Chapter 65: The King of Hell’s Wedding (45)
【Player Jian Yuntai activated the second loop.】
【Your survival time from the last instance has been reset. Your current survival time is zero.】
Even before the screen lit up, the notification sounded in their ears.
“???”
“Wasn’t the streamer already dead?”
“Why is there still an instance alert?”
The first to notice something was wrong were the viewers watching the livestream.
—Resurrection.
This was a term often mentioned in apocalyptic discussions. Since humans began awakening, the world had become filled with all sorts of bizarre abilities—some could fly or traverse the earth, others could dive into the deepest seas. Mind-reading, mental control… powers once thought impossible were now appearing.
The greater the ability, the greater the ambition.
As the number of “Life-Crystals” in the real world increased, more and more people died in instances. Their families and friends tried everything they could to bring them back to life—surely someone in the world had the skill to resurrect the dead?
But no one did.
The word “resurrection” had been attempted countless times over the past three years, always ending in despair.
Gradually, people began to realize that no matter how evolved one became, life and death were still beyond control.
Three years of accumulated despair had led to a collective disbelief in resurrection.
Whoosh—whoosh—
The livestream screen suddenly lit up, and under the astonished gaze of all viewers, Jian Yuntai reappeared on screen.
Normally, whenever something surprising happened, the chat would instantly explode. But this time, everyone stayed frozen in silence for half a minute before erupting into chaos.
“?? Impossible! Jian Dadan’s screen was black for at least five minutes! His heartbeat stopped for five minutes, and no one came to save him. How… how did he survive just now?”
“It’s not about surviving… he was definitely dead just now, no mistake!”
“If he died and then resurrected, could it be a bug in the instance? Was he only near death before the restart, and then his body returned to normal afterward?”
“No way! A player died just a few minutes before a previous round, and they didn’t resurrect. And before this instance loop, Jian Yuntai’s livestream screen had gone black too. Is this your first time watching the stream? Black means dead, biologically brain-dead, no coming back.”
“Qaq, why is everyone analyzing this so rationally? I just feel like crying my eyes out. I thought Jian Dadan was done for, my newly bookmarked ‘wife’ nearly lost him.”
“Wuuuu, I was so scared just now! And there were people in the chat making snide comments about NPCs and players having doomed romances. They weren’t dating, we were just shipping them—if anyone’s to blame, it’s us!”
Some viewers discussed resurrection, others were sobbing with relief that Jian Yuntai hadn’t died. Only a few paid attention to a stranger detail:
“I feel like something’s off with Jian Yuntai.”
“I feel it too… is it just a trick of the mind?”
“I can’t say exactly what’s wrong… it just looks… wrong, even though his appearance hasn’t changed.”
“Hiss—something big is about to happen!”
【You are now in the Underworld.】 【A thousand years ago, King of Hell and the Chief Judge of the Yin Law Division, ‘Cui Yu,’ turned against each other and fought. By accident, they released countless souls from the Eighteen Hells into the Sea of Life and Death, bringing down heavenly punishment.】
【When the heavenly punishment descended, the endless lifespans of all ghost officials in the Underworld came to an end. Their soul forms gradually weakened, and death would eventually arrive. To atone for his sin, Cui Yu ascended to the Heaven and knelt outside the Southern Heavenly Gate without rising. The Buddha, moved by his compassion, granted the Record of Soul Contracts.】
【The Record of Soul Contracts can identify the fated partner of each ghost official. On the day of marriage, the ghost official and their destined person will exchange soul jades. When their spirits and flesh unite, the heavenly punishment will be lifted, and their soul forms will gradually recover.】
Inside the hall, countless players hearing the instance narration were still confused.
Even without Yan Luo appearing, the instance restarted automatically—a situation that had never happened before.
“What happened in the last loop?”
Before anyone could discuss it, a sudden roar shook the outside of the hall, making the entire ground tremble.
The wall lanterns fell with a crash; teacups rattled on tables; jade chopsticks dropped. The water in bowls surged like ocean waves, splashing tea and wine across the floor.
The main hall was instantly filled with the mixed scent of spilled alcohol and tea.
Players panicked, holding onto tables for support; some could barely stand.
The crystal at the ceiling swayed, scattering light across the hall. Faces flickered in the shadows and the light, all filled with fear and cries of panic.
