Chapter 140: Cheng Xin was despised by the whole world; after viewing the sky screen, Luo Ji refused to take up the Sword Bearer

The Myriad Worlds Public Screen was completely occupied by the blood-red font of the Zeroers.

A wait of 13.7 billion years was destroyed by five kilograms of mud and small fish.

This absurd feeling caused those high-dimensional civilizations, which once loomed over and looked down on all beings, to collectively break down.

Darwin Incident Universe

Qu also witnessed everything on the sky screen.

A stupid woman, she actually ruined an entire universe?

This is really too unbelievable.

Then Qu began outputting on the public screen.

【Qu（Ultra King‑filled version）：Tsk tsk tsk, foolish humans, this is the savior holy mother you elected, look at what she has done, we Qu were previously condemned by the myriad worlds, but even if we went further we never destroyed an entire universe; in terms of destructive power against the universe, this holy mother Cheng Xin is stronger than us Qu!】

Marvel Universe

Moon Observer Base

The big‑headed observer Uatu put down his recording board.

He has witnessed the birth and destruction of countless universes, seen Thanos snap his fingers, and seen a star‑swallower devour Earth.

But at this moment, his recording pen stopped.

【Marvel Universe—Observer】: I have recorded 14 million ways of destruction in the multiverse. Some due to greed, some due to tyranny, some due to irresistible natural law.

【Marvel Universe—Observer】: This is the first time I have seen a universe completely die because of "five kilograms of goodness." This kind of death has no epic feel whatsoever; it is purely utter ugliness.

DC Universe

Heaven Initiation Star

Darkseid sat on his throne, the Omega Ray surging in his eyes.

【DC World—Darkseid】: I pursue the Anti‑Life Equation to enslave all free will. But I need the universe to exist.

【DC World—Darkseid】: This woman is more dangerous than the Anti‑Life Equation. She used so‑called moral blackmail to bind survival, and then made survival itself cease to exist.

Three‑Body Universe, fringe world

On the shattered homeworld of the Singer Civilization.

The Councils of Elders watched the picture on the sky screen, and they were also furious to the point of near death.

【Singer Civilization】: We cleanse other civilizations to survive in the Dark Forest. We throw out two‑dimensional foils to compete for living space.

【Singer Civilization】: We have exerted everything to survive. Meanwhile, humanity handed the decision‑making power to an individual who can't even do basic arithmetic. Five kilograms. Doesn't she know the universe's total mass is constant?

【Singer Civilization】: We Singer folks merely tossed a tiny two‑dimensional foil and got our homeworld blown up by Ultraman, so what about Cheng Xin, this super holy mother who killed everyone?!!

The anger on the Myriad Worlds Public Screen,

spread rapidly from advanced civilizations to every corner.

Nobody is discussing right or wrong.

Everyone is passing judgment.

【Dragon Ball World—Vegeta】: Don't let me see her. I'll blast her and that ecosphere to smithereens with the Final Flash.

【Naruto World—Pain】: Let the world feel pain; she made the universe feel death.

【Super Beast Armor—Underworld King】: Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival; arrogance is. Cheng Xin, in her most pitiable posture, made the most arrogant decision.

【Armored Warrior World——Duanmu Yan】: I can't be bothered to reason with this Cheng Xin; she doesn't deserve to listen! This kind of holy mother should live in a fantasy world, otherwise she'll destroy the whole real world.

The picture switched back to the Three‑Body Universe.

Asian Fleet Base, inside a dim officer's dormitory.

Zhang Beihai stood by the window, posture ramrod straight.

He looked at the picture on the sky screen, his eyes showing no ripple.

No anger, no surprise.

"Putting hope in the blind choices of the masses is itself a kind of suicide."

Zhang Beihai turned around and walked toward the desk.

On the desk lay a confidential plan for the meteorite defense system.

This is the scheme he has been plotting.

"Humanity does not thank Luo Ji; humanity chose Cheng Xin."

"This essentially shows that, when faced with a civilization's survival, letting most of its people decide often leads to extinction."

"Therefore, human civilization perhaps needs a parent who can push humanity to make the right choices and walk the right path."

He picked up a pen and drew a circle on a key point of the plan.

"So I will not leave humanity's fate to their choice."

"I will choose for them."

"I, am that parent."

His movements were steady and powerful.

PIA Outer Street

Cheng Xin still stood there. Her voice echoed down the street.

"As long as someone is alive, there is still hope! I preserved life! I am not wrong!"

