Chapter 226: The Meat Grinder (VII)

Chapter 226: The Meat Grinder (VII)

"Stolen??" Jie Fangcheng was perplexed.

Yan Yun nodded, and a virtual screen displayed a few dates.

"Assuming our speculation is correct, Ji Dai is a player from 'Three Thousand Worlds' and entered the small world you guard for some reason. From your memory, Dong Yue Shenjun appeared quite early, earlier than two thousand years ago, right?"

"Yes," Jie Fangcheng confirmed.

"When did you first see the 'Ghost Eye'?"

Jie Fangcheng recalled, "About fifteen hundred years ago, not long after the end of the Great Netherworld War, he bestowed his divine eye upon me."

Gods, immortals, spirits, and monsters—once any of these beings cultivate to their peak, their bodies can produce treasured artifacts. In other words, any part of their body can become a powerful talisman.

Dong Yue Shenjun's gift wasn't about literally gouging out an eye and placing it on Jie Fangcheng. It was more like granting specific privileges.

Jie Fangcheng's eyes remained his, but upon receiving the divine eye, they should have acquired the ability to see through the goodness and evil of hearts and the cycle of karma.

However, Jie Fangcheng was exceptional. In a strict sense, Netherworld officials could also be seen as another type of deity. Even though they carry yin energy in their bodies, in essence, yin energy and divine power are related.

Jie Fangcheng was different. He was a genuine malevolent spirit, burdened by karma, and because of his fragmented soul, he struggled to store yin energy, having an abundance of ghost energy instead.

Under these circumstances, the divine privileges the God Emperor's divine eye could offer Jie Fangcheng were limited.

The power to see through the morality of hearts was reduced to merely sensing the foul stench from those who were utterly wicked. As for understanding the cycle of karma, how could Jie Fangcheng, a spirit meant to have no future, discern the path of reincarnation in others?

At that time, Jie Fangcheng did lack some qualities. Unlike other Netherworld officials, he didn't naturally intimidate spirits nor could he instantly identify his target.

But considering his sheer strength, did Jie Fangcheng really need any intimidating aura to capture any malevolent spirit?

Yet, for some unknown reason, Dong Yue Shenjun was adamant about bestowing his divine eye upon Jie Fangcheng.

Even when almost all voices in the Netherworld opposed the idea, Dong Yue Shenjun remained resolute.

After giving his divine eye to Jie Fangcheng, Dong Yue Shenjun would lose some of his associated powers.

Regardless, Dong Yue Shenjun was willing to face the consequences of losing these abilities to implant the divine eye, making it a ghost eye.

What did he see through this ghost eye?

Yan Yun, who was in front of him, continued his analysis, "Based on what we currently know, this ghost eye is essential, possessing other effects unknown to us. If this was Dong Yue Shenjun's artifact, why didn't he implant it earlier?"

Anticipating Jie Fangcheng's response, Yan Yun explained, "It's unlikely to have been left behind by someone who entered the small world later. From what we know, since the leaders of the six major guilds value this artifact so highly, its original owner must've been mighty, at least far stronger than the five players including the fallen elf."

Consider this: Yan Ge went to evaluate the ghost eye, and then he disappeared.

Shortly after, Xiao Qi and the others were deceived into the Demon Domain.

Satan not only desired this artifact but also regarded the lives of these five players as expendable.

If the previous guardian of the ghost eye wasn't strong, the artifact would have long been in the hands of one of the guild leaders.

Thus, if a later owner of the ghost eye entered the small world and was defeated by Dong Yue Shenjun, who then acquired the artifact...

Apart from anything else, these events wouldn't have transpired so silently without even Jie Fangcheng noticing.

Jie Fangcheng, who knew Dong Yue Shenjun's strength better, quickly understood Yan Yun's explanation.

"Indeed," Jie Fangcheng nodded, "It seems very likely that the ghost eye was an artifact Ji Dai brought himself."

Yan Yun resumed, "Moreover, I believe that before he implanted the ghost eye, Ji Dai might have met someone who knew how to use it."

"Why do you say that?"

A virtual screen in front of the two simulated the piece of paper Jie Fangcheng had previously mentioned, found in Dong Yue Shenjun's office.

Back then, they discovered a tool pen named "Answer" and identified three questions with two answers.

The first question read: [Who are those coming from the depths of hell?]

The answer was: [Players]

The paper's age suggests it's at least fifteen hundred years old, and the players' invasion took place before the Netherworld War.

Yan Yun then deduced, "Dong Yue Shenjun is not impulsive. Yet, at the time, he was determined to thoroughly investigate the Netherworld's misdemeanors, even risking the Netherworld War. I believe he might have obtained some information or artifacts during the player invasion that made him aware of a threat."

