Chase Game

Meng House.

As the fire and riots spread, the elders in the Heavenly Pavilion also sensed that something was wrong and gathered in the room of the eldest elder on the 6th floor.

"This... could this be the divine bird's revenge?" The Sixth Elder looked on in surprise and uncertainty.

"Nonsense!" the second elder shouted sternly. "The divine bird has been suppressed; how could it possibly cause trouble again?!"

The elders didn't agree much with his words; they looked at each other, and finally all turned their gazes to the elders.

And what about this patriarch of the Meng family?

Look, he's standing there with his eyes closed, praying for his ancestors' blessings.

The battlefield that everyone was focused on had now entered a fierce stage of fighting.

The most intense and heated battle was between Zhang Qiang, the water ape in his [complete beast form], and Zhou Jie, the giant in his [steel-bodied giant form].

The two roared repeatedly, throwing punches and slaps at each other.

In contrast, there was the battle between Ling Yi and Ding Guifang.

Nowadays, Ding Guifang's flames are no longer a threat to Ling Yi, who possesses the three-piece set of the Executioner of Fire and has gained "full-body fire immunity".

The only two things to be wary of are her other methods besides fire, and Wang Yun, who is watching from the sidelines.

Before long, Ding Guifang also noticed the problem, and she frowned deeply.

Besides the trouble of not being able to deal with Ling Yi, she now has two other problems.

One of them is Mengdong, which is always hidden in the fog.

Secondly... her life essence was almost completely burned up.

If her strength weakens further by then, she will likely have even less chance of reclaiming [Phoenix Flame].

Seeing that Ling Yi had once again easily dodged her attack, Ding Guifang finally made up her mind.

She stopped the firebird beneath her, placed the oil lamp in front of her, and muttered incantations:

"Gods above, your messenger is devout and faithful. I will offer you a year of my lifespan in order to use your power to punish sinners."

A tiny spark from the oil lamp jumped out, and Ding Guifang swallowed it in one gulp.

Soon, tiny flames appeared on her body. She closed her eyes, and her body began to convulse uncontrollably, her face contorted as if in a spasm.

Ling Yi turned his gaze towards her, wondering what trick Ding Guifang was up to.

Meng Dong, though shrouded in mist, saw this as a golden opportunity. He reappeared from the mist and pointed directly at the oil lamp.

Wang Yun intervened again, but having learned from his previous failure, Meng Dong was certainly prepared.

When Wang Yun saw that his attack had easily dispersed Meng Dong's figure, he was not very happy. Instead, he sensed that something was wrong.

After "Mengdong" was dispersed, four more "Mengdong" appeared simultaneously from four directions, vying for the oil lamp.

"An illusion?!" Wang Yun exclaimed in surprise, but it was too late to make a move.

Meng Dong had almost touched the oil lamp when Ding Guifang opened her eyes.

Four "Mengdong" spontaneously combusted at the same time, three of which quickly dissipated, while one of them was the real Mengdong.

He winced in pain and released his grip, retreating abruptly. Fortunately, Zhang Qiang, who was distracted, quickly launched a water ball, extinguishing the fire on his body.

Ding Guifang had actually transformed into the appearance of a little girl.

"Is this the role she played, the original 'Afang'?" Ling Yi thought to himself.

In the story of "Fire," it was this Ah Fang who became a messenger of the gods and shared the burden that the Meng family had to bear.

So, what is her single-line mission?

Ling Yi couldn't help but ponder.

However, Ding Guifang had already turned her gaze to him. She reached out her right hand, took the oil lamp back, raised it high, and extended her left index finger, pointing at Ling Yi.

Suddenly, Ling Yi noticed that the [Phoenix Flame] in his hand was acting strangely.

Before he could activate [Burning Hand] to control it, [Phoenix Flame] flew away from his hand with a whoosh.

Ding Guifang had been looking half-dead just moments before, but now, I don't know what skill she used, she has become so strong.

