Chapter 646: The Final Dungeon Concludes (Two-in-One)

Red Fish stared blankly as Old Sin City melted away like ink.

After Yan Jing displayed the Power of Folly, Red Fish carefully thought back to when he had fallen for the trick, and he did indeed remember a few details.

But he never imagined that the Old Sin City before his eyes would turn out to be fake.

Such a massive city—from the celebratory lights of the skyscrapers to the boiling roar of the crowds—had actually been constructed entirely from weird energy.

And he hadn't noticed a thing!

Not only had he failed to notice, he had even stood there laughing like a fool!

The Power of Folly...

He finally realized the true terror of this lost pathway.

After a few seconds of silence, he chuckled.

Then he looked at Yan Jing.

"So you fooled everyone right from the start."

"Those idiots thought their plan was foolproof. They even used this city as a threat, never suspecting that not only was the person standing right in front of them a fake, but the entire city your clone fought to the death to protect was fake, too."

"What was this? A stage play?"

"Heh. I'm actually laughing at my own stupidity."

When he recalled how smug he had just been, thoroughly convinced he was the hidden hunter waiting to strike, Red Fish couldn't help but laugh.

"Forget it..."

Red Fish dropped to the ground and slowly closed his eyes, quietly waiting for death to arrive.

Putting himself in his opponent's shoes, he truly couldn't think of a single reason why the man would spare him.

If he were in that position, he would have struck immediately.

Yan Jing looked at Red Fish, his expression calm as he pondered how to handle this.

The simplest solution, of course, was to kill him.

A more complicated approach would be to feed the man his blood.

Or perhaps... the Death-Sewing Garment?

Yan Jing felt a bit tempted.

Earlier, when the man from the time pathway and the owner of the Box of Destruction died, their corpses had disintegrated into divinity and scattered into the world before he could use the Death-Sewing Garment.

If possible, he really wanted to see what it was like to sew together a Demigod Realm entity's corpse.

After all, the man hadn't planned on showing him any mercy either.

But...

This particular target had a somewhat special identity.

Yan Jing considered it for a moment, then stepped forward.

Sensing a suffocatingly powerful presence draw near, Red Fish's lips curled up slightly.

It was finally time.

Even though his eyes were closed, he felt the outside world more clearly than if they were open.

Yan Jing raised a hand, weird energy surging in his palm.

If that fist fell and struck him between the brows, he would die completely.

Never mind the so-called glory of the past, he wouldn't even live to see the coming peak of Advent Day. His thousand-year journey of life would come to an absolute end.

"Sigh—"

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped Red Fish's lips.

He was unwilling...

No matter what, when this day actually arrived, he was still unwilling to accept it.

This intense reluctance gathered in his chest, ultimately transforming into weird energy.

He was going to make one last stand.

He knew it was a futile struggle, but he still wanted to try.

At least he would die with a little dignity.

But just as he prepared to fight for his life, he suddenly sensed a figure shoot over from the distance, rapidly closing in to land right in front of him.

"Mr. Yan."

A deep, heavy voice rang out.

Red Fish froze. Opening his eyes, he saw a long red robe.

It was a man with fiery red hair, each strand crystal clear as a gemstone.

In his hand, he gripped a longbow.

Spotting that bow, Red Fish recognized the newcomer's identity—

His great-great-great-great-great... grandson.

The peerless genius of this generation of the Xue Family.

The very target he had come to pick up.

Looking at his descendant's posture... it seemed he knew this human?

Red Fish's previously resigned heart crept up into his throat.

The human before them was no ordinary existence. If his grandson said even half a word wrong...

Red Fish's breathing grew ragged.

At his age, he naturally no longer believed in so-called friendship.

Even close friends of many years might draw their blades on each other at any moment over a difference in stance.

Let alone the fact that the other party was human.

And highly likely humanity's ultimate trump card.

Strangling potential threats in the cradle was a mandatory lesson for every heavenly prodigy.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing Xue Mo, Yan Jing's lips curved upward.

"Mr. Xue. It's been a while."

"Is there something you need?"

"This person is an elder of my family. I wonder if Mr. Yan might be willing to show some mercy."

Xue Mo got straight to the point.

"You may name your conditions."

"Conditions?"

Yan Jing laughed and shook his head.

"To be honest, Mr. Xue, your Xue Family has nothing that catches my eye. By killing your elder here, I can obtain a Demigod Realm puppet. I think that is the best prize of all."

