My brain raced at high speed. I considered countless countermeasures, thinking up endless strategies in just a few short seconds.

Unfortunately, against such a big shot, I could only rely on “countermeasures” to survive, while he would only need a single finger to kill me.

“I really don’t know what ‘Silence’ is,” I replied. “You knowing my name means you recognize me. In your memory, have I ever had contact with ‘Silence’ before?”

I calmed my mind, then slightly moved my fingers, but I didn’t know if my eyes were playing tricks or if “Echo” had failed—the person before me didn’t move his fingers along with mine.

“It’s already come to this…” The man looked at me, those eyes revealing an extremely crazed expression. “At a time like this, ‘Silence’ appears—doesn’t that make you curious…? Yan Zhichun… this might be your last chance to come clean.”

“Last… chance?”

“That I can crouch down and speak with an ant… is already a blessing you’ve cultivated over three lifetimes.” He laughed maniacally. “How much time do you think I’ll waste on you?”

Ant… I really disliked this description.

Every single person here desperately wanted to “live.” They experienced joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness here, and they died and were reborn here. Not a single person here was an ant.

Thinking this, I channeled my conviction and slowly retreated half a step, but the person before me still didn’t move.

I was very clear that I had activated “Echo,” yet he had actually ignored me.

Baiyang clearly said that none of the upper levels here could be “immune to Echo,” but how was he doing this?

If the “Heavenly Ox” I was about to face was also like this… then I would certainly lead “Extreme Path” to death on that train.

“Ah…?” The person before me was slightly stunned, then suddenly widened his eyes to look at me. “Yan Zhichun, do you know how a toy water gun can pierce through ocean waves?”

“Toy water gun… pierce through waves?”

It’s “Soul Seize”…

My eyes widened instantly. This was bad…

“After I discovered I could seize away others’ reason, I rarely used such a weak control method anymore…” He grinned in a sinister smile, but I actually grinned along with him…

We were separated by less than three steps, both showing maniacal smiles, yet my whole body was trembling.

Although I could control others’ actions, I could never control others’ expressions.

“Yan Zhichun… this is the little trick you rely on for survival, isn’t it?”

Seeing me trembling like a sieve, he laughed loudly as if teasing an insect, then withdrew the “Soul Seize” that was suppressing me. Although he hadn’t done anything, I had lost completely.

This was using a toy water gun to break through ocean waves. I was the toy pistol, and he was the raging tsunami.

I knew I was truly going to die here. After learning this answer, the fear in my heart actually lessened considerably. Since I was going to die either way, rather than begging for mercy, I might as well provoke him—that would be more satisfying.

The opportunity to provoke a monster wasn’t something everyone had. I needed to cherish it properly.

“Are you ‘Qinglong’?” I asked.

“Oh?” The man looked at me with slight interest. “Baiyang told you about me?”

“I guessed,” I said. “You don’t look like you’re ‘Earth-level’ or ‘Heaven-level’ because you don’t have any animal characteristics on your body. Plus, you view people as ants, which is very similar to the ‘upper levels’ Baiyang mentioned. But it wouldn’t make much sense for Heavenly Dragon, that supreme ruler, to suddenly appear before me, so you’re Qinglong.”

“Interesting!” Qinglong laughed loudly. “Smart ants are the most interesting!”

I swallowed and said again: “You’ve really found the wrong person. At most, I’m just someone who handles tasks. I do whatever those above tell me to do. If you and Baiyang have grievances, coming after me for it would be too beneath you.”

“Grievances… that’s not quite it.” Qinglong shook his head. “We’re intimately close partners… Between partners, sharing tactics isn’t difficult, right? Tell me… what exactly did he say inside ‘Silence’?!”

Yes, after calming down, I caught the key point from this sentence.

Why “Silence”?

“Qinglong… if you’re so curious about Baiyang’s tactics, you should have many questions to ask. You shouldn’t only be curious about what was said in ‘Silence,’ right?”

“Hmm?”

“In other words, you can know everything else,” I said. “You can know everything except what was said in ‘Silence.’ Can you ‘monitor’ conversations?”

“Haha!” Qinglong looked at me with interest, then vigorously nodded. “That’s right! I’ve been listening all along… but why did the plan suddenly stop?!”

If every sentence he spoke was true, then it proved he really had reached cooperation with Baiyang on certain matters. But Qinglong couldn’t see through Baiyang’s thoughts, and if he directly asked Baiyang, it would make him seem incompetent, so he aimed his spearhead at me.

“I won’t say,” I answered.

“Fine, three sentences.” Qinglong held up three fingers. “I’ve given you, this ant, enough time. I’ll give you one last chance with three sentences. If those three sentences don’t satisfy me, you’ll have your reason seized and be thrown onto the street, leaving your ‘dear Brother Yang’ helpless. You choose.”

“Even if I become a ‘Resident,’ I still won’t say…” I said in a low voice. “After all, I have my own goals to strive for. I’m fundamentally different from you madmen.”

“That’s the first sentence.” Qinglong retracted one finger.

I knew Qinglong wasn’t joking with me. After all, I wouldn’t crouch on the ground and joke with an ant either.

How could I ensure I survived?

Right now, I was the only one who knew Brother Yang’s plan. Once I died, the consequences would be unpredictable. Although “Extreme Path” still existed, “Extreme Path” would permanently lose its ultimate goal.

Brother Yang would find it very difficult to find another suitable candidate within one or two years to redeploy the plan. Even if there really was one, this person couldn’t command “Extreme Path.” The only ones who could command “Extreme Path” were Jiang Ruoxue and me, and Jiang Ruoxue would only follow my arrangements.

So I couldn’t die. Otherwise, the “Land of the End” couldn’t be liberated, “Extreme Path” couldn’t be liberated, and tens of thousands of rotting souls couldn’t be liberated.

“Qinglong, you’ve committed enough sins. The future ‘karma’ and ’cause and effect’ will all lead to enormous evil. Even if you view human lives as insects, don’t you plan to consider yourself?”

After hearing this, Qinglong’s expression changed slightly, but he quickly became calm again and once more retracted a finger.

“That’s the second sentence.”

If it were Brother Yang, how would he survive within these three sentences?

Wait…

If it were Brother Yang, why would he let himself fall to a situation of only three sentences?

I was following the other party’s line of thinking. I had already lost.

“Speak quickly,” Qinglong said. “Delaying won’t do any good.”

“I’m done speaking,” I replied. “Just two sentences.”

I had my own line of thinking. So what if he was Qinglong?