Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 181 Annihilation Layer Pass

Wu Ge was writing furiously on the math test paper with his mechanical pencil. Even after arriving here, his godfather still gave him a pile of test papers to do.

Fortunately, English has now become an elective, so students only need to study Chinese and math. After all, everyone in Western countries is scrambling to get Chinese citizenship and is desperately learning Chinese.

Solution: When x=3, the function reaches its minimum value...

The phone vibrated, interrupting the calculation process, and the screen displayed the three characters "Murong Yan".

"Hello?" Wu Ge pressed the answer button, twirling his pen in the air. "Sister Murong, you finally decided to call me?"

"Wu Ge!" Murong Yan's urgent voice was filled with anxiety. "You said that your father's friend is a high-ranking member of the Bloodstained Gang?"

“Yes,” Wu Ge pushed the test paper aside, “What have you thought about it? Do you want to join the Crimson Team? We’re currently short of priestesses, so we can arrange for you to be a temporary member. You won’t need to plant a soul imprint during your internship.”

After the convenience store instance ended, Wu Ge told Murong Yan that if she wanted to avenge her sister and deal with the Insect Nest team, he could recommend her to join the Bloodstained Team. Murong Yan had many concerns about the Soul Imprint, so she hadn't given Wu Ge a direct answer until now.

"Do you know that the Bloodstained Team is hunting down Jiang Jin's Nirvana Team? I've been staying home in seclusion lately trying to advance to LV2, but I failed. As soon as I came out of seclusion, I heard that Shadow Blade and Crimson were both sent out!"

The pencil fell to the ground with a thud.

Wu Ge suddenly stood up, the chair scraping loudly on the floor.

"When did this happen?"

"It's today! The Reincarnators are all in an uproar, saying that Blood Owl is using Nirvana as a warning to others, to intimidate Reincarnators who refuse to obey the imperial court's orders! Can you help me find out what's going on?"

I'll contact you later!

Wu Ge had already rushed out of the study.

At that moment, his mind was filled with the convenience store scene from that Ghost Festival night—the terrifying dolls on the shelves, the cannibalistic ghost customers at the checkout counter…

Blood Lord was watching the news replay. The footage of Liang Zhiyuan's gruesome death was blurred out before being replayed, and experts were debating whether it was a terrorist attack or memetic contamination. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the remote control until the door was suddenly pushed open.

"Godfather!" Wu Ge gasped, leaning on his knees. "Did you... send Brother Shen and the others to hunt down the Nirvana team?"

Blood Lord pressed the pause button and looked at Wu Ge.

"Who told you that?"

"That's not important! It's one thing if others are involved, but you can't kill Jiang Jin?"

"Oh?" Blood Lord raised an eyebrow slightly. "That hunter?"

The door opened again, and Long Cang walked in carrying a glass of whiskey. Upon hearing the conversation, his expression changed drastically: "Captain, Jiang Jin—"

Blood Lord raised his hand to signal Long Cang to shut up, his gaze fixed on his adopted son's face, and said, "Give me a reason."

Wu Ge's Adam's apple bobbed as he said, "Back in the fully rule-based instance, Jiang Jin helped me a lot; otherwise, I might not have survived! Godfather, killing him is tantamount to me repaying kindness with enmity!"

The boy clenched his fist and said, "Godfather, you're going to deal with Yu Tianlun from the Nirvana team, right? Can you please let Jiang Jin go?"

Long Cang slammed his wine glass down on the coffee table: "Young Master! You must know the rules! Bloodshed has never killed anyone—"

"Sure. Anyway, my original order was to capture Jiang Jin alive."

Blood Lord's voice wasn't loud, but it instantly startled Long Cang.

What happened to the promise to kill Jiang Jin to avenge Xiao Wu?
"Commander! My nephew Xiao Wu was killed by Jiang Jin!"

"I said, fine," the Blood Lord replied coldly. "What, are you going back on your word?"

Long Cang immediately shook his head: "This subordinate dares not!"

Wu Ge's eyes welled up with tears; he was deeply grateful to his godfather.

He still remembered that after his father's funeral, this man carried him into the car and said, "I'll take care of you in place of your father from now on."

Blood Lord glanced at Long Cang, whose face showed resentment, and said, "I owe your father too much; his death is my greatest regret. But I can spare his life, provided he cooperates with me properly. I'm afraid he'll insist on going down a dark path and opposing me, and then there's nothing I can do!"

"I'll try to persuade him!" the boy gritted his teeth. "Jiang Jin is a smart man, he'll definitely..."

