Chapter 194: End of Dungeon Stage B

[He died in the end, after all.]

He...

Yan Jing's gaze dropped to the bleached bones that used to be Wei Nantian. A ripple of emotion broke the previous calm in his eyes.

[By any standard of measurement, his life was not a success. He was not a competent husband, a competent commander, a competent son, a competent friend, or even... a competent father.]

[But the meaning of life lies in the fact that there are no standard judgments to begin with.]

[What you didn't anticipate was that Wei Bufan never called him 'Dad' or 'Father' a single time in his life, leaving a fairly significant flaw in the plan.]

[Did he see through it in the end, or didn't he?]

[Some questions will never be answered.]

[Just like how you, completely ignorant of a father's love, ultimately chose to continue using Wei Bufan as bait when forced to decide.]

[As if you were absolutely certain he would step into the trap for his son.]

[So radical that it hardly seemed like you.]

[Regardless, congratulations.]

[You are gradually approaching Luo Sheng's long-cherished wish.]

Beside his ears, the narration of the Ghoulish Life Takeover Game gradually faded.

Approaching the long-cherished wish?

Yan Jing blanked for a moment.

If that was the case, something he had just done or heard must have triggered Luo Sheng's long-cherished wish.

He tried his best to think, but his head throbbed as if it were splitting apart. He couldn't concentrate at all.

The effect of the Mental Immunity Potion would only last for about three more minutes. He looked at the quest completion prompt popping up before his eyes.

[Dungeon settlement in progress]

[Quest "giant waves washing away sand, who controls the fate" settlement: The Player created over ten chaotic events that shocked Bianliu County and ultimately killed their own faction leader in front of a group of Fourth Tier entities. Quest Evaluation: S+ (Maximum is S+)]

[Overall Dungeon Evaluation: S+]

[Reward settlement in progress]

[Base Rewards: 5% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins]

[S+ Evaluation Extra Rewards: 40% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins, Mental Immunity Potion (bound item) x3, Physical Enhancement Potion x3, Ritual Blessing Coupon (bound item) x1, Inner World's Platinum Box]

[Personal Dungeon Extra Reward: Congratulations, you have obtained a Personal Title]

[Personal Title: Chooser of Chaos and Order]

[Title Effect: You can make a choice for any of your quests, selecting either Chaos Mode or Order mode. The difficulty of Order mode will be greatly reduced, while the rewards for Chaos Mode will be greatly increased]

[Ding! Personal Title unlocked, Player leaderboard unlocked! You have entered the [Yueyin] division Player leaderboard!]

[You have successfully supported a member of your own faction to become the county magistrate, completing an extra Order mode quest, and obtained additional rewards]

[20% Experience, Inventory x2]

[Countdown to forced exit from the Inner World: 00:10:00]

The string of rewards left Yan Jing completely stunned.

His splitting headache only allowed him to skim through them. He didn't even have time to look at the quest for the next Dungeon, directly tossing all his new items into his Inventory. Then, he stood up and walked to the other side of Wei Nantian's severed head.

There wasn't a single intact piece left of Wei Nantian's body, so the items he carried naturally ceased to exist. Only that blood-colored broadsword remained firmly in his grasp. Yan Jing pulled on it with both hands and was surprised to find the grip loose. He easily retrieved the blade and stored it in his Inventory.

After that, he felt his body reach its absolute limit.

Every organ and every inch of muscle in his body seemed to be screaming a warning, on the verge of completely shutting down.

The towering tree blocking the Fourth Tier entities was wrapped in threads that felt as though they would tear his soul apart.

As the Fourth Tier entities attacked, the giant tree gradually crumbled, and Yan Jing's consciousness throbbed in agonizing tandem.

"Heh."

Yan Jing lay back beside Wei Nantian's corpse and faced the sky. He curled his lips into a smile and whispered, as if Wei Nantian were still alive:

"Commander Wei, oh, Commander Wei. You didn't manage to do the three things you taught me yourself."

Wei Nantian's voice seemed to ring in his ears.

"First!"

"Be ruthless!"

"You can't accomplish anything without being ruthless! Whether it's people or things, you have to cut them loose when the time comes, or else you'll regret it!"

So, who could actually manage that in the end?

Yan Jing gazed into the distance. Up in the air, the Fourth Tier entities were charging aggressively, radiating murderous intent. They had already destroyed the giant tree completely.

"Exit the Inner World."

...

...

When he opened his eyes again, Yan Jing was back in his own room.

The excruciating pain in his body hadn't eased in the slightest. Using his very last ounce of strength, he picked up the phone beside him and dialed the only number saved in his contacts.

"Hello? Xiao Yanzi?"

Shen Youran's voice came from the other end.

"T-Teacher Shen, my situation isn't looking too good. You might need to come over... keep an eye on me..."

Hanging up the phone, Yan Jing stared blankly at the ceiling, forcing himself to stay awake. Not long after, Shen Youran's voice rang out outside. After calling out a few times, she kicked the door down and rushed to his side.

"Xiao Yanzi, what happened to you?!"

Shen Youran frantically pulled out the various medical supplies she had brought with her.

"I... I'm a little tired..."

Yan Jing looked at Shen Youran, smiled, and closed his eyes.

...

...

When Yan Jing woke up and opened his eyes again, he saw a pure white ceiling. He was clearly no longer in the detached house.

He subconsciously tried to sit up, but found that someone was holding his hand.

Turning his head, he saw Shen Youran sleeping beside him. She was resting her head on the edge of the bed, sound asleep with her right hand tightly gripping his left.

