Return Countdown 6:00:00.
Demi-God personally endorsed City 10’s 21-year lifespan extension, causing a sensation online.
Knight’s longevity mystery was finally solved.
Although the livestream seemed strange, Demi-God seemed a little unhappy, as if he were kidnapped.
But in this world, who could kidnap Demi-God Li Shutong? Definitely no one.
Therefore, the livestream was real, and Knight would absolutely not sacrifice his reputation for livestreaming product promotions.
Federation citizens began to boil.
Some women wanted to immigrate to City 10 to receive relatively fair treatment and maternity leave in the workplace.
Some Leaders wanted to immigrate to City 10 so that their children could gain some advantages in future examinations and enjoy free nine-year compulsory education.
Some small businessmen wanted to immigrate to City 10 to receive tax breaks. Although City 10 announced that companies must pay overtime pay, the tax on small and micro-enterprises there has been reduced to 3%, making overtime pay negligible compared to the tax reduction.Every era has its trendsetters, who rise to the occasion, pursuing opportunities for success.
In just one day, tens of thousands of people left their cities across the Federation.
However, the various Conglomerates reacted swiftly. That very night, Li Clan, Chen Family, Koshima, and Shendai blocked border checkpoints in various cities.
Any application for an exit visa with City 10 as the destination was flatly rejected.
Residents who claimed they were going to other cities were also rejected and could not leave.
Furthermore, the city’s legislative centers issued announcements that Federation citizens were prohibited from leaving their cities for non-official reasons.
High-tech talents were placed on the priority watch list of various cities. Once they were identified through facial recognition at border checkpoints, they would be immediately turned back by Garrison Troops.
The City 10 Garrison Troops conference room fell silent, only the sound of Luo Wanya chatting with the Garrison Troops soldiers next door could be heard: “Everyone, share your saddest moments.”
In an instant, all the strategies Qing Chen had painstakingly devised became empty talk.
The President, Vice President, and members of Parliament knew that no one could safely take away those scientists, entrepreneurs, and high-tech talents under the tight surveillance of the Conglomerates.
Li Shutong could, but could Li Shutong alone force his way through so many cities?
The situation stalled.
The President found Qing Chen and asked: “Should we continue to formulate policies? I’ve contacted four industry leaders who want to come to City 10. Two of them have severe cardiopulmonary decline and can’t wait, but they can’t leave the city. I heard that their team members have been included in the facial recognition system and are under surveillance.”
Qing Chen wasn’t surprised. After the Outer World’s World War II, scientists around the world faced a similar situation.
The Conglomerates did this to completely lock down their talents within their borders.
Qing Chen calmly took a sip of water: “What’s the rush? Don’t worry.”
The members of Parliament looked at each other: “Boss, how can we not be worried?”
The most anxious people weren’t Qing Chen, but those members of Parliament.
Qing Chen had previously promised them that as long as they could recruit seven industry leaders with patents, they would be granted a 21-year lifespan extension and restored to freedom. Now, all their efforts had turned into a dream.
It was all for naught.
The members of Parliament stared at Qing Chen in the conference room, thinking, We can indeed recruit people, but you can’t get them out. That’s not our fault.
However, Qing Chen simply smiled and said: “Your phones are all encrypted. Just feel free to recruit people. Whether I can get them out is my business, you don’t have to worry about it. Keep making calls. As long as you confirm their intentions, I’ll send people to receive them. Even if I can’t get them out due to unforeseen circumstances, it still counts towards your achievements.”
The members of Parliament became excited and began making calls: “Old Li, did you see Demi-God Li Shutong’s livestream? Yes, that’s right. I’ve personally confirmed it. City 10 is in dire need of talent. This is a golden opportunity.”
One by one, the members of Parliament, first acting as copywriting consultants for the online water army, now transformed into telephone salespeople.
Standing in the conference room, Qing Chen suddenly felt like he was in the large office in the movie Wall Street, filled with opportunities, transactions, lies, and…
He silently pondered. First, this plan requires Zheng Yuandong to arrive in City 10. He needs the other party’s black True Sight Eye to perform the “Secret Keeping Technique.”
Second, after returning, he needs to discuss with Principal Zheng how to use the Key Gate to receive people.
Qing Chen wasn’t surprised that Li Clan, Chen Family, Shendai, and Koshima had sealed the borders. He even understood why Li Clan did so.
Li Yunshou and the Li Clan Intelligence Agency were protecting their own Conglomerate’s interests. Even if they were close to Qing Chen, Qing Chen was ultimately an outsider.
They couldn’t sacrifice their own interests to help Qing Chen.
What surprised Qing Chen was that the Qing Family, controlling seven cities, had opened them all, as if allowing him to greedily absorb talent, leaving them unattended.
