Daily life of a teacher in the martial arts department

In this human hell, a place filled with ruins, emptiness, nothingness, and high temperatures, beneath a pitch-black nebula, it was as if a bolt of lightning from the sky had struck, piercing the ground and creating countless mists out of thin air.

In this deep and boundless mist, a figure appeared, walking through the endless fog, coming from the end of death, to go to the place destined for him.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is. This is the Wenren you wanted to bury no matter what."

Wang Qiushui suddenly understood... Although she had never seen that person's true appearance, and even before this moment, she didn't know whether they were male or female, some things become clear once seen. At this moment, there could be no other person standing in the center of purgatory.

"The indomitable conqueror of his kingdom...the nameless swordsman of Southern Qin."

Chapter Forty-Six: Choices in Purgatory

(PS: 52 missing)

If I were to write a novel with Ji Chaoge as the protagonist, it would be divided into four parts. The first quarter would be a story of tormenting the protagonist, which is self-explanatory. The second quarter would be a story of intellectual battles. The third quarter would be a story of farming and developing the land. The last quarter... in theory, should be a story of satisfying and enjoyable experiences.

However, at the very beginning of this exciting phase, the story encountered an unprecedented ultimate Waterloo. A character who had no background, fame, presence, foreshadowing, or hints in the early, middle, and late stages of the novel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and wiped out an invincible, epoch-making army whose per capita cost was one-twentieth of an aircraft carrier.

What an outrageous defeat this was! If I had to describe it in three words, it would be a plot-driven disaster.

It's like a Super Saiyan capable of destroying the universe being shot down with a single bullet, a master of arm wrestling who intimidates nations being knocked out with a tranquilizer dart, an unparalleled swordsman being kissed to death by an old woman, or the fourth-best swordsman in the world being utterly defeated by a country dog... That's the feeling, as if the author never planned what would happen next, only designing one route. So, no matter what, things had to go along that planned path, resulting in these plot-driven deaths that seem illogical no matter how you look at them.

If this kind of thing happened in a work of art, it could be laughed off. If one was really unhappy, they might complain a bit, or even have a mental breakdown and unleash a torrent of abuse... But no matter what, those things only happen in works of art. But what if... someone actually experienced something like this?

This unlucky fellow, who is unparalleled in the world, is Ji Chaoge.

He encountered an event that was utterly unimaginable and incomprehensible, an event that would cause him to break down simply by attempting to empathize with it. Under such circumstances, it would be understandable to others how terrified they were of the nameless swordsman from Southern Qin.

Wang Qiushui thought so too; she now completely understood.

"Wenren... you already knew his identity? So that's why you had to use Doomsday to end his life no matter what."

"Now that you mention it, it's understandable that you want to take me away. You're afraid he wasn't killed by a single shot. And because of some twist of fate, I met him, leading to a repeat of the tragedy..."

Wang Qiushui's mind was hazy, and he had such thoughts, which were of course wrong. The real reason Ji Chaoge took action was because of Ji Fenming's words about "elder brother," which would directly expose his race and true identity. As for whether Wang Qiushui would see Ying Qin Guan or bring him here, Ji Chaoge really didn't care.

As he himself said, this was like A shooting and killing B; ordinary people only see that one layer. So, superficially, A shooting is the cause, and B's death is the effect, but Ji Chaoge saw a deeper layer.

B's death is the cause; fate ordained his death, but the manner of death was not predetermined. So, randomly, A, who initially didn't intend to shoot, did—this is the effect. In other words, death is the effect, and shooting is the cause. It's not that B died because A shot; rather, B was already doomed. Given this predetermined fate, any event that would lead to his death was randomly chosen. Thus, A shot—this is the effect, not the cause.

The arrival of Ying Qinguan meant the death of B. If it was going to happen anyway, then it didn't matter. Wang Qiushui was A, the one who fired the shot. She thought she was the cause. But in reality, she was the effect. Even without her, there would have been other "effects".

Ji Chaoge had grasped the meaning of fate, hence these thoughts. Wang Qiushui's thoughts were completely different... but from her perspective, this guess was plausible: Ji Chaoge was afraid. That's why he attacked her. Although this guess couldn't fully explain Ji Chaoge's "spur-of-the-moment" actions, at this moment, she had no energy to consider other possibilities.

