The Monster is Coming

Chapter 364 The Movie King's Time, The Big Fish Takes the Bait (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
After more than two years of development.

The player forum divides the different growth models into two categories: the righteous path and the evil path.

The "right path" refers to the mainstream gameplay and progression system.

War, hunting, arena, fishing, cooking, dungeons... these are all mainstream gameplay modes and the growth options for the vast majority of players.

"Heretical cultivation" refers to a growth model that goes against the mainstream gameplay.

The representative player is: Little Mage.

His path to power is described by players as that of an evil demon king who betrayed the player faction and established a new force outside.

He is also considered by many players to be one of the strongest players.

There are many other unorthodox cultivation practices.

One of the more mainstream playstyles among unorthodox cultivators is the pet-based playstyle, which was initially called the "manipulation playstyle".

By capturing pets from outside the area, you can obtain a pet that cannot be enhanced through the Life Soul trait, but can only be given active buff-type trait effects.

This is fundamentally different from the summoning style.

If it is a summoned creature, it can fuse with all of the player's abilities.

For example, the special effects of Ink Flame and Thunderclap, which players possess, can be directly bestowed upon their summoned beasts.

However, external pets can only receive enhanced effects such as Blood Burn and Wind Breaker, which are actively applied amplification effects.

The characteristic of unorthodox cultivation is that it goes against the mainstream practices.

The emergence of the summoning style has given rise to the concept of a battle between two playstyles, one good and one evil, on the forums.

Some players who were planning to go for a summoner build even said: "Back then, the evil path was rampant, but now the righteous path is flourishing."

These words were undoubtedly meant for players who prefer pet-based strategies.

Times have changed. The orthodox summoning style is about to suppress the unorthodox pet style, and the seventh orthodox class of the faction is about to debut.

This has created a sense of crisis among players who rely on pets, prompting them to discuss how to break the deadlock.

In terms of growth potential...

Pet-based builds are clearly far inferior to summon-based builds.

The Summoning build can integrate all Soul traits and even grant pets Fortune-related Soul bonuses.

Players only need to improve their own strength, and the strength of their summoned beasts will also increase significantly.

Unlike pet-based games, which require frequent pet changes.

However, in the eyes of pet-focused players, their advantages are unmatched by summon-focused players.

They can possess pets that surpass their own power.

The Book Warrior was one of the representative pets back then.

At its peak, a single Book Warrior could easily crush a group of top-tier players.

But times change.

It's like the difference between the Monster build and the Star Pulse build back in the day.

The Monster build's dominance began to wane after the Star Pulse build system was gradually perfected.

It wasn't until the Monster build received an epic upgrade that it barely caught up with the Star Pulse build's growth pattern.

Pet-based games also face a similar predicament.

When the strength of the Book Warriors can't keep up with the players' growth, the pet strategy needs new and powerful ways to capture pets to rise in popularity.

During this period, a player suggested capturing members of the Artifact Clan, which sparked heated discussions among pet-focused players.

This race generally has a combat strength of 120+, or even higher.

The leader of the Artifact Clan, "Evil Sword," has a hunting level of 325. If the channels for capturing Artifact Clan members can be opened up, the combat power can be supplemented through the Artifact Clan for a long time to come.

Within the "Pets" section of the forum, players immediately offered their ideas.

They wanted to pool their money to build a teleportation array and head towards the territory of the Divine Artifact Clan.

In order to better capture pets, pet-focused players spontaneously collect information about artifact races and exchange ideas to develop specific capture plans.

During this period, background information supplemented by dedicated players from back then was unearthed.

It mentions a lot of information about the Divine Artifact Race.

The Artifact Race first appeared in the live stream of an Exploration Player. It is a parasitic life form similar to an artifact spirit, which needs to grow by absorbing the negative emotions provided by the host through a companion host.

Therefore, the more pain the host experiences, the greater the power gained by the members of the Divine Artifact Clan.

This destined the artifact to lead its host step by step toward destruction.

