Those Chasing After Their Backs
In the chaotic crowd,
9 of Spades slowly crouched down, picked up a Playing Card from the ground, and looked at the [Six of Hearts] Card Face on it, his expression incomparably complex...
"The 6-series generation... is truly an incredible group of young people."
He looked up at the sky.
Between those profusely falling Playing Cards, three figures were stepping on starlight, walking towards the outside of the domain with their heads held high and chests thrown out.
The first time 9 of Spades met Jian Changsheng, he felt this kid was very special, thinking he would definitely achieve great things in the future. And after interacting with Chen Ling this time in the Tianshu Domain, he finally understood why Jian Changsheng always hung Chen Ling on his lips...
This batch of 6-series generation all possessed an indescribable temperament: calm, stubborn, resolute, yet crazy.
The profusely falling Playing Cards landed on the ground, picked up by all sorts of people, or avoided like snakes and scorpions. A moment later, these cards gradually disappeared, like a dreamy and gorgeous large-scale Stagecraft.
"This trick of sprinkling Playing Cards is so damn cool!"
They watched longingly at the stylish departing backs of Chen Ling's trio after they finished acting cool, secretly making up their minds to prepare a few decks of Playing Cards on themselves in the future, to have this kind of entrance or exit filled to the brim with style.
...
"The Dusk Society... so this is the Dusk Society."
Pu Xiachan looked at the three figures that had gradually disappeared at the end of the domain. Always styling herself a genius, radical and extroverted, she was uncharacteristically somewhat taciturn.
The restraining power of the Path of the Actor had completely disappeared. All the chosen ones had broken free from the restraints, and the order of the Old District was also recovering bit by bit...
But at this moment, the domain chosen ones who had experienced the final battle were all feeling incomparably complex.
"What's wrong? Starting to feel inferior after seeing them?" Li Shengmen walked up beside her.
"Inferior? Then you look down on me a bit too much." Pu Xiachan glanced at him. "It's just that... having lived this long, it's the first time I truly realized what it means to have someone beyond someone, a heaven beyond heaven."
"The Dusk Society was originally a gathering place for all kinds of monsters and madmen. Courage, strength, wisdom, they lack none of it... Bumping into them this time is actually a good thing."
"How so?"
"Don't you have that feeling? In our respective domains and Divine Pathways, our eyes were blinded by too much praise and flattery. It wasn't until this time that we clearly saw the goal we truly need to chase after... Being able to squarely face one's own shortcomings is the prerequisite for progress."
Pu Xiachan looked at him somewhat surprisingly, "You're quite open-minded."
"Hehe, I've always been intelligent."
"... I take back what I just said."
Just as the two were talking, a figure wearing the Tower to Heaven work uniform walked up to them.
"You two, after the final review and decision, you have each obtained a Heaven-Reaching Star Position... Please follow me to complete the granting ceremony."
Pu Xiachan and Li Shengmen exchanged a glance.
"It seems the outcome is good."
"It's just that the process was too stifling... But it doesn't matter. The face we lost this time, we will have a chance to get back next time."
"Accepting the Heaven-Reaching Star Position means becoming a future pillar of the domain. The next time we see Chen Ling, he will be an enemy... How about it, are you confident?"
"Hmph, I'm not afraid of him. Although I'm left behind right now, there will be a day when I can catch up to his back..."
"And then?"
"And then kick him to the ground with one foot!"
...
Within the temporary medical point in the ruins of the Old District.
Tu Tian slowly opened his eyes.
He blankly stared at the ceiling for a long time before returning to his senses. Stiffly sitting up from the ground, his fingertips subconsciously rubbed his neck...
The original wound from being decapitated had already disappeared under the treatment of the Path of the Physician. His soul had also returned to his body once again, completing a "resurrection" in the truest sense.
He recalled everything that had just happened, his brows knitting tighter and tighter. Struggling to stand up, he walked towards the outside of the medical point.
"Mister Tu Tian, your soul has just returned to your body, you still need to rest!"
"Mister Tu Tian..."
Tu Tian ignored the reminders of the surrounding medical personnel and staggered out of the tent.
