102: The hero's dark choice: save the world or destroy it first?

Human Realm, Sin Ranch, Blackstone City.

A cold, indifferent voice, filled with supreme majesty, rolled down from the nine heavens without warning!

That voice wasn't heard through the ears; it was directly imprinted deep within the soul of every living being!

"—This Lord has returned."

Boom!!!

Chen Yuan's pupils suddenly constricted to their limit!

He abruptly stood up from the clock tower.

For the first time, his perpetually icy face showed expressions named "horror" and "disbelief"!

This voice!

This tone!

This terrifying will that regarded all things as ants and the universe as a chessboard!

There's no mistake!

It's him!

It's the Lord of the End, who, with just a single clone, struck him down to the mortal realm and sealed him for a hundred thousand years!!!

He... wasn't he missing long ago?!

Why... why would he return at this time?!

Chen Yuan felt a bone-chilling coldness rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!

It was the instinctive fear of a "natural enemy" originating from the depths of his soul!

If being reborn and drawing the Holy Sword had given him a glimmer of hope to defy fate...

Then at this moment, the return of this source of all evil...

Was like an invisible giant hand, ready to utterly extinguish the flicker of flame he had just ignited!

Immediately after.

The Lord's cold voice once again resounded throughout the entire Human Realm.

"—This Lord intends to change the rules of this boring game."

"—The Sin Ranch shall become an arena for this Lord to select the strongest 'evil' warrior!"

"—This Lord shall personally bestow a 'Divine Oracle' and choose one hundred and eight 'Chosen Demonic Sons' in the Human Realm!"

"—The ultimate victor shall be personally elevated to 'God' by this Lord!"

These words were like meteors falling from the sky, slamming heavily onto this already numb land!

For a time, the entire Human Realm was in an uproar!

Becoming a God!

What an enticing phrase!

This distant word, like a dream's whisper, for the first time appeared so clearly before all the "livestock"!

Countless mortals struggling at the bottom, surviving in despair, burst into greedy flames in their eyes!

Countless cultivators who had long since fallen and worshipped various evil gods trembled with excitement!

For these humans, who had been raised as "livestock" since birth...

This was no different from opening a window to heaven above their dark, sunless prison of fate!

Countless people began to go mad for it!

They knelt on the ground, offering their most fervent faith to the sky, to the Lord they had never met!

"Lord! Choose me! Choose me! I want to become a 'Chosen Demonic Son'!"

"Kill them all! As long as I can become a God! I am willing to offer everything I have!"

"Hahaha! Becoming a God! Becoming a God! I'll turn all those who once bullied me into flesh and blood puppets!"

Chen Yuan looked at the faces below, distorted beyond recognition by greed and desire.

A hint of sorrow flashed in his eyes.

"They've gone mad... all mad..."

He knew that a "Hundred Demons War," sweeping across the entire Human Realm, more brutal and bloody than any previous "Divine War Proxy," was about to begin.

And he, along with the entire human race, would be drawn into this feast of flesh and blood personally initiated by the Lord!

Unlike the ambitious, the common people, who only wanted a full meal, cried out in a panic like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami roaring!

"The Lord of the End... has returned?"

"Hundred Demons War? Chosen Demonic Sons? What does this mean!"

"Gods! What new game are you playing now!"

Countless mortals knelt on the ground, wailing in terror, despair, or numbness at the scarlet sky.

They were like livestock kept in a pasture, long accustomed to being harvested by the gods in various ways.

And now, the owner of the pasture seemed to have changed to a more capricious and cruel existence.

Only Chen Yuan.

He returned to the muddy street, gazing up at the sky.

In his eyes, which had endured a hundred thousand years of trials, there was no fear, only an iron-hard, cold solemnity.

"Lord of the End..."

In his heart, he chewed on this name, which had once been his lifelong nightmare.

"Chen Yuan, that person... is so terrifying."

The Sword Spirit Wei's voice echoed in his mind, with a barely perceptible tremor.

"I can feel that there isn't a trace of 'emotion' in his voice. It's as if... as if all of us, in his eyes, are no different from stones."

"No."

Chen Yuan slowly shook his head.

"It's not that he has no emotions."

