Bad News, Bad News, and Bad News

Over the time that followed, neither Ji Jue nor Tong Shan mentioned what they had just discovered. After rallying the team's morale, Tong Shan did not return to his lead vehicle. Instead, he stayed right in the RV, lounging casually and flipping idly through a book, having even lowered his telekinetic barrier. That relaxed, unfazed demeanor acted like an anchor, dispelling the faint traces of panic that had begun to creep into the atmosphere. Trust demonstrated through actual personal example was far more effective than shouting ten thousand slogans or making a hundred thousand empty promises. The vanguard's fighting spirit remained as vigorous as ever, showing no sign of waning. Regrettably, this still did not solve the most troublesome issue. If anything, the situation had grown even worse than before. A wolf appearing inside the vanguard's RV and finding the vanguard's own rations inside the wolf's stomach were two entirely different levels of severity. There were only three possible explanations for this: First—haha, turns out the catering contractor for the Federation's forward base and the White Nation Restoration Front is actually the exact same company! Who would have thought? Surprise, surprise! Granted, given that both were bastards, it wouldn't be shocking if they ate the same swill, but this was still nothing more than pipe dreams. Not that the guess was utterly worthless—at least it could be kept around for a bit of self-delusion. The second possibility was that the wolf had already assumed He Li's appearance and infiltrated the Security Bureau before all this, without anyone noticing. Not only had it worn that human skin and operated right under the noses of Celestial-Humans for so long, but it had even slipped into the vanguard. Or perhaps He Li had been replaced by the wolf right before departure... Compared to the remaining possibility, this was actually the most optimistic one. Otherwise, what else? Are you telling me that a perfectly fine pillar of the Federation entered the Kingdom of the Woods and simply turned into a wolf?! It was far too bizarre, far too sensational. If that was truly the case, then what on earth had happened? What mistake had been made? What was the underlying mechanism, the method? And... Who would be next? Tong Shan? Ji Jue? Or every single person present? Any of the possibilities was terrible; the only difference lay in how terrible. But none of them could ever be spoken aloud in the open. Once suspicion took root, trust evaporated completely. That was the truly sickening part. Once word got out, there would be no room left for the cooperation of Tianyuan. The principle of uniting many into one would be riddled with holes. If they could not even maintain the trust to fight side by side and had to reserve an eye to watch their own backs, even the most elite force would degenerate into a heap of loose sand. BOOM!!! In the distance, roars and rumbles erupted once more. Bizarre, colossal trees abruptly tore out of the mud, forming cages. Amid the rising and falling howls in the distance, a wolf pack attacked. Fifteen minutes later, the trailing convoy received a transmission from Tong Shan's vanguard: *We engaged the enemy again. Combat ensued. Threat is currently neutralized. All clear.* And so, the convoy idling in place restarted its engines. Loaded with vast supplies and equipment, it rumbled forward. Soon enough, the trail of devastation left behind by the vanguard came into view. First came the muddy quagmires left by the torrential rain, the muck stained crimson with blood, and countless mangled bones. Shortly after, they saw charred husks of colossal trees burnt to charcoal. And hanging from deliberately preserved giant trees were broken corpses swaying in the wind, perfectly preserving the corrupted ones' terrified expressions from their final moments. When a gust of night wind blew past, heads, severed hands, and carcasses clattered against each other like wind chimes, buzzing and rattling in the most blunt, unmistakable reply to the enemy's provocations. This also made Xu Ranshuang fall silent. She hesitated, words caught in her throat. Holding Tong Shan's confidential report in her hand before she even had time to process it, she tilted her head to look at the forest of charred corpses, suddenly a little unsure of which side was truly the wolves. Granted, it was undeniably effective and outstandingly impactful, but how had a perfectly normal man suddenly undergone such a drastic shift in style? A subordinate whose hair was standing on end hesitated. "Supervisor Xu, should we..." "No need. Leave them." Xu Ranshuang cast a final glance over the gory scene and gave a cold laugh. "Never thought I'd see the day when these beasts looked so pleasing to the eye." Through the gloom, the convoy pressed forward. When Jin Wuyan on the flank repelled a squad of harassing living corpses and caught up along the same route, he too fell silent, his expression dark and somber. "Quite