Mini World Game Console

World's Strongest: 73,400.

Devouring the Spirit of the World: 76,000.

Ren Suo let out a long breath and released the controller—after more than ten days of strategizing, he had finally reached this point.

The monkey's sea-splitting strike had refreshed the combat power record, indicating that after integrating all its abilities, Devouring the Spirit of the World had theoretically unleashed a strike stronger than that of the World's Strongest. Although he had never actually seen the World's Strongest, the game didn't require defeating a boss; merely surpassing it in theory was enough.

With just three or four days left until all the Spirit Treasuries were set to open, there likely wouldn't be time to open another. The Spirit Treasuries that Devouring the Spirit of the World had opened so far were in Europe, Asia (twice), North America, Australia, and South America. The only two Ren Suo was certain remained unopened were in Africa and Russia. However, those places were vast, and opening their Spirit Treasuries would probably take three to four days, meaning he wouldn't be able to open them in time.

After all Spirit Treasuries had automatically opened, the World's Strongest's combat power would skyrocket even further. Ren Suo doubted that Devouring the Spirit of the World would be able to catch up to this entity, which seemed to level up without training, almost as if it were cheating.

Now was the best time to beat the game.

And as the monkey used Knight's Wind to reach a safe place, the game displayed a message:

"Devouring the Spirit of the World's combat power has now surpassed that of the World's Strongest, achieving the conditions for clearing the game."

"Do you choose to clear the game and enter the mission completion phase? After completion, this save file will be Sealed, and you will not be able to continue playing. Devouring the Spirit of the World will be preserved in its current state."

"It is detected that the player controls other characters. After the save file is Sealed, the other controlled characters will continue acting on the player's last commands and become uncontrollable NPCs. Please arrange for the other characters before Sealing."

Ren Suo turned his gaze to the top left corner of the screen. Besides the monkey, he could control the Humanoid Pangolin and the Little Nine-Tailed Fox. At this moment, the Humanoid Pangolin's avatar displayed a "..." in a chat bubble.

Switching over, it turned out that Old Zhao was speaking with the Pangolin.

"Comrade Pangolin, don't be sad," Old Zhao said, patting the Pangolin's shoulder. "You'll get there one day."

"What?" the Pangolin responded using Ventriloquism.

"Hmm?" Old Zhao pointed to the screen in front of him. "Aren't you feeling down because you see your companion, the monkey, has become so strong, while you failed in your Shape-shifting and feel lost?"

The screen was replaying a scene where the monkey was beating up an Angel in the morning light. The view must have been from a building somewhere in the Port of New York, shot with special equipment. Though there was no sound, the monkey's various transformations and Divine Skills were cool enough, and the final sea-splitting strike was truly thrilling to watch.

Ren Suo blinked, making the Pangolin say, "Yes... ah... *sigh*."

The Pangolin was finally willing to communicate. Old Zhao heaved a sigh of relief, exchanged a few more words, and then asked, "But why has the monkey become so powerful after Shape-shifting while you, Comrade Pangolin..."

Ren Suo fabricated an excuse on the fly, having the Pangolin say, "Because... I... Shape-shifting... failed... didn't get... Fairy Palace... soul... Inheritance."

Fairy Palace Inheritance! Old Zhao thought.

Considering the cause and effect, Old Zhao quickly pieced things together. However, the Pangolin's speech was genuinely painful to listen to, so he spoke on its behalf, "You mean, beasts that succeed in Shape-shifting receive an Inheritance inscribed deep within their souls by the Fairy Palace, just as the monkey automatically received the Great Sage Equalling Heaven's Inheritance?"

The Pangolin pressed its right hand against its head in a nod.

At that moment, Old Zhao couldn't help but feel sorry for the Pangolin. "You've missed this opportunity; is there any remedy? Speak up, and I'll try to communicate with the authorities. After all, this matter... ultimately, we were the ones who disrupted your Shape-shifting ritual."

The Pangolin was currently the only Fairy Palace being with a deep friendship with the Mysterious Country. If possible, the Mysterious Country naturally wouldn't hesitate to pay a price to curry favor with the Pangolin, help it become stronger, and thereby connect with the Fairy Palace.

The Pangolin said, "The Immortal... said... time... and fate. The Spirit Vein... revives... I continue Cultivation... perhaps... still... a chance."

Old Zhao secretly decided to report the Pangolin's Potential to his superiors and ensure the Pangolin could continue its Cultivation diligently. He continued asking, "Then... where is the Handsome Monkey King now?"

The Pangolin replied, "Went back... all... who succeed... in Shape-shifting... must return... continue training."