[Phoenix Flame] flew straight toward the oil lamp in the air, but Wang Yun suddenly made a move and intercepted [Phoenix Flame].

Ding Guifang's lips, which had been curved into a smile, suddenly froze.

She suddenly turned to Wang Yun and glared at him angrily!

Wang Yun is vying with him for control of [Fengyan].

But what sets them apart is their determination!

Wang Yun intended to interfere, but Ding Guifang was determined to succeed, even at the cost of her lifespan.

Therefore, Ding Guifang conjured a firebird even larger than the one she had seen before, which suddenly crashed into the entire battlefield like a meteor.

If this attack lands, this whole area will probably be destroyed.

Zhang Qiang, of course, wouldn't allow it. He broke free from Zhou Jie and roared as he conjured a water sphere to deal with the situation.

The firebird also covered Wang Yun, who clearly did not expect that his small interference would provoke such a heavy counterattack.

He had no choice but to abandon [Phoenix Flame] and turn his attention to the Flame Bird.

With nowhere to hide in the fog, Meng Dong could only reveal himself and seek refuge beside Zhang Qiang.

Ling Yi had the three-piece set of the Executioner's Robe in Fire, so he wasn't worried, but he also needed to help Zhang Qiang minimize the damage to the Meng family mansion.

When everyone worked together to deal with the giant firebird, and then turned their attention to Ding Guifang in the sky, all they saw was a "small sun".

Upon closer inspection, Zhou Jie was the first to lose his composure. He pointed at the churning fireball in the air and cursed:

"Ding Guifang, are you trying to break the contract?!"

Zhou Jie was both shocked and furious, because he saw that at the center of the fireball was the divine bird egg he needed, and the egg was covered with cracks.

Ding Guifang stood to the side with her hands behind her back as the fireball slowly approached Zhou Jie.

"Hmph! If I were you, I would immediately abandon your identity as a 'treasure hunter' and become a 'messenger of God' to have a chance of survival," she said coldly.

Logically, since Ding Guifang obtained the Phoenix Flame, she should have given the divine bird egg to Zhou Jie, in order to abide by the established contract.

However, Ding Guifang played a little trick; she did not personally take over [Phoenix Flame], but only used the oil lamp's ability to control it throughout.

The system did not determine that she "obtained" it, so she did not need to hand over the divine bird egg to Sister Zhou.

Having been tricked, Zhou Jie gritted his teeth in hatred. Seeing Ding Guifang's posture, the divine bird egg was probably in danger. How could he complete his single-line mission then?

No, judging from Ding Guifang's words, she wants me to switch to the role of "God's Messenger" and do this single-line quest?!

He looked at the single-line quest for the Messenger of God on his panel—Resurrect the Divine Bird!

He looked again at the fireball flying towards him, and upon closer inspection, he also noticed something was wrong.

The life energy of [Feng Yan] has been absorbed too much, and it is no longer sufficient to completely baptize the divine bird egg. In the end, the only result will probably be the destruction of both of them.

Zhou Jie's eyes sharpened, and he suddenly understood Ding Guifang's intention.

"She wants me to become a messenger of the gods, to sacrifice my life energy, and to help the divine bird resurrect?"

Once Zhou Jie understood this, he realized that Ding Guifang was forcing him.

From the moment he betrayed Wang Yun, the single-path quest for the character "Wang Yun's confidant"—"helping Wang Yun become the head of the family"—became grayed out and could no longer be pursued.

Now that the divine bird egg is also going to be destroyed by Ding Guifang, his single-line quest as the "treasure hunter" is no longer viable.

The only path he could take was to become a "messenger of God".

If he were to sacrifice his life at this moment, it would mean giving up the main quest, but he could safely save his life.

Why did Zhou Jie want the divine bird egg? Wasn't it so that he could have a way to survive while fighting for the final victory in the main quest?

Now, the path is right in front of him, but he can no longer continue the game.

As for the rating, it certainly won't be very high.

