The Seven Components Assembled

"I..."

Old Man An looked at Xiao Xiao's handsome face, which was filled with sympathy, his vision blurred.

He was momentarily at a loss for words. He could certainly hear the sarcasm in Xiao Xiao's words, but surprisingly, the praise in Xiao Xiao's words also seemed genuine...

Sincerity is what touches people the most!

Xiao Xiao, at this moment, truly has no intention of rubbing salt into Old Man An's wounds. After all, Old Man An's efforts haven't posed any real threat to Black Gate City. And the attack on Black Gate City, spearheaded by him, has indeed set a good example for the world. At least, through their own experience, they've shown those who revere and are loyal to the Mysterious Source, those who worship the Mysterious Source as a god, and those whose hearts are filled with fear, just what kind of end they will meet...

Previously, this reverence and loyalty were even universal.

Even when he had just awakened and was not yet able to perceive Black Gate City's true intentions, he still felt a strong fear of the city.

Even Yang Jia at that time told himself to have reverence for the city, to be loyal to the city, and to live on.

He was indeed a little resentful, but there was no other way. If the Old Chairman of Black Gate City hadn't set such a good precedent and hadn't left an activated Mysterious Guidepost in Black Gate City, he would probably have ended up like everyone else.

Loyal to that mysterious city entity, as long as one lives, one must follow its will.

It is precisely because so many people live this way that many of the things Black Gate City did were out of step with other cities. But now, with the grand drama in City of Rest coming to an end, Xiao Xiao seems to have seen a rift appear between the strangers and the city—or rather, the Mysterious Source —that can never be repaired. The Mysterious Source is no longer truly mysterious, and they will realize that they have little value to the Mysterious Source. No matter how powerful they are, they may be abandoned at any time.

The relationship between the stranger and the Mysterious Source is essentially just a transaction, but too many people subconsciously add elements such as "loyalty" and "dedication" to this transaction.

So, Old Man An is truly remarkable...

He accomplished in one fell swoop what Xiao Xiao, or rather the former president of Black Gate City, had always wanted to do.

By running naked through the streets, he proved to people that the Emperor's New Clothes were indeed very gorgeous and exquisite.

Of course, Xiao Xiao had no say in how other strangers would examine their relationship with the Mysterious Source after that day, whether they would continue to be loyal to the city or something else entirely.

He was just really looking forward to it.

Thinking about all this, Xiao Xiao's expression became even more satisfied. He smiled and looked at Old Man An: "Can you tell me now?"

Where are the other items?

"..."

Earlier, during his conversation with Old Man An, Xiao Xiao realized that Old Man An seemed to know the whereabouts of the seven major components needed for the Noah Project in Black Gate City.

It was precisely because they knew this that they were able to target the three knights of Black Gate City. However, Xiao Xiao didn't rush to ask at the time, choosing instead to subdue Black Gate City first.

This illustrates the saying, "Haste makes waste."

When I asked him back then, the old man refused to answer, so it was the simplest way to ask him when he had no choice but to answer.

I just don't understand why other people don't quite grasp such a simple principle.

"You think you can just take our..."

Even though Old Man An was speaking to Xiao Xiao at such close range, he already felt an invisible pressure. He gritted his teeth and shouted, as if he wanted to resist or something else.

But Xiao Xiao merely frowned, his pupils seeming to contract slightly as he looked at him.

Old Man An felt a chill run through his body, as if Xiao Xiao had seen right through him in an instant. He couldn't even see that Xiao Xiao's three Eye of the Seer had emerged from his body, spinning and staring at him. In front of an Insightful Being, it was a joke for an ordinary person to keep their secrets. Back when he was at the third stage of the Insightful Being, Xiao Xiao could easily get any information he wanted from others. Now, it was even simpler; he didn't even need to actually ask.

All you need to do is guide the other person to recall this question, and then you begin to read their memories.

Now, Old Man An has lost everything as a stranger in this land, but his biological instincts make him sense Xiao Xiao's fear and that something within him is being rapidly taken away.

This terrifying feeling horrified him, and he even skipped over the part about refusing to submit and negotiating, and immediately screamed:

"Don't..."

"I can tell you, I can tell you everything."

"But, but I also want to join your Noah Project in Black Gate City, I also want to leave this world on that big ship..."

"..."

"Leave?"

