Chapter 291: Birthplace (Twenty-Nine)

Chapter 291: Birthplace (Twenty-Nine)

Darkness.

As if submerged in an endless night.

Jie Fangcheng is sprawled... no, slouched in a chair woven by the Tree of Life. With the Ghost Eye lens close to his face, one leg is propped on the chair's armrest while the other is curled up, chuckling along with the video playing in the Ghost Eye with a "heh heh heh."

He continued to chuckle until a voice in the darkness called out, "Your Highness."

That voice was all too familiar.

Jie Fangcheng quickly straightened up and lifted the Ghost Eye AR glasses.

Before him, the endless night transformed into daylight in a blink. The lush Tree of Life's branches hung down, seemingly timid yet rebelliously forming a halo behind him - reminiscent of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, but this halo was green.

"Ah... Ming Qi." The prince scratched his head, "What is it?"

Zhuang Mingqi looked exasperated: "Didn't Your Highness say that after conquering the Divine Realm, you'd treat us to drinks?"

Ah?

Jie Fangcheng didn't recall but felt a vague realization.

He immediately nodded: "Right!"

No sooner had he spoken than a large group approached, laughing and joking. Upon seeing him, they simultaneously knelt.

"Your Highness! We've successfully captured the Sand City, as commanded!"

"Excellent!"

With a grand gesture from Jie Fangcheng, the surroundings shifted with his will. Beneath the Tree of Life, eight hundred sets of tables and chairs appeared from thin air.

The unpretentious prince summoned tables and chairs carved from the rarest of jades. They bore delicacies and fine wines, and elegant music seemed to emanate from the surroundings.

Zhuang Mingqi sat at a position lower than him, lifting his wine glass with a graceful smile.

"Cheers to our achieved desires! In mortal form, we've made the gods bow to us! Such a feat is unprecedented! Let's drink to this grand success!"

The eight hundred commanders, in all their ragtag glory, lifted their glasses in unison. Jie Fangcheng also raised his glass, taking a hearty drink.

Amidst the roaring laughter, one voice stood out, particularly sarcastic: "Zhuang Mingqi, I didn't expect you to ascend to the Divine Realm too! Weren't you supposed to have been long gone?"

Zhuang Mingqi grabbed a cup from the table and threw it: "You scoundrel! Get lost!"

The group erupted in laughter.

"Hey, Lao Qi, with comments like that, be careful or General Zhuang might shed a tear again."

"Our young General Zhuang is a scholar. He might not cry, but I bet he's about to recite some melancholic poetry!"

"What do you mean 'he might not cry'? Hasn't young General Zhuang cried enough? He cries when he loses, cries when he wins. Old Niu here hasn't shed as many tears in his lifetime as Zhuang does in one bout. Hahaha!"

"Stop picking on our Deputy General! That's not cool, Old Niu!"

The group was a cacophony of voices, laughing, eating meat, and drinking heavily. The atmosphere was lively.

They had so many tales to share.

They spoke of the Kingdom of Ru, of deities, of the Kingdom of Yi, of the Luoxia Pass. Everyone was flushed with excitement, their eyes alight.

"I wish we could go back to Luoxia Pass and campaign with His Highness once more!"

The endless delicacies and intoxicating drinks made the banquet an exhilarating affair, with the Crown Prince simply watching with a smile.

They talked for what felt like ages, pouring out all their stories and feelings, before turning their attention to the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, how have you been lately?"

Jie Fangcheng nodded.

"Very well, at the Underworld 007, where the boss would paint pies... oh, there's no boss anymore."

"Ah?" Zhuang Mingqi asked, "So, what does Your Highness plan to do next?"

"In the future," Jie Fangcheng leaned back into his chair, stretching comfortably, "I'm thinking of taking a vacation."

At the mere thought, a surge of anger bubbled up within Manager Jie.

Damn it! They had promised him a vacation, yet he was busier than ever, even more so than at 007!

