Chapter 102: This Game Lets You Hit the Boss

Upon the crystal screen, Nalan Hongwu held his greatsword in a two-handed grip, the blade trembling under the weight of a freezing aura of sword-qi that seemed on the very precipice of overflowing.

Even when facing a master of such renown as Baiyue, not a single trace of fear showed upon Nalan Hongwu’s face; there was only a stark indifference, paired with a murderous intent even more chilling than his sword's edge.

He thoroughly relished this sensation, for in the reality of the mundane world, a battle of this caliber would have exacted a terrible toll, draining away a considerable portion of his dwindling life force.

Yet here within the game, there was no need for the slightest hesitation or worry.

"The old master’s play is far superior to the shopkeeper's, wouldn't you say!" An Huwei chuckled, his eyes fixed upon the glowing screen.

"Indeed!" Ouyang Zhen nodded in agreement. "The old master’s realm of cultivation is far beyond what that brat could ever hope to match. In a short moment, that old dog Baiyue shall taste true bitterness!"

Across the screen, the majestic sword-qi seemed almost to spill past the glass, and the surrounding onlookers felt their spirits soar with excitement.

Baiyue was undeniably formidable, yet Nalan Hongwu possessed an equal majesty, a profound strength that allowed him to execute any technique with effortless grace, especially when coupled with Li Xiaoyao’s current cultivation, which had been honed to its absolute pinnacle.

"Do you see that! When the old master fights Baiyue, he doesn't even need to invoke the Wine God!"

"Sss—! The old master is truly magnificent..." Ye Songtao, the Sect Master of the Cloud Ocean Sect, found it rare enough to find time to play games, let alone stand around watching others, yet today he too lingered in the crowd, watching intently.

Seeing Baiyue upon the screen finally begin to falter and show signs of weakness, the men broke into a chorus of unreserved praise for the unfolding battle.

"Heavenly Sword! Use the Heavenly Sword!" Witnessing Li Xiaoyao gain the upper hand without even resorting to the Wine God, An Cheng and the youth beside him grew ecstatic. "Follow it with the Sword God and obliterate him! How dare he bring about the death of my precious Ling'er!"

"Who says she is your Ling'er? She is clearly mine!" Bu Che immediately protested, his voice laced with displeasure.

"Cease your squabbling, all of you. Ling'er is this master's own daughter!" Ye Songtao glared at them. "If she is to wed, it must be to someone of Xiaoyao's caliber. You lot simply will not do."

"Wait, am I not your daughter?" Ye Xiaoye chimed in, instantly displeased by the remark.

"Er..." Ye Songtao’s face darkened slightly. "Can this master not have two daughters?"

Everyone present fell into a collective silence.

"Stop shouting! Look at the screen!"

Someone called out amid the noise, and the crowd instantly snapped their attention back to the display, where the lake below now swelled with vast, emerald waves that tossed and roared toward the heavens.

Then, the very center of the lake began to bulge upward, slowly rising as if a colossal mountain were straining to breach the surface from the deep.

"What is happening?!" A cold dread sank into everyone's hearts. "Was it not agreed that we would take him by surprise, slaying Baiyue instantly to prevent his fusion with the Water Beast?!"

To save Ling'er, these players had wracked their brains over the past few days, devising countless strategies and previously agreeing upon this exact tactic; before merging with the Water Beast, Baiyue remained in his human form, making him far easier to deal with.

Yet now...

Staring at the screen, where Baiyue had merely revealed half his form and yet already resembled a towering mountain peak reaching for the clouds, it seemed as though the catastrophic deluge would burst forth from the glass itself.

"Just moments ago, seeing himself falling into a disadvantage, Baiyue directly fused with the Water Beast!" An Huwei, having caught that exact sequence, explained in a hurried voice.

In an instant, the entire world seemed to transform into a realm of endless, churning waters.

Countless torrents surged forth, submerging the mountains, the valleys, and the vast earth beneath an unforgiving tide.

"Too powerful!" Facing the brunt of the onslaught was Nalan Hongwu; while watching through the screen before had blunted the sensation, experiencing it firsthand allowed him to truly comprehend the sheer terror of this primordial fiend.

"Wine God! Quick, use the Wine God!" Seeing their carefully orchestrated strategy crumble so easily, the onlookers grew frantic.

Nalan Hongwu once more manifested the Heavenly Sword, yet that immense, ethereal blade of qi appeared no larger than a tiny toothpick before the towering behemoth.

