《I'm bombarding the Supernatural World with my firearms》


 Chapter 1: 1: No Tolerance for Cowardice!

    Fengtian City.


    Early November, the weather grew cooler, signifying the entrance of autumn.


    Following the end of a significant event not long ago, numerous materials poured out from the secret realms, filling the city streets with the cries of vendors at this time.


    "Freshly released E-grade material ''Red-haired Jiu Long Yan,'' essential for the ''Driver'' upation promotion, limited offer of 50k credit points! Only one avable, firste first served!!"


    "Extremely rare F-grade material ''Fox-Tail Grass,'' excellent forging material, the perfect choice for crafting your divine weapon!"


    "The finest professional legacies..."


    Within the Seventh District, countless shop owners stuck their heads out, eagerly shouting at the passersby on the streets.


    Many customers stood at the doorsteps of the shops, their faces full of indecision, evidently having to carefully consider which to purchase due to their modest budgets.


    "..."


    Chen Miao squatted on the steps of a dark alley opposite the Drum Tower District, squinting slightly, absentmindedly toying with the Jade Amulet of Safety in his hand, observing the scene outside.


    Having been in this world for seven days, he was preparing for his first foray into a secret realm.


    He had to make sure his preparations were absolutely thorough.


    Yes.


    He had traveled through time.


    Seven days ago, he traversed to this world, his body included,nding stark naked without even a stitch of clothing, save for the Jade Amulet of Safety that he had been wearing on him which made the journey too.


    Before consciousness was swallowed by darkness, he vaguely remembered the shocked cries from people nearby, and when he instinctively looked up, he saw a coconut growingrger andrger.


    "Thud"


    The next second¡ª


    His vision went ck, and he found himself in this world.


    He had lived to 24 years old in his previous life and never imagined he would experience something like traveling to another world, much like he never anticipated being killed by a falling coconut while traveling abroad, the twists and turns of life presenting endless surprises.


    This world wasrgely simr to his previous life, but the biggest difference was that this world boasted a multitude of supernatural upations and ordinary lifestyle ones, along with countless secret realms around the globe. By surviving an excursion into the secret realms, one could acquire materials to forge weapons, level up professions or even get promoted.


    In this world.


    Almost everyone had a profession.


    Students had the ''Student'' profession, which significantly boosted memory retention, known as the simplest upation to activate, yet one of the hardest to level up.


    Workers had professions like ''Bricyer'' and ''Carpenter,'' with corresponding skills that improved with repeatedbor.


    Even ''Deliveryman'' and ''Driver'' had their corresponding upations.


    All these were known as lifestyle upations, while those withbat abilities like ''Bandit,'' ''Thief,'' ''Martial Artist,'' and others were referred to as supernatural upations.


    Lifestyle upations were responsible for maintaining the normal operation of society, while those with supernatural upations often opted to gather materials from secret realms or escort and protect otherpanies, as well as fend off invasions from foreign races.


    The E-grade material ''Red-haired Jiu Long Yan,'' necessary for the ''Driver'' profession promotion and also a vitalponent for a ''Bandit''s'' promotion, fetched a high price of 50k credit pointsrgely because of this reason, but this was something that couldn''t be openly advertised.


    At least, it wasn''t appropriate to mention it inmercials.


    ...


    "Hu."


    Chen Miao, squatting in the dim alleyway, tucked the Jade Talisman of Safety back into his bosom, looking at the semi-transparent panel in front of him.


    ''yer Name'': Chen Miao.


    ''yer Level'': 0 (0/100)


    ''Profession Name'': Gunman (Pending Activation)


    ''upation Exclusive'': Ability to use firearms.


    ''Attribute Panel'': Detailed body attributes panel activates after breaking through level 0.


    ''upation Activation Conditions'':


    1: Craft a personal F-grade weapon ''Python R6 Revolver.'' Required materials¡ªF-grade material ''Fox-Tail Grass'' *2, F-grade material ''Saltpeter'' *2.


    2: Complete a secret realm.


    3: Spend 200 Star Coins.


    -


    To safely make his way alive out of a secret realm, it was urgent to craft the personal F-grade weapon ''Python R6 Revolver.'' Having such a defensive tool would greatly increase his safety, but the issue was that the sum of materials needed to craft this weapon totaled 12k credit points.


    As for him, he was t broke.


    Due to having an unregistered residence, he didn''t even possess the watch used to pay with credit points.


    How to obtain 12k credit points was a problem.


    And ''Gunman'' was the supernatural profession he had chosen; in this world, every person could activate an upation, with each upation varying in the difficulty of activation.


    When he first arrived, he borrowed clothes from a passerby in a dark alley at night. As day broke, he rushed to the city library to learn about the history of this world, swearing he had never been so eager to learn history!


    Thus, he gained a deeper understanding of this world known as Blue Star and learned much fragmented, non-systematic knowledge.


    For instance, one of the lifestyle upations was called ''Person of Leisure.''


    The activation condition was quite simple¡ªjust have no ie for seven consecutive days, and one could meet the requirement for activating this profession. The effect of this upation was that if a yer''s monthly ie did not reach 6k credit points, it would be topped up to that amount.


    If more than 6k, then the extra credit points above 6k will be deducted.


    Every day, 200 credit points are automatically credited upon waking up, and one can never enter secret domains, upgrade professions, craft weapons or learn skills; this profession cannot be promoted, and it is forbidden to participate in major events, etc.


    To be honest.


    At that time, he was tempted.


    The currency in this world is basically on par with purchasing power in his original world. Earning 200 credit points every day, that''s a monthly ie of 6k, and he didn''t have to do anything. Just lying at home would suffice. It was like the dream job for a cker.


    It was just a shame that this profession could only be chosen and activated by citizens who had lived in Broken Pot City for more than 3 years, and upon checking the distance, it was quite far.


    And the first step to fitting into this world was to choose a profession. Although professions can be changed and retrained, ites with a great cost, akin to starting all over again, so choosing the first profession had to be done with great care and caution.


    After a lot of deliberation, he chose the Gunman Profession.


    This was a distinctive profession in Fengtian City. Once upon a time, it was a popr profession here, but for various reasons, it had gradually declined and was now no longer chosen by anyone. The reason why he chose this profession was also very simple.


    First, he loved the charm of firearms.


    Second... there was no other choice.


    The Legacy Books for other Supernatural upations were all very expensive, okay? It was only the Gunman''s Legacy Book that he found in a trash can.


    As for Lifestyle upations?


    He didn''t consider them.


    Having been given a second chance at life, not trying something new and continuing to work nine-to-nine? Was that really embracing a new world, or was it like going to hell to embrace torture?


    "Miao!"


    Just then.


    An excited and urgent voice rang out beside Chen Miao''s ear, interrupting his drifting thoughts. He saw a thin man hastily stepping into the alley anding over, his eyes filled with uncontroble excitement and he whispered in a hoarse voice.


    "Everything went smoothly, it''s done!"


    Yes.


    No money to buy materials means no materials to craft weapons, no weapons mean no ess to secret domains, no ess to secret domains means no materials, no money, no experience, and with no money, no materials, no experience... eventually, people would be gone.


    It''s a perfect Mobius strip to an extreme.


    And the only way to break this cycle¡ª


    Is, to get money!


    After carefully reading through the penal code of this world in the library, he made his first decision in the new world, to lead a team and make big money.


    Getting 12k credit points in a short time isn''t hard ording to the penal code, there are quite a few ways.


    And at that moment.


    ''Ding, city-wide announcement from Fengtian City, the next major event in Fengtian City is abat event, named ''Coward''s Special''.


    ''All citizens aged 18 to 60, possessing a Supernatural upation of no higher than level 3, will be forcibly teleported to participate in this major event.''


    ''Please all eligible citizens prepare.''


    ''Ding...''


    It was broadcast three times in a row.


    And this electronic synthetic voice echoed in the ears of all citizens within Fengtian City, including Chen Miao.


    "..."


    As this voice sounded, Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly. Progress had to be eleratedst time during thebat event, several hundred citizens from Fengtian City who participated had died.


    With his current strength being forcibly teleported to abat event, he didn''t think he would survive.


    He had to get himself fully equipped from head to toe.


    He looked up at the darkening sky.


    Under the dark clouds above Fengtian City, there was a giant countdown in glowing letters.


    ''Time left until the next major event ''Coward''s Special'' begins¡ª168 hours.''


    "Phew!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, looked at the excited man who had dashed beside him, and took a business card from him, "You''ve negotiated this clinic? At what price?"


    "3,000 per day."


    The man in front of him still had excitement on his face, but doubt lingered in his eyes, "But Miao, why do we need to spend 3,000 credit points to rent an andrology clinic for a day?"


    "Although it''s credit first, paymentter, if we get caught while running away, it could be quite painful."


    "Ever heard of ''using a chicken toy eggs''? Rent a clinic and perform some skinning."


    Chen Miao looked down at the ''Big Sunflower Andrology Clinic'' business card in his hand, nced at its detailed address, and then strode out of the alley, heading towards the outside of Seventh District, "Follow me, we don''t have much time left, we need to speed things up."


    "Oh, oh."


    The man didn''t say much and hurried to keep up, scanning the surroundings curiously, "Can skinning really make big money?"


    "Theoretically, no."


    "Ah?"


    "But we don''t follow theory, we follow practice."

 Chapter 2: 2: "Big Sunflower Andrology Clinic".

    "We''re almost there."


    Chen Miao looked down at the business card in his hand. Aside from the especiallyrge font spelling "Big Sunflower Andrology Clinic," there was also the face of a middle-aged man in a whiteb coat, which looked somewhat greasy.


    Beside it, his own watchmunication number was noted.


    Since he was a child, he had one fairly good quality: his memory was quite good.


    Of course, it wasn''t as exaggerated as hyperthymesia; he couldn''t remember every single detail of what he saw, but as long as he put his mind to it, he basically wouldn''t forget things in a short time. Over the past seven days, he might not have traversed the entirety of Fengtian City, but at least he hadbed through this district.


    The street signs were all imprinted in his brain, so there was no way he''d get lost.


    As for the man following beside him.


    He was called Hungry Monkey.


    They had met a few days ago. Hungry Monkey was aborer who usually didn''t have any steady work¡ªhe survived job to job, sometimes satisfied, more often hungry.


    When Chen Miao first arrived in this world, he was a typical unregistered resident.


    He had no household registration, no identity; even his clothes were "borrowed" in the dead of night, and hecked even a watch, making it absolutely impossible to blend into society normally. Getting food was a problem, but what was that saying again¡ªyou can''t be peed to death if you''re alive?


    He chose a lunchtime rush hour to approach a fast food chain next to an office building. At the door, he picked up a discarded receipt from the trash bin and strutted into the fast food joint with it.


    He argued with the staff that he had just bought a rice dish here, but there were bugs in it, demanding a remake.


    Just like that.


    He obtained a green pepper pork rice dish.


    And this whole scene was witnessed by Hungry Monkey, who was loitering aimlessly at the entrance. In that moment, it seemed as though he had discovered a new world, and decided he must try this himself¡ªeven if using the same trick in the same ce on the same day might be inappropriate.


    Hungry Monkey considered himself quite clever.


    A bit brainy.


    He then picked up a receipt from the entrance of a nearby mom-and-pop noodle shop and charged in, loudlyining about bugs in his noodles. And that... got him loudly berated and kicked out by the owner on the spot.


    Hungry Monkey knew he was a bit clever, but not very much so.


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao was squatting by the roadside, relishing his rice dish, when he had a chance encounter with a dejected and puzzled Hungry Monkey, who had just been ejected. For a second, it even seemed like he could see the tears in Hungry Monkey''s eyes.


    Since then, Hungry Monkey had been following him, expressing a desire to learn the trick.


    Why could Chen Miao seed when he could not?


    Chen Miao hadn''t refused, so Hungry Monkey had been sticking with him ever since.


    Having someone around did make things a lot more convenient. How did that saying go again¡ªif you can''t lead a team, you''ll work yourself to death right here.


    ...


    "We''re here!"


    Chen Miao stopped in front of a clinic that looked somewhat run-down. It was a ground-level shop in an old residential area, two stories high, with an appearance that seemed rather outdated, though it was very clean, without a speck of dust.


    It was apparent the owner cared a great deal about the image of his clinic.


    A sign was hung above.


    "Big Sunflower Andrology Clinic."


    However, the first character, "Big," clearly had beenter added with a piece of tarp, not part of the original signage.


    This clinic didn''t seem to have any other employees; just a doctor in a whiteb coat sitting inside. When he saw Chen Miao and hispanion pause at the entrance, the doctor''s eyes instantly lit up, and he rushed out, grasping Chen Miao''s right hand firmly and shaking it vigorously, while a lookmon to that of spotting a potential mark spread across his cheeks.


    "You''re Chen Miao, right?"


    "I heard from your men that you''re out experiencing life, renting my clinic for a day to get a sense of running a clinic, correct?"


    "I''ve got it all arranged with your people."


    "From this evening until tomorrow evening, all the clinic''s revenue goes to me, and you also have to pay me 3,000 credit points for the rental fee, is that right?"


    "That''s not correct."


    Chen Miao stepped into the clinic, nced around at the interior, where the familiar smell of disinfectant lingered in the air; it was rudimentary but tidy. He then looked at the greasy middle-aged man in front of him and said softly,


    "After deducting your daily operating costs and normal profits, the rest of the revenue is mine."


    "For example, if your clinic charges 50 points for a patient''s IV on a normal day, but today the patient spends 100 credit points on that IV, then 50 of those points are yours, and the remaining 50 points are mine."


    "Do you understand?"


    "Absolutely!"


    The greasy middle-aged man gazed at Chen Miao, grinning like he was staring at a simpleton, nodding his head like a pecking rooster, and he could barely control his smile from stretching ear to ear.


    It was as good as making tomorrow''s money without fail, plus an extra 3,000 in rental fees.


    Where can one find such a good deal?


    It soundsplicated, but essentially, it meant that any surplus from the marked-up business must go to Chen Miao, which is pure nonsense. The clinic isn''t a hospital; the prices are clear-cut. If your prices are higher here, people will just walk a few steps more to the clinic next door.


    What serious illness can one get that they can''t manage to walk those few extra steps to the clinic?


    If it were so easy to mark up prices, he wouldn''t be in a situation where he can''t even scrape together next month''s rent.


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao nodded slightly and then sat on a chair inside the clinic, looking at the middle-aged man in front of him: "Are you the boss? Where''s the doctor?"


    "I am, it''s just me in this clinic, I take care of everything."


    "Just you?"


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows knit slightly as he nced outside: "Doesn''t your sign out front say you''re open 24h? How can you operate 24 hours a day by yourself?"


    "I sleep on the counter at night. If a patientes, they tap on the counter, and I wake up."


    "¡­"


    Chen Miao was somewhat silent and didn''t speak. This guy was truly desperate. If even such a person couldn''t make money, it further proved that when the marketcks demand, no matter how hard the content producer tries, it''s futile.


    Effort doesn''t change fate.


    That saying isn''t entirely true either. At the very least, excessive effort can make your life shorter, which, from a certain perspective, is also changing fate.


    For instance, the situation of the clinic was such that the market demand was too low and it wasn''t the first choice when there was demand.


    The solution naturally is to prescribe the right remedy.


    Creating market demand generally falls into two types: the first is creating hard demand, which directly involves tricks in the nearbymunity, such as on the door handles of security doors or on elevator buttons with flyers, thereby greatly increasing the chances of the surrounding people catching colds or falling ill.


    Isn''t that hard demand there?


    The second type is creating soft demand, which is more troublesome. It''s more or less about promoting to the nearby residents that drinking some anti-inmmatory drugs before autumn can effectively prevent colds and diseases, or cross-branding cold medicine with coffee, and so on. Through public opinion, manufacturing social needs, expressions of filial piety, love for girlfriends, etc. But such tactics aren''t well suited for a clinic whose customer base is limited to the nearbymunity and that looks like it''s on the verge of closing down.


    Especially an andrology clinic.


    It''s rather troublesome to operate.


    But that has nothing to do with him; he isn''t there to be a strategist giving advice but to make a quick buck and leave.


    ...


    "Cut to the chase."


    After pausing for a moment, Chen Miao continued: "How much do you charge for one circumcision?"


    "Fore ''lil bro'' skin?"


    "Yeah."


    "800 to 4000, depending on the surgical method, prices vary."


    "I''ll be responsible for bringing in clients. You do the surgery when customerse. No matter how much the client pays, you only take your due share of cost and profit, understood? Everything above that is my profit."


    "Understood!"


    The middle-aged man in the white coat nodded vigorously, speaking earnestly: "Don''t worry, no matter how much you make, I won''t be envious. I''ve been as calm as still water since I was young and don''t have much desire for money."


    "I run a clinic simply because I love to save lives and help the injured."


    His mouth said one thing, but internally, the mischievous part of him was so excited he couldn''t help butugh out loud. Mark up my ass, who do you think you are? The prices for this stuff are crystal clear. If you make your prices that high, what idiot would agree?


    "What shall I call you?"


    Chen Miao took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, handed two out to Hungry Monkey, lit one for himself, and after a puff, looked at the burning cigarette in his hand with a sense of nostalgia. The cigarettes in this world are a bit too nd.


    Especially without Liqun.


    Smoking anything else gives him a headache.


    "Doctor Gou is fine."


    "Your full name?"


    "My full name is Doctor Gou. My parents hoped I would be a doctor since I was young."


    Chen Miao lifted his gaze to the middle-aged man with a grin stered on his face, paused for a long moment before chuckling: "Nice name. Okay then, let''s start tonight, continuing until this time tomorrow. No problem, right?"


    "No problem."


    Once Doctor Gou agreed, Chen Miao waved at Hungry Monkey and said, "Go fetch those flyers from the stand next door and change all the prices on them to 128."


    "A circumcision, just for 128 credits."


    "Make sure you''re sincere enough when handing out flyers to passersby."

 Chapter 3: 3: Only the doctors who can create demand are good doctors.

    "Alright."


    Upon receiving the order, Hungry Monkey, without any questions, immediately went to the flyers and picked up the marker from the table to start making changes.


    On the contrary, Doctor Gou was somewhat uneasy, and with simr doubts, he said, "Boss Chen, reducing the price this much might bring in some customers, but it won''t bring too many."


    "Skinning surgery isn''t something that attracts countless people just by dropping the price enough."


    "Apart from the cost-effectiveness, there are many other factors to consider."


    "Most importantly, our clinic''s standard quote for this procedure is at a minimum of 800 yuan. Now you''re advertising it for 128 yuan, who''s covering the remaining difference?"


    Chen Miao patted Doctor Gou on the shoulder, nced at the swiftly departing Hungry Monkey with flyers in hand, and then said with a smile, "I''ll cover it. We''re all reasonable people here; I won''t let you suffer a loss."


    "You''ll cover it?"


    Doctor Gou was first slightly taken aback and then his eyes immediately lit up, "Then 128 yuan is still not eye-catching enough. How about making it free! That would bring even more customers!"


    Chen Miao smiled and said nothing, just stubbed out his nearly extinguished cigarette in the ashtray nearby.


    The clinic still had ashtrays. If the business was good, it would be a miracle.


    After all that,


    he unconsciously caressed the Jade Amulet of Safety within his grasp. It was the only thing that hade with him through the transmigration. Seeing this item always made him feel as though he wasn''t abandoned by his previous world, that he still had a home.


    In his previous world,


    he had been an orphan since childhood.


    He vaguely remembered being sent to an orphanage when he was very young. The head of the orphanage told him that when his parents named him Chen Miao, a fortune-teller said hecked the water element, so they named him Miao and got him a Jade Amulet of Safety.


    It was to bless him with a trouble-free life.


    He did live without trouble, but his parents met with disaster. Shortly after his birth, a flood inundated their vige and his parents perished. Afterward, he ended up in a government-run orphanage.


    At the age of 24, when he decided to go south to clear his mind, he had just stepped off the train and took a breath of the local air when a coconut struck and killed him in a foreignnd.


    And thus, he transmigrated here.


    Bringing back his wandering thoughts, he looked at the job ss panel in front of him and narrowed his eyes, remaining silent.


    For now, he must quickly gather the materials to craft an F-grade weapon, the Python R6 Revolver, only then would he have a chance to protect himself.


    "Right."


    At this time, Doctor Gou, who appeared quite leisurely, had brewed a pot of tea and poured half a cup for Chen Miao. He asked curiously, "Boss Chen, what is your job ss? Could it be ''Explorer''? I heard that one of the promotion tasks for that job ss is to try 10 different professions."


    Chen Miao did not respond but turned his head to nce at Doctor Gou and said with a lightugh, "Sort of. Are you a ''Doctor'' job ss?"


    He hadn''t stayed long in the city library and couldn''t possibly understand everything about this world. He only knew the basics, and job sses like ''Explorer'' werepletely unfamiliar to him; he had never even heard of them.


    "That''s not it."


    Doctor Gou shook his head but was honest, "My job ss is Swordsman. I used to constantly delve into secret realms and was half a socialite. After my parents died, I inherited their clinic and became a doctor, as they wished for me to be a doctor and stay away from those dangerous environments."


    "You''re quite obedient to your parents, a filial person."


    Chen Miao replied perfunctorily.


    "..."


    Doctor Gou suddenly fell silent and, after a long while, said in a calm, low voice, "Just this once."


    The two of them then fell into silence, and the atmosphere became a bit tense.


    It was clear that Doctor Gou had his own story, but Chen Miao had no intention of continuing the conversation. He had no interest in these muddled stories; the stories of this world were all the same, just with different protagonists.


    What''s so interesting about them?


    He was only concerned about whether he could quickly earn his first sum of money, buy the materials to create his job ss''s exclusive weapon, and thereby survive the mandatory major event ''Coward''s Special'' seven dayster.


    He cared about nothing else.


    And just then¡ª


    Thud!


    The clinic''s door burst open with Hungry Monkey holding flyers, followed by a well-dressed man. Hungry Monkey took a quick breath, trying to sound as calm as possible.


    "Miao, there''s a customer here for skin surgery. "


    "Good."


    A smile suddenly appeared on Chen Miao''s face and his whole demeanor became incredibly warm. He quickly stood up to greet the man, saying with a friendly smile, "This way, please, sir. You''vee to the right ce. Our clinic is a century-old establishment, deeply rooted in this line of medical practice for a hundred years."


    "Two words, professionalism!"


    "Coming here, you''ve found the right person."


    "Wait a minute!"


    The suited man looked still skeptical and cautious, holding up the flyer to rify, "Are you sure the skin surgery price is 128 yuan? No hidden fees? I''m telling you, if you charge me even a penny more, I won''t pay."


    "Rest assured."


    Chen Miao said with a serious expression, patting his chest word by word, "The first surgery is indeed 128 yuan, not a penny more. Today is also our store anniversary, so we''re holding a special event."


    "Okay, as long as you say so."


    Only then did the man slightly let go of his reservations and nced around the somewhat empty clinic, "What''s next?"


    Hearing this, Doctor Gou quickly, and with understanding, stepped forward, "I''ll be the chief surgeon, you just follow me. Let me tell you, you''re getting an incredible deal. It usually costs at least 800."

 Chapter 4: 3: Doctors Who Can Create Demand Are Good Doctors. _2

    Indeed, it was exactly so.


    If not for Boss Chen guaranteeing a base price, how could he possibly offer to skin someone for just 128 yuan?


    ...


    Minor surgery, won''t take too much time.


    Fifteen minutester, Doctor Gou emerged from a crude room, took off his mask, and removed his disposable medical gloves before looking at Chen Miao and the others with a smile, saying, "Perfect, I even tied him a butterfly knot while stitching. It looks quite beautiful."


    "Next, he only needs a bit more medicine in a few minutes, and then he should be able to get up and walk around."


    "Very simple."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao, who was sitting outside the operating room, waved over a gorgeous woman in a nurse''s outfit who seemed to appear out of nowhere; he took a tray with disinfectant and anti-inmmatory medicine from the desk and put it in her hands, casually instructing, "Go in and apply the medicine to the patient inside."


    "You don''t need to be too professional, just p some anti-inmmatory on him and that should do it."


    "Understood."


    The gorgeous woman didn''t put on airs. She simply gave Doctor Gou a coquettish smile, brushed her hair behind her ears, and prepared to go in to change the medicine.


    "Hey, wait, wait, wait, aren''t you guys being reckless here?"


    Doctor Gou stood anxiously at the door of the operating room, "How can you change medicine like this? Where did this womane from, and besides, that is not even a proper nurse''s uniform, you know?"


    "Which nurse wears ck stockings and red high heels?"


    "Why is her cleavage all on disy?"


    "And, she''s even wearing perfume?"


    "If she goes in to apply the medicine, the inside guy will definitely bust his stitches, won''t he? Doesn''t that just mean I have to stitch him up again, increasing my workload for nothing?"


    Sitting in the clinic, holding a teacup, Boss Chen looked at Doctor Gou and chuckled, "No problem, we always have to create a need for our clients, otherwise how are we going to make money? Just relying on skinnings, we couldn''t make much even if we skinned the whole of Fengtian City."


    "Stitch him up one more time and the profits will rise."


    "..."


    Just as Doctor Gou was about to open his mouth and reflexively object, he suddenly paused, his intuition guessing something. He looked up at the young man who seemed extremely amiable sitting in the chair, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped aside, tentatively adding,


    "This could cause a dispute, though."


    "No big waves, no expensive fish, huh?"


    "..."


    He didn''t stop them anymore but moved aside to let the unprofessional-looking nurse go in to apply medicine to the patient; in less than half a minute, a piercing scream echoed from the room.


    "Someone help!!"


    "Damn it, my stitch exploded!!"


    Chen Miao, who had been waiting outside for quite some time, brightened up at the words, grabbed a white coat that was lying nearby, threw it on, and rushed in with Hungry Monkey.


    Inside, the nurse holding the medicine tray was standing in the corner full of guilt and apology, the word ''helpless'' written all over her.


    The patient on the bed, however, was a bloody mess; with closed eyes and a face filled with embarrassment and anger, he hoarsely demanded, "Restitch it for me, damn it, I''ve exploded!!"


    "Oh dear."


    Chen Miao covered the sight with a white cloth, then spoke with an apologetic face, "Sir, howe your self-control is so poor? Didn''t Doctor Gou just instruct you that after being stitched up, you need to stay calm and abstain from desires for a few days?"


    "Quit the nonsense, just stop the bleeding and stitch me up!!"


    "That''s no problem, but the price of 128 yuan we mentioned earlier only included the first skinning. To be quite honest, having to redo the work puts us in a tight spot. This does not fall under the promotional activities; there will be an extra charge."


    "How much more?"


    "8888, auspicious for you and auspicious for me, it''s good for everyone."


    "..."


    "..."


    Inside, Doctor Gou, Hungry Monkey, and the nurse standing in the corner were suddenly stiff with shock, all of them looking up at Chen Miao as if they couldn''t believe what they heard.


    8888 credit points?


    Are you butchering me here? Must be, right?


    "..."


    The man lying on the operating table, his lower body covered in blood, also suddenly fell silent. He turned his head to look at Chen Miao, who was wearing a white coat, and said emotionlessly, "Eight thousand eight hundred?"


    "Are you ripping me off or what?"


    "Look at how you''re talking," Chen Miao pointed usingly at the nurse standing in the corner of the room, feigning anger. "Isn''t this all because of the dirty thoughts in your head, causing all this to happen? Look how scared you''ve made this youngdy."


    "You let a young girl witness a gut bursting like this, how is she going to find a boyfriend in the future?"


    "How do you calcte the psychological trauma? Are you going topensate for that?"


    "And this happening in our clinic, if word gets out, won''t people think our clinic isn''t capable enough? Would the image of our century-old brand be damaged, and should youpensate for that?"


    "Add to that the second round of medicating we did. Those are top-quality, powerful meds."


    "We don''t want to skin you. If you don''t want a redo, that''s fine. We''ll just take 128 credit points from you, and you can leave right now. Don''t make it seem like we, who save lives and help the injured, have a reputation for extortion."


    "We won''t stand for this humiliation!"


    "All this because of the filthy thoughts in your mind, why did you have to think of those things?"


    "..."


    After lying silent on the operating table for a long while, the man considered the feasibility of picking himself up, bleeding guts and all, and walking eight hundred meters north to another clinic. Then he picked up a white towel from beside him, covered his face with it, and said without expression, "I''ll pay, just stop the bleeding and stitch me up first."


    He had to ept this loss.


    After all, he had always been the one doing the swindling out in Jianghu, and today was the first time he had been swindled.


    Very good, very good indeed.


    "Excellent."


    Chen Miao waved his hand in satisfaction and said, "Doctor Gou,e over and collect the payment, we''ll take the money first."


    "No problem, Boss Chen."


    Doctor Gou unconsciously handed over his watch''s payment QR code, his face a picture of shock, his eyes reddened to the point of being piercing, his throat moving slightly as he aimlessly looked up at his parents'' portrait hanging inside the operating room, and at the couplet next to it, he suddenly felt as if he had an epiphany.


    The first line of the couplet read: "Revive the dead and help the injured, miraculous hands rejuvenate and remove illnesses"


    The second line read: "Forget food and sleep, hang the pot to save the world and benefit humanity"


    The horizontal sign read: "Century Old Establishment"


    No wonder his parents had always wanted him to be a doctor, being a doctor was so profitable, and he had almost driven this clinic out of business. He had never fully understood the real message his parents were trying to convey.


    A doctor who only solves needs isn''t a good doctor.


    Only a doctor who not only solves needs but also creates demand is a good doctor.


    Schools only teach students how to solve needs but never realize that solving needs can only make ends meet, creating demand is what makes money.


    He had understood.


    In a sh, he understood it all; his profit from the hard work of his daily routine hardly came up to 200, yet with this single transaction, he made 8888. Although it wasn''t his, it allowed him to see the allure of creating demand.


    The Hungry Monkey standing behind Chen Miao was, at this moment, showing a face full of pride, his eyes brimming with excitement and admiration. The first time he had seen Miao get a free serving of rice with gravy from a fast-food restaurant without spending a penny,


    he knew Miao was a man of means.


    Much more resourceful than himself.


    Even though he hadn''t yet learned this trick, he now had learned an even more profitable one. Worthy of Miao, he had lived for so many years, how had he never thought of this?


    Even the youngdy in the nurse''s outfit standing in the corner, her green-eyed stunned expression looking at her hands. Was the work she had done before, which was more or less the same or even easier, now ten times more profitable?


    She suddenly felt as if she understood the secret to making money.


    For a moment¡ª


    Everyone in the room remained silent in shock, their minds whirring with schemes, their thoughts clearer and faster than ever before, as if they had alle to a revtion.


    Only the man lying on the operating table, his face covered with a white towel, roared in vexation.


    "I''ve already paid the money, what the hell are you all standing around for!"


    "Get this woman out of here and hurry up with the bleeding and dressing!"

 Chapter 5: 4: "Do you think we are monks or a temple?

    "Take care leaving, sir."


    Dressed in a whiteb coat, Chen Miao stood at the entrance of the clinic, watching the retreating figure of the man hobbling away at the corner of the alley, and couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction.


    Not bad at all.


    This operation had brought in a total of 9016, deducting the 800 to be paid to Doctor Gou, and not counting the rent for the moment, that''s a profit of 8216 credit points.


    Perfect, this one job had brought in 2 units of Grade F material "Fox-Tail Grass" *2; just one more job, and the expense of manufacturing the upational weapon "Python R6 Revolver" would be fully covered.


    "Miao."


    Just then, Hungry Monkey from the clinic approached Chen Miao, pulled him to a corner by the clinic''s door, and whispered, "I don''t think this patient is just an ordinary person. He might have some background. Are we really not going to be targeted for revenge if we keep doing this?"


    "Nonsense, of course, we will be,"


    Chen Miao rolled his eyes at Hungry Monkey. "If it were you who got conned like this, wouldn''t you want revenge? Who could stand for it?"


    "Ah, so what should we do next, Miao?"


    "The monk may run away, but the temple can''t run with him. What are you afraid of?"


    Chen Miao looked toward Doctor Gou, who was still standing at the entrance of the clinic, lost in a daze and shock, and said meaningfully, "Do you think we are the monks, or the temple?"


    Hungry Monkey suddenly had an epiphany and nodded; there were indeed perks to being the monk.


    ...


    Time quickly reachedte at night.


    It was almost twelve o''clock at midnight.


    After a hard day''s work, Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey were reluctantly saying goodbye to Doctor Gou. That night they had a total of 5 customers, including the first one.


    Two of the customers were rather tough, hobbling away immediately after getting off the operating table, while the remaining two handed over the money obediently.


    After all the costs were deducted, the profit for the night was 21000 credit points.


    He didn''t wear a watch.


    It was all in Hungry Monkey''s ount.


    "You''ve all worked hard."


    Doctor Gou, full of admiration, was shaking Chen Miao''s hand vigorously, "Especially you, Boss Chen. You really are a genius and a good man. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have known that making money could be this simple in the world."


    "Make sure you all arrive on time tomorrow!"


    "I still have so much to learn, and when I leave, I will definitely give Boss Chen a big red envelope, a modest fee for apprenticeship, please be sure to ept it!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao stared a little oddly at the gleam in Doctor Gou''s eyes, which were filled with sincerity and gratitude, and even admiration, jealousy, and rich greed.


    But there was one thing missing... no worries, or rather, no fear?


    Didn''t this man worry that those people woulde seeking revenge tomorrow?


    And it seemed he was nning to make this into a regr thing, to glorify and expand it, as if he had no concern about the future reputation of his clinic. His uncles and aunts down in theherworld would probably be agitated enough toe back to life.


    You had to admit the man had thick skin.


    Originally nning to run off tonight, he suddenly felt somewhat guilty about duping such a na?ve person, so he coughed softly with one hand clenched into a fist and hinted in a lowered voice.


    "Actually, there''s a bit of risk involved in this business,"


    "Doctor Gou, you should be more cautious."


    "It doesn''t matter!"


    Doctor Gou grinned, pointing to the sign on the storefront "Big Sunflower Clinic": "To be honest, I was about to go bankrupt, I can''t even pay the rent for next quarter."


    "I''ve put in way too much effort for this clinic over the years."


    "Letting someone skilled with the scalpel run a clinic is honestly too big of an industry jump."


    "Worried about the customers'' prejudices, I changed the name from Little Sunflower Clinic to Big Sunflower Clinic, but it hardly made a difference. Truly, as Boss Chen said, meeting needs can only make ends meet, only creating needs can make one wealthy."


    "I''vepletely understood it all this evening."


    "Boss Chen, you''re destined to make a fortune. If I manage to get on my feet in the future, I will surely repay this kindness."


    "..."


    Chen Miao touched his nose, and for a moment, he didn''t quite know what to say either. This guy was straightforward and honest, but he wasn''t sure if he could take a punch. The onesing for revenge tomorrow probably wouldn''te alone...


    "Okay, we''re leaving now. See you tomorrow."


    Having said that,


    Chen Miao took the lead and headed into the dim alleyway, while Hungry Monkey, whose mouth was grinning almost ear to ear and couldn''t close, eagerly followed. He had 20,000 credit points in his pocket!


    He had never been this rich in his life!


    ...


    Late at night, the early hours of the morning.


    "Boss!"


    Sitting at the barbecue stall, Hungry Monkey looked at the menu, unable to help swallowing saliva continuously. Waving his hand, he called out loudly, "Give me 3 orders of fried noodles, 10 grilled oil cakes, 10 grilled white buns, two bottles of beer, and 10 skewers of grilled tendon!"


    Then he turned his head to look at Chen Miao sitting beside him: "Miao, you take a look and order whatever you want, hey, thanks for treating me to a full meal today."


    "..."


    Chen Miao rolled his eyes at Hungry Monkey speechlessly: "I give you the power to order and this is what you choose? Didn''t we say we made a big score today, that you could order anything you like?"


    "This is already a lot for me, on a normal day I just eat two orders of fried noodles. Today, with Miao treating me, I get to eat so many grilled oil cakes and white buns, I can finally be full!"


    "That... we still need to save some money forter. It''s not easy to make money, those grilled meats are expensive and they don''t fill you up. It''s a waste for me to eat that stuff since I have a big appetite and won''t get full."


    Clearly, Hungry Monkey was extremely satisfied with the dishes he ordered today.


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao sighed lightly, took the menu again, and called the owner: "Add another 500 worth of grilled meat, whatever chicken cartge or wings you have, just bring them on, no dietary restrictions here."


    "And throw in 4 more bottles of beer."


    "It''s not every day we make a big haul, let''s have a good meal, get full so we can sleep, and go buy materials in the Seventh District tomorrow morning, I''ve already scoped out the ce these past few days."


    "We''re not going to the clinic tomorrow?"


    "The hell why would we go there, to get beaten up together?"


    "Ah? But we''ve paid the day''s rental fee, isn''t that a bit of a loss?"


    "I know, it''s not your fault, let''s eat."


    "Er... okay."


    The dishes were quickly served one after another.


    Hungry Monkey had a big appetite. Although he looked scrawny, his stomach was like a bottomless pit, and he could down te after te of fried noodles without seemingly getting full.


    Hungry Monkey once told him that he always had a big appetite. Since his parents died when he was young and he was adopted by an orphanage, he was always hungry. Other kids used to call him Cheap Monkey, but he didn''t borate much. Eventually, the name Hungry Monkey just stuck.


    An ordinary person.


    Nothing really stood out about him. If he hadn''t met him, he might have been able to be a food livestreamer or something in the future, since Hungry Monkey''s way of eating looked really appetizing. He actually enjoyed watching him eat like the wind sweeps the fallen leaves.


    Chen Miao didn''t eat much.


    He lit a cigarette and ced it in his mouth, leaning back on his chair, tilting his head back with a tipsy gaze after downing his ss of beer, looking up at the night sky.


    At that moment, a girl carrying a speaker came up to him and asked in a low voice if he wanted a song, just 10 credit points per song.


    He waved his hand, signaling Hungry Monkey to pay.


    Soon the girl''s singing enveloped him. It was very pleasant to listen to, a bit mncholic. He had never heard this song before; it was unique to this world. The song, along with the night breeze, gradually carried his thoughts away.


    But just then¡ª


    Amotion suddenly erupted nearby.


    A middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes was approaching their barbecue stall with a dark expression, surrounded by a crowd of people, while a young follower was indignantly punching the air, saying,


    "Boss, don''t worry, tomorrow I''ll take the guys and smash that damn clinic!"


    "They dared to set up a trap for the boss!"


    "They''re way too arrogant!"

 Chapter 6: 5: "Dude, youre visiting the grave so early?

    ```


    In a state of slight intoxication and relishing the moment, Chen Miao, upon hearing the voice beside him, calmly tossed the cigarette butt in his hand into the disposable cup in front of him. Then he stood up and gestured for Hungry Monkey across from him to follow as he, without turning his head, began to walk towards the distance.


    He waved his hand dismissively at the boss to signal that the money had been paid.


    His pace did not quicken, it remained steady, only he didn''t look back.


    After walking dozens of steps and hearing no movement behind him, he suddenly sped up from a jog to a full run and, at the end of the road, turned and ducked into a dark alley.


    "Phew!"


    Only after poking his head out of the alley and seeing no one following did Chen Miao let out a breath of relief. Wasn''t Fengtian City supposed to be a bustling city with a poption of millions? How could he have run into the very first customer they had tricked today?


    Although he hadn''t seen the man''s face clearly.


    But that voice was all too familiar; it was undoubtedly the first man they had yed!


    Moreover, he clearly didn''te off as a decent person but more like some gang leader. If trapped by such a person, it was likely they''d have the chance to closely admire theyout of Fengtian City''s sewers.


    "Let''s go!"


    Once he saw everything was safe, Chen Miao pulled Hungry Monkey with him as they wound through the alleys before eventually heading home.


    As long as they weren''t caught on the spot, everything would be fine.


    ...


    Having arrived bare-bottomed, he certainly had no ce to live; these past few days, he had been staying in Hungry Monkey''s house.


    It must be said.


    Although Hungry Monkey hadn''t made much money, he managed to buy a standalone house in the suburbs of Fengtian City with his own abilities.


    Surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear water, devoid of people, it was extremely peaceful.


    Food was everywhere; there were no concerns about natural disasters or human cmities.


    Natural protection and shelter, deep silence in the dead of night, no one approached.


    A standalone house and courtyard, the epitome of luxury, a symbol of nobility.


    With night security and the safety of residents being of utmost importance.


    A feng shui master had chosen the site; settling down here meant blessings for generations toe.


    It''s just that the ceilings were a bit too low, and the ce a bit small.


    "..."


    Chen Miao sighed lightly and greeted the cemetery entrance security guard, walking into the graveyard, and his eyes immediately found the small self-built house among numerous tombstones.


    Even though he had seen this scene several times.


    Every time he saw it, it still felt almost too much to bear.


    It was his first time seeing the living dwell among the graves and even buying himself a plot.


    ording to Hungry Monkey, right after he left the orphanage, he worked tirelessly, taking advantage of his natural strength to do heavy lifting with great skill. He also met a woman he loved.


    The woman was very good to him.


    She knew Hungry Monkey couldn''t afford a house and didn''t want to put too much pressure on him, but they needed a house for marriage. If they didn''t have a house to live in before death, they should at least have one for after, so they could be buried together, united in death as doomed lovers.


    After all, a house for the afterlife is much cheaper than one for the living.


    The woman spoke with such sincerity.


    Hungry Monkey was excited and thrilled, his mind clouded by the phrase "doomed lovers," believing that the woman was truly thoughtful and considerate. How could an orphan, who had never been loved, withstand such earnest and passionate confessions?


    He immediately withdrew all his savings and borrowed from his coworkers from all around, fully paying 80,000 Star Coins upfront for a 30-year lease on a cemetery plot.


    After that, the woman disappeared, and heter discovered she was in sales, specializing in selling cemetery plots.


    From then on, Hungry Monkey worked even harder. After paying off all his debts, hepletely gave up, earning one day to eat for three days, then again earning for one to eat for three,pletely losing the determination he had when he first left the orphanage.


    All his spirit was gone.


    When Chen Miao heard this story, he remained silent for a long time, unsure what to say.


    Although he once said that all stories in the world are much the same, only the names of the protagonists change, sometimes he had to admit that the world still contains stories unfathomable to the human mind.


    In theory, he could understand, as someone who had never received love could easily, upon feeling warmth for the first time, pour out all their passion, eager to tell the world that they were loved.


    But after much thought,


    he still couldn''t wrap his head around someone purchasing a graveyard plot as a marriage home.


    To what extent had they been deceived? Compared to conning a normal person into buying a cane, he still thought conning someone into buying a graveyard plot to use as a marriage home was even more impressive.


    But what''s bought is bought, and even if he was scammed, it shouldn''t go to waste, right? Hungry Monkey tried to resell the plot but found it was basically unseble unless the price was drastically lowered, which would be too great a loss. So Hungry Monkey packed his bags and moved to the cemetery, building a self-made house over his own plot.


    The above-groundyer was 1.4 meters high.


    The undergroundyer was 1 meter high.


    The total height came to 2.4 meters, a bit cramped, but he could at least stand up straight. As for the area of the house, it was less than 10 square meters. This was after the cemetery security guard, having heard Hungry Monkey''s story and looked at him with pity, turned a blind eye, pretending not to see.


    ```


    Anyway, the graveyard owner neveres here, and most people whoe to pay their respects don''t care about this.


    There''s no water or electricity.


    Water is fetched in buckets from outside. Hungry Monkey has no use for electronic devices either¡ªit''s enough to charge the wristwatch while working, and at night, if hungry, there''s always the chance to scrounge for some fresh offerings.


    Lucky finds can include cigarettes and alcohol.


    "..."


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but sigh again, looking at the low entrance he had to stoop to enter, his lips twitching slightly, "In a few days, we''ll move, and we can just leave this one here."


    "Ah? Wouldn''t that be a waste?"


    "Not a waste. When you die, I''ll bury you in it. Now go to sleep. Seriously, meeting you was a cmity¡ªdamn, you''re really something!"


    Buy a burial plot, get a coffin free.


    Hungry Monkey hadid soft pads inside the coffin, and that''s where he slept normally.


    The lid was half-closed to allow for venttion and warmth.


    After Chen Miao arrived, Hungry Monkey started sleeping on a makeshift bed next to the tomb chamber, giving up his beloved coffin to Chen Miao.


    Originally, Hungry Monkey had nned to dig up a coffin quietly at night to give to Miao as a bed, but after receiving a stern and angry rejection from Chen Miao, he finally gave up on the idea of stealing a coffin.


    It''s apparent that Hungry Monkey''s moral standards aren''t very high.


    This was also an important reason why he had agreed to team up with Hungry Monkey in the first ce. A person with too high moral standards can be a real hassle when trying to get things done, like with the clinic business; high morality doesn''t bring profits.


    But being a stranger in a new ce, he needed to quickly earn tens of thousands of points to craft a weapon and survive the major event in seven days. Could he do that without resorting to some tricks and not risking his neck?


    Unexpectedly to him,


    Hungry Monkey''s moral standards seemed even lower than he had imagined, almost to the point of having no qualms at all...


    ...


    The next day.


    As sunlight hit his face, Chen Miaoy in the coffin, expressionless, slowly opening his eyes and looking at the florescent light above him. It was something Hungry Monkey once said he had grown used to ¨C waking up with sunlight on his face. After moving to a new ce without sunlight, he often had trouble getting up.


    So he came up with this thing.


    Set for a specific time, the light would turn on when the time came, signaling it was time to get up, just like waking up to sunlight on his face.


    A warm feeling, like the embrace of a mother he never met.


    The first night he slept here, waking up to this thing shining on his face, he thought he''d damn well traveled through time again!


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but sigh again. After washing up, he stepped out of the tomb chamber, sat at the doorway, and looked up at the fully lit sky. He lit a cigarette and put it to his mouth, gently massaging his temples in an effort to calm down.


    Today, he had to buy materials. Once he had the materials, he could craft his own upational Weapon and then try his luck in the secret realms.


    Activating the "Gunner" upation required three conditions.


    The first condition was to craft an upation Exclusive weapon, and he had enough money for that.


    The second and third conditions were to clear a secret realm once and spend 200 Star Coins.


    Star Coins were a currency exclusive to the secret realms, only obtainable there, meaning the second and third conditions could only be achieved by entering the realm, making it crucial to fully activate the "Gunner" upation before the big event in six days.


    It would be ideal to Level Up to LV1, which would also activate the Attribute Panel.


    And just then¡ª


    A young man with a bunch of white chrysanthemums entered the cemetery, and upon seeing Chen Miao sitting at the entrance of a tomb chamber, he said with mild surprise, "Dude, you''re here at the crack of dawn for grave-sweeping?"


    Chen Miao nced at the ck and white photo of Hungry Monkey pasted on the tombstone behind him and, without expression, pushed the cigarette he was holding into the dirt in front of the photo, replying, "Ever heard that the early bird catches the worm?"


    "Oh, right."


    The young man frowned a bit as he looked back at the tomb chamber behind Chen Miao, which seemed somewhat amiss, and said, "Dude, howe your tomb chamber... is so muchrger than mine?"


    "Family death toll''s higher, wouldn''t fit in a small one."


    "What, you want one too?"


    "..."


    The young man hesitated for a moment before striding away with his white chrysanthemums, muttering under his breath some angry words about crazy and unlucky people.


    As for Chen Miao, he wasn''t the least bit troubled by this interlude, instead lighting another cigarette without expression and putting it in his mouth. Then he lifted his arm and knocked heavily on the tomb chamber door.


    "Are you done yet?"


    "Hold on, Miao, almost ready!"


    ...


    ps: Thanks to "You Are Wind and I Am Sand" for the 5000 Starting Point coins reward, and thanks to "Invincible Iron Bull Star Cannon," "YIBAI," "Pomelo Beating Lemon," and others for their rewards and monthly ticket support.


    Grateful to the old readers for their unwavering support!

 Chapter 7: 6: The Sole City-State Effect of Fengtian City.

    It wasn''t long after dawn.


    Chen Miao took Hungry Monkey and arrived at Seventh District of Fengtian City. This district mainly deals in materials and upation Inheritance Books as well as other Supernatural Props, most of which originated from secret realms or were produced by major events.


    Supernatural professionals brought out materials they didn''t need from secret realms, which they then sold to merchants. These merchants increased the prices slightly when reselling to others, earning a small profit.


    A very simple business model.


    By this time, the line of light above the city had already changed to¡ª


    "Time remaining until the next major event ''Coward''s Special'' begins¡ª154 hours."


    Less than seven days.


    Today is November 15th, Friday. There are quite a few people in the district, many of whom got up early to visit the morning market, hoping to find a bargain.


    Chen Miao didn''t waste time wandering around; he went straight to a shop called ''Haina Supernatural Store'' and passed a cigarette to the owner who was wiping the doors and windows, casually saying,


    "''Fox-Tail Grass'' Grade F material, ''Saltpeter'' Grade F material, four sets of each."


    He had long calcted the right timing.


    Both sets of materials were avable at this store, and the prices were fairly reasonable. The owner appeared to be a serious businessman who didn''t discriminate among customers, offering the same price to everyone. Although this approach might not maximize profits, over time it builds a good reputation, especially in an industry that relies heavily on repeat customers from familiar faces.


    "All right!"


    The chubby owner, with a smile on his face, ced the cigarette Chen Miao handed him behind his ear, "Fox-Tail Grass, 4000 for one, Saltpeter, 2000 for one, a total of 12,000. But since you''re my first customer of the day, it''s your lucky doorbuster deal¡ªI''ll charge you 11,888."


    "For good luck."


    "Deal."


    Chen Miao didn''t bother to haggle, simply gesturing for Hungry Monkey to pay. He had already got the hang of the pricing over the past few days¡ª12,000 was indeed the lowest, leaving little room for bargaining.


    The transaction waspleted.


    He received a paper bag from the owner, reminiscent of one used for coffee, made of kraft paper and without any logo. It was in,cking even a handle.


    Looking inside,


    Two nts approximated three inches long, crimson in color,y quietly. This was the Fox-Tail Grass. The surface of the reed was covered with ayer of crimson fluff, which made it resemble the tail of a fox.


    Next to ity two items simr to lumps of coal; these were the pieces of Saltpeter.


    This prop was extremely simple to verify, and there was never any need to worry about buying fakes. Simply by touching its surface, a translucent panel would pop up.


    For example¡ª


    ''Prop Name'': Fox-Tail Grass.


    ''Prop Level'': Grade F.


    ''Prop Effect'': Can be used for forging, promotion, etc.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Miao nodded contentedly with the paper bag in hand, ready to turn around and leave. He was eager to find a quiet ce to craft his Grade F upational Weapon, the ''Python R6 Revolver'', to gain some ability to defend himself.


    "Hey, young man, wait a second."


    Just then, the owner of the Supernatural Store stepped out of the doorway and stopped Chen Miao and hispany, whispering mysteriously, "Is this young man a Supernatural Professional with the ''Gunman Profession''?"


    "Oh?"


    ```


    Chen Miao did not deny it, but he subconsciously nced up above his head, "Could it be that you see some kind of box that I can''t see?"


    "There''s nothing like that, young man jests," the shopkeeper shook his head, exining, "Although my shop has just opened, I''ve been in this line of work for quite a while now, and fox-tail grass with saltpeter is the essential material for crafting F-grade weapons for the Gunman Profession."


    "In the past, the Gunman Profession was incredibly popr in Fengtian City, with a significant reputation throughout the entire federation, mainly because Fengtian City''s city-state effect is well-suited for the Gunman, a Supernatural upation. However, as time went on, the Gunman Profession gradually declined, and those who could changed their professions and retrained."


    "Fox-tail grass is still quitemon, useful for many professions, but saltpeter is less so. This has led to the decline in the price of saltpeter. Thebination of two portions of fox-tail grass and two portions of saltpeter is a form I''m so familiar with¡ªI''ve heard it countless times¡ªso I guessed that you might belong to the Gunman Profession."


    "Of course, don''t worry, young man. I mean no harm. It just so happens that I''ve received a prop that only a Gunman can use. Would you like to take a look?"


    Having said that.


    The shopkeeper didn''t hide anything, inviting Chen Miao and others into the shop, then partially rolling down the shutter before pulling out a prop from his chest and activating its panel in the air.


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Gun Forest Bullet Rain.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: E-grade.


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: Each bullet has a 10% chance to automatically shoot an additional bullet, which does not consume magazine capacity or affect the firearm''s firing rate.


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: Only usable by "Gunmen" and their advanced professions, and yer Level must be above lv.2.


    ¡¸Prop Description¡¹: "Sometimes, a single bullet can change the tide of battle."


    "What do you think?"


    The shopkeeper stared into Chen Miao''s eyes with a hint of anticipation in his voice, "This is an E-grade prop, not something you find on every street corner. It came from a recent major event. But you can rest assured, props for the Gunman Profession are much cheaper than those for other professions. It won''t be expensive."


    "What''s the price?"


    "This much!"


    With a serious look, the shopkeeper held up two fingers firmly, "20k credit points, fair and square, no deception. E-grade props for other professions start at least at 50k credit points, and you can ask around about that."


    "20k?"


    Chen Miao''s eyebrow slightly furrowed as he calcted in his mind without speaking; he had 20k credit points in his pocketst night, but after purchasing those materials andst night''s barbecue, there was only a little over 7000 left.


    He definitely couldn''t afford to buy it.


    But the item was somewhat tempting.


    After a moment of contemtion, he finally said, "I''ll take it, but I''m a bit short on cash right now. Keep it for me, and I''lle back in a few days to get it from you."


    "Okay."


    The shopkeeper didn''t rush the sale but instead repacked the prop, looking at Chen Miao in good spirits, "I''ll hold it for you for seven days. You cane to me anytime during these seven days, and don''t worry, I won''t sell it to anyone else."


    In fact, it would probably not sell at all.


    How many people in Fengtian City would choose the Gunman Profession nowadays?


    Very few. The remaining ones were Gunmen from before and retraining in a new profession now carries too high a cost. There''s hardly any new blood, and an obvious newbie prop like this would probably lie in the warehouse for several months if it weren''t for Chen Miao.


    "By the way,"


    Chen Miao didn''t leave right away but walked to the door, lit a cigarette, and put it to his mouth, lighting one for the shopkeeper as well, before he casually broached the subject, "With Fengtian City''s city-state effect being so suitable for the Gunman, a Supernatural upation, didn''t you choose it back then?"


    He hadn''t seen any information about Fengtian City''s city-state effect in the city library.


    Hungry Monkey had never mentioned it either.


    If it weren''t for the shopkeeper bringing it up, he wouldn''t have known about it.


    ```

 Chapter 8: 7: Pyrophobia is an illness that needs to be treated.

    "Hey."


    The boss shook his head with a hint of emotion, "This has almost be a disgrace for Fengtian City. When the supernatural changes first urred in the world, out of the thousands of cities in the entire federation, 128 were selected to be major cities."


    "Each of these 128 major cities has a unique and exclusive city-state effect."


    "Take the widely known ''Broken Pot City'', for example. This city''s fame is quite high within the federation¡ªafter all, it has the special profession of ''Person of Leisure''. You don''t have to do anything, just lie at home and you can get 6,000 credits a month¡ªwho wouldn''t love that?"


    "Every year, many people head to ''Broken Pot City'', nning to stay for three years to meet the prerequisites to activate this profession, then switch to the ''Person of Leisure'' upation and start living a cker life."


    "Among them, there are not a few who bring their parents along and treat the city as a retirement home."


    "And the exclusive city-state effect of this city is¡ª"


    "''Within this city, any yer is immune to damage from other yers, and likewise, yers within the boundaries of Broken Pot City cannot inflict damage upon other yers, including car idents, stabbing people with knives, or sudden killings.''"


    "This also makes the city often stay on the fine line between peace and chaos, not just attracting countless people who long for peace, but also those seeking to escape from being pursued or those who retire from the Jianghu, washing their hands of the old life."


    At this point, the boss suddenly looked somewhat wistful and said, "Speaking of which, I also stayed in Broken Pot City for three years, but I didn''t switch to the Person of Leisure; instead, I returned to Fengtian City. Over there, life seemed happy on the surface, but living without purpose."


    "It''splicated to exin; you''ll understand if you have a chance to go there."


    "As for Fengtian City''s exclusive city-state effect¡ª"


    "''The drop rate for Gunman Profession materials, props, upation Inheritance Books, and other rted items from secret realms or major events in this city is three times higher than for other professions.''"


    "Three times the drop rate? That''s strong?" Hungry Monkey, standing to the side, was a bit shocked: "No wonder the Gunman Profession used to be so popr in Fengtian City!"


    How could it not be popr?


    This meant that Gunman yers in Fengtian City could get their hands on more profession props or materials than Gunman yers in other cities, this advantage isn''t just a small step up.


    Although he was a local from Fengtian City.


    He wasn''t really aware of these things. He''s just aborer, an ordinary Lifestyle upation. Before meeting Miao, he lived his life in a daze, with no concern for any Supernatural upations, let alone what Fengtian''s city-state effect was.


    He grew up in an orphanage, and unlike in schools, they didn''t teach this sort of knowledge.


    "You don''t know? Aren''t you from Fengtian?"


    The boss looked at Hungry Monkey standing beside Chen Miao with a puzzled tilt of his head.


    "He grew up in an orphanage, he never learned about these things."


    Chen Miao exined casually with aposed expression. Based on his life experience, it''s always best not to let merchants peg you as a foreigner, otherwise... prices would rise significantly, that''s the magic of the out-of-towner buff.


    "I see, that''s understandable," the boss said.


    He sighed deeply and said with a wistful tone, "Back then it was considered strong; indeed, it had a period of glory. At that time, Fengtian City even made it into the top ten of the federation''s overall Combat Power rankings."


    "But after all, this city-state effect isn''t exclusive to citizens of Fengtian. Not only do Gunman professionals from Fengtian benefit from the triple drop rate when entering Fengtian''s secret realms, but yers from other cities can as well. Arge number of Gunman professionals from other cities woulde to Fengtian to vie for resources with the local Gunman yers, instantly reducing Fengtian''s advantage by a significant margin."


    "Furthermore, as the Gunman Profession developed further, many drawbacks started to emerge. People realized that the profession''s drawbacks increased the further you progressed, with the most basic being the ammunition carrying capacity. Look at those brawlers; they don''t worry about such things. As long as they don''t die or get seriously injured, they can keep throwing punches, maintaining their Combat Power."


    "But once a gunman runs out of bullets, he''s just a sitting duck. Later on, with a high rate of fire, bullets would run out in under a minute during a fight¡ªwhat''s the point then?"


    "Not to mention bullets are expensive, so after a fight, you''re literally losing money."


    "The faster you kill, the bigger the loss."


    "Plus, the Gunman profession does have an early advantage, but the drawbacks increase as you progress."


    "Because of various drawbacks, the Gunman profession gradually got eliminated from the list of Supernatural upations avable to themon folk. Only some bigpanies and the Federal Government keep some Gunmen for critical moments of Firepower Coverage. It''s not something the average person can afford."


    "And speaking of city-state effects, Fengtian''s just doesn''t cut it. You all know about Jingjiu City, right? The city-state effect there is¡ªany yer who stays in Jingjiu for a full year gets their experience required per Level Up reduced by 30%."


    "Now that''s awesome."


    "On the current ranking list of Supernatural yer levels across the Federation, 897 of the top 1000 are from Jingjiu City."


    "Sigh, just not our fate, right? We weren''t born in Jingjiu City."


    "Now the house prices in Jingjiu are 200,000 credit points per square meter, while themon price here in Fengtian is just around 10,000 credit points per square meter. If we were born in Jingjiu, when the world went through Transcendentalization and the city-state effects kicked in, we could have turned our lives around instantly. Who could have seen thating?"


    "Before the world''s Transcendentalization, Jingjiu''s house prices were just over 4k. It was a coal-mining resource city. The mines were depleted, and people had left; it was almost a dead city with hardly any locals left. But after the Transcendentalization, it instantly became overcrowded, with countless capitals waving cash and rushing over to start building the city."


    "It''s now incredibly prosperous, all shiny new skyscrapers."


    "If only we had known to buy a few condos in advance¡ªwould have been rich by now."


    The boss''s eyes were filled with helplessness and unwillingness. Speaking of this, he sighed several times, "Sometimes I even think about taking a gamble and heading over to Gaobei City."


    It''s understandable, really.


    Work hard all your life, gambling your fate, and the money you earn doesn''t evenpare to the fortunes others gain without lifting a finger¡ªit really does feel unfair.


    "Gaobei City?"


    "Yeah, just a few dozen miles west of Fengtian. It''s not one of the chosen 128 major cities,cking a unique and sole city-state effect, but it still has a general city-state effect, which three smaller cities share."


    "The city-state effect is quite brutal. All yers can offer any organ of their body as a sacrifice in exchange for items, materials, or random Supernatural Props."


    "It''s been less chaotic in recent years, but back in the chaotic times, some gangs would capture homeless drifters and forcibly take them to Gaobei City for sacrifices. There are fewer cases nowadays, but it still happens. It''s still quite a messy ce."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully.


    This was all news to him; he always wondered if a lot of stuff had been deleted from the city library, or perhaps it had an expiration date? Otherwise, he hadn''t seen any trace of this information.


    Listening to the boss, it seems the drawbacks of the Gunman profession are indeed numerous. A career change would be necessaryter on.


    But it was all he could find next to the trash can, the upation Inheritance Book for the Gunman profession.


    None of his buddies had ever seen an upation Inheritance Book for the "Martial Artist" thrown in a trash can, that''s for sure.


    And just then¡ª


    The Jade Amulet of Safety he''d been carrying close to his chest suddenly began to heat up. Before he could react, he saw the panel popping up in front of him. Chen Miao stood there, stunned for a long while, then suddenly the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile.


    The Gunman profession, it was really a good fit for him.


    Fear of firepower is a disease.


    One that needs curing.

 Chapter 9: 8: Firearm Skin "Tao Wood

    The panel was very simple, with just one sentence.


    "You have a veryrge space."


    That''s right, there were no quests, nor were there any gift packs.


    There was only this somewhat crude line of text.


    When Chen Miao tentatively sank his consciousness into the Jade Amulet of Safety in his arms, his mind instantly encountered an expansive space, enveloped in mist all around, with a stone pir in the center that seemed to emanate the aura of the Bronze Age.


    As his consciousness touched the pir, a panel popped up before him.


    "Your Nothingness Space is currently level 1, with dimensions of five meters in length, width, and height."


    "To upgrade to the next level, you need 2000 Star Coins."


    "Upon sessful upgrade, you will be rewarded with a Gunman-specific Firearm Skin ''Tao Wood'' and production lines for two calibers of ammunition."


    This 5x5x5 cubic meter space was significantly helpful for someone with the Gunman Profession, as it meant he could store arge amount of ammo here.


    Theoretically, a Supernatural gunner would indeed be no better than one wielding a fire stick if they ran out of ammo.


    But if the enemies all fell before the ammo ran out, then such a situation would not arise.


    And a space of five meters in length, width, and height was enough for him to stockpile an ample amount of ammo.


    As for the Firearm Skin ''Tao Wood'' rewarded after the upgrade of the Nothingness Space...


    It made Chen Miao even more interested.


    In the past records of the "Divine Oddity Scripture¡¤Western Wastnd Scripture," it was written: "There is a beast in the Western Wastnds that resembles a tiger but isrger, with hair two feet long, a human face and tiger feet, protruding teeth, and a tail that is eighteen feet long, wreaking havoc in the vastness and known as Chun Ji."


    It gradually came to be called Tao Wood by the people.


    It was fierce and brutally stubborn.


    A firearm skin named after such a creature had a good chance of greatly enhancing the weapon, and it certainly couldn''t just be an improvement in appearance, right?


    Moreover, this Nothingness Space seemed tailored for the Gunman Profession, whether it was the ample space or the firearm skin rewarded upon upgrade, it perfectly matched the profession.


    Especially the production lines for manufacturing ammunition.


    Of course, it was also possible that if he had chosen the Fighter Profession at that time, this item might have be something specific for fighters.


    But now was not the time for too much research.


    Chen Miao''s expression remained the same as before, and after making brief small talk with the shop owner, he waved goodbye and left.


    ...


    Soon after.


    Chen Miao, along with Hungry Monkey, returned to the cemetery on the outskirts just beyond the city. Although it was a bit eerie, the robust yang energy from the presence of two grown men made it bearable, not to mention that mid-November in Fengtian City wasn''t exactly warm.


    Especially as it had been cooling down rather quickly recently.


    If it weren''t for running into Hungry Monkey after crossing over, finding a ce to stay for the past few days would have been a headache, let alonepleting the clinic operation without him, since he had nothing to collect payment with.


    It wasn''t that he couldn''t afford the watch, but that buying it would be useless as he couldn''t use it.


    He currently had what amounted to an Unregistered Residence, and couldn''t register for federal citizen information; even if he bought a watch, he couldn''t register it.


    In fact, there weren''t a few pure unregistered residents in the federation, as there had been many changes in society over the years, with many people wandering from birth. It was not unusual to be unregistered, butpleting the entire process normally took at least a year or so.


    Or if you had connections, it could be done in a week.


    Besides, there was an even quicker way, which was tomit a crime, get arrested, and go to prison. Sentencing required ensuring the other party''s federal citizen identity, and all the processes would bepleted on the same day, even faster than if you had connections. But he couldn''t just go to prison for a while over such a matter; that would be rather unnecessary.


    "Phew!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, took out several materials from the paper bag,id them on the ground, and looked at his profession panel. After confirming the crafting option with his mind, the materials on the ground slowly moved towards each other and began to merge.


    And they emitted plumes of white smoke like the burning of white phosphorus.


    ```


    It was somewhat eye-watering.


    Secondster, as the white smoke cleared, a brand new revolver appeared on the ground, surrounded by a pile of bullets.


    The revolver was a good hand and a half length of his, entirely silver-gray, exuding a low-key sense of mystery with its ssic design.


    Upon touching it, a semi-transparent panel popped up in front of him.


    -


    "Weapon Name": Python R6 Revolver


    "Weapon Grade": F grade.


    "Restrictions": For use by Gunman Profession and those within the Supernatural upation promotion route series only.


    "Weapon Details": Damage Energy Coefficient ranges from 3-10, depending on the point of impact, maximum chamber capacity of 6 rounds, no magazine, requires manual reloading.


    "Weapon Introduction": Firing rate dependent on hand speed.


    -


    Chen Miao picked up the revolver off the ground, fiddling with it in his hands, feeling a surge of excitement, although the weapon''s panel seemed a bit rudimentary, reminiscent of the wooden sword that virtual game yers would receive at the start of a game.


    It represented more of a symbolic significance for novices than a practical one.


    But it was enough to thrill him.


    After all, this was his very first firearm. In his past life, he had handled guns, but only a few times at a firing range; none were his own. This revolver, however, was entirely his¡ªapletely different feeling.


    Thirty bullets were included on the side.


    Touching the bullets simrly prompted a simple panel to appear, informing him that the ammunition caliber for the weapon was 9mm, and 30 rounds could be bought for 10 Star Coins.


    Star Coins could mainly be acquired from the Secret Realm or major events, and right now, he didn''t have a single one in his pocket.


    "Wait here for me," he said.


    After speaking, Chen Miao tucked the revolver into his bosom and stuffed the 30 remaining bullets into the Nothingness Space. He turned to nce at the Hungry Monkey and then pushed open the crude door of the tomb chamber, striding out.


    "I''m heading to the Secret Realm. If Ie out alive, I''ll look for you here."


    "Uh..."


    The Hungry Monkey hesitated for a moment before catching up, "Maybe you could take me with you?"


    "You? Have you ever been to a Secret Realm?"


    "Never, but I''m strong. I should be able to help. I''ve heard that the Secret Realm is fraught with dangers. Miao, relying solely on that handgun might not be sufficient. Having one more person could at least buy you time to reload."


    "..."


    Chen Miao frowned and, after a moment of contemtion, nodded, "Let''s go, keep up."


    He didn''t actually want to take the Hungry Monkey.


    No matter how you cut it, he belonged to the Supernatural upation, while Hungry Monkey was just a physicalborer under the Lifestyle upation. Venturing into the Secret Realm would be considerably dangerous, but Hungry Monkey had a point, and Chen Miao had witnessed his strength.


    A hundred-pound bag of sugar, and Hungry Monkey could shoulder three without much struggle.


    That was already much stronger than an average person.


    It was curious how such a slender body could possess so much strength. Could it be true that eating more increased one''s strength?


    ...


    "Huff!"


    One hourter, Chen Miao stood calmly in front of a white swirling vortex hovering above the ground on the outskirts of the area.


    Silently, without speaking.


    This was the entrance to the Secret Realm. Stepping through would transport him to a brand new and unfamiliar world.


    ```

 Chapter 10: 9: "Secret Realm Name": Blood Night Cannibal Village.

    His original n was to visit those secret realms that had been perfectly cleared. Although the rewards from these maps were much less due to being perfectly cleared by others, they had the advantage of being old maps with many detailed strategies avable online.


    The danger level of the secret realms would be much lower.


    Every perfectly cleared secret realm has its entrance bound to the yer who cleared it, corresponding to their city-state. In the Secret Realm Building of Fengtian City, one could freely choose which secret realm entrance to go to by taking the elevator.


    However...


    After he went there, they told him that Unregistered Residents were not allowed to enter.


    Bullshit.


    As an Unregistered Resident, he really couldn''t get anywhere. Others crossed over into the bodies of locals, so why was only he transported naked and entirely in person?


    Thus, he could only head to the outskirts outside the city to try his luck in one of these unperfectly cleared secret realms, which were without limitations and open to everyone.


    Advantage: The rewards were high, especially for a first perfect clearing, which would bring an exclusive first-clear reward.


    Disadvantage: Everything inside was unknown; there was no information avable online. One had to explore everything on their own, and the rate of injury or disability was extremely high.


    In the entire federation.


    New secret realms were being born constantly every day, but besides professional explorationpanies, guilds, families, and gangs, most people rarely ventured into these newly-born secret realms. Though the rewards were generous, one could only obtain enough rewards if they kept on living.


    And constantly risking one''s life... would one day lead to death.


    This white vortex entrance before him was the lowest grade of map, an F grade.


    A silver-grey one would be a higher, E grade.


    Although he had no choice but to go to a newly-born secret realm, Chen Miao would not recklessly venture into an E grade map.


    "Huff!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath to calm the slight nervousness in his heart before he began to check his equipment.


    A "Python R6 Revolver."


    Plus 30 rounds of corresponding ammunition.


    He also had a bay that cost 1000 credits. It wasn''t a supernatural prop, but it was indeed sharp, which was much better than bare-handedbat when in a melee.


    Hungry Monkey was carrying arge hammer on his shoulder, almost 70 pounds. Frankly, he could lift it, but definitely couldn''t swing it properly.


    That hammer cost him 4000 credits.


    It nearly emptied his savings, leaving just over 3000 credits left. One night''s hard work at the clinic, gone in the blink of an eye.


    He had nned to buy a bay for Hungry Monkey as well, but after swinging it a few times, Hungry Monkey said it felt too light. He wanted something heavier, so they ended up with this rusty hammer, which was originally a discarded part from some factory machinery.


    After being reported as scrap by employees, it ended up on the market.


    But it was sufficient for the time being; after all, a 70-pound object, even if not designed as a weapon, if swung full circle and hitting someone''s head, would immobilize anyone, leaving them stiff on the ground.


    "Don''t be nervous."


    Chen Miao took out the "Python R6 Revolver" from his bosom, held it in his hand, and with the bay in his left, held sideways in front of his chest, he took another deep breath and reassured Hungry Monkey, "Don''t be afraid. This is just the lowest level of secret realm. Even if it''s newly born, it''s still a lowest-level secret realm."


    "It''s all good, no problem."


    "Definitely don''t be scared."


    "You know..."


    With the hammer resting on his shoulder, Hungry Monkey scratched his head after hesitating for a while and spoke, "I''m not nervous, Miao. Do I look tense to you? You might have seen it wrong?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood in silence without any expression, not knowing what to say for a moment, and toozy to talk further. Instead, he walked decisively into the secret realm in front of him, casting aside all thoughts to focus entirely on the challenge thaty within.


    This was the first secret realm he was going to.


    To say he wasn''t anxious would be a lie.


    But he had no choice but to enter; in six days, there was a mandatorybat event. If he didn''t be strong enough in these six days, whether or not he died in today''s secret realm, he would surely die in thebat event six days from now.


    As for Hungry Monkey, either he was heartless or just in carefree.


    He genuinely showed no sign of nervousness at all...


    The next second¡ª


    Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey stepped into the illusory white vortex before them, simultaneously vanishing from their original spot.


    ...


    They felt an intense sensation of weightlessness suddenly enveloping their entire bodies, surrounded by white mist, as if plummeting through the fog at high speed.


    In the blink of an eye, they regained the feeling of solid ground beneath their feet.


    The mist beside them dissipated quickly.


    The scene around them also came into full view for both Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey.


    Before themy a vige, basking in the midday sun high in the sky, and they stood not far from a stone bridge, where two rows of elderly people were sitting, fanning themselves and seemingly chatting about family matters.


    Noticing Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey, all the elderly turned their gaze toward them, murmuring something among themselves.


    One of the old men, with a face full of kindness, nodding and smiling at Chen Miao.


    At the same time.


    The Secret Realm Introduction panel appeared in front of Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Name¡¹: Blood Night Cannibal Vige.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Level¡¹: F-level.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Introduction¡¹: This is a vige abandoned by the rapidly developing society, inhabited only by lonely elderly waiting for death. The young have long fled to big cities. Yet, for some reason, the vige began to be shrouded in a mysterious aura, and often at night, blood-curdling screams can be heard, apanied by a strong stench of blood.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Mission¡¹: Survive for 12 hours.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Progress¡¹: The highest clearance progress of this instance is 12%, never perfectly cleared.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Introduction¡¹: When night falls over the vige, it will reveal its mysterious side.


    -


    "..."


    Chen Miao nced at the panel''s time within the Secret Realm¡ªit was exactly 12 noon. Their mission was to survive for 12 hours, meaning if they made it past midnight, they would be able to leave the Secret Realm sessfully.


    Not too difficult a task.


    At least on the surface, the elderly chatting on the stone bridge appeared benevolent, and no danger was evident. The entire sky above the vige was cloudless, dominated by the zing sun.


    One could even vaguely see someone working in the fields beside a narrow path.


    It indeed looked harmonious and entirely without danger.


    But the words on the Secret Realm panel¡ªBlood Night Cannibal Vige, mysterious aura, blood-curdling screams, thick stench of blood¡ªall pointed to the perilous aspects of the vige.


    "It''s just..."


    Chen Miao''s brow furrowed slightly as he gazed at those words on the Secret Realm Introduction panel, feeling something was off. It seemed too obvious, as if they were afraid the yers wouldn''t realize that the vige would undergo a transformation at night.


    The contrast between the words on the panel and the amiable elders chatting at the vige entrance was stark and somewhat stiff.


    It was as if a third-rate novelist, after wracking his brain, came up with a twist he was quite pleased with.


    This sense of discord was strong.


    If it were up to him to design this Secret Realm, he would certainly not resort to such a clumsy design; he would have no information disclosed on the Secret Realm panel, and when yers entered this ordinary-looking vige, they would pick up on subtle details in the vigers'' houses. For example, one might notice the ck-and-white portraits on the wall of a family that they seemed to have seen sitting on the stone bridge upon entering the vige.


    Then let yers suddenly realize that perhaps this vige isn''t as peaceful as it appears on the surface, that perhaps those elderly people chatting on the stone bridge are long dead, and there might not be a single living person in the vige.


    This kind of realization, thates after the fact, would send shivers down the yers'' spines.


    At least it should be designed to have that kind of impact.


    But this Secret Realm Introduction panel was designed in a rather simplistic way, so much so that it was almost embarrassing for him to continue looking at it. This wasn''t just a hint; it was a direct statement, utterlycking in subtlety.


    Itcked that rush of sweat down the back, that spine-tingling sensation, as if it were saying,


    ''Young man, pick up your weapon and fight your way through!''


    And just then¡ª


    On the side, Hungry Monkey was eyeing the old men on the stone bridge hungrily, arge hammer in hand, "What do you say, Miao? Go in swinging? I can take them all out in a minute!"

 Chapter 11: 10: "Indeed, only those with brains should enter the secret realm.

    "Don''t rush."


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly as he ced his right hand inside his coat, ensuring he was ready to burst into action at any moment, before allowing his face to appear more serene. He looked toward the elderly vigers sitting on the stone bridge, chatting about everyday matters.


    There was something off about this secret realm.


    And there was an important piece of information.


    The highest clearance progress of this secret realm was only 12%, meaning some people had been here before but had not cleared it, advancing only 12%.


    Once progress reached over 60%, it was considered cleared, and one could leave the secret realm at any time.


    A progress over 90% was an excellent clearance, and 100% was a perfect clearance.


    12%... it meant that everyone who came to this secret realmst time died here, without making it out, which indirectly proved the danger of this secret realm. One should know, none of those who dared to explore new secret realms beyond the suburbs were pushovers.


    They were all fully prepared.


    In such circumstances, however, they all died here, which made him need to be even more cautious.


    "Sigh..."


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, his palm gripping the "Python R6 Revolver" sweating slightly. He had a certain level of offensive capability, but his ability to defend himself was almost zero, especially against these beings that didn''t seem to rely on physical attacks, it was even more disconcerting.


    "No unnecessary movements, don''t strike first, let''s go into the vige and take a look."


    "Okay."


    Chen Miao put on a friendly smile, walked cheerfully onto the stone bridge, and handed out cigarettes with both hands to the elderly men who were chatting, making small talk. He mentioned that he was a tourist from another ce just passing by and wanted to have a look inside the vige.


    The old men were easy to talk to, waving their hands indifferently and saying he was free to look around.


    Not much time passed.


    He then walked into the vige with Hungry Monkey, taking big strides.


    The vige was nestled between severalrge mountains, in a valley, with the only ess road being the stone bridge at the entrance to the vige. The wind was strong; in the past, it would have been an excellent ce to hide an army¡ªeasy to defend and hard to attack.


    All single-story houses.


    About twenty-odd mud brick and tile houses in total, with various farm tools, like hoes, scattered around outside the houses. It seemed the elderly took great care of their tools, all of them cleaned to the point where they looked brand new.


    asionally, a delicious scent of food would waft from one of the houses.


    And there stood Chen Miao with Hungry Monkey in front of a well in the vige, whispering, "The Secret Realm Introduction made it clear, survive for 12 hours and something dangerous happens at night, that''s what the introduction to the secret realm says."


    "But I think there''s a trap inside."


    "I believe the secret realm is using some clumsy methods to hint at us, suggesting we act against those elderly beforehand, kill all of them to avoid the crisis thates from the old men at night. But I suspect there''s a trap, if we act against the old men, it is very likely we''ll encounter a fatal crisis."


    "But if we do nothing and just stay in the vige for 12 hours, we might safely get through this secret realm."


    "In other words, the Secret Realm Introduction itself is a trap. It''s tempting us to act but what we need to do is to pretend we haven''t seen anything strange that wee across, then patiently wait for 12 hours without doing anything."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey was slightly stunned, then he looked at the Secret Realm Introduction, scanning it seriously before raising his thumb in admiration, "Miao, you''re the smart one. I hadn''t thought of this at all. If it were me, I would have marched in, killing all the way, maybe dead by now."


    "Turns out, it''s the clever ones who should be entering secret realms."


    "Someone not so bright like me,ing in here, I''d probably drop dead on the spot, but luckily I have you."


    Chen Miao squinted his eyes without speaking. This was just a judgment he made, and he was a little unsure about it. But now, while those people were at the vige entrance, he decided to first take a look inside the vigers'' homes to see if he could find anything.


    ...


    Soon.


    Six hours had passed, and there were only six hours left toplete the task.


    The sun had already reached mid-mountain and was preparing to set after a few more hours. Yet, during these six hours, nothing happened, and everything was as peaceful as usual.


    In the meantime, Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey had run throughout the entire vige within these six hours.


    The first house they went to was the one from which the scent of food emanated. They confirmed that the food being cooked was not human flesh but pork.


    Next, they crept into other residents'' homes.


    They found no memorial photos on the walls nor any terrifying items like a ghost marriage or red high heels. Everything appeared to be serene.


    There was nothing out of the ordinary.


    The only find of any value was a diary in one of the houses, which recorded the vige''s development history. The vige used to be prosperous, but when the road construction did not progress, due to all the mountain paths, the young people left the vige, and it slowly declined.


    Only during the New Year would people return.


    On ordinary days, the vige was left with just these elderly residents, lonely and deserted, without even a single child.


    Every household was the same.


    These elderly people had no entertainment activities; their only pastime was chatting at the vige entrance.


    Theirints revolved around grievances, loneliness, and the unfilial behavior of their descendants.


    There was no other useful content.


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood in front of the cab, his brow furrowed as he flipped through the somewhat dusty diary in front of him. After pondering for a moment, he tucked it into his chest. The fact that the diary had been thrown in the cab to gather so much dust indicated that it hadn''t been used for a long time.


    The rest of the notebook was more than half empty, and it didn''t make sense to say it was discarded. Moreover, judging by the household''s habits, the person was frugal and wouldn''t just throw away a half-used notebook.


    He didn''t find a new diary either.


    The likeliest reason was that the elderly person keeping the diary no longer felt lonely and didn''t need the diary to express theirints anymore. However... he hadn''t found anything like a TV or any other form of entertainment in the house. How had the elderly diarist managed to alleviate their loneliness?


    Up to now.


    He was still confused, having found no very valuable information. Yet, he vaguely sensed some answers, but he couldn''t be certain, especially considering that thest team that passed through the Secret Realm had only a 12%pletion rate, implying that it was a realm where one could easily be annihted if not careful.


    This was a two-yer Secret Realm.


    Only two yers were allowed to enter, and they had specifically chosen this before entering, judging by the numbers next to the white vortex entrance to determine how many people the Secret Realm was designed for.


    He had to put himself in the shoes of the previous team that had entered this Secret Realm and think about what he would do.


    After a long while.


    Chen Miao''s pupils suddenly dted sharply. He thought of a possibility that he was almost afraid to confirm. If this possibility was true, he might already be on the brink of death, only a few steps away from it.

 Chapter 12: 11: "They need some redemption from God.

    "Phew."


    Chen Miao exhaled deeply, calming his emotions as much as possible. He realized that he was very likely being led astray, and it was the kind of astray that waspletely off course.


    The Secret Realm Introduction was indeed tempting him.


    But it wasn''t tempting him to act rashly, instead, through this clumsy temptation, it was making him do nothing but stand still and wait for death toe.


    Just now, a rather bold spection had suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    Could it be that these elders, out of extreme loneliness and boredom, conspired to kill the young people who strayed into the vige? To have something to talk about and alleviate their boredom and loneliness, to add some excitement to their lives?


    This spection was too audacious and nonsensical, and he had intended to discard this thought the moment it appeared.


    However, various things from before resurfaced in his mind.


    The busiest farming season, yet the hoe is spotlessly clean without a speck of dirt? What kind of farmer washes their hoe every day?


    Digging soil, weeding, making ridges, plowing, covering soil, breaking soil, middle cultivating, earthing up¡ªthe hoe is practically an all-purpose tool. It could also serve as a murder weapon if need be.


    The sharp edge and the sturdy feel when swung, those who oftenmit murders know that a hoe is a decent murder weapon.


    Easy to handle and effective upon the first strike.


    It indeed needs to be washed if stained with blood and flesh; not washing it is definitely not proper.


    The abandoned diaries, the clean hoes, the lonely and resentful elders.


    A series of fragmented images began to sh crazily through Chen Miao''s mind. At this moment, with his eyes tightly closed, he was constantly calcting the likelihood of each guess. He had to be extremely cautious¡ªhe did not want to die here like this.


    The previous team''s progress through the challenge, 12%.


    Under what circumstances would one achieve a 12%pletion rate?


    If the previous team, like him, chose to wait in ce, then when danger came in the dead of night and they realized something was amiss, did they rise up to resist and killed several vigers, thereby attaining that 12% progress rate?


    The Secret Realm would reset after a team''s death or after they cleared it and departed, leaving no trace of the previous team.


    If killing a viger added a 3%pletion rate, two Supernatural upations, under special circumstances¡ªlike being weak or something else¡ªshould have no problem killing four weapon-wielding vigers before dying.


    He had counted just now.


    The elders sitting at the entrance of the vige chatting, plus some other elders in the vige, added up to exactly 33 people.


    Killing all these vigers would result in exactly a 99%pletion rate, just 1% shy of the perfectpletion.


    And the remaining 1% for the perfectpletion...


    Chen Miao, expressionless, pulled out the dusty diary from his chest,id it in his palm, and stared at it in silence for a while before suddenly cracking a smile, "Perhaps these lonely elders need some redemption from God."


    When he had found the diary moments before.


    A prompt suddenly appeared before him.


    ''Ding, congrattions on finding an important item ''An Elder''s Notes'' in the F-rank Secret Realm ''Blood Night Cannibal Vige'', increasing yourpletion progress by 1%''.''


    Now it all made sense.


    Up to this point¡ª


    He had at least an eighty percent guess about this Secret Realm.


    Clearing this Secret Realm was really simple: you just need to ughter all the elders in this vige before nightfall.


    As simple as that.


    But the Secret Realm Introduction might lead you astray with some messy introductions to make yers doubt themselves, causing them to question their own judgments and to reshape their cognition.


    It''s akin to you sitting a primary school exam, encountering a question that reads, ''1+1=?''. Answer correctly, gain 3 points. You smirk confidently and write down ''1+1=2'' as the answer.


    But when you sat down for the civil service exam and saw the question "1+1=?" on the paper, you fell silent, your sweat soaking through your clothes as you pondered the significance behind each character, your head filled with teachings such as looking at issues from different angles, breaking free from established patterns of thought, unleashing creativity, linking theory with practice, developing a firm execution mindset, and so on.


    Finally, filled with confidence, you wrote "1+1=1", reasoning that our country is currently in a crucial stage of a new journey, facing new challenges and tasks. What we need to do is turn the impossible into the possible, and since 1 kilometer + 1 kilometer equals 1 kilometer, it means that with external empowerment, we can better achieve the impossible, and when introducing foreign capital, we should break the mold, exuding...


    And other such nonsense.


    It was only afterward that you realized the correct answer was simply 2, and everything above was just to tease everyone.


    A person''s cognition always changes with the environment.


    Yet there''s one person... whose cognition seemingly remains unchanged regardless of the surroundings.


    "..."


    At this thought, Chen Miao turned to look at Hungry Monkey with aplicated expression. He didn''t quite know how to face him anymore, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He had racked his brain only to arrive at the same answer that Hungry Monkey had blurted out upon first entering the secret realm?


    If Hungry Monkey had entered this secret realm alone,


    he probably would have cleared it by now and been out eating barbecue.


    "Miao, have you found the answer?"


    With a shiver, Hungry Monkey took a deep breath: "After getting trickedst time, I thought about trying my luck in the secret realm. Fortunately, my coworker held me back. Otherwise, with my brains, I''d probably have died in the very first secret realm."


    "Who would have thought this seemingly straightforward realm would be soplicated."


    "Hmm."


    After a long silence, Chen Miao finally turned and walked towards the stone bridge outside the vige, now finally understanding the helplessness of programmers. Sometimes, a program runs perfectly with a logic that''s hard to understand.


    It was like when hisputer broke, and he reinstalled the system and fixedwork issues after much toil, only to have Hungry Monkey punch the mainframe hard with a fist, and theputer worked again just the same.


    Logic?


    Ha?


    This world has no such thing as logic!


    Kill them, kill them all, I''ll kill them all!!


    Perhaps out of frustration turning to anger, Chen Miao strode even faster towards the elderly at the vige entrance, while Hungry Monkey quickly followed: "Miao, what did you mean when you said these old people needed some sort of salvation from God?"


    The next second¡ª


    "Bang!"


    An abrupt gunshot rang out on the stone bridge at the vige entrance.


    The Python R6 Revolver in Chen Miao''s hand, pressed against an old man''s forehead, emitted trails of white smoke drifting from the barrel, while the man''s face was filled with disbelief, his eyes rapidly dimming, a horrifying blood hole appearing on his forehead as he slowly fell backward and lifelessly dropped into the river.


    "Ssh."


    A water ssh, not too big, not too small.


    Seeing this, the other old people on the bridge were stunned, but then they all pulled out cleavers from inside their clothing with ferocious expressions, horrifyingly angry, and charged towards Chen Miao and his group!


    But after all, being old, they were not fast and even appeared to stagger.


    "So this is the salvation from God..."


    Carrying a hammer and running behind Miao, Hungry Monkey didn''t understand what he had just witnessed, but soon after, he grinned: "You should''ve said so earlier. Sending people to meet God is something Hungry Monkey excels at more than anything else!"


    ...


    PS: Thank you to ''The Grand Skyscraper 111'' for their patronage. Hahaha, no extra chapters for this leader; this is a war indemnity from The Grand!

 Chapter 13: 12: "Ding, Secret Realm Settlement Announcement.

    The Hungry Monkey bellowed in anger.


    He swung the hammer and charged into the crowd like a tiger plunging into a flock of sheep, whirling around with ferocity. The heavy hammer, weighing several dozen pounds, was too much for the skull of a robust young man to endure, let alone for the fragile, elderly bodies.


    Perhaps because it wasn''t yet night, these old people didn''t disy any special abilities¡ªthey were just ordinary elderly folk.


    "Bang!"


    "Bang!"


    Standing alone in the middle of the stone bridge, the Hungry Monkey faced only old men advancing with knives. With each blow of his hammer, the ease and decisiveness were palpable, giving him an aura of a one-man defense against a thousand foes. Chen Miao didn''t even have time to react before most of them were wounded or dead.


    "..."


    Chen Miao expressionlessly looked down at the small pistol in his hand. Who exactly was the one with the Supernatural upation? Wasn''t the Hungry Monkey just a Physical Labor Profession? How could a Lifestyle upation seem to have much morebat power than him?


    Could a normal person really have such strength?


    Probably not, right?


    He shook his head, dismissing these thoughts, and joined the fight with his "Python R6 Revolver." He wasn''t confident in his shooting skills. Firing at this angle, there was a high chance he might hit the Hungry Monkey''s back directly, but he didn''t need to aim. He only had to walk behind the Hungry Monkey and extend the barrel directly onto those old men''s foreheads before pulling the trigger.


    Taking point-nk shots, could he really miss?


    For some reason, at that moment, he suddenly felt like he was back in his gaming days, an attacker securely positioned behind a tank, outputting damage in a frenzy. It couldn''t be denied¡ªhaving someone swinging a giant hammer in front of him provided a profound sense of security...


    In less than a few minutes.


    All of the old men had died here, not a single one left alive.


    "Phew!"


    Chen Miao nced at the somewhat bloody scene with a slight frown and turned to ask the Hungry Monkey, "Have you killed before?"


    "Nope."


    "Then howe you killed so effortlessly just now?"


    "Oh, they''re not people, just NPCs in the secret realm."


    "..."


    ...


    Time flew quickly.


    Before they knew it, 11 and a half hours had already passed in this secret realm. After killing those old men, they remained, since the secret realm mission required them to survive for 12 hours, and time wasn''t up yet.


    Just as the secret realm was about to end and they sat by the central well of the vige, warming themselves by a fire and chatting to pass the time, a wisp of white smoke began to emanate slowly from the mouth of the well. The smoke rapidly enshrouded the entire vige.


    Almost instantly.


    By the time Chen Miao noticed the white smoke rising from the well behind him, he had already started feeling dizzy and disoriented, and right before losing consciousness, hisst thought was that the previous team must have been wiped out just like this.


    Doing nothing, just waiting, until they met their own demise.


    After Chen Miao and the Hungry Monkey fell unconscious, the whole vige once again fell silent, devoid of any sound. They had ughtered everyone in the vige, including those who were working in the fields at the beginning.


    All in all, exactly 33 people.


    They also took advantage of the spare time to explore outside the secret realm, but the vige was surrounded by a transparent membrane, like the boundaries of the realm. They could see the fields beyond the membrane but couldn''t get through.


    Finally¡ª


    After Chen Miao and the Hungry Monkey had spent the final half-hour unconscious in the secret realm, their bodies vanished from the spot and reappeared on the outskirts of Fengtian City, right where they had entered the secret realm together.


    At that moment, the white swirling entrance nearby had disappeared without a trace.


    Meanwhile.


    A notification sounded faintly in Chen Miao''s ear.


    ''Ding, secret realm settlement announcement.''


    ''Congrattions to Chen Miao, yer of the Supernatural upation, for sessfullypleting the F-ranked two-yer map "Blood Night Cannibal Vige" with a 100% perfect progress rating. You are awarded a perfect clearance and the following rewards.''


    ''yer Level Experience +100.''


    ''F-grade Material "Saltpeter" *1, F-grade Material "Fox-Tail Grass" *2.''


    ```


    "Star Coins*200."


    "And has the honor of being ranked No. 789 on the Fengtian City ''Perfect Clearance Leaderboards'', please continue to make an effort and strive for further sess."


    "Additionally, it has been detected that yer Chen Miao achieved a perfect clearance rating on his first entry into the Secret Realm, granting an extra reward of Star Coins*200, Free Attribute Point Exchange Ticket*1, and the limited-time item ''First Show of Sharpness''."


    A transparent panel popped up in front of Chen Miao.


    At this time, Chen Miao had already regained consciousness and was meticulously checking the panel before him.


    Perfectly clearing a Secret Realm on his first attempt gave him 100 experience points, meaning he could directly level up to 1, and he was also rewarded with 400 Star Coins, fully meeting all the prerequisites needed to fully activate the ''Gunman'' profession.


    He was slightly thrilled.


    Upon reaching yer Level 1, a detailed Attribute Panel would be avable.


    And his current personal panel had changed its appearance.


    "yer Name": Chen Miao.


    "yer Level": Level 1 (0/200)


    "Profession Name": Gunman.


    "upation Exclusive": Can use firearms.


    "yer Strength": 8 points.


    "yer Agility": 9 points.


    "yer Resistance": 8 points.


    "yer Backpack": F-grade weapon ''Python R6 Revolver'', E-grade limited-time item ''First Show of Sharpness''.


    "yer Assets": 200 Star Coins.


    He had received a total of 400 Star Coins, but one of the prerequisites for activating the Gunman profession was to spend 200 Star Coins. The moment he got the 400 Star Coins, half was spent, leaving only 200.


    "Am I this weak?"


    Chen Miao looked at his panel with a somewhat peculiar expression, furrowing his brows. The average attribute points of a normal person was 10, but all of his were below 10, which was somewhat hard for him to ept.


    Leveling up had awarded him one Free Attribute Point, and he was just rewarded another Free Attribute Point Exchange Ticket, making a total of two Attribute Points he could distribute.


    After a brief contemtion.


    Without the slightest hesitation, he allocated both to Agility.


    Thus, his Agility had increased to 11 points.


    Strength determined how much force his body could exert, Agility determined his running speed and flexibility, and Resistance determined how long he could endure against certain control effects. For instance, if his Resistance had been a little higher, say above 15 points, perhaps he wouldn''t have fainted in the presence of the white fog in that Secret Realm earlier.


    He had made up his mind to primarily invest in Agility and Resistance from now on, both of which were crucial for survival in key moments.


    Especially Resistance.


    As for Strength, only a fool would increase that.


    What use was great strength to him? He was a Gunman¡ªwhy did he need so much strength? Was he supposed to swing a Gatling around to smash his enemies'' heads? Besides, no matter how strong he was, could he ever be stronger than Hungry Monkey beside him?


    Compare one''s own weaknesses against someone else''s strengths?


    Wasn''t that just foolish?


    He didn''t need to be stronger than anyone.


    He just needed to run faster than others and let Hungry Monkey take the lead.


    Initially rewarded with 400 Star Coins, he had spent 200 to activate the Gunman profession, leaving him with just 200 in his pocket. The profession panel also disyed the prerequisites for the next stage of promotion.


    "Gunman Profession Promotion Prerequisites":


    When the yer level reaches 3, an upation Promotion can be performed.


    The next stage of profession promotion does not allow for self-selection; there is only one path.


    "Heavy Gunner".


    ```

 Chapter 14: 13: "Do You Want to Become a Supernatural Profession Player?

    The prerequisite for advancing to the next stage requires yer Level to reach 3.


    There''s no need to worry about this for now, as reaching Level 2 still needs 200 experience, and perfectly clearing an F-grade map only gives 100 experience, it''s estimated that it would take at least ten days to half a month to level up to 2.


    Unless one seamlessly transitions into secret realms, the incessant kind.


    The speed would be much faster.


    And so would the death rate.


    After his yer Level reached 1, it was as if he had truly be a Supernatural upation yer, and many features were subsequently unlocked, such as the Fengtian City leaderboards.


    He could now see many of Fengtian City''s leaderboards.


    Among these were the "Fengtian Combat Power Leaderboard," "Fengtian Level Leaderboard," "Fengtian Merit Points Leaderboard," "Fengtian Perfect Clear Leaderboard," "Fengtian Secret Realm Entry Leaderboard," "Fengtian upation Leaderboard," and so on.


    Dozens of leaderboards.


    Besides these, he could also see the entire Federation''s leaderboards.


    Indeed, as the shop owner said.


    In the "Federation Level Leaderboard," the first hundred names were almost entirely yers from Jingjiu City, with virtually no yers from other cities, let alone Fengtian, not even a shadow to be seen.


    It couldn''t be helped.


    yers from Jingjiu City inherently benefit from a strong city-state effect that grants them 30% less experience required to level uppared to yers from other cities; with such an advantage, who couldpete? At that time, the highest-ranked yer on the leaderboard was¡ª


    "Federation Level Leaderboard Rank 1": Lord Miao, Lv.67 Holy Demon Envoy.


    A Level 67 Holy Demon Envoy was indeed frightening.


    Especially since the Holy Demon Envoy profession, although not well understood, sounded quite intimidating.


    And Chen Miao, after scrolling down the "Fengtian Perfect Clear Leaderboard" for quite a while, finally found his name at the 789th position¡ª


    "Fengtian Perfect Clear Leaderboard Rank 789": Chen Miao, Lv.1 Gunner.


    Damn it!


    This feeling of being utterly crushed was overwhelming, not knowing by how many folds; moreover, the yer named Lord Miao had his name shing in multicolored lights, glittering to the point of blinding, while his own name on the leaderboard looked in and ordinary, a dull grey.


    At this rank, unless someone deliberately sought it out, it would be virtually impossible to notice.


    "I''ll take a look when I get home!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath and closed the leaderboard in front of him; this was the first time he had looked at something like this. Many things were very attractive to him, especially the Fengtian City leaderboards, but now was not the time. He would take his time and look through them when he got home that evening.


    He would need to study them carefully tonight.


    And... why shouldn''t he have a shot at the number one spot?


    Being at position 789 was a bit frustrating. No, he had to take a seat at the top of the leaderboard himself and see what the view was like from number one.


    Besides, when he leveled up to 1, he also unlocked the backpack feature.


    There were 10 slots, allowing for 10 items, and even identical items could not be stacked; one item per slot.


    It was possible to expand.


    And the price wasn''t expensive, 10,000 Star Coins to expand the 11th slot.


    Well, if nothing unexpected happened, perhaps the price wouldn''t stay the same when expanding the 12th slot.


    And his backpack was nearly full at this point, the perfect secret realm clear also gave him three batches of materials, 2 batches of F-grade materials "Fox-Tail Grass" and 1 batch of F-grade material "Saltpeter," all familiar names.


    He didn''t need these materials for now; if he were to sell them, he could probably fetch around seven or eight thousand credit points.


    Earning money was rather fast, certainly much better than working a job.


    It''s just that the intensity of the work was quite high, after all, killing 33 people in a row is a bit hair-raising.


    Perhaps the limitation of the backpack slots is also a significant factor hindering the development of the Gunner profession; after all, if the ammunition can''t keep up, it means no solo firepower coverage, but he didn''t need to worry about this.


    The Jade Amulet of Safety''s five-meter by five-meter space allowed him to store arge amount of ammunition.


    Moreover, this "Nothingness Space" was currently at Level 1.


    After spending 2000 Star Coins to advance to Level 2, not only would he be rewarded with a Gun-specific skin ''Tao Wood'' and production lines for two calibers of ammunition, but the space would increase again, and then he would truly never worry about ammunition again.


    There would be no more need for something like the Small Revolver.


    Directly start with a Gatling and its intense thatch thatch thatch of firepower.


    The Small Revolver was too boring, satisfying none of his aspirations for firepower coverage. Of course, with his current strength, it was impressive enough that he managed to get his hands on that gadget. If he were to follow the old ways from where he came, not to mention the Small Revolver, even eating would be a problem.


    And just then¡ª


    Chen Miao suddenly noticed that Hungry Monkey had also made it onto the "Fengtian Perfect Clear Leaderboard," ranked at 790.


    "Fengtian Perfect Clear Leaderboard Rank 790": Hungry Monkey, Lv.3 Laborer.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Miao noticed something about the lv3 and was slightly stunned, subconsciously asking, "You leveled up three times?"


    "I was already level 3 before I met you, Miao."


    "Howe you never mentioned it?"


    "Ah? All my coworkers are around levels three and four. We lifestyle professionals don''t need to enter secret realms to earn experience; we get it by working, and it increases pretty quickly. Our foreman is a level 6 carpenter."


    "Did you activate your backpack yet?"


    "No, only Supernatural Profession yers have backpacks; Lifestyle Professions yers don''t have those."


    "Got it."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully, paused for a long moment, then suddenly said, "Share your attribute panel with me, I want to take a look."


    He had just seen an option button for sharing projections on the attribute panel.


    He was a bit curious to see how high Hungry Monkey''s strength attribute was.


    "Oh, sure."


    The next second¡ª


    ''yer Name'': Hungry Monkey.


    ''yer Level'': Level 3 (158/500)


    ''Profession Name'': Laborer.


    ''upation Exclusive'': Skin bes tougher and less prone to blistering.


    ''yer Strength'': 16 points.


    ''yer Agility'': 10 points.


    ''yer Resistance'': 6 points.


    "..."


    Chen Miao stared expressionlessly at the attribute panel with 16 points in strength, silently rooted to the spot. He had thought there was something outrageously strong about Hungry Monkey.


    Damn it!


    16 points in the strength attribute, that''s twice as much as his own!


    "Did you add all the attribute points from leveling up to strength?"


    "No," Hungry Monkey shook his head and denied, "I added them all to resistance. My initial resistance was only 3, and I don''t know why it was so low; maybe that''s why I don''t handle hunger too well."


    "I was going to add them to strength, but I thought 15 points would be enough, so I didn''t. Who knew that maybe after working hard for a while, my strength would increase a bit on its own and went up to 16 points?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao fell into silence once more, feeling the vast difference between people.


    Naturally having 15 points in strength attribute, he truly was born to work as aborer.


    "Hungry Monkey."


    "Huh?"


    "Ever thought about bing a Supernatural Profession yer?"


    "Yes!" Hungry Monkey nodded vigorously, like a pecking chicken, "I''ve always wanted to be a Fighter, which is a Supernatural Profession, but the upation Inheritance Book for Fighters is too expensive; it costs 50,000 credit points, and I could never afford it."


    "You bought a grave chamber with a 30-year lease for 80,000 credit points but are short of these 50,000?"


    "Back then, I thought love was a little more precious..."


    "And now?"


    "Now I think the upation Inheritance Book for Fighters offers a bit more value."


    Chen Miao gave Hungry Monkey an annoyed look and then walked towards the city: "Let''s go, it''s already dark. Let''s enter the city and grab something to eat first."


    "I''ll buy you the upation Inheritance Book for Fighters."


    "From now on, you follow me."


    "Of course, Miao. Even if you weren''t buying it for me, I''d still follow you. My granny told me many times to stick with someone smart, and you, Miao, are smart."


    "Tsk," Chen Miao smiled and said nothing, instead, he rested a walking stick in his palm and continued walking forward.


    The walking stick was an E-grade limited-time item ''First Show of Sharpness'' from the secret realm.


    It was a walking stick.


    And it looked good.

 Chapter 15: 14: Is the World Really That Dangerous?

    The staff was over a meter long, all ck with ayer of gilded light on its surface, and it had some embossments in the same ck color that could only be seen clearly upon close inspection.


    Just looking at this object conveyed one impression, expensive!


    It was an E-grade time-limited prop awarded for a perfectpletion on one''s first visit to the secret realm.


    It was only for seven days.


    After seven days, the prop would be reimed.


    ''Prop Name'': First Show of Sharpness.


    ''Prop Level'': E-grade.


    ''Prop Effect'': Can ignore the restriction that only one upational weapon can be crafted.


    ''Prop Restriction'': None.


    ''Prop Source'': There is a small chance to obtain this prop when a yer perfectlypletes the secret realm on their first visit, and it can only be acquired in this way. Once obtained, it will be bound forcefully, cannot be traded, cannot be gifted, and other Supernatural Profession yers cannot use it if obtained.


    ''Prop Description'': "This prop is the glory given to a genius young man who reveals his edge fully on his first entry into the secret realm! Whether you are a transient genius or an unstoppable one is for you to decide."


    ''PS: If the prop holder ranks in the top 500 of any Fengtian City leaderboard within seven days, the prop will be retained, and its rank will be promoted; otherwise, the prop will be reimed.''


    This prop was one of his biggest gains this time.


    The effect of the prop, which allowed him to ignore the restriction that only one upational weapon could be crafted, instantly eradicated his idea of selling the materials acquired from the secret realm for credit points. Instead, he decided to buy another ''Fox-Tail Grass'' and craft another ''Python R6 Revolver''.


    Be a dual-wielding Li Xiangyang!


    The sense of security from two guns was always better than just one.


    But there was a risk, if he failed to enter the top 500 of any Fengtian leaderboard within seven days, it meant not only would the staff prop be reimed, but the second ''Python R6 Revolver'' he crafted would also be taken back - a loss of both his wife and his troops.


    Busting into the top 500 of the Fengtian leaderboard was not an easy task.


    Decades of transcendentalization had almost solidified the sses in this world; no one in the top 500 of any Fengtian City leaderboard was a nobody, all were influential figures.


    Toppling these people and finding a ce for oneself was hard.


    But there were still chances; he would see which leaderboard was easier to climb after he got back tonight.


    It was already 10 pm.


    They had entered the secret realm at 10 am, and after 12 hours, they left at 10 pm, with the time inside the realm synchronized 1:1 with the outside world.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Chen Miao, apanied by Hungry Monkey, walked into the urban area and returned to the barbecue stall they had visited the day before, which was Hungry Monkey''s favorite.


    Generous portions, cheap, and filling.


    Hungry Monkey had arge appetite, which made him wonder for a long time if Hungry Monkey took a long time in the bathroom.


    But this time was somewhat different from the usual; as they had just sat down and before they even had a chance to order, they heard an exmation from nearby.


    "Boss Chen!"


    "..."


    This voice sounded somewhat familiar. Hearing it, Chen Miao''s expression changed slightly, and he instinctively prepared to leave with Hungry Monkey.


    That voice belonged to the owner of the clinic.


    If nothing else, Doctor Gou from that clinic probably already had someonee seeking revenge today, and he must be holding a grudge in his heart. He might be looking for revenge at this very moment, and by coincidence, they ran into each other at the barbecue stall.


    Talk about a small world, indeed!


    I''ll nevere to this BBQ stand again, the feng shui here is terrible. Why do I always run into people I shouldn''t?


    "Eh?"


    Perhaps seeing Chen Miao starting to walk away, Doctor Gou, dressed in his whiteb coat, quickly hurried forward to block his path, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice, "I mean, Boss Chen, didn''t we agree that you woulde in again for a day today?"


    "Where were you today?"


    "I waited for you all day and you didn''t show, but I, Doctor Gou, am a man of my word. I said I''d give you the entire surplus of the Big Sunflower Andrology Clinic''s 24-hour revenue minus costs and profits, and I won''t go back on that."


    "We had three more skinning cases today, and I practiced the method you taught, Boss Chen. It works nicely."


    "Here, this is the 18,000 credit points you''re supposed to get today."


    "You can rest assured, Boss Chen, ask around about me, Doctor Gou, and you''ll find I never do a sloppy job."


    "..."


    Chen Miao was a bit bewildered as he took out his hand that he had subconsciously stuffed into his pocket and fell into a strange silence, ncing at Hungry Monkey next to him who had already opened his wristwatch to receive the transfer with the payment code, hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "No one came to make a fuss?"


    "Oh, there was!"


    Doctor Gou nodded seriously, gesturing towards a nearby alley, "Come over here!"


    A group of about fifteen ck-suited men, each with a bruised face resembling a chastised child, obediently came out of the alley and stood behind Doctor Gou. These people were clearly the same ones Chen had seen at the BBQ stand the night before.


    These were the same ones who had vowed to seek vengeance the next day.


    The man at the forefront, their very first client, was also the man Chen had met at the BBQ stand the night before, his face seething with anger.


    "Umm..."


    Now the man standing behind Doctor Gou, his eyes filled with a mix of respect, awe, and a touch of helplessness, said, "Three years ago, the Sword Emperor who was ranked 48th in Fengtian City''sbat power listing, suddenly vanished without a trace and never showed his face to the public again."


    "It wasn''t like no one spected that the Sword Emperor might have met his end, but as long as his name didn''t disappear from the rankings, it meant he was still among the living."


    "It''s just that there has been not the slightest change in hisbat power, and there were no changes on other rankings as well. Later, everyone guessed that the Sword Emperor must have mistakenly entered a secret realm and got trapped there, unable to escape."


    "Over the years, with the pursuit of neers, the Sword Emperor''s ranking has fallen to 178th on Fengtian City''sbat power listing."


    "But who would have known, the Sword Emperor wasn''t trapped in a secret realm but had instead opened an andrology clinic and be the chief surgeon himself."


    "I knew there was something about the way the Sword Emperor wielded that scalpel. It was so decisive."


    At this, the man''s face even showed a hint of wistful sentimentality, "To be personally ''skinned'' by the Sword Emperor himself is an honor for someone like me, Yuan. 8,888 credit points is not at all expensive. Many people would be willing to pay that to seize such a good fortune."


    As he finished speaking.


    Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey faced each other expressionlessly, falling into silence.


    "..."


    "..."


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao immediately pulled up the Fengtian City''sbat power listing and at the 178th spot, he saw a familiar name.


    ''Fengtian City Combat Power Ranking 178'': Doctor Gou, lv18 Sword Emperor.


    Well, that''s interesting.


    Chen Miao silently leaned on his cane, for a moment unsure of how to break the awkward situation. It seemed he had... swindled a legendary character with a lv18 Sword Emperor Profession?


    Is the world really this perilous?


    You''re so powerful and you don''t go save the world, but run an andrology clinic instead?

 Chapter 16: 15: "I name this strategy—Deception!

    ```


    ording to the calction that perfectly passing an F-level secret realm once grants 100 experience points, and the experience needed for each level-up will significantly increase,


    to level up to 18,


    at least 50 perfectpletions of F-level secret realms are needed, and that might still not be enough, after all, he was unclear on how much experience would be required to level up againter on.


    And anyone who could perfectlyplete 50 F-level secret realms must have battle experience and keenness to an extreme, an absolute old-timer, just like the F-level secret realm they were heading to, "Blood Night Cannibal Vige"¡ªif Doctor Gou were to go, he would probably find the answer straight away.


    After all, he had experienced too many secret realms.


    "Sigh!"


    Just as the atmosphere turned a bit awkward, Doctor Gou was the first to shake his head with a sigh of emotion, "Let''s not talk about the past. Those were just the indiscretions of youth, foolish y. Now I no longer concern myself with these matters and just want to peacefully run my small clinic."


    "So that my parents resting below might have a bit of sce."


    "But s, I am but a simple man, adept at chopping heads but quite foolish when ites to business. The clinic that my ancestors left me was nearly shut down, but thankfully, Boss Chen''s brilliant strategy brought the clinic back to life in an instant!"


    "This allows me to meet my ancestors with face in the future."


    "I can''t imagine how I''d have the face to meet my parents down there if I closed down the clinic."


    "It just so happens that I met Boss Chen today, soe, my treat, let''s all have a meal right here. But, Boss Chen, you must teach me a few more tricks so that I can bring the clinic back to life and, ideally, make it grow and open a branch!"


    Especially when it came to the idea of opening a branch, Doctor Gou''s face was flushed with excited crimson, "Opening a branch, that''s been a long-cherished wish passed down since my great grandfather''s generation. No one achieved it until my parents'' generation, but if you, Boss Chen, can help me aplish this!"


    "I will carve your name into the family annals!"


    "And I, Doctor Gou, will be the first of the Gou Family."


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s lips twitched slightly, feeling a tingling scalp and for a moment, he didn''t know what to say.


    This strategy of his was not a brilliant move but rather a ''destroy-your-progeny'' move, as it nearly cost the clinic its reputation in order to make a quick buck for himself, a deed that should have made him the clinic''s enemy.


    But with a majorpulsorybat event just days away, he had no choice but to take a gamble. If he didn''t quickly establish himself, he would''ve died in the uing event.


    Yet, who could have guessed that the owner of a clinic facing closure was in fact a level 18 Sword Emperor?


    Alright, now every problem seemed to have a solution.


    The original workflow was¡ª


    Attract customers¡ªSkinning¡ªBeautiful nurse appears¡ªSutures break¡ªTake the opportunity to ask for a high fee¡ªNext day, face retaliation¡ªClose shop to avoid trouble.


    The new workflow became¡ª


    Attract customers¡ªSkinning¡ªBeautiful nurse appears¡ªSutures break¡ªTake the opportunity to ask for a high fee¡ªNext day, face retaliation¡ªHeh, I''m a level 18 Sword Emperor, you got a problem with that?¡ªeptance¡ªNext one.


    It formed a perfect closed loop.


    So this strategy actually became a brilliant move, especially since Doctor Gou was a level 18 Sword Emperor and had a bit of a reputation in Fengtian City. Previously a person of some importance, he didn''t care at all about his own reputation, unbothered by the idea that this matter getting out could damage it.


    He cared only about continuing the legacy of the clinic passed down from his ancestors, making it flourish and even thinking about opening a branch.


    Quite right.


    He traveled through the Otherworld, embodying Zhuge with his plotting and nning.


    After mentally grumbling for a bit, Chen Miao suddenly put on a big smile and approached Doctor Gou, "I was wondering why I felt there was something extraordinary about Doctor Gou from the moment I saw you, please, Doctor Gou, take a seat here."


    "A seat of honor, please!"


    ...


    As the drinks made their third round.


    The atmosphere of the ce gradually warmed.


    Chen Miao, Hungry Monkey, Doctor Gou, and that gang leader who called himself Mister Yuan sat at one table, while the other riff-raff, clearly up to no good, sat at a few nearby tables.


    "Actually, I have another n!"


    Chen Miao raised his ss in a toast to Doctor Gou from afar, then with a serious and solemn face, he said, "I call this n¡ª''Deceiving the Heavens to Cross the Sea''!"


    ```


    "Since Big Sunflower Clinic is a male health clinic, we must start withmon male diseases!"


    "First of all, we''ll announce free examinations. Then, during the examinations, we''ll screen out the targets, dismissing the elderly, children, srymen, and the like, keeping those who at a nce appear to be wealthy with plenty of disposable ie."


    "Then, the first step!"


    "Tell the guest that there seems to be a problem with his prostate and that he shoulde in for a thorough checkup when he has time. On the same day, administer an infusion of glucose or the like. Once the sweet talk is done, think slowly; the main objective is to prolong the process and make the wound tight. This will cause swelling when the patient goes home. Tell the patient if there are any reactions, toe back here immediately for a follow-up."


    "The second step!"


    "Of course, there are some stubborn guests who''ll refuse the infusion. We can prescribe them an oral solution. There''s one called Rifampicin; its side effect turns the urine red. The patients will think they''re urinating blood and will hurry back for a recheck."


    "The third step!"


    "When theye back for the recheck, secretly add medicinal residue to the patient''s urine bag. Show it to the guest, thus proving that the prostate inmmation is serious and that surgery is immediately necessary!"


    "Next... it''ll depend on what price you''re prepared to set, Doctor Gou."


    "With these three steps, hardly anyone can get away; they''ll all obediently lie on the operating table likembs to the ughter."


    As the words fell!


    Doctor Gou, Hungry Monkey, and a certain Mr. Yuan¡ªall three of them¡ªopened their mouths in shock, unable to utter a word, rigidly frozen in ce, clearly stunned by Chen Miao''s plot.


    "It''s got to be Miao,"


    With a face full of admiration and pride, Hungry Monkey straightened up. No wonder grandma always said that smart people are the most powerful. He''d nevere up with such a thing in his life. If he coulde up with this, he wouldn''t be doing manualbor.


    "..."


    The thug leader, who called himself Mr. Yuan, sitting opposite Chen Miao, slightly lowered his head, the corners of his mouth twitching crazily. It''s no wonder they say that nothing is more ruthless than a woman''s heart, but even more ruthless is the schr''s.


    This is simply the behavior of a beast!


    He suddenly felt like being a thug didn''t seem to be such a terrible thing after all!


    At least he had never been this despicable!


    And when he collected protection money, he truly did step in to help the shops when they were in trouble.


    "Good!"


    "Excellent! What a brilliant scheme!"


    Doctor Gou,pletely shocked, stiffened on the spot for a while before suddenly pping the table and respectfully toasting Chen Miao across the space with his drink.


    Excitement flickered in his pupils, as if he could already see the grand vision of this great n, making him seem extremely animated¡ªa far cry from the listlessness he had when they first met, as if he had been reborn.


    It seems that carrying on and expanding the family clinic had truly be Doctor Gou''s obsession.


    "Boss Chen, it''s a pity you aren''t in business. With that brain of yours, I guarantee that if you were, you''d have a fortune of millions within a year!"


    "You tter me, Doctor Gou,"


    Chen Miao smiled wryly inside as he lifted his ss in response.


    He certainly wasn''t some 18th-level Sword Emperor.


    If he went about it this way, he''d be hacked to death on the streets within a few days.


    "By the way, Boss Chen, I recall you telling me that you were nning to try your hand at some secretive realm in the next few days?"


    "Yes, that''s the n."


    "In that case, I''ve also ventured into quite a few secret realms before. Since you''re interested in pursuing this field, how about I share some experience with you? These are all experiences from the past years, not worth much, and I hope you won''t disdain them, Boss Chen."


    Upon hearing this.


    Chen Miao became serious and immediately sat up straight: "How could I disdain it, Doctor Gou? Please, feel free to speak¡ªI will listen attentively and take it to heart."


    What was he waiting for?


    Isn''t this it?


    Experience transferred one-on-one by an 18th-level Sword Emperor Supernatural Profession yer¡ªhow many detours will this save him, avoiding how many potential dangers!

 Chapter 17: 16: "Weapon Name": HK Thompson Submachine Gun

    "Okay."


    "Then I''ll just briefly talk about the essentials. The main point is to thoroughly check the strategy for the secret realm before descending, and only go if you''re sure it''s foolproof. If you do that, you basically won''t have any problems."


    Doctor Gou was serious as he imparted his experience, "And there''s a lot of fake experiences online. Some groups use this to make undeserved profits, so you have to be extra careful. When searching for information on secret realms, you need to scrutinize and discern carefully."


    "Also, try not to go to secret realms designed for multiple people."


    "If you''re forced into a major event, try not to draw too much attention to yourself, so as not to be a public enemy."


    "Don''t go to solo secret realms either. If you end up in a dire situation, there won''t be anyone to give you a hand. It''s best to go to a two-person secret realm, especially the kind where if one person dies the other has absolutely no chance of clearing it on their own. These are the secret realms where you can safely trust your back to your teammate and are rtively safe."


    "That''s about it."


    "..."


    Chen Miao had started out full of anticipation, but by the end, his face had grown rigid, and he finally fellpletely silent. What kind of strange advice was this?


    Check the strategy before descending into a secret realm?


    Don''t stand out?


    Avoid multi-person secret realms?


    All of this was a mess,pletely different from what he had wanted to hear.


    "Doctor Gou, the secret realms you''re talking about are those that have already been perfectly cleared, right?"


    "Mhm."


    "What about those secret realms outside the city that haven''t been perfectly cleared?"


    "Definitely don''t go to those! Such secret realms are fraught with danger; you''d die without even knowing how. Only those who absolutely must fight for their lives would go pioneering in a secret realm!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao was silent again, unsure what to say for the moment. There seemed to be some logic to it, after all. Pioneering in a secret realm did seem quite dangerous, but the rewards were indeed substantial.


    "Oh!"


    Just then, Doctor Gou spoke again, "You said earlier you''re of the Gunman Profession, right? I happen to have a good thing left over here, something I never sold and just kept at the clinic. Come back with meter and I''ll give it to you."


    "It''s a good thing."


    "You''ll like it."


    ...


    It wasn''t long.


    The meal ended amidughter and cheerful talk. As they were parting, the gang leader who had finally introduced himself by his real name, saying he was Yuan Buping, tentatively asked Doctor Gou whether he should reveal to the public the news that the Sword Emperor was running a clinic.


    If that news got out.


    A great many people woulde to the clinic, bringing money of their own ord, and they wouldn''t do so too overtly. They''d employ means that the Sword Emperor liked, such as requesting skinning services.


    Doctor Gou, however, shook his head and refused, saying he no longer wanted to live under the identity of the Sword Emperor and that he just wanted to spend the rest of his life as Doctor Gou, healing the wounded and saving the dying, bringing glory to the familial clinic to repay his parents'' kindness.


    And they all escorted Doctor Gou back to the clinic.


    Doctor Gou came out of the clinic, carrying a somewhat fierce-looking weapon, and ced it into Chen Miao''s arms.


    "Here!"


    Chen Miao looked at the weapon in his hands with a slight shock, recognizing its familiar appearance and the pure dark red color scheme. It was indeed a Thompson Submachine Gun, which was clearly much more useful than his Small Revolver.


    And the weapon''s panel quickly appeared before him.


    "Weapon Name": HK Thompson Submachine Gun


    "Weapon Grade": E-grade.


    "Weapon Restrictions": Only ''Gunman Profession'' and supernatural yers on their promotion path may use it, and yer Level must be at least 2, with Strength Attribute above 12.


    "Weapon Details": Damage Energy Coefficient ranges from 6-15, depending on the point of impact, with a maximum drum capacity of 50 rounds.


    "Weapon Introduction": "When a man, wearing a trench coat and holding a Thompson Submachine Gun, walks against the wind, letting his coat flutter as he heads towards the monsters at the far end of the street, no woman can resist turning back for a nce as she runs away."


    "Nice!"


    Chen Miao nodded slightly, constantly stroking the submachine gun in his hand, a look of unabashed satisfaction on his face. It was truly a wonderful item he liked a lot, although he couldn''t use it right away due to the restrictions.


    That irritated him a bit.


    Otherwise, he really wanted to rush to the outskirts and fire off a drum just for the thrill of it.


    "Hey."


    Doctor Gou added Chen Miao as a friend in the supernatural yer character panel''s friend search area while talking, "You''ve helped me quite a bit, and I don''t have a lot to offer in return. But I did spend a good amount of time in this field over the past few years, even if I didn''t achieve great sess."


    "Come by when you have time next, and I''ll give you a proper rundown on how to deal with other professions, especially the fighters. They might seem tough and invincible up close, but over the years, I''ve killed more than a few of them."


    "Multiyer secret realms are dangerous precisely because the greatest riskes not from the realms themselves, but from your teammates by your side."


    "It''s not illegal to kill people in the secret realms."


    "I also have some Star Coins here; consider them a gift. It''s only 3000 Star Coins, don''t think it''s too little, that''s all I have on me. When I retired, I pretty much gave away everything to repay favors."


    "Oh, right."


    Doctor Gou suddenly remembered something, smacking his head, turned back to the clinic, and quickly returned, handing over a paper bag to Chen Miao: "Inside, there are 3 Free Attribute Exchange Coupons, along with a few materials that the Gunman Profession might need."


    "Gunmen can craft their upational Weapons, but can also obtain other weapons."


    "And the difference between these two types of weapons is..."


    "upational Weapons are fixed; every Gunman at each level will definitely have such an upational Weapon, whereas the choice of other weapons is each Gunman yer''s own trump card."


    "Furthermore¡ª"


    "Both upational Weapons and other weapons can be enhanced, but the enhancement on upational Weapons will be transferred to the upational Weapon of the profession you switch to."


    "Whereas the enhancements on other weapons will reset to zero the moment you sessfully switch professions."


    "Enhancements are quite costly."


    "If you n on switching professionster, try not to waste too many materials on your other weapons."


    "I don''t know much about the Gunman Profession; by the time I came into my own, the Gunman was already falling out of favor, and I rarely ever saw one. In my view, it seemed like as long as you wear something with a high Energy Defense coefficient, you could just rush at gunmen and withstand their firepower."


    "But..."


    ...


    The group chatted for quite a while in front of the Big Sunflower Andrology Clinic, and Doctor Gou did indeed share all his understanding of the Gunman Profession, sparing no details.


    And Chen Miao listened attentively.


    There''s no tutorial for beginners in this world; these are the kinds of detours that everyone has to take unless someone tells them otherwise.


    As he was leaving, Doctor Gou ripped off the ''Big'' character from the clinic''s sign, revealing the original ''Small'' character underneath.


    "Now that I''m finally not worried that this ''Small'' might jinx the business and deter customers."


    "I can explore and expand the name passed down from my ancestors to its fullest potential."


    So reflected Doctor Gou, having grasped the essence ofmerce.

 Chapter 18: 17: Tao Wood - Firearm Skin.

    ```


    Chen Miao also bid farewell to Yuan Buping and the others, and left.


    Before he left,


    ording to Yuan Buping, he had been determined since childhood to right all the wrongs in the world. Hence, he renamed himself Yuan Buping and, as a kid, gathered a group of friends to be the king of the children, beginning to learn how to manage a gang.


    When he grew up, he ventured alone into a secret realm.


    By luck, he survived and emerged with some treasures, then he assembled this team to collect protection fees and right the world''s wrongs.


    The protection fee was only 1 credit point per month.


    It wasn''t about the money, but he simply enjoyed the feeling of collecting protection fees, as it made him feel prestigious.


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao silently nodded and gave a thumbs-up in admiration, but the corners of his mouth twitched subtly as he left. Here was another abnormal person. It seemed to him that ever since he arrived in this world, including the Hungry Monkey, he had not met a single normal person.


    ...


    Back in the tomb chamber in the graveyard, Chen Miao began to take stock of all his gains for the day.


    200 Star Coins, three F-grade materials, and a time-limited E-grade prop¡ªthat was for the perfectpletion of an F-level secret realm.


    3000 Star Coins, four F-grade materials, an E-grade weapon for the Gunman Profession, and three Free Attribute Exchange Coupons¡ªthat was what Doctor Gou had given him.


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao looked at the pile of items before him with aplex expression. As he sorted through them... why did it seem like the rewards from struggling to pioneer an F-level secret realm were in fact less than what Doctor Gou had given him?


    Indeed.


    He finally understood why the adventures in novels always involved meeting masters rather than the protagonist venturing into some minor map on their own.


    The benefits of meeting a master were indeed much greater.


    Though Doctor Gou might appear down on his luck now, as the saying goes, a thin camel is bigger than a horse. The items he casually produced were not only suitable for Chen Miao but also precisely what he needed at this stage.


    First was the remaining 3200 Star Coins in his personal panel ount.


    Without the slightest hesitation, he reached for the Jade Talisman of Safety he had always carried close to his chest.


    "Level Up!"


    Soon after, a panel popped up in front of him.


    ''Ding, congrattions on sessfully upgrading the Nothingness Space to level 2.''


    ''The Nothingness Space is now level 2, with a size of 7 meters in length, width, and height.''


    ''And you have obtained an exclusive Firearm Skin ''Tao Wood'', as well as production lines for two calibers of ammunition, please select two calibers.''


    "11.43mm and 9mm."


    Chen Miao quickly made his choice. The former was the caliber for the Thompson Submachine Gun''s bullets, while thetter was for the ''Python R6 Revolver''. These two weapons were also the main ones he had been using recently.


    From what Doctor Gou had just mentioned,


    upational weapons for those of the Gunman Profession, such as the ''Python R6 Revolver'', could be bought directly through the personal panel with Star Coins, though at a pricey rate, the convenience was worthwhile.


    However, for non-upational weapons of the Gunman Profession, acquiring bullets became more troublesome. One either had to set up a production line in the outskirts by collecting materials themselves to produce their own bullets or buy from other yers who had production lines.


    Back when the Gunman Profession was popr, this was a minor issue since there were plenty of corresponding service facilities. But ever since the profession fell out of favor and those workshops closed down, getting bullets for a Gunman''s weapon had be difficult. Renowned Gunman yers typically had their own production lines, while neers to the Gunman Profession could only... fumble through on their own.


    Yet, what Chen Miao cared most about was that Tao Wood Firearm Skin!


    ''Prop Name'': Tao Wood¡¤Firearm Skin.


    ''Prop Level'': ssless (unique).


    ''Prop Effect'': Can designate any firearm to activate this prop, which will transform into a skin that permanently apanies the firearm, significantly enhancing its abilities, and randomly adding some exclusive effects.


    ''Prop Restriction'': Limited to use on firearm weapons only, and once applied, it cannot be removed.


    ''Prop Description'': "Naturally brutal and stubbornly obstinate."


    ```


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the mahjong-like prop in his hand with attachment; it truly was a fine item. The small square was engraved with the image of the Tao Wu Beast, which is a mythical creature from the ssic of Mountains and Seas.


    If he remembered correctly, the ssic of Mountains and Seas also features the mythical Qilin.


    If there indeed existed a Qilin firearm skin, he would definitely save it for an AK, not for anything else but for the obsession of ny million CFers!


    He nned to save this Tao Wu firearm skin for the Thomson. In the following period, this Thomson submachine gun would likely be his main weapon.


    Only...


    He couldn''t use it at the moment.


    The requirements for wielding the weapon were for the yer level to be at least 2, with Strength attribute above 12.


    He was only at level 1 now and still needed 200 experience points to reach level 2.


    His Strength attribute was only at 8 points,cking 4 points. Doctor Gou had given him 3 Free Attribute Exchange Coupons, and with the addition of the free attribute point he''d receive upon leveling up to 2, he could just make his Strength reach 12 points.


    Which means.


    He just needed to level up to 2 to use the Thomson submachine gun.


    And with the Tao Wu skin, no less.


    "Phew!"


    The anxiety he had felt for so many days finally began to dissipate a little. Although he wasn''t sure what effects the Tao Wu skin would bring, it was after all a unique skin, so it shouldn''t be too bad. At the very least, it should help him survive the forced battle event a few days from now.


    He finally felt a slight confidence.


    Chen Miao nodded with satisfaction and turned to the Hungry Monkey who was washing up beside him, "Tomorrow, I''ll take you to buy the upation Inheritance Book for martial artists, then we''ll head to the secret realm and try to level up to 2 as soon as possible."


    He had some credit points left from the day that he hadn''t spent, and today Doctor Gou had given him thest payment of 1.8w credit points.


    Add to that the extra materials he now had.


    Plus selling the prop which only the Magician could use, which Hungry Monkey had rewarded from a perfect run in the secret realm, and exchanging Star Coins for credit points, they would just about have enough to buy an upation Inheritance Book for martial artists.


    An upation Inheritance Book for martial artists cost 50k credit points, which was exorbitantly expensive!


    Although pricey, it was still best to buy it sooner rather thanter.


    Lest Hungry Monkey keep following him into the secret realm and have all the experience points added to his Lifestyle upation as a porter, utterly wasting experience¡ªit was quite literally life-exchanging, and such wastefulness was simply unthinkable!


    "Alright!"


    Hungry Monkey nodded vigorously, his eyes full of excitement as hey on his makeshift bed, imagining what he would be like as a martial artist. After turning off the lights, he kept tossing and turning, clearly not falling asleep as quickly as he usually did.


    The lights were out, it was time to sleep.


    Several hourster.


    The lights came on, it was time to wake up.


    "..."


    Chen Miao silently looked up at the light bulb above him, easily 2000 lumens, and sighed, reluctantly waking up as he started to dress and prepare to leave.


    What is 2000 lumens exactly?


    Ordinary household light bulbs are 100-300 lumens.


    More than 1000 lumens is enough for construction site lighting, and at 2000 lumens, the moment you turn on the light, you''ll know what''s meant by ''daybreak.''


    Especially when it illuminates right before your eyes.


    It felt like a nuclear bomb exploding overhead. Who knew what was going through Hungry Monkey''s head to install a 2000-lumen light cannon in his cramped crypt of a room.


    It was bright, alright.


    Quite good, indeed.

 Chapter 19: 18: "Hes the one who bought the burial chamber as a bridal chamber.

    ```


    This strange and bizarre world is always made up of strange and bizarre people, as if only in this way can the diversity of life on earth be reflected.


    Take this moment, for example.


    After washing up, Chen Miao walked out of the tomb chamber, looked up at the sky where the countdown for the nextbat event had lost several more hours, and silently nned today''s itinerary.


    He then saw Hungry Monkey with a serious faceing from other tombstones nearby, bringing some offerings over, cing them in front of his own tombstone, lighting a cigarette, kneeling on both knees, and solemnly looking at his own ck and white photo on the tombstone.


    He kowtowed very seriously three times.


    He actually wanted tough out loud, but the expression on Hungry Monkey''s face was too serious, it didn''t look like he was ying around; rather, he seemed to be seriously conducting some kind of ritual.


    He held back hisughter.


    Respect must be given to the different customs of other worlds; perhaps in this world, worshipping one''s own ck and white photo is a way to seek blessings.


    Although worshipping oneself was, no matter how you looked at it, somewhat iprehensible.


    Sensing the confusion in Chen Miao''s eyes, Hungry Monkey got up, a bit dazed, and muttered, "I''m an orphan; if by any chance I die in the secret realm, not to mention someone collecting my body, there probably wouldn''t even be anyone to worship me."


    "Offering worship to myself while alive can be seen as leaving no regrets."


    "I don''t even know if burning some paper money now can be deposited in my ount down there in advance? Would it get credited after I''m dead?"


    "..."


    After a long silence, Chen Miao turned expressionless and walked towards the outside of the cemetery, where there was a shuttle bus that came every 15 minutes, allowing for convenient travel to the downtown area.


    ...


    "Sigh!"


    Chen Miao got off the bus at the Seventh District stop, nced around at the bustling scene of cars and people, and the high-rise buildings as well as the crowd on the streets that swarmed like ants, and let out a light breath.


    He casually lit a cigarette and ced it in his mouth.


    Then, walking with the support of his cane in one hand, he headed straight for the Seventh District.


    He felt morefortable living in the city. Staying in that cramped tomb chamber was really a bit unsettling, especially sleeping in a coffin¡ªit was always distressing no matter how youy.


    "Let''s go."


    He didn''t linger in the nearby shops but went straight to the "Haina Supernatural Store" in the Seventh District, which he had visited once. Seeing Chen Miao, the owner, who had already had a transaction with him, immediately came up with a smile.


    "Did the bosse to buy that E-rank item, ''Gun Forest Bullet Rain?'' I''ve kept it specially for you." Thest time, the owner had shown an E-rank item suitable for the Gunman Profession that Chen Miao was quite tempted by, but it wasn''t cheap. However, he hadn''te for that item this time.


    "We''ll talk about that item in a few days."


    Chen Miao stood at the entrance of the store and nced around: "Do you have an upation Inheritance Book for fighters?"


    "Of course."


    The owner seriously took out a red booklet that looked like a college diploma from under the table and ced it on the surface: "This item''s price is too transparent, 50k Credit Points, no bargaining, it''s the same for every store."


    "But since we''ve cooperated before, I''ll give it to you for 48,888."


    "Okay."


    After a brief thought, Chen Miao spoke, "How do you charge for Star Coins here?"


    ```


    ```


    "1:20, 1000 Star Coins can be traded for 20000 credit points."


    With 48888 credit points needed, he currently had a little over 20,000 points in his pocket. With another 1000 Star Coins exchanged for 20,000 credit points and selling the materials, he would have just enough.


    "Here''s 1000 Star Coins, plus these three materials, and I''ll top up another 20,000 credit points. Can the upation Inheritance Book be secured?"


    "This..."


    The shop owner hesitated slightly and didn''t speak. The value of these items did indeed add up to 48,800, but the materials couldn''t be valued at their selling price; they should be calcted at cost price. At cost price, the total would only be 46,000.


    He had spent 46,000 to acquire these items, and there wasn''t much room for profit, as the pricing was too transparent.


    However, Chen Miao didn''t have to wait long before the somewhat chubby shopkeeper slid the Fighter''s Profession Inheritance Book across the table, saying, "Pleasure doing business with you. I hope you''ll consider me for any good items you want to sell or need in the future."


    Breaking even was fine by him if it meant making a new friend.


    This young man seemed quite capable. Not to mention, just yesterday he was here buying materials to activate the Gunman Profession. Today, he already had 1000 Star Coins and was even purchasing a Fighter''s upation Inheritance Book, which indicated that the young man must have earned a whopping 1000 Star Coins in a secret realm just yesterday.


    That was no small sum.


    A single secret realm could not earn that much¡ªit would take at least three or four F-rank secret realms, or possibly even an E-rank secret realm.


    After Chen Miao and his group said their goodbyes and left. The shopkeeper quickly opened the "Fengtian City Perfect Clearance Ranking List," and sure enough, at the 789th spot, he found a name that had been on the list less than two days.


    "Chen Miao, lv1 Gunman."


    He didn''t know this young man''s name but knew his profession was a gunman. And the name at rank 790 was also newly promoted, "Hungry Monkey, lv3 Laborer."


    That must be the person who just now seemed as thin as a monkey, the one who apparently grew up in the welfare institute¡ªthis Fighter''s profession change must also have been for this Hungry Monkey.


    After piecing together this information, the shopkeeper broke into a smile of satisfaction, then slightly squinted his eyes as he sat in the rocking chair by the shop entrance, his mind racing with thoughts. Managing to get a perfect clearance rating on his first secret realm attempt was proof enough that, whether inbat awareness, secret realm judgment, or temperament, he was a promising prospect. Such a person either dies early in a secret realm, or slowly gains fame in Fengtian City.


    In any case, he wouldn''t live unknown or unnoticed.


    If he showed some kindness during this period and offered critical help, the returns in the future could be substantial, perhaps even potentially saving his life at some point.


    ...


    "Bankrupt again."


    Chen Miao stepped out of Seventh District, looking at the Fighter''s upation Inheritance Book in his hand, he sighed. Now in his pocket, he only had 200 Star Coins, less than 2000 credit points, and just enough materials to craft another "Python R6 Revolver."


    Beyond that, he was penniless.


    "Here."


    He casually tossed the Fighter''s upation Inheritance Book into Hungry Monkey''s arms, about to speak when he noticed that Hungry Monkey was standing stiffly in ce, gasping for air, fixated on a couple nearby.


    The couple was tantly scrutinizing Hungry Monkey with no reservations.


    "Brother."


    Then the woman, with a seductive voice, leaned into the young man beside her and cooed, "This is the man I told you about, the one who bought a burial chamber for a wedding room."


    "I never nned on taking his order."


    "I was just messing with him."


    ```

 Chapter 20: 19: "Miao, you have no idea, I was worried sick about her before.

    "Tell him to buy a burial niche first, then we can get married; although we don''t have a house while we''re alive, at least we can be buried together after we die, and that''s something like a home."


    "Who knew this idiot would really go buy one."


    "Everyone at ourpany almost diedughing when they heard about it."


    Amusement brimmed in the woman''s eyes as she leaned bonelessly against the man beside her, her gaze tantly raking over Hungry Monkey, her lips curled in a subtle, nearly imperceptible sneer.


    "Oh?"


    The man, who seemed rather young, first looked at Hungry Monkey with interest, "I''ve heard this story many times before, but it''s the first time I''ve met the person it''s about. Can you tell me what you were thinking at the time?"


    "Or did you really think that by buying a burial niche, you could get married?"


    "Tch."


    "Why are you still doing manualbor now? I forgot to introduce myself, I''m Zhang Wu, a Lv7 Magician. Do you understand what that means?"


    The man, with a hint of scorn, shook his head slightly and walked away, pulling the woman in his arms; as they passed Hungry Monkey, he deliberately raised her hand and lightly brushed it over Hungry Monkey''s chest.


    The woman didn''t resist either, just giggled along.


    ...


    Chen Miao had been leaning silently on his cane the whole time, holding a cigarette in his mouth calmly and watching everything before his eyes, without speaking. His pupils looked clear, except when he nced at the backs of the departing couple, his lips curled into a slight smile.


    And Hungry Monkey, rigid from the start, finally shuddered when the woman''s slender hand brushed against his chest, looking truly overwhelmed.


    Clearly, Hungry Monkey hadn''t gotten over this woman.


    Maybe on some quiet night, Hungry Monkey had fantasized whether the woman he once loved woulde back to him, and he was willing to fight for that.


    After a long while.


    Standing by the roadside, head lowered so his face wasn''t visible, Hungry Monkey said in a hoarse voice, lower than a fly''s buzz,


    "This is fucked up."


    "Yeah."


    Chen Miao held the cigarette between two fingers, exhaling a long breath of pale blue smoke. He nced at the couple who had disappeared into the distance and said seriously, "Indeed, it''s fucked up."


    "Miao, you don''t know, I''ve broken my back for her before."


    "Yeah, I know. And now, she''s gotten her heart broken too."


    "I..."


    Just as Hungry Monkey was about to say something, he seemed to realize something. His eyes reddening and his expression slightly ferocious, he looked up at Chen Miao and then, rolling up his sleeves in anger, he prepared to chase after them and yell, "I''m going to kill that bastard couple."


    "Hey, hold on, don''t rush."


    Chen Miao hastily grabbed Hungry Monkey, "You''re not strong enough yet. When you get stronger, I''ll go with you, tie that guy up on the side, and let him watch you break her heart."


    ...


    Two hourster.


    In the cemetery.


    Chen Miaofortably leaned against Hungry Monkey''s tombstone, casually picking up a grape intended as an offering and tossing it into his mouth. He looked on with an extremely rxed and satisfied expression at Hungry Monkey, who stood beside him, his face distorted, continuously throwing punches.


    The Gunman Profession differed from others.


    To activate a Gunman Profession, you needed to craft an upational Weapon, plus 200 Star Coins, and clear the Experience Secret Realm once.


    The activation condition for the Fighter Profession, on the other hand, was just one: to throw a hundred full-strength punches.


    Especially when ites to skill upgrades, it all depends on hard training; this Profession requires wealth, endurance, and physical strength, ack in any of these three makes it challenging to seed, especially when professional training in a gym is much more effective than working out at home with grunts and groans.


    He didn''t understand fighters.


    But he understood people.


    ```


    Although Hungry Monkey was talented, perhaps the setback fromst time was too great, and he wascking a bit of morale. This wouldn''t do¡ªhe needed someone with enough vigor, preferably with a murderous aura, to act as his personal bodyguard.


    Just as he was pondering how to stimte Hungry Monkey''s morale, that woman appeared.


    Isn''t this just perfect?


    The humiliation right to his face, coupled with Chen Miao fanning the mes on the side, made it impossible for Hungry Monkey to swallow his pride alone, especially since he had witnessed the whole scene with his own eyes.


    Most people can handle being embarrassed when they''re alone, but not when others see them, especially someone they know.


    At that moment, Hungry Monkey was practically roasted over the fire. It was impossible for him not to take down that despicable couple.


    A lv.7 Magician, isn''t it doable with some real effort?


    "Tsk."


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but click his tongue again and looked up at Hungry Monkey, who was not far away, swinging his fists in a frenzy with eyes red with madness. Leaning on one hand propped against his chin, Chen Miao suddenly fell into deep thought. Was he perhaps too harsh with the provocation?


    It wouldn''t do to push him into a dark transformation, right?


    Meanwhile, he looked down at another "Python R6 Revolver" in his hand.


    He had crafted another upational Weapon for himself with the remaining materials. So far, he had two revolvers. Although it was somewhat strange to hold a revolver in each hand, it wasn''t unusable.


    Before Hungry Monkey activated the Fighter Profession, he had no ns to go to the secret realm.


    He also had the good timing now to practice his shooting skills.


    And the simplest method to practice shooting was to feed on bullets; luckily, he didn''t have much except for a surplus of bullets. In the Nothingness Space, the ''9mm'' bullet production line required only 10 Star Coins to produce 10,000 bullets.


    This was undoubtedly much cheaper than buying bullets from the personal yer panel.


    If the "Python R6 Revolver", this upational Weapon, were to be purchased directly from the panel, the price would be 10 Star Coins for 30 bullets, which is equivalent to 1 Star Coin for 3 bullets¡ªexorbitantly expensive.


    "Bang, bang!"


    Chen Miao held the revolver in his left hand, leaning against a tombstone, and kept shooting at the sparrows flying in the sky.


    Soon, a full round was fired.


    Not a single hit.


    Chen Miao''s temper slowly red up; with an expressionless face, he reloaded and opened fire again, but once more, he missed with the entire round.


    Fully enraged, Chen Miao''s expression turned icy as he continually loaded, fired, ejected the cylinder, and reloaded.


    Not far off, Hungry Monkey, who also had a considerable amount of temper burning within, swung his fists non-stop, his eyes reddened and slightly fierce.


    Just like that.


    "Bang, bang, boom!"


    "Bang, bang, boom!"


    The strident sounds of gunshots and the whoosh of fists seemed to blend into a "Symphony of the Undead", echoing over the entire cemetery, while the guard at the cemetery gate continued as if he heard nothing, his wrinkled face gazing at the small television inside the guardroom.


    As one grows old, one tends to be hard of hearing.


    As for everyone else, there was no way they could hear¡ªquietly resting underneath the ground.


    Sometimes you have to admit, living in a suburban cemetery does have its perks; firing away with such abandon would definitely be impossible in the downtown center.


    At that moment¡ª


    Chen Miao''s yer panel suddenly received a message from Doctor Gou.


    "An Experience Secret Realm is about to open, want to go?"


    "Not many people know about it. I''ve contacted some old friends from before, and I''ve managed to get you two entry spots."


    ...


    ps: Typos will be corrected post-publication.


    ```

 Chapter 21: 20: "Better to be a little arrogant than to be labeled a weakling.

    "Experience Secret Realm?"


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows rose, but he didn''t reply immediately. Instead, he summoned Hungry Monkey and had it quickly search for information on the wristwatch''s inte connection.


    Soon, he got a rough idea.


    There were many kinds of secret realms, like the ''Blood Night Cannibal Vige'' he had entered before, as well as faction confrontation secret realms, among others¡ªa dazzling array that added up to more than a dozen types.


    As for the Experience Secret Realm,


    it was devoid of any plot, and the realm was filled with endless monsters. All the yers needed to do was to disy their abilities in a fundamentally safe ce, kill monsters, and gain experience.


    There were nopletion conditions either.


    Generally, this kind of secret realm would only be open for three hours. After three hours, all yers would automatically leave the realm¡ªthat was what they called the Experience Secret Realm. Naturally, there could be no so-called perfectpletion ratings in this kind of realm unless someone managed to kill all the monsters in the realm; maybe then they could obtain a perfectpletion rating.


    But this was clearly unlikely.


    This type of realm would directly appear in the secret realm buildings in major cities. Ordinary yers had no chance to enter; openings for the Experience Secret Realm were always secretly booked in advance, leaving no opportunity for the general public to participate.


    That Doctor Gou managed to secure two entry spots to the Experience Secret Realm for him certainly meant he had paid a significant price.


    After all, who wouldn''t want to go to a secret realm with no danger and the chance to gain a lot of experience?


    Doctor Gou had already retired from Jianghu, and yet he went back to utilizing his connections just to get these two spots. It was evident how much he cared for his clinic.


    "Let''s go!"


    Chen Miao quickly replied and agreed to meet at the entrance of the Secret Realm Building in two hours. Then he turned to Hungry Monkey, "How''s the progress?"


    If Hungry Monkey''s fighter upation wasn''t fully activated, it wouldn''t be able to gain the experience, which would be a huge waste.


    "87." Hungry Monkey said, hands on his knees and panting slightly: "I really can''t swing anymore, the mission requires full force with every punch. If I hold back even a little, it doesn''t count. I''ve thrown hundreds of punches, but only 87 have met the standard."


    "I need a break."


    "The main problem is that there''s nothing real to hit, I''ve just been swinging at the air, and that feels so empty."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded silently: "It does feel quite empty, just like that woman who was heartbroken today, right?"


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey was slightly stunned, then quickly his eyes reddened, his expression ferocious as he leaped up from where he was, intent on continuing without rest, furiously roaring and swinging his fists¡ªclearly, some new strength had surged within him.


    This was perhaps what they meant by the activation of a reserve hidden power source.


    ...


    Thirty minutester.


    Hungry Monkey sessfully ss-changed to a lv.1 ''Fighter,'' but itsbat power hadn''t increased muchpared to when it was a Strength worker. After all, a fighter with neither skills nor upational weapons indeed wasn''t much different from aborer.


    Once it learned ''Skull Split,'' ''Hell Suplex,'' and a series of other fighter-exclusive skills, itsbat power would start to leap from one level to the next.


    But for now, they didn''t have the time to work on these things.


    Soon,


    after spending a full hourmuting, they arrived at the foot of a building in the city district. The building sat in the bustling CBD area, nearly a hundred stories tall, with its all-ss fa?ade looking extremely attractive.


    And emzoned in the middle of the building were fourrge characters.


    "Secret Realm Building!"


    This was the ce in Fengtian City dedicated to entering secret realms, and Doctor Gou was already waiting for them in an alley across from the building.


    "Wow."


    Chen Miao gave today''s Doctor Gou a once-over and said with a smile, "Doctor Gou, you''re looking quite handsome in that getup today."


    Today, Doctor Gou wasn''t wearing his usual whiteb coat but was dressed in a ck suit, and his stubble clearly had been neatly trimmed. He looked like apletely different person¡ªmuch more handsome than before.


    "Hmm."


    Doctor Gou just nodded casually, not inclined to chat more on the subject. Instead, he took out two paper bags from his coat and handed them over: "These are your and Hungry Monkey''s clothes. Find a corner and change into them."


    "There are quite a few children of my enemies in this secret realm, as well as disciples of some old rivals and the like. Dressing up a bit handsomer and looking more spirited are precautions to avoid being ridiculedter."


    "Alright, sure."


    Chen Miao looked at the two bags in Hungry Monkey''s hands, a hint of understanding shing in his eyes.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Both Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao, now changed into suits, walked out from the depths of the alley.


    But the style was somewhat strange.


    Chen Miao could be seen wearing a pale gold jacket, shirtless underneath, paired with ck casual dress pants, and sporting sunsses, sauntering from the depths of the alley while carrying a revolver in his hand.


    He certainly didn''t look like any sort of good guy.


    "Do I have to wear this kind of gold suit, and also be shirtless underneath?"


    "The look matters to some extent, but mainly, I''m afraid it might be a bit cold to wear like this during this season."


    Chen Miao looked down at his outfit somewhat helplessly.


    Next to him, Hungry Monkey''s attire was even more explosive: he wore a pure white cloth outfit with bands on his wrists and ankles, giving off the appearance of someone pursuing ascetic practice. Especially since Hungry Monkey was slim yet had a very erect posture, this outfit actually gave him that particr vibe, like a tall pine tree.


    "The cold winds from The Northern Border haven''t blown over yet, it''s not cold at all."


    Doctor Gou first cursed, then spoke seriously, "Remember, once we get inside, you have to act arrogantly. In a secret realm with a lot of people, you''d rather act with arrogance and attract some anger than be too cowardly and stay at the back."


    "Otherwise, you''ll easily be marked as weak."


    "And in the environment of a secret realm, being marked as weak means either you won''t get your share when it''s time to divvy up loot or when there''s a need to sacrifice someone to cover the retreat, they''ll force you to do it, even at ces where you need to risk your life to explore, they will make you go ahead, targeted all the way. Even if you get through this secret realm safely, the next time you enter another one, they''ll still force you to do these things, do you understand?"


    "Better to be arrogant than to be branded as weak."


    "Arrogant?"


    Chen Miao said with some difficulty, "That''s a tall order, I''m naturally easygoing so it''s hard for me to be arrogant."


    "Just try to act as arrogant as you can."


    "Understood."


    "Alright, let''s go in. I''ll take you both in with me."


    "But I don''t have a Fengtian City residence permit, can I still enter the Secret Realm Building?"


    "My face is still worth something."


    "Got it."


    After that, Doctor Gou took a deep breath, looking more nervous than they were, tidied up his clothes, and quickly walked towards the entrance of the Secret Realm Building. Chen Miao, with one hand on his cane, shirtless under his suit, and wearing sunsses, followed Doctor Gou.


    He looked a bit like a blind man.


    As they were about to enter the Secret Realm Building,


    he looked up at the building in front of him and suddenly let out a lightugh.

 Chapter 22: 21: Such obvious murderous intent, you really think you have him under your thumb?

    Entered the first floor lobby.


    Doctor Gou didn''t take them for an extensive tour, but went straight to one of the elevators and pressed the button for the 68th floor.


    When the elevator stopped on the 68th floor, Chen Miao and the others stepped out into arge open space, virtually pir-free and extremely spacious, which was divided into four areas.


    "The secret realms are open for today."


    "D-level ''Mom''s Good Taste'', E-level ''Death of a Gentleman'', F-level ''Medal of Warfire'', F-level ''The Mang Vige Incident''."


    "The opening times for the above secret realms are as follows..."


    "All citizens, please enter the secret realms within the specified times."


    A disy in the center of the space continuously scrolled these words, much like the disys at airports that inform passengers of boarding times.


    "Wow."


    Chen Miao looked around at the entrances to the various secret realms with some curiosity. They were quite different from the secret realm entrances he had seen in the wilderness, seeming more modern and more sophisticated here.


    "That F-level ''Medal of Warfire'' is our experience secret realm for this mission."


    Doctor Gou spoke calmly from the side, "Remember, opportunities in the experience secret realms are very rare. You must do your utmost to kill more monsters and thus earn more experience points."


    "Don''t waste this opportunity."


    "Moreover, after entering, you need to be careful not only of monsters but also of other people. Many have died in the secret realms from a stab in the back, and you know, it''s not illegal to kill someone in a secret realm. Of course, whether or not you''ll be hunted down afterward is another matter."


    "Don''t worry."


    Chen Miao said seriously, "There definitely won''t be any cold arrows hitting my back."


    "Don''t be so confident in your own charm or so trusting in the goodness of others. The reason they call it a cold arrow is because you don''t know who shot it."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao nodded and didn''t speak any further. Doctor Gou seemed to have misunderstood; it wasn''t that he trusted others, but rather that he wouldn''t leave his back to a living person.


    And just at that moment¡ª


    "Oh?"


    A middle-aged man followed by two young men strode up to Doctor Gou, looking him up and down with a smirk, "Isn''t this our Senior Gou? What have you been up to, not seen for three years? Did you go for further studies somewhere?"


    "I heard that since your parents died, you''ve gone missing. What, went to mourn?"


    After saying that, the middle-aged man seemed not quite satisfied as he turned his head toward the two young men behind him and exined with a full face of mockingughter, "You might not have heard of him, but this one was very famous three years ago."


    "He didn''t care about his own parents, spent all day in the secret realms. Once he was dyed in a secret realm and did note out in time, and his parents anxiously went into a secret realm to find him. Guess what happened? Both his parents died in that secret realm."


    "Hahahaha!!!"


    The middle-aged man then seemed tough heartily, tilting his head back with great mirth.


    Throughout this, Doctor Gou remained silent, not uttering a word, but his tense posture revealed that he was far from calm inside.


    Before long.


    Many middle-aged men, apanied by the younger generation, arrived at this floor via the elevator. Upon seeing Doctor Gou, they approached him one after another, most of them jeering and mocking.


    However, it didn''tst long, as the secret realms opened, and the mockery came temporarily to an end. All the young people got ready to enter the secret realms in turn.


    "Tsk."


    Chen Miao, leaning on his cane with one hand, looked at those people and said with a smile, "Doctor Gou made quite a few enemies in his youth, eh?"


    "..."


    After a silent moment, Doctor Gou spoke without any expression, "When I was young, I was a bit hot-tempered and offended quite a few people. Entering the secret realm this time might be a blessing or a curse for you. Being linked with me, you will definitely face some inexplicable hostility targeted at you."


    "Be careful."


    "For years I''ve been investigating. Back then, someone deliberately lured my parents into a deadly secret realm to find me. I haven''t discovered who that person is yet, but I can roughly confirm that they''re among these people."


    "It''s possible they''ll have their child or student target you within the secret realm."


    "Remember my words, I''ve offended everyone here. If someone approaches you with good intentions, run at the first chance. They''reing for you."


    "You''ve offended them all?"


    "Yes."


    "Wow, that tough, huh?"


    There wasn''t time for any more talk, as the secret realm had already opened. A white vortex slowly appeared on the ground not far away, and above it to the right, the number ''30'' was disyed.


    It signified that this was a multiyer secret realm that allowed a maximum of 30 people to enter.


    ...


    The moment he stepped into the vortex, that familiar sensation of weightlessness came over him again. When he opened his eyes next, he was standing on the wall of an ancient city, one that seemed ravaged by the ravages of war.


    The wall was about seven meters high.


    Stone wall.


    On the moss-splotched walls, one could see the unmistakable traces of dried blood, scarlet in color. The sky above was incredibly bleak, thick ck clouds covering the entire sky as if a torrential rain was imminent. It gave the ancient city an atmosphere as if it were about to undergo a cruel battle.


    He didn''t have time to observe much more.


    A panel popped up in front of him.


    ''Secret Realm Name'': Medal of Warfire.


    ''Secret Realm Level'': F.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': This is a small city on the verge of copse, with the enemy preparing tounch sessive attacks. Please strive to survive and defend the city.


    ''Secret Realm Mission'': None, all yers will automatically exit the secret realm after three hours.


    ''Secret Realm Progress'': The highest clearing progress of this secret realm is 11%, it has not yet been perfectly cleared.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': When the heavens wish to destroy the city, who can withstand?


    "Killing one enemy grants 1 experience point, killing a centurion grants 10 experience points, killing a chiliarch grants 100 experience points."


    At this time.


    The others standing on the city walls had more or less finished reading the secret realm introduction, they exchanged nces, each seeing the murderous intent in each other''s eyes. They all had received instructions from their elders to eliminate those two following Doctor Gou as soon as they entered the secret realm.


    But where had those two gone?


    Weren''t they just here?


    However, they had no time to ponder as roars of enemy troops gathering together could be heard not far from outside the city, clearly indicating the first wave of enemies was about to arrive.


    ...


    Chen Miao, who had already slipped down from the city wall with Hungry Monkey the moment they entered, was now hiding in a civilian house within the inner city, looking at his personal panel.


    All he had were two small revolvers. Not only was it hardly enough for self-defense, but it was also far from sufficient to kill enemies and farm experience points.


    But if he could manage to get 200 experience points and level up to lv.2, he would meet the prerequisite for wielding the "HK Thomson Submachine Gun." Once he applied the ''Tao Wood'' skin to the Thomson, hisbat power would increase significantly.


    The most important thing now was to sneakily gather those 200 experience points first.


    Then transform into a butcher in July and ughter all of them.


    Really!


    Such tant killing intent. Are they really so sure of themselves?

 Chapter 23: 22: "I have seen that look before, its the look one gives to a dead person.

    After seeing Chen Miao and hispanion enter the secret realm, Doctor Gou stood silently in the 68th-floor hall, the smile on his face gradually fading away. He then stood expressionless, staring at the ground, lightly stroking the tiger''s mouth on his left hand.


    There was a faint pain there.


    An old injury that had persisted over the years.


    He was well aware of the dangers Chen Miao would face in the Experience Secret Realm, but he had chosen to send him there regardless, and had no other choice in the matter.


    His identity had still been revealed.


    The person from back then had found him.


    The one who had killed his parents had found him.


    All these years, he had known who the dark hand behind the scenes was, yet he pretended to be oblivious in his search for his enemy because that person was too powerful; he was no match for him.


    If he had let anger cloud his judgment and sought out that person, death would have been his only oue.


    He didn''t even dare to reveal his resentment.


    He couldn''t die.


    He had to live to see the small clinic his ancestors had left behind. If not to make it thrive, then at least to keep it in existence. It seemed as though as long as the clinic remained, his parents still had traces in this world, not entirely dead.


    But...


    Now that person hade again, ready to target Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey, just as he had killed his parents three years ago. That person enjoyed the feeling of watching people around him die off one by one.


    He thought he hadpletely escaped that person''s clutches, but he was still living under surveince. Perhaps it was because he gave too much to Chen Miao that day, catching that person''s attention.


    This time, he was no longer nning to run.


    For the past three years, he had been living in agony, constantly thinking of rushing to avenge his parents and fight that person to the death, but he also feared that his ancestral clinic would disappear from the world.


    Until he met Chen Miao...


    "Huff!"


    Doctor Gou slowly exhaled, and when he lifted his head again, all the confusion and hesitation in his eyes had vanished, leaving only a bleak determination.


    Chen Miao was a promising business talent.


    He would manage the Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic well.


    Most importantly, Chen Miao was very much like him, with the same infinite yearning for secret realms, simr character traits, and a brother who seemed to share a close bond.


    He had been like that too, but his brother was killed by that person.


    He was no longer going to flee from the battle that had been dyed for three years.


    Before the final showdown, he needed to send Chen Miao to a safe ce; the Experience Secret Realm was a good choice. That person wouldn''t dare to enter an already activated Experience Secret Realm to find Chen Miao, and three hours would be enough for him to settle his scores umted over the years.


    Other secret realms were not feasible, as that person had special means to enter already activatedmon secret realms midway, posing a risk to Chen Miao. Only the Experience Secret Realm, a special realm, was imprable and safe enough.


    As for the perils within the secret realm, he believed Chen Miao could ovee them.


    A person who received a perfect evaluation on his first secret realm adventure was unlikely to die there.


    At least, on his own first descent into a secret realm, he had not received any perfect evaluation.


    Though Chen Miao had not mentioned this, he still kept an eye on the rankings.


    He then walked directly to the service desk on the 68th floor, pulled out a letter from his chest, and said softly to the employee behind the desk, "When the F-level ''Medal of Warfire'' secret realm ends, deliver this letter to a yer named Chen Miao."


    "Yes, sir."


    With that, Doctor Gou did not linger.


    Instead, he cast a nce at the middle-aged men conversing non-stop in the hall, a hint of coldness flickering in his eyes. These were the men who had once tried to kill him, but for the sake of not attracting the attention of that person, he had suppressed his desire for revenge.


    If he was quick enough.


    Today, he would settle both new grievances and old. When he came back, he would take care of these men as well.


    As for his current ranking on the Combat Power list.


    ```


    Huh.


    He wasn''t stupid enough to have just idly waited for death in the clinic these past three years.


    ...


    At this moment¡ª


    Chen Miao looked at the leaderboard in front of him within the secret realm.


    "F-ss Secret Realm Medal of Warfire Points Leaderboard"


    "Rank 1": 8 points, Li Pingsheng, lv4. Magician.


    "Rank 2": 7 points, Wang Ping, lv3. Archer.


    "Rank 3": 6 points, Zhou Kousheng, lv4. Fighter.


    "Rank 4": ...


    ...


    Chen Miao''s eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at the leaderboard without speaking. The leaderboard had a total of 30 people on it, and he and Hungry Monkey were listed at the very bottom two spots. At this time, the enemy forces had not yet charged to the foot of the city wall.


    For yers with the Fighter ss, who relied on closebat, there currently weren''t many good strategies avable.


    On the other hand, yers such as Magicians and Archers, who had respectable long-rangebat power, were the first to take the lead.


    Apart from the third-ranked Fighter, the remaining seven or eight Fighters only had 1 point each. As for the long-range attack method of that third-ranked Fighter, it was unclear, and he didn''t have the time to care about it for the moment.


    It was apparent.


    Although these people had received orders to kill him, in their hearts, the priority of gathering as many Experience Points as possible was higher. They didn''te looking for him right away but instead, uniformly started to earnestly engage the enemies to farm Experience Points.


    This meant that his odds of winning had just increased by ten percent.


    Since entering the Experience Secret Realm, his highest priority wasn''t farming Experience Points, but rather to kill these people first.


    "Miao!"


    Brandishing a hammer and standing at the entrance of a civilian house, Hungry Monkey spoke in a low voice with a vignt look outside, "What do we do now? Those people have a murderous look in their eyes when they look at us. I''ve seen that kind of look before; it''s the look of someone watching a dead man."


    "Slip out of the city."


    Seeing that battle had already begun on top of the city walls and that no one seemed to have ns to search for them, they didn''t intend to continue hiding in this house but were prepared to exit the city.


    Leaving the city was simple.


    The ancient city was located between two mountains, with only two city walls, one in the front and the other in the rear. There were no walls on the sides, which were connected to the mountain. One could simply climb up the mountain and go around, and they woulde to a ce on the front side of the city wall, which was out of sight of the other yers, where they could encounter enemy forces.


    But such a move meant actively fleeing from an environment on the city walls where they were almost guaranteed to be safe.


    Turning this almost absolutely safe Experience Secret Realm into a Combat Mystery Realm where they would have to fight the enemy in close quarters.


    While the danger increased, the gain did not increase.


    A rational person certainly would not choose this somewhat foolish option.


    But at this moment, they had no choice.


    ...


    The ancient city wasn''trge; in fact, it was only about the size of a vige from his previous life.


    In under forty minutes, they had climbed the mountain and circumnavigated it to reach the location where the enemy forces appeared.


    Below, in the valley.


    There were countless military tents. At this moment, only a few hundred soldiers dressed neatly walked out from the tents. Under themand of a Centurion, they formed military formations and charged along the mountain road in the middle of the valley toward the end where the ancient cityid.


    And a prompt sounded beside Chen Miao''s ear.


    "Ding, the second wave of enemy forces is about to arrive. Please all yers get ready."


    ```

 Chapter 24: 23: "Tao Wood·HK Thompson Submachine Gun".

    "Phew!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, lying in the bushes and witnessing the scene below. After pondering for a moment, he turned his head toward Hungry Monkey and said, "Move a hundred meters further east."


    "When I start shooting, it will definitely attract their attention. They will surely send people up the hill to search. At that time, create some distractions over there to draw their attention."


    "Understood!"


    After Hungry Monkey jogged to a position a hundred meters away and signaled that he was in ce, Chen Miao then took out two revolvers and held them in his hands. Lying in the bushes, he extended the barrel and aimed at the third wave of enemy forces gathering below.


    Killing an enemy soldier provided him with 1 point of experience.


    He needed 200 experience points.


    That meant he had to kill 200 enemy soldiers.


    This was not an easy task.


    Chen Miao slowly closed his eyes to calm himself as much as possible before suddenly opening them wide.


    Three points on a line.


    "Bang, bang, bang!"


    The sound of gunfire kept ringing out, apanied by the continuous rotation of the cylinder and the rhythmically crisp sound of the hammer striking.


    His marksmanship was not good.


    But he had the high ground advantage, and even though he emptied both revolvers, all twelve bullets fired managed to kill 1 soldier.


    As the enemy soldier fell into a pool of blood,


    a notification sound chimed in his ear.


    "Ding, you have killed an enemy soldier and gained 1 experience point."


    On the leaderboard, his score also changed to 1.


    Just as Chen Miao was preparing to leave his hiding spot to find a new sniping point and to reload, he suddenly noticed something strange and furrowed his brow in confusion as he looked down below.


    It seemed as though the enemy forces didn''t realize at all that one of theirpanions had been killed by a mysterious arrow from somewhere.


    They all ignored the corpse lying in the blood pool and continued doing what they were supposed to do on their own.


    It was as if... as if they were NPCs without any real consciousness!


    Chen Miao was slightly stunned and hesitated for a moment. Then he decided not to change his hiding spot but to remain at a distance. He quickly reloaded the two revolvers and continued to open fire.


    With his poor marksmanship,


    twelve bullets still only managed to kill 1 enemy soldier.


    This time, the enemy forces still had no reaction, not to mention sending anyone up the hill to search.


    He was not short of bullets. Before entering this secret realm, he had already purchased 10,000 9mm bullets for the revolvers from his "Nothingness Space" bullet production line with 10 Star Coins, more than enough for his needs.


    What hecked was uracy and reloading speed.


    But now, as he could almost be certain that these enemy forces wouldn''t react, he naturally became more unrestrained, thus firing at a much faster pace!


    "Heh!"


    Chen Miao lit a cigarette and tossed it into his mouth. No longer hiding or cowering in the bushes, he got up to kneel on the ground to maintain a steady shooting posture. He held a revolver in each hand and kept firing.


    With smoke curling around him, the sound of him gaining experience kept ringing in his ear.


    ...


    From the initial twelve bullets killing one enemy soldier,


    toter, twelve bullets killing three enemy soldiers,


    and now twelve bullets killing twelve enemy soldiers.


    His uracy improved steadily, and the "Python R6 Revolver" felt smoother to use. Even the time taken to reload was reduced by countless folds.


    At this moment, his score had reached 188.


    He had also gained 188 experience points. Just 12 more points and he would meet the requirements to level up to Lv. 2. This also meant that his Thompson submachine gun could be activated as a result!


    "Heh!"


    As for why his uracy was getting higher and higher.


    It wasn''t because Chen Miao''s talent was exceptional, but because Chen Miao''s nerve had grown bolder.


    At this moment, Chen Miao had already boldly walked into the heart of the enemy encampment at the foot of the mountain, standing at the entrance of a tent, pressing the Python R6 Revolver against the forehead of a Centurion who had just walked out of the tent, and without a second word, he immediately pulled the trigger.


    "Bang!"


    As the gunshot rang out, 10 Experience Points were instantly credited.


    And this Centurion showed no sign of resistance,pletely ignoring Chen Miao, and even prepared to deliver his pre-battle speech before dying.


    It was a pity they couldn''t find the Chiliarch; otherwise, they would have directly received 100 points. They were unable to enter this tent, so they could only wait outside, watching soldiers continuously emerge.


    Excited, Hungry Monkey swung a hammer, stationed at the entrance of another tent.


    One came out, and the hammer swung down on one.


    One came out, and the hammer swung down on one.


    The situation resembled a game of Whac-A-Mole.


    Hungry Monkey''s score had also reached 78, and this was after they had not dared to be so brazen at the beginning, with Hungry Monkey only able to watch from the mountain, wasting considerable time.


    Perhaps no one had ever left the city walls,pletely unaware that the enemy forces at the initial encampment did not resist the yers'' attacks and even ignored the yerspletely.


    In their minds, this was a secretnd where no danger existed as long as one stayed on the city walls, absolutely safe. Why leave the walls and look for trouble outside?


    This mechanism was something Chen Miao discovered unintentionally.


    Finally¡ª


    After killing two more enemy soldiers, Chen Miao''s score finally reached 200, and at the same time, a leveling up sound chimed in his ear.


    ''Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for leveling up to lv.2, rewarded with 1 Free Attribute Point, please choose the attribute you wish to increase,'' echoed.


    Without any hesitation.


    Following a preset path, he invested the Free Attribute Point into Strength and took out the three Free Attribute Exchange Coupons given by Doctor Gou, putting them all into Strength as well.


    At this moment, his Strength Attribute Points had reached 12 points.


    12 points of Strength Attribute, lv.2 level, Gunman Profession.


    He perfectly met the prerequisite conditions for the "HK Thomson Submachine Gun," which he pulled out from his backpack, colored in ck and red, and held in his hands without any hesitation, switching off the safety.


    With the submachine gun nestled in his arms, he aimed at a tent from which enemy troops had just respawned and viciously pulled the trigger.


    "Ratatat!!"


    The high-frequency gunfire suddenly erupted, pale-yellow mes spewed continuously from the muzzle, and bullets like scythes reaped the new batch of enemy troops emerging from the tent, leaving them in pools of blood.


    In just a few seconds, the drum magazine was empty, resulting in 12 Experience Points.


    "Hey!"


    Chen Miao looked at the scene before him, nodding with a satisfied smile, finally... Finally, he felt a palpable confidence to survive in this world.


    But... it still wasn''t enough.


    After briefly testing the performance of the Thomson submachine gun,


    he pulled out the Tao Wood skin-type item, a reward for leveling up the Nothingness Space, activated it, and applied it to his "HK Thomson Submachine Gun."


    Quickly.


    The information panel for the submachine gun nearlypletely changed, as did the appearance of the gun itself, with several crimson Gilded Light ribbons roaming around the body of the gun incessantly.


    And the name had changed to¡ª


    "Tao Wood ¡¤ HK Thomson Submachine Gun."


    Looking at this brand-new panel, Chen Miao''s mouth unconsciously opened and closed several times, unable to utter a single word, his eyes filled with shock, and suddenly, his expression excited once more, he grinned broadly.


    "Hungry Monkey, y a song for me; I need a bit of BGM to boost my spirits."


    "Put on ''Danza Kuduro.''


    "Crank the volume to the max; I can''t wait to get hyped!"

 Chapter 25: 24: "This gun looks so cool now.

    After the enhancement by the "Tao Wood" skin, the Thompson submachine gun he held hadpletely transformed.


    Firstly, the appearance, which transitioned from themonly known ck-and-red and dark ck to being drenched in a striking crimson with deep gold ripples, was extraordinarily eye-catching and highly recognizable.


    Several streaks of crimson Gilded Light spiraled around the body of the gun, like nine dragons wrapping around a coffin.


    The gun''s body was faintly aze with mes, captivating onlookers as if drawing their very souls into its fiery dance.


    The presence of these light effects turned what once was an ordinary Thompson submachine gun into the kind of cash weapon one wouldn''t dream of getting without spending at least 10 piles of 648 Star Coins.


    Even its stat panel hadpletely changed.


    "Weapon Name": Tao Wood ¡¤ HK Thompson Submachine Gun


    "Weapon Grade": E Grade.


    "Weapon Restriction": Only usable by ''Gunman'' ss and promoted series of Supernatural yers. yer Level must be at 2 and Strength Attribute at least 12.


    "Weapon Details": Damage Energy Coefficient ranges from 6-15, depending on the point of impact. The drum''s maximum capacity is 50 rounds.


    "Weapon Introduction": "When a man, d in a trench coat with a Thompson submachine gun in hand, walks against the wind letting his coat flutter as he approaches monsters at the end of a distant street, no woman could resist turning back for a nce at that man while fleeing."


    "Skin Effect": The interior space of the drum magazine will undergo an expansion modification, allowing a substantial amount of ammunition to be packed inside, thus significantly increasing ammo capacity. Additionally, every ten bullets fired, the eleventh bullet will trigger a ''Tao Wood'' effect.


    "PS: The ''Tao Wood'' effect constitutes an explosive round, endowing the fired bullet with a strong explosive effect."


    There were quite a few changes on the panel.


    Let''s extract the key information.


    The drum''s interior space will be expanded, which means the maximum capacity of the drum has increased from 50 rounds to at least 40,000 rounds.


    Chen Miao directed his consciousness into the drum''s space, slightly smaller than his Nothingness Space, but not by much. It had more than enough room to hold 40,000 rounds, meaning as long as his gun barrel didn''t wear out, he could keep pulling the trigger until all 40,000 rounds were depleted.


    Looking at this scene before him,


    he couldn''t help butugh again. This was far beyond switching from a musket to a cannon; it was like fast-forwarding from the Stone Age to the age of firearms. They weren''t even on the same level; it was an interdimensional assault.


    Just minutes before, he had been using a revolver with an extremely low killing efficiency, firing one round at a time.


    And he had to continuously change magazines.


    How bothersome that was¡ªalthough the trouble was secondary, the main issue was that if someone caught him during a magazine change, he essentially had no ability to resist.


    But as he was about to activate the production line for 11.43mm Thompson-specific bullets in his Nothingness Space to produce 40,000 rounds to stuff into the drum space, he suddenly stopped and hesitated for a moment.


    Afterparing the sizes.


    He directly inserted the production line into the drum space.


    It was neither too big nor too small, upying exactly half of the space.


    Only then did he activate the production line, and 20,000 bullets quickly surged out, falling into the interior of the drum.


    Chen Miao tentatively raised the Thompson submachine gun, took aim at the enemy emerging from a military tent not far away, and pulled the trigger, sweeping the area.


    "Ratatat, bang!"


    The piercing gunfire suddenly erupted once more, asionally apanied by the sounds of explosions and the sight of sts ahead¡ªthat was the explosive round''s effect. Indeed, the production line could be perfectly integrated into the drum space.


    ```


    Although cing the production line in the drum space meant that he couldn''t store more bullets, it also meant that he could produce arge number of bullets continuously as long as he had the thought.


    It also saved him the step of taking the bullets out of the Nothingness Space and stuffing them into the drum space.


    In the midst of battle, this effect was more than just a convenience.


    Theoretically,


    his Thompson Submachine Gun now had infinite bullets.


    As long as there were enough Star Coins.


    He only had 200 Star Coins left in his pocket, spending 10 to make revolver bullets, and just now, producing Thompson bullets cost him another 40 Star Coins, leaving him with only 150 Star Coins.


    Making bullets for the Thompson was a bit more expensive.


    20 Star Coins could produce 10,000 bullets.


    But even so, that was nearly a hundred times cheaper than the outside price, a price other yers simply couldn''t get.


    "Miao,"


    At that moment, Hungry Monkey also noticed the activity here and jogged over. Looking at the Thompson Submachine Gun in Miao''s hands with its exaggerated light effects, he couldn''t help but swallow and murmur, "That gun looks really cool now."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the ancient city,


    Ever since Chen Miao''s name climbed onto the "Medal of Warfire Secret Realm Point Rankings," yers standing on the city walls began to sense that something was amiss¡ªthey hadn''t seen Chen Miao at all. Where had Chen Miao been killing enemy soldiers and scoring points constantly?


    And the points were outrageously high!


    Chen Miao''s points were already over 200.


    The third-ce yer only had 57 points.


    Gradually, they noticed that each wave of enemies was getting fewer and fewer, and not only that, but several of the recent enemy waves had some ring injuries, along with various other signs, which made them suspect that Chen Miao had gone to the spawn points to farm enemies.


    Experience told them that this was the Experience Secret Realm, and they should not leave the city wall, which almost represented absolute safety. However, soon enough, several voices rose from the crowd.


    "Never mind him, I bet he''ll have killed all the uing enemy troops soon, and then what will we kill, what''s the point of entering this secret realm, to take a holiday?"


    "I don''t know what you''re all scared of. If Chen Miao can go there, can we die if we go?"


    "If you don''t go, I will. The teacher instructed us before entering the secret realm that if we find the opportunity, we must kill Chen Miao inside the realm. I must carry out the teacher''s order."


    "Think about the grudge between our elders and Doctor Gou. If Chen Miao survives andes out on top, where will that leave our elders'' pride? We will probably be the ones in trouble, won''t we?"


    After a few words,


    These yers quickly reached a consensus.


    To take the initiative, head to the spawn points to find Chen Miao, kill him inside this secret realm, and figure out how he managed to kill so many enemy soldiers outside the city walls without a scratch on him.


    Just then,


    The alert in everyone''s ears sounded again, indicating the seventh wave of enemies was about to arrive. However, after waiting on the city walls for a long time, the yers saw not one enemy reach the base of the walls, obviously, all had been killed by Chen Miao at the spawn points.


    Seeing this, the yers no longer waited. They each used their methods to leap down from the walls and strode directly along the mountain road towards the front.


    ```

 Chapter 26: 25: "Keep your heads down, everyone.

    "Heh!"


    Just as the group was nearing the end of the dirt road in the middle of the valley, the young man leading them suddenly stopped, raised his right hand, scanned his surroundings, and began tough coldly without any apparent reason.


    "What are youughing at?"


    A young woman behind him furrowed her brows and spoke up, "Aren''t we going to find Chen Miao? Why have we suddenly stopped? Have you discovered something? Whyugh?"


    "Heh."


    The tall young man in whiteughed coldly again, "I amughing at Chen Miao''s narrow intelligence, hisck of strategy."


    "This ce is high up with a steep slope; both sides of the valley are covered with thorny bushes and extremely difficult to climb. If I were Chen Miao, I would have set up an ambush here, shooting from high ground. Not only could he have reduced our number by a few, but also slowed our pace, thereby dying his own death, waiting for a miracle."


    "And we could only passively take a beating, unable to catch up. Just like I said from the start, it''s extremely hard to climb."


    "Yet, at this moment, it''s quiet here without any signs of disturbance."


    "So, tell me, isn''t Chen Miao narrow-minded and without strategy?"


    The young woman heard this and rolled her eyes, "That''s because you''re looking at the problem from a god''s view, okay? We haven''t cursed Chen Miao from start to finish, haven''t targeted him once, not even showing a hint of killing intent. How would he know we want to kill him?"


    "If he doesn''t know we want to kill him, why would he set up an ambush to kill us?"


    "The logic is wed; it''s unreasonable."


    "Indeed."


    The young man in white didn''t argue any further, instead, he tenderly brushed the young woman''s hair away from her temples, "After this is over, I''ll have my father propose to your family. I want to officially marry you!"


    "I want the whole world..."


    Just as the young man in white was about to continue with his deration of love,


    he suddenly heard a faint songing from the hillside, and, caught off guard, he blurted out, "Did any of you hear that?"


    But soon.


    He knew it wasn''t his imagination.


    Because the song was getting louder, to the point that it seemed to echo through the valley.


    Looking up towards the left hillside, he saw a skinny man with a speaker on his shoulder, grinning and waving at them, as if trying to be friendly.


    And next to him,


    stood a man wearing a gold suit jacket over his bare chest, sporting sunsses, a cigar mped in his mouth, and cradling a Thompson Submachine Gun wrapped in a scarlet gilded light, his face full of smiles.


    Thisbination seemed extremely bizarre.


    But very quickly, he recognized who these two people were. Weren''t they Chen Miao and hisckey?


    They were the same two people his father had instructed him to eliminate if he had the chance before he entered the secret realm.


    What were they doing appearing here at this time?


    "Chen Miao."


    The young man in white''s expression became increasingly cold as he spoke, "Your points are rising so fast. Have you found some bug to farm points? Or is there another reason?"


    "We need you to give us a reasonable exnation."


    "Exin to your mom."


    Chen Miao, standing among the bushes halfway up the slope, his mouth tilted with a cigar, thick smoke drifting from the corner of his mouth,ughed with the cigar clenched.


    "If the spring breeze bears sympathy for the flowers, grant me another youth," he sang. (This is a Chinese poem that has been passed down for thousands of years)


    "Keep your heads down, everyone."


    "The show is about to begin!"


    The next second¡ª


    The blinding mes erupted violently from the muzzle of the Thompson Submachine Gun in Chen Miao''s hands, bullets chaining together in midair, rushing towards the people on the valley dirt road below like bamboo shoots after a rain.


    Like a torrential downpour.


    Like thunderous rage.


    Like dark clouds assaulting a city.


    Countless bullets burrowed into the soil, struck the opposite hillside, and pierced through the bodies of yers below; at the same time, one could hear the almost continuous sts of exploding rounds, dering their Tao Wu Beast origin to this unknown world with force.


    "Dodge, dodge!!!"


    In just an instant, seven or eight people who failed to dodge in time were killed on the spot.


    Theyy in pools of blood, motionless, as if asleep.


    The remaining survivors hastily activated all their defenses. Nearly everyone''s clothes began to emit a faint light, and when the bullets struck them, instead of piercing through, they seemed to lose half their momentum and fell to the ground.


    Magicians could summon Rock Giants to fight their enemies.


    Supernaturals who had chosen the Magician profession were now sheltering under their Rock Giants, rtively safe for the moment.


    Some Supernaturals with long-range attack capabilities were not retaliating immediately but were counting down the time in their minds after hiding; they knew the Gunman Profession''s Achilles heel too well.


    The greatest drawback was the scarcity of ammunition.


    And the inability to carry too much of it.


    The sound of gunfire was that of a Thompson Submachine Gun, and since it hadn''t stopped, it meant there were no pauses for reloading¡ªthere must be several Thompsons loaded with ammo seamlessly firing in session.


    All they had to do was to survive this assault, and then when Chen Miao ran out of bullets or was in the midst of reloading, they could rush him.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who had been continuously pulling the trigger without letting go, looked down at those yers radiating light and couldn''t help but swallow his saliva with envy; the bullets could not inflict even the slightest damage on those clothes.


    Clearly, they were valuable defensive items.


    And the fact that everyone had such treasures except for him was unfair.


    He wanted them too.


    He wasn''t the least bit worried about not being able to prate their defenses¡ªDoctor Gou had told him that these protective treasures all have an upper limit to the Energy Value they could absorb. Once that limit was exceeded, the items would be permanently damaged.


    As long as the Firepower Coveragested long enough, any protective treasure would be nothing but a sham.


    Though those treasures were currently on those people, they would soon be in his hands.


    Just then¡ª


    "Crack."


    A faint fracturing sound came from among the crowd below; suddenly, the glowing clothing on one of the yers in the middle of the valley dirt road started to shatter, and then the yer was engulfed by dozens of bullets amidst a look of horror.


    Thud thud.


    The sound of bullets boring into flesh, always so melodious.


    Like blood sttering in the air, always as beautiful as a painting.


    However, Chen Miao''s finger remained on the trigger. Standing on the hillside with a Thompson Submachine Gun, he wasying down covering fire on the dozens of people below. Even with just one Thompson, the of bullets he created meant those hiding behind Rock Giants dared not raise their heads.


    The so-called archers didn''t even dare stick their heads out from behind the Rock Giants to shoot even a single arrow at Chen Miao.


    "Didn''t you say the biggest weakness of the Gunman Profession was ack of ammo?!!" the young woman hiding behind the Rock Giant shouted with fearful eyes and an angry voice, "He''s been shooting non-stop for 3 minutes, and the protective gear my father gave me is about to break!"


    "Hurry up and think of something, damn it!"

 Chapter 27: 26: "According to ancient rules, those who surrender shall not be killed!!!

    "Figure out a way?"


    The man in white hiding behind the Rock Giant, even though he had hidden his body as much as possible behind the monstrosity, was still unable to avoid being hit by stray bullets. The energy absorption limit of his protective clothing was rapidly being reached.


    As the protective clothing was about to shatter, he had no chance to counterattack. He was well aware that when it shattered, it would be the moment he lost his life.


    In fact, dealing with gunmen of a lower level was really simple, especially in a one-against-many situation. All that was needed was to wait for the moment the enemy was reloading and, relying on the existence of protective clothing, rush forward with a vicious smile during that break in firing.


    Before the protective clothing shattered, it was certain that the enemy''s head could be chopped off.


    It was really simple.


    But the problem now was... the damn enemy wasn''t reloading at all. The barrage of gunfire they produced didn''t have any gaps for charging, not to mention that as he had said from the start, the terrain was steep and thorny, making it nearly impossible to charge forward.


    "Try begging for mercy?"


    As life and death hung in the bnce, the man in white''s eyes brightened and he spoke in an urgent tone, "How about we try begging for mercy? We don''t have any deep hatred with that Chen Miao, and he has no reason to want to kill us outright."


    "Can''t things be talked out properly?"


    "Besides, we have backers, I don''t believe that Chen Miao would dare to kill us all. If he kills us all, can he himself survive after exiting this secret realm?"


    Having said that,


    The man in white took a deep breath, silently thankful that he was wearing white today, and then raised his clothes above his head, frantically waving them, hoping the other side would stop for a moment so they could negotiate.


    Even if negotiations failed,


    They could make more choices during the brief cessation of gunfire, whether they fled back to the ancient city or charged forward, there would be more options avable.


    At the same time, he screamed at the top of his lungs.


    "We surrender, we surrender!!!"


    "Since ancient times, it was customary to spare those who surrender!!!"


    ...


    However¡ª


    The music sting from the speaker mounted on the shoulder of Hungry Monkey was really loud!


    And Chen Miao, swept up in the excitement, didn''t hear any pleas for mercy at all.


    He just stood there, moving to the rhythm of the music beats, holding the Tao Wood version of the Thompson Submachine Gun, aiming at the crowd below, and continuing a relentless barrage of suppression fire!


    "Ratatat, bang!"


    Within the rapid gunfire, there were bursts of explosions!


    The effect of the exploding bullets meant that yers hidingpletely behind the Rock Giant couldn''t escape unscathed.


    The high vantage spray of bullets left the group below with no capacity to retaliate.


    And when he saw a piece of white clothes being raised over the head and waved frantically down below, he grinned and directed an even more concentrated hail of bullets in that direction.


    There was no need to worry about running out of bullets. Even if the Thompson had a high rate of fire, 20,000 rounds were enough for him to keep shooting for a long time. Most importantly, even if those 20,000 rounds were exhausted, he could seamlessly create another 20,000 rounds.


    As long as his Star Coins weren''t exhausted, he would always have unlimited bullets.


    Finally.


    "Boom!"


    Apanied by the sound of copse, the seemingly sturdy Rock Giant finally couldn''t bear it any longer and crumbled into rubble on the spot, revealing the yers behind it with faces full of terror. Before these yers could react,


    The dense bullets enveloped thempletely.


    At this moment, Chen Miao, as indifferent as a fishmonger who had killed for ten years, had no intention to release the trigger, distributing the gunfire equally and evenly on the heads of each yer.


    ...


    Three minutes had passed.


    All the yers below had already fallen in pools of blood.


    "One, two, three..."


    Chen Miao stood on the hillside, counting the yers lying in the blood pools below, quickly arriving at a number¡ª28; apart from him and Hungry Monkey, all the yers in this secret realm had fallen here.


    But¡ª


    His expression turned slightly peculiar as he looked toward the secret realm leaderboard.


    ¡¸Medal of Warfire Secret Realm Points Leaderboard¡¹.


    He was first on the list, Hungry Monkey was second, and there was another person in third ce.


    There were only three people on the entire leaderboard; the rest had been taken off, with a straightforward reason for their removal. As for that remaining person on the list, it was clear that he was currently ying dead amidst the corpses below.


    After noticing this,


    Chen Miao took a deep drag of the cigar mped in his mouth, exhaling a thick cloud of blue-white smoke, his lips slowly curling into a smile as he cradled the blood-red Thompson submachine gun, adorned with dark gold patterning, in his arms.


    He undid the final button on his suit jacket.


    Wearing just the jacket on his bare torso, he looked down at the scene strewn with corpses and suddenly made a rat-tat-tat sound with his mouth.


    Before Hungry Monkey beside him could even understand what was happening,


    He saw Miao''s Thompson submachine gun in his hands start to roar crazily once again.


    Finishing off the downed foes was necessary, but he did not n to walk up and shoot them in the face; although this would waste some bullets,pared to personal safety, the wasted ammo was worth mere pennies.


    As the of gunfire descended once more,


    A body suddenly leaped up from the blood pool, bolting down the mountain path toward the ancient city with a speed faster than blocking one''s ears from thunder. The escape was quick, but how could a person outrun bullets?


    Had he not started running, things might have been fine, but once he did, Chen Miao decisively shifted his gun''s aim.


    Marksmanship?


    At that moment, marksmanship had lost its significance.


    Secondster,


    The yer who had sprung up also fell back down, bing silent again; everything went quiet. The secret realm was now upied by only the two of them, with the leaderboard looking exceptionally clean.


    "Phew!"


    Chen Miao stood in ce and breathed out, stowing the Thompson submachine gun back in his backpack, he took out a staff, held it in his hand, stretched, and then stood leaning on it, looking downward.


    "They really can''t take a beating, huh? I''ve only used a bit over 4,000 rounds."


    In dealing with these vtile Supernaturals, clearly, the Chicago Typewriter was more effective than words; under its negotiation, the Supernaturals had all chosen peace.


    He then nced at the remaining time for the secret realm.


    36 minutes.


    After a brief consideration, he turned to Hungry Monkey. "Go see if there''s any loot to collect, I''m going to kill some more at that military tent over there. Finish up quick ande join me, let''s grind a bit more experience."


    "No problem!"


    His pupils glittering with excitement, Hungry Monkey dashed down from the hillside. He loved collecting loot¡ªplus, some of those people down there might end up being his future neighbors.


    They might even end up living next to his graveyard.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao returned to the military tent where enemy troops kept respawning, the Tao Wood version of the Thompson submachine gun in his arms. Standing at the entrance of the tent, he looked toward the enemy soldiers who werepletely ignoring him, and with a grin, he pulled the trigger.


    "Rat-tat-tat!"

 Chapter 28: 27: "He also wants to go to Jingjiu City to become a Capital Lord.

    Bullets danced through the air like willow catkins, once again enveloping those enemy soldiers emerging from their tents not far away.


    These enemy soldierspletely ignored him, not even ncing at him before they died.


    Although he used the Thompson Submachine Gun, it wasn''t as impably urate as initially, when 12 bullets could kill 12 enemies, but the efficiency had increased by who knows how many times; the notification sounds by Chen Miao''s ear sprung up incessantly like bamboo shoots after rain.


    "Ding, you have killed an enemy soldier, gaining 1 Experience Point."


    "Ding, you have killed an enemy..."


    Once he left this secret realm, there might never be such an easy ce to gain Experience again, so he had to make the most of these remaining minutes to indulge in a killing spree.


    To be honest.


    Dealing with those unruly yers had cost him quite a bit of time.


    Fengtian City didn''t have a city effect like Jingjiu City, where the Experience required for each level up for the yers within the city was reduced by 30%; he was now a lv.2 Gunman, and to level up to lv.3, he needed a full 500 Experience Points.


    Even with a perfect run through an F-level secret realm, it only damned earned him 100 Experience Points.


    lv.0 to lv.1 required 100 Experience Points.


    lv.1 to lv.2 required 200 Experience Points.


    And lv.2 to lv.3 required 500 Experience Points.


    So far across the entire Federation, the yer at the top of the level Experience leaderboard was Lord Miao from Jingjiu City, at lv.67. Chen Miao couldn''t even imagine what astronomical number of Experience Points would be needed for a single level up at that level.


    He dared not even think about how powerful the city effect of reducing the Experience needed for each level up by 30% was at that tier.


    Thinking about this.


    Chen Miao sighed somewhat helplessly once more. Does traveling to another world also depend on luck? If he could have traveled to Jingjiu City, that would have been much morefortable; he didn''t dare to imagine that he could y around as a Capital Lord in his lifetime.


    However, in fact, the city effect of Fengtian City was also quite decent ¨C it wasn''t as strong, but at least it didn''t have any negative impact.


    Through his deep understanding of this world over the past few days, he also found out that a unique city effect of a ce called "Good Cat City" was¡ª


    "All yers born in Good Cat City who choose a Supernatural upation gain 20,000 Star Coins when they reach lv.1, but can never break through level 10."


    This city was also one of the 128 main cities, and the city effect it held was unique and exclusive to it.


    How to say it.


    This city effect wasn''t mandatory but optional.


    But every Supernatural Profession yer entering a secret realm in Good Cat City, without exception, had chosen to activate this city effect, and for a simple reason.


    Yes, that''s right.


    This city effect did indeed make one stronger for the time being, but at the cost of having no room for advancement in the future.


    They had no choice.


    If you didn''t activate this city effect, others would, and you''d find yourself unable to beat anyone in the secret realms, destined to die there, making any future potential for improvement useless.


    Underpulsion, almost every yer entering a secret realm within Good Cat City ended up activating that city effect.


    Secret realms within Good Cat City were uniquely avoided by yers from other cities across the whole Federation. For instance, in Fengtian City, many people from other cities would run to the secret realms within its bounds.


    But not to those in Good Cat City.


    They were too intense.


    All being lv.3, one would find that the strength of Good Cat City''s lv.3 yers was on an entirely different levelpared to those from other cities, overpoweringly dominating their peers, with a focus on the early game. In the early days of the world''s Transcendentalization, yers from Good Cat City were indeed far ahead for quite a while.


    But as time passed, the advantage of Good Cat City gradually faded; Jingjiu City slowly rose to be the economic and power center of the whole Federation. yers from Good Cat City, unwilling to die in such internal strife, also left the city one after another, settling down in other cities.


    It''s just...


    yers in Good Cat City quickly discovered a better path.


    After being promoted to lv.1 and obtaining 20k Star Coins, they immediately left Good Cat City and headed to Broken Pot City, staying there for three years to switch to the Person of Leisure Profession, and then leisurely started their retirement life for the second half of their lives.


    cking off temporarily feels good, cking off for life feels great.


    The only problem with this path is how to survive against numerous tough opponents whoe out of secret realms with the Experience Points for leveling up to lv.1, without spending Star Coins to increase one''s own strength.


    ...


    Just as Chen Miao''s thoughts began to drift, the sound of Hungry Monkey came from behind him¡ªit seemed he had a sizable haul, as Hungry Monkey excitedly started to pull out a bunch of items from his bosom, preparing to exin them.


    Seeing this, Chen Miao waved his hand, signaling for Hungry Monkey to start farming mobs first.


    "Farm Experience Points first, we''ll look at these itemster."


    Time was of the essence; the more Experience Points they could get, the better, aiming to level up to lv.3 as soon as possible. After leveling up to lv.3, they could undergo ss advancement, which would unlock many more features and greatly strengthen his power.


    For instance, Doctor Gou''s "Sword Emperor" Profession is a third-stage advancement of the Swordsman Profession and is many times stronger than the Swordsman Profession.


    Besides that.


    There was another pressing matter to consider.


    That was if the elders of the transcendentals who died in the secret realm were all guarding outside the secret realm, then if only he survived and came out, he would certainly face questioning and assassination. How to solve this problem was also an immediate concern he needed to address.


    Regarding this issue, he had a rough idea.


    After all, he had nothing to lose; in the worst-case scenario, he could flee to another city. He also wanted to be a Capital Lord in Jingjiu City, that is if he could afford housing there.


    Jingjiu City wees every resident with fairness.


    But only residents who have property in Jingjiu City or a residential lease contract of over one year can stay continuously for a year. All other residents will be expelled after three months.


    Only after staying in Jingjiu City for a full year can one enjoy the city-state benefits it provides.


    The housing prices in Jingjiu City have long been astronomical. Even a year''s residential lease contract is outrageously expensive, and many tiny ts that are hardly inhabitable, spanning only three or four square meters, are also priced unimaginably high.


    The market refers to them as¡ª


    "School District Houses."


    As expected, he probably couldn''t afford to go to Jingjiu City, nor could he be a Capital Lord.


    But bing a bandit in some remote small city should still be no problem.


    ...


    "Alright!"


    Hungry Monkey nodded vigorously, took up the hammer in his hand, and stood at the entrance of a military tent, mechanically swinging and smashing in repetition, a process both mechanical and imbued with a sense of violent beauty.


    Chen Miao, on the other hand, was holding a Tao Wood model Thompson Submachine Gun, taking charge of the remaining military tents.


    In terms of group attacks.


    The Gunman Profession far outstrips fighters, especially a gunman who doesn''tck bullets and doesn''t need to reload.


    And so.


    Until Chen Miao earned another 823 Experience Points and, with only 3 minutes left until the end of the secret realm, all the military tents suddenly went quiet, as if they''d run out of fuel, and no more enemies respawned.


    The scene was silent for a full ten seconds.


    Just as Chen Miao wondered if he had jammed the secret realm with his excessive force, a prompt suddenly sounded in his ear.


    "Ding, congrattions to yers Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey for perfectly clearing the F-grade secret realm ''Medal of Warfire''."

 Chapter 29: 28: "Star Coin Mall

    ```


    Just as Chen Miao and hispanion were wondering why the military tent wasn''t refreshing enemies, a panel abruptly appeared before their eyes.


    "Ding, secret realmpletion announcement."


    "Congrattions to Supernatural Profession yer Chen Miao for sessfullypleting the F-ss multiyer map ''Medal of Warfire'' with a 100% perfect progress, earning a perfectpletion rating and the following rewards."


    "yer Level Experience +100 (Experience earned within the secret realm +823), total Experience Points earned 923."


    "And honored to be ranked No. 367 on Fengtian City''s ''Perfect Completion Leaderboard'', please keep up the good work and continue to strive for higher achievements."


    "The perfectpletion condition for this secret realm: Cause the military tent, which can refresh enemies indefinitely, to experience a moment of vacuum."


    Upon seeing this panel, Chen Miao nodded in understanding.


    This was an Experience Secret Realm.


    That is, there were no Star Coins as a reward, nor any material drops, nothing at all, only experience was awarded.


    Unlike most secret realms.


    Almost all secret realms initially appear in the wild, and only after a yerpletes one perfectly is it included in the corresponding city''s Secret Realm Building for other yers to enter.


    Experience Secret Realms are recorded in the corresponding city''s Secret Realm Building from the start.


    And you will never see an Experience Secret Realm in the wild.


    He had thought that it was impossible to achieve a perfectpletion rating in a secret realm without apletion quest, as you couldn''t just kill all the enemies inside the realm, but now it seemed he was mistaken.


    This secret realm had a refresh timer for the military tents, approximately every four to five minutes a new group of enemies would spawn from a tent, but they did not all refresh at the same time; it was done in batches, so there were always enemies emerging from the tents.


    And the prerequisite for a perfectpletion rating was to hit the timing just right, quickly clearing out the spawned enemies, and then ensuring that for a moment, all the military tents had no enemiesing out, thus achieving a perfectpletion.


    However...


    The perfectpletion of an Experience Secret Realm rewarded no additional rewards other than 100 experience points.


    It also wasted his 3 minutes since the secret realm could havested for another 3 minutes, but perfectpletion meant leaving early. When he did the math, it felt like a bit of a loss.


    The only benefit was that he was now ranked No. 367 on "Fengtian City''s Perfect Completion Leaderboard," which meant the task for his E-ss limited-time prop ''First Show of Sharpness'' waspleted, allowing him to retain the staff.


    Sure enough, taking advantage of the minute or two before his return, he checked the staff''s panel.


    "Prop Name": First Show of Sharpness.


    "Prop Level": D-ss (upgraded once).


    "Prop Effect": Ignores the restriction that only one upational weapon can be crafted, allows the owner''s name to appear wrapped in Rainbow Brilliance when highlighted in rankings, announcements, or any other instances where the owner''s name is disyed.


    "Prop Restriction": None.


    "Prop Source": A small chance to obtain this prop upon perfectlypleting a secret realm on the yer''s first visit, and it can only be obtained this way. Once obtained, it is bound forcefully, not tradable, not giftable, and unusable by other Supernatural Profession yers.


    "Prop Description": "This prop is a tribute to the glory of a genius youth who showed an edge upon first entering a secret realm! Whether you are a fleeting genius or an unstoppable force, it is for you to decide."


    "ps: The first stage task has beenpleted. The second stage task¡ªif the prop holder ranks in the top 100 of any Fengtian City leaderboard within fourteen days, the prop is retained and upgraded; otherwise, it will be reimed."


    "Hm?"


    Chen Miao looked at the effect on the prop panel and furrowed his brows as he opened up Fengtian City''s Perfect Completion Evaluation Leaderboard. There, ranked No. 367, he found his name, with other yers'' names in gray.


    Only his name was in Rainbow Brilliance, standing out conspicuously.


    yer names in the first few dozens of ranks were in red, pink, blue, all quite nice to look at, but none exhibited the Rainbow Brilliance. He had only seen such a light effect on names in the "Federation Level Leaderboard."


    The yer at the top of the federation level leaderboard, a lv.67 Holy Demon Envoy, had a name wrapped in Rainbow Brilliance. To be exact, nearly all of the names in the top hundred ranks looked that way, suggesting great power.


    This was the effect brought by his staff''s ascension to the second stage, but as for its specific use... well, it didn''t seem much useful.


    Since he hadn''t given up anything for it, there was no harm in using something that came for free, so there wasn''t much to fret about.


    What slightly surprised him, though, was that as the staff ascended to D-ss, it underwent a subtle change. The pitch-ck luster of the staff was now adorned with deep blue stars, giving it a more sophisticated look.


    This was his first D-ss prop.


    But he hadn''t felt the power that shoulde with a D-ss prop; it seemed the symbolic honor of the prop mattered more than the prop''s utility.


    Probably many yers across the federation had earned this prop, but no one truly owned it, as it would be reimed for failing toplete a certain stage of the task.


    He wondered if anyone had ever upgraded this prop to its ultimate stage.


    If he could be the first yer to upgrade the prop to its ultimate stage, he would likely receive massive rewards.


    ...


    Chen Miao stopped pondering over it and stored the Thompson Submachine Gun back into his backpack, resting on the staff with one hand as he looked at his personal yer panel.


    "yer Name": Chen Miao.


    "yer Level": 3 (423/1000).


    "Profession Name": Gunner (awaiting job transfer).


    After toiling so long in this Experience Secret Realm, he had finally leveled up to 3 and even had a surplus of over 400 experience points. Just about 500 more experience points and he would level up to 4.


    And as a Supernatural Profession yer, reaching level 3 meant starting to prepare for ss advancement.


    Level 3 is the first stage of ss advancement.


    And for a "Gunner" profession, there is only one ss advancement at this stage, which is "Heavy Gunner"!


    "Job Transfer Conditions": Clear 3 secret realms,plete a total of 100 kills in secret realms, and spend 500 Star Coins.


    "Once the job transfer conditions are met, one can transfer at any time."


    He had longpleted the 100 kills condition, and 500 Star Coins didn''t seem too hard to manage, even though he didn''t have them. However, the prerequisite of clearing 3 secret realms was not yet met¡ª he was short of one more to be able to transfer jobs.


    At the same time¡ª


    After reaching level 3, he was notified that the "Star Coin Mall" feature had been unlocked.


    In the "Star Coin Mall," he saw many items for sale, where Supernatural Profession yers could shop with Star Coins, with purchased items being delivered in real time to their backpack or directly to their hands if the backpack was full.


    ```

 Chapter 30: 29: "Red Nickname Card": 1000 Star Coins/7 days

    And in the mall, he saw many interesting products.


    For instance¡ª


    "Backpack Expansion Ticket": 10k Star Coins (limited to the first 5 expansions).


    "Free Attribute Exchange Coupon": 200 Star Coins (avable only for the first five uses for all yers).


    Chen Miao looked thoughtfully at the Free Attribute Exchange Coupon and nodded his head. Doctor Gou had once given him three of these coupons, and they were very useful. After he had allocated all of them to Strength Points, he distinctly felt his body brimming with strength.


    He even felt like he could now punch a 1.4-meter-tall little lolita to death.


    He had originally thought that this item could be used indefinitely, but now it seemed that each yer could only use it five times, which limited the appearance of some bug-level things, such as archers swinging axes.


    That was understandable, though.


    If this item could be used without limit, then some pay-to-win yers would simply max out all their Attribute Points, which would indeed be a bit buggy.


    But right after that, he looked at some of the products on the next page of the mall, his expression slightly odd as he fell silent on the spot.


    "Red Nickname Card": 1000 Star Coins/7 days (allows your name to appear in red on various leaderboards).


    "Pink Nickname Card": 2000 Star Coins/7 days.


    "Purple Nickname Card": 2000 Star Coins/7 days.


    "Rainbow Nickname Card": 10000 Star Coins/7 days.


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood silently, his face expressionless, momentarily at a loss for words. There were just too many things prompting his silence; he hadn''t thought that the "Star Coin Mall" would actually sell such things.


    Now he finally understood why most Supernatural Profession yers'' names on the leaderboard were in grey, while those at the top were in various colors¡ªit turns out these things could be bought with money.


    And they were not just expensive but exorbitantly so!


    The cheapest, the Red one, cost 1000 Star Coins, and even after purchasing, it could only be used for seven days, it damn well wasn''t even permanent.


    The exchange rate between Star Coins and Federal Credit Points was roughly 1:20.


    1000 Star Coins, that''s about equivalent to 20k Federal Credit Points.


    Throwing 20k into this, just to make your name appear in red on the leaderboard for seven days¡ªno one with money would waste it like that, right?


    The most expensive "Rainbow Nickname Card" astonishingly cost 10k Star Coins for seven days!


    But Chen Miao hadpared, and the light effect of that "Rainbow Nickname Card" was static. Although it looked nice, it was different from his dynamic Rainbow Brilliance effect¡ªhis effect was dynamic, with the Rainbow Brilliance continuously wrapping around his nickname on the leaderboard, making it look quite stunning and even more high-end.


    The one sold in the mall was still limited to seven days, whereas his was permanent, as long as he could keep possessing this item.


    That meant this item, which he had originally thought wasn''t very valuable, had to be worth at least 200k Credit Points!


    That was just an estimate!


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly out of control once again; he couldn''t say that this item didn''t deserve a D-grade level anymore. After all, it came with an effect worth 200k Credit Points. But if he were given 200k Credit Points, he damn definitely would not buy this thing!


    Especially such a shy effect appearing in the inconspicuous 367th ce on Fengtian City''s leaderboard, it seemed even more bizarre!


    It was like giving a beggar, who could barely afford to eat, a jade bowl for begging that couldn''t be sold.


    He couldn''t help but sigh once more, feeling amazed andmenting, "The disparity between the rich and poor in this world also doesn''t seem to be small."


    Below, there are people like Hungry Monkey who work physically hard every day for a pittance; and above, there are those who throw in a few hundred thousand Credit Points each week, just to change the light effect of their name on the leaderboard.


    No wonder ordinary Lifestyle upation yers can''t see the leaderboard.


    If they did, the dissonance they''d feel in their hearts would be huge.


    If it weren''t for seeing others throw money around as if it''s nothing, most people could be happy every day just because they got paid today.


    ...


    Chen Miao turned his gaze to other leaderboards.


    There are many rankings.


    But the most authoritative and frequently checked by people are only two, one is the level ranking, and the other is thebat power ranking.


    So far, he had not made it onto thebat power ranking.


    He didn''t find his name.


    It was normal not to find it, as he hadn''t even evaluated his ownbat power yet, it would have been strange to find his name on thebat power ranking.


    The criteria that determine a yer''s specificbat power value have nothing to do with the yer''s level, items, or profession.


    If yers want to evaluate their ownbat power, they only need to enter the ''Combat Power Evaluation'' type secret realm within the Secret Realm Building, with several different levels avable, such as 1000bat power, 2000bat power, 3000bat power, etc.


    yers can freely choose different levels.


    Then inside the secret realm, the difficulty will continue to increase until the yer can no longer persist and exits the secret realm, whereupon their overall strength at thest moment before exiting is used to evaluate the specific value of theirbat power.


    Thebat power value is the most direct representation of a yer''s strength.


    After all, having a high level doesn''t necessarily mean one can fight, but a highbat power indicates that the person certainly knows how to kill.


    But that doesn''t mean someone with higherbat power canpletely overwhelm you, as instances of lower-powered yers killing those with higherbat power ur almost every month; after all, there are too many contingent factors when ites to killing.


    Especially since¡ª


    Killing is different from fighting.


    The battlefield is not in the ring, but in everyday life, and there are simply too many ways to kill someone.


    For instance... psyops, hostage-taking, coercion, kidnapping, seduction, poisoning, ambush, nning, mobbing, and so on.


    And Doctor Gou''sbat power value was 4700.


    "What a pity."


    Chen Miao sighed with a hint of regret, ncing at the countdown of the soon-to-end secret realm. He really wanted to test his currentbat power level, butbat power could only be tested in the Secret Realm Building, and after killing so many people in this secret realm, it probably wouldn''t be so simple for him to enter the Secret Realm Building again.


    He also didn''t know.


    Could hisbat power reach 300 with his Tao Wood version of the Thompson Submachine Gun?


    Doctor Gou, with the Sword Emperor Profession at lv.18 and abat power of 4700; him, a lv.3 gunman, shouldn''t it be reasonable to have abat power of 300?


    At that moment¡ª


    The F-level secret realm ''Medal of Warfire'' officially ended!


    A sh of white light, and Chen Miao, along with Hungry Monkey, abruptly appeared on the 68th floor of the Secret Realm Building, in the vast open space. The moment theynded, Chen Miao, who was already prepared to run, suddenly noticed that none of the elders who had escorted their children to the secret realm were there.


    He didn''t know where they had gone.


    Before he had time to figure out the situation, a woman in work clothes came over and handed him a letter.


    "This letter was entrusted to us to give to you, to be handed over when youe out of the secret realm."


    "By the way, why aren''t the others here?"


    There was a hint of confusion in the woman''s eyes, as it clearly never crossed her mind that those people might have died. After all, everyone knew that the Experience Secret Realm was almost absolutely safe and that no one would die.


    "Oh."


    "They are still in the secret realm for team building, they''lle outter."


    Chen Miao frowned, opened the letter in his hand, skimmed it briefly, then stuffed it into his chest pocket, and stepped towards the elevator entrance, leaning on his cane with one hand.


    Doctor Gou had... encountered trouble.


    This letter was a will, settling his affairs.


    But the question was why settle them with him, he sure as hell wasn''t named Gou.


    ...


    PS: Asking for follow-up reads, collections, all kinds of votes, and small donations of 100 points to fill up the top 100 spots on the reader ranking list.

 Chapter 31: 30: And Chen Miao, he wanted to become a big shot.

    The content of the will was very simple.


    It was essentially about how Doctor Gou''s former archenemy hade knocking, nning to kill him and Hungry Monkey. To protect them, Doctor Gou sent them into the Experience Secret Realm, where the enemy couldn''t interfere, and then went out alone to face his adversary.


    The disturbance was likely not small.


    He probably knew he wasn''t going to survive, so he told Chen Miao to take good care of himself, to hide the clinic''s sign for now, and to reopen the clinic when things calmed down and to carry it on.


    The content was quite simple, but there were some logic parts he couldn''t understand.


    "..."


    Chen Miao, leaning on his cane, walked out of the Secret Realm Building with Hungry Monkey and hailed a taxi, heading towards the outskirts of the city. The rtionship with Doctor Gou probably wasn''t at the point of sacrificing his life for him.


    To put it inly, they had only met a few times.


    He had given Doctor Gou some advice, and Doctor Gou took his clinic very seriously, happily giving him some items in his excitement. That was the extent of their interactions. There was some affection¡ªafter all, they had shared a drink and enjoyed pleasant conversations together.


    But to give up his life for him was too much.


    At least if Doctor Gou faced a life-threatening crisis, Chen Miao felt he definitely wouldn''t risk his own life to save him; their rtionship wasn''t that deep yet.


    He didn''t think much further on it.


    The taxi had already entered the city, where neon signs had lit up and naturally merged into the bustling traffic.


    ...


    When they arrived, it was mid-afternoon, but by the time they emerged from the Experience Secret Realm, it was gradually getting dark.


    The sun had set.


    It was as if the sunset had lifted the city''s seals, and as the entire city''s neon lights came on, some people who only moved about at night began their work.


    For instance¡ª


    The young man with headphones nearby, who was holding a stack of yellow advertisements and sticking them on the windows of a row of illegally parked cars.


    In the alley shing with red lights, more girls gathered, chatting in pairs or groups, asionally meeting the gaze of passersby and smiling at each other, saying everything without words.


    Or like the street vendor who waited for city management to go off duty, then pushed his fried noodle stall to the alley not far from the city management bureau to sell to the officers who had finished their shift and taken off their uniforms.


    In Fengtian City,


    everyone has their own way of living; not everyone knows that some are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of credit points just for a colorful nickname disyed for one week, not everyone aspires to be a Supernatural upation practitioner, and not all want to fight for their lives in the Secret Realm in order to rise above others and sit at the top of the leaderboard.


    Fengtian City has its big shots sitting at the top of the leaderboard and also those inconspicuous little figures.


    And Chen Miao, he wanted to be a big shot.


    For that, he was willing to make many sacrifices.


    ...


    An hourter.


    Chen Miao appeared outside the city, which was also the ce Doctor Gou referred to as the site of the decisive battle. The letter mentioned staying away from the area to avoid being discovered and even marked the exact coordinates. So he came to have a look, to see what was really going on.


    He now had some strength to speak of.


    If the two sides were locked in a fierce battle, his arrival could be an important factor in deciding the bnce of the war.


    On his way out of the city, he stopped by the Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic to take down the sign and put it into his Nothingness Space. If Doctor Gou were to die, those people might follow the vine to find the Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic.


    If something really happened, at least he''d have left this sign for Doctor Gou.


    It wouldn''t be letting Doctor Gou''s dying persistence down.


    When it came time to collect Doctor Gou''s body, this sign could be framed and attached to his tombstone, serving as a 3D epitaph.


    The taxi stopped more than a thousand meters from the battlefield, and they walked the rest of the way, being extremely cautious. The so-called battlefield in front of them didn''t seem to have anything special about it.


    It was just a vast wastnd.


    Clumps of earth were everywhere.


    There wasn''t a trace of greenery, and the ground was even starting to crack, giving the impression of many years of severe drought, which didn''t match the weather in Fengtian City at all. Fengtian City was a ce where it rained frequently throughout the year and the weather was fairly humid. Normally, this kind of scene wouldn''t appear.


    By now, night had fallen, and the area was enveloped in dark clouds, deathly quiet.


    They didn''t even see a single pedestrian.


    But just then¡ª


    "Shh!"


    As they rounded a bend, Chen Miao quickly hid behind a slightly elevated hill, looking towards Doctor Gou, who was now surrounded by a crowd, standing still, his clothes drenched in blood, holding a long knife.


    He was looking down at his toes, his thoughts unknown, as drops of thick blood dripped down from his hair onto the ground.


    Lying beside Doctor Gou was a man bisected at the waist, obviously dead beyond any doubt. Even at a distance, Chen Miao could faintly sense the emotions emanating from the corpse: resentment, shock, rage.


    A group of men armed with various weapons surrounded Doctor Gou in the middle, approaching slowly with guarded and icy expressions.


    Heh.


    He recognized these people.


    Weren''t they the same ones who had escorted their juniors to challenge the Experience Secret Realm on the 68th floor? No wonder they were nowhere to be found aftering out; they had all been rallying here.


    "They seem a bit afraid of Doctor Gou," whispered Hungry Monkey, peeking from behind the hill towards the scene not far away. Although those men had encircled Doctor Gou, none dared to make the first move, instead they were closing in tentatively. Their faces might be frosty, but a hint of fear was barely discernible.


    Clearly, Doctor Gou''s killing of the man beside him had just exhibited a strength that might have frightened this group.


    "Let me take a look,"


    Chen Miao looked towards the imminent battle, took the Thompson Submachine Gun into his arms, and thought for a moment without speaking. He was considering the possibility of rescuing Doctor Gou.


    Having the audacity to ambush a lv.18 Doctor Gou meant these people were at least lv.15, maybe even higher. With just a submachine gun, and without any protection, he had no confidence in taking on a group all by himself.


    But rescuing someone didn''t necessarily mean having to kill all the enemies.


    As he contemted the feasibility of the n to "Lure the Tiger Away from the Mountain," he suddenly heard a crisp sound from not too far off.


    "ng!"


    Chen Miao was momentarily stunned and looked up instinctively, to see that Doctor Gou, who had been looking down all this time, had slowly raised his head and was now sweeping his gaze across the face of everyone present, holding his blood-thirsty, quivering de aloft. The cold steel of the knife emitted a series of crisp tremors under the night sky.


    Then, before he could react,


    Doctor Gou''s right arm trembled slightly, and in the moonlight, a dazzling white light shed by fiercely. Right after, Chen Miao saw that the crowd previously enclosing Doctor Gou had moved back rapidly, all except one man who stood rigidly in ce, not retreating.


    Three breathster, that man, his eyes full of unwillingness and shock, reached out to touch his somewhat wet neck. Subsequently, the thin line of blood at his throat quickly widened, his pupils dted and his body fell back limply, copsing into the pool of blood.

 Chapter 32: 31: Suddenly, a madman sharpens his knife at night, itching for action tonight.

    "Well, I''ll be damned..."


    Chen Miao, who had witnessed the entire scene from start to finish, subconsciously touched his own neck, swallowing slightly. He couldn''t even catch when the sh had been made with his bare eyes, and now someone was killed?


    If that sh hadnded on him, could he have survived?


    The answer was, without a doubt, no.


    He would definitely die.


    This scene made Chen Miao, who had been feeling slightly aloof, feel his heart sink before it had a chance to soar too high. With his current strength, he was nothing but an exposed littlemb in this kind of battle. He didn''t need to think about intervening, surviving was skill enough.


    If he could keep hiding, collecting Doctor Gou''s corpse would be the least he could do.


    Fortunately, the burial plots bought by Hungry Monkey woulde in handy. He could move in with Doctor Gou, and Doctor Gou could move in with them.


    And this scene also made his resolve to enhance his protective abilities even clearer.


    As for the so-called protective gear they had seized, it was actually a type of item called "Energy Protective Clothing," with no upational restrictions, universally usable by all professions. Depending on the item''s level, the maximum attack it could withstand varied.


    All the protective clothing he had collected was broken, naturally rendered unusable.


    When the "Energy Protective Clothing" was about to run out of energy, it could be recharged to regain functionality, but if it exceeded its tolerance range, it would shatter, making it utterly useless.


    Even using it to wipe one''s ass would be disgusting.


    Up to now, he didn''t have a single protective item, which greatly decreased his sense of security.


    Chen Miao also soon heard surprise-filled voices carrying over from not far away.


    "The energy level of this strike has reached almost 1000!"


    "My protective clothing doesn''t stand a chance, his Combat Power ranking hasn''t been updated, he''s hiding his real strength, it''s much greater than we anticipated."


    "We all need to gang up on him to kill him!"


    "Stop dilly-dallying, we must take him down today!"


    "If he doesn''t die, we''re all doomed in the future!"


    Clearly, these people had only now realized that Doctor Gou''s strength was higher than they had imagined.


    However, it was toote!


    In the night, Doctor Gou moved like a Sword Saint possessed, each sh of white light followed by another person''s neck blossoming with a line of blood before falling into a pool of their own. They had almost no chance to fight back, unable to escape the fate of being killed in a single strike, no matter how they dodged or activated their protective gear.


    It was over in the blink of an eye.


    Here, a good twenty or thirty men armed with various weapons, barely inflicted any injuries on Doctor Gou before they ally side by side in pools of blood.


    ...


    Chen Miao, who had been watching from behind a hill, had his mouth agape enough to fit a light bulb. Was everyone else as dumbfounded as he was? Are you that incredible to just hide out in a clinic that''s about to go under and perform circumcisions?


    You''re that amazing, and yet the letter you left behind read like a suicide note, filled with the sentiment of a brave man who will not return?


    Why didn''t you just say, "Some madman sharpening his knife at night, feeling itchy to kill some people for relief"?


    You truly have a taste for killing!


    Seeing the fight was over, Chen Miao didn''t continue to hide behind the hill. Instead, he walked out with the Thompson Submachine Gun in his arms and began shouting from a distance, "Doctor Gou, are you okay?"


    He didn''t dare to get too close, as Doctor Gou seemed somewhat unfamiliar that night, and he was a bit afraid of being chopped up himself in the heat of the moment.


    ...


    Doctor Gou, standing amidst the pools of blood, was slightly startled upon hearing Chen Miao''s voice, and when he looked up and saw Chen Miao''s figure, his bloodshot eyes became somewhat moist.


    This scene...


    It was the same three years ago.


    That night, his own parents might have been just like Chen Miao, knowing they couldn''t win, knowing they might die, but still they came to save him.


    He was just a selfish bastard, a person who only cared about his own honor and disgrace. Why were there so many people who knew they would die but still came to save him?


    He hadn''t risked his life toe here tonight solely for Chen Miao, but because he didn''t want the regrets of three years ago to happen again. He wanted to do something to make up for the guilt of these three years. He didn''t want to keep living a dog''s life anymore. He was tired.


    These three years, he had been tormented every moment.


    If, if he hadn''t so willfully left his home for the secret realm three years ago, perhaps his parents wouldn''t have died. If only he had told his parents where he was going before he left, they wouldn''t have been so easily killed by those traitors.


    However, by sheer luck, he hadn''t died.


    "Huff!"


    Doctor Gou took a deep breath and looked at Chen Miao, who was gradually approaching, and spoke with an elerated tone, "The cleaners areing soon. Long story short, I''ve killed a bit too many people here, and I won''t be returning to Fengtian City in the future."


    "I n to spend the rest of my life in ''Broken Pot City,'' where I will carry on the legacy of the Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic left by my parents."


    "If you evere to Broken Pot City, you cane and have a drink with me."


    "And, who asked you toe? Don''t you know how dangerous it is here?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao let out a helpless sigh, "I couldn''t just stand by and watch you die, could I? Didn''t you see how sharp the swords in their hands were?"


    "Heh."


    Doctor Gou suddenly sneered, "Their swords are sharp, my knife is no less sharp. I can perform circumcisions, and just as well I can take their heads off."


    "Besides, tonight Lady Luck is smiling on me."


    Having said that¡ª


    A panel was shared in front of Chen Miao.


    ''Skill Name'': Life and Death Ambiguity.


    ''Skill Level'': D.


    ''Skill Restriction'': Only avable to ''Swordsman'' and its promotion series professions, and the yer level must be lv.10 or above.


    ''Skill Effect'': When activating this skill, the next strike has a 50% chance to unleash five times the attributes of one''s all-out attack, a 40% chance that the knife energy bacsh will severely wound oneself, and a 10% chance that the knife energy bacsh will be fatal.


    Skills without cooldown, unlimited duration, can be activated or cancelled at any time.


    ''Skill Proficiency'': lv.1 (34/100), upgrading to the next level can reduce the chance of negative effects triggering. Swinging a knife under this skill''s effect adds one point of proficiency.


    ''Skill Introduction'': "Old rules, fists and guns¡ªin the end, one of us will die here today."


    "..."


    Chen Miao nced at the skill panel shared in front of him and looked again at Doctor Gou, who was almost unscathed. For a moment, he felt his scalp tingle. Was this the confidence Doctor Gou had, like being possessed by a Sword Saint, just now?


    A total of twenty or thirty people were killed.


    In other words, Doctor Gou was dancing on the edge of death a few dozen times just now.


    A sequence of dozens of urrences allnded on the 50% positive effect?


    Probably Yama was also staring at Doctor Gou''s frantically blinking name in the Life and Death Book in the Underworld, confused and bewildered.


    Such a skill indeed didn''t need any cooldown, as not many people dared to y with their life on the line like this.


    But is there really a possibility of this skill reaching proficiency level lv.2?


    And at that moment¡ª


    The sound of police sirens, neither hurried nor slow, wasing from behind, just as Doctor Gou had said, the cleaners had arrived.

 Chapter 33: 32: "I have parents, you are an orphan.

    Under the night sky.


    On a deste in outside of Fengtian City, bodiesy scattered in puddles of blood, and the cold autumn breeze cut to the bone.


    The howling wind seemed to carry the resentful roars of the corpses strewn on the ground.


    Standing amidst the bodies, Chen Miao turned to look behind him and saw, not far off, seven or eight Enforcement Bureau vehicles with shing lights and ring sirens had stopped on the nearby road, with roughly thirty people now getting out of the cars and slowly closing in.


    "..."


    Chen Miao twitched the corners of his mouth as he eyed the scene and began considering whether the police would believe him if he said he hadn''t killed anyone and was just aw-abiding citizen who had simply failed to break up the fight.


    "Don''t be afraid."


    Just then, Doctor Gou gave Chen Miao''s shoulder a light pat and handed him the blood-stained knife, "We''re all acquaintances here; they won''ty a hand on you."


    Almost instantly!


    The two points that Chen Miao had added to Agility a few days ago came into y as his body quickly retreated backward, and he looked up in shock and disbelief, his voice involuntarily rising as he stared at Doctor Gou, "What the fuck do you think you''re doing?"


    Has he gone mad?


    To think he hade all this way to help out; was this fucking Doctor Gou trying to frame him, to make him take the fall?


    Fuck!


    This guy, a big shot from three years ago, must have his own connections within the Enforcement Bureau. He could just pull someone in to deal with the Bureau, especially someone like him with an unregistered residence and no background. It couldn''t be more perfect.


    In that instant, numerous possibilities of Doctor Gou framing him shed through Chen Miao''s mind, and he had already started to consider whether his Thompson Submachine Gun was capable of gunning down all the cops behind him.


    As for proving his innocence, it had never even crossed his mind. It was impossible to seed; throughout history, there was only proof of guilt, never innocence. Those who framed you always knew better how innocent you were than you did.


    It wasn''t his fault for being paranoid, given that having a murder weapon shoved into your hands right in front of the police was just too damn outrageous!


    "..."


    Seeing how sensitive Chen Miao was, Doctor Gou first let out a somewhat exasperated sigh, but quickly he understood why Chen Miao had reacted that way. He looked up at the position of the police and spoke in an urgently-paced voice.


    "We don''t have much time left. There are things I must make clear, so I''ll get straight to the point."


    "In Fengtian City, or rather the whole Federation, there are two sets ofws that govern Supernatural upation professionals and ordinary Lifestyle upation citizens, though officially there''s only one, of course. For someone like me with a fairly strong Combat Power among Supernatural upation professionals, these cops who''ve arrived on scene won''t make the arrest."


    "They''re just trying to earn their keep and have no desire to die out here."


    "After I escape, they''ll issue a warrant, but that''s about it. Afterward, I''ll find it difficult to move around freely in any of the Federation''s main cities, except for ''Broken Pot City,'' which can amodate my existence."


    "Killing in secret realms isn''t illegal, but killing outside of them is subject to trial."


    "Don''t worry about my safety, nor yours. They might take you back for a simple investigation, just tell the truth, and that''s all. After all, you didn''t kill anyone. The only thing you need to be concerned about now is that the descendants of these people mighte looking for revenge against you."


    Chen Miao turned to gaze at the officers who, although closing the distance, were moving at an incredibly slow pace, seemingly terrified that they would reach Doctor Gou before he had a chance to run. After hesitating for a long moment, he finally spoke.


    "That''s not a concern. All those people died in the secret realm."


    "All?"


    "Yeah, shouldn''t have missed anyone, all neat and tidy."


    "..."


    Doctor Gou, expressionless, fell into silence before speaking after a short pause, "That''s good, now there are absolutely no worries for the future, no one wille to trouble you."


    "To be honest, I was nning to atone with my death tonight, I didn''t intend to live."


    "I''ve had enough of living these past three years, and the thing I regret the most now is not dying in that rainy night three years ago, cowardly hiding in the clinic as if into my mother''s embrace."


    "Tonight, Lady Luck has favored me and given me another life, so I''m nning to go to Broken Pot City and restore the clinic my parents left behind to greater glory. It''s just a pity that I couldn''t bring out the ancestral sign."


    "If there''s a chance for us to meet again in the future, with your temperament, I guess it won''t be long before you''vemitted murder, broken thew, and run off to Broken Pot City. Then you can give me some good advice on how to run a clinic."


    Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly, and he found himself at a loss for words for a moment. What did it mean by ''with your temperament''? If those people hadn''t been asking for it, would he have needed to create such bloodshed?


    All this bloodshed, how many good deeds will it take to settle the ount with Yama?


    Maybe start by finding a capable ountant in prison, kill them to send ahead, and have them specifically handle bncing his ount with Yama.


    "Here, take this."


    With not much time to spare, after confirming that Doctor Gou had no intention of setting him up, he pulled out from his chest the que that read ''Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic'' and handed it to Doctor Gou, "Before I leave, I brought this for you. I thought that if I had to collect your body, I would use this as your gravestone, to make my life worthwhile."


    "You kid."


    Doctor Gou looked at Chen Miao with an odd expression as he produced a que over a meter long from his chest and suddenly smiled, "This thing of mine isn''t a prop, can''t be stuffed into a backpack. You''ve got some other opportunity on you, kid."


    "That''s good, it actually suits the gunman upation quite well."


    "I was thinking of advising you to change your upation, but now it seems unnecessary."


    "Be careful out there, such trump cards must be kept absolutely secret. As for me, don''t worry, I was born tight-lipped."


    "There''s nothing else to instruct, if we get a chance to meet in Broken Pot City in the future, that''s fine. I don''t know why, but the more I see you, kid, the more I take to you. Just like me, you''re full of boundless passion for the mysteries, daring to gamble with your life, having extra opportunities, and also having a close brother."


    "There''s just one difference."


    "I have parents, and you are an orphan."


    "You don''t have to worry about anyone looking after your parents when you''re gone, so when you gamble with your life you''re even more unbridled. It''s actually not bad to be an orphan with your character; otherwise, sooner orter, you would experience the sorrow of parents burying their child."


    "As for this knife, take it. It''s a piece of junk, not for you, it''s for those people behind you. They need to bring something back to report, otherwise, their leader''s report wouldn''t look good."


    "With this knife, at least they could write a report about a fierce battle with the felon for three hundred rounds, inflicting serious injuries on the felon, the felon then abandoning the knife and making a far escape, and requesting the issuance of a warrant."


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the knife in Doctor Gou''s hands with an odd expression and said distantly, "Just throw it on the ground."


    Even if Doctor Gou broke heaven and earth, he didn''t want to leave his fingerprints on this murder weapon.


    Even if Doctor Gou had no ill will.


    But to those behind him, his fingerprints on the murder weapon meant something, it meant that a report of capturing the felon on the spot would look a little better when submitted.

 Chapter 34: 33: "All the victims suffered brutal attacks from the murderer; none survived.

    ```


    "Fine."


    Seeing the police officers slowly advancing behind Chen Miao, even starting to exchange anxious nces¡ªhowe Doctor Gou is not running yet? Surely, they can''t really be nning to fight, can they?


    Is making money really that hard these days?


    Doctor Gou didn''t dy any longer; he casually threw the knife in his hand onto the ground, nodded to the group of police officers behind Chen Miao, and then dashed away toward the distance with the speed of a rabbit whose ancestral grave had been dug up.


    A preliminary estimation of his speed would put it at least under nine seconds for a hundred meters.


    It''s clear to see that he probably invested quite a few points in Agility.


    Chen Miao didn''t linger either, he grabbed Hungry Monkey and fled in another direction without looking back. He had no ns to stick around and be taken in for investigation. Although Doctor Gou''s words seemed logical, he was not yet familiar with how this world operated, and for the time being, he did not want tond himself in that kind of ce.


    Every world''s underlying operational rules are different. Before figuring out these rules, using experiences from his previous world to judge the rules of this world could lead to an untimely death. For instance, he wasn''t clear if these officers didn''t have enforcement meters. If they did, how could he get away with his tant escape from under their watch?


    Truly caught.


    One''s strength is insignificantly small when facing the entire federalw enforcement machine; one could be yed to death without knowing how.


    He was betting that these police officers wouldn''t chase after them and that their names wouldn''t appear in the report. After all, having one fugitive escape sounds better than three, and moreover, leaving the knife behind would give the forensic team an easy job. Are the medical examiners idiots? They could easily determine the cause of the injuries.


    Anypetent medical examiner could tell that all these people were killed by the same person, and that the two of them were merely bystanders who happened to pass by and unsessfully attempted to break up the fight.


    ...


    Just as Chen Miao had guessed.


    The police officers did not pursue them. They continued to form a cautious and slow fan-shaped encirclement, advancing towards the scene after watching Doctor Gou and Chen Miao, among others, all escape.


    Only then did the team leader finally breathe a sigh of relief, hastened his steps to the center of the twenty bodies lying in a pool of blood, lit a cigarette, slipped it into his mouth, and pulled out a pair of white gloves from his chest pocket to put on, unable to restrain himself from grumbling.


    "Damn it, let''s get to work. Whoever has to collect the bodies, collect them. Whoever has to clean up, clean up," he said.


    "Notify the medical examiners to start working, inform the bureau to notify the families of these people toe to identify the bodies, and give a heads up to the crematorium we work with; set the furnaces hotter tonight. There are more dead than usual, and a low temperature might not be enough to burn them all."


    "It''s getting too dangerous these days. You can''t work this job for long, I''m telling you. Sooner orter, if we encounter a Supernatural upation who has gone berserk, we''re all going to end up dead here," he said.


    A middle-aged man with a full beard, also in uniform, strode up to the team leader, full of emotion, and echoed, "You''re telling me. I just checked, and most of those who died here are well-known figures on the rankings, all dead."


    "That person who escaped looked like Sword Emperor Gou Yidao from three years ago."


    "Famed for killing a level 20 boss with one stroke in a majorbat event, he vanished afterwards, and it was only roughly known that he was framed, leading to the death of his parents. Seeing him here today, it seems likely that this group of people were the ones who framed Gou Yidao back then."


    "But, Captain, among these people is someone with a plum blossom tattoo, who looks like a core member from ''Gaobei City.'' How should we write this in the report?"


    "..."


    Upon hearing this, the team leader''s brow furrowed slightly, and he fell silent, contemting how to write the report to satisfy the requirements. These kinds of Supernatural upation battle casualties weremon, some were for collecting bodies, some for issuing warrants.


    Having be Supernaturals, did they still expect a peaceful death?


    Enjoying what ordinary people couldn''t, they should be aware that one day they might die by another''s hand.


    The presence of a ''Gaobei City'' core member among the deadplicated the report writing. Gaobei City, located dozens of miles west of Fengtian City, is not one of the federal 128 main cities and is known for its ability to sacrifice organs for rewards.


    This city has been rotten to the core from start to finish.


    Unlike Fengtian City, which at most turns a deaf ear to battles between Supernaturals, still maintaining serious social order and security, this city, due to its city-state effect, has long been corroded by countless forces with money.


    Thus paving the way for those powers.


    ```


    The plum blossom tattoo is the typical symbol of the "Envy" organization, the biggest force behind the scenes in Gaobei City. This organization is extremely protective of its own; whenever one of their own dies, no matter the reason, they are determined to pursue the matter to the end.


    Although he didn''t kill the man, nor was it someone from Fengtian City''s leadership who did, now that a person has died in Fengtian City, these people would definitelye to hold Fengtian City ountable and inquire about the progress of the murderer''s capture.


    If they keep asking every day, the leaders of Fengtian City will be annoyed.


    If the leadership is annoyed, his superior will get scolded daily.


    If his boss is scolded daily, he will be harassed and insulted every day, might even lose his job, and without this well-paying job, his younger brother will have to continue scavenging trash.


    "..."


    After a brief silence, the captain''s eyes sharply swept over everyone present, and in a hoarse voice, he said word by word, "There was absolutely no body with a tattoo found at the scene, do you all understand?"


    "Understood!"


    Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man standing beside the captain took a long breath of relief and robustly answered first. He didn''t want the captain to be scolded every day either; after all, if the captain was scolded daily, how could there be good days for them?


    "This body, when it gets darker, have a few brothers take it to the cooperating crematorium and burn it first."


    The captain turned his head and whispered in the ear of the middle-aged man, then calmly said, "Xiao Wang,e, record the report."


    "At 22:39 tonight, the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau of Fengtian City received a report from the public about a vicious melee that urred in the outskirts, in the ''Sankui Wastnd.'' By the time we arrived at the scene, all the victims had already been brutally murdered."


    "The entire Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s Third Squad, despite the risk to their own lives for the safety of the people, bravely fought the criminals, eventually severely wounding and disarming the criminals, who were injured and fled in disarray."


    "Requesting a warrant, the criminal''s name is currently unknown, only his probable appearance is known, and..."


    Just then¡ª


    A middle-aged man''s body on the ground, his dry, cracked mouth began to slowly open and close, his eyelids struggling forcefully to lift, his pupils full of anger and unwillingness, propping himself on his elbows to raise his upper body slightly, he saidboriously, word by word.


    "I know the criminal''s name is Doctor Gou, the lv.18 Sword Emperor from Fengtian City''sbat power rankings, you can just issue a wanted notice directly."


    "He must have run towards Broken Pot City, take precautionary measures to intercept him, after killing so many, he must be made to apany the dead."


    "You don''t have to think about covering it up anymore, even the third leader of the ''Envy'' organization died here this time, it''s impossible to cover it up, even if you want to hide, I will notify Envyter, and..."


    "..."


    The young man holding theptop beside the captain, looking at the man who had suddenlye back to life, paused his typing, his hands hanging in mid-air, looked toward his captain in bewilderment, evidently unsure whether to continue the report.


    "..."


    "Huh."


    The captain, standing amidst countless bodies in uniform, pinched the cigarette butt in his hand, took a slow deep drag without expression, and after a moment of silence, exhaled a puff of bluish-white smoke. He then carefully picked up the long knife that the criminal had dropped on the ground before leaving and slowly walked toward thest survivor.


    He ced the knife against the survivor''s neck and nced at the injuries on the necks of the other bodies.


    After miming a few times,


    In the bewildered and incredulous eyes of the survivor, he slightly twisted the knife.


    "Alright, you may continue recording."


    "All the victims were savagely killed by the criminal, none survived."


    "By the way, go and check to make sure that all the victims were indeed brutally murdered by the criminal."

 Chapter 35: 34: "Danger removed, all is well tonight.

    ```


    Fucking world, always filled with fucking people, doing one fucking thing after another, even more fucked up than thest.


    If you want to be someone in this world,


    you have to be a person who loves fucking things up even more than they do.


    "..."


    This was the heartfelt sentiment of Chen Miao, hiding behind the hill at the distant crime scene, after witnessing those police officers ying the survivors.


    Under the cover of night, he didn''t immediately flee far away after escaping but found a hill to lie behind and stealthily observe. He needed to determine the level of danger based on the police''s response, to formte a corresponding strategy.


    Level S Danger: Immediately escape far away, not looking back as he leaves Fengtian City.


    Level A Danger: Temporarily hide in the suburban graveyard for a few weeks and assess the situation.


    Level B...


    Level E Danger: Nothing happened, as long as he doesn''t turn himself in, there isn''t much to do with him.


    It seemed like it was Level E; he was too far away to hear what those people were saying, only vaguely seeing someone crawl out of a pool of blood and apparently say something. Just as he tensed up internally, cursing Doctor Gou for not finishing the job properly even though he was such a sly old fox.


    With such a survivor, once they return and find out their child died in the Secret Realm, and only he and Hungry Monkey came out alive, he would definitely be dragged back into this.


    Most importantly, with the existence of such a witness, the Enforcement Bureau, even if they wanted to wrap up the case hastily, wouldn''t be able to. Not to mention imprisoning him, they could definitely make his life messy.


    While he pondered what to do,


    he saw the captain of those police officers pick up the weapon from the ground, and with a swift motion, end thest survivor.


    Good.


    Now there were no survivors left.


    Simply perfect.


    Although this event seemed preposterous, from his perspective, it definitely worked to his advantage.


    For that captain, it was even more advantageous. Dealing with a case with live witnesses was much more difficult than one with none.


    For Fengtian City, it was even more beneficial. The ''Envy'' one died silently, without anyone else knowing, meaning no one woulde troubling Fengtian.


    It was extremely beneficial for Doctor Gou as well.


    It was simply a win all around, the only ones possibly losing were those lying in the pool of blood, but they were already dead, so winning or losing didn''t matter anymore.


    "Let''s go."


    Once he confirmed that it would hardly implicate him, Chen Miao took onest meaningful look at the uniformed captain''s silhouette in the distance, impressing his image onto his memory, and quietly left in the night with Hungry Monkey.


    Danger averted.


    Nothing to worry about tonight.


    ...


    "Let''s go, folks. Let''s have supper, my treat."


    "We still have to deal with those family members tomorrow."


    "It''s quite troublesome."


    In Fengtian City, at the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, a man in uniform stepped out, pulled out a cigarette from his chest pocket, put it in his mouth, and, after exhaling a long puff of smoke, sighed and said, "This fucking job is just too much to handle in one day."


    He was the captain who had dealt with the case in the suburbs tonight.


    ```


    ```


    He was busy until four in the morning before it finally came to an end.


    However, tomorrow is the main event, and he had already dispatched someone to notify the families of the victims. These people were no pushovers, and theirbined pressure on the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau would be enough to give him a headache.


    Even so, this was already the best oue, certainly better than if the people from the "Envy" organization were to apply pressure.


    At the end of the day, they were just ordinary folks and easy to handle.


    In the face of the federalw enforcement agencies, they hardly mattered.


    And behind him was a crowd of about thirty people, all members of his team who had worked with him tonight on the case. These people were tight-lipped and sensible.


    When selecting his team members, he had carefully weeded out some of the fools.


    Those who remained were those who could weigh pros and cons. He never relied on brotherly loyalty for their secrecy, but instead, he bound everyone''s interests together. With everyone''s hands dirty, who could report another without implicating themselves?


    Most importantly, there was no benefit to reporting. Even if someone reported sessfully, they would only get some symbolic rewards. On the contrary, they would no longer be valued by those above; no one likes a snitch.