The Qing Family dignitaries must have realized how many high-tech talents City 10 would attract, but those seven cities were silent, as if on mute, without any reaction.
As if offering all the talents to him.
What about those Qing Family factions? Have they begun to support him? Qing Chen was very puzzled, but he didn’t know what had happened.
Didn’t those people know that this would shake the Qing Family’s foundation?
But now wasn’t the time to think about these things; Qing Chen had more important things to do.
It was time to return.
Return Countdown 2:00:00.
He Jinqiu walked down the long street, his expression still pale.
He was leaving City 10.
Now, of his nine Jade Heart Swords, one was newly forged and unable to fight, while the other eight had cracks and needed to be repaired with Purple Orchid Star in the Outer World.
The price he paid in this battle was enormous, something that only those who cultivated Jade Heart Swords could understand.
He Jinqiu looked down, pondering whether his actions were worthwhile.
As he was thinking, a passerby suddenly approached him: “Hello, I’ve seen you before. I was with the Guardians’ Union defending the 53rd section of the defense line. The line collapsed then, and your Jade Heart Sword saved us.”
The refugee held his child’s hand: “Call him uncle. Thank you, uncle, for saving us.”
The six-year-old child obediently said: “Thank you, uncle.”
Then, more people recognized He Jinqiu: “I was also saved by a flying sword! Thank you. I thought I was going to die!”
At this moment, He Jinqiu suddenly flashed back to more than ten years ago, when he and his old squad leader had just come down from the flood control embankment.
All the soldiers in their squad wore camouflage vests, their shoes long gone, limping through the mud back to the flood control command tent. Everyone sat there blankly.
They were so tired.
At this time, some elderly people secretly slipped into the camp, carrying instant noodles, mineral water, bread, and boiled eggs, enthusiastically saying, “Young men, you’ve worked hard. You are all heroes.”
Heroes? He Jinqiu recalled that time, feeling that he was far from the title of hero.
He and Zheng Yuandong sat side-by-side in the tent, eating bread and joking with each other, laughing until they fell asleep against the tent.
Thinking back to those difficult days, He Jinqiu felt it was bittersweet.
The long street was noisy. He Jinqiu silently looked at everyone: “You’re welcome. It was my duty.”
He turned to look back at the end of the long street, deciding to temporarily stop thinking about whether it was worthwhile.
Return Countdown 1:00:00.
In the Garrison Troops camp.
“Leader, the numbers have been tallied,” Xiao San said with a low spirit.
Qing Chen hummed: “Tell me.”
“632 Kunlun personnel, all killed.”
“Original 4811 Time Travelers, 889 killed, 3922 survived.”
“Original 12329 Guardians’ Union members, 9417 killed, 2912 survived.”
“Original 46521 members of various societies, 31882 killed, 14639 survived.”
The huge number of casualties reported silenced everyone present.
The entire city had experienced a disaster, leaving an irreparable scar in everyone’s heart.
Qing Chen looked at his family, Academy Time Travelers, and members of various societies, and softly asked: “Do you regret it?”
Xiao San and others exchanged glances: “No regrets.”
Luo Wanya suddenly said: “14639 survivors from various societies have all applied to join the Guardians’ Union. The city census is also complete. The remaining population of the city is 5.97 million, with half of the refugees applying to join the Guardians’ Union.”
This was the world’s gift to the Guardians’ Union.
Qing Chen also asked the President, members of Parliament, and celebrities to listen to the report.
To let them know what happened outside the Garrison Troops camp while they were preoccupied with coffee, whiskey, and cigars.
Song Niao Niao, without makeup, her hair in a simple ponytail, looked at the young man standing before the crowd, listening to the horrifying numbers.
She felt that the young Supervisor was different from when she first met him.
The sharpness was still there, but it wasn’t as readily apparent.
Qing Chen looked at everyone present and said: “We’ve been through a disaster, something difficult to encounter in the Outer World. I want to thank everyone present.”
“I thank you all for killing the cowardly selves during the disaster.”
“I thank you all for becoming heroes.”
“Thank you.”
Qing Chen looked at Chen Zhuoqu, Hu Jingyi, and the children standing in formation.
He calmly said: “What I’m about to say, you may find hard to accept: In this disaster, you were the protected ones. Next time, please protect others like those heroes. To change the world, I need everyone to stand up, don’t hide cowardly behind everyone.”
“In your past lives, you’ve been studying incessantly at the Leader’s request, always being told that you only need to study hard.”
“But now it’s different. A grand era is at hand. If you can’t break through and progress, you will only be drowned by the times.”
Qing Chen looked at Chen Zhuoqu, Hu Jingyi, and Zhang Huobao: “Did you see Demi-God Li Shutong’s cloud of qi? Envious? Want to do it? That’s the furthest path among all shortcuts in the human world. If you want it, use your life to exchange for it tonight!”
