As soon as Yan Wei stepped out the door, he collided directly into Yan Mingguang’s embrace. Now standing straight, his gaze naturally fell on the man’s collar, where he could faintly see a swallow necklace hidden beneath it. Even though they had both regained their memories and data, Yan Mingguang still wore this swallow pendant necklace. Even after completely changing clothes upon entering this instance, he hadn’t put it away.
Yan Wei wondered if he could take this out of the tower as a memento.
His thoughts drifted back, and he said, “He sent me a message early on, but I haven’t checked the Black Ring and haven’t replied to him.”
This instance didn’t suppress anything; all the functions of the Black Ring could be used normally. However, after Yan Wei recovered his data, even his Body Index was the cumulative result of two Ascensions, making it higher than that of other Players who excelled in Body Index.
Not to mention his long-time expertise in Perception.
Since entering this instance, Yan Wei had been using his Perception to handle everything, rarely using Items, let alone the Black Ring.
With each step he took, countless images of Yan Mingguang and himself flooded his vision—bizarre deaths, and even words Yan Mingguang could never bring himself to say.
At first, Yan Wei’s emotions were slightly stirred.
Even though he knew these weren’t real, the false illusions could still momentarily stir the heart.
After taking a few more steps and seeing more, he instead developed a sense of detached curiosity. He even found a few scenes quite amusing, thinking of sharing them with Yan Mingguang after they got out. So, he took out the Black Ring to record a few images.
Only to find that such images couldn’t be recorded at all. Instead, he saw a message Song Cheng’an had sent that morning.
Yan Wei temporarily closed the projection view and said, “After I recovered my data, all the contacts I had added to the Black Ring before also returned, but…”
But most of the names were already grayed out.
Yan Mingguang slightly tightened his grip on his hand.
Yan Wei smiled, “Song Cheng’an is one of the few who survived from the people I knew the first time… Forget it, it’s all in the past. Anyway, he contacted me this morning, saying he had another Player with a very positive goal there, and they’re waiting for us at the Many Treasures Guanyin Hall now.”
Other Guanyin side halls surrounded the main hall. They had come out from the Scripture-Holding Guanyin Hall and could simply walk around the main hall downward.
Yan Wei and Yan Mingguang hurried toward Song Cheng’an, also discussing what had happened in the side hall earlier.
Yan Mingguang already knew, but he still listened to Yan Wei’s account before saying, “It came to find me too, asking me to go in, saying it was still time to accompany you in Descending the Tower.”
But he didn’t. He just stood at the door, waiting for Yan Wei to come out.
Yan Wei sneered, “I’ve already reached the top with you twice. How does it still think such illusions can sway me?”
“Because it is only evil. All the greed, anger, and delusion in the tower have been absorbed by it,” Yan Mingguang explained slowly, his tone filled with even more disdain than Yan Wei’s when mentioning evil thoughts. “Its root thoughts are different from ours. We can’t use normal human logic to understand it.”
It was something formed from the greed, anger, delusion, and evil of all Players in the Tower World over time. It didn’t even have a purpose for existing; it just wanted to continue existing because it had absorbed the desires of many Players who would do anything to survive, so it too wanted to exist for a long time.
Thus, it often tempted Yan Wei with the concept of “longevity,” which he utterly despised, even hoping for a handshake and peace.
They couldn’t understand the thoughts of evil from the perspective of good, and evil couldn’t understand Yan Wei’s pursuit of saving the world from its perspective of evil.
Yan Wei and Yan Mingguang intertwined their fingers, walking through the soft snow amidst the chants and incense.
He was about to reopen the projection view when his movement suddenly halted.
Yan Mingguang, pulled by him, also stopped and turned to look at him.
“Yan Mingguang,” Yan Wei called.
“Yes.”
“If you have any discoveries or thoughts, don’t decide on your own,” he finally said. “You must discuss it with me.”
Perhaps it was because, during this second Ascension, every time evil thoughts appeared, he and Yan Mingguang were always separated, giving him a subtle feeling. Or perhaps because they were nearing the end, Yan Mingguang’s presence felt increasingly vague to him.