Yan Jing didn't try to get up again. Instead, he took the opportunity to check his next quest.

[Now issuing the next quest]

[Ding! Detected that the Inner World corresponding to the Player's current area is in a state of turmoil. The next Dungeon will be converted into a Super-Large Dungeon]

[The Super-Large Dungeon will be selected as the Dungeon with the highest Player survival rate and the highest comprehensive score in the past month]

[The selection results will be announced in two weeks]

Just as he had expected, the next Dungeon was a Super-Large Dungeon.

In this case, there was a high probability it would be Bianliu County, perhaps even encompassing a large surrounding area.

This was also the reason why he went all out in this last Dungeon.

A 100% survival rate coupled with an S+ grade evaluation should leave little room for issues.

After reading through the quest, he stared blankly at the ceiling, enjoying this rare moment of rest.

His body still throbbed with distinct waves of pain, and his head felt dizzy and heavy, making it hard to think.

The side effects of the Calming Rite's second ability were much worse than he had imagined. Unless absolutely necessary, he shouldn't use it lightly again.

He had originally planned to just lie there until Shen Youran woke up, but not long after, a few people dressed as doctors pushed the door open and walked in.

The leading doctor spoke up:

"You're awake? Great timing. Settle the remaining balance."

Balance?

Yan Jing blinked. Actually, he still hadn't figured out where he was.

Right at that moment, Shen Youran opened her eyes. Seeing Yan Jing awake and the medical team walking in, she reacted quickly:

"Doctor, how is my little brother doing?"

"Unclear, Miss Wang. You only paid for the mild medications to stabilize his vital signs and wake him up. Furthermore, you personally inspected each medication beforehand and administered them yourself. We have no obligation to explain anything to you."

"Alright, I'll pay. I still trust your Ring Domain Medical a lot. There's an after-sales service, right?"

"Of course. We provide free after-sales service for this kind of platinum-level home service."

"Good."

Shen Youran waved her hand, transferring eight hundred thousand on the spot.

The medical team immediately left.

Shen Youran looked at Yan Jing and pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. Finally, she spoke in a low voice:

"I know you don't like outsiders, Xiao Yanzi, so I used a fake identity and called for a home service. This house was also prepared a long time ago. Ring Domain Medical has always had very high information confidentiality. Even in the Third Ring Domain, I've never heard of them leaking any information."

"I had no other choice. I tried everything yesterday, but you just wouldn't wake up, Xiao Yanzi..."

"Thank you, Teacher Shen."

Yan Jing squeezed Shen Youran's hand and smiled.

Seeing Yan Jing's smile, Shen Youran's worried expression finally softened a bit:

"Xiao Yanzi, how did you end up so badly injured this time..."

"Things happened."

Yan Jing sat up and let go of her hand, his tone relaxed.

"Are you hungry?"

Shen Youran stood up and walked toward the door.

"Teacher Shen, why aren't you asking me what happened?"

Yan Jing asked with a smile.

?

Shen Youran paused and turned to look at Yan Jing, her eyes flickering with disbelief.

"Xiao Yanzi, you..."

"I think I probably haven't been communicating enough with you, Teacher Shen."

Yan Jing smiled. "If possible, I'd like to tell you all about what happened."

"Actually, sometimes I also wish I had someone to listen to my stories."

"Okay! I want to hear it!!!" Shen Youran's eyes immediately lit up. She had never smiled so happily:

"Wait right there! I'm going to grab some snacks! Do you want potato chips?"

"Original flavor."

Yan Jing smiled.

The two of them began to chat.

They talked about Yan Jing's Ritual, chatted about his newly obtained title, the matters in Bianliu County, and even the previous events in Old Sin City.

Every single detail left Shen Youran stunned as she listened, frequently forgetting to chew the potato chips stuffed in her mouth.

Only then did she realize how little she actually understood Yan Jing.

Before, if Yan Jing didn't bring it up, she would never ask about these things.

Because she felt that Yan Jing and she were the same kind of people.

They were both very lonely.

Lacking a sense of security.

Therefore, even when the people around them showed good intentions, there would always be a sense of alienation.

She was that kind of person, so she wouldn't demand Yan Jing open his heart to her, even though she had already placed unparalleled trust in this man the moment he chose not to leave.

"So, what you mean, Xiao Yanzi, is... you can fight against the Third Tier now?!"

Shen Youran looked as if she were listening to a fairy tale.

"Barely."

Yan Jing smiled.

"That's still incredibly strong!!!"

Shen Youran looked incredibly excited. "And you even got onto the leaderboard for the [Yueyin] region!"

"Right, Teacher Shen, what does this leaderboard mean?"

Yan Jing took the opportunity to ask.

"This leaderboard is—"

"Knock, knock, knock!!!"

There was a knock on the door.

Shen Youran's expression immediately darkened.

What unlucky bastard was interrupting at this time? Couldn't they see the atmosphere was just right?

She stomped angrily to the door and looked out through the peephole:

"Who is it?"

"Hello. My name is Fan Jue. I'm looking for a gentleman named Yan Jing."

The Squinting Man outside the door said.

"No one's home. Stop knocking."

Shen Youran snapped viciously.

Heaven knew what would happen if she let this man in. He was definitely looking for her Xiao Yanzi for some business, and then he would naturally state a reason that Xiao Yanzi couldn't refuse—like begging him for a favor—before taking Xiao Yanzi away and completely ruining her chatting plans.

Go to hell! Unlucky bastard!