The Changing World

Hum!

Its body radiated a white light, which merged into the surrounding space and began to influence the rules of the world.

Near Zhao Jin stood Liu Wen, Tang Yongyun, and Xiao Qi. They listened to Zhao Jin's wish, utterly baffled.

Soon, Liu Wen, who possessed the strongest spiritual power, immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Within his spiritual perception, the surrounding air seemed to be the first thing to undergo a change.

Liu Wen took a sharp breath, his expression shifting drastically. The rate of stamina recovery from this air has increased. How is this possible?

Although the recovery rate had only increased by a tiny fraction, to Liu Wen, it was as if he had seen a ghost. This meant some new component had likely appeared in the air.

A few seconds later, Tang Yongyun, who was standing nearby, also sensed the anomaly. He quickly closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, drawing in the air.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and looked at Zhao Jin with a mixture of shock and uncertainty. Energy has appeared in the air. For now, I can only sense its stamina-restoring effects, but if ordinary people breathe this in over a long period, will they undergo some sort of change? Or even evolve?

Zhao Jin's expression remained unchanged despite their shock; he had detected the anomaly even earlier than they had.

In his perception, with the Lord of Evil at the center, the surrounding air was rapidly transforming. This altered air was continuously assimilating the normal air, giving rise to a unique energy beneficial to biological evolution.

Aside from the air, other things were also undergoing unusual transformations.

Evidently, bringing about a change to the entire world was not something the Lord of Evil could accomplish on its own.

An hour later, the energy within the Lord of Evil was completely depleted. The white light dimmed until it vanished entirely.

But this was far from over; the true changes had only just begun.

Zhao Jin extended his left hand, pointing his index finger at the Lord of Evil. “I wish that the recipient of my wish must fulfill it, even if they have to consume their own Destiny Force and life force to do so. Let the upper limit be set at one hundred thousand Destiny Force.”

The Destiny Force around Zhao Jin flickered slightly. With a consumption of only thirty thousand Destiny Force, a new ability manifested in his mind.

【Wishmaster】: You make a wish to a target. The ability is triggered only after the target agrees, forcing them to consume their life force and Destiny Force to fulfill it, regardless of the cost!

Because this was a targeted, specific requirement that depended on the other party agreeing to grant the wish first, the cost did not even reach one hundred thousand Destiny Force.

Under the activation of Zhao Jin's ability, Destiny Force began to pour out of the Lord of Evil's body.

In addition, its life force was simultaneously consumed, with the rules of the wish squeezing every drop of utility out of the evil dragon.

After discharging nearly three million Destiny Force over the course of two hours, only a few hundred Destiny Force remained above the Lord of Evil's head.

Its body was so withered and drained that it looked as if it had just mated with thousands of female dragons.

Having reached this point, the rules controlling the Lord of Evil finally dissipated.

It came to its senses, feeling its completely hollowed-out power and a profound weakness that made it feel as if it could drop dead at any moment.

With a contorted face, it glared at Zhao Jin, unable to suppress its fury. “What did you do to this King?! Why can't my power recover?!”

Hum!

In the next instant, it felt an immense gravitational force press down upon its body.

The completely drained Lord of Evil had no way of resisting this power, and its massive body collapsed right in front of Zhao Jin.

Its dragon head was a mere half-meter away from Zhao Jin. Though its face was twisted in rage, it was pinned helplessly to the spot.

Zhao Jin extended his left hand, touching the scales on the dragon's head. A faint smile played on his face. “I am merely having you contribute to this world. Don't worry, I will take good care of you. After all, your flesh, bones, scales, and even your malice make for excellent materials.”

Hearing Zhao Jin's words, Tang Yongyun and Liu Wen couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity as they looked at the Lord of Evil.

A magnificent existence comparable to a god had been captured and squeezed dry just like that.

The Lord of Evil wanted to say something, but the gravitational force pinned it down so tightly that it could only watch helplessly as Zhao Jin turned around.

Zhao Jin looked at Tang Yongyun. Seeing this, Tang Yongyun knew the main event was here.

He quickly spoke up. “Mr. Zhao, I only managed to collect four items...”

He explained the whole story to Zhao Jin. Even though Zhao Jin had already known the details, he listened in silence.

After a moment, Zhao Jin said, “That is fine.”

He extended his left hand, and one thousand Destiny Force flew into Tang Yongyun's body.

Tang Yongyun's doom began to swell. A wisp of black mist emerged from the top of his head and then vanished.

Just a little more. I'm so close to evolving. Feeling the changes within himself, Tang Yongyun clenched his fists.

He was already just a step away from evolving. With Zhao Jin's reward, he estimated he would undergo the change in less than half a month.

On the other side, one hundred Destiny Force flew into Xiao Qi. This Destiny Force caused Xiao Qi's body to feel a faint yearning.