the bountiful harvest, isn't it?" Before his voice had even faded, another report arrived announcing that Tong Shan's team had resolved yet another threat. Once again. Now, no one in the team dared speak. Only the confidant beside him had a grave expression. "Brother Yan, looks like that fellow Tong really is going to take the promotion this time. Should we..." Jin Wuyan gave no answer, glancing coldly at the man beside him. "Where did all this chatter come from? Is this something you should be concerning yourself with?" The confidant froze, lowered his head, and fell silent. In the quiet, no roar of jealous desire could be heard. Jin Wuyan withdrew his gaze and waved a hand. The convoy rolled forward. Contrary to everyone's expectations, the journey that followed was astoundingly smooth. After several clashes in quick succession and wiping out a cluster of corrupted ones occupying an old village in one fell swoop, the vanguard had completed the greater part of its mission. They had penetrated deep into the Kingdom of the Woods, eliminating numerous threats along the way, racking up victory after victory. They had even driven a stake deep into the territory of the Kingdom of the Woods. A resounding success! In just two short days, the Federation's mobile base had established roots at the selected site, and a brand-new route had been carved out. From the forward base outside the Kingdom of the Woods to the present outpost, travel was practically unobstructed, allowing reinforcements to be summoned at any moment. Although the Empire's side had suffered minor setbacks, they had also enjoyed smooth sailing overall, meeting no decent resistance. Two stakes had taken root in the Kingdom of the Woods. With these as footholds, advances blossomed in all directions, racking up constant spoils. The bounties on the playing cards, aside from the topmost tier, were nearly wiped clean. Win! Win! Win! Win! Win! The White Nation Restoration Front had gotten off to a disastrous start; the Kingdom of the Woods blundered repeatedly; the Wolf Sin was locked in a grueling struggle; the corrupted ones fought in death throes; the Wolf of the Forest faced total collapse... Yet the smoother things went and the more they won, the more everyone at the outpost felt something was wrong— It wasn't that the wolf packs hadn't launched counterattacks, but each time they made a grand spectacle, only to end up repelled or completely wiped out. It was almost as if they were deliberately feeding themselves to the meat grinder. They couldn't even refuse to accept the kills—it was fed to them so relentlessly that everyone's scalps began to tingle with dread. *Don't be like this, bro, I'm scared.* *What on earth are you trying to do?!* Everyone had braced themselves for a deadly banquet, prepared to die without intact corpses. Yet when they arrived, you told them it was a free buffet with unlimited lobster and steak, and nobody was allowed to leave without stuffing themselves sick. Everyone had eaten to the point of nausea, yet the plates kept coming, unending. The people at the outpost were actually crystal clear about their role: they had come to serve as cannon fodder and bait. In essence, this entire operation was a probing maneuver, a brutal trade of pawns. Carefully curated, the combined force was just strong enough not to catch the enemy off guard, yet not so weak that they could be ignored. It sat right at the most uncomfortable threshold for the other side. If ignored, the Federation and the Empire could leisurely expand their gains and further weaken the Kingdom of the Woods. If the enemy couldn't bear it, the moment the evil abominations and corrupted Celestial-Humans holed up in the depths of the Kingdom of the Woods showed their faces, the higher-ups would instantly lock on, go all-out, and strike down a couple with thunderous force. As for how many pieces of cannon fodder died before then, that was outside consideration. Alas, it was a fine plan. Yet the enemy refused to take the bait entirely. They didn't bite at all. "Let him be as strong as he likes, I'm getting my kicks anyway"—they simply gave everything away for free. This was what left everyone feeling thoroughly unnerved. Seriously, this wasn't just at their doorstep anymore—someone had planted a flag right in their front yard, and they didn't utter a peep. If you had an ounce of backbone, charge out and slap me across the face! Instead, the Kingdom of the Woods, which had nearly assembled all of the Three Departments and Six Sects, took that slap stiffly, took a second, took a third, without striking back once. They endured it! Yet if they were truly going to endure it, why even fight? These dogs would have packed their bags long ago, divided the loot, and fled back to the Vortex. Staying lingering in the mortal world could mean only one thing: These bastards were cooking up something huge! At times like this, the advantage of the White Stag—no, the wolves—became apparent. Tianyuan at least put on a show of decency on the surface and cared somewhat about saving face, whereas the beasts inside the Kingdom of the Woods didn't give a damn about the lives of their cannon fodder. *Your Federation still pays pensions, but we people of the White Nation are all upstanding, stalwart men! Stepping forward to die for the Priest-King is an act of loyalty, not for wealth!