Chapter 21 Part 3

Its image among believers was a great tree with lush branches and leaves. The canopy held the Divine Domain where Innate Gods resided; the roots housed the Abyss where devils lived; different branches held the divine domains of gods of various acquired races. Some branches and leaves were Subspaces attached to the main world’s barrier, like the Shadow Realm.

It connected all the spaces of this world together. People could reach different spaces through her branches. The power sources of all teleportation spells and Teleportation Scrolls relied on the World Tree.

Forest Elves and some Druids primarily worshipped the World Tree.

When the Doomsday Era arrived, the Outer Gods had sent Twisted Maggots to gnaw on the World Tree.

The World Tree, however, turned the enemy’s scheme against them. Utilizing the Twisted Maggots to “sow seeds,” she destroyed the Divine Domain and poured all her power into the “lower realms” and other spaces, creating multiple “Safe Zones” within the various dimensions.

From that point on, the World Tree lost her “Personality.” To the original World Tree, this was as good as annihilation.

She was the first Innate God of the Dream World to fall during the Outer God invasion.

But the concept of the “World Tree” itself still existed. By forcibly integrating herself into the world, she circumvented the rule preventing gods from directly influencing the Mortal Realm. This not only allowed mortals to safely use all teleportation spells even during the rule-broken Doomsday Era but also enabled ordinary people with little power to continue living in the Safe Zones.

All gathering points for living beings during the Doomsday Era were within Safe Zones. Even powerless infants could sleep soundly inside.

Eliminating twisted rules could expand a Safe Zone. When a Safe Zone expanded, the World Tree phantom would grow. Upon reaching a certain growth stage, depending on its growth level, the World Tree phantom would bear one to ten fruits. By planting the fruit, humans could get a new Safe Zone and migrate elsewhere.

In the centers of major human settlements like Green Sand City, there stood a giant “World Tree Phantom.”

The World Tree Phantom in major human cities like Green Sand City could bear ten fruits every year.

Xia Xifeng touched the small World Tree Phantom.

Although it was called a phantom, the small tree felt just like a real tree.

“What was that Outer God’s name again? The one controlling the Twisted Maggots.” Xia Xifeng said, “Every time there’s a plot involving It, It always curses Mother World Tree.”

Qin Lang said, “Impotent rage. A clown.”

Xia Xifeng laughed loudly. “Hahaha! Right! Utterly clownish!”

He affectionately nuzzled the small tree. “We’ll be counting on your care from now on, Mother World Tree.”

Although Innate Gods had no gender, the World Tree was a mother. As long as they were out of combat, even in front of an Outer God, players and NPCs could tear a Teleportation Scroll and escape. At worst, they’d just use a more expensive highest-tier Teleportation Scroll.

If it were merely a corrupted native monster or evil god, you could teleport-run even with a blade already stabbed into the player or NPC.

Just like this Secret Realm Forest, it could even be considered the Evil God Inson’s “Earthbound Divine Domain.” But sorry, Mother World Tree had still opened a Safe Zone here.

Mother World Tree was simply invincible.

Just playing the game, teleportation seemed like a very ordinary skill. But when the game became reality, the World Tree’s power seemed unbelievably overpowered.

No wonder that Maggot God turned into a rage-filled clown.

Just as Xia Xifeng nuzzled the World Tree Phantom, he felt a warm current seep from his cheek into his skin, and his spirit was invigorated.

Xia Xifeng hurriedly pulled Qin Lang over. “You should nuzzle it too!”

Qin Lang didn’t nuzzle it. He merely placed his hand on the World Tree Phantom.

The function of the World Tree Phantom: remove all mental debuffs on players.

Why would he need to nuzzle it?! Qin Lang glanced speechlessly at Xia Xifeng.

Xia Xifeng gave an embarrassed laugh. “Oh, right. I forgot. You know I don’t go wild-farming often; I’m not too familiar with field Safe Zones.”

After his mental fatigue recovered, Xia Xifeng pulled out a huge pile of supplies from his backpack and started setting up camp on the spot.

Although the dungeon instance didn’t provide drops or experience, Xia Xifeng could use the materials originally in his backpack to create items.

Just like Qin Lang, using skills in the dungeon wouldn’t grant Skill Proficiency, but would grant “Knowledge.”

Xia Xifeng hadn’t even fully digested the knowledge for crafting low-level items. High-level knowledge flowed through his smooth brain like water, leaving almost no trace behind.

But if it happened to be knowledge Xia Xifeng had already learned, he could deepen his understanding.

And even if water flowed over a smooth brain, it would leave some “water marks.” It might seem useless now, but perhaps when Xia Xifeng’s experience reached that level, learning the related knowledge would become much easier.

In short, the dungeon wouldn’t directly give experience, but Qin Lang and Xia Xifeng could gain “Knowledge” and “Experience” through learning, just like ordinary people without a System.

Xia Xifeng instantly constructed a small wooden cabin, complete with a toilet and shower.

Life-skills players carried all sorts of miscellaneous items in their backpacks, including furniture.

While Qin Lang continued familiarizing himself with skills, Xia Xifeng hammered away, set up the house, started a fire, and cooked. Soon, lights shone from the little wooden cabin, and smoke rose from its chimney.

Xia Xifeng stuck half his body out the window. “Qin Lang, come home for dinner!”

“Mm.” Qin Lang put away his short sword.

Xia Xifeng’s current Cooking skill was also max level, and his backpack held countless rare ingredients.

Today, the two ate Dragon Tail Meat Hotpot.

Xia Xifeng: “Speaking of which, this dragon tail was a gift from the Dragon God. According to the Dragon God himself, it was a tail he shed. How is he like a lizard? Ah, does the Dragon God have any relation to Mr. Suer?”