Xiao Xiao paused his search briefly because of his shout, and looked at him with a half-smile.

"Yes, I want to Noah Project too."

Old Man An shouted in a deep voice, the veins on his neck bulging. "Use those four S-grade components as the condition for joining..."

"Old Man An has truly reached a state of living freely and without being constrained by face..."

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but laugh, saying, "It's just a pity, you don't need it anymore..."

Old Man An was astonished. "I..."

Xiao Xiao laughed and said, "You've already left this bizarre world, so why bother escaping again?"

"Now you should learn to return to a normal life. As for how the normal world will treat you—whether you go to jail or a nursing home—that's their business..."

"I just hope that when you were in a high position, you didn't make too many enemies. Otherwise, you know how powerless ordinary people are when facing strangers..."

"..."

After kindly reminding Old Man An, Xiao Xiao prepared to continue his search.

Old Man An's mood plummeted, as if he had fallen into an endless abyss, and he cried out, "You can't do this to me..."

"You cannot banish me from God's kingdom..."

"You simply don't understand. Even now, there are still so many things you don't understand..."

"Don't you want to know what Kuang Juemin went through back then?"

"Don't you want to know where the stranger's real enemy comes from?"

"..."

"Huh?"

Xiao Xiao was slightly curious; he really wanted to know.

He has indeed won the battle against City of Rest, but now that the outcome is decided, there are still too many things that make him doubt himself.

For example, given the current upheaval, the fact that not a single member of either the Hell Organization or the Dante Organization has shown up is itself eerie. Furthermore, now that I've unveiled the Mysterious Source, I find myself increasingly understanding many things I didn't understand before. Previously, I only saw the Hell Organization the Dante Organization mysterious and illogical in many of their actions. Now, I realize they've been ahead of me in every step...

And what about that Old Chairman? What exactly does his death mean?

Was he killed out of necessity, or did he sacrifice himself?

As my understanding of the world deepens, countless questions naturally come to mind.

"Since that's the case..."

But Xiao Xiao only thought for a moment before smiling and saying, "Then I'll just copy all your memories over..."

"You..."

Old Man An was completely stunned, while Xiao Xiao looked relaxed and suddenly plunged into the seabed.

It was a very strange feeling. Whether as a stranger or as an ordinary person, Old Man An was a member of the spiritual ocean of City of Rest.

His memories, perceptions, will, and thoughts together constitute a part of this vast ocean.

Xiao Xiao is now the most powerful will in this ocean, so with a slight sinking of his heart, his perception has already spread throughout the entire ocean.

In this ocean, if he wanted, he could dig up any story about someone who wet the bed as a child.

Even if the other party has already forgotten.

This ability can no longer be considered a characteristic of an insightful person, but rather, a kind of authority.

A puppet is powerless against the strings binding it, just as a character in a game is powerless against the program that controls them, and the same applies to ordinary people's spiritual ocean.

So Xiao Xiao only had a slight thought in his mind before he had an idea. He turned to look at Ruan Ruan and said, "Can I borrow your mail disk for a moment?"

There was a cute little pig-shaped mail tray plugged into the Ruan Ruan computer. She was curious and immediately unplugged it and handed it to Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao then gently inserted the mail tray into Old Man An's forehead. In the next moment, countless data streams entered the mail tray, which slowly changed shape, outlining strange blood-red patterns.

"Is that how it is?"

While downloading Old Man An's memories using this disk, Xiao Xiao also read some of them, and was slightly surprised, but said nothing.

Only after making sure that he had thoroughly emptied Old Man An's mind did he put the stamp plate in his pocket, leaving it for later study.

Having done all that, he turned and left, ignoring the distraught Old Man An and the little knight beside him.

Ruan Ruan, however, was even more astonished by this amazing scene, finding Xiao Xiao's abilities to be incredibly miraculous. In her amazement, she suddenly realized something and her heart skipped a beat. "Oh no!"

"You just took the mail tray like that?"

"I have something inside me..."

"..."

"..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, even the most lively banquet must come to an end..."

Xiao Xiao was very satisfied with the carnival, but he also understood that with the escape of the Mysterious Source of City of Rest, he should put on the brakes.

... After all, the longer these guys stay in the city, the more good stuff they steal.

... Now I am the master of this sea area. In theory, everything in this city is actually mine!

