Chapter 1712: Final Chapter · Crossing the Shore Arc [55] · "You Win.
"You win," the Gray Mist Man said flatly.
"Can you finally tell me your name?" Su Ming’an asked.
"..." The Gray Mist Man was silent for a moment as the spiritual body drifted toward Su Ming’an.
Su Ming’an, however, drifted back, resolutely not approaching the near-death enemy.
"So vigilant..." the Gray Mist Man said lightly, "Not giving me a chance to make a desperate strike, truly befitting of you..."
"You know me?" Su Ming’an was surprised. "Are you one of the Lord of Dreams’ people? Did He send you to stop me? Or did I either save or destroy the civilization you belong to?"
The Gray Mist Man remained silent, his figure almost transparent under the backlash of the rules, as if he would completely disintegrate in the next second. The loss was inevitable, but a spark seemed to ignite in his eyes.
On the brink of death, he extended his hand and played his final card against Su Ming’an.
A dying man’s counterattack is the most terrifying. Because he doesn’t care for his own life, he only wants to drag someone with him to die!
...
[Gray Mist Man 1 played his last card: "Collective Consciousness: Desperate Whispering"!]
[Target: All citizens of the Ark]
[Effect: The entire Ark populace is undergoing a fusion shock and adaptation phase to a new race, making their spirits the most fragile and sensitive. This will amplify their doubts, fear of the unknown, and rejection of mutations, triggering mass mental collapse and trust breakdown.]
...
In the command center, some people began to tremble uncontrollably, murmuring softly: "Why us? Why did it have to be us that turned into monsters? Does anyone above really know how to save us? Or are they just experimenting on us..."
On the streets and alleys, people couldn’t help but start questioning: "That ’God’ came too conveniently... Could it be an illusion created by the higher-ups? Just to keep us in check?"
"I absolutely don’t want to go to a new world!"
"In the end, we still don’t have weapons to protect ourselves. How long until ’Genesis’ appears?"
"I want to die..."
The collective consciousness began to waver, the bonds of faith showing cracks.
Su Ming’an witnessed this scene, fully realizing how fragile yet resilient civilization can sometimes be. Under normal circumstances, this would merely be an internal discord, but in this game, it could cause a devastating chain reaction.
The Gray Mist Man had to die, but he intended, at the moment of Su Ming’an’s victory, for the civilization under Su Ming’an’s rule to self-destruct!
Meanwhile, the voice of the Gray Mist Man reached Mo Yan’s ear:
...
[Swordsman, don’t move yet.]
[My goal has always been the destruction of "Su Ming’an’s" faction. My "self-detonation" has been initiated, and I’ve played my final card against him.]
[According to the rules, if his faction is destroyed due to external attack, and my faction is also destroyed due to "self-detonation"... then, the only surviving faction left will be yours.]
[At that time—the game ends.]
[You will win without a fight.]
[I know the reason why you are fighting so desperately is because you know you are doomed to die, so you want to help your big brother win. But the situation has changed, and now you have a chance at victory.]
[—As long as you do nothing now, you will survive.]
[Even if he has some kind of reversal ability, and he starts this game over next time, he most likely won’t be matched with you again, he’ll be matched with someone else. And you won’t need to compete against your big brother, you can avoid this death and survive.]
[No matter what, as long as you do nothing now, and don’t play your last card—you will definitely survive.]
[Are you a smart person?]
...
The chessboard seemed to be silent for a moment. Even the sound of wind through the bamboo forest appeared to freeze.
The universe behind him was vast and boundless, and the white-haired youth stood still, eyes shining.
...No one expected the situation now, those who thought Mo Yan was doomed, as long as the Gray Mist Man dragged Su Ming’an to perish before Mo Yan, as the only victory survivor, the game would immediately end, and Mo Yan would not be executed.
Whether or not "Death Rebound" could trigger, Mo Yan would survive.
The Cang Mountain, the Long River, the sparrows, the hills of his hometown... all were vividly visible.
Then, he laughed.
It was a bright clarity, as if he had finally figured out a long-standing troubling problem.
