As a symbiotic being, I raise children amidst the chaos.

Qianjie's tall figure stood in the dimly lit basement, with faint light filtering through the gaps in the ceiling, casting a long, long shadow of her.

She stood there quietly, seemingly blending into the surrounding darkness. Yet, though her voice wasn't loud, it struck the hearts of everyone present like a heavy hammer.

Möbius clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white. He let out a cold snort, "Hmph..."

At this moment, Alicia's clear and melodious voice suddenly rose a few decibels, and she asked with a hint of annoyance, "Qianjie, what exactly do you mean by this?! Bringing Chenyuan here was a decision made after all of us discussed it together!"

Faced with everyone's questions, Qianjie still kept his back to them, without turning his head, and simply replied calmly, "That's right, that was indeed the initial agreement."

“But now, I’ve changed my mind. I will no longer participate in any of your subsequent actions and have made up my mind not to be a part of this plan anymore.”

Upon hearing these words, Mebius, who had been sitting in his seat, finally couldn't contain himself and abruptly stood up. His beautiful, narrow eyes narrowed slightly as he stared intently at Qianjie's broad and sturdy back.

He said in an icy tone, "Qianjie, what you're doing is a breach of the agreement! You should know that it was you who initially suggested bringing Chenyuan back yourself!"

"Breach of contract? Haha, those are just empty words." Qian Jie's disdainful voice echoed like a cold wind in the empty basement, as if trying to fill every corner with his chilling aura.

"Before everything has settled down, who can accurately predict what will happen in the future? And right now, I just want to do whatever I want."

"Do things the way I want to do them." Qianjie crossed his arms, tilted his head back slightly, and revealed an untamed wildness in his eyes.

Just then, Aponia, who had been silent all along, slowly emerged from the darkness. Her eyes, which had been tightly closed, slowly opened.

But those pupils, devoid of any light, gave off an indescribable sense of eeriness. "Qianjie, please wait a moment..."

Aponia spoke softly, her voice clear and distinct in the quiet basement. Qianjie's steps faltered at her words.

After a brief silence, Qianjie turned around, his gaze piercing through Aponia and landing directly on Mebius, who was standing not far away.

"Hmph, don't overestimate our relationship." Qian Jie's face was as cold as ice as he coldly snorted, the chilling sound echoing in the air.

The sarcasm contained within is displayed without reservation, like a sharp sword piercing straight to the heart.

Just as those words were spoken, an unexpected scene unfolded. Qianjie suddenly stretched out a hand and quickly covered the mask he was wearing on his face.

The hand moved swiftly, reaching its destination in the blink of an eye. At the same time, slender fingers gently rested on the edge of the mask, trembling slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a burst of wild, unrestrained laughter echoed throughout the basement! It was like the hooting of an owl, or the roar of a demon, carrying an indescribable madness and debauchery.

Laughter echoed throughout the space, constantly assaulting Alicia and the others' eardrums, sending chills down the spines of everyone who heard it.

"Hahaha, I've always known exactly what I'm doing!" Qianjie's maniacal laughter didn't diminish at all; instead, it became even more arrogant.

"I simply made my own choice! No one has the right to interfere with my decision! Moreover, I generously granted Chenyuan his freedom..."

As Qianjie's maniacal laughter gradually subsided, the entire basement was once again enveloped in a deathly silence. The deafening laughter just moments before seemed like nothing more than a nightmare.

Now that they had awoke from the dream, all that remained was endless fear. The group stood frozen in place, speechless for a moment.

They were all stunned by Qian Jie's shocking words and actions, especially when they heard him mention granting Chen Yuan freedom, they all showed astonishment.

Everyone present was exceptionally intelligent; even the usually carefree Kaiwen had now grasped the deeper meaning behind Qianjie's words.

As for the other seasoned veterans, they understood perfectly. However, faced with such a bizarre and unpredictable situation, they were momentarily at a loss as to how to respond.

"Why are you all too scared to speak? Are you frightened by what I said? Humph! I just did something that none of you dared to do."

Qian Jie's cold, disdainful gaze swept mercilessly over everyone present, like a sharp arrow. Under his gaze, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

At this moment, Qianjie resembled a war god, radiating a chilling aura. Standing ramrod straight with his arms crossed, he continued speaking.

“This era is different now. I will no longer be subject to your so-called rules and authority, nor will I be bound by the power of Honkai.”

"From now on, I only want to live according to my true inner desires. Not only that, I also hope that Chenyuan can break free from all shackles and live the life he truly wants freely."

After speaking, Qianjie let out a cold snort, as if venting all his dissatisfaction. Immediately afterward, his body trembled slightly, as if he had regained control.

Then, without hesitation, he turned around and strode towards the door. As he walked further and further away, his tall figure quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

However, without Qianjie's presence, the already somewhat oppressive atmosphere became even more heavy. Everyone present looked at each other, unsure how to break the silence.

Time passed slowly, and finally, after a long wait, Kaiwen sighed softly and said slowly, "Qianjie is right... In fact, we should all know very well what's going on."

"I've always had this thought, but I've never had the courage to say it aloud. Because I'm afraid that once I express this idea, my master will have nothing to do with us anymore..."

At this point, Kaiwen's voice gradually lowered, and deep worry was revealed in her eyes.

“Our eldest sister is completely different from us! She is the one Master dotes on the most. Although my memories of that time have become very blurry.”

“But deep down, I’ve always known this fact clearly. I suppose Mei and Sister Eden also considered this crucial factor, which is why they haven’t woken up yet…”

Kaiwen spoke softly, her words like a gentle breeze that brushed past the ears of everyone present. Alicia and the others also fell into deep thought.

At this moment, Möbius's tightly clenched fists slowly loosened, the tension gradually dissipating. A complex, indescribable emotion flickered in his eyes.

First came a fleeting look of surprise and confusion, followed by a thoughtful and profound expression, and then a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth, forming a sinister smile.

"Hehehe, this is really unexpected! It was actually Qianjie and Kaiwen who started this."

"However, I must admit that what you two said is not wrong. Chen Yuan should indeed have the right to make her own choices."

Möbius's voice drifted over, carrying a hint of mockery mixed with a sense of relief. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly stood up and gently picked up a research document from the table.

"For many years, I have been instructing Gray Serpent to create the World Serpent Organization and to continuously collect various data, while also constantly exploring the quantum realm."

"In fact, the reason I'm pushing these efforts so hard is simply to prepare for both possibilities."

“Looking back to our time, after a series of careful observations and analysis, I became certain that Chenyuan was not a person of this world.”

"Or to be more precise, he simply did not belong to the particular era in which we live. Therefore, one day, he will inevitably leave us completely."

Upon hearing this, Alicia's originally bright eyes instantly dimmed, as if shrouded in a thick gloom.

Clearly, her thoughts drifted involuntarily to certain memories she didn't want to touch but couldn't forget, to the point that she subconsciously clenched her hands tightly.

Just then, Aponia, who had been silently watching everything from the sidelines, gently shook her head and then slowly walked towards Alicia.

As she approached, Aponia gently raised her hand and placed it lightly on Alicia's slightly trembling shoulder, murmuring softly.

"Don't dwell on the past anymore, Alicia. It wasn't your fault; it was entirely a choice made by the gods according to their own will..."

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