Chapter 526: Finally Reaching the Summit (Two in One)

My Strange Life Role-Playing Game — novelping.com · All chapters

Chapter 526: Finally Reaching the Summit (Two in One)

Yan Jing left the Special Prison Cell.

He didn't immediately proceed with the next step of his plan.

Instead, he leaned against the wall outside, manifested an apple in his palm, and ate it bite by bite.

Inside the room.

The slanting sunlight filtering through the window dimmed another fraction.

Wen Qiao wiped her tears, sat back on the bed, and picked up the newspaper, reading it over and over again.

For a moment, their actions seemed perfectly in sync.

Somewhere unknown.

Fear Bird reached out and grabbed Fei Yu just as she was about to leave.

"You can't go."

She clutched Fei Yu's hand in a death grip:

"Do you dare let him take that gamble? What if that woman is his Anchor Point?"

"If he's actually in that river too, what will you do?"

Fear Bird's second question drained the strength right out of Fei Yu.

She didn't care whether or not that woman was Yan Jing's Anchor Point.

But she did care if Yan Jing was truly in that river.

Ultimately, she stood rooted to the spot, her expression calm.

If Yan Jing really was in that river.

She would absolutely follow him.

Because of that, there were some things she couldn't tell him.

Even though she knew he was in immense pain right now.

"Actually, he might have already noticed." Fear Bird sighed.

"Whenever he wears that expression, it means he already knows everything."

Fei Yu looked into the empty air, her perspective seemingly dropping from a great height to land on Yan Jing as he ate his apple.

Those eyes, which usually carried a smile, now resembled a lake under the moonlight. Even when the night wind picked up, they remained entirely rippleless. He took bite after bite of his apple, as if trying to swallow down everything unseen.

Beside her, Fear Bird patted Fei Yu's shoulder.

"You know him. He'll recover."

Fei Yu shook her head.

He wasn't recovering; he was just burying the sadness.

A few minutes later, as if proving Fear Bird right, Yan Jing wiped his hands. His expression returned to normal as he walked back to his room. After confirming no one was watching, he switched to his persona as Wen Xu.

"Wu Qiu, prepare to receive guests."

He issued the command.

Thousands of members of the Wizard Tribe poured out in full force. Sweeping frost spread in all directions beneath their feet as biting winds howled, forming a blue-and-white glacial river that stretched from the Desolate Forest all the way to the clouds.

At the end of those clouds stood a short-haired woman. She had dark skin and a long, narrow scar on her left cheek that trailed from her jawline to behind her ear.

Behind her followed a man with monolids. His eyes constantly drooped, making him look utterly listless.

The scene looked exactly like a horde of monkeys going to war against celestial troops.

Except that there were only two celestial troops.

"Wen Xu."

Yan Jing curled his lips into a smile and looked at the two of them.

"...Cen Ji."

Cen Ji hesitated for a moment before stating her name.

Before they arrived, Ning Wei had specifically warned her that the man before them had a complicated background. He had told her not to be impulsive, hinting there might be room to turn things around. "And this gentleman is..."

Yan Jing looked at Ning Wei.

Ning Wei felt speechless, not expecting Yan Jing to still be acting at a time like this:

"Ning Wei."

"The two of you have traveled a long way. Are you here to declare war on us?" Yan Jing blinked.

Ning Wei pulled back Cen Ji, who was about to speak. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, his figure flashed, reappearing directly beside Yan Jing.

Huo Tong, standing beside Yan Jing, knew the inside story and turned a blind eye to it.

"Bro, what are you trying to pull?"

Ning Wei muttered into Yan Jing's ear.

"You don't seriously want to rebel, do you?"

"I thought you were the one who always wanted to rebel?" Yan Jing countered with a smile.

"Didn't you say before that our goals aligned?"

"To destroy the Great Prison."

Ning Wei looked embarrassed:

"That was before..."

Yan Jing's lips curled up:

"Oh, I get it. Now you have a little girlfriend, you've become the crown prince, and you're taking a new wife. You can't bear to destroy it anymore."

