"May the Chen Family patriarch protect my Lineage forever..."
Barbaric Realm, Tropical Rainforest, Green Stockade Village.
Chen Family Ancestral Hall, at the heart of this secluded village surrounded by venomous insects and ferocious beasts.
Numerous elderly people stood on both sides, dressed in worn-out long gowns from the pre-Republic of China era.
At the very front of the ancestral hall stood a white-haired boy with a long braid.
The boy looked to be no more than a teenager.
But at this moment, he was surrounded by elderly people, who treated him like a star.
"Ancestors of the Chen Family, please grant your divine intervention and ensure the continuation of my Chen Family bloodline..."
The boy held three incense sticks in his hands and knelt down respectfully before the memorial tablet on the offering table in front of him.
In the very center, at the highest point, on a memorial tablet, two large characters were prominently displayed.
[Chen Ci].
Behind the memorial tablet, on the yellowed portrait, is a plain-looking, even somewhat mean-spirited, old woman.
This is none other than Chen Family Chen Ci!
The white-haired youth kneeling before her was none other than Chen Qing, the current head of the Chen Family.
Although he looks like a teenager, he is actually 168 years old!
The reason he can maintain this youthful appearance is entirely due to his attainment of super-grade physical abilities...
The resulting leap in the level of life.
Even so...
The theoretical lifespan limit for a top-tier expert is at most around 180 years old.
Chen Qing, inevitably, met his end.
"Old Ancestor..."
Chen Qing inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner and kowtowed again.
"Please bless me and the Chen Family so that we may get a share of the spoils in this cruel apocalypse."
"May I, in my lifetime, witness once again the unparalleled glory you enjoyed during your lifetime..."
However.
At the very moment he bowed his head in reverence...
A strand of white hair fell from his forehead and landed on the prayer mat in front of him.
Chen Qing stared intently at the white hair, first pressing her lips together in pain.
Then, his expression turned ferocious, and he gritted his teeth!
"Splash! Crash!"
Suddenly, Chen Qing stood up and slapped the offering table!
Not only did they overturn the incense burner, but they also swept [Chen Ci]'s memorial tablet and portrait onto the ground!
"Master! What are you doing?!"
"Calm down! That's our Old Ancestor tablet!"
"Yes, Patriarch! Our Old Ancestor are watching from heaven, please don't act rashly!"
Several elders nearby rushed forward, scrambling to pick up the memorial tablet.
But upon hearing these warnings, Chen Qing not only showed no remorse, but instead pointed at the portrait on the ground and began to curse.
"Old Ancestor?! Bah! What kind of bullshit Old Ancestor is she?!"
"She's a wicked and incompetent old hag!!"
"A hundred years ago in the Barbaric Realm, our Chen Family was incredibly glorious!"
"We have the manpower, the land, and the strength!"
And what happened?! Just because you're afraid of dying!
"To live a few more years, they were tricked by those foreigners into ceding China territory!"
"What kind of life is the Chen Family living now?!"
"We're hiding here and there! We don't even have a decent place to stay!"
He pointed to his face.
"The highest-ranking officer can live to be 180! I'm 168 this year!"
"What will happen to the Chen Family after I'm gone?!"
What's the use of worshipping you?! What's the use of worshipping a fool like you?!
He got angrier and angrier as he spoke, and kicked the memorial tablet hard!
"You just wait! I'll fucking kill you when I get down there!"
"Master! Calm down!"
Several elders grabbed his arms and put their arms around his waist.
"Don't stop me! I'm going to smash her memorial tablet today!"
Chen Qing was blinded by rage; that strand of white hair was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
He broke free from the group, grabbed the memorial tablet, and was about to throw it to the ground...
"Dad! Good news!!"
A young man with half black and half blond hair rushed into the ancestral hall, waving his Cape Camera with excitement on his face.
"The Dragon God is dead!!"
Chen Qing's hand suddenly stopped.
"What?!"
"The Dragon God is dead!"
"It's absolutely true, Father!!"
Chen Menghua was so excited that he danced with joy.
"This is top-secret intelligence that our inside agent, a secretary planted in the upper echelons of the China military, risked his life to pass back!"
He handed over the photo.
Chen Qing took the photo, her hands trembling.
He had seen the man lying in the coffin before.