With a casual sweep of its massive palm, Baiyue batted the sword of qi far into the distance.

At this very moment, confronting a colossal monster that resembled a god of ruin, Nalan Hongwu pondered deeply for a long while, only to realize that neither his own lifetime of martial arts nor the techniques inherent to Li Xiaoyao could offer any countermeasure.

As a demonic deity existing since the primordial era, now unified with Baiyue and resurrected from the dead through his immense spiritual power, it was simply no longer an entity a mortal could oppose.

Driven to the brink, Nalan Hongwu had no choice but to unleash the Wine God.

Destiny was like a cage woven of thorns; there were always those who sought to break free, yet in the end, they would only leave themselves battered and bloodied against the bars.

If they had previously assumed Fang Qi’s failure was merely due to his own weakness when watching him play, they now suddenly understood that perhaps this was simply Ling'er's inexorable fate.

No matter how desperately they struggled, and though they might alter the course of events, they could never change her ultimate destiny.

As the powerful, indelible shadow of Baiyue took root in their hearts, everyone watched the rising floods upon the screen, a profound and inexplicable sorrow welling up inside them as realization finally dawned.

A certain defense within their minds seemed to collapse at long last.

Looking back upon those beautiful moments spent in her company, now that nothing remained but total despair...

Perhaps this was indeed destiny...

Even with their exceptionally guarded minds, they could not help but fall into a melancholic silence, their tears silently falling.

...

When Fang Qi returned to the cyber cafe, the hour was no longer early.

Stepping through the threshold, he suddenly found the atmosphere rather peculiar.

Unlike the usual boisterous clamor, the shop today was enveloped in a profound, solemn quiet.

At a glance, Fang Qi spotted Su Tianji sitting at a station near the entrance, her head buried in her arms upon the desk, while her two disciples stood at her side, wiping their own faces in utter helplessness.

"Come now, if you died, you can just start over. What is all this about?" Fang Qi said, lightly tapping her shoulder.

Su Tianji snapped her head up instantly, her almond eyes brimming with tears yet flashing with a murderous glint.

Glancing at her screen, Fang Qi noticed that Li Xiaoyao was still lingering beside Yueru's bed, and he thought to himself, "Don't tell me this woman managed to trigger the ending where Yueru couldn't be saved..."

Let alone Xiao Yulv, even Fenghua and Yuexin were utterly stunned, never expecting their aloof and exalted master to weep so pitifully, like a pear blossom bathed in rain.

It completely shattered their worldview.

On the other side, a group of grown men had gathered in a tight circle, the men silent and the women weeping; after researching for so long and even foreseeing the future, they still could not escape the loop of destiny, and it would be a wonder if anyone could find joy in that.

"It is all because of the wretched games this shopkeeper brings out!" Jiang Xiaoyei stamped her feet as she sobbed. "Where is the sense in having such an absurdly powerful villain?! It is entirely unreasonable!"

"Exactly! It makes no sense!" Hearing the young girl's outcry, Su Tianji immediately chimed in, glaring fiercely at Fang Qi. "How could there be such an impossibly powerful sect, and how could the Devil-Suppressing King still be guarding the Demon Sealing Tower?!"

"To think someone would blame the game's logic just because they lack skill..." Fang Qi muttered under his breath.

Su Tianji’s fair face instantly darkened, and a sudden urge to strike him washed over her.

"I do not care!" The little girl, Jiang Xiaoyei, marched forward, angrily tugging at the edge of Fang Qi’s robe. "Which senior created this game? Go quickly and tell that senior named Softstar to change the story! Ling'er is far too pitiful!"

"I would bloody well like to ask Softstar to change the story myself..." Fang Qi rubbed his nose, casting a wary glance over the crowd whose expressions were distinctly hostile.

Every single one of them looked ready to resort to violence; this plot was enough to make anyone want to hunt down the writer with a blade.

"Right, a new game has arrived in the shop today," Fang Qi spoke up, attempting to shift the topic away from the sullen faces confronting him. "If anyone harbors any grievances toward this shopkeeper, starting a fight here will undoubtedly get you banned permanently. However, thrashing the shopkeeper is perfectly permitted within this new game. Anyone wishing to participate can sign up in a moment."

"We can actually beat the shopkeeper?!" The crowd exchanged glances, their interest piqued.

"Uh... this scene looks a bit familiar..." Li Haoran murmured.

"He is coaxing us into buying a new game again," Nalan Mingxue remarked in a low, knowing whisper, her eyes carrying a gaze that had long since seen through his schemes.