"What does any of that have to do with this..." Ning Wei whispered:

"Give me the bottom line here. What exactly is the Desolate Forest planning? Has Merkel really lost his patience and started a war? Won't he wait a little longer?"

"I don't know, I'm just a grunt."

Yan Jing smiled:

"But Brother Yan told me that going through the motions would be enough."

"Take that unlucky girl next to you and go back. We'll consider today's battle fought."

"Does that mean we won or lost?" Ning Wei wanted a clear result; he needed something to report when he got back.

Yan Jing thought about it:

"Call it a draw."

"A draw... feels a bit fake..." Ning Wei worried that the Great Prison's higher-ups wouldn't buy it.

"If a draw is fake, would the two of you winning be any less fake?"

In contrast, Yan Jing wasn't overly concerned about whether the Great Prison's brass bought it or not.

"Alright, head back. If all else fails, find a spot and stab yourself."

Yan Jing yawned. Once these two went back to report, he could exit the Dungeon.

"Stab myself..." Ning Wei's expression stiffened:

"How about... you do it?"

"I'm afraid I'll pound you to death."

Expressionless, Yan Jing turned around and looked at the crowd behind him:

"Alright, fall back!!!"

Seeing the sudden withdrawal, no one in the crowd asked any questions.

Right now, Yan Jing was the spiritual totem of the entire Wizard Tribe. Forget a sudden retreat—if he asked the native Wizards of the Great Prison to drop dead right this second, the vast majority would probably do it without a moment's hesitation.

Watching the group arrive in a grand procession only to leave in the exact same manner, Ning Wei couldn't help but look at Yan Jing:

"Won't you have a hard time explaining this to Merkel when you get back?"

"Just worry about yourself and your Pops."

Yan Jing waved a hand without looking back.

Soon, the horde of the Wizard Tribe vanished completely.

Cen Ji looked a little dazed.

She hadn't expected the expedition—which she thought meant certain death—to end so simply.

"Are you close with him?"

Cen Ji looked at Ning Wei.

"Not exactly."

Ning Wei thought for a moment.

At best, their relationship was one of kidnapper and hostage.

That was a far cry from being 'close.'

Cen Ji's eyes were complicated:

"Why did you insist on tagging along?"

"Me?"

Ning Wei pondered it, ultimately deciding not to mention that he wanted to help Mu Tian settle some trouble. Instead, he smiled:

"I couldn't just let you come alone, could I?"

Cen Ji stayed silent for a few seconds. She turned her head away and summoned the door to return to her work at the Great Prison.

As she opened the door, she asked softly, "Your arranged marriage... where is it happening?"

"The Pure Blood Nation." Ning Wei sighed.

"I don't want to go. If I go, I'll be a matrilocal son-in-law. I probably won't be able to turn my life around for the rest of my days."

"Really?"

Hearing that Ning Wei didn't want the arranged marriage, Cen Ji's heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean, 'really'?" Ning Wei looked at Cen Ji suspiciously:

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean... you really don't want to be a matrilocal son-in-law?"

"Of course... that's a lie." Ning Wei analyzed it seriously:

"Who wouldn't want to be one? I'm just worried she might be ugly. If she treats me badly on top of that, it'll be a bit tough to handle. Sigh..." After rambling on, he looked up, only to find that Cen Ji was no longer in front of him.

The door had vanished without a trace, too.

"Damn it!"

Recalling their conversation just now, Ning Wei knew he'd messed up.

This short-haired chick was obviously overthinking things again.

With a sigh, he summoned the door leading back to the Great Prison.

Inside Mu Tian's office.

"The matter is resolved."

Yan Jing smiled:

"The quest just updated as completed, so I'll be taking my leave, boss."

"See you in a few days."

"I hope you aren't dead the next time we meet."

Behind the desk, Mu Tian's eyes flickered as he read the report his subordinates had submitted regarding the retreat from the Desolate Forest.

He looked at Yan Jing, increasingly feeling that this human was impossible to read.

