Mini World Game Console-Chapter 837 - 838: Nine-Turn Cultivator·Thousands of Miles of Rivers and Mountains·Benevolent King Ren’s Seat
The Dispersing Spirit Space suddenly became serene. Apart from the humming of the computer case fans, no one spoke for a moment. The expressions of the people under the warm light shifted, yet they couldn't affect the calmness of the two in conversation.
"...I don't need your approval," Ren Zuo said indifferently after a long pause.
"I don't have the right to sympathize with you either, since I know nothing about it. Sorry about that," Ren Suo chuckled.
Ren Zuo continued, "We can't chat casually anymore. You all go check the situation at the 12F experimental field. Who will take them?"
At this moment, Ren Suo suddenly looked towards You Jiu, who slightly raised an eyebrow, stood up, and said, "I'll take them."
Ren Zuo nodded. "Good. If anything unexpected happens, you'll be able to help."
"Whether you succeed or fail, you can all stay overnight at the research facility. If you wish to cultivate in the research facility, you can extend your stay by 24 hours, but you won't be able to return to the Dispersing Spirit Space, which is here."
Cha Xian'er asked in a timely manner, "Those two rings are the Rivers and Mountains Rings; only members of the Great Wall are qualified to wear them. This is one of the benefits of the Great Wall: not only can you cultivate with such active Spiritual Energy, but you can also consult Ren Zuo, who is a Master of All Laws, at any time. You two, won't you reconsider our invitation?"
The others were slightly shocked, only now realizing Cha Xian'er had actually invited the two of them before. And it seemed neither of them had agreed.
Dong Chengling smiled faintly. "The density of the Spiritual Energy is indeed astonishing, but unless it's used to replenish depleted Spiritual Energy, active Spiritual Energy is no different from ordinary Spiritual Energy. The methods of cultivating Qi Cyclones in the 'Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records' involve using the process of refining Spiritual Energy to further optimize the cyclone structure. Active Spiritual Energy is merely a byproduct of Cultivation; excessive amounts are of no help. Of course, experimenting with Spells in this environment is indeed beneficial; I don't deny that. I also have no doubt about Ren Zuo's knowledge and capabilities. Everyone has their specialty, and in Seeking the Path, some start before others; Ren Zuo is indeed far ahead of us. But..."
Dong Chengling glanced at Ren Suo. Ren Suo blinked, and then Dong Chengling smiled. "The decision we made is the result of careful consideration based on our situation. On behalf of my partner, I thank the Great Wall for its generous offer."
There were too many reasons why Ren Suo couldn't join the Great Wall.
He had been to The Dark Side of the Moon.
He had been to Another World.
He had a connection with the Fairy Palace World Tree and could summon people from the Fairy Palace World Tree to descend and chat at any time.
He'd also pulled some minor strings so Zhao Huoneng could openly spend time with his girlfriends—although they never asked, they all knew Ren Suo was definitely the one behind it. And the main reason he did this, aside from a small bit of friendship, was undoubtedly his own self-interest.
On his own small patch of land in Lianjiang, he could live a peaceful life, but if he joined the Great Wall, it would be hard to say.
As for the thought of exposing Ren Suo, Dong Chengling had naturally never considered it. She never thought of making others sacrifice for her, nor did she distrust Ren Suo. Ren Suo must have his reasons, and so far, he had never let her down.
And since even she never thought about exposing Ren Suo, it was certain that Gu Yueyan, Ren Xingmei, Luna, and the others hadn't either. In fact, Qiao Muyi seemed almost ready to lock Ren Suo in a small, dark room, wishing the whole world couldn't find him.
Dong Chengling always felt that Qiao Muyi's concern about Ren Suo falling into danger again was mainly because she was afraid that Ren Suo would bring back another young lady.
However, the problem was that basically all the young ladies and younger sisters around Ren Suo already belonged to him. Even the previously unattached Lin Xianyu was now somewhat wavering, and Luna was actually a cat with deep affection for Ren Suo.
This meant that if Ren Suo really brought back a new young lady, it would most likely be someone they didn't know.
Qiao Muyi could trust a few of them, but she couldn't trust others. She was worried that others would betray Ren Suo, so she was trying to shackle him in every way she could.
Joining the Great Wall would undoubtedly mean expanding Ren Suo's circle of friends, increasing the chances of him falling into danger. Since Ren Suo was unwilling, Dong Chengling naturally refused.
Yes, she indeed had a sincere heart for Seeking the Path, and the Great Wall's conditions were very tempting.
