"Surprised, aren't you?"
A Liang also stepped forward and said:
"Actually, we didn't expect it at the time..."
"Why?"
Chen Shu asked.
"You've done too much over the years, and we've all seen it. It would be too unfair if you still had to sacrifice in the end."
"Therefore, many ordinary people have stepped forward, wanting to protect you."
Fang Si smiled slightly and continued:
"Another portion of people believe that your continued survival holds greater significance. They are acting for the greater good of the race!"
Beast Tamers have the awareness of sacrifice, and now ordinary people also possess that awareness...
At this moment, Wang Jue spoke up:
"Do you know what we heard the most?"
"What?"
"Chen Shu can be without humanity, but humanity cannot be without Chen Shu!"
"..."
Chen Shu fell into silence.
The outcome that had transpired was completely different from what he had imagined.
In his conjecture, perhaps countless people would stand on high ground, forcing him to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
Although Chen Shu was the leader of humanity, he would never be blackmailed by anyone.
As he had said, his life would be decided by himself!
By initiating this vote, he had intended to harden his heart and leave...
But now,
The decision made by the people had utterly shaken Chen Shu...
He had not anticipated so many people stepping forward, willing to protect him,
And to minimize any impact on him, they had even asked Fang Si and others to accompany him in leaving...
No one forced him to sacrifice; on the contrary, countless people were willing to sacrifice themselves...
Everything, in fact, was merely Chen Shu's own assumption...
"I need a moment to myself..."
A faint light flickered in Chen Shu's eyes, and his voice was a little choked.
He turned and left the place, his heart a maelstrom of emotions, making him feel suffocated...
Watching his retreating back, Fang Si and the others exchanged glances, remaining silent for a long time.
At this moment, they too felt lost and unsure of what to do...
As night fell,
Chen Shu sat alone on the rooftop of the residential complex, quietly gazing at the stars.
Tomorrow was the final deadline!
If no answer was given, Jie Long would act again,
This meant that potentially hundreds of millions of humans would suffer and die through torture...
"Old man, what should I do..."
A hint of bewilderment appeared in Chen Shu's eyes. The intention to leave had quietly faded.
And behind Chen Shu,
The figure of an old man slowly materialized,
The old man, who had disappeared earlier, reappeared!
He looked at Chen Shu with a benevolent gaze, extended his right hand, and gently stroked Chen Shu's head, simply watching him.
Unfortunately, Chen Shu had no awareness of his presence.
Not only him, but even the spatial rabbit was unaware, and even Jie Long, with its Beast Ancestor's Eye, could not see him.
The old man had now transformed into a special existence...
He was no longer merged with humanity's destiny; instead, he had sacrificed his own life to completely become humanity's destiny!
He was waiting for an opportunity!
Once Chen Shu began to merge with humanity's destiny,
He would assist with all his might, without reservation, to help him achieve the status of the true Human Emperor...
As he had said, he had always been paving a path to the heavens for Chen Shu...
Unfortunately,
Chen Shu had been slow to embark on the path of the Human Emperor.
He looked at the lost Chen Shu and finally sighed helplessly, his form, which could only appear for a moment, vanishing instantly...
"Can the system give me guidance?"
Chen Shu murmured to himself, hoping for the long-absent system options to appear before him.
It wasn't for any reward, but simply a hope for someone to guide him, as he felt so utterly lost...
But unfortunately,
The system within his body remained dormant, as if it had crashed...
Just as Chen Shu was furrowed with worry,
His expression suddenly froze.
He saw that crowds were gradually appearing on the street below,
Countless people were leaving their homes, converging towards Chen Shu's location...
"Huh?"
Chen Shu looked at the gathering crowd with bewilderment.
In the blink of an eye, the surroundings of the complex were filled with people. They remained silent, simply gazing at Chen Shu, not taking another step forward.
At this moment,
A young man at the very front took a deep breath and shouted:
"Brother Hanfei, leave..."
Chen Shu was slightly taken aback and was about to say something,
But then another voice rang out.
"Brother Hanfei, you go first. If there's a chance in the future, don't forget to avenge us!"
As if igniting a fuse, the silent crowd suddenly erupted into a clamor.
"Leave, only if you live, will humanity have hope!"
"That's right, we do not fear death, only the fear that humanity will have no future!"
"Humanity cannot be plunged into eternal damnation, please leave!"
"You have protected us so many times, this time, let us do it..."
"Leave early..."
"Leave..."
A chorus of pleading voices echoed through the ruins,
Chen Shu abruptly stood up, his heartstrings seemingly touched, and he stood there, speechless and stunned for a long time.
He had never, even in his dreams, imagined such a scene would unfold...
Perhaps, he had only seen the selfishness in human nature, but had overlooked the soul-stirring flashes of brilliance...
Below, countless ordinary people looked up at Chen Shu in the sky, their eyes filled with sincerity and determination.
In peacetime, they would not have made such a decision,
But now, they had endured too much.
The blood-soaked guards, the tragic souls of Long Yuan, the desperate struggle of the old man...
Too many scenes were etched into their minds,
They had deeply understood that they had always been the ones being protected...
But the strong individuals of humanity had never treated them as a burden; instead, they had maintained this protection for a thousand years...
Now, they knew,
It was time for them to step forward and protect others...
"Even the strongest will grow tired, child. This time, let it be us..."
Below, an old man, leaning on a walking stick, spoke in a gentle yet firm tone.
"I..."
Chen Shu tried to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt as if something was blocking his throat.
He could only stand there, looking at everyone below,
Their determined gazes were like rays of scorching sun, illuminating Chen Shu's indifferent heart, even causing him a burning pain.
The crowd below continued to plead with him,
They were prepared to face death, only hoping that Chen Shu would revitalize humanity in the future and avenge them for this day!