In previous intelligence reports.
It's the same person!
Because of that secretary acting as an inside agent, the Chen Family has been hiding in the Tropical Rainforest like cowards all these years.
However, the amount of intelligence stolen from within the China military was naturally considerable.
This includes the true face of the now-famous [Dragon God], and...
Information on several key members around him.
"Father, look at this one too."
Seeing his father happy, Chen Menghua quickly handed the second photo to Chen Qing.
The girl in the photo is red-haired—it's Chen Tong!
"Father, according to my intelligence network's urgent investigation..."
"The Chen Tong in the photo who's always by the Dragon God's side is actually the daughter of my uncle's cousin's cousin!"
Chen Menghua became more and more excited as he spoke.
"And before the great cataclysm that struck the Barbaric Realm, that so-called [cousin]!"
"It just so happens to be a casino owned by our Chen Family!"
"The entire world has traveled together and arrived at Chenzhai!"
"And what's even more coincidental is... that cousin!"
"It's Chen Jingmo, the chamber of commerce president who's been secretly funded by our Chen Family and is now thriving in the Fifth Base of China!"
"Even now, the entire China military's ocean-going shipbuilding industry in the Barbaric Realm is entirely his doing!"
"Getting a few safe spots to the Weird Island through him would be a piece of cake!"
"Great!! This is truly heaven-sent!! This is wonderful, hahaha!!"
Upon hearing this good news, Chen Qing raised his head and burst into wild laughter in the ancestral hall!
"Chen Tong, right?"
"Back then, I ate a meal from the Chen Family and received Chen Family kindness."
"Now, it's time for this little sparrow to give her a proper report back to her master!"
Chen Qing kicked the ancestral tablet on the ground away like trash.
"As the only widow of that Dragon God..."
"Now that he's dead, this little girl must have inherited countless rare treasures and legacies left by the Dragon God!"
"Among them... there must be countless extraordinary treasures capable of breaking the limits of human lifespan!"
"If I can get those things, not only will I, Chen Qing, not die, but I might even have a chance to reach the Demigod realm!!"
In fact, Jiangnan does possess something that can grant immortality.
After all, it was all the employees he had stuffed into the Human Emperor Lamp's internal space to operate the sewing machine.
In theory, the soul Undying; once you enter his ruthless factory, you have an eternal life and no longer need to worry about birth, aging, sickness, or death.
The only downside...
It just means maybe a tiny bit less personal freedom.
Beside him, Chen Menghua licked his lips lewdly and rubbed his hands together as he spoke.
"Father, I happen to have a brilliant plan."
"Now that the Dragon God is dead, doesn't that mean Chen Tong is single again?"
"We can definitely use Chen Jingmo's family connection to step in and persuade him gently."
"Make her understand the greater good and marry into our Chen Family! Ideally, she should marry me as a concubine!"
"At that time, she'll be mine, and all the intelligence and treasures she possesses will belong to the Chen Family! Haha!"
After listening, Chen Qing stroked his chin.
"That's indeed a brilliant idea that kills two birds with one stone."
But the cunning old man See Through right through his lecherous son's little scheme.
Chen Qing snorted coldly, instantly exposing his scheme.
"Stop spewing that disgusting saliva!"
"You're only after that girl's looks!"
Chen Menghua was startled when his thoughts were See Through, thinking that his father was going to punish him with family discipline.
But Chen Qing didn't do that; instead, he patted him on the shoulder with extreme seriousness and gave him a warning.
"I don't object to you having affairs, but you better remember this!"
"Once this is all done and we get our hands on the stuff, you can do whatever you want with it!"
"But before that, you must restrain yourself and consider the bigger picture!"
"I absolutely cannot let something as trivial as my lower body ruin my life-saving plan!"
"Because..."
Chen Qing turned his head and looked up at the sky through the gate of the ancestral hall.
"This huge piece of meat is coveted by more than just the Chen Family..."
"The other powerful clans in the Barbaric Realm have probably already smelled the blood and are starting to stir..."
Polar Icefield.
The outer perimeter of the Base Eleven Su Country Base.
Steam rises from a water cave in a glacier.
A man as strong as a brown bear was soaking in a cold bath, water droplets clinging to his beard.
Yeka Jimier, head of the Yeka Family, and commander of the Base Eleven Su Country Base.