"Young Master is too naive." Long Cang sneered. "Some people are just stubborn and don't know when to stop."

Blood Lord picked up the remote and continued playing the news.

"Long Cang, after Scarlet returns, tell Zhou Chen that this is my order."

Meanwhile, on the streets of Black Crow Town.

Yuko was the first to spot the balloons with the heads of the Scarlet Team members.

It hovered atop a utility pole two hundred meters east of the izakaya, its enormous, sinister head searching for its own body, preparing to hang it.

Even from this distance, you can clearly see Lu Cun's face—the greasy mustache and puffy eye bags.

“There!” Yuko pointed to the telephone pole, her voice extremely low.

Liu Yan immediately released three Spirit-Eating Bees.

The worms flapped their wings and flew higher, approaching the balloon. Yuko held her breath, watching them rise higher and higher, until they were less than five meters from the rope hanging from the bottom of the balloon—

"puff!"

The three Gu worms burst open at the same time, turning into a few drops of foul-smelling black blood that splattered on the telephone pole.

"Blood Pact Curse Kill!"

Yu Tianlun's pupils contracted: "Zhou Chen used the blood pact."

The profession of shaman has some similarities with that of priest, but the difference is that shamans focus on witchcraft, while priests focus on divination and communicating with the gods.

Various bizarre and strange witchcrafts are key to the shamanic profession's ability to contend with ghosts and other reincarnated beings. However, the choice of which witchcraft to focus on is a matter of personal preference. Zhou Chen chose blood pact witchcraft as his primary practice. This type of witchcraft is extremely powerful, sometimes reaching the point where it can establish causality.

It now appears that Zhou Chen used a blood pact to cause the Gu worms, which had reached a certain level, to explode automatically.

No wonder Blood Lord values ​​him so much; he is indeed a formidable member of the team dealing with the Insect Nest.

At this moment, Jiang Jin had his back to Qin Mei, with the muzzle of his gun always pointed at the workshop door.

Through a telepathic connection with his wife, Liu Yan, he was able to ascertain that the situation was somewhat unfavorable, and the Gu worms could not be used to pop the balloons for the time being.

Qin Mei felt extremely anxious. What should she do? She had now become a bargaining chip to manipulate Zhou Chen!

She was very worried that Zhou Chen would compromise with the Nirvana team for her own sake and would eventually be punished by the Blood Lord!
what to do? What should she do?
Jiang Jin kept glancing back at Qin Mei, Yu Tianlun's warning echoing in his mind—"Qin Mei is the leader of the Shadow Blade Guild, a LV3 medium. Even if she's wearing anti-magic shackles, you have to be on guard at all times."

Qin Mei bit her lip tightly; the talisman on her forehead put her in a state of high tension.

She had to find a way to escape! Only by escaping herself could the Nirvana team stop using her to blackmail Zhou Chen!
Zhou Chen is very likely to become the strongest reincarnator in the Bloodstained Team in the future! Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is highly likely to advance to LV4 Disaster Relief Person within two years! At that time, he will receive key training from the team, and perhaps, there is a glimmer of hope that he can become a LV5 Heavenly Sound Shaman!

He's young and has a bright future! Once he reaches LV5, his chances of survival in this meme-contaminated era will greatly increase!

Qin Mei knew herself very well; LV3 was basically her limit. Being a medium required a high level of talent, and it was already quite an achievement for her to advance to LV3 Yin-Yang Envoy. Advancing to LV4, the Unpredictable Medium, was an extremely slim chance!

For reincarnators, memetic contamination is incurable for life! It is absolutely irreversible! Only by advancing in rank can their lifespan be extended. LV5 might have a chance to live a little longer, but how long can she, an LV3, live?
Sooner or later, her SAN value will inevitably decline uncontrollably, eventually causing her to fall into the Avici Hell!

How could someone as destined to die as her be worth Zhou Chen, a man with a promising future, risking angering the Blood Lord and possibly dying at the hands of the Nirvana team for her sake?
But Qin Mei couldn't even bring herself to commit suicide now. Moreover, she couldn't die; she had to send her daughter, Mingyan, out of the hellish prison that was Muxu City before she died!
Just as Qin Mei was considering various options, she suddenly felt a cold touch on her back!

This is?

She turned around and saw a floating paper figure, whose hand was holding the key to the magic-suppressing shackles!
Qin Mei was stunned, and for a moment she wondered if she was imagining things.

The Crimson Team currently has no Priestess Reincarnators! Therefore, it can only be… Shirakawa Rin!
What's going on? Isn't she a traitor?
Immediately afterwards, the paper figure suddenly began to unfold, revealing the words written inside.