“Report to King of Hell!” The Ten Halls imps scrambled through the hall, nearly tumbling before the King in the back chamber. Their voices were sharp: “Chief Judge has destroyed the Eighteen Levels of Hell!”
“Cui Judge released tens of thousands of wandering souls!”
“The Yin Law Division… the Yin Law Division is destroyed too!”
“……”
“He’s heading toward your residence, carrying the Sea of Life and Death! It seems he intends to flood your estate!”
The reports came one after another like thunder striking Yan Luo’s head. Leaning at the edge of his chair, he only realized the situation after a long moment, and his anger flared: “What on earth is Cui Yu doing? Is he rebelling?!”
The Ten Halls imps bowed low, not daring to speak out of turn.
Yan Luo’s expression shifted repeatedly before he finally stood in rage. “Follow me to the main hall! Before he directs his evil fire at the Record of Soul Contracts, we must move it there. I refuse to believe he dares to strike it in my presence!”
He swept his sleeves and left.
The Ten Halls imps followed in a dense mass, exchanging glances filled only with terror.
—It was as if the calamity from a thousand years ago had returned. Then, Yan Luo had instigated the battle with Cui Yu; now, the instigator was Chief Judge Cui.
If they allowed Cui Yu to vent his wrath unchecked, destroying the entire Underworld, divine punishment would inevitably fall again!
As Yan Luo rushed to the main hall, all the players and ghost officials gathered at the hall’s entrance.
Everyone looked outward in unison, their expressions identical, all wide-eyed.
The Sea of Life and Death surged back into the horizon, the waves churning and darkening the blue waters with filth. Occasional sounds of palace collapses came from afar at first, then grew closer. Each falling palace sent up a massive “mushroom cloud” in a straight line—heading directly for the main hall.
“It’s Chief Judge Cui!” a ghost official recognized the signature of the soul-reaping brush. “How could he unleash such fury? Did the King offend him today?”
“King of Hell’s health declines every day; he’s been in the side chamber all day and hasn’t appeared. It shouldn’t be the King.”
“If not the King, then who else?”
As the ghost officials whispered among themselves, the players’ expressions felt like a weight pressing on their chests.
Severe, paralyzing dread.
How could things keep escalating like this?
The first time, Yan Luo had taken Cui Yu’s wife, and Cui Yu directly forced a palace coup, seizing the hall to claim him. Then he sacrificed the Guanyin statue in a fiery blaze, burning the King of Hell until his flesh was charred, nearly killing him outright.
The second time, it seemed everyone else had been completely excluded from the storm, unable even to witness it. All they saw was a distant horizon ablaze with light; Yan Luo never appeared at all.
Something must have happened back then!
Otherwise, how could Cui Yu have turned so dark?!
The only person present who knew the truth was Jian Yuntai. The crowd seemed to suddenly remember him and immediately searched for the delicately featured boy among them.
Amid the bustling mass of people, Jian Yuntai was nowhere to be found.
Was he still inside the hall?
Such incredible composure! With chaos nearly breaking loose outside, he somehow remained calmly seated within the hall.
Didn’t he fear that even the hall might collapse around him?
The players, desperate to learn the truth, stepped forward again. Fatty led the way, shouting excitedly: “Jian Dadan! Jian Dadan! What happened to your husband? In the last instance, did you… kill him? Otherwise, why is he so angry?”
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly froze in place.
The crowd behind him pressed forward, curious, leaning over his shoulders. Fatty muttered blankly, “Who… are you?”
“???” The players were stunned.
He Qingzhou rolled his eyes behind Fatty and pushed him aside.
Stepping forward himself, He Qingzhou froze as well.
“…Y-you… who are you?”
Two consecutive questions hung in the air. The crowd hesitated, gathering a few meters away, gazing at Jian Yuntai.
—He looked familiar, yet somehow not.
Familiar in appearance and attire, ordinary in every outward sense. Unfamiliar in his eyes and movements—the boy seemed like a completely different person. His pale knuckles lightly rested on his forehead, his upper body leaning over the table.
His brows were slightly furrowed, fingertips tracing delicately from his forehead to the space between his eyebrows—a thin, shimmering red mark adorned the snow-white skin, like a wild plum blossom in winter.
Everyone’s gaze instinctively focused on that tiny red mark. The strange totem seemed like an ancient inheritance; just a glance felt as though one could be drawn into it.
