Volume Two, The Devil's Game Chapter Seventy-Four: Fury and Covert Struggle

Lu Yi lay on the bed with a faint smile. Not long ago, he had checked the status of his faction in the Trial World and bestowed magical runes upon several individuals, including Ke Yunyao. The faction under Ke Yunyao’s leadership was currently flourishing, presenting a thriving and prosperous scene.

Before leaving, Lu Yi brought out several boxes of compressed food from the Trial World, saving a considerable expense. At that moment, the Holy Lion’s Protection Ring on his finger suddenly began to pulse.

He raised his hand and noticed the lion-headed ring flickering intermittently, showing signs of instability. Alarmed, Lu Yi immediately sat up from the bed.

“What’s going on?” He reached out to touch the ring. Though he could physically feel it, layers of overlapping illusions kept appearing around it.

He muttered to himself, “Could it be that the impact of pressing the ring against the Guardian during the attack, or the effect of the Guardian’s sealed equipment, has damaged the ring? That shouldn’t be the case. There were no warnings back then, nor any prompts upon returning to the city.”

At that moment, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in Lu Yi’s mind: “Please be advised, the lifespan of the individual linked to your equipment, Katarina, has only three days remaining. This equipment will automatically be destroyed upon the individual’s death. This equipment was gifted by a person from the Trial World. If you wish to retain it, please proceed to the Maintenance Zone within three hours for preservation. Note that even if the equipment is preserved after Katarina’s death, its special abilities will be lost. Maintenance will cost 17,000 reward points.”

Katarina was dying? Lu Yi’s face filled with disbelief. How could this be? What had happened? That round of trials had ended long ago, so why was Katarina suddenly dying now?

Clenching his fists, memories of Katarina flooded Lu Yi’s mind: the first visit to her, accidentally absorbing the original witch’s blood to reactivate his magical eyes and enhance his physique. He also recalled how, despite knowing her limited lifespan, Katarina remained kind-hearted, unresentful toward fate or others.

A sigh escaped Lu Yi’s lips. Meeting Katarina had been his first opportunity upon entering the Mist City. Thanks to her original witch’s blood, Lu Yi had made a great leap forward, surpassing many newcomers who entered alongside him.

Furthermore, it was through the spell Katarina left behind that Lu Yi survived a car accident and received help from Helian Xun and others.

Before acquiring the Guardian’s core, Lu Yi was helpless, wielding powerless demon hunters. Apart from that, only the Holy Lion’s Protection Ring had offensive capabilities. In fact, the ring Katarina had given him was one of the few weapons Lu Yi had.

This ring had also helped him defeat the first Guardian and played a crucial role in the fight against the last Guardian.

“No, I must see for myself.” After saying this, Lu Yi quickly changed his clothes, glanced at the ring, and vanished from the bedroom.

The autumn wind stirred the grass into waves of green. Beneath the golden maple trees, a blonde girl sat in a wheelchair, cloaked in thick clothing. She gazed longingly at the swaying grass before suddenly sensing something, raising her head to look in a direction.

A flicker of joy and emotion crossed Katarina’s eyes. She blinked, slightly turning her head to call out behind her, “Senior sister.”

“Are you going back, junior sister?” A short-haired woman approached Katarina’s side.

Katarina glanced once more toward that direction and nodded faintly.

The short-haired woman gently pushed the wheelchair, turning it slowly.

“Katarina.” Lu Yi called out from afar upon seeing the scene.

Katarina’s body trembled but eventually turned her head.

Having run nonstop since landing, Lu Yi’s chest heaved heavily, his clothes clinging to his body from sweat.

“That’s him,” Katarina nodded at the short-haired woman’s words. The woman glanced at both of them and whispered into Katarina’s ear, “I’ll leave you two alone to talk.”

With that, she stepped aside, leaving space for Lu Yi and Katarina.

Lu Yi hurried forward and crouched before Katarina. His magical eyes observed her life force, now flickering far weaker than when he had inadvertently drawn blood from her before, as if a gust of wind could extinguish it.

“Katarina, what happened?” Lu Yi asked gently.

“I…” Katarina opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden autumn breeze made her shiver.

“Do you live nearby? Let’s go inside and talk.” Lu Yi said, pushing the wheelchair toward the short-haired woman’s place.

