Chapter 1040: Character

Chapter 1040: Roles

Lou Yu was panting heavily. Even though his current body no longer needed to breathe to function, the human instinct deeply ingrained in him still sought to alleviate his terror and shock in this manner.

Lu Xun stood calmly before him, brushed off his clothes, and began walking toward the Tianshu Realm.

"Lu Xun... where are you going?" the dishevelled Lou Yu suddenly asked.

"My time is running out." Lu Xun looked down at his rapidly aging hands, his gaze complex. "Besides fighting you... I have more important things to do."

"You..." Lou Yu noticed Lu Xun's physical changes, his brow furrowed deeply. He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately fell silent.

Lou Yu realized that Lu Xun's purpose in seeking him out after awakening and forcing him into the depths of the black hole was not to kill him, but to make him understand that "infinity" does not equate to "invincibility." A person who is overly confident cannot serve as humanity's "safeguard." When the Red King spoke with Lu Xun, they discussed "resolving" the situation, not "killing" Lou Yu, indicating that Lu Xun was clearly not the only one who believed Lou Yu should live.

"Go," Lu Xun said, calmly putting his hands back into his coat pockets and walking away. "Don't forget what I just told you."

The ground beneath Lou Yu's feet continuously supplied him with materials, which he absorbed and transformed to mend his shattered body. His injuries recovered at a visible pace, and a black robe reappeared on him. He quietly watched Lu Xun's receding figure for a long time before slowly moving in the opposite direction. His black robe gently swayed in the breeze. The slight arrogance and impulsiveness that had emanated from Lou Yu after gaining "infinity" vanished, polished away by Lu Xun. His gaze once again became calm and reserved.

The two figures gradually moved further apart across the ruined landscape.

"You awakened Lord Tianshu?" The Silver King stared intently into the Red King's eyes. "Lord Tianshu is the leader of the Nine Lords. You awakened him just for a Lou Yu? Don't you know that once Lord Tianshu awakens, his life enters a countdown?"

"Of course, I know," the Red King replied, taking a slow sip of tea. "But as I said, I awakened Lord Tianshu not only because of Lou Yu... but also because he will be the one to advance the era."

"Advance the era? To where?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't understand," a hint of mockery played on the Red King's lips. "Though you are the leader of the Rogue Dao and possess all the divine paths, no matter how strong you are, you are merely a short-sighted thief. Your gaze only ever falls upon yourself, upon that elusive and unattainable Tenth Order. You cannot comprehend this grand play of the era."

The Silver King scoffed, not denying his goal, and spoke indifferently: "Everyone has different pursuits, which is normal. Since I've embarked on this path, I naturally look towards the ultimate goal. What do human interests, or the lives and deaths of others, have to do with me? Only what belongs to me is truly real."

"I understand," the Red King nodded slightly. "But what do you think... truly 'belongs to you'?"

The Silver King's brow furrowed, seemingly not grasping the Red King's meaning.

"Let me rephrase," the Red King said, casually picking up a black chess piece from the table and toying with it. "Do you know the difference between a chess piece and a role?"

"A chess piece is dead; it only has two sides, black or white, either enemy or ally. But a role is alive; it can turn from black to white, or from white to black."

"Just like the black piece, Lou Yu, in your hand... do you think he still belongs to you now?"

The moment the Red King set the piece down, the originally pitch-black chess piece had turned a grey hue, intermediate between black and white. From that moment on, Lou Yu seemed to have completely escaped the Silver King's control, becoming an unpredictable entity on the chessboard. "You see the world as a chessboard, so you can only manipulate the black pieces that belong to you. But if you see the world as a play, then all pieces, whether black or white, friend or foe, can become 'roles' that I can use. You are destined to lose this game, because even your pieces are under my control."

The Silver King seemed to realize something and gritted his teeth. "You've been watching Lou Yu all along? Everything in the Tianshu Realm was part of your plan?"

"He's not the only one I've been watching..." The smile on the Red King's lips deepened. "In this grand play, there's someone else you'd never expect, also moving according to the script I've set..."

"...Who?"

The Red King slowly pushed the grey chess piece toward the Silver King. Faint sounds of battle drifted from the stage, echoing through the silent, heavy snow.

The Red King looked into the Silver King's eyes and chuckled softly: "It's you... Lied!"

The Wuji Realm.

"Hey..."

"Didn't they say we were supposed to investigate the situation stealthily?"

"Can someone explain..."

"What the hell is this???"

Several possessors of the Heaven-Reaching Star positions stood at the edge of the Wuji Realm, their faces filled with shock as they stared at the enormous hole blasted open by what appeared to be a single shot.

Pu Xiachan stroked his chin, speaking in disbelief: "It doesn't look like a disaster attack. The Flame-Usurper's lair... has someone already dealt with it?"

After receiving orders from the Tianshu Realm, several Heaven-Reaching Star possessors quickly headed to Wuji. To transport them across the Gray Realm, the Heaven-Reaching Tower specifically utilized some leftover materials from realm trains. This was why they arrived a little late. However, according to the previous information from the Wuji Realm, the execution time for Red Heart 6 shouldn't have arrived yet. The Heaven-Reaching Star group thought they would make it in time, but upon arrival, they discovered that the Flame-Usurper's lair had already been attacked.

"The Wuji Realm isn't just the Flame-Usurper's lair anymore. Several demigods and Judgment Agents are stationed here. The major human realms wouldn't dare to act easily. Who could be so bold?"

"Whoever it is, we'll find out by going inside," Tu Tian scoffed, walking straight into the Wuji Realm. The other Heaven-Reaching Star possessors exchanged glances and followed behind Tu Tian.

"Stay hidden," the assassin Cui Ran reminded them promptly. "No matter who attacked the Wuji Realm, we need to remain disguised. It's chaotic inside now, and we'll be in trouble if we accidentally get caught up in it."

As he spoke, Cui Ran activated his domain, and over a dozen flower petals began to drift around the group, gradually blending their figures with the surroundings.

"Always count on you, Cui Ran," Li Shengmen patted his shoulder, then reminded everyone again, "Be careful, all of you. No matter what you see later, don't run around, and don't make any noise, got it?"