Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 324 Formation and Departure

Along with the Blood Lord's rage came the memories of that year that still stung him to this day.

Many years ago, it was a desolate area on the outermost edge of Linkang District, Muxu City.

At that time, he and Wu Zhiping stood side by side, gazing into the distance.

At the edge of their vision, on the horizon, stood three enormous, silent, and sinister chimneys.

That is a wondrous sight that every reincarnator who steps into the Annihilation Layer can see, like an eternal coordinate.

No matter how far you walk towards them, how fast you run, or even if you use your spatial abilities to jump, those three chimneys will always remain at the edge of your vision, unreachable, as if they were just a mirage, yet truly imprinted in your visual perception.

"Commander," Wu Zhiping gazed at the three chimneys in the distance. As a near-LV3, he had already dared to step into the annihilation layer. At this moment, his tone was full of idealistic brilliance. "Do you know why I chose to teach the course 'Meme Pollution Cognition and Defense' back then?"

"I don't think I've heard you mention it before," Blood Lord asked curiously. "Why?"

Wu Zhiping's gaze was firm, and he said resolutely, "Because I hope to contribute my meager strength to humanity's ultimate victory over memetic pollution. And now, having become a reincarnator and witnessed so much terror and despair, I truly understand how great Commander Zhuge Yu was back then. He sealed off memetic pollution in Muxu City, protecting billions of compatriots outside from its harm... It's just a pity that the Light Wheel now only has Zhuge Yu's former right-hand man, the missing Wang Qiusen, and that traitor Chang Wuyong who deserves to be torn to pieces."

“Wang Qiusen…” Blood Lord sighed, “He could be considered a hero of his generation. If it weren’t for Chang Wuyong’s betrayal, Wang Qiusen could have become Zhuge Yu’s brother-in-law. And Zhuge Yu’s sister, Zhuge Lian, was also killed by that devil Chang Wuyong.”

Zhuge Yu and Zhuge Lian, brother and sister, were both LV5 reincarnators back then, and both could be called true heroes. Now, both of them are gone.

"Commander, the people from the Membrane Contamination Monitoring Department say that humanity will be wiped out by memes sooner or later; it's an inescapable fate." Wu Zhiping turned to look at Blood Lord, his eyes gleaming with unwavering conviction. "But I don't believe it! Our country once had such a dark, hellish history, yet we were able to reverse the tide and rebuild the world! So I firmly believe that one day, humanity will be able to fully understand and ultimately defeat membrane contamination! Therefore, I have a wish... perhaps it's naive, but I truly hope that one day, I can witness with my own eyes the lifting of the blockade on Muxu City, and that humanity can live peacefully and freely in the clean 'material layer' from now on, without constantly fearing those invisible and intangible contaminations and curses."

When Blood Lord looked at his brother who had such ideals, he felt a mix of emotions.

He gazed at the three chimneys that could never be reached, his voice low yet carrying a promise: "It will. Zhiping, that day will come."

He knew the legend about the three chimneys—when a reincarnator's strength breaks through to the near-LV5 level, you will find that the "distance" between yourself and the chimneys seems to have shortened a bit.

No one knows what those three chimneys truly are. Are they creations of some supreme being? A manifestation of memetic rules? Or the core of the pollution layer itself? But one phenomenon is certain: every afternoon at exactly 4 PM, the three chimneys will belch out thick, inky smoke, from which endless ashes, imbued with despair and resentment, will drift down. These resentful ashes sometimes coalesce into twisted ash humanoids, or even more terrifying ash ghouls.

Just as they were reminiscing about their conversation, not far ahead, ripples spread through the space, and a gray ghoul roared as it coalesced into form.

Its body was hunched over, covered with constantly falling ashes, with only two scarlet spots shimmering beneath the ashes, exuding a strong aura of death and resentment.

"They're here!" Blood Lord roared, his Soul Weapons beginning to materialize in his hands. Although Wu Zhiping was only a near-LV3, with the newly promoted LV4 Blood Lord by his side, he showed no fear. He quickly used hunter's tools to weaken the ghoul's resentful attack and attempted to find its core weakness. At that moment, Wu Zhiping noticed something strange: some of the Ash Ghouls possessed peculiar abilities, even exhibiting traits similar to ghosts in classic horror movies…

……

As Blood Lord recalled the details, the pain in his heart, caused by his brother bearing the stigma of a murderer until his death, became increasingly acute.

