Guan Tong never expected that Yamata no Orochi would just hand over the fragnt to him like that.
However, the brief conversation of just a few sentences had already exposed her as a complete nihilist. For soone like her to do such a thing wasn't strange at all.
As a nihilist, even suddenly committing suicide the next mont wouldn't be considered anything out of the ordinary. What Guan Tong found stranger was that the Sakura Prayer Country's authorities hadn't noticed this point and still chose to cultivate her.
But this had nothing to do with Guan Tong. After obtaining the fragnt, he also planned to postpone the matter of revenge. It wasn't Yamata no Orochi's actions that made him change his mind; it was just that after learning the contents of Fragnt 5, his own mind was sowhat unsettled and needed sorting out.
He used Body Swap to return to Mingdao Mountain where he often stayed and summoned the shelter to enter.
Withdrawing his Shadow and losing the Five Senses it had been synchronizing to him, his vision was imdiately plunged into pitch-black darkness.
Previously, except for sleeping, he had spent most of his ti with his Shadow summoned, having it synchronize his Five Senses to gain a greater sense of security.
But now, this complete darkness was actually quite suitable for contemplation.
Lying on the bed, the mural content of Fragnt 5 surfaced in Guan Tong's mind.
From the destruction of Kimos Star and the planetary patterns on that chanical arm's fingers, it was clear enough that the Fire Thief should be a terrifying cosmic destroyer. The number of civilizations it had annihilated was beyond count.
Yet the contradiction was: if its goal was pure destruction, why would it create murals for recording events? And why were those few surviving exotic beasts on Kimos Star, in the end, taken away by what appeared to be a black cylindrical spacecraft?
Could those intelligent fog gate "gatekeepers" ntioned by the forum user called "Primordial One" be those very exotic beasts taken from Kimos Star back then?
Guan Tong could speculate all he wanted, but without any evidence, he couldn't make a judgnt.
However, one thing he could determine was that if all this mural information were made public, there would definitely be many more people falling into nihilism like Yamata no Orochi.
So many civilizations had already been destroyed by the Fire Thief; what made human civilization so special?
Even if human civilization's technological level was relatively higher, compared to the Fire Thief's ability to manipulate natural forces on a grand scale, it was still insignificant.
To the Fire Thief, humans might be like chimpanzees to humans, with cognition and capabilities not even on the sa dinsional level.
Yet, strangely, after learning all this, Guan Tong himself didn't develop any pessimistic thoughts.
Instead of despair or nihilism, he felt sowhat happy, glad that his understanding of the Fire Thief had increased a little more.
He was even a bit surprised by his own mindset, as if even if humanity were ultimately destroyed, it wasn't unacceptable to him.
Just like when the first rule initially descended, he wasn't like so people who beca hysterical in despair or resorted to any ans necessary for survival.
At that ti, he felt it would be best if he could hold out for 72 hours without sleep, getting a chance to learn more about the Fire Thief. If he couldn't hold on, fell asleep, and died, then so be it. Death, in his view, wasn't so earth-shattering event.
After pondering in the darkness for a while, Guan Tong felt hunger in his stomach. He got up and, relying on his familiarity with the shelter's interior, retrieved a bag of bread in the dark.
Since today's eliminated sense was taste, the bread had no flavor in his mouth, feeling extrely strange, like chewing soft rubber.
Guan Tong chewed a few mouthfuls, swallowed, drank so water, and managed a simple lunch. Then he began practicing Mind Power Flow.
If there was one benefit among the hundred harms of having vision deprived, it was that it could make one quickly calm their mind.
Nothing could make a person settle down faster than absolute darkness. Moreover, without vision, more attention was focused on manipulating Mind Power, making the cultivation effect even better than before.
He perford two full-body Mind Power Flow cycles in succession, feeling incredibly smooth and unhindered throughout. As he beca more proficient, he felt that in another ten days or half a month, before the tenth rule ended, he should be able to achieve a minor breakthrough: briefly covering his entire body with Mind Power.
Although it was unlikely to achieve what Shi Jingyi did back in the industrial park warehouse, forming a large 360-degree light do with Mind Power, covering the body with a thin layer was still an attainable goal.
That way, it would be equivalent to having a basic, full-body defense capable of resisting Mind Power attacks.
This would provide so margin for error when facing enemies with bizarre abilities, preventing instant annihilation in situations of unknown intelligence.
Later, after his Mind Power naturally recovered sowhat, he re-summoned his Physical Form Shadow and shared its Five Senses with himself.
Using the shared vision, he opened his computer, logged into the Ascendant Ho website, and checked for any new ssages.
He also saw the "bounty post" about him posted by the Andai State personnel in the website's Commissions section.
Due to the sequential elimination of most people's Five Senses during the tenth rule period, very few people were online during this ti, resulting in low reply counts across all posts.
There were only a handful of replies under this bounty post, mostly mocking, considering it self-humiliating for Andai State to post a bounty for Shadow on this website.