Consciousness suddenly went haywire.
Some saw long-dead relatives, others lovers separated by distance. Still others glimpsed endless feasts, gold, and wine; their desires laid bare their ugliness.
All the furnishings in the main hall had vanished. Everyone felt as if they had plunged into the depths of sweet desire, expressions meticulous and refined, smiling in a blissful, eerie serenity.
The scene was utterly bizarre.
The livestream chat froze. Arguments over whether Jian Yuntai had resurrected paused; fans relieved he was alive stopped typing. Comments scrolled past:
“Wtf is happening?”
“From this perspective, I feel like I’ve become the boss. Did Jian Dadan do something?”
“He didn’t do anything. He’s just sitting there, didn’t even open his eyes.”
“Then it shouldn’t have anything to do with Jian Dadan, right?”
The answer, of course, was no.
Before viewers could continue debating, a sound came from the screen—‘thump’.
Jian Yuntai tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, then slowly opened his eyes. His crimson pupils, ghostlike and intense, fixed on the crowd.
Shatter—those illusory desires, longing for love, family, and wealth, were instantly pulverized. Everyone felt as if awakening from a dream. When their eyes met those crimson pupils, cold sweat broke out across their faces.
‘Tap, tap.’ One after another, everyone instinctively stepped back.
The perceptive ones, like Cha Huafeng, had initially stood at the front. Perhaps sensing danger, she shifted her gaze and silently stepped back several paces, hiding quietly behind the players.
An ominous feeling rose in her mind.
She carefully studied Jian Yuntai, her eyes circling those crimson pupils. She could only describe him in two words: ominous.
All the world’s unresolved desires had converged on the red mark on his forehead, magnified countless times, and had transformed into a sign of doom. Those crimson eyes—merely meeting them seemed to stir greed deep in the heart, as if everything could be read and exposed.
Cha Huafeng’s face paled.
From the beginning of the instance until now, Jian Yuntai had given her endless surprises. She had thought his appearance and intellect were all there was—but now, she realized a terrifying truth: the Jian Yuntai she knew was only the tip of the iceberg.
Above the surface, the tip of the iceberg; beneath the churning, icy currents, an even more terrifying beast lurked!
Creak—
The chairs groaned as all players instinctively stepped back. Jian Yuntai shifted to lean on the other side and softly spoke, “Chen Sanxian.”
“Eh!” Fatty, the one called by name, was startled. This was the first time Jian Yuntai had spoken his full name.
A thousand thoughts flashed through Fatty’s mind. On one hand, he worried—clearly, Jian Yuntai’s state was off. Not just off… extremely off! On the other, he felt fear.
Jinjin whimpered at his feet, as if wanting to jump onto Jian Yuntai’s shoulder as before. But the moment the motion began, Jian Yuntai’s gaze swept over him, carrying killing intent.
Jinjin froze in terror, unable to move.
“My head hurts.” Jian Yuntai withdrew his gaze and spoke softly, “Chen Sanxian, pour me some wine.”
※※※
In the real world.
Xiang’an Team.
“Wei Shenglu’s mental threshold has stabilized. It hasn’t risen for a long time,” a researcher said reluctantly.
The others stared at the public screen in the room, also watching Jian Yuntai’s livestream. They couldn’t see Wei Shenglu from this perspective, so a word like ‘stabilized’ brought relief.
If it kept rising, it would have been terrifying! They might have been forced to awaken Wei Shenglu from the instance—an outcome so horrifying it needed no further thought.
Luckily, it had stabilized.
Just as everyone relaxed, the researcher continued, “Now the value is stable at 207.”
“..…”
“…..”
“…………” The room fell silent.
Thirty seconds passed before a commotion erupted: “Stable at 207?!”
“This is insane! Wei Shenglu’s mental threshold was never this high, not even when he was captured! Never!”
“The instance already reset, right? He shouldn’t even remember this round. How is it still this high?!”
“Professor,” a researcher carefully addressed the senior-most professor, “should we awaken Wei Shenglu?”
“…” The professor hesitated, silent for a long moment.
Everyone grew anxious, urging, “Professor, if it rises any further, something terrible might happen to Wei Shenglu.”
“His mental state is already extremely unstable. He’s capable of anything.”
