Only atop the high platform of the Star-Picking Platform did life remain.
Yin Wudao was sitting there.
He still wore those golden ceremonial robes, his posture lazy as he held the noctilucent cup with several holes burnt through it.
A composed smile hung on his face, as if he had been waiting for his guests all along.
Beside him stood only that mummified old eunuch, eyes lowered submissively, motionless.
Other than them, the place was empty.
It seemed the guests who had attended the banquet earlier—those demons and monsters who had come to fight for the Golden Buddha—had already become sacrifices before the Golden Buddha’s descent, turning into part of the golden light filling the sky.
On the other side of the high platform, a lean figure stood silently with arms crossed.
Upon seeing Chen Zhou emerge, warmth instantly flooded Jian Huaishuang’s cold eyes, and he quickly walked over.
"Lord."
Jian Huaishuang bowed and took his place by Chen Zhou’s side.
Chen Zhou nodded to him, then looked toward Yin Wudao atop the platform.
Their eyes met.
"It seems everyone has had their fill of fun within the bone pillar space."
Yin Wudao spoke first, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening.
He slowly rose and spread his arms, as if welcoming old friends or showcasing his masterpiece.
"The Exalted One truly did not disappoint this Prince. This final showdown has ultimately become a stage for the two of us."
Yin Wudao’s voice echoed across the empty Star-Picking Platform.
Noncommittal, Chen Zhou remarked casually, "The Crown Prince is quite leisurely."
Yin Wudao let out a light chuckle and tossed the noctilucent cup aside.
The jade cup rolled across the ground, letting out a crisp shattering sound.
"The Exalted One must be joking. Those were merely insignificant ants."
"Those who needed to be cleared are cleared; those who needed to be eaten are eaten. Naturally, I am leisurely."
"As this Prince said before, this world is a dining table."
"Since they lacked the ability to be the butchers, they naturally could only be the meat, becoming the nourishment for the Golden Buddha’s descent. It is the greatest honor of their lives."
He spoke lightheartedly, caring nothing for the dead palace servants or the demons who had come at his call.
"Now that the bone pillar trial is over, those standing on this Star-Picking Platform are the last ones qualified to vie for the Golden Buddha."
"According to the rules of the Golden Buddha, a winner must be decided between us."
Yin Wudao took a step forward, the hem of his robes brushing the floor and stirring a faint black light.
"Exalted One, this Prince still remembers our previous agreement."
He tilted his head slightly, his smile unchanging.
"How about we join forces and share the Golden Buddha?"
"As long as you surrender now."
"When the Golden Buddha descends, this Prince will take seventy percent and you will take thirty. It will still be enough to help you stabilize your eighth-stage Siming stage. From then on, we shall rule Gloomlight Province together. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Before Chen Zhou could speak, Cangming could no longer contain himself.
"Surrender?"
"Who do you think you are to deserve our Dragon Ancestor’s surrender?"
Cangming let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with disdain.
Since it was the final moment, he couldn't be bothered to keep up appearances. The Eastern Region would stand by the Dragon Ancestor until death.
How could a mere provincial Crown Prince compare to a true dragon?
And he even had the audacity to demand seventy percent of the flesh.
"Look at yourself now—all alone, with only a half-dead old eunuch by your side. You don't even have a decent subordinate left."
"What do you have to compete with us?"
"That face of yours?"
Yin Wudao did not get angry upon hearing this; instead, he laughed out loud.
He shook his head as if listening to an ignorant child boasting.
"Prince Cangming, you are still too young."
"In this world, numbers have never been what matters."
Yin Wudao slowly raised his hand and pointed toward the sky.
"Look at this golden light filling the air. Does it care how many ants are below?"
"The Golden Buddha’s descent requires the strongest—one who can carry its flesh and digest its power."
"Quantity?"
"Merely nourishment."
He paused, his gaze falling back onto Chen Zhou, his voice lowering significantly.
"Lord of Two Domains, you are a smart man."
Yin Wudao didn't even call him 'Exalted One' anymore.
"You should know that at our level, so-called allies and subordinates are nothing more than chess pieces that can be discarded at any time."
"Today they may charge into battle for you, but tomorrow, if they encounter greater benefits, they will betray you without hesitation."
"In this world, only power is eternal."
Yin Wudao’s voice grew colder.
"I would rather betray the world than have the world betray me."
"Instead of placing hope in others, it is better to become the player of the game yourself."
Chen Zhou listened quietly, his face expressionless.
Only after Yin Wudao finished did he slowly speak. "Are you done?"
Yin Wudao raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
Chen Zhou shook his head.
"Not much."
"Your dining table theory sounds somewhat reasonable."
"But my dining table is bigger than yours."
"What I want to eat isn't just a single Golden Buddha."
Yin Wudao’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Chen Zhou continued, "As for surrendering, I haven't learned how to write that word in this lifetime."
The smile on Yin Wudao’s face finally faded.
He fell silent for a moment before suddenly sighing.
"A pity."
"This Prince originally thought you were a man of understanding."
He raised his hand and pointed at Jian Huaishuang.
"Did you perhaps forget that within the Golden Buddha’s rules, this subordinate of yours surrendered once?"
"You see, he could easily betray you just to stay alive."
"I accepted his surrender for your sake."
"Do you think he might betray you again for even greater benefits?"
Jian Huaishuang simply stood silently behind Chen Zhou, oblivious to the world around him.
Chen Zhou waved his hand dismissively. "He won't. He was acting on my orders. He only surrendered because I told him to."
"You know I'm a smart man."
"Isn't it perfect to have him save his strength to deal with you now?"
Yin Wudao gave a cynical laugh. "You really are stubborn."
"According to the rules, your subordinate’s life currently belongs to this Prince."
As he spoke, a cruel smile curled on his lips.
"Tell me, if this Prince were to crush him right now, would he still not betray you?"
Jian Huaishuang’s face remained cold; he didn't even bother to lift an eyelid.
Chen Zhou smiled.
"Give it a try then."
A fierce glint appeared in Yin Wudao’s eyes. How could anyone in this world not fear death?
He didn't believe it.
With a thought, Yin Wudao activated the rule-power branded into Jian Huaishuang by the Golden Buddha.
Crack—
A faint shattering sound rang out.
Jian Huaishuang’s body suddenly stiffened, and then, like a piece of shattered porcelain, he rapidly disintegrated from head to toe, turning into countless tiny paper scraps that drifted into the air.
The wind blew, and the paper scraps swirled before scattering across the ground.
The expressions of Cangming and Tuoba Feng changed.
Seeing this, the smile returned to Yin Wudao’s lips.
"Indeed, he was a loyally foolish, good sword."
"Though it seems you don't care much for your subordinates either."
"You see? How can the rules of the Golden Buddha be defied?"
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