He didn’t answer the Gray Mist Man but turned his head to Su Ming’an, speaking with a relaxed tone as if discussing what to eat for dinner:
"Big brother, I really like Gu Long’s stories!"
"Hmm?" Su Ming’an responded in a tense situation, still pondering how to play his cards. The desperate strike from the Gray Mist People was indeed troublesome, and while he could win, he had to think carefully...
"I imagined that someday, I too could become such a hero of Jianghu! White robes like snow, long sword like a rainbow, putting life and death aside for friends and righteousness!" Mo Yan said.
Su Ming’an furrowed his brows, his newly received idea interrupted again. However, the next moment, he quickly understood the purpose behind Mo Yan’s words.
...because there was no need for Su Ming’an to think further.
Mo Yan had already made his decision.
He simply didn’t believe the words of the Gray Mist People; he believed his elder brother could win, and instead of waiting to gradually disappear, he chose to land this final sword himself.
"Pretty foolish, right?" Mo Yan scratched his head. "Later, when I grew up, left the mountains, entered the game, and saw so much... only then did I realize that childhood fantasies were false. Where is the Jianghu in this world? Where is there so much straightforward revenge and gratitude? The outside world wasn’t quaint towns but high-rise buildings, and what everyone competed for wasn’t the title of Martial Arts Master, but something called ’money’.
"I told my friends I wanted to become a knight! They all laughed at me, saying that the time for dreaming would be better spent finding a job in the city and filling one’s belly is the most important thing."
"Later, I became obsessed with murder mystery games. In the world of scripts, I could be a knight who sings without restraint, solves mysteries, omnipotent... But gradually, I discovered that a knight trapped within the script is no real knight."
The Ancient Martial Families have gradually declined, and the modern city doesn’t need a knight who seeks straightforward revenge. Carrying a sword, carrying a blade, he couldn’t even take the subway. After leaving the mountain, he discovered the outside wasn’t Jianghu righteousness, but the trivialities of chicken and dogs in life’s mundane worries, many societal news he couldn’t change... He had a sword, he knew swordsmanship, but across the screen of the news, he couldn’t save anyone.
Su Ming’an was startled, he paused, and said:
"...You are a true knight."
Something bright and crystalline flickered in Mo Yan’s eyes.
"Haha, big brother—"
"I finally understand now!"
His eyes shone brightly, dazzling, with a pure and intense light, without any impurities.
"Jianghu isn’t in stories; Jianghu is in people’s hearts! Chivalry isn’t between eras; chivalry is in the choices!"
"Seeing injustice, drawing the sword in assistance—this is chivalry!"
"A promise made, regardless of life or death—this is righteousness!"
"Knowing the impossibility yet doing it, despite thousands opposing, I proceed—this is heroism!"
His voice echoed through the vast universe, carrying the clarity and passion unique to youth, imbued with resolute belief.
"I, Mo Yan, born in Ancient Martial Families, learned the Killing Sword, practiced the Protective Blade. My teachers taught me to strengthen my body, protect my home and country, but never taught me how to be a hero in this starry sea."
"It was you, big brother, who showed me this starry sky, letting me know that the word ’chivalry’ can be so vast—enough to hold the survival of a civilization, so vast it can span planets and dimensions!"
"I don’t understand elaborate schemes, nor am I like big brother able to see through countless possibilities. I only know one thing—"
Mo Yan suddenly raised his hand, pointing to the killing intent-filled silhouette opposite, as if also pointing to the invisible hand manipulating fate:
"My big brother is about to win this battle! I want to draw my sword! I want—to truly—become a knight of this era!"
"Gray Mist folk, I know you are also a knight, standing here for your civilization."
"Above Jianghu, heroes meet—then let’s decide victory with ’swords and blades’!"
"You have plunged everyone on the Ark into chaos and doubt, attempting to lead them to self-destruction, but they will still have hope."
Before his words finished, Mo Yan raised his last card high, flashing with radiance!
Clearly just a thin card, so thin it evokes pity.
