Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

Centipede and the others were quite taken aback. Like Zuo Chang, they had no idea what was wrong with Commander Eagle.

"hiss……"

In the eerie silence, a low hissing sound rang out.

After gentle, nurturing treatment, the gecko on the stretcher regained consciousness. He sat up, looking around blankly: "General...I..."

Upon hearing the voice, Commander Eagle stepped forward and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Gecko's face was still a little pale, but he was much better than before: "I feel alright. Commander, what happened? Am I still alive? I remember... I was being chased by Marvin, and I should have died at his hands!"

Eagle Commander said, "We arrived just in time and saved you."

It turned out to be like this...

He saw Zuo Chang and asked, "Zuo Chang, what are you doing here? Didn't Ma Wen kill you?"

Zuo Chang smiled bitterly, "Ma Wen was in a hurry to catch you and didn't make a move against me. To be honest, in Ma Wen's eyes, I didn't even have the right to be killed."

"Hmph! Kid, don't act innocent after getting the benefit!"

Before the gecko could respond, the tall, thin man snorted and made a sarcastic remark.

Now that the gecko is awake, it can explain everything clearly.

He repeated Marvin's words and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "This time I'm really lucky. I didn't expect the intelligence system of Tianwang City to be so powerful. According to Marvin, there are their spies everywhere in Tianwang City!"

General Eagle wasn't too surprised.

He snorted coldly and said, "It seems... the relationship between Blood Rose and Qian Wuyi is closer than we imagined!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Chang looked up at him.

Commander Eagle continued, "Blood Rose was once General Heavenly King's trusted and beloved general. I don't need to explain how much the Heavenly King valued her. Blood Rose once served as the 'Chief of the Security Bureau.' Isn't the Security Bureau an intelligence agency? It seems... she's wasted all the skills the Heavenly King taught her on bribes! We need to be more secretive and careful in our future operations!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The logic is impeccable; it makes perfect sense.

Commander Ying looked at Zuo Chang and asked with a smile, "Mr. Zuo, you're going to the second floor, right? You know where the secret passage is."

Zuo Chang did not deny it. He smiled slightly and said, "Yes. My father was an adventurer and knew some secrets. Before I set off, he passed on a lot of experience to me."

"I see!"

General Eagle had no suspicions.

In an upgraded world, there is a so-called "first-mover advantage".

Everything that lower-level communities experience, higher-level communities have already experienced. It's normal for people from "higher planes" to know some little-known tricks.

Furthermore, it is a common practice for powerful families in higher-ranking communities to send their younger members to lower-ranking communities for training.

The dangers of the low-level community are limited and the risks are controllable; Lu Zheng is here to gain experience.

Commander Eagle said, “Zuo Chang, let’s not beat around the bush. You know where the secret passage is, so I can’t let you go. What if you go out and gather a group of people? Wouldn’t that be terrible for me? I’m going to forcibly take you to the second level, but I promise I won’t hurt you. In fact, I can assist you in achieving your goal… Do you understand what I mean?”

Zuo Chang laughed and said, "You're at the seventh realm, so you keep your word."

Commander Eagle smiled and nodded: "Please?"

Zuo Chang said helplessly, "Please."

Zuo Chang didn't know what Commander Ying was thinking. He also didn't dare to truly believe Commander Ying's words; it was simply that circumstances forced him to submit.

You can't beat them in a fight, and the other person is a suspected psychopath who keeps pounding on the wall and laughing out loud...

What can Zuo Chang do?

She can only be his father and do whatever he wants.

The people in front of me seem friendly on the surface.

Eagle Commander introduced his gang members.

I already know the gecko and the centipede. The tall, thin one is called a bat, and the short, fat one is called a toad.

The bat and the toad were relatively inexperienced and not so-called "top assassins." Their cultivation levels were also lower, only at the fourth realm.

"Alright! Let's go!"

At the command of Commander Eagle, a mechanism was turned to open the entrance to the secret passage.

He took the lead and jumped down.

The gecko had regained its mobility. Standing beside Zuo Chang, it said softly, "Zuo Chang, if we're talking about fate, we really are destined to meet again! Uh... Commander Eagle is a man of his word. He said he wouldn't harm you, so he definitely won't do anything to you. Don't feel guilty."

Zuo Chang, being understanding, laughed and said, "I understand. If I were Commander Ying, I'd probably be even more demanding than him."

The gecko patted Zuo Chang on the shoulder and jumped into the hole before him.