Finally, he nodded:

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Yan Jing nodded back and turned to leave the office.

Just as he pulled the door open, Mu Tian's voice drifted from behind him:

"You didn't choose me back then, did you?"

Yan Jing smiled faintly, not turning around:

"I chose the person I thought would win."

"You should have more confidence."

With that, he took a step forward and completely vanished into the long corridor.

{Dungeon settlement in progress}

{Quest 'Expand the Territory' settled. You successfully helped your chosen character conquer the Desolate Forest, and the character successfully killed an entity of immense strength. Quest Rating: S++ (Maximum rating is S++)}

{Quest 'Uncover the Truth' settled. You successfully uncovered most of the true thoughts of that character's older sister, figured out her plan, and deduced her life story. However, some of her true thoughts remain undiscovered. Quest Rating: S (Maximum rating is S++)} {Quest 'Roleplay' settled. You successfully found the moles within the Great Prison and dealt a degree of damage to both of them. Quest Rating: S+ (Maximum rating is S++)}

{Stage A Overall Rating: S+}

{Reward settlement in progress}

{Base Rewards: 3% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins}

{S+ Rating Bonus Rewards: 40% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins, Physical Enhancement Potion 3, Advanced Healing Potion 10, Inner World Diamond Box (Bound Item), Double Experience Voucher * 1 (Bound Item)}

{Ding! You have used the Double Experience Voucher. Experience gained this time is doubled.}

{You have advanced to the Eighth Tier. Excess experience has been converted into experience for the next Tier at a 50% ratio.}

{Player Name: Yan Jing}

{Summit: Yi}

{Player Level: Eighth Tier, Experience (14.44%/100%)}

{Ritual:

Day Selection Ritual: Fear Sapling (Black-Orange)

Calming Rite: Lord of Execution's Silk Thread (Orange)

Incense Burning Rite: Wings of Praying for Death; Chongming (Orange-Red)

Rite of Summer and Winter Sacrifices: Stone Immortal (Semi-complete form) (Red)

Shaolao Rite: Moonlight (Mutated) (Silver)

Tailao Rite: Peerless; Crown (Sublimated) (Silver; Gold-patterned)

Four Seasons Rite: Heart of God; Earth and Frost (Reshaped) (Silver-Gold)

Imperial Sacrificial Rite: (Pending Selection)}

{The quest for the next stage has been issued}

{Stage B Quest: The Great Maelstrom}

{Quest Description: A maelstrom is a spiral natural phenomenon formed by fluids such as water, gas, or smoke due to various reasons. When a maelstrom's scale exceeds a certain threshold, a strangulation effect occurs. All objects with insufficient kinetic energy to escape will be swept into it, doomed eternally.

Right now, the Great Prison is a forming maelstrom. Please help your chosen character survive within it.

If the character survives, the quest is considered a success.

The more people the character influences within this maelstrom, the higher the quest completion rate.}

{Note: There is only one quest for this Stage B. Due to your status as the 'Ultimate Weapon,' your Mental Immunity Value will drop to 0 at the start of the next quest.} {Note: The difficulty of this Stage B quest will continuously increase as time progresses. Please be prepared.}

Yan Jing opened his eyes. His body had already returned to the Surface World.

The very instant he appeared in the Surface World, several auras rose up from all directions, simultaneously locking onto his position. Yan Jing's expression remained tranquil. He took a single step forward, and his aura completely vanished.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing before the pitch-black Great Curtain.

As if he had moved too fast this time and the Great Curtain had not yet reacted, those nine massive stars did not begin rotating immediately. The Great Curtain stood

Yan Jing left the Special Prison Cell.

He did not immediately proceed with the next step of his plan.

Instead, he leaned against the wall outside the cell, manifested an apple in his palm, and began to eat it bite by bite.

Inside the room.

The slanting sunlight filtering through the window had dimmed a few more degrees.

Wen Qiao wiped her tears, sat back on the bed, and picked up the newspaper, reading it over and over again.

For a moment, their actions seemed perfectly in sync.

Somewhere unknown.