Along the way, Lu Yi and Katarina exchanged words, and Lu Yi sensed some inconsistencies. Initially, when hearing the city’s alert, he thought Katarina had sustained a severe injury, but now it seemed her lifespan was simply running out.

But this made no sense. When he left, Katarina still had twenty years left. And she looked roughly the same now, indicating not much time had passed. So where had her lifespan gone?

Suddenly, Lu Yi’s hands trembled. He recalled the vague mention of a major event by the city. Could it be because of that? Yet, no matter how he probed, Katarina remained unwilling to mention it.

Soon, Lu Yi arrived at a mysterious manor.

“It’s you.” The muscular man who had attacked Lu Yi last time shook his head upon seeing him and then patted Lu Yi’s shoulder wordlessly.

Feeling the sorrowful atmosphere in the manor, Lu Yi gritted his teeth and said, “I think I have a way.”

Katarina looked at Lu Yi in surprise but shook her head softly, “No need.”

“You truly are as loyal and righteous as the junior sister said.” The short-haired woman regarded Lu Yi appreciatively.

Then she lowered her head, tenderly stroking Katarina’s golden hair. “But it’s useless. Since the junior sister’s condition worsened, we have tried everything. After taking the Return Fruit, regular longevity medicines no longer work on her. Besides, her time is short. Even if there are effective medicines, they exist only in extremely dangerous secret places, impossible to reach within days. Instead, why not stay these few days and talk with the junior sister more?”

Hearing this, some people standing out of Katarina’s sight silently nodded at Lu Yi in resignation.

Frowning, Lu Yi thought perhaps other medicines were too low quality to be effective. He glanced at the description of an item in his possession and his expression brightened. Looking at everyone, he said loudly, “No, I mean I have it on me.”

He took out the Fleeting Bloom and pinned it to Katarina’s neck. At that moment, the ordinary-looking flower suddenly blossomed brilliantly, emitting an intoxicating glow. But within two seconds, the radiance vanished, and the flower turned to withered dust, drifting away on the wind.

Lu Yi watched silently as the item that had protected him twice disappeared completely into the breeze. At that instant, Katarina’s head suddenly tilted, and she fainted in the wheelchair.

“Junior sister!” “Katarina!” Everyone exclaimed in shock.

Lu Yi hurried over, but after checking her status, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The short-haired woman quickly knelt to examine her, then also relaxed. “It’s fine. She suddenly absorbed a large amount of life energy and hasn’t adapted yet, so she just fell asleep. Her vitality is much stronger now. If she doesn’t use the original witch’s blood again, her life should be secure for at least five years.”

Everyone finally relaxed upon hearing this. The woman nodded to Lu Yi and said, “I’ll take the junior sister to rest.” She then pushed the wheelchair aside.

---

Lu Yi soon found the muscular man again. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

The man sighed heavily, his voice filled with helplessness, resentment, and regret.

He shook his head. “Follow me.”

Leading Lu Yi into his room, the man plopped into a chair and waved his hand. “We’re all men here; don’t be polite, sit anywhere.”

He smacked his lips. “Where to start?”

“Let’s start from when Katarina took the Return Fruit,” Lu Yi suggested.

“Alright.” The man nodded and began to recount. “After the junior sister took the Return Fruit, her lifespan increased by twenty years. But during that time, a lot of bad news came our way. Signs of disaster in the prophecy became more apparent. Many families and factions patrolled the predicted areas, trying to prevent the catastrophe. But the disaster still struck.”

The man spread his arms. “In the blink of an eye, a city vanished before dozens of witches’ and demon hunters’ eyes.”

“A city disappeared? Do you mean the people?” Lu Yi asked, puzzled.

The man corrected him, “Not just the people — the entire city, buildings and all, disappeared as if they never existed. Only a large, perfectly flat circular pit remained where it once stood.”

Flat all around and at the bottom? Lu Yi’s eyes widened in surprise. With his knowledge, such power could only be wielded at difficulty level two or higher.

The man added, “You probably don’t know what flat means here. Tree roots and building foundations were completely gone—not torn out by force, but erased as if they never existed.”

Lu Yi’s eyes bulged. “Who could have done this?”

The man sized up Lu Yi. “You don’t need to know who did it given your ability. Even if you did, you couldn’t do anything. It’s probably connected to my junior sister.”

Lu Yi was stunned. So Katarina’s condition wasn’t just caused by that disaster.

The man pulled a crystal ball from a drawer and tapped it. Images appeared within.