Slaughtering relatives, betraying close friends, and the collapse of faith... the artifact race will constantly bewitch the host in the form of elders and protectors, and every living being parasitized by the artifact will eventually die in despair.

Once the artifact has exhausted the value of its host, it will seek out a new host and continue the parasitic cycle.

The player who encountered the artifact clan member felt he couldn't seize the opportunity and chose to sell it to the well-known forum player "Painful Brothers".

This also revealed the background information of the Divine Artifact Clan.

Unlike other races and factions, where every encounter means battle.

Although the members of the Divine Artifact Clan are powerful, they have many weaknesses that can be exploited.

If the Divine Artifact Clan are like bloodsucking worms that parasitize other living beings, then the Painful Brothers were like the other way around, parasitizing the Overlord Sword to obtain the power of pain until they finally killed it and obtained the hunting reward.

Based on unearthed early video content, pet-based players have identified the characteristics of Artifact Race parasitic targets.

They always manage to pinpoint those creatures that fate has dragged into the mire.

Whether they are being bullied by other members of their tribe, facing a survival crisis, or being misunderstood by their tribe, the more they teeter on the edge of survival, the more the artifact race will be drawn to them by the scent of pain.

These souls, repeatedly tormented by pain, are like fruits rotting in a gutter—the perfect parasitic vessel in their eyes.

The Divine Artifact Clan also appears in the name of saviors, leading the parasitized beings into the abyss of despair they themselves have woven.

However, in the initial contact, the artifact race will also give hope to the parasitized.

Because the artifact race knows that only when they see hope will the feeling of falling into the abyss again be even more painful.

The negative emotions that arise during this period are a feast for the eyes of the members of the Divine Artifact Clan.

Pet-based players believe this might be a weakness that can be exploited.

As long as one can exude the painful aura desired by the Artifact Clan, one can gain the favor of the Artifact Clan members.

According to the insights of dedicated players, a player's acting skills alone are not enough to attract the artifact faction.

The "Overlord Sword" who was killed by the Pain Brothers back then was because he was already at his wit's end and his perception of emotions and auras had become dulled.

In addition, having been severely injured by the gatekeeper, he needs to choose a nearby host to quickly recover his strength.

This allowed the Painful Brothers to succeed.

To successfully capture a member of the Artifact Clan, one must learn to simulate negative emotional energy, making oneself a delicious meal in the eyes of the Artifact Clan.

This problem immediately stumped players who relied on pets.

Simulating emotions is not that easy.

I do know of an ability called "momentum," which can transform emotions into a powerful force, causing both mental and physical harm.

But players still don't understand how to use momentum.

I'm completely lost when trying to simulate painful emotions.

Just as players were getting stuck on how to capture members of the Artifact Clan, one player came up with an idea.

I think it might be possible to achieve this by mentally calling out "bully".

The Earthly Bully created an evil legion independent of the Black Tide: the Tide of Pain.

Each unit in the game uses an ability that deals emotional damage.

It allows players to experience a range of negative emotions, such as despair, anger, and regret.

Could we find an opportunity on the battlefield to have the Earthly Bully brand us with a painful mark, then decisively retreat with the mark, and then use the teleportation array to travel to the vicinity of the Artifact Clan, lurking there while pretending to be weak to lure and capture them?

This solution immediately gained the approval of many players.

Whether it is feasible remains to be tested.

Before that, a teleportation array needs to be built.

To test the feasibility of the plan, pet-based players spontaneously raised funds, with the player who proposed the idea taking the lead and contacting the gold coin merchant guild.

The entire negotiation process, including the payment of fees, was broadcast live.

The Gold Coin Merchants Association did not refuse the request and immediately dispatched a professional space creation team to the Emperor's Tomb Mountain area.

Head towards the relatively safe Spirit Valley and begin constructing the teleportation array.

Two days later.

With the teleportation array completed, the project officially commenced.

……

"No problem, we're all brothers in the same camp. Come over here now, we're about to start fighting."

"Thank you."

Yang Xiu closed the dialog box and clenched his fist excitedly.

He clearly couldn't fight the bully alone.