“Once his mental threshold rises even higher, we won’t be able to suppress him. We’ve actually already lost control, but if we awaken him now, we can minimize the damage.”
The old professor hesitated more and more, but just as he made up his mind to awaken Wei Shenglu—
“Professor! Professor!” A researcher hurriedly ran up from the first floor, shouting excitedly, “The B-levele Water Prison instance is open, and Zhao’an Team’s streamer, Cen Pengyi, just came out of it!”
“!!!” Everyone immediately perked up.
“Cen Pengyi’s finally out?! During the first round of the King of Hell’s Wedding instance, Wei Shenglu’s mental threshold spiked. We were about to forcibly awaken him then. If only Cen Pengyi had been there.”
“They’ve been in the Water Prison instance for ten days. Judging by the time, he should be out now.”
“Thank the heavens! Let’s hope Cen Pengyi hasn’t been hurt and can still use his skills. If he’s injured, there’s no point in calling him over.”
The old professor was overjoyed and asked hurriedly, “Where’s the mission crystal from that B-level instance? Is it far from here?”
“Not far. It’s at the junction between Zhao’an Team and Xiang’an Team,” the researcher replied excitedly.
“Good, good! With Cen Pengyi’s help, we won’t need to forcibly awaken Wei Shenglu anymore.” The old professor said a few “good”s, clapping his hands happily. “Quick, arrange for someone to bring Cen Pengyi over. If he’s injured in the instance, treat him in the helicopter. Don’t waste time on the way—bring him here as soon as possible!”
“Understood!” The researcher quickly turned and ran downstairs to make the arrangements.
12:30 AM.
Almost an hour had passed since the Livestream Team’s anomaly, but internet users were still in a frenzy.
The hot search was pressed down repeatedly, but in the end, it couldn’t suppress everyone’s curiosity. Soon, the term “Livestream Team Anomaly” shot up to the top of the search, and the views quickly soared over a hundred million.
“My God, it’s already been an hour. Will I still get a full scoop tonight? I heard someone from Xiang’an Team escaped from prison—true or not?”
“That’s definitely fake. If someone from Xiang’an Team escaped, how could Zhao’an Team not raise the alarm? They wouldn’t even have time to set off fireworks. Now both teams are going crazy.”
“If it wasn’t an escape, what else could cause such a huge commotion? Could there be a new criminal? But even if there is, it has nothing to do with Zhao’an Team.”
“The weirdest part tonight is that Zhao’an Team also raised the alarm. Over the past three years, they’ve only done that a handful of times. Strange.”
“This topic’s already at number one, with ‘explosive’ following it. The original number one trending ‘Celestial Love’ has been on Weibo all day, and it just has a ‘hot’ tag.”
Speaking of Celestial Love was enough to make people immediately comment: “Hiss— I just remembered something! Weren’t people arguing online that Jian Yuntai was resurrected? Thinking about it now, the Livestream Team anomaly happened during Jian Yuntai’s resurrection. Could it be connected to him?”
“!!! Very likely!”
“Damn, when you put it that way, it makes so much sense. Who else has ties to both Zhao’an Team and Xiang’an Team? Only Jian Yuntai! He transferred from Xiang’an Team to Zhao’an Team!”
“So tonight’s anomaly is related to Jian Yuntai’s resurrection?!”
As the heated discussion continued, some netizens from the rural networks asked in confusion: “Who’s Jian Yuntai?”
“Who’s Jian Yuntai?” This question was also asked by Cen Pengyi, who had just cleared the instance and opened his phone, expecting his fan group to congratulate him for clearing without injury.
However…
When he opened the app, it was filled with discussions about Jian Yuntai.
The surrounding staff had been munching on gossip all night, preparing to share it in vivid detail when two helicopters appeared suddenly in the sky, roaring towards them.
A whirlwind blew around the area where the mission crystal was located.
On the left, the helicopter marked with the Zhao’an Team’s logo landed. The moment it stopped, soldiers jumped out, urgently shouting, “Cen Pengyi, get on the helicopter, the team needs your help!”
Cen Pengyi froze, asking, “What’s going on?”
The soldier replied, “Jian Yuntai!”
“…” Jian Yuntai again?
Cen Pengyi, completely baffled, was about to follow the soldier onto the helicopter when the other helicopter from Xiang’an Team also landed. The Xiang’an Team soldiers almost rushed out, shouting, “Cen Pengyi, Xiang’an Team needs your help!”
