Chapter 176: Handling Xue Yang in Just Two Steps

The full name of the Federation was the United Community for Human Destiny.

Legend has it that several thousand years ago, a planet called Deep Blue Star suffered a cataclysmic explosion.

The survivors from Deep Blue Star boarded starships and fled their planet, eventually arriving here to settle. They integrated with the local natives, and their descendants eventually grew into the present-day Federation.

The Ruins had existed since the very beginning. They were immeasurably vast and perpetually shrouded in fog.

This fog was highly toxic, capable of corroding skin, the respiratory tract, and more. The damage it caused was almost irreversible.

The Federation’s territory was the sole habitable “Land of Light” within the Ruins, spanning roughly thirty million square kilometers.

It was completely surrounded by the Ruins.

The civilization of Star Power was born from these very Ruins.

When the first settlers arrived, the people of the Federation focused on technology, not the cultivation of Star Power. They learned the Cultivation Methods for Star Power from the natives, which ultimately led to the development of a society that blended Star Power with technology.

For thousands of years, the Federation has been dedicated to exploring the Ruins.

But the Ruins seemed endless. It was only a few days ago that the War God, Qin Tian, led his team to the thirteenth level.

The Federation defines each level of the Ruins as a five-thousand-kilometer expanse. Thirteen levels, therefore, meant sixty-five thousand kilometers—a distance greater than the circumference of Earth’s equator.

As for the origin of the Mutant Beasts, the Federation has yet to find an explanation.

The Federation once conducted an experiment where they exterminated all Mutant Beasts within a specific area and then sealed it off.

However, after a period of time, Mutant Beasts spontaneously appeared within the sealed-off zone.

It was as if they were NPCs automatically respawning in a game.

Based on this observation, some Federation scientists proposed the “Simulated Universe Theory,” suggesting that the world was merely a pre-programmed simulation created by a higher civilization…

…

Respawning Mutant Beasts!

An exploded Deep Blue Star, a migrated civilization!

Endless Ruins surrounding the Federation’s land…

And the Rules of the Great Dao that nullified Annihilation Spiritual Power and Divine Power.

After learning the Federation’s history, Li Ye fell into deep thought. ‘Could all of this be related to the great catastrophe from ten thousand years ago?’

Soon, however, Li Ye shook his head, pushing aside these distant matters.

The immediate priority was surviving here for a year. The pressure from Xue Yang was immense; he couldn’t even be sure if Xue Yang had been possessed.

‘Lie low for a year?’

‘Xue Yang and the other three sources of Demon Qi are fine, so as long as I’m careful not to reveal my location, or maybe just hide in the Ruins, surviving for a year might not be a problem…’

But the more Li Ye thought about it, the more he felt this approach wasn’t reliable enough.

Although the Demon Hunting Bureau didn’t explicitly require them to suppress demons, relying on this strategy was tantamount to leaving his safety to fate.

In the last world, if he hadn’t managed to get the toilet paper business going, he would have been helpless when the Skeleton Monarch made his move…

In the world before that, when Puppet Silk felt threatened and started hunting him down, if the Wenda Alliance hadn’t been established, the grass on his grave would be two meters tall by now…

Even if it meant fighting Xue Yang for a year, he couldn’t bet his life on the man showing mercy.

In an instant, Li Ye made up his mind.

‘Only the strong are qualified to survive. I have to take my destiny into my own hands.’

During the final battle with Puppet Silk, the Ninth Elder had launched a precision strike against the Wenda Alliance, cutting off the Demon Qi supply to his watch at one point.

In his final confrontation with Puppet Silk, he had been forced to use the Demon Qi accumulated in his watch.

‘There’s no reason I can’t use the same method to deal with Xue Yang.’

It’s far easier to destroy a brand than to build one.

There were countless examples of famous companies on Earth collapsing due to just one or two incidents.

In that case…

Taking down Xue Yang only required two steps.

First, make the Flat Pan Group collapse.

Second, build up the reputation of the Erhu.

The matter suddenly seemed much simpler. Besides, he wasn’t without his trump cards. All told, he possessed eleven Derived Skills!

…

“Huang, come have something to eat!” Liu Rongrong called over to Li Ye, the pity in her eyes growing even stronger.

While Li Ye had been browsing the web, the group’s discussion about the Pot God hadn’t stopped.

After much debate, they had unanimously concluded that Xue Yang was a grand conspirator.

Although they didn’t know his ultimate goal, it definitely couldn’t be anything good for the Federation.

What kind of good guy doesn’t show his face for five years? No matter how you looked at it, Xue Yang’s behavior was just like that of a major villain.

…

Li Ye, who had been multitasking, had heard their entire conversation.

‘The conspiracy theory is definitely something I can use, but I absolutely cannot let these guys start it. They’re more likely to mess things up than get anything done.’

‘After all, they’re the first people I’ve come into contact with, and online traces are the easiest to investigate. If Xue Yang follows the clues back to them, I’ll probably be exposed in minutes.’

‘Not only can I not let them leak my whereabouts, I also have to help them erase any trace of their contact with me.’

Li Ye’s gaze swept over them impassively.

‘These guys coveted my Star Bead.’

‘Greed is only human, but they were able to restrain it and still possess a sense of justice.’

‘That’s enough.’

At least they wouldn’t expose him to Xue Yang in the short term. Li Ye couldn’t ask for more.

