"Trying to cross the 'Outer World Wall' is impossible, and the research time isn't unlimited. Meng Zhang can't just hide behind that wall, burying his head in the sand like an ostrich. Sooner or later, he'll do something to break the current stalemate." Xuanming said, "But I have a way to make the 'Outer World Wall' disappear. Currently, there are two methods, but essentially, they are the same method.

"Since that wall appeared because of the threat I pose, then as long as I die, that wall will disappear.

"To be precise, it must be that 'Paradise' determines that I am dead. During this past period, I have been looking for loopholes in 'Paradise's perception to make it mistakenly believe that I am dead. But perhaps because the creation isn't complete, the current 'Paradise' seems to only have instincts; its perception might be exceptionally acute, yet its judgment isn't without flaws. Even so, I still haven't found a way to deceive its perception and judgment.

"——until you invaded the city from within."

"Me?" I asked.

Xuanming candidly replied, "The other method, aside from letting me die, is having someone die in my place. This person can't be a weakling; they must be an Impermanence like me, preferably with the same Flame Power I possess. Coupled with my ritual abilities, this could make 'Paradise' mistakenly believe that I am dead."

"It seems my invasion of the city actually came just in time for you." I said, "No wonder you didn't want to cooperate with me. According to your thinking, before we determine victory and defeat with the Taoyuan Village Master, you and I must first settle our own score."

Xuanming looked at me, "I know there's an irreconcilable conflict between you and Meng Zhang, so purely from the perspective of stopping Meng Zhang, having me die here and sending you to stop Meng Zhang is not out of the question.

"However, stopping Meng Zhang is just a checkpoint on my path, and ultimately I must challenge the true Master of the Divine Seal and use the seal to save the world. I cannot entrust this task to anyone else, especially not to you.

"The true Master of the Divine Seal surely must be a madman who fears the peace of the world, and I have sensed a very similar aura from your soul. If people like you acquire the Divine Seal, this world is doomed."

Xuanming considers the true Master of the Divine Seal to be akin to me... I nonchalantly said, "The reason I have a life-and-death conflict with the Taoyuan Village Master is that he doesn't want me, a Vermilion Bird Inheritor, to become the nourishment to greatly strengthen Shan Liangyi... It seems that even just a step away from completing the 'Paradise' plan, he still deeply fears Shan Liangyi's presence.

"What about you? Why are you so determined to stop the Taoyuan Village Master?"

"It's simple, I can't stand it." Xuanming said.

"Can't stand what?" I asked.

"'Paradise' is, in a certain sense, the perfection of human society, and I can reluctantly acknowledge that." Xuanming said, "Even though eternal happiness is obtained in dreams, the whole of humanity can gain genuine redemption from it, making it a heaven in the true sense. The Doomsday might still lurkingly erode within it, and Meng Zhang himself surely has considered how to address that.

"Yet this so-called eternal happiness ultimately hinges on the whims of Meng Zhang, the supreme authority. Even if Meng Zhang could truly adhere to his original intention to the last moment, all of mankind would merely suckle on distributed pacifiers, their consciousnesses gradually unified in dreams, civilization unable to evolve or progress, leading to its end within a generation, thereby achieving the consummate creation of the ultimate entity 'Paradise.'

"This is a chronic death, just made pleasurable in the process. When the last person chooses to abandon their own consciousness, the human race will genuinely be extinct.

"More importantly, I really cannot agree with such a world. A utopia without any conflict or disputes, internal pressures, or external threats is merely an escape. Passing the flame through suffering and becoming stronger through evolution—that is humanity, that's something to be proud of.

"In the end... that's right, I simply despise lazy, negative humans. In the era I grew up, such people deserved to die. It's an aesthetic problem. Indulging solely in happy dreams, lacking any courage or resolution, how unbearably obese and hideous."

I thought about such a world and nodded. However, in this regard, I am different from Xuanming. I take pride in the courage and resolution I possess, and I highly regard others with steadfast determination, but I generally do not get upset over people living a life contrary to my values.