“I can save you, but on the condition that you help me kill Jiang Jin. Once he’s dead, his Blood Key will be mine.”

Qin Mei understood instantly!
It turns out that the dog that bites doesn’t bark!

So, Shirakawa Rin, the usually silent shrine maiden reincarnator, is actually the most insidious and vicious one!
Why would you just give her two fragments of resentment?

This is far from satisfying her appetite!
With Jiang Jin dead, although he and his wife Liu Yan share the watch's storage space, the reincarnation system will randomly divide the property. His Bloody Key will most likely yield at least ten resentment crystal fragments!

At that time, Shirakawa Rin will be able to keep all ten resentment crystal fragments for herself!

She was the one who committed the murder, and all the hatred is directed at Qin Mei! Bai Chuanlin can completely absolve himself of all responsibility and remain innocent!
Finally, if the Nirvana team can leave the Horror Dungeon alive, since Jiang Jin died at the hands of Qin Mei, the leader of the Bloodthirsty sub-group, they will have a blood feud with Bloodthirsty and will have enough reason to help rescue Sima Jin!
one stone two bird!
That's quite a scheme!
As expected of an undercover agent planted by the Insect Nest team, she certainly has the typical style of Lady Pustules! Sima Jin, this saintly figure, is truly an exception!

But even though Qin Mei knew it was all a conspiracy, there was nothing she could do.

She had no choice!

This is the only way I can escape!

Moreover, he really needed to kill Jiang Jin in order to escape!
Of course, Shirakawa Rin might very well kill her to silence her! But right now, Qin Mei has no other choice!
"Click".

The soft clanging of metal made Jiang Jin tense up.

That was the sound of the lock popping open!
He turned around abruptly, raising his gun, only to see Qin Mei already standing up, the anti-magic shackles on her wrists coming off.

How can it be!

The moment Jiang Jin pulled the trigger, he heard Qin Mei unleash the Wraith Curse!

Jiang Jin felt a tremendous force explode from his chest.

He flew backward and crashed into the wall, breaking at least three of his ribs. Blood welled up in his throat, but he still gripped the gun tightly.

too strong!
This is LV3!

Jiang Jin acted decisively and quickly used the Bagua Mirror that Yu Tianlun had left him to activate the formation!

Although Jiang Jin is not a shaman, Yu Tianlun temporarily transferred the right to use the Bagua Formation to him. He can control the formation through the mirror, but he can't do it as skillfully as Yu Tianlun.

Qin Mei's figure suddenly began to flicker, like a faulty light bulb. She raised her right hand, and a complex blood-red totem appeared in her palm!
The totem suddenly expanded, transforming into a blood-red prison that enveloped Jiang Jin!
Level 3 Spirit Medium Onmyoji Class Skill: [Haunted Hell Wheel]!
Jiang Jin rolled to dodge, the spot where he had been standing now riddled with a charred, round crater from the blood prison's corrosion. He seized the opportunity to fire three shots in quick succession, but the bullets once again pierced through Qin Mei's illusory form.

"It's no use." Qin Mei's voice suddenly came from all directions, "Under my 'Soul Travel' state, I'm practically half-ghost, you can't hurt me!"

Jiang Jin's forehead was covered in sweat. He had tried to call out to Deathstroke, but the LV3 psychic made Deathstroke afraid to even approach her!

This is Jiang Jin's first time fighting against a Level 3 Reincarnator!
But now it seems the gap in strength is too big!
Moreover, he can't think of any rule he can change to deal with Qin Mei!

Only by using formations can we manage to maneuver a little!
"Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui! Rise!"

Jiang Jin finished reciting it as quickly as possible, and Yu Tianlun's Bagua mirror immediately shone with golden light in his hand.

The moment the light shone on Qin Mei, she let out a muffled groan, her spiritual state began to become unstable, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Qin Mei's expression changed drastically. She immediately tried to fully transform back into her spiritual form, but the golden light bound her movements like shackles.

Taking the opportunity, Jiang Jin changed to a new magazine and aimed the gun at Qin Mei's forehead: "Who gave you the key?"

Qin Mei couldn't have broken free of the magic-suppressing shackles for no reason! These are items produced by the Reincarnation System, and even the most skilled locksmith couldn't open them!
Qin Mei did not answer.

She stared at the Bagua mirror in Jiang Jin's hand, and suddenly revealed a resolute expression.

Completely transformed into a demon once again!