Zuo Chang turned his head and looked at the smiling centipede, bat, and others, feeling helpless.

He gritted his teeth and plunged into the secret passage!

……

……

The group of six entered and landed on a platform.

Commander Ying twisted the mechanism, closing the entrance to the secret passage. He pointed to a skeleton in the corner of the platform and said, "Zuo Chang, look!"

Zuo Chang looked up.

It was a withered, yellow skeleton, and it was unknown how long it had been dead.

It sat cross-legged, its left hand outstretched, and it was covered with a hooded coarse linen garment.

This is a first-time reward.

In the game, simply place your palm on the skull's outstretched left hand to receive "The Legacy of the Sages"—

Randomly upgrade the level of one skill and receive a grave-visiting quest.

After completing the grave-visiting task, you can also get three evolution points, which is a very generous reward!

If Zuo Chang came alone, he would definitely touch the skull.

just now……

It's a real shame.

Zuo Chang believed that Commander Ying would not give up these rewards to him.

Commander Eagle smiled slightly and said, "Didn't your father tell you that?"

Zuo Chang asked, "What did you say?"

"By striking palms against this skeletal hand, you can receive the legacy of the sages! You'll be given a free epiphany, allowing you to better master your skills! Moreover—you'll hear the sages' last words, fulfill their unfinished wishes, and receive additional benefits!"

Eagle General gestured with his hand.

He continued, "Go, this reward is yours!"

"??"

Zuo Chang was slightly taken aback: "For me?"

The centipede frowned, and the bat exclaimed, "General! How can such a benefit be given to an outsider! Didn't you say that your 'Cross Slash' hasn't broken through for a long time, and you could borrow the power of the sages to upgrade it to level 11?"

The toad also said, "General, think it over! This kind of opportunity... is rare!"

Commander Ying's expression turned serious, and he raised his palm, saying, "No need to say more, I've already made my decision! Zuo Chang, I've learned a wide variety of skills, and my improvement isn't necessarily limited to the Cross Slash... You take this opportunity. You're young, and you have a lot to offer!"

Zuo Chang was puzzled.

He glanced at the gecko instinctively; the gecko looked bewildered, equally surprised by Eagle Commander's decision.

Zuo Chang gritted his teeth and said, "Then I won't be polite?"

Commander Eagle smiled and said, "Go!"

Chapter 67 Longing is the emotion furthest from understanding

You can’t catch a wolf without risking your child.

Everything was for the plan; now the important thing is to show sincerity!

Commander Eagle firmly believes that his brilliant plan, which came to him in a flash of inspiration, will play a decisive role in the future!

However, Zuo Chang's assistance is essential for his plan to be implemented.

Compared to the fact that money is useless...

What is a single moment of sudden enlightenment anyway?

Give it to him, as long as he cooperates!

On the other hand——

Zuo Chang really couldn't understand what Commander Ying was trying to do. Was he trying to recruit talent?

It's not impossible.

Zuo Chang was very confident in his abilities. Putting aside everything else, just the healing ability he had shown earlier was something that probably not even one in ten thousand adventurers could do!

He also knew that Commander Eagle was no ordinary adventurer; he was very ambitious.

Ambition needs to be supported by strength.

If one does not have the spirit of Zhou Gong spitting out his food to welcome guests, and the courage to win the hearts of the people, and cannot treat the virtuous with respect and sincerity, how can one achieve hegemony?

"Who cares! Whether I take it or not is a fool's opinion, I just happen to need evolution points!"

Zuo Chang steeled his heart, stepped forward, squatted down, and met the Skeleton Palm's palm in combat—

You press your hand against a skeletal hand, and inexplicably feel a connection. You sense a desolation, the heartache of unrequited love, the helplessness of unfulfilled desire. An ancient covenant transcends time and space, forged in this moment. You feel a profound connection, receiving a mandate from the sages.

[With the help of the sages, the skill level has increased. Swift Wind Sword Technique (Level 11, Returning to the Roots → Level 12, Returning to Simplicity).)

[You have mastered the second ultimate technique of the Gale Sword Art: Sealing Dust and Severing Thoughts Slash.]

[There is a grave in the Sky City, located in the southwest corner of the first floor, hidden under the shade of trees. Please bring a bouquet of white chrysanthemums and place it before the grave as a token of your condolences.]

A series of prompts appeared before their eyes, and the skeleton sitting cross-legged on the ground suddenly disintegrated into dust.