Mini World Game Console-Chapter 748 - 749: Dimensional Reduction Strike

March 5, Tuesday.

Last night, Ren Suo was bombarded countless times by the Federal Army. He had another exhausting dream while sleeping and woke up today feeling as if he had been beaten multiple times, utterly exhausted.

But no matter, he would be fine very soon. For some reason, however, Ren Suo felt a sense of repulsion when he saw his phone, as if he had had enough of it—but he quickly dismissed this silly illusion.

The Federal Army was not to be trifled with. Forget lasting eight minutes; the Gatekeeper couldn't even hold for four. They couldn't even break out of their formation and were directly blasted to bits by Federal artillery.

The tactics of a High-Rank Cultivator were best suited for guerrilla warfare. In a direct confrontation like this, modern weaponry still reigned supreme. Ren Suo could not withstand the saturation fire. He also faced dozens of snipers aiming to block him, and Federal Cultivators prevented him from breaking into their ranks.

That position was set to confront Didra's Transcendent army!

Ren Suo had practically walked right into the line of fire—before a gun that had been suppressed for days, unable to fire a single shot, and was now practically begging to erupt.

Could it really be that only armies could confront other armies?

It started to drizzle in Lianjiang from the morning, with the highest temperature being just 22°C, and the clamorous wind carried a slight chill. Ren Suo maintained the Flame Overlord's Level One Energy Consumption state throughout the day, continuously emitting a slight warmth. He didn't mind becoming a human central air conditioner if it could make others comfortable and slightly improve his emotional value. Then it was a win-win for everyone.

In the afternoon, Ren Suo took a car to the city center, accompanied by Bai Ji and Dong Chengling. He and Bai Ji were there for the Fourth-Stage Cultivator certification, while Dong Chengling was because Sky Capital had suddenly become willing to release a Space Spell to her.

And since he was going with Bai Ji, the three of them had no choice but to take Bai Ji's car to the Tactical Bureau in the city center.

After all, if Dong Chengling were to Teleport them to the city center, it would mean the three of them had to maintain close physical contact to avoid losing limbs after teleporting.

So the question arose—did Dong Chengling prefer Ren Suo and Bai Ji to be in close contact, or would she rather be in close contact with Bai Ji herself?

After some thought, Dong Chengling decisively put aside her principle of 'cherishing every moment' and rode in Bai Ji's car with Ren Suo. It was no big deal; she could prepare her lesson plan on her phone in the car, so it wouldn't be a waste of time.

She had made up her mind that after handling the matter, she would immediately Teleport back with Ren Suo—"Teacher Bai, you can drive back by yourself; we won't disturb you."

Upon reaching the Tactical Bureau, they headed straight for the lounge on the second floor. Five people were already waiting for them there—even without considering their friendship, the arrival of three Fourth-Stage Cultivators was significant enough for the Tactical Bureau to treat with due importance.

Ren Suo hung back half a step, letting the handsome Bai Ji push the door open to assess the situation. Inside were Yu Kuangtu, Li Dan, Qiao Muyi, and Yao Fei, seated in two rows. Yu Kuangtu looked excited, while Qiao Muyi was engrossed in her phone. Li Dan and Yao Fei, the golden boy and jade girl secretary duo, were naturally handling various documents.

In the main seat was a girl who looked like she'd just been shopping, wearing a white off-shoulder sweater and a camisole, her long hair tied back in a single ponytail with a black hat, and her face covered by a white mask. However, her face was more delicate and paler than the mask, her crescent-like eyes filled with laughter.

She waved her hand, "Hi~"

The moment they entered, everyone's gaze immediately turned to Ren Suo. Yu Kuangtu blurted out, "You're always the one with issues, even needing to wear masks in Lianjiang... Ah, Cha Cultivator, I'm not talking about you. I mean Ren Suo here; sometimes he wears masks just to show off... Ah, I'm not saying wearing masks is showing off, I just mean..."

Li Dan held back Yu Kuangtu, preventing him from making things worse.

