Chapter 37: I Saw God

Under the dim moonlight near an abandoned construction site, Bull Terrier stood on a muddy road, his head wrapped in bandages, cautiously glancing behind him.

He was far from a good person. In fact, even among the Chaos Faction players, he had made many enemies. His usual living arrangements were in remote and hidden locations for safety.

“Who’s there?!”

Bull Terrier possessed the cunning instincts of a seasoned criminal. While he might seem brash, he was incredibly vigilant. As he called out, he didn’t move from his spot, his body emanating a faint Stellar Energy aura.

The night was dark and windy. To the left of the road stretched an endless muddy field where weeds swayed in the cool breeze. To the right stood a row of low, corrugated metal walls, extending seven or eight meters to a bend in the road. Bull Terrier had already noticed someone moving near that corner.

Tap, tap.  

Soft footsteps echoed as a small head with flowing hair peeked cautiously from the corner of the wall. The figure politely asked, “Sir, fifty-one rounds, interested?”

Bull Terrier frowned, stunned to find a classically beautiful woman. His initial reaction was surprise, but it quickly turned into goosebumps all over.

While he was undeniably a lecher by nature, his sharp mind belied his rugged appearance. What kind of businesswoman would suddenly appear in such a desolate spot in the dead of night?

Although the woman didn’t radiate any Stellar Energy, the situation was clearly suspicious.

Swish!

Bull Terrier suddenly raised his arm, his body enveloped in a faint yellowish glow.

Around the corner of the wall, Ren Ye—having once again activated his charm ability and disguised himself as a woman—revealed his mesmerizing purple eyes and shouted, “Freeze!”

Tap…  

Instantly, Bull Terrier froze in place. His gaze turned vacant, and his expression stiffened.

“Damn!”  

Ren Ye exhaled deeply, stepping out from the corner and striding toward Bull Terrier.

Bull Terrier’s vigilance had exceeded Ren Ye’s expectations. To avoid detection, Ren Ye had activated his charm ability in advance. He realized that in his current state, he only emitted Stellar Energy fluctuations when using items. By “changing outfits” beforehand, he could pass as an ordinary person.

This was likely related to not yet obtaining a class inheritance, but even with precautions, he had been discovered.

The two closed the distance rapidly. Ren Ye called out, “Kneel and call me Master.”

On the muddy road, Bull Terrier stood rigid, his eyes flashing a mix of confusion, lust, and unrestrained desire—but he didn’t call him Master.

Something’s wrong!  

Ren Ye’s body tensed. He quickly realized the connection between them was weak, as if it might break at any moment.

His willpower is strong. The charm ability can’t fully control him. His consciousness is resisting!

With this realization, Ren Ye locked eyes with Bull Terrier and hastily said, “Look up, focus on my eyes…”

Swish!

Suddenly, Bull Terrier lifted his head, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. “What an interesting ability you have… man or woman, you can play both roles? Heh, too bad you’re weak. Your Stellar Energy isn’t strong enough to fully unleash its potential.”

Shing!

The Nation-Stabilizing Sword appeared in Ren Ye’s right hand, gleaming as it slashed toward Bull Terrier’s neck.

“That’s a sharp blade,” Bull Terrier commented casually as he leapt back. His body erupted with dazzling yellow light as he chanted, “Earth Perception—Wither!”

Buzz!

A yellow glow exploded from Bull Terrier’s body, rapidly spreading outward.

Wherever the yellow light passed, not a blade of grass survived.

In an instant, everything within a ten-meter radius of him—grass, shrubs, even waist-high wild trees—withered to a dull yellow and crumbled to powder in the cold wind.

The moist earth dried out, splitting into web-like cracks, and a thick layer of yellow dust swirled into the air.

“You think I’m as brainless as that idiot Old Yin? I’m a fallen player, but I was once a rising star in the Neutral Faction.” Bull Terrier raised his arm, palm aimed at Ren Ye, grinning cruelly. “I recognize your scent now. You’re the one who cut off my ear. Heh, a lot of people are looking for you.” 

“Devouring Sandstorm!!!”

