Chapter 76

When Zhou Xian came out of the game, it was almost time for dinner.

"Zhou Xian, you should tell us about what happened before, right?" Lai Yiming found Zhou Xian again.

At that time, they still had the three brothers in black robes to deal with, so they didn't ask about the "Eighth One" matter.

But now it was different.

"Ah, no problem, I'll tell you everything in a bit. But my story isn't that dramatic, so don't expect too much."

Actually, it was very dramatic, but Zhou Xian himself still hadn't fully figured out what was going on.

To explain this, he had to wait until he understood the truth.

Otherwise, how could he explain the current situation?

His father was somehow related to this countdown that seemed to predict the end of the world?

You must be kidding!

Dinner was still prepared by Li Chuyu and the other girls.

Notably, Miss Liuli initially helped in the kitchen, but after fifteen minutes, Li Chuyu politely asked her to leave.

Zhou Xian took the opportunity to ask, "That's unusual, why did you ask her to leave?"

"……"

Li Chuyu didn't speak but pointed to Beidou, who was squatting in the corner of the kitchen.

She had her hands on her head, her eyes filled with tears.

Seeing Beidou, who usually had no worries, in a state of psychological trauma, Zhou Xian seemed to understand something.

"You've worked hard."

Back in the hall, Zhou Xian glanced at Liuli, who seemed to be in deep thought.

"Cough, cough……"

Li Chuyu seemed to have hurt Liuli's confidence, so Zhou Xian walked over.

"Ah, Zhou Xian."

Liuli sighed sadly to the sky.

"I know you're here to comfort me, but it's really not necessary."

"I remember when I went to your house, the food tasted pretty good." Zhou Xian asked curiously.

"Because it was made by a top chef in the country. The people who work for us are usually specialized in their tasks, except for me, who has been a personal maid to the young master since childhood. I used to hope to be as good as the young master in everything, but apparently… I still can't match him."

Miss Liuli, as a contemporary of the monstrous Zhang Taihuo, who has already graduated from university, is truly remarkable.

Some things can only be thought, not said.

"By the way, have you ever tasted the food you made?"

The concept of "murderous cooking" was still new to Zhou Xian, and to avoid outsiders seeing the situation in the kitchen, she kindly disposed of Liuli's food.

If Zhou Xian were to look in the garbage bag behind the room, he would definitely see a dish that looked like a remnant of a biohazard.

In every sense, Beidou, who could eat this biohazard residue with a carefree attitude, was a strange creature.

"Actually, I never noticed it before."

Miss Liuli was very melancholic.

"Never noticed?"

How could she not notice?

"Because the young master always finished all the food I made. Seeing him finish all the food, I became more and more out of control, going further down the wrong path. As for why I never tasted it myself… because I thought it was impolite to eat the young master's food."

This terrible habit couldn't be changed…

"I think I understand something."

Perhaps Zhou Xian could write a paper titled "On the Birth of a Stoic Man."

Zhou Xian suddenly realized that Zhang Taihuo's temper seemed to have improved after transferring to Zhongzhou Academy. Maybe it was related to the fact that he usually ate school food at that time.

"——By the way, how did you realize that the food you made was… oh, not so tasty?"

Zhou Xian felt his question might have hurt Miss Liuli.

Liuli tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then said, "Probably after Miss ate the food I made."

"Hmm? Dark Angel sister? What was her reaction?"

This must have been interesting.

"Um… Miss's reaction lasted for three minutes. In the first minute, she said she saw hell."

"Uh, really that exaggerated?"

"In the second minute, she said she saw heaven."

When things reach an extreme, they turn to their opposite?

"In the third minute, she lost her memory."

"Lost her memory?!"

"Yes, she forgot everything that happened in those three minutes. After that, Miss could no longer see the food I made—no matter how I placed it in front of her."

So Dark Angel sister had such a dark history.

Zhou Xian felt he had learned something.

Perhaps he shouldn't have brought up this topic.

"Old Zhou, you're here!"

Xu Tianyun came to find Zhou Xian.

He seemed to be in a melancholic mood, but Zhou Xian also saw determination on his face.

After saying sorry to Liuli, Zhou Xian went back to the room with Xu Tianyun.

After 37 attempts, Xu Tianyun had finally overcome himself. However, he probably also knew that his current state wasn't good.

Back in the room, Xu Tianyun closed the door and stood in front of Zhou Xian.

He held a pebble and said, "Watch carefully."

Xu Tianyun's hand suddenly disappeared from mid-air and reappeared behind him, and his posture had changed.

The pebble, having lost its support, fell to the ground.

"…Spiritual Will."