To apply a negative buff to the Tide of Pain, the combined forces led by the God-King are needed.

This is why he sought help from "God's Left Leg," one of the administrators of the Allied Forces.

Fortunately, upon learning of his thoughts, God's Left Leg agreed without hesitation.

After replenishing the potion, he summoned his pet space and took a look.

His pet space was divided into eight compartments, and it took 83 sacrificial energy to purchase space-related materials to create it.

Apart from the pets that grow from within the family, the other seven are external pets captured using the ability to manipulate life spirits.

Each is suitable for different battlefield environments.

For example, the underwater combat pet "Big Wave Breaker" is a monster that is nearly three meters long and resembles a shark. Its dorsal fin glows with a ghostly blue electric light and can create rotating waves that are tens of meters high. When its tail fin slaps the water, it will generate an electric shock. It has extremely strong underwater combat capabilities.

Other creatures include the Thorn Demon, which possesses exceptional jungle combat abilities.

The Shadow Panther, its body covered in flowing black mist, can sneak into the shadows and launch surprise attacks.

The poison sac frog is adept at fighting in swampy environments...

But his favorite is the extremely rare Shadow Eater.

Its wingspan is only the size of a palm, yet it can create ripples that tear through space. It can absorb physical attacks and convert them into its own energy, possessing both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Butterfly's hunting level is only 78.

We've now reached the stage where we're almost obsolete.

He really liked all of the Shadow Butterfly's abilities and had considered buying a Soul Beast to transfer the Shadow Butterfly's abilities to it.

This is equivalent to having a Shadow-Eating Butterfly with unlimited growth potential.

The problem is that soul beasts don't circulate in the market at all, and there's no way to buy them.

Several buy requests were posted on the forum, all at prices three times higher than the market price, but no player was willing to sell.

This made him very depressed.

He didn't intend to kill or deal with the Shadow-Eating Butterfly, feeling that he would always have a chance to obtain a soul beast in the future.

I took a look at the data of the eight pets.

Yang Xiu dragged different foods from the inventory bar on the side of the interface and put them into different spaces to feed them, then summoned his vehicle: the Blazing Motorcycle.

This is a vehicle that he designed and built himself.

It was inspired by the old movie "Ghost Rider" from Earth's earliest days.

The car's lines are sharp like a drawn sword, and a skull engraved with raging flames is embedded in the front, making it look like a ferocious beast ready to pounce at first glance.

Orange-red flames spewed from the exhaust pipes extending from both sides of the seat, scorching the surrounding air.

Yang Xiu straddled the seat, gripped the handlebars, and turned them, instantly engulfing the entire motorcycle in raging flames.

The engine roared deafeningly, as if an ancient fire dragon had been resurrected. The flame rings at the bottom of the car body suddenly exploded, turning into a flame tail several meters long that trailed behind.

After leaving Emperor's Tomb Village, Yang Xiu activated the vehicle's high-efficiency mode.

The flaming chariot rolled across the ground, leaving a trail of sparking scorch marks, and sped towards the battlefield of Emperor's Tomb Village.

At maximum power, the flame vehicle enters flight mode.

The trailing flames drew a dazzling arc in the air, and even the wind seemed to carry a scorching heat in its wake. From a distance, it looked like a bolt of lightning engulfed in flames, extremely impactful.

Before long, Yang Xiu arrived at the legendary battlefield in the eyes of the players.

This is yet another chaotic battle between three forces.

To the north lies an invincible wall constructed by Scourge units, while to the northwest stretches a creeping fungus and a savage Zerg army.

Before the fighting began, the protests surged like a tidal wave.

The Zerg's sharp hissing and the clattering of their carapaces blended together, sounding like thousands of blades scraping against each other.

The whispers of the Black Tide are like echoes from the abyss, deep and viscous, carrying a rhythm that twists the mind.

The players' roars were wild and unrestrained, their fighting spirit boiling, as if they wanted to overturn the entire battlefield.

The three parties are all old acquaintances, and fighting has long been a daily occurrence for them.

The demonstration was more like a greeting, like: Have you eaten today?