"At a time like this, do I still have to make a choice...?"

Wang Qiushui's face turned ashen... This was the price of not seeing through the truth.

Ji Chaoge's choice was correct. If Ji Fenming had uttered the word "elder brother" back then, Wang Qiushui would have been able to guess the truth, and what she would do now is obvious.

However, Wang Qiushui was unaware of Ji Chaoge's true identity... and she had even concocted a reason in her mind that was entirely convincing to herself. This made the question of which side to help a major problem.

In Wang Qiushui's view, Ji Chaoge was still the Black Dragon Emperor, Wenren Geshi... a great man of all ages who had the ability and the qualifications to achieve ultimate unification.

From the ultimate perspective of God, that's correct. Ji Chaoge doesn't care about racial distinctions, and he couldn't possibly kill all of humanity. Otherwise, who would he rule? It's just that he needed some tactics in the early stages of his strategy. But even if this were to be told, no one would believe it... after all, he's a different race.

Sending Ying Qin Pass over might halt Ji Chaoge's plan...that seems wrong. But things have come to this point, and who can say for sure what conspiracy Ji Chaoge is hiding? Wang Qiushui sensed it to some extent, but had no evidence. If Ji Chaoge is the one who can ultimately achieve unification, then by sending Ying Qin Pass over, causing everything to fail, would he become a sinner for all time?

Finding no answer to the question, Wang Qiushui pondered for a moment, then her mind went blank again, inexplicably recalling the girl from before... She thought the city was going to be bombed. So she sent the girl away, but in reality, Ji Chaoge didn't intend to bomb that place at all.

Her life seemed to always be like this: doing these meaningless things, and in the end, nothing changed... What did each decision, made after careful consideration and mustering of courage, ultimately bring?

If Marquis Mingxuan were here, that elegant and intellectual woman would surely say in a calm and natural tone, "The world is truly wondrous. Humans lack the courage to condemn ruthless villains. Even when their own interests are harmed, they can only cry and complain about their misfortune, and many dare not speak out, fearing they will be targeted." Yet, it is precisely this kind of person who can vehemently criticize those with good intentions. "At first, it was because I didn't do well. Then it was because I didn't do well enough. And then what? Do you know?"

But Marquis Mingxuan is no longer here, and that intelligent and beautiful woman now lies beneath a cold grave. Death is absolutely fair; it will always come. What is unfair is lifespan, not death.

"If my decisions always lead to the wrong results, then in those situations..."

Wang Qiushui dragged her heavy body forward slowly.

Step by step, she treads through purgatory, a spark drifting by, igniting her long hair.

"Ying Qin Pass...do you want to go?"

Chapter 47: Eternal Sleep·1

(PS: 51 missing)

"You guessed wrong."

When that apocalyptic light erupted overhead, Ying Qin had this thought in his mind.

He wasn't completely ignorant... Two people came to him, each hinting at something in a different way. The first one spoke in a more mystical manner, like a charlatan by nature; the second one spoke more subtly, as if bound by some unseen force, unable to say more, but the things that needed to be guessed weren't hard to figure out.

But no one could have imagined that this moment would come so quickly.

Ji Chaoge is never defined or speculated about. He always makes unexpected choices and then achieves great success. This is also one of the reasons why he was forced to leave the night sky and twice gained the opportunity to seize the world in just over 20 years.

Of course, given the environment and overall level of the Black Dragon Empire, no matter how brilliant your schemes or how flawless your plans, you cannot conquer the world. Therefore, Ji Chaoge's innate scientific talent and the legacy of the Red Emperor are the foundation.

"He came very quickly...like lightning, just like before, and just like now."

Blitzkrieg...this isn't exactly Ji Chaoge's style. He's a tactical master, not bound by any fixed style. However, in this era, as an alien race, it's impossible for him to build his territory and power from scratch through a slow, steady approach. Because alien races are humanity's common enemy, and since humanity controls the world, alien races are the world's common enemy.

So it's not that Ji Chaoge wants to wage a blitzkrieg, but rather that he has no choice but to wage a blitzkrieg to quickly accumulate resources.

