The voice was extremely firm.

It made Lin Dong’s expression turn serious as well.

He only remained silent for a moment before speaking with utmost gravity, without any trace of doubt, “I believe you are Li Ku.”

Li Ku didn’t seem surprised by his belief either.

Consensus was instantly reached between these two.

And Jiang Ye also noticed—

After Li Ku and Lin Dong reached their consensus, Li Ku’s gaze seemed to sweep towards Li Si’s direction, subtly yet deliberately.

It was a casual, understated glance.

But Jiang Ye caught it.

He felt in his heart that the meaning of this glance should be…

Consensus had also been reached between Li Ku and Li Si.

With just one look, he proved to Li Si that he was Li Ku?

Or perhaps… whether he was Li Ku or not didn’t matter?

As long as the agreement between them was still firmly upheld, that was enough?

As Jiang Ye pondered this, he felt that this Li Ku… might truly be, as Lin Jing said, the first scenario.

That is, he was still Li Ku.

He really did have a means to counter-kill Sun People players!

Thinking this, he saw this Li Ku’s gaze, which had swept past Li Si, also casually glance over the group.

He spoke with a calm voice, devoid of emotional fluctuations, as if merely stating a fact:

“I only prove that I am me to those I acknowledge. As for what others think…”

“To be honest, just as you all acknowledged earlier—in a world where the strong are revered, we only talk about fists, not reason.”

“If you still have doubts, you are welcome to express them with your fists.”

“Those whose fists aren’t hard enough should shut up.”

These words indeed silenced everyone.

Even Chen Cang didn’t say anything more.

After all, this wave of “doubt” wasn’t initiated by him.

Chen Cang thought for a moment, then questioned Lin Jing on behalf of Li Ku:

“Since you believe it’s the first scenario, that Li Ku is still Li Ku…”

“Then why did you bring up those second and third possibilities earlier, needlessly leading us to suspect Li Ku?”

Actually, Chen Cang’s questioning was somewhat presumptuous.

After all, the person involved, Li Ku, hadn’t said much yet. Where did a spectator like Chen Cang get the right to speak out of turn?

However, Li Ku didn’t bother with him and instead fixed his gaze on Lin Jing.

His questioning look clearly indicated he accepted Chen Cang’s question by default.

Lin Jing remained unruffled.

He ignored Chen Cang and looked at Li Ku, speaking with utmost seriousness:

“I presented three possibilities not to deliberately stir trouble, but because I guessed many players present harbored such doubts.”

“I spoke them out simply to be open and aboveboard, to lay the cards on the table.”

“What I want to express is—you are worthy of suspicion, but I do not suspect you.”

“Because we should share common beliefs and goals.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ku’s sharp eyes suddenly narrowed.

After a moment of silence in the air, he said casually, “Tell me, what are these ‘beliefs’ and ‘goals’ you speak of?”

Lin Jing fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words.

After a good while, he slowly spoke, methodically:

“First, I am willing to accept the theory of ‘Sun and Moon Sharing the Same Guilt’.”

“Second, in my view, the most crucial keyword in this theory is not ‘guilt’, but ‘same’.”

As he spoke, Lin Jing suddenly looked at Li Si and unexpectedly blurted out, “I heard your name is Li Si?”

Li Si remained silent, giving a slight nod.

Lin Jing continued, “Then, what do you think gave Ying Zheng the right to be called the First Emperor? And what was his greatest achievement?”

Li Si did not answer.

He didn’t even appear to be thinking.

He directly countered, “What do you think?”

Lin Jing also answered without hesitation, speaking slowly, “He was the First Emperor, not because he was the first to use the title ‘Emperor’.”

“But because he used a single imperial seal to establish the absolute baseline of ‘unification’ for the entire realm.”

“‘Mandated by Heaven, may his reign be long and prosperous.’ Although the emperor himself did not achieve immortality, the title ‘Emperor’, that throne, was passed down through generations.”

“Even though the Qin Dynasty fell in the second generation, those who replaced it still called themselves emperor.”

“Actually, whether one is emperor or not isn’t that important. What’s truly important is—”

“Since the emperor is ‘mandated by Heaven’, then where ‘Heaven’ is, is where the emperor is.”

“Therefore, all under heaven is a single entity, one that must be complete and unified.”

Lin Jing emphasized the words “complete” and “unified” with great weight.