He would never forget Wu Zhiping's hopeful eyes and firm words. However, deep down, he never believed that humanity could survive, let alone overcome, such a near-rule-based disaster as meme pollution.

He was accustomed to the brutal killings among reincarnators, the survival of the fittest, and the supremacy of self-interest. In this world, there was no such thing as "evil cannot prevail over good," nor was there any "karmic retribution." If there truly was divine retribution, Blood Lord, who indiscriminately slaughtered innocents and whose hands were covered in blood, should have died without a burial place long ago. Why was it that Wu Zhiping, a pure and good person with a bright heart who wanted to do his part for the survival of humanity, was the one who died?
However, reality did not give him more time to indulge in memories.

"Buzz!"

A deep, soul-stirring hum suddenly emanated from beneath the entire villa complex where he was located!

The next moment, countless dark golden runes suddenly popped out from every corner of the walls, floor, and ceiling!
A massive, confinement array was formed, covering the entire core area of ​​the villa!
"Not good! It's the 'Spirit Binding Formation'!" Blood Lord's pupils shrank, and he instantly realized what was happening!
He's been exposed! Long Mingzhang struck first!

It turns out that he had been on guard against me all along and had set up this backup plan at the Bloody Team's base!

The array shone brightly, and a powerful suppressive force instantly enveloped everything.

Inside the villa, everyone in the Bloodthirsty Team, including the Blood Lord himself, felt as if they were stuck in a quagmire, their strength greatly restricted, making it difficult for them to move!

"Commander!" Jin Shumei exclaimed.

Blood Lord's mind raced. He knew that once Long Mingzhang made his move, he would leave no survivors.

He immediately picked up his phone and called Xia Yu: "Xia Yu! Long Mingzhang has turned on us and is going to attack the Bloodthirsty Team. We're trapped in the formation! Don't come back! Take the rest of the team and escape! Take the [Silent Hill F] Evil Spirit Bookmark and go to Bai Mei Hospital to escape into this terrifying instance! I left a batch of items at the heroine Deep Water Hina's house! Find a way to retrieve them, and then find an opportunity to come and rescue us!"

Xia Yu's branch camp was set up temporarily, and Long Mingzhang hadn't had time to lay a trap of this level there yet. This was their only chance of survival!
Given Xia Yu's personality, under normal circumstances, she would definitely choose to defect and not care about the life or death of the Blood Lord. However, she was marked with a soul imprint, so no matter how unwilling she was, she had no choice but to comply.

Meanwhile, at the Bloodstained Team's temporary outpost, "Enemy attack! High alert! Prepare to break out!" Xia Yu was frantic; their only hope now was to escape into the terrifying dungeon!

Outside the outpost, more than a dozen powerful auras suddenly appeared, rushing towards them like ghosts!
"Charge with me!" Xia Yu shouted the order, and she herself shot off like an arrow, using [Blood Shadow Escape] to rush towards the weakest point in the encirclement!
The two poisoned short blades in her hands were like the fangs of death. A reincarnator came forward, and Xia Yu dodged the opponent's blade. Her short blade pierced the opponent's throat like a venomous snake. At the same time, she used the other short blade to parry the attack coming from the side. She shifted her feet and kneed another enemy hard in the abdomen!

The movements were clean, swift, ruthless, and deadly!
She was glad that she had bought the two new knives, which replaced the two props that Jiang Jin had extorted from her.

"Stop her!" the squad leader shouted.

Xia Yu bit her lip hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood. A rich crimson light burst forth from her body, and her [Blood Shadow Escape] speed suddenly increased, narrowly avoiding the restraints of various class skills.

After sacrificing nearly half of his team members, Xia Yu finally led a few remaining Reincarnators, covered in blood, out of the encirclement...

Inside the elegant private dining room at Platinum Restaurant.

