Chapter 249: The Great Battle Begins

Inside an unknown space.

A group of players crowded together, staring nervously at the large screen in front of them.

They were all Yan Jing's "assets."

Because they had been traded to Yan Jing during Stage B, they had no right to participate in Stage C. They had been transferred to this space, their victory or defeat tied entirely to Yan Jing.

This seemed to be a space in another dimension. It lacked concepts of near or far, high or low, or even size. Against the pitch-black background, no end was in sight. There was no ground beneath their feet; everyone simply floated in midair.

The large screen displayed a multi-perspective view of the entire Bianliu County.

Lin Xiaoran focused intently, holding her camera and snapping pictures of the screen.

Beside her, her childhood friend Zhao Dongchuan looked at Yan Jing, who had appeared in the Lin Estate, and whispered, "What do you think his chances are of surviving a Fourth Tier pursuit?"

"About forty percent," Lin Xiaoran said.

Zhao Dongchuan shook his head. "I think it's only ten percent."

"Ten percent is way too low."

Lin Xiaoran lowered the camera from her face and teased, "Oh, I get it. You have a crush on Xu Qiao'er, don't you? You're just upset hearing that your Precognition Society wants to tie her and Yan Jing together."

Saying that, Lin Xiaoran nudged Zhao Dongchuan's chest with her elbow and smiled. "Dongchuan, a man has to be magnanimous!"

Zhao Dongchuan shook his head helplessly and laughed. "I don't actually have a deep relationship with Captain Xu. It's just that when I first joined the society, she took good care of me."

"I know, I know~"

Lin Xiaoran grabbed her camera again. Making the front page of the Rainbow Newspaper had truly made her famous, and even its president had praised her photography. She didn't want to miss out this time, either.

She decided to compile the three stages of this dungeon into a special collection. It would definitely trend across Rainbow City and the surrounding regions for a solid week!

She, Lin Xiaoran, was about to become a renowned reporter in the Fifth Ring Domain!

At the same time, her mouth didn't stop moving. "I know how it is. Meeting a caring female desk-mate when you first start school, an understanding older sister when you start working, and a gentle masseuse the first time you get a foot bath—the three great fortunes of you men!"

"But you need to have confidence in him."

"If it weren't for him, how could we even be here?"

Zhao Dongchuan didn't defend himself regarding Xu Qiao'er. Instead, he calmly said, "It's not that I don't believe in him."

"I actually think he can defeat a Fourth Tier."

"But one Fourth Tier is completely different from two or three Fourth Tiers—"

He knew Yan Jing was stronger than him.

That much was clear from the battle between Yan Jing's shadow and Xu Qiao'er.

He had beaten Xu Qiao'er and knew her true capabilities.

But he had also faced two Fourth Tiers simultaneously, so he knew even better what the Fourth Tier meant.

He didn't think Yan Jing had reached the level where he could fight one against two, let alone one against many.

This mission.

It was highly likely to become his, Zhao Dongchuan's, first failed mission. Fortunately, the penalty for "assets" like them was only a month of paralysis.

"If it were you, which direction would you run?" Lin Xiaoran asked.

Before he could answer, she chimed in, "If it were me, I'd head toward Tranquil Valley!"

Zhao Dongchuan shook his head. "If it were me, I'd head toward the Fourth Tiers who won during Stage B. Getting them to join the battle is the only way to have a chance at winning." He then began to explain his reasoning.

Simply put, based on the information he had gathered, the Fourth Tiers were not a unified front; they were opposed to one another, each wanting to seize control of Bianliu County.

Finally, he said softly, "You can't look at an Inner World dungeon with a simple mindset. You have to step outside the dungeon framework and treat it as a real world. Only by combining the stances of the Inner World residents with the information you've gathered can you find the key to completing the mission."

Hearing his words, Lin Xiaoran nodded in sudden realization. "Very impressive, Dongchuan! Your brain is much better than when we were kids!"

Zhao Dongchuan smiled helplessly. This childhood friend of his still had such a grating way of speaking.