But Seeking the Path of Cultivation was the same everywhere.
To be in love with a partner, one only gets one life.
Although daily intimacy doesn't necessarily guarantee a good marriage, a life with much separation and little time together certainly wouldn't be much better.
Moreover, having grown up watching the affectionate Father Dong and Mother Dong, Dong Chengling wanted to see the person she loved from the moment she woke up until she closed her eyes at night. She dreamed of living an incredibly sweet and intimate life with him, reaching the pinnacle together.
In fact, she had completed 50% of her goal; at least now when she opened and closed her eyes, she really could see the same person—she just needed to replace Qiao Muyi with Ren Suo.
In this respect, Dong Chengling was also quite greedy. She wanted to reach the peak and also share her achievements with her lover.
The Great Wall could certainly help her reach her goals sooner, but without the Great Wall, couldn't Dong Chengling do it herself?
Seeking the Path was not such an inconvenient matter.
She was a woman entitled to be willful.
Dong Chengling even vaguely felt that Ren Suo's help to her was far more significant than that of the Great Wall.
"Alright then." Ren Zuo smiled. "But simply for your coming all this way to aid us, the doors of the Great Wall will always be open for you. Chen Liao, accompany You Jiu."
You Jiu clicked his tongue, still dressed in his unchanging tracksuit, yawning and slouching as he walked outside.
The tall and handsome Chen Liao had a professional smile on his face, made a polite gesture, and led Ren Suo and Dong Chengling away.
Ren Suo suddenly remembered something and asked loudly, "By the way, Ren Zuo, is that room—"
Ren Zuo's gaze turned cold. They knew! They saw through it! I can't let them spread the word! No choice now, I have to use this move!
「Your monthly Cultivator extra allowance is increased by 50%. You must keep the contents of the room a secret.」
Ren Suo and Dong Chengling were slightly stunned, then quickly stepped out of the Dispersing Spirit Space.
Cha Xian'er asked, "Ren Zuo, what do you think of them, hmm?"
"If Dong Chengling joins the Great Wall, she can hold a position of Rivers and Mountains," Ren Zuo said lightly, dropping a significant evaluation.
Everyone was slightly surprised, but they quickly accepted it.
Dong Chengling's ability to Teleport people over long distances was enough to justify the title of Rivers and Mountains.
Divine Beings often played a larger role than pure combatants. For example, Mr. Chuan is Three Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains, and You Jiu is Two Thousand Five Hundred Miles, because Mr. Chuan is a master of Earth Spells, currently the strongest "Underground Palace Constructor"—a single person equivalent to a whole team of construction Cultivators.
"As for Ren Suo..." Ren Zuo became slightly distracted, recalling Ren Suo's assessment of him, and sighed. "His abilities aside, his character... should be enough to be called a Measuring Ruler."
A strange light flickered in Cha Xian'er's eyes. "Ren Zuo, do you think Ren Suo's character is still acceptable, hmm?"
Ren Zuo fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "Although my first impression of him was average... it might just be my misjudgment."
"Ren Zuo, there's no need to draw conclusions so quickly." Cha Xian'er cut off the sound transmission to others and whispered to Ren Zuo, "Actually, there is a part of Ren Suo's personal report that isn't convenient to include in the report..."
「… …」
"Master, what did you want to say to that guy just now?" You Jiu, walking in front, asked curiously.
Ren Suo, having been bribed, said, "Oh, it's nothing. Cheng Ling and I just teleported into a room with miscellaneous items, and we stepped on and broke a few cardboard boxes. I was just asking if we needed to compensate."
You Jiu had an epiphany. "A storeroom?... It must be his personal storeroom. His psychic tentacles are very sharp; he must have seen the state of the storeroom already. Since he didn't say anything, you guys don't need to compensate."
Chen Liao, following behind Ren Suo, let out a wry laugh. "Mr. Ren, Miss Dong, if possible, please don't bring up the Ren Family Bloodline with Ren Zuo again. He's actually quite sensitive about it... But Mr. Ren, your response was quite appropriate, and Ren Zuo seemed quite happy."
"Is that so?" Ren Suo smiled faintly.
The words he had uttered were half for Ren Zuo to hear, half for himself.
Upon learning that the Ren Family Bloodline truly existed in this world, my first reaction was—did I cause his suffering?
The curse of the Ren Family Bloodline, even without Emperor Guangwu's shackles, had an innate limitation: they were doomed to die at 23 years of age.