    No one would know who might be snitched on next. To put it bluntly, how many in the bureau were truly clean?


    "Captain Zhou."


    Not far from the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, this captain named Zhou Yinao had just found a barbecue stand and was ready to treat his team members at the public expense when he saw a subordinate with aplicated look on his facee over.


    "We''ve just received a message: the children and apprentices, including the students, of this batch of victims all died in an F-level ''Medal of Warfire'' Experience Secret Realm in Fengtian City this afternoon."


    "It was a multiyer secret realm for 30 people. Thirty went in, and in the end, only Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao came out alive."


    "ording to surveince provided by the Secret Realm Building, these two were brought into the building by Doctor Gou, and when Doctor Gou fled, the figures of the other two men matched these two."


    "Huh?"


    Having just poured himself a ss of beer that he had yet to drink, Zhou Yinao stood stunned and incredulous upon hearing his subordinate''s report.


    Experience Secret Realm, huh.


    Everyone knows it''s almost absolutely safe.


    The only danger in such realmses from the Supernatural Profession yers who enter the realm with you. These weren''t easy targets, the children of the victims. Two people managed to kill 28 others?


    And they came out without a scratch?


    However, for him, this was good news. It meant there would be fewer families putting pressure on him tomorrow.


    "Not bad."


    Zhou Yinao nodded, downed the beer in his hand, then lit another cigarette. Having shed his uniform, he wrapped himself in a coat and sat at the somewhat deste barbecue stand under the night sky. He casually looked at the deserted street and said.


    "It''s good news."


    "There''s more..."


    The subordinate with theplex expression continued: "The Intelligence Division also has information. Tonight we received many reports of blood smellsing from neighbors'' houses. At the time, we were in the Sankui Wastnd, so the bureau dispatched people."


    "They were all home invasions, clean and efficient, obviously the work of professionals."


    "Most of the bodies have been identified now, all rtives of the victims from tonight''s incident in the Sankui Wilderness, and we''re still receiving reports, with more bodies yet to be identified."


    "Unless something unexpected happens, it looks like no family of the victims will being to apply pressure tomorrow."


    "They''ve all neatly embarked on the same journey."


    "Ah?"


    Captain Zhou''s mouth slowly gaped open, his face full of shock and disbelief as he turned to the subordinate reporting the intelligence, asking subconsciously, "Are you serious?"


    ```

 Chapter 36: 35: "How was it announced to the public over in Fengtian City?

    But after asking that question, Zhou Yinao knew he had said something stupid.


    People below would definitely not joke about such matters with him.


    "Hey."


    He pondered for a moment, flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground, stomped it out, then caressed his bald head, and grinned, "These guys do their job pretty decisively, if only those damned Supernaturals were all like them in their work."


    "How much trouble would that save us?"


    "Damn, looks like I can get some good sleep tomorrow, this is actually some damn good news."


    "That..."


    The subordinate hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Boss, we are Supernaturals too."


    "Is it the same? We are official Supernaturals, we are the good guys, they are the bad guys."


    ...


    ''Gaobei City''


    A city not listed as one of the federal 128 main cities, due to itsck of resources and having an organ donation system bound to attract chaotic forces, ordinary people generally wouldn''t choose to stay in this city.


    Gradually, the city''s style became steadily more bizarre.


    The Federation had too many things to worry about and simply did not have the energy to care about these trivial matters below. It was an inevitable product of the times and something that could not bepletely contained. Just let it be, as long as it doesn''t cause too much trouble.


    At this time, in a vi located in the downtown area of Gaobei City, a young man dressed in a suit was sitting at the edge of a balcony, swaying his ss casually, "The third brother is dead, he went looking for trouble with Doctor Gou in Fengtian City against night."


    "It''s almost dawn now, and he still hasn''t returned."


    "Based on my experience, in our line of work, if someone goes missing without reason for over eight hours, they can pretty much be dered dead."


    ...


    Beside this young man, on a chairy a seductively dressed woman with a naturally charming demeanor. Upon hearing the news, she frowned slightly and rubbed her temples irritably, "What''s the official story from Fengtian City''s side?"


    "Around 22:00st night, a violent armed confrontation urred in the ''Sankui Wastnd'' on the outskirts of Fengtian City. Over thirty Supernatural upation workers were found dead at the scene. The perpetrator has been seriously injured and is on the run, and an active investigation is underway."


    After saying this, the young man on the balcony shrugged indifferently, continuing to swirl the wine in his ss, "That''s the public statement from the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau of Fengtian City. The third brother probably died there too. The Enforcement Bureau probably fears us causing trouble, so they dealt with the third brother''s body in secrecy, at least his name wasn''t found on the death list, nor was there any body with a plum blossom tattoo."


    "Huh."


    Upon hearing this, the woman lying on the chair suddenly let out a rxed smile, her whole demeanor easing as shezily stretched her long legs on the edge of the balcony, "Well, that''s good. It seems the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau knows how to y nice. If only others could be as sensible."


    "Otherwise, we''d have to seek revenge, and Envy can''t withstand any more troubletely."


    Envy grew so rapidly precisely because of its extreme protectiveness. Anyone who joined Envy, no matter where they died or ran into trouble, Envy would go and demand ountability, insisting on an exnation.


    It was because of this that Envy expanded quickly, attracting countless desperate folks willing to settle down with Envy, and it also helped Envy to win over many hearts.


    But the problem is, seeking revenge is a very draining process for an organization.


    Once in a while is okay.


    But too frequently, who can endure such a drain?


    While the reputation was built up, Envy''s foundation became thinner and thinner. Sometimes, she wondered why those people were so foolish. If you kill an Envy member, why not just hide it well?


    If no one knows, could they still seek revenge?


    They have to make it known to everyone that you killed someone from Envy, leaving them no choice but to seek revenge. Skip it once, and the loyalty of the people below dissipates. After all, isn''t the reason they join Envy for some security?


    Just like now.


    The third leader of Envy died quietly in Fengtian City, and no one knew¡ªhow perfect, everything was just right.


    The man sitting at the edge of the balcony sneered, his eyes filled with disdain as he leaned on the bay window: "That idiot Old Three should''ve died a long time ago; he''s caused nothing but trouble for Envy over the years."


    "If he really had a grudge against Doctor Gou, he should''ve just killed him directly, instead of beating around the bush and ending up getting himself killed."


    "Served him right."


    "And he even had to get that damn plum blossom tattoo on himself, as if he was afraid others wouldn''t know he was with Envy."


    He didn''t have a plum blossom tattoo on him, neither did the boss. Such things were just to inspire unity among the underlings; they nned to withdraw someday and try to be good people, not wanting to leave too obvious a stain on themselves.


    "Enough about that,"


    The woman shook her head, casually picked up the body lotion beside her, stood up straight, and began to earnestly apply it to her legs as she spoke in a low voice, "Thebat-oriented big event in Fengtian City is about to start soon, and this big event will yield the item we need."


    "Are our people ready?"


    "That item can only belong to us."


    "Rx, boss, everything has been arranged."


    ...


    Dawn broke.


    The 2000-lumen bulb lit up as expected, and Chen Miao, who was dreaming, instantly woke up, expressionless, he sat up in the coffin, closed the coffin lid again, and continued to sleep inside.


    He had thought about unscrewing that damn light bulb.


    But at the time, Hungry Monkey was nearly in tears.


    He said that every morning when the light bulb came on, it gave him the feeling that his mother was calling him to get up. To him, the light bulb was his mother, and if Miao removed that light bulb, it would be like killing his own mother.


    "..."


    At that time, Chen Miao silently remained expressionless for a while, then put the light bulb back in its ce.


    Hungry Monkey had put it that way.


    What else could he do? He couldn''t really kill Hungry Monkey''s mother, could he?


    Generally speaking, orphans whocked maternal love would often fantasize about certain things as motherly warmth. This was understandable in psychology, but to fantasize that a light bulb was one''s mother was indeed unheard of.


    Ten minutester.


    The coffin lid was moved aside again, and Chen Miao, now fully awake, stood up from the coffin, started getting dressed, and washed up.


    After closing the lid of the coffin, it felt a bit stuffy.


    He had never expected that he, someone who struggled to get out of bed, could wake up on time every day. It had to be said, Hungry Monkey''s mother was pretty adept at getting people out of bed, and it was a good thing really, as it kept his daily routine remarkably regr.


    "Sigh."


    With a long sigh, Chen Miao looked up at the sky where the countdown to the big event that was only a few dozen hours away began. He stepped out of the tomb, took a breath of fresh air, and started preparing to tally up the spoils from the previous night.


    Doctor Gou had gone, leaving him feeling a bit hollow inside.


    In this strange world, he didn''t know many people, and Doctor Gou was one of them. His sudden departure made Chen Miao feel as if Fengtian City had be unfamiliar all over again.


    "Huh?"


    But his emotions quickly dissipated, and as he looked at one of the items that Hungry Monkey had collected from the secret realm yesterday, his eyebrows slightly raised and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

 Chapter 37: 36: "Lets go, Im taking you to do something big today.

    ```


    I have to say, the library is truly a wonderful thing. Deciding to sneak into the library on the very first day was definitely the right call.


    With the information obtained from the library, I gained a preliminary understanding of this world, at least notpletely in the dark about what I should do.


    After killing a person with a Supernatural upation, none of the items in their backpack would drop; they would destroy themselves.


    Only items held in their hands or tucked into their pockets would drop.


    The group of Supernaturals that died at my hands in the secret realm had all their so-called protective gear shattered, leaving only nine items intact and usable in the end.


    Eight of these items were exclusive weapons for various upations.


    "Flowing Water Staff," "Star Vein Gauntlets," "Deep Cloud Bow."


    Among them, the Star Vein Gauntlets were the exclusive weapons of first-tier Profession Fighters, which could indeed be used by Hungry Monkey, but the other two were of no use to me; I could only sell them for money, though they wouldn''t fetch much, since they were just beginner equipment.


    The significance of representing neers far outweighed the significance of the weapons themselves.


    Only the remaining item gave me a slight spark of interest.


    It was the one I was holding in my hands.


    A pair of shoes.


    To be precise, a pair of genuine leather Oxford shoes in dark red, which looked quite nice in both appearance and texture. They were the kind where, if you pped on a luxury brand logo, they could sell for an exorbitant price¡ªof course, with a luxury brand logo, even a pile of dog shit could sell at a high price.


    "Prop Name": Dark Red Oxfords.


    "Prop Level": F-grade.


    "Prop Effect": Wearing this prop increases the yer''s Agility by 1 point and never gets dirty, without the need for cleaning.


    "Prop Restriction": None.


    "Prop Introduction": "Remember, step through a pool of blood, a gentleman never stains his shoes."


    With no upation restriction, it meant that I could wear them as well. Without any hesitation, I removed the shoes from my feet and tossed them aside, slipping on the Oxfords.


    I hopped on the spot a couple of times to test the fit.


    Hmm.


    Not bad at all.


    Chen Miao looked down at his shoes with a bit of surprise, having assumed that leather shoes would be ufortable. Yet, he felt no sense of constraint. On the contrary, his movements were unusually smooth, which made him feel lighter, probably due to the added point in his attributes.


    If I were to go back to Blue Star and join a sports event right now, I would definitely be the one to make the girls in my ss scream.


    Just then, as Hungry Monkey, who had just woken up, walked out of the tomb rubbing his bleary eyes, he saw me hopping around the tomb entrance and spoke without thinking, "Miao, those shoes have been worn by someone else, and you just put them on like that?"


    "..."


    With just one sentence, my mood, which had been great, suddenly turned to extreme disgust, like finding a fly in my meal.


    I looked down at my new shoes, and no matter how I looked at them, they felt disgusting.


    Turning around with a poker face to the Hungry Monkey: "Isn''t it the same for you, wearing shoes so worn they''re practically falling apart?"


    "What?"


    Hungry Monkey was confused. "I''ve never worn someone else''s shoes."


    "Right, I almost forgot, they never let you wear them," I retorted without dwelling on the topic. Instead, I threw the "Star Vein Gauntlets" I was holding to Hungry Monkey, rather irritably said, "Let''s go. I''m taking you to do something important today."


    With that said,


    I walked out of the graveyard, leaning on my staff.


    As I passed by the entrance, where the older security guard was stationed, I casually tossed a pack of cigarettes into the security room.


    ```


    The old guard in the security room didn''t even lift his head, just continued to stare at the cube-shaped television, merely gesturing with a wave of his hand as if to indicate he was aware.


    ...


    Hungry Monkey was originally a lv.3borer, with a Strength of 16 points, Agility of 10 points, and Resistance of 6 points.


    He had added all three Free Attribute Points he got from leveling up to Resistance, not increasing his Strength by even a single point. His innate Strength was 15 points, which he had gradually increased to 16 points, so it wasn''t an exaggeration to say he had Innate Divine Strength.


    After Hungry Monkey changed his profession to lv.1 Fighter, those 3 points in Resistance were not deducted. Once the Fighter leveled up again, Hungry Monkey added the rewarded 1 Free Attribute Point to Strength, and the current Strength Attribute had be 17 points.


    This was also one of the Supernatural rules of this world¡ª


    "When a Supernatural Profession yer chooses to change their upation to another Supernatural Profession or a Lifestyle upation, all Free Attribute Points used in the previous upation will be deducted."


    "When a Lifestyle upation yer chooses to change their upation to a Supernatural Profession, all Free Attribute Points used in the previous upation will be retained."


    Unlike Supernatural Profession yers, who gain one Free Attribute Point each time they level up,


    Lifestyle yers only gain one Free Attribute Point during the first three level-ups.


    For the Fighter upation, needless to say, Strength is naturally the most important Attribute.


    Theoretically speaking,


    If you worked as aborer for a few years and "free-loaded" the three Free Attribute Points rewarded by the Lifestyle upation, then changed your profession to Fighter, you''d end up with a stronger foundation than other neers, naturally having three additional Free Attribute Points.


    But that''s only theoretical.


    While this path can be taken, a Fighter upation Inheritance Book costs 50,000 Credit Points, and subsequent promotions, level-ups, body enhancements, and so on all require a considerable expenditure of money, which people from poor families would never choose this path.


    And families with even a slight bit of money, how could they possibly sacrifice three or four years of time just for 3 Free Attribute Points?


    It''s aplete loss.


    Only people like Hungry Monkey could enjoy this kind of hidden discount.


    And right now, he had already reached lv.3 marksman, and he could change his upation after clearing one more secret realm. So far, he hadn''t learned any skills as the primary source of skills for a marksman in the early stages was only through purchasing them or through drops from secret realms.


    Hungry Monkey also had not learned any skills and needed to buy a Skill Book.


    His Skill Book was bad enough, but the ones for Fighters were not cheap at all.


    He also needed to buy some protective gear to prepare for the big event in three days.


    All these required money.


    But... he had no money in his pocket.


    Chen Miao sat on the bus, his face expressionless as he looked at the bnce in his ount: only 170 Star Coins and 1,500 Credit Points.


    Let alone buying things.


    It was hard enough to feed Hungry Monkey, not to mention how much he ate, even though it wasn''t particrly expensive¡ªthe amount was overwhelming.


    "Miao,"


    Just then, Hungry Monkey, sitting next to Chen Miao, rubbed his belly and subconsciously licked the corner of his mouth, "Aren''t you hungry?"


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao let out a soft sigh, and for a moment he wasn''t sure of what to say. When had Hungry Monkey subconsciously decided that he was in charge of meals?


    He guessed it was alright since he upied Hungry Monkey''s bed. It was only right to provide meals.


    But the problem was that he had no money left.


    Doctor Gou had run off, and he had no clue where to get money now. They used to say that "you can run away from the monk, but not from the temple," but the monks hadn''t run away yet¡ªonly the temple had.


    As he pondered this serious issue, he suddenly noticed Hungry Monkey tapping his wristwatch and blurted out nonchntly, "Hey, who''s this?"

 Chapter 38: 37: So brittle and easy to kill, it dies upon touch.

    Sitting by the window on the bus, Chen Miao nced at the watch on Hungry Monkey''s wrist and suddenly remembered he was still unregistered, without even a watch of his own. This was something that needed to be put on the agenda too.


    Feeling even more exhausted, he opened the window, letting the breeze in, and leaned against the seat back, gazing out the window, zoning out.


    Where there''s a hill, there''s a way.


    He wondered if he could find a new way to make money. Earning from secret realms was just too slow. He could only make 200 Star Coins for a perfect run through an F-grade secret realm, hardly enough to be worth his while.


    As for who was calling Hungry Monkey, he didn''t care at all. It was probably a former coworker.


    But soon¡ª


    A crisp female voice came through from the watch.


    "Teacher, I feel a bit under the weather and I would like to take a week off, is that okay?"


    "Oh, that."


    Realization dawned on Hungry Monkey, and he nodded in agreement, "Sure, go ahead."


    "Take care of your health and rest well. You cane back whenever you want."


    "I approve this leave."


    "Okay, thank you, Teacher!"


    The excitement in the girl''s voice was evident, clearly not expecting to get the leave approved so easily.


    The call ended.


    Chen Miao, a bit dazed, turned to Hungry Monkey and blurted out, "Do you have some secret identity as a teacher? You don''t seem like someone who could pass as a teacher."


    "No way, I''ve never been a teacher,"


    Scratching his head, Hungry Monkey replied.


    "Then what was that call about?"


    "I don''t know. Maybe she got it wrong, but since she asked for leave, I just granted it. It''s no big deal, just a trivial matter."


    "..."


    Chen Miao fell silent, his face expressionless for a moment before he turned his head back to the window, saying no more. He knew he should never have had any expectations of Hungry Monkey.


    He began to think about how to make money again.


    His current advantage was that he could produce bullets at an extremely low cost, and these bullets were also seble, but the problem was... the market had vanished.


    Hardly anyone was choosing the Supernatural upation of a gunman anymore.


    Who would buy them?


    All that was left were disadvantages, no advantages.


    Maybe he should just go to secret realms to make some money first, though the earnings were meager, it was better than nothing and at least he could have a temporary ie, avoiding aplete ie gap.


    The rewards of the F-grade secret realm were indeed not that high.


    To aim for higher rewards, he would have to enter higher-level secret realms, but without protective items, he wouldn''t venture into any realms other than the F-grade ones.


    However, his ns for making money were slowly starting to take form.


    If there''s no demand, then create the demand.


    In a market as big as Fengtian City, even if just ten thousand people gave him 100 credit points each, it would be enough for his swift rise. And the only thing he needed to consider was how to convince ten thousand people to willingly give him 100 credit points.


    After a while,


    The bus reached its destination, stopping at the end of route 13 in the center of Fengtian City.


    And Chen Miao, who had been silent throughout the journey, suddenly smiled, his look of irritation vanishing from his face.


    He had figured out how to make his first pot of gold.


    Compared to the heart-racing entry into each new secret realm, he preferred to be armed to the teeth, sweeping through secret realms. Instead of making money inside the realms, he liked making money outside of them, and then entering the realms fully armed.


    Although his firepower was not weak, he didn''t have a single protective item.


    They are like brittle sharks.


    Crisp and easy to kill, they die upon a single touch.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    In another part of Fengtian City, a girl with an excited expression turned to her butler and said, "Did you hear that? I got my leave approved, I don''t have to go to sses this week, I''m going to have fun."


    "This..."


    The elderly butler, who was well into his seventies, showed a troubled look and hesitated for a long while before finally sighing, "Very well."


    The youngdy''s teachers were usually very strict, criticizing for even one minute of tardiness, never allowing absences; yet how could they approve a week''s leave for the youngdy?


    But he had indeed heard the phone call, and although he hadn''t expected the typically stern teacher''s voice to sound quite amiable, the leave had indeed been granted, and he had no reason to prevent it.


    "Miss, the major event in Fengtian City will start in three days."


    "This event, all Supernatural upation workers over the age of 18 and below lv.3, are required to participate, and you meet the requirements, Miss. Plus, this is abat-type major event."


    "The mortality rate for eachbat-type major event is never low, I hope you will focus more on this matter in theing days."


    "Alright, alright."


    The girl replied impatiently, "I had already reached lv.8 as a Magician, yet they made me change my ss to a lv.0 archer and then switch back to a Magician and level up to lv.3."


    "All this trouble just to participate in this event?"


    "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to get to lv.8?"


    "..."


    The butler was momentarily at a loss for words, but after a while, he spoke up, "This event is different. Not just you, Miss, many talented youths have repeatedly changed sses and wasted their levels just to participate in this event."


    "Compared to other lv.3 Supernatural upation workers, you have morebat experience, skills with higher proficiency, and smootherbined use of equipment sets with a high proficiency."


    "For people of higher levels, it''s a great loss to degrade themselves through multiple changes of sses just to participate in this event."


    "But it''s just right for you young people."


    "There are many strong young talents who will participate in this event. Miss, you will also have the chance to see the young generation of your peers then."


    "Of course, the master mainly hopes that you can gain some worldly experience and doesn''t expect you to win the final reward; you don''t need to feel too much pressure, Miss."


    A lv.8 Magician, who, by changing sses multiple times, wasted experience and returned to being a lv.3 Magician.


    Although Attribute Points wouldn''t return.


    But the proficiency of past skills returned intact.


    This could result in a lv.3 Magician possessing a skill with level 9 proficiency,pletely overpowering another lv.3 Supernatural Profession yer, almost like cheating in a fight.


    Generally speaking,


    Whenever there''s a major event with high rewards but a level cap, major forces would use this method to send in people and secure the rewards.


    And this also means that the true neers who meet the conditions of the event would basically have no chance at touching the highest prize.


    Social hierarchy would still gradually form.


    Even the opportunities meant for the ordinary people would be forcefully taken away.


    ...


    At this moment, in a noodle shop in Fengtian City, Chen Miao, who was eating zhajiang noodles with his head down, was seriously contemting an issue.


    The major event happening in three days was only for lv.3 and below Supernatural upation workers,pulsory entry.


    And he was only 500 Experience Points away from leveling up to lv.4, did this mean that if he leveled up quickly enough in these few days, he could avoid this major event?


    It was said that many people died inbat-type major events.


    He was somewhat scared.

 Chapter 39: 38: "Ive got a big job here, I dont know if you guys have the guts to do it.

    ```


    He was scared of death.


    If he had a choice, he wouldn''t want to die too soon.


    At least not before Hungry Monkey, otherwise that grave would be a waste. For some reason, he had a grave obsession with it, always wanting to bury someone inside. Perhaps it was because Hungry Monkey spent 80,000 credit points to buy a grave as his house, and the shock of that was too much for him.


    It was now noon.


    They had snuck around the clinic earlier in the morning and found it sealed off, with seven or eightw enforcement officers inside, apparently searching for some kind of evidence. It was clear that Doctor Gou was now under a warrant, which forced him to abandon his n to stay at Doctor Gou''s clinic.


    It seemed he would have to live in a coffin for the time being.


    As he was thinking about how to make some money and eating his noodles with big gulps, he looked up at Hungry Monkey in front of him.


    Hungry Monkey finished a bowl of noodles in just a few bites, grabbed the peeled garlic on the table, threw it into his mouth, and without seeming to chew, downed the bowl. Satisfied, he wiped the grease from his lips with the back of his hand and then lifted his empty bowl high, bellowing, "Boss, more noodles!"


    On the wall of the noodle shop was a conspicuous note.


    "Free refills until you''re full."


    And this was Hungry Monkey''s seventh bowl.


    Very soon,


    they saw the noodle shop owner approaching with a gloomy face, looking as if he was about to say something.


    But the next second¡ª


    Chen Miao pulled out his shy Thompson submachine gun from his bosom and mmed it on the table, continuing to eat his noodles without looking up.


    Hungry Monkey looked at the owner and chuckled, the meaning behind his grin was self-exnatory.


    "..."


    The owner, who was about to say something, swallowed his words and forced a smile onto his face, "If you gentlemen had said that earlier, look, almost caused a big temple flood at Dragon King Temple, didn''t it?"


    The Gunman Profession, universally acknowledged as the worst Supernatural upation.


    But still not something he could provoke with his Lifestyle upation.


    A few bowls of noodles didn''t cost much; it wasn''t worth offending two Supernaturals over such a small amount of money.


    Chen Miao looked up and smiled at the owner without saying anything, gesturing for him to hurry up and refill their noodles. Just then, they saw a man stride into the shop.


    Sitting at the table near the door, Chen Miao subconsciously looked up.


    That physique.


    That silhouette.


    This...


    "..."


    Chen Miao was momentarily startled. Without hesitating, he grabbed the Thompson submachine gun from the table, aimed it at the man standing at the entrance, and prepared to pull the trigger without a word.


    However, the man in front was even quicker.


    The man suddenly turned pale and dropped to his knees, raising his hands and shouting, "Don''t shoot, I mean no harm!"


    Perhaps the man''s reaction was too quick, or perhaps Chen Miao was a bit too slow, but the trigger wasn''t pulled after all.


    Chen Miao frowned deeply, his gaze fixated behind the man, his mind racing with ns to escape from Fengtian City.


    He recognized this man.


    He was the leader of the police squad fromst night, and he remembered the man''s figure and silhouette quite well. His memory was good; though not to the extent of remembering everything he saw, it was much stronger than the average person''s.


    The sudden appearance ofst night''s police captain in the noodle shop, seemingly headed straight for him, was reason enough to suspect his cover had been blown. His first reaction was to fight his way out, for waiting to be ughtered wasn''t his style.


    Like a sparrow whose wings cannot be broken, his hands could never be cuffed.


    Even if it was just to be taken back for routine questioning.


    Life could only be lost at his own hands, not controlled by someone else and then yed with to death in an unknown manner.


    ```


    ```


    But this man was begging for mercy too quickly, and he hadn''t heard the siren or noticed anyone else outside the restaurant. Most importantly, the other diners hadn''t been quietly evacuated in advance, so he was sure the other guests in the restaurant were not undercover officers.


    All these factorsbined were why he didn''t pull the trigger.


    ...


    "Phew!"


    Seeing that Chen Miao hadn''t actually pulled the trigger, Zhou Yinao, who was kneeling on the ground, took a deep breath of relief. A burst from the gun wouldn''t have killed him anyway, since he was wearing a protective vest, which would buy him some time.


    But once that trigger was pulled, there would be no turning back.


    A supernatural being opening fire in the city center, or assaulting a police officer, would certainly get arrested. In the city center, escaping would be too difficult, and for such a socially egregious act, no one would turn a blind eye.


    An unknown deed can be dealt with in any way.


    A deed witnessed by the citizens must be handled by the rules.


    "Miao!"


    Zhou Yinao, still kneeling on the ground, didn''t stand up right away. Instead, he took a deep breath with his hands raised and said slowly, "No ill intent, I have a serious matter to discuss. Can we talk somewhere else?"


    ...


    After a moment of silence, Chen Miao stood up, dragging Hungry Monkey, who was still waiting for the boss to add noodles, out of the noodle shop, and signaled for Zhou Yinao on the ground to get up and follow them.


    The only ones left were the noodle shop owner hiding under the table, who wanted to speak but in the end chose to remain silent.


    If you guys are so badass, can''t you at least pay for your meal?


    Did your mother make you a supernatural being just so you could leave without paying?


    Soon.


    The three of them arrived at a secluded alley, Chen Miao stood slightly behind Hungry Monkey, ensuring Hungry Monkey could step in first, before frowning at the man in front and said, "Out with it, what''s the matter? We haven''t met before, have we? Why do you act like you know me?"


    "..."


    Zhou Yiming was momentarily at a loss for words. After a pause, he spoke directly, "It was me who led the team to the Sankui Wastndst night. You two ran off with Doctor Gou then."


    "I didn''t chase."


    "You even left a survivor behind; I took care of that for you, as well as the ''Envy'' organization''s third boss."


    "Don''t look at me with that kind of eyes, I didn''te to im credit."


    "I''vee to ask for help."


    "Phew..."


    Zhou Yiming took a deep breath, lit a cigarette from his chest pocket, put it in his mouth with a slight tremble in his voice, "My brother has been in the hospital for a while, and his condition suddenly got worse this morning, he must have surgery as soon as possible."


    "The hospital asked me to prepare 300,000 credit points, to be deposited into the hospital ount before they would start preparing for the surgery."


    "Before the money is in ce, they can only keep him alive on life support, they can''t start the surgery."


    "I urgently need the money."


    "I have toe up with these 300,000 credit points no matter what."


    "Got it."


    Hungry Monkey suddenly nodded as if he had realized something, then burst into a grin, " Miao, he''s threatening us. Just kill him; there are no cameras here."


    "With my hammer alone, I could knock his brains out."


    Zhou Yiming ignored Hungry Monkey and continued speaking directly to Chen Miao with red-rimmed eyes, "I asked for an advance on my sry from my boss, who refused, and I''ve borrowed all I could but still am short by 200,000 credit points. I am truly out of options and in a desperate situation."


    "The families of those who died in the Sankui Wastnd yesterday are all dead too."


    "You guys are the most efficient and decisive group that''s appeared in Fengtian City recently."


    "I can tell you''re people who do big things; you have the capability and you''re ruthless."


    "I have a big job in mind, but I don''t know if you dare to take it. If it''s sessful, I only want 300,000 credit points, the rest is yours."


    ```

 Chapter 40: 39: "The riotous flowers are gradually blinding ones eyes.

    "Going for a big score?"


    Chen Miao frowned and shook his head, "You''re talking like we''re some kind of criminal gang. I''m a good person, you understand? Up to now, I''ve never broken thew; I don''t do illegal things."


    "If you''re in a desperate situation and need to gamble, don''t drag me into it; I''m not at that point yet."


    "I''m aw-abiding citizen, a loyal subject of the Federation."


    And that was indeed the case.


    Since arriving until today, about ten days or so, he really hadn''t done anything illegal. He didn''t get his hands dirty when Doctor Goumitted murder, nor was it illegal to kill in the secret realm.


    At most, he had dined and dashed, but that couldn''t be considered breaking thew.


    After all, in everyday context, "breaking thew" typically refers to criminalw, which doesn''t include dine-and-dash."


    "Huh!"


    Zhou Yiming took another deep breath and with a serious expression, stared at Chen Miao, enunciating each word, "You''re about to face a big trouble. The battle event in Fengtian City will start in 3 days, and you meet the requirements. You''ll be forced to participate."


    "Didn''t I say there was a survivor that day?"


    "Although that survivor has been taken care of by me, when we went to collect the body from this person''s home, we found a timed email on this person''sputer, which was sent to the Envy Organization."


    "The content of the email was simple but clear; if Envy''s third leader died, it would certainly be at Doctor Gou''s hands. Although I don''t know why he set such a timed email, by the time we found it, the email had been sent."


    "Even though theputer was secretly dealt with, without surprise, the Envy Organization has already received the news and is organizing people in preparation for revenge. In fact, it''s already happening; we received information that these past few days, quite a number of people from other forces have entered Fengtian City through various means, which includes people from the Envy Organization."


    "Moreover, they''ve even arranged for some people to lower their level to LV.3, intending to participate in this big event. Obviously, they are nning to assassinate you for revenge during this event."


    "If it weren''t for this, think about it; leveling up is such a difficult task. With such insignificant rewards from an event for newbies, would they go to the great expense of downgrading some people to LV.3?"


    "Clearly, they are targeting you."


    "Do you think you can handle the Envy Organization''s revenge?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao kept a poker face and remained silent without speaking. He probably couldn''t handle it; although he didn''t know much about the Envy Organization, it should be stronger than him¡ªhe was certain of that.


    But these words made him somewhat skeptical.


    To have high-level yers reduce their levels multiple times to LV.3 just to assassinate him in a big event?


    That''s pure nonsense, isn''t it?


    Is it because Fengtian City limits your abilities, or what? You''re seeking revenge but have to do it during the big event? Can''t they just face him head-on?


    No matter how he looked at it, it didn''t seem to be targeting him.


    But then again, maybe these people have just lost their minds. His life experience told him to never take anyone for a fool, but not to assume everyone has intellect either.


    He didn''t talk much but grabbed Hungry Monkey''s arm and nced at the time on his watch, silently contemting that the people he had arranged to meet should be almost here; this was the most important matter for him today.


    After a pause, he still looked up at Zhou Yiming and said, "Let''s hear the details of this job of yours."


    "Alright."


    Zhou Yiming, clearly anxious about his younger brother''s urgent need for money, still forcibly suppressed the irritation in his heart and began to exin as logically as possible, "I''ve received news that a batch of prohibited items is set to enter Fengtian City tonight. The Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau has been informed and is preparing to encircle and suppress them."


    "We can make our move before the Enforcement Bureau acts!"


    "And swallow up that entire batch of goods!"


    Zhou Yiming didn''t wait for Chen Miao to ask questions before he continued, "This batch is all top-grade ''AI Pills'', a category of federally-banned items, with a Prohibition Grade of B!"


    "You all should know what ''AI Pills'' are, right?"


    "Ever since their introduction, they''ve always been very popr. It''s a biotech hallucinogenic product. Take one of these pills and you''ll quickly fall asleep, and in your dreams, your consciousness will be fully awake. You can freely create your own dreamscape, with an almost one hundred percent realistic feeling,sting for 8 hours."


    "You can do anything you want in your dreams."


    "Like bing a general revered by thousands, or practicing over and over for tomorrow''s interview, or even bing the sole leader of the entire federation, experiencing the feeling of overwhelming power, and so on. Whatever you want, you can aplish it in your dreams."


    "You''re the god of your own dreams!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s brows furrowed subconsciously. Perhaps it was a memory from a previous life, but the word "hallucinogenic" made him instinctively think of things like ecstasy and other such substances, causing him to reflexively dislike the idea. He wasn''t too keen on making money from this.


    "Is this stuff highly addictive? Does it ruin people financially once they get a taste?"


    "Not at all, ''AI Pills'' don''t contain any addictiveponents."


    "So, do they cause significant harm to the body?"


    "No harm whatsoever; on the contrary, taking them also has an appetizing diuretic effect. However, because the braincks actual sleep, a person can end up feeling listless, so it''s not really suitable for long-term use."


    "So, it''s expensive then?"


    "Not expensive either. When they were first released, an ''AI Pill'' cost just 98 credits, affordable for basically everyone."


    "..."


    This time, it was Chen Miao''s turn to fall silent. No matter how he looked at it, this thing didn''t seem like it should be ssified as a prohibited substance; it appeared even the harm from betel nuts was greater than this product. No physical harm, no addiction, good effects, and cheap¡ªwasn''t this supposed to be some kind of miracle drug?


    "Then why is it banned?"


    Zhou Yiming sighed somewhat helplessly, "The problem is that theponents of the pill are too cheap, and the price too low. Nearly eighty percent of the people who buy these pills don''t create dreams about being a general."


    "Basically, it''s all about colorful chaos that yearns to dazzle the eyes."


    "A hundred would be too few."


    "A thousand stunning women, one after another walking past, and whatever you want to do with them is just a thought away."


    "Yellow, ck, white, green, purple."


    "Humans rejoice, cats rejoice, sheep rejoice, cows rejoice."


    "And victim, you can even satisfy the extremely rare Pikachu Excitement Syndrome with just 98 credits. Do you know of Pikachu Excitement Syndrome?"

 Chapter 41: 40: "Its not that the club is unaffordable, but AI pills are more cost-effective.

    "A type of experience that only a very few people can have, almost impossible to achieve in reality, but with just 98 credits, you can go wild in your dreams and DIY your own unique experience."


    "It''s not just men, women are also the main purchasers."


    "In reality, everyone has a lot of concerns, moral concerns, safety concerns, health concerns, ethical concerns, future concerns, and so on."


    "But in dreams?"


    "Sorry to say, but over eighty percent of women don''t mind having a dozen Daniel Wu-like men attending to them in their dreams, especially when it only costs a trivial 98 credits."


    "Besides, there are some hidden sufferers with a bull-head fetish, who have the desire in reality but dare not fulfill it because the process is irreversible, but in dreams, isn''t that doing as you please?"


    "Just tie yourself up and watch your wife... "


    "With all sorts of usage scenarios,bined with an extremely low price, and no side effects or addictiveponents, this ''AI'' pill instantly blew up upon release, causing a sensation across the whole Federation!"


    "The first day''s sales broke through 3 billion!"


    "This was despite many offline sales points not being set up, ack of resources for a proper promotional campaign, among other factors. On the second day, sales broke through 10 billion."


    "After that, the sales kept doubling day by day."


    "The olddy selling pancake fruit at the entrance of the residentialplex, the elders in the nursing home staring at the withered tree in the courtyard, the housewives taking care of children at home, the students who didn''t dare to sneak a taste of the forbidden fruit, the working dogs with a nine-to-five job, the financial tycoons who had enjoyed all there was to enjoy, and so on, all were the target user groups for this product."


    "Before this, there was no product like ''AI Pills'' that could cover every demographic, every group. Even a dog, if it were conscious, it would carry its bowl to the streets to beg, just to earn enough 98 credits to treat the little red dog tied next door in its dream."


    "This is a revolutionary product!"


    "It proves that the Federation''s biotech has climbed yet another level with this blockbuster product!"


    "Never mind the rest, I just have one question for you, would you purchase this product?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood in ce, his face slightly shocked; he had never imagined there could be such a product. This... this product sounded like all gain and no harm. Could there be anything wrong with it?


    Any experience you desired could be satisfied in dreams!


    Even if you liked car exhaust pipes, you could create hundreds of cars in your dreams and have them all aim their exhaust pipes at you, free for you to choose.


    The most important part was that it was inexpensive and harmless. How could such a product be illegal?


    He was the first to object!


    This was an opportunity that had to be seized!


    Making money was secondary; he had to personally experience whether this product was truly as miraculous as imed.


    Could you really do anything in dreams, freely control your own dreamscape?


    "Heh heh."


    It was at this moment¡ª


    Hungry Monkey, who had been standing by the side, apparently lost in thought with a vacant expression and about to drool, let out a sillyugh, bringing Chen Miao back to reality. Chen Miao wondered what Hungry Monkey had been thinking about to be so enraptured.


    Feeling rather embarrassed, Chen Miao pped Hungry Monkey on the face and then looked back at Zhou Yiming as if nothing had happened: "Hmm, this product really is amazing, but why is it banned? So far, I can''t see any reason for it to be illegal."


    "Sigh."


    Zhou Yiming let out a long sigh and began to exin, "You are not part of the system, so you might not be aware of many things. A long time ago, prostitution was illegal, but the Federation didn''t crack down too hard on it."


    "There are many reasons for this."


    "For example, it''s an inevitable byproduct of social development and cannot bepletely eradicated."


    "And it does, to some extent, reduce the incidence of rape cases."


    "But the main reason is that cracking down on it ispletely unprofitable. You know, topletely eliminate prostitution, you''d definitely need to construct a special building, right? At least three thousand police officers would be needed in a city just to handle that."


    "You would have to constantly monitor online information, supervise potential users and habitual offenders all day long, conduct random checks, make home visits to warn them, and so on."


    "And catching someone for prostitution, the maximum penalty under federalw is fifteen days detention and a fine of 3000."


    "Calcte the cost. How much money does it take to sustain such a workforce every year? What about social security and sries? Operational costs? Where do you put all these detained people? If you fine someone just 3000, how much money would you lose every year?"


    "This issue itself isn''t something that significantly destabilizes society."


    "But you can''t just ignore it, otherwise there would undoubtedly be a lot of human trafficking of women and children, and then capital would get involved, possibly leading to brand effects where users spend 1000 to experience services worth 200, and all sorts of messy things."


    "Until after the world transcendentalized¡ª"


    "Within the countless Lifestyle upations, ''Miss'' became a Lifestyle upation."


    "It perfectly solved this problem."


    "Citizens over 18 years old, regardless of gender, could freely choose to switch to this upation. Upon transitioning to lv.1, they would naturally possess skills like ''Flying Dragon in the Sky,'' ''Surprised Dragon in the Clouds,'' ''Jiaolong ying in the Water,'' and with each use of a skill, their proficiency would increase by one point. As the Skill Level increased, so would the Skill Effect and experience, which fundamentally eliminated the need for establishments to train them."


    "With each client they took, they would gain experience points, and there was even a special Supernatural upation, ''Night Beauty,'' that had ''Miss'' at lv.10 as a prerequisite for activation."


    "Moreover, the Federationpletely destroyed all clubs with special services. All clubs were incorporated by the Federation, and each ''Miss'' was given an official position, perfectly resolving the issue of it being a short-lived career with no pension and eliminating the risk of human trafficking."


    "With state-run operations, where would you traffick to? If you dared to sell, it wouldn''t be petty crime anymore. Getting caught meant the death penalty."


    "From then on, the industry waspletely whitewashed, not only legalized but also state-operated. Faced with the huge pie of high taxes from this industry, the Federation chose to run it itself, making the pie even bigger and swallowing it all."


    "''Misses'' no longer charged per service but received wages, with regr hours from nine to five, weekends off, and a clear promotional path within the system..."


    Zhou Yiming, having said so much in one breath, felt his mouth dry. He licked the corner of his mouth subconsciously and lit a cigarette, bringing it to his lips, "This industry brings substantial profits to the Federation every year."


    "To put it this way,"


    "The Federation''s total military expenditurest year was less than a third of the profit from this industry."


    "And¡ª"


    Zhou Yiming drew out his words, sighing helplessly, "While the Federation was happily counting the endless Real Gold and Silver flowing into their ounts each year, ''AI Pills'' suddenly emerged. ''Pills, Pills, the world will end sooner orter, better to indulge in our dreams, Pills''¡ªthis brainwashing ad took root in everyone''s mind."


    "That was seven or eight years ago, so it''s normal if you haven''t heard of it."


    "The very moment these pills appeared, they almost instantly destroyed the state-operated clubs, which nearly went out of business on the spot."


    "You should know that although the clubs were legalized after bing state-operated, the entry threshold became much higher, and the prices weren''t low either."


    "Not that people couldn''t afford the clubs, but the AI Pills were more cost-effective."


    "As a result, just three months after these pills arrived, they were listed as contraband."

 Chapter 42: 41: "The ‘play-house’ games I played back in the day were all bigger than you!

    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent, not speaking. He could now understand why this little pill had been listed as a banned substance. It made perfect sense.


    If he were part of the federal management, he would have also listed this thing as prohibited; it would affect how much money one could earn.


    But that wasn''t the most important thing. The most important thing was how much tonight''s shipment was worth.


    Whether it was worth the risk he was about to take.


    Perhaps realizing what Chen Miao was thinking, Zhou Yiming raised his index finger, took a deep breath, and said hoarsely, "100 pills, a full 100 pills. Tonight, there will be 100 AI pills entering the city. As long as we get to the scene before the Enforcement Bureau, all the goods will be ours."


    "There''s no need to worry about how to sell them off."


    "These goods are too easy to move; you don''t even need to look for buyers. Just find a few wealthy-looking people on the street, and they''re all sold. Anyone with a bit of money in their pocket would want to buy them; it''s just that the supply is hard to find."


    "The buyers don''t need to worry about any risk. Under federal criminalw, the buyers are innocent. Only the sellers who get caught are convicted."


    "100 pills?"


    Standing to the side and already restless, Hungry Monkey was taken aback for a moment before he couldn''t help but blurt out, "What the hell have you been rambling about for so long? How much can 100 pills possibly be worth?"


    "Does this count as a big score?"


    "I yed with bigger things than this when I was just kidding around!"


    At 98 credit points per pill, 100 pills would only amount to 9,800 credit points. Even if the price was multiplied several times over, it wouldn''t be enough to buy his burial plot. To call this a big score was a joke. It would be better to just kick out the neighbors next door and resell the emptied burial plots.


    That cemetery had a total of 1,000 grave sites.


    At 80,000 credit points per site, reselling these 1,000 sites once would amount to 80 million credit points. Now that would be a big score.


    "98 credit points was the initial price when it hit the market."


    With a somewhat frenzied blush, Zhou Yiming stared intensely at Chen Miao and said, "Ever since it was listed as a banned substance, the price of a single ''AI Pill'' has now reached 10,000 credit points each."


    "100 pills, that''s 1 million credit points."


    "I only want 300,000 credit points; the remaining 700,000 credit points will be all yours, how about that?"


    "Mmm..."


    Hungry Monkey nodded thoughtfully and did not speak, considering the offer. Indeed, that sounded like a big score. A profit of 700,000 credit points wasn''t bad, enough to buy another eight or nine grave sites.


    He turned his head to look at Miao, waiting for Miao''s response.


    This had to be decided by Miao, as Miao was smarter.


    "..."


    After pondering with his head down for a while, Chen Miao finally looked up at Zhou Yiming: "Let''s go see your brother."


    "You lead the way."


    Zhou Yiming, although a bit confused, nodded, "Alright."


    ...


    40 minutester.


    Chen Miao stood at the entrance of ward 402, looking at the little boy on the hospital bed hooked up to all sorts of machines. After receiving the information handed over by the nurse and confirming that the boy on the bed was indeed Zhou Yiming''s brother and that he urgently needed a sum of money for treatment,


    he motioned to Hungry Monkey, who was by his side, to ce the fruit basket they had bought on the way on the bedside.


    Even though looking at the little boy''s unconscious state, it seemed unlikely he''d be able to eat the fruit basket, but since they were already here, it didn''t seem right toe empty-handed; it would look bad.


    Although appearing somewhat reluctant, Hungry Monkey still picked up the fruit basket he had just purchased and walked into the room. He set the fruit basket beside the bed and muttered, "I haven''t spent money on fruits in years; what a waste. These things are everywhere around my house, and there''s no way to finish them all."


    "And still buying them, just throwing money away."


    "When you get better,e to my house, eat as much as you want, and it won''t cost a dime."


    "If you get better, I''lle to your home and treat you to fruits; if you don''t, I''ll eat fruits at your doorstep."


    Standing at the door of the hospital room, Zhou Yiming didn''t dare to go in. Instead, he looked through the little window at his brother lying on the hospital bed and hoarsely said with a hint of red in his eyes, "I''ve never amounted to much in my life, nor do I have many rtives. My biggest dream in life has been to see my brother get well, to live like a normal person."


    "Many nights, I''ve woken up in terror, afraid to imagine how I would go on if my brother died."


    "The Union better pray that my brother recovers."


    "Otherwise, I will surely destroy the whole of Fengtian City!"


    Zhou Yiming suddenly turned his head to look at Chen Miao, his voice rising uncontrobly, "Why can those rich people afford to spend hundreds of thousands of credit points for a red nickname that''spletely useless, while I can''t even afford tens of thousands in medical fees?"


    "If those people have so much money that they can''t even spend it all, why can''t they give me a little?"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao, still wearing the dark-gold suit that Doctor Gou had given him before leaving, stood out a bit at the door with both hands on his cane, and, without agreeing or disagreeing, touched his nose and didn''t voice his opinion.


    This person seemed a bit paranoid.


    Although it was an eight-patient room, the area around the little boy was somewhat warmer, with a vase full of vibrant carnations at the head of the bed that still looked lively. There was also a Rubik''s cube and a game console nearby¡ªZhou Yiming must oftene to visit.


    Definitely his younger brother.


    He wasn''t concerned with their tragic story; he only cared about whether Zhou Yiming had told him the truth so that he could roughly assess the risks involved in their coboration.


    Tragic stories were all toomon. Change the names of the characters in different stories, and he could talk about them for days and nights on end.


    Too uninteresting.


    He was long past the phase of being easily moved by pity.


    "Discuss the specifics of tonight''s operation. The Enforcement Bureau must have people watching the whole thing by now, right?"


    "How do we get our hands dirty under the Enforcement Bureau''s very nose?"


    "Is there a retreat n?"


    Chen Miao turned his head to look at Zhou Yiming; on the way here, he had searched with the Hungry Monkey wristwatch, and if this operation failed and they got caught, it was going to be at least ten years starting point.


    The risk was substantial.


    That is, assuming you get caught.


    If he could get his hands on those 700,000 credit points, both he and Hungry Monkey could equip themselves from teeth to toes, making thebat event in three days'' time his solo show.


    Chen Miao the Supernatural Profession yer from Fengtian City''s first show time.


    Everyone wants to be a big shot, and he''s no exception.


    He wanted to make a name, to let Fengtian City know there was a Supernatural Profession yer named Chen Miao.


    He had even already picked out the outfit for his debut that day.


    Of course, all this hinged on sessfully pulling off this job first.


    "Huff!"


    After taking a deep breath, Zhou Yiming began to quietly exin, "The Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau..."


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    Chen Miao left the somewhat old hospital with Hungry Monkey and met the people he had arranged to see that morning in the alley outside the hospital.


    He saw over a dozen men in suits and ck clothes standing there, faces showing respectfully as they waited for him.


    The leading man was even more smiling, taking out two cigarettes, and with both hands, he offered them to Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey.


    "Miao, Monkey, have a cigarette."

 Chapter 43: 42: You cant be gentle when facing the dark, you have to hit them hard.

    "Hmm,"


    With an expressionless face, Hungry Monkey pretended to be nonchnt as he took the cigarette, lighting it up withposure. After exhaling a puff of smoke, he finally allowed himself a subtle punch in the air behind him, to vent the excitement in his heart.


    Monkey!


    What a great nickname. Had he really made it to the level of "brother"?


    Hey!


    Not bad at all!


    Chen Miao also casually took the cigarette the man offered him, but instead of lighting it, he held it in his hand and turned to the man before him, speaking softly, "Since you guys are here, have you made up your minds?"


    The man before him was none other than Yuan Buping.


    He was the one who had taken care of their first foreskin business deal, led people to the clinic seeking revenge only to be beaten up one by one by Doctor Gou, and after a fight became friends, even shared a meal with them.


    From a young age, he was determined to right the wrongs in the world and changed his name to Yuan Buping as a mark of his resolve.


    Hungry Monkey had added Doctor Gou as a friend and kept in touch with him. ording to Doctor Gou, he was almost at Broken Pot City. The overnight escape led to many epiphanies, and once he was settled, he was certain he could expand the family clinic''s reputation.


    He also mentioned that if they were short-staffed, they could contact Yuan Buping, who was a decent man with ambitions to rise up.


    This was most important.


    An ambitious man is like a sharp sword, extremely useful when wielded correctly.


    The premise is that you can control it.


    "Hmm,"


    With a hint of feverish excitement, Yuan Buping looked at Chen Miao and eagerly said, "Doctor Gou has already told me, hanging out with Brother Miao can make us Supernatural upationists. Brother Miao, rest assured, our band of brothers has grown up together from childhood, our coordination is absolute, and we''ll be incredibly efficient!"


    "Our upation is ''Ruffian''."


    "Originally, our goal was to level up to a Lv.10 Ruffian, meet the pre-requisite for the special Supernatural upation ''Street Wanderer,'' and then enter the Supernatural upationist field. But since following Brother Miao will make us Supernatural upationists faster, we naturally have no problems."


    "Besides, we don''t really want the ''Street Wanderer'' Supernatural upation. It''s a dead-end job."


    There are many Supernatural upations in this world.


    Popr Supernatural upations like ''Gunslinger'' and ''Fighter'' can be acquired directly through a Job Transfer Book, but generally speaking, these upation Inheritance Books aren''t cheap.


    For special Supernatural upations like ''Street Wanderer'' and ''Night Beauty,'' you don''t need a Job Transfer Book; you just need to meet the pre-requisites which often involve leveling up a Lifestyle upation to a certain level.


    The downside is it takes a long time, and the Supernatural upations you get on the way might not suit you very well. And although the upations are special, their potential is much lowerpared to other popr Supernatural upations. However, the upside is quite clear: it doesn''t cost any money.


    "Hmm,"


    Chen Miao nodded slightly, then after a lengthy pause, he casually said, "You guys have also been out and about for quite some time; can''t afford an upation Inheritance Book?"


    "We could afford one, but I was thinking, either we all be Supernatural Beings together, or we all methodically level up the ''Ruffian'' upation. We can''t let any brother fall behind."


    "Understood."


    Chen Miao didn''t question this point further. Although he felt these people could pool all their resources into one person, then have that person earn money to support the second one, and both could support the third, gradually getting the whole group on their feet.


    But evidently Yuan Buping cared more about brothers advancing and retreating together.


    "The conditions have already been discussed online with you. Work for me for one year; during this year, you''ll all change careers to ''Gunslingers'' and work with me. After a year, I''ll take care of each of your Job Transfers. No matter what Supernatural upation you want, I''ll have the corresponding Job Transfer Books ready, and I''ll give each of you an additional 1000 Star Coins,"


    "During this year, there will be no extra sry, understand?"


    "Do you understand?"


    "Understood!"


    Excitedly straightening up, Yuan Buping yelled, then turned to his brothers dressed in ck suits behind him, waving his hand and saying, "What are you waiting for? Call him Brother Miao!"


    "Brother Miao!"


    "Brother Miao!"


    The group of men in ck, standing in the alley, looked towards Chen Miao and called out in unison.


    "And then there''s Monkey."


    "Monkey!"


    "Yeah."


    Hungry Monkey couldn''t help but feel a surge of dark joy inside, yet he nodded ever so slightly with an ice-cold expression, signaling them to stop. He was now kind of like a second-inmand, wasn''t he? As the boss, he should appear more aloof, with the demeanor of a superior; in the movies, those in charge always kept their emotions under wraps.


    This ce wasn''t exactly the city center, roughly located outside the second ring of Fengtian City.


    Not too remote.


    Themotion had inevitably caused many passersby at the entrance of the alley to look over, but as soon as they saw a group of men in ck suits bowing and bending over to greet a man standing at the alley''s entrance, dressed in a dark gold suit and leaning on a cane, they quickly averted their gaze and hurried away as if they had seen nothing.


    These days, it''s best to avoid watching trouble.


    Still, many citizens couldn''t help but curse inwardly,menting how the Enforcement Bureau of Fengtian City was bing increasingly negligent. The ck Society was so brazen as to gather in broad daylight, and the authorities really didn''t n to intervene?


    Were they just waiting for the New Year to pad their performance figures or what?


    This had be an old tradition of the Fengtian City Enforcement Bureau; they would keep track of criminal gangs towards the year-end but wouldn''t strike, waiting for the moment before the New Year to sweep them all up in one go, and make a big show of their achievements.


    ...


    "Yeah."


    Chen Miao looked at the dozen or so men in front of him, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation, and he smiled without saying a word, leaning on his cane.


    His idea was simple.


    He nned to expand on his advantage, and what was his advantage? The nearly unlimited supply of bullets. With that in mind, he intended to drastically widen this advantage.


    One of the rewards for leveling up the Nothingness Space to level 3 was a "Firearms Assembly Line."


    A single Thomson wasn''t powerful enough.


    But arm a dozen strong men with a Thomson each, and the resulting firepower would be on a whole new level. Fengtian City was too dangerous, and without preparing more, he felt insecure.


    His biggest task for the next three days was to level up the Nothingness Space to level 3. He had been worried about how to achieve this, but the arrival of Zhou Yiming opened up the possibilities. If this deal went smoothly, and everything proceeded perfectly,


    These men would join him in the uing major battle.


    He also nned to buy a heavy-duty box truck. In the future, when they moved out, he would keep the group inside the truck box. When they reached their destination, they would open the side of the box truck, and a dozen Thompson Submachine Guns would extend out in unison before pulling the triggers.


    "Ratatat!"


    My friend, understand this:


    One doesn''t fight darkness with tenderness; you''ve got to rat-a-tat them.


    If one rat-a-tat isn''t enough, then bring a dozen rat-a-tats.


    If a dozen rat-a-tats still aren''t enough, it''s time to bring out the big guns.


    -


    Yuan Buping, standing opposite Chen Miao, was also grinning excitedly, vaguely envisioning their future fame in Fengtian City.


    One yearter, a dozen upation Inheritance Books and tens of thousands of Star Coins¡ªthat was the promise Chen Miao made to them, worth over a million credit points. It was no small sum.


    If they dispersed and worked separately, earning a million credit points in a year wouldn''t be hard.


    But there''s a difference between earning a million and saving a million.


    And they didn''t want to scatter or work demeaning jobs that would crush their spirit. They all wanted to rise up and be someone.


    For them, Chen Miao was their greatest benefactor, especially after Doctor Gou told them about how Miao and Monkey had killed 28 Supernaturals in the "Warfire Secret Realm" at level F. They were even more eager about the future following Miao.


    A boss who is powerful and intelligent is obviously more worthy of trust.


    And during this year, who knows what other opportunities might arise.


    These were prospects they would never encounter if they spent another year living as delinquents. Life needs variables, and variables represent opportunities.

 Chapter 44: 43: "Pfft!

    Next.


    Chen Miao and Yuan Buping''s group went their separate ways. They had a big job to do tonight and temporarily didn''t need those people, so he issued his first task to them.


    It was to dig for "Gunner Profession Inheritance Book" in the trash bins.


    It wasn''t an exaggeration; this thing could indeed be found by rummaging through the trash bins and wasn''t hard toe by.


    "Currently, Nothingness Space is at Level 2, with dimensions of seven meters in length, width, and height."


    "To advance to the next level, it requires 5000 Star Coins + perfect pass through one F-level secret realm."


    "Upon sessful levelling up, the reward will be an exclusive firearm skin ''Taotie'' and production lines for two calibers of ammunition and one firearms production line, with the gift of ''Citywide Fireworks''*1."


    His goal for the past few days was to level this thing up to Level 3.


    He had long since perfectly cleared an F-level secret realm, and all he needed was 5000 Star Coins.


    Money, money, money...


    He was in dire need of money right now!


    ...


    As night fell,


    Chen Miao had already arrived at a corner of the Sankui Wastnd with Hungry Monkey. It was a familiar old spot. They had just left herest night, and tonight they were back again.


    The bodies that had diedst night had been cleaned uppletely, not even a trace of blood could be seen.


    It had to be said,


    in terms of cleaning up a crime scene, the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau was indeed professional.


    Under the night sky, the pale moon hung in the heavens. Although it was nighttime, perhaps because the moon was bright, visibility wasn''t too low; they could even see that apart from themselves, there was no other movement on the entire wastnd.


    ording to the n,


    soon a gang escorting the goods would arrive here to start preparing for the exchange. This was a real gang, not the thugs organized by Yuan Buping. Even the worst gangs'' entry requirement was possessing a Level 2 supernatural upation.


    They were genuinely powerful.


    The moment the gang arrived, they could start taking action, and then Zhou Yiming would engage the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s forces, leaving a 10-minute window. They had to take care of these people and retreat quickly within these 10 minutes.


    The n was simple, the only difficulty was how to deal with these men within 10 minutes.


    Soon¡ª


    Under the cover of night, a somewhat dpidated jeep slowly drove into the Sankui Wastnd,ing to a stop somewhere. Then a few burly men got out of the vehicle, lit cigarettes, and began talking to each other.


    Clearly, they were his targets for tonight.


    "That''s good..."


    After counting them, Chen Miao inwardly sighed in relief. There were only four men, not too difficult to handle.


    The ganging to buy the goods tonight wouldn''t being in. The person in charge had already been taken into custody by the police as an undercover informant. Tonight, these four men were doomed to be caught as a boost to the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s performance record.


    He didn''t take action immediately from his hiding ce, but instead looked down at Hungry Monkey''s wristwatch, and when he saw the time reaching ''01:00'' exactly,


    he took a deep breath.


    Pulling out the "Tao Wood ¡¤ Thompson Submachine Gun" from within his coat, he suddenly stood up from his hiding ce, held his breath, cradled the Thompson Submachine Gun in his arms, stood in the wastnd aiming at the five men by the jeep without a word, and fiercely pulled the trigger!


    ```


    "Da-da-da!!!"


    ```


    The harsh gunshots suddenly erupted in the wastnd!


    Almost instantly,


    a swarm of bullets, like locusts, enveloped those who had just stepped out of the jeep to light a cigarette.


    "Pfft, pfft!"


    These men didn''t even have time to activate their protective clothing. They were shot by countless bullets without any preparation, and the sound of bullets boring into their bodies was like pierced balloons, constantly echoing in the wilderness.


    In the blink of an eye, these men hadn''t even finished their cigarettes before they all fell in pools of blood.


    Chen Miao''s finger didn''t release the trigger but sprayed bullets for another full minute to ensure that the bodies lying in pools of blood couldn''t possibly feign death. Only then did he check the time, and without any hesitation, he and Hungry Monkey swiftly rushed forward.


    ...


    Dead beyond doubt.


    Chen Miao, crouching and running to the jeep in the night of the wastnd, carefully made sure that all the men were dead before cautiously looking inside the jeep. After confirming that there was no one else inside, he let out a slight sigh of relief.


    "Miao, we''ve got to move fast!"


    At this moment, Hungry Monkey spoke with a sense of urgency: "Zhou Yiming said our gunfire was a bit loud, attracting the attention of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau. They''re speeding up and will arrive five minutes earlier than expected."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao didn''t speak, but with one hand, he quickly scanned the jeep''s interior with his Thompson Submachine Gun: "Find the box with the ''AI drug pills.''"


    Just then¡ª


    He suddenly heard noise from the jeep''s trunk.


    Frowning, he carefully hugged the Thompson Submarine Gun to his chest, circled to the back of the jeep, and, with a nce motioning Hungry Monkey to open the trunk from the side, was shocked to find a young man with his mouth taped and tied up, struggling violently in the trunk.


    Seeing Chen Miao and hispanions, the man struggled even more violently, as if he had something urgent to say.


    Next to this young man in the trunk was a silver box, unlocked. Inside, there appeared to be countless ''AI drug pills,'' each wrapped in aluminum foil without fancy packaging.


    Chen Miao immediately grabbed the box and unpacked all the ''AI drug pills'' into his Nothingness Space, kicking all the boxes into the pool of blood.


    After all this was done.


    He finally rxed, nced at the deserted wilderness under the night sky empty of people, and casually pointed the muzzle of the Thompson Submachine Gun at the forehead of the young man in the trunk.


    This man had seen his face, heard Hungry Monkey call him Miao.


    He couldn''t be left alive.


    With this man alive, there was a risk for him.


    "Don''t kill him!"


    Hungry Monkey spoke up from the side, his voice slightly rushed: "Zhou Yiming has new information. An insider reported that these people were carrying exactly 201 ''AI drug pills'' tonight, and they also kidnapped the young son of a prominent figure from the neighboring city, nning to sell him to the gang that was supposed to meet them tonight ording to the n."


    "This young son is an unexpected variable. If it''s just a gang-on-gang incident, the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau won''t dwell on it for too long. But if the son of a prominent figure dies here, the case will be lingering."


    "Zhou Yiming''s meaning is to take the goods and leave without killing this person."


    "..."


    Hearing this, Chen Miao''s frown deepened as he looked at the young man lying in the trunk. He pulled the tape off his mouth with the gun barrel. This unnned issue was a bit irksome for him, meaning his risk increased significantly.

 Chapter 45: 44: "Inviting you over was just a polite gesture, yet you really came!

    ```


    But in reality, just as Zhou Yiming had said, if someone who wasn''t supposed to die ended up dead in this case, it would indeedplicate matters a lot.


    And in that instant when the tape was ripped from the young man''s mouth¡ª


    The young man''s face twisted into a grimace as he sneered and stared straight at Chen Miao, "I''ll remember your face. Miao, right? You just tried to kill me, didn''t you?"


    "Let me tell you something!"


    "I''m from Jingjiu City!"


    "If you fucking dare to touch me, believe it or not, I''ll dig up and scatter your ancestors'' graves?"


    "Hurry up and untie me. If you kneel and apologize sincerely, maybe I can forgive you for even thinking about killing me."


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s lips twitched slightly, and that moment of hesitation in his heart vanished in an instant. He tilted his head and licked his dry lips, which hadn''t touched water in a long time, ced the Thompson submachine gun against the young man''s forehead, and smiled.


    The next second¡ª


    "Ratatat!"


    In the young man''s shocked and fearful gaze, the trigger was pulled.


    A burst of bullets nearly filled the young man''s skull with countless rounds.


    Even Hua Tuo would shake his head, indicating his medical skills might not be quite up to saving him.


    Afterward, Chen Miao didn''t hesitate any further, but stuffed the body into his Nothingness Space. Having someone who shouldn''t have died in this case would indeed be very troublesome, but if the body could not be found, perhaps there would be much less trouble.


    After quickly tidying up the scene a bit,


    he and Hungry Monkey swiftly left the area.


    Without a moment''s hesitation.


    On his way out, he swiftly nced at the tranquil ''AI Pills'' lying in the Nothingness Space, a total of 201, and couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction, as he felt there seemed to be more than a hundred when he had packed them.


    He hadn''t expected there to be 201.


    This haul was enough to greatly elerate his growth period.


    Just not sure why there were 201, that extra one could drive a person with OCD insane.


    201 ''AI Pills'' are about 2 million credit points, which if converted into Star Coins, would be around 100,000 Star Coins.


    Enough to arm him from teeth to toes.


    After that, he casually looked at the stack of newspapers lying quietly in the Nothingness Space, thought of something, and once again cracked a smile.


    Hadn''t he said so?


    He seemed to have quite a good memory.


    ...


    Five minutester.


    A dozen police cars with their sirens turned off surged into the Sankui Wastnd under the night sky, encircling the jeep aze with fierce mes.


    Soon¡ª


    A stern-looking Deputy Director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, dressed in uniform, stepped out confidently from the leading vehicle, stood at the crime scene, and looked towards the burning police car and the several bodies lying in pools of blood.


    Rage burned fiercely in his eyes.


    He had been following this case for a long time, and now someone had hijacked it halfway through a ck-eat-ck operation?


    Did this mean that the merit he had been preparing for so long had vanished just like that? To ensure he got even greater merit, he had even instructed the undercover agent to increase the purchase amount, bumping up the nned 100 ''AI Pills'' to 201.


    1 million to 2 million credit points'' worth of dirty goods was one level of merit.


    2 million to 500 credit points'' worth of dirty goods was another level of merit.


    He would have liked these people to hand over 20 million ''AI Pills'' to give him a huge boost in merits, but the problem was these people didn''t have the capacity; 201 was already their limit.


    ```


    But now everything had fallen through!


    Gone, all gone!


    This only caused the rage inside him to burn brighter and hotter!


    Afterward, the Deputy Director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, with a grim expression, rasped out each word, "Investigate for me, which bastard screwed me over, no matter who it is, I want a thorough investigation!"


    "Fengtian City is such a mess because of these damn Supernatural beings!"


    "Others might be afraid to handle it, but I''m not!"


    "Investigate for me!"


    "Yes, sir."


    The officers of the Enforcement Bureau standing by all nodded and replied. With the Deputy Director''s temper ring up, it was obviously better for them to bepliant, hardworking, and only targeting those who were asking for trouble.


    There were arge number of bullet marks on the scene, and not far away, a copious number of spent casings were found.


    It was preliminarily identified as the work of a Supernatural "Gunslinger".


    ...


    Meanwhile, within the crowd of enforcement officers, Zhou Yiming covertly assessed the crime scene while touching his nose. The goods were probably already taken by Chen Miao and his group, over two hundred "AI Pills". This time, they could make a fortune.


    Only, that big shot''s son had disappeared.


    He must have been taken by Chen Miao.


    At the moment, the Deputy Director was searching for this person''s whereabouts, still constantly confirming intelligence with an insider.


    Various clues should soon pinpoint Chen Miao as the target; after all, his profession was too obvious. Coupled with other traces, it wasn''t a difficult task.


    Zhou Yiming stood in the middle of the crowd, bending down and pretending to examine the scene like a pawn, as if none of this had anything to do with him.


    ...


    At this moment.


    Chen Miao, who had already fled the scene, returned to the "Graveyard" with Hungry Monkey, their hideout.


    "Phew!"


    Exhausted from the journey, Hungry Monkey couldn''t help but gasp with excitement upon finally reaching safety, "I couldn''t have imagined this heist would go so smoothly. It''s like we had nothing to do with it, Zhou Yiming has run through all the procedures on that end."


    "All we needed to do was snatch the loot."


    "I have to say, having someone inside makes thingsfortable."


    "I never knew making money could be this easy."


    Chen Miao, sitting by the entrance of a tomb chamber and wiping his Thompson Submachine Gun, cast a nce at Hungry Monkey and chuckled without speaking. He had already turned off all the effects on his Thompson Submachine Gun; they were a bit too shy. Now it looked dull and not much different from other Thompson Guns.


    Just then¡ª


    "Miao!"


    Suddenly, Yuan Buping appeared out of nowhere, sneaking over with a hushed voice, "We''ve brought the person, didn''t rm anyone at the hospital on the way, but we might have gotten caught on surveince."


    "This couldplicate things."


    Behind Yuan Buping followed a dozen men, clearly the ones from the alley earlier. Four or five men were carrying a stretcher with a young man lying on it, his eyes filled with resentment and hatred as he stared at them, a sock stuffed in his mouth as he struggled violently.


    "Wow."


    Hungry Monkey stared at the boy on the stretcher and mumbled in astonishment, "Weren''t you almost dying? How can you still have so much strength to struggle?"


    He recognized the boy.


    It was Zhou Yiming''s brother; he had just seen him earlier today in the hospital, even bought him a fruit basket. He hadn''t expected they would meet again here today.


    "I was just being polite when I asked you toe over for a visit, but you actually came!"

 Chapter 46: 45: "Wanting so much, not afraid of stuffing yourself to death.

    ```


    He was just being polite when he said, "Come over for fruit when you get better," not expecting the guy to actually show up.


    But Hungry Monkey, though not very bright, was not stupid enough to miss the hint, quickly he turned to Chen Miao: "Miao, could there be something wrong with Zhou Yiming?"


    Even if he was na?ve, the logic here was easy enough to understand.


    The boy before them clearly wasn''t sick, but if the boy wasn''t sick, it meant Zhou Yiming had deceived them.


    Deception...


    That word often means gunfire and death.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao casually took a pile of newspapers out of the Nothingness Space and tossed them onto the ground.


    Among these papers, many headlines were circled in red.


    ''July 2, 2028, Zhou Yiming, a member of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s Criminal Investigation Team Three, encountered a fugitive while off work and immediately went to apprehend. During the arrest, the suspect resisted fiercely, and Zhou Yiming waspelled to kill the fugitive to close the case. The Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau announced a reward for Zhou Yiming...''


    ''June 12, 2029, Deputy Team Leader of Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s Criminal Investigation Team Three, Zhou Yiming, happened upon a fugitive during the weekend...''


    ''January 9, 2030, Chief of Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s Criminal Investigation Team, Zhou Yiming, encountered a fugitive while on his way home from grocery shopping...''


    A good seven or eight front-page news stories.


    All about Zhou Yiming coincidentally encountering fugitives while off duty and, without exception, killing them. The articles did not reveal Zhou Yiming''s specific Supernatural rank, but one could deduce that it must be from the "Fighter" Supernatural upation.


    "See what I mean?"


    Chen Miao, sitting on a small stool at the entrance to the tomb chamber, casually wiped the Thompson Submachine Gun in his hand and spoke indifferently, "Notice any patterns?"


    "The pattern is, our Mr. Zhou Yiming always seems to encounter fugitives who are wanted by the police, and these fugitives always blindly approach an officer in inclothes and end up dead."


    "What''s more coincidental is that these fugitives had usuallymitted a big heist just a few days before being killed. Although they end up dead and the case closed at the hands of Zhou Yiming, the stolen goods mysteriously vanish, with no clue where the fugitive might have hidden them."


    "And then, our Captain Zhou Yiming gets promoted steadily over the years."


    "While his brother has been lying in the hospital year after year."


    As he said this, Chen Miao suddenly looked up at the boy lying on the stretcher and cracked a smile, "You''re a leukemia patient, and having carnations in your hospital room isplete nonsense, isn''t it?"


    "Don''t you know carnations shouldn''t be ced in a leukemia patient''s room?"


    "Could the pollen pose an infection risk?"


    "Hasn''t your doctor told you this?"


    "Really."


    "Or is it because you don''t actually have leukemia at all, and the nurse fabricated your medical records?"


    When he first saw the vibrant carnations at the head of this boy''s hospital bed, he immediately thought that Zhou Yiming must love his little brother a lot, visiting him frequently.


    But when Zhou Yiming told him his brother had leukemia,


    Standing at the entrance to the hospital room, his expression gradually turned peculiar. You ce carnations at the bedside of a leukemia patient?


    Even if you''d like to, would the doctor agree?


    And after seeing the nurse bring in the boy''s medical records, he pretty much guessed what was going on.


    So he went to look up Zhou Yiming, quickly finding articles about him in newspapers from the previous years. After reading those articles, he knew exactly what Zhou Yiming was up to.


    He plotted a big heist.


    Then he let him carry the burden of the crime and be wanted. When he was on the run and in hiding, Zhou Yiming woulde forward to split the loot and offer to help him get away. When he was off guard, Zhou Yiming would knock him out with a punch and then hog all the loot for himself.


    ```


    He could swallow all the bribe money alone and at the same time gain merits for promotion.


    It''s like killing two birds with one stone.


    Pretty good.


    The only downside was that he actually had a good memory. While he was absorbing a wealth of information in the city library after just crossing over, he vaguely remembereding across the name Zhou Yiming. He didn''t have much of an impression, only that he had seen the name before.


    After sensing that something was amiss, he easily found a lot of clues as soon as he started looking.


    ...


    As Chen Miao finished speaking,


    the little boy lying on the stretcher had an expression of anger and fear as he struggled violently, with an intensity that didn''t seem to belong to a sick person at all.


    Meanwhile, Hungry Monkey, sitting nearby, gradually opened his mouth in shock and after a long while, couldn''t help but touch his own head and mutter, "Motherfucker... Is society really this dangerous now?"


    He truly hadn''t anticipated Zhou Yiming would harm them.


    He actually had a fairly good impression of Zhou Yiming.


    He thought Zhou genuinely wanted to take them along to make big money, but now, damn it, it seemed he wanted them to take the fall and even to take their lives, without giving them a share of the money!


    Shit!


    Grandma was right, you need to stick with a smart person, otherwise he would have died who knows how many times over.


    "It''s still all about Miao!"


    Yuan Buping, who stood respectfully to the side, raised a thumb in admiration after listening to Chen Miao''s reasoning: "These trivial tricks are nothing in Miao''s eyes!"


    "The problem is..."


    "Miao, killing a captain of the Enforcement Bureau''s detective team isn''t an easy matter to handle, and we were caught on the surveince cameras when we carried Zhou Yiming''s brother out of the hospital room just now. This might be difficult to clean up afterward, right?"


    "Don''t worry."


    Chen Miao lit a cigarette and put it to his mouth: "I''m already making arrangements. In the end, all the me will fall on the dead Zhou Yiming, and you guys can still be hailed as heroic citizens and even get some reward money."


    "Fancy a smoke?"


    He took out a pack of cigarettes and tossed it to Yuan Buping: "Pass these around to the brothers, they all worked hard today. I''ll take everyone out for dinnerter."


    ...


    Before long,


    Hungry Monkey, who was next to him imagining how effective the ''AI Pill'' would be, was suddenly brought back to reality by a vibration on his wristwatch. He frowned, smiled, and looked up at Chen Miao: "Miao, Zhou Yiming contacted me."


    "He''s asking where we are, saying that the Enforcement Bureau is going to thoroughly investigate this case and wants to split the loot with us, then help us n our escape. We shouldy low for a few years beforeing back."


    "Heh."


    Chen Miao also smiled, putting out his cigarette butt in the dirt beside him before standing up and pping his hands: "Have the brothers hide. Tell him our location, let hime over."


    "Should I really give him this location? What if he brings people with him?"


    "No, how is he supposed to share the loot if he brings people along?"


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed meaningfully as he said, "This kid, he''s gotten the hang of being a detective team captain. He wants the money, the fame, the benefits, and he damn well wants my life too."


    "Wanting so much."


    "He''s not afraid of bursting at the seams."

 Chapter 47: 46: Charge forward and punch him!

    "Okay."


    **Hungry Monkey nodded his head, swiftly stuffing the graveyard coordinates inside the device, and then he waited with a faint look of anticipation.


    To be honest, as clich¨¦ as it might sound, he was more eager to try the "AI pill" himself and see if it was as miraculous as they said than he was about the 2 million credits they would get from selling the goods.


    The effectsts for 8 hours.


    That''s quite long.


    It feels like 1 hour would have been more than enough.


    ...


    It wasn''t long before


    Hungry Monkey signaled Chen Miao with a nce, indicating that Zhou Yiming had sent him a message: he had already arrived outside the graveyard.


    Chen Miao nodded, saying nothing else,


    and stood up with Hungry Monkey, walking to the entrance of the graveyard. There they saw Zhou Yiming standing alone in the night, constantly scanning his surroundings, looking rather sneaky.


    "Things have gottenplicated."


    The moment he saw Chen Miao, Zhou Yiming quickly approached him with an anxious look on his face, speaking in a hurried, lowered voice as he walked, "You shouldn''t have killed him, damn it, I told you that man should not be killed!"


    "You''re screwed, now over there..."


    Zhou Yiming''s voice was so low that one couldn''t help but lean in to listen in the darkness.


    However¡ª


    Chen Miao stood in ce, smiling indifferently at this scene, as if he were amused by the poor acting. The next second, he reached into his bosom and pulled out his Thompson Submachine Gun.


    He leaned back slightly.


    Pointing the gun at Zhou Yiming.


    Without giving Zhou Yiming a chance to speak, as terror filled his eyes, Chen Miao pulled the trigger with a smirk.


    "Tat-tat-tat!!"


    Such close-range firing didn''t require precision, and countless bullets enveloped Zhou Yimingpletely, but Zhou''s reaction was swift. He instantly activated his protective gear.


    Then he roared ferociously.


    His body instantly swelled to nearly twice his size, muscles bulging out of his clothes and even tearing them apart; his fist, covered in mes, cut through the barrage of bullets and smashed down towards Chen Miao!


    There was no turning back!


    The force of that punch was chilling.


    However¡ª


    Just as Zhou Yiming''s fist was about to crash down on Chen Miao''s head, Hungry Monkey, standing behind Chen Miao, held up the body of a little boy, cing himself in front of Miao.


    It was the boy they had under their control.


    "Qi!!"


    The moment he saw his brother, Zhou Yiming''s eyes nearly burst with rage as he bellowed in midair. He had to pull back his punch. Otherwise, it wouldnd directly on his brother, and it was almost certain his brother would die from such a hit.


    But, by halting his punch, he would also suffer bacsh.


    Charging back into that level of firepower was no simple feat now that his protective gear''s energy capacity was over half depleted.


    "Rest in peace!"


    A multitude of thoughts shed through his mind, and in the blink of an eye, Zhou Yiming made his decision. Far from stopping his punch, his eyes reddened, and he roared again even louder.


    The mes on his fist burned fiercer.


    There was only one way to break out of this!


    Charge!


    His punch would not only kill his brother but also Chen Miao.


    If he stopped, both would die; if he continued, at least he could survive. Someone had to live to avenge the other.


    In life-and-death situations, sentimentality is a luxury he can''t afford.


    A gunman caught at close quarters by a martial artist? No one understood better than him what that would mean¡ªjust let him get close, and with one punch he could blow Chen Miao''s head off!


    A must-have divine skill for any martial artist!


    ''Skill Name'': Silent Strike.


    ''Skill Level'': F-grade.


    ''Skill Effect'': Upon activation, your next close-range attack includes a 5-second silence effect, during which the enemy cannot use any items, skills, protective gear, etc.


    ''Skill Introduction'': ''Charge and punch them!''


    This is the most basic skill for a martial artist, but also a divine technique that remains useful even in thete stages of their career. Regardless of the profession, anyone caught by a martial artist at close range wouldn''t fare well.


    Five seconds is more than enough time to pulverize someone into a pulp.


    The way of fighting for a martial artist is also very simple.


    Rush in, throw a punch, then throw another.


    "Boom!"


    Zhou Yiming, with eyes bloodshot, punched through the body of his brother who was blocking his path, and continued charging forward, unstoppable. If he could just reach Chen Miao, he could blow him away with a single punch!


    However, the next second¡ª


    Hungry Monkey, who had already let go of Zhou Yiming''s brother''s body, was standing to the side, a hammer in hand. After spitting a few times into his palm, he looked at Zhou Yiming, who was about to reach him, and grinned.


    Then, with a golf swing that was far from standard¡ª


    "Bang!"


    The 70-pound hammer, swung by Hungry Monkey, struck Zhou Yiming''s body with a massive force, instantly sending him flying!


    The hammer, enhanced by a 17-point Strength Attribute, perfectly demonstrated its violent innate talent.


    Innate Divine Strength.


    There''s no knowing how profound the stomach can be, or how powerful the strength!


    One blow from the hammer almost instantly shattered Zhou Yiming''s already crumbling protective gear, and his internal organs were left inplete disarray.


    He fell and slid five or six meters across the ground.


    The entire fight unfolded in an instant, almost like a sh of lightning. The old man in the nearby security room didn''t even notice what was happening outside; he sat on his small stool, his eyes slightly cloudy as he stared intently at the tiny cube-shaped TV before him.


    Utterly engrossed.


    While Hungry Monkey''s fight was over, Chen Miao''s wasn''t.


    His Thompson Submachine Gun never ceased firing, covering Zhou Yiming whoy on the ground not far away in a hail of bullets.


    He continued firing for about another half a minute.


    Only then did he stop.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao checked the temperature of the gun barrel. There was no sign of any heat, a testament to the special trait of prop firearms; they wouldn''t overheat. Not to mention, it hadn''t jammed at all during the prolonged firing. He then lit a cigarette and ced it in his mouth.


    Stretchingzily, he mumbled with a hint of tiredness, "He should be dead by now."


    ...


    This time, there was no one to cover up for them. They had to do their own dirty work, especially since it happened right on their own doorstep. Without a cleanup, it would undoubtedly be difficult for others to stomach.


    Hungry Monkey directed Yuan Buping and his men to dig up the coffin of the next-door neighbor and crammed the bodies of Zhou Yiming and his brother inside, along with the body of some big-shot''s son from Miao''s Nothingness Space.


    "Um, Monkey,"


    Yuan Buping, leaning on his shovel, hesitated as he looked at the coffin that was nearly overflowing from the pit, "Should we dig another one? It seems a bit forced to fit three bodies in one coffin."


    "It looks a bit like it''s overflowing."


    The original owner''s remains had mostly rotted away, not taking much space, but the other three were more problematic.

 Chapter 48: 47: "It sounds like you are well-connected.

    "Idiot!"


    Hearing Yuan Buping''s voice, Hungry Monkey didn''t even lift his head and impatiently said from not far away where he was tallying the spoils of war, "Don''t you know how to make efficient use of space? Arms and legs, these limbs can bepletely chopped off and stuffed into the gaps."


    "Digging another one, do you know how much a grave costs here?"


    "80,000 credit points!!"


    "A full 80,000 credit points, damn capitalists, they actually dare to sell me a grave at the price of 80,000 credit points, sooner orter I''ll bury that couple of dogs and the owner of this cemetery here!"


    "Digging another one means wasting another one. You don''t run a household so you probably don''t realize how precious money is, right? Be a bit more economical."


    "..."


    After his lips twitched for a moment, Yuan Buping stood at the edge of the pit and looked at the coffin in front of him, which was almost overflowing, and let out a soft sigh. He waved his hand to summon his underlings, "Get a few people with shovels to push it down, and a few more to sit on the coffin lid, I''ll nail it shut."


    "Hurry it up!"


    What he really wanted to say was that it wasn''t Hungry Monkey''s grave anyway, so what waste was there to talk about?


    But since he had just joined the group, it was better not to talk back to the second inmand''s words.


    Lest he suffer petty retaliations in the future.


    If Miao tried to make things difficult for him, he wouldn''t believe it; Miao wasn''t that kind of person, but Hungry Monkey... looked exactly like someone who would gleefully make trouble for others.


    ...


    "Exactly 201."


    After tallying all the spoils of war and confirming there were no discrepancies, Chen Miao finally stood up and looked towards Hungry Monkey and the others, "I''m stepping out for a bit. You guys just wait here for me. I''ll bring food when Ie back."


    "Don''t wander off."


    "Wait until I''ve handled the follow-up tasks."


    "Oh, oh."


    Hungry Monkey nodded and then seemed a bit perplexed, "Don''t you need me toe with you? Miao, isn''t it dangerous for you to be alone?"


    "It won''t be."


    Chen Miao shook his head and continued, "Just stay here, and don''t worry, the ''AI pills'' are saved for you guys. They induce sleep during their effective period, now is not a convenient time to take them. We''ll talk when I get back."


    After saying this,


    Chen Miao didn''t linger and went straight away from the cemetery, ready to head for Fengtian City.


    ...


    After Chen Miao left, Hungry Monkey, still standing there, looked at Yuan Buping and others with a lingering thought, then turned his head, "Looks like we might have to settle down here for a while."


    "How''s that, shall I clear out a few rooms for you guys to move in first?"


    "This..."


    Yuan Buping stood there silently with aplex expression on his face, not quite sure how to respond. Hungry Monkey lived in a tomb chamber, and Miao slept in a coffin. To let them settle down here, living long term in such an environment, it always seemed like it could mess with a person''s sanity.


    Monkey already seemed a bit off.


    ...


    One hourter.


    Getting out of a private car and sessfully arriving in Fengtian City, Chen Miao straightened his clothes, casually ordered a bowl of Zhajiang noodles from a roadside stall, and started eating in the cold wind.


    Late at night, there weren''t any buses for him to take.


    But hitching a ride these days wasn''t a big deal.


    Although he didn''t have a wristwatch to pay credit points, he had Thomson. That thing was more useful than money.


    The weather was getting colder, feeling several degrees lower than when he first crossed over. If things continued like this, winter wouldn''t be far away.


    At that moment¡ª


    A private car stopped by the stall. Seeing this, Chen Miao chuckled, wiped his mouth, and without hesitation, got up and sat in the passenger seat of the private car.


    "Hey, you haven''t paid yet!"


    The stall owner came up anxiously.


    Sitting in the passenger seat, Chen Miao shook his wrist and, with a smile, said to the middle-aged man in the driver seat, "Could you cover for me? I''m unregistered, don''t even have a wristwatch."


    "..."


    The man in the driver''s seat took out a wristwatch from the glovepartment with a dark expression, handed it to Chen Miao, and motioned for him to go settle the bill.


    He couldn''t settle the bill with his own watch, as it would leave a trace.


    It wouldn''t be favorable for him to be known to have met with Chen Miao in the dead of night.


    "Speak."


    After settling the bill, the man stepped on the elerator and entered the main road. The vehicle moved steadily along the nearly deserted street, his voice carrying a veiled authority as he said calmly, "You went to great lengths to ask me to meet you. Whatever you want to say, say it."


    "This car has been modified. There are no listening devices, nor is there a driving recorder."


    "Actually, if you''re thinking of threatening me, it''s futile."


    "The mere fact that I sit as the Deputy Director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau in Fengtian City means I fear no dark forces. There are few gunmen in Fengtian, and it wouldn''t be difficult to investigate and trace it back to you."


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao leaned back in his seat and didn''t speak immediately, just lit a cigarette, took a drag, and rolled down the window to exhale the smoke outside. "There''s no talk of threats. I just so happen to have some dealings with your daughter''s ssmate."


    "So I asked your daughter to set up the meeting with you."


    "I hear you''ve been sitting in the position of Deputy Director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau for quite a while now?"


    "Your achievementscking somewhat?"


    "Do you want to move up further?"


    "Oh?"


    The manughed lightly, his expression unchanged, "You make it sound as though you have great connections."


    "Not exactly, but I can help you eliminate the Director."


    "You don''t seriously believe that if the Director is gone, I''ll be the Director, do you? Ever heard of parachuting in?"


    "What if your achievements were sufficient?"


    "My achievements aren''t enough."


    "Achievements can be ''boosted''." Chen Miao tapped the cigarette ash outside the window and said with a chuckle, "For cases of this level, if I send a few your way, wouldn''t that be enough for you, Director Sir?"


    "You don''t understand."


    The man shook his head calmly, "Currently, inside the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, the Director and I are not from the same faction. If the Director is gone,


    the decisive factor as to whether I can be the Director lies in the struggle between the faction behind me and the faction behind the Director."


    "If my faction wins, I''ll move up; if the opposing faction wins, they''ll parachute someone in."


    "Apart from that, there are various other factors, including seniority, etc. It''s not that simple¡ªit''s veryplicated."


    "I have a way."


    Chen Miao took out four small boxes from his pocket, opened each one, and pushed them toward the man, revealing sixty ''AI pills'' inside. He whispered with a slightugh, "Actually, when ites to connections, I do have some."


    "Getting you into the position of Director isn''t that difficult."


    "What do you think?"


    "..."


    The driver''s eyes twitched slightly at the sight of the sixty ''AI pills'', remaining silent, just driving steadily. In truth, his meeting with Chen Miao wasn''t


    just because someone had sent a message through his daughter with an implied threat.


    It was also because his daughter told him that a ssmate named Yu''er had passed on the message.


    Yu''er...


    Chen Miao apparently had ties to Yu''er, the precious jewel of the Chi Family, one of the three major families of Fengtian City. Their business epassed virtually every industry in Fengtian, not exaggerating to say they were the real emperors of Fengtian.


    In front of such a figure, he was nothing, a mere Deputy Director''s position wouldn''t even catch their eye.


    He couldn''t fathom the extent of Chen Miao''s rtionship with the Chi Family. If the rtionship was intimate, why would Chen Miaoe to him? And if it wasn''t, how could he have the precious jewel of the Chi Family deliver a message for him?


    And most importantly...


    The offer made by this man was simply too tempting to refuse.


    In the end, the man couldn''t resist, his gaze drifting to the open boxes of sixty ''AI pills''. That was six hundred thousand credit points, thergest bribe he had encountered in his career.


    All he had to do was to remove Chen Miao from this case and thereafter, offer Chen Miao and his associates some privileges in their activities.


    Then he could take away those sixty ''AI pills''.


    Further considering the implied threat involving his own daughter, as well as the connection to the Chi family''s precious jewel, thebined pressure and temptation were overwhelming. He simply couldn''t find a good enough reason to refuse.

 Chapter 49: 48: "Just starting out, the environment is a bit tough.

    Chen Miao left.


    He got off the car, content, politely waved goodbye to the deputy director, and faded into the night with his cane, leaving behind the silhouette of an apparently gentlemanly figure.


    Lies are always bound to be exposed one day.


    Paper never wraps up fire for long.


    The thread regarding Yu''er was always at risk of unraveling. Chen Miao had gambled that the deputy director wouldn''t confront the Chi Family in Fengtian City; if the deputy director had truly gone to ask them, then they''d just have to y it by ear.


    With nothing to lose, there wasn''t much at stake.


    The so-called pearl of the Chi Family, Yu''er, was actually the young girl who had mistakenly called Hungry Monkey to ask for leave, thinking he was her teacher. Later, this same young girl had called back about something else, and the information revealed through her words, upon investigation, turned out that she was indeed the precious gem of the Chi Family.


    She was more than just a major figure.


    One could say that if anything happened to her, all of Fengtian City would tremble.


    Any normal person wouldn''t even consider exploiting this young girl; doing so was literally seeking amusement at the cost of one''s life. If the Chi Family were to find out, no number of names on the family tree would be sufficient to satiate their wrath.


    But sadly, they crossed paths with Chen Miao.


    He was born stubborn.


    ...


    Dawn had not yet broken.


    Chen Miao hitched a ride back to the cemetery in the outskirts of Fengtian City, where Hungry Monkey and the others had been waiting at the gate all night. Seeing Chen Miao return safely, they quickly gathered around him.


    "No harm done."


    Chen Miao looked at everyone and smilingly said, "You''ve all worked hard. Hungry Monkey, take these ''AI Pills'' and distribute one to each person. They can sell them or try them out for themselves if they like."


    "Alright!"


    Hungry Monkey, who couldn''t wait any longer, took the box of ''AI Pills'' from Chen Miao, pocketed one for himself, and then waved his hand to signal Yuan Buping and the others toe forward and collect theirs.


    "This..."


    Yuan Buping, eyeing his brothers behind him, hesitated with a slightly troubled expression, "Should we take it? We didn''t really do anything, and these things are too precious, it feels, it feels... And wasn''t it agreed that we wouldn''t receive any other sry this year?"


    He knew the market price of the ''AI Pills''.


    A whole 10,000 credit points.


    Saying it was enough to buy someone''s life was an exaggeration, but if he had to earn that money from his job, it would take at least three months; to save up 10,000 credit points would require at least five months.


    They just came over to collect bodies tonight, and the amount made them nervous.


    If they had been involved in a fierce fight tonight, they would have taken their 10,000 credit points without any qualms. But having done nothing, the money made their hands tremble.


    "Take it."


    Chen Miao said with a smile, patting Yuan Buping on the shoulder, "The brothers haven''t slept all night; it''s been quite tiring. We can''t let them run around for nothing. Hungry Monkey, find them some space in the rooms so everyone can rest here tonight."


    "It''s just the beginning, the environment is a bit harsh."


    "Make do for now."


    "After we earn some real money, I''ll move every one of you into a mansion."


    "Enough with the pushing, I''m going to wash up. You all should sleep early too. When taking the drugs, leave someone on lookout; don''t all fall into a deep sleep."


    After making these arrangements, Chen Miao turned expressionlessly to Hungry Monkey, who was gearing up to dig graves, and asked hoarsely, "What are you doing now?"


    "Ah?"


    Startled, Hungry Monkey stopped digging and turned to Chen Miao, scratching his head, "Aren''t we making some room for them to sleep? I was thinking of digging a few graves for them to stay in; it''s getting cold, they can''t just sleep outside, right?"


    "That..."


    Yuan Buping sheepishly said, "Miao, we actually have rented houses in the city."


    "..."


    Chen Miao silently approached Hungry Monkey, grabbed his arm, and pointed towards a small grove in the graveyard, whispering, "See that? Go dig some holes there, then cover them up with leaves and such, and set up camp there."


    "Newly dug graves, aren''t they full of heavy yin? Can people actually live there?"


    "Just go!"


    After that, he walked straight into his own tomb chamber, nning to wash up. Hepletely ignored Yuan Buping''s earlier statement about having a ce to rent.


    These people would be his thugs for a quite a while toe.


    How could he let them be too far away?


    If they were too far off and something happened, would they even make it over in time?


    Don''t you remember how the boss who got hacked to death by the axe in the "Kung Fu" movie died? Went out without his men and brought a bunch of girls instead, got cornered and hacked to death.


    The graveyard is quite nice.


    This will be his base for quite some time toe.


    Secluded, quiet, with nomoners passing by.


    The most important thing is the open view around it¡ªenough time to make other ns if surrounded. A lot of things in the bustling city with its myriad of prying eyes are hard to handle, but here everything is just fine.


    After a simple wash-up, Chen Miao, cradling the Thompson Submachine Gun in his arms,fortablyy down in the coffin filled with clothes, ready to sleep.


    It was gettingte.


    By dawn, he would convert tonight''s wealth intobat power.


    For the first time in this world, he would pull together his own crew.


    After having been in this world for over ten days, he finally had some modest achievements, giving him a sense of security.


    ...


    "That''ll do."


    Seated on a small mound, Hungry Monkey casually said with a nearly burnt-out cigarette in his mouth: "Most of the holes are ready; it''s toote to prepare anything else now. I borrowed some paper money from the neighbors for you guys,y it on the bottom of the holes, it''s morefortable to sleep on."


    "One hole per person."


    "A total of seventeen spots, don''t fight over them, okay?"


    "You''ll just live here temporarily for the time being. At night,y some leaves and twigs over the top to block the wind and stuff. Any other problems?"


    "..."


    With aplex expression and propped up on his shovel, Yuan Buping stood at the bottom of a hole not quite two meters deep, looking up at Hungry Monkey seated at the edge of the pit. This was the first time he began to doubt whether following Miao was the right choice.


    How should I put it? He had the feeling that he was digging his own grave.


    He was not young anymore and had never imagined he''d be sleeping in a hole in the ground¡ªhis circumcision hadn''t even fully healed yet, could sleeping in these conditions cause an infection?


    Damn it...


    But after taking a deep breath, he still forced a smile: "No problem."


    Apart from being a bit cold at night, it was bearable to sleep.


    It was just that the sleep was somewhat ufortable.


    "Yeah, alright."


    Seeing this, Hungry Monkey nonchntly stood up, patted the dust off his body, looked at the seventeen holes in front of him with a satisfied expression, and nodded, "That also works out well; you guys are lucky, these holes didn''t cost you a penny."


    "I spent a full 80,000 credit points on mine."


    "Damn it!"


    He wasn''t worried that the graveyard boss woulde looking for trouble if he found out they were messing around here¡ªthings were different now, officer, youe looking for trouble now, believe my boss will plug you, huh?

 Chapter 50: 49: "Is this the charm of the AI Pill?

    After making sure Yuan Buping and others were settled in, Hungry Monkey quickly washed up and sneaked into his own tomb chamber. Seeing that Miao had alreadyid down in the coffin and fallen asleep with a faint snoring sound, he finally let out a sigh of relief.


    With a devout expression, he took out an "AI pill" from his pocket, put it into his mouth, and swallowed it down.


    The pill was not even as big as the nail on a pinky finger, about the size of a booger. As soon as it entered his mouth, it slipped down his throat before he could even taste it, leaving a slightly bitter vor, simr to traditional Chinese medicine.


    The effect of the pill kicked in very quickly.


    Hungry Monkey had barelyid down on some old clothes in the tomb chamber when his consciousness began to sink deeply.


    ...


    "Is this the charm of the ''AI pill''?"


    In a dream.


    Hungry Monkey stood in shock in a white expanse, looking down at his own hands. He had a feeling that whatever he wanted to do, the white space could bring it to life!


    "Snowfield, aurora, forest!"


    Under the excitement of the moment, Hungry Monkey blurted out these three words. Since he was a child, he had heard that if you travel far enough to The Northern Border and keep going, you would find the most beautiful ce in the world, the endless snowfield of all four seasons.


    You''d be almost embarrassed to say you''d been there if you didn''t have a bit of snow blindness.


    Sometimes you could see auroras that evenputer effects couldn''t replicate, a truly once-in-a-lifetime beautiful sight.


    With just a thought from Hungry Monkey,


    The entire white space in front of him instantly began to change with his will.


    Lying on the vast snowfield, Hungry Monkey looked up at the aurora in the night sky, his expression bing dazed and his mouth slowly agape. His whole soul seemed to be purified by such a beautiful scene in this world.


    The world is so beautiful.


    He felt so blessed.


    After being overwhelmed for who knows how long, Hungry Monkey slowly got up and stretched his limbs before speaking again, "Bring out that couple of dogs."


    Quickly¡ª


    In front of him, a man and a woman appeared, curled up together. The woman turned out to be the one who sold him the grave, and the man was that arrogant dog of a man from a few days ago in front of him, the so-called lv.7 Magician, Zhang Wu.


    "Please, Hungry Monkey sir, spare us."


    The woman, with snot and tears, crawled over and clung to Hungry Monkey''s legs, repeatedly kowtowing and pleading with a heart-rending voice, her body boneless as if about to climb up him, "I''ll serve you well, please don''t kill me, okay?"


    And the man in the snow kept knocking his head, his voice trembling with sobs, "Hungry Monkey sir, I''ve made a mistake. I truly didn''t know my ce, please spare me."


    "Hmm."


    Seeing this scene before his eyes, Hungry Monkey nodded with satisfaction, then stepped on the woman''s head under his foot, "Beg for mercy? Toote! Today I''ll have my revenge, you both will die here!"


    "But before that, you need to pay for your past stupidity!"


    Hungry Monkey began to unbuckle his belt with a wickedugh.


    ...


    Daylight came.


    Chen Miao slept for a long time, perhaps due to the many travelsst night making him slightly exhausted, so even the 2000-lumen light bulb that lit up early didn''t wake him from his sleep.


    Not until twelve o''clock at noon.


    Chen Miao finally woke up slowly, stood beside Hungry Monkey while brushing his teeth, and looked down at Hungry Monkey with a lewd smile on his mouth. He knew Hungry Monkey must have taken drugsst night.


    "s."


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but sigh; people really have no self-control these days.


    At that moment, Hungry Monkey also gradually woke up from his sleep. As soon as he opened his eyes and saw Miao standing beside him, he instantly woke up and sat up embarrassingly, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, "Miao, you''re awake. So early."


    "It''s not early; it''s already noon."


    Chen Miao took a towel hanging on the wall of the tomb chamber to wipe the water stains from the corner of his mouth, while saying nonchntly, "How was it? Was itfortable?"


    "Very nice!"


    As he said this, Hungry Monkey suddenly got all worked up, with a somewhat excited look on his face, he waved his hands and feet and said, "Let me tell you, Miao, the sensation is totally real. A hundred percent tactile sensitivity, and the most important thing is, some of the things that can''t be done in reality, can be done in dreams?"


    "For instance?"


    "Like in reality you can only go for three holes, right? Last night, on that cheap woman, I made 14 holes."


    "..."


    Chen Miao suddenly stood frozen in ce, with an expressionless face and silent for a long time before he hung the towel back on the wall and walked out, "Skip a few times, think of it as umting positive karma for yourself, you''re getting a bit perverted. Be human, will you."


    "Humans shouldn''t, at least not supposed to."


    "Oh."


    Moving to get up and dress, Hungry Monkey muttered quietly, "Miao, you''re the one umting positive karma. Just don''t end up with too much of it and start stacking positives on your karma."


    "What''s that?"


    "Nothing, I said good morning Miao."


    ...


    Two o''clock in the afternoon.


    Chen Miao, with his cane in one hand, strode into the Seventh District, followed closely by an apparently still not over it Hungry Monkey, with hands in pockets, while Yuan Buping and the others were trailing behind with dark circles under their eyes, obviously not sleeping well.


    Even their ck suits seemed creased and dusty.


    Like you try sleeping in a pit in November?


    The graveyard is already full of yin energy, at night you''d curl up inside a hole, shivering, if it weren''t for knowing they had a leader to follow, they might even think they were being buried alive.


    Still, these guys were only physically worn out; their eyes sparkled with extreme vitality, after all, they had been awarded an "AI pill" yesterday.


    It was at their disposal, worth ten thousand credit points.


    Beforeing to the Seventh District just now, many had sold theirs, with such a big sum of money on hand, their urge to spend was extremely strong.


    Forget about spending a night in a pit if it''s for ten thousand credit points, what''s a few more days?


    ...


    "Haina Supernatural Store."


    Chen Miao stood in front of this store he had been to several times before, looking at the familiar store owner, he smiled and said, "I''m here to buy some stuff, exchange for Star Coins."


    "How are the protective clothes selling? How much stock do you have?"


    He had been coveting this item for a long time, as long as the level is high enough, it could take bullets for him.


    "By the way, bring out the Skill Books for the Fighter and Gunman professions, let me take a look."


    "And give me seven Gunner Profession Inheritance Books."


    Must say.


    The Gunner Profession Inheritance Book was quite hard toe by, Yuan Buping and his gang had only picked up ten all day yesterday, still seven short.


    Toozy to waste more time picking, just buy them straight up.


    He wasn''t short on money now.


    He sent out a total of 78 "AI pills" yesterday, and there are still 123 left, with 100 of them already sold just now, Hungry Monkey''s ount now had a whole 1 million credit points.


    What couldn''t he buy?


    Enough to raise thebat power of all his people collectively to a new level!


    Zhou Yiming may not have said much that was true, but one thing he didn''t lie about, this stuff really sells well.


    "Oh, right, do you sell coffins here?"


    Suddenly thinking of something, Chen Miao looked at the somewhat bewildered store owner and asked again.


    Yuan Buping and the others sleeping in the pit was indeed a bit tough, buying a coffin to use as a bed would make things much morefortable.


    It keeps out the cold and retains warmth.


    And it''s good for a lifetime.

 Chapter 51: 50: "Skill Name": Firepower Coverage.

    "This is..."


    At the entrance to the "Haina Supernatural Store", the slightly chubby shopkeeper looked towards Chen Miao and his group with a mild shock, taking a moment to process the change. It had only been a few days, yet it felt as if they hadpletely traded in old guns for new artillery.


    Hadn''t they just been here a few days ago buying materials to craft upational weapons for a gunman?


    Today they appeared quite wealthy, with a group following behind, looking every bit a part of the well-heeled crowd.


    The shopkeeper subconsciously nced at the "Fengtian City Perfect Dungeon Clear Rankings", finding Chen Miao''s name at the 367th position, having cleared dungeons perfectly twice now. No wonder...


    But even with two consecutive perfect dungeon clears, he shouldn''t have made so much money so quickly, right?


    Without time to ponder further, the shopkeeper hurriedly greeted them with a big smile, "We''ve got everything, everything except coffins, but there''s a coffin shop at the end of this street where you can inquire afterward."


    "Come in, take a look, it''s windy outside."


    The shopkeeper strode into the store andid out several protective garments on a table.


    "We have three grades of protective clothing here, F-grade, E-grade, and D-grade," he announced.


    "The F-grade protective clothing can withstand a maximum energy value of 500 and is priced at 3,000 Federal Credit Points. Generally speaking, it would fall apart after a boxer''s flurry of punches¡ªit''s not very durable, but it''s better than nothing."


    "E-grade can withstand a maximum energy value of 1000 and is priced at 10,000 Federal Credit Points."


    "The D-grade can withstand a maximum energy value of 5000 and is priced at 100,000 Federal Credit Points."


    "It''s worth noting that as long as the protective clothing hasn''t reached its maximum energy value limit, it will slowly recover. But once it exceeds that, it will shatter instantly, bing worthless."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao gave a slight nod, looking at the three types of protective clothing on the table. They weren''t actually clothes, but rather badge-like objects shaped like pentagons that could be attached to any part of the clothing and activated at any time to form a protective light shield against damage in times of crisis.


    Very useful stuff.


    He had encountered it many times recently. Zhou Yiming had charged at him, bullet after bullet, relying on the protective clothing to reach him. Truly wonderful gear.


    The energy coefficient of his Thompson Submachine Gun ranged between 6-15.


    Which means a D-grade protective clothing could roughly withstand about 500 of his bullets. Last night Zhou Yiming almost did just that; it seemed he was wearing a D-grade protective garment, worth 100,000 credit points¡ªquite the affluent man indeed.


    It seems, these days, ying a corrupt cop pays far better than being a good Samaritan.


    "That''s not right."


    At that moment, Hungry Monkey, who stood to the side, furrowed his brow and looked up at the shopkeeper, "Your D-grade protective clothing has an energy threshold five times higher than the E-grade, so why is it ten times more expensive?"


    "Can''t I just buy 10 E-grade protective garments andyer them?"


    "Err..."


    The shopkeeper gave a wry smile, "That''s the market price, the same at any shop. Although it seems like it only withstands five times the energy, in critical moments, it can save your life."


    "You can only wear one piece of protective clothing."


    "Unless you buy 10 pieces and change to a new one just as the previous one is about to break."


    "But... in most cases, there is no chance to switch. Generally speaking, by the time the protective clothing breaks, the person probably won''t live much longer anyway. Protective clothing isn''t the main line of defense; it''s thest line of defense for your life."


    After pondering for a brief moment, Chen Miao spoke up, "Give me two D-grade protective garments, one E-grade, and sixteen F-grade."


    "Alright."


    The shopkeeper''s face lit up with excitement as he picked up a calctor to tally the bill¡ªit was no small deal, a rather significant sale.


    "All together that''s 258,000 credit points."


    "And throw in seven Gunner Profession Inheritance Books."


    ```


    "This one''s on the house," said the owner generously with a wave of his hand,ughing. The item itself was worth next to nothing, 10 credit points a piece. The only reason his warehouse stocked these was for the off chance someone would sell back so he could add a contact method andter sell a series of Gunner-specific props and materials.


    Considering Fengtian City''s city-state effect.


    Big events and secret realm outputs that produced Gunman Profession materials and props had their drop rates tripled, resulting in Fengtian City simply having too many Gunner Profession Inheritance Books. It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say you could find them in the garbage.


    "Do you have skill books for Fighters and Gunners?"


    "Yes!"


    The owner nodded vigorously with a big smile, pulling arge box from under the table and cing it on top: "Here they are, all inside. These are allmon skills, though. The rare skills still have toe from the secret realms and major events."


    "The skill books we get are basically allmon skills. The rare ones don''t fall into my hands."


    "I have skill books from First Turn to Third Turn. You two must be looking for First Turn ones, right?"


    Both the Gunner and the Fighter are First Turn professions.


    "This one."


    The owner rummaged for a while and pulled out three skill books, cing them on the table: "These are three First Turn Fighter skill books. Fighters can only learn these three skills, more skills can be learned after a job transfer."


    "They are¡ª"


    "F-level skill ''Silent Strike'', F-level skill ''Skull Split'', F-level skill ''Hell Suplex''."


    "Fifty thousand per book, one hundred and fifty thousand for three."


    "First Turn Gunners can also only learn these three skills. I have them all here."


    "F-level skill ''Rapid Reload'', F-level skill ''Eagle Eye'', F-level skill ''Firepower Coverage''."


    "One thousand per book, three thousand for three."


    "How many do you want?"


    The owner looked at Chen Miao expectantly, already nning to celebrate with a nice dinner that night. This deal was bound to make him at least 50k.


    "..."


    A twitch formed at the corner of Chen Miao''s mouth but he said nothing. The three Gunner skills together were only 3000 credit points, yet a single Fighter''s was fifty thousand?


    Isn''t the disparity a bit too much?


    Even Hungry Monkey felt embarrassed and said quietly, "Maybe we should just forget it. I don''t really need the skills, I think swinging the hammer is enough."


    It was just too expensive; he felt a bit ashamed to take them.


    Chen Miao didn''t say anything but started to read through the skill panels of these skills one by one.


    The first two skills for the Gunner profession were average, one reduced reload time, and the other increased visibility. It was thest F-level skill ''Firepower Coverage'' that gradually made his expression be strange.


    -


    ''Skill Name'': Firepower Coverage.


    ''Skill Level'': F.


    ''Skill Effect'': Activate the skill to empty all the bullets in your firearm''s magazine within one second, instantly creating a waterfall of bullets that envelopes the enemy.


    ''Skill Restriction'': None.


    ''Skill Introduction'': ''Feel the charm of Firepower Coverage, kid!''


    ```

 Chapter 52: 51: "Im asking you how long the warranty period is, can you understand that?

    A skill that seems quite decent.


    It''s the only offensive ability among the three skills of a first turn gunman, with the other two being support skills.


    But for him...


    It''s not just ''quite decent'' anymore.


    Others'' Thomson magazines carry at most 50 bullets, and even if emptied, it''s just 50 bullets pouring out in an instant, creating a brief barrage. If the enemy dodges it, the time it takes to reload can easily leave you vulnerable to an attack.


    But his Thomson is different.


    His Thomson is the unique "Tao Wood" edition.


    The magazine can hold at least 20k bullets.


    When 20k bullets pour out in one second, he can''t imagine anyone who could withstand such an attack, and with Zhou Yiming doing it again, there''s no need for Hungry Monkey to take action, the opponent would be obliterated on the spot.


    And that''s not even the main thing...


    The most important thing is¡ª


    His magazine also damn well has a production line inside, and as long as he has enough Star Coins, he can produce bullets indefinitely, and the price is ridiculously cheap!


    Only 20 Star Coins for 10k bullets!


    This skill doesn''t even have a cooldown limit!


    That means, as long as he wants, he can maintain the super-high firing rate of 20k bullets per second for a minute or even longer!


    This can no longer be called a significant increase inbat power.


    It''s more like hisbat power has multiplied exponentially.


    "Tsk."


    Looking at the skill panel in front of him, Chen Miao couldn''t help but smile with the corners of his mouth turning up. At this moment, he was eager to get home and test whether the skill could be used normally. He didn''t care anymore about a martial artist''s skill book costing fifty thousand credit points.


    With a grand wave of his hand.


    "I''ll take all these six skill books, and give me another 17 copies of each of the three F-grade skills for the Gunman Profession."


    "Right away!"


    The shopkeeper''s mouth was nearly tearing to his ears, his plump fingers tapping briskly on the calctor: "All these skill books total up to 204k, plus the protective clothing earlier it''s 462k, need anything else?"


    "Miao..."


    Hungry Monkey stood there with a moved face, eyes brimming with tears, looking at Chen Miao. Out of the total of 460k, he spent 250k on him alone, more than anyone elsebined.


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao looked somewhat speechlessly at Hungry Monkey''s contrived expression then turned to the shopkeeper: "That''ll be all, and exchange another 500k credit points into Star Coins for me."


    "Sure thing, 500k credit points can be exchanged for 25,000 Star Coins, ha."


    "That''s a total of 962k credit points, let''s round it down..."


    The shopkeeper grimaced slightly, his heart aching as he said: "Let''s settle for 900k credit points,e back again, eh?"


    If this young man could make such a big move within a few days, he either had infinite potential, or he had strong backing. No matter the case, if he could make a favorable impression now, he would certainly earn more from himter.


    If he went to any other shop...


    That would be a real loss.


    By rounding down this 60k, he would only make about 40k profit from this deal, although he could have earned 100k.


    This line of business actually only has a 10% profit margin and doesn''t have too much profit to begin with, it''s not like he makes seven to eight hundred thousand on a million in revenue.


    ...


    After bidding farewell to the shopkeeper, Chen Miao left the store directly.


    He had quite a few treasures in his pockets now.


    Just waiting to get back to hisir to quickly test out the new skill he just purchased.


    Having just sold 100 "AI Pills" for one million credit points, he was down to just 100k credit points in an instant.


    There are still 23 "AI Pills" left in his backpack.


    And with the Star Coins already in the ount, there are 25,170 Star Coins remaining.


    Star Coins are in his ount, and as long as yers have the Supernatural upation panel, they can freely transfer Star Coins between them, but credit points must be managed with a Federal Wristwatch, used for receiving and making payments.


    With these more than 20,000 Star Coins, he had already nned how to spend them, he''d first level up the Nothingness Space to level 3 once he got back.


    Then he''d arm both himself and Yuan Buping and the others.


    They would make the cemetery their first stronghold.


    First, survive, then seek to develop.


    At least if someone came attacking, they couldn''t be without any means of resistance.


    Of course, before going home, he still had one thing left undone, he hadn''t bought the coffins for Yuan Buping and the others yet.


    ...


    "Shopkeeper!"


    Chen Miao and hispanions strode into a coffin shop at the end of ane in the Seventh District, with Hungry Monkey striding in whilst nonchntly shouting with a cigarette in his mouth and hands stuffed in his pockets, "Come out to greet your customers, we''re here to buy a batch of coffins."


    The lighting inside the shop was dim.


    The shopkeeper, who was live streaming a sale under the counter, instinctively looked up upon hearing the voice, "A batch?"


    It''s true one meets all sorts of peculiar things in life, but this was the first time he had seen anyone buying coffins in bulk.


    But good professional ethics meant he knew that the most important thing in this line of work was to be cautious with his words and actions, and he didn''t show any emotion; instead, he quickly got up and greeted them with a beaming smile, "Yes, yes, we have a variety of coffin styles in our store."


    "We have pine, oak, and phoebe zhennan; from ordinary timber to the finest wood."


    "It''s just that I don''t know whether the deceased is an elderly person or... What requirements are there regarding size?"


    "Do you need any custom designs engraved?"


    There are generally two types of people who buy coffins.


    The first are elderly people who feel their time is near ande to the coffin shop to prepare their own coffin in advance; these people usually carry an air of death about them.


    The second are young people whoe to buy for their recently deceased elders or rtives in the family, emanating sadness.


    Different people also have different customs.


    Some want cranes engraved on the coffin, symbolizing an ascent to heaven after death.


    Some want "Looking at your mom" engraved on the outside, a peculiar request from contemporary youths who have a notion of causing a stir even after death, stirring things up even if there''s nothing to stir.


    There are those who want dragons, phoenixes, and then there are parent-child coffins, couple''s coffins, and so on.


    But this group of people before him... they didn''t seem like either type.


    "As for the wood, ordinary is fine."


    Hungry Monkey nced at the coffins disyed in the shop, stepped forward to feel the material and casually said, "As for size, the bigger the better. Bigger means more spacious to sleep in, sofort is most important; it needs to befortable to sleep in."


    "Understood."


    This somewhat gaunt shopkeeper took his job seriously as he took out a notebook from his chest pocket and jot down the customer''s requirements. He was in a service industry, after all, and naturally couldn''t ignore the customer''s requirements.


    Asking for afortable coffin wasn''t too unusual of a request.


    Quite a few Filial Sons specifically demanded afortable coffin to ensure their deceased elders could sleep morefortably under the ground, although even if it were trulyfortable, the deceased wouldn''t be able to feel it, but today''s world is particr about these things.


    "Oh right."


    Hungry Monkey tapped on the coffin disyed on the shelf, leaned in to feel it, then got up and turned his head looking at the shopkeeper, "Do you offer warranty? What''s the warranty period?"


    "Ah?"


    The shopkeeper, while jotting down the customer''s needs, suddenly froze with his pen hovering in mid-air, ncing at Hungry Monkey bewildered, unsure of how to respond.


    Warranty? A coffin warranty? For whom? How to repair? Dig it up?


    "What do you mean, ''ah''?"


    Hungry Monkey, showing some impatience, spoke up, "I''m asking you how long the warranty period is, can''t you understand?"

 Chapter 53: 52: "Prop Name": Pitch-Black Coffin.

    ```


    "Don''t bother with him."


    ```


    As the boss hesitated, not knowing how to respond, Chen Miao stepped forward to ease the tension and nced at the array of coffins inside the shop. He pointed to a wooden coffin and asked, "How much for this one?"


    "This one''s made of pine," replied the shopkeeper.


    Seeing that Chen Miao appeared to be the leader, the shopkeeper quickly breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead before adding, "The price for this standard-sized one is 500 credit points."


    "We have inventory in stock for this model, so if you want to buy in bulk, you can take them right now..."


    As he said this, the corner of the shopkeeper''s mouth still twitched involuntarily. What kind of world was this? He was just a distributor, and now he was almost bing a wholesale factory.


    "500 credit points?"


    Chen Miao raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes. This was his first time buying a coffin, and he didn''t expect them to be so cheap; a tightly made coffin for just 500 yuan?


    Would that even cover the material andbor costs?


    Could it be this honest?


    Wasn''t this a much better deal than buying a bed?


    Without any hesitation, Chen Miao gestured for Hungry Monkey to go pay, "Make it 17, a total of 8500. Can you deliver?"


    ```


    "Sure, free delivery within ten kilometers."


    ```


    "Deliver to the outskirts of Fengtian City, ''Eternal Cemetery,'' someone will meet you at the entrance."


    "Understood!"


    ...


    The deal was quickly sealed, and he didn''t linger there too long. These matters were trivial and not worth his considerable effort.


    But as he was about to leave the Seventh District,


    He suddenly saw the owner of Haina Supernatural Store, out of breath, jogging from behind to stop him, and whispered in a lowered voice as if imparting a secret, "Miao, didn''t you just say you needed to buy coffins?"


    "Hmm, what''s up?"


    Chen Miao nced at the coffin shop behind him and said casually, "I''ve already purchased them all, got anything else?"


    "I do!"


    The shopkeeper nodded earnestly, "The moment you guys left, I received a Supernatural Prop in the form of a coffin. Thinking you''d be interested and hadn''t gone too far, I immediately came out to find you."


    "Why don''t you take a look, see if you''re interested in taking it?"


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully and signaled for the shopkeeper to lead the way to take a look. A Supernatural Prop in the form of a coffin? That sounded quite interesting, but since he didn''t have any extra money to buy it, he could only just look.


    After all, the owner still had a Gunman Profession prop, ''Gun Forest Bullet Rain,'' that he was keeping for him, and he hadn''t bought it yet; money was a bit tight.


    Although he did have some money in hand.


    But he couldn''t spend it all, could he? So many people depended on him for their daily needs, especially Hungry Monkey, with his appetite¡ªa few dozen steamed buns wouldn''t be enough for just one meal.


    And to eat so much without fear of constipation.


    ...


    Soon, Chen Miao and his group returned to Haina Supernatural Store, where the shopkeeper mysteriously pulled a huge coffin out of his backpack and ced it on the ground, indicating for Chen Miao to look at the prop panel.


    At first nce, the coffin was slightlyrger than a regr one.


    But not by much, definitely not too cramped if two people were to lie in it side by side.


    All pitch-ck.


    As if it wanted to absorb all the surrounding light.


    -


    "Prop Name": Pitch-ck Coffin.


    "Prop Level": E-rank.


    "Prop Effect": Each time a yer lies in this coffin for a full 20 hours, they gain one Strength Attribute Point, with a maximum of five points. Once the five Strength Attribute Points have been obtained, the coffin bes a mundane item.


    "Prop Restriction": Exclusive to Gunman, Night Beauty, Cleaner, and Driver upations.


    "Prop Description": ''In the darkness of night, one often finds special gifts from the Grim Reaper.''


    -


    "Hmm," Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully as he looked at the panel before him. Up to now, the only way for yers to gain Attribute Points was through leveling up, receiving one Attribute Point per level up, although Attribute Exchange Coupons could also provide Free Attribute Points, but only up to a maximum of five.


    That meant if there were other ways to gain Attribute Points, whether through props or any other means, their value would be incalcble.


    It also meant that when facing foes of the same level, one could possibly crush the opposition directly on the attribute level.


    That''s what people usually refer to as foundational strength.


    The only drawback of this prop was that it was limited to four professions, which significantly decreased its potential price ceiling. Otherwise, those fighters who were not short on money would probably be at each other''s throats for these five free Attribute Points that came out of nowhere.


    Gunman, Night Beauty, and Cleaner all belong to Supernatural upations.


    Night Beauty is a Supernatural upation that yers can choose to change into after leveling up to Lv.10 ''Miss.''


    Cleaner is a Supernatural upation that represents a career path change option after reaching Lv. 10 ''Janitor.''


    Both those upations are special Supernatural upations that one can switch to after leveling a certain Lifestyle upation to a required level. Only the driver is a Lifestyle upation.


    "Your price."


    Chen Miao was concise as he uttered these two words. He wanted this prop. He initially didn''t n to buy it due to financial constraints, but with this upation restriction, the price of the prop had plummeted, and he might afford it.


    Those four upations were ones only selected by people with no money.


    How high could you possibly expect to sell it for?


    "This much!"


    The shopkeeper earnestly extended his index finger, "100,000 credit points. This price is absolutely fair. 20,000 for a Strength Attribute Point¡ªthose fighters whose heads are filled with muscles and who are incredibly rash without thinking would go crazy if they heard this."


    "Absolutely a bargain!"


    Standing to the side, Hungry Monkey looked toward the shopkeeper with a slightly displeased expression, his eyes squinting slightly, but he remained silent, wondering what was happening covertly.


    "Ny thousand."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "I''ve only got 90,000 credit points left in my pocket. If that''s okay, let''s make the deal now."


    Indeed, Hungry Monkey''s ount had just over 90,000 credit points left. It seemed this deal wasn''t big enough, and he was still a bit short on money. He nned to sell the remaining 23 "AI Pills"ter to replenish his funds.


    "This..."


    After a moment of hesitation, the shopkeeper nodded, "Deal."


    ...


    The coffin was a Supernatural Prop, and simply stuffing it into the backpack would suffice, saving the trouble of transportation.


    Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey meanwhile went their separate ways from Yuan Buping and the others, returning to the cemetery first. He asked Yuan Buping and the others to buy some daily necessities and, by the way, sell the remaining 20 "AI Pills" to recoup some money.


    He kept three for his own use.


    It was twilight now, the sun hanging halfway in the sky, looking like it was almost asleep.


    Chen Miao, with Hungry Monkey, had already arrived at the familiar Sankui Wilderness; it was still deserted, and the wrecked jeep from the previous night had long been towed away. Seeing no one around,


    he pulled out his Tao Wood ¡¤ Thompson Submachine Gun from his breast pocket, ready to test out his newly acquired skill.


    E-rank skill "Firepower Coverage"!

 Chapter 54: 53: "I have a plan.

    F-level skill.


    The most basic of skills, and the only offensive skill for the First Turn of the Gunman Profession, could be considered just an ordinary method of attack, providing a short burst of assault for yers of the Gunman Profession in the early stage.


    However, this skill had entirely changed in Chen Miao''s hands.


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, cradled the Thompson Submachine Gun in his arms, leaned back slightly, and slowly pulled the trigger while aiming at the ground in the distance.


    The next second¡ª


    "Rat-a-tat-tat!!!"


    A full 20,000 bullets were sprayed out in just one second, forming a fan-shaped pattern in front of him, almost ravaging the area in a devastating strike. The dazzling light from the bullets burning through the air even made the sky seem to darken.


    The sound of firecrackers was like ten thousand speakers ying simultaneously, causing people''s eardrums to resonate.


    It was only for a second.


    The rat-a-tat sound stopped abruptly!


    White smoke rose to obscure the view of the few present, and the scent of gunpowder prompted Chen Miao to sniff the air involuntarily. He liked this smell of gunpowder, it was intoxicating, and the temperature of the air seemed to have risen a few degrees.


    After a long time.


    The white smoke gradually dispersed.


    Chen Miao and hispanion were astounded by the scene before them.


    The already cracked wastnd became even more riddled with holes as the ground from 30 meters away to the distance was swept by countless bullets, creating a fan-shaped pattern.


    "Firepower Coverage".


    This was real coverage, where within the entire fan-shaped pattern there was hardly any ground untouched. One could imagine that if the barrel was pointed at a person, after a single burst, there wouldn''t even be a body left to find.


    "How about you stand over there, and I test the strength of the protective clothing?"


    Chen Miao held the Thomson and looked over at Hungry Monkey.


    "Don''t..."


    The color drained from Hungry Monkey''s face as his voice involuntarily weakened, his throat unconsciously uttering a shocked whisper, "This... not even a D-grade protective suit could stop it, let alone C-grade!"


    "That''s true."


    Chen Miao nodded in agreement, then stood on the cracked ground with his cane in one hand, gazing at the fan-shaped pattern in the twilight, suddenly breaking into a smile.


    The sky gradually darkened, and the unique night winds of the wastnd started to howl.


    But hisughter grew louder.


    As Chen Miao turned and walked in the direction of the tombstone garden, hisughter faded, but his silhouette became even more pronounced.


    If¡ª


    If heroes couldn''t save the world, maybe he could.


    ...


    Late into the night.


    Yuan Buping and others rented three vans, hauling back all the items they had shopped for that day. In a corner of the tombstone garden, under the light, a group of more than ten people were bustling about excitedly.


    It had to be said.


    Yuan Buping was a genius designer who could adapt to hardship.


    In front of the coffin pit, Yuan Buping suggested that some design against dampness and insects should be considered. Chen Miao thought for a while and asked if bullets would work?


    Yuan Buping just blinked slightly, then immediately nodded and said of course they would, it might just be slightly over-budget.


    Chen Miao didn''t care about the cost, and instantly produced 100,000 11.43mm bullets for the Thompson Submachine Gun, spending only 200 Star Coins.


    So¡ª


    Yuan Buping then filled all these bullets around the two sides of the pit, stuffing the bullet heads into the wall neatly, and after that, he used the hot glue gun they had bought today to reinforce everything once more.


    With that done,


    the damp-proofing and insect-proofing work for these 17 pits was allpleted, with the bottom and sides all wrapped in a denseyer of bullets. It could be said to offer ultimate protection against moisture, the only w being that if one identally hit the back of a bullet with too much force, it could be slightly dangerous.


    Next, they ced the coffins inside.


    Lining them with the mattresses they had bought today, and wrapping the inner sides of the coffins with the cloth they bought too, they had created afortable,rge baby bed.


    Perhaps it was the fact that they were building their own new home that had these burly men working extra hard.


    Moreover, the division ofbor was extremely clear: some built makeshift toilets, others tuned the diesel generators for optimal performance, some started setting up simple stoves, and two more dug a new pit, burying newly bought appliances like refrigerators and heaters inside the pits.


    It really looked like a major wilderness construction site.


    ...


    Standing at the entrance to his own tomb, Chen Miao, who was leaning on a cane with one hand, looked toward the group of rough men busy under the lights in the nearby grove. After a long silence, he finally said in a low voice, "Didn''t I tell them to buy some daily necessities?"


    "Why did theye back with three big trucks?"


    "I only gave them a budget of 30,000 Star Coins, can you really buy that much stuff with 30k?"


    He had let those remaining 20 "AI Pills" be sold by these people, and from the money made, 30k Star Coins were to be used to buy their daily necessities. He wasn''t worried about these people taking the money and running away.


    The beginning of cooperation requires both parties to consciously build trust together.


    These people were also waiting for him to give them an opportunity to prove themselves.


    If he kept guarding against them, without giving them even a slightest chance, the trust between them would never be established. Besides, it was only 20 "AI Pills"; if they ran off, so be it.


    Could the temple run away with the monk?


    "Oh."


    Hearing Miao''s voice outside the tomb, Hungry Monkey, who had been busy inside the tomb preparing Miao''s new coffin and moving Miao''s coffin aside for his own use, wiped the sweat from his forehead, bent over and walked out of the tomb, looked in the direction Miao was looking, and said with a slight pant,


    "These guys also spent the money you rewarded them."


    "I have to say, their execution is strong. I''ve lived here for nearly three years without managing to get electricity or a refrigerator. These guys arrive and in one day, they''ve got the stove and toilet set up."


    "Miao, what do you think these guys used to do before? Wouldn''t they be great in construction?"


    Just then¡ª


    Yuan Buping, wearing a safety helmet and holding a shlight, strode over from not too far away, holding several A4 sheets of paper, and looked excitedly at Miao as he said, "I have a n."


    "This n involves civil and military aspects!"


    "Since we''ve chosen the cemetery as our stronghold, this ce is our base, and our base''s defenses are a bit thin now. Relying on the front gate security guard, who is even more deaf than my grandfather, is obviously not enough. I suggest we set up some mock graves at the entrance of the cemetery."


    "They will look like tombs on the outside, but actually, they will be empty, and we can assign two brothers to take turns standing guard inside them as secret sentries. We punch a hole in the mound of earth, and if enemies invade, we can stick a gun barrel out immediately."


    "Then, the pits that us brothers have can be dug deeper or built with a duplexyer, in other words, a semi-doubleyer, and then connected to each other, creating a densework of underground tunnels. This way, not only can we let the heater reach into every pit to ensure the brothers are warm in the winter, but we can also attack the enemy from multiple directions during an invasion."


    "Plus, we have no way out right now, so if we are surrounded, we can only fight to the death. I suggest building an underground tunnel leading to the outside world, ideally with rails and a minecart, to help us escape quickly."


    "We can also acquire some speakers and install them in every corner of the cemetery, so that when we escape, we can y gunshots and noise through the speakers toy down a confusing array."


    "Besides that, I think..."


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked expressionlessly at Yuan Buping, who was talking nonstop in front of him, falling silent, not quite knowing what to say.


    He really wanted to tell Yuan Buping.


    It was just a grave that Hungry Monkey had bought, not the whole damn cemetery.


    And you have a n, when you were dining with Doctor Goust night, why didn''t you have so many ns?

 Chapter 55: 54: A Classical Gentleman.

    Yuan Buping, who stood in front of Chen Miao and hispany, continued to discuss his n incessantly.


    "When I was young, I worked with my father in the countryside building houses; I have some experience in construction. We don''t even need to hire more people; we just need to buy some steel and other construction materials, which are very cheap and won''t cost much.""


    "Back when we were delinquents, we had contacts on construction sites who would secretly sell us steel material below market prices."


    "With these things, we can fully arm this cemetery."


    "No matter who breaks in, we can ensure they leave their life behind here."


    As he spoke,


    Yuan Buping, who was animated and extremely excited, had always liked digging holes since he was little, making his own pit in the fields of the countryside to hide in, setting up deceptive things at the entrance, and imagining a kingdom beneath the ground as heid nkets on the bottom of the pit.


    But he was just a child back then, without many tools at his disposal, and after one time he dug too deep, causing a copse that almost buried him alive, his father brought him to Fengtian City.


    Later, his father passed away due to illness.


    His childhood fantasy was buried deep within his heart, but this night''s activity reawakened the dream of building an underground kingdom. Now he was brimming with energy, eager to use all his life''s learning to turn this cemetery into a military base hidden beneath the ground!


    "When our power gradually grows in the future, we can even purchase arge amount of explosives to bury deep underground and set up anti-aircraft military facilities, like¡­"


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao rubbed his temples, slightly headache-ridden, fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, "Just handle it yourself; let me know if you are short of anything. Make sure not to make any changes to the overall appearance of the cemetery."


    "No problem, Miao!"


    Yuan Buping responded excitedly, then took a badge from his bosom and handed it to Chen Miao: "Miao, this is the prop you asked me to buy today. I forgot to give it to you when I got back."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao took the prop and waved his hand to indicate Yuan Buping to go back to work.


    This prop was an E-rank item from the Haina Supernatural Store called "Gun Forest Bullet Rain".


    The effect was that each bullet had a 10% chance of automatically firing another shot, which didn''t consume magazine capacity or affect firing rate.


    He didn''t buy it during the day because he was short of money, butter, after purchasing "Pitch-ck Coffin" which used up all the credit points in his Hungry Monkey ount, he decided to sell off the remaining 20 ''AI Pills'', and asked Yuan Buping, who was buying living supplies, to pick up this prop as well.


    20,000 credit points, not that much.


    The badge was shaped.


    Its pattern was a three-dimensional rifle.


    It felt like it was made of copper to the touch, quite nice, and he pinned it inside his coat to his shirt right away.


    The weather was getting colder, and his clothes were a bit thin. The dark gold suit bought for him by Doctor Gou not only didn''t suit his taste but also felt too light.


    He asked Yuan Buping to buy him some new clothes in return.


    A pure ck wool coat on top, with a dark brown suit jacket underneath and a white bespoke shirt on the inside, plus dark brown trousers and dark red Oxford shoes on his feet, everything in a dark color scheme.


    With his naturally kind-faced appearance,


    Chen Miao, standing there leaning on his cane, with just a slight smile, looked like a ssic gentleman.


    Harmless was written all over him.


    Just as Chen Miao was about to return to his tomb room to start upgrading his Nothingness Space, Hungry Monkey, who was standing by his side, suddenly raised an eyebrow and said, "Miao, the deputy director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau sent a message that your personal information is almostpletely registered, and they can send someone to deliver the wristwatch tomorrow. Miao, how would you like to receive it?"


    Upon hearing this,


    Chen Miao stopped in ce, turned to look at Hungry Monkey, and suddenly chuckled.


    Without his own wristwatch, many things were inconvenient, and he had to rely on Hungry Monkey to ry messages as he couldn''t directly contact people via the wristwatch. However, in the Federation, registering an unregistered residence is a troublesome matter.


    ```


    There were too many people in line ahead.


    Even with connections, it would still take about a week.


    He didn''t expect that after just mentioning itst time they met, only a day had passed, and it was almost ready. It seemed those 60 "AI pills" were well spent. With the first cooperation out of the way, everything else would go much more smoothly.


    Even if the first cooperation was just a small matter of household registration.


    "Tell him, have someone deliver it to Sankui Wastnd tomorrow."


    "Let Yuan Buping go pick it up."


    "Understood."


    ...


    "Phew!"


    Sitting in the tomb, Chen Miao lit a cigarette, leisurely exhaled a puff of smoke, and then sat cross-legged on the nket spread on the ground, leaning against his own coffin, looking at the panel of Nothingness Space in front of him.


    ''Current level: 2.''


    ''To advance to the next level, you need 5000 Star Coins + pass an F-grade secret realm perfectly.''


    He had a good 25000 Star Coins in his ount now, more than enough.


    Without further dy,


    Level Up.


    The next second¡ª


    A panel popped up in front of him.


    ''Ding, congrattions on sessfully leveling up your Nothingness Space to level 3.''


    ''Your Nothingness Space is now at level 3, with a size of 10 meters in length, width, and height.''


    ''You have also acquired a firearm-exclusive skin ''Taotie'' and two types of ammunition production lines, as well as one firearm production line, with aplimentary ''Citywide Fireworks''*1.''


    First of all, the space had grown considerably, from originally 7 meters in length, width, and height to 10 meters. With such a colossal space on hand, it meant that he had an extrarge warehouse with him.


    If it weren''t for the risk of exposing Nothingness Space, he wouldn''t have even needed the shop owner to deliver the coffins; he could have just taken them back inside Nothingness Space.


    Such arge space.


    Not to mention guns and bullets, he could even fit a vehicle-mounted rocketuncherfortably into this Nothingness Space.


    The two ammunition production lines weren''t immediately necessary, since he only had two types of firearms and didn''t need any other caliber bullets for now.


    But this firearm production line,


    had him quite excited.


    And as his gaze fell upon this floating cubic object in Nothingness Space that looked like a liquid rubik''s cube, dubbed the ''firearm production line,'' a prompt popped up before his eyes.


    ''Please select a firearm temte.''


    "Tao Wood Thompson Submachine Gun."


    Chen Miao didn''t hesitate at all and firmly said this, as it was currently the most powerful gun he had, much more so than the upational weapon ''Python R6 Revolver'' that came with the gunman.


    Quickly¡ª


    As the sound settled,


    this mercurial liquid cube in front of him began to extend continuously, until it formed a highlyplete production line, quietly ced in the corner of Nothingness Space.

 Chapter 56: 55: "Ding, Random Event Boss Siege...

    "Expend 100 Star Coins to manufacture a HK Thompson Submachine Gun."


    A new panel popped up on the brand-new gun manufacturing line.


    100 Star Coins, which is 4,000 credit points, can be used to buy a HK Thompson Submachine Gun. It''s practically a divine artifact for Gunmen in the early stages¡ªan E-ss weapon with an extremely high cost-performance ratio.


    Normally, Gunman Profession practitioners would use the upational Weapon, a Small Revolver, until their Second Turn.


    If he hadn''t met Doctor Gou and been gifted with that Thompson Submachine Gun by the doctor, he''d probably still be wielding a Small Revolver.


    Such an object.


    Makes the early stages of a Gunman''s life exceedinglyfortable.


    Of course... if you can afford the bullets.


    But for Chen Miao, all of this was not a problem¡ªhis bullets were as plentiful as if they cost nothing. Without much hesitation, he chose to manufacture 17 HK Thompsons.


    The manufacturing was fast.


    Five per minute, basically.


    In a short while, over a dozen fierce and brand-new Thompsons wereid out on the ground, looking like weapons prepared for a minor war.


    With this firepower.


    It would be overkill for a siege, but for robbing a bank, it would be more than enough.


    Only, nobody but fools would rob banks these days; the risk is almost maxed out and the payoff nearly bottomed out. The existence of such acts seems to serve the sole purpose of weeding out the not-so-bright criminals.


    ...


    Inside the cemetery.


    On a clearing beside the grove, Hungry Monkey was shouting at Yuan Buping and the others to form three rows and handing out a heap of Thompson Submachine Guns one by one.


    Yuan Buping, d in an E-ss protective garment, stood at the very front of the line, epted the Thompson that Hungry Monkey handed over with his chest puffed out and a slightly excited look, fiddling with it¡ªit was a Supernatural Prop, the standard that marked his official entrance into the Supernatural upation!


    Although he was currently part of the rather inconspicuous Supernatural upation of Gunman, Miao had promised that after a year, he could help them change to any Supernatural upation they desired.


    The surrounding trees were adorned with quite a few light bulbs. Although not very bright, they still made it possible to see the men''s excitement and the distinct contours of their faces under the shadow in the night.


    Chen Miao, on the other hand, stood behind Hungry Monkey, draped in a woolen coat and leaning on a cane, silently smiling as he watched this group of men.


    An E-ss protective garment sells for 10,000 Star Coins.


    An F-ss protective garment sells for 3,000.


    The price difference was not that big¡ªhe could afford to buy 17 E-ss protective garments.


    Only... a clear hierarchy is more conducive to fostering the initiative and better management of these individuals.


    At the very least, the men under Yuan Buping needed a goal to strive for. To get these men to work for him, a promise of a goal a yearter wasn''t enough; they needed a short-term sweetener like that "AI pill," followed by short-term objectives to strive for.


    He nned to promote someone to be Yuan Buping''s assistant after some time.


    This way, the men¡ªwho originally were on the same level¡ªwould see one of their brothers climbing above them in this limited environment, and this would create a feeling of disequilibrium in their hearts. This strife would make them work harder to show off their capabilities and climb higher.


    And thus he would have at his disposal a team craving achievements and eager forbat, infused with morale. Once their fighting spirit was groomed, they would be a sharp dagger in his hand.


    He shifted his gaze from the men to the massive countdown silhouetted against the night sky and the dark clouds.


    "Time remaining until the next major event ''Coward''s Special'' begins¡ª42 hours."


    When this major event first appeared, he was powerless as a chicken, and now, he had begun to amass a degree of strength. He wasn''t overly concerned about this so-calledbat-type major event but was actually looking forward to it a bit.


    Right at this moment¡ª


    An alert suddenly resounded in the ears of everyone within the jurisdiction of Fengtian City.


    "Ding, a random event ''boss siege'' will appear in 3 seconds at Sankui Wastnd in Fengtian City."


    "Please all yers prepare."


    "The yer who deals the most damage to the boss andnds the final hit will receive a special reward."


    The announcement dropped.


    Yuan Buping and the others, who were excitedly conversing, were suddenly frozen in ce, a flicker of panic shing through their eyes. Damn it, theoretically, this kind of random event should happen about eight or nine times a year, and they had be ustomed to it.


    Regardless of the random event,


    whether it was a boss attacking the city or a beast tide attacking the city.


    It had nothing to do with them; the Fengtian City Government would handle it properly, and it rarely caused much impact on Fengtian City.


    But now was different!


    This damn boss appeared on the Sankui Wastnd, and their "Eternal" cemetery was situated right in the middle of the direct line between Sankui Wastnd and Fengtian City, meaning there was a great chance that the boss would trample through their cemetery before breaking into Fengtian City!


    Yuan Buping didn''t speak, but he hastily looked up at Chen Miao, waiting for Chen Miao to issue a directive to flee.


    Even though they were each armed with a Thompson submachine gun and weren''t short on bullets, this boss was not one of the ordinary bosses found in secret realms, but a city-attacking boss! It was essentially an existence that nearly a thousand official Supernatural upation users had to work together to take down!


    With just a few of them, there was no chance of holding it back.


    Moreover, the boss''s target was very clear: attacking the city. As long as they got out of the way, the boss wouldn''t chase after them.


    The Hungry Monkey, who realized this too, excitedly propped a hammer on his shoulder and started smiling with glee: "Looks like we''ve got ourselves a boss reward for free, awesome! Miao, we need to run fast to make sure no one steals our reward."


    Others might not understand Miao''s strength, but he had witnessed it firsthand today; he didn''t believe there was anything that could withstand a burst from Miao''s weapon.


    "..."


    After his lips twitched slightly, Yuan Buping stiffly reminded, "Uh, Monkey, generally speaking, city-attacking bosses are quite strong, and I''m afraid we might not be able to hold up with just us here."


    "We can hold up."


    "It still might be a bit difficult to hold..."


    "We can hold up."


    "Just..."


    "I said we can hold up, so we can hold up, why the hell are you bbering so much for?" the Hungry Monkey turned, looking at Yuan Buping with an unfriendly expression: "Stop pping your gums and hurry up; tonight you are going to learn what it means to see the sky light up."


    At this moment, Chen Miao had already turned around, leaning on his cane, his pupils shimmering with anticipation as he walked out of the cemetery.


    A boss?


    Will it withstand a burst from his weapon?


    If it can withstand it,


    I wonder how many bursts it can take?


    As he passed the security room, Chen Miao noticed the usually hard-of-hearing security old man deftly gathering his belongings into a bag, not even leaving behind the old-fashioned boxy television, and without giving Chen Miao and the others a nce, he jogged off into the distance without looking back.


    His movements were incredibly agile.


    "Hey."


    The Hungry Monkey who was following behind Chen Miao heading out couldn''t help but feel amused seeing this: "Isn''t this old man hard of hearing? Every time I talk to him, I have to shout for a long time. Howe he heard the announcement so clearly today?"


    This announcement echoed in the dead of night.


    Many citizens were already asleep by this time, and few heard the announcement; even those who did hear didn''t pay much attention, after all, the Fengtian City Government was expected to handle such city assaults well.


    The next day, they could read the detailed events in the newspaper, such as the triumphant victory led by so-and-so.


    ...


    Ten minutester.


    Chen Miao and hispanions appeared on the edge of Sankui Wastnd, their faces slightly stern as they looked towards the city-attacking BOSS who was striding towards them from not far away.


    "Seems... a bit hard to deal with, Miao."


    The Hungry Monkey nced at the boss''s seven or eight-meter-long gigantic mace, then looked down at the small hammer in his own hand, involuntarily swallowing his saliva with a shocked expression, murmuring softly, "Maybe we should head into the city to hide?"

 Chapter 57: 56: Suddenly, the sky lit up.

    It''s no wonder that even the once confident Hungry Monkey suddenly became somewhat hesitant, for the body size of this siege boss had surpassed Hungry Monkey''s understanding.


    Standing as tall as a six or seven-story building, this was a giant creature nearly twenty meters high.


    Its body was covered in bulging muscles, looking exceedingly robust. Add to that the dense and rotting maggots on its skin, it resembled a supersized tetanus-inflicted excavator.


    In its hand, it held a giant mace that was seven or eight meters long, which, in its grasp, appeared no more than a toy.


    With each step the boss took, the already cracked wastnd quaked slightly, stirring clouds of dust into the air, like a demon emerging from hell into the night to im souls.


    Such an existence...


    Would instill a profound sense of fear in anyone who saw it, wouldn''t it?


    The reason they were still able to maintain some semnce of rationality was because the giant creature didn''t move very fast. It seemed as though they could escape if they simply turned around and ran.


    "This..."


    Lying behind the hill, Yuan Buping looked towards the giant creature slowly advancing towards them in the night and at the giant mace, feeling a chill on his scalp, he couldn''t help but mutter softly, "Getting hit by that thing would leave one ck and blue, who could withstand that?"


    Even Chen Miao squinted his eyes slightly, feeling a little unsure inside. The monster was simply toorge, and he wasn''t certain if his Thomson could even inflict any damage on it. Surely, it couldn''t bepletely impervious.


    But since they had alreadye, how could they just walk away?


    Just then¡ª


    The sky suddenly darkened, and clouds that had drifted from afar obscured the moon, covering the skies above Fengtian City. The nightly winds that always arrived on time at the Sankui Wastnd also began to pick up.


    The atmosphere turned especially bleak and cold.


    As if sensing this coldness, Yuan Buping and the others lying behind the hill instinctively held their breath and turned their heads towards Miao, ready to wait for hismand.


    In truth, they wanted to charge forward. After all, they had spent quite a bit of Miao''s money during this period. Not doing something felt like taking money under false pretenses, but... the presence of this giant creature scared away all their courage.


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao exhaled softly, standing up from behind the hill and positioning himself at the top. He lit a cigarette and ced it in his mouth, letting his ck woolen coat flutter up and down with the wind.


    He pulled out his Thomson from his bosom, cradled it in his arms with his body leaning slightly back, aimed the muzzle at the giant creature not far away, paused for a moment, and then slowly pulled the trigger.


    "Tatatatat!!!"


    Along with the fierce, dense, and shrill gunfire, the night sky was torn apart, and gunshots resounded over the wastnd!


    Day broke.


    Twenty thousand bullets emptied in one second, the blinding white light illuminating the entire night sky.


    Yuan Buping, who stood behind Chen Miao, hadn''t even reacted before his eyes were dazzled by the bright light, instinctively closing them. Thest image before his eyes closed was a storm of bullets, like a long dragon, enveloping the creature not far away.


    The magazine emptied quickly, in just one second.


    The sky darkened once again. Even due to the stimtion to the pupils, Yuan Buping and the others felt that it was even darker than before. But what made them even more desperate was that after the attack, a health bar appeared above the head of the giant creature.


    Such a ferocious attack.


    And it had only taken less than one-tenth of the giant creature''s health bar.


    As if provoked, the giant boss roared and swung its mace as it ran towards them. The ground shook even more violently, with dust and gunsmoke mixing in the air, creatingplete chaos.


    Numerous bullets were embedded in the creature''s skin, but they obviously hadn''t inflicted any fatal damage.


    It only served to enrage the monster further.


    "What do we do, Miao? Run!"


    Yuan Buping''s voice trembled with fear. Miao''s strike had already far surpassed hisprehension, yet such a powerful attack only managed to reduce the boss''s health by a tenth. As expected of a siege-level boss.


    It indeed wasn''t something one person could stop.


    Although he wasn''t a supernatural being before, he had always aspired to be one and had specifically learned a lot about them. There was an axiom that was certain to hold true, which was the stronger the ability, the longer the cooldown period.


    This cooldown could be due to physical strain, insufficient materials, skill CD, or wear and tear on items, but what was certain was that they couldn''t be used a second time in quick session.


    However¡ª


    "..."


    Standing on the spot with Thomson in his arms, Chen Miao chuckled at the scene, exhaled a puff of smoke, and raised the muzzle of his gun again, whispering, "The forey is over, darling."


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    The Fengtian City Government had already organized the first batch of personnel and, in a great hurry, had arrived at the Sankui Wastnd. Thirty-four government vehicles, filled with official supernatural beings, red their sirens and rushed at top speed to the vicinity of the coordinates.


    As soon as they got out of their vehicles, they saw their target, which was all too conspicuous.


    A monster, at least seven to eight stories tall, was raising its mace and charging toward a hillock in the night.


    From a distance, they could faintly make out a man standing atop that hillock far away from them, showing no sign of evasion or retreat, and seemingly holding a gun in his arms.


    The distance was too far, and they couldn''t see clearly.


    They could only get a rough idea.


    But that wasn''t important; what mattered was finding the target siege monster.


    Fengtian City had a government agency known as the Events Bureau, and this agency had but one task: to be ready at all times to respond to the random events that urred in Fengtian City, whether at night or during the day.


    For this operation, the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau personally led the team.


    The middle-aged man dressed in abat suit was gripping his radio with a slightly urgent tone, bellowing, "Everyone, stay hidden, we have found the siege boss, a civilian has agitated the siege boss, and it is now in a state of frenzy."


    "This is our perfect opportunity."


    "Group one and two, everyone head behind that hillock and set up the traps. After the boss destroys the hillock, it will continue to advance toward Fengtian City. Group three and four..."


    Orders were issued one after another.


    No one questioned why they weren''t rescuing the civilian. The distance was too great, and even if they were the first targets of a frenzied siege boss, survival was highly unlikely, let alone for a civilian.


    Rescue was simply out of the question.


    In special random events, there were no immortals.


    The Deputy Director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau was also urgently directing the police officers who hade with him, instructing them to prepare the outer perimeter and to prevent any unforeseen incidents. He was responsible for assisting the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau in handling this incident, ying a supportive role as his own people were not directly involved inbat.


    But...


    Just as countless orders were being issued in an orderly fashion, and as everyone prepared to surround the siege boss spawned by the special event,


    The sky suddenly lit up.

 Chapter 58: 57: The Show Ends, Its Always Boring Without an Audience.

    ```


    The dazzling light almost illuminated the entire night sky of Fengtian City.


    The Deputy Directors of the Events Bureau and the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, who were still issuingmands, along with their subordinates, all instinctively turned their heads in unison to look towards the rampaging siege boss roaring in the distance.


    Immediately after.


    They beheld a scene they could scarcely forget for a lifetime.


    The piercing and rapid gunfire, which had been tardy in its arrival, suddenly exploded beside their ears!


    The whole world seemed to be heavily struck, as countless noises and shes of light abruptly appeared.


    A metal storm,posed of innumerable bullets connecting in in sight, instantaneously engulfed the siege boss, while tens of thousands of red dots, like locusts, recklessly scoured the entire wastnd.


    And the source of all this was the man standing on the hilltop, wearing a woolen coat.


    That man, whose face and expression they could not discern.


    The absurd and shocking scene in front of them left everyone present practically frozen in ce, their mouths uniformly gaping open, momentarily unsure of what to do. Even the Deputy Director of the Events Bureau, despite having experienced countless random events and being adept at dealing with any surprise, was also shockingly transfixed.


    Unsure of whatmands to issue.


    Was that¡­ a Gunslinger Transcendent?


    Not allowing them time to be stunned, the metal storm made up of myriad red dots enveloped the siege boss for over a dozen seconds. Then they saw the immense siege monster, now crashing down in the night.


    Immediately after.


    A notification sound echoed in the ears of all citizens within the jurisdiction of Fengtian City.


    "Ding, Fengtian City announcement."


    "Congrattions to Fengtian City for sessfully resolving this random event ''boss siege.'' In this event, the yer who caused the most damage was Chen Miao, causing 100% of the damage, and the yer who delivered the final blow was Chen Miao, causing 100% of the damage."


    "Ding, it has been detected that this is the first time in Fengtian City''s history that a siege boss has been vanquished by a single yer with full health, thus a special reward is given¡ªa ssless item, Decayed Glory."


    ...


    "...Dead... dead?"


    The still stunned Deputy Director of the Events Bureau, looking at the copse of the siege boss not far away, the Fengtian City announcement in his ears, and the suddenly darkened sky again, froze in ce for a moment before speaking in a slightly trembling voice.


    "Everyone stay put, don''t move. We''ll clean up the battlefield in an hour."


    Chen Miao.


    This name was extremely unfamiliar; at least in Fengtian City, he knew of all the noteworthy Gunslinger Transcendents, and it was very likely that this person was not from Fengtian. No matter which city he was from, it was better not to encounter him while being clearly outpowered; he had no courage to withstand such firepower.


    Many solo Transcendents do not have a good impression of the authorities.


    Rashly encountering one could likely result in unnecessary casualties.


    However, after taking a deep breath, he still forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, turned, and said in a low voice to the Deputy Director of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau behind him, "Your Enforcement Bureau is in charge of the household registration of everyone in Fengtian City. After you go down, check the archive to see if there is a Gunslinger Transcendent named Chen Miao in Fengtian City."


    "See if this Chen Miao is one of our Fengtian people."


    "Understood."


    Although both were Deputy Directors and of equal rank, the position of the Events Bureau was higher than that of the Enforcement Bureau. The Deputy Director of the Enforcement Bureau nodded respectfully and replied, but internally, he was already in disbelief.


    Chen Miao? A Transcendent? A Gunslinger?


    Shit!


    There''s no need to check the archive at all; he was the very person who had personally instructed others to enter this man''s data into the archive. It''s still in process, and the entry would probably be sessful soon.


    He was all too familiar with this name!


    ```


    ```


    Yesterday night, this person grabbed 200 "AI drug pills" in the Sankui Wastnd and then fled the scene, after getting one of his own police captain killed and sneaking into his car, even held a gun to his head forcing him to take 60 of the "AI drug pills".


    Could he not be familiar? He was all too familiar.


    He spent the entire day today busy with inputting Chen Miao''s identity information into the database and fabricating a narrative for the deceased Zhou Yiming, portraying him as bravely sacrificing himself during the pursuit, and just when he was finally ready to sleep after a day''s work, he was dragged out to the outskirts of the city to watch Chen Miao''s solo performance.


    By now, he had no doubts about Chen Miao''s rtion with the Chi Family in Fengtian City; it waspletely normal for such a character to have ties with the Chi Family. At this moment, he only felt a lingering fearst night in the car, he relied on his protective gear without much terror, but now...


    After witnessing this scene, he realized something: under such firepower, the protective gear was less useful than a dirt hole.


    At least in a dirt hole, after being blown to pieces, one could be buried right there without the need to collect the body.


    ...


    Standing on the hill in the night, Chen Miao removed the half-smoked cigarette from his lips, flicked the ash, and looked towards the boss that had just copsed loudly nearby with a slight smile curling up at the corner of his mouth.


    "This cig reallysts."


    "The fight''s over and it''s not even half burnt."


    He nced at the several items in his backpack emitting white light and the dense announcements on his panel without much attention, instead walked directly towards the monster''s corpse lying not too far away with his cane.


    Before the monster had fallen.


    He saw several items glowing that had dropped out of the monster''s body.


    Gear drop.


    First grab the gear before someone snatches it.


    Hungry Monkey, already brimming with excitement, had dashed down from the hill, and at first nce spotted what he wanted¡ªthat huge wolf''s tooth club. He couldn''t even dare to imagine how imposing he''d be, wielding a seven or eight meter long club!


    Though he might not be able to lift it now, there wille a day when he can.


    He had a passionate love for such heavyweight weapons.


    Just like otherborers who felt that swinging a sledgehammer at the construction site was hard work, he was the only one who took pleasure in it, and he had a faint sense that during this process, his body seemed to be burning, boiling hot and exhrating, without any wish to stop.


    ...


    "..."


    "..."


    The others, including Yuan Buping, who were still lying behind the hill in shock, did note back to their senses until they saw Miao and Monkey''s figures running far off, exchanging nces and seeing in each other''s eyes the same astonishment and confusion.


    "You say..."


    After a long while, Yuan Buping was the first to murmur confusedly, "Why does Miao want us to hang around him?"


    If it had been before tonight, he would have a clear answer in his mind.


    But now... he wasn''t sure. A Miao with such capabilities seemed to have no need for them at all, so what was the purpose of their existence?


    But quickly.


    He snapped out of his silence, hastily patting his brother who was also shocked beside him, saying urgently, "Stop fucking standing there stunned, let''s first find Miao and speak to him."


    In that instant just now, he suddenly realized.


    There''s no need for him to understand the purpose of their existence, as long as he can prevent Miao from figuring out what their purpose is, so they wouldn''t be kicked to the curb. They still wanted to be supernaturals in a year''s time.


    Rush over and tter Miao a bit, ying the role of an audience.


    After a great performancees to a close, it''s always boring without an audience to apud and cheer.


    ```

 Chapter 59: 58: "Lets get to work, brothers!

    And at this moment,


    Chen Miao had arrived at the crime scene. Though calling it a "crime scene" might not be entirely fitting, the site did look exceedingly brutal.


    The boss monster''s corpse, as huge as a building,y in pieces on the ground, its thick, glue-like blood covering the surface, seeping into the cracked earth below.


    The ground was littered with dense and numerous bullet holes.


    The bullets mixed in the flesh made the scene extremely gory.


    "..."


    Chen Miao furrowed his brows and took a few steps back. The monster before him had be a mountain of blood; heaps of flesh over a meter high were piled up, clearly showing three beams of white light shooting up into the sky through the flesh.


    These three beams of light represented three items that had dropped.


    And the three items were currently buried under the chunks of flesh.


    He would have to dig into the mess to retrieve them.


    Honestly, he was rather reluctant to go in. It was just too disgusting. If he did, the stench of blood would probably cling to him for days.


    Just then¡ª


    Yuan Buping, leading the others, jogged up from behind, panting as he reached Chen Miao''s side. Before he could catch his breath, he looked up with shock and excitement, giving a thumbs-up: "Miao, you..."


    "Perfect timing."


    Chen Miao stepped back a few paces, eyes on the three beams of white light, "Bring the brothers to pick up the items."


    "What?"


    Yuan Buping, who had prepared his speech on the way, was interrupted by Chen Miao before he could start, then quickly rolled up his sleeves and nodded vigorously, "Understood, Miao!"


    Finally...


    Finally, it was their turn to shine!


    "Time to work, brothers!"


    ...


    Yuan Buping and his group rushed into the bloody mess of flesh, employing various methods to extract the items buried underneath. The carcass''s weight was not light, and retrieving the items was no easy task.


    And Chen Miao simply stood by, sighing lightly.


    Why wasn''t there a function to automatically pick up dropped items? Surely he couldn''t be expected to collect the loot himself after every boss fight?


    Setting aside the hassle, what if someone happened by during this time? Wouldn''t that lead to a fight?


    Envy was a natural instinct.


    He shook his head and stopped thinking about these things. Instead, he turned his attention to the special reward listed on the announcement, a ssless item¡ª"Decayed Glory."


    The item looked strange; it was a magic cube.


    But it only had two colors.


    ck and white, the colored blocks haphazardly mixed together, very pleasant to the touch, seeming like an intricately crafted work of art.


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Decayed Glory.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: ssless.


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: Upon activating this item, a random city-state effect from another city will be triggered, allowing you to enjoy an additional city-state effect. Once activated, it cannot be changed.


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: None.


    ¡¸Prop Introduction¡¹: ''The reflection of the moon in water, the shadow within the moon.''


    "..."


    Chen Miao gazed thoughtfully at the magic cube in his hand, idly fiddling with it without much conversation, roughly understanding the item''s effect. It was the kind that could be very strong, or quite weak.


    The magic cube''s effect would allow him to enjoy an additional city-state effect.


    Almost everyone could only enjoy the city-state effect of one city, even if someone from Jingjiu City arrived in Fengtian City, Jingjiu City''s city-state effect would be invalidated and reced by the city-state effect of Fengtian City.


    This prop allowed him to enjoy the city-state effect of Fengtian City and a random other city''s city-state effect simultaneously.


    The Federation had nearly a thousand cities.


    Among these, there were 128 major cities, and the city-state effects of these 128 major cities were unique. The city-state effects of the smaller cities were not unique, and if he randomly received Jingjiu City''s city-state effect, its benefits need not be reiterated.


    He would instantly be a Capital Lord.


    Each level up reducing the required experience by 30% would give him a tremendous advantage in the early stages.


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t something he could choose on his own; it was random.


    He took a deep breath, stuffed the prop into his backpack, and decided to wait until he returned to the tomb chamber that evening to wash his hands before activating the prop. He had never been confident in his own luck.


    The coconut tree by the greenbelt had been nted for so long without ever hitting anyone, yet it had fallen and killed only him. That had utterly diminished his expectations for his own luck.


    At that moment¡ª


    Yuan Buping, who was busily covered in blood, came over and handed three props emanating white light to Chen Miao with a wide grin, "Miao, they are all here."


    "Yeah, you worked hard."


    Chen Miao took the three props and casually put them into his backpack. The moment they entered the backpack, the white light from the props disappeared.


    The props didn''t even have a trace of blood on them.


    After a BOSS died and dropped props, white light would guide the props skywards, ensuring that none were missed in a corner somewhere and that they would not be damaged or dirtied while the white lights were present.


    This was quite convenient.


    The white guiding light would vanish the moment the prop entered the backpack, however.


    Chen Miao then nced around and looked down at the watch on Hungry Monkey''s wrist, "Let''s head back, didn''t we get a water tank today? You guys go back and wash up."


    "Understood."


    To solve the water problem.


    Yuan Buping and others had called for a truck to bring a water tank to the cemetery that day. They installed a simple pressure valve in the tank, allowing for basic daily water needs. Normally, the water in this tank would be enough for so many people for about four or five days without any issues.


    They hadn''t dug a well.


    That would be too difficult of an engineering feat, and they were only temporarily residing in the cemetery, not truly here to build in the wilderness.


    ...


    Not long after.


    Chen Miao and others returned to the cemetery and were surprised to find that the security guard, who had packed his belongings to flee, was now back at his post. The old-fashioned boxy television that had been packed away was once again on disy.


    He still watched the television with undiverting, slightly vacant eyes, and wrinkles covered his cheeks as he sat on the bed.


    Chen Miao tossed a pack of cigarettes into the room without asking more questions, and gestured for Yuan Buping and the others to wash up, while he himself went back to the tomb chamber to sort out the loot from the day.


    Besides the award ''Decayed Glory''.


    The dense announcements on the panel had also awarded him 3 props, plus the three dropped by the boss, making six in total. Good gracious, that really was a windfall, all for just beating a boss, were the rewards always this plenty?


    Maybe the process was too easy.


    He didn''t think that killing such a boss was a difficult task, even if it was a siege boss.


    A siege boss meant that the boss was there to test the depth and execution of a city, not the power of an individual yer. This was the first record in Fengtian City''s history of a single person single-handedly ying a full-health siege boss.


    It was an achievement worth recording in the history books.


    The rewards even seemed a bit low for such a feat.


    ...


    ps: There''s another chapteringter, the next one is difficult to write, I''ve been thinking all morning what to name the main character''s power.

 Chapter 60: 59: The Power is Named "Slash King Dot Dynasty

    Chen Miao didn''t overthink it butid out everything in his backpack one by one.


    The first thing that caught his eye was a... seal?


    A round official seal.


    It looked just like the kind you''d stamp on pigs ready for ughter.


    "Prop Name": Power Order.


    "Prop Level": Grade E.


    "Prop Effect": Once activated, this item allows the creation of one''s own power group and the freedom to name it. It also grants various functions such as a ''Faction Effect'' simr to city-state effects, ''Faction Territory,'' ''Faction Warehouse,'' ''Membership Identity,'' and more.


    "Prop Restriction": The person who activates this item will automatically be the leader.


    "Prop Introduction": "Fighting alone might look cool, but it''s tiring."


    Chen Miao slightly raised his eyebrows and opened the "Fengtian City Power Rankings," which he was viewing for the second time. He hadn''t paid much attention to this ranking list before. Notably, the family in third ce was none other than...


    "Chi Family, Power Value of 3.89 million."


    The Chi Family, the very same behind the little girl who Hungry Monkey had mistakenly called that day.


    As for this item...


    He pondered silently without speaking, initially wanting to consult with Hungry Monkey and the others for naming suggestions. But since they had all gone to take showers, he couldn''t be bothered to wait and deal with itter.


    "Divine Dynasty"? "Sky-Exploding Gang"?


    Hmm... a bit too juvenile.


    "Rogue Dynasty"? "Rogue Group"?


    Uh... that seems rather stupid. There isn''t a single power on the Fengtian City Power Rankings with such a name. He wasn''t sure if the name could be changedter; otherwise, he really felt like trying something like this for fun.


    Just imagine if their power group ever topped the charts.


    Those ranked below them would have to look up at such a name. He wondered what they would think.


    "..."


    After a long while, Chen Miao still couldn''te up with a suitable name. Rubbing his temples with a slight headache, he realized he wasn''t cut out for naming things. Besides, the name couldn''t just be anything.


    The fortune teller said his lifecked water, so he added the character for "Miao," only for a flood to wash away all but one person on his family register as a child.


    Well, he certainly wasn''tcking water after that.


    One could say his cup of fortune was overflowing.


    Another moment passed, and he shook his head, giving up. He simply had no talent for naming¡ªjust picking any decent-sounding and somewhat normal name would have to suffice.


    The next second¡ª


    "Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for sessfully establishing his own power group and naming it ''Tomb Guardian.''


    Currently, the ''Tomb Guardian'' power group ranks at number 123,792 in Fengtian City Power Rankings with a Power Value of 0."


    "Membership Identity and Member Attire functionality unlocked."


    "When Power Value reaches 10,000 points, additional functionalities such as Faction Effect and increased membership will be unlocked."


    "Fengtian City has 120,000 power groups?"


    Chen Miao was somewhat surprised, but he quickly understood where these 120,000 powers came from. Besides massive entities like the Chi Family, various gangs,panies, societies, schools, and others also counted as powers.


    With that in mind, 120,000 didn''t seem like a lot.


    Membership Identity and Member Attire were the mostmonce features. With some Star Coins, one could produce uniform attire to make their power group members more recognizable. This was something many chain and restaurant businesses would do for their employee uniforms.


    And Membership Identity was essentially stamping this seal on members'' clothing.


    It''s like a corporate logo.


    Simrly used to increase recognizability and enhance brand effect, it''s among the most basic functionalities.


    And the method to increase Power Value was quite simple: one point of Combat Power within the faction equaled one point of Power Value, and each month, the Power Value would autonomously increase based on the faction''s influence in Fengtian City and the Federation.


    Besides that, there was another method: spending 10 Star Coins to add one point to the Power Value.


    These three methods were the only ways to increase Power Value.


    They had not gone to the Secret Realm Building to measure their Combat Power, and their Power Value was effectively zero. So far, it seemed that Power Value wasn''t of much use; its only purpose was to slightly raise one''s ranking on the leaderboard and to unlock new faction functions.


    Currently, their "Tomb Guardian" faction could amodate 20 members.


    No more, no less, just right.


    There were a total of 19 people, which was enough.


    Afterward, he sent out invitations to Hungry Monkey and the others to join the faction.


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Located outside Fengtian City.


    The deputy director of the Events Bureau was frowning at the nearly riddled ground in front of him, while arge number of government personnel were directing trucks and cranes to clear the bodies, preparing to take them to thendfill for incineration.


    To be honest.


    Although this method was powerful, he wasn''t very surprised; he had seen even more formidable people.


    Not to mention the distant ones, the Patriarch of the Chi Family, a Lv.26 "Demon''s Right Hand," a hidden upation of the fighter series, he had personally witnessed this man punch a Lv.30 boss to death on the spot in thest major event.


    Countless rays of light emanated from the middle-aged man''s fist as he leaped through the air. He merely punched at the boss on the ground, and a huge fist of light emerged in the air, smashing the boss into the ground.


    The Federation was too vast, and Fengtian City was located in a rtively remote area.


    The level of Lv.26 was just the tip of the iceberg in the whole Federation.


    But...


    It had been a very long time since he had seen a professional gunman with such capabilities; the strongest known Gunman Profession in Fengtian City was an official Lv.22 "Mechanical Demon," another hidden upation within the Gunner Series.


    This person had converted all parts of his body except for his brain and some vital organs into machinery.


    While possessing the physical strength of a fighter, he could fill any part of his body with firearms, strong in both ranged and closebat.


    And he wielded a Prop Level B "Hell Gatling" enhanced to +9. Under his special hidden upation skills, each bullet would carry a potent explosion. Once he opened fire, he alone could form Firepower Coverage.


    This person was named Sang Biao.


    He hadn''t seen Sang Biao and the Patriarch of the Chi Family fight, but if the two were to fight, the Patriarch probably wouldn''t dare to charge head-on against Sang Biao''s firepower. What truly shocked him was that... an unknown, potent Gunman Profession had emerged in Fengtian City.


    Whether this person was from Fengtian City had great implications for what was toe.


    If so...


    That would be great. In the uing Gunman exclusive secret realm, Fengtian City would have a better chance, possibly revitalizing the glory of gunmen.


    If not...


    It meant the news had leaked out, and gunmen from other cities were preparing to snatch Fengtian City''s opportunity, which would be a serious problem.


    Just then.


    An employee came over, holding aptop and reported, "The specific data is out, the siege boss of this random event was Grave Digger, a Lv.12 siege boss."


    "Its main ability is to resurrect corpses from the ground or nearby dead people, significantly enhancing their abilities to fight for him."


    "It belongs to the kind of legion boss whose power increases substantially once it manages to kill some people."


    "All of its skills are aura types that strengthen the abilities of its underlings. Its own defense and movement speed, including attack power, are on the weaker side. It seems that this Grave Digger boss was originally headed to the nearby Eternal Cemetery."


    "Unfortunately, it hadn''t gotten very far before being killed by Chen Miao, without any chance to use its abilities, turning it into a sitting duck."


    ...


    ps: Serialization will begin next Wednesday, on the 18th.

 Chapter 61: 60: "Guardian Grave of Life, Burial of the Underworld.

    "Tomb Guardian?"


    Having just finished their showers, Hungry Monkey and the others saw Miao''s power invitation and came over, with Hungry Monkey barely containing his excitement as he asked, "Is this our own power, Miao?"


    "This name is great."


    "Guardian Grave of Life, Burial of the Underworld."


    Yuan Buping and the others nearby couldn''t help but grin, as Miao had invited them too, which meant they likely wouldn''t be discarded for some time. Initially, they followed Miao purely because of his promise, but after tonight, they realized something¡ªif they could keep following Miao, the future held boundless possibilities.


    No one understood better than they did how important it was to be with a powerful leader in today''s world.


    Of course, this also meant a lot more danger.


    But opportunity is always hidden beneath that danger; security harbors mediocrity. Everyone has their own choices to make. He didn''t want mediocrity; he would rather burn out than fade away, leaving a mark on this world.


    "Guardian Grave of Life?"


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully, feeling that this phrase seemed quite fitting for the name of the power, and then quickly clicked a few options on the panel.


    Soon enough.


    The power''s slogan was set to: "Guardian Grave of Life, Burial of the Underworld."


    The power''s logo was set to: "A simple sketch of tombstone lines."


    The uniform for the power was unified as: "A solid ck suit, with he and Hungry Monkey wearing ck wool coats over deep brown suit vests."


    Perfect.


    Creating the uniforms was quite cheap at only 20 Star Coins each, and soon 17 brand-new ck suits were made and distributed among Yuan Buping and the others, Yuan Buping''s suit distinguished by a faint dark red trim around the cor.


    Different by just a hint from the rest.


    He also made for himself and Hungry Monkey two sets of ck wool coats, deep brown vests, and white undershirts, adding a touch of leisure andfort beyond what the others had.


    The logo was printed on the wrist area of the inner sleeve cuff of everyone''s shirt, visible only when the arm moved, subtle and not easily noticeable.


    "Not bad."


    After all was done, Chen Miao nodded with satisfaction, d to resolve one more thing¡ªthis would also enhance everyone''s sense of unity, a nice touch indeed.


    There was little of value among the remaining five prop rewards.


    Three of them were Free Attribute Exchange Coupons.


    One bottle of magic pills.


    One "Magician" ss change Legacy Book, worth around 70,000 credit points on the market, a profession even more costly than that of a fighter.


    But whether it was the expensive fighters or magicians, neither could outspend the gunners in terms of cost.


    This was the entirety of his rewards for killing the boss.


    It was a bit regrettable that there were no experience points or Star Coins awarded.


    A person could use Free Attribute Exchange Coupons up to five times, and he had already used three. He ced two of the coupons in his backpack and casually handed the remaining one to Hungry Monkey.


    Meanwhile, Hungry Monkey was looking at the panel for the bottle of pills with a slightly bizarre expression.


    "Prop Name": Throat Medicine.


    "Prop Level": F.


    "Prop Effect": A bottle of 10 pills; taking one pill, for 30 minutes, the user will not have a gag reflex and can freely control the movements of their throat lining.


    "Prop Restriction": None.


    "Prop Function": ''For the great cause of changing the world, we must do some small things.''


    "This..."


    Hungry Monkey hesitated oddly for a moment before asking, "So... how do we use this prop?"


    "It''s useful at certain moments."


    Chen Miao said with a smile, tossing the bottle of pills into the air and casually throwing it into his backpack, "For example, when a half piece of Sichuan peppercorn shell gets stuck in the mucous membranes inside your throat, you can use this prop to automatically dislodge the peppercorn."


    "Believe me, no one can stand the feeling of a Sichuan peppercorn stuck in their throat."


    He had experienced it himself.


    The sensation was not exactly harmful to the body or particrly ufortable, but it was like a speck of fly excrement, not deadly but constantly nauseating.


    "By the way."


    Chen Miao stopped talking about that and turned to Hungry Monkey to ask, "How are those three fighter skills I bought for youing along?"


    "Not enough time, I haven''t trained for too long."


    Hungry Monkey scratched the back of his head and said, "All three skills are basically closebat attacks. The first one, ''Silent Strike,'' is a close-range heavy blow that silences the opponent; the second and third are attack skills."


    "The second one, ''Skull Split,'' allows the fighter to unleash 10 times the strength in their next punch as a fixed damage value, increasing to 20 times when striking the head, and as skill proficiency increases, the multiplier for this skill will increase even more."


    "The third, ''Hell Suplex,'' is about getting close to an enemy, locking them in, then smashing them to the ground with great force. The damage is high, and when level suppression is in effect, there is a certain chance of instantly killing the enemy, and as skill proficiency increases, the damage also bes higher."


    "It''s just..."


    Hungry Monkey hesitated, "Right now, the proficiency of these three skills is basically in single digits. To increase proficiency, I must constantly use the skills, but these three are all for use against an opponent. Practicing alone in an empty space is also possible, it''s just that the speed is too slow."


    "It might take more than a dozen attempts to count as a sessful one."


    "Fighters generally improve their skill proficiency by going to martial arts gyms, where there are special dummies for them to practice on to increase proficiency, but we don''t have that option at the moment, so proficiency growth will be slower."


    "Dummies?" Chen Miao frowned thoughtfully and did not speak. It was indeed a problem. The cost of attending a martial arts gym was not cheap, with the cheapest being 500 credit points per hour, mainly because the wear and tear caused by fighters was incredibly high.


    A dummy wouldn''tst too long.


    Moreover, living in a tomb andmuting to the gym every day was not convenient. They could consider buying a few dummies to use as punching bags, but...


    He quickly had an answer, looking up at Yuan Buping, "Exhume the corpses of Zhou Yiming and the other two we buriedst time, stand a post behind the woods, and tie the bodies to it."


    "We might as well use these things in a pinch."


    "Make do with it for now."


    "After a while, I''ll get you a few dummies."


    In this world, there''s no such thing as trash, only people who don''t know how to utilize what they have.


    ...


    After finishing all that, Chen Miao didn''t bother with Hungry Monkey and Yuan Buping anymore. Instead, he washed up himself, entered the tomb, sat cross-legged on the carpet, leaned against the coffin, and took a deep breath.


    He looked at the ck-and-white Rubik''s cube in front of him.


    The ssless prop ''Decayed Glory.''


    It could help him draw a city-state effect, allowing him to enjoy the benefits of two different city-states at once.


    "Jingjiu, Jingjiu, Jingjiu..."


    "I''ll trade Hungry Monkey''s lifelong singleness for a Jingjiu."


    "I''ll trade all of Yuan Buping''s remaining years of life for a Jingjiu."


    "Give me a Jingjiu, give me a Jingjiu..."

 Chapter 62: Chapter 61: "Fireworks" *99999 sets.

    ```


    Chen Miao closed his eyes tightly, even turning on the sound system to y the song "Good Luck Arrives," hoping that good fortune would favor him.


    All he wanted was the city-state effect of Jingjiu City.


    That way, he would have a significant advantage in both the early andte stages of the game.


    "Come on, Jingjiu..."


    Then he took a deep breath and abruptly activated the prop to begin the random selection.


    The next second¡ª


    City-state effects in numerous different colors darted across the disy in front of him, moving so fast he couldn''t make out any specific effects, but soon... he wasn''t tense for long, as one of the city-state effects slowly came to a stop in front of him.


    ¡¸Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for drawing the city-state effect of Choosing Day City.¡¹


    ¡¸The city-state effect of Choosing Day City is, every yer who has stayed in Choosing Day City for more than one year will, upon their first death, instantly recover from all injuries on their body, but it can only heal external injuries, and there''s only this one chance.¡¹


    In the end...


    He hadn''t drawn the talent of Jingjiu City; it seems that the god of luck in the dark thought his offering wasn''t enough.


    However, this city-state effect seemed somewhat eptable.


    Chen Miao thoughtfully looked at the city-state panel. He checked, and this city-state effect turned out to be one of the 128 major cities, the only city-state effect that offers a chance at avoiding death, essentially giving the city''s yers an extra life.


    It sounded strong, but from a long-term development perspective, it couldn''tpare to Jingjiu City or even Fengtian City, because city-state effects that provide a continuous supply of resources were actually the stronger ones. Just an extra life was insufficient, offering no help in the long run.


    If he wasn''t guessing wrong...


    The poption loss of this city must be severe, since once the citizens of this city died, it meant the city-state effect of their own city was no longer efficacious for them. At that point, why wouldn''t they n to flee to another city?


    Those who have died once would generally be more afraid of dying again, probably running off to be a Person of Leisure in Broken Pot City.


    Indeed.


    The starting point of life might be various cities, but the end point is surely Broken Pot City.


    For a city, this city-state effect isn''t too great, but for him as a yer, it was still a decent safety, providing him an extra life, especially since he didn''t even have to fulfill the prerequisite condition of staying for a full year.


    In the lower left corner of his personal panel, there was a small me icon, which revealed a line of text when contemted by his mind.


    ¡¸Rest assured in death, for Choosing Day City is protecting every one of its citizens.¡¹


    This meant that the city-state effect had indeed taken effect.


    "Not bad."


    Chen Miao wasn''t too disappointed. Although it wasn''t the Jingjiu City he wanted the most, this Choosing Day City was barely eptable. As long as it was useful, he was content. What he feared most was getting city-state effects specialized for enhancing professions like fighters. If he were to get such an effect, it would have been aplete waste of a ssless prop, utterly useless.


    Afterpleting all this, he turned over and crawled into the coffin to prepare for sleep.


    Before falling asleep...


    He looked at the ''Taotie'' skin rewarded to him after leveling up his Nothingness Space to level 3.


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Taotie¡¤Firearm Skin.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: ssless (Unique).


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: Can be applied to any firearm to activate the prop, this prop will transform into a skin and permanently apany the firearm. It will greatly reduce the firearm''s rate of fire while greatly increasing bullet power, and will randomly add some exclusive effects.


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: Can only be used on firearms, and once applied cannot be removed.


    ¡¸Prop Description¡¹: "With the body of a sheep and the face of a human, eyes under the armpits, teeth like a tiger and ws like a human, the voice like that of a baby."


    Being a unique exclusive firearm skin, he hadn''t used it, as this skin seemed like it was meant for sniper rifles. Giving it to the ''Python R6 Revolver'' felt like a waste, considering he didn''t have a sniper rifle and there wasn''t an immediate way to obtain one.


    For now, he kept it in his backpack, in no rush to use it, nning to apply it once he got a sniper rifle.


    The exclusive effects of the ''Tao Wood'' skin gave the Thompson Submachine Gun an extremely exaggerated magazine capacity. He was curious about the exclusive effects of the ''Taotie'' skin. Actually, he would''ve preferred to use the ''Tao Wood'' skin on the Gatling, but he didn''t have a Gatling at the moment. It wasn''t feasible to hoard everything in his backpack and stubbornly wait for a Gatling to appear to use it; such an approach could lead to his own demise.


    Now feeling a bit more confident...


    The ''Taotie'' skin could also be temporarily reserved to see if it could find the most suitablepanion.


    As for the ''Citywide Fireworks,'' another reward for upgrading the Nothingness Space to level 3, it was a straightforward prop.


    Merely the literal meaning.


    ¡¸Fireworks¡¹*99999 sets.


    Nearly 100,000 sets of fireworks, which could only be ignited all at once, not individually. ording to the panel, igniting them would cover the entire city in fireworks, incredibly beautiful to behold.


    But aside from being aesthetically pleasing, there were no other uses, no offensive capabilities.


    At the moment, inside his Nothingness Space, a fireworks setup, barely bigger than a shoebox,y peacefully, noting across as 100,000 sets worth of fireworks at all.


    After sorting out all the loot from today...


    Chen Miao finallyy in the coffin, eyes closed contentedly, ready to fall asleep.


    Sleep it is.


    The very coffin heid in would reward him with 1 Strength Attribute Point after sleeping for 20 hours; today would be his first time trying it out, and sleeping for 3 days should umte the needed 20 hours.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in Broken Pot City...


    ```


    At the end of a rather remote street, Doctor Gou had taken over a closed-down restaurant and signed a three-year lease contract. By now, the decoration inside the store had been almostpletely dismantled. In a few days, the construction crew would be able to officially start renovating his clinic.


    The sign for "Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic" was already made.


    However...


    At this moment, sitting inside the hall, Doctor Gou looked at the skill panel in front of him with a hesitant expression.


    "Skill Name": Life and Death Ambiguity.


    "Skill Effect": After activating this skill, your next strike has a 50% chance of unleashing five times the damage of your full-strength strike, a 40% chance of bacsh from the knife energy that seriously injures you, and a 10% chance that the knife energy bacshes and kills you.


    "Skill Proficiency": lv.1 (34/100).


    He had possessed this skill for three years but had never used it. After all, the risk of death was too high, and there had never been a situation that necessitated such a desperate effort. Three years ago, he endured to keep his own clinic.


    Just a short while ago that night, he had gone with a desperate determination to atone for his sins.


    That night, he swung his de 34 times.


    He killed over 30 people.


    All were struck dead with a single blow, with no ability to fight back. Under the enhancement of this skill and the cumtive effects of other skills, their protective clothing was no different from paper mach¨¦¡ªnearly shattering on impact.


    He killed with great satisfaction.


    But after escaping to Broken Pot City and everything temporarily settled down, he felt something wrong when looking at this skill panel. A 50% chance, was it really possible that he''d fall on the winning side all 34 times?


    Not to mention death from the knife energy bacsh.


    Not even seriously injured?


    In the past few days, he had tossed many coins¡ªlet alone achieving consistency 34 times in a row, there weren''t even more than 7 consecutive times. Statistically, this was almost impossible. He didn''t believe it was Lady Luck looking out for him; instead, a potentially crazy possibility loomed in his heart.


    One point of proficiency was gained with each use of the skill.


    To level the skill up to 2, it needed to be used 100 times without dying. He didn''t believe anyone could seed to that extent. If nobody could do that, then did skill proficiency have any meaning at all?


    Unless...


    Unless this skill was a test of courage for a Swordsman andposure in the face of certain death.


    Maybe the 40% chance of serious injury and the 10% chance of death would never ur.


    Every time the skill was activated, it was always the remaining 50% chance that prevailed.


    As long as you dared to use it, this skill would never disappoint you. It was crafted for the brave, The Fearless¡ªthose who were timid, cowardly, and afraid of death were unworthy of it.


    Otherwise, there was no other reason to exin how he swung his de 34 times and came out unscathed.


    These past few days.


    This thought had been revolving in his mind, even more so than finding a location for the "Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic." He was eager to test whether this skill really worked as he suspected.


    But... he didn''t dare to try it anymore.


    He had moved past the mindset of wanting to atone with his death that night. Now, he simply wanted to run his clinic properly. He no longer dared to try using this skill. He was afraid that if he died, the clinic would have no one to carry it on.


    After a long while.


    Sitting in the dim hall, Doctor Gou sighed softly, slowly extinguishing the cigarette in his hand that glowed with a crimson light.


    He had searched online but found no relevant information or spection.


    Perhaps he would never be able to confirm his guess was correct in his lifetime. This skill might indeed be tailor-made for the Fearless, and now... he was no longer fearless.


    He no longer dared to wield the knife.


    And he no longer wished to die.


    ...


    Soon the lights came on.


    A 2000-lumen bulb exploded suddenly in the burial chamber, illuminating everything in an instant, leaving no shadows to be seen. Even in the eerie location of the graveyard, it provided ample sense of security.


    Familiar with the routine, Chen Miao closed the coffin lid and took a nap inside it, emerging from the coffin when the oxygen supply was nearly exhausted, ready to wash up.


    By now, he no longer harbored much resentment towards the light bulb.


    Maybe he got used to it.


    Or maybe the 3 points he put into resistance were working. He even felt that 2000 lumens were not too ring.


    Today is another new day.


    "Time Remaining Until Next Major Event ''Coward''s Special'': 27 Hours."


    Stepping out of the burial chamber, Chen Miao, as usual, nced up at the countdown above his head, then stretched and warmed up his body before arranging his ns for the day.


    He didn''t have much to do today.


    Today, he nned to take Hungry Monkey and the others to Fengtian City for a good meal. It had been a long time since they''d had a proper meal. They had been too busy these past few days, and he felt he owed it to himself to treat his body well.


    Just then¡ª


    He suddenly noticed the several mutted bodies tied to the stakes behind the not-too-distant trees, and he stopped dead in his tracks.


    Did Hungry Monkey work overtimest night?

 Chapter 63: Chapter 62: "It feels like popping the champagne early.

    The wooden stakes not far away were already leaning haphazardly, and the bodies tied to them were already bloodied and indistinct, with even some limbs strewn aside.


    It was cold.


    The bodies had not yet begun to rot, but they looked unsightly and emitted a strong smell, harboring many bacterial risks, and most importantly, they weren''t durable.


    Just one night and they''d fallen into this state?


    Chen Miao, who had this scene etched into his memory, felt a slight headacheing on. It seemed he needed to move up the n to buy Hungry Monkey a dummy, but a dummy wasn''t cheap, and he didn''t have that much money on him.


    Right now, he only had 17,720 Star Coins and about a hundred thousand credit points in his pocket.


    Just got up and didn''t want to think about these troubles.


    Chen Miao shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore, when Yuan Buping and others crawled out of their graves nearby, evidently also having just woken up, they quickly washed up and ran over.


    "Miao, good morning."


    "Hmm, go collect the bodies on those stakes and stuff them back into the coffins," he instructed.


    "Got it!"


    With a serious look on his face, Yuan Buping nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and ran towards the distant stakes.


    ...


    Not muchter.


    Hungry Monkey also woke up, and after a groggy wash, he stepped outside the tomb chamber, sat on the steps, lit a cigarette, and took a puff as he gazed into the distance, still half-asleep, murmuring, "Miao, what''s the n for today?"


    "Today is thest day,"


    Chen Miao stood still, leaning on his cane, and spoke softly, "Tomorrow the big event officially begins. Let''s have a good meal today to reward ourselves. Once we get through this event, things will be much easier for us."


    "Reward,"


    After a pause, Hungry Monkey absentmindedly mused, "Feels like we''re popping the champagne early."


    At that moment, his wristwatch vibrated slightly. After a nce, he looked at Chen Miao and said, "Miao, the Deputy Director is here, came personally, already at Sankui Wastnd, brought a wristwatch for you, Miao."


    "Came personally?"


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows quirked for a moment, then he nodded thoughtfully before getting up and walking outside with his cane, "I''ll go have a look by myself. You guys clean up here, and when Ie back, we''ll head to the city."


    "Okay."


    ...


    He had initially intended to send Yuan Buping to pick it up, but since the Deputy Director had personally delivered it, he guessed there was something he wanted to talk about.


    It wasn''t long before.


    Chen Miao saw a middle-aged man standing on the Sankui Wastnd, a private car parked behind him¡ªnot the one he''d seen the night before. This was the man he''d seen in the car that day.


    He scanned the surroundings, then walked up close to the man and greeted him with a light chuckle, "Good morning, Director."


    "Hmm."


    The man was not too surprised by Chen Miao''s appearance, merely took a paper bag out of the car and handed it to Chen Miao, "This is your wristwatch. All the information has been entered into it. From now on, your registered residence is in Fengtian City."


    "You can have unrestricted ess to any public building in Fengtian City."


    But after a pause, the Deputy Director spoke again with a slightlyplex expression, "Was it youst night?"


    Last night''s incident did not die down, but instead stirred up quite amotion in unseen corners of Fengtian City.


    He was just a Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau¡ªwhose primary responsibility in Fengtian City was to handle cases and maintain order¡ª andpared to departments like the Events Bureau, he could not ess too much information from above. But his political instincts had remained sharp over the years, and he could sense there were quite a few undercurrents surging beneath Fengtian City, with the source being none other than Chen Miao, who had appeared out of nowhere the night before.


    "Maybe."


    Chen Miao gave a nomittal and casual answer.


    "Up to now, the information I have is that several powers, although they have not found your specific details, have almost confirmed that you are a local from Fengtian City. These powers are all preparing to recruit you, which might not be very good news."


    "For these forces, if you refuse their recruitment, it''s highly likely they won''t let someone with an unfamiliar face rise up again."


    "There wasn''t enough time yesterday, and the Director also received orders to pull files from the archives to search for the name Chen Miao. Many people were watching me, and I couldn''t free up my hands to contact you. For safety''s sake, when I entered your information into the household registration, I changed your name to Chen Yishui."


    "That way, they temporarily can''t find your information in the archives."


    "As for other means, I can''t manage that, and there''s only so much I can do."


    The middle-aged man in front of him spoke with aplex expression. The risk involved in this matter was actually quite high, but he had no choice but to take it. If Chen Miao were to be found, the fact that he had taken the 60 "AI Pills" would also be exposed.


    epting arge bribe + possession of contraband.


    The crimes were not minor.


    However, in most cases, even if discovered, as long as it didn''t cause a public scandal and remained unknown to the citizenry and could be handled internally through certain connections¡ªproperty confiscation + suspension + at most a few years of probation.


    Then the matter would be over.


    But now countless big shots in Fengtian City, even including Fengtian City''s government team, were searching for Chen Miao. At such a time, once Chen Miao was found, with so many eyes focused here, his slight infraction would stick out sorely.


    In Fengtian City.


    Whether one would be sentenced to the full extent of thew or have a major issue downyed depended often on how many people saw your dirtyundry.


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao fiddled with the wristwatch he had taken, turned it on to find the household head''s name was indeed Chen Yishui, and then looked up at the man before him with a smile, saying, "Thanks, you''ve been quite thoughtful."


    The notice from the previous night had indeed caused him a bit of trouble. Though bing famous early is good, it''s better to keep a low profile before attaining a certain level of strength.


    "Mm-hmm."


    The middle-aged man took a deep breath and paused for a moment before speaking. "To themon people, the Law Enforcement Bureau is a department with real power, but for beings like you who are supernatural, the Law Enforcement Bureau mostly maintains order at the scene during supernatural events."


    "We''re now on the same side."


    "The position of Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau is somewhat superfluous and can''t offer you much help. I want the position of Deputy Director of the Events Bureau. That position has a lot of real power, and the Deputy Director is also first in line to lead a team during supernatural events, unlike the Director who has more concerns about answering to those above. It will be of great help to you."


    "You have to help me."


    "I need to move up."


    The night beforest, even though Chen Miao had a gun to his head in the car, he wasn''t very afraid of Chen Miao himself¡ªit was only out of fear for the Chi Family behind Chen Miao.


    But now, it was different.


    Afterst night''s events, he realized one thing: Chen Miao could be a real pir of support for him.


    In Fengtian City.


    A supernatural being with overpowering strength is a very good pir of support.

 Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Such a person is more than suitable to be a dependable supporter.

    "Me?"


    "I don''t have that kind of capability."


    Chen Miao shook his head, preparing to refuse. Helping someone be the Bureau Chief was pie in the sky for him, let alone the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau. Although technically it was ateral move, anyone withmon sense knew just how much more actual authority one had over the other.


    Moreover, that position wasn''t vacant.


    Someone was already in it.


    Did he think he could just waltz in there? He didn''t have that power; he was just a Level 3 Gunner. They shouldn''t overestimate him.


    "There is a way."


    This middle-aged man nced around, his eyelids drooping slightly as he lowered his voice and said, "To sit in the position of the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, you need to fulfill three conditions."


    "The first condition, regardless of the supernatural upation, is that you must reach Level 20."


    "The second condition is that you must have been employed within the Events Bureau for over three years, familiar with the bureau''s procedural operations."


    "The third condition is to clear the Level E secret challenge ''Three-Two-One Wooden Man'' in the Secret Realm Building and beat the record set by the current Deputy Director of the Event Bureau."


    "After meeting these three essential conditions, and considering that I am on par with the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, if I maneuver things a bit, I can naturally take over the position."


    "I meet the first two conditions; I''m a Level 21 ''Fist Dominator'' and I''ve spent three years in the Events Bureau before, so I''m familiar with their case procedures. The main difficulty lies in this Level E secret challenge."


    "Every Deputy Director of the Events Bureau must fulfill a mandatory condition, which is to surpass the clearing record of their predecessor."


    "It''s a simple boss challenge. The boss is invincible when turning its head back. yers need to dodge its attacks and strike swiftly when the boss turns away, to kill the boss as fast as possible."


    "The previous Deputy Director''s clearing record was 7 minutes and 58 seconds."


    "This Deputy Director''s record is 4 minutes and 21 seconds."


    "This Deputy Director is a ''Thief'' upation, constantly circling behind the boss, the damage from each backstab is doubled; the damage output is extremely high. I''ve tried it secretly, and my best record is 9 minutes and 31 seconds."


    "I can''tplete this secret challenge on my own."


    "But with your help, Miao, these problems would all vanish. I could smoothly sit in the position of the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, and at that time, both you and I would benefit immensely."


    Chen Miao''s brows knitted slightly, and after a moment of silence, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is this a duo challenge?"


    "No, it''s for solo yers."


    "Then what are you talking about? How can I get in there?"


    "I have a special item."


    Seeing that Chen Miao seemed somewhat swayed, the middle-aged man hastily pulled out a prop that looked like a Barbie doll from his bosom, presenting its panel.


    ''Prop Name'': Cursed Doll.


    ''Prop Level'': Level E.


    ''Prop Effect'': You can continuously attack this doll and the attacks it receives within one minute will be absorbed into the doll''s space. Upon reactivating the prop, these attacks will rebound from the space, hitting the enemy without fail.


    ''Prop Restriction'': The prop can only be used in stable environments; it''s not suitable for chaoticbat as there''s a risk of explosion, and it shatters into pieces after one use, bing unusable.


    ''Prop Description'': "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, I curse you."


    Chen Miao stood there, leaning on his cane with a calm expression, looking at the panel without saying a word. It was indeed a miraculous item; with this prop, he could indeed help the Deputy Director. Storing a minute''s worth of firepower and releasing it in a burst, it could deal a devastating blow to a Level E challenge boss.


    Even if the boss was a bit tougher, it would be enough.


    It seemed like he really could help the Deputy Director.


    But... he seemed to have no particrly good reason to help, having listened for a long time, he only heard about the benefits for the other party after sess, not his own.


    However¡ª


    This Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau was extremely decisive, immediately kneeling on both knees and kowtowing resoundingly to Chen Miao in the wilds.


    "I''m not afraid of Miaoughing."


    "Zhou Shen has drifted half his life, faced countless setbacks and hardships, only regretting that he hasn''t met a wise master, making every step an arduous journey."


    "If you do not abandon me, I am willing to proim you as my sworn father."


    "As long as my sworn father helps me this once, once I upy the position of Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, I can guarantee three things."


    "Firstly, any information about special events within the government that Ie across, I will inform you at once, so you won''t miss any opportunities."


    "Secondly, your biggest problem right now is having no one on the inside. If someone wants to target you, you wouldn''t even know who is behind it."


    "Thirdly, the Events Bureau handles many special cases, and where there are special cases there''s bound to be substantial benefits; as long as my sworn father arrives early, a share of those benefits will be yours."


    "As a token of our meeting¡ª"


    "This contains a detailed list and names of all members that the Envy Organization from Gaobei City has infiltrated into Fengtian City in the past few days, including their chief and deputy chief, who may being after you."


    "This USB drive contains evidence of the corruption I have been involved in over the years. If it were to be leaked, I would effectively be ruined."


    "Here are also 60 ''AI pills,'' likewise a gift for meeting my sworn father."


    "..."


    Extremely decisive.


    This man named Zhou Shen, the Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau, nearly blurted out a torrent of words in one breath, his knees earnestly nted on the ground.


    It was this morning.


    He received news that the Chi Family was inquiring about a person named Chen Miao, intending to recruit him into their ranks, but Chen Miao used to pass messages through the young Princess Chi. He had always thought that Chen Miao was one of the Chi''s.


    Now it seemed that Chen Miao was not connected to the Chi Family at all, but was a Supernatural with simple social ties and formidable strength.


    Such a person would be more than suitable as a backer.


    He wouldn''t have to worry that one of his mortal enemies was one of Chen Miao''s men nor would he have to worry about being used as a disposable pawn; Chen Miao only had him as a piece, and there was also no need to fear being a casualty in the whirlpool of familial power struggles, for Chen Miao was the sole voice, with no one to interfere with his decisions.


    After bing aware of all this, the desires that had been suppressed in his heart for years began to surge uncontrobly. Since his failure topete for the position of Deputy Director of the Event Bureau three years ago, he couldn''t face staying at the bureau any longer, as that incident made him the subject of much ridicule behind his back.


    Over the years, he was always looking for a backer, always following others.


    But... no one could help him.


    "Breaking the record of the previous Deputy Director," this was the requirement that had to be met before taking office as the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, a rule set by the current head of the federation that no one dared to overstep.


    But Chen Miao could.


    It wasn''t that he couldn''t find other Supernaturals with formidable strength; it''s just that those people had too manyplex social connections. He couldn''t be sure they wouldn''t leak this affair at the drop of a hat. Furthermore, if he had to get his hands dirty anyway, why bother finding someone new to do the dirty work when Chen Miao had already been implicated; getting dirty again wouldn''t make much difference.


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the familiar small box held aloft by Zhou Shen, containing the ''AI pills,'' momentarily silent and unsure of what to say.


    Reciprocate the gesture?


    How is this different from returning a New Year''s gift that was given by someone the very next day?


    And aren''t you calling me ''sworn father'' a bit too readily?

 Chapter 65: Chapter 64: "The Bandits Take Action!

    ```


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at Zhou Shen, who was kneeling in front of him, but didn''t speak. He simply epted the E-rank item "Cursed Doll" and those 60 "AI Pills" the other party handed over, stuffing them into his pocket, pausing for a moment before finally saying,


    "Hmm, I understand."


    "You go back first, I''ll send you a messageter."


    "Sure."


    Zhou Shen didn''t say much more, but heavily kowtowed once again before standing up and walking back to his private car, pressing the elerator and driving away. It could be said that Zhou Shen had already put himself in an extremely vulnerable position; even before their coboration had been agreed upon, he had handed over his own Achilles'' heel to Chen Miao.


    The USB drive containing the records of the bribes Zhou Shen had taken over the years.


    Should this little device be leaked, Zhou Shen definitely wouldn''t be able to recover.


    Even if Chen Miao didn''t agree to the deal, with this thing in hand, Zhou Shen would henceforth have to do whatever Chen Miao told him to.


    After Zhou Shen had left,


    Chen Miao plugged the USB into the interface on his watch, and soon a dozen videos were projected into the air. He began to open each one and, to his surprise, found that the content was not of Zhou Shen taking bribes.


    Instead, the videos starred Zhou Shen as the lead male, and four or five different women as the lead females, in over a dozen action-packed films.


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, momentarily puzzled if Zhou Shen had given him the wrong USB drive. This stuff was sensitive too, but it couldn''t be considered an Achilles'' heel. Prostitution was already legalized, and though as a deputy director of the Enforcement Bureau living so indiscreetly was unsavory and would sound bad if it got out, it wouldn''t have much impact on him personally.


    At most, it would damage his reputation.


    But quite quickly...


    He noticed that the female stars seemed somewhat familiar, as though he''d seen them in newspapers.


    He had a good memory.


    After pondering for a moment, he took out a stack of newspapers from the Nothingness Space and beganparing them with the photos on the headlines.


    If he was seeing correctly, the woman in one video should be the mistress of the third boss of the ck Hand Gang, one of thergest gangs in Fengtian City.


    That woman should be the mistress of the head of the Urban Construction Bureau in the Fengtian City Government.


    And the smiling woman in thest few videos should be the young aunt of the major shareholder of Fengtian City''s "Autumn Chamber of Commerce."


    "..."


    "..."


    After makingparisons one by one, Chen Miao fell into silence once again. He finally understood what kind of connections Zhou Shen meant when he said he had some ¨C connections in all spheres, white, ck, and business, were all here. This could indeed be used as leverage; once exposed, Zhou Shen would not only lose his position, but he might not even be able to save his own life.


    He tried hard to recall Zhou Shen''s physique and looks from just before.


    Not that handsome, either.


    A standard middle-aged beer belly, a casual shirt tucked into the trousers, revealing a belt with no logo, and an utterly ordinary face; and judging from those women in the videos, they didn''t seem to be forced at all.


    And they all seemed acquainted.


    As if they were willing to serve Zhou Shen together. But why...?


    He didn''t understand. Looking at it now, when Zhou Shen initially imed that this was evidence of his bribery, was it that he was just too embarrassed to say it outright?


    ...


    Chen Miao returned to the graveyard.


    He looked at the Hungry Monkey and his people, who had already cleaned up. The Hungry Monkey was also desperately punching a wooden stake nted into the ground as if he was releasing energy; when Chen Miao advised him not to rush things, Hungry Monkey said he was trying to expend more energy so that he could eat moreter.


    So he didn''t say anything more.


    The group thus moved out of the graveyard in grand fashion and onto the highway, then called a few taxis and headed toward the city center one after the other.


    It was time to buy a car.


    ```


    Chen Miao sat in the passenger seat of the taxi, looking out the window, his mind slightly adrift. He thought that it was inconvenient to go out every time, maybe he should buy a truck, a truck that could fit everyone inside.


    But buying one would be too expensive, maybe he should just rob one instead. The question was, how to transfer ownership and get the tes to drive it into the city without getting caught.


    In Fengtian City, there were many significant powers.


    For example, "Chi Family," "Autumn Chamber of Commerce," and also "ck Hand Gang," every power could more or less strut around Fengtian City with impunity, but from beginning to end, there was only one force at the top.


    That was the Fengtian City Government.


    Small-time troublemakers might be ignored, but if you caused a big enough stir, you couldn''t possibly withstand the overwhelming power of the Fengtian City Government. With many years of umted influence, crushing him, a level 3 gunman, wouldn''t be too difficult.


    ...


    "Yuan Buping, go."


    Soon, after getting off in Fengtian City, Chen Miao saw a noodle shop that offered free extras. He and Hungry Monkey had eaten there before. They were interrupted by Zhou Yimingst time and left without paying, and it just so happened that they passed by this time.


    "Go pay for two servings of noodles. We had to leave because of some businessst time and didn''t pay."


    "Got it."


    Yuan Buping scampered over to the noodle shop and paid the bewildered owner for two bowls.


    Afterwards.


    Chen Miao led Hungry Monkey and the others into a nicely decorated banquet hall. After contemting the bnce in his ount for a moment and deciding it wouldn''t cost too much, he strode in: "Come on, let''s treat the brothers to a meal."


    "You''ve all worked hardtely."


    ...


    Inside the restaurant''s main hall.


    Chen Miao''s group sat at four or fiverge round tables, each tableden with countless dishes and some beer, and everyone was engaging in lively conversation.


    Yuan Buping shared a table just with Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao.


    At that moment, Yuan Buping lifted his ss to his lips, gazing at his brothers at the other tables with a thoughtful look on his face. He didn''t know why, but even though everyone was following Miao, he felt something was different from before, as if his status had gotten higher...


    And life seemed to be morefortable as well.


    This made him feel a bit off; he was now eager to do something for Miao, to show him that his money was not being wasted. Yuan Buping touched the Thompson Submachine Gun in his coat, beginning to fantasize that if robbers suddenly appeared, he would stand up and protect Miao.


    But soon he couldn''t help but shake his head andugh.


    How could robberse to rob a restaurant?


    But the next second¡ª


    "Bang!!!"


    The ss doors of the restaurant''s main hall shattered suddenly and in unison.


    Immediately after, a group of men dressed in ck with scarves covering their faces rushed in. The leader, a young man, had reddened eyes full of bloodshot veins as he roared.


    "The gang is at work!"


    "Do not harm any lives, everyone back off, whoever obstructs dies!"


    These men each held firearms orrge knives, and behind them followed Magician babies. It seemed like a team made up of Supernaturals, only they all seemed quite young.


    "Damn it!"


    Yuan Buping''s eyes sparkled with extreme excitement, ready to stand up and draw his Thomson to start firing. This was a chance for meritnding right in hisp, he had been worried about theck of opportunities to show his worth these days.


    This opportunity had just fallen into hisp.


    However.


    Just as he was about to stand and draw his gun, Chen Miao put a hand on his shoulder and took a casual nce at the intruders, whispering, "Keep eating."

 Chapter 66 : 65: "How is this place?

    As the people at the other tables saw Yuan Buping being pressed down, they started to get up but then sat back down in their seats. However, their eyes were fixed on the group that had burst into the hotel.


    At this moment,


    the gang of bandits also noticed Chen Miao and his group.


    It was indeed hard not to notice Chen Miao and the others; they all wore matching outfits, and with Hungry Monkey sitting alone at a table with Chen Miao, Yuan Buping, and others, it was obvious they were not good people.


    The young man leading these bandits apparently hadn''t nned for Chen Miao''s group. He was slightly taken aback before cupping his hands in front of him and bowing to Chen Miao and the others with a hoarse voice:


    "I am the leader of the bandit gang, everyone calls me Monkey Head Mushroom."


    "We are here today for some private business, and we apologize if we have caused any disturbance. We will be going upstairs to find someone and will leave shortly."


    "We kindly ask for the cooperation of the brothers here."


    Clearly, this gang of bandits was also worried that sudden action from Chen Miao and the others could disrupt their ns.


    Chen Miao didn''t speak; he just continued to bow his head and eat his meal as if he hadn''t heard anything.


    The bandits didn''t linger either; they immediately rushed up to the second floor of the restaurant, and not long after, they came down with a woman in a wedding dress, crying with terror and makeup running down her face. Several vans, which had appeared at the entrance at some unknown time, immediately opened their doors.


    They came without a trace, and they left without a trace.


    The group quickly vanished from sight, taking with them a maiden as beautiful as a flower who had just been getting married, as well as the desperately anxious parents who rushed to the entrance of the restaurant. Oh, and there was also a young man in a groom''s attire, standing to the side with a grim expression on his face.


    It seemed to be a case of a bride kidnapping.


    ...


    "A kidnapping, huh?"


    Hungry Monkey took two bowls of rice from the table, dumped them onto a te of food, picked up the te, and began shoveling it into his mouth like crazy. After quickly chewing through several mouthfuls, he let out a satisfied burp and looked towards the crowd of anxious people at the restaurant''s entrance, casually saying, "Are kidnappings so tant these days?"


    "In broad daylight, with so many cameras, so many eyewitnesses."


    "Plus, the target was obviously specific and not chosen at random. Just investigate the woman''s social rtions, and it''ll be very easy to catch these bandits."


    "Especially since these people even revealed their names."


    "It''s hard to say."


    Chen Miao shook his head as he leaned back in his chair, putting down his chopsticks and casually saying, "These people are clearly inexperienced, handling their business without any protocol. If they don''t have strong backing, I can only say these people are simply not afraid to die."


    And just then¡ª


    The Enforcement Bureau arrived btedly, starting to control the scene and look for eyewitnesses.


    Chen Miao didn''t want to get involved. Before the Enforcement Bureau arrived, he took Hungry Monkey and the others and left first.


    The ancients said: "When wine and food are plentiful, thoughts turn to desire."


    The ancients were right.


    This meal cost him over 6,000 credit points, but the value for money was pretty good. The food tasted great, and there was also a live drama to watch.


    ...


    Fifteen minutester.


    Chen Miao led Hungry Monkey and the others to the front of a standalone building named ''Night Heaven.''


    Though it was called Night Heaven,


    it was extremely bustling even during the day. Many people were entering and leaving through the storefront entrance, while behind the ss curtain walls on either side of the door, scantily d and seductive girls were continually throwinge-hither looks and dancing energetically to passersby.


    "This..."


    Hungry Monkey swallowed his saliva discreetly, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he said, "This... isn''t this inappropriate?"


    He had never been to such a ce before. In his entire life, he had never even touched a woman''s hand¡ªthe first time was in a dream. Not having money to visit was secondary; mainly, he was too scared toe.


    "A greenhorn, huh?"


    Chen Miao nced at Hungry Monkey with a bit of inner hesitation. He hated bringing greenhorns to ces like this the most; these novices often fall in love with the technicians who serve them, and no matter how much you try to dissuade them, they just wouldn''t listen, as if their brains had been waterlogged.


    Then he looked back at Yuan Buping and others with simr expressions. After a moment of silent expressionlessness, he hoarsely said, "You guys aren''t like that too, are you?"


    "Uh..."


    Yuan Buping lowered his head in slight embarrassment, his voice tiny as a fly, "Yeah, we all are."


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but sigh upon hearing that, "A bunch of youngds in your twenties, full of vim and vigor, you sure can put up with a lot. Come on, let''s indulge for once, I''ll take you guys for some meatier entertainment."


    "Life''s only so long, if we don''t enjoy this or that, what''s the point of living."


    Meanwhile, the female manager at the entrance had already noticed Chen Miao and his group, swaying her hips and strutting over like a cat, stopping in front of Chen Miao with doe-like eyes brimming with tenderness, "Big brother, what do you feel like doing?"


    Theirs was a line of work.


    Having sharp eyesight was a must, identifying who the leader was in a group, that was a basic skill.


    "Take these guys to arge private room, get more girls to set up a bare-skinned party, not the dull kind. They''re all newbies, bring in some who can really liven up and control the mood."


    "Get me a small room for a private selection."


    "I''ll choose myself."


    "I like ''em tall, leggy, and fair-skinned."


    "Understood!"


    The female manager''s eyes lit up at this, clearly dealing with a pro, but she couldn''t ce his face, maybe he was from another spot. If she serviced him well, he could be a regr, right?


    That would count as her achievement.


    ...


    Two hourster.


    After wrapping it all up, Chen Miao, draped in a bathrobe,y on the bed and looked at Zhou Shen as he entered, lighting a cigarette and casually asked, "How was it, had fun?"


    "I''ve agreed to what you mentioned."


    "Three dayster, I''ll return that item to you, and then it''s up to you to run the show."


    "Understood, thanks godfather."


    Zhou Shen, who entered and stood at the door, paused for a while before speaking in a low voice, "About that kidnapping at the Drunken Wind Pavilion today, you were at the scene, godfather. I''ve put a lid on that case for now, haven''t looked into it."


    "Should I continue investigating?"


    "Keep looking into it. That case has nothing to do with us, just investigate as usual, and one more thing¡ª"


    Chen Miao picked up a cigarette from the box on the bedside table and tossed it to Zhou Shen standing at the door, "Don''t call me godfather; I''m not into adopting sons. Just call me Miao, alright? How do you like this ce?"


    "It''s pretty good, the girls are quite nice."


    "I want this ce."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen was briefly stunned, then began to shake his head like a rattle, "Miao, it''s definitely not possible. This... there''s no chance. In Fengtian City or even the entire Federation, almost all the pleasure venues are federally operated."


    "Outsiders can''t get a hand in it."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded and casually said, "Even if this ce is involved in gambling and selling the banned drug ''AI Pills,'' that wouldn''t matter either?"


    "That''s at most a vition of the rules, but it''s still very difficult for outsiders to get involved."


    "But as far as I know, this ce regrly slips some grease to the gangs around here."


    "That''s true. Even though it''s a federal operation, they still have to let some profit slip through."


    "I want that cut."


    "Difficult," Zhou Shen hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I''ve also recently heard some insider info. The Federation''s research found that, through certain methods, those pills can enhance a person''s Skill Proficiency in their dreams."


    "It''s said that quite a few influential people are using ''AI Pills'' to improve their Skill Proficiency while they sleep."


    "These blemishes you''re talking about could be made into a big deal or trivialized, involving federal operations they''re certain to be yed down. Once the issue is downyed, it gradually disappears, either the issue itself or the person concerned."

 Chapter 67 : 66: "After all, still a child.

    "Skill Proficiency improved with AI pills?"


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed, but he didn''t speak. This sounded a bit like leveling up in standby mode. Taking AI pills to enter the dream state wouldn''t affect the quality of sleep. It was like having a night of lucid dreaming¡ªwaking up without feeling too bewildered, with no significant drawbacks.


    It wouldn''t be a problem for two or three consecutive days.


    As long as it wasn''t for one or two consecutive months, there wouldn''t be any issues with one''s health.


    Moreover, the most important thing was that in the dream state, anything could be conjured up with a thought, satisfying the need for some rather demanding skill training environments.


    "Can you get this thing?"


    "Not for now. I''ve only heard about this news, and I''m not sure if the source is reliable."


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "But I''ll get on that thing you mentioned about the site as soon as I can. That site gives a cut to a nearby gang every month to settle some matters that the Federation prefers not to handle directly¡ªusing the hands of a dirty gang to save face for the Federation."


    "As for which gang it is, this area is not under the jurisdiction of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, so I''m not certain. I''ll ask someone when I get back."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded his head without speaking and motioned with his hand that Zhou Shen could leave. Then, wrapped in his bath towel, heid back on the bed, silent, enjoying this moment of tranquility.


    He took a bath and had a simple massage.


    Without doing anything else.


    He feared being targeted.


    ...


    As Chen Miao and the others set off for home, the sky had darkened. The city was lit up with countless neon lights, making Fengtian City look bustling and prosperous, even if it wasn''t considered a top-notch city within the Federation.


    But it didn''t look bad, either.


    On this trip home, Yuan Buping and the others had purchased quite a few tools, preparing to start their dungeon project as soon as they returned to the graveyard. Now that Miao had given his approval, Yuan naturally wouldn''t just talk the talk.


    The group slowly made their way back to the cemetery.


    Along the way, Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and the others excitedly discussed the fun they had at the zero-gravity site. With this new experience, their conversations became more varied, and their rtionships seemed to grow closer.


    But¡ª


    Just as they were about to enter the cemetery, the elderly security guard in the guardhouse at the entrance, who was as usual watching TV, suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, "Do you know why I have lived this long?"


    His voice was somewhat jarring. Although it seemed like he was talking to them, the fact that he didn''t lift his head made it sound as if he was talking to himself.


    This was the first time Chen Miao had heard the old man speak. His eyes slightly narrowed, he stopped in his tracks and, leaning on his cane, turned to look at the stooped old man in the guardhouse, saying softly, "I''d be honored to learn from the senior."


    After spending some time together, he hade to consider the old man as someone extraordinary.


    But since the old man didn''t seem to bear any malice, Chen hadn''t approached to probe further, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yet now, for some reason, the old man had started talking out of the blue.


    Even Hungry Monkey, who was standing by the side, was slightly taken aback. Although he had only gotten permission to stay in the cemetery after speaking with the old manst time, the old man hadn''t said a word then, just waved his hand to signal he could do as he pleased. This was the first time he had heard the old man speak.


    His voice sounded awful.


    Like the sound of nails scraping on ss, broadcast through a poor-quality loudspeaker set to maximum volume.


    Unable to help himself, Hungry Monkey shuddered, feeling somewhat ufortable.


    This was the second time he had shuddered today.


    ```


    ...


    Meanwhile, the old man sitting in the security room paid no attention to Chen Miao and the others'' reactions. He continued to stare intently at the television, his cloudy eyes filled with a weary and hoarse voice, "A long, long time ago, I had an enemy."


    "After enduring in silence for ten years, and surviving countless deadly situations in various secret realms, I finally became strong. Then, one day, wearing a hood, I wiped out my enemy''s entire family¡ªa prominent n with 129 members."


    "I waited until all of these people were gathered before I moved, for fear of missing a single one."


    "That night, all of them died by my hand."


    "Only a few children were left, I didn''t kill them."


    Hearing this, Chen Miao seemed to understand something and nodded slightly¡ªhe could understand that even when faced with a mortal enemy, normal people would still feelpassion towards children. It just seemed that as these children grew up, they must have caused the old man quite some trouble.


    How does the saying goes?


    "I can live with guilt for a lifetime, but not with constant fear," clearly, the old gentleman had made a choice that wasn''t quite right.


    It was as if the old man hadn''t spoken for a long time, and speaking so much all at once seemed somewhat ufortable for him. After coughing several times, he continued, "If you were in this situation, what would you do?"


    Chen Miao stood still and didn''t reply.


    However, Hungry Monkey spoke thoughtfully, "This is indeed a difficult problem. Although they are the children of an enemy, they are still too young to understand; to kill them without distinction would indeed be demonic. If one is morally sound and there''s no risk of vengeance, it should be fine to let them go."


    "After all, they''re just children."


    "You could give them a piece of candy and a knife to test the children''s nature. If these children choose the knife, it means they harbor a will to kill and must not be spared!"


    "Oh?"


    The old man in the security room showed a glimmer of interest and turned to look at Hungry Monkey before asking again, "What if they choose the candy?"


    "They must not be spared either. If under such circumstances they would take candy from an enemy, it shows that these children are extremely cunning and even more so must not be let go."


    "What if they choose both?"


    "Such greed, they will be a major threat in the future; they must not be spared."


    "What if they choose neither?"


    "Rebellious to the bone, they must not be spared either!"


    "..."


    The stooped old man in the security room seemed somewhat thrown off his speaking rhythm by Hungry Monkey, and for a moment, he wasn''t sure how to continue the conversation, creating an awkward atmosphere.


    Yuan Buping, who was standing to the side, scratched the back of his head. He was itching to express his thoughts but felt that this wasn''t the right moment or ce for him to speak.


    After a moment of silence, the old man continued, speaking to himself.


    "Everyone has their choices, and that night I hid myself away, lurking in the shadows."


    "Finally¡ª"


    "Three dayster, those children, who had been running and hiding, found themselves in a hidden cer. I followed them there, and in that cer, there were seven or eight women, the family''s females whom I initially hadn''t found."


    "This time I killed the women."


    "But I still didn''t kill the children. I just left them some food and water before leaving."


    "Three days passed, and some couldn''t withstand it and came with covered faces to find the children, nning to take them away. I had been staying in the vicinity all this time, and naturally wouldn''t let these people go. I executed them all together."


    ```

 Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Special Supernatural Occupation "Tomb Guardian

    "A month had passed like that, when it became certain that nobody was left to look for these children, nor would anyone evere searching for them."


    "I killed the children."


    "Then I turned and fled."


    "That same day, I changed my appearance and proimed myself a bastard child who had strayed away from the family. Weeping profusely, I spent a considerable amount of money to im the bodies and bury them in the deste wilderness beyond the city, where I created a cemetery."


    "I was the Tomb Guardian for five years."


    "At first, no one believed my story, nor did theye to pay their respects; but by the third year of my guardianship, more and more people began to visit, and through conversations with them, I came to know of their intricate connections with the family and their constant thoughts of avenging these people. Their profound sentiments were admirable."


    "Amidst jovial banter, I memorized their faces."


    "Two more years passed, and no new mourners came; it was time to end this. I hunted down everyone who hade to pay their respects over the years, not sparing a single one, thuspletely resolving the matter. Many years have passed, and no one has evere after me for revenge over this affair."


    "And due to those five years of guarding, I acquired the special Supernatural upation ''Tomb Guardian.''"


    "And sessfully advanced in it."


    The old man moved his gaze away from the TV, directing it outside the security room to Chen Miao, his expression calm and unreadable, with only his face, wrinkled like tree bark, trembling slightly: "Do you understand what I''m saying?"


    "Either don''t kill at all, or if you do, make sure to eradicate thempletely; otherwise, you''ll live in fear for the rest of your life. You never know if that seemingly harmless young man in the crowd is the son of an enemying for revenge."


    "Someone has gone in."


    "Your unresolved tails, make smaller movements, don''t destroy my cemetery."


    Don''t destroy my cemetery?


    Hearing these words, Chen Miao was slightly taken aback. What did he mean by that? Was it to be taken literally, or was it just force of habit? Did this cemetery belong to the old man?


    Perhaps... it wasn''t impossible.


    After all, this old fox had be a Supernatural many years ago, and his strength was most certainly greater than theirs. His words harbored a benevolent warning, but Chen Miao couldn''t decipher the old man''s true intentions.


    But the old man inside the security room had no intention of saying more, his gaze returning to the television as he murmured with clouded eyes, "Come find me after you deal with the situation inside. I''m just an old man with old limbs; I''m no match for these people."


    "You can''t really expect me to ensure safety."


    "Afterward, perhaps we can strike a deal."


    ...


    Chen Miao nodded slightly in acknowledgement before withdrawing his cane, then pulled out the Thompson Submachine Gun from his embrace and held it in his hand as he slowly walked toward the cemetery. The old man had made one thing very clear: someone wasing for revenge, and they had already entered the cemetery.


    Taking advantage of their departure, this was a direct attack on theirir.


    They had guts.


    Yet they hadn''t made any real enemies. Who could being after them?


    Essentially everyone they had crossed had died. Could it be Hungry Monkey, that traitor?


    Meanwhile, Yuan Buping and the others also drew their Thompsons and held them at the ready, their expressions cold and vignt as they followed Chen Miao''s lead, inching forward. The Thompson Submachine Gun was an item that could only be used after reaching Level 2, and for now, they weren''t able to fire it, but holding it made for a convincing bluff.


    In a critical moment, they could even use their bodies to shield Miao from bullets.


    Surviving would be their great achievement.


    If they died, they would be buried right there.


    If they were half-dead, they would be rushed at top speed to Broken Pot City to find Doctor Gou.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    They hardly had to make much of an effort before they saw a young couple shivering next to a grave pit in a small grove.


    Could this young couple be the "tail" the old man was referring to?


    At this moment, the young lovers were huddled together, clinging to one another in extreme fear and leaning against a tree, as they looked towards Chen Miao and his group emerging. When the young man saw Chen Miao, his face lost a trace of fear and gained a trace of excitement.


    "Big brother, it''s me, we met today, I''m the ''Monkey Head Mushroom'' from the gang!"


    Even though there was hardly any acquaintance.


    But in this secluded and eerie ce, a person he had once met might provide him with some insignificant sense of security.


    "..."


    Chen Miao put away his Thompson submachine gun and stood in ce with his cane in one hand, frowning slightly as he looked at the couple. The woman was even wearing a wedding dress; she was the very woman who was taken from the restaurant earlier that day.


    It was almost exactly as he had guessed.


    The woman in the wedding dress was clinging tightly to the young man at her side, which didn''t look at all like the rtionship between a criminal and a hostage.


    ...


    Ten minutester.


    Hungry Monkey suddenly had a moment of realization and nodded his head, looking at the couple sitting on either side of the bonfire: "I get it now, you mean to say this girl''s family is very wealthy, and you''ve been an orphan since childhood, roaming the streets."


    "By chance, you fell in love."


    "But the girl''s family wanted to marry her off to another man."


    "After discussing it for a long time, you nned a marriage robbery and kidnapping to extort a ransom, nning to run away with the ransom and elope together, then im to the world that you''ve killed the hostage, after which you''d live your own life as a couple. Is that right?"


    "Mm-hmm."


    The young man who appeared rather youthful nodded vigorously.


    "I understand."


    Hungry Monkey nodded again, then took out a cigarette and tossed it into Yuan Buping''s arms before lighting one for himself and asked with confusion, "But what the hell are you doing on our turf?"


    "Well, big brother, I really didn''t know this was your territory. The Enforcement Bureau in the city has been after me, and in my panic, I just ran here. It''s more remote and seemed like a good ce to hide for a few days."


    "Where are your brothers? Aren''t you part of a gang?"


    "They''re fake, just some brothers from the streets who''ve been with me since we were kids. They knew I was going to steal a bride and came to help me out. I can''t drag them into this mess, so I told everyone to scatter. If I get caught, I''ll take the responsibility myself."


    "A bunch of street wanderers became supernatural beings?"


    "The gun is fake, just a model, I''m not a supernatural being."


    "I saw the Magician summon his familiars."


    "Those were justrge dolls, with people inside acting."


    "Not a single supernatural being?"


    "None..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao was already standing at the entrance of the security room, ncing at the old man inside who looked up waiting for his answer. With an expressionless face, he fell into deep thought in silence without replying.


    Thest task of this magnitude was "Helping Doctor Gou''s clinic to resurrect."


    And now he had received another one.


    "Help the Tomb Guardian old man fill the graveyard, the fuller, the better."

 Chapter 69: Chapter 68: "You kill your people, I guard my tomb.

    While Hungry Monkey and his group were dealing with the young couple in the graveyard, Chen Miao had already arrived at the entrance guard room and was discussing the so-called transaction with the old man.


    The transaction the old man proposed was quite simple.


    He only needed Chen Miao to add corpses to the graveyard, offering him 100 Star Coins for each one.


    It didn''t matter where they were buried; there was no need to bury them in the graves specifically.


    However...


    Chen Miao''s brows furrowed in thought before he finally spoke up, "Can''t you do this task yourself? Predecessor, you''re much stronger than I am. This matter doesn''t seem to necessitate my involvement, does it?"


    "Of course, there is."


    The old man sitting in the guard room lifted his eyelids and nced at Chen Miao, "These days, murder is a crime, where am I supposed to kill people? As for you, every time youe back from outside, you''re covered in the smell of blood, you''ve killed more than a few yourself. Naturally, you are the most suitable for helping me."


    "If you agree, the next time you go out and there are outsidersing in, though I can''t help you stop them, at least I can send a message to inform you in advance."


    "How about it?"


    "You kill your people, and I''ll guard my graves."


    After finishing this sentence, it seemed like the old man used up all his strength. His lips slightly dry, he spat saliva into the palm of his hand and then rubbed it onto his lips as if smearing on lip balm, slowly coating his mouth.


    "Okay."


    Chen Miao agreed. There was no reason for him not to.


    Not only was the task beneficial for him, but also, he didn''t know the full extent of the old man''s capabilities. There was no need to offend him for the time being.


    After adding him as a friend, he also saw some basic information about the old man.


    ''Lv.19, Tomb Guardian, Sun Changqing.''


    Level 19?


    Chen Miao frowned and did not speak. Logically, this level should be findable in the ''Fengtian City Level Rankings,'' but this name wasn''t on the list. Was there some method to avoid being ranked, or was it because he wasn''t from Fengtian City?


    That''s not right, the city-state rankings aren''t based on household registration. As long as you are within Fengtian City''s jurisdiction, you''ll automatically be ranked and find your ce on the list, and this graveyard also falls within the jurisdiction of Fengtian City.


    Sun Changqing, quite an ordinary name, nothing much to take note of.


    This world is bing ever more abstract, operating in ways beyond his understanding. Who could have imagined a graveyard security uncle turning out to be a Level 19 supernatural being?


    This is insane.


    No wonder when that siege boss appeared, you disappeared. It turns out you were preparing to make a move in the shadows? In that case, the moment he fired his gun that day might have been seen by this old man.


    The old man didn''t speak further, reverting to his usual demeanor, staring nkly at the TV as if sinking back into a stupor.


    ...


    Having returned to the graveyard, Chen Miao immediately searched online for information about the ''Tomb Guardian'' hidden upation, but unfortunately, he didn''t find any useful information, proving that even within hidden upations, this one was exceedingly rare.


    But based on his observations of the old man over the past few days,


    He had some guesses.


    For instance, guarding the graveyard for a day might grant certain rewards or experience, and the more people buried in the graveyard, the greater the rewards would be.


    Although he didn''t find information about this upation, he dide across something else.


    Several years ago, in ''Jingyang City,'' not far from Fengtian City, there were several family massacres. The first household saw all 129 members brutally murdered during a family reunion; even women and children hiding in the cer were not spared.


    A few yearster, several families in Jingyang City suffered the same fate.


    It seemed this must have been Sun Changqing''s doing; such methods were indeed harsh. How deep must the hatred be to warrant such vengeance? Thest time he saw such a thing... was with Doctor Gou.


    Thinking this, Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly, and he felt he had to reassess this world. It seemed a bit too impulsive. Why were vengeances always carried out by ughtering entire families?


    What if there was someone in his own family who liked to cause trouble, and one day someone decided to annihte his family, wouldn''t he be innocently killed as well?


    Luckily, he had no family members.


    There was no need to worry about being implicated.


    He then sighed deeply, his eyes slightly narrowing as he murmured, "Hidden upation."


    These past few days, he had heard plenty about hidden upations, such as ''Tomb Guardian,'' ''Demon''s Right Hand,'' and ''Mechanical Demon.'' The power of these hidden upations went without saying, but their costs were also substantial.


    Ordinary upations advanced steadily, aiming for bnced and multi-dimensional growth, while special upations often led to extreme effects, along with significant side effects, meaning the trade-offs were quite sizable, leading to a more radical overall style.


    He spected that the side effect of the ''Tomb Guardian'' hidden upation might be an inability to leave the graveyard for too long or a necessity to stay in the graveyard for a certain number of days, perhaps also including a restriction against killing by hand.


    Otherwise, there was no need to delegate the task to him.


    He could just find a small county disregarded by the federation, ughter everyone, and bury them all in his own graveyard, getting far more rewards.


    The side effect of ''Demon''s Right Hand'' is that while the right hand bes significantly more powerful, the left hand is almostpletely weak and only good for daily activities. Inbat, forget using it; you essentially be a one-handed warrior.


    The biggest downside of ''Mechanical Demon'' is being so transformed that you are no longer fully human, akin to ascending directly into machinery.


    Each hidden upationes with its own side effects.


    And he was about to make his first Job Transfer.


    ''Job Transfer Conditions'': Clear 3 secret realms, achieve a total of 100 kills inside secret realms, and spend 500 Star Coins.


    Meeting these three conditions would allow a transfer. Among the subsequent advancement upations for the Gunman Profession, there''s only the Second Turn ''Heavy Gunner''. He had fulfilled thest two conditions and needed only to meet the first one now.


    One more secret realm to clear would suffice.


    Yet, he didn''t know if this major event would offer a chance to procure a Skill Book for a hidden upation from the Gunner Series. Sun Changqing had just shared some valuable intelligence with him, perhaps even something that Zhou Shen with his unique physique did not know.


    Thebat-oriented major event urring in over a dozen hours would be different from previous ones; this time, many people would be keeping an eye on the event.


    Firstly: This major event was only open to supernatural beings below Lv. 3, crafted especially for neers, featuring a wealth of hidden upations, Attribute Exchange Tickets, Skill Books, Prop Fragments, materials, etc., within.


    The rewards were extremely generous.


    But this was secondary.


    The second point was the most important: the final victor would be able to secure an additional city benefit for their city, with the city benefit chosen randomly andsting for one year.

 Chapter 70: Chapter 69: The Tomb Guardians First Plan to Gain Fame.

    If the first point merely made countless juniors feel pretty good, allowing them to overlook the risks brought about by the major event and to joyfully revel in the bounty of their harvest,


    then the second point was something that even the members of the Fengtian City Government found hard to ignore.


    More than ten days earlier.


    The Fengtian City Government had selected several robust officials who then reset their sses and levels, keeping their level at "lv.3" in preparation to take the lead in the grand event. They also secretly discussed with every influence in Fengtian City that had a say.


    They convinced these forces to at least send out one or two Supernaturals who had reset their sses to deal with this major event.


    Experience was extremely hard toe by; even perfectly clearing an F-level Secret Realm would only yield 100 experience points, and an Experience Secret Realm that Chen Miao and others could breeze through still gave less than 1,000 experience points.


    Having a high-level Supernatural reset their ss and level meant that person was essentially ruined. To regain their previous strength, it would take at least five or six years even if they spent day and night in the Secret Realm. And by the time they regained their former power, their peers would have long left them in the dust.


    The higher the level, the greater the cost of resetting one''s ss and level.


    However, simrly, although all Attribute Points are removed after the reset, Skill Proficiency and Combat Experience will not decrease, and their understanding of Secret Realms, grand events, and other Supernatural urrences bes even deeper.


    This means that the higher the level, the greater the crushing advantage they will have over neers after resetting.


    "To win a new city-state effect for Fengtian City."


    This benefit was for everyone, so it was unreasonable to expect only the Fengtian City Government to make an effort. These other forces had to dispatch people as well.


    Under the guise of a noble cause or the overpowering authority of the Fengtian City Government, not a single force refused.


    Spreading the risk indeed ensured that no one would suffer too drastically.


    As long as the final victor was a Supernatural from Fengtian City, it was all good. City-states like Jingjiu City, which were almost detached from such events, wouldn''t care for an additional time-limited city-state effect. Especially not one that was limited in duration.


    But for Fengtian City and the surrounding cities with less advantageous city-state effects, this temporary new city-state effect was life-saving.


    Countless forces from other cities had sent a great number of people to Fengtian City under the cover of secrecy over the past few days, preparing to take part in the uing event and snatch the reward from the ultimate winner.


    Like the Envy Organization from a ce called "Gaobei City," they had been sneaking people into the city in recent days with their sights set on the grand event. However, it seemed like their stealth wasn''t quite up to par; it felt like everyone knew they were sneaking into the city.


    What was the point of sneaking in then?


    "..."


    Chen Miao sat in the tomb chamber, leaning against his own coffin, and after summoning Hungry Monkey with his wristwatch, he finally asked, "Do you think there''s a way for our ''Tomb Guardian'' organization to quickly make a name for ourselves?"


    In his recent conversation with Sun Changqing,


    the other party also revealed an important point that nearly all powerful individuals in the Federation either had their own factions or had joined one, and once their level reached a certain threshold, it became difficult to operate alone.


    Like at level 30.


    At this stage, one is almost at their limit of elevation, and raising one''s level bes extremely difficult. To enhance one''s Combat Power through Level Up is too hard, and once items like Attribute Exchange Coupons with limited uses are all employed¡ªif you used five and he also used five, everything remains the same, as if no one had used any at all.


    It''s not like at levels 1 or 2, where obtaining an item or identally gaining 2 Attribute Exchange Tickets could instantly create a gap with those around you.


    There''s a cap on the number of skills one can learn, and if you can learn skills, so can others.


    The Skill Proficiency is more or less the same for everyone at level 30. Even if your proficiency is higher, how much better can it be?


    Items are the same case¡ªdo you have an opportunity that I don''t?


    Without opportunities, who could climb to level 30? To actually ascend step by step to that level could freaking take decades and still not be enough.


    At that point, even a slight difference in Combat Power could determine who lives and who dies when they sh, and having a faction is a very important factor in raising the upper limit, providing Faction Effects to increase power, special bonuses within the faction''s territory, and unique faction maps yielding extra Special Items and skills, and so on.


    One critical point¡ª


    Family.


    "How the hell can you, one man, beat all of us?"


    So... basically, in the Federation, there were no Supernaturals above lv. 30 who had not joined a faction. Joining a major faction for protection and to increase one''s Combat Power limit was obviously the preferred solution.


    The more you advanced, the more important the power of a faction became.


    As Power Value kept increasing, the faction would unlock more functions. There were generally only two ways to raise Power Value, the first was to improve the Combat Power of the members, and the second was to expand influence.


    And his initial n was to make a name for himself during this major event!


    Before Hungry Monkey could reply, Chen Miao took the lead and said, "A faction needs to develop, and to develop, we must first make a name. I n to make ''Tomb Guardian'' well-known during this major event, as it will attract a lot of attention."


    "As long as I can secure the position of ultimate winner, ''Tomb Guardian'' will definitely be famous."


    "But how should we operate to maximize the effect?"


    "This..."


    After thinking hard and biting his finger for a while, Hungry Monkey finally looked up and said, "I''ll go and discuss it with Yuan Buping and the others."


    "Good."


    "By the way, Miao, what should we do about that couple? Kill them or let them go? They''ve found Yuan Buping and the others'' tombs, and letting them go might risk exposing ourir."


    "Keep them for now, we''ll decide after tomorrow''s major event is over."


    "Understood."


    ...


    "Make a name?"


    Yuan Buping was slightly stunned, then his eyes suddenly shed with excitement, "I''m good at this. Isn''t making a name just about increasing exposure? When I used to lead the boys in the inte business, that''s what I understood best, we..."


    "Hold on."


    Hungry Monkey interrupted Yuan Buping, somewhat confused, "What you''re saying is a bit muddled. Aren''t you guys thugs? How did you start doing inte stuff?"


    "Wearing multiple hats..."


    Yuan Buping touched his nose and chuckled, "I used to be a boss; naturally, I had to figure out ways to make money for the brothers. I couldn''t let them call me big bro for nothing. After so many years, it''s finally my turn to be called big bro."


    "I can finally experience the ease of being an underling."


    Hungry Monkey remained silent for a long moment, then nodded in agreement, "That makes sense, you really know life."


    At this moment, Yuan Buping opened his wristwatch and projected his inte ount named ''Who Dares to Compete? All Are Mere Ants!'' into the air. The ount contained many videos, each showing Yuan Buping and others wearing matching ck suits, with icy expressions and synced movements dancing to music beats.


    It did look somewhat professional.


    It''s just that the number of likes wasn''t high; it seemed that Yuan Buping hadn''t quite seeded in the inte business.


    "You guys can dance?"


    Hungry Monkey looked at Yuan Buping and the others in surprise, "You can fight, handle construction, and dance? Are you freaking multi-talented? With these badass skills, how did you guys end up having such a hard time before?"


    "So, Yuan Buping, your idea is, now choreograph a dance, and during the major event, you''ll burst out and be famous like that?"


    "Yeah, yeah. Whether it''s for spread or attractiveness, it''s definitely enough, especially when Miao gets some big reward or announcement, we''ll start dancing. Uniform attire, precise movements, it will definitely catch eyes."


    "It doesn''t seem like a bad idea. What dance is the hottest on the inte recently?"


    "That has to be Subject Three!"

 Chapter 71: Chapter 70: "What I want is to make a name, not a bad name!

    "Subject Three?"


    Hungry Monkey nodded thoughtfully. It was a simple and abstract dance that originated from a local dance in a city, whichter became popr across the inte after someone slightly revised it and paired it with a catchy tune.


    Originally, it was just something used for amusement in the lower-tier markets.


    People watched whileughing and cursing at the same time.


    But perhaps the trend had grown too popr, as a politician from a certain city danced to Subject Three before stepping up to run for office and won the election with an overwhelming majority of votes.


    Additionally, a highly popr actress also performed Subject Three with her dance troupe at the end of a concert, topping the hot search charts once again.


    Although it seemed abstract, in reality, traffic was king. In this world, having traffic and attention meant you could obtain more resources than others.


    "Quite interesting."


    Hungry Monkey nodded, turned on the speaker, and looked toward Yuan Buping and others: "Then let''s start. I want to see how well you dance it."


    The next second¡ª


    A familiar tune suddenly started ying.


    "A sword unsheathed shrouds the moon as jianghu feuds are put aside, the west wind, fallen leaves, parting is hard on a bed where the sword lies."


    "You, a passerby of mountains and rivers, yet constantly sigh at separations, your temples frosted, your drink strong and heady."


    Yuan Buping and his 17-person crew, dressed in identical ck suits, quickly formed a dance group with Yuan at the forefront. With a stoic face, Yuan led the dance as the music began, waving his arms.


    A line of dancers.


    All moved with uniform precision.


    It was perfect; the rhythm of the music and the movement of their bodies were executed impably.


    "Perfect!"


    After watching the performance, Hungry Monkey pped his hands with satisfaction: "Truly the king of abstractions. If you were to do this during a major event, we ''Tomb Guardians'' would definitely be famous. Not bad."


    "Wait here, I''ll go report to Miao."


    ...


    Ten minutester.


    Chen Miao, who had been called out to check the results, watched with a nk face as Yuan Buping and the others finished dancing Subject Three. After a long silence, he turned to Hungry Monkey, hooked him by the neck, brought his head close to his ear, and whispered hoarsely, word by word.


    "I want fame!"


    "Authority and fame!"


    "Not fucking infamy!"


    "Cancel it. If you dare dance Subject Three behind my back and lose face for me, you''re done."


    After taking a deep breath, he then turned coldly toward Yuan Buping and the others and said with a sneer, "I didn''t realize you guys could dance like that. Not bad. Hungry Monkey, send them the video of the coffin danceter; the suits are quite fitting."


    "Since you can dance, do this dance a hundred times today."


    "No eating until you''re done."


    Having said that, Chen Miao didn''t linger and went directly to his tomb chamber to start nning a fame-boosting strategy for the big event. He already had an initial n; if you wanted to be famous and be remembered for a long time, there had to be a story.


    A neer suddenly rising to be the ultimate champion would be shocking, but it wouldn''t be memorable for long, nor could it be widely spread for long.


    But¡ª


    If a neer suddenly emerged and, despite facing numerous obstacles from various powers, nearly failed, but ultimately relied on the belief in their heart to turn the tables at thest moment.


    Yes, that story sounded like it would have a wider reach.


    He nned to write a script and then give a brief performance during the big event. After the event concluded, he would find a few media outlets to help publicize his "Tomb Guardian" force.


    Creating a persona for himself that''s built entirely on hard work and perseverance.


    Perfect.


    ...


    "What are they doing over there..."


    Hungry Monkey, the gang leader, was at that moment hugging his girlfriend and hiding in the woods, his gaze nkly fixed on the nearby scene where, apanied by music, a group of people in ck suits started dancing with a coffin.


    It was his first time witnessing a coffin dance in real life.


    It was also his first encounter with a gang.


    At the moment, he didn''t know the name of this force , only that their choice of location was very secretive, and they didn''t seem to have any intention of chasing or killing them for the time being. They could hide out here for a while; the Enforcement Bureau likely wouldn''t be able to find this ce.


    Even if they did, they probably wouldn''t take actions. After all, the Enforcement Bureau tends to show some respect to gangs like this and wouldn''t rashly search for people.


    Yet, he hadn''t noticed that the eyes of the girlfriend in his arms were gradually filling with regret.


    A girl who had been clothed in silk and jewels since childhood had run away from the big city to a graveyard for the sake of love. When she calmed down and really thought about it, she realized she would no longer wake up to someone handing her warm milk, nor would she have closets full of clothes anymore.


    She suddenly felt it wasn''t worth it.


    For this girl, the greatest hardship she might''ve faced in her life was probably coffee.


    ...


    Time slowly passed by.


    The sun gradually set.


    That day, Yuan Buping and others performed the coffin dance 100 times, not one time less. Whether Miao was joking or being punitive, since Miao said to do it 100 times, they had to do it 100 times.


    Being the boss, there was no such thing as a joke.


