"You’ve fallen into deep thought."
"You’re pondering whether Corewell, the ’Black Mist Sect Leader,’ suddenly changed his demeanor due to the fall of ’Beauty,’ or if it’s related to the havoc you wreaked in ’Bright City,’ stealing ’Destiny Replay’ and the ’Desecrating Wizard’s Ancient Roots,’ which only made the ’Mad Creator’ even more feral."
Yang Qizhou slightly furrowed his brow as he read the text.
The speculation within the game characters astonishingly aligned with his earlier conjectures. If this is no mere coincidence, could it mean the closer the ’Ancient Ground’ and the real world approach, the influence of players’ thoughts on ’game characters’ will grow substantially?
Thoughts surfaced in his mind, leaving Yang Qizhou both intrigued and unsettled by what he could only partially grasp.
What if the two worlds truly begin to merge...
"It’s too soon to dwell on these things now."
Yang Qizhou muttered to himself before turning his focus back to his phone.
"Compared to the fall of ’Beauty,’ your gut instincts lean toward ’Bright City,’ for at the current level of the ’Black Mist Sect Leader,’ he is still far from qualified to involve himself in matters concerning the ’Pillars.’"
"Walking along streets paved with black stones, you soon find yourselves once again at the ’Black Mist Church,’ where you encounter Corewell, the Sect Leader."
"He no longer emanates the aura of vitality he’d displayed when you last arrived. Instead, his presence is significantly diminished, with a weary expression masking his fatigue. The moment he sees you, his demeanor shifts, revealing a side steeped in brutality..."
"Secret Cultivator, your time is running short. If you fail to locate the ’Taboo Treasure’ today, I will permanently seal off the portal to the ’Land of Prayer Light,’ and you will be banished from Black Stone Town."
"The ’Secret Cultivator,’ unwilling to provoke a Sect Leader, decided to tolerate the humiliation for now."
"You thought for a moment and then lifted your gaze, directly locking eyes with the towering figure before you... Black Mist Sect Leader, might I inquire about what has compelled you to urgently seek the ’Taboo Treasure’?"
"Corewell shot you a vicious glare... Shut up, explorer. This is none of your business; just focus on your assigned task."
"With an unwavering expression... I advise you to show some respect and grant me the courtesy of an explanation, lest things turn uncomfortable for everyone."
"You activated the Destiny Achievement ’God Slayer’ effect."
"You saw Corewell’s once aggressive stance suddenly falter, his eyes now clouded by confusion, as if perceiving countless vengeful spirits of deities lingering around you, even catching a glimpse of a ’Divine Sovereign’s’ shadow."
"Corewell now recognized your exceptional status, deciding it was prudent to grant you some leeway."
"After a moment’s hesitation, he replied..."
"Explorer from distant lands, under the inexplicable blessing of unknown forces, please forgive my earlier rudeness. I was agitated because ’Black Stone Town’ is facing a horrifying catastrophe. If the treasures left behind by those ’Third Epoch’ taboo entities cannot be found today, then by tomorrow, this place will be consigned to history."
Yang Qizhou’s focus remained fixed on the text when someone suddenly addressed him, "Lamp Holder, how did you pull this off?"
The speaker was the ’Secret Cultivator,’ her head tilted upward, eyes wide with disbelief.
Yang Qizhou, caught slightly off guard, asked curiously, "Huh? Pull off what?"
The ’Secret Cultivator’ exclaimed in shock: "My game character had once brought this up as well, but that bastard Corewell not only refused to divulge anything but cursed me out, even threatening to revoke my access to the ’Land of Prayer Light’ if I pressed further. How is it that he answered your question outright?"
Yang Qizhou pondered briefly before replying seriously, "It’s because my face is big enough; Corewell decided to give me some face."
The ’Secret Cultivator’ let out a couple of ironic chuckles, convinced this so-called Lamp Holder was simply teasing her. She redirected her gaze back to her phone screen, sparing no more attention for the person beside her.
I told the truth—Corewell really did offer me courtesy. Why does nobody believe me?
Yang Qizhou scratched the back of his head.
