[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-999":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Gods' Foolish Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2362127,4617,"Chapter 999","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-999",999,"\u003Cp>Congratulations, everyone, on joining the Chongshen Society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The core of comedy is often tragedy, so may I interpret the relationship between [Deception] and [Fate] as such?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One constructs illusions through entertainment, the other is predetermined despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Xin blinked at Cheng Shi, wondering how his notion of “predetermined” differed from what Longjing had said about another world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This idea isn’t new—Cheng Shi had considered it himself at first—but now, as he drew closer to the God of Entertainment, he realized this [Void] comedy might not even require seeking its essence; its surface might already be a tragedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed, shaking off his tangled thoughts, and spoke seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps all are tragedies; that ‘everything returns to [Void]’ is no idle remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing so many truths means our benefactor knows far more than I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Master Yu Xi is still lost in search—how much more so are we? That’s why I fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let me ask you all: based on your understanding of the God of Entertainment, when He learns this universe is merely an experiment, what do you think He’ll do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, Zhen Xin’s eyes lit up: “Is He preparing to strike down that Supreme Being?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hey, lady, why are you so excited?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do you really think after He destroys this experiment you’ll get to find your own An Mingyu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Save your breath—by then, even if you do meet, you might only be holding your own arm and a blind man’s leg, or worse, you’ll both have turned to cosmic dust, mixed together, and then you two will truly be inseparable as one...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s quite possible. He won’t just sit and wait.” Long Wang sighed, looking at Cheng Shi. “The Supreme is the external cause; He is the internal cause. Together, they form your fear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, this is exactly what I fear most.” Cheng Shi’s gaze sharpened. “From noticing the signs to accelerating his setup, the God of Entertainment has been preparing for who knows how long. Even if you guess His direction, you can’t predict what He’ll actually do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Fate] is the same—though He doesn’t know the truth of this universe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, you heard right: not all gods know this. In this regard, from a certain angle, you all here have surpassed the gods in awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the wonder of the jester... and the absurdity unique to the [Void] era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there’s no reason to be proud—helpless spectators are merely onlookers. Knowing more changes nothing; they write the script, not us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though [Fate] doesn’t know about this experiment, his actions still align with the Supreme Being’s will, passively shaping this entire world into the ‘perfect sample’ Longjing described.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this, is the predetermined fate of our world:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either defy the divine visage with [Deception], or be offered before [Fate]...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond this, there is no other choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The visceral sensation before one’s eyes far outweighs gazing into the distance. Now, everyone understood what “the universe will ultimately return to [Void]” truly meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the truth is, no matter what thoughts the jesters here hold, under the manipulations of these two living ancestors of [Void], they stand little chance of achieving their desires.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Cheng Shi’s only wish was to survive...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing so many secrets, bearing pressures no mortal should endure, yet still striving to live—this in itself is already a kind of success.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy again, with faint confusion and fear lingering in everyone’s hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fear isn’t always retreat—it’s also the driving force for the weak to move forward. After giving the jesters time to absorb this, Cheng Shi smiled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the smile held some uncertainty, it was at least warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder if today’s intelligence satisfied you all? They say intelligence is meant to be exchanged—but I suspect none of you have intelligence of equal value to trade with me. So let’s try another approach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting idle only lets fear pile up. That’s why I summoned you all—to pool our wits and see if the jesters’ wisdom can find a path to survival in this despair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he finished, Zhen Xin lightly tapped the tombstone with her heel:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is why you asked us earlier if we wanted to become gods?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interesting. I never thought that after all this circling, the Chongshen Society would be ahead of everyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi, according to you, to survive in this utterly hopeless hyperdimensional experiment, becoming one of Them is the only answer mortals can glimpse—though only as a prerequisite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether gods are merely variables in the experiment, they’ve all been labeled by that Being. And this, is the closest possible link between a ‘culture dish’ specimen and the experiment’s overseer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let me say something bleak: we aren’t even worthy of talking about survival, because we lack the power to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You gathered us here and revealed such horrifying truths—surely this was under Yu Xi’s orders, even the God of Entertainment’s will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So can I understand that the God of Entertainment is pushing His followers to steal the divine seats of the gods?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, this must be tied to His plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using followers’ instinct for survival to help Him complete His setup, while simultaneously using that setup to exact ‘revenge’ on the Supreme Being—it’s very [Deception].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for mortals, suddenly becoming a god is impossible. The [Covenant] above protects all divine authority, so our real goal must be a lesser god beneath the true divine rank, correct?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Securing a lesser god’s position is the key to breaking the deadlock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only this way can we gradually seize the gods’ authority and survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once we gain divine status and establish a link with [Him], we’ll have the chance to understand the experiment’s overseer as mortals understand the gods—and only then can we begin to think about how to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph, looks like we have an answer. Congratulations, everyone, on joining the Chongshen Society.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Joining the Chongshen Society” was obviously a joke—but Zhen Xin was right; it was essentially what Cheng Shi had thought too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Long Wang also spoke seriously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is indeed one path to survival, but fixating solely on becoming a god is no different from the Chongshen Society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We may have other options—opportunities lie both within and without.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longjing just said that under the guidance of the [Hour Hand], he saw his counterpart in another world. So if [Time] truly has the power to let mortals touch other worlds, then...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Smuggle ourselves over?” Longjing’s eyes lit up. “Maybe we can find a world with more hope?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jizu narrowed his eyes and shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meaningless. Is the hope you speak of closer to the ‘perfect sample,’ or just earlier abandoned by the experiment’s overseer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than swapping worlds, perhaps what we need is to learn from the experiences of other worlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Longjing you met clearly endured more—he found a way to pierce the barriers of time and space. That means this method isn’t exclusive to gods; perhaps we can try it too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget—they possess [Time]. Our [Time] hasn’t fallen.” Longjing sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we have the [Hour Hand]. If He’s willing to offer mortals this chance, perhaps there’s a trick hidden within.” Zhen Xin smiled, pulling out a wristwatch and studying its hour hand. “And the [Hour Hand] is subordinate to [Time]. So could [Time] be as disloyal to the gods as [Death] is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remarkably sharp intuition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Cheng Shi looked at Zhen Xin with deep admiration—but her reasoning continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From this, the gods aren’t united—they’re divided into many factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether or not they’ve uncovered the truth of this universe, we can still identify potential allies and enemies based solely on their attitude toward the Supreme Being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With divine aid, mortals can walk this path toward godhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after all this, the first step to moving forward is clarifying the relationships among the gods. This gathering still holds value for intelligence exchange—the Historians’ discussions on the gods have never ceased; they might help a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Memory is useful too—small things reveal great truths. I’ve tried deducing divine will from faint traces of faith, never imagining my past musings would find use here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing fear dissipate and the atmosphere grow more open, Cheng Shi smiled faintly and quietly retrieved the [Defilement] container hidden behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A host must have a few small tricks to command the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excessive fear is unwise—but no fear at all is worse. Don’t forget: the very rope binding the jesters to this ship of fear is fear itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I must master this balance precisely.\u003C\u002Fp>",1435,"2026-06-21T06:05:16.216Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c8084edbcba9c5b921588d876d8c44f8cd36c1707bae2db2c7b938c25eb38a30","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-1000","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-998",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]