Mini World Game Console

Half an hour later, in a forest clearing a half-hour drive from Heavenly Lotus Academy.

"The new actor has arrived!"

As soon as Zhao Huo got off the car, he shouted loudly, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the dense forest.

"You're here."

Dong Chengling walked over quickly, her long hair tied in a simple ponytail for ease of movement, swinging like a swing as she walked. She came up to Ren Suo and without any other action, scanned him from head to toe and asked, "Is your realm stable now? Have you mastered any new Spells?"

"I guess you could say that," Ren Suo replied with a slight smile. Except for "Gauze Clothing," which he was still trying to master and was only at a beginner stage, the most important "Surgical Thread" and "Pain-Relieving Therapy" were directly equipped via his Mini-World Game Console, immediately becoming 100% proficient.

"Do you really like listening to music?" Dong Chengling asked, looking at the headphones around his neck. Now wearing a hat with headphones, Ren Suo looked like he was going on a trip.

"...Recently, I like to listen to music while cultivating." Ren Suo scratched his face, fabricating an excuse. "It's what they call 'everything is twice as effective with my BGM on,' right?"

Ren Suo hadn't fully understood the effects of the "Listening Headphones," so he decided to keep wearing them to figure out what they could do.

"So you're the academy's Healing Cultivator, Mr. Suo, right? I often hear Zhao Huo and Cheng Ling mention you."

Zhao Huo poked Ren Suo's waist. Ren Suo glared at him and looked toward the newcomer.

The newcomer was a stunningly handsome man, about the same height as Ren Suo, but with skin so delicate it seemed breakable and pale as snow, and his features softly defined. It was still August, the hottest time in the Lian River area, yet he was wearing long pants, a jacket, and a scarf. Despite his smile, there was an immense sadness hidden behind it.

Overall impression: He looked like the male lead who walked straight out of a romantic drama.

Zhao Huo introduced him, "This is the leader of the university's cultivation group, a Third-turn Cultivator, Bai Ji. He is also the main person in charge of The Heavenspan Project."

At that moment, Ren Suo heard a clear voice—

It was Zhao Huo's voice!

Zhao Huo's excited echo: "Be careful with him!!"

It seemed enhanced by the "Listening Headphones," now echoing with strong personal emotion.

But even without Zhao Huo's warning, Ren Suo had already taken note of this powerful Cultivator.

Looking intrigued, Bai Ji met Ren Suo's gaze and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. You are Cheng Ling's friend, which means you are my friend too. We'll surely have many opportunities to interact in the future."

"Of course." Ren Suo extended his hand and shook it warmly.

Meanwhile, a clear voice, distinct from the outside world's sounds, resounded in Ren Suo's mind:

"Three-star key detected."

"Key has formed, relation with Player is friendly, Status of the Key is awake."

"Key acquisition time is..."

The voice became even clearer, and it indicated the star level of the Key, adding an 'analysis of the relationship with the Player'...

Caught in sudden thought because of the "Listening Headphones," Ren Suo didn't let go of the hand. Bai Ji appeared somewhat surprised, laughed, and said, "Let's talk more next time. You're on a tight schedule; I hope you can quickly get into Character. Cheng Ling, we should go and get our makeup done."

"Okay."

Watching Dong Chengling and Bai Ji leave, Zhao Huo clapped Ren Suo on the shoulder and said in deep distress, "Bro, this is all I can do to help. You better keep a close eye!"

"What?" Ren Suo looked bewildered. "It was clearly me helping you guys act. How did it become you helping me? Trying to dodge the bill? Remember, you can't skimp on the Spirit Stones and subsidies we agreed on."

"You're still thinking about Spirit Stones and subsidies!" Zhao Huo was thoroughly exasperated. Pointing towards Bai Ji, he said, "Look at Bai Ji, isn't he very popular with women?"

Ren Suo looked over and saw that as soon as Bai Ji returned, he was surrounded by a group of women, seemingly being asked questions. Yet Bai Ji maintained an unruffled smile, discussing issues affably with them.

"He's pretty much like the Tang Monk from the Women's Kingdom."

"Right, aren't you worried?" asked Zhao Huo.

"What am I worried about?" Ren Suo spread his hands. "No matter how handsome he is, it's none of my business. So what if he has good looks?"

