The Collective Insults, a Composite of Hanging and Torture

At this very moment.

Gao Linzhi was observing the game's internal workings and the changes in the World Source energy.

He is now completely certain that by changing the course of world development, he can obtain the Source Energy.

Ultimately, changes in the world's development trajectory depend on people.

He noticed that fluctuations in a person's emotions generate a special kind of energy.

This energy is the source of Mysterious Energy.

He couldn't see this before, but now he can.

This demonstrates his deep understanding of the code for the Skyfall Game.

That's how code works; the more you look at it and practice, the better you'll get at it.

There's nothing mysterious about it.

After all, it's just those methods, those parameters, those objects, plus some logic and algorithms; everything has a root.

It's not some mystical thing that can be named, but something real and tangible.

Through these codes, Gao Linzhi will be able to discover more of the world's mysteries.

You could say he took a shortcut.

Of course, this shortcut also came from the fact that he had reached a certain stage in the Skyfall Game before he could take it.

Otherwise, the code would never be made available to him.

In that case, he needs to increase the amplitude of players' emotional fluctuations in the game.

It needs dramatic ups and downs, rapid advances and retreats.

On Zhang Mingzhen's side, a message popped up on his game interface:

"Personal belongings of reconnaissance Captain Chen Jin have been discovered."

"He was poisoned while exploring Ruins Ridge. Would you be willing to bring his belongings back to Wushuang Town?"

"I do."

Zhang Mingzhen was very happy.

At this time, Gao Linzhi also began to try editing some details of emotional ups and downs.

Gao Linzhi was not a ruthless and inhuman behind-the-scenes mastermind; he was still quite decent.

His bottom line is equal exchange, and not killing innocent people.

Now, Zhang Mingzhen and his players have gained money and physical health through his game, so it's perfectly fair that he charges them some emotional and psychological benefits in return.

Gao Linzhi has already edited it.

I believe Zhang Mingzhen will receive some "surprises".

Zhang Mingzhen was completely unaware of this.

After accepting the mission, the relic disappeared from the ground, and the system indicated that the mission completion rate was more than halfway complete.

Now, we're returning to Wushuang Town to complete the task entrusted by the town mayor; it cannot be settled yet.

Zhang Mingzhen continued to explore forward, but the path had come to an end, where only an extremely thick Vine could be seen hanging vertically downwards, reaching deep into the bottom of the abyss.

It seems the only way is to follow this Vine downwards.

Zhang Mingzhen slid down the thick Vine for about five seconds before landing steadily.

Before him stood a spacious, empty stone chamber.

He had barely stepped inside when he heard a deep, demanding voice. "Who dares to trespass into the Divine Ruins Forbidden Ground!"

Suddenly, intricate animal-shaped patterns appeared on the wall in front of them.

A strange beast with steel claws like blades and a body shape somewhere between a wolf and a fox suddenly broke free from the pattern.

This is none other than the Mysterious Iron Grade leader Protection this place—"Blade Steelclaw Wolf".

After leaping off the stone wall, the monster swung its long tail and pounced on Zhang Mingzhen.

A cold glint flashed from the sharp claw tips.

"Ah!"

Zhang Mingzhen suddenly felt a sharp pain, something he hadn't experienced before.

He had clearly lowered the perceived pain level before.

But now it has reappeared.

He was, after all, just an ordinary person.

How could it possibly stop barking?

Fortunately, no one was around, so he didn't lose his composure as a master.

A string of bright red numbers appeared above his head.

He quickly used his skills to create distance and maneuver around the giant wolf.

When the giant wolf was halfway through its life, it suddenly curled up and began to spin rapidly again.

A whirlwind, sharp as a blade, hurtled towards Zhang Mingzhen.

"Riding the Wind!"

"This is terrible!"

Zhang Mingzhen broke out in a cold sweat and immediately stopped his attack, retreating hastily while casting a healing spell on himself.

Fortunately, this deadly spin only lasted for five seconds before gradually subsiding.

After that, he dared not be careless in the slightest and kept a close eye on the giant wolf's every move.

Upon noticing any signs of it spinning, immediately create distance and maneuver around it.

When his health dropped to 30% and 10%, the giant wolf launched two more whirlwind attacks, which Zhang Mingzhen, who was prepared, narrowly avoided both times.

This made him feel tense, and he experienced frequent mood swings.

Gao Linzhi also made a deliberate observation and found that he could gain some spiritual energy at these times.

This is not the Source Energy, but rather a relatively low-level, idealistic energy.

Three minutes later, the ferocious beast finally collapsed to the ground.

The glow of experience points surged into Zhang Mingzhen's body once more.

At the same time, he received eighty more Silver Coins in his purse, along with a necklace that gleamed with metallic luster.

Sure enough, you have to fight high-level monsters and get the First kill to earn a lot of in-game currency.

A system notification then appeared. "Level increased to 13."