"So many civilizations have hoarded material—why must they keep picking on me?!"

"I merely did what everyone would do!"

The surrounding crowd fell silent.

An old man snorted and said:

"Holy Mother, don't flatter us—ordinary people like us don't have the power to destroy a universe!"

Bystanders nearby glanced over and nodded in agreement.

Five minutes ago,

They were still looking at her with complex gazes; some even felt she was somewhat pitiful.

But now,

The final ultimatum from the sky completely shattered everyone's fantasies.

Deterrence failed, and humanity was reduced to livestock.

The light-speed spaceship was destroyed, and humanity was flattened into two dimensions.

Only five kilograms of matter remained, and the universe could not be restarted.

Three times.

Exactly three times.

From the crowd, a hunched old woman stepped forward.

She was holding a freshly bought vegetable basket.

She looked at Cheng Xin, her eyes devoid of sympathy, filled only with deep hatred.

She took a tomato out of the basket.

She raised her hand.

And threw it.

"Pa."

The ripe tomato exploded on Cheng Xin's forehead, red juice streaming down her cheeks and staining her clean beige coat.

Cheng Xin froze.

She covered her forehead, staring in disbelief at the old woman.

"You..."

"Shut up, you foolish holy mother."

The old woman's voice was filled with gritted-teeth hatred.

"You jinx who doomed everyone."

This tomato opened the floodgates.

The crowd erupted.

"Beat her to death! This crazy woman!"

"She's going to get us all killed!"

"Stop pretending to be a holy mother! Your hands are bloodier than anyone's!"

Rotten eggs, spoiled vegetable leaves, unfinished coffee cups, and even stones from the roadside.

They rained down on Cheng Xin from all directions.

Cheng Xin screamed, clutching her head and crouching on the ground.

Various debris struck her body.

The dignity, elegance, and softness she prided herself on were torn apart at that moment by sheer physical rage.

"I did nothing wrong! I did it all for love!"

"I'm absolutely not wrong!!"

She cried out amidst the pile of junk.

At the end, her voice almost distorted, curled up on the ground she hoarsely shouted:

"It's all of you, you chose me!!"

"You chose me to be the Sword Bearer! This is your choice!"

"I didn't do anything, you can't blame me!!"

Nobody listened.

The agitated crowd continued to hurl rotten vegetable leaves and stinking eggs at her.

Top floor of the PIA Building.

Wei De stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, coldly watching the farce unfolding on the street below.

The secretary stood behind him, swallowing a mouthful of saliva:

"Chief, should we send guards to pull Cheng Xin out?"

"If this continues, she might be beaten to death."

Wei De took a puff of his cigar and exhaled a grayish smoke ring.

"What's the point of pulling her?"

Wei De's voice was so cold it could chip ice.

"This is what she deserves."

He turned around and walked back to his desk.

"Let her sober up down there."

"If the crowd's rotten eggs could knock some sense into her mush-filled head, that would be a good thing."

"Although I don't hold out hope."

Elsewhere.

Luo Ji's Snow Mountain Manor.

The snow outside the manor had not yet melted.

But today, the tranquility here was completely shattered.

Over ten black luxury cars were parked outside the manor's gate.

The rotating chair of the PDC Planetary Defense Council, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the supreme commander of Fleet International.

The most powerful group in human society today all stood in Luo Ji's living room.

They did not sit.

Luo Ji sat on the sofa, holding a cup of hot tea.

Shi Qiang stood behind him, an unlit cigarette clenched in his mouth.

He looked coldly at the group of important figures in suits before him.

The UN Secretary-General stepped forward.

His waist bent downward.

Ninety degrees.

"Mr. Luo Ji".

The Secretary-General's voice trembled,

"We have come to express our deepest apology. And, our highest respect."

The PDC rotating chair followed with a bow.

"The Sky Curtain has shown us another possible future."

"We were one step away from handing humanity's fate over to that……that Cheng Xin with our own hands."

"We were one step away from committing an unforgivable crime."

The Fleet International commander stood at attention and gave Luo Ji a standard military salute.

"Mr. Luo Ji, you have guarded humanity's bottom line for fifty-four years."

"You are a true hero. All personnel of Fleet International pay tribute to you."

Luo Ji took a sip of tea.

He looked at these people.

He knew that the change in their attitude was not because they had suddenly become noble.

But because the Sky Curtain revealed Cheng Xin's trump card.

