Midnight Conspiracy

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Upon hearing Elder Li's conclusion, the core player from the Grain Hall immediately looked incredulous and shook his head vigorously.

He looked up at Old Li in front of him, speaking rapidly but logically and forcefully in his argument.

"Mr. Li, you know the rules of <Cloud Sea> best. This game invades countless star fields and spans numerous planetary servers. Although the invasion time, initial resources, and some content vary from planet to planet, and there are slight differences in details, the core framework and world setting of the game are essentially completely interconnected and unified. Moreover, as the global version iterates, all servers will eventually be updated synchronously, and there are no exceptions."

He took a deep breath and continued to argue, his tone absolutely certain.

"Our Golden Radiance Star server has been invaded by the Cloud Sea for a full seventy years. From the initial wilderness exploration to the formation of the entire domain, the difficulties and dangers of the early game and the struggle for survival have long been included in elementary school textbooks and are common knowledge known to everyone."

"A rudimentary game planet that hasn't even unlocked the basic Ranked Match and is still in the initial exploration stage has a shallow foundation and its players have uneven combat strength. How could it possibly produce top players who can shake the entire region and influence the entire game's progress? For them, being able to resist the erosion of the Black Fog and protect the foundation of their own planet's survival is already the limit of their limits. There is simply no way they have the extra strength to create top-tier powerhouses!"

This player fundamentally disagreed with Mr. Li's conjecture.

In his understanding, server rank and ranking privileges are hard standards for measuring the game's depth and the potential of its players on a planet. A rudimentary planet that can't even reach the threshold of Ranked Match could never possibly breed a top player who can overturn the entire game landscape.

It's important to understand that the interplanetary Ranked Match in <Cloud Sea> is never just a simple rank ranking or a stage for interplanetary competition for players from all star systems.

After the man finished speaking, Old Li lowered his eyes and pondered silently for a second.

His aged face remained calm; he neither agreed with the other person's statement nor refuted this well-reasoned question, and he didn't even lift his eyelids, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.

After a moment, he slowly raised his withered hand, waved it casually, and spoke in a flat tone.

"Alright, they've all gone to work on the new system now, you should go too."

Seeing that Elder Li did not argue further, the player, though still full of doubts, dared not disobey. He could only bow respectfully, turn around, and slowly leave the room with a heart full of confusion.

Once the door closed gently, the room fell completely silent.

Old Li slowly straightened his slightly hunched back and stood up. He raised his eyes to look out at the distant star field and deep space. The peace that had been in his deep, aged eyes had faded, replaced by layers of unfathomable light and shadow. His gaze was distant and solemn.

For some reason, he had a strong premonition.

The mysterious player Jiu Chen, who appeared out of nowhere and amazed the entire world, did indeed come from a rudimentary gaming planet.

I hope I'm just overthinking it.

Old Li murmured.

The emergence of a powerful being on a rudimentary gaming planet is not a good thing for them.

This phenomenon occurs on many planets.

Regardless, the seemingly peaceful world of the Cloud Sea game was completely disrupted by Xiao Fan's contract, unleashing a super storm that swept across countless star fields.

At the same time, a new line of light gold system text quietly popped up in the corner of all players' game interfaces and slowly appeared:

[The Beast Taming System is now fully activated, unlocking contracts, advancement, battle companionship, and the complete encyclopedia. Players can forge bonds with various celestial Magic Beast, awaiting exploration.]

A brand new chapter in gaming begins here.

And the name Jiu Chen officially came into the view of all players.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; its clear light poured down like water onto the earth, enveloping the Fairy Fish Pool in a hazy tranquility.

The players set up a temporary gathering place around the pool, with colorful tents scattered around and fences and simple defensive works laid out in layers along the terrain.

As night deepened, all sounds fell silent.

Inside the settlement, apart from the three night watch teams that took turns patrolling and remained vigilant, the rest of the players, who had been traveling for many days, were all fast asleep.

The entire temporary campsite was eerily quiet, with only the occasional sparks from the campfire and the intermittent crackling of burning firewood, which was particularly clear in the still of the night.

An inconspicuous tent blocked out the moonlight and night wind, leaving the interior dimly lit and the atmosphere heavy.