It happened too fast. Before Ren Ye could react, a violent whirlwind erupted beneath his feet, spinning like an hourglass in a frenzy.

“Whoosh!”

His body was lifted into the air like a kite, suspended at the center of the inverted sandstorm.

The cyclone carried razor-sharp grains of sand, and within seconds, Ren Ye’s entire body was riddled with countless fine cuts. 

Spinning, dizzying disorientation—his consciousness teetered on the edge of collapse. 

Ren Ye felt every inch of his skin, even his face, lips, and eyelids, bleeding profusely with warm streams of blood. 

His entire being seemed trapped in a sandblaster, polished like a stone thrown into a grinding machine.

The excruciating pain—an agony that shook his very soul—momentarily brought him back from the brink of unconsciousness. Squinting his eyes, he faintly made out Bull Terrier approaching him through the blur.

One chance left. Hold on… wait for him to get closer.

He recognized me. I’m too important to him… he won’t be able to resist.

Bull Terrier took two bold steps forward and raised his clenched fist: “Condense Sand into a Prison!”

“Buzz…!”

The furious spinning of the sandstorm slowed, and countless grains of sand flew toward Ren Ye, seemingly intending to bury him alive.

“Shhhk!”

Just then, a dazzling light flared in the distant wasteland.

Bull Terrier whipped his head around, looking toward the field.

What he saw left him stunned: a speck of starlight gradually expanding, eventually forming a twisted and irregular door.

The door swelled rapidly, and within a few breaths, it grew to a size towering over the earth, blocking the entire southern horizon.

Radiating like a blazing sun, the door loomed suddenly before Bull Terrier’s eyes.

“…This is… a Stellar Scar Gate? How could such a massive Star Gate exist in the world?!” Bull Terrier froze, staring at the stationary “sun.” After a long pause, he exclaimed with excitement: “No… no, this is the Gate of Divinity! I see the legendary Gate of the Gods!”

“Shhhk!”

From within the Stellar Scar Gate, a vague figure emerged, humanoid yet not fully human, standing tall enough to bridge heaven and earth, turned slightly away from Bull Terrier.

Never before had a god manifested in the world. In the minds of all players, the gods were hazy and indistinct—a mere symbol.

As Bull Terrier gazed at the figure, his body began trembling with excitement. Forgetting everything else in the world, he dumbfoundedly asked, “Are you… God?!”

“Do you wish to become a god?”

The ethereal voice responded from the gate, faint yet resonating across the land.

“Of course, I do! Of course, I want to!!” Bull Terrier shouted passionately. “To acquire a precious artifact and a substantial amount of Stellar Energy, I killed five Order Faction players and indirectly caused the deaths of over forty civilians… That’s how I became a Fallen Player.”

“Who doesn’t want to become a god? Who doesn’t want to break free from the shackles of these damned rules and do whatever they please?! I risk my life, I strive, I go to any lengths to serve the cripple, all just to make myself stronger!”

“Can you grant me the inheritance of a god? I’m willing to do anything for you!” The obsessions within Bull Terrier’s heart were drawn out, and his demeanor turned maniacal as he strode toward the wilderness.

Silence. A brief silence followed before the deity asked, “Truly willing to do anything? Would you help me kill the cripple? He’s your boss, the one who gave you your opportunities.”

“I’m willing,” Bull Terrier replied without hesitation, then added sincerely, “But I can’t beat him.”

“I’ll grant you an artifact. Use it to kill him.”

“Alright, I’m willing!”

“Then, would you help me kill Mr. He?” the deity asked again.

“I’m willing. Just tell me how to do it!”

“Mr. He is good at hiding. Can you find him?” The god’s logic was impeccable.

“…I can’t find him, but I know two of his lackeys are secretly tailing a web novelist named Li Feng,” Bull Terrier blurted out.

The god fell silent, seemingly baffled: “Why are they following a web novelist named Li Feng?”

Silence.

Confusion clouded Bull Terrier’s face as he muttered repeatedly, “Why would the god ask about this… why…?”

“Answer me!” The voice thundered with a hint of anger. 

Bull Terrier shuddered, his face pale as he instinctively responded, “Because they said Li Feng can find Ren Daguo.”  