He was clutching a photograph in his hand, gulping down vodka.
In the photo, Yekaterina stands beside the coffin, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Smack!"
Yeka Jimier slammed his hand on the water, sending icy water splashing everywhere!
"Sukabul, contact China!"
"I want to go to the Weird Island!"
The adjutant was taken aback. "In what capacity?"
Yeka Jimier thought for a moment, then his expression turned proud.
"Father in law."
On the other side...
Twilight Forest, the second survival base of the France Country.
In a dark and damp underground death row.
A tall, thin man wearing a tattered tuxedo was locked to the wall.
He was the very man who, before his global transmigration, was renowned overseas and revered as a god by countless Gambler worldwide.
Pierre Carson, the France Country gambling god!
At that moment, Pierre was also holding a photograph in his hand.
That's a solo photo of Piano.
Looking at the familiar face in the photo, Pierre let out a chuckle from his disheveled expression.
Outside his cell bars stood two men, one tall and one short, dressed in high-ranking military uniforms.
The tall man was Mark, the supreme commander of the Second Base of the France Country.
The shorter one was Chris, the hot-tempered deputy base commander.
"Bang!"
Chris grabbed the iron bars of the cell, glared at Pierre inside, and roared.
"Old man, you better not be lying to us!"
"Are you sure you've really seen this woman in the photo?!"
Pierre straightened his tattered bow tie.
"Of course I've seen it."
"Because... she is my long-lost biological daughter."
Piano Carson.
"What?!"
Mark was overjoyed upon hearing this!
He immediately stepped forward and pushed Chris away.
"Chris, shut up! How dare you be so disrespectful to our distinguished Mr. Pierre!"
Then, Mark put on a fawning Smile Face and bowed to Pierre through the railing.
"Mr. Pierre! On behalf of the France Country military, I earnestly request that you join us on our journey to the united front on the Weird Island!"
"If you're willing to step in and use this father-daughter relationship to successfully bring your daughter back to our France Country camp..."
"Then, the military guarantees to forgive all the crimes you committed in China!"
"And from now on, whatever privileges you want at the base, however many women you desire, we'll grant them all!"
As a world-renowned France Country gambling god, Pierre's journey through the Barbaric Realm was naturally marked by cheating and conflicts of interest.
He offended countless Big Boss and high-ranking government officials in the country.
Therefore, after the collapse of the legal system, he was purged almost immediately.
He was thrown into this death cell by these warlords for no reason, where he lived in darkness and despair.
Faced with Mark's tempting offer, Pierre smiled slightly and nodded.
"Of course, it's an honor for me as a father to serve my country."
"But..."
Pierre then changed the subject, "I have two conditions."
"First, I want to directly replace Chris as the deputy base commander."
"No problem! I directly bypassed my authority and approved it!"
Mark agreed without hesitation, eager to get Piano.
"What the hell did you say?!"
Chris flew into a rage upon hearing that he had been stripped of his official position.
"I worked so hard to build this empire, and you, you old dog, think you can just steal it with a few words?!"
"You've become the deputy base commander, so what the hell am I supposed to do?!"
Faced with Chris's fury.
Pierre, who was chained to the wall, stood up straight and looked down at Chris.
"You?"
"Shine my shoes."
Flat-Topped Mountain.
Funeral Squad.
The rain is still falling.
Piano lowered his head, covered his mouth, and his shoulders trembled.
No...
I can't hold back anymore...
Who exactly gave the owner this idea?
Is it really that hard to find clams?
She gazed at the corpse in the coffin, which looked almost exactly like Jiangnan's.
That was a fake created by her S-class Supernatural Ability [Hat Trick].
Anyone she touches can be made into a 1:1 replica.
Unless you examine it closely, you can't tell if it's real or fake even if you use it as an inflatable doll.
Wang Meng stepped forward, holding a microphone in his hand.
He looked up and squeezed out two tears in the pouring rain, beginning his speech with a sob.
Alas! Heaven is jealous of talent!
"Now, I declare!"
"The Big Boss's burial ceremony has officially begun!"
"Place the tombstone! Everyone... remove your hats! Three minutes of silence!!"
Not far away, Zhao Yan and Du Linyuan, who had been arguing, immediately stopped chatting upon hearing the command.