"’Black Stone Town’ is facing a dreadful crisis? The thought jarred you, immediately bringing to mind ’Dark Mist Town,’ which had vanished amidst a storm."
"Frowning, you asked gravely... What exactly is the crisis you’re referring to?"
"Corewell seemed deeply reluctant to provide an answer, but under the lingering effect of ’God Slayer,’ he was forced to grant you some leeway... Someone has managed to provoke a ’Evil God’ residing within the ’Land of Prayer Light.’ That entity has now set its sights on Black Stone Town and is desperately attempting to descend from the ’Land of Prayer Light.’"
Could it really be the ’Mad Creator’?
Its status might not be particularly high, only akin to an ’Angel God,’ yet destroying a single Black Stone Town would be well within its capability. No wonder Corewell seemed on edge as though confronting imminent disaster.
Yang Qizhou lifted his gaze slightly and noticed the ’Secret Cultivator’ lost in contemplation as well, likely arriving at the same conclusion as him.
"Oh, so that’s how it is—then let’s not waste any more time, Sect Leader Corewell. Please transport us immediately to the ’Land of Prayer Light.’"
"You spoke somewhat nervously, awkwardly shifting the topic away."
"The ’Secret Cultivator’ lowered her gaze as well."
"Fortunately, Corewell did not detect the slight oddities in your reactions. Straining to suppress his frustrations, anxieties, and uneasiness, he activated the teleportation array once again, sending you both over to the Land of Prayer Light."
"The scenery before your eyes blurred like a fast-moving slideshow, rapidly shifting as you traversed through sub-space."
"When your vision adjusted, you found yourself on a land cloaked in the golden hue of twilight. The last remnants of sunlight were fading; nightfall was upon you, perfectly timed with the transition of day into night."
"Once again, you descended upon the ’Land of Prayer Light.’"
"You turned toward the ’Secret Cultivator,’ ready to speak, but at that exact moment, a soft and innocent voice suddenly echoed... Papa, Papa! That man was lying! The so-called crisis in ’Black Stone Town’ isn’t about the ’Mad Creator;’ he’s a fraud, lying through his teeth."
Yang Qizhou furrowed his brow slightly, the realization dawning on him—’God Slayer’ only forces the target to show courtesy but doesn’t compel them to tell the truth.
But if the crisis facing ’Black Stone Town’ doesn’t originate from the ’Mad Creator,’ then who or what could it possibly be?
"Your game character has a child?" The ’Secret Cultivator’s’ voice rang out again, this time tinged with an odd curiosity.
Yang Qizhou didn’t see any need to shy away from the topic. Nodding straightforwardly, he replied, "Yep, I have one now. Earlier this morning, while progressing the storyline, there was a small accident. Something—a thing, calling it a ’thing’ feels quite apt—found an opening and entered... "
The ’Mother of Beauty and Fertility’ is an Evil God, not human; calling her a ’thing’ isn’t entirely off-mark.
It’s rather reasonable.
"..." The ’Secret Cultivator’ opened her mouth multiple times but ultimately kept silent, her face betraying a mix of hesitation and inexplicable concern.
Yang Qizhou grew impatient and retorted, "If you’ve got something to say, then say it. Don’t keep me in suspense with that ’you’ve gotten yourself into big trouble’ expression. It’s piquing my curiosity."
The ’Secret Cultivator’ opted to stay silent despite the weight of complicated emotions behind her gaze.
Yang Qizhou shrugged her off, redirecting his focus back to the game, still curious about what danger truly loomed over ’Black Stone Town.’
"’Secret Cultivator’ clearly heard what ’Dabai’ said, her gaze flickering twice as if something held her tongue, before choosing silence."
"You, too, felt a surge of curiosity thanks to ’Dabai’s’ words and couldn’t help but ask... Oh? If the crisis in ’Black Stone Town’ isn’t about the ’Mad Creator,’ then who or what?"
"’Dabai’ responded... Papa, how would I know that? It’s just that the town has no ’Creation’ aura and shows no signs of ’Erosion’ by an Evil God. However, that man carries an intense and Hidden ’Desecration’ aura, and his spirit is manipulated by an unseen thread. Therefore, he must be lying—there’s no mistake."
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