Yes, I became a god just by exercising.

Chapter 159 The Gods... Are There Really Something Wrong?

"Golden light! I'm not seeing things, am I?! Golden light!"

"Wow! Golden light is shining!"

"My God, what level of luck is that!"

"So envious!"

"Young man, you and your girlfriend aren't exactly members of the Church of Fate, are you?"

An uproar erupted in the hall, with gasps of surprise soaring into the sky that they nearly lifted the roof off.

Under the neon lights, many onlookers were so excited that they couldn't control themselves. Some stared wide-eyed and clenched their fists, some had veins popping on their foreheads and their eyes were almost bloodshot, and some were staring intently at the golden light on the table, unwilling to even blink.

If it weren't for the rules here that forbid robbing other customers' loot, many people would probably have already acted greedily.

Chestnut immediately perked up and grabbed Xiafa's arm tightly:
"Xiafa Xiafa, it's gold! It's gold!"

Xia Fa laughed:
"Yeah, I saw it."

Although he wasn't that excited, he wasn't calm either. After all, when the white light appeared, the items that were revealed were worth 150 gold pounds, and when the purple light appeared, they were worth 16,000 gold pounds. What kind of good stuff must be in this golden light?
Many guests were drawn by the sound and gathered around. Their eyes, of varying sizes and shapes, were all shining as they focused on the slowly dissipating golden light within the table.

As the golden light dissipated, a golden oval gem slowly emerged, containing a miniature brass compass.

The hall fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, their faces showing confusion.

"What is this?"

"Secret treasure?"

"Doesn't look like it, it's probably a sealed artifact!"

"This person is clearly not simple!"

“Young man, you can take it to Master Jack, the treasure craftsman here, and ask him to appraise it for you.”

"Would you be willing to sell, young man? I'll offer fifty thousand gold pounds!"

"Dream on! You think you can buy something that exploded from that golden light for 50,000 gold pounds? The minimum is 100,000!"

"I'm so envious... After all, the next level up is the tricolor light cluster, which might not even appear once a year."

"Yes, the most advanced seven-colored light cluster represents a hegemon-level secret contract, but unfortunately no one has ever opened it in the past three hundred years."

Without much thought, Xia Fa quickly picked up the golden gem and held it in his palm.

Although this entertainment venue seems to be guarded by some powerful superhuman, preventing guests from stealing things.

But money can be tempting. With the lure of starting at 100,000 gold pounds, it's hard to say what might happen if I don't put it away sooner.

The golden gem was extremely heavy in his hand, giving Xia Fa the feeling that it weighed several hundred kilograms.

If he hadn't become an Eagle-level superhuman and his physique hadn't been greatly enhanced by the black potion given to him by the storyteller, he might not have been able to hold on to it.

"Let's go back and have a divination done to see what it is..."

Xia Fa made up his mind. In any case, with the blessing of that strange electric current, his divination skills were extremely high. There was no way he couldn't divine a secret treasure or sealed object worth tens to hundreds of thousands of gold pounds.

However, to be fair, this item has a rather unique shape, resembling a brass compass encased in amber. I wonder what kind of peculiar effect it might have.

He played with Chestnut a dozen more times, but after that, he became like the other customers at the other tables.

Several times after the toy soldier slashed down the traveling slime, nothing dropped; even if something did, it was mostly just a white light.

Xia Fa understood that this was the normal probability. Theoretically speaking, as long as the purple light appeared once out of a hundred times, there would be no loss, and it was even possible to make a profit.

As for the golden light, that means you've made a fortune, just like I did just now.

Finally, the thousand gold pounds that Banli gave him and the thousand gold pounds that Banli took out himself were all spent, and the two of them felt that they had had enough fun.

"How about we try the third iron gate?"

Chestnut's dark, bright eyes sparkled as it offered a suggestion.

Xia Fa also had the same idea, and nodded with a smile:

"Well, let's go and have a look."

The two walked straight out of the hall and returned to the original room.

As the second iron gate slowly closed, Chestnut walked to the third iron gate, took out the old gold coin, and pressed it against it.

Xia Fa stared at the pattern on the third iron gate—a huge canyon with three paths, upper, middle, and lower—which always reminded him of something.

Click! Click! Click!

As the sound of gears turning and the gate opening came from behind the third iron gate, Xia Fa saw a very strange and lively scene between the slowly opening door panels.

The floor and ceiling are made of iron plates and rivets, and the walls on both sides are covered with strange and exaggerated graffiti. However, there are only ten tables in this hall.