"Perhaps..." Zhuang Mingqi hesitated, "Would Your Highness like to stay with us for a while, to rest?"

The eight hundred ghost generals nodded in agreement.

"Yes, please, take a break with us!"

Jie Fangcheng looked at them, scratching his head.

"Well, it's not out of the question..."

"Then we can feast and drink together every day! And not return home until we're thoroughly inebriated!"

"We can also set up an arena for combat! I haven't had a good workout in ages, hahaha!"

"Your Highness, you once promised to teach me the art of warfare. Now seems like the perfect time!"

The Crown Prince, with a smile, obliged to their every request.

The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, smiles painted on every face.

At that moment, Jie Fangcheng sensed something and abruptly looked up.

The vibrant chatter instantly subdued.

After a brief silence, Zhuang Mingqi stepped forward, "Your Highness, go ahead."

The Crown Prince gazed at them.

The expressions of the eight hundred ghost generals resonated with understanding.

"Your Highness, you've done so much for us. Don't hold yourself back here any longer," Zhuang Mingqi said earnestly. "Everything that happened was by our choice. You've been burdened with guilt for so long. But Your Highness, is the salvation of the world solely your responsibility?"

"But... in the end, I couldn't save the Kingdom of Ru."

"Indeed, we failed," Zhuang Mingqi said with a smile. "You've endured the torment of this failure for so many years. It's time to let go."

Let go?

By the banks of the River Styx, four chains suddenly appeared.

The ghost officials passing by frowned at the sight. This time, instead of muttering "What is Jie Fangcheng up to now?", they said, "Quickly inform Lord Yama. The chains binding Master Jie are moving."

Having run the initial version of "Three Thousand Worlds" for so long, even the most conservative ghost officials of the Qing faction roughly knew what had transpired.

Though some saw Jie Fangcheng, the finance manager, as an unpredictable element and even a malignancy, they also recognized now wasn't the time for internal strife.

Beyond their realm, myriad other worlds existed, connected by a ruthless game.

The Qing faction ghost officials were strict and bureaucratic, adhering to rules at every turn.

But that didn't mean they lacked a basic sense of justice.

Look at the lives led by the players of "Three Thousand Worlds!"

Their underworld was meant for punishing evil spirits. The Eighteen Levels of Hell still preserved their crudest instruments of torture.

But they were just fiery mountains and seas of blades! Those who committed wrongs deserved their punishments, even if it meant suffering a thousand deaths!

But what about the innocents? Were they doomed by association?

Their realm, after all, was a place to mete out justice. Would they, too, face the same unlucky fate?

The underworld now stands united in enmity, preparing to bolster its strength and expand its operations into "The Three Thousand Realms."

No matter how venomous Jie Fangcheng might be, or how much the ghost envoys of the Qing faction despise him, he's still an official of the underworld!

At this moment, the slightest disturbance of the chains was immediately reported to the upper management.

Soon after, Xue Li appeared on the banks of the River Styx.

His gaze penetrated the depths of the dark waters, focusing on the sealed individual.

The sealed person was enveloped in swirling ghostly energies, as if trying to awaken but missing a crucial catalyst.

Xue Li's golden wheel materialized in his hand, striking fiercely at the chains that bound him.

The two chains descending from the heavens have decayed. As the only remaining ruler of the Fourth Hall and the current highest authority in the underworld, who else is more qualified to release the chains the underworld has imposed on this fierce ghost?

The four chains snapped instantly. Suddenly, wails and howls echoed, with ghostly energy sweeping like an incoming tide, rapidly enveloping the dream-returning fish in the River Styx and converging on the fierce ghost.

The next second, the figure at the river's bottom opened his eyes and vanished.

Meanwhile—

By the Tree of Life, the Chairman roared like a madman, his frame sustained by streams of dark data, crawling over him like ants.

Blood and severed limbs slickly covered the ground around him. Players were respawning slower than he could kill them.