He continued, “Gathering experts from major families and factions, we quickly grasped the situation. To prevent it from spreading, we began sealing that thing. But it was too powerful. To seal it, we had to use original witch’s blood. Everything went as planned until a group suddenly charged out, shouting not to abandon potential survivors, and broke into the half-formed seal.”

“We couldn’t let them run wild; after all, we worked hard to reach that level; everyone’s life is precious. So we continued sealing, but their allies appeared and obstructed us. Strange creatures also burst out, causing chaos.”

“In the end, to seal that thing, the junior sister burned through over 90% of the lifespan she just gained. Most others with original witch’s blood died in that battle.”

Lu Yi stared at the crystal ball. On the screen, a group wearing wristwatches emerged from a twisted space. Though bloodied, their faces wore victorious smiles. No locals accompanied them.

This was no rescue mission—it was clearly a plundering operation. Among them, Lu Yi recognized the Black Shark emblem, linking these people to the Black Shark Squad.

Clenching his fists, Lu Yi felt a surge of anger.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open. The short-haired woman stormed in angrily. “Guo Kuang, how could you tell him this?”

After yelling, she faced Lu Yi. “Lu Yi, don’t get involved in this. Neither side is someone you can provoke. You’re very important to my junior sister. Longevity medicines are scarce. While things are calm, spend more time with her. Better yet, travel with her and see the world.”

Her voice choked with emotion. “After all, people like my junior sister rarely live a full lifespan, and their end is often tragic.”

Hearing this, the muscular man, who had looked defiant, fell silent.

Lu Yi sighed, knowing well that was the best course, yet as a trial participant, he was destined to enter another world soon.

He lowered his head heavily, a fierce light flashing briefly in his eyes. In a deep voice, he said, “I will become stronger. I will find a way to truly save Katarina. And I won’t let those people go.”

Lu Yi spent several days with Katarina in this world before returning to the city, ready to face his first trial after the newcomer phase.

Meanwhile, a stunningly beautiful woman with an ethereal aura appeared slowly in a desolate, eerie forest. She glanced around but made no move. The trees swiftly retreated, revealing a dilapidated wooden cabin.

“Old Guo, I’m here.” Her lips moved softly, but the faint voice echoed mysteriously.

“Haha, so it’s the Dream Fortress Lord.” The cabin twisted, and an elderly man with a stooped figure appeared before her, stroking his long beard. “Dream Fortress Lord coming to this barren land is a great honor.”

Old Guo scrutinized the woman, seemingly pondering her purpose.

Dream Fu offered a captivating smile and held out a card between her jade fingers. “I’m here to discuss the use of permissions.”

Old Guo frowned, then his expression changed. “You mean that human Lu Yi?”

Seeing Dream Fu nod, Old Guo’s brow furrowed deeper. “He hasn’t been through many worlds yet. Using that chance now is premature.”

Dream Fu smiled. “Some things are better done sooner rather than later. If we wait until most of our people approve, there won’t be much room to act.”

Old Guo seemed to be calculating. Dream Fu glanced at the bare branches around. “You aren’t planning to discuss this here, are you?”

“Haha, my apologies. Dream Fortress Lord, please!” Old Guo waved his hand, opening a glowing portal.

They quickly took seats. Dream Fu pushed the card to Old Guo. “This is the world I chose.”

Old Guo was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly. “So the Dream Fortress Lord has already picked one.”

He took the card, but his expression froze upon reading it.

After a long pause, Old Guo said slowly, “Dream Fortress Lord, this world might be problematic. According to the Great Rule, Lu Yi’s next world should have high growth potential with hidden opportunities.”

Old Guo studied the card closely. “The world you chose does have potential, but it resembles a floating city, unreachable without steps to ascend. The base rewards are mediocre at best, possibly ranking among the lowest. This kind of world with poor surface rewards but drastically increasing difficulty once explored deeply probably can’t be managed at difficulty one.”

“If we’re using this precious chance now, we should pick a world that is easier and rich in resources—preferably one we control.”

Dream Fu chuckled and shook her head. “Old Guo, under difficulty one, has any world we intervened in ever delivered all its benefits fully to the chosen individual?”

“Since we’re using this chance, it will surely be detected by the other two factions. Why not focus on other aspects, such as ensuring the benefits are guaranteed to be shown to Lu Yi, no matter the interference?”