Although he was furious, after some consideration, he reluctantly accepted it, since survival was more important than anything else.

"Okay...you're very good!"

After saying a few meaningless words, Zhou Jie began his sacrifice.

He charged towards the fireball, and after a piercing scream and a puff of white smoke, Zhou Jie was gone without a trace.

Everyone else present was horrified. Ling Yi thought to himself that even his three-piece set of the Executioner of Fire wouldn't be able to stop this fireball.

After absorbing Zhou Jie's life energy, the fireball gradually solidified, and the divine bird egg at its center slowly shattered.

An eerie silence fell over the battlefield as everyone watched the fireball's transformation.

Ding Guifang was visibly excited, her voice trembling as she murmured, "A god has descended to earth! A god has descended to earth!!"

The fireball continued to expand, and now it truly resembled a small sun.

Zhang Qiang unconsciously swallowed, exclaiming, "Goodness, this thing won't explode, will it?"

Meng Dong, who was standing next to him, was also a little scared. If this thing really exploded, wouldn't the entire Meng family be razed to the ground?

With this concern in mind, Zhang Qiang tentatively took action.

But now he is facing the same problem he encountered on the 7th floor of the Heavenly Pavilion: his water sphere was evaporated before it could even get close to the enormous fireball.

Zhang Qiang subconsciously turned to look at Ling Yi, hoping his good brother could give him support.

However, Ling Yi shook his head helplessly. His pool of good karma had been exhausted, so how could he transform into a "guardian" to provide buffs to his teammates?

Apart from Ding Guifang, the remaining four players were somewhat helpless and could only wait and see.

But the problem was that Ling Yi suddenly found that the fireball had become incredibly beautiful in his eyes, like a kaleidoscope that dazzled his vision.

He activated the white jade bracelet to pull himself out of that illusion.

Zhang Qiang, Meng Dong, and even Wang Yun were somewhat engrossed in watching, but before long, they were awakened by a clear cry.

That was the cry of a phoenix!

The reason for this thought is that everyone saw that within the expanding fireball, a divine bird, the "phoenix," was stretching its body.

But before anyone could get a good look, the divine bird suddenly spread its wings, and the flames it raised scattered in all directions, landing all over the Meng residence and setting it ablaze once more.

Zhang Qiang was trembling with anger; this was yet another challenge to his solo mission!

Ling Yi stared at the divine bird for a moment, then suddenly noticed something different.

Whether it's due to the characteristics of a divine bird or because it wasn't fully resurrected, this phoenix seems to lack a physical body and looks more like a fake phoenix formed from flames.

But seeing Ding Guifang's almost fanatical adoration, Ling Yi became somewhat uncertain again.

At this moment, Meng Dong realized that he seemed to have seen this scene somewhere before.

That's right, isn't that exactly what's depicted in the painting inside the dilapidated hut?

Could it be...

He took out the canvas he had obtained, and the moment the canvas appeared, it flew into the air beyond his control.

Meanwhile, the divine phoenix in the sky was also struggling in agony.

Ding Guifang's expression hardened. She looked around and then fixed her gaze on the blank canvas.

She unleashed a flame, but it was absorbed before it even touched the canvas.

Not only the flame she unleashed, but even the flames within the Meng residence were completely absorbed.

After the flames in the Meng residence were completely absorbed, everyone saw an aerial view of the entire Meng residence appear on the canvas.

That wasn't all; the canvas then aimed at the divine phoenix and began to absorb the flames from its body!

At this moment, everyone realized that this canvas was probably the [Transformation of Fire into Feathers] that the main quest was looking for, and it was also the key to this game.

Ding Guifang regarded the divine bird as a deity, and seeing it struggle was heartbreaking for her.

But if she wanted that [Transformation of Fire into Feathers] painting, she couldn't interfere.

Unexpectedly, the game's victory conditions now conflict with faith.

"Could this be... a test of my faith by the gods?"