Every table was surrounded by people, but unlike those in the second arcade who were either ecstatic or furious, these people were... all cheering each other on!

"Go! Kill him one-on-one!"

"Holy crap, a solo kill!"

"Push it, push it now, push it quickly!"

"Triple kill! Triple kill! Don't run away, you're such a spoilsport!"

"Truly worthy of being our top expert, that awareness, that movement, wow..."

In a daze, Xia Fa even doubted that he had heard correctly.

But after checking, I found that it was indeed correct.

His curiosity grew stronger, and he quickly walked over, pulling Chestnut along with him.

Since all ten tables were full, Xia Fa didn't need to deliberately choose one. He just found one with relatively fewer people, but it was still quite crowded, and squeezed in.

Then, Xia Fa witnessed a scene that he would never forget.

The table was about five meters long and five meters wide, just like a table used for a noble banquet. But that wasn't the key point. The key point was that there was actually a small canyon on the table!

It's like transplanting a canyon from nature into this space and shrinking it to a 5x5 area!
The small canyon is divided into a middle path, an upper path, and a lower path.

However, there was no river between each pair of roads, only yellow sand.

At this moment, on each of the three paths, there was a tiny figure, only a few centimeters tall, releasing various secret abilities at each other, with tentacles, fireballs, and swarms of bees flying everywhere.

At the same time, there were also smaller tree-man soldiers, only as tall as the little people's knees, who attacked and killed their opponents' tree-man soldiers.

"This……"

Xia Faren was dumbfounded. What was going on? A real-life 3v3 game in another world?

Now that he is quite tall, his view is hardly obstructed in the crowd. He glanced around and suddenly saw a row of instruction manuals in the corner. He quickly went over, picked one up, and started reading.

"A trip for a thousand gold pounds?"

"Only six guests can participate at a table, divided into three teams of three. They will be shrunk into the canyon, and their strength will be suppressed to the fungus level. They can only use the first secret contract they have signed..."

"Killing treants will earn you gold coins, which can be used to purchase temporary treasures in your respective canyon treehouses."

"Destroying the enemy's canyon treehouse is victory..."

"The winning side will not only get a refund of the travel expenses, but each person will also receive a reward of nine hundred gold pounds."

Xia Fa finally understood: it was equivalent to the losing side paying a table fee of 300 gold pounds for each game.

He suddenly felt a little itchy to participate.

Whether or not it's appropriate to talk about my secret ability of the Etheric Source, it is indeed quite appropriate.

More importantly, many of the tactics I learned and accumulated from playing similar games in my previous life seem to still be applicable!

Unfortunately, all ten tables were full, and there were many people queuing up. It seems to be a popular attraction.

Xia Fa had no choice but to squeeze back into the crowd and watch the three-on-three match with Ban Li.

The six people on both sides had their first secret contract as a high-level secret contract, and the abilities they used were all different.

A large swarm of venomous bees followed behind someone, using them to kill the treant minions and besiege the enemy on the other side. This is the secret covenant of the swarm's master.

Some people can transform their arms and even their entire body into billowing, smoking magma, using their magma-transformed bodies to incinerate enemies and the surrounding treant minions into charred remains—this is the Lava Burst Secret Code.

There was also a burly man who looked like a bounty hunter. He grew from a few centimeters to over a hundred centimeters in size and smashed the vine-covered tree tower with a single punch. This was the Titan's Might Secret Contract.

Xia Fa was quite surprised to find that the participants who were killed could often be resurrected immediately in the canyon treehouse with a flash of white light.

Add to that the treant minions, the vine-covered tree towers, and the entire canyon...

"Isn't this a game jointly developed by [Silver Universe] and [Nature Monarch]? What is their purpose in doing this? Is it simply for fun?"

Xia Fa was genuinely puzzled this time. Could it be that the nine Great Gods, or at least these two among the nine Great Gods, really had nothing better to do?
But if that's the case, why do they all hide in their own earthly kingdoms and not come out, and hardly respond to prayers?
If the Lord of Nature were willing to respond to prayers, the famine in the Kingdom of Augu this year could be resolved with a single thought from Him.

Xia Fa couldn't help but have some doubts about whether the Nine Great Gods were real or not, but he forcibly restrained himself and didn't let himself think about it in that direction.

Based on his recent conversations with noble students and church elites at the Mist God Hunting Grounds, he learned that some beings at the Sovereign level even possessed the ability to influence people's minds. If Sovereigns were like this, then the Nine Great Gods were even more so.

