Absolutely legitimate Star Iron, I've awakened the Underworld System?

　"Okay, is that good enough?"

　Bai Qiong dared not watch any longer; he feared that watching any more might give rise to wicked thoughts.

　"No, no, this feels too perfunctory. How about... Mr. Bai Qiong, you take me for a walk around so we can get a feel for it?"

　Bai Qiong: "Wait, what are you saying? Did I hear that right?!"

　"Ding!"

　[Target character Su Chang's corruption value increased by 6%]

　Current corruption level: 6%

　[Trigger keyword: Exposure in the wild]

　[Please keep trying, host. Is it possible that your unintentional action might actually uncover the truth? ...]

　……

　"Um... Mr. Bai Qiong, oh no, Master, I think... my bladder is a little uncomfortable..."

　"No, there are still a few demonic monsters over there. Just bear with it, let's go somewhere else... See that coral reef? Let's go there..."

　"Oh……"

　……

Novel Group Six*; Four

8457*

;64*;5

　Just as Su Chang's transparent liquid parabola appeared, the system also issued a notification sound.

　"Ding!"

　[Target character Su Chang's corruption value increased by 8%]

　Current corruption level: 30%

　[Trigger keyword: easing restrictions]

　[Please keep up the good work, host. We suggest finding the dog a lamppost and teaching it to lift one leg.]

　[Mission complete. The reward for "The Truth of the Golden Man Alley Incident" has been credited to your account. Please check.]

　[New Task: Increase Su Chang's corruption value to 50%]

　[Quest Reward: Guidance from the Morning Star.]

　[Guidance from the Morning Star: Perhaps the truth will only lead to greater mysteries, but so what? I believe my master will complete the subsequent tasks in order to find direction.]

　Although he didn't know why Su Chang's corruption value increased by 30% just from being led around once, Bai Qiong obviously had no time to think about it at the moment.

　A flood of fragmented information poured into Bai Qiong's mind, like a raging storm, assaulting his consciousness.

　Bai Qiong stood frozen in place, beginning to process the information he had just received...

　A moment later, his pupils contracted sharply, a wave of shock and disbelief coursing through his body like a cold electric current. His lips trembled slightly, and he finally uttered these words—

　"Holy crap! So that's what it was all about!"

Chapter 55: I had a blast racking up Corruption Points (4.2K)

"Holy crap! So that's what... the hell is going on!"

Bai Qiong's voice wasn't loud, but it sounded particularly loud in the relatively quiet Lin Yuan Realm.

Su Chang was startled by the sudden shout. She remained in the same position, the strange feeling making her somewhat uncomfortable, but what bothered her even more was Bai Qiong's reaction.

"Bai Qiong... why did you suddenly start cursing? Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Shall we start over?"

Su Chang's voice trembled noticeably with apology, and her clear eyes were filled with doubt and grievance.

She cautiously raised her head to look at Bai Qiong, afraid that she had done something wrong.

Bai Qiong then came to his senses and realized that he had been somewhat out of control. He quickly waved his hand, trying to calm Su Chang down.

"No, no, it has nothing to do with you, it's my own...my own problem."

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "I want to sit down and clear my head." Bai Qiong looked around, trying to find a place to sit. But all he could see were jagged rocks and wet sand.

Su Chang also looked around, then hesitated before asking, "Where...where should I sit?"

It's not really convenient for her to sit down right now; the surrounding area is full of hard rocks and slippery sand, making it impossible for her to sit comfortably.

"Then let me hold you."

Before Su Chang could respond, Bai Qiong had already bent down and gently but firmly lifted her up.

Su Chang's petite body was as light as a feather, and he held her steadily in his arms.

The girl's body stiffened instantly, like a taut string, but she quickly relaxed and entrusted her weight to Bai Qiong.

Bai Qiong adjusted his posture, allowing Su Chang to sit in his arms at a more comfortable angle.

"That should make you feel better," he asked softly, his tone filled with concern.

Su Chang nodded slightly, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

Bai Qiong found a relatively flat rock, carefully sat down, and adjusted the position of holding Su Chang so that she could lean against him more naturally.

