My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 431 The Distorted Underlying Logic
Xia Lin didn't just get the location of the Brotherhood headquarters from that energetic person.

Besides that, there is another thing.

The purpose of this group of people coming here.

They came here to cause trouble for two reasons.

First, kill Xia Lin.

According to that activist, a powerful figure had placed a warrant for Xia Lin's arrest on the black market, specifically demanding Xia Lin's head.

This reminded Xia Lin of the driver's words when he first used the Ancient Descent technique: "Xia Lin? Someone wants your life!"

Well, now they've even gotten to the hidden identity of the Seventh Prince, Wang Yanqing: the big shot who put a wanted poster on Xia Lin in the black market.

However, after a brief thought, Xia Lin realized that even in the shadows, Wang Yanqing was someone he couldn't afford to offend.

Reality and the dark side are related.

The more powerful something is in reality, the more powerful its symbolic representation in the shadows will inevitably be.

In reality, strength is mainly reflected in individual power, while strength in the shadows is reflected in influence, money, and perhaps even superpowers?

In short, Xia Lin will not think about Wang Laoqi's problem for the time being.

Besides killing Xia Lin, this group of people had a second purpose in causing trouble in this building.

—Help Wenyu Group to cripple Xianze Group's major physical industries...

Upon hearing this, Xia Lin gasped in surprise, marveling at how unpretentious the business battles were here.

But there is no doubt that symbolism and reality are still connected.

After mentally organizing the known information about the current dark side, a series of thoughts flashed through Xia Lin's mind.

The most terrifying aspect of the power of the ancients descending is precisely this...

In reality, Xia Lin was almost helpless against Yang Zhe's pursuit—weak is weak, and strong is strong!

The weak will be beaten.

But on the dark side, the situation is different.

Reality interferes with the dark side, and the dark side symbolizes reality.

There is nothing we can do in reality, but there are other solutions in the shadows.

There are opportunities to take advantage of the current business battle between Xianze Group and Wenyu Group.

“The way to achieve absolute balance may even start from here.”

Fortunately, after arriving in the Dark Realm, the Ancient Descent gained new buffs, allowing Xia Lin to activate the Ancient Descent for an extended period.

There's a lot of room for maneuver here.

In reality, Xia Lin had already hidden in a refuge cave deep within the city, completely ignoring the battle between Yang Zhe and the Immortal Emperor outside.

With the Celestial Emperor blocking his way, and the time flow in reality and the dark side differing, Xia Lin has ample time to slowly lay out his plans in the dark side.

In the shadows of his left eye, Xia Lin closed the webpage and looked at the special app on his phone.

This app has a unique logo, with black and white mixed to form a complete yin-yang symbol.

White seems to represent the real world.

Black represents the dark side of the world.

The fusion of the two means connecting the real and the dark side.

Without a doubt, this was Xia Lin's greatest asset in the shadows.

This time, Xia Lin opened the app, entered the software, and explored its functions in more detail.

The entire app's interface is simple and clear.

The attributes, talents, and skills sections occupy the main part of the page in a black background with white text.

Below the main body, there are two simple buttons.

[Skill Shop], [Other Shops]

The skill shop is where Xia Lin selects skills.

Xia Lin can only acquire two more B-level or lower skills right now, which she will have to choose from the skill shop.

The skill items included are all skills recorded in real-world cookbooks—and Xia Lin took a closer look and found that the skills in the skill shop were completely synchronized with reality.

In other words, if a skill in reality is permanently erased by Xia Lin using the Heavenly Dao Equation, it will no longer appear in the skill shop of the Dark Side app.

Of course, this is not a big problem.

With the unstable mutation at his disposal, Xia Lin theoretically possesses an infinite number and an infinite variety of skills.

Then look at [Other Stores].

This is a mystery that Xia Lin has never explored.

Open the "Other Stores" page to enter.

The first thing Xia Lin saw was a new line of data.

[Current completion rate of the Dark Side: 42.7%]

Current hidden assets: 13896 yuan.

[Note: 0.01% completion of the old dark side can be converted into 1 yuan in cash assets.]

All goods in other marketplaces will be exchanged for equivalent amounts of dark assets.