Yan Jing's expression was completely carefree. The smile on his face proved he wasn't bluffing.

This made Red Fish even more certain that this man was a core genius cultivated by the Surface World—someone with an elite background who enjoyed the full support and resources of the entire Surface World, which was why he showed such disdain for the Xue Family.

"I understand what you mean."

Xue Mo fell silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly.

"I will owe you a favor. In addition, our entire Xue Family will owe you a favor."

Yan Jing smiled and nodded.

"That's more like it, Mr. Xue."

"I believe this is a fair trade."

With that, Yan Jing extended his hand toward Xue Mo.

"But I still want to remind you, I am only accepting this favor out of respect for our friendship."

"..."

Xue Mo stared at the hand hovering in front of him. After a long pause, he slowly reached out and shook it.

"Thank you."

With those words spoken, Yan Jing turned and walked away, his demeanor crisp and decisive. He never once looked back at Red Fish.

Red Fish felt Yan Jing's aura gradually fade. Only after several minutes passed did he finally let out a long breath.

He looked at Xue Mo beside him, opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

"Let's go, Ancestor."

In contrast, Xue Mo's demeanor was far calmer. He took the lead, striding off into the distance.

Red Fish quickly followed, staying half a step behind him.

For a moment, if an outsider had been watching, they probably wouldn't have been able to tell who was the Ancestor and who was the Heir Apparent.

It wasn't until they had covered some distance that Red Fish, who had been hesitating the whole time, finally spoke up.

"I wronged you this time."

"You don't need to say that, Ancestor."

Xue Mo's tone was placid, his expression even more detached.

"No, it was my fault."

Red Fish sighed.

"I should have just picked you up and left. Sigh... It's just that the human was too strong. How old is he, and he's already reached this level..."

Mid-sentence, Red Fish belatedly shot a glance at Xue Mo and immediately halted his praise for Yan Jing.

"Anyway, I was only thinking of the Inner World when I decided to strike. I never expected to stumble so hard."

"Brilliant foresight, Ancestor."

Xue Mo's tone remained completely rippleless, like a deep, still spring.

But to Red Fish's ears, those words sounded somewhat sarcastic, causing his old face to flush red.

"Sigh... It's still my fault. I know that geniuses like you absolutely despise bowing to an opponent. You only endured such humiliation just now to save me."

"I owe you a life."

With those words, Red Fish effectively made his heaviest vow.

Xue Mo remained unbothered.

"You don't need to say that, Ancestor. My skills are inferior to his. The fact that Mr. Yan was willing to give me any face at all is already quite something."

"Sigh..."

Even though Xue Mo kept offering reassurance, the more Red Fish heard it, the worse he felt, leaving him deeply ashamed.

A Demigod Realm entity had actually relied on his countless-generations-removed grandson to plead for mercy from an enemy, trading favors just to scrape his life back. If this got out, he might as well be dead.

Thinking of this, the more he looked at the aloof Xue Mo beside him, the more uncomfortable he felt.

"No."

Finally, making up his mind, he looked at Xue Mo.

"You have strength, and you can keep your composure. You saved my life this time. Once we get back, I will issue an order appointing you as the head of the entire Xue Family!"

"From now on, everyone in the Xue Family will obey your commands alone! Even I and the other Demigod Realm entity won't interfere!"

Hearing this, Xue Mo showed neither joy nor sorrow. He merely gave Red Fish a fleeting glance.

"Are you trying to work me to death, Ancestor?"

"W-what kind of talk is that?"

Red Fish choked on his words.

"If you feel guilty toward me, Ancestor, there is truly no need. Everything I said just now was the truth. As for the gap in strength between Mr. Yan and myself, I had anticipated it long ago."

"Even if I fall behind him, I don't feel anything wrong with it."

"Because..."

"I don't fight to win."

Xue Mo spoke slowly, his words catching Red Fish off guard.

He never expected Xue Mo to say "I don't fight to win."

If not to win, then what was he fighting for?

He really hadn't anticipated such a perspective.

After all, what genius wasn't proud and arrogant? Some haughty individuals wouldn't even deign to associate with other geniuses, determined to stand out as the absolute pinnacle.

Yet Xue Mo, who appeared incredibly dominant right now, had actually declared he wasn't fighting to win.

