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After Retiring From the Underworld, I Entered an Infinite Game

Chapter 261: Heart of the Dragon

Serenity.

As Xie Fangcheng stepped onto the dragon scale, he felt an unprecedented calm.

With each step he took forward, the surrounding black data streams struggled, fracturing to reveal the luminescent scales beneath.

The immaculate scales stretched seemingly endlessly—almost.

Xie Fangcheng looked ahead, and faintly discerned that beyond this sea of scales, countless other vast scales extended.

It was hard to fathom how colossal this dragon must have been when even a single scale was almost vaster than a mini-world. It must have been truly magnificent in its prime.

Just as this thought crossed Xie Fangcheng's mind, it felt as though a fragment of memory emerged.

Beneath an immense, towering tree, a young dragon with gleaming horns rested in the shade.

It must have been a dragon favored by the cosmos. Though young, a white mist encircled it protectively, and even the wind, when it passed, caressed its horns gently.

There was no sun in the sky, only a vast expanse of shimmering, surreal light.

Beneath the colossal tree stood towering mountains, verdant and lush, where countless saplings, akin to the great tree, thrived under its protective shadow, reaching skyward.

Upon a closer look, the mountain beneath the young dragon was not that tall, nor the trees particularly vast.

Beyond this primordial realm, there were vast mountains and endless deserts.

In a blink, forests rose and were battered by rain, then fell under the force of thunder.

Lofty mountains, suspended in midair, came into existence in a heartbeat, only to perish the next.

In this chaotic age, only the towering mountain beneath the dragon hinted at the emergence of something permanent.

There seemed to be entities coveting the young dragon, desiring to seize its 1.

Thus, the next moment, the young yet immensely powerful dragon opened its eyes.

At that very moment—

Surrounding the white dragon scales, numerous chains appeared, piercing the dragon's body, immobilizing it.

As the chains manifested, Xie Fangcheng felt a blow to his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood splattered onto the scales, disappearing as if absorbed, leaving only a fleeting glimmer on the lustrous dragon scales.

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Xie Fangcheng coughed twice and straightened up.

What was that?

Was it the dragon's memory?

It's peculiar... Why did the dragon's memories feel so familiar to Xie Fangcheng?

Moreover, that dragon had one black and one white eye.

Xie Fangcheng surveyed his surroundings.

Chains, thicker than a man, stretched endlessly. The origin of the black data stream was clear now—it was made from these chains.

The dense black data stream coursed through the dragon's body, brazenly revealing itself in front of Xie Fangcheng, even dancing provocatively.

The dragon scales quivered from the pull, the data stream flaunting its dominance, boasting of its conquest over such a formidable dragon.

Anger surged within Xie Fangcheng. He closed his eyes.

The next moment, even amidst the chaos of conflicting rules, Xie Fangcheng's surroundings hinted at a 2 he had set.

A cold wind abruptly rose!

Xie Fangcheng's eyes snapped open, his T-shirt and jeans gone. He donned a dark imperial robe, the coronet on his brow and the beaded curtain hanging from it barely concealing his heterochromic eyes.

A temple materialized behind him. Xie Fangcheng raised his right arm, and atop the temple, the statue of an emperor lowered its massive sword into his hand.

The tolling of bells and thunder roared.

Within the entire space, the 1 shifted as Xie Fangcheng took a step.

—Break!

A chain snapped in response.

The black data stream emitted an electronic wail, flickered, then plummeted onto the dragon scale, quickly turning to dust.

The remaining data stream chains immediately stilled, vanishing into the void.

Xie Fangcheng, appearing calm, returned the sword to the statue's hand. Inwardly, he shook out his tingling hand and swallowed the blood at his throat.

Damn it!

What on earth is this thing?

He thought bitterly.

Just then, he abruptly raised his head, looking behind.

"Show yourself!"

Xie Fangcheng's sword sliced through the air. The space where no one stood distorted momentarily, revealing a faint figure in a white coat. Then, with a flash of white light, the figure vanished.

"What in the world was that?"

Xie Fangcheng murmured.

The intruder's concealment was impeccable; had it not been for a sudden surge of killing intent, Xie Fangcheng would've hardly detected them. Their strength was evident.

He intended to continue forward, but in the next moment, a flash of white light blinded him, and he disappeared.

Only after both he and the voyeuristic figure had vanished did two individuals finally set foot on this white land, where the black data streams had almost entirely dissipated.

"Chairman!" Lu Congshan, pale-faced, exclaimed, "Who was that?"

