Chapter 1007: Neurotic

"Go die." Qing Wanglai's words echoed in everyone's ears, simultaneously shocking everyone in the room.

Everyone present looked at Qing Wanglai in disbelief, unable to comprehend what thoughts could lead him to utter such words, including Li Huowang.

"Damn it!" Ba Nanxu took a deep drag from his cigarette and was about to pull the trigger, but Zhao Shuangdian's finger slipped in, jamming the trigger.

"Don't rush, let him finish," Zhao Shuangdian calmly stated, despite the absurdity of the situation.

Looking at Li Huowang, Qing Wanglai continued, "I need you to die because I need both projections to collapse simultaneously."

"I'm different from you; I see more. You've only connected to another layer of projection, but I've found a way to consult with my true self and come to this decision. This is the only way."

Li Huowang's eyes blinked tremblingly. He said to Qing Wanglai, "All projections? In your eyes, not just us, but even the Siming is merely a projection? You even want to destroy everything? All of this is for your plan?"

"Yes," Qing Wanglai nodded with an extremely calm expression.

"Li Huowang, I know you understand the bigger picture. I'm sure you realize the importance of this matter and that your sacrifice is necessary."

Li Huowang stared at the young man with an utterly unfamiliar gaze, as if meeting him for the first time.

A smiling Qing Wanglai reached out and patted Li Huowang's shoulder encouragingly. "Don't worry, I know what you're afraid of, but this death isn't the end; it's merely a new beginning."

"We are merely projections; we're not as important as you think."

"Projections can be recast at any time. Once we overcome this hurdle, our true selves will have new, better versions of us!"

Staring at Qing Wanglai, Li Huowang slowly opened his mouth. "Madman! Lunatic!"

In that moment, Li Huowang finally fully understood who Qing Wanglai truly was: a psychopath sick to the core! This guy had always been insane!

A flicker of disappointment crossed Qing Wanglai's eyes when Li Huowang described him this way. "Li Huowang, you've disappointed me greatly. I thought that once you saw what we're facing, you would understand my ideas and become my comrade."

Li Huowang opened his mouth as if to explain something, but then lowered his head and shook it lifelessly.

He had lost the desire to communicate with Qing Wanglai. Talking to a madman was futile; one could never hope to change a madman's worldview through words.

"Qing Wanglai, I know the Great Nuo is insane, but I truly didn't realize that even the Three Pure Ones, who control the secret Heavenly Dao, are also mad. It's fine if you're mad, but I can't go mad with you. When the sky falls, someone has to bear the burden."

Li Huowang's hand slowly moved behind him, silently gripping the military knife tucked away.

"Are you so intolerant of those with different perceptions? Do people with different worldviews and understandings have to be labeled as mentally ill? If I am mentally ill in your eyes, then what are you in the eyes of the public?"

"If I'm insane, then are you not?"

Qing Wanglai turned and pointed at everyone.

"If by your standards I'm insane, then all of you are insane too! All of you are mentally ill!"

Hearing this, a scowling Ba Nanxu turned to Zhao Shuangdian, who was still typing on the keyboard, and said, "Ugh, I can't listen to this damn nonsense anymore. Let's just kill him."

The next moment, Li Huowang lunged forward. As he exerted force, the wound that had just stopped bleeding immediately burst open again.

The military knife in his hand, coated with dried blood, moved with a blur, striking directly towards Qing Wanglai's waist, clearly aiming to dismember him.

The Three Pure Ones were completely mad and wanted to kill everyone. He had to kill him and seize all the Heavenly Dao within him! Only then could its potential be maximized!

Under Li Huowang's single-eyed gaze, he watched his military knife chop savagely into Qing Wanglai's waist.

However, to his utter surprise, there was no splatter of blood. Instead, where the knife struck, a crisp clang rang out. "Clang!"

Beneath the torn clothes, a dark bulletproof vest was revealed.

Without a moment's hesitation, Li Huowang flicked his wrist upwards, drawing the sharp blade towards Qing Wanglai's neck.

"Nana! Shoot! Blow his brains out!"

Yang Na, behind him, fired without hesitation. However, that brief moment was enough for Qing Wanglai to react.

The instant the gunshot rang out, having anticipated and turned his head, he immediately reached out, grabbed Li Huowang's wrist holding the knife, and yanked it sharply to the left, pressing a cold gun barrel against Li Huowang's temple.

"Nobody move!"

Instantly, three guns formed a triangle, and no one dared to make the first move, fearing that the other party would be provoked and pull the trigger.

Qing Wanglai looked down at the injured Li Huowang, a smile returning to his face. "Don't move recklessly; you don't have much blood left. I made sure to come when you were severely injured. If you were in normal condition, I'd genuinely be afraid of accidentally being defeated by you."

With a loud "thump," the door behind Qing Wanglai was violently kicked open. A man covered in bombs, wearing reflective aviator sunglasses, walked in, holding a switch in one hand and scrolling on his phone with the other. The phone screen blared incessant, grating game music.

"Don't move, any of you. If anyone dares, I'll blow this wretched place to bits, and we'll all be finished together."

Seeing the bundles of bombs strapped to him, the atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy. Even the sound of Zhao Shuangdian typing on the keyboard ceased.

Zhao Shuangdian looked intently at Qing Wanglai and said, "Qing Wanglai, do you really think it's appropriate to have internal conflict and deplete each other's strength on the eve of a great war?"

Qing Wanglai shrugged. "Why not? Do you think without internal conflict, if we work together, we can defeat such an entity? Don't be delusional; you have no idea what we're up against, do you, Li Huowang?"

"You know, if you convert it to projection time, that entity will reach our true world in only eight days."

Qing Wanglai's characteristic smile faded. He seriously scanned the face of every person present.

"We only have eight days left now. Just eight days, not a single one more."

"We don't have time to wait. If my plan doesn't succeed within eight days, not only will both projections disappear, but our true selves will also cease to exist."

"Since the outcome is already fated, what does it matter if the projections collapse eight days earlier? Of two evils, choose the lesser. At least this way, our true selves can be saved."