No wonder Yu Kuangtu reacted this way. After all, Ren Suo was also wearing a mask—a black one—which created an odd visual with the envoy from Sky Capital and felt a bit strange. While it was understandable for a girl to wear a mask to cover imperfections or shield from the sun, it wasn't customary for a man in the Lianjiang District, especially since there was no smog.

"The three of you are Bai Ji, Ren Suo, and Dong Chengling, right? Please take a seat. Hm," the girl with the white mask gestured with her hand and introduced herself. "I am an ordinary Rivers and Mountains Ruler from the Great Wall, Cha Xian'er. I have long heard of the three of you, hm."

She paused and continued, "Bai Ji, Third-Rank title 'Crystal Palace Master', former Yangtze Troops cultivator, currently a senior Cultivation teacher at Heavenly Lotus Academy, has published several papers on frost spell-casting techniques, and made notable contributions during the Sky Lotus Assassination Time on September 21, excelling in both research and combat. Hm."

Bai Ji nodded expressionlessly. "You flatter me."

Cha Xian'er went on, "Dong Chengling, ranked among the top twenty Fourth-Stage Cultivators of the Mysterious Country, and also an extremely rare Space Monk. Your concept of the Spiritual Qi Space has always been a key research topic in Sky Capital. When I was coming here, Professor Lan, Professor Bai, and Professor Mo all asked me to persuade you to return to Sky Capital—they are quite dissatisfied with discussing Spiritual Qi Space issues with you online. Hm."

Dong Chengling smiled slightly, calmly stating, "I am honored by the teachers' fondness."

"Lastly, Ren Suo," Cha Xian'er looked at Ren Suo, her crescent-like eyes seemingly deepening with amusement. "Honestly, you are the most interesting person in Lianjiang to me. Hm."

"Oh?" Everyone gasped almost simultaneously, though their reactions ranged from surprise to wariness.

"Your resume is ordinary yet extraordinary. Your Innate Spell is Healing Magic that can delay death, which naturally led you to become a Healing Cultivator. Along the way, you participated in the Magician's Secret Realm incident, the Heavenly Lotus Assassination incident, and the Fate Live Broadcast incident. Moreover, after the Lunar Deity Trial ended, you suddenly fell unconscious for a month. Another month passed, and then you achieved your fourth transformation..."

Ren Suo slightly raised his eyebrows.

The atmosphere in the lounge changed subtly.

Qiao Muyi, Dong Chengling, and Bai Ji exchanged glances, then all three looked at Yu Kuangtu before turning their heads to look at Cha Xian'er. Yu Kuangtu instantly wore a look of utter disgust—What's going on? Looking at me! I'm not in cahoots with Ren Suo, aren't you afraid I'll blast you all later!?

Cha Xian'er seemed oblivious to the shift in atmosphere and continued with a smile, "However, each person has their own opportunities. Inside the Great Wall, there are many more people with bizarre experiences. Compared to them, Ren Suo, your daily life is relatively calm. Hm."

Realizing that Cha Xian'er had no intention of probing further, everyone gradually relaxed the murderous intent they had harbored. Only Ren Suo was now all the more alert.

He caught the subtext in Cha Xian'er's words: There are many strange people at the Great Wall, and as long as you are part of the Great Wall, we don't care about your past.

Ren Suo decided to take the initiative. "Cha Xian'er, may I address you that way?"

Cha Xian'er smiled. "Of course. Hm."

"I think you are being impolite."

The crowd was slightly taken aback, and Cha Xian'er slightly raised her eyebrows. "Are you referring to my wearing a mask? But you are wearing one too. Hm."

Ren Suo wore a mask to cover up his wise and handsome smile; he used to smile foolishly, and since he couldn't fake that anymore, he simply wore a mask.

"I don't mind you wearing a mask," Ren Suo said. "But I feel it's impolite that you don't use your mouth to speak; it seems as though you disdain speaking with me."