At first, Ren Suo thought Ren Zuo sat on the Ice Throne just for show; now it seemed that indeed, it was partly for show.
However, beyond showing off, the throne probably also served to extend his Lifespan.
Given the pipes behind the throne delivering highly concentrated active Spiritual Energy, and its ubiquity within the research base, the throne's function was easy to guess: Spirit Dispersion.
Just like the Spirit Dispersion Array designed by hospitals to suppress Transcendents, this research base was likely a facility specifically designed for Ren Zuo, to artificially suppress his Cultivation, transforming it into Spiritual Energy to nourish all of Sky Capital.
If I'm not wrong, he probably has to sit in that position indefinitely. Thinking about it this way, him customizing his seat into the Ice Throne might be one of his few splurges.
For a young man to suffer such treatment because of his bloodline—it would certainly be false to say that Ren Suo didn't feel sad or ashamed.
But Ren Suo soon understood. Without me, would this Ren Zuo even exist? Before I played "Over My Dead Body," the Tactical Bureau had already been established, and the Magic System was initially built. I can no longer discern the truth. Perhaps I changed Ren Zuo's life, or perhaps I only changed his surname... So, I should let it go. Destiny used me to play a joke on you, and you showed me that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
Suddenly, Ren Suo remembered something and asked, "How old is Ren Zuo?"
Chen Liao was taken aback and remained silent.
"His 23rd birthday is on the 14th of this month," You Jiu said indifferently. "414, huh, really an unlucky date."
Ren Suo's pupils contracted sharply.
Although the Ren Family Descendants' maximum Lifespan is 23 years, in reality, in "Over My Dead Body," none of the Ren Family Descendants lived to be 23. Living to 22 was already considered a long life.
Just as humans theoretically have the potential for a centenarian Lifespan, how many actually die early from health issues?
It was even more so for the Ren Family Descendants. Although they didn't fall ill, for them, studying Spells was like tasting poison. They were like warriors flying towards the sun; the closer they got to the end, the closer they were to death.
"Don't worry, he's not the kind of man who dies young." You Jiu walked into the elevator, pressed the door open button, and, looking at them, said calmly, "Absolutely not."
With You Jiu's presence, their passage was unhindered. They quickly arrived at the 12F experimental field, where staff had already set up a blockade line. Dong Chengling stood outside the line, observing and falling into deep thought.
No one dared to disturb her. Even Ren Suo just held her hand tightly, giving her a buff.
The interior of the experimental field was chaotic. External light entering it refracted into different beams. From the outside, it looked like a shattered mirror: the ground seemed to be above, the ceiling to the side, and lights hung in the center. Yet, everything within the space appeared undamaged, like a modern Picasso painting.
"I think I can solve it," Dong Chengling finally said after a few minutes, "but I need some time. Suo, stay by my side and protect me."
"No problem!"
You Jiu immediately dispersed the other staff members. For a moment, only the four of them remained in the corridor outside the experimental field.
Unperturbed, Dong Chengling sat down. Gazing at the chaotic field, she began to trace complex patterns with her hands, leaving the three men to exchange bewildered looks.
Ren Suo thought for a moment and then blocked their line of sight toward Dong Chengling. My darling is super beautiful; I won't let you look.
You Jiu busied himself with his phone, while Chen Liao placed the two long swords from his waist onto his thighs, apparently meditating with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, You Jiu gestured at Ren Suo, showing him the research institute's Wi-Fi password.
Ren Suo took out his phone, connected to the network, and saw that You Jiu had sent him a WeChat message:
「Master, the Disaster Girl replied to me once on Weibo and then stopped talking. Do you have any ideas?」
Ren Suo replied: 「It's difficult. Last time, you just had to make the first move for a chance to meet her. But now, if she's not willing, sending countless private messages will be useless.」
You Jiu looked distressed: 「Then what should I do?」
Ren Suo: 「There are ways.」
You Jiu immediately perked up: 「What ways?」
Ren Suo: 「If you want to contact her out of thin air now, you must use methods beyond ordinary imagination. For example... sending brainwaves into the universe.」
You Jiu: 「What?」
Ren Suo: 「We are Transcendents, and our spiritual power has been greatly enhanced. In theory, we possess abilities like 'my heart is the Heavenly Heart' and 'I think, therefore I am.' As long as you keep imagining someone, they might actually receive your thoughts, especially when you are as strong as you are.」
「Destiny is predetermined by heaven, but happiness is in your own hands. If you want to confirm your Destiny with her, just repeat your name plus the name of the person you admire in your heart!」
You Jiu looked at Ren Suo skeptically. Ren Suo said calmly, "I've tried it myself. Whenever I suddenly think of Cheng Ling late at night, the next second I'm often teleported right in front of her."