Yang Xiu also infiltrated the united front at this time.

When a top-tier player stands nearby, the surrounding air seems to freeze.

As their gazes swept over the Zerg and Black Tide positions, it was as if they were counting their prey. Yang Xiu sensed an almost tangible fighting spirit emanating from them.

"So strong!"

Just by sensing the fluctuations in aura, Yang Xiu couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

The players around me are all ruthless characters who have crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

He was also a war killer who treated the battlefield as his daily routine.

The sheer number of combat forces gathered together at this level, and their mere presence on the front lines, is a deterrent in itself.

It can be said that the Allied Battle Group is a top-tier war legion cultivated by the Earthly Tyrant.

He was connected with the leader of the Joint Warband's Wounded 3rd Regiment, who was also one of the administrators of the Joint Divine Hall Guild.

A giant man, two meters tall, carrying a massive axe crackling with crimson lightning, stood there, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack from the vortex of energy it released.

"Left Leg Guy"

Although it was their first meeting, Yang Xiu still politely addressed him as "brother."

"When the battle starts, you'll come with me to the bully's side. Once you've been marked with the Pain Mark, I'll send you away." God's Left Leg grinned, patting his left shoulder familiarly.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. We players are all brothers in the same camp, it's only right that we help each other. Besides, you're also working hard for the development of the player camp. There are quite a few brothers in our guild who use the control style and asked me to take care of you." In the ensuing conversation, Yang Xiu was assigned to the right flank of the battle group.

When the initial greetings of the demonstrators ended, the shouts from the three camps ripped through the clouds.

Behind the walls of the northern city of natural disaster, black mist surged like a living thing, and countless bone spears shot into the sky with a whooshing sound, then fell like raindrops.

The fungal carpet in the northwest spread at a visible speed, and the Zerg army surged out like an inky tide. Swarms of flying insects blotted out the sky and cut the light shed by the blood moon into fragments.

The players' battle cries shook the earth, and when the rune-resonating weapons were activated, the light formed a river of light that advanced simultaneously to both sides.

The moment the three torrents collided, the sound of flesh and bone shattering became the main melody.

Yang Xiu followed the wounded squad on the right flank in their charge, positioned at the rear of the battle group.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from overhead.

The bone spear suddenly accelerated in mid-air.

One of the bone spears, gleaming with a black light, instantly magnified in Yang Xiu's eyes.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly came over me.

"broken."

Before he could react, the sky was instantly enveloped by a continuous curtain of light.

The bone spear struck the light shield, creating ripples, but failed to break through the defense.

"kill!"

Amidst deafening shouts, the wounded group clashed with the evil spirits of the natural disaster, causing the earth to tremble.

"Holy crap, that's so exciting."

His first personal experience participating in the advance of the main force of the joint battle group was a powerful sensory experience.

The air was filled with roars, howls, and the deafening explosions of life-soul skills. Before my eyes were splattered blood, bursting energy ripples, shattered figures, and twisted evil spirits... The battle between top-tier warbands was like a clash of natural disasters.

As soon as a player falls, a new one immediately takes their place.

Yang Xiu's heart was pounding wildly in his chest.

I felt this was the real battlefield.

It wasn't the edited, action-packed clips in the video, nor the understated battle reports on the forum, but rather the air thick with the stench of blood and the burning energy of the battle; it was the still-warm blood splattering on my skin; it was the terrifying tremors emanating from the ground beneath my feet.

boom!
Just then, a black beam of light with a diameter of over twenty meters shot into the sky from the battle formation.

"Cover up, right wing third team switch defense!"

The roar of God's Left Leg echoed in the Injury Team's channel.

Suddenly, a group of players covered in blood rushed past Yang Xiu.

He saw that one of them had lost his left arm, and dark green corrosive energy was pulsating at the severed end, yet he was still tearing open the potion bottle with his teeth and guzzling it into his mouth.

Yang Xiu's hands were trembling, not from fear, but from being swept up by this fearless torrent, feeling as if a fire was burning in his chest.