* Thus, all the Bloodthirst Syndrome sufferers who lacked the aptitude to transform into wolves were turned into consumables and tools, sent wave after wave to the outpost to die. Three times a day, without stopping, dropping all pretense! It was blatantly intended to accelerate the catalysis and Metamorphosis of the Wolf of the Forest. *Didn't you, the Federation, arrive?* *Just in time!* *Get to killing, saves me the trouble of waiting!* *Kill them and you aid the enemy; spare them and you collude with the enemy. Let's see what you choose!* An open scheme against an open scheme, beast against beast. In this brutal war of attrition, it was ultimately the side that was more monstrous and devoid of bottom lines that could reap greater profits from the escalating chaos. And so, within the ugly slaughter, everything continued. Faster and faster... Inside the outpost's temporary workshop, Ji Jue once again caught that hallucinatory scent of vegetation—a faint, refreshing aroma of bodhi leaves. His movements froze once more. He frowned. "Sir?" Isis asked. "...Something's wrong." Ji Jue sat down in his chair and looked around at his surroundings. "Something feels off." Isis was silent for a moment before responding, "Scan completed once more. Inside the workshop, everything is normal. No anomalies have occurred." "Which means—" Ji Jue raised his head, looking through the ceiling toward the giant tree branches hanging in the sky—a sense of abnormality that had grown increasingly impossible to ignore ever since Shangri-La descended into the mortal world. He said decisively, "The anomaly is within me." To this, Isis remained composed. "However, it's different from before." Ji Jue pondered, analyzing, "My consciousness has remained lucid without distortion or deviation. Chunjun shows no reaction, and my soul is normal. Yet in my perception, there's an incessant dissonance, even though none of my individual senses are malfunctioning. "Which means, if something is truly off, either I've been silently corrupted by the Wolf Sin without realizing it, or because of the Kingdom of the Woods, some unknown interference has been applied to me. "Yet Brother Shan and the others don't seem to react at all, meaning they either haven't felt it or fall outside the scope of this interference. "I've tested various methods of perception—hearing, sight, smell—and even switched to my Regeneration form to replace ocular and auditory organs, enhancing and modifying them, including infrared detection, but none can explain this discordant sensation. In fact, they detect no abnormality whatsoever. "Therefore, based on my own experience, I can make an initial hypothesis: there is a form of interference within the Kingdom of the Woods. Further deducing from that, this interference may possess its own intellect, able to adapt at will, and does not want me to notice its existence. "It might even be observing me right this second—" Isis listened quietly, raising no objection, merely offering a reminder: "Sir, every hypothesis must be falsifiable; otherwise, it cannot stand." "That's simple," Ji Jue said. "Though I can't counter interference of this caliber directly, worst comes to worst, I could always perform two Great Sin sacrifices to test the opponent's depth. "Or even summon Lord Huaxu to take a look. Wouldn't everything become clear then?" "..." From the quiet air came a helpless, soft sigh. No longer concealed. "—Even if Lord Huaxu were still among the living, he wouldn't bother with trivial nonsense like this. And there's no need to use such things to bluff me, Ji Jue." The helpless voice asked, "Why make things difficult for a dead man?" A single bodhi leaf materialized out of thin air before Ji Jue's eyes. As though it had been right in front of his eyes all along. Thus, a single leaf blinded the eye... causing him to overlook so many negligible details. Now, plucked gently by a palm that did not belong here, everything hidden behind the leaf was revealed anew. Inside the tightly sealed workshop, an ethereal figure appeared out of nothing. No, it would be more accurate to say he had been here the whole time, following right behind Ji Jue step by step ever since Shangri-La descended, only Ji Jue had never noticed. Or rather, he had not wished to reveal himself to Ji Jue. Upon that handsome, youth-like face, there was neither joy nor sorrow—only placid tranquility, tinged perpetually with an indescribable hint of sorrow. His eyes, however, were weathered and indistinct, defying any judgment of age. His bare upper body was draped only in a piece of linen covering his right shoulder, washed countless times until it was faded and full of