    Even if Miao was joking, they had toply. It was about maintaining Miao''s authority. Yuan Buping, who had once been a boss himself, knew this very clearly. In his view, in order for the "Tomb Guardian" force to develop, Miao''s authority had to be established.


    After that,


    Yuan Buping started today''s graveyard renovation project. Their graves were a little too conspicuous, spotted immediately by the couple that had strayed into the graveyard earlier that day. If no one came to worship on these days, but then suddenly someone did, they would see right through it.


    So, they nned to add some decorations to make their graves more concealed.


    Night fell, and everyone went to sleep.


    After an indeterminate amount of time, lights turned on, and the day brightened.


    At just 9 a.m., Chen Miao had already washed up and, together with Yuan Buping and his group, took a cab to Fengtian City. Perhaps because they had some money on them, they didn''t take the bus, opting instead to take a taxi when leaving the house.


    It was morefortable and faster.


    It just cost a bit more money.


    And in the sky, the countdown had only 12 hours left. Tonight at nine, the first big event he would encounter in this world was approaching. Before that, he needed to do some preparations.


    Soon¡ª


    He arrived at Secret Realm Building, now having a legal identity that allowed him free entry to the building. Although he had killed quite a few people in the Experience Secret Realmst time, it didn''t matter; after all, murder in the secret realm wasn''t illegal.


    Nobody came after him seeking revenge either, Doctor Gou had taken care of things cleanly.


    Come to think of it, he hadn''t seen Doctor Gou for a long time and wondered how the other was doing now.


    Today he nned to level up Yuan Buping and the others to level 1.

 Chapter 72: Chapter 71: Starting at Level 15, How Do You Play?

    Yuan Buping and hispanions'' Gunman Profession was still in an unactivated state. To sessfully activate the career, only three conditions needed to be met.


    1: Craft an exclusive F-grade weapon.


    2: Clear a Secret Realm once.


    3: Spend 200 Star Coins.


    It was simple, without much difficulty, at least for him now, it wasn''t anything too hard to do. Plus, with just 100 experience points, he could smoothly reach lv.1. He nned to take Yuan Buping and the others to the Secret Realm Building to farm some experience for a while.


    These perfectly cleared Secret Realms generally had guides that could be looked up; low-level Secret Realms just required one to follow the procedures once inside. As long as nothing absurd was done, it was unlikely any idents would ur.


    Unless one''s brain got waterlogged and they decided to stray from the main group to peer into the well of some deserted courtyard to see what was at the bottom.


    Perfectly clearing an F-grade uncultivated Secret Realm, the reward was 100 experience points.


    Clearing an F-grade cultivated Secret Realm, the reward was 20 experience points.


    In the federation, there was something quite magical known as Protectors, and of course, some people preferred to call them power levelers.


    For just a bit of money, one could have a powerful person, such as a level fifteen expert, lead you through some F or E grade Secret Realms. There was no pressure; one could simply follow behind, sipping c and singing songs, and easily clear the realms.


    However, only a small portion of Secret Realms had no level restriction; most Secret Realms imposed level restrictions on entering yers.


    And these level-unrestricted Secret Realms were often referred to by people as Chaotic Demon Dances; one could never know if the teammate beside them might be a level fifteen big shot.


    If one encountered a confrontational type of level-unrestricted Secret Realm.


    Then they could only pray for good luck, as it most likely boiled down to which side had the more fierce Protector.


    Chen Miao had looked it up online; after clearing any of the level-unrestricted Secret Realms in Fengtian City, one could receive 1200 experience points, enough to level up to 3 and still have 400 extra experience points left, at a total cost of 600,000 credit points.


    For just 600,000, one could skyrocket from level 0 to 3 in an instant.


    A Secret Realm run every few minutes, unimaginably fast.


    Many rich heirs directly spent 600,000 to have someone level them up to 3 first, then they would start forming teams to explore the Secret Realms themselves, which could save them quite a lot of time. However, it is said that the people in Jingjiu City didn''t y this way.


    Those people in Jingjiu City, likewise hiring levelers, didn''t just go to the unrestricted Secret Realms of Jingjiu City; they would visit all cities'' unrestricted Secret Realms across the entire federation.


    All in one go.


    For just a mere 90 million credit points, one could take a leisurely journey ande back as a level 15 Supernatural upation.


    Starting at level 15, how would youpete?


    It was said that Jingjiu City once had an 18-level Supernatural who shocked the entire federation, and the shocking part was that this Supernatural was just one year and seven months old.


    ...


    And today, Chen Miao intended to hire a leveler to take Yuan Buping and the others to level 3, thus activating the Gunman Profession, and incidentally allowing the normal use of the Thomson Submachine Guns he had distributed.


    600,000 per person, for seventeen people, was 10.2 million.


    Just over 10 million, not too expensive.


    But he didn''t have it.


    So he found a cost-saving method.


    "Hard work."


    Chen Miao looked back at Zhou Shen with a smile: "After this is over, I''ll treat you to a good meal."


    "..."


    Today, Zhou Shen wasn''t wearing a uniform, but casual clothes instead. He stood there, the corners of his mouth twitching wildly; lying down like this, he feared today he might have a hard time walking out normally, this was going to exhaust him.


    As the Deputy Director of the Enforcement Bureau, this was his first time working with such high intensity.


    But he couldn''t not show up.


    After all, he was now Chen Miao''s man, and he still hoped Chen Miao would help him achieve the position of Deputy Director of the Events Bureau, so how could he refuse.


    "Eh."


    Chen Miao suddenly thought of something, turned his head to look at Zhou Shen: "Since this levelling service is so profitable, making 600,000 credit points a day, why don''t you make this extra money on the side?"


    "There aren''t many in Fengtian City who can make that amount."


    Zhou Shen shook his head and exined: "After all, only a minority y this way, and the vast majority simply can''t afford it. 600,000, that''s an amount many ordinary people wouldn''t be able to save in their entire lives without eating or drinking."


    "Only a few people who can afford to y like this wouldn''t look for someone in the external market; they already have Supernatural Beings within their own forces who specialize in mentoring neers. Those few who do need to find someone in the market always turn to familiar faces. The number of jobs that actually end up in this market can be counted on the fingers of one hand over the course of a year."


    "Take the people from Jingjiu City, for example. They im it''s 90 million Star Coins to guarantee a level 15, but the actual cost is nowhere near that high since those major families all have people specifically trained to guide others through the maps."


    "They just really do charge 90 million, that''s all."


    "And though the market is indeed vast, there isn''t any maliciouspetition, the prices are basically fixed. This is because someone is controlling it. Privilege is privilege because only a handful of people have it, and many don''t want to share it."


    "Understood."


    Chen Miao nodded, smiling, "Then let''s get started. We have a tight schedule and a lot of work to do; we have to finish before 9 o''clock tonight."


    "Don''t get your hopes up too high."


    Zhou Shen shook his head helplessly, "Today, at best, we can get about seven or eight people to level 3. The rest will have to wait for next time."


    "No problem, just do as much as we can. A few is better than none."


    ...


    After watching Zhou Shen and others walk towards the elevator to enter the Secret Realm, Chen Miao led Hungry Monkey to the reception desk in the hall to inquire about what floor the Secret Realm for testing Combat Power was on.


    He couldn''t take Yuan Buping and the others to farm experience because he was on the verge of leveling up himself, and he didn''t want to level up. Leveling up would disqualify him from participating in the major event, and all his preparations would be wasted.


    But since he hade, he might as well see what his Combat Power was.


    "The 27th floor, is it?"


    "Okay, thank you."


    Chen Miao casually thanked the receptionist and then followed Hungry Monkey into the elevator to go to the 27th floor to test his actual Combat Power value.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Zhou Shen was already going berserk in the Secret Realm, fully unleashing the might of the Supernatural upation ''Fist Dominator''.


    "Die for me!!!!"


    Before Yuan Buping even finished reading the Secret Realm Introduction panel, he saw Zhou Shen lift his fist high, ignoring the lesser monsters on the street, and rush straight to the end of the road where he pounded the boss that had just jumped out to death.


    ''Ding, congrattions to yer Yuan Buping for sessfully clearing Grade F Secret Realm ''Autumn Demise''.''


    The dumbfounded Yuan Buping nced at the settlement panel and then at his watch ¡ª it took 28 seconds.


    Awesome!


    This was a five-person Secret Realm with no level restrictions. Only the first clearance provided experience; no matter how many times it was cleared after that, no experience was given. This was also the special feature of level-unrestricted Secret Realms.


    Basically, only level-unrestricted Secret Realms could be entered repeatedly. Theoretically speaking, all other Secret Realms could not be revisited.


    For instance, the Experience Secret Realm and the first Secret Realm that Chen Miao entered were both one-time-only.


    Before Yuan Buping had time to react, a sh of white light whisked him out of the Secret Realm. Without a moment to think, he immediately followed Zhou Shen directly to another Secret Realm next door.


    This time.


    Yuan Buping was quick to read the entire Secret Realm panel, to avoid the same situation where the Secret Realm was cleared before he had finished reading. He wasn''t just after the experience; it was also about gaining a better understanding of the Secret Realms.


    It would be a big help the next time he entered a Secret Realm on his own.


    Just as he finished reading the panel, he saw Zhou Shen leaping through the air, releasing a roaring punch that hit the ground, sending countless ripples spreading out from the epicenter of the punch, and the monsters that hadn''t even emerged from underground yet.


    With that one punch, including the boss, everything was annihted.


    For a level 21 ''Fist Dominator'', ughtering level 1 monsters and level 3 bosses was as easy as slicing through melons!


    It was a one-sided massacre!


    "..."


    Yuan Buping stood silently in ce, his face expressionless as he said nothing. He suddenly felt aplete shift in his understanding. He had always believed that with enough hard work, gradually saving up to buy a Job Transfer Book, he could catch up with the privileged and powerful Supernaturals one day.


    Now, he saw that he was utterly naive.


    He relied on his own hard work.


    Whereas those people relied on the efforts of countless others beneath them.


    It simply wasn''t the same dimension.

 Chapter 73: Chapter 72: This is the rule in the broader context.

    ```


    "Die for me!!"


    ```


    From the start, Zhou Shen''s punch was incredibly arrogant as he killed the boss with a single blow, but as time went on, he fell into silence, focused on clearing levels, until atst his speed slowed down. The boss was right in front of him, but Zhou Shen''s punch nevernded.


    After biting his lip and trying several times,


    he couldn''t help but step back and plop down on the ground, breathless and covered in sweat, he said, "I can''t go on, I need a break, feeling a bit weak."


    The fact proved that even if they were just trashy bosses, as long as there were enough of them, they could wear down a level 21 Supernatural upation professional without any problems.


    "Mhm."


    Yuan Buping nodded obediently without giving any opinion. After all, Zhou Shen listened to Miao, not necessarily to him. But at this moment, he was quite emotional. Back when he was a gangster, he operated within the territory of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau and had frequent run-ins with them.


    He had never seen this man before.


    Back then, he only encountered low-level officers, and he couldn''t even get in touch with detectives at the level of Zhou Yiming, yet now, just after a few days, this once unreachable figure was already leading them into the secret realm for experience grinding.


    The underlings following Yuan Buping also hadplex emotions swirling within.


    In the underworld, the background really mattered.


    Without a background, they probably would never get a Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau to take them to a secret realm for grinding experience.


    And just at that moment ¡ª


    Zhou Shen, sitting on the ground resting, didn''t waste time either. He turned his head towards Yuan Buping and the others, handed them a few cigarettes, and lit one for himself. Blowing out smoke casually, he said, "You guys are pretty close with Miao, huh."


    In his view, this group was weak and showed no potential; they didn''t look like people who had seen much of the world, nor did they seem to have any background.


    He didn''t understand why Miao would help these people.


    In his mind, helping these people waspletely a losing deal; helping them was just a waste.


    "Mhm."


    Yuan Buping nodded: "Miao created the ''Tomb Guardian'' faction, and we are the first batch of members."


    "I see."


    Zhou Shen nodded thoughtfully, a glint of light flickering in the depths of his eyes. No faction could operate without dealing with the authorities, and they too needed to engage with these factions in order to gain their support.


    With the support of a faction, one could rise to a certain position, and then from that position, give back to the faction.


    That''s the rule in the greater environment.


    Of course, the support usually has an unwritten line; at least on the surface, it must be justifiable, done gracefully.


    Since Miao had established a faction, it meant his affairs were thoroughly in order. Miao needed him, but from now on, he was also tied to this ''Tomb Guardian'' faction. In the Federation, once a person is bound to a faction, it''s basically impossible to break free. Even if he dared to leave, no one else would dare to ept him.


    From then on, he could only be an incorruptible official.


    He had never received the support of any faction before. In the past, he had been too proud and disdainful of this corruption, always feeling as if the uniform he wore was tarnished. But all his years of perseverance, he thought even if there was no power, no money, at least he could earn a good reputation.


    Until he overheard colleagues cursing him behind his back, supervisors insinuating he should think bigger in his actions, rivals mocking him, and his wife, who didn''tin at herst breath, only asked him to take care of their daughter.


    He finally understood, his so-called good reputation was nothing more than a way to make himself feel morally superior while his family lived in poverty.


    In the end, nothing was left out.


    After that, he became a different person. He began to make money, reaching out to various connections and dining with powerful figures. However, no one paid him any attention, whether it was the Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau or Level 21 Supernaturals, despite their undeniable allure.


    A Level 21 Supernatural, especially one with extraordinarybat prowess as a fighter, was a rarity in Fengtian City.


    But in the past, due to his integrity, he had thwarted numerous underhanded dealings between other forces and the Enforcement Bureau, smashing many people''s rice bowls. Now that he wanted to partake himself, he was met not with eptance, but with endless scorn and mockery.


    He gradually changed.


    He started to turn a blind eye to his subordinates'' shady dealings, ignoring the petty scams that were happening on a daily basis. More people from the Enforcement Bureau started to gravitate towards him, and as his following grew, he began actively creating achievements in hopes of advancing further.


    Yet years passed by, and although he had rued enough merits, there was no news of advancement.


    He knew then that he had made another mistake.


    He remembered the night when he locked himself in the study and drowned his sorrows in alcohol, unsure of what to do. Integrity had not brought him wealth, and actively engaging in problematic activities without any backing left him in a very awkward position, neither here nor there.


    Until he met Chen Miao.


    The night Chen Miao found him, he felt a mixture of excitement and anxiety inside.


    Because behind Chen Miao stood the Chi Family.


    One of the three great families of Fengtian City, with a Power Value of 3.89 million, ranked third on Fengtian City''s power ranking¡ªa true behemoth. If he could form a connection with the Chi Family, it would be like climbing a mountain in a single step for him.


    Before that night, he had never sought out the Chi Family.


    But in the end, he discovered that Chen Miao actually didn''t have much to do with the Chi Family; however, this no longer mattered, because he had seen Chen Miao''s scene of killing a Grave Digger boss outside the city. Even he, a Level 21 Supernatural, would struggle to withstand such firepower.


    And Chen Miao was merely a Level 3 gunman.


    What if he were to reach Level 10, or Level 20?


    He wasn''t sure, but he knew his might be the only chance in his life to sit at the gambling table. All other tables had rejected him, and only this one allowed him to y, though the chances of sess were very low, the payout was extremely high.


    Once he won,


    he would be the mightiest elder of the ''Tomb Guardians'', with both his position and honor unrivaled.


    The night before he nned to recognize Miao as his godfather, he decided to appear more sincere by preparing to ce some leverage in Miao''s hands, but... after searching around, he truly found no leverage of his own.


    Corruption? ck on ck crime?


    He had indeed indulged in these actster on, but who the hell was stupid enough to keep evidence in their own hands, as if they were afraid the inspection team wouldn''t find anything during a surprise visit?


    They had certainly all been destroyed.


    After thinking for a whole night in his study, he finally came up with a piece of leverage: a series of videos with the male lead Photoshopped to be him. These videos included scenes with the woman of the ck Hand Gang''s third boss, the mistress of the head of the Urban Construction Bureau, and the young aunt of the ''Autumn Chamber of Commerce'' major shareholder in Fengtian City, among other female leads.


    The original male lead wasn''t him.


    It was another man.


    These videos hadn''t leaked, they were just intercepted unintentionally by him. At the time, he even secretly savored them.

 Chapter 74: Chapter 73: Smash them all with one punch each.

    ```


    Although there was really no choice at the time, he had indeed deceived Miao. He nned toe clean to Miao after he secured the position of Deputy Director of the Event Bureau.


    He wanted the position so badly.


    It had almost be a burden on his heart.


    Initially, he was one of the strong candidates for the position. His wife was also very happy, because the deputy director''s position depended not on behind-the-scenes connections, but on genuine ability, and he had a good chance of securing it.


    Only...


    On the day of the election, he received news that someone had kidnapped his wife and would release her the next day; if he dared to participate in the Secret Realmpetition, they would kill her.


    After sitting in the dark study for a long time in silence,


    he chose to abstain.


    The other party also kept their promise, perhaps also fearing the madness of a 19th-level supernatural being; he wasn''t at 21st-level yet. He and his wife held each other and watched the news on TV congratting the new deputy director. They remained silent.


    Just continually patting each other''s back.


    As ifforting something.


    The position of Deputy Director at the Events Bureau required breaking the local record. If no one could break the record, the position would remain vacant, to be filled by a deputy director sent directly from Jingjiu City.


    This was a long-standing irond rule of the Federation.


    No matter how you got there, you at least needed a certain level of strength, as the Federation tried to prevent powernding in the hands of the unscrupulous at such a vital position within the city''s lifeline.


    Corruption within the Events Bureau meant that when a special event broke out, there would be no one to protect the city.


    There was even the possibility of a city massacre.


    This had happened once before, and the rule was established afterward.


    ...


    Zhou Shen, lost in thought, looked towards the distant boss and vaguely remembered his wife''s words.


    "A person," she said, "shouldn''t be too good or too evil in this life."


    "What''s to fear is someone who is neither too good nor too evil, not quite a good person but also a bit pretentious to be called a bad one. Such people will live a twisted and painful life."


    "And the people around them will suffer as well."


    He thought back to when he first joined the bureau, raising his fist in an oath in front of the Federation g.


    He remembered the surge of emotion when he first joined.


    He wanted to eradicate the chaos in Fengtian City.


    He thought of the smile on his still-alive parents'' faces and the fresh, young woman he had just met, who would be his wife.


    Only... how did it alle to this?


    Without realizing, a cigarette burned down to the end. Zhou Shen flicked the remains away, turned, and looking at Yuan Buping with a smile said, "We''ll all be colleagues in the future. You and Miao have been in touch longer; please put in a good word for me in front of Miao."


    While saying this, he subtly took an object from inside his jacket and slipped it into Yuan Buping''s hand.


    Yuan Buping was slightly startled and took a moment to react before also carefully pocketing the item and smiling back, "Certainly, certainly."


    "Alright, back to work!"


    Zhou Shen rose to his feet, stretching his limbs, then continued striding toward the nearby boss.


    Don''t underestimate me!


    You damn bastards!


    He roared internally with anger, iling his fists to vent his rage. He didn''t know whom he hated more, his own impotence, his feigned nobility, or perhaps the mysterious group that had kidnapped his wife years ago, causing him to lose the election, or maybe it was the world itself he resented.


    But one thing he did know.


    He had to climb up, step by step, and find the people from that year.


    One fist for each, to crush them all.


    To let everything revert to the essence of the Event: survival of the fittest.


    ```


    ```


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao had smoothly arrived at the 27th floor of the Secret Realm Building.


    There were quite a few people.


    Probably a few hundred were gathered here, discussing something, with a huge ranking leaderboard disyed in the center of the screen, capturing the top 100. This was the Fengtian City Combat Power ranking.


    Doctor Gou''sbat power figure was 4700.


    This value wasn''t absolute; some who held back in thebat evaluation secret realm had lower power figures, while others who went all out in the power realm naturally had higher figures.


    After all, there were plenty who hid their true capabilities.


    "Secret Realm Name": Combat Power Evaluation (10).


    "Secret Realm Level": None.


    "Secret Realm Effect": This secret realm is a true simtion virtual realm; yers can test their exactbat power values here. In this realm, the uses of consumed items or some skills with major side effects will all automatically revert to their original state upon leaving the realm.


    "Secret Realm Restrictions": None.


    "Secret Realm Introduction": The secret realm has no perfect clearance and does not count towards the clearances.


    He chose the 10bat power tier, which was the lowest one. After entering this secret realm, as long as he passed this tier, he would gradually ascend to the 50, 100, 300, 500, 1000, and so on.


    He checked and saw that thebat power for a level 3 supernatural was typically around 160.


    For some strongerbat-oriented supernaturals, like fighters, the figure could reach about 200.


    But it wasn''t much higher than that, that was the general range.


    "Let''s go," Chen Miao looked to Hungry Monkey at his side, "Let''s go in and see. You should also check out how muchbat power you have now."


    "Sure."


    Hungry Monkey was somewhat expectant as he swung his iron hammer. After killing the Grave Digger boss that day, he was actually interested in that giant mace, but damn, it turned out the mace was made of flesh and, along with the boss''s corpse, disintegrated into pieces.


    ...


    Apanied by a sh of white light, Chen Miao arrived in a vast white space.


    As soon as hended,


    He heard a mechanical voice next to his ear.


    "First level."


    Immediately after, he saw a skeleton monster holding a machete, shakily materialize and approach him, looking so fragile that he felt a kick would be enough to make it lie down on the ground, unable to get up.


    He tentatively pulled out the "Python R6 Revolver" from his bosom and aimed a shot.


    "Bang."


    The gunshot sounded, and the Pockmarked Monster fell down as a result.


    Soon, a crisp sound effect came to his ears, seemingly indicating that the first level had ended, while at the same time a screen popped up in midair with a line of text.


    "Real-time Combat Power Evaluation ¡ª¡ª 19."


    And the second level arrived at the same time.


    The second level was stronger, but not by much; it was now three skeleton monsters.


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully, it seemed that thebat power was evaluated in real-time, but he wondered if by level ten or so, there would be a bunch of skeleton monsters.


    There were two ways to exit the Combat Power Evaluation Secret Realm.


    One was automatic exit, the other was fighting to the death.


    The Combat Power Evaluation Secret Realm was virtual, so there was no need to worry about actual death; the evaluation would be based onbat power measured right before ''death'' to determine the yer''s finalbat power figure.


    He pulled out the Thomson and swept with it again.


    This time thebat power value reached "578," a significant improvement.


    ```

 Chapter 75: Chapter 74: "Rank 102: Zhou Shen, 40,000 Combat Power.

    With that barrage, he jumped directly to the seventh level.


    Nearly a hundred skeleton monsters surged out, encircling him from all sides, clearly indicating that the space considered a few dozen skeleton monsters to be ineffective against him. This time, Chen Miao didn''t hold back.


    He went full firepower.


    The F-grade skill "Firepower Coverage" activated instantly.


    The Thompson submachine gun''s magazine, with 20,000 rounds of ammunition, was emptied in a mere second. Countless bullets formed a metal storm that enveloped the distant skeleton monsters.


    This time¡ª


    Hisbat power soared directly to "7800"!


    It was nearly double Doctor Gou''s 4700, though of course Doctor Gou had held back, and his actualbat power was far higher than this number.


    Chen Miao had also held back.


    He didn''t go for a second barrage. His skill had no cooldown, no loss; theoretically, as long as he had enough Star Coins, he could keep casting it. It was a quite ordinary offensive skill for Gunman Profession, but due to the modification of his magazine, a slight change had urred.


    Without lingering any longer,


    he chose to exit the Combat Mystery Realm of his own ord, having roughly gauged hisbat strength.


    After leaving the Combat Power Evaluation Secret Realm, he also saw the "Fengtian City''s Combat Power Rankings."


    "Rank 1: Sang De, 120,000bat power."


    "..."


    "Rank 17: Sang Biao, 70,000bat power."


    "..."


    "Rank 102: Zhou Shen, 40,000bat power."


    He saw many familiar names, such as Sang Biao, the gunman nurtured by Fengtian City, who with a formidable 70,000bat power ranked 17th in the city, proof that the Gunman Profession''s decline was only because it didn''t suit most ordinary people¡ªgunmen trained by federations or major forces still stood at the peak ofbat power.


    Furthermore, gunmen''sbat abilities in the outside world far exceeded those in secret realms.


    In the outside world, there would be an uninterrupted supply of bullets, whereas there would be no resupply inside a secret realm once bullets were depleted. Hence, top gunmen would often form teams with fighters, packing the fighters'' backpacks with bullets.


    Even if the fighters'' backpacks ran out of bullets, at least the fighters could step up.


    Hisbat power of 7800 ranked only 7922nd on the list. His name was practically invisible unless one carefully hunted through the rankings. In fact, as long as he kept activating the "Firepower Coverage" skill,


    hisbat power would continue to rise.


    The specific value ofbat power merely reflected attack power. The "Firepower Coverage" skill had no cooldown, so theoretically, he could even increase hisbat power value to 200,000, surpassing Sang De.


    After all, Sang Biao, who also belonged to the Gunman Profession, would run out of bullets in the Combat Power Evaluation Space, while Chen Miao had virtually no such concern. Hisbat power value would certainly be higher than the other''s, though that didn''t necessarily mean he could win in an actual fight.


    ...


    Day turned to night, time quietly reaching 8:30 PM, just half an hour away from the major event''smencement. Countless people in Fengtian City had readied themselves, waiting patiently in safe ces.


    Meanwhile, Hungry Monkey sat sullenly to one side.


    Today, hisbat power was assessed at 781, leaving Hungry Monkey feeling gloomy all day. He had been born with Innate Divine Strength, always thinking he was quite formidable, yet why was hisbat power figure so low?


    "Miao,"


    Zhou Shen, pale as a ghost and looking emaciated, with dark circles under his eyes and his body trembling uncontrobly, spoke with an unsteady voice, "I''ve tried my best, but time was still not enough. I could only manage to get nine people to level 3."


    "Shall we save the rest of the people for next time?"


    "But preferably the day after tomorrow, I want to rest for the next two days, I don''t know why, but I faintly seem to see my great-grandma waving at me."


    As a superhuman professional ranked around 100th in Fengtian City with a level of 21, guiding people through an F-level secret realm was as easy for him as drinking cold water. He could clear it dozens of times while taking a nap.


    There was no risk of flipping over, an absolute crushing of power.


    But... there were just too many of them, he even felt he was about to die from exhaustion.


    "You''ve worked hard."


    Chen Miao patted Zhou Shen''s shoulder with a sorrowful expression, "You can tell you''re a doer. Don''t worry, the moment that thing you wantes out, I''ll give it to you, certainly won''t let you be disappointed."


    "Thanks, Miao."


    Zhou Shen took a deep breath, mustering thest bit of his strength, he bowed deeply, "Then I''ll head home first, I wish you a victorious start in this event, Miao."


    "Yeah, go ahead."


    Chen Miao watched Zhou Shen''s trembling figure disappear into the distance, and sighed once more. Indeed, there''s no bull that can''t be worn out. Today had truly been hard on Zhou Shen. Going by market rates, Zhou Shen''s trip today should''veted him at least 5.4 million credit points.


    And he freeloaded it.


    That saved a lot of money.


    "Feeling happy?"


    He turned his gaze towards Yuan Buping and others who had sessfully leveled up.


    "Happy!"


    At this moment, Yuan Buping was full of energy, unable to stop his grinning mouth from curving up as heughed while holding the Thomson in his hands. People''s joy and sorrow are different; Zhou Shen felt extremely tired while they felt incredibly rxed.


    All they had to do was follow behind, y some mahjong, shuffle some cards, and they cleared the secret realm directly. Could there be an easier way to delve into a secret realm?


    Once, bing a superhuman was as tough as reaching the heavens.


    Now, they became level 3 superhumans in one day.


    Plus, they would normally do heavybor anyway, making their base strength attribute points not low. Miao had bought them some Free Attribute Exchange Coupons, pumping their strength up to 12, enough to meet the standards to use the Thomson submachine gunfortably.


    Now, this squad finally had a semnce of structure, meaning they could represent Miao in handling some not-so-aboveboard affairs.


    Free Attribute Exchange Coupons were not expensive, 200 Star Coins each. Their rarity was due to the fact that one person could only use them five times, so the sooner you used them, the higher the cost-performance ratio.


    Of course, there were also those who kept the 5 Free Attribute Exchange Tickets, using all of them suddenly on one option in a clutch moment for a reversal. There were such people, but they were few, prone to digging their own graves.


    Soon¡ª


    In the midst of casual chatter among the group, the countdown that had been floating above for a week slowly hit zero.


    "Time remaining until the next major event ''Coward''s Arena'' starts¡ª0 hours."


    Winter hade, and the days grew short.


    By nine in the evening, the sky had already plunged intoplete darkness, and the whole city, bathed in the glow of neon lights, looked quite peaceful; everyone had their own lives to live.


    The worker who finished work at this time every day passed the familiar fried noodle stall again and started his day''s routine of eating fried noodles.


    In this city, ordinary workers couldn''t escape three things:


    The cheap rented rooms in the urban viges, the daily 10 credit point fried noodles they must eat, and the aunties in the alley whoforted their hearts.

 Chapter 76: Chapter 75: "Event Name": Cowards Special.

    A sh of white, and then darkness enveloped their sight.


    Chen Miao and hispanions found themselves in a vast white space surrounded by thousands of others.


    The dense crowd, all crammed into this white expanse, were evaluating each other. These thousands were all Fengtian City''s Supernaturals of level 3 or below from recent days.


    Chen Miao and his group, too, attracted attention.


    With their uniform uniforms, they looked like a formidable force.


    Soon after, a light screen slowly floated in midair, and at the same time, a mechanical voice began to resonate in everyone''s ears.


    "Ding, wee all Fengtian City yers to this major event ''Cowards'' Arena''. The following are the detailed information of the event, please all yers browse carefully."


    "Event Name": Cowards'' Arena.


    "Event Level": F.


    "Event Type": Battle.


    "Event Content": All yers will be teleported to a vast space where they can ughter one another to obtain points from their opponents. Notably, this secret space has protective mechanisms.


    When a yer is on the brink of death, the protection mechanism will be triggered, and the yer can choose to safely leave the secret space.


    Or they can opt to be randomly teleported to a corner of the map to resume fighting, except this time facing death will not trigger the protective mechanism, and they will truly die.


    The higher the points, the more conspicuous the yer will be to others.


    Simrly, the higher the points, the greater the chance of getting better rewards from treasure chests.


    After 24 hours since the start of the major event, it will conclude, and the yer with the highest points will be deemed the final victorious yer, earning an additional city-state effect for their home city,sting one year."


    -


    As the mechanical voice finished reciting the information on the light screen,


    everyone felt a lightness under their feet, a strong sensation of weightlessness came, and as they kept falling, the scenery around them rapidly changed. Finally, when a sense of solidity returend to their feet, Chen Miao and his group realized they were in the middle of a forest.


    "Huh."


    Chen Miao scanned his surroundings and didn''t spot anyone else. Standing on the spot, he couldn''t help taking a deep breath of the strangely fresh air.


    So this is the major event?


    The rules were notplicated. There was basically no storyline, purely a battle-focused event.


    "Hmm?"


    But as he looked around, he spotted a small blue dot flickering in a nearby bush, seemingly beckoning him. As he took a couple of steps forward, a python as thick as a bucket emerged from a tree, hissing at him as though threatening him to back away.


    "Monster Name": Bucket Python.


    "Monster Level": 3.


    "Monster Introduction": Born to guard treasures, you cannot take the treasure you desire without defeating this monster.


    Without much hesitation, Chen Miao raised his Thomson and sprayed a hail of bullets.


    The trigger was pulled for barely 15 seconds, yet the python was riddled with bullets and copsed onto the ground, earning him 3 points, and at the same time, he ced his hand upon the blue light spot.


    "Ding, this treasure is a buff-type for the event."


    "yers can choose one from the following three buffs."


    "1: Any points obtained will be doubled."


    "2: Make sure my position doesn''t appear on the map."


    "3: Increase the probability of getting good stuff from treasure chests."


    After a moment''s hesitation, Chen Miao chose the first buff. The primary use of points was to determine the winner, but they also had another great function: the higher the points, the greater the probability of getting good stuff from opening treasure chests. He wasn''t sure if the probability increase from the third buff was higher.


    But he felt that as long as he had enough points, the first one would definitely offer a more significant improvement.


    As for the second option, he didn''t need it at all; he actually hoped others woulde looking for him.


    After reading the introduction to the major event, he had only one goal: clear the area as quickly as possible. He nned to spend 10,000 Star Coins to keep his firepower at full throttle for a long time and give this secret realm a thorough cleanse.


    After sending everyone else out.


    He would then take his time to open the treasure chests. There were quite a few chests in this secret realm, and he wanted them all.


    The only issue now was... being in the forest, there was a risk of bullets ricocheting, preventing him from letting loosepletely. If only there was someone to shield him from the potential ricochets.


    Chen Miao thoughtfully turned his head toward Yuan Buping and his group.


    ...


    Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest.


    A group of people was surrounding a young man dressed invish clothes, marveling, "Your ''First Show of Sharpness'' item has already reached the second tier? It''s advanced to Grade D?"


    "Heh."


    The young man casually showed off the wristwatch on his arm, his eyes brimming with pride as he nonchntly waved his hand, "There''s nothing too surprising, right? For people in our circle, the first venture into a secret realm is definitely a perfect run."


    "It''s not too difficult to obtain this item, and it''s not that hard to level up from the first-stage task, but the second stage is already my limit. The task for advancing to the next stage is to squeeze into the top 100 of any Fengtian City ranking list within fourteen days."


    "That''s nearly impossible."


    The ''First Show of Sharpness'' item varies in its form; everyone''s look different, and for some, it might even be an excavator. This man had a wristwatch, while Chen Miao had a cane.


    "Indeed."


    The men around him nodded somberly, chiming in, "Ordinary people can''t even obtain this item; only those with extraordinary talents can. And upgrading from the first task is already quite difficult."


    "At that time, you''re usually around level 2 or 3. To break into the top 100 of the rankings is basically impossible."


    "However, I''ve heard that if you can continuously meet the upgrading requirements for this item, it seems it can go up to Grade S. At that point, it would be permanent and its effects extremely powerful. I wonder if that''s true."


    "Forget about it."


    The young man nced disdainfully at the man who had spoken, "Ever since the world began its transcendentalization, millions of geniuses have had this item, but not a single one has been able to keep it permanently. All of them failed to meet the requirements of a certain stage and had it forcibly taken back."


    "It is said that in Jingjiu City, a powerful individual exhausted a great deal of their foundation toplete the S Grade advancement task for this item. That was the only recorded moment when the ''First Show of Sharpness'' item reached Grade S."


    "But it was still useless. Apparently, there was a task to advance to SS Grade afterward. That powerful individual didn''t disclose the exact task, just said that upon seeing it, they despaired. Basically, nobody couldplete it."


    "Afterward, the item that had drained nearly all of the individual''s foundation was cruelly taken back without a chance to appeal, and that powerful individual disappeared from public view, never to recover."


    "The ''First Show of Sharpness'' item isn''t something to dream of fully possessing; just y around with it for a while."


    Only after did the young man turn to gaze into the depths of the forest, clenching his fist in secret. His voice was youthful yet steady, "This time, I will represent the Autumn Chamber of Commerce of Fengtian City to secure victory in this event and capture the city-state effect for Fengtian City."


    "Since you are sent by my father to serve me, from now on, heed mymand. First, we have to..."


    But in the next second¡ª


    Loud and piercing gunfire suddenly erupted in the forest, the sudden booming noises as if the sky had split open.

 Chapter 77: Chapter 76: But... Why Are the Gunshots So Intense?

    "Gunshots?"


    Upon hearing the sound, the representative sent by the Autumn Chamber of Commerce furrowed his brows slightly, taking a moment to process the situation. Gunshots during a major event? The Gunman Profession?


    It had been a long time since anyone had chosen the Gunman Profession as a newbie.


    But... why were the gunshots so frequent?


    It sounded like hundreds of guns were firing at the same time. Could it be that some force had sent hundreds of gunmen here?


    ...


    "Hm?"


    Even Chen Miao was momentarily stunned, standing still, listening to the distant gunshots. He hadn''t even started firing yet; how could someone else have already begun? And the gunshots sounded quite dense.


    At that moment¡ª


    He received a message from Zhou Shen.


    "Miao, there are hundreds of gunmen in this major event, organized by the ck Hand Gang. They''re systematically taking out others. Be careful."


    "How do you know?"


    Chen Miao was somewhat puzzled.


    "The major event is always broadcast live. Outsiders can watch, but not everyone makes it on camera. Only when the event itself deems a moment to be a highlight, will it be filmed. So far, you guys haven''t made it on camera, Miao."


    "So, people outside can ry information now?"


    "That''s right."


    "Hundreds of gunmen..."


    The corners of Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly. The ck Hand Gang was clever, indeed. If they wanted to get a substantially good reward in this special major event, the best way was to find a supernatural being of around level 10 or higher and have them forfeit their level to ress and level up multiple times, thus leveraging their high skill proficiency to dominate others.


    But... while the cost was high, the crushing force wasn''t all that great.


    Unless it was a level 30 supernatural being ressing, which would indeed provide substantial crushing power, but they''d be losing their shirt in the process.


    With hundreds of gunmen, the cost was simrly high, but the overwhelming force was on a different level. The Gunman was inherently a strong profession in the early stages. While other professions still hadn''t acquired control, sprinting, jumping, and other skill books, a Gunman could indeed fire at will with just a gun in hand.


    Especially when hundreds of gunmen fired together.


    In an event that only allowed supernatural beings of level 3 or below to enter, this tactic could indeed be highly effective.


    The Federal Government maintained quite a few gunman armies, but in the secretnds, gunmen were rarely seen. The main reason was that in the secretnds, gunmen suffered from ack of ammunition and no means of resupply, and the areas were restricted by numbers, which significantly diminished the impact a single gunman could have.


    A major event was different, with no restrictions on participant numbers.


    Although there was still the risk of running out of ammo, until their ammunition was depleted, the sight of these hundreds of gunmen congregating in a formidable disy indeed felt invincible.


    ...


    In the forest.


    A young man representing the Chi Family, having also received information from the outside, sneered with a cold expression: "This horde of level 3 gunmen must have just been pulled together, right? That must have cost a fortune, and it doesn''t seem like they can break even."


    "Is the ck Hand Gang aiming for fame?"


    Gunmen are cheap.


    But hundreds of gunmen aren''t cheap. Moreover, equipping these people with enough weapons and bullets costs a fair amount of money. Of course, the biggest expenditure is where to find these few hundred individuals. These people must have all been ordinary folks before, and to find so many willing to risk their lives for you would cost a pretty penny.


    The total would be at least tens of millions, which includes the hidden costs such as leveling them up and farming experience and the like.


    The most important aspect of this grand event was to "win a new city-state effect for one''s own city," but regardless of who won, the reward belonged to Fengtian City, and such a great cost wasn''t justified at all. As for the remaining treasure chests, it wasn''t certain they could break even even after opening them all.


    The ck Hand Gang was definitely going to take a loss this time.


    The only exnation was that the ck Hand Gang wanted to use this grand event to promote its power, to expand its influence, probably hoping to climb the rankings and advance the position of their power on the leaderboard.


    The original tacit understanding among the major powers was to have the young people of their own family lower their levels to participate in this event. There was sufficient crushing force and, because the young people weren''t high level, they wouldn''t lose too much.


    However, when it came to the ck Hand Gang, they went straight for the winner.


    Of course, this had benefits for him as well, as such a measure could almost guarantee that the victor of this event would stably be from Fengtian City. That was enough, he could just lie down and be done with it.


    ...


    At this moment, Chen Miao wasmanding Yuan Buping and others to dig holes on the spot, seeing more and more formidable enemies approaching, he had to act quickly. The treasure chests here still held quite an appeal for him.


    Which was different from those major powers.


    His pockets were empty, he literally had nothing.


    Everything was attractive to him, everything was good, all his, and nobody else could touch them.


    He had originally nned to make a moveter, but now that such powerful enemies had appeared, it meant he could no longer afford to pause. Quickly, a deep pit was prepared, and Yuan Buping and the others took the lead in jumping down.


    Chen Miao followed suit and jumped down as well.


    Immediately after, only two hands holding a Thompson surfaced outside the pit, while his body and head were buried underneath in the Deep Pit, thus minimising the likelihood of being hit by ricocheting bullets.


    Generally speaking, bullets are more likely to ricochet off harder surfaces, such as concrete floors. The surrounding trees weren''t particrly sturdy, and even though the Thompson Submachine Gun didn''t have strong pration, the likelihood of ricochet was slim.


    However, the number of bullets he fired was sorge that even with a low probability, the chance of a ricochet urring out of the vast number of bullets was not small.


    He chose to be cautious.


    So...


    A somewhatical scene ensued.


    In the middle of the forest, a dugout sheltering many people emerged with a Thompson Submachine Gun slowly peeking out, and this abnormal sight was immediately captured by the grand event and broadcasted live.


    However, before many people could understand what this scene meant,


    "Bang."


    The sound of gunfire resounded.


    Then, countless mes abruptly spewed out from that gun barrel, as tens of thousands of bullets erupted in an utterly unreasonable manner, spraying everywhere from the barrel.


    It was like stuffing 100 jellybeans into one''s mouth, when the barrel was so small, it was bewildering how it could fire so many bullets at the same time.


    Utterly unreasonable.


    The scene was extremely exaggerated.


    And the surrounding trees also fell down in unison. One Thompson bullet couldn''t possibly knock down a tree, not even ten, but there was no withstanding the 20,000 bullets per second from Chen Miao''s gun.


    Under the F-grade skill "Firepower Coverage".


    Every time he emptied a magazine, it meant 20,000 bullets were discharged in an instant.


    This ordinary attack skill, belonging to the Gunman Profession, was like an S-grade skill in Chen Miao''s hands. He loved this world in his own unique way, bringing a little shock to it.


    At this moment, Chen Miao was like awnmower, hiding in the Deep Pit and continuously clearing the debris around him.


    Unstoppable.

 Chapter 78: Chapter 77: This person seems somewhat familiar.

    ```


    Soon¡ª


    a series of prompt tones sounded in his ear.


    "Ding, congrattions, you killed a Ragworm monster and gained 2 points."


    "Ding, congrattions, you killed a Tiny Mantis monster and gained 3 points."


    "Ding, congrattions, you killed the yer Qiu Yi and gained 1 point."


    "Ding..."


    Anything within range, be it an object or a creature, was suffering an unspeakably brutal attack at the moment¡ªan attack utterly impossible to dodge or resist.


    Ten minutester,


    Chen Miao climbed out of the pit and nced around the open scenery with satisfaction, nodding, "This is much more convenient now."


    By this time, all the surrounding trees had fallen, leaves, branches, and bushes were shattered and scattered on the ground, leaving only some bullet-riddled trunks standing on the soil, with quite a few glinting points of light still visible.


    These points of light must be treasure chests.


    And his score had already reached 68, instantly cing him at the top of the Great Event leaderboard.


    ...


    "..."


    Now back in the white space, Qiu Yi stared nkly at his death rey, Who was he?


    He was Qiu Yi!


    He was from Good Cat City!


    The city-effect benefit of Good Cat City was¡ª


    "All yers born in Good Cat City and who choose a Supernatural upation will receive 20,000 Star Coins upon leveling up to lv.1 but can never advance beyond level 10."


    A typical early-game powerhouse,te-game washout benefit.


    20,000 Star Coins let all Supernaturals from Good Cat City max out their Combat Power in the early stages; there are few Supernaturals in the Federation who can outmatch them at level 3, this is the consensus, except for those from Jingjiu City¡ªthose people are unreasonable.


    For this kind ofrge-scale event with a level cap, it has always been Good Cat City''s strong suit. He just happened to be in Fengtian City and thought of casually taking the first ce for fun.


    To them, since they couldn''t advance beyond level 10 anyway, changing professions and retraining were practically of no cost.


    After all, they were permanently changing professions and retraining; he had already trained in 6 different upations, and all the Skill Proficiency that could be gained within level 10 had been maxed out. He was preparing to challenge for "Omniscient."


    A Hidden upation.


    It allowed one to simultaneously develop several upations, which was a significant boost for people from Good Cat City. Since they couldn''t level up anymore, having more skills was naturally more powerful. To others, it seemed toozy, and they were better off improving their primary upation.


    The method to obtain this Hidden upation was not difficult.


    One only needed to level ten different Supernatural upations to level 10 and bring each corresponding skill proficiency to level 3 to acquire this Hidden upation.


    He entered this grand event full of confidence, nced around to ensure there were no enemies and was about to start a sweep when his stomach suddenly hurt. He found some bushes to relieve himself behind, and just as he squatted down, he felt something wasn''t quite right.


    Instinctively looking back, he saw a hail-like barrage of bullets enveloping him,


    It was as if¡ª


    thousands of gunmen were standing by his side, holding guns and executing him.


    "..."


    Qiu Yi, still in the white space, looked at the "Return to Battlefield?" option that popped up on the panel in front of him. After gritting his teeth and agonizing for a while, he chose to give up. It was somewhat embarrassing, but it was evident that monsters had appeared in this grand event.


    If he returned to the battlefield, he might truly die there.


    Each city.


    ```


    Every once in a while, a major event would ur, which was always broadcast live. Often, some monsters would make their first appearance during these major events, and it was clear that monsters had appeared in this one as well.


    Based on his life experience, one should never share the stage with monsters.


    ...


    "Boss."


    Inside the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, in Zhou Shen''s office, a man with a full beard hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Can we really trust Miao? After all, he''s just one person, and only a level 3 gunman at that. He doesn''t have any power backing him. Shouldn''t we try aligning with another power?"


    This man was Zhou Shen''s confidant.


    He was privy to things that outsiders generally didn''t know.


    He knew that the Chen Miao the Federal Government was looking for was the same backer his boss had sought, and he also knew that his boss had already thrown his lot in with this person. However, he thought that at best, Chen Miao was just a slightly more powerful gunman with no connections whatsoever.


    If they switched to another power, he felt certain his boss could go much further.


    "Switch?"


    Zhou Shen, leaning back in his chair, lit a cigar and brought it to his lips, scoffing coldly, "And switch to whom? Who wants me? Aren''t they allughing at me now? Aren''t they all mocking me behind my back for messing up their ns in previous years and now shamelessly wanting a slice of their cake?"


    "Other than Miao, do we have any other options?"


    "It wasn''t us who chose Miao; it was Miao who chose us."


    "We have no one but Miao to choose from, yet Miao has plenty of other choices besides us."


    "I have no other options, the only one willing to help me is Miao."


    "As soon as I make it to the position of Deputy Director of the Events Bureau, the first thing I''m going to investigate is who kidnapped my wife back then."


    "Although Miao doesn''t have much of a background, he has great potential. A mere level 3 gunman capable of soloing a siege boss, given time, I believe he can be a legend in Fengtian City, and at that time, our fortunes will naturally rise along with his."


    And just then¡ª


    Zhou Shen looked at the live broadcast projected mid-air, showing a scene as if it had been destroyed by missiles, and chuckled softly without speaking, merely taking a light puff from the cigar in his hand.


    He alone knew that Chen Miao was certain to be the victor of this major event.


    There would be no one else.


    An existence capable of soloing the siege boss in such a beginner-level major event would be as unstoppable as a boss unto itself.


    Perhaps because he was too engrossed in watching, he subconsciously took a strong drag on his cigar and inhaled it, which made him cough violently. He looked at the cigar in his hand with annoyance and frustration and roared, "This is too damn choking!"


    He wasn''t a cigar smoker.


    He was a cigarette smoker.


    Cigarettes could be inhaled into the lungs, but cigars could not; they were very irritating.


    But all those bigshots smoked cigars, and he was about to be appointed as Deputy Director of the Events Bureau¡ªa person of actual power¡ªso naturally, he had to start learning the lifestyle of the upper ss in advance.


    It just seemed that it didn''t suit him very well.


    ...


    And just then¡ª


    The woman who had once sold the Hungry Monkey Cemeteryy frozen in ce with her boyfriend as they watched the live broadcast. When they saw Chen Miao on the screen, they both suddenly stiffened.


    This person looks somewhat familiar.


    Isn''t that the man who stood next to the Hungry Monkey with a cane that day?


    Wait a minute...


    There''s no mistake, is there? If she hadn''t misremembered, she had once mocked the Hungry Monkey. Surely Hungry Monkey couldn''te back for revenge, right? It shouldn''t be possible... after all, Hungry Monkey is a rather magnanimous person.

 Chapter 79: Chapter 78: Very windy, but the wind was fast.

    And the man standing beside this woman was also keeping silent with a gloomy and uncertain expression on his face, clearly realizing that he had ended up in trouble. He and the woman beside him were just ying their parts in a casual fling, each taking what they needed.


    It was all fun and games.


    But now he had clearly stirred up a mess.


    This was not someone he, an 8th-level Magician, could afford to mess with, and he couldn''t withstand this kind of firepower. Damn it, are these really gunmen? Why has their firepower be so fierce? If gunmen are this powerful, who would want to switch to being a Magician? Damn!


    He had just leveled up and was quite happy about it, but now he didn''t feel happy at all.


    Wait a minute...


    The man''s eyes suddenly narrowed as he realized something. A few days ago, there was a random event where a siege boss named Grave Digger appeared outside Fengtian City. This eventter caused quite a stir, not because it caused any damage.


    It was because this boss was the first siege boss in the history of Fengtian City to be killed solo, with one hundred percent of the damage dealt by a Transcendent named Chen Miao.


    Afterward, the Enforcement Bureau disseminated a message to the public seeking this person.


    From this inference, this person should have no significant background, and now that Chen Miao''s actions in the major event had attracted the attention of many, this meant that after the event ended, many were likely to seek out Chen Miao for a talk.


    Such a young and powerful individual with a clean background, no power would not want to court him.


    No matter which power he joined, it would be an existence beyond his capacity to provoke, and he suddenly realized a very serious matter¡ªthis might be thest opportunity he had to run away...


    But where to run?


    "Broken Pot City," he thought.


    With his mind made up, he didn''t even bother to sell off his physical assets or pack his belongings, but instead immediately got up from the bed and walked straight out to buy a ticket to Broken Pot City, nning to flee overnight.


    As a Transcendent, he understood all too well the brutality of conflicts among Transcendents. To the ordinary Lifestyle upation, society was still stable, at least without Transcendents ughtering people in the city center. But for Transcendents, when conflict arose between them, death was always the best way to end the struggle.


    ...


    The woman, who was still lying on the man''s bed watching the livestream, looked at the streaming footage with aplex expression and didn''t notice that her man had been gone for over ten minutes, simply assuming he had gone to use the bathroom.


    Watching a major event livestream was a matter of prestige.


    Because only Transcendents, or those with a Transcendentpanion, could watch major event livestreams; ordinary Lifestyle upations couldn''t ess them at all. Although she was a Lifestyle upation, she boasted about having a Transcendent partner and often shared information about Transcendents in her social circle.


    This was her way of subtly hinting that her social status was now slightly different from others.


    It also garnered her quite a few likes,pliments, and ttery.


    Human nature is bothplex and simple; when you''re on top, you''ll find that those who you thought were too aloof will actuallye back to fawn over you, surprising you with how much they have to say.


    She intended to use today''s viewing of the major event livestream as a topic of conversation. She didn''t expect to see someone she recognized.


    After a while.


    The woman realized the man had not returned, and after being removed and blocked by her friends online, she was confused for a moment before she suddenly came to a realization¡ªher man... had he just run away directly?


    Without any hesitation?


    What should she do now?


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the secretnd, Chen Miao had started to go all out.


    In his recent observations, he noticed that the bullets didn''t bounce back, possibly because the trees weren''t very hard, causing the bullets to embed or prate the trunks; this meant almost zero risk.


    The asional stray bullets, thanks to his protective vest, posed no threat at all.


    "What''s the point of buying protective gear if not to use it at times like this?"


    So¡ª


    Chen Miao climbed out of the pit, stood still, and shook off the dust from his body, then he took a deep breath and held the deluxe version of the Thompson Submachine Gun in his hand, aiming towards the nearby forest.


    "Ratatat!!!"


    The rapid gunfire resounded once again; the area enveloped by the Metal Storm had all its trees'' branches and underbrush shattered to pieces, trees were sliced in half at their trunks. In the forest, even an Apollo Armed Helicopter picking up its mounted Gatling gun and strafing the woods wouldn''t have much of an impact.


    The forest was simply too vast.


    The might of nature meant that a few bullets were nothing to a forest, and although the bullets from his Thompson Submachine Gun didn''t have the same pration as those of a Gatling, hepensated with a high rate of fire and plenty of ammunition.


    It was rough, but it cleared quickly.


    Along with the effect of the Tao Wood, every eleventh bullet he fired exploded, and the sounds of explosions mixed with gunfire echoed nonstop!


    Under the unbridled devastation of the Metal Storm, this secret realm seemed to be Chen Miao''s backyard. He strolled leisurely through the forest, leaving silence in his wake. Up to now, he hadn''t seen a single yer.


    But his panel informed him that he had already killed 17 yers.


    He didn''t even hear any of these people speak to him or beg for mercy.


    These people were very aloof.


    Not willing to show their heads even before death.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside Fengtian City, numerous Transcendents watching the livestream were silent, rooted to the spot. Logically speaking, in such a low-level event, a Senior Transcendent who underwent multiple job changes and downgraded to rebuild would be smashing thepetition on a different level.


    But aside from these rebuilt Transcendents.


    What they feared most was encountering monsters. After the world underwent Transcendentalization, what wasn''tcking? Opportunities!


    Who didn''t have opportunities? Everyone had them!


    It all depended on whose opportunity was greater. When encountering a monster that harnessed tremendous fortune and also appeared in the same major event, they could only be thankful that due to this being an event for low-level Transcendents, there was a protection mechanism in ce; otherwise, core members from many influential forces would have been annihted.


    This is also why in this world, when seeking vengeance, people tend to wipe out their enemies entirely.


    There were just too many opportunities in this world, and no one knew what chance the person you carelessly let go today might seize tomorrow, in what manner they might reappear before you, living the rest of their life in constant fear and anxiety.


    Either don''t act, or clean it uppletely.


    This had almost be a mantra in the hearts of all Transcendents in this world, as these kinds of incidents had happened countless times.


    ...


    As time passed.


    Chen Miao killed more and more people.


    Members sent by countless influential forces like the ck Hand Gang, the Chi Family, and the Autumn Chamber of Commerce didn''t even have a chance to resist before they were eliminated, especially the young princess from the Chi Family. After being gunned down randomly, she couldn''t help but pout in the waiting area, her lips forming into a little pearl, and it was unbearable not to want tofort and pinch them.


    It really hurt, okay.


    "Get ready, get ready!!!"


    At that moment, a man from the ck Hand Gang with a fierce look on his face was growling, preparing to start an ambush.

 Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Having Given Birth to Miao, Why Give Birth to Tao!

    He was the child of a core member of the ck Hand Gang, destined to hold an important position in the gang in the future. Putting him in charge of the team this time was mainly to hone his skills, and if he could secure the victory, it would be a tremendously advantageous experience for his future.


    Especially since they gave him several hundred sharpshooters, his trump card.


    Under normal circumstances, the winner was almost certainly going to be him.


    But... the situation was clearly not normal now.


    It was a bit tricky, but it could be resolved.


    After taking a deep breath of cold air, the man named Qi Tao seemed to reassure himself, "It''s okay, it can be resolved."


    Before this, he climbed to the top of a tree and noticed themotion in the forest, reminiscent of a bulldozer at work. He led his men on a wide detour, nning to circle around behind Chen Miao andunch a surprise attack on him.


    Even though Chen Miao was an armed henchman with ridiculously excessive firepower.


    But one of the biggest drawbacks of a gunman should remain the same, that is, apart from body armor, they had almost no other means of defense.


    As long as he could get behind Chen Miao, with hundreds of sharpshooters firing simultaneously from behind, they would surely take Chen Miao down.


    As Qi Tao moved swiftly through the mess of horizontal branches on the ground, he couldn''t help but fantasize in his heart about the boss''s praise for his courage and strategic thinking, ready to take on great responsibilities.


    Soon¡ª


    He caught sight of Chen Miao.


    Good news, Chen Miao hadn''t noticed them.


    Bad news, Chen Miao was followed by a bunch of people, who were walking backward.


    Both sides, caught in a dead stare for a moment, then roared in unison.


    "Fire!! Fire!!"


    "Miao, there''re people behind us!!!"


    Almost simultaneously, both sides pulled triggers and activated their body armors. The body armor would light up with each sessful defense. Barely into the battle, the protective gear on both sides was flickering rapidly, almost like continuous lights.


    But... Chen Miao soon noticed the enemies behind him and turned his gun to aim at them. At that moment, Qi Tao truly experienced what despair was, watching the bullets swarm over him like a dark cloud, his face filled with despair and sadness, and he had just one thought.


    If there''s Miao, why bother with Tao!


    We''re all gunmen, so why does your gunman get to do that?


    The oue was no surprise.


    This was also the first time Chen Miao saw other supernaturals in the secret realm, and he was somewhat intrigued, smacking his lips, "Indeed, the secret realm is fraught with danger. These few hundred people managed to sneak up on me so silently, quite impressive."


    It seems bringing more people is indeed useful.


    They can not only block bullets but also serve as my eyes.


    "Miao."


    Hungry Monkey furrowed his brows as he looked towards two fallen brothers and said solemnly, "Two brothers are dead."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded and spoke softly, "Just have them stay in the waiting space. They don''t need to return to the battlefield. They worked hard."


    "..."


    Standing in ce with a Thompson Submachine Gun in hand, Yuan Buping bowed his head, his mouth twitching manically, fearing that Miao would notice his strange expression. Damn it, he had just watched Little Wu deliberately forgo his body armor, charging into death, and even before dying, he bellowed, "For Miao!"


    He was still puzzled why Little Wu decided to court death when he saw Little Liu''s eyes roll, shouting simrly "For Miao!" and charged to his death without activating his body armor.


    Only after it ended did he understand the intentions of Little Wu and Little Liu.


    Damn, were these two ying too smart?


    What should he do?


    Should he try it too? After all, chances to show loyalty through death were rare, and not every secret realm had protective mechanisms.


    ...


    In the waiting space, Little Wu and Little Liu looked at each other for a moment before both uttered with emotional expressions.


    "Little Liu, you''ve gone bad, huh?"


    "Learned it from you, Big Wu."


    ...


    The minor scuffle ended quickly.


    With Chen Miao''s side suffering two casualties and the ck Hand Gang wiped out, Chen Miao continued to advance, brandishing the Thompson Submachine Gun and indiscriminately traversing the forest.


    His budget was 10,000 Star Coins.


    The bullets worth 10,000 Star Coins wouldn''t actuallyst very long, but by the time he exhausted his ammunition, he would have nearly cleared out the secret realm and could slowly begin to collect his earnings.


    Meanwhile, within the secret realm.


    People sent by "Envy" were hiding deep in the underground cavern, listening to the activity not far away, cautiously seeking their boss''s opinion, "Um, boss, do we still go up?"


    Their orders were to secure the victor.


    But now... it obviously seemed a bit unlikely.


    ...


    "This Chen Miao is the one who killed Third Brother, right?"


    In a vi in the suburbs of Gaobei City, a tall woman was idly lying on a red leather sofa, carelessly applying lotion to her pale, moon-like legs.


    "Is he that strong?"


    "Can you stop him?"


    "Me?"


    Leaning against the balcony railing, a man with a side-swept fringe covering one eye shook his head and said, "Never tried, don''t know if I can stop him. Although Third Brother probably didn''t die by his hand, he''s certainly rted to it."


    "He''s quite strong among the new Supernaturals. If he doesn''t die young, he should achieve quite a bit."


    "And if he does die young?" the woman asked nonchntly.


    "Hmm."


    The man shrugged his shoulders without speaking, but his implication was clear: a dead person, no matter their potential or achievements while alive, was an existence without meaning.


    "Hmm..."


    After pondering for a moment, the woman said, "If I''m not mistaken, the person who killed our guysst time was that Doctor Gou? Doctor Gou and this guy are quite close, and it seems he was also there at that time."


    "He recently snatched 200 AI pills too? Seems like he''s really short on cash."


    "Let''s give him an opportunity, create a good karma. Set a time for dinner, get to know the guy, and see if we get along with him or not," she proposed.


    "Yes, boss."


    ...


    It was rare to see a woman leading a force, especially one heading a chaotic organization.


    And when a woman was in charge,


    it often resulted in several extremes.


    One such extreme was sheer madness.


    While the AI pill business in other cities operated in the shadows, daring not toe into the open, Gaobei City had reached apletely different level.


    On the highway of Gaobei City''s outskirts, an extended heavy truck suddenly red its horn, turned, and horizontally parked itself in the middle of the road, blocking all traffic.


    Then, a group of Supernaturals wielding various weapons descended from the truck, expressionlessly observing those who got out of their cars intending to argue, and after a moment''s hesitation, the people quietly returned to their vehicles.


    The once unobstructed highway was instantaneously jammed, creating a vast open space up front.


    Subsequently¡ª


    To the bewildered stares of countless onlookers, a private ne loaded with AI pills flew in from afar at a low altitude. It lowered itsnding gear, rapidly decreased altitude, and prepared tond on the expansive area blocked off by the truck.

 Chapter 81: Chapter 80: E-Class Adaptable Expansion Magazine!

    If one could say that money already dominated most things in this world before the transcendentalization,


    Then after the world underwent transcendentalization,


    Money could almost dominate the vast majority of things in the world.


    With enough money, it meant you could even be an 18-level transcendent right after birth, it meant you could buy arge number of consumable items like Attribute Exchange Coupons that were limited in use to enhance your own strength, it meant you could be fully armed when entering secret realms, it meant... you had not only money but also power.


    "Gaobei City" was already a city of chaos.


    And the Envy Organization almost had unchecked power in Gaobei City, as long as they didn''t do anything too outrageous that would make those above want to deal with them, people from the Envy Organization could move around Gaobei City without any obstructions.


    For example... using a private ne to forciblynd on the highway for the transportation of "AI Pills" was something most cities wouldn''t dare to do. Doing so in Jingjiu City merely suggested that they thought they had too many family members and wanted to clear some space in the family register, but the Envy Organization had done it many times in Gaobei City already, with no idents urring to date.


    ...


    And in this major event,


    Every transcendent who was watching the live stream recognized Chen Miao, the one who was wreaking havoc in the big event, the same person who had killed the siege boss single-handedly a few days ago, and they all silently realized something.


    Although they didn''t know why Chen Miao could shoot so many bullets at once, they were sure he had gained some sort of opportunity rted to the Gunman Profession, and once he advanced further, he was sure to be another pinnacle figure in the Gunman series.


    For a moment¡ª


    There were those who wanted to recruit him, those who wanted to destroy him early, and those who were thinking who knows what.


    There were all sorts of thoughts in life, each with their own ideas.


    After an indefinite amount of time,


    The Chen Miao in the event suddenly looked up and found his view no longer obstructed by trees; the forest had disappeared at some point, leaving the ground looking incredibly messy and chaotic. Apart from their group, he could no longer see any other yers.


    Perhaps some yers were lucky enough to have escaped the catastrophe by hiding in underground caves.


    But Chen Miao didn''t n to waste time looking for them. His score was already high enough, a whole 18,000 points, crushing the second-ce score of just over 10,000 points. The one in second ce only had 181 points.


    There was no chance of them catching up to him, especially since the name of the person in second ce had already darkened.


    They were already waiting in the waiting space.


    However, if they didn''t n to return to the battlefield, that 181 points for second ce could almost be set in stone.


    He had killed roughly 3,000 yers to gain more than 3,000 points. Added to that were the points he gained from killing the guardians of treasure chests while destroying the forest, amounting to over 9,000 points in total because he had opened a treasure chest earlier that doubled any points he gained through any means.


    The prompt for gaining points wouldn''t show the *2.


    But the actual credit to the ount would be *2.


    The points could also indirectly indicate that at the current stage in Fengtian City, there were only about three to four thousand new transcendents, and excluding those who voluntarily downgraded, the actual number of new transcendents was just over 3,000.


    For ordinary people, bing transcendent was a difficult matter, and of those more than 3,000 new transcendents, there were only a dozen Gunman Profession, a very small proportion indeed.


    ...


    "It seems like there''s no one left."


    Hungry Monkey swept a nce around, hands in pockets, and murmured, "That is, we didn''t seem to collect a single corpse, did we?"


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao furrowed his brows and fell into thought without speaking; he had another important task on this trip, which was to collect enough bodies and then go to the cemetery to trade them for money with the old man, but the problem was this major event had a protection mechanism, and these people had been teleported to the waiting space when close to death.


    This meant he hadn''t collected a single body.


    This caused the ie he had nned to be reduced by nearly half.


    Now he just had to see how much he could earn from these remaining treasure chests.


    The spot as the winner was already his, that much was for certain; the higher the scores, the better the rewards from opening the treasure chests. With over 18,000 points now, he wondered what rewards woulde from his chests.


    Without too much hesitation,


    he walked up to a blinking light first and reached out his hand.


    "Ding! The treasure is an item-ss treasure."


    "The yer may choose one of the following three items."


    "1: F-grade item Adaptive Magazine Extension*5."


    "2: E-grade item Righteous Gauntlets*1."


    "3: E-grade item Axe of Cowardice*1."


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the three items before him, his mouth agape slightly; these rewards were really not bad at all. He had spent a total of 10k Star Coins on bullets, and now any one of these items he felt was worth at least three to four thousand Star Coins. Wouldn''t opening a few chests cover his costs?


    The Adaptive Magazine Extension, a divine artifact for gunmen.


    It would adapt to whatever weapon you faced and would add 100 bullets to your magazine, greatly enhancing the continuousbat capabilities of a gunman.


    Of course, he didn''t need it, but to other gunmen, the Adaptive Magazine Extension was definitely an exciting prospect.


    Righteous Gauntlets and the Axe of Cowardice were both fighter''s weapons.


    The Righteous Gauntlets could restore a yer''s health with each attack, while the Axe of Cowardice allowed a yer to deal double damage when attacking yers with lower Strength values and receive double damage when attacked by yers with higher Strength values.


    He let Hungry Monkey choose for himself which one he wanted more, and, after a moment of hesitation, Hungry Monkey chose the Axe of Cowardice.


    "Ding! Congrattions on obtaining the E-grade item Axe of Cowardice*1."


    He tossed it to Hungry Monkey and opened another chest.


    "Ding! The treasure is a Gunman Profession transfer item."


    "The yer may choose one of the following three items."


    "1: Gunman Transfer Book*1000."


    "2: Hidden Gunman Profession Transfer Book ''Mechanical Demon''*1."


    "3: Unique Hidden upation Transfer Book ''Gun Devil''*1, requirespletion of a special prerequisite quest, which to date, 9 people have attempted, 0 have seeded."


    "Heh!"


    Seeing the scene before him, Chen Miao couldn''t help but grin. Beforeing in, he had hoped that this big event would drop a transfer book for a hidden upation. Having reached level 3, he was preparing for his First Turn, originally aiming for the Second Turn ''Heavy Gunner''.


    Now it seemed as though the Second Turn ''Gun Devil'' was also quite tempting.


    The Mechanical Demon pathway was the same as that of Sang Biao from Fengtian City, belonging to the Mechanical Ascension type that transforms oneself. Who said gunmen were weak in the flesh? Then just discard the flesh and take on Great Strength King Kong!


    Efficient in both close and long-rangebat!


    Not quite fitting for him.


    In the end, he chose the third option, the ''Gun Devil'' hidden upation. Its introduction stated, ''will greatly increase the yer''s attack and burst capabilities.'' Nine people had taken on this hidden upation''s quest, but so far, not one had seeded.


    The quest was¡ª


    "As a Gun Devil, you should have an extraordinary fervor for firearms."


    "Within 24 hours, fire 200,000 bullets using any firearm."


    A hidden upation begins from the Second Turn, and for a level 3 gunman yer,pleting this task was nearly impossible, but he was perfectly capable... at a price.

 Chapter 82: Chapter 81: "Daily Experience Bonus Card" (Please Subscribe)

    All Extraordinary Combat Professions, a total of 18 series.


    This includes "Gunslinger," "Fighter," "Magician," and other basic professions. Any hidden upation is a variation of a basic profession and does not start a new series on its own. "Gun Devil" belongs to the "Gunslinger" profession series.


    Any hidden upation begins from the "Second Turn."


    That is, from Level 3.


    But in the early stages, a Level 3 yer basically has no chance to obtain the Hidden Job Transfer Book. At this point, you''re faced with a choice: when you reach Level 14 and you obtain a Hidden Job Book.


    If you feel that this hidden upation doesn''t especially suit you, just sell it for money.


    If you feel it''s a perfect fit for you, then start over from Gunslinger Level 1, and at Level 3, activate the Hidden Job Transfer Book.


    This is also one factor that widens the ss gap.


    For those in Jingjiu City, the predecessors have already explored the best path. As the descendants start their journey, even before they reach Level 3, their families have the appropriate and fitting Hidden Job Transfer Books ready.


    And the quest for this "Gun Devil" seems difficult¡ª


    "In 24 hours, fire 200,000 bullets from a firearm."


    It demands a great deal from your ammo reserves and rate of fire.


    But for some experts in gunslinging, this isn''t a difficult task. If a profession known for its firepower can''tplete this quest, they might as well change professions.


    However... the problem is, these yers are at higher levels, own powerful weapons, and after many enhancements, have the foundation toplete this quest.


    But this task requires a Level 3 Gunslinger toplete it.


    For a Level 3 Gunslinger yer, it''s nearly impossible toplete this task. Even if their family prepares a firearm that meets these requirements, the prerequisite attributes required by that firearm are beyond what a Level 3 Gunslinger could achieve.


    This has caused the quest for the sole hidden upation to remain upleted to this day.


    Soon¡ª


    He saw in his backpack a Job Transfer Book with a question mark on the cover, looking darker overall, indicating he needed toplete a prerequisite quest to activate the book. He took it out of his backpack and tossed it into the Nothingness Space.


    The backpack only has 10 slots and can''t hold much, so it''s best not to take up his space.


    ...


    "Continue, continue!!"


    Chen Miao, who had already made his money back after opening two treasure chests, looked around at the dozens of light spots with satisfaction. It goes without saying that when his score reached 18,000, it felt like he could get good items from any treasure chest he opened.


    Even Hidden Job Transfer Books have been uncovered.


    This item is worth at least a million credit points, which is the market price. Even though the quest is difficult toplete, since it is unique, anything unique has never been priced below a million in the market.


    Even if it''s useless, bringing it home for a collection is excellent.


    Besides, he couldplete the quest, so naturally, the price would increase several folds.


    Unique items inherently possess the attribute of rarity¡ªscarce goods are precious¡ªbut more importantly, their attribute is that the item or profession is unknown to others. As long as you don''t leak it, others won''t know the capabilities of your item or profession for the rest of their lives. It means they can''t precisely target you.


    It will be your permanent trump card.


    Like at this moment in Fengtian City, many are frantically searching for anything that could significantly boost the fire rate and ammo capacity of firearms, like... increasing the ammo capacity to infinite, then making a regr submachine gun fire 20,000 bullets per second.


    But clearly.


    These people didn''t find anything; there''s simply no such thing.


    Yet in their eyes, Chen Miao is precisely that. It''s evident that they would believe Chen Miao has some sort of unique firearm fate¡ªmost likely a unique encounter¡ªand the effects would be these two points.


    Without pondering theseplicated matters, Chen Miao, in an extremely good mood, continued to open treasure chests.


    "Ding, this is an economical treasure. Congrattions, you''ve received 500 Star Coins."


    Hmm, simple and forthright. He kept opening them and got straight 500 Star Coins in several chests.


    "Ding, this treasure belongs to the experience category."


    "The yer can choose one of the following three treasures."


    "1: Directly receive Experience*1000."


    "2: Mysterious Realm single-game Bonus Card*10."


    "3: Daily Experience Bonus Card*10."


    The first one is straightforward, providing 1000 experience directly. The second one doubles the experience you get after passing each Mysterious Realm challenge, and the third one doubles the experience you gain through any channel every day.


    Without the slightest hesitation, he chose the third one.


    10 "Daily Experience Bonus Cards."


    He would definitely start with the Mysterious Realm after getting out since he needs to pass it one more time if he wants to change his upation. 10 Daily Experience Bonus Cards would clearly allow him to earn more experience points.


    While all three are good, the third one has the highest utility value if he had to choose.


    But soon...


    He realized he didn''t need to choose at all.


    Quickly, all the treasure chests were opened. In total, he obtained 10 "Daily Experience Bonus Cards," 10 "Mysterious Realm single-game Bonus Cards," and he chose directly to receive 20,000 experience.


    And this experience gain would be directly enhanced by the "Daily Experience Cards" and "Mysterious Realm single-game Bonus Cards," turning into 60,000 experience.


    By now, his Experience Points had be¡ª


    "yer Name": Chen Miao.


    "yer Level": Level 3 (60423/1000)


    "Profession Name": Gunslinger (Pending Transfer)


    -


    With a significant overflow of experience points, just seed in the job transfer, and he could continuously Level Up, breaking through at least 10 levels instantly!!!


    After all, reaching Level 3 only requires 1000 experience points. How much would it take to reach Level 4?


    With over 60,000 experience points, wouldn''t that be enough to reach Level 10?


    He had picked up a total of 22 experience-rted treasure chests. But once he tried and found out that choosing the first option¡ªto directly receive 1000 experience points¡ªcould actually benefit from the simultaneous bonus of both cards.


    The city-state major event is considered a Mysterious Realm too?


    After that, he stopped choosing the bonus cards.


    With the boost from these two cards, the first option would let him directly acquire 3000 experience points. But even with these two cards'' bonus, he wouldn''t be able to gain 3000 experience points in one day once he got out.


    A perfect pass of an F-grade Mysterious Realm would only grant 100 experience points.


    To get 3000 experience points, even with the bonus cards, he would have to perfectly pass the F-grade Mysterious Realm 10 times in one day, which is no easy task.


    He also gave Hungry Monkey 5 experience treasure chests and one of each of the daily and per-game bonus cards, letting Hungry Monkey choose to directly gain experience, giving Hungry Monkey a total of 15,000 experience points.


    Once he sessfully transfers his job, he can also level up instantly.

 Chapter 83: Chapter 82: "Hidden Bloodline": Pixiu Holy Body. (Please Subscribe)

    The output from the entire big event roughly amounted to a few hundred treasure chests, with several thousand peoplepeting for them, making thepetitive pressure immense.


    Moreover, the more valuable the treasure chest, the stronger the monster guarding it would be.


    If one were to follow the normal development path, this should have been a story about advancing withpanions, continuously shouting not to underestimate the power of belief, fighting and opening treasure chests, and then struggling to emerge as the winners.


    Unfortunately, a cheater like Chen Miao appeared.


    At this moment, all these treasure chests were theirs; although a few chests were asionally stolen by some sneaky thieves in hiding, it didn''t harm the overall picture, and he couldn''t be bothered to go after these people.


    The treasure chests had all been opened, and the people were basically all taken care of.


    But the 24-hour time limit of the big event hadn''t passed yet; he still couldn''t leave the event and could only wait patiently for the time to pass within it. He didn''t sit idle during this time but started to examine the items he had harvested.


    Besides arge amount of experience, he gained a total of 8000 Star Coins.


    Star Coins weren''t much, frankly a bit too little, with just 500 Star Coins for a chest; it did seem rather stingy.


    He got quite a few Job Transfer Books for hidden upations.


    A total of thirteen.


    There were Job Transfer Books for various upations, including one for a hidden upation.


    "Tower Defense Master."


    He felt it seemed somewhat suitable for Yuan Buping...


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the Hidden Job Transfer Book named "Tower Defense Master" before him with a peculiar gaze; the prerequisite basic profession was "Gunman Profession."


    After sessfully transferring to this hidden upation,


    he could only use the Gunman Profession''s upational weapon, like the "Python R6 Revolver," meaning he could no longer use weapons like the "Thompson Submachine Gun" gun-type firearms. To level Yuan Buping and others to level 3,


    Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    he had Zhou Shen level them up and also had a "Python R6 Revolver" crafted for each person, spending 200 Star Coins per person to activate the Gunman Profession.


    Its strength was¡ª


    the ability to create various kinds of "Tower Defense Buildings."


    A Second Turn Tower Defense Master could create defense buildings such as the "Moonshadow Tower" and "Machine Gun Tower," among others. The buildings they created couldn''t move, could be set with a whitelist to automatically attack all creatures that entered the range without permission, and could also attack autonomously.


    It belonged to the positional gunman category and was an expert in position warfare and guarding the home base.


    Additionally, there were various other constructions he could create, such as "underground pipelines"... Things that perfectly suited Yuan Buping''s tastes.


    After pondering for a moment, Chen Miao was just about to say something to Yuan Buping when he saw Yuan Buping''s eager expression, feeling somewhat speechless. Then, without saying much more, he directly tossed the Hidden Job Transfer Book to Yuan Buping.


    All these were just extras.


    What really surprised him was Hungry Monkey.


    "Fist Monster," a Skill Book for a fighter''s hidden upation, which he contemted for a while before tossing it to Hungry Monkey. However, when the booknded in Hungry Monkey''s backpack, a panel popped up in front of Hungry Monkey.


    "Ding, detecting that yer Hungry Monkey has obtained a Skill Book for a fighter''s hidden upation, activating the ''Hidden Bloodline Activation Task.''


    "Hidden Bloodline": Pixiu Holy Body.


    "Bloodline Effect": It only consumes food without expelling it and activates the unique hidden upation "Pixiu" for fighters. Every 10 kilograms of food consumed will increase by one Strength Attribute Point, with no upper limit.


    "Prerequisite Quest": Swallow three Skill Books for fighters'' hidden upations.


    When Hungry Monkey shared this panel, everyone was dumbfounded.


    Hungry Monkey had quite the appetite.


    Who would dare offend someone who can eat 10 servings of fried noodles in one meal?


    A roasted chicken weighs roughly 500 grams, about 1 jin, and 10 kilograms would be 20 roasted chickens, which is the daily amount for Hungry Monkey. This means Hungry Monkey doesn''t have to do anything else other than eat every day to gain 1 point in Strength Value.


    That''s 30 points in a month.


    And 365 points in a year.


    "..."


    Well, considering that each level-up grants one Free Attribute Point, and the number one on the federal level leaderboard is currently at level 67, if we don''t count some equipment and items that can increase Strength Value.


    At best, even if the initial Strength Value is 15, which is already far beyond the limit of a normal person.


    By allocating all Attributes Points to Strength with each level-up, that''s an increase of 67 points.


    Even adding the five uses of the Free Attribute Exchange Coupon, the total would only be 87 points in Strength Attribute, which is already quite an absurd existence, the kind that could break mountains with a punch.


    When the Strength Value increases, one''s physique also strengthens, and there won''t be that kind of unbnced development with only the head or feet getting heavier. It''s aprehensive enhancement.


    And that terrifying figure of 87 points in Strength Attribute? Hungry Monkey just needs to eat for 87 days to get it back.


    Plus, with the effect of the "Coward''s Axe," which deals double damage to enemies with a lower Strength Attribute, it''s fair to say that all Hungry Monkeycks now is time. They just need to hide in the cemetery for a few months, and once they step out again, Hungry Monkey will be a significant part of their Combat Power.


    Invincible? Of course not.


    After all, it''s only an enhancement in Strength Attribute, and without the amplification from other gear or items, they are no good if they don''t encounter others. And not to mention that other people also have items and equipment that can increase Strength Value.


    But even so, it''s an incredibly absurd Bloodline.


    ...


    "Bloodline..."


    In a significant event, Chen Miao looked at Hungry Monkey with aplicated expression, at a loss for words for a moment. He originally thought that Hungry Monkey merely had arge appetite, but he never expected Hungry Monkey to have a Bloodline.


    Now even a Bloodline hase into y.


    The one and only Hidden upation "Pixiu" directly converts the energy from food in the stomach into Strength with 100% efficiency, even eliminating the need for excretion. With no undigested remnants, there''s nothing to excrete; what''s there to excrete, anyway?


    "Hehe..."


    On the side, Hungry Monkey couldn''t control the upward curl of his lips and finally couldn''t help butugh, fully aware of what this meant. It meant that as long as he didn''t suddenly die prematurely, his reputation would grow with time.


    Considering his personality,


    he''s already thinking about heading straight to Broken Pot City and entering seclusion for sixty years, not going anywhere during those sixty years, just eating.


    Gaining 365 Strength points a year.


    That would be 21,900 Strength points in sixty years.


    Emerging from seclusion after sixty years, an old man with white hair and a Strength Value of 20k ruling over the federation!


    Who could stand in his way!


    "This information needs to be kept secret, top-secret."


    After digesting the news for quite some time, Chen Miao finally turned to Hungry Monkey. Hungry Monkey had only shown his panel to him, and people like Yuan Buping were still unaware: "Don''t tell anyone, no one at all."


    Unlike him, Hungry Monkey''s profession is one that steadily improves with no ceiling.


    This means that if Hungry Monkey is left unchecked, the future will inevitably affect the interests of many people.


    Many people would not like to see this stable development and would try everything possible to snuff out Hungry Monkey in the cradle.

 Chapter 84: Chapter 83: "Start the Legion Battle, Screw His Mother!" (Please Subscribe)

    ```


    Don''t talk about things like making alliances in advance or securing capable allies.


    If you really have potential in the future, people wille to recruit you, but if your potential is ridiculously high and no power believes they can control you in the future, then all that awaits you is destruction.


    And just so happens!


    Among the 13 Hidden Job Transfer Books obtained this time, exactly 3 of them are for the hidden upations of fighters, aside from the one given to Yuan Buping, the ''Tower Defense Master'', that leaves 9 books.


    These 9 books are all a mess of various basic professions'' hidden upations; they can''t use them for the time being and decided to hold onto them to see if they''ll be usefulter, or else they might sell them for money since they are a bit short on cash.


    ...


    Aside from experience points, Star Coins, and hidden upation transfer books, they also obtained quite a few items, equipment, and skill books.


    Most of the items and equipment were not useful, so they only kept those that were universal or could be used by their professions; the rest they nned to sell after they got out.


    Many of the items they kept could only be used under special circumstances.


    For example¡ª


    ''Skill Name'': Leap sh.


    ''Skill Level'': F grade.


    ''Skill Restriction'': Only usable by fighters and rted upation series yers, and must be holding a weapon when using this skill.


    ''Skill Effect'': Instantly leap 10 meters, and strike a roar at the arrival range enemies, dealing fixed damage equal to 1000% of one''s Strength.


    ''Skill Introduction'': "I have a sword that can cut through the mundanity."


    Fighter skills that can only be learned by yers of lv.4 and above; those below level 3 can only learn the three basic skills.


    ...


    Chen Miao sorted out the items in his backpack and threw the three hidden upation transfer books and some items that could be used by the fighter profession to Hungry Monkey: "I''ll take you for a job transfer once we get out."


    Hungry Monkey hasn''tpleted the job transfer conditions yet, still needing to clear a secret realm andcking in the kill count.


    Once they got out, he would apany Hungry Monkey to the next secret realm, and then they would transfer jobs together.


    ...


    The following time was spent waiting.


    Time passed quickly.


    By now, no one was watching the live stream anymore; there was nothing left to watch. What were they supposed to watch, Chen Miao and others sleeping?


    Everyone had dispersed.


    Time quickly arrived at the climax of a major event.


    At 21:00 in the evening, the sky over Fengtian City had darkened, and the city began to enter its final bustle of the day, while the city announcement also arrived as expected.


    -


    ''Ding, the major event "Coward''s Special" has ended smoothly, below is the ranking list of this event.''


    ''First ce: Chen Miao, 18,000 points.''


    ''Second ce:...''


    ''Congrattions to first ce, Chen Miao, for emerging as the victor, sessfully granting Fengtian City a new city-state effect.''


    ''City-state Effect¡ª''


    ''yers within the jurisdiction of the city will receive additional experience points and rewards when passing through secret realms, and the additional rewards and reward value have a certain chance to critically hit.''


    ''This city-state effect will exist for one year.''


    - Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    An announcement sounded in the ears of all who were in Fengtian City.


    ```


    The name Chen Miao once again spread throughout Fengtian City.


    However, most people just nced at the city effect and moved on with disappointment, another city effect that was only useful to the supernatural, and the majority in any city are ordinary people. Some city effects are useful to the ordinary popce, like the "Sacrificial City Effect" of Gaobei City.


    Not that it''s necessarily a good or bad thing.


    But at least the ordinary people could be involved.


    This kind of city effect is basically useless to ordinary people.


    It was gettingte, and Chen Miao, havinge out from a major event and returned to Fengtian City, scanned his surroundings, "Let''s go have dinner first, then go back to sleep, have a day of rest and then get back to work tomorrow."


    There were many things to be dealt with, but they also needed to be approached with a well-rested spirit.


    Work is endless, but life can run out.


    You still need to rest when you should rest.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the government officials of Fengtian City had been sitting in a meeting hall waiting ahead of time. More than ten hours ago, they were already certain that Chen Miao would be this event''s victor and that their Fengtian City would secure the event''s reward.


    It was a good thing.


    But the real reason worth their sitting there waiting in advance was to make decisions based on the city effect reward from this event.


    After the announcement sounded.


    No sound was heard in the meeting hall; it remained quiet as everyone was in silence. After a moment, the Deputy Mayor with slightly graying hair gently tapped the table and said calmly, "Another universal city effect."


    "If nothing unexpected happens, more people wille to Fengtian City to leech off our city effect."


    "How should we handle it?"


    "Everyone, please feel free to express your thoughts."


    The city effect of Fengtian City itself was of a universal type, and anyoneing to Fengtian City could enjoy the city effect without the restrictions other cities imposed, like needing to be born there or having to stay for a certain amount of time.


    There have to be some limits.


    Now they had two city effects of the universal type, which outsiders could easily exploit.


    To be honest, it was a bit irritating.


    But there was no helping it, could they really just close off the city?


    Even though these people could also bring some economic uplift to Fengtian City, it wasn''t much, and in general, the disadvantages outweighed the advantages. Strictly speaking, there were no downsides, but it''s human nature to feel irked when others take advantage without being able to reciprocate. That''s the biggest downside.


    "Yes."


    A middle-aged man sitting at a side seat below spoke without expression, "Just wage war. Damn it, our Fengtian City''s city effect clearly meshes well with the Gunman Profession, suited for legion battles. Why should we have to deal with them in the secret realms?"


    "Start the legion battle, damn it!"


    "Deploy the military and see if they can withstand the might of Fengtian City''s army."


    In the Federation.


    Secret realms are the main theme, and when different cities have conflicts of interest, the method of adjustment is through team battles in secret realms, with each city sending five people. The winning side gets the right to speak. Fengtian City initially had many Gunman yers performing quite well.


    But sadly, Gunmen just don''t fare well in secret realms.


    Therefore, the Gunman Profession gradually became less popr since most yers are individuals who can''t form legions. Gradually, Fengtian City''s own city effect became somewhat negligible, and the materials and skill items for the Gunman Profession were extremely cheap. Fengtian City ranked near the bottom within the 128 main cities of the Federation.


    But once a legion battle started.


    With the Gunman army Fengtian City had been stockpiling over the years, they were certainly capable of achieving a remarkable result.


    "Direct conflict?"


    The Deputy Mayor nced at the middle-aged man who spewed profanities during the meeting with a somewhat resentful gaze, "Do you understand what this implies? Or do you want to proim your own nation? We''re all cities under the Federation. Do you think this is a bunch of Feudal Lords fighting over territory?"

 Chapter 85: Chapter 84: "3 million ah...

    "..."


    The middle-aged man with a somewhat explosive temper clearly knew that his words were a bit inappropriate; after muttering to himself for a while, he closed his mouth¡ªobviously, he didn''t have any good ideas either.


    The vice-mayor, sitting in the central seat, paused for a long time before speaking, "Let''s leave this matter for now, and move on to the next item..."


    ...


    Dawn broke.


    Themps in the tomb chamber lit up on schedule, and this time, Chen Miao had bepletely immune to those bulbs. To him, 2000 lumens were neither here nor there, utterly without impact.


    After washing up, Chen Miao walked out of the tomb chamber with some confusion; he didn''t see Hungry Monkey inside. Normally, Hungry Monkey got upter than he did, but today, it was an unprecedented asion that he got up earlier.


    As soon as he left the chamber, he saw Hungry Monkey sitting outside, his face aglow with excitement as he looked at something ahead.


    Upon seeing Chen Miaoe out,


    Hungry Monkey could barely contain his excitement and said, "Miao, let''s go down to the Secret Realm quickly. I can''t wait to change my job to the ''Pixiu'' ss. I didn''t sleep all night, thinking about nothing but this."


    The only Hidden upation.


    Who wouldn''t be thrilled with such a thing, especially since he turned out to be a Pixiu Holy Body? He always knew his voracious appetite wasn''t ordinary.


    But if he hadn''te across the Job Transfer Book for the fighter Hidden upation, he would probably never have known this for his entire life. Moreover, if it wasn''t for meeting Miao, he would never have had the chance to find the fighter''s Hidden Job Transfer Book in his life.


    He had looked up the price online.


    The price for a fighter''s Hidden Job Transfer Book was around one million credit points. The unique one had no price¡ªthere were no sales records on the market. Even if there were, they were private sales, but it was imaginable that the price of a unique Hidden Job Transfer Book must be at least four to five times higher.


    "..."


    Chen Miao nced at Hungry Monkey and said somewhat speechlessly, "Let''s go, and call Yuan Buping too. He hasn''tpleted his job transfer conditions either."


    The job transfer conditions were simple: clear 3 Secret Realms, achieve a total of 100 kills in the Secret Realms, and spend 500 Star Coins.


    He and Hungry Monkey hadn''t cleared enough Secret Realms, while Yuan Buping was short on kills.


    ...


    An hour and a halfter.


    They found themselves inside the Secret Realm Building, looking for an easy F-level Secret Realm, ''Swarming Bug Nest.''


    They easily found a guide online.


    Things like controlling the line of sight, positioning, then clearing a wave of monsters, and being cautious not to be attacked by a type of creature that could squirt fluid, among other tidbits¡ªChen Miao merely nced at them and didn''t pay much attention.


    The reasons for choosing this Secret Realm were only two:


    It was simple and there were lots of monsters to farm.


    That was enough.


    When the three of them stepped into the white light circle on the 68th floor of the Secret Realm Building, a panel quickly appeared in front of them.


    -


    ''Secret Realm Name'': Swarming Bug Nest.


    ''Secret Realm Level'': F-level.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': This is a mysterious subterranean nest; nobody knows what''s inside.


    ''Secret Realm Mission'': Survive for 2 hours.


    ''Secret Realm Progress'': The highestpletion record for this instance is 100%, with a perfect clearance.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': When you delve deep underground, you will see another side of this world.


    -


    This was a five-person Secret Realm.


    Apart from them, there were two other random passersby who looked to be a couple, the male at level 4 and the female at level 3.


    As soon as they entered the secret realm, the man gave a brief self-introduction, obviously an old hand at these realms, and asked Chen Miao and others about their abilities and professions.


    However, his face soon turned slightly darker as he fell silent upon seeing Chen Miao''s appearance.


    He clearly recognized Chen Miao.


    His girlfriend had just been shot to death by Chen Miao in the big event, with countless bullets piercing her body.


    Damn it, he''d never even shot that many into her!


    But the man quickly adjusted his emotions, forced a smile, and rushed away with the woman who was about to say something, without looking back.


    There were no protection mechanisms within the secret realm.


    Killing someone here wasn''t against thew.


    If someone were to die here in a fit of temper, it would truly be a pitiful and unspoken injustice... Damn, with such formidable power, what are you doing in this kind of secret realm?


    Are you bullying children?


    Chen Miao paid no heed to this minor episode, simply instructing Yuan Buping and Hungry Monkey to go to the Bug Nest to kill monsters after entering; Hungry Monkey still needed a bit more on his kill count, while Chen Miao was left outside waiting, bored to death.


    ...


    The 2 hours passed quickly.


    The secret realm finished smoothly.


    And as he came out of the secret realm, having satisfied the job transfer conditions, Chen Miao stood in the Secret Realm Building looking at the panel that appeared in front of him, nodding in satisfaction.


    Now all he needed to do was to meet the prerequisite condition for his hidden upation "Gun Devil".


    "Within 24 hours, fire 200,000 bullets with a single weapon."


    It had to be said he was lucky that the nine people who took this hidden upation quest before him probably weren''t from big families, which is why they failed; although the task was extremely difficult for a level three gunman, he believed that for someone from Jingjiu City, this wouldn''t be a problem.


    It was in and simple.


    And he had stumbled upon it.


    Hungry Monkey, on the other hand, couldn''t wait to find a corner to gulp down three fighter''s hidden job transfer books in one go, not even taking a sip of water, swallowing them down dryly.


    "3 million, huh..."


    Chen Miao looked somewhat distressed at the three fighter''s hidden job transfer books being swallowed up like that; he genuinely felt a pang of regret.


    Standing in ce, a panel soon popped up in front of Hungry Monkey.


    "Ding, congrattions on sessfully transferring to the fighter''s unique hidden upation ''Pixiu''."


    "yer Name": Hungry Monkey.


    "yer Experience": Level 9 (124/10000)


    After the sessful transfer, his long-umted experience points finally began to rise, shooting straight up from level 3 to level 9, spanning countless levels in one go.


    "He gained so much?"


    Chen Miao was slightly taken aback; Hungry Monkey had only earned a total of 15k experience points in the big event, and he initially thought he would gain just a few levels, maybe to five or six, but to his surprise, he shot straight up to level 9.


    Then his own 60k plus experience would mean jumping several levels too.


    However, on second thought, he could understand it; after all, perfectly clearing an F-grade secret realm only awarded 100 experience points. If it took too much experience to level up, then nobody except those from Jingjiu City could ever level up.


    To go from level 8 to 9 needed just a few thousand experience points, only requiring a bit more to go from level 9 to 10, as level 10 was both a threshold and a watershed.


    Pretty good.


    Chen Miao nodded, ready to rush back to the cemetery to find an open space to shoot, so as toplete his job transfer task¡ªhe hadn''t sessfully transferred yet.

 Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Pierce the Sky with One Shot

    However¡ª


    Ten minutester.


    They still ended up at a noodle shop nearby, where Hungry Monkey was wolfing down bowl after bowl of Zhajiang noodles, finishing each in just a few breaths. Hungry Monkey had always had a big appetite, but because he ate so much like a food trough, he sometimes felt very self-conscious.


    But now, things were different.


    As a Pixiu Holy Body, it was only natural for him to eat more, especially since it was also for the purpose of enhancingbat power to help Miao.


    He ate with more confidence than before, more justified, and felt more refreshing.


    This also made Chen Miao realize that Hungry Monkey probably had never had his fill before, always restraining himself. If allowed to eat as much as he wanted, he probably wouldn''t be satisfied without at least 20 bowls of noodles per meal.


    "..."


    Chen Miao sat on the chair, lighting a cigarette and looking towards Hungry Monkey with aplex expression as he devoured his noodles and garlic, with big chicken legs scattered on the table¡ªhe was thoroughly enjoying his meal. The other customers in the restaurant also looked over, clearly never having witnessed such a scene before.


    Time passed, unmeasured.


    Hungry Monkey wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth with a satisfied expression, while a notification sound rang in his ear.


    ''Ding, you have consumed a total of 10 kilograms of food, Strength Attribute permanently increased by 1 point.''


    Hungry Monkey, who had leveled up six times, allocated all the six levels'' worth of Free Attribute Points into Strength. His Strength Value had now reached a terrifying 33 points. Beforeing here, he had used five Free Attribute Exchange Coupons and added them all to Strength as well.


    He now felt full of strength and even couldn''t wait to test out what level of force his full-strength punch would unleash.


    ...


    The three of them didn''t dy any longer, each eager to go back and change their upation. After finishing their meal, they quickly returned to the graveyard.


    Chen Miao headed to the Sankui Wastnd.


    Picking up the Tao Wood model Thompson Submachine Gun, he fired a barrage into the distance; 2,000 bullets per spray, 20,000 bullets was a matter of just 10 sprays. If only he hadpleted the Job Transfer Conditions earlier, this task would have been finished during the big event.


    In total, it was just an expense of 400 Star Coins.


    This task was just right for him and basically presented no difficulty at all.


    Minutester, the task waspleted¡ªsimple and easy.


    ''Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for sessfully activating the Gunman Profession''s single Hidden upation ''Gun Devil''.''


    ''Every time you are promoted in your profession, you will gain an Exclusive Skill.''


    ''As a Gun Devil, you possess an obsessive zeal for firearms. You cannot use any weapon other than firearms, including your fists.''


    ''All firearms will submit to you. Your bullets can turn corners at will, and within a hundred-meter range, be it your own bullets or shells, they all can turn as you desire.''


    And his level had risen a lot as well.


    ''yer Name'': Chen Miao.


    ''yer Level'': Level 14 (334/14000)


    ''Profession Name'': Gun Devil (Second Turn)


    He will reach the Third Turn at level 20, which is the next upation Promotion, jumping straight from level 3 to level 14, which could be likened to a carp leaping over the dragon gate.


    Previously, reaching the Second Turn would have made one considered a master, but times have changed too quickly. Since the beginning of the world''s Transcendentalization, people have been exploring everywhere, and mastering a small detail could make one much stronger than others.


    Now, strategies are soaring across the sky.


    Three years ago, Doctor Gou, with hisbat power of 4800, was still able to squeeze into the top dozens of Fengtian City''sbat power rankings. Even though he fell silent after that, he only dropped to just beyond the 100th ce.


    But three yearster, now.


    Thest time he tested, he had over 7000bat power, which ranked him thousands of ces beyond in the Fengtian Citybat power rankings, almost falling behind the 10,000th ce. He had to admit that, with the push of the inte, a lot of valuable information had also spread online.


    In this overall environment, people are getting stronger and stronger.


    Of course, this also has something to do with the fact that Doctor Gou hasn''t retested hisbat power in these years and has been holding back in the Combat Power Secret Realm.


    A 14th-level Second-Turn Gun Devil.


    In the whole of Fengtian City, though not considered a top hand, he certainly counts as upper-middle ss, a crushing presence for the average person.


    Having leveled up 11 levels, Chen Miao did not hesitate to allocate all to strength, thus his strength had reached 24 points, of which 1 point came from sleeping in the Pitch-ck Coffin these days.


    There was no other reason.


    Zhou Shen had sent him a message.


    "Miao, there''s a small gunman auction tomorrow. There''s a D-ss item, ''Hell Gatling,'' blueprint, do you want it?"


    Of course, how could he not?


    The D-ss item ''Hell Gatling'' is tantamount to a mid-phase artifact for gunmen. Any gunman with this weapon is many times stronger than other gunmen, in secret realms or outdoor battles, if the need for a massive ammunition reserve due to its terrifying fire rate is ignored.


    Among ten gunmen, there may not be even one who possesses this item.


    This is definitely a core weapon in the mid-phase of the Gunman Profession.


    Because there are so few gunmen in Fengtian City, just a handful of regrs, a specific auction for the Gunman Profession is held regrly, since all those who can afford and utilize it are here anyway.


    Compared to the Gatling, he actually preferred a sniper rifle.


    He had kept a Pixiu skin in preparation for a sniper rifle.


    The characteristics of the Gatling ovepped with his Thompson Submachine Gun. Although his Thomson had weaker pration and a shorter range, it had a more terrifying firing rate thanks to his Tao Wood skin. What he now needed was a weapon like a sniper rifle, which could deal high damage with a single bullet and had a very long range, to make up for a gap in his arsenal.


    But since this Gatling gun came knocking at his door, he saw no reason not to ept it.


    He maxed out his strength value first, to ensure he could handle the recoil of the Gatling gun. It''s not an easy task for one person to fire that thing while on the move; it''s usually mounted on a vehicle or fixed in a battle location.


    And he would also take the opportunity to check out the other gunmen attending the auction¡ªthose participating were not low-level gunmen. Very few neers choose the Gunman Profession, but the strength of these veteran gunmen should not be underestimated.


    Then he looked at the exclusive skill given to him after his Second Turn as a Gun Devil.


    ''Skill Name'': Pierce the Sky with One Shot.


    ''Skill Effect'': Upon activating this skill, you can transform all the bullets in your magazine into onerger bullet and fire it, causing greater damage.


    ...


    ps: Just now, while listening to music with headphones and typing, there was an earthquake in Xi''an. I only felt my body shaking. At first, I thought I was just sleep-deprived, my mind was drifting, and I was nearing copse. I hurriedly closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. When I opened them, I noticed the lightbulb on the ceiling was swinging.


    I felt something was off.


    Then at that moment, my wife rushed in and said there was an earthquake and to run. That''s when I realized what was happening... Fortunately, the earthquake wasn''t very strong; otherwise, living on the 18th floor, it seems there wouldn''t have been any point in running.

 Chapter 87: Chapter 86: "Kill him, or join him.

    ```


    Just...


    Chen Miao was slightly hesitant, unsure if he should conduct the experiment here. After all, even though he wasn''t certain about the actual effect of the skill, he had twenty thousand bullets in his magazine. If all that were turned into one bullet, it probably wouldn''t be much different from a missile.


    Could that still be considered a bullet?


    Themotion might be a bit too much, and it seemed like he would be looking for trouble.


    How about... finding a Secret Realm?


    It was high noon, and he decided to just do it, toozy to make another trip to the city. With his current strength, even an unimed Secret Realm shouldn''t be able to stop him.


    Soon¡ª


    He found a white vortex entrance behind a hill in the distance, white representing an F-level. Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    And in the upper right corner of the vortex was the number 1.


    This indicated that it was a single-yer Secret Realm.


    This time, he had done enough research to basically understand what different levels of Secret Realms signified. First off, the Secret Realm Introduction panel would never deceive, it wouldn''t suggest that one could simply survive by doing nothing, yet imply that you must engage in ughter.


    Only Secret Realms of D-level and above would begin to feature plot-driven elements, testing not only the yer''sbat power but also their insight, logic, and teamwork.


    For Secret Realms below D-level, even the unimed ones were rtively straightforward and brutal: just y monsters.


    As long as you had enough strength, you could clear them.


    -


    ¡¸Secret Realm Name¡¹: Apocalypse Paradise.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Level¡¹: F-level.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Introduction¡¹: This is a modern city where once, a man in order to save his beloved woman, signed a contract with a deity reviving her. She was brought back to life but became an undead carrying a highly contagious virus. Soon, the virus spread throughout the entire city, turning it into a living hell.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Mission¡¹: Kill 500 undead.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Progress¡¹: The highest clearance progress of this copy is 97%, not perfectly cleared.


    ¡¸Secret Realm Introduction¡¹: "Kill him or join him."


    -


    "97% clearance progress?"


    Chen Miao looked at this progress with a slightly odd expression. Just 3% shy of a full clearance, surely right now, everyone''s working overtime to rush that 100% perfect clearance, he guessed. After all, it was so close¡ªwithout making that final push, no one would be able to sleep tonight.


    The mission content was simple.


    Kill 500 undead, but he didn''t know what the conditions for a perfect clearance were.


    Apart from the Experience Secret Realm, most Realms theoretically couldn''t be entered repeatedly, but this did not include unimed Realms which could be entered over and over again, allowing teams to enter and re-enter to figure out how to perfectly clear them.


    The next second¡ª


    His figure disappeared on the spot, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the midst of a modern city.


    ```


    The city was deserted, not a soul in sight.


    The streets were cluttered with countless vehicles that had collided with one another. Many cars'' ss was shattered, revealing numerous corpses and blood-stained pieces of broken ss, as well as cars charred beyond recognition.


    The entire street appeared extremely chaotic, with night having just fallen in the Secret Realm.


    The shops on both sides of the street looked as if they had been looted, and even the ss on the exterior walls of office buildings was cracked. Many billboards had fallen off, making it seem as if the end of the world hade.


    "Wow."


    Chen Miao, who was leaning on his cane, couldn''t help but click his tongue as he surveyed his surroundings. The aggressiveness of these undead was not low at all, to have caused such destruction to the city.


    Just then!


    As if it had caught the scent of flesh, an undead slowly wriggled out from a deserted vehicle not far away. It then turned its head to look at him, and almost instantaneously, its originally dim pupils red into a blood-red hue as it raised its head with a ferocious growl.


    Right after that!


    The entire city seemed toe alive!


    Legions of the undead emerged from the shops, street trash bins, and windows of office buildings from various corners, their eyes locked firmly on him. Without any hesitation, they marched toward him withrge strides!


    Those undead from the office buildings couldn''t even wait and leaped down directly, only to end up with maimed limbs and started to struggle painfully on the ground.


    Their speed was not fast, though.


    In Chen Miao''s mind, he had almost instantly figured out how an ordinary person shouldplete the mission in this Secret Realm. These undead had physical abilities that were even inferior to those of yers; it was just their fearlessness and numbers that made them a threat. All one had to do was to lead these undead to a spot where they would leap off buildings and get crippled, and then it would be a matter of ticking them off one by one.


    Even as he thought this, he still stood his ground, indifferent. He even looked up at the crows flying in groups above him in the night sky, their cries piercingly harsh, casting an addedyer of fear over the city.


    The Secret Realm was indeed no ce for normal people.


    This was just an F-rank Secret Realm. Although he knew that a normal person, if they could ovee their inner fears and be smart enough, couldplete it, that was all theoretical. Actually cing an ordinary person in such a situation, their brain might short-circuit in an instant. Where would they find the rationality to think of these things? They would probably just want to scream for their mothers and exit the Secret Realm.


    The current number one in the Federal Ranking is Lord Miao, a Level 67 Holy Demon Envoy. But in fact, ording to the information he had gathered in the past few days, six months ago, the number one yer was at Level 74, and the fifth was at Level 68.


    And now, these top five were all gone, vanished without a trace from the leaderboard.


    It was not that they had regressed.


    They had died.


    The top five of the Federal Ranking had all died in the Secret Realm, a Hell-level Secret Realm, no less. The outside world didn''t even know how they had died, nor did it know the specifics of the Secret Realm. No one came out with information for them; everyone who knew had perished within.


    True, they had grown stronger, but to be even stronger, they had to seek breakthroughs in more powerful Secret Realms. Since they had ventured into stronger Secret Realms, they had to be prepared for death.


    Even if you were the pinnacle of the Federation''sbat power, there was no limit to the difficulty of the Secret Realms.


    Your current power is your limit, not the limit of the Supernatural World.


    This was not the first time such an incident had urred. A saying circted among the Supernatural, iming that death was the ultimate fate for the Supernatural. ording to official statistics, the mortality rate of the Supernatural was much higher than that of ordinary people; basically, no Supernatural had died of old age yet.


    The world had only been Transcendentalized for a few decades; no need to wait for death by old age, anyone with elderly limbs who dared to enter a Secret Realm would someday die inside.


    But... inside the Secret Realm were treasures that could cure diseases and prolong life. If you didn''t have the money to buy them, would you enter and take the risk?


    Sometimes, being an ordinary person running a bun shop wasn''t so bad after all.

 Chapter 88: Chapter 87: Finishing Move - Tornado Destroys the Parking Lot!

    Chen Miao stopped thinking about all the messy things, as the living dead had already charged in front of him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.


    Then he took a deep breath.


    He was ready to experiment with the upation Effect that apanied his Second Turn as "Gun Devil" ¡ª within a hundred-meter radius, all bullets could move ording to his will, a power that could almost be considered a bug-like domain ability.


    "Ratatat!!"


    Without any hesitation, he unleashed a barrage of gunfire!


    A metal storm like a raging dragon instantly enveloped a group of living dead about to emerge from the vehicles, and just as the bullets were about to hit, they suddenly veered off course, striking a shop on the side.


    "Ding, congrattions, you have killed 1 living dead. 499 more needed toplete the task."


    Chen Miao paid no attention to the prompt that sounded in his ears and looked toward the shop that his bullets had utterly destroyed with some mild surprise. That turn just now wasn''t a mere ny-degree turn, but a full one hundred and eighty degrees.


    The bullets had made aplete about-face.


    The bullets even maintained their impact force?


    Isn''t this a bit too much in defiance of physics?


    How ridiculous is this?


    Perhaps this is the charm of the Gunfighting Art.


    This meant that from now on, he could achieve a hundred percent hit rate within a hundred meters, not needing to put the gun against the enemy''s head for a guaranteed hit, though he couldn''t control it too delicately.


    For instance, he had wanted to control half of the bullets to go left and half to go right.


    This was not possible.


    Which also meant that the idea of controlling the bullets to write characters in the air was not feasible.


    However, he felt that the reason he couldn''t do it wasn''t that the upation Effect couldn''t achieve it, but rather that he couldn''t. His brain couldn''t handle the multiple processes, forcing half the bullets to go left and half to the right resulted in his brain ''crashing,'' causing the bullets to collide erratically.


    After he returned, he should practice drawing circles with his left hand and squares with his right to train his brain''s ability to process multiple tasks simultaneously. Then he would likely be able to use this upation Effect flexibly andpletely.


    But soon, he experimented with something new!


    "Ratatat!!!"


    Chen Miao unleashed another barrage, and this time the bullets began to turn just a dozen meters away from him. A whole 20,000 rounds started to curve in one direction, encircling him like a tornado andpletely obscuring his vision.


    He couldn''t even see clearly what was outside.


    If one were to elevate their viewpoint, they would see that a tornado made from Metal Storm had abruptly appeared in the middle of the street, shattering both the living dead charging towards it and the vehicles it touched into pieces.


    ...


    Standing within the eye of the Metal Storm tornado, Chen Miao listened to the continuous prompts by his ear and cracked a smile. It seemed he had discovered something very fun, something that could be considered both offensive and defensive.


    Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Anything trying to attack him would have to pass through the Metal Storm.


    He stood still and waited patiently. After about three to five minutes, it seemed as though the tornado''s energy had run out. The bullets slowly fell to the ground, scattering all around.


    "That long?"


    Chen Miao looked at his wristwatch with some surprise in his eyes. He hadn''t expected the Metal Storm tost that long; usually, if a bullet left the barrel and missed its target, there was no need to wait three minutes for its momentum to be spent.


    The only experiment left was to see if he could control other people''s bullets if they shot at him and the bullets entered within a hundred-meter radius.


    Theoretically, it was possible.


    ```


    The panel explicitly said I could control all bullets within a hundred-meter range, not just my own, but... he had no fucking clue if he could react in time!


    Does it take a long time for a bullet to travel a hundred meters?


    If he couldn''t react before an enemy''s bullet entered his hundred-meter radius, what then? But right now, he didn''t have the conditions to experiment with this alone, so he could only go back and test it further. He felt there were many more tactics associated with his upation effect that he hadn''t figured out yet.


    Because it was the sole hidden upation, there was no strategy guide for him to refer to; he had to figure it out on his own, slowly.


    At least¡ª


    If they let him into that Experience Secret Realm again, facing that group of little fuckers shooting arrows at him from a distance, he would be utterly fearless, directly turning them into minced meat with his all-epassing tornado attack.


    ...


    Ten minutester, Chen Miao stood at the highest point of the city''s rooftop.


    There was a number of bloody corpses lying on the rooftop. He stood at the edge, pulled out the Tao Wood version of the Thompson Submachine Gun, took a deep breath, and activated his Second Turn ''Gun Devil'' exclusive skill¡ª


    ''Pierce the Sky with One Shot''!


    All the bullets in the magazine turned into a singlerger bullet, shooting out with an explosive effect!


    The next second.


    The 2w bullets in the magazine turned into one gigantic bullet, squeezing out of the narrow barrel in an inexplicably difficult manner. The moment he fired, the entire barrel expanded countless times, until a bullet over a meter in diameter sted out!


    The sight was incredibly shocking!


    This utterly illogical phenomenonpletely overturned Chen Miao''s understanding!


    Only when he saw this enormous bullet hit a ruin close by, causing a massive explosion, did he look up at the small mushroom cloud above his head and absentmindedly lit a cigarette to put in his mouth.


    "Fun..."


    He understood now,pletely understood.


    Supernatural powers in this world exin everything. Just a moment ago, he was wondering whether having a unique firearm skin would make the bullet a bit toorge for the small barrel and whether it could actually be shot.


    But soon, he witnessed the scene before him.


    If it exists on the panel, it''s logical in reality.


    If it''s logical, it can be realized.


    The logic is meticulous and unassable.


    This single bullet destroyed half of an office building, its power greater than that of an average missile, with the only regret being that the bullet was quite expensive, costing him 40 Star Coins.


    When money isn''t an issueter on.


    He could then fire 1w of these max-version bullets at once, forming a tornado around him. He''d like to see who could attack him then.


    ...


    Having experimented with the exclusive skills and upation effects of the ''Gun Devil'', the only hidden upation, Chen Miao was very satisfied with the results, but this was all based on the premise that he possessed the unique firearm skin.


    Thinking about it carefully.


    Without the ''Tao Wood'' firearm skin, the effect of this hidden upation might seem just so-so.


    It could only make one''s firepower slightly stronger than the average gunner, and perhaps the gap would be more pronounced after the Third or Fourth Turn, but at Second Turn there really wasn''t much of a difference.


    ```

 Chapter 89: Chapter 88: Laughable, how could ordinary people have houses?

    I guess it was just a coincidence.


    No wonder the nine people before me failed toplete this Hidden upation quest. Those who desired itcked the strength toplete it. For a rookie Gunman who couldn''t possibly own a personal ammunition production line, buying 200,000 bullets directly from the personal panel would cost at least tens of thousands of Star Coins.


    That''s hundreds of thousands of credit points. Selling blood would certainly not be enough. Guess you''d have to take out a loan at usurious rates.


    As for selling a house?


    Iughed. Which ordinary person owns a house?


    For someone strong enough toplete it, they''d think, buddy, if I''m this strong already, why wouldn''t I choose a stronger Hidden upation? Why go for this one?


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    After experimenting with everything, Chen Miao was ready to leave the Secret Realm. By that time, he had already killed enough zombies¡ª500 in total. He didn''t even aim to kill; it felt as if he hadn''t done anything and the zombies just delivered themselves to his gun''s muzzle.


    The quest was strangelypleted.


    An F-grade Secret Realm, so easy.


    No pressure at all.


    Chen Miao sighed slightly, feeling sentimental,pletely at a loss about the purpose of the existence of an F-grade Secret Realm. It was this easy, providing no pressure; it was like strolling in a park.


    Obviously, by then he had already forgotten how suspicious and cautious he had been when he first entered an F-grade Secret Realm.


    He then nced around and prepared to leave this Secret Realm.


    The perfectpletion condition for this Secret Realm likely required killing the vast majority of zombies in the city. It was not a difficult task for him, but the city was not small. To eradicate most of the zombies, he would have needed to spend a considerable amount of time,


    and even a significant amount of Star Coins.


    A mere perfect grade for clearing an F-grade Secret Realm wasn''t worth the effort.


    It would be a loss.


    Only someone with a deeper purpose would make a losing deal, and he had no reason to do so.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    In another part of Fengtian City, a young man with long hair, covered in wounds, dragged himself back to his rented room and sat down on the sofa without even turning on the lights inside the room. He sat there, staring nkly, for quite a while.


    Then he emotionlessly pulled out tworge buckets of bulk liquor from the kitchen, poured them into the water tank of the bathtub,


    and started taking a shower in the nude.


    Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    The myriad of wounds on his body looked particrly raw and enticing under the dousing of liquor, serving both as a bath and an inmmatory. The young man, who one would expect to scream from such pain, seemed to feel none of it as he silently wiped his body.


    Shortly after,


    the man stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel around his lower half, took out a bunch of needles and thread from the drawer, and started suturing his own wounds. This man seemed to care little about his body, as if he had possessed it in a body snatch, as though it wasn''t his own and could be easily mended.


    There were numerous wounds on the surface of his skin, already scabbing and winding like serpents. The man''s expression was focused as he bent his head down, stitching his flesh as if he was sewing a doll.


    ```


    This scene was truly hair-raising.


    After doing all that, the man then wrapped his entire body with bandages, put on some clothes over it, and looked at the wall stered with sticky notes.


    They contained countless pieces of information about


    the F-level secret realm "Apocalypse Paradise". He was determined to clear this perfect secret realm, and the condition for a perfect clearance was crystal clear, just kill all the undead.


    The condition was clear, but the difficulty was not low.


    This time was his limit; he had spent 14 days in the secret realm, using various methods to lure out almost all the zombies in the city, but he had only obtained a 97% clearance rating, falling short of the perfect score by 3%.


    The remaining 3% surely meant that some undead were trapped in ces they simply couldn''t escape from, and he would have to slowly search for them. In such a vast city, this task was almost impossible.


    But, he must aplish it!


    That man had promised him that as long as he achieved a perfect clearance of this secret realm, he would obtain a ticket to Jingjiu City, and upon a favorable appraisal, would consider allowing his daughter to live with him.


    He didn''t be despondent because of the man''s contempt; a little princess from Jingjiu City was never meant to be in the same world as someone like him. If he had known that the girl was a runaway princess, he wouldn''t have taken her in in the first ce.


    If it weren''t for the girl staring at him, crying, and insisting that he muste to pick her up when she left, he wouldn''t have been so desperately motivated.


    Three years had passed.


    In these three years, his strength had grown stronger and stronger; he devoted nearly all his time to studying the secret realm "Apocalypse Paradise". Perhaps the heavens were watching over him, for this secret realm had not been perfectly cleared by anyone yet.


    After searching for information online, he realized that this secret realm hadn''t been perfectly cleared not only within these three years but had remained unconquered for a full eleven years since its inception.


    He had spent three years raising the clearance progress of the secret realm from a maximum of 11% to a staggering 97%. He had a premonition that just three more trips into the map would bring him to 100%.


    Then, he would be able to go to Jingjiu City.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao had already left the secret realm and was preparing to return to the graveyard. Out of curiosity, he searched for information about "Apocalypse Paradise" online and discovered that the secret realm had been created 11 years ago and had never been perfectly cleared.


    He recalled the 97% clearance progress he had seen.


    This was a low-level solo secret realm.


    How could one persone close to annihting all the undead in an entire city?


    Even for him, aplishing such a feat was nearly impossible, unless the rewards were extremely enticing. Then he might risk it all, exchanging arge number of Star Coins for bullets and start ''cleansing'' the city. Otherwise, it was simply not worth it.


    As a member of the Gunman Profession, his cost for bullets was already among the lowest, yet even then, it was unsustainable for such excessive use.


    This was also why this secret realm had not been perfectly cleared for so many years; those capable of doing so didn''t find it worth the massive sacrifice for a perfect clearance rating of an F-level secret realm.


    The entrance to this secret realm was not solely located in the suburbs of Fengtian City.


    These unexplored secret realm entrances were present outside the suburbs of every city. Whichever city managed to clear it perfectly first, the secret realm would then permanently appear in the corresponding Secret Realm Building of that city. This was also a testament to a city''s heritage, signifying a greater variety of secret realms for the supernatural to choose from, indicating the overall strength of the city.


    Chen Miao pursed his lips, feeling a slight sense of awe; the world was indeed not in want of strong individuals. It was necessary to be cautious when out and about to avoid inadvertently provoking a formidable figure.


    It was at this moment


    that he suddenly saw arge group of people blocking the entrance to the graveyard, moring about something. His brows furrowed and he strode toward them.


    He feared that the old man, annoyed, might have buried all these people, and he was counting on developing peacefully here. He didn''t want any significant social incidents kicking up that might draw the high attention of the Fengtian City Government.


    ```

 Chapter 90: Chapter 89: The one who calls himself the boss of the Monkey Head Mushroom gang?

    Chen Miao stood at the entrance of the cemetery and did not approach immediately, thinking it best to keep his distance until the intentions of these people were clear.


    At that moment¡ª


    The Hungry Monkey in the cemetery also noticed Chen Miao and strode over to him. Without waiting for Chen Miao to speak, it expressed its helplessness first, "There''s a bit of trouble. Do you remember the young couple who ran here to hide?"


    "Couple?"


    Chen Miao''s brow furrowed slightly and he pondered for a while before responding, "You''re talking about that guy who imed to be the boss of the Monkey Head Mushroom gang? That''s how he introduced himself, right?"


    If he remembered correctly, there indeed was such a couple.


    A few days ago, they put on quite a show in a restaurant with a wedding disruption and then hid in his cemetery. He hadn''t paid much attention to it at the time, as a major event was about to unfold, and he had no mind to care for these matters.


    Now it seemed something had gone awry.


    "Mhm."


    The Hungry Monkey nodded, took out two cigarettes, offered one to Chen Miao, and sighed with some resignation, "Right after you left, Miao, the main guy from the disrupted wedding somehow got the news and brought people looking for us."


    "He treated us pretty well, handing out cigarettes and bowing and everything."


    "We didn''t reply much, just said that the boss wasn''t around, we''ll discuss it when he gets back. Although we''re not close with these two individuals, since they''ve taken refuge here, I think whether they live or die, at the very least, it should be up to you, Miao, to decide."


    "That guy had guts, immediately shielding the girl behind himself, ready to face a thousand troops alone."


    "And then..."


    "The drama unfolded¡ªthe leadingdy herself stepped out from behind the man, saying a lot of sincere words, thanking him for liking her, admitting she was touched by his feelings, but the recent events had made her realize a lot. She believed that what she felt for him might not be true love, but rather a fleeting emotional wave arisen from encountering someone daring and bold in an otherwise superior environment."


    "Maybe, my family status allows me not to struggle."


    "You''re a good person, thank you for the time you spent with me, but now I must leave."


    As it got to this point,


    The Hungry Monkey''s expression grewplex as it said, "This lovelorn man was tough; perhaps he was deeply moved by the true feelings of this Monkey Head Mushroom. After being silent for a long while, he said that actually, he didn''t mind the three of them living together, but the other man could only apany her, not sleep with her, and asked if Monkey Head Mushroom was willing to ept that."


    "And the girl did not speak, just stood behind the leading man, tugging at his sleeve as if to agree."


    "The situation had developed so much that I thought it was bloody enough. If a TV show dared to air this, it definitely wouldn''t get any ratings."


    "But perhaps Monkey Head Mushroom couldn''t stand such humiliation. Seeing the woman he loved willingly stand behind another man, he smirked tragically and pulled out a knife, stabbing it into his own throat."


    "He died on the spot."


    "Then thedy, unclear whether she loved him or not, suddenly broke down, began to speak incoherently, saying ''sorry, sorry, I, I'' and such, before throwing herself onto Monkey Head Mushroom''s corpse and bursting into tears. After crying for a few seconds, she also grabbed a dagger and plunged it into her own throat."


    "Shemitted suicide on the spot."


    "It didn''t end there; the disrupted wedding''s main guy, seemingly genuinely moved, was unable to ept it all at that moment, picked up the dagger, and stabbed himself to death."


    "As for the followers that he brought along, there was a younger sister who had always secretly loved the main guy. Seeing her brother pass away like that, she too copsed emotionally and drew the same dagger to end her own life."


    "Up until now, four people have used this dagger tomit suicide, and this all happened in an instant."


    The Hungry Monkey disregarded Chen Miao''s increasingly bewildered expression and, with aplex look, licked its dry lips, continuing, "Truth be told, we were standing by watching the whole thing in shock,pletely unable to react."


    "But before I could react,"


    "this girl whomitted suicide seemed to have a secret admirer or something. Anyway, a man in the crowd had an emotional breakdown and also picked up the dagger to kill himself, then the girl''s parents arrived at the scene, and upon seeing their daughter and son-inw both dead, they too picked up the dagger andmitted suicide together."


    "In the end, a total of 18 people died by that dagger."


    "All of them chose suicide, and they all stabbed themselves in the throat."


    "Those people making noise at the entrance of the cemetery now are the rtives of the deceased and other people brought by the groom. When we realized something was off, we had already notified Zhou Shen. Zhou Shen has arrived with his team, sealed the scene, and stopped more people from entering. They''remunicating with each other right now."


    "Seeing how they would deal with this situation."


    "Miao, don''t you also think this is pretty melodramatic?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao was dumbfounded for quite a while with his mouth agape, only snapping back to reality when the almost burnt-out cigarette butt scorched his lips. He pped Hungry Monkey on the head, "Melodramatic my ass, are you fucking fearless or what?"


    "We''ve obviously run into something unclean here!"


    "Do you understand supernatural urrences at all?"


    "Damn!"


    He couldn''t help but look up at the sun above his head, "Are ghosts getting too arrogant these days? To pull this off in broad daylight? Can anyone even stay in this cemetery at night anymore? Did you guys make too big a fuss in the cemetery, stirring up unrest among the spirits below?"


    When one personmits suicide with a dagger, he can onlyment the fragility of life.


    When two people die in a lovers'' suicide with the dagger, he marvels at the undying pure love.


    When eighteen people die by the same dagger, he now wants to find a Taoist priest to perform a ritual; this shit has already gone beyond sinister!


    He wondered if being a Taoist priest was considered a Lifestyle upation; it couldn''t possibly be a Supernatural upation that came with a dog.


    "Uh..."


    Hungry Monkey froze for a second before scratching the back of his head, "That makes sense. I didn''t even think in that direction just now; after all, those people looked conscious, not at all like they were possessed by ghosts."


    Chen Miao didn''t say anything but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he involuntarily stepped back a few paces.


    He was already considering whether to stay in a hotel in the city tonight.


    He was strong, no doubt about that!


    The Thompson Submachine Gun with a staggering 20,000 bullets, abilities like Bullet Tornado and Pierce the Sky with One Shot, gave him immense offensive capabilities.


    But that didn''t mean he had any countermeasures against intangible entities. Stay tuned for updates on m-v -NovelBin


    At that moment¡ª


    Zhou Shen, in uniform, squeezed through the crowd and walked over to Chen Miao with a rather unpleasant look on his face. He took out a cigarette and passed it to Chen Miao, lowering his voice, "Miao, there''s some trouble. The Enforcement Bureau doesn''t have the authority to handle this, it might have to be transferred to the Events Bureau."


    "Just finished one."


    Chen Miao waved his hand to decline the cigarette.

 Chapter 91: Chapter 90: "Taboo Item Name": Undying Loyalty.

    Zhou Shen didn''t continue, he simply pulled out a blood-stained dagger encased in a white stic bag from his chest and handed it to Chen Miao, "The follow-up to this incident is beyond the Enforcement Bureau''s authority to handle; too many people have died, and it''s a bit hard to suppress."


    "Miao, if you focus your consciousness on this dagger, it will appear as a mass-producedmon item from the factory, with nothing special about it."


    Chen Miao didn''t say a word. The moment his consciousness focused on the dagger, a panel popped up in front of him.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Name¡¹: Undying Loyalty.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Rank¡¹: E Rank.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Effect¡¹: Within a 10-meter radius of this dagger, when a person is in a state of emotional breakdown, pain, sadness, or other extreme negative emotions, the desire to die in their heart will be infinitely amplified.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Introduction¡¹: "On that rainy night, I died."


    ¡¸Formation Condition¡¹: 18 peoplemit suicide with the same dagger.


    "Taboo Item?"


    "Yep."


    Zhou Shen nodded, let out a sigh, and said with a headache, "I know what you''re thinking, but this isn''t some supernatural event. These people did indeed die for love, although I don''t know what''s going on with their circle for 18 people to consecutively die for love."


    "Let''s not mention the courage it takes to face death."


    "The rtionships are messed up enough."


    "To fool around to such an extent and still im it''s pure love, who would believe that if we told them?"


    "And to think a ''Taboo Item'' was formed; Taboo Items are a type of special object, not produced in secret realms or major events. They onlye into being under certain special circumstances when key ordinary everyday items undergo a transformation ande to possess some miraculous effect, most of which are negative, offering no assistance to one''sbat power."


    "But once these Taboo Items enter the life of ordinary people, they can still cause a tremendous impact, so in most cases, cases involving Taboo Items are transferred to the Events Bureau right away, and then the Taboo Items are sealed away."


    "Just died for love?" Chen Miao still found it difficult to believe. He always felt that the whole event was filled with irrationality beyond the understanding of ordinary people.


    "Yep."


    Zhou Shen nodded again to confirm, "There wasn''t any factor influencing their desire for death. These people simply wanted to die on their own ord, and under the influence of their emotions, this Taboo Item was born."


    "The Fengtian City Government has sealed away quite a few Taboo Items over the years."


    "These Taboo Item incidents are quite rare; thest time I dealt with one was a year ago, when an old man poisoned his entire family to death before he passed. His family members were all severely disabled, unable to care for themselves, and feeling that his time was near, he decided to send his entire family on their way."


    "A D Rank Taboo Item, ''Neglected Corner Person,'' was born."


    "The person who carries this Taboo Item will subconsciously be ignored by everyone else."


    Zhou Shen spoke in a lower voice, "As far as I know, this Taboo Item is now in the hands of Sang Biao, the ''Mechanical Demon'' from Fengtian City, that Level 22 gunman officially recruited by the Fengtian City Government."


    "Basically, Taboo Items only have a small chance of forming during intense and extreme emotions."


    "Like this time."


    "..."


    Chen Miao nodded to show he understood, but his eyes narrowed slightly as if pondering something. After a long silence, he spoke softly, "If I wanted this Taboo Item, would there be any room to maneuver?"


    "It''s difficult."


    Zhou Shen hesitated a bit before saying, "The Enforcement Bureau doesn''t have the authority to handle such cases; they must be transferred to the Events Bureau, and this isn''t something we can cover up. I don''t have the authority in that area, and once the case is transferred, the ''Taboo Item'' will also be sealed away in the Taboo Item Vault."


    "I''m just a lowly Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau after all."


    "After you broke the record in that secret realm today, can you take office today?"


    Zhou Shen''s expression instantly became serious, "As long as the record is broken, I can take office at any time!"


    "Can the deputy director of the Events Bureau suppress this matter?"


    "Of course, Miao, this dagger is prepared just for you."


    "Is it that simple?"


    "Certainly. For the deputy director of the Events Bureau, such matters are insignificant."


    Chen Miaoughed and took out the Cursed Doll given to him by Zhou Shenst time, passing it over, "The attack stored in here should be enough for you to break the record. I was nning to find you today anyway; since you''re here, it''s convenient to give it to you."


    "I''ll hold on to the item first."


    "I''ll leave this matter to you. And, if possible, try to keep people away from this graveyard. Everything you saw in the graveyard today, well... try your best to suppress it. Do you understand what I mean?"


    His reason for not wanting the Events Bureau toe was partly because he wanted to keep this Taboo Item.


    Although it seemed to have an average effect.


    But when facing some difficult enemies, it might be possible to break through their emotions and possibly drive them to suicide. As for how to break through an enemy''s emotions, there''s always a way, like...


    Dishonorable methods.


    He would not resort to such means, being a person of Morality. He couldn''t do such things, but people like Yuan Buping could. Their hands getting dirty had nothing to do with him; so far, he had not done anything illegal.


    The second reason was that his main base was still in this graveyard, and he didn''t really want hisir to be exposed like this.


    However, it was not a solution to keep things this way forever. It was time to consider changing hisir.


    ...


    The noisy crowd at the entrance of the graveyard dispersed, and the bodies of the 18 deceased were buried together in a grave in the graveyard, without spending any money.


    "This is quite a bargain," grumbled Hungry Monkey, who had been directing Yuan Buping and others to dig the hole, "So many people didn''t spend a dime and got a grave. It cost me a whole 80,000 credit points to buy this tomb chamber."


    Chen Miao also felt slightly embarrassed as he received 1,800 Star Coins from the old security guard at the entrance booth. It was from a deal he made with the old man a few days ago, 100 Star Coins for burying one person.


    18 people, exactly 1,800 Star Coins.


    Truth be told, he felt rather ufortable taking this money, but since it was offered, he would not refuse it. He had just been so shocked that he had almost forgotten a very important matter and immediately sent a message to Zhou Shen.


    ''Director Zhou, I remember this family didn''t have many members, and they were fairly well-off. Now that they''ve allmitted suicide, how will the family''s assets be handled? Is anyone taking care of it?''


    Asset appropriation.


    Amon practice since ancient times.


    The reply from the other side was quick.


    ''Miao... it''s difficult to intervene in this matter. Fengtian City has people who specialize in appropriating assets from extinct families. These people have very big backgrounds, and their cake is hard to touch.''


    ''Damn, that''s utterly immoral. There are still people who specialize in asset appropriation these days? How despicable. How big can their background be?''


    ''Real power brokers in the government, and not just one of them.''


    ''Such big shots are involved in asset appropriation?''


    ''Not just asset appropriation... these days, there''s no family assets they can''t get their hands on if they have the power.''


    ''Nobody cares?''


    ''Who would care?''

 Chapter 92: Chapter 91: 10 Missiles?

    Chen Miao silently abandoned the thought at the bottom of his heart. He just felt an added sense of helplessness towards this chaotic world, always feeling that it was far more disordered than the world he knew before.


    Although the previous world also had instances of ruthless actions,


    at least¡­ things were kept to appearances, not as openly ugly.


    In this world,


    forget it, there''s no way to put it. In this damn world, one can only make oneself as strong as possible. He hade to understand that this world operated on an even purer form of survival of the fittest.


    It was just a pity about the Hungry Monkey.


    Such a promising young man, dead just like that. Of all things to dabble in, why love? His death was simply too tragic.


    ...


    Everything then returned to normal.


    Yuan Buping was engrossed in studying his Tower Defense Building, while the remaining members of the Tomb Guardian Power had all gone to the Apocalypse Paradise in the Sankui Wastnd, which was the secret realm that Chen Miao had juste from. The challenge of that realm wasn''t great, and with their abilities, they were more than capable. It was a good opportunity for them to toughen up and gain somebat experience.


    Kill 500 zombies.


    With a Thompson Submachine Gun, it wasn''t very hard.


    As long as one didn''t find oneself in a desperate situation and left some room for maneuver, the task was practically effortless.


    The Hungry Monkey was full and could eat no more, staring dumbfounded at his own panel. He began to throw punches continuously to increase his Skill Proficiency. There were no shortcuts to improving skill proficiency; it could only be done through constant use.


    "Pixiu Holy Body," ingest without excretion.


    He didn''t know if it counted as a side effect, but ever since activating this bloodline power, the Hungry Monkey had be unable to defecate. From now on, he''d never have to worry about constipation or hemorrhoids. Urination remained normal; it was just the bowel movements that had ceased.


    But perhaps thew of conservation of energy was being followed.


    Even though he no longer defecated, the volume of his urination was nearly ten times what it used to be. Thest time he was at the toilet, his legs went numb, and he still hadn''t finished.


    This might also be a matter of fate for the Hungry Monkey, as he just happened toe across Chen Miao. In addition, just under Chen Miao''s guidance, he had transitioned into bing a fighter and had acquired a Hidden upation for fighters within the secret realm, with three books pertaining to the Hidden upation of a fighter ready for him.


    If even one of the three conditions had not been met, the Hungry Monkey would likely have never discovered he had such an incredible bloodline.


    He might have ended up working as a manualborer on a construction site for life.


    ...


    Within the graveyard,


    the Hungry Monkey, who had just finished a sweaty punching session and was somewhat exhausted, slumped to the ground, gazing at the ck and white photograph on his tombstone with a somewhat dazed expression as he murmured, "Grandma, you were right. Sticking with the right person, indeed everything seems to get better."


    His future was now immeasurable.


    He couldn''t even fantasize about one day standing at the summit of the Federation, bing one of that privileged few. Something like this was unimaginable to him before, but as time passed, that position seemed to draw ever closer.


    Who could dream of such a thing?


    He certainly never imagined it in his life.


    He understood why Miao asked him not to divulge this information. Miao was worried that others might try to woo him away. Actually, Miao thought too much; even if other powers came knocking, he wouldn''t leave.


    This Hidden upation of his would be the same no matter which power he developed it in. What difference would a more powerful faction make?


    Moreover, in other major powers, there were constant internal rivalries, unlike his solid veteran status with the Tomb Guardians, his position as Miao''s trusted confidant. Besides, everything he had was given to him by Miao. He was not the type to betray loyalty.


    As he thought about it, the Hungry Monkey touched himself with his own loyalty. In these times, people like him were rare.


    In fact, what the Hungry Monkey didn''t know was that Chen Miao had never thought that way at all. He was simply concerned that if news got out, Hungry Monkey would be killed, and this was not an uncertain possibility, but an inevitability.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    Chen Miao, who was already standing at the entrance of Secret Realm Building''s E-Level "Three-Two-One Wooden Man," took a deep breath, his grip tightening on the Cursed Doll in his hand, his emotions stirring. He had everything prepared.


    Over the years, although he had made many enemies, he also had good rtionships with some people.


    As long as he broke the record, he could immediately assume the position and start the handover process.


    The current record for the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau was 4 minutes and 21 seconds. All he needed to do was to beat that record. His personal best was 9 minutes and 31 seconds. His upation wasn''t suited for setting records in these kinds of secret realms, but that couldn''t be helped.


    Soon, he calmed his emotions and entered the secret realm.


    A huge room tiled with ceramics unfolded before him; a red line was drawn across the floor, and not far away, arge wooden mannequin stood.


    The rules were extremely simple.


    The wooden man was invincible while facing him and wouldunch attacks; at this time, he had to dodge quickly. When the wooden man''s back was turned, he was vulnerable to attacks. Stepping over the red line meant the challenge had officially begun, and defeating the wooden man as quickly as possible meant a sessful clearing of the secret realm.


    After stepping over the line,


    he didn''t immediatelyunch an attack but stood still for a moment, patiently dodging the attacksing from the wooden man. He acknowledged Chen Miao''s strength; the attacks stored in the Cursed Doll could definitely kill the wooden man boss within 1 minute.


    He only needed to wait patiently for a while and keep his time around 3 minutes.


    That way, killing the boss in just a few seconds wouldn''t make the record too conspicuous.


    He was so eager to be the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau. After the major event ended, Chen Miao had not contacted him, and he couldn''t sleep at all during the night, his heart unsettled. He knew that the words he had just spoken might seem too obvious in Chen Miao''s eyes.


    But he had spoken them anyway.


    It wasn''t toote to talk about these matters after he had sessfully assumed the position. All he wanted now was to seed in his appointment; everything else was secondary.


    About 2 minutes passed.


    Feeling that it was about time, lest any more dys lead to errors, Zhou Shen took a deep breath. During the brief moment when the wooden man turned around, he crushed the Cursed Doll in his hand.


    A white vortex portal suddenly emerged in mid-air.


    However...


    The scene he had anticipated, where bullets gushed from the portal like a gue of locusts, did not ur.


    Instead¡ª


    A full 10 massive missiles emerged from the portal, struggling to squeeze through as they carried intense mes and a strong sense of oppression, crashing down onto the wooden man boss!


    "It''s over!"


    Almost instantly, a powerful shockwave exploded throughout the empty secret realm, and countless shes of light burst forth from the center. The visibly expanding shockwave rushed towards him like Yama''s death warrant.


    What exactly had Miao stuffed into the Cursed Doll?


    10 missiles?


    Shit!


    Those 10 missiles would definitely kill the wooden man boss, but if nothing out of the ordinary happened, he likely wouldn''t survive either.


    Just as the shockwave was about to engulf him, Zhou Shen gave a bitter smile as if he suddenly came to terms with everything. Dying like this was quite hard to ept. What about his daughter? Who would take care of her?


    Still, he instantly activated all the defensive talismans on his body, ready to face the onught.

 Chapter 93: Chapter 92: "I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes.

    Before he died, a strange thought suddenly shed through his mind.


    If...


    If he had not been so desperate for the position of Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, would he not be dying now? If he had not been so proud back then, could he have provided a better life for his family? If...


    The inte was right; the moments one had lived through really did surge back in one''s mind before death.


    He flipped through the scenes of his life as if he were watching a movie.


    His entire train of thought seemed to freeze as he entered into an indescribably profound state, and then... there was no then...


    In the instant that the shockwave was about to engulf Zhou Shen, he was ejected from the Secret Realm, and at the same time, a notification sounded in his ear.


    "Ding, congrattions to yer Zhou Shen for sessfully clearing the F-grade Secret Realm Three-two-one Wooden Man."


    "Time taken: two minutes and thirty-seven seconds."


    Zhou Shen, who was suddenly ejected from the Secret Realm, heard the notification beside his ear, nced around at the familiar interior of the Secret Realm Building, and after being confused for a while, quickly felt all over his head and body to make sure he was not missing any parts. Then he copsed on the floor, drenched in sweat, gasping for air.


    Hepletely ignored the surprised looks he was receiving from the people around him.


    This level was filled with F-grade Secret Realms.


    Could clearing an F-grade Secret Realm really cause one to end up so sweaty?


    Only he knew what he had just experienced. Even if he had activated all the defensive items on him, even if he was known for being tough as a fighter ss, he was clear that he absolutely couldn''t have withstood it.


    An explosion of ten missiles right to his face, how could he possibly have held up against that?


    Thankfully, he had survived.


    Zhou Shen, who had been sitting on the ground catching his breath for quite a while, looked up at the people around him and suddenly startedughing. Hisughter grew louder and louder, the emotions of many days erupting in an instant. From then on, he was the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau.


    The obsession he had harbored for so many years was suddenly fulfilled.


    But he suddenly felt as if something was missing from his life.


    If only he could have attained this position earlier.


    His wife would have had fewer regrets before she died, and her days would have been better.


    Zhou Shen struggled to rise from the ground and staggered outside. For some reason, much of his hair had turned white, and he seemed to have aged over a decade all at once. Perhaps the near-death opportunity had brought him some sort of rity, making him appear much older, yet imbued with an indescribable air.


    ...


    "Daddy, why are you here?"


    As the sky gradually darkened at the school gate,


    a girl in a princess dress pouted and looked at Zhou Shen with some dissatisfaction, whispering, "I''m already trying to make friends with them. You don''t have toe over in person to tell me."


    These days, her father had always wanted her to befriend the children in her ss who came from families with backgrounds. She knew well what her father was trying to do, but for a child, the thought of friendship mixed with such considerations just felt odd.


    Moreover, most of them had higher status than her.


    As the daughter of the Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau, she was already considered a princess in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the reputable schools of Fengtian City, she hardly seemed important.


    "Hehe."


    Dressed in casual clothes, Zhou Shen that day smiled and stroked his daughter''s head, speaking in a pleased tone, "You won''t have to anymore. I was obsessed recently, but now I have found a noble person to help me, and that person gave me a hand."


    "Tomorrow, I can take office as the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau."


    "With the help of the noble person, I might even climb higher in a few years."


    After he came out from the Secret Realm, he spent a long time researching and found on the leaderboard that Chen Miao''s upation was a Second Turn "Gun Devil." Despite extensive searches, he couldn''t find any information about this hidden upation, so it was almost certain that this was a unique hidden upation.


    Hidden upations are not necessarily some kind of unstoppable force. They just enhance one particr aspect while also having significant drawbacks.


    This was even more the case for unique hidden upations.


    The power of hidden upations wasn''t enough for a Level 14 marksman to unleash such potent attacks. Miao definitely had other opportunities.


    Yes, Level 14.


    This was the first time he had seen a Level 3 marksman who, after one major event, directly leveled up to Level 14. It was the fastest leveling speed he had seen, although, of course, this was limited to Fengtian City. Those freaks in Jingjiu City who jumped straight to Level 18 from the mother''s womb were another matter.


    As long as Chen Miao''s strength continued to grow, especially as a marksman¡ªa politically correct profession in Fengtian City¡ªhis influence in Fengtian City would definitely be greater and greater, and his status would rise with the tide.


    The government team of Fengtian City had long wanted to elevate someone who could represent Fengtian City and carry the name of its marksmen.


    "Sang Biao" was such a risen individual.


    He rose with the umtion of vast resources. Although his power was far above his supernatural peers and he had quite a reputation in Fengtian City, he still didn''t stand out when facing supernaturals from other city-states.


    If Chen Miao grew fast enough, then Chen Miao would be that person.


    All the privileges of Fengtian City would serve Chen Miao.


    Just to uplift the name of Fengtian.


    And as the person within the system with the best rtionship with Chen Miao, that status...


    Holding his daughter''s hand, Zhou Shen''s face, though lost in a reverie, already sported a smile stretching to his ears. He could already imagine the triumphant feeling he would have then. No, wait¡ªhe suddenly realized that his rtionship with Chen Miao was still too shallow.


    He hadn''t actually helped Chen Miao with anything substantial. He must think of a way to assist Chen Miao with something significant, preferably something that would cost him dearly, to make Chen Miao feel eternally indebted to him.


    Then there was the Tomb Guardian''s power that Chen Miao had.


    See if he could join it.


    After taking office tomorrow, he would visit Miao again.


    ...


    "Dad."


    Although the little girl didn''t understand what "benefactor" her father was talking about, seeing her father, who had been downcast for some time, so happy today, she too was filled with joy. However, she became a bit worried when she saw her father''s eerily wide smile, "Dad, you''re not sick, are you? And why do you suddenly look so much older?"


    "Older, you say?"


    Zhou Shen shook his head and spoke nonchntly, "You don''t understand, this is calledposure; it''s a kind of temperament. When you hold a high position, you must have this temperament. This is called ''the unity of virtue and authority.''


    "I''ve neglected youtely. How about I take you out for some nice food today, would that be good?"


    "Yes!"


    "By the way, has anyone been bullying you at school?"


    "No, I''ve been getting along with everyone pretty well."


    "Would you like to eat hotpot?"


    "I want to eat roasted sweet potatoes with oil."


    "Roasted sweet potatoes with oil?" Zhou Shen''s brow furrowed suddenly, "That''s something only the lower ss eats?"


    In winter, the cold is biting, especially for those who work outside. Many people''s hands crack in the cold wind. Roasted sweet potatoes with oil not only warm the body but, because of the oily nature inside the potato skins, can also be applied to the back of the hands to protect them.

 Chapter 94: Chapter 93: "Do you believe I can smash this shop for you?

    ```


    With its low cost and good vor, it was a favorite among the lower-ssborers.


    But his own daughter wouldn''t have eaten, let alone seen, such a thing. How then did shee to know about it?


    "A ssmate told me about it."


    "Who told you?"


    "It was that girl from the Chi Family. Dad, you had me pass on a message to her before. She told me someone said that the tastiest thing in winter is roasted sweet potatoes."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen fell silent for a moment before nodding, "Alright."


    ...


    Thirty minutester.


    Zhou Shen and his daughter appeared on a bustling street crowded with dirt-smudged men wearing safety helmets, each holding a roasted sweet potato and chatting with each other, all smiles andughter.


    "Delicious."


    The little girl bit into her roasted sweet potato contentedly, then opened her watch to snap a selfie, ready to show off at school: "Dad, this roasted sweet potato is so yummy, how much did it cost?"


    "3 credit points."


    "That''s so cheap."


    "Hmm..."


    After hesitating for a long time, Zhou Shen said uncertainly, "Don''t tell people at school that you''ve eaten a roasted sweet potato after you get back."


    "Ah, why not?"


    The girl looked up at her father, somewhat puzzled.


    "I''m worried that if other kids hear you say it''s tasty, they''ll also pester their parents to let them have one."


    "Isn''t that a good thing?"


    "No, some parents can''t ept their child asking for a roasted sweet potato. In their minds, roasted sweet potatoes and the people here represent the very bottom of society. They can''t bear their children touching these things, that would make them feel as if their sacred feathers have been sullied."


    "Oh."


    The girl looked down at the appetizing, steaming sweet potato in her hand. After a while, she mumbled, "How could anyone be sullied by just tasting something as delicious as a roasted sweet potato? I think it''s those people who have sullied the roasted sweet potato."


    Afterwards, Zhou Shen fell silent, inwardly worried and feeling a sense of unease.


    He knew that Chen Miao had no connections with the Chi Family, just some coincidental contact with the little princess of the Chi Family. He thought the matter was over, but the two seemed to still be in touch. What if the little princess of the Chi Family went home and told her parents she wanted to eat a roasted sweet potato?


    Given the temperament of the Chi Family, they would certainly bristle at the idea and investigate who had corrupted their little princess.


    If this came back to Chen Miao, it could be tricky to handle.


    A momentter, Zhou Shen pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, nning to discuss them with Miao the next time he saw Chen Miao. He squeezed out a smile, took his daughter''s hand, and said, "Let''s go. Don''t think about these things today."


    "Let''s have a good time tonight. This is ourst night in Fengtian City walking with our heads down."


    "We won''t have to walk with our heads down anymore?"


    The girl really couldn''t understand what her father meant.


    "In the future, we won''t need to bend over anymore, hahaha."


    ...


    Night fell.


    ```


    Hungry Monkey and the others had already drifted off to dreand, and the weather was gradually growing colder. Although it hadn''t fully entered winter, the temperature had already be somewhat unbearable, and the first snow of winter hadn''t fallen yet.


    Chen Miaoy in his Pitch-ck Coffin, feeling the temperature inside the coffin and couldn''t help but feel a little sentimental.


    It had to be said that the instion of the coffin was actually not bad, though it was a bit unlucky.


    He toyed with the Taboo Item "Undying Loyalty" in his hand.


    He was still baffled by what had happened in the cemetery during the day. Although Zhou Shen had told him it wasn''t due to any curse or supernatural event, just such an incident, the fact that 18 people had consecutivelymitted suicide over the death of the previous one, all at the same time,


    was still the same method of suicide.


    He would rather believe that Hungry Monkey would remain single for life than ept this as reality.


    The dagger in his hand seemed to be an utterly ordinary dagger with nothing remarkable about it. If it weren''t for the panel, such an item discarded by the roadside would hardly attract anyone''s attention. The bloodstain on the de could no longer be washed off, giving it an added chill.


    When a person''s emotions are on the verge of copse, it can infinitely amplify the death wish in their heart.


    What use was this effect?


    He couldn''t say, but after all, it was the first Taboo Item he had encountered, so he kept it, intending to study it slowly and see if he could figure something out, unlike his Taboo Item.


    In Sang Biao''s hands in Fengtian City, that D-level Taboo Item "Neglected Corner Person" could make one''s subconscious be ignored by everyone, which seemed a bit more useful.


    But after much study, he couldn''t figure out anything.


    Sleepiness gradually overcame him.


    And he fell into a deep sleep.


    Another day had passed.


    ...


    At the same time, in "Broken Pot City," Doctor Gou was sitting in the hall of his clinic, which was about to close. He had removed his white coat and was just about to turn off the lights when he looked at the group of people who had barged into the clinic.


    Seven or eight burly men, holding various weapons.


    The man leading them, with a face full of flesh and a fierce look, pointed at Doctor Gou and sneered, "You old fart, we told you yesterday to have the money ready for today. I''m here to collect it, so what''s the meaning of you trying to close early?"


    "You trying to run away?"


    "Believe it or not, I will smash up this joint of yours?"


    "On this street, no one has ever dared to short me on money."


    "..."


    Just as he was about to turn off the lights, Doctor Gou slowly stopped his movements and looked at the men in front of him, who were merely level 3 supernaturals. He suddenly felt a sense of absurdity. Beforeing to Broken Pot City, he had never imagined a level 3 supernatural could be so arrogant.


    These were the people who hade to collect protection fees.


    It was said that they were in charge of this street. As someone who they naturally wouldn''t deal with, could he, an 18-level Sword Emperor, really be extorted for protection fees?


    The city-state effect of Broken Pot City was¡ª


    "Within the city, any yer is invulnerable to damage from other yers, and likewise, cannot inflict damage on other yers within the confines of Broken Pot City, including car idents, stabbing, sudden murder, etc."


    Perhaps emboldened by this, these people were so arrogant. After all, they didn''t need to worry about being beaten to death, as long as they stayed within the city area. Those who ran shops feared their stores being smashed, and since these people didn''t own shops, without any worries, they naturally became the more imposing force.


    The rats were now riding on the cat''s head.


    This absurd situation made Doctor Gou burst intoughter. With a calm expression and a glint of murderous intent in his eyes, he looked at the few rows of people andughed, "Even a level 3 supernatural can be this arrogant?"


    "Guess how many supernaturals I''ve killed in my life?"


    "How many seconds do you think it would take for me to kill you?"

 Chapter 95: Chapter 94: "Ill give you 500,000, how about you roll with me from now on?

    "Tsk."


    The brawny man leading the group wasn''t fooled at all. After snorting derisively, he smashed a nearby table with his knife, pointed the tip at Doctor Gou''s nose, and sneered, "You trying to bullshit me here? You''ve run all the way to Broken Pot City, how well do you think you can do out there?"


    "If you were really doing well, would you need to run?"


    "Let me be clear with you, no matter how tough you were outside, here you''d still be my bitch even if you were a dragon before. If you have the guts, try leaving Broken Pot City, and stop bullshitting me here."


    "Guys, teach him a lesson, start smashing."


    ...


    Doctor Gou didn''t step forward to stop them; he just stood in the middle of the chaotic clinic, silently lit a cigarette, and put it to his mouth, silent as if the clinic being destroyed had nothing to do with him.


    In Broken Pot City, there were many such thugs.


    Counting on the fact that they couldn''t be attacked, they bullied those who had fled here without restraint. They didn''t have much of a temper, and even if they wanted revenge, they wouldn''t know how to go about it.


    A good whileter.


    The thugs left, behind a clinic smashed to pieces.


    The cold wind blew through the broken door, awakening Doctor Gou. He had already decided to wash his hands of old business and live in peace as a doctor, only it seemed that before he could clean up his act, he might need to clean up his surroundings first.


    Doctor Gou put out the nearly finished cigarette in the palm of his hand and walked into the night, his destination unknown.


    An hourter.


    Those men were tied up once again and brought back, with socks stuffed in their mouths and stripped of their clothes, tied to the operating table in the clinic, while Doctor Gou, wearing a whiteb coat and medical gloves, had a calm expression.


    He began to sterilize the scalpel coolly.


    He chuckled lightly.


    "You kids, really, didn''t you do some research before causing trouble?"


    "It''s true that in the city-state effect you can''t harm other yers, but that doesn''t include doctors. Otherwise, why would there be so many hospitals in Broken Pot City?"


    It was at this moment¡ª


    A man managed to spit the sock out of his mouth and shouted with a tinge of fear, "Only someone with a doctor upation can perform surgery. We checked your background; you''re a damn Swordsman, not a doctor, you can''t harm me, so don''t try to scare me."


    "I''m telling you, you''re screwed!"


    "You drugged and bound us all and brought us back. Your shop won''tst, I''ll smash it every time you fix it up!"


    "I know, I know."


    Doctor Gou replied impatiently, "I understand better than you. I definitely need to get to know the local rules when I go to a new ce, right? Did you think bing a level 18 Supernatural only requires strength? You have to understand social niceties too."


    Then he pped his hands.


    A man carrying a suitcase and wearing a whiteb coat entered through the door, "Which one is Doctor Gou?"


    "That''s me."


    Doctor Gou greeted the man with a smile, "You''re the one Old Jiu referred to me, right? You can perform surgery on these people tonight."


    In Broken Pot City, there was a type of person known as a ck Doctor, someone with a doctor upation but not working in a hospital, instead working in the shadows. Their business was legally harming others.


    Upon seeing the doctor appear, the fear intensified on the face of the man who had just spoken, now tied to the operating table. His voice trembling, he said, "Even a doctor can''t kill people, don''t make a mistake!"


    "We won''te back again, is that okay?"


    "Indeed."


    Doctor Gou nodded in agreement, "Doctors indeed cannot kill people and are not allowed to randomly remove organs unless the organ is indeed problematic."


    "Go ahead and circumcise these guys, remove their appendices, tonsils, and every wisdom tooth, too."


    "And while you''re at it, check for other diseases on their bodies and perform surgeries for them too."


    "Of course, without anesthesia."


    "All regr surgeries, rest assured, they won''t cause you any Damage, it''s all to help you."


    Almost every adult''s appendix and tonsils are bound to have some issues, sitting on the fence whether to be removed or not. Most of the time, if it''s not very serious, there is no need to bother.


    Especially wisdom teeth, which nearly every adult possesses.


    If it''s not so severely inmed every time that it''s excruciatingly painful, they can actually be left in. However, yanking out wisdom teeth without anesthesia, that kind of pain is enough to make a strong man faint.


    "Understood."


    This ck Doctor was also a decisive individual. He nodded, opened his toolkit, which was full of various instruments like a bone saw, bone chisel used in orthopedics, and hammers, drills, mini bone saws used in dentistry.


    The assortment of tools on disy resembled a butcher''s suitcasee to life.


    "Let''s begin, huh. It might hurt a bit, bear with it."


    The ck Doctor was a young man with a soft sinister beauty, yet his actions were extremely sharp and efficient. Having prepared his tools, he first approached the leader of the men and forced his mouth open with a mouth expander.


    Then, he cut open the gum to expose the wisdom tooth hidden deep within.


    With forceps in his left hand and a tooth saw in his right.


    He began to extract the tooth forcibly.


    Blood and flesh flew; the man''s screams of agony almost echoed throughout the whole clinic, a sight too horrific to witness. Those tied to the operating tables around them quivered uncontrobly with pale faces from fear.


    But it wasn''t over yet.


    After extracting the wisdom teeth, he proceeded to cut out the tonsils.


    Working on dental and throat surgery together, the ck Doctor''s operations were executed fluidly. He even took care of the inmmation and bleeding post-surgery, the whole surgical procedure was quite a sight to behold, to the point where even Doctor Gou watching from the side couldn''t help but show a hint of admiration in his eyes.


    He didn''t know much about medicine, he thought,pared to this Doctor Gou, the ck Doctor in front of him seemed like a real doctor.


    At this moment, the man who had his tonsils removed on the operating table had already passed out, yet the surgery was not over. The ck Doctor began to administer anti-inmmatory medication to the man''s abdomen, preparing to perform an appendectomy.


    Soon¡ª


    The appendix was removed, the foreskin was cut, even hemorrhoids were excised, and a kidney that appeared to have some fluid buildup was conveniently removed as well.


    During this time.


    Although the ck Doctor seemed frantic, his movements were well-organized. When he even pulled out a simple respirator and a blood transfusion machine along with countless blood bags of different types from a box.


    Doctor Gou couldn''t help but give a thumbs-up, eximing, "Professional!"


    Indeed, he was in the right line of work. The money was well spent; for a moment, Doctor Gou even felt an admiration for talent. If this ck Doctor could stay in his clinic, wouldn''t he be able to run a clinic that truly benefited themon people?


    To make the name of his clinic shine!


    Allowing his parents to rest in peace with smiles on their faces!


    ...


    "Is he dead?"


    Doctor Gou looked at the now much lighter muscr man on the operating table, curiously poking his head over. By now, the man''s arrogance had vanished, and he seemed much more docile.


    With his eyes tightly shut and hisplexion devoid of any color, hey quietly on the operating table. Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    Like a well-behaved baby.


    "No."


    The ck Doctor shook his head, "He''s still alive but barely hanging on. There are still some problematic organs left that we could remove, and after that, he would be quite close to death. Do you want to proceed with those as well?"


    The words had barely left his mouth.


    When the muscr man lying on the operating table suddenly opened his eyes, filled with fear and pleading. He looked at Doctor Gou with no strength left, shaking his head with difficulty, nowpletely engulfed by despair.


    Although, from another perspective.


    His body was in better condition than before since many problematic organs had been removed. However, this is only theoretically speaking, considering that these organs, while problematic, were still functional. Removal resulted in greater disadvantages than benefits.


    Enduring such an ordeal without anesthesia, who could bear that?


    When the scalpel drilled into his abdomen to remove his kidney, he was nearly driven insane. He had been involved in the underworld for so many years, but when had he ever encountered someone so ruthless?


    Why bother?


    Was it just for some protection money? Did it have toe to this?


    The money spent finding this ck Doctor was countless times more expensive than the protection fees they demanded, right?


    Don''t you know how to do the math?!!!


    If he survived this ordeal, he''d immediately change professions and quit this dangerous line of work. He would be a ck Doctor!


    ...


    "Not bad."


    Doctor Gou nodded in satisfaction, looking at the young man in the white coat and couldn''t help butugh, "Kid, you''ve got talent. What level is your medical skill?"


    "Level 13."


    "A level 13 doctor, huh."


    After pondering for a while, Doctor Gou then said, "A level 13 doctor in a hospital should already be at the level of an attending physician, right? You''re so young and you''re already at level 13? That''s no small talent, and it seems like you''re quite versatile, capable of performing all kinds of surgeries. Howe you ended up as a ck Doctor?"


    "Being a ck Doctor makes money faster, and I urgently need the money."


    "How much do you need?"


    "500,000."


    Doctor Gou paused and then suddenlyughed, "I''ll give you 500,000, how about you join me from now on?"


    "Do you have 500,000?"


    "Not right now."


    Doctor Gou shook his head. How could he have 500,000? Running such a clinic had already drained all his savings. He even had to sell plenty of items; back in Fengtian City, he was barely able to pay his rent.


    But he could borrow it.


    The ck Doctor was talented, and if he could keep such a talent working for him, 500,000 would undoubtedly be worth it.


    As for whom to ask, of course, it would be Chen Miao!


    Though he had left Fengtian City, he still kept an eye on Fengtian City, on Chen Miao. He wanted to see how this young man, whom he had given hope to, was doing.


    In fact, he hadn''t been disappointed.


    Soloing the siege boss ''Tomb Guardian''!


    Making a name for himself in the major event ''Coward''s G'', nearly taking all the rewards of the event!


    And earning the unique Gunman Hidden upation ''Gun Devil''!


    And other such feats proved he hadn''t been wrong about him. The kid was truly suited for the Supernatural path. Now that he was doing so well, he should have 500,000 credit points in his pocket, right? Wonder if he could borrow some? Although, it feels a bit awkward to ask.


    After pondering for a moment, Doctor Gou then looked at the other several pale-faced muscr men on the operating table, "We''ll talk about thister. Let''s finish the surgeries for these men first. Arrange a ''family package'' for them all."


    "Let them learn their lesson."


    "Even a fallen dragon crossing the river should not be bullied by just any Tom, Dick, or Harry."

 Chapter 96: Chapter 95: The "Tomb Guardian" advances to a Level 2 Power.

    The surgery went smoothly, and one couldn''t help but admire that this ck-market doctor was truly a qualified surgeon. He performed the entire operation with the ease of a fish in water, without even needing an assistant''s help. Hepleted it all by himself.


    And he was incredibly fast.


    As for the troublemakers who came here, not a single one died, but they all ended up a few pounds lighter.


    "Hmm."


    Doctor Gou rested his chin in one hand, pondering, and said, "Should I start a devilish weight-loss boot camp? I feel like my weight-loss method will soon prove effective."


    The brawny men had all left the clinic, clutching their abdomens. As expected, they probably wouldn''te back. For these low-level thugs, there wasn''t much of a desire for revenge. A painful lesson usually sufficed to keep them at bay.


    Unless you run into some stubborn fools, who would choose to seek revenge.


    After the bruisers had left, Doctor Gou turned back to the ck-market doctor with a serious look, "Stay. My clinic needs a qualified doctor, and I think you''re pretty good. We both have a profound love for saving lives and helping the injured, birds of a feather. We''ll work well together."


    "..."


    The ck-market doctor was a young man, exuding a kind of soft beauty that wasn''t effeminate but made one sense intense negative emotions and something slightly sinister.


    After a long silence, the ck-market doctor said softly, "I don''t have a passion for saving lives and helping the wounded. I chose to be a doctor simply because the sry is high."


    "Besides, isn''t your profession supposed to be Swordsman?"


    "That doesn''t really go with being a doctor, does it?"


    "It does, how does it not?"


    Doctor Gou put an arm around the ck-market doctor''s shoulder andughed, "A doctor also needs to use a scalpel, and sometimes the clinic needs it to defend itself. Though, it might not work so well in Broken Pot City."


    "You need 500,000, don''t you? I''ll give it to you."


    "But your future sry will be deducted from here, until the 500,000 is paid off. Any problems with that?"


    The ck-market doctor paused for a moment then spoke hoarsely, "Is there a contract I need to sign?"


    "No need."


    Doctor Gou waved his hand carelessly, "I trust you as a person. It''s not early anymore, I''ll close the clinic for now. Let''s go have somete-night snacks to celebrate the clinic weing a new member for the first time."


    ...


    The next day.


    As dawn was breaking,


    Chen Miao received a loan request message from Doctor Gou. It was quite tactful, essentially saying that he met a highly skilled doctor in Broken Pot City who would surely be of help to us in the future. The doctor was currently down on his luck, and for 500,000 he would stick with him.


    He was hoping to borrow 500,000.


    And he was also hoping to join the "Tomb Guardian" power, suggesting the ck-market doctor join as well. This way, everyone would be part of the same group.


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao was slightly surprised when he saw the message. Not so much at the loan request, but that Doctor Gou actually knew about his Tomb Guardian power and even wanted to join.


    He certainly didn''t have 500,000 credit points now.


    He only had less than 20,000 Star Coins and about 100,000 credit points in his pocket.


    But the problem wasn''t that big, he obtained arge number of Hidden Job Transfer Books and various other items, including all sorts of materials from this major event, items he didn''t need for himself. By selling a portion of them today, he wouldn''t be short of money anymore.


    The rewards from the major event were always plentiful. Basically, after each event ended, the shop owners in the Seventh District would receive a batch of goods, all of which came from the event.


    Only this time...


    The shop owners in the Seventh District hadn''t received their goods, as they had all ended up with Chen Miao.


    Almost all of the output from this major event hadnded in Chen Miao''s hands, and under the conditions of very high scores, he had a higher chance of obtaining even more valuable rewards.


    For Chen Miao, he had no money in his pocket at this moment, but he wasn''t really in need of money anymore.


    He also bought recement bodies for Hungry Monkey along the way, and all the things that needed to be bought.


    The money from this trip to the major event seemed enough to open many clinics.


    However... his power was at level 1, able to amodate a maximum of 20 members, and now with 19 people, there was no room left for Doctor Gou and that ck Doctor to join. Ordinary Lifestyle upation individuals could also join a power, and this wasn''t a problem, aspanies could be powers as well.


    It''s worth mentioning that his Power Value had reached 10,228.


    Much higher than the initial zero Power Value.


    Power Value was mainlyposed of two parts, the total Combat Power of the members and the influence of the power.


    Of these, over 8,000 Power Values came from the Combat Power bonuses of him and Hungry Monkey, with only the remaining 2,000 or soing from Faction Influence. They hadn''t found an opportunity to make the Tomb Guardian Power famous during this major event, and the nned strategies in advance were somewhat unutilized, leading to hardly anyone knowing about their power.


    The scant over 2,000 Faction Influence was because someone had seen his impressive performance in a live stream and had specifically searched for his name on the leaderboard.


    Seeing that he was the leader of the Tomb Guardian Power, they learned the name of this power.


    But it has to be said, it was just enough.


    "When your Power Value reaches 10,000 points, you unlock special effects such as Faction Effects and an increase in the number of members."


    This notification had been on his panel for a long time, but due to too many things needing attention after his return, he hadn''t had the time to look into it. Just now, he remembered and went ahead to activate the Faction Effect.


    "Ding, congrattions to your power ''Tomb Guardian'' for sessfully reaching 10,000 Power Value and advancing to a level 2 power."


    "You have obtained the Faction Effect: Diligent Striving (Grade A)."


    "All members of your power will feel much less fatigue while working and will have improved concentration."


    "And the power can amodate up to 50 members."


    "When your Power Value exceeds 100,000 points, you will advance to level 3 power and unlock functions such as power battles and power territories."


    It was certainly a cause for celebration; his power had sessfully advanced to level 2.


    Although it was only a level 2 power at present, he believed that one day it would at least be a power of level 10. That wasn''t the important part, though. What mattered was that the number of people his power could amodate had reached 50, meaning that Doctor Gou and the as-yet-unmet ck Doctor could now join the Tomb Guardian without any issues.


    "It''s just..."


    Chen Miao''s brow furrowed as he looked at this Faction Effect. The Faction Effect was simr to a City-State Effect, except one affected the city-state and the other affected the people within a power, with different scopes of influence.


    And he had randomly obtained a Grade A Faction Effect, Diligent Striving.


    Graded from low to high, they were FEDCBAS, with F being the lowest. To randomly receive a Grade A was an incredibly lucky draw, and he didn''t need much else. But the problem was... this Grade A effect waspletely useless to him.


    Utterly useless, that is.

 Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Acquiring Faction Effect: Day by Day (F grade)

    Allowing members of the power to work tirelessly and greatly increase their concentration, for somemercialized powers, such as convenience store chains, restaurant chains, and the like, would be extremely practical.


    It could even be said to be a top-tier "Faction Effect."


    But for a power like theirs, it basically had no significance at all, let alone how this work was defined, whether killing people counted as work or not.


    Behind this faction effect, there was an option to re-roll, with a total of 10 re-rolls avable, each costing 10 Star Coins.


    The cost was not much, but Chen Miao fell into hesitation.


    Admittedly, this faction effect was really useless for him, but this was an A-grade effect! He had been in this world for so long and this was the first time he had seen an A-gradebel, that bright red appearance was really attractive.


    He had just searched online and found out that the drop rate of this faction effect was extremely low. Out of a million created powers, only one would randomly obtain this faction effect. If he was willing to sell the Tomb Guardian Power now, immediately arge number of people woulde to buy his power, not for anything else, but for this faction effect.


    For convenience store chains, the effect might seem negligible.


    But for somerge corporations that span city-states and have countless factories in the upstream of the supply chain, this faction effect could greatly enhance their productivity, leading to a series of positive growth.


    If he was willing, the Tomb Guardian could now be sold for at least 3 million credit points.


    ...


    After a long while, Chen Miao sighed with some regret; selling was definitely out of the question. How could he possibly sell the Tomb Guardians? After he cleared out the goods from the big event, he wouldn''tck those 3 million credit points.


    It was just a pity that he had finally lucked into an A-grade faction effect, and it seemed that he had spent almost all of his luck for the next few days on it¡ªonly for it to turn out to be of no use to them. He wondered how long it would be until he saw an A-grade item again.


    "Re-roll!"


    10 Star Coins were deducted.


    Soon, a new faction effect popped up.


    ''Re-roll sessful, obtained faction effect: Persevering Effort (F-grade).''


    ''All members of your power experience a 0.1% increase in the speed of Skill Proficiency growth.''


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly; he didn''t even feel the desire toin. This couldn''t even be described as the strength of a mosquito''s leg¡ªit was practically useless. The only use was to have some kind of effect for the power, instead of it being bare.


    Swap, keep swapping!


    20 Star Coins were deducted.


    The cost for re-rolling had increased, which he thought figured.


    ''Re-roll sessful, obtained faction effect: Persevering Effort (F-grade).''


    ''All members of your power experience a 0.1% increase in the growth speed of Lifestyle upation experience.''


    Swap!


    Swap!


    Keep swapping!


    After he didn''t know how many swaps, Chen Miao looked at the reroll option that was left only twice and fell silent. He felt like he had been cheated; he had already spent 3000 Star Coins on rerolls.


    And this reroll would cost him 1500 Star Coins.


    Thest reroll had still resulted in a trash E-grade faction effect. He had hoped to randomly get a suitable one. Now, let alone an A-grade, he hadn''t seen even two that were suitable. He somewhat didn''t want to reroll anymore; maybe he should just call it quits.


    But if he were to stop now, the 3000 Star Coins he had spent would seem like a waste. The sheer amount of sunk costs made it hard for him to stop.


    "Swap!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, speaking somewhat fiercely; he just didn''t believe it. Damn it, if he still couldn''t roll something good with the remaining two rerolls, he''d disband the Tomb Guardians and recreate a power and continue rolling.


    He had to admit, it was getting to his head.


    Especially since he had once seen an A-grade faction effect appear before him, only to dismiss it; now, looking at these F-grade faction effects, none of them felt right.


    The more he looked, the more ufortable he felt.


    But, perhaps his luck had finally turned. The next second¡ª


    ''Ding, re-roll sessful, obtained faction effect: Absolute Focus (S-grade).''


    ''All members of your power, when continuously doing one task for over 30 minutes, will have a chance to enter an extremely focused state. In this state, the members of your power can enter a sort of epiphany. If it urs while using a skill, then the proficiency of the skill will greatly increase, and all members of your power''s Skill Proficiency will have no upper limit.''


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth slowly gaped open; as he looked at this S-grade faction effect, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. After a while, he couldn''t help but break into a grin, lying in the coffin and looking up at the 2000-lumen bulb above his head.


    How pleasing to the eyes it was!


    This is what it should be like.


    Luck had ultimately favored him. The faction effect was divided into two parts; the first part seemed a bit vague, saying something about entering an epiphanic state if you continued doing one thing. It all sounded a bit mystical, and he would have to experiment to understand what it really meant.


    But he understood thetter part.


    There are upper limits for Skill Proficiency.


    Typically, the proficiency limit for an E-grade skill is level 5.


    As the proficiency increases, the greater the power that the skill can exert, and the greater the effect.


    But now, this faction effect had removed all proficiency limits for all members of his power, which meant they could theoretically raise an E-grade skill proficiency to level 999.


    The power that would burst forth was by no means weaker than that of an A-grade skill.


    However¡ª


    This faction effect was rated as S-grade, not for its simplicity, but because it was extraordinarily fitting for a certain city''s Supernatural beings.


    That city was Good Cat City.


    The city-state effect of Good Cat City is: ''All yers born in Good Cat City who choose a Supernatural upation will receive 20,000 Star Coins when they reach lv. 1, but they will never be able to break through level 10.''


    The Supernaturals of this city were basically doomed to never surpass level 10 for their lifetime. Unlike other city yers, if you leave the jurisdiction of your own city, the city-state effect of your city no longer applies to you.


    Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    In Good Cat City, as long as you chose the 20,000 Star Coins benefit, even if you moved to another cityter, the side effect of never being able to surpass level 10 could not be canceled.


    For yers from this city, the highest they could go was level 10. No matter how many secret realms they entered, they couldn''t break through that level. In this lifetime, at most, they would be Second Turn Supernaturals and never have the chance to rise to level 20 and choose the Third Turn.


    The skills they could learn were also extremely limited, generally some with not very high levels.


    But there was no choice. For the Supernaturals of this city, many had to make this choice. However, with the addition of his faction effect, the yers of this city would not only be early-game gods andte-game trash, as many people called them.

 Chapter 98: Chapter 97: "How is it, is the power still sufficient?

    ```


    Although these people would still be stuck at Level 10 for life, the fact that there was no limit to Skill Proficiency meant that even at Level 10, their potential wasn''t capped. Instead, since there were no other options to increase their cap,


    they could focus more on improving their Skill Proficiency.


    All that was needed was to collect some items that could elerate the enhancement of their Skill Proficiency, and that would be enough.


    Even if a yer''s level was only at 10, when their Skill Proficiency was at several hundred levels, no one would dare to underestimate them.


    It''s a shame...


    His power currently had no yers from Good Cat City, but even so, this Faction Effect was extremely suitable for them. If in the future he encountered a suitable talent from Good Cat City, with this Faction Effect, as soon as he recruited, they would surely join.


    Put simply,


    as soon as this Faction Effect leaked out, the next day there would be arge number of Good Cat City yers finding him, begging to join his power.


    The reason why many Supernaturals chose to join a power, wasn''t it just for a promising Faction Effect?


    "These thousands of Star Coins were well spent."


    Chen Miao looked at the S-grade Faction Effect and couldn''t help grinning ear to ear; he had said earlier that if he could get an S-grade Faction Effect suitable for them for just over 4000 Star Coins, he wouldn''t even blink an eye.


    What day is it today?


    Is his luck really this good?


    He felt he needed to be careful over the next few days; he always felt his good fortune for the following days might have already been used up.


    ...


    Feeling pleased, Chen Miao leisurely washed up, sat outside the tomb chamber, and had just lit up a cigarette when Zhou Shen, dressed in casual clothes, strode over with a nod and a smile.


    "You''re early today. Isn''t your first day in office? Why aren''t you on duty and insteade here so early?"


    Zhou Shen looked serious and did not speak. Instead, he knelt down on the spot and began, full of gratitude, "Miao is joking. Zhou knows his own abilities very well¡ªit''s all thanks to Miao''s support that I''ve reached this position. Without Miao, I could never have made it here in my life."


    "Before taking office, of course, I shoulde and express my thanks to Miao."


    Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    "The promise I made before still stands. In the future, whatever task Miao asks of me, Zhou will definitely not refuse, regardless of whether I can do it or not."


    Honestly, he felt a bit awkward.


    After all, these past few days, in order to get to this position, he used too many tactics to stimte Chen Miao, which were very crude, and Chen Miao was naturally not deceived. But at that time, he was determined in his heart, thinking that as long as he could get to this position, nothing else mattered.


    Now that he really was in this position and recalled what he''d said these past few days, he couldn''t help but want to bury his head in a hole, feeling utterly embarrassed.


    "It''s nothing."


    Chen Miao looked at Zhou Shen with a half-smile and said, "Get up. You''re such a high-ranking official now, don''t keep kneeling; it doesn''t look good if people see you."


    "Okay."


    Zhou Shen slowly got up, took a deep breath before speaking again, "Miao, I wonder if there''s a chance for Zhou to join the Tomb Guardian family. I also want to strive with the brothers, to slowly promote Tomb Guardian to a higher-level power."


    "Of course, there is, why wouldn''t there be?"


    Chen Miao immediately sent a power invitation to Zhou Shen, and with Zhou Shen''s joining, their power value instantly reached nearly 30,000, with Zhou Shen alone contributing 18,000 Combat Power.


    One person provided nearly 20,000 power value.


    "Wow."


    Chen Miao raised his brows in mild surprise, "18,000 Combat Power? You''re quite strong, aren''t you?"


    "Miao tters me."


    Having just joined the Tomb Guardian Power and seeing that Miao''s Combat Power was only 7800, Zhou Shen''s mouth twitched uncontrobly. Miao''s Combat Power 7800? He just didn''t believe it!


    Let''s not even consider the firepower shown during the major events and the siege boss kills; just the ten missiles that he provided in the Wooden Man Secret Realm were definitely worth more than 7800 Combat Power, at least above 70,000!


    Miao must have held back in the Combat Power Evaluation Secret Realm, and quite a bit at that!


    Zhou could be sure that the ten missiles Miao had stored in his Cursed Doll were Miao''s attack maneuvers, not some one-time special items, for items cannot be stored within other items.


    He had now be the person with the highest apparent Combat Power in the power.


    But for some reason,


    the moment he joined the power, he felt closer to Chen Miao and the others. There was a sense that they were all really struggling together, distinct from the average Supernatural frencers. For these institutional personnel, once they joined a power, they were basically transparent to the outside world.


    It was clear at a nce on the leaderboard.


    This also meant that they were basically bound to this power, and even if he left this power in the future, to outsiders, his actions were still inextricably linked to this power.


    Usually, when cooperating with other powers, they kept it to an extent beneficial to both, never bringing up the matter of joining a power. It was necessary to leave room for maneuver and not to tie oneself downpletely.


    And Zhou Shen''s move was a gamble, a huge one at that.


    He went all-in with all his chips.


    ```


    For some reason, Zhou Shen had a hunch that this period might just be the most useful moment to have his Deputy Director of the Event Bureau title for Miao. The payoff for going all-in now was thergest.


    Once Miao truly rose to power, it would be meaningless for him to go all-in.


    He knew some secrets about Miao better than outsiders did and always felt that Miao could rise quickly and to heights that ordinary people couldn''t reach.


    "Hm?"


    Just then¡ª


    Zhou Shen''s breath momentarily halted, and he looked at the Faction Effect incredulously with slightly pale features, his voice involuntarily rising in pitch, "An S-tier Faction Effect, Absolute Focus???"


    He nearly went mad.


    It was unthinkable to find an S-tier Faction Effect in a Level 2 faction.


    The odds of randomly obtaining an S-tier Faction Effect were many times smaller than winning the lottery. To his knowledge, so far in Fengtian City, there were only two factions that possessed an S-tier Faction Effect.


    One was the Chi Family, and the other was the ck Hand Gang.


    The Chi Family ranked third in Fengtian City''s total Power Value leaderboard.


    The ck Hand Gang was thergest underground force in Fengtian City.


    Neither of these two forces was easy to mess with. It''s said that the ck Hand Gang''s S-tier Faction Effect was a stroke of incredible luck on the part of the gang''s founder, while the Chi Family had bought theirs. They purchased that faction and renamed it to the Chi Family, then transferred their original faction to this new one.


    Rumor had it the cost was over 50 million Credit Points, but the exact figure was unclear.


    For many major factions, an S-tier Faction Effect represented not just practical effects, but also prestige. Arge faction without an S-tier Faction Effect always gave the impression of not living up to its name.


    Just like the top-tier factions in Jingjiu City, which one didn''t possess an S-tier Faction Effect?


    Without an S-tier Faction Effect, it meant you simply couldn''t squeeze into the circle of top-tier factions. The standards be finer the higher up the circle you go.


    And now, he was seeing an S-tier Faction Effect within the "Tomb Guardian" faction.


    If Miao was willing to sell this faction now, to put it bluntly, he would be instantly rich. There would be no need to consider bing a Supernatural anymore, as the money earned would be enough to live worry-free for a lifetime, with no way to spend it all. Just think of the daily interest from the bank.


    "Hm."


    Seeing Zhou Shen''s somewhat exaggerated reaction, Chen Miao chuckled and said, "Got lucky. You don''t need to overreact though. I originally got an A-tier Faction Effect but thought it was mediocre, so I rerolled it. Didn''t expect to get something better."


    "A-tier..."


    Zhou Shen stood frozen in ce,pletely dumbfounded. He rerolled an A-tier Faction Effect?


    Any sane person who encountered an A-tier Faction Effect would never choose to reroll it!


    Even if the Faction Effect was useless to you, selling it could earn you enough money to create several new factions. You could slowly try for others. Who would reroll a guaranteed A-tier Faction Effect? That''s madness!


    The result of rerolling was almost 100% certain to be worse than the A-tier Faction Effect.


    He opened and closed his mouth without making a sound, then fell silent. He wanted to say something, but it seemed unnecessary, especially since Chen Miao had then managed to get an S-tier Faction Effect. Was this what being a son of fortune was like?


    Suddenly, he didn''t see Miao''s rise as a matter of chance, but as something inevitable.


    This was fate, blessed with fortune.


    Stunned into silence, Zhou Shen struggled to swallow after quite a while. He then tried to shift the topic to lighten the mood, looking up at Miao with a bitter expression.


    "Miao, I just remembered, why did you load the Cursed Doll with 10 missiles?"


    "Although I hoped that you would equip it with some powerful offensive capabilities, aren''t missiles a bit over the top? That firepower seems excessive. It was just an F-tier secret realm; it wasn''t worth you making such a grand gesture."


    "I almost didn''t make it out of there."


    "Luckily, the missiles killed the boss before they killed me, and I was ejected from the secret realm. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to stand here talking to you, Miao."


    He was still shaken by the event; it was the closest he had ever been to death in his life, never before had he taken the concept of dying so seriously.


    "Missiles?"


    Chen Miao frowned slightly, exhaled a puff of smoke, and mused for a moment before casually responding, "Oh, you talking about that? No missiles were loaded, just put in 10 bullets."


    "How were they? Did you find the firepower sufficient?"


    "Worried they wouldn''t be enough for you, I put in 10rge bullets."


    "Bullets?"


    Zhou Shen, whose mouth had just shut, once again unconsciously fell agape, frozen and utterly shocked.


    You call those bullets?


    What kind of gun can fit bullets over a meter in diameter,plete with shockwaves and explosive effects, not to mention mushroom clouds?

 Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Overnight Wealth.

    ```


    After seeing off Zhou Shen, who had sessfully assumed the role of Deputy Director of the Events Bureau, Chen Miao sat in the cemetery and waited a while before Hungry Monkey and the others got up and finished washing up.


    Today, they were going to the city to fence some goods.


    They nned to convert all the items that weren''t needed for the big event into cash. Only Hungry Monkey would apany him, the others wouldn''te along. Yuan Buping was still engrossed in his study of the Tower Defense Buildings, which seemed to be quiteplex. The rest had already started to swing their tools, ready to dig.


    The ground heating pipeline project had already begun.


    As the weather cooled down, Yuan Buping had already started preparing the heating for each tomb chamber and grave¡ªno need to bother the municipal government at all. How considerate.


    ...


    Fengtian City, Seventh District.


    The same familiar shop, "Haina Supernatural Store."


    This time, when they saw Chen Miao and his group from a distance, the store owner came up to greet them with a big smile stered across his face, endlesslyplimenting with both awe and admiration, "Miao, I watched the live stream of the big event from start to finish. In one word, awesome!"


    "That firepower was fierce. It even left me speechless. You might not believe it, Miao, but right after the big event ended, a bunch of young folks starteding here to buy items like ''Fox-Tail Grass,'' all gearing up to be Gunslinger Transcendents."


    "Even many well-known Gunslinger Transcendents in Fengtian City have publicly stated that their firepower is no match for yours, Miao."


    "Miao, you''ve truly made a name for yourself in Fengtian City!"


    For those in their line of work, it was mandatory to pay attention to every big event, as it determined what goods they couldy their hands on in theing period. The output from big events typically ounted for one-fifth of their supply channels; the percentage wasn''t high, but it included many high-quality goods.


    And practically all the loot from this big event had fallen into Chen Miao''s hands.


    Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    There were certainly items that Chen Miao wouldn''t need, and when it came time to unload his goods, he would surely look to them since they''d already had several cooperative dealings. It was always better to work with someone familiar than a stranger. However, Miao hadn''t shown up yesterday, so the shop owner thought something might have gone wrong.


    Now, it seemed he was just a bitte.


    "Heh heh."


    Chen Miao leaned on his cane and chuckled without saying much, only softly stating, "Let''s go. Let''s talk in your store. I''ve got some things to sell."


    ...


    "A Magician''s Hidden Job Transfer Book, Hell Knight!"


    "Top-tier equipment for Archers in the early stages!"


    "Rare D-grade materials!"


    As the owner observed the dazzling array of items in front of him, his mouth nearly watered. These items were one of a kind and in short supply, unlike those with fixed prices. For goods like these, if they found a buyer who truly needed them, their price could triple without a problem!


    If the owner could take in this entire stock, the money he could make would be enough to open another Supernatural Store.


    And that was no joke!


    But then...


    Seeing Chen Miao still pulling out more items, the owner wiped the sweat from his brow and said nervously, "Uh, Miao, wait a second. I''m a bit short on funds. Let me step out to move some money around. Just wait here for me, I''ll be right back."


    In their business, the cash flow was always substantial.


    But no matter how substantial, it wasn''t enough when there were just too many good things to buy.


    ...


    The owner, who turned left after stepping out the door, didn''t hesitate to send messages to some of his peers in the trade he usually kept in good terms with. There was no time for loans¡ªthe procedures were tooplex, and any dy could change things drastically. If Miao had to wait too long, who knew who else would get a chance at these deals.


    "What, looking to borrow money?"


    No sooner had he sent the messages than replies came in. Everyone in the industry knew that Chen Miao and the owner of Haina Supernatural Store were close, and since Miao held all the loot from the big event, it was an easy guess that Miao had too many good items, and the store owner couldn''t afford them all.


    Just acquiring this stock alone guaranteed at least a two to threefold profit. If someone was willing to hold onto the items and felt no major pressure to liquidate, they could profit even more when they found the right buyer.


    It was enough to make countless peers envious to the point of sleeplessness.


    "Each of you lend me 2 million, thene with me to the acquisition. Whatever we acquire will be yours."


    "Are you in?"


    "In!"


    Almost immediately, several visibly excited responses came back. Only a fool would pass up such a deal¡ªacquiring the stock was as good as making money. However, they hadn''t expected the owner of Haina Supernatural Store to be so generous as to share the profits and earn together.


    "Phew!"


    Once the owner saw that several of his usually on good terms colleagues had agreed, he finally let out a sigh of relief. The value of this cargo was incredibly high, and it was too much for him to handle alone and too conspicuous.


    If he attracted too much jealousy from his peers, his life would be filled with obstacles.


    In this line of work, even a coordinated attack from peers wouldn''t cause a business copse, but it would be very annoying.


    Sharing a bit of the profit would allow those few to help him share the limelight, and as they were all on the same side, the value they brought would be more significant than earning that extra bit of credit. Moreover, considering Miao''s performance, it was likely that as long as Miao could participate in big events in the future, the rewards would probably all go to him.


    The owner thought it was time to consider opening a bigger store, just to make sure he could amodate all the goods that Miao might bring.


    ...


    The trade waspleted quickly.


    Chen Miao left Haina Supernatural Store satisfied, carrying 17 million credit points and 20,000 Star Coins. This deal was the biggest he had made sinceing to this world.


    Just those Hidden Job Transfer Books brought him a total of 9 million credit points.


    One must admit, hidden upations were really expensive. A set of houses in Fengtian City cost around 2 million credit points, and one Hidden Job Transfer Book alone was around seven to eight hundred thousand points¡ªand they were hard toe by.


    Ordinary people would have no chance of evering into contact with a hidden upation in their lifetime.


    Meanwhile, the owner of Haina Supernatural Store couldn''t close his smiling lips, having taken in 9 million worth of goods. Scoring a big deal, these goods were all in high demand. If he sat on them for a couple of months, he could make at least 15 million back.


    That would be a clear profit of 6 million.


    Forget about opening another Supernatural Store, he could consider upgrading to arge t. Life was getting better and better, and he admired his own wise initial decision to let Chen Miao benefit from the rtionship.


    He deserved this money.


    "By the way, Miao,"


    As they were about to part ways, the owner of Haina Supernatural Store suddenly remembered and said, "There''s a Gunslinger auction in the city today with lots of Gunslinger-specific items and Skill Books being auctioned off. I heard there''s even a ''Hell Gatling'' blueprint. Want to check it out, Miao?"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded, already aware of the event from Zhou Shen: "I know about it, and I n to take a look."


    After saying this, he waved his hand and left the Seventh District.


    ```

 Chapter 100: Chapter 99: "Youll know just how dark Fengtian City can be.

    ```


    Chen Miao, who instantaneously became rich, didn''t forget Dr. Gou in Broken Pot City and transferred 500,000 credit points to him immediately before heading straight to the location Zhou Shen had given him.


    The auction would start at noon.


    It was now half past ten, eating a meal nearby would roughly coincide with the start.


    Carrying such a huge sum of money, he was beginning to contemte whether to take over the entire auction, it was simply too much to spend.


    ...


    "Oura Clubhouse".


    A private clubhouse run by some magnate of Fengtian City, not open to the public, today''s gunner auction was also being held in this clubhouse. After arriving at the location, Chen Miao didn''t go in right away, instead, he casually chose a restaurant next door.


    Preparing to eat.


    Yes.


    Looking at Hungry Monkey gobbling down his food, even someone who wasn''t hungry couldn''t help but salivate.


    At this moment¡ª


    A young man with an icy expression, followed by three stout men, strode towards them.


    "Chen Miao, right?"


    "Let me introduce myself, I am from the Chi Family, Yu''er''s cousin."


    "I watched your livestream in the big event too. You''re not bad among the gunmen but that''s it. You need to remember your ce, your distance from the Chi Family is like the gxy to the dust on the ground."


    "Out of politeness, I''ll warn you once, if I find you in contact with Yu''er again, especially filling his head with talk about roasted sweet potatoes being the best food to eat in winter, something that low-ss people discuss¡ª"


    The young man paused momentarily.


    Slowly bringing his head close to Chen Miao, his voiceced with an unmistakable threat and a sneer said, "You''ll find out how dark Fengtian City really is."


    "Got it."


    The young man provocatively patted Chen Miao on the shoulder, then spit a thick wad of phlegm into the bowl of zhajiang noodles in front of Chen Miao.


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who had been happily eating his noodles, suddenly fell silent, then after a pause, he ignored the troublemaker beside him and directly dialed Zhou Shen, "Hey, I have a question."


    "If I kill someone in the city center, can you cover for me?"


    "Uh..."


    The voice on the other end clearly hesitated, stuttering for quite a while before he hoarsely said, "Covered!"


    No sooner had he spoken!


    Chen Miao almost instantly drew a Thompson submachine gun from his bosom, stood up and pointed it at the young man''s head beside him, and pulled the trigger. The protective barrier shattered almost instantly, the bullets easily burrowed into the young man''s brain.


    Simple and crisp.


    At the same time, Chen Miao turned the muzzle towards the three henchmen behind the young man. Even though these three lookedpletely frozen in ce, he showed no mercy and let loose another burst.


    It was over in the blink of an eye.


    Four heaps of fleshy on the ground.


    The patrons of the restaurant had already scattered, screaming everywhere, and the restaurant owner wisely hid in the kitchen right away, not showing his face.


    Chen Miao simply tossed the bowl of zhajiang noodles to one side, looked down at the four spills of blood and flesh with a frown, and felt it seemed unlikely he''d be able to move bodies to the cemetery anymore; those who died by his hand seldom remained whole.


    But his mood was still quite good.


    The feeling of killing someone inside was truly wonderful; being covered for killing someone in the downtown area was solid!


    ```


    Otherwise, being publicly provoked like this and leaving safely would leave him feeling sick to his stomach when he thought about it before sleeping tonight. He used to put up with it when he didn''t have the capability, but now, even he was afraid of his own firepower. And yet, you still dare to provoke him like this, really leaving him with no choice but to kill!


    And when did he ever chat with Chi Yu''er?


    Barefaced nder!


    Immediately ndering him without discerning ck from white, that''s really infuriating!


    "Miao... brother?"


    The Hungry Monkey, who was in the midst of eating, saw this scene and was a bit dumbfounded: "He''s killed just like that? This is a member of the Chi Family."


    "The Chi Family?"


    Chen Miao scoffed disdainfully: "So what about the Chi Family? Can they be so arrogant? Can''t they speak properly? I have no ties anyway. If the Chi Family has anyints, I''ll just hide in the shadows and give them a surprise assassination."


    "And just how dark do they think the skies of Fengtian City are? In a society governed byw, what are they trying to achieve with these antics!"


    "Let''s go."


    After this incident, he lost any desire to keep eating.


    The rest would be dealt with by others; he had already sent the location to Zhou Shen.


    ... Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Zhou Shen, having just taken office and sitting in his office, felt a twinge of unease after hanging up the phone. The matter of killing someone in the city center is actually very difficult to handle, especially when it happened in broad daylight and was witnessed by many people. It had to be dealt with seriously, and a warrant for arrest was necessary.


    Miao had once asked him if he could get Doctor Gou''s arrest warrant canceled.


    His answer was no.


    Once a warrant is out, canceling it requires a high level of authority, far beyond his reach. Once you''re on the wanted list, it''s extremely difficult to pull any strings. But generally, before issuing a warrant, they give you one night to work your connections. If you can''t move things by tonight, by the next day you''ll just have to wait for your name toe up.


    But Miao had helped him with so much, and hardly ever asked him for any favors. The one time he did, if Zhou were to say he couldn''t handle it, wouldn''t that make him seem ungrateful?


    Even though the situation was tricky.


    But with a bit of thinking, as long as not too many people were killed, the scene wasn''t too dreadful, and the victim wasn''t of too high status, pinning it on a scapegoat to satisfy all parties wasn''t too difficult to manage.


    While Zhou Shen was deep in thought, he received the location and the victim''s information sent by Chen Miao.


    "Hmm, a coteral rtive of the Chi Family, the first cousin of Miss Chi."


    Seeing the death list, Zhou Shen suddenly became expressionless and silent. If everything went as usual, Miao would surely get out of this unscathed.


    The Chi Family would handle this matter.


    Such a tant affront to the Chi Family¡ªif they didn''t respond, they could forget about their standing in Fengtian City in the future. They definitely couldn''t just watch as Chen Miao was arrested or put on the wanted list. They must confront Chen Miao in their own way.


    Everything was fine yesterday, so why did they suddenlye to blows?


    Wait, it couldn''t be the baked sweet potato issue, could it? Damn, did he forget to mention it to Miao this morning?


    ...


    "Well, Miao brother..."


    The Hungry Monkey suddenly remembered something and awkwardly touched his nose, whispering, "I think I just recalled that the man seemed to be talking about me. Didn''t Chi Yu''er identally call mest time?"


    "Then she realized she had called the wrong number."


    "We chatted casually after that, and I think I did mention that the best food to eat in winter was baked sweet potato... I just didn''t expect the Chi Family to be so sensitive about this."


    "It''s nothing."


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes slightly, shaking his head without speaking. He hadn''t killed these people on a whim; he had a n in mind all along. As he was deciding which power would be suitable as the backdrop for his n,


    the Chi Family jumped out.

 Chapter 101: Chapter 100: "Shadow Controller".

    The specific reason behind the feud doesn''t matter anymore.


    Everything serves his n.


    ...


    What Chen Miao and the others didn''t know was that shortly after they left the noodle shop, the flesh and blood on the ground turned into a pile of ash before the eyes of onlookers, scattering with the wind without leaving a single bloodstain behind.


    "Got it."


    The officers who had just arrived at the scene, ready to clean up, quietly put away their tools after witnessing this and looked at their colleague, "Notify the Supernatural Department."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a small private room of the Oura Clubhouse, a man in a white shirt woke up gasping for air, his face ghostly pale and eyes flickering with fear, as if he had just woken from a nightmare.


    "How did it go?"


    The other people in the room teased with augh, "What did Chen Miao say? Did he hold back on the spot, or did he admit he was wrong?"


    The man in the white shirt didn''t speak, just kept gasping for breath and seemed a bit slow to react. He was Chi Yu''er''s cousin, a Magician with the Hidden upation "Shadow Controller".


    This Hidden upation gave the ability to control people''s shadows, including one''s own, to make them nearly identical to their real bodies and possess the same abilities. Items in the real body''s backpack would also be fully replicated.


    However, when controlling one''s own shadow or someone else''s, the physical bodies of the controlled shadows would be stuck in ce, immobile.


    Just now, he was controlling his and his three underlings'' shadows to find Chen Miao and scare him. In truth, Yu''er''s parents didn''t know she had any interaction with Chen Miao, and the business of grilling sweet potatoes was also something she mentioned to him.


    The Chi Family was unlikely to trouble Chen Miao over this, especially since he was increasingly bing a chosen one by the Fengtian City Government. The Chi Family wouldn''t dare to move against Chen Miao at this time as it would upset those people.


    Besides, the Chi Family never had a habit of warning anyone; they were more likely to act directly.


    Just now, it was only because he got carried away with a bet in the excitement of the moment. What he didn''t expect was that Chen Miao would actually dare to shoot!!


    Without a moment''s hesitation!


    He was from the Chi Family, after all. How could Chen Miao dare to open fire like that? Isn''t he afraid of the Chi Family''s retaliation?


    At this moment, the others in the room also noticed the man''s paleness and sensed that something was off. They asked tentatively, "Chen Miao didn''t take action, did he?"


    "Hmm."


    Yu''er''s cousin''s face was still pale as he had finally calmed down, "He gave me a burst. He killed all my shadows."


    The fear of instant death from his shadows was transferred to him as well.


    He could control up to five shadows at a time. To control someone else''s shadow required their permission, and the feelings and visions of the shadows were transmitted to him in real-time. It was a very powerful Hidden upation.


    Meanwhile, outside the private room, his three underlings didn''t react much as though their shadows were controlled by the man, they didn''t receive the shadows'' feelings or visions. They could only see their shadows returning to their feet, and they were able to move again.


    As the man''s words settled.


    Everyone in the room realized the gravity of the situation. Theughter died instantly, and they all fell silent, contemting countless possibilities, but they never imagined Chen Miao would actually act.


    Chen Miao dared to move against a member of the Chi Family in the street.


    What does this mean?


    If Chen Miao was not a brainless person who could be easily provoked, it meant that he had enough confidence in his heart to withstand the Chi Family''s revenge. However, ording to their investigation, Chen Miao was just a nobody without any background. Where would such a person get the confidence to believe he could stand against the Chi Family?


    Merely relying on his own abilities?


    That wouldn''t be enough.


    No one in the private room spoke again; everyone seemed deep in thought, unsure of what they were considering. This news had to be ryed back to their own families so they could reassess Chen Miao''s strength.


    At this moment, Yu''er''s cousin had alsoe to his senses, only then realizing what he had done and knowing he had been used by others. His back was already drenched in cold sweat, and he knew he had no choice but to suppress the incident.


    There was no longer a chance for revenge.


    If the Chi Family found out he had been manipted into doing something so foolish, they would definitely reduce his authority and status significantly. There were faint rumors that the Fengtian City Government was preparing to support Chen Miao. If true, the Chi Family would surely have to align with Fengtian City.


    His actions were tantamount to pushing Chen Miao to the opposite side of the Chi Family and the Chi Family to the opposite side of Fengtian City.


    Even if Fengtian City wanted to elevate Chen Miao, they couldn''t support someone who had killed in the street, as it would negatively impact their image.


    Fengtian City would naturallye to resent the Chi Family for ruining Chen Miao, and the Chi Family would kill him...


    Thinking of this, the man hurried out of the private room at once, ready to make amends and minimize the damages.


    ...


    A few minutester.


    Yu''er''s cousin appeared at the noodle shop with a smile on his face, apanied by his three underlings. By this time, the area had been cordoned off and everyone knew someone had been murdered here.


    And it seemed the murderer was none other than Chen Miao.


    Chen Miao had already gained quite a poprity in Fengtian City. Even if they couldn''t remember his face, that distinctly designed Thompson Submachine Gun was memorable. After it had been shown that day, many people searched for the same Thompson "Firearm Skin" as Chen Miao''s, but unfortunately, nobody found it.


    Several police officers were busy collecting evidence at the scene, and ording to surveince footage, the deceased appeared to be from the Chi Family, named Chi Qiu.


    The problem just became bigger.


    At the time, there were quite a few customers in the shop who had witnessed the whole event and were currently giving their statements to the police.


    But just then¡ª


    Someone in the crowd recognized Chi Qiu and, rubbing their eyes in disbelief, tugged at the nearby police officer, saying in a trembling voice, "Officer, these few people are the ones who were just murdered, and now they are alive again!"


    "Alive?"


    The police officer, who was recording testimonies, nced at the surveince monitor where the deceased figurey, then looked towards the four men approaching them. He was equally bewildered; they were exactly identical. Were they really alive?


    Meanwhile.


    Chi Qiu also looked towards the crowd and said with a smile, "Sorry for the inconvenience, I was a bitte due to a minor error. What everyone saw just now was arge-scale magic trick of mine, returning from death. How did you like it, did everyone enjoy the show?"


    "There was no murder case at all."


    "It was just a performance of mine."


    At this time, Chi Qiu felt as awful as if he had eaten excrement. How had he been deceived into causing trouble, and now he had to clean up his own mess? If he couldn''t clean it up properly, the Chi Family would be the first to deal with him!


    What was the point?

 Chapter 102: Chapter 101: "Good news, the issue has been resolved perfectly.

    ```


    "..."


    The officers processing the case at the crime scene were silent for a moment, unsure of how to handle the situation.


    A murder in the bustling market, followed by the body flying away, only for the corpse toter resurrect itself and im it was all part of a magic show.


    Are they kidding?


    Do they think the Enforcement Bureau has nothing better to do all day?


    It''s clear that this case can''t be established, but how to deal with the aftermath was somewhat unclear until a seasoned officer stepped forward, cleared his throat, and spoke, "Since it''s all over, let''s wrap it up and not y around like this in a busy market again, it looks bad."


    ...


    Zhou Shen, who was sitting in the Events Bureau office when he received the news, took a deep breath before finally dialing Chen Miao''s number.


    "Good news, the matter has been resolved perfectly."


    "Bad news, the body hase back to life, Miao, you probably didn''t finish the job."


    ...


    Your next read is at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    "Not dead?"


    Sitting inside the Oura Clubhouse, Chen Miao frowned slightly and pondered in silence. He had riddled that person''s body with bullets, turning it to mush, and still, they didn''t die? Were they that tough?


    The body could also disappear?


    It seems highly likely that what he killed was probably a clone or a puppet.


    The auction was about to start.


    He was already sitting in the hall, waiting, and many others had begun to arrive sessively. There were no private rooms, everyone was seated in the hall. Those who didn''t want to show their faces could send someone to attend the auction on their behalf.


    In some ways, this also meant equality for everyone.


    He didn''t think about it further; since he hadn''t finished the job, he would just have to finish it againter.


    ...


    What Chen Miao was unaware of was that at this moment, the government team of Fengtian City, the core of power at the very top echelon, was discussing him.


    "I reject this proposal."


    The Deputy Mayor, sitting at the side of the long table, took off his reading sses and put them on the table, his voice bearing a timeworn tone, "I disagree with choosing Chen Miao as the spokesperson for Fengtian City''s Gunslingers."


    "Almost all information in this person''s profile is false, and throughout Fengtian City, there''s no record of his life experiences from before, we can''t even find where he previously lived, what job he did, where he resided."


    "None of the homeless in Fengtian City, or any of the major welfare institutions, have ever seen this man."


    "He seems to have appeared out of thin air, most likely from another city-state, with no sense of belonging or any contributions to Fengtian, let alone a collective sense of honor."


    "Secondly, this man disregards rules and iswless, having shot the captain of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau''s detective squad, engaged in gang rivalries, tantly selling AI pills, and recklessly murdering People of the Chi Family in the bustling district. Even if we elevate such a person, he''s not fit for the role and doesn''t deserve the position."


    "Eventually, it will be the reputation of Fengtian City''s people that is lost."


    "His character is not suitable to represent Fengtian City."


    "I suggest that the spokesperson for Fengtian City''s Gunslingers remain unchanged, and that Sang Biao continue in the role. Sang Biao was born and raised in Fengtian City, and in terms of the sense of honor, belonging, and character, he is infinitely better than Chen Miao. We cannot simply determine a representative based solely on strength."


    "Otherwise, what if one day there emerges a Gunslinger Transcendent with extreme talent but who is utterly reprehensible,mitting all sorts of atrocities, should we elevate him as well?"


    These words were incredibly forceful and carried many unspeakables.


    Such as Chen Miao once shooting a detective squad captain.


    This was knowledge that could be understood but not discussed. Since it was brought up, it had to be dealt with, but this meeting was an internal one without record, so things that shouldn''t be openly discussed could be mentioned here.


    This indeed was a stain on Chen Miao''s record, something indisputable.


    But soon, a middle-aged man on the other side took a sip of tea and calmly stated, "Chen Miao has made no contributions to Fengtian City? Who is the victor of this major incident? Chen Miao."


    "He won a limited one-year city-state effect for the entire Fengtian City, and it''s not just targeted at a specific profession but is a universal city-state effect applicable to all Transcendents, allowing everyone to receive more rewards after exiting the secret realms."


    "Isn''t that a contribution? Isn''t that a significant contribution?"


    "He alone killed the siege boss, avoiding potential casualties that the Events Bureau might have suffered. When has the Events Bureau dealt with a siege boss in the past without any casualties, especially if it hadn''t been for Chen Miao''s timely intervention, allowing the Grave Digger boss to reach Conservation Cemetery and summon countless corpses, have you considered the disaster that would have ensued?"


    "Aren''t these contributions?"


    "As for shooting a detective, let''s not discuss that here. That detective captain framed Chen Miao, was he not supposed to fight back? Don''t bring up federalws, if we really pull away the fig leaf and speak frankly, who among those seated here is clean?"


    "Or to put it unpleasantly, could anyone with a clean record have climbed to this position step by step?"


    "Are we ying virtuous now?"


    "Was that a gang rivalry? No, it was cleaning up the chaotic forces in Fengtian City from the shadows. And was there tant selling of AI pills? That''s absurd. It was Chen Miao''s men who sold the AI pills, not Chen Miao personally, and it certainly wasn''t out in the open; wasn''t it always done covertly?"


    "You said one thing right, if there really appeared a Gunslinger who could dominate the other city-states, even if he was utterly reprehensible, we would still have to support him; what we need is a transcendent representative strong enough, not a saint."


    "What''s the use of a saint? Can they help Fengtian City achieve a good ranking in the uing City-State Competition?"


    "Or can they improve Fengtian City''s reputation?"


    "Sang Biao has a good character, but what about his strength? Inst year''s City-State Competition, he was treated like a dog, his vision obscured, ughtered at will. Do you think that made Fengtian City look good?"


    The City-State Competition is an annual grand event.


    Residents from various cities send a representative from their city to participate in the event. Rankings determine many things including policy support for the following year, allocation of funds, pursuit by major capitals, and the city''s notoriety, among others.


    There is fiercepetition between every city.


    The City-State Competition is an important aspect of inter-city rivalry, with 128 main cities joining the event every year. Last year, Fengtian City ranked 119th, with the greatly anticipated Sang Biao, who indeed had fierce firepower, failing tond a single bullet, defeated while being toyed with.


    This was a significant embarrassment for Fengtian City.


    For fairness, the City-State Competition only allows participants under level 40; this is to ensure a fairerpetition among the cities¡ªif not, who could stand against the monsters from Jingjiu City.


    Even so, Jingjiu City has been consecutively ranked first every year.


    This is the pressure emanating from Jingjiu City.


    ```

 Chapter 103: Chapter 102: "Dont even think about using Leap Slash on me, damn it!

    In Jingjiu City, even a dog earns the respectful address of "Capital Lord" when ced in another city.


    The local tycoons of Fengtian City, whenpared to Jingjiu City, could hardly make a ssh¡ªtruly inconspicuous in every sense.


    It''s possible that even the head of their own family has a lower yer Level than the chauffeurs of those Jingjiu City tycoons.


    This middle-aged man''s words carried an even greater aggression. Fortunately, Sang Biao wasn''t here, otherwise, such words would have grievously offended Sang Biao, making the already tense atmosphere at the scene even more rigid.


    The others seated on both sides of the table also followed the principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," pretending to have heard nothing.


    Those seated included the core members of the Fengtian City Government and heads of various powerful families within Fengtian City, like the head of the Chi Family and the leader of the ck Hand Gang. At this moment, they all seemed as if they hadn''t heard a thing, remaining silent without uttering a single word.


    Although they held respectable positions, they stillcked the qualifications to interject in this setting.


    No matter how powerful the local forces might be, it''s challenging to outmatch the local government, except in some cities like Gaobei City, which is entirely under the control of local powers. In Fengtian City, they haven''t attained such means.


    The tension didn''tst long before a man with gold-rimmed sses said softly, "The city-statepetition starts in a month. Even if Chen Miao levels up rapidly within this month, his Combat Power will unlikely surpass that of Sang Biao."


    "This year, Sang Biao should still represent Fengtian City, but Chen Miao has potential. He could be the representative for Fengtian City next year,"


    "It''s not toote to decide on this matter next year."


    "In fact, it''s time to consider setting aside the past glories of Fengtian City for a while. If Sang De, Sang Biao''s older brother, represents Fengtian City in thepetition, he is certain to achieve a better ranking."


    Sang Biao has an older brother named Sang De, who ranks first in Fengtian City''s Combat Power rankings, nearly doubling Sang Biao''s Combat Power. However, Sang De is not a marksman but a martial artist.


    Fengtian City was once quite famous, known for its sharpshooters.


    It had outstanding performances in the city-statepetitions and enjoyed high poprity among the people.


    But over time, the marksman profession gradually declined in prestige, and fewer Supernaturals chose it. This led to the decline of Fengtian City, which is why they are so eager to find a marksman of sufficient strength.


    The reason is simple.


    One, to regain Fengtian''s prestige under the moniker of a marksman!


    Two, to attract more Supernaturals to choose the profession, rejuvenating the entire Fengtian City. Fengtian City has an environment exceptionally conducive to the growth of marksmen, which requires arge quantity of marksmanship-rted materials, Skill Books, and Job Transfer Books¡ªand Fengtian City''s warehouses are bursting at the seams with these items, possibly overflowing, bringing substantial fiscal revenue to the city.


    With more people, thend bes more expensive.


    Thereby revitalizing Fengtian Citypletely.


    This is why Fengtian City has consistently sent marksmen topete even though they clearly possess stronger Supernaturals.


    If any Supernatural could achieve this for Fengtian City, they would be highly promoted unless specifically named for extermination by the Federal Leader. Sitting in their positions, they all understood the principle that a rising tide lifts all boats. Only if Fengtian City became strong would their authority be substantial.


    Just then¡ª


    The mayor, who had been silent, spoke up.


    "Before thepetition begins, let Sang Biao and Chen Miao have a match to decide who will represent Fengtian City,"


    "Tell Chen Miao,"


    "If he can defeat Sang Biao and manage to make it into the top hundred in thepetition representing Fengtian City, then next year, the entire Fengtian City will serve him, providing all resources. With hundreds of marksmen warehouses in Fengtian City opening for his selection, we''ll strive for an even better ranking next year."


    Although the mayor started off impartial, the underlying message was clear¡ªhe believed more in Chen Miao''s potential. After all, despite two years of support from the entire Fengtian City, Sang Biao''s progress was discouraging at best, making it hard to harbor much hope for him.


    In the federal official system, the mayor is the highest position in a city and holds the greatest power. Every mayor has personally met with the current Federal Leader in the capital, and reaching this position suggests that one would not have made it without a bit of luck. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    This statement also set the tone for the meeting.


    The other people at the table began to lower their heads and leave, many not having said a word throughout the meeting, such as the head of the Chi Family, but their silence wasn''t actually needed; their presence was just to ensure they understood not to conflict with Chen Miao during this period.


    Be wise.


    Fengtian City needs Chen Miao.


    ...


    Thus, a meetingmenced and concluded in utter silence, and at this moment, sitting in the Oura Clubhouse, Chen Miao waspletely unaware of it. He only had Zhou Shen in the city government, and unfortunately, Zhou Shen''s rank was too low to be invited to this internal meeting.


    His eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the woman in a cheongsam standing on the auction stage.


    The auction had already started.


    The auctioneer was continuously introducing the items.


    Truth be told, they were all fine goods.


    Like this marksman-exclusive prop he had just acquired.


    ''Prop Name'': Land of Imprisonment.


    ''Prop Level'': D-grade.


    ''Prop Effect'': Upon activation, any teleportation, transport, jumping, charging, or other rushing abilities will be prohibited within a ten-meter radius for 10 seconds. The prop has a 10-minute cooldown.


    ''Prop Restriction'': Only ''Marksman'' and its advanced job series can use this prop, and yer level must be lv.3 or higher.


    ''Prop Description'': "Don''t even think about Leap shing me, damn it!"


    A god-tier lifesaving prop for marksmen.


    A marksman''s greatest fear is close-quartersbat. Don''t talk about how guns are faster at seven steps; when a martial artist d in high-level protective gear, activating various damage immunity skills and buffs, Leap shes onto your head and engages in closebat...


    You''ll find that a burst from your gun can''t even prate the martial artist''s protective gear, and ncing at the greatsword smashing down towards you will begin to feel despair.


    You start to reconsider why you chose the marksman profession.


    And this prop can well prevent martial artists from performing Leap sh on you, though it can onlyst 10 seconds. Nevertheless, those 10 seconds are more than enough to increase the distance between you and the opponent.


    He had spent 3 million credits to buy it.


    Very expensive.


    If it were the old him, he definitely could not have afforded it.


    Having initially 17 million credits in his pocket, Chen Miao, after realizing a prop had just taken 3 million credits, suddenly discarded the idea of reserving the entire auction for himself.


    He didn''t have the financial power.


    His strength was stillcking.


    ...


    Chen Miao looked somewhat pained at the item in his hand, which looked like a bracelet, seemingly made of phoebe zhennan. It felt quite nice to the touch ¨C this bracelet was the D-grade prop ''Land of Imprisonment'' he had just purchased.

 Chapter 104: Chapter 103: "Dont you recognize me?

    Just a tiny trinket, 3 million.


    Wearing this prop on your hand is equivalent to carrying around a suite in the core area of Fengtian City.


    He couldn''t help but nce at the people who had been bidding just now, wondering how they dared to bid. How long would it take an ordinary person to earn 3 million credit points, and did all these people have 3 million in their pockets?


    He suddenly felt an urge to ask these people how they made their money and why they had 3 million in their pockets?


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had cornered the market at this major event, to be honest, he wouldn''t have known when he could have saved up 3 million unless he ckmailed several more times.


    If only someone could teach him how to make money.


    And at that moment¡ª


    The woman in the cheongsam on stage presented the next auction item.


    "Prop Name": Hanged Man¡¤Firearm Skin.


    "Prop Level": D level (Collectible).


    "Prop Effect": Can designate any firearm and activate the prop, which will transform into a permanent skin for that firearm, increasing its magazine to 1000 rounds, and each bullet has a 1% chance of causing a 3-second immobilization effect,


    "Prop Restriction": Only applicable to firearms, and cannot be removed once chosen.


    "Prop Description": "Within range, all is truth."


    "Starting bid, 1 million!"


    No sooner had the voice fallen.


    The people below instantly became restless, and soon the bidding voices surged, raising the price!


    "2 million!"


    "5 million!!"


    "I bid 10 million, everyone calm down, think about how long 10 million canst you, how long you can spend it living it up, don''t be impulsive, earning this 10 million is not easy, just leave it to this little brother!"


    "Nonsense, all the convenience stores in Fengtian City are mine, do Ick money? 12 million!"


    Almost instantly, the price soared to 12 million!


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who hadn''t finished reading the prop panel, looked at the auction site, which had almost instantly turned into a vegetable market, and was dumbfounded. What are you guys doing, bidding 12 million like it''s nothing?


    He had just been considering bidding for this firearm skin, after all, he quite liked its effect, the immobilization effect was very attractive to him.


    This was the first time he had seen other firearm skins.


    But the price soaring to 12 million so quickly was a little frightening for him!


    Are you kidding me? Right now, he only had about 13.5 million himself, and in a daze, the price had shot up to 15 million. He couldn''t afford the thing with all his assets.


    15 million, huh!


    You could buy three vis for that, what the hell are you guys after?


    Chen Miao was momentarily unable toprehend these people''s values.


    "Crazy, how can this thing be worth 15 million."


    "Is this your first time here, brother?"


    A young man sitting next to Chen Miao overheard his muttering, leaned his head over with a smile, and said, "At every Gunman auction, firearm skins are always priced high, without exception."


    "Moreover, this time''s firearm skin is of the Collectible level."


    "It''s from the Tarot Series of Collectible skins. Only 18 pieces of all Collectible firearm skins were ever produced, there won''t be any more, and there''s little difference from the top Unique level. Plus, the effect is very good, increasing magazine capacity to 1000 rounds, and with other power-up props, you could even reach approximately 2000 rounds. That''s quite exaggerated, and then there''s this immobilization effect; the price is pretty normal."


    "See over there? That''s Sang Biao."


    "He''s the strongest gunman in Fengtian City. He''s not bidding right now because his signature firearm already has a skin, though not as strong as this one. Probably regretting it deeply right now, wishing he had waited for this skin instead of using the previous one."


    "I''m also strapped for cash; if only I had a bit more money, I would''ve bid too."


    "Tsk tsk, I can''t even imagine how awesome it would be to have this skin."


    "In the secret realms, wouldn''t that be a relentless outpouring of firepower?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao nodded nomittally, without furtherment. Even with all the exnations in the world, he couldn''t see how such a thing could be worth so much money. How long would it take to earn that much money? If this thing was worth so much, then how much would that ''Tao Wood'' skin he used on the Thomson be worth?


    It''s also of Unique level.


    Must be worth a hundred million, right?


    And that ''Taotie'' skin in his backpack not yet used; if he were to sell it, probably all the transcendent gunmen in the Federation would have to liquidate their assets to attend the auction.


    Finally!


    The prop was bought by a mysterious bidder for 37 million.


    ```


    37 million.


    Looking at the final bid, Chen Miao couldn''t help but wince. Were all the attendees at the auction this wealthy? He began to wonder if it might be lucrative to kidnap these people for ransom.


    Perhaps because Chen Miao''s reaction was so exaggerated, it once again caught the attention of the young man next to him.


    At this moment, the young man couldn''t help butugh and said, "It''s quite normal, the world hasn''t been ''supernaturalized'' for long, just over twenty years in total. Before the supernaturalization of the world, there were still quite a few wealthy people. But having money is one thing, having power is another."


    "Money is useless."


    "Even if you run a great business, it''s essentially just serving those in power."


    "Many wealthy individuals have learned this lesson the hard way. After the world became supernatural, they also crazily invested in themselves and those close to them. Because nowadays, power essentially equates to authority. To put it bluntly, no matter how big your business is, if your family doesn''t have a powerful transcendent, your business will quickly be devoured, leaving not even scraps behind."


    "So, this 37 million is not just the price of this prop¡ªit''s the protection for the family."


    "Many here have monopolies in their industries, like that convenience store chain in Fengtian City; it''s all owned by one family over there. And see that guy in the floral shirt? His dad is the head of the Urban Landscaping Bureau."


    "He runs andscapingpany. All the street greenery in Fengtian City is contracted to hispany by the government. Tsk, tsk, if you''re not in this business, you might not know the outrageous profit in it. There''s an old saying¡ªmoney from the official family is not like ordinary money."


    "Terrifying profits."


    "And there, that guy wearing sunsses and a hat, trying to look all prim and proper¡ªthat''s the young son of the ck Hand Gang''s leader. No need to mention the ck Hand Gang, right? Thergest underground force in Fengtian City. Anything that skirts the edge of legality, or is tantly illegal¨Dlike selling AI pills¨Dthey''re involved in it, and they''re the biggest yers."


    "That guy in the front wearing a suit, his family is in the construction business. Now that''s a firm grip. You know how tight their grip is?"


    The young man smacked his lips with a hint of emotion and said, "So tight I wouldn''t dare to speak of it. I can only tell you they have sky-high connections. Over in Jingjiu City, I''ve heard they''ve settled a lot of matters. All the forest bureau repairs and maintenance, and the construction of government buildings, are nearly always contracted out to them¡ªand they always win the bids."


    "They make quite a bit of money too."


    "Every person sitting here is supported by countless others pouring money into them. How could they not be wealthy? It looks like it''s just one person with money, but in reality, there are thousands of people entrusting their entire fortunes to them. A few million for a prop is nothing to them."


    "If you''re not willing to spend money, without strength, any amount of wealth won''t save you from being trampled on. Only power is the true currency."


    "I see," Chen Miao murmured contemtively, finally understanding. It seemed this ce was filled with high-roller yers, and he was the only poverty-stricken one. Then, he turned to the talkative young man beside him and asked curiously, "What kind of business do you do?"


    "I am but a humble man," the young man smiled and took out a business card from his pocket, handing it to Chen Miao, "My name is Zhang Liu, a modest boss of three psychological clinics. A minor aplishment, it might not be noticeable here, but it should be somewhat better than you."


    "You seem unfamiliar, probably here by some fortunate coincidence for the first time, right?"


    "But there''s no need to feel too pressured. After all, this is how society operates. If we can''t resist, we might as well enjoy it. Take it easy; I was also an ordinary person before. It was through some fortunate coincidences that I managed to climb up."


    Even though society had developed rapidly, it still retained the ancient method of initial interactions¡ªbusiness cards.


    Chen Miao took the business card and nced at it. For some reason, he always seemed to encounter those who ran clinics, and they were invariably run by all kinds of odd characters.


    Swordsman running a men''s health clinic.


    Gunman running a psychological clinic.


    If you keep switching careers like this, how are the real doctors supposed to survive?


    However, what Chen Miao found more curious was that this man didn''t recognize him. It was understandable for others not to know him, but this young man in front of him was from the Gunman Profession. As a gunman, how could he not recognize Chen Miao?


    Hadn''t he made quite an impression at thest major event?


    "You don''t recognize me?" Chen Miao raised his head and asked the young man curiously.


    "Er..."


    The young man was puzzled by Chen Miao''s question. After rapidly searching his mind and confirming he had never seen this face before, he hesitantly asked, "May I inquire about your name?"


    Could it be that he carelessly struck up a conversation with a notable figure?


    "Chen Miao."


    "Chen Miao?" Zhang Liu pondered for a long time then shook his head, saying, "I haven''t heard the name, indeed. It''s just my ignorance. I have been in a secret realm until today; I haven''t paid much attention to outside information."


    "This period of time?"


    Chen Miao caught the phrasing in Zhang Liu''s words. Does a secret realm require ''this period of time''?


    "Mm-hmm," Zhang Liu replied with a hint of pride and satisfaction, "A story-based secret realm. It took a little longer, about a week, but the gains were quite substantial." Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Story-based secret realms would at least be of D-level.


    Completing a D-level secret realm was indeed something to be proud of.


    "A story-based secret realm, huh."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully. So, Zhang Liu was at least a 15-level transcendent. Ordinary people couldn''t enter a D-level secret realm.


    However, at this moment, his attention was no longer on such matters, as the next item up for auction captured all his focus. It was the very target of his visit¡ª


    The blueprint for crafting the D-level prop "Hell Gatling."


    ```

 Chapter 105: Chapter 104: This Taboo Item Is Simply Perfect for the Old Silver Coin

    "Prop Name": Hell Gatling Crafting Blueprint.


    "Prop Level": D-level (upational Weapon).


    "Prop Description": Required crafting materials¡ªD-level material ser tube'' *2, D-level material ''electric motor'' *3, D-level material ''red circuit'' *3, E-level material ''refined steel'' *100.


    A straightforward and clear panel.


    "The starting bid is 100,000."


    The cheongsam-d beauty on the stage gave the starting bid with a professional smile at the corner of her mouth.


    Before he came, he had thought he might be able to take over this auction, but after seeing a collector''s firearm skin go for over 30 million, he no longer considered it.


    He had even begun to ponder whether he could secure this Hell Gatling for himself.


    But the starting bid was surprisingly low, at only 100,000.


    The starting bid for a D-level firearm skin was 1 million, yet a D-level Gatling was only starting at 100,000?


    Are firearms cheaper than skins?


    There weren''t many bidders, and it took half a minute to reach the price of 900,000.


    Seeing no one else bidding, Chen Miao tentatively offered 1 million.


    As a result...


    After three hammer strikes, he sessfully won the Hell Gatling Crafting Blueprint for 1 million, a process easier than he had imagined.


    The man who imed to be Zhang Liu beside him looked at Chen Miao with slight surprise and asked, "Brother, don''t you have a Gatling yet?"


    "What do you mean?"


    Chen Miao nced around, "You mean you all have one?"


    "Of course."


    Zhang Liu nodded emphatically, "There are only four weapons for the Gunman Profession in total, one is the beginner weapon ''Python R6 Revolver'', one is this ''Hell Gatling'', which is practically the mainstream weapon for all gunners, and the other two upational weapons are the ''Falling Blossom Sniper Rifle'' and the ''Matrix Sky-Eye Cannon''."


    "The ''Falling Blossom Sniper Rifle'' can be crafted at level 40."


    "The ''Matrix Sky-Eye Cannon'' requires level 60, and to date, no one in the Federation has crafted this gunman''s upational weapon; the highest-level gunman in the Federation is just level 41, not meeting the conditions."


    "Basically, as the mainstream weapon for all gunners, almost everyone who has entered the door has a ''Hell Gatling''. The differencese from enhancing the firearms, firearm skins, special attack effects, buff enhancements, and so on."


    "Of course, gunners can also acquire other weapons, but the enhancement of upational weapons has no limit, while other weapons have too low an enhancement cap, generally around +3."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully and said, "The highest-level gunman in the Federation is only level 41 so far? Aren''t the folks from Jingjiu City leveling up quickly? Is no one there switching to the gunman profession?"


    "That bunch of guys."


    When Jingjiu City was mentioned, Zhang Liu seemed to speak with a heavy sigh, "Sure, they level up fast, butpared to the gunman, they have too many better options, so naturally, they won''t be gunners. They just need to maintain a group of gunners as guards; having a level around 30 is enough to be well-formed."


    "The Gunman Profession requires a group to form a fire. In secret realms, a level 60 gunman has no chance against a level 60 fighter; of course, this is just my guess, as I''ve never seen a level 60 gunman."


    Chen Miao nodded and didn''t say anything more, realizing the awkward status of gunners. A group of gunners can be powerful, but secret realms don''t offer the chance for gunners to group up their firepower, and in reality, how useful is great firepower if there are no wars?


    However, he somewhat disagreed with what Zhang Liu had said.


    Even a single person can still boast tremendous firepower.


    If Zhang Liu had seen his livestream, he would have understood this.


    And just at that moment¡ª


    In the crowd, a burly man suddenly pushed through and came before Chen Miao. It was only then that Chen Miao suddenly noticed this man standing in front of him; he seemed to have been distracted before and hadn''t noticed the man at all.


    This man was Sang Biao.


    Even though Zhang Liu had just pointed in the direction of Sang Biao and introduced him, Chen Miao had selectively ignored him. Unless one focused their attention on him, it was very easy to overlook this man.


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly, and in his mind, he immediately recalled what Zhou Shen had once told him¡ªSang Biao possessed a D-ss "Taboo Item," "Neglected Corner Person," which caused anyone carrying the item to be instinctively ignored by everyone else.


    This effect seemed unable to be countered by resistance. One could imagine that if Sang Biao had aimed his gun at him from the shadows just now, he might not have sensed it at all. This Taboo Item was simply too suited for some old silver coins.


    "Chen Miao, is it?"


    The man in front of him was wearing a suit, but the skin that was exposed looked to be no longer that of a normal human being''s. His arms were mechanical, and even his head was mechanical with two red electronic eyes that blinked, resembling a robot.


    The voice was also a synthetic mechanical sound.


    It sounded extremely grating.


    Sang Biao stood in front of Chen Miao, his electronic eyes blinking continuously as he stared at Chen Miao and intoned word by word, "Don''t think you''ve risen to the top. In the duel a month from now, I''ll show you what it means to be Fengtian City''s strongest gunman."


    "I''ll be waiting for you."


    Having said that, he turned and left without another word, leaving behind a solitary and proud figure.


    Originally, Sang Biao hadn''t nned to pay any attention to Chen Miao; even though Chen Miao had made quite a ssh in a major event, that was all there was to it. In his eyes, Chen Miao was still not someone to be taken seriously, posing too little threat as a level 14 gunman, not even satisfying the Strength Attribute required to wield a Gatling.


    Leveling up too fast meantcking a solid foundation in the Gunman Profession.


    Nobination of skill chains, no own set of props.


    Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Nothing at all.


    But his brother, Sang De, had just informed him that Fengtian City was preparing to nominate Chen Miao as the new spokesperson for Fengtian, and a duel would be arranged between him and Chen Miao a monthter. The winner would represent Fengtian City in the City Federation Tournament.


    The moment he received this news, he could no longer sit still.


    He couldn''t afford to lose the status of the spokesperson of Fengtian City, which meant an influx of resources, many privileges; he had enjoyed them for two years and he absolutely wouldn''t allow his position to be shaken by a level 14 neer.


    Under these emotions, he somewhat irrationally approached Chen Miao before the auction had ended andunched his deration of war.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at Sang Biao''s departing figure with a bit of confusion, not quite understanding his meaning. What was this about a duel in a month? When was he supposed to have a showdown with Sang Biao? And to have a duel with a gunman?


    What a joke.


    Does he have any idea what the sole "Hidden upation" "Gun Devil" entails?

 Chapter 106: Chapter 105: "Can you give me a spot on your friends list?

    Within a hundred meters, all bullets moved as he wished.


    How could one fight against this?


    A level 30 fighter might feel intimidated.


    Aplete skill chainnded on him would indeed put him under great pressure, but a level 30 gunslinger? No pressure at all, okay, he was the ancestor of all gunners.


    Just as he was trying to figure out what Sang Biao''s words meant,


    Zhou Shen sent him a timely message.


    After seeing the message from Zhou Shen, Chen Miao nodded calmly without speaking. So, that''s how it was. The spokesperson for Fengtian City, resource tilt, exclusive privileges?


    Honestly, he wasn''t that tempted.


    Because that meant he had to stand in the limelight, and it meant many of his actions would be unnecessarily magnified. This would make him hesitant and cautious in his actions. He preferred to do things ording to his own likes and dislikes.


    If he liked it, he''d do it.


    If he didn''t like it, he''d leave.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the young man Zhang Liu sitting beside Chen Miao was utterly dumbfounded, looking at Chen Miao in disbelief, "You have a showdown with Sang Biao in a month?"


    "Sang Biao actually dered war on you?"


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Zhang Liu did not hesitate to start searching for the keywords "Chen Miao Fengtian City." He quickly found the live broadcast video of Chen Miao from the major event a few days ago.


    Upon seeing the bullet storm in the video, a firepower so dense it was exaggerated.


    An entire forest was reduced to ruins under the barrage.


    The exaggerated scenes made Zhang Liu close his mouth, his expressionplex as he gazed at Chen Miao''s profile and felt a bit resentful inside. You, a badass big shot, are pretending to be a newbie with him? Doesn''t anyone care about his feelings?


    He was feeling pretty awkward right now, okay?


    However, he keenly noticed that the Thompson submachine gun in the video used by Chen Miao had a skin applied, and he had never seen this skin before. It couldn''t be a unique-level firearm skin, right?


    Vaguely, he seemed to understand why Chen Miao was so shocked at hearing a firearm skin sell for 30 million.


    But...


    Zhang Liu''s mouth twitched slightly, and he began to feel a bit sorry for Chen Miao. If it really was a unique-level firearm skin, using it on the Thompson submachine gun was indeed somewhat of a waste. If used on the "Hell Gatling," the potential would be much higher.


    The "Hell Gatling" not only had fiercer firepower but also was an upational weapon with a higher enhancement limit.


    From any perspective, it seemed like a waste.


    Then Zhang Liu took a deep breath and disyed a somewhat unfamiliar sycophantic expression, "Big shot, could I get a spot on your friend list?"


    ...


    Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin


    The auction soon ended.


    Chen Miao and Zhang Liu said their goodbyes, and through their conversation, he learned that Zhang Liu was preparing to enter the next secret realm. The main reason he was pushing himself so hard without rest was because Zhang Liu had a tumor inside his body that was nearing thete stages.


    The surgery was difficult, with too high a rate of failure.


    But in the Star Coins shop, there was a prop that could cure all kinds of tumors, requiring only 500,000 Star Coins to cure the ailment.


    Zhang Liu nned to clear a few more secret realms, save up some Star Coins,e back out, and sell everything his family owned for Star Coins, then buy that prop to save his own life.


    Hungry Monkey thought that Zhang Liu should change his name, to Zhang Buliu.


    The name Zhang Liu sounded ominous.


    At this auction, Chen Miao returned with his hands full, not only obtaining the blueprints for the D-level prop "Land of Imprisonment" and the D-level prop "Hell Gatling", but he also won two other items.


    They are¡ª


    "Prop Name": Ring of Strength.


    "Prop Level": D-level.


    "Prop Effect": The yer carrying this prop will have their strength attribute value increased by +15.


    "Prop Restriction": Only for use by Gunslinger and rted upational sses.


    "Prop Description": "A gunslinger also needs to be strong."


    -


    "Skill Name": Retreating Step.


    "Skill Level": D-level.


    "Skill Effect": When receiving the first melee attack, the yer will be immune to the damage from that attack and will automatically move back 10 meters, thus distancing themselves from the enemy.


    "Prop Restriction": Only for use by Gunslinger and rted upational sses.


    "Skill Introduction": "Stay away from the darkness."


    -


    These two items together cost him 2 million Star Coins, with the Ring of Strength alone costing 1.5 million.


    It''s worth mentioning¡ª


    For a Transcendent to have their carried props take effect, there are two choices: one is to stuff them in their backpack, which only has 10 slots, and each slot can only fit one prop. However, the backpack slots of a Gunslinger Transcendent are generally filled with ammunition, leaving no room for props.


    The default storage for each backpack slot is up to 1000 bullets, meaning theoretically, if a Gunslinger carries their firearms in their hands and doesn''t put any props in the backpack, they can carry up to 10,000 bullets.


    Of course, that''s just in theory. As a Gunslinger Transcendent, one would definitely try every means to expand their backpack slots and collect various props that can increase their ammo carrying capacity.


    For instance, there was a D-level prop "Nothingness Space Bullet Magazine" at the auction just now, which has the sole effect of being able to hold 10,000 bullets. It was sold for 3.87 million Star Coins.


    The other way to make props effective is to carry them on one''s person.


    Assume you carry 100 props with you; then all 100 props will be effective. Of course, this is under the premise that you can physically carry that many props without losing them and that you can quickly find the ones with active effects when needed.


    This requiresbat experience and carefully designing your prop set.


    Chen Miao, however, doesn''t need to worry about this issue, as his props take effect just by being ced in his "Nothingness Space," which also has ample capacity.


    This auction was quite enlightening for Chen Miao. Lower-end props and materials for Gunslingers, like those at E-level and F-level, do indeed sell for a lot less than those for other upational sses, but the mid-to-high-end Gunslinger props starting from D-level aren''t much cheaper than those for other sses.


    For instance, a D-level collectible firearm skin was auctioned for over 30 million Star Coins.


    He also checked online and found that recently, a D-level collectible fighter''s glove skin was sold for over 60 million Star Coins.


    The difference was roughly double the price.


    Unlike at F-level, where the price difference between hot professions like Gunslingers and fighters could be around tenfold.


    ...


    This auction cost him a total of 6 million Star Coins. Out of the 14 million he had just gotten, now only a little over 7 million was left. One can only say that money is hard to save.


    As he was just leaving the Oura Clubhouse, he saw Zhou Shen rushing over, his face a mix of excitement and anxiety.


    "Miao!"


    Zhou Shen approached with a face full of excitement and agitation.


    Chen Miao nced at Zhou Shen, somewhat speechless: "You''re not working properly, not spending time with your daughter, instead you keep looking for me day in, day out. It''s been a bit too frequent these past few days."

 Chapter 107: Chapter 106: The fight is over, taking three seconds.

    ```


    "Is it something urgent?"


    Zhou Shen eximed with excitement, "Didn''t you listen to the voice message I sent you? Fengtian City has prepared to choose you as the spokesperson for Fengtian City. It''s a status that allows you to enjoy unlimited resources and privileges!"


    "Someone in Fengtian City must be favoring you. Knowing that I''m close to you, they specifically sent me to convey the message, asking you to head to the ''Virtual Arena'' in advance to experience the attack methods of transcendent beings of other levels."


    "The city-statepetition is also held in the ''Virtual Arena.'' It''s pretty much the same as thebat assessment secret realm. It replicates all the abilities and items of a transcendent being, but dying there won''t lead to actual death."


    "It''s just that opening it once consumes a lot of energy."


    "The usual price for a fight is around 100,000 credit points, only affordable to those from major powers. Fengtian City says that you can use the ''Virtual Arena'' for free for this month; the government is footing the bill."


    ...


    Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    Unable to resist Zhou Shen''s enthusiasm, Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey still followed Zhou Shen to the Secret Realm Building and arrived at the 14th floor. Floors 10-15 are all ''Virtual Arenas'', where there are various famous AI opponents avable for practice and umtingbat experience.


    Under Zhou Shen''s guidance, he first watched some battle highlights.


    "Hm?"


    After watching for a few minutes, Chen Miao went from initially being distracted to frowning tightly. So far, he hadn''t encountered a proper fight between transcendent beings, most were just overwhelmed with firepower.


    He had assumed that senior transcendent beings were nothing more than having more items, stronger foundations, and higher weapon damage.


    But thebat video he was watching almost overturned his understanding.


    This was a fight between a level 19 martial artist and a level 21 archer.


    Level 20 is a watershed because you can Third Turn, andbat power will greatly increase. In theory, the level 21 archer should overwhelm the level 19 martial artist, but the oue was surprising, one could say their fighting methodspletely overturned his understanding.


    He didn''t understand the professions of martial artist and archer very well, knowing only that one was a closebat upation and the other was long-range.


    As the fight began¡ª


    The martial artist started off with ''Leap sh,'' instantly teleporting above the archer''s head, and his knuckledusters began to emit a yellow glow. This was the activated Level F skill ''Silent Strike.'' If this punch connected, the archer would be silenced on the spot, unable to use any skills or items and be a live target.


    In the battle footage, key frames would be shown in slow motion, and a detailed panel of the items and skills used by both parties would appear in the void, to help viewers better understand the fight.


    The archer reacted quickly, a sh of white light appeared on him.


    ''Illuminate.''


    An archer''s basic skill to emit white light for lighting. But almost at the same moment, the martial artist did not punch down but retracted his body violently to ten meters away.


    ''Far Escape.''


    A martial artist''s Second Turn basic skill, which can forcefully stop one''s charge and push the body back ten meters.


    At this point, Chen Miao was somewhat baffled, not understanding why the martial artist retreated. Wouldn''t the archer have been defeated outright if that punch hadnded? What use was ''Illuminate?'' Was the white light meant to be funny?


    Following that, the martial artist who had backed away ten meters instantly activated an item.


    ''Cooling Lantern,'' which can instantly reset all Level F skill cooldowns, allowing for another Leap sh, still apanied by Silent Strike. Still, the archer''s body lit up with white light once again, this time, however, the martial artist didn''t hold back and smashed down.


    However...


    The punching martial artist became stiff on the spot, the archer quickly created distance, and arrow after arrow shot into the martial artist''s mouth like a storm.


    ''Control Rebound.''


    The archer''s Third Turn basic skill. When activated, it can rebound any control effects for the next three seconds.


    Only then did Chen Miao truly understand the opening exchange.


    ''Control Rebound'' and ''Illuminate'', both skills started with the body lighting up in white. The archer gambled that the martial artist wouldn''t go all-in on the first round, so he activated ''Illuminate,'' a seemingly useless skill, to deceive the martial artist of a crucial skill.


    When the martial artist''s skills reset and he charged again, ''Control Rebound'' was reactivated.


    Even though the martial artist knew the control might rebound, he still threw the punch. At least he had to draw out this key skill from the archer, or else he''d always be hesitant to attack.


    As the archer''s skill has a long cooldown, it''s typically only usable once in a battle.


    At this point in the fight, the archer had a huge advantage, constantly kiting the martial artist with his long-range edge.


    ''Burst Arrow''!


    A fireced arrow cut through the air, heading straight for the martial artist. Realizing evasion was futile, he turned off his protection suit and activated the defensive skill ''Immovable as a Mountain'' to take the hit head-on.


    In the subsequent fight, the martial artist kept toggling the protection suit on and off, only activating it against ordinary arrows and using defensive skills to block damaging skills.


    In this process, Chen Miao silently learned another technique.


    There''s no need to keep the protection suit active to block all attacks ¨C doing so would only lead to its quick depletion of energy. Against high-damage skills, one could temporarily turn off the protection suit and use defensive skills to weather the blow. The main role of the protection suit was to fend off regr attacks, serving as an intermittent defensive tool, rather than being left on continuously until shattered.


    The fight took ce on a huge arena without any scenery. The disadvantage of acting first left the martial artist constantly kited by the archer, with no chance to touch the archer.


    ''Binding Arrow''!


    An exclusive effect of the hidden upation Third Turn archer ''Pr Arrow,'' it allows each arrow shot to have a slowing effect. Under this effect, the martial artist had no chance of reaching the archer.


    As the martial artist was already battered and about to die,


    The archer smoothly executed a serial finishingbo.


    ```


    "Explosive Killing Arrow" "Kick Step" "Flying Feather"


    In the scene, behind the archer, wing-like light effects appeared, and the archer''s figure shifted instantly in front of the fighter with incredible speed, helped by the Gilded Light beneath his feet. The bowstring swept swiftly past the fighter''s neck - a ssic finishingbo for archers, deadly for critically wounded enemies with the ability to kill in one strike.


    It was almost a certain kill.


    However...


    Perhaps the ease of the battle made the archer forget that the fighter''s key ability "Bind Ground" was still unspent.


    The fighter, who had been biding his time for nearly four or five minutes, suddenly glowed with a golden light. Next, the rapidly shifting archer was seen frozen in ce, unable to move.


    "Roar!"


    Then, the fighter was seen smirking with his hands wrapped around the archer, leaping into the air: "Die for me!"


    "Hell Suplex" "Skull Split."


    Executing a standardbo, the fighter lifted the archer high into the air and mmed him hard to the ground. Before the dazed archer could scramble up, the fighter, straddling the archer, raised his fist high.


    "Deliberate Furious Fist."


    A basic Second Turn ability of the fighter.


    It could store all damage taken within ten minutes and add ten times the fighter''s own Strength Value as fixed damage, unleashing a punch with substantial damage within a three-meter radius.


    The enemy at the center of the punch would suffer triple damage.


    This punch smashed squarely into the archer''s forehead.


    Dead on the spot.


    Killed with a single punch.


    The battle ended, and the fighter was victorious.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who had watched the entire battle process, stood in silence without expression. He had never foundbat to be so troublesome before. There was so much to learn, starting with mastering the key abilities of other upations.


    He also had to remember the casting effects of other upations'' key abilities.


