Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

If he were an adventurer, and a general granted tax exemptions to the train station, then Zuo Chang would also think that this general was very wise and had the air of a "heavenly king".

The night wind was cold and damp; it was already very late.

Musuogen walked through the bustling barbecue street and into the deserted Tianwang General Square.

To be precise, it should now be called "Dark God Plaza".

That enormous statue standing under the night sky was no longer a statue of the Heavenly King General, but a pitch-black statue of a celestial deity.

Musuogen furtively observed his surroundings before slowly approaching the statue of the deity.

The thick, black book in his hands was faintly burning!

A gentle force of spacetime enveloped him, and Musogen knew he was about to enter that strange ruin again—

"Zheng!"

A flash of cold light!

Musogen reacted extremely quickly; he dodged with a tilt of his head, and the blade pierced past his ear, nearly going through his eye.

Sneak attack!

who?

Musogen instinctively wanted to retaliate, but the blade did not retract; it merely swept horizontally, aiming to take his throat.

Really...

How rude!

Musuogen opened his mouth and bit down, managing to catch the blade.

The attacker tried to pull it out twice, but couldn't budge it.

He smiled and said, "Sir, you have sharp teeth. I just don't know... do you remember me?"

A deafening roar of flames erupting rang out.

A sharp glint appeared at the attacker's fingertip, and Mu Suogen paused for a moment before recognizing it as sword energy.

He was secretly alarmed, thinking to himself, "The sword energy seems as weak as a bean, but most adventurers would subconsciously use magic to illuminate the way, not sword energy. People only rely on what they are used to. This kid... is a master swordsman, not to be underestimated."

Looking up again...

Hmm...looks familiar.

Upon closer inspection: "It's you?!"

Musuogen exclaimed in surprise!

He remembered that face; it belonged to the young man who had defeated him in the Whispering Forest, the one who had been kept by a sugar daddy. He possessed a strange spell that could summon a beautiful woman with exceptional charm and even greater strength to aid him!

The person who came was, of course, Zuo Chang.

Zuo Chang silently sheathed his sword, but did not continue his attack: "You still remember me? What are you doing here so late?"

calm down!

calm down!

Musogen forced himself to remain calm and said, "Young man, my opposition to you last time was purely because of the mission. I was acting on the orders of the Arc Light Priest to assist the leader of the Triple Gate in winning the Whispering Forest, not because I had any grudge against you."

Zuo Chang smiled but remained silent.

Musogen gripped the thick book tightly and continued, "Moreover, I am currently on unpaid leave and am no longer involved in any of the Divine Sound Society's actions, let alone being your enemy!"

Suspension of pay and pending employment?

Zuo Chang looked at him and said, "You are a master of the twelfth realm, and you have a powerful weapon like the 'Sand of Deception'. How could the Divine Sound Society suspend you from your post? You should be given an important position."

"Sigh... I'm not good at building connections, and I failed twice in a row, so it's only natural that I'm being punished. If it weren't for the fact that I have some ability, I would have been fired long ago."

Ah this.

For a moment, Zuo Chang didn't know what to say.

The two of them were now standing under the dark statue of the Heavenly God. The battle had broken out earlier, and their magical power was in disarray, making it impossible for them to channel any spells.

Now that we're standing and talking, the previously interrupted guidance is starting up again!

The sword in Zuo Chang's hand and the book held by Mu Suogen both shone brightly.

They were both startled, and the next instant—

The world is turned upside down!

……

……

"Tick tock, tick tock."

The sound of dripping water echoed in the empty corridor.

Zuo Chang opened his eyes and found himself in a dark corridor. There was a deep passageway in front of him and behind him, and he didn't know where it led.

"Strange...how did you get in here too?"

Beside him, Musuogen spoke.

He looked down at Zuo Chang's sword and asked curiously, "Isn't the condition for entering this place the 'Book of the Rootless' in my hand?"

Zuo Chang tilted his head: "The Book of the Rootless?"

"It's this book."

Musogen handed the thick black book in his hand to Zuo Chang.

Zuo Chang took it and casually flipped through a few pages—

This seems to be a novel, titled "The Shameless Hero".

After a few glances, I found the language to be vulgar, the sentences shallow, and the writing immature; it was utterly incomprehensible.

He looked up and asked, "What does this say?"

