Chapter 233: The Immortal Palace

Chapter 233: The Immortal Palace

Jie Fangcheng certainly had significant influence. As soon as he returned, the news spread as if it had legs. In the blink of an eye, all four Yama Kings were informed.

When Jie Fangcheng left originally, although he only left a report for Cui Jue, being a diligent Netherworld civil servant, Cui Jue promptly reported the reasons and objectives behind Jie Fangcheng's departure.

While the orthodox envoys clamored daily to expel Jie Fangcheng from the Netherworld, supposedly to maintain its peace and stability, the upper echelons of the Netherworld knew very well that without him, the entire realm would be in chaos.

He navigated the gray areas, addressing issues the rules couldn't resolve and protecting those the regulations couldn't shield.

Some questioned why such a significant responsibility was given to Jie Fangcheng, a genuinely formidable ghost. The Finance Department had recruited before, but over the years, only Jie Fangcheng seemed truly fit for the role. He was immensely powerful without losing his humanity, abiding by the rules most of the time but flexible when needed. Even if some of the Yama Kings had minor reservations about him, none ever contested the propriety of his actions in the Netherworld.

Such an indispensable figure, however, suddenly left the Netherworld for a game called "Three Thousand Realms."

But what could they do? The Yama Kings were no fools. Upon reflection, they realized that in the entire Netherworld, only Jie Fangcheng possessed the strength to traverse the depths and seek the truth within the game. Over the past two months, countless secret meetings had taken place.

The Netherworld, having existed for countless years, wouldn't crumble due to the absence of just one individual.

Thus, during this period, as the personnel structure was reorganized and a vast number of temporary and intern positions were filled, the Netherworld rapidly transitioned into a new phase.

Just when everyone had come to terms with Jie Fangcheng's potential long-term absence—or even the possibility that he might resurface after centuries—he suddenly returned.

The collapse of the minor realm was of monumental importance. As soon as they heard of his return, many immediately convened in the meeting room, expecting him to report on the game situation immediately. However, after waiting for quite some time, a flustered envoy finally burst in.

"My lords! There's trouble!"

Cui Jue instantly stood up and inquired, "What happened?"

"Jie Fangcheng... he... he..."

"What about him?"

In the next moment, everyone came to understand what "he did."

"Yo!" Jie Fangcheng, sword casually slung over one shoulder, swaggered into the conference room, waving at everyone with a grin. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The attendees exchanged puzzled glances.

Cui Jue, being closer to Jie, quickly asked, "What's all this about?"

Jie Fangcheng, without beating around the bush, stated his intention succinctly, "I want to restart 'Do Not Respond.'"

A silence filled the room before Cui Jue blurted, "You want what?"

"I want to restart 'Do Not Respond,'" Jie Fangcheng repeated patiently.

"Excuse me?"

Jie Fangcheng slammed his sword down onto the table for emphasis.

Cui Jue nodded slowly, "Ah, you want to restart 'Do Not Respond.'"

This time, everyone got the message.

But the first thought that sprang to everyone's mind was, "Why?"

Jie Fangcheng had worked in the Netherworld for many years. Even if he didn't interact much with others, they were still colleagues. He wouldn't act without providing an explanation.

So, Jie Fangcheng briefly outlined his discoveries in the 'Three Thousand Realms' and his subsequent thoughts.

"So, you mean to say you want the players, who previously emerged from 'Do Not Respond,' to regain their in-game tools and skills to protect the Netherworld?" Wheel King Xue Li sensed a hint of absurdity.

He reminded Jie Fangcheng, "Leaving other issues aside, while the game's tools and skills seem formidable and may offer minor assistance to common spirits, you know as well as I do that their real power is negligible!"

Jie Fangcheng was well aware of this, so he responded, "That's why I believe we should increase the Yin energy allocation upon restarting the game."

Given that the tools and skills were molded from Yin energy, Jie Fangcheng's solution was straightforward: If the power was insufficient, simply amplify the concentration of the Yin energy. With a high concentration, how could it remain weak?