holes, resembling the monks seen everywhere across the White Nation. No, it was the monks who resembled him! The moment the figure manifested before him, Ji Jue understood his identity without needing a word, confirming his own suspicions! The true creator of Shangri-La, the Lord of Chaos who walked the Mid-Continent at the end of the Age of Chaos and passed away in meditation in the White Nation—the King of Universal Mercy! Yet another old geezer surviving to this day! The thought that this guy, just like Lord Huaxu, had secretly peeped and spied on him for heaven knew how long made Ji Jue thoroughly annoyed. He sneered coldly, "You old fogies even share the exact same hobby of voyeurism, don't you?" King Ciji showed no anger, remaining serene and unbothered. Without Ji Jue needing to speak, he had already perceived his true objective. "No need to test me, Ji Jue. Mere words and provocations are hardly enough to anger me," he answered candidly. "If possible, I had no desire to affect you either." Ji Jue was amused. "You've been watching for this long, why put on an act?" "Do you think I wanted to watch?" King Ciji's expression turned distinctly strange, as if looking at someone making a false accusation right to his face. "Didn't you summon me yourself?" "..." Ji Jue was dumbfounded. "You've dealt with Lord Huaxu before, haven't you?" King Ciji asked puzzledly. "Did that one never tell you not to go groping around aimlessly?" "..." Ji Jue opened his mouth, but no words came out. *Wait, how did I go groping around again—hold on, that actually happened!* *Smack!* Helplessly, Ji Jue brought a hand up to cover his face. The resonance between the Wolf Blood Oath, his corruption form, and the Kingdom of the Woods formed from Shangri-La! Wasn't that the equivalent of sticking his hand right into Shangri-La? But it wasn't like he had done it on purpose! It was like a phone connecting to Wi-Fi by accident—what was he supposed to do?! Wait... It suddenly dawned on him, and his eyes widened: *That means King Ciji's consciousness still remains within Shangri-La!* "Don't overthink it. I died many years ago," King Ciji answered before Ji Jue could speak. "Unlike that Lord Huaxu, I chose to return everything I obtained to the world. "What you see before you is merely an imprint remaining within Shangri-La, like the reflection of the moon lingering in the water after the moon has vanished. Present yet insubstantial, nothing more than a passing thought. "Rather than Ciji, it is more accurate to call this Ciji's discarded slough. It was meant to return to nothingness, yet you dragged it along, refusing to let it rest." "What do you mean, dragged by me?" Seeing Ciji turn the accusations back on him, Ji Jue glared. "You can't blame this entirely on me, can you?" "..." Ciji fell silent, looking at him with a strange expression for a long time. "It seems Lord Huaxu truly told you nothing... Then again, a man like him is capable of anything for the sake of his so-called amusements." Ji Jue grew wary. "Watch your words. Lord Huaxu and I are best buddies in the world. Don't go driving wedges between us!" "Driving a wedge presupposes you were on the same side to begin with, doesn't it? Besides, Lord Huaxu's nature is known to the whole world; what is there to slander? "Rest assured, even if he were watching, he wouldn't care." Ciji's residual image shook his head. "Magnets attract magnets, Ji Jue. As one of our few kind in this era, these insignificant fragments I left behind were naturally pulled toward you and caught in your orbit." "Wait, hold on a second—" Ji Jue was growing numb. His attempt to demand an explanation had failed, and now he was getting dizzy from the revelations. "What the hell? Kindred? How am I of your kind? "How on earth am I like you lunatics?!" "..." King Ciji's expression grew even more subtle as he looked at him. It was the same look Lord Huaxu had given him when he previously refused to admit he was a Mohist. Uncannily familiar. "Ji Jue, our era lacked convenient things like your Supreme Goodness and Great Sin." Ciji was not Huaxu after all. He did not tease or keep him guessing, but spoke directly: "In a barren chaos that resembled hell, there was no Supreme Goodness, nor were there shadows like these, let alone smooth paths or Heaven's Mandates to follow. "To possess power, one had to use oneself to contain and embrace everything one encountered... That is to say, using the self as the foundation to hold command over all." He asked, "Doesn't that sound familiar?" ? Ji Jue fell silent, restraining the urge to inspect Chunjun. The overlap and circulation of soul and reflection, the foundational structure self-formed through self-nature without relying on Supreme Goodness or Great Sin... if one insisted on drawing parallels, it really was... "Even if it feels a little like that, isn't it way too far apart?" "Distance matters not; what matters is that you have already taken that step, haven't you?" Ciji sighed with regret. "If it were in our era, someone like you would surely achieve grand undertakings. "Pity that in this era, bound by the shackles and fetters of Supreme Goodness and Great Sin, it is destined to be unattainable." "..." Ji Jue remained silent. Seemingly calm, he was entirely numb inside. *Messing with my head, are you?