Her SAN value is rapidly approaching 30%! She's about to fall into the gap between the Lost Layer and the Oblivion Layer!
Qin Mei's hair grew wildly, and blood flowed from her eyes!

She gradually transformed from a medium of reincarnation into a real female ghost!
Even her clothes started to turn bright red!
The binding force of the Bagua Formation is beginning to weaken!
Jiang Jin began to sense that something was very wrong!

The female ghost before him was far beyond his current ability to resist!
At this moment, Deathstroke was trembling with fear! If Jiang Jin hadn't stopped it, it would have already fled somewhere!
Jiang Jin retreated continuously, and the bullet accurately hit the female ghost's forehead, but only made it pause slightly!

The golden light began to dim, and the power binding Qin Mei, who had transformed into a female ghost, greatly diminished!

"Damn it!" Jiang Jin blew the female ghost's head off with another shot, but it had no effect.

The female ghost stared at him, and suddenly Jiang Jin felt as if all the bones in his body were starting to break!
The excruciating pain caused him to kneel on the ground, and blood quickly soaked half of his body.

The paper figure was floating in the air, waiting for Jiang Jin to die so that it could take his bloody key and seize the resentment crystals inside!

Jiang Jin is now in dire straits.

He now has to control the Bagua Formation; if he tries to escape, he won't be able to.

However, Jiang Jin's existing weapons are almost useless against a female ghost who is a Level 3 medium incarnation.

Unless, he uses coffin nails!
Or, summon Yang Jian!

However, Jiang Jin intends to avoid using such a trump card as much as possible.

So, left with no other choice, Jiang Jin could only take something out of the Reincarnator's Watch.

That's exactly what he got in the fully rule-based copy!
[Annihilation Layer Pass]!
Jiang Jin took it out of the Reincarnator's Watch!
This is a cool-to-the-touch bronze plaque with spiral grooves covering its surface and a half-closed eye engraved in the center.

Using this pass only requires deducting 3% of your SAN value! This allows you to enter the Oblivion Layer when your SAN value is above 30%! Furthermore, with the pass in hand, entering the Oblivion Layer is completely safe!
However, this safe period only lasts for ten minutes. If Jiang Jin does not leave the Annihilation Layer within ten minutes, he will surely die! After all, only a few at LV3 can survive in the Annihilation Layer; in most cases, one must advance to LV4 to truly enter it! The Reincarnation System will also remove the SAN lock mechanism after a reincarnator advances to LV4.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Jin deducted 3% of his SAN value, and then the eye on the pass suddenly opened!

Jiang Jin felt dizzy, as if someone was stabbing him in the temple with an ice pick and churning his brain.

The colors in the field of vision began to peel away, and the workshop walls twisted and deformed like melted wax.

When the dizziness subsided, Jiang Jin found himself standing in a gray and white world.

The female ghost that Qin Mei had transformed into was gone, replaced by an indistinct humanoid black mist, like a reflection on the lake.

"This is... the perspective of the annihilation layer?"

Jiang Jin tentatively took a step forward, but the ground made no sound, as if the world had been muted.

Then, Jiang Jin looked up and saw the sky above the annihilation layer—

Thousands upon thousands of human-shaped balloons floated densely against the dark red sky!

They swam slowly like upside-down sea creatures, each balloon with a thin, spiderweb-like rope hanging from its base. Even more terrifying, these ropes all extended downwards, connecting to countless blurry human-shaped silhouettes on the ground.

Jiang Jin felt a tightness in his throat.

The crimson night and scattered balloons seen in the Mysterious Layer and the Lost Layer are just the tip of the iceberg of this terrifying meme.

It's likely that every human being on Earth has a corresponding human-head balloon! However, due to the Leonid meteor shower, some of these balloons occasionally get carried into the material world, resulting in meme contamination!
At that moment, Jiang Jin saw a balloon with the exact same face as him floating down from the sky, coming to kill him!
Within this contaminated layer, there's no need for rules like maintaining eye contact for three seconds; people can kill each other directly!
The balloon's wide grin was even more exaggerated, and its rope coiled in the air like a venomous snake.

Although he knew that he was absolutely safe with the pass, Jiang Jin instinctively stepped back, only to see the balloon suddenly swooping down!
The rope pierced his neck like a javelin, but stopped strangely three centimeters from his neck.

The bronze plaque emitted a blinding red light, forming a thin protective film around Jiang Jin.

The balloon spun wildly around the protective film, and the nylon face twisted into an angry expression.

It kept banging its head against the red light, emitting a silent roar!

(End of this chapter)