"What kind of threat?" Jie Fangcheng couldn't help but ask.

"After the Netherworld War, the Divine Realm closed its gates. According to the clues you found in the Divine Realm, not long after the war, cracks appeared in the realm's horizon. Sometime later, the entire Divine Realm became a wasteland, with its divine power gone."

Yan Yun questioned, "Had the Netherworld not distinguished its boundaries from the Divine Realm, what would have happened?"

What would have happened to the Netherworld...

Naturally, Jie Fangcheng knew the answer.

"The deities of the Divine Realm have always looked down on the Netherworld. Without clear boundaries, those deities might treat the Netherworld as a secondary Divine Realm."

Yin energy and divine power share the same origin, merely manifesting differently.

Without the Netherworld War, without purging those who betrayed the Netherworld for the Divine Realm, without a single war that terrified the Divine Realm causing them to remain secluded—even when cracks formed in their horizon and their divine power dissipated—they feared facing threats on two fronts.

In that case, would the Netherworld still exist today?

Having dealt with those deities, Jie Fangcheng was well-aware of their character.

"Dong Yue Shenjun might have learned some information from the players who arrived in the small world. And there's something else I'm curious about."

The virtual screen before Yan Yun shifted, showing an abstract model of the Netherworld's depths.

It was constructed based on Jie Fangcheng's description.

"The third question: [How to close the passage?]."

Jie Fangcheng entered the "Three Thousand Worlds" from the very depths of the Underworld, suggesting that this portal could very well be located at the bottom of the Underworld.

"The deity of the Eastern Peak was inquiring about how to seal the passage. Clearly, he wants to close it, but not to prevent the inhabitants of the small world from accessing the 'Three Thousand Worlds'."

Naturally.

The chaos at the depths of the Underworld was so alarming even for Jie Fangcheng. There's no need to seal it; it's incredibly challenging for the denizens of the small world to traverse through the Underworld to reach the "Three Thousand Worlds".

If the intention isn't to block that route, then closing the portal might be to stop players from "Three Thousand Worlds" from entering the small world.

Jie Fangcheng furrowed his brows, struggling to keep up with the robot's line of thought: "I'm a bit lost."

The robot patiently summarized, "Let me start from the beginning."

"Ji Dai was originally a player from the 'Three Thousand Worlds'. For some reason, he stole the Ghost Eye and then entered the small world you guard. Within the small world, he became assimilated, forgetting his player origins and transformed into the guardian deity of the Eastern Peak. Just before the great battle in the Underworld, other players entered the small world. These players might have brought some information, leading the deity of the Eastern Peak to realize that the divine realm could collapse... or perhaps your small world might crumble. Hence, he initiated the great battle in the Underworld to clearly distinguish the divine realm from the Underworld, with the goal to protect the Underworld."

"After ensuring the safety of the Underworld, he encountered the second wave of players. One could discern from the hurried nature of his second question that he was pressed for time and the question lacked substance."

Indeed, the second question was, "Why have players appeared again?"

This question clearly wasn't well thought out. The pen he used to write the "answer" was transparent, revealing the ink level inside. The deity of the Eastern Peak, not one to be careless, wouldn't pose such an inconsequential question, especially when knowing that his tool had limited use.

He was likely panicked.

"Clearly, the arrival of this wave of players caught him off-guard, making him quite anxious. I believe his unexpected agitation might be because this second wave of players arrived shortly after the great Underworld battle, during a time when the Underworld was still recuperating."

Jie Fangcheng understood, "So, you think that among the second wave of players, someone knew about the Ghost Eye and how to use it, and informed the deity of the Eastern Peak. Hence, he was so adamant about securing it."

"Exactly," the robot added meticulously, "However, considering the scarcity of clues, everything I've deduced so far is merely speculative based on the available information."

But this speculation holds significant weight.

"Who informed him about how to use the Ghost Eye?"

"Unclear," Yan Xun replied, "But judging by the demeanor of the five S-rank players from the Fallen Elves, at least the average players wouldn’t be privy to it."

Jie Fangcheng nodded thoughtfully, "But in any case, Satan surely knows."

Once he's out, he'll seek out Satan for some "clarifications".

"Is there anything else?" Jie Fangcheng looked at Yan Xun, "So, it's possible that 'Do Not Answer' was penned by the Deity of the Eastern Peak?"

"It seems likely."

The Deity of the Eastern Peak is indeed a competent guardian, but why would he opt to craft such an infinite game?

Jie Fangcheng detests 'Do Not Answer'. The game exploits human kindness and amplifies malice.

However...