Yet he seemed to have raised his sword.
That was a young swordsman, giving all his heart and soul—casting the final "sword"!
...
["Memory Imprint!"]
[Target: Collective Consciousness of all Ark’s people.]
[Effect: Imbue "memories" and "feelings" into the collective consciousness of the Ark, confront directly the spreading "Despair Whispering".]
....
—The young man holds no sword.
After entering the modern city, the high-speed rail staff confiscated his sword.
He often stood behind the yellow line on the subway platform, watching for a long time, seeing the train rushing like a silver beast, then speeding away, the car windows reflecting his youthful face.
—He watched the wind, watched the speed, watched how the iron torrent replaced the bamboo sea and pine waves, becoming the new "Jianghu". In the wind, there was no sword qi, only the orderly sound of airflow.
The era seemed like a fast-moving high-speed rail, taking away the hunger and cold in the shadows, the cold of traversing long nights, the shadow of thieves that might be encountered by the roadside, and took away the era of swords and blades, taking away the solitary romance of "killing a person within ten steps, never leaving for a thousand miles", bringing the fullness and unfamiliarity of the new era to the eyes of his generation.
It brought destinations within reach, stations still bright as daylight deep into the night.
... This is not like what grandfather said, Mo Yan thought.
In Grandpa’s words, "Jianghu" is a dark and stormy night, with passions and vengeance, promises raised on the tip of a sword.
But the "Mortal World" before his eyes is bright and lit, with everyone performing their duties, among countless ordinary people.
"The true knight serves the country and the people," the "Knight" and "Hero" have become "Police Officers" and "Firefighters". Mo Yan’s sense of chivalry within his chest can only be realized through the magical procedure of "certification".
He walked naively and grew fiercely. He became an unprecedented anomaly in the family’s lineage—a swordsman "without a sword in hand".
His elder brother also has no sword in hand.
In this society, his elder brother is just an ordinary student and cannot save the children in the news nor prevent the quiet emergence of injustice around him. His brother’s strength is as insignificant as dust before the massive societal machine. Just like himself.
But his brother has fire in his eyes.
Even though trapped in a cage, he insists on looking up at the stars. The pureness of the flame makes Mo Yan’s heart burn hot. Gradually, he understood—
—A sword can be more than just the shape of a three-foot blade.
This is not a noble duel; the essence behind it is that people are manipulated by two "Gods" in memory, consciousness, and emotion. Mo Yan knows the despicability of this battle, however, if the outcome of the battle will decide the life and death of the civilization he and his brother belong to... then fighting for civilization is more noble than anything.
Even if behind it is the vast universe... an antique swordsman seems out of place in such an environment.
But he found his "Jianghu".
No sword in hand, because the world no longer requires private armed confrontations.
A sword in the heart, because it will push the ideal towards a brighter future—this will be the longest and greatest "chivalrous act" of this era.
...
"Youth turns gray-haired in an instant. The Heavenly Dao remains, repeating endlessly—"
...
[Mo Yan’s faction Danger Value: 99→100! (You will die)]
...
[Gray Mist Man 1’s faction Danger Value: 99→100! (You will die!)]
...
The starry sky turned into a vortex, at a distant end, two cold lights attacked.
It was the destined to fall Damocles Sword, Mo Yan raised the final card, eyes burning—
As if he had raised the sharpest, most resolute sword in this life.
...
["But Mo Yan’s brother survived, didn’t he? Rather than a dangerous vow, it was more like an invincible vow!" Wang Zhenzhen’s charming face smiling.
["Mm-hmm-hmm..." Mo Yan felt a bit proud, and a bit blushed, "That’s right, an invincible vow!"]
...
"The struggle for the supreme path—what should we fear!!!"
The young swordsman shouted.
He stood beneath the false dawn, holding the last card as the "sword hilt", as if truly raising an invisible long sword, straight, sharp, decisively stabbing into the sky!
The sky glared coldly, as if rain poured down.
Unsheathe the sword!
The sword blade brings the long wind!
...