Except for Li Dan, who had anticipated this, everyone else's gaze turned to Cha Xian'er's mask. Her eyes revealed a smile. "How did you find out? Hm?"

"Even wearing a mask, the changes in facial muscles when speaking are still visible," Ren Suo pointed at his ears. "Also, my ears are quite good. Although it sounds very real... the eardrums don't lie."

Ren Suo exchanged glances with Li Dan, sharing a smile.

The Bond Ability, 'Insight into the Mortal World,' had allowed Ren Suo to realize from the start that, aside from the first greeting of 'Hi,' all the other sounds Cha Xian'er made were transmitted directly to their minds through a slight use of Spiritual Energy.

But she imitated it very well, also creating a sense of distance, and wore a mask to cover her mouth, so it was difficult for ordinary people to notice. Only Ren Suo and Li Dan could detect something amiss. With suspicion in their hearts, a little more observation naturally revealed the issue.

Moreover, Cha Xian'er's verbal tic, that 'hm' she used as if to punctuate her sentences, was particularly attention-grabbing.

"Sorry, I didn't explain that at the beginning." Cha Xian'er's eyes smiled, the white mask unmoving, yet her voice was clear and pleasant. "This is related to my Awakening Technique practice, so I generally communicate with people this way. I hope you can understand. Hm."

Ren Suo nodded and said, "Let's get straight to the point then. Cha Xian'er, are you here for our Fourth-Stage Cultivator certification?"

Having successfully wrested control of the conversation, Ren Suo had no intention of wasting any more words with this Cultivator from Sky Capital.

"The certification is already complete," Cha Xian'er said. "Your information should be updated by 6 p.m. today, and your Cultivator subsidy will also be updated during the next salary payment. The 'Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records' and Fourth-Stage Spells can now be exchanged in the Spell Network. Hm."

"It's already completed?" Bai Ji was slightly surprised.

"Actually, the Fourth-Stage Cultivator certification is quite normal, for example..."

Suddenly, a piercing mental shriek stabbed into his mind. Ren Suo's body stiffened, but then his Fourth-Stage Whirlwind activated, dissipating the mental pressure.

"...since Yu Kuangtu, Ren Suo, Bai Ji, and Qiao Muyi can withstand the pressure of a Fourth-Stage Cultivator, they naturally qualify as Fourth-Stage Cultivators. Hm."

Cha Xian'er said with a smile, "Currently, among methods that don't rely on instruments, testing with the Cyclone Pressure of a Cultivator of the same transformation is the only one with 100% accuracy."

Qiao Muyi blinked, looked across the table at Yu Kuangtu, and asked in amazement, "Really 100% accurate? Then how did you cheat your way through, Yu Kuangtu?"

Sparks seemed to fly from the back of Yu Kuangtu's head. He gritted his teeth and said, "I successfully advanced to the fourth transformation yesterday!"

Dong Chengling: "Congratulations."

Bai Ji: "Very impressive."

Ren Suo: "Awesome, awesome."

Qiao Muyi: "So~ ve~ry im~pres~sive~"

Yao Fei and Li Dan, these two Third-Turn Secretaries, didn't dare to speak. Yu Kuangtu looked even more dejected, devoid of any happiness from his promotion—What was there to be happy about being the slowest to advance?

It's the same for everyone anyway.

If there were no comparisons, who would know what falling behind meant?

Cha Xian'er watched their interactions, nodded thoughtfully, and smiled. "You all seem to have a good relationship. Hm."

Yu Kuangtu rolled his eyes, pulled out a cigarette-shaped candy, and took a fierce drag, proactively changing the subject. "By the way, Cha Cultivator, you just said you are an ordinary Rivers and Mountains Ruler of the Great Wall. Does that mean there are also Advanced Rivers and Mountains Rulers, Excellent Rivers and Mountains Rulers, Epic Rivers and Mountains Rulers, and Legendary Rivers and Mountains Rulers?"