Neither dared approach when Xie Fangcheng first stepped onto the dragon scale.

After all, as long-time players of "Do Not Respond", they knew the risks of blindly following a powerful BOSS. Countless were the cases of players getting ambushed.

One shouldn't be too confident in their own abilities or tracking skills; it's a common understanding among players.

The duo had been trailing from a distance, not even able to make out Xie Fangcheng's figure. However, when he drew his sword, the ethereal palace behind him almost materialized.

The majestic palace floated in midair, right above their heads. The enormous statue was like a mountain so grand that one dared not look straight at it.

They felt an overwhelming sense of awe, deep in their souls. They didn't dare to move or even breathe too loudly, fearing that any small sound might give them away.

Such power was unheard of. In the game "Do Not Respond," Zhāng Dàowú's abilities were already considered top-tier. Yet, comparing him to Jì Zhāoyáng and this newly appeared individual, their power levels were worlds apart.

Only when all was silent and the oppressive force seemed to dissipate did the two dare to step onto the dragon's scales.

This time, no dark data streams hindered them. They quickly reached the location where Jiě Fāngchéng had severed the chain with a single stroke.

Lù Cóngshān noticed nothing unusual, but Zhāng Dàowú heard intermittent system alerts in his ears.

The moment the successful login notification sounded, Zhāng Dàowú clutched his head in agony, collapsing to the ground.

Lù Cóngshān frantically asked, "What's wrong?" but Zhāng Dàowú was too overwhelmed to respond.

Dark data streams surged over him, threatening to consume his consciousness and body.

Suddenly, the dark data streams coursing through Zhāng Dàowú sliced through him like sharp blades.

Blood sprayed profusely onto the pristine dragon scales.

“Ahh!!!” Not only were the data streams inside Zhāng Dàowú churning, but the residual streams from the chains frightened away by Jiě Fāngchéng's strike also began to emerge, converging menacingly toward the fallen Zhāng Dàowú.

“Chairman!!”

Lù Cóngshān drew his weapon, the 13, but as it was about to activate, the ground—the very scales that had absorbed Jiě Fāngchéng's blood—seemed to "revive," reminiscent of parched land infused with moisture.

A misty veil rose from these rejuvenated scales, encircling the duo.

As soon as the white mist appeared, the agitated data streams scattered as if confronted by a predator. The pain on Zhāng Dàowú's face visibly eased.

Having already passed out, he naturally missed the ensuing system notifications.

Zzzz—

The buzzing of electrical currents followed, and the once frantic system alerts silenced.

A gentle voice took the place of the previously shrill electronic tone.

Unconscious, Zhāng Dàowú couldn't hear the system alerts, and neither could Lù Cóngshān.

Lù was uncertain about what had transpired, clutching onto the chairman's hand as though fearing for his safety.

Just then, a faint white glow gradually emerged on Zhāng Dàowú's body.

The glow was barely perceptible, as if the dragon scales below were squeezing out their last bit of vitality, striving to envelop him.

“Chairman?” Lù Cóngshān's voice trembled with anxiety.

Once the white light fully enveloped Zhāng Dàowú, it started to extend towards Lù Cóngshān.

This time, Lù did hear the system prompt echoing in his mind.

The system response was sluggish, seemingly ready to broadcast further, but in the next moment, the white glow completed its spread.

In the blink of an eye, as Lù Cóngshān regained his senses, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings.

They seemed to be in a forest of sorts, surrounded by massive tree roots, with a hint of green foliage drooping from above.

Before Lù could examine his environment, his attention was directed at the unconscious Zhāng Dàowú.

The bleeding on Zhāng Dàowú's body had ceased, and it appeared that the dark data streams had also vanished.

Lù Cóngshān sighed in relief.

Just as he was about to crouch down and assess Zhāng Dàowú's injuries, suddenly, two vines lunged at him from behind.

A vine wrapped around his waist, lifting him off the ground with ease.

Another seemed ready to do the same, but just as it was about to touch Zhāng Dào Wú, it hesitated and swiftly retracted.

Lù Cóng Shān struggled and looked in the direction of the encroaching vines.

"Who's there?"

Not far off, a golden-haired elf with pointed ears and a green crown sat on a swing made of vines. Her gaze was fixed intently on the unconscious Zhāng Dào Wú.

"...The Heart of the Dragon," the elf queen murmured. "Didn't 'Jì Dài' already take it back to its origin? Why is it here?"

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