Fear Bird reached out and grabbed Fei Yu just as she was about to leave.

She gripped Fei Yu's hand tightly.

"Do you dare let him take that gamble? What if that woman is his Anchor Point?"

"If he is actually in that river too, what will you do?"

Fear Bird's second question drained the strength right out of Fei Yu.

She didn't care whether or not that woman was Yan Jing's Anchor Point.

But she did care if Yan Jing really was in that river.

Ultimately, she stood rooted to the spot, her expression calm.

If Yan Jing actually was in that river.

She would absolutely follow him.

Because of that, there were some things she couldn't tell him.

Even though she knew he was in immense pain right now.

"Actually, he might have already noticed." Fear Bird sighed.

"Whenever he wears that expression, it means he already knows everything."

Fei Yu looked into the empty air, her perspective seemingly dropping from a great height to land on Yan Jing as he ate his apple.

Those eyes, which usually held a smile, now resembled a lake under the moonlight. Even when the night wind picked up, they remained entirely rippleless. He took bite after bite of the apple, as if trying to swallow down everything unseen.

Beside her, Fear Bird patted Fei Yu's shoulder.

"You know him. He'll recover."

Fei Yu shook her head.

He wasn't recovering; he was just burying the sadness.

A few minutes later, as if proving Fear Bird right, Yan Jing wiped his hands, his expression returning to normal as he walked back to his room. After confirming that no one was watching, he switched to his Wen Xu persona.

"Wu Qiu, prepare to receive guests."

He issued the command.

Thousands from the Wizard Tribe poured out in full force. Sweeping frost spread in all directions beneath their feet, and biting winds howled, forming a blue-and-white glacial river that stretched from the Desolate Forest all the way to the clouds.

At the end of those clouds stood a short-haired woman. She had dark skin and a long, narrow scar on her left cheek that trailed from her jawline to behind her ear.

Behind her followed a man with monolids. His eyes constantly drooped, making him look utterly listless.

The scene looked exactly like a horde of monkeys going to war against celestial troops.

Except that there were only two celestial troops.

"Wen Xu."

Yan Jing curled his lips into a smile and looked at the two of them.

"...Cen Ji."

Cen Ji hesitated for a moment before stating her name.

Before they arrived, Ning Wei had specifically warned her that the man before them had a complicated background. He had told her not to be impulsive, hinting that there might be room to turn things around. "And this gentleman is..."

Yan Jing looked at Ning Wei.

Ning Wei felt speechless, not expecting Yan Jing to still be acting at a time like this.

"Ning Wei."

"The two of you have traveled a long way. Are you here to declare war on us?" Yan Jing blinked.

Ning Wei pulled back Cen Ji, who was about to speak. Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, his figure flashed and reappeared directly beside Yan Jing.

Huo Tong, standing beside Yan Jing, knew the inside story and turned a blind eye to it.

"Bro, what are you trying to pull?"

Ning Wei muttered into Yan Jing's ear.

"You don't seriously want to rebel, do you?"

"I thought you were the one who always wanted to rebel?" Yan Jing countered with a smile.

"Didn't you say before that our goals aligned?"

"To destroy the Great Prison."

Ning Wei looked embarrassed.

"That was before..."

Yan Jing's lips curled up.

"Oh, I get it. Now you have a little girlfriend, you've become the crown prince, and you're taking a new wife. You can't bear to destroy it anymore."

"What does any of that have to do with this..." Ning Wei whispered.

"Give your little brother the bottom line here. What exactly is the Desolate Forest planning? Has Merkel really lost his patience and started a war? Won't he wait a little longer?"

"I don't know, I'm just a grunt."

Yan Jing smiled.

"But Brother Yan told me that going through the motions would be enough."

"Take that unlucky girl next to you and go back. We'll consider today's battle fought."

"Does that mean we won or lost?" Ning Wei wanted a clear result; he needed something to report when he got back.

Yan Jing thought about it.

"Call it a draw."

"A draw... feels a bit fake..." Ning Wei worried that the Great Prison's higher-ups wouldn't buy it.

