Chapter 3171: How Can There Be Such a Divine Figure? Heroes and Such...

On the mechanical race's god-level warship.

Wang Teng returned to his room, closed the door, and sat cross-legged in one smooth motion.

Then he silently murmured in his mind: "Roundy, log into the Allied Forces network."

He had no knowledge of what was happening outside for now.

First things first—redeeming treasures was urgent.

His 179 million-plus combat merit points were already starving, demanding a lavish indulgence.

"Got it!"

Roundy responded instantly, logging into the Allied Forces network.

Wang Teng closed his eyes, his spirit body seemingly detaching from his flesh, entering the virtual universe.

The so-called Allied Forces network was merely a branch of the virtual universe.

Accessing it was just like logging into the virtual universe itself.

In an instant, after a brief daze, he found himself standing on a vast square.

"This is the Allied Forces network?!"

Wang Teng glanced around, asking curiously in his mind.

"Yes!" Roundy’s voice echoed in his head: "But this is my first time inside too."

"It doesn’t seem particularly special—just a bit more crowded."

The square was packed with people, heads stretching as far as the eye could see, dense and overwhelming.

Wang Teng had already noticed this, scanning the surroundings and saying, "These must all be warriors from the Allied Forces."

"Most likely," Roundy nodded, chuckling: "Looks like everyone rushed here to redeem treasures after the merit rankings were announced."

"If they don’t redeem treasures eagerly, they’re fools," Wang Teng laughed.

Suddenly, the crowd around him erupted in commotion, followed by a loud cry:

"Wang Teng!!"

Someone had recognized him.

"What?"

"Wang Teng!"

"Where is he? Where?"

"Which Wang Teng?"

"Are you kidding? The one with the highest merit, of course! Who else would dare bear that name?"

"Exactly! Exactly! Who dares call themselves that? They’d be asking for trouble!"

…

Wang Teng stared in shock at the scene before him—these warriors suddenly went mad, frantically searching for him.

It was as if he were some priceless treasure.

Too terrifying.

Wang Teng felt a chill run through him and wanted to slip away—before too many people noticed.

"That’s him!"

"He’s Wang Teng!"

The voice that had spotted him rang out again.

A warrior gazed at Wang Teng with wild fervor, pointing a finger straight at him.

*Whoosh!*

All eyes in the vicinity snapped toward him, like millions of beams of light converging on him, ready to pierce him into a sieve.

"Damn it!"

Wang Teng turned to the man who had first pointed at him, his gaze filled with resentment.

If he didn’t know the guy meant no harm, he’d have knocked him flat right then.

Don’t you know this is harassment, dude?

"Wang Teng, the way everyone’s looking at you seems kinda hot," Roundy muttered.

"Not just hot—I feel like they want to strip me bare," Wang Teng thought, shivering all over.

"Nope! Can’t stay any longer. Wind’s picking up—time to bail! Retreat!!"

He vanished instantly with a flash, using *Empty Flash*.

One great thing about the virtual universe was that you could use your abilities perfectly—exactly as in reality.

"Aaaaaahhh…"

"Wang Teng!"

"Wang Teng!"

"Invincible!"

"He’s even handsomer than I imagined—his aura is simply unmatched. How can such a divine being exist?"

"His strength and talent are terrifyingly powerful, yet he’s handsome and charismatic—this universe can’t contain him!"

"Wang Teng, don’t go! I’ll bear you children!"

"Look at me! Look at me! I’ve big breasts and a perfect rear—perfect for birthing the finest offspring!"

"I’m 380 years old, a Realm Master—prime age, fully mature and plump—ideal for raising progeny!"

"Get lost, old hag! You’re over 300 and still trying to flirt? I’m only 180—did I say anything?"

"Brother Wang Teng, interested in South Liang? My cultivation technique is unique—I’ll become South Liang soon!"

…

The crowd behind him exploded. Seeing Wang Teng vanish, they scrambled everywhere.

When they couldn’t find him, they began screaming, determined to make sure Wang Teng heard their heartfelt words.

"???"

Wang Teng stood in a corner, watching the boiling crowd in the distance, listening to those beastly declarations. His entire being was ruined.

Fine, if beautiful women were obsessed with him, he could accept it. Even that 380-year-old woman—he wouldn’t mind.

Just now, he’d secretly glanced—she was truly mature and voluptuous, like a ripe peach.

But what the hell was a *South Liang*?

Would his dashing looks and extraordinary aura attract this kind of Pokemon's attention?