Zhao Huo opened his mouth but said nothing. The reason he had recommended Ren Suo as a temporary actor was not only because they really needed someone, but also because he cared about Ren Suo and hoped Ren Suo would be extremely vigilant.

A few days ago, when Xiao Meng came to visit him, he and Xiao Meng encountered Ren Suo on the way. After getting home, Zhao Huo and Xiao Meng talked about Ren Suo.

"That girl named Dong Chengling likes him, right?" Xiao Meng said. "Though I haven't met her, she must have changed a lot these past few months, becoming more and more beautiful, right?"

Zhao Huo thought about it. "Indeed. I remember Dong Chengling had short hair before, but now she has long hair and has indeed become more beautiful."

"See? 'A woman beautifies herself for the man who pleases her.' Wanting to meet every day, wanting the person she likes to eat the food she cooks... These are all pretty clear hints," Xiao Meng said. "Although Ren Suo has helped her, there are many ways to repay someone. Choosing this way already shows her attitude."

"By the way, I plan to stay a few more days."

Zhao Huo was surprised. "Why? You've been here for several days, and they must need you back at work."

"What, is my cooking not good enough for you? Trying to drive me away?" Xiao Meng gave him a look. "Lian River is quite nice; I want to hang around a little longer."

"Then let me book a hotel for you," Zhao Huo immediately took out his phone. "This place is too far from the city center; it's very inconvenient for you to get around..."

Although he was almost beaten into amnesia by Xiao Meng last time, Zhao Huo still remembered one thing: the relationship between Dong Chengling and Ren Suo had surpassed mere friendship!

Hence, at the start of the project, when Zhao Huo saw Bai Ji mingling with the Female Treasures, he felt a bad premonition. Moreover, because of his job, Bai Ji often had to interact with Dong Chengling and even particularly admired her. This made Zhao Huo worry about Ren Suo, but he couldn't openly say anything—their interactions were always polite, and if nothing actually happened, wouldn't Zhao Huo be sowing discord for no reason?

So, when there was a slip-up in the planning, Zhao Huo immediately pulled Ren Suo over to rectify it and also let him see how formidable his potential rival was!

However, Ren Suo seemed not to care about Bai Ji. It was unclear whether he was fully confident in Dong Chengling or just really naive. But since Ren Suo acted this way, Zhao Huo naturally couldn't play the villain and sow discord unjustly.

He refrained from saying more, only silently resolving to keep an eye on Bai Ji and Dong Chengling for Ren Suo's sake.

Zhao Huo led Ren Suo to another side, introducing him to the villain Characters.

"Ren Suo, everyone here will be playing Peach Blossom Land with us. See, this is Xi Tianyi, a First Transformation Cultivator from the junior high division; Wei Changfeng, a Second Stage Cultivator from the high school division… Liao Yonghai, a Second Stage Cultivator from the college division; and Fu Sheng, another Second Stage Cultivator…"

These Peach Blossom Land villains, each wearing hooded black capes, had fierce appearances. They seemed to have put on makeup, with sunken eye sockets, dry lips, elongated eye corners, and wrinkled faces, looking like Demons and Ghosts that would hide under a child's bed.

As they saw Zhao Huo and Ren Suo approach, they greeted them one by one, but even their voices were altered, sounding like the grating noise of a ballpoint pen scratching a blackboard.

Ren Suo was not from the teaching department, so he found these teaching group Cultivators quite unfamiliar. Those responsible for playing the Peach Blossom Cultivators totaled seventeen: six Second Stage Cultivators and eleven First Transformation Cultivators. Observing their posture and conversation, Ren Suo could tell that at least half of them were ex-military.

In Mysterious Country, military personnel were the first to learn Cultivation, followed by civil servants. Finally, information about Cultivation was released to the public. Ten Cultivator's Academies were established to gather all those with outstanding Talent from Mysterious Country.

Civil servant cultivators were directly assigned to various departments to maintain social order. All regions severely lacked such cultivators, making teaching staff for the Cultivator's Academies scarce. Therefore, the academies had to continue relying on outstanding military Cultivators to serve as instructors.

Only when second-generation and third-generation Cultivators matured could this awkward situation potentially change.

After some exchanges and mutual flattery, Ren Suo discovered a problem. "Why are all the men on our side, while Bai Ji has so many female teachers?"

Originally, there weren't many female teachers at Heavenly Lotus Academy, but among those playing the role of Peach Blossom Cultivators, there wasn't even one female teacher—all of them were with Bai Ji!