Su Chang's back was pressed against Bai Qiong's warm and firm chest, and she could clearly feel his steady heartbeat, one beat after another, like rhythmic drumbeats, striking her ears and vibrating her heart.

Bai Qiong lowered his head and gazed at the obedient Su Chang in his arms. The girl's profile was delicate and beautiful, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.

A gentle sea breeze, carrying a faint salty scent, stirred their hair, and everything around them seemed to become quiet and peaceful.

Bai Qiong took a deep breath, trying to sort out his chaotic thoughts, and slowly opened his mouth. His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue.

"When I thought I had uncovered the truth about Golden Man Alley..."

His voice paused, as if he were choosing his words carefully, or as if he was trying to organize his chaotic thoughts.

"But it turns out things aren't as simple as they seem."

Bai Qiong's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself, or as if he were confiding in Su Chang, slowly pouring out the confusion and bewilderment that had been building up in his heart.

"I can't count on Tabu, and I don't know Elio. Just when I didn't know what to do, and even developed a fear of the unknown..."

His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"You suddenly sent me a big surprise, and I suddenly realized that this matter is both simple and complicated."

Bai Qiong paused, as if organizing his thoughts.

Su Chang was completely confused. She blinked and looked at Bai Qiong with a blank expression.

"No...no, Bai Qiong, what are you talking about? You're just making things more complicated for me. How come I gave you a big one again? I don't understand."

She gently shook her head, indicating that she didn't understand what Bai Qiong was talking about at all.

Looking into Su Chang's clear, innocent eyes, eyes untouched by the pollution of knowledge, Bai Qiong felt a pang of helplessness.

He knew that with Xianzhou Dingzhen's comprehension ability, explaining these complicated matters to her would be harder than climbing to heaven.

Do you know what memes are?

Bai Qiong tried to take a different approach, starting with a relatively straightforward concept, although she didn't know if she had ever heard of this term before.

Su Chang tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I've never heard of that... Wait, I think I heard the teacher mention it, but I fell asleep during that class."

She stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed.

Bai Qiong sighed, he should have expected this outcome.

"Let me think of a way to put it in a way that you can understand."

He rubbed his temples, trying hard to think. Su Chang couldn't help but laugh at Bai Qiong's troubled expression.

"Oh dear, this is too much trouble. I'm just asking you, is there some other crisis behind the current situation with the Immortal Ship, or even some bad guys involved? Are you going to save the Immortal Ship?"

She skipped over the complicated concepts and got straight to the point.

Bai Qiong paused for a moment, then nodded. "In a sense, yes..." "Then that settles it! What else do you have to explain?"

Su Chang's face lit up with excitement. She waved her little fists, looking eager to try.

"You're right, there's really no need to say so much. After all, I'm at the center of this, so let's just get to work!"

Bai Qiong breathed a sigh of relief. In a way, communicating with an idiot was quite easy.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

She asked impatiently, as if she was ready to make a big splash.

Bai Qiong looked at Su Chang, but did not answer immediately; instead, he fell into deep thought.

Looking at Su Chang's innocent yet vibrant face, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

According to the information provided by the system, the reason why Jinren Alley has undergone such a big change is essentially due to "meme pollution".

This event is also recorded in several subsequent versions of the story, "The Evil of Bananas and the War of Intolerance".

It was through this meme virus that Dr. Original caused the banana chaos in Pinocchio, making many people mentally unstable, and even turning them into monkeys.

Memes can overlap, and viruses are no exception. In that incident, Mr. Rick "edited" out the ninja virus from the wandering memories, disrupting the monkeys' synesthetic dreams, which resolved the situation.

The current situation is actually similar to that time. It's a new meme virus, only this time it has spread throughout the entire universe.

Everyone's consciousness has been affected to varying degrees, gradually becoming more globalized.

The world of Jinren Alley in Xianzhou is just a small microcosm influenced by memes.

In fact, apart from the Star God, only a very few people know the principle behind this disaster.

Upon closer reflection, the attitudes of the train crew towards himself and March 7th, as well as the future predicted by Elio, are all inextricably linked to this meme.

Although the system did not tell Bai Qiong who spread this meme, at least he knew the principle behind the event, so he was no longer running around like a headless fly, unable to find the answer and only able to guess wildly.