Chapter 78

Kanbei, serving as one of the underground palace’s puppets in the wandering army, trudged through the sand with his mind foggy and his consciousness blurred. One foot sank deeper than the other, but he had no idea that an abyss or a demon sect arrow formation lay ahead. A haze shrouded his vision, and voices murmured within the mist.

The first layer came from a player with bound hair, their voice overlapping in echoes: “Go, go, go! The world is so vast—you have to go see it! Hurry up; just ahead lies Yumen Town. Beyond that is the expansive Central Plains, where the sky’s high enough for birds to soar freely and the seas wide enough for fish to leap at will!”

His heart stirred for a moment, only to hesitate right after. He desperately wanted to reach the Central Plains, but the underground palace still needed him…

The second layer showed him standing before a market stall with nothing on it but his woven goods. A group of lofty merchants from the Western Regions crowded around his stall, scrambling to buy his wares. “What exquisite craftsmanship! I’ll pay top dollar for it!”

The thrill of being fought over flushed his face red with excitement, though a sliver of doubt lingered in his heart. “Am I really that good?”

The third layer brought the voice of an unfamiliar woman, her face indistinct but her tone utterly captivating. Though they were strangers, he already yearned for her. The woman said, “I am Qianniang. I’ve heard that young master wishes to get to know me?”

“Ah, yes! I want to learn Central Plains embroidery from you…”

Layer upon layer of mist enveloped him, all born from the depths of his own heart, luring and compelling him forward. The others were lost in their own illusions as well.

Kanbei had no idea that amid the yellow sands, two qin melodies were locked in a fierce contest—one seizing control of his mind and senses, the other urging him to snap out of it and stop lost in daydreams.

Dreams were illusory, after all. These three layers grew more stirring with each one, striking straight at the core of his desires, yet they always felt like flowers seen through fog—close but somehow distant. That was because he had never truly earned the acknowledgment of Leader Yan or Leader Shi.

He was one of the residents of this Peach Blossom Paradise. He hoped to wait until the underground palace was fully operational, then leave for the Central Plains openly under the leaders’ tacit approval.

The later qin melody gradually gained the upper hand. It wasn’t poison disguised as sweet rain or false honey—it was a Jiangnan tune unlike anything Kanbei had ever heard in the Western Regions. The moment it reached his ears, he halted in puzzled confusion. Accompanying the melody came Ruan Xuezong’s vast inner force, sharp as a treasured sword that cleaved through all the mist, allowing Kanbei to see the scene before him clearly.

The fog shrouding his eyes parted.

Suddenly, Kanbei realized he stood in the middle of the desert. Ahead loomed demon sect assassins nocking their bows, their torches flickering wildly and illuminating his dazed face. His mind buzzed as terror struck him senseless.

He had come within a hair’s breadth of being pierced by arrows or captured by the demon sect.

“Aaahhh!” he screamed, bolting back toward the underground palace. Countless other puppets who stopped in time and cleared their heads did the same—hundreds, even thousands of them. The sight of this massive retreat was spectacular.

The demon sect’s plan for a bloodless victory had failed.

Shi Yan was a man who prized loyalty above all. Plans like holding a knife to a captive’s throat to force him to surrender the underground palace, extract the subterranean ore, or even commit suicide might have worked. But no one had anticipated this plan’s unexpected variable: Ruan Xuezong.

“I never imagined that Manor Lord Ruan, whose palm arts reign supreme in the world, would possess such masterful qin skills as well.”

Beneath the bright moonlight, Du Rulan’s amber eyes fixed on Ruan Xuezong. His handsome profile carried a pallid, ominous air as he curled his lips in a cold smile—part admiration, part mockery.

He and Ruan Xuezong both knew the truth: this was no mere clash of qin techniques but a contest of inner force. Others quailed before his half-step grandmaster aura, but only Ruan Xuezong saw through to his depleted reservoir of inner energy. Though Du Rulan couldn’t fathom the reason, he wouldn’t pass up the chance to strike.

“You’re too kind. My qin is meant for refining the spirit, not manipulating hearts,” Ruan Xuezong replied with a hooked smile. His white robes and cascading long hair whipped in the mountain wind like a dancing immortal on the cliffside. He plucked the strings casually, unleashing a majestic, boundless melody brimming with inner force. The notes transformed into streams of qi that drove back the demon sect assassins.

Everyone from the underground palace returned unharmed, save for a few with minor injuries.

A battle between the two sides was inevitable, but as long as no one from the underground palace was taken captive, Shi Yan wouldn’t have to hold back.

What about their weak fighting force?

That was no issue at all.

Ruan Xuezong remotely switched to the players’ perspective and spotted a massive group of players wandering aimlessly across the desert map. Without a second thought, he issued a “large-scale assembly quest.”

