Chapter 898: 准皇们

Hearing this, Chen Ling's movements paused slightly.

"Unable to bear the Emperor's Fate?" A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Ling's eyes. "How is that possible..."

Chen Ling was the first to disbelieve that Li Fu couldn't bear the Emperor's Fate. If that were true, then where did his own Emperor's Fate come from? Yet, judging by Li Fu's current state and the expressions of those around him, it seemed to be the case... This left Chen Ling somewhat puzzled. He gently rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

Could it be Ying Fu's trick? Pretending he couldn't bear the Emperor's Fate to make everyone drop their guard, while simultaneously showing weakness? If so, Ying Fu's cunning would be profound, perhaps even matching his own.

"A weak destiny isn't a lack of innate strength; it's not something that can be forged through training..." The linen-clad youth shook his head. "I don't have the destiny to become an emperor, so I won't hold you back. While you still have the chance to choose again, go find others."

The others exchanged glances, momentarily unsure what to say.

The linen-clad youth looked up, seeing towering imperial aura rising from other areas of "Or Leaping in the Abyss," all converging in one direction. He silently watched this scene for a long time, having gone through who knew what mental struggle, before finally taking resolute steps towards it.

"Brother Li..."

After a moment of hesitation, Han Dong whispered in his ear, "Brother Li, maybe we shouldn't go? Zhu Chong and all those other would-be emperors are there. Won't we be..."

"I haven't found A-Qian yet."

The linen-clad youth's calm remark cut off Han Dong's remaining words. Han Dong gave him a complex look and offered no further persuasion. A-Qian had been separated from him when they entered the second layer, and her whereabouts were still unknown. If all the would-be emperors were converging in one place, then there was a high probability that A-Qian was there too... This was the linen-clad youth's only concern at the moment.

As the group gradually departed, Chen Ling, hidden in the forest, silently gripped the handle of his boning knife. Since he had encountered Li Fu again, Chen Ling naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity. But just as he was about to act, he saw Jiang Xiaohua on his back and fell into contemplation...

Jiang Xiaohua was currently unconscious, and her aura-masking effect was intermittent. He had no idea if the Emperors had sensed his presence. For Chen Ling, his current situation was like Schrödinger's Cat, existing in a superposition of "exposed" and "not exposed." However, if he were to kill Li Fu, based on the logic that the future couldn't be changed, this process would inevitably be obstructed... The most likely way of obstruction would be for the Emperors to "conveniently" arrive again, separating him from Li Fu, just like what happened in the "Hidden Dragon in the Abyss" layer.

If he pursued Li Fu now, he would certainly be in an "exposed" state; but if he didn't, would he necessarily avoid exposure? What a Schrödinger's Chen Ling... But undeniably, in Chen Ling's current state, if he were besieged by the Emperors again, he would most likely be unable to escape. After a moment of hesitation, Chen Ling still chose not to pursue Li Fu at that moment. Instead, he temporarily put away his boning knife and, like a phantom, followed behind the group, seeking a suitable opportunity.

The group walked for a long time through the desolation, entering an uninhabited, abandoned city. The city appeared to have suffered from war; no civilians were present. Dust rose with their footsteps, and all that met their eyes were chaotic stalls and collapsed houses.

In the silence, a group of similar size to the linen-clad youth's party approached from another path. Surrounded by the crowd, a graceful figure radiating the aura of a would-be emperor seemed to sense something and subtly turned her gaze towards the linen-clad youth.

"Wu Qiong?" Seeing that person, the linen-clad youth's eyebrows rose slightly. His gaze then swept around, and he quickly found a petite figure in the crowd, suddenly stopping his steps.

"Brother Xiao Li!!"

"A-Qian!"

Upon seeing the linen-clad youth, the figure unhesitatingly rushed out of the group, sprinted halfway across the street, and threw herself into his arms. The linen-clad youth held A-Qian in his embrace. After confirming she had no injuries or abnormalities, his worried heart finally settled.

"A-Qian, where have you been?"

"I've been with Sister Wu Qiong," A-Qian said, looking up at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "When I opened my eyes, I was with Sister Wu Qiong and the others in the swamp... I wanted to find you, but they said it was too dangerous and told me to go with them first. They said there would definitely be a chance to reunite later."

Hearing this, the linen-clad youth's gaze once again turned to Wu Qiong in the crowd. The current Wu Qiong seemed different from before. She seemed to be enveloped in a faint golden aura, and her brows exuded a sword-like sharpness and clarity. As she walked towards them, each step felt like treading on stars, causing a subtle resonance with the ancient hidden land. If the former Wu Qiong was merely a clever and intelligent girl, the current one was like an empress who had stepped out of history, exuding an air of surveying the world with disdain.

"Li Fu..." Wu Qiong narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the linen-clad youth in the crowd, a flash of surprise in her gaze. "Didn't you go for the would-be emperor's fate?"

The linen-clad youth's body trembled slightly. Standing before Wu Qiong, against the backdrop of her would-be emperor's fate, he appeared as a simple and ordinary youth. The two were no longer in the same world... He couldn't even calmly meet her eyes, which shone like a bright moon.

"It doesn't matter anymore." The linen-clad youth shook his head and turned to walk away.

But before he had taken more than a few steps, an even more formidable pressure of a would-be emperor approached from nearby. A vast group of figures, almost entirely filling the street, surged towards them, their numbers even exceeding the combined total of the linen-clad youth's and Wu Qiong's groups. At the forefront of that crowd, a tall figure held a heavy halberd, seemingly picked up from somewhere, and leisurely walked towards them.

"Heh heh, isn't that Li Fu..." Zhu Chong's lips curved slightly upwards. His physique seemed even bulkier than before, like an invincible overlord. With every gesture, a wave of oppressive power swept over them.

The moment he saw Zhu Chong, the linen-clad youth's expression became exceedingly grim.

*Thud—!!*

The heavy halberd in Zhu Chong's hand struck the ground with a dull thud. The oppressive force made everyone around the linen-clad youth's hearts tremble, and they instinctively took several steps back...

"What? Is your fate like Liu Yang's, unable to bear the destiny?" Zhu Chong saw through the linen-clad youth's situation at a glance and burst into laughter. "I thought you were some heaven-sent imperial star. In the end, you're just a kid playing tricks."