    And get familiar with thebos used by other upations.


    Plus, quick reflexes were essential - if the fighter had been a moment slower earlier, he wouldn''t have been the one reversing the kill; he would have been in outright.


    Not to mention, constantly activating and deactivating the protective gear to maximize protection against iing damage.


    Among otherplex tasks.


    He suddenly understood why there were colleges that specialized in teaching Transcendents - there was indeed much to learn. He also appreciated the value of being "unique" even more, meaning that as long as yourbat footage was kept secret, you remained an unknown entity to all opponents.


    "What a thrilling fight," said Zhou Shen, who had also watched the entire battle, his face filled with admiration. "That''s the strength of a top-tier fighter, attention to detail was spot on. That fighter is Liu Yiquan from Gaobei City next door; he''s level 29 now, probably even stronger than before."


    "Fengtian City has an AI modeled after him. How about it, Miao, do you want to try challenging him?"


    "The AI is level 19."


    "Of course, its attack style will differ from the battle we just saw. The AI will self-adjust, employing different tactics against different upations."


    "Okay."


    After pausing for a moment, Chen Miao agreed. He, too, wanted to see how he would fare in the heat of battle against this experienced fighter.


    ...


    The battle screen appeared again in front of Zhou Shen and Hungry Monkey.


    But this time, it wasn''t a video; it was a live broadcast.


    "Level 19 Fighter AI Liu Yiquan" vs "Level 14 Gunman Chen Miao."


    The battle started quickly.


    Right from the start, the fighter repeated the same opening move, a Leap sh, which almost every fighter employs. It was useful both for probing and attacking.


    Chen Miao, however, had no means of Control Rebound.


    But he was even more decisive.


    A Metal Storm enveloped him, with thousands of bullets spinning rapidly around, striking the leaping fighter above his head directly, sting the fighter to the ground not far away.


    Without waiting for the fighter to get up,


    Chen Miao lifted the Tao Wood-modified Thompson Submachine Gun in his hands and pulled the trigger, unleashing a barrage at the fighter on the spot. This time, the fighter didn''t use his Deliberate Furious Fist but was immediately pulverized.


    Dead on impact.


    The battle ended, taking three seconds.

 Chapter 108: Chapter 107: Level 19 "Insect Tribe Priest

    As it turned out, in the face of overwhelming firepower, almost all details became irrelevant.


    Even if the fighter possessed the divine skill "Deliberate Furious Fist," which allowed them to reflect all the damage received in a period of time as a fist wind rebound, they still needed to survive the damage first.


    For those like the Archer Surgeon with no means of counterattack, when facing such exaggerated firepower, there was only one word for them, dead.


    "It''s over."


    Walking out from the white circle, Chen Miao leaned on his staff and casually said as he nced at the Hungry Monkey duo, "It seems not asplicated as the battle scene just now, quite simple really."


    "..." Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    Zhou Shen silently stood still, not saying a word, only looking at Chen Miao with a resentful gaze, as if Miao was even stronger than he had been in the great event.


    Why could the bullets he fired transform into a storm that lingered around him?


    Did marksmen have this skill?


    Or was it an effect brought by the unique, hidden upation "Gun Devil"?


    It must be said that the loot from this major event far exceeded what a newbie event should have; in theory, it was almost impossible for a transfer book for a hidden upation to appear in such events, let alone one of a unique level.


    But the problem was that Chen Miao''s score in the event was too high. He almost single-handedly imed all the event''s points, which increased the probability of getting good items from loot boxes by several grades, hence the current situation.


    Just like a snowball effect, without the Tao Wood firearm skin, Chen Miao would never have been able to obtain so many rewards in this event. Because of Tao Wood, hisbat power greatly increased, leading to more rewards thereafter, rolling onwards to stay ahead of the average person.


    Pretty good.


    Zhou Shen was at a loss for words for a moment. He had also seen Sang Biao''s battle footage, and to be honest, it was iparable with Miao''s. Sang Biao did everything possible to create distance and then began to concentrate his firepower.


    But in thest city-statepetition, he could barely create any distance. Out of eleven matches, only twice did he manage to create distance and kill the enemy, the remaining nine times he was killed by the enemy''s various methods up close.


    Even withplete mechanical augmentation, increasing his defensive attributes significantly, he couldn''t survive much longer.


    But as for Miao, he simply didn''t care about the distance.


    Once Metal Storm was activated, nothing dared toe close.


    Then came the unreasonable onught of firepower; 20k bullets a second rolling over everything. Forget about armor and damage reduction skills; they were all crushed. Indeed, these tactics were somewhat unreasonable.


    "It still has to be Miao."


    The Hungry Monkey, used to the situation, grinned and said, "Watching their battle just now, I thought high-tier supernatural battles were all soplicated. But this is pretty simple too, right?"


    "Easy win."


    ...


    "Let''s try a level 19 Magician."


    Zhou Shen on the virtual arena found another AI opponent, "Battling in the arena against a Magician is something many supernaturals find very troubling, as Magicians often summon pets to fight for them."


    "Ordinary magicians are okay, they don''t have much strength."


    "But those who choose magician must have a hidden upation to y with it. Without a hidden upation, a magician''s strength will be much lower. The two mostmon and strongest hidden upations for magicians are ''Insect Tribe Priest'' and ''Giant Rider''."


    "They represent two extremes. A normal magician can summon up to three pets, such as the Rock Giant. Pets require materials to be crafted, and you can purchase skins for pets to increase their strength, as well as enhance pets. If a pet dies, it needs to be remade."


    "The ''Insect Tribe Priest'' can summon an unlimited number of pets, but can only summon ''Bug Race'' type pets, and summoning pets costs Star Coins. To create even the mostmon ''Sickle Bug,'' it costs 2 Star Coins."


    "The ''Bug Race'' type pets will perish after a certain period of time, such as the ''Sickle Bug,'' which dies on its own after three hours."


    "The advantage is, as long as you have enough money, you can instantly summon a huge army of the Bug Race."


    "The disadvantage is also obvious, it''s expensive."


    "After a battle, you basically can''t make money; it''s a loss."


    "This is the strength of the magician''s hidden upation ''Insect Tribe Priest.'' Plus, this upation has many exclusive skills, which can provide their pets with legion-level buffs and healing auras. Inrge secret realms and major events, they are basically invincible, shining very brightly."


    Zhou Shen said with a slightly resentful look, "There are quite a few Capital Lords in Jingjiu City who have this upation. If one day you, Miao,e across them, try to stay as far away as possible. They''re utterly unreasonable."


    "Their mantra is, ''If I smash a billion out, will you die or not?''"


    "Moreover, these people have their own circle. Offending one basically means offending them all; they''re really troublesome to deal with."


    "Then there''s the other mostmon hidden upation for magicians, ''Giant Rider,'' which is another extreme. This hidden upation can only summon one pet, which is the ''Rock Giant,'' the lowest level pet that an ordinary magician can craft. However, the difference is that the hidden upation''s ''Rock Giant'' can be enhanced infinitely."


    "Magicians'' pets can be strengthened with Star Coins."


    "Different pets have different characteristics after enhancement."


    "Once strengthened, the ''Rock Giant'' pet''s characteristics are simple: it bes bigger, harder, and stronger."


    "So if one day, you, Miao, go to Jingjiu City and see a Rock Giant in the suburbs with a height of nearly a kilometer, its head almost reaching into the clouds, don''t be shocked. That''s probably the Capital Lord bringing out his billion Star Coins-enhanced, level 999 Rock Giant for a stroll."


    "These two hidden upations are almost the peak strength of the magician ss. Unlike other upations, magicians must have hidden upations, and they need to be filthy rich to afford ying it; for ordinary people, choosing this upation is just for fun."


    "One emphasizes quantity, the other size."


    "Both are pay-to-win professions, moremonly seen in Jingjiu City. In other cities, they are quite rare. At least Fengtian City doesn''t have any, or rather, there aren''t any with strength as high as I''ve just mentioned."


    "After all, the job transfer books for these two hidden upations aren''t expensive, and most can afford them. It''s the cost after the job transfer that most people can''t handle."


    "The opponent I''ve picked for you, Miao, is a level 19 ''Insect Tribe Priest.'' Give it a try and see the strength for yourself."


    "I won''t tell you about the specific skills of this upation just yet, Miao. Experience it firsthand; it''ll leave a deeper impression."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded, turned around, and stepped into the white light circle behind him, which led to the ''Virtual Arena''."

 Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Spending 160 Million to Buy a Hundred-Meter-Tall Rock Giant?

    14th Level Gun Devil vs. 19th Level Insect Tribe Priest.


    This was a very exciting battle.


    Just as Zhou Shen said, the moment the battle started, this Insect Tribe Priest summoned thousands of various Insect n pets, almost filling the entire arena, crowding it so much there was no ce to stand.


    Just this move alone must have cost at least 20,000 Star Coins.


    After all, summoning higher-level Insect n pets costs even more Star Coins.


    Ordinary people really can''t y like this.


    The exchange rate between Star Coins and credit points is 1:20.


    20,000 Star Coins is equal to 400,000 credit points.


    Using a down payment for a house to fight one battle, and the likelihood of benefits not exceeding this amount, how could ordinary people afford it? Many say that "Insect Tribe Priests" and "Giant Riders" are very wealthy.


    It''s not that these two professions are wealthy, but those without money simply wouldn''t choose these professions.


    For an ordinary Supernatural, even if the Job Transfer Books of these two Hidden upations were given to them, they would rather sell them for money than change their profession, and even if they did, they simply couldn''t afford to y.


    ...


    As the battle began, the Insect Tribe Priest''s appearance was extremely impressive, with thousands of Insect n Creatures summoned, including ranged, melee, and support types, who took their positions andunched an attack on Chen Miao, performing quite remarkably.


    Like a legion strictly following orders, an ordinary Supernatural would feel tremendous pressure facing this scene.


    With no desire to fight back at all.


    If it wasn''t for being on the "Virtual Arena," knowing they wouldn''t die, they would have fled as far as they possibly could.


    Chen Miao''s performance, however, was even more straightforward, without a hint of showiness, sticking to his old tricks.


    A dense Metal Storm to fend off ranged attacks.


    Thomson, firing 20,000 bullets a second, began to clear the field; a few secondster, the "Insect Tribe Priest" along with the creatures he had summoned turned to ashes.


    "..."


    Zhou Shen looked at Chen Miao as he stepped down from the Virtual Arena, remaining silent on the spot. It suddenly seemed as if the Virtual Arena had lost its original purpose, but soon it arranged a new opponent for Chen Miao.


    "The next opponent is an 18th Level ''Giant Rider,'' with his Rock Giant enhanced to Level 98, quite formidable."


    The new battle ignited once again.


    Chen Miao reappeared in the arena, looking up at the Rock Giant towering a hundred meters high, slightly stunned on the spot. The strength of this profession seemed really high, just enhanced to Level 98, and it was already a hundred meters tall.


    Looking up at it brought an overwhelming sense of oppression, maxed out.


    If used in sieges orrge-scale legion wars, it would definitely perform brilliantly, not to mention, it seemed it would be a lot more effective than excavators if used for demolition.


    One punch down, and everything would be demolished.


    However...


    The enemy changes, I remain the same, resorting to the tried and true methods.


    No matter the kind of enemy, Chen Miao still resorted to his usual tricks: Metal Storm for defense and Tao Wood Thomson to clear the field.


    However, this time it seemed there was a variable he hadn''t ounted for. The Rock Giant''s fist came crashing down from the sky with a fierce wind, smashing his Metal Storm defense that encircled him with a single blow. Had he not dodged quickly, that punch would have shattered him as well.


    ...


    "That''s more like it."


    Zhou Shen, watching the live stream from outside, nodded in satisfaction. Miao needed to face some setbacks in order to understand the purpose of the Virtual Arena. After all, the Virtual Arena was meant to enhancebat experience, and constant overpowering wouldn''t contribute to that.


    Give and take was the fastest way to gainbat experience.


    However¡ª


    The next second, the extremely intimidating Rock Giant began to crumble into nothingness, not even having the chance to throw a second punch.


    Chen Miao slowly walked out from the white circle of light, nodding thoughtfully as he looked back at his recent battle rey: "The strength of this upation is not bad, this Rock Giant is indeed troublesome, but it seems to have a major drawback."


    "After all, if the Rock Giant''s Supernatural owner dies, doesn''t the summon just disintegrate on its own?"


    Although during the recent battle, his infallible Metal Storm defense was breached, the Supernatural opponent couldn''t withstand a single burst from him right into its metaphorical mouth.


    "..."


    After a moment of dark-faced silence, Zhou Shen''s voice came out hoarse, "In Fengtian City''s Virtual Arena, the highest-level opponent in the ''Giant Rider'' upation is this 19th-level one. if one were to surpass the 20th level Third Turn, they would be able to control their Rock Giant from an extremely long distance, and even share vision with their Rock Giant, while the summoner themselves could hide in a safe ce."


    "After the 30th level Fourth Turn, one could sit inside the Rock Giant''s head, and as long as the Rock Giant doesn''t die, the summoner won''t be injured."


    "There would be no such drawbacks then."


    "But before the Third Turn, indeed, the strength isn''t that high in the arena matches."


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Miao smiled and nodded, looking at the battle rey of the Rock Giant, nearly a hundred meters tall, "How many Star Coins would it approximately take to enhance a Rock Giant to level 98?"


    Truth be told, he was quite impressed by this Rock Giant.


    In the battle, when he tried to riddle the Rock Giant''s arm with bullets, he barely managed to chip off some stone kes and pits. He basically couldn''t prate its defense, whereas he could take down a siege boss of teen levels in an instant, and yet he couldn''t break through the Rock Giant''s defense.


    Considering even he couldn''t breach its defense, one could imagine the strength of this Rock Giant. It could likely solo a boss without any trouble, by just having the Rock Giant go toe-to-toe with the boss in closebat. Wasn''t that basically like carrying a boss with you wherever you went?


    "There''s some general information online. I do not know exactly how many Star Coins it would take to enhance to level 98, but to enhance from level 0 to 100 would be around 8 million Star Coins. A normal Magician can only enhance up to level 9, which allows the Rock Giant to reach up to 9 meters, and the enhancement would cost about 90,000 Star Coins."


    "But generally speaking, normal Magicians seldom enhance Rock Giants. They would enhance other pets with higher levels."


    "8 million Star Coins?"


    Chen Miao was momentarily stunned upon hearing the figure, his mind struggling to convert the amount. ording to a ratio of one to twenty, were 8 million Star Coins equivalent to 160 million credit points?


    160 million.


    160 million for a Rock Giant standing a hundred meters tall? Was that worth it or not?


    "Wait a second."


    Chen Miao suddenly realized something, his brow furrowing as he said, "Did you just say there''s a ''Giant Rider'' in Jingjiu City that has enhanced their Rock Giant to level 999? How many Star Coins would that need?"


    "I''m not sure."


    Zhou Shen shook his head. "Even if the cost of enhancing each level after 100 is the same as it is to enhance to level 100, it would still be at least 80 million Star Coins. But in reality, each enhancement would cost more than thest."

 Chapter 110: Chapter 109: Having money means you can do whatever you want.

    "If we really get down to the nitty-gritty, it feels like it''s at least 200 million Star Coins."


    "Moreover, that information about Level 999 is outdated. It was from that news story that blew up across the entire Federation, about some rich kid from Jingjiu City who took his kilometer-tall Rock Giant on a rampage through the streets, drawing widespread attention."


    "Now, on the leaderboard, the highest-level Rock Giant is Level 1999."


    "It should be 2000 meters tall. For Rock Giants, each level gained increases their height by one meter."


    "..."


    Chen Miao didn''t speak, standing still, lost in thought. The poor can only get so poor, after all, there''s a baseline¡ªthere''s only so much debt one can umte.


    After all, the poor can''t borrow that much money anyway.


    But it seems like there''s no limit to how wealthy the rich can be, as if they can keep getting wealthier to an absurd extent.


    Take, for example, this Level 1999 Rock Giant. He couldn''t even begin to imagine how much money would be needed to enhance a Rock Giant to such a level.


    "Um..."


    Hungry Monkey next to him said with a weird expression, "Do you guys think there''s a possibility that person is a shill? Deliberately spending to stimte us to spend more? Like those corporate shills in games?"


    "How could that be."


    Zhou Shen shook his head somewhat helplessly, "This is reality, not a shill act. These people are truly wealthy, with wealth umted over several generations. Each generation starts with what the previous one umted and keeps the snowball rolling. Once a family gets to a certain level of wealth, as long as they don''t make some fatal mistakes, they generally won''t fall from grace and will keep getting wealthier."


    "Before there was no leaderboard, and we couldn''t ess any useful information, nor did we have any concrete concept. But ever since the world underwent transcendentalization and the leaderboard was established, everyone got a clear picture."


    Chen Miao sighed and didn''t speak, just massaged his temples a bit; his head ached. It felt like there were many monsters in this world. Even though he had the golden finger ''Nothingness Space,'' why did it feel like his golden finger wasn''t quite as strong as these ''children of heaven''?


    "Miao, your next opponent is a Level 19 Gunman. Give it a try," Hungry Monkey suggested.


    "Okay."


    ...


    Without delving too deeply into the matter, the Virtual Arena opened once again.


    In front of Chen Miao, the Gunman seemed like a toy. The Hell Gatling he held was powerful, but not a single bullet hit Chen Miao. All the bullets began swirling around him, bing part of his Metal Storm.


    Not a single one got through.


    In the face of the upation Effect of the Gun Devil, no bullet could hit him.


    Find your next read on mvl


    And now he had figured out how to use this upation Effect. As long as he prepared ahead of time, bullets within a hundred meters would follow the trajectory he pictured in his mind.


    But if someone caught him off guard from behind, pulling out a Sniper Rifle and taking a shot, the bullet would hit him directly.


    This was an active effect.


    Although it had no cooldown, it required activation. It was very useful on the frontline, but it lost its effectiveness when faced with a sniper''s assassination, as he naturally couldn''t keep his mind focused on it every single moment of every day.


    The battle ended with no spectacle to speak of.


    The Gunman stood no chance against Chen Miao at all.


    Zhou Shen looked at Chen Miao as he stepped out of the Virtual Arena, his voice trembling with disbelief, "Miao, you can control all the bullets, can''t you? Whether they''re shot by you or by the enemy?"


    "Yeah," Chen Miao ambiguously replied indifferently, "More or less. Facing a Gunman doesn''t put much pressure on me."


    "Damn!" Zhou Shen couldn''t help jumping up excitedly, "Then we''re totally set. That Sang Biao definitely can''t beat you, Miao. In a month, you''ll represent Fengtian City in the inter-citypetition."


    "As long as you get good results, Miao, you can pretty much do as you please in Fengtian City from now on."


    "Whatever Chi Family, whatever ck Hand Gang they are, will have to bow down to you, and the Fengtian City Government will be your biggest support."


    "Yeah."


    Chen Miao nodded with a smile, then turned to Zhou Shen, "You go ahead and get busy. I want to explore by myself for a bit."


    "Alright." Zhou Shen didn''t linger any longer, because he realized that no matter the type of opponent, they barely added anything to Miao''sbat experience, and it seemed Miao didn''t need anybat experience at all, steamrolling straight through.


    Then he sent a string of codes to Chen Miao''s wristwatch, "This code will activate your wristwatch''s privileges, Miao. You can open the Virtual Arena with your wristwatch without any cost. It''s from the Fengtian City Government. Just make sure it doesn''t leak out."


    "Understood."


    ...


    After Zhou Shen left, Chen Miao set up a Virtual Arena for Hungry Monkey to enter, then he entered the Virtual Arena again to select his next opponent. He found this thing to be quite useful.


    The Federation has too many Supernatural upations.


    The total number of basic Supernatural upations, like Swordsman, Gunman, Archer, Fighter, Magician, is 13.


    Then, there are all sorts of Hidden upations.


    Plus special skills beyond basic ones, Common Skills, unique skills, and a variety of items.


    Almost every opponent you meet fights differently, with their own unique skill chains and item sets. Once a conflict arises, if your Combat Power isn''t overwhelmingly superior, you''re indeed likely to capsize in the gutter.


    And this Virtual Arena can help him witness many such Supernaturals, greatly broadening his horizons.


    The Fengtian City Government granted him some privilege, allowing him to use the Virtual Arena for free. Ordinary people have to pay 100,000 credit points to use it just once, which they can''t afford, but this thing isn''t for ordinary people to use, so whether they can afford it or not doesn''t really seem to matter.


    ...


    "Cousin, why are you the one picking me up today?"


    At the entrance of Fengtian Supernatural High School, Yu''er sat in a stretch luxury limousine, smiling cheerfully at her cousin Chi Qiu next to her and said, "Today, the teacher taught us a lot of things, and it feels a bit different from what father said."


    "Wasn''t the Supernatural upation father chose for you Magician? But the teacher said today that Magician is a very weak Supernatural upation. Yet you''re also a Magician, cousin. If Magicians are so weak, why did they still choose it for us?"


    "..."


    Chi Qiu looked at his cousin Yu''er with aplex expression and rubbed his head, "It''s true that the normal Magician upation is weak, but the family head has prepared a Hidden upation ''Insect Tribe Priest'' for you. Didn''t the family head reset your level for the big incident? Once you level up to 3, you can change to ''Insect Tribe Priest.'' This hidden Magician upation is not weak."


    "Is it strong?"


    "Very strong."


    "Then why don''t other people choose this upation?"


    "Because others don''t have the money. Not everyone has a Chi Family backing them up."


    Chi Qiu cut off the topic. He hadn''te today for this matter. After hesitating for a moment, he tentatively said, "Yu''er, have you been in contact with Chen Miao recently?"


    "Chen Miao?"


    Yu''er shook her head somewhat nkly, "I''ve never chatted with Chen Miao. Cousin, which Chen Miao are you talking about?"


    "But cousin, you reminded me of the Chen Miao in the big event."


    Thinking about it, Yu''er pouted a bit sullenly and said with anger, "Did you watch the live stream? He hurt me so much. So many bullets shot into my body, and he didn''t show any mercy. I hate him to death, cousin. You should teach him a lesson for me!"


    For a 16-year-old girl, Chen Miao''s attack was indeed a bit brute.


    Filled to the brim.


    "Uh..."


    For a moment, Chi Qiu''s face turned somewhat embarrassed. He actually wanted to say that he couldn''t beat Chen Miao. He sent a shadow to find Chen Miao, and Chen Miao directly shattered it mercilessly. He hade this time to settle this matter.


    But it seemed there was a mistake in his intelligence. Wasn''t Yu''er chatting with Chen Miao?


    Didn''t they chat after that wrong callst time?


    Where did the problem ur?


    Could it have been a mix-up, leading to a misunderstanding?


    "You haven''t chatted with Chen Miao? Then who told you that the best food to eat in winter is roasted sweet potatoes?"


    "Oh, you mean that person? That person said his name is Hungry Monkey, a very interesting person."


    "Hungry Monkey, huh..."


    Chi Qiu had a bit of a spasm at the moment. He knew of this person, originally amonborer, whoter joined Chen Miao and became one of Chen Miao''s trusted aides. So it means he got the wrong person initially, and Chen Miao might not even know about this matter.


    But now that the meeting in Fengtian City had concluded, as long as Chen Miao won the uing match against Sang Biao in a month, he would be the spokesperson for Fengtian City. His status would then bepletely different, and any friction with Chen Miao would be a hidden issue in his dealings with the Chi Family, as well as a problem for him personally.


    His status in the Chi Family wasn''t high.


    Otherwise, he would not have chosen the ''Shadow Controller'' upation, but rather ''Insect Tribe Priest'' or ''Giant Rider.'' Was it because he didn''t like thetter upations? Of course not¡ªit was because he didn''t qualify for the Chi Family to spend that much money on him.


    Although he wasn''t sure if Chen Miao would definitely win, the earlier these misunderstandings were cleared, the better. Otherwise, once Chen Miao actually won against Sang Biao, it would be toote to clear up these misunderstandings.


    "Cough, that, Yu''er."


    Chi Qiu coughed lightly and then tentatively said, "Could you send a message to that Hungry Monkey friend of yours? I''ll send you the exact text. Just say it was from Chi Qiu at the noodle shop today."


    "What message?"


    Yu''er looked at the long text sent by Chi Qiu, then looked up at her cousin with some confusion, "3829 characters? This message is so long? And it''s an apology letter? And cousin, you know Hungry Monkey?"

 Chapter 111: Chapter 110: "Where are we going, Miao?

    "This seems more sincere..."


    Chi Qiu spoke in a voice filled with hidden resentment. As things had developed to this point, what temper could he possibly have left? Initially, in a moment of hot-headedness and spurred on by the bad influence of his so-called friends, he had acted rashly, resulting in the current situation. In order to prevent things from getting even worse, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and do this.


    Losing a bit of face was not a big issue.


    The major issue was if Chen Miao rejected him, or didn''t even n to reconcile at all, then that would be a significant problem.


    "Alright, little sister, I''ve never asked you for anything, just this one thing. Could you do a favor for your cousin and not tell anyone else?"


    "Really?"


    Yu''er nodded thoughtfully, then her eyes rolled around as a hint of anticipation shed through them, "Then as a condition, cousin, can you buy me a roasted sweet potato on the way back? That''d be great."


    "If you do, I will definitely not tell anyone, I''ll keep your secret."


    "..."


    Chi Qiu fell silent, his expressionplex; this was yet another dreadful choice. If Yu''er''s parents found out he had bought her such a thing to eat, wouldn''t they curse him to death? Experience new stories on mvl


    But given the choice betweenpletely offending Chen Miao and being scolded by Yu''er''s parents, he decisively chose thetter.


    At least with thetter, he wouldn''t lose his life; with the former, he was very likely to be sacrificed by the Chi Family in an attempt to smooth things over with Chen Miao.


    "Deal!"


    ...


    As the sky slowly darkened, Chen Miao finally left Secret Realm Building and prepared to head home.


    Today, he had fought in around thirty to forty battles. The different professions of supernatural beings had brought Chen Miao a great deal of surprise. It had to be said that each supernatural being had their own expertise. Even if two had the same profession, their approaches to battle would bepletely different.


    Very interesting.


    Of course¡ª


    He had chosen the same tactic for each one.


    On the bus, Hungry Monkey leaned against the window, dozing off. Perhaps because it waste at night, there was not a single passenger on the bus besides the two of them and a silent driver focused solely on his job.


    The boring news yed on the bus''s television.


    The anchor''s t tone made the sleepiness inside the bus even more intense.


    Chen Miao nced around the interior of the bus with some curiosity. For some reason, he felt that something was off.


    He wasn''t short on money now and rarely chose to ride the bus, a mode of transportation he only opted for when necessary. Generally, for the trips between Eternal Cemetery and Fengtian City, he would choose a taxi, which was not only faster but also morefortable and didn''t make stops along the way.


    But today, maybe due to some holiday, the bustling streets were unusually devoid of taxis. After waiting for several tens of minutes with no luck, a bus heading for Eternal Cemetery happened to pull into the station.


    Not wanting to wait any longer, he boarded the bus with Hungry Monkey.


    The bus''s route was no different from usual, with Eternal Cemetery as the final destination. However, along the way, the bus kept stopping but not a single person got on. From beginning to end, there were only the two of them.


    There are quite a few residential areas between Fengtian City and Eternal Cemetery. Normally, even on thest bus, there would never be zero passengers.


    The peculiar circumstances instantly dispelled Chen Miao''s drowsiness, and a bad premonition began to form.


    However, Hungry Monkey, dozing off beside him, made everything seem normal again, as if nothing was amiss.


    "Hey."


    Chen Miao nced at the route map. There were two stops left before reaching Eternal Cemetery, but the unease in his heart grew stronger. Something indescribable made him feel that he couldn''t just wait any longer. He shook the dozing Hungry Monkey awake, his brows tightly furrowed as he hoarsely said, "Stop sleeping, wake up, how about we get off the bus now?"


    "Huh?"


    Waking up from his drowsy state, Hungry Monkey rubbed his sleepy eyes and weakly said, "But Miao, we''re just two stops away, why get off?"


    "Suddenly felt like getting some fresh air."


    Just then, the bus stopped at a station, and Chen Miao took the opportunity to get ready to head down. Although he didn''t know what was happening, a premonition told him it would be wise to leave this damned bus quickly.


    If it were his original world, he might have thought it was just a night with not many people around.


    But in this messy world, he vaguely felt as if he had been drawn into some unknown random event.


    Even though his current strength was not weak, he was not willing to rashly get involved in these uncontroble random events. This meant everything was unknown, and the unknown meant the risk of death.


    But just then¡ª


    The bus''s television suddenly started broadcasting another piece of news.


    ''Urgent Notice: On November 24, at 22:21 in the evening, a bus with the license te number Feng¡¤GA182, Route 119, veered into a bridge pit outside the suburbs because the driver dozed off. There were only two passengers on board, and along with the driver, all three died.''


    ''The two passengers had their facespletely disfigured; this announcement is being released, please rtivese to the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau to im the bodies.''


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who had just stood up, suddenly froze in ce, expressionlessly looking up at the television hanging not far away on the bus ceiling. Although the images of the bodies on the TV were blurred with mosaics, the bloody mess was unnerving. However, he could still clearly recognize, through the clothing, that the two bodies were indeed what he and Hungry Monkey were wearing.


    "Where are you going, Miao?"


    At that moment, Hungry Monkey''s voice came from behind.


    Seen from his seat, Hungry Monkey had stood up at some unknown point, his mouth twisting into a strange smile as he unnaturally asked Chen Miao, "Miao, we''ll reach the stop in just two more stations, why do you want to get off?"


    "Huh."


    Chen Miao took a deep breath. Ignoring everything around him, he drew the Thompson Submachine Gun from within his coat and held it in his hand. Right now, only this thing could make him feel safe. He didn''t want to care what the situation was, all he wanted to do now was to get off the bus.


    Whoever tried to stop him would die.


    Hungry Monkey had clearly changed from the one he knew. Whether it was possession or something else, it was clear that Hungry Monkey was now a significant source of danger.


    Just then¡ª


    "Finally, here ites, damn it, made me wait so long."


    A cursing voice came from outside the bus. A middle-aged man wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, his whole body drenched, clung to the bus door and pushed himself in. He saw Chen Miao, who was about to get off, stiffened momentarily, then chuckled.


    "Oh, lucky one tonight, eh? Now that you''re up here, don''t think about getting off; you can''t get off."


    "Sit down, there are still a few stops ahead, let''s have a chat."


    The man seemed to make himself at home, picking a spot to sit down regardless of his wet straw coat. He fumbled in his chest pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one out to light for himself, then offered one to Chen Miao, "Want one?"


    Through it all.


    The man never once looked at Hungry Monkey, conversing only with Chen Miao the entire time.

 Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Seven out of ten men in Gaobei City are bald.

    And what was eerie was that, looking out through the windows of the bus, it was clear that it wasn''t raining outside at all.


    Yet the man was drenched, obviously having just experienced a downpour.


    The arrival of this middle-aged man with a goatee made the entire atmosphere even more unsettling.


    Chen Miao didn''t pay attention to the middle-aged man. Instead, he took the opportunity before the bus started moving to head straight for the exit. There were two steps by the door for the convenience of passengers, which usually just took a step to get off the bus.


    But today, for some reason,


    Chen Miao took dozens of steps but was still circling around these two steps, as if he had run into an invisible wall.


    After trying for a long time and having confirmed he could not exit the bus and at the moment the doors were slowly closing, he suddenlyughed, gave up on the idea of leaving the bus, and did not return to his original seat.


    Instead, he sat in a single seat opposite the middle-aged man, took out a cigarette from his breast pocket, lit it, put it in his mouth, and said with a smile, "Do you believe that after a burst from my gun, this bus will turn to ash?"


    "Don''t believe it."


    The middle-aged man shook his head seriously, "Not just one burst, but even ten bursts would leave it untouched."


    Then the middle-aged man suddenly lost interest in the conversation, his brow furrowed as he stared into the void in front of him, as if looking at some panel or perhaps reading friend messages.


    Chen Miao nced at the Hungry Monkey, who had resumed dozing off in the back seat, and without saying a word, his eyelids drooped slightly as he began to send a barrage of messages to his friends.


    ''Hungry Monkey'' ''Yuan Buping'' ''Zhou Shen'' ''Doctor Gou'' and so on.


    He contacted everyone on his friend list, sending over ten messages to each, but no one replied. It was only just past ten at night and it wasn''t likely that everyone was asleep already.


    Meanwhile, the news was still being broadcast on the in-bus television.


    "Urgent Notice: On November 24th, at 10:21 PM, a bus with the license te number Fengtian¡¤GA182 on route 119, entered a bridge pit in the suburbs due to the driver dozing off. There were only two passengers on the bus; including the driver, all three died."


    "The bodies of the two passengers were unrecognizable. We hereby notify their families toe to the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau to im the bodies."


    The bus with the license te number Fengtian¡¤GA182 on route 119 was the very bus they were currently on.


    "Are you from Fengtian City?"


    At this moment, the middle-aged man in the straw raincoat suddenly looked up at Chen Miao and said with a smile, "Looks like the starting station this time is Fengtian City, ah no wonder, that ce is said to have a lot of gunmen."


    "Interesting, Fengtian City actually has the qualification to be the starting station."


    But at this moment, a sh of shock crossed Chen Miao''s eyes as he looked at the journey route on the bus''s interior disy. At some point, the route under his very eyelids had changed. Originally, there were just two stops before reaching the final destination, Eternal Cemetery.


    But now the journey route had undergone a drastic change.


    Previous station ''Fengtian City'' - Current station ''Gaobei City'' - Next station ''Jingjiu City'' - Next station ''Broken Pot City'' - ...


    What was once a local bus line operating solely within Fengtian City had be a federal bus line traversing multiple cities. What a joke, never had there been a bus that could cross so many cities.


    "Are you from Gaobei City?"


    Chen Miao looked at the middle-aged man. This was the first time he had spoken to the man since he got on the bus; prior to this, whether the man tried to start a conversation or offered a cigarette, he did not dare to respond, fearing he might trigger some taboo.


    But now, since it was confirmed that he was likely caught up in some event,


    his previously anxious heart settled down instead.


    This is like when you''re trading stocks, and as long as the stock doesn''t fall, you''re constantly worried, but once it keeps falling and you''repletely trapped, you stop worrying, because there''s no need to worry anymore. Just wait to die.


    Although things have gotten worse, the mindset has improved.


    "Hmph."


    The middle-aged man said with a smile as he took off his hat to reveal his bald head, "See, isn''t this easy to recognize? Is there anyone in Gaobei City who isn''t bald?"


    Every city has its own stereotype, and the one outsiders have of Gaobei City is that there are no hair salons and almost everyone is bald. The city-state effect allows you to sacrifice any part of yourself to gain resources, and hair, being a non-critical product, naturally bes the best choice.


    In reality, that was indeed the case.


    Out of ten men from Gaobei City, seven are bald.


    "I''ve got some good news for you, and some bad news."


    After pausing, the middle-aged man began to speak in aplex tone, "Let''s start with the bad news, it looks like we have to go through at least five stops this time. It''s not disyed on the screens ahead; we don''t know if there are even more stops. The difficulty of this incident is probably going to be very high, and it''s likely very hard for you to survive."


    "We might as well chat for a while, as this could be one of thest opportunities you have to speak in your life."


    "The good news is, I''m most likely not going to make it either. Having someone apany you on your way out isn''t so lonely."


    At this point,


    the middle-aged man scratched his head irritably, "If I had known there were so many stops, who woulde? Damn, why is my luck so rotten this time."


    "Don''t even think about contacting the outside world. Once you''re on this bus, you''re in an environment that is absolutely isted from the outside world. And don''t me anyone else. If you have to me someone, me yourself for getting on this bus in the first ce."


    Chen Miao didn''t speak; through the experiment just now, he had already confirmed that he had lost contact with the outside world. Now, his only question was whether Hungry Monkey was involved, whether Hungry Monkey was possessed, or if this Hungry Monkey was a fake.


    ...


    Meanwhile, on the streets of Fengtian City.


    "Hey, Miao, do you think we should take some food back with us?"


    Walking ahead, Hungry Monkey hesitated and patted his stomach. He was getting a little hungry, but no one responded from behind. It took him a moment to turn around and look back, but after searching amidst the crowd for a long time, he couldn''t find Miao''s figure.


    In confusion, Hungry Monkey sent a message to Chen Miao.


    But he didn''t get a reply for a long time.


    The previously bewildered Hungry Monkey''s gaze suddenly became clear, and he began to mutter with a finger in his mouth, "Miao couldn''t have been kidnapped, could he?"


    Without any hesitation, he immediately contacted Zhou Shen.


    Zhou Shen arrived quickly, and without any dy, he went to the Enforcement Bureau in charge of the area to ess the street surveince cameras. After meticulously reviewing the footage, which showed Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao walking down the street,


    he spoke in a deep voice with a furrowed brow.


    "Miao might have been involved in some kind of unpredictable major incident."


    "But... there were no forewarnings."


    In the footage, Chen Miao disappeared from the screen suddenly. One moment, he was on the roadside,ughing and talking with Hungry Monkey, and in the blink of an eye, the moment Hungry Monkey turned his head, he vanished into thin air, with the pedestrians nearby responding as if they saw nothing.

 Chapter 113: Chapter 112: "The fixed event numbered 128, named Hell Bus.

    It simply fucked the day up; he was the deputy director of the Events Bureau, responsible for managing random incidents in Fengtian City, yet such an incident had urred in Fengtian City, and he hadn''t received any news about it.


    It was only through a message from Hungry Monkey that he discovered the incident.


    It was absolutely outrageous.


    However, Zhou Shen didn''t feel like he had lost face, but instead spoke with a heavy and hoarse voice, "There are many random events that ur in Fengtian City every year, like the boss siege event you guys experiencedst time, and the Events Bureau is in charge of managing such events."


    "But usually such eventse with a prior warning, like that boss siege event, where there would be a notice about the urrence of a random event, unlike this event which had no warning at all. There''s only one kind of event like that."


    "It''s a fixed event!"


    "The concept of a fixed event is quite simple; it''s an event that constantly repeats and fixed events generally don''t stay in one city, they randomly ur in one or several cities."


    "Fixed events have their own identification numbers, with the numbers ascending from small torge indicating the difficulty from high to low, the smaller the number the higher the difficulty and the greater the mortality rate."


    "I''ve experienced a fixed event myself, the identification number was 389, and the event was named Wilderness Train."


    "Based on my guess, Miao has most likely been caught up in a fixed event."


    Hungry Monkey spoke anxiously, "What was your experience like during that fixed event?"


    "Experience?"


    Zhou Shen''s expression turnedplex as he undid his clothes, revealing his chest. What could be seen was an extremely ghastly wound with the skin torn open, revealing white fat and coagted blood, looking extremely horrifying.


    And his shirt underneath had already been soaked red with blood.


    "I nearly died during that event, and although I was lucky enough to survive, I was left with a curse. The curse is this wound that will never kill me but will also never heal, tormenting me every moment. The intense pain makes my life worse than death."


    "If it wasn''t for the mission I have yet toplete in my life, I would have chosen to end my own a long time ago."


    "With such a curse, one can hardly be considered human anymore."


    Hungry Monkey looked in slight shock at the terrifying wound on Zhou Shen''s chest. It was his first time finding out about such a wound on Zhou Shen, yet Zhou Shen still took Yuan Buping and others to raid secret realms?


    With such a big wound, swinging a fist once would hurt for a day, right?


    "The fabric of the clothes is custom-made to ensure that the blood doesn''t seep out to the greatest extent."


    Zhou Shen while rebuttoning his shirt, let out a faint sigh, and said with some worry, "If Miao really got tangled up in a fixed event, we can only hope that the identification number of this fixed event isn''t too low, otherwise, it might be very difficult for him to survive."


    It wasn''t a pleasant thing to say, but he said it anyway.


    Although Miao''s strength was considerable, strength alone isn''t enough in a fixed event, there are too many factors determining whether one can survive or not, among which luck is a very important factor; byparison, strength is not that crucial.


    In that fixed event, Wilderness Train with the number 389 that he experienced, he was the weakest in terms of strength. There were many who were stronger than him, but quite a few stronger individuals died, whereas he survived.


    Although he was left with a curse that he could not remove for life, but... at least he survived.


    If you say secret realms possess a certain danger, with a not insignificant mortality rate, then for fixed events like these, there''s basically a certain survival rate.


    ...


    "Identification number 128, named Hell Bus as a fixed event?"


    Chen Miao repeated the middle-aged man''s words, extracting the key information before falling silent in ce, contemting. Through the earlier conversation with the man, he had gleaned a lot of information.


    Of course, the truthfulness of this information still needed to be questioned for the time being.


    He subconsciously opened his wristwatch to search for information rted to the fixed event, but his wristwatch connection had already been severed, unable to search for anything,pletely isted from the outside world.


    It was his first time learning about the concept of fixed events.


    ording to this man, he had boarded voluntarily, with the identification number 128 Hell Bus as the fixed event, belonging to events that are predictive and voluntary. A small group of people would be pre-selected and invitations issued to them.


    One could choose to ept or to reject.


    If one opted to ept and then boarded the bus after the Hell Bus event with the number 128 started, the bus would stop in front of you, just board to participate. But if you chose to ept and then backed out at thest minute, the consequences would be on you.


    The man didn''t specify the consequences, but one could guess what they might be with a littlemon sense.


    This fixed event was a major event across multiple cities, with only one person being selected per city. The more cities it passed through, the more people who boarded, and the greater the difficulty of the fixed event bing.


    The difficulty of the Hell Bus with the number 128 wasn''t consistent; it varied each time, depending on how many people boarded.


    And ording to the middle-aged man, before boarding, he was strolling in a downpour wearing a straw raincoat and carrying a bamboo hat when a bus with the license te Feng¡¤GA182 somehow stopped behind him with its hazard lights shing.


    After boarding, he saw Chen Miao who seemed ready to get off.


    Chen Miao stroked his memory; when he was on the bus, he hadn''t felt at all that the outside scenery didn''t belong to the suburbs of Fengtian City.


    ...


    The bus quickly fell silent again.


    The middle-aged man didn''t speak, simply closing his eyes and leaning back in his seat as if he had fallen into a slumber, and even now, he hadn''t nced in Hungry Monkey''s direction, nor had he turned around. He sat quietly in his seat, motionless.


    Chen Miao, too, sat opposite the middle-aged man in a single seat, silent. The information the man had given him was limited; he only knew he was entangled in a fixed event, but what exactly he would face was unclear to him.


    He subconsciously looked back at Hungry Monkey.


    Hungry Monkey had already taken a seat in the back row, dozing off against the window as if sleepy.


    It seemed to return to normal.


    Just then¡ª


    The bus stopped again.


    A young man dressed in casual attire strolled onto the bus, sporting clothes with exaggerated logos, whether from a sudden windfall or youthful mboyance.


    And these logos were all from luxury brands.


    Even if Chen Miao wasn''t well-versed in the luxury brands of this world, he could tell at a nce they looked expensive.


    This time, Chen Miao deliberately nced outside the window. It appeared to be a country road with nothing special about it; the sky was dark, the moon invisible, and the clouds gathered thickly above.


    The young man wasn''t wet from rain, looking neat and sharp as he boarded the bus. He first nced at the middle-aged man and Chen Miao, then chuckled lightly at the route map without saying a word, and took a seat in the front row by the window.


    The position closest to the driver.


    Afterward, the bus doors closed, and the vehicle started up again. The route map had changed once more.


    The previous stop, "Gaobei City" - current stop, "Jingjiu City" - next stop, "Broken Pot City" - next stop, "Fei Yu City" -...


    The disy screen could only show four stops at a time.


    As it stood, there was at least one stop after Fei Yu City.


    Which meant there had to be at least six stops.


    So far, two people had boarded, making four people inside the bus. No, wait... Chen Miao suddenly realized something and looked up toward the very front of the bus, at the driver who had been silent since the beginning.


    Including the driver, there should be five people.


    At that moment, the driver still sat there as if he hadn''t moved at all since the start, quietly focusing on his duties. But neither the chatty middle-aged man nor the young man from Jingjiu City had engaged in even a brief conversation with the driver.


    They must have known more than he was aware of.


    Since they didn''t approach, there must be some taboo involved. At this point, with his information nearly aplete nk, it was best to stay quiet and avoid any unnecessary actions in his ignorance.


    When the young man boarded, he had paid special attention to his eyes. After the young man settled down, aside from a nce at the two of them and the route map, his gaze hadn''t drifted elsewhere.


    Like the middle-aged man, he hadn''t looked in Hungry Monkey''s direction.


    No, that wasn''t right...


    A sudden chill went through Chen Miao''s heart. Normally, people getting on a bus would look all around; it was odd to only look to the right and not to the left. His initial thought was that these two couldn''t see Hungry Monkey.


    But it now seemed more like they were deliberately avoiding looking in Hungry Monkey''s direction.


    Avoiding catching sight of Hungry Monkey.


    He subconsciously turned his head to look back again. Hungry Monkey, who had been sitting in the rear seat, was now standing behind him. Bending over, he brought his head close to Chen Miao''s forehead, his lips twisted in a sinister smile as he hissed.


    "Miao, I want to sit with you."


    Caught off guard, Chen Miao''s heart nearly stopped at the sight of Hungry Monkey, who was beyond ''eerie''. He didn''t immediately respond, instead looking at the other two men.


    At that moment, both men appeared to be half-asleep, sitting in their seats, motionless against the side window.


    But through their extremely steady breathing, he could clearly tell they weren''t asleep; they were feigning it.


    "..."


    After taking a deep breath, Chen Miao slowly stood up, looking down at Hungry Monkey in front of him. Although he badly wanted to stuff Thomson into Hungry Monkey''s mouth and let off a round, he chose to hold back, given the unclear circumstances.


    He was about to say something to manage the situation, for the current Hungry Monkey was quite unsettling.


    But before he could speak, Hungry Monkey mumbled to himself and returned to his seat at the back, once again starting to doze off.


    "Hey."


    No sooner had Hungry Monkey settled down than the middle-aged man in a straw raincoat sitting opposite Chen Miao suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the young man at the front of the bus, "Thed that got on in Jingjiu City, tell us your job and level."


    "This trip is obviously going to be tough; share some info, so we can all survive together."

 Chapter 114: Chapter 113: "How was it recorded that no one survived?

    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed as he remained silent. The middle-aged man had never once asked about his level or profession, as if he had assumed from the start that Chen Miao was doomed.


    Just as the middle-aged man had said, Chen Miao was the only one who had boarded the bus unaware of the circumstances, a lucky charm, so to speak.


    "Insect Tribe Priest, level 34."


    The young man sitting at the front of the bus didn''t turn around, but his voice still floated back.


    "Heh heh heh."


    The middle-aged man let out an inexplicable chuckle, and after a long while, he hoarsely added, "Fighter, level 24."


    Both of their levels were higher than his.


    Chen Miao leaned back in his seat and gazed at the silhouette of the young man at the front, lost in thought and silent¡ªthis was the first time he had encountered someone from Jingjiu City, an Insect Tribe Priest... He had just learned about this Magician''s Hidden upation from Zhou Shen, and unexpectedly, he had now encountered one.


    A profession where, as long as one had money, their Combat Power was virtually limitless.


    Perfectly suited for those young masters from Jingjiu City.


    No wonder the middle-aged man hadughed so strangely. Judging from the luxury items on the young man, it was clear he must be someone with no shortage of money. Having such a person in their small team seemed to greatly increase their sense of security.


    If one had enough money to buy so many luxury items, wouldn''t they be able to summon an Insect Sea in the face of any crisis?


    Before he could ponder further...


    Broken Pot City arrived.


    However...


    The person boarding the bus this time made Chen Miao freeze in ce.


    "Doctor Gou?"


    The scenery outside the bus remained unchanged from thest stop. Had it not been for the clear movement of the outside world while the bus was in transit, he might have thought the bus was just spinning in ce.


    And at this stop, Broken Pot City, the person who boarded was none other than his old acquaintance, Doctor Gou!


    Doctor Gou, dressed in a whiteb coat, looked visibly unwell as he boarded the bus from the door. Upon seeing Chen Miao, he too seemed shocked, obviously not having expected to run into Chen Miao here.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Doctor Gou sat down in the seat behind Chen Miao and instinctively asked.


    "I was the first to board."


    Chen Miao sighed lightly and said with some helplessness, "I was originally taking the bus home. As I rode along, I noticed something odd about the other passengers, and by the time I realized what was happening, I was already swept up into this."


    "What about you? Why did you board?"


    "Weren''t you nning on retiring in Broken Pot City? Why are you still pushing yourself so hard?"


    Based on what the middle-aged man had said, Chen Miao hade to understand that this code-named 128, the Hell Bus, had a very high mortality rate. Under such circumstances, it puzzled him why Doctor Gou would choose to go, since he had explicitly told Chen Miao about his retirement ns and no longer wandering in Jianghu.


    This event was invitation-based, with invitees having the choice to decline or ept. Declining carried no penalty, so he couldn''t fathom why Doctor Gou would feelpelled to ept the invitation.


    Upon hearing this, Doctor Gou''s expression darkened slightly, "I''ve rejected it once before; this is my second time."


    The moment his words fell...


    The middle-aged man inside the bus couldn''t help butugh, "Everyone can only refuse once; the second invite will be epted by force. Though theoretically, most people will never be invited by the Fixed Event 128 in their lifetime, and the probability of being invited twice in session is incredibly low."


    "In a sense, this big brother here is quite lucky, too."


    Doctor Gou ignored the middle-aged man and instead turned to Chen Miao with furrowed brows, "You just said you weren''t invited. By the time you realized it, you were already on the bus?"


    "Hmm."


    As Chen Miao confirmed his situation, Doctor Gou looked at him with aplex expression, "Then that''s not so good."


    "Can you borate?"


    Chen Miao hadn''t asked the middle-aged man too much¡ª it was difficult for him topletely trust this stranger. It was enough to gather information that was roughly urate. If the information was inurate, it could lead him astray and impact his decision-making at critical moments.


    Doctor Gou, on the other hand, was essentially trustworthy.


    An old friend.


    "After I declined the invitation to this Fixed Eventst time, I investigated a lot of information about it," Doctor Gou began, ncing around the bus''s interior and at the route map disyed. Then, without looking at the Hungry Monkey seated behind, he spoke quietly.


    "The Fixed Event urs in the Federation about 18-22 times a year."


    "Compared to other Fixed Events, the frequency isn''t low."


    "The bus has a passenger limit of 18, and most of the time, only 3 to 4 passengers choose to board. Before each Fixed Event 128 starts, 18 people are randomly invited. The number of people who ept determines how many will be on the bus."


    "The more people on board, the higher the risk."


    "In the recorded incidents of 128, there have been quite a few cases where only one person boarded. It is said that in these scenarios, not only is the difficulty lower, the rewards are also exceptionally generous."


    "It''s rare for all 18 invited individuals to ept and board, and in the years since the world underwent transcendentalization and since the urrence of Fixed Event 128, this has only happened 11 times. Each and every time, everyone waspletely wiped out; not a single survivor."


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows arched, "If nobody survived, how was it recorded?"


    "I''m not sure. That''s what I found in the database. But that''s not the most important part. For you, the key detail is that before each 128 event begins, there''s usually nobody on the bus in advance. If a lucky person boards without having received an invitation, they''ve hit the jackpot."


    "You''ll be automatically assigned the role of the ticket collector."


    "As the ticket collector, after the bus officially sets off, you''ll be responsible for collecting ticket fees from some passengers and for protecting the bus and its passengers. This is a rare scenario; you could think of it as a hidden role."


    "This role is selected at random. When the bus leaves the initial city, it will randomly choose a lucky individual to start the journey."


    "Chen Miao, you''re that lucky individual."


    "The good news is, as a ticket collector, you are part of the bus. Like the driver, no matter what the situation, you won''t need to leave the bus, and in special circumstances, you''ll be in a position of near-absolute safety."


    "The bad news is, if the bus encounters a crisis while en route, you''ll have to disembark to face the enemy, and until you''re dead, no one else can leave the bus to help you."


    "..."


    Chen Miao nodded, staying silent without saying a word; he more or less understood the situation now. The reason why he felt the bus was a little odd, yet not particrly special, could be understood as still in the middle of team matching, not yet having officially started.

 Chapter 115: Chapter 114: First Stop "Mile Park

    Only after the bus had picked up all the simrly invited individuals did the fixed event truly begin to reveal its true nature.


    After roughly going over the known information, Chen Miao hesitated for quite a while before finally speaking, "Can''t you turn back?"


    As his words fell,


    the atmosphere inside the bus suddenly became tense. The middle-aged man who was conversing nearby suddenly held his breath, closed his eyes, and pretended as if he heard nothing, a practice of mindfulness by focusing on his breathing.


    "It''s not that we can''t."


    Doctor Gou started speaking with a wry smile, "That is the first guest. As the ticket collector, you should go collect the fare. Before this guest has paid the fare, he is in a state where he might attack at any moment."


    "Do your best to avoid direct eye contact, so as not to provoke unnecessary conflict."


    "Should I go directly to ask for it? How much is the fare?"


    "I''m not sure about the fare, but if the guest is willing to pay, they will offer a suitable amount. It''s a challenging situation since the bus is supposed to be a fundamentally safe space where attacks cannot happen."


    Doctor Gou carefully chose his words before continuing, "The only way to collect the fare from a guest is to defeat them inbat. The bus stops for 2 minutes at each station."


    "That is the only time you can take the guest off the bus to ask for the fare."


    "This is part of the ticket collector''s duties. If there are still guests who have not paid their fare when the bus reaches its final destination, the ticket collector will be executed. That''s all I know about the role of the ticket collector."


    "I''m not exactly clear on the specifics."


    "But don''t worry too much. The bus has not officially departed yet. Once we officially set off, a panel will provide you with detailed information."


    ...


    Chen Miao didn''t speak again; he had roughly understood his role and had confirmed that the Hungry Monkey behind him wasn''t a real one, but likely some sort of ghostly creature. With this in mind, there was nothing to worry about.


    All that remained was to consider whether his firepower was strong enough or whether these so-called guests were stronger.


    After Doctor Gou boarded, the itinerary began to change continuously.


    The previous stop "Jingjiu City" - the current stop "Broken Pot City" - the next stop "Fei Yu City" - the next stop "Good Cat City" -...


    No one spoke on the bus anymore, including Doctor Gou, who had fallen into thought, pondering over something.


    The Hell Bus stopped and started intermittently, picking up a superhuman from other cities each time it stopped.


    As the number of passengers increased, so did the grimness on the faces of those inside.


    Among these passengers, there were old people, children, women, and even a dog.


    When thest superhuman boarded the bus, the atmosphere sank into dead silence. Everyone''s face was ashen, and despite the bus starting up again, no one spoke a word.


    The middle-aged man from Gaobei City, who had been silent since Doctor Gou boarded, suddenly chuckled, "Well, this is good. The bus has a limit of 18 passengers, and now there are hardly any seats left."


    There are a total of 18 seats on this bus.


    In total, the bus had picked up 18 superhumans, with the Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao taking two of the seats, leaving two superhumans who boardedter with nowhere to sit; they could only stand in the middle of the bus.


    But at this point, no one was concerned about whether there were seats or not.


    This iteration, number 128 of the Hell Bus fixed event, had hit the jackpot. All 18 invited individuals had epted the invitation, with not a single absence. As the number of passengers reached 18, the difficulty had increased to an epic level.


    ording to what Doctor Gou had said earlier, there had been 11 instances when 18 people boarded, filling the bus to capacity. None of these 11 instances resulted in survivors; they all perished on the bus.


    Discover more content at mvl


    And if they were to go down in history, they would likely be recorded as the 12th full-capacity Hell Bus to bepletely wiped out.


    ...


    The bus had been moving for less than 3 minutes before it stopped again, but this time the doors didn''t open.


    Instead, it stopped on a foggy countryne with no signboards for stops around, and a panel popped up in front of everyone.


    -


    "Ding, congrattions, brave adventurer. You have been invited to experience this fixed event numbered 128, known as the Hell Bus. I believe your courage will surely bring you ample rewards."


    "Event name": Hell Bus.


    "Event level": None (Fixed event).


    "Event number": 128.


    "Event details": All adventurers will travel to hell on this bus journey, where they may encounter countless difficulties, as well as unexpected treasures. There will be joy and pain.


    A total of 18 starting passengers.


    During the official journey, there will be 11 stops in total, eachsting 10 minutes. During this time, adventurers are free to move around.


    Once the time is up, the bus will automatically close its doors and set off again.


    When the bus reaches the final destination, the event is officially over, and the bus will take all adventurers back to their embarkation points.


    Good luck to all.


    Maintenance on the spot for 30 minutes will be followed by an official departure to the first stop, ''Mile Park''."


    -


    The panels weren''t tooplicated.


    But there was an additional panel in front of Chen Miao.


    "Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for being the lucky choice as this Hell Bus''s ticket collector. As the ticket collector, you may choose to stay on the bus at any time."


    "However, as part of your duties, you will need to collect a certain fare from uninvited guests who board the bus without permission; and when the bus encounters crises or obstacles, you will need to address these incidents."


    "When the train enters the final station, if there are still uninvited guests onboard who have not been charged a fare, yer Chen Miao will be permanently left on this bus to assume the role of a ticket collector."


    "If all goes well, yer Chen Miao will receive an additional reward as recognition for an outstanding ticket collector."


    ...


    "Alright."


    At that moment¡ª


    the voice of the middle-aged man from Gaobei City in the buspartment rang out again, "Since things havee to this point, there''s no need for everyone to look so downcast. The difficulty may have increased, but if we all work together, we might not end up with the same result."


    "Let me introduce myself first."


    "I am from Gaobei City, a fighter, level 24. For convenience, you can just call me Old Gao."


    A middle-aged woman in the bus, who appeared somewhat voluptuous, seemedpletely distraught, and her voice even trembled, "I''m from Fei Yu City, an archer, level 21."


    "I just saw an invitation in front of me. I didn''t know what it was, so I clicked it, and here I am."


    "Is the difficulty really high? Am I going to die?"

 Chapter 116: Chapter 115: The Hell Bus Carrying 18 People.

    The voice of this middle-aged woman was filled with barely-controble fear. However, as her words fell, a mockingugh echoed through the carriage, its origin unknown.


    Even Old Gao looked emotionlessly towards the next person.


    As a veteran of the Jianghu, he had seen too many such tricks. Coming in and positioning oneself as the underdog made it a subconscious choice for others to overlook her, then at a crucial moment, deal a fatal strike, grabbing the best rewards or making teammates scout ahead.


    What he hated most were these cancers.


    Stay tuned with mvl


    In his eyes, this middle-aged woman was just that. Could any normal person, upon receiving an invitation to an unknown event, not investigate at all and just agree?


    Trying to fool a fool?


    As a Level 21 archer, was she unaware of how dangerous the world was?


    Or to say, how could someone rise to Level 21 without any brains?


    ...


    Quickly¡ª


    Everyone in the carriage had roughly introduced themselves, except for that middle-aged woman. Each person briefly mentioned their strengths and specialties, to facilitate better cooperation in the uing battles.


    But they didn''t go into too much detail.


    Although this fixed event required teamwork, during many crises, having teammates die meant you could live a bit longer.


    The dog that got on the bus was also a supernatural being, from a Hidden upation, "Roaring Heavenly Dog." Basically, every Hidden upation has its own drawbacks, such as Sang Biao''s "Mechanical Demon" from the hidden Gunman Profession, which required full mechanization of the body.


    There was also his own "Gun Devil" Hidden upation, the drawback being the inability to use any weapon other than firearms, including fists.


    The drawback of the "Roaring Heavenly Dog" profession was that the body would permanently transform into a dog.


    The drawback meant missing out on normal human joys, after all, very few women would be willing... unless they were paid a lot.


    Using such a body woulde with many drawbacks.


    But these drawbacks also had their advantages. Many times during espionage or stealth missions, they were quite useful, after all, no one pays attention to a naughty and cute dog that likes to run around.


    It looked like a country mutt, less pampered than a pet dog, and more fierce like a stray; it was the kind of dog you definitely wouldn''t want to pet if you encountered it on the street.


    The dog could speak humannguage, and during its introduction, it imed to specialize in speed.


    Even though it had turned into a dog, perhaps retaining some human dignity, the dog wore underwear and clothes to protect its vitals, and even had a cigarette in its mouth during the introduction, which looked exceedingly odd.


    The only child in the carriage was actually not a child at all, but someone in their 20s who was naturally a dwarf and thus appeared small, a Level 22 ordinary Magician.


    And the old man had a Hidden upation, "The Undead." This Hidden upation had a pretty good Exclusive Effect¡ªit could extend life up to 500 years and was unable to use any life-extending items, but could trade his own lifespan for temporary buffs.


    The effects of those buffs were powerful, and the old man went into great detail about them. ording to him, his real age was 31, but having sacrificed his lifespan too many times, his body had aged significantly.


    It''s worth mentioning¡ª


    The old man''s buffs could be used on the group or just on himself.


    Upon this revtion, everyone''s eyes lit up; buffs exchanged for lifespan could not be weak, and if the old man was willing to use his own life to give them group buffs during battle, their chances of survival would greatly increase.


    By then, the introductions were almost over.


    Everyone had more or lesse to terms with their fate, even if the difficulty of this Hell Bus ride had been turned up to the maximum, they still had to give it a shot.


    They certainly could not just wait to die.


    The few people Chen Miao remembered were just these; everyone else''s self-introductions seemed mundane and forgettable, with no memorable aspects. After everyone had finished introducing themselves, the young man from Jingjiu City became the defacto leader by default.


    After all, his Combat Power seemed the strongest among them.


    An "Insect Tribe Priest" who wasn''t short on money could unleash power far beyond just being Level 34; there was virtually no limit, depending on how much money he had in his pocket, and no one else objected.


    And yet, no one asked Chen Miao about her upation or level.


    It was as if everyone had selectively chosen to ignore Chen Miao.


    ...


    The bus quickly resumed normal operation, as the 30 minutes for repairs had ended. Doctor Gou, seated behind Chen Miao, quietly leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Should we take care of the passenger behind us first?"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded slightly, without borating; she already had a vague n in mind.


    To subdue a passenger and demand a fare seemed too difficult a task. It was still unknown how many more passengers would board; she couldn''t possibly keep demanding fares. Perhaps she should simply prevent these passengers from boarding at all.


    Prepare to board and then strike them down.


    As for the passenger on the bus... once we reach the first station, let''s test the difficulty.


    ...


    Before long, the bus''s speed gradually slowed down, and everyone''s emotions tensed up. Some even started to tremble uncontrobly, unable to remain calm in the face of death''s threat.


    As the vehicle was about toe to aplete stop, a panel popped up in front of everyone once again.


    "First Station": Mile Park.


    "Station Information": This is a ce that adventurers adore. Here, treasures are scattered all around. Once unearthed, they will temporarily be stored in the trunk of the bus. After adventurers sessfully reach the final destination, they will take their spoils home.


    The instant the panel appeared,


    excitement was etched onto many faces. Before the bus even came to a halt, several people were already jostling near the door, ready to rush out the moment it opened.


    This is why, despite the fact that the Hell Bus event is so dangerous, people still choose to participate.


    The more people there are, the more dangerous it bes, but conversely, it also means the rewards are richer.


    Out of these 11 stations, not all are dangerous; many, like "Mile Park," offer reward levels with bounties ripe for the picking, a prospect that excites many.


    ...


    The bus doors soon opened!


    Everyone inside, their faces alight with enthusiasm, rushed out. This level had no dangers, just pure reward, and how much one could grab depended solely on how quick their hands were.


    Even the "Hungry Monkey," who had been dozing off in the backseat this entire time, dashed out with avarice glinting in his eyes, suggesting that this particr ''passenger'' could also participate in the rewards. Perhaps that was the reason these passengers rode the bus.


    Only three people did not disembark.


    Chen Miao, Doctor Gou, and the driver.


    The driver was leaning back as if resting, showing no intention of departing, and Chen Miao couldn''t even tell if the driver was human. Meanwhile, the bus had stopped on a narrow country dirt road.


    The ground was muddy from a recent rain.


    On both sides of the roady vast fields, not sown with any crops, but dotted densely with treasure chests of various colors. The chests were so numerous that nearly every step brought one within reach.


    Perhaps because it had just rained, the weather was a bit foggy, and visibility was low.


    By this time, others had already begun their frantic looting, barely ncing at the objects they unearthed before rushing to the next treasure chest.


    The periodic sounds of excitement confirmed the richness of the chests.


    "Damn, this is the Archer''s Hidden Job Transfer Book! It sells for at least 1 million outside, and here I''ve just picked it up so easily!"


    "30,000 Star Coins, 30,000 Star Coins, I''ve just found 30,000 Star Coins!"


    "Fighter''s Fourth Turn upation Promotion essential A-grade material, worth 3 million, hahaha!!!"


    After all, the levels of those on the bus were not low. Aside from Chen Miao, the lowest was the 18th-level Sword Emperor. Most people understood the principle of not unting wealth. Even if they found good items in the chests, they kept it to themselves, but there were still those who got too excited to stay silent.


    ...


    By this time, Chen Miao and Doctor Gou had alighted from the bus and, after opening a few chests, had to admit that the rewards were indeed good.


    "1,000 Star Coins," three D-grade "Soul Hook Grass" materials, and the blueprint for the Magician''s First Turn upational Weapon "Soul Staff".


    The spoils were many times higher than those of a usual secret realm. His perfectly cleared first F-grade secret realm had only yielded a few F-grade materials, and these were just level 1 chests, which were white.


    Further in, there were even higher-level chests.


    Higher-level chests also yielded better rewards.


    The dog had already vanished from sight, leading the pack. With its speed advantage, it had gone to the deepest parts to seek out the highest-level chests and gain higher-level spoils.


    Everyone, though nearly overwhelmed by the wealth before them, still retained enough reason to know that the bus would only stay for 10 minutes. While opening chests, they kept ncing at their watches, careful not to stray too far from the bus.


    They were leaving themselves just enough time to make it safely back to the bus.


    Chen Miao nced at Doctor Gou by his side and strode deeper into the field, casually saying, "Doctor Gou, you don''t seem too eager. If you don''t pick up more now, you might regret itter."


    Doctor Gou, with aplex expression, nced at the exuberant crowd and spoke hoarsely, "What''s the use of picking up more now? Of all these people, how many can actually make it out alive with their loot?"


    "Chen Miao, our chances are likely slim this time, a full bus has never not encounteredplete annihtion in the past."


    "We''re basically just waiting to die."


    "Don''t be so pessimistic."


    Chen Miao wasn''t feeling overly pessimistic. Instead, he casually opened another chest nearby and stuffed the reward into his bosom. "People always have to die, but does that mean you''re going to stop eating and sleeping now just because you''ll die eventually?"

 Chapter 117: Chapter 116: Middle-aged Woman, Hungry Monkey, and That Dog.

    Soon, seven minutes had passed.


    Chen Miao had already returned to the bus. He didn''t time it to the second; in this strange environment, his feeling of safety had decreased significantly, and he wouldn''t take any risks until he had a clearer understanding of the situation¡ªeven if it meant his haul might be smaller.


    Safety first.


    In fact, he was also feeling somewhat unsure, knowing well that no one had ever sessfully made it through the trip on the hellish ''Hell Bus'' from ancient times to the present. He had little confidence that he would survive, but since he was drawn into this, he couldn''t just sit and wait for death toe.


    "..."


    Sitting in his seat, Chen Miao silently watched through the window those who were still picking up treasure chests. He couldn''t see Hungry Monkey anymore¡ªthe first passenger he intended to deal with at this stop had disappeared without a trace.


    That saved him some trouble.


    As long as he reached thest stop and there were no passengers who hadn''t paid their fare, that''s all that mattered. Collecting fares was too difficult; not letting people on in the first ce was simpler.


    At that moment,


    Many people still opening treasure chests in the field had stopped their actions and were running towards the bus at high speed. Clearly, even though everyone seemed to be blinded by greed, they still remembered the concept that the bus would only stop at each station for ten minutes.


    They wouldn''t let greed prevent them from getting back on the bus.


    But... there seemed to be exceptions.


    Chen Miao frowned as he watched an archer who had made it several hundred meters away from the bus¡ªthe middle-aged woman who had pretended to be weak¡ªhe couldn''t see the expression on her face from this distance, but her movements were obviously frantic.


    It was as if she couldn''t see the road any longer, running eastward for a bit and then westward. It was only now that Chen Miao noticed that even though the field outside was foggy with low visibility, sitting on the bus didn''t seem to be affected at all.


    The middle-aged woman seemed unable to find her way back, turning around anxiously on the spot.


    Hmm.


    Chen Miao''s eyelids drooped slightly as he watched this scene in silence. If he wasn''t mistaken, the deeper the treasure chest was buried, the better the reward would be; however, the visibility in the fog would also be lower. At this moment, that middle-aged woman was likely surrounded by fog, unable to see the path around her.


    If no one was willing to lead this middle-aged woman, she probably wouldn''t have a chance toe back.


    By now, it was already 9 minutes.


    Only one minute remained until the bus would start. All the passengers had already returned to their seats, except for three who had note back.


    The middle-aged woman, Hungry Monkey, and that dog.


    Hungry Monkey had disappeared as soon as he got off the bus, and the dog, relying on its extreme speed, had immediately rushed to the deepest part of the field. ording to Chen Miao''s estimation, the dog probably wouldn''t make it back either.


    Continue your adventure at mvl


    "Someone go get her, quickly, there''s still time if you''re fast. Who here can run the fastest?"


    "We''ll be short of a person to help uster on, and that will lower everyone''s chances of survival," said a middle-aged man from Gaobei City, who was the first to speak up. Everyone on the bus noticed the middle-aged woman spinning in ce in the mist, but no one showed any intention to help. Only the middle-aged man spoke anxiously, "Having one more person is always having an extra hand!"


    That made sense, of course.


    If they could ensure the middle-aged woman''s survival, most people would be willing to do so, as it benefited everyone.


    But there was just too little time left¡ªless than a minute. It was a round trip of about four hundred-plus meters; any mistake would mean both people would be left there to die.


    Moreover, it was clear that the middle-aged woman could no longer distinguish direction from where she was. They weren''t affected by mist while on the bus, but once they got off, it would be highly likely that neither would be able to return.


    No one spoke, all were silent, and the man from Gaobei City wearing a straw raincoat and hat also stopped talking, apparently realizing he had made a somewhat foolish suggestion. The fate of the middle-aged woman as a sacrificial piece was almost sealed at this point.


    ...


    Quickly¡ª


    With only a few seconds left of the 10-minute stopping time, just as the bus door was about to close, a dog came bolting out of the deep fog with its high speed and clear purpose, and got on the bus.


    Then, it plopped down in its seat.


    Panting heavily and sticking out its tongue, the dog looked at the other passengers with an uncannily human expression and said with a smile, "Good, just in time."


    Getting on the bus at the veryst moment.


    The other passengers looked at the dog thoughtfully, evidently aware that the dog had extraordinary speed and the ability to see through the fog. It had rushed to the deepest part first and stayed the longest, likely reaping a rich harvest.


    Judging by its expression, it seemed quite satisfied with its gains.


    "You just passed not far from that woman. If you could see her, why didn''t you go rescue her?" the middle-aged man from Gaobei City couldn''t help but question, "At a time like this, can you not bring the habits you have from your own secret realms here? Do you all think this is a trip? This is the highest difficulty level of Event Number 128. Do you think we''re here for fun?"


    "Having one more person increases the chances for each of us to survive!"


    "At this critical moment, can we stop the internal strife?"


    "..."


    The dog, who was licking the sweat off its body sitting down, rolled its eyes humanly and said, "I''m just a dog, after all. How do you expect me to save someone? Drag her back by her clothes?"


    "I don''t have the strength for that."


    "We''re all seasoned supernatural beings, not little children. Is it that hard to discern the danger of the first test? If someone can''t make it back because their greed has blinded them, who else can they me?"


    While the two were arguing,


    Chen Miao slowly stood up and walked to the door of the bus, taking out a Thompson submachine gun from his coat. Doctor Gou, sitting behind Chen Miao, immediately stood up and grabbed Chen Miao''s clothes, with a sense of urgency in his voice he said,


    "Chen Miao, what are you doing?!"


    "It''s toote now, if you go to save her, you''ll die too!"


    "Have you gone mad?!"


    Thismotion drew the attention of everyone in the bus, even the middle-aged man from Gaobei City tried to dissuade him, "Young man, don''t be rash; there''s not enough time, the doors are about to close in just a few seconds. If you go now, you won''t be able to get back on."


    "I''m just annoyed that the dog clearly had the ability but didn''t save her."


    "Although you''re not much use, at least having more people around feels a bit safer."


    If Chen Miao had stood up to save someone a minute earlier, he might have received admiring nces, but with only a few seconds before the doors shut, the others were somewhat speechless.


    Either he was trying to put on a show, creating a drama to paint himself as kind-hearted,


    Or he was indeed out of his mind, ready to die alongside the middle-aged woman.

 Chapter 118: Chapter 117: Having a Lifespan-Linked Flower is an Ability.

    Chen Miao didn''t pay attention to the noise behind him, he just silently ced his finger on the trigger of the Thomson he was holding in his arms. He then walked off the Hell Bus, timing it perfectly, and aimed at the somewhat bewildered silhouette of the middle-aged woman in the fog.


    He didn''t hesitate for a moment.


    He pulled the trigger.


    The next second¡ª


    Tens of thousands of bullets, like tigers bursting out of the forest and fireworks lighting up by the thousands, charged into the fog carrying with them a blinding light, enveloping the middle-aged woman within.


    There was no scream; the woman didn''t even have time to react before she turned into a pile of minced flesh on the ground, with arge number of bullets mixed with small pieces of flesh.


    In thest second before the bus door closed, Chen Miao re-holstered his gun and returned to his seat on the Hell Bus.


    The bus began to slowly start up again.


    And on the field, the middle-aged woman took no more breaths. Find more to read at mvl


    Seeing this, Chen Miao finally let out a slight sigh of relief. He hadn''t intended to get involved in this matter, and he certainly didn''t have the ability to bring someone back within a minute, but in the moment the door was closing, he suddenly realized a problem.


    If this woman couldn''t get on the bus, what would happen?


    Would she die?


    This was certain, but how she would die was the question.


    His role was a ticket collector, responsible for collecting Tickets from some passengers, but what were these passengers? They seemed like ghosts but weren''t exactly ghosts. A sh of insight, and an idea suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    If this woman couldn''t return to the Hell Bus and was left forever in the fog, she might transform into a passenger and board at the next stop or the one after that.


    At that time, she might pretend to be in a normal state, as if nothing had happened, to confuse him. When they reached the final stop and found out this woman had be a passenger and he hadn''t collected her fare, he would end up dead himself.


    It was also possible that the woman''s abilities would be greatly enhanced, and with no one to save her, she would, driven by strong resentment, stop the Hell Bus in its tracks. And as a ticket collector, it was his duty to step forward and resolve the issue when the Hell Bus was intercepted.


    After some spection, he came to an answer.


    This woman could be left behind, but she had to die; he couldn''t just leave her in the wilderness.


    Otherwise, she would surely cause him a great deal of trouble at the uing stops.


    This was only spection, possibly incorrect. But in an event where the survival rate was so low, even if it was a mistake, it was better to kill than to let go, especially since the woman would have to die regardless of his actions.


    The difference was only in how she would die. Dying at his hands might be quick, which, from a certain perspective, was also an act of kindness, a good deed indeed.


    ...


    Chen Miao sat in his seat, sorting through information and spection in his mind,pletely oblivious to the fact that his actions had just left the other passengers on the Hell Bus dumbfounded.


    Dumbfounded One: Is this kid''s firepower really that strong? Isn''t he just the unlucky lucky one? Why does he seem not so weak?


    Dumbfounded Two: What are you doing? Why did you suddenly shoot that woman dead for no reason?


    Even the man from Gaobei City, who had spoken the most with Chen Miao, had aplex look on his face and remained silent for a long time before he turned to Chen Miao and said, "Hey, bro, I forgot to ask earlier, what''s your job ss and level?"


    The title had inadvertently changed from "kid" to "bro."


    Obviously, Chen Miao''s firepower had just gained the man''s acknowledgment.


    "Gunslinger, level 14."


    Chen Miao looked up at Old Gao with a smile and said, "Don''t worry, I''m just a ticket collector. I just received a notification on the panel saying that any yer who didn''t get on the bus in time would be turned into a special kind of passenger, waiting for us at one of the stops."


    "Time was of the essence so I didn''t tell you and just started on my own."


    He casually exined his motivations, not bothering to say that these were just his spections. To avoid wasting words in an argument, he imed that what he said was stipted in the panel. Could you possibly want to see his panel?


    If you insist on seeing it, then screw you!


    "This way..."


    Old Gao was stunned for a moment, then, as if suddenly realizing something, he pped his thigh excitedly, "Right, damn, I just remembered, in history, the Hell Bus was fully loaded only 11 times, and each time it ended in a total wipeout. But there were no conductors during those times, right?"


    "Why the more people there are, the higher the difficulty? I think a big reason is that those who don''t return to the bus on time be passengers, thus causing a great crisis at the next stop. This means that as long as we ensure no one is left behind, we can greatly reduce the difficulty."


    "Indeed..."


    The others chimed in one after another, evidently all feeling that this suggestion was highly executable, excitedly discussing it amongst themselves.


    ...


    Chen Miao didn''t join in the conversation anymore but turned to look out the bus window. The bus had already started, and he saw through the rearview mirror that on the road behind them, Hungry Monkey was holding a pile of treasure chests with bloodshot eyes, running wildly towards the bus with a fierce expression.


    It was clear that it wanted to board the bus.


    But it couldn''t catch up with the speed of the bus, and the bus had no intention of stopping.


    He could see Hungry Monkey''s mouth opening and closing repeatedly, but the bus''s soundproofing was too good, he couldn''t hear any noise from Hungry Monkey''s mouth.


    Before long, Hungry Monkey was left far behind,pletely out of sight.


    He was his first passenger, but he had just disembarked like this.


    He turned again to look at the dog coiled up on a seat not too far away. He was very curious about what the dog had seen in the deepest parts and what it had gained, but he didn''t ask. Such things, even if asked, wouldn''t be shared by the other.


    Moreover, no matter how good the items were, they were useless now, as they couldn''t be used and were temporarily stored in the storagepartment at the back of the bus. They could only be collected once the bus arrived at its final destination.


    Just like the middle-aged woman probably got a lot of good stuff, but what use was it?


    Making money is not the skill.


    Having the life to spend it is the ability.


    ...


    The passengers on the bus were still discussing enthusiastically. Perhaps because everyone got a decent reward in the first challenge and didn''t feel much difficulty, their fear gradually subsided. They started to hold greater expectations about surviving.


    But not long after,


    The speed of the bus gradually slowed down.


    Before anyone could react, a panel popped up in front of everyone again.


    "Second Stop": Meridian Road.


    "Station Information": After arriving, everyone on the bus needs to cross this dangerous Meridian Road, retrieve the token 300 meters away, and return via the same route; strive to return to the bus before it starts again.


    Soon¡ª


    The bus came to a halt once more.


    The panel information was brief, but it made the message clear. If one were to exin it in gaming terms, then this challenge was like a parkour level.

 Chapter 119: Chapter 118: "Dont panic, take it slow!

    ```


    But thepetition wasn''t just about speed; there were numerous dangers along the way, and it was expected that the ability to face these dangers would be tested. As for what specific dangers might arise, they werepletely unknown.


    The bus had, at some unknown point, arrived at the edge of a steep cliff.


    There were no other paths around.


    Only nine suspension bridges led to the other side of the cliff. The bridges were not long, only a few dozen meters, and there were more challenges beyond them. ording to the disy panel, this suspension bridge was part of the Meridian Road.


    They needed to rush over this bridge, and past theva pirs and other challenges that followed, to secure a token and return by the deadline.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who was alone on the bus, nced at the driver sitting in the driver''s seat but didn''t go up to chat. Instead, he lit a cigarette and, in the swirling smoke, watched the pairs of people walking onto the suspension bridge.


    As a ticket collector.


    He did not need to leave the bus to participate in these dangerous challenges, which was one of the few perks of being a ticket collector¡ªas long as he didn''t leave this bus, he waspletely safe.


    You couldn''t attack from inside the bus, which was why he had disembarked before opening fire earlier.


    ...


    Doctor Gou''s face was alert as he held the arm of the man from Gaobei City wearing a straw cape, and the two men cautiously advanced on the suspension bridge.


    There were nine suspension bridges in total.


    Teams were automatically assigned at fixed events, two for each challenge, like the first one, "Concentric Suspension Bridge."


    The two teammates had to keep the same stepping frequency, stepping forward with the left foot together, then the right, and any slight mistake would shatter the bridge, plunging them both into the abyss.


    In reality, this was a very simple task that even children in primary school could aplish without any training.


    But even the simplest task bes far less simple with such severe consequences attached.


    "Don''t panic, take it slow!"


    Doctor Gou inhaled deeply, gripping Old Gao''s arm, and stared unblinkingly at their feet, terrified that one misstep would be fatal. There are many paths in life and many wrong paths to take, but you absolutely cannot afford to err at this moment.


    One mistake now would be thest step of your life.


    Old Gao also realized the gravity of the situation. He nodded solemnly, without a shred of distraction, and focused intently on their feet.


    The suspension bridge was above a bottomless chasm.


    The wind was a bit strong, and the bridge swayed continuously. Although it wasn''t swaying enough to knock someone off, it still exerted significant psychological pressure, and more importantly, could you trust yourself not to make a mistake, or your partner not to make a mistake?


    If your partner takes a wrong step, you might as well prepare to die alongside them.


    There should be enough time before hitting the depths of the chasm for you to punch your teammate who doomed you to death, if you are still in the mood for such leisure at that moment. Explore more at mvl


    ...


    There were 18 passengers, paired off into 9 teams¡ªoriginally just the right number.


    But one died at thest stop.


    Thus, only 17 passengers remained, with one person on their own. The lone wolf-dog raced across the suspension bridge towards the second challenge. Without a partner, one could ignore the rules of the Concentric Suspension Bridge.


    Soon¡ª


    ```


    All 17 passengers arrived safely at the other end of the cliff, and after exchanging nces, they all heaved a sigh of relief. However, they didn''t have much time; the bus would only stay for 10 minutes.


    They had to make a round trip within 10 minutes.


    The total distance back and forth was 600 meters.


    It wasn''t far, and given that everyone was an experienced Supernatural, running 600 meters in 10 minutes was nothing difficult¡ªin fact, they could do it with their hands. Their physical prowess had long surpassed that of an ordinary person, living up to the name "Supernatural."


    But facing so many traps and mechanisms, the difficulty was significantly higher.


    They quickly arrived at the second challenge of Meridian Road, the "Lava Pirs."


    This challenge consisted of a hundred stone pirs suspended in mid-air, spaced about one meter apart. By traversing these pirs, one could reach the cliff on the other side, where the third challenge awaited.


    The panel for passing the second challenge revealed that only one-third of these pirs were stable enough to step on.


    Stepping on the remaining two-thirds would cause them to shatter.


    The unfortunate consequence of stepping on a fragile pir was a plunge into the bottomless abyss. Different patterns adorned each pir, and it was evident that those patterns could be used to decipher the rule for identifying the real pirs.


    "Damn it!"


    Doctor Gou couldn''t help but curse under his breath, ncing at his watch subconsciously. He forcibly suppressed the irritation and anxiety in his heart and forced himself to calm down and observe the patterns on the stone pirs.


    The 10-minute countdown looming over his head was like a death warrant. By now, one and a half minutes had already passed.


    It had been a long time since hest entered such a secret realm, and to be honest, his skills had gotten a bit rusty. He had gone through countless secret realms in the past. If it were him at his peak, his instincts and awareness honed, he would probably have figured out the pattern here quite quickly.


    But now... he was somewhat older, and it had been a long time since he had experienced such moments in a secret realm; he was almost unable to control his emotions.


    Except for that dog, everyone stood at the starting point of the second challenge and began anxiously looking for the pattern on the stone pirs. Obviously, everyone was in a hurry, while the dog was already preparing to move on to the fourth challenge.


    Relying on its exceptional speed, the dog made its way across the pirs. Even if it stepped on shattering ones, it was able to leap away just before they broke apart.


    But at that moment¡ª


    Suddenly, nearly a thousand Insect n Creatures appeared out of nowhere behind them, notunching an attack on the people but instead rushing consecutively toward the floating pirs.


    As these creaturesnded on the pirs,


    Many of them began to crumble, disintegrating at the same time as the creatures fell into the abyss.


    Only some solid pirs remained suspended in the air, forming the true path.


    The crowd suddenly realized something, and cast their eyes instinctively toward the young man from Jingjiu City.


    "Insect Tribe Priest!"


    "Stop looking."


    The young man dressed in luxury brands shook his head and was the first to leap lightly onto a pir and headed towards the third challenge. He raised his voice slightly, "Don''t waste time, 10 minutes isn''t that long."


    Clearly, it was this young man who had summoned arge number of Insect n Creatures, using their lives as a sacrifice to scout the path for them. It has to be said, this profession truly was handy for trailzing.


    Many people cast grateful nces at the young man''s retreating figure.


    He had saved them considerable time, which was nothing short of saving their lives. After all, this man from Jingjiu City could have scouted only his own section and didn''t need to bother with theirs.


    The challenges for each team were independent and existed side by side.

 Chapter 120: Chapter 119: "As a ticket seller, dont you even have the authority to open the trunk?

    "This is really fucked up..."


    Doctor Gou breathed a sigh of relief and, without daring to waste any more time, hurriedly jumped onto the stone pir in front of him and ran towards the opposite cliff. To be honest, he had never imagined his luck would be so bad as to be invited to the Hell Bus event not once, but twice in a row.


    With those odds, winning the federal jackpot would be a walk in the park.


    What''s more fucked up is that this time on the Hell Bus, every person invited chose to ept. Damn, they all have guts!


    The distance between each stone pir was one meter, and after some of the fake pirs were destroyed, the gaps between some pirs increased to two or even three meters. But even so, for some experienced supernatural beings, it was still possible to cross. At the very least, they could use skills or items to easily get across.


    At their level, their physical fitness was already very high, and their control over their own bodies was far beyond that of ordinary people.


    ...


    Sitting alone in the bus, Chen Miao looked toward Doctor Gou and the others jumping on the stone pirs not far away, remaining silent without speaking. Supernaturals with the Gunman Profession had slightly better vision than those of other professions.


    The Gunman Profession could learn the F-grade basic skill "Eagle Eye."


    It was a passive skill that could extend the range and rity of vision, a pretty decent skill.


    This is a passive skill, and proficiency would continuously improve.


    Theoretically, skill proficiency has three levels, and in about a day or two, the proficiency would reach level 3. Each level up made the skill''s effects stronger.


    For active skills to improve proficiency, you need to use them continuously. But for passive skills, you just have to wait for time to pass, and they will level up on their own.


    It''s worth mentioning that.


    Not long ago, his faction "Tomb Guardian" obtained a faction effect.


    "Faction Effect Acquired: Absolute Focus (S-grade)."


    "All members of your faction, after doing something continuously for over 30 minutes, may enter an extremely focused state. In this state, your faction members may have a kind of enlightenment-like realization. If they''re using a skill, then their skill proficiency will significantly increase, and all your faction members'' skill proficiencies will have no upper limit."


    This faction effect was very buggy, with the first part mainly aimed at the usage of active skills and other scenarios. What''s important is thest point¡ªthe skill proficiency of all faction members will have no upper limit.


    It''s like having group cheats enabled.


    Under this faction effect, his passive skill "Eagle Eye" had already reached level 7.


    His vision was much better than that of most yers. During the first stop at Mile Park, due to the presence of fog, everyone''s visibility was very low, but he saw quite a few things.


    He saw that dog rush to the deepest part of the fog and get a Rainbow Treasure Chest.


    And meeting the Hungry Monkey who also rushed there, he managed to shake it off with his speed, then opened arge number of red treasure chests in the depths before returning to the bus. It could be said that if anyone gained the most in the first round, it was certainly that dog.


    None other.


    Others couldn''t see this scene, but he could. He was really curious about what was inside that Rainbow Treasure Chest. The Rainbow Treasure Chest was a level 6 chest, the highest level there was, and there was only one.


    Because he wasn''t familiar with his surroundings, he didn''t venture too deep and just opened some lower-level chests. The highest level he opened was level 4, just one.


    He got a Tower Defense Construction Blueprint exclusive to the Hidden upation "Tower Defense Master"¡ª


    The D-grade blueprint "Self-Defense Sentinel."


    It was quite suitable for Yuan Buping, and although Yuan hadn''te, it was unexpected to get something exclusive to Yuan, it must be Yuan''s destiny.


    If a level 4 treasure chest could reveal a D-grade blueprint, then opening an item of B-grade from a level 6 chest wouldn''t be too much, right?


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes and remained silent, suddenly thinking of something, he stood up and walked toward the bus, heading straight for the luggagepartment. Didn''t they say everyone''s gains were temporarily stored in the luggagepartment of the bus? As the bus ticket conductor, he should have the right to open the luggagepartment, right?


    However...


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao let out a helpless sigh, looking at the back of the car that he just couldn''t get open, and felt somewhat resigned, "I''m not going to steal anything, I was just curious to take a look. What''s there to be afraid of?"


    "Does a ticket collector really have no authority to open the trunk?"


    "This ticket collector doesn''t have any power at all."


    Just then¡ª


    He suddenly felt a chill on his back, turned around, and saw a stunning woman with a chubby little boy in her arms. They were staring straight at him with an even-toned, airy voice.


    "Excuse me, is this the 119 bus?"


    Chen Miao looked at the somewhat creepy duo in front of him and instantly realized they were the uninvited guests. One of his main duties as a ticket collector was to collect fares from these people.


    "No."


    Chen Miao shook his head firmly, "This is the 118 route; the 119 will arrive in 10 minutes, just wait here a little longer."


    Asking for the fare was too much trouble; not letting these passengers board was the real solution.


    And this pair looked like they might be reasonable, too.


    "Not...not it?"


    The beautiful woman suddenly began to decay, and the brain of the chubby boy in her arms also started to rot. The voice became shriller as she menacingly approached Chen Miao, fiercely saying, "But it clearly says this is the 119 bus!"


    "You lied to me!!!"


    The next second¡ª


    Find exclusive stories on §Þ??


    "Rat-tat-tat!!!"


    Without any hesitation, Chen Miao immediately pulled out the Thompson submachine gun, shoved the barrel in the mouth of the beautiful woman who was already in his face, and pulled the trigger¡ªa whole clip was fired into the woman''s head, and then the world was quiet again.


    No more shrill voices.


    Only a puddle of flesh remained on the ground.


    "Really..."


    Chen Miao looked down at the blood sttered on himself and said in slight annoyance, "I already said it wasn''t the bus, yet you insisted on boarding. It''s so annoying; can''t you just wait a little longer? Are you in a hurry to be reincarnated?"


    "Ah!!!"


    A piercing scream rose from the pool of blood on the ground.


    A rotten, chubby little boy crawled out from the flesh.


    "Almost forgot about you."


    The gunfire rang out again, and after another clip was emptied, the world waspletely silent, the pool of blood on the ground now even more intense.


    Chen Miao didn''t bother getting back on the bus; instead, he stood outside, lighting a cigarette and puffing away, when he suddenly nced at the pool of flesh beside him and thought that maybe this mother and son really were in a hurry to be reincarnated.


    After all, wasn''t the final destination of this bus hell itself?

 Chapter 121: Chapter 120: The First Collective Action of the "Tomb Guardian" Faction!

    "Wait a second..."


    Chen Miao''s expression suddenly turned strange, the fixed event number was 128, and the event name was Hell Bus. This bus couldn''t really exist, could it? Was the mission to take people who died tragically in the human world and send them for reincarnation?


    So far, these uninvited guests hadn''t appeared to be aggressive to him.


    Basically, most of them died after a single burst of fire.


    Lost in his wild thoughts, nearly 7 minutes had passed, but the situation seemed to be getting dicey. Doctor Gou and the others had just reached the destination and were preparing to head back.


    Though the return trip was bound to be simpler than the journey there, having experienced it once and some of the traps having been disarmed.


    But to return in 3 minutes was still a lot of pressure.


    He guessed that some people wouldn''t make it onto the bus.


    And just then¡ª


    A voice reached his ears once more.


    "Hello, is this the 119 bus?"


    This time, the voice sounded a lot calmer.


    Chen Miao, who was leaning against the bus smoking and watching Doctor Gou and the others run desperately in the distance, heard the voice near him and instinctively turned to look. He saw a man in tattered suit carrying a briefcase, his eyes, blurred with blood and flesh, fixed on him.


    "Uh..."


    After hesitating for a moment, Chen Miao still spoke up, "Yes, but you have to pay the fare first before you can board."


    In fact, he had no idea how much the fare was, nor how to collect it; no QR code had been given to him for payment. But the ticket collector''s panel instructed to collect fares from these people, and if they didn''t pay up, he would die once the train arrived at the terminal station.


    Since the panel had said so, he asked, ready to see how the other party would respond. Meanwhile, his Thompson Submachine Gun was already in his hands, ready to open fire at any moment.


    Since getting off the bus, he had been holding his Thompson, never stowing it back in his backpack, ready to fire instantly at any moment.


    "The fare..."


    A glimmer of confusion flitted across the blood-streaked eyes of the middle-aged man before his expression suddenly turned ferocious, and he growled, "That damn woman betrayed me, I was married to her for eleven years, and she gave birth to four children for me!"


    "Three of them aren''t even mine!!"


    "That despicable woman!"


    The middle-aged man''s roar startled Chen Miao, nearly causing him to flinch and pull the trigger by reflex, given his highly tense state. After wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, he tried to offer some constion.


    "Look on the bright side, at least one is yours." Continue reading on §Þ??


    "The remaining one is my dad''s!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao fell silent, expressionless, and after a long time, spoke again, "Look on the bright side, your dad''s is still your dad''s, at least now that you''re dead, you have descendants in your family."


    "That''s my stepfather!"


    "Alright then."


    He sighed lightly, rubbing his temples with a slight headache, "So, do you have the fare?"


    "I do!"


    "Just help me kill that man and that despicable woman, and I''ll pay you the fare!"


    The moment his words fell!


    A panel popped up in front of Chen Miao.


    ''Ding, congrattions on triggering the hidden mission, y the faithless who defy social morality.''


    ''Mission content: Kill the despicable woman and the man in reality before the vehicle reaches the terminal station.''


    ''Mission reward: Receive the man''s fare, D-rated Taboo Item ''Lover''s Frenzy'', the fare goes to the yer.''


    ''And you will gain the ability tomunicate with the outside world.''


    Looking at the panel that had popped up, Chen Miao was momentarily stunned, before it dawned on him: so this was the fare. That fare wasn''t cheap¡ªa D-rated Taboo Item ''Lover''s Frenzy''. Although he didn''t know the effects, it was still very tempting.


    But this mission was clearly a trap.


    Chen Miao, who quickly realized this, looked somewhat uneasy. The bus had a total of 11 stops before reaching the terminal station, and it was already at the second stop. It was a 10-minute stay at each stop, and the journey between each stop took roughly half an hour.


    In total, it was only a matter of a few hours.


    In just those few hours, finding this pair of traitors in reality was difficult enough, let alone killing them. Besides, he was still inside the event and couldn''t leave; only now had he gained the privilege of outsidemunication, which meant this mission could only be entrusted to someone in the outside world.


    The Federation was too vast.


    If they were too far distant, the mission would certainly fail!


    It was almost certain death!


    But there was no opportunity for regret now; the mission had been automatically epted in the moment it triggered, and it was toote even if he wanted to kill the man to void the mission. The man was now glowing with a golden light, and the malice emanating from him seemed to lessen significantly.


    The panel''s description stated that, until thepletion of the mission, the man was in an invincible state.


    As he pondered that invincibility didn''t necessarily mean he couldn''t throw the man off the bus, he began to probe, "Do you have detailed information and the specific location of that pair?"


    To be honest, the mission reward still enticed him.


    If they weren''t too far, he could still assign others to do it.


    Though the air of malice from the briefcase-carrying middle-aged man had lessened substantially, his bloodied visage was still very unsettling. With a tone filled with deep resentment, he uttered each word distinctly.


    "In Fengtian City, North Fengtian District, Huacheng Road, Tianmei Community, Building 1, Unit 2, Room 1804."


    "That''s my house. After they killed me, that pair of traitors probably moved into my house."


    "The man''s name is Zhang Tianlin, and that despicable woman is Liu Meijia."


    "They buried my body in the Sankui Wastnd! I died with my eyes wide open!"


    "Fengtian City?"


    Chen Miao paused, then couldn''t help but reveal a grin, "In other ces, my influence might not count for much, but in Fengtian City, my word is definitely powerful. Killing a pair of traitors is easy, isn''t it?"


    Once he had acquired the privilege tomunicate with the outside world.


    He received a flood of messages, many from Hungry Monkey Yuan Buping and Zhou Shen¡ªclearly, his sudden disappearance had caused quite a bit of concern for them, but there was no time to reply to that now.


    He immediately posted all the information about the treacherous pair in the Tomb Guardian faction''s chat channel.


    He then conveyed with an urgent voice message.


    "I''ve been drawn into a fixed event numbered 128 called Hell Bus and was lucky to obtain the ability tomunicate with the outside world. Gather as much intelligence about this fixed event as you can and send it to me!"


    "Also, issue the first full-scale operation of the ''Tomb Guardians'' faction!"


    "Everyone, by any means necessary, you must locate and kill this couple within the hour!"


    "No mistakes allowed!"


    "The faster, the better!!"

 Chapter 123: Chapter 122: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.

    Chen Miao''s sudden shout left the other yers on the buspletely dumbfounded, frozen in ce with faces full of shock, all of them staring in horror at the wide-open bus door.


    Apanying the high-speed travel, a massive amount of cold wind whistled in.


    Chilling each person to the core.


    In this eerie ce, only sitting on the bus could give them a slight sense of security; with the door wide open, who knew what the next second might bring.


    Only Chen Miao continued to enthusiastically stick his head out towards the empty street and bellowed.


    "Thest 119 Hell Bus from Fengtian City to hell, no more after this one!"


    "There are still seats avable!"


    "Come aboard if you''re getting on!"


    He then licked his lips with lingering excitement, now slightly regretting sending off that mother and child ghost so soon. If only he had actedter, but those two had been so emotional that he identally pulled the trigger and sent them on their way...


    Explore stories on §Þ??


    He had sent away his Taboo Item with that trigger pull!


    Although he didn''t know what effects the D-ss Taboo Item "Lover''s Lunacy" would have, since it was a D-ss, it was definitely something valuable, and he had been coveting the D-ss Taboo Item that Sang Biao had.


    "Young man..."


    At the urging nces of everyone, the man from Gaobei City wearing a straw raincoat said with a tingling scalp and an uneasy expression, "Shall we close the door first? This is the deadly 18-passenger Hell Bus. It''s better to be cautious."


    "We''re absolutely safe inside the bus, but nobody knows what we may encounter along the way. If something gets in, we''re doomed."


    "And..."


    After carefully considering his words, the man continued, "Being a ticket collector is just a role, don''t take it too seriously. Attracting too many of these messy...lovely things on the bus isn''t really a good thing."


    He had wanted to say these messy things, but considering the creature seated at the back of the bus, if he inadvertently said something wrong and offended it, causing a sudden frenzy, they''d all be in trouble.


    Since he hadmunicated with Chen Miao the most, he had no choice but to speak up now. If it were before, he would never have approached this conversation so gently, but he could no longer be so carefree after seeing Chen Miao handle a situation with a single round at Mile Park during the first challenge.


    "It''s okay."


    Chen Miao turned to look at the man, smiling, "Just now, my panel told me, the more uninvited guests we have on board, the fewer dangers we''ll faceter on."


    The man''s mouth twitched slightly, but he didn''t speak. He was eighty percent sure that Chen Miao was spouting nonsense, but he didn''t dare to question it. He started to suspect that Chen Miao''s previous statements about his panel were also made up.


    And just then¡ª


    A woman without a head had suddenly appeared at the end of the road, standing in ce and waving her hands continuously.


    "Here, here!"


    "Driver, stop the bus!"


    Chen Miao, who had stuck his head out of the door, brightened up when he saw her and immediately signaled the driver to stop. He then stood at the bus entrance and called to the headless woman in front of the bus, "Going to hell from Fengtian City, right?"


    "This is thest bus, no more after this."


    "Do you have the fare?"


    The woman,cking a head, with a horrific bowl-sized wound on her neck that had turned her blood to a paste, naturally couldn''t speak. She just waved her hands in the air for a while, as if trying tomunicate in signnguage. However, it was clear that Chen Miao had no idea what the woman was trying to convey.


    But not understanding didn''t matter.


    The panel would tell her.


    "Ding, congrattions on triggering the hidden quest, kill the murderer."


    "Quest details: Kill the murderer in real life before the vehicle reaches the final stop."


    "Reward for the quest: Obtain the bus fare from the woman, a random E-rank item treasure chest."


    Just E-rank, huh...


    Chen Miao muttered under his breath with some dissatisfaction, looking at the woman in front of him who was now headless. So poor yet still wanting to take the bus to reincarnate, he was almost reluctant to take this job. His appetite had grownrger.


    He already felt that a random E-rank item treasure chest wasn''t really worth his interest.


    But a mosquito''s leg is still meat, so he epted the job. It was just his mental process, after all. With hidden quests popping up, there wasn''t really a chance to refuse.


    At this moment, the woman took out a piece of parchment from her bosom and handed it to him.


    It listed the woman''s cause of death and grievances, as well as the exact address of the murderer.


    She was a young girl, walking home in the early hours after a dance practice. Passing through a dark alley, she offered some food to a homeless man who was still strugglingte at night. Perhaps it was when she bent down, her low-cut neckline inadvertently revealed too much.


    That made the homeless man suddenly hungry.


    The homeless man, who hadn''t tasted a woman in years, overpowered the young girl in a moment of impulse, defiled her, and then cut off her head and threw it into the sewer before fleeing.


    The family address was where this homeless man often roamed, including a general description of his appearance and build.


    "..."


    After reading the parchment, Chen Miao looked at the headless woman with a slender figure and reflected, "How does that saying go? Do not go gentle into that good night."


    "As a girl, you should stay away from dark alleys in the wee hours. The other side of humanity can be greatly magnified in the darkness where there''s no one around, especially for those driven to desperation."


    He never gave to beggars.


    Because he believed, no matter how much money he had, homeless people couldn''t get rich off it.


    But if he were to give up even a couple of coins, he might have to skip his next meal.


    The world is in too much chaos, better to take care of oneself first.


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao waved his hand, indicating the woman could board the bus, "Find a seat for yourself. Next life, be more careful about where you''re reborn, maybe I can pull some strings to have you reincarnated as a beggar so you can defile others. That would be karma, a cycle of vengeance."


    The bus doors slowly closed.


    The bus began moving again.


    They hadn''t reached the third stop yet, but the bus had stopped mid-way, just as he had guessed. The primary mission of this ride was to pick up the lost souls who died unjustly in the human world and were dying their trip to hell; they were just incidental.


    That''s why the bus had stopped.


    Without dy, he posted the information about the murderer in the forces channel. This trip was a test for the "Tomb Guardian" force as well as for Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and everyone else involved.


    If everything went smoothly this time, their tacit understanding would be honed to a whole new level.


    This force might truly be one to be reckoned with.


    Sometimes, it''s not actually that important how strong you are, what truly matters is being capable of getting things done.

 Chapter 123: Chapter 122: Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night.

    Chen Miao''s sudden shout left the other yers on the buspletely dumbfounded, frozen in ce with faces full of shock, all of them staring in horror at the wide-open bus door.


    Apanying the high-speed travel, a massive amount of cold wind whistled in.


    Chilling each person to the core.


    In this eerie ce, only sitting on the bus could give them a slight sense of security; with the door wide open, who knew what the next second might bring.


    Only Chen Miao continued to enthusiastically stick his head out towards the empty street and bellowed.


    "Thest 119 Hell Bus from Fengtian City to hell, no more after this one!"


    "There are still seats avable!"


    "Come aboard if you''re getting on!"


    He then licked his lips with lingering excitement, now slightly regretting sending off that mother and child ghost so soon. If only he had actedter, but those two had been so emotional that he identally pulled the trigger and sent them on their way...


    Explore stories on §Þ??


    He had sent away his Taboo Item with that trigger pull!


    Although he didn''t know what effects the D-ss Taboo Item "Lover''s Lunacy" would have, since it was a D-ss, it was definitely something valuable, and he had been coveting the D-ss Taboo Item that Sang Biao had.


    "Young man..."


    At the urging nces of everyone, the man from Gaobei City wearing a straw raincoat said with a tingling scalp and an uneasy expression, "Shall we close the door first? This is the deadly 18-passenger Hell Bus. It''s better to be cautious."


    "We''re absolutely safe inside the bus, but nobody knows what we may encounter along the way. If something gets in, we''re doomed."


    "And..."


    After carefully considering his words, the man continued, "Being a ticket collector is just a role, don''t take it too seriously. Attracting too many of these messy...lovely things on the bus isn''t really a good thing."


    He had wanted to say these messy things, but considering the creature seated at the back of the bus, if he inadvertently said something wrong and offended it, causing a sudden frenzy, they''d all be in trouble.


    Since he hadmunicated with Chen Miao the most, he had no choice but to speak up now. If it were before, he would never have approached this conversation so gently, but he could no longer be so carefree after seeing Chen Miao handle a situation with a single round at Mile Park during the first challenge.


    "It''s okay."


    Chen Miao turned to look at the man, smiling, "Just now, my panel told me, the more uninvited guests we have on board, the fewer dangers we''ll faceter on."


    The man''s mouth twitched slightly, but he didn''t speak. He was eighty percent sure that Chen Miao was spouting nonsense, but he didn''t dare to question it. He started to suspect that Chen Miao''s previous statements about his panel were also made up.


    And just then¡ª


    A woman without a head had suddenly appeared at the end of the road, standing in ce and waving her hands continuously.


    "Here, here!"


    "Driver, stop the bus!"


    Chen Miao, who had stuck his head out of the door, brightened up when he saw her and immediately signaled the driver to stop. He then stood at the bus entrance and called to the headless woman in front of the bus, "Going to hell from Fengtian City, right?"


    "This is thest bus, no more after this."


    "Do you have the fare?"


    The woman,cking a head, with a horrific bowl-sized wound on her neck that had turned her blood to a paste, naturally couldn''t speak. She just waved her hands in the air for a while, as if trying tomunicate in signnguage. However, it was clear that Chen Miao had no idea what the woman was trying to convey.


    But not understanding didn''t matter.


    The panel would tell her.


    "Ding, congrattions on triggering the hidden quest, kill the murderer."


    "Quest details: Kill the murderer in real life before the vehicle reaches the final stop."


    "Reward for the quest: Obtain the bus fare from the woman, a random E-rank item treasure chest."


    Just E-rank, huh...


    Chen Miao muttered under his breath with some dissatisfaction, looking at the woman in front of him who was now headless. So poor yet still wanting to take the bus to reincarnate, he was almost reluctant to take this job. His appetite had grownrger.


    He already felt that a random E-rank item treasure chest wasn''t really worth his interest.


    But a mosquito''s leg is still meat, so he epted the job. It was just his mental process, after all. With hidden quests popping up, there wasn''t really a chance to refuse.


    At this moment, the woman took out a piece of parchment from her bosom and handed it to him.


    It listed the woman''s cause of death and grievances, as well as the exact address of the murderer.


    She was a young girl, walking home in the early hours after a dance practice. Passing through a dark alley, she offered some food to a homeless man who was still strugglingte at night. Perhaps it was when she bent down, her low-cut neckline inadvertently revealed too much.


    That made the homeless man suddenly hungry.


    The homeless man, who hadn''t tasted a woman in years, overpowered the young girl in a moment of impulse, defiled her, and then cut off her head and threw it into the sewer before fleeing.


    The family address was where this homeless man often roamed, including a general description of his appearance and build.


    "..."


    After reading the parchment, Chen Miao looked at the headless woman with a slender figure and reflected, "How does that saying go? Do not go gentle into that good night."


    "As a girl, you should stay away from dark alleys in the wee hours. The other side of humanity can be greatly magnified in the darkness where there''s no one around, especially for those driven to desperation."


    He never gave to beggars.


    Because he believed, no matter how much money he had, homeless people couldn''t get rich off it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But if he were to give up even a couple of coins, he might have to skip his next meal.


    The world is in too much chaos, better to take care of oneself first.


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao waved his hand, indicating the woman could board the bus, "Find a seat for yourself. Next life, be more careful about where you''re reborn, maybe I can pull some strings to have you reincarnated as a beggar so you can defile others. That would be karma, a cycle of vengeance."


    The bus doors slowly closed.


    The bus began moving again.


    They hadn''t reached the third stop yet, but the bus had stopped mid-way, just as he had guessed. The primary mission of this ride was to pick up the lost souls who died unjustly in the human world and were dying their trip to hell; they were just incidental.


    That''s why the bus had stopped.


    Without dy, he posted the information about the murderer in the forces channel. This trip was a test for the "Tomb Guardian" force as well as for Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and everyone else involved.


    If everything went smoothly this time, their tacit understanding would be honed to a whole new level.


    This force might truly be one to be reckoned with.


    Sometimes, it''s not actually that important how strong you are, what truly matters is being capable of getting things done.

 Chapter 124: Chapter 123: If you were in ancient times, you would definitely be that hero!

    ```


    After the headless woman got on the bus, she surveyed the bus in a circle. With no head, it was a mystery how she managed any visual perception, but it was clear that the woman standing still had discovered all the seats on the bus were taken.


    There were simply no seats left.


    There were only 18 seats to begin with, minus one Hungry Monkey and one yer, but then plus Chen Miao and that unfortunate green-haired turtle guest, resulting in all 18 seats being upied with no spares.


    Eventually, the headless woman slowly moved towards Old Gao, grasped the back of his chair, seemingly resolving to stand for the journey to her destination.


    "..."


    Stiff with tension, Old Gao, his face turning slightly pale, stood still for a long while. In the end, he couldn''t help himself. With a nce at the headless woman beside him, his nerves copsed, and he stood up with an ugly expression, his hoarse voice quivered, "Sister, it''s still a long way to go, you sit, I can stand."


    The headless woman''s hands waved in the air, seemingly indicating there was no need to give up the seat.


    However, Old Gao dared not linger. Standing up, his voice was trembling as if he were about to cry, "It''s alright, sister, you sit. We''re several stops away from hell, I don''t need to sit. I won''tst many stops if we keep going like this."


    "I might be reincarnated soon."


    "That would be nice."


    The headless woman didn''t insist further, she just sat down and formed a heart with her hands in the air as if to say thank you.


    ...


    "Time to work, time to work!!"


    Having seen the message in the group, Hungry Monkey immediately dropped the corpse he was handling at Tianmei Community, grabbed his weapon, and charged down to the building entrance, looking at Zhou Shen, who was still pacing, "What are you dawdling for! Let''s go!"


    "The car is ready."


    Zhou Shen spoke hastily as he walked forward, "The route to the destination has beenpletely sealed off, that''s the territory of the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau. I''ve already sent my brothers to search for all the homeless people in that area. My suggestion is to kill them all."


    "That way we can save as much time as possible!"


    "Anyway, a bunch of homeless people, nobody cares about them. If they die, they die in vain."


    "..."


    Following closely and hurrying behind, Hungry Monkey heard this, his mouth gaping slightly with a flicker of shock in his eyes. He looked at Zhou Shen''s back as if seeing him for the first time, realizing just how ruthless this man was.


    Bro, are you really this ruthless?


    If this were ancient times, you''d definitely be a tyrant!


    It''s an honor for Miao to have someone like you working for him. Who else can get things done as efficiently as you do? Go ahead and do your thing, let''s see who can outdo you!


    But before he could express his thoughts, Zhou Shen looked at his watch and spoke again with an even more urgent tone, "We''ve found the guy, almost 60 years old, a perfect match for the information Miao gave. And this case is an open file."


    "Open file? Hasn''t it been solved for so long?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "No."


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "It''s ''open'' on some little books of people down below. The victim was an orphan with no rtives, and no one reported it. When those below discovered the murder, including the suspect and the corpse, no cases were filed since there was no report, they just noted it down in their little books."


    "No report, so they don''t bother? Isn''t it subject to public prosecution?"


    "The Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau has a mandatory clearance rate for cases each year, and they need to solve at least 80% of murder cases. Often, for various reasons, many cases can''t be solved, and that''s when these unresolved cases with no reports are brought up, cases are filed, solved, and then prosecuted within a day, significantly increasing the clearance rate."


    "But going over 80% doesn''t bring any additional rewards, so usually, those guys hover right around the mark, keeping some unresolved but clearly evidenced murder cases unfiled for next year, as a safety."


    "..."


    Without any expression, Hungry Monkey paused for a moment before finally speaking dismally, "I used to think the Enforcement Bureau stood for justice, but now it feels like you''re all beasts, how can you suppress such things like it''s nothing? Where is the righteousness of beingw enforcement officers?"


    "Everyone needs to eat. Clearance rates affect the bonuses of those below. I used to disdain these tricks and never indulged these people, and then found myself tripped up at every turn. It''s only in the past few years, when I started turning a blind eye, that my situation began to gradually improve."


    "If given the choice, everyone wants to be just."


    "But life never gives you multiple-choice questions."


    "Enough of this crap."


    Zhou Shen stopped, shared a video sent by his old subordinate in the Tomb Guardian chat channel.


    ''Miao, sessfully eliminated. If there are any orders, inform us immediately, we''llplete it in the shortest time. Take care in there.''


    ...


    "That efficient?"


    Chen Miao had just closed the bus door a few minutes prior when he received the notification that the hidden task had been aplished. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He scratched the back of his head, reflecting on whether he had been too brute force in his problem-solving approach, not leaving enough room for Hungry Monkey and the others to contribute.


    They were far more efficient than he had imagined.


    Even if he were on the outside now, he definitely couldn''tplete this task in five minutes. Not only had they managed to aplish it within five minutes, but he wouldn''t even have been able to find the homeless man in that time.


    He stopped pondering over it and continued to lean on the bus door, looking out at the empty road, calling out as energetically as possible.


    At this moment, Chen Miao seemed to havepletely transformed into apetent bus conductor, calling out ever more enthusiastically. Proving in fact that doing business is really simple: basically, the one who shouts the loudest attracts the most customers.


    There were no passengers getting on the bus from the first stop to the second.


    However, from the second stop to the third, with his unwavering and hearty calling out, by the time the bus stopped at the third stop, four passengers had boarded, including the headless woman.


    ...


    The bus stopped at the tform of the third stop, all the other yers disembarked, leaving only Chen Miao sitting on the bus, looking at the three new passengers with an irrepressible smile, nodding and gesturing politely.


    The scene was indeed somewhat macabre.


    The fares for these three were not small.


    One of them paid with a D-level Firearm Skin, which he did not need, but it could be awarded to the most industrious member of the Tomb Guardian Power upon his return¡ªa precious treasure for those below.


    Also, Enhancement Stones*100, this fare was quite impressive, and the cause of death was from frustration.


    The deceased had been attempting to enhance his upational Weapon from +8 to +9, a stage which required a lot of Enhancement Stones and substantial resources, but with a pitiful sess rate of only 5%.


    ```

 Chapter 125: Chapter 124: If I were trustworthy, I wouldnt have ended up like this.

    And once the enhancement failed, the upational weapon wouldpletely shatter, necessitating a rebuild.


    For safety''s sake, during the enhancement process, this person had spent a fortune on a protection stone, ensuring that even if the enhancement failed, the upational weapon wouldn''t break. However... his wife, wanting to keep her husband from danger and from venturing daily into the secret realm,


    took advantage of the moment her husband closed his eyes to pray for the enhancement''s sess, and stealthily stole the protection stone from the enhancement matrix.


    Should the man''s upational weapon enhancement fail, he would no longer have the courage or strength to enter the secret realm.


    So¡ª


    the enhancement failed, and the upational weapon shattered.


    On the spot, the man died of rage-induced apoplexy.


    His only wish was to take his wife with him to the afterlife, for if she loved him so much, she could keep himpany in hell.


    Well, that seemed reasonable.


    I saw no reason to object.


    "Quite good."


    Chen Miao, looking at the threepleted hidden quest panels in front of him, couldn''t help but grin again. The efficiency of Hungry Monkey and his team was more outrageous than he had imagined¡ªit felt entirely trustworthy.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ...


    Zhou Shen, after all, had been a manager for a long time and was highly organized in handling personnel; upon receiving three consecutive tasks from Miao in a short span of time, he didn''t hesitate at all. While leveraging his own connections,


    he instructed Hungry Monkey and Yuan Buping to lead two teams, while he led another, dividing into three teams toplete the three tasks given by Miao as quickly as possible.


    The execution of the tasks was escorted by police cars, the traffic police clearing the way ahead.


    The way was unobstructed.


    ...


    "Woo woo woo!!"


    In front of the vehicles, two police cars with sirens ring were speeding ahead to clear the path, a scene that caused Yuan Buping, sitting in the back, to have aplex expression, not knowing what to say. There was a time when they were mere thugs, unworthy even to meet the police.


    After all, these small-time thugs never really did anything significant.


    But now...


    When they went out on business, the police would clear the way!


    He had always thought one needed to be of a much higher and terrifying rank to have police cars clear their path; he never imagined he would one day enjoy such treatment.


    "Boss, have you realized it yet?"


    A young man sitting next to Yuan Buping, his face filled with emotion, said with a click of his tongue, "I used to love ying a MOBA game, 5v5. When I yed that game, I always lost, whether I was on a winning streak or a losing streak, I kept losing."


    "I reflected on the reasons why."


    "Then, one night, I had a revtion. I stopped ying the carry role. Each game, I would just farm passively, focus on getting thest hits without dying, and wait for my teammates to carry. Soon after, I reached an extremely high rank."


    "Since then, I''ve understood one thing: never trust yourself, but instead, trust others."


    "If you were trustworthy yourself, you wouldn''t be in this wretched state. Since you can''t trust yourself, you must find a reliable ''big thigh'' to cling to."


    "Look at us. We used to work so hard, and yet life was still destitute and miserable."


    "Now, our brothers are hardly making any effort, but life is getting better and better."


    Yuan Buping looked at Wen beside him with aplicated expression, and after a long time, he said resentfully, "You''ve realized the way indeed, managing to learn something real from ying games."


    ...


    The Hell Bus''s third stop: "Surpassing Oneself".


    The third stop was a battle tform, where everyone would face a slightly stronger version of themselves¡ªreflected in being one level higher, having one higher skill level proficiency in every skill, and slightly higher attributes for each item.


    Just a tiny bit higher...


    But the overall enhancement was significant, almost surpassing the yer by 20% in strength. yers had to rely on their highbat experience or breakthrough on the spot to kill the clone that was marginally stronger than themselves.


    The tform had seventeen stages.


    Each yer stood on a stage, engaged in a fight to the death with their unclear-faced clone. Only one living person could leave the stage.


    ...


    "Damn it!"


    Doctor Gou was somewhat bedraggled, rolling around the stage dodging attacks from his clone, barely able to fight back. Many times, he really wanted to use that one skill of his.


    ''Skill Name'': Life and Death Ambiguity.


    ''Skill Level'': D-rank.


    ''Skill Restriction'': Only for "Swordsman" ss and its advanced professions, and the yer level must be lv.10 or above.


    ''Skill Effect'': After activating this skill, the next strike has a 50% chance to unleash five times the attribute of your full-force strike, a 40% chance that the knife energy backfires and gravely injures you, and a 10% chance that it backfires and kills you.


    This was his trump card, which he used to face off against numerous opponents before fleeing Fengtian City.


    However, after leaving Fengtian City, he had never used this skill again. He had once spected that when his heart was filled with a resolve to die, it would 100% trigger the fivefold attack power.


    But... he no longer had such a strong desire to die as he did before.


    Now that his revenge wasplete, he no longer wished to die, he was even afraid to use this skill, and was consequently forced to retreat step by step.


    ...


    Chen Miao, sitting on the bus, furrowed his brows slightly at the scene before him. It looked like Doctor Gou was at quite a disadvantage. Chen Miao wanted to help, but the battle on the stage was something no outsider could interfere with.


    But at that moment¡ª


    The clone of Doctor Gou on the stage suddenly leaped into the air, with both hands wielding a knife, he brought it down heavily towards Doctor Gou''s head, and the de burst into a scarlet glow. It was foreseeable that if the knife came down, Doctor Gou would likely be severely injured.


    However...


    Just as the de was raised, and the scarlet light on its edge trembled violently, it didn''t strike Doctor Gou, but instead backfired, killing the clone of Doctor Gou on the spot.


    The next second.


    The protective barrier on Doctor Gou''s stage slowly dispersed, signifying that Doctor Gou had survived and became the first victor of the battle.


    "This..."


    Chen Miao was initially somewhat baffled, but quickly realized something. Doctor Gou had shown him the skill "Life and Death Two Sharp Edges", an extremely perverse skill that could turn the tide at crucial moments, if luck was on one''s side. However, there was also a not-so-small chance of it backfiring and killing oneself.


    It became a self-sabotage skill.


    On the night Doctor Gou left Fengtian City, using this skill more than twenty times on the Sankui Wilderness, it triggered the 50% probability of a quintuple full-force strike each time. The shock lingered with Chen Miao for quite a while.


    After that, he even thought that the skill didn''t have the other two effects. It couldn''t be that Doctor Gou''s luck was that good, right?


    But in fact, it was.


    The clone copy of Doctor Gou died by his own skill.


    ...


    Doctor Gou climbed back onto the bus, feeling as light as a feather, and took the seat behind Chen Miao. Facing Chen Miao''s looking, he let out a wry smile with a hint of relief, "Lucky my luck wasn''t too bad, otherwise, it would''ve been me dead there."


    He was close to activating that skill, ready to take a gamble; prepared to die an inglorious death, but unexpectedly, his opponent used it first.


    "Isn''t your skill 100% sessful?"


    "Definitely not. There''s a 50% chance for a quintuple full-force strike, 40% for severe injury, and 5% for instant death."


    "Then you struck twenty-some blows in a row in the Sankui Wilderness, all of them critical hits?"


    "..."


    After a long silence, Doctor Gou finally spoke softly, "I''ve reviewed itter and came to a conclusion: I can only achieve critical hits with every strike when I have a strong sense of inevitable death using this skill; otherwise, it''s all up to luck."


    "Although the clone''s inventory and skills are the same as mine, and its attribute points are even a bit higher than mine, the clone after allcks a heart, and it certainly doesn''t have my will to survive. Luck was in my favor this time."


    "That''s how I survived."


    "Otherwise, I don''t know what would have happened."


    "Wait a minute¡ª"


    Chen Miao suddenly thought of something and spoke with a peculiar expression, "You just said, you get critical hits with the skill only when you have a very strong sense of inevitable death?"


    "Yeah."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Eighty percent sure, I haven''t really experimented, my spirit was scattered after leaving Fengtian City, and I haven''t dared to wield a knife much anymore."


    "I see..."


    With a puzzled look on his face, Chen Miao found an item in the Nothingness Space that he had collected for a while.


    As he focused on the dagger, a panel popped up in front of him instantly.


    -


    ¡¸Taboo Item Name¡¹: Undying Loyalty.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Rank¡¹: E-rank.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Effect¡¹: Within a 10-meter radius of this dagger, when a person experiences extreme negative emotions such as emotional breakdown, pain, sadness, etc., the inner desire for death is infinitely amplified.


    -


    An E-rank Taboo Item with mediocre attributes and a low level, it was the first Taboo Item he obtained, and he hadn''t figured out how to utilize its effects until now.


    It seems that this item would be quite suitable for Doctor Gou.


    Although only E-rank, it might perform at a higher level in Doctor Gou''s hands, and it seemed to be tailored for Doctor Gou. The only issue was...


    The amplified desire for death was too overpowering.


    The stark warnings from the deaths of over ten people stood tantly before him¡ªthey hadmitted suicide directly. Although it seemed it might enhance Doctor Gou''sbat power, if it led to Doctor Gou''s death, it might be unnecessarily excessive.


    Still, he asked, "Doctor Gou, if you don''t mind my asking, when do your emotions usually reach a state of extreme negativity like breakdown or sorrow?"


    Doctor Gou lowered his head without speaking, and after a moment, he murmured softly, "When I remember how my parents, while searching for me, were deceived into a secret realm and met their tragic deaths."


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao didn''t inquire further, but looked up thoughtfully at the middle-aged man sitting in the back row of the bus seats. He remembered that not long ago someone had taken the initiative to talk to him, a psychologist.


    As a psychologist, wouldn''t he be able to create two psychological valves in one''s mind?


    For instance, using a keyword to open and close one''s emotions?


    ...


    ps: A new month has begun, I boldly ask for your monthly vote, thank you all for your support.

 Chapter 126: Chapter 125: Video Hypnosis Seems Indeed A Bit Preposterous

    ```


    What''s the name of that psychologist again?


    Chen Miao lowered his head, deep in thought, and quickly remembered, Zhang Liu, the one who had a tumor in his belly, right? He even said at the time that the name was unlucky, but it''s quite memorable.


    He quickly found the person on his friend''s list.


    He immediately sent out his thoughts.


    The response came just as quickly.


    "Sure, but I need to see the person face to face."


    "Video won''t work?"


    "..."


    The other side didn''t reply with a message but merely sent three dots, clearly having some doubts about the idea of video hypnosis.


    Chen Miao also felt slightly embarrassed as he scratched his nose; video hypnosis indeed did seem a bit far-fetched. After all, if it really worked, then someone could just hypnotize an entire crowd through television, which definitely seemed too far-fetched.


    But clearly, he had underestimated Zhang Liu, who ran three psychology clinics; such a person could not be just anybody.


    "It''s not that it''s impossible, but you need to maintain as quiet an environment as possible on your end, with minimal background noise. Then calm the patient down as much as possible, try to clear their mind."


    "But it can only be a one-time thing."


    "You can only use it once, if you want something permanent, you''ll need to meet in person, face-to-face hypnosis."


    "It should take about five minutes."


    "Five minutes?"


    Chen Miao looked down at his wristwatch and calcted the time. It should be just about enough. Doctor Gou finished early, and others were still in the ring. The bus had about six more minutes before departure.


    During this time, only Doctor Gou would be on the bus, which should be quiet enough.


    ...


    Without a moment''s hesitation.


    Chen Miao immediately made a video call to Zhang Liu, and upon seeing that familiar face, he smiled and said, "It''s gonna be a bit of trouble for you next, I don''t have much by the way of skills. It''s you guys with the real talents that are in demand."


    "I''ll probably need your help plenty more times in the future."


    Zhang Liu appeared to be in his office, with a backdrop of a cab filled with various trophies. At this moment, he seemed puzzled as he looked behind Chen Miao.


    "Are you on a bus?"


    "Is the environment quiet enough?"


    "Don''t worry, it''s absolutely quiet."


    After projecting the video onto midair, Chen Miao stood up and turned to wave at the passengers in the rear seat, "Fes, could you step out for a moment? I''ve got something to take care of on the bus, I''ll let you back on before we leave."


    The woman without a head.


    The middle-aged man with blurred flesh around his eye sockets.


    And so on.


    The six passengers exchanged nces but did not speak; they quietly descended the bus and stood alongside it, appearing very cooperative and silent, not showing the violence that marked their initial encounter.


    "Miao..."


    On the other end of the video call, Zhang Liu''s face had turned pale, his voice trembling with a sobbing tone, "What is... what is this...?"


    "I haven''t wronged you, have I, Miao? We don''t have any bad blood, what''s this all about?"


    Although Zhang Liu''s legs were not visible, they must have been shaking quite a bit; any normal person would have trembling calves at that sight.


    "No worries."


    Chen Miao waved his hand dismissively: "I''m in the middle of an event, these are some buddies, don''t mind them too much. Actually, you may have met them before."


    He mentioned it casually, but to his surprise, Zhang Liu said with a trembling voice from the video call, "I actually have met them, that middle-aged man holding the briefcase came to me for psychological consultation. He said his wife had four children, three of whom were not his, and one was even his stepfather''s."


    "He wanted to forget this obstacle, to start over with his wife, and to raise the four children as his own, but he demanded his wife bear him his own child."


    "He asked me if there was any way to forget these memories."


    "I really wanted to help him, but I didn''t have such means. Forgetting memories is beyond my control, and then he never came back to me. Howe he''s turned out like this now?"


    "Is he... is he alright?"


    "Hm..."


    Chen Miao, standing inside the bus, hesitated as he looked towards the middle-aged man standing at the bus door, "He should be alright, I guess? I''ve settled his regrets for him, now he''s off to hell without a worry, preparing for rebirth."


    "Want to have a chat with him after this is over?"


    "No need... you mean he''s dead?"


    "Yeah, he must have been dead for a while, his wife and stepfather killed him together, it was quite tragic."


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao interrupted the conversation and turned to Doctor Gou, who was sitting anxiously in the bus. Chen Miao popped out the Taboo Item''s panel into the air and, with a serious look, told the doctor,


    "This Taboo Item can help you better control your ability, but for safety, I''m going to set up two valves for you."


    "You need to keep your emotions stable now, and, on Zhang Liu''s cue, start imagining the most painful, saddest, angriest moments of your life, let your emotions burst out. Then, Zhang Liu will assign a key phrase to these emotions."


    "From now on, you just need to shout this key phrase loudly, and you can instantly enter that emotional state while yourbat power skyrockets."


    "But at the same time, because I''m worried that your past death wish might cause you to actuallymit suicide, I''ll set up another safety valve for you. When you shout the key phrase, your emotions will instantly calm down, and of course, at that time, you shouldn''t use that ability anymore, got it?"


    "Understood."


    Doctor Gou took a deep breath, sat in his seat, and following the instructions from Zhang Liu on the video, began to clear his mind and close his eyes. Now, only he and Chen Miao were on the bus.


    He knew Chen Miao was doing this for his own good.


    The extent of a Taboo Item''s preciousness was clearer to him than to anyone else, and one that fully matched his own Taboo Item was priceless.


    Chen Miao''s willingness to give it to him proved his status in Chen Miao''s heart and the feelings Chen Miao had for him. He felt somewhat embarrassed; perhaps, in Chen Miao''s eyes, he had made many sacrifices for him.


    First the Attribute Exchange Coupons, then the Star Coins, and the Thompson Submachine Gun.


    At that time, Chen Miao was penniless, and what he provided gave Chen Miao a good starting point.


    But as for himself, he was an experienced Supernatural, and although he didn''t have cash on hand, his backpack storage still contained quite a few items. In particr, things like Attribute Exchange Coupons, which are only useful for newbies, any seasoned Supernatural has used an Attribute Exchange Coupon before.


    You can only use them five times.


    The real value lies in the number of uses, not the item itself.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ```

 Chapter 127: Chapter 126: "Fragments of the King of Nightmares! The Decree of Liberation!

    ```


    As for the Thompson Submachine Gun, a gunman''s exclusive E-grade weapon, it''s not worth much anymore.


    Some time ago, Chen Miao not only invited him to join the "Tomb Guardian" faction to enjoy the S-grade Faction Effect of the Tomb Guardians but also gave him 500,000 credit points. Now, he has given him this Taboo Item that''s a perfect match for him.


    He didn''t know how to repay such great kindness.


    He used to be able to interact with Chen Miao as an elder, but now he found it hard to call out his name. He had taken so much from Chen Miao already.


    "Now, start imagining the most ufortable moment of your life."


    ...


    In Chen Miao''s view, Doctor Gou was at that moment with his eyes tightly closed, his forehead''s veins bulging, his face slightly contorted, but his eyes remained tightly shut throughout, as he sat by like a curious baby watching.


    Over the phone, Zhang Liu''s voice turned low and slightly anxious, "Quick, Miao, think of a key word for him, one that will quickly bring him to this emotional state."


    "Me? Shouldn''t he think of it himself?"


    "His brain is now in a deep sleep mode, unresponsive to normal conversation. And make the keyword asplex as possible, to avoid identally triggering it during daily conversations."


    "Wait, let me think..."


    After a moment of hesitation, Chen Miao then solemnly said, "The keyword will be set as¡ª"


    "Fragment of the King of Nightmares! Decree of Liberation to free the world!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Oh frozen de of ck void,bine with my strength, my body!"


    "Together we step towards the path of destruction, to annihte the souls of all the gods!"


    "How''s that? A total of around sixty words should be enough to avoid idental activation in daily conversation, right?"


    "..."


    In the video, Zhang Liu was silent and expressionless, as if trying tomunicate something but restrained by Chen Miao''s authority, and after a moment proceeded with the protocol, his voice slowly maic.


    "Doctor Gou."


    "Remember your current emotions. When you recite ''King of Nightmares...'' you will instantly enter the current emotional state."


    Just like that.


    Zhang Liu repeated the sentence several times, continuing even as other yers hade down from the ring, without an end in sight.


    Seeing this, Chen Miao nced at his wristwatch, his brows slightly furrowed as he stepped off the bus and put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, indicating to wait at the bus door without rushing.


    He took the opportunity to look over the group.


    Two men had died on the ring and had note down.


    Initially, there were 18 yers, one died earlier, and now two more, leaving only 15.


    ...


    Perhaps Chen Miao''s show of strength made the others aware of his power. After ncing at their own wristwatches, they too, without any rush, waited in silence in front of the bus.


    There was still slightly more than a minute left before the bus was scheduled to leave.


    They were not in a hurry, deferring to Chen Miao''s face was not an issue, but if it were five seconds before departure, no one would pay attention to him; they would rush onto the bus regardless.


    Soon¡ª


    Chen Miao didn''t have to wait long.


    Relieved, Zhang Liu spoke on the phone as he wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, "The first valve is now set up. We now need to set the second valve, which is to instantly calm his emotions. You''ll need to think of another keyword for him."


    "Just like before, make it asplex as possible."


    After a moment''s thought, Chen Miao quickly responded.


    "Even if I have to be a true monster, I would not hesitate, as long as I could have the power of a god."


    "Only a true Demon King, smiling in the darkness at the absurd light, smiling without a word!"


    "Please forgive me for my chivalrous deeds done in this manner, my princess."


    "Alright."


    In the video call, Zhang Liu nodded expressionlessly, "Just half a minute more and we''re done. Remember some information, these two valves can''t be used alone; you must use the first and then the second."


    "It means you can''t think of calming the confusion, agitation, or any other state of mind and try to use the second valve directly; it will cause confusion in the memory, and after a few uses, the person will be a living vegetative."


    "And you can''t get the order wrong, you must use the first valve before the second. It''s aplete process."


    "Also, you can''t use the first valve twice in session. After using it, the patient will be extremely sad and emotional. However, this condition will subside over time as the body has the capacity to process emotions. You can''t use the first valve again just when it seems like the emotions are about to stabilize."


    "In short, just one sentence¡ª"


    "You mustbine the two valves for use, and can''t get the order wrong or use the same valve multiple times."


    "Otherwise, the oue could be dangerous."


    "And this valve is one-time use only; the permanent valves must be set in person. And since human brains are fragile, even if you set up valves next time, the cipher must remain the same, unable to be changed or modified."


    "Understood."


    Chen Miao nodded, and even though Zhang Liu didn''t see it, the panel of the Taboo Item that just shed was significant. As soon as the first valve was used, Doctor Gou''s emotions would never stabilize again, with the Taboo Item amplifying the desire for death indefinitely.


    It''s true that the body has the ability to process emotions.


    But... that doesn''t help when a Taboo Item is determined to see you dead.


    This Taboo Item shouldn''t be called "Undying Loyalty"; "Obligatory EMO at the Stroke of Midnight" seems more appropriate.


    Soon¡ª


    With just a few seconds remaining before the bus was to depart, all the passengers were on board, and Doctor Gou seemed to have just woken up. He leaned in close to Chen Miao and whispered, "Is it done?"


    "Done."


    Chen Miao nodded and recited the two phrases before instructing, "These two sentences are the ciphers for those two valves in your brain, you have tomit them to memory. The first one is for activation, the second one is for deactivation."


    "If you can''t remember them, write them down on a piece of paper and keep it on you."


    "Make sure to keep a clear head and remember to deactivate it, don''t end up actually killing yourself."


    "Don''t look at me like that."


    Chen Miao pretended to be displeased, "This is an E-grade Taboo Item, eh? Do I need to exin the value of a Taboo Item to you, especially when it''s one that suits you perfectly? Why are you so concerned about some insignificant things?"


    "Is it because the cipher is a bit embarrassing, a bit too dramatic?"


    "Can''t help it, it''s to prevent you from identally triggering it in your daily life."


    "By the way, this time it''s for one-time use. For permanent effect, you must be hypnotized by me in person. And even if it is permanent, the cipher can''t be changed. It has to remain this one."


    Chen Miao suddenly pped his forehead as if remembering something.


    "Oh, I forgot something."


    ```

 Chapter 128: Chapter 127: Feels like Ive hit a huge bug.

    "When using the Cipher, you must shout it out loud. If your voice is too soft, the valve won''t open."


    "Got it memorized?"


    "..."


    Doctor Gou hung his head in silence for a long while before looking up at Chen Miao with a resentful expression, "Remembered."


    ...Please forgive me for being a knight in shining armor in this way, Your Highness...


    This was hisst Cipher to close the valve.


    He swore to himself that he would never y the hero to rescue a damsel in distress!


    If he ever saw a woman about to be killed by a siege boss, and he opened the valve to save her, only to have to shout out this line when closing the valve, he could already imagine the look the woman would give him and how embarrassed he would feel.


    Let all the women die!


    He would never save any woman in his life!


    Nor would he ever activate his Second Form in front of anyone!


    Yep.


    He had already quietly named this state in his heart, "Second Form" it would be, even though he seemed somewhat disdainful on the surface, but deep down he was truly grateful.


    This was a Taboo Item, after all!


    And one that could make him stronger without any side effects!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had never owned a Taboo Item before. Obtaining such a thing was not just about strength, but background mattered above all else.


    Taboo Items are special props that cannot be produced in secret realms or during major events. Only under some special circumstances do ordinary everyday items undergo transformation, acquiring some magical effect, most of which are negative and provide no help in increasing Combat Power.


    Only a few Taboo Items have powerful effects.


    And such items are usually sealed by the Events Bureau, beyond the reach of ordinary people. Only those with a red background can temporarily use a Taboo Item, and even then, they only have the right to use it, not full ownership.


    Taboo Items that have slipped out ande under personal control are exceedingly rare.


    In this day and age, nothinges without a price, especially things that can increase power. Not to mention distant examples, just take this dog on the Hell Bus. To make itself stronger, it didn''t even mind turning into a dog.


    Then there was the one who sacrificed his lifespan, turning himself into an old man.


    All he had to deal with were a few cringeworthy lines, and he could exchange them for a super powerful version of himself. Could there be a better deal than that?


    "Thanks."


    Doctor Gou took a deep breath and looked at Chen Miao seriously, "It''s a pity that I''m currently wanted by the Federation and can''t leave Broken Pot City for now, but rest assured, if there''s any way you can use my help in the future, I''ll definitely go through fire and water without hesitation."


    "No problem."


    Chen Miao replied with a smile, "I will definitely have use for you, not to mention you''ve helped me a lot in the past. If not for your help, I might still be questing in some secret realm."


    "But, there''s something I need to remind you of."


    "What''s your Skill Proficiency at now? That ''Life and Death Ambiguity'' one?"


    "Level 1."


    Doctor Gou looked somewhat puzzled, not understanding why Chen Miao would suddenly ask about this. The Skill Proficiency of Active Skills improved every time the skill was used, and with a skill that had a 10% chance of death on every use, who would dare to use it? Who would dare to grind Skill Proficiency?


    But soon¡ª


    It was as if a realization struck him, and he hastily opened the Tomb Guardian''s Faction Effect; all member''s Skill Levels have no upper limit. The light that burst forth in his eyes was so intense it seemed to peer into one''s soul.


    "Hahahaha."


    Seeing Doctor Gou catching on, Chen Miao also smiled with satisfaction, "How about it? The Faction Effect isn''t bad, right? After this is over, I''ll have Zhang Liu stop by Broken Pot City to put you under permanent hypnosis."


    "Then when you''re free, you can work on that Skill Proficiency of yours."


    "Grind it to a few hundred levels."


    "Won''t your Combat Power increase considerably then? At that point, you can also establish our ''Tomb Guardian'' brand in Broken Pot City. You''ll be the Tomb Guardian''s Broken Pot City branch anyway. Isn''t there a new member of the Tomb Guardian? That ck Doctor you said has pretty good medical skills, right? Work hard together."


    Doctor Gou didn''t reply, just stood there with shock in his eyes, feeling like he''d stumbled upon a game-breaking bug.


    What Chen Miao didn''t realize was, in the Supernatural System, the skills that were harder to Level Up often saw greater enhancements once they did level up.


    The easiest skills to improve in Proficiency were naturally the passive ones; you didn''t need to do anything, and as time passed, the Skill Proficiency would increase on its own. The downside is that the maximum level is often quite low, and the levels don''t go very high.


    Nor could one actively speed up the leveling process.


    For some high-level passive skills, leveling up could take a year, and there''s generally no way to speed that up, unlike Active Skills which could be practiced repeatedly to improve proficiency quickly.


    For a skill like his "Life and Death Ambiguity," or other special skills that required in-game purchases to level up, it was nearly impossible or extremely difficult to level up, and each time, the strength gain was substantial.


    Level 1 "Life and Death Ambiguity" allowed him to face thirty opponents alone in Fengtian City.


    If...


    If it were Level 999 "Life and Death Ambiguity," he didn''t even want to think about it¡ªat least it would mean facing three hundred alone, right?


    All of this added up to a massive bug, didn''t it?


    "Life and Death Ambiguity" required the user to have the intent to die in order to ensure a 100% trigger rate for the first effect, something not indicated on the skill panel, nor was it an Exclusive Skill of the de Guest Profession, with no information avable online.


    It was when he truly didn''t want to live, having used it more than thirty times, that he discovered this effect.


    A normal person likely wouldn''t use this skill much; even if they did, it would probably be in a life-or-death situation, but since they''re fighting to live rather than die, they wouldn''t be able to use the skill at all.


    Even after having used it once, they probably thought they were just lucky, and didn''t consider this point.


    Just this point alone would be very difficult for others to discover.


    After he happenstance discovered it, Chen Miao just happened to deliver the Taboo Item "Undying Loyalty," enabling him to control his emotional state, ensuring he could enter this state at will, at one hundred percent certainty every time.


    Up to here, it was already preposterous.


    But what was even more outrageous, Chen Miao created the Faction "Tomb Guardian," and invited him to join. The Faction Effect of the "Tomb Guardian" was that all members'' Skill Levels had no upper limit, which meant he could make this skill, already akin to a cheat, even more overpowered.


    All these coincidencesbined created a monster, capable of transforming at will and growing stronger over time.


    "Heh."


    Doctor Gou, sitting in his own chair, looked down at the blood-stained dagger in his hand and fell silent, wordless until a sudden tear dropped onto the de.


    He missed his parents.


    Long, long ago, he was extraordinarily obsessed with increasing his own strength; he wanted to give his family a better life, he didn''t want them to spend their days in that half-dead clinic, he wanted them to enjoy the world.


    He made quite a name for himself, and many people came to know him.


    Back then, he was even more determined than the current Chen Miao and had offended quite a number of people.


    Every time he ventured into secret realms, his parents would pray anxiously at home, praying for his safe return. He, however, never cared; maybe he was too confident in his own abilities, never believing he could die inside a secret realm, nor did he ever consider his parents'' anxious emotions.


    Many times his parents told him they didn''t hope for wealth but only wished for the family''s safety. He never listened.


    He had witnessed how much his parents struggled due to poverty; he didn''t want to see them in such a plight again.


    Only when his parents were conned into seeking him in the secret realm, dying miserably inside, did he realize what they meant by not wandering too far. Afterwards, well...


    Afterward, he chose to live in seclusion in that small clinic.


    Severing all connection with the past, he forgot his identity as a veteran supernatural being, put on his father''s white coat, looked through the medical books his father left, and began running the clinic step by step.


    With every patient he attended, he seemed to see the old proprietor who used to sit on the clinic''s rocking chair and smoke, every time he returned home. He remembered criticizing him more than once, saying the clinic reeked of smoke, no wonder business was bad.


    Later, he too would often wear his father''s white coat, sitting on that same rocking chair his father favored, rocking and smoking.


    He continued his father''s legacy through his own life.


    He could have been a very powerful supernatural being.


    But he preferred to be an obscure clinic doctor; he was unwilling to abandon the clinic, as it would mean negating his father''s life efforts, yet it was precisely this small clinic that enabled him to be a supernatural being.


    If only...


    If only he had this dagger back then, perhaps he would have had the strength to protect his parents.


    After who knows how long, Doctor Gou, having adjusted his emotions, turned to look at Chen Miao, who was shouting at the door behind him, and hoarsely said with reddened eyes, "I''m old, but I believe that one day, you can definitely be a very strong supernatural being."


    "Thest Hell Bus to Fengtian City is leaving!"


    "Don''t wait any longer, get on the bus quickly!"


    "The bus is warm with the air conditioner on, and there are seats avable!"


    Upon hearing Doctor Gou''s words, Chen Miao, who was shouting, turned his head and casually said, "What do you mean?"


    "Because you''re an orphan with no parents."


    "..."


    Chen Miao spoke expressionlessly, "Are you insulting me?"


    "I''m serious. Those without attachments can go farther."


    "But I have friends."


    "It''s different. You can ept a friend dying in front of you, but you can''t ept family dying in front of you."


    "No."


    Chen Miao shook his head seriously, "I won''t ept any friend dying in front of me. If I have the ability, I will protect every single one of them."


    "Friends aren''t meant to be protected."


    "But they are also not meant to be hypothetically dead. If really necessary, I''d rather close my eyes or turn away."


    He rolled his eyes at Doctor Gou, "You just got that Taboo Item, didn''t you? And it''s taken effect this quickly? Here in the Hell Bus, and you have the mood to be emotional? Hurry up and get in the right state of mind and strive to survive."


    Then he continued shouting, as that was his primary job.


    His goal for this trip was to cram as many passengers as possible into the big bus.


    As long as he came out alive this time,


    Nobody could call him Little Chen again.


    They''d all have to call him Miao.


    ...


    ps: The first update of 2024, Happy New Year to everyone, hoping that this year will be even better for all of us.


    Let''s work hard together.


    Fight on.

 Chapter 129: Chapter 128: Event Hunter.

    The time that followed seemed to speed up.


    Chen Miao transformed into a ticket collector brimming with immense enthusiasm for his job, standing at the bus door and calling out to the deserted road ¨C this was the first time he had ever been so passionate about work.


    In his previous life, his bosses often said hecked passion for his work, and he had always thought that he was the kind of person who would never be enthusiastic about work. Now it seemed that it was all just a matter of not enough money; give him enough, and he could even turn into the Wolf of Wall Street, firing himself up before starting work.


    Soon¡ª


    They were quick to reach the ninth station.


    By now, only five yers remained alive; the rest had perished.


    These five yers were Doctor Gou, that dog, the old man who could sacrifice his lifespan, the man from Gaobei City in the straw raincoat, and the Insect Tribe Priest from Jingjiu City.


    Not counting Chen Miao.


    He was the ticket collector, not considered a yer.


    Those who had survived were individuals with special methods of their own; everyone was a seasoned Supernatural being. However, even among seasoned Supernaturals, there were differences in strength, and those without special methods had perished at the previous stations.


    The battle that saw the most deaths was against a boss.


    That was a terrifying boss¡ªa ghost boss in red, immune to almost all forms of physical damage, such as from firearms, fists, swords, and other conventional weapons. Only certain special skills effective against spiritual bodies could damage this boss.


    Nine people died in that battle.


    The ghost in red would first attack the person who was most terrified in their heart, moving on to the next victim only after the first had died.


    If it hadn''t been for the man from Gaobei City in the straw raincoat, who just so happened to possess skills that could damage spiritual bodies, they would have all been wiped out at that station. That battle waspletely up to luck.


    Skills that could damage spiritual bodies were extremely rare, and they were mostlymon skills. Sincemon skills were already rare, and with such a buff added, they became even scarcer.


    More importantly, these skills were usually unnecessary, as there were few secret realms filled with ghostly monsters, not to mention that Supernaturals could freely choose whether to enter a secret realm. If you knew there were ghostly monsters inside, you could simply choose not to go.


    However...


    In event number 128, the Hell Bus Incident, there just so happened to be a situation where possessing this skill was essential. If it weren''t for the man from Gaobei City, or if he had died at the earlier stations, then all eighteen people would have been doomed there.


    Chen Miao could have chosen not to get off the bus, but he decided to step off when he saw Doctor Gou close to death and attempted to help.


    Unfortunately, it was of no use.


    His unstoppable bullet storm was ineffective against the ghost boss, who was immune to physical damage.


    After surviving that stage, the difficulty of the subsequent stations significantly decreased, and nobody else died, resulting in the five of them still being alive now.


    They were quickly approaching the ninth station, not long frompleting the ordeal.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao sat silently in his seat without speaking. If before he was unclear about the direction to take to improve his strength, now, after this experience, he had an idea.


    Through his conversations with Old Gao, he learned about thetter''s thought process while learning this skill.


    Old Gao was an Event Hunter.


    Someone who rarely enters secret realms, focusing instead on fixed events, these Supernaturals usually possessed exceptional personal strength,bat experience, and mental fortitude, for any single fixed event was many times more difficult than a secret realm of the same level.


    Naturally, the rewards were also many times greater.


    Old Gao had alreadypleted seven fixed events. Skills have no upper limit; theoretically, as long as you are willing, you could even learn a hundred skills, but in practice, learning many would be pointless.


    On one hand, there weren''t that many skills avable to learn.


    Besides the exclusive skills of your upation, the other sources of acquiring skills were mostlymon skills, which were scarce.


    Furthermore, level one skills often didn''t exhibit their full power, and it took time to increase your skill proficiency, which was a time-consuming task. It wasn''t feasible to enhance the proficiency of so many skills.


    In a life-and-death battle, your opponent won''t wait for you to cast dozens of skills at them.


    So generally speaking¡ª


    You can have an unlimited number of passive skills; the more, the better.


    For active skills, it''s best to have your own skill set and max out the proficiency of each skill.


    That''s the correct path for a seasoned Supernatural to increase their strength.


    In fixed events, there are numerous special scenarios.


    For instance, like this ghost boss immune to physical damage, if a Supernatural did not possess skills capable of damaging spiritual bodies, they could only wait for death, regardless if they were a level 60 Supernatural standing at the pinnacle of the Federation; without that skill, they could only await their demise.


    This is a rule-based execution.


    An unreasonable crisis.


    Or take the boss Old Gao encountered in a major event, which was immune to all damage except for continuous damage abilities¡ªthe so-called bleeding skills.


    The hidden upation of the ''Wizard'' excels in continuous damage, being able to curse the enemy to suffer damage every second. Only this type of damage could harm the boss.


    There was no Wizard in that team, but Old Gao happened to have skills causing continuous damage and once again survived.


    These skills, only useful in extreme cases, are generally worthless under normal conditions. But once you encounter such an extreme situation, they be invaluable.


    Once he got out of here, he would also need to find some skills for himself that could be useful in extreme situations.


    Otherwise...


    If he weren''t the ticket collector, but one of these Supernaturals instead.


    If Old Gao weren''t there.


    He would probably really die in this fixed event.


    This fixed event, initially thought to be a certain death, didn''t make him feel much at risk, but after witnessing the rampage of the ghost boss in red, he trulyprehended the concept of a seasoned Supernatural for the first time.


    Being a seasoned Supernatural didn''t necessarily mean they were extraordinarily strong.


    Just like letting Old Gao and him fight a 1v1 deathmatch, he would most likely defeat Old Gao.


    But if he and Old Gao entered ten fixed events simultaneously, Old Gao would likely have a much higher survival rate than him.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Old Gao''s depth was simply too profound because he had faced so many crises and naturally prepared many things to cope with them.


    Only by surviving could one be a seasoned Supernatural.


    However¡ª


    Soon, Chen Miao, sitting in his seat, grinned again, looking at the mission panel in front of him. After getting out of here, would he also be a barely qualified seasoned Supernatural?

 Chapter 130: Chapter 129: Not Leaving Any Margin for Error, Too Risky.

    "Ding, congrattions on triggering a hidden mission to kill the psychopathic killer hiding among the crowd."


    "Mission details: Kill the psychopathic killer in reality before the vehicle arrives at the terminal station."


    "Mission reward: Obtain the fare from the woman''s scream, an E-rank general passive skill ''Specter Nemesis'', and keep the fare for yourself."


    This was thetest hidden mission activated by one of his passengers.


    An E-rank general passive skill¡ªalthough the specifics of the skill were unknown, it seemed like a skill that could inflict damage on spiritual bodies. If Miao had not been fully aware of the preciousness of this type of skill before, after this journey, he hade topletely understand its value.


    Passive skills are truly king!


    For all supernaturals, skills that don''t require active activation mean you can never have too many, and they increase in experience naturally without the need to grind for experience points.


    Especially this kind of special passive skill; while it''s E-rank, its value is several times higher.


    ...


    At this moment, the bus was filled with passengers, with every seat upied, and even more passengers standing inside, some holding onto overhead handles, some clutching their seats¡ªit was a bustling scene.


    A quick sweep of the eyes.


    At least forty people.


    The bus was clearly overloaded, but this did not affect its speed in the slightest.


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao also received information he had asked Hungry Monkey and others to investigate: ticket collectors were rarely found in the Hell Bus event, and even fewer lived to tell the tale.


    It was said that many died at the hands of passengers.


    Some passengers tried to board the bus, and when the ticket collectors refused them, they ended up dead after fighting with the passengers.


    Others allowed the passengers on, but it was said that at the terminal station, they died because the passengers didn''t pay the fare.


    Reading this message, Chen Miao roughly understood that the one who died at the terminal station must have been someone without external help toplete his mission, which highlighted the benefits of having one''s own force. Without his own force, facing a situation that required others to work on one''s behalf, he would have been utterly helpless.


    By now, most of his passengers'' missions had beenpleted.


    Only 13 passengers'' missions were still ongoing, but he had no intention of taking on more passengers. Firstly, the bus was too crammed; secondly, there weren''t many stops left before the terminal station, and he needed to leave some time for Hungry Monkey and the others toplete their missions.


    If the timing was too tight and they arrived at the station with missions upleted and fares uncollected, that would be disastrous.


    Leaving a margin for error was prudent.


    Not leaving any margin for error was far too risky.


    ...


    "Miao, I feel your strength must be stronger than that Sang Biao, the representative of Fengtian City, right? We''re both gunmen, and I''ve had dealings with him. I think you''re more powerful than him," Old Gao, standing beside Chen Miao, looked at him seated and spoke.


    After passing through many stations, especially the one with the red-dressed female ghost, their rtionships had improved a lot. They all had gone through life-and-death situations, entrusting their backs to each other at critical moments, and their trust in each other had significantly increased.


    Especially since Chen Miao had assisted them at several stations. He didn''t need to; as a ticket collector, he wasn''t required to get off the bus. However, the fact that Miao did intervene made them extremely grateful, and the full force of his attack left them all in awe.


    "What''s up?"


    Chen Miao looked up, smiled at Old Gao, who was lost in the crowd, and said, "You, an Event Hunter, care about this too?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Of course, I do."


    Old Gao nodded earnestly: "After all, city representatives will participate in the Federal City-States''petition, which is about to begin. It''s a federal-level event; who wouldn''t pay attention?"


    "I think if you were this year''s representative for Fengtian City, you could achieve a better result than that Sang Biao."


    "Maybe."


    Chen Miao wasn''t too interested in this. Right now, his only desire was to survive this fixed event and then sort out what he''d gained. He had stored a plethora of rewards in the bus''s trunk; too many for him to count.


    As long as he could survive.


    His foundation would immediately improve, not just his own, but the entire Tomb Guardian''s as well. There were plenty of things that perfectly suited Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and the others.


    This fixed event also made him realize perhaps he should provide better opportunities for the people around him to shine.


    He hadn''t noticed how reliable these people could be. Initially, he had some doubts, but when he truly delegated tasks to them, he found they were not only highly efficient but also made no mistakes¡ªlet aloneints.


    "By the way..."


    Something suddenly urred to Old Gao, and he looked towards the young man from Jingjiu City, the Insect Tribe Priest, amidst the crowd, and smiled, "Thank you. I''ve encountered people from Jingjiu City before, and they were quite arrogant. You''re different. You''re a good person. Thanks for those few times."


    In those stops, the Insect Tribe Priest had yed a critical role, relying on the Insect Sea to help them through multiple crises.


    "No problem."


    The young man from Jingjiu City shook his head calmly: "Not every rich person is arrogant. My father used to be, but after bing a billionaire, he told me to always keep a low profile when away from home."


    "Never offend anyone lightly, and never think you''re unbeatable."


    "Always remember you''re trash."


    "Oh?"


    Old Gao was slightly taken aback and looked surprised: "Your father adopted a unique educational style, bing more humble after earning his fortune, unlike his proud demeanor before?"


    "No, before he became a billionaire, my father owned tens of billions in assets. However, his arrogance led to offending the wrong people, many deaths in the family, and barely avoidingplete ruin. Afterward, his fortunes plummeted to mere hundreds of millions, so strapped for cash that he couldn''t even afford to buy a Level Up package for a newborn."


    "I didn''t receive a level package either, climbing up step by step on my own."


    "Only in recent years have things slowly begun to improve. Since then, my father has always reminded me to keep a low profile when out and about."


    "Hmm... that''s good."


    Old Gao nodded, fell silent and did not speak. Struggling to afford a Level Up package for a newborn¡ªthat was unbelievable, wasn''t it?


    Such was an old tradition in Jingjiu City.


    He was aware.


    Spending tens of millions to boost a newborn directly to level fifteen or above, born superior to others¡ªwhat''s the use of turning a newborn into a level fifteen or above supernatural being? Not much really.


    It simply meant the baby had a better physical constitution and was less prone to illness.


    And above all, it was about status¡ªsuch a practice was a symbol of a family''s heritage and wealth.

 Chapter 131: Chapter 130: "Who the hell am I? And who the hell are you?

    ```


    There wouldn''t be any other use for it, after all, you couldn''t expect an infant with power level of just over ten to enter a mystic realm and then go on a killing spree or something.


    That''s also not realistic.


    ...


    Fengtian City.


    It was already four in the morning, and dawn was about to break.


    Zhou Shen, Yuan Buping, and others, who hadn''t slept for a long time, were now each sporting two dark circles under their eyes, continuously downing Red Bull and coffee as they hurried through Fengtian City.


    With the help of the Enforcement Bureau''s informationwork.


    Yuan Buping and his team swiftly captured and executed the individuals on the task list given to them by Miao, bing more and more proficient in the process, to the point where everyone had a clear role.


    But the most troublesome were those about whom the Enforcement Bureau''s informationwork had no details.


    That is, the so-called unregistered residents.


    Moreover, unregistered residents who had left no trace at all, in a city teeming with tens of millions of people, to search for an unregistered resident without any concrete information, the difficulty was self-evident.


    "Mission target: A deranged killer hiding in the North City District of Fengtian City, characteristics¡ªsix fingers, long hair, habit of smoking through a squeezed sponge, and a fierce face."


    Hungry Monkey''s face darkens slightly as he looks at the printed mission target in his hand.


    The other tasks had beenpleted quickly, but this one had already taken over half an hour with no clue in sight, with no information other than these details, and no one from the Enforcement Bureau had any either.


    There was simply no way to find this person.


    Standing beside him, Zhou Shen had his eyes tightly closed, his body trembling slightly, and he even seemed to have weak legs. At this point, he had run out of options; he was pushed to the brink of a cliff.


    The information from Miao was very clear.


    He must find this person within 2 hours at thetest, or else he''ll end up dead in a fixed event.


    Miao''s tone was rxed, as if he viewed his own death indifferently.


    But Zhou Shen couldn''t rx. If Miao died because of this, given the absurd things he had done, he would be the first to go down with him.


    "Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"


    Zhou Shen, unable to control his emotions, crumpled the A4 paper in his hand into a ball and mmed it onto the ground, shouting, "Are the people at the Enforcement Bureau in North City District a bunch of useless eaters?"


    "A deranged killer who has murdered so many people, and they don''t have a scrap of information?"


    "Not even a single record?"


    "Huh?"


    He had never found it so difficult to kill someone, especially when his own life was tied to the life of that person.


    "Daddy..."


    Just then, a timid voice rang by his ear, and he saw a girl holding a doll, standing a short distance away, looking scared by his current demeanor.


    It was his daughter.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It''s okay, it''s okay."


    Zhou Shen took a deep breath and beckoned his daughter over, suppressing his emotions before smiling and saying, "I''ve just run into a bit of trouble at work, and I''m dealing with it; it''ll be sorted out soon."


    "Don''t worry, daddy is very capable, it''s nothing major. "


    "You can take a nap over there, I''ve taken a leave for you, you don''t have to go to school tomorrow."


    "Okay..."


    The little girl in a princess dress timidly lowers her head and responds, then nces at Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and others, each wearing a strong air of menace, and quickly lowers her head again.


    ...


    "There''s no need to be so furious."


    Hungry Monkey scanned Zhou Shen, and after a moment of silence, cooled down as much as possible. Recalling the lessons Miao used to teach him, he paused for a moment before speaking, "I used to be one of the Lower Nine Streams; although unregistered residents are among the lowest in society, even they have their own circles. The ces they can live include¡ª"


    "Abandoned construction sites, under bridges, in unused tunnels of subway stations, idle urban sewers, and so on."


    "Unregistered residents are human too; they can''t live in a ce without any modern facilities, they wouldn''t survive."


    "I know quite a few of these people, and I''ll have them look."


    "Okay."


    Zhou Shen gradually calmed down, and after clenching his teeth in thought for a moment, he turned to one of his experienced subordinates, "Round up all the hooligans in North City District, put them under torture and interrogate them. Within 2 hours, I must know the whereabouts of this deranged killer."


    "Huh?"


    This trusted confidant, who had been with Zhou Shen since his time at the Western Third Law Enforcement Bureau, stood there in disbelief, momentarily thinking the chief had lost his mind. Putting aside whether such a task could be aplished in 2 hours.


    These hooligans were involved in gangs, previously captured and released, or overlooked for various reasons, and most of them had their own backers.


    Starting trouble this way would offend a lot of people, easily counted in the thousands.


    Leaving aside whether the hooligans would seek revengeter, just the people behind those hooligans would be enough trouble for Zhou Shen.


    They didn''t even have enough manpower.


    Just then¡ª


    "Need people?"


    A loud shout came from the end of the street, and a dozen vans with shing headlights swiftly pulled up in front of them. Chi Qiu, dressed in ck, leapt down from a vehicle, scurried over to Hungry Monkey, looked left and right not seeing Miao, and then sheepishly said.


    "That, we''ve met before, you guys are making quite a ruckus tonight, even more than thest gang crackdown."


    "I figured you were short on people, so I brought some over, use them as you wish. That... has Miao read my apology letter? The conflictst time was an ident; I''ve been looking for a chance to clear things up."


    "That apology letter is absolutely unique, written purely with my heartfelt feelings, and not a single word is copied from the inte."


    "He has..."


    ```


    Hungry Monkey looked at the man before him with a peculiar expression. Miao didn''t look, but he did. He had never seen such a stupid apology letter, but there was no time to care about that right now, "I really do need people, thanks. Have the ones behind youe over."


    Chi Qiu had brought over forty men, all of them supernatural beings, with power levels uniformly around 15, which was not low.


    In Fengtian City, they were considered top-notch enforcers.


    Dealing with some gangsters was like child''s y to them.


    ...


    Just like that¡ª


    Around four in the morning, in the North City District of Fengtian City, countless people''s doors were forcefully broken open, then they were forcibly awakened, doused with a basin of cold water, followed by the use of forceps to pull out their fingernails, and underwent forced interrogation.


    Trespassing into homes, inflicting involuntary damage, misconduct by officials, deliberate homicide, and numerous other crimes,


    The good news, Zhou Shen didn''t need to worry about how many years he''d spend in confinement anymore.


    The bad news, he could be executed by a firing squad.


    A bounty then spread throughout the circles of the Lower Nine Streams in North City District of Fengtian City.


    "Whoever finds a six-fingered, long-haired man who likes to pinch off sponges to smoke, reward 5 million credit points."


    "For any rted information, reward 1 million credit points."


    "If anyone is aware and does not report, once discovered afterwards, they will be executed immediately."


    This extremely arrogant bounty was practically a public deration of war against the entire underworld of North City District in Fengtian City, and the force behind issuing this bounty was called "Tomb Guardian," led by the recently prominent Chen Miao.


    Countless people in Fengtian City''s North City District began various swift, decisive, and bloody actions tonight.


    There were "Tomb Guardian" people, "Chi Family" people, and even arge number of "Enforcement Bureau" personnel.


    For a moment¡ª


    At a time when the majority ofw-abiding citizens were peacefully asleep, countless vehicles raced through the streets of North City District in Fengtian City, and from time to time, screams would pierce the night. Themotion was bigger than any crackdown on the mafia Fengtian City had ever seen.


    Completely fearless of anyone''s background.


    Completely fearless of thew''s harsh punishments.


    Completely fearless of retaliation from the Fengtian City underworld.


    This almost suicidal attack stance scared many people. This was clearly not normal y; it was outright a fight to the death.


    For those in the underworld, being sensitive is a trait everyone must have. Without this sensitivity, one would have long been dead and buried. In less than half an hour, everyone hade to understand something very clearly.


    That is, the newly emerged force "Tomb Guardian" was searching for a six-fingered man by any means necessary, no matter the cost.


    This caused the "Tomb Guardian''s" power value to surge rapidly, and their notoriety continued to rise. Perhaps even Chen Miao didn''t expect the "Tomb Guardian''s" power value to increase in such a way.


    ...


    "Don''t call me Deputy Chief anymore, call me Lord Zhou. I see Fengtian City is almost taking on your surname."


    Zhou Shen looked at his wristwatch emotionlessly at the countless messages like these. These were from significant figures behind some thugs who were woken up in the middle of the night, expressing their dissatisfaction. If it were before, he might have been panicked.


    But now...


    For a fugitive like him, tonight Fengtian City had to believe in Zhou.


    Tonight, he was Lord Zhou.


    No one could contest that, unless your lordship personallyes out with a steel knife to take action. There are rules for tonight, and the higher-ups have given their silent consent. Whoever has the bigger fist tonight has the right to speak.


    Finally¡ª


    After an hour or so.


    They obtained crucial information from someone who was tortured under interrogation, "I''ve seen a six-fingered, long-haired man who likes to pinch sponges to smoke at a gambling house before. He seemed very familiar with the casino owner, always in a private room."


    The description was a perfect match.


    "Find him!"


    When Zhou Shen received the message, he took a deep breath, unable to suppress his excitement, and roared, "Get all the rted personnel of this casino arrested for me!"


    "Forget it, don''t arrest them, there''s not enough time!"


    "Go straight to their homes for torture!"


    One by one, rted pieces of information kepting in. They had roughly gathered the six-fingered man''s daily routine and traces, and finally, with the guidance of the casino owner, they sessfully found this six-fingered man in a dog hole at a subway station.


    ...


    "Damn it!"


    When Zhou Shen led arge group of people to pry open the locked doors of the subway station and found the six-fingered man in the dog hole inside the subway tracks, whose face was full of fear and who had already been subdued by some riffraff,


    He nced again at the information in the force''s chat channel.


    Assured that this was thest target and that they hadn''t overrun the time limit,


    The grown man couldn''t help but burst into tears, "Damn it, do you know how hard it was for me to find you? I never worked this hard even when I was courting my wife?"


    "Who am I?"


    "And who the hell are you?"


    "What makes a person like you worthy of binding your fate with mine, do you deserve it?"


    "Miao!"


    "Little Zhou has met expectations,pleting the mission sessfully."


    While Zhou Shen cried uncontrobly, under the bewildered looks of everyone around, he pounded the subdued six-fingered man to death, "Even if things might be a bit messy when youe out tomorrow, you have to cover for me, old man. You''re the one who said toplete the mission no matter the cost."

 Chapter 132: Chapter 131: "Miao is still awesome...

    Zhou Shen, having been under tremendous tension for too long, finallypletely rxed at this moment. After that string snapped, he broke down emotionally and began to weep uncontrobly, his sobs and cries raining down on the man with six fingers in front of him, whose body was now a bloody, unrecognizable mess.


    Even though the man with six fingers had long since died.


    But Zhou Shen didn''t stop, crying and swinging his fists like a madman, like a relentless meat grinder.


    Nobody knew how much psychological pressure he had endured tonight, nor did anyone know the size of the gamble he had ced.


    This was the biggest all-in of his life.


    If he lost, the glory of his earlier life would disappear without a trace.


    Climbing from obscurity to his current position, no one knew how hard he had worked, nor did anyone understand the journey his heart had taken.


    ...


    At this time, the subway tunnel, having ceased operation for the night, was next to a dingy hole crowded with many people, all withplex expressions, looking towards Zhou Shen who was on the verge of emotional breakdown.


    There were people like Hungry Monkey Yuan Buping, people from the Chi family including Chi Qiu, people from the Enforcement Bureau, and those from all walks of life in the Lower Nine Streams.


    Car thieves, window climbers, drug dealers, and the like.


    Several hundred people withplex expressions looked at the six-fingered man, now beyond recognition from the beating, in silence, with no one speaking.


    Chapter Stay:


    Under other circumstances, there would surely be someone bold enough to capture this scene with a watch, given that the Deputy Director of the Events Bureau was a person of significant influence in all of Fengtian City, and he was nowmitting murder in public.


    If this were to leak out, he wouldn''t be able to hold onto his position.


    It would certainly make good material for ckmail.


    But at this moment, not a single person made such a move, not out of fear, but because they were aware that too much had happened tonight, and this incident was only a minor part of Zhou Shen''s actions this evening.


    Tonight, Zhou Shen hadpletely lost his mind.


    And it seemed as if those in power in Fengtian City had gone mad with him, all as silent as if they were asleep, with not one stepping forward to intervene.


    ckmail?


    As soon as day breaks, Zhou Shen''s many actions will be impossible to hide. Come dawn, his execution day will arrive, and at this moment, many look upon Zhou Shen''s silhouette as they would a dead man.


    Fengtian City could not let Zhou Shen live past tomorrow.


    This would be a huge blow to the government''s reputation of Fengtian City.


    What left them puzzled was... just what had this six-fingered man done to warrant the "Tomb Guardian" faction going to any lengths, even at the cost of an Event Bureau Director''s death, to kill him?


    Was he worth it?


    They really could not see what was so special about this man that warranted the death of a Deputy Director of the Event Bureau for his sake.


    Even more shocking to them was the fact that this inconspicuous "Tomb Guardian" faction could drive a Deputy Director of the Event Bureau to serve it so loyally, risking his life. It was an unbelievable affair, as usually, every significant power had its backers.


    This was normal.


    But there had never been a force that could make its people serve it with such dedication, truly risking their lives...


    ...


    "It''s too chaotic."


    In the crowd of the subway tunnel, Zhang Qiu looked dazedly at Zhou Shen''s frenzied silhouette, experiencing for the first time the strength of the "Tomb Guardian," and realizing for the first time just how dark the sky of Fengtian City could be.


    He opened three psychological clinics, all of which are located in the North City District.


    Yes.


    He admitted that before opening the clinics, he indeed engaged in some shady dealings that couldn''t see the light of day, but that was all in the past. He had reformed himself and had been a changed man since getting out.


    But who would have expected that tonight, while he was still sleeping, a group of burly men with fierce faces smashed through his door, mercilessly dragged him out, and before he even had a chance to resist, a hoarse male voice rang in his ear.


    "Resist, die."


    Upon looking closely, it turned out to be the Deputy Director of the Events Bureau, a seasoned fighter with his hands around his neck. As a gunman, he naturally had no temper to speak of and silently nodded, indicating that although he didn''t know what the situation was, he was willing to cooperate.


    Later...


    Later, it was discovered that tonight, the "Tomb Guardian" didn''t just torture all sorts of people from every corner of society in the North City District of Fengtian City; they also rounded up and interrogated those with prior records.


    For a former criminal like him who now possessed substantial supernatural abilities, it was the Events Bureau''s own staff who personally took action to arrest him. He was lucky to have caught the favor of Zhou Shen.


    He had fortunately contacted Chen Miao just in time to avoid punishment; otherwise, he would certainly have suffered from some flesh and blood torment tonight.


    Who could have imagined that at that auction, by merely having a lengthy chat when he was in a good mood, he would genuinely meet an awesome guy who helped him avoid suffering tonight.


    After that, he truly witnessed how crazy the "Tomb Guardian" had gone tonight.


    Everyone acted as if they had nothing to lose.


    Their purpose was simple and clear.


    It was to find one person, a six-fingered man. To create such an uproar, not for territory or to take down rivals, but just to find one person¡ªthis was simply beyondprehension.


    If Fengtian City''s crackdown on crime had this kind of intensity, the entire city would be spotless by now.


    "Miao is still awesome..."


    Zhang Liu''s expression was vacant for a moment, and he was somewhat at a loss for words. If it weren''t for his capture today, he would have nearly forgotten that he used to be a Thief. He had always thought that after doing so many good deeds, he should be considered a good person.


    But it turned out that in the files of the Enforcement Bureau, he was still a potential criminal suspect.


    Isn''t it said that one can be a Buddha the moment they drop the cleaver?


    Others might not be clear, but he knew well that the leader of the "Tomb Guardian," Chen Miao, was still involved in an event, trapped in the fixed event of the Hell Bus ranking at an extreme difficulty of 128.


    ...


    The problem was resolved.


    But there were still many people looking at Zhou Shen and others without speaking. Although these people did not speak, the information on their faces was extremely explicit. The reason Zhou Shen was able to find the six-fingered man so quickly...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Was because many people had informed on him.


    There were even a few men who found the six-fingered man''s exact location ahead of time and captured him, waiting for Zhou Shen and the others to arrive.


    ording to the reward issued by the "Tomb Guardian," these people were to be given real gold and silver.


    Although only a portion could im it, there was still arge number of people standing there in silence, watching, and others also wanted to see whether the "Tomb Guardian" would actually pay up. It all added up to more than ten million. Not to mention whether the "Tomb Guardian" was willing to give it,


    Whether he could afford to give it was another matter.


    At this time, Zhou Shen''s emotions also gradually calmed down. He turned to look at the hooligans he used to disdain, and seeing the look in their eyes, he instantly knew what was on their minds.


    His expression slowly darkened.

 Chapter 133: Chapter 132: "It seems we should have won?

    These people, they actually dare to ask for money?


    A bunch of vermin living in the sewers of Fengtian City, if it weren''t for Miao, he wouldn''t even deign to take a nce at them, and now they even dare to stay behind and demand money from him?


    Zhou Shen''s face was somber, and he didn''t speak, just met each person''s gaze without any avoidance.


    The implication of his stare was, naturally, self-exnatory.


    "..."


    Seeing this, the people standing in the subway tunnel exchanged nces with each other and remained silent, quietly dispersing in various directions.


    Although Zhou Shen didn''t speak, his message was clear¡ªthe money was obviously not forting.


    Since it wasn''ting, they had nothing to say.


    Not even daring to speak, Zhou Shen was clearly out of his mind tonight; anyone who touched a bad luck at this time would be courting death.


    "Wait."


    At this moment¡ª


    The Hungry Monkey, who was standing aside, suddenly spoke and stopped everyone, calmly stating, "Let me introduce myself, ''Tomb Guardian'' Hungry Monkey, the second-inmand of the Tomb Guardians. What I say should carry some weight."


    "I''ve troubled everyone tonight."


    "Due to some special circumstances, we disturbed many peoplete at night and even identally harmed some brothers, causing considerable confusion. Everyone involved tonight, pleasee with me to Sankui Wastnd."


    "Miao will be arriving soon, please be patient for a while longer."


    As the words fell,


    Yuan Buping was the first to be incredulous, watching Hungry Monkey in shock. He had known Hungry Monkey for quite a while and indeed recognized him as a second-inmand in their hearts.


    But Hungry Monkey had never imed the position himself and had never even mentioned it, always acting as Miao''s follower.


    Usually cavalier, his sudden seriousness made Yuan Buping feel a sense of unreality, somewhat surreal.


    The people around, who were originally ready to disperse, heard his words and exchanged nces once more, hesitated for a moment, and then stopped, ready to follow Hungry Monkey to see how the ''Tomb Guardian'' nned to manage the aftermath.


    After all, tens of thousands of people were affected tonight.


    Several hundred were subjected to punishment alone.


    If this isn''t handled well, forget about dealing with the Fengtian City Government; they might as well brace for retaliation like a tidal wave.


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey stood calmly in front of Zhou Shen, his facade seemingly unflustered, but his legs were trembling; he had never stood before people like this.


    It was always Miao at the forefront, with him standing behind.


    Being at the front for the first time today, and iming the status of a second-inmand, made him internally nervous and anxious; with his power, many people present were stronger than him.


    Chapter Find:


    If what he said carried no weight and was ignored, he wouldn''t even know what to do.


    Fortunately... everyone hadn''t ignored him.


    He really didn''t want to stand out, but it might be a critical moment for Miao, who hadn''t replied to his messages, and he didn''t quite approve of how Zhou Shen was handling things, so reluctantly, he found himself forced to step forward.


    ...


    Sankui Wastnd.


    Countless people arrived here in a variety of vehicles; it was five-thirty in the morning.


    Winter, and the sky was still dark.


    The entire underworld of Fengtian City ran here tonight for a mass gathering.


    This was the first time the "Tomb Guardian" had emerged within the underground forces of Fengtian City, appearing before everyone with such a lofty demeanor.


    And in a corner.


    Zhou Shen, whose face showed no expression, fell silent for a long time before he whispered lightly, "Hungry Monkey, do you think the way I handled it was wrong? That''s over ten million, should it really be given to these people?"


    "These people are just the dirtiest maggots in the gutter, ttering them is useless."


    "Spending over ten million to make these people think the ''Tomb Guardian'' is trustworthy is a losing deal."


    "Miao hasn''t replied to the message, can you really represent Miao and spend over ten million?"


    "Once you''ve spoken up, even Miao won''t be able to retract it upon his return."


    He bore no hostility towards Hungry Monkey, but in his eyes, giving these people over ten million was not worth it.


    "No."


    Hungry Monkey''s expression was more serious than usual as he shook his head, passed a cigarette to Zhou Shen, and lit one for himself. After taking a deep draw, he gazed toward those from all walks of life in the distance through the pale blue smoke and said calmly.


    "I have no authority to spend over ten million on Miao''s behalf."


    "Likewise, you don''t have the authority to save that over ten million on Miao''s behalf."


    "I didn''t promise these people anything, I just asked them to wait here for Miao to return. I haven''t made a choice for Miao, I''ve simply dyed the timing of the choice a bit, letting Miao choose for himself once he gets back."


    "But at least it reduces the time for things to worsen. If we had let them leave just now, the news that the ''Tomb Guardian'' refused to honor the bounty would have spread throughout Fengtian City very quickly."


    "On the other hand, by dragging it out temporarily, if Miao decides not to fulfill the promise upon returning, then all these people can die right here."


    "The negative impact would be much smaller."


    "I haven''t been with Miao for long, but I know his character; Miao doesn''t like anyone bossing him around and he dislikes anyone making decisions for him. Tonight, you''ve been a bit too wild, you can''t make decisions for the ''Tomb Guardian''."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen, still expressionless, fell silent for a long while before letting out a sigh, "I was presumptuous."


    "Tonight was the biggest gamble of my life, and I got a bit carried away, I hope you can understand."


    "Understood."


    Hungry Monkey nodded and then burst intoughter, "No problem, after this ordeal, I reckon your status in Miao''s heart will rise quite a bit, congrattions on your sessful all-in."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hahaha, I''ll take your words as a good omen and hope you''ll say some nice things about me to Miao."


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Shen alsoughed heartily in high spirits.


    Indeed.


    Just as Hungry Monkey said, he had seeded in his all-in.


    Based on the crazy things he did tonight, as long as day broke, it would be the day he faced a firing squad.


    But as long as Miao made it back sessfully, the skies of Fengtian City would never brighten.


    He suddenly remembered the first time he met Miao, back then he would have never imagined this kind-looking man reaching this point, and he was even more surprised that one day he would be so crazy as to gamble the lives of his entire family.


    It made him, now in his middle years, feel the heat of youthful blood once again.


    This gamble, where failure meant death, was truly thrilling.


    Luckily, he won.


    ...


    "It seems like a win, doesn''t it?"


    In a standalone vi in Fengtian City''s downtown, a middle-aged man with a refined appearance sat in the study, casually flipping through a paper book. He lifted his coffee for a sip and nced at the clock on the wall within the room.

 Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Arent We All Family?

    ```


    After listening to all the information reported by the butler.


    He chuckled softly and closed his eyes, leaning back in the chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest without speaking.


    He was the current leader of the Chi Family, the Patriarch of the Chi Family.


    The power ranked third in Fengtian City, the Chi Family.


    Only after a long while did his voice float leisurely through the air.


    "This Chen Miao is truly a man of great fortune, to return alive from a Hell Bus incident with a guaranteed 18-death toll and a 100% fatality rate."


    "So, Sang Biao has given up, huh?"


    "Chen Miao offers a higher return on investment than Sang Biao."


    As his words faded, an elderly man with graying temples in a corner of the study nodded respectfully and then asked softly, "What about Chi Qiu..."


    "Leave him be, let him do as he pleases."


    "If Chen Miao finds him an eyesore, he''ll chop him down and apologize; if Chen Miao thinks the kid has potential, he''ll draw closer to Chi Qiu. Use Chi Qiu to win over Chen Miao."


    "Understood."


    ...


    From the very beginning, when Chi Qiu took people to the noodle shop to provoke Chen Miao, he knew. As the Patriarch of the Chi Family, there was little he did not know about Fengtian City.


    Even that little secret between Chi Qiu and his daughter Yu''er, namely what the best food to eat in winter was¡ªroasted sweet potatoes, he was aware of it.


    In fact, he did not mind it at all.


    A roasted sweet potato? The food of the lower sses. A person destined for great things should not sweat the small stuff. If even a roasted sweet potato bes a taboo, what great things can you achieve?


    At the beginning.


    It was he who had sent someone to instigate Chi Qiu to trouble Chen Miao. The Chi Family, a behemoth in Fengtian City, had seen many geniuses rise and fall over the years and had developed its own methods of engagement.


    The Chi Family had raised many coteral branches, much like Chi Qiu who was not of the direct line, but a distant cousin.


    Normally, they would not provide them with too many resources.


    When it came to a genius they needed to woo or contact, they would secretly incite a coteral rtive to stir up some trouble, then visit the genius personally to apologize, and execute the troublemaker from their own family.


    This was their standard tactic.


    In most cases, these geniuses from humble backgrounds would be so touched that they would cry tears of gratitude.


    After all, what standing did the Chi Family have? And what was yours? The Chi Familyes to your door to apologize with gifts, and they execute a core member for you¡ªis that not enough? Is it not satisfactory?


    Afterwards, those geniuses would invariably serve them with undivided loyalty.


    This was something every iing Patriarch of the Chi Family had to learn.


    Every family had its share of wastrel sons who liked to cause trouble. Would they kill them all? Certainly not. Born into the Chi Family, one must y a role in its advancement, and even wastrel sons have their uses¡ªas paving stones for the family''s path.


    When the winds within the Fengtian City Government began to subtly shift in favor of Chen Miao, he started making arrangements for Chi Qiu to make contact. This method was bound to be more effective than showing up at Chen Miao''s doorstep without having done anything.


    These geniuses who started from poverty often harbored great animosity toward the elites. Approaching rashly would not only raise their guard but could also make them think they could stand on equal footing with the Chi Family and be arrogant as a result.


    The script was already written.


    It was just unexpected that Chi Qiu, who seemed not too foolish, suddenly had an epiphany, wrote an apology letter exceeding three thousand words, and took it upon himself to help the "Tomb Guardian" tonight, determined to reconcile with Chen Miao at any cost.


    To this, he naturally weed the development.


    If Chi Qiu seeded, then he would be a true core member of the Chi Family, and the Chi Family would naturally build a connection with Chen Miao.


    If Chi Qiu failed, it would be his turn to go to Chen Miao''s door bearing gifts to atone.


    In either case.


    He was the winner.


    "Tch."


    The Patriarch of the Chi Family sitting in the study couldn''t help but smile slightly at the corners of his mouth, amused when recalling how people criticized the Chi Family for having poor family discipline and many wastrel sons. Over the years, these wastrels had contributed greatly to the development of the Chi Family with their lives.


    The lives of the Chi Family were always a significant bargaining chip.


    Not only useful here, but in other ces too, they were extremely effective.


    ...


    "Sigh..."


    In Sankui Wastnd, Chi Qiu, sitting on top of a van, anxiously pondered, wondering if the night''s events could ease his rtionship with Chen Miao.


    ```


    I must have been out of my mind to seek out trouble with Chen Miao.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    What on earth was I thinking back then?


    It was as if my brain had short-circuited, and someone had slipped me a love potion¡ªI went to him in a daze.


    After writing the letter of apology, I was subconsciously aware that I couldn''t afford to offend Chen Miao, but with the reminder from my trusted aide, I realized the situation seemed more dangerous than I had thought.


    After hesitating for a moment, I couldn''t help but turn to a shifty-looking man beside me, "Do you really think the Patriarch knows about my issues with Chen Miao?"


    This shifty-looking man was my confidant. He used to be a vagrant until one day, in a fit of generosity, I took him home, cleaned him up, gave him new clothes, and fed him. Then, right there and then, he knelt down and swore to go through fire and water for me.


    Gradually, I came to realize that this man was incredibly clever.


    And quite good at making money.


    While other peripheral descendants of the Chi Family were living on their monthly stipends from the family, he already had his own business, bringing in a considerable profit each year, which made me trust him even more.


    This man imed to be Ke Gou and subsequently became my official military advisor.


    "There''s an eighty percent chance,"


    Ke Gou squinted his eyes, speaking word by word, "I reviewed the founding history of the Chi Family yesterday and found that the mortality rate due to idents among the peripheral descendants is extremely high. More coincidentally, every death among these family members seems to bring considerable benefits to the Chi Family."


    "Take, for example, 2018, when the Federation carried out a strict investigation. Many powers in Fengtian City were uprooted, and the Chi Family was also scrutinized. In the end, three peripheral descendants were executed by firing squads, rumored to have beenmitting acts behind the Chi Family''s back. Apart from those three, everyone else in the Chi Family was clean."


    "And the year beforest, Sang Biao''s brother, Sang De, the one who topped Fengtian City''sbat power rankings, also burst onto the scene. A descendant of the Chi Family suddenly provoked him for no reason, angering Sang De, who held back due to the Chi Family''s clout and could only seethe in silence."


    "But the next day, the Patriarch of the Chi Family personally brought the provocative peripheral descendant to apologize and then executed him in front of Sang De. From that moment on, Sang De formally joined the Chi Family, serving them loyally and wholeheartedly to this day."


    "With a little effort, a multitude of such incidents can be found."


    "Did you notice?"


    "Every situation is different, but what''s the same is that whenever a peripheral descendant of the Chi Family dies, there''s always something to gain for the Family."


    "So I specte... most likely, the reason you went to provoke Chen Miao this time is also the Patriarch''s doing behind the scenes."


    "..."


    Chi Qiu''s expression darkened, and he remained silent. He had met the Patriarch a few times, a seemingly cultured middle-aged man who always smiled when speaking and would instruct the butler to double his monthly allowance.


    I used to have such a good impression of the Patriarch, even looked up to him.


    And I was always happy to see the Patriarch since it meant my monthly allowance was about to increase.


    But if what Ke Gou said was true, then did our lives as peripheral descendants of the Chi Family mean nothing more to the Patriarch than pawns to be sacrificed for profit?


    Had he never seen me as his nephew?


    Aren''t we supposed to be family?


    "However, Qiu, you don''t need to be too anxious. As long as you mend your rtionship with Chen Miao, the Chi Family probably won''t touch you. Instead, they will give you plenty of resources and use you to win over Chen Miao, just like they did with Sang De in the past."


    After a moment of silence, Chi Qiu shook his head, "It''s not that I''m anxious, I just feel incredibly stifled. I''ve always treated Uncle and Yu''er like my own family."


    "Uh..."


    Ke Gou scratched the back of his head, hesitating for a long moment before saying, "Well, it''s difficult to find true family within suchrge ns. My advice to you, Qiu, is not to be so sentimental and to find your own ce instead."


    "Hmm."


    After a long while, Chi Qiu sighed almost imperceptibly in the night breeze, lit a cigarette, and put it to his mouth. The glowing cherry of the cigarette flickered in the darkness, "What do you think... If I wanted to climb up one more step, what should I do?"


    "Expand the business?"


    "No, I want to have some power of my own, to be able to control my own life at least. I don''t want to live at the mercy of others."


    "As someone from the Chi Family, you definitely won''t be able to establish your own power. That leaves you with only one other choice: to side with a power that has enough potential."


    Ke Gou narrowed his eyes and looked towards the dark shadows where Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and others stood, "The ''Tomb Guardian'' is an emerging power with strong momentum, and most importantly, they have a leader with absolute control."


    "If you can join this power, with my help, I can secure a core position for you."


    "As long as the ''Tomb Guardian'' keeps rising, your status will only get higher and higher."


    Chi Qiu shook his head, "The Chi Family won''t allow me to leave and join another power."


    "As long as you get along well enough with Chen Miao, to win him over, the Chi Family won''t mind losing one peripheral descendant."


    "But there''s still a gap between Chen Miao and me."


    "That''s not important."


    Ke Gou shook his head, "On the contrary, that''s a unique advantage for you. Having a rift means you have a perfectly reasonable excuse to approach Chen Miao, and any gesture of goodwill on your part can be understood; it also gives you a chance for contact. It''s much more sincere than approaching him out of the blue."


    "More importantly... as of now, you seem to be the only one in Fengtian City who has had a falling out with Chen Miao and lived to tell the tale."


    "Moreover, the ''Tomb Guardian'' currentlycks steady financial resources and its own industry¡ªsomething you have. That could be an excellent opening gambit."

 Chapter 135: Chapter 134: He is now at the last stop.

    For a time¡ª


    Almost everyone in Fengtian City who had a reputation and knew more about the situation had learned one thing: Chen Miao had returned from a trip filled with Hell Bus trips.


    Although he hadn''t returned officially, from the reactions of Zhou Shen and the others, they had guessed more or less what happened.


    ...


    But Chen Miao had fallen into a difficult situation, even seeing the messages sent by Hungry Monkey and others in the chat channel, he didn''t have time to reply.


    He was currently at thest stop.


    Which was the 11th station.


    It was the most critical station he encountered, different from the extremely high death rate boss levels, this level tested many things. He could have stayed on the bus and passed the level smoothly without getting off.


    But, when he saw Doctor Gou seriously wounded and lying on the ground, he couldn''t help but join the battlefield. Doctor Gou had shown him kindness, and he couldn''t just watch Doctor Gou die right before his eyes.


    Although he tried to close his eyes, his mind was clear.


    "Shh!"


    Chen Miao''s chest rose and fell slightly as he hid in the dark corner of the house, holding his breath and watching the monster that broke into the house and looked around. The monster was two meters tall, with tentacles growing from where the head should be.


    Each of the dozens of tentacles had an eye, and they were now scanning the room in a 360-degree sweep.


    This was the most troublesome monster he had encountered so far.


    It couldn''t be killed.


    As soon as it died, the monster would start to split into dozens of new ones.


    Moreover, they would multiply ording to the number of people on their side, spawning ten times as many creatures, which nearly nullified all the tactics of the Insect Tribe Priest from Jingjiu City.


    The 11th station¡ª"Uninhabited Vige."


    After getting off at thest station, there was a deste, uninhabited vige, and their task was to rescue the vigers who were still alive.


    The strength of these monsters wasn''t very high. Although they had many eyes, they were severely myopic, mainly relying on breathing sounds and noise to locate their targets.


    All the vigers were imprisoned in thergest house in the vige, and these monsters seemed to know that their goal was to save the vigers. They would asionally drag a viger out as if they were preparing for execution, which forced them to reveal themselves from the shadows and fight reluctantly.


    Avoid letting the vigers be killed.


    But the monsters kept increasing in number. They would also use vigers as hostages, positioning them in front, which made them hesitate to make any significant moves. It was during one of these encounters that Doctor Gou was injured.


    There was no chance to use the Second Form.


    The more they killed, the more monsters appeared.


    After the patrolling monster left, Old Gao in the corner of the room finally heaved a sigh of relief, then spoke with a slightly anxious expression, "There''s no 10-minute limit at this station, but at this rate, it''s impossible for us toplete the mission."


    "Those damned vigers should just die!!!"


    The old man who could sacrifice life span had thought of a breakthrough at the beginning. He sacrificed some of his own lifespan to add a group invisibility buff to them, so they could sneak past those monsters and rescue the vigers quietly.


    However, just as they were about to first lead three vigers out, those three vigers, seeing them be visible, screamed in panic as if they had seen monsters, which almost instantly exposed their whereabouts to countless monsters surrounding them.


    ```


    Although they eventually fought their way out, it led to an increase in the number of monsters, and Doctor Gou got injured in the process. The monsters'' attack methods were sudden and unpredictable, with countless tentacles striking with extreme speed, effortlessly punching numerous holes in the body.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Why the vigers were screaming, they did not know; it might have been part of the mission setup.


    But under the current circumstances, quietly rescuing a group of hostages who liked to scream from a swarm of monsters was not an easy task.


    "Rx,"


    Chen Miao said in a calm voice after taking a deep breath, "There must be a way. Although many stops along the way had a high death rate, wasn''t itter found that it wasn''t entirely a dead end, that there was a way out?"


    "However..."


    "Perhaps we can take a gamble."


    "Did you notice something strange about the mission at the 11th stop, ''Rescue the vigers who are not yet dead''? If it were a proper hostage rescue mission, there should be a progress bar."


    "For example, ''Rescue the vigers who are not yet dead (11/0)'' like that."


    "But this mission at the 11th stop doesn''t have any progress bar, meaning even if we rescue some vigers, we do not know if we have rescued enough."


    "Isn''t that so?"


    Old Gao frowned tightly without speaking. After hearing what Chen Miao said, it seemed to make some sense; if it were a straight-up hostage rescue mission, there should indeed be a progress bar, not just a single sentence: "Chen Miao, just say what you''re thinking directly."


    "My thought is quite simple."


    Chen Miao, who had slowed his breathing, hid in the corner of the room and looked up at the night outside the window, whispering, "Since the mission is to rescue the vigers who are not yet dead, then if all the vigers died, wouldn''t the mission be considered a sess?"


    "That''s a fucking mission failure, isn''t it!"


    The only old man in the team couldn''t help but speak out in annoyance, "What the hell kind of suggestion is that? If all the hostages are dead, do you think it''s mission failed or mission sess?"


    Old Gao remained silent, he felt that both sides made some sense, and he was unsure of what to choose at the moment.


    "It''s notpletely unreasonable."


    The dog sitting in the corner, with a trace of thought in its pupils, spoke up, "Rescue the vigers who are not yet dead, which means that the mission actually doesn''t care whether the current vigers are alive, but to rescue those who are not yet dead."


    "If all the vigers are dead, then the mission naturally counts as a sess because there''s nobody left to rescue."


    "It''s worth a try."


    "After all, we don''t have any other options right now. It''s simply not possible to sneak in normally, and if we attack, the number of monsters will only increase. If we open fire, we''ll likely harm those vigers."


    "Since they''ll be harmed anyway, might as well just kill them."


    The ''Insect Tribe Priest'' from Jingjiu City nodded, his clothing already muddy and tattered, his eyes showing a hint of panic and unease as he nodded, "I''ll go along with you guys."


    At this stop, he was almostpletely redundant, which left him feeling extremely insecure, a feeling that greatly affected his judgment.


    "Then it''s decided."


    Chen Miao slowly stood up and drew his Thompson submachine gun from his chest, "The minority will follow the majority. Since there''s no clear solution, let''s take a gamble and smash the problem."


    "If we win the bet, we all get to go home alive."


    ```

 Chapter 136: Chapter 135: "Why dont you try your luck too?

    "What if the bet is lost?"


    The old man couldn''t help but burst out, berating, "You''re the ticket seller, even if the mission fails, you''re fine. You just pat yourself and board the bus toplete the mission, but we would all die here."


    "You make it sound so easy, to bet just like that, betting with our lives, is that it?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent, not speaking. Then, all of a sudden, he pulled out the "Python R6 Revolver" from his bosom, in front of everyone, loaded a single bullet into it, spun the cylinder, and raised the revolver to his own forehead.


    With a calm expression, he pulled the trigger.


    "ng."


    The crisp sound of the trigger hitting empty echoed.


    The old man looked at the scene, momentarily unsure of what it meant, his demeanor gradually softening, though his mouth still muttered with some dissatisfaction, "What are you trying to prove, your courage?"


    Chen Miao didn''t speak, just continued to load another bullet into the cylinder, raised the revolver to his forehead again, and pulled the trigger.


    "ng."


    The sound of the trigger hitting empty echoed once more.


    The actions of Chen Miao''s hands did not stop; three bullets, four bullets.


    Each time, the trigger hit empty.


    It wasn''t until Chen Miao had inserted the fifth bullet into the cylinder that Doctor Gou could no longer sit still. He stood up, grabbed Chen Miao''s revolver, and opened his mouth with an ugly expression, "Enough, Chen Miao, there''s no need. Don''t take it too far, I don''t want to send you off early."


    The revolver''s cylinder could only hold six bullets in total.


    With these five bullets loaded, the death rate was as high as five out of six, almost certain death.


    Chen Miao didn''t wear any protective gear, and a bullet hitting the temple at such close range would be almost certainly fatal, even for someone with supernatural physical strength, beyond that of an ordinary person. If it hit, not even a god could save him.


    "It''s okay."


    Chen Miao shook his head, smiled lightly at the old man, ced the gun barrel against his forehead, and gently pulled the trigger again.


    "ng."


    Empty again.


    The expressions of the others present changed slightly, especially the dog and Old Gao who now looked at Chen Miao with some fear in their eyes. Is this guy even human? Isn''t he taking his life too lightly?


    "Do you see now? I''ve never lost a bet in my life."


    "Why don''t you try your luck as well?"


    Chen Miao fiddled with the cylinder, turned the revolver upside down, and handed it over to the old man, gesturing for him to take it. However, the old man''s face shifted unpredictably between light and darkness several times before finally he slowly bowed his head.


    What a joke, he didn''t dare to bet with those odds.


    A five out of six chance of death.


    "Heh."


    A hint of scorn shed in Chen Miao''s eyes, "Don''t you dare to even bet on a one-sixth survival rate? Before I enter any secret realm, I always load a bullet into the revolver and give myself a shot, to remind myself that if I can''t survive even with a five-sixths'' chance, then there''s no point in entering the secret realm. Might as well die outside."


    "Living in fear all your life, you can never achieve anything great."


    "If you''re too scared, then stop offering other opinions, it''s annoying to listen to."


    In fact, he had no need to bother with the old man, but he had always wanted to show off his Russian Roulette; he just never had the chance to perform it. Under the exclusive effects of the ''Gun Devil'' hidden upation, not a single bullet could hit him.


    It didn''t matter if he loaded five bullets or even six¡ªhe could bet on a jam.


    That''s how reckless he was.


    Ever since he discovered this, the scene had yed out many times in his mind, yet there was never anyone reckless enough to give him the chance to perform. He finally caught someone who talked back, and by their reaction, he knew that the disy had indeed left a profound impact on the old man.


    Chen Miao''s expression remained calm without a word, but inside, he couldn''t help grinning, already plotting where he would perform his next Russian Roulette.


    What he didn''t notice, however,


    was that Old Gao, standing to the side, had fallen into aplex silence. Was hisck of breakthrough all this time due to his extreme fear of death? If... he could do like Chen Miao, and before entering each secret realm or event, also put a bullet in his revolver and give himself a shot¡ª


    Would it also break through his mindset to the next level?


    Even the Insect Tribe Priest from Jingjiu City took this scene to heart, nning to discuss it with his father when he returned. This seemed like a powerful method for cultivating one''s mindset, and perhaps it could be applied to the guards trained by their family after returning.


    ...


    "Alright."


    Having decided to go on a killing spree, Chen Miao no longer hid. He walked out from the darkness with his Thompson Submachine Gun, heading toward the door: "Enough talk, let''s end this."


    The moment Chen Miao and the others stepped out of the house, the patrolling monsters in the vige quickly converged at the sound and fiercely attacked Chen Miao and his group, now atop the second-floor rooftop.


    But this time, they didn''t hide.


    Chen Miao aimed the muzzle of the Thompson Submachine Gun at the monsters below and calmly pulled the trigger. The next second¡ª


    Countless bullets flooded out of the barrel almost to the point of causing a jam, unleashing a rate of fire of twenty thousand bullets per second, incinerating everything visible in an instant.


    Monsters, buildings, streets, utility poles.


    This was the first time Chen Miao had opened fire with full force in this event, a relentless barrage of bullets like a gue from hell, washing over all in sight, with the symphony of dense explosions ying as the most uninhibited music.


    Thick gun smoke quickly enveloped the entire vige.


    The dead monsters split into even more, but before they could take further action, they died again, replicating more monsters, their numbers increasing exponentially for a moment.


    But still, they couldn''t make it out alive from the hail of Chen Miao''s gunfire.


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao turned the gun barrel toward the biggest house in the vige memory, the house where the vigers were imprisoned, and a hail of exploding bullets enveloped the sky above the entire vige.


    The heavy gun smoke almostpletely blocked the visibility for Chen Miao and the others.


    Only Chen Miao, with the ''Eagle Eye'' skill, could vaguely see that in the smoke, the monsters were advancing relentlessly toward thergest house in the vige, using their bodies to block the bullets in an attempt to protect the lives of the vigers.


    Countless monsters disyed an unprecedented speed, sacrificing themselves to protect the vigers.


    Upon seeing this, Chen Miao''s lips curled into a slight smile. It turned out his bet was right; the actual task was probably to kill these still living vigers, and the mission of the monsters was apparently to protect them.


    Initially, monsters using the vigers as shields, causing them to be hesitant, was likely also a ploy to convey misleading information.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 137: Chapter 136: The Final Stop.

    In fact,pared to them, these monsters cared more about the lives of these vigers.


    Of course¡ª


    He believed that if it were indeed possible to rescue all these vigers who had not yet died from the hands of this group of monsters, he would definitely pass the level smoothly, but the difficulty of the task would increase significantly.


    But if he chose to kill the vigers.


    The difficulty of the task... seemed to be even higher.


    After all, these monsters were using their bodies fearlessly to protect the safety of the vigers, and with the death of one monster, dozens more would split off in an instant.


    It was only a matter of seconds.


    The number of monsters had already overflowed from the vige, beyond sight, and they found themselves in a veritable sea of monsters, where countless tentacles could be seen wildly iling about.


    If he hadn''t been there, a normal supernatural being in this situation would almost certainly die without killing the vigers immediately¡ªno one could stand against this sea of monsters before them.


    So, regardless of the choice, whether to save the vigers or to kill them.


    It was almost a certain death situation.


    Unless one possessed extremely high stealth abilities and could knock out the vigers immediately, or had exaggerated firepower coverage capable of holding back the charge of millions of monsters alone, and could kill those vigers amidst the protection of countless monsters.


    These monsters also had a natural resistance to control effects, immune to any form of it, and even strong crowd control skills were useless.


    Apart from these two cases, all other scenarios led to death.


    And Chen Miao just happened to possess the second capability.


    ...


    At that moment, the "Insect Tribe Priest" from Jingjiu City, looking at the surrounding millions of monsters, stood petrified with a paleplexion¡ªthe Insect Tribe Priest excelled at bullying the few with many.


    But the sight of millions of monsters still frightened him; if the Insect Tribe yed this way, it would be financial ruin. After a fight like this, he could basically dere bankruptcy; even if he survived, the rest of his life would be extremely destitute.


    If those vigers were still not dead, there was no way they could survive after that.


    The monsters showed no desire to charge at them, instead forcefully surging towards thergest house in the vige. In the blink of an eye, a massive ball of flesh made up of monsters surrounded the biggest house in the vige.


    Clearly, these monsters were also clever; they didn''t need to rush to kill Chen Miao and hispanions. As long as they protected the vigers from death, and let Chen Miao fire at will, the number of monsters would only growrger andrger. Eventually, Chen Miao would be the one in a hurry.


    From the moment Chen Miao chose to fire his gun, the situation escted. Initially, there were only a few hundred monsters in the vige, but now the number exploded into millions, and it continued to grow at an absurd rate.


    To multiply from one to two, and two to four, was already a staggering progression.


    Moreover...


    One turns into thirty, thirty into nine hundred, nine hundred into...


    In a matter of seconds, an army of a million could be summoned.


    "Huff..."


    Doctor Gou took a deep breath, his hands devoutly pressed together as he murmured, "My dear Buddha, although it''s presumptuous of me, I''d like to ask if I choose to believe in you now, can you still bless me?"


    "At least give me a backdoor, so when I get to Western Heaven, I can be with my parents."


    Just then¡ª


    He sniffed the air, detecting a strange smell, somewhat like gunpowder, but not quite the same.


    Turning his head, he saw that Old Gao had at some point sat down cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed and muttering as he burned stacks of paper money, and even paper houses, paper cars, paper TVs, and... paper women?


    He had burned ten paper women?


    "How can your backpack fit so many things?"


    Doctor Gou''s mouth hung open in shock, "Even if it could fit, why would you carry so much stuff in your backpack? And even so, aren''t ten women a bit too many?"


    "I forgot to bring them when I left. Can you spare me two when we go down?"


    "You won''t need ten."


    "..."


    Old Gao looked at Doctor Gou with a faintly speechless expression and didn''t reply, but just waved his hand lightly. The ashes of the paper money suddenly exploded, and he saw eight little ghosts carrying a red pnquin emerge from the smoke. Inside the pnquin, a beautiful woman could be vaguely seen.


    In the front, a little ghost with closed eyes was constantly waving a bell.


    This procession of little ghosts directly jumped off the roof andnded amidst the monsters. Strangely, the monsters fled to either side upon encountering the little ghosts, leaving a clear path as if parting the sea.


    Seeing this, Doctor Gou realized that this must be some kind of tool, and Old Gao''s earlier actions must have been the activation condition for it. He was somewhat abashed and said,


    "You''re a rather interesting fighter."


    So far, he had hardly ever seen Old Gao use his fists. Consistently relying on various odd methods without using punches, he might as well change professions and be a Taoist priest instead.


    Old Gao''s goal was simple, to create a path through the monster crowd so that Chen Miao''s bullets could pass through the flesh ball and shoot into that house.


    "There''s no need."


    Chen Miao shook his head; although he understood Old Gao''s intention, by the time the little ghosts reached the flesh ball, it would probably be dark already¡ªtheir speed was too slow.


    He didn''t continue to shoot at the flesh ball.


    Instead of aiming at the target, he aimed the barrel toward the sky, where countless bullets were fired and formed a tornado.


    He didn''t stop, firing continuously for a full minute at a rate of 20,000 bullets per second, amounting to a total of 1.2 million bullets, which now formed an extremely sharp andpact tornado.


    It then fell to the ground like a meteor.


    The sharp point of the tornado suddenly aimed at the flesh ball protecting the house and pierced it with the speed of lightning.


    "Boom!!!"


    Mixed within the tornado were innumerable explosive bullets that exploded simultaneously, the violent explosive force sent countless monsters flying into the sky, and the strong shockwave, like an earthquake, devastated the ground surface, even causing the house they were under to start fracturing.


    "Boom boom!!!"


    The massive explosion nearly left Chen Miao and the others with ringing in their ears.


    ...


    Who knows how much time had passed.


    Gradually regaining consciousness, Old Gao and the others climbed out from the ruins, their faces smeared with ash, swept their gaze around in bewilderment¡ªby now, not a single monster was to be seen; they had all vanished without a trace.


    The vige had been utterly reduced to ruins.


    Onlyrge patches of blood stood as a testament to the fierce battle that had taken ce.


    Looking up, they could only see Chen Miao, leaning on a cane and wearing a trench coat, standing atop the ruins and smoking a cigarette.


    "You''re awake."


    Chen Miao turned back to look at Old Gao and the others, casually tossing the unfinished cigarette onto the ruins, and walked towards the bus on the distant street, "Now that you''re awake, let''s go. We''ll meet again if it''s meant to be."


    The mission panel at the station now showed that the task had beenpleted.


    They could return sessfully.


    "Is it over..."


    Doctor Gou looked at Chen Miao''s departing figure and the ruins around him, finding the words "can return sessfully" on the mission panel painfully ring. He had never thought he woulde out alive from the Hell Bus, an event with a one hundred percent death rate.


    But now... from this day onwards, the Hell Bus loaded to the brim would no longer have a one hundred percent death rate. They had made history.


    He had never imagined he could survive.


    All of a sudden, he felt life was so damn absurd. If it had not been for Chen Miao needing to rent his clinic for a day, he might never have met Chen Miao¡ªperhaps he wouldn''t have survived this disaster.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ...


    The bus was still running.


    All eleven stops were sessfully cleared, and now the bus was heading towards the final station. Once they arrived, they could return sessfully, and all the various items acquired along the way would also be distributed.


    When the bus finally came to a stop again, the Hell Bus event would bepletely over.


    The bus, now full of passengers, slowly traveled along the deserted country road. Although it seemed no different from the beginning, even the scenery outside the window was the same, perhaps their state of mind was now different.


    Old Gao was even in the mood to look around at the fellow passengers and said with a smile, "We''ve all shared a fate. After I get off, I''ll burn some paper money for you all, so you can have a bit more to spend down there."


    "Really, dying so young is such a pity."


    Before long¡ª


    The speed of the bus slowed down as it prepared to reach its stop, and it was time for everyone to part ways.


    "I''m off."


    Doctor Gou looked at Chen Miao with aplex expression, "I don''t know when we''ll see each other again. Take care. I''ve got this feeling I won''t be seeing you in that old pot any longer. With firepower like yours, there won''t be much chance to run if you cause trouble."


    The Insect Tribe Priest from Jingjiu City and others like Old Gao also came to bid farewell to Chen Miao one after another. Chen Miao had indeed helped them a lot on this journey. They added each other as friends, recognizing one another, and if they met again, they would be friends.


    "Here."


    On the bus, the dog, glowing with colored lights, handed Chen Miao an item, saying with augh, "It''s a great thing, the best from the first station. Too bad it''s part of the Gunner Series; I can''t use it, so I''m giving it to you."


    "We''ll see each other soon. I hope next time we meet, you can look out for me more. You''re strong."


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao looked at the item glowing with colored lights in his hand with a hint of surprise, then lowered his head towards the small wolf dog standing upright but not reaching up to his crotch and said with a smile, "Alright, I''ll remember that. Call on me if you need anything when you''re outside."


    ...


    The bus soon came to a steady stop. The moment the bus came to a halt, all the yers on board vanished in a sh of white light, and the passengers walked out one by one through the bus door.


    This was their final station.


    No matter the past, it was thest stop of their lives.


    ...


    And Chen Miao appeared out of nowhere on the streets of Fengtian City just before dawn. He had no time to carefully check his reward panel because he picked up the Python R6 Revolver and ran non-stop towards Sankui Wastnd.


    There was still a mess waiting for him to handle there; ording to Hungry Monkey''s message, it seemed like the situation was about to spiral out of control.

 Chapter 138: Chapter 137: This is the confidence that comes from strength.

    The Sankui Wastnd was already aplete mess, with a cacophony of voices as countless people of all sorts gathered, chattering nonstop. These weren''t the "good babies" you''d find in a school, not to say that each of them had blood on their hands.


    But there wasn''t a single good one among them.


    Count them all, and even if they were lined up and shot, you might have overjudged the number, but you definitely wouldn''t have been wrong.


    ...


    Chen Miao, who was sitting in a taxi, finished reading the messages Hungry Monkey had sent him and nodded thoughtfully, turning his head to look out into the darkness outside the window.


    It might be time to buy a car for himself.


    Otherwise, always taking taxis was a bit too inconvenient.


    If he had a car of his own, perhaps he wouldn''t have gotten involved in this Hell Bus incident.


    Before long¡ª


    The taxi slowly pulled up to a stop on the outskirts of the Sankui Wastnd. The driver, no matter what, refused to drive a few steps further; any sane person who saw arge group of ruffians gathered outside wouldn''t want to go any closer.


    Chen Miao had no choice but to get out of the taxi.


    He straightened his clothes and, with a calm expression, leaned on his cane and made his way step by step towards the crowd.


    It wasn''t long before someone noticed Chen Miao, and the noise of the crowd quickly died down until there wasplete silence. Everyone turned to look at the seemingly kind young man, actually searching for a trace of desperado madness or wildness on him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unfortunately, there was none.


    To them, Chen Miao seemed like an extremely benign man, who, despite masterminding tonight''s insane operation, appeared wholly unflustered, as if the night''s action was but an insignificant ripple.


    As all eyes were on him, Chen Miao thought he might feel nervous, yet strangely found that despite being the focus of so many people for the first time in such a setting, he didn''t feel the slightest bit of anxiety.


    This strong self-confidence stemmed from his Strength.


    It was like a man who stands at one meter ny amongst a crowd of one meter seventy men, feeling an overwhelming surge of confidence.


    It was the assurance that came from Strength.


    Chen Miao chuckled to himself, casually walking up to a small hill in the center of the crowd. With both hands on his cane, he surveyed the throng; tens of thousands of people filled the entire Sankui Wastnd, nearly the whole collection of society''s misfits from the North City District of Fengtian City was here.


    If all these people were rounded up tonight, the North City District of Fengtian City would be peaceful for quite a few days.


    At this moment, Hungry Monkey and the others also quietly walked up behind Chen Miao, not speaking and also surveying the crowd. They breathed a sigh of relief without a word, Miao was back, and with him, their backbone.


    ...


    "..."


    The previously noisy scene had be extremely quiet; everyone stood silently in their ce looking up at the man who had thrown Fengtian City into chaos tonight. Chen Miao also stood still, quietly observing the crowd.


    No one spoke.


    The atmosphere became tense for a moment.


    Chen Miao was also calcting in his mind. Since Hungry Monkey and the others had issued a reward, the reward must be fulfilled. But paying out more than ten million...


    To be honest, even if he wanted to give it, he couldn''t afford it; his ount only had a little over six million credits.


    After a long while.


    Chen Miao looked towards the group of people and suddenly smiled, "Thank you all for your hard work tonight. Let me introduce myself, ''Tomb Guardian'' Chen Miao."


    "Those who''ve fulfilled the ''Tomb Guardian''s'' reward tonight, step forward."


    "What I promised you all will certainly be honoured."


    As his words ended.


    Several people in the crowd exchanged nces, hesitated for a moment, but a few still stepped forward. Among them were some who had directly captured the six-fingered man and others who provided concrete intelligence.


    The total reward to be paid was eleven million.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao decisively waved his hand, signaling Hungry Monkey to pay these people, spending over 10 million in front of everyone as though it wasn''t 11 million but rather 1 million.


    He didn''t have enough money, so he temporarily borrowed 5 million from Zhou Shen.


    Only then did Chen Miao continue calmly, "There is another use in the bounty, failure to report will result in death without discussion."


    "Did you guys kill those people, Hungry Monkey?"


    "Really kill them?"


    Hungry Monkey was slightly stunned, a bit slow to react. Indeed, they hadter found several people who had failed to report, but by that time the six-fingered man was already dead, so they neglected the matter, since the situation had been resolved anyway.


    After all, adding that use was only to exert some pressure.


    So as to facilitate their search for the person more quickly.


    "Of course."


    Chen Miao nodded and spoke softly, "A word spoken must be fulfilled, whether it''s by you or by me. Anything announced in the name of ''Tomb Guardian'' must be carried out."


    As his words fell¡ª


    A dozen people in the crowd suddenly changed color and, without any hesitation, turned and ran swiftly towards the edge of Sankui Wastnd. They hade to watch the drama only to find out that they were the characters in it after waiting for so long.


    If not now, then when?


    However... within seven steps, Cao Zhi was the fastest.


    Beyond seven steps, Chen Miao was faster.


    "Tat tat tat!!!"


    With the piercing sound of gunfire erupting suddenly over Sankui Wastnd, the thugs located there only saw countless bullets whizzing over their heads like locusts, enveloping the dozen men trying to escape.


    The gunfire soon stopped.


    The fate of those dozen men, of course, goes without saying.


    Everyone''s expression shifted between shades of uncertainty, the shock in their eyes impossible to disguise. Even those who had seen this scene during a live broadcast of a major event couldn''t grasp the helpless sense of powerlessness until they witnessed it firsthand.


    This was a form of powerpletely beyond resistance.


    How could such strength exist in a gunman? Chen Miaopletely overturned their definition of the profession.


    After the bounty issue was swiftly dealt with,


    Chen Miao then started to sort out the next matter.


    Due to the urgency of tonight, he had enforced interrogation on quite a few people, easily in the hundreds. If these people weren''t dealt with properly, they would all be enemies in the future.


    He didn''t like having enemies.


    This meant that his future life would be fraught with all kinds of unexpected conflicts. So, settling things with these enemies was one of Chen Miao''s main tasks tonight.


    "Take everyone who was interrogated tonight to a remote open area. I will talk to them myself," Chen Miao turned and instructed Hungry Monkey, then walked alone to the remote open area to wait.


    ...


    Soon enough.


    15 minutester, hundreds of people, withplex expressions, followed Hungry Monkey to this open area and looked at the man with his back to them. Really, they had experienced the worst luck tonight.


    They could have been sleeping soundly at home, but all of a sudden, they were dragged out and had their fingernails pulled.


    The problem was that the matter wasn''t rted to them at all.


    This undeserved disaster brought not only physical pain but also a deep sense of anger. Weren''t your actions a bit too domineering?

 Chapter 139: Chapter 138: "You better kill me with one shot today.

    "Is everyone here?"


    Chen Miao turned to look at the few hundred people behind him, most of whom were men, with only a dozen women. Themon trait among the majority was that their hands were wrapped in bandages, still seeping with blood at this moment.


    Clearly, they had sustained no light injuries.


    After silently observing the several hundred people before him for a long moment, he slowly bent his body and, with a straight back, bowed ny degrees. With a stern face, he softly spoke, "Due to some unexpected circumstances tonight, I have caused you all a disturbance, for which I am very sorry."


    "I hope to obtain everyone''s forgiveness."


    "Anyone who wishes to speak may do so freely. If there are no objections, I hope you will all sign this letter of understanding. It signifies that there will be no grudges between us, and we can continue to coexist peacefully."


    As his words ended,


    the few hundred people exchanged nces with each other, none of them speaking. Clearly, Chen Miao''s attitude had left them somewhat puzzled. A middle-aged man stepped forward first, speaking with a grim face.


    "Chen Miao, no doubt you are strong, but tonight you''ve been too overbearing. You''re making an enemy out of the entire Fengtian City, do you really think you can withstand the whole of Fengtian City?"


    "Or do you really believe yourself to be invincible?"


    "Sigh."


    Chen Miao let out a weary sigh, rubbing his temples, "I don''t consider myself invincible, nor do I intend to make an enemy out of the entire Fengtian City. Isn''t that why I am here to apologize to you all?"


    He was fully capable of killing all these people, but he couldn''t.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There was simply too much at stake behind these individuals. It could only be said that the "Tomb Guardian" had indeed caused quite a stir tonight in the rush to find the six-fingered man.


    "Like this, those willing to reconcile, stand to the left; those who are not willing to reconcile and want an exnation, stay standing where you are."


    The crowd quickly became noisy.


    After a while, most people stood to the left. In fact, most did not harbor such anger in their hearts. If the "Tomb Guardian" had barged into their homes tonight and only extracted their own nails, surely the hatred would be etched deep into their bones.


    Nothing would dissuade them from seeking revenge. Otherwise, could they even show their faces in public? Could they continue to get by?


    But... as so many had their nails pulled out tonight, suddenly many no longer felt such anger. Everyone was in the same boat, so what was there to be angry about? Instead, seeing those who usually strutted about in front of them also stripped of their nails, they even felt a sense of schadenfreude.


    Some even felt a secret thrill.


    Only a few dozen people stayed put, determined to get an exnation.


    "Alright, you will get your exnation."


    Chen Miao took out his revolver in front of everyone, emptied the cylinder of bullets, then pulled out a single bullet from his clothes, inserted it into the cylinder, and gave the cylinder a casual spin before walking up to the first man demanding an exnation.


    With a calm expression, he raised the revolver, barrel pointing skyward.


    "Is this exnation sufficient?"


    "There is one bullet in the revolver, one shot per person. If someone dies, it''s fate, and all grievances are wiped clean¡ªno one to me."


    "Do you dare to y?"


    As his words fell,


    the middle-aged man standing before Chen Miao fell into a silent, dark mood, ncing around at the others. Many were looking at him, including some passersby who had been watching the scene from a distance, now standing on their toes to get a better view.


    In Jianghu, it alles down to never showing weakness.


    If he showed weakness now, he would undoubtedly lose faceter on.


    But if he didn''t...


    He looked at the revolver in Chen Miao''s hands, his eyelids involuntarily twitching wildly, before finally summoning his courage with a hoarse voice, "Miao, you''ve got guts, but I wasn''t raised on a vegetarian diet either."


    "Let''s y."


    "I''ll go first."


    "Good."


    Chen Miao nodded calmly, pressing the muzzle against the man''s forehead, "Since you''re not a gunslinger and can''t use firearms, I''ll do the firing for you."


    The man''s breathing also became increasingly rapid.


    "ng!"


    Apanied by the crisp sound of the trigger being pulled by Chen Miao''s finger and hitting nothing, the sound suddenly erupted.


    "Phew..."


    The man took a deep breath, his face filled with the relief of a narrow escape, and hisplexion turned a flushed red from excitement. The surrounding crowd also let out excited screams, evidently, this life-or-death spectacle thrilled these people who licked blood off the edges of knives.


    "It''s your turn, Miao."


    Interestingly, these people had their fingernails pulled out by Chen Miao''s men, yet they still respectfully called him Miao in front of him, which seemed quite odd.


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao calmly ced the barrel against his forehead and, under everyone''s gaze, pulled the trigger twice in session, both times with an empty chamber.


    "It''s your turn."


    Chen Miao once again ced the barrel against the man''s forehead, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, the man suddenly tilted his head away from the barrel, with aplex expression on his face, and said, "I give up, no need to shoot, Miao. You can rest assured, our grievances end here. I won''t take such a minor issue to heart."


    "That''s right..."


    "Can you give me a ce as a good friend?"


    "Of course."


    Chen Miao cracked a smile, saying it was easy to cancel the debt. In fact, whether it truly was canceled didn''t matter. What was important was dering in front of all these witnesses that the matter was settled.


    If this man were to seek revenge on him in the future, that would be considered unreasonable behavior in Jianghu, an act without principle.


    The advantage was now on his side.


    At that time, if he eliminated this man and his subordinates, no one could argue with his reasoning.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have wasted so many words tonight.


    "Next."


    Chen Miao looked with good spirits toward the next man who was prepared to make his case.


    "Five shots."


    It was a long-haired man, his eyes filled with resentment and a fierce look as he stared at Chen Miao. With a sinister grin and a ferocious voice, he said, "Let me guess, a big shot like you ying a life-and-death game with us must have some confidence, right?"


    "If I''m not mistaken, the revolver in your hand can''t actually fire bullets, can it?"


    "You''d better kill me with one shot today."


    "Otherwise, I''ll show you what revenge looks like."


    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent as he looked at the long-haired man before him, then nced at the revolver in his hand. Without saying much, he simply ced the barrel against the man''s forehead and calmly pulled the trigger.


    "Bang."


    The gun went off on the first pull.


    The bullet pierced the man''s forehead, and the consciousness in his eyes gradually faded. His body weakened and slumped to the ground, falling into a pool of blood.


    "It really is..."


    Chen Miao muttered to himself, somewhat puzzled. He couldn''t understand what the man was thinking. If he wanted revenge, couldn''t he just do it stealthily? Why dere it? And his guess was also very strange.


    Why would he think that the revolver couldn''t fire bullets?


    It was a guess without any basis.


    Shaking his head without giving it much thought, he turned to look at Hungry Monkey and the others behind him: "Deal with this man''s men as well, if there are any. Make it clean."


    "Understood."

 Chapter 140: Chapter 139: Dawn Breaks.

    "Okay, next."


    Chen Miao, holding a revolver, walked up to the next man seeking exnation, "It''s your turn, how do you want to y?"


    "Can I not y?"


    "If you don''t want to y, what are you standing here for?"


    "I want to join the Tomb Guardians, is that possible?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao fell silent for a while before shaking his head and saying, "The ''Tomb Guardians'' are full, we''re not recruiting at the moment, if there''s nothing else, next."


    ...


    Soon.


    It didn''t take long.


    All the men demanding an exnation had received one, except for the first two, the others chose to back down, and they all signed letters of understanding. After all, not many dared to gamble with their lives.


    The people on the wastnd gradually dispersed.


    This matter also came to a temporary dramatic conclusion.


    Whether or not there was retaliation afterwards didn''t really matter, with the letter of understanding in hand, thew was on his side, and whoever dared to make a move, he wouldn''t just talk like he did today.


    The sky gradually began to lighten.


    The people from the Sankui Wastnd had all dispersed, leaving only Hungry Monkey Chen Miao and his group.


    "That..."


    Zhou Shen, looking a bit distressed, cautiously approached Chen Miao and whispered, "Miao, I''m sorry, the situation was urgent at the time, I had no better choice, so I had to resort to this strategy."


    The trouble he brought to Miao tonight was indeed quite a mess.


    Apart from the loss of over ten million credit points, it also made Miao talk nicely to those rats, and he knew Miao didn''t like to talk so much. Under normal circumstances, Miao might have already pulled out a submachine gun.


    "It''s okay."


    Chen Miao shook his head and patted Zhou Shen''s shoulder with a smile, "It was all worth it, I will return the credit points I borrowed from you today, the gains from this incident are not small, everything was worth it."


    "You made the best choice."


    "Without you, I might not even be able to stand here alive."


    "Even if given another chance, it would still be the right choice. I didn''t misjudge you, you are still capable."


    He admitted that he was a bit greedy, taking on passengers until the veryst few stops, which left Zhou Shen and the others with less and less time toplete their task, had he not taken on passengers at thest few stops.


    There would''ve been no need to find that six-fingered man, and no such bigmotion would''ve arisen.


    But it was all worth it.


    The gains from the Hell Bus this time far exceeded those from the previous major events, and the thought of those reward prompts made Chen Miao''s mouth uncontrobly stretch to his ears.


    It has to be said.


    Risk indeed corrtes directly with reward.


    Seeing Miao speak this way, Zhou Shen''s heart, which had been hanging, also rxed a bit. He could tell that Miao was in a good mood and he breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, "Then I won''t bother Miao any longer, you haven''t slept all night in the incident either."


    "I won''t dy you."


    "I''ll head back first."


    "Yeah, go ahead."


    Chen Miao also didn''t feel like continuing the conversation. He was indeed tired from his time in the Hell Bus, and all he wanted was to quickly return to the graveyard, lie in his coffin, go through the gains of the day, and then fall into deep sleep.


    He would deal with the remaining matters once he woke up.


    ...


    The day had dawned.


    Zhou Shen, who had just returned home, received an appointment from the Fengtian City Government, he had been suspended.


    The position of Deputy Director of the Event Bureau that had juste into his hands was gone.


    But Zhou Shen couldn''t help but crack a smile because there was another message behind this appointment.


    "In light of Zhou Shen''s sessful overnight operation to clean up the dark underbelly of Fengtian City''s North City District, he is exceptionally promoted to the position of Director of the Event Bureau."


    Yes.


    He had been promoted.


    This really is a dog''s mess of a world, he had stirred up Fengtian City overnight intoplete chaos, and when daylight came, not only did he not lose his head, but he was promoted instead. Who do you even talk to about this?


    How should those behind the thugs vent their frustration?


    They nned to settle scores once the day broke, but they hadn''t even started when the other party was already promoted.


    What was a night of criminal activity magically transformed into a fight against the dark side.


    Pretty good.


    After freshening up, Zhou Shen, in his pajamas,y on the sofa, looking at the morning news which had already started reporting onst night''s incident. With all themotion, they certainly had to exin the situation to the citizens.


    In the news,


    He, Deputy Director Zhou Shen, led the Enforcement Bureau and the Event Bureau in the arrest of numerous wanted criminals who posed a serious danger to social stability, and the TV station was loudly singing his praises.


    Clearly, the TV reporter must also be quite tired, having to write the copy early in the morning.


    "Hmm~"


    Although he was a little tired, Zhou Shen, feeling exceptionally good, leaned back on the sofa, turned his head to look at the snowkes slowly falling outside the window. It had started snowing, the first snow of the winter in Fengtian City.


    Holding a cup of coffee and wrapped in his bathrobe, he walked to the window to watch the falling snowkes and listened to the soft snores of his daughter sleeping on the sofa, feeling utterly content. Life seemed to be moving in a good direction.


    Maybe...


    One day, his daughter would be a true second-generation authority figure.


    She could be like Yu''er, pursued and fawned over by countless people in school.


    She wouldn''t have to live by others'' faces like he did.


    ...


    "Awesome!!!"


    At this moment, outside a breakfast shop, Chi Qiu was incredulously staring at thetest information in his hands. He had just found out that Chen Miao had survived the night, in the fixed event no less: the Hell Bus incident with a full load of 18 people, number 128.


    The historical death rate was 100%.


    Yet Chen Miao hade out alive.


    This meant that Chen Miao''s strength had reached a level Chi Qiu could hardly imagine.


    "What do you think, Ke Gou?"


    "Badass."


    Ke Gou, with aplex expression, could only give such an assessment after a long while. As the dog-headed military advisor, he was also somewhat shocked. He had his own story, but it was only after experiencing betrayal that he gave up on himself and became a homeless person.


    After being kindly saved by Chi Qiu,


    he decided to forget his past and start a new life, aiming to give Chi Qiu the return he deserved.


    But even so, Ke Gou could only give the two-word assessment: badass. He might be the person in this city most familiar with the Hell Bus event, knowing full well how high the death rate was.


    For Chen Miao toe out of this event alive signified many things.


    ...


    "Pretty good, pretty good..."


    In the study room, the mayor of Fengtian City was cheerfullyughing. He didn''t care about how many people died tonight; he only cared about whether, with Chen Miao as Fengtian City''s representative this year, he could achieve a better result than the previous year.


    It seemed that Chen Miao was quite a bit stronger than Sang Biao.


    After all, if it were Sang Biao, he probably couldn''t havee out alive from a fully-loaded Hell Bus.


    Zhou Shen''s appointment was issued personally by him.


    The more dangerous the event, the higher the rewards. The rewards for the Hell Bus event with a 100% death rate were definitely not low. After digesting all these rewards, Chen Miao''s strength would undoubtedly be greater than before.


    He even felt that there was no need for Chen Miao topare himself with Sang Biao anymore.


    He could directly rece him.


    ...


    Dawn broke, and the absurdity of the previous night finally came to an end. Many people were discussing the events of the previous night.


    And the main character ofst night''s absurdity was now lying in his coffin, tallying his gains.


    There were far too many rewards; if he hadn''t had his own Nothingness Space, he probably couldn''t have fit them all. His gains were more than the others, as he had invited quite a few guests.


    First was the prompt for clearing the event.


    ''Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for sessfully clearing the Hell Bus fixed event numbered 128. As a ticket collector, you perfectly fulfilled your duty, collecting tickets from every passenger, and you have also earned arge number of ticket rewards.''


    ''And you escorted over 30 wronged souls, fulfilling their regrets and sending them for reincarnation.''


    ''You receive the special general E-grade item "Immeasurable Merit".''


    ''As a reward for sessfully clearing the Hell Bus fixed event numbered 128, the rewards are as follows¡ª''


    ''Star Coins *100k, D-grade random item treasure chest *1, a Hidden Job Transfer Book rted to the yer''s own upation *1, and Special Item Fragment *1.''


    The item ''Immeasurable Merit'' was his unique reward; the following four rewards were avable to all yers who cleared the event, and to be honest, these rewards were more than generous.


    That was just the basic reward.


    Plus the rewards gained within the two bonus levels, for one event, these rewards were already substantial.


    100k Star Coins was a significant amount.


    There was also a random item treasure chest, a Hidden Job Transfer Book applicable to the yer, and a Special Item Fragment *1. It could be imagined that people like Doctor Gou and Old Gao had reaped a full harvest from this trip.


    But these rewards were just the tip of the iceberg for him; the real wealth was in the ticket rewards given by those passengers.


    And the colorful item given by that dog.


    "..."


    Chen Miao took out the colorful item from his backpack and looked at its details with mixed feelings, unable to understand why that dog would want to give him such a precious item.


    Even if the item was specifically for firearms users and the dog couldn''t use it, it could have been sold for money instead of being given to him.


    ''Prop Name'': Sniper Rifle Silencer


    ''Prop Level'': D-grade.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was an essory for a sniper rifle.


    The effect was to increase the power coefficient of each bullet fired from the sniper rifle by fivefold.


    And he had always had one unique firearm skin ''Taotie'' in his backpack that he hadn''t found an appropriate owner for. The skin''s effect significantly reduced the firearm''s rate of fire while greatly increasing the bullet''s power.


    Now all he needed was a sniper rifle.


    With a sniper rifle, he could immediately create an insanely powerful sniper rifle.


    There was an upational weapon called ''Falling Blossom Sniper Rifle'', which required level 40 to craft. It would be a long time before he could reach level 40, but he couldn''t wait.


    One of the tickets from a passenger,


    was a D-grade weapon, the Bee King Sniper Rifle.


    Generally, the priority would definitely be for the upational weapon since the enhancement level of upational weapons is unlimited, but enhancement of non-upational weapons has a limit, usually up to +3, hence their potential is surely lower than upational weapons.


    But this D-grade weapon had a unique effect, which just happened to be... unlimited enhancement levels.

 Chapter 141: Chapter 140: "Rule Hit".

    "Weapon Name": Bee King Sniper Rifle


    "Weapon Grade": Grade D.


    "Weapon Restriction": Only for use by "Sharpshooter" and Supernatural yers on the promotion track series.


    "Weapon Details": Damage Energy Coefficient ranges from 80-100, depending on the hit location, with a maximum magazine capacity of 30 rounds and an effective range of 1500m.


    "Exclusive Effects": Strengthening has no upper limit.


    "Special Effects": Comes with the innate skill "Bee King''s Strike", which inflicts deadly damage, causing 10 times the damage, but at the cost that the weapon cannot be used again for 6h.


    "Weapon Introduction": "A good sniper only needs to take one shot."


    This was one of the tickets given to him by a passenger.


    Having taken on so many passengers, he had roughly figured out that the richness of a ticket depended on how strong the passenger''s resentment was. A Grade D weapon was already the best reward he had gotten from all his passengers, not counting any Taboo Item.


    It was not easy to measure the value of a Taboo Item.


    For example, although the Taboo Item in Doctor Gou''s hands was only Grade E, in Doctor Gou''s possession, it could indeed be considered a Grade D item.


    Recently, there were no unjust deaths in Fengtian City; if the Hell Bus had just happened to encounter a July snowstorm, he estimated he would meet a passenger that could bring him a hefty reward.


    The initial damage of this weapon was very high, the Thompson Submachine Gun ranged from 3-10, which was much higher than the Thompson Submachine Gun, though of course, the overall damage could notpare with the Thompson, which, despite being scrap-able, fired 20,000 rounds a second, scraping away quite fast.


    Without a moment''s hesitation.


    He attached the top-end Grade D Silencer that he just acquired to the sniper rifle, which had elements that resembled those of the Bee King, causing a pitch-ck barrel to instantly appear on it. Then he activated the "Taotie" Skin which had been stored in his backpack.


    This was his reward after leveling up his Nothingness Space to Level 3, and the condition to reach Level 4 was somewhat harsh.


    He hadn''t met it yet.


    "Consume 100,000 Star Coins, perfectly pass two Grade E secret realms twice, and survive a major event sessfully."


    The condition to upgrade Nothingness Space to Level 3 was to spend 5,000 Star Coins and perfectly pass a Grade F secret realm once. The condition to reach Level 4 was significantly higher.


    He had the Star Coins and had also survived the "Coward''s Field" major event, only missing the two perfect passes of Grade E secret realms.


    After activating the "Taotie" Skin, the Bee King Sniper Rifle''s stat panel underwent a fresh change.


    "Weapon Name": Taotie¡¤Bee King Sniper Rifle.


    "Weapon Details": Damage Energy Coefficient is 4000-5000, with the rate of fire reduced to one shot per minute.


    "Skin Exclusive Effects": Each bullet causes rigidity, with the durationsting one minute.


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked toward the sniper rifle''s stats with some confusion, feeling that everything was so unfamiliar.


    The weapon''s original Damage Energy Coefficient was 80-100, which, after a five-fold increase by the silencer, came to 400-500, and the "Taotie" Skin dramatically enhanced the power of each bullet, directly boosting this Energy Coefficient by 10 times.


    It reached an astonishing 4000-5000.


    Although the rate of fire indeed dropped dramatically, could the single bullet power be too high?


    Adding to the inherent effects of the weapon, which caused 10 times the fatal damage, the Bee King Sniper Rifle''s maximum Damage Energy Coefficient hade to 40,000-50,000.


    He was very curious to know if, with his current capability, he could one-shot the Grave Digger boss?


    "That''s crazy..."


    Chen Miao swallowed slightly, looking at the stats panel in front of the sniper rifle. Had this Energy Coefficient just jumped from 80-100 to 40,000-50,000?


    "Just a skin and a D-ss essory?"


    He turned his original sniper rifle into a railgun?


    He finally understood why a D-ss essory could emit rainbow light and why the ''Taotie'' firearm skin was unique. Together, these two items were too exaggerated.


    The main point was...


    Chen Miao''s expression gradually became odd, as the reinforcement of this weapon was limitless like an upational weapon, and each enhancement would increase the weapon''s damage energy coefficient. Other amplifications were based on the initial damage energy coefficient.


    Even if the initial damage energy coefficient only increased by 10.


    After numerous enhancements, it would reach an absurdly high number.


    There was one thing he wanted to do now, and that was to test how high the damage of his sniper rifle actually was. It probably still couldn''t beat his Thomson submachine gun when it came to taking down regr bosses, since the fire rate of the Thomson was ridiculously fast.


    But not every boss was a low-level one like the Grave Digger.


    With a higher-level boss, his Thomson submachine gun would fail to break through the defense, and that''s when the Bee King Sniper Rifle woulde into y. Moreover, each bullet caused a one-minute rigid effect. Even if it didn''t kill, the enemy would have to stand still for a minute as punishment.


    After one minute, it was just the right time to fire the next shot.


    Not more, not less, just right, if the boss''s resistance was zero.


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Miao stuffed the sniper rifle into his embrace with a satisfied look, ready to learn about the precautions for reinforcementter. He didn''t n on enhancing the weapon for now, as it was a costly affair, and he didn''t have that much money yet.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ...


    The Hell Bus event number 128 rewarded him with a D-ss random item, which turned out to be a divine item for archers worth a lot, but useless to him. After waking up, he sold it to recoup some money.


    He also received a hidden upation book for the ''Sharpshooter'' series.


    ''Sharpshooter.''


    Only handguns could be used, but their range would significantly increase, and each bullet would always hit ording to the rules.


    ''Rule Hit.''


    The meaning was simple: as long as the target you wanted to hit was within your range and line of sight, even if you shot at your own temple, the bullet would hit the enemy.


    It was an extremely sneaky upation, perfect for assassinations.


    You could even shove the handgun into your pocket, then stand in a crowded market looking at the target you''re nning to assassinate, fire into your own pocket, and the bullet would shoot out along your pant leg and directly hit the enemy''s temple.


    Of course, the downside was that it wasn''t suitable for secret realms and events. Despite its discreet method of attack, a gunman who can''t use sniper rifles or Gatlings wouldck damage. When a boss''s fist is smashing into your face, no matter how concealed your attack is, it''s useless.


    He didn''t n to keep it, but it should sell for a nice price and was considered a good item.


    ...


    These items were all the rewards he got after clearing the Hell Bus number 128, which everyone gets after clearing the event. The rest was his unique little cache of treasures.


    "Hehe."


    Lying in the coffin, Chen Miao rubbed his hands with slight anticipation, listening to the snoring of Hungry Monkey nearby, looking toward his Nothingness Space.


    First were heaps of E- and F-ss items in total disarray.


    Those he could use, he had sorted out. This batch that he couldn''t use was set aside to be sold for recouping money.


    This batch could probably sell for over 6 million Star Coins.

 Chapter 142: Chapter 141: "Is Blood Relationship Really That Important?

    I can''t help but marvel once again.


    In this society, for an ordinary person to earn 10 million is almost a fantasy, and it has nothing to do with whether one is hardworking. It''s rted to the structure of society¡ªa society can function normally with arge number of poor people, but if there were arge number of people with 10 million, the society might copse because of it.


    But!


    If you just enter a Hell Bus loaded with 18 people ande out alive, you can easily make 10 million, and that''s just the baseline profit.


    Just by casually picking up treasure chests in the first challenge, you can sell them for several million. Add to that the 100,000 Star Coins and some Hidden upation Transfer Books from the clearance rewards, along with D-rank random item treasure chests, and breaking 10 million is just too easy.


    Perhaps that''s why so many ordinary people, despite the odds, dream of bing Supernaturals. Bing a Supernatural means essing an infinite number of possibilities; as long as you''re lucky enough and tough enough, you can definitely get rich.


    No Supernatural is poor.


    It''s just that most Supernaturals don''t live long enough to be rich.


    ...


    Apart from the treasure chests he picked up in the first challenge, the majority of his rewards naturally came from the tickets he collected from passengers¡ªwhich really included all sorts of rewards.


    "Star Coins*140k."


    "Taboo Items*6."


    "Various Skills*7."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Various Items*12."


    Those were all the passenger rewards he collected. He roughly estimated that if he were to sell all of them, they would definitely fetch around 50 million at an auction.


    "No wonder so many people in my past life were into pyramid schemes; these headhunting businesses really do make a fortune," Chen Miao murmured as he looked at his bulging backpack.


    There were six Taboo Items alone, and those things aren''t easy to sell openly.


    The strongest among them was the D-rank Taboo Item "Beloved''s Madness."


    "Taboo Item Name": Beloved''s Madness.


    "Taboo Item Rank": D-rank.


    "Taboo Item Effect": The person in possession of this Taboo Item will hate, detest, and resent all female creatures. Simrly, they will be subconsciously resented and detested by all female creatures, and they will inflict 10 times the damage to all female creatures.


    "Taboo Item Introduction": "Is blood rtion really that important?"


    "Formation Condition": To have four children in a row, none of them his own, and to die at the hands of his wife and her lover, filled with resentment, sessfully boarding the Hell Bus.


    "Strong!"


    Upon seeing the panel of this Taboo Item, Chen Miao could only give a speechless thumbs up, finally understanding how exaggerated Taboo Items could be. His "Taotie" skin was the only firearm skin.


    The only one!!!


    Invaluable!!!


    Yet its effect was merely to amplify the damage of the Bee King Sniper Rifle by 10 times, and it could only be used on the Bee King Sniper Rifle.


    This Taboo Item was merely a D-rank, yet it could cause 10 times damage to females, regardless of the attack mode. No matter the profession, no matter how the attack was delivered, as long as the target was female, the effect could be activated.


    In case there''s a female boss.


    A Bee King Sniper Rifle with a 40k damage value, under the amplification of this Taboo Item, would reach 400k...


    "..."


    Chen Miao suddenly fell silent. He realized he seemed to have be the ultimate yer of female bosses; he didn''t believe any female boss could withstand his 400k damage shot.


    The side effect was quite significant, though.


    Hating all females while being subconsciously hated by all females.


    Even if it was kept in the Nothingness Space, its effect would still apply, because all items in the Nothingness Space exerted their effects. However, he quickly thought of a solution¡ªkeep it on Hungry Monkey for the time being, and only have Hungry Monkey give it to him when needed.