【Large Plot Quest “Ruan Xuezong’s Summons” has been triggered.】

【Quest Description: A beautiful dream in the Peach Blossom Paradise has been shattered by invaders. Ruan Xuezong and the underground palace residents are under attack from both sides. The Chasang Demonic Sect is determined to seize the underground palace. The situation is dire—heroes, heed Ruan Xuezong’s call and rush to their aid!】

【Battlefield Coordinates: Banishment Land】

【Quest Rewards: 10,000 experience points, assorted silver fragments, battlefield merits, special titles, unlocks to follow-up plotlines, gratitude from the underground palace residents, +30 Favorability with Ruan Xuezong…】

【Participant Limit: None】

Ruan Xuezong mused to himself: The demon sect has no clue what it means to rally a natural disaster to sweep the Western Regions clean with just three words.

Sure enough, when the system popup appeared, players opened their system panels, saw the coordinates and description, and lit up with excitement like they’d downed energy drinks. “Holy shit, family! Look at this—Zongzong’s quest is here! He needs us!”

“Aaahhh, it’s a large assembly quest! Waaah, I haven’t done jack, and we’re straight into the fight! Damn sandstorm made me miss so much!”

“I get it—this must be the Jianghu Game’s new feature, like a Battlefield of Contending States where we grind merits for PVP gear!”

“New or not, charge! Zongzong’s in danger—let’s protect him! Wherever Zongzong points, that’s the spot we flatten!”

The players sprang into action with astonishing speed, channeling lightness skills or mounting horses to race to the scene. This vast player army arrived in force—brave, battle-hardened, and fearless in death. Soon, they clashed with the Chasang Demonic Sect amid deafening war cries.

“These berserkers again. And they’ve grown a bit stronger,” Du Rulan observed coldly.

Ruan Xuezong smiled faintly and played a buffing melody for all the players. They were already glitch-like entities in their own right. During their time in the desert, unable to find Ruan Xuezong, they hadn’t idled—they’d picked up quests along the way, their levels skyrocketing.

【Ruan Xuezong’s Melody: Increases combat power by 50%, max health by 15%, external attack by 10%, agility by 5%. A group battle buff.】

Empowered by the buff, the players became unstoppable, trading blows with the demon sect on even footing. Their rapid growth and seamless teamwork began to tilt the battlefield in their favor.

But Ruan Xuezong was counting his blessings too soon.

As another army marched in, the scales tipped away from the underground palace once more—with the demons from Little West Continent taking the stage.

When the West Continent Guard arrived at the Banishment Land, their leader beheld this sight: a man in snow-white robes, his ink-black satin hair drifting in the air. When he lifted his face, its stunning beauty dimmed even the moonlight.

It was the Central Plains man he’d longed for.

“Holy shit, family—another demon faction’s joining!” “It’s that Demon Sect BOSS who lured Zongzong to the Yong Kingdom!” “This battlefield’s got a second round?” As the smoke of war thickened anew, the players panicked, jumping around in alarm.

“Ruan Xuezong, you are an honored guest of my Yong Kingdom. Why did you leave without a farewell that day…”

The man had picked up some basic Central Plains speech. A smile curved his lips, flecks of interest gleaming in his emerald eyes, as if he greatly admired Ruan Xuezong playing the qin in this moment.

The man before him had high nose, deep-set eyes, and classic Western Region features—wheat-toned skin radiating an exotic, devilish allure. Clad in regal purple robes, he was none other than the Western Regions Demonic Sects’ BOSS, Li Yu Heng.

The player panels detailed him: Li Yu Heng, level “???”, leader of a rising demonic power in the Western Regions, Yong Kingdom Lord. He had united the Western Regions demon sects, inheriting his mother’s will to conquer the western nations and dominate the region.

“Long time no see, Yong Kingdom Lord,” Du Rulan said, his eyes narrowing slightly in a perfunctory greeting.

Li Yu Heng smiled faintly. “How fares the Queen’s health these days? I hear the Chasang Royal Palace has suffered some thefts lately, leaving her quite distraught.”

“Not as troubling as being eyed by a pack of wolves in Little West Continent.”

The two traded barbs for a moment before Du Rulan cut to the chase with casual indifference and icy tone: “Li Yu Heng, I don’t know what you want with Ruan Xuezong, but he is my mother’s honored guest. The West Continent Guard has no business here. I’ll capture him sooner or later…”

“What a coincidence—this Central Plains man is already mine. I’ll take him back to the Yong Kingdom.” Their words grew sharp and confrontational.

The Western Regions demonic sects weren’t unified but split into two camps, led by Little West Continent and Chasang. They cooperated and clashed by turns—for instance, the blue ore beneath the Banishment Land was worth tearing their alliance apart over. Now, a new prize had entered the fray: Ruan Xuezong.

A hellish, suffocating tension blanketed the scene.

Little West Continent, Chasang Kingdom, and the underground city—the three major Western Regions powers now stood in deadlock.

Shi Yan stared at Ruan Xuezong in shock and muttered, “Just who the hell are you? Why do both demon factions want you dead?” If he were some deadly charmer, those two half-step grandmasters hardly fit the bill.

Ruan Xuezong slowly, solemnly shook his head. “It has nothing to do with me.”

【Ding! Large-scale plot event “Western Regions Chapter” has been unlocked. Heroes, hurry to update to the new version!】