Zhang Shan was stunned for a long time before opening his mouth to ask: “Impersonated? What does that mean?”

Yun Yao didn’t speak, only slowly walked out of the room, with everyone following her.

“Hey, Yun Yao, say something.” Zhang Shan called out.

Yun Yao walked three steps, then stopped again, turned around and asked: “Zhang Shan, why did you join ‘Heaven’s Gate’ this time?”

“I…” Zhang Shan thought for a moment and said, “Because Chu Tianqiu knows everything about me. He knows those secrets that only I know, so I believe he recognizes who I used to be.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Yao’s expression became even more dismal.

What did this indicate?

It indicated that the impersonating Chu Tianqiu very likely knew the original Chu Tianqiu.

In Yun Yao’s memory, only one person could accomplish this.

But why?

“Qi Xia, you already knew?” Yun Yao asked.

“I don’t know.” Qi Xia shook his head.

“I haven’t even said what it is… and you’re already saying you don’t know?”

“You haven’t said it, but I can guess.” Qi Xia said with an unchanged expression. “So I don’t know.”

“Hmph… you liar.” Yun Yao cursed half-heartedly. “You people are truly terrifying. Things have already become absurd to this extent, yet you act as if nothing happened.”

“Absurd?” Qi Xia slowly raised his head to look at the sky. “Yun Yao, do you think this sun is absurd or not?”

Everyone raised their heads to look at that eerie earthen-yellow sun.

“You tell me—this sky, these buildings, these residents—are they absurd or not?” Qi Xia smiled bitterly. “Even the most impossible and absurd things have become absurd. Can people trapped here still be normal?”

Yun Yao looked at the sky in silence for a long time, then asked again: “Qi Xia, are you confident you can escape?”

“I don’t have the ‘confidence’ to escape, only the ‘determination’ to escape.” Qi Xia replied.

“What is your method?” Yun Yao asked.

“‘Collecting Dao.'” Qi Xia said. “After experiencing so many things, I’ve discovered that only ‘Collecting Dao’ is the truth.”

“‘Extreme Path’?” All four people simultaneously cast peculiar looks at Qi Xia.

“Don’t misunderstand.” Qi Xia shook his head. “I mean collecting three thousand six hundred ‘Dao.’ I’m not one of those lunatics.”

Yun Yao was silent for a while, then nodded: “I understand.”

…

When the five people returned to Heaven’s Gate, evening was already approaching. Chu Tianqiu still stood in the campus looking outward.

Seeing Yun Yao return, he instantly revealed a smile: “You’re back?”

Yun Yao gave a fake smile and said: “Yes, I’m fine.”

She paid no more attention to Chu Tianqiu and instead walked straight toward the teaching building.

“What’s wrong?” Chu Tianqiu asked the others. “Is Yun Yao injured?”

“No, no…” Zhang Shan’s expression was rather unnatural. He stared at Chu Tianqiu and examined him carefully from head to toe, but couldn’t see any flaws.

“Then hurry back and rest.”

Several people nodded and left one after another. Only Qi Xia still stood there.

“Qi Xia, did something happen?” Chu Tianqiu asked.

“Of course.” Qi Xia nodded. “You stood by and watched Yun Yao die. They all know now.”

“What?” Chu Tianqiu frowned. “Stood by and watched her die…? Only you and I know about this matter.”

“Yes, I told her.” Qi Xia nodded. “You didn’t tell me to keep it secret either.”

“Wha… what?” Chu Tianqiu instantly revealed an unnatural expression. “Qi Xia, what’s your purpose?”

“My purpose is very simple.” Qi Xia scratched his head. “I want to make them turn against you.”

“You…” The Chu Tianqiu before him had never imagined that Qi Xia would so openly state his plan. “You want to make them turn against me?!”

“Keep your voice down.” Qi Xia waved his hand. “It wouldn’t be good if others heard.”

Chu Tianqiu lowered his voice and asked with a face full of anger: “Why do this?!”

Qi Xia thought for a while and said: “I don’t have any fixed idea either. I just want to see what you’re capable of.”

“But didn’t you cooperate with Chu Tianqiu?” Chu Tianqiu asked. “Is this how you cooperate?”

“Xu Liunian, the person I’m cooperating with is ‘Chu Tianqiu,’ but you are you.” Qi Xia said. “We are three independent people.”

“But if you truly make them turn against me, won’t ‘Heaven’s Gate’ suffer heavy damage?” Chu Tianqiu asked. “What benefit does this have for you? Since you want to collect ‘Dao,’ you naturally need to borrow the power of our ‘Heaven’s Gate’…”

“No, no, no…” Qi Xia quickly waved his hands. “Xu Liunian, listen to me.”

Chu Tianqiu paused for a moment and said: “Alright, speak.”

“Just as I said, you, I, and Chu Tianqiu are three independent people.” Qi Xia rubbed his chin and said. “I can cooperate with ‘Chu Tianqiu,’ so naturally I can also cooperate with ‘Xu Liunian.'”

“What?”

“Xu Liunian, don’t you feel wronged?” Qi Xia said. “Chu Tianqiu is behind the scenes, while you’re in front. No matter what you do, he’s always the beneficiary, while you’re always the scapegoat. If the people of ‘Heaven’s Gate’ resent someone, they’ll only resent you. If the people of ‘Extreme Path’ want to kill someone, they’ll only kill you. In the end, he might not succeed, but you will definitely be sacrificed.”

“You…” Chu Tianqiu slowly frowned. He felt that although Qi Xia’s words sounded like obvious instigation, they indeed had some merit.

“Those choices that killed teammates… they were clearly Chu Tianqiu’s ideas, yet everyone is cursing you. Let me ask you, if it were you, how would you choose?” Qi Xia said. “Right now, you’re the true leader of ‘Heaven’s Gate’ in the real sense. Do you hope your teammates die?”

“Qi Xia.” Chu Tianqiu said. “You’re a very difficult person to trust. I’m far less intelligent than you, so I dare not trust you even more. I’m afraid you’ll drag me into hell.”

Qi Xia nodded: “You’re right not to trust me. After all, I’m a liar. You can only believe half of what I say.”

“If that’s the case, how can I cooperate with you?” Chu Tianqiu asked.

“My goal and yours are aligned.” Qi Xia said. “My purpose is ‘Collecting Dao,’ so I don’t wish to lose teammates. The more ‘Echoers’ who survive, the closer I am to getting out.”

“‘Collecting Dao’…” Chu Tianqiu silently lowered his head. “Do you know what a difficult path this is? ‘Heaven’s Gate’ has not collected three thousand six hundred ‘Dao’ to this day…”

“That’s because Chu Tianqiu’s original purpose was never ‘Collecting Dao.’ His mind wasn’t focused on this.” Qi Xia said meaningfully. “He wants to become a god.”

Upon hearing this, the Chu Tianqiu before him silently lowered his head. It seemed he had long known this answer.

“Based on your understanding of him, if he became a ‘god,’ would he let the people here go?” Qi Xia said. “He disregarded human lives before becoming a god. How could he possibly cherish you all after becoming one?”

“I… but I…” Chu Tianqiu wanted to say something, but his mind was already in chaos.

“Xu Liunian, if you can resolve the difficulties I’ve created for you, I’ll think more highly of you and cooperate with you to escape this place.” Qi Xia said. “Even if human lives are chess pieces, you can’t play this game recklessly.”

“You…”

“This game can only be played by me, Qi Xia.”