"Rippling Spring Sounds"—Ren Suo always chose to use it cautiously.
The main reason was that this ability had a time limit, and every use could potentially lead to the player character’s star-level rising. Therefore, unless it was the most critical and important moment, Ren Suo was miserly with its use. But now, the Village Chief Phantom was undoubtedly an optional final boss—it was time to use the cheat! It was just that the adventurer refreshed Ren Suo’s impression of him once more: calling for help could still look so majestic!
"’The clamor of metal and the clash of war halt before me, as heavenly thunder fails to touch my body.’
Because a young man stood before me, blocking all attacks.
He was clad in Mirror Armor, wore a Gilded Crown, and donned Vajra Boots, with a Tower Shield in his left hand and a Giant Axe in his right.
The six giant weapons of the Ming King Illusion seemed to freeze in place. They were clearly chopping onto the young man’s shield, yet the force dissipated as if into the sea, without stirring the slightest wave.
I saw the heavenly thunder strike him, yet his clothing remained unmarked, and he even had the leisure to use his axe to scrape at his beard.
’Speak, who would you have me chop?’ the young man looked at me, his tone exceedingly calm, paying no mind to the Ming King Illusion before him."
"’The Ming King Illusion flew into an instant rage. Its three heads began chanting different mantras. Immediately, thunder rumbled, earthly fire surged, and yin wind blew fiercely. Its six-armed weapons turned fiendish and ominous; blood light formed their edges and gold light their bodies, appearing as instruments of divine judgment or a demon intent on slaughter!
The villagers all retreated to the side to watch the spectacle. I wanted to as well, but the terrain had changed, and there was no escape.
At this moment, the young man let out a light ’heh.’
Then all the heavenly thunder capable of extinguishing anything, the earthly fire capable of incinerating all matter, and the soul-sapping yin wind avoided me, targeting only the young man!
The Ming King’s six weapons subtly adjusted, aiming to crush the young man from six different directions!
The young man raised his shield, did not retreat a single step, and blocked this wave of attacks unscathed once more, while muttering an incantation—"
"’Cold Flame,’ his Giant Axe emitted a dual aura of ice and fire."
"’Mixed Origin,’ a white barrier appeared around his body."
"’Surging Fullness,’ his aura steadily grew, and a massive illusion very much like him appeared above."
"’Furious Roar,’ a vexatious rumbling noise seemed to echo in my ears."
"’Celestial Lord’s Form!’"
Clad in Heavy Armor, with a ghostly fierce countenance, a wild axe, and a firm shield, huge as a mountain.
This shield warrior illusion was almost as large as the Ming King Illusion. It bore a cyclic flow of ice and fire of Mixed Origin and was coldly confronting the Ming King Illusion.
The summoned entity of "Rippling Spring Sounds" was the strongest from "Over My Dead Body"—
the Sixth Generation Family Head of the Ren Family, heir to the name ’Ren Woxing,’ master of ’Cold Flame Mixed Origin Overflowing Roar of the Heavenly Sovereign,’—Ren Han!
Ren Suo’s choice of Ren Han was because when he let the adventurer use "Rippling Spring Sounds" on the Equipment Interface, the system popped up a notification:
"The current game is a special environment."
"Ilina cannot be summoned by the current game."
"Assassin, Truth Seeker, and Zhao Zili will only be able to exert 50% combat power inside."
"Devouring the Spirit of the World and Magician will only be able to exert 70% combat power inside."
"Ren Woxing will be able to exert 110% combat power inside."
"’The Celestial Illusion took a step forward, directly withstood the Ming King Illusion’s attack, and chopped down with his axe!
The Ming King Illusion, in pain, unleashed a thunderous roar. His weapons accelerated to try to pierce the Celestial Illusion, while heavenly thunder, earthly fire, and yin wind attacked once again!
The Celestial Illusion stood unyielding, chopping down with his axe once,
The Ming King Illusion, having been chopped a dozen times, finally couldn’t withstand it and retreated with a wail. Magic words resounded from his mouth, and the ground, which had been shattered, returned to its original state—only the bonfire that had been burning fiercely remained standing.
"’It seems like it’s admitting defeat,’ the young man turned his head to look at me. ’Any other requests?’"
"’All is well now. No need for formalities, stand down,’ I said, waving my hand."
"The young man raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak, turning away to leave."
However, Ren Suo suddenly remembered something and quickly went to the "Equipment Interface" to put the "Rippling Spring Sounds" Ring on his own hand.
So Ren Han suddenly turned his head, looking at the adventurer with a cold smirk emerging on his face.
Indeed, with an adventurer as annoying as this one, if he wasn’t wearing the Ring, he would definitely have gotten beaten half to death by Ren Han.
But Ren Suo wasn’t there to revel in the adventurer’s misfortunes. He steeled his mind, touching the Mark of his Ring, and asked Ren Han inside the game.
