Yu-Gi-Oh!: This isn't a duel!

The next second, this energy transformed into a massive, earth-shattering pillar of boiling flames, shooting out with the force to incinerate the entire world!

"boom--!!!"

The raging demonic fire exploded the moment it touched the ground, giving no room to dodge, and instantly engulfed Gu Qingyuan's frail body in endless light and heat.

However, when the Duel Disk popped up again with the words "Duel Victory," Yu Yang's tense face showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, his muscles tensed even more, without the slightest relaxation.

Because, at the very moment that Gu Qingyuan's body was completely engulfed by the demonic flames, a familiar and deep voice rang in his ear.

That was the voice of the gray, wandering sun that had always been inside him!

"Be careful, don't let your guard down."

"That guy isn't dead yet... His condition is somewhat similar to ours."

"But it's much more complex, and it's not something that can be easily resolved through a duel."

Upon hearing this warning, You Yang's heart sank.

A fierce wind howled, and the entire venue was deathly silent.

Just as everyone in the rear held their breath, staring intently at the epicenter of the explosion, which was completely shrouded in thick smoke and dust...

Stab it--!

A dazzling light suddenly ripped open the void with violence, and Gu Qingyuan's unharmed figure, like a ghost, once again stood on the devastated duel arena.

"Oh?"

"Aren't you surprised at all?"

Looking at You Yang's face, which showed no shock but only a solemn expression as if facing a formidable enemy, Gu Qingyuan raised an eyebrow slightly, and a light, intrigued smile appeared on his lips.

He had originally wanted to see You Yang's shocked expression again.

He was indifferent to everything in this world.

After all, in his eyes, everything here was fake.

But You Yang is different; he's from my hometown!

"You're really ruthless to yourself!"

You Yang gritted his teeth, his voice sounding as if he were squeezing it out from between his teeth.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyuan was visibly taken aback.

He clearly hadn't expected that You Yang would completely see through his deepest secret in just two rounds of combat.

He sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, "They really are fellow countrymen from the same world. My little tricks and methods can't hide anything from their keen intuition."

After a brief moment of surprise, Gu Qingyuan regained his nonchalant and arrogant demeanor. He casually spread his hands, his tone chillingly calm:

"If I hadn't been ruthless with myself, how could I have survived all these hellish years?"

"After all, I'm not like you, who is well-versed in the rules of this world."

"If I weren't ruthless, how could I have built such a massive organization?"

"If I weren't ruthless... how could I possibly find my way home!"

At this point, Gu Qingyuan slowly turned his gaze, passing over You Yang's shoulder and coldly casting it at Ling Shiqing, who was hiding in the back.

A chilling, cruel smile slowly spread across his pale, ordinary face.

"Thanks to the so-called elven power in this world, I was able to turn this incredible and crazy fantasy into reality."

"Furthermore, I want to express my sincere gratitude to them."

"If it weren't for them serving as test subjects in countless experiments..."

Gu Qingyuan licked his chapped lips, his tone chilling.

"My plans will not proceed so smoothly either."

Stared intently at by Gu Qingyuan's cold, venomous gaze, Ling Shiqing's already pale face turned deathly white, and her delicate body trembled violently uncontrollably.

Those terrifying, desperate memories buried deep in my mind surged forth like a tidal wave.

Seeing this, Xie Wan'an quickly stepped forward and hugged her tightly, patting her back gently and comforting her.

Standing proudly in the gale, You Yang felt a bone-chilling cold rush down his spine.

He truly never imagined that someone could be so heartless and cruel to themselves to such an inhuman degree.

You Yang had seen plenty of people who were ruthless to others, but Gu Qingyuan was truly the first person to be so ruthless to himself.

According to the heavy speculation just given by the gray sage within his body, the reason why Gu Qingyuan is able to be reborn repeatedly is because there is not just one soul in his current body, but also a backup soul.