Of course, he was anxious, but he couldn't lose face. As he walked slowly forward, he had already prepared several speeches in his mind and thought of many other issues. Then, with a slight step, he suddenly appeared on the top of the tallest building in the city. He took a deep breath, put on a polite and elegant smile, cleared his throat, and facing the city, which was still in a state of excitement and frenzy, he said softly, "Thank you all for accepting the invitation to participate in this grand event."

"As the host of this grand feast, I hope you have all had a great time and enjoyed yourselves to the fullest."

"..."

"Um?"

When Xiao Xiao's voice rang out, everyone in the city suddenly heard him.

Just like in this ocean of spirits, every spiritual force is conveying Xiao Xiao's will. In the shadows, Xiao Xiao's figure seems to appear in front of all the strangers who participated in this madness.

They were suddenly startled and looked up abruptly.

On the distant high-rise buildings, Xiao Xiao's figure seemed exceptionally clear in their eyes.

And throughout the city, Xiao Xiao's shadow seemed to linger everywhere. They found it hard to describe this strange feeling, as if Xiao Xiao had become the city itself. He could appear anywhere in the city and do anything within it. He seemed very concrete, yet also very illusory. Looking at his polite smile and elegant figure, the frenzy that had just engulfed the crowd quietly faded away, and for a moment, they felt a sense of unease, unsure of what they were facing and how vast the gap between them truly was...

Oh no, if I face an opponent like this in the future, I'll be in real trouble...

Many of those who had just enthusiastically participated in the feast of sharing food in City of Rest found themselves with this thought in mind.

They will not overlook a very serious problem.

City of Rest was the first city to officially attack Black Gate City, but it will not be the last.

They remembered that the mysterious leader of their city also loathed Black Gate City. The reason they joined the carnival was simply because City of Rest was already on its last legs, so they figured they might as well come. But since the Mysterious Source of City of Rest could hint to Old Man An and others to attack Black Gate City, was it possible that the City Will would do the same? If they really did ask for that, how many lives would they need to fight against such unreasonable monsters?

Just as they were pondering this question, Xiao Xiao continued:

"However, I love making friends and I enjoy the feeling of partying with everyone. Although I had a great time this time, it's only once, how can that be enough?"

"I just hope that soon another city will be willing to offer us a place to have a meal together?"

"If there isn't one, we can all choose one together..."

"..."

"Holy crap..."

Xiao Xiao spoke with a smile the whole time; he was very polite.

But as everyone listened to his words, they suddenly felt a chill in their hearts, and some people subconsciously felt a slight joy: This kind of good thing has happened more than once.

But some people react quickly, suddenly shuddering and becoming more and more terrified the more they think about it.

What is this thing?

Are you addicted to throwing parties?

City of Rest was the first feast, then which city will be unlucky enough to become the venue for the second feast?

They even said they'd offer to provide the venue, but how are they supposed to provide that?

Imagine a group of people coming to your house in a great atmosphere, using your kitchen and your dining table, and then eating you like a dish.

Who could be so unlucky?

Suddenly, a sense of unease spread among those who reacted quickly.

Xiao Xiao had anticipated their changes and was quite satisfied with them.

He also knew that the attack on Black Gate City of Rest was essentially because those Mysterious Source felt threatened by Black Gate City. Therefore, simply eliminating City of Rest was useless. As long as the Mysterious Source appeared, Black Gate City could be attacked by a second, or even a third, city. This sense of crisis could not be erased, so he could only take this opportunity to make more preparations: How could he ensure the safety of Black Gate City? Simple, just launch a proactive attack.

The most effective way to deal with a perverted harassment is to be even more perverted than him.

As long as Black Gate City remains under attack, it is highly unlikely that other cities will attempt to attack Black Gate City.

With these thoughts in mind, after finishing his speech, he bowed slightly, touched his chest, and expressed his gratitude to those who had been invited to the banquet.

The next moment, he gently raised his hand.

In an instant, within this vast city, soft pieces of flesh appeared beneath the feet of all the strangers. The next moment, they were enveloped by this flesh and blood and sent back to the wishing altars from which they had come.

As a responsible host, one should naturally send the guests home after they have eaten and drunk their fill.

Of course, whether these guests would end up crowding together if they were suddenly moved to their wishing altar was not something Chairman Xiao needed to worry about.