“…” Cen Pengyi trembled, “Ah, ah?”
Curious looks were cast in his direction by the surrounding staff. The players who had cleared the instance were covered in wounds, but they held on as they were carried on stretchers, still shouting, “Wait, we’ll leave later!”
Skin wounds could be treated later, since they wouldn’t die from them. But the sight of both Xiang’an Team and Zhao’an Team fighting over Cen Pengyi was unprecedented.
Zhao’an Team’s soldiers cursed, “Cen Pengyi is a Zhao’an Team streamer! Even when asking for help, there’s an order to it! What’s with this grabbing? Get lost!”
Xiang’an Team wasn’t backing down: “What’s more important, the order, or the urgency? If Cen Pengyi helps Xiang’an Team, he’ll be indirectly helping Jian Yuntai!”
The two sides were yelling at each other, pulling Cen Pengyi in opposite directions. The hands of the Sinister Monster Types were like iron shackles; just a light tug nearly split his flesh. Cen Pengyi, who was used to Sinister Ghost Types, couldn’t bear such pain and shouted, “Can you respect my opinion?”
Shua shua—
Both sides’ gazes turned to him at the same time.
Cen Pengyi had never been watched like this, though he had been forcibly brought to Xiang’an Team before, using his skills to help Wei Shenglu lower his mental threshold.
He knew Xiang’an Team was only looking for him because of Wei Shenglu, and he understood the seriousness of the matter.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “My skill can only be used when I’m near the person. The Jian Yuntai you’re talking about, he should still be in the instance, right? Then I can’t help him.”
“…………” The Zhao’an Team soldier was speechless.
He could only watch helplessly as Cen Pengyi was taken onto the Xiang’an Team helicopter and flew off into the sky.
Before leaving, Cen Pengyi glanced down at the ground through the helicopter window, still unsure.
It should be fine, right?
Things had to be prioritized. No matter what, stabilizing Xiang’an Team’s crazy situation came first. Jian Yuntai… Jian Yuntai was a Zhao’an Team streamer, how high could his mental threshold possibly be?
Right, that’s it!
Jian Yuntai wouldn’t cause any major problems.
……
……
Cen Pengyi was a Sinister Ghost Type.
All of the Sinister Ghost Types’ skills were linked to mental power. His skill was called “Emotional Intervention.” Put simply, when people were depressed, he could activate the skill to push their emotions in the opposite direction, making them excited or agitated.
Likewise, when Wei Shenglu was in a manic state, he could use the skill from the side to calm him down.
“His mental threshold has dropped below 150!” About fifteen minutes later, everyone in Xiang’an Team finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though 150 was still extremely high for ordinary people, for a maniac like Wei Shenglu, everyone considered it a stroke of luck in misfortune.
Inside the instance, the Sea of Life and Death was no longer calm. Fierce winds swept across the waters, causing vast waves. Countless ghosts wailed and cried beneath the surface, their screams endless.
Cui Yu stood tall and poised, lingering in the pavilion.
All the ghost officials stayed hundreds of meters away, not daring to approach. Frustrated and anxious, they whispered among themselves:
“What’s happening to Chief Judge? He’s terrifying!”
“I don’t know. A few hours ago, he was fine… and then suddenly… it just started like this.”
“The Yin Law Division, the Eighteen Levels of Hell, the Sea of Life and Death, the King of Hell’s residence… he’s destroyed everything along the way. I thought he’d reach the King’s main hall, but…”
“Does this pavilion have some special significance? Chief Judge has been lingering here for over ten minutes.”
“It’s just a plain pavilion, isn’t it?”
Cui Yu slowly lowered his gaze.
His long lashes veiled his light-colored pupils, and his magnificent white hair fluttered gently in the wind behind him. At first glance, he looked like a fleeting glimpse of an immortal from the Heavens, yet on closer inspection, this “immortal” exuded nothing but restlessness.
Headache.
Discomfort.
What was going on?
Cui Yu lifted his gaze again toward the pavilion and was surprised to find that the restless feeling in his heart was slowly being smoothed away.
Something must have happened in this pavilion.
But his mind was empty, as if an invisible hand had erased part of his memory. Those precious memories—ones worth treasuring for a lifetime—had vanished. His heart felt as if a gaping hole had suddenly opened inside it.