The twin souls within You Yang's body were born from a split due to unknown reasons, which even they themselves could not fully understand.

It can only be roughly speculated that something happened during the time travel that caused this.

But Gu Qingyuan's methods were completely different—that madman violently tore his own soul apart into many pieces!

Each body he controls simultaneously possesses a primary soul and a secondary soul.

When the main soul dissipates during the duel, the secondary soul will instantly awaken and then transfer to the body that Gu Qingyuan had prepared in advance, becoming the new main soul.

And naturally, another secondary soul already existed in that new body as insurance.

As for those bodies that were cruelly parasitized, there is no doubt that they were all clones that Gu Qingyuan had prepared long ago.

This all sounds simple, but it's the soul of it all!

It is the most fundamental existence of a person!

He could tear it apart alive, shatter it into countless pieces, yet still maintain his integrity and rationality... This shows just how terrifying Gu Qingyuan truly is.

You Yang even felt that he was not facing a living, breathing person.

It's a monster stitched together from human skin!

You Yang's pale face wasn't solely due to how ruthless Gu Qingyuan had been to him.

Rather, it was because he had no idea how many clones Gu Qingyuan had prepared, or how many parts of his soul had been divided.

What You Yang fears most is not being able to determine how many more chances the opponent has to revive.

What if Gu Qingyuan could really be resurrected indefinitely?

Am I just going to be stuck here, fighting alongside him forever?

There was simply no time to spare, and You Yang's mental strength was insufficient to support an endless duel.

What should we do now?

He suddenly looked up, and the spatial rift in the sky had expanded to an unprecedented extent.

The once azure sky had vanished, leaving only the endless, dark, and deathly aura of the underworld.

If this drags on any longer, the underworld will descend completely, which is definitely the last thing You Yang wants to see – an apocalyptic scene.

Taking in You Yang's unpleasant expression, Gu Qingyuan simply shrugged indifferently and continued speaking to himself:

"I told you long ago, challenging me to a duel was a mistake."

"I can tell you very frankly, the number of times I can resurrect..."

A mocking smile spread across his face. "At least a hundred times!"

"Do you think you can beat me hundreds of times in such a short period of time?"

After making his arrogant declaration, Gu Qingyuan's playful expression suddenly vanished, and he became unusually serious.

He extended his hand to You Yang with utmost solemnity:

"It's not too late now, give up this pointless struggle."

Let's go home together.

"I'll take you home!"

Amidst the howling wind, You Yang quietly gazed at Gu Qingyuan's outstretched hand and the sincerity in the other's eyes.

He took a deep breath and, once again, shook his head firmly in refusal.

Upon seeing You Yang refuse again, Gu Qingyuan's face twisted instantly, his fists clenched tightly, and bright red blood dripped directly from his palms.

"Why?!"

Gu Qingyuan roared like a maddened beast, "Why did you refuse?!"

"Don't you understand the current situation? You have no chance of winning!"

What's so good about risking your life for these people?

"We are clearly the same kind of people!"

"Or are you worried that I'll retaliate against you later?"

"I swear, I will never take revenge on you!"

However, You Yang shook his head coldly again, staring into Gu Qingyuan's eyes.

At this moment, Gu Qingyuan's eyes were red, filled with unyielding indignation and confusion.

He simply didn't understand what was so good about this fake world.

In his mind, everything he experienced in this world was like a game.

Now that the game is over, it's time to go home. What is Youyang thinking?!

Under Gu Qingyuan's bewildered and furious gaze, You Yang took out decks of cards from his pocket and solemnly unfolded them one by one.

Looking at the cards in his hand, cards that had been bound together by life and death, You Yang said softly:

"I believe you."

"If it were a few months ago..."

"If you come looking for me, I might really go back with you."

You Yang suddenly gripped the deck in his hand, and the fighting spirit in his eyes reignited as if it were real, piercing straight into the sky.

"But... not now!"