Old Guo frowned but carefully reread the card. His brow gradually relaxed. “Also, we’ve only rearranged the world sequence, not transferred resources. The high-growth world Lu Yi missed will come later and not return. Not bad, Dream Fortress Lord. It seems this world is just right.”

Dream Fu smirked mischievously. “That’s not all. Look at the timing.”

“Oh?” Old Guo was initially puzzled, but then his eyes lit up. Stroking his beard, he smiled. “You, huh?” He pointed at Dream Fu.

Dream Fu nodded, smiling. “In that case, let’s use the Handwritten Edict.”

Both took out half of a jade slip and joined them. Chanting softly, the fractured edges glowed with colorful light, merging into one before vanishing into the void.

As the jade slip disappeared, two other locations sensed it.

“Sir!” A silver-armored guard rushed into a grand hall. “Sir, the Demon Clan has used interference permissions in a difficulty one adventure world.”

Inside, two men played chess. One wore white robes embroidered with gold thread.

“Oh? They dare act again? Haven’t they learned their lesson?” The man took the intelligence report and smiled at his companion. “Tang, guess how much value they prepared for that person in the chosen world.”

Tang smiled. “They were defeated last time; this time they must have gone all out. I bet at least 120,000 worth of resources.”

The white-robed man chuckled. “Tang, you’re too conservative. 120,000 won’t beat our openly chosen person. Twenty thousand, maybe thirty thousand if we consider interference from the other faction, that’s more like it.”

“True.” Tang waved his folding fan. “Shouldn’t we interfere too? Otherwise, they’ll have the advantage.”

“Of course.” The white-robed man handed Tang the report. Tang scanned it and immediately changed color.

He slammed his palm on the table, standing angrily. “Is this report true?”

“Absolutely, sir,” the guard replied cautiously.

“Impossible!” Tang threw the report onto the table and paced. “Such a world’s true benefits aren’t for difficulty one to touch.”

The white-robed man frowned reading the report. “Why this world? It’s not favorable to their faction. How do they plan to funnel resources to that person? They can’t just scatter them on the streets.”

He took a deep breath. “Could it be they found a prodigy capable of mastering this world with just difficulty one strength and pocketing all the benefits? If so, this timing couldn’t be better.”

“No, that can’t be. Prodigies aren’t so easy to come by. The person we chose is definitely the best,” Tang argued firmly.

He took a few steps then sat. “Now the question is, should we send people to intervene? Who?”

The white-robed man fell silent. If their chosen person could truly master the world alone, sending anyone would be futile—even Tang’s favored candidate.

But since the three factions had caught wind of this intelligence, if the Demon Clan intervened and another faction sent people too, and their Heavenly Realm remained inactive, they would be mocked by both sides next time they met.

They exchanged a glance and nodded. Intervention was necessary. Not intervening brought only harm, intervening only benefits. No need for elites; some mid- to low-tier operatives would suffice. Their task: disrupt the Demon Clan’s favored person and report back on them.

The white-robed man pondered. “Tang, who should we send?”

Tang thought briefly. “The White Tang Squad fits this mission.”

The man nodded. “True, the White Tang Squad isn’t elite but seasoned. They’ll survive longer and provide detailed intel.”

He pulled out a jade slip, murmured, and let it fly into the air. Smiling, he said, “Come on, Tang, let’s continue.”

But as he stepped forward, a jade slip shot into the chessboard. His expression immediately darkened.

Tang jumped up. “What’s going on? Our jade slip was rejected? Has the Demon Clan sealed off that world?”

“No,” the white-robed man’s face soured. “It means the number of participants has exceeded the limit.”

“What?” Tang grabbed the report and understood. “Damn it,” he crumpled the papers and threw them down. “The other faction must have nearly filled the slots.”

Though displeased, the white-robed man remained calm. “Then we’ll have to expand the number of participants.”

“Expand participants? Sending the White Tang Squad means eight people.” Tang frowned, clearly reluctant. Increasing trial world slots was costly.

“Alas.” The white-robed man sighed. “Too expensive. We’ll pick a smaller squad.”

They quickly pulled out a list and chose another team.

Meanwhile, a similar discussion unfolded in a sprawling mansion. They took longer deliberations, but after choosing their team, they too faced the same situation.

When they opted to expand participants on an already expanded world, their expressions were even more dramatic—because expanding on an expanded world cost even more than the previous faction did.