Cha Xian'er was visibly startled. Although her voice was as pleasant as ever, it clearly trembled with amusement. "Um, the full title of an ordinary Rivers and Mountains Ruler is, 'Ruler of Ordinary Rivers and Mountains,' hm. Correspondingly, there are Rulers of Foreign Rivers and Mountains."

Yu Kuangtu was instantly embarrassed. Ren Suo immediately jumped in to diffuse the awkward atmosphere. "I thought it was 'ordinary Rivers and Mountains Ruler'... 'Ruler of Ordinary Rivers and Mountains,' does that mean your duty is to measure ordinary rivers and mountains?"

"Yes, as Rivers and Mountains Rulers of the Great Wall, our duty is to serve as mobile combat power supporting various locations across the country, assisting the local Tactical Bureaus and troops in solving mysterious incidents they can't handle, and guarding the gates of the Mysterious Country from any foreign Transcendents or special creatures that might threaten national security. Hm."

Cha Xian'er paused, then continued, "As for the internal titles within the Great Wall, they aren't exactly a secret. Regular members like us are all Rulers. Only Cultivators with great strength and significant contributions to the country can receive a commendation from That One. For example, Taoist You Jiu was commended with two thousand five hundred li, meaning he is a pillar of the nation comparable to two thousand five hundred li of Rivers and Mountains. Hm."

"As for regular members, if their strength hasn't reached over one thousand li, they are all Rulers who must continue to measure the rivers and mountains. And you..." Cha Xian'er glanced at them, "all of you are Cultivators with great potential to become like Rivers and Mountains. Hm."

Strong, they become Rivers and Mountains; weak, they remain Rulers!

Although she didn't reveal more secrets, Cha Xian'er's few words still painted a grand and majestic picture of the Great Wall for everyone present.

Only Ren Suo remained indifferent. "Awesome, awesome. Cheng Ling, do you still have matters to attend to?"

Dong Chengling, as if waking from a dream, said, "Right. Cha Cultivator, I received a notification. Is the Great Wall willing to grant me a type of Space Spell?"

"Yes. Hm." Cha Xian'er nodded, pulled out a gem from her bag that shimmered with dazzling light, looking like a high-tier item coughed up by a gacha game. She casually slid it across the long table to Dong Chengling. "That Space Spell is not transmitted via the Spell Network, so I could only bring it to you. This is a Dharma Phase Gemstone specially provided by the Great Wall. Use it here. Hm."

Although it felt novel, Dong Chengling didn't hesitate. She immediately picked up the gemstone and closed her eyes.

The gemstone quickly lost its radiant glow, becoming dull and lifeless, before finally turning to dust and dissipating between Dong Chengling's fingers.

Everyone was a little surprised, yet it also felt perfectly natural—the Mysterious Country obviously possessed many secret technologies, and protecting the intellectual property of Spells was of utmost importance. Naturally, the nation invested heavily in this area.

Dong Chengling opened her eyes and bowed slightly to Cha Xian'er. "Thank you very much. How many Spirit Stones and how much money is required? If it's not enough, I can arrange a pre-deduction."

"No need. This is a gift from the Great Wall to you," Cha Xian'er said. "You're lucky. That One suddenly decided to significantly support Fourth-Stage Cultivators and allocate more resources to them, so... consider it a perk for being a Fourth-Stage Cultivator. Hm."

"That One?" Qiao Muyi was curious.

"It cannot be spoken of, it cannot be spoken of," Cha Xian'er chuckled. "I can only say it's a very important figure to the Great Wall, someone from whom all members have benefited greatly. If you are willing to join the Great Wall, things like Spells, resources, and national support are actually secondary. Receiving guidance from That One is the greatest benefit for members of the Great Wall. Like Taoist You Jiu; he wasn't this powerful before. It's precisely because he received guidance from That One that he became the nationally renowned Taoist he is today. Hm."

Wow, a prominent figure respected by the entire Great Wall!