This was true indeed. That night, when Ren Suo was getting all lovey-dovey with Qiao Muyi and was about to head home, he suddenly thought of Dong Chengling and, sure enough, was immediately teleported away by her.
Seeing that Ren Suo wasn't pretending, You Jiu's suspicion vanished completely, and his expression became determined:
「Right, I am now a Fifth-turn Cultivator! My spiritual power should be strong enough to influence reality; making the Queen sense my longing isn't impossible!」
「What should I do? Think about her every day?」
Ren Suo: 「Based on my experience, thinking about her while you're sleeping is more effective. I've tried thinking of Cheng Ling before falling asleep, and when I wake up and open my eyes, she's there. It's quite effective!」
After all, these days, it was always Dong Chengling who teleported to his room to wake him up—no one else could do it. If it were Qiao Muyi, Gu Yueyan, Ren Xingmei, or even Little Jiu who went to wake him, it would 100% turn into them all snoozing together again.
You Jiu was energized. "That makes sense! I'll try it tonight!"
Ren Suo: "Why don't you give it a try here? In fact, I use Healing Magic to nourish my brain every night before sleep. I think it might enhance the power of yearning."
You Jiu looked at Ren Suo gratefully. "Good, you truly are a Master! I'll remember this favor. Then I'll have to trouble you, Master!"
You Jiu, completely disregarding any implications, lay down directly on the ground by Ren Suo's feet and fell asleep in no time, since it was already late at night.
Strangely, You Jiu, who usually had a bizarre sense of style and acted crudely, curled up when asleep. He looked as peaceful as a child, not snoring or making a sound, much to the amazement of the observing Chen Liao.
Then, something even more surprising happened. Chen Liao saw Ren Suo place his hand by You Jiu's temples and emit a warm green Radiance.
It was Healing Magic.
Chen Liao watched, dumbfounded.
Just moments before, he had noticed these two men gazing tenderly at each other while chatting on their phones, without thinking much about it. Who would have thought that after a short while, You Jiu would willingly lie down and let Ren Suo apply Healing Magic to his brain!
What's going on? Can Healing Magic also cure idiocy?
While Chen Liao was utterly puzzled, Ren Suo was unexpectedly delighted!
「Key detected.」
「The key is in a sleeping state. Beginning acquisition.」
「Key found fully formed. Requires 641 seconds to acquire. Constant contact must be maintained during acquisition. 640, 639, 638…」
A Key!
Ren Suo hadn't received a Key for a long time; after all, his friends' strength had entered a period of slower growth. The last Key he had gotten was Yu Kuangtu's after his advancement to the fourth transformation.
However, that Key wasn't very useful. Ren Suo didn't have any four-turn Treasure Boxes at the moment; he only had two Five-Star Treasure Chests and two Six-Star Treasure Boxes.
He had no idea that coming to Sky Capital would allow him to meet a Five-turn Awakened Cultivator!
Ren Suo had wanted to take his Key the first time he met You Jiu, but back then, they weren't well acquainted, and You Jiu's personality was as awful as excrement, so Ren Suo naturally chose to give up.
Now that they were familiar with each other, and You Jiu had advanced to the Fifth-turn but was still not the sharpest tool in the shed, it was time to harvest!
After happily acquiring the Key, Ren Suo signaled for Chen Liao to take care of You Jiu. He then picked up his phone, moved out of their sight, and opened the "Cataclysm of Tomorrow" app.
Calculating the time, he had been in Sky Capital for almost an hour, which should have triggered the Visit Pool.
He entered the visit interface, and sure enough—
New Visit Pool: "Inheritance of the Great Wall."
A brutally simple name.
Ren Suo took a deep breath, glanced around one more time, and tapped "Thousand Consecutive Searches"!
「Search successful!」
「998 Four-Turn Future Cultivators found!」
Two good pulls!
「Seven-Turn Cultivator found!」
「He's so outstanding; I really hope he can be matched with someone lovely. I really hope that someone is me.」
「Seven-Turn Cultivator, Blaze Songstress·Cha Xian'er, has answered the call.」
Ren Suo was slightly taken aback. Recalling his experience in the Dispersing Spirit Space, he suddenly realized something.