He looked up at the screen.

He believed that man would make the same choice.

However, to his shock—

"Fuck! Why is it completely different from your analysis?!"

Staring intently into her camera, Lin Xiaoran exclaimed, "This guy just flew up into the sky with an Old Man!!!"

"Fuck! That's so arrogant! Standing on the roof and trash-talking!!!"

"Click, click, click—"

The surrounding crowd had already boiled over in excitement.

Beside her, Zhao Dongchuan was completely dumbfounded.

Just what kind of background did this guy have?!

"Come kill me!"

In Bianliu County, pairs of eyes hiding in the dark revealed disbelief as Yan Jing's words faded.

They were all the commanders who had been liberated from the command tents.

Yan Jing's actions at this moment completely baffled them.

This included Bai Qiu.

He was still dressed in a white suit, leaning on a gentleman's cane, and wearing gloves.

Dropping to the Third Tier hadn't caused him to lose his reason like Shi Le, nor did it plunge him into fear like Tang Lian. Instead, he remained very calm.

This was Bai Qiu's demeanor.

Aside from the time at the Lin Estate when he lost all his clothes and fled in a panic, he had never been this surprised.

As Yan Jing's voice faded into the horizon, across the massive Bianliu County, not a single one of the lurking pursuers dared to show themselves.

This was a trap!

Everyone shared the exact same thought.

They understood Advisor Yan far too well.

The more arrogant he acted, the more likely it was a trap!

Driven by this thought, a bizarre scene emerged: one man challenged an entire army, yet no one dared to step forward.

Beneath the high heavens, only the Old Man and Yan Jing stood tall.

Seeing that no one emerged, Yan Jing began to laugh. "Master Liu! They're scared!"

"What Fourth Tiers? I think they're all just a bunch of useless cowards!"

His voice was extremely loud, making everyone grow even more vigilant.

The louder he was, the more likely it was a trap!

Time ticked by bit by bit.

Yan Jing was waiting for Bai Qiu's group to move. Bai Qiu's group was waiting for the others to move, and Bi Jie's side was waiting for Yan Jing to move.

It formed an endless loop.

It wasn't until about half an hour passed that some Fourth Tiers finally couldn't sit still.

It was the two great marshals of Zhennan County.

As two streaks of weird energy shot into the sky, two enormous monsters appeared.

One was entirely covered in armor, with only a pair of eyes hidden within the darkness beneath its helmet, glowing crimson and savage.

The other was covered in chunks of pitch-black coal that burned red-hot, billowing thick gray smoke.

One was an armor cultivator, and the other a coal cultivator.

However, to everyone's surprise, they didn't attack Yan Jing.

Hiding in East Street, they unexpectedly launched a massacre directly against the Inner World residents hiding in the shops.

The armor cultivator was several meters tall. With every punch and kick, houses collapsed, burying the people inside. Then he leaped onto the rubble, roaring wantonly.

Thick smoke billowed around the coal cultivator and instantly spread across East Street. That smoke was highly toxic; if a First Tier breathed in even a single mouthful, they wouldn't survive for more than half a quarter of an hour.

Impatient by nature, they simply wanted to take advantage of Stage C to enjoy one last thrill while they were still Fourth Tiers. If they waited any longer, their time would run out, so they simply stopped waiting!

"Hahaha! Even if I'm about to lose my Fourth Tier status, I'm still a Fourth Tier right now!!!"

The armor cultivator shouted amidst the screams of the crowd.

Once someone took the lead, things moved much more smoothly.

Bi Jie, who was responsible for those two Zhennan County marshals, immediately stepped forward, his own weird energy erupting as well.

Pitch-black python patterns appeared on his Chinese tunic suit. His body mutated, his neck growing incredibly long and his face transforming into the shape of a serpent, as he held a Great Seal in his hand.

"Suppress!!!"

He pointed at the two marshals from afar.

Bang! The ground beneath the two marshals' feet immediately collapsed. Cracks spread everywhere, and the sheer pressure forced them to stoop slightly.