Cold winds whistled through, and soon Cui Yu’s entire body felt icy, his face paling slightly.
He didn’t understand what was happening to him, only sensing that something important was slipping away.
He wanted to grasp it, but didn’t know where to begin.
So he vented all the anger and resentment in his heart on everything around him. This Underworld had been built by his own hands, once cherished beyond measure. Now… he discarded it like a tattered shoe, only wanting to destroy everything before him.
Voices echoed in his ears:
“Destroy it—all of it.”
“They’re not worth it.”
“None of them are worth it.”
…..
…..
“You’re saying Cui Yu stopped in the pavilion at the Sea of Life and Death?” Yan Luo hurried toward the main hall. His expression briefly relaxed, then a wildfire of rage ignited in his chest.
“Who in this Underworld is the real King?!”
“That Cui Yu—what is he even? I didn’t provoke him this time! If the Heavenly Punishment falls, it should only punish him!”
“Why isn’t he coming? He doesn’t dare! If he were in front of me, I’d beat him to death myself!”
King of Hell was furious, spewing many filthy curses. The Ten Halls imps buried their heads, filled with scorn and mockery.
—Even Yan Luo dared only to curse in secret.
Since the great battle a thousand years ago, the whole Underworld knew one fact: Yan Luo could not defeat Cui Yu.
Even back in the Heavenly Court, Cui Yu had always overpowered Yan Luo. After both were demoted, Cui Yu was officially a rank below Yan Luo, yet could easily handle him.
That was why the Ten Halls imps found it so amusing. They could mock him freely, but only from a distance.
Go ahead, try cursing him to his face!
Before the main hall, Yan Luo raged at the sky and ground for a long time, only then calming the fear of those below. He had truly expected Cui Yu to storm the hall—but thankfully, he hadn’t.
After pausing, he looked unwillingly at the Ten Halls imps and asked, “Is Cui Yu’s destined person in the hall?”
“Yes,” the imps bowed and replied.
But Yan Luo’s anger didn’t subside. He felt as if his pride had been slammed to the ground, trampled repeatedly by Cui Yu.
After today, what authority did he still have in the Underworld? People would laugh him to death!
This humiliation had to be avenged.
But he truly could not defeat Cui Yu. Charging recklessly would only make him a joke.
He shifted his thoughts quickly. “What is the name of Cui Yu’s destined person?”
……
……
‘Bang’—
A tremendous crash.
Yan Luo, both enraged and humiliated, almost kicked open the main hall door: “Who is Jian Yuntai?!”
He shouted angrily.
Everyone inside gathered in one spot. At his words, they all turned, their expressions extremely strange.
It was as if… as if a ferocious beast had bared its fangs in anger, and everyone panicked. Yet there was always one foolhardy soul willing to tempt fate.
Instinctively, the crowd stepped back, clearing an unobstructed path. Seeing this, Yan Luo strode forward, brimming with fury.
Just as he was about to yell again—
Through the terrified, silent gazes, Jian Yuntai lifted his eyes slightly, his crimson pupils locking onto Yan Luo.
“…………”
In that instant, no one understood what was happening. They only saw Yan Luo and Jian Yuntai staring at each other for three minutes, and then Yan Luo’s expression suddenly shifted. Moments before, he had been furious; now his face was only shock and grief.
Five more minutes passed. Tick, tick—
Fatty’s hands trembled, spilling wine outside his cup. The liquid snaked like little streams, merging into a “river” that flowed over the edge of the table. Tick, tick—
Amid the silence, Yan Luo’s eyes flickered with countless emotions, fixed on Jian Yuntai.
He muttered shakily, “Yan—Yan Xiang?”
The livestream comments exploded all at once. While everyone was stunned, Jian Yuntai’s lips curved faintly. His voice, as if laced with poison, became deeper and hoarser.
“It’s me,” he said.
Here is the full translation of your request:
The venomous intent in the air was so palpable that even Fatty, with his thick skin, could feel it. Just hearing it made him shiver as if a venomous snake had slithered down his back, and his hairs stood on end in an instant.
Yet Yan Luo remained unaware, his eyes filled with tears as he gazed at Jian Yuntai, as if an invaluable treasure long lost had suddenly reappeared. His face was filled with disbelief and joy.