"It's that he regards 'toying with the fate of all living beings' as his only 'pleasure'."

He understood the terror of that Lord better than anyone.

A hundred thousand years ago, he had been defeated by that ultimate "indifference" that viewed all things as a game.

"Hundred Demons War... Heh heh, what a grand scheme."

Chen Yuan's fingertips pierced his palm, and crimson blood dripped onto the ground.

"He intends to turn the entire Human Realm into a giant Gu pot. To make us 'bugs' slaughter and devour each other within it, ultimately choosing the most 'evil' and strongest 'Gu King' to amuse him."

"Then what should we do?" Wei's voice was filled with confusion.

"What to do?"

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes.

He had no choice.

In this game personally set by the Lord, one either becomes a "player" or "experience points" to be wantonly slaughtered by players.

"Since he wants to watch a show, then we'll put on a good one for him!"

"He wants us to kill, so we'll kill!"

"He wants us to fall, so we'll be more 'evil' than anyone else!"

"Wei, listen."

Chen Yuan's voice became incredibly calm, and incredibly cruel.

"The City Lord of Blackstone City, in order to gain the upper hand in this 'Hundred Demons War,' will surely activate the blood sacrifice array that can turn a million living beings in the entire city into 'resources.'"

"And what we need to do is kill him the moment before he activates the array."

"Then, claim the 'evil karma' of those million living beings for ourselves!"

"What?!"

Wei gasped in disbelief.

"Sacrifice everyone in the city? Chen Yuan, you..."

"Otherwise?"

Chen Yuan coldly interrupted her.

"Do you think your insignificant 'goodness' can save this world?"

"In this world, 'kindness' is the most useless thing for oneself! For others, however, it is the highest grade of 'tonic'!"

"Either 'eat people' or 'be eaten by people'!"

"I once tried to use 'goodness,' to use 'protection,' to resist this overwhelming malice. What was the result?"

"I lost! I lost terribly! Everything I protected turned to ashes before my eyes!"

"This time, I will not make the same mistake again!"

"To overthrow this throne of 'evil,' the only way is to stand on a throne higher and more 'evil' than it!"

"For this, let alone one city, even if I have to sacrifice the entire world, I will not hesitate!"

His words were so resolute, so cold.

Leaving Wei in a long silence.

She could feel the heart of the youth named Chen Yuan, a heart already riddled with holes by despair and hatred.

Just as he made up his mind, preparing to completely extinguish the last trace of "reluctance" in his heart.

Some different "voices" also began to quietly resound in various corners of the Human Realm.

These were the new gods of the Heavenly Realm, spreading their faith.

[God of Mysterious Lies and Betrayal]

[Bestows Divine Oracle: Truth is often hidden within the deepest lies. Go and listen to the voices suppressed by the 'mainstream,' go and betray the 'rules' that have long since decayed. When you can save a 'truth' with a 'lie,' you will receive My 'blessing'.]

[God of Despair and Revelation]

[Bestows Divine Oracle: Fate is not unchangeable. The 'despair' I foretell is a warning, not an end. Go, seek the flower named 'hope' amidst the ruins of despair. When you can make a dying person see the hope of life, you will receive My 'favor'.]

[God of Broken Oaths]

[Bestows Divine Oracle: Not all oaths are worth keeping. Go and tear up the contracts made in the name of 'slavery,' go and betray the alliances founded on 'evil.' When you can exchange a 'betrayal' for 'freedom,' you will receive My 'grace'.]

[God of Silent Backstabs]

[Bestows Divine Oracle: The sharpest blade should not be aimed at the weak. Strike a fatal blow against those high and mighty oppressors. When you can end a 'tyranny' with an 'assassination,' you will receive My 'recognition'.]

These Divine Oracles, bestowed by the "evil gods" played by the Joint Squad...

Sounded no different from those of other evil gods.

Their methods seemed evil, chaotic, and full of malice.

All were inciting "betrayal," "lies," and "despair."

But their core was fundamentally different!

They were using the power of "humanity" taught by Gu Yanci, doing "good" deeds in the name of "evil"!

They were, in an extremely subtle and clever way, sowing the seeds of resistance across this dark land!