Fell into a Huge Pit

Puppet?

Li Ziran unconsciously thought of his Corpse Witch, the feeling of being like a puppet on strings, which he knew was definitely not something any living being wanted.

Marionette.

In that instant, a chill ran through Li Ziran's heart.

"How... did I join the Shadow Society?"

At this moment, it feels like waking from a dream.

He never liked joining any organization, mainly because he didn't want to be bound by it; in his previous life, he had already suffered enough from restrictions.

But now, not only has he joined, but he has also been overly eager to impress Shadow Elder, and even just recently he secretly thought that joining Shadow Society be a glorious and great mission.

But Anfuni's reminder made him realize that he had been deceived.

He was deceived by the Shadow Society's power, Sandrew's strength, and that Bone Dragon. These were like bait, gradually telling him how wonderful the prospects would be if he joined.

He came here merely to deliver a baby; initially, all he wanted was to learn some special Undead techniques from Sandrew.

This...

He was somewhat dazed; just a moment ago, he had been secretly proud.

He suddenly realized he'd fallen into a trap.

And they fell into a huge pit.

The Shadow Society Slave-Catching Group, these two seemingly unrelated organizations, are ultimately the same.

"Greedy! Too greedy!"

Li Ziran smiled wryly. The moment he entered this Void Expanse, he was stunned by the enormous Bone Dragon.

From that moment on, greed began to sprout in his heart, and he fantasized about standing at the top in one step.

Although he tries to stay clear-headed most of the time, when such enormous profits come his way, the greed hidden within him still overshadows his reason.

"Hehe... that's just me!"

Li Ziran was speechless, speechless about himself, and especially about his uncontrollable greed.

The Shadow Crescent Moon that entered his Spirit World was clearly not just providing him with free spiritual tempering; it was obviously a means for the Shadow Society to control its members.

Escape!

At that very moment, the same thought popped into Li Ziran's mind again.

He found the idea ridiculous even to himself.

He shouldn't be bound; that's not his true desire. But he also doesn't want to be turned into a puppet by Shadow Elder Ying.

Beyond the Shadow Society.

Is this possible?

Sandrew, the Spatial Mantis, the Vampire, the Dark Elf, and Gegwu, most importantly, the Shadow Elder —these are all figures as towering as mountains. Can he surpass them?

Li Ziran dared not even think about it; the idea was somewhat extravagant. But the thought of the endless tasks to come stirred within him a fighting spirit to break through.

Like a tree tooth stuck in a crack in the rock, it seems to be trying to squeeze out.

"Is it cruel?" Li Ziran asked calmly, looking at Anfuni.

"Heh." Anfuni gave a strange laugh. "It's much crueler than you think. Do you know why that Vampire was angry just now?"

Li Ziran shook his head. He didn't understand. It must have been Anfuni's cough that angered her.

"Value, your value in the Shadow Society is like your current value—you possess organ transplants, Demon breeding, and limitless potential. However, this value is finite and transferable. When you ask for help, you are essentially sharing a portion of your value with them. That Vampire, when he first joined, asked for help from almost everyone. How laughable! He had the magnificent Blood Pool Project, but unfortunately, he only received a meager share in the end."

"You mean my income will be transferred to Spatial Mantis?" Li Ziran asked directly.

If joining the Shadow Society only elicit psychological resistance, then the Spatial Mantis's methods are downright repulsive.

He absolutely disliked people taking money from his pocket without his knowledge.

This is**.

"No, but you'll have to pay for the space technology. He'll build the tunnel for you for free, but you'll need to pay a fee when you use it, and that fee will be deducted directly from the Shadow Network. Now you understand? Everyone likes to have you help them."

Li Ziran could barely understand some of the things, which was equivalent to charging for technical skills, and not unreasonable.

"Shadow Network? What is that?"

Li Ziran asked, puzzled; he was somewhat confused.

"Is there a Shadow Crescent Moon in your Spirit World?"