Zhou Xian had never seen such a technique in the real world.

Xu Tianyun's arm disappearing was like the static on a TV. Although it was just a moment, his arm didn't "suddenly" disappear.

"Yes, I don't know when I'll be like those people, so I want to tell you everything I know." Xu Tianyun sighed and continued, "This ability, when used, doesn't seem to be about 'thinking.' I feel like I'm separating my body and soul into two parts. When I move first, my physical arm moves, but at the same time, I can control the limb in my soul to move. If I think my arm should be in the 'right place,' this interference occurs… I think it's the interference caused by the imbalance between the spiritual world and the physical space. It's the same in the game world, but in the real world, I can feel this ability more."

This ability was more complex than Zhou Xian had imagined. "But according to what I've heard, the 'Spiritual Will' I use is the most basic application. At a higher level, it's said that this ability can enhance the human body and even heal injuries."

"Um… The 'Spiritual Will' system seems similar to the divine soul I know. Perhaps we can start from this angle." At this point, hearing Xu Tianyun's explanation, the principle of this ability seemed clear.

"Old Zhou, I have one more thing to tell you." After explaining his ability, Xu Tianyun spoke again.

"What is it?" Zhou Xian asked.

"——You should be the president of the Dragon Tomb Society!"

"————!!"

Xu Tianyun's words left Zhou Xian momentarily speechless.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, I just feel that my situation is a bit… I can't even describe it. To be honest, I struggled for a long time this noon before I came back to my senses from that strange state. I always feel like there's a voice inside me trying to tempt me. I know it sounds like an excuse, but I don't want your forgiveness or anything. As for the president of the Dragon Tomb Society, Old Zhou, you wouldn't want me, who might faint and become a vegetable at any time, to take the position, right?"

"Old Xu, don't worry, you'll be fine! Look at the Ying brothers, they're always fine!" Zhou Xian scratched his head.

"That's called good people don't live long, and bad people live for a thousand years… no, that's not right. Isn't Ying Tianlong also in the hospital?" Xu Tianyun was determined. He opened the door and said to Zhou Xian, "No matter what, you're the president now. If one day I become stronger than you, I'll take the position back."

So, Xu Tianyun still had a bit of a knot in his heart about Zhou Xian surpassing him. The incident with himself was like a catalyst.

After saying this, Xu Tianyun left the room.

"Everyone, dinner is ready!"

Li Chuyu's voice rang out.

"Oh!!!"

This scream was definitely from Tao Shan.

But when Zhou Xian returned to the old eight-person table, no one had started eating. Except for Tao Shan, who seemed a bit dazed, everyone was staring at Zhou Xian.

"Cough, cough, okay, I know you want to hear. I am the Eighth Emperor player. My ability to use skills in reality is probably related to this. As for how I got the Emperor task… I can't really explain it. It's probably because of my father's legacy. Yes, that black iron helmet."

Although Zhou Xian initially thought the black iron helmet was crude, now he found it quite interesting.

Or perhaps he had just gotten used to it.

"Just… one sentence?"

Lai Yiming clearly wanted a long story.

"If I start from the beginning, I don't know how to say it. I originally planned to tell you after completing the Emperor task. But now, I think it might take me two or three years to get that strong."

Since someone asked, Zhou Xian decided to go with the flow and tell the story.

Some things, if hidden from friends, would only cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Moreover, Zhou Xian believed that his personal interests should now be secondary. The countdown that seemed to predict the end of the world was his main focus, followed by the secrets left by his father and the traitor among the Emperor players.

The importance of the Eighth One was not high at the moment.

"Okay, that's it for now."

Because Xu Tianyun had a change of heart, Zhou Xian's information wasn't leaked outside.

That guy with the buzz cut was very cautious. In the 36 attempts he experienced, 29 times the guy would immediately upload the information.

However, through these 37 attempts, Zhou Xian roughly discovered that each time he saved and loaded, some subtle changes would occur.

Zhou Xian called this "worldline variation."

For some inevitable events, Zhou Xian simply called it "worldline convergence."

For example, Xu Tianyun's change of heart was a worldline variation.

And no matter how Liuli was educated and trained, her cooking always remained subtle, which was a worldline convergence.

The latter Zhou Xian hadn't verified, but he vaguely felt it didn't need verification.

This setting Zhou Xian imagined was not something to be shared with others.

"Um, let's eat! Eat!"

Tao Shan had already become a captive of Li Chuyu's culinary skills.

This evening's meal seemed even more sumptuous than during the day. Perhaps because it was so delicious, there were no leftovers from lunch, and these dishes were freshly made by Li Chuyu.

Without mentioning other things, just the roasted