Chapter 183: In the Real World

Chapter 183: In the Real World

Jie Fangcheng was stunned.

After his initial shock, he thought that it made sense. After all, he and Professor Zhang were companions through life and death, having experienced so much together; his best relationship was indeed with Zhang Dao'an.

A friendship forged in fire—a true brother!

...Yes, a brother, indeed!

Jie Fangcheng awkwardly scratched his nose. He wanted to slap Zhang Dao'an on the shoulder in a show of bravado, but hesitated and lowered his hand.

Zhang Dao'an noticed his actions and expressions, and nodded knowingly. "Is that so?"

He might have lost his memory, but his intelligence was intact. Given Jie Fangcheng's reactions, there wasn't much left to question.

So, they hadn't reached that stage yet? Were they in the "ambiguous" phase before?

Jie Fangcheng pretended he didn't hear anything. "Ahem... let's walk and talk."

Although Zhang Dao'an seemed stable now, without any signs of impending soul disintegration, Jie Fangcheng had still left a majority of the golden light on him. After all, no one knew if the game copied into his mind had been entirely removed or not.

With the golden light's protection, Jie Fangcheng felt more at ease.

Within the mist, there was nothing but an elusive temple.

Everyone was now following the two, headed towards the temple.

Having shared half of the golden light with Zhang Dao'an, thunder was still resounding above their heads, but it couldn't strike them since this was a virtual space, not the real world.

Even after they had entered the temple, the thunderclouds loyally remained above Jie Fangcheng's head.

The temple was hard to make out from a distance, but Jie Fangcheng was even more certain up close.

This really looked like the Underworld's main office building had just received a coat of white paint! But they couldn't enter.

Because it was an illusion.

Inside the building was bustling with activity. Miniature figures made from the white mist were scurrying around—underworld enforcers, lost souls—and the flow of time was fast. To Jie Fangcheng, their tiny legs were moving absurdly fast, creating an almost ridiculous scene.

One day within the illusion passed quickly and then began repeating.

On the way, Jie Fangcheng had already given Zhang Dao'an a rapid rundown of current events. Now, after seeing the illusion, he tried hard to identify the day it represented but couldn't distinguish it from any other.

Because it was utterly mundane.

"Do you see anything special?" Zhang Dao'an asked.

Jie Fangcheng shook his head.

"At least, I can't discern anything."

According to Zhang Dao'an's earlier conjectures, this game should be located in someone's cognitive realm. And since Ji Chaoyang chose this instance for the final battle, there must be something extraordinary about it.

But the illusion neither repeated the day of the great battle in the Underworld nor any other special day. It just showed a peaceful and ordinary day.

What was the point of repeating that?

Jie Fangcheng, ever the workaholic, truly could not understand. Wasn't this just a regular day in his long, fifteen-hundred-year career as a nine-to-five worker?

Zhang Dao'an pondered for a moment.

"Does this remind you of a 'prerequisite quest' in a game?"

"Huh?"

Jie Fangcheng paused for a moment, quickly grasping his meaning.

It was like when you talk to an NPC in a game: if you don't choose to proceed to the next step, the NPC keeps repeating the same line. Only when you make a choice does the new storyline unfold.

So, how could they advance this illusion to the next stage?

Bold as ever, Zhang Dao'an, shielded by Jie Fangcheng's golden light, closed his eyes and entered his own cognitive realm.

His cognitive realm was now in ruins—Jie Fangcheng had destroyed all the sub-levels, leaving only craters and depressions.

Zhang Dao'an's current state was unusual. Due to the onslaught of data, his cognitive realm had become a sieve full of holes. In this game, his mind was forced online and couldn't be disconnected.

For the game, a computer that can go online could be turned into an NPC, forcibly imbued with various settings, and made into a puppet for the game.

But Zhang Dao'an was different from the average NPC.

His control over his own cognitive realm was so strong, and having had a game copied into it and then dismantled by Jie Fangcheng, he was no ordinary player.

To use an analogy, the current game was a massive online multiplayer game. Ordinary players are just that—players. Dead players get absorbed and become game NPCs. Both types must abide by the game's rules.

But as for Zhang Dao'an, though he was a player, he also had a "private server" in his mind.

Ji Chaoyang's original intention might have been to flood Zhang Dao'an with an overwhelming amount of data to shatter his soul. However, it inadvertently provided Zhang Dao'an with a new cheat code.

Now Zhang Dao'an could use the fragmented game within his cognitive realm to reconstruct a scaled-down version of the Infinite Game.