Chen Zhuoqu clenched her fists.
Li Shutong watched silently from afar, knowing why Qing Chen intentionally provoked these Time Travelers.
He also knew that Knight would usher in a new era in the Outer World tonight!
Countdown to zero.
Return.
The world went dark, then brightened again.
While the Time Travelers were still bewildered, Chen Zhuoqu had already turned and walked towards the cliff.
Hu Jingyi called out to her: “Where are you going?”
Chen Zhuoqu calmly said: “To challenge the last cliff. Aren’t you coming?”
Hu Jingyi was stunned, then silent.
A total of nine cliffs. The final cliff, Qingshan Cliff, was reached.
Based on the challenge countdown, only 63 people completed the first eight cliffs within the stipulated time, meaning that only these 63 people had the ability to complete the challenge.
Hu Jingyi wasn’t among the 63.
This type of slow learner had never succeeded.
Then, Chen Zhuoqu asked again: “Aren’t you coming?
Aren’t you coming?
Are you content?
Chen Zhuoqu stubbornly said: “Do you want to be failures of this era? Do you still want to be protected? In the infirmary behind the defense line, I watched them die one after another. I wanted to rush to the front lines, but I was pushed back by the Home Families. At that moment, I knew that what I needed most was to become stronger!”
Zhang Huobao hesitated: “I didn’t finish the seventh and eighth cliffs. I want to challenge the last one directly. But the last cliff doesn’t allow safety ropes. I’ll die.”
Yes, the Knight challenge doesn’t allow safety measures; everyone must face death directly.
Chen Zhuoqu turned and left, her words echoing in the night: “Then just consider yourselves dead in that disaster. Only by climbing to that Qingshan will you be reborn. Remember what Little Seven brother said?”
Hu Jingyi stared blankly at the female top student’s back.
Zhang Huobao suddenly laughed: “She seems to make sense. But what did Little Seven brother say?”
When Chen Zhuoqu arrived at Qingshan Cliff, Qing Chen was already waiting there. She respectfully said: “Boss.”
Qing Chen asked: “Life and death are unknown. Have you thought it over?”
Chen Zhuoqu solemnly nodded: “I have.”
Mist rose on Whale Island, shrouding the entire Qingshan Cliff, making it look particularly majestic and mysterious.
Qing Chen handed a bag of magnesium powder and a dagger to Chen Zhuoqu.
The moment the girl took the magnesium powder and dagger, Qing Chen suddenly grabbed her wrist, Breathing Technique, Trial of Heart!
Chen Zhuoqu’s cheeks suddenly bloomed with flame-like patterns, her breath like white arrows!
A minute later, the girl opened her eyes and repeated her previous words: “I’ve thought it over.”
Having said that, she resolutely walked towards Qingshan Cliff, following the path Qing Chen had climbed, soaring towards the sky!
Qing Chen was silent. He just wanted to test, but he didn’t expect that someone would actually pass the Trial of Heart.
But for some reason, when he thought of Chen Zhuoqu’s past actions, he wasn’t surprised at all.
Then, Zhang Huobao came, without passing the Trial of Heart.
Liang Mengshun came, without passing the Trial of Heart.
Ye Han came, without passing the Trial of Heart.
Zhang Junli came, without passing the Trial of Heart.
Qing Chen wasn’t disappointed. He knew this was the norm. Not everyone can face the hardships of life.
Those uncertain hearts can only be cleansed in the process of challenging Trials of Life and Death.
Qing Chen counted: 63 people successfully challenged the eighth cliff, but 211 came to challenge Qingshan Cliff.
He admired these people. Challenging Qingshan Cliff meant no safety ropes, and death was certain, without any chance of turning back. Those who dared to stand here were true warriors.
At this time, Hu Jingyi watched his companions climb the cliff one by one, but he remained where he was.
Qing Chen looked at him: “A path of nine deaths and one life, no safety ropes, no protection measures. Think clearly before you begin.”
Hu Jingyi was silent for a moment: “I’ve thought it over.”
Qing Chen handed him the magnesium powder and dagger. Hu Jingyi curiously asked: “What’s the dagger for?”
“You’ll find out when you get there,” Qing Chen didn’t explain. He casually placed his finger on Hu Jingyi’s wrist.
In an instant, Hu Jingyi painfully closed his eyes.
Qing Chen knew this was the result of not being able to withstand the Trial of Heart. All the hardships in life would become sharp blades, cutting into Hu Jingyi’s heart.
He was about to let go, but at the moment he was about to, Hu Jingyi’s other hand grabbed his tightly.
Qing Chen looked up in astonishment, seeing the other party enduring the pain while pressing his hand in place.
Qing Chen softly said: “Don’t hold on; you’ll die.”
Hu Jingyi fiercely said: “Then let me die.”
