At the pinnacle of madness, I’ll wait for you to step into my gaze.”

Qixia remained silent, returning only a chilling stare.

Qinglong smirked, then vanished on the spot. The oppressive “Silence” that had lingered nearby dissipated with him.

Chu Tianqiu and Qixia stood motionless for a long while. Though they had managed to converse with Qinglong on seemingly equal footing, his overwhelming presence was undeniable.

The killing intent in those dark green eyes was ever-present, as if he needed no reason to slaughter them.

“Chu Tianqiu,” Qixia called. “Do you think you could become a ‘god’ like them?”

Chu Tianqiu didn’t answer immediately, sighing faintly instead. “You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? A rift has formed between them. Whether I want that throne or not, this place is about to collapse.”

Qixia nodded slightly. “Yes. Someone needs to reshuffle the deck—but this time, it won’t be the same dealer.”

“Let’s go.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “I’ll be merciful today—you can stay overnight at ‘Paradise.'”

“Hmph.” Qixia smirked coldly. “Don’t forget our ‘bet.'”

Chu Tianqiu glanced coldly at Yun Yao and Zhang Chenze standing in the courtyard below. “I won’t.”