Old Zhao nodded. While the Handsome Monkey King's strength was astonishing, it was still a far cry from the mythical Sun Wukong, who wielded the Golden Cudgel, could travel 108,000 miles with one Somersault Cloud, possessed Seventy-two Transformations, the Law of Heaven and Earth, and the ability of Three Heads and Six Arms. If the Handsome Monkey King were truly to become the Great Sage Equalling Heaven, he would definitely need a long period of Cultivation.

However, the Great Sage Equalling Heaven... could he really exist...?

Old Zhao hastily asked, "Does the Great Sage Equalling Heaven really exist? Comrade, do you know of any other figures or great sages in the Fairy Palace?"

The Pangolin waved its hand. "Immortals... have spirits... speak of them... I die."

Old Zhao was taken aback. "So if we mention the names of the Immortals, they will know?"

The Pangolin said, "You... it doesn't matter. Me... not okay. Know Immortals... keep secrets... not discuss... otherwise... Heart Fire burns. Besides... I also... have forgotten."

He'd forgotten? Old Zhao really didn't know if the Pangolin's memory was reliable. Since the Pangolin didn't have hair... perhaps its memory really wasn't strong? So, for a beast like the Pangolin that knows the truth about the Immortals, would it be burned by the Heart Fire set by the Immortals if it revealed anything after descending to the mortal realm?

Old Zhao's expression turned stern. It seemed the people of Fairy Palace also believed that methods triumphed over human sentiment, though he was unsure about their true nature...

"Then why could the Handsome Monkey King speak the name of the Great Sage Equalling Heaven?"

"He... received... Inheritance... and can... mention... his... own... origin."

Old Zhao nodded; everything now made sense.

After consoling the Pangolin for a bit, Old Zhao said he would arrange for it to be moved to an 'environment most suitable for a pangolin.' Ren Suo instinctively wanted to refuse. But on second thought, I don't really play the Pangolin character much anyway, so he let it be.

Then Ren Suo opened the Intelligent Control Interface to set up the final commands for the Pangolin.

Direct suicide is, of course, not an option. After all, I've played as the Pangolin for several days; I should set up a clear future for it.

Ren Suo had initially given the Pangolin simple instructions: stand by, eat, and sleep.

Now it couldn't be so simple. Ren Suo opened the Character Settings in the control interface. Once he filled out this profile, the Pangolin would act according to it.

He began:

Background: A Pangolin originating from the Fairy Palace, but has forgotten all information about it.

Family: None.

Main Personality Traits: Kind but not a saint. Strives for goals. Doesn't seek trouble, but doesn't fear it and will fiercely counterattack if provoked.

Abilities: Digging, Ventriloquism.

Goal: Cultivation. To become a super Pangolin that can stand shoulder to shoulder with humans.

Questions about sexual orientation, sleeping posture, food preferences, and the like followed. Ren Suo carefully filled them out before finalizing the Pangolin's future.

Next up was the Little Nine-Tailed Fox.

Ren Suo looked at the screen to see the Little Nine-Tailed Fox, dirty from the soil, hiding and playing dead in the bushes, her white fur matted. I wonder if I could scoop her out of the screen, he thought. So cute! I want to keep her!

However, the Little Nine-Tailed Fox was currently on Liberty Island, and after undergoing the Immortal Legacy, she had lost all other abilities. Since the Nine-Tailed Fox wasn't in human form when she initiated the Inheritance, she still maintained her True Form as the Little Nine-Tailed Fox.

But the Little Nine-Tailed Fox could swim, so Ren Suo had her swim back to New York, planning to finalize her character profile along the way.

The Little Nine-Tailed Fox isn't like the Pangolin, who managed to connect with the authorities after becoming humanoid. If exposed in her current state, the most likely outcome would be getting sent to a research institute. Dissection is unlikely—since she's one of a kind, at most she would be confined and have her blood sampled for research.

Thus, Ren Suo set the character profile for the Little Nine-Tailed Fox: 'Sly, clever, prioritizes survival in all actions, but inherently kind and brave enough for Rebellion.'

Their future fate will depend on the Pangolin's and the Little Nine-Tailed Fox's own fortunes.

Switching the control viewpoint back to the Demon King Monkey, the screen still displayed the message: "Do you choose to clear the game and enter the mission completion phase? After completion, this save file will be Sealed, and you will not be able to continue playing. Devouring the Spirit of the World will be preserved in its current state."

In just one short hour, the World's Strongest had actually increased its combat power by 420. It wasn't much, but it was enough to solidify Ren Suo's resolve.

"Devouring the Spirit of the World has surpassed the World's Strongest!"

"Mission Complete!"