In an instant, the entire city was emptied. Because of the absence of strangers, Xiao Xiao felt that the whole city had suddenly become somewhat deserted. However, his task was not yet finished. He raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at other places in the city. On a level that could not be seen with the eyes, he could sense that there were other things wandering in the city. They were mysterious and strange, like sneaky fish, swimming in the ocean of people's minds.

Mysterious Source.

These things all come from Mysterious Source in the Mist Sea.

When the Mysterious Source originally parasitized City of Rest was being devoured, they also sneaked in to get a share.

But now, City of Rest has become a ghost town, and all the other strangers have left. So, on an instinctive level, they have developed some greedy thoughts.

Perhaps I could stay in this city and become the sole Mysterious Source?

Looking at them, Xiao Xiao actually had a feeling that was no longer looking up at the Mysterious Source from a high place, but rather like looking at a pack of hyenas that were greedily eating carrion.

He smiled slightly, then suddenly hissed in a low voice, "Get lost!"

Rumble.

Within the spiritual realm of the entire City of Rest, a series of dark thunderclaps surged, an invisible and immense spiritual power roaring back and forth, instantly startling the few "hyenas." They slunk away, tucking their tails between their legs, and fled back into the Mist Sea.

Having done all this, Xiao Xiao was somewhat satisfied. His figure melted into the city, and the next moment, he appeared in several places in City of Rest. There was a junkyard piled with countless abandoned vehicles, a specimen room in a hospital filled with various forms of formalin, and a morgue storing countless corpses. These were the addresses of the key components needed for the Noah Project that Xiao Xiao had obtained from Old Man An's memories. He took them all in his hands and then quietly left.

City of Rest already knew about Black Gate City's plan and was even preparing to intercept the key items they needed.

Unexpectedly, this has now benefited Black Gate City.

Of course, it was precisely because these things were brought from elsewhere by City of Rest and did not belong to City of Rest that they were safely stored.

But...

Upon closer inspection, Xiao Xiao suddenly realized that one item was missing.

"Wipe..."

He suddenly understood what was going on. That thing was called the Lament Cable, which originally belonged to the City of Rest. It had just been attached to the Split Man and then taken away by others. So he followed the traces of the people's appearance and projected his mental perception onto them.

"Mr. Xue? Hello!"

When his spiritual power appeared at the altar in another city, greeting them with a smile, it startled the strangers in that city who were cursing and swearing.

Why did this party-loving lunatic follow us here?

Does he intend to use his city as the venue for the next banquet?

Fortunately, Xiao Xiao quickly explained his purpose, "The item you just took, the Lament Cable, is something that our Black Gate City needs, so I came here to make a deal with you."

"The Lament Cable?"

The leader of the guild of strangers in this city was taken aback. "That's an S-class item!"

His first instinct was to ask for a high price, but looking at Xiao Xiao's gentle and polite face in the wishing altar, he panicked and hurriedly said, "What are you talking about a transaction? Chairman Xiao can just take it if he likes it..."

Let's just give it to him directly!

Otherwise, I'd always be worried he'd kill me and then dance while holding my wife's corpse...

"How can this be?"

Xiao Xiao smiled and said, "Whoever gets it keeps it. That's the rule of the game. How could I possibly break the rules of this game?"

So he insisted on paying the money, a full two hundred points.

The cable of a lament, the Lost Bulkhead, the Guardian Giant, the Midnight Stalker.

The four S-class components needed for Noah Project were obtained so smoothly. Immediately afterwards, messages from Red Eyes Ling Ping and Old Zhou Under the Bridge also came. "As expected, the Nightmare Anchor and the Eternal Helmsman have been obtained."

These knights who survived from the era of the Old Chairman of Black Gate City are quite capable...

As Xiao Xiao looked at these messages, his previous resentment towards them for slandering him behind his back dissipated considerably.

Of course, we need to have a good talk with Ling Ping and ask him what happened to those 30,000 points.

But just as Xiao Xiao was pondering this question, the Serpent Sisters' message arrived, extremely excited. "It's settled, Guild Master, 300,000 points can be directly exchanged for the Barren Sail!"

"When are you going to transfer the points? We need to redeem them and go back home..."

"..."

Xiao Xiao's face immediately darkened. He suddenly felt that Ling Ping's way of doing things was actually quite good...