The city alarms had quieted for the moment, leaving an uneasy silence across the rooftops. Bo City looked dim under the twin moons, its lanterns flickering like weary fireflies. Xu Mang and Lu Jun remained on the balcony, leaning against the railing, the cold night stretching before them like an unspoken battlefield.
Xu Mang spoke first.
"You know… every time I think about what's going to happen to Zhao Manyan, I realize the world made a mistake calling him a clown."
Lu Jun raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? I thought you said he was one of the most shameless, self-preserving, woman-chasing idiots in the entire storyline."
Xu Mang smirked.
"He is. But he's also someone with a core of iron when it matters. Loyal when it counts. And, most importantly…"
He tapped the railing.
"His potential defense capabilities are absurdly underestimated."
Lu Jun crossed his arms. "Go on."
Xu Mang's thoughts sharpened.
"Imagine giving him something beyond a golden body. Beyond a shield. Something that could stand against monarchs. Something that could make emperors pause."
Lu Jun's brows lifted slightly.
"You're talking about Wu Ku's Water Calamity Soul Seed."
Xu Mang nodded slowly.
" Imagine pairing Manyan with an innate-level defensive talent. Something so broken the Angels would blacklist him, the City of Magic would panic, and emperors would think twice before attacking him. In the original story he was already a beast but imagine if he was a calamity bearer. He won't have the side effect's he has BAXIA a literal totem beast to share the burden"
Lu Jun let out a low whistle.
"A defensive monster… practically unkillable. He'd become the perfect bulwark for our generation."
Xu Mang's eyes glinted with satisfaction.
"Exactly. I want Zhao Manyan to be the wall of walls. The one who can hold back a tide alone."
There was a pause.
Lu Jun looked out over the sleeping city.
"You're planning far… beyond Bo City."
Xu Mang nodded.
"And we need to."
Lu Jun's voice softened.
"You know… I've been thinking about my next step too."
Xu Mang looked at him sideways.
"Oh? Planning to stay in Bo City after the fall?"
Lu Jun shook his head.
"No. After this… I'll head to Pearl Institute early."
Xu Mang blinked. "Early?"
Lu Jun nodded.
"One year before Mo Fan arrives. The Pearl Institute is the heart of the next arc. If I get there early, I can build the foundations—connections, resources, hidden opportunities. I can make sure we don't fall behind anyone."
Xu Mang considered it, then smiled.
"That suits you. Pearl Institute has everything a reincarnated strategist like you would want."
"And you?" Lu Jun asked. "You said you were heading east."
Xu Mang straightened slightly.
"Imperial City. The Mu Family."
Lu Jun went quiet.
"Risky," he said finally. "Their clan structure is ruthless. Their security is strict. And the technique you want—"
"The Innate Talent Transfer method," Xu Mang finished. "Yes. It won't be easy."
"Why not take something safer?" Lu Jun asked calmly.
Xu Mang shook his head.
"That technique changes destiny. And I need it."
A long silence passed between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
They were both outsiders.
Both reborn or reincarnated.
Both aware of how terrifying the world would eventually become.
Finally, Xu Mang continued:
"And while I'm there… I'll also secure extra resources for Mu Ningxue."
Lu Jun blinked, surprised.
"For Mu Ningxue? You're feeling charitable?"
Xu Mang chuckled.
"No. I'm planning for Mo Fan."
Lu Jun raised an eyebrow. "You mean—"
"Yes," Xu Mang said. "If we can soften her fate early on, her cold heart might melt sooner. That will stabilize her cultivation and her mindset. And it will push Mo Fan forward too."
Xu Mang leaned back against the railing.
"He'll never accept help directly. But if I slip her resources and make him 'gift' them to her… things will shift."
A faint smirk crossed his lips.
"And besides, the Mu Family owes Bo City more than they'll ever admit."
Lu Jun stared at him for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"You're insane. But in a way I respect."
Xu Mang shrugged lightly.
"We're already rewriting the story. Might as well rewrite the relationships too."
The moonlight fell between them like a thin silver road stretching into the future.
Pearl Institute.
Imperial City.
Forbidden techniques.
Soul seeds.
A generation reshaped by the hands of two reincarnated minds.
Lu Jun extended his hand.
"We do this the right way."
Xu Mang grasped it firmly.
"We do this the strong way."
And for a brief moment, the quiet balcony felt like the starting point of a new era—
the place where two outsiders decided the future of the world.