Yet, Yan Wei’s heart grew clearer. He felt he shouldn’t be the one kept in the dark.
He vaguely sensed that back when he first Ascended, even if he discovered he had started over, he shouldn’t be told anything, letting himself regain his memories naturally.
Did he perhaps foresee this situation, foresee that Yan Mingguang might hide something, and prepare for it in advance?
He trusted Yan Mingguang, and he trusted himself. He trusted the self from his first Ascension.
If that was the case, then he would leave it to his own arrangements to resolve these vague matters. He only demanded that there be no diverging paths between him and Yan Mingguang, and that was enough.
They were almost at the Many Treasures Guanyin Hall where Song Cheng’an was waiting, but the two stopped in the snow. Their warm breaths condensed into tangible mist in the cold air, painting a few strokes of haziness between them.
Yan Wei held onto Yan Mingguang, waiting for the other’s soft “Yes.”
Only then did he reopen the main projection view.
Beneath the endless monument, across the entire Tower World where the massive four-sided projection could be seen, the Players fell silent as they watched Yan Wei leave the Scripture-Holding Guanyin Hall without looking back.
They hadn’t expected that Yan Wei truly wouldn’t be tempted by the Descending the Tower passage, that he truly harbored no trace of malice, not even a glance back.
Too many had been immersed in the Tower World for too long, forgetting the once habitual backbone and pride. The longer one lived on the edge of life and death, the more precious life became.
Over time, high-level Players adopted the attitude of rather not entering top-level instances than risking their lives, treating the Descending the Tower passage as a lifeline for retreat.
“Is it really possible to have no trace of evil thoughts in one’s heart…?”
“I can’t quite understand his act of abandoning the retreat… Now that the Descending the Tower passage is destroyed, if this instance later truly becomes like other top-level instances with near-wipeout difficulty, wouldn’t that mean giving up the chance to live?”
“This Yan Wei, could he be a newborn calf not afraid of the tiger? Is this his first time entering an instance above the 90th floor? Doesn’t he know that a single misstep in instances above the 90th floor could mean death? Meng Lin is already dead…”
“His ambition seems vast, not just aiming to ascend and leave.”
In the crowd, Xue Wan, holding a long sword, looked grim.
He remembered Yan Wei. Over half a year ago, in the 49th-floor instance, Yan Wei became the first to make him return in defeat.
Xue Wan was similar to Xu Miaomiao, a talent cultivated by a major organization like the Morning Star, destined to become a super high-level Player qualified to challenge top-level instances, replacing those who died unexpectedly in super high-level instances.
Before entering the 49th floor, he had never suffered such a significant loss.
When he emerged from the 49th floor, he learned that Yan Wei had not only defeated him but also other Seeded Players. He wasn’t the first, nor the last.
Xue Wan couldn’t help but feel somewhat unconvinced.
How could Yan Wei, while he was still challenging the 90th floor, directly enter a top-level instance and even lead a group of experienced super high-level Players at this moment?
He sneered, “Ambitious? Does he think he’s v? When v led many super high-level Players willing to follow him to their deaths in challenging the top, his goal was to end everything for all Players in the Tower World. Does Yan Wei have that capability?”
He was already a high-level Player, living near the endless monument, arriving early when the projection appeared, surrounded by quite high-level Players. They had all heard of v.
“What a pity v was… No one knows what happened in that top-level instance; v most likely died in the instance…”
“Even if Yan Wei is ambitious, he might not have such transcendent thoughts, right? Not everyone can be like v. Even if I had the ability, I wouldn’t challenge the tower’s authority.”
Standing not far away, Xiang Ying rotated his Buddhist bead bracelet, regretting not entering this instance that perfectly suited his skills, while recalling the attitudes of Lin Qing, Ding Xiao, and others toward Yan Wei in the 89th-floor instance he had just left.
The vague thoughts he had in the instance suddenly crystallized, clearly appearing before him.