"Damn it! Looks like I'll have to protect myself more carefully when I go out from now on."

Wang Teng shuddered, quickly rubbing the goosebumps on his arms, which almost cascaded to the floor.

"Pfft!"

Yuan Gunqun could not help but burst into laughter: "Your charm truly hasn't faded over the years."

"..." Wang Teng was speechless: "What do you mean 'hasn't faded over the years'? Am I that old?"

"Not old, just highly experienced," Yuan Gungun laughed heartily.

"Now that I like to hear. A wealth of experience means I haven't wasted my time all these years," Wang Teng laughed along.

Amidst their playful banter, a message suddenly flashed through.

"Wang Teng, it's a message from Yue Qiqiao," Yuan Gungun said.

"Connect it," Wang Teng replied.

Yue Qiqiao's projection materialized before him, her bright eyes seemingly harboring a myriad of unspoken words as she stared straight at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Wang Teng's lips twitched. Everyone was acting like this—had he somehow evolved? Had he turned into some rare species?

"Don't you know what kind of status and image you hold in everyone's hearts right now?" Yue Qiqiao finally spoke, her tone deep and lingering.

"What status? What image?" Wang Teng asked curiously.

"A hero!!!" Yue Qiqiao uttered just those two words.

"???"

Wang Teng was somewhat astonished.

No way, how did he suddenly become a hero?

To say he was a major contributor to this great war was something he could barely accept, but to call him a hero felt a bit too excessive.

He couldn't live up to it! He absolutely couldn't!

He knew his own motivations better than anyone else.

He really couldn't bear the title of a hero, nor did he want to.

There was no need for it.

He couldn't sacrifice himself like a true hero would, nor could he act as a genuinely good person in the eyes of the public.

Wang Teng never wished to be shackled by morality.

Any title that could potentially bind him was something he would cast away like a worn-out shoe.

When it came down to it, he was a very selfish person.

Everything he did was ultimately for himself.

"You all think too highly of me," Wang Teng shook his head.

Yue Qiqiao looked at him in surprise: "You don't like being a hero?"

"Not in the slightest," Wang Teng spoke the truth.

"..."

Yue Qiqiao was rendered speechless.

She hadn't expected that someone in this world genuinely disliked being a hero; it was a rare sight in a long life.

It seemed her understanding of Wang Teng was still insufficient.

Yue Qiqiao gave Wang Teng a deep look and smiled softly: "You don't want to be one, but everyone wants you to be."

"This time, the impact of what you did is just too immense."

"Your military exploits are so astounding that it's difficult for people not to treat you as a hero."

"It can be said that the allied army and various factions are building momentum for you, and this is the consequence of that momentum."

Wang Teng's brow furrowed slightly: "Building momentum!"

When he learned that his military exploits ranked first, he already knew the high-ranking officials of the allied army were building momentum for him.

But he hadn't expected this momentum to lead to such a result.

Everyone had actually taken him for a hero!

What on earth?!

Why did it end up like this?!

He couldn't quite figure it out. Shouldn't they call him a monster or a freak like they used to?

If it were merely about his talent and strength, he would certainly accept it gladly.

But regarding this hero business, he truly didn't want to accept it at all.

Watching his aggrieved expression, Yue Qiqiao found it both funny and annoying, saying: "Is it really that hard to accept?"

She truly couldn't comprehend Wang Teng's train of thought.

"Are there any benefits to becoming a hero?" Wang Teng countered with a question.

"Benefits?!" Yue Qiqiao pondered for a moment and said: "The greatest benefit is the rise in reputation."

"With my military exploits ranking first, my reputation will already rise to an incredibly terrifying level," Wang Teng said.

"You... are right!"

Yue Qiqiao's eyes flashed as she suddenly came to her senses: "So this title of hero is actually expendable."

"In fact, it will instead become your shackles!"

She was, after all, the vice president of the Star Association, and handling the association's daily affairs had long since sharpened her wits.

The moment Wang Teng put it that way, she understood immediately.

"Precisely!" Wang Teng nodded with satisfaction and said: "It is a shackle."

"If I make a mistake in the future, this title will cause everyone to magnify my error, thereby bringing me immense negative impact."

"In the hearts of many, a hero is not allowed to make mistakes."

Yue Qiqiao's expression changed slightly; she had never imagined the matter could be so severe.

The thought of such consequences sent a sudden chill through her heart.

It wasn't as if such incidents hadn't occurred in the universe before.

Some people were lifted high into the clouds, only to crash down from the heights, leaving them with no place for burial!

