this infinite world

Ling Xin is a very complex... or rather, very contradictory person.

On one hand, as the leader of the rebel organization, Ling Xin accomplished almost everything he was capable of. He built a massive rebel organization from scratch, united countries around the world, resolved the meme effect, rectified the internal situation, standardized relevant systems, fought against Organization C and Organization X, and protected the most important thing: the final doctrine, which only he knew after Chen Haotao's death... Even Chu Hao had to admit that his elder brother's talent and wisdom were far beyond his own.

On the other hand, as the first experimental subject created, and also the most outstanding "Zero" among them, Ling Xin had already witnessed countless tragedies back in that research institute, so many that even the white walls he remembered were stained with blood. He had seen clones floating in the incubation chambers being injected with deadly viruses; he had heard the agonizing screams coming from the neighboring laboratory; and he had indifferently watched the remains left behind when those "failed products" were disposed of...

Experiments, dissections, killings… none of this drove Ling Xin mad, but it slowly eroded his soul like a poison, planting a seed of darkness within him. This not only made Ling Xin's actions increasingly extreme, but also solidified a deep-seated belief within him…

"The 'evil' of human nature..."

Upon hearing Chu Hao reveal the abilities of his Zanpakuto, Ling Xin's eyes, hidden behind his mask, flickered for a moment.

Amid Zhang Heng's desperate struggle, Ling Xin and Chu Hao stared at each other for a long time before Ling Xin tightened his grip on the hilt of his knife and said, "Chu Hao, apart from Li Ganglei, you are one of the few relatives I have in this world. You understand me as well as I understand you."

"So, I won't lie to you, I've always believed in the truth that human nature is inherently evil, and that belief has never changed... The reason people are kind is because they are bound by constraints, whether it's moral constraints, constraints of ability, or constraints of rules. The reason people are kind is simply because they are bound by constraints!"

"So, this is why you so vehemently oppose the establishment of the Thaumiel-class containment object classification system, and why you oppose the large-scale distribution of 'Sequence 500' extracted from the 'Saint's Remains' to members of the Rebel Organization?"

At this moment, Ling Xin and Chu Hao felt as if they were not on the battlefield of the Reincarnation Squad, but back in the Rebels' headquarters in the real world, back in the meeting where they had discussed countless times. Even today's argument was a continuation of the past: "Ling Xin, you know perfectly well how many casualties our organization suffered after 'Sequence 500' was issued... and if it weren't for your strong opposition, many of our comrades could have avoided sacrificing themselves!"

"...How could I not know?"

Holding his Zanpakuto firmly in his hand and plunging it into the ground, Ling Xin fell silent, his voice deepening: "As you said, only Chen Haotao agreed with my point of view back then, while Li Ganglei and Wei Shishi sided with you. The final vote was three to two, and that was the first time you refuted my decision at the O6 meeting..."

"But your victory does not mean my defeat. Even today, my thoughts remain unchanged."

Despite the memory of defeat, a hint of relief, perhaps even a smile, flickered in Ling Xin's eyes when he recalled the outcome. However, this smile vanished in an instant: "Our goal is to protect this world and fight against Organization C and Organization X. I don't want this world to end in our hands. That's why we keep memes secret and minimize our use of their effects, even if they seem harmless to us..."

"Morality and power have always been two ends of a scale. Without equal moral values, gaining power will only lead to self-destruction, as has been seen countless times throughout history... The devastating consequences of uncontrolled power mostly stem from good intentions!"

"Once is enough, twice is enough, and three times will follow. If the restrictions on memes are lifted as you imagine, the large-scale abuse of the meme effect will be foreseeable. Didn't you see that in the spacetime fragments before? The path to salvation you think you're on often leads to a deeper hell, and that kind of future will only bring our world to an earlier destruction!"

"Therefore, my opinion has not changed in the slightest. Every day I fight alongside my comrades, and every moment after meeting Yang Yun, I am more and more convinced that my decision is correct!"

Faced with Ling Xin's viewpoint, Chu Hao straightened his back and said without backing down, "Ling Xin, I disagree with your theory that human nature is inherently evil! I believe that human nature is good, only that external factors have caused people to lose their true nature... You only see the corruption brought about by power, but you ignore the brilliance that humanity can radiate." "You just mentioned spacetime fragments. Didn't the peaceful future increase by 0.2 or 0.3 percentage points after we issued 'Sequence 500'? This shows that as pioneers on this path, our Rebel Organization should not lock the world in a safe, but unite all forces that can be united, ignite the spark in everyone's heart, and let the light illuminate the way forward!"

"well said!"

As Chu Hao spoke, the fireball behind him blazed fiercely, as if his words were a sharp sword piercing through the gloom and truly illuminating the dark road ahead... And listening to Chu Hao's eloquent speech, even Zhang Heng, who was currently controlled by Ling Xin's Initial Release and unable to move, couldn't help but cheer.

"Hey, Lingxin, although I don't understand what you're arguing about, the main disagreement is probably about different paths. Essentially, you both want the world to continue and for as many people as possible to survive, right?"

"...So what if it is?" Ling Xin frowned, but finally chose to answer.

"Hehe, I'm an assassin, there are too many things I don't understand."

Despite being unable to move, Zhang Heng's speech remained unaffected, as if even the rules set by Ling Xin couldn't shut him up: "But Yang Yun taught me something: if you can't solve a problem, then solve the person who raised it..."

"...It seems that he is the saint who has been with you, Chu Hao, during this time."

Upon hearing Yang Yun's name for the second time, Ling Xin roughly guessed his identity, and for the first time, he shifted his attention from Chu Hao to Zhang Heng: "Different principles, but unified by force, victory is victory, and defeat is defeat, perfectly fair..."

"But the question is... can you actually do it?"

Upon hearing Ling Xin's question, Zhang Heng grinned. Even though his body was under unimaginable pressure, and blood was seeping from the gaps in his Sagittarius Silver Cloth, the young man's expression was extremely serious, without a trace of his previous comedic killer demeanor: "Of course, I, Zhang Heng... am the man who creates miracles!"

"Bullet Time, 20x Speed!"

"Open it for me!"

In an instant, the rules set up by Ling Xin were shattered on the spot, and Zhang Heng, carrying a crimson inner universe...

He had already transformed into a phantom, throwing a straight punch at Ling Xin! (End of Chapter)