[Wolf Fang Necklace (Mysterious Iron)]

[Strength +55]

[Agility +55]

[Special Effect - Wolf Devour: Attacks have a chance to inflict a Bleeding status on the target, causing them to suffer continuous damage equal to 30% of the initial damage per second for 30 seconds.]

[Equipment Requirement: Level 15]

"The experience this leader has provided is quite substantial."

After putting the necklace away, Zhang Mingzhen shook his head with a hint of regret. "It's a pity that it has a strength attribute, which isn't really a good fit for magic-based classes."

"If only I could have some spiritual support."

However, something is better than nothing; you can equip it once you reach level 15.

He then continued his exploration.

As the Blade Steelclaw Wolf fell, the wall that had revealed the monster quietly disappeared, revealing a narrow cableway suspended in the air.

At the end of the cable car, there is a cliff platform covered by countless Vine.

The dense vines covered the walls and even the ground, just like the scene when I first entered this place.

Zhang Mingzhen cautiously stepped forward, constantly wary of the Vine that might suddenly attack and injure him again.

Just then, the sound of flapping wings came from the darkness, and countless pairs of eyes glowing with an eerie light lit up from all directions.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered they were giant bats, each nearly a meter long.

[Vampire Giant Bat (Demonic Type, Magic Type)]

The sight of swarms of enormous bats sent chills down Zhang Mingzhen's spine.

He suddenly realized that these monsters were much more terrifying than before.

He was naturally unaware that this was a minor adjustment made by a certain plan.

The bats flapped their wings, and Wind Blade pierced the air as they attacked.

In the second phase, these bat demons not only attack from a distance, but also intermittently ascend into the sky to escape his attack range.

Although a single instance of damage isn't fatal, the inability to clear out enemies in a concentrated manner significantly delays the fight.

Zhang Mingzhen must patiently wait for them to lower their altitude again before he can output power effectively.

They are no longer those mindless monsters that just rush in and hack and slash.

They began to employ tactics and teamwork.

If Zhang Mingzhen hadn't used some kind of cheat code, he would definitely have met his end in the Northwest.

After more than ten minutes, the last giant bat finally turned into black smoke and dissipated.

Besides the usual items that had fallen to the ground, there was also a white shirt that shimmered slightly.

This is because it was his first time opening a map, and the drop rate was relatively high.

After changing to new equipment, Zhang Mingzhen's physical and Magic Defense were further improved.

"The monsters in this Secret Realm not only offer abundant experience points, but also have a significantly higher equipment drop rate than those outside."

He couldn't help but ponder, "Even ordinary monsters can produce clothing of this quality. If a large guild were to repeatedly challenge them here, their strength would undoubtedly increase far faster than that of ordinary people."

"They're probably all as good as me by now."

Thinking of this, he instinctively wanted to destroy this Secret Realm.

It's like learning a peerless martial art and then destroying the remaining walls of that martial art.

However, after looking around, he gave up.

After all, he didn't know how to cause the destruction.

He then continued searching for a path from the cliff platform.

After much difficulty, we managed to cut through the Vine and finally found a way down.

The road slopes downwards.

He carefully climbed down, only to feel the temperature around him gradually rising.

When we reached the end of the road, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before us—a vast plaza surrounded by a ring of lava rivers, with waves of scorching heat hitting us.

In the center of the plaza stood a colossal figure, its name gleaming in the heat: [The Cursed Ape Chieftain (Silver)].

"Silver Tier leader..."

"Damn it, are they not leaving me any way to survive?"

Zhang Mingzhen spoke subconsciously, his expression immediately turning serious.

This is very likely the first silver-rank monster he encountered in the game.

Logically, it should produce extremely rare silver-quality equipment, which is currently the most valuable item.

The question is, can we kill him?

He could no longer retain the skill points he had previously accumulated.

He quickly allocated the points he gained from leveling up to the "Spirit Strike" and "Spring Wind" skills.

He didn't choose the area-of-effect attack "Ling Yue" or the group healing "Spring Tendrils," naturally considering that it's often difficult to stand still and output damage in this type of boss battle.

Strengthening single-target damage and healing skills is clearly a more prudent strategy.

[Spring Wind] leveled up to level seven in one go. "Heals a single target, restoring an amount equal to three times the Spirit attribute value, consuming 60 mana points, and restoring an additional 30 mana points to the target."

We're almost at the point where we could have a perpetual motion machine.

[Spirit Strike] has been upgraded to level 10: "Deals spell damage equal to 500% of the target's Intelligence attribute, consumes 90 mana, and has a 1-second cooldown."

When the "Spirit Strike Technique" breaks through to the tenth level, the original area-of-effect damage disappears and is transformed into a more powerful single-target attack, but the interval between casting the spell also increases.

However, the damage is greatly increased.

Zhang Mingzhen took a short breath to check that his mana and health were full and that he was full of energy.