She certainly didn't want Wang Teng to end up that way.

"Could this be someone's intentional guidance?" Yue Qiqiao's voice grew thoroughly grave.

"It's not entirely impossible!" Wang Teng sighed in his heart.

He had thought of that too.

Now he was at the peak of his power, enjoying all the benefits, and naturally, some people couldn’t stand it.

Especially those factions who bore grudges against him.

All they needed to do was give a little push, and others would follow immediately.

Besides, this was leading things in a positive direction—not a negative one—so most people wouldn’t even notice any problem.

【Balding】jpg

“What should we do now?” Yue Qiqiao asked quickly.

Wang Teng narrowed his eyes, stroked his chin, and after a moment of thought, his eyes lit up. “Don’t panic. I’ve got an idea.”

“What’s the idea?” Yue Qiqiao pressed.

Seriously? Still keeping secrets at a time like this?

“Naturally, I’ll use another more explosive piece of news to guide the ordinary martial artists.”

Wang Teng suddenly grinned mischievously and immediately sent Yuan Gungun off to handle it.

When it came to guiding information, a single intelligent life could outperform hundreds of thousands—even millions—of martial artists.

The power of big data: just take a look!

If necessary, he could also mobilize the intelligent lives from the secondary profession alliance, the Mechanical Clan, the Candle Dragon Clan, Virtual Universe Corporation, and Starlight Academy—all major powers.

Damn. He hadn’t realized until now.

Had he really gathered such a vast network of influential connections?

Terrifying.

In short, each of these major powers undoubtedly had their own intelligent life forms.

Together, they formed an unimaginably powerful force.

If anyone truly wanted to stir up trouble, they’d have picked the wrong target.

Guerrilla warfare of public opinion—Wang Teng never feared it.

“More explosive news?” Yue Qiqiao watched Wang Teng’s expression and muttered, “I get the feeling you’re about to cause trouble.”

“What are you saying? How can this be considered causing trouble? At worst, it’s self-defense,” Wang Teng retorted with a roll of his eyes.

“Yes, yes, you’re defending yourself,” Yue Qiqiao said with a hint of amusement. “Seeing you’ve got a way to deal with it, I’m relieved.”

“Oh right, you entered the Allied Forces’ network world this time to exchange treasures, didn’t you?”

Wang Teng nodded.

“In that case, I won’t bother you anymore. Go ahead,” Yue Qiqiao waved her hand.

“When I finish selecting my treasures, let’s meet again in the Virtual Universe,” Wang Teng said.

“Mm!”

Yue Qiqiao nodded and ended the communication.

Wang Teng felt a flicker of relief.

Yue Qiqiao had reminded him at just the right moment.

If that so-called “hero” rumor had continued spreading, nothing could have been changed.

At that point, everyone would have seen him as a “hero” who defeated the Dark Species.

His image would have been crafted into something flawless.

And ultimately, that invisible pressure would have made it impossible for him to move forward.

“It’s a pity I can’t find out who’s behind this manipulation,” Wang Teng sighed inwardly.

If he knew, he’d make sure they paid dearly.

He stopped thinking further and headed straight toward the Allied Forces’ Treasure Vault.

On one side of the plaza stood a massive palace, its entrance marked by two prominent characters: “Treasure Vault.”

“Looks quite impressive,” Wang Teng murmured to himself.

He used his identity to open the door and stepped directly inside.

Whoosh!

As soon as he entered, the surroundings dimmed, as if he were standing within an endless void.

“This vault…”

Wang Teng stared around in astonishment.

He hadn’t expected the treasure vault to be like this.

Were all the treasures hidden here?

No way.

Then how were people supposed to choose?

Wang Teng was speechless.

Just exchanging treasures—why make it so mysterious and complicated?

Were they afraid someone would pick the best ones?

He didn’t know how to comment on it.

But there was one upside.

At least, it seemed harder for strong cultivators to select the finest treasures.

Wang Teng’s eyes gleamed slightly.

He instantly transformed into a streak of light, searching through this void.

【True Vision of All Laws】 activated!

Once again, he was grateful that he could use his abilities within the virtual world.

Otherwise, he’d have been completely blind.

Now, under the gaze of his 【True Vision of All Laws】, countless faint glimmers appeared before his eyes.

Some close, some far, varying in distance.

With a single glance, he could roughly determine the nature and level of each treasure.

Even closer ones revealed their exact appearances.

So he didn’t need to pay much attention—just find the high-level rare treasures.

(End of chapter)