Liao Yonghai, who had a fierce appearance and a scar on his face, smiled and said, "You read the script, right? Then you know we are the villains. Later, we'll need to use combat power to intimidate and force the students to flee, making them try to steal the key to heaven during their escape.

"But making them feel 'endangered' and making them feel 'desperate' are not the same. When we chase the students later, righteous Characters will appear to block us—that will naturally be the teachers from Heavenly Lotus Academy. This is also part of the acting; we've rehearsed for several days to ensure it's thrilling and intense.

"This way, the students can foster Hope that 'we can be saved,' so they won't feel too desperate. But at the same time, you all need to keep chasing them, almost hitting them each time, making them believe 'as long as we endure, we can be saved.' This will push them to unleash their Potential."

"So, how can we make the students feel a strong 'sense of danger' while also giving them strong 'Hope'?" Liao Yonghai pointed to his own face.

Ren Suo opened his mouth. "Handsome ones play the righteous, and the not-so-handsome play the villains?"

"Pretty much." Zhao Huo nodded. "The most direct visual impact can instantly make them judge who is the enemy and who is the ally. Also, a group of spirited young ladies fighting to protect students against villains who look like they've just popped out of coffins—doesn't that inspire a greater desire for Rebellion in the students?"

"I see..." Ren Suo nodded. "But why did even the doctors gather on that side?"

Besides Female Cultivators, there were also several doctors in white coats with Bai Ji, likely the Healing Cultivators and medical staff there to help.

"Isn't it natural to chat with the good-looking ones?" Zhao Huo said. "I didn't answer earlier, but your remark was right—"

"Being attractive is everything."

「...」

「...」

Time was pressing. As staff helped Ren Suo quickly change and get his makeup done, Zhao Huo explained the script. "This is the mountain forest closest to Heavenly Lotus Academy, and our stage.

"This time, the academy has chosen twenty students for the Heavenspan Ritual, all of whom are the highest-Talent freshmen. In just over an hour, the bus carrying them will pass by here. Then it will suddenly break down, and Brother Liao will appear to rip off the bus roof, forcing the students to jump out and flee...

"Our Second Stage Cultivators already have a Physical Condition far surpassing ordinary people, almost Non-Human. The main chase will rely on us Second Stage Cultivators." Zhao Huo took out a palm-sized display device for Ren Suo, saying, "This is the map that allows you to pinpoint the location of all the students. The red circle on the map represents the boundary; our task is not to let the students leave the boundary, forcing them to run or resist within the circle."

"They're actually cheating; that's really shameless!" Ren Suo put away the map. "But I like it."

"This is the list of students and their general information. A few of them have already undergone Awakening, so be careful when you encounter them."

Ren Suo took the list and glanced over it, his eyes narrowing immediately.

"Did Dong Chengling see the list?" Ren Suo suddenly asked.

Zhao Huo was slightly taken aback. "Of course she saw it."

"What other protective measures do you have for the students?" Ren Suo asked. "What if there's a serious accident, like students suffering limb amputation, or if we're too heavy-handed? Relying solely on the off-site Healing Cultivators won't be enough then."

"How do you know that?" Zhao Huo exclaimed. "That's right, each student has a Protection Spell on them. When cumulative damage reaches a critical point, or they suddenly suffer a Serious Injury, the Protection Spell will automatically activate, forming a protective shield around the student. At the same time, the student will turn into a yellow dot on the map, and a Healing Cultivator will go to take the student off the battlefield.

"This Protection Spell has been tested many times. Ordinary flesh wounds that can be cured instantly by Healing Magic are fine, but any injuries that could cause disability or affect bones and muscles will automatically trigger the Spell. Otherwise, the academy wouldn't dare implement this plan."

Ren Suo's anxious heart finally settled. Since the academy had prepared everything and Dong Chengling had approved the plan, Ren Suo didn't need to worry too much.

Among the test students were acquaintances of both him and Dong Chengling. If the plan harbored any dangers, Dong Chengling would not only refuse to participate but would also do everything in her power to stop it—she was that kind of person.

Since Dong Chengling had also approved, Ren Suo was willing to trust her judgment. After all, in terms of Cultivation and education, Dong Chengling was the professional.

Moreover, Ren Suo was also participating in this plan. If any accidents truly occurred, he could immediately remedy the situation.