And that was exactly what he was doing.

Inside his cognitive realm, a white palace identical to the illusion before them suddenly sprang up.

Broken system notifications echoed simultaneously in his mind.

"Ding—Instance...Affectionate] is being restored..."

"Ding—Instance [Divine Affection]...successful."

"Ding—No usable NPC detected, retrying..."

"Ding—...failure."

"Ding..."

After a series of notifications, Zhang Dao'an's mind-generated temple, though structurally incomplete, did reveal something extraordinary.

He opened his eyes.

"There's one room that takes up the most data."

Jie Fangcheng squints to look, "Which one?"

"The topmost floor."

Jie Fangcheng pauses.

The game within Zhang Dao'an's cognitive realm is, after all, a battle-damaged version. He can't see what each room contains.

Especially since this office tower soars into the sky. While the players' eyesight has been enhanced by the system, everyone, looking upwards, still can't make out what's on that seemingly endless top floor.

"What's on the top floor?" Zhang Dao'an inquires.

Jie Fangcheng actually knows.

"It's the Dongyue Temple."

The top level of Dongyue Temple is exposed to the mortal realm, teeming with worshippers.

Its main body, however, resides in the underworld.

It is the most significant channel connecting the underworld to the human realm. Many infernal officers, who lack the capability to open a ghost gate on their own, have to travel back to the Dongyue Temple after finishing their tasks in the mortal realm. From there, they can enter the underworld.

Jie Fangcheng holds a unique position in the underworld. He's not affiliated with any of the Ten Courts; he directly reports to the Dongyue God.

However, he hasn't seen his boss in quite some time—over a century or two. Initially, they communicated via notes, and then via voice messages after cell phones became available. The notifications have become such a bother that Jie Fangcheng has taken to not carrying his phone, knowing that a new message likely means more overtime.

Dongyue Temple...

That the game is related to the underworld is already a foregone conclusion, but now it also seems connected to Dongyue Temple?

"That can't be right," Jie Fangcheng begins to analyze. "You've never met our big boss, but let me tell you, his temper is even more volatile than Nie Shuangshuang's, and he's straightforward to boot. During the underworld war—oh, did I ever mention that to you?"

There's nothing to hide from Zhang Dao'an. Jie Fangcheng has already decided that once they escape this game, he'll recruit him into his department as the deputy head of finance.

The underworld war that happened over 1,500 years ago is now the stuff of legend, known to many long-living souls. While it remains a taboo subject within the underworld, Jie Fangcheng, as a participant, doesn't mind discussing it.

Back then, Dongyue God was conducting investigations that led from corruption to even darker matters.

Although the underworld and the divine realm are separated by the mortal world, they are closely related yet rarely interact.

Distance is one factor. The gods have looked down upon the underworld for a long time, much like city folk sneering at rural dwellers, believing that the underworld lacks power.

Most of the original gods have fallen, leaving an increasing number of ascended mortals, commonly referred to as immortals.

The power of an immortal comes from personal cultivation and the faith of the mortal realm.

Where there are more immortals, there's more conflict. Temples are abundant in the mortal realm, and each has its own set of followers; no one gives way to others.

This has given rise to a new situation.

Some deities, disregarding divine regulations, secretly grant buffs to their mortal followers, enabling those who believe in them to triumph over the followers of other gods.

The underworld has always maintained neutrality and never engaged in conflicts between deities.

But on that occasion, Dongyue God, after conducting an exhaustive investigation, found that someone in the underworld was colluding with the divine realm, manipulating human fate to tip the scales of popularity in favor of certain deities.

Enraged, Dongyue God dug deeper, ultimately tracing the treachery to three Yama Kings.

At that time, the battlefield extended from the divine realm to the underworld, and even into the mortal world, with three Yama Kings and some celestial beings from the divine realm becoming enemies of the underworld.

The rallying cry of the opposition was "Unify the Divine Realm and the Underworld," aiming to merge both realms.

Dongyue God fully understood their intentions.

Should the divine realm and the underworld become one, the next step would be to establish an unrivaled sovereign over heaven and earth, ruling all three realms.

From then on, the mortal world would become a playground for the divine realm, subject to their whims.

As for the underworld?

It would cease to exist. The cycles of life, aging, sickness, and death would no longer be guided by the laws of nature, but by the will of the gods.

When divine power surpasses natural law, the latter collapses, leading to a world devoid of rules.

Immortals would no longer face karmic tribulations, existing in unbridled bliss.