    After all, Hungry Monkey had said, after that failed rtionship, he would never trust women again, so he probably wouldn''t need any Peach Blossom Fate, would he?


    ```


    That''s decided then.


    Perfect.


    By now, he had no mood to sleep, he was eager for some random event to ur, telling him that a female boss was preparing to siege, so he could go out and test his might, his hands itching for action.


    ...


    All the other passengers'' rewards were also great stuff, many of which he could use.


    For example¡ª


    An E-rank universal passive skill ''Specter Nemesis''.


    The effect is to allow the supernatural to inflict damage on spiritual bodies with every attack, the damage value being one-tenth of the actual damage.


    Not a very strong skill, it can only prate the defense of ghostly entities, and the inflicted damage is only a tenth of normal damage, meaning a prolonged battle, but at least there wouldn''t be a situation like on the Hell Bus where you arepletely helpless and can do nothing.


    As Skill Proficiency improves, this ratio will also increase.


    Gradually, gradually...


    Chen Miao looked over his skill panel and item panel one by one, not knowing when his eyelids drooped and a satisfied smile spread across his lips as he slowly dozed off, his soft snores merging with those of Hungry Monkey, echoing in the tomb chamber.


    It was especially peaceful.


    He was truly exhausted tonight.


    However...


    Not long after Chen Miao had fallen asleep, he suddenly opened his eyes, expressionless. The 2000 lumens light bulb above his head punctually lit up relentlessly,pletely indifferent to the fact that Chen Miao hadn''t sleptst night.


    "Boom!"


    Unable to bear it any longer, Chen Miao punched it!


    Only afterward did he turn over in a fury and continue sleeping in the dark.


    This sleep was very deep.


    And very sweet.


    He dreamt many dreams, where he dreamt of the coconut tree that had hit him and caused his transmigration; the Jade Talisman of Safety that had apanied him through two worlds; the first day he met Hungry Monkey; standing at the pinnacle of this world, basking in the admiration of countless people; he dreamt of...


    Until the sun set.


    It wasn''t until the evening that Chen Miao gradually awoke from his sleep, swiftly freshened up, and standing at the doorway of the tomb, he lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, stretched a long stretch, and muttering to himself as he gazed toward the twilight horizon.


    "Well, my body clock is totally reversed now."


    "Slept all day, and now I''m afraid I won''t be able to sleep tonight, I wonder if the Seventh District has closed yet."


    It had snowed during the day.


    A light snow.


    A thinyer of snow covered the ground, adding a bit of chill and mncholy, and it was still falling, likely to continue for a while.


    Just then¡ª


    He suddenly noticed that not far away, Hungry Monkey was kneeling in front of a small mound, his eyes red and tear-streaked, his lips pressed tightly as he tried hard not to let his emotions copsepletely.


    And behind him.


    Yuan Buping and his group, dressed in neat ck suits and white gloves, each holding a ck umbre, stood in the light snow above Hungry Monkey.


    The scene looked like the ck Society was holding a funeral.


    What baffled Chen Miao was that he saw Zhou Shen, dressed in a ck suit, holding a white chrysanthemum and an umbre, entering the cemetery, looking like he was here to attend the funeral.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Chen Miao waved for Zhou Shen toe over, cluelessly asking.


    ```

 Chapter 143: Chapter 142: "A dying mans words are kind.

    "Uh..."


    Zhou Shen hesitated before saying uncertainly, "Miao, don''t you know? Hungry Monkey sent me a message saying his mom died, he''s organizing a funeral, and told me to attend on time."


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood still with an expressionless face, walked over to Hungry Monkey, and looked at the ck and white photograph in front of the small mound of dirt, the very photo that he had shattered that morning with a punch.


    After a long while.


    He started speaking with a hint of guilt, "Sorry about that, how about I buy you a new one tomorrow? Do you want a new mom?"


    Hungry Monkey didn''t speak, just knelt down on the spot with red-rimmed eyes and a tragic smile, slightly shaking his head. "No need, I know, I''ve been lying to myself all along."


    "My parents died when I was very young; I don''t remember them at all, I don''t even know what they looked like. After that, I was sent to an orphanage."


    "My only memory of my mother is her holding me, swaying slightly under some yellowing light, seemingly humming a luby."


    "So warm."


    "That warmth was the only thing that kept me going before I met Miao. After being cheated by that woman into buying this grave, I spent every night of those three years lying in the tomb, feeling the warm light above me, as if my mother was still with me."


    "Telling me to keep living, to do my best to survive."


    "But now the light bulb is broken, and it seems like my dream has ended too."


    "My mom died a long time ago, there''s no one else in this world who cares about me anymore, I have only..."


    "Yuan Buping!!!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, his demeanor slightly diposed as he yelled loudly, interrupting Hungry Monkey''s words.


    "Present!"


    Yuan Buping stepped forward instinctively, responding loudly.


    "Now, immediately, right away, go to Fengtian City and buy a 2000-lumen light bulb, no, buy 10 of them, keep a few as spares, hurry!"


    "Understood!"


    Zhou Shen hastily tossed his car keys over, "Take my car, it''s toote to hail a cab."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Only then did Chen Miao take a deep breath, managed to squeeze out a smile uglier than crying, and patted Hungry Monkey on the shoulder. "Get up, your mother will be revived soon, the funeral can be called off. She must want you to be happy in heaven."


    "Cheer up."


    "Yeah."


    Hungry Monkey''s face changed almost instantly as he reined in his emotions. He sprang up from the ground, stuffed the ck and white photo back into his bag, then turned to the people standing in the snow behind him with umbres. "What are you all doing here?"


    "..."


    ...


    After dealing with all this, Chen Miao set up a tent in the snow and looked with some surprise at Zhou Shen, who had brought a copper pot for hotpot to the table. "You came for the funeral, and you even brought a few copper pots for hotpot?"


    "Does your car have room for that?"


    "No."


    Zhou Shen replied while busying himself, "This was a takeout order I made when we came. It''s a custom in Fengtian City that on the first snow, you must eat hotpot from a copper pot, especially seated outside in the snow¡ªthere''s an atmosphere you just can''t get anywhere else."


    "It also signifies a prosperous year ahead."


    "You can get takeout here?"


    "No,"


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao perceptive caught onto Zhou Shen''s wording, raised his ss in a mock-toast and chuckled, "Did you get a raise?"


    "Indeed."


    Zhou Shen hastily got up, bowed slightly, and with both hands raised his ss to meet Chen Miao''s ss from beneath.


    "Back when my mom was putting me through college, I never imagined that one day I''d be sitting in this position,"


    Chen Miao smiled, took a sip from his ss, and said nothing more.


    Under the heavy snow.


    Within the cemetery.


    Eating meat with big bites, drinking booze with big gulps.


    So liberating.


    Zhou Shen might not have been the best at his job, but his ability to create ambiance was unparalleled. Originally Chen Miao thought it was just an average snowfall, but with Zhou Shen''s touch, he began to feel this snow had a different significance.


    As if it symbolized his proper standing in this strange world.


    iming a ce of his own.


    No longer needing to tread carefully as he did when he first arrived.


    During the conversation, Zhou Shen and everyone else grew closer, yet Zhou Shen never once mentioned the price he paid the night before, nor the 5 million he loaned to Chen Miao.


    Who wouldn''t like such a subordinate?


    Certainly better than someone who pretends to hold a funeral for his mother but actually does it just to get something out of his subordinate.


    ...


    Tonight, no one slept.


    To adjust to the time difference, the next day as soon as it was light, Chen Miao took Yuan Buping and the others into Fengtian City to start the day''s disposal process.


    The first stop was "Zhang Liu Psychological Clinic".


    The clinic was located in an office building, on the 17th floor. Thepany wasn''t particrlyrge, roughly 150 square meters¡ªnot too small, actually. When Chen Miao entered with his entourage, half the office building came out to enjoy the spectacle.


    After all, a troop of burly men in ck suits marching into a business¡ªno matter how you looked at it¡ªresembled the scene of a hostile visit. And who wouldn''t want to watch such an excitement?


    "Miao, what''s up!"


    Zhang Liu hastened to his feet, greeting them with a mix of reverence and excitement, "Miao, sending someone would have been enough; why trouble yourself toe in person? It''s so demanding; in fact, we metst night. I was in the crowd."


    "But you were too busy at the time, Miao, you didn''t see me."


    "Is that so?"


    A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Miao''s eyes, "Why would a psychological doctor like you be at a ce likest night''s?"


    Last night''s gathering was of the Lower Nine Streams of North City District in Fengtian City¡ªnot a single decent person in sight.


    "Ahem, I used to be a Thief; I''ve got a bit of a record. You''ve caught me before, Miao. You forgot? I even told you about it, and it was only after you spoke with your guys that I was spared from harsh punishment."


    "Is that so, no wonder Zhang Liu... I was too busy yesterday, forgot a lot of things."


    "But that''s not important."


    Chen Miao shook his head, stating his reason for visiting, "Remember what I mentioned on the Hell Bus? I''m going to need you to run an errand to Broken Pot City for me and fetch a permanent valve for old pal Doctor Gou."


    "My old buddy has gotten into some trouble and can''t leave Broken Pot City, so I''m going to have to trouble you with this task."


    "No problem."


    Zhang Liu''s expression became serious, "Rest assured, Miao, I''ll handle it beautifully. You can put your full trust in me when I take care of business."


    "Mhm, I can''t let you do this for nothing, though."


    Chen Miao smiled and waved his hand, and Hungry Monkey quickly pulled out a Taboo Item from his chest and handed it over to Zhang Liu, "An F-rank Taboo Item, just a trinket, not worth much, but it seems particrly suited to your Attributes as a psychological doctor."


    "I hope it helps you out."


    "This..."


    Looking at the Taboo Item''s panel in front of him, Zhang Liu immediately became emotionally overwhelmed and burst into painful sobs, kneeling on the floor, tearing up, "Miao, I can''t believe you remembered this. Miao, you''re truly my savior!"


    "Whenever you need me for anything in the future, just say the word!"


    ¡¸Taboo Item Name¡¹: Words of Kindness at Death''s Door.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Rank¡¹: F-rank.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Effect¡¹: Only those with cancer can possess this Taboo Item. Upon possession, their current state of cancer will remain permanent, never healing, but also never spreading or worsening.


    It makes every word the owner speaks more convincing.


    ¡¸Taboo Item Introduction¡¹: "As a man nears death, his words turn kind."


    ¡¸Formation Condition¡¹: When a cancer patient hears 10,000 lies told to deceive patients within a week before their death.


    At this moment, the stress that Zhang Liu had been under for many days suddenly eased, and his emotional state became highly disorganized. He had been selling his belongings and venturing into secret realms to address the tumor in his body.


    No one can face death indifferently.


    With this Taboo Item, even though the cancer wouldn''t heal and his body would still be ufortable, at least it wouldn''t spread, meaning he wouldn''t have to worry about the tumor suddenly erupting and killing him.


    It felt as though a weight had been lifted from him, as if he was given a new lease on life.


    "It''s nothing."


    Chen Miao patted Zhang Liu on the shoulder, shaking his head with a smile, "Rx, this Taboo Item is useless to anyone but you. Alright, I''ve got things to do, so I won''t keep you any longer. We''ll chat next time."


    Zhang Liu, with a name like yours, it''s hard for people to forget you''ve got a tumor.


    He then turned and walked out. He had a lot to do that day, with a schedule packed tight with no time to waste here, first needing to clear out the full items in the Nothingness Space.


    "Hey."


    Seeing Miao leaving and preparing to depart himself, Hungry Monkey couldn''t hold back and stealthily tugged at Zhang Liu''s sleeve, pointing at a woman sitting across thepany''s workspace.


    "What does that woman do in theirpany?"


    The woman had incredibly long legs, sensuously d in ck stockings and red high heels, her legs neatly crossed on the desk. She reclinedzily against the back of the chair, wrapped in a fur coat with a ck, thin undergarment beneath.


    Her attire entuated her figure while exuding a mature and sexy charm unique to a woman.


    "She''s probably the boss''s mistress, I guess..."


    Yuan Buping followed Hungry Monkey''s gaze, speaking with a strange expression, "That kind of attire doesn''t look like that of a normal person at all."


    "What normal person would wear that to work? Can someone dressed like that for work be considered normal?"


    "Her?"


    Zhang Liu, about to see the guests out, had an epiphany and nodded knowingly, looking at Hungry Monkey with a meaningful smile, "What, you like that type? Her position in thatpany isn''t actually that of a mistress."


    "She doesn''t have to do anything on a regr basis, just collects a sry."


    "Her position is the annual bonus."


    "Annual bonus?"


    Confused, Hungry Monkey paused, a hint of bewilderment flitting through his eyes as he murmured, "What does ''annual bonus'' mean?"


    "It''s literal."


    ...


    ps: I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.


    The good news: My editor has resigned. No one''s hounding me for drafts anymore, I''m free.


    The bad news: My editor has resigned, and I''ve lost my promotional spots. This book hasn''t gotten a single rmendation.


    Well...it''s fine.

 Chapter 146: Chapter 145: "Ten million, quite a lot.

    ```


    "Phew..."


    The boss took a deep breath, slowly slumped into his chair, and lit a cigarette which he brought to his lips before slowly closing his eyes.


    At this moment, he had no way out.


    He had pushed himself onto the gambling table.


    Win, and the rest of his life would be smooth sailing.


    Lose, and suicide would be his only destination.


    ...


    "That guy won''t n to quickly sell off that batch of goods within these three days and then use the money to y tricks on you, Miao?"


    The Hungry Monkey muttered as he walked out of Haina Supernatural Store.


    "Perhaps."


    Chen Miao, leaning on a cane, walked toward the Seventh District andughed lightly, "But what of it? One of the first lessons in business is to ''get something for nothing.'' When I was doing business in the past, I often sold to customers without even a product, let alone a sample, and then used the customers'' money to make the product."


    "Give someone else a chance."


    "I find that boss quite interesting, and he fights hard. I really want to see if he can make it."


    "Let''s go. 20 million should be enough."


    "The brothers have worked hard these days. Take them for a good meal, buy a few cars, then go to the club and splurge a little, as a reward for the brothers."


    "Oh, right¡ª"


    Suddenly he thought of something and turned his head to look at Yuan Buping and the group behind him, "Which one of you is Wen?"


    "Miao, I''m Wen."


    A young man in a ck suit, looking somewhat apprehensive, stepped forward. He had never spoken directly with Miao and was confused about why his name was suddenly called out. Pathetically, his legs began to tremble.


    "You''re Wen?"


    Chen Miao sized up Wen, who appeared somewhat refined with his sses, and patted his shoulder with a smile, "Yuan Buping told me, you fought hard the night beforest, always at the forefront, and you got quite injured?"


    "How are the injuries? Are you okay?"


    Standing next to Chen Miao, Yuan Buping was momentarily stunned; he hadn''t expected Miao to remember the casual remark he made.


    "Ah?"


    Wen stood frozen, then suddenly realized and, looking gratefully at Yuan Buping, puffed up his chest and excitedly proimed, "Reporting back to Miao, some minor injuries are of no consequence. You''ve done so much for us these days, Miao. If I didn''t do anything, it would feel like I was taking advantage for nothing. I couldn''t reconcile that in my heart."


    "A few small wounds count for little. Yuan has already taken me for treatment."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao smiled and nodded, then took out the Hidden Job Transfer Book for Sharpshooter from his pocket and handed it over, "See if you like this upation. Though it''s not the fighter you prefer, it can be very useful in many situations."


    He ultimately hadn''t sold that book.


    Because he suddenly realized that although he didn''t need the item, he could give it to his people instead, making it convenient for any future assassinations.


    "This..."


    Wen looked at the Hidden Job Transfer Book for Sharpshooter in his hands, his face alight with excitement, and yelled, "I love it, thank you Miao!"


    "Tsk."


    The Hungry Monkey, standing to the side,ughed and clicked his tongue, "That was quick. Not even a hint of reluctance."


    "Hehe."


    Wen stood behind the others, chuckling foolishly, looking down at the Hidden Job Transfer Book for Sharpshooter in his hands. Unlike the others, he had always wanted to be a gunman, and now he even had a Hidden upation book for it, whichpletely satisfied him.


    ...


    In the midst of their conversation, the group had already arrived at a 4s car dealership in the North City District of Fengtian City.


    Ready to buy cars.


    They walked boldly into the dealership named "Hao River." The manager met them without hesitation, a broad smile on his face, while gesturing frantically to his subordinates to go find help.


    These visitors looked as if they were out to make trouble.


    The dealership had paid a protection fee to a certain underground force, and in such situations, it was more appropriate to let this force handle the issue.


    Underground matters required an underground solution.


    The Enforcement Bureau couldn''t do anything to these hooligans either. These people didn''t wreck the ce; they just stood by your door, blocking it, or made loud noises and spat randomly, affecting the business. Even if you called the police, at most, they would just scold them and let them go.


    And once released, they would continue the harassment.


    Businesses with a fixed storefront like theirs couldn''t afford to offend such people. To deal with them, it was more reliable to get the underground to step in. The Enforcement Bureau wouldn''t dare to hit people on a whim, but those underground guys sure would.


    "Buying cars, ck sedans, uniform model, on-site vehicles, 10 units."


    Chen Miao nced at the vehicles disyed in the 4s shop, surveyed the surroundings, and quickly picked out a ck sedan priced at 680,000 yuan. Pointing to the car, he looked at the approaching manager and said casually, "Do you have 10 on-site units avable? If so, I''ll drive them away right now."


    "Hold on¡ª"


    He suddenly realized something and turned to Hungry Monkey and the others, "Do you guys have driver''s licenses? Can you drive?"


    "Uh..."


    The Hungry Monkey lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed, "I definitely can''t drive."


    "I can drive."


    Yuan Buping nodded emphatically, "All of our brothers can drive. Everyone got a driver''s license because we thought about being drivers. Then everyone got a license, but we didn''t continue that way for various reasons."


    "Good."


    Chen Miao nodded in satisfaction, pleased that the young rascals were capable of everything, "Then make it 10 units, and I want the most recent production date. Don''t try to sell me stock vehicles."


    ```


    "Got it?"


    "Got it."


    The somewhat overweight manager of the 4S car dealership didn''t react at first and was slightly stunned, but finally, realizing that this group of people really didn''t seem to be here to make trouble and indeed wanted to buy cars, he hurriedly led the way with excitement, "Please, esteemed guests, have a seat and drink some water in the guest room. I''ll have someone fetch the contract."


    "Cash or installment?"


    "What a dumb question."


    Hungry Monkey rolled his eyes disdainfully, "Do we look like the type who''s short on cash?"


    "Right, right, my apologies, this way please, sirs."


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the Events Bureau, Zhou Shen, who hadn''t been in office long, was in his own office sorting through a pile of documents and materials left by the previous director before stepping down.


    Yes, in order for him to take office, the former director had resigned voluntarily.


    Perhaps at this very moment, he was cursing Zhou Shen in some corner.


    But what of it?


    Clearly, your godfather is no match for mine, and if your godfather was tough enough, you wouldn''t have just resigned. At the very least, you would''ve transferred to another position.


    In most cases, the former head of an office might just step aside, not simply walk away¡ªunless the people above decided that the former director was undoubtedly discontented and would likely cause future trouble within the system, making it necessary to let him go.


    This also meant that although Chen Miao currently held no official position, his status in Fengtian City was now untouchable by ordinary people.


    As long as...


    Chen Miao could secure a better result for Fengtian City thanst year, he would be the new king of Fengtian City next year.


    And his own ship would rise with the tide.


    "Hehe."


    Zhou Shen couldn''t help but chuckle as he flipped through the files, humming a tune to himself in his office, feeling extremelyfortable and carefree.


    And just then¡ª


    With a knock on the door, his secretary entered, "Director Zhou, someone named Wang Haina is requesting to see you outside. He says he''s from Sanshui and doesn''t have an appointment, but insists you would definitely meet with him."


    "Wang Haina? Sanshui?"


    Zhou Shen slightly furrowed his brow. Wasn''t Sanshui Chen Miao? Chen Miao wouldn''t need to send someone like this; he could just notify him through his smartwatch. Although he was puzzled, he calmly sorted the documents on his desk and waved his hand, "Let him in."


    "Yes, Director."


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    A somewhat overweight middle-aged man entered the office with a broad smile stered on his face. As soon as he entered the office, he stretched out his hands and strode towards Zhou Shen, his face full of ingratiating smiles, "Uh, Director Zhou, it''s an honor to meet you after hearing so much about you. It''s truly my privilege to see you in person."


    "You may not know me, Director Zhou. My name is Wang Haina; I own Haina Supernatural Store. Miao and I have had quite a few coborations, and I went to the trouble of asking Miao to call you."


    As soon as he walked in.


    Wang Haina made sure to show a very humble attitude.


    Zhou Shen nodded thoughtfully, and before saying anything else, he saw the middle-aged man in front of him offering an anonymous savings card, which made himugh, "What''s this for,ing in and doing this sort of thing?"


    "You''re that bold?"


    "What do you mean, ''doing this sort of thing.''" Wang Haina feigned dissatisfaction, "Director Zhou, you''ve given me such a great honor today. Wouldn''t I be inhuman not to show my gratitude?"


    "That was out of respect for Miao."


    Zhou Shen didn''t bother hiding his connection with Miao, unlike some who feared people knowing they were linked too closely to a certain power. He was different; he wanted everyone to know he was in with Miao.


    "No matter who it''s for, if I''ve benefited, I''ve definitely got to show my gratitude."


    Zhou Shen just smiled and didn''t say a word, pushing the savings card back without intending to ept it. He just kept staring at Wang Haina, waiting for him to continue.


    Made a bit nervous by Zhou Shen''s stare, Wang Haina hesitated for a moment before saying somewhat sheepishly, "Well... Director Zhou, there is actually another matter I need to trouble you with."


    "I n to have an auction in three days."


    "The venue has been selected, but there are many formalities that won''t bepleted in such a short time; for instance, the auction license, fire safety certificate, and so on. Following the normal procedures, it would take at least three months to handle, and I¡ª"


    "Then you just follow the regr procedures," Zhou Shen said calmly, "If everyone wants to take shortcuts, how can we maintain a stable society? Moreover, you''ve approached the wrong ce of worship, this is the Events Bureau."


    "The Events Bureau can''t deal with those matters; you need to go to the Business Bureau."


    "Thud."


    Without any hesitation, Wang Haina immediately knelt on the floor and kowtowed, "Director Zhou, Miao has given me a batch of goods, and I''m supposed to pay him 58 million in three days. If this auction doesn''t happen, I simply won''t have the money."


    "There''s 5 million in the card. I know these matters are but a word away for you, Director. If you help me, I''ll give you another 10 million afterward."


    "10 million, that''s quite a lot."


    However, Zhou Shen wasn''t interested in this at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the kneeling Wang Haina, speaking softly, "58 million to Miao in three days? Then that means you''re holding the goods right now?"


    "They''re with me."


    "..."


    After sitting in silence in his chair for a while, Zhou Shen suddenly stood up and helped Wang Haina to his feet, saying with augh, "Brother Wang, please get up, the floor is cold. We can talk things over slowly."


    Initially, he had looked down on a mere shopkeeper.


    But since Miao had entrusted such valuable goods entirely to this man, without even taking the money first, Zhou Shen had to reconsider the rtionship between this man and Miao.


    It seemed it wasn''t just a matter of having done business a few times.

 Chapter 145: Chapter 144: Haina Auction

    Last time, he had made a killing.


    This naturally made him even more excited about what good stuff Miao could bring this time.


    ...


    "Huh..."


    "Huh!!"


    "Huh!!!"


    In the 001 VIP room of Haina Supermarket, the boss''s mouth was so wide at the moment that he could fit an egg in it, continuously letting out a burst of wow sounds, sounding quiteical.


    "Boss ah."


    Hungry Monkey started somewhat speechlessly, "Does your appraisale with sound effects?"


    "It''s all good stuff, all good stuff!!!"


    The bosspletely ignored Hungry Monkey''s tease, his expression excited and face flushed with emotion as he picked up a pen and began to calcte furiously on a piece of paper: "This E-ss Taboo Item, I can offer you at least 5 million credit points."


    "It''s just... you might need to sell this thing somewhere else."


    "I don''t really take this kind of stuff here."


    "The Events Bureau clearly prohibits transactions of this item. Once discovered, it needs to be handed over immediately, no private collection or transaction is allowed. I run a legitimate business here, so I don''t dare to take this thing."


    "No problem."


    Chen Miao paused for a moment, then opened his wristwatch to make a call to Zhou Shen: "Zhou Shen, I''ve got an old pal here who wants to buy and sell a Taboo Item, I heard that your Events Bureau doesn''t allow the trade of this stuff?"


    After a pause on the other end of the line.


    A calm voice came through.


    "Miao, give me the name of this store, and from now on, this store can trade Taboo Items at will, as long as it''s not too overt, no one wille looking."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hmm."


    "..."


    The boss stared, somewhat dumbfounded, at Chen Miao who had just finished the call, unsure of what to say. Was this kind of brash maneuveringmon? He wasn''t new to transactions involving money and power, but such dealings were usually very covert, fearful of leaving any evidence.


    When spoken about openly, it was always in official jargon.


    One had to read between the lines.


    Zhou Shen, wasn''t he the head of the Events Bureau who had just spent the previous night cracking down on crimes and had just taken office today? Chen Miao was called Miao bro?? None of the officials who were bribed would call the briber ''bro'', right?


    This world is really chaotic.


    The boss silently lowered his head, cing the Taboo Item to the side, and wrote down the estimated price of 5 million on his notebook, feeling like he had perhapstched onto some powerful backing.


    ...


    Before long.


    "All calcted."


    The boss wiped the sweat from his forehead, his body felt weak as he leaned back in his chair, voice trembling: "All the skills, Job Transfer Books, props, Taboo Items put together, total estimated value is 78 million credit points."


    This was the biggest deal of his life.


    What a joke.


    Not long ago, he was just an ordinary person who could only earn a hundred thousand or so a month. How long had it been, and now he was handling a nearly hundred-million transaction? This order was a really big one for him.


    Unlike those in construction, it might sound like a high-priced job, but the actual profit that ended up in their hands was not much.


    Even though his batch of goods was a bit troublesome to sell, as long as he took the time to sell it all, he could earn at least 20 million, and this was just a preliminary estimate of the profit. 20 million... he could open a few more branches with that.


    "78 million?"


    Chen Miao raised his eyebrows slightly, lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and chuckled without saying a word; he was very pleased with the number. He couldn''t even begin to imagine how he would spend that money.


    "First, let''s buy a few private cars."


    So that we won''t have to always hail taxis or ride the bus when going out, which is both demeaning and dangerous."


    "Okay, let''s do that."


    Chen Miao didn''t discuss the price further and stood up, ready to leave.


    "Um...


    At this moment, the store owner hesitated with a troubled look on his face, "Miao, could I first give you 20 million, and the remaining 58 million, I can definitely give it to you within three days. It''s just up to you whether you urgently need this money or not?"


    Nearly a hundred million in liquid funds.


    Not many in Fengtian City coulde up with that kind of cash.


    There are many people with assets worth a hundred million, but very few with a hundred million in liquid cash.


    It''s like in Fengtian City, many people make ten thousand a month, but not many have a savings of 100k in their pockets.


    "Money is tight?"


    Chen Miao, who had risen to his feet, turned to the store owner with a smile and asked.


    "Mm."


    The store owner, slightly embarrassed, pushed through, "If you urgently need the money, Miao, I can first take goods worth 20 million, and you can sell the rest at another store. If you''re not in a rush, the money will be ready within three days, guaranteed."


    Originally, with 20 million in hand, he felt confident that, just likest time, if Miao brought goods worth over ten million, he could handle it. But he hadn''t expected Miao to bring goods totaling over 70 million this time, vastly exceeding his limit.


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao didn''t say much more, simply chuckled, "I''ve worked with you for a long time, and I don''t really like letting others make the profit. If someone''s going to make it, better it be someone we know."


    "Three days, right?"


    "Then I''ll be going now. Take your time, no rush."


    "Phew!"


    The store owner sighed in relief and quickly transferred 20 million to Miao''s ount, continuously bowing with gratitude, "Miao, rest assured, the remaining 58 million will be paid in three days, to the penny!"


    ...


    After Chen Miao left.


    The store owner looked at the pile of supernatural props on the table with a trembling voice, feeling as if he were floating in the air, unable to touch ground.


    Running this supermarket and having 20 million in liquid funds was his limit.


    He had even mortgaged his house.


    He had staked his entire fortune on this supermarket; there was no way he coulde up with another 58 million in the next three days, not even if he was willing to sell his life, which wasn''t worth that much.


    The best option he had just now was to take only 20 million worth of goods, make a limited profit, and let his peers make the rest.


    But that would not satisfy his appetite.


    Currently, Fengtian Citycked a truly branded, high-end auction house, mainly because it''s hard to regrly collect high-level extraordinary items. Yet all the items on the table before him were high-level supernatural props.


    If he acquired this batch, he could establish his own high-end auction using these goods. Just a couple of sessions would suffice.


    It would firmly establish Haina''s reputation.


    From then on¡ª


    In his strategic blueprint, "Haina Supermarket" would cater to the lower-end market, dazzling customers with a variety of low-level extraordinary items, while "Haina Auction" would deal with high-end supernatural props.


    Once "Haina Auction" gained fame, it would not only boost his supermarket but also make the supernaturals in Fengtian City think of Haina Auction first when they got their hands on high-level supernatural props they couldn''t use ¨C either to consign with them or sell directly to them.


    If all of these ns materialized, he wouldpletely turn his fortunes around within a few years and be a distinguished figure in Fengtian City. All these ns hinged on gathering 58 million within three days.


    If his credibility was destroyed with Miao,


    not only would future coborations be off the table, but he would also have to return this batch of goods.

 Chapter 146: Chapter 145: "Ten million, quite a lot.

    ```


    "Phew..."


    The boss took a deep breath, slowly slumped into his chair, and lit a cigarette which he brought to his lips before slowly closing his eyes.


    At this moment, he had no way out.


    He had pushed himself onto the gambling table.


    Win, and the rest of his life would be smooth sailing.


    Lose, and suicide would be his only destination.


    ...


    "That guy won''t n to quickly sell off that batch of goods within these three days and then use the money to y tricks on you, Miao?"


    The Hungry Monkey muttered as he walked out of Haina Supernatural Store.


    "Perhaps."


    Chen Miao, leaning on a cane, walked toward the Seventh District andughed lightly, "But what of it? One of the first lessons in business is to ''get something for nothing.'' When I was doing business in the past, I often sold to customers without even a product, let alone a sample, and then used the customers'' money to make the product."


    "Give someone else a chance."


    "I find that boss quite interesting, and he fights hard. I really want to see if he can make it."


    "Let''s go. 20 million should be enough."


    "The brothers have worked hard these days. Take them for a good meal, buy a few cars, then go to the club and splurge a little, as a reward for the brothers."


    "Oh, right¡ª"


    Suddenly he thought of something and turned his head to look at Yuan Buping and the group behind him, "Which one of you is Wen?"


    "Miao, I''m Wen."


    A young man in a ck suit, looking somewhat apprehensive, stepped forward. He had never spoken directly with Miao and was confused about why his name was suddenly called out. Pathetically, his legs began to tremble.


    "You''re Wen?"


    Chen Miao sized up Wen, who appeared somewhat refined with his sses, and patted his shoulder with a smile, "Yuan Buping told me, you fought hard the night beforest, always at the forefront, and you got quite injured?"


    "How are the injuries? Are you okay?"


    Standing next to Chen Miao, Yuan Buping was momentarily stunned; he hadn''t expected Miao to remember the casual remark he made.


    "Ah?"


    Wen stood frozen, then suddenly realized and, looking gratefully at Yuan Buping, puffed up his chest and excitedly proimed, "Reporting back to Miao, some minor injuries are of no consequence. You''ve done so much for us these days, Miao. If I didn''t do anything, it would feel like I was taking advantage for nothing. I couldn''t reconcile that in my heart."


    "A few small wounds count for little. Yuan has already taken me for treatment."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao smiled and nodded, then took out the Hidden Job Transfer Book for Sharpshooter from his pocket and handed it over, "See if you like this upation. Though it''s not the fighter you prefer, it can be very useful in many situations."


    He ultimately hadn''t sold that book.


    Because he suddenly realized that although he didn''t need the item, he could give it to his people instead, making it convenient for any future assassinations.


    "This..."


    Wen looked at the Hidden Job Transfer Book for Sharpshooter in his hands, his face alight with excitement, and yelled, "I love it, thank you Miao!"


    "Tsk."


    The Hungry Monkey, standing to the side,ughed and clicked his tongue, "That was quick. Not even a hint of reluctance."


    "Hehe."


    Wen stood behind the others, chuckling foolishly, looking down at the Hidden Job Transfer Book for Sharpshooter in his hands. Unlike the others, he had always wanted to be a gunman, and now he even had a Hidden upation book for it, whichpletely satisfied him.


    ...


    In the midst of their conversation, the group had already arrived at a 4s car dealership in the North City District of Fengtian City.


    Ready to buy cars.


    They walked boldly into the dealership named "Hao River." The manager met them without hesitation, a broad smile on his face, while gesturing frantically to his subordinates to go find help.


    These visitors looked as if they were out to make trouble.


    The dealership had paid a protection fee to a certain underground force, and in such situations, it was more appropriate to let this force handle the issue.


    Underground matters required an underground solution.


    The Enforcement Bureau couldn''t do anything to these hooligans either. These people didn''t wreck the ce; they just stood by your door, blocking it, or made loud noises and spat randomly, affecting the business. Even if you called the police, at most, they would just scold them and let them go.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    And once released, they would continue the harassment.


    Businesses with a fixed storefront like theirs couldn''t afford to offend such people. To deal with them, it was more reliable to get the underground to step in. The Enforcement Bureau wouldn''t dare to hit people on a whim, but those underground guys sure would.


    "Buying cars, ck sedans, uniform model, on-site vehicles, 10 units."


    Chen Miao nced at the vehicles disyed in the 4s shop, surveyed the surroundings, and quickly picked out a ck sedan priced at 680,000 yuan. Pointing to the car, he looked at the approaching manager and said casually, "Do you have 10 on-site units avable? If so, I''ll drive them away right now."


    "Hold on¡ª"


    He suddenly realized something and turned to Hungry Monkey and the others, "Do you guys have driver''s licenses? Can you drive?"


    "Uh..."


    The Hungry Monkey lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed, "I definitely can''t drive."


    "I can drive."


    Yuan Buping nodded emphatically, "All of our brothers can drive. Everyone got a driver''s license because we thought about being drivers. Then everyone got a license, but we didn''t continue that way for various reasons."


    "Good."


    Chen Miao nodded in satisfaction, pleased that the young rascals were capable of everything, "Then make it 10 units, and I want the most recent production date. Don''t try to sell me stock vehicles."


    ```


    "Got it?"


    "Got it."


    The somewhat overweight manager of the 4S car dealership didn''t react at first and was slightly stunned, but finally, realizing that this group of people really didn''t seem to be here to make trouble and indeed wanted to buy cars, he hurriedly led the way with excitement, "Please, esteemed guests, have a seat and drink some water in the guest room. I''ll have someone fetch the contract."


    "Cash or installment?"


    "What a dumb question."


    Hungry Monkey rolled his eyes disdainfully, "Do we look like the type who''s short on cash?"


    "Right, right, my apologies, this way please, sirs."


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the Events Bureau, Zhou Shen, who hadn''t been in office long, was in his own office sorting through a pile of documents and materials left by the previous director before stepping down.


    Yes, in order for him to take office, the former director had resigned voluntarily.


    Perhaps at this very moment, he was cursing Zhou Shen in some corner.


    But what of it?


    Clearly, your godfather is no match for mine, and if your godfather was tough enough, you wouldn''t have just resigned. At the very least, you would''ve transferred to another position.


    In most cases, the former head of an office might just step aside, not simply walk away¡ªunless the people above decided that the former director was undoubtedly discontented and would likely cause future trouble within the system, making it necessary to let him go.


    This also meant that although Chen Miao currently held no official position, his status in Fengtian City was now untouchable by ordinary people.


    As long as...


    Chen Miao could secure a better result for Fengtian City thanst year, he would be the new king of Fengtian City next year.


    And his own ship would rise with the tide.


    "Hehe."


    Zhou Shen couldn''t help but chuckle as he flipped through the files, humming a tune to himself in his office, feeling extremelyfortable and carefree.


    And just then¡ª


    With a knock on the door, his secretary entered, "Director Zhou, someone named Wang Haina is requesting to see you outside. He says he''s from Sanshui and doesn''t have an appointment, but insists you would definitely meet with him."


    "Wang Haina? Sanshui?"


    Zhou Shen slightly furrowed his brow. Wasn''t Sanshui Chen Miao? Chen Miao wouldn''t need to send someone like this; he could just notify him through his smartwatch. Although he was puzzled, he calmly sorted the documents on his desk and waved his hand, "Let him in."


    "Yes, Director."


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    A somewhat overweight middle-aged man entered the office with a broad smile stered on his face. As soon as he entered the office, he stretched out his hands and strode towards Zhou Shen, his face full of ingratiating smiles, "Uh, Director Zhou, it''s an honor to meet you after hearing so much about you. It''s truly my privilege to see you in person."


    "You may not know me, Director Zhou. My name is Wang Haina; I own Haina Supernatural Store. Miao and I have had quite a few coborations, and I went to the trouble of asking Miao to call you."


    As soon as he walked in.


    Wang Haina made sure to show a very humble attitude.


    Zhou Shen nodded thoughtfully, and before saying anything else, he saw the middle-aged man in front of him offering an anonymous savings card, which made himugh, "What''s this for,ing in and doing this sort of thing?"


    "You''re that bold?"


    "What do you mean, ''doing this sort of thing.''" Wang Haina feigned dissatisfaction, "Director Zhou, you''ve given me such a great honor today. Wouldn''t I be inhuman not to show my gratitude?"


    "That was out of respect for Miao."


    Zhou Shen didn''t bother hiding his connection with Miao, unlike some who feared people knowing they were linked too closely to a certain power. He was different; he wanted everyone to know he was in with Miao.


    "No matter who it''s for, if I''ve benefited, I''ve definitely got to show my gratitude."


    Zhou Shen just smiled and didn''t say a word, pushing the savings card back without intending to ept it. He just kept staring at Wang Haina, waiting for him to continue.


    Made a bit nervous by Zhou Shen''s stare, Wang Haina hesitated for a moment before saying somewhat sheepishly, "Well... Director Zhou, there is actually another matter I need to trouble you with."


    "I n to have an auction in three days."


    "The venue has been selected, but there are many formalities that won''t bepleted in such a short time; for instance, the auction license, fire safety certificate, and so on. Following the normal procedures, it would take at least three months to handle, and I¡ª"


    "Then you just follow the regr procedures," Zhou Shen said calmly, "If everyone wants to take shortcuts, how can we maintain a stable society? Moreover, you''ve approached the wrong ce of worship, this is the Events Bureau."


    "The Events Bureau can''t deal with those matters; you need to go to the Business Bureau."


    "Thud."


    Without any hesitation, Wang Haina immediately knelt on the floor and kowtowed, "Director Zhou, Miao has given me a batch of goods, and I''m supposed to pay him 58 million in three days. If this auction doesn''t happen, I simply won''t have the money."


    "There''s 5 million in the card. I know these matters are but a word away for you, Director. If you help me, I''ll give you another 10 million afterward."


    "10 million, that''s quite a lot."


    However, Zhou Shen wasn''t interested in this at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the kneeling Wang Haina, speaking softly, "58 million to Miao in three days? Then that means you''re holding the goods right now?"


    "They''re with me."


    "..."


    After sitting in silence in his chair for a while, Zhou Shen suddenly stood up and helped Wang Haina to his feet, saying with augh, "Brother Wang, please get up, the floor is cold. We can talk things over slowly."


    Initially, he had looked down on a mere shopkeeper.


    But since Miao had entrusted such valuable goods entirely to this man, without even taking the money first, Zhou Shen had to reconsider the rtionship between this man and Miao.


    It seemed it wasn''t just a matter of having done business a few times.

 Chapter 147: Chapter 146: "Im too tired, Im frail, go on with your work.

    "Understood."


    After listening to the somewhat greasy middle-aged man and Chen Miao''s story, Zhou Shen fell silent for a moment before suddenlyughing and saying, "Don''t worry, now that you''ve found me, I''m definitely going to help."


    "But you can take the money back."


    No matter how much Wang Haina tried to decline, he firmly refused to take the money, not yet the time to start collecting it. He couldn''t rush this; if he became hasty, everything would be ruined.


    ...


    At this point, Chen Miao was still in the 4S dealership.


    Everything was proceeding smoothly, without any hitches.


    The 4S dealership employees, with smiles stered across their faces, ordered the warehouse to roll out 10 ck sedans. At the same time, Chen Miao also reserved an extended cargo truck, with a carriage length of about seven meters.


    It would arrive in three days.


    This cargo truck was quite expensive, costing him around 1.2 million yuan.


    He had wanted to buy a cargo truck for a long time now, so that any group actions wouldn''t be so troublesome¡ªthe truck could carry all his people at once, plus a huge amount of ammunition.


    After all, with his Nothingness Space, he had a built-in production line that could store nearly limitless bullets, but his subordinates didn''t have this luxury. The bullets they could fit in the tenpartments of their backpacks would run out after just a few bursts of gunfire.


    After finishing all this, Chen Miao took Yuan Buping and others to an entertainment venue, not the one they had visitedst time.


    Daytime, but still open for business.


    Gorgeous women stood at the entrance, constantly casting seductive nces at passersby.


    "Umm... Miao..."


    Yuan Buping swallowed nervously, a bit awkwardly saying, "Actually, going back to the Eternal Cemetery for a nice meal can also count as a celebration; we don''t need to make such a big fuss."


    Chen Miao nced at Yuan Buping without saying a word, just smiling and gesturing with a wave of his hand for everyone to pile in.


    For him now, a day of fun wouldn''t cost much, but it could effectively reward his people.


    Which man doesn''t like ying with women?


    Especially this band of bachelors following him.


    ...


    "I''m not kidding, Hungry Monkey, can''t you go have your fun? Why keep watching me?"


    In a private room of the clubhouse, the embattled Yuan Buping looked somewhat helplessly at Hungry Monkey, who was leaning against the door smoking, and said, "You staring at me like that, it''s a lot of pressure."


    "No fun ying by myself."


    Hungry Monkey shook his head. Ever since Miao gave him that Taboo Item, he had lost all interest in women, even developing an intense disgust towards them. The side effects were really quite strong, and he needed to find someone to take over.


    "Finish up quickly. Once you''re done, I''ll give you this thing I have, and then it''ll be my turn."


    "Uh... okay."


    ...


    "Sir, she is the best girl we have here, extremely flexible. She can even put her legs behind her head, making her petite frame even more delicate," said the madam leading a girl to Chen Miao''s room, with a sycophantic smile as she introduced, "And she''s very enduring, sure to satisfy you."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao, shirtless and wearing disposable bathing trunks while lying on the bed, didn''t turn his head and just waved his hand, "I have a strong grip too, so go a bit harder."


    "Got it."


    After the madam left the room, the petite girl slowly set down her handbag on the floor, taking out mouthwash, essential oils, and various other tools from the bag. First, she massaged Chen Miao''s back with her hands, and then started an essential oil back rub after applying the oil to her hands.


    "How did you end up in this line of work?"


    The girl was slightly taken aback, then, with a habitual tremor in her voice that hinted at a sob, said, "I didn''t want to do this either. Ever since I was little, my mother betrayed my dad. When he found out, he almost beat her to death."


    "My mom abandoned us, ran away,"


    "Leaving just the three of us siblings and that father of ours who loved to drink."


    "After our mother left, our father began to despise us, hitting us every day when he was drunk, and forcing me to sell myself to earn living expenses for the family and school fees for my brother."


    "I..."


    The girl recited her speech as if she were giving a lecture, her emotions perfectly in ce.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    And Chen Miao cooperated wholeheartedly, falling into a deep sleep during the girl''s speech.


    He hadn''t slept at all the night before, and he had been running around all morning; he was indeed tired.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed.


    Chen Miao slowly woke up from his sleep to see the girl lying on top of him, rubbing against him, and saying with a satisfied smile, "That''s why I like your profession."


    Every time he couldn''t sleep,


    The pathetic stories these girls told were always able to help him fall asleep quickly, like listening to the nightly news broadcast¡ªit was a deep and peaceful sleep.


    "Okay,"


    Then he grabbed the girl''s braid, pulling her head up: "Stop sliding down, focus on my back."


    ...


    Another hourter.


    The girl sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly aggrieved, wrapped in a bedsheet, and whispered, "Why don''t you want me? Do you find me filthy?"


    "Really now,"


    Chen Miao, while putting on his clothes, said somewhat helplessly, "How can you ask such a questioncking professional ethic?"


    "I''m not dirty, I shower every day."


    "I''m tired, and I''m frail. Go on, I''m busy."


    ...


    Finally¡ª


    Just before dusk, Chen Miao returned to Eternal Cemetery with everyone, driving ten brand new ck sedans. The new day was about to end.


    After leaving the club, he took everyone for a grand meal, then gave each person ten thousand credit points to spend freely on shopping until dusk, when he gathered everyone back. The celebration was perfectly concluded.


    The performance of these people indeed merited a celebration.


    Sometimes, you really have to admit, there is a chain of cause and effect in this world.


    If he hadn''t met Yuan Buping, if he hadn''t chosen to help Yuan Buping be supernatural, if he hadn''t met Zhou Shen and chosen to help him be the Deputy Director of the Event Bureau, then when he entered the Hell Bus, maybe truly no one could have helped him.


    Hungry Monkey would have helped him.


    But with Hungry Monkey''s abilities, even finding the first person would have been difficult.


    If it weren''t for the resources of the Enforcement Bureau, trying to find one person in such a vast city would be like a wild goose chase.


    "We''re back."


    As Chen Miao and the others'' convoy entered Eternal Cemetery, the old man in the security booth with cloudy eyes also lifted his gaze to scan them, his voice raspy as he slowly said, "Your entourage seems to be gettingrger andrger."


    Chen Miao smiled without saying a word, just waving to signal the people behind him to take out the prepared items.


    Only to see Wen, apanied by two tall girls dressed in ck silk, walking over and soon, the girls sashayed into the security booth and copsed into the old man''s arms, boneless.


    "This is..."


    The old man froze on the spot, his previously indifferent eyes showing strong emotional turbulence for the first time. His whole body started to tremble visibly, and a sense of panic emanated from him.

 Chapter 148: Chapter 147: "A Dream Within a Dream?

    And he cast a plea for help with his eyes.


    It was quite apparent that the old man might really only remember that his task was to guard the tomb, and such needs had probably never crossed his mind.


    These two girls were indeed very dedicated, and they didn''t mind the old man''s somewhat stinky socks; they approached, knelt down on the ground, and used their mouths to help the old man take off his socks, an action that made his heart rate suddenly skyrocket.


    "It''s over..."


    Looking down at the two young girls in front of him, the old man murmured in a trance, "This is a sin, oh how could I do this, at my age corrupting you two young girls, this is a great sin."


    "No, no, you girls should go," he urged.


    Chen Miao smiled as he watched the situation in the guard room and again waved his hand, signaling Hungry Monkey and others to draw the curtains of the guard room so as not to disturb the old man''s family bliss.


    After all, they had guarded the cemetery for him for so long; they deserved some kind of gesture in return.


    He wasn''t worried that the old man would die from an overly high heart rate of excitement right there and then.


    Being a seasoned supernatural being, the old man''s physical condition was surely not poor. Could he really die just like that?


    ...


    After doing all this, Chen Miaoy back down in his own coffin, stretched his tired yet content body, and yawned. With the time difference corrected, it was time to descend into several secret realms tomorrow once he woke up.


    His level was still too low.


    Without venturing into secret realms, there was no way to gain experience. The rewards from the Hell Bus were generous, but it notablycked experience points.


    The experience given by major events was plentiful, but who knew when the next big event would ur.


    Level was still very important.


    This time, he had obtained several items, many of which were restricted by his level, and some were constrained by single-dimensional attributes of his body.


    Tomorrow he would see if he could perfectly clear two E-rank secret realms and give Nothingness Space a level up in the process.


    It''s worth mentioning¡ª


    His first D-rank item, "First Show of Sharpness," would be reimed in three days'' time because the second phase of the task was iplete. The task for the second stage was¡ªto enter the top 100 of any Fengtian City ranking within fourteen days.


    For him at the moment, it wasn''t too difficult a task.


    He had numerous ways toplete it.


    Whether it was perfectly clearing another secret realm or showcasing his truebat power in a Combat Power Evaluation Secret Realm, it would be quite easy to make it into the top 100 of either leaderboard.


    But looking at the magic staff in his hand, he always felt some helplessness.


    He had be ustomed to using this staff, but the preservation mechanism was truly disgusting. Supposedly, no one in the entire Federation had ever managed to permanently keep this item. The highest record was by someone from Jingjiu City who had upgraded it to S-rank.


    But that was all.


    Dozens of dayster, the person failed toplete the task to advance to SS-rank, causing the item to be reimed.


    The conditions to acquire this item were actually very strict: only after bing a supernatural entity and then perfectly clearing the first secret realm one encounters could one obtain it. Despite such stringent conditions, there were not a few who hadpleted them throughout the Federation; even Fengtian City had its fair share.


    Still, acquiring this item was the simplest step in the mission chain.


    What followed, how to preserve the item, was the real challenge of the task.


    With so many powerful families in Jingjiu City, none had managed topletely preserve this item to date. Was it because the subsequent preservation tasks were too difficult, or were those families simply unwilling?


    "..."


    Chen Miao, lying in the coffin, looked at the staff he held aloft in the air and had a premonition that if this item could really be kept forever, it might be a key in this world?


    Yes, a key.


    He always felt that this mission chain was not intended for yers to truly retain the item, after all, it was too difficult; hardly anyone could aplish it. It seemed more like a selection process, filtering out someone strong enough.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    And then to trigger some sort of mechanism.


    Lost in wild thoughts, Chen Miao drifted into a fuzzy sleep, and he seemed to dream of something soft licking his chest.


    It''s so good to have money.


    Chen Miao mumbled unconsciously in his sleep.


    ...


    The next day¡ª


    The familiar 2,000-lumen light bulb, the familiar way of waking up, Chen Miao opened his eyes expressionlessly and, after a quick wash, stretched and smoked his morning cigarette at the cemetery gate while checking the unread messages on his wristwatch.


    There were quite a few messages.


    The Fengtian City government was inviting him to make a trip.


    And they had moved up his one-on-one duel with Sang Biao to today.


    Messages like these indicated that he had to make a trip to the city today. If there was time in the afternoon, he could also visit a secret realm; if not, then his ns would have to be postponed again.


    ...


    An hourter.


    Yuan Buping, Hungry Monkey, Chen Miao, and Wen took a car to Zhou Shen''s office, where city leaders woulde to discuss matters with Chen Miao.


    "Miao."


    Zhou Shen took a box of AI pills from under the table and ced it on top, looking meaningfully at Chen Miao: "Do you know why these things are contraband?"


    "The rumors out there say it''s because they''re affecting the turnover of the federal-operated clubs. Isn''t that right?" Hungry Monkey spoke up in surprise: "But from what you said, it seems like there are other factors?"


    "That reason is part of it, but not all."


    Zhou Shen paused before he continued: "Remember, I told you some time ago that these things might be legalized over time, and even be used to increase Skill Proficiency in dreams?"


    "The real reason these things are banned is that they make it all too easy for people to blur the line between reality and dreams."


    "Let me ask you, if you''re a loner in real life with no connections, your job is not going well, and you have no love life, but in your dream, you are the king of the entire world, which would you choose to believe is the real world?"


    "Yes, most people would choose the second."


    "This leads many people to be lost in their dreams, especially when the cost of making AI pills is so cheap."


    "That''s the important reason for the ban, but that''s not the main thing I want to talk about today. Thetest news from Jingjiu City is what I''m going to tell you about next."


    Zhou Shen took a deep breath and said word by word: "We all know that in dreams, you can''t create something from nothing, and you can''t vite thews of physics; it''s like a reality where you can freely create."


    "But when those scientists who can make AI pills take one and enter their dreams, and they make a factory that can produce AI pills in the dream, and then they take another AI pill in the dream, do you know what happens?"


    "A dream within a dream?"


    Hungry Monkey was somewhat bewildered: "Dreaming in a dream? Are you saying the Federation already has people doing this? I don''t want to know the benefits of doing this, I''m just curious about the mindset of the first person to try it."

 Chapter 149: Chapter 148: Isnt This First One Easily Attainable?

    "Perhaps he was just curious,"


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "Actually, Jingjiu City had already invented the method to enter dreams using AI dream pills and improve skill proficiency experience in them quite some time ago."


    "But it was never promoted."


    "Because it wasn''t very significant, using sleep time at night to enhance strength couldn''t bring about a substantial increase inbat power, not to mention many wealthy people don''t like dreaming."


    "What they want can be achieved in reality."


    "But... until the discovery of the dream within a dream."


    "That is, the first person to create an AI dream pill in the dream and consume it."


    "He discovered that after taking an AI dream pill, one would enter ayer of dream where the flow of time is consistent with the outside world, but if one takes another AI dream pill in the dream, they will enter a secondyer of dream where the time flow ratio to the outside world is 10:1."


    "That means if you enter the secondyer of a dream, you''re only asleep for 8 hours outside, but you''ve actually spent 80 hours in the dream, and all of these 80 hours are spent increasing skill proficiency, which can significantly enhance yourbat power."


    "Wow..."


    Startled, Hungry Monkey touched his nose and murmured, "Have to say, scientists sure are scientists. When I entered the dream, I never thought of these things at all. Then again, would you think about these things in a world where you can create freely?"


    "I have a question."


    Chen Miao, who had been silent since entering Zhou Shen''s office and now sitting in the chair, lit a cigarette and put it to his lips, asked with interest, "ording to you, if one swallows another AI dream pill in the secondyer of the dream, is it possible to enter a thirdyer?"


    "That''s correct."


    Zhou Shen pushed the ashtray on the table towards Chen Miao and spoke with a serious expression, "The time flow ratio of the thirdyer to the outside world is 100:1, which means if you sleep for one day outside, you have actually spent 100 days in the dream."


    "Can you imagine someone you couldn''t beat yesterday, suddenly bing extremely strong after just one day?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "However, thisyer is more dangerous, as it can cause some damage to the human brain, and 100 days is too long. Once you forget that you''re dreaming, you''ll be trapped in your own dream forever."


    "By the thirdyer, your control over your dream decreases significantly, as your subconscious starts to take over your dreamscape, constructing it to be almost identical to reality, making you believe you are living in the real world. Once you forget you''re in a dream, you won''t be able to wake up."


    "Is there a fourthyer?" Hungry Monkey asked curiously, "Or is the thirdyer the limit?"


    "There is..."


    Zhou Shen fell silent for a while before speaking, "The time flow ratio of the fourthyer to the outside world is estimated to be 10,000:1, possibly even higher. ording to experiments, the Federation sent a total of more than 5,000 people to the fourthyer of the dream."


    "If the experiment is sessful, it means that in one night, a supernatural being''s skill proficiencies can all be maximized."


    "But unfortunately, the experiment failed."


    "None of these 5,000 people ever woke up; they all became vegetative. The scientists concluded that the fourthyer is a worldpletely constructed by the subconscious, identical to the real world. But upon falling into the fourthyer, it''s as if waking up from one''s own bed,pletely unable to realise one''s actually in a dream."


    "Let alone starting to improve one''s proficiency."


    "Until they slowly aged in the dream, and then suffered brain death in the real world."


    "But I believe there must be a way; it just hasn''t been revealed. Miao, do you know what it would mean if this problem were to be ovee?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s expression remained calm, and after a long pause, he suddenlyughed, "It means that we ''Tomb Guardians'', no matter what, must get this method at any cost."


    The Tomb Guardians'' faction effect allows for unlimited skill proficiency.


    If given a time flow ratio of 10,000:1, allowing them to increase their skill proficiency without restraint in the dream, it would mean that as long as they could wake up sessfully, each of their powers would greatly increase."


    "That''s correct."


    Zhou Shen nodded firmly, "But that''s not the most important thing. The reason I am telling you this so seriously, Miao, is to let you know if the Tomb Guardians'' faction effect were to be exposed, and those people from Jingjiu City found out..."


    "And it''s after confirming that AI dream pills can increase skill proficiency, do you know what they would do?"


    "They would, like you, stop at nothing to acquire your faction effect; with our current strength, we simply cannot withstand those Jingjiu City powerhouses. Therefore, our most important task at this stage is to keep it secret, not to reveal the Tomb Guardians'' faction effect to anyone."


    "Once it''s exposed, it will be a cmity."


    Chen Miao nodded, signaling that he understood. So far, there were no extraneous people among the Tomb Guardians, and he trusted them all; he had long since told them to keep silent. The only concern was a ck Doctor from Broken Pot City whom he had never met and did not know well.


    He immediately sent a message to Doctor Gou, asking him to check out the ck Doctor''s background, and if necessary, for the sake of security, to take him out first.


    Afterward, he shook his head with a sigh of resignation, "10,000:1, one day in reality is 27 years in a dream. If one were to live for 27 years in a dream, even if they were to wake up, would they still be able to distinguish between reality and dream?"


    "Especially when the dream, constructed by the subconscious, is identical to reality."


    "Even if it''s possible to distinguish, would they still be willing to ept that reality is indeed reality?"


    "The side effects are too great, very easily leading to the loss of oneself, not worth the risk."


    "For the time being, that''s the case."


    Zhou Shen nodded, "This challenge is still in the conquering stage, but once it is conquered, it''s predictable that the powerhouses of Jingjiu City might erupt with an unprecedented frenzy for AI pills."


    Just at that moment¡ª


    There were knocking sounds from outside the office.


    Zhou Shen hurriedly got up to open the door, but before he took more than a few steps, he saw a middle-aged man with graying temples walk into the office, apanied by some men in simple clothing.


    He waved his hand to indicate Zhou Shen should sit down.


    Then he took a seat next to Chen Miao, catching his breath for a few moments before turning his head to look at Chen Miao and revealing a quite amiable smile, "Young man, you look quite impressive."


    "You need to defeat Sang Biao today and then be the representative for Fengtian City, in a month you''ll represent Fengtian City in the City-State Competition."


    "A total of 128 main cities will participate in the City-State Competition,st year Fengtian City''s ranking was 119th."


    "As long as you rank higher thanst year, you will still be Fengtian City''s representative next year, and all kinds of resources from Fengtian City will tilt in your favor, including informational resources, material resources, and political resources."


    "If you can enter the top 100, you will receive great respect in Fengtian City."


    "If... if by chance you make it into the top 80, Fengtian City will grant you the right to legally kill and the position of honorary mayor."


    "In short, the higher your ranking, the more Fengtian City will give you. Even if Fengtian has been somewhat inconspicuous in the federation in recent years, it is still one of the 128 main cities of the federation, a skinny camel is ultimately bigger than a horse, you won''t be treated poorly."


    "As long as you make Fengtian City famous."


    "All the foundation that Fengtian City has umted over the years will be your foundation, Chen Miao."


    "As the mayor of Fengtian City, you can trust my word."


    "Is that all?"


    The Hungry Monkey sitting aside raised an eyebrow, "Won''t mention the reward for taking first ce? The highest mentioned only goes to the top 80? Sounds like you''re not holding Miao in very high regard."


    The Hungry Monkey was overflowing with confidence in Miao, believing that if Miao didn''te first in the City-State Competition, it would only be because Miao let it happen.


    "First ce?"


    The elder, who was ready to leave, paused. Seeing that the expression on Hungry Monkey''s face did not appear to be joking, and Chen Miao was just quietly drinking tea with a suddenly upturned corner of his mouth, he chuckled.


    "Interesting."


    Casually picking up Chen Miao''s cigarette case from the table, he took out a cigarette and lit it against his apanying doctor''s advice, and took a satisfying deep inhale before speaking with significant implication.


    "Not to mention first ce, if... if it''s really possible to make it into the top ten."


    "You ''Tomb Guardians'' can go anywhere in this city; you''ll be... the new emperor of Fengtian City."


    "But perhaps you should have a look at the previous City-State Competitions, it''s not child''s y; these are the strongest candidates from the younger generations of each city, each one a prodigy."


    "They have so many trump cards that you can''t even count them all."


    "The difficulty of reaching the top ten is akin to making Fengtian City into a central federal city like Jingjiu City."


    "But it''s always good for young people to have vitality and sharpness."


    "As long as you rank well enough, Fengtian City will definitely give you a lot."


    Having said that,


    the elder stubbed out the barely-smoked cigarette in the ashtray, patted Hungry Monkey on the shoulder with augh, and left the office, swift and concise. From beginning to end, there was no superfluous chitchat or official jargon, just some promises given to Chen Miao before leaving.


    Perhaps in the mayor''s mind, a promise made in person carried more weight, more worthy of trust.


    ...


    "So..."


    After the mayor left, Hungry Monkey, suddenly undermined by the mayor''s parting words, tentatively looked at Chen Miao, "Miao, first ce shouldn''t be a problem, right? I feel that with you personally taking action, isn''t first ce within easy reach?"


    "If we really must, we''ll obtain the list of representatives from the other city-states."


    "Then, before the City-State Competition begins, we''ll find them one by one for a roundup? By the time only you, Miao, are left in the City-State Competition, wouldn''t that naturally make you the first ce?"


    "..."


    Zhou Shen was speechless and gave Hungry Monkey a look, "Feeling unsure now? You were so arrogant just moments ago, I almost thought you were Miao. Do you know how many years in a row Jingjiu City has been in first ce?"


    "To this day, no one has been able to snatch first ce from the hands of Jingjiu City."


    "Remember that."


    "No one! Ever!"


    "Over these many years, there was only one time when Jingjiu City didn''t im first ce in the City-State Competition, and that first ce went to a dog."

 Chapter 150: Chapter 149: "Is the dog you mentioned called Wen Xi?

    "A dog?"


    Chen Miao unconsciously looked towards the Bee King Sniper Rifle in his backpack, the silencer essory attached to this sniper rifle was given to him by a dog on the Hell Bus, and this person had even won first ce in the city-statepetition?


    He hadn''t seemed that skilled on the Hell Bus.


    Apart from being fast, there weren''t any other notable traits.


    He had this person as a friend; towards the end of the Hell Bus journey, the person had given him an item he obtained from the Rainbow Box during the first challenge. His friends'' list showed the dog was named "Wen Xi."


    "Is the dog you mentioned named Wen Xi?"


    "No."


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "That dog''s name is Wen Shen. It''s just that after winning the first ce in the city-statepetition, he didn''t shine as brightly as the world expected; instead, he vanished without a trace, and no one knew where he had gone."


    "I see..."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully. They were both dogs, and the name was simr too. Could the Wen Xi he met be the son of Wen Shen? Could an entire family have the Roaring Heavenly Dog as their hidden upation?


    It should be a child born before he became a dog, right? After turning into a dog, he should be considered sterile.


    Just then¡ª


    "I need to step out for a bit."


    Zhou Shen''s expression changed slightly as he grabbed the clothes off the chair and looked at Chen Miao for instructions, "A special event has urred, a new taboo item has been born. A child has insomnia, screaming every night that he can''t sleep, yelling for a superhero toy to protect him as he sleeps."


    "After his parents agreed, they bought him a monster toy the next day, saying monsters were cheaper. The child was then terrified by the fierce-looking monster and couldn''t sleep even more, so he threw the monster toy under the bed."


    "His mother then bought him a philosophy book, hoping that the child would feel sleepy while reading philosophy and thus fall asleep faster. However, the child threw it under the bed too, as he didn''t understand it."


    "Later, the parents bought many things to solve the child''s insomnia; all ended up under the bed."


    "The child has autism and doesn''tmunicate at all besides crying; the whole family atmosphere is also very autistic. It was not until today, when he saw his father and mother arguing, that the father picked up a firefighter''s axe and chopped his mother to death, that the childpletely broke down emotionally and hid in a corner, sobbing loudly."


    "The noise was too loud."


    "Afraid of being discovered and arrested, and always despising his autistic, nonmunicative, crying child, the father grabbed the firefighter''s axe and prepared to silence his son."


    "At that moment¡ª"


    "A monster, well-read in philosophy, wielding a long de, slowly crawled out from under the bed, stood in front of the child, and chopped the father to death. It is currently taking the child out of the city, causing many deaths along the way. I need to quickly lead a team to retrieve this taboo item."


    "..."


    The Hungry Monkey spoke with an increasingly bizarre expression, "Uh... does this taboo item seem to have its own consciousness? So, is the actual taboo item a monster toy, or the philosophically knowledgeable kind?"


    "That''s right."


    Zhou Shen spoke with a bit of urgency, "It belongs to the category of summoned taboo items, which are also the most difficult to deal with because this kind of taboo items can''t be owned by anyone. Once theye into being, they are already bound to their master."


    "Like this taboo item, it''s already bound to its young master. Apart from being killed, there is no possibility of retrieval."


    "Normally, the deputy director should handle such matters, but since we do not have a new deputy director at the moment, I must personally take charge. The situation is urgent, so I''ll go ahead."


    Having said that, Zhou Shen draped his clothes on and ran outside with long strides.


    "Hey, what about the kid?"


    The Hungry Monkey suddenly thought of something and shouted loudly.


    "Kill him too."


    Zhou Shen''s fading voice came faintly from the distance.


    ...


    "Hmm."


    Hungry Monkey, with one hand in his pocket, leaned against the office desk and touched his nose as he muttered, "That''s really cruel. What did the autistic kid do wrong to deserve being killed just like that? It''s quite strange, this world, where even monsters that are well-versed in philosophy appear."


    "Pretty interesting."


    "Speaking of which, wasn''t that monster bought by his dad? Logically speaking, shouldn''t it be protecting his dad?"


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Miao shook his head without saying much more and prepared to return to the cemetery. His mission had been aplished: he''d had a core exchange with the government team of Fengtian City and then there was not much else of importance.


    And then there was the one-on-one duel with Sang Biao this afternoon.


    He woulde back in the afternoon for that.


    The duel was supposed to be in the Secret Realm Building.


    However, at that moment¡ª


    A notification sound suddenly rang in the ears of all the citizens of Fengtian City.


    ''Ding, a random event "boss siege" will appear in Fengtian City''s Sankui Wastnd in 3 hours.''


    ''All yers, please be prepared.''


    ''The yer who deals the most damage to the boss andnds the final blow will receive a special reward.''


    ''PS: There are 2 bosses this time, sister bosses, with the name "Evil Medusa".''


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Miao raised an eyebrow, just about to say something when he saw a message forwarded in his friends'' channel from Zhou Shen.


    The gist of it was that the one-on-one duel he and Sang Biao were supposed to have this afternoon was canceled.


    There were two bosses in this boss siege, and he and Sang Biao would each take one; whoever killed their boss faster would be selected.


    Simple and straightforward.


    Chen Miao naturally had no objections. He wouldn''t even need to make another trip to Fengtian City; it would all be wrapped up right at the Sankui Wastnd on his doorstep.


    Besides, the boss was female... he had been eager to test the power of his sniper rifle but had regretted not having the opportunity. This time he could give it a try.


    ...


    In a corner of Fengtian City.


    Sang De, with an emotionless face, put back into his pocket a newly activated item. After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out a smile as he looked towards Sang Biao, whose body was fully mechanized, and cheerfully said,


    "Sess, Fengtian City agreed to cancel the duel, and we''ll decide who will represent Fengtian City based on who kills the boss faster."


    "But I''ve always felt you could definitely beat him in a duel. Can''t you really beat him in a one-on-one fight?"


    "..."


    After a long silence, Sang Biao lowered his head, the mechanical red light in his pupils flickering. It was some time before he replied in a raspy, machine-like voice, "I can''t stop it. I''ve studied hisbat footage, and his Thompson submachine gun has a firing rate of twenty thousand rounds per second."


    "In someplicated battle environments, I could still think of some strategies, but in the smaller space of the ring, as soon as he fires, I''d have no choice but to charge forward head-on. I stand no chance in a firefight with him."


    "Alright then."


    Sang De nodded, then patted Sang Biao''s shoulder with a smile saying, "Rx, the boss for this random event has been carefully selected by us and fits perfectly with your Strength."


    "The Medusa boss has a ssic passive ability, which is immunity to all ''Damage Energy Coefficient 50'' and below. Sure, Chen Miao''s Thompson submachine gun fires fast, but it''s no use if the damage is too low."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 151: Chapter 150: "Wow... its so big.

    "The Thompson Submachine Gun has a damage energy coefficient between 6-15, nowhere near enough to prate defenses," he said. "Even with enhancements, but the highest it can go is 30, so there''s definitely no way it can prate defenses as of now."


    "Bro, don''t forget he bought a blueprint for a Gatling at the auction," his brother reminded him.


    "Heh."


    Sang De snorted contemptuously, "You''re in the Gunman Profession yourself. Don''t you know? The initial damage energy coefficient of a Gatling is only 20-30. Without enhancements, there''s absolutely no chance of prating defenses."


    "So what if it''s enhanced? Could it be stronger than yours?" his brother prodded. "Your Gatling has a special firearm skin and has been enhanced for quite a long time."


    "Don''t worry, you''re definitely going to win this time," he reassured. "But after you win, some faces in the Fengtian City Government team might not look too good. But don''t worry about it; I''ll handle these matters."


    "You just need to focus on beating Chen Miao and take down that boss before him as quickly as possible," he continued.


    "Hm."


    Sang Biao nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly asked, "Bro, has the Chi Family abandoned us?"


    "No."


    Sang De shook his head, "You don''t need to worry about these things. Matters concerning the Chi Family areplicated; you need not concern yourself with them. But indeed, the Chi Family is trying to get closer to Chen Miao. Leave these matters to me, okay?"


    ...


    Outside of Sankui Wastnd.


    At this time, many people had gathered here, including representatives from the Fengtian City Government team, delegates from various powers such as the Chi Family and the ck Hand Gang, and staff from the Enforcement Bureau and Events Bureau to maintain order at the scene and to clean up any mess afterward.


    And then there were the important figures of this random event.


    Sang Biao and Chen Miao.


    Right now, Sang Biao was sitting among a bunch of staff members who were continuously applying lubricant to his mechanical prosthesis and stuffing ammunition into the magazines inside his body, evidently preparing for the uing battle.


    As for Chen Miao''s side...


    There was no sign of anyone present.


    A group sat in their recently purchased ck sedan, watching a movie projected in mid-air from the car''s system.


    "Not bad,"


    Chen Miaomented with a smile, "The money was well spent. Not only can we watch a movie in the car, but we can also turn on the heater. It''s warm and cozy, not cold at all."


    At this point, winter had set in, with snow having fallen just yesterday, and today was the coldest time.


    On the Sankui Wastnd, there was nothing to block the wind, and the cold wind on the face felt like a knife''s edge. It was much morefortable in the car.


    This must be the meaning of earning money.


    Today was December 1.


    The City-State Competition would start on January 1 next year, a month away.


    Then, Zhou Shen, cold as ice, opened the sedan''s back door and climbed in, blowing on his hands, "I couldn''t catch up. That ''Taboo Item'' ran away. The monster, with its little master, raced towards the outskirts."


    "They kept going until they reached the jurisdiction of Gaobei City, then I stopped pursuing."


    "Couldn''t catch up?"


    Hungry Monkey looked at Zhou Shen in surprise. "Can''t be, can it? Is the Events Bureau really that weak? You can''t even catch a Taboo Item? Is the Taboo Item Rank very high?"


    "Don''t know."


    Zhou Shen shook his head. "I don''t know its rank or what abilities it has. I couldn''t even see its stats. All I know is it''s a summoning-type Taboo Item, the master is an autistic little boy, but beyond that, I''ve got no clue. Anyway, it''s run off to Gaobei City''s territory now, so what happens next is no longer my concern¡ªlet the Gaobei City Events Bureau handle it."


    "By the way, Miao, I''ve already heard on my way here that the duel with Sang Biao has changed its form. Are you confident?"


    As he spoke, Zhou Shen sent a bestiary to Chen Miao through his wristwatch: "I have information on variousmon bosses here. This Medusa boss often appears with her sisters."


    "Their distinctive feature is immunity to all sources of damage with an ''Energy Coefficient below 50''."


    "And after killing either the sister or the elder sister, the other Medusa boss will enter an enraged final state, significantly increasing her strength."


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the boss bestiary sent by Zhou Shen. Immune to all sources of damage with an energy coefficient below 50? He smelled a hint of being targeted; his Thompson submachine gun was always known for scratching quickly, though lightly.


    Even though he sensed being targeted, he didn''t take it to heart.


    He simply nodded nonchntly and said, "Pretty good."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Pretty good?"


    Zhou Shen didn''t know what he meant by ''pretty good'' and just as he was about to speak, a deafening roar suddenly came from a distance.


    Two gigantic bosses emerged out of nowhere.


    The countdown had ended.


    One with a height of seven meters, the other six meters, both bosses emerged together, their features quite nice to look at, but perhaps due to their overlyrge faces, there was a sense of terror.


    Their eyes were blood-red, and each strand of hair had turned into a snake. Countless snakes waved in the wind behind the two bosses, hissing continuously, creating an extremely creepy scene.


    Their clothes were tattered and worn.


    Their pale skin showed through, with hints of revealing more than intended.


    Both bosses were unarmed, their fingernails blue and extremely long, suggesting that their nails were their weapons.


    "Wow... they''re so big."


    Sitting in the car, Hungry Monkey''s gaze slowly moved down from the mass of snakes on Medusa''s head, eventuallynding on the tattered clothes, and he murmured, "My god... what would it feel like to touch them."


    "If we took those two hemispheres off, they''d probably make a very bouncy trampoline at Eternal Cemetery."


    "They do seem very bouncy."


    "Miao, leave a whole corpse, let me study itter."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen nced expressionlessly at Hungry Monkey, feeling certain that there was something not quite right in his head. Wouldn''t a normal person''s first reaction upon seeing this boss be to consider how to deal with it?


    Before Chen Miao even stepped out of the car.


    Sang Biao had already rushed in first, with the Gatling gun embedded in his arm showing no hesitation, targeting the six-meter-tall boss and opening fire. These two bosses were sister bosses; the elder was stronger, the younger slightly weaker.


    Whoever gained the upper hand first would force the opponent to face the weaker sister.


    Sang Biao sneered with contempt in his heart, clearly thinking that Chen Miao, who was still posing inside the car, hadn''t realized thepetition had already begun. But soon, he noticed something was amiss.


    At this moment, no one else around made a move.


    He was the only one firing.


    All the hostility of the two bosses had been attracted to him, and now they both furiously and fiercely charged towards him; feeling a chill on his back, Sang Biao instantly activated the thrusters on his legs, propelling himself into the air.


    Barely escaping disaster, he let out a long sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

 Chapter 152: Chapter 151: "Just One Day.

    ```


    Afterward, he turned angrily toward the ck sedan where Chen Miao was, and bellowed, "Chen Miao, don''t y these little tricks, do you think bying outter, you could make both bosses attack me and exhaust my means of attack?"


    "The government team in Fengtian City isn''t stupid, do you think they can''t see through your little tricks?"


    "Do you n to go to the City-State Competition, still relying on these little tricks?"


    As his voice fell.


    Many people around also looked at the ck sedan of Chen Miao in unison, evidently, the audience gathered here quite agreed with Sang Biao''s words; not showing himself and letting Sang Biao face the attack of the two bosses alone did seem a bit scheming.


    And at this moment¡ª¡ª


    Chen Miao, dressed in a tweed coat and wearing a newsboy cap, walked down from the ck sedan with a cane and stood in the Sankui Wastnd. He nced around before turning his gaze to the two massive bosses not far away.


    His expression appeared somewhatzy.


    As if he had just woken up, there was none of the tension or excitement one would expect before a big battle.


    "This six-meter-tall one was the opponent I picked first; your opponent is the seven-meter-tall one."


    As Chen Miao got out of the ck sedan, Sang Biao quickly spoke up, "Don''t get it wrong, otherwise it''s you who breaks the rules first, and breaking the rules counts as a forfeit."


    "Oh."


    Chen Miao nodded indifferently, put away his cane, and pulled out his Bee King Sniper Rifle, which immediately drew everyone''s attention with its appearance¡ªa mix of dominance and uniqueness.


    The colorful light shing off the firearm was a bit too dazzling.


    He was here today to make a name for himself, so he didn''t turn off the firearm''s glow but instead disyed the colorful light produced by the unique Firearm Skin "Taotie".


    After pulling out the sniper rifle, he didn''t aim and shoot.


    He simply used the sniper rifle as a cane, walking slowly towards the seven-meter-tall boss. As if sensing Chen Miao''s challenge, Medusa''s Elder Sister immediately turned her head to look at Chen Miao who had joined the battlefield.


    With a ferocious expression, she turned and charged toward Chen Miao!


    "Be careful!"


    Someone in the crowd couldn''t help but exim, as in that state of Chen Miao, many spectators thought he might not have woken up fully, not realizing the danger.


    Chen Miao ignored the reaction of the crowd, simply standing in ce and stopping his steps, looking calmly at Medusa''s Elder Sistering toward him, the seven-plus meters height giving a sense of oppression akin to a machine gun.


    Just as she was about to reach him, and the audience had their hearts in their throats.


    Chen Miao turned around.


    Chen Miao suddenly ignored Medusa charging directly at him and, while the creature''s ws were swinging in mid-air about to hit his head, he suddenly turned to the surrounding people, showed a friendly smile, and casually hoisted the sniper rifle onto his shoulder.


    The muzzle was pointed squarely at the back of Medusa''s Elder Sister''s head.


    Just as that w was about to smash into Chen Miao''s head, the crowd couldn''t help but let out cries of rm, even Zhou Shen inside the car was preparing toe to the rescue, his expression fraught with urgency.


    The next second¡ª¡ª


    "Bang."


    Amidst the continuous and rapid gunfire from Sang Biao''s Gatling, a slightly crisp gunshot suddenly broke through, and shes of gunfire streaked across the sniper rifle on Chen Miao''s shoulder, plumes of gunsmoke rising.


    Then they saw the seven-meter-tall Medusa boss''s body suddenly stiffen in mid-air, and the w about to smash Chen Miao''s head froze a meter away.


    The boss''s health bar nearly darkened in an instant,pletely depleted.


    Subsequently, under the incredulous gaze of everyone, Medusa''s Elder Sister, so imposing just moments before, fell heavily to the ground, a fist-sized hole in her forehead from which blood steadily oozed.


    "Ding, Fengtian City announcement."


    "Congrattions to Fengtian City for sessfully solving the ''boss siege'' random event, with one Medusa killed. The yer who inflicted the most damage is Chen Miao, dealing 100£¥ of the damage, and the yer whonded the final blow is Chen Miao, dealing 100£¥ of the damage."


    "Ding, it has been detected that this is the first time in Fengtian City''s history that a siege boss has been fatally struck by a yer in one hit, thus a special reward is given¡ªa ssless Common Skill, ''Fatal Strike''."


    Only when the announcement resounded did people truly confirm one thing: Medusa was indeed dead, truly killed by Chen Miao with a single shot.


    As Medusa''s body fell and kicked up arge cloud of dust, Chen Miao, still holding his cane, emerged from the dust, unblemished and with calm expression, giving the crowd a smile before heading toward his ck sedan.


    Without any hesitation, the vehicle started and drove off into the distance.


    From start to finish, he didn''t speak to anyone, stayed in the car the whole time, only came down for ten seconds, and fired just one shot.


    The match was over.


    ```


    With that shot, thepetition came to a decisive end without any suspense.


    "Chen Miao won."


    In the crowd, Chi Qiu, who had cheered for Chen Miao, was shocked to his core by the scene in front of him, standing there for a long time before he could recover. Finally, with a slight movement in his throat, he turned to Ke Gou beside him, "You''ve seen a thing or two in your time, though I''ve never asked in detail, I know you have a story."


    "In your experience, is it normal for a boss of Medusa''s caliber to be one-shotted with a single bullet?"


    "Not normal."


    Ke Gou shook his head firmly, "This Medusa boss is level 19, and even though she hasn''t reached level 20 and can''t exhibit Medusa''s full abilities, she''s definitely not a weak presence. It''s normal that she couldn''t beat Chen Miao."


    "Although Chen Miao is only level 14, after all, he''s a top-tier character. For someone like him, taking down a boss a few levels above him is quite simple and nothing unusual. But to one-shot with a bullet is a bit absurd."


    "That sniper rifle, though it''s undergone significant cosmetic changes, I can still tell that it''s the ''Bee King Sniper Rifle''."


    "It''s not even an upational weapon for a gunman, and it hasn''t been upgraded at all, it''s in a +0 state."


    "The stats for this gun are easily found online, with a damage energy coefficient of 80-100, which puts it among the more powerful weapons, especially since sniper rifles are known for their high damage."


    "But that''s all there is to it."


    "Even if the damage energy coefficient were 10,000, it wouldn''t be feasible for one shot to kill Medusa, and since this gun shows no signs of enhancements, there''s only one possibility."


    "Chen Miao must possess a number of skills or items that could amplify the damage of the firearm in his hands, resulting in this bullet''s damage reaching an incredibly terrifying level, enough to take down Medusa in one shot."


    "For an ordinary gunman, these kinds of skills and items that boost the power of firearms are extremely rare and precious. It seems Chen Miao has more than one in his possession, and they''re the kind that can stack without conflicting with each other, so the value of these amplifying items just skyrocketed."


    "Besides..."


    "All right, no need to exin further."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Chi Qiu murmured in shock, "I get it. It means Miao is even more incredible than before. And there''s Sang Biao still going ''tat tat'' over there. The match is already over, and he''s still shooting away."


    "Uh... why is Sang Biao suddenly crying for help?"


    With the death of Medusa''s Elder Sister, Medusa''s Sister entered a frenzied final state, swinging a multitude of snake tails from the back of her head and spewing darkish gray fog that engulfed Sang Biao, continuously corroding his mechanical prosthesis.


    The speed of her w swipes grew faster as well.


    Sang Biao, who had initially frozen up upon seeing Chen Miao one-shot the boss, was now caught off guard by the strengthened opponent and found himself without the ability to fight back, fleeing in panic and even crying out for help, in a most embarrassing plight.


    Members of the Events Bureau exchange nces and began to close in. This was why they hade, to clean up the mess, and it was their job to handle these matters.


    ...


    "Zhou Shen."


    Inside the ck sedan, Hungry Monkey looked at Zhou Shen with a heavy heart, "Among the Tomb Guardians, I am considered an elder, and I even share a tomb chamber with Miao. Sometimes, you see, the wind by my ear might just be quite useful."


    "What do you think?"


    "If you want to have a good future with the Tomb Guardians, you can''t overlook someone like me."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen remained expressionless and silent for a while before reluctantly speaking, "That''s impossible. The boss''s corpses decay, and usually, we gather them for cremation after the battle ends, storing them for up to three days at most. After three days, they start to rot; even in winter, the storage time is only slightly longer."


    "If we don''t take care of such arge boss''s corpse quickly, the decay could be serious. Not to mention the stench alone is unbearable, let alone the variousplicated bacteria that are hard to deal with."


    "Understood."


    With a serious nod, Hungry Monkey replied, "I won''t make it difficult for you, but I am genuinely curious. So how about this, just bring it over for me to y with for a day. I won''t do anything else; I''m just curious."


    "Just for a day."


    "After one day, you can have someone haul it away to be burnt or cremated, or whatever is necessary. I''m lowering my posture this much; you have to give me this much face, right?"


    Inside the car, Yuan Buping nced up at Hungry Monkey, thinking it odd. Had Hungry Monkey been watching some TV dramately, for even this manner of self-referencing toe out?


    "Sigh."


    Zhou Shen nced at Chen Miao, who sat pretend-sleeping in the passenger seat without saying a word, and realized that Miao was tacitly allowing Hungry Monkey''s ridiculous behavior. After hesitating for a long time, he finally caved in, "Fine, then. I''ll bring it overter, and I''ll take it away tomorrow night."


    "But Hungry Monkey, you really can''t mess around. So far, the Federation hasn''t figured out these kinds of boss corpses, and there could be contagious diseases. Most of those diseases are spread through, well, you know. If you do that thing, then probably, you know, it won''t be good if you end up having to, you know."


    "Rest assured."


    Hungry Monkey rolled his eyes at Zhou Shen, irritated, "I''m not insane to that extent. I''m just curious. I''ve never seen a seven-foot tall woman in real life, I just want to touch her and see what it feels like."

 Chapter 153: Chapter 152: As long as it hits, it will definitely cause damage.

    Zhou Shen agreed; as long as Hungry Monkey didn''t mess around, everything would be fine. In fact, even if Hungry Monkey did create some sort of contagious disease, it could be contained quickly and not spread widely throughout Fengtian City.


    The world had been supernaturalized for so long that the Federation surely had the means to handle such situations.


    It was just that, in case Hungry Monkey caused any trouble, he was worried Miao would kill him for it.


    Having moved on from that matter, he had yet to recover from the shock of the moment, and it was only after a slight movement in his throat that he turned to look at the Miao sitting on the passenger seat, "Miao, that shot just now..."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded, not borating further, as it was quite normal for that shot to have instantly taken out the boss.


    The damage amplification from the silencer, the boost from the unique Firearm Skin ''Taotie'', the active skill of the D-ss Phoenix Sniper Rifle, the enhancement from the mad Taboo Item of a loved one, among others.


    With all these enhancements, his first bullet had already reached an extremely formidable level of power.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Normally speaking.


    If the base Damage Energy Coefficient were 10 and there were two damage amplification skills, each increasing it by tenfold.


    Then the final Damage Energy Coefficient after firing would be 200.


    The amplification is done on the base Damage Energy Coefficient and then summed up at the end.


    However, his amplification skills were applied on top of the previous Energy Coefficient that had already been amplified.


    With the same base Damage Energy Coefficient of 10 and two tenfold amplifying skills, his final Damage Energy Coefficient after firing would be 1000.


    The difference between addition and multiplication.


    It''s like night and day.


    This entirely depended on luck; some damage skills would conflict and result in addition, while others would multiply if they didn''t interfere with each other, and as it happened, all of his damage amplification skills worked together without conflict.


    This led to the urrence of such an exaggerated scene.


    A level 19 Medusa boss, taken out with a single shot, what else is there to say.


    Had it been any male boss, he might have faced some difficulty, but it just happened to be a female boss. There was nothing else to say; he had been favored by fate, with Lady Luck on his side.


    Chen Miao, sitting on the passenger seat, chuckled softly, grabbed a bag of Chips Chips chips from in front of him, tore it open, and took out a chip to eat, saying he just liked such coincidences.


    If he were to fire another shot now, he might be able to take out a male boss as well.


    ''Skill Name'': Fatal Strike.


    ''Skill Level'': ssless.


    ''Skill Restriction'': No upational restrictions, universal for all professions.


    ''Skill Effect'': If you have not attacked within three hours, your first attack will definitely be a critical hit, causing a 300% damage amplification and this attack deals true damage, ignoring any defenses.


    It ignores all defenses, including physical immunity, fire element immunity, water element immunity, spiritual body immunity, and so on.


    As long as it hits, it is guaranteed to cause damage.


    -


    This skill was a ssless Common Skill awarded to him after he defeated the boss, a passive skill. As for its effects, he could only say he was very satisfied, his lips uncontrobly curving upward.


    It was also a damage amplification skill.


    If the first bullet were a Thomson, there actually wouldn''t be much impressive performance, as his submachine gun didn''t have any damage amplification skills, and its main damage came from the sheer number of bullets. Although not highly damaging, the fire rate of twenty thousand rounds per second, like a torrent of steel, could shatter anything in the world.


    But if the first bullet was from a sniper rifle.


    Then the effect would bepletely different.


    From now on he could rename himself the ''Female Boss Nemesis'', as basically no female boss could survive his hands alive, don''t look at it as just a small threefold increase, this was on top of all the other amplifications he already had.


    Meaning, on top of the damage he did to that boss with that one shot, there was another threefold increase.


    And it ignored any defense, as long as he fired, damage would be dealt.


    This also meant that even when facing some bosses that could only be killed with elemental attacks, he could still kill them with one shot, like the female ghost boss in the Hell Bus that could only be killed with skills that inflicted damage on spiritual bodies.


    At that time, he had no means to do so.


    But if it were now, he would finish her with a single shot.


    "Bang."


    The gunshot rang out, game over.


    Easy.


    ...


    It was only after Chen Miao and the others had already returned to the Eternal Cemetery that the notification of thest Medusa''s Sister being killed btedly came.


    "No one died."


    Zhou Shen looked at the report from his subordinates, "Thebat power of Medusa went up a notch after she went berserk, but the Events Bureau has a lot of experience in dealing with these bosses, only a few were injured. I heard that Sang Biao, distracted and not evading in time, got his chest cavity ripped open by one of Medusa''s ws."


    "Even though he''s all mechanical prosthesis, that w can''t kill him."


    "But to rece his chest will cost quite a sum, and it knocked Sang Biao out with pain. I guess he won''t be hopping around for the next few days, and he won''t have any more chances to hop around in the future."


    "Pain?"


    Getting out of the car, Hungry Monkey looked at Zhou Shen in surprise, "His whole body''s turned into a hunk of iron, and he can still feel pain? Are you serious?"


    "Mhm."


    Zhou Shen said seriously, "When Sang Biao chose his mechanical prosthesis, he chose one that could feel pain, and the pain perception level was three times that of a normal person. With the same injury, his pain would be even more severe."


    "The highest pain perception level for mechanical prosthesis is ten times that of a normal person."


    "The higher the pain perception, the more naturally one can control it. You could even use the mechanical prosthesis more flexibly and freely than your original body, and can do many things the original body couldn''t."


    "Only the cheap, life-oriented mechanical prosthesise without pain perception."


    "Slightly higher-end ones all have pain perception. Pain perception is a very important bodily function, it can effectively help you recognize dangerous environments andbat progression, like if you step into a bear trap duringbat without pain perception, you might not even know."


    "The moment you suddenly find you can''t walk and look down, that''s the moment you meet your end. This is why manybat mechanical prostheses are equipped with pain perception."


    "Of course¡ª"


    "The highest-end mechanical prostheses have a freely adjustable pain perception and can be switched on and off at any time. They imnt an AI into each prosthesis, input arge amount ofbat experience, and then input all their own gear and skills. When the fight starts, you just press a start button."


    "Your whole body will begin tobat."


    "Evading attacks and delivering counterattacks at the most extreme and critical moments."


    "Ever yed a game? Seen cheats in games? A normal person would dodge a skill thrown at them well in advance, right? But cheats are different; they dodge at thest second without any excess movement."

 Chapter 154: Chapter 153: The Feeling of Happiness

    "The whole process was smooth as flowing clouds and streaming water. This is the pinnacle of Mechanical Prosthesis,pletely reliant on AI. Even without the sense of pain, it can still judge thebat situation and the state of injuries at any time, based on a full 360-degree scan."


    "Of course, the cost of this setup is astronomical; it''s almost like bing a superhero, a Batman."


    "Ordinary people should not even dream of it; it''s not feasible for them. There are people in Jingjiu City who''ve managed to do this, but it seems that only people from Jingjiu City can afford it."


    "That..."


    Hungry Monkey suddenly spoke thoughtfully, "I have a question. If the pain perception level of a Mechanical Prosthesis is ten times that of a normal person, would the intensity of other sensations be amplified as well?"


    "Like what?"


    Zhou Shen looked at Hungry Monkey with confusion, not understanding what he meant by ''other sensations''."


    "Like pleasure, for instance, for a mechanical hook-up."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen remained expressionless and silent for a while before saying softly, "Yes, it''s just as you think. The perception of pain and pleasure are proportional. If you can feel pain ten times more, you can also feel pleasure ten times more."


    "Holy shit!"


    Unable to help himself, Hungry Monkey opened his mouth in awe and said longingly, "Doesn''t that mean it would be insanely enjoyable? Hasn''t anyone reced their hook-up with a Mechanical Prosthesis to experience ten times the pleasure?"


    "I can''t even imagine how blissful that must be."


    "You can imagine it. Let me describe it to you."


    Zhou Shen continued softly, "First, before installing the Mechanical Prosthesis, you have to remove your original flesh. Before the instation, you need to inject a drug that ensures the mechanical parts and flesh don''t reject each other. This effect is irreversible, meaning once you have fitted a Mechanical Prosthesis, even if you kept your original organs well-preserved, it''s not possible to revert back."


    "Generally speaking, not many people have the courage to cut off their own hookup."


    "But you''re asking if there''s anyone who would."


    "Actually, there is. Not long ago, a ''Supernatural'' from Fengtian City did it, recing everything below the belt with a prosthesis. When he swaggered into clubs, he was downright brazen. The prosthesis had many functions; he could not only make his prosthesis vibrate intensely but also y music and make it light up."


    "He really enjoyed himself for a long time at first."


    "Until... one day his Mechanical Prosthesis shattered."


    "Do you know how painful it is for a normal man to shatter his testicles? Let''s put it this way, a woman inbor experiences some of the most intense pain in this world, and the pain of a man shattering his testicles is at least three times greater. It''s a kind of pain that ordinary people can hardly bear."


    "At that time, the man had chosen a prosthesis that provided ten times more pleasure, and hence, ten times more pain."


    "By the time the doctors arrived at the scene, the man''s veins had all bulged, blood oozing from every orifice, dead beyond dead. The autopsy revealed that his nerves that perceived pain had all snapped into pieces."


    "I can''t imagine how much agony he went through before he died, but I believe if he had the choice, he certainly would not have chosen to install that prosthesis."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey didn''t say a word, just shrank slightly and looked off into the distance with a nonchnt expression, as if he hadn''t heard anything.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Not long after they parted, Zhou Shen sent him a message, stating that Fengtian City had designated him as a representative of Fengtian City. The decision was made following hispetition with Sang Biao.


    Once it''s made official tomorrow, it would be truly set in stone.


    Perhaps the impression left by print media on the Federation was too deep; even though very few people now obtained news from print media, the Federation still considered being featured in print media as the primary standard for confirming news.


    Chen Miao nced at Zhou Shen''s message and chuckled without saying anything.


    Thepetition held no suspense.


    In fact, if there was even a sliver of hope, those supporting Sang Biao would have moved heaven and earth to get him on stage because their interests were tied to his, but... the disparity was simply too great.


    There was no way to reason or argue.


    Sang Biao even took the initiative to challenge a slightly weaker boss and ended up getting killed with a single shot. After such a disy, not even his staunchest supporters could find the words to defend him.


    There was nothing to say.


    The facts were too solid.


    "So next, it''s time to prepare for the city-state championship..."


    Chen Miao sat in front of a tombstone in the cemetery, leaning against it and murmuring, "Let''s find some recordings of past city-state championships to watch."


    He wanted to gauge the strength of thepetitors in the city-state championship and understand the rules of thepetition.


    His personal target was to rank within the top 50. As long as he made it into the top 50, that was enough. There was no need for higher ambitions. Top 50 this year, top 40 next year, top 30 the year after ¨C as long as he improved each year, his treatment in Fengtian City would also get better annually.


    But if he were to finish first this year, second next year, and third the year after,n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although the results were nearly the best, they would still be seen as a decline, which felt different.


    Furthermore, given the resources avable in Fengtian City, even if he won first ce, the reward he''d get would probably be simr to that for ranks fifty or sixty. After all, the city could only offer so much, and they couldn''t very well give him the position of mayor of Fengtian City, could they?


    It wasn''t entirely out of the question, though.


    ...


    As night fell, all was silent.


    Zhou Shen had already personally driven a heavy truck, delivering Medusa, who was bound in chains to the back of the truck, making the seven-meter-tall corpse look like a load of steel rods.


    "Sorry for the wait."


    Zhou Shen, hopping down from the driver''s seat, wiped the sweat from his forehead and gasped, "We couldn''t transport this thing during the day; it had to be done at night."


    "Afraid of scaring people?"


    "Not really, but we were concerned that if an ident happened and it overturned, it might get snatched by the residents in the suburbs of Fengtian City. To many people, if there''s a crash, whatever''s in the truck is fair game."


    "Hungry Monkey, the goods have been delivered. I''lle for them tomorrow night. Make sure there''s no messing around, okay?"


    "Don''t worry."


    After Zhou Shen left, Hungry Monkey, brimming with enthusiasm, directed Yuan Buping and others to carry the Medusa boss into the cemetery. The security guard sitting at the entrance of the graveyard nced up, then without any reaction, lowered his head again.


    Being from the older generation, he was indeed more experienced and knowledgeable.


    Chen Miao thought to himself, feeling indifferent to these spectacles as he waved his hand and walked into the crypt to wash up before sliding into the coffin.


    Hungry Monkey had thought everything through.


    To prevent him from getting bored, he had thoughtfully embedded a tabletputer on the inside of the coffin lid so that he could watch some movies before bed. With their current resources, getting a tablet was easily manageable.


    He had even thoughtfully pre-selected the movies.


    All Chen Miao needed to do was press y.


    He didn''t need to operate anything else.

 Chapter 155: Chapter 154: "Tonight, someone went on a killing spree.

    Lying in the soft andfortable coffin, Chen Miao, who was slightly surprised by the sounds he could hear near his ear, half-rose to sweep a nce inside the coffin only to realize that Hungry Monkey had actually installed a button speaker in each of the eight corners.


    It didn''t take up space and could provide a 5D surround sound effect.


    The film-watching experience was quite good.


    The film began with sounds of breathing in the darkness, slowly lifting the curtain. After watching for ten minutes, he felt something was amiss. In these ten minutes, only the protagonist appeared, who was trapped in a coffin buried underground, struggling hard.


    But it was to no avail.


    There was just a kerosene lighter for the protagonist to illuminate his surroundings.


    "..."


    The film made Chen Miao feel a bit ustrophobic. He turned over and felt something pressing against him. When he pulled it out, he discovered it was a kerosene lighter, identical to the one Hungry Monkey had prepared for him. He wasn''t sure if it was part of some scheme or just to enhance his film-watching immersion.


    Thirty minutester, Chen Miao dozed off.


    He didn''t remember what the film was about; he just faintly recalled that the protagonist had struggled in the underground coffin for a full forty minutes, and he was still trapped there the moment before he lost consciousness and fell asleep.


    That night, he slept poorly.


    He had a terrible nightmare.


    He dreamt that he was put in a coffin and buried underground, and no matter how loudly he cried for help, he couldn''t break free, only able to leave behind terrifying bloody markings with his fingernails on the coffin lid in his despair.


    Thank you, Hungry Monkey.


    It had been a long time since he''d had a nightmare.


    ...


    Outside, Hungry Monkey and the others had no idea that Miao, who was asleep inside, was far from their thoughts. Instead, they gathered together, ced the Medusa boss in an open space, lit up countless bulbs to illuminate it,


    and after cutting up the ragged clothes on the Medusa boss,


    they all sharply inhaled.


    Large, white,rge, white.


    Big, white, big, white.


    At this moment, Hungry Monkey finally understood the value of reading. If he had been educated, he could have described his current feelings with some poetic verses or euphemisms, rather than drawing a nk after ''big'' and ''white''.


    "A beauty and wine are worth more than a thousand pieces of gold."


    After racking his brains, Hungry Monkey finally came up with a somewhat relevant line of poetry, even though he couldn''t remember if that was the exact line. He probably hadn''t remembered it incorrectly. After getting rid of any stray thoughts and appreciating the view,


    Hungry Monkey walked from one end to the other, slowly taking it all in.


    "It''s really big. It must be as long as a person in diameter, right?"


    "Who can say otherwise?"


    Yuan Buping picked up a stick, aimed and poked it a few times, then looked at the amount it wobbled: "It''s also pretty soft."


    "This world is truly wonderful."


    As Hungry Monkey sighed, he bent down.


    "What are you doing?"


    Yuan Buping, who was quietly appreciating the scene, was startled by Hungry Monkey: "Brother Monkey, you''re not going to crawl in there, are you?"


    "What are you thinking?"


    Hungry Monkey rolled his eyes at Yuan Buping: "I''m not that perverted. I''m just curious and want to have a quick look to see what''s different from normal people."


    "Ah..."


    "It''s really spacious."


    ...


    That night, many people were very happy.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hungry Monkey especially went to sleep deeply satisfied. Ever since meeting Miao, his life had suddenly be full of color. It wasn''t that he was truly obsessed with Medusa for any perverse reasons,


    but rather, he vaguely remembered a fairy tale his mother used to tell him when he was young, featuring a monster named Medusa, which seemed to be a divine beast in the sea or the jungle.


    That monster was ultimately defeated by a brave hero.


    He thought,


    Maybe he was the hero from his mother''s fairy tales.


    He could faintly hear his mother''s voice in his ears.


    And in these hazy and elusive voices, Hungry Monkey drifted off to sleep.


    "The brave hero killed Medusa, securing the safety of all the nearby seafolk, and the greedy dwarves stole Medusa''s body."


    "Later¡ª"


    "The filthy goblin race was thus born."


    ...


    "Run first, you go ahead."


    Outside Broken Pot City, Doctor Gou, clutching a terrifying wound in his abdomen, hid in an abandoned building and peered out from behind his head at the hundreds pursuing him with shlights. His voice trembling, he looked to Zhang Liu beside him.


    "The signals are blocked here. I''ll hold them off. You run first, and make sure you get out and contact Chen Miao."


    "We''ll run together."


    Although Zhang Liu''s voice carried fear and his body was already stained with blood, indicating he was not lightly wounded, and his lips were cracked from dehydration and strenuous movement, he was steadying himself with a revolver behind the rubble and said shakingly, "This started because of me. You two got dragged into this because of me. How could I possibly just run away?"


    "You must go."


    Doctor Gou took a deep breath, peeled off his tattered thin shirt, tore a strip of cloth to wrap tightly around his abdomen. After digging out a few pills from his bosom and swallowing them all at once, his body felt slightly better. Slowly straightening up, he uttered each word deliberately.


    "I''ll hold them off, I won''t die."


    "They''ve captured the ck Doctor; we must save him or..."


    "Chen Miao has to know about this."


    Ever since Chen Miao had told him about the AI pills and the fouryered dream state, he realized that if the Tomb Guardian''s Faction Effect were to be exposed, it would signify a critical crisis for everyone.


    Those people would note to them ask nicely to purchase the Tomb Guardian.


    At this moment, the ck Doctor had been captured, and if he spoke up, they wouldn''t be able to keep it a secret any longer.


    Zhang Liu didn''t know what the Tomb Guardian''s Faction Effect was. All he felt was that the situation at hand was too cruel, his voice even taking on a sobbing tone: "How can I go back and face Miao like this?"


    "He''ll kill me."


    "Hmm?"


    Doctor Gou looked at Zhang Liu somewhat surprised. He hadn''t expected Zhang Liu to say such a thing, as based on what he knew of Chen Miao, he wouldn''t likely kill Zhang Liu over this affair, would he?


    Clearly, Doctor Gou and Zhang Liu hadpletely different views of Chen Miao.


    In Zhang Liu''s eyes, Chen Miao was Fengtian City''s new Underground Emperor.


    Utterly unscrupulous, ostentatiously bold, with a very solid backing.


    But now wasn''t the time to talk about this. ncing at the pursuers closing in from behind, Doctor Gou shook his head, his voice growing slightly urgent: "You won''t make it back anyway. Just break through the signal jamming area to send a message to Miao."


    "Stop talking nonsense. If it weren''t for my injured leg, I''d be the one running."


    "Hurry up."


    "I''ll go out and surrender; they won''t kill me. They''ll definitely torture me to find out the whereabouts of that thing. I can hold on a bit; you go contact Miao quickly."


    The next second¡ª


    Doctor Gou took a deep breath, then with a tremble, he walked out from cover holding a machete, and marched straight towards the hundred or so men who were searching for him.


    Strangely enough.


    Even though Doctor Gou was barely able to stand steady, riddled with wounds, and his eyes smeared with blood, appearing as if a gust of wind could knock him over, every step he took forward, the pursuing men would step back with faint fright.


    As Doctor Gou advanced, they retreated.


    No matter how some in the crowd shouted to charge forward, everyone still involuntarily retreated.


    After stumbling forward a dozen steps, Doctor Gou looked at the scene before him, couldn''t help but smile with a sneer in his eyes, and then his body suddenly stiffened. No longer able to hold himself up, he copsed heavily to the ground.


    These people were afraid.


    Afraid of being killed by him.


    He wasn''t sure how many he had killed that night, remembering only that it seemed anyone who drew near him was cleaved in two by his de, probably around one or two hundred people, perhaps?


    Chen Miao...


    The Taboo Item Chen Miao gave him was so strong.


    Although the activation code was a bit long and hard to pronounce, once the Second Form was activated, practically no one could stop him. It was just that being outnumbered, he eventually fell, if only he had a skill or an item that could rapidly heal his injuries, he felt no one could have stopped him that night.


    It''s a pity...


    After seeing Doctor Gou copse, the hundred-plus hoodlums still did not approach. They waited on the spot for three minutes to ensure that Doctor Gou waspletely unable to rise again, and then exchanged nces, breathed a sigh of relief, and rushed forward, tying up the man covered in horrific injuries and bare-chested before taking him to their boss.


    Nearby, in the factory ruins.


    At this point, the ground was dyed red with pools of blood, the air heavy with the stench of gore, countless bodiesy there, and many severely injured gang members writhed in pain. The whole scene looked like hell itself.


    In the middle of a pool of blood.


    Lay a crimson whiteb coat, almost tattered to ribbons.


    That night.


    Someone went on a killing frenzy here.


    Just two doctors, both broken.


    "Damn it!"


    Only after confirming that Doctor Gou had been captured did the gang leader step out from the crowd with a dark expression, looking at Doctor Gou who was bound and covered in blood. He couldn''t help but spit a thick gob of phlegm on him.


    Then he viciously roared, "There''s another shooter, he''s out of bullets now, get him for me, catch him!"


    For him as well, this night was an ident.


    He had been casually eavesdropping on a neighboring conversation as he had ate-night snack, overhearing a chat about justing out from a fixed event, noting how dangerous it was and what they had gained, and so on.


    The conversation flowed pleasantly.


    And he listened in with equal pleasure.


    As the local snakehead of Broken Pot City, stumbling upon such information, wouldn''t it be unprofessional of him not to do anything about it?


    Without any hesitation.


    He gathered all his brothers to wait outside the city, lured Doctor Gou and hispany out into the open, and then ambushed them, attempting to coerce them into handing over their possessions. Yet, he hadn''t expected them to be so tough.


    Once the fight broke out, his men dropped like dumplings next to a boiling pot, plopping consecutively into the fray.


    He wanted to stop midway through, but it was already toote to stop.


    Even if the three men had valuables worth a fortune, it wouldn''tpensate for his losses. The only consoling thought was that anyone who managed to run to Broken Pot City generally had no backing and were loners.


    Although the incident had escted, there was no need to worry about retaliation; security was in his favor.


    Now, it was his time to reap the rewards.

 Chapter 156: Chapter 155: Sea of Zombies

    Just then¡ª


    "Ah!!"


    A slightly ferocious roar came from behind. Everyone turned around and saw a man, also wearing a whiteb coat, clutching a revolver and running towards them at high speed.


    Who else could it be but Zhang Liu.


    "Let''s go!"


    Doctor Gou, with a somewhat dazed expression, looked at Zhang Liu, who was fearlessly charging towards him, and shouted with a mix of emotion and anger, "Why did youe back? Run, damn it! I finally made up my mind to look back and there you are,ing back to die with me?"


    "If I die, it would all be in vain."


    If Zhang Liu got captured, the message couldn''t possibly reach Chen Miao.


    Although he was moved by Zhang Liu''s unwillingness to abandon hisrades at a critical moment, obviously, at this time, he would rather Zhang Liu be a bit more cold-blooded.


    However...


    Zhang Liu''s face was deathly pale and he was breathing rapidly, but he didn''t stop for a second. Before ck Boss could order his arrest, a white light shone under Zhang Liu''s feet, increasing his speed slightly. Then, he took a few steps in a direction away from them before charging off in another direction.


    "Hm?"


    ck Boss was somewhat dumbfounded as he looked at Zhang Liu''s retreating back. He couldn''t understand why Zhang Liu had run away only toe back again, but still sneered and waved his hand, "Chase him!"


    But... the very next second.


    He suddenly smelled an extremely strong stench of decay.


    Instinctively turning his head, he saw countless zombies appearing at the edge of the sky, now rapidly advancing towards them with an overwhelming odor of death, so numerous that he couldn''t count them all. At a nce, swarms of zombies almost filled everyone''s field of vision.


    Some zombies were attacking quickly along the rooftops.


    Some zombies were leaping through the middle of the ruins.


    The sense of oppression was immense.


    Almost instantly...


    Many people, stricken with fear, instinctively turned and fled.


    And ck Boss also realized why Zhang Liu, who had clearly run away, suddenly came back. His face turned just as pale, and without any hesitation, he turned and ran. The densely packed mass of zombies was even more numerous than locusts, easily numbering tens of thousands at a nce.


    This was simply something no human force could withstand.


    There was no choice but to flee.


    The entire sky, at some unknown point, became clouded by dark clouds, not a single ray of light visible, and the bone-chilling nighttime wind felt incredibly piercing, with the rich stench of decay overwhelming everyone''s senses.


    In just half an hour''s effort.


    Broken Pot City, a metropolis with a poption of millions, was surrounded by countless zombies.


    These zombies seemed endless, their exact numbers indiscernible. One could only see legions of zombies continuously pouring in from behind to join the battlefield.


    The forces of Broken Pot City''s Enforcement Bureau and Events Bureau, as well as various factions, had been hastily called up. Large numbers of people gathered at each of the city''s entrances to fend off zombies from storming into the city, perhaps regretting why they didn''t fortify the city with walls now.


    If they had, defending against the Sea of Zombies would have been much easier.


    But now, there was no time for them to think too much.


    The federal effect of Broken Pot City was¡ª


    "Within this city, no yer can be harmed by other yers, nor can they inflict damage on other yers within the boundaries of Broken Pot City, including car idents, stabbing, sudden outbursts of violence, and so on."


    Just now, Doctor Gou and others in the ruins outside the city could ignore this rule, and it only restricted yers from harming each other, not implying that monsters couldn''t harm yers, nor that yers couldn''t fight back against monsters that broke into the city.


    However...


    These zombies could even number in the millions.


    Although the government of Broken Pot City had taken out many of theirst-resort assets to inflict heavy casualties on this unexpected zombie army, still, under the fearless charge of these zombies,


    arge number of zombies broke into Broken Pot City and engaged in hand-to-handbat with the residents.


    Bad news from the past became good news at this moment.


    People used to say that in Broken Pot City, eight out of ten people were no good, implying that most of the people in Broken Pot were fugitives who hadmitted crimes. And now... these criminals all disyed considerablebat power.


    They ughtered the zombies that had burst into their midst, one by one.


    Even the neighbor fixing shoes might be a supernatural being of over level ten.


    In this day and age,


    if you weren''t a supernatural being, you wouldn''t have the privilege tomit crimes and then hit the road.


    How valuable could a supernatural being be?


    For a moment, the situation didn''t seem too bad, even allowing zombies into the city didn''t cause too much damage.


    ...


    "Heh."


    At this very moment, still bound by iron chains, Doctor Gou suddenly began to grin, "My dear brothers, it seems you''re about to keep mepany in death. Let me remind you, what you''re seeing is the Sea of Zombies, ranked 68th in fixed events."


    "Arge city-state level fixed event, a direct alteration based on reality."


    "Afraid you don''t realize the gravity of the Sea of Zombies. In the past few years, this fixed event had urred twice."


    "The first time, a city waspletely wiped out. It was a ughter."


    "The second time, seventy percent died, and many of the survivors ended up insane."


    Yes.


    Fixed event number 68, the Sea of Zombies.


    That was what he had encountered this time. He hadn''t expected that after returning from the Hell Bus, his fate would be so rough, first being chased by gangsters, and now this Sea of Zombies emerged before he could even get past that ordeal.


    Why had hee to Broken Pot City? Wasn''t it just to retire, leave Jianghu behind, and quietly spend thest part of his life?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But what was happening now?


    Why did it feel more dangerous than when he was in Fengtian City?


    All he wanted was to retire, to properly run the clinic left by his parents, he had no other extravagant hopes. But why did such a simple matter seem so difficult for him, as if everyone was targeting him, as if even the heavens were conspiring against him, fearing he might have a good remainder of his life.


    Hearing this, ck Boss let out a cold chuckle, "You think I''m a newbie in the underworld? I know clearer than you do. I escaped just when the second city was almost annihted. Why do you think I came to Broken Pot City?"


    "Those two cities were small, with abined poption of just 2 million."


    "Broken Pot City is one of the 128 major cities of the federation, with over ten million inhabitants. You think these ten-plus million people are good for nothing? They won''t fight back when facing death? That they could be wiped out just like that?"


    "Don''t worry, before I kick the bucket, I''ll make sure you''re on your way first."


    "Bring him! Torture him!"


    "Squeeze everything out of his backpack, I want to see if his skin is as tough as his mouth."


    "Begin."


    Doctor Gou''s expression became a bit dazed, his head tilted to one side as he slumped over, his consciousness gradually blurring, "Go easy, I''m afraid of pain."

 Chapter 157: Chapter 156: This is one of Fengtian Citys underlying strengths.

    Even though the fixed event of the Sea of Zombies had suddenly erupted, he had left ck Boss''s signal-jamming zone, and he had already sent a message to Chen Miao.


    Enveloped by such a vast number of zombies, he had given up hope of Chen Miaoing to save him.


    He merely wanted to inform Chen Miao of the situation.


    In case he or ck Doctor didn''t withstand the torture and divulged the ''Tomb Guardian''s'' Faction Effect, at least Chen Miao should know who the informed parties were, to be ready to silence them at a moment''s notice.


    Anyone who knew of the Tomb Guardian''s Faction Effect would realize, if they had any sense, not to let the information leak easily.


    Whether they nned to sell this information to others or to seize the power for themselves and then sell the empty shell of power, it promised to be a considerable profit.


    By then, silencing these people as quickly as possible would help to contain the spread of the news within a small scope.


    At the very least, Chen Miao shouldn''t find people showing up at his front door before he realized that the secret had been leaked; that would be far too passive.


    "Crack."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A needle pierced into his flesh and slowly dragged down, the sound of his skin gradually tearing apart crisply reached Doctor Gou''s ears, and his facial skin twitched involuntarily under the excruciating pain, but he didn''t speak. Not knowing what came to his mind, he suddenly began tough.


    Normal people, without special training, simply couldn''t endure torture.


    Those like them, who hade through countless battles, mightst a bit longer, but that was all; the torture wasn''t solely about physical pain but a double assault on both the psyche and the body.


    On the brink of death, he suddenly thought of his parents again.


    When young and fearless, he never perceived mysterious realms as dangerous, nor did he ever think he''d die in one, believing that as long as he was strong enough, he could one day be a well-known Supernatural within a hundred miles, providing a better life for his family.


    He didn''t understand why his parents were so afraid of him dying in a mysterious realm, to the point of searching for him there.


    Aren''t the children of major families also braving these realms? Aren''t they all Supernaturals?


    Even the Insect Tribe Priest from Jingjiu City that he encountered on the Hell Bus, who came from a family with billions in assets, would have perished on that bus if he hadn''t met Chen Miao.


    He didn''t understand.


    He just knew that he was upset again.


    "Perhaps it''s for the best..."


    Maybe the pain he suffered tonight was too overwhelming, as he was gradually bing numb; he even started losing sensation to the barbaric torture methods wielded by the two ferocious men beside him, as if his body no longer belonged to him, and he began to lose consciousness.


    Before passing out, hisst thought was:


    He could finally go home.


    To see Dad and Mom.


    The slight difference between youthful fearlessness and youthful inaction is as vast as the distance between the heavens and the earth.


    ...


    Late at night.


    Almost all news channels and media across the federation were reporting the same event.


    "On December 2nd, at 4:00 AM, in the western region''s Broken Pot City, one of the 128 major cities, a fixed event known as number 68, the Sea of Zombies, erupted."


    "Countless zombies have surrounded the city and areunching a fierce assault."


    "Various figures are rushing to provide support; let''s pray that Broken Pot City can withstand this ordeal."


    ```


    Many people were awakened in the dead of night.


    Even Chen Miao had a rare first: he wasn''t woken up by Hungry Monkey''s mother, but by the sound of the news broadcast. The mention of Broken Pot City in the news jolted him out of his sleep.


    His head popped up from the coffin.


    Hungry Monkey was sitting in the coffin with a serious expression, watching the news projected in front of him. Seeing Chen Miao awake, he turned his head and said, "Miao, the situation doesn''t look good, the scale of the Sea of Zombies this time is evenrger than before."


    "Broken Pot City might not make it through."


    "Doctor Gou and the others are still there."


    "Mhm."


    Chen Miao nodded without speaking, his expression darkening slightly as he looked at his chat channel. He had received messages from Doctor Gou and the others, roughly saying that they were being chased by a local gang in Broken Pot City, many had been killed, and they too were seriously injured.


    Except for Zhang Liu, Doctor Gou and ck Doctor had all been captured.


    He wasn''t sure if he could withstand torture and if he couldn''t hold out, he wanted to remind the Tomb Guardian to silence him, so the secrets wouldn''t be leaked.


    It seemed that a lot had happened in Broken Pot City while he slept.


    "Miao!"


    At this time, he also received a message from Zhou Shen on the chat channel.


    The gist was asking if he was asleep. Fengtian City was urgently summoning the army to prepare to head to Broken Pot City to rescue their own people, without the slightest dy, setting off in half an hour, asking if he wanted to go with them.


    "Go."


    Without any hesitation, Chen Miao immediately pulled Hungry Monkey up and had him wake up Yuan Buping and the others¡ªeveryone was to depart.


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    Chen Miao was already sitting in Fengtian City''s motorcade, and Zhou Shen was sitting beside him, smiling as he said, "Fengtian City has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, not every city has an army."


    "Now it''s unified, all under the Federation, there''s hardly a need for an army anymore."


    "At most, there are the Enforcement Bureau and Events Bureau to maintain social order and deal with special events."


    "Most cities no longer have anything like an army."


    "Only Fengtian City still retains this kind of military institution; one reason is tradition. Before aligning with the Federation, Fengtian was a military stronghold, and that mindset still affects the government of Fengtian. Without troops, they have no confidence in their speech."


    "Another reason is Fengtian City''s special Faction Effect, which allows the formation of a Supernatural army made up entirely of gunmen, and it''s rtively inexpensive to do so. Not requiring much expenditure, especially as there''s little demand for gunners, the materials and skills required for gunners are quite cheap and can be bought in bulk for the army."


    "But in most cases, an army is useless. If they can''t go to war, then the army is just a money pit that requires a hefty amount of funding every year. Naturally, they can''t let go of such an opportunity to show off their might and head into battle."


    "Mhm."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully, turning his head to look out the window. The convoy consisted of 19 armored off-road vehicles and 500 military trucks, moving in a grand procession along thend.


    Every single one of these people was a gunman.


    The standard-issue weapon was a Gatling gun, with each military truck seating 18 individuals, each armed with a +3 enhanced Hell Gatling. With a total of 500 military trucks, one could imagine how spectacr it would be to have that many Gatlings firing simultaneously.


    Of course, the firepower was not to be underestimated either.


    This was one of Fengtian City''s legacies.


    ```

 Chapter 158: Chapter 157: "I think it was all worth it.

    One can imagine.


    If cities were allowed to go to war to determine their ranking instead of using something like the inter-citypetition, Fengtian City definitely would not be ranked near the bottom as it is now.


    This corps of gunmen could give many cities a sizable difficulty to deal with.


    "I haven''t found much online about this fixed event," Chen Miao said, turning his head to look at Zhou Shen. "Other than nearly wiping out two cities, there''s no news at all. There is no analysis of the zombies'' strengths and weaknesses, no information on whether the source of these zombies is contagious, and no details on what thepletion conditions for this fixed event are."


    "Has the information about this fixed event been sealed off?"


    "No."


    Zhou Shen shook his head. "As members of the Events Bureau, this history is a required course for us. In fact, there isn''t much news, and indeed two small cities were nearly wiped out. To be precise, the first city was wiped out, and the second lost seventy percent of its poption."


    "There is only one thing that we do know."


    "That is, as long as we survive for seven days, these zombies will automatically disappear."


    "The key is how to live through these seven days."


    "Theoretically, if all the zombies were killed, it wouldn''t be impossible to end the event early, but based on observations from the previous two incidents, it seems like the zombies are endless. No matter how many you kill, more will keeping."


    "The zombies, at least, aren''t virally infectious, but they are extremely fearless of death and incredibly aggressive, making them very difficult to fend off."


    "Beyond that information, there''s nothing else. That''s all the rted news there is."


    "It''s like whether Broken Pot City survives this time is entirely up to itself. You can''t rely on anyone else. Once the fixed event of the Sea of Zombies starts, people from other cities can''t enter the city in question."


    "The city is essentially temporarily isted from the Federation."


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Miao''s brows suddenly furrowed as he said in a deep voice, "Then what are we doing here this time? Weren''t we supposed to be here for a rescue mission?"


    "Theoretically, yes," Zhou Shen said with some helplessness. "But we can''t actually enter Broken Pot City. We can only fight zombies on the outskirts of the Sea of Zombies. Our main goal is to show off Fengtian City''s fangs, hoping that might somehow be of some help to Broken Pot City."


    ...


    Seven o''clock in the morning.


    It was still dark outside.


    With a military vehicle leading the way, clearing the path, and the elerator floored, the group from Fengtian City took just three hours to arrive at Broken Pot City. At that moment, the convoy stopped on a small hill not far from the city.


    Everyone was disembarking to rest and began to organize their equipment.


    Stationed on the edge of the hill with his walking stick, Chen Miao looked out. He could faintly see the outlines of Broken Pot City, now enveloped by countless zombies. He couldn''t see exactly how many zombies there were; all he knew was that numerous dark shadows had swathed the city.


    Easily... tens of millions.


    Seeing this scene, for the first time, he harbored the thought that perhaps rescue wasn''t necessary. The city was almost certainly doomed, and no one could survive under these circumstances.


    If this scene were to take ce in Fengtian, perhaps he too would die.


    Yes, he was indeed fierce in firepower.


    But faced with the flood-like swarm of zombies, he wouldn''t stand a chance. He could kill ten thousand, a hundred thousand, even a million, but could he kill ten million?


    Furthermore, they were unable to enter Broken Pot City and could only fight on the periphery, which essentially dashed any hopes of rescue once again.


    ...


    "What''s wrong with you?"


    Chi Qiu, who had followed the bulk of Fengtian City''s forces, looked at the distracted Ke Gou and couldn''t help but ask, "You''ve been restless since before we set out. What''s going on?"


    "..."


    With aplex expression, Ke Gou was silent for a long time before he hoarsely said, "I know a secret, a secret that I''m not sure I should share."


    "What secret?"


    "Event number 68, the Sea of Zombies, doesn''t ur randomly. It''s man-made."


    "Man-made?"


    Chi Qiu turned his head, looked at the tens of millions of zombies below the hillside, and after standing frozen for a long time, muttered, "Wait, let me get this straight. When you say man-made, what do you mean? I didn''t quite understand."


    "Sigh."


    Taking a deep breath, Ke Gou paused briefly before saying uneasily, "This fixed event will randomly assign a task to someone. It''s aplete task chain."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "At the start of the task chain, the panel will tell you what rewards you will receive uponpletion of these tasks and what consequences it will trigger."


    "One of the consequences is an outbreak of the Sea of Zombies in the afflicted city."


    "No more than three people in the whole Federation should know this news."


    "I''m one of them."


    "Can you be sure it''s true?" Chi Qiu''s eyes flickered with uncertainty.


    It was... unbelievable that only three people in the entire Federation knew, and Ke Gou just happened to be one of them. If this were true, then the person whopleted the task chain would undoubtedly be considered a criminal against humanity.


    At least millions had died because of this.


    All this sin had to be counted on this person''s head.


    "I''m sure," he said.


    Ke Gou fell silent for a long time before he spoke softly, "The first task chain waspleted by me. That Sea of Zombies destroyed my hometown, taking away nearly all the people of that city."


    "That was the first time this fixed event made an appearance in the federation."


    "The consequences ofpleting the task chain were clearly stated on the panel, but if you refused the task, you would only lose the memories rted to it, with no punishment."


    "That night, I stared at that task chain and sat silently in the living room, just like now."


    Chi Qiu''s expression grewplicated as he turned to nce at Ke Gou, "But in the end you still chose toplete the task chain. It''s said that 800,000 people died that time, almost everyone in the city died, not a single survivor left. Since then, the name of the city has gradually vanished from history."


    "800,000 people."


    "How rich must the reward forpleting the task chain have been to make it worth it for you to do such a thing?"


    "I don''t consider myself a good person; I''ve done things such as bullying women and indulging in food, drinks, gambling, and prostitution, but to dismiss the lives of 800,000 people like that... Isn''t that a bit too inhumane?"


    "Humanity?"


    Ke Gou shook his head, his expression slightly dazed as he turned to murmur toward the distance, "What is humanity? Is it inhumane to end the lives of 800,000? Do those 800,000 know me, do I know them?"


    "The reward forpleting the task chain was the resurrection of my wife."


    "That night, after sitting and thinking for a long time in the living room..."


    "I sent all those who had been kind to me, friends, family, out of the city. A monthter, Ipleted the task chain, the Sea of Zombies arrived as nned, and I finally... saw her again."


    "Your wife?"


    Chi Qiu''s expressionplex and withoutmenting, he thought Ke Gou was wrong; even a child knows that it''s not worth it to exchange one life for the lives of 800,000.


    It could be figured out with just your toes.


    But he wasn''t in a position to say much. When he had first met Ke Gou, the man was just a vagrant, filthy all over, his long-unwashed beard and hair matted together, his clothes tattered.


    At that time, who could imagine that this unremarkable vagrant was one with 800,000 lives on his hands?


    If he had known.


    Perhaps he wouldn''t have saved the vagrant back then, letting him die in the cold winter. But over the years, he had developed a good rtionship with Ke Gou, who as his ''dog-headed military advisor'' had helped him a lot, so he couldn''t bring himself to turn against Ke Gou now.


    But one thing he knew.


    Was that when he met Ke Gou, there were no women with him.


    This meant either the resurrection hadn''t been sessful, or there had been some other ident afterward.


    "My wife, ah..."


    Ke Gou murmured with a dazed look, lowering his head, "She was indeed resurrected, you know, boss. When she first came back, I was overwhelmed. I felt like the luckiest man in the world."


    "I felt it was all worth it."


    "It wasn''t just 800,000 people; even if another 800,000 died, I would think it was worth it."


    "But I quickly started to notice the problem, not until thest link of the task chain was revealed before me."


    "I thought I had longpleted the task chain, that everything was over, but that was actually thest part of the fixed event, the Sea of Zombies."


    "The final task was for me to kill my own wife."


    "Huh."


    Ke Gou lit a cigarette, slowly raised his head, and blew a stream of pale blue smoke into the air, then suddenly let out a bitterugh, "The punishment for failing the task was for the Sea of Zombies to break out across the entire federation."


    "That would be tantamount to the end of the world."


    "I admit I''m not a good person, but I can''t bear the sin of starting the end of the world."


    "I could harm 800,000 people, but I can''t bear the deaths of all the people in the federation."


    "What''s more, after living with my wife for several months, I gradually noticed something was off. She was not my real wife; she was more like a clone of my wife, the same personality, the same body, the same speech habits, but I knew she was not her."


    "Later..."


    "Later, I killed her with my own hands and ended this farce; after that, I began to wander. I didn''t know what the meaning of life was, not until I met you, boss, which made me feel my life could shine."


    "The reason I''m telling you all this is that I consider you, boss, as family. If you decide to report me, I''ll have noints. I''ve kept this inside for too long¡ªit''s suffocating me. I''ve wanted to talk for a long time; keeping it in makes me ufortable."


    "..."


    After a long silence, Chi Qiu pulled Ke Gou into an embrace, "Don''t worry, I won''t report you."


    "There''s one more thing, boss. If we can find the person whopleted the task chain and kill him, we can end the Sea of Zombies ahead of time."


    "This person will have a distinct feature, a plum blossom tattoo on the back of his hand."


    ...


    "Kid, you''ve got some nerve!"


    Inside Broken Pot City, a man grabbed a gimlet and, after gesturing on Doctor Gou''s hand back for a long time, grinned ferociously, "This plum blossom tattoo is pretty nice. If I drive this gimlet in, do you think it''ll hurt?"

 Chapter 159: Chapter 158: Is This a Dream or Reality?

    ```


    Every city has its own specialty.


    For example, Gaobei City has its bald heads.


    Fengtian City has its gunmen.


    And... Broken Pot City has its desperados.


    In theory, Broken Pot City was the safest city in the entire federation, as all yers within it could not harm each other, which also led to arge number of desperados fleeing to the city, making it the most dangerous city in the federation.


    Those who hadmitted crimes were qualified to run away, and were sessful in doing so.


    One certainly had to have a background or strength to pull it off; no nobody could manage that.


    Just like the middle-aged man who was threatening Doctor Gou with a screwdriver, grinning menacingly. He looked unremarkable, dressed in a in mechanic''s uniform, resembling a truck driver. But in his original city, he was also a well-known Supernatural.


    "Plum blossom?"


    Having been injected with an Awakening Agent, forcibly awakened from his unconscious state, Doctor Gou felt an intense pain that seemed to pierce through his bones and was on the brink of losing consciousness again. But upon hearing the threats from the person beside him, he suddenly regained a trace of rity and looked confusedly toward his right hand.


    On the back of his right hand was an extremely vibrant plum blossom tattoo that was highly conspicuous.


    The dried blood on the back of his hand made the plum blossom look like one made of blood.


    After being bewildered for a long time, Doctor Gou finally lifted his left hand to vigorously rub the back of his right hand and pinched it hard with his fingernails a few times before he fellpletely into bewilderment.


    It was a tattoo, he was sure of it.


    Not a sticker, nor graffiti. It was a tattoo embedded in his skin that would apany him for life.


    But...


    He had never had a tattoo before!


    He didn''t even know when the tattoo had appeared; judging by its appearance, it seemed unlikely that it was done in thest few days. It likely took at least half a year to feel so natural and blend into the skin.


    Although not entirely certain, he still remembered that this morning when he went out to wash his face, he shouldn''t have had this tattoo, right?


    This strong sense of unreality made him feel faint; he even started to doubt whether he might be dreaming. Zhang Liu had told him before that now ai pills could allow a person to enter a deep dream, where time flows much slower, allowing one to brush up on Skill Proficiency.


    However, in a deep dream, one would not realize they were in a dream, as it was too simr to reality. Therefore, one needed to think of some ways to wake up from the deep dream. Maybe this plum blossom tattoo that suddenly appeared on his hand was something Zhang Liu had set up for him before he fell asleep, as a way to wake him up?


    Doctor Gou''s eyes grew increasingly vacant; at this moment, he even began to doubt whether he was not in a dream but in reality. Otherwise, he really didn''t know how to exin the tattoo that had appeared on the back of his hand.


    "..."


    Doctor Gou fell silent.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He suddenly understood why the federation had banned ai pills. Dreams were not something that humans should explore, just like him at this moment, already unable to distinguish whether he was in a dream or reality.


    Reality had a w.


    A w he couldn''t understand.


    A plum blossom tattoo that never existed in his memory.


    So, was this a dream, or reality?


    Not giving him too long to think, seeing that Doctor Gou had been silent for a while, the man beside him finally grew impatient and, with a sinisterugh, aimed the screwdriver at Doctor Gou''s hand and stabbed it forcefully.


    "Puchi."


    The sound of the screwdriver piercing the skin and Doctor Gou''s cries of pain arose simultaneously.


    ```


    ...


    "All units in position, open fire in ten minutes."


    Amand was issued by themander of the Fengtian City operations, and the army unit stationed outside Broken Pot City was ready to fire at any moment. With a single order, fireworks would rain down upon the heads of these zombies.


    Chen Miao stood on the hillside, overlooking everything. Hismunication with Doctor Gou had been cut off.


    But he had learned the general outline of events from Zhang Liu.


    However, that was no longer important. What mattered now was how to ensure that Doctor Gou and the others could survive this fixed event. The number for this fixed event was 68, whereas the number for his Hell Bus ride had only been 128, which meant that the Sea of Zombies would be more difficult.


    The survival rate would be even lower.


    Of course, this time there were more people. People always think that as long as there is arge enough number, it won''t be them who dies.


    Unfortunately, everyone thinks this way.


    He couldn''t enter the city; he could only kill zombies outside its walls. If Doctor Gou wanted to survive these seven days, he''d have to rely on himself; no one else could save him.


    Speaking of coincidences...


    Normal people go their whole lives without encountering a fixed event. Fixed events are mostly not a matter of choice but happen by some strange twist of fate, like when he took the bus home but ended up on the Hell Bus.


    Encountering two fixed events in a lifetime is an almost impossibility.


    For someone like Doctor Gou, who had entered two fixed events in a row, that truly made him one of the chosen ones.


    "Chen Miao."


    Just then¡ª


    A voice reached his ear. To his surprise, the mayor of Fengtian City had alsoe, walking up to Chen Miao alone without any entourage and stood side by side with him, looking towards the horizon and quietly asking, "Do you know how human society progresses?"


    It was clear that the mayor had something he wanted to say to him alone.


    The people around them stood a good ten meters away, leaving them a rtively quiet space to themselves.


    Chen Miao waved his hand to signal Hungry Monkey and the others to step back as well. Although he didn''t understand what the mayor meant by his question, he still replied.


    "By the efforts of countless individuals."


    "The efforts of countless individuals..."


    The mayor repeated the phrase, looking down. Only after a long while did he look up again, but this time there was a hint of absent-mindedness in his eyes, "In fact, the efforts of the vast majority are worthless."


    "Those workers who built up the entire city through their own toil."


    "The street cleaners who get up early in the cold dawns of winter."


    "The teachers who spend their lifetimes educating."


    "The efforts of these people are worthless."


    "They can''t drive any development in society. The reason they get to strive is because society is advancing. Without it, they would have nowhere to exert their efforts. That''s the significance of most people''s existence. When society begins to advance, we can contribute our share, pour in our Strength, but we will never be the leaders."


    "That includes me."


    "If you''re familiar with the history of human technological development, you''d realize that most significant technological breakthroughs aren''t the result of teams diligently researching and making headway bit by bit, but rather, every so often, a genius emerges. This genius, as if reborn, continues to bring forth one scientific achievement after another."


    "When this person dies, technology begins to stagnate again, inching forward slowly."


    "Until the next genius appears."

 Chapter 160: Chapter 159: "Have you heard of the tech explosion?

    "All efforts are meaningless in front of that genius. The Federation has a multitude of academic halls of fame, home to the most high-end scientific talents, but their ultimate goal isn''t to rece that genius,"


    "but to strive to be the genius''s assistant, and if the eracks a genius temporarily, they''ll just wait."


    "This is the confusion of the Federation, and the confusion of humanity."


    "Ever heard of a technological explosion?"


    "It''s when the technology of a makes apletely illogical leap forward in a short period of time."


    "The principle behind a technological explosion is that arge number of geniuses suddenly appear on this, facilitating breakthroughs in countless directions. Long ago, the Federation finally recognized the reality they had to face,"


    "which is that from ancient times to now, the progress of human society has never depended on the efforts of the masses, but on the asional emergence of geniuses."


    "It feels helpless, doesn''t it?"


    Chen Miao didn''t speak. He didn''t understand what the mayor meant, nor how his words rted to the Sea of Zombies before them.


    "Take AI pills, for example."


    The mayor suddenlyughed and continued, "Have you gotten used to the presence of AI pills in society? You might think of them as a type of prohibited substance that should inherently exist."


    "But can you imagine?"


    "A product that can control dreams, and yet, ites from the same era as cars that run onbustible engines."


    "Doesn''t it feel out of ce at all?"


    "The inventor of AI pills is a genius, a genius of our time, a madman, through and through. At least, that''s how he seems to me."


    "He and his team have cracked the technology for wristwatches and holographic projections, among others."


    "To my knowledge, that madman has proposed many outrageous ideas, many of which are in progress, one of the crazier ns being ''Mechanical Ascension.''"


    "The basic idea is that the Federation has no hope of breaking through to a star civilization within a millennium."


    "But there''s a way to rapidly elevate the Federation to a star-level civilization."


    "The concept is to have all citizens of the Federation take AI pills, enter the fourth-level dream state, where the world''s time flows 10,000 times faster than the outside, and share their consciousness with one another, effectively putting the entire poption into a connected dream."


    "There, they have ample time for scientific research and experimentation, allowing the Federation''s technology to develop rapidly."


    "Once they wake from the dream, the Federation can quickly replicate everything that was achieved in the dream, thus causing a leap in technological development."


    "But there are too many bugs in this process, such as most people not being able to wake up, or someone having a child in a dream only to find nothing upon awakening, the intense emptiness and disorientation that brings pain, or the fact that every night is 27 years in the dream, which is a great trial for the entire Federation."


    "Among other issues, these bugs have prevented the n from being smoothly implemented."


    "But thesest few days, I''ve been pondering a question. What if the n has already started? The world began Transcendentalization 27 years ago, a system that contradicts science. Do you think we''ve already entered a dream, and Transcendentalization is a product of this dream?"


    "If everything goes smoothly, in less than a month, by January 1st, we should wake up."


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth began to twitch uncontrobly. He instinctively knew this spection made no sense, not because he could be sure he wasn''t in a dream, but because he knew he had traversed across time.


    Throughout history, no traveler had ever crossed into a dream, right?


    That would indeed be preposterous.


    Afterward, the Mayor of Fengtian City didn''t say any more, just stood there with a distant look in his eyes, clearly uncertain about the future. It took a long while before he suddenlyughed, "I''ve spoken some nonsense. Humanity''s development has always been driven by geniuses emerging unexpectedly."


    "I see the potential of a genius in you."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "I''m certainly not cut out for scientific research. You overestimate me, Mayor."


    "No, not every genius needs to be involved in research. I just used it as an example."


    "In history, whether facing great disasters or chaotic warfare, there has always been a genius rising to assist humanity in oveing the crisis in an unimaginable way."


    "Do you know why I insist on spending a massive amount of funds to build an army of marksmen? Not to discuss the possibility that we are all in a dream right now. 27 years ago, when the world began Transcendentalization, it started because an observatory detected aet hurtling toward the Sr System at a speed of 100 kilometers per second."


    "Heading straight for Blue Star."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "The mass of thiset is about that of the Moon, and it is thergestet ever detected by human astronomy, to put it urately, ready to impact Blue Star. Previously, whs passed by Blue Star, people happily referred to them as meteor showers."


    "Now there''s no cause for happiness."


    "At that time, it was estimated that in three years, theet would collide with Blue Star, resulting in one situation only: theplete destruction of Blue Star and the extinction of Earth."


    "There was no other possibility."


    "In thest three months, the Federation dered this message to all of humanity, wanting people to understand their imminent death. It called for every nation to fire nuclear missiles into space in an effort to shatter theet and lessen the impact."


    "Moreover, during those three years, the Federation sent several spacecraft carrying nuclear warheads into space to lodge them into theet in an attempt to minimize its size."


    "Humanity had done its best."


    "But it was all in vain. In the final 3 minutes of the countdown, the Secretary-General of the Federation calmly made onest speech."


    "I still remember that speech, which had just one statement."


    "''This is thest three minutes we humans have, please spend it saying goodbye to your loved ones. We did our best, sorry.''"


    "Tsk."


    The Mayor of Fengtian City suddenly recalled something and said with augh, "I was young back then, not yet married. I sat with my then-girlfriend, to whom I was not yet married, on the rooftop, drinking beer,ughing, and discussing life."


    "Facing death together with the person you love the most makes death seem not so important."


    "A lot of people died that day in the Federation."


    "Many killed themselves early because they couldn''t face the fear of waiting for death. Some evenmitted suicide three months prior, hoping for a dignified funeral."

 Chapter 161 Chapter 160 Basically No Information, Just a Wild Guess?

    "That day was known as Judgment Day."


    "But¡ª"


    The Mayor of Fengtian City paused for a moment before speaking again, "Just as you''ve seen, Blue Star still exists and was not destroyed. It wasn''t that in the final three minutes, the Federation made some earth-shatteringly miraculous move."


    "Instead, it was when theet entered the Sr System, under the illumination of the sun, it began to decelerate and melt slowly, which was unreasonable."


    "Then it continuously melted until it became sufficiently small in size and finally fell into the Antic Ocean."


    "The moment it fell."


    "The world began to transcend."


    "It was as if theet''s purpose was to induce the transcendentalization of Blue Star. Subsequently, the Federation''s research discovered that thiset wasunched from a great distance away."


    "And if you calcte with a velocity of 100 kilometers per second, the time when theet wasunched was roughly 5 million years ago."


    "5 million years ago, an unknown civilization fired aet at our, aet that could make our world transcend. And 5 million years ago, we saw the birth of the first human."


    "27 years ago, theet arrived."


    "Sessfully fulfilling its destiny, after a journey of 5 million years."


    "Aet traveled alone through the universe for 5 million years, which is a terrifying thought. Before that, the longest aet had been observed to fly in the universe was merely 1 million years; this one flew for 5 million years."


    "..."


    Chen Miao suddenly frowned, "Mayor, are you suggesting that when Blue Star gave birth to its first human, there was already another that hadunched aet capable of making our world transcend at us?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "And it only arrived after 5 million years?"


    The Mayor''s words left him somewhat confused; he was not quite adept at grasping such enormous numbers. The span of 5 million years was just too long, and he struggled toprehend just how long that really was.


    The time frame exceeded his understanding.


    "Yes."


    The Mayor nodded indifferently, "The Federation considers it a gesture of goodwill, a wee to an emerging civilization, although so far the Federation has not discovered any other civilizations in the universe."


    "But there must be other civilizations in the universe."


    "In our own Milky Way, there are over 400 billion stars, while the observable universe has roughly 200 billion gxies like ours. At the same time, the gxy is like a piece of beef that has been injected with water, still expanding."


    "The universe is bigger than you or I can imagine. If such a vast universe does not give rise to a second civilization, that would be extremely strange."


    "The reason I emphasize its enormity is to tell you this: I believe you have the potential to be a genius of this era. You''re entitled to know this fact."


    "Based on the Federation''s spections and findings over the years, there is a rough guess. The Federation has named our universe Universe 666, where all civilizations are at the edge of the universe."


    "Theoretically, if a ship can be built that exceeds the expansion velocity of the universe, it would be possible to leave the universe."


    "For other civilizations, the universe is like a prison; the only way for them to leave this prison is to elerate their civilization''s speed beyond the expansion velocity of the universe."


    "But relying solely on their own power is not enough."


    "Therefore, theyunchets toward all life-bearings, such as the one that arrived on Blue Star 27 years ago. By inducing transcendentalization of the, they aim to rapidly advance to a Star-level Civilization and in turn, contribute a modicum of strength to their cause."


    "These civilizations believe that the true world lies beyond the universe."


    "Within the universe, all are prisoners."


    "This is a rare escape n plotted by countless civilizations working together for hundreds of millions of years."


    Chen Miao did not speak; after a long while, he frowned, "This n can''t possibly seed. The fastest speed in the universe is the speed of light, no object can move faster than light, and the expansion velocity of the universe far exceeds the speed of light."


    "Theoretically, even if there are other civilizations within the universe, they are highly unlikely to leave the universe; they cannot exceed the expansion velocity of the universe."


    The Mayor of Fengtian City nodded, "Theoretically, it is indeed so, but if everything were only based on theory, humanity should have gone extinct long ago."


    "The reason humans have survived until now is due to one miracle after another."


    "Like humans, those civilizations also believe they can create miracles, even though they have already spent a hundred million years, or even longer, without any result."


    "Onest question." Chen Miao nced around at Hungry Monkey and the others, "Why is it named Universe 666?"


    "Is it because the binary for 666 is 1010011010? Does this sequence of numbers have some special significance?"


    "Not really."


    The Mayor shrugged, "It''s simply because it''s considered lucky. 666, you know, smooth sailing all the way."


    "Sometimes I truly wonder if all these geniuses that have emerged in human history were transmigrators sent by other High-Dimensional Civilizations, with the objective of leading us to rapid development, like you."


    With one hand resting under his chin, the Mayor examined Chen Miao thoughtfully, "I started investigating you when you first made a ssh in major events. Before that, there were no records of your existence within the Federation." Explore stories on empire


    "It was as if you suddenly popped out of nowhere."


    "First, you killed a siege boss by yourself, then became the sole winner in the ''Coward''s Special'' event, and afterward, you made a particrly dazzling return by setting a record on the Hell Bus."


    "Everything you do is beyond the reach of ordinary people."


    "But before that, there was no information about you at all. I even investigated the surveince footage of all convenience stores in Fengtian City and found no trace of you in the past twenty years. You might not know this, but normal surveince doesn''t archive footage for very long. However, ever since I suspected twenty years ago that those geniuses who have changed human history might be transmigrators..."


    "I secretly ordered that all the surveince footage from convenience stores be archived indefinitely."


    "The first time your image appeared in Fengtian City was in a library where I checked all the books you had looked at. They were all about the annals of the federation, its history, and some general science books for the public."


    "They contained no plot whatsoever."


    "Most of the time, such material is for enlightening children, and adults rarely read these things because they''ve already learned them when they were young."


    "And when you appeared in the library, the clothes you wore did not fit well."


    "Coincidentally, that day someone reported their clothes being stolen in an alley."


    "After that day, your reputation began to gradually emerge."


    The mayor looked at Chen Miao with scrutiny,"So these days, I''ve been wondering if you''re a transmigrator, did you look for clothes first when younded because you can''t bring any objects, including clothes, with you when you enter the Space-time Transmission Machine?"


    "Afternding, you went to the library first to understand the history and culture of this."


    "Then you began to integrate."


    "And started to show off your talent, gradually rising to prominence."


    "Don''t get me wrong, I have no ill intentions toward you, and I will absolutely not leak this information. I just want to know which High-Dimensional Civilization you''re from and what is unique about that civilization."


    "What else in the universe I don''t know about."


    "I don''t know how much longer I will live, but the thought of dying with so much unknown bothers me."


    "If you can''t tell me any of this, at least you can tell me if your High-Dimensional Civilization is really gathering to break through the cosmic prison?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao didn''t speak, but his back was already soaked with cold sweat. He felt as if his underwear was stripped clean, was this person a devil?


    Did they just guess without any information?


    And guessed almost exactly right?


    It''s like going to y Werewolf, and a civilian with no special role pinpointing all four werewolves just by guessing¡ªit''s simply unbelievable.


    At the same time, he also realized his own loophole.


    A man who had never appeared before suddenly appears and the first thing he does is go to the library to look up federal history and culture. At first nce, it might seem unremarkable.


    But on closer inspection, one can see how strange that is.


    All convenience store surveince in Fengtian City for nearly 20 years was saved.


    Impressive.


    You''re the mayor, so you''re impressive. Do all these archives not consume government resources? Can you report the mayor? Isn''t this a waste of taxpayers'' hard-earned money?


    But soon he simply shook his head, both calmly and helplessly, saying, "Mayor, you think too much. If I were a transmigrator, how could I speak your world''snguage without any ridiculous ent?"


    "Heh heh."


    The mayor smiled and said nothing, "A universal trantor from a High-Dimensional Civilization or a pill that allows rapidnguage acquisition sounds quite usible, doesn''t it? At least you''re not a rebirth, since you didn''t buy lottery tickets but made your first bucket of gold through the clinic."


    "Otherwise, I might be asking what the federation will look like in the future."


    "Alright, let''s drop the subject. By the way, to add on to what I didn''t finish saying earlier, the reason why I''ve expended so much effort to build an army is that I''ve always believed that there will be a civilization that invades us."


    "If the universe has civilizations friendly to us, there must surely be ones that are malicious."


    "Although Blue Star has been united, I still believe that disbanding the army is a foolish idea and decision."


    "They''re starting to fire now, let''s talk next time."


    ...


    The mayor of Fengtian City waved his hand and walked toward the distance. However, before he disappeared into the crowd, several men carryingptops hurried to meet him.


    "This was Chen Miao''s heart rate during your conversation with him."


    "His shirt was slightly damp on the back."


    "His heartbeat significantly quickened during this segment."


    "Mmm."


    After reviewing all the data, the mayor stood still, thinking for three seconds, and then murmured softly, "Did I really guess correctly? A traveler from a High-Dimensional Civilization?"


    "An Executor?"


    "Or perhaps a Monitor?"

 Chapter 162 Chapter 161 "Seer".

    "The Monitor..."


    The mayor, standing in ce, gazed distantly at countless zombies howling in the distance, his expression absently silent, not speaking. His thoughts at this moment werepletely elsewhere¡ªhe spected that there should be a Monitor from the high-dimensional civilization within the Federal Government.


    There should be one, right?


    After all, theet that brought about the Transcendentalization of the federation had a high probability¡ªup to seventy percent¡ªof being sent by a high-dimensional civilization.


    Since the high-dimensional civilization had expended so much effort on them, it would certainly send someone to check on their progress¡ªor at least, that was his guess; he was unwilling to believe there were no Monitors, for that would mean the high-dimensional civilization was unwilling to pay extra attention to them.


    Within the federation, only a very few knew a shared secret.


    Only the core of the Federal Government and the mayors of the major cities were privy to this information.


    It was that in one year and one month''s time.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Or more precisely, on December 31st of the following year, a civilization wouldunch a major invasion of the federation, leading to a life-and-death struggle between the two civilizations. This information was obtainedst year from a "Seer."


    It was also a Supernatural upation.


    Regarding this message, those privy to it were extremely pessimistic; they almost unanimously believed that in one year, humanity''s civilization would face its doomsday.


    This battle was simply unwinnable.


    How could they possibly defeat a civilization capable of traversing time and space? It simply wasn''t a fair fight.


    But even if they couldn''t win, they couldn''t just wait for death, so each city made its own preparations.


    Some cities nned to turn all their citizens into Supernaturals, others pooled all their resources into a few Supernaturals, hoping to cultivate a group of elitebat forces by the time the battle began.


    And Fengtian City was an important link in this chain.


    The task or preparation of Fengtian City was to train a Gunslinger army. It was a Supernatural upation somewhat ineffective in secret realms yet potent on the real battlefield. At least, it was stronger than the brawlers charging in groups; the Gunslingers could stay back and die slower.


    Over the years, Fengtian City had spent a lot of government funds acquiring basic Gunslinger Materials, skills, and props and so forth. To the others in the city government, like the vice mayor, he imed they were acquiring materials at a low price now to sell at a high priceter.


    But in reality, the true reason was simply to stockpile for the war.


    These actions, however effective they might end up being in the face of an entire civilization, were probably utterly insignificant, and he knew well that they were useless¡ªthey would not save human civilization.


    If only you knew about the impending doom of humanity, what would you do?


    He admitted that he was just an ordinary person who couldn''t think of a way to save humanity, and he certainlycked the ability, so like a man possessed, he began to pour through history, searching for an answer within it.


    In the end...


    He actually found an answer.


    Throughout history, whenever humanity faced certain events, there were always some who would arise to handle these matters. Take Huo Qubing as an example, who was born when the Huns were ravaging the Central ins. In his early twenties, he repelled the Huns, and not long after aplishing his mission, he died young.


    It was as if his very purpose for being born was to fight the Huns, and once they were defeated, his missionpleted, he also passed away.


    Multiple instances like this urred.


    Every critical juncture always brought forth someone carrying such a mission.


    And the uing civilization invasion was undoubtedly the biggest crisis Blue Star had ever faced. He guessed there might be someone with a mission, set to emerge and save humanity once again.


    This was just his spection.


    Until¡ª


    He encountered Chen Miao.


    In his heart, the countless unfounded spections that felt like imaginary answers suddenly seemed to have found a form, as if Chen Miao filled in all the previously illogical gaps.


    Chen Miao was the one destined to bear the mission of saving human civilization.


    He came here with a purpose.


    Saving the Federal Government was his mission.


    Just like Huo Qubing.


    This was his spection, but he wasn''t sure of it, he hadn''t discussed it with anyone else, others would say he was being preposterous, even those from the Federal Government. He had shared his spection with them a long time ago, but no one believed him, saying that his spectioncked any logic.


    Logic?


    If we really were to go by logic, humanity should have been extinguished countless times throughout history.


    The fact that humans have been able to continue to this point is precisely because they don''t rely on logic.


    "..."


    With a calm expression, he turned and looked toward Chen Miao standing behind him in the crowd, inwardly making up his mind that, at least for now, he hadn''t seen the Federal Governmente up with any countermeasures; he could only ce his bets on Chen Miao.


    He hoped that all the resources of Fengtian City could help this man,den with a mission, grow faster.


    So that in a year''s time, he might be able to help the Federal Government through the crisis of civilization invasion.


    "No, that''s not right..."


    He suddenly stood frozen, his brain somewhat crashing, and he felt bewildered. If he didn''t n to allocate all of Fengtian City''s resources to Chen Miao, would Chen Miao still be able to rise quickly?


    Would he still be able to save the Federal Civilization?


    Discover stories at empire


    Then, was the person carrying the mission Chen Miao, or was it himself?


    Could it be that his mission was to help Chen Miao grow rapidly?


    If in the future Chen Miao truly saved the Federal Government, would the reason be that Chen Miao himself was the one bearing the mission, or because he had directed a considerable amount of resources toward Chen Miao? If he wasn''t there, could Chen Miao still save the Federal Government?


    Wouldn''t this be a paradox?


    After standing still, with his brain frozen for a minute, the corners of the Mayor''s mouth began to twitch wildly. He couldn''t think about this any longer; it felt like he had wrapped himself up in it and couldn''t untangle the thoughts; his brain was close to exploding. He even began to doubt whether he was a messenger from a high-dimensional civilization.


    After all, his thoughts were too absurd.


    Difficult for the average person to ept.


    "Fire!"


    He decisively issued themand to fire, to bring everything back onto a normal track. For now, he would not think about those other issues. Apart from cing his hopes on Chen Miao, he had no other strategy.


    Indeed.


    While all cities were preparing for the civilization invasion, besides forming a gunslinger army and collecting Gunslinger Materials, his second measure was to find the person who bore the mission to save the Federal Government.


    At least, that''s what history said.


    Now, it seemed he might have found that person, but he needed to observe a while longer to see if Chen Miao''s momentum would continue to grow, or if he would quickly weaken.


    Observation?


    Was he also a Monitor from the high-dimensional civilization?


    ...


    Chen Miao was unaware of the Mayor of Fengtian City, who had descended into a frenzy in the distance. Instead, with a slightly damp back, he stood still without speaking, not expecting that someone would go to the trouble of checking surveince to look into his past traces of life.


    For this, he had only two words to express his feelings: speechless.


    But the Mayor''s words just now were quite interesting.

 Chapter 163 Chapter 162 He Refused to be Gnawed to Death by Zombies.

    Quite an interesting spection.


    But he knew it was all wrong.


    He was not a person sent by the High-Dimensional Civilization; he was just a damn unlucky guy who went on a trip and got killed by a coconut!


    Truly deserving of death!


    Later, he would definitely uproot all the coconut trees in the federation!


    He would have epted his fate if he had been killed by a durian, but a coconut? He wasn''t sure if his head was too fragile, or the coconut was too hard.


    Newton was hit by an apple and discovered thew of gravity.


    He was hit by a coconut and discovered a new world.


    Comparing the two, it seemed his discovery was more impressive, as he had already arrived in this new world.


    There was only one point he got right: he indeed wasn''t a native born and raised in this world.


    Just then¡ª


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!!!"


    Violent explosions suddenly erupted, as piercing as setting off fireworks in the quiet night sky, as countless shells smashed into the group of zombies nearby, shredding many zombies, with chunks of their bodies flying into the air.


    Thick smoke billowed and rose.


    These were grenadeunchers. After three rounds of continuous explosions, many Supernaturals put away their grenadeunchers, pulled out their Hell Gatlings, and dove into the makeshift trenches they had dug. Uponmand, they all pulled the triggers together.


    Thousands of Gatlings celebrated together, forming a of firepower that almost instantly tore the closest zombies to shreds.


    Many people were moving boxes of ammunition off the trucks while more trucks continuously transported ammunition and various supplies. Not far away, a reporter with a wireless microphone leaned against the background of the battlefield, raising his voice as much as possible to the camera lens.


    "This is the suburban area of Broken Pot City. Reporter Little Liu brings you thetest updates. Broken Pot City has been engulfed in the fixed event, Sea of Zombies. At this moment, the city has been surrounded by countless zombies. Fengtian City, upon hearing the news, sent troops immediately to provide support."


    "What you are now seeing is the military forces of Fengtian City effectively and swiftly clearing the perimeter of zombies, and it is expected..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sounds of the battlefield were too noisy. If he didn''t shout, he couldn''t be heard at all.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    In Broken Pot City, Zhang Liu, with injuries all over his body and a hint of fear in his panting breath, was hiding behind some ruins. He had already sent the message to Chen Miao, but it was useless now.


    He had been caught in the fixed event, Sea of Zombies.


    Before the event ended, no one could enter Broken Pot City.


    This was a city-state level fixed event, easily enough to cause the demise of a city, so one could imagine the level of danger. The strength of those zombies was not too great; the biggest problem was that these zombies seemed toe endlessly and fearlessly, easily capable of overwhelming their defenses.


    They had no solid defensive structures to defend themselves with and could only retreat while fighting street battles in the urban areas.


    Originally, he was being chased by some thugs, but now it was evident that those thugs had no energy left to chase him; he was now being pursued by zombies.


    "I''m just a damn psychologist..."


    Zhang Liu leaned against the ruins, looking at thest nine hundred rounds in his backpack with a hint of despair in his eyes. He was out of bullets; the ammo for his Hell Gatling had been used up long ago, and as a seasoned Supernatural,


    he had his own ammunition production line.


    In a warehouse in Fengtian City, he stored arge quantity of bullets. He had only gone out to get two valves for Doctor Gou and, apart from the space in his backpack which was filled with bullets, he hadn''t brought any other ammunition with him.


    All the bullets in the space backpack were now used up, except for the 1000 revolver rounds in one of thepartments, of which over 900 remained unused. However, the killing power of the revolver was so pathetic that these 900-odd bullets didn''t provide him with any sense of security.


    A gunslinger without bullets is nothing but amb waiting to be ughtered.


    At this moment, he couldn''t imagine anything that could help him survive this fixed event.


    "Am I going to die..."


    Zhang Liu, hiding behind the ruins, tried to steady his breathing as much as possible to avoid tearing his wounds open with quick breaths and causing sharp pain, or worse, passing out from it. In these circumstances, passing out equaled death.


    He had barely escaped the danger of cancer, so why was he now facing this crisis?


    He felt indignant.


    Intense indignation made him¡­ extremely resentful.


    Besides indignation, there didn''t seem to be much else he could do.


    "Wait..."


    Suddenly, Zhang Liu had an idea. Surely there must be other gunmen in Broken Pot City, right? If he could find another gunmen''s ammunition storage, perhaps he still had a chance to survive. No sooner thought than done, he bent over and moved quickly toward the distance, trying his best not to rm the surrounding zombies.


    This sudden idea surged his will to live by a notch.


    At this point, he had no mind to care about the life and death of Doctor Gou.


    He was too close to death himself to worry about others.


    ...


    "Drop them, and run."


    At this moment, the desperados who had captured Doctor Gou and the others were also fleeing frantically, with arge horde of zombies roaring and sprinting toward them from behind.


    The fierce-looking leader yelled to his followers nearby, "Bleed those two, toss them behind to distract the zombies, let''s run fast!"


    "Throw them?"


    The desperate thug carrying Doctor Gou paused for a moment before gasping out loud, "Boss, they haven''t confessed anything. They''ve given us nothing, we found nothing clean on them, everything they had was in space backpacks."


    "Throw them!"


    The boss, somewhat angry, shouted, "When I say throw them, do you fucking not hear me? We''re about to die, what''s the point of considering these things?"


    "Isn''t it just the spoils from surviving the fixed event 128? What''s so great about that?"


    "If we can survive, won''t the spoils from the fixed event 68 be even more valuable?"


    "Motherfucker, I''ve been good all my life, how the hell did I get involved in this kind of fixed event, I must have sinned."


    The subordinates exchanged nces, then, without hesitating further, pulled knives from their bosoms and repeatedly stabbed Doctor Gou and ck Doctor in the abdomen.


    Blood spurted continuously.


    Then they threw the two men to the ground and continued running forward, hoping that these two could dy the zombies long enough to help them escape the encirclement.


    ...


    "Thud."


    Doctor Gou, his consciousness fading, was thrown heavily to the ground. Looking toward the nearby zombies, he struggled to lift his right hand, preparing to plunge it into the wound in his throat as he sought to quickly end his own life.


    He didn''t want to be gnawed to death by zombies.

 Chapter 164 Chapter 163 "Tomb Guardian" is exactly the kind of talent thats missing.

    This was the way he hated dying the most.


    Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, he was now so tired that he could not even muster the strength to raise his arm. He could only lie on the ground, unable to move, watching helplessly as the foul-smelling zombies quickly approached him.


    In hisst breath of life.


    There was no despair in his eyes, only regret and unwillingness to ept his fate.


    If... if he had listened to his parents and not gone to that secret ce, could he now be living happily with his family?


    This had be the insurmountable barrier of his life; he didn''t know how to get past it and now he never would. Perhaps death would be a relief.


    But just then¡ª


    The ck Doctor suddenly sprang up from the ground and, just as the zombies were about to pounce on them, he grabbed Doctor Gou and hoisted him onto his shoulder, quickly diving into a nearby alley.


    Then, with practiced ease, he weaved through the twists and turns.


    Before long, they arrived at the entrance of their own clinic.


    By now, countless wrecked vehicles littered the streets. As the city descended into chaos, many people instinctively took to their cars to flee. But in their panic, they drove too fast, ignoring trafficws, resulting in strewn, collided vehicles everywhere.


    Some cars had even started to burn.


    By now, there were no visible mes, only internal smoldering. Thick ck smoke billowed into the sky, bearing testament to the catastrophe that had unfolded here.


    Just as they were about to enter the clinic, the ck Doctor suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and stumbled, nearly falling over; his injuries were apparently just as severe, but he quickly pressed several acupuncture points on his body to stem the bleeding temporarily.


    Then he fumbled for the keys from the unconscious Doctor Gou to unlock the clinic door, slipped inside, and pulled down the shutter behind them. Afterwards, heid Doctor Gou on the operating table, ready to perform emergency surgery.


    Sterilization, disinfection.


    Although life had suddenly thrown them into such a chaotic situation, the young man known as the ck Doctor showed no sign of panic, his slender hands deftly moving in rhythmic motions.


    First, he sterilized and disinfected both himself and Doctor Gou.


    Then, he began to suture wounds, repair damaged organs, stop bleeding, administer blood transfusions, and the like in quick session.


    The young man was performing surgery on himself while simultaneously operating on Doctor Gou, whoy on the operating table.


    The entire scene looked exceedingly eerie.


    An external surgeon would find it difficult to perform surgery alone, without any assistants, as it meant doing everything personally, let alone simultaneously needing surgery themselves.


    "You son of a¡ª"


    Doctor Gou on the operating table slowly opened his eyes, looking at the ck Doctor, who was suturing his own wound while attending to his, and managed to say with difficulty, "Give me some anesthetic, damn it. I can feel your hands stuffing my belly."


    "It hurts!"


    "Bear with it."


    The ck Doctor''s expression remained unchanged, and his hands did not stop for a moment, "If you get anesthetic now, it''ll be hard for you to wake up again."


    Doctor Gou suddenly smiled, looking at the young man who seemed a bit aloof: "With such great medical skills, why choose to be a ck Doctor?"


    "I''ve told you before."


    "Oh right, you did mention... it''s because being a ck Doctor gets you money faster, right? By the way, I''m quite curious about what you did with that 500,000 I gave you. Can I ask? It looks like I won''t live much longer, a heavy curiosity is understandable, right?"


    "..."


    The ck Doctor''s movements hesitated for a moment, then continued calmly without any expression, "You can ask."


    "I had a girlfriend six years ago. It was when I had just started as an intern at the hospital, and my sry was very low."


    "We were madly in love with each other and very happy together."


    "Then one day, she suddenly told me she wanted to go to Jingjiu City for better opportunities, saying she didn''t want to stay poor all her life. I''d gotten into some trouble before, couldn''t leave Broken Pot City."


    "She left."


    "This year she came back, saying she wanted to see me. Sometimes men are vain; I didn''t want her to know that I wasn''t doing well. I wanted her to see that actually, I was doing quite well, that leaving me was a mistake."


    "So I became a ck Doctor, trying to make more money."


    "With that 500,000, I bought a decent car and some expensive clothes."


    "Later, I met her."


    "She looked beautiful that day, as if emerging from the light, standing next to me making me feel like an ugly duckling. She smiled that day, the happiest smile I''d ever seen from her."


    "She said she was very happy, scared that if she came back and saw I was doing well, it would make her feel like her past decision was wrong, and that would mean her years of striving and her initial decision were meaningless."


    "But seeing me in this wretched state made her satisfied, indicating that her choice back then was correct."


    "Her current sry is 500,000 a month."


    "Tsk."


    The tale the ck Doctor told seemed to act like anesthesia, easing Doctor Gou''s pain considerably, his mouth involuntarily curling into a smile, "Sorry to touch a sore spot unintentionally. Though I''ve heard plenty of stories about lovesick fools, each story of these fools around the world seems unique."


    "Each has its own vor."


    "Every time I listen to it, there''s a new feeling."


    "Cough, that is, no offense, but what about that car and all the gearter on? I never saw you driving it."


    "I threw it into the river,"


    the ck Doctor said calmly.


    "Threw it into the river?"


    Doctor Gou was slightly stunned, and his tone involuntarily rose, "That''s half a million you threw into the river! Have you gone mad? Even if you didn''t want it, you could have brought it back for the clinic, we don''t even have a car of our own yet!"


    "That was the sry I advanced from you, I can dispose of it however I wish."


    "At that time, to unt my wealth, I threw the car into the river to show her I wasn''t short of money."


    "And then?"


    "Then she saw right through me. Like a victorious female general, she left Broken Pot City forever at dusk, while I stood there like a clown, subjected to mockery."


    "Tsk."


    Doctor Gou couldn''t help but click his tongue, "Sounds quite embarrassing. What happened after that? Keep going, I''ve never heard you talk about such things before. I didn''t expect someone as cold as you to have had such a love."


    "A man who is extremely insecure inside can be deranged when provoked."


    "Clearly she didn''t understand that."


    As the ck Doctor carefully stitched up Doctor Gou''s wound, he continued to speak calmly, "The moment I was exposed, I felt so ashamed I just wanted to flee this ce quickly and after returning, I deleted her as a friend and never contacted her again."


    "But before she left, she mocked me a lot."


    "She despised me greatly for pretending to be rich when I wasn''t."


    "I found it a bit hard to ept."


    "So I gave her that car, hoping she would like it."


    "That car? Didn''t you throw it into the river?"


    "Yes, I stuffed her into that car. She should be resting at the bottom of the river by now. If you want to see, next time I have a chance I''ll dredge it up for you to have a look."


    "..."


    Doctor Gou''s mouth twitched slightly, not knowing how to respond for a moment. Clearly, despite earning half a million a month and the societal experience that came with it, he was not very aware of what kind of ce Broken Pot City was¡ªa ce teeming with desperados.


    Even if you make too much money, don''t be too ostentatious here.


    Those desperados won''t care about your circumstances, if they say they''re going to get you, then they''re definitely going to get you.


    Just like him, aw-abiding clinic owner who hadn''t provoked anyone, was almost killed by a bunch of desperados, wasn''t he?


    He suddenly felt fortunate he''d kept the ck Doctor by his side.


    This kid really did save his life.


    Although this kid was no angel, he judged people not by what they had done, but by what they had done for him. In almost certain death, being willing to take him along to run, and then bringing him to the clinic to stitch up his wounds,


    was already a life-saving favor.


    If he survived this time, he would have to properly introduce the ck Doctor to Miao. This kid was a real talent, capable of performing two surgeries at the same time, and one of them was even on himself. His surgical talent was almost maxed out.


    The ''Tomb Guardian'' was in need of such talent.


    Mostly unnecessary, but once needed, it''s critical, just like now.


    In a daze, Doctor Gou passed out. He had lost too much blood. He had kept going only by sheer willpower.


    The ck Doctor nced at the unconscious Doctor Gou, didn''t say anything but looked at the empty blood bag, his brow furrowing slightly. After a moment of silence, he picked up a knife and left the room.


    ...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "No rewards at all,"


    Chen Miao had just tentatively picked up a Thompson Submachine Gun and gave a burst to the zombies not far away, but there were no rewards. He didn''t get anything, and he wasn''t clear whether the people inside Broken Pot City received rewards for killing zombies, or if it was just them, the outsiders, who didn''t get any rewards for killing zombies.


    Moreover, he had noticed something else.


    No matter how fierce the attack theyunched, the zombies did not even turn to look at them. They headed straight for Broken Pot City with clear intent, and he couldn''t understand how these zombies had appeared.


    But their number never seemed to decrease.


    The Fengtian City military had been firing for three minutes now, and arge number of zombies were being killed off like mowing grass, but it always seemed like the number of zombies didn''t lessen at all, no different from a moment ago.


    And at that moment¡ª


    Chi Qiu came striding over with Ke Gou, and with a serious expression, said, "Miao, do you remember me? We had a conflict at the noodle shop. I have an important piece of intelligence to report."


    "Apart from me and the whole federation, only four people know this intelligence."


    "This fixed event is not random, it can only be triggered after someonepletes a mission chain."


    "And the person who triggers this fixed event will also have a distinct characteristic."

 Chapter 165 Isnt this going against the Mayor?

    "If we could find and end this disaster in a short time, it would naturally be a good thing, but what if we can''t find a solution quickly?"


    "Most people within the city are focused on finding someone, especially those with power and influence, no one resists anymore, and those zombies are going to ughter unabated as if entering an uninhabited region."


    "At this time, we can''t let the morale of Broken Pot City''s inhabitants disintegrate."


    "And even if they die, most of those who die will be those desperate ouws; consider it a bted execution."


    "Do you understand?"


    Today, he had spoken a lot of words, unusually so, as he wasn''t typically that talkative.


    "I understand."


    Chi Qiu nodded his head with aplex expression, it was soplicated; he felt like he understood a bit, but at the same time, he did not fully grasp it.


    "Right, don''t let this news get out; it''s an unverifiable decision."


    The mayor spoke softly with an indifferent expression, knowing that if this matter were to get out, beingbeled as a mayor of Fengtian City who stood by in the face of death would invite a barrage of iprehension and curses.


    He couldn''t be sure if spreading the news would lead to a better oue.


    It was an unverifiable matter.


    But he still believed in his judgment, that his decision would result in fewer deaths.


    What the two of them hadn''t noticed was that, far from them, a reporter''s eyelids slightly drooped, carefully watching the recording pen not far from their feet.


    ...


    "Liu, I''ve found explosive news!!!"


    A girl who appeared very youthful and energetic, holding a recording pen, excitedly rushed to a middle-aged man, her voice trembling with excitement, "Liu, haven''t you always said that our television station doesn''t have any explosive news or much attention?"


    "I''ve found some now!"


    "I had identally lost my recording pen earlier and spent ages following its tracker before realizing it had fallen close by. Just as I was about to go pick it up, I saw the mayor there talking to someone. Afraid of causing a misunderstanding or being seen as eavesdropping on purpose, I didn''t approach."


    "Only after they left did I go over, and then I discovered that the recording pen was on. Out of curiosity, I listened to it, and do you know what I heard? Huge news!!!"


    The girl cautiously yed the recording, revealing the conversation between Chi Qiu and the mayor.


    "Can we broadcast this?"


    "We cannot."


    The man known as Liu rolled his eyes at the girl, "You and Xiaohua are both interns who recently joined our television station. I''m grateful that you understand the struggles that the station is facing, but sometimes, you need to think more seriously."


    "The mayor himself said this shouldn''t get out, and you want to leak it. Isn''t that going against the mayor''s wishes?"


    "Oh."


    The girl hung her head slightly in disappointment, fiddling with her clothes without giving a response.


    But just then¡ª


    The other girl standing to the side, named Xiaohua, spoke up angrily after hearing the conversation, "The mayor of Fengtian City clearly knows there''s a way to resolve this disaster sooner; why would he hide this news?"


    "Isn''t this condemning millions of lives in Broken Pot City to death?"


    "No, this message must be released. If we can find the person with the plum blossom tattoo within seven days, do you know how many lives could be spared?"


    "It can''t be leaked."


    Liu shook his head expressionlessly, "I am the boss, and what I say is themand."


    "We are journalists, notpdogs."


    "If everyone tells us not to leak news, should we justply? Then there''s no need for us to write press releases either. We could just let novelists make up a story every day instead, since we can''t tell the truth anyway."


    After speaking, the tall girl named Xiaohua, standing at an impressive 175 cm, stormed off in a huff, clearly disagreeing with her boss.


    ...


    "Sigh."


    Watching Xiaohua walk away, Liu sighed softly; this intern was the most troublesome for him, yet due to certain rtionships, he had no choice but to offer her a permanent position.


    "Liu."


    Continue your adventure at empire


    At this moment, the girl who originally found the message spoke up softly, frightened by the tense atmosphere, trying to defend Xiaohua, "Don''t be mad at her. Xiaohua is just a bit too straightforward and overly zealous for justice."


    "When she sees someone spitting or smoking in public, she will go up to them and loudly reprimand them, not sparing any feelings."


    "And she''s very impartial."


    "Once, I saw her on the street with her dad getting milk tea. When her father spat on the ground, she called him out on the spot, using him ofcking manners. She doesn''t tailor her actions to the person."


    "She has a good heart, it''s just that her way of doing things can be a bit unpleasant."


    "A good heart?"


    Liu looked at Xiaohua with aplex expression and after a while spoke softly, "Perhaps she simply enjoys the feeling of criticizing others from a moral high ground. Publicly chastising her own father¡ª is that righteousness or the loss of humanity?"


    "And it''s clear she was never disciplined as a child."


    "Even if the other''s behavior is wrong, this kind of relentless public criticism can end your life if you happen toe across a desperate criminal."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "You might not encounter one a thousand times, but just once is enough for you to be done for."


    "That''s not justice."


    "It''s the disgusting hypocrisy of enjoying the thrill of criticizing others who cannot fight back."


    The girl stood there stunned, not quite grasping the meaning of Liu''s words.


    However, just then¡ª


    A news broadcast appeared on every outdoor screen and wristwatch in Broken Pot City.


    "Hello everyone, I am Liu Xiaohua, a reporter intern with Supreme Television Station from Jingjiu City. I must tell all the citizens of Broken Pot City a truth¡ª you''ve been abandoned by the government."


    "Your lives are nothing more than disposable pawns in the eyes of the government."


    "Before we proceed, let me y you a recording."


    "The recording is quite long, so I''ve extracted some key information."


    ¡¸Mayor, why don''t we spread this message, it could help Broken Pot City have fewer deaths.¡¹


    ¡¸What kind of people are most in Broken Pot City?¡¹


    ¡¸Desperate ouws.¡¹


    ¡¸Even if they die, most who die will be those ouws; consider it a bted execution.¡¹


    "I stumbled upon this information by chance, and when I found out the mayor of Fengtian City had decided to give up on your lives, I almost lost my mind in that instant. I cannot sit by while the government uses the lives of ten million people as a political tool."


    "I''m here to reveal crucial information, that the Sea of Zombies event was manually activated, with someonepleting a task chain that triggered this fixed event."

 Chapter 166 That night, he drank a lot of alcohol.

    "And the person who triggered this fixed event has a distinctive feature: a plum blossom tattoo on the back of their hand."


    "As long as that person is killed, the disaster will be terminated ahead of time."


    "This news wasn''t pre-scripted, it''s all improvised on the spot. These matters affect too many people''s interests, and I expect the signal to be cut off any second now. When I said I was going to stand out, my boss, Liu, put a lot of pressure on me, asking if I really nned to go against the mayor."


    "I didn''t say a word, I just turned and left."


    "Go against the mayor? Who''s afraid?"


    "The reason I chose to be a reporter is to expose injustice and reveal the truth. Do I need to collude and be corrupted with those maggots? I am still young, and I don''t want to stain myself with the stench of corruption."


    "Remember my name, Liu Xiaohua. If I die, it''s definitely the Fengtian City mayor who killed me, and..."


    The next second¡ª


    The signal was cut off.


    On the wristwatches and outdoor screens of all the citizens of Broken Pot City, the image of the woman who was speaking non-stop suddenly came to an abrupt halt, turning into pixted white dots.


    ...


    Bursting into the makeshift studio, Liu, who had just cut off the signal, looked grimly at Xiaohua, who stood in front of the camera and microphone, and said word by word, "What exactly are you trying to do?"


    "The person who brought you in is just a low-level leader."


    "You don''t think he has enough power to protect you, do you?"


    "Even if he''s a minor official in Jingjiu City, do you think he can protect you? Do you even understand what it means that each of the 128 main cities can almost have absolute autonomy?"


    "Are you insane!!!"


    "Ever heard the saying?" Xiaohua rose from her chair, looking fearlessly into Liu''s eyes, "Justice may be dyed, but it will never be denied. If there''s information that can help the residents of Broken Pot City, why should it be kept secret?"


    "And, what protects me is never just one person."


    "It''s the public."


    "Public opinion will protect me. No matter how powerful he is, would he dare to kill me? Everyone would know he''s the killer."


    "You..."


    Liu started breathing rapidly, but then he stopped talking. There was no point in saying anything at this moment. He decided to withdraw from this operation and resign immediately.


    The sooner he resigned, the better.


    He couldn''t continue doing this.


    Working with this woman, he would surely die sooner orter.


    He had made his point very clear, which meant that the mayors of every main city were almost like feudal lords unchecked by the central government. In the past, which city''s mayor could continue for twenty or thirty years?


    Insane.


    Let you work in a city for twenty or thirty years, wouldn''t the city end up bearing your name?


    No one could protect you from such a person.


    And public opinion?


    Public opinion, my ass. You just assumed this thing would be useful.


    In Jingjiu City, a mere intern wouldn''t have the authority to broadcast directly across Broken Pot City. This time, to support Broken Pot City and to promptly broadcast the news here,


    they were given temporary permissions.


    The original intention was to have these television stations urgently educate the citizens of Broken Pot City with survival hiding techniques and increase the survival rate as much as possible. Unexpectedly, this broadcasting incident urred.


    ...


    "Mayor."


    Chi Qiu came rushing in again, this time taking a deliberate look around to ensure there were no recording devices before speaking anxiously, "The conversation we just had has been leaked. Public opinion is now attacking us."


    "Especially that reporter, she edited out a lot of our conversation, leaving behind words that are too provocative."


    "What should we do?"


    "No problem."


    The mayor shook his head. "It''s just that I too want to see what the oue would be if we chose the second option."


    "But lots of people will die."


    "Those who die won''t be Fengtian''s citizens. Am I the mayor of Broken Pot City?"


    "Oh..."


    Chi Qiu nodded sheepishly. This was his first direct interaction with the mayor. Normally, someone of his level wouldn''t even get to meet the mayor. Even family heads had to show utmost respect to the mayor.


    Taking this chance,


    he had met with the mayor several times and had be quite familiar with him.


    He had initially thought this was a serious matter, but seeing that the mayor wasn''t very concerned, he didn''t pursue it further.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the ck Doctor, holding a knife in his left hand and a bag of blood in his right, had returned to the clinic. While transfusing blood to Doctor Gou, he watched the emergency news broadcast on the television screen.


    An intern named Liu Xiaohua was speaking frantically there.


    "Intern?"


    The ck Doctor looked up, thenughed: "Can an intern make 500,000 a month?"


    He knew this woman.


    It was indeed his girlfriend, more precisely his ex-girlfriend. Even if the sry in Jingjiu City was high, a journalist couldn''t make 500,000 in a month, let alone an intern journalist. This meant that the woman was also boasting.


    She wasn''t doing as well as he was, her sry was even less than what he earned at the hospital.


    Yes.


    He had lied to Doctor Gou, he hadn''t killed that woman. Although he had fled to Broken Pot City because he was in trouble, he had never taken a life, and he didn''t want to kill with his own hands.


    He hadn''t stuffed the woman into the river either.


    That evening at dusk,


    after that woman had left Broken Pot City without looking back, he, like a child, threw his car into the river, then sat on the riverbank under the night sky, silently lighting a cigarette as he watched the car he had long coveted disappear little by little beneath the surface.


    In his heart, he told himself that it was time to let gopletely.


    A long time ago, she used toin every time it rained that if they had a car, they wouldn''t have to get wet like everyone else. Why did all her girlfriends'' boyfriends have cars, but not her?


    Since then, he had always wanted to buy a car.


    That night, he drank a lot of alcohol.


    But he didn''t tell Doctor Gou these things; they were too childish, and it was somewhat embarrassing to say them out loud.


    He had lied to Doctor Gou.


    Afterward, he nced at his wristwatch, which showed a message from Liu Xiaohua.


    The gist of it was for him to try his best to find a person with a plum blossom tattoo on the back of their hand. If he could find them, she was willing to have a meal with him and get reacquainted, and they might even get back together.


    It was clear that Liu Xiaohua must have been very anxious.


    Thest time Liu Xiaohua came to Broken Pot City, before she left, he suggested having a meal together, but she said she couldn''t get used to eating in such a small ce.


    Now she was even willing to demean herself by eating in such a ce just to find someone.


    "Heh."


    The ck Doctor chuckled, picked up a roll of bandages from beside him, and tightly wrapped up the plum blossom tattoo on Doctor Gou''s hand.


    Thus¡ª


    Both he and Doctor Gou''s injuries had been bandaged, but Doctor Gou had fallen into aa because of blood loss. The rest was up to Doctor Gou''s healing ability. His injuries were not as severe as Doctor Gou''s; the main target of torture was Doctor Gou.


    That''s the benefit of being an underling.


    A boss to take the hits.


    Ackey to run first in trouble.


    The ck Doctor sat on a nearby chair, thoughtfully looking at Doctor Gou. He knew that Doctor Gou used to be from Fengtian City, and after killing quite a few people in Fengtian City, he fled to Broken Pot City apparently without any family.


    But it was unclear why he had activated this fixed event.


    Could it have been arranged by the "Tomb Guardian"?


    He''d always been curious about this faction and had wanted to meet its leader, Chen Miao. The faction was powerful, and even though he was just a Lifestyle upation yer and not a Supernatural, he could make that assessment.


    "Faction Effect."


    When he saw the "Tomb Guardian" faction effect, his first reaction was to know this faction was powerful; that faction effect was almost like a god-like existence.


    Especially under this faction effect, his medical arts, which had previously been stagnating, began to rise again, and there was no longer a ceiling for his Skill Proficiency.


    He had a secret, which he had not shared with anyone.


    He was born with a bloodline, something he discovered the year Xiaohua left, when he became a level 8 doctor.


    "Heavenly Doctor Bloodline."


    Find exclusive content at empire


    This bloodline could help him be a very strong surgeon.


    The effect of this bloodline was to increase his Skill Proficiency acquisition speed as a doctor by 50 times, which was not very strong, since the proficiency of lifestyle skills is rted to level and there is a limit to the proficiency cap.


    At most, it meant his proficiency increased much faster than the average person, but the ceiling was the same.


    But ever since joining the "Tomb Guardian,"


    he knew that things would be different from now on.


    As long as he stayed with the "Tomb Guardian," his proficiency acquisition speed would reach an incredibly exaggerated level, at which point the talent of his bloodline would be fully realized, and as long as he advanced to a level 20 doctor,


    he could even change professions to be the special Supernatural upation "Surgical Maniac."


    "Pretty good."


    The ck Doctor suddenly smiled, revealing his white teeth. Although he had never met the other members of "Tomb Guardian," for some reason, he felt a fondness for these people, especially after Doctor Gou shared his experiences on the Hell Bus.


    Learning that the leader of the "Tomb Guardian" was hosting guests relentlessly on the Hell Bus set on the hardest difficulty, while the other members were out therepleting missions like crazy, gave him a sense of belonging, something he longed for.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In truth, he wasn''t a sycophant.


    He simply liked the feeling of dedication.


    When ying games, he enjoyed choosing tank characters, charging to the forefront to absorb damage for his teammates; seeing his teammates survive under his protection made him very happy. He reveled in this feeling of dedication.


    ...


    At that moment, Chen Miao''s brows furrowed as he arrived at the heart of the Sea of Zombies, the targeted location he had marked, a deep pit located underground.


    A massive horde of zombies was rapidly emerging from it.


    Around the surface area of this deep pit was something like red paint marked with the number "009."


    Through his Eagle Eye Skill, he could vaguely make out the iridescent lights flickering continuously at the bottom of the deep pit, where zombies were incessantly pouring forth, the flickering suggesting valuable items were there.

 Chapter 167 Dont ask, if you ask, its just feeling confident.

    Broken Pot City was arge city capable of amodating tens of millions of people,plete with all the living measures one would expect. With hundreds of bus routes alone, even a world that had transcended remained proactive with its rapid development.


    But...


    Many people still relied on the bus as their mode of transportation.


    The sight of a city capable of housing tens of millions of people now surrounded by millions of zombies was utterly staggering. At this moment, countless individuals were encircling the Sea of Zombies: there were live broadcast teams from various TV stations, rescue forces from different cities, and arge number of onlookers who were there mostly to satisfy their curiosity, forming thergest group.


    Most of the onlookers were supernaturals.


    What''s the biggest change after gaining strength?


    Even more arrogant than before?


    Or is it a stronger sense of justice?


    Actually, the biggest change is that the crowds they previously didn''t dare to join are now within reach. And don''t ask why; it is because they felt powerful enough.


    Chen Miao, making his way to the center of the Sea of Zombies amid a barrage of gunfire that seemed to shake the earth, actually went unnoticed by many. In fact, most people couldn''t see anything happening within their field of vision.


    Only the mayor of Fengtian City, who had been keeping an eye on Chen Miao from the beginning, saw him disappear into the Sea of Zombies. But after that, he was out of sight, too¡ªthere''s only so far the human eye can see.


    Chen Miao continued to walk deeper into the Sea of Zombies, a sight only the supernatural could witness.


    ...


    At this moment, Chen Miao''s brow was slightly furrowed; countless bullets swirled around him, creating a Metal Storm that minced any zombie entering its range.


    Against weaker but numerous enemies, his Metal Storm was the ultimate defensive skill.


    Once activated.


    It was imprable.


    And there, in front of him, was a Deep Pit¡ªakin to a Zombie Generator¡ªwith a constant stream of zombies flying out. At the bottom of the pit, a faintly visible object emitted a rainbow glow.


    Chen Miao took a deep look at the ''009'' number next to the pit.


    Without any hesitation, he leaped towards the Deep Pit for life.


    With the zombies'' strength, no matter the number, none could prate his defenses. As long as his Star Coins didn''t run out¡ªand he still had tens of thousands¡ªthey were sufficient for now, so he wasn''t worried about his safety. Enjoy new stories from empire


    He was merely curious about what could possibly enable the Deep Pit to continually spawn zombies.


    But that leap fundamentally shattered his worldview.


    He only saw¡ª


    As soon as Chen Miao jumped into the Deep Pit, he felt his body suddenly go out of control. Then, under the force of gravity, he plummeted straight down until he was flung out of the pit, yes... flung out of the Deep Pit.


    "..."


    He looked incredulously at the Deep Pit before him.


    The gravity at the bottom of this pit seemed to bepletely opposite to normal gravity.


    Normally, one would fall towards the ground.


    But the moment he jumped into the Deep Pit, his body uncontrobly "fell" towards the sky until he was a meter away from the pit, where the gravitational pull ceased and he then fell normally to the ground.


    He had always thought the zombies were flying out of the pit; it now appeared they had actually been falling out.


    "What''s going on here?"


    After several attempts and confirming that he wasn''t mistaken, Chen Miao was momentarily baffled. Gritting his teeth, he bravely approached the edge of the pit, despite the eerie scene before him, which gave him an unsettling feeling.


    But he still crawled into the Deep Pit, only this time he didn''t jump in.


    Instead, he climbed down along the edge.


    Sure enough.


    As he anticipated, he climbed down the edge of the Deep Pit slowly, but his body did not feel the normal sensation of falling downward; instead, he felt as if he were scaling a cliff on a t ne.


    The gravity inside the Deep Pit waspletely different from normal gravity.


    Do you know what this means?


    He didn''t know.


    If his hands weren''t so full at the moment, he really would have liked to search whether this situation had ever urred before.


    He didn''t know how long he had been climbing.


    Countless zombies "flew" past him, and he, like a climber indifferent to his own life, continued ascending the cliff face through the storm, ncing back over his shoulder.


    "..."


    The scene before him slightly muddled his thoughts.


    It seemed he was wrong again.


    This ce was not just a simple reversal of gravity; it was... the world turned upside-down.


    Looking at the sky behind him, he saw the clouds that he was used to seeing every day, but now, these things felt like they should be the ground, and his mind seemed to flip ordingly.


    Lost in such thoughts, he finally reached the bottom of the Deep Pit.


    At the bottom of the Deep Pit,


    there was only a portal emitting a rainbow of lights.


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Zombie Generator.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: None.


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: Can generate an unlimited number of zombies for seven days, with an estimate of creating 1 million zombies. If the death rate of the generated zombies is too quick, then the generation speed will increase, up to a maximum of 10 million zombies.


    Activating this prop requires 100,000 Star Coins.


    ¡¸Prop Introduction¡¹: As you can see, this is a doomsday device. The best way to store it is to throw it into the sea.


    The portal, about half a meter tall, was slowly rotating while continuously emitting a rainbow of lights, resembling the entrance to a secret realm.


    It''s just that the portals he entered to secret realms were always white.


    At this moment, zombies were rapidly leaping out of this portal.


    A strong impulse suddenly surged within him, wanting to stick his head into the portal to see if he could glimpse anything; he was a bit curious about what was on the other side of the portal.


    But his rationality restrained him from such an act.


    It was almost certainly a death wish.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But fortunately¡ª


    he had acquired enough misceneous props during the ''Coward''s Special Event,'' and his Nothingness Space could amodate plenty of clutter. He pressed his body against the cliff wall at the bottom of the Deep Pit and used tools to anchor himself to the wall so he wouldn''t fall.


    Only then did he take out a periscope from his bosom and poke the viewing end into the rainbow light of the portal.


    The very next second!


    Through the periscope, he saw a whole new world. The scenes he witnessed werepletely different from the information he usually received. Beyond the portal was aplete world.


    But unlike Blue Star,


    in that world, the sky was the ground, and the ground was the sky.


    People lived on clouds.


    He even saw a massive city built on the clouds, which seemed to be solid enough to bear great weight¡ªas if the ground were the sky to the city''s inhabitants.

 Chapter 168 At this point, maintaining etiquette would be impolite.

    With the passive skill Eagle Eye, his vision was also very good.


    He could even clearly see what the people in this world looked like, with an average height of about 1.5 meters¡ªthough their bodies appeared somewhat frail, there was no other difference from humans.


    And he was extending his periscope to the outskirts of this city.


    In an open-air factory.


    Bare-chested workers drenched in sweat were continuously manufacturing zombies on the assembly line, then sending them through the conveyor belt to the Rainbow Portal at the end.


    Yes, it was the same portal from which he had extended his periscope.


    This was the first time he realized that something like the Zombie Generator actually existed, with a factory behind it churning out zombies.


    No wonder the production speed could reach up to 20 times faster, it was because the factory was running overtime at full capacity, wasn''t it?


    What kind of world was this?


    He became extremely curious about this world.


    He poked his periscope deeper to get a higher view, and he saw more.


    He saw that the cities in this world were the exact opposite of those on Blue Star, situated above the clouds with buildings oriented upside down, pointing towards the ground. Trash disposal in the city was done by tossing it into the sky.


    Perhaps that trash would just keep drifting into outer space.


    There was no groundwater.


    But there were energy converters that drew water from deep within the clouds to supply the city.


    There were highways, there were cars.


    Everything was pretty much the same as on Blue Star except for beingpletely opposite.


    However, perhaps extending a periscope that was dozens of meters tall through the Rainbow Portal was a bit too conspicuous, as he soon saw many people shouting and looking towards his periscope. He couldn''t understand their voices; it was a differentnguage.


    "Whoosh!"


    A giant cleaver chopped his periscope in half.


    It was indeed a giant cleaver.


    About three hundred meters long.


    He didn''t have time to be shocked at the existence of such a gigantic cleaver, but quickly dropped the remaining half of his periscope, preparing to stuff the Rainbow Portal prop into his backpack, not sure if it would fit.


    This thing seemed very useful.


    Meanwhile¡ª


    At the bottom of the Deep Pit, suddenly a door was pushed open. That door blended almost seamlessly with the bottom of the pit, making it impossible to notice there was a door there at all. Out popped a head resembling that of a little dwarf, with hands moving swiftly to take the portal back.


    But Chen Miao''s hands were faster.


    He beat the little dwarf to it, snatching the portal back and putting it into his backpack, then emerging with a friendly smile, saying, "Hello."


    He guessed that this world might exist at the core of the? Or perhaps it was another civilization?


    In any case, it was definitely an alien.


    This might be Blue Star''s first contact with aliens, which might be a historical moment to be recorded in the history books. He could already imagine the scene¡ªhow it would be written... "It was the first contact between humans and aliens, Chen Miao began the encounter with a friendly ''hello,'' opening the following chapters."


    There was the ''hello world''


    And now, ''hello, alien''


    Which milestone carried more significance, it might have been the former in the past, but it would be thetter in the future.


    Through the door that had been pushed open at the bottom of the Deep Pit, he also saw the scenery of that world.


    It seemed to be an office setting, and this little dwarf appeared to be some sort of minor official.


    "%%£¤£¤%£¤!!"


    The little dwarf who wanted to take away the Rainbow Portal looked angrily at Chen Miao after failing to seed and started berating him furiously, "%£¤%£¤£¤%£¤%!!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s face became expressionless, and he fell silent. He couldn''t understand a word the little dwarf was saying, but sometimesmunication between civilizations doesn''t require understanding the meaning; one needs only to look at the facial expressions to get the gist, even if thenguages are mutually unintelligible.


    Just like now, he knew the little dwarf was definitely cursing. Find exclusive stories on empire


    And cursing quite filthily at that.


    At this point, maintainingposure would be impolite.


    "Fuck your mom!"


    "I''ll fuck your ancestors!!"


    Chen Miao expressionlessly responded with a curse that was a national treasure. It was like what some philosopher had said, if humans ever trulymunicated with aliens, the first words would not be hello, but rather a swear word.


    Perhaps the little dwarf understood because the entire person froze for a moment, then his mouth opened and closed slightly, and without saying a word, he quickly retracted his head and shut the door.


    "Did he understand?"


    Chen Miao propped his chin with one hand, thoughtfully sinking into contemtion.


    As the little dwarf retracted into the room, Chen Miao suddenly felt that strange gravitational pull from the Deep Pit disappear. He undid the device that had him secured to the cliff wall and fell heavily to the bottom of the Deep Pit.


    Gravity was back to normal.


    Then he stood up, dusted off the dirt from his body, and looked at the dirt under his feet¡ªby now the Deep Pit was no longer generating zombies; he had already stuffed the Zombie Generator into his backpack. Though it was a semi-solid state portal, as long as it was a prop, it could be put into the backpack.


    This was the highest rule.


    Just as clouds can float in the sky, it belonged to one of the highest rules of a world; when a world''s highest rules shatter, it''s the beginning of that world''s copse.


    He climbed up again until he emerged from the Deep Pit.


    He pulled out his Thomson.


    He looked into the Deep Pit with a grin on his face, not hesitating for a moment, and immediately pulled the trigger and started firing.


    That''s for cursing me.


    I''m copsing your damn office!


    Dozens of roundster, dirt flew up from the bottom of the Deep Pit, and even though he had dug one or two meters deeper, nothing happened. That door had clearly been opened at the bottom of the Deep Pit.


    Now, there was nothing there.


    It was as if... the door hadn''t appeared at the bottom of the Deep Pit, but had been generated out of thin air.


    Standing at the edge of the Deep Pit, he scanned the surroundings¡ªthe zombies in the area were no longer spawning. After he instantly killed off the surrounding zombies, the Sea of Zombies, dense and swarming, had for the first time experienced a void, like a brawny man whose face was full of moles suddenly had onesered off.


    He then nced at the number 009 on the edge of the Deep Pit.


    Although he didn''t know what world that was or what those little dwarves were, he knew one thing from their expressions and the profanities he didn''t understand: that portal seemed very important to them.


    Since this was 009.


    There must be other numbers as well.


    And a single portal alone couldn''t generate a Sea of Zombies big enough to surround a city of ten million people.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He quickly flew towards other areas he had marked.


    Yes.


    He could fly.


    Even though he had no flying skills or flying props, he still could fly.

 Chapter 169 "Can Missile Guidance Happen in Real Life?

    This was his self-created skill, which he called¡ª


    "BIG FLY"!


    Meaning bold flying¡ªso long as one has the guts, they can fly to the ends of the earth.


    With one massive shot, a huge missileposed of twenty thousand bullets materialized in the air, and under his control, it hovered in front of him like a maglev train.


    He jumped on it.


    Grabbing a protruding part that could be gripped.


    Then, with a thought, the missile shot forward at an rming speed!


    Was there any vehicle faster than his missile?


    Except for not being very safe and not usable within the city, there basically wasn''t much difference. Your next chapter is on empire


    Soon¡ª


    He arrived at the next Deep Pit, marked "012." It wasn''t until he reached the bottom that he saw the Rainbow Portal that should have been there was gone.


    After visiting several Deep Pits in session, he found no trace of the Rainbow Portal.


    It wasn''t until he came to Deep Pit "019" that he found the Rainbow Portal still there. But before he could get excited, he saw another door open at the bottom of the pit, and a little dwarf poked its head out mockingly at him, sneering.


    "%£¤".


    Then quickly retracted the portal and shut the door without looking back.


    Chen Miao''s expressionless face stayed fixed on the closed door. Although he couldn''t understand the meaning, through those two sybles, he subconsciously felt the other party must have said the word "clown."


    And as the portal disappeared, the gravity of the Deep Pit returned to normal as well.


    He didn''t bother with the other Deep Pits. If nothing unexpected had urred, the portals in other pits would have been removed by now. Without the constant influx of zombies, the ones outside were merely live targets¡ªonce eliminated, the recurring event of the Sea of Zombies would conclude.


    He had saved the lives of tens of millions of people in Broken Pot City.


    This deed, if publicized, would make him famous overnight.


    But at that moment, he had absolutely no interest in such acim, his brow furrowed in deep thought. He wondered about the identity of those dwarfs. At first, he had assumed they were part of the High-Dimensional Civilization responsible for the transcendentalization of Blue Star.


    After all, this worldy just beyond a mysterious artifact, so that line of thought didn''t seem too far-fetched.


    But he quickly realized that this was unlikely.


    Firstly, the technological level of this world appeared no different from Blue Star''s, showing no signs of a high-dimensional civilization. Secondly, if it really were such a civilization, there should have been myriad ways to keep the portal from falling into his hands.


    The main point was...


    The expression on the dwarf''s face when it saw him was one of anger and defiance, not shock.


    Was that kind of expression normal?


    No, it wasn''t.


    A normal person, any normal person, would surely be shocked upon seeing an alien. Even if your face is expressionless, shouldn''t your heart at least stir?


    Unless... you already knew about extraterrestrial beings in this world and had not only seen them but also had numerous encounters with them.


    In that case, shock would indeed be absent.


    These dwarfs had encountered human beings.


    He might have a rough guess as to what these dwarfs were¡ªhe felt they were also people from Blue Star, perhaps a civilization from deep within Blue Star''s core.


    There has always been a belief on Blue Star that an underground civilization exists, and even conspiracy theories which argue that all life should live beneath the surface, as it''s the most suitable and safest environment.


    It''s not that life cannot be found on others; rather, such life hides deep under the surface, unlike Blue Star, which shouts into the cosmos asking, "Is anyone there? Is anyone there?"


    This is akin to an undressed maiden running into a dark forest teeming with perverts and crying for help.


    Blue Star''s true civilization should lie deep underground, with the surface civilization being a mere disguise developed by the subterranean ones.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Of course.


    This is a conspiracy theory, the likelihood of its being true probably doesn''t exceed one in ten million.


    ...


    The reason he suspected the world he had just seen was a civilization deep within Blue Star''s core was not just because of those dwarfs''ck of shock upon seeing him. The most important clue was the glimpse he caught of the city''s corner.


    There were many thick elements of Blue Star''s style there.


    For example, the architectural style, even the fashion of the pedestrians on the streets, and things like traffic lights.


    He didn''t believe an alien world could just happen to use traffic lights to regte traffic so coincidentally.


    Those dwarfs gave him the impression that they were secretly learning about Blue Star, and as beings also transcendentalized, they were developing and amassing power in the shadows, possibly possessing a deeper understanding of the supernatural than them, and even forging alliances.


    For instance¡ª


    The factory that produced zombies.


    Hence, the birth of the fixed event No. 68, Sea of Zombies.


    It also indicated... the "Supernatural System" couldn''t create things out of thin air; it had toply with thew of conservation of energy. If something increased somewhere, something else had to decrease elsewhere.


    ...


    Chen Miao shook his head and stopped thinking about these things. He''ll consider them slowly in the future. Right now, Doctor Gou''s fate is still unknown in Broken Pot City. He had to quickly finish dealing with the zombies and then enter the city to investigate.


    He was considering whether to inform the mayor of Fengtian City about this civilization at the center of the earth.


    The mayor had mentioned that in a year, a civilization would invade Blue Star. Perhaps that civilization could be the one at the center of the earth. It was hard to say.


    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"


    Countless missiles sted out a clear path, and then, in the stunned silence of thousands of people in Broken Pot City, a man in a trench coat, with one hand casually behind his back, and his feet nted on a missile, flew past them at breakneck speed.


    He looked as though he were a celestial being performing Sword Flight.


    As his speed gradually decreased, the man jumped down from the missile. With a slight wave of his hand, the missile shot straight into the horde of zombies behind him, killing countless in the process.


    He looked quite dashing.


    "Damn it..."


    In Broken Pot City, a man hiding on the high floors of an unfinished building witnessed this scene, pinched himself hard to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating, then muttered in confusion, "Wasn''t it agreed that the world was undergoing transcendentalization? It feels like spiritual essence has returned."


    "Can missile flight really happen in reality?"


    ...


    Without a continuous production of zombies, the fixed event had been forcibly interrupted mid-way. Broken Pot City could now be entered normally, with the event considered an idental interruption.


    Although the event was interrupted, the zombies outside the city did not disappear because of it.


    Although there were still many zombies, these zombies had be rootless weeds. They could be dealt with by the desperate folks of Broken Pot City alone, given some time.


    Especially since so many people from other cities hade to help, including the main forces from Fengtian City.


    But he did not take action.


    If he were to fully exert himself, he estimated that he could clean up all the zombies in at most one hour.


    Giant missiles at one second intervals, hitting wherever they were aimed.


    For dealing with these minor creatures, there was no greater efficiency.


    Yet, with no rewards and just burning through his Star Coins, he didn''t have much interest in this kind of pure expenditure. No matter how cool the missile toss looked, he was throwing away Star Coins, which represented his hard-earned money.


    Doctor Gou had already lost contact.


    He couldn''t reach him at all.


    As for Zhang Liu, for reasons unknown, he couldn''t be reached either, and was probably in a life-or-death situation. He really hoped Zhang wouldn''t die; he quite liked this psychological doctor. Not only was he thoughtful, but most importantly, he had a special skill.


    If he were to die in Broken Pot City...


    He would feel somewhat guilty.


    After all, it was he who had sent Zhang Liu to Broken Pot City. It was supposed to be a simple trip, but who could have expected such an event to ur?


    At that moment, he suddenly remembered there was another doctor, the ck Doctor who had recently joined the Tomb Guardians, a doctor referred by Doctor Gou. He had neither the ck Doctor''s contact as a friend nor hismunication ID.


    Even if the ck Doctor allowed contact from strangers, he would be unable to reach him.


    But the Tomb Guardians had a faction chat channel.


    Soon¡ª


    Through the chat channel, he was able to reach the ck Doctor, and only after learning that Doctor Gou was no longer in mortal danger did he breathe a sigh of relief. As long as the person wasn''t dead, everything else was a minor issue. If he couldn''t reach the ck Doctor either, it would have been really difficult.


    Finding several people in such arge city still in chaos without any leads was almost as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.


    ...


    "Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic."


    Within Broken Pot City.


    On the chaotic streets, Chen Miao walked straight to a clinic. Looking at this inconspicuous clinic situated among countless abandoned vehicles, he remarked with some emotion.


    "It''s really consistent, isn''t it."


    As Doctor Gou had mentioned, he had indeed opened an "andrology clinic" in Broken Pot City, continuing his family''s lineage.


    At that moment, the ck Doctor was already waiting for him at the door.


    A young man.


    This young man looked quite slim and tall, very handsome and beautiful, with a somewhat feminine charm. His features were extremely delicate, and he did not look like a doctor at all.


    "ck Doctor?"


    Chen Miao, leaning on his cane at the clinic doorway, raised his eyebrows and said, "Doctor Gou mentioned you have a gift for medicine and that your skills are very good."


    This was their first meeting, and he was curious about this young man whom Doctor Gou had praised incessantly.


    "Miao, you tter me,"


    The ck Doctor seemed a bit nervous, standing to the side of the door, slightly bowed respectfully, and said, "Doctor Gou has awakened and is inside. He was very excited to hear that you wereing and even tore his stitches. It looks like he''ll need restitching soon."


    "Hmm,"


    Chen Miao hummed nomittally with a smile and nodded. He didn''t engage further in conversation and stepped into the clinic. The kid seemed quite decent, although a bit hard of hearing; it was Doctor Gou who praised you, so why did you say he was ttering?


    As soon as he entered, he heard Doctor Gou''s soft yet husky excited voice.


    "I''ve realized it, I''ve finally realized it!!"

 Chapter 170 "Maybe... maybe it was stimulated.

    "What did you realize?"


    As Chen Miao pulled back the curtain and stepped into the operating room, he immediately saw Doctor Gou lying on the operating table, wrapped up like a mummy. Although Doctor Gou''s voice sounded extremely weak and exhausted, his spirit seemed pretty good.


    He should survive.


    Just that the injury...


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s face remained expressionless as he paused for a moment before asking, "Who did this?"


    After all, Doctor Gou was somewhat his mentor, a member of his "Tomb Guardian" group. It was inconceivable for some desperate thugs to leave him half-dead like this. How could Chen Miao not seek revenge for Doctor Gou?


    "That''s not important." Stay connected through empire


    Lying in the hospital bed, Doctor Gou looked a bit manic, staring straight at Chen Miao with a strange emotion in his voice. "Chen Miao, do you know? When those desperadoes were torturing me."


    "They pierced the back of my hand with an awl!"


    "They jabbed needles under my fingernails!"


    "Theyid tissues over my face and then poured water on top!"


    "Suddenly, I felt so exhrating, so good, a very pleasant feeling rushing from head to toe!"


    "It hurt."


    "The intense pain and the near suffocation were almost enough to make me scream!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao took a few slow steps back with an unfazed countenance, turning his head towards the ck Doctor while gesturing to his own head, silently questioning if Doctor Gou had suffered a brain injury.


    He remembered that Doctor Gou wasn''t like this in his past impressions.


    He was a middle-aged man with a stubbly face who had surrendered to reality under the baptism of life.


    How did he suddenly change like this?


    It''s slightly mad.


    And a bit like M...


    This scared him a bit. He treated Doctor Gou like a brother. If his brother became paralyzed, Chen Miao would definitely take care of him for life without a second thought. But if his brother suddenly turned into M, then he had to consider if he really needed this brother.


    Seeing Chen Miao''s inquiring gaze, the ck Doctor opened and closed his mouth helplessly a few times before he whispered, "Miao, I''m a surgeon, I don''t understand this."


    "Maybe... maybe he was traumatized."


    It''s not an unusual situation for someone''s emotions to greatly change after being traumatized.


    Understandable.


    Doctor Gou now gave Chen Miao the impression that he was someone who had experienced a drastic change in personality after being traumatized.


    Their actions were far from covert, and Doctor Gou saw everything clearly. Ignoring his own injuries, he forcefully sat up from the operating bed with his eyes fixed excitedly on Chen Miao as he rasped out.


    "I''m not sick, I''ve merely had an epiphany."


    "Do you know, Chen Miao? All these years, I''ve been suppressing myself. I didn''t dare to enter mysterious realms, I didn''t dare to fight with people, I dared not enter all dangerous situations, I''ve been taking care of this clinic with utmost caution."


    "I have always been afraid that the present me would disappoint the past me."


    "But tonight, I found the real me. I like this dangerous situation, I like the feeling of fighting with people, I like the thrill of walking on the edge of life and death, this is my nature."


    "All these years, I''ve been suppressing myself, to the point I felt like I''m not even living anymore."


    "I''ve decided."


    "From today onwards, I''ll still take good care of this clinic, but I''ll also start a new life. I can''t stay in the past sorrow any longer, I want to restart my life in Broken Pot City."


    "You don''t need to lift a finger against those people; they will be the first batch of Lost Souls in my new lease on life!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent and did not speak. He had probably grasped Doctor Gou''s meaning¡ªit seemed he might have been a little traumatized¡ªbut being alive was what counted. After rubbing his temples a few times, he said resignedly.


    "First, heal your wounds; we can talk about everything else once you''re better."


    "If it really doesn''t work out, you cane back with me to Fengtian City. Although I can''t remove you from the wanted list, with me around, nobody would dare to arrest you."


    "Just make sure you don''t go around telling people you''re wanted."


    Doctor Gou grinned and started tough, "Fengtian City is too peaceful for me, not to my liking; Broken Pot City is good. I just hadn''t figured out the way things work in Broken Pot City before. I''ve had a revtion tonight. Maybe the next time youe to Broken Pot City, Chen Miao, I could throw a wee party for you."


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao did not continue the subject with Doctor Gou; instead, he looked at the ck Doctor behind him, "What''s this young man''s real name? It''s not right to keep calling him ''ck Doctor''."


    "He didn''t say."


    Doctor Gou shook his head, "I''ve asked him for his name before, and he said that his former self is already dead. From now on, ck Doctor would be his name."


    "I see."


    Chen Miao nodded but did not probe further into the matter. After all, everyone had their own stories, and a name was just a code. Knowing the real name wouldn''t make much of a difference. However, there was one thing he was rather curious about, "What did you do to end up on the run in Broken Pot City?"


    It was indeed intriguing that someone with a Lifestyle upation would flee to Broken Pot City.


    After all, typically, only when the Enforcement Bureau deemed a Supernatural''s capture to have too high of a casualty rate would they let the fugitive escape into Broken Pot City. As for those with a Lifestyle upation who almost have no means of resistance¡ª


    If their crimes were serious, they were killed on the spot.


    If their crimes were minor, they were arrested right there.


    There was no chance to flee, and escaping was futile against the violent institution built by the Federation.


    "Him?"


    Doctor Gou, lying in the hospital bed, chuckled sarcastically, "No need to ask; I already know it must have been because of some woman. This guy is a loyalckey, but a ruthless one. He buried his goddess in a river."


    "Quite the ruthless fellow."


    "..."


    The ck Doctor''s expression remained unflustered; his mouth opened and closed slightly, then he briefly recounted, "Once, when I returned home, there were some men causing trouble. My father kept kowtowing alongside, andter, I stabbed those men to death with a knife."


    "Then I took some money from home, and before the incident became known, I ran away."


    "It''s been 11 years since then."


    "11 years?"


    Chen Miao was slightly astonished, "How old are you today?"


    "24."


    "Good lord... you sure were strong for a little guy back then. Haven''t you been in contact with your father since?"


    "No."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Which city are you originally from?"


    "Fengtian City."


    "Fengtian City? I''m familiar with that ce. What''s your real name? I''ll check and see what the situation was with your warrant back then. It should have been considered self-defense, right?"


    After a brief hesitation, the ck Doctor finally spoke up, "Zhao Lingtian."


    ...


    Chen Miao didn''t dally and immediately sent a message to Zhou Shen, who was outside of Broken Pot City. In less than fifteen minutes, he had obtained the case file from that year''s incident.


    Hmm.


    After reviewing the case file, he rubbed his nose and somewhat regretted why he had decided to check the case file for the ck Doctor.

 Chapter 171 Forensic Experts Are Not Vegetarians.

    ```


    The case file was actually quite straightforward.


    11 years ago.


    Some loan sharks barged into a household, in an era that was still rather barbaric, they trampled the female homeowner beneath their feet andmitted numerous insulting acts. The male homeowner, unable to bear the humiliation, rushed into the kitchen to grab a knife and stabbed all the thugs to death.


    The emotion was released.


    But how to deal with the aftermath was a big problem.


    In the end, the homeowners came up with a good idea¡ªto let their child take the me. This way, there was a good chance the child would be exonerated, and neither the father nor the mother would be punished. They plotted for their child to flee in advance, creating the appearance of fleeing out of fear of punishment.


    The crime was firmly pinned on their child.


    The aggressors had initiated the break-in and violence, and a child, seeing his parents humiliated, waspelled to act in their defense. Not knowing his own strength, and with several factors considered, if all went well, it was likely that the child would first be put on a wanted list and then justified as acting in self-defense. By the time they would allow the child to return.


    The family could be reunited.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But unfortunately...


    The forensic scientist wasn''t a pushover.


    The depth and angle of the knife wounds on the victims clearly indicated they were inflicted by an adult male, and it didn''t matter that the fingerprints on the dagger belonged to the child.


    The oue of this case file was as follows.


    The female homeowner, due to severe trauma, remained in a deepa and died in the hospital on the seventh day.


    The male homeowner was arrested on the spot and executed by gunshot the next day.


    The ck Doctor probably never dared to contact his family because there might have been some sort of agreement, something like "We will only send you messages, you must never contact us."


    Fleeing to take the me for his family.


    But... it seems there was no need to take the me.


    The Federation never issued any warrant for the ck Doctor; the case was opened and closed on the same day.


    "..."


    Chen Miao touched his nose and then shook his head helplessly. "No good, this case is from another area, my superiors can''t search for it."


    "Forget it, it''s not important."


    "Since you guys are alright, I can rest easy. I need to go find Zhang Liu now."


    "He''s currently missing and his life or death is uncertain."


    "Use this."


    Doctor Gou took out a small gadget from his spatial backpack and handed it to Chen Miao. "This is a mother-and-child beeper. Zhang Liu and I each had one when we split up. You can see each other''s real-time locations with this."


    "Okay."


    Chen Miao took the beeper, nodded to both the ck Doctor and Doctor Gou, and then quickly left. Zhang Liu was his responsibility - he couldn''t let him just die in Broken Pot City.


    A sea of zombies was indeed terrifying.


    But it couldn''t stop him.


    ...


    When Chen Miao found Zhang Liu, Liu was already unconscious, lying on the rooftop of an abandoned high-rise, with countless zombies outside the rooftop door, incessantly roaring and pounding on the security door.


    The remote areas of Broken Pot City had fallenpletely.


    Countless zombies had poured into the city.


    The citizens were forced into hand-to-handbat. Fortunately, these zombies didn''t have the contagiousness of those in film and TV shows. People injured by zombies weren''t assimted into zombies, otherwise, Broken Pot City would have probably fallenpletely by now.


    ```


    He arrived neither early norte, but just in time.


    If he hade a momentter, Zhang Liu would probably have died to the zombies about to break through the door.


    ...


    Carrying Zhang Liu, Chen Miao returned to the clinic, where the ck Doctor quickly took over Zhang Liu''s body and started to treat him methodically. One had to say having such a doctor indeed provided a reassuring sense of security.


    Chen Miao didn''t leave.


    He only listened to Zhou Shen report the situation outside while sitting aside and watching the news on TV.


    "What''s happening outside?"


    Chen Miao, sitting outside the operating room with a cigarette in his mouth, asked casually upon hearing the noises outside.


    ck Doctor had just stepped out of the operating room, removing his blood-covered surgical gloves, "A journalist revealed a conversation between the mayor of Fengtian City and others, saying that the Sea of Zombies was man-made, and that the person responsible has a plum blossom tattoo. Killing that person would end the disaster." Read thetest on empire


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded nonchntly, "Yeah, someone told me about it, it''s true. But I''ve almost solved this disaster. I estimate that in a day''s time, the zombies outside will all be wiped out."


    Without a steady influx of more zombies,


    the ones outside were like water without a source. If he spared no expense, he could clear them all out in an hour at most.


    ck Doctor nodded without saying anything, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards Doctor Gou, resting and asleep in the operating room.


    Although the wounds were mostly bandaged up.


    The injuries were still severe, and coupled with blood loss, it was easy to feel drowsy. In fact, he was also tired, as his own injuries were not light, but he knew he couldn''t sleep, otherwise, there would be no one to take care of Doctor Gou and Zhang Liu.


    He wasn''t familiar with Zhang Liu,


    but he felt gratitude toward Doctor Gou.


    At this moment, Broken Pot City''s TV station was broadcasting survival tutorials to urgently teach the citizens how to save their lives, and to avoid attracting zombies with noise, all tutorials were silent.


    The urgent news revealed by the journalist Liu Xiaohua about the mayor of Fengtian City got cut off midway, but the message still managed to spread. Even though it leaked, people would only curse inwardly.


    Right now, they had no time to care about such matters; staying alive was the most important thing.


    However, coincidentally, someone had seen a person with a plum blossom tattoo.


    The person who had tortured Doctor Gou and saw the secretly disclosed news on TV was at first stunned, then hurriedly reported the information to his boss. After the boss confirmed it numerous times, the message slowly started to spread.


    Countless forces began sharing information.


    The figure of the person who had once escaped from them became increasingly clearer.


    ''Doctor Gou,'' who fled from Fengtian City to Broken Pot City decades ago and opened a ''Little Sunflower Andrology Clinic''¡ªif they caught and killed this person, the crisis would end.


    The safety of millions of people in Broken Pot City would be assured.


    Everything would end.


    So¡ª


    Just as Chen Miao was about to put out the cigarette in his hand, the perfectly sealed rolling door was suddenly kicked open by an unwee visitor.


    Winter, when daybreak camete.


    But it was already past 9 a.m., and the sky was nearly bright. As the rolling door was shattered by the intruders, plenty of sunlight spilled in. The sky was heavy with clouds today; although it was light, the brightness wasn''t blinding at all.


    The foggy sunlight.


    Gave a veryfortable feeling.


    There was no harsh re from the sun and the sun itself couldn''t be seen overhead, unconsciously busy for an entire night.

 Chapter 172 The Underground Emperor of Fengtian City

    Looking through the gap.


    Only to see that the clinic had at some point been surrounded, nearly a thousand burly men with somber expressions standing on the street outside the clinic, blocking it so tightly that not a drop could escape, with a dozen or so men who looked like leaders standing in front of these burly men.


    They were looking inside the clinic with extremely ugly expressions on their faces.


    "Well."


    Chen Miao, who was smoking, was slightly stunned by the scene, and after extinguishing the nearly spent cigarette butt in his hand, he instinctively turned his head to look at the ck Doctor, "Have you made so many enemies in Broken Pot City?"


    "Did you circumcise all these people?"


    His first reaction was that Doctor Gou had gone back to his old ways, and apparently, he had not done so sparingly, which resulted in peopleing to seek revenge.


    This was normal.


    What was abnormal was that there were an excessivelyrge number of people seeking revenge.


    Chen Miao didn''t know what was going on, but the ck Doctor did, and after hesitating for a moment, he still said hoarsely, "Miao, that plum blossom tattoo is on Doctor Gou''s hand, I''ve covered it up."


    He didn''t tell Chen Miao about this because he was worried that Chen Miao would kill Doctor Gou for the sake of tens of millions of people in Broken Pot City.


    In his heart.


    The lives of tens of millions of people in Broken Pot City were not as important as Doctor Gou.


    From this perspective, he would never be a real doctor; hecked the benevolence of a true doctor.


    "Doctor Gou?"


    This statementpletely crashed Chen Miao''s brain; he finally understood why these people hade. He turned his head in bewilderment to look at Doctor Gou, who was still sleeping in the operating room. Doctor Gou intended to destroy Broken Pot City?


    He had no motive. Why would he?


    If he remembered correctly, the first person who took this mission did so to resurrect his wife.


    And Doctor Gou''s... obsession was with his deceased parents.


    That is to say, Doctor Gou intended to use this method to resurrect his parents.


    If that was the case, then there was a sufficient motive.


    "..."


    Chen Miao fell silent and didn''t speak. He truly hadn''t expected that this incident number 68, which drew attention from all cities of the Federation in recent years, creating the biggest fixed event scope, was actually caused by Doctor Gou.


    If he hadn''te.


    If he hadn''t discovered those Zombie Generators at the bottom of the Deep Pit.


    Maybe... Broken Pot City would indeed have be history.


    And the profession of a ''Person of Leisure,'' admired by many, would have ceased to exist.


    The ouws of the Federation wouldn''t know where to flee.


    Just then¡ª


    Doctor Gou, who had awoken at some point, was sitting in a wheelchair, pushing the wheels with difficulty, his face looking somewhat unpleasant as he said to Chen Miao word by word, "I didn''t start it."


    "Although I didn''t know that there was such a way, nor did I know that the dead could actually be resurrected."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "If I had known, perhaps I would have done it."


    "But this time it really wasn''t me who started it. This plum blossom tattoo on the back of my hand, I have no idea when it appeared. I just discovered itst night, as if it suddenly emerged. I don''t know what it is."


    "But one thing is certain."


    "This Sea of Zombies is not rted to me; they are ndering me."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded, "If you say so, I will definitely believe you."


    "ck Doctor, you go ahead and take Doctor Gou in to rest first. I''ll handle the situation here."


    ...


    Having said that.


    Chen Miao let out a sigh, slowly stood up leaning on his cane, and stepped out of the clinic to face the crowd of burly men outside, speaking softly, "Who is in charge here? Come, let''s talk."


    The leading dozen or so men exchanged nces, then stepped forward in unison.


    One of the men, a middle-aged man with long hair and a face full of scars, spoke first with a grim expression, "You''ve got guts to face so many of us alone, and you seem to have the bearing of someone who isn''t a nobody."


    "But you should also understand the gravity of the situation. That doctor inside is the one who started this disaster."


    "Killing him will end this catastrophe."


    "It''s about the lives and property safety of nearly tens of millions of people in Broken Pot City, the weight of which you ought to know. No matter who you are to him, even if you are his brother, a demon that ughters the lives of nearly tens of millions for his own selfish desires, you should see his true face."


    "None of us standing here are good people, and we all have blood on our hands, but none of us would allow so many innocents to die for our own selfish desires. This is a crime against humanity."


    "He must die, today!"


    "Not bad."


    Chen Miao nodded, impressed by the articte nature of these ouws, which was a bit better than he had expected. It seemed like they couldmunicate, not too foolish, which made things easier to deal with.


    He paused for a moment before slowly speaking.


    "First of all, my name is Chen Miao."


    "I hope you can recognize me; this will avoid many unnecessary casualties. If you don''t know me, you can search my name. You''ll recognize meter, and getting to know me this way will be quite peaceful."


    "Second, that doctor inside is my man. He isn''t the starter of this incident, and I can vouch for him."


    "That plum blossom tattoo on his hand is just a hidden mission and has nothing to do with the current fixed event."


    "Third, I''ve almost resolved the 68th fixed event, the Sea of Zombies,"


    "Haven''t you noticed that the zombies are gradually bing fewer? They won''t continue to surge out endlessly like before, will they? Of course, you may not be able to see these things from your perspective, so I''ll try to exin as clearly as possible."


    "I''ve destroyed the hub that continually generates zombies within the Sea of Zombies. The remaining zombies are just like rootless water. There is arge number of rescue personnel outside, rapidly clearing away the zombies. By nightfall at thetest, this disaster will be over."


    "Do you understand what I mean?"


    The dozen or so leaders didn''t speak; they simply exchanged nces and then all made a move, which was to start searching online for the name Chen Miao. They hadn''t heard of this name, but years of experience in the Jianghu told them that when they didn''t know the other party''s background, it was wise to heed advice and do some research.


    Soon.


    They foundbat videos of Chen Miao.


    The exaggerated firepower coverage made the corners of their mouths twitch uncontrobly.


    It was indeed a bit outrageous.


    Luckily, they were in the urban area of Broken Pot City, where yers couldn''t harm each other. If this were the suburbs, Chen Miao probably wouldn''t be talking so much right now but rather going ''tut-tut'' directly.


    At the same time, they also saw the online character introduction of Chen Miao.


    The introduction below was a summary by variousizens.


    One line of keywords read like this.


    ''Violent, reckless, the Underground Emperor of Fengtian City, has a cker track record than the Federal Bureau, has solid backing that can''t be toppled, the first to clear the Hell Bus with a 100% death rate difficulty, one-shot kills siege bosses, and so on''.


    In short, after looking at the character introduction andbat footage, two words came to mind.


    Awesome.


    Not to be offended.


    The man who had spoken more forcefully just a moment ago suddenly hesitated and, after a moment, touched his nose: "Since, brother, you''re so confident, we definitely should give you this face."


    "But what if we find outter that this doctor is indeed the initiator of the event, then what?"


    "I''ll chop off one hand."


    Chen Miao spoke calmly, his tone so indifferent it was as if the hand he referred to chopping off wasn''t his own.


    "Fine!"


    The man who came to pressure him breathed a sigh of relief. With Chen Miao''s words, at least it didn''t seem like he was being shooed away in embarrassment and could salvage some face. Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing to lead their brothers here with such a big fuss only to be scared off by a few words.


    That would be too humiliating, and how would they lead their brothers in the future?


    How could they continue to mix in this line of work?


    With Chen Miao''s response, the group finally retreated slowly, leaving only ackey to deal with the shattered clinic door, ready topensate.


    ...


    After the small incident, Chen Miao sat back down inside the clinic, gazing through the gap in the rolling door up at the dark clouds overhead. He thought again of the world he had seenst night. What kind of world was that?


    It was like a world reflected in a mirror,pletely opposite.


    Objects wouldn''t fall to the ground; instead, they would fall to the sky.


    Is that... reasonable?


    It''s because of gravity thats exist. If gravity were outward, then this should have fallen apart long ago, right? Could it still be a?


    Even gaseouss, which are 98% gas, have gravity pulling inward.


    He couldn''t imagine how a with outward gravity could exist.


    It''s like if your five fingers could only close in the opposite direction, then theoretically, you couldn''t hold anything in your palm, just like a normal person can''t hold a golf ball with the back of their hand.


    After a long while, he stopped thinking about these things.


    He finally understood why the mayor of Fengtian City acted a bit odd; perhaps the other party knew they were obsessed over delusions, investing energy into these elusive matters. But perhaps, the other party knew more.


    Perhaps they understood clearer that despite the Federation flourishing for now, its demise was almost certain.


    This circumstance was irreversible.


    At least it couldn''t be reversed by conventional means; they could only pin their hopes on something elusive and be indifferent to many things when it came to this point.


    It was also an act of helplessness.


    ...


    Day broke, and then gradually darkened again.


    When the sunpleted its day''s work and drew the curtain, the zombies outside of Broken Pot City were almostpletely cleared out.


    The 68th fixed event, Sea of Zombies, had quietlye to an end like this.


    In the end, no one knew who had initiated the event.


    It was also unclear what punishment the initiator would face for forcibly ending the event halfway through.


    Only Chen Miao discovered something.


    He finally understood why, when he found the Zombie Generator, those people were so frightened they''d rather interrupt the Sea of Zombies and urgently retract all the generators. This Zombie Generator, disguised as a Rainbow Portal, could directly ess that miraculous world.


    In other words.


    If this world waspletely unknown to people before,


    then with this portal, he could directly enter and explore that world, and evenmunicate.


    If he wanted to, that is. At least for now, he wasn''t too willing.


    He feared that if he went in, he might get killed. An unknown world also meant unknown opportunities and unknown dangers.


    And he, he was somewhat afraid of dying.

 Chapter 173 The War Is Over.

    The half-meter tall Rainbow Portal, sat quietly in his space backpack''s grid, constantly rotating. At this moment, he was curious about one thing¡ªthat the portal itself was a prop.


    The Prop Effect was that 100,000 Star Coins could be spent to create 1 million zombies within seven days, and if the zombies died too quickly, it could even be 10 million zombies.


    Could this inherent prop effect still be used?


    If it could be used,


    in some ways, this prop was also like a weakened version of an Insect Tribe Priest.


    At least it was much cheaper than summoning by an Insect Tribe Priest, which started at 1 Star Coin each. Even summoning 10 million of the lowest-level Insect n Creatures would cost at least 10 million Star Coins.


    He was getting a bargain.


    All he needed was 100,000 Star Coins.


    Although each zombie was quite weak and couldn''t even beat some of the more ferocious Lifestyle Professions, their advantagey in their numbers, and they were cheap enough. The main reason it was considered a weakened version of an Insect Tribe Priest was because there was a limit to how many could be summoned.


    Even if he had more money, he could only summon up to 10 million at most.


    After seven days, the prop could be used a second time, and the first batch of summoned zombies would turn to dust and disperse into the universe. There was a limit to the number.


    Unlike the Insect Tribe Priest¡ªalthough summoning them was expensive, as long as one had enough money, there was no limit to the number of creatures one could summon. If you were powerful enough to rival a country, you might wave your hand and directly muster a 3 billion strong Insect n army to break through any obstacle in front of you¡ªit wasn''t an impossibility.


    However, without conducting experiments, he didn''t know if the prop could be used normally.


    After all, this prop was different from all the others he had before.


    He didn''t have 100,000 Star Coins in his pocket. Not that he didn''t have them, even if he did, he wouldn''t do this experiment now, wasting money for nothing. Pure folly.


    Of course, even if the prop could be used, it was highly likely he wouldn''t need it. 100,000 Star Coins was enough to buy him too many bullets. Using them to create zombies was too wasteful.


    ...


    The war was over.


    Countless news stations scrambled to send congrattory messages to various cities. Support troops also began to withdraw one after another, and the blockade on Broken Pot City was lifted. The remaining city reconstruction work was left to the Broken Pot City government team.


    It wasn''t something these support troops could meddle with anymore.


    By the time they withdrew, night had fallen again.


    The people from Fengtian City sat in the long convoy of vehicles. Under the dim lights, they slowly drove on the winding roads towards Fengtian City. They too were sitting inside a truck, having not slept for a long time.


    Chen Miao, Hungry Monkey, and the others were dozing off in the truck, nodding their heads up and down with fatigue.


    A wave of tiredness enveloped the inside of the truck.


    At that moment, no one in the vehicle had any thoughts except for one concept¡ªto shut their eyes and fall into deep sleep as soon as possible. They were really tired. Once they returned to Eternal Cemetery, they would definitely lie in a coffin and sleep well.


    One point had to be mentioned.


    In these days, Yuan Buping hadn''t refrained from making improvements to Eternal Cemetery.


    It''s just that Miao seemed to have no intention of leaving Eternal Cemetery for the time being.


    ...


    "Miao,"


    leaned against the side of the truck, the fatigue in his eyes unstoppable spilling out. His expression became so hazy as he murmured, "What exactly is the deal with humans as creatures? I''m a Supernatural being now, and my physical fitness is much higher than before."


    "Yet I still need to sleep every day."


    "Otherwise, I just can''t handle how tired I get."


    ```


    "There are only 24 hours in a day, we have to sleep at least 7 hours, or even 10, is that reasonable?"


    "It''s like we''re spending half our lives sleeping. I''ve always felt that this is very unreasonable, Miao, don''t you feel the same?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Hungry Monkey obviously looked exhausted.


    Leaning against the carriage, the fatigue in his pupils almost took solid form. Woken upst night halfway through his sleep for an emergency trip to Broken Pot City and having been busy all day, it was night again by the time they began heading to Fengtian City, he was undeniably tired.


    I could understand.


    But what truly troubled Hungry Monkey was that he suddenly realized that the supernaturals seemed no different from ordinary people, save for a bit strongerbat power and higher aggressiveness. All the basic human rules remained unchanged.


    They still needed to eat, drink water, sleep, and they would still die if their heads were chopped off.


    There was no feeling of being detached from the mundane world and free from themon folk.


    How should I put it?


    He felt like an ant that had just be slightly more powerful.


    Lacking that certain something that supernaturals were supposed to have.


    "Cultivation would be better than this..."


    Seeing that Miao ignored him and the others were also nodding off with unconsciously bobbing heads, Hungry Monkey lowered his own head and muttered: "If I could cultivate, give me the bloodline of the Evesting Ones, with my own bloodline effect, I''d be invincible in just a few million years."


    "Isn''t that what a true supernatural is?"


    In the carriage, only Hungry Monkey''s murmurs could be heard, like a demon''s whisper, making the atmosphere even more fatigued and inducing continual sleepiness.


    ...


    The truck convoy continued on its quiet and smooth journey toward Fengtian City, everyone had safely retreated. Chen Miao, who had been dozing off inside the truck, was suddenly awakened by a violent shake.


    ncing outside the window, his expression turned somewhat peculiar.


    There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary, the convoy was still moving forward, and it appeared as though they had just run over a small pebble.


    But perhaps the two consecutive fixed events had left some psychological shadow on him. What if, when he opened his eyes again, he would find himself swept up into another "Hell Truck" fixed event? That really would be messed up.


    The next second¡ª


    "Quick, quick, wake up, Miao, we''ve hit a fixed event!"


    Following that, the entire convoy came to a halt.


    Chen Miao''s heart skipped a beat and then a wave of powerlessness surged inside him. Weren''t fixed events supposed to be once in a hundred years? An event rarer than encountering a Taboo Item, yet why did it feel like he was running into fixed events every day?


    He was extremely tired.


    Just as they were about to get home, couldn''t they have a peaceful journey so that he could lie downfortably in his coffin and have a good night''s sleep?


    He was really very tired.


    He let out a light sigh, grabbed his Thompson Submachine Gun, and stepped down from the truck, dragging along Hungry Monkey, who waspletely knocked out beside him. If he couldn''t sleep, then Hungry Monkey shouldn''t be sleeping here either.


    If not sleeping then no one sleeps.


    Just as he got off the truck, he witnessed an incredibly shocking scene!


    On the wild ins under the starry sky.


    They could clearly see a deep blue train speeding across the wilderness, like aet slicing through the cosmos, so dazzling and splendid.


    ```

 Chapter 174 Wilderness Comet

    ```


    This train consisted of eight carriages.


    From the lotive to thest carriage, it was a deep blue that emitted a glow, with ck spots as embellishments, making it resemble the Milky Way overhead, extremely resplendent.


    "Is this heading towards us?"


    Chen Miao furrowed his brow and asked. Although the train looked magnificent, at that moment, he would have preferred to go back to sleep. Besides, the train didn''t seem to being for them, as it was getting farther and farther away.


    "No."


    Zhou Shen shook his head. "This is a fixed event designated as number 217, named Wilderness Comet. It''s a harmless fixed event, and many have witnessed it."


    "Every time night falls, this train known as the Wilderness Comet will wander randomly through the wilderness. If it stops in front of you, all you need to do is pay the fare, and the train will take you anywhere."


    "The destination ispletely random."


    "In most cases, there''s no danger, unless it''s a deste area with no signal. Generally, it''s safe. If you encounter this thing while fleeing for your life in the wilderness, then you''ve truly hit the jackpot. You can be whisked away thousands of miles in an instant."


    "How much is the ticket?"


    "There''s no set amount. You can pay as much as you want. There are no rules governing this. So far, there''s been no difference observed between paying a lot and just a little. Even if you pay a lot for the ticket, the destination is still selected randomly, and there are no extra services."


    "Got it."


    Chen Miao nodded, finding the exnation somewhatplex, but in essence, this train was like a random teleportation array roaming the wilderness. If you happened to step aboard, you could be randomly transported to any corner of the Federation.


    Yes, that was it.


    Being a special event, and having persisted for a long time in the Federation''s wastnds, it eventually became a fixed event.


    "That doesn''t seem right, does it?"


    Standing aside, Hungry Monkey expressed doubt. "I thought the ranking of fixed events was based on their level of danger. Why is Wilderness Comet ranked at 217 when Hell Bus at 128 poses much more of a challenge?"


    "Is there any danger with this fixed event?"


    "Yes."


    Zhou Shen nodded with aplex expression and continued, "Though the level of danger is significantly lowerpared to other fixed events, it still exists. After all, the destination it transports to ispletely unknown. And because the world underwent Supernaturalization, many disasters urred, creating a lot of uninhabited regions."


    "If you are transported to one of these uninhabited regions without any signal, it''s almost impossible to make it back alive."


    "And once the train stops in front of you, whether you''re fleeing or not, you must board; otherwise, you will pay a price beyond imagination. This means there is a significant chance you''ll be dropped off in a deste, uninhabited area."


    "That''s no different from death."


    Chen Miao looked towards the Wilderness Comet train, whose tail lights were gradually vanishing. "Even if gadgets like wristwatches have no signal, with channels like powerwork channels avable, is it really possible to be out of contact?"


    "It is possible to establish contact, but with no signal, you don''t know your exact coordinates. Uninhabited regions are often wilderness-like with nothing around to use for reference. Even if you can contact someone, you can''t disclose your exact coordinates to the outside world, making it difficult to expect support."


    "The Federation has too many uninhabited regions. Unless arge amount of manpower is expended to search each one for this person, they surely won''t be found."


    "Of course¡ª"


    Zhou Shen paused, then continued, "The odds of being transported to an uninhabited area aren''t high, but where you end up after disembarking ispletely out of control. You might even step off the train and find yourself in some girl''s bathroom, then get arrested following a call to the police."


    "I''ve dealt with such cases when I was the Deputy Director of the Law Enforcement Bureau."


    "We could understand it and truly believed that the intruder didn''t mean to do it, but the person who called the police didn''t think so. These cases require constantmunication to soothe both parties involved. It''s a tiresome job since the person who called the police also feels wronged, having been seen without doing anything wrong."


    "With a total of 500 fixed events across the whole Federation, a ranking of 217 for the Wilderness Comet is pretty high."


    By then, the train emitting the deep blue light had disappeared from their view, as if it had never appeared. It was uncertain where it would stop next or who would board it.


    Zhou Shen fell silent, feeling the wound on his chest that would never heal, start to ache faintly again.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He had once been caught up in a fixed event numbered 389, named Wilderness Train. It sounded somewhat simr to Wilderness Comet, and that event had left him with a profound psychological scar.


    He had sustained this particr injury during that event.


    Surviving that event was enough to satisfy him.


    That fixed event was also a wandering train in the wilderness; it was just crimson-colored and the event officially started after picking up 108 passengers. The rules were simple; when only 10 people remained in the carriage, those left could disembark. Otherwise, they would stay on the train indefinitely.


    He made it out alive.


    It was a difficult process.


    To be precise, he had crawled off that crimson train alive.


    He didn''t want to fight. They were all innocent people and at that time, he couldn''t bring himself to kill innocents just to stay alive. But when these people also went mad and started attacking him with knives,


    his sanity began to be clouded by the stench of blood.


    Since then, he''s had a particr dislike for the lower sses.


    They neverprehend how dangerous the world truly is, never realizing the peace they enjoy is bought with the blood of many.


    Of course, that''s only part of the reason. Find exclusive stories on empire


    ...


    With the brief appearance of the Wilderness Comet,


    the convoy started on the road home again.


    The lights inside the truck were dim, and the drowsy atmosphere began to spread once more. Everyone''s heads drooped as they dozed off. After an unknown period, the truck stopped again.


    When they peeked out of the truck once more,


    they had arrived at Eternal Cemetery.


    They were home.


    "You''ve worked hard,"


    the Mayor of Fengtian City said as he stepped down from the vehicle, approaching Chen Miao and smiling. "Thanks to you, otherwise the Sea of Zombies fixed event wouldn''t have been settled so easily."


    "Although I don''t know exactly what you did, I saw you plunge into the Sea of Zombies, and not long after, the Sea of Zombies started to lose its ability to continuously generate zombies, bing a rootless body of water. The rest was easy."


    "On behalf of Broken Pot City government, and the tens of millions of residents, I thank you."


    ```

 Chapter 175 "I have an early eight oclock class!

    "Of course."


    The mayor smiled again. "If you''re willing to let these things out, I believe the government of Broken Pot City will personallye to thank you."


    Chen Miao smiled without a word, neither denying nor taking up the conversation.


    He wasn''t ready to reveal the existence of another world within the transfer gate.


    Whether it was a blessing or a curse, he couldn''t quite figure it out yet.


    ...


    The mayor and his entourage didn''t stay long and left.


    Although Eternal Cemetery was his secret base, it was only to fool themon people; who in Fengtian City''s high society, with their elevated statuses and significant power, didn''t know that the city''stest rising star''s main fortress was in Eternal Cemetery?


    This was almost an open secret.


    Only the ordinary people didn''t know.


    No one understood why Chen Miao chose such a ce as his base. If it was apelled choice in the beginning, why didn''t he change locations when things started looking up?


    Even though it was unclear, no one questioned him directly about it.


    No one was that audacious yet.


    "Time to sleep."


    Chen Miao didn''t chat with Hungry Monkey and the others. After a quick wash, he walked into the tomb chamber andy down in his own coffin. As soon as hey down, his eyelids drooped on their own, and he fell into a drowsy sleep almost immediately.


    The sound of his snoring gradually filled the tomb chamber.


    It was clear that Chen Miao was genuinely exhausted.


    After finishing up his own washing, Hungry Monkey looked at Chen Miao already deep in sleep and clicked his tongue before letting out a big yawn. Then suddenly, he leaped into the air, stretched out his body mid-air, and finallynded smoothly inside his coffin.


    Not a sound was made afterward.


    He was ready to sleep as well.


    Now all members of ''Tomb Guardian'' fell into deep slumber, and Eternal Cemetery sank into quietude, except for the little old head of security at the gate who was still watching TV, as if the old man never felt sleepy at all. It seemed like he never slept.


    Or could it be that as people age, they need less sleep?


    After all, when you don''t know when your time wille, sleeping more doesn''t seem necessary. Many elderly are afraid to sleep, feeling they may never wake up, and they also regard sleep as a waste of time, as if they''re burning away the little time they have left.


    Whether the guard thought this way was unknown.


    At least he was currently engrossed in his television program, showing no signs of fatigue.


    Even the presence of an absurdly parked deep blue train right in front of his booth went unnoticed by him until he heard the system alert next to his ear. The old man paused for a moment, then instinctively looked up at the train flickering with deep blue light.


    After a moment of expressionless silence, he couldn''t help but curse.


    "I''m on the morning shift!"


    The next second¡ª


    The old man vanished from the guard booth, and with him disappeared the deep blue train.


    Everything returned to normal.


    The TV in the guard booth continued to emit light, but the scene remained the same, only the person was gone; the little old head of security was no longer in sight on the single bed.


    At this moment, there should be background music ying.


    Mom, I''m off...


    ...


    At the same time, Zhou Shen wasmanding his subordinates to move the body of Medusa back to Eternal Cemetery. After they killed the Medusa bossst time, the body was temporarily left in Eternal Cemetery.


    Hungry Monkey said he wanted to research it. Zhou Shen didn''t refuse despite the inappropriate circumstances¡ªalthough "refuse" might not be the right word; it was the idea he meant to express.


    But at this time...


    Looking at the bullet-riddled corpse of the Medusa boss, Zhou Shen''s expression wasplex, and he stood silently in ce.


    This shouldn''t be done, at least not to...


    Hungry Monkey and the others were visibly curious about the boss''s bodily structure, and they dissected it, cutting it open right down the middle which exposed the bloodied organs, already frozen solid in the winter''s cold.


    Thankfully, although quiet, Zhou Shen let out a sigh of relief¡ªit was just a curiosity about the boss''s internal anatomy.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It wasn''t about anything else.


    He was worried that Hungry Monkey and the others would do something bizarre.


    "Hurry up, and take it to be incinerated."


    "Yes."


    The subordinates quickly answered.