At this moment, Hu Jingyi seemed to have returned to his childhood.
In the classroom, someone held Hu Jingyi’s math test paper and laughed: “Why did you only get 21 on your math test? Hahaha.”
“Come, let’s look at Hu Jingyi’s paper. Look, the multiple-choice questions were so simple, and he didn’t even get them right.”
Hu Jingyi chased after his classmates: “Give me back my paper! Give it back!”
In the scuffle, Hu Jingyi was accidentally pushed down, hitting his head on the corner of a desk, bleeding profusely.
Several hours later.
In the teachers’ office, Hu Jingyi’s mother stood beside him, Hu Jingyi’s head bandaged.
Opposite was the homeroom teacher, leisurely sipping hot tea.
The homeroom teacher leisurely said: “It was just a fight between students. I asked, and it was Hu Jingyi who chased his classmate first.”
Hu Jingyi’s mother whispered: “But my Jingyi said the classmate snatched his paper and laughed at him.”
“Your Hu Jingyi is really not cut out for studying. He’s been dragging down my class since fifth grade, and he’s almost become the laughingstock of the whole school. It’s normal for people to laugh at him. If I were you, I’d take him for an intelligence test. If it doesn’t work, send him to a special school. I’m doing this for Hu Jingyi’s good. He’ll also get anxious seeing that he’s not as good as his classmates. Birds of a feather flock together.”
Hu Jingyi’s mother led her child home. Along the way, he said: “Mom, maybe I should transfer schools. Otherwise, the homeroom teacher keeps calling you here. I really can’t learn.”
His mother didn’t speak but continued to lead him along the sunset path.
Until the sun sank, and the crescent moon hung in the sky.
“Mom, please let me transfer schools. I don’t want to go to school anymore,” Hu Jingyi cried.
His mother finally turned around and silently looked at him: “Are you sure?”
Hu Jingyi was stunned. He felt that this question was like a sword hanging over his head, cold and cruel.
His mother continued: “If you don’t go to school, don’t study, give up, and just live your life vaguely, are you sure?”
“You were last in elementary school.”
“Last in middle school.”
“Last in high school.”
“You can’t beat others at basketball, can’t understand football, and you don’t dare to retort when others scold you.”
“During high school review, you slept four and a half hours a day, vowing to get into a prestigious university. But you did math problems with a flashlight in the middle of the night, and recited texts under the streetlight at 4:30 in the morning, staying up for a whole year, but only got into a mediocre college.”
“You clearly realized that no matter how hard you try, you are an ordinary person.”
“You failed all eight cliffs. Every time you failed. How dare you challenge Qingshan Cliff directly?!”
“Would it be more comfortable to give up on such a life? If you had your life over again, would you continue to strive, or give up?”
Young Hu Jingyi stood in the night, his crying gradually subsiding.
His expression gradually calmed, and he opened his eyes: “Life has only just begun. If I don’t die, I will continue forward!”
Qing Chen said: “Congratulations. Now, a new life begins.”
Hu Jingyi stared blankly at Qing Chen.
Qing Chen gave him courage: “That was the Trial of Heart. Among the 211 challengers, only you and Chen Zhuoqu passed. You’re not a failure; at least not at this moment. Go. Maintain your current breathing rhythm. Soar to the sky, the sky is high and the sea is wide.”
Hu Jingyi put on the magnesium powder and dagger and climbed towards the top of Qingshan Cliff bit by bit.
Diligence makes up for lack of talent. Although Hu Jingyi wasn’t the smartest, he was definitely the most diligent among all the challengers.
He practiced climbing techniques repeatedly. Whenever Chen Zhuoqu rested, he would practice for another two hours before resting.
At this time, those well-rehearsed techniques finally came in handy.
Hu Jingyi began to see inscriptions on Qingshan Cliff.
62 meters, Zhou Peng.
83 meters, Zhao Yongyi.
At this moment, he finally understood why the first eight cliffs had such an almost impossible obstacle at the end.
Hu Jingyi looked down. Behind him seemed to be a bottomless abyss.
It turned out that there was really a threshold at the end of this road. Jump over it to live; fall and die.
“Do you think he dares to jump?” Zheng Yuandong asked at the foot of Qingshan Cliff.
“Someone who can pass Knight’s Trial of Heart can’t possibly fail this hurdle,” Qing Chen smiled. “Knight’s life is not about repeatedly conquering the world, but repeatedly conquering oneself. Besides, Knight’s ancestors will guide him.”
The next second, Hu Jingyi saw the words as Qing Chen had done.
“Life should be like a candle, burning from beginning to end, always bright!”
He exerted himself, jumping as Qing Chen and all Knight’s ancestors had, firmly grasping the edge of the cliff.
The person who had never won once in his life had finally won once.
The sun rose over Whale Island, ushering in a new era.