It's easy to understand the meaning of these sentences.

Dark assets refer to Xia Lin's net worth in the dark world—in the dark world, Xia Lin's house is rented, and he only has 1.3 yuan on him, which is all of Xia Lin's possessions.

However, because the Spirit Book connects reality and the dark side, the completion of the old dark side of the Spirit Book can be transformed into assets in the dark side.

All other items in the mall must be purchased using Dark Assets.

— Xia Lin can consume the completion rate of the Dark Side of the Spirit World Book to gain a greater advantage in the Dark Side world.

"Alright, alright! We have to use cheats! Who's going to play with you if you don't use cheats!"

Xia Lin glanced at the other goods with a satisfied look and found that there were many different kinds of items.

There is a Skill Slot Expansion Capsule – which can help Xia Lin expand her skill slot by one, with a maximum of ten skill slots.

Priced at 10 yuan.

It possesses a variety of thermal weapons, with technological sophistication ranging from the modern era to the interstellar age.

Prices vary.

There is a potion that grants superpowers; drinking it gives a 30% chance of gaining superpowers, but a 70% chance of dying from genetic collapse.

Priced at 5 yuan.

There is a Superman potion that grants a 90% chance of granting superpowers such as laser eyes, a body of steel, and carbon-based photosynthesis, while having a 10% chance of turning you into a puddle of mud.

Priced at 5 yuan.

These surreal options forced Xia Lin to broaden his thinking and consider whether supernatural forces existed in the dark world...

Hmm, there's a high probability.

Take that driver who symbolized the blessing of the stars, for example. He was so strong that he didn't seem like a normal person. Xia Lin didn't believe that he hadn't undergone some kind of strange transformation.

In short, after quickly scanning the area and secretly noting down the items that might be useful to her, Xia Lin reopened the [Skill Shop] page and bought a skill without hesitation.

[Bone Transformation (Rank B): Active Skill. Consumes 2 points of Spirit Power to change your physique and appearance. This skill has no cooldown. For every 3 hours the transformation lasts, an additional 1 point of Spirit Power is required.]

It's a decent disguise ability, but it's just a disguise ability.

Considering that Xia Lin's skill level cap in the Dark World is B-rank, this skill is just right.

……

Due to the sudden chaos, daily work came to a standstill for a time.

Police officers moved between different floors of the CBD building, conducting routine questioning.

Xia Lin was also questioned by the police for a few minutes.

But compared to cracking down on active groups, the police in the underworld seem to be just going through the motions.

They asked some pointless questions, received some pointless answers, cleaned up the mess, and left.

Unfortunately, Xia Lin was hoping to meet Xian Ze in person... but she didn't get to.

Such violent clashes between groups are probably commonplace in the underworld, and such trivial matters are not worth Xianze's personal attention.

It was nearly noon by the time the police left.

Xia Lin arrived at the manager's office just before the end of the workday and asked her young but pretty female boss for annual leave.

all the best.

Xia Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief after walking out of the CBD building.

Looking back at the building behind her, Xia Lin's gaze was melancholic, yet she knew in her heart that she would return one day.

Taking leave is just taking leave; Xia Lin will not resign from her job.

Since most things in the shadows symbolize reality, what do my job and this Thunder Technology Co., Ltd. symbolize?

Does it symbolize one's backing and allies?

But what backing or faction does Xia Lin have?

In short, I had a vague feeling that there were still secrets to uncover, but now was not the time to consider it.

Annual leave is only seven days long.

Xia Lin needs to resolve the issue of Yang Zhe and absolute balance within these seven days.

Xia Lin hailed a Didi (ride-hailing service) and headed towards the city's outskirts. After about a 30-minute drive, the car came to a stop, and Xia Lin got out. What came into view was a dirty and chaotic urban village.

The headquarters of the Brotherhood is located here.

……

It must be admitted that neither Yang Zhe nor the fake immortal and demon emperors in this subconscious fragment are anything extraordinary.

In the underworld, this manifests in their social status, which isn't actually that high...

Xia Lin was just an ordinary employee.