However, the Destiny Force did not merge into his body; instead, it gathered above Xiao Qi's head.

“With the Destiny Force I have given you, the Grisly Carriage will not kill you. Consider this your reward for holding one of the items,” Zhao Jin said calmly.

The Destiny Force the two of them had generated for him had long since exceeded a hundred thousand, and the feedback from Tang Yongyun in the future would be even greater. He was merely extracting less than one percent of it to give back to them.

Tang Yongyun said respectfully to Zhao Jin, “Thank you, Mr. Zhao. No matter what happens in the future, as long as you have need of me, I will be the first to charge forward.”

Not far away, a look of shock appeared on Xiao Qi's face. “Mr. Zhao, you know about the Grisly Carriage too?!”

Zhao Jin merely glanced at him without giving a direct answer. “You are likely the carriage's first Carriage Slave. Given the limited slots, any target it personally selects shouldn't be too bad.”

With that, Zhao Jin and the Lord of Evil's body vanished. Having achieved his goal, he had no reason to remain here.

Hearing Zhao Jin's parting words, Xiao Qi looked bewildered. Was he actually some sort of big shot without realizing it?

Why was his ability so bizarre? Thinking of this, Xiao Qi shook his head. He still wasn't sure if Zhao Jin's move just now could truly save him.

Rumble!

After Zhao Jin vanished, the suspended buildings nearby crashed to the ground. The entire street shook violently, and dust blanketed the surrounding area for over a thousand meters.

Amidst the dust, Xiao Qi looked at Tang Yongyun, intending to speak to him, only to see him staring expressionlessly at the six-eyed, middle-aged man.

Liu Wen's six eyes widened slightly. He raised his left hand, and a crimson eye emerged from his palm. “Now that Destiny has departed, this old man should settle the score with you for my son's death.”

Tang Yongyun replied calmly, “Elder Liu, I call you Elder out of respect, but don't go thinking you're invincible under the heavens.”

Rattle! Rattle!

As he spoke, the sound of chains suddenly echoed from the distance.

“Hey, hey, hey. What does a six-eyed punk like you think you're doing to my friend?” a deep voice called out.

Liu Wen looked over. In the distance, a strange, four-armed figure dressed in a white robe appeared.

A crow circled above his head, guiding the way, while a chimpanzee and a young man followed behind him.

Further away, Buck ran over quickly with Bai Yuwen. With a look of displeasure, Buck barked, “Old Man Liu, are you trying to start a war with our boss?”

Seeing this, Xiao Qi walked over to Tang Yongyun's side, glaring at Liu Wen with hostility.

Whoosh!

A flash of purple light streaked across the distance. Liu Zhian, riding a purple energy surfboard, appeared beside Liu Wen with a grim expression. “Why waste your breath? If you want to fight, then let's fight! Do you really think having more people gives you the upper hand?”

Thud, thud, thud!

The remaining hundred or so Night Slaves rushed over from the distance, surrounding everyone.

Tang Yongyun remained calm, while Liu Wen stared intently at him. If either of them made a move now, a chaotic free-for-all would undoubtedly erupt.

Liu Wen glanced at Liu Zhian. Although Liu Zhian was glaring fiercely at their opponents, the exhaustion in his eyes could not be hidden.

Liu Wen then looked at the others around them. Although these people were not as strong as him, a fight would certainly cause him some trouble.

At this, Liu Wen lowered his left hand and turned to leave. “Zhian, let's go.”

“Elder, we're not fighting?” Liu Zhian asked, somewhat unwilling to let it go.

He had to avenge his father's death.

“It's not worth fighting right now. Let's go,” Liu Wen said, pausing to glance back at him.

Seeing the elder say this, Liu Zhian could only grit his teeth and turn to follow. “Fine!”

They didn't leave any parting threats; after all, that was something only immature people would do.

Our current strength is still too weak, and our numbers are too few. If I'm not mistaken, Destiny is changing the world to allow more supernatural existences to emerge, Liu Wen mused.

If he wanted to seek revenge and advance further, he had to try to deduce Destiny's intentions. Only by following in its footsteps could he quickly grow stronger and eventually have his revenge.

Once Liu Wen and his group had vanished from sight, Tang Yongyun looked at Lin Yuanshan. “Sect Master Lin, thank you for coming to support us.”

“No need to be polite. After all, I also wanted to see what kind of person could make such a grand promise to me,” Lin Yuanshan said with a sinister grin.

Tang Yongyun scanned the crowd around him. Although they hadn't managed to seize the seven items in this battle, he had still gained quite a lot.

“In that case, let's pack up. It's time for us to leave,” Tang Yongyun said.

