The villain, caught in a chaotic situation, only wants to boost his popularity.

While watching the live stream and the barrage of comments, Mu Jing clicked the buy button.

[Loaned 4000 popularity points. Currently has 19000 popularity points.]

[Successfully purchased item - Real Contract - using 19000 popularity points]

Don't be fooled by the fact that this item has twice the popularity of [Divergence], it will be very useful in the second episode, [Tower of Echoes].

Or rather, only it could save Mu Jing's life.

The live stream was flooded with comments that instantly filled the screen, almost obscuring the view.

It seems the first episode's popularity far exceeded expectations.

The more viewers flock in, the more "popularity" he can gain.

That's how he can keep surviving!

The plot that follows is more thrilling than the last!

"Front row sofas! Selling sunflower seeds and soda!"

"I heard there was a battleground, so I came. Let's start tearing each other apart!"

"The person upstairs is overthinking it. How could the first episode be this fast-paced? But the atmosphere already has that palace intrigue feel to it!"

"Little Qiong is so cute with her innocent and adorable personality! I want to pinch her cheeks!"

While Xuehua says, "Girls shouldn't be hugged by boys so easily," she's probably thinking, "Jing-kun, you can only hug me!"

Mu Jing glanced at the comments and a slight twitch appeared on his lips.

The audience overestimated him; how could his clumsy "performance" possibly move Xuehua?

That's more like fooling the Holy Sword [Holy Judgment], that guy who doesn't have much intelligence.

In the original work, Xuehua never "melted" from beginning to end.

There's a reason why Ley is called the "Knife Company"—it's all knives wrapped in sugar!

If he could take a relaxed approach like some other publishing houses, like Leopard Publishing, Grapefruit Publishing, or Art Publishing, would he be struggling so much now? He could have easily taken down those whiny characters and turned the plot into a satisfying read.

"It's the Mirror Sky Blade!" He was explaining his encounter in the Mirror Domain maze to the three people around him.

When Xuehua heard him say that he had once jumped 4,000 meters, she suddenly gripped his hand tightly with her fingertips, and her worried gaze wrapped around him like vines, as if to say: Don't be afraid, I'm with you.

"So, Xiaoqiong, when did you become so amazing?" Xuehua's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Hmm... When did I become so powerful!" Qiong Ren tilted her head and repeated in confusion.

"It's the core of the Mirror Domain Labyrinth!" Mu Jing added promptly. "The Mirror Sky Blade has obtained core access, and combined with the Sky Blade's special abilities, it can amplify its power a hundredfold or even a thousandfold!"

This is also why the corrupted Qiongren was willing to guard the core of the maze; she essentially "stole" the entire Mirror Domain Maze directly from the demons!

Even if the Mirror Demon King himself were to come, having lost its core authority and fallen into an away game, it might not be able to defeat the corrupted Sky Blade in a head-on confrontation.

"Brother Mirror! If only I had let that mirror image person capture me! I could have gone and taken over the maze!" Eagle slapped his thigh, looking regretful.

"Hmm..." Mu Jing fell silent.

He simply couldn't understand Eagle's thought process.

However, Hawk's reason for thinking this way is probably because he concealed the true [cost] of the Skyblade ability, and they don't need to know about it now.

The true cost of the Dome Blade is the opposite of the orderly control of [psychic power] – "uncontrolled attraction".

Like a sponge absorbing water, she uncontrollably absorbed negative emotions, eventually giving rise to the alter ego "Darkened Qiongren".

The Mirror Realm Maze happened to mirror the corrupted Sky Blade as well, so that guy simply "possessed" the Mirror Sky Blade and even took some of its core permissions.

"We're here!" Qiong Ren interrupted Mu Jing and Ying Li's conversation, suddenly jumping in front of everyone and waving her small hand, "Welcome to the Sixth Holy Spirit Bureau!"

Mu Jing stood at the foot of the tower and looked up.

It's less like a tower and more like a cathedral-style castle.

On the spacious platform of the twentieth floor, three slender towers pierce the clouds like sharp swords.

The tower is connected at its waist by a crystal-clear skywalk.

Sunlight shines on the glass, refracting into an almost holy halo.

Qiong Ren activated his spiritual power, and the two glass doors, each three meters high, slid open slowly to the sides with a soft "ding," revealing a hall with light gray floor tiles inside.