In truth, this wouldn't necessarily be detrimental to either the divine realm or the underworld. Staff in the underworld would receive promotions, the infernal officers could spend their days in the divine realm, and Dongyue God and the Yama Kings could move to the divine realm, which would be far more convenient than dealing with powerful evil spirits in a gloomy underworld.

Jie Fangcheng works around the clock, and the Yama Kings of the Ten Courts are equally tireless, but meeting the performance indicators of immortals is much easier than fulfilling the underworld's KPIs.

But what about the mortal realm?

The reason the three realms exist separately is that they are in balance.

Natural law safeguards the mortal world, suppressing the undue influence of the other realms, preventing them from arbitrarily altering the laws governing mortals.

The roles of the divine realm and the underworld are to reward and punish, and to control the cycle of reincarnation, respectively.

While the mortal world may seem the weakest of the three realms, with human power resembling that of ants, it is actually the core of the three realms. Both the divine realm and the underworld act as its balancers, containing forces that transcend the mortal plane.

Dongyue God couldn't condone what the divine realm was planning to do.

He is not only the lord of the underworld, but his responsibilities also include protecting the mortal world. He could never agree to such a scheme.

And while he did not agree, three of the Ten Yama Kings defected, followed by two more joining the opposition.

With both sides evenly matched, and the arrival of celestial beings from the divine realm, the war raged on, plunging everything into chaos.

It was at that time that Jie Fangcheng was awakened.

He was confined beneath the statue of Dongyue God, an act of kindness allowing him to benefit from the temple's offerings and devotion, ensuring he wasn't wholly unsettled even in death.

It was during a time of immense suffering in the mortal realm that he was awakened—heart-wrenching prayers and anguished cries, along with the increasingly potent aura of the undead, summoned him back to consciousness.

Conveniently, Dongyue God came seeking his assistance at that moment. Unable to free his main body from its prison, Jie Fangcheng detached a fragment of his soul to help.

He wasn't alone in this.

Confined with him were his 800 soldiers; their collective might poured into the situation, stabilizing the underworld and shaping it into what it is today.

Since then, the underworld has severed all communications with the divine realm. The Book of Life and Death, once arbitrarily altered, is now enchanted with sentient magic by Dongyue God himself and safely stored in the Eighteenth Circle of Hell.

As for this game, clearly, it's the creation of someone bearing a grudge against the underworld.

The underworld is a place for punishing evil spirits and rewarding good ones; the game, on the other hand, turns it into a hellish, survival-of-the-fittest arena.

The person most likely to despise this game would be Dongyue God. How could his temple possibly be connected to this game?

"I can't be certain," Zhang Daoan pondered for a moment, "Perhaps my perspective might change after meeting Dongyue God in person."

Jie Fangcheng nodded but chose not to mention that Dongyue God seemed to be in declining health, especially considering he, as a direct subordinate, hadn't seen his superior in a long while.

Meeting Dongyue God is a long-term goal; the immediate priority is figuring out how to escape this scenario.

"There must be something crucial in the Dongyue Temple on the top floor."

Zhang Daoan was sure of it.

Reaching it wouldn't be too difficult.

Yu Yi Zhou, the president of the Death God Guild who entered with members of the Ronghua Guild, was also known as "Flying Bird."

Although he entered with a do-or-die resolve, he never anticipated that after joining Jie Fangcheng and Zhang Daoan, a red-robed "Demon in Red" would appear amidst the white mist. Just when everyone was casually chatting with him, he launched a surprise attack on Jie Fangcheng.

Wei Yuan died—put more bluntly, only Wei Yuan died.

Yu Yi Zhou had initially thought that almost everyone might perish, but now only Wei Yuan had died, while the others were safe and sound.

And now, Zhang Daoan seemed to have discovered some clues, focusing on the top floor of this illusory projection.

"I'll go check it out!"

Yu Yi Zhou's core ability was "Heart of the Flying Bird," ranked ninth.

Spreading his arms, they transformed into gigantic bird wings, nearly five meters in span, and he swiftly soared into the sky.

After waiting for quite some time, the group saw Yu Yi Zhou descend back.

"There's something up there, but it's too large for me to bring down."

"What is it?"

"A statue of a deity."

Everything else is an illusion, but this statue is definitively there.

A statue?

The Dongyue deity statue?

"But the statue is strange. Despite having facial features carved, they are indistinct to me. Besides, I noticed a door on the top floor as well."

The crowd exchanged puzzled glances.