Li Ruofeng was smugly toasting with Jiang Jin. Although Jiang Jin's reaction was indifferent, he felt that he had laid enough groundwork.

Just as he was about to get straight to the point, his other phone vibrated.

Li Ruofeng picked up his phone and glanced at it. The smile on his face instantly froze, and his expression turned gloomy and even showed a hint of panic.

He hurriedly said to Jiang Jin and Li Ruoxi, "I'm sorry, Director Jiang, Ruoxi, there's an extremely urgent matter at work that I have to rush back to handle. I'll apologize for today's meal another day."

After saying that, without waiting for their response, he grabbed his coat and hurriedly left the restaurant, almost as if fleeing.

Jiang Jin was happy to have some peace and quiet, and took the opportunity to end this awkward dinner.

Li Ruoxi frowned as she watched her brother's unusual behavior, her mind filled with doubts.

"I'll go back and check first. Jiang Jin, you eat first. Just tell the waiter to put the bill on Young Master Li's tab."

After returning home, Li Ruofeng went straight into the study and locked the door.

Li Ruoxi, who had followed her back, felt increasingly uneasy. She quietly walked to the door of the study and pressed her ear against it.

Li Ruofeng's voice, though lowered, still carried an unmistakable ruthlessness and anxiety:
"Yes! Kill every single member of the Bloodthirsty Team! Leave no one alive! They must be wiped out! What? Worried about too many casualties? Blood Lord is, after all, a Level 4 Reincarnator? Long Mingzhang, don't play dumb with me! You were involved in the whole process of framing Wu Zhiping for Yang Qinglan's death, helping to cover it up! Now that Blood Lord knows, you want to distance yourself? Too late! Let me tell you, if I'm finished, you won't get away with it either!"

Li Ruoxi, standing outside the door, was stunned, as if struck by lightning!

Yang Qinglan? Wu Zhiping? Framing? Murder?
As a forensic doctor, she has a strong sense of justice and professional ethics, and she hates the kind of thing that involves favoritism, bending the law for personal gain, and disregarding human life!

She never imagined that her seemingly virtuous and upright brother would do such a shocking thing behind her back!

Rage instantly overwhelmed reason!
"Bang!" Li Ruoxi kicked the study door hard and rushed in!

"Li Ruofeng! You bastard! You son of a bitch! What did you just say on the phone?! You framed someone and even killed someone?! If Grandpa finds out, he will never forgive you!" Li Ruoxi's eyes were bloodshot as she pointed at Li Ruofeng, whose face was ashen, and cursed him.

Li Ruofeng was startled at first, then a ferocious look flashed across his face: "What nonsense are you spouting! Shut up!"

He roared at the servants who rushed over after hearing the commotion, "Lock the young lady in her room! Confiscate her phone! Without my permission, she is not to step out of the room, nor is she to touch any communication device!"

Immediately, several strong servants stepped forward, ignoring Li Ruoxi's desperate struggles and angry curses, forcibly lifted her up, and dragged her to the bedroom upstairs.

Jiang Jin, completely unaware of all these undercurrents, had just returned to the Nirvana team's base.

As soon as he entered, the guild leader, Yu Tianlun, immediately greeted him, his expression a mixture of seriousness and excitement: "Jiang Jin, you're back just in time! We've just received confirmation that tonight, a stable entrance to the [Midnight Bell] horror instance will appear at Bai Mei Hospital in the quarantine zone! It will be at midnight! If we set off now, we should be able to make it in time!"

Jiang Jin's eyes sharpened, all distracting thoughts instantly vanishing from his mind. He took a deep breath and nodded: "Understood. Is everyone ready?"

“Ready!” Yu Tianlun nodded emphatically. “Then contact Lin Zhi immediately and bring Li Shang from the Yongmeng team with you. We’ll set off right away.”

"Okay." Jiang Jin looked around at the determined and trusting faces, a warm feeling and a sense of responsibility welling up inside him. "Then let's... set off!"

As night deepened, the members of the Nirvana team quickly set off.

What awaits them is that cursed videotape, and the endless resentment that crawls out of the well... Sadako Yamamura!
(End of this chapter)