Welcome to Rewind World Game

Su Ming'an finished viewing the memories and opened his eyes, finding himself surrounded by a sky full of purple-black tendrils.

Despite his emotions still being immersed in the memories, he quickly reacted verbally: "Xiao Jingsan. You want to resurrect the Exotic Species King, I can assist you. We can try to find another way! Let's not be hasty!"

He attempted to use words to make Xiao Jingsan stop, but Xiao Jingsan evidently remained unmoved.

"You've already missed your chance to break the constraints. I have lured you here, and it is impossible to let you go." Xiao Jingsan said.

"Chance to break the constraints?" Su Ming'an asked.

"I thought, at the very beginning... you might have had several nodes that could have enabled you to escape this fate." Xiao Jingsan replied.

Listening to Xiao Jingsan's words, Su Ming'an suddenly recalled the situation when he first started the game. Back then, he had faced many absurd choices.

...

Rhombus options: [Knock over the copper basin in Xiao Jingsan's hands, splash blood on his face, and curse him: "Dogshit riddler, eating my slap, huh!"]

Rhombus options: [Let Noel be attacked, allowing Xiao Jingsan to bring Noel into the Prince's Mansion.]

Rhombus options: [Declare willingness to offer a blonde girl to the mansion as a concubine, hoping to ally with Xiao Jingsan through marriage.]

Rhombus options: ["State Preceptor! State Preceptor! Where are you? Come quickly and smash Xiao Jingsan! I'm scared, boo hoo hoo hoo..."]

...

These seemingly absurd options were actually equivalent to actively giving up on escape, or rather, the probability of escape was very low.

If he had chosen these, he should have returned to the imperial palace to witness Noel's marriage, rather than bumping and stumbling his way outside. Once he returned to the palace, there was the protection of State Preceptor Li Mingyue.

—Perhaps he really wouldn't have gone to the Fairy Island.

These absurd-looking rhombus patterns were actually points to break the constraints, options that could have kept him away from danger.

Being cautious, following rules, ironically led fate to the current situation.

…So, it might as well have been better to let Noel become a concubine.

Su Ming'an remained silent and flashed the red balance on the back of his hand, executing a group judgment.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Instantly, a blood-colored balance appeared above the head of each fairy, their expressions became bewildered, and the tendrils paused mid-air. Above Xiao Jingsan's head also appeared a blood-colored balance, but it only controlled him for a second before he quickly regained clarity in his eyes.

In that brief second, Su Ming'an had already broken through to Xiao Jingsan's front, raising high the Sword of Yarman in his hand, poised for a jumping slash.

Xiao Jingsan faced the sword blade up close, raised his finger, and said calmly:

"Matrix Orders—Stillness."

Golden characters shimmered in the air, transforming into golden chains that sprang up and bound Su Ming'an's body, bringing immense restrictive power, completely different from the strength Xiao Jingsan had previously displayed.

—Xiao Jingsan indeed hid his true strength.

Su Ming'an's expression remained unchanged, and a decision-making scene that hadn't appeared for a long time manifested before him:

[You have discovered the final secret of the Louyue Nation. Xiao Jingsan is about to act against you. How should you decide?]

A triangular pattern appeared over Xiao Jingsan's head: [Use Matrix Orders, attempt to kill Xiao Jingsan. Complete "Chapter Three: Penglai Fairy Island", achieve HE: Slaying Evil.]

A circular pattern appeared at Xiao Jingsan's waist: [Use Matrix Orders, control Xiao Jingsan, seize Xiao Jingsan's waist token. Complete "Chapter Three: Penglai Fairy Island", achieve NE: Sudden Awakening.]

A square pattern appeared in the direction of the peach blossom tree: [Use "Otherworldly Notes of the Knight of Light" to escape in ten seconds of invincibility, leave Penglai Fairy Island, seeking help from State Preceptor Li Mingyue, complete "Chapter Three: Penglai Fairy Island", achieve TE: Homecoming.]

A rhombus pattern appeared in the air: [Do nothing, let the tendrils engulf you. Complete "Chapter Three: Penglai Fairy Island", achieve TE: His Illusion.]

...

A long list of ending titles appeared before Su Ming'an, and he instantly realized that the choice ahead was crucial. This game named "Louyue Nation" was reaching its end.

If this is a game, Xiao Jingsan is the final boss. Your attitude towards the boss directly determines your ending.

According to normal thinking, the third option is most suitable, the first and second are certainly not perfect endings, and the fourth option seems nonsensical. But thinking about how even that "Dogshit riddler, eating my slap, huh!" could be a break point...