Actually, the principles he spoke of were understood by anyone with basic historical knowledge.

While Qin Shi Huang had a poor reputation in historical records, under modern civilization, he has been rehabilitated.

This is simply because, among the four ancient civilizations, only the one that instilled the concept of “unification” into its very bones in ancient times became the sole civilization acknowledged as not having perished.

Uniform writing, standardized axle lengths, unification of the realm.

For this alone, Qin Shi Huang’s contributions are undeniable.

And at this moment, in the context of this Doomsday Prison…

Lin Jing first said the key to “Sun and Moon Sharing the Same Guilt” lies in “same”.

Then he emphasized the First Emperor’s greatest achievement was “unification”.

Thus, his beliefs and goals became self-evident.

Lin Jing’s gaze swept over the group as he slowly continued, “The Qin Shi Huang I speak of, everyone present should understand.”

“However, in the distant Qiankun Land, those Sun People players, they do not understand.”

“In their world, there is no Qin Shi Huang. In their hearts lies a civilization utterly different from ours.”

“So… the beliefs and goals I wish to express, I believe I need not say more. You can all probably guess.”

That’s right.

It was what Li Si had mentioned before.

Those not of our kind are sure to have different hearts.

If this world of the Doomsday Prison needs unification…

Then, of course, this group of players who share the same civilization hopes to unify the world with their civilization.

That is, to overthrow the Sun People, letting Moon People players rule the world.

Once this is achieved, this world might no longer have classifications like “Sun People” or “Moon People”.

At that time, everyone would be collectively called people, or players.

Any conflicts or disputes that arise then would be matters for that time.

Just as emperors can change yearly.

But the realm must first be unified.

So…

Lin Jing’s meaning was quite clear. His gaze swept over those present once more.

Finally settling on Li Ku, he said solemnly:

“These are my beliefs, and they are also your beliefs.”

“I imagine they are also beliefs that all of us players, nurtured by this shared civilization, can collectively endorse.”

“It’s quite a coincidence that among us, we have a Li Si.”

“So perhaps we are a team comparable to Qin Shi Huang.”

“After achieving success, perhaps someone among us will truly give birth to a ‘First Emperor’?”

“Or perhaps, like the First Emperor, after completing the grand goal of unification, we will quickly fall, allowing the world’s affairs to develop anew…”

“But regardless of life or death, regardless of the outcome, what we are doing is a meaningful thing, a deed worthy of being remembered for millennia.”

Tsk tsk…

Jiang Ye couldn’t help but sincerely marvel.

This Lin Jing, no wonder he could gather a group of strong players back in Apartment 9999, making them willingly call him “Lin Shen”.

Putting aside everything else, just this speech of his was so impassioned and stirring.

And everyone present, including Jiang Ye, was convinced by his words.

Of course, among them, Li Ku, Li Si, and Lin Dong likely already shared his views long ago.

Only Chen Cang, after some internal deliberation, suddenly asked Li Ku:

“So, your suggestion for us to enter the Blood Pool space, could it be to have a relatively private and safe space to conspire for our great undertaking?”

Actually, Chen Cang felt somewhat uneasy.

He hadn’t originally thought that far, but now he couldn’t help but suspect…

Among this group of comrades about to conspire for a great undertaking.

Could he be the one… who is a “comrade” in identity, but actually a traitor, an “alien”?

He carried a mission given by the Mysterious Existence.

Speaking of which, was that Mysterious Existence a Sun Person or a Moon Person? Or some other chaotic and ghostly thing?

Previously, he considered that Mysterious Existence an extra Golden Finger due to his protagonist status.

Now, he couldn’t help but suspect… was that Golden Finger just using him?

However, these were just suspicions.

Chen Cang remained expressionless, waiting for Li Ku’s answer.

And Li Ku indeed nodded: “Yes.”

“Logically speaking, just now, I had no need to explain to anyone whether I am Li Ku or not.”

“But I still explained, because this point is very important.”

“Whether I am Li Ku, or that Sun People player, or something else… this represents a question of stance.”

“That’s why I particularly emphasized—I am Li Ku.”

Here, Li Ku paused, then added, “However, that Sun People player, his name is Qi Lin, and he doesn’t seem to be a pure Sun Person either.”

Upon hearing this, numerous gazes turned towards him.