Right now, the event most likely to expose him was the death of Qiu Feipeng from the Shadow Guild.

‘I have to find a way to deal with this.’

Trading space for time, and using that time to grow—this was Li Ye’s initial strategy.

…

The dining table was laden with all sorts of dishes.

Shredded pork in spicy garlic sauce, braised tofu, spicy pig trotters, and more—all of them were pre-made meals from the Flat Pan Group that just needed to be heated up.

The Flat Pan Group had even thoughtfully provided plates, so there were no dishes to wash after the meal. Even the plates were shaped like little flat pans…

“Huang, stop thinking about your master. Have something to eat. You’ll feel better after you eat,” Liu Rongrong said with a cheerful smile, thoughtfully pouring Li Ye a drink.

“I want to find my master,” Li Ye said suddenly, looking at the table full of food. “I want to ask him why he abandoned me in the Ruins.”

Everyone froze.

He Xu said, “Huang, you can’t go looking for him.”

“Why not?” Li Ye asked.

“If the Pot God really is your master, he definitely doesn’t have your best interests at heart,” He Xu said with a sigh. “The Ruins are so dangerous, yet he let a child like you survive there for eighteen years, and he was always disappearing. A single accident and you would have died. And on top of all that, he didn’t even teach you how to cultivate Star Power…”

“Yeah! He periodically drew your blood and injected you with all sorts of things. He was clearly using you as a test subject,” Chi Wenjie said.

“There might have been other children like you,” Hou Ran added. “And you were the only test subject who survived…”

“I wasn’t the only one?” Li Ye was stunned.

“That’s how it always goes in the movies,” Hou Ran said. “You escaping from the Ruins was probably an accident to him. He’s probably looking for you everywhere right now! Going to him would be walking right into a trap. Do you really want him to throw you back into the Ruins to live that lightless, hopeless life again?”

“That’s right, Huang, you should listen to us,” Liu Rongrong chimed in. “We would never hurt you, but your master would.”

“According to the usual movie plot, you might be the key figure in overthrowing the Pot God’s conspiracy, or maybe you’re the protagonist destined to do it.”

Speaking of movies, Yang Qi’s eyes lit up. She continued excitedly, “The Pot God sends people to hunt you down.

“Then, using the abilities the Pot God trained you with, you turn the tables and kill the assassins he sends. You start by doubting him, then you slowly uncover his conspiracy step by step.

“Finally, the two of you—master and apprentice—have a life-or-death battle on a rooftop, or in some abandoned factory, or on top of a skyscraper.

“But because he taught you everything you know, you’re no match for him at first. He beats you to within an inch of your life.

“However, through a stroke of luck, or because you practiced some kind of Divine Skill, or maybe because the Pot God feels a pang of guilt…

“In short, at the very last second, you successfully defeat the Pot God, dismantle the Flat Pan Group’s conspiracy, expose his true face to the public, and become a hero who saves all of humanity!”

“That’s right! And we’re the sidekicks who help you defeat the Pot God!” Chi Wenjie added excitedly.

“And while we’re defeating the Pot God, we develop deep feelings for each other. For your sake, we sacrifice ourselves one by one…”

Liu Rongrong was also lost in her fantasy. “At the final moment, I take a blow for you and die in your arms, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. As I’m dying, I try to touch your face, but just as my hand reaches you, it falls limp. I die with my eyes open, a sweet smile on my face, and then my death spurs you on…”

As Liu Rongrong spoke, her eyes reddened, clearly getting completely absorbed in her own fantasy plot.

“Rongrong, why do we have to be the ones who die?” Chi Wenjie protested. “That’s such an old-fashioned trope! Movies aren’t made like that anymore, okay? The main character’s group has to survive and become famous.”

“Exactly! And why should you be the one to take the hit? In your dreams!” Yang Qi saw right through Liu Rongrong’s intentions and teased, “Besides, maybe Huang’s true love hasn’t even shown up yet!

“I think Huang’s destined partner should be someone super beautiful, maybe a celebrity, or the daughter of some huge corporation’s chairman, or… a female assassin sent by the Pot God.”

“Yes, yes, and the assassin should be the Pot God’s daughter! That would be even more dramatic,” said Chi Wenjie. “I have a feeling someone like that will definitely appear.”

“…” Liu Rongrong was dejected. “Why can’t it be me?”

“If we’re following your logic, then there should be a traitor among us to create some dramatic tension,” Hou Ran said. “Someone who sells Huang’s information to the Flat Pan Group for a huge sum of money, then hides in our midst to provide the assassins with his location.”

Alright then!

‘College students, I swear. They love to fantasize. One minute they’re discussing conspiracy theories, and the next they’ve cast themselves as the team that saves the world!’

‘Still, the plots of this world’s popcorn movies are pretty similar to the ones on Earth. It seems all civilizations end up alike in the end…’

Li Ye felt a vein throb in his forehead.

“What is all this nonsense? We’re talking about something serious right now,” He Xu interrupted them. “When is reality ever that fantastical?”

“Xu, reality is way more fantastical than the movies, okay?” said Chi Wenjie. “Don’t you think the Pot God’s entire life story is a legend?

“And what about Huang’s background? He has no Star Power but can instantly kill a Rank-7 master. How is any of that not legendary?

“Xu, the moment Huang saved us, the gears of fate began to turn! We’ve already been swept into the vortex! Discussing all this is just us rehearsing for what’s to come…”