Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

Mayumi understood this principle, and she asked, "Father, what is the second step in the sure-win strategy?"

Zuo Chang waved his hand: "Come with me."

They walked along the river and, after about fifteen minutes, came to a cave.

At the deepest part of the cave is a vast underground space.

The underground space was of unknown depth; with each step, the sound of footsteps echoed, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

At the end of the underground, a person stood with his back against the rock wall.

When he saw the person who had come, he simply nodded slightly to show his respect and didn't say a word—it was Bai Lin.

Zuo Chang asked, "How's the progress?"

Bai Lin raised his finger and pointed to the top of the cave: "The crops are growing well."

The light inside the cave was very dim.

Mayumi looked up and squinted, staring for a long time before she could vaguely see a small, golden sapling. If Zuo Chang hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't have noticed it at all!

The sapling's roots weren't planted in the soil; instead, they clung to the top of the cave, spreading outwards along the veins of the rock, forming a rather large system.

Zuo Chang laughed and said, "See that? Planting the tree upside down. Planting the Tree of Heaven in the deepest part of the cave is the second step of the sure-win method. Without conventional thinking, no one can see through our technique."

Mayumi didn't quite understand and didn't say anything.

Bai Lin said, "To achieve this, it takes not only ingenuity but also a thorough understanding of the Whispering Forest. I still don't know how you discovered this place. Time is tight in the Whispering Forest. The entire second phase only lasts twelve hours. Adventurers who enter will be too busy planting and protecting trees to have any energy left for exploration."

Because Zuo Chang was playing a game.

He didn't explain, he just said, "Just tell me if it works well or not."

Bai Lin nodded and honestly said, "It works very well."

The upside-down tree design is likely a hidden mechanism in the Whispering Forest.

To use this method, you first need to discover the underground cave, and secondly, you need to activate the pearl in the dried-up riverbed; both are indispensable.

The spiritual energy in the underground cave is more abundant than imagined. Even with the "adventurer corpses" outside serving as nutrients, the average growth rate cannot compare to that of the underground cave.

In addition, the underground caves are interconnected and have many branches, so even if someone discovers the cave entrance, they may not be able to find the correct path and arrive in front of Zuo Chang within the time limit.

Even if someone were to stand in front of Zuo Chang, they might not realize that a tree had been planted above the cave.

It can be said--

A victory is within reach.

Sorry for the lateness! These two chapters were really difficult to write...

The update will still be at noon tomorrow.

Chapter 168: Let's Get Started!

Community, 1000.

In the process of upgrading to a global community of 100,000, the most intense battleground is undoubtedly between "10000 seats" and "1000 seats".

If these two communities take just one more step, they can enable all citizens to undergo an evolution, and everyone within the region will naturally be united and strive forward.

But there's a limit to the number of positions available; if someone moves up, someone else has to step down.

If seat 1000 wants to move up, will seat 999 allow it?

In the past six months, these two communities have really ripped each other apart.

The battles are no longer confined to "instances" and "gift games". Street violence, assassinations and ambushes, small-scale brawls, and even fierce battles that can be called local wars are being played out in a bloody manner on the land of the Community 1000!

General's Mansion.

The Saintess of Time looked at the fax on the table with a cold expression.

I received this fax just a few minutes ago. The sender is from 96511, and the sender is Dang Jue and Tang Yuan.

They reported that—

Because they don't want to disappoint those who follow them, they have extra concerns and cannot act entirely according to their own preferences.

Unexpected intelligence.

"My lord, analysis complete. Combining all intelligence, I believe the optimal solution is—to kill General Misato."

How can General Kensuke gain the approval of the reading group members?

This……

The saintess was slightly taken aback; even though she remained unmoved when pierced by a knife, a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

The mentor continued, “Of course I know this decision goes against your wishes. But you are the leader of the reading group, and you bear the expectations of thousands of members. If you want to restore the glory of the Church of Time, then you must appropriately relinquish your own desires.”

She closed her eyes and started swinging.