"The Deity of the Eastern Peak... he's genuinely a good person," Jie Fangcheng whispered.

In contrast, as a guardian, Jie Fangcheng is constantly at odds with the Heavenly Dao. He even once stormed the divine realm, almost decimating it at the time. Of course, the cost wasn't just his life alone.

After all, Jie Fangcheng is the King of Ten Thousand Spirits. It can be said that if he truly lost his sanity back then and fully unleashed all his restraints, not just the divine realm but also the human world and the Underworld would be obliterated.

He isn't exactly a competent guardian. Strictly speaking, he isn't the guardian of the small world.

He is a guardian crafted by Da Ru.

Perhaps as a human, Jie Fangcheng was chosen by the small world, needed for his formidable guardian capabilities.

Yet, the human Jie Fangcheng eventually met his end.

His transformation into a vengeful spirit and subsequent reappearance in the human realm had nothing to do with the Heavenly Dao, the divine realm, or the Underworld.

It was the people of Da Ru who summoned him back, offering their flesh and souls as a sacrifice.

But the Deity of the Eastern Peak, since taking up his duties, has always acted with the welfare of the world in mind.

Therefore, even after discovering that he might be the creator of the 'Do Not Answer' game, Jie Fangcheng still believed that the Deity of the Eastern Peak had his reasons.

On this matter, Yan Xun, another guardian of the small world, would have a more authoritative perspective.

"We don't really know the function of the Ghost Eye, but since it's an eye... I guess it might see things we can't. Perhaps the truth behind the crumbling of the small world, or events yet to unfold. Considering the six major guilds place such importance on it, I'm inclined to think the Ghost Eye reveals the 'essence' of things."

As he spoke, the virtual screen in front of Yan Xun constantly shifted.

"For instance, why does a matchstick burn? According to our understanding, from a chemical viewpoint, the reaction between sulfur and oxygen releases heat, igniting the paraffin and setting the matchstick alight. But what about a deeper understanding? Looking at it from a molecular level or an even smaller scale — every mysterious phenomenon can ultimately have a logical explanation. If the Ghost Eye is that significant, I believe it reveals the 'essence' of things."

This proposition immediately made Jie Fangcheng think of: "Permissions."

The robot seemed to process this for a moment before nodding, "That's one way to put it. But permissions are 'granted', while 'essence' is about dissecting. Once the 'essence' is understood, 'permissions' can be mass-produced."

If that's the case, it would explain why even the presidents of the six major guilds are so concerned about a mere A-level artifact.

"After the Deity of the Eastern Peak integrated those eyes, he might have seen something," Yan Xun deduced, stepping into the deity's shoes. "I speculate... he might have foreseen the future of his small world... He created 'Do Not Answer', seemingly trying to use the game to acclimate people to such a dungeon environment."

Why adapt to the dungeon environment?

Jie Fangcheng almost instantly had the answer.

"Which means, the small world I reside in might eventually turn into a battleground even more brutal than the hunting grounds."

Within the hunting grounds, the entry of players is restricted.

For instance, the interval between the opening of each dungeon is considerable, and there's a fixed number of players that can enter a hunting ground.

Moreover, powerful guardians inherently protect the hunting grounds, much like the present small world where, despite the external desolation, life being extinct, and humanity on the brink.

Look at the current Verdant Isle; as its guardian, Yan Xun has still managed to carve out an oasis amidst the desert.

Within these hunting grounds, the societal norms haven't shifted dramatically.

True, they're on the edge of oblivion. But when facing such dire straits, humans band together, fostering a more harmonious societal atmosphere.

But in the game 'Do Not Answer', the environment is overtly anti-social.

The wicked and malevolent thrive, while the virtuous and just are often betrayed.

This extremely dystopian environment couldn't possibly be the future the Deity of the Eastern Peak envisioned.

"So he aims to prepare everyone in advance?"

The horrors occurring within the game might one day descend upon the entire small world. When that day comes, and the unprepared denizens of the small world suddenly face such scenarios, they might experience a mortality rate exceeding 90%, akin to newcomers first entering 'Do Not Answer'.

Is this a sort of rehearsal, then?

"That's also why he intends to seal the portal... but it might be unsealable." Hence, the usually magnanimous deity had to resort to extreme measures.

Jie Fangcheng remained silent for a while, then finally asked, "What should I do?"

If the portal remains forever open, turning his small world into a place even more terrifying than the hunting grounds, what could Jie Fangcheng do to prevent such an outcome?

"Go find the true master of [Ghost Eye]," Yan Xun said, shaking his head. "No, rather, go find the true founder of 'Three Thousand Worlds.' He should have the answers."