Then let them offer their loyalty!

Jasmine met his gaze without fear, even winking playfully and pouting slightly, looking charming and innocent.

It's as if it's saying: I was just making a suggestion, why are you looking at me like that?

"enough."

Just then, a clear, cold voice broke the standoff.

It is Lady Zhao.

She finally turned her gaze away from the window, and for the first time during this discussion, her deep, cold eyes swept across the entire room.

“If you really agree, I’ll go and kill her,” she said, looking at Jasmine with sparing words.

At this point, her gaze fell on Huiming, Lao Bai, and La Riluo in turn, and she said, "If you also mind, I can kill those dozen or so high-level god-kings as well."

His words were utterly ordinary, yet they were brimming with the clang of swords and a palpable killing intent.

It was as if the Heavenly Evolution of Order, along with those dozen or so high-level God-Kings, were nothing more than a collapsing terracotta warrior, not enough for her to kill with a single sword strike.

This is Zehime's arrogance.

But the people present also knew that she seemed to really have such abilities.

Five years have passed, and everyone else has remained largely unchanged, except for Zehime.

Five years ago, no one could figure out the upper limit of her strength, but Jasmine was confident that she could still stop her.

But five years later, even Jasmine could no longer see through her.

She is Qiu Tu's strongest support and his biggest trump card.

It was through her own efforts that she subdued everyone and thus formed this alliance.

Although Qiu Tu is the spiritual leader of everyone, it is precisely because of her that this alliance has been able to stay united.

The meeting ended unhappily.

That night, the moonlight, like water, spilled onto the jade floor of the "Destroyed Royal Court" palace, giving it a cool, clear glow.

Qiu Tu stood alone on the balcony of his dormitory, letting the night wind blow his robes.

Over the past five years, he has tried countless methods and deduced billions of possibilities, but he just cannot sense the existence of the "Supreme Path".

He knew where the problem lay.

His foundation was too complex, and his cultivation speed was too fast. Although he had reached a certain level of power, his state of mind and his connection with the world were always just a little bit lacking. And that little bit became an insurmountable chasm.

More importantly, the psychological pressure exerted on him by Jasmine and the Order of Heaven is subtly influencing him.

Even though he knew it was part of a conspiracy all along. But that's how many things are; being able to see through something doesn't mean you can solve it.

Moreover... the more he tried to resolve his inner turmoil, the more chaotic his mind became. And the more chaotic his mind became, the further he strayed from the path of order that inherently symbolized tranquility and non-action.

This is an endless loop.

Just then, as he was thinking this, a footstep came from the balcony of the room next to his. It was very light, but the footsteps on the jade had a unique rhythm.

Qiu Tu didn't tilt his head; he knew who the person was.

"Annoying?" Zhao Ji's voice rang out from the balcony next door, still as brief as ever.

"Mm," Qiu Tu replied.

Why?

This time, Qiu Tu remained silent for a long time.

Under the moonlight, Zhao Ji appeared on the balcony next door, standing side by side with him across two low walls. She wore a white silk nightgown, and her long, black hair was casually draped over her shoulders, seemingly shimmering with a halo in the moonlight.

She didn't ask any further questions, but simply stayed with him, gazing at the stars in the sky.

After a long silence, Qiu Tu finally spoke, as if talking to himself, "Perhaps... I was wrong from the very beginning."

"Where did we go wrong?" Zhao Ji asked.

“The mistake was… taking it all for granted.” A hint of weariness appeared in Qiu Tu’s eyes. “Since I came into this world, no matter what I do, I only think about solving all problems and taking control of the overall situation in the fastest and simplest way.”

"But we forgot that some things are beyond our control."

For example, people's hearts, and time.

Qiu Tu said, "Some things can only be left to nature... even if you know what the outcome will be."

Zhao Ji listened quietly, a subtle ripple flashing in her deep eyes that went unnoticed by anyone.

While the two were chatting, another charming figure appeared on the balcony on the other side of Zhao Ji's side.

It's jasmine.

She changed into a red halter dress, her bare feet revealing skin that shone like pearls in the moonlight. She appeared silently, like a night elf.

She leaned against the balcony at a distance, holding a glass of red wine, and looked at Qiu Tu with great interest, looking past Zhao Ji's back.

She didn't speak, but her very existence was a silent provocation.

The three people formed an eerie straight line under the cold moonlight.

Qiu Tu looked at the smiling Jasmine in the distance, then at the lonely Zhao Ji next door, and said, "You two chat, I have something to talk to Lao Bai about."

After saying that, Qiu Tu turned and left the balcony, returning to his room.

Seeing him leave, Zhao Ji glanced back at Jasmine, ignored Jasmine's inviting look, and returned to her room expressionlessly.

Seeing that she had been "abandoned" by the two, Jasmine was not angry. She just innocently shrugged her delicate shoulders, tilted her head back and drank the red wine in her glass in one gulp, and then happily returned to her room, swaying her hips.

Ten minutes later, Qiu Tu met Lao Bai in the palace next door.

As if he had anticipated Qiu Tu's arrival, Lao Bai sat quietly behind the table, engrossed in the book in his hands.

He wasn't surprised to see Qiu Tu. He put down the book in his hand, smiled gently at Qiu Tu, and gestured to the chair in front of his desk, "Sit down."

The dim lighting, the familiar furnishings, and the familiar movements made Qiu Tu feel as if he had returned to the time when he worked with Lao Bai in the New Territories.

However, Qiu Tu quickly regained his senses.

He sat down opposite Lao Bai.

Before he could speak, Lao Bai took the initiative to say, "I originally thought you wouldn't be so composed."

"I never expected you to wait five years."