The saintess crossed her arms, her small face full of thought.

The saintess slowly shook her head: "I am not a person who kills indiscriminately. The next best option."

The saying "a large ship is hard to turn around" perfectly illustrates this point.

The reason for sending troops was purely to support the Heavenly King General.

Ha! This Heavenly King General is rather ungrateful.

Nine hours ago, the Holy Maiden sent a comment with only three words:

【understood. 】

Thinking of this, Dang Jue felt a sudden surge of joy!

He looked at Tang Yuan and smiled slightly: "I understand!"

The mentor continued his analysis: "Once General Jianli is dead, Zuo Chang will be single; and you will no longer have any concerns, and can rightfully become his wife. As long as you choose the right person and formulate a meticulous plan, the possibility of things being exposed is extremely low. According to the model, the probability of Zuo Chang finding out the truth is less than one percent, so it's worth a try."

"We have just received confirmation that General Tianwang has personally admitted to resuming his relationship with his first wife. Your Excellency, should we continue to provide support to General Tianwang?"

No.

Weird name.

It has been almost ten hours since the request was submitted.

"It is foreseeable that once you become Zuo Chang's mistress, your prestige will be greatly diminished. This could very well lead to a crisis of trust, and all that you have done for the reading group in the past, and all your wishes, will be ruined as a result."

Dang Jue slowly shook his head: "The Holy Maiden's heart is as deep as the sea, and she never shows her emotions. You know that. Her reply must have a deeper meaning; it remains to be seen whether we can decipher it!"

The Holy Maiden of Time pondered deeply, finding it difficult to make a choice.

This cluster of light, called "Mentor," is actually a decision support system with deep learning capabilities.

Dang Jue and Tang Yuan paced around the room, glancing at the fax machine on the table every now and then, hoping for a reply.

If Asuka were present, she would likely be very understanding of the saintess's feelings.

Speaking of which...

Dang Jue analyzed it carefully.

The saintess extended her slender, white finger, pointing to the information she had just received: "Tell me what we should do now."

When the saintess is at a loss, her absolutely ruthless and pragmatic mentor will offer the most advantageous advice.

It is analyzing the data.

It's not that simple.

Tang Yuanqi asked, "Teacher, what have you realized?"

Without the help of the Holy Maiden of Time, how could he, a tiger with its teeth pulled, possibly fight against the Divine Sound Society?

……

The mentor and the saintess are bound together by soul.

Isn't what she's going through exactly what she's been through before?

So……

Tang Yuan was truly baffled: "Then...should we still help General Tianwang?"

It has exhausted its tricks.

The saintess turned her head and looked at the ball of light.

The mentor quickly responded: "Secondary plan. You should immediately cease all aid to 'Zuochang'."

The Holy Maiden inquired about MOSS's meaning, but Zuo Chang did not provide an answer.

Mailbox City, a branch of the book club.

"The next best option. Ignore it. Let's wait and see how things develop. Perhaps there will be an unexpected turn of events in the future; maybe time will give us a way out."

The mentor offered a final solution: stop the light from shining.

The mentor didn't mince words and offered a third solution: "The next best option is to cultivate a sense of identification between the book club members and General Misato. If General Misato can gain the approval of the vast majority of members, then even if you two choose the same man, the opposition will be weaker and fewer."

What does "I understand" mean?

What is the Saintess's attitude?

Should we proceed with the original plan and launch a full-scale confrontation with Shenyin Society in 96511, or should we simply back down and quietly withdraw from the conflict?

That's hard to understand!

Suddenly, the Holy Maiden of Time spread her arms wide, leaned back, and fell to the floor with a thud, forming the shape of the Chinese character "大" (big).

The mentor can discover situations where some saintesses see things but don't notice them.

Some of the saintesses were aware of the situation, but did not yet understand the implications; the mentor, however, could discern the truth.

just now……

She was unwilling to ignore the issue;

She wasn't entirely comfortable with resorting to drastic measures.

"Please wait."