“…!”  

The deity paused for a moment. “Come closer, and I shall bestow upon you the Sword of God.”  

“Yes, yes!” Bull Terrier nodded eagerly, taking several steps forward until he stood before the towering Star Gate, as high as the heavens themselves.  

“Kneel and revere the Sword of God.”  

Obeying the command, Bull Terrier knelt and bowed, his head trembling as he muttered to himself, “…This smell, it’s so familiar… Why is He asking me these questions? Why…?”  

“Swish!”  

A cold light swept out from the Star Gate, and Bull Terrier jerked his head up. “The… Sword of God?”  

“Your father’s sword!”  

“Thud!”  

The razor-sharp blade sliced through the air. A massive head flew off, and hot blood sprayed half a meter high.  

On the muddy path, Ren Ye stood with the Spring Breeze Delight in his left hand, his right arm frozen mid-swing. Kneeling before him was the now-headless body of Bull Terrier, blood spurting endlessly from the severed neck.  

A desperate, last-ditch counterattack—both luck and calculation!  

Back in the Hall of Tranquility, Ren Ye had only glanced at the Spring Breeze Delight once before being pulled into its obsession-induced illusion. This item could draw out the deepest hidden desires within a person’s heart, and the stronger the desire, the easier it was to become lost in the illusion.  

The talisman gifted by the princess, who possessed powerful Yin-Yang techniques, had managed to pull Second Fool out of his enthrallment. However, it had shattered into dust after just one use within the illusion…  

On the ground, Ren Ye gasped for air, his body in a pitiful state.  

Blood tears streamed from his right eye. His clothes were torn, and his exposed skin was a mess of raw, bleeding flesh—like a skinned rat, utterly wretched.  

“…I will clear the Qingliang Prefecture no matter what! I swear it!!”  

Using the tip of his sword for support, Ren Ye shakily pushed himself upright. With his one good eye, he glared at Bull Terrier’s corpse and made his fierce vow.  

“Swish!”  

He bent down and quickly searched the corpse.  

A minute later, he found a pouch containing 15 white crystals.  

In recent days, Ren Ye had learned from Xu Peng about the importance of these items.  

These were Stellar Essence Stones, a form of currency traded between players. The higher their grade, the more valuable they were.  

Additionally, he pulled a pendant shaped like a “Nine-Layered Buddha Pagoda” from the corpse’s neck. When he focused his thoughts on it, the small pagoda instantly vanished.  

It was clearly an item. He decided to inspect it later.  

After thoroughly searching the body, Ren Ye found nothing else but 4,000 in cash.  

Stuffing everything into his pockets, he laboriously dragged Bull Terrier’s body to an abandoned well nearby and tossed it in.  

“Thud, thud…”  

Using the Nation-Stabilizing Sword, he collapsed the well opening, crudely burying the corpse before swiftly leaving the area.  

This wasn’t about hiding the evidence to evade legal consequences. He simply didn’t want news of Bull Terrier’s death to reach the Stray Dogs organization and risk cutting off the leads he’d just obtained…  

Someone as evil as him didn’t deserve to live another day; leaving him alive would be a disservice to society!  

Under the moonlight, the disheveled Prince Huai of Great Qian hobbled forward, determined to rescue his father.  

…

Shanghai – A Hidden Lair  

Mr. He stared blankly out the window for a long time before suddenly breaking into operatic singing:  

“This matter~ feels riddled with oddities, a tangled web of confusion…”  

“Hey, boss, cut it out. Your singing’s killing me,” said a burly player lying on a bed, his dull gaze fixed on the ceiling. Despite his vacant look, there was a glimmer of insight in his eyes. “Why are we targeting this Ren Ye guy, who’s not even a proper novice yet? Why is the Fraudulent Merchants Association’s hunter acting like she’s gone mad? Is it because we’re messing with her prey?!”  

Hearing this, Mr. He’s body stiffened.  

His mind raced, imagining the hunter’s usual methods. Then, he turned around, his eyes lighting up as he resumed his operatic tone:  

“You truly~ possess unmatched wisdom!”