Lin Qing and Ding Xiao were Players who had interacted with the legendary figure and were among the few who had seen v and survived to this day.
Their attitude toward Yan Wei was one of obedience and respect.
Xiang Ying was startled, almost dropping his Buddhist bead bracelet.
The more he thought, the more he felt the possibility was high!
He narrowed his eyes, looking at Xue Wan, and said, “Don’t speak too soon.”
Xiang Ying was a veteran super high-level Player who had been to the 89th floor several times and succeeded in instances above the 90th floor. His words silenced the surroundings; no one dared to contradict.
Xue Wan was taken aback, stunned for a while before saying, “What, do you really think he has that ambition? Having the ambition is one thing, but does Yan Wei have the corresponding strength? On the first day of the instance, everyone saw his confrontation with Yue Mang’s Yu Zhengqing. The Perception he released was only slightly more than Yu Zhengqing’s, and Yu Zhengqing isn’t a Player known for Perception. This data is far from that of the legendary figure, yet he dares to dream of doing the same thing?”
Xiang Ying shook his head.
Perhaps the speculation that Yan Wei was v ignited a bit of rebellion against the tower in him, or perhaps the image of Yan Wei not looking back even once stirred his long-suppressed backbone. In instances, he usually prioritized self-preservation, but now he impulsively said, “Then let’s bet on it. He has the strength and the character. I won’t bully you, a junior, and won’t bet Items. I’ll bet my life. Do you dare?”
The crowd gasped.
Xue Wan laughed, “Alright, I’ll bet with you.”
In the Many Treasures Guanyin Hall.
This main hall hadn’t been robbed, but the accumulated snow from the past two days had collapsed the eaves, so the Guanyin temple had closed this side hall along with it, temporarily prohibiting devotees from entering for the past few days. This conveniently provided Song Cheng’an and others with a safe spot to meet without encountering outsiders.
Currently, in the side hall, besides Song Cheng’an sitting on a cushion, there were three others.
Two of them, Yu Zhengqing and Lin Qiao, had loaded into the instance with Song Cheng’an initially, both from Yue Mang, with initial identities as Taoist priests delivering ritual implements to the Guanyin temple.
They had also encountered the other two Yue Mang Players in the instance, whose tasks were completely different, indicating they were from a different faction—Yue Mang’s super high-level Players weren’t without discord; they had long been at odds privately, so being assigned to different factions upon entry was normal.
The remaining person was circling Song Cheng’an, annoying him to the point of wanting to slaughter a teammate.
This person, Zhong Bufan, was affiliated with Broken Scythe, a Player with extremely high Perception. He was once a Blackbird Player but was expelled from the Blackbird headquarters by Lin Qing because he was too annoying.
Song Cheng’an hadn’t expected this Zhong Bufan to enter this instance, and likely to be in the same faction as him.
“…” Just thinking about it was annoying.
While waiting for Yan Wei, Zhong Bufan picked up a cushion and sat next to Song Cheng’an, saying, “Old Song, why aren’t you talking? I used to look for you in the Tower World, but you ignored me. I finally caught you this time; you must tell me everything. That instance you went through with v, I’ve watched it six times, but there’s one scene where all of you turned off your projection views. I still don’t know how v solved it. Tell me.”
Song Cheng’an turned around, his back to Zhong Bufan, saying, “I’ve told you before, it’s been too long; I’ve forgotten.”
Zhong Bufan picked up the cushion again, turning 180 degrees to sit in front of Song Cheng’an once more.
Song Cheng’an: “…”
Zhong Bufan: “Think again? I’m compiling a summary of v’s instance records, and I’m only missing a few details. That instance of yours has two.”
Song Cheng’an turned back to his original position, “Forgotten.”
It wasn’t really forgotten. Players at their level, even if not specialized in Perception, wouldn’t completely forget something. It was just that in that instance, he had been completely outclassed by Yan Wei and didn’t want to talk about it.
“Think again; how could you forget?” Zhong Bufan carried the cushion another 180 degrees, returning to the starting point, facing Song Cheng’an.