It directly smashed the consequences of that extreme stupidity onto their faces.

Fear made them sober.

"Get up."

Luo Ji set down his teacup, his tone flat.

"The future has not yet happened; I am not yet a Swordholder."

"You will be." The UN Secretary-General straightened up, his tone absolutely firm, "Not only now, as long as you are here, you are humanity's only Swordholder. No one can replace you. Absolutely not."

Luo Ji gave a light chuckle and said, "Even if you push me to become a Swordholder, I must tell you this time: I refuse to be a Swordholder."

His voice was full of determination, as well as a deep exhaustion.

The high-ranking officials present looked at each other.

Only now did they realize that their actions had already hurt Luo Ji's heart.

Outside the manor.

Not only the high-ranking officials.

Through the Sky Curtain, all humanity worldwide saw Luo Ji's actions.

Deterring Trisolaris.

Swordholder for fifty-four years.

Finally, guarding humanity's tomb on Pluto.

He is humanity's father.

In city squares around the world, crowds gathered spontaneously.

They did not shout slogans.

They did not hold up banners.

People simply stood there, facing the direction of Luo Ji Manor, heads bowed.

Someone was weeping.

Someone felt regret.

They were making comparisons.

Comparing themselves to the person queuing for rations in Australia on the Sky Curtain, and to the person who voted for Cheng Xin.

Remorse spread through the crowd.

If the Sky Curtain had not revealed all this in advance, they would really have done so.

They would really have driven away the man who dug graves in the snow and linked his heartbeat to a nuclear bomb, replacing him with a woman who only weeps and apologizes.

"We are not worthy."

An old man knelt in the square, tears streaming down his face,

"We truly are not worthy."

"We, we are not worthy of Luo Ji!!"

Inside the manor.

Shi Qiang took the unlit cigarette from his mouth, crushed it, and threw it into the trash can.

He walked up to Luo Ji and slapped his shoulder heavily with his big hand.

"Old brother."

Shi Qiang's voice was as coarse as ever,

"You see? This is called fairness."

"Although it came a little late, it finally came."

Luo Ji did not speak.

He merely glanced at Shi Qiang.

Just then, the air in the center of the living room twisted slightly.

The Wise Son light point that had always been quiet suddenly burst into dazzling light.

The light intertwined in midair, forming a three-dimensional human silhouette.

Not that android in a white dress.

But a pure abstract form composed of geometric lines.

Trisolaran Chancellor.

This is the first time the Trisolaran Chancellor has directly appeared before humanity in this form.

The form flickered slightly in midair, and then a line of text appeared in the air.

The font was solemn, devoid of any emotion, yet exuded absolute solemnity.

【Mr. Luo Ji.】

【I represent the Trisolaran First Fleet, the Trisolaran Second Fleet, and all citizens of the Trisolaran Homeworld.】

【I extend the highest respect to you.】

【You are humanity's only warrior. You have proven that carbon-based life in the Dark Forest also possesses inviolable dignity.】

【As long as you hold the sword, the Trisolaran Fleet will never cross the Oort Cloud.】

This message, broadcast via the Wise Son, simultaneously appeared on the retinas of everyone in the world.

Everyone saw the enemy's bowed head.

Luo Ji sat on the sofa, looking at that geometric form.

He nodded.

"I understand."

The heavenly screen's image froze at this moment.

It froze on Luo Ji's calm face.

Golden subtitles rose from the bottom of the screen.

【Luo Ji and Cheng Xin represent the two choices of human civilization.】

【One is the ultimate rationality of survival. The other is the ultimate sensibility of destruction.】

【Luo Ji stood in the light, using his life to prop up an umbrella for humanity.】

【But the law of the Dark Forest dictates that relying solely on one umbrella cannot block all the rainstorms.】

The subtitles paused for two seconds.

Then the screen suddenly went dark.

In absolute darkness, a man's silhouette appeared.

He wore the uniform of the Asian Fleet, standing before a huge porthole, gazing into the deep universe.

He lacked the tragic solemnity behind Luo Ji's cynicism.

He had only coldness—an absolute coldness devoid of any moral burden.

The last line of subtitles slowly emerged.

【While Luo Ji struggled to maintain the overt deterrence.】

【There is a person hiding in the shadows.】

【He is a parallel line, equally lonely as Luo Ji. He never believes humanity can win.】

【So he prepared a retreat that requires no one's consent.】

【Shadow Wallfacer—Zhang Beihai.】

……