The in-game Ren Han was slightly taken aback, then said to the adventurer:
"The Spiritual Energy here is beyond imagination. There’s also a presence of thought ability at an extremely high concentration. This causes all spells, living beings, and inanimate objects to experience an incredibly terrifying amplification—much like the giant phantoms from before, which are actually transformations of spells. And these people’s phantoms exist because their souls have completely manifested, enabling them to fight by using their souls to control their imagination.
"You couldn’t summon your own phantom because your soul still has a chance to return to your body.
"However, you’ve been here for a few days now, and your soul has largely assimilated with this place’s environment. If you can return, you will most likely gain some unbelievable abilities."
Ren Suo had just used "Rippling Spring Sounds" to ask Ren Han about the phantoms in his mind. Ren Han directly answered the adventurer in the game, indicating that Ren Han also knew about the relationship between the adventurer and the player.
Thinking of this, Ren Suo’s intrigue was piqued. In this game, he had almost no way to control the adventurer’s dialogue. If he could, Ren Suo would definitely have made the adventurer hug a lamp post and shout, ’My illness is finally curable!’ Therefore, if Ren Suo wanted to stir up some mischief, he had to manipulate things from outside the game.
Thus, Ren Han in the game continued, saying:
"’I finally woke up, only to find it was because you barged in here... Well then, I’m going back to Fairy Palace. As for you, figure out how to return on your own.’"
After saying this, Ren Han turned and left, vanishing into thin air.
Then Ren Suo watched as the adventurer on the screen seemed to fall silent for a moment, before he walked over to the Village Chief and said:
"’Now that I’ve defeated your phantom, are you still willing to give me your energy?’"
"’Defeated by you... Of course, I’m willing. We had an agreement.’"
So Ren Suo clicked: ① "Accept the villagers’ thought energy (randomly select ten treasures for ’Spiritualization’; Spiritualized treasures are strengthened, cannot be burned, nor will they ever be damaged for any reason) (Current number of treasures: 10)."
It just so happened that Ren Suo had scanned ten props, so there was no need to scan an additional one. Although Ren Suo still had 148 energy points left, enough to scan an epic prop, it was always good to save some energy for emergencies.
The ten giant phantoms floating in the sky each transformed into a streak of light. These lights entered the adventurer’s clothes and gear, making him glow with garish hues of every color. If Ren Suo took a screenshot at this moment and posted it online, it would be enough to infuriate every photographer and designer who saw it.
"I’ve received the villagers’ thought energy. Energy points increased by 600."
"I’ve gained the energy of the Village Chief’s family. Energy points increased by 300."
As expected, the villagers’ thought energy only amounted to 600 points, and the remaining 400 had to be scraped together by the adventurer. The Village Chief’s family’s energy, however, was 300 points. Indeed, those who live longer save more.
With the adventurer’s remaining 148 energy points, the total came to 1,048 points. This left an excess of 48 points. which was even enough to scan a little skirt for the adventurer.
However, Ren Suo, of course, didn’t do that and instead directly selected ④ "Leave the village: Requires 1,000 energy points (Currently have 1,048 points)."
"’The collected energy transformed into a Light Orb, warm and smooth to the touch. I tossed it into the bonfire.
The bonfire completely changed color. The flames became a brilliant blue, emitting not heat but waves of warmth.
The Village Chief said that this means the road has now been opened. Now, if I walk through the village and leave the cave, I will directly leave this place and return to the outside world.
The Village Chief told me that I shouldn’t think of coming back here. Once I leave, everyone here will likely fall into a deep slumber. They will wait for family members to awaken them again, which might rejuvenate this village. However, it’s also possible that they may never wake up.
On the phone screen, Ren Suo watched as the adventurer left the clearing in the forest. However, the camera angle did not follow the adventurer. Instead, it continued to focus on the bonfire surrounded by the villagers.
The Village Chief urged, "This is the only chance. Hurry up!"
"Coming, coming!" the Blood Mage said as he carried a large box down from the carriage, filled with peaches. He took a peach and threw it into the blue flame bonfire, praying with joined hands after every throw: "Mom, may you live a long and healthy life..."
The little girl brought a pile of sketchbooks, tearing out family portraits she had drawn—though it seemed like she was the only one in the village who could tell who was who in them. She threw the drawings into the blue flames and mimicked others’ prayers with hands joined: "May my parents stop quarreling, and my younger siblings grow up tall and quick..."
The old man tossed his air-dried meat and other farm produce into the blue flames, earnestly praying: "May you all be safe and sound. I don’t ask for you to achieve great things, just that you can have a full meal and a good night’s sleep..."
Grandpa Fugui and Grandma Jiazhen also threw in the chickens and ducks they raised in their spare time, and the clothes they wove, murmuring, "Don’t go hungry, don’t get cold, don’t fall ill, and don’t give up. You all must live well..."
The things they threw in didn’t burn into ashes or black smoke. Instead, they rose as small, white Light Orbs. With the flames and the breeze, these orbs flowed backward into the sky like a river, their destination unknown.
Blue flames, a river of light, and the praying people—the scene froze on this moment.
「Successfully left Peach Blossom Land.」