Cannon and Shen Long sat facing each other, afraid that their conversation would attract the attention of others, so they dared not make a sound and could only communicate on the game page.

[Shen Long: The main force will leave here tomorrow and then split up. Tonight is your last chance.]

Shen Long's use of the word "you" was particularly jarring, and a hint of dissatisfaction flashed through Cannon's mind.

It wasn't just his son who was killed by Xiao Fan. If he remembered correctly, both of Shen Long's sons were killed by Xiao Fan.

If we're talking about blood feuds, Shen Long's are even deeper than his.

Before coming here, the two had already secretly agreed to form an alliance and join forces to kill Xiao Fan and avenge their respective dead children.

We agreed to fight side by side, advance and retreat together, so what exactly did Shen Long mean by those words?

Every word and sentence seemed to place the entire burden of assassinating Xiao Fan and risking everything for revenge on Xiao Fan's shoulders, while Shen Long only wanted to hide behind the scenes and reap the benefits.

How could he be so clever?

Absolutely shameless!

Cannon was filled with rage, but after thinking it over carefully, he knew what Shen Long was planning.

Having witnessed firsthand the formidable combat power of the two contracted Magic Beast beside Xiao Fan, they must have felt intimidated and decided to back down.

"Damn it, if he's really scared and doesn't dare to do it again, can't he just say it openly and honestly?"

The Cannon cursed inwardly.

A level 300 Magic Beast is far beyond their ability to deal with, so it's normal that they don't want revenge. Shen Long said frankly that at worst, the two of them could give up on revenge together.

After all, there are no eternal enemies in this world.

But Shen Long chose to use this underhanded and scheming method to push all the risks onto him alone.

Cannon cursed inwardly.

"That bastard, he can't let go of the hatred for killing his son, yet he's also greedy for life and cowardly, Shen Long his life like gold. So, his life is precious, while mine is worthless trash, something I can just throw away to die?"

Cannon was filled with boundless resentment, but his face remained calm and composed, revealing no trace of joy or anger, and he did not show the slightest bit of the rage in his heart.

He lowered his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his thigh, pondering how to reply to Shen Long.

A moment later, the image of Xiao Fan's exceptionally grand and luxurious temporary residence in the settlement appeared in Cannon's mind.

With a quick change of heart, he instantly found a safe way to back down.

[Cannon: That Jiu Chen is truly a coward. He's only staying one night at this temporary gathering place, yet he specifically exchanged for a private residence. Given his timid nature, I suspect his two terrifyingly powerful contracted Magic Beast are currently guarding him closely inside. With such layers of protection, we have absolutely no chance to take advantage; rashly attacking will only lead to our own demise.]

After editing, Cannon carefully checked every word to ensure the wording was flawless. It highlighted the difficulty of the operation without revealing his cowardice or scheming. It also cleverly implied that they had dragged Shen Long into the mess and subtly belittled Xiao Fan. It was perfect.

The Cannon clicked "send" with satisfaction.

A notification popped up indicating that the message had been successfully sent; Shen Long on the other end had received the message.

As his gaze swept across the text on the screen, Shen Long's originally calm brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a hint of surprise and coldness flashed in his eyes.

The thought of the Cannon right across from him immediately suppressed all his emotions, quickly regained his composure, and his face regained its calm and even expression, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Shen Long refocused his attention on the information sent by the Cannon and finally confirmed it.

The Cannon was trying to give up revenge.

"Is he... scared?"

Shen Long lowered his eyes.

Cannon's words were no longer a subtle probe; they were almost a direct and frank statement of his stance.

He was unwilling to continue killing Xiao Fan and planned to stop there, giving up on revenge.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Shen Long lowered his head slightly, his eyes surging with extreme anxiety and determination.

He had finally encountered someone like Cannon who was willing to deal with Xiao Fan, and he absolutely could not just watch the other party give up halfway.

Xiao Fan's growth rate far exceeded his expectations; it was alarmingly fast.

It happened so fast that Shen Long had no time to react or prepare any defenses. The person he could have easily crushed had quietly transformed into someone he could only look up to and never reach.

This is one of his few remaining opportunities for revenge.

If he gave up this opportunity, and it was too late, Shen Long wasn't sure if he would still have the courage to go against Xiao Fan.