“Damn? What is going on? If we say the players earlier were unlucky, then Yan Luo being affected surely can’t be a coincidence, right? Jian Yuntai must have done something!”
“Is it a skill? This is the first time I’ve seen a streamer stream for two months, and we still haven’t figured out his sinister type. It’s like he’s never even used his skills.”
“What kind of skill is this, an illusion?”
“Ugh—while you guys are talking about skills, I’m the only one who’s been staring at wife’s eyes. Those red pupils are too cool! So badass!”
“Same here, I’m LSP [Lecherous Scum], don’t mind me.”
“I’m even hesitant to call him ‘wife’ anymore. Feels like he might jump through the screen and kill me. T_T”
[Jian Yuntai’s Livestream]
[Likes: +320,000, no dislikes. Coins: +50,000, Bookmarks: +190,000. Your current likes ranking is 317, and your total bookmarks are 370,000.]
[Your likes and dislikes have reached the threshold for Nutrient Solution recommendations, so your livestream will be recommended on the platform. Congratulations, you’ve earned your first C-level instance recommendation.]
This time, Jian Yuntai was riding the wave of trending searches, and with the C-level instance recommendation slot, things were looking even better.
More and more people were clicking into the livestream.
A lot of them came to see the legendary ‘resurrection.’ As soon as they clicked in, they heard the electronic reminder.
Everyone was shocked and amazed:
“Holy crap, the streamer just joined the Livestream Team not long ago, like not even two months. He already has 370,000 bookmarks? He’s even more popular than He Qingzhou!”
“The record for the first ordinary citizen promotion in the Livestream Team was held by He Qingzhou, but… it feels like this record is about to be broken! Are we going to witness Livestream Team history today?”
“Even funnier is that He Qingzhou himself is in this instance. He probably still doesn’t know his status is at risk.”
This record had been held by He Qingzhou for a year.
In that year, many outstanding streamers had joined the team, but for various reasons, none of them were able to break He Qingzhou’s record.
Jian Yuntai was the closest.
In just two months, his livestream had accumulated 370,000 bookmarks… Wait, now it’s 380,000!
With just 120,000 more, Jian Yuntai would break He Qingzhou’s record, and he would have done it three months faster than He Qingzhou!
The audience had been shocked too many times today—from Jian Yuntai pulling Yan Luo to kill himself, to the resurrection, then the red mark on his forehead, his crimson pupils, and now the illusions…
And now, he was about to break the Livestream Team record.
“I’ve already been scared by Jian Dadan countless times today. Just drop the big moves already! I can’t be shocked like a country bumpkin anymore, I’m setting a flag!”
Right after, “???”
The flag barely stood before it was knocked down.
Suddenly, the scene in the hall shifted dramatically. Everyone’s vision turned pitch black, and it felt as though their consciousness was sinking to the bottom of a lake.
Splash—
A loud sound, breaking through the water.
“The only way you can marry Yan Xiang is by planting the spiritual flower.” Moon Goddess’s voice rang out, the cold and desolate moonlight illuminating Yan Luo’s thin face, full of excitement.
He looked at ‘Yan Xiang’ and said, “You must wait for me! Once I grow the spiritual flower, I will come to marry you!”
“…………” The players, streamers, and countless viewers all had strange expressions, their faces filled with complete confusion.
The person that Yan Luo called ‘Yan Xiang’ was none other than Jian Yuntai.
“He’s the embodiment of desire.” Someone muttered, their voice filled with dread.
After the world’s distortion, humanity evolved into four types of sinister beings. From rarest to most common, they were monster, human, spirit, and ghost types. Among these, the sinister ghost type’s mental attacks were the most terrifying.
Because when facing a sinister ghost type, you might have already been seen through by them without realizing it. Or you could be walking on solid ground, but in reality, you were about to step off a building.
Take another step, and you would fall to your death.
The terror of the sinister ghost type lies in its invisible and intangible attacks, which you can’t defend against.
Jian Yuntai was definitely a sinister ghost type.
Everyone thought this.
Under the gaze of millions, Jian Yuntai’s crimson pupils locked onto Yan Luo, his gaze tracing from his forehead down to his heart.
