Wu Qiong walked along the path that led toward the third and final peak. The sky gradually transitioned into a more intense crimson hue, while bolts of lightning struck at increasingly rapid intervals.
As he ascended, a strange sensation crept across his body. Instinctively, he clutched his bag. The paper inside was glowing with black flames. Strangely enough, it was not burning the paper itself, merely enveloping it.
"Why is this happening?" Wu Qiong thought inwardly.
The third peak possessed a peculiar appearance. A dark wall stood before him, etched with what appeared to be symbols. Wu Qiong stepped forward and gently touched the wall. Suddenly, a force seized his hand, and moments later his entire body was dragged inside.
When he opened his eyes, just like before, he found himself in deep space. He gazed around, yet there was nothing—only a void.
Wu Qiong felt an inexplicable unease.
"This place… why does it feel like I've been here before? Wait—that's right. My initial interaction with that entity. When I opened my eyes then, I awoke in this same dark space, floating endlessly."
Before he could fully process it, something drifted through the void. It lacked any physical form, yet its movement warped everything around it.
Wu Qiong's eyes suddenly ignited with black flames.
"Damn it! My eyes!" He immediately covered them, desperately trying to extinguish the fire, but it was useless.
Soon after, he perceived a voice—or rather, a frequency that resonated directly through his being. The entity seemed to exist on a higher dimensional plane.
"It appears that I am not allowed to gaze at it."
After a while, the black flames extinguished on their own, leaving behind two hollow red marks around his eyes. He sensed that his vision had become unnaturally sharp.
This empty space contained no air; only frequencies could exist. His entire soul trembled violently. Wu Qiong clutched his ears and screamed until his vocal cords cracked, blood spilling from his five orifices. Yet no sound emerged.
There was only silence—the kind capable of driving anyone mad.
"If you wish to progress further and awaken, despite your aptitude, you must kill the two who are coming after you."
Wu Qiong closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was back in the world. His hand was still pressed against the wall as he slowly pulled away.
His vision was blurred, as if he had just awakened from a deep sleep. Once it cleared, however, he was stunned to discover that his sight now extended three times farther with nearly five times the precision. He could track numerous movements simultaneously.
"Coming after me? It must be that person with the fan from earlier. But it mentioned two people. Who is the other?"
Wu Qiong's hands trembled as he continued toward the summit. His body radiated a profound fear of insignificance, identical to what he had felt during his encounter with the entity in the sky.
He followed a spiraling path upward. Strange carvings lined the wall, seemingly depicting a story. He visualized it as he moved.
The first sequence portrayed five figures locked in conflict. After some time, they split into two opposing groups.
"However, the last person wasn't included— Why?"
As the carvings continued, the two groups battled for years with no clear victor. Another sequence showed five figures in the sky, all reaching toward an object—possibly a metaphor for the beginning of the conflict. Wu Qiong relived their experiences within his mind.
"Yin Ren, you can't kill me! The paper doesn't belong to me. You must seek Bai Sheng!"
"You're his closest friend. What makes you think I wouldn't use you as bait?"
"Damn you, demon! Just because of a damned paper—don't hurt Bai Sheng. I can't face him knowing I was indirectly responsible for capturing him!"
The next carving showed Yin Ren and Ru Ming in a forest on the outskirts of a remote region. Suddenly, a voice rang out.
"Ru Ming! Where are you?!"
Ru Ming did not respond. As Bai Sheng drew closer, he noticed someone leaning against the mountainside.
Bai Sheng's eyes lit up with joy.
"Is that you? Ru Ming! I came for you. Don't worry, I—"
As he rushed forward, Ru Ming subtly shook his head, as if warning him. Another figure stood nearby, obscured by the surroundings.
That figure seized Ru Ming's hair with his right hand while gripping a blade in his left. In a single, brutal motion, he slashed Ru Ming's neck.
His head flew into the air. Blood sprayed like a grotesque painting. The man caught the head midair and raised it for display.
It was Yin Ren. He smiled as he shouted, "Look! Now you can keep Ru Ming all to yourself."
"No! Ru Ming! Yin Ren, you monster! To go this far!"