Or rather, do we still have the right to oppose him?

"We must not let the Cannon be abandoned... This is my last chance, my only chance."

Shen Long silently repeated the words to himself, desperately suppressing the emotions surging in his chest.

He lowered his eyes, concealing all the gloom and urgency within them.

Because he clearly sensed that the Cannon on the other end were scrutinizing him.

At this moment, he absolutely could not let the Cannon show anything on his face.

He held his breath, quickly sorted out his thoughts, and after much deliberation, slowly typed out the message.

[Shen Long: Jiu Chen is still young and inexperienced. He just successfully contracted two Magic Beast today, and he's at the height of his power and self-satisfaction. When people are complacent, they are most prone to slackening their guard. If we seize this opportunity and plan carefully, we might have a chance of winning. But if we miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he fully consolidates his strength and calms his mind, then we will truly have no chance to attack him again.]

Even after clicking send, Shen Long still felt uneasy, as if something was missing.

He paused briefly, and then sent another message.

[Shen Long: The tragic death of your nephew caused quite a stir in the entire base. At that time, everyone was watching you closely, countless eyes were fixed on you, and everyone was waiting to see you take revenge and seek justice. If you put aside this deep-seated hatred now, how will you face others in the game world afterward?]

The meaning of this sentence is very simple.

As the Cannon number one power in the White Nation, you didn't even dare seek revenge for your son's death. Don't you have any pride? Who will even acknowledge you in the game anymore?

Shen Long knew that these white men were very concerned about their image, and that if he said that, Cannon would definitely not give up on seeking revenge against Xiao Fan easily.

In fact, this was exactly as Shen Long had thought.

When he learned of his son's death, the Cannon set off such a large fire in the White Nation's settlement that many people were indeed watching him closely.

If there's no follow-up, people will talk about him, which will damage his reputation as Cannon.

But...

Revenge? How?

Xiao Fan was hiding in that house, surrounded by two Magic Beasts. He didn't even dare to approach them. How could they possibly sprinkle the powder that attracted the Magic Beast into a frenzy on him?

The atmosphere inside the tent became quiet. Cannon and Shen Long both frowned, trying to think of a solution.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Long's eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately sent a message to the Cannon on the other side.

[Shen Long: If we can't do it tonight, we can wait until tomorrow morning. When everyone gathers and leaves in the morning, the settlement will be more chaotic, and we'll find an opportunity to sprinkle the powder on Jiu Chen.]

Shen Long thought about it more and more and felt that his method had a high success rate.

Moreover, they left quickly after sprinkling the powder to avoid being attacked by Magic Beast that might be enraged by the powder.

Perfect.

[Shen Long: If all else fails, we can sprinkle the powder on Jiu Chen's Contract Beast. The medicine needs some time to take effect. We can leave after we've sprinkled it on. That Magic Beast is following Jiu Chen, and if it goes berserk, it will attack him directly.]

Upon seeing this message, the Cannon's eyes lit up.

Shen Long's method seems to have some... good potential.

Jiu Chen was in high spirits and let his guard down. In addition, the gathering place was in chaos, so it seemed not difficult to sprinkle some powder.

Want to take a gamble?

Without much hesitation, the Cannon made its decision.

Let's take a gamble.

After all, he was his only son, whom he had spoiled for so many years, and after the game took over, he spent a lot of resources on his son.

He was killed by Xiao Fan just like that, all his years of effort went down the drain, how could he be willing to give up?

Just give it a try. If there's a chance, great; if not, forget it. There's no danger.

However... there is a solution, but he can't act on his own!

Thinking of this, the Cannon replied.

[Cannon: Brother Shen is right. How about this, we divide the powder into two portions, and we'll find an opportunity to strike together tomorrow morning. That way, our chances of success will be much higher. I think Brother Shen also wants to avenge his two sons.]

Shen Long wanted him to take the risk alone; that was absolutely impossible.

Upon seeing the message from the Cannon, Shen Long was furious.

It's like that Cannon suddenly grew a brain.

Fine, let's go together then.

Shen Long didn't want to give up this opportunity either.

So, the two carefully divided the bottle of powder into two portions, one for each of them.

After doing all this, the two lay down to rest.

No one noticed that a small bird was hiding in the corner of the tent.