"I don't know either. On the surface, it's an ordinary adventure story, and in reality, it seems to be an ordinary adventure story as well. I've been studying it for over ten years, but I still haven't figured it out."

"...Then why are you studying it?"

Musogen snatched the book away: "Because of the material. The contents of this book are chaotic and illogical, and it's not even finished. But the material is extremely special; it's a genuine 'sacred artifact'! Sacred artifacts—how many are there in the entire Ascended World? So I judged that there might be a profound truth hidden beneath these fragmented words, which is why I've been studying it."

Ah this.

Zuo Chang didn't understand, but Mu Suogen liked it.

He asked with a smile, "You came in because of the 'Book of the Rootless,' so how did I get in?"

Musogen looked Zuo Chang up and down: "You know how you got in, don't play dumb! If I'm not mistaken, the sword in your hand should also be a sacred artifact. Then, the answer is obvious—the necessary condition for entering this space is to hold a sacred artifact!"

what!

Zuo Chang smiled slightly, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Smart people don't live long. Old sir, let's not beat around the bush, I want this book you have!"

Mu Suogen looked at Zuo Chang with an equally cold gaze.

Incompetent! Incompetent! The scarlet raven hurries past in utter incompetence! Because of the failure of the pre-story for the Whispering Forest and the Divine Sound Society, he is now afraid to describe specific farming plots!

Despicable! Despicable! He's a rat with a pointed snout and monkey cheeks, clumsily using dialogue to cheat and cover up the details that should have been included!

Eh--

That's about it. There's been a lot of information in the updates these past few days. I should have written more about the negotiations with the Dragon Princess and Granny Cat, but I've just glossed over them.

The preparations for taking over the Heavenly King City were all left to the "offline wings," and were not mentioned in the main text.

The main problem is that I couldn't think of a very interesting way to express it, and I didn't have any drafts to adjust. I'm a little worried that I'll repeat the mistake of putting the plot ahead of the story. I hope you will all be understanding!

But that doesn't matter. After all, the final battle with the Divine Sound Society will definitely be combined with the "Mysterious Dungeon." I'm just trying to deflect attention from the hype. Hmm.

Chapter 246 The Desire of the Heart

Despite Zuo Chang's threat, Mu Suogen felt no panic whatsoever.

He picked up the black book and said, "Young sir, the situation is unclear. What if we fight to the death and someone else benefits from it?"

Zuo Chang replied without hesitation: "But if I don't subdue you here, how will I get the chance? The outside is the territory of the Divine Sound Society, and I dare not act rashly."

Musogen reached out and stroked the cover of "The Book of the Rootless," appearing completely relaxed.

He continued, "I'm just giving you a heads-up. If you really want to fight, I'm happy to oblige. We clashed in the Whispering Forest before. Now, regardless of who wins or loses, even if you were to kill me, it would take you some effort... What do you think?"

Zuo Chang thought it made a lot of sense.

He didn't actually have the resolve to fight Musokeng, mainly because Musokeng was no weakling.

With his cultivation at the twelfth realm, along with the domain skill "Sweeping Sandstorm" and the rare artifact "Deceptive Sand," Mu Suogen, with his extensive experience, has developed a combat system unique to him.

These kinds of people are extremely difficult to deal with.

Zuo Chang's earlier threats were actually an offensive defense. He was trying to warn Musuogen:

Don't touch me, I bite.

Although Musogen was not good at socializing, he was good at observing.

He quickly realized Zuo Chang's intentions and immediately gave a neutral response, leaving open the possibility of cooperation.

At this moment, he continued, "I am Musuogen, the twelfth realm."

Zuo Chang simply replied, "My name is Zuo Chang, from the Seven Realms."

"My discovery of this 'secret place' was purely by chance."

Self-care.

Musogen began to explain: "After I was suspended without pay, I was depressed. One day, I lingered a little too long under the dark statue of the god, and suddenly I found myself here! And you, Mr. Zuo, you seem to... know about this place?"

Zuo Chang shook his head: "I also arrived here by accident. I was just strolling around the city when I suddenly saw you, brother. Thinking that a thief should not leave empty-handed, I secretly followed you, intending to teach you a little lesson. I didn't expect to end up here."

This is a lie.

But Musuogen didn't care.

He nodded: "So, you know nothing about this place?"