-------

Chapter 995 The Identity of the Millennium God King (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Qiu Tu's expression didn't change when he heard Lao Bai's words.

Five years of sitting and waiting had worn away the last trace of restlessness in him, leaving only a deep, calm pool.

So, he looked at Lao Bai, shook his head slightly, and said, "It's not that I'm good at keeping my composure."

"But I know that even if I asked you in advance, it wouldn't make much difference."

He stated calmly, "Let's not even talk about whether you knew the truth beforehand."

"Even if you really know the truth, I was far from having the level and ability to embark on the path to the highest realm a few years ago."

Qiu Tu leaned back in his chair, adopting a more casual posture. "So, I might as well give you some time to figure everything out and give me some time to solidify my foundation."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Lao Bai couldn't help but smile gently. He picked up the purple clay teapot on the table, poured Qiu Tu a cup of tea, and the rising steam blurred his face.

Then, as he handed the tea to Qiu Tu, he asked in return, "So now you're sure I know the truth?"

Qiu Tu took the tea, feeling the warmth emanating from the cup with his fingertips, then shook his head, answering crisply, "Unsure."

“But…” He paused, his gaze falling on the rising steam from the tea, and said, “I think you should at least have some guesses by now.”

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Lao Bai did not answer immediately, but fell into a brief silence. The only sound in the study was the occasional soft whistling of the night wind outside the window.

He pondered quietly for a while, as if organizing his thoughts or recalling something.

Then, he looked at Qiu Tu again and slowly said, "You guessed right."

"Although I don't know the truth right now, I do have some guesses."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu looked up at him, his gaze meeting Lao Bai's in mid-air, and then asked, "So... do we think the same thing?"

Old Bai was silent for two seconds again. This time, he didn't avoid the question. Instead, he looked directly into Qiu Tu's eyes, slowly nodded, and said, "I guess so."

At this point, Lao Bai stopped beating around the bush like Qiu Tu and instead chose to speak frankly. He leaned back slightly, placed his hands on the armrests of his chair, and slowly began to speak.

"If I'm not mistaken, you probably have some guesses about the identity of the 'Millennium God-King,' right?"

Qiu Tu nodded slightly.

Old Bai looked at Qiu Tu, "You yourself?"

Qiu Tu nodded slightly, then shook his head gently. He considered for a moment, then said, "It's me. But a more accurate way to put it is...we."

He paused for a moment, then slowly uttered a few names, "I... Zeki, Lari, Kaguya, Jasmine, and yourself."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Old Bai's face broke into a smile. He said gently, "Yes. It's us."

"Or rather... at least some of the six of us."

"And among them... there must be you and me."

Hearing Lao Bai's words, Qiu Tu did not refute or explain. But in fact, the list he had in mind was longer than Lao Bai's.

Because, in the past five years, while sorting through all his memories and causes and effects, he had vaguely discovered traces of Zehime and Huiming.

At this moment, Lao Bai's gaze became somewhat distant, as if penetrating the walls of the study and going against the river of time to see the scene from a thousand years ago.

He seemed to be explaining, yet also talking to himself, "Actually, before becoming a high-level god-king, I always wondered, what exactly does 'supreme god-king' mean?"

His voice was deep and steady, "What's the difference between a 'Supreme God-King' and a 'High-Level God-King'?"

"You should know that although there are many high-level God-Kings, and they are not the only ones, they have actually reached the pinnacle of the pathway and can wield the power of the pathway in place of the 'Origin of the World.'"

"Even high-level God-Kings can obtain corresponding power from the world's epochal attributes."

“I did ask Her Majesty the Witch,” Old Bai said, picking up his teacup and taking a small sip. “But Her Majesty only told me that the ‘Supreme God-King’ represents supreme, eternal, and unique.”

"When I pressed her for more details, she said that I would understand once I embarked on the path to the highest realm."

At this point, Lao Bai glanced at Qiu Tu and said, "Over the years, this question, along with the secret of the Millennium God King, has troubled me."

“Until… five years ago, when I embarked on the path to the highest, I suddenly realized something was wrong.”

His speech slowed, tinged with contemplation, "Why...why would the Thousand-Year God King support me? Why would he protect you?"

"Why is it that every time I receive a message, it's at a crucial moment when your strength or influence undergoes a critical change?"

"Why is it that we have never heard of such a powerful god-king? We have even investigated back ten thousand years, but we have not found a single clue?"

Old Bai paused for a moment, then said with a gentle smile, "Because... He, or rather, they are never in the past, but in the future."

At this point, Lao Bai paused again, his gaze returning to Qiu Tu, his tone becoming extremely certain, "And He, or rather, they are you and me."

"The difference between the Supreme God-King and the High God-King is also very simple. The High God-King only represents the path he belongs to in an era."

"But the Supreme God-King is the 'path' itself. He is the eternal and unique existence in the infinitely distant past and the infinitely distant future."

"And why is the Supreme God-King the only one?"

Old Bai stretched out a finger and gently tapped it in the air, as if touching the veins of time.

"Because... the Supreme God-King, once proven, forever proven."

"From the moment He was born, His presence has been felt throughout the river of time."

"No one can kill Him in the past, present, or future."

"And He can also travel freely through the river of time, participating in the past and the future."

At this point, Lao Bai paused again before continuing,

"And judging from the traces left in history, at least... you and I must have been involved."

"That's why I'm so certain that we two are the supreme god-kings."

Hearing Lao Bai's words, Qiu Tu nodded slightly.

Old Bai's guess was almost identical to Qiu Tu's. Besides knowing more about the candidates than Old Bai, Qiu Tu might also have guessed why the two of them wanted to influence the past...

Perhaps he and Lao Bai were quite frank with each other.