Standing here, even the air you breathe is filled with the scorching heat of someone risking their life.

So burning!
Under the protection of the wounded, Yang Xiu was unharmed.

As the war intensified, the crimson light he had been waiting for emerged from the direction of the bully's tower.

Blood rippled outwards from the surging black mist.

Quickly generate units that rely on suffering.

The Lamenting Woman, the Wrathful Corpse, the Tolling Monk, the Regretful Spider Mother, the Throat of Fear... in addition to these five original forms of tormented evil spirits.

This time, a new pain-type warrior class called "Blood Prison Overlord" has also appeared.

Different types of auras of pain spread across the earth like rays of sunlight.

All players illuminated by the light instantly entered a state of agony.

"coming!"

Seeing the power of pain sweeping over him, Yang Zheng was about to act when he suddenly found his vision shifting.

He was swapped to a spot on the battlefield by the Left Leg of God using the Star Shift technique, and immediately the mournful cries of the Weeping Woman rang in his ears.

It felt as if a cold hand was gripping my heart; the emotional impact of the wailing woman was like countless needles piercing every nerve.

Many memories flashed through Yang Xiu's mind, including the frustrations he encountered during his real-life growth and the helplessness he felt when he was chased by monsters when he first entered the game.

A mix of emotions welled up inside him; the frustration, regret, and resentment that had been weighing on his heart were all brought out by the crying, flooding the dam of reason like a tidal wave.

My memories are filled with my own pathetic state.

The players around him activated their Unyielding Spirit ability to counteract the intense emotional impact.

Yang Xiu, however, was consumed by his emotions, and painful spiritual patterns gradually appeared on his skin.

Just then, the Star Shift property struck again.

Yang Xiu leaped and twirled across the battlefield before being lifted up by the "Taotie Blood Pack" at the rear and thrown off the battlefield.

Having escaped the aura of despair, Yang Xiu's emotions were relieved.

But a strong sense of helplessness still spread through my heart.

He knew he couldn't let himself get caught up in his emotions.

Time is limited, and his mental will will gradually erase the emotions imposed by the painful mark. He must hurry to the land of the artifact clan.

He summoned a motorcycle-shaped vehicle and set off decisively.

But as he twisted the throttle, tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

"You scoundrel, you beast!"

At this moment, he finally understood why forum players said that the battlefield of Emperor's Tomb Village was filled with the malice of the Earthly Bully.

From the early natural disasters and backlash to the current Tide of Pain, the War Mode updates of Earth Bully have always revolved around "torturing players" as the core of its gameplay.

One can imagine how much hardship these brothers in the joint battle group have endured.

Those who have persevered until now have developed an iron will.

Their happiness was clearly built on the suffering of the local bully; they tormented each other and found amusement in each other's misery.

Before long, Yang Xiu arrived at the location of the teleportation array.

At this moment, the area around the teleportation array was surrounded by players.

These players are accompanied by various types of monsters.

Captured in the Land of the Sun, the Crimson Nightmare is shaped like a giant eagle with six wings, each feather burning with purplish-red flames.

Captured in the Eternal Silent Ice Lake region, this Ice Mammoth is as large as a small mountain and covered in translucent ice crystal armor.

Captured in the Senluo Forest region, its main trunk is as thick as a giant python, and its countless vines and branches are covered with golden thorns.

Captured in the Azure Star Sea, this five-meter-tall Tyrant Crab boasts pincers resembling two giant cannons.

You can also see many edited versions of the characters from the Book of Words.

The defining characteristic of the pet-based gameplay is its all-encompassing nature.

Anything can become a pet.

From the early Silvertail Fish and Golden Claw Crab to the current pet-based gameplay that has been developed multiple times.

Many pet-focused players have multiple different types of monsters for various combat environments, and the top-tier pet-focused players can even create a complete squad using their pets.

It can be used for warrior, support, ranged damage dealer, and more.

Upon seeing Yang Xiu return, one of the leading players immediately initiated a team-up with him.

After Yang Xiu tapped "Agree" with his consciousness, he entered the teleportation array.