Yan Gui, Sea God, and the Duke – all three had been vanquished. In a flash of thought, countless calculated data streamed from Zhang Daoan to the trunk of the Tree of Life, inputting for the next computation.

Yan Gui and the other two were "killed" by him.

Similar to Satan, once their connection was severed, the trio reverted to their original states upon entering the game, devoid of any divine powers granted by the Dragon God. They simply couldn't match the might of other players.

Only the Chairman remained.

He had copied the game data into his mental space. Now, it's unclear whether he's controlling the current version of "The Three Thousand Realms" or if this latest system is controlling him.

"I'll kill you!"

Clearing the surrounding intercepting players, the Chairman summoned a halberd in his hand, slashing in Zhang Daoan's direction.

Zhang Daoan, without a change in expression, hugged Jie Fangcheng close with one arm, while the other transformed into a mechanical tentacle, whisking them both away from the attack.

The existing game version may not process as fast as he can, but there's simply too much data.

It takes time to relocate the Chairman's personal data amongst the massive amount and then sever it.

No, there's more: he also needs to be wary of a possible counterattack from the system if it loses all control.

Given enough time without any enemies, Zhang Daoan was confident he could achieve it.

Even though he now only possesses a fraction of the main system's capabilities, the technological difference between him and the rest is like night and day.

Time, that's all he needed.

Players could respawn, but not only could Zhang Daoan create simulated instances allowing players to teleport here, the Chairman, possessing the current game version's system, had an unparalleled advantage.

He was incessantly destroying the teleportation channels to prevent player transport.

At last, the opportune moment arrived—

The halberd swung down once more, and this time, Zhang Daoan truly had no escape.

His back, akin to a metamorphosing butterfly, suddenly unfurled two crimson defensive wings.

It was a skill he had once acquired in "Do Not Respond."

The fragile yet tenacious red threads slowed the halberd's strike upon him, sending both him and Jie Fangcheng flying.

Upon landing, Zhang Daoan quickly reestablished the teleportation channel, and players began to materialize once again.

However, they were still at a distance, and the Chairman's next attack was imminent.

With no time to unfurl his defenses again, Zhang Daoan, his back to the Chairman, hastily raised a shield reminiscent of an eggshell, clutching Jie Fangcheng close.

By calculation, his body might be rendered useless after this blow, but with bones, flesh, and mechanical protection, Jie Fangcheng would be unharmed.

Players could take him back. As for Zhang Daoan… as a system, how could he not have backups?

Without needing repairs, he could reconstruct a new body and rejoin the players in their assault.

If given enough time, the Chairman stood no chance.

Just then, as the Chairman's furious blow descended, a seemingly ordinary hand reached out from within the defensive eggshell, gripping his raging attack firmly.

The hand faced no resistance as it penetrated the eggshell— naturally, the main system granted him full access and would never hinder him.

The Chairman stared blankly at the eggshell.

As the eggshell dissolved, Zhang Daoan gave a soft chuckle, focusing on breaching the current system of "The Three Thousand Realms."

In his embrace, Jie Fangcheng, held securely by him, opened his eyes. His free hand clutched Zhang Daoan in return, and a pair of eyes peeked over Zhang Daoan's shoulder.

One black, one white, both quietly observing the Chairman.

The next second, Jie Fangcheng lightly twisted his hand.

The halberd snapped accordingly.

The Chairman took two steps back in astonishment, quickly replacing his shock with an expression of wrath and, surprisingly, a hint of grievance.

"Dragon God... you..."

Jie Fangcheng rested his chin on Zhang Daoan's shoulder, flexing his finger and flicking it towards the Chairman through the air.

Explosive ghostly energy intermingled with the overwhelming power of rules, instantly sending the Chairman flying.

Jie Fangcheng cocked his head, clicking his tongue in puzzlement.

"Seeing me and not fleeing? Where did you get the audacity to confront me?"