"That won't work." No sooner had Jie Fangcheng finished speaking than someone voiced an objection. "These players haven't passed the Netherworld's formal employee evaluation. Remember, the emergence of 'Do Not Respond' was due to granting temporary staff too many privileges, leading to the severe consequences we faced!"

Jie Fangcheng hadn't told them that 'Do Not Respond' might have been the handiwork of the East Peak God King. Explaining this theory would be too complicated, especially since it remained speculative and he lacked concrete evidence. Thus, in their eyes, 'Do Not Respond' was still the product of that programmer.

At this point, Jie Fangcheng, unwilling to get bogged down in arguments, directly challenged them, "So, what do you suggest? Do you have a better solution?"

As soon as he spoke, everyone in the conference room was momentarily taken aback, but quickly grasped his meaning.

No matter what, Jie Fangcheng is set on entering the game "Three Thousand Worlds". Without him, if a powerful player enters this small world or if any catastrophic changes occur within, can the current underworld alone withstand such dangers?

Though none wished to admit it, everyone shared the same answer deep down.

"But it's too risky. No one can guarantee that these players genuinely support the underworld or truly wish to be 'guardians'."

The sheer number of players now is overwhelming. If we reboot the game and intensify the infusion of dark energy as Jie Fangcheng suggested, it may indeed amplify the players' powers in a short time. Yet, simultaneously, it unleashes a force beyond the underworld's control.

Jie Fangcheng didn't have a better solution either: "I'm not versed in management, but this is the only idea I can think of now."

He picked up his sword and stood up: "You all think about it. Old Cui."

Cui Jue looked up in confusion: "Hmm?"

"Where's the game now? Maybe you can take me to see it first?"

"Oh, right." Cui Jue rose, hesitatingly glancing at the Fourth Yama.

Xue Li nodded at him, and only then did Cui Jue follow Jie Fangcheng out of the conference room.

As soon as they stepped outside the door, Cui Jue said, "I think you have a point."

Over time, as the judge, Cui Jue had the most contact with players. The more he interacted, the clearer it became that the choices players made in the game were often not their true intent but circumstances beyond their control.

To put it plainly, these spirits are no different from those who died in the real world and entered the underworld. Their only misfortune was entering that brutal infinite game before arriving at the underworld.

The line between good and evil in humans is often thin, especially in such games. Judging them solely based on their actions in the game seems quite unfair.

Hearing Cui Jue's words, Jie Fangcheng beside him wholeheartedly agreed, nodding.

Still, Cui Jue had concerns: "What if they disagree?"

Jie Fangcheng swung the sword in his hand.

Cui Jue paused, startled: "If they disagree, you're really prepared to take action?"

Jie Fangcheng responded candidly, "Of course I'd genuinely fight. It wouldn’t be the first time after all."

Back in the game "Do Not Respond", Jie Fangcheng once mentioned that there was an individual in the underworld who attempted a revolution and failed. That individual was Jie Fangcheng himself.

At that time, with the help of eight hundred ghostly generals, he nearly turned the underworld upside down.

However, they later realized they targeted the wrong enemy; the real adversary was the celestial realm. As a result, the group waged war on the celestial beings, eventually forcing them to change the reincarnation rules for the people of Ru Nation.

Consequently, as part of the agreement, Jie Fangcheng accepted a seal.

Now, mentioning the possibility of taking action again, Jie Fangcheng looked calm, but he clearly wasn't joking.

"You really are..." Cui Jue struggled to find the right words for a moment.

As they chatted, they arrived at the archive area. After searching for a bit in the records room, Cui Jue produced a key.

"I should warn you first, that game is in a bad state now. After we seized it, most of the game data was destroyed. The game was maintained by the Book of Life and Death, which is now missing. To truly restore it without a skilled IT programmer, it might take a very long time."

Saying this, Cui Jue led Jie Fangcheng into the Eighteenth Hell.