    In the federal political system, it is typically the deputy bureau chiefs or deputy ministers who really get things done, and they are the ones most in contact with grass-roots management. Bureau chiefs and ministers tend to deal more withmunication further up the hierarchy.


    Now that Zhou Shen had be the bureau chief of the Events Bureau, the deputy chief''s position was left vacant.


    He himself had to take on the role of deputy chief.


    One man, two posts.


    Essentially, he almost single-handedly ran the Events Bureau, and clearly, the Fengtian City Government didn''t mind, or perhaps people with power didn''t care, and those who cared didn''t have the power to confront him.


    Logically, with his promotion to bureau chief, his former deputy should have stepped up to fill his old role, at least to prevent a vacancy.


    Unfortunately, for various reasons, thergest being a reluctance to damage the rtionship with Chen Miao, the former, once powerful deputy chief didn''t even make an appearance before his political career ended.


    ...


    Before long.


    With the 2000-lumen bulb lighting up, day had broken.


    Chen Miao slowly woke up, full of energy, he walked outside the tomb chamber, stretchedzily, and after washing up, he lit a morning cigarette and brought it to his lips. He looked toward the sunrise at the horizon, feeling the start of a new day.


    He had a task today.


    He needed to perfectly clear two E-level secret realms.


    As long as he did this,


    not only would his "First Show of Sharpness" gadget be retained once more, but his "Nothingness Space" could also be upgraded again, granting him an additional firearm skin.


    He hoped that this firearm skin would fit his Gatling gun perfectly.


    He had acquired the Gatling gun blueprints quite a while ago, and he had also gathered all the materials needed, but he had yet to make it, it was meaningless. Without a unique skin, the power of a Gatling gun was, for him, no different whether he had one or not.


    It was far inferior to the power brought by a burst from his Thomson.


    So until he managed to get a unique skin for the Gatling, he didn''t even bother to assemble it, it was utterly pointless.


    Moreover, he needed to act quickly, if he was any slower, his "First Show of Sharpness" gadget would be reimed. Although the ultimate fate of the gadget was to be taken back someday, if he could dy that by even one day, he would. He had grown ustomed to using this wand.


    Currently, no one in the federation permanently owned this gadget.


    When people appraised this gadget,


    it was as if it were a beautifuldy; you could have once owned her, but you could never own her forever.


    At this time, Hungry Monkey and the rest were gradually waking up as well, and Eternal Cemetery once again turned into a bustle of activity. Yuan Buping, who had just woken up, was spiritedly continuing his work on the big project of revamping the garden area.


    Suddenly, everyone realized that the old man from the security room had disappeared.


    ...


    "Really gone?"


    Chen Miao initially thought the old man had found a corner to take a dump, but after waiting in the security room for ten minutes with no sign of the old man returning, he pushed open the door of the security room with some confusion. It seemed the old man had just stepped out temporarily.


    The fact that the TV was still on could prove that.


    At least he hadn''t run away.


    Thest time a siege boss attacked, the old man had run off with his folding bed and TV. If he were escaping, those two items would definitely go with him, and the TV would not still be on.


    Suddenly disappeared?


    Was someone kidnapped?


    But why would someone kidnap an old man like that, and who would they threaten? It wasn''t likely they would threaten them, would it? If that were the case, there would have been better choices, whether Hungry Monkey or Yuan Buping or even Zhou Shen.


    However, even though it was unclear why the old man had vanished without a reason, he wasn''t worried about the old man''s safety anyway; the old man had more secrets than he could imagine. He reckoned that even if they were in trouble one day, this old man would be just fine.


    Find your adventure at empire


    A Supernatural with a Hidden upation for over a decade, who knew how many aces he had up his sleeve.


    Being a Tomb Guardian day after day, if you said there were no benefits, who would believe that?


    Chen Miao shook his head and decided not to concern himself with this issue. After all, the old man would definitelye back, they would just ask him when he did.


    ...


    "Found it."


    An hourter, he received a message from Yuan Buping.


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows rose, and he made a sweeping gesture: "Let''s move out!"


    Early this morning, the modified truck he had ordered was already delivered to their doorstep. He had customized many fixtures for it, equipping the shipping container truck with plenty of seats, and even ejector seats.


    In case of danger,


    the roof could open rapidly, and they would be ejected to a hundred meters in the air.


    To quickly escape from danger.


    This modified truck would from then on serve as a crucial vehicle for the "Tomb Guardians," no more riding buses or taxis. They had their own exclusive mode of transportation. His main task today was to perfectly clear the E-level secret realms.


    So early in the morning, he sent Yuan Buping and others out to find the entrance to the E-level secret realms.


    Only those realms appearing in the suburbs had not been cleared perfectly.


    All the secret realms inside the Secret Realm Building in the urban area had been cleared perfectly.


    An F-level secret realm has a white vortex entrance.


    And the entrance vortex for an E-level secret realm is pale yellow.


    ...


    On the Guimao Wastnd, opposite from Sankui Wastnd, Chen Miao and his team stood on an open space facing a pale yellow light that was spinning continuously: the newly found entrance to an E-level secret realm.


    These untamed secret realms had one annoying point.


    Before you entered, you never knew whaty inside the realm, meaning you couldn''t prepare in advance.


    Only after entering would you know what happened.


    And right above the realm entrance, there was a number.


    "2".


    This indicated the realm could amodate a maximum of two people, meaning this small realm required careful consideration from Chen Miao for a moment before he turned to Hungry Monkey beside him, "Get ready, you''reing in with me."


    "You got it."


    Hungry Monkey hefted a heavy hammer onto his shoulder, shing a grin. "Let''s do this, my partner. It''s time for us to fight side by side again."


    "The new journey begins now!"


    The next second¡ª


    Both of them stepped together into the spinning pale yellow light before them, disappearing from Yuan Buping and the others'' sight.

 Chapter 176 "Secret Realm Name" Biohazard.

    "Secret Realm Name": Biohazard.


    "Secret Realm Level": E-level.


    "Secret Realm Content": This is a modern city, but long ago, a research facility descended upon this city. The mission of the research facility was to study a virus bacterium with extremely high infectivity. Survivors infected by the virus would lose their reason while their bodies erupt with strength surpassing that of ordinary people. Furthermore, they would feel no pain and fear no death.


    The virus could spread quickly through blood and wounds, with an incubation period of three minutes.


    This means that if there is no antidote within three minutes, the virus that entered the body would immediately break out after three minutes.


    "Secret Realm Mission": Survive for 72 hours.


    "Secret Realm Progress": The highest clearance progress of this replica is 42%. If the clearance progress reaches half of the secret realm mission, one can sessfully leave the secret realm.


    "Secret Realm Introduction": The little white rabbit is just a euphemism for a prisoner of war.


    The secret realm panel popped up in front of the two people.


    When Chen Miao and hispanion reopened their eyes, they found themselves in a coffee shop on the side of a street. At the moment, there weren''t many people inside, and the overall atmosphere was incredibly quiet, with only faint voices of the waitstaff and other customers in conversation.


    The overall mood was quite suitable for a date.


    Especially during the flirtatious stage.


    It was rtively quiet.


    Outside the window, however, was the bustling traffic, appearing exceptionally lively. Pedestrians and vehicles on the road made up a picture of a thriving city, with countless high-rise buildings reaching into the sky.


    It was more or less in sync with the outside world''s time.


    The sun hung in the mid-sky, carrying a hint of warmth amidst the cold.


    "..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chen Miao, who made no immediate motion while sitting in his seat, slightly furrowed his brows as he looked at his secret realm panel in front of him. This secret realm seemed moreplex than he had imagined, with the highest clearance progress at 42%.


    And one needed to reach a 50%pletion rate to leave the secret realm.


    This also meant that although he didn''t know how many people had entered this secret realm before, to date, not a single person had survived. In other words, these people had never lived past the second day.


    The longest anyone hadsted was also just until the second day.


    More importantly¡ª


    It seemed that this secret realm wasn''t just for him and Hungry Monkey, the two yers. There appeared to be even more yers.


    For instance, there was another panel in front of him now.


    "Team Name": x13 Research Facility.


    "Team Members": (Team Leader) Chen Miao, (Deputy Team Leader) Hungry Monkey, Zhang Wansen, Liu Qiyang...


    "Team Mission": Escort the virus potion sessfully to the x13 Research Facility.


    "Special Mission": Destroy "Wazi City" within three days.


    Yes, this was a plot-driven secret realm, and based on the information on the panel in front of him and the memories imnted into his mind, he learned that in this secret realm, he was the head of the security team for the research facility.


    Most of the people in the entire coffee shop were his subordinates.


    Currently, they were taking a break in this coffee shop.


    They hade to Wazi City from other cities. The "x Virus Potion" had been sessfully developed and had arrived at the x13 Research Facility under his escort, thuspleting their escort mission.


    Now all that was left was to help the x13 Research Facility destroy the city before them within three days.


    That was his secret realm mission this time.


    That meant if he wanted to leave this Secret Realm alive, all he needed to do was find a ce to hide and survive until the next day, but to perfectly clear the Secret Realm, he must destroy Wazi City within three days.


    Given that this was a role-ying scenario.


    It was obvious that he had drawn the role of a viin.


    He had good reason to believe that other yers had entered as well, representing the righteous characters, whose mission was to stop him, inherently on the opposing side.


    It felt somewhat tricky.


    "..."


    Chen Miao sat still and did not act rashly, just silently stirring the coffee in front of him without speaking. Assuming there were indeed other yers who had entered and were in the enemy''s position, he currently did not know their information, nor where they were.


    This also meant that the others probably didn''t know his information either.


    As long as he didn''t expose his identity as a yer for the time being, he still had a significant advantage.


    Just then¡ª


    A middle-aged man at the next table suddenly stood up and walked towards their table. He casually ced a tablet in front of him and spoke with a slightly hurried tone, "Boss, it looks like we''re surrounded."


    On the tablet was a clearyout of their cafe.


    Outside the cafe, there were over a dozen blinking and approaching red lights, which should be their enemies. It seemed their whereabouts had been leaked, and they were almostpletely surrounded at this moment.


    "Prepare to fight."


    After Chen Miao finished his coffee in one gulp, he said in a calm and quiet voice.


    As his words ended.


    More than a dozen men and even a few women in the cafe swiftly took various gun parts from their backpacks, suitcases, andptop bags, rapidly assembling them.


    In almost the blink of an eye.


    Automatic rifles were assembled one after another.


    After these people quickly took control of the inside of the cafe, they hid behind the cafe''s cover and looked to Chen Miao, signaling the boss to give the order, ready to charge outside at any moment.


    Seeing this, Chen Miao''s eyes showed a hint of surprise. He rarely saw so many Gunslinger Transcendents together. In everyday life, the Gunslinger was a rather rare Supernatural upation.


    But he quickly realized.


    These people were just npc characters in the Secret Realm, not actual Transcendents. The firearms they were using were just ordinary firearms after all, and the world concept of this Secret Realm seemed like the Federation before Supernatural powers.


    Everyone was able to use firearms without any restrictions, and there wasn''t a restriction that only Gunslinger Transcendents could use firearms.


    The only difference was that the firearms were not as powerful as theirs.


    These firearms were just the personal weapons of the security personnel.


    Their movements seemed quite practiced; they were likely experienced security personnel, maybe even former military.


    "Breakout."


    Chen Miao didn''t dy too long and immediately issued themand. The encirclement was not yet fullyplete, and dying any longer would prevent them from breaking out. Of course, he was certain he would not die; this ce couldn''t stop him.


    But his subordinates could not die.


    The first middle-aged man who came to speak with him was not holding a gun but was holding a tablet and a briefcase. Inside the briefcase was the "x Virus Potion" they were escorting this time.


    This briefcase was secured with abination of a fingerprint lock, a passcode lock, and an iris lock. The briefcase could only be opened after meeting these three conditions. If the briefcase fell into others'' hands and the passcode was entered incorrectly three times in a row, it would self-destruct.


    Completely destroying the potion.

 Chapter 177 "Captain, are those people... superheroes?

    This middle-aged man was the key person between the securitypany and the x13 research institute, and only he knew the code to the suitcase. That meant if the man died, his mission to escort would definitely fail.


    The first phase of the mission had already failed.


    This man must not die.


    To destroy the city of Wazi City within three days, ording to the panel''s description, it was necessary toplete an extremelyplicated task chain, of which the first task was to deliver the suitcase sessfully to the x13 research institute.


    If the middle-aged man died, everything would be ruined.


    He decided to follow the plot for a bit to see what was happening. Until he had a good understanding of the map, he didn''t n to do much, so as not to startle the snake by hitting the grass.


    ...


    Meanwhile, outside.


    A dog was sitting in the back seat of a private car on a highway, projecting the image of a watch tied to its paw into the air, flipping through thetest news.


    Some messy news.


    About politics, life, and so on,


    Like the sudden exposure of massive corruption of the head of the Enforcement Bureau of a city or a woman posting a marriage proposal online, saying she would bring a dowry with her, onlyter it turned out that the dowry was a two-year-old child, or the recent ''Sea of Corpses Siege'' in Broken Pot City.


    In this piece of news.


    The appearance of the name "Chen Miao" made the dog sitting in the back seat narrow its eyes slightly.


    It was uncertain whether Chen Miao still remembered him. Although he didn''t have much contact with Chen Miao and their rtionship was average, he had once given Chen Miao a firearm prop of no low level. When they meet again, should there not be too much hostility, if not kindness?


    His work would probably be a lot easier to carry out.


    He was almost in Fengtian City''s territory, and it was both reasonable and appropriate to go and see this person.


    Emotionally, they had fought side by side in the Hell Bus, and now they were in the same city, it was natural to meet.


    Logically, as outsiders, they should definitelye and pay their respects to the newly appointed Fengtian Underground Emperor in advance.


    Yes.


    Chen Miao had now be the new Underground Emperor of Fengtian.


    The ck Hand Gang and other underground forces in Fengtian probably never dreamt that the one to shake their position would not be their old rivals, nor a suddenly emerging new power but a supernatural beingpletely out of left field.


    The one to defeat you may not be a peer, it could also be someone from across the industry.


    Different from the previous Underground Emperors,


    This new Fengtian Underground Emperor securely held the position through an almost unshakeable background, superior individual strength, and a way of doing things without reservations.


    The mayor of Fengtian City waspletely supportive of Chen Miao. Wanting to kill Chen Miao was almost tantamount to being an enemy of the entire Fengtian City.


    Although no news had ever exploded with the message that Chen Miao was the new Underground Emperor of Fengtian, nor had anyone told him this news, his personal keenness allowed him to obtain this information through other channels.


    ...


    At the same time¡ª


    In the Biohazard Secret Realm, the plot was advancing.


    As Chen Miao expected, there indeed were other yers in this realm, and they had already shed.


    Most of Chen Miao''s subordinates were dead by now, with only the protected middle-aged man still alive, along with a few scattered subordinates. One of them, filled with terror and shaking uncontrobly, was hiding behind cover, his voice trembling uncontrobly as he said,


    "Captain, are those people... superhuman?"


    "Yes."


    "They''ve shed with those red dots."


    "Most of the red dots were just wielding modern weapons; among them were yer characters who either turned into Tree People to inflict heavy casualties on all enemies within range."


    "Or they could punch a car flying with a single blow."


    "Such unrealisticbat methods made his team feel as if they had encountered ghosts, trembling with fear, almostpletely devoid of the will to fight."


    "His subordinates were all individuals with highbat quality."


    "But without his involvement, the rest were nearly powerless against other yers, and their morale was crumbling. Chen Miao, hiding behind a cover as well, heard the sobs of his subordinates but said nothing, slowly drawing out his Thompson Submachine Gun."


    "He had been waiting."


    "Waiting for an opportunity to act."


    "They had been pursuing the enemy all the way from the city center to this abandoned factory."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Along the way, he had marked all the yers who were Supernatural; their attack methods werepletely different from those of NPCs, instantly recognizable."


    "And by now¡ª"


    "He had marked eight individuals."


    "These eight were yers, on the opposing side, and the greatest obstacle in this Biohazard Secret Realm."


    "To perfectlyplete this Secret Realm and leave alive, those eight had to die."


    "Yes."


    "Not only were there other yers in this Secret Realm, but there were even several yer teams. Each yer team consisted of two members, unlike on their side which had only one yer team; their adversaries, the ones blocking their path to apocalypse, had many yers."


    "Their identities varied; some were mercenaries, some from the Wazi City Enforcement Bureau, and many other diverse forces."


    "But one thing was certain."


    "Though these individuals seemed to recognize each other''s identities, they possibly thought there were no more yers among these remnants, and their actions became bolder and more reckless."


    "And that was precisely the opportunity he had been waiting for."


    "An opportunity to sweep away all the yers within the Secret Realm in one fell swoop."


    "Ratatat!!!"


    "Apanied by the burst of gunfire from Chen Miao''s Thompson, a hail of bullets surged toward their surroundings, cutting down all enemies, especially the eight marked yers who became the primary targets. They didn''t have time to react and were killed on the spot."


    "With one barrage,"


    "Silence fell around them."


    "Only their group remained within the entire abandoned factory."


    "The man who had been hiding behind cover crying, looked around the suddenly quiet surrounds, and after a moment of stunned silence, peeked out from the rubble and looked towards Chen Miao, ''Captain, are you a superhero too? I never noticed before.''"


    "''Captain, are you a Supernatural with firearms abilities?''"


    "''Mm.''"


    "Chen Miao nodded casually, as if to indulge the NPC''s inquiry, before turning his attention to the middle-aged man they had been protecting at the center, who remained unharmed: ''Hurry up and lead the way to the X13 Research Institute.''"


    "Yes."


    "They didn''t even know the location of the X13 Research Institute; only this man knew where it was."

 Chapter 178 Yes, its that simple.

    This man was going to die; they couldn''t even find the location of the x13 Research Institute and could only wander the streets aimlessly like a headless fly, clutching a box that could explode at any moment.


    "Huh?"


    The middle-aged man seemed startled, hugging the code-box in his arms tightly before quickly nodding and getting up to jog in a certain direction.


    Chen Miao and the others didn''t speak; they merely followed closely behind.


    ...


    What Chen Miao and his group didn''t notice was that not long after they left the abandoned factory, two men suddenly walked out slowly from their hiding spot on the highest rooftop walkway.


    One tall and thin, the other short and fat.


    A very conspicuousbination.


    "Boss."


    The taller one, full of admiration and awe, raised his thumb: "You''re incredible, how did you guess that among these people there must be Supernaturals and that they were hiding their Strength?"


    "..."


    The shorter one rolled his eyes at the taller one and said coldly, "This is our second entry into this secret realm. Although we didn''t clear it on our first try, we managed to walk out alive thanks to the ''Punishment Exemption Coupon''."


    "The highest clearance progress of this secret realm has never reached 50, meaning that so far, no one, or no yer team, has left this secret realm alive. And we two are entering this dimension for the second time."


    "It means we are more familiar with the content and tasks of the secret realm than others."


    "Didn''t we ally with the viins on ourst entry into the secret realm? Have you forgotten?"


    "No chance of survival."


    "Right out of the caf¨¦, we were surrounded; although we were seriously injured at the time, we managed to narrowly escape. We left that middle-aged man behind, and after the self-detonation of the code-box, the virus potion was released into the air."


    "Those who came into contact with it turned into zombies immediately, and the city began to fall into rapid chaos, and we died in that chaos."


    "For yers who are chosen as the viins, there''s almost no chance of clearing the game. Not only are there many yer opponents, but surviving in a chaotic city for three days is also a difficult task."


    "Having entered the secret realm once, we definitely knew there had to be yers in this team, hiding and waiting¡ªeither waiting to die or preparing for a big move. They surely needed to hide first."


    "Is such simple logic really necessary for me to exin in such detail?"


    The fat man rolled his eyes at the tall one, obviously dissatisfied with the tall one''s intelligence.


    The difficulty of this secret realm was not low.


    If it weren''t for the fact that they happened to have the coupon that could exempt them from the map penalty, they would have died in this secret realm, but after luckily surviving once, they had entered the secret realm again.


    In the secret realm, danger and profit are often directly proportional.


    The greater the danger, the higher the future gains.


    This is beyond doubt.


    So after careful consideration, they decided to enter this secret realm once more.


    Only this time, they would be the onesughingst.


    "..."


    On the rooftop.


    The fat man''s eyes shed with a hint of coldness as he looked towards where Chen Miao and his group had disappeared from view¡ªthis time they were bound to win. On theirst entry into the secret realm, they were on the side of the viins and knew very well what the tasks were like in the first few stages when you were on the viin''s side.


    Just disrupt one of them.


    If they did, they would be sessful, and Chen Miao was doomed to fail his task.


    As the heroes, they just had to ensure the city wasn''t destroyed three dayster, and they would receive a perfect clearance rating.


    Yes, it was that simple.


    The only difficulty was that they needed to protect a person¡ªthat middle-aged man beside Chen Miao. The man couldn''t die because if he did, the briefcase he was carrying would automatically detonate, releasing the virus potion.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The middle-aged man was not on their side, and protecting such an adversary was no easy task.


    Luckily, it was evident that this time the viinous yers were also working hard to protect this man, which made their job a little easier.


    Afterward¡ª


    He slowly retreated into the shadows and vanished from the rooftop.


    A single bottle of the virus potion was not enough to destroy the entirety of Wazi City. The first link of the task chain was to deliver the potion to the research institute. Then, based on the form of this potion, theb would quickly modify the failed concoction into a sessful one.


    It would be mass-produced in a short time.


    And rapidly spread across the city to ensure its destruction within three days.


    That was the mission chain for the viin yers¡ªit was all too clear to him. On his previous entry into the dimension, he had been on the side of the viins, but he hadn''t managed to deliver the potion to the research institute before it exploded en route.


    If he remembered correctly, the middle-aged man, for safety''s sake, was now leading Chen Miao around the center of the city, taking detours to avoid being followed and the location of the research institute being discovered.


    And he¡ªknew the location of the research institute.


    He could destroy the research institute before anyone else. As long as he did that, Chen Miao and his team''s current mission would be doomed to failure.


    ...


    ```


    An hourter.


    Under the guidance of a middle-aged man, Chen Miao sessfully made his way to the fourth underground level of a hospital and saw what was referred to as the institute hidden behind a wall; however, at this time, thick smoke was continuously billowing out of the institute.


    After a brief inspection, one fact was certain.


    The institute was destroyed.


    Chen Miao''s brows furrowed as he hurried into the institute, where dead bodies, overturned equipment, and not a single survivor were everywhere to be seen. No, that was not entirely true; they found a scientist who was barely breathing in a corner.


    Upon seeing this scientist.


    The middle-aged man following Chen Miao''s lead brightened up cautiously, opened his briefcase, took out a red potion, and handed it over: "Mr. Arthur Fu, the potion you requested has arrived."


    But the scientist barely lifted his head to nce at Chen Miao and the others before he closed his eyes forever.


    And thus¨D


    No one inside the institute survived. Chen Miao frowned and scanned the surroundings. It was clear that someone had broken into the institute beforehand, and if nothing was out of the ordinary, this was not the original plot.


    Within the quest chain.


    The original plot should have been to produce arge quantity of potions through the institute and then disperse them throughout the city.


    Now, there was a clear deviation.


    The institute was hidden behind a wall, which seemed to have been destroyed by yers the moment they entered, looking as if it was smashed by fists. This was the power of a fighter.


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao simply stood still, holding the Virus Potion and pondering silently, without speaking.


    Just at this moment¨D


    Two men, one tall and one chubby, strolled in. Upon seeing Chen Miao, they greeted with a smile: "Nice to meet you, good afternoon."


    "Don''t be nervous, we mean no harm. We are here to exin the situation to you."


    "First of all, we regret to inform you that your quest chain has been destroyed by us, meaning no matter what, you will not be able toplete your mission now, but this doesn''t mean you can''tplete the basic task of surviving three days."


    Your journey continues with empire


    "As long as you don''t open that potion bottle, survival in this city for three days should not be a problem for you two, right?"


    "You''ve merely lost the chance for a perfect clear, but if we cooperate with each other, we can still get through this secret realm smoothly."


    The short, chubby man spoke earnestly to exin: "However, if that potion bottle is identally broken, believe me, one bottle''s strength is absolutely not enough to destroy Wazi City in three days; otherwise, the quest chain would not require you to procure more potions."


    "But perhaps you should take another look at the secret realm board; the Combat Power of the zombies infected by this potion is not weak."


    "Once this potion is released, the entire city might not perish, but it will be thrown intoplete chaos."


    "Surviving in such an environment for three days is certainly not a simple matter. What do you say? Since a perfect clear is already out of reach, why don''t we work together first to survive?"


    "What do you think?"


    After delivering this speech, the short chubby man looked confidently at Chen Miao. He was 80% sure that Chen Miao would agree to the proposal since Chen Miao had no other choice.


    There was only this choice.


    When he preemptively destroyed the institute, it meant that he had already won this confrontation.


    But the next second¨D


    His eyelids began to twitch frantically as he saw Chen Miao standing amidst the ruins of the institute, raising his gun and aiming at them.


    "Ratatat!!!"


    The moment gunshots rang out, the two men did not hesitate; they immediately activated their items and disappeared from the spot. They had witnessed Chen Miao''s firepower in the abandoned factory.


    This was a somewhat twisted gunman.


    If it came to a head-on fight, they were not Chen Miao''s match.


    It seemed negotiations had failed, but it didn''t matter. That potion bottle indeed could not destroy Wazi City in three days, and they were essentially guaranteed a wless victory.


    But surviving three days in such a chaotic, apocalyptic scene was not a simple matter.


    However, it was justplex, that''s all.


    As Supernaturals, they felt somewhat superior in this city made up entirely of ordinary people.


    After all, the zombies didn''t only attack them.


    ...


    "What should we do, Miao?"


    Hungry Monkey, having quickly analyzed their situation, turned to Chen Miao and the Virus Potion in his hand: "We''re essentially destined not to achieve a perfect clear now; our only option is to survive for three days and then leave this map alive."


    "Why did that fat man know the location of the institute?"


    "This isn''t fair."


    "They already outnumber us, know the location of the institute, and can break our quest chain. This is simply an unfair fight. On the viins'' side, a perfect clear is nearly impossible."


    Chen Miao didn''t speak; he just looked thoughtfully at the Virus Potion in his hand.


    Maybe...


    Destruction didn''t necessarily require potions.


    ```

 Chapter 179 Is It Worth Spending So Many Star Coins?

    ```


    Chen Miao weighed the so-called Virus Potion in his hand.


    His task chain was clearly destroyed already. ording to the task flow, he should have handed over the potion to the research institute by now, and then used it to develop more Virus Potions to embark on his world destruction mission.


    That was his task.


    He had been randomly assigned to the viin faction, so naturally, he had to do what viins do.


    But now the viin faction''s task chain was ruined. Somehow the enemies had learned the research institute''s location beforehand and destroyed it, which meant that shortly after the secret realm had started, the viin faction could choose to ept failure.


    There was no room for maneuver.


    But... not entirely without.


    Their task was to destroy Wazi City within the secret realm in three days, but it didn''t necessitate the use of the Virus Potion. Other methods, such as sufficient firepower, could also suffice...


    The city''s inhabitants were not Supernaturals; they were just a bunch of ordinary people.


    In the face of sufficiently widespread firepower, this could be achievable.


    The second option was to activate the "Zombie Generator." Turning on this item would cost 100,000 Star Coins, but its effects were evident, able to summon up to 10 million zombies, sufficient toplete this apocalyptic mission.


    Even with the task chain disrupted midway, he still had two backup choices. Yet, both options shared a clearmon point, which was that they involved a significant expenditure of Star Coins.


    Simply for a perfect clearance rating of an E-grade secret realm.


    Was such a massive spending of Star Coins worth it?


    Chen Miao checked his bnce.


    He had a substantial actual bnce of 280,000 Star Coins.


    Not a small amount.


    Just the reward for passing the Hell Bus''s challenge was a whopping 100,000 Star Coins, plus the 140,000 Star Coins in tickets from the passengers, and what he had saved up previously. Not to mention the sporadic spending these days; he still had a total of 280,000 Star Coins in his ount.


    But maybe he was just used to being poor.


    He always felt penniless, perhaps because the Supernatural Store owner''s promised final payment had not arrived yet, lending him a sense of insecurity. Otherwise, with tens of millions of credit points stuffed in his pocket, he could convert to Star Coins whenever he pleased.


    Why would he feel short on money?


    Now he had to set aside 100,000 Star Coins for the next Nothingness Space upgrade. Besides perfect clearance of two E-grade secret realms, the hardened condition for the next upgrade was the expenditure of 100,000 Star Coins.


    He also needed to save some Star Coins for making bullets. No one knew what would happen next, and if he ran out of Star Coins and couldn''t produce bullets, that would be a fatal blow for a gunman.


    In other words, he wasn''t incapable of perfectly clearing this secret realm.


    But it woulde at the cost of 100,000 Star Coins.


    Was it worth it?


    "Not worth it!"


    Chen Miao shook his head firmly and quickly made up his mind. He prepared to give up this secret realm and the world destruction task, to just quietly stay in the city for a day and a half, and leave this secret realm when thepletion rate reached 50%, moving on to the next E-grade secret realm.


    There were plenty of unexplored E-grade secret realms.


    Was there any need to pour so much money into one E-grade secret realm?


    It would be utterly wasteful.


    Wasting a day and a half wasn''t a big deal; he had nothing to do these days anyway. Moreover, it wasn''t really a waste, since he did sort of clear an E-grade secret realm, although the clearance rating wouldn''t be very high. A mosquito''s leg is still meat, after all.


    "Let''s do it this way."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "Moving on to the next secret realm is the n. After all, perfectly clearing a secret realm is not an easy task. We can''t expect to perfectly clear every secret realm we enter, as if we were cheating."


    "Not good."


    "We''ll stay for a day and a half, wait for the secret realm to end, then go find the next realm. The world destruction task is temporarily abandoned, as we can''tplete it."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Oh oh."


    Hungry Monkey grumbled dissatisfiedly, "If it weren''t for those two who popped up out of nowhere, we definitely could havepleted the task chain. They knew the research institute''s location before us, it''s not fair; the disparity in information between the two factions is toorge."


    Enjoy more content from empire


    ...


    Chen Miao didn''t say much, just took Hungry Monkey to a hotel in the city and after smoothly checking in, they waited tranquilly for the secret realm to end.


    The intelligence of the city''s residents seemed not to be too high, or perhaps in the creation of the secret realm, they opted for copy-paste out ofziness. For example, he had heard at least ten newsboys shouting exactly the same thing.


    The content of their cries, their intonation, and even... their faces were all identical.


    Yes, the faces were identical.


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the receptionist who had checked him into the hotel with aplex expression. He had seen this face in the city at least three times. His memory was good, maybe Hungry Monkey couldn''t remember at all.


    But under his intentional observation.


    Even those passers-by whom he had only met once, he remembered their faces.


    The identical faces deeply gave him a sense that this world was extremely unreal.


    It was as if everyone was created ording to a temte, and due to ack of enough temtes, they were repeatedly created and scattered randomly throughout the city.


    Just like the ten identical newsboys.


    This was a fake world.


    If he had to describe the city, he felt it was more like a city in a dream, where everything felt unreal.


    The secret realm is just a secret realm.


    No matter how real it might appear, it''s forever distinguished from reality.


    Just then¡ª


    A prompt suddenly sounded in Chen Miao and hispanion''s ears.


    ''Ding, main task chain detected as destroyed; therefore, both the difficulty and the rewards of this secret realm will be simultaneously enhanced.''


    ''If the Viin Teampletes the main task under the condition that the main task chain is destroyed, the rewards acquired from this secret realm will be doubled, and each team member will be awarded a C-grade Rare Exclusive Item, with Experience Points multiplied by 10.''


    "What the hell is this nonsense!"


    Upon hearing the prompt, Hungry Monkey cursed out of sheer frustration, "Miao, listen to this prompt. Is this something a sane person coulde up with? The main task chain is destroyed, yet you want me toplete the main task?"


    "And the reward gets doubled afterpletion?"


    "What''s the use of doubling the reward 10 times if the task chain is destroyed and the main task can''t bepleted?"


    "Are they expecting us to ughter the city with our bare hands?"


    "If we had such strength, would we even bother with an E-grade secret realm? Isn''t this a joke?"


    "That''s like saying, although your husband is dead, if you can give birth to your husband''s child, you''ll be rewarded with twins."


    ```

 Chapter 180 "It should be stable now, right?

    "The preconditions have all been removed, so what''s the point of a substantial reward now?"


    Perhaps it was the frustration he hadn''t tasted in a long while that made Hungry Monkey somewhat unustomed, resulting in an increase inints and grumbling.


    Chen Miao, on the other hand, had a peculiar look, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    This task had always been within his abilities toplete.


    He had merely been considering a cost-benefit issue, which was whether it was worth it to spend 100,000 Star Coins for a perfectpletion rating of an E-level secret realm.


    Originally, it wasn''t worth it,


    but now, with the rewards doubled and the experience points multiplied by ten, plus two C-level upation Exclusive items thrown in,


    the reward seemed somewhat more worthwhile.


    100,000 Star Coins were merely 2 million credit points.


    2 million credit points couldn''t even buy two C-level items, not to mention two, even one would be out of reach.


    The exchange rate between credit points and Star Coins is 20:1.


    Theoretically, that is.


    But the biggest problem is¡ª


    Star Coins aren''t manufactured by the Federation; they are produced within secret realms, and indeed, a vast number of people sell Star Coins on the market, forming an exchange ratio recognized by everyone.


    However, the number of Star Coins is limited after all, it''s not as if you could get your hands on them whenever you want, regardless of how many credit points you have.


    This leads to many issues.


    ...


    But none of these issues had anything to do with Chen Miao at the moment; all he needed to know was that his 100,000 Star Coins could wield their greatest value right now!


    "Worth it!"


    Chen Miao nodded with satisfaction, then, without any hesitation, pulled out the Zombie Generator from his bosom and activated it on the spot.


    Since he had decided that this deal was worth it, naturally, his next actions had to be quick, lest theck of time leads to failure of the mission, not only wasting the Star Coins but also missing out on any reward.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The next second¡ª


    The Rainbow Portal once again hovered in mid-air.


    Along with the activation of the device,


    a piece of parchment that appeared faintly visible emerged in the air, looking like a contract of sorts, with lines of text automatically generating upon it¡ªtext he couldn''t recognize, resembling some sort of variant of Chinese characters.


    Each character was as squared and proper as Chinese characters.


    But it was indecipherable.


    He only noticed a number "100000", and before he had a chance to react, his signature, Chen Miao, shockingly appeared at the end of the parchment. Then the parchment flew straight into the Rainbow Portal.


    What followed was a silent hush.


    Chen Miao looked bewildered at everything before him, totally clueless as to what had happened; this experience with the device was entirely different from before, resembling more the transactions made with Satan by medieval believers, like some kind of arcane sacrificial ritual.


    And at that moment¡ª


    The Rainbow Portal inside the room suddenly began to spin faster than before and flew straight out of the window,nding not far from a deserted construction site outside the hotel.


    They stood by the window and could look down upon this abandoned construction site perfectly.


    It''s worth mentioning that this abandoned construction site was virtually identical in structure to the one they had passed by before, which means that not only did the NPCs in this secret realm utilize mass-produced temtes, but even the buildings followed mass-produced architectural designs.


    This was the most significant discrepancy from reality.


    In reality, at least, it''s quite difficult to encounter someone with the exact same voice, face, and tone as you, not to mention someone with the exact same profession.


    ...


    They then watched as the Rainbow Portal settled upon a t area of the construction site and began to rotate at high speed downwards into the earth, like a drilling machine, creating a Deep Pit out of thin air.


    Shortly after¡ª


    A zombie, like a water fountain, erupted from the pit in mere moments.


    This zombie seemed to be the key to some grand event.


    As itnded on the ground from the pit with a thunderous roar, more zombies sprayed out from the pit, their expressions ferocious, spreading out in all directions, roaring and attacking any living being they saw.


    A million-strong zombie army was set to obliterate all life forms.


    ...


    "It should be stable now, right?"


    Chen Miao stood beside the hotel bed, looking down at the scene outside the window. With this Zombie Generator, he could create up to 10 million zombies which should be sufficient to destroy this temte-built city.


    The only question was whether there was enough time.


    There were still over two and a half days left until the mission deadline.


    He hoped the city wasn''t too vast.


    10 million zombies, although not all appearing at once, should pose no problem for a city of mortals without Supernaturals.


    Subsequently...


    He did not speak again but instead gazed thoughtfully at the "x Virus Potion" in his hand.


    Some things from the secret realm could be taken out, while others couldn''t. For instance, items, materials, and the like within the secret realm could be brought out. Besides these, there were also some seemingly useless items in the secret realm that could be taken out.


    Like a certain stone, a chair, a bottle of wine, etc.


    If you held these things and it indicated that you could bring them out of the secret realm, then it meant that these items could be taken out ¡ª in certain circumstances, these items could be extremely valuable.


    For example, the highly famous B-level secret realm "The Land of Elo." Experience tales at empire


    It was an exceedingly challenging realm.


    The background of this secret realm was under harsh winter conditions, an environment of extreme cold. This realm had long since been perfectly cleared, and over the years, numerous expedition teams had conquered it. The main reason so many ventured there was:


    Within this secret realm, there was a set scene where a merchant brought several carts of fine wines into the "The Land of Extreme Cold" called Elo. And every cart of wine could be taken out of this secret realm.


    Everyone who tasted it praised it endlessly.


    It was excellent wine.


    Furthermore, since this wine could only be produced in this secret realm, and its level was very high, making it extremely difficult, ordinary expedition teams could hardly make it out alive, much less take the wine out with them.


    This caused the price of the wine to be exceptionally high.


    Every year countless expedition teams died in this secret realm that had appeared many times before.


    It was said that the higher the secret realm level, the more things you could bring out, and being able to take an item out of the secret realm meant that it truly existed, whether in the realm or in reality.


    And things that couldn''t be taken out were fictional, only able to exist in dreams and not in reality.


    This was logical and easy to understand.

 Chapter 181 "Prop Name" Roaring Heavenly Dog (Firearm Accessory).

    The higher the level of the secret realm, the closer it resembles reality.


    For example, in this hotel room he checked into, everything inside the room couldn''t be taken out of the secret realm, but there was one thing that hinted it could be taken out.


    "X Virus Potion".


    Yes, this item was indicated as being able to be taken out.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly, he remained silent. ording to the information he had, the zombies spawned by this potion were much stronger than those created by his Zombie Generator, not only in physical fitness but also in explosive power.


    More importantly,


    The zombies created by this potion had a high virus transmissibility, which could be spread through blood and wounds, and the virus incubation period was only three minutes. If one was wounded by a zombie and couldn''t find the antidote within three minutes, they could only watch themselves turn into a zombie.


    He wasn''t considering how much benefit this potion could bring him if he took it out.


    He was contemting a very serious issue.


    This was just an E-level secret realm. If he could enter, it meant that many others could too. If someone brought this "X Virus Potion" into reality and chose to retaliate against society for some injustice, it would be nothing short of a disaster.


    He never had much enthusiasm for saving the world, but he didn''t want to just watch the world be destroyed.


    He stuffed the potion into his backpack, intending to ask the mayor about it once he got out, because not only this secret realm, but others definitely posed the same risk.


    If this world could survive safely for decades after transcendentalization, it certainly had its own ways to cope.


    ...


    The next three days were dull and monotonous for Chen Miao.


    He could only stay in the hotel to pass the time. The flow of time in the secret realm was consistent with the outside world; three days inside meant that three days had also passed outside.


    During these three days,


    Countless zombies were recklessly destroying the entire Wazi City.


    Without supernatural beings or the army, the city inside this secret realm was entirely unable to organize any power to deal with the zombies flooding in like a tide, like a piece of fatty pork dropped into a swarm of mice, rapidly nibbled away.


    Grim and swift.


    The facts proved that the prop was useful because it even recognized its owner. For instance, the zombies they summoned would actually bypass them and attack the people behind.


    They would not attack them.


    Even though they wouldn''t have been injured if attacked, it still saved them a lot of trouble.


    Although the price was high, it was worth the 100,000 Star Coins spent.


    And he roughly understood the working principle behind the Rainbow Portal. Although he didn''t know which civilization was on the other side of the portal, it was clear that it wasn''t the civilization controlling the transcendentalization of Blue Star.


    They seemed to be like Blue Star, simrly transcendentalized.


    Only they seemed to understand it more deeply.


    They could even trade with other civilizations, like this Zombie Generator, whose entire prop usage process was a bit like cing an order with a factory, then once the contract was signed and the payment made, the factory''s assembly line churned out the goods.


    A very interesting mode of trade.


    ...


    "Ding, congrattions on sessfully clearing the secret realm ''Biohazard''."


    "Completion progress 100%, and you''ve received a perfect clearance rating!"


    "As youpleted the main quest despite the destruction of the main quest chain, you will receive double the rewards for this secret realm and ten times the Experience Points, and each member of the team will receive one special upational prop."


    "The rewards are as follows¡ª"


    "Star Coins * 10,000, D-level material ''Art Student'' * 2, D-level material ''Uranium'' * 4."


    "Experience Points * 20,000."


    Discover stories with empire


    "And the C-level exclusive upational prop ''Roaring Heavenly Dog'' * 1."


    These were all his gains this time.


    Chen Miao stood on the Guimao Wastnd opposite the Sankui Wastnd, looking at all the rewards he received from this secret realm. After three days, he finally came out of the secret realm sessfully.


    10,000 Star Coins wasn''t too much or too little, just enough to regain some vitality, pretty average.


    To perfectly clear an E-level secret realm gave just 10,000 Star Coins, and that was after the double bonus, otherwise, it would only be 5,000, a number far less than what a fixed event had given him. The Hell Bus had given him 240,000 Star Coins.


    No wonder people say that although fixed events are extremely dangerous, surviving them assures high returns.


    The remaining D-level materials were all Gunslinger Materials, which he didn''t need for now. He would store them forter use, as theirbined value was not cheap¡ªseveral hundred thousand Credits, after all, it was D-level.


    20,000 Experience Points directly leveled him up to 15.


    The Experience Points bar was now at one-third past level 15.


    At his level, to go from 14 to 15 required a full 14,000 Experience Points. Originally he had just passed level 14, and now these 20,000 Experience Points had put him just past level 15.


    Sincest time, when he came out of the ''Coward Special'' major event, his Experience Points had barely moved.


    Although he attended many fixed events and killed siege bosses, those things didn''t give Experience Points, which meant his level had been stagnant at level 14. If not for the tenfold Experience Points in this secret realm, he wouldn''t have leveled up this time.


    This meant that perfectly clearing an E-level secret realm normally would give 2,000 XP.


    Not bad at all.


    After all, the experience points awarded for perfectly clearing an F-grade secret realm are only 100xp.


    This is already a 20-fold difference.


    Chen Miao had said that it was impossible for all secret realms to give such little experience uponpletion; otherwise, those yers who were level forty or fifty would never be able to reach such high levels by staying in secret realms their whole lives, even if they never went home.


    It was the C-grade exclusive item "Roaring Heavenly Dog" that caused Chen Miao to raise an eyebrow slightly.


    "Prop Name": Roaring Heavenly Dog (Firearm essory).


    "Prop Level": C-grade.


    "Prop Restriction": Only avable for use by the "Gunman Profession" and its advanced series of professions, and the yer''s strength value must be over 30.


    "Prop Effect": An exclusive firearm essory for the "Hell Gatling", an upational weapon of the Gunman Profession. Install this firearm essory onto the "Hell Gatling" to obtain the following effects:


    1: It grants every bullet fired from the "Hell Gatling" a fire attribute that can cause tremendous damage under special circumstances.


    2: It greatly increases the firing rate of the "Hell Gatling".


    3: Every time 1000 bullets are fired, the 1001st bullet will transform into the Roaring Heavenly Dog, illuminating the sky as it bes a meteor shower of fire raining down on enemies.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    4: And it causes the bullets fired from the "Hell Gatling" to deal 10 times fixed damage to canine creatures.


    -


    ...


    Chen Miao looked at the item panel before him and nodded with satisfaction. This was his first C-grade item. Although it wasn''t an item that could be used on its own, it was still a firearm essory.


    Like the one given to him by the dog from the Hell Bus, it was also a firearm essory.


    But it was still good.


    He suddenly remembered the dog that looked human; it essentially was human, with human thoughts. So if he fired at that dog, would it inflict 10 times the fixed damage?


    This was a problem that needed consideration.


    The overall effect of this firearm essory was pretty good and worthy of his C-grade.


    "Fire Attribute", while mostly useless in normal situations and just like regr bullets, is uniquely useful when only fire attribute attacks can prate defense while all other attribute attacks are ignored.


    Significantly increased rate of fire, a universal attribute.


    But even if the rate of fire were higher, it probably wouldn''t be faster than the Thomson, which wasn''t just about firing speed; that was a bug.


    Normally, such a thing shouldn''t exist.


    The third effect also belonged to the universal attribute category, contributing to increased damage, and was also quite decent. Worth mentioning next was the fourth effect.


    He currently had many damage-increasing effects, most of which came from the "Sniper Rifle".


    Aside from the sniper rifle''s damage increase, he also had a D-grade Taboo Item "Lover''s Madness", allowing him to deal 10 times the damage to all female creatures. Now with the addition of "Roaring Heavenly Dog", he could deal 10 times fixed damage to canine creatures.


    This meant that if there were a female dog boss, Chen Miao would be the natural predator of that boss.


    He would be the enemy that all female dogs feared.


    He was already looking forward to finding a female dog boss to test his power on, although he hadn''t crafted the "Hell Gatling" yet; the essory was ready.


    The "Roaring Heavenly Dog" essory looked like a pendant, a crimson wolf-dog that appeared very imposing. Once hung on the Hell Gatling, its effect would be activated.


    Just one more perfect clearance of an E-grade secret realm and the Nothingness Space could be upgraded.


    That would mean another firearm skin to be gained.


    At this moment, he only hoped that this firearm skin could be applied to the Hell Gatling, so he would have another impressive weapon. Then, he would carry four weapons on him:


    "Python R6 Revolver"


    "Thompson Submachine Gun"


    "Bee King Sniper Rifle"


    "Hell Gatling"


    That would be enough for him to handle most situations. The Thomson was the most frequently used, with its extremely high rate of fire and explosive bullet effect, suitable for most scenarios. The Bee King Sniper Rifle was specialized for boss fights.


    Numerous damage buffsbined could let him kill a boss with one shot.


    He hadn''t decided what to use the Hell Gatling for yet, after all, the skin hadn''te out, so he didn''t know its specialties.


    As for the "Python R6 Revolver", it only had one use¡ª


    To perform Russian Roulette.


    ...


    "Hungry Monkey."


    Chen Miao looked at the Hungry Monkey beside him, also staring at the reward panel, and casually asked, "What''s your C-grade item, and how effective is it?"


    He was already eager to go to the next E-grade secret realm and quickly get the new firearm skin. However, with three days of not receiving any outside information, there was a surge of messages awaiting his attention.


    He needed to deal with these messages first.

 Chapter 182 "Prop Name" Mighty Sticker.

    ```


    "Here."


    The Hungry Monkey appeared quite fond of his new acquisition, toying with something that looked like a sticker.


    ''Prop Name'': Mighty Sticker.


    ''Prop Level'': C-Level.


    ''Prop Effect'': Upon affixing the sticker to a weapon, it will unleash greater power, endowing the yer with immense strength. The augmentation is based on strength value; the higher the yer''s strength value, the more powerful the burst of force.


    ''Prop Restriction'': Exclusive to ''Fighter'' and its advanced professional series.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A simple item, its description sounded straightforward enough, not quite feeling worthy of a C-Level rating, yet the Hungry Monkey seemed quite taken with his new prop.


    Unfortunately, it could only be applied to weapons.


    If it could be stuck on the skin or limbs, the methods of use would be more diverse, and the operational space would be greater.


    The prop''s effect was not detailed, only that it would provide a boost ording to the yer''s strength value, but the specific amplification coefficient was unclear.


    "..."


    Chen Miao said nothing more to the Hungry Monkey, instead turning his quiet gaze towards the ''x virus potion'' lying in his backpack. This item could indeed be taken out of the Secret Realm; ity quietly there in his backpack at the moment.


    If he wished, he could trigger a disaster throughout Fengtian City right now.


    A real disaster.


    Having perfectly cleared this Secret Realm meant that it would soon officially appear in the Secret Realm Building. More people would enter this realm, which meant the potion had a higher chance of being taken out of the Secret Realm.


    And that was not good news for Fengtian City.


    He immediately informed Zhou Shen of this matter, and after receiving Zhou Shen''s response, he set aside his concerns.


    As it turned out, the Federal Government had its own governance schemes in ce, preventing significant incidents in the many years since the world had be supernatural, especially when all Secret Realms entered the Secret Realm Building.


    Special personnel would enter the new Secret Realm.


    And conduct a risk assessment.


    If a prop like the ''Biohazard'', which could pose a massive threat to social stability, was found to be taken out of the Secret Realm, the realm would be sealed off, prohibiting entry to the general popce.


    This would prevent arge number of people from taking the ''x virus potion'' out and then, due to antisocial personalities or other reasons, starting a widespread release.


    As for those Secret Realms outside the city that had not been perfectly cleared, there was no solution. There were too many such realms, and the Federation simply didn''t have the manpower to inspect them one by one. Thus, it was often the case that only after a Secret Realm had been perfectly cleared and evaluated as having a high risk would the authorities find the person who had cleared it and use their means to manage the risk.


    Not many people perfectly clear Secret Realms every day.


    In fact, the number is very small.


    For a city with a poption of ten million like Fengtian, there''s typically only one Secret Realm perfectly cleared per day, and sometimes none at all. It''s quite easy to identify who cleared a Secret Realm when it happens.


    On the leaderboard, they stand out too conspicuously.


    For a city, about thirty new Secret Realms arrive at the Secret Realm Building each month. After all, the mortality rate for pioneering new realms is too high, and not too many people are eager to do so.


    Not to mention the modest benefits of pioneering.


    The risk of death is simply too great.


    An entirely unknown Secret Realm means an abundance of potential crises.


    That''s why Supernatural Academies exist; in the four years of theory sses, you''re taught about the existence of various fixed events, the weaknesses and characteristics of various bosses, and so on, through these methods to reduce idents.


    Being swept into an unknown fixed event.


    And being swept into a fixed event that you''ve studied about in ss, the mortality rates are vastly different.


    Now, after Chen Miao had perfectly cleared this Secret Realm, his ranking on the ''Fengtian City Perfect Clearance Evaluation Leaderboard'' had moved up to 67th ce. There, his name, surrounded by Rainbow Brilliance, was shing incessantly.


    Among a sea of red and white names, it was particrly eye-catching.


    This was the effect of his prop ''First Show of Sharpness,'' an item more for honor than practical purpose.


    And now, having entered the top 100 of any leaderboard in Fengtian City for the first time, this prop also retained its status and leveled up within the stipted time.


    -


    ''Prop Name'': First Show of Sharpness.


    ''Prop Level'': C-Level (upgraded twice).


    ''Prop Effect'': Allows the owner to ignore the restriction that an upational weapon can only be crafted once, and makes the owner''s name disy with a Rainbow Brilliance effect on all major leaderboards, as well as in announcements or other ces where their name appears.


    Permits one city-wide announcement per day, which can be used between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Each announcement must not exceed 300 characters and will be conveyed to all citizens within the city''s jurisdiction through voice, panels, and other means.


    ''Prop Restriction'': None.


    ''Prop Source'': When a yer perfectly clears a Secret Realm on their first visit, there''s a small chance to receive this prop. It can only be obtained this way, and once acquired, it''s bound by force, non-tradable, non-giftable, and unusable by other Supernatural Profession yers.


    ''Prop Description'': "This prop is a tribute to the dazzling talents who make a spectacr first impression in the Secret Realms! Whether you are a meteoric talent or an unstoppable force is for you to decide."


    ''ps: The second phase task ispleted. The third phase task¡ªif the owner of this prop ranks first on any city-wide leaderboard within a month, the prop will be retained and upgraded. Otherwise, it will be recalled.''


    -


    The prop was upgraded.


    It became his second C-Level prop, but unlike his first C-Level prop ''Roaring Heavenly Dog,'' which could directly enhance hisbat power, this C-Level prop had almost no practical significance.


    The upgrade added one more effect, which was an additional daily city-wide broadcast.


    You could argue for its usefulness.


    From amercial value standpoint.


    During the prime midday slot, an advertisement that reaches everyone and ispulsorily viewed topletion has an incredibly highmercial value. If the daily city-wide broadcast were auctioned off,


    regardless of whether it''s retracted next month.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire


    The value it brings this month alone could be at least a hundred million credit points, right?


    Although it may have some impact on brand honor, since you would undoubtedly get cursed behind your back for being tasteless, the short-term benefits would undoubtedly be substantial.


    But...


    Generally, those who can obtain this prop and upgrade it to C-Level are no ordinary individuals, which is to say, they are not really short on money and wouldn''t tarnish their or their family''s reputation for a hundred million credit points.


    ```

 Chapter 183 The Death of Lord Miao.

    It is said that a long time ago.


    Someone indeed used the citywide loudspeaker system for advertising. At first, people were intrigued and didn''t mind the novelty; it even proved quite effective, but as time passed, they gradually grew tired of these intrusive advertisements.


    They even started to resist them. No matter the brand, if they advertised this way, they faced a firm boycott.


    A consensus had formed.


    Thus, the number of businesses choosing to advertise this way dwindled.


    Until it waspletely phased out, after all, the ROI had be so low, it plunged into the negatives.


    And for Chen Miao, this advertising method was pretty much useless.


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at his newly upgraded item panel with a hint of helplessness and heaved a light sigh. Although he had known the symbolic significance of this tool far exceeded its actual utility, it was, after all, a C-grade item. To have such effects, he didn''t really know what to say.


    The item''s reason for existence was to tell others, "Look, this is a genius whose momentum is still strong and continuing to surge."


    He''s very strong.


    Beyond that, it served no other purpose.


    When the item would be reimed someday, it would mean that the genius''s momentum was broken and from that point forward, the genius would fade into obscurity.


    This thing was like a filtering mechanism, ultimately singling out one genius who maintained powerful momentum.


    He stopped thinking about it.


    Although he didn''t know what the next phase of the level-up task would be, the current phase''s promotion task wasn''t too difficult¡ªto reach the top of any citywide ranking within a month. It wasn''t too challenging.


    There were several rankings he could achieve.


    For instance, "Fengtian City''s Perfect Clear Ranking List," where his three-time perfect clear record ranked him at number 67.


    It is worth mentioning that¡ª


    The person in the 17th ce also had three perfect clears, the same as him, but they had achieved this record sooner. In cases where the number of clears is the same, earlier aplishment meant a higher ranking.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ranks 16 to 12 all had four perfect clears.


    To perform a perfect clear of a challenge four times was to already be a top-notch yer among ordinary people.


    Many of these people knew each other and were even teammates.


    And from the 11th rank to the 1st, they all had five perfect clears.


    Meaning, the highest number of perfect clears on the Fengtian City leaderboard was five, and he had already achieved three. For him, obtaining two more perfect clears within a month was not too hard.


    It is worth mentioning that¡ª


    Over the years, the Secret Realm Building in Fengtian City held countless realms that had been perfectly cleared. The Secret Realm Building alone had hundreds of floors. If there were only those realms cleared by the ones on the leaderboard, much space in the building would be void.


    In actuality.


    At the start, shortly after the world became supernaturalized, the authorities formed special elite teams to pioneer and perfectly clear new realms, thereby filling the Secret Realm Building with more realms. However, ultimately, the fate of most of these people was death.


    No one can defy the Grim Reaper every day.


    And no one can perform a ballet on the edge of death every day.


    When these elite teams had nearly all perished, the Secret Realm Building of Fengtian City was almost filled. Thereafter, no special pioneering teams were assembled and the supernatural beings among the citizens were left to their own devices.


    Otherwise, even if they had lived,


    He would never make it to the top of the list in a month.


    When people die, their rankings on the leaderboard fall.


    ...


    When Chen Miao, apanied by Hungry Monkey, returned to the Eternal Cemetery, he discovered that some civilians had voluntarilye to the entrance of the cemetery today. Each person solemnly dressed in formal attire was cing bunches of fresh flowers at the entrance of the cemetery.


    There were no tombstones at the entrance of the cemetery.


    Nothing at all.


    Just a security booth that looked somewhat abandoned. The old man who worked there was nowhere to be found, not having appeared for a long while.


    "What''s going on here?"


    Your adventure continues at empire


    Chen Miao looked at the scene before him, somewhat confused. At first, he thought someone was targeting him, but after observing for a while, he realized that these people had organized spontaneously to pay their respects. He even recognized quite a few of them.


    Many of the underground forces he met in the gathering at the Chief Wilderness were there, each somberly and sadly cing fresh flowers on the bare ground.


    "Miao,"


    Yuan Buping, who had appeared beside Chen Miao at some point, started with aplex expression, "You''ve been in the secret realm these past few days and are unaware of the situation outside. A major event has urred that has shocked the entire federation."


    "Miao, do you know who is ranked first on the federal level ranking list?"


    "I know,"


    Chen Miao nodded and subconsciously opened the "Federal Level Ranking List." Of course, he remembered who it was¡ªLord Miao, a level 67 Holy Demon Envoy.


    It has been a while since hest checked. By now, the level must have increased. Perhaps reaching 70?


    However, when he opened the federal level rankings, he found an unfamiliar name at the top.


    "Lv.71 Insect Tribe Priest, Zhang Yi."


    He flipped through several pages but couldn''t find the name Lord Miao. It just disappeared from the leaderboard.


    "Dead?"


    Shock flickered in Chen Miao''s eyes, and he said with some disbelief.


    Although it was hard to believe, the fact was apparent. In fact, he knew that before Lord Miao came onto the leaderboard, the highest level was supposed to be 74. However, one day the top five yers in the federal level rankings suddenly died together in some secret realm, allowing Lord Miao to climb up the ranks.


    But he didn''t expect that in only a short time, Lord Miao would be dead too.


    Is the number one spot on the federal level ranking list too dangerous, with death following those who reach it?


    The profession of the newly ranked yer was familiar¡ªInsect Tribe Priest, a job where waging war depended on spending money.


    "Yes,"


    Yuan Buping continued with aplex expression, "He died in ''Zhenba City,'' not one of the 128 main cities in the federation like ''Gaobei City.'' It''s a smaller city home to two million permanent residents."


    "It''s located in the northernmost Land of Extreme Cold."


    "The other day, Lord Miao, for some unknown reason, just happened to be in ''Zhenba City.'' And on that day, a major fixed event descended upon ''Zhenba City,'' a ranked 11, hellishly difficult, fixed event¡ª"


    "Sea of Human Suffering."


    "Actually, these city-level fixed events are not verymon. They hardly ur once a year, and throughout history, there have only been 23 such events in total."


    "Although each urrence brings significant casualties."


    "They really are rare. It hasn''t been many days since ''Broken Pot City'' faced the city-level fixed event called ''Sea of Zombies.'' And now, such a city-level event has urred again. This is a very strange phenomenon indeed, too much of a coincidence."

 Chapter 184 "Do you agree to the invitation?

    "For Zhenba City, that day was lucky because Lord Miao just happened to be in their city,"


    "For Lord Miao, that day was unlucky; before going there, she probably never imagined it would be thest day of her life,"


    "The fixed event arrived too quickly,"


    "By the time Lord Miao realized it, the event had already begun,"


    "The whole Zhenba City fell into amunication ckout, and many people started praying for the city''s inhabitants, although they knew there was almost no hope. This was the first descent of ''Sea of Human Suffering'', fixed event number 11,"


    "Before this, the event had never urred,"


    "People''s understanding of this event was limited to its name and number, a designation not assigned by people, but inherent to it,"


    "The difficulty of fixed event number 11 can be imagined,"


    "In the end¡ª"


    Yuan Buping paused for a moment before turning his head towards the solemn crowd: "In less than a day, Zhenba City had reestablished contact, and the approximate death, injury, and missing persons count was 370,000,"


    "A high number,"


    "But for Zhenba City, which had been baptized by event number 11, it was already a very small number, and the fact that the city was not annihted was a miracle,"


    "It was then that people realized that at that time, Lord Miao could have escaped. After all, being the top-ranked person in the entire Federation, she had enough capability to not die so easily,"


    "But... she knew that if she left, two to three million people in the city would die there,"


    "But if she stayed, there might be a glimmer of hope,"


    "So she stayed,"


    "In the end, the city survived the event number 11 at the cost of 370,000 lives, but Lord Miao died in the incident. As Zhenba City restoredmunication, this news was quickly spread,"


    "And a video that Lord Miao had identally left for her parents at the time of making her decision became herst words and was widely circted,"


    "Tomemorate Lord Miao, people flocked to the cemeteries surrounding various cities to pay tribute to the hero who sacrificed herself for two to three million ordinary people,"


    "..."


    Chen Miao said nothing, only his eyebrows slightly furrowed as he looked at the video Yuan Buping had sent him,


    At the same time the video shed with white light,


    He saw a ck screen, enveloping the entire city like an eggshell, turning the whole sky ck, with not a single natural light source, all the city''s lighting came from artificial sources,


    On the rooftop of a high building,


    A woman was facing the camera silently,


    Yes,


    A woman,


    He hadn''t expected the top-ranked Lord Miao of the Federation to be a woman, even though the name "Miao" sounded somewhat feminine, the word "Lord" had always made him assume Lord Miao was a man, possibly even something like the boss of the ck Society,


    Not only was she a woman,


    But she was also quite petite, about 155cm tall, with a pretty face dusted with a hint of grime, standing silently in the cold winter on the rooftop in a camisole dress, looking like a CG from a game,


    "Dad,"


    The woman suddenly spoke to the camera, her red lips parting slightly: "I''ve decided to stay. I''m a bit scared. Fixed event number 11, everything is unknown, I don''t know what I will face,"


    "But I know what will happen if I leave,"


    "Millions will die here,"


    "I''m afraid of death, but I''m more afraid of millions of souls haunting my dreams, asking me why I ran away,"


    "You once told me that with great poweres great responsibility, and not to be so strong, you didn''t want me to take on too much,"


    "And mother, if I can''t make it back, please tell my sister not to be too upset, but she shouldn''t not be upset at all or I''ll be upset,"


    It was apparent that the woman in the video was somewhat scared; her voice trembled slightly. To make the number one ranked person in the Federation feel fear, one could imagine how oppressively daunting fixed event number 11 was,


    "Right¡ª"


    Her voice paused for a moment, then she looked up at the increasingly thick ck screen overhead and whispered: "Remember to use the name Lord Miao on my tombstone, not my real name,"


    "Changing my name to Lord Miao on all the major leaderboards cost me quite a bit,"


    "I like everyone calling me Lord Miao,"


    "It sounds authoritative,"


    The video abruptly ended, leaving only a snow-white screen, and what happened next is not hard to imagine,


    Zhenba City survived,


    Lord Miao died,


    "..."


    Chen Miao said nothing, just looking with admiration toward the citizens who hade to pay their respects, bing a little bit more understanding of why these people hade to the suburban cemetery in such cold weather,


    Such a person was worth their tribute,


    Asking himself honestly, if he were in Lord Miao''s ce, he couldn''ty down his own life to save the lives of an entire city,


    It was precisely because he couldn''t do it that he admired Lord Miao''s behavior even more.


    Most couldn''t do it either.


    That''s why so many citizens came spontaneously to pay tribute to the martyred Lord Miao.


    There''s a huge amount of newsing out of the Federation every day, and perhaps people would soon forget about Lord Miao, but he believed that Zhenba City would never forget this Supernatural who sacrificed himself to save their town. Explore more adventures at empire


    Even Hungry Monkey had tears welling up in his slightly reddened eyes. Although he was now a Supernatural, he still had the mindset of an ordinary person; he knew all too well how hard it was for normal people to live in this world.


    A top-tier Supernatural willing to give up his life just to save them, the ordinary people, made him feel all the more empathy for their plight.


    "Let''s set up a tombstone,"


    Chen Miao instructed softly to the crowds not far away: "Use Lord Miao''s signature, at least give these people a proper ce to pay their respects."


    "Yes."


    Yuan Buping nodded quickly in response.


    At that moment, several men in ck suits stood with their hands behind their backs at the entrance to the Eternal Cemetery, their faces stern as if they were maintaining order at the site, making the entire tribute process look more formal, as if it were organized by the government.


    In fact, when Yuan Buping first learned the purpose of these people''s visit, his first reaction was to drive them away. What a joke¡ªit was the Tomb Guardian''sir here. Letting these people in would expose all their secrets.


    But after fully understanding their intentions,


    he hesitated.


    It was a matter of public sentiment. If any conflict arose at this time, it would likely make the headlines very soon, and as Chen Miao''s man, it would certainly have a great impact on Miao''s reputation. If someone with an agenda tried to pull something, Lord Miao''s position as the representative of Fengtian City might be forced to be vacated.


    For safety''s sake, he acquiesced to it all.


    However, he immediately informed Zhou Shen, asking him to bring people over. Zhou Shen also quickly grasped the seriousness of the issue, cing many flowers at the entrance of the cemetery so that people paying tribute afterward would ce flowers at the entrance and would not enter it any further.


    "Eternal Cemetery" was a public cemetery operated by society.


    The majority of its graves were purchased by the government and contained unimed bodies that had been ced there, year-round unvisited, with no one to im them¡ªhow could they be paid tribute to? Only a minority of chambers were sold to some citizens.


    As for why the government would spend money on graves to house unimed bodies, that''s not an easy thing to talk about.


    There were actually better ways to deal with it, whether cremation or otherwise.


    But... such procedures hardly generate much profit.


    The shorter the process, the less the money.


    ...


    "Miao."


    At that time¡ª


    Zhou Shen came over, and seeing Chen Miao looking towards the citizens at the entrance of the cemetery, he was about to say something by way of exnation when Chen Miao waved his hand and shook his head: "I know, it''s okay, you guys have handled this matter quite well."


    But just as Chen Miao was about to say something more, he suddenly froze in ce. A notification panel popped up before his eyes.


    "Ding¡ª"


    "On November 24th, at 22:21, a Hell Bus with license te Feng¡¤GA182 originating from Fengtian City sessfully collected tickets from all passengers on board."


    "You have been detected as the best ticket seller in history."


    "The next Hell Bus originating from Zhenba City is about to depart, and we wish to invite you as the ticket seller for this trip. In return, we will pay you a generous reward."


    "The following is the list of passengers for this trip''s Hell Bus¡ª"


    "Zhang Meiling, Zhou Wansheng, Lord Miao..."


    "Do you ept the invitation?"


    "..."


    As soon as the notification panel popped open, Chen Miao unconsciously gaped; he saw a very familiar name in the passenger list¡ªLord Miao.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The very same Lord Miao who had just died.


    He knew only certain people had the right to be passengers on the Hell Bus, those who had died but still harbored strong unresolved regrets. Only by helping them resolve their inner regrets could they proceed normally into reincarnation.


    But what regret could Lord Miao have?


    Generally speaking, most of the regrets he encountered were due to being murdered.


    Reason told him that the difficulty of this Hell Bus must be very high. It''s not every time that a Hell Bus has Supernaturals as passengers. Hell Buses indeed run on a fixed schedule.


    But they depart several times a day.


    In only a few special cases would Supernaturals board, and in most situations, the buses simply leave quietly, taking the souls of the city''s wronged dead back.


    But why was he invited this time?


    He boldly guessed that if, in the absence of Supernaturals or a ticket seller, how would the bus collect tickets from its passengers, that is, resolve their inner regrets?


    That they would invite him this time, there''s a high chance they believed the buscked the confidence to resolve the regrets of the passengers on this trip.


    He couldn''t fathom the specific reason.


    But he had an inkling that if he chose to reject the invitation, he might miss out on a lot, things of great importance to him. This was an intuition without any specific reason.

 Chapter 185 "Hmm, go once more.

    Chen Miao remained silent as he looked at the panel that suddenly popped up in front of him. He had never known that good performance on the Hell Bus could result in an invitation, let alone a Best Employee Award.


    To go or not to go.


    It was a choice.


    He looked at the countdown on the panel that was about to expire.


    He sighed softly and chose to ept the invitation.


    "Ding, yer Chen Miao has epted the invitation. Please, yer Chen Miao, board any bus in ten hours," the system notified.


    In the end, he chose to ept the invitation.


    He didn''t know whether this decision was wrong or wrong.


    ''Chen Miao at present does not know that this decision would ruin the rest of his life,'' he suddenly added a narration in his head, but soon felt it was a bit too ominous, and quickly changed it in his mind to ''Chen Miao at present does not know that this decision would bring him immense blessings.''


    When he used to watch movies and TV shows,


    he hated the narration the most when it said, the current xx doesn''t know yet, this decision xx...


    If his life was also a movie, then perhaps every time he made a decision, there was also a narrator spoiling it for the audience, right?


    ...


    "Miao?"


    Zhou Shen tentatively looked at Chen Miao and spoke up. Chen Miao had been talking to him when he suddenly became distracted as if he had seen something.


    "It''s nothing,"


    Chen Miao shook his head: "I need to go out for a bit. Please take good care of things here."


    Zhou Shen nodded, then handed over a ck card with both hands: "Miao, you''ve been out of reach these past few days. The owner of the Haina Supernatural Store in District 7 couldn''t get in touch with you and was quite anxious."


    "Having no other choice, he contacted me to deliver this card to me. It contains 70 million credit points, asking me to deliver this card to you as soon as possible."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao took the ck card and touched it to his wristwatch, and the 70 million credit points were transferred into his ount just like that.


    This card was an anonymous ck card.


    It had no set password.


    Anyone who got this card could ess the money inside.


    He had been too busy with numerous matters these few days and had forgotten about the promise from the store owner to deliver 58 million within three days.


    He nced at the bnce and asked casually, "Wasn''t it supposed to be 58 million? How did it be 70 million?"


    Zhou Shen hurriedly exined, "The owner said the auction was very sessful, and the revenue exceeded the expectations by a lot. If not for Miao''s support, he would never have achieved this sess. So, he added all the earnings from the first auction into it as a gift for Miao."


    "To thank Miao for your support, and he also said that from now on, one percent of the proceeds from all of Haina''s brand''s businesses would belong to Miao."


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao slightly arched his eyebrow and chuckled, not taking the conversation further, only waving his hand to summon Yuan Buping and Hungry Monkey to his side, and began discussing pressing matters: "Let''s not talk about this for now, I will be going to the Hell Bus in 10 hours."


    "Again?"


    A hint of confusion shed through Zhou Shen''s eyes.


    That was the Hell Bus, fixed event number 128. Everyone who knew about this event considered it a disaster, like floods and wild beasts. Yet, from the way Chen Miao spoke, one could sense a feeling of returning home.


    Fixed events, normal supernatural beings might not encounter even one in their entire lives.


    Miao had only been a few days, but it felt like one fixed event followed another, busier than the average supernatural explorer venturing into secret realms.


    "Well, there''s another trip."


    Time was short, and Chen Miao didn''t borate much, "I still hold the position of ticket collector on this Hell Bus, responsible for collecting fares from passengers along the way, and this time the starting station is Zhenba City."


    "The city that just went through the Sea of Human Suffering."


    "You need to dispatch the brothers to Zhenba City as soon as possible to be ready for action."


    "This mission might be a lot tougher than thest one."


    "And there''s something you need to report quickly to the mayor, I need his help, because there''s... Lord Miao on the passenger list."


    "The regrets of Lord Miao, given our Strength, I estimate will be very hard to address, I need the help of Fengtian City."


    "Do you understand?"


    Zhou Shen''s eyes flickered with shock, then he nodded furiously like a chick pecking at grains, the fact that Lord Miao was on the passenger list of the Hell Bus was certainly not good news.


    Those passengers are euphemistically called passengers.


    In fact, they are lost souls with partial memory loss, acting based on their personalities; if they touch any taboo, these lost souls won''t forget their identity, and it''s estimated that Chen Miao will find it very difficult to deal with the lost soul into which Lord Miao has transformed.


    This was a matter of great consequence!


    Logically speaking, only lost souls with great injustices in their hearts are guided onto the Hell Bus, so what great injustice harbors within Lord Miao''s heart? Could it be that the so-called sacrifice made for the sake of Zhenba City wasn''t the whole truth?


    ...


    The mayor of Fengtian City was quickly made aware of this message.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ording to the mayor''s secretary in the future, the mayor''s face changed dramatically that day as if he had seen some rming information, then he retreated to his office and made continuous phone calls, apparently contacting many people.


    The second full-scale action of the "Tomb Guardian"menced.


    Just ten minutes after Chen Miao issued the order, all members of the "Tomb Guardian" were already seated on a container truck, on the highway to Zhenba City, which lies in the Land of Extreme Cold at the northernmost tip.


    The distance from Fengtian City was very far.


    Normally, it would require a twenty-two-hour journey.


    But they only had ten hours.


    Along the way, they had to pass through thirteen cities; no matter which city''s highway they entered, the highways had already been closed to all traffic, allowing only their vehicle to speed through.


    These were the effects of those calls made by the mayor in his study.


    Being the mayor of Fengtian City did not mean his words were disregarded outside of Fengtian.


    After all these years, he had built some foundations.


    Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    At this moment, no one was more worried about Chen Miao than him, not just because Chen Miao was the representative of Fengtian City but also for deeper and personal reasons... He wanted to verify whether his long-held suspicion was correct or not.


    Is there always a chosen one who arises in response to each catastrophe?


    Chen Miao, is he the chosen one for this disaster?


    And...


    He knew more than the average person, he knew all too well the extent of damage to reality a highly powerful supernatural being could cause when transformed into a bitterly aggrieved lost soul, especially if this soul hasn''t been appeased and eruptspletely.


    Logically speaking,


    Lord Miao voluntarily sacrificed himself for the salvation of mankind.


    Constantly extolled and admired by the people, even the greatest resentment should have been purged clean amidst the collective righteousness and goodwill, and yet... Lord Miao had be a passenger on the Hell Bus.

 Chapter 186 "It seems youve encountered some troubles these past few days?

    ```


    This meant that if Lord Miao wasn''t thoroughly appeased, the destructive power unleashed could not only annihte the entire Zhenba City but also cause unimaginable harm to the entire Federation.


    It was precisely because of this.


    The Mayor of Fengtian City had spare no effort in making phone calls and had urgently assembled his troops and dispatched them directly. Once they arrived in Zhenba City, they were to follow Chen Miao and Zhou Shen''smands exclusively.


    There was only one goal.


    And that was to resolve Lord Miao''s lingering regret.


    Ifst time he had tacitly allowed Chen Miao to turn Fengtian City upside down in the wee hours, this time he was personally stepping in, causing an even biggermotion and behaving more frantically than before.


    Fortunately, he hadn''t lost his reason; such a move to send troops to another city still needed to be reported to the Federal Government. The response from the authorities had been quick: at all costs, appease the soul of Lord Miao.


    Clearly, the senior levels of the Federation were even more aware of the bacsh that an unappeased Lord Miao, with such intense grievances, could inflict upon reality.


    ...


    Beneath the calm facade of Fengtian City, countless undercurrents were raging beneath the surface.


    "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chen Miao was in the tomb sorting out the items on him. Now, his power was even greater than thest time he entered the Hell Bus, but he still felt somewhat nervous¡ªafter all, this was Lord Miao.


    Although being ranked first on the leaderboard didn''t necessarily mean one''s strength was the foremost.


    One could still say it represented the pinnacle of the Federation''s power.


    Such a being, turned into a lost soul, exerted immense pressure on him, causing his hands to sweat involuntarily.


    He hadn''t gone to Zhenba City.


    All he needed to do was to board any bus in ten hours.


    He needed sleep; he hadn''t slept well in the three days he''d spent in the secret realm. With an imminent journey into the more dangerous Hell Bus, he had to ensure he was well-rested to guarantee survival.


    Soon.


    Night fell.


    Chen Miao climbed out of the coffin, gave a cursory nce at the countdown on the panel, and after a quick wash, he grabbed his hat from the table, ced it on his head, and with his cane in hand, walked out of the tomb chamber toward the exterior of the cemetery.


    However, as he was passing the security room.


    Chen Miao suddenly noticed the formerly deserted security room upied again by the little old man at his usual spot in front of the television, his eyes somewhat unfocused, gazing at the screen as if in a trance.


    The old security guard, who had been absent for several days, had unexpectedly returned.


    Chen Miao smiled and took out a cigarette from his pocket, sliding it through the window to him: "Long time no see."


    It was only after noticing the dry bloodstains on the old man''s cor that his eyes narrowed slightly, and he probed, "It looks like you''ve had some trouble in the past few days?"


    He had always known that the old man was a master.


    After all, as a Supernatural who had been around for who knows how many years, he was residing in Fengtian City and yet managed to stay off Fengtian''s leaderboards. The possession of any item capable of concealing information indicated profound resources.


    As far as he knew, he had never seen an item that could hide one''s presence from the leaderboards.


    Generally speaking, only the dead are exempt from being listed.


    He knew the man was a master, but how skilled remained unclear.


    "Hmm."


    The old man in the security room nodded vaguely: "I did get into some trouble. I was taken away by a train and yed around for a few days. I just got back. It''s not very peaceful outside recently, be careful when you''re out."


    ```


    ```


    "Thanks," Chen Miao said with a smile, nodded, and waved his hand as he walked out, expressing his gratitude to the old man for his concern.


    But inwardly, he was puzzled.


    What did it mean to be taken away by a train and yed with for a few days?


    What train coulde right up to the gates of the Eternal Cemetery?


    He seemed to remember Zhou Shen mentioning, not long ago, something about a fixed event with the code number 217 called the Wilderness Comet, a deep blue train that roamed the wilderness and took people topletely random ces.


    On his way back from Broken Pot City, he had seen such a deep blue train at night, but at the time, it did not stop in front of them.


    Was the old man implying that his disappearance these past few days was due to being taken by this train, and he had just returned today?


    ...


    Inside the security room.


    After Chen Miao left, the security guard shifted his gaze from the television set flickering with ck and white dots to Chen Miao''s retreating figure, clearly sensing that the young man had not taken his advice to heart.


    After a long silence,


    he turned his attention back to the television, murmuring,


    "Things really haven''t been peaceful outsidetely."


    Stay tuned for updates on empire


    "People are dying."


    "Each death significantly increases my workload; is it really appropriate for an old man on the verge of retirement to work so hard every day?"


    ...


    Stepping on the bus right on time, Chen Miao boarded a bus devoid of passengers.


    It was different fromst time.


    Last time, he had Hungry Monkey with him, and although that Hungry Monkey was not a real hungry monkey, at least there was someone to apany him. This time he was alone, the whole train was empty, just him alone.


    Almost instantly, a strong sense of loneliness enveloped him.


    Humans are social creatures, especially in times of crisis and fear. No one wants to face danger alone; even thepany of a frail woman or a child with little to no fighting ability can provide a semnce of reassurance.


    At least there''spanionship.


    Like many guys who enjoy taking their girlfriends to watch horror movies, relishing in their girlfriends''forting embraces during the intense, thrilling scenes.


    The boys might seem brave, but if you put the same boy in a dark, unfamiliar house alone to finish a horror movie, he''d probably scream no less than his girlfriend.


    Though, to be precise, there was another person in the car: the unobtrusive driver.


    This time Chen Miao had already be familiar with the drill and estimated that it wouldn''t be long before the bus officially became the Hell Bus, but he didn''t regard that driver as human; the driver was clearly a ghost.


    Just the kind that had to toil away every day, kind of sad really.


    "Eh?"


    However, just as Chen Miao was routinely checking the bus, he suddenly realized that the driver in the seat was an old acquaintance -- the very driver he had encountered on his previous trip to the Hell Bus. He had tried tomunicate with the driver several timesst time, but the driver had ignored him.


    He didn''t seem to possess high spiritual wisdom.


    This time, Chen Miao didn''t n to try again but as he was about to check out the back rows, the driver suddenly turned his head and looked at him, revealing a gentle yet somewhat strange smile: "I enjoyed our cooperationst time; you''re the best ticket collector I''ve ever met."


    ```

 Chapter 187 "The Mans Corpse in the Monsters Belly?

    ```


    "..."


    Chen Miao suddenly felt a chill down his spine and looked at the driver who was tilting his head toward him with aplex expression. Although the smile on the driver''s face seemed well-meaning, it was extremely stiff and looked eerie.


    It was as if someone had forcefully dragged the corners of their mouth upwards.


    It was deeply unsettling.


    Originally, Chen Miao had thought this driver had no spiritual wisdom, just a mechanical ghost programmed to carry out its tasks. Now, it seemed the driver did have its own thoughts; it just hadn''t paid him any mind on the previous Hell Bus.


    And the way it had turned its head toward him was very strange; there was no movement in its body, it still faced the steering wheel, only its head had stiffly turned ny degrees to look at him.


    "Heh heh."


    Chen Miao squeezed out a tenseugh through clenched teeth, ttering, "You also drive very steadily."


    "Mm-hm."


    The driver nodded, "This is myst ride. Once it''s over, I''m due to retire. It''s great to meet you on my final trip. I believe things will go smoothly this time, too. You are a great salesman."


    This was it.


    Chen Miao''s heart silently started to throb with a headache. Such a g being raised usually meant the difficulty of the operation had increased exponentially. He was starting to regret epting the invitation. At this moment, the bus was still at the Fengtian City stationndmark.


    It had not yetpletely turned into the Hell Bus.


    He was already having second thoughts, even considering whether he could opt-out if he jumped off the bus now, but his reason told him it was best not to do so.


    He should not have agreed to begin with.


    Having agreed, it was best to follow the procedure; otherwise, the consequences could be more than he could bear.


    Just then¡ª


    Like entering a tunnel, the bus plunged into darkness, with only the headlight shining in front, the light beam from the headlights. The tunnel was brief, fleeting.


    When he opened his eyes again.


    The bus hadpletely transformed into the Hell Bus form.


    The license te had changed to Zhen¡¤G9418.


    And the icons for each stop had changed as well.


    First stop¡ªZhenba City


    In recent days, quite a few people had died in Zhenba City. But to say there were many innocent lost souls was not quite urate, as it required a significant amount of resentment to form even the most basic of lost souls, who must also be unattended by any worship. If the rtives continued their memorial rites after death, it would wash away the resentment.


    Chen Miao sat motionless in his seat. This time, he did not stick his head out the bus to hawk his wares, as reason dictated that he should stay calm, not be too bold. With the situation unclear, it was best to avoid acting rashly.


    Soon¡ª


    The first stop arrived, but this time, he didn''t wait for the first challenge''s contents nor the supernatural beings prepared to board at the door. There was only a lone lost soul standing pitifully in the rain, staring at him.


    It was raining outside.


    This time, there was no supernatural being, no so-called challenge content, just a quiet Hell Bus on its mission to take lost souls back home. This trip was purely about the Hell Bus.


    And ever since the bus hadpletely changed into the Hell Bus, the driver seated at the wheel had be like a statue again, silent in his duties, just likest time.


    Everything was orderly.


    And the first passenger was a middle-aged man with eyes bleeding, clutching a bloodstained lottery ticket, his whole suit ragged. He had already experienced the Hell Bus once and was familiar with the procedure.


    After casually striking up a conversation, a familiar panel popped up in front of him, and he received a simple story.


    This middle-aged man was just one of the many ordinary workers in Zhenba City.


    Zhenba City was not one of the 128 major cities of the federation, nor did it possess any strong city buffs. Its basic buff was an agricultural crop bonus, which, for a city in thend of extreme cold, wasn''t too bad.


    Obviously, supernatural beings did not like this city buff.


    Almost every supernatural being with some level of achievement would opt for the major cities of the federation, leaving smaller cities like this one primarily popted by ordinary people leading a nine-to-five life.


    These ordinary people were not ignorant of the changing times or the world''s transcendentalization. They were just ordinary, not stupid.


    But so what if they were aware?


    The era was mute; it did not say a word while discarding you.


    Theycked the ability to be supernatural beings or the courage to do so. Bing a supernatural being meant you could hardly work in apany like an ordinary person. The main source of ie would rely on secret realms, which implied a not-so-low risk of death.


    Even though they knew the world had changed and the era was different, they could only continue to live as ordinary people, working nine to five, ensuring there was food for tomorrow.


    The world had changed.


    They had not.


    And this middle-aged man was such a diligent worker. He had never aspired to be a supernatural being and lived uneventfully until the age of 42, an awkward age for a man.


    In that year, his wife happened to fall ill.


    Hispany happened to beying off staff. Without any savings, even the several months'' severance pay from thepany was of little help, like pouring a cup of water on a zing cart. Desperate, the man purchased a lottery ticket for 100 credits.


    Perhaps it was divine intervention that the man''s luck should turn, or maybe it was wishful thinking.


    ```


    Anyway, this man won the lottery.


    He won 10 million credits!


    The grand prize!


    The man was ecstatic, and on the day of the lottery draw, he rushed to the hospital to kiss his wife, who was still in aa. He then prepared to dash to the lottery building to im his prize. With 10 million credits, not only could he cure his wife''s illness but also ensure an extremely stable life for both of them in their next life.


    Perhaps he could even save some money for his child to be someone of high status.


    But on the way to im his prize.


    Incident No. 11, "Sea of Human Suffering," erupted in Zhenba City.


    Countless monsters attacked Zhenba City, and while fleeing, the man was pushed towards the monsters by another person, to buy some time. As he was being devoured by the monster, the man gripped the blood-stained lottery ticket in his hand tightly, his face filled with despair and unwillingness!


    His resentment nearly reached the skies!


    Decades of umted resentment exploded, turning him into a lost soul wandering around Zhenba City.


    "Ding, congrattions on triggering the hidden quest, ''Exchange the Lottery Ticket.''


    "Quest details: Obtain the man''s lottery ticket in the real world before the vehicle reaches its final stop, use the funds from the exchange to settle the man''s wife''s medical bills, and give the remaining money to the man''s child."


    "Quest reward: Receive the man''s ticket fee, a D-ss Taboo Item ''An Honest Man''s Life,'' and the ticket fee bes the yer''s property."


    "And you will gain the authority tomunicate with the outside world."


    "..."


    After listening to the man''s story and going through the quest panel, Chen Miao remained silent for a moment and gently massaged his temples. He had a feeling that this Hell Bus trip would be more difficult than thest, but he didn''t expect it to be this much more challenging.


    Last time, most missions involved those who died with regrets at the hands of others.


    It simply required finding that person and killing them toplete the mission.


    This time the difficulty had increased many times over.


    First, he had to find the man''s corpse in a city still in chaotic reconstruction. The man had been swallowed by a monster, so the corpse would likely be inside the monster''s stomach, with the lottery ticket likely still clutched in his palm, also inside the monster''s stomach.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He had to find a monster''s corpse with a lottery ticket inside it in an immense city if that monster hadn''t escaped but was killed.


    Then there was the task of finding the man''s wife.


    And to exchange the lottery ticket and deliver the remaining money to the man''s child.


    The entire process was far beyondplicated, requiring at least ten hours under the best circumstances.


    He wasn''t worried that the ticket would be digested by the monster''s stomach, or that the man''s wife had already died. From hisst experience on the Hell Bus, he had learned that if a quest was impossible, a quest panel wouldn''t show up.


    As long as there was a quest panel, it was certainly achievable.


    At least it was achievable at the moment the quest panel was given, what came after was uncertain.


    Without much hesitation, Chen Miao quickly posted the quest in the "Tomb Guardian" faction''s chat channel. Even if he was anxious, it would be pointless; he was on the Hell Bus, and all actions had to be left to the Tomb Guardian to handle.


    All he could do was wait.


    The only piece of good news was that this time, the Hell Bus didn''t warn him that he would be killed if a passenger didn''t have a ticket before arrival; it only mentioned that the ticket would be his. This meant that even if he didn''tplete the quest, he probably wouldn''t die.


    There were 18 stops in total this time, a bit more thanst time.


    However, no Supernatural beings would board the bus at any stop, and of course, unlikest time, there wouldn''t be different challenges waiting for him at each stop.


    ...


    "The man''s corpse inside a monster''s stomach?"


    Zhou Shen, having just arrived in Zhenba City and without even the chance to take a sip of water, jumped out of the car and looked at the quest panel sent by Miao. After reading it clearly, he felt his scalp tingle. This was beyond troublesome.


    It seemed impossible.


    He had no clue where to start looking for a monster''s corpse containing the remains of a man.


    He looked up at the city in the darkness of night.


    The lights were bright.


    The stench was overwhelming, with a strong scent of blood making the entire city seem like a ughterhouse.


    Countless buildings were copsed, and the bodies of humans and monsters were everywhere, presenting a scene akin to the end of the world.


    Numerous people were shuttling through the rubble, collecting bodies, rescuing buriedpanions, clearing debris, and more. The entire city was engaged in post-disaster rescue efforts.


    The good news was that the power hadn''t been cut off. Explore more stories with empire


    The bad news was that even with almostplete breakdown of social order, finding one person here would be much harder than in Fengtian City.


    Especially a dead person who died inside a monster''s stomach.


    "There is a way!"


    Excited by a sudden thought, Hungry Monkey blurted out: "The wristwatch can locate him; we can locate the man''s position through his wristwatch!"

 Chapter 188 Misfortune in Wisdom, Stronger Against the Strong.

    "Location can be pinpointed,"


    Zhou Shen gazed solemnly at Hungry Monkey, "Theoretically, that''s correct, but Miao hasn''t given us any specific information. Not to mention a name or the watch ID, we don''t even have an age."


    "All we know is that it''s a man, a middle-aged man."


    "Beyond that, we have no information at all."


    "It''s almost impossible to pinpoint his location under these circumstances."


    This very first task was proving to be much more difficult than anything they had encountered in Fengtian City. Back in Fengtian, Miao would provide them directly with either the family address or the name of the target.


    Plus, they could fully ess the Fengtian City Enforcement Bureau''s archives.


    Mobilizing thousands of people.


    It was easy to locate someone.


    But here in Zhenba City, let''s not even mention that the Enforcement Bureau hadn''t fully restored order; the whole city was still in semi-chaos. Without family addresses or any basic information about the target, finding someone was practically a pipe dream.


    ...


    Chen Miao was also feeling a bit of a headache. The middle-aged man with blood streaming from his eyes waspletely refusing tomunicate with him. After finishing his story, he sat in silence in thest row of the bus, his head bowed.


    No matter how Chen Miao tried to start a conversation. Your journey continues with empire


    The man simply wouldn''t reveal any information.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At that moment¡ª


    The driver, sitting in his seat, suddenly turned back to nce at Chen Miao and then continued driving, murmuring, "This trip isn''t going to be an easy one."


    Then he returned to his expressionless state, as if nothing had happened.


    However, Chen Miao didn''t have time to think too much. The bus suddenly stopped again. It was clear business was good today; passengers were boarding one after another without him needing to call out at the door.


    He had to attend to this customer.


    Lest he leave them hanging too long and trigger some unnecessary events. Although he hadn''t yet seen what an enraged passenger looked like, from the performance of other yers on thest Hell Bus ride, he could roughly imagine the scene.


    It was probably not much different from the mother and child ghosts he had sted away with a burst of gunfire.


    He could only pin his hopes on Hungry Monkey and the others outside.


    ...


    "We''re not entirely without information,"


    Hungry Monkey suddenly brightened, "Didn''t Miao say he won ten million? He hadn''t even cashed it before the fixed event of the Sea of Human Suffering descended, right? That''s an important clue. Such a big prize would definitely be published in the news with the winner''s name!"


    "The Federal Government has a clear mandate that lottery winner news must be reported with real names, and prize collectors can''t wear masks."


    "As long as we find the person who won the prize, we can find this man."


    Standing to the side, Yuan Buping looked at Hungry Monkey with slight surprise. The phrase ''brave and resourceful'' involuntarily popped into his mind. For some reason, he had a very strange impression of Hungry Monkey. In most situations, Hungry Monkey seemed quite simple-minded.


    But then he would suddenlye up with some good ideas.


    A bit like being unpredictably smart, growing stronger when facing strength.


    "Good idea."


    Zhou Shen said, his eyes lighting up. He immediately connected with the Zhenba City Enforcement Bureau, asking them to contact the lottery station''s staff. Beforeing here, the mayor of Fengtian City had already fully coordinated with Zhenba City.


    Both the Federal Government and the government of Zhenba City understood the importance of this matter and were almost fully cooperative.


    Any resources in Zhenba City could be at the disposal of Chen Miao and the others.


    There was only one thing they requested, to ensure that Lord Miao peacefully boarded the Hell Bus to go to the ce he was meant to, and it wasn''t just because Lord Miao was a hero of the Federation who shouldn''t turn into a Resentful Spirit and attack his own city after death.


    It was also because Lord Miao was among the Federation''s most elite Supernaturals.


    Such an existence turning into a Resentful Spirit,


    Goodness... just thinking about it is frightening.


    Let''s not think about it anymore, better to resolve this quickly.


    Generally speaking, even if someone did harbor resentments, they wouldn''t willingly board the Hell Bus, but they couldn''t cause much trouble in reality, at most, causing the lights to flicker in the house of their nemesis.


    Making their nemesis change a few lightbulbs more often.


    If the resentment was strong enough, it could even cause ghostly figures to appear in mirrors, to scare the house dog, making it bark continuously.


    That was already the limit, and it had to be the kind with sky-high resentment.


    If a Supernatural turned into a Resentful Spirit, then there was no need to rush, as ordinary people generally wouldn''te in contact with such beings. Usually, as soon as the Events Bureau detected a Supernatural turning into a Resentful Spirit and preparing to endanger the city, they would intervene immediately.


    This was also within the scope of the Events Bureau''s duties.


    However, if an existence like Lord Miao turned into a Resentful Spirit, the local Events Bureau would hardly be able to withstand it, and even the Events Bureau in Jingjiu City would struggle.


    ...


    Unfortunately, because this middle-aged man had not yet imed his prize, there was no news about him, yet they still managed to find his name and wristwatch ID from the lottery station.


    After positioning him through Zhenba City''s Enforcement Bureau,


    in a pile of construction ruins, they found a monster''s corpse.


    This monster''s corpse resembled a shark, over three meters in length, covered in green, viscous fluid, with a smooth body. Its mouth made up half of its size and, even in death, those terrifying fangs were enough to instill fear.


    Zhou Shen and Hungry Monkey exchanged a look, not daring to dy for a moment, and immediately started preparing to dissect.


    Just as Zhou Shen was about to cut open the monster''s belly to look for the man''s body inside its stomach,


    Hungry Monkey rolled up his sleeves, muttered "Strong Hand Splitting Skull," and then, just like butchering a sheep''s head, he forcefully split the monster''s head into two halves with the power that had been growing by one point daily in his Strength Attribute.


    Soon, they found a man''s body in the stomach of the beast.


    It was almostpletely decayed.


    In the more severe areas, even the flesh and skin were not visible, leaving only bones.


    The middle-aged man was curled up like he was in his mother''s womb, his right hand buried deep in his chest as if protecting something very important. They had to forcefully pry his right hand open.


    In the palm of his hand was a bloody lottery ticket clutched tightly.


    This man was indeed the target of their first mission.


    There was no fatal wound on the man''s body; it seemed he had been swallowed alive and hadn''t died immediately inside the monster''s stomach. It was unknown whether he suffocated to death or died some other way.


    "..."


    With aplicated expression, Hungry Monkey looked at the man''s pitiful state. It was evident that the man valued the lottery ticket in his hand greatly; even when close to death, he kept the ticket gripped tightly, protecting it dearly.


    Ten million.


    For him now, it wasn''t a veryrge sum. Having been with Miao for too long, ten million was just a drop in the bucket, something he was ustomed to.


    But for this middle-aged man, it symbolized a new beginning, the recovery of his wife who was lying sick in bed, a harmonious future life without arguments over money with his spouse, and a decent life for his child.

 Chapter 189 Special E-rank Skill Sealed Lips Spell

    ```


    It meant a lot.


    If not for the urrence of this fixed event, I believe that from then on, this middle-aged man would have had a good time.


    Perhaps it was such a strong sense of regret and unwillingness that turned this middle-aged man into a resentful spirit.


    But now there was no time to indulge in these emotions.


    "im the prize!"


    Hungry Monkey immediately handed the lottery ticket to the waiting staff member at the lottery station. With the situation being urgent, everything was kept simple, with no unnecessary procedures. They didn''t even check the authenticity of the ticket, and taxes were omitted. The prize money was transferred directly into Hungry Monkey''s ount.


    Ten million.


    Quick and clean.


    This wasn''t just because the Zhenba City government had already ordered that all departments fully cooperate, with all processes being omitted and any issues to be resolved after reconstruction. It was also because Hungry Monkey and hispanions were holding so many guns, their sheer presence deterred any opposition.


    Once the ten million was in his ount, Hungry Monkey and Zhou Shen parted ways. He took a group of people and headed straight for a hospital. He needed to use this money to pay off the medical bills of the man''s widow and give the rest to the man''s children.


    Finding the specific information about this man, it was easy to locate which hospital his wife was in.


    Miao''s second mission hade in; they had to split up and act separately. He was responsible for concluding the first mission, while Zhou Shen took on the second.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked calmly at the old man whose hair had already turned white and politely helped him to his seat. After patiently listening to his story, he looked at the panel that popped up.


    ''Ding, congrattions on triggering the hidden mission, The Lifetime of Waiting.''


    ''Mission content: Speak the words that the old man has kept in his heart for a lifetime.''


    ''Mission reward: Receive the car fare from the old man, a special E-rank skill "Sealed Lips Spell," and the car fare will belong to the yer.''


    The story was simple.


    The old man was in his seventies this year. A long, long time ago, when he was young, he had a childhood sweetheart who lived next door. They would go to school together every day, and after doing their homework, they would y together.


    It was a very happy life.


    Carefree and joyful.


    During this time, the old man developed feelings for his childhood sweetheart. Finally, in his senior year of high school, he mustered the courage to confess. He called his childhood sweetheart to a small grove and said he had something to tell her.


    The boy stood there, his face turning red and his palms sweating so much they began soaking his sleeves.


    Under the girl''s gaze, he stuttered and couldn''t say a word.


    In the end, the girl ran off giggling.


    Not long after, they both got into the same university in Zhenba City, and after graduating, they worked at the samepany. The man had countless opportunities to confess, but every time he chickened out, the words dying on his lips.


    Even when he was nearing forty, the man had never confessed, nor had he married. The girl had also grown up, also unmarried.


    Finally¡ª


    The man felt the timing should be right, but that''s when the world went through Transcendentalization. The globalndscape changed suddenly, and many things happened, causing the man and the woman to lose contact.


    It was the most chaotic time right after the world became Supernatural.


    Afterwards, the man waited alone in Zhenba City.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The day before the fixed event, the old man, who was sitting at his own doorstep nkly basking in the sun, suddenly saw his childhood sweetheart on the road. She had returned to Zhenba City.


    ```


    The elderly man, agitated with emotion, stepped forward and added a friend through his wristwatch.


    He didn''t ask if the other party was married. At this age, he had no expectations left; he simply wanted to express the feelings he had when he was young. This matter had be the obsession of his lifetime.


    At this moment, he didn''t care whether the other party epted or not, or whether they had a family. Continue reading on empire


    He just wanted to express his feelings.


    So the old man stayed up all night, rehearsing countless times in his heart. At longst, he remembered the words he had thought of in his youth, prepared to ask his childhood sweetheart out the next day to express his feelings. However, at that time...


    A fixed event, the Sea of Human Suffering, descended.


    And as a result, the old man died.


    A strong sense of injustice, decades of it, transformed the old man directly into a Resentful Spirit. It''s a simple story.


    ...


    The story is simple; so is the mission.


    Zhou Shen quickly located the old man''s childhood sweetheart. Looking at the olddy with a wrinkled face, his expression was somewhatplex and guarded. It was impressive how she could wait so long without confessing her feelings.


    A maiden in her prime, she waited for you without marrying until she was 40¡ªdoesn''t that say enough?


    But this olddy was also a stubborn one. If the other party was too timid to confess, couldn''t she take the initiative to speak up?


    Just waiting rigidly?


    But now was not the time to think about these things. He sighed softly and then looked at the olddy in front of him, who seemed somewhat puzzled, and said in a deep voice, "An old gentleman sent me. He has some words he wants to say to you."


    "He kept these words in his heart for many years, and it''s unfortunate that he has left this world, so he can only have me ry the message for him."


    "He said that he didn''t know how to write the word ''like,'' only that ever since he saw you, all the beauty in the world became dull inparison, and you upied his entire heart. One day you asked him if he seemed to have something on his mind."


    "At that time, he just squeezed out a smile and said nothing."


    "After returning home, he opened his diary and wrote down a sentence, ''Today, my sweetheart asked me if I had something on my mind.''


    "He wasn''t good with words..."


    Zhou Shen''s expression became a bit more solemn as he recited verbatim the words that the old gentleman never uttered for decades¡ªyes, the old gentleman had given them the script.


    After this speech ended.


    The olddy before his eyes, although her hair was snowy white, one could vaguely see that she must have been quite beautiful when she was young. Now, her eyes were filled with tears, her hands covering her face as she sat on the chair. Her voice trembled with sobs as she said.


    "I waited for him my entire life, and he finally spoke up."


    "I never married."


    "I spent my whole life waiting for him. Other than him, I wanted no one else."


    "After the world underwent Transcendentalization, I searched for him a long time. I know he was a proud man; a long time ago, he told me that if he ever had the chance to be a superhuman, he would surely be the strongest."


    "The city-state effect in Zhenba City had no use for the Supernatural. I thought he would definitely go to the Federal Capital City to develop. I have been to 128 main cities in the Federation and never found him. I never thought he would stay in Zhenba City all along."


    "Such a proud man he was. After the world went through Transcendentalization, how could he be content with being an ordinary person?"


    "..."


    Zhou Shen touched his nose and remained silent, not saying anything. What could he say? Even he, a bystander, felt regretful. How great it would have been had the old gentleman still been alive at this time to hold this olddy in his arms. The thought of such a scene was muchforting.


    Much satisfying.

 Chapter 190 "The Sea of Human Suffering fixed event has truly begun now.

    What were really simple words, why did they have to wait until the barrier between yin and yang was in ce before echoing between heaven and earth for the first time?


    "Sigh."


    Zhou Shen couldn''t help but sigh again as he looked at the old woman in front of him, who gradually stopped crying while sitting in the chair. He squatted down, softlyforting her, "Olddy, I believe..."


    His voice suddenly cut off when he realized the old woman''s breathing had stopped.


    There was no heartbeat either.


    "..."


    Zhou Shen withdrew the words at the edge of his lips, slowly stood up, and turned to the people behind him, "Bury the olddy quickly, if we''re fast, we might catch up with her husband on the Hell Bus."


    With that, the second mission was sessfullypleted.


    Everything gradually got back on track.


    ...


    However¡ª


    At this moment, the Events Bureau in Jingjiu City of the Federation was noticing something quite unusual.


    The fixed event with the code number 128, the "Hell Bus," was a very rare urrence. It usually wouldn''t happen even once a month, but today, they had already received news of it happening 2,939 times.


    And the vast majority were still in progress.


    This rare anomaly prompted an emergency meeting at the Jingjiu City Events Bureau.


    "Something''s not quite right."


    A woman with a curvaceous figure, dressed in a tight outfit, with red curly hair, rested her hands on the table. A 3D projection in front of her was disying sets of data, "Today, the fixed event ''Hell Bus'' has been activated 2,939 times."


    "Among them, 2,912 are still in progress, while the rest all ended withplete annihtion of the teams."


    "We were able to gather this data because these 2,939 Hell Buses all have a ticket collector role, which allows contact with the outside world, but you need to know that it''s extremely rare to encounter the role of ticket collector on a Hell Bus."


    "Without the role of the ticket collector, those with supernatural abilities on the Hell Bus would not be able to contact the outside world no matter what."


    "This means that, in actual fact, the number of ''Hell Bus'' fixed events activated today must be at least 20,000."


    "What are your thoughts on this?"


    This fiery-bodied woman was the deputy director of the Events Bureau, a very famous figure on the federal rankings. Her position was definitely not attained by her looks alone. Without genuine capability, even if one managed to climb up, they wouldn''t be able to control the unruly agents below her.


    The stronger the individual, often the more thorny they are.


    "..."


    The first young man to the left of the table murmured absent-mindedly, "What else can we think? Haven''t there been less than 100 activations of the ''Hell Bus'' in total? If I remember correctly, that''s the umtion over several decades."


    "Now there''s been 20,000 activations in a single day, and that''s just an estimate, there might be even more."


    "My thought is that the world is about to copse. Let''s all go home and prepare for the end of the world."


    The red-haired woman ignored the man and scanned the people sitting on both sides of the table before continuing, "ording to the information we have, all the Hell Buses that began today originate from Zhenba City without exception."


    "They are all picking up the lost souls from Zhenba City."


    At that moment¡ª


    A muscr man on the right side of the table spoke thoughtfully, "Perhaps it''s because Zhenba City just experienced the fixed event numbered 11, called ''Sea of Human Suffering''? Arge number of people died a tragic death, so that''s why the Hell Bus has been deployed more frequently today?"


    "No."


    The red-haired woman shook her head, "The world has transcended for so long. Although it''s rare for hundreds of thousands of people to die at once, it has happened before. Not to mention, there have been numerous asions when a whole city was ughtered, but even so, there weren''t as many Hell Buses activated in a single day."


    "Not even one."


    "The ''Hell Bus'' is a fixed event, it''s not certain to appear just because there are a lot of deaths. The sudden appearance of at least 20,000 buses today must be due to some unknown special condition. If we don''t handle it properly, I''m guessing there will be big trouble."


    The muscr man nodded thoughtfully, "It must have a lot to do with Zhenba City, perhaps it''s a follow-up to ''Sea of Human Suffering''? After all, we''ve never experienced this fixed event, and we don''t know much about it. Maybe the event hasn''t truly ended, and the follow-up is these 20,000 Hell Buses?"


    The red-haired woman''s eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to look at the man without speaking, silently confirming his hypothesis.


    But soon¡ª


    She nced at her wristwatch, stood up, and walked out of the office, "Let''s go, guys. We have a new mission. We''re ordered to head to Zhenba City urgently. There might be big trouble this time."


    "Oh, and the data has been updated."


    "As of now, there have been 4,299 Hell Buses with ticket collectors dispatched."


    "This means that in the ces we can''t see, there are even more Hell Buses without ticket collectors silently departing."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao picked up his third passenger.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It was a young man.


    A simple story, with a simple panel.


    This young man was a homebody. Aside from ying games, he had no other hobbies. Even as the world transcended, he preferred to stay in his room ying games, enjoying life in his own world.


    He yed a racing single-yer game the most.


    The man had strived for the world record.


    After countless attempts, finally... his performance peaked, and hepleted the single-yer game in one minute and twenty-three seconds. As long as he uploaded the recorded game footage to the tform, he would be the new world number one.


    ```


    For that world number one, he had expended a great deal of energy, and when he was certain there was none faster than himself, the man excitedly jumped up on the spot.


    However¡ª


    Just as he was about to upload the recorded game footage to the tform, the fixed event Sea of Human Suffering suddenly descended, and he died in the maw of a monster. His entire life had been a struggle for that world number one, which he finally achieved, only to die at the crucial moment.


    This nearly caused his frustration to overflow.


    The mission was very simple.


    Go to this young man''s rented room, upload the recorded game footage to the tform, and attach the man''s name to it.


    After sending off all these things to the influence channel, Chen Miao finally sat in his own seat, turned his head, and cast a nce at the three passengers sitting behind him, his brows slightly furrowed and his heart somewhat uneasy.


    This time seemed somewhat different from thest.


    Most of the previous missions and stories involved betrayal or murder.


    In any case, they were rtively gory.


    Whereas this time¡ª


    It was mostly about regret. It wasn''t just mostly, it should be said that all of them involved regret, and how fitting it was that just as they were about to experience a major turning point in their lives, the fixed event Sea of Human Suffering arrived, giving them a glimpse of hope for their life''s turning point but not enough time to make the turn.


    If it were one or two instances, perhaps it could be chalked up to coincidence.


    But now there had already been three in a row.


    Together with the name "Sea of Human Suffering," he had a vague feeling that this time''s fixed event Sea of Human Suffering was not simply about monsters besieging the city. If it were that simple, it probably wouldn''t be the fixed eventbeled number 11.


    Ranked so high, it certainly had its special characteristics.


    A monster siege, no matter how many monsters there were, should probably not be ranked as high as number 11.


    Right at that moment.


    He received a message from the mayor of Fengtian City. ording to statistics from the Events Bureau in Jingjiu City, it was estimated that today, there were about 50,000 instances of the fixed event "Hell Bus," a situation that was extremely bizarre. Since the world''s transcendentalization, the total number of times the "Hell Bus" event had been triggered was less than one hundred.


    Today, almost 50,000 instances were triggered all at once, and this number was still continuously rising.


    This was no longer a case of "there is something strange when things are too unusual."


    Anyone withmon sense could see the trickery in this.


    It was utterly ludicrous.


    Ludicrous beyond belief.


    And nearly all the Hell Buses originated from Zhenba City; all the passengers came from Zhenba City.


    ording to the spection of the Events Bureau in Jingjiu City, the tens of thousands of Hell Bus instances were likely caused by the event Sea of Human Suffering, or even more directly, were a part of the Sea of Human Suffering event.


    The fixed event Sea of Human Suffering had now truly begun.


    The few hundred thousand people who died were like a primer, used to activate the real Sea of Human Suffering. Nobody knew what kind of chain reaction these tens of thousands of Hell Buses would initiate; before this, the Federation had never experienced this event.


    Everything was unknown.


    But there was one very peculiar point.


    Which was that...


    ording to the information gathered by the Jingjiu City Events Bureau, nearly all the passengers on the Hell Buses had died at turning points in their lives during the fixed event Sea of Human Suffering.


    The tasks for all of them primarily revolved around regret and frustration.


    One person, who had a tough first half of their life, finally saw a chance for a turning point but then died.


    This story sounded somewhat sad, but it wasn''t anything extraordinary in a city with such arge poption.


    But¡ª


    If everyone in that city experienced this, then it turned bizarre.


    More importantly, ording to information from the Jingjiu City Events Bureau, they visited quite a few survivors from Zhenba City''s major event and discovered an extremely terrifyingmon point: all these people encountered their life''s turning point right before the Sea of Human Suffering.


    Just like those who had died.


    The difference was that they didn''t die.


    The entire poption of Zhenba City came upon their life''s turning points on the same day.


    From a certain angle, the fixed event Sea of Human Suffering seemed more like arge-scale fate-transformation formation, which within one day, twisted the fate of everyone, although the price was death.


    But because of Lord Miao''s existence.


    The event deviated, and many who were fated to die did not.


    ...


    ps: I''m taking a day off tomorrow. The Starting Point annual meeting invited many authors with exceptional achievements to Singapore for the gathering. There will be many great authors there and we will all dine and drink together, which should be enjoyable.


    On such an important day, I definitely cannot update.


    Enjoy new adventures from empire


    Wait, I just remembered something, it seems they didn''t invite me.


    Oh, in that case, no problem, I won''t be taking a day off tomorrow, updates will proceed as normal.


    I''m not sure how strict Singapore''s PC regtions are. I wish everyone a safe return, especially since the end of the year is a time when many might be trying to rack up performance metrics.


    ```

 Chapter 191 Its a long story, but to cut a long story short!

    ```


    "What''s a major fate alteration event?"


    Chen Miao looked at the Mayor''s message in the chat panel, his eyebrows knitting slightly as he pondered for a moment before asking. Explore stories at empire


    He could make contact with the outside world, and the Mayor had been monitoring his situation, continuously updating him with thetest news to ensure he could make appropriate judgements on the Hell Bus.


    "It''s a long story,"


    The chat box kept showing the other party was typing, but the follow-up messages were dyed in appearing.


    "..."


    Chen Miao was somewhat speechless for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. When you say it''s a long story, can''t you make a long story short? Are you really nning to write a little essay? He was still on the bus, for goodness'' sake, and quite busy at that.


    Soon enough.


    The Mayor''s little essay came through.


    ''So, I''ll try to be as sinct as possible. Everyone has regrets in their life. It could be regret for not taking better care of one''s parents, for parting ways with a first love, for making many wrong choices during one''s school days, and so on...''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''No one lives a life without regrets.''


    ''A person''s life is made up of regrets.''


    These words are just nonsense, absolutely unnecessary to say. Is this your idea of being sinct?


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but criticize inwardly.


    ''In the "Sea of Human Suffering" major event, the entire city of 2 million people had all their regrets fulfilled. To be precise, at a point about to reach the edge of vision, do you know about Schr?dinger''s cat?''


    ''It''s essentially about putting a cat in a box and introducing a gas that has a 50% chance of killing the cat. Until the box is opened, the cat exists in a state of being both alive and dead.''


    ''Just like Schr?dinger''s cat, at the start of the "Sea of Human Suffering" major event, everyone saw their regrets about to be fulfilled, like your passengers.''


    ''A man unhappy with his life buys a lottery ticket on a whim and wins ten million, only to die on his way to im the prize.''


    ''An elderly person who has waited their whole life for a childhood sweetheart finally gets a chance, gathers the courage to confess their feelings the next day, and then dies.''


    ''A gamer who has spent his life striving to be the best in the world suddenly gets a streak of good luck and achieves his dream, just as he is about to share his sess with everyone, he too dies.''


    ''Besides these, there are numerous simr examples throughout the city!''


    ''For example, a junior employee who has always wanted a promotion finally receives the order from above but dies before he can even sit in his own office.''


    ''Or a man who has been gay since he was young finally gathers the courage toe out to his parents, and to his amazement, they ept him. Just as he is excited to share the news with his lover, his lover cannot bear the pressure andmits suicide.''


    ''And so on and so forth, these things happened on the same day in Zhenba City.''


    ''ording to the answers we''ve got, the "Sea of Human Suffering" event is a major rule-based event. It uses an inexplicable method to pseudo-fulfill everyone''s greatest regrets within one day, letting them see their biggest regret about toe true and then they die.''


    ''Do you know what this means?''


    "It means I hope Mr. Mayor can get to the point a bit faster."


    Chen Miao lit a cigarette and looked at his fourth passenger with aplex expression, nced at the chat panel, then stood up to greet him.


    Meanwhile, the Mayor''s messages continued to sh in the chat box.


    ''It means that everyone who died in this city is left with profound resentment!!!''


    ''This is an extremely terrifying thing!''


    ''Normally, even if someone dies suddenly in an ident, they don''t harbor such strong resentment; in the moments deathes, there is not much emotion, mainly fear and panic.''


    ''Even those with weaker minds gopletely nk.''


    ''Out of a hundred idental deaths, maybe only one person will harbor a strong sense of injustice and resentment, thereby bing a Resentful Spirit.''


    ''However, if all your life you''ve been a nobody and you finally get your opportunity one day, but then you suddenly die unexpectedly, you will have a strong sense of injustice. The resentment you carry after death will be heavy.''


    ''If you''ve never experienced light, you could have died in darkness without direction.''


    ''Combined with other information, we can basically infer that the "Sea of Human Suffering" event is intentionally and deliberately creating arge number of Resentful Spirits. Its true purpose is not to change fate, but rather to collect these people''s grievances and resentments they had before dying.''


    ''Every action has a consequence!''


    ''Why collect so much resentment? Is it just to create arge number of Resentful Spirits? The damage caused by ordinary people''s Resentful Spirits to the Federation is almost negligible. If this was the goal, would it be worthy of being designated number 11?''


    ''So we got our second answer!''


    ''Deliberately creating arge number of Resentful Spirits is only the first objective of the event. The second objective is using these Resentful Spirits to open tens of thousands of Hell Buses, which they seeded in doing.''


    ''The Hell Bus, a fixed event, hasunched less than 100 times in the few decades since the world''s Supernaturalization began, as recorded.''


    ''But today alone, at least 50,000 Hell Buses started service.''


    ''But even this is not the true objective of the "Sea of Human Suffering"!''


    ''So far, even with 50,000 Hell Buses in operation, it wouldn''t have much impact, which is why the Events Bureau in Jingjiu City boldly spectes that these 50,000 Hell Buses might initiate the opening of Hell.''


    ''The true objective of this number 11 ranked fixed event, "Sea of Human Suffering," is to use the tens of thousands of Hell Buses to forcibly open the connection between Hell and the human world, turning the human realm into an inferno of suffering!''


    ''If that''s the case, you must stop them!''


    "..."


    Chen Miao nced emotionlessly at the chat box, which contained nearly a thousand words of the Mayor''s essay. This was his idea of being sinct, but the message was quite clear.


    Essentially two points:


    First point: The world is nearing its end.


    Second point: You have to save the world.


    Great.


    When he died from being hit by a coconut and came to this world, he never imagined he''d have the chance to be a hero who saves it, but...


    He nced at the mission panel provided by the fourth passenger and casually sent it to the power channel.


    Then he typed back to the Mayor in the chat box.


    "If it''s as you say, this situation is already beyond prevention. After all, tens of thousands of Hell Buses have already set off, and everything has begun. What can I do?"


    ```

 Chapter 192 "Its up to you, Chen Miao.

    "I can''t do anything."


    Before the apocalypse, Chen Miao never felt any different from ordinary people, at most he could use his influence to pick a good Feng Shui grave for his descendants... Forget it, he didn''t have any descendants.


    "No!"


    "You can do it!"


    "ording to the real n of ''Sea of Human Suffering,'' they intended to create two million resentful spirits to trigger a multitude of Hell Buses toplete their n, but due to the unexpected existence of Lord Miao, only about 370,000 people died."


    "That means there are only 370,000 resentful spirits, a significantly reduced number."


    "This also means that the number of triggered Hell Buses will not be sufficient, perhaps the channel between hell and the human world will not open because of this!"


    "But¡ª"


    "All this is based on the premise that you sessfully appease Lord Miao. If Lord Miao''s regrets from his previous life are not resolved before your Hell Bus arrives at its stop, it means Lord Miao''s resentful spirit willpletely lose control, and arge number of deaths will ur in Zhenba City."


    "The current survivors in Zhenba City are all survivors of the ''Sea of Human Suffering.'' As long as they make it through these few days, they will wee a new life; their fate has been altered. At this critical moment, if even one dies, one more resentful spirit will be added."


    "A few more deaths, and one more Hell Bus will be added!"


    "Once more Hell Buses appear, the true purpose of ''Sea of Human Suffering'' might be achieved!"


    "The world could end because of this, or be severely damaged!"


    "Lord Miao cannot have an ident!"


    "It''s up to you, Chen Miao."


    "This time, you really have to be a hero who saves the world. Do your best. I have already hidden away. If you fail, I will try to dy my death as long as possible. Even facing the apocalypse, I want to witness its arrival. I want to see what this world will be."


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked expressionlessly at the chat box, having reason to believe the mayor had already found a ce to hide. The mayor was a strange person in his mind, a ruler disinterested in his power, not very keen on boosting his own strength.


    His biggest interest was to prove those bizarre hunches in his heart.


    And to see how the world would function in such a way.


    All of these did not matter.


    If what the mayor said was true, then he really had to y hero this time. He looked down somewhat nkly at the nearly burnt-out cigarette in his hand, his expression gradually bing hazy.


    None of his ancestors for dozens of generations had saved the world, had they?


    For generations, his ancestors had been good citizens, working diligently day after day. Now it was suddenly up to him to save the world?


    Isn''t that too big of a leap?


    Just then¡ª


    A crisp voice suddenly rang in his ears.


    "Is smoking allowed on the bus? Doesn''t it say no smoking right next to you?"


    Hearing the voice, Chen Miao looked up somewhat displeased towards the source of the sound, thinking he was being treated like an ordinary ticket collector. But in the next second, he froze in ce.


    The bus had stopped without him knowing when.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His fifth passenger, a petite woman in a white sundress, stood at the door, frowning at the cigarette in his hand. Who else could it be but Lord Miao?


    "Gulp."


    Chen Miao unconsciously swallowed, his voice even breaking as he quickly jumped up from his seat, threw the cigarette butt out the window, and waved his hand in the air a few times before he hastened to put on a smile and went to greet her. "Uh, Lord Miao... getting on?"


    "Getting on."


    The woman didn''t dwell on the matter for too long, and headed straight onto the Hell Bus, casually picking a seat before turning her head to Chen Miao, "How do you know my name is Lord Miao?"


    "Uh..."


    Chen Miao hesitated slightly, and after a moment decided to stick with honesty, "Your feats in Zhenba City are known to everyone, people regard you as a hero, and I greatly admire you." Continue reading on empire


    It must be said.


    Lord Miao truly stood out from the other passengers.


    Most other passengers were in a state of disarray, unable tomunicate properly, and after telling their stories and regrets, they generally fell into a state of shutdown, while Lord Miao seemed to still be able to chat with him, seemingly in good mental shape.


    "Zhenba City?"


    Turning her head to look out the bus window while seated, Lord Miao''s eyes shed with a hint of confusion, and after a moment she shook her head, "I don''t remember anything about Zhenba City, I only know that I used to be very strong, unbeatable by anyone."


    "Then it seems I died."


    "After that, I remember waiting for a busing from afar, and a voice in the dark told me that taking the bus would take me to where I''m supposed to go."


    "You are the ticket collector for this bus, do you know where the final stop is?"


    It''s hell...


    It''s your happy old home...


    Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly, and for a moment he didn''t know how to respond. If he told Lord Miao the final stop was hell, would she suddenlysh out?


    From what Lord Miao said, she didn''t seem to fully realize the fact that she was already dead.


    After hesitating for a moment, he still decided to put honesty aside for now and offer a well-meaning lie.


    "The final destination is the sea, with beautiful seascapes and sunsets."


    As he spoke, he observed this top fighter of the Federation.


    Frankly, he didn''t feel much pressure from her, she even looked somewhat frail as if a single shot from him would leave nothing left, a very delicate girl.


    It was even tempting to pat her head.


    The glimpses of skin beneath her camisole dress had an innocent allure.


    They inspired a sense of both purity and desire.


    It was like a devout nun preaching to you, and your first thought wouldn''t be to listen attentively, but rather to rush up and ravage her fiercely.


    However¡ª


    It seemed Lord Miao didn''t care at all about his answer, she just started talking to herself, "I seem to remember some things, I remember before I died..."


    Here ites!


    Chen Miao''s heart jolted, the climax was here, next would be Lord Miao''s story and the quest panel, he just hoped that Lord Miao''s quest panel wouldn''t be too difficult, otherwise it would all be GG.


    Being too powerful isn''t always a good thing.


    Although her Combat Power was strong while she was alive, after death, it made things even more troublesome.


    As Lord Miao continued to recount, Chen Miao''s expression grew increasingly solemn, and by the end he even subconsciously lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips, no longer caring if Lord Miao would find it distasteful.


    After all, it didn''t make any difference now.


    This quest was definitely impossible toplete.


    Die, just die, let it all be done with once everyone''s dead.

 Chapter 193 "Why Dont You Give It a Try?

    ```


    Saving the world?


    Heh, thinking too small.


    He had already started scheming how to rise more rapidly in the next world, hoping he could still transmigrate after his death this time.


    Perhaps it was the cigarette in his hand that made Lord Miao feel slightly ufortable. His voice suddenly cut off, the story came to a halt, and he looked at Chen Miao with furrowed brows and an unhappy expression.


    Although he didn''t speak,


    the meaning was self-evident.


    Yet, Chen Miao, nowpletely indifferent, lifted his hand, "Want a drag?"


    "Good stuff, eh?"


    "Many people say this thing is bad for the body, and indeed it is, but I don''t care about that. Nobody knows how long they can live, just live for today is enough."


    Chen Miao, while nonchntly puffing smoke clouds in the carriage, started to open chat boxes with Hungry Monkey and the others. Although he had only been in this world for a short month, it had been the most thrilling month of his life.


    As he was about to die,


    he wanted to leave a will for Hungry Monkey and the others, to not have shared all these experiences together in vain.


    The task panel given by Lord Miao was impossible toplete.


    Whether the world would be doomed someday, he didn''t know, but Lord Miao''s not giving out tickets meant that when the final destination arrived, a dark rampage was certain, and the current him definitely couldn''t withstand a resentful spirit of a federal top powerhouse.


    He had to die first.


    Such was fate; he should''ve declined the invitation from the start.


    Lord Miao''s eyes were fixed on the cigarette in Chen Miao''s hand, glowing a crimson red, and his expression grew uglier and uglier. Just when he was about to explode, he suddenly tilted his head, looking at Chen Miao with hesitation and doubt, he asked,


    "Is smoking really that good?"


    His voice was very gentle, like a spring breeze caressing the entire bus.


    In an instant, the previously tense and vtile atmosphere in the carriage dissipated without a trace.


    Chen Miao, who was writing his will, heard the voice and subconsciously looked up, seeing Lord Miao''s curious look, he couldn''t help butugh and passed over the cigarette that had not yet burned out.


    "Wanna try?"


    But he quickly realized, he had already smoked this cigarette. Just as he was about to light a new one for Lord Miao,


    Lord Miao had already leaned forward slightly, her red lips parted as she took the half-smoked cigarette between his fingers into her mouth and took a strong pull. She then coughed continuously with a red face and scrunched eyebrows, covering her nose, "It''s very choking, not good to smoke at all, why do you like smoking?"


    "I''ve always particrly disliked people who smoke. Their stench is like rotting corpses, giving me a very fallen feeling."


    "Cough..."


    Chen Miao coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his fist, unsure how to continue the conversation. He hadn''t even been listening carefully to what Lord Miao was saying. The only thought in his mind was that he had just lost his first kiss!


    He had lived two lives!


    In both lives, he never had a girlfriend!


    In his previous life, he often went to foot baths, liking to order services at 698, 1698 for fun, but he had his principles¡ªone was never to kiss because he did not want to taste other men, and the second was he always believed kissing was a holy act, one that must be shared with a loved one.


    However...


    His first kiss had now been taken by the woman before him, no, more like a female ghost.


    Although it was an indirect kiss, an indirect kiss was still a kiss!


    He silently extinguished the burning end of the cigarette he was holding and tucked the remaining half into his pocket. It was a symbol of his lost first kiss, which he had to keep as a memento, just like collecting a bloodstained bedsheet.


    "Indeed, not a good smoke, and you seem to really hate falling?"


    "Who would like falling?"


    "Heh."


    For some reason, Chen Miao suddenly felt more interested in this seemingly young girl who was a federal top powerhouse. He nced at the task panel again, sent it to the power chat channel without much hope, then leaned forward with a smile and said,


    "Falling is the true essence of life''s joy."


    "Haven''t you done anything fallen in your life?"


    ...


    At this moment in Fengtian City, the mayor had already hidden in his safety bunker located three kilometers underground.


    Unless there was an earthquake with the epicenter directly above his head, he would be practically fine.


    He wasn''t joking.


    Even if it were the end of the world, he wanted to live to see what the world would turn into. He had started building the safety bunker long ago, ever since he knew that foreign races would invade Blue Star in a year.


    He had begun to prepare.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in another ce, Zhenba City had a rather bizarre atmosphere!


    In a city of two million people, 370,000 had died. Hundreds of billions in the federation mourned for Zhenba City, but when you truly entered Zhenba City, you would discover that, despite the bodies everywhere and countless buildings copsed, the expressions on most people''s faces were... excitement!


    Yes, excitement!


    Not sadness, not sorrow, not fear, but excitement and thrill!


    The regrets of countless people were fulfilled with the arrival of the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' fixed event, and they were lucky enough to have survived. Their lives from now on would be bright.


    ```


    I could roughly understand that the over one million survivors had each had their fate changed once by the golden finger.


    If they weren''t excited, that would be strange.


    This atmosphere made the entire Zhenba City seem extremely eerie. At the same time, arge number of people were constantly flocking to Zhenba City, among them hundreds of thousands from various citypanies and mercenary groups, as well as some profit-oriented supernatural organizations.


    Arge number of Hell Buses were departing from Zhenba City, which also meant that many ticket salespeople were contacting the outside world, needing people from outside to help themplete tasks.


    The number of Hell Buses was simply too many.


    These were the people who hade for this purpose, to help the ticket salespeopleplete tasks and to obtain rewards from them.


    The reward was the clearance reward, a seventy-thirty split, they took seventy percent, and the ticket salespeople took thirty.


    Like worker ants, these people roamed through various parts of Zhenba City, continuouslypleting one task after another.


    And in a certain deste ruin.


    Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, Zhou Shen, and everyone from the Tomb Guardian faction were all silent with expressionless faces.


    After a long time.


    It was Hungry Monkey who first broke the silence, raising his head and smiling at Zhou Shen and the others, "Alright, no need to all put on such a deathly face. Even if we''re to die, we should do it with a smile. What''s that saying? ''A constant smile brings good luck naturally.''


    "How about we go for some barbecue?"


    "No."


    Yuan Buping shook his head, hisplexion a bit pale as he spoke softly, "I feel like picking up a chick on the street for some fun. Since we''re going to die anyway, it doesn''t matter if we''re a bit reckless, right?"


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey rolled his eyes at Yuan Buping and said somewhat speechlessly, "Can''t you have a little more ambition?"


    Meanwhile, Zhou Shen''s eyes had turned red as he began a video call with his daughter on his wristwatch. Although he didn''t state it explicitly, everything he said carried a message of farewell, and everyone knew they were done for this time.


    Lord Miao''s regret was simply impossible to fulfill. ording to the news from Miao and the mayor, the consequences were something the Federation couldn''t bear.


    Seeing that no one paid attention to him.


    Hungry Monkey looked at the task panel in the faction channel with some disinterest once again and suddenly shook his head with a wry smile, "I used to think, with my bloodline, just give me a few years, and I''d definitely be invincible."


    "Now it seems, even a few years is too long."


    ''Ding, congrattions on triggering the hidden task, "Everyone is a Dragon.''


    ''Task details: Fulfill Lord Miao''s regret by making everyone in the Federation into a supernatural being.''


    ''Task reward: Receive the bus fare from Lord Miao, S-ss Taboo Item ''Everyone is a Dragon'', and the bus fare will belong to the yer.''


    Sometimes, having too much ambition isn''t such a good thing.


    At least after you die, it causes a lot of headaches.


    Look at what other people''s regrets are? If not wealth, love, family, then it''s games. You, your nobility, your grand ideals,ment not achieving the vision of making everyone in the Federation a supernatural being.


    How splendid.


    You might be noble, but because of that, they have to wait for death!


    This is an absolutely impossible task!


    Even if they make all ordinary people into gunmen, the cost of this transformation being the lowest among supernaturals, once so many ordinary people in the Federation were to change jobs, there wouldn''t be enough materials.


    That''s the first point!


    With the current foundation of the Federation, even if no expense were spared, it''s impossible to make everyone a supernatural being, especially in a short time.


    The second point is that there are arge number of Unregistered Residents in the Federation right now.


    And the task panel says ''everyone'', meaning if there is a single ordinary person by the time Miao''s Hell Bus arrives, the task would be considered a failure.


    Ha ha.


    Hungry Monkey let out another coldugh, silently lit a cigarette, not needing to think of a solution anymore; the task panel had almostpletely blocked their path, they couldn''t think of anything, and could just wait peacefully.


    Wait for what?


    Of course, wait for death.


    Just then¡ª


    In front of everyone within the jurisdiction of Zhenba City, a panel popped up, and a mechanical voice slowly echoed in their ears.


    ''Fixed event number 11 ''Sea of Human Suffering'', phase two begins!''


    ''ording to the ''Evolution Game 2.0'' rules, when 400,000 Hell Buses pass through at the same time, the channel between hell and the human world will bepletely opened and willst for a month.''


    ''Current progress 74034/400000.''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ''As more survivors of the first phase of ''Sea of Human Suffering'' in Zhenba City die, the number of Hell Buses will also increase.''


    ''In the next three days, anyone who has survived the first phase of ''Sea of Human Suffering'' will carry a certain amount of Blessing. This Blessing will help you fulfill your regrets. During these three days, if you kill other survivors, you can plunder the Blessing from them.''


    ''The more Blessing you have, the higher your luck, everything will go smoothly, your wishes wille true.''


    The moment this notification rang throughout Zhenba City, countless people''s expressions darkened instantly.


    Those in the know understood the meaning behind this announcement on first reading; evidently, not enough people had died to activate the subsequent ''Sea of Human Suffering'' n, which was now using such methods to increase the death toll.


    Interestingly, the announcement outright stated that the more people died, the more Hell Buses there would be, and the faster the progress of opening the channel between hell and the human world.


    As if they were afraid people wouldn''t know how to avoid it.

 Chapter 194 "You seem to take death very lightly?

    The announcement echoed in the ears of everyone within the jurisdiction of Zhenba City, this city which originally had a permanent poption of just two million. After the arrival of the "Sea of Human Suffering," the city now had roughly three million people gathered in this half-ruined city.


    And the numbers were still increasing.


    As the sound of the announcement rose, the eyes of many lit up, their pupils gradually reddening.


    What is a blessing?


    No one understood better than they did. Before the arrival of the "Sea of Human Suffering," they had all received the biggest surprise of their lives; if not for the "Sea of Human Suffering," they might have never reached this turning point in their entire lives.


    The ELO mechanism, many people were familiar with it¡ª a match-makingpetitive mechanism from a MOBA game.


    Basically, when you are on a losing streak, it would forcefully match you with very strong teammates so you could win the game even by lying down.


    But when you are on a winning streak, it would match you with very weak teammates, making you lose the game no matter how strong you were.


    It was a mechanism loathed by countless people.


    However, in real life, there was no such mechanism. Countless people waited their whole lives and never saw their own turning point.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As for the so-called opening of the gates of hell and the human world, most people didn''t care. Even if hell truly opened, what difference would it make to live a life without money or power at the bottom,pared with living in hell?


    When an opportunity that could change your destiny is ced in front of you,


    would you give it up because the world might be destroyed as a result?


    No.


    Bullshit.


    Let the world go to hell!


    Even if the world is destroyed, we will all die together. But if the world doesn''t get destroyed, from then on, I will be the king of this world!


    This thought almost gradually spread among the more than one million survivors, and the countless people who were originally carrying out rescue operations on the streets suddenly stopped their actions in unison; their expressions became vignt and greedy as they looked around at the people nearby and slowly dispersed.


    They made sure to back up against the walls as much as possible and cleared space for themselves.


    It didn''t need to be much.


    Just killing three people would be enough.


    Enough for a good life in the next life.


    However, even after ten minutes had passed since the broadcast, no one had made a move. Almost everyone in the entire city remained silent, creating an incredibly eerie and tense atmosphere.


    Firstly, because most of them were ordinary people before; let alone killing people, they had never even killed a chicken.


    Even though they knew that there were huge benefits to killing at this moment, the long-standing restraints in their hearts still subconsciously held them back.


    Secondly, it was because they were waiting for someone to make the first move.


    Many were worried that even if they killed people and gained a blessing, they might still be executed after being held ountable. The only way out was if thew did not punish the masses; they were waiting for a leader to emerge.


    ...


    "..."


    The Hungry Monkey, standing in the street, let out a scoff as he nced at the crowd nearby, whose hands were tightly clutching the hoes that were originally for digging; their pupils filled with madness and greed.


    "Still waiting to snatch a blessing."


    "Wait till Lord Miaoes back, then you''ll all wait for death."


    The Resentful Spirit of Lord Miao was destined to be released. These people, saved by Lord Miao, would all die here today, not one would escape. They might be able to run, but there was no real point in escaping.


    What does the opening of the gates between hell and the human world signify?


    It more or less means the end of the world.


    Even if you run, where can you go?


    If life were to end today, they would rather spend their remaining time looking a few more times at the world rather than fleeing in terror.


    "You seem to take death rather lightly," Zhou Shen hung up the phone and turned to look at Hungry Monkey, "Aren''t you afraid of dying?"


    "I am,"


    Hungry Monkey shrugged and spread his hands, "But what can you do about it? Every story has an ending, but not every character gets a finale. If our world is a story, then today is the day the story ends."


    ...


    At this moment, the special investigation team sent from Jingjiu City was gathered in an office in Zhenba City, which included members of the Events Bureau from Jingjiu City, the government team of Zhenba City, and high-ranking officials sent from Jingjiu City.


    Everyone was together, but none looked particrly pleased.


    After a long silence,


    A man seated on the left side of the table spoke first, "I suggest we immediately start broadcasting in a loop that anyone who kills during this incident will be dealt with ording to thew, no leniency."


    "Then immediately dispatch the military here to control order, prevent the remaining survivors from killing each other, and expedite the progress of the second phase."


    "We could also move all the survivors to other cities. As long as these survivors are relocated away from Zhenba City, and do not die here, that should suffice."


    No sooner had he finished speaking,


    The man sitting opposite immediately countered, "It''s definitely not possible to move the survivors. If all the survivors in the city were to be relocated, then the mission on the Hell Bus would be doomed to fail, and all those ticket collectors would die."


    "The other Hell Buses might be alright, but Chen Miao''s Hell Bus cannot have any mishaps, and¡­"


    As he spoke, his voice gradually faded.


    It became apparent that the man too hade to a realization.


    The announcement of the second phase for the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' had cropped up, and yet, not a single person here had said a word or made any move. That was irrational. And where there was something irrational, it meant there was something more rational at y.


    Everyone already knew about Lord Miao''s mission.


    "Wishing everyone in the world could be as powerful as a dragon."


    If Lord Miao had still been alive to express this vision, everyone would have given a thumbs up and expressed their admiration for his grand vision with sincere praise.


    But Lord Miao was dead.


    When they saw this mission, the only thing in their minds was a Chinese phrase equivalent to an expletive, without any other reaction.


    This mission was nearly impossible toplete.


    "But it''s not as if there''s no way out."


    Just then¡ª


    In the meeting room, the deputy director of the Events Bureau of Jingjiu City, a woman d in red, narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and spoke up, "What were the exact words on the task panel? To turn every person in the federation into a Supernatural being?"


    "Clearly, this is an impossible task."


    "But perhaps we can think about it from a different angle?"


    "Since we can''t turn every ordinary person into a Supernatural being, why not eliminate all the ordinary people? Exterminating all the ordinary people in a short period shouldn''t be too difficult, right?"


    As her words settled,


    There was a sudden silence in the meeting room, and everyone turned to look at the distinctive red-d woman, understanding for the first time what is meant by ''a woman''s heart is the most venomous''.


    And soon, there was pushback.


    "Nonsense."


    "After all ordinary people are eliminated, even if the world doesn''t end, it would be akin to the apocalypse. The social order would instantly copse, and all aspects of human civilization, including scientific research, medicine, culture, education, would suffer severe disruptions."


    "This way, only a few people remaining alive will, after not many generations, lead to an exaggerated gap in civilization."

 Chapter 198 "Therefore, I suggest we initiate the Chosen One Project!

    "Don''t worry, Miao will definitelye out."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen lookedplexly at Hungry Monkey, truly unaware that Hungry Monkey''s confidence in Miao had reached a blind level. He couldn''t help but remind him, "ording to information from the Federation, they tried to let more than 5,000 people enter the fourthyer of dreams."


    "Not a single one woke up."


    "This group had every kind of person: heinous criminals sentenced to death, ordinary people who wanted arge sum for participating in the experiment, dying elderly, and Supernaturals with considerable strength."


    "But no matter the kind of person, in the end, none woke up."


    "There have been no exceptions to date."


    "So you''re just that certain Miao will wake up?"


    "Yes!"


    Hungry Monkey firmly nodded, "Didn''t that Hell Bus have a 100% mortality rate at first? But in the end, didn''t Miaoe out quite easily? I believe Miao wille out. Ever since I met Miao, he has changed a lot of my beliefs."


    "If it weren''t for him."


    "I''d never dare dream I could be a Supernatural."


    "If I could be a Supernatural, then what else is impossible in this world? Ever since the day I became a fighter, I''ve believed that miracles exist in this world, and Miao is the spokesperson for miracles."


    "If our world truly is a story, then Miao would definitely be the protagonist."


    "As for me, Hungry Monkey, I am Miao''s most trustworthy confidant."


    With that said, Hungry Monkey could not help feeling somewhat proud as he raised his eyebrows and dered, "And you all who doubt Miao, will just be waiting to have your faces pped by the viin."


    Zhou Shen didn''t speak again; he just lifted his ss and took a light sip, pausing for a long moment before speaking, "It''s said that the fourthyer dream ispletelyposed of a person''s subconscious mind, absent any subjective consciousness, and moreover, it''s the deepest subconscious mind."


    "Actions too are conducted ording to the subconscious mind."


    "Those tasks... seemed to involve falling in love, right?"


    "Has Miao ever been in a rtionship?"


    "Does he understand women?"


    "Uh..."


    Discover exclusive content at empireN?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hungry Monkey seemed less confident, hesitating for a long while before he ventured, "Having to stay inside for decades, a few decades of Kung Fu should at least teach him how to love, right?"


    "I''ve never worried about whether Miao cane out."


    "I''m just worried that Miao, aftering out, would have forgotten me."


    "After all, having lived inside for several decades, seeing us again would be like not seeing each other for decades. Even if he remembers us, it is uncertain whether he''d be willing to continue working with us."


    "That''s my main concern."


    ...


    "Current progress 82034/400000."


    Given that the Federation is fully involved, the progress of Zhenba City''s second phase is rising very slowly; there''s no need to worry if it keeps up at this pace. However, at this moment.


    The Jingjiu Brain Trust in Jingjiu City was discussing other matters.


    "Let''s make an assumption about Chen Miao''s situation; let''s assume he reallypletes those tasks and prevents the disaster. Then we need to consider other matters, like the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' second phase."


    "The so-called Blessing, you''ve all seen its effects."


    "It exists as a rule."


    "An extremely buggy existence."


    "And this is only when Blessing is at one. If Blessing is at 10, 100, or even 10,000, it is highly likely to create a terrifying monster, a monster favored by fortune and the heavens, who can easily find a way through any secret realm or inevitably fatal event."


    "Such an existence is of great help to us in exploring new worlds."


    "Therefore, I suggest initiating ''God''s Chosen n''!"


    After a silent exchange of nces, the Brain Trust drafted a proposal and sent it to the email of the Federation''s Supreme Commander, offering the lives of ten thousand ordinary people in exchange for such an existence.


    It was a very cost-effective deal.


    It simply couldn''t stand the light of day; once exposed, it would cause a major public outcry and had to bepleted in secret.


    Very soon¡ª


    ''God''s Chosen n'' was approved!


    In no time, many ordinary people in Zhenba City were secretly controlled, and the Jingjiu Brain Trust immediately contacted the former Events Bureau of Zhenba City to rmend several of the most outstanding individuals from normal days to serve as candidates for God''s Chosen.


    Whether they were candidates or sacrifices,


    they had to be survivors of the first stage of the ''Sea of Human Suffering'', meaning those who were in Zhenba City before the set events of the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' began.


    After all, the progress had to reach 400,000 to achieve the target of the second stage.


    It was just a matter of keeping the progress within this range.


    The Federation would not tolerate a loss of control or infighting among its people, but it did not mind holding a few more aces up its sleeve.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the fourthyer of the dream.


    Chen Miao, sitting alone in the living room, looked at the mess on the floor and took the jade pendant from his chest to fiddle with in his hands, feeling a sense of absurdity. He didn''t know why he had just lost his temper so badly.


    It wasn''t in his character.


    It was as if something was influencing him from the shadows.


    After a long while.


    He stood up and walked out of the room, nning to find Lord Miao, but as soon as he pushed the door open, he saw Lord Miao sitting at the doorway on the fire escape, sobbing quietly.


    "That..."


    Chen Miao wasn''t quite sure how to start, cautiously sitting beside Lord Miao, whispering, "I was wrong, I got a bit too emotional just now... What if I buy you a new gaming console right now? Tomorrow we can y games together."


    Lord Miao continued to sit on the steps of the fire escape, burying his head in his arms and crying quietly. After a long time, he raised his head with reddened eyes, his voice a bit changed, "Okay."


    "Huh?"


    This time it was Chen Miao''s turn to be stunned, blurting out, "You agreed so quickly? I thought you''d stay mad for a while."


    "And then what, keep the standoff going?"


    "I can''t live without you. If we kept it up, I''d starve to death in the fire escape."


    "I was nning to knock on the door if you didn''te out within ten minutes."


    ...


    Over the following years.


    Everything seemed to go smoothly.


    Chen Miao also quit his job at thepany and started his own, with thepany''s performance improving each quarter. They moved to a bigger house and got a dog and a cat.


    Their home had taken on a much warmer feel.


    "Little Miao."


    Chen Miao sat in the living room looking at Lord Miao on the couch, his pupils filled with anticipation, "How about, we do nothing tonight and just y games all night?"


    "Sure!"


    Lord Miao, sitting on the couch, suddenly sparkled with excitement, hurriedly grabbing the two controllers that were charging at the side, "Ready at any time!!!"


    "I am your best partner."

 Chapter 196 "Love you, babe, see you tonight.

    "May everyone be as dragons," has already be Lord Miao''s obsession.


    But subconsciously, Lord Miao had never truly lived for himself, never done what he really wanted to do. The price of standing on high was that you couldn''t bow your head; everyone was watching you, you couldn''t bow.


    Only the subconscious desire to live one''s own life could surpass Lord Miao''s obsession with everyone bing as dragons.


    No other thoughts would suffice.


    ...


    The task was very difficult, almost impossible toplete, but he had his own methods.


    After a moment of silence,


    Chen Miao took out some pills from his bosom and ced them in his hand, looked up at Lord Miao with a smile and said, "Want to live another life with my help?"


    "Can you do that?"


    Lord Miao turned to look at the pills in Chen Miao''s palm, "What are these?"


    "AI pills, the kind that can let a person create their own dreamscapes. You know of them, don''t you?"


    "I''m aware, but I have never taken them."


    "Want to try?"


    Last time, Zhou Shen told him that the Federation''s development of AI pills had be more mature. Not only could one connect online, allowing two people to fall into the same dream, but one could also increase proficiency within the dream.


    Even so,


    A single AI pill was not enough toplete the task list that Lord Miao had given, which had more than a thousand tasks, including giving birth to a child and taking them on a trip. A night''s dream was simply not enough.


    Even the thirdyer of dreaming was utterly insufficient in terms of time.


    He had to enter the fourthyer of dreaming.


    If he entered the fourthyer of dreaming, where the time flow ratio to the outside world was 10,000:1, he would have at least twenty years toplete these tasks before the Hell Bus arrived.


    The time would be enough.


    This was the solution he thought of in desperate straits.


    A hint of resolve shed in Chen Miao''s eyes as he looked down at the pills in his hand and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.


    He wasn''t sure if he could wake up again.


    But before the end of the world arrived, someone had to stand up, right?


    Besides him, nobody else could take his ce at this moment.


    ...


    Meanwhile, the Jingjiu City investigative team from Zhenba City received Chen Miao''s news at the first opportunity and learned of his n, all of them jumping up excitedly!


    There was hope!


    But they quickly calmed down, and Jingjiu City''s think tank team connected with Chen Miao immediately.


    "Chen Miao, I am the captain of Jingjiu City''s Number One Think Tank. Your n is excellent, and we see the possibility of sess, but there are some precautions we must inform you of. No time for long exnations, you must remember them well."


    "Your n requires entering the fourthyer of dreaming, but¡­"


    "With each deeperyer of dreaming entered with the AI pills, the user''s subjective consciousness will gradually weaken, dominated by the subconscious. To date, the Federation has only collected data on reaching the thirdyer of dreaming, where one starts off knowing they are dreaming, but as time fades, the subconscious gradually forgets this fact."


    "We haven''t collected any data on the fourthyer."


    "We''ve had quite a few people enter the fourthyer of dreaming, and to this date, not one has awakened."


    "Our guess is that upon entering the fourthyer, you maypletely forget you are dreaming, living in apletely real world, everything dominated by your subconscious."


    "You will need to find a way to remember all those thousand-plus tasks by heart, not forgetting a single one. As long as youplete all the tasks in the dream, the Hell Bus will arrive on time, Lord Miao will not turn into a Resentful Spirit, Zhenba City will not be destroyed, and the world will not end."


    "As for you... the chances are you will never wake up."


    "But such a death will be painless for you. To date, we have no other way to solve this problem. To provide you with enough reward, you can make some requests. Whatever demands you make, the Federation willply."


    This conversation took ce directly in a group chat channel.


    People like Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, Zhou Shen, the Mayor of Zhenba City, and even Doctor Gou, along with Lord Miao''s parents and family, were all in this group.


    Even though the words were harsh, the reality was just that.


    Once entered, the fourthyer of dreaming is almost impossible to wake from.


    It was an undeniable fact.


    Unavoidable.


    And now, what everyone cared about was whether Chen Miao would still remember his mission while in the fourthyer of dreaming.


    ...


    "..."


    Sitting in the Hell Bus, Chen Miao''s expression was solemn as he looked at the messages in the chat channel without speaking. Lord Miao''s tasks were numerous, totaling 1293, but in fact, they could be summed up in just a few words.


    Love her.


    If he loved a person, he would naturally do all these things at least once over those decades.


    It''s just that he had never loved anyone, and he didn''t know if he would forget.


    Enjoy new stories from empire


    He looked up and forced a smile at Lord Miao, who was looking at him, and said with a smile, "Wait a moment, I need to have a cigarette first. Do you mind?"


    "I don''t mind."


    Lord Miao nodded obediently, even licking her lips, "I''d like one too."


    "Alright."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At this time in the chat group, Chen Miao was asking Lord Miao''s parents for all her information, including important events from her life. Lord Miao''s father was extremely cooperative.


    This was not just because it concerned whether the world would end or not.


    It was also because a father, seeing his daughter die with so many regrets unfinished, felt a deep sense of powerless sorrow.


    If Chen Miao could trulyplete these tasks for his daughter in a dream, as a father, his heart would be sincerely d. At least... it was as if his daughter, who had never dated in life, could have a love affair after death.


    One wonders if this could be considered a post-mortem marriage.


    ...


    Time was of the essence; every minute of dy meant the Hell Bus would arrive a second sooner, leaving him with even less time toplete his task.


    After all this was done.


    Chen Miao greedily took thest drag of his cigarette and then let out a long sigh of relief. Perhaps this was thest cigarette of his life. The first time in life always has significance, but no one knows when theirst time will be.


    Only then did he hand a pill to Lord Miao, and said softly,


    "Let''s go, it''s time to embark on a special journey through life."


    "I hope you will like it."


    "It''s my first time too, so please forgive any unfamiliarities."


    Just now¡ª


    The Federation had informed him of how to engage the AI pill dream in multiyer mode. It was simple: both parties just needed to take the pill at the same moment, make physical contact, and ensure that within a ten-kilometer radius, no one else was in the dream.


    Then the connection would be automatic.


    Theoretically, there was no limit to the number of people who could connect, as long as there was physical contact.


    Hand in hand would do.


    They were in a special space, where within ten kilometers, no one else should be in the dream, and the other bus passengers were sitting quietly in their seats with their heads down, silent.


    Like an NPC that had finished giving out its task, now waiting in standby mode.


    When Chen Miao held Lord Miao in his arms, sat in his seat, and took the AI pill at the same moment, they officially entered the firstyer of the dream.


    ...


    The firstyer of the dream.


    This ce was chaos.


    There was light, but the source was not visible.


    Chen Miao and Lord Miao stood hand in hand in the void, with Lord Miao looking around curiously, "Is this the dream?"


    "Mhm."


    Chen Miao nodded, his expressionplex as he surveyed his surroundings. This was also his first time taking the AI pill. With a casual wave of his hand, the scene of Eternal Cemetery appeared before his eyes. Here, he could create anything at will.


    He nced fondly at the familiar corners of the Eternal Cemetery, paused for a moment, then took out two more pills: "This isn''t good enough, there''s a better ce."


    ...


    The secondyer of the dream.


    Here the flow of time was already 10:1pared to the outside world, and it wasn''t a void of chaos but in Fengtian City, judging from the buildings around, it was North City District.


    He looked around.


    Once again, he took out two AI pills.


    ...


    The thirdyer of the dream.


    It was still Fengtian City, except that this city was almost identical to Fengtian City itself.


    Cars driving continuously on the road, vendors hawking their goods, ten-yuan stores advertising clearance sales, street vendors being chased by city management, a strong sense of daily life¡ªalmost indistinguishable from reality.


    Chen Miao, holding Lord Miao''s hand, stood in the middle of the sidewalk, dazed for a long time before remembering that he was dreaming.


    And he also had a task to fulfill.


    He looked at Lord Miao, who was full of curiosity, and after a long silence, took out two more AI pills.


    ...


    The fourthyer of the dream.


    "Hey, wake up!"


    "You just took a leave yesterday; you can''t request leave today. Otherwise, there won''t be much sry for you this month!"


    "Huh?"


    Chen Miao rubbed his bleary eyes and confusedly woke from his sleep. He turned his head toward Lord Miao, who was beside him in a tank top, swinging him awake, and he nked for a moment before suddenly jolting up and checking the time on his phone under the pillow.


    He jumped out of bed and hurried into the bathroom.


    "Damn it, damn it, it''s almost eight o''clock, I''m going to bete."


    "That damn boss is going to dock my pay again."


    Anxiously brushing his teeth, he popped his head out to look at Lord Miao, who was tidying the bed: "Why didn''t you wake me up?"


    "I''ve been calling you for a long time, you were sleeping so heavily!!!"


    Lord Miao, poking her little head out from the bedroom, said helplessly: "How can you sleep like the dead? Hurry up, be careful on the road, and don''t forget to take a day off tomorrow. You promised to watch movies with me all night tonight."


    "You''ve put off this promise many times."


    "You can''t break it this time. I''ll buy snacks in advance, and we''ll have a happy all-nighter tonight!"


    Lord Miao, eyes brimming with excitement and anticipation, clenched her fist and gestured in the air: "Did you hear me?"


    "No problem!"


    Chen Miao grabbed his briefcase, quickly stuffed bread, eggs, and milk from the table into his mouth, then muffledly dashed toward the door: "I''m off to work, you stay safe at home, don''t open the door for strangers, haha."


    "Love you, babe, see you tonight."


    Chen Miao, who bolted to the entrance of the apartmentplex, suddenly looked down at his wrist instinctively, and for some reason, he felt like he had forgotten to wear his watch, feeling an emptiness there.


    But he had never bought a watch, had he?


    Why did he have this feeling?


    He soon dismissed the thought and took out his phone to check the time once more before striding toward the subway station.

 Chapter 197 "Get lost, the farther the better.

    "We must target the user''s pain points, find our core advantage, and then drive it home!!!"


    "Make the users so satisfied they can''t leave us!!" Your journey continues on empire


    Inside thepany.


    Chen Miao sat in the meeting room, feeling drowsy, as he listened to the manager kicking off the morning meeting with his own style of speaking. Perhaps because he went to bed tootest night, he felt especially tired today.


    He touched the jade pendant he wore against his chest.


    Felling the warmth from the jade pendant, his thoughts began to drift.


    This jade pendant had been with him since childhood, left to him by his parents who had disappeared a long time ago. He hadn''t seen them since and had no idea where they had gone, which left him an orphan.


    ...


    "Sure, why not."


    At eight in the evening, ready to head home, Chen Miao turned to his coworker''s invitation to spend the night at the inte caf¨¦, and said with a grin, "We have a day off tomorrow, so tonight we can y to our heart''s content."


    "It''s on me."


    "But, wait a minute, I need to ask my wife for leave, or she''ll be anxious waiting at home."


    "Hey hon, I won''t be home tonight. The colleagues are going to pull an all-nighter at the inte caf¨¦. Go to sleep early, don''t wait up for me."


    ...


    "..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Inside the living room.


    The coffee table wasden with all kinds of duck snacks, chips, marinated dishes, and Chen Miao''s favorite iced c. Lord Miao was curled up on the sofa, eagerly adjusting the projector, ready to start their night of indulgence as soon as Chen Miao got home.


    "What movie shall we watch tonight?"


    After setting up the projector, Lord Miao picked up her phone and scrolled through it, searching for movies that came highly rmended byizens. It was then she received Chen Miao''s call.


    "You''re noting back?"


    "Yeah."


    "..."


    Lord Miao bit back the words she''d been promised that morning, and after a moment, whispered, "Got it."


    ...


    "Hey."


    Inside the inte caf¨¦.


    A coworker looked at Chen Miao and smiled, "I''ve worked with you for so long, and I still don''t know what your wife''s name is."


    "Lord Miao, I like to call her Little Miao."


    Chen Miao took off his headset, wiping down the keyboard as he spoke offhandedly.


    "What about her full name?"


    "Full name?"


    He abruptly paused, looking bewildered as he stared at the game screen on hisputer. Had they been together for so long that he couldn''t remember his wife''s full name?


    Little Miao... full name... Lord Miao...


    But soon he remembered, tapping his head with his hand, his voice tinged with sadness, "She''s been an orphan since she was little, with no parents. She named herself Lord Miao, so that''s her full name."


    ...


    "Morning, baby, I''m home."


    In the middle of the night, Chen Miao, drunkenly stumbled through the front door of his home. After a half-night of gaming, they had gone out for drinks, marking the end of a rather enjoyable holiday. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a neatly arranged assortment of snacks on the table, along with the previously broken but now fixed projector.


    He froze for a moment, sobering up a bit.


    Suddenly, he remembered the promise he had made to Little Miao that morning.


    A spasm twitched at the corners of Chen Miao''s mouth, and he tiptoed toward his bedroom. Upon pushing the door open and seeing Lord Miao sleeping soundly, he stood silently for a long while before quietly stepping back out.


    ...


    Just like that, since entering the fourthyer of the dream, Chen Miao forgot that he was in a dream the moment he arrived, and his subconscious constructed the world he was most familiar with.


    It wasn''t Fengtian City.


    It was Earth, where there were no wristwatches, but mobile phones.


    He hade home, within the fourthyer of the dream.


    Time passed by, day by day, until three monthster.


    "I''ve had enough!!!"


    In the living room, with an unbearable and angry expression, Chen Miao violently smashed the vase on the table to the ground, hysterically shouting, "Have you ever thought about me? Do you know how exhausting it is for me out there every day?"


    "Every day outside, I have to put on a smiling face for everyone!"


    "I can''t afford to offend anyone!"


    "When Ie home, I finally get a bit of space for myself, and you ask me for emotional value, ask to spend time with me, to y with me, saying you missed me because you haven''t seen me all day."


    "Yes, you stayed home and yed all day, and you missed me."


    "But I don''t miss you at all!"


    "I''ve been out working hard all day, and when I get home, I don''t want to do anything. I just want to lie in my own room, to notugh anymore. Can you understand that? I''m tired of smiling. When I get home, I don''t want to smile anymore!"


    "Can''t you just stop bothering me?"


    "I don''t want to y this boring, garbage game at all!"


    As he said this, Chen Miao, with his emotions copsing, harshly threw the gaming console that connected to the projector in the living room onto the ground, and pointing at Lord Miao, he roared, "Get the hell out!"


    "..."


    Holding two game controllers in hand, wearing a strappy dress and standing pitifully in the living room, Lord Miao was frozen in ce, frightened by Chen Miao''s sudden outburst. Tears in her eyes were rolling, as if they were about to fall out any second.


    She looked down at the controllers in her hands, which she and Chen Miao had just stickered together a few days ago.


    And next to her, the gaming console that had just been smashed.


    The tears finally couldn''t hold back and fell to the floor.


    After a while, she gently ced the controllers on the dining table, opened the door, and walked out.


    "Damn it!"


    Chen Miao looked toward the departing figure of Lord Miao, still somewhat unresolved in his anger, he cursed, "You''re a damn adult, not a child. You need someone with you every day, do you think this is y-acting?!"


    "Get lost, the farther the better."


    ...


    At this moment.


    In Zhenba City.


    Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and Zhou Shen were sitting in a barely open barbecue stall. The other members of the Tomb Guardian were maintaining order in the surrounding area to prevent the progress of ''Sea of Human Suffering'' Phase Two from rising continually.


    The reason why the barbecue stall was barely open was that if they hadn''t been pointing guns at the owner''s head, the owner probably wouldn''t have wanted to do business in such times.


    Only they had the leisure to sit down and eat barbecue now.


    "Can Miaoe out?"


    Zhou Shen, with no appetite for the food in front of him, was only concerned with one issue¡ªwhether Miao coulde out. They had already learned about Miao''s n and knew that if nothing went wrong, Lord Miao shouldn''t turn into a Resentful Spirit.


    The world would not be destroyed.


    But if Miao couldn''t wake up, he would lose his biggest backer, meaning he wouldn''t just be unable to advance any further, but he would likely be stripped of his current position as well.


    No matter how great Miao''s achievements were, they would mean nothing if he was no longer there.


    "He''ll definitelye out,"


    Hungry Monkey, on the other hand, casually picked up a skewer of meat and stuffed it in his mouth, grinning nonchntly, "If this had been the previous mission, I would have been in despair, but this one, piece of cake."


    "Just the fourthyer of dreams, right?"


    "Is that enough to trap Miao?"

 Chapter 198 "Therefore, I suggest we initiate the Chosen One Project!

    "Don''t worry, Miao will definitelye out."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen lookedplexly at Hungry Monkey, truly unaware that Hungry Monkey''s confidence in Miao had reached a blind level. He couldn''t help but remind him, "ording to information from the Federation, they tried to let more than 5,000 people enter the fourthyer of dreams."


    "Not a single one woke up."


    "This group had every kind of person: heinous criminals sentenced to death, ordinary people who wanted arge sum for participating in the experiment, dying elderly, and Supernaturals with considerable strength."


    "But no matter the kind of person, in the end, none woke up."


    "There have been no exceptions to date."


    "So you''re just that certain Miao will wake up?"


    "Yes!"


    Hungry Monkey firmly nodded, "Didn''t that Hell Bus have a 100% mortality rate at first? But in the end, didn''t Miaoe out quite easily? I believe Miao wille out. Ever since I met Miao, he has changed a lot of my beliefs."


    "If it weren''t for him."


    "I''d never dare dream I could be a Supernatural."


    "If I could be a Supernatural, then what else is impossible in this world? Ever since the day I became a fighter, I''ve believed that miracles exist in this world, and Miao is the spokesperson for miracles."


    "If our world truly is a story, then Miao would definitely be the protagonist."


    "As for me, Hungry Monkey, I am Miao''s most trustworthy confidant."


    With that said, Hungry Monkey could not help feeling somewhat proud as he raised his eyebrows and dered, "And you all who doubt Miao, will just be waiting to have your faces pped by the viin."


    Zhou Shen didn''t speak again; he just lifted his ss and took a light sip, pausing for a long moment before speaking, "It''s said that the fourthyer dream ispletelyposed of a person''s subconscious mind, absent any subjective consciousness, and moreover, it''s the deepest subconscious mind."


    "Actions too are conducted ording to the subconscious mind."


    "Those tasks... seemed to involve falling in love, right?"


    "Has Miao ever been in a rtionship?"


    "Does he understand women?"


    "Uh..."


    Discover exclusive content at empire


    Hungry Monkey seemed less confident, hesitating for a long while before he ventured, "Having to stay inside for decades, a few decades of Kung Fu should at least teach him how to love, right?"


    "I''ve never worried about whether Miao cane out."


    "I''m just worried that Miao, aftering out, would have forgotten me."


    "After all, having lived inside for several decades, seeing us again would be like not seeing each other for decades. Even if he remembers us, it is uncertain whether he''d be willing to continue working with us."


    "That''s my main concern."


    ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Current progress 82034/400000."


    Given that the Federation is fully involved, the progress of Zhenba City''s second phase is rising very slowly; there''s no need to worry if it keeps up at this pace. However, at this moment.


    The Jingjiu Brain Trust in Jingjiu City was discussing other matters.


    "Let''s make an assumption about Chen Miao''s situation; let''s assume he reallypletes those tasks and prevents the disaster. Then we need to consider other matters, like the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' second phase."


    "The so-called Blessing, you''ve all seen its effects."


    "It exists as a rule."


    "An extremely buggy existence."


    "And this is only when Blessing is at one. If Blessing is at 10, 100, or even 10,000, it is highly likely to create a terrifying monster, a monster favored by fortune and the heavens, who can easily find a way through any secret realm or inevitably fatal event."


    "Such an existence is of great help to us in exploring new worlds."


    "Therefore, I suggest initiating ''God''s Chosen n''!"


    After a silent exchange of nces, the Brain Trust drafted a proposal and sent it to the email of the Federation''s Supreme Commander, offering the lives of ten thousand ordinary people in exchange for such an existence.


    It was a very cost-effective deal.


    It simply couldn''t stand the light of day; once exposed, it would cause a major public outcry and had to bepleted in secret.


    Very soon¡ª


    ''God''s Chosen n'' was approved!


    In no time, many ordinary people in Zhenba City were secretly controlled, and the Jingjiu Brain Trust immediately contacted the former Events Bureau of Zhenba City to rmend several of the most outstanding individuals from normal days to serve as candidates for God''s Chosen.


    Whether they were candidates or sacrifices,


    they had to be survivors of the first stage of the ''Sea of Human Suffering'', meaning those who were in Zhenba City before the set events of the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' began.


    After all, the progress had to reach 400,000 to achieve the target of the second stage.


    It was just a matter of keeping the progress within this range.


    The Federation would not tolerate a loss of control or infighting among its people, but it did not mind holding a few more aces up its sleeve.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the fourthyer of the dream.


    Chen Miao, sitting alone in the living room, looked at the mess on the floor and took the jade pendant from his chest to fiddle with in his hands, feeling a sense of absurdity. He didn''t know why he had just lost his temper so badly.


    It wasn''t in his character.


    It was as if something was influencing him from the shadows.


    After a long while.


    He stood up and walked out of the room, nning to find Lord Miao, but as soon as he pushed the door open, he saw Lord Miao sitting at the doorway on the fire escape, sobbing quietly.


    "That..."


    Chen Miao wasn''t quite sure how to start, cautiously sitting beside Lord Miao, whispering, "I was wrong, I got a bit too emotional just now... What if I buy you a new gaming console right now? Tomorrow we can y games together."


    Lord Miao continued to sit on the steps of the fire escape, burying his head in his arms and crying quietly. After a long time, he raised his head with reddened eyes, his voice a bit changed, "Okay."


    "Huh?"


    This time it was Chen Miao''s turn to be stunned, blurting out, "You agreed so quickly? I thought you''d stay mad for a while."


    "And then what, keep the standoff going?"


    "I can''t live without you. If we kept it up, I''d starve to death in the fire escape."


    "I was nning to knock on the door if you didn''te out within ten minutes."


    ...


    Over the following years.


    Everything seemed to go smoothly.


    Chen Miao also quit his job at thepany and started his own, with thepany''s performance improving each quarter. They moved to a bigger house and got a dog and a cat.


    Their home had taken on a much warmer feel.


    "Little Miao."


    Chen Miao sat in the living room looking at Lord Miao on the couch, his pupils filled with anticipation, "How about, we do nothing tonight and just y games all night?"


    "Sure!"


    Lord Miao, sitting on the couch, suddenly sparkled with excitement, hurriedly grabbing the two controllers that were charging at the side, "Ready at any time!!!"


    "I am your best partner."

 Chapter 199 "Im Used to You Standing in Front of Me.

    "You''ve been too busy with work recently to y games, so I picked up a lot of materials for you. Tonight, you can use them to build lots and lots of houses."


    "Sure."


    Chen Miao couldn''t help butugh as he rushed over and took Lord Miao into his arms. "I''m going to build you a big house tonight!"


    Their giggles during the yful scuffle echoed through the living room.


    The dog lying on the carpet wagged its tail and bounced around happily at the sight, while the fat cat lying on the balcony sunbathing justzily turned its head to nce at the two fussing on the sofa before looking away again.


    ...


    And so, a few more years passed.


    Sitting alone in the messy living room, Chen Miao looked somewhat disheveled. Without turning on the lights, he curled up on the sofa, as if hiding in the darkness of the night.


    Thepany had gone bankrupt.


    Due to one of his overly bold decisions, he''d lost his fortune.


    He''d kept the news to himself, not wanting to tell Little Miao, not wishing to burden her with the stress. But every time he came home and saw Little Miao''s smiling face, he felt a pang in his heart, feeling as if he''d let Little Miao down.


    Because of his failure, he had dragged her back into the past with him.


    He''d chosen to separate.


    This time, he was resolute.


    Little Miao, along with the dog and fat cat, left. Overnight, their once lively and warm home felt deste. Nothing was missing, yet it seemed like everything was gone.


    The floor was littered with empty beer cans.


    The ashtray on the coffee table had overflowed; burnt cigarette stubs and ash scattered around it. In a daze, he fired up the survival building game he used to y with Little Miao.


    It was a two-yer game.


    yers needed to control characters, gathering various materials on a deserted ind to build a house in a chosen location to fend off monster attacks.


    He often yed this game with Little Miao, sometimes all night long, and theirughter would fill the living room continuously.


    But this time, he was ying as Little Miao''s character.


    The character''s backpack was stuffed with all sorts of materials, enough to have built three warehouses just to store the surplus.


    Seeing these overflowing materials, he abruptly realized that since his business failure, he hadn''t yed the game with Little Miao for a long time. He hadn''t even seen her y. He had thought she had stopped.


    Now it seemed that she must have continued ying when he was out during the day; she just hadn''t told him.


    In a trance, Find your next read at empire


    he picked up the controller and started gathering materials on the lone ind.


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    Just ten minutes into collecting materials, he was so bored he felt suffocated. Gathering materials was monotonous work, like a mechanical job¡ªcontinually chopping down trees to gather wood, picking wild fruits.


    He suddenly realized,


    That such a tedious task was what Little Miao had often been doing at home, gathering materials all day long just so that when they yed together, he wouldn''t have to feel the tedium and could fully enjoy building houses and fighting off monsters.


    In his mind, he pictured Little Miao lying on the sofa, gathering materials with gusto like a little hamster, eagerly awaiting his return from work to y the game together.


    He remembered one time,


    When Little Miao handed him the controller with a look of anticipation, he smashed the game console, scolding her for being so childish every day.


    "..."


    In the darkness,


    Chen Miao lit a cigarette and put it to his lips, lying on the sofa with his eyes shut, but tears involuntarily slid from the corners of his eyes.


    After a long while,


    He sighed softly.


    Slowly, he snuffed out the cigarette butt in the palm of his hand.


    He had to go find Little Miao. Even though his business had failed this time, he believed he could still rise again.


    However, just as he opened the front door, he saw Little Miao sitting in the fire escape with the dog and the fat cat, eyes red and staring straight at him. With tears streaking down her face and a trembling voice, she forced a smile, "You took a long time toe out, I''ve been waiting for a while."


    "I thought you really didn''t want us anymore."


    "I''m hungry."


    "Can I go home now?"


    Chen Miao stood at the doorway taking a deep breath before walking over to Little Miao, bending down and burying his head in her shoulder, whispering, "I''m sorry, it won''t happen again."


    ...


    Time passed, a lot of time,


    Until Chen Miao had be a middle-aged man.


    He had married Little Miao, and they had their first child, a girl, who was very cute.


    At Lord Miao''s insistent request,


    They named the child Lord Little Miao.


    "Why did we have to name her that?" Chen Miao, lying on the sofa ying games with Little Miao, said somewhat helplessly, "It feels strange to name a baby that."


    With a huff, she replied, "You don''t understand."


    Little Miao pursed her lips, apparently with no intention of exining.


    "Oh, right."


    Chen Miao suddenly remembered something and looked at the screen where Little Miao''s character was, saying, "I also went to gather materialsst time, and the process was really boring. How do you save up so many materials every day? Don''t you find it boring?"


    "Not at all."


    Little Miao pointed to her character''s backpack on the screen, speaking earnestly, "Every time I see the backpack stuffed with materials, I get a feeling of great satisfaction. And besides, Miao, don''t you enjoy building houses?"


    "Every time I think about youing home at night to see so many materials for you to build houses with, the happy expression on your face makes me even happier when I''m picking up materials."


    "You work so hard outside."


    "The only time you''re happy is when you''re ying games, and I want to make you happy for a bit longer."


    Chen Miao was taken aback for a moment, then turned his head to look at Little Miao and suddenlyughed softly, "You''re really kind, and so beautiful. I think I might really have fallen in love with you."


    As soon as the words fell,


    Little Miao bounced up from the sofa immediately. Before Little Miao could get angry, Chen Miao hugged her right away, begging for mercy, "My mistake, my mistake, I had a brain cramp just now, I don''t know why I suddenly blurted out such a thing."


    "Hmph."


    "I''ll forgive you this time. Lord Little Miao is my childhood nickname, let''s just go with Mr. Chen for my formal name."


    "Mr. Chen?"


    This time Chen Miao was genuinely confused. He turned to look at the girl lying in the stroller, "Are we really going to give our daughter such a bold name? Even adding a word in the middle would be better. Mr. Chen feels too arrogant. How about... Chen Beibei?"


    "No, it has to be Mr. Chen!"


    Little Miao pouted in dissatisfaction, "Chen Beibei sounds too ugly, it must be Mr. Chen!"


    "All right, all right, as you wish, as you wish."


    ...


    Days passed, one after another.


    And on this day¡ª


    It was Chen Miao''s seventieth birthday, and he came to the seaside with Little Miao. Over the years, a lot had happened between them, with arguments and joys, and there were countless times when they almost split up.


    But in the end, they kept the promise they made when they were young.


    To grow old together.


    They had three children.


    Besides the first child, who was a girl, the following two were boys. The second child was named Mr. Chen, and the third was named Mr. Chen.


    Though Chen Miao had many objections, they were all strongly overruled by Little Miao.


    When it came to naming rights, Little Miao didn''t listen to anyone else''s suggestions.


    "Little Miao,"


    Chen Miao sat in his wheelchair, his face creased with wrinkles, looking somewhat dim-eyed at the sea in front of him, murmuring somewhat vacantly, "I think I''m really getting old. I can''t see the sea clearly anymore, I can only smell the briny wind."


    "Lately I''ve been having a dream."


    "I dream that I used to have some very close brothers, I can''t remember their names, but it seems there was someone called Hungry Monkey."


    "You think I''m getting senile? Why do I keep having the same dream over and over?"


    Little Miao stood behind Chen Miao, holding onto the handles of the wheelchair, not speaking, just gently stroking Chen Miao''s wrinkled cheek. After a while, she spoke softly, "I''m sorry."


    "I''m sorry?"


    After a difficult cough, Chen Miao shakily took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and put it to his mouth, "Why suddenly apologize?"


    Little Miao shook her head without replying, just murmuring to herself, "Thank you, Miao. I regret not having met you earlier. It''s in these decades together that I found the real meaning of living."


    "I suddenly realized that what I sought after all this time was meaningless."


    "Thank you, Miao, for bringing me this vibrant life in thest stage of my life."


    "It''s just that I''m sorry..."


    "Forgive my selfishness for keeping you here with me for so long. I really don''t want to leave. Before I met you, I wasn''t so afraid of death, but after meeting you, I suddenly became very afraid of it."


    "I can''t bear the thought of living without you. How would I face it?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''ve grown so used to you standing before me."


    "What are you talking about?"


    Chen Miao''s eyes showed a trace of panic. Struggling to turn his head to look at Little Miao, who was also white-haired standing behind him, his voice began to tremble with urgency, "What''s happened? Don''t you think of doing something foolish!"


    "No matter the cost, we can afford it. We are wealthy; I have plenty of money."


    "Please don''t think of suicide!"


    Little Miao shook her head, looked up towards the end of the vast sea, feeling the refreshing breeze, and suddenlyughed, "I really don''t want to say this because saying it means everything wille to an end, but I have to."


    "Because the bus is almost at its stop."


    "If I don''t say it, you''ll never wake up."


    "Everything you see isn''t real. We''re in a dream, the fourth level of the dream. Remember?"


    "It was you who took me here, and we''re actually on a Hell Bus heading to hell, and you are my ticket inspector. I''m just one of your ordinary passengers."


    "What nonsense are you talking..."


    Chen Miao, startled by this bewildering speech, stood up agitatedly, wanting to check Little Miao''s forehead, but his movements gradually slowed and after a moment,


    he sat back down in the wheelchair, took out a mirror to look at his own aged, unfamiliar yet familiar face, and then slowly lit a cigarette and put it back to his mouth. After a long silence, he said hoarsely, "Thanks, I might have really forgotten without you."


    "When did you wake up?"

 Chapter 200 "Thank you, Miao.

    Chen Miao looked at himself in the mirror, gently caressing his wrinkled cheeks, his head full of silver hair, and his hands, covered with age spots, felt too weak to grasp anything. It all felt so unreal to him.


    At this moment, his mind was foggy.


    He had never seen himself at the age of 70.


    Could it be... he had already spent 50 years in the dream?


    Wasn''t it said that the time flow rate was only 10,000:1, which at most would be about twenty years?


    "Since the birth of Lord Little Miao."


    Lord Miao leaned over to hug Chen Miao from behind, resting his head on Chen Miao''s shoulder, murmuring, "I suddenly remembered, I had long died, and you brought me into the dream to fulfill a mission."


    "I remember a lot."


    "Thank you, Miao."


    "Forgive my selfishness for making you stay with me in the dream for forty more years."


    "..."


    Chen Miao sat in his wheelchair, his head bowed in silence for a long time before he finally looked up into the distant horizon, where the sky and water merged into one color, giving off a feeling of elusive emptiness. These fifty years of memories wouldn''t fade away. Even though he now knew he was dreaming, the memories of those fifty years were vividly present in his mind.


    Even though this ce was a dream.


    But it might as well be real, for he had lived here for fifty years, longer than he had lived in his two lifetimesbined.


    "Actually... we don''t have to wake up."


    He said hesitantly, in a low voice, "I''ve gotten used to this life; just like this, it''s quite good."


    "Shh!"


    Lord Miao ced a finger on Chen Miao''s lips and shook his head, "You''re talking nonsense again. I''m someone who has already died, and your life is just beginning. Before I leave, I have a question for you."


    "This city is the most familiar city in your subconscious."


    "Yet, this city has many things I''ve never seen before, it doesn''t look like a city from the Federation."


    Chen Miao struggled to pull out a cigarette from his pocket again, feeling a little guilty towards Lord Miao. As soon as he had said that we didn''t have to wake up, he immediately regretted it.


    He wanted to wake up.


    Even if Lord Miao was in the dream.


    The moment he felt the regret, he didn''t even dare to look back at Lord Miao''s expression. He didn''t want to live forever in such a void world. He wanted to return to reality, where many things were waiting for him.


    When Lord Miao refused, he even instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, which heightened the feeling of guilt in his heart.


    Lord Miao was rushing towards him without any reservations.


    And he... couldn''t do the same.


    "Huff!"


    After exhaling a heavy puff of smoke, Chen Miao said softly, "This is the world of my previous life, not the Federation, not the Blue Star, that is called Earth."


    "In that world, I was a young man in my twenties. One day, when I was traveling to the south, I was unfortunately killed by a falling coconut. When I woke up again, I had already arrived in this world."


    "I have only been in this world for a total of two months."


    "You could say, this is my hometown."


    "Really?"


    A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Lord Miao''s eyes, "Does that mean that after death, one doesn''t turn into nothingness, but rather, keeps their memories and goes to the next world? I never knew this before."


    "Not sure."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "Prior to this, I had never seen anything like it. Maybe I''m an exception, or maybe everyone goes to the next world after death, but the vast majority have their previous life''s memories erased, only a lucky few get to keep them."


    "How wonderful."


    Lord Miao leaned over andy on Chen Miao''s shoulder, murmuring like azy kitten, "If only I could retain my memories, maybe the next world has advanced technology, and I could take a spaceship to the Blue Star to find you."


    "When the timees... can we still be like we are now?"


    When Lord Miao said this, her tone was extremely careful and tinged with a hint of probing.


    She was well aware that these fifty years were nothing but a dream.


    "We can,"


    Chen Miao replied sincerely, nodding his head, "When we meet again, I will marry you, not in a dream, but in reality."


    "Good, it''s a promise."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A blissful smile blossomed on Lord Miao''s face.


    The next second¡ª


    The scenery and pedestrians around them suddenly froze in ce, and then everything¡ªpassers-by, the sea, sparrows¡ªstarted to shatter like ss, and the whole scene began to recede.


    They were back in Fengtian City.


    This was the third level of the dream.


    Before they had time to react, the surroundings once again froze and shattered, returning them to Fengtian City, which was the second level of the dream. Continuing the freeze and shatter cycle, they returned to Eternal Cemetery.


    This was the first level of the dream.


    They froze and shattered again.


    Apanied by sudden darkness before their eyes, by the time they opened their eyes again, they were back on the Hell Bus.


    And at this moment¡ª


    A panel that Chen Miao hadn''t seen for a long time popped up in front of him.


    ''Ding, the next stop is the terminal station, please prepare all passengers.'' Explore new worlds at empire


    Gazing at this semi-transparent panel,


    Chen Miao didn''t even react at first, so much time had passed that he had begun to feel unfamiliar with such things as panels, but he still subconsciously nced over the Hell Bus cabin, ensuring that no new passengers had boarded during the time he was asleep.


    He breathed a sigh of relief at that.


    Otherwise, the time for just one stop would definitely not be enough for him toplete a task for the new passengers.


    The moment he regained consciousness, the driver at the steering wheel seemed to know something, turned back with a knowing smile to look at Chen Miao and Lord Miao, who were still in the same position as before they entered the dream.


    Lord Miao was sitting in Chen Miao''s embrace.


    Chen Miao rubbed his somewhat numb thigh and then looked down at Lord Miao, who was lying on his chest, tenderly stroking her hair. He hadn''t seen such a young Lord Miao in a long time. In the dream, Lord Miao had gradually aged, but in reality, she remained young.


    "We''re almost at the station."


    "Do you have any messages for the outside world? I can pass them on for you."


    "No need,"


    Lord Miao said softly without raising her head, "Just tell my parents that I was fortunate to be their daughter. I don''t want to spend time thinking about the rest now. I want to feel your warmth for onest moment."


    "Miao,"


    "I really like you so much, what should I do?"


    "If you had met me earlier, I definitely wouldn''t have died to save those people. I surely would have survived to stay by your side."


    ...


    Chen Miao turned his head to look out the window without speaking, as a level ten-plus Supernatural being, how could he possibly meet the top powerhouse ranked number one on the Federation level leaderboard if not for this chance coincidence.


    If not for this dream, how could such a person fall for him? Probably even giving him an extra nce would feel like a waste of time.


    The gap was too wide.


    Even an early prediction would be of no help.

 Chapter 201 "If the Hell Bus Doesnt Go to Hell, Where Can It Go?

    ```


    Moreover, even if he had met her earlier, if they hadn''t gone through all those experiences together in dreams, he might not have fallen in love with Lord Miao.


    There are too many ifs, but sadly, the word "if" only exists in the dictionary and not in reality.


    Although his memory was somewhat hazy, he still sent a message to the outside world immediately.


    "Mission aplished."


    "Arrived at the destination smoothly."


    ...


    Lord Miao didn''t speak anymore, just lying in Chen Miao''s arms like a sleeping kitten.


    "Why did you want to name the child Little Miao?"


    Chen Miao suddenly broke the quiet atmosphere.


    "Of course, it''s because you need toplete your mission."


    "The reason there is this mission is that you truly wanted to name your own child Little Miao."


    "Because I was too well-behaved as a child, I hope my child won''t be like me and can be a bit rebellious."


    "Isn''t it good to be well-behaved? Parents would be very happy."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lord Miao found a morefortable position in Chen Miao''s embrace and whispered softly, "But you will be unhappy yourself. When you wear a white T-shirt, you get very tired because you need to be on your guard all the time, even the slightest bit of grease bes so ringly obvious."


    "But if you wear a ck T-shirt, you can be much more carefree."


    "I want my child to wear a ck T-shirt."


    "Wearing a white T-shirt is too exhausting."


    Chen Miao didn''t speak again, just turned his head to look out the window. The bus had started to slow down, the final stop was almost here.


    "Final stop reached, please, the ticket seller, disembark."


    After the announcement on the disy panel.


    Chen Miao paused for a moment, then slowly stepped off the bus, standing at the station looking toward Lord Miao lying at the window, looking back at him. They stared at each other for a long while before he suddenly smiled, "This world is very interesting, much more interesting than thest one."


    "If you can travel to other worlds, remember to strive to survive."


    "I will struggle to reach the summit and then look for you."


    "One day, we will meet again."


    "Mm-hmm."


    Tears welled up in the eyes of Lord Miao sitting on the seat, she nodded vigorously, and at that moment, she finally couldn''t control her emotions any longer. With a hoarse voice, she called out loudly, "I will collect many things that are useful to you in that world, until you find me."


    Chen Miao nodded too, the corners of his eyes slightly red as he smiled, "Just like in the game?"


    "Exactly."


    "Swear to it."


    "Swear to it."


    "Will you find me?"


    "Have I ever not found you? Every time you stormed out after a fight, I was able to find you."


    "That''s because I always hid in the fire escape, and you could see me as soon as you opened the door."


    "Then wait for me like that this time too, I''lle."


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you."


    Lord Miao''s voice gradually became faint as the Hell Bus drove away, and on the deste highway, Chen Miao stood alone on the tform, watching the Hell Bus that was slowly heading towards the end of the road.


    His eyes reddened, he smiled broadly.


    ```


    Actually, he knew that this time he would have to break his word.


    He couldn''t possibly find Lord Miao.


    Not everyone could go to a new world after death, and he didn''t know what word to use to describe his current feelings. All he felt was a suffocating blockage in his heart, and he desperately wanted to have a good cry to let out all his emotions.


    Just as he was about to do so, when no one was around, his mouth had just opened when he heard a voice from behind him.


    "Why aren''t you crying yet, aren''t you sad?"


    "You really are heartless."


    The unexpected voice interrupted Chen Miao''s emotions, and he turned around suddenly to look behind him, only to see a middle-aged man standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking wistfully in the direction the Hell Bus had driven off.


    "You... you''re the driver?"


    Chen Miao paused, asking reflexively, recognizing the man as the driver of the Hell Bus, but... his gaze then sharply turned to where the Hell Bus''s silhouette had vanished. Was the bus now driving itself?


    Damn it... there couldn''t be an ident, could there?


    "Got a smoke?"


    The man didn''t speak, just licked his dry lips and asked with some urgency: "Come on,e on, it''s been so long since I''ve had one, I''ve been itching for a smoke. Why do you look so shocked? Didn''t I tell you before we boarded that this was myst trip?"


    "After this one, I could retire."


    "Now, I''ve retired."


    "Phew!"


    The man took the cigarette Chen Miao handed him, drawing on it greedily, then closed his eyes and tilted his head back in rapture: "Ahh, that''s the stuff, it feels so goddamn good!"


    "It''s this feeling that reminds me of when I was still human."


    "Not some neither-human-nor-ghost being."


    "Retirement feels really good."


    After ncing at Chen Miao''s doubtful and guarded expression, the man suddenlyughed: "Rx, let''s see, you''ve got about a minute before you''re sent back to your world."


    "I''ll cut to the chase, thanks to you, my retirement was a smooth one."


    "Honestly, when she got on the bus, I had lost all hope that that ticket would ever be collected. I had no room for errors left, and if I couldn''t collect the ticket from this passenger, retirement would be impossible, and I would have to face something terribly frightening."


    "But you did it."


    "That''s impressive."


    "You must be wondering where the Hell Bus''s final destination is, aren''t you?"


    Although Chen Miao had many questions, he was running out of time. He just nodded, as it seemed the man had a lot of information to share. He decided to let the man finish, which would save a lot of time.


    "Of course it''s Hell!"


    The man gave Chen Miao a look: "If the Hell Bus doesn''t go to Hell, where else could it go?"


    "You''ll never see your woman again in this lifetime, stop dreaming, go out and find someone new."


    After seeing Chen Miao''s gaze darken in an instant, the man hastily coughed lightly and said with an awkward tone: "Sorry, just a joke, even though time is tight and I''m still joking. But it''s been so long since I''ve talked properly with someone, I just couldn''t help myself, you should be able to understand."


    "There''s no such thing as Hell."


    "The Hell Bus is just a fixed event, and it''s not actually about transcending Lost Souls. Everything operates ording to the rules, and as for where the Hell Bus actually goes, even I don''t know."


    "But I''ve seen a passenger suddenly be the driver."


    "At the very least, this indicates that these passengers can possibly continue to exist in this world as some special beings. As far as my memory goes, it only consists of driving, never resting."


    "I remember just one thing¡ª"


    "And that is..."


    "Worlds like yours, which have undergone Transcendentalization, are numerous, not just one, and each world has its own secret realms, major events, etc., each different, but fixed events are the same and unique."

 Chapter 202 "Brother... Can you still hitch a ride on this?

    ```


    "In other words, the Hell Bus I''m driving doesn''t just pass through your world; it also passes through other worlds."


    "There are fixed events that shuttle to and fro between different worlds, including one fixed event called the Wilderness Train, which also continuously shuttles through different worlds."


    "And there''s a centerpiece among these worlds, which is the convergence point for all worlds."


    "Theoretically, if your power is strong enough, strong enough to be invincible in that center world, you still have a chance to find your woman, although the hope is slim, it''s not nonexistent."


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked expressionlessly at the middle-aged man in front of him. This man had said a lot, but it was mostly nonsense. Although there were some secrets he didn''t know, there wasn''t a single concrete message.


    It could all be summed up in one point.


    As long as you are strong enough, there is still a chance.


    "Where will you go after you retire?"


    "Not sure, but I won''t live like a ghost anymore. As long as I can be a normal person, anywhere would be good."


    "You''ve died before?"


    "Died."


    "So, it''s possible to be resurrected after death?"


    "Oh, right."


    The man suddenly realized, propped his chin with one hand and fell into deep thought: "Now that you mention it, I just realized, I seem to have been resurrected. Huh, can people really be resurrected?"


    "It''s been so long; I''ve somewhat forgotten how I died."


    "Let me think."


    Just then¡ª


    The world began to freeze and fracture. Chen Miao knew it was time for him to go back. Before leaving, he cast a final, somewhat bemused gaze at the man. Such simple information had taken this man so long to convey.


    Knowing that it was possible to be resurrected after death was message enough.


    But just as the world in front of himpletely shattered and he could see the sight of the Eternal Cemetery through the cracks, a sudden epiphany from the man faintly echoed in his ears.


    "I remember now. I was killed by a coconut."


    "Hey, where''s the person? Already gone?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What a pity, I still..."


    The rest of the words were unheard; he had fully returned to reality. The Hell Bus journey had ended.


    Immediately following¡ª


    A prompt panel popped up in front of him.


    ''Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for sessfullypleting the trial. As the specially invited ticket collector, you impably fulfilled your duties, collecting Tickets from every passenger, and thus you''ve earned arge number of ticket rewards.''


    ''You have been selected as the best ticket collector in the history of the Hell Bus. As a reward, you may travel on any Hell Bus and know all Hell Bus schedules, with a maximum of 17panions.''


    ''Since you were a specially invited ticket collector and not involved in aplete fixed event, you will not receive the fixed event clearance rewards.''


    ''You have received the following rewards¡ª''


    ''D-rank Taboo Item "An Honest Man''s Life", special E-rank Skill "Sealed Lips Spell", Star Coins*1000, S-rank Taboo Item "Life of Degradation", and so on.''


    There was no clearance reward. The clearance reward was supposed to include a fixed 100,000 Star Coins.


    The rewards received were all the passengers'' tickets.


    He briefly stowed the other rewards in his backpack, nced at them hurriedly without much attention, and looked at the small pinwheel in his arms with aplex expression. This pinwheel-like object was the S-rank Taboo Item "Life of Degradation".


    This was his first S-rank item.


    Before this, the highest rank of his items had only been C-rank. This mission''s reward truly was worthy of an S-rank, considering that probably no one other than him could havepleted it.


    ''Taboo Item Name'': Life of Degradation.


    ''Taboo Item Rank'': S-rank.


    ''Taboo Item Effect'': £¤%£¤%


    ''Taboo Item Introduction'': £¤%£¤%%


    ''Formation Condition'': %#£¤%#


    The panel was a string of gibberish; he couldn''t make out anything. And at the end of the panel, there was a note that said, for yers Level 20 and above only. He wasn''t level 20 yet, so he couldn''t even see the effects of the Taboo Item.


    He could, theoretically, hand the Taboo Item over to a Supernatural who was over level 20 and have them share the panel information, so he could learn the effects of the Taboo Item ahead of time. But if he wasn''t out of his mind, he probably wouldn''t do that.


    At this moment, his wristwatch was inundated with unread messages.


    He skimmed through them casually and didn''t reply to all, instead telling Hungry Monkey and the others to wait for him where they were.


    Then he looked at the Hell Bus schedules, and in three minutes, there was one going from Fengtian City to Zhenba City.


    He did not follow Hungry Monkey and the group to Zhenba City but stayed in the Eternal Cemetery of Fengtian City. After exiting the Hell Bus, he returned to Eternal Cemetery. As a reward for being a special guest this time, he could ride any Hell Bus freely.


    After checking the Hell Bus schedules.


    He found out that there were actually hundreds of thousands of Hell Buses shuttling between the Federation''s cities every day, though most were empty.


    ...


    Chen Miao stood on the highway at the entrance of Eternal Cemetery, patiently waiting. Soon, a Hell Bus approached and slowly stopped in front of him. With a creaking sound, the doors also opened slowly.


    This bus was not empty.


    There were passengers, and there were yers.


    It looked like a fixed event Hell Bus.


    Theoretically, a fixed Hell Bus exists in a very special Otherworldly Space, where no one except the ticket collector could contact the outside world, and nobody from the outside could enter, but... he was the exception.


    His special guest reward was above that rule.


    At that moment, there were nine people sitting inside the bus.


    ```


    Among them, seven were yers, and the remaining two were passengers.


    Just as he got on the bus leaning on his cane, a young man with trembling legs came over and kept sizing him up with extreme caution, "Do you have... a story?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked expressionlessly at the young man before him, well aware that the man was looking for his Achilles'' heel. Under normal circumstances, he might have retorted with "Do you have wine?"


    But at this moment, he really wasn''t in the mood.


    He took a seat by the window and then stopped talking.


    This young man appeared to be a ticket inspector, likely mistaking him for one of those undead, ready toe up and activate a quest.


    The bus doors closed swiftly, and the vehicle resumed its journey forward. Meanwhile, an announcement echoed inside, "Next stop: Zhenba City."


    At this time¡ª


    All the yers in the bus, as if receiving some message, looked at Chen Miao with incredulous and frightened gazes. After exchanging looks, the young man couldn''t help but return, his voice trembling with shock.


    "Bro, are you a yer?"


    "The panel just notified us that a distinguished guest is taking this bus to Zhenba City?"


    "You... Bro, can you really hitch a ride like this?"


    He really wanted to curse!


    This is the Hell Bus!


    The Hell Bus with the fixed event number 128!


    What do you think it is? Did you really take it for a regr bus? How can you actually take a bus to Zhenba City?


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded and then closed his eyes, with no desire for extended conversation.


    A few minutester.


    The bus came to another stop.


    Chen Miao got off the bus and saw Hungry Monkey and his group sitting at the roadside, eating barbecue. Leaning on his cane, he strode over to them.


    ...


    "Is that Miao?"


    Yuan Buping, who was eating barbecue, heard the sound of brakes behind him and turned instinctively to see Miao getting off a bus parked by the side of the road and walking towards them withrge strides.


    He couldn''t help but nce at the time stamp of the message in the chat channel that Miao said he woulde to Zhenba City.


    He tilted his head towards Hungry Monkey and said somewhat nkly, "Can a bus get from Fengtian City to Zhenba City in just a few minutes?"


    Explore more at empire


    He didn''t know of any bus that could travel that quickly.


    Did your bus have rocket engines installed?


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked back at the fading Hell Bus and couldn''t help but admit that the reward was quite useful, much better than the special item "Immeasurable Merit" he received after clearing the Hell Busst time.


    This meant from then on, he could reach any city in just a few hours, even the furthest cities.


    Convenient!


    There were frequent services, almost like having a driver on call.


    Safe!


    There would absolutely be no traffic idents, and he wouldn''t be ambushed on the road.


    Discreet!


    An absolutely secretive way of travel, avoiding being tracked, and extremely useful for escape.


    "Miao!"


    Hungry Monkey pped Yuan Buping''s hand away, then excitedly stood up and hurried over, "Miao, I knew you would wake up, Zhou Shen and the others were worried you couldn''t make it out, but I always believed you could!"


    "Miao, you''ve made a great achievement this time!"


    "You saved the world!"


    "It''s immeasurable merit, truly!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao was just about to say something, shaking his head, but suddenly froze. Immeasurable merit? He suddenly remembered the special item "Immeasurable Merit" he had obtained after clearing the Hell Busst time. He had only nced at it before tossing it into his backpack.


    A rather useless item.


    Its effect was simple, gain corresponding rewards as long as one gained merit.


    He had tried donating money and such, but there was no effect, unable to gain a shred of merit, so he threw the item into the deepestyer of his Nothingness Space. Now, reminded by Hungry Monkey, he suddenly recalled this matter and wondered whether this time it would count as gaining merit.


    ...


    "Miao."


    Unaware that Miao was lost in thought, Zhou Shen approached with a respectful expression and whispered, "Congrattions on your safe return, Miao. The Federation is discussing how to reward you. You''ve made a great achievement this time, bing famous not only in Fengtian City but in Jingjiu City as well."


    "Many big shots now know your name, Miao."


    He was truly impressed this time.


    An almost certain death situation had been turned around by Miao alone.


    This was no longer a miracle but a feat of legend.


    Meanwhile, Hungry Monkey continued to smile excitedly, "Actually, I think I made a significant contribution too. If it weren''t for the E-rank Taboo Item ''Madness of a Secret Admirer'' constantly on me, Miao might not havepleted the mission so smoothly."


    "After all, wearing this item makes women unconsciously feel aversion towards you."

 Chapter 203 "The mayors dying moments, which mayor are you referring to?

    Yuan Buping, who was standing to the side and subconsciously preparing to speak, suddenly froze, unable to react. That made sense!


    When they had parted ways in Fengtian City, they hadn''t thought of this at all. What if that prop had been on Miao at that time?


    Then it would have been game over.


    Upon firstying eyes on Lord Miao under the influence of the Taboo Item, Lord Miao began to detest Miao. Even if Miao had thrown away the Taboo Item immediately, it would have been toote; the first impression is crucial.


    In the interactions between people.


    The impact of the first impression is very profound.


    If you dislike someone right from the start, then no matter how much you try to ingratiate yourself, you''ll look like a clown in their eyes, and it''s quite hard to maintain a good rtionship.


    It has to be said... it all might be fate.


    In the grand scheme, they unwittingly chose the most correct path.


    "That''s not all¡­"


    Zhou Shen, with a face full of emotion, sighed, "If it hadn''t been for Miao agreeing to this invitation, nobody else could havepleted this task. And if it weren''t for the heist you pulled off then, the ck-on-ck heist that scored a batch of AI pills."


    "Miao would have been done for if he hadn''t had any AI pills in his pocket then."


    "And at that time, it just so happened that you hadn''t sold all of the AI pills, leaving a few in Miao''s backpack."


    "If I hadn''t been so inconspicuous back then, insisting on capturing you guys, not to mention world destruction, at least half of the federation''s cities would have be ruins when the gates of Hell Bus opened."


    "So many ifs."


    "Without a single mistake in any step, this mission couldn''t have beenpleted so smoothly. Miao really suffered this time, spending more than twenty years in the dream. After waking up, he must feel somewhat disoriented with reality, which is something most people can''t endure."


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked distractedly toward the end of the street. After aplishing the second phase target of ''Sea of Human Suffering'', the gates of hell and humanity were set to open but¡­ that driver told him that there was no real hell at all.


    Find adventures at empire


    The Hell Bus was merely a fixed event.


    It wasn''t actually a hearse carrying the undead to hell.


    So, what would be unleashed upon the opening of this gate? Countless monsters or¡­ what?


    Zhou Shen was right about everything. Any slip-up from him, and it wouldn''t have worked out so smoothly. When they had stolen the AI pills in that ck-on-ck heist, no one anticipated the far-reaching impact it would have.


    Back then, although they were short on money, they hadn''t sold all the AI pills but kept a few in their pockets. His idea at the time was quite simple; he just inly thought that selling those remaining pills for a few thousand more wouldn''t make much difference, so why not keep some.


    Such a thoughtless act saved the world and himself.


    Otherwise, even if he had thought of this solution on the bus, without any AI pills, it would have been like trying to cook without rice. The Hell Bus existed in an absolutely independent Otherworldly Space, unreachable by other entities.


    Every day,


    hundreds of thousands of Hell Buses shuttle through this independent Otherworldly Space. But from now on, these buses would be his private vehicles, and he could travel anywhere by riding one.


    The Hell Bus can freely choose where to board and where to disembark.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    As long as there''s a road, that''s enough.


    That''s the necessary condition.


    The Hell Bus can''t stop on rooftops; the connection between this Otherworldly Space and the real world is through roads.


    However, Zhou Shen had one thing wrong; he hadn''t spent twenty years in the dream. The federation''s estimates were off, perhaps because no one had ever woken from the fourth level of dreaming, leading to inurate predictions from the federation.


    The passage of time at the fourth level was far slower than 10,000:1, even reaching a scale of 30,000:1.


    He had been in the dream for 50 years.


    Even now, he could clearly remember the appearances and personalities of his three children. These three had be an indispensable part of his life. Yet, with his awakening from the dream, these children also vanished like smoke.


    All turned to nothingness.


    Just as Chen Miao was about to say something to Hungry Monkey and the others, several military trucks suddenly sped toward them from a distance. As their brakes screeched, the trucks stopped on the road beside them.


    A number of soldiers, holding firearms, jumped down, wearing the uniforms of Fengtian City''s military. An elderly man then emerged from the vehicle with Zhang Liu, stepping briskly to stand before Chen Miao. With white hair and a steady, hoarse voice, he said,


    "Hello, Chen Miao, I am the deputy mayor of Fengtian City, Zhang Wanyi,"


    "I''m here to carry out the final order issued by the mayor before his death, for Zhang Liu to assist you with psychological counseling. He seemed to know that you would certainly wake up while you were still immersed in the dream. As soon as you awoke, he ordered Zhang Liu to help guide you mentally."


    "Spending decades in a dream and then waking up must feel surreal. In such a state, you need a psychologist for guidance; otherwise, this feeling will keep building up until you no longer differentiate between dreams and reality, and plunge into the abyss."


    "We found Zhang Liu. ording to records, he has had quite some contact with you. A psychologist you''re familiar with should help you rx into the counseling process more easily."


    Standing to the side, Zhang Liu meekly nodded his head, looking extremely docile. He had not yet recovered from his injuries and was forcibly brought here from Broken Pot City. What could he say? You''re the mayor, you''re the boss.


    "What?"


    Leaning on a cane, Chen Miao furrowed his brow slightly and after a moment, finally said, "The mayor''s death, which mayor are you referring to?"


    "..."


    After a long,plex silence, the elderly man softly replied, "It''s the same Fengtian City mayor you met with. He was a very charismatic person. About ten minutes after you dove into the dream, the mayor gave that order, his veryst one."


    "When you woke from the dream, I went to find the mayor, only to discover he had hanged himself in the shelter," the man continued solemnly.


    "The shelter, located three thousand meters underground, was nearly absolutely safe, impregnable to outsiders, with no signs of damage or struggle. The autopsy confirmed the mayor died by suicide. There were no injuries on the mayor''s body; he died of asphyxiation."


    "ording to the coroner, the mayor died approximately three hours after you entered the dream," he added.


    "The mayor left no message beforemitting suicide. At the moment, it''s unclear why he suddenly chose to take his life, but the incident did ur. The Fengtian City Government will hold a funeral for the mayor in three days."


    "Recently, the mayor was in close contact with you. Did he leave you any message before his death?" the old man asked earnestly, his eyes revealing an unease.

 Chapter 204 "Ive found him.

    Chen Miao didn''t speak, just looked expressionlessly at the seemingly amiable elder in front of him, pausing for a moment before slowly saying, "The mayor is dead, does it mean you be the new mayor as the deputy mayor?"


    "I don''t know."


    The elder shook his head, "I understand what you''re thinking, but it has nothing to do with me. In fact, I''ve always been the mayor''s person. Every time there was a meeting, I would propose ideas that werepletely opposed to the mayor''s ¡ª this was all arranged with the mayor."


    "That way, those who opposed the mayor would gather around me."


    "Their Strength would be used for me, and thus controlled by the mayor."


    "Clear divisions are better than not knowing where some stand; it''s much easier to manage. I have no reason, nor any means, to kill a mayor who''s securely sheltered three thousand meters underground."


    "He indeedmitted suicide."


    "The authorities from Jingjiu City have already gone to investigate. The sudden death of someone with the mayor''s status is no small matter; Jingjiu City will definitely find out what happened. Until the situation is resolved, it''s impossible for me to take over. I was one of the first to visit the scene, and what I can confirm is that the mayor killed himself."


    "But..."


    The elder paused before continuing hesitantly, "Have you seen someonemit suicide? No matter the reason, most who do struggle. They leave traces in many ces, such as their socialwork, diaries, and so on."


    "And there would be many abnormal behaviors, like a much higher than usual intake of cigarettes beforemitting suicide, drinking, tear stains on the face, and so on."


    "But based on my observations at the scene, the mayor left no trace before his suicide. The ashtray on the table and his usual cigarette consumption showed no difference; he was even watching a movie before his death, paused halfway through. In what situation would you pause a movie?"


    "To go to the bathroom, right?"


    "Exactly."


    "That''s what the mayor did. He was watching a movie, suddenly paused it, climbed into the bathroom, found a rope, and hanged himself in the living room. The whole process was eerie, not at all seeming like the mayor''s own intention ¡ª as if... he was possessed by a ghost."


    The elder''s expression turned grim as he spoke, "The Events Bureau had checked it at the time; there was no residual maic field oscition from any event having urred, nor the birth of any Taboo Item."


    "So... up to this point, we have no idea why the mayormitted suicide."


    "We only know that hisst order before hemitted suicide was for me to find a psychologist named Zhang Liu in Broken Pot City, and thene to Zhenba City to give you psychological counseling."


    Chen Miao quickly noticed the loophole in the elder''s words, "I entered the Hell Bus in Fengtian City. Are you sure the mayor''s order was for you toe to Zhenba City to give me psychological counseling?"


    "Yes, that was his exactmand. I''ve been waiting in Zhenba City for a long time now."


    "Hmm."


    He nodded and said no more. Although the mayor had not mentioned this deputy mayor to him in advance, the elderly man''s words before him didn''t sound false. Excluding the possibility that this person is an old fox capable ofpletely concealing his emotions, might the mayor have indeedmitted suicide?


    But why...


    Why would the mayormit suicide out of the blue?


    Could it be that he foresaw failure, that the end of the world was inevitable and preferred to end his life with dignity rather than dying in the apocalypse?


    Impossible.


    Although he had limited contact with the mayor, Chen Miao had roughly understood what kind of person the mayor was. The mayor was the type who, even if the apocalypse really came, would want to live up to thest moment and see for himself what the end of the world was actually like.


    A person like that couldn''t possiblymit suicide!


    He nced at the chat box with the mayor, which contained no useful information. Thest few messages the mayor sent him were before he entered the dream, specting about the major event called "Sea of Human Suffering."


    It was all normalmunication.


    Wait¡ª


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly as he seemed to notice something unusual.


    "All I know is this much, the Blue Star Federation has never experienced the ''Sea of Human Suffering,'' everything is an unknown."


    "With the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' event urring, everyone in the Federation is exploring, but what''s certain is that the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' event has not truly ended. The death of these hundreds of thousands of people is not the end; it''s probably just the beginning."


    "Now many Hell Bus fixed events have started to activate; the Federation hasn''t seen many Hell Buses over the decades, and today I''ve seen enough."


    "They are now sending people to Zhenba City, and you must remember not to let Lord Miao turn into a Resentful Spirit; otherwise, the consequences will be hard to predict."


    "Got it?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This was hisst conversation with the mayor. At that time, he was sitting on the Hell Bus, and Lord Miao had not yet boarded. But in his intentional observation, he had discovered an obvious acrostic among these passages.


    The first character of each sentencebined to form, "I''ve found him."


    Was this a coincidence, or was it a message that the mayor wanted to convey?


    "I''ve found him"... Found who?


    If there was indeed such important information that must be conveyed, why pass it on to someone else, and not him? He didn''t believe he had that much ability; he didn''t even understand what the sentence meant, nor did he know what use it had.


    But the mayor''s sudden bizarre suicide might be because he discovered something he shouldn''t have, and was forced into death?


    This way of dying, he was actually quite familiar with it.


    Some time ago at Eternal Cemetery, a group of peoplemitted suicide using the same dagger. Those people, as the deputy mayor had described, suddenly began tomit suicide mysteriously and did so with swift decisiveness.


    But the deputy mayor had said that there was no Taboo Item at the scene.


    "..."


    Chen Miao shook his head, deciding not to think about it any longer. After returning, he would see if he could apply to visit the shelter to take a look; perhaps he would discover something.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    The mayor of Fengtian City sat in a room with walls on all sides painted white, covered with various surveince screens, each disying real-time footage of different corners of the Blue Star Federation, including the scene of Deputy Mayor Chen Miao and his group standing next to a street food stall chatting.


    "..."


    The mayor looked down at his hands with a somewhat dazed expression, then looked up again at the screen showing Chen Miao.


    At that moment, a hoarse mechanical voice came to his ears.


    "You''re quite clever, sent to monitor this, and you yed with consciousness awakening, didn''t you?"


    "All your wages are docked; you''re fired."


    The mayor swallowed slightly, a trace of resignation shing in his eyes, momentarily unsure what to say. All of his memories had returned, and as he had surmised while on Blue Star¡ª

 Chapter 205 "I will report this request to His Majesty immediately!

    ```


    Since the transcendentalization of their began as a gift from a high-dimensional civilization,


    it stands to reason that a high-dimensional civilization must have arranged a Monitor to observe the progress of this civilization, right?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    They surely wouldn''t just let it grow wildly.


    Thus, he had started searching for the Monitor of the high-dimensional civilization a long time ago.


    But what he didn''t expect was that at the end of his search, he found out he was the Monitor from the high-dimensional civilization himself.


    It''s just that when he was cast down to Blue Star, all his memories were sealed, and he didn''t know he was the Monitor.


    When Chen Miao entered the Hell Bus, he suddenly came across a clue. Just as he was about to delve deeper, he was forced to execute his own death, yes,pelled tomit suicide.


    ...


    "So annoying,"


    the mayor looked helplessly at the screen on the wall. The body that had died on Blue Star was just a shell, not his real body; for all these years, his true body had been in a nutrition pod. He was only projecting his consciousness onto that body, which is why he could be forced to die.


    These bodies were in the hands of the organization.


    It was at this moment he realized that there were quite a few Monitors on Blue Star. Their methods of monitoring were their own eyes¡ªthe scenes disyed on the wall screens were transmitted through these people''s eyes, and the Monitors themselves didn''t know they were Monitors.


    He could see Chen Miao and others on the screens.


    This meant that among the people around Chen Miao, one of them was a Monitor, and was even looking towards Chen Miao and his group.


    With the recovery of his memory, he understood the purpose of being a Monitor. There was no need to know too much about the secrets of this; as long as they understood how the''s evolution was progressing from a macro perspective.


    Just as he had guessed.


    Numerous high-dimensional civilizations were preparing to escape from the universe, this prison. As long as their speed exceeded the expansion rate of the universe, theoretically, they could leave the universe. To these high-dimensional civilizations, this constantly expanding universe was the prison confining them.


    But their strength was insufficient.


    So, these high-dimensional civilizations kept forcing all civilizations within the universe to evolve, thus filtering out the sessful and powerful civilizations to join them and be one of them.


    It was that simple.


    These were the top-level secrets.


    Unable to resist supporting his chin with one hand, the mayor clicked his tongue and said, "Without any memory and without any actionable intelligence, I managed to guess it exactly right. Am I a genius?"


    Just then¡ª


    All the screens on the wall went dark, and the entire room started to sh red lights continuously. A piercing rm also sounded simultaneously.


    "Alright, alright."


    "I know I''ve been fired. I''m leaving, alright."


    The mayor shrugged helplessly, walked to a corner of the room, and slowly pushed open the door. A bustling street came into view, with numerous flying cars operating in an orderly manner in the sky. It was nighttime, and the neon lights of the city looked utterly corrupt.


    Many pedestrians on the street were wearing a monocle-style eyepiece, through which countless streams of data could be seen rapidly shing.


    This was a civilization highly advanced in technology, and it was his civilization.


    And above the city,


    there was also a ranking list, but the highest level of the city''s number one was only Level 21, not even as high as Fengtian City''s level.


    Transcendentalization was happening in his civilization as well.


    ...


    Yes.


    To the high-dimensional civilizations,s like Blue Star represented not only fresh bloodlines but alsob rats. This supernatural power was something they discovered during an attempt to break out of the universal boundary.


    It is spected that this power is the true force outside of the universe, the real world.


    Upon discovering this power, the high-dimensional civilizations started to introduce it into some minor civilizations, ensuring every step as a high-dimensional civilization was extremely cautious. They moved slowly, and only after those minor civilizations had been tested, they sought the optimal solution from the countless answers of those civilizations.


    This ensured that the high-dimensional civilizations would not be destroyed by this power and that they could find the most correct optimal solution.


    It was a very safe way to proceed.


    The Blue Star Federation''s highest yer level had already surpassed Level 70, while the highest yer level in his civilization was only Level 40.


    "Huff."


    He took a deep breath, looking out at the world before him, both foreign and familiar, and murmured softly, "I hope there will be a chance to meet again."


    At that moment, he seemed to be half-awake from a dream.


    Unsure what was real and what was illusion.


    ...


    "Where is this?"


    Lord Miao looked out of the Hell Bus window with some confusion. The bus had been driving along the road, crossing fields, and had directly entered a city. The city, whose tallest buildings were no more than three stories high and whose architectural style seemed quite retro, appeared before them.


    The bus quickly came to a stop.


    Suddenly, the bus door was surrounded by armor-d soldiers wielding weapons. Although these were just cold weapons, she could feel something extremely dangerous emanating from them.


    As she was unsure what to do¡ª


    ```


    Space suddenly ripped apart.


    A middle-aged man dressed in armor holding a de stepped out from the rift in space and looked at Lord Miao with a respectful expression, his hoarse voice breaking the silence, "This is the Fifth-Level Civilization ''Great Qin.'' We received a message that the nobledy was a Level 67 Supernatural being in her lifetime. By imperial decree, I have been specifically instructed to wait here for the nobledy, hoping that in the future, you may choose to stay in ''Great Qin,'' assisting His Majesty in making ''Great Qin'' even more prosperous."


    "For this purpose, we can satisfy any condition the nobledy might have."


    "Really?"


    A flicker of light passed through Lord Miao''s eyes, "Then can you take me home? I want to go back to Blue Star."


    "Uh..."


    A hint of embarrassment shed in the middle-aged man''s eyes as he slightly lowered his head, "That... we can''t do. We can only intercept the Hell Bus, but that''s all, we are unable to take the nobledy home."


    "Is there someone at home you are longing for?"


    "Yes."


    "Although we cannot take the nobledy back, we can guarantee that one day, when ''Great Qin''s'' strength is sufficient, we will definitely reunite the nobledy with her family."


    Thus pleaded the middle-aged general.


    The price was not small.


    But in exchange for a Level 67 Supernatural, it was a bloody good deal. He couldn''t even begin to imagine how much smoother the path for Great Qin would be with such an existence. The reason a minor general like himself was sent to greet her was not because His Majesty deemed this matter unimportant.


    It was because His Majesty was currently too busy to disengage.


    A Level 67 Supernatural being on this trip on the Hell Bus¡ªa fact now known by many civilizations.


    Who wouldn''t want her?


    Everyone would.


    Considering that the highest level of Supernatural beings in ''Great Qin'' at present is only at Level 42, a Level 67 Supernatural could not only provide them with a multitude of high-level techniques and secrets but also bring a vast amount of experience, whose value was truly immeasurable.


    His Majesty was leading the troops in a standoff against the armies of seven civilizations, his attitude extremely strong. This person had to belong to ''Great Qin.'' All individuals of rank had been dispatched, leaving this lesser-known character to do the weing.


    "Oh oh."


    A trace of disappointment shed through Lord Miao''s eyes, but quickly she seemed to recall something, excitement flickered faintly within. She looked out at this seemingly deste ancient city¡ªwas this what Miao had told her about, the possibility of heading to other worlds after death?


    Indeed, it was so.


    Miao had not deceived her.


    And she was fortunate that her memory was not wiped, which meant that one day in the future, she might have the opportunity to meet Miao again. She still found it difficult to ept as she gazed at the road she had traveled. It felt like such a brief trip¡ªwas it really impossible to go back?


    "By the way, do you know about Earth?"


    Lord Miao turned to face the middle-aged general.


    Miao had once told her that his home was a ce called Earth, not Blue Star.


    "Earth?"


    The middle-aged general furrowed his brows in thought before shaking his head, "I do not know, it must be some insignificant civilization, I presume. Is the nobledy agreeing to stay?"


    "Yes, yes."


    Lord Miao nodded firmly, walking down from the bus, "You just said you could grant me any request. I hope you can find a called Earth, can you do that?"


    "No problem!"


    The middle-aged general replied solemnly, "I will report this request to His Majesty immediately!"


    He then took out a wristwatch from his breast pocket, found a friend named ''Prime Minister Li Si'' in his friends'' list, and sent a message right away.


    ''To Prime Minister Li, the mission is sessfullypleted. The nobledy has agreed to stay in Great Qin to assist His Majesty!''


    "Eh..."


    Lord Miao looked at the wristwatch on the arm of the middle-aged general, a bit distracted, "I thought ''Great Qin'' had an ancient style? Howe there are wristwatches? Aren''t those a technology from a scientific civilization?"


    "Oh, this," he replied, a touch of pride in his voice as he raised his wrist, "we seized this from other civilizations. It''s very convenient formunication, much faster than the wolf-smoke signals we used to use."


    Lord Miao nodded and then took one more look down the road she hade from, "How old are you today? Don''t keep calling me nobledy, call me by my name, I''m Lord Miao."


    "As youmand, I am 2,173 years old now. Over 2,000 years ago, His Majesty found the Elixir of Longevity and the Immortal Skills. He had everyone in the nation take the Miracle Elixir and practice the Immortal Skills. Since then, the entire nation ascended, and everyone became like dragons. After many years of effort, we sessfully reached the status of a Fifth-Level Civilization one hundred and thirty-seven years ago."


    "..."


    Lord Miao stuck her tongue out in disbelief without speaking. 2,173 years, isn''t that living far too long? Is everyone in this nation immortal? That''s outrageously unbelievable!


    What she really wanted to say was, "Over 2,000 years and you''ve only managed to be a low-level leader?", but she would only express such thoughts inwardly and never voice them aloud, as it might be too offensive.


    She wondered when she would see Miao again.


    ...


    "Miao? Miao?"


    Standing next to the barbecue stall, Hungry Monkey looked at Chen Miao, who had fallen into a daze, and waved his hand in front of him tentatively, "Miao? This is reality, not a dream. Miao, are you having trouble telling the difference?"

 Chapter 210 Miao, is this place still suitable?

    "As soon as I thought about it, isn''t the no-man''snd exactly what we need?"


    "Since we''re going to a no-man''snd, we should definitely go to the most notorious one. Even though many people know about it, the most dangerous ces can be the safest. Even if they know, so what? Are they really going to send people to look for us there?"


    "The article says this ce is so inhospitable, even gods cannot dwell there!"


    "What do you think, Miao? Does this ce suit our needs?"


    Chen Miao read through the article with a calm expression, and after a long pause, he nodded, "If it''s like the article describes, then it does seem like a good fit."


    "Let''s depart immediately."


    "This quickly?"


    "Yes."


    ...


    He was not worried about the temperature being unsuitable for habitation, for "Heavenly Pce" was an artifact of pure domain creation. It wasn''t just about giving you a piece ofnd; it also allowed you to live anywhere you wished.


    For example... underwater, or on others.


    Yes.


    Even underwater, the Heavenly Pce could provide him with an oxygen shield, so that those within its territory wouldn''t asphyxiate due to the water, and as for the Land of Extreme Cold, the Heavenly Pce would also provide a shield that maintained constant temperature inside.


    However, there was one more thing he needed to do before leaving.


    "Old man."


    Chen Miao walked up to the security room''s door, leaned over the window and looked at the grandfather inside. After rapping on the ss, he tossed a packet of opened cigarettes inside: "We''re leaving and might nevere back to this cemetery. Do you want toe with us?"


    "You guys?"


    The old man looked up at Chen Miao, then his eyelids drooped again, "Do you have a cemetery there?"


    "No."


    "Then I''m not going."


    After reflecting for a moment, Chen Miao spoke again, "We can build one for you. How about that?"


    "Oh?"


    The grandfather seemed interested, and with a smile that was not quite a smile, he looked Chen Miao up and down seriously before speaking again, "We don''t have much interaction, do we? Why do you care so much about this old geezer?"


    "Let me make it clear upfront, if you''re hoping that when we encounter a formidable enemy, you can use me as some hidden master to stand up and defend against the enemy, that''s unrealistic."


    "Even if I go with you, apart from guarding tombs, I will do nothing else."


    "That''s fine."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Chen Miao smiled, "Just guarding tombs, you won''t have to do anything else."


    "Heh heh."


    The old man chuckled, got up from his bed, and began stuffing his yellowed bedding, sheets, and the television set with its constantly flickering ck-and-white screen into a backpack, then shakily stood up, "Well then, let''s go. At this age, to receive an invitation from the young with such an attitude, it''d be too disappointing not to ept."


    "After all, it doesn''t matter where I guard tombs, and every tomb needs guarding."


    "I''ll be in your care from now on."


    "I am already old. The world ultimately belongs to you young people."


    The Hungry Monkey, who stood nearby, couldn''t help but purse his lips in dissatisfaction. He always thought the old man was a bit hypocritical, although the old man had helped him quite a bit at the beginning, turning a blind eye to allow him a foothold in the cemetery.


    But he still felt that the old man was somewhat unreal.


    Always talking about guarding the tomb, guarding the tomb.


    When he was digging other people''s graves in the cemetery, he never saw the old man step forward.


    What kind of tomb are you guarding? Whose tomb are you guarding? You can''t be guarding your own tomb, can you? He always found the old man rather strange, always saying he was a Tomb Guardian, but whenever the cemetery might be damaged, the old man was always the first to slip away.


    Like that time when the Grave Digger boss was about to invade Eternal Cemetery, the old man just scooted off without even lifting his head¡ªno hesitation, just decisiveness.


    Shouldn''t a true Tomb Guardian coexist with the tomb?


    Prefer to die rather than let the tomb perish.


    ...


    "Old man."


    Chen Miao looked at the grandpa stuffing what seemed like a nearly broken TV into his backpack as if it were a treasured gem and couldn''t help but say, "Let me buy you a holographic projector, it looks way cooler."


    This thing seemed extremely out of ce in this era.


    Nowadays, many people watch TV using holographic projections, which not only have strong immersion but also excellent picture quality and can be projected anywhere. They''re much better than these old-fashioned boxy ck-and-white TVs, right?


    "No, no."


    The grandpa chuckled and shook his head, "This thing has been with me for a long time, I can''t part with it now. It never thought about changing its owner, how could I possibly change it? Do you know why there were so many blindly loyal and filial people in ancient times, but not seen in modern days?"


    "Um..."


    Chen Miao''s brow furrowed slightly, he hesitated, not speaking immediately. He didn''t quite understand what the grandpa was trying to convey by shifting the topic here¡ªit didn''t seem like small talk but rather seemed like he was trying tomunicate something more subtle.


    "Actually, it''s quite simple."


    The grandpa, while leisurely packing his belongings, began to chat in a dialect with an ent, as if he were an old man talking about household matters: "You see, in ancient times, there wasn''t muchmunication of information, a person didn''t have many opportunities in their life."


    "Take, for example, a schr in ancient times, who failed the imperial exams three times in a row, wasn''t selected for military service, had no talent for business, then at this point isn''t that person finished? But if he epts his failure, stays by his mother''s side all his life, he could at least earn the reputation of a Filial Son."


    "Is this schr truly filial?"


    "Not necessarily."


    "But bing a Filial Son was the only way he could achieve societal status and neighborhood fame in that society."


    "Apart from a Filial Son, he couldn''t be anyone else."


    "Why do they say that Poor Family''s Filial Sons aremon? It''s for this reason¡ªbecause those people had no choice. If they didn''t be Filial Sons, they would just be ruffians loitering on the streets, criticized by everyone behind their backs."


    "But by bing Filial Sons, although they still achieved nothing, they could still get a decent reputation in the neighborhood."


    "If you gave these Filial Sons a chance to achieve fame and fortune, with the cost of leaving their hometowns and no longer caring for their aging mothers, eighty percent of them wouldn''t think twice about it."


    "This is the first type, the Poor Family''s Filial Son."


    "Then there''s the second type, what''s the second type? The one who guards a dead general''s grave for decades, not even ncing home at his wife¡ªthe Tomb Guardian."


    "There''s a story like this."


    "In a certain battle, a general led his army to defeat and died on the battlefield, while his loyal follower took his body and fled back. For the rest of his life, he guarded the general''s tomb and was called blindly loyal."


    "Was he truly loyal?"


    "No."

 Chapter 207 Let me repeat, my father Zhang Boling

    "Before entering the dream, I designed a prop for myself, a prop that would make me start to suffocate after eight hours. In the feeling of near death from suffocation, I woke up from the fourthyer of the dream."


    "I specte that a near-death experience should help one escape from the fourthyer of the dream."


    "Hmm?"


    Zhang Wanlin''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and with an unpleasant tone, he said sternly, "Do you take me for a fool? Let me repeat myself, my father, Zhang Boling, is not someone you can afford to offend. Put away your little tricks."


    "We have conducted countless experiments."


    "We have already tried the method involving the sensation of near-death, and it was utterly useless. The subjects never showed the slightest sign of regaining consciousness, even up to the point of death."


    Chen Miao raised an eyebrow, "Did those subjects you mentioned know beforehand that they would suffer fatal attacks in their sleep?"


    "Of course not."


    Zhang Wanlin shook his head. How could they inform the subjects in advance? It was important to consider the impact. None of the Zhang Family''s experimental subjects were obtained illegally; they were all recruited legally as volunteers. At their status, they had to be more cautious not to capsize in this gutter.


    It would cost more money, but it was safer.


    They wouldn''t bury a safety hazard for themselves to save a little money. Before the experiment started, they had all signed a contract with the subjects, which included this use¡ª


    "This experiment carries a great risk of death, I am aware and agree."


    Nevertheless, there were still many who epted.


    One reason was the genuine need for money, which they offered in an ample amount. The second reason was that almost everyone believed they would be the lucky one, but recently, it had be increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers since too many had died.


    If it were known at recruitment that they would fall into a state of near-death during their sleep until they awokened, even fewer people would sign up.


    "That''s right."


    Chen Miao chuckled and nodded, "The thing you can trust the least is your own brain, because it can deceive you. But it''s also the thing you can trust the most, because it wille to your aid when your conscious mind is lost, like triggering an emergency program."


    "But the prerequisite is, you have to let your brain know what''s happening."


    "That''s why, before entering the fourthyer of the dream, I told myself that if I didn''t wake up after eight hours, I would die."


    "Informed of this intel, my brain woke me from the sleep as I was about to suffocate."


    "This is called the power of the brain."


    "However¡ª"


    He paused briefly and continued, "One person alone isn''t enough; the presence of a Senior Transcendent is required to apany them into the dream. Even though I became conscious because of my brain''s calling in the fourthyer of the dream, I was unable to return. There was simply no way to break through the fourthyer of the dream."


    "Lord Miao, who entered the dream with me, helped me shatter the fourthyer of the dream."


    "Only then did I sessfully return."


    "So, to awaken from the fourthyer of the dream, these two conditions are indispensable."


    He was, of course, making it all up, pulling it out of thin air. In fact, him waking up was entirely a fluke; not he, but Lord Miao awoke. If it hadn''t been for Lord Miao calling him, he would never have woken up.


    Perhaps one thing was correct.


    A Senior Transcendent entering the fourthyer of the dream would indeed be more likely to wake up. But whether it was correct or not didn''t matter. He didn''t like the man in front of him, so he simply gave him an answer to experiment with slowly on his own.


    The more members of his family who were Senior Transcendents that died, the better.


    "There''s some sense to it."


    Zhang Wanlin nodded thoughtfully, "Why haven''t we considered this before? So that''s how it is."


    After that, he burst outughing, patted Chen Miao on the shoulder, and said, "Thanks, little brother, you''re quite agreeable. From now on, when you''re out and about and run into trouble, I''ll allow you to drop my name. As long as they know me, they shouldn''t dare to touch you."


    "But remember, you must use my father Zhang Wanlin''s title."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Got it?"


    "If you use the wrong title, even if others let you off, I''ll stille looking for you."


    ...


    Zhang Wanlin left with augh without turning back, and Chen Miao looked at Zhang Wanlin''s retreating figure with a light chuckle but didn''t speak. Only then did the deputy mayor start to speak with a somewhat ugly expression, "I''m sorry you had to go through that, Chen Miao."


    "The Zhang Family is considered a powerful n in Jingjiu City. I''m just a deputy mayor; my words don''t carry enough weight."


    "It''s okay."


    Chen Miao shook his head and didn''t mind the incident. He and the deputy mayor weren''t close to begin with, so it was normal for thetter not to stick up for him. Moreover, he didn''t want to make things too intense.


    We''re all adults.


    Intense matters should be done sneakily in ces where no one can see at night.


    During the day, it''s better to keep things peaceful.


    He had made quite a name for himselftely, so much so that this wealthy young master had proactively sought him out. However, everyone''s impression of him seemed to be that of a lucky fellow who woke up from the fourthyer of dreams, a hero who saved the world, and so on.


    Perhaps no one knew that he truly made his name in this world because of firepower.


    It seemed everyone had forgotten his strength.


    Looking at the Thomson Submachine Gun lying quietly in his backpack, he smiled and murmured, "Old buddy, it''s been many years. Have you missed me?"


    "This world is tooplicated, and too chaotic."


    Ever since he woke up from the dreamscape, he had only one goal, which was to quickly be the strongest in this world and then use every means possible to search for Lord Miao, even though he knew the hope was slim. However, he still wanted to try.


    That way, at least... his mind would be at peace.


    In this life, whether one is righteous or evil, they must follow their heart and find peace within.


    If by chance, Lord Miao was really waiting for him in a new world, and he took no action, when the day came for a reunion in the future, Lord Miao''s look would make him unable to raise his head. Although he knew Lord Miao wouldn''t me him for any of this and would instead be excited to finally meet him,


    He still wouldn''t be able to lift his head again.


    He couldn''t fathom how Lord Miao, with his personality, became ranked first on the leaderboard and became a Senior Transcendent of the Federation.


    It felt like a personality that could easily be tricked and killed by others.


    If only... if only he could take all the Zhang Family''s money for himself, his progress would surely be much faster. What''s the most admirable way to start one''s rise? It''s from scratch.


    From having nothing at all and building a thriving enterprise.


    And what''s the quickest way to rise? It''s by underhanded means.


    As long as you are ruthless enough, all the wealth in the world could be yours.


    Plundering has always been one of the fastest ways to umte wealth.


    Chen Miao''s eyes gradually narrowed, and ns already started to form in his mind. The Zhang Family was too big for him to handle, but he was quite optimistic about the potential of the AI drug market, and he might be able to take a bite out of that segment."

 Chapter 208 A Tall Tree Catches the Wind.

    The second phase of the Sea of Human Sufferingsted for three days, and only one day had passed so far, with two more days to go.


    Even more people flooded into Zhenba City.


    The current security measures in Zhenba City could rival Jingjiu City, with patrolling police officers and various official armed personnel visible everywhere on the streets. Despite that, murders were still frequent; killing had be truly difficult these days.


    It wasn''t that the act of killing was difficult, but rather the aftermath ¨C escaping or hiding was no easy feat.


    Many things were difficult, but if one was willing, even a single strand of hair could be used to kill someone.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Chen Miao had already left Zhenba City, leading Hungry Monkey and the others as they prepared to head to Fengtian City, their hometown. In that city, they felt at home, unlike in Zhenba City where they always had a sense of difort.


    "Miao, this thing is really great. With this, do we even need that container truck when we go out?"


    "Feels like a bit of a waste to buy it."


    On the Hell Bus.


    Hungry Monkey looked out the window, full of sentiment. He never thought that one day he would step foot on the Hell Bus and feel as rxed as if he were going home, without a hint of crisis. The vehicle that Miao was using to take them home was none other than the Hell Bus itself.


    There were far fewer restrictions on the Hell Buspared to a fixed event.


    Apart from not being able to get off midway, they wouldn''t encounter any dangers. The bus traveled as if it were moving through a wormhole, significantly reducing the distance between two ces and allowing them to return to Fengtian City in an extremely covert and fast manner.


    "Is this the Hell Bus?"


    Zhou Shen looked around in awe. He had only entered a fixed event once before, and it was a very low-tier event. Yet, he nearly lost his life that time. He never imagined that one day he could re-enter a fixed event and feel asfortable as if he were in his own backyard.


    Very soon¡ª


    They arrived back at Fengtian City, and the Hell Bus stopped right at the entrance of the Eternal Cemetery, getting them home in one fell swoop.


    Chen Miao didn''t get off the bus immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes slightly, a trace of shock in his gaze as he looked at the special item in his arms.


    ''Prop Name'': Immeasurable Merit.


    ''Prop Level'': E-rank.


    ''Prop Effect'': When you obtain Merit, it will open up a Merit Store. You can use the Merit Points you''ve gathered to purchase anything you need from the Merit Store.


    ''Prop Description'': The Buddha spoke about Merit all his life until thest moment when he finally understood what Merit truly was.


    ''Merit Points'': 130,000.


    He had a whopping 130,000 Merit Points, which all came exclusively from "Lord Miao".


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s brows furrowed slightly in confusion; while therge amount of Merit Points was a good thing, he didn''t quite understand how they were calcted?


    If it was for helping the undead return home that awarded Merit Points,


    then the other passengers didn''t contribute even a little bit of Merit Points to him.


    If it was about preventing an impending disaster, then during the zombie siege in Broken Pot City, he also paid a hefty price, but he wasn''t rewarded with Merit then¡ªonly this time.


    Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on this anymore.


    Instead, he looked at the Merit Store.


    There were indeed many things for purchase.


    He even saw blueprints for ''Hell Gatling,'' an item that could show up at a gunner''s auction; here, it was priced at merely 2,000 Merit Points. In other words, his 130,000 Merit Points could be exchanged for 65 ''Hell Gatling'' blueprints if he wished so.


    That could indeed lead to a qualitative transformation for his ''Tomb Guardian'' squad.


    But soon¡ª


    His attention was captured by a particr item, and he couldn''t look away.


    ''Prop Name'': Paru Ball.


    ''Prop Level'': B-rank.


    ''Prop Attributes'': Single-use.


    ''Prop Effect'': A device simr to a Pok¨¦ball that can subdue a monster or boss. Encapsting them with the Paru Ball, the sess rate increases if the target''s level is lower than the yer''s or if it is severely injured.


    Once subdued, they will maintain their Combat Power and fight for the yer.


    However, they can only fight in the vicinity of the domain and can''t leave it.


    ''Prop Description'': This item must be used in conjunction with ''Heavenly Pce.'' Capturing humans is inhumane and is not advocated.


    ''Prop Price'': 100 Merit Points.


    A great item.


    Not only because its effect is good, but its cost-effectiveness is through the roof¡ªa single-use B-rank item is only priced at 100 Merit Points, cheaper than some D-rank items.


    Even if he didn''t use it himself, he could make a fortune selling it.


    But he had no intention of doing that, as there was a line of fine print indicating that this item could only be acquired from the Merit Store; meaning, it was exceedingly rare. At least, he had never heard of anyone owning one. Under these circumstances, it was definitely something he would use for himself.


    As for the mentioned need to pair it with ''Heavenly Pce,'' the Heavenly Pce is also a prop, more precisely, a construction-type prop.


    ```


    "Prop Name": Heavenly Pce.


    "Prop Level": B-Grade.


    "Prop Effect": You can choose a location as your territory and continuously level it up using Star Coins, which will bring various effects as the territory levels up, such as building invisibility, Absolute Barrier, and so on.


    In addition, you can construct different buildings, each with its own effects, and the size of the territory will expand with each upgrade.


    "Prop Restriction": There must be a Tower Defense Master within the territory, the lord has full authority, but the construction of buildings and the like must bepleted by the Tower Defense Master.


    "Prop Description": A lord should have a territory of their own.


    "Prop Price": 100,000 Merit Points.


    "..."


    Chen Miao nced at the Paru Ball, then at the Heavenly Pce, andstly at the Eternal Cemetery before him. After a moment of contemtion, he suddenly spoke, "Decided, we''re moving!"


    After this incident, he had be thoroughly famous. Ordinary people might not know him, but many of the higher-ups were aware of this person.


    After all, at a certain moment, he had decided the fate of the entire Federation''s future.


    Great trees catch much wind.


    Establishing his base in the Eternal Cemetery was no longer appropriate, but moving to the city or a vi area was also unrealistic due to theck of any concealment.


    He had actually thought about moving quite some time ago, but never had a suitable new home until the appearance of the "Heavenly Pce" prop, which elerated his ns. He intended to build his own territory in a secluded location.


    Without anyone knowing.


    Quietly developing his strength, continuously venturing into secret realms to enhance his abilities.


    The buildings could be renderedpletely invisible, while the Absolute Barrier would ensure his territory remained undiscovered. By capturing some bosses and cing them in his domain, he could create an imprable safe house for himself.


    He woulde and go invisibly, using the Hell Bus. Just like this, he would develop secretly for a year or even longer. When he emerged again, no one would speak to him as they had before.


    Take someone like Zhang Wanlin, for instance.


    Although he told himself to stay calm, knowing he couldn''t afford to provoke the other party and it was unnecessary to act petntly, what he really wanted to do was stuff the Thomson in the other''s mouth when they spoke rudely.


    If the mayor were still alive.


    Fengtian City could have been his homnd. Unfortunately, the mysterious death of the mayor, or rather his forced death, meant that Fengtian City could no longer shelter him. The protection offered by the deputy mayor was far from sufficientpared to the mayor.


    ...


    "Really moving? Are you sure?"


    Yuan Buping was stunned for a moment before looking reluctantly at the underground, "My underground pce is almost ready, I haven''t even had the chance to show it to you. Why don''t you take a look before we move?"


    "Otherwise, it feels like such a waste."


    "I''ve put a lot of effort into this."


    "We''re definitely moving," Chen Miao nodded. "The Eternal Cemetery is no longer suitable for us. We must find a ce quiet enough for us to develop. Hungry Monkey, you will be responsible for finding this location."


    "We don''t need to consider transportation or convenience of living; the Hell Bus can fulfill our needs."


    "We only need to consider one thing: concealment, it has to be sufficiently concealed."


    "Alright."


    Hungry Monkey nodded vigorously in agreement.


    After giving his instructions, Chen Miao then turned to Yuan Buping, "Where is the entrance to your underground pce? Take us to see it; I''ve been too busytely to see what you''ve made of it."


    Yuan Buping''s eyes lit up, and he eagerly rushed ahead to lead the way, "Follow me!"


    "First, the entrance to the underground pce. I''ve designed it meticulously to be concealed. Do you see that trap up ahead? It''s a ''Heavy Stone Trap'', an exclusive construction of my profession, ''Tower Defense Master'', made from heavy stones and ropes. Anyone who steps into the circle formed by the ropes on the ground will be hoisted up, unable to escape for a short time."


    "It''s a rule-system construction."


    "Called ''Heavy Stone Trap''."


    "No matter the level of a Supernatural being, they will need at least five seconds to break free. If their level is low, or even if they are just an ordinary person, they wouldn''t be able to break free all night long."


    "It''s also one of the mostmon constructions used by Tower Defense Masters. In various online videos, many Tower Defense Masters use different methods to conceal their ''Heavy Stone Traps'', and when enemies step into them, they wee a flood of attacks from the Tower Defense Masters."


    "Hmm."


    Hungry Monkey spoke expressionlessly, "But isn''t your concealment a bit too crude? Just by that tree and these leaves on the ground, do you think that can hide the trap?"


    "One nce and it''s seen through. Come on."


    "Only a fool would step on it."


    "It''s only because no one has intruded into the Eternal Cemeterytely; otherwise, what good are these traps of yours?"


    "That''s right."


    Yuan Buping nodded with satisfaction, "Only a fool would step on it, but in fact, this isn''t the real ''Heavy Stone Trap''. It''s just a construction I made to imitate it. Stepping on it won''t trigger any trap."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Instead, one will fall into the underground pce following the reeds on the ground. This circle made of ropes is precisely the entrance I built for the underground pce."


    "The most dangerous ce is often the safest."


    ```

 Chapter 209 "Youve taken the trouble.

    "And beneath, I''veid a great swath of reeds and cotton to ensure that falling in won''t cause any injuries."


    "This is thebyrinth entrance I''ve designed."


    "..."


    After a long silence, Hungry Monkey finally gave a thumbs up, "You''ve put a lot of effort into this."


    He didn''t know what to say, so he chose not to say anything at all.


    ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Later, when Yuan Buping and Miao along with others followed this entrance sessfully into the underground pce, he also started to showcase the fruits of hisbor over these days. It was evident that he had indeed put in a lot of effort¡ªthere were venttion ducts, emergency passages, and everything that was necessary was in ce.


    The entire underground area had nearly been hollowed out.


    While all the living amenities were not yet fully provided, spaces for these amenities had already been allotted.


    One could imagine that over countless days and nights, Yuan Buping and his men had started excavating this underground pce, putting in the hard work. Although it was still in its infancy, one could already see quite a lot.


    The excavated space was around the size of fifty square rooms, with a height of over three meters.


    Though it sounds small, considering the need for secrecy, this space was dug out by Yuan Buping and his crew bit by bit, which makes it quite significant.


    After all of this was done, Chen Miao left the underground pce and returned to his own tomb chamber, continuing to sleep and adjust the market. Ever since he had woken from the dream, for some reason, he always felt extremely exhausted.


    He just wanted to sleep.


    It was a good thing the recent time difference was off¡ªit allowed him to catch up on sleep and readjust.


    ...


    The next day, daylight broke.


    Eight in the morning.


    Chen Miao atst woke up. After freshening up, he stood at the entrance of his tomb chamber, smoking a cigarette as part of his morning routine, while watching the news from Zhenba City. Everything was still under the control of the Federation. The progress in the second phase of the Sea of Human Suffering had increased significantly, but it was still manageable.


    However, it was worth mentioning that¡ª


    Many native residents of Zhenba City had taken flight. Even though Zhenba City, which was not the Federal Capital City, had a poption of 2 million, even after hundreds of thousands had died, there still remained over a million people.


    Out of this million-plus poption, several hundreds of thousands fled Zhenba City overnight.


    Some thought that Zhenba City had be too chaotic recently and sought to find a safer ce to preserve their lives.


    Others had their livelihoods in Zhenba City ripped apart, leaving nothing to hold onto, so they simply left for other cities in search of better opportunities.


    But¡ª


    The majority left because they had seized quite a bit of Blessing in the second phase and, for safety, opted to flee straight away.


    For them, three to five blessings were enough. Coveting too many could make them too conspicuous, and if they were caught or executed on the spot, it would be a devastating loss.


    "Blessing..."


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly. By now, he hadpletely awakened from that dream and began to sort through the recent events he had experienced. Blessing wasn''t equivalent to Luck Value.


    Having an abundance of Blessing didn''t necessarily mean your luck would improve.


    How should I put it? It''s like a person''s whole life is mostly made up of three scenarios:


    Exceptionally good luck,pletely ordinary, or exceptionally bad luck.


    For most people, their lives are predominantly ordinary, with only a few individuals experiencing either exceptionally good or bad luck with unusual frequency.


    And this ''Blessing'' is like something that can help increase the frequency of ''exceptionally good luck'' scenarios.


    It seems to sound no different from Luck Value, but actually, there is an essential difference.


    It can''t increase your personal Luck Value, but only helps you increase the frequency of having "particrly good luck".


    "Born at an inopportune time."