Moreover, among the nine righteous gods, there is one whom Xia Fa fears the most, whose name is still unknown to this day, making him extremely mysterious—the righteous god worshipped by the Church of Destiny…

After regaining his composure, he looked back at the table.

The three-on-three game was getting increasingly intense, and it was clear that one side had gained a significant advantage.
Those who have signed the Titan's Might Pact transform into giants in the canyon every time they change form, and their punches are so powerful that their opponents simply cannot withstand them.

What's more, there's that guy who signed the secret pact with the swarm leader, leading a huge swarm of venomous bees to roam around and cause trouble; he's practically a nuisance.

The player who signed the Titan Might Pact would bring out one or two treasures with him every time he returned to the canyon treehouse, as he killed more and more opponents.

As a result, each time he transformed, his height actually increased, his attacks became much more ferocious, and even the range of his secret power expanded.

Ultimately, led by the bounty hunter who had signed the Titan's Might Pact, their side won the game and destroyed the opposing team's canyon treehouse.

Phew! Phew! Phew!

Six beams of white light shot out from the table, rapidly enlarging in the air before transforming into human shapes upon landing.

The six guests all seemed to be having a great time, shaking hands and hugging each other, as if they were old rivals.

Xia Fa became increasingly eager to try his luck, but unfortunately, there were too many people in line. Soon, six more people paid, and their bodies shrank rapidly as they entered the canyon.

The collapsed treehouses, destroyed vine-covered tree towers, and even the corpses of the tree-man soldiers on the ground in the canyon all sank into the ground. New treehouses and tree towers grew, the entire canyon was renewed, and the battle began once again.

"No wonder my grandfather and Uncle Axo said that some of their combat experience was honed here..."

Chestnut murmured to itself, as if speaking to Xiafa.

Xia Fa laughed:

"Indeed, in the canyon, one can use the Secret Contract ability almost without restriction and is not afraid of being killed, which is a good training method."

The two watched another game, and seeing that they really couldn't get a match, they left the lobby.

"Behind this first iron gate is the underground arena. Shall we go take a look?"

Chestnut smiled and said that she fully respected Xia Fa's decision.

Xia Fa thought for a moment and replied:

"There's not much to see in the underground arena. It's almost noon, so why don't we go eat?"

He immediately added after he finished speaking:

"It's settled then, this time it's on me."

A smile appeared in Chestnut's eyes:

"Okay, okay, I know, I won't fight you for it, let's go!"

Recommended by Chestnut, the two found a restaurant called "Pasatier" in the Midas neighborhood. The restaurant's specialties are lemon-fried fish and red wine-braised steak. Although they are just ordinary foods, they are cooked with a unique flavor.

"Xia Fa, let me tell you, yesterday afternoon was incredibly dangerous. You didn't see it, that big brother who signed the Silver Throne..."

While eating, Banli chatted with Xiafa with a smile. Xiafa occasionally responded with a laugh. It was clear that Banli was in a good mood today. Of course, Xiafa was also in a good mood.

The meal was quickly finished, and finally, it was time to say goodbye.

Chestnut is busy with church matters this afternoon, while Xia Fa plans to go to the Extraordinary Market to pick out some things.

As for the Mist God Hunting Grounds, he no longer plans to go there. The hunting rewards are too low, unless he encounters the remaining demigod-level supernatural creatures in the Mist God Hunting Grounds, but the probability of that is also low.

Especially after the death of the angel-level Black Abyss Worm, the other demigod-level supernatural beings probably all dug themselves up and hid.

Therefore, Xia Fa decided to conserve his energy for the afternoon, buy more secret treasures or sealing artifacts, and prepare to kill Pompeii when he attended the Augustus family's dinner that evening.

The two stood at the street corner, where pedestrians came and went. There were noblewomen with parasols, children holding lollipops, and many commoners and nobles who went out shopping because of the good weather.

"Shafa, I'm leaving."

Chestnut said this, but she still held Xiafa's hand and was unwilling to let go.

It was clear that she really didn't want to part with Xia Fa.

Xia Fa also felt a strange sense of reluctance. He was very happy and relaxed with Chestnut, a feeling he had never had before. He only felt this way when he was with Benedict.

Xia Fa glanced at his watch and saw that it was only one o'clock in the afternoon. His eyes then turned and he saw an ice cream shop called "Aiscream" on the side of the street.

"How about we have another ice cream?"