"Kill!!!"

The armor cultivator marshal roared furiously. His armor let out a clanging metallic sound, actually neutralizing the Official Authority released by Bi Jie as he slowly stood up straight.

"Come fight!!!"

The armor cultivator marshal charged wildly toward Bi Jie, resisting the Official Authority head-on.

Bi Jie immediately summoned streak after streak of bizarre, eerie figures, sending them pouncing toward the armor cultivator.

Unexpectedly, those phantom figures—with their green faces and sharp fangs, moving like roaming dragons and wild beasts—couldn't inflict any substantial damage under the light radiating from the armor cultivator's body.

Seeing the marshal closing in, Bi Jie gritted his teeth viciously and wiped a finger across his forehead. He smeared a bloody trail, and round, crystal-clear drops of blood rolled down from it, landing on the Great Seal.

Buzz—

The Great Seal violently erupted with light. The giant pythons on Bi Jie's python robes began to slither, and two protrusions started to emerge on his serpent-like head.

He was about to transform into a flood dragon!

"Suppress!"

He waved his hand again, sending out rings of weird energy. With a sudden burst of power, he forced the armor cultivator marshal down onto one knee.

"Help me!! He won't be able to hold out for long!"

The coal cultivator marshal wasn't good at physical confrontation. Pinned down and unable to rise, he immediately roared.

The old farmer from the Crop Plains appeared behind Bi Jie. He swung the hoe in his hand and struck the ground forcefully. Streaks of yellow Earth Qi instantly rose, but unlike with Lin Changgui back then, they didn't attach to his own body; instead, they surged toward Bi Jie's back!

That earthy-yellow Earth Qi grew as it met the wind, instantly transforming into a tidal wave that threatened to swallow Bi Jie whole!

At the critical moment, Liu Ye stepped forward.

Amidst the surging weird energy, the red and white robes he wore instantly morphed, and a scroll appeared in his hand. The moment it unfurled, it radiated blinding light. "Strict Decree! Heaven and Earth Forbid Passage!"

A Law Cultivator's Third Tier Ability.

As his voice fell, the Earth Qi instantly slowed. He then tossed his scroll, tightly wrapping up the Earth Qi, and pointed at the old farmer from the Crop Plains. "Do not be insolent!!!"

The old farmer was hit by the technique. His body bent slightly, as if someone were forcefully holding him down, forcing him to bow toward Liu Ye.

Rumble!

Right at that moment, another unforeseen change occurred!!!

A massive mechanical puppet crawled out from the distant ground and strode toward Bianliu County.

Meanwhile, a figure wearing a Tang suit and sitting on a Dragon Throne broke free from the painting in Tang Lian's hands and dashed toward Liu Ye!

Right after, the two West Street Artisans also transformed their bodies and engaged them in combat.

In an instant, several types of weird energy clashed and surged violently above Bianliu County. Phantasmal lights erupted, and the colors of the world changed!!!!

This apocalyptic scene had played out once a month ago. It reminded the Inner World residents shivering in their houses of the time when a group of Fourth Tiers had ganged up to kill Wei Nantian. Yet today was somehow even more terrifying!!!

Bianliu County had been completely peaceful for hundreds of years. Who knew what kind of evil spirit was at work to bring it to such a state today!

"Buddha above, this old monk will test you!"

While everyone was engaged in battle, directly beneath Yan Jing and the Old Man, a pair of eyes that had long been watching them finally couldn't hold back. A dark light erupted, and with a loud crash, the roof beneath their feet was instantly smashed through by a giant hand!

It was a giant, iron-cyan hand, belonging to the abbot of Feinan Temple!

Originally, during the Second Stage and First Stage, he had somewhat formed an alliance with Luo Sheng. But after dropping to the Third Tier, everything changed.

The matters of the past were already behind them!

Today's matters had to be settled today!

Just like the old farmer from the Crop Plains, who was now standing on Bai Qiu's side!

