Chapter 566: Joke

Qi Xia turned to look at Xu Liunian, only to find her entire body trembling.

Mortals flee, while gods pursue.

Flee… but where to?

“Qi Xia…!” Xu Liunian’s voice trembled, “The ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ has a special magical enhancement that grants ‘divine power’ to those within it under extreme emotions. This plan was originally called the ‘Nuwa Game’! But the original ‘judges’ were all killed by the ‘Celestial Dragon’! He replaced them with his own chosen people, completely dominating this place!”

The moment they exited the narrow path, Xu Liunian sharply turned the car around and sped toward the main road.

“Now, all the ‘Zodiacs,’ all the ‘Divine Beasts’—they’re all lies!! None of us can escape from here!!”

As soon as her words fell, the ground before them suddenly began to tremble, and massive boulders erupted from the earth, blocking their path entirely.

Seeing the danger, Xu Liunian shifted into reverse and turned the car around again.

But the moment she turned, the air fell eerily silent—the Azure Dragon was already seated in the back of the car.

The shaky taxi, like a yacht anchored amidst towering waves, slowly came to a halt, swaying uncertainly.

Noticing the drastic change in Xu Liunian’s expression, Qi Xia turned around and locked eyes with the Azure Dragon.

“I believe I mentioned… I don’t like it when ‘chess pieces’ develop their own will.”

The Azure Dragon’s androgynous voice resonated, sounding oddly familiar to Qi Xia.

It was the same voice he had heard in his dreams, yet strangely, while that voice had filled him with terror—so much so that he couldn’t even bring himself to look—this man before him seemed different.

“Qi Xia…” Xu Liunian stared at the Azure Dragon for a long while before finally speaking, “Let me introduce you… the Celestial Dragon’s most trusted right hand, the Azure Dragon.”

Qi Xia studied the Azure Dragon carefully.

After a long pause, Xu Liunian added, “I don’t have much time left. Let me tell you my ‘final theory.'”

The Azure Dragon made no move to stop her, merely watching Xu Liunian as if observing a frantic monkey.

“Go on,” Qi Xia said solemnly.

“We are ‘copies’ born from your power. The real versions of us have already escaped this hellish place.” She struggled to organize her thoughts, speaking each word deliberately. “I suspect we escape every ten days, but because of your stubborn ‘cycle of rebirth,’ a copy always remains here to endure the torment of this endless loop!”

Qi Xia narrowed his eyes at her words, then glanced at the Azure Dragon again. The latter’s smirk deepened, as though Xu Liunian were nothing more than a pitiful clown.

“Finished?” the Azure Dragon asked.

“I…” Xu Liunian didn’t know what the Azure Dragon intended, so she cast a pleading look at Qi Xia in the passenger seat.

But Qi Xia remained unmoved.

“Xu Liunian, you’ve truly disappointed me.” The Azure Dragon slowly reached out and placed a hand on her forehead. “After merely restoring your sanity for twenty-some days, things have already spiraled out of control. Why should I keep you?”

Qi Xia watched as Xu Liunian trembled uncontrollably, but how could he intervene in this situation?

The moment Xu Liunian decided to reveal these truths, regardless of whether her theory was right or wrong, she had fully enraged the Azure Dragon.

It seemed Xu Liunian had once served the Azure Dragon, and many of her unexpected, erratic strategies in the past had likely been guided by him.

That would explain everything.

Including why the Azure Dragon was here now.

“Wait,” Qi Xia called out, stopping the Azure Dragon.

The Azure Dragon paused slightly, turning to look at Qi Xia before slowly grinning. “You want me… to ‘wait’?”

An overwhelming aura erupted from the Azure Dragon, making Qi Xia frown momentarily.

Had he still been an ordinary man, that pressure might have forced him back. But now, Qi Xia felt no difference between them.

If both possessed ‘divine power,’ then they had equal footing for negotiation.

“That’s right. I’m telling you to wait,” Qi Xia said coldly.

“How amusing… truly amusing…” The Azure Dragon nodded but didn’t withdraw his hand, instead fixing Qi Xia with emerald-green eyes. “What am I waiting for? And what will you do?”

“Azure Dragon… I am the ‘cycle of rebirth.'” Qi Xia said. “You can’t kill Xu Liunian.”

At those words, the Azure Dragon’s hand indeed stilled.

“Whatever you plan to do…” Qi Xia continued, “Xu Liunian is just an ordinary ‘participant.’ She will revive with her ‘echo.’ You cannot truly kill her.”

“Ha… haha…” The Azure Dragon withdrew his hand, his eyes brimming with madness. “It really is you… Seventy years ago it was you, and seventy years later, it’s still you…”

“Me…?” Qi Xia was puzzled.

“Qi Xia, I’ll tell you two jokes now. Here’s the first.” The Azure Dragon leaned in closer. “Had you not presumptuously uttered those words just now, Xu Liunian would have been freed completely.”

“What…?”

“Now, the second joke.”

The Azure Dragon placed a finger on Qi Xia’s forehead, and Qi Xia didn’t flinch.

“Qi Xia, had you not arrogantly made that grand declaration seventy years ago, no one would have suffered this endless cycle.”

The moment the Azure Dragon touched Qi Xia’s forehead, a bizarre memory exploded in his mind.

In the memory, Qi Xia stood covered in blood before a man with blurred features. Behind that man stood the Azure Dragon, while behind Qi Xia lay mountains of corpses—tens of thousands of them.

The sky above was a brilliant blue.

Qi Xia lowered his head, gritting his teeth as he said, “‘Celestial Dragon’… We won’t just die like this… I swear all the ‘participants’ will return, and the ‘echo-bearers’ will lead them forward with these painful memories… until you are completely overthrown.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the Azure Dragon behind the Celestial Dragon suddenly clutched his ears, his face twisted in agony.

“What is it?” the Celestial Dragon turned to ask.

Only after a long silence did the Azure Dragon’s expression ease. After a moment of thought, he shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Qi Xia glanced at the Azure Dragon, then smiled faintly before coughing up a mouthful of blood and collapsing to the ground.

The memory abruptly ended.

Qi Xia’s eyes widened. He turned to the Azure Dragon, teeth clenched. “What kind of joke is this…? You’re saying this is all because of me?”

“Isn’t it?” The Azure Dragon chuckled. “I heard it… That sound was so high-pitched even you couldn’t perceive it, but I did.”

“Ridiculous.” Qi Xia laughed angrily. “Even if it was because of me that they’re trapped in this cycle, what’s wrong with that? As ‘humans,’ are we just supposed to let ourselves be slaughtered without even the right to resist?”