Ever since "Do Not Respond" was archived, all related materials and systems have been sealed in the Eighteenth Hell.

There's no concern about someone stealing it because the database is significantly damaged and unbootable. For now, it's practically junk.

Jie Fangcheng had anticipated this: "Let's take a look first."

Cui Jue unlocked the room storing the game.

Instead of the high-tech scene Jie Fangcheng imagined, what met his eyes looked like a massive MMO game server room. Countless turned-off servers and computer cases were piled up, exuding an aesthetic reminiscent of a clearance sale.

After the game was seized, Cui Jue and his team had studied it. Now, he adeptly connected the dark energy—similar to how electricity is used in the human world, underworld's advanced equipment runs on dark energy.

In the underworld, although dark energy is everywhere, the ambient dark energy is like free electrons. Even if abundant, it can't be used directly. A special device is required to convert it into machine-usable "electron dark energy".

At this moment, as Cui Jue powered the machines, the room's lights and surrounding servers soon illuminated.

"We tried before and managed to access the game's interface," Cui Jue said, operating a machine. Shortly after, a "ding" sound echoed in the server room.

"Ding—Welcome... to... the... instance..."

"Ding—System... searching..."

"Ding..."

The intermittent system notifications clearly indicated the game's state of disrepair.

"Have you consulted any programmers?" Jie Fangcheng continued, "What about the programmer who created this game?"

Cui Jue shook his head, "They've disappeared. Likely their soul has been scattered, as even Lord Xue couldn't locate it."

"I see."

Jie Fangcheng surveyed the surroundings.

The machinery was alien to him, clearly beyond his control.

But there was something that might be able to.

—The Book of Life and Death.

Or perhaps the white Dream-Returning Fish.

While Jie Fangcheng wasn't entirely clear on the fish's story, the fact that it could nestle inside the now barely intact cover of the Book of Life and Death, transforming into blank pages, indicated a clear connection.

But currently, the Dream-Returning Fish was recuperating in Jie Fangcheng's mental space.

He wasn't Professor Zhang, able to freely traverse his mental realm.

Previously, his entrances into this mental space were mainly guided by the Dream-Returning Fish... with one notable exception.

In the kindergarten instance, facing unresolved inner demons, he forcibly shared his memories with Zhang SiQuan, which resulted in him fainting from spitting blood.

After fainting, he had also journeyed into his mental realm.

Should he try confronting his inner demons to see if he could return to that mental space?

Hesitation wasn't in Jie Fangcheng's nature. He quickly closed his eyes.

Sceneries flashed before him and in an instant, a familiar vista appeared before Jie Fangcheng.

This time... he was at the Sunset Pass.

"Your Highness!"

In the midst of confronting his inner demons, Jie Fangcheng heard a familiar voice and swiftly turned his head.

The sun was a crimson hue.

"...Ye Yi, Ming Qi."

Qi Ye Yi's brows were furrowed. He approached, his gaze filled with concern as he looked into the distance.

"That... that's an immortal! Your Highness, are we really going to stop an immortal?"

Jie Fangcheng followed his gaze.

Not far from the Sunset Pass, a phantom-like celestial palace loomed above the boundless Sand City.

Da Ru was not a powerful nation. At that time, it was surrounded by formidable states. Historically, Ru Nation and Yi Nation had been sworn enemies. Recently, Yi Nation had sneak-attacked the Sunset Pass, taking advantage of the guard's laxity, and upon entry, slaughtered the city's populace.

The crown prince, donned in silver armor, hastened thousands of miles to the Sunset Pass, breaking through enemy lines and vanquishing the invaders.

The practice of cultivation was a strong tradition in Ru Nation, resulting in a scarcity of available soldiers. Jie Fangcheng had been stationed at the Sunset Pass for over half a year, training soldiers to become warriors.

He had to push back, drive the enemy troops of Yi Nation to their capital.

But no one could have anticipated... that one day, a celestial palace would emerge above the Sand City of Yi Nation.