"If a draw is fake, would the two of you winning be any less fake?"

In contrast, Yan Jing wasn't overly concerned about whether the Great Prison's brass bought it or not.

"Alright, head back. If all else fails, find a spot and stab yourself once."

Yan Jing yawned. Once these two went back to report, he could exit the dungeon.

"Stab myself..." Ning Wei's expression stiffened.

"How about... you do it?"

"I'm afraid I'll pound you to death."

Expressionless, Yan Jing turned around and looked at the crowd behind him.

"Alright, fall back!!!"

Seeing the sudden withdrawal, no one in the crowd asked any questions.

Watching the group arrive in a grand procession only to leave in the exact same manner, Ning Wei couldn't help but look at Yan Jing.

"Won't you have a hard time explaining this to Merkel when you get back?"

"Just worry about yourself and your Pops."

Yan Jing waved a hand without looking back.

Soon, the horde of the Wizard Tribe vanished completely.

Cen Ji looked a little dazed.

She hadn't expected the expedition—which she thought meant certain death—to end so simply.

"Are you close with him?"

Cen Ji looked at Ning Wei.

"Not exactly."

Ning Wei thought for a moment.

At best, their relationship was one of kidnapper and hostage.

That was a far cry from being 'close.'

Cen Ji's expression was complicated.

"Why did you insist on tagging along?"

"Me?"

Ning Wei pondered it over, ultimately deciding not to mention that he wanted to help Mu Tian settle some trouble. Instead, he smiled.

"I couldn't just let you come alone, could I?"

Cen Ji stayed silent for a few seconds. She turned her head away and summoned the door to return to her work at the Great Prison.

As she opened the door, she asked softly, "Your arranged marriage... where is it happening?"

"The Pure Blood Nation." Ning Wei sighed.

"I don't want to go. If I go, I'll be a matrilocal son-in-law. I probably won't be able to turn my life around for the rest of my days."

"Really?"

Hearing that Ning Wei didn't want the arranged marriage, Cen Ji's heart skipped a beat.

"What do you mean, 'really'?" Ning Wei looked at Cen Ji suspiciously.

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean... you really don't want to be a matrilocal son-in-law?"

"Of course... that's a lie." Ning Wei analyzed it seriously.

The door had vanished without a trace, too.

"Damn it!"

Recalling their conversation just now, Ning Wei knew he'd messed up.

This short-haired chick was obviously overthinking things again.

With a sigh, he summoned the door leading back to the Great Prison.

Inside Mu Tian's office.

"The matter is resolved."

Yan Jing smiled.

"The quest just updated as completed, so I'll be taking my leave, boss."

"See you in a few days."

"I hope you aren't dead the next time we meet."

Behind the desk, Mu Tian's eyes flickered as he read the report his subordinates had submitted regarding the retreat from the Desolate Forest.

He looked up at Yan Jing, increasingly feeling that this human was impossible to read.

Finally, he nodded.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Yan Jing nodded back and turned to leave the office.

Just as he pulled the door open, Mu Tian's voice drifted from behind him.

"You didn't choose me back then, did you?"

Yan Jing smiled faintly, not turning around.

"I chose the person I thought would win."

"You should have more confidence."

With that, he took a step forward and completely vanished into the long corridor.

{Dungeon settlement in progress}

{Stage A Overall Rating: S+}

{Reward settlement in progress}

{Base Rewards: 3% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins}

{Ding! You have used the Double Experience Voucher. Experience gained this time is doubled.}

{You have advanced to the Eighth Tier. Excess experience has been converted into experience for the next Tier at a 50% ratio.}

{Player Name: Yan Jing}

{Summit: Yi}

{Player Level: 8th Tier, Experience (14.44%/100%)}

{Ritual:

Day Selection Ritual: Fear Sapling (Black-Orange)

Calming Rite: Lord of Execution's Silk Thread (Orange)

Incense Burning Rite: Wings of Praying for Death; Chongming (Orange-Red)

Rite of Summer and Winter Sacrifices: Stone Immortal (Semi-complete form) (Red)

Shaolao Rite: Moonlight (Mutated) (Silver)

Tailao Rite: Peerless; Crown (Sublimated) (Silver; Gold-patterned)

Four Seasons Rite: Heart of God; Earth and Frost (Reshaped) (Silver-Gold)

Imperial Sacrificial Rite: (Pending Selection)}

{The quest for the next stage has been issued}

{Stage B Quest: The Great Maelstrom}

Right now, the Great Prison is a forming maelstrom. Please help your chosen character survive within it.