Tears streamed down Bai Sheng's face as he turned and fled, realizing he had been ensnared and desperately searching for a chance to escape. Yin Ren did not pursue him, merely watching as he disappeared.
Within the forest, a shadow moved. It emitted a hollow, chilling sound as it followed Bai Sheng for thousands of meters. Suddenly, it materialized midair. A devilish smile spread across its face as it licked its lips.
Bai Sheng turned just in time. Phantoms reflected in his pupils as the figure struck, injuring him.
"Xuan Ren! Haven't you had enough? You already killed Ru Ming. Why torment me further over that damned paper?!"
Xuan Ren laughed maniacally.
"Because I want to be close friends with you, yet you insist on running away."
"The paper isn't in my possession, Xuan Ren! Killing me won't help you find it!"
"I'll see for myself, Bai Sheng. Unfortunately, I couldn't act earlier while Bai Feng was still alive. Back then, he was far more powerful than me."
The carvings skipped several sequences before ending with Bai Sheng's death.
"Tian Li, you're late," Yin Ren said indifferently as he gazed forward. Tian Li saw Ru Ming's severed head in Yin Ren's hand, blood dripping downward.
Wu Qiong reflected inwardly.
"This explains why he pursued the paper earlier. At the beginning of the competition, it was said that five possessed extraordinary aptitude.
I only saw Tian Li, yet he can be ruled out due to his death. However, Tian Li was already present in the competition. How was he present in two places at once?
The two who died in these carvings halved the number of prodigies. That leaves Yin Ren, who killed Ru Ming, and Xuan Ren, who ended Bai Sheng's life. He must be the person I encountered earlier.
As for the paper, it's absurd—so much conflict over a single object.
Those black flames vanished earlier.
Yin Ren used Ru Ming as bait to lure Bai Sheng. Bai Sheng was the true target, meaning he originally possessed the paper, yet he claimed he did not. That aligns with what Xuan Ren told me earlier.
So how did the paper end up with Dang Tou? I can't draw a definitive conclusion. I'll have to reconstruct the possibilities.
If Bai Sheng possessed the paper and valued it greatly, yet didn't understand its contents, then it must have belonged to someone else originally—perhaps his master. Xuan Ren stated he did not act while Bai Feng was alive and only appeared after hearing of his suicide.
If Bai Sheng knowingly lied, then how did Xuan Ren find nothing on his body after killing him?
That means Bai Sheng either hid it or entrusted it to someone else.
Hiding it here would be foolish, this place only opens at fixed intervals. Perhaps Bai Sheng lost it, and Dang Tou secretly acquired it. But Dang Tou gave it directly to me, meaning it was never sold.
Dang Tou worked for Tian Li, yet Tian Li was not aware of his possession. The figure who vanished from the carvings must have been Tian Li. That explains why the original conflict involved Bai Sheng, Ru Ming, and that duo.
But why was Tian Li included at all? What significance did his role hold? How did he appear in two places at once, knowing of the paper in one instance and not in the other?"
Wu Qiong's thoughts spiraled as he tried to reconcile every detail. Suddenly, his heart sank. A terrifying idea surfaced—one he instinctively rejected.
"It can't be. It's too perfectly aligned, like a story already written. Did my existence alter it?
If the tale of the five prodigies was carved in stone, then events should unfold exactly as recorded. How could reality still mirror it when not all events are the same?
Tian Li disappeared from the carvings. Does that signify his death? That's absurd. He appeared until the conflict began and reappeared during Bai Sheng's death, conversing with one of the two prodigies.
The sequence where all five reached for the paper implies shared involvement. I can be ruled out because my aptitude is insufficient, and I am not directly involved in their original matters."
That meant Wu Qiong's existence had altered Tian Li's involvement. Tian Li died far too early. Although he appeared in the initial sequences, and towards the end— he vanished for the majority of the conflict, not siding with anyone specifically.
Because Tian Li was not involved in the conflict between Yin Ren, Xuan Ren, Bai Sheng, and Ru Ming, his death did not change the main events—only the sequences in which they occurred. Most importantly, it was Wu Qiong who caused the greatest deviation.
