Later, Jiang Ruoxue went multiple times to the organization where Zhoumo was located to discuss the principles of “Heavenly Demonic Sound” with her. I also went along several times but found I couldn’t really help, so I could only leave it to the two of them for now.

As for me, I killed a large number of people.

I continuously participated in “Earth-level games” and killed “Participants” as much as possible.

From initially being reluctant and apologizing to the corpses, to later being able to kill all “Participants” with a clear conscience and leave without a second thought, I had already crossed that psychological threshold.

I not only mastered skilled killing techniques but also greatly strengthened my “conviction.”

If I were an “Earth-level Zodiac,” I could probably advance now, right?

Using my “echo” to kill others in “Earth-level games” was indeed the fastest method to gain training. This kind of on-the-spot adaptability couldn’t be learned from reading any number of books.

Over this long period of time, both Jiang Ruoxue’s and my personalities seemed to have undergone some changes.

At the beginning, I was ice and she was fire, but now we had both turned into lukewarm water.

Indeed, if one preserved memories for a long time in this place… it wasn’t a good thing for anyone. Jiang Ruoxue and I would lose ourselves in this prolonged torment. Now we could only hope Baiyang would disappear soon.

Once he disappeared, it would mean all the plans were moving to the next phase… but now it felt endlessly distant. Everyone’s faces were filled with exhaustion.

Under Old Sun’s guidance, I also met the “Brother Deng” he had mentioned. This person’s age… I should be calling him uncle. It was hard to believe he was from ’83.

His ability was not much different from what Old Sun had described. This so-called Puppet could only transfer some potential dangers to nearby corpses, which was indeed somewhat useless.

This kind of life continued for a while. A year later, Baiyang could barely recognize me anymore.

I didn’t know if it was because I rarely came to see him, but now he needed several minutes to think about who I was. Sometimes he couldn’t recognize me at all, just silently keeping his head down, as if treating me as an ordinary “Participant.”

He would forget me eventually. Baiyang had prepared for this from the very beginning.

So my conversations with Baiyang became random events. If I went to find him and discovered he remembered me, I would chat with him like catching up with an old friend. I would inquire about his recent situation and engage in theoretical discussions with him. If the atmosphere felt right, I would add a few provocative remarks for Qinglong to hear.

If he didn’t remember me, I would smile and leave. After all, Baiyang had only told me to come confirm whether he was still there, never saying I must awaken his memories.

I believed everything was within his plan.

Taking advantage of a time when Baiyang still remembered me, I handed him a “Dao.”

“What is this?” he asked me.

“Baiyang.” I smiled and said to him, “This is a test product developed by two of my friends. If you feel your ‘time is running out,’ try crushing it. I might hear the ‘Heavenly Demonic Sound.'”

“Baiyang…” He raised his head and looked at me with slight confusion. “Have you always called me that?”

At this moment, in my eyes, Baiyang was like an elderly person advanced in years.

The “Brother Yang” in my heart wasn’t like this, so he could only be “Baiyang.”

“What do you think?” I asked back.

After hearing this, Baiyang gave a bitter smile, then shook his head and tucked the “Dao” into his chest pocket.

Seeing that bitter smile, I felt he seemed to have found peace… and he seemed to be telling me that time was truly running out.

Another year passed. From when Baiyang and I recognized each other until now, it had been exactly seven years.

At that time, I was walking down the street when I suddenly heard a clear shattering sound by my ear.

If I hadn’t been constantly thinking about Baiyang, I would have even forgotten this long-absent “Heavenly Demonic Sound.”

Baiyang had crushed the pearl. It seemed the time had come…

My heartbeat suddenly accelerated… Was Baiyang leaving?

Was his plan moving to the next step?

I put down everything I was doing and ran quickly toward his game venue. I was so afraid I wouldn’t make it in time to say one last word to Baiyang.

Although I had imagined this scene countless times, I had no idea what I should say.

Everything I could say… I had already said to Baiyang.

In my entire life, I had never spent such a long time with someone who wasn’t my parents.

Seven whole years… I had spoken more words to Baiyang than even to Jiang Ruoxue.

After about twenty-plus minutes, I finally arrived at Baiyang’s game venue, gasping for breath. He was somewhat different from usual, standing at the entrance with his head lowered.

He seemed to be waiting for me.

“Baiyang…?” I called softly.

The distant Baiyang raised his head and looked at me with eyes that were both familiar and strange. He looked me over from head to toe, and after a few seconds, he lowered his head again as if he hadn’t seen anything.

What’s going on…? He didn’t recognize me again?

But he had clearly crushed the pearl.

“Baiyang?” I walked forward a few steps and called again.

This time he finally reacted, as if confirming I was calling him. He raised his head once more to look at me, then asked coldly, “What do you want?”

“What do I… want?”

I blinked, feeling this scene was somehow familiar.

Back then, he had also slowly raised his head like this and asked me “What do you want?”

His state was very similar to that time, but I was no longer the same me.

“Weren’t you the one who called me here…?” I asked again. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I called you here…?” He slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze cold enough to kill. After a few seconds, he shook his head and said, “Impossible. I never called you. Go back to wherever you came from.”

I stood there stunned for a minute, then showed a relieved bitter smile.

Yes… this was for the best.

My beginning with Baiyang was also my ending with him.

This cycle of cause and effect was decided from the very start.

We didn’t need words of farewell. After all, every parting was like this.

He had already forgotten me. Unlike seven years ago… I wouldn’t make him remember me again, because I had bet everything on this moment.

If Baiyang forgetting everything was necessary to proceed to the next step, then this was all I could do.

“Brother Yang, I wish you well on your journey.” I said word by word.

After hearing this, Baiyang was slightly moved, then lowered his head again.

Seeing him like this, I knew I no longer needed to come here.

How ironic—even this strange farewell made me shed tears.

The past seven years were neither hard nor happy, but I was truly reluctant to let go.

I stepped back three paces and, facing Baiyang’s direction, gently touched my chest and bowed deeply.

He was my teacher, my superior, my family, and also my friend.

Brother Yang, we will meet again in the future.