Su Ming'an paused momentarily.

He directed his gaze onto the rhombus pattern and chose the rhombus option.

As with each option chosen before, he felt his body lose control again. The sky full of tendrils climbed onto his body, leaving him motionless, like a silent puppet.

His gaze met Xiao Jingsan's, clearly seeing the astonishment in Xiao Jingsan's eyes, like intricate ice patterns spreading in his pupils.

The next moment, tendrils pulled on Su Ming'an's body, the sword in his hand falling to the ground.

"Why… are you not resisting?" Xiao Jingsan murmured.

Both Su Ming'an's previous active jump off the mechanical wheel and now his lack of resistance seemed to deliberately fulfill Xiao Jingsan.

He gazed at the imprisoned Su Ming'an, feeling a sense of absurdity. It shouldn't be like this.

Su Ming'an felt his facial muscles twitch slightly, producing a sound: "At this point, do I have any other choice?"

Xiao Jingsan said: "Of course not."

Su Ming'an replied: "Then what's the use of talking further, congratulations on getting what you wished for, Xiao Jingsan."

Xiao Jingsan remained silent.

He ought to accept such an outcome gladly, for his long wait finally fulfilled his wish, his deceitful lie to the world finally came to an end. He is the victor, yet why is there nothing in his heart but emptiness?

Looking at Su Ming'an amidst the tendrils, Xiao Jingsan seemed to see a butterfly caught in a spider's web.

He didn't show any sign of happiness, simply waved his hand, letting the tendrils engulf Su Ming'an. The victor is clearly him, yet he appeared more sorrowful than anyone.

At the moment of being engulfed, countless negative emotions flooded into Su Ming'an's mind. His mind was instantly filled with countless tragic images: starving and freezing people, mothers with nowhere to seek justice, soldiers dying on the battlefield, elderly suffering from terminal illnesses...

The grievances of the royal family, the people, the wanderers of Jianghu… the lament, anger, despair, sadness, hatred, oppression, pain of millions… all sorts of negative emotions poured into his mind in an instant, making him feel as if he were amidst a sea of grievances, being washed over by countless cold currents, with a sense of sharp, needle-like pain piercing his heart, as if he himself had become these suffering individuals.

The strength of Exotic Species stems from people's negative emotions. Xiao Jingsan wanted to resurrect the Exotic Species King by first filling Su Ming'an with negative emotions.

At this moment, Su Ming'an's mental defense line almost collapsed. The pain of millions of people surged into his heart like a sudden tsunami, and nearly deprived him of his self and rationality in an instant. But the next moment, he immediately activated his new skill, forcing himself to stay awake.

...

[Eternal Dawn lv.3: Forcibly maintains the optimal mental state, continuously consuming mana points, with a cooldown time of 1 hour. During this period, you will not feel the negative effects and pains on the body, and apart from that, your five senses will remain sensitive and enhanced. (Continuing to upgrade this skill will increase the degree of five senses enhancement and the degree of ignoring negative effects)]

...

Under the influence of the skill, everything became visible down to the smallest detail.

He could clearly see the purple-black lines on the tentacles, and even glimpse the occasional gaps between their dense layers. Everything was so clear, so bright, as if the soul transcended this heavy and weary shell.

Those grievances, anger, despair — like dust being swept away, instantly faded from his nearly collapsing mental defense, leaving only a clear, sober, and rational self.

It felt like a drunken person suddenly swallowed a powerful sobering antidote. Su Ming'an's previously hazy five senses became extremely acute.

He gazed coldly at the layers of tentacles surrounding him, as if looking at thousands of grilled squids, devoid of anything but the straightforward visual impression without any spiritual pain. These tentacles, which could easily drive a person mad, appeared utterly non-threatening in his eyes.

This process lasted for over ten seconds. Su Ming'an felt his surroundings brighten, the transmission of negative emotions stopped, and the tentacles released him.

His feet touched the ground, and Su Ming'an looked back at Xiao Jingsan.

Only to see Xiao Jingsan suddenly kneel on one knee, respectfully saying: "King."

The fairies around also knelt on both knees, their foreheads touching the ground heavily, reverently addressing Su Ming'an: "King."

Su Ming'an was stunned. He realized that Xiao Jingsan mistook him for the recently reborn Exotic Species King.

Because, in Xiao Jingsan's eyes, Su Ming'an could not possibly withstand such intense negative emotions. Su Ming'an's consciousness should have already dissipated, and the one opening his eyes could only be the Exotic Species King.