The fake immortal and demon emperors were just entrepreneurs from a third-tier city with a net worth of over a billion yuan.

Yang Zhe is the leader of a dynamic social group. He makes money through illicit means, and his wealth is probably considerable. He has hundreds of underlings who commit all sorts of evil deeds, including murder and arson.

That's awesome, definitely more awesome than the average person.

But to say it's high-class, it's not really high-class.

The entire urban village is Brotherhood territory.

Stepping inside, you're enveloped in the aroma of cooking.

The narrow, dirty streets were filled with shady street urchins adorned with dragons and phoenixes.

They gathered in small groups, chatting and boasting, or playing cards and gambling.

No need to ask, these are all members of the Brotherhood Alliance, Yang Zhe's subordinates.

Before that, Xia Lin had already used the Bone Transformation Technique to change his physical form, and his entry into the urban village did not cause any side plot events.

However, since he was not a member of the Brotherhood, he had no access to Yang Zhe's symbol in the shadows, let alone enter the Brotherhood's headquarters.

But it doesn't matter. Xia Lin didn't come here with the intention of launching an armed raid to kill Yang Zhe—that would be too risky...

At this moment, Xia Lin disguised himself as a recent college graduate who came to this city to make a living and wanted to rent a house here.

He asked around, inquired, and talked with people along the way, without attracting anyone's attention.

It was already afternoon when several vans drove into the urban village. Only then did Xia Lin move her feet and casually walk in that direction.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of a small duplex in an urban village.

Several burly men got out of the car. They weren't surprised to see the unfamiliar Xia Lin, nor did they chase him away. One of them went to the lead car, opened the door, and Yang Zhe, the leader of the Brotherhood Alliance, got out from the passenger seat, his face grim and cursing.

"Damn it, they said I didn't do a good job and didn't make enough of a mess!"

"I've lost four brothers, haven't I exerted enough effort already?!"

"That son of a bitch Wen Yu, he dared to swindle my money! He won't listen to reason, he really thinks I'm afraid of him!"

In the dark worldview, Xia Lin couldn't tell who was more powerful: an entrepreneur with assets of over a billion or a gang leader with hundreds of men.

However, based on realistic reasoning, the power these two wield in the shadows is probably not that different.

Hearing this, Xia Lin chuckled, realizing that Yang Zhe and Wen Yu had a minor disagreement in the shadows. Meanwhile, in reality, Yang Zhe and the Immortal Emperor were locked in a fierce battle, both unleashing their full power and displaying their true fury. Unfortunately, the Demon Emperor had yet to make his appearance…

See, it matches up again.

It's likely that Yang Zhe in reality is also starting to feel dissatisfied with the Demon Emperor—I've risked everything, and you're still just watching? You're really using me as a tool?

Xia Lin found it more and more interesting the more she looked at it.

It wasn't until Yang Zhe noticed Xia Lin watching him with a curious expression that he realized what was happening.

"What are you looking at!?"

His voice was booming, and his face was fierce.

Yang Zhe, hidden in the shadows, was tall and strong, standing at least two meters tall, with muscles even more robust than the symbol of Zhu Xing!

Besides this brotherhood, Xia Lin has reason to believe that Yang Zhe himself, hidden in the shadows, also possesses considerable individual strength.

Xia Lin shrank back, feigning weakness, and turned to leave.

As Xia Lin walked out of the urban village and stood on the sunny street, she whistled, feeling very happy.

Xia Lin rented a shared bicycle and headed towards the city center. Along the way, he randomly found a public restroom. When Xia Lin came out again, he had transformed into the same subordinate who had opened the car door for Yang Zhe earlier.

The bone reshaping treatment is remarkably effective.

It would be a real shame not to use this skill to cause trouble.

Xia Lin touched the remote-controlled explosives he had bought for 5000 yuan through an app, and a smirk appeared on his lips.

Alliance against the immortals?

Yang Zhe, you're dreaming!

……

Wenyu Group Headquarters Building.

A man named Wen Yu, escorted by bodyguards, walked towards the parking lot.

He had just ended a call with Yang Zhe, during which Yang Zhe sounded quite dissatisfied, but ultimately didn't completely break off relations with him.