* *Good news: I seem to be naturally born with the divine physique of a Lord of Chaos. Bad news: Lords of Chaos are an outdated build, obsolete in this current version!* *You might as well have kept your mouth shut!* "My apologies, chalk it up to an old man's habit of lecturing." Ciji chuckled self-deprecatingly and remarked, "Gain and loss are all Heaven's Mandate; a loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. For you, perhaps having the path blocked is actually for the best. "A dead end is hard to tread, and what's more, there is still someone ahead of you." "..." Ji Jue was momentarily dazed, pondering for a long time without making sense of it. Luckily, Ciji was not in the habit of keeping secrets. True to his admission of being fond of lecturing, he was always straightforward: "Though I know little of your present era, the color of the flame has still not returned to pure white. "Which means, even to this day, the Thief Who Stole Fire should still exist within the flame. "While it can hardly be called life or death, his obsession likely remains—if you continue to grow, he will not pass up the opportunity to usurp the nest." "..." Ji Jue was silent, struck speechless. His gaze toward Ciji grew distinctly odd. *How is this a Lord of Chaos? This is clearly a crow spirit in human skin. Why is it that every time you open your mouth, not a shred of good news comes out...* After listening for half a day, there wasn't a speck of good news—it was all bad news! "Fine..." Rubbing between his brows, Ji Jue pondered for a moment. "As the saying goes, our meeting is fate. If you have any lingering grievances or unfulfilled obsessions from life, don't be shy. If I can help, I will." Ciji remained entirely unmoved, serene as ever, long accustomed to Ji Jue's varied probes. "Before passing away in meditation, I had already attained enlightenment. Now, as a slough and a reflection, what obsession could I possibly hold? "Even if I did, why entrust it to another?" "In that case—" Ji Jue suddenly leaned in close, grinning widely. "Since you're already here, how about lending me a hand?" "A pity, Ji Jue, but I am equally powerless to assist." King Ciji shook his head helplessly and spread his hands. "In life, no matter who came, if I knew the answer, I held nothing back; whatever they asked, I did all I could. "Yet in my present state, what could I possibly help you with? As a slough, I am merely a shadow of the past, an imprint and appendage of Shangri-La. "The Ciji you see now is nothing more than a reflection in your eyes. Once you leave Shangri-La, I will return to nothingness once again." "Alright, save it," Ji Jue raised a hand, cutting him off. *Putting on such grand airs, haunting me for so long, and in the end, you're just an ancient ghost acting as a guardian spirit!* *And a ghost I summoned myself at that... What sin did I commit in a past life? First Lord Huaxu, now King Ciji... You Lords of Chaos must be truly bored out of your minds, lingering on and flocking to me one after another.* Clearly, he couldn't rely on him. "If there is anything left to say, it is merely one final warning." King Ciji thought for a moment and sighed softly. "From my understanding of Shangri-La, the progress should never be this slow... Shangri-La itself overrides reality with the obsession of the self, and it can use this to enhance efficiency. "Your arrival is also part of that momentum, whether you wish it or not. "If you calculate the progress using only your conventional logic, you will fall far behind. So if you truly wish to stop them from sacrificing and slaughtering to forge an evil abomination, you must act as fast as possible." "You need to be faster. Much faster." The phantom before him sighed, gazing at the giant tree that had accompanied him through ages unknown, listening to the wolf howls whipped up by the wind blowing through its branches. He said decisively, "There will be no long-drawn-out tug-of-war. In no more than three days, the third wolf will be born." Ji Jue sprang to his feet in shock. Incredulous. Yet no matter how reluctant he was to believe it, he could not ignore the warning from King Ciji. And just as he was debating whether to have Lu Changsheng step forward and leak this news, he realized it was no longer necessary. High above in the heavens, the sound of tearing resounded. So piercing, it stung everyone's eardrums. A brilliant rift manifested out of thin air in the sky, snaking outward as if an immense, majestic power descended from the heavens, shattering the giant tree's canopy and striking straight into the heart of the beast! Immediately after, the earth shook. Amidst an earth-shattering roar, a tempest swept across, swallowing everything whole.