Guan Tong didn't mind at all; he couldn't even be bothered to delete the post. Leaving it up was a form of humiliation in itself.
He clicked on his private ssage list. Although many users on the site followed him, not many sent him private ssages.
Because he had previously posted a site rule specifically stating not to send private ssages for harassnt or spamming without legitimate business. Violators would receive one warning, and a second offense would result in a direct ban. Although so users complained the rule was too tyrannical, not many dared to test it.
Guan Tong checked the private ssages. One was from "Primordial One."
Primordial One: "Did Shadow obtain that fragnt from Sakura Prayer Country? Impressive, managing that during a rule period."
Guan Tong thought for a mont and replied: "Shadow wants the two fragnts in your possession, to gather all five together. You can state your conditions."
If possible, Guan Tong still wanted to reach a Transaction with this person peacefully.
Then he saw another private ssage that caught his considerable attention.
The user who sent the ssage had previously bought hidden intelligence from him twice but had never revealed their identity.
This ti, however, they stated it directly.
"Hello Administrator, this account represents the Counterasures Research Office institution officially established by Beixing Country. We know your relationship with Shadow is extraordinary, and Shadow's recent actions are also being closely monitored by the authorities.
If possible, we hope to have a communication and exchange with Shadow to clarify so issues. Additionally, if there is an opportunity, the authorities hope to cooperate with Shadow to so extent to better address the challenges brought by the Doomsday Rules."
Communication and exchange, huh.
After reading the private ssage content, Guan Tong thought it was probably his recent actions in Andai State that were giving the authorities headaches.
It might be good to communicate once; he also wanted to clarify his own stance. At the sa ti, he wanted to know what attitude the authorities held towards Ascendants like him.
Previously, after he killed Basong and others and Andai State condemned it, Beixing's authorities also issued a statent saying they would investigate.
But this ti, he blew up the Andai State royal palace, an act several tis more severe in nature than killing Basong, prompting the Andai State Prince himself to speak out, vowing to pursue the matter to the end.
Strangely, however, Beixing's authorities did not issue any further statent this ti.
Did this indicate a shift in policy and attitude? Guan Tong wasn't sure; he could only know after communicating.
He replied: "Agreed. Shadow consents to communication. Let's use this private ssage channel."
After his ssage was sent, the personnel on 24-hour rotation on the other side imdiately noticed and reported the situation upward.
The person in charge, Gao Liangwei, attached great importance to this communication because it was an important matter assigned by the Higher-ups and couldn't be delayed. He imdiately called in Zhang Minglu, who usually handled contact with Ascendants, to join him in this communication with Shadow.
In the office, because his vision was eliminated, Gao Liangwei had Zhang Minglu sit in front of the computer, responsible for sending and reading ssages.
"Director, should we start with a greeting?"
"No, we don't have ti for that, and Shadow definitely doesn't like pleasantries either," Gao Liangwei said with his eyes closed. "Ask directly: Why did you go to Andai State to kill people and blow up the royal palace? Did you consider the country's stance when doing this?"
Zhang Minglu said in surprise, "So direct? Could it provoke Shadow's resistance?"
Gao Liangwei insisted, "Send it just like that."
"Alright."
Zhang Minglu typed and sent it, quickly receiving a reply.
"Director, the reply is: 'Because the people killed deserved to die, and the palace blown up deserved to be blown up.'"
"..."
Gao Liangwei was montarily speechless.
"Another reply ca," Zhang Minglu continued. "'If the official stance is from the human perspective, why turn a blind eye to the evil deeds of the Andai State Prince who shelters warlords involved in smuggling and human trafficking, and instead pursue my responsibility?'"
After reading the reply, Zhang Minglu drew a sharp breath, not expecting Shadow to question so directly.
He looked at Gao Liangwei, who frowned deeply and remained silent.
"Director, how should I reply?"
"... Ask Shadow what he thinks the authorities should do."
"Okay."
After Zhang Minglu sent the ssage, he quickly received a reply.
He looked at it, slightly stunned, and didn't read it out imdiately.
Although blind, Gao Liangwei sensed sothing and asked, "What is it?"
"Shadow says... he believes the authorities should either, like the Suroma Empire, return to isolationism, focusing only on their own country's people and not ddling in other unnecessary matters. Or else—"
Zhang Minglu paused before continuing to read: "Or else, if taking the integration of all humanity's strength to jointly resist the Fire Thief as their mission, then the most important thing to do is to first eliminate external evil rulers like Prince Lado..."
After hearing this, Gao Liangwei imdiately understood why Zhang Minglu was hesitant. If he relayed these words to the Higher-ups, they would probably react the sa way Zhang Minglu did.
"Shadow really is... full of shocking statents," Zhang Minglu remarked with feeling.
Gao Liangwei remained silent, his hands clasped together, fingers tapping the back of his hand, lost in thought.
Over ten seconds later, Zhang Minglu asked, "Director, how should we reply?"
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