The next second, the teleportation array was activated by another player.

……

The land of the Divine Artifact Clan, the Valley of Artifacts.

The ground beneath the massive rift is etched with countless sword marks.

From above, it looks like a broken sword traversing the earth.

The surfaces of the cliffs on both sides are covered with honeycomb-like holes, each hole containing a broken weapon that trembles slightly in the wind.

Each weapon was once a member of the "Heavenly Sword Lineage" of the Divine Weapon Clan.

Now they have all turned into silent tombstones.

After all, there is only one set of rules, but different development philosophies mean that only one lineage of the Divine Artifact Clan can continue.

At this moment, 23 kilometers outside the valley, Yang Xiu staggered along.

His robes were tattered, his hair was disheveled, and every step he took seemed to be carrying a heavy burden.

A profound sense of despair emanated from him, his eyes were empty and lifeless, and he appeared utterly lost.

As he walked, his body swayed like wild grass being whipped by a strong wind.

During this time, he deliberately loosened his control over his emotions. The despair evoked by the wailing woman seeped out from his mind like ink, and suppressed sobs occasionally escaped his throat, like a trapped beast whose claws had been pulled out.

The wind whipped his disheveled hair, revealing half of his bloodless face.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow by, stirring up loose stones that would make him shudder. He would shrink into a ball, looking utterly dejected, like a pathetic creature on the verge of collapse.

At this moment, in Yang Xiu's live broadcast room, the off-site director was giving instructions.

"Dude, laugh out loud a few times, laugh with that kind of madness that's worse than crying. It's still not quite right. You need to make the warriors of the Evil Sword Clan who are out for training think that you've been driven insane. It would be best if you also pulled out a couple of handfuls of hair with your left hand to make yourself look like you're living a life worse than death."

"Don't just sob, brother. Add a few lines, like 'Why me of all people?' or 'What's the point of living?' Add a few staggering movements, and make sure you're covered in dirt and dust to make it more impactful."

"Pay attention to your hands. Your fingers should tremble. You're being too deliberate now. You need that uncontrollable, physiological tremor that you can only produce when you're relaxed."

"You're in a bad mood. What you need right now isn't a listless look, but a hatred and helplessness that comes from the very core of your being. So don't let your eyes be empty, they need to be bright, the kind of fierce light that makes you want to take down even the trees. Add to that a smile that's more like a grimace, and if the Evil Sword doesn't come looking for you, it would be a disservice to your acting skills."

Yang Xiu: ...

He glanced at the comments in the live stream and almost burst out laughing, so he simply closed it and stopped watching.

In terms of off-site guidance, the players in the live broadcast room spoke eloquently and knowledgeably.

However, he felt that it might not be applicable in practice.

The tragic fate of a certain leader of the exploration party back then is the best example.

Under the guidance of a martial arts master off-site, he gradually broke down and finally cried in the live broadcast room.

That set of emojis is still one of the most popular emoji series on the forum.

He considered himself a good actor, and coupled with the lingering aura of despair emanating from him, he believed that any member of the Divine Artifact Clan who approached him would inevitably have designs on him.

Time passes while waiting.

As the sun dips westward, the sound of wind begins to rise in Qigu Valley.

Yang Xiu sat leaning against a giant rock shaped like a broken sword, his shadow stretched long by the light.

Outside the valley, however, it remained completely quiet except for the sound of the wind.

The aura of despair emanating from him was like a candle flame that was about to burn out, leaving only a faint flicker.

He wondered if his acting was too fake, so the evil sword lineage, which feeds on pain, simply ignored him.

This is practically an insult to his acting skills.

Unwilling to accept defeat, he decided to wait until the painful marks on his body faded before starting over.

Just as the setting sun painted the rift valley a dark gold, a streak of blue-purple light suddenly shot out from a hole in the cliff face, streaking towards him and hovering above his head.

Yang Xiu was instantly excited, then slowly raised his unfocused eyes and looked out blankly.