「Eight-Turn Cultivator found!」
「If the world were peaceful, I would lead a simple life of fishing, woodcutting, farming, and studying. But if an era of prosperity were to falter, with the Abyss at hand, I'd commit to dying ten thousand deaths, to settle my hatreds and repay old debts.」
「Eight-Turn Cultivator, Unadorned Sword Emperor You Jiu, comes to turn the tide.」
An Eight-Turn, a Seven-Turn—not bad at all, about average for Ren Suo's card draws.
But... this was not the result Ren Suo was hoping for.
He glanced at the sleeping You Jiu and the helpless Chen Liao, then turned his head to look at the ground.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the floor's barrier, seeing that flamboyant man sitting on the Ice Throne.
Suddenly, Ren Suo typed a message on his phone and showed it to Chen Liao:
「Do you know Ren Zuo's Cultivation level?」
Chen Liao hesitated for a moment, thought for a while, then typed his reply on his phone and showed him:
「I don't know, but it's probably not nine-turn, around seven-turn or eight-turn.」
Seven or eight-turn.
What realm would a seven-turn Cultivator from 2019 reach by 2049? But why couldn't I draw him? Was it because I was unlucky? Or... does this person simply not exist in the future of 2049?
It made sense, after all. Even if Ren Zuo could survive the 23-year bloodline limit, how much longer could his body hold out with such a condition?
Furthermore, he was always in charge of the Mysterious Country's Magic System construction, severely straining his mental and emotional efforts. Not to mention his bloodline curse; even if he were a normal person, being responsible for such a major national project would probably wear his body down.
Ren Suo could think of a dozen reasons off the top of his head for Ren Zuo's early demise.
However, however.
Ren Suo put down his phone and suddenly stared off into space, a pang of discomfort in his heart.
Even though it was their first meeting, even though his first impression wasn't great, even though they'd only communicated for less than ten minutes... he genuinely hoped that this man would also have a radiant future.
The simple belief that "good people are rewarded" was still deeply rooted in Ren Suo's heart.
At this moment, the Mini-World Game Console, representing the future and declaring Destiny, had prematurely given him an answer he could not accept.
I feel so upset, I want to cry. Is there anyone who can comfort me—
"Suo?"
A pair of gentle hands wrapped around Ren Suo from behind. Dong Chengling's soft body pressed against his back, and her chin rested on his shoulder as she tilted her head to look at him.
"Did it succeed?" Ren Suo asked in surprise.
Dong Chengling shook her head. "No, but I want to rest a bit."
"And, I think you look like you need a hug."
Ren Suo stared at her for a few seconds before turning around and embracing her.
Nearby, the onlooking Chen Liao grimaced, slightly tempted to wake up the sleeping You Jiu on the ground so he could also suffer through this public display of affection.
However, when Chen Liao saw You Jiu's rare, peaceful sleeping face, he dismissed his malicious thought. A You Jiu this unobnoxious is such a rare sight. Looking at him a bit longer, his usual self doesn't seem so hard to tolerate anymore.
"Thank you, Cheng Ling."
"Mm." Dong Chengling openly accepted his thanks. "Suo, you should be more proactive in the future. I'm actually a little embarrassed when Xiao Qiao and Gu Yueyan are watching."
"I will try to make them feel embarrassed," Ren Suo responded with a smile.
While still embracing Dong Chengling, Ren Suo opened "Cataclysm of Tomorrow" on his phone and tapped on the Visit Pool "Inheritance of the Great Wall" once more.
The second search no longer had an eight-turn guarantee, only a seven-turn one.
However, Ren Suo was willing to take a gamble.
Because the world should not be like this.
The term "world order" should be seen as two parts: "order" is what people aspire to, and "world" is a brick in the Great Wall, a book in the myriad of homes. You created an unprecedented feat, initiated an Extraordinary System, benefited the whole world, and touched millions of households. Yet, suffering from a bloodline curse, hidden deep within a base, you ultimately pass away quietly, unnoticed. You shouldn't have such an ending. You deserve to embrace a greater future. Admired by your subordinates, secretly adored by girls, trusted by so many people—I too am willing to believe in you this one time.
「Search successful!」
「999 Four-Turn Future Cultivators found!」
Ren Suo's body trembled!
At that moment, it was as if his soul roared: A miracle with a single pull!
「Nine-Turn Cultivator found!」
「I will step over your corpses, advance, advance, advance by any means necessary!」
「Nine-Turn Cultivator, Thousands of Miles of Rivers and Mountains·Benevolent King Ren Zuo, comes to meet his fate!」
