Chapter 1304: Stop It, [Fate], I'll Go With You

Stop fighting, 【Fate】. I'll go with you.

The one who came was, naturally, Zhang Zhang Jizu.

Long before the Council of the Gods' Covenant had even begun, Zhang Zhang Jizu had already sought out Hong Lin.

The Salvation Plan might not lack a Long Jing, but it absolutely cannot do without the help of a "divine being," and Hong Lin, in a certain sense, was a divine being — moreover, one who could be trusted and was easy to persuade!

Zhang Zhang Jizu certainly knew that the help of a true divine being would be more useful, but where could he now find a god willing to shelter the Clown?

So it only seemed like the best choice; in truth, there was no choice at all.

Coincidentally, just then the minor council of another stretch of starry sky had just adjourned, and Hong Lin was still anxiously searching for traces of Cheng Shi when she was cornered in the void by this Chosen of 【Death】.

Zhang Zhang Jizu told her that he had a way to save Cheng Shi's life, but it might require paying some price.

Hong Lin didn't even bother to ask what the price was; she only confirmed again and again: "You're not deceiving me? You can really save Cheng Shi? From the hands of an outer god of 【Deceit】 who schemes so deeply!?"

Zhang Zhang Jizu nodded solemnly, and Hong Lin, without the slightest hesitation, said just as solemnly:

"You say it, I'll do it."

Zhang Zhang Jizu narrowed his eyes tightly, a barely perceptible flash of light passing through them, and suddenly laughed: "For friendship?"

Hong Lin's face was utterly serious: "For friendship."

"Even if the price is death?"

Hong Lin was briefly stunned, then smiled even more brilliantly: "I told you — for friendship!"

Zhang Zhang Jizu said nothing more, as if he had long anticipated Hong Lin would say exactly that. He took out a green crown the size of a palm and handed it to her, saying:

"The Crown of 【Prosperity】 — something I chanced upon amid lost memories. It suits you very well.

Use your authority to activate it, and it can help you draw upon the power of 【Prosperity】 from the cosmos. This is the reward of faith itself; so long as the faith of 【Prosperity】 does not fall, you may borrow the strength of your believers without limit.

Of course, even with the power of faith upon you, you cannot withstand a true divine being. What we must do is not resist, but rescue!

Use the crown's root system to pierce through space. I will follow the roots to come before you, and then I will use the same method to send Cheng Shi away, buying him even a single second to catch his breath.

But the void is, after all, 【Void's】 domain. Whether he will have a chance to escape..."

Zhang Zhang Jizu sighed. Clearly, he had no confidence in his own plan.

Hong Lin raised an eyebrow, looked at the miniature green crown in her hand, and asked doubtfully: "This thing... wasn't even found in 【Prosperity's】 treasury. Where did you get it?"

"A secret," Zhang Zhang Jizu said, narrowing his eyes. "When to activate it is up to you.

I will be ready to receive you at any moment, but remember — best not to do it while he is single-mindedly resisting, or I'm afraid he'll reject this plan outright and break free along the escape route."

Hong Lin kept Zhang Zhang Jizu's instructions firmly in mind, so she activated the crown at the moment Cheng Shi was most lost and despairing, guiding the Chosen of 【Death】 to this place.

And as a mortal, that was all Zhang Zhang Jizu could do.

He watched the coffin disappear before him — one second earlier he had been smiling in relief at the plan's success, and the next second he stood frozen in place, watching with his own eyes as that coffin was squeezed out of the void once more, lying directly before those cold, star-like eyes!

The howling winds of the Void lifted the coffin, transforming into an invisible giant hand that tore the coffin apart inch by inch. Only when the figure inside the coffin tumbled out did everyone realize with a shock that the one pulled into the coffin was not the designated Clown at all, but a second Chosen of 【Death】!

Zhang Zhang Jizu!

The one who fell out of the coffin was unmistakably another Zhang Zhang Jizu!

This scene left even Hong Lin dumbfounded. She whipped her head around to look at the Zhang Zhang Jizu behind her, still trying to confirm who he really was, when she heard the outer god 【Fate】 ruthlessly puncture the illusion:

"A very creative substitution trick — worthy of being the most brilliant act in this closing performance. But you cannot deceive me.

As 【Fate】, I see through all truth. Did you think to hide in plain sight and slip past your fate?

My believer, you seem to have forgotten — every ability you possess was bestowed by me."