"It seems the top floor is indeed the key to exiting this scenario."

Yu Yi Zhou readily agreed: "I can carry one person each time, I'll take you all up there."

Flying abilities have always been rare. Among the thirty-plus people on Ronghua's side, only Nie Shuangshuang possesses one.

"Spirit Butterfly of Flame"— when downgraded, the butterfly didn't have enough energy to carry anyone.

However, thanks to the "Divine Gift" in the dream, this ability had regained its original strength, albeit slower.

The question remained whether this ability would downgrade again once they exited this scenario.

Divided into two groups, everyone gradually flew to the top floor.

They all saw the peculiar statue and understood what Yu Yi Zhou meant.

The statue was nearly one hundred meters tall, making humans appear as insignificant as ants before it.

Yet despite the statue's imposing size and intricate detailing, when people looked up, they found themselves unable to form a coherent image of it in their minds.

Jie Fangcheng seemed somewhat startled after examining it.

He too couldn't form a mental image, but the statue seemed not to resemble Dongyue God; rather, it looked like Jie Fangcheng himself.

Why was this? An illusion?

"The door! Let's move!"

The players gathered before the immense door; this scenario had been too eerie, and no one wanted to linger any longer.

Jie Fangcheng decisively took the lead, extending his hand to push open the massive door before him.

The golden glow of the setting sun spilled in, casting flickering tree shadows in front of them.

A wave of fresh scent rushed towards them, like air after a rain shower, tinged with a spicy undertone of broken plant stalks.

Jie Fangcheng hesitated for a moment.

Soon, the second player to step out of the door was stunned by the sight before them.

"What is this...?"

Beep—Beep—

"Hurry up, people in front! How long are you going to dawdle? How long will it take to get to the mountaintop at this rate?"

"What's the rush? Aren't we all climbing to see the sunrise? Besides, it just rained; why go so fast? Just take it slow."

"Three bucks for bottled water? That's a rip-off!"

"Rip-off, my foot. Try buying it at the summit; it'll be at least ten bucks. Shopkeeper, give me six bottles."

"You're buying so much? Then you carry it, I'm not going to."

The aroma of food, the bustling crowd, a rainbow hanging in the sky after the rain, and a vast expanse of blue sky cleaned by the downpour.

"Is this... the mortal realm?" someone cautiously inquired.

At that moment, a mountain climber, head down, walked towards the players.

The players couldn't dodge in time but didn't collide with the hiker, instead watching as the hiker walked right through them.

After passing through, the hiker seemed to feel a bit chilly and tightened the coat around them.

Yet the players could clearly see a wisp of dark aura swirling around the hiker.

The next second, a pale hand gently swept away the dark aura, as if a gentle breeze had scattered it.

The players couldn't be sure, but Jie Fangcheng could.

This was indeed the mortal realm.

"Let's move. We need to find a secluded place to talk."

Everyone followed Jie Fangcheng to a deserted corner soon enough.

"What on earth is going on?" One of the players was utterly puzzled.

Jie Fangcheng and Zhang Daoan exchanged a glance.

It seemed the game was indeed connected to the Dongyue Temple.

The question was whether the Dongyue deity was aware of this.

However, the most pressing matter now was to get the players back to the mortal realm.

"You're all now wandering souls. The priority is to head to the underworld to register."

Saying this, Jie Fangcheng reached into his pocket, then paused. He had just remembered that he didn't have his Anywhere Door to use at the moment.

Unfortunately, despite Manager Jie's remarkable combat prowess, he's also one of the spirit enforcers incapable of opening the gateway to the underworld on his own.

Usually, he would prepare an "Anywhere Door"—a device made from the scales of a Hui Meng fish. Ordinary spirit enforcers simply can't defeat a Hui Meng fish, and those who can have no need for the door. So, he's the only one in the underworld who uses it.

Now that he doesn't have the device, having the massive Dongyue Temple nearby is still convenient.

"Head for the mountain top... Hey! Where are you running off to?"

As he spoke, Jie Fangcheng grabbed a member of the Ronghua Guild who was attempting to flee.

The person burst into tears upon being caught.

"Brother Jie! Let me go home and take one last look! I promise I'll follow you to the underworld afterward!"

These words instantly alerted the surrounding players.

Seeing the group about to scatter, Jie Fangcheng clapped his hands together. Dark spirit energy emanated from him, binding all thirty-odd people together like chains.

Some immediately tried to use their personal skills, only to find that all their abilities and items had vanished.