"——Mo Yan, disciple of Sword Sect’s Xiaoyao Zi, challenges your brilliant moves!!!"
...
A "sword" strikes!
In that moment, like thunder roared under the deep abyss, daylight was cut down by a sword, long night descended in an instant, and was pierced by dawn just as quickly.
In that instant—
As if thousands of swords rumbled together, countless tales of Jianghu echoed instantly.
The shadows of innumerable knights seemed to overlap with the glowing figure of the youth fading away.
The radiance devoured everything.
Mo Yan’s figure became transparent in the erupting light.
—He reached 100 points of Danger Value, passed by his brother, running toward his "Jianghu".
"Boom——!!!"
No earth-shaking explosion sound, only the soul-tingling roar.
After a sound like gold and iron clashing, "blade light" shattered inch by inch in the duel, turning into crystalline lights scattered like sunset glow.
Only the fish belly white of dawn emerged in the sky, like a curtain cut by a sword, revealing the endless deep starry sky behind it. The starlight twinkles, cold and eternal.
In the Ark’s ocean, the cold "Despair Whispering" seemed to meet its nemesis, fervently cleansed. The Gray Mist People sighed lightly, as the Danger Value reached its peak, the figure slowly disappeared.
"...Indeed, no one can stop you..."
In the extreme brilliant glare,
The Damocles Sword fell, the white-haired youth with a carefree smile, the figure shattered inch by inch, turning into countless flying, golden dust.
Like fluff blown from autumn mountain peaks,
Like hems fluttering when knights turn under the setting sun,
Like dried tears on a pillow when awakening from a grand Jianghu dream.
On the chessboard, beneath the starry sky,
Only the fish belly white of dawn was cleanly cleaved by the final "sword", grandly spilling down.
Silent yet seemingly resounding through eternity.
"Brother, now, we are true heroes..."
...
"Ding!"
[You obtained equipment (Signature Sword)]
[Signature Sword (Blue Level): Brother is not a star; brother is just brother.]
[Attack Power: 30~40]
[Durability: 2/30]
[Equipment Requirement: Two-Handed Weapon, Strength Requirement 30 and above.]
[Active Skills (Sword River): Launch a Sword Qi attack, inflicting 10*Strength Points physical damage. This attack causes a "Severe Injury" effect, preventing the wound recipient from Stealth next, lasting 3 seconds. (Cooldown Time:1 minute)]
[Remark: A worn-out sword with many scratches, the holder seems to have intentionally erased some signatures, causing the sword body to be incomplete and damaged.]
...
Within the boundless universe, all three participants have now exited.
Soon, the scene of the universe turned back into a green bamboo forest, the three chairs empty, next to the round table stood a lady in a black dress. She gazed at the last person, gently lifted her skirt, and bowed.
Su Ming’an’s palm hovered over the sword body, a thin layer of almost imperceptible golden dust fell on his fingertip.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes moments later.
Jianghu far away, the Star River lasts long.
He turned around, holding a broken sword, and left this place where no one was left.
...
The sixth round game was a cooperative game of Pictionary, Su Ming’an successfully passed.
The seventh round game was similar to Mario’s side-scrolling adventure, also successfully passed.
The eighth round game, when Su Ming’an opened his eyes, he saw Alger with red hair, and a petite girl.
Alongside Su Ming’an, the three sat at a table, on the table lay a silver-painted handgun. Surrounding them was the deep ocean, they seemed to be sitting beneath the oceanarium glass, seeing countless colorful fish and aquatic plants, a dreamy and magnificent scene.
"Welcome to the checkpoint, 031 Roulette. I’m the host of this checkpoint... Heidi Doya."
The man with blue long hair, cascading from shoulder to waist, his eye corners slightly raised, as if adorned by fine pearl dust, shimmering with a strange iridescence. He adorned in a transparent garment of woven thin silk, presenting a gradient of glazed blue.
...
[Participant (Su Ming’an), your eighth round game: Russian Roulette.]
[Game Type: Competitive Game.]
[Game Victory Rules: You win when all others fail.]
...