What arrived was a longsword, its blade seemingly forged from starlight, with a blue-purple aura flowing around its edge, sometimes transforming into arcs of electricity, sometimes condensing into stardust, and two rhomboid, dark blue gemstones embedded in the hilt.

The entire sword floated in the air, its blade trembling slightly in the airflow, emitting a soft sound similar to breathing.

After the analysis is completed, relevant information appears:
【Ghostly (Artifact Race)】:
Hunting level: 135.

Target Introduction: A descendant of the Evil Sword lineage of the Divine Artifact Clan, possessing the bloodline of "Star Devourer," one of the Eight Great Sword Masters. The sword body is forged from star mist, and the "Silent Gem" inlaid in its hilt is actually the core of despair, capable of arousing the deepest pain and obsession in the target's heart. It once lured and captured 128 beings of various races under the guise of "redemption," transforming their negative emotional energy into nourishment for its own advancement.

……

"Lost sheep, why do you wander alone in your suffering?"

The voice seemed to come from deep within the sword, gentle as a spring breeze across a lake, carrying a hint of sorrow.

After speaking, the sword light released by Youying swept across Yang Xiu's face, as if scrutinizing the despair in his eyes:
"All suffering in the world has an end. Is there anything I can do to help you, or perhaps I can help you find a way out?"

Yang Xiu remained silent, gathering his thoughts.

Unable to think of anything to say, he glanced at the live stream, then abruptly lowered his head, his shoulders trembling violently, and a hoarse voice escaped his throat:
"Help me? What can you do to help me?"

He deliberately made his voice hoarse, as if it had been sanded, and his raised eyes were bloodshot. Then, as if he had thought of something, a sudden madness flashed in his eyes:
"Or, how about granting me death?"

After speaking, he clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm.

Blood dripped from between his fingers onto the ground, mingling with the rising dust.

Youying's gaze lingered on Yang Xiu's face for a moment, and the air of compassion in her eyes grew even stronger.

“Young friend, it is fate that we met. The pain in your eyes is as deep as the ocean. How can I bear to see you trapped in it?”

Youying's voice grew even gentler, and the blue-purple sword light light lightly brushed across Yang Xiu's palm, instantly healing the wound.

"Do you know that emotions themselves are not shackles? Whether it is despair or pain, only by breaking free from them can you forge yourself into the sharpest weapon."

"If one can see through it, one can use its power to break through the thorns on the road ahead and create a new world."

Yang Xiu remained silent, continuing to stare blankly at You Ying.

“I know you are unwilling to accept this, otherwise there would be no embers in your eyes. But there is no such thing as a truly hopeless situation in this world, only a heart unwilling to break free… Young friend, would you be willing to tell me your story? I will definitely be able to help you.”

Yang Xiu leaned against the rock covered in sword marks, the struggle in his eyes almost overflowing:

"Can you really... really help me?"

His voice was trembling with tears, as if he doubted Youying's words, yet also had a desperate, all-or-nothing desire.

It's like a drowning person grabbing at the last straw, fearing that the straw will break easily, yet unwilling to let go.

The sight of the creature torn between despair and hope delighted Youying, who was suspended in mid-air. It felt it had found a perfectly fitting host.

"If we can capture it, we'll definitely have a feast," he then said.
"Since we've met by fate, I will do everything in my power to help you."

Youying's compassionate yet fervent demeanor perfectly embodies that of a truly devoted teacher who genuinely guides those who have lost their way.

Then, the blue-purple sword light gently landed on Yang Xiu's shoulder, releasing a faint warmth, as if making a promise.

Yang Xiu's Adam's apple bobbed violently twice, as if something was stuck in his throat, causing him to swallow some indescribable pain.

His fingers dug deep into his disheveled hair.

After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a barely audible sentence:
"If you can really help me, I'll go with you."

As soon as he finished speaking, as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders, Yang Xiu could no longer hold back his emotions and began to cry.

In truth, she was overjoyed.

They then cheered in the team voice chat:
"Brothers, a big fish has taken the bait, get ready to strike!"

　Here's 8300 words, please vote with your monthly tickets at the beginning of the month!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)