The idea suddenly popped into Ding Guifang's mind, and she quickly affirmed, "Yes! That must be it!"

Having figured this out, she no longer cared about whether she would win the game in the end; she was only focused on saving the divine bird and trying to prove the sincerity of her faith.

But the other four players didn't think so.

Believe whatever you want, but if you get in my way, I'll beat you and your god to a pulp.

This is what the four of them truly thought.

Therefore, when they saw Ding Guifang attacking the canvas, all four of them tacitly stopped her.

Ding Guifang was at the height of his power at this time, but he still had to avoid the combined attack of the four.

Perhaps, subconsciously, she also hoped that someone would stop her.

In short, after Ding Guifang stepped back, she saw that the divine bird had been almost completely drained and appeared to be in great pain.

But at the same time, she was also prepared to compete for the [Fire Transformation into Feathers Diagram].

Like him, the other four also used their strongest methods.

Wang Yun's [Shadow of the Void] covers the entire field with gravity, and under this gravity coverage, his attacks can appear anywhere within it.

Zhang Qiang, transformed into a water ape, clenched his fists, and two streams of water quietly crawled up his arms from behind.

Meng Dong's "Mirage" once again filled the entire venue.

And Ling Yi—

[Reversed Hourglass] Identity reversed, the hunter's exclusive skill [Instant Karma] activated.

Karmic causes mark oneself—the Vajra Body!

Marked again—the body of the Vajra Arhat!

[Wind Speed ​​Shoes] Activated.

"Fire Executioner" three-piece set - Ember Burst, activated!

The current Ling Yi combines strength, defense, speed, and attack.

He also left two karmic marks, and even the incarnation of the pool of evil karma was left unused.

The moment the blank canvas completely absorbed the flames and successfully transformed into the [Fire Transformation into Feathers] painting, all five players attacked simultaneously.

However, not everyone's goal is the [Fire Transformation into Feathers Diagram].

Wang Yun and Ding Guifang were fighting alone, but Ling Yi was not; he had two teammates.

Zhang Qiang, needless to say, was naturally there to cover for Ling Yi. He aimed his attack at Ding Guifang, intending to hold her off for a moment.

Meng Dong, however, suffered a disadvantage due to his status and skills as a fugitive, and could only pin his hopes on Ling Yi.

It deceived Wang Yun with the illusion of mist, and he specially constructed a false "Fire Transformation into Feathers Diagram" for it, causing his attack to miss its mark.

Although Wang Yun and Ding Guifang were only held back for a short while, it was enough for Ling Yi.

He leaped into the air and grabbed the [Transformation of Fire into Feathers] diagram!

However, the main quest does not show that he has completed it, which means that things are not that simple.

Sure enough, after Ling Yi landed on the ground, a rumbling earthquake occurred.

Surprisingly, during the earthquake, mounds of earth quickly rose up from the ground, as if something was about to emerge from the soil.

There was one right next to Zhang Qiang. Ling Yi frowned and reminded him, "Qiangzi, get out of the way!"

But it was this moment of distraction from offering a reminder that caused Wang Yun to attack him. A giant hand in the void grabbed a corner of the [Transformation of Fire into Feathers Diagram] and yanked it sharply. Ling Yi instinctively tightened his grip.

And then, *sizzle*—

The "Transformation of Fire into Feathers" painting was torn in two.

Ling held one half and painted a building, while Wang Yun took the other half and painted a divine bird.

At this point, everyone present was dumbfounded. Was this thing really that fragile?

Soon, everyone's attention turned to the mounds.

These mounds of earth spewed out giant pillars of fire.

These pillars of fire poured onto the buildings of the Meng family mansion, quickly transforming it into a living hell.

The elders in the Heavenly Pavilion were now in despair.

After everyone opened their tightly closed eyes and painfully accepted that what they were seeing was not a dream, but reality, he said sorrowfully:

"This is the curse of the divine bird; we can't escape it after all..."