It's like how people often feel that Black Dragon's tech tree is off-track, but it's not that he chose it wrong; it's that he had no choice but to go astray.

Given Black Dragon's foundation, it's not much better than Southern Qin. Even with a leader like Ji Chaoge, it would take eighty years just to build infrastructure. If Emperor Black Dragon were a proper emperor, eighty years wouldn't be so bad. But Ji Chaoge has his sights set on conquering the world; he can't wait eighty years. What if the anti-separation field is broken after eighty years? It's not that his technological path has gone astray; it's just that this is the only path he can choose. Otherwise, he won't have the chance to achieve his ultimate pursuit, his life's goal.

Fortunately, Ji Chaoge's main talent lies in biological mutation, and he is also quite adept at skewed tech.

Ying Qin Guan understood this better than anyone else. He had faced the Jue Tian Army, a half-owl army of more than 1,300 men, an absolutely invincible force. Each and every one of them was a perfect weapon, like the apocalypse, with no flaws except for their high price. Regarding this matter, the Alchemy Emperor, who was also a half-philosopher, once said that if the only flaw of something is its price, then its price is not its flaw.

And now, he has a premonition... that he will face it again.

It all started with the Black Dragon and Jue Tian. Will it all end because of the Black Dragon and Jue Tian?

Ying Qin Guan breathed softly... each breath felt like it was fueling his furnace-like body, each breath like a fan blowing, bringing more oxygen to sustain his body, which was almost turning into a lava color. And at that moment... Wang Qiu Shui arrived, asking a question that didn't need an answer at all.

Just as Wang Qiushui understood Ying Qinguan's identity the moment she saw him, she naturally understood the answer to the question when she asked it.

It is fate, destiny, and choice.

I think so too..."

Wang Qiushui's voice suddenly weakened... She whispered, "Then go... Whatever happens in the end, I can't control it anymore, Wenren..."

Wang Qiushui reached out and gently pressed her hand on Ying Qin Guan's body. An astonishing heat emanated from him, almost burning Wang Qiushui's hand. She wanted to look at him in shock, but she didn't even have the strength to lift her head. Like a drunkard who had just returned home after drinking, she lay motionless on the bed, too weak to even take off her clothes. She just wanted to stay still until the world ended.

"Are you still alive... or just temporarily alive, like me...?"

The astonishing heat was beyond the tolerance of carbon-based life forms. The apocalyptic energy had completely permeated the body of the person before them. To survive an apocalyptic attack was simply a fantasy.

"That's why I said it's a monster..."

Wang Qiushui spoke with difficulty, uttering two heavy syllables... This was her last spatial magic, to send the destined person to the destined place.

Ying Qin Guan disappeared... In the instant he vanished, Wang Qiu Shui felt all the strength drain from her body, unable to even stand, and collapsed to her knees.

She sensed that she would never have another chance to stand up... So, with her last bit of strength, she managed to turn over, and the scorching earth beneath her slowly swallowed her up like lava.

It's a miracle she's held on this long; logically, she shouldn't have made it this far. But she's held on. It's as if her short life has been paused, forced to make one final choice before time continues to flow... But Wang Qiushui gave the final choice to Ying Qin Guan.

She liked it this way; it had always been done this way for Mingxuan Hou. In the days after Mingxuan Hou left, she felt very tired. Finally, on her deathbed, she could relax and didn't want to think about anything anymore.

"Is it over...? What a pity. I should at least have gone to take that girl back. How many mistakes have I made because of this in my past life...? Was my choice right or wrong this time? It seems there's no answer. In the end, I still don't understand you at all, Wenren."

"If I had the chance, I'd really like to say something sarcastic to your face... In your entire life so far, have you ever said even a single sincere word to anyone? Probably not. How pathetic. I feel genuinely sorry for you."

"But if you heard that, you'd probably laugh out loud, right? Yes, so proud, so confident, always wearing that annoying, self-assured expression, no matter the time or the situation. How could you possibly need sympathy..."

The world before Wang Qiushui's eyes gradually blurred. The scorching air rose, and the world before him began to distort. The distortion grew larger and larger... It was no longer a matter of temperature; it was a problem with Wang Qiushui himself.