"Although the sequence shows the five prodigies, it does not insinuate that Tian Li was involved; he might have only known of the paper's existence. Xuan Ren and Yin Ren must have had a secret deal with Tian Li, excluding him from their plot to kill Bai Sheng and Ru Ming."
"That's right."
The bag Tian Li threw to him.
Wu Qiong checked his belongings and found a pocket watch. Its hands were frozen.
"This meant something was interfering with the environment. If the watch originated from another place, its time would reflect that location. Yet it wasn't merely incorrect—it had stopped entirely.
Each time he advanced, the lightning intensified and the sky burned crimson, yet snow continued to fall. Something was disrupting reality somehow."
"The five prodigies must be some sort of prophecy, they way it is transcribed."
Tian Li had appeared to wait during his conflict. Was he watching his pocket watch, checking whether events would change if his life were threatened? The angle obscured Wu Qiong's view, but Tian Li could have secretly checked the time.
"Was he aware of it?"
The only plausible explanation was that Tian Li wanted Wu Qiong to confirm some theory. He must have known Wu Qiong would figure it out, though his own knowledge seemed limited to broad speculation.
Suddenly, the paper in Wu Qiong's bag erupted in black flames once more. He grabbed it, reanalyzing everything. The arrangement was terrifying. His heart thundered.
From the moment he arrived in this world, every encounter, every coincidence—including Xing'Er's name appearing here—replayed in his mind. He reconsidered countless details until a sharp pain pierced his skull and he collapsed.
Black flames engulfed his body, extending a meter in every direction.
Memories surfaced—strange ones.
"Xing'Er, want me to show you?"
A searing kiss beneath the moon.
A promise.
His time on Earth.
A scene of someone bleeding in the snow.
People passed without sparing a glance.
A pitiful laugh.
A searing kiss beneath the moon.
"Xing'Er, want me to show you?"
"What do you want to show me?" Xing'Er asked, curiosity shining in her eyes.
The memories flickered from scene to scene. Wu Qiong's eyes glimmered with barely visible light.
"I want to show you what lies beyond the moon."
Xing'Er chuckled softly before replying.
"Wu Qiong, you're a hopeless romantic," she said. "Telling something like that to a girl…" Her eyes curved with amusement. "I'm very curious about what goes on in your mind, Wu Qiong. I'd like to know your thoughts."
She leaned closer and whispered something to him. For once, it stirred a ripple in Wu Qiong's heart.
"Are you lonely?" she asked after a moment. "Is that it? What makes you turn away from the world and live within the confines of your own mind?"
Wu Qiong was silent for a while before answering.
"I feel detached strangely disconnected to reality," he said quietly.
"Humans are polarized, constantly lashing out at one another, yet they eventually dissolve into oceans of loneliness. They fade away like shooting stars in the vastness of existence, slipping into insignificance. What's left is just the question of, why?"
He lifted his gaze.
"We are too small. If I limit myself to the scope of human admiration, then my sole purpose becomes admiration rather than pursuit. The moon is lonely, living in quiet solitude. But I must look beyond it. My heart must contain far more than loneliness, because only then—"
The scenes flickered back to back. Wu Qiong's body remained engulfed in black flames.
Murmurs echoed in his mind, strange voices overlapping and shifting in tone.
"Damn it! My head. I have to solve this mystery soon." Wu Qiong began laughing maniacally, writhing in psychological turmoil.
Suddenly, another scene played out in his mind. Someone was running through the snow, another in relentless pursuit.
It was Tian Li.
And the one chasing him—
Tian Xue.
Far in the distance, someone gently blew on a cup of tea before lifting it to his lips. His gaze was cold and indifferent as he idly rolled an orb between his fingers. It suddenly shattered in his hand.
"Wu Qiong, you killed Tian Li. That was beyond my expectations," Tian Xue said, a terrifying smile on his face. "I already had plans to erase him. It seems Yin Ren and Xuan Ren have appeared here as well. After the deaths of Bai Sheng and Ru Ming, I had to confirm it myself."
He chuckled softly.
"Tian Li and I are far too alike, after all. My little brother… did you really think you could hide your suspicions from me?"