Wen Yu also tried to persuade him with kind words, stating that as long as Xianze Group collapsed, he would give Yang Zhe a profit of up to 200 million yuan.

The alliance has stabilized for now.

Given the current situation, it's time for Wenyu Group to make a move.

But deep down, Wen Yu wasn't entirely at ease with Yang Zhe.

He wasn't very familiar with this person, and the two of them operated in different ways.

It turned out that Yang Zhe was looking to make a fortune through illegal means and approached him. Since he was also locked in a fierce battle with Xianze, he simply agreed to Yang Zhe's request for cooperation.

Upon arriving at the underground parking lot, the bodyguard opened the car door, and Wen Yu got in.

The vehicle engine began to roar.

However, within this roaring sound, there was also a trace of strange noise.

The sound reached Wen Yu's ears, triggering an instinctive reaction in him!
With superhuman strength and speed, he kicked open the car door and rolled out of the car in an instant.

The next second, sparks and sparks flew, illuminating the entire underground parking lot.

Wen Yu lay prostrate on the ground for a moment before slowly getting up, his eyes seemingly burning with flames.

The remaining bodyguards in the car immediately got out and surrounded Wen Yu.

Wen Yu pushed aside the bodyguard and walked to the wreckage of the vehicle.

His face was injured by explosives, and blood was dripping from the wound. However, the wound on his face began to heal very quickly, contrary to common sense.

The voice came from Wen Yu's mouth.

"Find the surveillance footage. I need to know whose people did it within three minutes."

……

It won't take more than three minutes.

In just over a minute, the Wenyu Group staff had already retrieved the killer's appearance from the surveillance footage.

—Xiong Weiye, a double-flower red stick under Yang Zhe.

This scene made Wen Yu laugh in exasperation.

"He really is a bastard!"

Wen Yu was too lazy to analyze whether someone was behind this, nor did he consider whether it was the work of a shapeshifter.

He didn't care about being framed or framed...

The reason is simple: Yang Zhe was untrustworthy to begin with, and this explosion completely destroyed the fragile trust between them.

One of his men stepped forward and made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Boss, do you want to...?"

In Yangcheng, someone who can amass a fortune like Wen Yu is definitely not a pure person.

Wen Yu thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No rush. Just remove the surveillance footage and tell everyone that it was Xianze who did it."

He then took out his phone and dialed Yang Zhe's number.

The moment the call connected, Wen Yu's gaze was cold, but his tone was friendly and warm.

"Brother, I almost got taken care of by Xianze's people just now. If you make a big move and go fast, the price is negotiable!"

Yang Zhe on the other end of the phone laughed heartily: "OK bro, watch my performance!"

……

In reality, within the fragments of the subconscious.

The battle between Yang Zhe and the Immortal Emperor intensifies.

The two had already gotten into a heated argument.

Now, all that's needed is for the Demon Emperor to take action, and that should be the final word—the matter has reached the point where the Demon Emperor can make his move.

The Demon Emperor had even stood up, preparing to launch a sneak attack using an Absolute Balance technique...

However, in the shadows, at the very moment the explosion occurred, the fake Demon Emperor suddenly stopped his attack and his brows slowly furrowed.

"I suddenly felt that this person's origins were strange and untrustworthy... he might even be a trap set up for me by a fake Immortal Emperor."

Viktor, standing nearby, suddenly realized and said, "That's possible."

As soon as the Demon Emperor finished speaking, he sat back down in his chair.

"So, I think watching them fight to the death seems like a pretty good option..."

Victor, the one-eyed man, spoke in unison: "That's right, that makes sense."

The two emperors, the immortal and the demon, harbored a deep-seated hatred for each other, and their underlying logic was to kill one another.

Logically speaking, given the Demon Emperor's personality, as long as he sees an opportunity to kill the Immortal Emperor, he wouldn't even consider whether it's a trap or whether Yang Zhe has other plans.

But at this moment, the Demon Emperor's gaze toward Yang Zhe clearly revealed a disgust no less than that he felt toward the Immortal Emperor.

The most terrifying characteristic of the Old Ones lies here.

It can distort the underlying logic of those who are affected!

……

Of course, this was a fact that Xia Lin had known for a long time.

The Old Days have come, and that is what gives them that power.

After leaving the parking lot, Xia Lin found a secluded spot and changed her form again.

The significant depletion of his mental energy left Xia Lin feeling somewhat dizzy, but that didn't stop him from humming a little tune with great enthusiasm.

In reality, the Demon Emperor has yet to make a move.

Xia Lin estimated that after the explosion, Yang Zhe would never receive help from the Demon Emperor again in his lifetime.

As for whether he was worried about Wen Yu, who was hiding in the shadows, being blown to pieces by his own soul-piercing attack...

Xia Lin didn't really care.

This symbolizes the death of Wen Yu, and in reality, the demise of the fake Demon Emperor.

Even if the fake Demon Emperor in this subconscious fragment dies, Xia Lin doesn't care—it's just a matter of finding another subconscious fragment containing a Demon Emperor after dealing with Yang Zhe.

The Dark Realm lacks everything, except for fake immortal and demon emperors.

After waiting for a long time, nothing unusual was seen at the Wenyu Group headquarters.

This confirmed to Xia Lin that Wen Yu in the dark world was not dead.

"To be able to survive an explosion is truly impressive. He must possess some special abilities... I wonder just how strong Wen Yu is in the shadows. What is the symbol of absolute balance in the shadows that Wen Yu possesses?"

He shook his head, suppressing these doubts for the time being.

Xia Lin rode a shared bicycle again and leisurely returned to the urban village where the Brotherhood Alliance was located.

We ordered some wine and snacks at a small restaurant at the edge of the village to pass the time.

As night fell, the roar of vehicles resumed.

Eight different vehicles, carrying nearly a hundred people, set off from the urban village and headed towards the villa area in the suburbs.

Leading the charge was none other than Yang Zhe, the leader of the Brotherhood Alliance!
Tonight, Yang Zhe will personally lead a surprise attack on Xianze!
Seeing this, Xia Lin put down his wine glass and left the restaurant.

I went out for a walk and bought some clothes. With the remaining eight thousand yuan, I bought some random trinkets and potions that could restore my mental energy.

About an hour later, Xia Lin returned to the urban village under the cover of night.

When Xia Lin appeared in front of the Brotherhood headquarters, his appearance and clothing had completely changed.

He became exactly like Yang Zhe...

……

The door was pushed open, and Xia Lin walked in.

What appears before you is a courtyard similar to a traditional Chinese courtyard house.

Several men were sitting in a circle in the courtyard, playing cards.

Hearing the sound of the gate, the people turned around in unison, their hands subtly reaching for the controlled knives on their bodies, but when they saw that it was Yang Zhe, they relaxed their guard.

"Boss."

"Big brother."

"Big brother, why are you back so soon? Did you get things done? Did you take care of Xianze?"

Xia Lin looked up at the person who spoke, her right eye reflecting reality.

The battle between Yang Zhe and the Immortal Emperor is becoming increasingly brutal, but at least in the short term, it is impossible to tell who will win.

They still have a chance to fight...

In the shadows, Xia Lin shook his head.

"I came back to pick up some things."

The ability to change one's voice can also alter Xia Lin's vocal tone, so there are no flaws in her voice.

His subordinates asked no further questions.

It's a bit strange that the eldest brother came back quietly by himself... it seems he hasn't taken a car back yet.

But these are not things that they should concern themselves with.

He watched as Xia Lin walked into the room, and a short while later, Xia Lin came out again, muttering something like, "Hey, where did I put that thing?" as he walked into another room.

Pretending to look for something, Xia Lin was actually openly scouting the location.

After several attempts, Xia Lin found Yang Zhe's bedroom and office.

Standing in Yang Zhe's office, Xia Lin locked the door and grinned.

"You've kept most of your possessions here, haven't you?"

Yang Zhe, symbolizing Yang Zhe.

The Brotherhood Alliance symbolizes Yang Zhe's power.

So what do his bedroom and office symbolize about Yang Zhe, the military commander?

Xia Lin didn't know, so he wanted to give it a try.

(End of this chapter)