    At this point, Hungry Monkey and others also came to their senses and nced at the translucent panel in front of Miao, made some emotional remarks after seeing the news on it: "We are just in Fengtian City, if we had arrived in Zhenba City before the advent of the Sea of Human Suffering."


    "I can''t even imagine how blissful that would be."


    "With Miao''s ability, harvesting tens of thousands of Blessing wouldn''t that be a breeze? I can''t even imagine, when a person''s Blessing reaches into the tens of thousands, what kind of existence would that be? Isn''t that just purely a terrestrial immortal?"


    "The kind who picks up money just by walking."


    "Isn''t that vision a bit narrow?"


    Yuan Buping fantasized with longing on his face, "Wouldn''t it mean picking up a wife, discovering that she''s the richest woman in the world, then she madly falls in love with you, allowing you to reach the summit of the world in one fell swoop?"


    Chen Miao paid no attention to the others and continued to sort through the recent events, as well as inventory histest gains.


    Two things needed to be dealt with promptly.


    Perfectly passing through a Level E secret realm would allow his Nothingness Space to level up again.


    It was important to get his character level up to 20 as soon as possible so as to unlock the panel for the Level S Taboo Item "Life of Degradation".


    These two tasks were his current main quests. Of course, before that, he needed to find a ce that was quiet and hidden enough, as he was about to begin hoarding supplies on arge scale.


    "Did you find the location I asked you to look for yesterday?"


    "Found it."


    Seeing that Miao began talking business, Hungry Monkey spoke seriously, "The northernmost point of the Land of Extreme Cold has a ce that''s extremely suitable for our existence. That area is absolutely hidden, so hidden in fact that there isn''t even a map of it."


    "Even satellites can''t observe that section."


    "That ce has be much colder after the world underwent Transcendentalization; it used to be somewhat normal, but now the whole world has changed a lot. The clouds over there have been frozen solid, with countless thunderclouds hovering in the sky all year round."


    "Some clouds are frozen solid, while others can be passed through normally."


    "Flying into the clouds is entirely up to luck, you never know whether the clump of clouds in front of you is like a lump of iron. Countless raindrops are frozen mid-air and thennd on these frozen thunderclouds, causing that part of the sky to be consistently overcast all year long,pletely isted from the world."


    "And absolutely concealed."


    "..."


    Before Miao could respond, Yuan Buping spoke up tentatively, "Although Miao told you not to consider living conditions, we should at least find a ce where people can survive, right? Can people live in that kind of ce?"


    Chen Miao didn''t seem to mind that, and instead turned to look at Hungry Monkey: "How did you find out about this ce?"


    "Here."


    With evident pride, Hungry Monkey slowly opened his browser page.


    A line of text appeared prominently on the browser.


    "Exposed! Blue Star''s top ten uninhabited no-go zones! The first ce is so inhospitable not even gods can live there, and nine out of ten people don''t know it!"


    "Number ten: Secluded Ind."


    "Number nine: ..."


    "Number one: The deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold!"


    That''s right, this was an article, the kind of ubiquitous clickbait content you often see, which typically earns money by luring readers in with sensationalist headlines for tform traffic mization.


    And Hungry Monkey seemed somewhat pleased with his own cleverness, still discussing his thought process: "Yesterday, Miao asked me to find a new ce, absolutely secluded, and with no need to consider living conditions."

 Chapter 210 Miao, is this place still suitable?

    "As soon as I thought about it, isn''t the no-man''snd exactly what we need?"


    "Since we''re going to a no-man''snd, we should definitely go to the most notorious one. Even though many people know about it, the most dangerous ces can be the safest. Even if they know, so what? Are they really going to send people to look for us there?"


    "The article says this ce is so inhospitable, even gods cannot dwell there!"


    "What do you think, Miao? Does this ce suit our needs?"


    Chen Miao read through the article with a calm expression, and after a long pause, he nodded, "If it''s like the article describes, then it does seem like a good fit."


    "Let''s depart immediately."


    "This quickly?"


    "Yes."


    ...


    He was not worried about the temperature being unsuitable for habitation, for "Heavenly Pce" was an artifact of pure domain creation. It wasn''t just about giving you a piece ofnd; it also allowed you to live anywhere you wished.


    For example... underwater, or on others.


    Yes.


    Even underwater, the Heavenly Pce could provide him with an oxygen shield, so that those within its territory wouldn''t asphyxiate due to the water, and as for the Land of Extreme Cold, the Heavenly Pce would also provide a shield that maintained constant temperature inside.


    However, there was one more thing he needed to do before leaving.


    "Old man."


    Chen Miao walked up to the security room''s door, leaned over the window and looked at the grandfather inside. After rapping on the ss, he tossed a packet of opened cigarettes inside: "We''re leaving and might nevere back to this cemetery. Do you want toe with us?"


    "You guys?"


    The old man looked up at Chen Miao, then his eyelids drooped again, "Do you have a cemetery there?"


    "No."


    "Then I''m not going."


    After reflecting for a moment, Chen Miao spoke again, "We can build one for you. How about that?"


    "Oh?"


    The grandfather seemed interested, and with a smile that was not quite a smile, he looked Chen Miao up and down seriously before speaking again, "We don''t have much interaction, do we? Why do you care so much about this old geezer?"


    "Let me make it clear upfront, if you''re hoping that when we encounter a formidable enemy, you can use me as some hidden master to stand up and defend against the enemy, that''s unrealistic."


    "Even if I go with you, apart from guarding tombs, I will do nothing else."


    "That''s fine."


    Chen Miao smiled, "Just guarding tombs, you won''t have to do anything else."


    "Heh heh."


    The old man chuckled, got up from his bed, and began stuffing his yellowed bedding, sheets, and the television set with its constantly flickering ck-and-white screen into a backpack, then shakily stood up, "Well then, let''s go. At this age, to receive an invitation from the young with such an attitude, it''d be too disappointing not to ept."


    "After all, it doesn''t matter where I guard tombs, and every tomb needs guarding."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I''ll be in your care from now on."


    "I am already old. The world ultimately belongs to you young people."


    The Hungry Monkey, who stood nearby, couldn''t help but purse his lips in dissatisfaction. He always thought the old man was a bit hypocritical, although the old man had helped him quite a bit at the beginning, turning a blind eye to allow him a foothold in the cemetery.


    But he still felt that the old man was somewhat unreal.


    Always talking about guarding the tomb, guarding the tomb.


    When he was digging other people''s graves in the cemetery, he never saw the old man step forward.


    What kind of tomb are you guarding? Whose tomb are you guarding? You can''t be guarding your own tomb, can you? He always found the old man rather strange, always saying he was a Tomb Guardian, but whenever the cemetery might be damaged, the old man was always the first to slip away.


    Like that time when the Grave Digger boss was about to invade Eternal Cemetery, the old man just scooted off without even lifting his head¡ªno hesitation, just decisiveness.


    Shouldn''t a true Tomb Guardian coexist with the tomb?


    Prefer to die rather than let the tomb perish.


    ...


    "Old man."


    Chen Miao looked at the grandpa stuffing what seemed like a nearly broken TV into his backpack as if it were a treasured gem and couldn''t help but say, "Let me buy you a holographic projector, it looks way cooler."


    This thing seemed extremely out of ce in this era.


    Nowadays, many people watch TV using holographic projections, which not only have strong immersion but also excellent picture quality and can be projected anywhere. They''re much better than these old-fashioned boxy ck-and-white TVs, right?


    "No, no."


    The grandpa chuckled and shook his head, "This thing has been with me for a long time, I can''t part with it now. It never thought about changing its owner, how could I possibly change it? Do you know why there were so many blindly loyal and filial people in ancient times, but not seen in modern days?"


    "Um..."


    Chen Miao''s brow furrowed slightly, he hesitated, not speaking immediately. He didn''t quite understand what the grandpa was trying to convey by shifting the topic here¡ªit didn''t seem like small talk but rather seemed like he was trying tomunicate something more subtle.


    "Actually, it''s quite simple."


    The grandpa, while leisurely packing his belongings, began to chat in a dialect with an ent, as if he were an old man talking about household matters: "You see, in ancient times, there wasn''t muchmunication of information, a person didn''t have many opportunities in their life."


    "Take, for example, a schr in ancient times, who failed the imperial exams three times in a row, wasn''t selected for military service, had no talent for business, then at this point isn''t that person finished? But if he epts his failure, stays by his mother''s side all his life, he could at least earn the reputation of a Filial Son."


    "Is this schr truly filial?"


    "Not necessarily."


    "But bing a Filial Son was the only way he could achieve societal status and neighborhood fame in that society."


    "Apart from a Filial Son, he couldn''t be anyone else."


    "Why do they say that Poor Family''s Filial Sons aremon? It''s for this reason¡ªbecause those people had no choice. If they didn''t be Filial Sons, they would just be ruffians loitering on the streets, criticized by everyone behind their backs."


    "But by bing Filial Sons, although they still achieved nothing, they could still get a decent reputation in the neighborhood."


    "If you gave these Filial Sons a chance to achieve fame and fortune, with the cost of leaving their hometowns and no longer caring for their aging mothers, eighty percent of them wouldn''t think twice about it."


    "This is the first type, the Poor Family''s Filial Son."


    "Then there''s the second type, what''s the second type? The one who guards a dead general''s grave for decades, not even ncing home at his wife¡ªthe Tomb Guardian."


    "There''s a story like this."


    "In a certain battle, a general led his army to defeat and died on the battlefield, while his loyal follower took his body and fled back. For the rest of his life, he guarded the general''s tomb and was called blindly loyal."


    "Was he truly loyal?"


    "No."

 Chapter 211 "I feel uncomfortable.

    "It''s because the nation had perished, and the only reason he was still alive was that the enemy country, out of respect for his loyalty, spared him a way to survive. He had to maintain his blind allegiance to continue living. The moment he left the general''s tomb and returned to his own home, he would be eradicated."


    "Was this trusted follower truly loyal?"


    "No, he, too, was a person without choice."


    "This is the second type of person, the Tomb Guardian who died at the general''s grave."


    "There''s also a third type of person."


    "There was someone in a troupe who yed the suona. He had been in this line of work for about forty years and could be considered a Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime. When meeting anyone, he wouldn''t say he particrly loved this line of work; it was all handed down by his ancestors, and he had to pass it on."


    "People also admired him greatly."


    "But did he really like this profession?"


    "Not really, he simply had no other choice. Apart from this skill, he was unable to do anything else. He could only follow this profession. But being known as a stinking suona yer didn''t sound good, so he had to hypnotize himself, telling everyone that he truly loved what he did."


    "This is the third type of person, the Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime."


    "Do you understand?"


    The old man in the security room, who had already packed up his belongings, looked at Chen Miao with profound meaning and started speaking with a smile, "The reason the ancients were pure isn''t because they were really that kind, but because they didn''t have many choices."


    "When there are no choices, people naturally be very pure."


    "However, once there are more options, people change."


    "Loyalty and filial piety, these two virtues that have been extolled since ancient times, only appear when there are no other choices. If there were other options, no one would choose loyalty and filial piety."


    "Since you are willing to take me with you, I will just chat casually with you."


    "Just take it as the ramblings of a dying man."


    "When are we leaving?"


    "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chen Miao stood in ce, frowning in deep thought, not speaking. The old man had just mentioned three types of people:


    1: The Filial Son from a poor family.


    2: The Tomb Guardian who had guarded a general''s tomb for decades.


    3: The Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime.


    All these three types of people shared one thing inmon: without choice, they persisted in something for a very long time, and that thing even became a virtue. He vaguely felt that the old man was hinting at some kind of message to him.


    But...


    He kind of didn''t understand.


    What exactly did it mean?


    "Hey."


    At this moment, Hungry Monkey, standing beside Chen Miao, finally couldn''t help but retort, "I say, old man, aren''t your words a bit too biased? ording to what you said, only poor people would be filial? Rich people can''t be filial?"


    "I haven''t seen many rich people whopletely ignore whether their parents live or die."


    "Heh heh."


    The old man, having stepped out of the security room, showed his tobo-stained yellow teeth and started speaking with augh, "It''s different,pletely different. One is filial piety without choice, the other is filial piety with choice."


    "They arepletely two different things."


    "You''ll understand eventually."


    "And I never said what I''m saying is correct, did I? I just finally had someone to talk to, just shooting the breeze, that''s all. Just take it as me talking nonsense."


    ...


    Chen Miao pondered for a long time, still not understanding what message the old man was trying to convey. Eventually, he decided not to think about it anymore. Lately, there had been too many things he couldn''t make sense of, like the acrostic poem the mayor left behind after his suicide, which he also didn''t understand.


    "I found him."


    Who the hell did you find?


    He was starting to feel annoyed with these cryptic people. If there was something to say, why couldn''t they speak inly? Say it if you can, remain silent if you can''t. Instead, they had toe up with something like this, making it unbearable for everyone involved.


    Oh well, no more thinking about it.


    Soon¡ª


    A bus slowly stopped at the entrance of the cemetery, and Chen Miao, having packed up all his luggage, took onest look at the Eternal Cemetery. This ce held too many memories for him; when he first arrived in this world, he was penniless.


    Hungry Monkey had taken him in here.


    From then on, he used this ce as a base, gradually building up his power and improving his strength.


    Now, this ce could no longer contain him, and it was time for him to leave.


    Hungry Monkey seemed even more sentimental, "I spent several thousands to buy this cemetery plot at that time. Although I don''tck the money now, it still saddens me to think about it. My first love ended before it could even begin."


    "But now, I havee to terms with it."


    "If I ever get the chance to see that woman again..."


    Just then¡ª


    Zhou Shen also strode over with his daughter, standing next to Chen Miao with aplex expression, "Miao."


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Miao looked at Zhou Shen and his daughter in surprise, crouched down to gently stroke the little girl''s head before standing up and smiling at Zhou Shen, "Why are you here? Didn''t I tell you to continue expanding in Fengtian City?"


    "We are just moving, not that we will never return to Fengtian City."


    "Don''t forget, I still have to represent Fengtian City in the city-statepetitionter."


    "Why do you look as if you''re saying goodbye?"


    "It''s not a farewell."


    Zhou Shen''s face looked a bit gloomy, as if he was struggling to hold back his sadness, "I want to go with you, Miao. I resigned from my position at the Events Bureau with the Federal Government in Fengtian City before I came here this morning. I sold all my belongings yesterday, and I brought my daughter with me because I want to leave with you all?"


    "Resign?"


    Perplexed, Hungry Monkey finally got his bearings after confirming Zhou Shen wasn''t joking, "Do you know how much Miao sacrificed to get you that position as director of the Events Bureau? You''ve just reached this point not long ago, and now you''re resigning?"


    "Didn''t Miao say it?"


    "We''re just moving, it''s not like we''re cutting ties with Fengtian City?"


    "No."


    Zhou Shen took a deep breath, looking at Miao with a very serious expression: "To tell the truth, Miao, I really like the position of the director of the Events Bureau. That office is really big, everybody respects you. With just a word or a nce from you, everyone takes notice."


    "The feeling of power is indeed very addictive."


    "I''m no exception."


    "But I am well aware of how I got to sit in this position; I can say that without you, Miao, I would have never be the director of the Events Bureau in my lifetime. Now that the mayor has died in a strange suicide, and you''ve left¡­"


    "Having spent so much time with everyone, I have long considered myself a part of the Tomb Guardians, even though I haven''t officially joined the Tomb Guardians. But while everyone else is out there fighting, I''m alone in Fengtian City, living the high life."


    "I''m notfortable with that."


    "No matter what happens after this, I want to face it with everyone. Miao, I want to go with you, no matter what we encounter ahead, I, Zhou Shen, will definitely be at the very front."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey''s mouth slowly dropped open, a look of astonishment in his eyes. He finally understood what education was for: to be able to keep a straight face and tter effectively when the timees, look at this disy of loyalty¡ª who wouldn''t be moved?


    Yuan Buping looked at Zhou Shen, who was expressing his loyalty, and nodded thoughtfully without saying a word. He seemed to suddenly understand what the old man meant when he said that people are the purest when they have no choices.


    Zhou Shen is being quite pure now, isn''t he?


    But Zhou Shen did have choices.


    In his heart, Zhou Shen had many options, and each one was not a bad choice.


    "Okay."


    Chen Miao nced at Zhou Shen, not saying much more, but walked straight toward the Hell Bus stopped in the middle of the road with a smile, "Then get on board. Oh, Hungry Monkey, add Zhou Shen to the ''Tomb Guardians,'' we still have spots avable, right?"


    "No, wait¡ª"


    Chen Miao paused, flipped through the list of the Tomb Guardians members, then frowned at Zhou Shen, "Haven''t you joined the Tomb Guardians already?"


    Just having woken up from a 50-year dream, he was a bit unclear about many things. Zhou Shen''s wholehearted speech just now, about not having formally joined the Tomb Guardians and wanting to be a real member, made him think Zhou Shen wasn''t part of the group yet. But suddenly, he remembered it seemed Zhou Shen had joined the Tomb Guardians a long time ago.


    "Yes!"


    Zhou Shen took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Thanks to Miao''s favor, I joined the ''Tomb Guardians'' early on. What I meant by not truly bing a member is that while everyone lives in the Cemetery, I am the only one who lives in a big office."


    "In the days toe, I want to advance or retreat together with everyone and truly integrate with you all!"


    In fact, he was very sad inside.


    He really didn''t want to part... with his office, his power, the position of director of the Events Bureau that he obtained with such difficulty. He struggled all night long, bags under his eyes, rushing over to the Cemetery early in the morning.


    In the end, he still chose to follow Miao.


    Miao left.


    Even if he could continue to live it up, that good life wouldn''tst much longer. As Miao''s influence in Fengtian City gradually weakened due to his long absence, his position would be coveted by many. By then, returning to Miao''s side would be as hard as scaling the heavens.


    ...


    ps: It''s been a while since Ist posted a ps. Nearly two months have passed since this book was published. The updates have been fairly consistent every day, and the performance is approaching the premium line. For an average author, this is actually a very good aplishment. Many struggling authors might even refer to premium authors as big shots.


    This book haspletely exhausted me.


    The reason is my poor editor, who suddenly resigned when I was newly published, leaving me to fight alone. Being suddenly left as a lone individual in the vast Starting Point was, to put it mildly, tragic.


    I actually expected my editor to leave.


    Ever since I inadvertently learned that I was the highest-performing author my editor had, I knew my boss probably wouldn''tst long... after all, the performance wasn''t exactly ideal. I just didn''t expect that while I was still holding on, my boss would take off first.


    This book will be about 1.5 million words, which means it will finish around April or May after the new year. The small goal for the near future is to keep updating over the New Year''s period.


    Yeah, that''s about it.


    I hope everyone has a good new year and that you all are happy, everything goes well, and the Year of the Dragon is very auspicious!

 Chapter 212 "Is this the Hell Bus...?

    For these reasons, after struggling through the night, he still followed, although he did not know what he would face in the future. But since he had been tied to Miao from the start, there was no other choice.


    Even if he stayed in Fengtian City.


    Everyone would still regard him as a man of Miao''s.


    ...


    Chen Miao did not say much, only led the crowd onto the Hell Bus to prepare for the deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold. The only issue was that there were too many people; they had exceeded his maximum capacity. He could carry a maximum of 17 people, and this number had clearly been surpassed.


    But it wasn''t a big problem.


    They would just need to make an extra trip back and forth.


    It wasn''t a big deal.


    "This is the Hell Bus...?"


    The old gravekeeper, when seated near the bus and looking at the scenery of the Otherworldly Space, shed a hint of shock in his eyes beforeughing lowly to himself as if he thought of something, whispering, "Quite interesting."


    His voice was very soft, and no one on the bus heard it.


    Now, Chen Miao encountered the first problem with the move, and it seemed to be quite serious.


    The Hell Bus could stop at any corner of the world, as long as there was a road there; the Hell Bus could reach it smoothly. But the problemy right there, no one had ever set foot in the deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold¡ªwhere could there be a road?


    If there was no sign of human habitation, how could there be a road?


    After flipping through the Hell Bus''s routes for a while, he barely found a section of dead-end road. It was built back when the world had not yet undergone Transcendentalization, and the deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold was not yet aplete forbidden area.


    After the world underwent Transcendentalization, this ce had bepletely inessible.


    But this segment of road was still a few kilometers away from their target.


    If it were an ordinary day, these few kilometers wouldn''t pose a big problem, practically a short smoke break away. However, the problem was that it was in the deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold, where the temperature was nearly at its lowest, making movement extremely difficult. The few kilometers might not be so easily traversed.


    ...


    An hourter.


    The Hell Bus sessfully stopped on a dead-end road deep in the Land of Extreme Cold, just a few kilometers away from their chosen target location. As long as they could safely reach it, that ce would be their new home.


    Without any idents, they would live there for a very long time.


    And just getting off the bus, Chen Miao and hispanions were stunned by the scene before them, involuntarily gaping in unison.


    "Oh my god..."


    Staring at the scene in shock, Hungry Monkey said in a trance, "No wonder the Land of Extreme Cold is ranked first among the ten forbidden areas. How can normal people survive here?"


    The first feeling was the cold; it was bitterly cold.


    It was a dry cold.


    The air was extremely dry, devoid of any moisture, and the chill stabbed at one''s face like knives. But if it were merely this, the ce couldn''t im the title of a forbiddennd.


    They had prepared well before disembarking.


    As Supernatural beings, their physical condition was far superior to ordinary people, and with arge number of cold-protection measures, everyone wrapped themselves up tightly. Despite the cold weather, there was no immediate fatal risk for a short while.


    What truly shocked them was the sight of an entire wastnd. There wasn''t a single snowke on the ground, while in the sky spread cloud cover stretching for miles. Those clouds, as if solidifying into reality, floated overhead.


    And at a nce, it seemed these clouds were merely a few kilometers above the ground.


    They gave off the feeling that they could crash down at any moment.


    Perhaps this was what people meant by the oppressive sense of ''dark clouds over the city.''


    Apart from that¡ª


    The entire wilderness was filled with arge number of secret realm entrances. Secret realm entrances were not umon; in the wilderness of Fengtian City, many such entrances could be seen. Those secret realm entrances that had not been perfectly cleared would randomly appear in some corner of the wild.


    The entrance to a secret realm was vortex-shaped.


    It was dangerous to drive on the highways in the wild suburbs. If a high-level secret realm vortex entrance happened to appear in the middle of the road while you were driving, and you plunged into it before you could brake in time, you were basically unable toe out alive.


    Of course.


    This situation was rare, after all, it was not easy to encounter such a coincidence, but it was not without precedent.


    And here.


    Countless secret realm entrances filled the surroundings, many times more numerous than those on the wilderness of Fengtian City. One secret realm entrance was next to another, almostpletely blocking the way around.


    Not quite.


    It would be inurate to say "around."


    It should be "everywhere." All the ces visible to the naked eye were surrounded by secret realm entrances, only the road beneath their feet was clear of them.


    At this moment for them, there were only two ways to reach their destination.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The first way.


    Was to fly at a low altitude.


    The second way.


    Was to find a path through the numerous secret realm entrances.


    But soon.


    They discovered that the first method could be passed on, and the reason was quite simple. Hungry Monkey took out an F-grade weapon from his bosom and tossed it into the air. Soon after, they saw the weapon hang eerily in the air upon reaching a certain height.


    After a moment''s pause.


    Frost suddenly covered the entire weapon, and then they saw it fall straight to the ground and break into more than a dozen pieces.


    "Just as I thought."


    With aplicated expression, Hungry Monkey spoke, "From the moment I got here until now, when I couldn''t see a single sparrow in the air, I had this premonition that the temperature overhead seemed to be much lower than on the ground."


    "..."


    Yuan Buping remained silent, not speaking; he was considering if he should rebut at this time. Would it not be strange if there were sparrows in the sky with such temperatures?


    Chen Miao, after ncing upwards, likewise took a few misceneous items from his bosom and tested them out. Without exception, all were instantly frozen mid-air before falling to the ground and shattering.


    It was somewhat like being instantly frozen.


    The height was probably around three meters.


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed upwards. Above the height of three meters, the air would be so cold that under the influence of natural forces or some supernatural power, any object surpassing this height would be instantly andpletely frozen.


    This also meant that flying low over these densely packed secret realm entrances was an impractical idea.


    Most of the secret realm entrances were between two meters seventy and three meters in height. Setting aside whether they could fly or if their means of flight could be so precisely controlled, even if they truly could fly, it would be impossible to sessfully reach the destination through such a treacherous route.


    This was essentially an impassable route.


    "Not bad."


    Chen Miao looked around and nodded, a satisfied smile appearing on his face, "The ce Hungry Monkey found is good, absolutely hidden. With so many natural barriers here, it would take outsiders a lot of effort to find us."

 Chapter 213 "This is getting a little troublesome...

    Hungry Monkey forced a dryugh, not quite sure how to respond. He wasn''t certain whether Miao was praising him or mocking him.


    The ce was concealed.


    Outsiders definitely couldn''t enter anymore.


    But the fact that they absolutely couldn''t get in was a big problem.


    ...


    "What do you mean?"


    Chen Miao nced at the coordinates on his wristwatch and then looked up at Hungry Monkey: "Actually, we don''t necessarily have to reach the target location. This ce is concealed enough. Although it''s not the deepest part of The Land of Extreme Cold, it''s sufficient."


    "It should be impossible for anyone to intrude here."


    "There''s also a highway, which makes it convenient for us to ess the outside world via the Hell Bus."


    Having said that,


    Chen Miao, who had made up his mind, immediately took out the "Heavenly Pce" item from his chest, preparing to set up the new base right here on this empty piece of ground.


    However¡ª


    Just as he used the dotted line to define the perimeter of the domain, a prompt box suddenly popped up before his eyes.


    ''Ding, it has been detected that the open space before you is not unimednd, and the Heavenly Pce cannot be ced here. Please ensure that the open space is unimed before activating the Heavenly Pce.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the same time.


    In the semi-transparent panel before him, the Secret Realm entrances within the dotted line were shing red continuously.


    The message was clear: his Heavenly Pce couldn''t be built on top of Secret Realm entrances. To ce the Heavenly Pce here, he would need to clear out all of these entrances, and there was only one way to do that...conquer them.


    "This is going to be troublesome..."


    Chen Miao frowned, looking at the dense and numerous Secret Realm entrances before him, with all kinds of Secret Realm Levels. To conquer them all would take forever.


    But since he was already here,


    he certainly couldn''t just give up.


    He immediately chose an area with lower Secret Realm Level entrances and pondered for a moment before saying: "Let''s start from here. Everyone pick a realm you''re capable of conquering, and go at your own pace."


    "First, clear out a small space to set up the Heavenly Pce, just enough to settle down for tonight."


    "Leave the higher levels to me."


    ...


    Immediately after, Chen Miao rode the Hell Bus back to Fengtian City and, after picking up the second batch of people, headed towards one of the Secret Realm entrances.


    Although the method was crude,


    he couldn''t think of any shortcuts.


    Just as he was about to enter the Secret Realm, Yuan Buping suddenly strode over from not far away, speaking uncertainly, "Miao, I have a suggestion, I''m not sure if it''ll work. Based on our earlier experiments, there is a height limit of 3 meters here."


    "That means anything over 3 meters, whether it''s buildings, people, or even items, will be instantly frozen solid and then shattered, right?"


    "That means, even if we clear out this area and establish our base, the highest structures we can build can''t exceed 3 meters. This will impose a lot of restrictions, primarily it must be t, and many Tower Defense Buildings also can''t be constructed."


    "This isn''t very favorable for us."


    "What do you mean?"


    Chen Miao nced at Yuan Buping casually, "Are you suggesting this ce isn''t suitable? That we need to find another location?"


    "I actually quite like this ce. It''s sufficiently concealed, although living conditions are a bit inconvenient. But these are challenges we can ovee. Here we can quietly grow stronger for a long time."


    "That''s what''s truly precious."


    "Not that."


    Yuan Buping shook his head and casually pointed his finger at the ground: "My point is, maybe we shouldn''t consider cing our base on the surface, but underground. There are no Secret Realm entrances underground, nor any height restriction rules."


    "As long as we dig deep enough, there are no height limitations on our structures. So not only would it be concealed, but the Secret Realm entrances and height restrictions could also serve as an excellent cover for us."


    "Additionally, with this dead-end road and the existence of the Hell Bus, this ce could be an excellent secret base for us, nearly absolutely safe. There are many downsides to underground construction¡ªone of the biggest is not seeing sunlight. But in this special environment, even above ground, there''s no sunlight, so there''s not much difference from being underground."


    "What do you think, Miao?"


    "Let me think."


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes and took a pack of cigarettes from his chest, offering one to Yuan Buping and lighting one for himself. As he smoked contemtively for a moment, he suddenly turned his head to Yuan Buping with a smile: "Not a bad idea; we can consider it."


    "But the problem is, it''s too cold here. The brothers need to quickly clear a space to build up the Heavenly Pce and activate the Constant Temperature System, otherwise, they won''t be able to hold up."


    "Is there enough time?"


    "Inside the Secret Realm, at least it won''t be cold."


    "We have enough time!"


    Seeing Miao adopting his suggestion, Yuan Buping was extremely excited: "We just need to dig a space three meters deep to start with, no need to make it too big. The brothers already have the experience and the right tools. It will be done quickly."


    "Then we can build the Heavenly Pce there first."


    "In the days toe, we can slowly dig deeper, until we''ve created a foundation deep underground that is deep and robust enough to serve as our official base, and then we''ll move. That will prevent any problems."


    "Okay."


    Chen Miao nodded: "Just do as you''ve said, take the brothers and start working on it. Just be careful not to cause a copse."


    "Understood!"


    Afterward, Chen Miao went on his own toward the entrance of the E-Level Secret Realm in front of him. Even though he had scrapped the n to build the Heavenly Pce on the surface and changed it to building underground, he still intended to enter this Secret Realm.


    After all, he needed to perfectlyplete an E-Level Secret Realm entrance to sessfully level up the Nothingness Space.


    Secluded cultivation.


    These two words were his n for the future, and it was not just talk. His strength did not require the outside world; what he needed most was time, and here there were so many Secret Realms to conquer.


    Just give him a peaceful year here, and when he emerged, the whole world would be his for the taking.


    Too many things had happened recently, causing him some irritability. He didn''t like too many unforeseen events. Without sufficient strength, he didn''t want to get involved in outside affairs anymore.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    He stepped into the vortex before him, and as a bright sh blinded him, he instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in a vige.


    A somewhat familiar vige.


    No, not familiar; he was certain he had been to this vige before, and he had thoroughly searched every corner of it.


    He looked at a puddle on the ground next to him and saw his own face reflected in it: wrinkled and an old man with a full head of silver hair.

 Chapter 214 "Secret Realm Name": Blood Night Cannibal Village.

    His role in this Secret Realm was to y an old man with silver hair.


    Chen Miao''s eyes flickered with shock as he looked around. It was the same Secret Realm he had first entered, the one called "Blood Night Cannibal Vige," the same vige indeed.


    He had ventured into that Secret Realm with Hungry Monkey.


    And they had even received a perfect clearance rating.


    Now, he found himself back in this Secret Realm.


    At the same time, a panel popped up before him.


    "Secret Realm Name": Blood Night Cannibal Vige.


    "Secret Realm Level": E Level.


    "Secret Realm Introduction": This is a vige abandoned by a rapidly developing society, filled with lonely elders waiting for death. The younger generation had long since fled to the big cities. However, it is unknown when a mysterious aura started to envelop the vige, and often at night, there would be blood-curdling screams, apanied by a strong scent of blood.


    "Secret Realm Mission": Survive for 12 hours.


    "Secret Realm Progress": The highest clearance progress of this instance is 0%, not perfectly cleared.


    "Secret Realm Introduction": When night falls over the vige, it reveals its mysterious side.


    Exactly the same!


    There was no difference; this map panel was almost identical to the one that had popped up when he first entered the Secret Realm. The only difference was that the map level was F Level at that time.


    This time it was E Level.


    As Chen Miao was meticulously reading the map panel, suddenly a conversation at the entrance bridge of the vige caught his attention.


    The vige was nestled between several mountains, the only ess to the outside world being the stone bridge at the entrance. Aside from that, there were no other paths. Around twenty mud and tile houses made up the vige, with several vigers now sitting at the bridge, chatting idly.


    There he was, sitting in front of a tile house, drawing on his pipe in a daze.


    Following the sound, he looked up towards the bridge and saw two young men, with friendly faces, walking over to the bridge, giving out cigarettes to each elder, chatting andughing about something.


    Their voices were low, but the wind carried bits of their conversation.


    They seemed to be saying they were tourists from out of town who had stumbled upon the ce and wanted to look around the vige.


    "..."


    Huff.


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, grabbed the pipe in his hand with skin as crinkly as an old tree, and started pulling on it frantically, trying to use it to alleviate the fear in his heart, damn it, he was really scared!


    Those two young men walking towards the bridge!


    Were Hungry Monkey and himself!


    He saw his own self, while the other him was conversing amiably with the elders at the bridge. However, one hand was kept in his pocket for some reason. Others might not know why, but he certainly did.


    He was carrying a revolver in his f***ing pocket!


    Back then, he remembered being ready tosh out at any moment.


    And just then¡ª


    Hungry Monkey and the other him on the bridge seemed to have finished their conversation, waved goodbye to the elders, and walked into the vige. As the other him walked into the vige, he nced in his direction, his gaze lingering on him for a few seconds.


    Then, showing a smile, he continued deeper into the vige.


    ...


    After the two had left,


    Chen Miao leaned against the wall, trying hard to recall his first entry into the Secret Realm. At the beginning, he should have spent two hours inspecting the vige without discovering anything amiss.


    Before entering the vige, he indeed noticed an old man sitting at the doorway of his house, puffing on a pipe and watching him, but at the time, he didn''t think it was anything special, merely giving a subconscious smile before minding his own business.


    Now, he was pondering a question!


    The old man he saw during his first entry into the Secret Realm, could it be his current self?


    Could the two persons who entered the Secret Realm now be his true self?


    Had the timelines ovepped?


    Then there was an even more crucial task waiting for him, which was that after entering this Secret Realm, he found that all his Supernatural abilities had been sealed, including firearms, backpack, and even the Nothingness Space in his Jade Pendant.


    Reaching into his chest, the Jade Pendant wasn''t even there.


    It felt as if his very soul had been pulled out and thrown into this old man''s body, and this old man''s body was his onlybat power; aside from that, he had no otherbat power.


    If he remembered correctly!


    Back then, he and Hungry Monkey had ughtered all the elders in the vige to get a perfect clearance rating, and now, in order to perfectly clear this Secret Realm, the mission was to survive for 12 hours, which meant making the previous him and Hungry Monkey fail their task.


    But...


    ```


    An old, decaying body, how could it possibly fend off a Hungry Monkey armed with a lethal weapon and the very self from that time?


    Perhaps this difficulty is precisely that of an E-rank Secret Realm.


    He remembered that the E-rank Secret Realms of the past weren''t this difficult, were they?


    ...


    Chen Miao sat in silence for five minutes, then struggled to get up, leaning against the wall as he moved towards a family''s home. If everything was proceeding as he remembered, he had made no discoveries in the prior hours and was still in a state of suspicion.


    It wasn''t until he noticed that several families'' hoes appeared freshly washed and found a diary filled with resentment in a household''s cupboard that he had realized.


    Before that, he had always believed the introduction to the Secret Realm was meant to mislead him and that doing nothing was the normal way to clear it.


    What he needed to do now was to destroy all the things that had alerted him back then.


    Without these, his past self would struggle to catch on, and he would be able to survive smoothly for twelve hours and clear the mission perfectly.


    Before long, he was one step ahead of his past self, arriving at the doorsteps of those households with farming tools disyed outside. Sure enough, the hoesy there, clean and neat.


    "Damn it to hell."


    Chen Miao''s mouth twitched in frustration, and without further dy, he ran over with his aged body, lifted the hoes and furiously dug into the ground a few times, until they were covered in dust.


    Only then did he continue running towards the other houses.


    As he passed a house emanating the scent of meat, he felt a sudden urge, as if possessed, to go in. The moment he stepped into the kitchen, he nearly threw up; it was practically an abattoir, with human organs arrayed on the cutting board and a pot boiling with creamy chunks of flesh.


    What else could it be but human flesh?


    "Damn it!"


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but curse aloud. If his past self saw this scene, he would certainly have gone into a killing frenzy without a second thought. But that''s not right, he remembered checking here previously, and this wasn''t human flesh¡ªit was pork!


    Could there be a conflict with the timeline?


    But now was not the time to think about such things. He couldn''t remember exactly when his past self had entered this house, so he had to quickly manage the scene.


    A few minutester.


    He deftly tossed all the human flesh and organs into the well in the backyard and began to boil pork in the pot anew.


    After doing all this, he breathed a sigh of relief, having averted another danger. But he did not dare to dy further and continued to the next room. Every moment he lingered, his past self might discover something amiss.


    By the time he reached the next household


    He was once again dumbfounded.


    A ghastly,rge portrait hung on the wall; a shrine disyed a pair of red high heels, and next to it stood a wax figure with eyes that cried bloody tears. The entire scene was dreadfully unsettling.


    Would a normal family possibly disy these items?


    His mouth twitched uncontrobly again, and by this time, he could even hear the sound of his past self and the Hungry Monkey talking outside. Without hesitating, he quickly threw all the creepy items into the well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were too many messy things in this vige. Why hadn''t he seen anything when he first entered? Could it be that his current self had thrown them all away?


    Chen Miao busied himself at the scene, his mind uncontrobly wandering with frantic thoughts.


    He could not stop his actions.


    He wasn''t sure if the person outside was truly himself. If that person killed him, would he also die? But if he killed that person, would that mean his own death?


    He remembered that during his time in this Secret Realm, he had killed all the old men, including the tobo-loving old man he was now impersonating. If this old man was actually himself,


    Then today must be the day of his death.


    It sounds like a damned cycle of reincarnation. He resolved to search thoroughly after leaving, to see if there is any connection along the timeline between different Secret Realms, as he rushed to the next household.


    Inside this household''s cupboard, he found a diary.


    The diary chronicled the history of the vige and the owner''s grievances. It was with the assistance of this diary that his past self found the true method to pass through the Secret Realm.


    This time¡ª


    He destroyed everything. He refused to believe that his past self would still recklessly start a massacre without regard for anything.


    After all, his past self had been skeptical about the misleading introduction of the Secret Realm and was cautious in ensuring that this crucial piece of diary, a prop of significant character, could bepletely and absolutely destroyed. Instead of throwing it into the well or burning it,


    He tore it page by page, crumpled the pieces into balls and stuffed them into his mouth, swallowing them down painfully with the cool water from the backyard tank.


    He simply refused to believe that this time his past self could discover any clues.


    Fighting was definitely not an option.


    This old body surely couldn''t overpower his past self and the Hungry Monkey. The only way to survive and clear the game was to make his past self believe that peace was the only method to a perfect clearance.


    To that end, he must preemptively destroy any potential leads that could arouse his past self''s suspicions.


    ```

 Chapter 215 Its already dark.

    Afterpleting all of that, he slowly bent down again and returned to the front of his own room where he sat on a stool, lit his dry pipe, and began to wait patiently. If the timeline hadn''t gone awry, his past self would still be doing a sweep of the vige at this time.


    He would have to wait a few more hours before venturing inside the house to check for any special circumstances.


    But with this unexpected twist of his own making, the course of events was bound to change; he had destroyed all traces that could arouse suspicion. Now there should be no more problems.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He mused to himself.


    The clean hoe.


    The human flesh in the big pot.


    The eerie memorial photos in the house.


    And that diary with the recorded information.


    These should be all the crucial clues. Next, if all went well and his past self didn''te across these clues, he would start to doubt the Secret Realm''s introduction as trying to mislead him, thus choosing to hold his ground until 12 hours had passed.


    If so,


    he should be able to sessfullyplete this Secret Realm.


    Although the realm was a bitplicated, it was still within his capability to clear it smoothly. The only mystery was why he encountered his past self. In a daze, Chen Miao fell into a restless contemtion and dozed off on the stool.


    Perhaps it was because this body was already old and tired more easily, or maybe it was for some other reason.


    When he awoke again,


    it was already dark.


    The entire vige was shrouded in night, and the panel showed that he had been surviving in this realm for eleven hours and fifty-five minutes. Just five more minutes and he would havepleted the mission sessfully.


    But what he woke up to see next left him dumbfounded.


    There was a pungent smell of blood in the vige, with bodies and blood everywhere. Clearly, the vige had just experienced a massacre, and his past self was sitting by the well, enjoying barbecue with Hungry Monkey.


    It was exactly as he remembered.


    In his memories, they had ughtered the entire vige in thest half-hour before leaving the Secret Realm, then sat by the well, eating barbecue and waiting for the realm to end before returning.


    The only difference from his memory was,


    he remembered having killed everyone in the vige. Yet now, his past self was sitting by the well, munching on the barbecue, asionally ncing in his direction as if waiting for something.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s expression darkened as he scanned his surroundings. He didn''t understand what had happened; somehow, he had fallen into a deep sleep for nearly ten hours, and that too in a level E Secret Realm. It was preposterous; he even felt as though he had been hypnotized.


    How could any normal person sleep in such a dangerous ce, out in the open, and for so very long?


    He had already figured out all the eerie parts of this vige. Logically speaking, his past self wouldn''t have chosen to massacre the vige. So why, when he woke up, had the vige still been ughtered?


    But in the next second, his pupils contracted violently.


    The hoe that had been ced outside the neighbor''s house was now pristine clean, as if it had been deliberately washed. But he clearly remembered making that hoe look old on purpose¡ªhow had it been cleaned again?


    Before he could ponder further,


    he saw his past self already drawing a revolver, gradually approaching step by step.


    "Damn it!"


    Chen Miao cursed inwardly and, after ncing at the mission panel which showed he only needed to survive one more minute to leave the secret realm sessfully, didn''t hesitate for a second; he turned around and started to run for his life with all his might. With thebat power of his current body, how could he possibly defeat his past self?


    In the past, he would often hold a revolver and approach the enemy step by step. The reason was simple: his marksmanship was inurate, and if he wasn''t close enough, he couldn''t hit anyone. But he never considered how such a simple action could exert such immense oppressive power on others.


    Just like now.


    It was the first time he felt such overwhelming pressure, and it wasing from himself.


    For a moment, he suddenly felt a bit sorry for the people he had killed in the past. Perhaps, in the moments before their deaths, they had faced their end amidst this intense fear and helpless despair. He decided that in the future, he would make his kills more efficiently, so as not to scare them too much.


    Was it his overly active mind? While fleeing for his life, his brain couldn''t help but wander uncontrobly. This might have been a unique power of his own.


    But someone was faster than him.


    The next second¡ª


    he saw Hungry Monkey holding a hammer, looking fierce as he blocked Chen Miao''s path. Honestly, he had seen Hungry Monkey''s expression countless times before, but none felt as oppressive as it did now.


    "Boom!"


    In thest second of the countdown, he sessfullypleted the mission and left the secret realm smoothly.


    Before leaving the secret realm, he vaguely saw Hungry Monkey''s hammer swinging up in mid-air, smashing down toward his crown.


    ...


    "Huff!"


    Chen Miao woke up abruptly, instinctively sitting down on the stone steps nearby, wiping the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead. This secret realm felt too strange, like experiencing a nightmare.


    Guess he wasn''t going to get a perfect clear this time.


    This was the first secret realm he had failed to clear perfectly; he had always achieved a perfect clear in every other realm before.


    After all, he hadn''t even understood the meaning of this realm, let alone the conditions for a perfect pass. A perfect clear would have been surprising. Sitting on the stone steps, he took several deep breaths and didn''t even hear the secret realm settlement panel pop up.


    He felt a bit puzzled and subconsciously looked at the system notifications on his personal panel to see if he had identally muted the alert sound. But as he looked up, he saw the same eerily familiar surroundings.


    A vige with only about twenty or thirty tile-roofed houses.


    Underneath him was not a stone step, but the side of a bridge. He had returned to the beginning of the vige bridge, but this time he wasn''t the old man sitting inside the vige smoking; he was an old man chatting at the head of the vige bridge.


    "..."


    Chen Miao expressionlessly looked down at the clothes he was wearing, then turned around to make sure of his new face in the water under the bridge. Another new body, not bad. That was when he also saw his secret realm panel.


    ''Secret Realm Name'': Blood Night Cannibal Vige.


    ''Secret Realm Level'': E level.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': ...


    ''Secret Realm Mission'': Survive for 12 hours.


    ''Secret Realm Progress'': The highest instance clearance progress is 0%, not perfectly cleared.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': When night envelopes the vige, it reveals its mysterious side to outsiders.


    Nothing had changed, it was exactly the same as when he had first entered, and this feeling made him extremely ufortable, as if he was having an illusion.

 Chapter 216 Thunderclap!

    He immediately stood up and looked toward the interior of the vige, and sure enough, there was an old man sitting in front of a tile-roofed house, with a dry pipe in his mouth, looking in their direction.


    He had just been inside this old man''s body.


    He now desperately wanted to know whether it was his own self inside the old man''s body now or the old man himself, things were getting more and more chaotic. But just as he was about to get up and ask,


    a familiar voice reached his ears.


    "Gentlemen, we are travelers from out of town, and we''vee here by chance. I wonder if we could enter the vige to take a look?"


    He turned around to look.


    And saw another version of himself and Hungry Monkey, both full of goodwill,ing over to ask for directions.


    While asking, they were amiably handing out cigarettes to each of them.


    "..."


    Chen Miao fellpletely silent, not knowing what was happening. He had clearlypleted the task, so why had he returned to this secret realm, and why had his identity changed? He just quietly epted the cigarette,


    lit it without a word, and began to straighten out his thoughts amidst billows of smoke.


    As he and Hungry Monkey walked into the vige, he got up and walked down from the bridgehead, ready to find the old man smoking the dry pipe and ask him if it really was himself just now.


    But when he arrived in front of the old man''s tile-roofed house,


    he found that the old man had vanished.


    It was then he remembered that if the old man really was his former self, he should still be busily destroying some eerie things, like human flesh in the pot, people''s ashes, diaries that revealed information, and so on.


    He had to find the man.


    And confront him face to face to see if it was really himself.


    But his priority remained to try hard to stay alive. Although he didn''t understand what was happening, this secret realm was developing in a direction he couldn''tprehend, yet striving to survive was still paramount.


    Just then,


    he heard voices not far away. It was himself and Hungry Monkey from before, approaching his location from another alley.


    He quickly hid on the other side of the wall.


    "This vige looks quite normal, no eerie ces at all."


    "Miao, your guess might be right; the introduction panel to this secret realm is truly misleading us."


    "Let''s keep searching. I always feel that this secret realm is not that simple, but as they say, there must be something strange about an abnormal situation. If there truly is no eerie ce, then we can just wait in ce and see the secret realm through to the end."


    This conversation was very familiar!


    It was exactly the talk he had with Hungry Monkey before, word for word!


    But this talk exploded like a thunderbolt in his head!


    ...


    Hiding behind the wall, Chen Miao''s eyes were filled with shock. He no longer needed to confirm whether the old man with the dry pipe was his former self; he could now be one hundred percent sure that this old man with the dry pipe was indeed himself from before.


    The reason was simple.


    He saw that the hoe in the neighbor''s yard, left out in the open, was now covered with mud, which meant his former self had already begun to take action.


    So up until now,


    there have been three of himself in this secret realm.


    Myself at that time, just a moment ago, and myself right now.


    That''s to say, three versions of myself existed simultaneously in a secret realm.


    And then he suddenly realized something: for his past self, it was an F-level secret realm, with the objective of surviving for 12 hours, but for his just-recent self, it was an E-level secret realm, also with the objective of surviving for 12 hours.


    Twelve hours for both.


    Logically speaking, these two tasks would be conflicting, but in reality, they were not.


    If he remembered correctly, about four or five minutes after his just-recent self arrived in the secret realm, his past self appeared at the bridgehead with Hungry Monkey, meaning that although both taskssted 12 hours,


    there was actually a time difference between them.


    As long as his just-recent self died immediately afterpleting the survival time, not only could he ensure that his just-recent selfpleted the task, but he could also allow his past self toplete the task and perfectly clear the secret realm.


    In an instant!


    He suddenly understood the true meaning of the secret realm.


    The real task of this secret realm should be to figure out a way to make all three of themplete the task simultaneously.


    And if he were to let his just-recent self''s n seed, then his past self would definitely choose to remain inactive and subsequently fail the task. If he too failed, the cost of failure might be getting trapped in this secret realm forever, or it might mean that his past self did not perfectly clear the secret realm, which could affect all the subsequent time trajectories.


    After thinking it through in an instant, he immediately understood what his task was.


    It was simple¡ª


    "Disrupt the ns of my just-recent self, find the time difference, and ensure that all three selvesplete the task."


    Seeing as the noises from over the wall were getting closer, he did not hesitate for a moment: he climbed over the wall into the neighbor''s courtyard, immediately took out the hoe that his just-recent self had aged, washed it clean, and ced it back looking as good as new.


    Then, without stopping for breath, he ran towards the next household.


    The smell of food was wafting from this household.


    By the time he arrived, the originally bloody scene had been cleaned up. A pot was simmering with delicious-smelling pork. He ran to the water well in the backyard, bent over, and immediately saw arge number of human organs at the bottom of the well.


    This was a scene his just-recent self had cleaned up.


    He moved on to the next house.


    The weird portraits and wax figures had all been destroyed. He wanted to fish them out of the well, but clearly, this task was not simple. After estimating the time and making sure that his just-recent self had left the third household,


    he quickly ran to the third house, which contained the diary.


    He didn''t n to run into his just-recent self at that time. Many things couldn''t be exined, nor did he feel the need to exin. Although the human flesh and portraits had been destroyed, the diary should still be easy to repair.


    ...


    Chen Miao quickly reached the third household, and as expected, the diary that had been ced in the cab had disappeared, most likely having been swallowed by his just-recent self.


    After rummaging through the house, he swiftly found a new diary and pen.


    "Phew!"


    Chen Miao took a deep breath without any hesitation and wrote all the information he remembered in his mind into the new diary. He decided to forge a diary, and to avoid making his past self suspicious by finding the handwriting too simr,


    he intentionally made each character twist and turn.


    Completely different from his own handwriting.


    It was only after finishing all this that he let out a sigh of relief and prepared to stuff the diary into the cab, waiting for his past self to discover it.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 217 "Skill Name": Time Rift.

    ```


    But Chen Miao suddenly froze on the spot, seemingly struck by a thought, hastily grabbed the diary from the cab, and once again flipped it open, though he had already read through it twice.


    He had checked it once during his first entrance into the secret realm with Hungry Monkey.


    And the second time was just before, when he entered the secret realm again.


    But in his memory of those two times.


    The notes inside were exactly the same as the diary he held now, even the handwriting was identical. What did this mean? Did it mean that the diary was never there to begin with? That the diary was something he had left for himself?


    But just at that moment¡ª


    Voices came from outside, as if someone had returned.


    Chen Miao did not have time to dwell on it further, he quickly put the diary back in the cab and climbed over the back wall to escape, and by the time he returned to the streets of the vige, the old man, who was fond of smoking his pipe, had begun to doze off in front of his own tiled house.


    That old man was inhabited by his earlier self.


    "Smack smack smack!!!"


    Chen Miao struck the old man three times on the face, and as expected, there was not the slightest sign of him waking up. It was as if half-dead, and in his memory of just a moment ago, he did indeed fall into a deep sleep for nearly ten hours with no recollection of anything that happened in between.


    "Not bad."


    With a sense of responsibility, he hoisted his earlier self onto his shoulder and stealthily jogged towards the field to one side. If things went as expected, it likely wouldn''t be long before his earlier self would start massacring the vige.


    He had to protect this old man, who was also his earlier self, from dying here.


    At least not until the survival time was over.


    ...


    Ten hourster.


    Chen Miao checked the time, smelling the blood in the air, he struggled to put the old man back in his original ce. At this point, his earlier self was enjoying a barbecue with Hungry Monkey and others.


    After making some noise, he managed to draw the attention of Hungry Monkey and the others to him, and quickly hid to the side.


    As expected.


    The old man soon woke up, and at the same time, his earlier self also came over with a gun. In the ensuing chase, the old man was killed by Hungry Monkey. Chen Miao, hidden in the shadows, was also discovered.


    Hungry Monkey walked towards him with a ferocious smile.


    Chen Miao looked at the timer on the mission panel, he had to survive for another 10 seconds.


    That''s right.


    All three of his selves had the task of surviving for 12 hours, but the first one had an additional task: to kill everyone in the vige. The tasks of these three selves were in conflict. Toplete the tasks for all three under such conditions,


    He needed to find the right timing.


    All he had to do was to survive these next 10 seconds before dying.


    Seeing Hungry Monkey approaching, he did not hesitate for even a moment and turned to run, even as the sound of gunfire rang incessantly beside his ear.


    "Bang!"


    A bullet plunged straight into his abdomen, the intense pain brought him crashing to the ground. With difficulty, he turned to look at the two figures closing in on him.


    One had a revolver, the corner of his mouth twitching into a sinister smile.


    The other carried arge hammer, a savage grin spread across his face.


    The two steadily advanced on him, and as he watched his final seconds tick down on the mission panel, part of him couldn''t help but curse under his breath¡ªthese two looked just like viins. Was he really that frightening when he entered this secret realm with Hungry Monkey?


    They didn''t look like the good guys at all.


    The next second¡ª


    His mission wasplete. The system notified him that he had sessfully survived for 12 hours and was now leaving the secret realm. As his consciousness began to drift away from this corpse, he saw Hungry Monkey raise his hammer again.


    ...


    "Phew!"


    Regaining consciousness, Chen Miao instinctively jumped up from where he was. Only after seeing that he was on a stretch of road and that the surrounding environment was cold with numerous secret realm entrances did he rx.


    He had finally returned.


    Damn it, if he had found himself possessing another person at the bridgehead, he would have been on the verge of a breakdown.


    At that moment, the settlement panel also popped up.


    "Ding, secret realm settlement announcement."


    "Congrattions to the Supernatural upation yer Chen Miao for sessfullypleting the E-rank solo map ''Blood Night Cannibal Vige'' with a 100% perfect progress, achieving a perfect clearance evaluation, and receiving the following rewards."


    "yer Level Experience +2000."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "E-Level Material ''Particle Rock''*10, F-Level Material ''Fox-Tail Grass''*20, ¡­"


    "Star Coins *1000."


    "Clearance conditions: Survive for 12 hours."


    "Perfect clearance evaluation: Getting all three persons to sessfullyplete the mission."


    "Congrattions on finding the only way for all three selves to sessfullyplete the mission within the time loop. This is a trial-version secret realm; we are testing whether yers can ept such a realm."


    "Initially, we wondered if the difficulty of this secret realm might be too high."


    "It turns out that a yer sessfully achieved a perfect clearance on the first distribution. It seems the difficulty of this secret realm may not be as high as we imagined. After this, we will deploy this type of time loop secret realm on arge scale."


    "As the first yer to test this new type of secret realm andplete it wlessly, you will receive the following special rewards."


    "A special and unique E-Level Skill: Time Rift."


    "And a special honor: Pioneer."


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the settlement panel in front of him with a mixture of shock. There were several staggering pieces of information.


    ```


    He saw a strong anthropomorphic taste on this settlement panel, which is to say, previous settlement panels were cold and impersonal, like machines mechanically working to settle ounts for yers.


    But today, he felt like someone was using the settlement panel to talk to him.


    This person gave him the impression of being the controller behind the supernatural power.


    It was like a conversation with a high-dimensional civilization.


    "I..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth opened and closed a few times, he actually wanted to say, the data you have collected might not be urate, this kind of time loop secret realm is really nauseating, and this is just an E-ss one, he could not imagine, would an A-ss time loop secret realm directly y someone to death in there?


    If such secret realms were widely released.


    They would definitely nauseate a good number of supernaturals.


    Not only just in the literal sense of making them feel sick, but it could also be life-threateningly nauseating.


    If it weren''t for his good luck, he wouldn''t have made it out either, and most importantly, he didn''t know if it was because it was a test version, but there were too few hints in the secret realm, and too little information as well.


    But he just opened and closed his mouth a few times and didn''t say it, because he knew that even if he put it forward, the other side wouldn''t hear him.


    It would be a futile gesture.


    However, as annoying as this secret realm was, the rewards it gave were still pretty good.


    He looked at the two rewards.


    First was a skill.


    -


    ¡¸Skill Name¡¹: Time Rift.


    ¡¸Skill Level¡¹: E-ss.


    ¡¸Skill Restriction¡¹: No upation restrictions for using this skill, and it is a unique skill that cannot be dropped.


    ¡¸Skill Effect¡¹: After midnight each day, you will have an additional hour, which is a time rift that only you can use; no one else will be able to use this hour.


    This skill is passive and activates automatically after midnight every day, and cannot be activated at will at other times.


    ¡¸Skill Introduction¡¹: "Long, long ago, there was a brazen thief who set his sights on the God of Time. This thief inadvertently received a legacy from the Thief God and stole an hour from the God of Time''sir."


    "Ever since then, each day there is one hour in this world that is not under the control of the God of Time."


    -


    "..."


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes at the skill panel in front of him. To be honest, he didn''t quite understand the meaning of this skill effect, which was somewhat vague, nor did he understand the skill introduction.


    This was the first time he had seen such a lengthy skill introduction.


    Even taking up two lines.


    And it seemed very highbrow, even the God of Time was mentioned, but considering that the introduction had such highbrow pretension, it seemed odd that it was only an E-ss item.


    But it was fine not to understand.


    It was now night.


    He had been in the secret realm for a long time, and there were only five minutes until midnight, so he would soon personally experience what this skill was about.


    He looked at his other reward.


    It was an honor.


    -


    ¡¸Honor Name¡¹: Pioneer.


    ¡¸Honor Effect¡¹: Perfectly clearing any secret realm will grant you an unexpected surprise, and at certain moments you will achieve effects beyond your imagination.


    -


    He understood this one, in simple terms, it meant that whenever he perfectly cleared a secret realm, he would receive more rewards.


    It was like a buff-type reward.


    As for the other materials, Star Coins, experience, etc., those were all minor gains, but he had to admit that the experience gained from clearing secret realms was way too little; he would have to find a way to level up faster.


    The level-up speed was too slow, just relying on secret realms, he reckoned it would take over a decade to reach level 60, and that''s if he went into secret realms every day and never died.


    But Lord Miao was only in his twenties and already level 69.


    Damn it.


    Before parting, he should have asked Lord Miao how he leveled up, he had been too preupied with love andpletely forgot to ask Lord Miao to share some leveling experience with him.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    Midnight arrived.


    Before Chen Miao could react, the world around him suddenly turned ck and white, then everything froze in ce, and at the same time, a stream of ck and white countdown numbers floated in front of him.


    ¡¸00:59:59¡¹


    A one-hour countdown.


    Chen Miao quickly realized it was the passive skill "Time Rift" he had just received that was automatically activated, not only did the world turn ck and white, but his figure did as well. Tentatively, he walked over to a nearby Tomb Guardian member.


    He swung his hand and pped the member a few times.


    There was no reaction from the other party, and... even though he could definitely feel the physical contact, the other party''s cheek showed no sign of redness or swelling.


    "Time stop...?"


    Chen Miao looked around in a daze, murmuring to himself, as he suddenly understood what the effect of the skill was¡ªhe had apletely free hour every day.


    During this hour...


    He could do a lot of things.


    If he were a novelist, while other authors could only write for 24 hours a day, with this skill, he could write for 25 hours every single day!

 Chapter 218 There are always more solutions than difficulties.

    This feeling was very peculiar, the entire world was in ck and white, and he even felt as if he had crossed into a ck and white television. He could not feel the air moving either.


    Yes.


    The air was no longer flowing.


    "..."


    Suddenly feeling a bit suffocated fromck of oxygen, Chen Miao instinctively took a step back, and a surge of oxygen once again filled his lungs. The air was stagnant; the oxygen that was right in front of his mouth had been depleted. To breathe again, he needed to inhale from somewhere else.


    This setup was quite a trap.


    The entire world seemedpletely paused.


    And...


    During the time stop, attacking other yers appeared to cause no damage. After hesitating for a long while, he still shoved the Thompson Submachine Gun back, rolled up his sleeves, and started smacking the Tomb Guardian member in front of him with the butt of the Thompson.


    His Hidden upation didn''t allow him to attack barehanded.


    But, as the saying goes, there''s always a solution to a problem, using the butt of the gun would work just fine, and it was even more satisfying to swing.


    The ck coffin had filled up all his Strength Value, and together with the Strength Potion he had taken, and the Attribute Points from leveling up that had been allocated to Strength, he could easily spin an ordinary person''s head around their neck with a full-force strike of the gun butt.


    However¡ª


    His full-force strikes did not cause any damage to the Tomb Guardian member in front of him.


    "Is that so..."


    Chen Miao gradually stopped the actions of his hands, thoughtfully gazing at the unharmed Tomb Guardian member before him. If that''s the case, this passive ability had lost its greatest effect.


    He had originally thought that within the hour of stopped time, he could carry out assassinations absolutely undetected.


    But now it seemed, this extra hour could at most be used for observing. Beyond that, the skill didn''t seem to have much use, and it waspletely passive.


    He couldn''t activate it voluntarily, nor could he deactivate it at will.


    It would activate automatically when the time came and end after an hour.


    Just like now, if he wanted to end the time-stop state early, it wasn''t possible; he could only wait for the hour to finish and then it would conclude automatically.


    There was something worth noting.


    In the future, near midnight, he definitely should not go into a closed space that he couldn''t leave from, to avoid being trapped there for an hour, suffocating from depleted oxygen, and waiting to die in vain.


    In the following time.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He didn''t do anything out of bounds. If an ordinary person gained this power, perhaps there would be many out-of-line antics, like pulling down one''s pants and stuffing one''s parts into another''s mouth, and so on.


    A person, as long as they''re in a time-stopped space absolutely unknown to others,


    should not be regarded as a person anymore.


    They can be seen just as aposite of unbridled desires.


    Morality,w, and human society ¡ª these three things are the great mountains that suppress our nature. When all these things disappear, that''s when demons walk among humans, leaving Hell empty.


    But all these things... had no effect on him.


    It wasn''t that he considered himself superior, thinking he was much nobler than ordinary people.


    Rather, during his fifty years in the dream, his every action was driven by his subconscious. He had done all the crazy things in the dreams that he never did in his lifetime; it was full of life. As the memories of the dream gradually merged with his waking memories, he was surprised to find how yful he had been in his dreams.


    He was already tired of it.


    ...


    An hour slowly passed by, and the moment the ck-and-white countdown in midair hit zero, the whole ck-and-white world shattered instantaneously like a mirror, followed by the world visibly regaining its color, and then everything sprang back to life.


    That was the full extent of this skill.


    An E-rank skill.


    But it was far from being merely E-rank; it had to be at least B-rank to be worthy of the concept of a time freeze.


    Perhaps it was rated only E-rank because the use times were uncontroble.


    Immediately afterward, Chen Miao first looked towards the man whom he had just hit in the face with the butt of his gun, and sure enough, the man''s face didn''t bear a single injury, not a mark to be seen.


    "Miao,"


    Just then¡ª


    Zhou Shen strode over from not far away, with a serious expression on his face, and standing in front of Chen Miao, he said solemnly, "Miao, you told me yesterday that this world has certain dangers, and now there are quite a few people preparing to make a move against us, although we don''t know who the enemies are."


    "But we might be able to take some precautions."


    "I''ve thought of a n."


    "For example... we could find Miao a wife."


    "Go outside and select a beautiful woman and bring her back to be Miao''s wife. That way, if in the future some viins try to harm Miao, maybe they will resort to kidnapping Miao''s wife."


    "That would be falling right into our trap."


    "We could fill the woman''s belly with high-strength bombs that can be remotely detonated at any time."


    "And we can keep this message secret from the members of the Tomb Guardian Power. If there are any traitors among these people, they could be exposed immediately, but I''ve only thought of the surface elements. I always feel there''s something I''ve overlooked in the n, something I can''t figure out."


    "So I wanted toe and ask for your advice, Miao."


    "..."


    Chen Miao smiled and patted Zhou Shen on the shoulder, then after a brief pause, he said softly, "No, there''s no need for suchplexity. The world is veryplex, yet it is also very simple; we only find itplex because our strength is too weak."


    "As long as we are strong enough, everything is simple."


    "Focus on increasing our strength first."


    "Understood."


    Zhou Shen nodded vigorously, "My vision was too narrow; I didn''t think as far ahead as you, Miao. I''ll get back to work then."


    "Yes, go ahead."


    ...


    After Zhou Shen left,


    Chen Miao looked around. The Tomb Guardian members, under Yuan Buping''s lead, were assembling therge tools transported by the Hell Bus right where they were, gathered on the highway. They had already dug out a deep pit several meters across not far from the side of the road.


    The pit had several F-rank mystery entrances on top, all of which had already been cleared.


    The task ahead was to keep digging the pit deeper, then start building horizontally in the depths underneath to create their own dungeon¡ªaplex project, but with the blessing of various supernatural props and without regard to cost, the construction wasn''t so difficult.


    The weather was very cold.


    This ce was indeed the deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold. If a person were doused with cold water and thrown onto the ground, in less than three seconds, they would freeze solid, and with just a gentle punch, the person would shatter into icy fragments, scattering on the ground.


    Near the deep pit, several sunflowers had been ced.


    ...

 Chapter 219 "Death Has Come?

    This was the prop they had prepared in advance to keep out the cold. They had made quite a few preparations for this move, and collecting such a bizarre variety of props was not an easy task.


    But were they ordinary people?


    They had money, connections.


    If it hadn''t been for theplete death of the mayor of Fengtian City, no one would be fully shielding them anymore. They had even intended to thoroughly transform Fengtian City into their very own stronghold.


    A simple prop, it would release heat when left in its ce, with the amount of heat depending on the surrounding chill. The colder it was, the more heat it would release, but it was a one-time use only.


    The greater the heat released, the shorter the duration it couldst.


    In such conditions, the Sun Flower couldst for eight hours.


    But that was enough. They had bought plenty, sufficient for the initial construction of their base, and it''s worth mentioning that they did not inform the owner of Haina Supernatural Store about their ns to relocate.


    Maybe it was because they purchased too many items.


    It seemed like the other party had noticed something.


    Not only did he sell them many items at a very low price, but he kept saying that no matter when, Haina Supernatural Store would always be Miao''s most solid ally¡ªquite an interesting guy.


    A middle-aged man, yet with the courage to put his entire fortune and life on the line to start a business again.


    He quite liked this man.


    In this day and age, starting a business truly meant gambling one''s entire wealth and life, unlike before the supernatural era, where even if one went all-in and failed, there was still a way back. In this era, failure in going all-in meant there was no return.


    ...


    Just as Chen Miao was preparing to check on the progress of the Deep Pit to see if they couldy out a simple base tonight and provide a ce for everyone to sleep, Hungry Monkey hurriedly approached from not far away.


    "Miao, something has happened."


    "Hmm?"


    Chen Miao frowned as he looked at the news message Hungry Monkey had sent him.


    The second phase in Zhenba City had ended at midnight, with the final progress stalling at 310,000, perfectly controlled within 400,000. Due to the failure to achieve the second phase progress, the announcement indicated that the fixed event "Sea of Human Suffering" hade to aplete end.


    This event, ranked ninth and never before experienced by the Federation, hade to a sessful conclusion at the cost of less than one million deaths.


    However, although the fixed event was over, the aftermath did not stop there.


    ording to news reports, the survivors of "Sea of Human Suffering," the original inhabitants who had been in Zhenba City before the event started, were beginning to die in batches in bizarre ways.


    Falling from buildings, car idents, fires, drowning, falling down.


    And so on.


    All kinds of deaths were urring in batches among these original residents, as if they were covered by a curse.


    "Miao, does this scene remind you of something?"


    "Final Destination?"


    The idea immediately jumped into Chen Miao''s mind, reminiscent of a movie he had seen before from Blue Star, a movie with high reputation. The gist of it was that survivors who escaped a disaster would be hunted by Death in various ways over the following months.


    "Exactly, Final Destination."


    Hungry Monkey nodded gravely.


    Although the Federation doesn''t have this movie, Hungry Monkey still understood the literal meaning of these four words.


    "Moreover, the mass deaths of these survivors didn''t start at the end of the second phase, it started on the second day of the second phase. It''s just that at that time, the number of deaths was not significant, but as time went by, the death toll slowly increased."


    "Numerous news media then began to report on this matter."


    "Everyone in the Federation paid attention to this event, and the public interest in this news was even greater than the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' incident itself."


    "..."


    Chen Miao nodded without speaking. He understood, a one-time death of several million people is indeed shocking, but that''s about it. However, if millions of people could die at any moment, and began dying en masse in an extremely bizarre way, that news was enough to attract attention.


    Hungry Monkey licked his dry lips and continued, "And ording to the news, those who died first were those with high ''blessing'' levels; the higher the ''blessing'', the faster they died. Some people spected that these ''blessings'' were at the expense of their lifespans."


    "Everything in the world is conserved. If you gain ''blessing'' that doesn''t belong to you, you naturally have to pay with a certain amount of lifespan."


    "For some creatures with extremely long lifespans, it might not be a big deal, but human lifespans are very short, less than a hundred years, which is not enough to squander so extravagantly."


    "I understand."


    Chen Miao nodded. These people were likely doomed to die, from the moment the fixed event of ''Sea of Human Suffering'' descended, they were already dead because their fates had been reversed, and the most regrettable affairs of their lives had been resolved. The price they paid was their lifespan.


    This was a forced exchange.


    The rest of them would probably also die gradually over time. From the start, they had unknowingly made a deal with Satan.


    Not far away, Yuan Buping, who had also seen the news, came over with a grim look on his face, "Doesn''t that make the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' a guaranteed death event? As soon as it descends, is death certain?"


    "The difference is just dyingter, without opening the gates of hell and the human world."


    "Die earlier, and the world has to join the funeral."


    "There are no means of resistance."


    "It''s not that there''s no way out." Chen Miao pondered for a long time before reflecting, "The essence of the fixed event ''Sea of Human Suffering'' is to trade one''s own lifespan with Satan. The deal is already done before the arrival of ''Sea of Human Suffering.'' If the deal can be destroyed in advance at this time, it might be possible to avoid the forced trade."


    "Like that guy who won the lottery, destroying the ticket."


    "Or the old man who waited his entire life for his childhood sweetheart, killing her the moment he meets her."


    "And so on."


    "By destroying the deal in such ways, one might be able to escape the disaster."


    But this was purely theoretical. After all, whether it''s winning the lottery or finally meeting a childhood sweetheart, when such things ur, the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' event hasn''t officially descended yet. Who could determine if such fortune is truly brought by the ''Sea of Human Suffering'' and not by one''s own luck?


    Even if this message is spread.


    When faced with the situation again, eighty percent of people would still believe that it''s because of their own good luck that they''ve reached this day.


    Even if worried, they would still gamble.


    Human nature is inherently stubborn and unchangeable.


    The reason some people never gamble their whole life is merely that the stakes are not high enough. If you ask them to shoot themselves, with a fifty percent chance of death and a fifty percent chance of reviving a loved one, you''ll see if this person who ims never to gamble would take the bet.


    Well...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chances are they really wouldn''t.


    These days, love isn''t worth that much anymore.

 Chapter 220 Secret Realm Name: "Poor Familys Filial Son"!

    "This matter has nothing to do with us, let the Federation handle it,"


    "Everyone, go about your business."


    Chen Miao shook his head, not pondering the issue further. He just felt it was a pity for Lord Miao. Since these people were almost certainly doomed to die, their fate had been sealed from the beginning, so Lord Miao''s sacrifice was utterly meaningless.


    But deep down, he knew.


    If it weren''t for Lord Miao, the people of Zhenba City would have perished in the Sea of Human Suffering incident, not dying slowly as they were now. If that were the case, the gates of hell and earth would open, and it was hard to say what would happen then.


    Moreover, without Lord Miao''s sacrifice, he would have found it difficult to intersect with Miao at all.


    One could only say that it was all fated.


    Just as he thought this episode had nothing to do with him, a panel abruptly popped up in front of him.


    ''Ding, prerequisite conditions have been triggered, curse activated.''


    ''You prevented a demon''s ritual, and in its rage, it has cursed you.''


    ''Curse effect: You will be forcibly transported into a Secret Realm two levels higher than your highestpleted level, without being able to carry any item in your backpack, entering empty-handed.''


    ''If you survive and exit the Secret Realm alive, you will obtain the utmost worship and esteem from that demon.''


    ''Secret Realm selection in progress...''


    ''Selection sessful.''


    ''Secret Realm Name: Poor Family''s Filial Son.''


    ''Seven-person team Secret Realm.''


    ''yer will be forcibly transported to the Secret Realm in 3 minutes.''


    "..."


    As this panel popped up before him, Chen Miao''s expression instantly darkened. Damn it, he hadn''t done anythingtely, at best, he only prevented the downfall of Zhenba City.


    He hadn''t expected the repercussions of this incident to continue. How much had he actually done? How much could he have stopped? Why didn''t they go after Lord Miao? She was the main culprit, wasn''t she?


    But quickly, Chen Miao came to his senses. Enjoy more content from empire


    He hurriedly apologized quietly in his heart.


    Sorry, Little Miao.


    His highest cleared Secret Realm Level was E, and the curse effect was to move up two levels, so C.


    A C-level Secret Realm, damn it, was it even possible for him, a level 15 Supernatural, to enter?


    As for the backpack not being allowed to contain any items, he wasn''t too worried about that. With the Nothingness Space, he didn''t like to keep things in his backpack anyway, as the space in the Nothingness Space was bigger.


    It didn''t necessarily mean entering empty-handed.


    But the difficulty of this C-level Secret Realm did intimidate him.


    Long ago, Doctor Gou had exined to him that below D-level Secret Realms, you just needed to fight your way through. In reality, except for the E-level Time Loop Secret Realm he had just entered, the previous realms he had cleared had indeed been a straight fight through.


    And for D-level and above Secret Realms, they were mostlyrge-scale story-based Secret Realms that not only tested the yers'' strength but also their teamwork, insight, logic, psychology, and more.


    It was veryplicated.


    Without any experience, rashly venturing into a C-level Secret Realm was practically synonymous with waiting for death.


    With only 3 minutes left before being forcibly transported to the Secret Realm, time was running out. He concurrently worked on upgrading his Nothingness Space in his mind, ran towards the direction of the Tomb Guardian old man, and started searching for information online.


    Multitasking.


    He was incredibly busy.


    At this moment, how he wished he could stop time for an hour. Damn it, if he could just stop time now, he wouldn''t need to be in such a rush. No wonder it was just an E-level ability, only able to stop time during specific events; it was bloody useless.


    He, who rarely used profanity, couldn''t help but curse inwardly.


    Soon¡ª


    He found exactly the right question on a Q&A tform online.


    ''What do I need to prepare for my first entry into a C-level Secret Realm?''


    The top-liked answer was also very brief.


    ''Wait to die.''


    "Fuck!"


    Chen Miao''s face darkened once again; he was furious that he''d wasted this precious time on such a trashy Q&A tform. He must have had a brain glitch to think he could find useful information on such an entertainment site.


    To hell with waiting to die!


    He had perfectly cleared two E-level Secret Realms, and the Nothingness Space was ready to level up again.


    Very quickly¡ª


    Another panel popped up before him.


    ''Ding, congrattions on sessfully upgrading your Nothingness Space to level 4.''


    ''Your Nothingness Space is now level 4, with dimensions of 20 meters in length, width, and height.''


    ''And you''ve received an exclusive firearm skin ''Yayu'' and a production line for one caliber of ammunition, along with ''Mirror Flower, Water Moon''*1.''


    ```


    Nothingness Space upgrade sessful!


    The condition to level up to level 4 was to consume 100,000 Star Coins, perfectly clear two E-level secret realms, and survive a major event. After just having perfectly cleared an E-level secret realm, he met all the conditions.


    At this moment, he had no time to check the conditions to upgrade Nothingness Space to level 5.


    Instead, he looked immediately at the "Yayu Firearm Skin" panel to see if the Attribute Panel was suitable for the Gatling gun, which he had prepared and stored in the Nothingness Space long ago.


    He had just been waiting for the right Firearm Skin.


    For him, without a Firearm Skin, a standalone Gatling gun would hardly enhance his strength at all; the ten magazines of a regr Gatling were not as good as one from his Thompson Submachine Gun.


    They weren''t even on the same level.


    But...


    When he saw the "Yayu" Firearm Skin panel, a flicker of shock crossed his eyes¡ªit was a perfect fit for the Gatling.


    "Prop Name": Yayu - Gun Skin.


    "Prop Level": ssless (Unique).


    "Prop Effect": Can designate any firearm and activate the prop, which will transform into a skin to permanently apany the said firearm, and will enhance the firearm''s range, ammunition capacity, damage, rate of fire, and more from multiple dimensions. It will also randomly add one Exclusive Effect.


    "Prop Restriction": Only for use on firearms and once applied, cannot be removed.


    "Prop Description": "Born with nine tails and four ears, moves swiftly and fearless."


    Not bad.


    The multi-dimensional enhancement was quite suitable for the Gatling, but its perfect fit would depend on the random Exclusive Effect.


    The Gatling''s damage was considerably higher than the Thomson''s.


    So far, his three main weapons were the Thompson, the Gatling, and the Sniper Rifle.


    The Sniper Rifle was mainly for fighting bosses, the Thompson for groups of minor monsters, and the Gatling for enemies that the Thompson couldn''t prate as well as finishing off bosses when the Sniper Rifle was on cooldown.


    ...


    While Chen Miao was rapidlypleting these tasks with his thoughts, with just two minutes remaining, he found the Tomb Guardian old man, took a deep breath after seeing the smile on his face, and then spoke respectfully but solemnly.


    "Old man, do you know something?"


    "I''m about to enter a C-level secret realm, the Secret Realm Name is ''Poor Family''s Filial Son''."


    "I don''t feel confident."


    "There''s a high chance I won''t make it back alive. If you know anything, old man, please tell me. As long as you help me survive, I''ll be sure to reward you handsomely. I, Chen Miao, have never broken a promise in my life."


    "Heh heh."


    The old man squeezed a smile onto his wrinkled cheeks, took a curved cigarette from his bosom, ttened it with his fingers, and then spoke with a raspy voice, "Young man, you don''t need to be too respectful towards me, I''m just an old man hustling for food, just like you."


    "To be honest, you''re kind of my boss."


    "I''m not some kind of sage, and I don''t know much. The reason I knew you would enter this secret realm is that there''s a curse on you, which I have seen, but I can''t say it outright."


    "Otherwise, I would be affected by that curse as well."


    "I recognize that demon; he once cursed me too. I went to the same secret realm. As long as it''s a C-level secret realm, you''re bound to end up there because the curse can only transport people to secret realms it has cleared."


    "In the C-level secret realms, that demon has only cleared this one, which is why I know you''ll enter it."


    "I know you don''t have much time, and my knowledge about this secret realm is limited too. Regarding those three people I mentioned before, you''ll meet them once you''re in there. After some thought, I believe they''re all bad people; you should probably kill them all."


    "The only proper way to clear I could think of after a long contemtion is to imagine you''re the demon since he managed to clear it, try being a demon yourself, and maybe you''ll seed."


    "...Hmm?"


    Chen Miao frowned slightly and after a long silence, he spoke with a somewhat deeper voice, "If this secret realm can''t be cleared, the price is death. Since you came out alive, why can''t you share more information?"


    "Came out alive?"


    The Tomb Guardian old man suddenly grinned, "Who told you I came out alive? I died shortly after getting in there, alright? I was only level 17. Thrown into a C-level secret realm, how could I possibly have survived?"


    "Only because I was extremely cautious and followed other powerhouses did Ist that long. Otherwise, I would''ve died even earlier."


    "That''s all the information I know."


    "I really don''t know anything else, but I believe in you. I think you,d, have luck on your side and won''t fall so easily here."


    "Dead?"


    This time Chen Miao waspletely stunned and looked nkly at the Tomb Guardian old man who stood properly in front of him.


    "Hey."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The old man waved his hand with a carefree attitude, "There are quite a few ways to cling to life even after death, y''know. Being a Tomb Guardian saved me; I''m not only guarding others'' graves but also my own."


    "Although it''s just barely scraping by, it''s enough to keep staying in this world."


    "There''s no secret realm that guarantees death. If you put your heart into it, you can certainly find a way to clear it."


    "Even if you fail, it''s okay."


    "I can assure you will survive."


    The old man looked up, grinned at Chen Miao and said, "I can also guard your tomb, taking care of one more grave isn''t a big deal."

 Chapter 221 "As long as were alive, any cost can be borne.

    "Is there a price to pay?"


    "How could there not be a price to pay?"


    The Tomb Guardian old man looked at Chen Miao oddly, "What in this world doesn''te with a price? If you steal someone else''s wife, you have to bear the risk of being caught and killed by her husband, right? Even if you breathe oxygen, you have to endure the cost of oxygen oxidizing your internal organs, don''t you?"


    "Of course, there''s a price."


    "But at least it''s a price paid while alive."


    "As long as you''re alive, any price is bearable."


    ...


    Chen Miao didn''t interact with the Tomb Guardian old man any further, as there wasn''t much time left. He needed to look for Hungry Monkey again, cing the D-rank Taboo Item "Lover''s Madness" on it. This time entering the Secret Realm, he needed to bring this Taboo Item with him. In case there was any female boss or something, this item would increase the damage he could inflict by countless times.


    After all this was done.


    He hardly had any time to exin anything to Hungry Monkey before a vortex suddenly appeared under his feet. With the sensation of a sudden loss of weight, a blinding bright light surged instantly.


    When he felt solid ground under his feet again, he slowly opened his eyes.


    Inside a small cabin.


    There was only one broken window, looking out towards what seemed to be a forest through it. The furnishings inside the cabin were very simple and covered with a thinyer of fine dust, suggesting that it had been a long time since anyone had set foot here; this cabin should be the hunter''s cabin.


    Many hunters would build such a cabin in the forest for convenience. When winter came and it was the off-season for hunting, this cabin would be vacated. Often, these cabins would not be locked, to facilitate travelers staying overnight or to shelter from wild beasts.


    This was also a custom handed down from long ago.


    In this tough and dangerous industry, a spirit of altruism was something everyone possessed. Today''s altruism could be tomorrow''s self-interest. Conversely, in some peaceful trades, there were almost no altruistic industries; today''s altruism equated to self-harm.


    Chen Miao quickly took in all the cabin''s furnishings at a nce.


    Bear head trophies on the wall were covered with dust.


    A hunting rifle on the table, with scattered shot around it.


    Animal skins spread on the floor.


    And... six people sitting in different corners inside the cabin, who were likewise observing everything.


    Meanwhile¡ª


    A panel slowly emerged in front of him.


    ''Secret Realm Name'': Poor Family''s Filial Son.


    ''Secret Realm Level'': C-ss.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': This is a Secret Realm where you need to make the right choices.


    ''Secret Realm Mission'': Gain the recognition of the vige elder.


    ''Optional Missions'':


    1: Gain the recognition of ''Poor Family''s Filial Son''.


    2: Gain the recognition of the ''Tomb Guardian who guarded a general''s tomb for ten years''.


    3: Gain the recognition of the ''Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime''.


    ''Secret Realm Progress'': The highestpletion record of this instance is 100%, perfectly cleared.


    ''Secret Realm Introduction'': He who wins the hearts of the people conquers the world.


    -


    "..."


    As the introduction panel for the Secret Realm popped up in front of him, Chen Miao''s body tensed. He was on guard against the high-level yers nearby who might turn on him at any moment, while he also felt somewhat puzzled.


    He couldn''t see any element ofbat in this Secret Realm introduction.


    It looked just like a pretend y Secret Realm.


    A C-level Secret Realm that countless people fear like a fearsome tiger, and they were here for the approval of some NPCs?


    But he was rtively familiar with the three individuals mentioned in the side mission; before moving, the Tomb Guardian old man had specifically stopped him to talk about these three people, though it was only their stories that were told.


    No other important information was provided.


    Just then¡ª


    "Have you all finished reading the Secret Realm Introduction?"


    A man dressed in a tailcoat looking extremely elegant, unabashedly sat on a chair covered in cobwebs and dust, swirling the red wine in his ss with a somewhat hazy expression and said, "Old rules, let''s all do a self-introduction."


    "I''ll start, level 42, my ss is a magician."


    "My abilities are versatile, not quite suited for head-on battles and boss fights, better for nking and street fights."


    "Oh right¡ª"


    The man paused for a moment, looked up at everyone, and raised his wine ss in the air with a smile, "My brain is fairly renowned, so consider me half a strategist as well."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As his voice faded,


    A burly man standing under a bear head specimen spoke in a deep voice, "Do we even need introductions? We''re all familiar faces here; I''ve met you several times before. This time it seems there are only two new faces, right?"


    "A woman, and a young man in a coat."


    Immediately, all eyes turned uniformly towards Chen Miao and another woman; evidently, these two were the so-called neers. But their gazes only lingered briefly on Chen Miao before focusing more on the woman.


    Continue your saga on empire


    The reason was simple.


    Ever since entering the Secret Realm, this woman had been cowering in a corner, trembling in fear as if she were a university student who had stumbled into the Secret Realm by mistake.


    If this were an F-level Secret Realm, such behavior might have been considered normal. Neers all act this way, and some might even evoke a sense of pity.


    But this was a C-level Secret Realm.


    Everything appeared very bizarre.


    Who among those who had reached this level in a C-level Secret Realm wasn''t a dragon among men? To put it bluntly, everyone here had crawled out of piles of corpses¡ªso what kind of neer act were you putting on?


    The more she acted the part, the more it indicated that there was something wrong with this woman, and possibly something gravely serious.


    Very serious.


    For a moment, people even forgot about Chen Miao standing aside; all their attention was on this pitiable looking woman, with murderous intent almost spilling from their eyes.


    "Actually, for a seven-person squad, it''s not necessary for all seven to clear it."


    A young man, with his hands pockets and a massive rocketuncher on his back, looking rather schrly, spoke with a hint of chill in his voice, the meaning behind his words exceedingly clear.


    Chen Miao, however, was somewhat surprised as he nced at the young man. This was the first time he had seen a Gunslinger Transcendent with such a high level in a Secret Realm.


    The primary weapon must be that rocketuncher?


    It looked quiterge; its power was probably not trivial.


    He quickly assessed everyone in the room.


    One was the show-off man in a tailcoat drinking red wine.


    Another appeared as strong as a bear, who could easily be guessed, most likely, to be of a fighter ss.


    Then there was the Gunslinger with a rocketuncher, probably specializing in fixed-position damage, which matched his area of expertise.


    And there was the pitiful-looking female college student hiding in the corner.


    The remaining two seemed to be a pair of sisters, both d in leather, one with red hair and the other with purple hair. The red-haired one carried a whip, and the purple-haired one a scythe reminiscent of the Reaper''s weapon; both were silent.


    They simply exuded a cold aura, standing there with an air that warned strangers to stay away.

 Chapter 222 A seven-player group dungeon does not necessarily require seven players to clear it.

    The red-haired woman holding the whip quickly fixed her gaze on Chen Miao, looked him up and down, and then squinted her eyes into a smile, "Handsome boy, from the moment I saw you, I''ve found you utterly disgusting."


    "This feeling of revulsion is unprovoked, arising from the depths of my heart."


    "So... you must possess some kind of Taboo Item that makes women detest you, right?"


    "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chen Miao raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly not expecting that the Taboo Item would be guessed so easily; although it didn''t matter even if it was revealed, this also demonstrated that these high-level Supernaturals had a much stronger control over themselvespared to ordinary Supernaturals.


    They could even detect sudden changes in their emotions immediately.


    This was no simple task.


    Humans are emotional creatures and hardly notice abrupt shifts in their feelings. When a person has such acute control over their emotions, it indicates an even greater mastery over their body¡ªimplying that this woman must be an expert in closebat with formidable strength.


    He did not deny it but calmly nodded and said softly, "Yes, there is such a Taboo Item. Allow me to introduce myself: Gunner, level 37..."


    However, before he could finish speaking, someone interrupted him.


    "Level 37? I remember you haven''t even reached level 20 yet, right? You haven''t undergone the Third Turn either, have you?"


    "Right? Chen Miao."


    "You''re quite the celebrity, I know you."


    The man holding a wine ss in a tailcoat, with a face full of smiles, looked towards Chen Miao, "My family recently told me a lot about you. Someone has been missing you a lot; that person is my brother, Zhang Wanlin."


    "He told me, everything you told him was wrong and it cost him quite a bit."


    "He''s been searching the world for you, and to think we''d meet here."


    "But I''m curious about one thing: how did a Supernatural below level twenty manage to enter this C-level secret realm? There''s a threshold for levels in C-level secret realms, with a minimum requirement of level 35. How did you get in?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent in ce, not immediately responding, surprised to be recognized and even more surprised to encounter an acquaintance here.


    He remembered that Zhang Wanlin.


    He remembered him pressuring to find out how he woke up from the fourthyer of the dream. He didn''t like his attitude, so he casually made up a method, which apparently the other had tried, and for that, held a grudge against him.


    He had thought that since yers couldn''t see each other''s levels, he could report a level that was not too high or too low, blending in with the crowd while not standing out overly, to facilitate moving around.


    Now it seemed that there were some ws in his n.


    After a long silence, he lifted his head to look at the countdown on the ceiling and said softly, "I didn''t want toe here either. I''m here due to some unforeseen circumstances. This is a group raid secret realm; we need to work together cooperatively. Let''s not worry about external issues and focus on getting through this together."


    "The countdown is about to end. I don''t have experience with C-level secret realms, but you do. You tell me what to do."


    He had an idea of the countdown''s purpose, which seemed to be a brief ten-minute period for them tomunicate and introduce themselves. Once the countdown ended, the secret realm would officiallymence.


    And just at that moment¡ª


    "Dadadada!!!"


    The man carrying the rocketuncher, without any prior warning, took out a Hell Gatling that emitted a purple glow from his chest, aimed at a corner where a pitiful-looking female university student was continuously sobbing quietly, and without a moment''s halt, pulled the trigger, unleashing a barrage of bullets towards her.


    Countless bullets sliced through the dusty air, leaving behind a trail of mes.


    The bullets pierced through the female college student''s corpse and peppered the wooden cabin, but curiously, they caused no damage. The instant the bullets hit the wooden walls, they seemed to lose their momentum and fell to the ground.


    The woman who had been quietly crying from the start was now lying in a pool of blood, her body riddled with bullet holes.


    It seemed as if he had noted the surprise in Chen Miao''s eyes.


    The young man carrying a rocketuncher gave Chen Miao a friendly smile and then took the lead in pushing the door of the cabin open to step outside, while exining, "D-level or higher secret realms are generally plot-based, with muchrger areas."


    "And the point where we arrive is generally a safe house."


    "At the beginning of the secret realm, there is a certain amount of time for the yers to introduce themselves to each other. In times of crisis within the realm, one can also take refuge in the safe house to avoid damage. It''s basically safe here."


    "Of course¡ª"


    The young man paused, "Clearly, the safe house can only block damage from outside; it doesn''t have much effect against damage inside."


    "This woman was too strange, it was better to deal with her sooner rather thanter." Read exclusive adventures at empire


    "In a C-level secret realm, a teammate who may be unstable at any moment is far more terrifying than any boss."


    Thest sentence was specifically for Chen Miao.


    Since Chen Miao was the only one frowning, while the others looked as if it were only natural. Clearly, if the young man hadn''t acted, they would have. No one wanted such an eerie and umunicative person as their teammate.


    Just as was said at the beginning.


    A seven-person team dungeon doesn''t necessarily have to be cleared by seven people.


    Six will do, or even fewer.


    ...


    "Heh."


    The man in the tailcoat finished his wine in one gulp and then chuckled as he walked out of the cabin, passing by Chen Miao. Seeing Chen Miao still frowning and looking at the female college student''s corpse, he couldn''t help butugh.


    "Worthy of being a hero who has saved countless lives, your heart is just so kind."


    "Tsk, looking quite decent, aren''t we?"


    Chen Miao, standing still, ignored the provocation and mockery of the clown beside him and continued to gaze thoughtfully at the woman lying in the pool of blood who seemed unable to move any longer. He felt that these people had overlooked something.


    A C-level secret realm, no less!


    Even if this female college student, like him, had been cursed by a demon to enter here, she would have been someone who cleared an E-level secret realm, with much stronger mental fortitude than an ordinary person. How could she just cry in a corner from the moment she entered the realm, refusing anymunication?


    It was extremely abnormal.


    For some reason, an intense urge to deliver a finishing shot surged within him. He had a strong hunch that this woman was not dead yet, and that if he did not step forward to fire that shot now, she might reappearter and cause significant trouble for them.


    But...


    He turned his head to look at the retreating figure of the young man with the rocketuncher. The man had already left, showing no intention of firing that finishing shot.

 Chapter 223 "Five is an odd number, and its just perfect.

    After standing silently in ce for a while, he too walked out of the wooden door, doing nothing.


    If this woman was really as she appeared to be, then death was certain, and there was no need for him to take a finishing shot.


    If this woman was truly dangerous, then his finishing shot might not kill her anyway, but would instead cause her to bear a grudge against him.


    ...


    As soon as he stepped out of the cabin, he saw that many vigers had already gathered around it.


    Quite a few of them were holding spears in their hands, looking at them with what seemed like anger.


    "Be careful."


    The burly man who stood beside Chen Miao, as tall as a bear, barely moved his lips as he whispered, "I have a long-range special detection skill; the spears in these vigers'' hands are all special equipment from the secret realm."


    "They are rule weapons."


    "They ignore defense."


    "A single stab causes light injury, two stabs cause serious injury, and three stabs result in death."


    The voice wasn''t loud, but it clearly reached the ears of all the yers, showing how crucial it was to have someone in the team who could detect such information from a distance.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s eyelids twitched slightly, as he too realized the danger. At that moment, about forty or fifty vigers were surrounding them with spears, but as long as the vigers were well-defended, his barrage would leave them all lying here.


    No matter how strong the weapon in one''s hand, one must still be able to make contact with the target.


    Unless these people knew how to throw their spears.


    The next second¡ª


    "Roar!"


    A roar suddenly erupted from the crowd, as if a leader had issued amand. Then, numerous vigers, who had been tightly gripping their spears with both hands, suddenly raised them above their heads with one hand, ready to throw at any moment.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly, preparing to silently step back and hide behind the group. But just then, he was surprised to discover that although he had been thest one to leave the cabin, and thus should have been at the very back of the group,


    somehow, he had be the person at the forefront.


    Without knowing when, the others had all moved behind him.


    When did this happen?


    He hadn''t noticed at all! Was this the vignce of a high-level supernatural yer? The strength itself was a separate matter, but when it came to self-preservation, their alertness was extremely high.


    He nced back at the others with a somewhat speechless expression.


    "Look ahead."


    The burly man standing behind him, without a trace of guilt on his face, whispered, "Don''t look back, lest they think we''re plotting something. This is clearly a storyline event. As long as we don''t make any superfluous moves, they will soon proceed to the next step of the story."


    "But if we do make unnecessary moves, we''re likely to trigger a ''plot kill.''


    Just then¡ª


    The vigers who had surrounded them suddenly dispersed, and an old man using a cane slowly walked out from the crowd, stopping a few steps away from Chen Miao. He lowered his head to look at the cane Chen Miao was using, his gaze lingering for several seconds before he spoke hoarsely.


    "You''re so young, yet you also need a cane?"


    "Ah."


    Chen Miao nodded, "I''ve had a leg disease since I was young, and my legs are inconvenient, making it hard to walk smoothly."


    "That''s a pity, such a young man."


    The old man, who seemed to be the vige head, first shook his head in pity before looking at Chen Miao and his group, "You''re tourists, aren''t you? I am the vige head of nearby Chengxin Vige. We mean no harm."


    "Our vige is holding a trial today. We will determine the fate of the person on trial based on the vigers'' votes."


    "There are a total of 148 people in the vige."


    "Thest three trials each ended in a tie, preventing the trial from proceeding."


    "So I personally came up here to see if there were any tourists, hoping you could join in the voting and help us conclude these three trials."


    "Hmm? That''s¡ª"


    The old man, who had been speaking, suddenly paused, his brows furrowing as he looked over Chen Miao''s group, counting with the cane in his hand, "One, two, three..."


    "There are six of you?"


    "That won''t do; then there could be a possibility of a tie again, right?"


    "The number can''t be even; it has to be an odd number."


    As he finished speaking,


    Chen Miao and the few people behind him exchanged nces, perplexed. What did this mean? Did they need seven people to advance through the secret realm? The woman they had killed in the cabin¡ªhad they done it too soon?


    So now it seemed the story couldn''t move forward?


    In other words, was this a bug in the scenario?


    "No problem."


    Soon the vige head of Chengxin Vige seemed to think of a solution and, looking up warmly at Chen Miao and his group, said, "As long as we''re ideologically resilient, there are always more solutions than problems. Just one of you needs to die, and then there will be five of you."


    "Five is an odd number; that fits just right."


    "Which one of you wants to die?"


    Almost instantly, Chen Miao could sense that the breathing of the people behind him had all stopped abruptly; evidently, no one had anticipated that the story would move forward by such forceful means.


    "Let''s do this to be fair,"


    After coughing lightly, the hunched vige head raised his hand, signaling for a group of people to surround Chen Miao and the others. "We''ll take you all to the vige for a trial. In the vige, everyone speaks the truth, and the most wicked one dies."


    "The remaining five can then cast their votes."


    ...


    On the way back to the vige, Chen Miao felt the vigers'' spears pointing at his back, even sensing the sharpness of their tips.


    And when the spear touched his body.


    The panel about the spear appeared before him.


    "Prop Name": Ordinary Spear.


    "Prop Level": Secret Realm Special Item.


    "Prop Restriction": Cannot be taken out of the secret realm, and yers cannot use it.


    "Prop Effect": For any Supernatural yer, one stab causes minor injury, two stabs cause serious injury, three stabs result in certain death; for ordinary people, it has no special effects.


    "Prop Introduction": Crafted by Wang the cksmith.


    A very ordinary prop, except its effects are anything but simple.


    Thus, they were half pushed, half escorted toward the vige, momentarily safe, but each person''s heart was heavy with foreboding, uncertain about the impending judgment awaiting them.


    Whoever was most evil would die?


    Truth be told, were there any good people here?


    Those who could enter a C-level secret realm were practically superhuman in the real world. Could you expect a superhuman to abide by thew in an ordinary society?


    That was wishful thinking.


    Since none were good, the one with the most sins would be the measure. Each person secretly revisited all their misdeeds in their hearts.


    If this judgment was merely a literal one, Chen Miao wasn''t worried. After all, he had just saved an entire world, and his Merit Points were overflowing. Whoever might die, it likely wouldn''t be his turn.


    If this were a Hong Huang novel.


    With the merit he had from saving the world, he might even be Holy on the spot, right?


    ...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Soon¡ª


    they emerged from the forest, and a vige came into view. Many vigers were busy in the fields, and they showed no surprise when they saw the vige chief''s group escorting several outsiders back to the vige, as if it was a normal urrence.


    They were escorted all the way to the very center of the vige.


    It was a tform.


    At that moment, there were three pirs on the tform, with three people tied to them respectively.


    A young man.


    Two old folks.


    There were no visible wounds on the three, but they seemed as if they had not eaten or drunk for a long time; each hung their head as if they had fainted. The group of six were simrly invited onto the tform.


    They were not tied to the pirs, though.


    Instead, six chairs were brought over.


    "Please, have a seat."


    The vige chief, leaning on his crutch, stood on the tform and looked at Chen Miao and the others, "I am fair, and I do not arbitrarily deprive people of life, but for those who are hypocritical and morally corrupt, I do not mind executing justice on behalf of heaven."


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who sat in the first chair, didn''t speak. He just narrowed his eyes slightly, surveying his surroundings. He was assessing the dangers of this vige. If it were just those rule-bound spears, they posed little threat to him.


    He was confident that in the blink of an eye, he could ughter all these vigers.


    But...


    None of the others dared to make a reckless move. Being unfamiliar with C-level secret realms, he, too, didn''t dare to act first. It was clear that if he did something, perhaps the vige would suddenly turn into an 80-level boss.


    This was the first plot-driven secret realm he had encountered.


    Before entering the realm, Zhou Shen had mentioned something to him. Apparently, the greatest danger of death in plot-driven secret realmses from the plot itself.


    Plot-driven death...


    "Let''s start with you, the young man who has been troubled with leg disease since childhood," said the vige chief, waving his hand. A viger took long strides forward, holding an extremely eerie, high-tech device that clearly stood out from the surroundings. After attaching several red and blue wires to Chen Miao''s arm,


    the screen on the device slowly lit up.


    A line of particrly ring words appeared.


    "Sin Value: 0."


    Meanwhile, the vige chief, still leaning on his crutch, looked at Chen Miao with a slight hunch in his back and a smile, "Anyone on this tform can only tell the truth and cannot lie. And this machine will give you a specific sin value based on the bad deeds you have done, making it more direct."


    "First question."


    "Name the bad deeds you have done in your life."


    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent without uttering a word. He initially thought this vige was some kind of folk horror setting, but the appearance of this high-tech device left him puzzled. Then he shook his head.


    "None."


    "I have been kind all my life and have never done a bad deed."


    The moment his words fell.


    A visible sign of disbelief shed in the vige chief''s eyes. After being dazed for a long while, he finally spoke, "How is that possible? You just lied to me about having a leg disease since childhood. Is deceiving an elder not a bad thing?"


    "Is it?"


    Chen Miao looked up at the vige chief.


    The vige chief didn''t respond, but stared at Chen Miao with an uncertain expression for a moment before waving his hand and saying, "Next."


    Chen Miao thoughtfully looked at the machine, apparently understanding the situation. Here, a bad deed was defined as something you believed was bad. If you didn''t think what you did was bad, it wasn''t bad.


    Him?


    He never believed he had done anything bad.


    He had just saved the world, hadn''t he? Could someone who saved the world do anything bad?

 Chapter 224 "Whats Wrong with Cross-Dressing?

    Normally, the definition of wrongdoing should at least contain the vition of thew, amongst which mostws include a prohibition against murder. He has killed many, and ording to Puyi, he has certainly not short on evil deeds.


    But he never believed he had killed a good person, nor a bad person.


    Those he killed were those who deserved to be killed.


    If what he was doing was clearly acting as an agent of divine retribution, how could it be called a bad thing?


    As Chen Miao pondered and surveyed his surroundings, trying to gather as much information as possible, the vige chief had already walked up to the second chair, in front of which sat the man as tall and rugged as a bear.


    The chair appeared no more than a child''s toy beneath the wide frame of this muscr man.


    The hunched-over vige chief stood before him, reminiscent of a primitive man facing a dinosaur.


    "What bad things have you done?"


    The vige chief continued to ask that question.


    "In my life..."


    The muscr man, with a grave expression, prepared to repeat what Chen Miao had said earlier. But as he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn''t say the following words no matter how hard he tried, as if something mysterious was choking him.


    Immediately thereafter, he even began to speak uncontrobly.


    "When I was young, I would often bully my ssmates, taking advantage of my size. I once caused a ssmate to suffer a concussion."


    "I..."


    This man, as towering as a bear, began to detail all the wrongs he had done since he could remember, one by one without omission. There weren''t many rted to murder; in fact, the majority of his misdeeds were deplorable on a moral level.


    And as the muscr man continued to confess,


    The machine''s Sin Value was rising continuously.


    It finally stopped at¡ª


    The number "1289".


    Upon seeing the four digits, the muscr man''s face instantly turned deathly pale, petrified in ce. The body that had seemed so formidable now looked as though suddenly deted, his eyes flickering with madness and ferocity as he turned to look at the remaining four people.


    His fists were itching to move.


    Obviously, the muscr man was waiting for the final result. If no one had a higher Sin Value than him, he would be the one executed. He clearly wouldn''t just wait for death; instead, he would fight for his life.


    They were all Supernaturals around the fortieth level.


    No one would go quietly without resisting, to be ughtered like sheep. Even in death, they would not die sitting down.


    ...


    ...


    Chen Miao silently looked at the muscr man beside him whose emotions were somewhat unstable. A Supernatural around the fortieth level must have killed many people. Even if he wasw-abiding in reality, he must have killed quite a few in secret realms.


    Yet in the muscr man''s confessions just now, there was no mention of killing in secret realms.


    Was it because the muscr man had never killed anyone in a secret realm?


    No.


    It was because the muscr man simply did not believe that killing in a secret realm was a bad thing, not only because such realms are inherently cruel environments but also because federalws decree that killing in a secret realm is not illegal.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Thus, the definition of ''wrongdoing'' became clear up to this point.


    If you believe something is wrong in your heart, if you feel guilt, anxiety, or a sense of wrongdoing about it afterward, then it''s a bad thing.


    But if you are an extremely twisted person.


    If you believe everything you do is right and feel no guilt whatsoever, then in this vige, you are a uniquely saintly person.


    He finally understood why the Tomb Guardian had told him before entering the secret realm that it might be easier to clear the level by adopting the perspective of a demon ''s view. As a demon, you would certainly not believe you have a guilty conscience.


    As aposite of chaotic emotions,


    That kind of thing doesn''t exist.


    However...


    Chen Miao still looked at the bear-like muscr man with a slightly peculiar expression. It''s true what they say about not being able to judge a book by its cover. Who would have thought that such a tall, burly man covered in muscles would have a cross-dressing fetish? And he likes to eat excrement?


    He had even stolen... traces from his brother''s wife?


    Such peculiar behavior.


    "What are you looking at!!!"


    Noticing Chen Miao''s gaze, the muscr man bellowed with a mix of anger and embarrassment, "Doesn''t everyone have their own quirks? Do you dare to say you''re absolutely clean? In this filthy world, stop acting so self-righteous!!"


    "What''s wrong with cross-dressing?"


    "I just like the thrill, so what?"


    "Is there a problem?"


    "No, no," Chen Miao quickly shook his head and whispered, "I respect each city''s culture and everyone''s preferences equally. I think it''s quite fine, I respect you, respect."


    Meanwhile, the vige chief had already moved on to the next person.


    It was that young man with a rocketuncher, also belonging to the Gunman Profession.


    It''s worth mentioning that this young man had been wearing a white mask from the beginning and had not removed it even now. The vige chief stood in front of this young man and once again asked the same question.


    The young man smiled.


    "There''s too many to count, I killed my entire family. And why did I do that? I''ve forgotten."


    "I remember now."


    "At that time, I was already a Level 34 Supernatural. Even city governments were highly respectful towards me, wherever I went I was revered. Yet my own parents had the nerve to order me around. Don''t you think they deserved to die?"


    "They merely gave birth to me; why did they think I should be their servant for life, always listening to them? I don''t like the feeling of being bossed around, so I killed them."


    "It felt much more liberating."


    "I..."


    As he spoke, the young man''s eyes suddenly reddened. The others seated in chairs looked towards this man with slightly bizarre expressions. Until now, they had not known just how ruthless this young fellow could be.


    He had not only killed his own family.


    He had also killed his wife.


    The reason was simple; one day, his wife was kidnapped by a rival while out shopping for groceries, as a threat against him. He paid a hefty price to rescue his wife, then sat silently on the rooftop for a long time until he finally came to a realization.


    His wife was just an ordinary person, his only weakness. If such a thing could happen once, it could certainly happen again.


    And he would not allow such a thing to happen a second time, nor would he permit himself to be threatened a second time!!!

 Chapter 225 "Send them all to the afterlife with a burst.

    The next time, the price might be too high.


    Rather than let my wife fall into the hands of the enemy, where she might suffer vition and humiliation, it''s better for her to die by my own hand; afterwards, I would have no more weaknesses.


    After that, the young man seemed to be possessed, rushing to his hometown and locating his family records, ughtering every rtive he had, not a single one was spared.


    "My wife is dead!!!


    "Why should they live!!!


    The young man''s expression some kind of hysterical ferocity as he roared, "It''s this world that forced me to do this, they all forced my hand!!!


    And beside him, the Sin Value on the machine finally came to a slow stop.


    ''19202''.


    ...


    "Huh."


    Seeing this, the burly man with madness still flickering in his pupils paused, then suddenly took a deep breath, his expression gradually calming down as he shrank back into his chair, muttering to himself in a low voice.


    "I always said, how bad can a cross-dressing fetish be, really."


    "It almost made me believe that I was unforgivably wicked."


    Now that there was no more trouble, his original Sin Value of over a thousand had made him despair, feeling certain that he must have had the highest one and that he would have to fight for his life soon. But he hadn''t expected there to be a higher expert.


    Nearly 20,000 in Sin Value.


    This guy is seriously impressive.


    He didn''t consider himself a good person, but even he thought this guy was beastly.


    Now, knowing he was safe, he felt quite rxed and wasn''t even as upset about Chen Miao mocking his cross-dressing fetish as before, turning his head to Chen Miao with a somewhat reflective whisper.


    "Actually, ever since that mother and son discovered my cross-dressing fetish, I''ve always felt guilty. I''ve never killed an innocent person, and that mother and son were the only two innocents I''ve killed."


    "Since then, I''ve been wondering, is the hobby of cross-dressing really so shameful?"


    "I''ve been dreaming of that mother and son turning into ghosts to haunt me. During that time, I had nightmares every day, so I went to the temple daily to burn incense and pray. Finally, one day, it seemed like Buddha received my prayers, and that mother and son never haunted my dreams again."


    "But I still feel very guilty."


    "I tattooed the image of that mother and son on my chest to remind myself constantly of the mistake I made."


    The burly man spoke sincerely, even lifting his shirt to reveal the tattoos of the mother and son on his chest.


    Chen Miao nodded in response, ncing casually, believing that the burly man was truly remorseful, or else he wouldn''t think what he did was wrong, just like himself, if he had no guilt in his heart, he wouldn''t recognize any wrongdoing.


    "Wait a minute!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    What was initially a casual nce made him freeze, as the mother and son seemed... familiar. He had a feeling he''d seen them somewhere before.


    Soon, he remembered.


    Lifting his head, he looked bewilderingly at the burly man in the neighboring chair: "When you killed this mother and son, was it around Fengtian City?"


    "How did you know?"


    The burly man said in shock, disbelieving: "I''ve never told anyone about this, and nobody has ever discovered it. How could you know? Could it be... you recognize this mother and son?"


    "Um..."


    Chen Miao''s expression wasplicated as he looked at the mother and son, indeed, he had seen them before. They were his first clients when he entered the Hell Bus not long ago.


    But at that time, he didn''t understand that he could activate a task.


    He simply thought by not allowing passengers on the bus, naturally, he wouldn''t need to ask them for tickets.


    So, at the time, he directly performed a ritual and granted salvation to the lost souls of the mother and son.


    Looking back now... it seems he also mysteriously dodged a bullet.


    Otherwise, had he let this mother and son on board, their mission would definitely have been to make him kill the strong man before him. But with the "Tomb Guardian''s" powers back then, trying to kill a supernatural being over level 40 would have been no different from talking to a dreamer.


    "On a ride of the Hell Bus, I was the ticket collector, and they were my passengers."


    "Ah?"


    It took a moment for the strong man to react: "Theirst wish... wasn''t to kill me?"


    As a high-level supernatural being, he naturally understood the operating rules of the Hell Bus. He didn''t expect that the mother and son''s resentment was strong enough to transform into resentful spirits, nor did he expect to just happen to meet them on the Hell Bus, with the ticket collector being himself at the time.


    "I don''t know."


    Chen Miao shook his head: "I didn''t let the two of them on the bus. I performed a ritual and granted them salvation then and there."


    "Oh..."


    The strong man nodded with an awkward expression, finally understanding why the mother and son had not haunted his dreams anymore during that period. It turned out it wasn''t the Buddha''s power that intervened, but a physical salvation.


    "That... thank you."


    "It''s nothing."


    Chen Miao also fell somewhat silent. He hadn''t expected to have such a connection with the strong man. Could this be considered karma? But heavens above! He didn''t want to have any karma with a cross-dressing pervert.


    ...


    The young man beside the strong man, who carried a rocketuncher on his back, after roaring hysterically, suddenly deted like a balloon, slumping into his chair, bowing his head as if deep in thought.


    His eyes were full of red veins, staring straight at his own pants.


    Silent and rather unnerving.


    By now the vige chief had walked over to the man in the tailcoat, who also asked him the same question.


    "No."


    The man in the tailcoat shed a gentle smile and said softly, "I haven''t done a single bad thing in my life, though I have done quite a bit of charity."


    Then he lifted the wine ss in his hand, looked towards Chen Miao on his left, and raised his ss in a light toast, a hint of mockery shing in his eyes.


    Chen Miao met his gaze indifferently without speaking, equally convinced in his heart that this man was up to no good. Here, the higher your Sin Value, the less it meant you were bad, but rather the more it represented your goodness.


    You''ve done plenty of bad things, but you know what you did was wrong.


    That''s a form of goodness.


    On the other hand, those who believe they haven''t done a single bad thing are heartless psychopaths¡ªnon-recognition of one''s bad deeds is the worst offence of all.


    Just like this man in the tailcoat.


    He understood that nce of mockery. It was the taunt of seeing one of his own kind. In the eyes of the man in the tailcoat, they were the same type of people¡ªthis mockery was to scorn him for outwardly being the great hero who saved the world but inwardly being such a person.


    Only he himself knew the truth.


    He was different from this man in the tailcoat.


    ...


    It seemed the vige chief had gotten used to half the responses. He approached the two women sitting on the far right, starting with the woman with red hair who held a whip in herp, and asked her the same question.


    "You...?"

 Chapter 226 "People from out of town are more fun.

    The red-haired woman''s mouth was tightly shut, clearly not wanting to answer any questions, but after the vige chief''s query, an inexplicable force suddenly pried open the red-haired woman''s mouth and made her speak uncontrobly.


    "I... I love my sister."


    "It''s that kind of love that transcends blood ties, and I couldn''t ept anyone sharing her with me. I had been oblivious until one day, when I saw her being very affectionate with her own husband in front of me, I suddenly understood, I had truly fallen in love with her."


    "After that, I killed her husband, and I killed their child."


    "From then on, my sister finally belonged to me entirely."


    "I..."


    The red-haired woman''s voicecked any intonation, as if a robot recounting the evils she normallymitted, while the Sin Value on the machine kept increasing, eventually stopping at ''2392''.


    While saying these words, the red-haired woman never dared to nce at her sister sitting beside her from start to finish.


    Perhaps these things had been hidden in the woman''s heart for a long time; if she hadn''t spoken out today, no one in this world would have known this secret.


    ...


    "Tch."


    Having held back hisints in the Secret Realm, Chen Miao couldn''t restrain himself anymore and looked towards the burly man beside him, "Buddy, my level isn''t high, I''m just curious about one thing¡ªis there not a single normal person among you high-level Supernaturals?"


    "Does everyone have to have some ws?"


    "Can''t one just keep entering the Secret Realm and then grow stronger normally, to be a high-level Supernatural?"


    "I don''t know!"


    Even the burly man was somewhat dumbfounded, his gaze fixed on the red-headed woman, "I always thought I was an odd one out among the high-level Supernaturals, fearing that others would discover my quirks. But now it seems..."


    "Even if I liked eating shit, I might actually be the cleanest one among us?"


    "Why are you all so twisted?"


    Falling in love with one''s own sister and then killing her husband and child so as to be with the sister forever¡ªcould any human reallymit such acts?


    Even the most melodramatic scriptwriter couldn''te up with such a dramatic plot.


    So stupid.


    Yet such a foolish storyline had actually happened in reality?


    ...


    But what everyone failed to notice was that while the red-haired woman was confessing her crimes, the purple-haired sister sitting on her right side sat there expressionless from beginning to end, with not a ripple in her eyes.


    She appeared extremely calm, eerily so.


    She wasn''t angry at all.


    It was only after the chief walked over to the purple-haired sister and asked that question again that she remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking up.


    "I''ve liked my sister from a very early age, but she always treated me only as a sister, without a hint of romantic affection, until one day, she got married, and she had a husband who loved her, along with a very cute child."


    "When I saw how affectionate she was with her husband, I felt angry, jealous, and sad."


    "Finally, one day, my sister had a car ident, lost part of her memory,pletely forgot about her husband and child, and was hospitalized for three months. During those three months, I seduced my sister''s husband."


    "No man can refuse a niece who throws herself at him."


    "Especially when the niece is attractive and has a good figure."


    "My sister''s husband was no exception."


    "Afterward, my sister''s husband became my husband, and my sister''s child became my child. During those three months my sister was in the hospital, I added quite a few drugs that could stimte the psyche to her medication and arranged for a psychologist to give my sister some psychological suggestions."


    "When my sister was discharged from the hospital and saw her husband being intimate with me, even though she had lost her memory, her subconscious still stirred with jealousy and anger. And because of the memory loss, she came to believe that her jealousy was due to not wanting to see other men near me, rather than me being close to other men."


    "After that, I always deliberately acted affectionate with her husband in front of my sister and had her child learn to call me ''mommy''."


    "My sister was indeed very angry."


    "One day, my sister intentionally sent me away, saying she was going to pick up my husband and child. I knew I had finally waited for that day. Sure enough, there was a car ident that day, and my husband and child both died. Only my sister came back with tears in her eyes and blood all over her, holding me tight in her grief and saying it was because she was distracted while driving that caused my husband and child to die."


    "I hugged my sister."


    "Even though she was covered in blood, I smiled happily. I knew that from now on, my sister finally belonged only to me."


    The purple-haired woman''s voice was cold and soft.


    Yet it reverberated deafeningly in everyone''s ears.


    These words left everyone dumbfounded in ce.


    Even the red-haired sister, at this point, was looking at her own sister with eyes full of fear and disbelief, unable to ept that the turn of events could actually be like this¡ªhad she killed not her sister''s husband but her own husband and her own child?


    How could that be possible?!


    This...


    The copse of her worldview even made the red-haired woman''s eyes go dark, and she fainted.


    The purple-haired woman, meanwhile, pressed her lips tightly together, her eyes reddening as she looked up stubbornly at the chief and bit out, "Why would I say such a thing? I''ve never thought there was anything wrong with what I did, so why would I bepelled to speak out?"


    "Hmm."


    The chief nodded nonchntly and fiddled with the dry pipe in his arms, lighting it up, "It seems you don''t understand your own heart. Your sense of guilt doesn''te from betraying your sister, but from betraying that man and child."


    "Even though you don''t want to admit it, during that time, you had fallen in love with that man and that cute child."


    "Foreigners really are more intriguing, aren''t they?"


    "Local folks don''t have that many stories."


    ...


    Finally¡ª


    The sin value of the woman with purple hair halted at the number "6823."


    About double that of her sister''s.


    "Tsk tsk."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The burly man, who had originally thought his sin value was definitely the highest, now looked at the others with a face full of emotion, "What kind of people are you all, is there a single normal one among you?"


    "I told you this world has gone abnormal a long time ago."


    "When a guy with a cross-dressing fetish who likes to eat shit suddenly doesn''t seem that bad anymore, you can imagine how dark the rest of you must be. And those sisters over there, do you also like watching ''Infernal Affairs'' in your spare time?"


    "Big sis, this isn''t like shooting a movie, is there a need to make it so extreme?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao, sitting to one side, remained silent, not speaking. What kinds of teammates had this secret realm matched him with?


    The one with a cross-dressing fetish who eats shit.


    The one who killed their entire family with a family tree in hand.


    The man in the tailcoat who was rotten to the core.


    The red-haired girl who killed her own sister''s husband and child.


    The purple-haired girl who orchestrated everything from behind, actually killing her sister''s husband and children.


    And the female college student who kept crying from the start, not even leaving the safe house before she was bombed to death.


    Great.


    You could put together a little theater with them, it seems like he''s the only normal person here, right? No wonder that demon could clear this secret realm. Could a normal person even clear this realm?


    And just then¡ª


    The vige chief suddenly walked up to everyone, leaning on a cane and announced, "Judgment has beenpleted. The person with the highest sin value is this young man, with a sin value approaching 20,000. ording to the rules agreed upon in advance, we shall execute this young man."


    "Execute?"


    The young man who had been silent with his head down after telling his story suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with madness and ferocity, staring straight at the vige chief and began tough sinisterly, "Guess what I relied on to reach such heights from a weak ordinary person?"


    "Was it the understanding of others?"


    "Was it the judgment of others?"


    "Was it the pity of others?"


    The young man suddenly jumped into the air, the rocketuncher he had been carrying on his back suddenly expanded to a full meter in diameter, and he hugged theuncher in his arms, aiming at the tform below, and bellowed ferociously, "It''s always been me who decides my own fate!"


    "I don''t want to die, who can kill me?"


    Almost the instant the young man leaped up¡ª


    The other people on the tform started to flee quickly to the distance, they had matched with this young man in other secret realms before. Although his morality was somewhat questionable, his strength was indeed very robust, this st was the young man''s unique skill.


    To take such a st head-on would result in death or serious injury.


    Instantly¡ª


    Only the vige chief and a few vigers remained standing calmly on the tform, looking up at the man in mid-air.


    As for Chen Miao, he had already jumped off the tform the moment the young man began his furious roar, obviously gearing up to fight desperately. It was time to run far away, as staying close could easily result in coteral damage.


    However, the next second!


    The rocket that seemed poised to hit the vige chief''s head at any moment appeared to be frozen in time, no, not frozen; time had suddenly slowed down. The speed of the rocket had be slower than a turtle''s crawl.


    Then the vige chief casually waved his hand.


    The rocket was flung outside of the vige and exploded, a thick wave of mes shooting into the sky, demonstrating the power of the strike.


    After that, the vige chief took the spear passed to him from a viger behind him, and his slightly hunched body suddenly straightened up.


    One spear.


    Two spears.


    Three spears.


    All three spears hit their mark, and the young man in mid-air had a vacant look in his eyes as he fell to the ground with three fist-size holes in his body, blood quickly pooling underneath him.


    He was dead as could be.


    The flight speed of the spears wasn''t actually fast, but for some reason, the young man seemed frozen, and even a simple action like blinking seemed to be yed out in slow motion tens of times slower.


    He couldn''t dodge at all.


    Hitting with three spears, ruled dead by thews, not even gods could save him.


    "..."


    Chen Miao, who had run to the bottom of the tform by now, looked at the scene with a somewhat gloomy expression. If he had the highest sin value, could he have survived this kind of attack?


    He wasn''t sure.

 Chapter 227 "Everyone has worked hard.

    "And..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly; just now, when the rocket was about to descend on the vige chief''s head, its speed suddenly became extremely slow, as if the man''s body was dodging the spear in mid-air at a pace slowed down by countless times.


    It seemed like...


    a domain-type slowing skill?


    Was it possible to slow down everything within a certain range, except for one''s own attacks?


    It looked somewhat like a rule-based skill.


    This young man, being a high-level supernatural being, surely wouldn''tck tools with special effects or taboo items. But even so, without using any means other than a rocket, he was controlled and immobilized on the spot.


    Yes.


    Wasn''t this a skill that possessed extremely strong controlling power?


    ...


    This scene was witnessed by everyone below the stage, causing several to twitch at the sight. No one expected the vige chief, who seemed frail, to have such strongbat power.


    The burly man standing next to Chen Miao whispered, "This is the disgusting part about the C-level Secret Realm, there''s always some bizarrely powerful stuff that defies all logic. It''s nothing like the E-level Secret Realm¡ªhow strong can an old man get, after all?"


    "Like this old man, he''s a plot character."


    "Within this secret realm, he''s an invincible existence, virtually impossible to kill. The only way to clear this Secret Realm Mission is toplete the task."


    Secret Realm Mission?


    If he remembered correctly, wasn''t the task of the Secret Realm Mission to gain approval from the vige chief? Yet the vige chief had seen through his lie about deceit in the vige from a young age, seemingly not very impressed with him on first impression.


    Could he still earn his approval?


    "Everyone has worked hard."


    At this moment¡ª


    Supported by several vigers with the help of a cane, the vige chief approached and said with a smile, "You''ve all been through a lot today and must be tired. There are a few empty houses in the vige where you can rest for the night. Tomorrow at noon, we will officially hold a trial for these three on the stage."


    "You''ve all worked hard."


    "Little He, show them the way."


    "Yes."


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    They were led to several houses in the very center of the vige. There were seven unupied houses in total, all of which looked fairly clean through the windows, free of dust.


    ording to the man leading the way, these houses were unupied for a long time, specifically reserved by the vige chief to amodate outsiders.


    Beyond a sneer in his heart, Chen Miao had no other thoughts. He had never heard of such remote mountain viges setting aside houses especially for outsiders. These houses at the center of the vige gave off a subtly enclosed feeling.


    It felt like surveince.


    Next door was the vige chief''s house.


    The chief''s house was also thergest in the vige, very imposing. In front stood two stone female figures.


    Yes, not stone lions, but stone women.


    The two stone sculptures of women were headless, cleaved off at the neck, their bodies incredibly white. It seemed that they hadn''t been defaced by children''s reckless doodling.


    At this moment, the vige chief also returned, smiling and waving at them before slowly making his way into his house with the support of the vigers below, looking like a dying old man, showing no signs of the man who had just speared another to death moments ago.


    "Oh, right."


    After Little He had settled them in, he suddenly reminded them with profound meaning, "After nightfall, try not to leave this room. There might be some unrest in the vige, and each of your rooms will be equipped with a protection talisman."


    "As long as you have this talisman, you are absolutely safe."


    Having said that, he turned around and left alone.


    Leaving the five of them standing in ce.


    ...


    "Here."


    The brawny man nced at the departing figure of Little He, fumbled in his pocket for a while, and then pulled out a cigarette, cing it between his lips. He lit it up and started puffing out smoke rings, "The new plot is unfolding, and if nothing goes amiss, there''ll be all sorts of demons and ghosts tonight."


    "But ording to what they say, as long as we stay indoors, sheltered by the protection talisman, there shouldn''t be any problems."


    Chen Miao looked at the brawny man in surprise, not because he was surprised by the man''s understanding, but by the cigarette dangling from his lips.


    That cigarette was obviously muchrger than a normal one; just its diameter was a good 10 centimeters, and its length was about forty centimeters, giving off the impression that one might faint from excess tar intake right after smoking it.


    "Oh."


    The brawny man caught Chen Miao''s gaze, grinned, and exined while shaking the cigarette in his hand, "I''m too big, and all muscle, the regr cigarettes are too small, I can''t even hold them."


    "So, I had a batch custom-made, and they''re much more satisfying to smoke."


    "One canst me half a day."


    "I used to smoke two packs a day, but ever since I got these custom cigarettes, I only smoke five a day now, so my smoking has significantly reduced."


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s face wore an odd expression, and he didn''t speak; he actually wanted to say that one of those was equivalent to several packs of cigarettes, but he still gave a thumbs-up, showing his admiration, before casually walking into one of the houses.


    The sky was gradually turning dusk.


    One could vaguely see a yellow tint on the horizon, but it was still light.


    The moment he entered the house, he saw the protection talisman hanging on the door, a pouch filled with herbs, emitting a strong fragrance, and covered with all sorts of symbols he didn''t understand.


    If no one had mentioned it was a protection talisman, he might have thought it was just a scented sachet.


    After fiddling with the object for a bit, he didn''t disturb its cement, but let it continue hanging on the door. The furnishing inside the house was exceedingly simple. It was just a small rectangr house with no backyard.


    A square-shaped residential housing.


    About fifty square meters in size, which for a single room was quite spacious, even felt a bit empty. The main reason for this sense of spaciousness was because there were too few pieces of furniture in the room.


    A bed, a table, a chair, a chamber pot.


    That was it.


    There was no toilet in the house, nor a backyard, just a chamber pot under the bed, which clearly indicated that if one needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, the pot was the only option, besides the basic sleeping arrangements, there really was nothing else.


    Even necessities for washing up were absent.


    Not to mention cooking and entertainment amenities.


    However, what caught Chen Miao''s attention was that the space under the bed was hollow, and the distance between the bed and the floor was a good thirty centimeters¡ªa terrifying number. It meant hiding a person under the bed was an overly simple matter.


    It would be quite usible for someone to suddenly crawl out from under the bed in the middle of the night.

 Chapter 228 Nonsensical Passage Task.

    "..."


    Chen Miao stared expressionlessly into the dark space under the bed. Although he wasn''t the most experienced Secret Explorer, he had been through his fair share of such ordeals. Since Little He had warned them that the vige would be restless at night,


    it was only normal for something to crawl out from under the bed after dark.


    He had actually nned to saw off the four legs of the bedstead to make it feel safer to sleep in, but after some thought, he dismissed the idea. Firstly, doing so might make the vige chief dislike him even more.


    And that would make it harder to win his approval.


    However, without the chief''s approval, it meant he couldn''t clear the Secret Realm and would have to die here.


    The vige chief had be a crucial figure.


    While Chen Miao stood pondering on the spot, he heard voices outside the window. Instinctively, he walked over, pulled back the curtain, and looked out through the ss. That nce made him freeze.


    The room was tidy.


    But in the gap between the ss and the window frame, there were... many dried bloodstains.


    This was not right.


    The bloodstains were inside the room, and if it was supposed to be absolutely safe, then nothing should have happened inside. What did this mean? Could it be that this house wasn''t a safe space but specifically designed to trap and kill him?


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood in ce with an ever-changing expression, deep in thought without speaking. The role of the vige chief had be too vague in his mind. On one hand, he always saw the chief as the biggest boss of the vige, yet on the other, he had to find a way to gain his approval.


    He had never seen such an absurd mission.


    It did not require him to kill the boss but to win the boss''s approval?


    But upon careful consideration, he felt that if the vige chief wanted to kill them, he didn''t need to go to the trouble of setting up a room just to do so. Were there not simpler methods, like three thrusts of a spear, which would have been much more convenient than using a house as a trap?


    At that moment, he also noticed movement outside the window.


    The man in the tailcoat, at some point, had started to work in the vige chief''s house, continually drawing water from the well and pouring it into the water jar inside,ughing and chatting with the vige chief as he worked.


    It seemed that the tailcoat man had already begun to take action.


    Already thinking of ways to win the vige chief''s approval.


    The feedback from the vige chief seemed pretty good, with a face full of smiles that appeared genuinely kind.


    "Hey!"


    At that moment¡ª


    The brute''s face suddenly appeared on the ss, standing outside his house, his voice buzzing through the ss: "The main objective is to win the vige chief''s approval. It''s not good for us to keep avoiding the vige. The show-off man in the tailcoat has already gone; should we go too?"


    "I find him quite unbearable too. He''s too pretentious, not at all authentic."


    "Although you''re not authentic either, but..."


    "At least you don''t show off."


    "Talking to you, there''s no sense of superiority or disdain, and as a low-level Supernatural being in a C-level Secret Realm, you''ve managed to remain so calm. You really are like what they say in the news, a rising star."


    "I won''t go."


    Chen Miao shook his head, but after a short pause, he still offered a kind reminder: "I always feel that even though the task is to win the vige chief''s approval, it definitely isn''t by ttering him. If doing some chores for the chief could win his approval, then this C-level Secret Realm would be too much of a joke."


    "We need to first figure out what kind of person the vige chief approves of."


    "Then take targeted actions."


    "Blind action might instead add negative points to our impression."


    "You have a point."


    The brute nodded thoughtfully: "But who should we ask about the chief? Should we ask the vigers? They look like devoted followers of the vige chief; surely they wouldn''t reveal a hint of his private affairs."


    "Wait!"


    A glint suddenly burst forth in his eyes as he turned his head to look at Chen Miao, who also nodded affirmatively in response, confirming the other''s idea, "Those three people bound on the high tform might give us some clues."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Let''s go!"


    ...


    They set off without hesitation.


    Chen Miao left the civilian house and, together with the strong man, prepared to head toward the high tform. However, having taken only a few steps, several vigers surrounded them, speaking emotionlessly, "It''s getting dark soon, it''s dangerous outside, please return to your house quickly."


    "Don''t run around."


    It was clear that they were under house arrest, their allowed range of movement confined to this small area.


    ...


    Chen Miao did not show much reaction, scanning the vigers who were gradually closing in, he tentatively asked, "Thank you, by the way, I noticed that the vige chief holds high prestige in the vige, how many years has he been the vige chief?"


    No one responded.


    But the eyes of all the vigers gradually turned icy cold, staring intently at him.


    Some vigers even gripped their long spears tightly.


    Objects that could wound on first hit, maim on the second, kill on the third.


    Even Chen Miao felt his eyebrows twitch at the sight of these weapons, a hint of trepidation in his heart, he took a few steps back to show his peaceful intentions and his willingness toply.


    Only then did the vigers gradually disperse once more.


    ...


    "Can''t get out."


    In front of the civilian house, the strong man spoke with indignation, "The vigers have basically put us under house arrest, we can''t go to the high tform, let alone talk to them there. We can''t just force our way out, can we?"


    "It might not bepletely impossible to get out."


    Chen Miao spoke in a low voice after a long silence, "Didn''t they say that many strange things will happen after nightfall? At that time, all the vigers will stay in their own houses, so there won''t be anyone outside."


    "Wouldn''t that mean we could go to the high tform as we please?"


    "At night?"


    The strong man''s eyelids twitched, "Brother, the viger who brought us here made it very clear that a lot of strange things will ur after nightfall, and we should stay inside and not wander around."


    "Although we can''t take his word for everything, from my experience, this kind of plot that''s almost told to you outright is definitely not a joke, it will surely happen."


    "Isn''t that too dangerous to go in the middle of the night?"


    "How dangerous can it be?"


    Chen Miao swept a nce at the strong man, "Those three who are to be judged tomorrow, aren''t they also tied up on the high tform all night? Will they die? If the three bound people aren''t going to die, does that mean we certainly will?"


    ...


    The strong man hesitated, he naturally knew that there was some truth in Chen Miao''s words. The risk was significant, and if something went wrong, they would be beyond redemption. The reason he chose to cooperate with Chen Miao, instead of with others¡ª


    was out of necessity.


    Chen Miao was his only option.


    The pair of sisters were far from normal, and the tailsuit-wearing man viewed him with utter disgust after learning of his cross-dressing preference, a look that angered him. Only Chen Miao remained expressionless, so he had no choice but to cooperate with Chen Miao.


    ...


    ps: There are only two chapters today. The one that was blocked yesterday has been revised as much as possible, but Starting Point is on holiday, and I guess no one will handle my issue before the year''s end.

 Chapter 229 One Two Three Four Five, Little Chicken Stew with Mushrooms.

    "Maybe we should reconsider, see if there are any other ways?"


    The burly man spoke cautiously, not because he was timid, but because he was unclear whether the viger''s warning of a "crisis at night" referred to a crisis within the secret realm or a plot-triggered death. If it was a crisis within the secret realm, then it would be much simpler: they could fight their way out based on strength.


    Even if their strength wasn''t sufficient, retreating back into the house should pose no problems.


    But if it was a plot-triggered death, then they really would be pissing in front of the Supreme Elder Lord, courting death.


    Plot-triggered deaths mean that once certain special conditions are triggered, death is almost certain, irrespective of a person''s strength, like that young man carrying a rocket barrel, whose strength did not even get used to a tenth of its capacity before he was impaled by three spears.


    "What''s up?"


    Chen Miao''s eyebrows furrowed slightly as he looked at the man in front of him, who was equivalent to four or five Hungry Monkeys in size, and said in a deep voice, "This secret realm has already been perfectly cleared by people, didn''t you search online for any strategies before entering?"


    Before entering the secret realm, he had searched online but found nothing. That was because his time was too short. If he had had enough time, usually, for any secret realm that had been perfectly cleared, people would definitely share some experiences and strategies online.


    "No."


    The burly man shook his head, "At least I have never seen one, and C-level secret realms are different from E-level ones, there is no choice to make; C-level secret realm entrances are also in the Secret Realm Building. But unlike E-level secret realms, where you can choose which one you want to go to."


    "Instead, there is just one bare entrance to the secret realm, and only after stepping into this entrance does the random allocation of the secret realm begin."


    "Before stepping into the entrance, you have no idea what the name of the secret realm you''re entering is."


    "At that time, the wristwatch is already unusable, and there''s absolutely no way to perform a search."


    "Many C-level secret realms are multiyer ones. Sometimes, if no match is found, you''ll wait in a white room until enough people randomly arrive at this realm before the secret realm officially begins."


    "The longest I''ve waited in the white room was a full three hours before matching with people."


    "But¡ª"


    The burly man paused before hesitantly saying, "It''s precisely because of this feature of C-level secret realms that we normally look at a lot of C-level secret realm strategies. That way, even if we randomly get to apletely unfamiliar secret realm, we can deal with it appropriately based on our memory of the strategies. But among all those strategies I''ve checked, I''ve never seen this secret realm mentioned even once."


    "Generally speaking, there''s only one situation like this."


    "That''s when very few people have perfectly cleared this secret realm, and those who have don''t mention it and are unwilling to talk about it much, except for people who have cleared it, while others have all died in the secret realm."


    "I understand."


    Chen Miao nodded, no longer saying much.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Then he nced outside the window at the man in the tailcoat, stillughing and talking with the vige chief, and after a long pause, he continued, "Let''s see what happens after it gets dark. If I do go out, I''lle and knock on your door."


    "Okay, but let''s set up a passphrase, something only the two of us know."


    The burly man nodded, starting nervously, "I hate these creepy secret realms the most, I''ve been through quite a few, and many times those ghosts even take on the appearance of yers, luring us into deadly deeds, and I''ve almost been fooled several times."


    "Mm, let''s make the passphrase ''one, two, three, four, five, little chicken stewing with mushrooms.''


    "Alright."


    ...


    Soon, Chen Miao and the burly man returned to their respective houses, with the burly man''s house right next to Chen Miao''s, this being an inevitable choice for the burly man. In these group-focused secret realms, coboration is often needed, as one person''s power is not enough.


    But¡­


    For the burly man, there was no longer anyone to cooperate with.


    The sisters were now looking at each other with suspect eyes as if they could start fighting at any moment. Coborating with these sisters could not only affect him, but he might also have to break up their fight.


    As for the man in the tailcoat, he looked at him the way one looks at a pervert, leaving Chen Miao as his only option.


    "..."


    Standing restlessly inside his house, the burly man surveyed the arrangement of items, even though Chen Miao was of a lower rank, his reputation was well known. These days, while not all powerful people are famous, those with a reputation could not be too weak in strength, celebrities being the exception.


    Moreover, Chen Miao''sposure from the beginning gave him considerable confidence.


    Based on his numerous experiences in creepy secret realms, although the house seemed ordinary, there were still some oddities, such as... the mirror hanging on the wall.


    A in mirror hung abruptly on the wall.


    While this is not strange in the countryside, usually beneath the mirror there should be a basin stand and a basin for people to wash and adjust their appearance. But below this mirror, there was nothing, empty, with no closet around.


    Plus, the bed that the mirror was directly facing.


    This was clearly not reasonable.


    The burly man slowly took out his brass knuckles from his chest, put them on his hands, and cautiously approached the mirror. He looked into the mirror, a very normal image. His reflection did not make any excess movements, no opposite movements, and there was no extra person suddenly behind him.


    It all seemed quite normal.


    But... it was hard to say after nightfall.


    He instinctively wanted to smash the mirror with his fist, but after a moment of hesitation, he decided to remove it and carefully wrapped it in a bedsheet and ced it gently on the bedside table next to him.


    His experience told him to try not to destroy too many things within the secret realm.


    You never know, that thing might be a necessary item for ater task, and if it''s destroyed prematurely, then you''re really done for.


    ...


    Night¡­ fell swiftly.


    As the sun set behind the mountains, the vigers also returned to their homes and tightly closed their doors. Then they lit candles, ced them into whitenterns, and hung them in front of their houses.


    Whitenterns lit by the vigers hung at the entrances of their houses as well.


    The whole vige suddenly became extremely quiet, not a single person in sight, only the whitenterns in each household swaying with the night wind, looking like ghostly fires in a graveyard, extremely eerie.


    The originally peaceful vige transformed into a giant cemetery as night arrived.


    The man in the tailcoat had already left the vige chief''s house earlier and went back to his own. The sisters, in the end, did not sh and stayed in separate houses. Clearly, the women were in aplicated emotional state, and it seemed they wouldn''t be much help in this secret realm. If they didn''t make things worse, that would be good enough.

 Chapter 230 Did You Just Easily Climb in Through the Window?

    "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Chen Miaoy quietly on his bed, hands ced on his chest, gazing at the ceiling without even taking off his clothes.


    There was no electric light inside the room, nor any candles or other lighting items.


    Following theing of night, only the moonlight streaming through the window could be seen, and the rural night was much quieter than that of the city. However, this vige''s night was even quieter than that of the majority of other rural areas.


    There was no sound of cicadas...


    Well, it was winter, so the sound of cicadas wouldn''t normally be present, but aside from cicadas, there was also no barking of dogs, crowing of roosters, or chirping of birds.


    Everything was extremely quiet.


    He didn''t close his eyes; under such circumstances, sleep was tough toe by. Unsurprisingly, the people in the other rooms probably weren''t asleep either, waiting patiently.


    He did want to see what kind of strange urrences might happen after nightfall.


    Just then¡ª


    He suddenly heard a faint human voice beside his ear. He couldn''t make out what was being said, only that there was a voice, and it seemed to being from under his bed.


    Before he could even react,


    he saw a dark figure flip through the window and stand at the door, staring straight at him.


    "..."


    Chen Miao, while not overly frightened within, simply sat up cross-legged on the bed and cradled the Thompson Submachine Gun in his arms, looking quizzically at the dark shadow standing in the doorway.


    Wasn''t there supposed to be a protection talisman hanging at the door?


    You just waltzed in through the window?


    His window was closed, though.


    He did hope that the shadow would attack him. As long as it attacked, it would prove his guess was right; the concern expressed by the strong man at twilight was indeed his own concern as well.


    The crisis after nightfall was to be determined¡ªwas it a scripted kill or a normal danger within this secret realm?


    And verifying this was actually quite simple.


    What exactly did that guiding viger say?


    The exact words were, "There will be danger after nightfall, but the protection talisman at the door will keep you safe."


    If the protection talisman couldn''t ensure their safety inside the house, then thetter part of the viger''s statement wasn''t absolute; by the same logic, neither was the first half, which would mean this wasn''t a scripted kill.


    It was by the same logic.


    If the protection talisman really worked, then it might actually be a script for a murder mystery game.


    Now, with the dark shadow having so easily infiltrated the house, he had already put a question mark on the guiding viger''s words. All that was left was for the shadow tounch an attack against him, and everything would fall apart.


    But just then¡ª


    The shadow at the door, as if running out of patience, stepped out of the darkness, preparing to move forward. But at that moment, the shadow seemed to be struck a heavy blow, and Chen Miao faintly heard a pained roar near his ear.


    Then he saw the dark figure flee through the window at the speed of escape.


    "Huh?"


    With a slightly odd expression on his face, Chen Miao looked towards the protection talisman hanging on the door, feeling somewhat hesitant inside. Could this talisman actually work? Was this really a plot-driven element?


    At that moment.


    The paper cup fixed on his bedside table suddenly shook. The bottom of the cup had been poked through, and a nylon rope with metal mixed in stretched from the bottom of the cup straight out the window.


    If the perspective were elevated, one would see.


    This perfectly taut nylon rope extended to a tree outside Chen Miao''s house, then looped around before running straight into the brawny man''s room, where another paper cup was connected to the end of the nylon rope.


    At this time, the brawny man was tugging at the nylon rope uneasily. After patiently waiting for a moment, the rope shook uncontrobly outside the house. He then hurriedly put the cup to his mouth and said,


    "How''s it going? Any situation on your side? Everything''s normal here."


    After he finished speaking, he tugged on the nylon rope again, then pressed the cup to his ear.


    ...


    This was a simplemunication device made by Chen Miao. Since watches couldn''t be used here and it wasn''t convenient to speak loudly after dark, two people in different rooms needed some other method tomunicate.


    This method was the quickest.


    It was a simple principle, one that had been taught in middle school and could even be found in elementary science reading materials. As long as the rope was pulled tight enough and ideally contained some metal material,


    even a very soft voice could be transmitted smoothly to the other end through the nylon rope.


    It was very convenient for situations where speaking loudly wasn''t appropriate.


    He and the brawny man had agreed that to signal speaking, they would tug once, and tug again after finishing, to facilitate timelymunication and avoid missing any messages.


    "A shadowy figure came in, stood at the door for a while, then seemed to be heavily injured and left through the window. I could faintly hear the figure''s pained growls after being injured."


    "What? I didn''t see anything like that over here, but I did hear some kind of voice under my bed, like the muffled growls of someone injured, yet I saw nothing."


    "..."


    Chen Miao remained silent without any expression on his face, thinking it best tomunicate with the other few people to gather more information. Unfortunately, when he had proposed installing suchmunication devices in the other three rooms,


    the man in the tailcoat scoffed and gave him a disdainful look. Though he didn''t speak, his refusal and scorn were fully disyed.


    The two women were still hovering on the edge of an emotional breakdown over some trivial romance,pletely forgetting they were in a ss C secret realm. They hadpletely ignored his suggestion and were sulking in their own rooms.


    He rubbed his temples with some irritation. It was indeed difficult when teammates were uncooperative. If only Hungry Monkey and Yuan Buping were here, dealing with such random strangers was truly vexing.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    A shrill scream pierced the night air, a woman''s scream filled with endless fear and horror. Chen Miao''s ears perked up immediately; judging by the sound, it seemed toe from the older sister''s room of the pair of sisters.


    Although the voice was unsettling,


    it was strong and did not sound like she was injured, more like she was frightened.


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed; he made no sound and had no intention of pushing the door open to investigate, simply waiting patiently for what would follow. He wanted to see if the woman would die tonight, thinking that if faced with certain death, she would instinctively scream out in her final moments.


    But after waiting for a while, he didn''t hear the woman''s dying cry for help.


    Instead, everything went quiet again, and calm returned.

 Chapter 231 "It would be a miracle if he woke up.

    "Cluck, cluck."


    Atst, Chen Miao heard a different sound¡ªit was a chicken crowing, but the sound abruptly stopped as if someone had suddenly strangled the bird; it was very sudden. Then, he saw her.


    Outside the window, there stood a woman in white, with long hair draped over her, staring straight at him through the window.


    Although he couldn''t see the woman''s eyes,


    he could feel the chill emanating from them.


    "..."


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes and suddenly smiled, rising from the bed and walking over to the window. He pressed his cheek against the ss, maintaining his smile as he looked out at the woman.


    After several seconds,


    the woman left.


    Following her departure, a session of bizarre events kept urring.


    For example, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly filled the street, invisible to the eye but audible, as if someone were carrying a bridal sedan in a wedding procession. Another was the whitentern hanging on the door, which suddenly began to ooze blood.


    Rapid knocking on the door.


    The sound of marbles rolling across the ceiling.


    And so on, totaling eight or nine strange incidents. When thest bizarre event ceased, it was already four in the morning. After a night of unrest and indeed exhaustion, seeing that there was no further reaction,


    Chen Miao leaned against the headboard, his eyelids drooping slightly as he began to drift into a dozing state.


    He wasn''t truly asleep, ready to enterbat at any moment, but also didn''t allow himself to be too tense mentally.


    Although many eerie events had transpired tonight, perhaps due to the effect of the protection talisman, not a single incident caused them damage. As long as they waited for daylight, everything would be clear.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Day broke.


    When the sky turned from the pale colors of dawn until the sun was fully risen, the burly man, with dark circles under his eyes, finally couldn''t help bursting out of his house and running to Chen Miao''s window, continuously knocking on the ss.


    Seeing Chen Miao lying in bed as if in slumber, he said in shock and disbelief, "Brother, you must be crazy, with all that ruckusst night, how the hell could you sleep?"


    "Huh!"


    Awakened by the noise, Chen Miao stretchedzily, rubbing his tired eyes, and walked out of the room, ncing at the burly man who clearly hadn''t slept all night and said casually, "We''re merely supernatural beings, not deities. Without sleep for a night, won''t you feel sleepy the next day?"


    "Who could sleep in that situation?" The burly man said in some agitation, "A moment of inattention and you could be dead. If you overslept, you might never open your eyes again."


    "Indeed."


    Chen Miao nodded nomittally and then strode toward the house of the two sisters. It was the older sister who had screamedst night, and he wanted to check if she was dead or not.


    When he arrived at her room,


    the door was tightly shut, and the curtains of the windows were not drawn. He saw the red-haired woman, looking utterly petrified, curled up on the bed, gripping her whip tightly, ready to enterbat at any time.


    Clearly, she had been terrifiedst night.


    "Hey."


    The burly man knocked on the ss and tentatively asked, "Are you okay? There was a lot of noise from your roomst night, did something break in?"


    "The... the protection talisman, it''s gone."


    The woman sat on the bed, eyes wide with fear, her finger trembling as she pointed to the spot by the door where the protection talisman had hung, now conspicuously empty.


    "What''s happened?"


    The burly man''s expression became stern as he instantly realized there was a special situation. He immediately knocked on the door signaling the woman to open it, so he could understand what exactly had happened the night before.


    Soon, the door opened.


    The burly man, with a look of urgency, began to inquire, "Did the protection talisman break? Or was it stolen by some sort of shadowy creature?"


    ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..."


    Only Chen Miao, standing aside, as he looked at this woman who bore not a single injury, began to narrow his eyes, a vague answer forming in his mind.


    He was the clearest about where the older sister''s protection talisman had gone.


    Yesterday evening, before night fell, he had approached the woman to discuss the possibility of setting up a short-rangemunication device to get through the night together, but the woman, lost in the infatuation of love with her younger sister, was spaced out, her gaze dull,pletely ignoring him.


    Seeing this, he knew the woman would be of no help.


    But she was still to serve some purpose.


    So he seized the opportunity while the woman''s gaze was vacant, stealing her protection talisman and hiding it under a nearby tree. He wanted to see if, without the protection of the talisman, someone would die.


    The result...


    The red-haired older sister, without the talisman the entire night, not only did not die, she didn''t even suffer a single injury.


    If that was the case, he had to question the effectiveness of the protection talisman.


    Was it truly useful?


    Or rather, were those eerie events fromst night genuinely threatening to them?


    ...


    Meanwhile, the burly man had also finishedmunicating with the red-haired woman. The reason for her screamst night was because a shadowy figure had broken into her room, and it was only when the figure entered that the woman snapped out of her emotional state.


    Then I found that the protective talisman at the door had disappeared at some point without knowing when.


    Caught off guard by the fright, I couldn''t help but let out a scream.


    But immediately after, the ck shadow retreated on its own, as if it had suffered a heavy blow. After letting out a hiss, it fled through the window again.


    This scene was exactly the same as the one in Chen Miao''s house.


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly but he said nothing. The ck shadow receding in his house could be exined by the protection talisman taking effect, but the red-haired woman''s talisman was gone, so what struck the shadow with such force?


    The ck shadow intruding, suffering damage, escaping.


    This whole process felt like it was fixed, as if it would happen regardless of the presence of a protective talisman. If nothing unexpected urred, the same events should have happened in the other two people''s roomsst night.


    At least, the three of thempared notes, and the strange events that happenedst night were exactly the same for all of them.


    The only exception was the strong man; he was missing the ck shadow intrusion, which was the first strange event.


    And at this moment¡ª


    The man in the tailcoat had already left the house, not knowing what information he had, but he seemed confident, casting a disdainful nce at the rest, then strode towards the vige chief''s house, apparently ready to pay his respects again.


    The vige chief''s approval.


    Is a condition that must be met to pass through this secret realm, Chen Miao could understand the man in the tailcoat''s behavior, but he did not think that one could simply pass a C-level secret realm by ttering and fawning.


    If it were that simple, then they should just send Zhou Shen to breeze through this secret realm perfectly within minutes.


    Especially since...


    The Tomb Guardian said demons had passed through this secret realm; Chen Miao would rather believe there was a chef sneaking under his bedst night making "Emperor Qianlong''s Cabbage" than believe a demon managed to pass through the secret realm by paying respects.


    ...


    Chen Miao walked into the strong man''s house alone. He wanted to see what was different about the strong man''s house and why the strong mancked one strange event. After scanning the room, the furnishings were almost exactly the same as in his house,


    To be precise.


    All the furnishings in the house were almost identical, as if they were copied and pasted.


    But Chen Miao quickly found the difference.


    There was no mirror on the strong man''s wall.


    At that moment, the strong man followed in close behind, and with a somewhat nervous expression turned to Chen Miao, "How is it, brother? Did you find anything?"


    It had to be said that this strong man was very clear about his role. A higher-level Supernatural being, willing to follow behind a junior Supernatural, constantly asking for the former''s opinion, takes a certain kind of fortitude, not everyone can do this.


    Pride is something that is bound to arise at a higher level.


    If pride isn''t found in someone of a high position.


    There are only two possibilities.


    The first is the other person hides it well, with pride in their heart.


    The second is due to pride having resulted in many losses, and thus they no longer allow themselves blind arrogance.


    "Where is the mirror from your room wall?"


    Chen Miao didn''t hide his curiosity but stared at the empty nail on the wall and directly asked.


    "You mean this?"


    The strong man hurriedly took out the mirror wrapped in a bedsheet from the bedside table: "Based on my experience with many strange secret realms, mirrors often aren''t anything good. Before nightfall yesterday, I took down this mirror and wrapped it up."


    "Is it useful?"


    "I was going to smash this mirrorst night, but then I hesitated, worrying that just maybe this mirror could be a mission item. If I smashed it andter needed it, I''d be at a loss. So I didn''t smash it and hid the mirror," he replied.


    "No worries."


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes, pondering without speaking. ording to the strong man''s information, no ck shadow intrusion happened in his housest night, and he had not seen the ck shadow, but he had heard the sound of it being heavily damaged.


    Doesn''t this scene feel a bit familiar?


    It''s like the screen going dark, but the sound still ys.


    Let''s make a bold guess.


    Last night''s ck shadow was not a real monster, rather an artificially created strange event, with the source being this mirror. That would exin why the strong man''s room had the sounds, but no visual of the ck shadow.


    Because the disy had been hidden away by the strong man.


    After pondering for a moment, the possibility in Chen Miao''s mind grew clearer, and suddenly he looked up, smiling towards the window, "Go outside and take a look. I bet the vige chief hasn''t gotten up yet."


    "Not up yet?"


    Muttering to himself, the strong man headed for the door, "We''ve got just over two hours until Noon, didn''t the vige chief say yesterday that there would be a trial on the high tform for those three people today?"


    As soon as he walked out the door, he saw the man in the tailcoat walking away from the vige chief''s doorstep towards his own house, clearly having failed to rouse the vige chief.


    "No way, he really hasn''t woken up?"


    "If he had woken up, it would be a miracle."


    Chen Miao suddenly grinned, "This is getting interesting, I thought it was a folklore horror type of secret realm, but it turns out we are stepping into the realm of science at the end."


    "That''s good; it makes things much simpler."


    He retracted his words fromst night; these teammates were not entirely useless. If Hungry Monkey and the others hade, he wouldn''t dare risk their lives for experiments. Sometimes, randomly matched strangers have their pros as well.


    At the very least, they''re durable.

 Chapter 232 "Step into Science?

    "Explore the science?"


    The burly man stood there a bit bewildered, thinking hard for a while before he finally chose to shake his head and give up, "I don''t understand, brother, speak your mind directly, so we can all consider it together."


    "Don''t rush."


    Chen Miao shook his head and spoke softly, "It''s just a rough guess for now, not yet confirmed, what we need to do now is wait, wait for the vige chief to wake up, then take us to judge at noon."


    This had already been decided by the vige chief the day before.


    It''s worth mentioning that the main task of this secret realm is to gain the vige chief''s approval, while the side task is to gain the approval of any one of the three bound people on the high tform. How to start getting any of these approvals was somewhat puzzling.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    At noon, the vige chief woke up on time but did not go to the high tform immediately. Instead, he sent someone to tell them that today''s n was canceled and the trial would be postponed to noon the next day.


    Just a simple sentence like that.


    Simrly, they had already been put under house arrest here during the daytime, forbidden to step out of this area.


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly, perhaps understanding something.


    But he made no move.


    As night fell, and with the darkness deepening, Chen Miao ignored the strange events outside the window and walked slowly along the streets of the vige. Not a person could be seen on the entire vige street, as if it was deserted, with only whitenterns hanging from each household.


    It looked incredibly eerie.


    Anyone with weak nerves would start to feel their legs go weak and be unable to stand firm upon setting foot on this road.


    But Chen Miao was calm as he lit a cigarette and put it to his lips, took a deep breath, and then slowly looked around. After quickly determining his direction, he walked steadily and slowly towards the direction of the high tform.


    Faint wisps of smoke trailed behind his head.


    It wasn''t long before he arrived at the base of the high tform and saw the three people bound there. Just as he had guessed, the strange events after nightfall could only cause psychological terror but couldn''t inflict any real physical harm.


    The eerie events were man-made.


    They belonged to the realm of science, not the paranormal.


    This idea had firmly taken root in his mind ever since he noticed that the red-haired sister, despite not having a protection talisman for an entire night, experienced nothing at all.


    ...


    What was the first strange event?


    It was a shadow that slipped through the window and paused at the door. Then, as if it had been struck a critical blow, it scampered away through the window, the sound vaguelying from under the bed.


    Before he came here, he had smashed his bed.


    In the middle of the wooden board, he found a small Bluetooth speaker. This was the source of the sound.


    He had also smashed the mirror but had confirmed that the mirror was just an ordinary one with no differences, except... he found a pocket-sized projector inside the whitentern hanging on his door.


    It was a 3D holographic version, no less.


    By projecting directly and refracting parts of the light through the room''s mirror multiple times, a 3D holographic image could be formed inside the room, which was not a difficult task. The technology level of the Federation could aplish this as well.


    These two devices together created the first strange event.


    That''s why only the burly man heard the sound but saw nothing; the reason is simple ¨C the most critical mirror, which was supposing to create the holographic image, had been hidden by the burly man.


    If the burly man had observed closely, he might have noticed a spot the size of a little finger shining on the wall where the mirror once hung; that was thepressed image.


    The reason why the red-haired woman, when clearly there was no protection talisman at the door, saw the shadow struck and fleeing, was because the protection talisman was just for show andpletely useless. The shadow''s "injury" and escape were just a programmed routine.


    This was also the purpose of the first strange event.


    To tell everyone that there really were strange events at night, and that the protection talisman could indeed ensure your safety; as long as you stayed indoors, everything would be safe.


    All the subsequent strange events, without exception, were extremely creepy but unable to harm those hiding inside their houses. This was also a way of telling them that it was dangerous outside with many strange events, but as long as they stayed in their houses, nothing would happen to them.


    This vige, or rather this vige chief, was using this method to prevent them from going out at night.


    Unfortunately...


    What was originally a perfect n now had some loopholes. The trial conducted by the vige chief during the daytime yesterday caused the sisters to lose some of their sanity, to the extent that the red-haired woman didn''t even know her protection talisman had been stolen.


    This was the biggest loophole.


    If it weren''t for Chen Miao having the chance to steal the protection talisman, he certainly wouldn''t dare to risk validating whether the talisman was useful or not.


    Only with the condition that the protection talisman was a mere trinket could he deduce more things.


    ...


    "Huh!"


    Standing beneath the high tform in the dead of night, Chen Miao held a cigarette between his fingers, allowing the pale blue smoke to drift in midair. After standing still for quite some time, he suddenly broke into a grin, "Pretty good."


    Why would the vige chief go to such lengths to stop them from going out? There was only one answer.


    It was that the vige harbored an unspeakable secret after dark, a secret that could be a devastating blow to the vige chief. This secret was likely the key to their victory, but what secret could there be in a vige?


    He had two guesses in his mind.


    But by the time he was standing here, there was only one guess left.


    Originally he thought the biggest secret in this vige was none other than the three people who had been bound on the high tform all the time, waiting for the trial; but once he actually arrived here, he realized this guess could be discarded.


    These three were not any secret at all.


    They had been standing there from the beginning to the end.


    For as he stood there, the three people who had been unconscious during the daytime somehow woke up. Seeing his arrival, they all became excitedly agitated, begging him, "Please, let us down. We are innocent!"


    "As long as you release us, I''ll fulfill any of your requests."


    "Only you can untie these ropes."


    "I haven''t eaten for many days, I''m about to starve to death."


    The voices of the three people were a cacophony in his ears, each with desperation in their eyes. They were indeed innocent, as they imed.


    He knew the identities of these three people.


    1: The Poor Family''s Filial Son.


    2: The Tomb Guardian who guarded the general''s tomb for decades.


    3: The Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime.


    In that order, from left to right.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 233 "Fairness does not necessarily represent correctness.

    You could say these three individuals are paranoid, hypocritical, or even too cowardly and meek to face reality, but to put them on trial like this is utterly absurd.


    Chen Miao didn''t respond, simply standing there waiting patiently. After taking a deep drag of his cigarette, it was only when he heard the faint rustling of footsteps nearby that he softly said,


    "So you''re telling me that the reason for all themotion at night is because you''re worried someone might discover them."


    "Hmm."


    The vige chief, wearing a light coat and leaning on his cane, emerged from the darkness with aplex look on his face, and hoarsely said, looking at the three people on the stage, "I''m relieved that you haven''t been seduced by them and untied their ropes."


    "These three are unconscious during the day and only wake up at night. At that time, they use their voices to entice people to untie their ropes. These ropes possess a special power that they can never break on their own, requiring an outside force to help."


    "To prevent people from contacting them after dark, I had to stir up some trouble. That''s all I can do."


    "What happens after the ropes are untied?"


    Chen Miao asked in a calm, gentle voice, exuding aforting warmth akin to a spring breeze, which in such a chilling environment, showed remarkable leadership qualities.


    "What happens?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The vige chief repeated the question and, without waiting for Chen Miao to respond, lowered his head and muttered to himself, "Among these three individuals, one is disguised as a demon. Once the demon breaks free from the ropes, it will fully regain its Strength and cause countless deaths."


    "That''s the purpose of tomorrow''s Noon trial."


    "If the one whom everyone believes to be the demon is executed, the other two can be released. I''vepiled the past stories of these three; even if a demon disguises itself as a human, its intrinsic cunning, greedy, selfish, and cowardly nature won''t change. Based on their past stories, the demon among them can be found. That''s the task for you outsiders tomorrow."


    "Your vote will determine who we execute tomorrow and which two we release."


    "Whether to kill or release the demon, everything will be decided by your votes tomorrow."


    "Is that right?"


    After a pause, Chen Miao continued, "Isn''t it a bit of a joke to decide such an important matter by a vote?"


    "This is the fairest way."


    "Fair does not necessarily mean correct."


    "It may not necessarily be correct, but at least it doesn''t represent a mistake."


    "That''s true," Chen Miao nodded without arguing and then turned to scrutinize the vige chief before continuing, "Actually, there''s no need for such trouble. Since all three of them are now bound by the ropes and cannot break free, just ughter all three."


    "Whoever the demon is, that solves the problem."


    "I think this is the easiest way, don''t you agree?"


    "No."


    The vige chief''splexion immediately darkened, and in an angry tone, he said, "That''s demonic thinking. To kill a demon at the cost of sacrificing two normal individuals is apromise with the demon!"


    "We can die in battle against a demon, but we absolutely cannot die makingpromises like a demon would!"


    "We must identify the real demon through a vote and then execute the real demon!"


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded, not angered, but continued calmly, "But if we choose the wrong person, it means that thousands of people will die at the hands of the demon, right? That would mean more deaths."


    "So what?"


    "Even if more people die, those people are dying at the hands of the demon, but if you kill these three people without distinction now, they will have died by our hands!"


    Chen Miao looked down at his watch, without intending to say anything more. Instead, he took the Thompson Submachine Gun from his bosom, walked directly to the stage alone, and aimed the barrel at the temple of a man, whose face was filled with fear and who was bound by rope.


    He looked down at the vige head standing below the stage and let out a light chuckle.


    Then, without any hesitation, he slowly pulled the trigger.


    As the harsh gunfire suddenly shattered the night, this young man, who hadn''t had the chance to plead for mercy, tilted his head, his body stiffened, and his blood and brains mixed together, bursting into the air.


    Chen Miao didn''t stop there; he continued with the Thompson Submachine Gun towards the next person and, pressing the muzzle again against someone''s forehead, looked down at the vige head, who was filled with rage but made no move, and said softly,


    "What now?"


    "You''re just going to watch like this? Don''t you n to make a move?"


    "Aren''t you going to use the power you used to kill my teammate today to do the same to me?"


    "Oh right, I forgot to mention, I''m a bit forgetful, the reason you made all this ghostly stuff to prevent someone from wandering in the vige after nightfall isn''t just because of these three people up here."


    "It''s also because, after nightfall, all your powers disappear, and you be a naked ordinary person."


    "Am I right?"


    "Bang!!"


    As the gunshot rang out again, Chen Miao executed another man and moved behind the next one. At this moment, the cross-dressing strong man over two meters tall wasing from a distance withrge strides, holding something like a statue in his hand.


    When the vige head heard footsteps from behind and subconsciously turned his head at the sound, he saw the strong man holding the statue and couldn''t help but shout in surprise and anger, "Put down the statue!!!"


    "Here."


    After Chen Miao neatly executed thest man on the stage, he jumped down from the stage with one hand in his pocket, wrapped his arm around the vige head''s shoulder, looked at the strong man with a light chuckle, and said, "I forgot to tell you that when I decided toe to the stage at nightfall, I knew you would definitely follow."


    "Since you would personally create those ghostly incidents, you must have a way to observe whether we would leave the house."


    "And when you followed, your house was empty."


    "If I''m not wrong, the reason you don''t want me to kill the three men on the stage isn''t because of your stubborn belief, but because among these three, one is indeed a demon, and you''re sharing power with this demon."


    "You possess the demon''s power during the day and revert to a mortal at night."


    "And now you want to find the demon that''s sharing power with you and kill him, so that you can use the demon''s power at night as well as during the day."

 Chapter 234 The Will of the People.

    "The reason you don''t want to kill these three people, and must use votes to select the demon to be killed, if I''m not mistaken,"


    "it could be because you only know that the demon that shares the Strength with you is among these three, but you don''t know exactly which one it is."


    "There is something restricting you from killing all three, isn''t there?"


    Then Chen Miao looked up at the burly man, "Any news? Let''s see if our spection is correct."


    "Yes."


    The burly man nodded and took out some notebooks from his bosom. "It''s almost the same as what you guessed, Brother Miao. The vige chief has been sharing Strength with the demon, a long time ago, three demons came to this vige."


    "And made a pact with the vige. During the day, the vige chief possesses the Strength of the three demons, while at night, the Strength returns to the bodies of the demons."


    "One day, the vige chief, not satisfied with only having the demons'' Strength during the day, devised a n to bind the three demons, intending to monopolize their Strength."


    "However, a human body needs special means to contain the Strength of a demon, and that requires holding a specific sacrificial ritual."


    "The first ritual is the ''vote of the people''s hearts.''"


    "A demon must be executed by voting, so that the executed demon can transfer all its Strength to the vige chief. But the vige chief has held several rounds of voting, with each vote ending in a tie."


    "Though the vige chief has used promises, rhetorical persuasion, warnings, and other means to make the vigers unanimously cast ''death'' votes, the demon on the tform still exerts its Strength at night to sway the minds of some vigers, causing them to cast opposite votes the next day."


    "And so, after many votes, it always ends in a tie."


    "With both sides having equal Strength, no one can gain an extra vote. The vige chief has tried killing people in the vige to make the number of vigers odd, but every time he kills a viger by any means, another viger immediately dies in the same way."


    "The demons may be bound by the vige chief on the tform, but their Strength is notpletely restrained; they can still use part of it."


    "At this moment¡ª"


    "The vige chief discovered us outsiders, who are not influenced by the demons'' maniption, so he brought us back to the vige, intending to use us the next day to announce the death of a demon."


    "No matter who we chose."


    "As long as a demon dies because of our vote, the first ritual ends. Not only does the Strength of this dead demon return to the vige chief, but it also makes him stronger. And the vige chief can also use that demon''s Strength at night."


    "As long as the second and third rituals are sessfullypleted."


    "For the vige chief, it would mean his great n hase to fruition."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded agreement, somewhat sighing, "It''s a bit moreplex than I imagined, but not much different. Now, we need to speed things up; there are only a few hours left until daybreak."


    Before daylight, this vige chief is just a little old man they can ughter at will, bully relentlessly.


    But once day breaks,


    the little old man instantly transforms into the vige''s boss, unstoppable.


    The three men on the tform did indeed die, but they did not die during the ritual; they died at Chen Miao''s gunpoint, meaning the Strength of the three demons dissipated into the air, inherited by no one, all gone to waste.


    "ng!"


    Just then, he suddenly heard a metallic shing sound near his ear.


    Turning his head to look, he saw the hunchbacked little old man in his arms, now with crazed and ferocious eyes, somehow brandishing a dagger, ruthlessly stabbing at his waist repeatedly.


    The assault was fierce.


    s, it was in vain, it caused no pain and hardly any wear on his armor ¡ª not even a tickling sensation.


    "Tch."


    Chen Miao clicked his tongue, looked up at the burly man in front of him, and signaled that it was time to take action.


    ...


    Their needs were simple. The main mission of the secret realm was to gain the recognition of the vige chief. Compared to the man in the tailcoat who got recognition by fetching water for the vige chief every day, he thought that delivering a round of punches might earn a more sincere recognition.


    "No problem."


    The burly man nodded, hurriedly taking out bottle after bottle of elixirs from his bosom, and while drawing them out, exined to the vige chief, "Don''t be scared for nothing, these are all excellent potions. This one can instantly heal your bone injuries, this one can maintain your sanity and life force even if all your skin is peeled off, this one is a sedative, mainly for the eyes, ensuring you won''t pass out even if your eyeballs are gouged out..."


    The burly man seriously continued to exin, clearly prepared to serve the vige chief a perfect meal tonight, determined not to stop until he gained the vige chief''s recognition.


    ...


    Three hourster.


    The vige chief, tortured to the point of not looking human, had all four limbs broken at ny-degree angles and was significantly shorter than usual, with cuts of meat neatly ced on a te beside him.


    The te also had mustard and soy sauce arranged on it.


    At this moment, the vige chief was kneeling beside the burly man, trembling with pain and fear, his voice quivering hoarsely, "I recognize you, I recognize you!!!"


    After speaking to the burly man.


    He turned back to look at Chen Miao, his voice trembling with heart-wrenching pain, "I acknowledge, I acknowledge you even more!!"


    ...


    "Ding...!"


    Chen Miao raised an eyebrow, hearing the sound by his ear, and nodded with satisfaction, smiling as the task waspleted. The panel indicated that he could leave the secret realm as soon as dawn broke.


    By this time, the vige chief had already fainted.


    Before fainting from the pain, he gave the strong man ast look full of grievance.


    Why didn''t he just speak the simple request directly? Why did he have to torture him nearly to death before mentioning such a simple demand? Could it be that he would refuse toply at the cost of his life? If it had been mentioned earlier, why would he have had to suffer so much?


    ...


    "It doesn''t seem like he fainted..."


    The strong man cautiously felt the vige chief who had copsed on the ground, paused for a few seconds with his finger under his nose, and then murmured as realization dawned, "Brother, I think I went too far, the vige chief seems to be dead."


    "What should we do now?"


    The vige chief cannot die, as his death would mean that the main task is definitely impossible toplete.


    He and Chen Miao wouldn''t need to worry, but the others would certainly be doomed.


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao nodded without much reaction, the man in the tailcoat had been his enemy from the start, and it served him right to die, which wouldn''t affect him at all. As for the sisters, he had no rtions with them either, so their fates did not concern him much.


    When the strong man realized that only he and Chen Miao could pass through the secret realm, he fell silent for a long while before suddenly looking up at Chen Miao, "Brother, there''s something I''d like to ask of you, it''s about my secret cross-dressing... could you..."


    Even though he spoke with reservation, his intentions were clear.


    Chen Miao couldn''t help but shake his head with a light chuckle, "Don''t worry, besides, I don''t even know your name, how could I reveal it to others?"


    "That''s good..."


    The strong man breathed a sigh of relief and then hesitantly whispered in a lower voice, "Brother, I''ve never let anyone know about my fondness for cross-dressing, but deep down I''ve always wished to let this side of me be seen by someone else."


    "Since the others are certain to die."


    "I want to indulge in my desire to cross-dress before leaving the secret realm at dawn unreservedly, and once the realm is cleared, there''ll be no one to leak the news, as long as you, brother..."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao nodded, keeping any trace of odd expression off his face, and spoke solemnly, "Rest assured, I definitely won''t reveal it, from now on, I''m blind."


    Afterward, he saw the strong man run into the dark nearby and when he came out again, he had applied heavy makeup, wore a wig, and was dressed in a navel-baring short-sleeved top, a mini-skirt, silk stockings, and high heels.


    A man over two meters tall dressing like this gave off an intensely eerie vibe.


    It was as if the world itself had fallen into chaos.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This was also the first time Chen Miao had seen size 49 high heels, longer than his face.


    At first, the strong man was somewhat shy, but as time passed, he became more and more uninhibited, even running back and forth, knocking on the tailcoat man''s window, unting his seductiveness.


    This spectacle terrified the man in the tailcoat, sending a shiver through him, thinking it was a new supernatural event. The tailcoat man was very rule abiding, sitting motionless on his bed since nightfall, although he recognized the figure outside his window as the strong man who had entered the secret realm with him.


    But... it was already dark, so whether the strong man outside the window was still a strong man was debatable.


    ...


    Dawn was breaking, and it was almost time for them to leave the secret realm. The man in the tailcoat and the sisters still didn''t know their end was near. They didn''t even realize the vige chief had died the previous night.


    "..."


    Chen Miao, leaning on his cane, stood in the very center of the high tform in the vige, looking calmly at the three bodies, patiently waiting for the end of the secret realm. He remembered the Tomb Guardian had said something to him before he entered the realm.


    It seemed to be... that these three people should all be killed.


    It was a bit hazy in his memory.


    He only knew the demon had passed through sessfully. Was the demon the same kind of creature as the demons in this secret realm? Didn''t he remember that after clearing this realm, he would earn the admiration of the demon?


    It didn''t sound like something substantial, and this admiration sounded more like a grudge.


    If you have an enemy, and you set up a nearly certain-death trap to kill them, and then that enemy miraculously survives, would you admire your foe?


    Unlikely.


    But at that moment¡ª


    "Eh?"


    Chen Miao vaguely spotted a white light slowly flickering within the three corpses.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 235 "Ding, Settlement Announcement...

    ```


    He tentatively walked toward the three corpses, trying to get a closer look at the glowing objects inside them. However, as he barely approached, the rays of white light suddenly shot towards him.


    It felt as if something had flown into his body.


    Then he saw that three items had appeared out of nowhere in his spatial backpack.@@novelbin@@


    -


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Recognition of the ''Poor Family''s Filial Son''.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: None.


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: No upation restrictions, single-use consumable item.


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: Upon activation of this prop, a pir called ''Morality'' will appear beneath your feet, which you can raise or lower at will, reaching up to 1000 meters high.


    The pir canst for a maximum duration of 1 hour.


    When you stand on top of the pir, you are immune to all attacks, and nothing can harm you.


    ¡¸Prop Description¡¹: This item can only be acquired in a certain C-level secret realm and has a special method of acquisition.


    -


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Recognition of the ''Tomb Guardian who guarded the general''s tomb for decades''.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: None.


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: No upation restrictions, single-use consumable item.


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: After activating this prop, you can enter a state of feigned death. In this state, you don''t need to breathe, eat, or excrete, and all of your body''s abilities temporarily go dormant.


    The state canst for up to 1 hour.


    While in a state of feigned death, your consciousness can leave your body, allowing you to be aware of your surroundings. Any impending curse or boss aggro will be instantly negated upon entering this state.


    Any negative buffs received before the feigned death will be cleared after recovering from this state.


    ¡¸Prop Description¡¹: This item can only be acquired in a certain C-level secret realm and has a special method of acquisition.


    -


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Recognition of a ''Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime''.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: None.


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: No upation restrictions, single-use consumable item.


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: This is a special suona. After ying it, the Hundred Ghosts will make way for you, honor you, and obey yourmands, with a maximum duration of 1 hour.


    ¡¸Prop Description¡¹: This item can only be acquired in a certain C-level secret realm and has a special method of acquisition.


    -


    "..."


    Seeing these three items suddenly appear in his backpack, Chen Miao was somewhat stupefied. At the same time, the secret realm''s mission panel also indicated that he hadpleted all the side missions and had sessfully obtained the full approval of the three NPCs.


    Who would have thought!


    He had assumed that his side mission had surely failed¡ªafter all, the people were dead, so whose approval could he get?


    But unexpectedly, it seemed that approval did not have toe just from verbal acknowledgment. As long as you killed them, you could also obtain their approval? Or was it that only the vige chief''s approval was verbal, while these three NPCs required force to gain their approval?


    But these matters were no longer important now.


    Chen Miao earnestly looked at the panels of the three items that had appeared in his backpack. How to put it, they were all one-time use items, usable only once, but the effects were very impressive.


    The first item belonged to the invincibility category.


    It allowed one hour of invincibility and could also raise a kilometer-high pir. This could be very useful if one fell off a cliff or in a secret realm that required elevation.


    One hour of invincibility is very useful most of the time.


    It gives you more time to think about how to break the game, or it offers you an hour to write a will in peace¡ªand after you finish writing, you can even revise it, correct any typos, and ensure your will is wless.


    The second item was also very impressive.


    It was another life-saving item, and notably, all three appeared focused on preserving the yer''s life, as if they were afraid he would die. This item''s function was simple: it enabled you to feign death.


    It''s not invincibility.


    In a feigned death state, you can still be fatally injured; you just don''t need to eat or breathe.


    And it onlysts an hour.


    Although your consciousness can drift outside your body during that time, it seems that this item will be useful in very few scenarios, such as if you inadvertently provoke a boss who is too strong for you to defeat, you could use this prop to feign death and reset the boss''s aggro.


    Being a single-use item with not so impressive effects, its value seems somewhat diminished.


    Thest item had the shortest description on the panel.


    ¡¸Hundred Ghosts make way for you, honor you, and obey yourmands.¡¹


    It sounded like an item for a supernatural secret realm. Using this item, you couldmand the surrounding ghosts to fight for you¡ªa tool generally not needed except in supernatural secret realms.


    It belonged to a special category of items.


    Such items that are mostly useless in many situations tend to be difficult to acquire and are likely valued highly.


    Because in most cases, items without apparent use usually imply that they can be extremely useful in specific situations, and this small chance of usefulness can often save your life.


    ...


    "Not bad,"


    Chen Miao nodded approvingly after a quick review of the three items. Just as he looked toward the burly man running toward him, ready to speak some parting words, a sh of white light suddenly appeared before his eyes.


    After the blinding white light faded,


    he found himself standing on the ground again.


    The familiar road, the deepest part of the Land of Extreme Cold, he had cleared the secret realm and sessfully returned home, to his new home.


    At the same time¡ª


    A settlement panel popped up in front of him.


    ¡¸Ding, settlement announcement.¡¹


    ¡¸Congrattions to Supernatural upation yer Chen Miao for smoothly clearing the C-ss group secret realm ''Poor Family''s Filial Son'' with a 100% perfectpletion rate; however, as he is not the first yer to clear it perfectly, he will not receive any perfect clearance rewards.¡¹


    ¡¸The list of people who cleared this group secret realm: Chen Miao, Cockroach. All others failed and did not clear it sessfully.¡¹


    ¡¸yer Chen Miao will receive the following rewards¡ª¡ª¡¹


    ¡¸yer Level Experience +100%.¡¹


    ¡¸Various C-ss materials, 1w Star Coins, special items*3.¡¹


    "... Cockroach?"


    Chen Miao looked at the panel with a slightly odd expression. Although the burly man had never told him his name, the settlement panel had fully revealed the man''s information¡ªhe hadn''t expected such a sturdy man to be named Cockroach.


    And it wasn''t a nickname, but a name recognized by the system.


    Just like Lord Miao.


    Unless, like Hungry Monkey, he had been called by a nickname from a young age and never had a real name of his own.


    ```

 Chapter 239 "Its time to go back for a visit.

    Now, just waiting for the Yayu Hell Gatling to make its first official debut.


    It''s worth mentioning that, like other unique-level firearm skins, the design of this Yayu skin is also quite aesthetically pleasing. Nine phoenix tails flutter in the wind at the back of the Gatling, giving it an airy feel to those who see it.


    The overall firearm sports a blood-red style, with ava-likeyer on its surface that slowly flows, eventually converging on the nine phoenix tails when the trigger is pulled.


    These nine phoenix tails will sway backward and continually flicker with red light.


    Yes.


    These nine phoenix tails are indeed the ammo belt. Unlike the normal Hell Gatling''s ammo belt, its bullets are hidden within these phoenix tails, which thrust virtually into his backpack to directly use the bullets stored there.


    Not only is it more convenient to carry around, eliminating the concern of how to handle the ammo belt during rapid movement, but it also saves the time needed to change ammo belts.


    More importantly, he never actually stores bullets in his backpack, as they are mainly kept in the Nothingness Space, which has plenty of room, so it''s impossible to fill up with bullets.


    The Hell Gatling''s phoenix tails are rooted directly into the Nothingness Space.


    It''s foreseeable that for a significant period toe, this Gatling will be his primary weapon. Of course, the Thompson won''t be abandoned because of this; even though the Thompson''s damage values and the like aren''t as high as the Gatling''s.


    But the Thompson has two excellent advantages:


    1: The bullets are cheap.


    2: The firing rate is extremely fast.


    With just these two benefits, the Thompson submachine gun won''t be phased out anytime soon. As for the sniper rifle, it''s unlikely to be a main weapon. Its attributes determine that it can only deliver Fatal Strikes at critical moments.


    It cannot be used for sustained attacks.


    After all, to fully capitalize on this weapon''s power, one must activate the ultimate skill, which will leave the weapon inoperative for an extended period. During that time, these twopanions must be used.


    ...


    "Miao."


    As Chen Miao was tidying his backpack, Hungry Monkey, standing by his side, continued, "The City-State Contest in Fengtian City is about to start, and the mayor is asking if you want topete."


    "The mayor?"


    Chen Miao raised an eyebrow; he had nearly cut off all contact with the outside worldtely, content to immerse himself in his own secret realm, asionally taking Hungry Monkey, Yuan Buping, and others into group secret realms, mostly dominating solo ones.


    Stay connected with empire


    The irritation left from thest C-level secret realm,


    was all made up for in these recent days in E-level and F-level realms. These lower-level realms didn''t have as manyplexities; once inside, he simply had to wield the trusted Thompson for a burst of gunfire, making it quite easy to clear the realms.


    There was no difficulty at all.


    He didn''t even know who the current mayor of Fengtian City was.


    "It''s the former deputy mayor,"


    Hungry Monkey shrugged, "Fengtian City can''t be without a mayor. The Federal Government of Jingjiu City chose neither to appoint a cadre from another city nor to make an external appointment; instead, they promoted the guy who''d been in the deputy mayor position for quite some time."


    "He was promoted just a few days ago, the day before yesterday."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully, remaining silent. He was acquainted with the new mayor, having met a few times and talked quite a bit. Their rtionship wasn''t particrly good, but it wasn''t bad either.


    It''s worth noting¡ª


    the deadline for his task was approaching.


    ''PS: The second phase of the task has beenpleted. The third phase task¡ªIf within one month, the yer holding this item ranks first on any citywide leaderboard, the item will be retained and promoted; otherwise, it will be reimed.''


    That was his staff task.


    If he wanted to keep this item, he had to head to Fengtian City in the next few days and grab the top spot on any leaderboard, or his item would be taken back.


    And one thing is very important: in which city you obtained the ''First Show of Sharpness'' growth-oriented item, in that city you mustplete the task. For example, if you got it in ''Jingjiu City,'' you have to finish the leaderboard task in Jingjiu City; you can''t deliberately go to a weaker city topete for the leaderboard.@@novelbin@@


    And for the big shots of Jingjiu City, few would go to a weaker city specifically to perfectly clear their first secret realm for the sake of this item.


    Firstly,


    this item is a chance-based prop. It''s not guaranteed that you''ll get it by perfectly clearing your first secret realm; you might get it based on probability, provided you meet this condition. Just like Hungry Monkey, who also perfectly cleared his first secret realm with me, but didn''t receive this item.


    Secondly, and most importantly,


    this item isn''t very useful. No one has ever really owned it. It''s always a temporary possession, and nobody has been able to keep it permanently. During that short time of ownership, the item''s effect is quite weak.


    For those wealthy yet wise big shots of Jingjiu, spending time and effort on this matter would be a waste.


    It''s pointless.


    ...


    "I''ll have to make a trip back."


    After pausing for a moment, Chen Miao spoke calmly. He had perfectly cleared quite a number of secret realmstely, and as long as he returned to Fengtian City, barring any surprises, he should be able to clinch the top spot on the ''Perfect Clearance Evaluation Leaderboard.''


    But he didn''t n on participating in this ''City-State Contest.''


    Originally, his expectations to attend as the representative of Fengtian City and bring the city amendable result were part of a reciprocal deal with the old mayor, who for some odd reason was fervently supportive of him.


    He promised that as long as Chen Miao could grab a good ranking, he could do as he pleased in Fengtian City.


    It was partly because of this, and to smooth the way for Zhou Shen''s political career, that he decided topete in the City-State Contest.


    But now, with the old mayor gone and after the trial with the new mayor, it was clear that the new mayor was not as resolutely supportive as his predecessor. With Zhou Shen stepping down to make way for others, the City-State Contest lost its significance for Chen Miao.


    Histest goal was to keep a low profile and develop slowly, naturally avoiding such shy, profitless activities.


    He once had aspirations of making a name for the ''Tomb Guardian'' faction to attract more talents. After reminders from Zhou Shen and others, he realized the catastrophic consequences if the ''Tomb Guardian''s'' faction effect were to be exposed.


    So¡ª


    that idea gradually faded away.

 Chapter 241 "Prop Name": Effect Refresh Ticket.

    ```


    "You''re rather well-informed, aren''t you?"


    Chen Miao nced around before fixing his gaze on the plump owner of Haina Supernatural Store, raising an eyebrow as he spoke, "I''ve just arrived and haven''t informed anyone I''d be returning to Fengtian. How did you know I was back?"


    He had almost just stepped off the Hell Bus when he received a message from the owner of Haina Supernatural Store, and the entire sequence hadn''t taken more than a minute.


    What a speed.


    It felt as if his every move was being monitored, which, honestly, he didn''t quite fancy.


    "Well..."


    The owner of Haina Supernatural Store evidently knew his approach was somewhat abrupt, but he still sheepishly exined, "Well... Miao, since you left, business has been growing bigger and bigger. I''ve specifically hired someone to keep an eye on the leaderboards at all times."


    "As soon as your name appeared on the leaderboard, my subordinate rushed to report it, and I hurried over."


    "Miao, please don''t misunderstand, I had no intention of spying on you."


    "I haven''t told anyone about your return to Fengtian City."


    "Growing bigger and bigger?"


    Chen Miao scrutinized the somewhat richer-looking owner of Haina Supernatural Store who''d fattened up slightly during his short absence and couldn''t help butugh, "I''ve been gone for less than half a month, haven''t I? And in that time, your business managed to grow even bigger?"


    "Your skills are much better than mine."


    "Miao, don''t tease me. I''m scared,"


    the owner of Haina Supernatural Store exined with a bitter smile on his face. "It''s all thanks to the good things you gave mest time. I held a high-end auction that really got our name out there. Afterwards, people kepting to me, wanting to consign their treasured items in my store."


    "Then there were a few more high-end auctions, and my reputation grew louder and louder."


    "In passing, the mid-to-low-end services of Haina Supernatural Store also picked up steam. It''s a bit of an exaggeration to say things went smoothly sailing, but recently the business has indeed been doing well. Of course, Miao, I certainly won''t forget who is to credit for all this today."


    "I feel like I''ve set aside all the good stuff that might be of use to Miao, and I''ve been keeping it for you. Miao, take a look, see if it''s of any use to you?"


    Wang Haina handed over the object with a look of anticipation on his face.


    -


    ''Prop Name'': Effect Refresh Ticket.


    ''Prop Level'': None.


    ''Prop Effect'': Upon activation of this prop, it allows the user to erase any effect on any prop and randomly rece it with another one.


    ''Prop Restriction'': The reced effect will be within a certain set of rules.


    ''Prop Description'': None.


    -


    Chen Miao looked at the prop in front of him, a hint of surprise shing in his eyes. It was his first encounter with such a prop, and the thought that crossed his mind was that this thing was really quite nifty.


    If there were enough of these things.


    In theory, it was possible to create a unique weapon or prop that was perfectly suited for oneself.


    Or if a prop had several very useful effects but also one or two utterly insignificant ones, this tool could be used to rece those insignificant effects.


    A fine thing indeed.


    "Quite good."


    He nodded with satisfaction, the depth of his eyes clearly indicating he was quite tempted by this item, "What does this ''within certain rules'' mean on thebel?"


    "It''s like this."


    Wang Haina, already hardened by experience, had noticed the eagerness in Miao''s eyes. Clearly, the gift had struck a chord, and he exined even more earnestly, "Say you have two identical C-level props."


    "Even though they have the same name, their effects might differ."


    "Except for upational weapons."


    "Most props with the same name have different effects, which is also a standard used to assess their value, like these two C-level props. If one C-level prop has the best possible effects, its value is definitely higher than that of the other, identical C-level prop."


    "But here, you need to pay attention to one thing¡ª"


    "Let''s say a certain C-level prop has three effects."


    "For this C-level prop, the ''effect pool'' may have a total of twenty possible effects. When this prop is created, it draws three effects from this pool at random as its final effects."


    "After using this exchange ticket, no matter how the effects are changed or how many times it''s used, the new effects will always be from this pool."


    "It''s impossible for the new effects toe from outside this pool, and that''s what''s meant by ''within a certain set of rules''."


    "Got it."


    Hungry Monkey, standing by with a pensive nod, chimed in, "So you''re saying, if I have a boxer''s fist, even if I use this refresh ticket 1000 times, I won''t end up with a bullet effect thates with fire damage, right?"


    "This thing''s pretty ace, isn''t it? With this, you can ensure all your prop effects are the strongest ones from the ''effect pool.'' How much are you selling it for?"


    "Priceless."


    Wang Haina shook his head seriously, "This is a new item, recentlying from a ''New Secret Realm'' in Gaobei City. Currently, it''s only obtainable from that secret realm, with no other means of acquisition."


    "So far, the market has seen very few of them, and there''s no established price yet; the asking prices vary wildly."


    "In the hands of someone who doesn''t need it, it might seem too expensive even for 100 Star Coins, while someone else might eagerly pay 10,000 Star Coins for it."


    "For now, the price seems to have stabilized around 10,000 Star Coins each."


    "However..."


    He spread his hands with a hint of helplessness, "This price is expected to drop soon. It''s been driven up purely by those folks in Jingjiu City, as most low-level props have fixed effects or have only a few possible effects in the ''effect pool,'' rendering the ticket pretty much unnecessary."


    "For supernatural beings below level 30, this thing is almost as good as trash."


    "Only high-level supernatural beings truly require this item." Continue reading stories on empire


    "And as long as they''re high-level supernatural beings, they rarelyck money. To purchase more refresh tickets on the market, they must offer a higher price than others, and that''s how the price has steadily escted."@@novelbin@@


    "This refresh ticket can be used on props anywhere from F-level to S-level, and many of the big shots in Jingjiu City have ordered their subordinates to scramble to buy them."


    "That makes sense."


    Hungry Monkey licked his lips with some sentiment, "If you''re talking about refreshing the effect of an E-level prop, I think 10,000 Star Coins is a bit steep. But if it can refresh the effect of an S-level prop, then 10,000 Star Coins actually isn''t expensive at all."


    "How many do you have?"


    "Not many, only 16."


    ```

 Chapter 244 "Automatic Locking

    "Miao, this bowl is the less spicy one, here."


    The Hungry Monkey rose, cing a bowl of noodles in front of Chen Miao, then finally unbuckled his belt, looking towards the words on the wall about free extra noodles with a satisfied nod of approval.


    To be honest, they weren''t short on money right now.


    But for some reason, they still preferred to eat at restaurants that offered free extra noodles. It wasn''t that they were stingy about the money; rather, it felt unbearably ufortable to pay for extra noodles, as if they were being ripped off.


    After his bloodline awakened, he needed even more food than before, but the miraculous part was that, despite eating so much every day, his weight didn''t increase at all.


    His bloodline was an extremely abnormal one, given enough time, his Strength Value could be higher than any Supernatural beings in the federation, and punching holes in the sky wasn''t just an empty phrase, but it seemed somewhat unimpressive next to Miao.


    The main reason was... he seldom had a chance to make a move. Before he could even swing his fist, Miao''s punch would have alreadye crashing down.


    Secondly, as abnormal as his bloodline was, he still needed time to develop, whereas Miao''s rate of growth was much faster.


    Thinking of this,


    The Hungry Monkey shook his head helplessly, decided not to dwell on these troubling thoughts any longer, rolled up his sleeves, picked up his chopsticks, and started gobbling down the bowl of noodles the owner had brought over after taking a deep whiff.


    ...@@novelbin@@


    They had ordered covered noodles; The Hungry Monkey''s was a green pepper and pork cover, Yuan Buping and Zhou Shen both went for garlic sprout and twice-cooked pork, and Chen Miao opted for the pork belly cover.


    These past few days had been somewhat busy.


    Causing his sleep to be insufficient, feeling a bit overheated with a slight stabbing pain at the top of his mouth, he wasn''t well-suited for spicy food. Chen Miao stirred his pork belly noodles while checking the Prop Effects in his backpack.


    He was ready to experiment a bit with the little gadgets Wang Haina had given him.


    4. ''Color Bullets'': The Gatling gun fired bullets that also doubled as res, maintaining sufficient Lighting while firing.


    5. ''On-the-spot Defense'': This Gatling could be set up somewhere to activate automatic attacks, and when the automatic attack is turned on, it automatically targets all non-whitelisted creatures that enter its range.


    These two effects were for his new weapon, the ''Hell Gatling''; he wasn''t very satisfied with either of them, including the fifth one. The whitelist was truly a bit of a waste, as it could easily injure some important NPCs by mistake.


    But if you said it waspletely useless, that wasn''t quite right either.


    He was now considering whether to change these two effects. It felt like a gamble, and he was a bit worried that the new effects might be worse than these two. If he wanted to change them backter, it wouldn''t be as easy.


    "..."


    Chen Miao felt torn for a moment, forgetting his noodles were clumping together. After a bit, he gritted his teeth and decided to take a chance. If it weren''t for the existence of the Effect Refresh Ticket, he might have just settled for these two effects.


    After all, if they couldn''t be changed, it would be like discovering your wife had stinky feet after marriage. What can you do, divorce her?


    Just make do with it.


    But now that he had a choice, making do became a much more difficult decision.


    "Change!"


    He bit the bullet and instantly used a Refresh Ticket, aiming to rece the fifth effect ''On-the-spot Defense.'' Compared to the Lighting effect, he felt ''On-the-spot Defense'' was somewhat more useless.


    At least that''s what he thought.


    The next second¡ª


    A sh of white light crossed the panel, and when the content stabilized again, the original fifth effect ''On-the-spot Defense'' had disappeared, reced by a new one.


    5. ''Absolute Kill'': Any monster or NPC with less than 10% life that is hit will be instantly killed, excluding elite monsters, yers, bosses, etc.


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao frowned slightly as he looked at this new effect. How should he put it? It seemed a bit like ame duck, ineffective against bosses and other yers, meaning it would only affect weaker monsters, like the zombies surrounding the city.


    Not even the zombie lieutenants could be affected, excluding elite creatures.


    It seemed rather pointless.


    With the damage of the Hell Gatling, basic monsters were practically one-shot kills. Even if they weren''t killed with one shot, a second bullet would usually be enough. Having an additional kill effect was meaningless.


    Chen Miao nced at his 15 remaining "Effect Refresh Tickets" without any hesitation.


    "Continue!"


    As the white light shed again, the panel changed once more.


    5. "Bullet Color Change": Your bullets will turn into any color you want, including pink. How about that? Are you tempted?


    "Get lost, continue!"


    5. "Messenger of Peace": For every 10 bullets you shoot, five of them will randomly cause one of the following positive effects: healing, shield, crowd control release... etc. When you''re in a crisis, you can choose to fire a barrage at yourself, and if Lady Luck is on your side, you will be revitalized!


    "Get lost!"


    5. "Automatic Locking": All the bullets you fire will automatically lock onto targets, the selection of which depends on your consciousness. Any enemy locked onto by your mind can be hit sessfully, but that''s only if the enemy is not behind cover.


    "..."


    "What a waste."


    Chen Miao looked at this newly refreshed effect with some regret. To tell the truth, the effect was great; he hadn''t seen it on other people''s Hell Gatlings, which surely made it a rare effect.


    But soon, he realized something was amiss.


    Continue reading at empire


    Wait a second.


    There shouldn''t be so many prop effects on a normal Grade D item. His prop effects were alling from the unique "Yayu" skin, meaning this effect should be one of the random effects thate with the "Yayu" skin.


    That made more sense.


    If the "Automatic Locking" effect were truly one of the effects in the Hell Gatling''s effect pool, then that would be a game-changer. The price of the Hell Gatlings capable of refreshing this effect would probably skyrocket several times over.


    With this effect, any shooter would transform into a Sharpshooter, hitting targets with precision.


    A powerful effect.


    If there were a clear ranking within the effect pool, this one would likely be among the top. However, this effect meant little to him, as he possessed the unique hidden upation "Gun Devil."


    This upation''s innate effect was theplete control over the trajectory of his bullets.


    He could hit wherever he wanted.


    It was redundant.


    And his ability was even stronger. The "Automatic Locking" effect wouldn''t work if someone was hiding behind cover, but his upation effect allowed bullets to slip through even the smallest gaps as long as they existed.


    That was truly domineering.


    There was noparison; they weren''t even on the same level.

 Chapter 246 The surging crowd

    Uh...


    As for the exact speed that could be reached, he wasn''t sure since the Hell Gatling didn''te with a dashboard to provide detailed data. He just felt that the speed wasn''t slow, even faster than the average car.


    Theoretically, against an ordinary person, he wouldn''t even need to shoot; he could just as well kill someone by ramming them with the Hell Gatling.


    And after practicing for a while, he had almost gotten the hang of controlling the Hell Gatling with his mind, which should make it possible to carry a passenger.


    The maximum distance for telekic control was a radius of one kilometer from him, which means a diameter of two kilometers.


    That meant as long as the enemy was within a kilometer of him, he could drop the Gatling right above their head at any time, stuff the barrel in their mouth and fire. A pretty good effect, with many potential uses.


    At least, the uses were much more numerous than the original defensive turret.


    The defensive turret had pitifully few scenarios where it was useful, only in extremely rare circumstances would that effect be of any use, and for the most part, it was pointless.


    ...


    "Get on?"@@novelbin@@


    The Hungry Monkey hesitated briefly on the street, then after exchanging looks with Yuan Buping and the others, he somewhat reluctantly swung himself onto the hovering Hell Gatling.


    The Hell Gatling wasn''trge in size.


    After both Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey had boarded, there wasn''t much room left for Zhou Shen and Yuan Buping, but as the saying goes, "There''s more than one way to skin a cat." With one in each hand, the Hungry Monkey grabbed the cors of the two men, nodded at Chen Miao to signal he was ready.


    It looked like Zhou Shen and Yuan Buping were going to have to enjoy the flight hanging on.


    The Hungry Monkey''s Strength Value was fairly high, so holding a person in each hand wasn''t much of a strain, and the clothing on Zhou Shen and the others was custom ordered by Chen Miao when he had created the Tomb Guardian force, so the quality was top-notch, certainly not likely to rip that easily.


    It was safe, at least.


    But thefort level... wasn''t quite as satisfying.


    Quickly.


    An excited Chen Miao began his first "Imperial Gatling" flight. As the Gatling carried four men up into the air, the passersby on the road finally showed expressions of astonishment, somewhat dumbfounded they stared at the Hell Gatling that was floating mid-air without any visible power source.


    The scene was captured by many people and posted on forums and various social tforms, causing quite a stir for a while.


    ...


    About half an hourter, Chen Miao, slightly bored, randomly chose a skyscraper''s rooftop tond on. Overlooking the city below, it had been quite a while yet not a single officer from the Enforcement Bureau hade to intercept him.


    Nor had he received any warnings.


    Obviously, someone from above knew he had returned and had informed the others not to bother him.


    Otherwise, if it were anyone else in his situation, they would definitely be intercepted and warned. This was considered illegal firearms use and unauthorized flight within the city, causing social disruption.


    There were plenty of charges to throw at him, if someone wanted to do so.


    "Pretty good."


    He was quite pleased as he patted the Hell Gatling floating beside him. He was very satisfied with this effect, and if nothing went wrong, this weapon would be one of his frequently used ones in the future.


    He was quite eager to experiment with the effects of his new weapon.


    And just then¡ª


    An announcement sounded in the ears of all residents of Fengtian City.


    "Ding, the random event ''Surging Crowd'' will appear in the Sankui Wastnd of Fengtian City in half an hour."


    "Please prepare, all yers."


    "There''s action!"


    The moment he heard the announcement, Zhou Shen almost reflexively jumped up, ready to rush downstairs, and opened his smartwatch, but midway through his rush, he suddenly remembered that he was no longer the director of the Events Bureau.


    This random event had nothing to do with him anymore.


    He had resigned.


    "Times have changed."


    With a somewhat nostalgic expression, Hungry Monkey patted Zhou Shen''s shoulder, "Let''s go. Even though you''re no longer the director of the Events Bureau, you still have to take a trip outside. Miao is just right for testing his new weapon."


    He understood Miao quite well.


    Clearly, Miao had a new toy and was probably itching to use it. The appearance of a random event was a perfect opportunity for Miao to try it out. This was like being delivered a pillow when you''re sleepy¡ªcould there be anything more perfect?


    "By the way, what is this ''Surging Crowd'' event?"


    "That name sounds a bit odd."


    "Uh..."


    After searching his memories for a while and finding nothing, Zhou Shen opened his smartwatch and scrolled through the random event manual for some time before shaking his head, "There''s no record of it. This random event is appearing for the first time. Once it''s over, there will be a corresponding entry in the manual."


    "Generally, these kinds of city-state level random events are mainly boss sieges,"


    "Is there any danger?" Hungry Monkey propped his chin with one hand, pondering.


    It would be a real loss if they were to screw up while testing new toys.


    "No."


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "Generally, there''s no real difficulty with city-state level random events. It''s just that there''s often very little time, like this time, from notification to the onset of the event there''s only 30 minutes, which really tests a city''s response speed."


    "But as for difficulty, that''s about it."


    "At most, it might cause some losses in manpower for the Events Bureau and the Enforcement Bureau, but for the city residents, there''s definitely no impact. At least, during my time as director and vice-director at the Events Bureau, nothing has ever gone wrong."


    "Indeed."


    Hungry Monkey nodded solemnly, "During that time, Miao was almost killing like crazy, and aside from cleaning up the scene, it didn''t seem like the Events Bureau had any other use. If something had gone wrong, it would have been the devil''s own luck."


    "..."


    Zhou Shen''s mouth opened slightly, but for a moment he didn''t know how to respond.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Miao mounted his Hell Gatling, facing towards the direction of Sankui Wastnd with a slight smile and a sparkle of anticipation in his eyes, ready to show off his new toy. With the function of Sword Flight now added, his means of transportation had increased by one.


    In short-distance shuttles,


    the Hell Gatling was much more effective than the Hell Bus.


    The Hell Bus wasn''t exactly fast; its main advantage was concealment, extreme concealment. The kind you definitely wouldn''t get ambushed while using, and as long as there was a road, it could reach its destination.


    But now, with the Sword Flight functionality, that third effect of his Hell Gatling became useless.


    ''3: "Reverse Thruster": This Gatling can transform into a mech suit, firing bullets backwards to propel the user forward at high speeds, with a maximum speed of 300km/hr. However, during rapid movement, bullets will be fired in the opposite direction.''


    When the bullets are exhausted, the power fades away.


    And people in front of the opposing direction will be attacked.''


    He used to like this effect a lot and hadn''t even thought about refreshing it because it was his only means of flight, and it could reach speeds of 300km/hr.


    Stay connected with empire


    It was a great option for both traveling andbat.


    But now, with Sword Flight, that effect seemed somewhat useless. He nned to refresh that effectter on, but he was a bit unsure, not knowing if his remaining 11 Effect Refresh Tickets would bring him a good effect.


    This thing was really too random.


    After using it a few times, even his confidence was worn out; it all depended on luck. If he was unlucky, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Chen Miao and his group had already arrived at Sankui Wastnd ahead of time. This was a familiar ce where many events had taken ce, and standing on thisnd again, a strong sense of familiarity hit them.


    "Useless."


    Zhou Shen nced around and saw not a single person from the Enforcement Bureau or Events Bureau had arrived. He couldn''t help but curse under his breath with a dark expression, "Eight minutes have passed and they haven''t reached the target area yet. The efficiency of the Events Bureau is really getting worse."


    "As a city''s rapid response unit, tock even this degree of responsiveness is simply disappointing."


    "..."


    Chen Miao nced at Zhou Shen but didn''t speak. If he remembered correctly, the first time there was a boss siege, he had almost finished off the boss before Zhou Shen arrived, puffing and panting with his men.


    Back then, Zhou Shen was the vice-director of the Enforcement Bureau.


    Eight minutes to gather people and hurry to a remote area was indeed a high demand.


    But he actually understood what Zhou Shen meant.


    Zhou Shen probably didn''t even realize the issues with what he said; it was clear that Zhou preferred to lead within the Events Bureau, enjoying the feeling of calling the shots, rather than staying by his side.


    It wasn''t that Zhou Shen had changed, but that he had always been like this, right from the start when he actively sought out his acquaintance for one reason: to climb higher with the help of his strength.


    For such a person, following him every day was a painful thing.


    He withdrew his gaze from Zhou Shen, "Different people belong in different ces," he thought to himself, already considering when to send Zhou Shen back to the Events Bureau, where he fit better than by his side.


    As time went by,


    the personnel from the Events Bureau and the Enforcement Bureau quickly arrived and spread out to prepare some armed positions. The newly appointed director of the Events Bureau jogged over to Chen Miao and Zhou Shen, saying respectfully in a low voice,


    "Miao, good to see you. I''m the new director of the Events Bureau, at your service for any matter."


    "Director Zhou, I''m still new to the job and might be a bit unskilled. Getting guidance from Director Zhou on my first operation would be more than I could ask for."


    The new director of the Events Bureau was a young man, probably around twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

 Chapter 248 "In Fengtian City, my words, Chen Miaos, are the rules.

    Although his expression didn''t change much on the surface, Zhou Shen''s heart still unleashed towering waves of shock. How could it be possible, one minute and over thirty seconds?


    He had challenged that secret realm many times before and was fully aware of its difficulty. He knew how hard it was to clear that secret realm in one minute and thirty seconds.


    At least, with his strength, it was simply impossible to achieve.


    It was only with Miao''s help that he had managed to clear it in just 2 minutes.


    "..."


    As these thoughts crossed his mind, Zhou Shen''s face darkened slightly. Back then, Miao had given him a Cursed Doll with ten missiles inside. He had waited in the secret realm for over two minutes, worried that clearing it too fast would draw too much attention.


    So, after two minutes, he activated the Cursed Doll.


    The moment the Cursed Doll was activated, ten missiles almost destroyed the entire secret realm.


    Logically speaking, his real clearing time should have been one second.


    If he had known this day woulde, he wouldn''t have cared about drawing attention and would have activated the Cursed Doll as soon as he entered, obliterating the secret realm instantly. He would like to see how anyone could break his record after that.


    ...


    Chen Miao nced at the new bureau chief standing behind him and paused briefly before speaking softly, "I remember that for the position of deputy chief, as long as one has the experience and record, one can be promoted by sessfully challenging, right?"


    "Zhou Shen, although you resigned, both your experience and record are sufficient."


    "With your current strength, it shouldn''t be very hard to break this record."


    "Ah?"


    Zhou Shen, who had been lost in his thoughts, was startled and quickly became anxious as he heard Miao''s words, "That, Miao, you''ve misunderstood. I didn''t mean anything by it. I still think it''s more promising to stay by your side, Miao."


    "I just..."


    "It''s fine."


    Chen Miao shook his head gently and said, "Go back and sit in your bureau chief''s seat, you''re more suited for that position. With me around, no one in Fengtian City can touch you."


    "It''s deputy chief."


    The new bureau chief standing behind the others sneered and narrowed his eyes as he croaked, "A deputy chief can be promoted by challenging a secret realm, but a bureau chief can''t be promoted that way."@@novelbin@@


    "I am still standing here, how can he take over?"


    Originally, he had maintained a respectful attitude, not wanting to escte the situation, but now it seemed that since the other party had overstepped, he no longer needed to be overly polite. Otherwise, it would really seem like he was easy to bully.


    Talking about taking over as Events Bureau Chief right in front of him, was this notpletely disregarding him?


    "You?"


    Chen Miao casually sized up the young man who had just taken office: "You''re new to Fengtian, aren''t you? Not quite familiar with the rules here? Let me teach you the rules of Fengtian."


    "Listen carefully."


    "If by midnight tonight you haven''t submitted your resignation and left the jurisdiction of Fengtian City, you won''t have to leave at all. Not far from here is the Eternal Cemetery."


    "The feng shui there is quite good; you can stay there for a long time."


    A tant threat.


    "Goodness..."


    Hungry Monkey looked at Miao in shock; it had been a while since he had seen Miao act so arrogantly. When he first followed Miao, he was very brash, butter became more and more cautious. Today, suddenly, he was being brash again.


    Chen Miao didn''t speak, but lightly patted the new bureau chief on the shoulder.


    "In Fengtian City, my words, Chen Miao''s, are the rules."


    "Aftering to Fengtian City, you need to learn how to write the three characters for ''water''."


    No one knew.


    The reason he suddenly became so confident was that he had found a sufficiently hidden and secure base. With a base where he had no worries, he no longer had to be so timid in his actions.


    Worst case, I''ll just run to the base.


    Who could possibly find me?


    I always use the Hell Bus formuting; even if someone wanted to tail me, they couldn''t.


    If someone really could track down the Hell Bus, I''d admit defeat even if I got offed halfway there¡ªyou''d really be something else.


    ...


    Zhou Shen, who hadn''t reacted at first, only managed to stretch a wide, seemingly regretful smirk across his face after realizing that Miao was serious, and he likewise patted the new Head''s shoulder.


    "Buddy, I know what you want to say. You want to say Jingjiu has got your back, and it''s solid."


    "But you have to understand one thing."


    "No matter how solid your backing is, can it save your life from afar?"


    "I, Zhang Qi, didn''t grow up getting scared."


    The youthful Head''s expression gradually turned icy as he turned to look at the Head of the Enforcement Bureau standing beside him. "Could you please inform these gentlemen what crime it is to threaten a high-ranking government official in public?"


    "borate on that."


    "And what crime would it be to kill a high-ranking government official?"


    "borate on that."


    "Can a supernatural being, who''s luckily gained some strength, really stand against the federation, against the government?"


    The Head of the Enforcement Bureau, standing to the side, was utterly devoid of his usual authoritative demeanor normally shown before ordinary people. He stood stock-still as if he were one step away from ascension to enlightenment, not daring to say a word.


    He didn''t even flicker an eysh.


    Even a master who witnessed this scene would have to admire his skill.


    How could he dare to speak?


    It was best for him to y dead, given that he couldn''t afford to offend people on either side. As the Head of Enforcement Bureau, what could he do? He surely couldn''t start reciting the actual legal statutes, could he?


    Chen Miao nced at the new Head, who remained silent, and then turned to gaze into the distance toward Sankui Wastnd, patiently waiting for the impending event.


    He wasn''t fond of this young man.


    There was something off-putting about him.


    He seemed to give off a sense of feigned maturity and hypocrisy.


    "Remember this well."


    Hungry Monkey looked at the new Head with a face full of earnestness and spoke up, "Leave Fengtian City before dawn, and if you really seek revenge, obediently go to Jingjiu City, gather your reinforcements, and thene back to settle the score, okay?"


    "Sometimes, when Ie across stubborn people like you, it gives me a headache."


    "Even if you want revenge, you can always do itter, right? Why insist on courting death?"


    "Go back, go on, be good."


    "Miao is kind-hearted after all, giving you the chance to go back and call for help, isn''t he?"


    "Reinforcements?"


    The new Head, already somewhat red-faced with anger, couldn''t help but retort furiously, "Do you have any idea who the hell I am? My name is Zhang Qi! I''m from the Zhang Family of Jingjiu City! Do you know the Zhang Family?"


    Stay connected with empire


    "The Beifeng Pharmaceutical Group with a market value in the trillions¡ªthat''s our Zhang Family''s!"


    "Zhang Wanlin is my cousin, and the Zhang Family Head, Zhang Boling, is my uncle!"


    "Do you understand what it means to talk to me so brazenly? It means you''re as good as dead. The Zhang Family could snuff you out easier than crushing an ant!"

 Chapter 251 "You Have This Hobby Too?

    The man with a scar on his face just moments ago was now slowly changing his features. Within a matter of seconds, the original face had disappeared and been reced with a new one.


    And this new face... was exactly that of Hungry Monkey.


    "Ugh..."


    Caught off guard, seeing a face identical to his own, wearing different clothes and walking among the crowd, this ludicrous sensation suddenly caused Hungry Monkey''s stomach to churn incessantly, giving him an incredibly nauseous feeling.


    He even started retching uncontrobly.@@novelbin@@


    "Damn, could I invite him to be my quality single male, if I had a wife, that is."


    Stomach cramps causing severe pain, Hungry Monkey didn''t forget to quip, as the scene before him truly seemed to be expanding his understanding.


    "..."


    Yuan Buping looked at Hungry Monkey with a strange expression, "Do you even have that kind of interest?"


    "Miao, what''s going on?"


    "That person turned into Hungry Monkey''s likeness; won''t that be dangerous for Hungry Monkey?"


    "I don''t know."


    Chen Miao shook his head and slowly stepped back a few paces, making way for these people to proceed, but his gaze wasplex as he watched one of the men in the group, who had a face identical to his own.


    He had just nced at this man, memorized his features in his mind, and then, after blinking, the man''s face had turned into his own.


    Such a bizarre phenomenon initially made him even suspect that he was hallucinating.


    It wasn''t until the same thing happened to Hungry Monkey that he was convinced this was no illusion but rather some kind of mechanism or rule. Although he didn''t understand the purpose of this mechanism, he was certain it wouldn''t be to his benefit.


    ...


    "Should we kill it?"


    Joking aside, Hungry Monkey still recognized the severity of the situation, and said, his face somewhat pale, "We can''t just let a person who looks exactly like us mingle with the crowd, right? The thought alone is eerie."


    "And have you noticed, Miao? These people seem to be picking up speed?"


    "Hmm?"


    With this reminder from Hungry Monkey, Chen Miao narrowed his eyes and began observing carefully, confirming shortly after that Hungry Monkey was right ¨C these people were indeed getting faster.


    If initially, they were merely moving at a quarter of the speed of normal human walking,


    they were now at a third of the speed.


    These people were getting stronger.


    Only, their process of getting stronger looked more like they were...


    "Learning."


    Yuan Buping uttered a word, his expression turning slightly serious, "I finally realize what''s odd. These ''people'' are learning. They''re learning how humans walk normally, and their walking speed is getting faster and faster."


    "And..."


    "It seems like they are learning how to talk like us."


    The group of people closest to them were slightly opening and closing their mouths. Although no sounds wereing out, one could clearly see their lips moving, even as their eyes remained lifeless and their pupils dted, continuing to move forward.


    However¡ª


    It wasn''t over yet.


    Soon, they realized that things seemed to be gradually spiraling out of control. Currently in the crowd there were shadows of Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao, and Yuan Buping had not closely looked at anyone from beginning to end; therefore, there was still no shadow of him in the crowd.


    And those two individuals, whose faces had already turned into those of Hungry Monkey and Chen Miao, were like a virus, assimting the people around them.


    By the time they noticed.


    The person in the crowd who had Chen Miao''s face, the faces of around ten other people had already be Chen Miao''s face as well, and simrly, the person with the face of Hungry Monkey had seven or eight people around them whose faces had also turned into the face of Hungry Monkey.


    It was as if it were a virus.


    So far, they had only received one piece of information, which was that when you focus your gaze on someone, that person''s face would be your face, and moreover, your face would spread like bacteria at a rapid rate.


    Beyond that, there was no further information.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    Several cars were approaching from a distance at a very high speed,ing to a steady stop beside them. These cars looked like they were expensive specialty vehicles, not only with very high safety but with a top speed that even reached two to three times that of a normal car.


    Shortly, a group of officials led by the mayor jumped out of the cars.


    "Chen Miao."


    This mayor, who imed to have had dealings with Chen Miao for a period, now approached Chen Miao with a serious expression and a hoarse voice, "You must tell me everything you know. This random event may be quite out of the ordinary."


    "Tell me!"


    "Why did you suddenly return to Fengtian City, and coincidentally, just as you arrived back in Fengtian City, this random event urred, and you were also the first to arrive at the scene?"


    "Do you know something about this?"


    "I don''t have time to joke with you right now. Standing behind me is the poption of millions of Fengtian City. I can''t treat the lives of millions as a joke. I need you to tell me whether this random event was caused by you or not."


    "Otherwise, why is it that for so many years, random events in Fengtian City were always resolved rather easily, and even in the history of the Federation, most random events were settled without much difficulty? You just returned to Fengtian, and now the difficulty of this random event is almost like a fixed event?"


    He hadn''t been concerned about this random event at first.


    But when his subordinates told him that real-time satellite observation showed that about a million people had gathered in and around Sankui Wastnd, he became a little restless. Forget a million people¡ªa million zombies alone would be enough for Fengtian to handle.


    Let alone these upstanding apes, more terrifying than zombies.


    He naturally knew that Chen Miao had voluntarily given up his position as a spokesman, so he never believed that Chen Miao''s return to Fengtian was for seizing power. There were no family members of Chen Miao in Fengtian, and besides, upon arriving in Fengtian Chen Miao hadn''t done anything¡ªhe had just eaten a few bites of noodles in a noodle house.


    And then the random event happened.


    He couldn''t help but connect the two urrences, and he naturally knew of Chen Miao''s capabilities; he also knew that such special supernaturals often knew some very secretive information.


    "..."


    Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    Chen Miao did not speak, just looking expressionlessly at the mayor before him. Thismanding and interrogative tone made him somewhat ufortable.


    Thest time they met, Zhang Wanyi was still the deputy mayor and had even apologized to him.


    And had been grateful to him for saving the entire Federation.


    Then upon meeting again, Zhang Wanyi had be the mayor. It must be said that the position of mayor really developed a person¡ªZhang had not been in the position long, yet he already looked ruddy and prosperous, and his aura as mayor looked in no way weak.


    Although Chen Miao was a bit irked internally.


    But he knew it was not the time to dwell on these issues.

 Chapter 254 "Then you are a member of the Zhang Family.

    "..."


    Zhang Wanlin watched the mayor expressionlessly and said coldly, "Don''t forget, even though you are the illegitimate son of the Zhang Family and have been adrift alone for many years, would you have been able to be mayor if it weren''t for the Zhang Family?"


    "Your name is Zhang Wanyi, and you bear the surname Zhang."


    "That means you are a member of the Zhang Family."


    "An order from the Zhang Family is an absolutemand to you. I, representing the Zhang Family, am telling you to stay put and wait for the people from Jingjiu City toe. Do you understand?"


    "Moreover, even if these people turned into Chen Miao, so what? Fengtian City''s missile reserves are thergest of all the federated cities, all thanks to the city-state effect of Fengtian City. This is the result of many years of umtion, and even Jingjiu City''s reserves are not as ample as Fengtian City''s."


    "When ites to missiles, what''s the difference between killing one person and killing a hundred people huddled together?"


    "Even if all these people turned into Chen Miao, with the missile reserves of Fengtian City, are we afraid we won''t be able to handle it?"


    "What''s there to worry about?"


    The mayor remained silent and did not retort. Zhang Wanlin spoke the truth; without the Zhang Family''s help and their behind-the-scenes operation, someone else would have been parachuted into the position instead of allowing him, who was the former deputy mayor, to be the mayor.


    That was the truth.


    That he was the illegitimate son of the Zhang Family was also a fact.


    Although these words were unpleasant, they were the truth, and he had nothing to argue about. Still, there was a faint unease in his heart. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke up, "But what if that Chen Miao has a way to resist missiles?"


    "That would mean all these Chen Miaos have a way to resist missiles, and then it would be very difficult to deal with."


    "What a joke!"


    Zhang Wanlin sneered coldly, "I''ve realized you have no logic at all. Please use your brain for a moment. If that Chen Miao had the ability to resist missiles, would he have left so easily when you threatened him with missiles earlier?"


    "Even a pig''s brain knows he definitely wouldn''t!"


    "Just like you wouldn''t be scared off by a child threatening you with a pencil, would you?"


    "Of course not, and if you did leave out of fear, it would mean that child''s pencil poses a threat to you!"


    "Simrly!"


    "Since that Chen Miao left out of fear, it means Fengtian City''s missiles pose a lethal threat to him; otherwise, why would he have left?"


    ...


    "Right now, I''m mainly worried about one thing."


    Chen Miao stood calmly at the edge of the cliff, looking towards the dark figures in the distance, "I''m wondering if these people inherited my abilities and became like me, will they inherit only some of my abilities, or maybe just the items in my backpack, or will they be exactly the same as me?"


    If they only inherited the items in his backpack.


    Then frankly, these people would pose no threat at all.


    All looks, but no substance.


    He usually put only misceneous items in his backpack, keeping all important things in the Nothingness Space, because he knew there was a Supernatural upation called Thief that could steal items from a supernatural being''s backpack.


    Though he had never encountered a supernatural being with the Thief upation.


    Still, just to be safe, he kept all valuable items in the Nothingness Space and only put sundries in the backpack.


    If those people merely inherited the contents of his backpack, then naturally there would be no problem. But if they were exactly like him, or even inherited his Nothingness Space, including the unique Firearm Skin weapons, then the problem would be much bigger.


    Moreover!


    He had once acquired a city-state effect, which did not work on the entire Fengtian but only affected him personally.


    That city-state effect was actually very straightforward¡ªit would help repair all injuries on your body just before you die.


    To put it simply.


    It could help you withstand a fatal attack, but it was a one-time use. He had never used this effect before; he thought entering that C-level secret realm would trigger the city-state effect, but it turned out to be simpler than he imagined.


    It did not activate at all.


    To this day, that city-state effect was still active.


    What did this mean? It meant that if the crowd below inherited exactly the same abilities as him, then they would all possess the ability to neutralize a fatal attack once.


    Neutralizing a fatal attack might seem weak if it applies to just one person, but if it''s applied to a group, to a million people, then this effect is anything but weak.


    It might even be said to be ridiculously strong.


    Of course, all of this was no longer his concern. Even if the sky fell, the Federation would bear it; all he needed was to patiently wait and see how events would unfold, to be a qualified spectator.


    "In any case, this mess is definitely beyond Miao''s ability to clean up."


    Hungry Monkey spoke with a somewhat emotional tone, "And I have no idea who misled the mayor into adopting a wait-and-see approach in such a situation."


    Other messes might be fixable by Miao, after all, he can create miracles, and Miao was born a miracle worker. Expecting someone who has created many miracles to create another one makes sense.


    But this mess is about a million Miaos.


    And that''s a different story altogether.


    Just as a kilogram of iron will never be heavier than a million kilograms of iron, and in the same units, different numbers ced on either side of a scale will never be bnced, this does not conform to thew of conservation of physics.


    It''s not scientific.


    And it''s not reasonable.


    One Miao will never be able to defeat a million Miaos.


    "Then it''s none of our concern," Zhou Shen had resigned to fate, and began counting on his fingers, "What I mean is, shall we go to another city to stock up on supplies? That way, we can survive even if it''s the end of the world, in the Land of Extreme Cold?"@@novelbin@@


    "Anyway, we have the Hell Bus, and moving supplies back will be easy."


    "While we''re at it, should we kidnap a few more teachers to bring back?"


    "My daughter''s school days aren''t over yet."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey swept Zhou Shen a somewhat speechless nce, "The world is at its end, and what use would your child''s good grades have? Are you hoping she gets into a university or something?"


    "That''s not it. I just hope the child knows how this world ended. It all starts with someone called Miao..."


    "Hey hey hey, what are you trying to say? Are you implying that Miao is the cause of the world''s end? If you have a problem with Miao, juste out and say it, there''s no need for such passive aggression. Who are you tipping off here?"


    Continue reading on empire


    "Tipping off Miao?"


    "No no, you got it all wrong. What I mean is, without Miao, this world wouldn''t be able to turn. Miao is the pivot of the world; without him, it would have perished long ago."

 Chapter 256 "g.

    "Something''s not right... not right, it really seems off!"@@novelbin@@


    The initially puzzled voice of Hungry Monkey gradually became one of terror. On the wastnd, nearly a million people suddenly started sprinting. It began with those at the front, slowly, and then the ones behind also picked up pace.


    The speed of everyone sharply elerated.


    "Shit."


    Taking in a cold breath, Hungry Monkey had only one thought in mind, that if nothing unexpected happened, Fengtian City probably couldn''t hold out. If something unexpected did happen, then it wouldn''t be just Fengtian City that couldn''t hold out.


    ...


    "No good, we can''t wait any longer, we must resolve this quickly!"


    Mayor Zhang stood to one side with a somewhat pale and gloomy face, watching the crowds sprinting past him towards Fengtian City, feeling like he might have made the wrong choice. Perhaps he should have been more assertive.


    As these people started to run.


    His feeling of unease was amplified to the extreme.


    These people were truly progressing rapidly.


    From an initial pace that wasn''t even as fast as a baby''s crawl, to now a speed equivalent to an adult man running at full force¡ªand this was just within fifteen minutes. He dared not imagine what would happen if these people continued to evolve.


    He had lived in Fengtian City for many years, and he had deep feelings for it. He couldn''t possibly let Fengtian City be destroyed on his watch; to him, that would be an immense insult!


    "Move out!"


    At that moment, many of Fengtian City''s top forces, including all the powers within the city, had gathered around. The mayor spoke seriously and coldly, with a hoarse voice, "This battle will determine the life or death of Fengtian City!"


    "If you do not wish for Fengtian City to disappear from history, please exert your full strength!"


    "Attack!!!"


    The moment the order was given!


    Almost everyone standing around, Fengtian City''s topbat power and people from various powers all used their own methods to attack the vast crowd. No one had asked these forces of Fengtian City toe; they hade voluntarily.


    As the local snakes of Fengtian City, most of their foundations and family wealth were in this ce. If Fengtian City was destroyed, their years of umtion would be gone in an instant.


    Having lived infort for so many years, they could not adapt to the life of ordinary people again.


    Let alone talk of the fairy tale of starting from scratch.


    Starting from scratch mainly depends on luck. Who could guarantee that if they had to start from scratch a second time, their luck would still be good?


    No one dares to make such a guarantee.


    In the federation, many local snake powers had established themselves during the chaotic years following the world''s transcendentalization. The more chaotic the era, the more opportunities there were, the greater chance of rising. Now, with all of the federation''s rules and regtions in ce, thinking of starting over was nearly impossible!


    With this powerful force joining the fray!


    It happened almost instantly.


    The vast crowd melted away like snow meetingva. In the blink of an eye, about several hundred people were brutally killed.


    But what was eerie was.


    Those who were dying did not resist at all, not even sparing a nce at their attackers,pletely ignoring them. The rest of therge group didn''t even bother to strike back, nor did they nce their way but simply continued charging forward, their speed increasing still.


    "Stop, stop it!!!"


    "Damn it!!"


    "Zhang Wanlin, do you still want this job or not?!"


    With an anxious and pained expression, Zhang Wanlin looked at those who had been killed. This was top-notch experimental material, damn it, all wasted. Then he couldn''t help but roar into his wristwatch, "Hurry the hell up with the pace!!"


    "Anyter and there won''t even be soup left to drink!"


    Just then¡ª


    "Whoosh!"


    A supernatural archer standing beside the mayor drew his energy bow, which had been charged for a full three seconds, and shot the arrow out. The fiery-tailed energy arrow pierced through dozens of people in session.


    It ended up striking a ''person'' who had transformed into the likeness of Chen Miao.


    Without any pause.


    The energy arrow sted this Chen Miao lookalike ''person'' into pieces, and still with unrelenting force, it killed over a dozen more people.


    "Huh."


    After witnessing this, Mayor Zhang felt a slight relief in his heart¡ªthe anxiety he had been holding onto finally faded. The worst thing he had feared had not happened. Even if these people had changed to look like Chen Miao, they were only superficially simr.


    It didn''t mean they had all of Chen Miao''s strength.


    With that, the situation was much easier to handle.


    It was now just a matter of time. Though it would take some time to kill nearly a million people, it was only a matter of time.


    "Look, what did I tell you, huh?!"


    Seeing the same scene, Zhang Wanlin yelled with even more conviction and anger, "I damn well said that just because these people turn into Chen Miao doesn''t mean they have Chen Miao''s strength. I don''t know what the hell you''re all scared of?!"


    "A Chen Miao, not even a Level 20 supernatural, and you''re scared shitless!"


    "How strong could that Chen Miao be?"


    "How the hell did you all get your positions if you''re this cowardly, huh? A bunch of pig-brains?" Stay tuned to empire


    Although Zhang Wanlin''s cursing was filthy.


    Mayor Zhang wasn''t angry in the slightest. Setting aside the fact that he dared not retort since his position was supported by the Zhang Family, he was in high spirits at the moment. At least there was no catastrophic crisis. Getting cursed out was bearable, especially since the cursing wasn''t directed by name. He pretended not to hear.


    "Brother."


    Chi Qiu, who was standing to the side, was looking somewhat displeased, his voice tinged with a hint of hostility, "It''s normal that you don''t understand Miao being new here. Once you really understand Miao, you''ll know that usual levels mean nothing to Miao."


    "The mayor has done nothing wrong."


    "If these people had truly turned into Miao and had all of Miao''s strength, do you have any idea what a disaster that would be?"


    "p!!"


    No sooner had he finished speaking.


    Zhang Wanlin''s face turned icy cold as he pped a hand across, "What kind of animal are you, to think you have the right to talk to me? Have your mastere talk to me!"


    "Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang!"


    A middle-aged man ran over with a respectful smile stered on his face, nodding and bowing as he spoke in a low voice, "The young masters at home arecking in discipline, spouting such nonsense. I''ll take care of it when I get back."


    "Calm down, please."


    "After this matter is concludedter, I will personally visit to offer an apology."

 Chapter 259 The World Will Be His!

    ```


    When tens of thousands of people, all identical to Chen Miao, were untied, they almost immediately charged crazily towards one side of the vast underground chamber. Even as those at the forefront crashed into the walls, the people behind them continued to sprint relentlessly.


    These people had no consciousness of their own, their minds seemingly only aware of the need to rush towards Fengtian City.


    "How wonderful,"


    Zhang Wanlin, with one hand in his pocket, watched the scene unfold before him with a satisfied expression. He even held a cane in his hand, one that he had snatched from one of the ''Chen Miao'' clones.


    He could use this prop normally.


    And he could also see the panel.


    -


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: First Show of Sharpness. Find adventures on empire


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: B-grade (Upgraded three times).


    ¡¸Prop Effect¡¹: ...@@novelbin@@


    ¡¸Prop Restriction¡¹: None.


    ¡¸Prop Origin¡¹: ...


    ¡¸Prop Description¡¹: "This prop is the glory bestowed upon a prodigious youth who dazzled upon first entering the secret realm! Are you a fleeting genius or an unstoppable one? The choice is yours to make."


    ¡¸ps: The third stage task has beenpleted. The fourth stage task¡ªif the yer holding this prop ranks first on any three city leaderboards within three months, the prop will be retained and upgraded; otherwise, it will be reimed.¡¹


    -


    To be honest, although this prop was a B-grade, it wasn''t actually that useful. Zhang Wanlin was aware of this. First Show of Sharpness was a prop well-known to almost everyone in the Federation, at least among those in the Supernatural group.


    Yet, even so, he was extremely envious.


    Not of the prop itself.


    But rather, the prop represented a tremendous honor to a certain extent.


    His own first entrance into the secret realm had been a perfect scorepletion, and he had also obtained the First Show of Sharpness prop by chance. However, he didn''t have the ability to upgrade it to B-grade.


    He had only made it to the D-grade upgrade when he failed the task, and the prop was reimed.


    The conditions for each upgrade were no easy feat. What''s more, being born in Jingjiu City made it virtually impossible toplete the tasks; he hadn''t managed toplete even one upgrade.


    Yet this lucky fellow Chen Miao had somehow managed to upgrade it all the way to B-grade. It had to be said, his luck was really something. But it probably ended there, as the conditions to upgrade to A-grade were even harder.


    First ce in three rankings.


    Even though Fengtian City''s ranking wasn''t high in the Federation, it was still one of the major cities, not a small city like Gaobei City where one could bluff their way through. Securing first ce in three rankings in such a big city was by no means a simple matter.


    But now¡ª


    The prop was in his hands.


    Zhang Wanlin''s lips curled into a smile. Standing on the dais of this huge underground chamber, leaning on the cane, he looked down at the people scurrying around like headless flies, feeling a surge of satisfaction within. Not only was the cane his now, but slowly, all these people would be converted into Chen Miao, and when that happened, arge number of canes would drop, all of which would belong to him as well.


    Yes.


    Originally, there were many who hadn''t been assimted or, to put it another way, infected. But in the cargo container, these people were gradually getting infected, turning into the likeness of Chen Miao, with their bodily features and clothing slowly transforming.


    As time passed, thousands of Chen Miaos already had Gatlings floating beside them in mid-air.


    Having witnessed the scene, Zhang Wanlin could hardly resist the urge to gesture to his subordinates to pull over a nearly fully assimted Chen Miao. A cruel smile appeared on his face, and without any hesitation, he grabbed a machete and swung it down.


    ```


    With Chen Miao''s head soaring into the sky, he suddenly felt a sense of great vengeance fulfilled, and his heart was immensely gratified.


    Then a sh of white light, and numerous items scattered sparsely to the ground.


    "Huh?"


    Zhang Wanlin''s brow furrowed with dissatisfaction; the items that had dropped were merely life props of worthless effects, which left him somewhat displeased. Someone like Chen Miao surely had more than just 10 slots in his inventory. Even expanding it to 100 slots would have beenpletely affordable for Chen Miao.


    Not all 100 slots would necessarily be filled, but they should at least be mostly full. How could he only drop such trash?


    However, there was still something that excited him.


    It was the sess of the Gatling prop''s drop...


    ¡¸Prop Name¡¹: Yayu Hell Gatling.


    ¡¸Prop Level¡¹: ...


    "..."


    Gazing at the panel of this Gatling prop, Zhang Wanlin couldn''t help but slowly open his mouth wide in shock - he hadn''t been unfamiliar with the Gunman Profession, but this weapon''s panel was the most preposterous one he had ever seen!


    Not only was it the unique Firearm Skin, but all the prop effects were also excellent!


    It even had a new effect refreshed by the just-released "Unlimited Effect Refresh Voucher," which fit perfectly and was also the main factor for the Gatling''s ability to hover in mid-air!


    Then there was the power of this Gatling.


    No fluff, no exaggeration.


    Just this weapon alone could fetch at least 10 million Star Coins at auction!


    This was the absolute lowest price. Gunman-rted props rarely fetch high prices, but this didn''t include high-level props. Regardless of the profession, as long as it was a high-level prop, it could be sold for a high price. This Gatling could definitely be counted as a divine-level prop for a gunman.


    Not only were its effects outrageously strong, but more importantly, it cost almost nothing to use.


    Unlike some props with very strong effects but high usage costs, ny-nine percent of people couldn''t use them. Even if a prop had strong effects, it could hardly sell for a rtively high price. This Gatling was different; it had almost no drawbacks.


    If one had to pinpoint a drawback, it would be...


    The cost of changing sses and heavy reconstruction was too great.


    Yes.


    Zhang Wanlin''s eyes reddened as he looked at the panel of this Gatling prop. In his view, the only drawback of this prop was that the cost of changing sses and heavy reconstruction was way too high; otherwise he would''ve switched sses to Gunman right away.


    Damn it!


    With this prop, even a pig bing a gunman could instantly be a top-level Gunman!


    No wonder Chen Miao acted so arrogantly; it turned out his confidencey here.


    But...


    With greed shining in his eyes, Zhang Wanlin looked at the several thousand Gatlings hovering in mid-air below. Chen Miao had only one of these marvels, but he would use tens of thousands!


    What he had in mind next was to train tens of thousands of gunmen who were utterly loyal to him and then forge an extremely terrifying army of gunmen!


    Originally, his n was to improve his status within the Zhang Family, thereby gaining more say, but now it seemed his vision might have been too small. Perhaps he could be the Zhang Family Head directly and then lead the Zhang Family in Jingjiu City, and even in the whole Federation, to seize higher authority.


    The world would be his!

 Chapter 261 "And its the kind with 20,000 rounds per burst!!!

    You may speak.


    This random event, if handled properly, is very unlikely to lead to any particrly bad oues.


    However, Zhang Wanlin, on his own, meticulously selected the worst possible oue from countless possibilities, dragging all those who had been transformed into ''Chen Miao'' back to the Zhang family''s headquarters.


    "Miao, what on earth do you have packed in your backpack?"


    Yuan Buping looked vacantly into the distance, "It''s been 8 hours since the Hungry Monkey transformation wasplete. 8 hours, has your transformation not beenpleted yet, Miao?"


    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao nodded, then a hint of regret shed in his eyes.


    The stuff he had in his backpack was tremendous. The volume of the Nothingness Space was huge, so huge that he had even thrown in the container truck he had bought at the Eternal Cemetery before, filled with countless ammunition.


    Take your time with the transformation.@@novelbin@@


    It''s just a pity that the props thate out of the transformation are all time-limited; otherwise, if he could copy everything in his backpack, and tens of thousands of copies at that, he would instantly be a known power within the Federation.


    Let''s not even discuss other things.


    With so many limited edition Gatlings, he was somewhat at a loss for how to deal with them.


    Additionally, with all the other assorted items, he wasn''t far from being invincible.


    At first, he wanted to exploit a bug. Since props disappear within six hours after death, what if those sessfully assimted didn''t die? Couldn''t they just be imprisoned, and as such, wouldn''t the props remain?


    Unfortunately, it didn''t work.


    He had tried it.


    If one really kept finding ways to imprison them and keep them alive, those who were assimted would find various ways tomit suicide, even forcefully causing their upper and lower teeth to collide, then swallowing all their teeth into their airway.


    To choke themselves to death, quite literally.


    These people hadplete control over their bodily organs, able to do things that normal people couldn''t easily do, including holding their breath until they suffocated and died.


    For a normal person.


    Even with special training, it is absolutely impossible to suffocate oneself by holding one''s breath, but assimted individuals could do it, and in the end, they would still die, and the props would disappear after their death...


    Moreover, after going all out with their firepower, they would generally die from exhaustion in three to five hours.


    Yes.


    These people didn''t care about their injuries, their strength, or anything at all. They just had to use up all their offensive capabilities and then wait to die.


    In theory, if you were in an extremely secure shelter, you wouldn''t even need to bother with these people, because they would eventually die, although the manner of death varied, but death was certain.


    And it wouldn''t take too long.


    Only, what kind of damage they could cause before dying was an unknown.


    Just at this moment¡ª


    "Ratatat!!!"


    The ear-piercing gunfire suddenly burst into the night sky, sounding somewhat muffled, as if it wereing from a basement. Hungry Monkey''s eyes gleamed as he heard the sound, "That''s the sound of Miao''s Thompson Submachine Gun!"


    "I''m all too familiar with it!"


    "And it''s the kind that fires twenty thousand bullets at once!!!"


    "Miao, how many Thompson Bullets do you have packed in your bag?"


    "Not a single one..."


    Chen Miao''s expression grew gradually strange as he looked towards the seemingly busier Beifeng Pharma Group headquarters and murmured, "The Thompson''s production line is in the magazine... Logically, the Thompson should not be able to fire a single bullet."


    "Because as I remember, there are only production lines inside the Thompson, no bullets, and producing bullets requires Star Coins."


    "Which means this assimtion not only copied all the props on me but also all my Star Coins, and they can use Star Coins to produce bullets, if that''s the case..."


    "Then there are too many to count, enough tost till the day after tomorrow, with no problem."


    "And it''s the kind where the trigger is pulled and not let go."


    The very next second¡ª


    A massive explosion suddenly erupted, and a fiery ze surged from the ground of the Beifeng Pharma Group headquarters. The door to a basement appeared to have been blown open, and immediately several figures rushed out!


    Each of these figures was nked by a ''Hell Gatling'', heedlessly spraying everything living in their vicinity, including buildings, and in their arms, they also held Thompson Submachine Guns, with triggers tightly pulled, indiscriminately firing at all nearby targets!!


    Explosive bullets sparked massive bursts of me!


    In the sky, there was a continuous downfall of meteor-like fire!


    Every bullet fired from the Gatling was a re, turning the entire Zhang Family territory instantly as bright as day, so brilliantly white that even noon didn''tpare, radiantly white, extremely festive.


    At the same time, countless fireworks soared into the sky!


    Thousands of fireworks sted into the air, and that night, all the citizens of Jingjiu City witnessed this unprecedented disy of fireworks.


    ...


    Chen Miao looked at the fireworks filling the entire sky, his lips twitching slightly with a hint of distress. He knew exactly what those fireworks were¡ªthey were the 99,999 sets of fireworks he had been rewarded with during an upgrade in his Nothingness Space.


    He had never been willing to set them off.


    He hadn''t even seen what effect they had.


    Now, these clones had set them off, and he felt kind of thankful to them; otherwise, he wouldn''t have known what the effect of setting off 99,999 sets of fireworks was like.


    A clone had 99,999 sets in their backpack.


    At present, only three or four clones had rushed out, but many more were about toplete their assimtion. It was foreseeable that, tonight, at least a hundred million fireworks would rocket into the sky, and the resulting smog would basically negate the Jingjiu City Environmental Management Bureau''s entire year of work.


    Meanwhile, more Chen Miao clones charged out from the basement, firing wildly without any hesitation and continuously activating various props.


    Whether or not there were enemies nearby didn''t matter¡ªas long as there was a prop avable, it was going to be activated.


    All kinds of single-use props, ones Chen Miao had never been willing to use, were being triggered without a second thought by these clones.


    -


    ''Prop Name'': Recognition of the ''Poor Family''s Filial Son''.


    ''Prop Effect'': Upon activation of this prop, a moral high ground called ''Morality'' will appear under your feet. You can raise or lower this high ground as you wish, up to a maximum height of 1,000 meters.


    Thergest duration for the high ground pir is one hour.


    When you stand at the top of the pir, you are immune to all attacks, and nothing can harm you.


    -


    ''Prop Name'': Recognition of the ''Tomb Guardian who has guarded the general''s tomb for decades''.


    ''Prop Effect'': Upon activation of this prop, you can enter a state of feigned death. In this state, you do not need to breathe, eat, or excrete, and all your bodily functions enter a temporary state of hibernation.


    The maximum duration is one hour.


    During this feigned death state, your consciousness can ascend, allowing you to be fully aware of your surroundings. After entering feigned death, any curse about to take effect or boss aggro will be instantly cleared.


    Upon recovering from this state, any negative buff effects received before feigned death will be cleared.


    -


    ''Prop Name'': Recognition of the ''Senior Who yed Suona for a Lifetime''.


    ''Prop Effect'': This is a special suona that, once yed, will make all ghosts give way, honor you, and heed yourmand for a maximum duration of one hour.


    -


    As several single-use props were activated, the scenario at the Beifeng Pharma Group headquarters transformed into an extremely chaotic mess, with pirs soaring into the sky one after another.


    The height was controlled to be around fifty meters or so.


    The Chen Miao clones stood atop these pirs, pelting the surroundings with relentless fire. To make matters worse, standing atop the pirs made them immune to attacks for an hour, granting them an invincible state.


    Then you could clearly see several clones enter a state of feigned death then probably realizing it was of no use, so they would wake up again.


    Even from this great distance, they could hear the sound of the suona starting to y.