Qin Lang: “Eat your meat. Don’t talk.”

Xia Xifeng: “Oh.”

The two filled their bellies with the precious Dragon God tail meat, comfortably showered, changed into loungewear, then turned on the light and started reading and studying, striving to become civil engineering deities as soon as possible.

“Ah, civil engineering knowledge is truly dull.”

“Mm.”

Having already been two years out of the Gaokao grind, the two once again summoned the spirit of Gaokao cramming, studying until eleven at night before going to bed.

Thus passed the first day inside the dungeon.

The second day, they woke up at seven, and after breakfast, continued exploring the map and familiarizing themselves with skills.

They spent ten days like this, day after day. Only after Qin Lang had beaten every monster in the Secret Realm Forest to a pulp and could seamlessly chain his skills did they finally set out to find the Evil God Inson.

Inson was beneath the underground temple of the Secret Realm Forest.

Just like in the game, when Xia Xifeng and Qin Lang entered the temple, it was like crawling out of a cave and arriving on another surface world. Above them was a bright sky.

This was another space—the broken, Earthbound Divine Domain of the Evil God Inson. Gods who had fallen to the mortal world couldn’t create a complete Divine Domain, only narrow Alternate Spaces attached to the main plane’s barrier, which even ordinary adventurers could casually kick the door open and enter.

Xia Xifeng: “Thinking about it, being an Evil God really isn’t as carefree as Perila. At least when Perila sleeps at home, no one kicks his door in.”

Qin Lang: “Leo?”

Xia Xifeng: “Leo doesn’t kick the door; he has a key.”

Chatting idly, the two cautiously advanced towards the place where the Evil God Inson slumbered.

Xia Xifeng had already applied several protection-boosting scrolls to himself, raising his Agility to the max, ready to flee from AOE attacks at any moment.

He had dragged all the medicines Qin Lang needed onto his quick bar.

Feeding Qin Lang medicine directly through the “System icon” allowed Qin Lang to take it without any consumption animation, like pouring the potion directly over Qin Lang’s head, without affecting his combat flow.

The difference between Xia Xifeng’s potion-feeding and direct healing skills was that the cooldown for Qin Lang to absorb the next potion was much longer than the cooldown for healing skills. Also, the HP restored was lower, requiring large quantities of potions, which consumed many materials.

To improve this, Xia Xifeng would need to craft higher-tier potions, which used even more precious materials—essentially spending money like casting skills.

Fortunately, as a Bard, he also had a small healing spell he could use as a buffer between each Red Potion dose.

“This is already the best potion players can craft. I wonder if Mr. Suer has better recipes.” While throwing buffs onto Qin Lang, Xia Xifeng said nervously, “Don’t get greedy for hits! If your HP bar can’t be topped up, run immediately!”

Although the System said dying in the dungeon wouldn’t cause real death, Xia Xifeng still hoped Qin Lang wouldn’t die.

It had nothing to do with quest success. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel watching Qin Lang die in front of him.

“You too. Have your teleport ready.” Qin Lang gripped his twin swords and walked towards the center of the altar.

The moment he stepped onto the altar and kicked over the candelabra, the Evil God Inson would appear.

In the game, this was a fixed boss cutscene you could skip, but now that it was reality…

Xia Xifeng complained again: “As an evil god, Inson really… is worse off than Perila.”

Qin Lang: “Mm…” Truly pathetic.

Qin Lang kicked over the candelabra. The pathetic evil god emerged from beneath the altar.

Watching this boss cutscene he’d seen countless times in the game, Qin Lang felt a slight sense of emotion.

This unskippable cutscene truly was detestable.

Black smoke rose from the altar, coalescing into a giant of smoke with an unrecognizable face, only a pair of scarlet eyes visible.

Qin Lang already had every buff he could apply active on himself.

The moment the Smoke Giant appeared, the Faerie Fire spell in his hand struck the enemy.

Faerie Fire could reveal all disguises. The Smoke Giant let out a harrowing shriek as the flames devoured the smoke, revealing a body clad in a black robe.

The instant he cast Faerie Fire, Qin Lang had already used Shadowstep behind Inson, unleashing a flurry of attacks, landing critical hits from the back.

The Evil God Inson staggered, turning furiously.

Qin Lang’s blink-skill had already cooled down, so he circled to the back again.

One was a god, the other a mortal human.

The Evil God Inson could only occasionally graze Qin Lang with his wide-area attacks, taking slivers of his HP. Otherwise, he was purely on the receiving end of a beating, completely unable to touch even the hem of Qin Lang’s clothes.

When the first phase of the Evil God Inson’s HP bar was depleted and thorny vines burst from his body, entering the second phase, Qin Lang had only used his own minor healing spell, without drinking a single potion.

Xia Xifeng hid behind a shattered stone tablet, his eyes full of admiration and envy.

Watching Qin Lang solo the boss from a screen was already cool enough, but with Blade Dancer now being Qin Lang himself, it was so stunningly cool he was weeping tears of jealousy.

“Good thing Old Qin is poor, just a tall, handsome pauper kept by me.” Xia Xifeng consoled himself, staring intently at Qin Lang’s buff timers, ready to drench Qin Lang with buff potions at any moment.

The second phase began.

The ground was covered in thorns that damaged anyone standing on them. When Inson used his ultimate skill, the thorns would bloom into white roses that exploded.

Qin Lang needed to clear a patch of land to stand on before Inson’s ultimate to dodge the skill.

Just as Qin Lang prepared to clear the thorns according to the standard strategy, the Sunflower Pendants flew out from his backpack, emitting a bright yet gentle light.

Instantly, the thorns covering the ground withered.