These two spots were deadly points on a human, and even though Yan Luo was the one being scrutinized, everyone in the hall felt as though they were the ones on the chopping block. Jian Yuntai’s gaze was like a knife, and the sensation was the same—bone-chilling.
Finally, Jian Yuntai’s eyes fixed on Yan Luo’s neck. His voice slow and strange, laced with an eerie rise and fall, said, “You… want to marry me?”
“Yes, marry you.” Yan Luo immediately nodded eagerly.
The Yan Xiang in his eyes sighed softly and said, “But you can’t marry me.”
Yan Luo froze, his anxiety escalating. “Why?”
“Why…” Jian Yuntai’s red mark on his forehead flickered faintly, and suddenly, he smiled.
This smile—a smile that had never appeared on his face before—was filled with cruel, venomous intent, and his eyes showed complete disregard for life. What was even more terrifying was that this monstrous gaze wasn’t just directed at Yan Luo, but at everyone in the hall!
You are the fish, and I am the butcher.
Does the butcher need a reason to cut the fish?
Thump, thump.
The heartbeat quickened, almost to the point where it seemed like the heart was about to leap from the throat. The people in the hall exchanged glances. If, at the end of the first instance, they were terrified of Cui Yu, now they were even more terrified of Jian Yuntai.
Countless eyes focused, and Yan Luo looked like a child who couldn’t get what he wanted, anxiously and angrily shouting, “Mother clearly said that if I grow the spiritual flower, I can marry you! Why can’t I marry you?!”
‘Crash’—
A flowerpot was suddenly flung into the air, soaring in an arc before crashing heavily at Yan Luo’s feet. The soil spilled, and a stone rolled out.
“…” Yan Luo stared at the stone, shocked. “I’ve been growing it for hundreds of years, how could it be a stone?” He immediately squatted down, his face full of unwillingness, but Jian Yuntai’s voice, like a heavy thunderclap, struck him, leaving his face pale.
“Stones can’t grow spiritual flowers. So you can’t marry me. You can’t marry me, and that’s why… you will kill me.”
The moment the words were spoken, the scene inside the hall changed again. Everyone’s consciousness plunged. When they came to their senses, they were already standing by a stream.
The moon was bright, and everything was silent.
The players exchanged confused glances.
“Where is this?”
“Are we still in the Underworld?”
The players were utterly bewildered, but the viewers watching the livestream immediately understood:
“This is the place where Yan Luo killed Lord of Dawn. Yan Xiang also died here! But didn’t Yan Xiang die by Lord of Dawn’s hand? Why did Jian Dadan say, ‘That’s why you killed me,’ when pretending to be Yan Xiang?”
“I have a terrifying guess.”
“Could it be… Jian Dadan created an illusion for Yan Luo, forcing him to experience all the suffering that Cui Yu went through, and then die with that pain and despair?”
“If Jian Yuntai was the one doing it, then in Yan Luo’s eyes, wouldn’t it be… Yan Xiang killing him?”
As soon as this theory came out, countless viewers felt their hairs stand on end, a wave of goosebumps rushing through them.
—To be killed by the one you love, with all the passionate blood in you turning to ice, all your enthusiasm wasted.
How devastated would Yan Luo be?
A thousand years ago, when Cui Yu had failed to force the spirit flower to bloom, the depth of his disappointment was matched exactly by the depth of Yan Luo’s disappointment now.
A thousand years ago, when Moon Goddess died, the extent of Cui Yu’s collapse was mirrored in how utterly Yan Luo broke down when he “killed” Yan Xiang.
All the disappointment, the breakdowns, the anger, the despair… all the grievances and suffering Cui Yu had endured during those years when Jian Yuntai was not by his side—
Now, across the span of a thousand years, Jian Yuntai returned it all to Yan Luo in another form.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
That phrase surfaced in many people’s minds. And when they looked again at those beautiful crimson eyes on the screen, the viewers only then belatedly understood the fear the instance players had felt.
Those exquisitely striking scarlet pupils—so mesmerizing one could hardly look away—held within them an inhuman indifference to life, like a god standing high above all things. With the slightest lift of his wrist, he could not only kill, but shatter hearts and minds.
“This person… is this really Jian Yuntai?!”
At last, someone in the barrage asked in horror, setting off ripples of exclamation marks and similar shocked remarks.
“Something’s wrong!”
Only then did they realize—
“Jian Yuntai is seriously not right!!!”
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