    In an instant¡ª


    Explosive bullets, a hail of twenty thousand Thompson bullets, a missile formed by twenty thousand bullets converging, Roaring Heavenly Dog rockets shooting up and eventually turning into a meteoric shower, the pervasive fireworks, sky-reaching pirs, and the echoing sound of the suona.


    An assortment of messy elements crammed into Beifeng Pharma Group''s headquarters in an utterly graceless fashion.


    You could tell that the security at Beifeng Pharma Group was professional and quick to respond, as countless supernatural beings poured in almost immediately, ready to handle the emergency.


    However, the faster they rushed in, the quicker they died.


    Moreover, many clones were standing on the pirs, in an invincible state, rendering them untouchable.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s expression wasplicated as he looked at the clones standing on the pirs. He felt an indescribable sensation within; these were one-time props he couldn''t bear to use, yet his clones used them without any regard.


    For a moment, he felt even less free than a clone.


    It was like being aputer science student dating a girl from the dance department in college, cherishing every moment, feeling honored to even hold her hand. Then one day, he saw her get kicked hard by a sports student¡ªin fact, the sports student stood up to kick!


    Yes.


    That was exactly how he felt at this moment¡ªthose props he treasured and held back from using, these clones didn''t even bother to see if they were aimed properly before eagerly activating all of them. Those props had been hard toe by, weren''t they?


    They were supposed to be his ace in the hole.


    The bad news was that because of the clones'' destruction, all his trump cards were now revealed, and his true strength waspletely exposed.


    The good news, if nothing unexpected happened, is that those who witnessed this scene tonight would probably have a hard time surviving.


    Any of those clones were much stronger than him.


    At least, he couldn''t afford such luxury.


    And there were tens of thousands of them here, after all.

 Chapter 262 "Did you all fucking understand?!!

    ```


    "Are you fucking kidding me with the warehouse? Are you fucking out of your mind???"


    "Run!!!"


    "Quick, get in touch with the family head, and have him handle this. The group has so many security guards who get paid a shitload by me, it''s about time they earned their keep. By any means necessary, we must keep the situation contained within Beifeng Pharma Group!!!"


    "Did you all fucking understand that!!!"


    On a highway tunnel of Beifeng Pharma Group, Zhang Wanlin was sitting in a car speeding away, furiously yelling into his wristwatch.


    Things had escted way too quickly.


    He hadn''t even had time to react when one of Chen Miao''s clones suddenly opened fire. He admits he had underestimated Chen Miao somewhat, limiting his evaluation to Chen Miao''s awakening from the fourthyer of the dream and sessfully preventing a catastrophic fixed event.


    He had seen Chen Miao''sbat footage, too.


    The footage of Chen Miao''sbat during Fengtian City''s major incidents and boss battles, he had watched them. He thought, although stronger than other supernatural beings of the same level, that was pretty much it, not unbeatable.


    Only now did he realize how much Chen Miao had been holding back.


    It wasn''t just one, two, or even three reserves!


    It was fucking tens of thousands of reserves!!


    You should just fucking change your name to Chen Thousands of Hands, shouldn''t you??


    When that clone of Chen Miao unexpectedly went all out with its firepower, he was stunned. The sudden barrage of attacks nearly destroyed the entire basement in an instant.


    If it weren''t for his luck in not getting caught in it immediately, he would have died long ago!


    Right after that, the second Chen Miao clone, the third Chen Miao clone, one after another, clones of Chen Miao began to awaken, as it were,unching indiscriminate and full-power destructive assaults on their surroundings!@@novelbin@@


    And he, naturally, was the first to flee through the underground highway tunnel.


    This situation was beyond his capabilities.


    It exceeded his scope of handling.


    But that didn''t mean he didn''t have support. Even though he couldn''t handle it, he believed the Zhang Family could definitely handle it.


    And moreover...


    Zhang Wanlin, panting heavily, nced at the nearly hundred Hell Gatlings in his backpack, which he had confiscated from the Chen Miao clones. He had just started confiscating them when those clones of Chen Miao suddenly went berserk.


    But even so.


    It was still a profit.


    Enough for him, since the losses were to the Zhang Family''s assets. Sure, he was the main person in charge of this behemoth of apany, and yes, thepany was worth tens of trillions, but those were corporate assets, not his personal wealth.


    He hadn''t lost much, but these nearly hundred Gatlings were now firmly in his hands.


    Once all this was over, not only would he not be at a loss, but he would have also made a tidy profit.


    Even though there were only a hundred Gatlings, which wasn''t enough for his army of gunners, they were still very strong, and forming an elite squad would be a nice choice.


    "Damn you, Chen Miao!!!"


    Zhang Wanlin, in the midst of his escape, was filled with resentment. It was all Chen Miao''s fault, and once this ident was over, he would personally capture Chen Miao and put him to death!


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    ```


    At the high-rise headquarters of "Beifeng Pharma Group," several shareholders and senior executives were in a meeting.


    "President Wang."


    One of the technicians, full of respect, stood in front of the PowerPoint on therge screen and began the presentation, "This is thetest product developed by our R&D department, a groundbreaking medicine that can cure ''Petrification Disease,'' an incurable affliction that has never been sessfully treated before."


    "Only one in a hundred thousand people contract this disease. Once infected, the person''s body will gradually petrify, but they will not lose consciousness. They''ll feel their life slipping away while being fully aware."


    "However, this medicine, whether it''s administered in thete or early stages of the disease, just one injection and the disease is cured!"


    "The development costs over the years plus the actual cost of the drug, put the cost of one injection at around 600,000 Credit Points."


    "Please advise on the pricing of this drug, President Wang."


    "..."


    The middle-aged man seated in the main chair, President Wang, was expressionless and showed no reaction. He listened to the entire presentation about the medication before idly spinning the pen in his hand.


    "You bookworms really only understand the dead letters in your textbooks."


    "Tell me, what good is this drug you developed for thepany?"


    "Ah?"


    The technician was stunned for a moment, thinking the president hadn''t heard him, and hurriedly exined, "President Wang, you misunderstood. This medicine can cure the previously incurable ''Petrification Disease.'' With just one injection..."


    "Enough."


    President Wang''s face turned icy as he tapped the desk with his pen, "I know your drug is very useful for the user. What I want to know is, what good is it for thepany? Do you think someone will spend 600,000 to buy this medicine?"


    "Of course, they will. After all, in a federation of nearly tens of billions of people, there''s no small number of people who will contract Petrification Disease. These people''s..."


    "It''s apparent."


    President Wang interrupted the technician again, "You don''t really understand human nature. Let me ask you, if you had a family member with Petrification Disease, say, your father, with whom you have a very close rtionship."


    "After contracting the disease, he turns into a stone, lying in bed with no difference from a vegetative state, except for being conscious."


    "You''re also about to get married."


    "Your mother-inw is demanding a dowry of 188,000. You love your fianc¨¦e very much and you''re preparing a house for marriage. At this moment, you see the news that for just 600,000, you can buy an injection and save your father."


    "Would you choose to save your father?"


    "Of course!"


    The technician first nodded with certainty, but as his mouth slowly opened and then closed, he became somewhat hesitant and fell silent.


    "Hmm."


    President Wang leaned back in his chair, nced at the fireworks rising outside the window, and spoke indifferently, "Everyone says they would before it actually happens, but in reality, you underestimate the pressure of 600,000 on a family and overestimate a person''s obsession with spending their entire fortune to see their loved one revive."


    "A person who''s been unconscious for two years."


    "Spend 600,000 to wake him up? Not many people would be willing to do that."


    "You know?"


    "Let me tell you a statistic. In the ICU, 80% of the oxygen tubes are not removed by nurses, but by family members themselves."


    "In the entire federation, the ICU is the only ce where you can legally end the life of your rtive. Although those people will use various excuses to tell themselves it was a necessary evil, it does not disguise the fact that they personally ended the life of their rtive."


    "Human nature cannot withstand testing, especially since 600,000 is just the cost price."

 Chapter 265 "The Zhang Family... is finished...

    Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.


    At least...


    In Jingjiu City, it was.


    Jingjiu City was the economic and political center of the entire Federation, where not only the majority of centralmands were issued but also home to many corporate headquarters. Arge number of high-ranking supernaturals also gathered in Jingjiu City.


    Even the ordinary people were the best of the best from all walks of life.


    It could be said that in Jingjiu City, even the most inconspicuous janitor.


    Was much stronger than janitors in other cities.


    This was not a joke.


    Especially after the world underwent transcendentalization, the city''s siphon effect had be even more intense than before; Jingjiu City, with its innate top-tier city-state effect, had attracted a vast amount of talent. Generally speaking, it was almost impossible for a terror attack to happen in Jingjiu City.


    But tonight... was an exception.


    The main reason was the whole process had been too rapid; from the activation of the first Chen Miao clone to the ten thousandth clone''s activation, the entire process took less than fifteen minutes. Just this brief quarter of an hour had already turned the Zhang Family into a living hell.


    "Beep Beep Beep!!!"@@novelbin@@


    The piercing rm rang through the skies above Jingjiu City, even overshadowing the sound of fireworks exploding.


    A broadcast was heard by all residents within Jingjiu City.


    "This is the Events Bureau of Jingjiu City. We have detected a terror attack in the northern suburbs of Jingjiu City with a danger level of S. Please, all citizens keep away from, and try to distance yourselves from, the northern suburbs of Jingjiu City as much as possible."


    "This is..."


    This message repeated three times.


    "Some kind of loudspeaker prop?"


    Chen Miao looked thoughtfully at the announcement panel in front of him; this method was quite interesting. He also possessed a simr tactic, which was one of the effects of the "First Show of Sharpness" prop, but he could only use that effect during a few hours around noon.


    Now that it was past midnight, his prop was obviously unusable.


    He wondered what kind of prop this was.


    He could already clearly see supernaturals in the sky, using various methods to fly rapidly in this direction, and likewise, there was a massive surge of people on the ground rapidly approaching.


    "Time to get out of here."


    Chen Miao looked up at the sky, then turned to walk toward the mountain road behind him, "Can''t stick around for the show anymore, let''s go."


    At the same time¡ª


    A Hell Bus came slowly down the road and stopped in front of them.


    This disaster had clearly caused no small damage to Jingjiu City, and although those clones looked like him, a thorough investigation from start to finish by Jingjiu City would reveal that he had nothing to do with it, that it was all the unteral actions of the Zhang Family.


    But if he were seen standing here watching, and someone spotted him,


    The nature of the situation would change.


    From being uninvolved at the beginning, it could very likely be a long-premeditated conspiracy.


    Watching was fine, but turning oneself into a spectacle was somewhat unwise.


    Not good at all.


    ...


    As this announcement rang out, many young people who had been excitedly rushing toward the northern suburbs of Jingjiu City also instantly cooled down, very sensibly, and without looking back, ran as fast as they could in the opposite direction.


    The speed at which they had set out,


    Was only outdone by the speed of their retreat.


    Although they hadn''t seen exactly what had happened, in a world with supernatural beings, everyone knew that danger always came unexpectedly. With Jingjiu City giving such a straightforward warning, to still rush over would just be courting death.


    The world had undergone supernaturalization for several decades.


    Hardly anyone was especially pivotal.


    Such people had almost died out.


    But...


    A few of the younger generation who were rtively close to the northern suburbs of Fengtian City had already made their way near the Zhang Family''s territory. These individuals hadn''t even heard the announcements ringing in their ears, only feeling the ground violently shaking beneath them, while the deafening sts near their ears almost punctured their eardrums.


    The entire sky was indeed filled with countless fireworks.


    Extremely dazzling.


    Extremely romantic.


    But beneath the fireworks was arge-scale massacre, countless clones with heavy firepower relentlessly bombarding everything visible to the naked eye, including the main structures.


    "Boom boom boom!!!"


    The thunderous explosions, apanied by fireworks and gun smoke, kept erupting rapidly and incessantly.


    The Zhang Family''s domain, which had appeared extremely prosperous, was now engulfed in mes. Although they couldn''t see a single corpse or even a trace of blood, the human ability to infer was exceptionally good. It was obvious why no bodies could be seen.


    They were incinerated on the spot.


    The arrangement for a clean-up operation was crystal clear.


    Even the blood had evaporated on site.


    "The Zhang Family... is finished..."


    This thought crossed the minds of those who hade to watch the fireworks at the first opportunity. The Zhang Family was thoroughly finished. Even if some people survived, the wealth umted by the family over the years waspletely gone.


    Although there was still money elsewhere.


    But the Zhang Family''s development over the years hadn''t just umted wealth but also many enemies. No one dared to move against you when your family was powerful, but now that the Zhang Family had fallen, many people had ideas.


    Even if some survived, they might as well be dead.


    Immediately afterward, the young spectators who hade to watch the excitement, as well as journalists with exceptionally keen news instincts, began to use the camera function on their wristwatches, continuously posting photos and videos of the scene on various tforms.


    The journalists also began live broadcasting with their cameras after receiving instructions from their superiors.


    In no time¡ª


    The news that "The Zhang Family has been reduced to a sea of mes" climbed rapidly up the trending searches, oveing other hot topics, ascending in ranks until it topped the list at number one.


    However...


    The onlookers soon paid the price for their recklessness.


    Some of Chen Miao''s clones, after scanning the surrounding ruins and finding no targets, looked into the distance and immediately spotted a group of young people and media journalists holding wristwatches and taking photos and videos.


    Along with the raising of gun barrels.


    "Boom boom boom!!!" Continue reading on empire


    Hundreds of missile-like bullets, in the form of firepower coverage, were fired straight at them!


    Truth be told, this use of firepower waspletely overkill and a grant waste of Star Coins, but these clones had no concept of the word ''waste.'' If they had it, they used it.


    "Boom boom!!"


    With mes soaring into the sky, this group of young people and journalists also conveyed the dangers of the scene to their viewers live. The moment those hundreds of missiles with their trailing mes smashed towards them gave the viewers an almost firsthand experience of the danger.


    The live broadcast was abruptly cut off.


    They were annihted.


    And the Zhang Family was thoroughly finished. At this moment, there were no longer any living people to be seen in the Zhang Family''s territory.

 Chapter 268 Paru Ball.

    ```


    "Not to mention anything else, just look at those clones, they stand still as long as they have a target to attack, not moving an inch."


    "If only these clones could be controlled by someone."


    "There''s no need for any military talent, not even a need to unite them. Over seventy thousand clones scattered and fleeing, each fighting on their own, that would be enough to give Jingjiu City a real headache."


    Zhou Shen was clearly dissatisfied with this oue.


    It wasn''t that he had any animosity towards Jingjiu City.


    He just felt that, after all, those were seventy thousand Miaos, and to have them resolved so easily seemed to leave both him and Miao feeling somewhat disgraced.


    "It''s quite normal."


    Chen Miao''s expression didn''t change much: "This oue is quite good, at least now we won''t have the Zhang Family harassing us anymore, and it hasn''t caused any damage to Jingjiu City either. Jingjiu City is the core of the federation. If Jingjiu City were to suffer heavy losses, the whole federation''s economy, politics, supernatural, and so forth would all be set back."


    "And that would affect us too."


    "Today is the first day of the New Year, and everyone has worked hardst night, staying up all night, so everyone should go to sleep first."


    After a brief chat.


    Chen Miao entered his room in the Underground Heaven Pce, their base now already taking shape, located in a huge underground pce with various facilities to ensure their normal lives, including... basic defenses.


    And after entering his own room.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the several Chen Miao clones standing in front of him. Yes, Chen Miao''s clones had not all perished. He had kept a few during the chaos, and to avoid leaking information, he acted very covertly.


    No one noticed this action.


    Including Hungry Monkey and others.


    How does that saying go, "Even the gods should not know your real trump card," although somewhat clich¨¦, it was indeed the case.


    -


    ''Prop Name'': Paru Ball.


    ''Prop Level'': B.


    ''Prop Attributes'': One-time use.


    ''Prop Effect'': Simr to a Pok¨¦ball, it can capture a monster or a boss and tame it using the Paru Ball. If the level is lower than the yer''s or it is in a severely injured state, the probability of taming increases.


    Once captured, it will maintain its fighting power and fight for the yer.


    However, it can only fight near its territory and cannot leave it.


    ''Prop Description'': This prop must be used in conjunction with ''Heavenly Pce,'' and capturing humans is an inhumane act, which is not encouraged.


    ''Prop Price'': 100 Merit Points.


    -


    These were some of the props he had purchased a while ago, exchanged for Merit Points along with the ''Heavenly Pce'' prop, after stopping that fixed event in Zhenba City which rewarded him with quite a bit of Merit Points.


    He bought arge number of Paru Balls.


    He used these Paru Balls to capture quite a few of his own clones, but the sess rate wasn''t one hundred percent. Roughly, one in every seven or eight attempts would seed, and for various reasons, he managed to capture only ten clones.


    But... that was enough.


    ```


    These clones have now be his Parus, no longer indiscriminately attacking everyone around them as they did before. Even when he approached, they wouldn''t shower him with a barrage of bullets.


    The clones no longer attacked on their own initiative.


    They would follow hismands.


    It seemed like a small change, but this group of ten clones far surpassed thebat power of the hundred clones from the night before, because, as Zhou Shen had said, clones with and without thought were entirely different entities¡ªthere was a world of difference in theirbat power.


    Now that these ten clones had be his Parus,


    he could even open their backpacks, see all the guns, props, and the ammunition production lines in the Nothingness Space, including the Star Coins bnce ¨C everything in the clones'' backpacks was visible to him.


    But he could only see.


    He could not take them out for his own use.


    This meant that each of the ten clones essentially possessed eighty percent of his current strength, except that the one-time-use props in their backpacks had already been used up.


    Moreover, he could not give these ten clones any props, meaning their strength was now fixed.


    It couldn''t increase, nor could it decrease.


    It was just how they were now.


    And they could only move within the territory; they couldn''t leave it. Defending their home was feasible without any issues, but sending them to fight on the battlefield was unrealistic, asking too much of them.


    "Pretty good,"


    Chen Miao looked contentedly at the ten clones standing in a row in front of him. He had never thought he''d one day use his own clones as Parus. To make it less gross, he gave each of the ten clones an animal mask to wear.


    There were chicks, rabbits, tigers, rats, and others.


    After all, seeing ten other selves standing in front of him was at least a bit unsettling.


    Then, he casually waved his hand and tossed out ten Paru Balls, recalling the ten clones back into the balls ¨C they didn''t take up any space, didn''t need to eat, and didn''t even need to sleep. They were simply perfect ves.


    He had a premonition that these ten clones would be of great useter on.


    Not just for defending their home, but most importantly, if the Federation were to me him for their wrongdoings and decided to kill him, he''d surely be unable to withstand the might of the Federation. By then, even his hiding ce might be exposed. In such a case, these clones would be of great help to him.


    Your journey continues at empire


    At the very least, these clones could die in his ce.


    Allowing him to feign death and escape a disaster.


    Having not slept the previous night at all, Chen Miao, lost in his chaotic thoughts, gradually fell asleep without realizing it.


    ...


    "..."@@novelbin@@


    In another separate room, Zhou Sheny on his bed with aplex expression on his face, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep for a long time. His daughter was in the next room watching cartoons, and it seemed his daughter felt much happier since she stopped going to school.


    She could watch cartoons every day.


    But the absence of peers to y with made her feel somewhat lonely.


    The director and deputy director of the Events Bureau in Fengtian City had both been killed by Miao, leaving their positions vacant. Miao''s idea was for him to return to Fengtian City and take over as the director of the Events Bureau. He felt a mix of happiness and worry.


    He was happy, naturally, because he liked the position of director of the Events Bureau very much. Once someone tastes power, it''s difficult to let go; the feeling of everyone carefully watching your every move, of decoding your every casual word, and of always being surrounded by a crowd of people is intoxicating.


    It''s more intoxicating than the feeling during the flirtatious stage of a rtionship.


    Those who have never experienced it may not be obsessed, but as someone who has lived it, how could he willingly give it up? He always wanted to go back, to return to that position that belonged to him.

 Chapter 270 "When did this kid develop so fast... ah.

    ```


    "Understood."


    Chi Qiu nodded solemnly, though in reality he had no idea what he was supposed to understand, but that wasn''t important. All he had to do was nod and agree, thenter he could go down and ask Ke Gou what the Patriarch actually wanted him to grasp.


    "As long as you understand."


    The Patriarch of the Chi Family nodded with satisfaction and patted Chi Qiu on the shoulder, "We don''t expect Miao to do anything in particr for our Chi Family. All we need is for Miao to ensure our Chi Family''s survival during critical moments."


    "Chi Family is counting on you."


    The status he held wasn''t low; in Fengtian City, the Chi Family was definitely considered a prestigious n. Although they were far from matching the Zhang Family, within the entire Federation, they were already stronger than 95% of the poption.


    If the people within the Federation were divided into different sses, even if he was at the 96th percentile, this position was almost at the bottom.


    In reality, the gap from 100% down to his level was much greater, even countless times greater, than from his level down to the 1%.


    This was the exact opposite of headphones.


    In the realm of headphones, a pair valued at 100 yuan and another at 1000 yuan had an immense difference, as if one were in the sky and the other on the ground. But a pair of 10,000 yuan headphones might only be a smidgen better than those costing 1000 yuan.


    With headphones, the higher the ss, the smaller the gap.


    In the Federation, however, the sps widened as you ascended.


    An unimaginably vast gap, which was why he appeared so humble before the Zhang Family. The Zhang Family could crush him without even lifting a finger, and from his position, he might also see things ordinary people could not.


    The Federation was changing.


    To be precise, it seemed as though the Federation was about to face a most terrifying disaster, and the entire Federation was preparing for it. Since thest incident in Zhenba City, the Federation had initiated many contingency ns that he was unaware of.


    He suddenly realized that the Federation seemed to have prepared for the concept of the apocalypse not on a whim but in an organized and methodical manner. He even strongly suspected that even if Chen Miao had not seeded in stopping the fixed incident in Zhenba City and prevented the portal between Earth and Hell from opening, the Federation would not have perished.


    Once he became aware of this and intentionally started to investigate, he discovered that the Federation seemed to be preparing for a decisive battle. Discover hidden tales at empire


    This made his premonition stronger.


    Before long, an extremely brutal war might sweep across Blue Star, and when that time came, only Chen Miao could save the Chi Family. If Chen Miao was willing to give them a helping hand then, perhaps the Chi Family could survive as well.


    After all, he did have some understanding of the Chi Family''s heritage.


    If such a devastating war did break out, the Chi Family surely couldn''t withstand it on their own, and in such a short time, whether half a year or three months, the war might arrive. In such a brief period, no matter how fast the Chi Family developed, they wouldn''t be much stronger.


    Therefore...


    He ced a great deal of hope in Chen Miao, Chen Miao...


    ...


    "When did this kid start progressing so quickly... ah."


    In Broken Pot City, at the entrance of a clinic.


    Doctor Gou was sitting on a rocking chair at the doorway, holding a cup of hot tea. Amidst the light snowfall, he contentedly watched the news projected from his wristwatch into the air and couldn''t help but click his tongue, "That was fast. It feels like just a little while ago when he first came to me, renting the clinic for a day."


    "And now, he has made a name for himself across the entire Federation."


    Ever since the zombie siege in Broken Pot City, Doctor Gou had begun to see many things in a different light¡ªincluding ck Doctor. ncing sideways at ck Doctor and grinning, he teased, "Hey, kiddo, you''re not getting any younger, why not find someone to settle down with?"


    If it weren''t for ck Doctor, he would have died in thest zombie siege.


    This caused Doctor Gou to trust ck Doctor even more and to feel a deeper connection. Two unfortunate souls, for different reasons, found themselves in Broken Pot City, jointly running a clinic.


    Even though the clinic wasn''t particrly profitable, it was enough to get by.


    Besides, the clinic was merely a hobby for Doctor Gou. The real moneymaking business relied on his side gigs. The zombie siege had caused considerable damage to Broken Pot City, and there had been vigorous reconstruction efforts in the city since then.


    It wouldn''t be fixed in a short while.


    But it wouldn''t take too long either.


    Only some suburban structures had copsed in Broken Pot City, with a few storefronts on the streets suffering damage. The overall loss wasn''t too significant, unlike in Zhenba City¡ªwhere nearly half of the city waspletely destroyed.


    The cost of rebuilding was almost as much as constructing a new city, which was a true mega-project. Compared to Zhenba City, the construction work in Broken Pot City was nothing more than a minor project, hardly worth mentioning.


    "Hmm."


    ck Doctor, sitting on a nearby stool and exuding a rather aloof demeanor, nodded without answering, clearly not interested in responding to Doctor Gou''s question.


    And Doctor Gou, not having any sincere intentions, squinted and yfully teased, "What, did that female reporterst time break your heart?"


    "That''s how young people are. How can you im to be a man, how can you im to have grown up, if you haven''t suffered a few setbacks in the arena of love?"


    "You''ll get used to it."


    "Hmm."


    ck Doctor nodded again, still without uttering a word in response.


    ```


    ```


    "So boring..."


    Doctor Gou, seeing no one to argue with, pouted with some disappointment and stopped talking.


    ...


    It was only after Chen Miao slowly awoke from his sleep, quickly freshened up, and stepped out of his room that he noticed Hungry Monkey and the others huddled together as if they were watching a live news broadcast.


    "What''s going on?"


    He asked casually, walking over to the cigarette cab, pulling out a pack, lighting one, and put it in his mouth.


    "It''s a bitplicated to exin,"


    Yuan Buping said with a strange expression, "How to put it, something quite magical just happened. Most of the Zhang family is dead, but a few still live, like Zhang Wanlin¡ªhe didn''t die, and he has gone mad."


    "Not only did he survive, but he also kidnapped Hungry Monkey''s first love and is now hiding in what looks like a warehouse, broadcasting live to the entire society."


    "He looks somewhat frenzied, hysterically screaming for Miao and Hungry Monkey toe and see him, or he''ll have someone gang-rape Hungry Monkey''s first love in front of everyone,"


    "Hungry Monkey''s first love?"


    Chen Miao was stunned before he realized, "You mean that saleswoman who sold a cemetery plot as a wedding room to Hungry Monkey?"


    "Yeah, that vixen."


    Hungry Monkey, hand in his pants, stared excitedly and expectantly at the live broadcast: "I specifically went looking for her in Fengtian Cityst time, couldn''t find her, and now I unexpectedly see her."


    "Turns out I didn''t have to make any effort at all."


    "...Why are you sticking your hand in your pants?"


    "Isn''t Zhang Wanlin going to put on a showter? I''m just sharpening the knife in advance. I haven''t even touched her hand, and now I can see such an explosive scene, I definitely have to be prepared,"


    "..."@@novelbin@@


    Chen Miao, expressionless, fell into a long silence, wondering if Zhang Wanlin had gone mad or if he had simply not investigated them properly. Even if he wanted to threaten them, could he not have chosen someone else?


    Like Doctor Gou, ck Doctor?


    Even Zhang Liu would do.


    They might indeed go, but with such a person, they had no desire to rescue her at all. Not to talk about the desire to rescue, looking at Hungry Monkey''s eagerness, he seemed to be waiting impatiently for the uing thrilling show.


    "Uh..."


    Yuan Buping touched his nose with some embarrassment, "Hungry Monkey, she''s still your sister-inw. How about I take the guys and leave for a bit?"


    "What sister-inw?"


    Hungry Monkey looked displeased and grimly said, "She''s just a stinking vixen, not any sister-inw of mine. It''s just that I haven''t found that pretty boy who was arrogant in front of me before. Otherwise, I would''ve tied him up too, so he could see exactly how I do it."


    "It''s a pity."


    "I haven''t found him, how did Zhang Wanlin do it? When did that vixen run off to Jingjiu City? No wonder I couldn''t find her in Fengtian City."


    "If I had found her first, I''d damned well kick her right up!"


    As he spoke, Hungry Monkey was grinding his teeth. That woman had left him with a huge shadow. If he hadn''t met Miao, he might really have spent the rest of his life in that tomb, and after dying, be buried right there¡ªnot a waste at least.


    ...


    Meanwhile¡ª


    In Jingjiu City!


    Zhang Wanlin, his eyes bloodshot and brandishing a dagger, yelled at the camera in madness, "Chen Miao, you destroyed my family, now I want you to taste the pain of losing loved ones!"


    "This woman is your best buddy''s woman!"


    "Do you want your brother''s woman to be gang-raped under the watch of so many people?"


    "How will you lead your brothers after this? Will anyone still follow you?"


    "You have 12 hours to get to the location I''ve designated, or you''ll see my cruelty!!! Trust me, I will let everyone see your brother''s woman in full!!!"


    In the scene was also a woman, bound by ropes, her mouth sealed with duct tape, eyes filled with fear and regret, writhing violently on the ground as if she were a maggot.


    If she had known she''d end up like this, why the hell did she boast back then!!!


    Right now, all she felt was regret!


    She was eating breakfast on a table in Jingjiu City, with people next to her talking about Chen Miao and Hungry Monkey. Someone mentioned that Hungry Monkey was a supernatural being not much weaker than Chen Miao. Carried away, she imed she was Hungry Monkey''s woman.


    She even showed her old photo with Hungry Monkey, reaping many envious looks¡ªtruth be told, it felt amazing in that moment!


    But who knew, at that time, Zhang Wanlin, with a hood over his head, was sitting behind her, eating breakfast. Upon hearing her boast, he immediately went mad, rushed up, bound her, and forcibly brought her to this godforsaken ce!


    ```

 Chapter 272 "Still have to wait 12 hours, huh.

    The Wen Family, that was the name of their n.


    Years ago, their family received a legacy of a Hidden upation, a rare and most importantly, inheritable one.


    You see, all Hidden upations are non-inheritable.


    Unless one acquired the inheritance of a Hidden upation, and this particr Hidden upation was the "Roaring Heavenly Dog".


    So far, it had been passed down for two generations, and he was the second generation.


    Wen Xi nced at a male dog sitting on a sofa beside him and shook his head helplessly. That was his father, Wen Shen, whose strength was immense. Although he was virtually unknown in the outside world, his power was off the charts, and he was the strongest person in the Wen Family, their guardian deity.


    The most badass thing his father had done,


    was to snatch away the first ce in the city-statepetition from Jingjiu City.


    It wasmon knowledge that Jingjiu City almost always secured first ce in every city-statepetition over the years, with the exception of that one time by his father, Wen Shen, which left Jingjiu City in second ce.


    His grandfather wasn''t ordinary either, the Old Mr. Wen who had just spoken to him, was the core of the Wen Family. Sir Wen was also an extraordinarily powerful Supernatural, one of the first generation to tap into the supernatural, one of the first to "eat the crab".


    However, due to his age, he inevitably developed dementia. Because he had overtaxed himself in his youth, he was left with many hidden health issues, and his physical condition continued to decline as he aged.


    His grandfather''s Supernatural upation wasn''t the "Roaring Heavenly Dog". Having fortunately acquired the inheritable bloodline of the Roaring Heavenly Dog Hidden upation, all of his own bloodline descendants would automatically be the Supernatural upation of the Roaring Heavenly Dog at the age of 18.


    And they had no other choice. Enjoy new stories from empire


    The upation was powerful, but its major drawback was that one would transform into a dog.


    The psychological pressure and social inconveniences that followed were always very hard to bear.


    But... there was no helping it, the choice had been made, and it was irreversible.


    ording to the grandfather, back in the day, the world was countless times more dangerous than it is now. No one knew if they would be alive the next second, and they would use anything that could make them stronger, no matter what it was.


    But after bing dogs, they could no longer pass on their bloodline.


    They could no longer have children.


    Hence, the Wen Family had a rule¡ª


    "Before the age of 18, one mustplete the task of continuing the bloodline, find a wife, and have a child, to carry on the legacy."


    Ever since he could remember, his father was a dog, and in the year he turned 18, he too became a dog.


    But it was rare for a woman to ept, be willing tough and jest with a dog.


    Especially after one''s husband suddenly turned into a dog, the psychological gap was tremendous, and coupled with the Wen Family''s huge secret, they only allowed direct male descendants to go out. If women wanted to leave the house, they had to be apanied by a family member.


    It was impossible to let the wife leave.


    But it was also unrealistic to force a woman to ept the fact that her husband had turned into a dog.


    Therefore, after much contemtion, Old Mr. Wen came up with a solution ¨C to continue the bloodline through surrogacy, having sons brought back to the Wen Family after birth. If it was discovered that a baby girl was born, she would be aborted on the spot.


    If twins were born, one would be eliminated.


    Only males were kept.


    A rather cruel method.


    With this approach, the continuation of the Wen Family bloodline was secured, but children born into the Wen Family would foreverck a mother''s love and never know thepany of sisters.


    "Sigh."


    Wen Xi sighed lightly and turned his head to look at a child crawling on the ground not far away, under the care of several nannies. That was his son, who had not been weaned yet. He didn''t even know who the mother was.


    The family had used his seed to find a surrogate.


    But he knew one thing for sure, no matter who the mother was, she must be dead. The family always eliminated any potential threats in matters like this. Everything was due to that huge secret within the family¡ªif it were to be leaked, it would bring unimaginable catastrophe to the Wen Family.


    Even though his body had gotten used to being a dog, as a normal male, or rather, as a normal male dog, he would have physical needs.


    In terms of finding a female dog.


    They simply couldn''t bring themselves to do it.


    Even though the species matched, they couldn''t get over the psychological barrier¡ªit was utterly repulsive, just as he, even though a dog, would put on underwear. He still retained the human sense of decency.


    There was no other way; he could only hire some technicians at a high price.


    Really high prices.


    It was about eight to ten times the normal rate, and even then, it was difficult to find technicians. Moreover, there was a family rule in the Wen Family that a technician could only be hired once, and never a second time. It was obvious that Old Mr. Wen had been deeply hurt by love in the past.


    However...


    Wen Xi thoughtfully looked at the notification pop-up on his wristwatch. There should be another opportunity to meet Chen Miao soon. He was very interested in this person who had made a name for himself in the Federation and whom he had once encountered.


    ...


    In the live streaming room, Zhang Wanlin had given up and turned off the stream. Just before it went off, he still issued a severe threat, demanding Chen Miao to arrive at the designated location within 12 hours.


    Otherwise...


    "I have to wait for another 12 hours?" Hungry Monkey said with a sense of lingering anticipation as he sat back down on the bench, "I can hardly wait. Miao, do we have any missions today?"


    "Yes."


    Chen Miao nced at the time, "We''re going out, to get your woman back."


    "Ah?"


    Hungry Monkey was momentarily stunned before speaking in disbelief, "Have you gone mad, Miao? You can''t possibly think I was pretending to be nonchnt just to keep you from taking risks? I truly have no feelings for her."


    "She swindled all my possessions back then. I wish I could kill her. How could I possibly have any feelings for her?"


    "And since Zhang Wanlin is shouting for us to go there, he must haveid a perfect trap. If we go, we''ll be walking straight into a snare. It''s very dangerous, Miao!"@@novelbin@@


    "Indeed."


    Zhou Shen concurred, "If anyone in the Federation understands Miao''s strengths best now, it''s probably Zhang Wanlin. After all, he has witnessed firsthand what your full firepower is like."


    "Under these circumstances, if he still dares to challenge Miao toe, he must have made thorough preparations."


    "It''s very dangerous."


    "The best solution is not to go, if Hungry Monkey genuinely doesn''t care."


    "What do you mean ''if Hungry Monkey genuinely doesn''t care''?" Hungry Monkey was almost jumping with impatience, "What do I have to say for you guys to believe me? I really have no feelings for her. You don''t all think I''m putting on a brave face, do you?"


    "Damn it, I finally understand what it means to be at a loss for words!"


    "You''re about to drive me insane!"


    "What do I have to do to make you believe me?"

 Chapter 274 "You Guys Are Revolting!!!

    "What are you doing!!"


    "Rebelling against you!!!"


    "Are you seeking death? I am Zhang Wanlin of the Zhang Family, my father is Zhang Boling, who dares to touch me!!!"


    "Everyone, calm down. I have money, I''ll give you triple the sry, how about that?"


    In a fit of hysterical rage, Zhang Wanlin was effortlessly captured by his subordinates. With the resources of the Zhang Family, bing a top Supernatural should have been easier than eating shit.


    Isn''t every member of the Zhang Family Main Branch a top expert?


    Not to mention the Main Branch.


    Even Zhang Wanlin''s cousin was a Senior Transcendent over level forty, with the special job title ''Magician,'' and that was with limited resources provided by the Zhang Family. Zhang Wanlin was the only exception.


    After all, norge family could always rely on money to expect others to work hard for them; one''s own strength is indispensable.


    Zhang Wanlin had been the only one with no interest in improving his own strength from the very beginning, and for a simple reason: beyond a certain level, one would be forced to enter secret realms periodically.


    And as everyone knows, secret realmse with mortality rates.


    Even the simplest and safest secret realms couldn''t guarantee absolute safety.


    Zhang Wanlin happened to be extremely afraid of death, or rather, he was afraid of the feeling of confronting death directly. It''s like people knowing that watching a horror movie won''t kill them, and thinking about someone under the bed won''t actually happen.


    But that doesn''t prevent the shivers running down people''s backs when they imagine such scenarios.


    To ensure that he wouldn''t be forced into secret realms, Zhang Wanlin always resisted improving his capabilities. After all, he was Mr. Zhang of the Zhang Family¡ªwho in the Federation would dare to touch him?


    Zhang Wanlin could likely never have dreamed that one day, he would be brought down by his own men.


    It didn''t take long.


    Having never endured torture before, Zhang Wanlin quickly divulged everything about his younger brother, the bnce of his own ounts, including thepany''s ounts and various anonymous deposits in other locations.


    They took the ount bnces and noted down the locations of the anonymous deposits.


    The Zhang Family had long considered what to do in case of a catastrophic disaster. Despite notcking cash flow, the Zhang Family had ced a substantial amount of cash in anonymous ck cards, hidden in corners of cities across the Federation.


    And this information was shared with the Zhang Family Main Branch.


    Thus, irrespective of which member of the Zhang Family Main Branch survived, they could use these treasures to start afresh or live a stable life for the rest of their days, securing an escape route. This secret was also the biggest secret in the hearts of the Main Branch.


    In principle, it was something one should never reveal, even at the cost of one''s life.


    Because divulging it not only doomed the hopes of other Main Branch members but also risked them being led to ughter. But Zhang Wanlin, having never been tortured before, crumbled the moment a toothpick was jabbed under his fingernail, beyond caring about the consequences.


    After doing all this,


    those who used to be under Zhang Wanlin exchanged nces, preparing to quickly depart this ce of trouble. Then they would find a safe ce to divide the spoils, parting ways in Jianghu, each living their peaceful lives.@@novelbin@@


    The only money they didn''t take was from thepany ount.


    They couldn''t take it either; transferring money out of apany ount involves aplex procedure that even Zhang Wanlin couldn''t aplish alone. Besides, thepany''s money was too hot to handle, being a massive amount that Jingjiu City would surely investigate.


    After all...


    No city would willingly let such arge sum of money slip away, especially not Jingjiu City.


    Only the bnce in Zhang Wanlin''s ounts and those anonymous deposit ck cards were safe to take with rtively low risk.


    The big spoils are always left for others; that''s how they could eat their own share peacefully.


    Before leaving¡ª


    A short man nced at the woman tied up to the side and whispered, "Big brother, what should we do with this one? Kill her? She''s seen a lot, and she might spill the beanster."


    "..."


    The middle-aged man with a weapon in his hand cast a gloomy look at the bound vixen. Truth be told, it was also what he was inwardly contemting. Leaving a witness would always be dangerous.


    If any other member of the Zhang Family were alive and learned about their actions, they would surely hunt them down at all costs.


    These minor characters, faced with the vengeance of such a great family¡ªeven if reduced to remnants¡ªcouldn''t withstand it. The chasm was too wide; even if the aircraft carrier had been thoroughly destroyed, the scattered fragments could easily end their lives.


    And this woman knew they had the money,


    And she had also seen their full faces...


    All in all, it was very dangerous.


    "That..."


    The woman, whose mouth had been covered with duct tape that was now torn and cowering in the corner trembling, spoke with a voice almost dripping with fear, "Big brothers, I swear I didn''t see anything, do you believe me?"


    "Don''t kill me, really, I''m not lying to you. The only thing tight about me is my lips."


    "If ites to it, take me, then I''ll be your woman, and surely I won''t report you, right?"


    "Big brother, be careful..."


    The short man, with a look of disgust, whispered, "This woman probably wants to use some method to infect us with that disease that makes mushrooms grow on people''s bodies, she''s cunning."


    "Truly malicious."


    "Not even worth discussing."


    The man took a deep breath and stood still, pondering for a moment before shaking his head. He stepped forward and reapplied the duct tape over the woman''s mouth. Although releasing her introduced many risks,


    There was one thing he truly didn''t dare to do.


    He wasn''t sure if Chen Miao needed this woman. If he did, killing her would create strong enmity. Offending such a significant figure could be scarier than offending the Zhang Family.


    After all, the Zhang Family was gone.


    Now it was time for them to make their escape, leaving only one issue: how to send the coordinates here to Chen Miao.


    The group exchanged nces.


    None of them had Chen Miao as a friend on social media, and they certainly couldn''t announce it on a live broadcast, right? If so, the first ones to arrive wouldn''t be Chen Miao, but rather the curious onlookers and the Federation''sw enforcement army. Continue your journey with empire


    For a moment, they were all stumped by this problem.


    They just wanted to hand these two people over to Chen Miao and then skedaddle, but the question was¡­ how to contact Chen Miao was the problem.

 Chapter 277 "I Discovered an Astonishing Fact.

    "What does that mean?"


    Zhang Wanlin''s eyes gradually narrowed, a sense of foreboding rising within him. He lowered his head to nce at the cigarette in his arms, curling his body as far back into his seat as possible, as if by doing so he could put as much distance between himself and Chen Miao as possible.


    He naturally knew what the Hell Bus was.


    However, he had never imagined that he could board the Hell Bus. Generally speaking, only those with extreme resentment in their hearts could board the Hell Bus, and to be honest... he didn''t harbor any resentment before his death.


    Even though he died at the hands of Chen Miao, he really didn''t feel any resentment.


    He had always known this day woulde.


    He had never expected to die of old age; such a fate was normal for him. Although Chen Miao made his family lose everything, his hatred for Chen Miao was just that, nothing more. The transcendentalization of the world had bestowed unprecedented glory upon the Zhang family, but it had also brought some unfortunate consequences.


    "Hmm."


    After silent contemtion, Chen Miao finally spoke, "Things are a bitplicated. Someone once told me that she believed the Hell Bus could travel to another world. I know that''s nothing but a faux tale."


    "I believe that there really are different worlds in the universe."


    "But to say that one could travel to another world via the Hell Bus is a bit too absurd. For some reason, I started conducting a thorough investigation."


    "I discovered an astonishing fact."


    "That is, nearly 90% of people are not eligible to board the Hell Bus. A person must harbor an extreme unwillingness or resentment before their death, emotions that turn them into a resentful spirit, in a muddled state, to get on the Hell Bus."


    "But there are some exceptions."


    "These exceptions are the Supernaturals of level 35 and above. I stumbled upon an rming fact, which is that any Supernatural of level 35 and above, regardless of their reason for death, regardless of whether they held any unwillingness or resentment, can board the Hell Bus."


    "Impossible!"


    Zhang Wanlin instinctively retorted, "The rules of the Hell Bus are transparent: only those who die with a sense of unwillingness can board the Hell Bus to hell."


    This rule was recognized by the Federation.


    It was concluded from recurrent ''Hell Bus'' incidents.


    "Wait a minute, how did youe across this data? How did you find out that all Supernaturals above level 35 can board the Hell Bus?"


    "''Hell Bus'' incidents have happened less than a few dozen times since the world became supernatural, but in reality, there are tens of thousands of Hell Buses operating every day. Not every Hell Bus bes an incident. Where did you get this data from?"


    But soon Zhang Wanlin came to a realization, his eyes shing with shock and incredulity as he associated Chen Miao''s free boarding of this Hell Bus: "Can you freely enter and exit every Hell Bus? Even know every passenger and route of every Hell Bus?"


    Chen Miao did not respond but calmly lit a cigarette and put it to his mouth, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Although you have never been part of a ''Hell Bus'' incident, you must be quite familiar with it."


    "Generally, the memories of the resentful spirits who board the Hell Bus are lost, and their thinking is extremely confused, to the point that theyck even the most basic conversational abilities and can only mechanically issue tasks."


    "Do you feel your thinking is confused right now?"


    Explore more at empire


    Zhang Wanlin was stunned for a moment before he too realized this. He felt his thinking was exceptionally clear, not muddled at all.


    "You understand, don''t you?"


    Chen Miao continued softly, "I specte that the Hell Bus must require some energy to operate; no matter how miraculous an entity is, it always needs energy. It''s impossible for something to start running out of nowhere without any reason."


    "So what is the energy that powers the Hell Bus? Perhaps it''s the anger of those resentful spirits."


    "Perhaps it''s the tickets from the taskspleted by the passengers."


    "Maybe it''s the lost souls who never had the chance to board the Hell Bus."


    "Or maybe it''s targets manually inputted by beings from a higher dimension."


    "And so on, there are various possibilities, and we''re not clear; these are just guesses. But one thing is clear: why do all Supernaturals of level 35 and above remain conscious after death and get on the Hell Bus whether or not they harbored any resentment before dying?"


    "I think... somewhere far away, someone needs Supernaturals of level 35 and above."


    "But..."


    Zhang Wanlin was now utterly bewildered, "But I''m not even level 35; I''m only a little over level 20."


    Indeed.


    His level was frighteningly low. Not to mention within hisrge family, even ordinary people who put in a bit of effort could out-level him. The level-up packs provided by his family ounted for arge part of his low level.


    Otherwise, he would probably be around level three or four now.


    When he was young, he had a very good friend, a few years old. That time he and this friend entered a level-up pack together, with impressive experts guiding them through secret realms to earn loads of experience. But in one of those secret realms, something unexpected happened.


    His friend died.


    He watched as his friend died right before his eyes.


    Since then, he had developed a psychological shadow, and he stubbornly refused to enter secret realms again. They were too dangerous. The few levels he gained afterward were because his family forced him into secret realms. His ns for his own life were actually quite simple: enjoy eating, drinking, and ying.


    That was enough.


    His family had the means; why not enjoy life?


    "Yes, you are not level 35."


    Chen Miao said calmly, "Based on the experiences I have summarizedtely, I havee to a spective conclusion: the Hell Bus doesn''t intend to carry more people."


    "It just can''t."@@novelbin@@


    Zhang Wanlin was wrong about something earlier: it''s not tens of thousands, but over a hundred thousand Hell Buses in operation every day, and ny-nine percent of them run empty.


    "Can''t?"


    "Yes, to be precise, these Hell Buses can''t perceive the deceased, unable to pull them onboard."


    "There are only three ways to urately get the deceased on board."


    "The first way is to die with extreme resentment or unwillingness."


    "The second way is for Supernaturals of level 35 or above."


    "The third way is for those who are marked."


    "And you fall into the category of being marked."


    "..."


    Zhang Wanlin''s eyes were nk as he stared at Chen Miao,pletely unable toprehend the meaning.


    "Didn''t you say there was a test subject who suddenly started talking nonsense?"

 Chapter 281 Schr?dingers Abdominal Cavity.

    He also fainted entirely.


    "Uh..."


    As the Hungry Monkey was preparing to thoroughly deal with the ck doctor, he saw this scene and became a bit dumbfounded, his body involuntarily stepping back a few paces. He looked at his own fist, since when had his strength be so powerful? He hardly exerted any force.


    He had thought that it would result in just a few bumps, but how had he managed to cave in the ck doctor''s entire chest cavity?


    Could he... still be alive?


    "He isn''t a Supernatural, for fuck''s sake, he''s Lifestyle upation!"


    Doctor Gou, who was standing to the side, saw this scene and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, his voice rising uncontrobly, "His Strength Value isn''t even a fifth of yours, you''re lucky you didn''t smash him dead with that punch, it''s fortune for this kid."


    "What the hell are you still looking at?!!!!!"


    "Save him!!!!!"


    For a moment, several kinds of healing tools were thrown onto the ck doctor''s body, but they were all low-level medical tools, not very effective, and could only vaguely bring the ck doctor, who was already in aatose state, back to a faint consciousness.


    And they allowed his wounds to roughly recover a bit, his life was temporarily saved, but if no one tended to him, he would still die within a few hours.


    The shattered bones were a mere few millimeters from piercing his heart.


    Shattered bones were the least of his worries, but the shattered bones indiscriminately stabbing around inside his abdomen posed a significant problem.


    "Please, take me to the operating room..."


    ...


    Thirteen minutester.


    The ck doctor, lying on the operating table and wearing medical gloves, looked up at a mirror less than a dozen centimeters above his head. Reflected in that mirror were the images inside his abdomen, where the ck doctor¡ªlying down¡ªhad cut open his own stomach with a scalpel.


    A bloody mess, it looked extremely disgusting.


    The ck doctor wiped away some of the blood with gauze, carefully removed some of the shattered bone spikes from his chest with tweezers and rearranged all the organs back to their original positions. Despite being pale from blood loss, he appeared calm as he exined,


    "There''s actually a very interesting point in medicine, called, ''Medicine is merely an appendage to theology.''


    The reason for this statement is simple: many doctors find they have no control over a patient''s death. Patients can die without any reason, suddenly their bodily functions shut down, and then they''re dead." Enjoy more content from empire


    "And sometimes, patients who are clearly doomed to die, somehow miraculously survive."


    "In medical terms, there''s a nice name for it called Schr?dinger''s abdomen. Do you know what it means? It roughly means, regardless of how severe the injury in your chest cavity, even if you''ve lost half of your lung,


    but if you, like making dumplings, take out the bone spikes and stuff all the intestines, lobes of lung, kidneys, and such back into the belly, and then sew them up, there''s a fifty percent chance they will automatically go back to their ces and heal."


    "And a fifty percent chance of death."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey looked towards the ck doctor, lying on the operating table, pale-faced yet serene, as he cleaned his own abdomen in front of the mirror, his eyelids trembling slightly. Was this man not afraid of pain?


    How could amon person perform such a self-surgery?


    The saying, "Physician, heal thyself," is no joke.


    Yet this man not only opened his own abdomen, he even did so without anesthesia, not even local anesthesia, just rawly carving himself open; and as the ck doctor was clearing out his abdomen, Hungry Monkey suddenly noticed a small tattoo on one of the ck doctor''s ribs.


    He knew that this person genuinely meant no offense to Miao.@@novelbin@@


    He was simply aberrant by nature.


    Not like a normal person at all.


    It was as if a person who randomly shed at people with a knife would certainly be a criminal, but if he not only shed at others but also at himself, then this person would be aplete lunatic.


    The differencey in the fact that he didn''t sh at you out of hostility, but simply because he had the urge to sh, no matter whether it was another person or himself.


    "None of that matters."


    The ck doctor, lying on the operating table, had finished preparing and had started the support and repair work on his broken bones while continuing to speak softly, "Continue with what I was saying. When I noticed that the tattoo on Miao''s rib was disappearing rapidly, I tentatively tattooed another rib of Miao''s to see."


    "However."


    "This time I observed it carefully under a microscope. I wanted to see exactly how the tattoo disappeared. It was a very sophisticated microscope that Doctor Gou and I stole when we robbed a hospital in Broken Pot City."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey looked peculiarly at Doctor Gou, not expecting that Doctor Gou had let himself gopletely after going to Broken Pot City.


    "Ahem."


    Doctor Gou, with an embarrassed look, cleared his throat and said, "The clinked certain professional instruments, and we didn''t have much money for purchasing, so we had to resort to this. The initial umtion of capital is always a bit bloody, you know, understandable."


    The ck doctor, however, continued on his own.


    "Through the microscope, do you know what I saw?"


    "It was an utterly shocking scene!"


    "I saw hundreds of thousands of tiny people, incredibly tiny, armed with various tools, repairing the tattoo. Some were holding fire extinguishers, constantly cooling the area that had just been scorched by theser; others were pouring bags of white ash into the pits burned by the injury."


    "These people were working in organizedbor, with each person''s role and responsibilities extremely clear."


    "They were rapidly repairing the injuries on Miao''s body."


    "In fact, from the beginning, I had noticed that Miao''s injuries were healing quickly, but I thought it was because of some passive skill Miao had or that he just had a strong constitution. Only afterwards did I realize that there were countless tiny people frantically repairing the injuries on Miao''s body."


    "I originally didn''t want toe out with this."


    "Because I thought this might be Miao''s ace up the sleeve. Since you don''t know about it, it means Miao doesn''t think it''s necessary to tell you yet, and rashly telling you might risk revealing Miao''s secret."


    "The reason why I''m telling you this today is because something unexpected happened..."


    "What unexpected event?"


    The ck doctor shook his head and pointed to Chen Miao, who was lying unconscious on another operating table, "You guys make a cut on Miao''s arm first, then observe it under the microscope."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey and the others exchanged nces, seeing the absurdity and shock in each other''s eyes. It felt to them like when they were kids and their parents told them stories from The Arabian Nights to put them to sleep.


    It was too preposterous.


    They would rather believe that there really was a Buddha in the world than ept that there were so many tiny people living inside Miao''s body; such a thing was too fantastical toprehend.

 Chapter 284 1v1 clan?

    Having said that¡ª


    Chen Miao waved his hand and pulled his flesh-blurred foot out of the washbasin as if nothing had happened, shoved it into his slipper, and, supporting himself with his cane, headed down the stairs towards the underground pce.


    ...


    "Oh... that was rather to the point."


    Yuan Buping looked somewhat confusedly at Chen Miao''s retreating figure, "Isn''t that too simplistic? Where did that demone from, just cursing Miao like that for no reason? It seems like it came specifically for revenge, right?"


    "Hey, didn''t Miao get cursed by a demon recently? It forced him into a high-level secret realm, and he wasn''t allowed to carry any items in his backpack. Do you think it could be that the demon found out that Miao actually survived the curse and, out of spite, rushed over to cast another curse on him?"


    "That''s probably not it."


    Then, Hungry Monkey looked up at Chen Miao''s back with full admiration, "After Miao sessfully cleared that challenge, didn''t the map evaluation say he earned the demon''s admiration and appreciation? Since he was admired and appreciated, he wouldn''te over in a fit of rage tond another punch, would he?"


    "Although ''demon'' isn''t exactly a synonym for anything good, it''s still an announcement on the panel; it should have some credibility, right?"


    "There must be many untold stories in between."


    "It''s just not convenient to talk about."


    "But fair is fair, Miao''s a real man. His feet got scraped up by high-speed spinning des and yet he didn''t make a single peep, not even a bead of sweat. It seems like a waste for Miao to choose a gunman; if he had chosen to be a fighter like me, he could''ve be a god among fighters!!"


    Zhou Shen kept his head down, lost in thought, seemingly pondering something.


    ...


    Back in his room, Chen Miao gestured for the junior who brought the washbasin to leave, then after closing the door, he took a deep breath. A look of agony instantly blossomed on his face, and he curled up into a ball at the corner of the bed, unable to contain his groans of pain.


    "Pain!!!"


    Discover exclusive content at empire


    It was damn painful!!!


    Even when Lord Miao died, he had never felt such pain!!


    Was this even something a human should go through?


    Although he had been unconscious these past few days, his mind had beenpletely alert. That intense pain tormented him every second, making his life worse than death, especially since his body couldn''t move at all.


    This wasn''t a human life!!


    He had even grown ustomed to the pain. He remembered aic he had seen before where the protagonist had the ability to infinitely revive and heal wounds. That protagonist was extremely arrogant and never afraid of pain.


    Even after getting injured, he would sh his own throat to quickly end himself, then revive on the spot, full of health.


    It looked incredibly cool.


    But now, it seemed thatic was a bit unrealistic. Being able to heal wounds indefinitely doesn''t mean you''re immune to pain; instead, you begin to fear it, like him now.


    "Huff..."


    Chen Miao, sitting on the edge of the bed, shakily lit a cigarette and brought it to his lips. Then, closing his eyes, he once again submerged his feet into the basin. The familiar pang of pain hit him once more.


    He let out a weary sigh and sprawlyy on the bed, resigned. Unless something unexpected happened, he would have to maintain this state for quite a while.


    The ck Doctor was right.


    He had to ensure his body was always in a state of injury, otherwise those things that could heal him rapidly would charge straight to his brain, and take over his entire body, including his head.


    The first goal of these "little beings" was to heal his body.


    The second, to upy it.


    It could, roughly speaking, be described with the saying "to secure the nation one must first secure the inside."


    However, it wasn''t all bad; if he could bear the constant pain, he would effectively possess an extremely powerful defense mechanism. Even if his heart were pierced with a knife, he could heal quickly in a short time.


    ```


    This powerful healing ability greatlypensated for the vulnerability of low defense in gunmen.


    The downside is,


    it''s very painful and inconvenient.


    "..."


    Chen Miao expressionlessly took out a Blood-Replenishing Pill from his bosom and swallowed it. This was a trinket from the prop market, very cheaply priced, with a simple effect: it replenished a portion of blood in the body after consumption.


    It''s a product for women.@@novelbin@@


    A supplement for women to take after their monthly periods, but at that moment, it was entirely suitable for use as a strategicbat supply. This Blood-Replenishing Pill''s effect on stimting blood production was actually quite fitting for treating injuries after a battle.


    But generally speaking, few people would use it as a strategicbat supply.


    The reason is simple, there are limitations.


    This thing can only stimte blood production when a person''s blood loss is less than 2.78%.


    If blood loss exceeds this threshold, the Blood-Replenishing Pill is ineffective.


    And nearly all injuries sustained in battle won''t be below this number, and for those that are, there''s really no need for blood replenishment; bandaging the wound would be sufficient.


    Thus, this cheap little pill became a supplement for most female Supernaturals.


    But at this time, its use was precisely appropriate for him.


    He just needed to consume them more frequently.


    Crunchy and sweet, he ate them one by one. The vors, surprisingly, were random, each one different, which was a delightful surprise.


    "Sigh."


    Thinking back on the absurd incidents he encountered on this outing, he felt somewhat helpless. One could say this disaster was totally unexpected; he swore he had absolutely no intention of causing trouble when he left. He simply wanted to retrieve all the untraceable ck card money from Zhang Wanlin.


    But just when he had just gotten his hands on more than 700 million,


    an ident happened.


    All of a sudden, he was sucked into a small vortex out of nowhere; initially, he thought he had been targeted by the Federation, his mind instantly highly focused, ready to counterattack but then...


    The next second¡ª


    A prompt sounded next to his ear!


    "Ding, congrattions, you have been chosen by the ''Zhiren Race'' as the ultimate target for the species war."


    "You may choose to agree or not."


    "If you choose to agree, the species war will start immediately, choose otherwise and you will die on the spot."


    "yer Chen Miao, please make your decision within ten minutes."


    At the same time the prompt sounded, he also realized he was in a white space, which looked exactly like the waiting area before entering a secret space; only then did he realize that he probably wasn''t solved by the Federation.


    But he didn''t breathe a sigh of relief.


    On the contrary, his expression turned uglier.


    What does a species war mean? And why had he be some inexplicable species'' ultimate target? Was it only him?


    1v1 species?


    This is bullshit for a species war!


    If it really were a species war, shouldn''t they have called up everyone from the Federation as well?


    ```

 Chapter 286 "But... why do this?

    In a dazed state, suffering from some blood loss and exhaustion due to ack of sleep for too long, Chen Miao fell into a deep sleep.


    He had not dreamed for a long time.


    But this night, surprisingly, he had a dream.


    Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    It was a strange dream in which he struggled to push a huge stone to the top of a mountain, and just as he was about to reach the summit, his body reached its limit and ran out of strength. He could only awkwardly dodge to the side and watch helplessly as the stone he was about to push to the top rolled down to the bottom of the mountain.


    Just like the god Sisyphus in Greek mythology.


    He did the same repetitive task day after day.


    He didn''t know how many times he had repeated it.


    Then, on one asion, as he stood at the foot of the mountain ready to push the boulder to the top again, a woodcutter carrying firewood on a nearby path approached him and asked,


    "What are you doing?"


    "I am preparing to push this huge stone to the top of the mountain."


    "But¡­ why are you doing that?"@@novelbin@@


    "Why?"


    Chen Miao in the dream heard the woodcutter''s question, frozepletely, and gazed nkly at his hands for a long while before raising his head to look at the huge stone in front of him. Yes, why was he doing this?


    Subsequently, everything around him gradually started to freeze and shatter, and he woke up from the dream.


    ...


    When he awoke, it was already daylight.


    He didn''t know how long he had slept, only that he had slept extremelyfortably, and the constant pain from his feet had not awakened him from his dream; he had gotten used to this sensation of pain.


    After waking up, Chen Miao seemed to have found the answer to his problem.


    After a quick wash, he stepped out of his house withrge strides.


    The ck Doctor had already been waiting outside with a pair of boots in his hands, and as soon as he saw Chen Miao, he stepped forward and handed over the boots: "Miao, here are the special boots you asked me to make for you yesterday."


    These boots were pitch ck.


    One could say there was no aesthetic appeal to them whatsoever.


    They looked much thicker than normal boots, giving a strong sense of encumbrance, like an oversized, thickened raincoat, and if you put your ear close to the boots, you could faintly hear a whispering whooshing sound.


    Inside the boots, there were more than a dozen des spinning at high speed.


    This ensured that as long as he wore these boots, whether standing, walking, or even eating and sleeping, he would be constantly injured, which would suppress the curse on his body.


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao took the boots and set them aside, then fell silent for a moment before speaking, "I thought of a nst night. These ''creatures'' reproduce too quickly. Now, there''s very important information: if these ''creatures'' are notpletely cleared within half a month, my death is nearly certain, with no means of salvation."


    "Must quickly clear out this type of organism from within my body in a limited time,"


    "I was thinking, since these creatures adopt a swarm strategy to rapidly heal my external injuries, could I potentially create wounds intentionally and eradicate these creatures inside me in this way?"


    "It probably won''t work."


    The ck Doctor shook his head with a helpless tone in his voice, "These creatures are too small. I needed to use a medical-grade high-precision microscope yesterday to even see them. Although I can''t see their exact numbers, during the days you were unconscious, Miao, I observed a terrifying fact."


    "These creatures reproduce asexually."


    "They don''t need to do anything, noughing and joking, no dowries, no need to get married, no need for a car or house, nothing. As long as a creature survives for a certain period, it will automatically split in half and be two individuals."


    "This mode of reproduction is extremely horrifying."


    "ording to my calctions, in a very short time, these organisms can multiply from the current estimate of several hundred million to tens of trillions, upying your entire body, Miao. These creatures are almost constantly reproducing or waiting to reproduce."


    "The consumption caused by your injuries cannotpare to the number of newborns they produce."


    "There is a very important indicator in the country called the birth rate. In other words, to exterminate a species, one must ensure that the death rate exceeds the birth rate. So far, the consumption caused by your injuries can only keep up with their pace, not even close to causing massive casualties in their poption."


    "Unless..."


    The ck Doctor''s face filled with hesitation and he cautiously said, "Miao, if you were thrown into a meat grinder and maintained such terrifying injuries over a long period, then the death rate of those creatures would definitely exceed their reproductive rate."


    "But, that''s not realistic. In such a situation, you, Miao, wouldn''tst, and you''d die first."


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded calmly, "That''s why I came to you. I was wondering if, with the apaniment of a legendary surgeon like you, it might be possible for me to sustain severe injuries while receiving your treatment?"


    "To ensure a constant depletion of the organisms within my body without dying too early?"


    "It''s not doable."


    The ck Doctor slowly lowered his head and spoke quietly, "You overestimate me, Miao. I can''t do that, unless you have countless revival items. In that case, you could keep passing through this method to rapidly dmission the organisms inside."


    "Unfortunately, the city-state effect of Broken Pot City is merely that yers cannot receive damage from other yers."


    "It would be ideal if in the domain of Broken Pot City, all yers were forced to be immortal. If that was the case, Miao, you could recklessly worsen your injuries and thereby deplete those creatures inside your body in a short time. Even if they can''t bepletely eradicated, at least it would significantly dy their reproduction."


    "What a pity..."


    "Wait a minute!!!"


    The ck Doctor suddenly thought of something, a light shing in his eyes, and he spoke excitedly and hurriedly, "I''ve thought of a way, Miao. In ''Broken Pot City,'' there''s a D-level Secret Realm that has already been cleared, called ''Brave Ones'' Game''!"


    "It''s abat-oriented Secret Realm, very famous in Broken Pot City!!!"


    "A team Secret Realm for 5 yers, which automatically starts once the number is sufficient."


    "There''s no storyline, purelybat-oriented, but all yers can''t hurt anyone but themselves, and the mission of the Secret Realm is very simple. For the 12 hours itsts, everyone is forcibly rendered immortal, in an absolutely invincible state."


    "During this period, these 5 yers must harm themselves as much as possible; for each time they self-inflict damage, they receive a score."

 Chapter 289 "Is this guy really normal?

    For a moment, it was like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each demonstrating their unique powers. He had just been ranked the highest with 15 points, even briefly iming the top spot on the leaderboard, but now he quickly found himself in fifth ce, thest ce.


    "..."


    Chen Miao stood in silence without expression, looking at the four people around him, not quite knowing what to say or do.


    He thought of himself as quite ruthless.


    Butpared to these people, he realized he couldn''t be considered ruthless at all.


    ...


    "What should we do?"


    Doctor Gou and the others watching thepetition in the hall of the Secret Realm Building were talking worriedly. Hungry Monkey wiped the sweat from his palms on his clothes several times before looking with residual fear and full-eyed terror at the man who had crushed his testicles, "Is he really a normal person?"


    "If there were a rank for the most ruthless people in this city, anyone but him being ranked first or even second would definitely be due to connections."


    "Isn''t this a bit too outrageous?"


    Even the ck Doctor standing to the side felt somewhat embarrassed and didn''t know what to say. It was he who had rmended Miao toe here. In his view, Miao was bound to win. After all, Miao was someone who could calmly stick his foot into a meat grinder.


    He hadn''t seen many people like that in his lifetime.


    A match for Guan Yu''s bone scraping.


    But upon witnessing today''s events, he came to understand the saying that there is always someone better. Even Guan Yu upon meeting this man would have to praise him as a real tough guy; he was absolutely tough.


    He had believed Miao was definitely going to win, no matter how expensive the ticket was, he wouldn''t lose.


    But now it seemed... Read new chapters at empire


    there might be someplications with the situation.


    "If I lose 10 million, Miao won''t kill me, will he?" the ck Doctor muttered uncertainly in a low voice and looked around evasively, wondering if it was still possible for him to escape.


    "No."


    Zhou Shen shook his head with a grim expression: "10 million seems like a lot, but for Miao, it''s not enough to cause serious injury. Even if he loses, it''s okay. But that''s not the issue right now. The problem is..."


    "Everyone else is here to make money."


    "Only Miao came for the space where death is not possible. Miao just needs to create enough injuries in the space to make the ''Zhiren Race'' inside of him all die. That is Miao''s goal."


    "The problem is that Miao is basically unable to win now, and the space canst for 12 hours. These 12 hours definitely aren''t enough for Miao to clear out the ''Zhiren Race'' inside him, and it''s uncertain whether Miao''s remaining money is enough topletely eradicate the ''Zhiren Race'' from his body."


    Yuan Buping exhaled slowly, casually tossed the no-smoking sign on the table into the trash, and then lit a cigarette and put it to his mouth: "I''m not worried about that. Even without 10 million credits, we could spend 1 million credits to hire people to participate in this secret realm."


    "They don''t have to do anything, just wait patiently in the space for 12 hours."


    "Anyway, this Secret Realm doesn''t have any strict requirements. Splitting 1 million credit points between four people is still a considerable amount. I even think 100,000 credit points is too much."


    "That''s not true."


    The ck Doctor finally decided to wait and watch a little longer, not in a hurry to leave. Hearing this, he quickly shook his head and said, "I''ve stayed in Broken Pot City a little longer than my master. The Secret Realm has existed for a very long time, and one of the major reasons why it is so dreaded is¡ª"


    "In this Secret Realm, you must at least obtain 500 points."


    "Otherwise... otherwise, the injuries suffered by the first ce would be reflected all at once onto the yers who do not meet the conditions, and this bacsh urs in reality. It''s basically a death sentence."


    "And to get 500 points, the pain one would have to endure is absolutely nontrivial. Without the right price, no one would be willing toe in and suffer."


    "This is true suffering."


    "The pain of childbirth is probably around 300 points, so you can imagine how much pain you''d have to go through to get 500 points. A normal person simply couldn''t bear it, even if trying to stack minor injuries, it''s almost a matter of life or half a life."


    "Indeed..."


    Hungry Monkey looked at the man who was still convulsing on the ground with aplex expression: "Has this man been convulsing for about ten minutes now? It looks like he''s going to continue for a while. Can''t he spend 100 points to fully recover his body first instead of just continuing to convulse like this?"


    Doctor Gou shook his head and coughed softly before he began to exin, "Although you won''t die in this Secret Realm, you won''t faint either. The pain of a ruptured testicle, had there been no fainting mechanism, would have been fully experienced without any loss of sensation."


    "Under these circumstances, due to Secret Realm rules, there''s neither death nor fainting."


    "But under severe pain, he haspletely lost his ability to think and can''t restore his body. He will continue to convulse for a while until he gradually regains a bit of his ability to think, only then will he be able to heal himself."


    "Although squeezing like this gives a high score, since it''s a self-inflicted injury, there''s an additional 50% score bonus. But the consequence it brings is also extremely serious. Even after this manes to his senses and leaves the Secret Realm, his brain will retain an irreparable shadow."


    "This intense and unbearable pain will cause a huge psychological trauma that will haunt this man for life."@@novelbin@@


    "Although the score is high, it''s not as good as that woman giving birth next to him..."


    His expression turned strange as he looked towards the space on Chen Miao''s right side. The woman there was giving birth non-stop, with four babies alreadyid out beside her. With a rate of one baby every two minutes, it was an extreme efficiency. If she continued without rest for 12 straight hours, the 10 million credit points would almost certainly be hers.


    "Can''t help it."


    Zhou Shen sighed softly, "The desire to win for these two is too strong. It''s imaginable that they must have something very important that requires arge sum of money. Thispels them to endure such torture, whereas Miao''s desire to win isn''t as strong."


    "What?"


    The ck Doctor, somewhat puzzled, had a question mark appear above his head, "Are you kidding me? Miao''s desire to win is the strongest, after all. If he can''tpletely eradicate the ''Zhiren Race'' inside his body, he''s facing death."


    "Is there anything that could make someone more determined to win than death itself?"


    "It''s different."


    Zhou Shen shook his head and exined, "After all, this solution is just spection, and Miao has only estimated that the Zhiren Race would take over his body in half a month or a month from now. These are unseen, spected things, though it''s almost certain that''s the case."

 Chapter 291 Chen Miao: 70k points.

    ```


    In this secret realm, there is absolutely no death.


    This is the first rule.


    But now he even began to doubt whether this rule was still effective, because the scene before him was a bit too horrifying.


    "That..."


    A glint of confusion passed through the ck Doctor''s eyes, "Though it''s said that there is absolutely no death in this secret realm, ''death'' isn''t clearly defined. Is it that the body won''t die, or does that include the brain not dying as well?"


    "What''s happening to this guy right now feels like his body might be continuously recovering from injuries, but his brain is already dead."


    "In other words,"


    "Once this guyes out of the secret realm, he''ll be a vegetable."


    Shaking his head with a sigh, Hungry Monkey uttered, "If that''s really the case, I wouldn''t be surprised at all. It makes perfect sense, especially because... wait a second!"


    Just as Hungry Monkey was about to say something!


    The scene before them suddenly rendered everyone in the hall speechless and stunned!


    The scoreboard above Crushed-Egg didn''t show +1000 after the iron ball smashed down again, instead, it became +900!


    Everyone patiently waited for a few minutes.


    They noticed that every subsequent score increment was +900!


    What this means is...


    Not only did Crushed-Egg not suffer brain death, but he even seemed to adapt to the pain, because the value of pain decreased, resulting in a lower score gain.


    "Awesome!"


    The ck Doctor was thoroughly convinced, his face full of shock as he gave a thumbs-up, "I''ve only respected a few people in my life, and Crushed-Egg is definitely one of them. From now on, aside from my master and Miao, Crushed-Egg is the man I admire the most!"


    No exaggeration at all!


    No matter how much money you give me, I wouldn''t be able to replicate what this man is doing.


    He has transcended the boundaries of normal humans.


    Gradually, the hall emptied quite a bit; many people went home to eat and sleep. The secret realm was going tost for 12 hours, after all. It would be better toe back when the secret realm was about to end; one couldn''t just keep waiting.


    And then, in the fourth hour of the secret realm.


    Crushed-Egg finally stopped, lying on the ground motionless with lifeless eyes, and his score had halted at 150,000!


    A full 100,000 points ahead of the second-ce Childbearing Sis.


    Perhaps because the lead was too substantial, Crushed-Egg nned to rest a while, choosing not to push himself too hard. But soon, for some unknown reason, without taking any damage, Crushed-Egg, who had only been lying down for a short time, suddenly let out a pained and hideous roar.


    Quickly¡ª


    The Crushed-Egg Machine started up again, and intense pain struck once more. However, this time Crushed-Egg''s expression appeared much more relieved.


    ...


    "What''s going on?"


    Confused, Hungry Monkey looked at the scene, "It can''t be that kid has developed an M tendency, right? Without any damage, he acts like he''s in extreme pain. But when the Crushed-Egg Machine starts, his face looks a lot more relieved?"


    "I think I understand," said the ck Doctor with aplex gaze at the man, "It''s like he''s developed some kind of psychological disorder. Let me exin, if you take certain drugs for a long time, you''d struggle to differentiate reality from hallucinations."


    "Simrly!"


    "The constant cycle of this man using points to heal his injuries and then suffering from severe pain and sudden recovery has caused him to not know the difference between reality and hallucination. Just now, he felt pain because his subconscious told him he should be feeling intense pain, but nothing happened."


    "The strong disparity between reality and what his mind telling him leads to extreme suffering, like ants crawling all over his skin."


    "Such a feeling of pain can even make him want to die."


    "Now he only has two ways to deal with this, one is to keep the Crushed-Egg Machine running, letting his body feel the intense pain again to restore a sense of bnce."


    "The second method is to endure, as long as he can withstand the difference and the internal itching sensation of ants crawling over him, his body will gradually adapt to the current situation and slowly get back to normal."


    "I see," Hungry Monkey said thoughtfully, "With what you''ve said, I think I kind of understand. But then, why didn''t he choose the second option? It seems easier, and since he''s not in a rush and he has a sizable lead, it would be nice to rest for a while, right?"


    "It won''t work,"


    The ck Doctor shook his head, "If he used the second method, once he rested well, a huge bacsh woulde. This bacsh would be both physical and psychological and would make him never want to Crushed Egg again."


    "That''s how he would lose his lead."


    "Human nature is such that no matter how painful it is, as long as you force yourself to do it, you can keep going. But once you stop midway, the longer you''ve been doing it, therger the bacsh, and that bacsh would make you do anything not to continue. At that point, the mind thinks in an extremely one-sided way and it''s uncontroble."


    "As the duration of bearing pain bes longer, and the breaksts longer, the bacsh bes greater."


    "This man knows very well that if he rests now, the resulting bacsh would be something very difficult to withstand with willpower alone. Moreover, he really needs that 10 million, so to ensure his victory, there''s only one way to go, and that''s to not stop for an instant."


    ```


    "Until the secret realm ends."


    "Nonstop, huh..." Hungry Monkey shivered uncontrobly and murmured softly, "ck Doctor, you''re a medic, tell us, if that thing really keeps going nonstop till the end, what will happen to this man after the secret realm is over?"


    "..."


    After a moment of silence, ck Doctor finally said softly, "If the secret realm doesn''t define brain death as death, then this man will almost certainly be brain dead, turning into a deep vegetative state with a nk stare and drooling, essentially renderedpletely useless."


    "If the secret realm does define brain death as death, the realm might protect this man from ever bing brain dead, then he will be mentally ill, a severe mental patient, with auditory and visual hallucinations as the least of his problems. He might even develop a warped memory and so on, the consequences will be dire either way."


    "It''s obvious this man really needs the money, and he''s going all out for it."


    "But unless there''s a surprise, this man probably won''t get to see how this money is spent. No matter the oue, he''s in a very tragic situation, close to certain death. Even if alive, it''s a fate worse than death."


    "What a shame." Hungry Monkey shook his head with some regret, "Miao dealt with Zhang Wanlin too cleanly, otherwise stuffing him in this secret realm and smashing his eggs eighty-eight thousand times, I believe he''d be reborn as a better person."


    ...


    Finally¡ª


    The secret realm had passed 11 hours and 57 minutes, only 3 minutes were left until its end. Countless people gathered in the hall, looking at the live broadcast on the TV screen, eagerly anticipating what woulde next.


    Firstly, third ce should be secure.


    Miao.


    This was one of the rare instances where Chen Miao hadn''t taken first ce, an interesting experience in itself.


    yer Name: Chen Miao: 70,000 points.


    A very high score indeed.


    ck Doctor sincerely nodded and praised, "In the past, the highest record for this secret realm was only 14,000 points. Miao has broken the record by a lot."


    Second ce, Childbearing Sis.@@novelbin@@


    Score: 80,000 points.


    It seemed to be only 10,000 points higher than Miao, not much really, but in reality, it was because Childbearing Sis had given up halfway. Otherwise, her score would have been at least three times higher than Miao''s. The reason Childbearing Sis elected to give up had nothing to do with Miao catching up too closely. Continue your story on empire


    It was...


    That Crushed-Egg, leaving no hope for anyone to surpass!


    Just then!


    The countdown for the secret realm reached its final moments, and on the settlement panel of the realm disyed on the big screen, everyone held their breath as they gazed at the row of golden text!


    ''Rank 1, Wang Mang, 660,000 points!''


    ...


    "Damn impressive..."


    ck Doctor stood stunned in ce, murmuring in shock, "I never imagined someone could score 660,000 points in this secret realm, is this guy really that desperate for 10 million?"


    "Is 10 million really worth this?"


    He was certain that this man must be brain dead. After all, when this man had reached 300,000 points, first ce was definitely secured since even Childbearing Sis had given up, and Miao was far behind, surely unable to catch up.


    Yet, the man didn''t stop, lying there half brain dead, his gaze vacant as he quietly endured the agony.


    Under these circumstances, one could be pretty sure he was brain dead.


    "What a waste."


    ck Doctor looked at the settlement panel on the screen with some regret, "What a shame for such a tough guy, he was a real hard man."


    And as he had guessed, the oue was definite. It was certainly one of the two scenarios he had imagined: either a severe mental illness or brain death.


    "Um... ck Doctor."


    Just then, Hungry Monkey looked at a semi-transparent panel in front of him with aplicated expression, "I think there might be another possibility beyond your two guesses."


    "What possibility?"


    "I heard about it from someone else. Why don''t you have a look at the historical leaderboard of this secret realm? At the top is this name, Wang Mang."


    "So what?"


    ck Doctor looked puzzledly at the realm''s past leaderboards; getting first ce with 660,000 points should have been easy, what was so surprising about that? But the next moment, his face went expressionless as he was staggered.


    ''yer Name'': Wang Mang.


    ''upation'': Ascetic Monk (Limited Hidden Rare upation) (Acquired 1/10).


    ''ps'': Hidden upation acquisition condition¡ªobtain a score of 660,000 or above in a D-level secret realm ''Brave''s Game''.


    And then¡ª


    As the vortex reappeared in the middle of the hall, a middle-aged man slowly stepped out from it.

 Chapter 292 "Ill do it!

    A middle-aged man emerged slowly from the vortex with a somewhat dazed and dull gaze, and stood on the floor of the hall without moving for a long time.


    And in the hall, everyone''s gaze was fixed on this man.


    This moment!


    This man was the undeniable protagonist, drawing the attention of everyone, so much so that even Chen Miao and Childbearing Sis, who walked out of the vortex after him, went unnoticed, just as the old man had said, in this world, everyone only cares about the name at the pinnacle.


    No one cares about the second highest peak, let alone the third.


    People just need to see the one standing at the highest point.


    Everyone remainedplexly silent without speaking, and the hall, originally very noisy, suddenly and tacitly quieted down, so quiet that even the fall of a pin on the ground could be heard.


    Subsequently, under everyone''s gaze,


    The middle-aged man began to walk toward the elevator entrance with some difficulty, step by step, as if he had just learned to walk, with some trouble. This was not due to his injuries, as all the injuries hadpletely healed upon leaving the secret realm.


    At this moment, the man''s body was in excellent condition.


    The difficulty in walking was entirely due to the separation of consciousness from the body after enduring unbearable extreme pain for a long time, like a short circuit in a wire; this man''s control over his body was extremely low.


    But as time passed, it should be possible to recover, barring any idents.


    When everyone saw the man enter the elevator, and the elevator doors slowly closed and descended, the noise in the hall finally began to return somewhat.


    "I''m convinced, truly. You''re new here and don''t understand the specifics, but I watched the whole thing from start to finish, a full 12 hours. I watched him in agony for 12 hours straight; not just anyone could endure that."


    "Aren''t you supposed to have nothing else to do? You''ve been watching this the whole time?"


    "Nope, we''ve talked about this before, I''ve already moved to Broken Pot City. What more could I aspire to? I''ve already changed jobs to Person of Leisure. Receiving a little welfare every month and being jolly is the greatest joy in my life."


    "I was forced toe to Broken Pot City, okay? And you''re already giving up at such a young age. Have you ever thought about what you''re going to do when you''re older? Can''t you have some aspirations?"


    "Heh, whether I''ll get to see you when I''m old is up for debate. Let''s see if you can live long enough to reach that point."


    ...


    "What can I say."


    With a thoughtful expression, Hungry Monkey looked at the now-closed elevator door, "Don''t you im to have excellent medical skills? Did you predict this too? Is this an unexpected surprise? Maybe this man never imagined he''d get this Hidden upation."


    "I have to say, scoring 660,000 points in this secret realm."


    "Is not just a bit of a challenge."


    "The highest score before was a little over 10,000 points, which is miles away from 660,000. No wonder this Profession was obtained for the first time, especially a Limited Hidden Profession. Normal people probably have no chance of obtaining this Profession."


    "Although I don''t know the upation Effects, judging by the way it was obtained and the name of the Profession, it should be one with very strong defensive capabilities."


    Every Supernatural being has their own Profession.


    Those who are promoted through ''Fighters,'' ''Gunners,'' ''Magicians,'' and so on are considered Basic Professions.


    Career progressions like ''Miss'' to ''Night Beauty'' are considered Special Careers.


    ''Mechanical Demon'' is a variation of a Basic Profession, which makes it a Hidden upation; every Hidden upation has its significantly pronounced strengths, but also undeniable weaknesses.


    Hidden upations are not necessarily much stronger than Basic Professions; while Basic Professions generally develop evenly, even ones like Gunners that arepletely unbnced in terms of attack and defense will still have some defensive capabilities. In contrast, some Gunner Hidden upationspletely forgo defense, focusing solely on attack.


    The acquisition of these Hidden upations tends to be quite difficult.


    Moving up from there are the ''Rare Hidden Professions.''


    The disadvantages of these Hidden Professions are often less pronounced, and their avability is even scarcer. Acquiring such Hidden Professions is even more challenging, for example, ''Magician'' is a Rare Hidden Profession, and their legacies tend to fetch a good price at auctions.


    Just above are ''Limited Hidden Professions.''


    These Hidden upations are rarer still, with only a handful of them avable. Once all are acquired, no one else can obtain them by any means; at auctions, these items typically serve as the finale.


    Extremely rare.


    Only aristocratic families and the incredibly lucky few can obtain them, while ordinary people hardly have a chance to even touch them.


    What''s that saying again?


    If you weren''t born with an ''upation Inheritance Book'' for a ''Limited Hidden Profession'' already prepared for you, then you almost certainly have nothing to do with such things in this lifetime.


    And at the very top, naturally, are the ''Unique Hidden Professions.''


    With only one avability.


    ```


    There''s only one.


    Once someone acquires it, no one else can ever get their hands on it, even if the owner dies, no one else is entitled to it.


    upations like Chen Miao''s "Gun Devil" and Hungry Monkey''s "Pixiu" are of this unique hidden type.


    And the method of obtaining such a unique hidden upation is nothing short of mystical.


    The simplest method is through bloodline inheritance.


    Just like Hungry Monkey, who, upon possessing this bloodline and meeting specific conditions, can activate it automatically. It sounds simple, but it''s actually extremely difficult. First of all, bloodlines are really a matter of fate; you either have it from birth or you don''t, and it has nothing to do with subsequent effortspletely up to destiny.


    Second, even if you have a bloodline, you wouldn''t know what it is before it''s activated, nor would you think in that direction. Take Hungry Monkey, for example. If it weren''t for encountering Chen Miao who just happened to meet the specific conditions, Hungry Monkey probably would never be able to get that upation in this lifetime.


    Not to mention, a Job Transfer Book for a fighter would be enough struggle for Hungry Monkey''s entire life.


    Of course, generally speaking,rge families have a higher chance of uncovering bloodlines thanmon people. Although those with bloodlines don''t know what theirs are, as they age, they tend to have some qualities that are unusualpared to others.


    For instance... being naturally stronger than others, and having arger appetite than others too.


    Ordinary people might not care much about these attributes.


    But those in prominent families have ess to more information and would immediately seek to explore these anomalies when noticed among their kin.


    Not to say anything else¡ª


    Take for example, a few years ago in Jingjiu City, a person from arge family was born with astigmatism, and it was quite severe. Everything they saw was double. An ordinary family might disregard it, or if they do care, they probably would not have the means to seek treatment. The likeliest oue would be to discover the condition at birth and decide to terminate right away.


    Later, this person was found to have the "Holy Pupil" bloodline.


    Born with an exclusive unique hidden upation.


    Unstoppable.


    An activated bloodline essentially means, a unique hidden upation.


    The prerequisite is... activation.


    ...


    That''s the food chain of hidden upations, and this middle-aged man named Wang Mang acquired "Ascetic Monk," one of the Limited Hidden Professions. If this upation Inheritance Book were to be sold, it would fetch at least 100 million credit points.


    And that''s even without knowing which Basic Profession it''s associated with and the specific effects of the Hidden upation.


    If the specific effects are clear.


    To someone truly desiring it, selling for two to three hundred million credit points wouldn''t be out of the question.


    "This guy''s luck is unbelievable,"


    A man inside the hall looked enviously at the closed elevator doors behind him, "Just endure 12 hours of pain and you can get a Limited Hidden Profession? Where else could you find such an opportunity?"


    "If I had known about this, it wouldn''t be his turn. The hidden upation would surely be mine."


    "Huh?"


    At this moment, another man looked at the first with some surprise, "What are you saying? This is about Limited Hidden Professions, not Unique Hidden Professions, there are still nine spots left. The conditions for acquisition are clearlyid out to you, you just need to score 660,000 points in this D-ss secret realm."@@novelbin@@


    "You have the chance too, that hidden upation is right there waiting for you, why hesitate?"


    And at this time¡ª


    New information was spreading among the crowd: the "Ascetic Monk" hidden upation was linked to themon profession "Fighter," which is an extremely popr Basic Profession. This means only Fighters can transfer to this upation; yers of other professions can''t get it, no matter how many points they score.


    There is a certain threshold, but it''s not overly strict.


    At this moment, many realized this and looked towards the entrance of the D-ss secret realm with eyes filled with greed and mes. If only... if only they too could withstand the ordeal, then the hidden upation would also belong to them.


    Readtest stories on empire


    If they got the upation, while the rest of their lives won''t necessarily be smooth sailing, it would definitely be much easier.


    It''s like a secret trick for life.


    It''s just that the method to acquire this trick is somewhat harsh.


    Many exchanged nces, seeing the same thoughts in each other''s eyes, but no one yet made a move. The scenes from before continued to rey in their minds, each thud sounding like a hammer striking their hearts.


    Just the thought of it made them feel breathless!


    "I''ll do it!"


    A burly man tore off his tank top and tossed it aside, his expression fierce as he strode towards the entrance, "Whoever''s brave enough,e with me and we''ll see who gets the hidden upation in the end. I''ll be the first to step up; anyone else not afraid to die?"


    ```

 Chapter 293 "Trapped!

    It must be said.


    This man looked extremely tough, standing at a height of 1.9 meters, with a sturdy body, all muscles and tendons, appearing extremely intimidating. He was the type that, if he stationed himself at the entrance of a school''s alleyway, all students would take a detour to avoid him.


    Not one dared to look him in the eye.


    So intimidating, indeed. Explore more at empire


    "I''ll do it! I''m so poor that I''m not even afraid of death, what''s pain to me?"


    "Count me in! What the hell is this, nothing but small potatoes. I''vee through hell and high water, been injured countless times, how can this scare me?"


    "Exactly, we definitely can''t die in this secret realm anyway, what''s a little pain?"


    And just like that¡ª


    Five strong guys quickly came together.


    The five burly men cheered each other on as they walked into the secret realm. They were notpeting against one another, as long as they scored over 660,000 points, they could all obtain the profession. It wasn''t said that out of the five, only one could acquire it.


    If all five qualified, then all five could obtain it.


    There was no reason not to wee it.


    Perhaps it was the stereotypical image of fighters, but it seemed all fighters were bulky, their bodies full of muscr tendons. These five men were also uniformly built, and if they all dressed in suits and sunsses, they would look like top-notch bodyguards.


    Before long, these five men entered the secret realm, and the live stream started once again. The five of them stood in their positions and, emting others,y down on the ground. After typing specificmand sequences into the text editor,


    They took a deep breath.


    "Boom!!!"


    Five iron balls fell from a height of over ten meters, hitting their targets in almost perfect unison!


    Striking right in the groin area!


    "Aaah!!!"


    The simultaneous screams, broadcasted through the live stream, nearly burst the eardrums of the audience in the hall. Had it not been for this asion, perhaps these people would never have known that such brawny men could let out such ear-piercing shrieks.


    The five robust men''splexions turned deathly pale in an instant, devoid of any color. To tell the truth, this skill was truly worth learning. Even bloodletting couldn''t drain a person''s facial blood this quickly, yet they did it with their own strength, making their faces lose color in a blink of an eye.


    "..."


    "..."


    The onlookers in the hall clenched their legs and looked at the five men twitching madly on screen with a mix of shock and fear. They could empathize fully with the unbelievable pain the men were feeling.


    Pain that ordinary people could not bear.


    ...


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Miao didn''t continue to watch, feeling excessively weary. He needed to hurry back for some rest, to sleep well first and then consider these matters upon waking.


    And the Hell Bus was waiting quietly for him in front of the Secret Realm Building.


    He hadn''t closed his eyes for a full twelve hours. The pain was manageable, but the drowsiness was real. The sleepiness caused by frequent blood loss couldn''t be recovered by any other means but sleep.


    In the secret realm, he had hardly spent any points to recover from his injuries. After all, the initial purpose of entering the realm was to get injured and thereby deplete the "Zhiren Race" within his body. If he had healed his wounds right away, then the whole endeavor would have been pointless.


    It would have been the same as doing absolutely nothing.


    Only a few times, when he felt he was on the verge of passing out from blood loss, did he heal his injuries.


    This led to his current extreme fatigue. He wanted nothing more than to rest well. Losing 10 million today was a setback, but it was just that, a setback, and he didn''t care much about it. What he cared about more was whether the "Zhiren Race" inside him had diminished.


    Two hourster,


    Chen Miao had finished his preparations for bed and washed up, ready to fall asleep, when the ck Doctor standing at the door quietly reported, "Miao, we are unable to detect exactly how much of the Zhiren Race is present in your body."


    "However, based on sampleparisons, we can confirm that the density of the Zhiren Race in your body is significantly lower than before."


    "The probability is around one-tenth."@@novelbin@@


    "Theoretically speaking, if you experience this nine more times, you should be able topletely clear the Zhiren Race from your body."


    "Mhm."


    Chen Miao nodded to show that he understood, then waved his hand, "Go get some rest; we''ll talk after I wake up."


    He was very sleepy.


    At this moment, he didn''t want to think about anything else. He just wanted toy his head on his pillow quickly, tuck the nket between his legs, and fall into a deep andfortable sleep. He wanted to think about nothing else but sleep.


    ...


    He slept soundly.


    It wasn''t until noon the next day that he woke up, and today was January 4th.


    After a simple wash-up, Chen Miao sat at the dining table, enjoying a light breakfast. Meanwhile, Hungry Monkey was reporting, "Miao, there''s good news. You don''t need to pay 10 million to enter the secret realm anymore."


    "As long as you score over 660,000 points in the realm, you can earn the Limited Hidden Profession of the Kung Fu fighter."


    "The news haspletely spread since the task waspleted. Now, not only are arge number of yers from Broken Pot City heading this way to seize this sky-high opportunity, but yers from other cities have also arrived."


    "Originally, opening the secret realm once required queuing and waiting for five people, but now there''s no need to worry about that. The secret realm is now running 38 groups simultaneously, with numerous Supernaturals exploring their own sky-reaching opportunities within."


    "Miao, you can enter the secret realm again without having to put forth an expensive entry fee as bait; plenty of people are willingly entering the realm."


    "Since we left yesterday, the secret realm has already received 49 groups of guests, and a group consists of five people."


    "It''s a pity that none of these 49 groups have reached the 660,000-point mark. The highest scorer only got to 120,000 points, stopping there. The difference from 660,000 points is simply too vast; they''re not on the same level at all."


    "And before we left yesterday, the first group of five stout men also failed the challenge. The highest score among them was merely 16,000, far from 660,000. The one with the lowest score had just 1,000 points."


    "After breaking once, upon waking up, no matter what, that person immediately quit, refusing to try a second time."


    "Mhm."


    As Chen Miao munched on the raw carrot slices in his hand, he pondered for a while before speaking, "I remember when many of the brothers first followed me, I promised them a Supernatural upation of their choosing after a year."


    "I remember many wanted to switch to the Kung Fu fighter profession."


    "See who''s interested in bing a Kung Fu fighter, and I''ll get them switched over to that upation first. Then, they can go to the secret realm and grab that Hidden upation."

 Chapter 295 : Occupation Effect: "Suffer from...

    "Hmm."


    Yuan Buping somewhat helplessly spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders. Although he was very dissatisfied with ck Doctor''sck of emotional intelligence in the response, he actually couldn''t refute it since the statement was really not without reason.


    This truly wasn''t something that an ordinary person could endure.


    In fact, forget about many times.


    Even just once, he was impressed.


    Having already experienced that kind of severe pain once, to willingly undergo it again, the willpower alone was not something that could bepared to an ordinary person''s. It was no wonder that so many people entered this secret realm, yet only a minority could persist to the second instance.


    Most people, after experiencing it once, would immediately dere forfeiture.


    ...


    12 hours quickly passed.


    Chen Miao''s stint in the secret realm hade to an end, his time spent there was the longest. Theoretically, this secret realm allowed participants to concede defeat early. That is to say, as long as four people conceded, the secret realm could end ahead of time.


    When there happened to be a tough individual in the secret realm, and the others saw no hope in catching up, they would choose to forfeit automatically.


    However...


    This time, the four people Chen Miao was matched with weren''t tough individuals by any means, far less shocking than Crushed-Egg and Childbearing Sis, and forfeited early on. Yet... there was another rule stating that even if four people conceded, as long as the individual with the highest score didn''t want the secret realm to end early, it had to continue until the 12 hours were over.


    Quickly.


    Chen Miao walked out of the vortex, leaning on a cane, with a hint of faint exhaustion on his face. He looked towards Hungry Monkey and the others in the hall, waved his hand, signaling that it was time to return home to sleep. It was already past one in the morning. Stay updated with empire


    At this time, the hall was no longer as bustling as during the day, with only a few hundred people standing there.


    Many looked at Chen Miao''s retreating figure filled with confusion and puzzlement.


    Nearly everyone was unclear about Chen Miao''s purpose in entering the secret realm, which was originally used for negotiation when two gangs didn''t want to start a fight but still had to divide interests, ending up settling their differences in the secret realm.


    The most significant use of the secret realm now was naturally to obtain the ''Ascetic Monk'' rare hidden profession.


    Or to be like Crushed-Egg, attracted by the high entry ticket reward.


    But the question is¡ª


    Chen Miao was there neither to resolve grievances, nor to acquire the ''Ascetic Monk'' rare hidden profession, nor for the high entry ticket reward. So what exactly was he there for?


    To let himself be tortured for 12 hours?


    Must be sick, right?


    Wait... could it actually be an illness? m?


    For a moment, a number of people looked at Chen Miao''s departing figure with strange expressions, a little lost for words. Could it be that Chen Miao really had such a preference? It had long been heard that high-level supernatural beings yed quite extravagantly in private, but it was unexpected that it was really true.


    It was at this moment that people also recalled that it was Chen Miao''s high entry ticket reward that had attracted everyone''s attention to this ce in the first ce.


    ...


    Go home, eat, sleep.


    Chen Miao didn''t engage in any superfluous actions and crisply dove into his bed. At this moment, he felt extremely drowsy, almost on the verge of passing out, constantly bleeding, his body felt uncontrobly exhausted.


    When he got up for breakfast the next day, ck Doctor examined him while bringing some good news.


    The number of ''Zhiren Race'' inside his body had significantly decreased.


    ```


    Following the pattern, after eight more times, it was basically possible topletely clear it.


    "Pretty good."


    Chen Miao put down the chopsticks in his hand, nced at the sun that had risen midway in the sky, adjusted his clothing, and strode toward the Hell Bus parked on the highway. Now it seemed that the "Zhiren Race" wasn''t much after all.


    As long as the corresponding clearance method could be found, it was quite simple.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye.


    Eight days had passed.


    A lot had happened during these eight days. To Broken Pot City, it seemed as if nothing had changed, yet everything had. The fame of the D-level Secret Realm "The Game of the Brave" had already spread to over a dozen surrounding cities.@@novelbin@@


    Perhaps even the government of Broken Pot City hadn''t expected that one day Broken Pot City could even develop its tourism industry.


    Yes, that''s right.


    The 78th floor of the Secret Realm Building in Broken Pot City had evolved into a tourist attraction, with countless visitors flocking here daily to grin and bear the live broadcast of the Crushing Egg process.


    Though it might sound a bit unseemly, in reality, it was rare to see such a thing.


    So far, out of the 9 remaining professions of the "Ascetic Monk," 6 remained.


    It had to be said that this continent was never short of tough people; even though the conditions for acquiring this profession were so harsh, with a staggering 660,000 points intimidating almost everyone, there were always those who defied the odds. In these eight days, three people had sessfully seized this limited rare hidden profession of "Ascetic Monk."


    And the exclusive effects of the Ascetic Monk profession had been revealed.


    Not bad at all.


    upation Effect: "Any damage received will be converted into a fixed 1% of the damage, and the body''s skin will petrify, immune to all control effects."


    A pretty good upation effect, considered quite decent among those of this level''s upation effects.


    It''s just...


    Chen Miao pondered as he looked at the upation effect panel released on the inte. He always felt he had recently seen something very simr to this effect somewhere before. Was it an item, a skill, or perhaps a boss?


    He had forgotten.


    But what he could assert was that this upation effect was quite familiar.


    In some ways, the upation effect was very powerful. Theoretically, even if one were to be struck in the head by a nuclear bomb and suffer grievously, they would be unscathed because no matter how severe the damage received, it would only ever result in a fixed 1% of damage. However, it was useless to him.


    If every bullet hit its mark, he could take the person down with 100 bullets; no need for a full magazine.


    Simpler than killing a minor monster.


    Or to put it another way, not just him but all supernatural individuals with the Gunman Profession would be the bane of those with the "Ascetic Monk" hidden upation. If this upation''s panel had not been exposed, then the threat posed by this upation would have greatly increased. It was uncertain what the person who disclosed this upation panel was thinking.


    Logically, the fewer people who knew about such things, the stronger those with this upation would be.


    This was also why hidden upations were so powerful.


    Arge part of the reason was that only you knew the exact effects of your upation. Even though the outside world might guess some things based on your usualbat, that was still just conjecture, one-sided, and notprehensive.


    The true effect was known only to yourself.


    At the crucial moment, it could deliver a fatal strike to an enemy.


    ```

 Chapter 297 "Miao, the sky is falling!!!

    There are many hidden professions in this world that don''t particrly pursuebat power or, to put it another way, high damage output, but this doesn''t mean these hidden professions are useless¡ªon many asions, they can have extraordinary effects.


    On the battlefield, they can provide support or even operate alone.


    With the ck Doctor''s definitive diagnosis,


    this matter also came to an end. Whether it was the Zhiren Race or the Ascetic Monk, it was all over for now. At least for a short while, there was no need to think about the Zhiren issue. And it couldn''t be said to bepletely disastrous, after all, as the ck Doctor said, if you disregard the negative effects, the positive feedback brought by the Zhiren Race is still very strong.


    And that "Ascetic Monk", following its initial poprity, cooled off gradually.


    After all, those who believed they could seed had already tried in the first few days. As the days went by, the confident ones had already attempted it, and those remaining were all too self-aware to make an attempt.


    Limited, rare hidden professions.


    Their value was extremely high, lying there like a maiden just out of her boudoir, ripe for the picking. If only you went for it, you could obtain it, yet despite the covetous stares of countless people, there were still six slots for that hidden profession that remained untaken¡ªleft untouched by anyone.@@novelbin@@


    The main reason was the restriction of the "Fighter" upation, which made many yers from other professions have to give up reluctantly. Even if they seeded in the challenge, they couldn''t obtain this hidden profession.


    This indeed made quite a few tough yers leave the field with regret.


    The cost of ss reassignment is significant.


    But¡ª


    Even if the cost of reassigning and rebuilding a ss is great, as long as you can get a rare hidden profession, it is extremely worthwhile. A rare hidden profession is not just about the upation effect; there are many other things toe, such as upation-exclusive items and skills, each one capable of greatly enhancingbat power, all valuable assets.


    Logically speaking, as long as one can swap for an Ascetic Monk profession, it would be a profit.


    And that''s precisely where the problem lies.


    It''s not a direct exchange; what if they preemptively changed their ss to a "Fighter" and then discovered that they couldn''t pass the challenge? Wouldn''t that be a wasted conversion? They were originally seasoned supernatural beings, and now after ressing, they had to start from scratch again; this isn''t fucking nonsense.


    What? You say to try first? Don''t ress and test if you can clear it, then change to a Fighter only if you find you can seed?


    A good n.


    Unfortunately, up to this point, within these eight days, the supernatural beings who obtained the Ascetic Monk upation all cleared it on the first try. Not a single person cleared it after multiple attempts and finally met the score requirement.


    The reason is simple: this isn''t something you can just try. Toplete it, there''s only one way to do it¡ªto persevere all in one go. As soon as you ease up, you can''t get back up.


    ...


    And so, time advanced to January 15.


    "The new year is almost here."


    Chen Miaoy on his rocking chair, with his eyes half-closed, indifferently stating. Although there were pces underground, he spent most of his time on the surface, not because there was sunlight¡ªas this was the Land of Extreme Cold, covered with clouds year-round.


    There was hardly any sunlight filtering through.


    During most days, even daylight relied on bulbs for lighting, it was only on rare asions, midday when the sun was fierce enough to prate the clouds and sprinkle some sunlight down. In most other circumstances, even at noon, it remained overcast and dark.


    The reason he often stayed on the ground was simply out of habit.


    Today was a day off.


    Although he didn''t do much in these ten-odd days, in truth, they were the most exhausting since his arrival. Today, he wanted to do nothing but lie here and rest for a day, even if the sky fell, it had nothing to do with him.


    "Miao!"


    Just then¡ª


    Hungry Monkey came running over with an anxious look, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!! Miao, the sky is falling!!!"


    "..."


    Chen Miao closed his eyes with some irritation, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don''t be so dramatic, how big can the problem be for the sky to fall? Even if the sky falls, what does it have to do with us?"


    "When the sky falls, there''ll be tall people to stand up against it."


    "We''re in the Land of Extreme Cold; could it even affect us?"


    "If even this ce can''t withstand it, then there wouldn''t be many people left alive on this. Since everyone is going to die, why the hurry?"


    "No!" Hungry Monkey''s face showed anxiousness as he gestured frantically, calling over Zhou Shen and the others who were daydreaming not far away, "It really is the sky falling, haven''t you guys checked your wristwatches?"


    "An emergency event has broken out, and the Federation has already started broadcasting it globally!!!"


    "Emergency event?"


    Chen Miao opened his eyes and turned on his wristwatch, ncing thoughtfully at the topmost broadcast: "Which city''s random event is this? The entry for this broadcast is so upfront. That zombie siege and Gate of the Underworld didn''t even have this privilege."


    "A global event¡­ Noah''s Ark?" Your next read is at empire


    "..."


    He stiffened for a moment before it dawned on him, he looked up at Hungry Monkey and muttered, "This is a fucking global event?"


    He had been wondering which city''s event could cause such amotion, only to realize that it was a global event involving not just one city but all cities.


    This is a global event!


    Even in the Land of Extreme Cold, which doesn''t belong to any city-state and is almost at the very edge of the federation, known as the foremost of the ten forbidden zones, they couldn''t escape it. Just moments ago, they were saying that if the sky should fall, there would be tall people to hold it up.


    But when he woke up, he became one of those tall people.


    Because... the very sky that was falling was the sky over his Land of Extreme Cold!


    The live broadcast showed¡ª


    A massive hole had appeared in the distant sky, seemingly out of nowhere; it looked like a bowl turned upside down with a hole in it, as if someone took an iron rod and gouged out a hole in the ceiling of a Rolls-Royce starlight headliner.


    This hole seemed to directly connect to the ocean of another world.


    Endless amounts of seawater were gushing out through the hole.


    The hole was roughly estimated to be about 10,000 meters above the ground, and the seawater was furiously smashing down from a height of 10,000 meters. The hole''s diameter was about 10,000 meters wide.


    An extremely terrifying and exaggeratedlyrge hole.


    Yes.


    Admittedly, for Blue Star itself, this hole wasn''t considered veryrge, but to humans, it seemed absurdly exaggerated.


    ...


    The Land of Extreme Cold is located at the North Pole, nearly at the pole itself, and that hole was precisely at the very top of the North Pole. In other words, the mass of seawater would soon provoke a monstrous flood that would submerge the entire northern hemisphere.


    And the Land of Extreme Cold would be the first stop.


    The sky had truly fallen.


    And indeed, there were tall figures to withstand it.


    Unfortunately, upon waking from sleep, they became those very tall figures.


    Chen Miao virtually leaped from his recliner, stood in ce, and looked in the direction of the North Pole. He couldn''t see anything; the dense clouds overhead blocked his entire view, even though his passive skill as a gunman, Eagle Eye, was at a very high level, and his vision far exceeded that of an ordinary person.


    But no matter how good his vision was, it wasn''t X-ray vision.


    Those dark cloudspletely obstructed his sight.


    "Damn it... the sky has really freaking fallen!"


    He looked down at the ground; logically, with such a tremendous volume of water falling from the sky, the ground would surely be trembling, and considering his proximity, he should have felt something, but as of now, the ground was incredibly stable, and he felt nothing.


    It was as if nothing had happened, and everything was normal.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Chen Miao suddenly realized something, "Since it''s a global special event, shouldn''t there be any announcements?"


    "Hmm."


    Hungry Monkey somewhat helplessly nodded, "The name of this event is ''Noah''s Ark.'' Only 10 million people across the federation received the announcement, and these are the chosen ones."


    "In 72 hours, a gigantic ark will take in all 10 million people and then float in the air for 77 days."


    "During these 77 days, the flood will destroy the whole world, killing all terrestrial creatures."


    "After the 77 days are over, the ark willnd, and these 10 million people will descend back to the ground to rebuild their new world amidst the receding floodwaters. From start to finish, only these 10 million received the announcement."


    "Everyone else is unaware."


    "But someone leaked the announcement, so everyone became aware of it. The federal satellites have also detected a terrifyingly huge hole that suddenly appeared at the very top of Blue Star''s North Pole, from which countless amounts of seawater are pouring."


    "Following this, a global live broadcast began."


    "Miao, what should we do? Should we try heading to the South Pole first?" asked Yuan Buping thoughtfully from a short distance away.


    "I think if it''s really like this, we might not necessarily die. The ''Heavenly Pce'' can provide our domain with a continuous supply of oxygen and maintain a constant temperature, and even keep the pressure stable."


    "Since there''s a flood and the surface is uninhabitable."


    "I think we could simply move underwater. As long as we have sufficient oxygen, temperature regtion, and pressure issues resolved, there''s basically no danger for us in the ocean. We just need to stockpile food in advance."


    "We could even build a road underwater so that we could travel to other ces using the Hell Bus."


    Chen Miao didn''t respond but propped his chin with one hand and pondered for a while before raising his head to look at Hungry Monkey, "You were the first to know about this, does the Federation have any solution?"


    "Yes!"


    Hungry Monkey firmly nodded, "The Federation''s current stance is that they don''t ept the oue where only 10 million chosen people survive and everyone else dies. They''ve decided to figure out a way to plug up that giant hole."


    "And if possible, create things that can survive over 77 days in the flood, like arge number of boats."


    "Anyway, they don''t n to just sit back and wait for death."

 Chapter 299 "The Federation is a land of freedom.

    ```


    But soon¡ª


    Hungry Monkey realized how the Federation had transported so many people and machines here in such a short time. A transportation portal, ten meters tall and ten meters wide, abruptly materialized in the middle of the crowd. Then, they saw...


    A convoy of fully loaded heavy trucks slowly emerge from the portal and stop at the designated area.


    When thest heavy truck drove out,


    The portal disappeared immediately.


    "Awesome."


    With aplex expression on his face, Hungry Monkey remarked, "Doraemon''s Anywhere Door actually appeared in reality, and even Doraemon''s door couldn''t transport this many heavy trucks, could it?"


    "This thing is even stronger than Miao''s Hell Bus. Miao''s Hell Bus still takes time to travel between two ces, but this doesn''t even need time; it''s instantaneous."


    Find more chapters on empire


    "Zhou Shen, you held a pretty high position in the Federation before, did you know that the Federation had something like this transportation portal?"


    "I didn''t know..."


    At this moment, Zhou Shen''s eyes were full of shock. The sight of the ten-meter-high and wide transportation portal had greatly startled him. If he had seen it on the news, perhaps he wouldn''t have been as shocked, but seeing with his own eyes and hearing from the news arepletely different experiences.


    "I know that the Events Bureau has collected many Taboo Items with various functions, but my authority ends there. As for what kind of depths the Federal Government has, that''s something a local official like me couldn''t possibly know."


    "Let alone the Federal Government, I don''t even know what kind of depths the Fengtian City Government has."


    "My authority is only to handle random events; these secrets are not within my ess."


    "Right."


    At this moment, Chen Miao also nodded thoughtfully. This world had undergone Transcendentalization for over thirty years, and the Federal Government had be the sole authority on this. To put it unpleasantly, it wasn''t much different from a centralized regime.


    Under such a system, it often means that the Federal Government holds extremely terrifying depths.


    In this situation, perhaps the Federal Government really has a way to plug this hole.


    He certainly couldn''t do it, but it was normal that he couldn''t, considering he had only been in this world for a few months. What kind of depths could he have? Even with a golden finger, it definitely couldn''tpare to the depths umted by countless people over so many years.


    Since the Federal Government had proposed to fill this hole, perhaps they really could do it.


    "I wonder if it will be Noah''s Ark that prevails, or Nuwa that better mends the sky."


    If initially he hadn''t had any expectation for the Federation''s n, now he suddenly harbored a hint of hope. Perhaps the Federation really could seed. If the Federal Government did achieve this feat, they would have crafted a mythological story, one that would be admired for generations and sung about by future people.


    Perhaps the people here were too busy.@@novelbin@@


    The three of them had appeared here on the Gatling out of nowhere, yet not a single person came to ask them, or rather, nobody seemed to notice them at all.


    Finally¡ª


    A young man dressed in an officer''s uniform noticed them and strode towards them with his hand in his pocket. Before Chen Miao could speak, the young man spoke first, "I recognize you; you''re Chen Miao. You''ve be quite the celebrity recently, and you''ve done many big things."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao nodded in greeting, then pointed to the dozenrge machines digging holes not far away: "What are those huge holes for, are you nning to use them as reservoirs?"


    "How could that be."


    The young man shook his head reluctantly, "Such a small pool would fill up in seconds and be utterly useless. These are grave pits. Death in 72 hours is almost certain, an inevitable event that cannot be changed."


    "We are preparing a dignified way to die for those who do not want to drown, at least so they can still have a funeral."


    "The Federation is a free country."


    "If a person''s life is definitelying to an end, for humanitarian reasons, he should be given the right to choose the manner of his death."


    After saying all this, the young man, seeing Chen Miao''s expressionless face, touched his nose somewhat sheepishly, "Okay, I made a not very funny joke. You''ve probably noticed that although a lot of seawater fell from the sky, it disappeared without a trace upon reaching the ground."


    "Mm."


    Chen Miao nodded. He had noticed this scene since his arrival. Sea water roared from ten thousand meters high, smashing into the ground creating a striking spectacle, but bafflingly, that seawater vanished the moment it hit the ground.


    To say it disappeared isn''t quite urate.


    It''s as if the ground were an incredibly absorbent sponge, soaking up any water in an instant. Of course, this definitely isn''t a normal phenomenon, as the ground''s absorbency is not that strong, especially since this is The Land of Extreme Cold.


    This is not a normal phenomenon.


    The young man continued to exin, "As one of the strongest beings among humanity, you are entitled to know some internal information. My name is Wang Nuo, one of themanders here."


    "You might not recognize me, but you definitely have heard of the Imperial City Wang Family."


    "Right, I don''t get along with the Zhang Family''s Zhang Wanlin at all. Thank you for your clone who took care of the Zhang Family for me, which also solved a big grudge of mine. The only downside is that their death was too easy; otherwise, they too could have tasted the crisis of the world''s end."


    "At the moment, one of the Federal Government''s ns is to plug this hole."


    "And the reason the Federation has this seemingly unrealistic n is because of a sign."


    "A sign?"


    "Mm."


    Without speaking further, the young man turned and walked forward, leading Chen Miao and the others to a sign nted in the ground. The material of this sign was unclear, and it was surrounded by countless colorful lights, making it extremely eye-catching.


    "This sign appeared at the same time as the global event ''Noah''s Ark'', or so it should be. We found it while clearing the area."


    ''Rule One: The hole is only a projection of some other hole on Blue Star, not the body itself. The body of the hole is in another hole on Blue Star; by plugging that hole, the projection can also be plugged.''


    "..."


    With a slightly furrowed brow, Chen Miao gazed at the sign. The message seemedplex, but it was actually not too hard to understand¡ªit meant that this hole was not the actual hole, but a projection, like a mirage.


    However, it wasn''t a fantasy, but a tangible version of a mirage.


    The only way to block this gigantic hole was to find the actual body of the hole, then seal the body. The only information known for now was that the body of the hole was located somewhere on Blue Star.


    ```

 Chapter 302 "I am God; I will bring a flood to destroy the world.

    "All right,"


    Zhou Shen sighed helplessly not far away, "I am baffled too. I remember that although random events used to happen in Fengtian City from time to time, they rarely caused significant harm."


    "But something has been happeningtely."


    "Crisis after crisis strikes, threatening to destroy the entire Blue Star."


    "It''s as though something has set its mind on wiping out Blue Star."


    "Hmm,"


    Yuan Buping, who was leaning against the window, didn''t offer an opinion. Instead, he casually said with a cigarette in his mouth and hands behind his head, "Let it be, whatever will be, will be. The world is too chaotic; I can''t make heads or tails of it anymore."


    "Even if a giant face suddenly appeared in the sky, telling us, ''heehee, this is my urethra, I am God, and I am about to send a flood to destroy the world''."


    "I''d believe it."


    "Whatever will be, will be, just like Hungry Monkey said, this world haspletely gone mad in a way I just can''t understand."


    ...


    Three hourster.


    Chen Miao and others sessfully arrived at a city in the south that liked to eat sweet foods, "Zhiwa City."


    Justing down from the Hell Bus, they could see the aura of panic shrouding the city, with everyone running anxiously in the streets, though it was unclear what they were so anxious about¡ªas if running faster would help them avoid the looming flood.


    Thest remnants of rationality prevented any violent incidents like arson, murder, or looting from urring on the streets.


    Even though the supermarkets were packed with people, everyone was still paying, retaining some level of sensibility.


    "The air smells quite a bit more humid,"


    Hungry Monkey sniffed, his attention turned first to the city''s unique effect.


    City Buff: "All yers within this city''s range, upon eating any piece of dessert, will receive a random buffsting one hour. Depending on the deliciousness of the dessert, the effect of the buff will vary.


    The more delicious the dessert, the stronger the buff''s effects.


    Whether a dessert is considered delicious is based on the yer''s personal actual desire.


    Each yer is entitled to random buffs from only the first five desserts per day."


    "Wow."


    Hungry Monkey looked at the city buff with a strange expression, "This city effect directly encourages yers to eat more desserts, huh? Eating desserts can actually get you buffs. Before diving into a secret realm, wouldn''t you need to eat five desserts in a row first to stack up on buffs?"


    This city was a main city.@@novelbin@@


    This city buff was unique, possessed only by this city.


    "That''s right."


    Zhou Shen, who was beside him, had already pulled up information about the city, "This city has the best dessert shops and dessert chefs in the entire Federation."


    "In other ces, a dessert chef''s monthly sry is around 8k."


    "And that''s in cities with a rtively good economic status."


    "In this city, however, a skilled dessert chef can earn as much as 100k per month, and is in high demand. Ever since the city buff was introduced, numerous dessert shops have been offering olive branches."


    "At the annual Federal Dessert Competition, twenty-five of the top thirty are usually from this city, and the remaining five will soon receive numerous invitations from ''Zhiwa City'' dessert shops."


    "At the same time, this city also has the best doctors and hospitals for treating ''diabetes'' in the entire Federation, without a rival. Moreover, the number of Supernaturals in this city is slightly higher than in other cities because with the addition of the dessert buff, many dare to venture into secret realms to test the waters."


    "And often, they don''t encounter any problems."


    At that moment¡ª


    Zhou Shen saw a packaged dessert that hadn''t been opened fall to the ground, likely dropped in the chaos. He picked up the dessert and casually tore off the wrapping before stuffing it into his mouth. After a few chews, a bright light suddenly sparked in his eyes.


    "For someone who normally isn''t into sweets, I have to say, this cream roll tastes damn good!"


    "It''s sweet but not cloying!"


    "And the buff effect it grants is really powerful too!"


    He then shared the buff with others.


    ¡¸Buff Name¡¹: Experience Blessing.


    ¡¸Buff Effect¡¹: Any experience you gain for the next hour will be enhanced by 100%.


    "Damn..."


    Hungry Monkey looked at the price on the dessert packaging in Zhou Shen''s hand, somewhat shocked, "This dessert only costs 18 bucks? 18 credit points for a 100% experience booststing an hour? This would confuse even the Capital Lords of Jingjiu City."


    "Those Capital Lords only get a 30% experience boost at most."


    "This is just ridiculous!"


    "The most important thing is the taste is good; even without this buff, spending 18 bucks on such a delicious cake is well worth it. It''s just that this cake has no effect outside of Zhiwa City."


    "You can only get a random buff from eating desserts within the domain of this city."


    "Otherwise, this city''s economy would have probably skyrocketed by now, just by selling desserts alone."


    "But a dessert costing 18 bucks granting such a strong buff, I wonder if those priced in the hundreds or thousands would give buffs powerful enough to ''shoot for the stars''?"


    "That''s not necessarily the case."


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "The strength of the buff is determined by your subjective taste of the dessert. Since it''s my first time eating a dessert from this city, even an 18-buck one tastes extremely delicious to me, hence my high subjective rating."


    "But for someone from this city who has been tasting high-quality desserts since childhood, this dessert would probably seem quite average, leading to a low subjective judgement and a likely poor buff."


    "That''s also why the dessert crafters in this city are continuously bing more skilled."


    "Because the market forces them to create tastier desserts."


    "Of course, apanying this, the level of doctors treating diabetes in this city is also rising rapidly, with a wealth of clinical experience¡ªthey are extremely experienced."


    "By the way, Miao, do you have any idea?"


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked expressionlessly at the frantic people running on the streets of the city, feeling a strong sense of helplessness and powerlessness.


    An idea?


    What idea could he have?


    He had no idea at all.


    A newly repaired restroom, in so many cities, how many could match that criterion? And even if he found it, what next? How would he find a leaking hole in a public restroom?


    Moreover, Elder Wang specifically stressed to him.


    Unless absolutely necessary, he must not destroy the restrooms; rather, he should seal the holes to prevent the hole in the Land of Extreme Cold up in the high altitude from gettingrger and more difficult to deal with.


    "How about we just go eat some dessert first."


    "What do you think?"

 Chapter 304 "Buff Name": Bullet Split.

    "Hmm..."


    Chen Miao took the knife and fork from the old man, stabbed arge piece, and brought it to his mouth. He chewed slowly with a slight frown; how to describe the taste? It was delicious, among the few desserts he had tried.


    But this dessert definitely ranked first.


    Although he didn''t know how long this dessert had been sitting here, it tasted as if it had just been made, cool and refreshing without a hint of being stale. After all, such an item could already be considered a supernatural prop.


    It naturally wouldn''t suffer from expiration.


    Otherwise, having it here would be pointless; it would just be a joke.


    But if you were to ask how delicious it was, he couldn''t quite say; it just felt so-so to him, absolutely nothing like the body-shaking sensation described in Xianxia novels upon consuming a miracle elixir. It was just average.


    The next second¡ª


    A panel suddenly popped up in front of him.


    "Ding, congrattions on acquiring a permanent buff."


    "Buff name": Bullet Split.


    "Buff effect": Every bullet you shoot will automatically split into three, with no reduction in damage or power.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s hand holding the knife and fork froze; his eyes filled with shock as he stared at the buff in front of him. Was this what a billion credit points got him? Could it be that a mighty figure was really hiding in in sight?


    Beforeing to this city, he had never imagined encountering such an opportunity.


    Even with his vast experience, the sight of this permanent buff made his throat tighten with excitement.


    He then reacted quickly, wolfing down the remaining dessert; unfortunately, the rest just tasted good and did not yield another buff. It seemed the buff only appeared after the first bite.


    "It looks like you''re quite satisfied with this transaction."


    The old man, who stood beside him, looked at Chen Miao with a pleased smile and stroked his beard: "Well, do you feel that billion credit points were well spent?"


    "Yes."


    Chen Miao nodded earnestly then went on to share the buff panel without any intention of hoarding the information for himself.


    "Oh?"


    The old man''s eyes flickered with surprise as he raised his eyebrows slightly: "It''s a profession-restricted buff; such buffs are rarely random. For the most part, it''s hard to find one that fits."


    "And it so happens that you are a gunner."


    "This buff should significantly increase a gunner''sbat power. It should be useful for you, right?"


    Meanwhile, Hungry Monkey and the others behind him werepletely bbergasted upon seeing the buff panel; their eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. The old man might not know Miao''s situation, but they sure did!


    Miao was famous for his firepower coverage!


    Real, genuine firepower coverage!


    To an ordinary gunner, the buff might enhance somebat power but wouldn''t be that impressive. But for Miao, it was not just a slight boost; it was an exponential enhancement!


    It was no exaggeration to say!


    It effectively tripled his overall capabilities, if not more!


    "Can I buy the remaining two desserts?"


    Chen Miao eyed the two remaining desserts with a hint of greed; they were indeed valuable. Though the price might be steep for the average person, it was nothing to him.


    Not to mention.


    The inheritance left behind by Zhang Wanlin before his death had contributed a good sum of pocket money to him¡ªsix or seven hundred million credit points was like found money.


    Moreover,pared to the effects of these permanent buffs, the price waspletely reasonable.


    "No."


    The old man shook his head: "I have my rules. On this floor, each qualified buyer can only purchase one dessert. You are the first person in many years to have the privilege to buy one, and I can only sell you one; the remaining two are not for sale."


    "Besides, even if you buy them, they won''t be of any use to you. A person can only acquire one permanent buff and cannot get a second."


    "If you want to help the people behind you, let them reach the level I deem eptable through their own strength. Fostering growth artificially won''t help them be truly outstanding individuals."


    "Although our conversation has been quite pleasant, I must be upfront: if you consider using force to take them, please believe that although I''m just a Dessert Master, I have the ability to protect my desserts in this ce and expel you. Over the years, many have coveted these three desserts, but none have seeded in taking them."


    "Oh?"


    Though Chen Miao had no intention of snatching by force, he picked up on something else from the old man''s words¡ªin this ce, meaning this dessert tower, the old man could exert a great deal of strength?


    The old man smiled lightly at Chen Miao: "I might as well tell you, as I do recognize you''re deserving. The Federation needs people like you."


    "I am the Federation''s first, and only, Lifestyle upation capstone ability holder."


    "Any Lifestyle upation reaching the capstone level will obtain a ''Domain'' ability, which might be a reward for being the first to reach an all-around position in a certain field. The specific effects of this ''Domain'' I cannot reveal to you."


    "But I can roughly say that the ''Domain'' effect is powerful, and the effects differ with each Lifestyle upation. At that point, thebat power of a Lifestyle upation isn''t iparable to a Supernatural upation. After all, it''s a rule-based domain skill, which in certain situations, can be much more effective than Supernatural upations."


    "And..."


    The old man looked past Hungry Monkey and the others, stopping his gaze on someone in the crowd: "The person by your side, he''s in the ''Doctor'' Lifestyle upation, isn''t he?"


    "I can tell you that this kid is a fantastic prospect."@@novelbin@@


    "If you are dedicated to his development, there''s a good chance he will be the first to reach the capstone level for ''Doctors.'' Then you''ll understand the true allure of a capstone Lifestyle upation."


    "Even a Dessert Master is not to be underestimated."


    As he said this, the old man was very confident, clearly trusting in his own abilities. Seriously speaking, it was quite amusing¡ªa Lifestyle upation that had nobat ability being so sure of his own strength.


    Chen Miao pondered for a moment before speaking: "Understood."


    "This BUFF is very useful to me. Today, I owe you a favor. Should you need my help in the future, I won''t hesitate."


    He didn''t ask what the old man would do if the end of the world came. With the old man''s demeanor, even if a flood came, he likely had numerous ways to survive, just like he did¡ªhe had plenty of ways to survive.

 Chapter 307 "This is a good ending.

    "It''s not that."


    Chen Miao''s brows furrowed as he looked at the pop-up on the panel. It was a message from the federation, simple in content. It was about the giant hole high in the sky at the deepest part of The Land of Extreme Cold.


    The speed of the water suddenly increased significantly.


    From its original flow, it turned into a jet.


    And the water that crashed to the ground didn''t disappear in an instant anymore. Instead, it transformed into a flood, surging wildly toward lowernd. The flow was very rapid, and it was unclear whether supernatural factors were at y, but the waters didn''t freeze.


    However, inevitably, some ice spikes were mixed into the flood.


    Under the swift current of the flood, these ice spikes mixed into the water were like spears, carrying tremendous power. Caught off-guard, many of the federation workers there had already died.


    And the main reason for his furrowed brows was that the direction of the flood was headed straight for his Heavenly Pce!


    In less than half an hour!


    These floods wouldpletely submerge the base he had taken days to build, and within the Heavenly Pce base, there were still many Tomb Guardian members left. The loss of property and personnel would be immense.


    ''Heavenly Pce'' had an effect called Absolute Territory which could ensureplete safety within its domain. A huge shield would cover the entire territory, shielding it from floods like these, posing no danger to the Heavenly Pce.


    But the problem was, this effect would only be unlocked when ''Heavenly Pce'' was levelled up to a certain level, and his Heavenly Pce hadn''t unlocked this effect yet.


    This meant that.


    The people left at the base had no other options but to wait for the flood toe.


    "Can we make it back in time?"


    Yuan Buping, who realized the severity of the situation, became restless. Many of his brothers were still inside the base. If the brothers he had been with for so long died just like that inside the Heavenly Pce, he would feel guilty even in his dreams.


    "We don''t have enough time."


    Zhou Shen shook his head. "The fastest way for us to get back is the Hell Bus, but even the Hell Bus would take two to three hours. The flood will reach us in half an hour ¨C we simply won''t make it in time. The time we have is not sufficient, too short."


    "But perhaps we can have the people in the base head to secret realms nearby, choose one with a long timeframe. If the flood ends early, then they cane out after one or two days when the flood has passed, and there won''t be any danger to their lives."


    "That would be a good oue."


    "Only if, by any chance, this flood is just beginning and the federation doesn''t find any solution during this time, and the day of the flood actually arrives, then the fate of those brothers who''ve just emerged from the secret realms will be even worse."


    "The secret realm named ''Death in 79 Days'' that the federation mentioned is located in the Secret Realm Towers of various cities. There''s no entrance in The Land of Extreme Cold."


    "Unless..."


    He hesitated for a moment without speaking out. In fact, there was one method, which was to send the Hell Bus to the base to pick up the remaining people, just as Miao had sent the Hell Bus to Broken Pot City to pick up the ck Doctor and hispanion.


    But he knew it woulde at a great cost.


    The Hell Bus was only given ess to Chen Miao personally. Directing the Hell Bus to pick up passengers at a specific location was against the rules. Thest time the ck Doctor and hispanion were brought back, the Hell Bus driver made Miao promise to remember hismitment.


    Although unsure of the exact nature of that promise, he knew the cost would not be small.


    He didn''t know whether this cost and the sacrifice of the people in the base weighed more heavily, but since Miao hadn''t spoken up, he felt it was not his ce to bring it up either.


    Standing to the side, the ck Doctor also thought of this and was about to speak when Doctor Gou pressed down on his shoulder, making it clear he didn''t want to be the first to mention it either.


    ...


    "..."


    Chen Miao, standing in ce and ncing at his wristwatch, remained silent, his brows deeply furrowed. He understood Zhou Shen''s implication: sending the Hell Bus somewhere certainly dide with a price.@@novelbin@@


    But so-called promises were mere pie in the sky, things to be said and dealt withter.


    They couldn''t really be considered promises.


    He wasn''t troubled by this, he just felt distressed about his ''Heavenly Pce.'' The ''Heavenly Pce'' item waspletely his own; once it was set up, he could reim it, but it had to be operated by him personally.


    And there was no chance of him making it back now. Explore more adventures at empire


    In other words, the Heavenly Pce was bound to suffer loss this time.


    Although the flood wouldn''t cause too much actual damage to the Heavenly Pce, if the floodwaters receded in a few days, they could simply return the same way. But the problem this time was that the flood wasposed of urine, and he swore he would never return to a Heavenly Pce that had been washed and soaked in urine for days.


    Not a chance.


    He felt a twinge of pain in his heart.


    Wasn''t there any other way to redirect the flood?


    While he was thinking, he was already swiftly instructing the Hell Bus to head deep into The Land of Extreme Cold to pick up people. Human lives were at stake, and as for the promises, they were simple: help the drivers retire smoothly from their positionster on.


    That would be a long story.


    The reason these drivers trusted him to help them retire was that the Hell Bus driver who had helped Lord Miao leavest time had, thanks to Chen Miaopleting that trip sessfully, retired smoothly.


    Before retiring, that driver had a drink with all the drivers in Blue Star, boasting about how awesome Chen Miao was, saying that his sessful retirement was all thanks to Chen Miao, and that if they ever had a chance to encounter Chen Miao, helping them retire was just a word away for him.


    It was a bit of an overstatement.


    But by some strange twist of fate, these drivers indeed believed hismitment, preferring to break the rules and lose some basic points, postponing their retirement to help him out, because after all, Chen Miao could help them retire earlier.


    As long as he could do that, the so-called price of a postponed retirement was almost nonexistent.


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    The flood arrived as expected, and the whole Heavenly Pce was submerged. There was no solution, meaning the base they had built over several days waspletely destroyed.


    Fortunately, no lives were lost. Everyone who had remained in the base, including the Tomb Guardian and the Vixen, were sessfully evacuated. At least there were no deaths.


    Two hourster.


    Chen Miao, in Zhiwa City, waited for the group that had originally stayed at the base. He let out a soft sigh and waved to everyone. Although the mood was not high due to the destruction of the base, with everyone having worked hard to build it over the days.


    But what''s done is done, and there''s nothing to do but ept it.


    After all, the deed had already been done.

 Chapter 311 Construction Rules.

    Even the ck Doctor could not have saved those two by now. Logically, they should have been dead already, without any strength left to move an inch¡ªit must be the influence of supernatural powers.


    Very soon¡ª


    In a matter of mere seconds, the two had devoured each other''s arms, legs, and internal organs, filling their own stomachs with the flesh.


    But their stomachs were empty, devoid of even a stomach sack to hold the food, so where was the space to store it?


    Therefore, the food simply flowed from the mouth and down the esophagus to their empty bellies, where it continued to be consumed by the other, creating what seemed like a perpetual motion machine, endlessly passing the masticated food back and forth between them.


    With each exchange, the food became more and more pulverized.


    "Ugh!!!!!"


    Finally, a woman unable to control herself let go of the hands she had mped over her mouth. Her face turned ashen, and she spat out in horror, as if her act of vomiting had triggered some sort of mechanism.


    More people began to run to the side to throw up.


    "Ugh!!"


    Soon, the sound of retching echoed one after another, and the scent in the air turned repulsive. Those few who had resisted the urge to vomit were pale-faced, holding their bellies in clear distress.


    ...


    "Impressive."


    Chen Miao narrowed his eyes as he watched the two women who continued to gnaw at one another. He was now certain of one thing: this secret realm was not a mere Level F.


    He wasn''t sure if all ''Death for 79 Days'' secret realms were like this, or if only his seemed to have gone awry. At any rate, judging by the current danger level, the Federation should have chosen a different realm.


    This secret realm was far too lethal for ordinary people.


    Even he had not felt any danger from the public restroom a moment ago. He hadn''t detected any sign of the two women being harmed inside, which meant that even if he had gone in, his situation wouldn''t have been much better.


    Just then¡ª


    He noticed some writing on the half a door flung by Hungry Monkey. Piecing together the torn halves of the restroom''s iron door, a clear line of text was visible on its inner side.


    "Building Rule": When two people enter this restroom at the same time, the ''mutual devouring'' peril will be triggered.


    A very brief line of text.


    But that line made Chen Miao''s expression turn grim. If he had been wondering whether the death rate of this secret realm was a bit too high¡ªafter all, two people had died without really doing anything upon entering¡ªthe sight of this text made the situation clear.


    He understood that even if he and Hungry Monkey had entered the public restroom together, they likely would have faced the same grim fate.


    This was the crisis of rules.


    There was no reasoning to it. He despised this kind of secret realm; it meant that supernaturals had no significant advantage here. Regardless of whether one was ordinary or supernatural, triggering a rule crisis meant certain death.


    There was only one way out: thought.


    At most, a supernatural might possess more experience and perhaps survive a bit longer.


    Chen Miao took a deep breath, then gestured for everyone toe and read the inscription on the iron door. He then looked at the crowd, his voice hoarse and tinged with displeasure as he spoke, "Since you knew you wereing to this secret realm, you must have looked up guides beforehand, right?"


    "Is there anything like this mentioned in your guides?"


    "Anything about building rules?"


    Although he had known he might be entering the ''Death for 79 Days'' secret realm, he never searched for any guides. Firstly, he believed there had to be a solution. Secondly, he didn''t feel the need for a guide to visit a Level F realm.


    After all, even in a Level B secret realm, he had emerged alive.


    A Level F secret realm was the lowest tier¡ªhardly something he took seriously.


    "Damn it!"


    The man who had been making cynical remarks earlier stared at the writing on the door, his voice trembling with horror, "This means if this woman had gone to the restroom alone, nothing would have happened, and she could have learned the information written behind this door."


    "But because she insisted on having someone apany her, this rule was triggered."


    "Logically speaking, it''s a difficult rule to trigger. After all, under most circumstances, who would go to a restroom designed for one?"


    The others in the crowd also looked relieved, in fact, many had felt the urge to relieve themselves but were holding it in. Without rity on the situation, no one was willing to risk their life merely for a bathroom break. They were also d they hadn''t gone to that restroom.


    Indeed, a public restroom ced in the midst of a deste wilderness did seem quite peculiar.


    However, when they heard Chen Miao''s question, they exchanged nces before shaking their heads in unison.


    "No, the guide I looked at didn''t have anything about building rules. It only mentioned that a random event would happen daily, with each event varying; some could be good, others bad," one said.@@novelbin@@


    "Same here, nothing like that in my guide," another added.


    "Nor in mine," echoed others.


    Everyone shook their heads, indicating that there was no mention of any building rules in their guides.


    Just then¡ª


    A young man wearing a duckbill cap suddenly stood out from the crowd. Amidst the panicking crowd, he seemed rtivelyposed; although pale and distressed, he hadn''t vomited at the sight before them.


    "You must all be magicians, right? I am too. I''m a Magician, level 11," he said.


    "I''ve once cleared this secret realm."


    "For an achievement. The achievement invited me to clear every Level F secret realm in my city, and the reward was this duckbill cap. Wearing this cap makes it very hard for one to be noticed in a crowd."


    "But this time is different from my previous experience. Like when I entered this realm before, there was also a restroom at the entrance of the small town, but it didn''t have any writing behind its iron door. So, I think this realm has mutated this time, adding something extra¡ªlike this building rule."


    "¡­"


    Chen Miao frowned slightly as he looked at the young man who had stepped forward. He had to admit, the duckbill cap was effective. If it weren''t for the man speaking up, he wouldn''t have noticed him at all among the crowd.


    This effect was somewhat simr to the Taboo Item Effect that Sang Biao in Fengtian City used to have.


    But all Taboo Itemse at a price, whereas this duckbill cap seemed to be price-free. Overall, the duckbill cap appeared to hold greater value.


    Yet even as the man spoke, nobody paid him any attention.

 Chapter 313 "Survival Day One!

    From the Tattooed Muscr Man''s reaction, one could easily tell that this convenience store was probably not a good ce.


    And sure enough¡ª


    The next second.


    The Tattooed Muscr Man lifted a piece of cloth in his hand, which clearly had a line of text written on it.


    "Building Rules": yers who enter the building will be cashiers of the convenience store, responsible for selling goods during the day and may rest at night. If someone breaks in during the night, that person will automatically be the convenience store''s cashier,


    and the previous one will automatically resign.


    "Damn..."


    Hungry Monkey looked at the brightly lit convenience store with aplicated expression and muttered, "We can''t continue like this, with no information at all. Who would dare to enter these buildings? Going in is basically gambling with your life."


    "If you''re a bit luckier, you might get a reward."


    "If you''re less lucky, you might just kick the bucket right away, like this one staying in the convenience store as a cashier; I think that''s not too bad, at least he didn''t die."


    "On the other hand, I feel that this might not be a bad thing. After all, if there is danger in the town, the convenience store should be a rtively safe ce, right? Plus, there''s no worry about food or shelter. Staying in the convenience store for 79 days could be a pretty good thing."


    "Not necessarily so."


    Zhou Shen shook his head, "Look closely at the text on the cloth. You''re responsible for selling goods during the day, which means you can''t leave the convenience store during the day, no matter what. If the town faces any crisis during the day, there''s no need for the store clerk to run."


    "Secondly, it is true that the secret realmsts for 79 days."


    "But the text doesn''t specify how long you have to serve as a convenience store clerk in this secret realm. What if you have to spend the rest of your life here?"


    "It''s best not to explore too much of such unknowns."


    And just then¡ª


    The young man who had taken advantage of the situation walked out of the convenience store, his face somewhat ugly as he forced a smile and looked at everyone, "The guy up front didn''t tell the truth, only the third person to go into this convenience store can fully own it."


    "So, anyone want to go in?"


    "It''s a bargain for you guys."@@novelbin@@


    After speaking, the man looked at everyone with eager and slightly panicked eyes. However, to his disappointment, not a single person stepped forward; everyone stood still inplicated silence, looking at the young man.


    Let alone the fact that they had already seen the piece of cloth in the hands of the first man toe out, which clearly stated the rules of the convenience store.


    Even if they hadn''t seen the rules,


    just from the relieved expression of the first Tattooed Muscr Man after the young man went in, they could roughly guess what was going on. It was like a game of hot potato, only it was obvious that the pass couldn''t continue to the second person.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Miao nced at the scene and didn''t pay much attention to it anymore. He didn''t dare to rashly enter any of the buildings on this street; instead, he looked towards the bus stop beside the road.


    At least it had a roof.


    He would rest here for the night.


    Seeing this, other people also dispersed andy down to rest on the street, with no one entertaining the thought of going inside anymore. Sleeping on the road was spacious enough, and with no cars passing by, it was also peaceful.


    Only the young man, who seemed on the verge of a breakdown, was still yelling something.


    "Why won''t youe in?"


    "It''s really a great thing!!"


    ...


    An hour had passed, and the small town had gradually quieted down. Everyone had found their ce on the blue stone road, intending to spend the night there, with familiar faces huddling together, keeping a certain distance from the people around them.


    No one had forgotten that at the entrance of the town, the headcount was 101; there was an extra person.


    And that person was mingled among them.


    But they didn''t dare to keep too distant either, in this strange and eerie town, the only sense of security came from those around them, especially the group of men carrying Thomson Submachine Guns.


    Before many fell asleep, they looked up at the men under the bus stop, cradling their Thomsons, and immediately felt a bit more at ease. Despite the secretive nature of this ce, with so many supernatural beings apanying them, they should be able to survive, right?


    Perhaps...


    As for the man who had gone to pee outside the town at the start, he didn''t sleep on the road with the rest. Instead, he slipped into an underground river through a well, finding afortable spot inside the well. This lucky individual could breathe freely underwater, and the water temperature was constant, matching his body temperature perfectly.


    It was like sleeping on a waterbed; quitefortable indeed.


    Moreover, unlike the pitch darkness above ground, the groundwater in the depths was extremely bright, offering bothfort and a sense of security. Read exclusive chapters at empire


    ...


    "Huh."


    Chen Miao hadn''t fallen asleep; he was just lying in the fuzzy-seated bus stop, looking up at the roof above him, feeling a sense of absurdity in his heart.


    Such a small town, with roads paved with blue bricks.


    Yet, it had a bus stop.


    He doubted whether there were any buses on this route at all. After all, since he entered the town, he hadn''t seen a single vehicle. Although the town seemed deserted, as if abandoned for a long time, it was spotlessly clean, as if it had been thoroughly cleaned by a maintenance crew.


    And since there were no buses at this bus stop, it must serve some kind of purpose, although he was not clear what it might be.


    In a daze.


    He gradually drifted off to sleep, and when a ray of sunlight hit his face, he slowly woke up.


    It was daybreak.


    The town looked much less eerie after dawn, instead radiating a quaint charm, just like a tourist destination. If one could live here for an extended period, it might even be a pleasant experience.


    By now, many of the people around were also awake, but no one moved around much, instead just sitting or standing nearby chatting.


    They were extremely cautious; the day had brightened, yet they went nowhere, absolutely forbidding any action on one''s own.


    However, quite a few people would go to the public restroom outside the town when they needed to use the toilet, since the rules for the restroom had already been set clear. As long as one person entered, there was no danger, the only requirement was not to enter in pairs.


    After learning the rule, no one would foolishly go in two at a time.


    Just then¡ª


    Time slowly reached 9 a.m., and a prompt sounded faintly in everyone''s ears.


    "Survival Day One!"


    "Today''s random event: Every person must do 100 push-ups before midnight tonight."


    A simple sentence.


    The event wasn''t very difficult, although doing 100 consecutive push-ups would be hard for most ordinary people. But there was still a whole day until midnight.

 Chapter 315 Wax Museum Rules.

    Soon¡ª


    Hungry Monkey shared the rules of the Shroud Shop with Miao and the others.


    "Building Rules": Every yer who enters this building will automatically receive a tailor-made shroud with the effect of keeping warm, ensuring you can sleep warmly and cozily.


    "Uh..."


    Seeing this rule, Hungry Monkey and the others exchanged nces, all seeing the speechlessness in each other''s eyes. What kind of ridiculous rule was this? It was neither harmful nor beneficial, essentially useless.


    If one had to say it served some minor purpose, it was that they now had an extra set of clothes to change into.


    But no sane person would think of using a shroud as change of clothes.


    "There goes one of my detection opportunities," Hungry Monkeymented, looking at his remaining detection chances. He had only four detection opportunities left, and his initial bravado about scouring an entire street was indeed an overstatement; these five detection opportunities were already his limit.


    He simply couldn''tplete the seventh set of push-ups no matter what; the sixth set was already him pushing himself to the limit, and during the seventh, he simply couldn''t move at all.


    "Don''t rush."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "Let''s check out the Wax Museum next."


    ...


    Right next to the Shroud Store was the Wax Museum, and the two shops were almost connected, with a convenience store in between. At the moment, standing on the cashier counter of the convenience store, was a young man with a professional smile stered on his face.


    It was the same young man who had run into the convenience storest night.


    Now, he seemed to have adapted to the role of a cashier.


    It''s just that the smile on his face was a bit too professional. If things were as expected, someone must have given thisd some on-the-job trainingst night.


    Soon¡ª


    The rules of the Wax Museum also appeared before everyone.


    "Building Rules": Every yer who enters this building will acquire a lifelike wax figure tailored to their voice, which will apany you when you are lonely, until the end of your life, so you will never be alone again.


    If you can find a perfectly fitting shroud for your wax figure, then this wax figure will transform into your bodyguard, possessing a certain level of Combat Power to protect your safety, and when you face an inevitable death from the rules, it helps you dodge the disaster once.


    This effect is triggered only upon a yer''s first-time entry into the shop.


    ...


    "Hey!"


    Upon seeing this rule, Chen Miao and the others exchanged nces again, only this time, everyone''s eyes shone with excitement. This was a good deal, and it was then they understood the effect of the Shroud Store.


    The rules of the two shops taken separately weren''t of much use; if not outright deadly, they were basically pointless. Butbining the two shops turned them into one, immediately providing a puppet to fight in their stead, and even capable of shielding them from a deathblow.


    "Not bad."


    Chen Miao smiled, nodded, and strode into the Shroud Store next door. After emerging, he entered the Wax Museum and when he came out, a featureless wax figure in a shroud now followed beside him.


    The wax figure was as tall as he was, with a simr build but no face, just like a stic clothing mannequin with a t face.


    The fingers were joined together, rather pointed, which must have been the wax figure''s weapon.


    Moving with a bouncy, hopping gait, it appeared somewhat cute and silly¡ªof course, this was only in the daylight and in the merry atmosphere where such a sight could seem whimsical. Meeting such a thing in a corner of the town at night would hardly evoke the words ''cute'' and ''silly''.


    What humans find cutergely depends on their environment. For instance, when you excitedly gaze at pandas through the zoo fence, sparkling-eyed, proiming them the cutest creatures on Earth, with none cuter than pandas!


    But if you were locked in with a hungry panda, its massive head grasping your ankle to start a deadly tumble, its several-hundred-pound body rolling over you, its strong paws pounding incessantly on your chest.


    At that moment, you certainly wouldn''t entertain the notion of ''cute'' regarding this panda.


    You''d just think it was a damn beast.


    Even though it might be the same panda that''s kept in the zoo.


    ...


    After Chen Miao came out, the other members of the Tomb Guardian team also entered the Shroud Store and Wax Museum one after another, each iming their own wax figure zombie babies. Over twenty wax figure zombie babies dressed in shrouds stood in a row, creating a rather odd sensation.


    And this scene was also spotted by others, some of whom exchanged nces before quickly sending a representative who approached Chen Miao and hispany with a sycophant and cautious expression, whispering.


    "Excuse me, but could you tell us what the rules for the Shroud Store and Wax Museum are?"


    "It''s quite presumptuous," Hungry Monkey replied dryly, rolling his eyes at the man who hade to inquire, "Do you expect me to just share what I earned through hard-earned push-ups, as if by simply moving your mouth, you can giarize my benefits?"


    "Want to know? Easy, why don''t you go in and see for yourself?"


    The man sent as a representative touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, seemed about to say something, then said nothing and turned to leave. Based on their observations, they had guessed that these two stores probably weren''t dangerous.


    And there were rewards to boot.


    After all, people had freely walked into these two shops and came out carrying a zombie wax figure baby behind them.


    But even though they felt they had guessed right, they didn''t dare to enter rashly. After all, it''s not the thousands of things that you have to worry about, but the what-ifs; what if the rule of these two shops was that you only get the reward if you step in with your left foot first, and stepping in with your right means instant death?


    It''s hard to say with these things.


    Just as this representative was about to leave, Chen Miao gestured with a calm expression for the man to wait, then turned towards Hungry Monkey, "Hungry Monkey, share the panel information with them. This secret realm is quite difficult, and it''s tough for everyone."


    "Helping one another, exchanging information, we can have a better chance of making it out alive."


    "Everyone should contribute a bit more."


    "Alright then."


    Hungry Monkey pursed his lips without speaking, just ring at the man who hade to ask questions.


    "Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much, THANKS!!!"


    After seeing the rules for the two buildings, the man was visibly excited as he hastened to thank everyone and ran towards the crowd, clearly prepared to report back the good news.


    Very soon.


    Arge number of people crawled up from underground and swarmed towards the Shroud Store quickly.@@novelbin@@


    This wax figure zombie baby was a genuinely good item; not only could it serve as a puppet with a certain Combat Power, but it could also save your life when faced with a rule-based crisis.


    If those two women who went to the public toiletst night had such a thing, they wouldn''t have died.


    Most people passing by Chen Miao would express their gratitude, thankful that Chen Miao was willing to share the information.


    ...


    Chen Miao, with a calm expression, didn''t respond; he didn''t mind sharing things that didn''t harm his interests, but he definitely wouldn''t give up something that could only benefit a small number of people.


    After all, the people around him had been with him for a long time, and it was more important to him to protect the lives of those close to him.


    The third building.


    Was a meat shop.


    They were currently at the entrance of the town and hadn''t ventured deep inside. Since entering the townst night, they had stayed at the entrance on the blue-brick road. They had seen the meat shopst night, of course, but nobody had dared to go in.


    Soon¡ª


    The rules of the meat shop emerged.


    ''Building Rule'': This ce used to be a famous meat shop. The butcher had excellent skills in killing pigs for many years. After death, due to a grievance, he became a Fierce Ghost that wanders within the meat shop. Although he has lost most of his memories, the task of pig ughter is etched in his mind.


    It will chase and kill all creatures that enter the meat shop and touch the ground with both hands and feet.


    It won''t rest until it kills.


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded and gestured for Hungry Monkey and the others to draw a red cross on the door of the shop as a warning to others not to enter, "This building has no benefits, only risks, but it doesn''t involve a rule-based kill. I might be able to handle it if I go in."


    A rule-based kill is like the one outside the town''s public toilet¡ªsatisfy the rule, and you die.


    There''s no way around it.


    But entering this meat shop meant you''d just be chased by the butcher, it wasn''t certain death. In theory, as long as you can defeat the butcher in the meat shop, there''s no risk. He had fought with Fierce Ghosts multiple times and believed he had some unique methods to deal with them.


    But even if he killed the Fierce Ghost, it wouldn''t benefit him. Naturally, he was reluctant to do something that had risks without benefits.


    Normally, one''s hands and feet definitely wouldn''t touch the ground simultaneously, except in certain situations, like doing push-ups. But as long as you don''t do push-ups inside the shop, it''s fine.


    Or if you fall over.


    In the event of a fall, the hands instinctively touch the ground to support the body, inadvertently fulfilling the rule of being chased.


    In other words.


    As long as you don''t do push-ups or fall down in the meat shop, even if you stroll around inside, there''s no danger. But it''s still safer not to enter if it can be helped.


    "Heh."


    Hungry Monkey stood at the entrance of the meat shop, poking his head inside curiously to look around, "Looks like a pretty small room. There shouldn''t be any oil or anything on the floor to intentionally make yers trip and fall, right?"


    Just then¡ª


    A wave ofmotion came from the crowd behind them; it seemed someone had died, and Hungry Monkey quickly withdrew his head and excitedly ran into the crowd to find out what was happening. He was always keen on such gossip.

 Chapter 316 "Eyes... Heart...

    A couple of minutester, Hungry Monkey returned with brisk steps, clicking his tongue in emotion, "The lucky boy from yesterday is dead, the one who had intended to jump into a well tomit suicide but idently became the lucky boy of that building''s owner."


    "He was found just now, in a shop more than dozens of meters deep into the street, a cake and dessert store."


    "Perhaps because the pastry shop looked utterly unthreatening, or maybe the boy believed he had great fortune, thinking he was the ''Child of Destiny,'' he just went straight in."@@novelbin@@


    "And then he died."


    "He died a gruesome death, his organs were dissected out, transformed into a variety of desserts, disyed in the shop window."


    "Eyes... hearts..."


    "In short, it was horrific."


    "..."


    Chen Miao said nothing, looking towards the crowd gathering nearby with aplex expression. He hadn''t expected the boy, who was lucky just the day before, to bite the dust today, but he wasn''t particrly moved by it.


    He just felt even more determined not to step into any building casually.


    No matter how harmless the building seemed.


    No way.


    ...


    Soon, Hungry Monkey''s few scouting opportunities were all used up, and the remaining shops had no special effects; they were all the same. As soon as a yer entered one of these shops, it would begin to operate normally.


    One shop was a noodle restaurant.


    There were no waiters, no chefs, but as soon as you sat down at a table, it would open up, and a steaming bowl of noodles would emerge. There was no option to order; it was all beef noodles.


    That did seem rather nice.


    In this godforsaken ce, it was a decent option to have some hot food to eat.


    This also revealed to them another aspect of these building rules: there was no downside, no advantage, but it unlocked the original function of the shop. If no yers entered, the noodle restaurant would not operate.


    This news was also leaked, and quite a few yers entered the noodle restaurant to start wolfing downrge bites.


    Although everyone carried dry rations, dry rations are, after all, just dry, and they''re not as satisfying as this kind of food with the essence of life''s fire in it.


    ...


    "Miao, aren''t we going in?"


    Hungry Monkey licked his lips, looking enviously at the yers who were gobbling up their noodles inside the restaurant. His Taotie lineage required him to eat a certain amount every day to gain 1 Strength Value.


    He hadn''t met his quota for the day yet.


    Though he had brought plenty of dry rations, what''s dry foodpared to these steaming hot beef noodles?


    "You dare to go in there?"


    Chen Miao looked at Hungry Monkey oddly, "There isn''t even a chef inside. Do you know where that noodle came from? Or how it was made?"


    "Do you even know if that beef is really beef?"


    "Have you seen any beef around here?"


    "The only butcher shop around, do you know where its meates from?"


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey''s mouth opened and closed a few times, as he was about to say something, but then he abruptly realized something. The meat from the neighboring butcher shop was not proper meat at all.


    It relied entirely on that butcher Fierce Ghost capturing four-legged yers to obtain its meat supply.


    This shop only has this one butcher shop.


    "If this noodle shop wants to get meat, it seems there''s only one channel," Hungry Monkey''splexion suddenly turned slightly pale, and his stomach began to churn violently, "No way, does it mean that the noodles these people are eating are all made from human flesh?"


    "It''s just a guess."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "We''re not clear on the specifics, after all, that butcher shop hasn''t opened for business yet. But we''d better avoid eating if we can, we''re not that desperate for food."


    "Let''s get everyone to do push-ups quickly."


    "Get a few more opportunities for detection."


    ...


    Three hourster.


    Chen Miao gasped for air as he climbed up from the ground. His Strength Value wasn''t low. With various enhancements, it had reached over thirty. Even so, he could only manage three sets of push-ups, which totaled up to 300.


    On top of the guaranteed base of the first set, he did two additional sets.


    He gained 2 detection opportunities.


    The difficulty of these push-ups was much greater than he had expected. There was no real difficulty in fulfilling the guaranteed base of the first set; even an old man couldplete it, as there was no time limit. You just had to finish before nightfall.


    But from the second set onwards, the pressure doubled.


    The burden on his back kept increasing, and each time he lowered and lifted his body, it was a huge strain on his arm joints.


    Three sets of push-ups were his limit. For the 301st push-up, he had tried, but no matter what, he couldn''t do it. He simply couldn''t lift himself, not even once.


    Meaning, if the Strength Value wasn''t over 40, it was definitely impossible toplete 400 push-ups.


    But it was enough.


    By then, the other Tomb Guardians had alsopleted their push-ups. Unfortunately, except for Zhou Shen, none of them could do more than the guaranteed base set of push-ups.


    Zhou Shen''s level was originally high, and due to being a fighter, his Strength Value was not low.


    The others were all shooters, and for various reasons, they hadn''t leveled up quicklytely, except when they had entered and exited the secret realm every day for half a month in The Land of Extreme Cold, which gave them several level-ups.


    At other times, there simply wasn''t an opportunity to Level Up.


    Meaning, their whole group together had only 3 detection opportunities¡ªif not for Hungry Monkey''s, these three would have been all they had.


    They were all in the same boat.


    Not to mention everyone else.


    There wasn''t a single person who could manage the second set of push-ups. Most were ordinary people, and the only Supernatural person was a Magician, not someone who primarily relied on strength. Doing one set of push-ups was already their limit.


    Even the excited muscr hulk from the beginning could onlyplete the first set, absolutely unable to finish the second.


    The push-up exercise had strict requirements for one''s own Strength Value. If your Strength Value wasn''t high enough, no matter how desperately you tried, you simply couldn''t lift yourself up; it was practically a dead-end limit.


    And an ordinary person might be able to improve their Strength Value through exercise to be higher than that of others, but to dream of purely relying on strength to raise one''s Strength Value above 20 was nearly impossible.


    ...


    They didn''t waste these three detection opportunities, and proceeded to detect three other shops along the sequence of the street''s storefronts.


    Two of the shops had deadly rules.


    The deadly rule for one shop was,


    "Step in with the left foot first, death; right foot first, handicap."


    Extremely simple and brutal, just this short sentence. It was a hardware store, without any other exnation, just a dozen or so words.

 Chapter 319 "Isnt it delightful to have friends coming from afar?

    "What method?"


    Hungry Monkey asked subconsciously, mainly because the rules provided too little substance; there wasn''t a single piece of useful information, and there really weren''t any good leads to follow. If some information were provided¡ªfor instance, the traitor''s dietary habits or ent¡ªcertain conclusions could be drawn.


    But there was nothing.


    Currently, Zhou Shen''s solution seemed to be the easiest to arrive at a conclusion. It was quite simple. Just kill everyone except themselves, and naturally, the traitor would be gone. It was highly probable the traitor wasn''t among them.


    But this method was a bit too murderous.


    Chen Miao said nothing but slowly walked up to the front of the crowd with his cane, looked towards the somewhat panicked people and spoke calmly, "I am not yet clear who amongst you is the traitor."


    "But what I can assure is that, if you step forward now, there will be no reproach for past actions."


    "Only..."


    "If ites down to me to root out the traitor, then I, Chen Miao, will swear to the Nine Heavens that I will eradicate your entire race, leaving not one survivor!"


    "The entire universe will hear the wails of your people dying in agony!"


    "Die alone now, or have your entire race perishter."


    "Choose for yourself."


    "I''ll give you one minute toe forward."


    These words were powerful and resonant!


    Everyone looked at one another with panicked and fearful faces, as if everyone but themselves seemed like the traitor. Even those who had entered the secret realm with their family and friends now trusted theirpanions somewhat less, fearful that they might have been reced.


    And Hungry Monkey, standing behind Miao, couldn''t help but feel goosebumps all over, his toes were constantly rubbing at the bottom of his shoe, he leaned into Zhou Shen''s ear and whispered, "What does Miao mean by this? The traitor won''t simply be scared out, will they?"


    "That would be too absurd."


    "Perhaps it really would work."


    Zhou Shen looked thoughtfully towards Miao''s back and nodded. He seemed to understand what Miao was getting at. After thirty consecutive days of randombat events, except for the first day''s spider army, not a single monster had been seen.


    Every monster was too timid to show up.


    Even though he didn''t know what had happened, nor why the monsters in these secret realms seemed to fear the mention of Miao''s name, at least it proved that Miao had high prestige in the minds of these monsters.


    In the past few days, Miao had also shared some spections with them.


    Read new chapters at empire


    He said these monsters differed from the others they had encountered before. They possessed high Spiritual Wisdom, seeming like a race just like humans, like the Zhiren Race within Miao''s body, only with higher Spiritual Wisdom than the Zhiren Race.


    If there was intelligence, a concept of race, then there was likely a civilization.


    The most terrifying thing for anyone in any civilization is the extinction of their civilization. This fear even exceeds concern for their own safety. Miao was probing. He was betting that the inside traitor would consider the life of their civilization more significant than their own life.


    Of course, the traitor first had to believe that Chen Miao possessed the ability to exterminate their race.


    Therey many uncertainties in this.


    Right now, Miao certainly didn''t have that power, but since the monsters were so fearful of him, they must have heard of his deeds and believed that Miao would eventually grow to great heights. Wielding the threat of his future potential should be worth a try.


    ...


    Standing still, Chen Miao, leaning on his cane, looked calmly at the line of people before him. He, too, was somewhat not fully confident. He had merely bluffed, just giving it a try. If this method didn''t work, then he would think of another.


    However...


    A minute was about to pass, and still, nobody took the initiative to step out.


    The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn''t help but feel that this was a blow to his face, he seemed to have overestimated his fame¡ªhis reputation wasn''t yet big enough for this.


    But just then¡ª


    A skinny boy carefully walked out from the crowd, his hand raised apprehensively as he blurted out, "Miao, I am the mole, but just don''t rush to hit me. The announcement clearly stated finding the mole is enough."


    "It didn''t say that the mole had to be killed."


    "What if I just leave now, okay?"


    A mole has reallye out?


    A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Miao''s eyes, and then he heard the announcement in his ear, indicating they had sessfully found the mole. Today''s event wasplete¡ªit was that simple?


    Then he looked at the skinny man in front of him with a smile.


    "As the old saying goes, ''it''s a joy to have friendse from afar.''


    "Since you''re here, take a seat before you go."


    "Someone!"


    "Attend to our guest!"


    ...


    Ten minutester.


    Outside the street bus stop, a dozen men wearing sunsses, suits, and holding Thomson submachine guns stood with cold expressions, facing outward as they encircled the entire tform, not allowing anyone to step in, looking like a bodyguard team.


    Meanwhile, inside the bus stop,


    This man, barely over 1.6 meters tall, was shivering and restless, sitting on the ground. He was one of the few members who had been left behind. Even if the mole did note forward, ording to Zhou Shen''s method of resolution, this mole would have been eliminated in the first round.


    Zhou Shen, Yuan Buping, Hungry Monkey, and Chen Miao were all surrounding this man with sinister eyes.


    The sight made the skinny man shiver uncontrobly, his voice trembling as he spoke, "Brother, are you really set on killing me today?"


    "Don''t rush."


    Chen Miao chuckled as he raised his hand, gently brushing off non-existent dust from the man''s shoulder, saying with a smile, "Not to kill you, just to have a chat. First question, to which race do you belong?"


    No sooner had he spoken,


    The man''splexion went deathly pale in an instant, his pupils dted as he yelled in agony, "Didn''t you say you wouldn''t exterminate our Azure Dragon n? Weren''t those promises made just now! Why now do you ask the name of our Azure Dragon n???!!"


    "I would rather die than tell you!!!"


    "I, Wang Defa, will not be a traitor to the Azure Dragon n!!!"


    It seemed the man was prepared to die; the whole person hysterically ready to suddenly burst out, though quickly was suppressed by a p from Hungry Monkey. Under Hungry Monkey''s exaggerated Strength Value, the young man was like a tiny shrimp,pletely incapable of movement.


    "Hmm..."


    With a slightly weird expression, Hungry Monkey looked down at the skinny man under his palm, hesitating for a while before saying, "Did that kid just say their race belongs to the Azure Dragon n?"@@novelbin@@


    "He did indeed."


    Yuan Buping nodded with a pensive look, clicking his tongue and said, "And he said it three times¡ªimportant things must be said three times. It seems as if he''s afraid we won''t remember that his race is the Azure Dragon n."

 Chapter 322 "The Day of Escape is the Day of Doom.

    ```


    "I understand," Chen Miao nodded, his face seemingly calm, but in reality, his heart had already begun to churn like turbulent waters. The intel brought to him by this so-called mole was too shocking, reshaping his entire worldview.


    Great Qin, civilization downgrade, the expansion speed of the universe, cages... these terms made up the universe as observed by their naked eyes.


    "If..."


    He paused for a moment before whispering, "If this universe is truly a cage, one constructed by civilizations outside of it to imprison civilizations within, even if we truly break out of the universe in the end,"


    "So what?"


    "Could we really oppose the civilization beyond the universe?"


    "The day of escape would be the day of annihtion."


    "If that''s the case, why not pretend to know nothing, to just survive as is? We''re at least all still alive, and living isn''t so bad, is it?"


    "..."


    Wang Defa''s expression shifted to one of surprise and anger as he looked at Chen Miao and said word by word, "What are you talking about? Knowing full well we''re in a cage, you don''t want to try to break free, and instead, you think about livingfortably within it?"


    "Indeed, there are quite a few conservative civilizations in the universe that think like you."


    "But the Azure Dragon Civilization is of the militant faction, even if we can''t win, we''ll still fight!"


    "Either we''ll be annihted,"


    "Or we''ll restore the former glory of the Azure Dragon Civilization!"


    "At that time, the Great Qin Civilization was the first to rush forth, and we, the Azure Dragon Civilization, were the second. If the ancestral dragon of Great Qin doesn''t fear death, should we, the Azure Dragon Civilization, be afraid to die?"


    "Ridiculous!"


    "If this humiliating history will forever haunt the Azure Dragon Civilization, I would rather have the Azure Dragon Civilization perish!"


    Chen Miao remained silent, just quietly listening to Wang Defa venting his emotions. After a long time, he softly said, "That''s not my opinion. I think I understand now, if you have the chance to meet the Great Qin National Master, the Three Waters Ghost."


    "Pass on a message for me."


    "The day Ie out, I will be the new emperor."


    "The New Emperor of Great Qin? That''s no different from seeking death."


    "No, the new emperor of the universe. I, too, would like to see what lies beyond the universe, to see what kind of existence turns the entire universe into a cage. I''m very curious to see it."


    "For this..."


    "I am prepared to die at dusk."


    ...


    Wang Defa left.


    They watched Wang Defa walk away from the town, quickly disappearing from everyone''s sight. Before leaving, Wang Defa gave Chen Miao aplex look and left him with some words.


    In the universe, there are a million luckys like theirs.


    But... in these years, nearly 700,000s have been annihted.


    Not a single one left.


    This power system, though strong and limitless, allowing rapid empowerment, is a selection-based system. It''s far from gentle; if you can''t withstand it, you die.


    There''s no second path to take.


    It''s still unclear what level this power system must reach to begin interster travel, but for now, there is a significant gap. ording to estimates, it might take at least Level 100 to have the capability for interster travel.


    And to break through the edge of the universe, you might need to be at least Level 500.


    This means that, at the very least, it would take another hundred years for the universe''s top civilizations to break out of the cage.


    Most life does not have such a long lifespan, except for some from the Eternal Life Tribe, such as the Great Qin Civilization, where everyone has evesting life. However, with the civilization''s downgrade and copse, this unique attribute is rapidly diminishing until it''s gone.


    The good news is, within this power system from beyond the universe, there''s an excellent alternative like the Lifespan Extension Pill, with no usage cost, meaning any race can use it.@@novelbin@@


    Some civilizations with short lifespans, with ess to this, could unleash unimaginable potential, something they couldn''t obtain before.


    Civilization downgrade.


    The universal purge.


    It''s a crisis, and also an opportunity unlike any since the Big Bang.


    Out of sight in the universe, countless civilizations are licking the wounds caused by the civilization downgrade, enduring the pain to transform and constantly seeking a new way out.


    A decisive battle is inevitable.


    ...


    "It''s shocking..."


    Hungry Monkey gazed nkly towards where Wang Defa disappeared, murmuring, "I thought seeing an alien for the first time, something I''ve only read about in textbooks, was shocking enough, but what this alien said is even more astounding."


    "If what this man from the Azure Dragon Civilization hasn''t deceived us,"


    "Then the universe outside seems to be in a precarious state; as a child, I always imagined doomsday scenarios, but never once did I think there could be something like a universal doomsday." Stay tuned to empire


    "Hmm."


    Chen Miao nodded slightly, saying nothing.


    Before leaving, Wang Defa had specifically warned them to stay as far away from ck holes as possible. All ck holes in the universe are monitoring probes and receivers from the civilizations outside.


    The Prison Warden uses these devices to watch over the movements of civilizations within his prison.


    Once these civilizations'' levels get too high, or if they show any restless behavior, a universal purge is triggered immediately.


    This universal purge isn''t without precedent.


    Since the Big Bang until now, after eons, whenever any civilization''s level gets too high, a universal purge begins, erasing all traces, cleaning the universe to a disturbing degree.


    ```

 Chapter 326 A Civilization Perished in Three Minutes?

    ```


    Chen Miao had barely finished speaking!


    When countless explosions could be heard booming in the distance!


    "Boom boom!!!"


    Explore stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    By then, Chen Miao and all members of Tomb Guardian were already flying half-way through the sky on the Gatling, heading towards the dividing line, with Hungry Monkey and a few others seated behind him. As for the other members of Tomb Guardian, they obviously couldn''t sit behind him as there wasn''t enough space.


    But Chen Miao had a solution.


    He simply hung a softdder beneath the Gatling, and the rest of Tomb Guardian hung onto it, following in a long string behind the Gatling as it flew. For safety sake, he also added safety belts for everyone, allowing each person to strap themselves to thedder.


    So that they wouldn''t be flung off when the Gatling elerated.


    From a distance.


    It resembled a string of sausages hanging in the kitchen, buoyantly undting in the wind, exceptionally pleasing to the eye.


    Though the explosions sounded deafening, those flying high above could clearly see that the sounds of explosions were in the minority, most of the noise was the sound of bullets cutting through the air.


    It was nothing else but the gunmen army of Fengtian City firing the first shots, causing all themotion. Without either side making rash moves at the start, although it was unclear how many casualties the gunmen army of Fengtian City had caused, their actions greatly boosted the morale of the Blue Star human side!


    "Not bad."


    Hungry Monkey nodded and said with a smile, "I have to admit that the old mayor of Fengtian wasn''t wrong. When the timees for a legion battle, the power that this gunmen army will wield is definitely going to be far greater than other professions. The charm of the gunman profession lies in, once they form legions, that firepower will be exponentially enhanced."


    "The mayor probably didn''t know this day woulde, right?"


    "To invest so much funding in training such an army every year without knowing this day woulde really speaks of the foresight."


    "It''s a pity that the old mayor is already dead."


    The old mayor hadmitted suicide in his own safe house.


    They had investigated this matter afterward, finding no clues. Although it seemed that the vice-mayor was the biggest beneficiary in the end, an investigation into their prior rtionship revealed that the two had a good rtionship and were on the same side.


    Moreover, without the Zhang Family of the Capital, the vice-mayor wouldn''t have been able to seed in rising to power.


    This matter was thus hastily concluded.


    And just at that moment¡ª


    A blinding white light suddenly burst across the distant sky like fireworks all at once, as if half of the sun had exploded. The intense white light pierced everyone''s eyes, causing Chen Miao and the others to instinctively close theirs.


    Then came visible shock waves, quickly approaching from afar!


    Just like ocean waves!


    The powerful shock waves pushed Chen Miao and others, who were flying mid-air, out for several kilometers. If it wasn''t for the Tomb Guardian members on the softdder below, secured with safety belts anddder attachments, they would have ended up like dandelions caught mid-air, spreading out in all directions.


    Only then!


    Did the thunderous and incessant sound of explosions begin to resonate in everyone''s ears.


    But by then, nobody had the mind to consider these details anymore, as everyone was so startled that they were dizzy and their vision blurred. Clearly, the power had far exceeded their expectations, and to ensure a lethal hit.@@novelbin@@


    Chen Miao didn''t rest at all over the past dozens of hours.


    Absolutely saturated attacks exploded almost simultaneously!


    Countless nuclear bombs and missiles detonated over the territory of the Stone Fort Civilization. If the perspective was elevated, looking down on the entire battlefield from high above, one could see that the entire territory of Stone Fort Civilization almost simultaneously suffered from an extremely dense saturation attack!


    The entire territory was filled with mes and smoke!


    There were no hills, no trees.


    An endless expanse of ins was the best environment for rampant and unrestrained shockwaves, with no obstacles in the way, countless mighty shockwaves rampaged in all directions unhindered. Nearly a third of the Blue Star human race was sent stumbling and tumbling!


    Fortunately, those at the forefront were supernaturals, who, even those not proficient in physical strength, had much more resilient bodies than ordinary people and had various countermeasures; ordinary people hid at the very back.


    Otherwise, just with this shockwave alone, many ordinary lives could have been imed!


    This was merely the result of being marginally affected.


    For Stone Fort Civilization at the epicenter of the explosion, the situation was even more tragic. Within an instant of the st, the poption of Stone Fort Civilization plunged off a cliff, the rate of fall even outpacing the crash of Bitcoin by hundreds of times.


    It wasn''t simply a matter of a few times.


    In Chen Miao''s ears, countless notification sounds were incessantly going off!


    "Ding, congrattions on killing an enemy yer, awarded 1 Star Coin."


    "Ding, congrattions on killing an enemy yer, awarded 1 Star Coin."


    "Ding, congrattions on killing an enemy yer, awarded 1 Star Coin."


    "..."


    The notification sounds were so dense that before one could finish, only a rapid session of dinging sounds could be heard in one''s ears, while in the system message notification, the number at the bottom right corner of the red dot instantly rose to 999+ and then froze at this maximum digit not moving any further!


    And on the "Kill Ranking Leaderboard," Chen Miao soared to the top like he was cheating, leading by more than three hundred million kills, leaving the second ce with neither the courage nor the hope to catch up, and this number was still rapidly increasing!


    If it wasn''t for the initial salvo from the gunman army of Fengtian City, there wouldn''t even be a second ce on the leaderboard, only him alone.


    ```

 Chapter 329 "What should we do? Weve encountered Chen Miao.

    "..."


    Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Miao looked up at the sky, above their heads was a huge semi-transparent space filled with many seats, which were now upied by quite a few people looking down at them.


    The eliminated yers did not leave the venue directly.


    Instead, they ran to the spectator seats above to watch as audience members.@@novelbin@@


    At this moment, many yers in the spectator area were busily exchanging information.


    "Damn it!"


    A middle-aged man roared angrily, "This is simply unfair, totally unfair! It''s discrimination, an insult to people with disabilities. That wooden boat requires you to hold the oars with your hands to paddle, but how can I paddle without arms?"


    Upon closer inspection, the man''s sleeves were empty; he had lost both arms.


    The surrounding people heard hisint and couldn''t help but feel pity, as there seemed to be no solution for him.


    But they could not spend too much time pitying others, as they themselves hadn''t cleared the stage. The problem was that they were given too little time; five minutes wasn''t long but wasn''t short either. If it wasn''t for theck of a solution, it was because by the time they thought of one, there wasn''t enough time left.


    Since they were eliminated, they epted it without much regret.


    Just that someone might have felt differently...


    The crowd exchanged nces and then turned to look at a young man not far away with a gloomy face. This young man was often seen on TV, a young master from a major Jingjiu City family, a Senior Transcendent. It was quite shameful that he got eliminated in the first round.


    These major family offspring are all good-for-nothings, useless despite their privileged births.


    Though this was what they thought, they obviously couldn''t say it out loud.


    "..."


    The gloomy young man stood silently where he was. Of course, he could have thought of a solution, but the problem was his Hidden upation as an Earth Priest forbid him to stand on any boat.


    This first round was clearly targeting him!


    He couldn''t even board the wooden boat, so how could he cross the river with items?


    But he couldn''t possibly voice this out as it would make him appear beneath his status.


    ...


    Just then¡ª


    Below, the crowd was a sea of heads as everyone was talking with the yers nearby when another announcement sounded.


    -


    "The second round is about to begin!"


    "Please all yers prepare yourselves!"


    "The name of the second challenge": Yin-Yang Conversion.


    "Challenge details": All remaining yers will head to a segment of the pyramidposed of various mechanisms; you will need to climb over obstacles and obstructions all the way to the top of the pyramid.


    The pyramid is a hundred meters tall.


    The yers eliminated in the first round will act as ''Pursuers.'' If you are touched by a Pursuer while climbing, you will be eliminated, and you will be a ''Pursuer'' as well, capable of eliminating other yers by touching them.


    The Pursuers will start chasing you one minute after you depart.


    -


    As the voice fell away,


    the entire in began to twist, followed by countless obstacles appearing in front, including tens of thousands of log bridges, steps that needed climbing, cliffs that had to be crossed with ropes, and at the far end, a pyramid that needed to be ascended.


    A red line also appeared in front of the yers.


    This line was the starting line.


    "Run!"


    One of the yers shouted without hesitation and rushed forward, darting onto the log bridge like an arrow shot from a bow.


    "Let''s go."


    Chen Miao nced around, didn''t say much, simply summoned his Gatling and loaded it with a ropedder. Along with the Tomb Guardian members, it only took half a minute to reach the top of the pyramid.


    "Congrattions on clearing the challenge!"


    The moment the popup appeared, Hungry Monkey stood on top of the pyramid, looking down at the endless crowd below, sighed, and could not help but feign a smile as he said,


    "Being invincible is so lonely."


    "I have to say, being able to fly is a kind of bug."


    At that time, about a few hundred people had also reached the pyramid''s peak by flying. They exchanged looks but had no intention to strike up a conversation, simply standing quietly, waiting for the second challenge to end.


    They weren''t the only ones who could fly.


    Afterward, most people below were still squeezing onto the log bridges. Below the log bridges was a cliff stretching out for hundreds of meters. The bridges were only five meters wide and seemed passable at a nce¡ªyou could walk across safely in a normal scenic area, even without guardrails.


    But there were over ten million people here.


    Over ten million people squeezing onto tens of thousands of log bridges meant it was seriously overcrowded.


    Quickly, it was like dropping dumplings into a pot¡ªnumerous yers were jostled over the edge, falling into the cliff as screams rose and fell in waves. However, the yers who plunged into the ravine weren''t dead or eliminated but were simply teleported back to the starting point to continue their frantic escape.


    Just at that moment¡ª


    The huge white space above opened up suddenly, and countless yers eliminated in the first round, all grinning wickedly, leaped down from the air, plummeting straight to the starting area!


    These yers were all glowing red and easy to distinguish.


    "Charge!!!"


    An armless middle-aged man''s face lit up with excitement as he led the charge, bowing his head and rushing toward the mass of yers: "We''ve been eliminated, we can''t let them clear the challenge so easily, drag them down with us!!!"

 Chapter 332 Same Tracks for Cars, Same Script for Books!

    He didn''t know what the future would hold, but at this moment he was filled with confidence about it, only his goals needed to be adjusted.


    Previously, his goal was to have as much power as possible, which then changed to bing as strong as possible. Now, his goal was to live as long as possible. Given the current situation, if nothing unexpected happened, Miao was definitely going to make it far.


    He didn''t need to do anything.


    Not strive to excel, not need to be error-free, then not die.


    In the future, he would naturally rise with the tide.


    And at that moment¡ª


    He was not given much time for wild thoughts, as the twelfth challenge began!


    "The twelfth challenge is about to start!"@@novelbin@@


    "All yers, please prepare yourselves!"


    "Name of the twelfth challenge": Virtual Dream Realm.


    "Content of the challenge": All remaining yers will be transported into a dream realm, in which all their memories will be temporarily sealed, and yers will not be able to awaken from the dream.


    The dream willst thirty years.


    In the outside world, only three hours will pass.


    yers will need to gradually awaken in the dream realm relying on their willpower, and they should try to kill other yers as much as possible. After thirty years in the dream, those who kill at least one other yer will pass the challenge.


    The remaining yers will be eliminated.


    -


    "What?"


    Yuan Buping on the spectator seat blinked slightly, "Virtual Dream Realm? Another challenge where memories are sealed in a dream? This is Elder Bai''s forte, isn''t it? Too bad Elder Bai isn''t here; otherwise, this challenge would be a sure pass for him!"


    "That''s indeed the case."


    Zhou Shen also nodded in regret. This challenge would have been a huge advantage for Elder Bai, who could awaken even from the deepestyers of dreams, something beyondordinary people.


    Even Miao took a full seventy years to awaken from the deepestyer of dreams.


    Elder Bai couldpletely control when to awaken himself, just needing a sense of falling to do so.


    After all, he had the memories of tens of thousands of people in his mind, effectively making him like a patient with tens of thousands of personalityyers, where adding one more was neither painful nor itching. Each day, the main personality had to face so many attacks from other personalities.


    If the main personality''s protective mechanisms were a bit worse, it would have been overrun long ago, and would not havested until now.


    Of course,pared to others, Chen Miao still had an advantage. After all, in the entire Federation, there were currently only two people who had awoken from deep dreams, one was Elder Bai, the other was Chen Miao.


    Both were within the Tomb Guardian Power.


    Lord Miao didn''t count.


    Compared to others, Miao should be able to awaken faster.


    Meanwhile, Elder Bai in The Land of Extreme Cold, unaware of the discussions taking ce in the secret realm about him, was sitting alone in his graveyard, eyes tightly closed, lips dark blue, his body continuously trembling.


    No one knew what he was experiencing.


    In the War of Civilization, he absorbed the life memories of over a billion people at once.


    A civilization''s memories exploded and stored in his mind incessantly.


    Forget about this highly rewarding secret realm¡ªat this moment, even if the sky were falling, he wouldn''t have been able to move an inch, other than to wait for death. He had to seal each and every one of the countless billions of memories in his mind, an incredibly huge workload.


    If there was any mistake, his main personality would be overthrown.


    The danger of this was self-evident.


    ...


    Although the dreamsted thirty years, there were only three hours in the outside world. For the spectators, it was like fast-forwarding through a movie.


    It was an ancient world.


    Before awakening, it was impossible to use any items from one''s backpack, making them no different from an ordinary person. Of course, the physical capabilities were still usable, as they were not affected.


    The twenty-plus yers each had their own identities.


    Some were merchants, some were ves, some weremoners, and some were soldiers.


    "That yer''s identity is that of a noble family''s Mr. Miao¡ª in this obviously feudal society of the ancient world, that status is simply too powerful. At the very least, it can ensure survival for the first few decades."


    "Who''s to say otherwise? Look at that yer''s status, a ve. Just bad luck, barely entering the dream and getting whipped to death on the spot, directly eliminated. Where do you even begin to argue that?"


    For a while, the yers in the spectator seats were abuzz with discussion.


    Clearly, everyone realized one thing: the yers'' statuses meant different starting points. The identity of a noble family''s young master, although it could not elerate the awakening, could ensure one survived safely through the initial decades.


    "Hey, Chen Miao''s status seems pretty bad too; he''s a ve. And his confidant Hungry Monkey''s identity is also a ve."


    Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    "That''s not too good."


    "But both of their physical abilities are obviously high. They took so many whippings and yet didn''t show any signs of trouble, quite resilient."


    "It''s tough. This is the first time seeing Chen Miao in such a plight."


    The one yer all the spectators were most focused on was naturally Chen Miao. As a star yer, everyone secretly hoped Chen Miao would make it through this challenge and pass sessfully.


    In the second challenge.


    Many yers in the spectator seats were hoping Chen Miao would be eliminated quickly.


    But by the twelfth challenge, most of the yers in the seats were hoping Chen Miao could hold on to the end and sessfully pass.


    It''s not easy to say whether it was out of goodwill or malice.


    It can only be said that the existence of human nature made everyone more eager to see less likely events ur.

 Chapter 336 Unlimited... Experience Value Exchange Card?

    "...


    Chen Miao looked at Hungry Monkey with a peculiar expression. He just felt that the words he had just heard sounded strangely unfamiliar. He actually thought Hungry Monkey had changed his ways, but now it seemed he was still the same as ever.


    There was no difference at all.


    At this moment, Hungry Monkey''s face was deathly pale, with a hint of anticipatory flush that made him look as if he hadn''t slept for dozens of hours.


    People who often stay awake for more than 40 hours straight know that after enduring the most exhausting part of sleep deprivation, one enters an extremely excited state, feeling that their thoughts are incredibly active and their spirits unnaturally high.


    But this doesn''t mean you''ve awakened or evolved.


    It means...


    You''ve begun to burn the candle at both ends.


    Several minutester¡ª


    As ear-piercing screams from high above reached them, followed by dozens of heavy thuds as they hit the ground turning into puddles of strawberry mush, Hungry Monkey nodded in satisfaction and said, "No wonder there are so many people gathered here to watch. It really is quite exhrating."


    "Seeing others endure the suffering I''ve been through makes me feel a lot morefortable all of a sudden."


    "It makes me understand why there are always crowds of onlookers when someone jumps off a building."


    Chen Miao didn''t respond to thisment but continued walking forward with all members of the Tomb Guardian Power. The amusement park was vast; he had no concept of itsplete size. All he knew was that from his vantage point on the Gatling flying above, he couldn''t see the end.


    It wasn''t going to be easy to try all the attractions within seven days.


    The park was equipped with countless speakers; the music enveloped the entire area, providing visitors with a strong sense of immersion.


    Quite nice.


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    Chen Miao and hispanions arrived at a new attraction which also had a significant number of people gathered around. They were following the attractions in order from the first, while others opted to run towards the deeper parts of the park seeking empty attractions.


    These individuals had a simple motivation: if they ran fast enough and found an empty attraction, they might be able to im all the rewards.


    This attraction was a kind of psychological challenge.


    ''Attraction Name'': Delving Inward.


    ''Attraction Description'': All yers may take the stage and reveal a secret from the depths of their heart that they have never told anyone. As long as the secret is true, the yer will receive a reward.


    The content of the reward will depend on the secret revealed.


    The bigger the secret, therger the reward.


    -


    The rewards were not fixed. At that moment, a woman was on stage sharing her secret.


    "Actually, I''ve known since I was little that I wasn''t my parents'' biological child."


    As her words fell, a contemptuous sneer rippled through the crowd, clearly contemptuous of her so-called secret. Meanwhile, the screen behind the stage disyed new words.


    ''The secret is determined to be true!''


    ''Reward: 100 Star Coins.''


    Clearly, even the amusement park found her secret insignificant, reflecting this in the paltry reward.


    Then, a man took the stage, drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, "In fact, the special incident ''Sea of Corpses Siege'' that happened in Broken Pot City a while ago was triggered by me."


    "At that time, in my desperation to revive my wife, I admit I was somewhat possessed."


    "Later, the incident failed, and my wife was not brought back to life."


    "But I came to my senses. I''ve never told this secret to anyone, and here I want to offer a sincere apology to all those who were sacrificed, injured, or who lost property in that catastrophic event."


    Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    "I''m sorry. Because of my selfish desires, I''ve caused you harm."@@novelbin@@


    After the man finished his speech in one go, the audience was silent for a moment before a young man''s furious curse ignited everyone''s roaring anger. Almost every spectator looked up at the man on stage, venting their rage toward him.


    The man offered no rebuttal, simply slinking through the backstage into the crowd before quickly disappearing from sight.


    And on the screen behind the stage, the slowly changing lines of text settled down.


    ''The secret is determined to be true!''


    ''Reward: 200,000 Star Coins.''


    ...


    "Hmm."


    Doctor Gou nodded thoughtfully. "That secret is indeed significant. Only a handful of people on Blue Star have ever triggered the ''Sea of Corpses Siege'' event. 200,000 Star Coins is a reasonable reward."


    He was a survivor of that disaster as well.


    One could say ''Sea of Corpses Siege'' was an utter catastrophe for a city. Several cities werepletely wiped out during such events. He was in Broken Pot City at the time and would not be standing here peacefully if not for Miao arriving in time to prevent the event''s urrence.


    But he couldn''t muster any resentment toward the man, mainly because he hadn''t lost anything in the incident. If the ck Doctor had died in that disaster, then of course it would have been a different story. At the very least, he wouldn''t have let the man simply slip away into the crowd unnoticed.


    "Perhaps it''s not a confession after all?"


    With a hint of disdain in his eyes, Hungry Monkey said, "If not for the ability to exchange secrets for Star Coins, do you think this man would havee forward? I bet he would never have confessed in his life."


    "Most people wouldn''t sacrifice a city for one person, and those who would are unlikely to feel much remorse."

 Chapter 338 "I like such a lord!

    "Hmm." Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Chen Miao didn''t get up, he just sat on the stone bench, staring at Ke Gou with a smile that was not quite a smile, awaiting the other''s answer. More than twenty fierce and menacing men were staring straight at Ke Gou like this; an ordinary person would find it very hard to bear this kind of psychological pressure.


    Especially when facing a big shot like Chen Miao.


    Not to mention a big shot like Chen Miao, even before the world transcended, ordinary people in front of business magnates¡ªif they hadn''t prepared their remarks well in advance¡ªwouldn''t just struggle to speak logically, but their bodies would tremble, and they''d speak incoherently, utterly clueless about what they were saying.


    Even with a prepared speech, they''d still stumble and stutter without being able to say anything.


    And that was just facing business magnates. If it were high-ranking officials who could control the lifeblood of a country, simply standing firm would be a problem.


    And at this moment, Ke Gou was just a mereckey. One could say that if Chen Miao hadn''t just thought about forming a think tank, he would never have much interaction with someone like Ke Gou in his life¡ªthe gap between their ranks was simply too big.


    "Phew!"


    Ke Gou took a deep breath, calmed himself as much as possible, then stood up straight and met Chen Miao''s gaze, word by word he said, "Actually, the method to break through this problem is very simple, rely on brute force!"


    "Since thest S-level secret realm, many forces have been buying up Experience Value Exchange Cards, but they''ve all been doing so covertly, and the prices fluctuate greatly."


    "It''spletely based on who is buying."


    "For example, an exchange card for 10,000 Experience Points, some buy it for 2,000 Star Coins, while others buy it for 10,000 Star Coins, the price fluctuation is really too big."


    "Also, because these forces have spent a great deal of effort to suppress discussion and hot searches on this topic, yers do not have a consensus on the value of these items, and if someonees looking to buy their Experience Value Exchange Card, they sell it if they feel the price is reasonable."


    "Why would these forces do this?"


    "There''s only one reason."


    "Topress the cost as much as possible."


    "As long as yers don''t have a consensus on the value of these items, they can buy these Experience Value Exchange Cards for as little as possible. Otherwise, if a yer knows someone else''s 10,000 Experience Points exchange card can be sold for 10,000 Star Coins, he definitely wouldn''t want to sell it for just 2,000 Star Coins."


    "Indeed, this canpress costs, but it creates a market where buyers have to find sellers."


    "This means that efficiency would be greatly reduced."


    "If this matter were to trend on the hot search, with everyone knowing that their Experience Value Exchange Card could sell for a high price, it would create a market where sellers are looking for buyers. In a market where the number of sellers far exceeds that of buyers, naturally, the second type is more efficient and faster. Also, because there is a consensus on the price, one can''t just look down on people and offer them low prices, the average buying price will definitely be very high."


    "Moreover, it would create directpetition with other forces. If you''re buying at 3,000 Star Coins here, and the group next door is buying at 4,000 Star Coins, anyone would know where to sell."@@novelbin@@


    "This kind of strongpetition is a supreme test of the Star Coin reserves of each force."


    "This is also why every force buying Experience Value Exchange Cards knows that acquiring as many as possible in the shortest time is the way to go, yet unanimously adopts such an inefficient method."


    "The reason is that they don''t have many Star Coins in their pockets."


    "And these problems¡ª"


    Ke Gou looked at Chen Miao again and took a deep breath before smiling and saying, "These probably wouldn''t be too big of a problem for you, Miao. Your Star Coin reserves are definitely the highest among all the forces."


    "Without equal."


    "Especially since you, Miao, don''t have too many people under you, you can mobilize as many Star Coins as you have without needing to keep too many for maintaining the normal operation of your power."


    "The S-level secret realm gave yers a lot of Experience Value Exchange Cards, in just one day, do you think all those forces could have collected them all, Miao?"


    "No, with their efficiency, they probably only bought less than thirty percent."


    "Even if the yers themselves used the remaining fifty percent of the Experience Value Exchange Cards, there are still about twenty percent left on the market waiting to be bought, plus this time ''Seven Days'' secret realm also provided a number of Experience Value Exchange Cards."


    "I suggest, Miao, after this secret realm ends, just ssh the cash on the hot search, set a high purchasing standard for the price of selling the Experience Value Exchange Cards, and buy them up aggressively!"


    "For example, buy an exchange card for 10,000 Experience Points at the price of 10,000 Star Coins!"


    "I believe by then, you definitely won''t feel you have too many Star Coins to spend, Miao, only that you don''t have enough!"


    "This is a strategy in in sight."


    "Other forces have no choice but to raise their prices to the same level as yours, Miao, this way, the underground buying can be brought directly into the open, and you can press down with your great power!"


    After finishing his words,


    Ke Gou exhaled deeply, almost gasping for breath, not because saying so much in one breath was stressful, but the intimidation from Chen Miao was a bit too much for him; the pressure was still somewhat great.


    This feeling waspletely different from facing Chi Qiu.


    Although Chi Qiu was his boss too, Chi Qiu didn''t have this kind of terrifying pressure.


    Perhaps this is the unique pressure of being the number one person in the world.


    "..."


    Chen Miao nodded thoughtfully without speaking, but the furrowed brows gradually rxed. This method was very good, indeed it was a brilliant approach, and right now he wasn''t short of anything but Star Coins.

 Chapter 340 "Sky Eye Matrix Cannon.

    After a series of white shes, Chen Miao''s yer Level had sessfully broken through level 60 and reached a little beyond 63.


    The experience required from level 59 to 60 was about the same as from level 58 to 59, with no particr thresholds, unlike the astronomical amount needed to advance from level 79 to 80. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be so many people stuck at the level 79 mark on the rankings.


    After reaching level 60, the amount of experience required for each level wasn''t much, roughly around 1.5 million Experience Points.


    To level up from 60 to 70 required a total of 15 million Experience Points.


    If it weren''t for reward-type secret realms providing massive amounts of experience, to umte such a vast number of Experience Points would truly be an astronomical figure, one could only persevere with time and life. From a certain perspective, the previous federal level leaderboards indeed had a little more gold content than the current ones.


    And he had also sessfully weed his Fifth Turn Gun Devil!


    Chen Miao looked at his personal panel immediately.


    "yer Name": Chen Miao.


    "yer Level": Level 63 (280k/1,460k)


    "Profession Name": Emperor¡¤Saint¡¤Nuclear¡¤Gun Devil (Fifth Turn)


    "upation Effect": Any firearm you touch, the name prefix will include the character ''Emperor'', and it will be granted Special Effects. However, "Emperor Weapons" can only be used by you. In anyone else''s hands, they will be ordinary weapons.


    He immediately looked at his usual weapons, and sure enough, the prefix had gotten longer.


    "Weapon Name": Emperor¡¤Saint¡¤Nuclear¡¤Yayu Hell Gatling.


    He was now a bit unsure of how to even pronounce the name of his weapon. He had spent a long time going from Third Turn to Fourth Turn, but the transition from Fourth to Fifth Turn waspleted in a very short period, thanksrgely to the War of Civilizations and those two reward-type secret realms.


    That saying proved true; the more dangerous the battle, the greater the rewards.


    The Fourth Turn upation''s Special Effect was also "Saint", a brutally simple effect that dealt ten times damage to all Dark Creatures. Along with the promotion to Fourth Turn, he also obtained the unique move "Bullet Cage."


    This allowed the creation of a cage that imprisoned the enemy inside by firing arge number of bullets, with the strength of the cage dependent on the number of bullets fired.


    He had yet to have the chance to use this unique skill.


    On the other hand, the special skill of the Third Turn upation, which he used more frequently, was the ability to fire bullets into the future¡ªvery useful in most situations.


    As for the Fifth Turn "Emperor": the bullets fired dealt ten times damage to all creatures with a lower level than yourself.


    Another tenfold damage.


    And the special skill that came with it was¡ª


    "Money Defense!"


    This active skill, once activated, meant that all injuries sustained by your body were reced by a deduction of Star Coins, varying in amount depending on the severity of the injury.


    Before your Star Coins were fully deducted, you would not suffer any damage whatsoever.


    -


    It was a defensive skill and quite good; Chen Miao indeed had a weakness in defense up until now, with nothing particrly outstanding. But he rarely had the chance to defend, as enemies were usually killed before reaching him.


    The strongest shield is always the spear.


    After leveling up his Fifth Turn upation, Chen Miao took a deep breath and looked eagerly at the Matrix Sky-Eye Cannon that nowy securely in his backpack.


    For all Gunner upations, the professional weapons needed to be crafted by purchasing blueprints and then collecting materials before being able to forge the weapon itself. After leveling up, he hadn''t yet gone to purchase the blueprints when he found that the blueprint for the Sky Eye Matrix Cannon had automatically appeared in his backpack.


    And he had amassed arge number of materials in his Nothingness Space in these past days, just enough to make the weapon as per the blueprint.


    At the same time as leveling up, he managed to forge the Sky Eye Matrix Cannon.


    All Supernatural upations, upon reaching level 60, acquire their own Unique Move.


    Not counting Hidden upations.


    It''s the Basic Profession that determines what the Unique Move is.


    Even for the most unique Hidden upations, you must have descended from one of thosemon Supernatural upations initially¡ªit''s rare for a Hidden upation to just appear out of thin air. And for Gunners, the level 60 Unique Move is the "Sky Eye Matrix Cannon!"


    His eyes gleamed with eager anticipation as he looked at his first heavy weapon that belonged to him! Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    After a brief scan of the panel attributes.


    He mmed in the prepared S-grade essory "Falling Star" and the unique Firearm Skin "Nine-Tailed Fox", and soon, a brand new panel appeared before him!


    "Weapon Name": Emperor¡¤Saint¡¤Nuclear¡¤Nine-Tailed Fox¡¤Matrix Sky-Eye Cannon.


    "Weapon Grade": Grade A.


    "Weapon Limitations": Only for ''Gunners'' and Supernatural yers on the promotional line of upations, and must be at least level 60 with a Strength Attribute above 40.


    "Weapon Details": Damage Energy Coefficient is unknown, dependent on the point of impact; bullet capacity is one shot, with a firing rate of once every three hours.


    "Weapon Introduction": One person can destroy a city.


    "Skin Effect": ''Ultra-Fast Firing Rate'': Firing rate is significantly increased, with the enhanced rate at three shots per minute.


    "essory Effect": Main cannon damage is significantly increased.@@novelbin@@


    "Professional Bonus Effects":


    1: Your Hidden upation has altered this weapon into a ''Nuclear Weapon''. Every shot you fire will cause nuclear fission, with power significantly increased. Each artillery shell is arge nuclear bomb.

 Chapter 344 The newcomer who has risen the fastest recently...

    Just like that!


    Chen Miao and his group quickly returned to The Land of Extreme Cold, only now it was the deep of the night, a time when they should have been asleep, especially after going through the E-level civilization promotion conflict and this trending event.


    It dyed them quite a bit of time.


    Chen Miao''s head felt heavy as he returned to The Land of Extreme Cold. Without any dy, he went straight to his room, jumped onto the bed, and began to sleep.


    At this moment, he was nearly dead tired.


    All he wanted to do now was to have a good sleep, and beyond that he had no care in the world. The happiest thing in life was to fall deep asleep without a single worry when you are most exhausted.


    Of course, the most miserable thing is when you''re extremely sleepy but, for various reasons, cannot go to sleep.


    Snores soon rose from Chen Miao''s room.


    ...


    As for Hungry Monkey, he was outside arranging manpower for Ke Gou. Since they had left the cemetery, he hadn''t shared a room with Miao, and now he somewhat missed those moments.


    "Are these five people enough?"


    Hand-picking five Tomb Guardian Power members who appeared to be in good spirits, Hungry Monkey brought them over to Ke Gou, "This job doesn''t involve sales, right? Just pure customer service?"


    "Mhm, mhm,"


    Ke Gou nodded hastily, "The prices are all fixed, and now there are already yersing to us wanting to sell their Experience Cards to us. Your job is very simple."


    "For instance, if someonees to you wanting to sell Experience Cards,


    "you only need to record their name, location, city, and wristwatch ID, then transfer half of the Star Coins to them."


    "After all, Experience Cards are physical items and require a face-to-face transaction."


    "We simply can''t run back and forth for each transaction; it would be too much of a burden for Miao. He''d do nothing all day but intercept the Hell Bus. When a city has umted enough Experience Cards, we''ll make a special trip."


    "That way it''s more convenient."


    "The task is very simple. You just need to reply to messages timely. That''s pretty much the process. I have already shared the reply message functions of my wristwatch with you five, and each new conversation thates in will be randomly assigned to one of you. Only that person can see the conversation box, and then that person is responsible for the follow-up purchasing process."


    "Wait...!"


    Hungry Monkey interrupted Ke Gou with a curious expression, "Have you ever considered that some daredevil might try to deceive us? Even though Miao has a good reputation, there will always be reckless desperadoes in this world."


    "Your n saves a lot of time, but it sounds like it could lead to big losses."


    Ke Gou nodded and responded, "Monkey, you''ve thought this through well. We''ve got a contingency n for this. First off, for small transactions, we pay half upfront, so even if we get cheated, the loss won''t be huge."


    "Forrge transactions, there''s a moreplex verification process before payment is made."


    "And secondly, even if we''re cheated, it''s no big deal. Miao personally said, if anyone deceives him, he''ll have their details and will personally go to kill their entire family. Plus, tomorrow, we''re nning to trend another hot search."


    "Make a big scene about someone deceiving Miao and him tracking down the family and killing them. That will serve as a deterrence against the petty criminals."


    Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire@@novelbin@@


    "Of course, even then, there will surely be some die-hard desperadoes. For those providingpletely false information, who we can''t find at all, the small transactions won''t result in a significant loss. Furthermore, the Star Coins lost in such a short time will be worth it in exchange for so many Experience Cards. For Miao right now, time is of the essence."


    "As long as you, Hungry Monkey, don''t feel pained by the thought of being taken advantage of, it''s not a miserable thing at all."


    "Any force on its way to expansion is bound to have some loopholes that others exploit; it''s inevitable. What we can do is minimize these exploits as much as possible and try to use these small losses to gain bigger benefits. We have to look at the bigger picture from a higher perspective and in doing so..."


    "Alright, alright,"


    Hungry Monkey interrupted Ke Gou impatiently, "I was just asking. You babble on and on like Tang Seng, it''s suffocating to listen to. You get busy with your stuff; I''m off to sleep."


    "Oh, and you haven''t filled the role of the viin boss today."


    "We''ll continue tomorrow night."


    "Waiting for you to lead the charge."


    ...


    Soon¡ª


    The next day arrived as expected, and just as Chen Miao had finished freshening up, he saw Ke Gou waiting at his door, dark circles under his eyes. Although he looked utterly worn out, his face was irrepressibly radiant with joy, clearly having some good news to share.


    "Miao, we reserved the purchase of a whopping ten million Experience Value Exchange Cardsst night!"


    "Ready for pickup anytime!"


    "It was the middle of the night, and most people were asleep, only a few saw the trending news. As the sun rose, a lot more people came forward to sell their Experience Value Exchange Cards. If all goes well, we should be able to purchase even more Experience Cards today!"


    "A lot of people are really out of the loop and aren''t aware that Experience Cards can be exchanged for money. They are very excited about converting to Star Coins."


    "And the main group selling Experience Cards are the intermediate Transcendents."


    "Senior Transcendents generally won''t sell; they''re more aware of the value of Experience Points. They would even pay a premium to buy Experience Cards from others; how could they possibly sell their own?"

 Chapter 347 Rising to Level 498!

    ```


    "It''s a sigh of the times..."


    Ke Goumented with a click of his tongue, "At first, there weren''t so many forces trying to buy in, since Miao personally took the lead with this move. Everyone was cautious not to be too tant, to avoid incurring Miao''s grudge and a possible future vendetta."


    "But as more and more forces got involved, everyone jumped on the bandwagon, banking on safety in numbers."


    "Who could have expected..."


    "Those people must be shivering on the rooftops by now."


    "Tough, so tough."


    Hungry Monkey was silent, his expressionplex. He suddenly felt a kind of empathy for those forces; they already didn''t have much in Star Coins, and now they had gone and done this, frittering away their limited funds.


    Not to mention.


    Those forces that bought in at prices of 10:1 or even 15:1 must have lost everything down to their underwear by now. It''s practically a sin.


    ...


    Chen Miao, alone when he returned to the room,


    took several deep breaths while staring at the panel where Star Coins could be directly exchanged for Experience Points before he reluctantly tore his gaze away. This was today''s highlight and saved forst.


    Some people like to eat the best part of their meal first, others save the best forst. Neither is right or wrong, and everyone has their own preference. He preferred to save the best morsels for the end.


    First was the Star Coins'' selective effect feature. By spending a certain amount of Star Coins, one could add a Special Effect to an item. The more you spend, the stronger the effect; the less you spend, the weaker the effect.


    However, each item has a limit.


    F-grade items can consume up to 100 Star Coins.


    And so on.


    E-grade items can consume up to 1,000 Star Coins, D-grade up to 10,000 Star Coins, C-grade up to 100,000 Star Coins, B-grade up to 1,000,000 Star Coins, and A-grade up to 10,000,000 Star Coins.


    His strongest item to date,


    was naturally the "Emperor¡¤Saint¡¤Core¡¤Nine-Tailed Fox¡¤Heavenly Eye Matrix Cannon," an A-grade item. That means it requires 10 million Star Coins, which, for him now, was an affordable sum.


    After spending 10 million Star Coins,@@novelbin@@


    a brand new effect soon appeared on the weapon''s panel.


    "Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for spending 10 million Star Coins on the A-grade item Heavenly Eye Matrix Cannon, obtaining the Special Selected Effect: Charged Attack."


    "After a period of disuse, the power of the first fired round will increase based on the time the weapon was not used."


    "The power can increase by up to a hundred times, and to reach this power multiplier, the weapon must not have been used for a week."


    This was what he got for 10 million Star Coins. Honestly, it was a good deal, and he felt it was worth it. A hundredfold increase is no joke.


    An excited Chen Miao, off to a good start, looked eagerly towards the remaining mainstream items he possessed.


    -


    "Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for spending 1 million Star Coins on the B-grade item Hell Gatling, obtaining the Special Selected Effect: Bullet Split."


    "You can control each bullet fired by this weapon to split into a hundred bullets. The power of each will greatly decrease, but the coverage area will significantly increase."


    Not bad at all. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    It''s suitable for dealing with swarms of weaker, densely-packed small monsters.


    -


    "Ding, congrattions to yer Chen Miao for spending 10,000 Star Coins on the D-grade item Bee King Sniper Rifle, obtaining the Special Selected Effect: w Attack."


    "If it hits the target''s crucial point, like the eyes, heart, or neck, there will be a 0.01% chance to instantly kill the target, regardless of other factors."


    It''s worth noting that.


    Most of the weapons he used belonged to the Gunman Profession, except this Bee King Sniper Rifle, which wasn''t an upational Weapon. Since the Gunman''s sniper rifle required level 40 to craft and he was far from that level at the time, he used this one as a substitute.


    It''s just a D-grade item.


    The cost in Star Coins was very minimal.


    But the effect was indeed good. There was a slim chance of instantly taking out an enemy, meaning that even if a level 200 boss suddenly popped up, he''d have a chance at taking it down.


    Of course, the odds are very low.


    At this rate, it would take about 10,000 shots for one to have a chance of instant kill. But at least there''s a chance. In certain scenarios, this could be overwhelmingly powerful.


    Like an 800-level boss trapped in an eternal sleep.


    All external damage would be immune, impervious to all attacks, and no matter what, the boss wouldn''t wake from sleep. Then all he had to do was aim the sniper rifle at the monster''s weak spot and keep firing.


    If he fired continuously for 24 hours, it would be unfortunate not to hit once.


    Of course, this kind of scenario is overly optimistic, and it''s usually unlikely to ur.


    As for the remaining Thompson Submachine Gun, it used to be one of his most frequently used weapons, but it was given a rather mediocre effect.


    It''s an active effect that, once activated, will suppress the sound and muzzle sh, making the shooter more concealed. This ability is mostly useless for him, as he rarely needs to hide. By the time he draws his firearm,


    it''s never him who needs to be concealed, but rather the target he''s aiming at.


    After all that was done, Chen Miao took a deep breath and looked down at the Civilization Fragment in his arms. He''d always been reluctant to use it, fearing it would be a waste to exchange it for attribute values.


    ```

 Chapter 350 Official Combat Power Test.

    "Come in."


    Chen Miao nced casually at the door as Hungry Monkey pushed it open, his face alight with excitement as he eximed, "Miao, congrattions on breaking through to yer Level 500, the whole forum is talking about it."


    "Miao, do you remember the rules for the next civilization upgrade?"


    "Of course I do, what about it?"


    Chen Miao looked at Hungry Monkey, not understanding why he had rushed over so excitedly as if there was something thrilling happening.


    The conditions for promoting to the next level require the highest yer level to break through Level 100, and ten lifestyle yers to reach the max level, and the highest yer''sbat power needs to break through 5 billion.


    Blue Star is now a E-rank civilization.


    To be promoted to a D-rank civilization, so far, ording to the news from Wang Defa''s side, there are only three or four D-rank civilizations, the exact number is unclear, but there are definitely no more than five. If Blue Star is promoted to a D-rank civilization, Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    it would be considered as officially joining the ranks of the strongest civilizations in the universe.


    Of course, this is based on this type of strength system.


    Civilizations like Great Qin that have notpletely made the transition are not included in this discussion.


    "Isn''t one of the promotion conditions that the highestbat power has to break through 5 billion?"


    "Right now, the first ce on the federation''sbat power rankings has abat power of 110 million, and this person is also third on the federation''s level leaderboard. Everyone is discussing that if you, Miao, go and test your realbat power, could it break through 5 billion."


    "If it can break through 5 billion, then the Blue Star Civilization could wee another level up."


    "Oh?"


    Chen Miao nced at the Civilization Milestone panel in his backpack and nodded thoughtfully. When had Blue Star gotten ten max-level lifestyle yers? Maybe it was because he had just broken through Level 100 and created a timed secret realm especially for lifestyle yers, helping many nearly maxed-out lifestyle yers to take the final step?@@novelbin@@


    It was possible.


    Then he looked at his newly obtained S-rank weapon, the "Cup of Equity," and felt an itch to try. He had never truly tested his own strength before, and now that Hungry Monkey had mentioned it, he really wanted to give it a shot.


    To see if his full firepower could break through 5 billionbat power.


    "Alright."


    Chen Miao smiled and nodded, "You guys get ready. In ten minutes, we''ll set out for Fengtian City to test thebat power."


    "Roger that!"


    Hungry Monkey roared with excitement and then turned to bolt down to the ground, eager to spread the news to everyone. He really wanted to know how muchbat power Miao would have when he went all out. Even if it wasn''t 5 billion, it would certainly be higher than the current number one.


    After all, Level 500 was a bit intimidating.


    It''s worth mentioning that aside from Chen Miao''s rapid leveling, after the Civilization Furnace was opened and experience points could be directly exchanged for Star Coins, many people on the federation''s level leaderboard began buying experience points with Star Coins.


    This led to a rapid rise in the levels of these top-level yers, of course, not as dramatically as Chen Miao''s.


    From the second-ce to the thirty-seventh ce,


    everyone was uniformly above Level 100, with little difference. The second ce was Level 112, and the thirty-seventh was Level 100. It was generally agreed that buying experience points with Star Coins up to Level 100 was the most cost-effective as it unlocked many things, but beyond that, it wasn''t worth it online.


    The cost-performance ratio wasn''t very high then.


    After all, Star Coins were needed in many ces; you couldn''t just use them all to buy experience points. What''s the use if your level is high but your pockets are empty?


    What if youe across a mysterious shop with no Star Coins, see something good but can''t afford to buy it? That would be torture.


    Not every force has arge Star Coin reserve like Chen Miao.


    Nor can every force spend all their Star Coins on one person, like Chen Miao''s; diversified investment is the most prudent method of investment.


    ...


    After Hungry Monkey left,


    Chen Miao looked at his backpack, unsure if he could reach 5 billionbat power, but snatching the top spot on the leaderboard shouldn''t be a problem.


    That would make him number one on both leaderboards.


    First on the federation level leaderboard and first on the federationbat power leaderboard.


    His growth item, "First Show of Sharpness," had a promotion task for the next stage: within three months, if the yer holding the item ranked first on any leaderboard in Jingjiu City, the item would be retained and leveled up, otherwise, it would be reimed.


    Oncepleted, his item could level up from A-rank to S-rank.


    This wasn''t very difficult for him.


    The Jingjiu City leaderboard and the federation leaderboard were two different things. The federation leaderboard included all yers, while the Jingjiu City leaderboard only included yers within Jingjiu City. He was the federation''s first but had no name on the Jingjiu City leaderboard.


    But that wasn''t a big issue.


    After he went to Fengtian to test hisbat power, he would stop by Jingjiu City and that would smoothlyplete the item''s promotion.


    S-rank.


    This would also be the highest level this item had ever reached in the federation''s history.


    The next SS-rank level had never been achieved by anyone. The person who spent a lot of effort to level up the item from A-rank to S-rank, never managed toplete the SS-rank promotion task and dered to the outside world,


    It was impossible for anyone toplete that task.


    He was about to see that legendary task for himself. He was eager to see what the task was that made that man so sure, and whether or not he could aplish it.

 Chapter 353 You Blue Star really tm have gods!

    "Has he lost his mind?"


    "Did I see that wrong? I thought the guy who didn''t run had some serious backbone, turns out he just whips out a little pistol?"


    "I remember the lowest-level upational weapon for a gunman is a revolver, isn''t it?"


    This scene once again sparked discussions among the yers from other civilizations watching in the white space, clearly puzzled by this turn of events.


    They had already been shocked by the fact that every member of this civilization had turned tail and run at the start of the battle.


    But what they didn''t expect was that the one person who didn''t run, whom they thought was either incredibly skilled and courageous or had some unique ability, actually just pulled out a small pistol.


    Isn''t this just a joke?@@novelbin@@


    ...


    At this moment, Chen Miao,


    stood alone in front of a boss as tall as the sky, while Hungry Monkey and the others had already begun to retreat. Chen Miao was the only one left on the field, his clothes pping wildly in the strong wind.


    The very next second¡ª Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Bang."


    A seemingly insignificant gunshot noise abruptly emitted from the muzzle, and then all the yers clearly saw a blinding column of light shooting out from the unremarkable pistol, straight toward the boss!


    "-299312"


    An incredibly frightening damage value slowly appeared above the boss''s head, and this Nine-Headed Dog boss clearly felt pain from the hit, its body shaking as it let out a pained roar.


    "Roar!!!"


    This scene left the yers in the white space somewhat dumbstruck.


    "That... that''s still a small pistol?"


    "No wonder this guy had the courage to face the boss alone, just one hit caused 0.1% damage to the boss, this attack power is a bit horrifying!"


    "Do you know if that was a casual shot or a Full-Force Strike?"


    "Indeed, if that was a casual shot, and as long as this yer keeps good positioning, maintaining this kind of attack power with every hit, then it would only take 1000 shots to kill the boss, it really might be possible for one person to solo this boss."


    "Positioning? Are you kidding me? This damn thing is a civilization boss, ah, which skill isn''t a wide-area attack, not to mention all the aggro is now on this one person, all those wide-area attack skills will be centered on him ande crashing down, and they''re instant, how can you dodge that? There''s no way to dodge it, okay?"


    "Before this civilization went in to challenge, I met a yer from the Blue Star Civilization, that yer boastfully said they didn''t need to prepare anything to clear because they had a god in their civilization, could it be that the god the yer was talking about is this yer?"


    ...


    Outside the arena, the discussion buzzed.


    Countless yers'' eyes were glued to the big screen, watching the scene unfold¡ªsomething they had never seen before. Which civilization advancing to D-level doesn''t fight with the might of their entire race?


    Who lets just one person take the lead?


    Are you joking?


    And there stood Chen Miao, who, after the shot, did not show much expression on his face, instead casually craning his neck a bit.


    The S-level weapon "Cup of Equity," merged with all his upational weapons, his unique firearm skin, essories, and enchantment effects, had power beyond question, basically without any downside. If there had to be one,


    It was the cost of the bullets.


    Inheriting the bullet cost of the "Sky Eye Matrix Cannon," one million Star Coins a shot, and they couldn''t be mass-produced, only bought with Star Coins, he also wanted to fire a barrage in one go, but the price of 50,000 bullets was astronomical, he couldn''t afford it.


    But...


    Conveniently, he had a skill that allowed him to fire any firearm for a brief moment without any consumption.


    Just then¡ª


    "Roar!"


    The boss, as massive as the sky, let out a roar and with blood-red eyes charged straight at Chen Miao, clearly intending to dispatch him, who dared to injure it, to Western Heaven in one fell swoop.


    Such an enormous creature was charging at him with an incredibly exaggerated speed.


    And this scene was nearly maxing out the intimidation scale.


    Anyone else standing there would probably have their legs go weak and copse on the spot, for no matter how fast a person can run, how could they possibly outpace this Nine-Headed Dog?!


    But Chen Miao, as if he hadn''t seen it at all, merely casually raised the silver-white pistol in his hand, aimed at the Nine-Headed Dog that was getting closer and closer, and slowly pulled the trigger.


    Yet there was no reaction.


    No bullet.


    Noser column.


    The boss, unimpeded, came barreling towards him with a ferocious roar!


    All the yers were holding their breath, eyes transfixed on the screen to see how Chen Miao would dodge this strike or counter, but for some reason, the Chen Miao on the screen seemed to be frozen in shock.


    Without any reaction.


    He even turned his back to the boss, but if you say he was frozen in fear, why then was there no trace of fear on this young man''s face?


    ...


    The fierce wind roared unchecked across the grasnd along with the Nine-Headed Dog''s approach, the stench of blood following its roars.


    Chen Miao seemed to ignore the imminent danger.


    Turning around calmly with his back to the boss, he walked a few steps forward then stood still. He nonchntly pulled out a cigarette from his chest pocket, lit it, leaned casually on his cane, and stared up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, lost in thought.


    "Huff."


    Along with a puff of light blue smoke slowly exhaled, Chen Miao carried an air of indifference, exuding an aura of one who puts life and death aside, and at that moment, the colossal Nine-Headed Dog beast had already closed in right behind him.

 Chapter 356 Is This Just 40k Damage Value?

    This scene was witnessed by all the yers.


    The Asking Heaven Civilization yer, who was just gloating, had the smile freeze on his face. He could probably understand the psychology of the Firefly Civilization yer. Being an old D-level civilization, could their Combat Power really be inferior to that of a newly promoted D-level civilization?


    Wouldn''t that be aplete crush?


    Normally speaking, the Combat Power of an individual yer from an old D-level civilization should definitely be stronger than that of a newly promoted D-level civilization.


    But the problem is...


    This newly promoted D-level civilization is a bit different.


    This Firefly Civilization certainly hadn''t heard that just over a dozen hours ago, a god from this newly promoted D-level civilization instantly killed the world boss in the D-level Civilization Promotion Battle. If they knew this, they definitely wouldn''t have opted for abat ss for the firstpetition.


    "Tsk."


    Smiles never disappear; they only move from one face to another. As the smile on the face of the Asking Heaven Civilization yer stiffened, the smile on the face of the Blue Star Civilization yer became even thicker, "Look, now it''s not so clear, is it? At least we won the first contest."


    ...


    "Ding, the old D-level Firefly Civilization selects option 1, abat ss; the random draw for the singlebatpetition item will now begin."


    "Drawing item..."


    "The selected item is, wooden stake puppet."


    "Item name": Wooden stake puppet.


    "Item number": 1.


    "Item content": Each civilization sends out 5 yers, making a total of 10 yers, who will rank based on the damage value inflicted on wooden stake puppets within three seconds.


    -


    A simple and brute-force item.


    Fixed-position wooden stake damagepetition.


    At this moment, only a few yers in the audience were discussing Chen Miao. Even though nearly a dozen civilizations witnessed the scene of Chen Miao instantly killing the world boss in the white space a dozen or so hours ago.


    But... after all, only a dozen civilizations saw this scene.


    The information barrier between different civilizations is very high, with little to no channels of information exchange between them, only a very few yers canmunicate using some special means.


    However, once one advances to an F-level civilization, yers from different civilizations can add each other as friends. This is based directly on the friends'' contact feature on their individual panels.


    So when a yer from one civilization has the opportunity to interact with a yer from another civilization, they would often choose to be friends to facilitate the exchange of some information. This is the only basic form ofmunication between different civilizations.


    Most of the yers in the audience had never heard of Chen Miao.


    But some civilizations happened to be seated together with those that had heard of Chen Miao, and after hearing these civilizations discussing a man named Chen Miao from the Blue Star Civilization, they became very curious.


    "Uh... is this person from the Blue Star Civilization famous? You all seem to have heard of him?"


    "When the Blue Star Civilization was promoted to D-level, our civilization was waiting in the same space as them."


    "I see, did he perform very well then?"


    "How should I say it... He instantly killed the world boss by himself."


    "Ah?" Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    The man who had joined the conversation was incredulous, his eyes widening, "How is that possible? The world boss of the D-level Civilization Promotion Battle is known to have a lot of health, how could it be instantly killed? That''s a joke, right?"


    "I thought the same, but fact tells me that guy is really quite outrageous. You''ll know in a moment."


    ...


    Meanwhile, the Firefly Civilization just happened to be seated next to a civilization that had heard of Chen Miao. After overhearing the discussions about Chen Miao from the Blue Star Civilization among the yers nearby, they rushed to report the information up the chain.


    "Very strong Combat Power? 1.4 billion?"


    A leader of the Firefly Civilization narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing this piece of gossip. Honestly, he had considerable doubts about the authenticity of this news, as such rumors generally tend to be greatly exaggerated.@@novelbin@@


    For instance, they say it was an instant kill on the boss, it was probably a 10-minute affair.


    As for the Combat Power of 1.4 billion, it''s probably around 800 to 900 million.


    There''s definitely some hyperbole involved.


    But even if it''s exaggerated, a person''s reputation, like a tree''s shadow, speaks for itself. Since this person had made such a big name, his strength definitely couldn''t be weak; even with some exaggeration certainly much stronger than an average person.


    Their civilization''s strongestbatant''s Combat Power was 990 million.


    Just short of breaking 1 billion.


    If the opponent''s Combat Power turned out to be simr to, or even slightly higher than their civilization''s strongest, then they would have to resort to some strategy.


    "Combat Power does not determine everything."


    The leader of the Firefly Civilization, his mind whirling, spoke slowly, "In the Combat Power Assessment Secret Realm, what''s mainly tested is a person''s overall Combat Power, which takes into ount many dimensions."


    "A person with high Combat Power doesn''t necessarily mean that they can inflict high damage instantly."


    "Maybe they just have strong physical fitness, great endurance, and the like, which also influence the Combat Power value."


    "This first item tests the damage a yer can inflict in the extremely short timeframe of three seconds, which means we have a better choice."


    He then turned his gaze towards a skinny, tattooed man wearing a duckbill cap beside him.


    This man was ranked 47th on their civilization''s Combat Power leaderboard.


    Not a very high ranking.


    A martial artist.


    An extremely specialized Hidden upation, with exceptionally fast punching speed, able to throw hundreds of punches in one second, so fast that even the afterimages were invisible, and each punch could inflict tremendous damage.

 Chapter 359 As long as you can win, who cares how you do it.

    "Ah!!!"


    Tormented howls continued to ring out from the stands, yet, whether Zhang Wu''s fate was simply too tough or not, several minutes of gnawing passed, and he still wouldn''t die. Furthermore, in his painful cries, his voice seemed to be even stronger.


    "Uh..."


    The ck Doctor looked at Zhang Wu with a somewhat odd expression, "I remember he''s just a Magician, right? And his level isn''t that high, is he really that tough?"


    To tell the truth.


    A Magician of around level 10 not dying after such a long time really meant that his physical constitution was quite impressive, especially since his voice appeared to grow stronger.


    "Wait a second..."


    He suddenly thought of something and spoke with hesitation, "That Miao, it seems we have forgotten something. If I''m not mistaken, in this S-rank Mystic Realm, aren''t all yers absolutely unable to die..."


    As his voice trailed off.


    Everyone present fell silent on the spot.


    "..." Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "..."


    It seemed there was indeed such a matter they all had forgotten, so what should they do now.


    The names were already reported, and it was impossible to change them. If one didn''t count the ''Resurrection'' medical technique, how could Chen Miao have any ability to heal? And Chen Miao''s mouth twitched slightly, not knowing what to say, how could he have forgotten about this...


    What followed would be much more troublesome.


    "If..."


    Chen Miao''s eyelids suddenly twitched, and he hesitantly said, "If my patient is myself, and I use the ''Zhiren Race'' to treat my own external injuries, does that count as a medical technique?"


    "No, it doesn''t."


    The ck Doctor shook his head, "The rules state that you can only treat a patient, and this patient does not include yourself."


    "It''s alright."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "Then I''ll just forfeit this match, and I won''t go on stage. The four of you go ahead, ck Doctor, do your best to fight for first ce."


    "Understood."


    ...


    Five minutes quickly passed by.


    The four yers lead by the ck Doctor from Blue Star Civilization and the four yers from Firefly Civilization, each with their patients, took the stage, ready to start the duel for this round of the event.


    "Hungry Monkey bro..."


    Zhang Wu, covered in bruises and with a hoarse voice lying in his seat, reached out his right hand to Hungry Monkey and quivered, "What about me then?"


    "What about you?"


    Hungry Monkey rolled his eyes at Zhang Wu and said with no good air, "You can''t die anyway, just hang in there for a bit, right? And you still have requests?"


    "Did you forget how you treated me back then?"


    "Rest assured, as long as I live, you definitely won''t die."


    "I n to keep ying with you slowly. We have a long time ahead of us, and that Vixen too, we''ll y with the three of us slowly."


    Just at that moment¡ª


    Chen Miao suddenly raised his hand to call Hungry Monkey over, frowning slightly, he spoke in a low voice, "That Vixen, if you''re done ying with her, just kill her sooner rather thanter. Don''t keep her around to avoid any mishaps."


    Hungry Monkey, as if in thought, nodded, "Miao, are you worried Vixen might leak some secrets about the Tomb Guardian?"


    Vixen didn''t have a watch, nor did she have any opportunity to contact the outside world, so there was basically no chance for her to leak anything.


    Even if there were means to leak information.


    But... what could she possibly leak?


    The biggest secret of the Tomb Guardian was the forbidding Elder Bai who guarded the tomb, or the ck Doctor who was proficient in medical skills and saving lives, or perhaps Yuan Buping who liked to manage domestic affairs?


    None of these.


    The biggest secret of the Tomb Guardian was only one person, Miao.


    And most of Miao''s secrets were only known to himself; they didn''t know them, so what could Vixen possibly leak out?


    "No, it isn''t that."


    Chen Miao shook his head, "I''m worried that in the end, you''ll actually develop feelings for her and truly be with Vixen. To be honest, I''d feel really awkward about it, and so would the brothers. About that title of ''sister-inw,'' should it be used or not?"


    "The brothers have all had their fun, and suddenly you have to call her ''sister-inw''. Wouldn''t that be disgusting?"


    "By then, you''d have aplex in your heart, too, and feel bad. Let''s not break apart the brotherhood over this."


    "That would be truly foolish."


    "..."


    Hungry Monkey looked up at Chen Miao with a strange expression, "Miao, why would you think that? Even if Hungry Monkey isn''t thinking straight, I''m not going to develop feelings for that thing, am I?"


    "We''re just passing time when there''s nothing else to do, having a bit of fun."@@novelbin@@


    "Don''t worry, Miao. It will never happen. Once I get bored of her after a while, I''ll send her off."


    "Mhm." Chen Miao nodded and didn''t say anything more, "As long as you''re clear about it, I don''t want to interfere too much in these matters."


    Just at that moment!


    Thepetition below had already ended.


    Under the murderous gazes of Firefly Civilization, ck Doctor sessfully imed the first ce.


    Whether it was the difficulty of the surgery or the oue afterward, he far surpassed the otherpeting yers. A natural-born healer with a Sacred Body, are you kidding?


    "Ding, the fourth eventpetition has ended."


    "First ce: Blue Star, ck Doctor."


    "Second ce: Firefly, Zhang Wansen."


    "Third ce, Firefly, Gu Xiaojiu."


    "Blue Star Civilization currently has 25 points, Firefly Civilization has 10 points."


    ...


    "There are still 14 events left."


    Chen Miao frowned slightly as he looked at the pop-up panel selection, to be honest, thispetition was getting quite lengthy. If it continued at the current pace, Blue Star would naturally take first ce, but the problem was that Blue Star had almost run through all their trump cards.


    They didn''t have much left to show.


    The 18peting events wereprehensive tests of the top yers between the two civilizations,paring them in all aspects.


    In this regard, Blue Star was clearly weaker than the veteran D-ss civilization.


    Even Blue Star''s strength was weaker than some of the old E-ss civilizations, mainly because Blue Star Civilization had advanced too quickly, almost entirely pulled forward by Chen Miao alone, and the overall strength of the yers of Blue Star Civilization was rtively weak.

 Chapter 360 "29.32 million!

    Perhaps the Firefly Civilization had already decided to keep something hidden up their sleeve.


    Anyway...


    Under the unteral forfeiture of the Firefly Civilization, the victory of the Blue Star Civilization was announced.


    "Ding, due to the forfeiture by the Firefly Civilization, the Blue Star Civilization wins the sixth round. +10 points for the victors and -10 points for the losers."


    "The Blue Star Civilization now has 44 points, and the Firefly Civilization has 0 points."


    Amidst the sighs of disappointment from the audience, the seventh round began unfolding anew. As time passed, the following events were somewhat time-consuming, and swiftly, more than ten hours had passed.


    Many yers in the audience began to show signs of fatigue.


    After all, they had been in this secret realm for nearly 24 hours straight.


    With a few exceptions, most civilizations required a daily sleep. Oddly, this was one aspect where different civilizations surprisingly united, leaving out those who sleep once a week, a month, or even a year.


    There were also civilizations that never needed sleep.


    The only time they would ever close their eyes was on the day of death, never blinking otherwise.


    Quickly¡ª


    The 18th event arrived.


    By now, the Blue Star Civilization had amassed 138 points, while the Firefly Civilization had 37 points.


    To the disappointment of the Firefly Civilization, it seemed that the Blue Star yers, aside from Chen Miao, also possessed considerable depth, including a yer named Ke Gou in the Wisdom Category instances who had made several game-changing moves, bringing Blue Star back from the brink of defeat.


    This event was meaningless whetherpeted in or not.


    The Firefly Civilization had already lost. For the 18th event, they didn''t even show up and directly conceded defeat.


    "Ding, congrattions to the Blue Star Civilization for securing the final victory in this S-level secret realm. As a newly advanced D-level civilization, defeating a long-established D-level civilization demonstrates the profound foundation of the Blue Star Civilization, thus earning additional rewards."


    "Allpeting yers from the Blue Star who ced in the events will receive a Champion''s package reward."


    "yers from the Firefly Civilization who ced will also receive a runner-up package."


    "All Blue Star yers will receive a Victory package."


    As the notification sounded, Chen Miao and the others returned to the Land of Extreme Cold, this familiar old haunt.@@novelbin@@


    "Kind of boring."


    Chen Miao lit a cigarette and sat in a rocking chair, casually opening the packages from his backpack and said somewhat nonchntly, "I thought there would be some intense battle scenes."


    Speaking of which, it was almostical.


    Since his skill that allowed unlimited ammo use had such a long cooldown, he had also kept it hidden, not using the skill during the first test ofbat strength, for fear he might need itter and it would be on cooldown.


    But who would have known.


    Apart from firing a few shots in the first round, he never got the chance to join inter. He wanted to take a shot, but there just wasn''t any opportunity. He had been worried about the skill entering cooldown, only to find that there was never an opportunity to activate it.


    This bothered him.


    Since reaching 2.4 billion Combat Power, he hadn''t had a chance to go all out in a fight to test his true strength.


    "Eh?"


    But the next second¡ª


    Chen Miao was somewhat baffled as he looked at the Champion''s package in his hand. He knew that as a newly advanced D-level civilization, Blue Star would receive generous rewards if victorious, but this seemed excessively generous, didn''t it?


    Every Champion''s package contained two Civilization Fragments!


    He had won first ce in seven events and second ce in two events.


    Nine packages in total.


    Champion''s package one ¡Á 7, Champion''s package two ¡Á 2.


    Opening a first-ce Champion''s package yielded two Civilization Fragments, while a second-ce Champion''s package gave one Civilization Fragment. Not knowing what a third-ce Champion''s package contained, since he never ced third in any event.


    Which meant, just from these packages, he instantly received 16 Civilization Fragments.


    "..."


    Chen Miao''s mouth slowly dropped open. Since when were Civilization Fragments so cheap? He had just spent 4 Civilization Fragments in the secret realm, and now here were 16 more?


    If the Firefly Civilization knew howvish the rewards were, would they be so infuriated that they''d jump off a building?


    They would have rather gone all-in and fought to the death for victory. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Oh, almost forgot, even if the Firefly Civilization had fought to the death in an all-in, it would have been pointless. After all, they weren''t a newly advanced civilization and couldn''t im such substantial rewards. Thepetition was inherently unfair from the start.


    Unfair in terms of strength.


    Unfair regarding rewards.


    Meanwhile, the other Tomb Guardian members were also excitedly discovering this, shouting out loud, especially characters like Elder Bai and the ck Doctor, who had participated in events and achieved first or second ce.


    At this moment, their smiles were stretching almost to their ears.


    ...


    "Two Civilization Fragments."


    The ck Doctor looked at the contents of the package, unable to control the grin on his face. He had only participated in one event, the medical category, where his medical skills easily secured him first ce, earning him one Champion''s package one.


    This item was a priceless treasure.


    If he were to sell it...


    The price would be indefinable, a treasure beyond valuation that everyone desired but no one could afford to bid on¡ªthe hardest item to sell on the market. And for such priceless treasures.

 Chapter 362 What is... Burial of the Underworld!

    ```


    "What do we do now..."


    Hungry Monkey''s face, which had initially been excited, suddenly turned ugly, as everyone knew that there was only one, and only one, strongest yer on Blue Star, and that was Chen Miao.


    In other words, to put it simply.


    Chen Miao was almost the entirety of Blue Star''sbat power.


    Without Chen Miao, Blue Star wouldn''t just be a D-ss civilization, it probably couldn''t even advance to an F-ss civilization. Whether it could win its first civilizational war was uncertain, and even if it did win, it was likely to suffer innumerable casualties and wouldn''t recover for decades, doomed to obscurity.


    In fact, civilizations that could advance to E-ss basically overpowered their opponents in their first civilizational war.


    Any civilization that managed a narrow victory had no chance of advancing to E-ss.


    So, every E-ss civilization wasn''t weak at all; all of them had once overpowered other civilizations at the same level.


    Miao had been sent to watch the battle, meaning Blue Star Civilization really had to rely on itself this time.


    "What''s there to fear?"


    Yuan Buping curled his lips and said, "Don''t we still have you? You''ve got nearly 30,000 strength value and 500 millionbat power, ranked second in the world. Are you really that unconfident?"


    "Who could stand your punch?"


    "I''m different from Miao,"


    Hungry Monkey shook his head bitterly, "I don''t have any AOE (Area of Effect) attack methods. Indeed, no one can stand my punch, probably even the strongest of the opposing civilization would struggle to bear it. But the problem is, I can kill at most a dozen or so with one punch."


    "A civilization has at least a hundred million people, right?"


    "Even if those hundred million people just stood there and let me hit them, my muscles would dissolve before I could kill that many."


    It was like having a millionyered dog head¡ªit was indeed impressive, and even the strongest dragon would be taken down with one hit, but the issue was that it was a single-target attack.


    Surrounded by a hundred million super-soldiers, that was indeed an ignoble way to die.


    No resistance whatsoever.


    All out of blue, and the enemy''s numbers hadn''t even seemed to decrease.


    "Uh..."


    Yuan Buping hesitated, "You don''t have any AOE attacks at all?"


    "Not that I have no AOE at all. Didn''t I just say that at most I could kill a dozen or so with one punch? Certainly not like Miao, who can cover the enemy with a hail of bullets and epass them all."


    "So, what do we do?"


    "I don''t know either!"


    Just then¡ª


    Elder Bai, who was standing to the side, coughed lightly with a fist to his mouth: "Well... actually, it''s quite the opposite for me. I don''t have a single single-target skill. It''s almost all AOE skills."


    "You have AOE?"


    Hungry Monkey''s eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "Forget it. How big can your AOE range possibly be, at most a few hundred thousand people, right? But a civilization has at least a hundred million people."


    "Well, about that..."


    Elder Bai touched his nose, his muddied pupils shifting, and said a bit awkwardly, "The range might be somewhatrge, possibly a bitrger than Miao''s..."


    As the words fell.


    Everyone''s eyes focused on Elder Bai, and after a long while, Hungry Monkey said reluctantly, "Elder Bai, isn''t that a bit of an exaggeration? If your AOE range is bigger than Miao''s, then I might as well call you ''brother'' from now on and you can be the boss." Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire


    "No, no, no, it''s just the AOE range that''s a bitrger, but the damage is definitely far less than Miao''s,"


    "But I can clear most of the riff-raff, and then you, Hungry Monkey, can take care of the tough ones."


    "One of us gets rid of the mobs, the other takes on the boss; there shouldn''t be any problem. It''s like teaming up for a dungeon raid in a game."


    Hungry Monkey didn''t deny it further, but after hesitating for a while, he finally said, "If you really can clear most of the riff-raff, leaving the tough ones to me, that''s no problem at all."


    "Alright, then it''s settled."


    The n was quickly decided.


    At the same time, the Federal Government also sent a message right away to discuss how to deal with this sudden war. If it wasn''t for Chen Miao being allocated to the audience, the Federal Government wouldn''t have even bothered to send a message.


    An E-ss civilization, that''s all.@@novelbin@@


    They didn''t need to do anything; Miao could just wave his hand and finish them off, and then it would be done.


    But now... Miao had be an observer, and that posed some serious problems.


    The finalized n involved the two strongestbat powers of the Federation.


    One, the second-ranked Hungry Monkey, and the other, the third-ranked Elder Bai.


    These two would be responsible for clearing mobs and dealing with the strong ones, respectively, letting the remaining top-level yers cooperate and assist on the side, with other yers acting freely. As long as the opposing civilization didn''t have wide-range AOE attacks like Miao''s, there should be no problem.


    But it was just an E-ss civilization; they couldn''t possibly have someone like Miao.


    If they had someone like him, they wouldn''t still be stuck at E-ss.


    ...


    Aging in people is dyed.


    One always realizes one''s age suddenly one day, for instance when kids on the street start calling you ''Uncle,'' or when your parents begin to look to you for decisions, or when you suddenly fall on hard times and realize you''ve never had anyone to rely on.


    You''ve always been the one others rely on; you''ve never even considered relying on someone else.


    When you''re young, three hours feel like a long time, but when you''re old, they feel endless.


    During your youth, at the end, the other side always says they can''t do it anymore.


    In old age, they respond with an ''Eh?'' at the end.


    And you have no idea what they''re ''Eh''-ing at.


    Just like the swift passage of three minutes, three hours also fly by in an instant.


    The decisive battle... began!


    As a blinding white light shed by, all the yers from Blue Star Civilization and Zhukai Civilization appeared on an immense and vast in, standing on the east and west sides, respective to their civilizations.


    ```

 Chapter 365 This World is a Giant Coconut.

    In a corner at the edge of the universe, Chen Miao was standing in the void with Hungry Monkey and others. This ce was the edge of the universe where, if one''s perspective were high enough, one could see white light constantly flowing at the end of the universe.


    As the white light spread, it formed one after another.


    After a very long time, somes would be stars, and perhaps other life forms would emerge from them.


    An old man had brought them here.


    Here was the expanding edge of the universe.


    At this moment, by shooting hundreds of bullets faster than the speed of light in the direction of the universe''s expansion, he could smoothly leave this cosmic prison that had imprisoned them for so long.


    "It''s really strange,"


    Hungry Monkey muttered as he looked around, "Actually, if it weren''t for this world suddenly turning into a Supernatural game, I wouldn''t even know that we were imprisoned in the universe. If I didn''t know this, maybe I wouldn''t be troubled by it."


    "No... I don''t think I''ve ever been troubled by being imprisoned in the universe."


    "Because the universe is just too vast."


    "If it weren''t for that old man bringing us here, I might never have been able to reach this ce in my life. If you live in a prison that you can never fully explore in a lifetime, perhaps you wouldn''t feel like you''re in a prison."


    "That''s quite normal," Zhou Shen nodded, "Most people really dislike restrictions, like if your boss tells you, you can only earn up to 2,000 or at most 3,000 a month, most people would feel discontent and always want to break through these limits."


    "But what if your boss tells you, you can earn up to a hundred trillion a month."


    "Most people seem to think that''s eptable."


    "But in reality, both are restrictions, both are prisons, just with different sizes for the cages."


    "This system will continue for a long time, and almost everyone readily epts it, only when someday someone suddenly emerges, someone who is not content with earning just a hundred trillion a month, will the one who made this rule face a challenge."


    "In the end, there are only two oues."


    "The person challenging the rule is dealt with."


    "Or... the rule gets broken."


    "But it''s difficult to break such rules because basically, no one is willing to stand behind you, and that''s probably why that old man secretly ran off to our so-called Universe Number 3. He probably came here because no one supported his n; everyone thought that things are good as they are and saw no need for change."


    "..."


    Chen Miao said nothing, just raised his pistol, aimed at the end of the universe, and gently pulled the trigger.


    ...


    With the white light shooting out,


    Chen Miao and the others instantly disappeared from the spot, and by the time they regained their sight, they had appeared in a museum.


    No one was around, only the dim emergency lights provided illumination. The various showcases were filled with all sorts of exhibits; it was clearly a museum, only it waste at night and not during opening hours, so the ce was empty.


    Chen Miao quickly scanned the surroundings before looking behind him at one of the showcases.


    It was a ss bead.


    Next to it were several lines of exhibit descriptions.@@novelbin@@


    ''Exhibit Name'': Universe Number 3.


    ''Description of Exhibit'': This is the first time Aier Star discovered such a highly powerful energy source that can be used for a long time without causing any environmental damage¡ªit is extremely eco-friendly and cost-effective.


    The only w is that after several decades of use, the energy sphere will automatically break down and cannot be refilled.


    The core of this energy source is a small universe with many microorganisms living inside the energy sphere.


    This energy sphere is the third one to be created.


    It is old and on the brink of being scrapped at any moment, but it is on disy here as a testament to the progress of Aier Star civilization.


    "..."


    Chen Miao looked at the little ball inside the showcase with aplex expression, finding it hard to imagine that their vast universe looked so small from the outside¡ªjust an insignificant little ball. Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    And it was artificially created.


    Their universe was actually created by someone?


    The ss of the showcase hadn''t shattered; they had appeared out of nowhere around the energy sphere. It seemed that the museum''s security system was not very effective, as dozens of them came out of nowhere, yet there wasn''t a single rm sounded.


    It was unclear whether it was because the civilization was not advanced, or the museum''s security wasn''t taken seriously, or the security personnel had already fallen fast asleep in the control room. It was understandable, after all, even on Blue Star, museums rarely experienced night thefts.


    After all... it''s hard to say whether the items had any real value, and selling them was difficult. If caught, the sentence would be severe, so indeed, such unappreciated hard work was rarely done.


    "Miao,"


    Hungry Monkey looked around and whispered, "That old man told us that because we are not from this civilization, as soon as we appeared, we would face the rejection of the will of civilization."


    "It would target us everywhere."


    "Until we''re dead."


    "But so far, everything seems normal."


    Chen Miao shook his head and did not speak. He was in apletely alien world and even he was somewhat confused about the situation, but he had asked the old man, does this happen with every civilization?


    The old man''s answer was a firm yes.


    He said that every civilization has its own will, and when the will of a civilization discovers someone inside their own civilization who does not belong, it often reacts with anger, just like white blood cells obstructing the invasion of a virus. It creates all kinds of dangerous situations to expel the outsider.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!