Seeing Li Ku being so open and honest, expressing an absolute stance for grand unification,

The others present became less fearful of him.

After all, as Lin Jing expressed on his behalf, against the backdrop of the absolutely righteous cause of “grand unification”, everything else was a minor matter.

Their personal interests could temporarily be placed beneath this cause.

Thus, someone gathered their courage and asked Li Ku:

“From what you’re saying… did you know that Sun People player before? Or did that so-called judgment between you not only grant you his abilities but also his memories?”

Once someone started, another immediately asked, “And what exactly was that judgment? That Sun People player seemed very strong, so why was he so easily outsmarted by you?”

“And this temporary refuge space? Can we really leave here smoothly later? And what will we face when we leave?”

For a moment, various doubts were thrown at Li Ku all at once.

Chen Cang was also full of questions as he looked at Li Ku, hoping he would enlighten everyone.

However, at this moment, Du Yuheng suddenly spoke up, “I have a question.”

When others had questions, they asked directly.

His opening like this suggested his question was different from the others.

Thus, all eyes turned to him.

Li Ku, who had witnessed Du Yuheng’s prowess back in the Grand Auditorium,

And who had largely obtained Qi Lin’s abilities and Pure White Eyes thanks to Du Yuheng’s Salvation Domain,

Thus held Du Yuheng in high regard. He directly asked him, “What question? Speak.”

Du Yuheng glanced at Chen Cang and Li Si, confirming, “We’ve been to this Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh space before.”

“Some things happened then, making us highly suspect—”

“That within this space, before we came in to take refuge, there already existed an extremely terrifying presence.”

“Now, us conspiring for our great undertaking here is fine.”

“But the problem is… what if that terrifying presence is not ‘one of us’?”

Here, Du Yuheng paused, then stared at Li Ku and continued:

“Or are you saying… you are absolutely certain, one hundred percent sure, that terrifying presence is ‘one of us’?”

This question was clearly on a higher level than the others.

Not that the question itself was asked particularly well, but the others’ questions ultimately involved personal gain.

This question was the one truly concerning the “great undertaking”.

Therefore, Li Ku’s attitude towards this question was exceptionally serious.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly mentioned, “Weren’t you asking me earlier if my appearance here meant I was tracking you?”

“Well, I’m truly sorry, but I was indeed tracking you. And…”

As he spoke, Li Ku suddenly raised his hand to touch a deep black scar on his face.

Simultaneously, his gaze fell on He Yuliang, who was in a near-death state.

The next second, a single strand of He Yuliang’s hair silently drifted off, landing in his hand.

He slightly displayed that strand of hair before stuffing it into the deep black scar.

Then he continued, “And, I overheard your entire conversation.”

“Including the part where He Yuliang’s past life obtained a large amount of pure black energy here, causing his pure black physical body to evolve.”

Du Yuheng frowned slightly, looking at the deep black scar on Li Ku’s face, his eyes unable to hide his wariness.

Not just him, the other players present also felt a sense of creeping horror!

What kind of ability was this? A single strand of hair could eavesdrop on others?!

Then did they have such eavesdropping hairs on them?!

The key was, in this world’s context, one couldn’t just shave their head bald…

So wasn’t this eavesdropping method impossible to guard against?

Li Ku, however, seemed unconcerned and continued:

“Although He Yuliang’s past life didn’t describe me much, I have sufficient understanding and confidence in myself.”

“As long as his past life is real, then the ‘me’ in his past life must also have been striving and struggling for the beliefs and goals in my heart.”

“Perhaps in his view, my method of forcing him into a Confusion state was too unscrupulous.”

“But in my view, I must have had my reasons.”

“Besides that, a very crucial point is—”

“I believe that kind of pure black body, pure black energy… is precisely the mainstream energy in the grand unified world I envision!”

“In the eyes of Sun People players, the aura of the Exile Fruit is lowly, filthy, a mark of our guilt.”

“But in my view, setting aside standards artificially defined as good or evil, it’s just a mark.”

“And very likely, it is a mark shared by all of us, our kind.”

“So, what I mean is—”

“I advocate for black energy, I believe in black energy, I pursue black energy…”

“And since this Blood Pool and Forest of Flesh space could provide He Yuliang’s pure black physical body with a large amount of black energy in his past life…”

“Then I believe that presence containing vast black energy is one of us!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep