Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 236 Tan Ming Appears, Faith Takes Over!
Following the entry named "Tan Ming" in the encyclopedia, another entry triggered by him, "Tan Ming Rune," has been added to the panel.

Tan Ming, is he about to arrive?
Cheng Ye looked up at the sky above the cave. The red cloud representing Tan Ming had gradually gained the upper hand and was expanding continuously in the energy clash with the Wanling Earth Conch.

Humans are too weak to even survive in the struggle between these extraordinary monsters.

In other words, even if you want to snag a bargain, only truly extraordinary individuals are qualified.

After all, the Ten Thousand Orders Earth Conch only needs one instance of mental pollution, and even with the protection of the Heart-Protecting Flame, it may not be able to resist.

Conversely, if one chooses to join one side and participate in the struggle, not only will they receive proper protection, but they may even reap enormous benefits.

"The battle for the extraordinary is very much like a battle for beliefs."

Cheng Ye murmured to himself, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer, "Tan Ming represents the rules of Shi Province, which do not allow any uncontrolled life to exist, and even less allow extraordinary plants to be born indiscriminately. The Wanling Earth Conch, on the other hand, represents the rules of the previous generation of extraordinary beings, who wanted to transform this continent and create a natural world where all things flourish."

"Such diametrically opposed beliefs, unless one possesses extraordinary strength, make it impossible to remain neutral and a fence-sitter. It's either agreement or opposition; there's simply no middle ground."

He stood there in quiet contemplation until the crimson energy possessing Rokuk completely dissipated and returned, condensing into new crimson figures around him, before finally snapping out of his daze.

Thanks to this Tanming Rune, his current state is somewhat like that of someone wearing a ghost mask in Jackie Chan Adventures.

Not only can it summon the Blood Shadow Legion anytime, anywhere to possess and fight on its behalf, it can even bestow energy upon humans like Rokuk.

This is Tan Ming's power, and he has temporarily taken control of it through the runes.

However, the price was equally obvious: he could no longer leave the cavern from the Mian Shi until he had enough energy to summon Tan Ming's arrival.

As soon as he gets close to the portal, the crimson armor on his body will automatically turn him away, leaving him no control over it.

Cheng Ye could vaguely sense that as long as he actively unloaded the "Tan Ming Envoy" status, he should be able to regain his freedom and leave. However, in that case, Tan Ming's power left in the cotton room would be greatly weakened, and he might no longer be a match for the Ten Thousand Orders Earth Conch.

"The opportunity to weaken the Conch is right in front of us, we can't let it slip away. If Tan Ming tries to take over my body after he revives, I can just withdraw my skills then!"

Cheng Ye gritted his teeth. This was the downside of relying on external forces; there were always constraints.

However, compared to the uncontrollable power of the Shrinking Giant Lice, Tan Ming's power is obviously stronger and more controllable.

He stopped hesitating and turned to rush into the nearby dense forest, followed closely by the crimson legion of men, who began to sweep through the remaining crabmen.

As he continued to devour the life force of the dense forest, Tan Ming's rune progress bar rose at a steady pace.

Meanwhile, the number of crab-men in the cave began to shrink rapidly under the siege of the Blood Shadow Legion, which was under command.

The scales of victory are tipping ever more in Tan Ming's favor.

Noon should have been the brightest time of day, but the cave was getting darker and darker, as if the end of the world was about to come. Only the blood-red specks of light floating in the air barely illuminated the surroundings.

More than two-thirds of the dense forest area has completely lost its greenery and entered "late autumn".

Large swaths of vegetation withered and shriveled, their branches and trunks losing their resilience and breaking easily in the wind.

A withered aura permeated every inch of space, and even the white cloud formed from the Wanling Earth Conch grew paler and paler, its edges becoming blurred, as if it would completely dissipate in the next second.

At the same time, the number of crabmen has been drastically reduced by the Blood Shadow Legion's extermination efforts, and the energy that the Conch can mobilize is becoming increasingly scarce. It is even struggling to maintain the eerie blue halo on the lake's surface, and the range of the halo has shrunk by more than half compared to before.

Cheng Ye stood on the high ground at the edge of the lake, looking up at the conch shell in the center of the lake, and his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly.

Compared to its size, comparable to a skyscraper, when they first met yesterday, the conch shell has now shrunk by dozens of times, roughly the size of his SUV. The luster of its shell has also dimmed considerably, and even the intricate runes no longer shimmer.

Although it hasn't been reduced to the standard for containment yet, Tan Ming hasn't arrived yet.

Both sides seem to be gathering all their strength, preparing for a desperate fight at some point.

Taking out the pendant, Cheng Ye looked at the lower right corner.

The previously charged battery had been converted into four portions of regular-sized Living Water Essence, which were safely stored inside.

In the encyclopedia panel, there are still 200% of the Living Water Essence trait that haven't been redeemed yet, which translates to two more, making a total of six.

This number was more than enough to meet the requirements of the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice, but when Cheng Ye focused his vision into the spiritual space, he was still startled by the changes in the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice:
The insect's body, which had previously shimmered with a pale gold hue, became thicker and its surface was covered with a warm, golden glow.

The originally dense and complex compound eyes began to converge inwards, no longer scattered. One could vaguely see fine runes flowing deep within the pupils, giving them a more spiritual quality.

Even the runes engraved on the carapace have changed significantly. Some have merged together to form more complex patterns, while others have been enlarged individually and occupy a more prominent position on the carapace.

The life force drawn from plants, though only the most basic life energy and nutrients, is far less pure than the essential energy of living water.

But the giant hyacinth beetle doesn't discriminate!
It absorbs all energy that it can absorb, without wasting a single bit.

Over 90% of the life energy was devoured by the armor, leaving only 10% for it to feast on.

The energy gap required for parasitism has been completely filled, and it no longer needs to be provided by the host.

On the progress panel, the growth rate of the Shrinking Giant Lice has reached 80% and is no longer changing.

"Are there any other special conditions required for further promotion?"

Cheng Ye secretly guessed to himself.

Perhaps in this wasteland, no ordinary person can provide such a massive amount of energy in such a short time after being parasitized by a benign infectious agent.

Furthermore, no one, who already possesses extraordinary powers, would willingly accept the source of infection, allowing the two powers to coexist and thrive within their body.

These coincidences, when combined, seemed to have led him down a path never before seen before.

Whether this path is good or bad is still unclear. But one thing is certain:
These powers were enough for him to survive steadily in the perilous wilderness.

This also gives him the ability to protect those around him and ensure that all plans can be implemented smoothly without being interrupted by any unexpected events while he is building Dabo Town and pursuing his personal ideals.

[Current progress: 75.3/100 (Tan Ming will arrive immediately after reaching the maximum value)]

"Soon."

Cheng Ye glanced at the progress bar on the panel, put aside all distractions, and continued to lead the Blood Shadow Legion to sweep through the dense forest area.

At this point, the number of blood-red figures had exceeded six thousand.

He couldn't precisely control each individual figure; he could only barely transmit a thought, such as instructing scattered figures to band together and concentrate their strength to fight the crab-men.

Fortunately, the crab people didn't have a unified command and relied entirely on instinct and brute force, so the two sides were temporarily deadlocked.

If he can arrive at the battlefield in time, he can immediately turn the tide with his numerical advantage, which is a one-sided "bullying of the weak".

80
85
Time quietly slipped to four o'clock in the afternoon.

When the progress just broke through the 90 mark, the last remaining patch of green vegetation in the dense forest area was also drained of its last bit of vitality.

hum-

Suddenly, indescribable fluctuations erupted within the cave.

Under Cheng Ye's astonished gaze, the long-dried giant trees, vines, weeds, and even moss instantly turned into a sky full of black ash, which scattered in all directions with the ripples.

The cave suddenly became empty, and the original vibrant atmosphere vanished without a trace, leaving only a chilling gloom.

The world was shrouded in blood red, with only bare rocks and the blood-red portal standing not far away in sight.

Even more strangely, the black ashes did not completely dissipate. Instead, they were enveloped by an invisible force and condensed into a black hurricane that shot straight up into the blood cloud above the cave.

Click!

A streak of crimson lightning ripped through the sky, followed by a muffled thunderclap deep within the crimson clouds, the deep rumble echoing repeatedly within the cave.

The power of the Wanling Earth Conch was further suppressed, and even the energy field that could originally cover the entire lake area was forced to shrink to its own "small plot of land", making it difficult to spread outward even a little bit.

What should we do now?
Cheng Ye was stunned. The life force he could absorb had been exhausted. Did he have to go down into the lake to find a new energy source?

Before he could even sort out his thoughts, the crimson energy in his body suddenly began to drain away rapidly. The progress bar, which was originally at 90, dropped to 30 in the blink of an eye, and it was still falling continuously.

At the same time, the more than six thousand blood-red figures around him began to disintegrate, turning into pools of dark red blood that gathered together on the ground and surged toward the blood cloud above the cave.

"My surname is Tan!"

A deep, resonant male voice suddenly echoed through the heavens and earth, carrying a majestic power that pierced the soul.

Cheng Ye suddenly looked up and saw that the blood cloud above his head was no longer in a scattered state, but had begun to slowly condense into a human shape!

First, the head. Under the guidance of the crimson energy, the clouds outlined a sharp and angular profile. The brow bone was as sharp as if it had been carved by a knife. Two clusters of dark red flames rose from the deep-set eye sockets, as if they could pierce through everything. The bridge of the nose was as high as a solitary peak. The lips were pressed into a cold and hard arc. The lines of the jaw were strong and neat. Every inch of the profile exuded an undeniable sense of oppression.

Next came the shoulders, neck, and torso. The blood cloud spread downwards like flowing water, transforming into a red, wide-sleeved short shirt. The hem of the shirt only reached the waist and abdomen. The collar and cuffs of the shirt were decorated with fine, hair-like crimson patterns. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that those patterns were actually woven from countless tiny runes, faintly glowing.

Finally, there are the hands, feet, and body. The clouds and mist condense into the outline of the skeleton, and the crimson glow transforms into the texture of the muscles. Each finger is long and strong, with a faint red glow lingering around the fingertips, as if a slight lift could stir up the wind and clouds.

His body stood tall and straight like a pine tree amidst the blood-red clouds. Although he was merely an energy manifestation, he already exuded an aura of supreme dominance.

Tan Ming, has he taken human form?

Cheng Ye's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

He never imagined that Tan Ming's arrival would be like this, as if an immortal from a pre-existing supernatural era had descended.

But the next instant, the figure formed from blood clouds suddenly turned its head and its gaze fell directly on him.

A deep, resonant male voice echoed once more within the cave, carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Investigate and reward on my behalf!"

Before he finished speaking, Tan Ming raised his hand in the air and lightly tapped with his fingertips.

Before Cheng Ye could even react, the giant lice that had shrunk in the spirit space was pulled out by an invisible force and suspended in mid-air.

The poor giant louse hadn't figured out what was happening yet. Its round body trembled slightly in the blood-red light, and its compound eyes, which had originally shone with golden light, now showed a hint of fear.

Immediately afterwards, the air trembled, and a blood-red rune condensed in Tan Ming's palm. As the rune flowed, countless tiny lines writhed like living things.

boom!
The rune struck the giant lice directly, without causing a loud noise. Instead, it seeped into the lice's body instantly, like water seeping into a sponge.

The next second, pale red patterns began to appear on the giant louse's carapace, somewhat similar to the scene when the Green Treasure Bug fused with its skill, but even more bizarre.

The originally pure golden insect body gradually became stained with a layer of blood-gold luster, retaining the warmth of life while adding a touch of blood-red sharpness, exuding an indescribable sense of strangeness.

Immediately afterwards, Tan Ming flicked his finger, and the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice was bounced back into the spirit space.

Cheng Ye could clearly sense that although the once strong body of the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice was showing signs of weakness, as if it had consumed a lot of energy, its essence had undergone some kind of indescribable transformation.

Before he could even get a good feel for it, Tan Ming's movements didn't stop; he pointed at the air again.

The spirit space trembled again, causing Cheng Ye's mind to tighten. The dormant, disconnected flame was forcibly pulled out and suspended in the crimson light. What kind of monster is this?

What level is he exactly at?
Between the veterans of Happiness City and Tan Ming, who is stronger?
Could those level-one infection sources within the Black Zone match Tan Ming's current power?

Cheng Ye felt his mind go blank; such methods were truly beyond his imagination.

"Remember my words. Reward me!"

The deep male voice rang out again, and another crimson rune condensed at Tan Ming's fingertip. This rune was more intricate than the previous one, and it faintly emitted a warm fluctuation.

The rune struck the flame precisely, but did not leave any bloody marks like it had when the giant louse was transformed.

Instead, the golden light above his head suddenly intensified, and the flame feathers that had already taken shape fell off completely in the light, as if they had returned to the moment of their birth.

But Cheng Ye could sense that this was not a "regression," but rather a kind of "reshaping." The fluctuations of the flame were more refined than before, as if impurities had been removed, making it purer.

Tan Ming flicked his finger again, and the flame was sent back to the spirit space.

Cheng Ye had no interest in looking at the panel prompts anymore, wondering what specific changes the two consecutive "rewards" had brought about.

Because Tan Ming's gaze had fallen on him again.

Two gazes collided across the distance, and Cheng Ye could even see his own tiny figure reflected in Tan Ming's eyes, which were burning with dark red flames.

A feeling of overwhelming pressure, like a mountain pressing down, instantly enveloped my entire body, making it difficult to even breathe.

This time, however, Tan Ming did not offer any "rewards." His deep eyes held a thoughtful expression, as if he were weighing something.

An invisible force began to entwine around him, clearly attempting to exert some kind of control over him.

But just then, a transcendent voice suddenly resounded throughout the cave, shattering the suffocating atmosphere:

"Tan Ming, that's enough!"

Is it... Mr. Qian?
The familiar voice sent a shiver down Cheng Ye's spine, and the oppressive feeling that had been hanging over him vanished instantly.

In the air, a mist of water slowly condensed and took shape, transforming into the image of Old Qian, who was broad-shouldered and somewhat prosperous.

His aura wasn't as domineering as Tan Ming's; instead, it was like a firefly under the bright moon, gentle yet firm, blocking Cheng Ye's path and isolating all potential threats on another level.

“Our people helped you discover the divine artifact and also helped you reshape your spiritual body.”

“We only need the fragments of the Conch Shell itself. You can take all the energy it has accumulated. If you make any further moves, you will be overstepping the rules.”

Mr. Qian spoke repeatedly, but Tan Ming did not respond immediately.

The crimson humanoid figure hovered in mid-air, its crimson aura rippled slightly, as if it were deep in thought.

A moment later, something unexpected happened.

Tan Ming suddenly flicked his finger, and a beam of blood-red energy slammed directly into Qian Lao's misty body.

Without a deafening roar, Qian Lao's condensed form was instantly shattered, turning into countless tiny water droplets that could never be condensed again.

Immediately afterwards, a blood-red barrier centered on Tan Ming instantly filled the entire cavern, completely isolating all spiritual power that attempted to penetrate, leaving not even a crack.

At the same time, two intricate runes solidified again in Tan Ming's palm.

The first one was still a blood-red rune, swirling with a withered aura that Cheng Ye was extremely familiar with.

It's not hard to guess that this is the core rune for summoning the Blood Shadow Legion and extracting life force to convert into energy.

But the second rune made Cheng Ye's pupils shrink sharply. It was a pure green rune, and the life force it contained was several times stronger than that emitted by the Wanling Earth Conch!
Just one glance gave him the illusion of being in a primeval forest, as if he could see all things growing and plants flourishing, and a wonderful feeling of "everything is getting better" welled up in his heart.

With a gentle flick of his wrist, the two runes did not merge into Cheng Ye's body as they had when he modified the Shrinking Earth Giant Lice, but instead floated in front of him.

The left side is blood-red, and the right side is green, clearly distinct.

"By upholding my original belief, I can absorb the power of all things to revitalize, and guide the plants to flourish and grow. From this point on, I will transcend the ordinary and attain the state of mastering my own mind."

"Bearing my withered belief, I can grasp the vitality, draw away the power of devouring, and gather the withered bones into an army to wreak havoc. From this point on, I will transcend the ordinary and attain the state of mind that governs my body."

"Choose one, and you can leave this place."

The multiple-choice question is here again!
Cheng Ye's heart pounded wildly. This was the price of rashly borrowing external power. The more benefits one enjoyed, the heavier the subsequent constraints would be.

Unexpectedly, even Elder Qian couldn't stop Tan Ming, who directly kicked him out of the cave.

wrong.

It should be said that before Qian Lao appeared, Tan Ming originally wanted to make his own decisions and also put runes on him for control.

After Qian Lao appeared, Tan Ming's ideas did not change, but he was given the power to make his own choices.

Can I not choose this option?

The moment Cheng Ye's eyes flickered, the oppressive feeling that had disappeared returned, even stronger than before, as if it would crush him in the next second.

He quickly shook his head, suppressing any lingering hope, and stared intently at the two runes floating in front of him. At the same time, he swiftly summoned the collector panel and attempted to collect the two runes.

One withers, another is reborn.

The crimson runes on the left clearly correspond to Tan Ming's current belief: to not allow any plants to grow on the land of Shi Province, and to maintain a certain balance by extracting life force and converting it into mineral resources.

The green runes on the right side exude an extremely rich vitality, which should correspond to Tan Ming's belief before his death: to transform the barren Shi Province into a land where all things thrive, and even to cultivate extraordinary plants in ordinary land. This goal is even more exaggerated than the "transformation plan" of the Ten Thousand Rings Earth Conch.

If we inherit his beliefs, wouldn't that mean we have to help him complete these tasks?

But having chosen a new life, does that mean I should openly farm on Lord Tan's head?
Could it be a trap? What if he reaches out and touches it, and Tan Ming immediately turns on him and grinds him to ashes?
Cheng Ye was a little unsure, but the collector did not stop working and quickly materialized these abstract things into two things that the collector could understand.

[Tan Ming's Withered Rune: A special rune containing a belief-bound constraint]

[The current rune has been included (it cannot be analyzed at this time due to class restrictions; please continue to improve your class to unlock permissions)]

This rune contains a chain of quests. Once accepted, the collector must complete all quests (quest details cannot be modified; please continue to advance your rank to unlock permissions).

[Current First Task: Expanding Territory (Extending Tan Ming's power to other regions)]

[Mission Reward: Gain access to special powers]

[Task penalty: none]

[Tan Ming's Vitality Rune: Contains a special rune that includes a belief-based constraint]

[The current rune has been included (it cannot be analyzed at this time due to class restrictions; please continue to improve your class to unlock permissions)]

This rune contains a chain of quests. Once accepted, the collector must complete all quests (quest details cannot be modified; please continue to advance your rank to unlock permissions).

[Current first task: Thriving Growth (cultivate and plant ten acres of land, and complete one harvest)]

[Quest Reward: Obtain some runes from the Ten Thousand Orders Earth Conch]

[Task penalty: none]

"what?"

"Are these two runes part of a chain quest?"

Cheng Ye pretended to be frowning in thought, but his eyes were fixed on the information on the panel, and a storm was raging in his heart.

It turns out that these runes are not fixed "power containers," but rather like human writing, which have different meanings and associated tasks when "written" according to different logics.

Tan Ming actually mastered this script and could create rules so casually?
Choosing the Wither Rune means spreading its withering power beyond the Stone Province, or to environments like caves, to continue the rule of exchanging plant life for minerals.

If you choose the Vitality Rune, you must fulfill his unfinished wish and grow extraordinary plants on the barren wasteland.

Seeing that there was no punishment below, Cheng Ye was a little unsure.

Did Tan Ming cancel the punishment because of Qian Lao's influence, or did he exert his influence as an envoy?
If you choose the former, you can gain the power of the Blood Shadow Legion.

Having already experienced the terror of this power once, Cheng Ye dared not imagine that if he were to unleash this power in the outside world, he might be able to withstand a small wave of infection all by himself, and his combat power would skyrocket!
If you choose the latter, you can actually obtain the rune of the Ten Thousand Orders Conch Shell.

Although we don’t yet know what the rune is for, we will surely be able to analyze its properties.

Now the crabmen in the cave have been almost completely cleared out. The most collected trait in the encyclopedia, the aquatic trait, has barely broken 40%, while the other traits have just broken 10%.

If we can get the rune reward, wouldn't we be able to exchange it for the Thousand-Arch Earth Conch through the collector?
Goodness, is Old Tan giving out freebies?
Cheng Ye's mind raced, and his gaze quickly fell on the word "chain" in the chain mission.

The first stage only offers rewards with no penalties, but what about the subsequent tasks?
Will there be time and penalty restrictions starting from the second stage of the mission? Or will failing to complete it even be fatal?
Tan Ming clearly had a good understanding of human nature. He first used sweetness to lure people in, and once the person who accepted the rune completed the first step, they would have no choice but to accept it.

However, if one can remain focused and not attempt to complete the task, then the rune will have no effect whatsoever.

just.

Tan Ming would never have imagined that his collector could analyze and even modify runes, so even if the subsequent tasks were more demanding, he would still have room to maneuver.

With a firm decision, Cheng Ye closed the panel and no longer hesitated.

Half a minute has passed. If Elder Qian had a way to break through the blood-red barrier, he should have already taken action.

There was no response. If he wanted to get out, he could only choose a rune.

Cheng Ye pondered, tentatively reaching out towards the green rune while observing Tan Ming's reaction.

In case the other party turns hostile, he can withdraw in time.

Tan Ming simply shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of speechlessness at his cautiousness. Then he gently raised his chin, as if to say that there was no need to be so reserved.

Wow!
The green runes suddenly lit up, and a soft but not dazzling green light enveloped Cheng Ye's right hand, actually imprinting a light green rune mark on the back of his hand through the obsidian armor.

Is this it?

Before Cheng Ye could recover from his shock, another blood-red rune in front of him shattered with a "bang," turning into a sky full of red mist and dissipating into the air.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle force supported his body, and he slowly floated towards the gate of light.

Tan Ming had turned his head, focusing all his attention back on the Wanling Earth Conch in the lake. The crimson glow around him began to surge, clearly preparing to deal with his final opponent.

But the next second, he turned his head in astonishment, and a broken, somewhat urgent voice came from inside, revealing a clear expectation:
"Lord Tan, I want that withered rune too!"

(End of this chapter)