83: Chapter 84: The Swordholder Long Chen, lost in a bewildered silence!

"Me?"

Shen Mo's face stiffened, his skin twitching uncontrollably. "Heaven shall bestow a great responsibility upon a person," but this responsibility was coming out of nowhere! "Can you give me a few days to think about it?"

But obviously, there was no room for negotiation.

Besides, Shen Mo had already shouted his slogans; he had been so passionate on the Gods Arena, he couldn't just chicken out now.

He had to finish what he started, even if it meant crying through it!

Shen Mo said stiffly: "...Brother Chen, don't worry, I... I will do my best."

Long Chen nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm, not bad, I believe in you~"

I don't even believe in myself!!!

Shen Mo cursed internally!

However, a moment later, he sighed. What he had heard and seen today was explosive news that completely overturned his previous thoughts; some of his past doubts were finally answered.

Long Chen's plight, the country's plight, became concrete at this moment.

Just as Long Chen said, when the Gods Arena descended, the people of the Long Country had spines too stiff; they didn't want such a thing above their heads, so Long Chen challenged the gods with the intention of mutual destruction.

In fact, Long Chen did win the first round. He wanted to stop while he was ahead, but the country was already too committed by then.

Later events were naturally what everyone knew. They lost the third round as expected, and the country was instantly sobered by a bucket of cold water. In that near-desperate situation, even though Long Chen knew the country was wrong, he still chose to protect it.

He not only shouldered the infamy alone but even lost his own talent.

It was only by betting everything that the entire country managed to obtain the 'fragment of the gods arena'.

Could you say Long Chen was wrong?

Maybe.

If he hadn't been so proud and had just resigned himself to fate like the Western Countries, easily accepting that they had a master, perhaps none of what followed would have happened.

But he chose the hardest path, and so did the Long Country.

For eleven years, the Long Country endured and endured, while the Western Countries bullied them in various ways, and it was hard to say they weren't trying to force Long Chen out.

But the Long Country still held back.

They waited for eleven years, and finally, they waited for Shen Mo.

With the heavy pressure on his shoulders, Shen Mo finally understood what Long Chen meant when he said, 'I also want to train a successor, but it's not that simple'...

This was almost equivalent to placing the Long Country's eleven years of forbearance, plus everything they had, onto this so-called 'successor'!

This was an invisible bet. This time, the Long Country was going all-in with their eleven-year stake!

There was only one chance to challenge the Gods Ladder, because everyone knew that what they would face next was not just a country, but the gods themselves!

Eleven years ago, the Long Country bet that Long Chen could win!

Eleven years later, the Long Country bet that Shen Mo could win!

"Hey, I won, hahahaha!!"

Suddenly, Long Chen laughed like a child.

Shen Mo was stunned, pulling himself back from his thoughts.

On the Gods Arena board.

His Faerie had been utterly defeated, and as for Long Chen...

Well!

Heavy Armor Syndra!

Shen Mo was speechless: "This round doesn't count, I wasn't even serious... Let's go again!"

"Tch, if you want another, then we'll have another~"

"I'll definitely beat you this round!"

"Kid, don't be too arrogant, I'm your senior~"

"Sorry, the waves behind the Yangtze River drive the waves ahead!"

"Hmph, is that so~"

The two of them laughed and played, from daylight until nightfall.

Old Man Zhang had returned at some point, but he didn't disturb the two of them.

Instead, he stood outside the door for a long time with a complex expression...

He just watched quietly.

Watching Shen Mo's feigned anger and Long Chen's banter, as if he wanted to imprint this scene deep into his eyes!

Until...

Old Man Zhang's eyes gradually turned red...

...

...

On the way back.

Shen Mo didn't speak the whole time, just staring blankly out the window. Compared to the laughter and banter in Long Chen's small courtyard, he appeared exceptionally quiet now.

"What are you thinking about?" Old Man Zhang asked gently.

"Ah... nothing..." Shen Mo sighed deeply, and after a while, he muttered to himself: "The Sword Bearer..."

"What did you say?"

"I said... The Sword Bearer. Old Man Zhang, don't you think Brother Chen's current state is very similar to a 'Sword Bearer'?"

Shen Mo explained the meaning of a Sword Bearer.

Old Man Zhang was silent for a long time, then slowly said: "Yes, for Long Chen, the country's handling of him was indeed too cruel. They didn't allow him to compete, yet couldn't release him, only letting him wait year after year."

"Do you know how many times Long Chen applied to the country to compete during these eleven years?"

"158 times!"

"Long Chen is still the same Long Chen in my memory. He is proud, he is confident, but he is also soft-hearted... He is unwilling to hand this overly heavy responsibility to others; he would rather shoulder it himself, would rather be the sinner."

Speaking of this, Old Man Zhang suddenly laughed: "How is it? Any regrets about meeting Long Chen?"

Shen Mo nodded slightly, then slowly shook his head: "I know the country's expectations of me. I can't avoid it. Actually, it's the same whether I met Long Chen or not. I definitely have to go to that Gods Ladder; I have to face what I have to face."

"This is good. At least it let me know the cause and effect. Even if I die, I'll be an informed ghost."

"You kid... you adjusted your mindset quickly!"

Old Man Zhang laughed and scolded, then suddenly said: "By the way, keep that card Long Chen gave you when you left. It's one of the few things left in the Long Country. At a critical moment, it might help you turn the tide..."

"Hmm."

Shen Mo nodded slightly and took out the gift Long Chen had given him upon parting from his pocket...

[Entry: Intuition!]

[Category: Consumable (One-time Imprint Card)]

[Grade: Iridescent!]

[Rating: 2885 points!]

[Effect: Ultimate Insight +100%! Rapidly calculate the enemy lineup situation, while simultaneously discerning damage judgment! Ultimate Premonition +100%! A high probability of directly insight into the enemy's thoughts! Ultimate Thinking +100%! You cannot be disturbed, and can maintain absolute calmness under any circumstances!]

"..."

Shen Mo gripped the card tightly, his lips unable to help but tighten a little.

Is this Long Chen's talent from back then...

So overpowered!

If this talent were placed in his previous life, it would be a top-tier professional player's buff, for sure!

No!

More than that!

Professional players still have fluctuations in their condition, but this ability doesn't! As Long Chen said, once you obtain the corresponding ability 'Entry', it's like learning to ride a bicycle or learning to eat with chopsticks.

It's an instinctive action; there's no such thing as forgetting, and naturally, no fluctuations in condition...

It's truly unsolvable...

Shen Mo subconsciously clenched his fists.

His eyes, however, became increasingly vacant.

At this moment, Shen Mo was truly a bit bewildered...

If all his future opponents were people like this... what could he use to win?