Xia Fa tentatively suggested it, and to her surprise, the reluctance on Ban Li's face immediately turned into happiness, and she readily agreed:
"it is good!"

The two arrived at the Escrim ice cream shop. Fortunately, everyone in Augustus had gone to the three smaller towns of Rum, so this usually bustling shop had no one in line.

I bought two chestnut-flavored ice cream cones, one pound each. They were big scoops of ice cream topped with sweet chestnuts, and they looked incredibly tempting.

"Here, I'll let you in on a secret. This is my favorite ice cream."

Chestnut handed one of the larger chestnut ice creams to Xiafa, and the two found a bench on the street, sat down, and ate their chestnut ice cream while watching the pedestrians come and go.

The bright, clean sunlight shone down warmly on the two of them. Xia Fa looked at his smooth, chestnut-like profile and the few strands of hair hanging down, then turned to look at the pedestrians on the street.

Chestnut seems to really love chestnut-flavored ice cream, just like her name contains the character "chestnut." As she eats the ice cream, her fluffy round ears twitch, and she looks very happy.

"So much has happened these past few days. Grandpa asked me to investigate the mastermind behind the Snow Demon's second loss of control. Fensne, Ethan, and I have been investigating for a long time, but we haven't found any clues."

While eating chestnuts, he suddenly looked up and exclaimed, his upper lip still smeared with ice cream:
"I don't know when I can go back to the peaceful days of the past. Actually, I really want to buy a small house in the suburbs of Rum City, so that every day after get off work I can sit outside the house, watch the golden wheat fields, and watch the sun gradually set."

Her dark, bright eyes revealed a deep longing:

"If I could be with someone I love, leaning on each other, watching the sunset together, that would be even better, I—"

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly glanced at Xia Fa and saw him smiling at her. The rat girl blushed and couldn't continue.

"Thinking about it that way, it really is a beautiful scene."

Xia Fa sighed. If Ban Li really wanted to live that kind of life, he would definitely make it possible for her if he had the ability.

The two continued chatting, while pedestrians came and went on the street. The chestnut ice cream was delicious, and it was a wonderful afternoon. They would chat for a while now and then fall silent, watching the pedestrians on the street together. A gentle breeze would occasionally brush against Chestnut's hair, carrying her faint chestnut scent.

Xia Fa suddenly felt that she wished this kind of time would never end.

But the corn ice cream would eventually be finished, and it was almost 2 p.m.

"See you tomorrow, Xia Fa!"

Even though she was reluctant, Banli had no choice but to get up and say goodbye to Xiafa.

Fortunately, they both realized that there would be many more dates like this in the future.

We're all from the same church, so we see each other every day. It's not like we'll only see each other once a day.

Xia Fa then smiled slightly:
"Well, see you tomorrow."

They parted ways at the street corner of Damais Street, but Xia Fa didn't see that after he had turned around and walked a long way, Chestnut suddenly turned back and stared at his back.

Until his figure disappeared at the next street corner.

……

More than an hour later, Shafa returned to Rum City by public carriage.

Pushing open the door to the small attic, Xia Fa went straight to the second floor, intending to first divine the golden gem, and then try to divine the seal in the shape of a horse-slaying sword to see if he could divine out any new abilities.

"I'm still a little hungry..."

He rubbed his stomach. He had eaten ordinary food for lunch today, not any extraordinary food, and now he actually felt a little hungry.

However, Xia Fa didn't pay much attention to it and planned to make himself a stewed bear paw after the divination was over.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down in the bedroom, his figure vanished in a flash.

……

The familiar mahogany table in the bedroom has been transformed into a dining table over 300 meters long, laden with all sorts of extraordinary dishes, steaming hot.

On either side of the dining table were short, subhuman figures carrying cloth bags, all staring at him in shock.

Xia Fa felt a bit amused and exasperated, as if the conditions for triggering his ability to randomly freeload meals were becoming increasingly simple.

I was just feeling hungry, yet I was able to start a bowel movement?
They don't even need a dining table anymore!

As the saying goes, "Since you're here, make the best of it." Xia Fa didn't care where he was and was about to pick up his knife and fork to start eating, especially since those extraordinary feasts were really tempting.

But I never expected...

The sound of wheels rolling rang out, and a tall, slender man with an elegant face, pushing a food cart, suddenly appeared not far from Xia Fa.

Both Xia Fa and the demi-humans carrying cloth bags were greatly startled.

It's all because of... this man...

A true gourmet!
(End of this chapter)