Only then did they activate their magic and directly attack the ape leader.

A flash of light appeared, and a massive damage number, "3000!", appeared above the opponent's head.

After being injured, the giant ape immediately looked up at the sky and roared angrily.

He then slammed his palms into the ground, causing the entire stone platform to tremble violently.

Zhang Mingzhen was still too inexperienced; he didn't manage to dodge with a quick jump.

He suddenly felt his blood and qi surge, and his life force decreased by more than two thousand.

After all, he wasn't a professional player before.

If it weren't for the cheat code, he wouldn't have been able to get here at all.

Top-tier professional gamers wouldn't rashly engage the monster at this point.

Instead, they will make the most comprehensive plan and keep every detail of the operation in mind.

Make sure you have a backup plan for every step you take; think ten steps ahead before you act.

Before the leader could deliver the fatal blow, Zhang Mingzhen immediately rolled away, fleeing to the edge of the square.

Just then, the giant ape roared again, the sound waves exploding outwards as if they were tangible.

A perfect two- Combo sent him flying, plummeting towards the scorching lava at the edge.

That alone could kill him.

It turns out that the lava wasn't just for show.

Zhang Mingzhen's mind raced, and the moment his toes touched the ground, he exerted force again, leaping back to the heart of the platform at the last second.

He activated the Spring Wind Technique to replenish his depleted energy and blood.

While running, he unleashed another Spirit Strike, and another huge damage number exploded on the giant ape.

The battle then became tense: Zhang Mingzhen used the center of the square as an axis, maneuvering and dodging within the small space, healing his injuries immediately after each strike.

There aren't any special skills involved; it's all about dodging and trading blows.

One for one.

If it were anyone else, they would have been defeated long ago with this kind of play.

The added health wasn't enough.

The damage was far from enough to defeat this giant ape.

However, Zhang Mingzhen could.

After more than ten minutes of this back-and-forth, the ape leader finally let out a reluctant roar, and his massive body crashed to the ground.

"This defeat was not a fault of our fighting spirit!"

The giant ape collapsed in anger, its eyes still wide open.

He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

Zhang Mingzhen immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, there was no one else around. If others had found out, they would definitely have reported him for cheating to the game company.

After all, these were said by the NPC monster himself.

Who cares? Cheating is fun for a while, and it's even more fun if you keep cheating.

He's determined to drive!

But aren't whales (players who spend a lot of money on in-game purchases) also cheating?

All those "Dragon Map" and "Wanderer" players are just spending money to hire people to fight monsters and buy gold.

That's all cheating.

If they can drive it, then of course I can too!

Thinking this, notifications about gaining experience and Gold Coin immediately appeared.

A professional treasure chest gleaming with silver light, and a black iron token engraved with the words "Divine Ruins".

At the same time, Zhang Mingzhen was surrounded by a radiant glow—he had leveled up again.

Almost at the same moment, the system announcement was broadcast three times in succession to the entire domain:

"Congratulations to player 'Chongxing' for reaching level 15 and being the first to conquer the preliminary stage of the Divine Ruins Trial. Achievement Points increased by 10."

"The Divine Ruins Secret Realm (levels 10-30) is now open to all servers. Anyone who meets the requirements can go and challenge it!"

"Drop rate will increase within ten days!"

The world channel instantly erupted in excitement.

"What's going on? I'm still stuck in that Devil's Cave, struggling to reach level 10, Chongxing now I'm already level 15?"

"No wonder we haven't seen anything from him lately; he's been quietly leveling up."

"Damn it, he must be cheating, otherwise, how come I can never catch up?"

"That's right!"

"Chongxing idiot, do you dare to record a video to prove yourself?"

"Exactly, these so-called 'experts' are actually afraid to reveal their identities, lest they be reported."

"I'm reporting him right now! That son of a bitch, he's definitely cheating!"

"This is so unfair! I spent 20 million to buy monsters to fight, and I still can't catch up with him. Is there any justice in this world?"

"By the way, what's the situation inside the Divine Ruins? How difficult is it? What's the drop rate?" someone else asked.

"Level 10 is required to enter? I'm only level 8. If I go in, I'll only be a sacrifice."

"A bunch of envious fools! This is the glory of our Priest!"

"Exactly! Let's see who dares to underestimate Priest in the future—with the Chongxing here, the Priest of the God's Domain are more than capable of upholding their authority!"

"Alright, stop showing off. He's just a game shill, why are you all bragging about him like he's some big shot!"

Good heavens, what a prophet!

In a sense, Zhang Mingzhen really was a shill.

However, the harsher their insults, the more enthusiastically they played.

After all, if even the developers don't have any games, it means the game is completely dead.

The discussion was lively, but Zhang Mingzhen had no time to read it carefully.

If you saw this, you'd be furious.

Because of a ton of malicious attacks, there's not a single comment about Shen He here.