The Zhang Zhang Jizu behind Hong Lin's expression changed. He gave a self-mocking smile, shed his disguise, and transformed back into Cheng Shi's appearance.

That's right — he was Cheng Shi!

Only now did Hong Lin realize that the lid-flip from earlier had merely been a Zhang Yan Fa; the two figures had not actually swapped places, but had used the coffin prop to complete a rapid exchange and substitution of identities!

Cheng Shi had transformed into Zhang Zhang Jizu and stayed where he was, while Zhang Zhang Jizu had been disguised as Cheng Shi and sent along the crown's roots into the void.

If this scheme had succeeded, then Zhang Zhang Jizu truly would have, as he said, exchanged a "price" for Cheng Shi's chance to catch his breath.

Only Hong Lin had not expected that the so-called price was not her, but Old Zhang himself.

Unfortunately, they were facing the outer god 【Fate】 — a true 【Void】 who could not only see through the essence of the cosmos, but was even currently exercising the authority of 【Deceit】.

The plan had failed... it hadn't even bought them a single second.

【Fate】 gave a cold snort, and countless howling winds of the Void surged toward Zhang Zhang Jizu, who had fallen from the coffin. He was fulfilling His own words — every destined struggle would spatter blood and dye the curtain red.

But just as those winds were about to grind Zhang Zhang Jizu to pieces, a flood of white bone suddenly surged skyward, scattering countless gales and sweeping the unconscious Chosen of 【Death】 at the storm's center back before the Bone Throne.

The massive skull shielded its own believer and said in a deep voice to the outer god:

"Enough.

Take, your destined, then, tell, us, the true, answer."

Upon hearing this, 【Fate】 cast a cold glance at Zhang Zhang Jizu sheltered beneath the massive skull. After a spiraling moment of contemplation, He looked toward Cheng Shi in the distance, his face solemn, and said with icy ruthlessness:

"Will you continue?"

"Of course we will!"

The one answering Him was not Cheng Shi, but Qin Xin and Hong Lin, who had long been gathering their strength at the side. In this situation where the divine being stood idly by as a spectator, the two "divine beings" who least resembled divine beings launched their final charge against the outer god.

The power of 【Prosperity】 wove itself into a crown, and the fire of 【War】 spread in its wake. The terrifying momentum, in the eyes of the gods, was nearly comparable to a true divine war — but the problem was, that was only in the eyes of the gods.

In the eyes of the outer god 【Fate】, what He saw was merely two splashes of blood about to dye the curtain of the era red — the turning point that would make the destined eventually turn back.

Humans are not grass or trees; who can be without feeling?

Even Hong Lin had said that Cheng Shi was a person who knew gratitude. So when he saw, again and again, his friends falling into danger for his sake — even to the brink of death — how could he have no reaction?

But what else could be done?

Right now, the two among humanity who most resembled divine beings were joining hands against the outer god, yet they looked as though they didn't have even the slightest hope of victory.

The gale winds tore their flesh, the Void devoured their spirits. They were covered in wounds, yet again and again they charged toward the outer god.

Was he truly going to wait until Qin Xin and Hong Lin both died before his eyes?

Not just them, but others as well......

As the magician in the closing act, where did Seeing Zhen Xin go?

And who could summon a 【Death】 who already knew the truth, to give themselves one last "show of support" that "offered no shelter"?

Qin Xin has appeared, which proves the Fire-Passer already knew. Yet even now, no change has come. Does this mean even the Fire of Hope cannot see where hope lies?

Then what am I still holding on for?

What meaning does my persistence even have?

Cheng Shi suddenly raised his head, looked into those pitiless eyes of 【Fate】, let out a wretched laugh, and finally accepted his fate.

"I... I'll go with you..." he said weakly.

Big Cat shuddered all over, hysterical: "Absolutely not!"

The flames around Qin Xin flickered as if about to go out, and he turned back in anger:

"Cheng Shi, you need not bear the weight of the whole world, nor must you, for this hopeless world......"

Before Qin Xin and Hong Lin could finish speaking, Cheng Shi shook his head, and smiled gently at the two blood-soaked figures:

"The world has nothing to do with me, and I owe the world nothing.

I am not doing this for the world. I am doing it for my friends.

Laojia Sect taught me a very simple principle: my friends help me, and I help my friends.

So now, my friends are saving me, and I am saving my friends.

Stop fighting, Hong Lin, Qin Xin.

【Fate】......

I will go with you."