As soon as he pushed aside the door curtain, he saw profusely falling Playing Cards sprinkling down from the sky. On that resplendent starlight path leading outside the domain, no figures could be seen anymore... Chen Ling's trio had already left.
Tu Tian blankly looked at that starlight path. After a long silence, his palm forcefully clenched tight, and that stone bead was ground into powder in his palm...
His Privilege was fake.
"... Six of Hearts." Tu Tian muttered to himself. "The way you played me... was truly ruthless enough."
At the same time,
A beautiful figure gently pushed aside the curtain of another tent.
Tu Tian caught sight of that person from the corner of his eye, his body trembling slightly. That was a petite young girl, precisely the Doctor from the Path of the Physician who had treated his illness and healed his wounds in the Dark Palace, yet was personally killed by his own hands.
Seeing him, the young girl's expression was somewhat complex... After a long silence, she still took the initiative to speak:
"You should listen to the doctor and rest a bit more."
Tu Tian looked at the young girl's face, a burst of sharp pain welling up in his heart. He opened his mouth, "I'm sorry, back then I..."
"No need for sorries, I can completely understand. After all, it was agreed before entering the Old District that any means could be used." A smile squeezed out on the young girl's face,
"Congratulations, Mister Tu Tian... You got what you wished for."
Tu Tian froze.
Before he could recover his senses, the young girl turned around and left. Tu Tian immediately took a step and chased after her,
He asked hurriedly: "I... I still don't know your name."
"Is knowing the name or not that important?" The young girl said softly. "I'm going back. Perhaps it will be very difficult for us to have any intersection in the future... Since that's the case, let's just leave everything in the memories."
The young girl paused for a moment, but still added a sentence,
"If one day, you become the person you want to be, and we still have a chance to meet again... Let's get to know each other formally then.
Finally, Mister Tu Tian...
I wish you a bright future."
After saying that, the young girl never looked back. Her delicate and lonely figure gradually faded into the busy crowd.
Tu Tian stood in place, feeling a sense of loss.
"Dragon-Strangling Warrior Tu Tian." A Tower to Heaven staff member walked over quickly holding documents. "You have obtained a quota for a Heaven-Reaching Star Position. Come with me, the granting ceremony is about to begin."
He called out a few times in a row before Tu Tian recovered his senses. Taking a deep breath, he followed behind him and walked towards the distance.
"Tu Tian!!!"
A figure wrapped entirely in bandages rushed out angrily from a tent on the side. It was exactly Fudi!
"That Heaven-Reaching Star Position was supposed to belong to me!! Mine!!" Fudi's eyes were bloodshot, practically splitting at the seams. "Disregarding the Second Master's entrustment, you snatched that Heaven-Reaching Star Position from me. Aren't you afraid of being punished after returning to the Dragon-Strangling Warriors!?
If you give this Star Position to me now, I will treat it as if nothing happened!! Otherwise... we are mortal enemies from now on!!"
Fudi's roaring attracted the vision of everyone nearby. He blocked Tu Tian's path like a hysterical wild beast.
Tu Tian silently walked forward, as if he hadn't seen him at all...
It wasn't until he passed by Fudi that he stopped.
He turned his head, looking at Fudi's angry eyes, and slowly spat out a word:
"Scram."
After saying that, he continued walking in the direction of the Heaven-Reaching Star Position.
Fudi stood blankly in place, only reacting after a few seconds. The dirtiest and most vile curses surged over overwhelmingly, yet were left behind by Tu Tian step by step.
From this moment on, there were no longer the Dragon-Strangling Twins of the Path of Force in this world... Only the Dragon-Strangling Warrior Tu Tian.
Finally,
He arrived in front of a magnificent throne bathed in starlight.
"Dragon-Strangling Warrior Tu Tian." The staff member on the side spoke. "Go and welcome the future that belongs to you."
Tu Tian looked at that throne for a long time, slowly lowered his head, and looked at the residual stone dust in his palms...
"Six of Hearts Chen Ling... I hate you, I loathe you." Tu Tian silently clenched his fists tight, taking steps towards the throne, his ragged clothes dancing lightly in the wind. "But also thanks to you, I was able to harden my heart and cut off everything..."
"Just you wait..."
"One day, I will catch up to your footsteps..."
"And then, step on you beneath my feet."