At their level, supposed grudges no longer mattered; there was only the shifting of stances!

The Old Man grabbed Yan Jing's shoulder and immediately blinked to another roof. Just as the two of them left, the roof they were just on was completely smashed through.

A cyan-black Corpse Buddha appeared before them. It held a giant wooden fish and was draped in various jewels. The hollowed-out section of the wooden fish was stuffed full of Eerie Coins, while female corpses crawled all over its feet. It was chewing on a human corpse, with a single arm dangling out of its mouth!

A temple cultivator's Fourth Tier ability, the Buddha in the Dream!

This was the Buddha body in the dreams of the Feinan Temple's abbot. It held no taboos; a hundred reincarnations meant indulging in pleasure for a hundred lifetimes!

And the weird energy fluctuations surrounding its body were impressively a whole level stronger than the rest of the Fourth Tiers!

"This bald donkey hid himself really well," Bai Qiu muttered with a frown, standing at the entrance of a certain alley.

Fortunately, he had maintained his patience and discovered this unexpected variable.

"Offer your lives to worship the Buddha!!"

The abbot laughed heartily, bits of food flying from his mouth as his giant right hand grabbed toward Yan Jing.

The Old Man retained his calm expression. "Advisor, stand behind me."

Then, his weird energy also surged. Intricate pitch-black runes appeared around his body and flowed across his skin. If one looked closely, they could see that the runes were actually stick figures of tiny people—some dancing with swords, some holding spears, some throwing punches, or crouching low. In the distance, Bai Qiu was shocked upon seeing this. "This old guy advanced to the Fourth Tier! And this is—"

There were no signs of mutation on the Old Man's body. At the exact moment the giant hand descended, he reached out, meeting the giant hand.

One large hand and one small hand—when contrasted against each other, the difference was incredibly stark, like a mayfly trying to shake a tree!

The onlookers and the players hiding in the dark all shared the exact same thought at this moment: This is seeking death.

But the Old Man's voice rang out calmly beside Yan Jing's ear. "Taiji Path, Yielding Hands."

As his voice fell, for some unknown reason, that giant hand was completely flipped over. Along with it, the giant Corpse Buddha was flipped over as well, crashing heavily to the ground.

Boom!!!

A heavy, muffled boom spread through the air, as if the entirety of Bianliu County had trembled.

Then, the Old Man lightly tapped his toes and dashed toward the Corpse Buddha that the abbot had transformed into. Yan Jing immediately followed.

Just as the Corpse Buddha tried to stand up, the Old Man lightly tapped a finger on its left elbow. "Baji Quan, Throat Pierce."

Boom!

The Corpse Buddha crashed to the ground once again!

This time, it screamed toward the sky; it felt as if its left elbow had been broken. It managed to twitch its right hand, preparing to strike the wooden fish, but the Old Man blinked near its right hand again. Reaching out with his palm, he actually lifted the arm that was several times larger than himself. "Eagle Claw, Altar Lift."

With a flick, in a breezy and effortless manner, the Corpse Buddha's entire body was lifted into midair by his tiny figure. "Tongbei Quan, Candle Pinch."

Immediately after, the Old Man's movements grew faster and faster, his figure continuously accelerating.

Yan Jing used his Fear Stance and exerted all his strength just to barely keep up. He could only hear a series of calm declarations: "Nine-Flip Mandarin Duck, Downward Kick."

"Dragon Escort Bureau, Great Spear Technique."

"Miscellaneous School, Gate-Blocking Spear."

"Miscellaneous School, Clear Breeze Brushing the Face."

"Bagua, Pushing Palm."

..."

Several minutes later, the Old Man stood on top of the dying Corpse Buddha's head. His expression had originally been calm, showing neither sorrow nor joy, but looking at the utterly exhausted Yan Jing, he began to laugh. "Good technique, Advisor!"

"Master Liu is the one with the good technique."

The Old Man nodded and gently sat down. "Shaolin, Sitting Buddha."

The moment he sat down, the abbot beneath him ceased breathing entirely.