She was getting tired of it all. It was like she'd eaten a poisonous mushroom; no matter what she looked at, it would distort into something else if she wasn't careful. The world was blurry and chaotic, and this feeling of being out of control... was truly subtle.

Wang Qiushui slowly closed her eyes, and once closed, she could never open them again.

At the last moment, a thought flashed through her mind, sudden and uncontrollable. This brief thought seemed to be a microcosm of her entire life.

She thought...

"What a pity..."

There are many regrets about many people and many things.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Success

Flowing clouds.

The city was not on the path to the apocalypse, nor was it close by, so it did not witness the earth-shattering blow.

In the vast, brightly lit hall, Cain's brief negotiation with Godheart had broken down... or rather, it was Godheart's wishful thinking that there might be a chance to salvage the situation. But as the terminator who had once plunged the entire world into hell, Cain's heart had never changed. To grant a love-struck fool the power to destroy the world sounded like something out of a Mary Sue fantasy drama.

Negotiations broke down, and Cain made a ruthless move. Even though Shenxin inherited all the power of the hazy figure, she had little power to fight back against Cain, let alone the fact that she had only inherited the superficial aspects.

For those without the means, even if they defeat the progenitor, they don't know how to inherit the progenitor's destiny, just like Ying Qin and his group defeated the Earth Mother Goddess. But in the end, they gained nothing. On the other hand, Ji Chaoge, after defeating the Red Emperor, turned around and thoroughly searched the Red Emperor's memories.

Cain differs from both of these types of people; he doesn't need to do much to directly seize the destiny of the progenitor.

In mysticism, stealing the ancestor's destiny is essentially about making oneself "recognized" as that ancestor. At a specific time, through rituals involving specific offerings, one is brought closer to that ancestor, thus deceiving the "gate." It's like using makeup, disguise, or other means to impersonate someone else and swindle assets from specific institutions like banks—essentially, the remnant soul of the ancestor.

Cain, however, needed none of these. He was formless and shapeless, being everything and nothing at the same time, requiring no disguise. He didn't need deception; he was more like a thief or robber, directly taking what he wanted.

The "gate" always reacts belatedly, but it won't investigate. It's like cheating; if you're not caught red-handed, and you only realize someone cheated after the game is over, you have no proof and it's all for nothing. In other words, if the "gate" catches you, you're in big trouble.

Regarding this, neither Ji Chaoge, the hazy figure, nor even Shenxin himself had any confidence. What if Shenxin lacked the necessary resistance? What if Cain could directly view the memories of the true timeline? What if he only acted to seize Shenxin's destiny after viewing the memories? Then everything would be over. Although Ji Chaoge had the means to erase memories, it was obvious that he couldn't hand Shenxin over to him. Although the hazy figure complained that Ji Chaoge hadn't personally contributed to this event, this was actually exactly what she wanted. Ji Chaoge only needed to provide the solution; his personal involvement was unnecessary.

Shenxin's gaze was stern as she stared intently at Cain. She had perished under Cain's methods, and something had returned to behind the 'door'. Cain reached out and passed straight through the illusory 'door', grasping the fate of the hazy figure within.

"Got it..."

The remnant soul merged into Cain's arm, containing some hidden techniques that were about to be unleashed. Up to this point, everything had gone smoothly, except for the final step, which was also the most uncertain.

If the progenitors were the superior races of humans and other races, and humans or other races could be promoted after obtaining the progenitor's destiny, then what race was Cain? When he obtained the progenitor's destiny, was it an promotion or a demotion? If it was a promotion, then naturally everything went smoothly; if it was a demotion... could he successfully demotion?

-

Doomsday Base, East Side.

The Red Emperor, with his scarlet pupils, is entering.

Himura Tan's character is both brave and resourceful. He can fight four opponents single-handedly when necessary, and he doesn't hesitate to flee when necessary, never clinging to his pride. Furthermore, his judgment of the situation is remarkably accurate; he immediately recognized that the Red Emperor was there to seek revenge on Ji Chaoge. Had he harbored even the slightest bit of wishful thinking, he might have been trapped there forever. The Red Emperor's thirst for revenge is immense, as evidenced by his willingness to die rather than abandon Ji Chaoge. Himura Tan's character had also appeared before, making him a natural target of his revenge.