If the character survives, the quest is considered a success.

The more people the character influences within this maelstrom, the higher the quest completion rate.}

Yan Jing opened his eyes. His body had already returned to the Surface World.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already standing before the pitch-black Great Curtain.

As if he had moved too fast this time and the Great Curtain had not yet reacted, those nine massive stars did not begin rotating immediately. The Great Curtain stood silently in the air like a desolate night sky.

Only after several seconds did the Great Curtain finally, slowly pull back. The nine giant stars, majestic as the Firmament itself, began to rotate. Their light cascaded down, crisscrossing to partition different Domains. Yan Jing wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the light from the giant stars seemed a bit dimmer than before.

Soon, a somewhat blinding light burst forth from Within the Great Curtain, illuminating the world on the other side.

It was the same perspective as before, but to Yan Jing's surprise, there were far more figures this time.

Those entities that had previously been shrouded in black mist now became completely clear.

Face after face appeared before Yan Jing, automatically matching up in his mind with the distinctive clothing he remembered from before.

The one with the colored ribbons... was a burly man.

The one in the mask... was a fox.

The one with the giant hammer... was a little girl.

Everything seemed surprisingly reasonable.

Yan Jing swept his gaze across the crowd, furrowing his brow slightly.

"Were you all like this before? Or did something happen?"

For some reason, everyone's figures looked a bit emaciated. The fox, for example, had a face so thin it was nothing but skin and bones, looking as if it had starved for several weeks without a single meal.

No one answered him.

They all looked away, seemingly terrified of speaking to Yan Jing.

Although Yan Jing had known earlier that such a rule existed...

This time, the crowd was noticeably much quieter than before.

The fear in their eyes didn't look faked.

Clearly, his previous intuition had been correct. Something had happened Within the Great Curtain, causing certain things to change.

Yan Jing didn't press the matter. He reached into his pocket and pulled out three items.

A blood-red Horse-Chopping Saber, a dark-red baseball bat, and a red-gold dart.

"I need to fuse these three things together as completely as possible."

He looked at the entities behind the Great Curtain.

The clustered figures stared at the items Yan Jing presented, their eyes practically piercing right through the Great Curtain.

None of these three items were ordinary, and it could be said that they all shared the same origin.

They were the weapons of Tan Yan, Ai Qing, and Cen Ji, respectively.

Except for Cen Ji's weapon, the other two were prizes Mu Tian had given to Yan Jing for drawing the attention of two Ninth Tier experts in the Great Prison. According to Mu Tian, these three items shared the exact same origin; they had simply been split into three because of some damage.

Even so, they were still artifacts whose true power could only be unleashed by someone at the Ninth Tier.

It was clear their origins were incredibly significant.

Behind the Great Curtain, even though the figures practically had "drooling with greed" written across their faces, nearly all of them looked troubled upon hearing Yan Jing's request.

Truth be told, although these figures resided behind the Great Curtain, most of them were merely Near-Immortals. Celestial Immortals were only a small minority.

And tracing the roots of the item Yan Jing had brought out, let alone Celestial Immortals, even higher-level Immortals would find it difficult to simply wield—much less repair.

The crowd held their breath in deep concentration.

Even though they couldn't do it themselves, there were amazingly brilliant individuals among those who had stayed behind the Great Curtain to wait for Yan Jing. There were even monsters who had shocked multiple eras. So, they weren't in a hurry.

They were simply waiting here to try and get a piece of the pie.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, three figures stepped out from behind the Great Curtain.