Song Cheng’an turned again, “Not everyone has a skill like yours, which is total recall.”
Zhong Bufan followed again.
Song Cheng’an was getting dizzy from turning, pressing his forehead, “Shut up.”
Zhong Bufan was a new super high-level Player who had just reached the 90th floor, not from the same era as Song Cheng’an. He rose when v had already disappeared with the secrets of that top-level instance.
But Zhong Bufan’s strength wasn’t lacking. His skill was total recall, excelling in Perception-related puzzle-solving methods, with top-notch instance deduction abilities. He always helped other Players organize all the details in every instance, making him an excellent team collaborator—provided the collaborating Players didn’t know v.
Zhong Bufan had thoroughly studied all of v’s instance records, recounting v’s publicly known deeds as if they were his own, constantly repeating that v’s deduction abilities were top-notch, while also wishing to have a chance to compete with v.
In short, Zhong Bufan had a complex mix of love and hate toward v.
Thus, when collaborating with super high-level Players who didn’t know v, he was a worry-free and formidable teammate. But when encountering those who had crossed paths with v and survived, he would pester them with endless questions until they were driven to silence.
Lin Qing had expelled him from Blackbird for this very reason.
Zhong Bufan wasn’t angered; he moved to Broken Scythe, continuing his love-hate relationship with v.
Seeing Zhong Bufan about to ask more, Song Cheng’an’s Perception had already connected with Yan Wei. His cold expression finally shifted slightly, saying to Zhong Bufan, “Yan Wei and the others are almost here. I advise you to stop talking now.”
He genuinely wanted to spare this current teammate’s life.
Beside them, Yu Zhengqing snorted, “Really going backward. To have us waiting here for a newbie among super high-level Players. That Yan Wei, and the other Blackbird ones with him, except for Lin Qing, aren’t they all newbies? Lin Qing is nowhere to be seen, yet we’re here waiting for them.”
Song Cheng’an lifted his eyelids, giving Yu Zhengqing a cold glance, remaining silent.
Lin Qiao, also from Yue Mang, still harbored thoughts about the events before entering the instance, and with the deep-seated animosity between Yue Mang and Blackbird, naturally couldn’t have any goodwill toward the Blackbird Players, saying, “We’ve already aligned our tasks and learned from other Players that there are definitely two factions. Next is to calculate how many Items we have to deal with the female ghost, then directly ask Yan Wei and that lunatic Lin Zhen to tell us about their Items.”
Song Cheng’an suddenly felt Zhong Bufan wasn’t that annoying anymore.
Yu Zhengqing said darkly, “Yes, with the four of us here, sitting and waiting for someone. One might think we’re here in such a grand manner, waiting for v.”
Zhong Bufan, who couldn’t sit still, was already walking around the hall, reaching the entrance, and still managed to say before Song Cheng’an, “I can’t agree with that. That Yan something Wei, who popped up from some unknown corner and hasn’t even been to the 90th floor, how can he be compared to v?”
At the same time, Song Cheng’an’s released Perception connected with Yan Wei, hearing him say via Perception: I’m here.
He immediately stood up from the cushion, his expression serious, hoping Yan Wei hadn’t heard the earlier conversation when he opened his Perception.
The next moment, the doors of the Many Treasures Guanyin Hall slowly opened, revealing a young man in the green robe of Guanyin Academy standing at the entrance, beside a man in white who was slightly taller, with snow-covered ground behind them.
His eyes, shaped like spring peach petals, naturally exuded a sense of amiability and gentleness, making him appear much more approachable than the man with a cool demeanor beside him.
Zhong Bufan, who hadn’t used Perception, hadn’t noticed anyone approaching. Standing at the entrance, he was suddenly hit by the cold wind blowing in from the opened door. Looking at the young man before him, he asked, “Who are you?”
Yan Wei smiled, “The Yan something Wei who popped up from some unknown corner and hasn’t even been to the 90th floor.”
Song Cheng’an: “…” He had tried.
Zhong Bufan: “…”
