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"In that case... I will take my leave."

The Imperial Palace of the Capital City, after the major situation had unfolded, King of Qin and Ziyue officially bid farewell to the Emperor.

The Buddha Light in the Capital City dimmed. The city, previously teeming with crises, was now unusually calm.

The Emperor looked at the two, his mood complex.

To be honest, he never thought that one day he would actually collaborate with Chen Qing to stage such a performance, but there was no alternative—his army was stationed in Jiangnan. Without cooperating with Chen Qing, it would be an utterly lost scenario.

"Your Majesty, one-third of the families in the Capital City have already prepared to leave, but most remain profoundly grateful for Your Majesty’s benevolence and are willing to stay and continue following Your Majesty..."

Kneeling in the palace was Weichi, the old Family Head. This former Imperial Army Commander, even though he was possessed by Yin Spirit and had been ostracized by various Noble Families to the point of silence in ordinary days, was ultimately still the Emperor’s most loyal follower.

"You have worked tirelessly, my loyal subject." The Emperor smiled lightly, "You may leave now. I wish to speak privately with these two old acquaintances."

Weichi, the old Family Head, glanced at the pair before finally complying and leaving.

He understood that his strength now, in this chaotic era, was worth almost nothing—so much so that even a soldier of the Emperor’s army could easily surpass him.

He himself hadn’t anticipated the consequences of being behind the curve—how the gap would be so vast.

He didn’t grieve for himself. He was already at the age to retire. Ever since his wife passed away, he hadn’t had many ties left. His children were successful, and he was ready at any moment to find a good feng shui spot to be buried with his wife, not even planning to enter the family mausoleum.

But now, he was a little worried about his own son.

His eldest son, Weichi Feihong, already had stability. Chen Qing was a trustworthy person—no matter if the future led to victory or defeat, presumably, there would be no regrets.

But his most gifted second son had been dragged down by him.

Originally, his second son had a life-and-death camaraderie with Chen Qing and preferred Jiangnan, yet... because of him, he had no choice but to continue serving the Imperial Court.

It was also due to his own values—his refusal to share a body with Evil Spirit.

The young man once deemed the most promising in the Great Jin Dynasty had now become so dispirited that he could only spend his days dawdling in his own courtyard. Whatever storm or grandeur this world might experience in the future seemed irrelevant to him.

It was himself who had dragged his son down, and the family who had dragged him down.

After Weichi, the old Family Head, left, the Emperor turned to Ziyue. "What are your plans next?"

"I’m not sure..." Ziyue shook her head. "I’ve never made it this far. The failure of the past caused three cycles of reincarnation in this world—and a tragedy in ours. Now the reckoning has finally arrived. Whatever the outcome may be, there shall be an end."

Hearing this, the Emperor nodded. Recently, he asked Ziyue many questions and was surprised by her cooperation—she recounted most of the stories of that previous world to him.

Upon learning about their existence, to be honest, these days he hadn’t had a restful sleep.

He had known earlier that the people of their world were creations, but never imagined such karma would come to pass.

What had started as a mere fantasy, created by a handful of ambitious individuals, had led to the collapse of two entire worlds today—all due to the ambition of a select few.

Thinking about it now, this world is sometimes truly unfair—how many families, how many dreams, how many people simply yearning for a peaceful and stable life, were obliterated by the schemes of a handful of ambitious individuals?

If not for Elder Long and those Western Nobility, perhaps the digital world and the real world would have reached balance, perhaps even complemented each other.

Though perhaps friction might still exist, and war might persist, at least it wouldn’t be like today, where both worlds teeter on the brink of destruction.

A single thought, a solitary ambition—and the fates of countless lives reduced to insignificance. How unfair? How... vile?

He had always been a strong-willed man, but now, his inner world was beginning to waver.

His one-sided desire to save humanity—what had been achieved by it?

What has become of the Central Plains Continent?

Was he doing the right thing?

Did he even have the authority to decide everyone’s fate?

Ziyue, noticing the Emperor’s complicated gaze, felt equally complex emotions. They had conversed extensively these days; though she had spent many years in the palace, this was the first time she truly opened her heart to this cold ruler.

In reality, he was just an ordinary person. If they were to return thirty years ago, he would have merely been a passionate youth with aspirations.

What had turned an idealistic, ambitious young man into today’s Ghost King of the Mortal World?

Damn this society... damn those people!

Ziyue had spoken with Wang Ye, who as an outsider showed profound interest in the Digital City world.

He believed that with the current level of technology in Digital City, humanity could develop transformational new energy sources. If this energy technology were pursued further, humankind might fulfill their ancestors’ dream of founding the Interstellar Federation.

Humankind could potentially become the first civilization in the Milky Way Galaxy to break free from their own star system.

But that possibility had been completely obliterated millions of years ago due to the eternal ambition of certain individuals.

The reason was simple: digital beings didn’t require vast amounts of land or resources, and there was no need for them to venture outward.

Regardless of how dire the environmental conditions of the world became, they were irrelevant. They... were merely data. Instead of channeling technology into interstellar development, it was more worthwhile to delve deeper into the virtual technologies of the digital world.

And thus, due to the actions of a select few, humanity... may have eternally lost a certain possibility.

The prerequisite for technological advancement is human need. When the need no longer exists, that technology will never succeed.

This is a rule; it is also human nature.

He even arrived at a conclusion: the current digital beings, at their core, were no longer the humans of the past.

And even in this virtual world, the dynamic where the ambitions of the few dictate the fate of the many continues to play out—no matter the cost. Humanity... never learns.

"Might as well give it one last shot..." Ziyue said with a laugh. "Whatever happens, we’ve reached this turning point. You won’t stop now, right? Do what you will—no matter the result, this world can’t become much worse.

Even if the Heavenly Demon descends and this world truly ends.

.. actually, it’s fine. Now, we’re just like those Heavenly Demons—a mere mass of data.

Survival of the fittest—who wins is still a win, isn’t it? "

"Well said..." The Emperor smiled suddenly, then turned to King of Qin. "Back then... I wronged you. But... I don’t regret it."

King of Qin paused, silently gazing at him for a long time before finally laughing. "I don’t regret it either."

"Watch out for the Taoist Sect. Even though it’s a legacy left by that Pu YunChuan of yours, it’s not necessarily trustworthy. After all... it’s still controlled by men."

"I know..." King of Qin smiled. "You still have the mind to remind me?"

Currently, all three main forces are aligned with the Taoist Sect.

Though Buddha’s Gate had withdrawn from the territory of the three forces as agreed, it had completely occupied Yundu, reclaiming countless talents through multiple cycles of reincarnation dating back to this Era.

And with Old Liu’s triad of past, present, and future Buddha powers, it had become the strongest entity.

In the upcoming battles, the threat posed by Buddha’s Gate might equal—or even surpass—that posed by the figure above in the heavens.

And no matter which of the three main forces, they were ultimately inferior compared to these top-tier ancient powers. To contend against them, the Taoist Sect’s support was invaluable.

But as the Emperor had warned—the Taoist Sect... was not trustworthy!