With that, he looked at Xiao Qi, pulled a business card from his coat, and flicked it over. “Even though I didn't get your ring, if you ever find yourself unable to survive in the Nanming Kingdom, you can come to Goro Island and work under me. I'll offer you a price you can't refuse.”

Xiao Qi caught the card, a strained smile appearing on his face. “Sure. If I don't die, I'll consider it.”

“Old Qi, Xiaohua and I are heading to Goro Island. Take care!” Bai Yuwen waved to him with a smile.

However, given his current appearance, his smile looked incredibly grotesque.

“Alright. I'll definitely visit when I have time,” Xiao Qi waved back.

Tang Yongyun turned and walked toward the outskirts. “Let's go.”

After they left, Xiao Qi was the only one remaining on the street.

Looking at the surrounding ruins, he scratched the back of his head. “Though this kind of life is exhausting, it's pretty thrilling. It's much better than working like a dog.”

Thud, thud, thud!

As he was sighing to himself, the sound of horse hooves echoed behind him. Xiao Qi turned around.

Four skeletal horses were pulling a golden carriage toward him. The carriage's form was illusory, but it solidified as it came to a halt in front of him.

Creak!

The carriage door swung open, and a set of golden steps lowered.

What must come will come. Let's see if that gentleman can truly protect me. Xiao Qi took a deep breath and stepped into the carriage.

Inside the carriage, which glowed with a soft golden light, words began to appear on a golden mirror.

【Mission: Hold a Lord of Evil item for three days — Failed. It has been detected that you encountered irresistible external forces during the mission, resulting in failure. The mission has been forcibly terminated, and the failure penalty has been canceled!】

【Destiny Force has been detected on your person. Absorbing Destiny Force... As a reward for turning over Destiny Force, the termination reward is being issued: Ability Advancement is now being granted!】

Although this Destiny Force was only a hundred points, it was given by Zhao Jin, which raised the carriage's baseline and made its abilities more stable.

Seeing the words on the mirror, Xiao Qi looked astonished. “Huh? I even get a reward for this?!”

The thing that Mr. Zhao had given him must be incredibly powerful to force this crappy carriage to give him a reward.

The next time I see Mr. Zhao, should I just drop to my knees and beg him to be my godfather? Xiao Qi fantasized.

A beam of golden light shot from the carriage into his body, and he felt a warm, comfortable sensation wash over him.

His muscles grew stronger, and both his strength and speed increased.

Ten minutes later, the golden light faded, and information about his new ability appeared in Xiao Qi's mind.

【Super Dancer】: When you dance, you will gain a random value of damage reduction. The hotter your dance is, the greater the emotional fluctuation of your opponent, and the higher the damage dealt after the dance ends! (The probability of a high damage reduction value appearing has been increased by twenty percent. Upon settlement, the stamina consumed is halved!)

Looking at the reward, Xiao Qi raised an eyebrow. This actually seems usable now.

After settling the ability, the carriage door suddenly slammed shut, and a golden seat appeared beneath him.

New text appeared on the golden mirror.

【Mission: Expansion of the Grisly Carriage — Find three suitable targets to convert into Carriage Slaves for the Grisly Carriage within one month!】

Reward: Status of Chief Carriage Slave, one ton of gold!

Penalty for Failure: Sudden death!

Outside, the carriage's form became illusory as it charged forward, carrying Xiao Qi along inside.

After rushing forward for a hundred meters, the carriage vanished completely.

Even after all the supernatural beings who had participated in the battle departed, Yangcheng did not quiet down.

On the contrary, it became even more chaotic.

At the border where the East District met the city center, a large number of bizarre, tentacled monsters were migrating over.

They were all humans who had been corrupted by the Earth Mother.

A woman whose eyes protruded over ten centimeters from their sockets, connected only by flesh-colored tentacles, walked down the street with a pained expression.

“It hurts so much... Earth Mother, have you abandoned us?!” The woman opened her mouth, a black tongue nearly a meter long sliding out as she shrieked in a high-pitched voice.

Behind her followed thousands of corrupted individuals, surging toward the densely populated areas of the city.

Rumble!

At an intersection a hundred meters away, five heavy grey tanks appeared.

Thud, thud, thud!

A large number of soldiers in black uniforms marched alongside the tanks. Looking at the corrupted horde, their faces were filled with tension.

Behind these soldiers, Wang Hai strode forward.

Looking at the corrupted who were still wearing clothes, he bellowed, “All units, fire!”

Boom!

The tank at the very front fired a shell, which exploded in a dense crowd of corrupted several hundred meters away.

Over a dozen corrupted bodies were torn to shreds by the blast, and the remaining soldiers opened fire.

Instantly, a metal storm swept through the street.

Wang Hai watched the corrupted being gunned down, his expression unchanging. He was now the supreme commander of Yangcheng.