What others choose to do is their freedom, just as my actions are my freedom. As long as their choices don't interfere with my adventure, whether they choose to live in a dream or go live on the moon makes no difference to me.

But Xuanming seems to wish that everyone in society lives according to his ideals, even willing to risk his life to prevent contrasting values from prevailing.

"Do you think 'Paradise' will ultimately extend to all humanity?" I asked.

"Do you really think that thing will stop expanding after consuming only a part of humanity?" Xuanming retorted, "After its creation, 'Paradise' will surely act to expand its existence; moreover, Meng Zhang himself desires 'Paradise' to envelop all humanity."

"I'm not naive to that extent," I said, "but given the current trend, the problem circles back to before—if you and I first determine victory, wouldn't that allow the Taoyuan Village Master to reap the benefits from our conflict?"

"Moreover, since you're using the Fire Sea in the sky to restrain the creation of 'Paradise,' doesn't that mean if the result of our fight leads to your defeat, 'Paradise' will complete its creation?"

Xuanming calmly said, "You don't need to worry about that. To oversee the progress of 'Paradise''s creation, Meng Zhang cannot leave the city center.

"Even if we temporarily set aside whether you can defeat me, if you somehow manage to, Meng Zhang's dream network would still require time to recover from the vast disruptions I have long imposed. That's the curse I exert with all my might, and even a reboot couldn't fully restore it in a short time. You only need to invade the city center during that period and kill Meng Zhang.

"I'm telling you all this now, so when you end up dying at my hands, you won't have the excuse to say you couldn't give your all due to various reasons."

He seems to have his pride, even taking a jab at me, to which I retorted in kind: "Thanks for explaining everything upfront. I'll remember your kindness after I defeat you."

"The current you is far too insignificant to serve as my scapegoat. Seize the time you have left, fully restore your strength, and come to meet your death." Xuanming said.

With that, his Flame Avatar dissipated, and the surrounding Fire Sea vanished. It was like the light suddenly went out, and the surroundings fell into darkness. My eyes took a moment to adjust.

In our several encounters in the Void Realm, Xuanming and I lacked reasons for conflict and maintained a certain degree of decorum and civility. But now, having become adversaries, Xuanming has shown a level of aggression he hadn't before.

In other words, it could be said that Xuanming has truly regarded me as an enemy.

For a long time, I had unilaterally seen Xuanming as a competitor, harboring these feelings secretly. I felt it would be somewhat childish if I expressed them outright. While I've never shied away from admitting my immaturity, perhaps I unconsciously retained a sense of shame. Now that Xuanming has openly declared war on me, I felt a rush of excitement, eager to fully restore my powers in this city and utterly defeat Xuanming.

However, this isn't something that can be rushed; I must patiently and thoroughly devise a strategy. And before that, there's another issue I need to address first.

I turned and looked at the fervently devoted Xuanming believer kneeling nearby.

She was still staring at where Xuanming's Flame Avatar had disappeared, seemingly not yet recovered from what just transpired.

"Jiaoshu, now it's your turn." I said, "Earlier, it seemed a Taoyuan Village cultivator said something about... you wanting to use me as a living sacrifice? Could you explain what that's about?"

Jiaoshu finally snapped back to reality, showing a panicked expression, trying to stand up and retreat but accidentally stumbling and falling to the ground.

Though I hadn't intentionally disguised myself as a weak middle-schooler to hide my strength and identity to create a "wolf in sheep's clothing" effect, seeing Jiaoshu, who'd treated me as a weak child all along, now respond like this to me, admittedly brought me a childish satisfaction.

Just as I was about to speak again, suddenly another force descended upon the area.

This seemed to be the mana fluctuations of the Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang... After Xuanming's surprise visit, now it's the Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang?

No, upon closer sensing, there are subtle differences from the mana fluctuations of Taoyuan Village Master Meng Zhang... This seems to be the mana fluctuations of 'Paradise.'

Moreover, the range it impacted seems more expansive than just this metro platform; the platform is only a part of the covered area.

The scenery started to distort violently.