Chapter 832: Midnight Martial Contest: Testing the Edge (87)

"How can the Celestial Boat people single‑handedly forbid Shou Wen Hui Ji, while standing by idly as Chi Ming suffers? Dan Heng, Ling Sha, as members of Chi Ming, you should understand my sincere intentions. All I have done is merely the words 'survival'."

Ling Sha lowered her eyes: "How could I not know the problems Chi Ming faces? Seeking survival is not a sin. Yet the elder's actions exceed the limits a survivor should observe… like a beast that knows only 'breeding' and lacks any trace of human compassion."

"Oh? Even if we call ourselves the 'Noble Dragon Vein', we have always been merely upright‑walking animals. The survival of a race is fundamental; if I do not act like a beast, Chi Ming would probably not even be able to be human!"

Tao Ran, speaking righteously, said: "In ancient times they said 'the sage is unkind'; the Dragon Sovereign has abandoned the duty of preserving the race, so only I can take the world's great evils upon myself!"

——

Dragon race.

"All talk of benevolence and morality. What does colluding with the Bu Li people have to do with the survival of the Chi Ming clan? Can we abandon the safety of everyone else on the Celestial Boat just for Chi Ming's survival?"

Angre could only find it amusing; although the survival issue of Chi Ming has been a dilemma they have faced for centuries, is there a possibility that if the Celestial Boat truly collapses because of their covert actions, all Chi Ming on Luofu would be destroyed in an instant?

"Placing the hope of the race's continuation on Abundance—are you not afraid you'll become the next 'Abundance spawn' yourself?"

He suddenly recalled the group of youths that Han Gao brought after the Chicago auction, shouting they would become the new world's Dragon race. In fact, any organization that lasts millennia has an inviolable bottom line. Cassel Academy is the Dragon race, Luofu Celestial Boat is Shou Wen Hui Ji; if anyone tries to cross that line, whoever it is must die.

"If the Chi Ming clan had that insect‑like breeding ability, I bet even the Dragon Master would wake up laughing from his dreams," Inuyama He lit the cigar in his hand.

"That's merely moving from one extreme to another," Angre said lightly, "The ultimate of breeding also brings about its own ruin; if the Chi Ming clan ever reaches that day, the Celestial Boat will likely turn its spear toward the Chi Ming people."

——

"Ling Sha, Dan Heng, the past is gone, but Chi Ming's future still lies in your hands. Now the situation on Luofu Celestial Boat has changed abruptly; we Chi Ming should unite as one and must not repeat the past mistake of drinking the moon again."

Ling Sha, expressionless, said: "I was originally skeptical about Luofu Chi Ming's betrayal of the Alliance… but after hearing the elder lay out his crimes, I think lavish talk of trust is meaningless. Violating the Alliance's heavenly decree will bring war and disaster to the entire Chi Ming clan. Even if we regain the chance to reproduce, what then?"

Tao Ran retorted: "On the contrary, once my actions succeed, the Alliance will regard Chi Ming as saviors, because the Alliance's ultimate interests align with Chi Ming's."

Ling Sha raised an eyebrow: "Oh? When discussion of 'survival' fails, the elder now talks about 'benefits'?"

"The Alliance has been waging a blood‑war with the Abundance people for a thousand years, yet no victor has emerged. Have you considered why? If the Alliance wins, it will become the next Abundance people; if it loses, the Alliance will face extinction. Thus, for ages the Alliance has hypocritically maintained this precarious balance. But I have a way to transcend the dilemma."

"Imagine, if there were a way to transmute other lives into Chi Ming. The Alliance would then have an endless supply of soldiers, without suffering casualties or manpower loss. Once the war ends, these soldiers would no longer reproduce, so there would be no fear of overpopulation. This is the 'Celestial Boat Alliance' salvation method, the supreme path that cuts the world off from Shou Wen Hui Ji's suffering. Only we Chi Ming can achieve it!"

——

Attack on Titan.

"What do his words mean? The Alliance will become the next… Abundance people?" Eren stared up blankly at the endlessly speaking Dragon Master.

"I guess he might be saying that the Alliance and the Abundance people are like light and shadow." Armin held his chin, brow furrowed, "Patrol Hunt has been hunting Abundance, but the Celestial Boat people who follow the Star God are themselves recipients of Abundance's blessings; the 'blessings' they receive from the Star God even exceed those of most Abundance people. If one day the Abundance people are hunted to extinction, it's like a quiver of arrows that has lost its target… what would happen then?"

Eren, a bit bewildered, shook his head.

"When the shadow disappears, a portion of shadow will split off from the light. Even the Interstellar Peace Corporation is not monolithic; internal factional struggles constantly arise. The Celestial Boat Alliance exists because the Abundance people serve as a common enemy, enabling the formation of an 'Alliance'. If the Abundance people vanish, the Alliance would likely fall into prolonged internal conflict," Armin speculated.

Eren inhaled sharply; Armin's words inexplicably reminded him of the humans inside the walls.

It is precisely because of the Titans that humanity became united, but if one day the Titans outside the walls are eradicated and humanity reclaims its freedom, would they then turn on each other in a struggle?

"Impossible… Armin, when the enemy is eliminated, the Celestial Boat will finally have true peace; internal fighting and fratricide… impossible." Although Armin usually reads many books and his words make sense, this particular point he refuses to accept.

"As long as a person lives a day, conflict will persist a day. Even during Luofu's centuries of peace, hasn't the Dragon Master been secretly giving Jing Yuan's agents obstacles?" Armin shook his head. "…It's just that in front of the absolute threat of the Abundance people, those minor internal disputes are less obvious, but not being obvious doesn't mean they don't exist. When the great threat of the Abundance people is resolved, who can say what the Alliance will become?"

——

"…The elder uses this rhetoric to persuade the ignorant members of the Chi Ming clan to sacrifice themselves for you?" Ling Sha inhaled deeply, as if trying to suppress the fire in her chest, "Ling Sha, I am extremely disappointed in you. Your thoughts have become inhuman. Cloud Rider!"

"Hold on!" Tao Ran gestured, and a hidden Demon Shadow stepped forward, pulling a small child out.

Dan Heng, upon seeing the other party, was also startled: "Miss Bai Lu!"

"Mr. Dan Heng, and Sister Ling Sha! Everyone… is here?"

"You think I don't know the purpose of your messenger? Jing Yuan sent you to test me, right?" Holding a hostage, Tao Ran said leisurely, "According to the Alliance‑Chi Ming oath, no blood may be shed or injuries inflicted on Chi Ming within Chi Ming territory. Do you intend to break the oath under the witness of Luofu's Dragon Sovereign?"