“Consequences…?” After hearing this, Qian Wu’s expression dimmed, “Consequences don’t matter. We ‘Cat’… only obey orders… don’t ask reasons and don’t consider the future…”

“Lying.” Qi Xia interrupted, “According to what I’ve heard, ‘Xuanwu’ manages ‘Killing to Seize Dao’ and ‘Zodiac Life-Gambling.’ Once this checkpoint is gone, the entire fairness of the ‘Land of the End’ will completely collapse.”

Qian Wu’s complexion still didn’t look good.

Qi Xia knew he had long considered this problem.

“So do you really want to kill ‘Xuanwu’?” Qi Xia looked at Qian Wu with some suspicion and said, “Once she’s dead, all Participants can kill at will for a single Dao, and the ‘Zodiacs’ life-gambling will no longer have a referee. What will we do then? Just keep escaping from here through ‘slaughter’?”

“It’s… not impossible…” Qian Wu said.

“That’s only the first scenario.” Qi Xia said, “What if there’s a second scenario?”

Qian Wu raised his head to look at him: “A second scenario?”

“What if the ‘Divine Beasts’ are like the ‘Zodiacs’—they can be replaced at will? What if we kill this ‘Xuanwu,’ and the next day a new ‘Xuanwu’ appears?”

“This…”

“Right now we have too little intelligence.” Qi Xia shook his head, “To execute such a large plan in this place… relying just on us isn’t enough.”

“But besides ‘Cat,’ who else can you count on?” Qian Wu asked in return, “The ‘Extreme Path’? ‘Heaven’s Mouth’? Although the more ‘Echo users’ the better, the reality is everyone has their own hidden agendas. In the entire ‘Land of the End,’ there’s no longer any team more reliable than ‘Cat.'”

“There is one.” Qi Xia nodded and said, “Theoretically, there’s a team that can match a thousand troops and ten thousand horses. Although they harbor hidden agendas, they all have a common goal. It’s just that right now we don’t know how to gather them together.”

“Where is this team?!” Qian Wu was somewhat confused, “If there’s such a powerful team, why have I never heard of it?”

“It’s all the ‘Earth-level Zodiacs.'” Qi Xia said.

“What…?”

“The ‘Earth-level Zodiacs’ want to escape more than any ‘Participant.’ They not only have the resolve to escape, but have been striving toward this goal all along. It’s like panning for gold in the sand—they are the excellent ones that the ‘Land of the End’ has selected for us, while those ‘Zodiacs’ with insufficient strength were eliminated long ago at the ‘Man-level.'” Qi Xia pondered for a while, then looked at Qian Wu again, “As long as this team is willing to help… we can attempt to dismantle the entire ‘Land of the End.'”

“Wouldn’t this be too bold?” Qian Wu looked into Qi Xia’s eyes, feeling as if he were looking at a madman, “Just as you said, ‘Earth-level Zodiacs’ value their lives more than anyone. They’ve spent so much time advancing to ‘Earth-level’—how could they possibly help you destroy this place? If they could choose between these two paths… clearly ‘becoming Heaven’ would be safer.”

“Becoming ‘Heaven’…?” Qi Xia’s lips curved up slightly, “Can they really become ‘Heaven’…?”

The several people present suddenly thought of something—according to what Qi Xia said, just when he was about to become “Heaven,” he was knocked back to his original form and became a Participant again.

If all the “Earth-levels” heard and believed this matter, it would undoubtedly be a huge blow to them.

But as opposing camps, how could they make those “Earth-levels” believe the words of an ordinary Participant?

“I suspect…” Qi Xia knew everyone’s doubts and immediately spoke, “I planted ‘needles’ among the ‘Zodiacs.'”

After hearing this, Chen Junnan nodded, but suddenly felt something wasn’t quite right: “Wait, Old Qi, you buried ‘needles’ among the ‘Zodiacs’? What’s your standing?”

Qi Xia realized he hadn’t revealed this matter to Chen Junnan yet, so he briefly explained his speculation about becoming a “Zodiac” in a few words.

Chen Junnan, who had never been serious, was full of shock after hearing this.

“Old Qi… you were once a ‘Zodiac’?”

“It’s just a reasonable speculation.” Qi Xia said, “Based on my understanding of myself, I couldn’t possibly do something without preparation and planning… I’m wondering… why do some ‘Zodiacs’ have such a deep impression of me? What did I do to them…?”

“You mean…” Qian Wu felt that the current Qi Xia was very much like when he first met him—one person, one brain, actually presuming to manipulate the direction of the entire “Land of the End.”

“I will leave myself an escape route in advance.” Qi Xia said, “Once I don’t become a ‘Heaven-level,’ the ‘needles’ I planted will start moving, and then the current me will figure all this out… coordinating with my previous self ‘across the void.'”

What a coordination “across the void.”

If Qian Wu hadn’t met Qi Xia before, he would absolutely think the person before him was a complete and utter madman.

After all, all of this was speculation!

Even Qi Xia himself becoming a “Zodiac” was speculation!

Qi Xia not only completely believed he had become a “Zodiac,” but also reviewed in his mind the events after becoming a “Zodiac.” Without any memories at all, he was trying to conspire with his former self on such a long-term plan.

Wasn’t this madness?

If any single link in this plan had any flaw, it would completely collapse.

“You don’t need to look at me like that.” Qi Xia said, “I have no choice.”

“What…?”

“I can only trust my former self.” Qi Xia said, “This is a plan that requires coordination. If ‘I’ cannot trust ‘I,’ the plan has already failed.”

“But are you that certain…?” Qian Wu said, “Are you certain that your former self really paved the way for your current self?”

Before Qi Xia could speak, Chen Junnan spoke first: “It should be true.”

“Hm?”

Everyone in the room turned to look at him.

“Old Qi has always been a monster. I believe he really did pave the way.” Chen Junnan lowered his head and said thoughtfully, “This path is even longer than we imagined…”

“What?” Even Qi Xia didn’t understand this statement.

Chen Junnan turned around to face Qi Xia and said with a serious expression: “Old Qi, I suspect that before you became a ‘Zodiac,’ you already anticipated that you would return here.”

“What…?”

Chen Junnan smiled bitterly and said: “Remember? Yesterday you asked me why I kept everyone in the entire room stuck for seven years… You said I had another plan.”

“Yes.” Qi Xia nodded, “Isn’t that the case?”

“Old Qi, that wasn’t this young master’s plan at all.” Chen Junnan’s eyes flickered, “It was your plan!”