As if the endless game had never existed, they were now ordinary wandering souls.

Jie Fangcheng sighed.

"The paths of the living and the dead are different. Seeing your loved ones now would only harm them. Plus, if you return to the underworld now, I can vouch for you, ensuring you'll face lighter punishments. If you knowingly resist, your offenses will be compounded."

Having died and fought so long in this game, nearly every player clung to the hope of returning to the mortal realm.

Even if they couldn't return alive, a mere glance would suffice!

Jie Fangcheng's words naturally couldn't quell this desire; nearly everyone begged and struggled.

While he had seen this scene many times, those were always with strangers. Now these familiar faces made it difficult for him to proceed.

Lang Gu, however, snorted coldly.

"Another word, and your souls will scatter!"

This kid! Truly deserving of the title Judge!

Leading the way, Jie Fangcheng used his spirit energy to form chains that guided the players behind him.

This was not just a restraint but also a form of protection.

The mortal realm's atmosphere was filled not just with fragmented souls of fierce ghosts but also faint divine energy trickling down from the heavens—strongest during the daytime.

With dusk yet to fall and lacking Jie Fangcheng's spirit energy as a shield, the fragile souls of the players following him could easily be injured during the mountain climb.

Zhang Daoan's wrist was also bound by the chain. He wouldn't struggle, of course; he just lifted his wrist for a glance and gave it a little shake.

Jie Fangcheng quietly explains on the side: "It's not that I fear you'll run away."

Zhang Dao'an nods: "I know, you wouldn't be concerned about that."

“……”

The words are truthful, but why does it feel like there's some other implication?

Jie Fangcheng scratches his head.

With him leading the way, the wandering souls traverse vast distances in the blink of an eye, quickly reaching the mountain peak.

The East Mountain Temple is a hub of bustling activity. Jie Fangcheng leads everyone through twists and turns, soon arriving in a deserted room.

Just as he raised his hand, poised to knock, he sensed something amiss.

Xie Fangcheng lifted his head.

The sky, once clear, was once again consumed by gathering storm clouds; furious peals of thunder roared like relentless rage.

A myriad of hikers on the mountain began to chatter among themselves.

"It's happening again? Wasn't the weather forecast clear skies for today?"

"We just had a downpour, with thunder and lightning like it was the end of the world... Do I sense the wind picking up this time?"

This was clearly not a natural weather phenomenon. While in the virtual realm, Xie Fangcheng had shared some kind of golden light with Zhang Dao'an, which had already triggered a bolt of lightning.

Unable to locate him in the real world, the heavenly forces could only strike aimlessly, resulting in ordinary rain and thunder.

Now that he had left the game, the clouds gathering overhead grew denser; hints of purple light were brewing within them.

This was no longer the kind of thunderbolt that Xie Fangcheng could easily dispel with a single sword strike.

"Calamity lightning? Really? How petty!"

Xie Fangcheng muttered under his breath.

However, his expression had evidently grown more somber.

Calamity lightning, once fully formed, could reduce everything within several miles to ashes when it struck.

Even setting that aside, the attack of the calamity lightning was extraordinary; Xie Fangcheng would need space to dodge, and clearly could not confront it here in the Dongyue Temple.

Xie Fangcheng could only look towards Lang Gu.

Lang Gu nodded, "Go, I'll take them back to the underworld."

Casting one more glance at Zhang Dao'an, Xie Fangcheng hesitated but ultimately retracted the golden light.

If he didn’t, the calamity lightning would strike them both.

Jie Fangcheng wasn't concerned; he had been struck by lightning before. As for Zhang Daoan, given his level of power, one lightning strike could obliterate him; there was no question about that.

After retracting the divine energy, Jie Fangcheng re-emphasized, "Once you're back, take them to Ghost Street and wait for me. We'll hand them over together when I return. Make sure you wait for me."

Other players were one thing, but Zhang Daoan's situation was unique. According to the rules of the underworld, despite having no karma, he was composed of fragments of malevolent spirits. Releasing him into the cycle of rebirth would be too risky; no one could guarantee he wouldn't harm the human world.

The underworld usually dealt with such souls by simply scattering them.

There was no choice; Zhang Daoan was the first of his kind. Despite being made up of malevolent spirit fragments, he personally had never done any harm.

Leaving Zhang Daoan in the human world was even more concerning for Jie Fangcheng, as he was uncertain about the current state of the game and knew that the human world was generally more dangerous than the underworld.