They bowed their heads solemnly and mourned in silence.
This also includes all the hundreds of China soldiers on guard...
With red eyes, they all took off their military caps and attended the funeral in the rain.
The long and oppressive half hour slowly passed in an atmosphere of grief...
"Raise the spirit tablet! Fill the grave!"
With Wang Meng's command...
The coffin was placed into the deep pit, and the soldiers began to fill it with soil, shovel by shovel.
Finally, a tombstone was placed in front of the grave mound.
Above, four large characters in blood-red lettering are inscribed: [Dragon God's Tomb]!
The moment the tombstone was placed.
Suddenly, a clap of thunder echoed in the sky!
"Boom!!"
Dark clouds rolled in, and thunder roared!
Seeing this, Wang Meng immediately seized this excellent opportunity to stir up emotions!
He raised the microphone and pointed to the sky.
"Brothers, look!! The heavens are weeping!"
"This is lightning personally seeing off our Dragon God!!"
"The Dragon God's fame shakes even the heavens and earth!"
"Let's shout it out together..."
However! Wang Meng hadn't even finished speaking!
"Snap!!!"
A bolt of lightning struck straight down from the clouds!
It actually struck the newly erected tombstone of the [Dragon God's Tomb]!
"Boom!"
Sparks flew as the tombstone was smashed, illuminating the entire hilltop!
And that's not all!
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
It was as if the heavens had some deep-seated grudge against this tombstone.
One after another, violent bolts of lightning began to strike the tombstone!
The thunder was deafening, and even the tombstone was struck so hard that black smoke billowed up around it!
The hundreds of people present, including Zhao Yan and Du Linyuan who were observing a moment of silence, were completely dumbfounded!
Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene.
"What's going on?!"
"What terrible grudge has Heaven held against us that it wouldn't even spare the tombstones of the dead?!"
"Is this a plan to forge a grave with thunder and fire? Has the Dragon God been summoned yet?"
Wang Meng, who was closest to the tombstone, finally saw why...
"Holy shit!!"
After seeing the material of the tombstone, Wang Meng was so angry that he almost fainted on the spot!
This tombstone standing on the mountaintop...
It's made of stainless steel!!
Who would erect a stainless steel pillar on a mountaintop hundreds of meters above sea level during a heavy rain?!
Isn't this just a lightning rod?
If it doesn't chop you up, who else will it chop up?!
"What the hell... is this a funeral?"
"Are we still using this place for the boss to undergo tribulation and ascend to immortality?!"
Wang Meng thought to himself, "This is ridiculous."
And among the crowd observing a moment of silence.
Yu Shishi, the cleaning team leader who had been standing quietly at the back, took a half-step back, feeling guilty.
An attempt to minimize one's presence.
Because...
This logistical work was a brilliant idea she came up with last night!
It wasn't about saving money; in her eyes, stainless steel was the best material for tombstones!
It's hard and you don't have to worry about it rusting.
But we forgot that this thing conducts electricity!
"Oh no, oh no! The boss is definitely going to take me down now!"
Just Yu Shishi was filled with despair, thinking her career as the cleaning team leader was about to end...
Suddenly, someone spoke up.
"Absolutely amazing! Absolutely amazing!!"
The Sharp Blade Squad, observing from the sidelines.
A glint flashed in Xin An's eyes!
This is "Heaven and Earth bidding farewell to the Dragon God!"
The Shadow also realized what had happened and recalled that scene.
"That's right... when the Scarecrow Judgment, it was struck by a beam of light that killed it, just like this lightning bolt!"
Liu Ruyan, with a haughty smile, shed tears, "You scumbag! Don't ever come back!"
After hearing their reasonable analysis...
Zhao Yan, Du Linyuan, and the others, who had initially had some doubts, were immediately dispelled and became completely convinced!
"So that's how it is... One should be a hero in life, and a ghost among heroes in death!"
Zhao Yan took off his military cap, bowed to the tombstone that was being hacked, and shouted loudly.
"Dragon God Brother! May you rest in peace!"
Du Linyuan and Zhang Lingqi followed suit, saying, "Take care!"
Inside the RV.
Jiangnan witnessed this scene through the built-in surveillance system, and his lips twitched.
"Are you kidding me... This is allowed?"