"Well, there's no need to lose heart..."

Red Fish offered some comfort, assuming Xue Mo's confidence had been shattered by Yan Jing.

To his surprise, Xue Mo slowly shook his head.

"I really don't fight to win."

"I only fight to survive."

"As long as I can lead the Xue Family to survive past Advent Day, then after Advent Day, there will still be a place for our family in both the Surface and Inner Worlds."

When Xue Mo finished, Red Fish was stunned.

By the time he snapped out of it, Xue Mo had already walked quite a distance ahead.

"Hey, you brat, wait for your Ancestor!"

Red Fish hurried to catch up, but in his heart, he had already firmly placed Xue Mo in the position of the Xue Family head.

He now saw it clearly. This grandson of his was a true, peerless talent.

Fighting to win.

How many people actually won in the end?

Wasn't it just one?

Expecting Xue Mo to compete against Yan Jing... even Red Fish found that a bit ridiculous.

But if it was fighting to survive...

That was actually very good, too.

"I'd be at ease with you as the family head, kid! Really, think about it..."

...

...

{Dungeon settlement in progress}

{Settlement for the task "Old Sin City Turmoil": You successfully completed the protection mission, safeguarding this city into which you have poured your emotions countless times. You protected those you love and those who love you. No key residents suffered loss of life, and you even successfully repelled several Demigod Realm entities! Task Evaluation: S+++ (Highest is S+++)}

{Settlement for the task "The Secret is Real": You successfully investigated the true secret of this city and discovered its hiding place. Ultimately, you obtained it, mastered its power, and became the final bearer of this power in the world. Task Evaluation: S+++ (Highest is S+++)}

{Settlement for the task "Come! Announce Your Return!!!": You successfully raised the reputation of all your identities in the Inner World to a certain level, and your main identity earned the recognition of two Demigod Realm entities (because only two survived). Task Evaluation: S++ (Highest is S+++)}

{Overall Dungeon Evaluation: S+++*}

{Reward settlement in progress}

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

{S+++ Evaluation Extra Rewards: 90% Experience, 40,000 Eerie Coins, Ultimate Physique Enhancement Potion 1 (Bound Item, Unique Item), Ultimate Spirit Enhancement Potion 1 (Bound Item, Unique Item), Heart of Ascension (Bound Item, Unique Item), Ultimate Code (Bound Item, Unique Item), World Certification *1 (Bound Item, Unique Item)}

{Ding! You have used a Triple Experience Voucher. Experience gained this time is tripled.}

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

{Your experience has reached the Eleventh Tier (Demigod Realm Tier), but further choice of a Divine Throne is required before advancement.}

{Player Name: Yan Jing}

{Summit: Yi}

{Player Level: Eleventh Tier, Experience (???)}

{Rites:

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-corpus) (Red)

Shaolao Rite: Moonlight (Mutated) (Silver)

Tailao Rite: Peerless Laurel Crown (Sublimated) (Silver - Gold markings)

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

Imperial Sacrificial Rite: Demon Blood (Gold)

Sheji Rite: Universal (Gold-Color) (Unique)

Godhood Rite: (Awaiting Selection)}

{This is the final dungeon task.}

{Ding! You have obtained a pass allowing free travel between the Inner World and the Surface World. (PS: You could also figure out a way to tear through space yourself by paying a certain price.)}

{Ding! The Godhood Rite is the final rite of all rituals. Afterward, you can condense all your abilities to form a Divine Throne, or accept a Divine Throne bestowed by another deity.}

{Ding! Information regarding deities will appear in your inventory space.}

{Ding! Detected that you previously entered the global Player Leaderboard of the Surface World. Your ranking has increased. Based on a summary of all your achievements, you are now ranked first on the Surface World's Player Leaderboard!}

{Ding! The name 'Yi' will resound throughout the entire Surface World. From now on, your name will be known by all!!!}

{Ding! Congratulations on receiving the reward for reaching first place on the Surface World leaderboard for the first time!!!}

{Reward: Source of Life (Unique)}

{Ding! Congratulations on entering the ranks of Divine Envoys! You have gained the qualification to freely enter and exit the Land Before the Curtain!!!}

{Ding! Congratulations on standing at the summit of the Surface World! You can now gain your own believers in the Surface World and draw upon their power!!!}

{Ding! Congratulations!}

{Congratulations, Lord Player.}