"Don't worry," Lang Gu reassured him.

Jie Fangcheng took a few steps but then turned back as if remembering something.

He extended his hand and made a motion in the empty air.

A massive black sword materialized, which he then reduced to palm-size in his hand.

"Take this."

This "Manager Jie Exclusive" sword had been used by him during his time as a malevolent spirit, its original version currently being sealed under the statue of the Dongyue deity along with his corporeal form.

Although this replica wasn't as potent as the original, it did retain a fraction of its power. Having been with him through many battles, the sword could autonomously protect its master.

Even after handing over the sword, Jie Fangcheng still wasn't entirely at ease and turned to address Yan Xiaohua.

"Xiaohua, if anyone tries to harm this gentleman, please intervene on my behalf."

Yan Xiaohua was a malevolent spirit, once a non-registered entity in the underworld; Jie Fangcheng rarely allowed her to appear publicly.

For some reason, he had an intuitive feeling of unease.

If something did happen, Yan Xiaohua could buy some time, at least until he had dealt with the tribulation thunder.

Yan Xiaohua grinned, showing her teeth, and nodded.

Lang Gu felt a little alarmed at the side.

He had heard whispers about the existence of Yan Xiaohua; for such a small malevolent spirit to live securely in the underworld was unrealistic without Jie Fangcheng's protection.

But Jie Fangcheng was so powerful that the number of people in the underworld who could restrain him could be counted on one hand. He didn't force everyone to acknowledge Yan Xiaohua; he just quietly nurtured her, giving face to others.

It seemed like a tacit agreement between both sides: you don't expose my rule-breaking, and I'll give you face by not openly flouting the rules.

Everyone saved face for each other; the situation simply remained tense but unruptured.

Now, Jie Fangcheng was asking Yan Xiaohua to help keep an eye on things.

The young one wasn’t extraordinarily powerful, but this seemed like a signal.

As if to say... if anything happened to Zhang Dao'an, all bets were off.

"Go now, or it will be too late."

Having issued his instructions, Xie Fangcheng realized he had little else to offer. He was relatively impoverished, and his 800 ghostly generals were either set for rebirth after their karmic debts were cleared or had already been reborn. Normally, he enjoyed his solitary lifestyle, but now, when he genuinely needed help, he realized the limitations of being a lone wolf.

"You all should go."

Saying this, Xie Fangcheng took several steps back, waiting to watch Lang Gu and the others enter the underworld before leaving.

If he entered the underworld, the calamity lightning wouldn’t be able to find him and would randomly strike people instead. He couldn’t let innocent humans take the hit for him, could he?

Lang Gu gave a nod.

With a wave of his hand, a black... ??

A white door materialized before the crowd. Unaware of what had transpired, Lang Gu turned to lead the group into the white portal.

"Lang Gu!"

A brilliant white light radiated from the doorway, illuminating the wandering souls.

The chains that had kept their spirits intact shattered; a wave of chilling energy spread out, nearly disintegrating these spectral beings from the underworld instantaneously.

In a split second, Xie Fangcheng swung his hand. Even faster than his action was the golden light emanating from him.

The full burst of golden light enveloped everyone, preserving the integrity of the disbanding souls.

Only then did Lang Gu turn around.

Bathed in golden light, Lang Gu's expression remained serene.

What on Earth was happening?

They had already left the game. No matter how cunning Ji Chaoyang was, it was impossible for him to control Lang Gu in the real world directly from the game!

Wrapped in golden light, Lang Gu glanced once more at the souls behind him.

"They're lucky to have met you, Manager Xie."

"What are you talking about?"

Lang Gu chuckled and waved at Xie Fangcheng, deliberately stepping out of the protective radius of the golden light.

The white light originated from the divine realm, possessing fatal potency even against lower-ranked spectral agents fueled by dark energy.

Lang Gu closed his eyes tranquilly, quickly fading away into the white radiance. From that moment on, there was no more Judge Lang Gu in the world.

Without time to ponder what had just happened, Xie Fangcheng strode forward against the white light and shut the luminous door.

Everything had happened incredibly fast, but not fast enough to outpace the tribulation lightning that had already formed overhead.

The heavens were enraged.

Initially, some time had been given to the transgressor to face his punishment.

But that individual had only intensified his defiance, daring to share his divine golden light with many others.

Hues of purple flickered.

Jie Fangcheng looked up.

In the next second, without time for any more words of caution, he forcefully propelled himself from the ground, rocketing toward the looming purple tribulation lightning.