As to why the Exotic Species King awoke in Su Ming'an and not in Xiao Jingsan, the doubt was also present in Xiao Jingsan's eyes, but he did not question it.

Su Ming'an sighed inwardly, suddenly feeling a sense of Xiao Jingsan's sorrow.

Because the strength in Su Ming'an's body did not grow, nor did he sense another consciousness descending. This indicated that the method of awakening the Exotic Species King itself was incorrect; at least, the true Exotic Species King had not awoken, and Xiao Jingsan might have overlooked something.

If Su Ming'an hadn't activated his "Eternal Dawn" skill in time, Xiao Jingsan would only have gotten a mentally collapsed madman, not an awakened Exotic Species King.

At this moment, Su Ming'an noticed that the Eye of the Old Days in his backpack suddenly became extremely active, its eyeballs swaying non-stop, seemingly expecting something.

—Could it be that the awakening conditions of the Exotic Species King are actually similar to "becoming a god"?

Xiao Jingsan should have an Immortal's Talisman. Currently known Immortal's Talismans are numerous, and its positioning should be the "Authority" among the three elements of becoming a god.

At the same time, Su Ming'an possessed the Eye of the Old Days. The Eye of the Old Days should be "Faith." After all, this thing seems quite bizarre, unlike any form of energy.

And with the negative emotions transmitted by Xiao Jingsan's tentacles, these negative emotions turned into "Energy."

In theory, with the complete three elements, it should be enough to awaken the Exotic Species King.

But the reason for failure—

Could be that these negative emotions are still not enough.

The grievances of the world are not sufficient.

Su Ming'an suddenly realized—why then is the world's grievances insufficient?

The Eldest Prince.

If this world were chaotic, with people in dire straits, then the grievances of the world would certainly tower over the masses.

However, the world is not like that; though not a completely peaceful era, it can at least be considered a stable kingdom where people can still live and work in peace. Although there are occasional injustices, they are within controllable ranges.

This is thanks to General Yi Zhongyu's guardianship at the borders, tens of thousands of soldiers patrolling day and night, and — the contributions made by the Eldest Prince before he was replaced by the "Windflow Arrogant Madman Xiao Jingsan."

Even though he is not yet crowned, the Eldest Prince has sent people for disaster relief dozens of times, assisting the populace with the help of the State Preceptor. As early as when Su Ming'an first entered the Tenth World, he overheard discussions in the Red Mansion about the Eldest Prince's wisdom; the wine patrons then lamented why the Eldest Prince later turned into a carefree playboy.

—Mentions of the Eldest Prince evoke praise among the common folk.

Despite only a few years of disaster relief, in the backdrop of persistent natural and man-made disasters combined with a complacent emperor, millions of families have benefited from the benevolence of the Eldest Prince. Their hatred did not turn towards the royal family. The thought of having an emperor like the Eldest Prince filled them with hope for the future.

—The populace's negative emotions were insufficient to awaken the Exotic Species King.

Thus, a reversal scene occurred.

It is the kindness, gentleness, charity, compassion of the Eldest Prince, his heart to govern as benevolent as a sovereign relies on the people like ships on water, his aspiration for a peaceful prosperous era, all his positive attributes, all his respectable qualities, and all his humanistic gleams — all these beautiful aspects of him led him into a pitiful fate as a donor for the Exotic Species King. Yet, it was precisely these beautiful attributes that ultimately protected Su Ming'an, preventing him from being engulfed by the populace's grievances, stopped the rebirth of the Exotic Species King, made Su Ming'an aware of Xiao Jingsan's plot, and concluded this terrifying plan.

The watcher of the distant dream is no longer present.

It was he who gave Su Ming'an the chance to know Xiao Jingsan's entire plan, a chance to completely thwart the rebirth of the Exotic Species King, and it was he who protected the people of the world.

"..."

Looking at these kneeling individuals, Su Ming'an suddenly felt a slight sourness in his nose. He didn't like to show his emotions, but thinking back, seeing his fluttering black hair, seeing the white clothes on him, he couldn't help but think of the former Eldest Prince.

Thinking of his clear eyes, how he tirelessly aspired for the prosperity of the people, what kind of passion and sincerity flowed through his chest, thinking of the kites and candied haws he yearned for.

Thinking of how the Eldest Prince step by step…protected everyone. Even being shackled by destiny, he still tirelessly…saved, remained clear.

Even in the end, he was the only one not there anymore.

Finally, he was the only one not there.

Within him was no longer himself. All his beautiful qualities — ultimately, they protected another idealist resembling him.

Su Shaoqing protected Su Ming'an.