Everyone dared not ask further, but Yu Kuangtu's eyes flickered. He probably knew who Cha Xian'er was referring to—before taking charge of the Tactical Bureau, he had the honor of receiving teachings from That One in Sky Capital.

Ren Suo, sensing something was amiss, promptly stood up and said, "Since everything is settled, we won't disturb the daily operations of the Tactical Bureau any longer..."

"Actually, I have one more thing," Cha Xian'er stated succinctly. "I hope all Fourth-Stage Cultivators present will join the Great Wall. Hm."

Qiao Muyi: "Unwilling."

Dong Chengling: "Unwilling."

Ren Suo: "Unwilling."

Bai Ji: "If Ren Suo is unwilling, then I am too."

Yu Kuangtu glanced at them. "...I'm unwilling as well."

Cha Xian'er seemed to have anticipated this and was not surprised. She picked up a file, looked at it, and asked with a smile, "You all know the benefits of joining the Great Wall, yet you're still unwilling. I believe you all have more important reasons, such as... matters of the heart, hm?"

"Deputy Director Qiao, you strongly argued that Dong Chengling and Bai Ji are unwilling to join the Great Wall due to emotional reasons, hoping we would forcibly recruit them to prevent such fine talents from being wasted in mediocrity. Yet, you yourself are unwilling to join the Great Wall. This puts me in a difficult position. Hm."

Bai Ji immediately glared at Qiao Muyi. Even Dong Chengling couldn't help but take out her small notebook: So this is another way to abuse power for personal gain. Duly noted.

Qiao Muyi glanced at Ren Suo, her lips curling into a foxy smile. "My views back then were mistaken. I'm correcting them now, can't I? It's better to correct a mistake before it's made than after. If I go to the Great Wall now, I'll definitely regret it."

Qiao Muyi's stance was like the farmer unwilling to offer his ox to the state—because she genuinely had an "ox" she valued.

It didn't matter if she couldn't drag the other two down with her, but she absolutely had to stay on solid ground herself!

Although this matter was exposed, Qiao Muyi didn't seem to care.

Because, from her awakened spells, she hadn't sensed any negative emotions from Ren Suo. Though Ren Suo wore a mask just now, his eyes had only shown a hint of surprise, no resentment whatsoever.

As long as Ren Suo doesn't blame her, she isn't afraid of Bai Ji and Dong Chengling.

Actually, Qiao Muyi hadn't expected the Great Wall to send someone specifically to persuade them; otherwise, this matter wouldn't have been exposed.

But on careful consideration, with Lianjiang currently having four... no, five unaffiliated Fourth-Stage Cultivators, it seemed only natural that the Great Wall would take them seriously.

Cha Xian'er looked around. "Are you all also unwilling to join the Great Wall because of emotional issues? Hm?"

Ren Suo: "Yes."

Bai Ji: "More or less."

Yu Kuangtu scratched his face, somewhat awkwardly. "...Me too, more or less." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Cha Xian'er nodded thoughtfully. She suddenly addressed the standing Ren Suo, "Ren Suo, joining the Great Wall truly has many benefits. Are you sure you won't reconsider? Hm?"

Ren Suo blinked and asked, "Benefits? Such as?"

"There are so, so many. Let me give you a less common example," Cha Xian'er said. "For instance, as the highest Supernatural Organization in the Mysterious Country right now, the Great Wall can directly liaise with other Supernatural Organizations. You could meet Transcendents from other countries, or go on free official exchanges..."

Ren Suo thought for a moment and asked, "Then, can the Great Wall intervene in foreign affairs?"

Cha Xian'er paused, momentarily stunned. "Theoretically, no. But... if it's a suggestion from the Great Wall, and it doesn't harm their interests, they might listen. Hm."

Ren Suo's eyes flickered slightly.

He couldn't beat the Federal Armed Forces in the game, but if he could get the Federal Armed Forces reassigned... He wouldn't even need all of them to leave; if even half were moved, the game's difficulty would decrease significantly.

If he couldn't win in the game, could he just deliver a 'dimensionality reduction' strike from reality?