"Brother Jing... I'm suddenly a little nervous." Yingli scratched his head, his voice tense. "What if we don't pass the entry test?"

"So you're just going to give up on saving the world?" Mu Jing didn't answer, but instead asked a question.

Eagle's eyes lit up instantly—like two clusters of ignited flames, all his previous apprehension vanished.

Actually, there are several branching storylines in the original work, and you can reach the ending without joining the Holy Spirit Bureau.

But what he needs now is "popularity," and joining the Holy Spirit Bureau has the most intense plot conflicts and is the most eye-catching.

The group walked toward the giant elevator in the center of the hall—an elevator so huge it was estimated to be able to fit fifty people.

Qiongren pressed the up button, the metal door slowly closed, and the car rose smoothly.

"I won't introduce the Sixth Holy Spirit Bureau!" Qiong Ren suddenly slumped down, his shoulders drooping. He pulled out a bag of potato chips from somewhere and said, "I'm hungry..." He then started crunching away, his cheeks puffing out like a little squirrel.

"bite--"

The elevator stopped on the 90th floor, and the electronic screen above the door flashed a few cold, large characters: Director's Office.

The door slowly opened, and the marble floor reflected the light from the overhead lamp, extending all the way to the mahogany door at the far end.

The group followed Qiong Ren over.

Qiongren pushed open the door, poked half his head in, then let out a "howl" and shrank back, hurriedly closing the door behind him.

"Oops! We have a guest! Excuse me!"

A clear female voice immediately came from inside the room: "Xiao Qiong, it's alright, come in. We were just talking about the demon invasion."

Behind the desk sat a woman dressed in a classic maid's outfit. She put down her bone china teacup and smiled with the elegance of a noblewoman in a medieval oil painting: "Please have a seat. Tell me about the situation of this demon-slaying expedition."

Her gaze swept over the crowd.

On the sofa opposite her sat a white-haired woman with golden eyes dressed in an office lady outfit.

Her long white hair was tied into a tight, ball-shaped bun at the back of her head.

The black pencil skirt at the waist perfectly outlines the woman's graceful S-curve.

The skirt hemline ends at mid-thigh, creating a tantalizing glimpse of the absolute territory between the skirt and the black stockings, resulting in a unique allure.

The stockings were delicate and clung to the skin, making the full lines of her legs even more alluring, and her calves shimmered with a soft sheen under the light.

Her skin was so white it was almost transparent, but her face looked like it was covered with a thin layer of ice, and even her eyes were cold.

"Mmm... When I arrived at the scene on campus..."

Qiong Ren sat on the sofa, munching on potato chips while mumbling something.

Everyone then sat down.

"Finally, I woke up, and then we defeated the Mirror Realm Labyrinth. Congratulations, congratulations!" Qiong Ren said, putting down his potato chips, standing up, and clapping.

At this moment, the white-haired woman finally put down her teacup.

Her gaze first swept over Mu Jing and Ying Li, and finally landed on Xue Hua.

Although her voice was cold and stern, her eyes softened slightly: "Xiaoxue!"

Xuehua blinked and asked, "Auntie? What brings you all the way from the First Holy Spirit Bureau?"

The white-haired woman did not answer, but her gaze fell on Xuehua's hand, which was tightly gripping Mujing's mirror.

Her tone turned colder: "Xiaoxue, is this man really as amazing as she says?"

Only then did Mu Jing get a clear look at the woman's face; she was a completely plus-size version of Xuehua.

"Xiao Qiong wasn't exaggerating." Xuehua nodded.

"Just an ordinary rank, and besides, you didn't even see it with your own eyes!" The white-haired woman's face remained expressionless, but her tone betrayed her anger. "Why should you believe him?"

"But the Mirror Realm Maze was indeed destroyed by Mirror Lord!" Xuehua raised her voice, meeting the woman's gaze without backing down.

"Mirror Lord?" The white-haired woman's voice suddenly dropped, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

She turned her head and looked at the woman dressed as a maid: "Director Sui."

"Um?"

"Let me test the quality of this batch of newcomers; consider it an entry assessment."

"Please go ahead."

Director Sui still smiled, looking at Mu Jing with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Jing suddenly felt a chilling aura, carrying a terrifying sense of oppression, surging from all directions...