Even if he couldn't act in time, Ren Suo could use "Rippling Spring Sounds" to summon Zhao Zili to save the day—Zhao Zili was a Priest who tended to pop up from time to time anyway. It would be perfectly natural for him to suddenly appear to save people. At worst, he could exhaust the duration of "Rippling Spring Sounds," have Zhao Zili commit to the act fully, and even take the subway to the city center to run a charity clinic.

Having made up his mind, Ren Suo finished changing clothes and having his makeup applied. Upon looking in the Mirror, he couldn't recognize himself. His face, especially, looked like that of a zombie who, finding its coffin lid nailed shut, had been forced to smash its way out with its face—ugly, fierce, and a mess.

Although Ren Suo insisted on wearing headphones, it didn't matter to others—just as Players aren't any less frightened by zombies in nurse outfits in a game, students wouldn't suddenly find Courage just because zombie Ren Suo wore headphones, unless zombie Ren Suo performed a live rendition of Platinum Disco.

With half an hour until the start, Ren Suo finally finished his makeup and got dressed. Aware of his tasks, he hid away and started browsing his phone to see if Ren Naiser had posted any videos.

"Do you have a moment?"

Ren Suo turned his head and saw it was Bai Ji. He shrugged. "What is it?"

Bai Ji smiled and said, "I have heard many things about you from Cheng Ling. About how you risked your life to help her Awakening, about how you opened the gate of time and space with her, about how you risked your life to save her students, about how you were willing to venture into the Secret Realm to heal the Yangtze River Cultivators..."

"Those are just a few of my trivial grand achievements," Ren Suo waved his hand.

You must know, he had once sliced through a banquet to save a girl, had extended his family line by slaying monsters and demons, had purified Secret Realms by destroying monsters, and had achieved Opening the Spirit Treasury to elevate the world—although it was all in a game. But he had seen his fair share of the world; why should he be pleased by someone else's compliments?

Seeing the joy Ren Suo couldn't hide, Bai Ji smiled faintly, like the first thaw of spring snow. "So, do you also... wish you could die soon to escape from this painful world?"

Ren Suo was bewildered by Bai Ji's sudden turn. It took him a moment to ask, "Why would you think that?"

"Because you are always seeking death," Bai Ji clapped his shoulder. "If you weren't seeking death, why would you plunge into so much danger?

"I'm actually like you. I too have intentionally sought death, but each time, my Desire to live ignites Potential within me, making me stronger and stronger. Now I've been reassigned to be a teacher, and I don't know if I will have the chance to seek death in the future…

"You're just like me," Bai Ji looked at Ren Suo with sincere eyes. "You too are courting death with your life, right? It's just that your intelligence and Talent aren't as good as mine, but we are the same."

*Negative Emotions from Ren Suo, +999*

"We are not the same," Ren Suo shrugged off his hand. "Why would I seek death when I'm perfectly fine? I want to live longer and witness the coming golden age of Cultivation."

"The future holds only Doom, don't you understand?" Bai Ji looked sad.

"Supernatural Forces have appeared now, as have Outer Realm Deities, and we humans also have many Superpower Users like you and me. Although society is still stable for now, in a few years, ten years, twenty years, when there are more and more Superpower Users, individualism will surpass collectivism. Terrifying entities that transcend the Human World will interfere with Earth. An unstoppable cataclysm and wars involving all countries will inevitably occur, ultimately leading to Earth's destruction.

"This is the last twilight of mankind. If we could die as heroes at this moment, holding beautiful hopes for humankind and leaving this painful world, wouldn't that be better? If we compare humanity to a day, we are now in the afternoon. Do we have to watch the dusk arrive, or even the night fall, to die in Despair and pain?"

Bai Ji's low rumbling echoed: "This world is going to be destroyed, right?"

Shaken by Bai Ji's pessimistic conjecture, Ren Suo couldn't think of what to say for a moment. After a while, he said, "Earth has existed for 4.6 billion years, animals Evolved for 1 billion years before humans appeared, humans then Evolved for 14 million years, and it's only been in recent years that we got iPhones. And now the world is going to end? Then the culprits must be either Samsung or Huawei, right?"

Ren Suo patted Bai Ji's shoulder. "You say it's the afternoon, but I think it's dawn. I believe that throughout my life, I will be watching the sky of humanity gradually light up, bit by bit."