Li Ziran nodded. This was a gift from Shadow Elder, and the moment it appeared, his mental strength increased dozens of times.

Even now, this Shadow Crescent Moon continues to absorb spiritual energy, expanding its Spirit World.

"Is it comfortable?"

Li Ziran nodded again.

It's very comfortable. Although the spiritual absorption from the Shadow Crescent Moon is very weak, it's much better than absorbing the Frog's soul. This is essentially equivalent to a Devouring Curse, and it runs continuously.

The benefits are self-evident.

"Close your eyes, stare quietly at that Shadow Crescent Moon, and see what changes?" Anfuni said with a quiet smile.

Li Ziran was somewhat puzzled, so he closed his eyes and focused all his attention on the Shadow Crescent Moon.

A miraculous thing happened: the surface of the Shadow Crescent Moon rapidly decomposed, and consciousness gradually entered a hazy gray space.

This space had no up or down, no left or right, and not even anything extra; there were only wisps of gray smoke, and within the smoke was a gleaming ring, with a number clearly marked in the center.

'73'

Li Ziran slowly opened his eyes and asked inexplicably, "There's only one number: 73."

But the moment she uttered that number, Anfuni's face turned ashen, and she sneered, "How ruthless Sandrew is, that Vampire!"

Li Ziran was unaware of this, which suggested that the two seemed to have a blood feud.

"Anfuni, what's going on?" Li Ziran puzzled, but he had a premonition that it wasn't anything good.

"That's your wealth, Li Ziran, the unique wealth of every Shadow Society member, 100, starting with 100. Heh, a mere guide dares to plunder 27 points. I've never seen such a shameless person."

"Shameless? Are there many?" Li Ziran was increasingly confused.

"Not much, just the cost of using two Blood Pool for five years," Anfuni said indignantly. "They're just a guide; they should be doing well deducting three or five points. This guy really dares to ask for so much."

What are the costs for two Blood Pool over five years?

Although Li Ziran did not understand the meaning of these numbers, he was very clear about money.

This...

It should be worth several hundred gold coins.

"If this number goes to zero, will we be eliminated?" Li Ziran keenly realized the connection between this number and the Shadow Society.

Anfuni looked at Li Ziran and laughed, as if mocking his ignorance.

"Brother, how can you be so naive? This isn't a game where you reset to zero. Haha, stop dreaming. You'll be reviewed at 60, and if you drop below 50, Shadow Elder will eliminate you directly."

"What about the remaining number?" Li Ziran puzzled. It was completely useless; why not just set it at 50?

"Leave it to the next one, like you!" Anfuni sighed quietly. "Li Ziran, hurry up and hold the first regular meeting. Organ modification and Demon breeding can earn you at least 30 points. Although it won't make you rise to power quickly, it will allow you to gain a foothold." Anfuni gently patted Li Ziran's shoulder. "Li, I really don't know if it was a mistake to bring you in. I would rather you didn't know this organization existed."

Li Ziran was about to speak when Anfuni suddenly stepped forward and gave him a hug, whispering in his ear, "Don't trust anyone, especially Sandrew. Imagine that Demon baby girl under his control. You are absolutely under his control."

Li Ziran was somewhat puzzled. Just as he was about to ask, he discovered that the beauty in his arms had turned into specks of gray and disappeared completely.

"Anfuni?"

Li Ziran called out in a panic, but unfortunately, there was no response.

She!

Gone?

Or was he forcibly teleported away by Sandrew?

At this moment, Li Ziran was left alone in the huge room, which made him feel very uncomfortable.

I've gotten used to having them by my side these past few days.

27:00!

"What a valuable resource!"

Li Ziran murmured, feeling a pang of heartache, but he didn't stubbornly insist that there was anything wrong with it.

In the Shadow Society, he was a novice.

He understood the laws of survival very well; in the face of nature's Survival Law, those newly born cubs were often the most likely to perish.

At least when the Vampire was blackmailing him, Sandrew coughed once.

That one sound was enough to win over La.

"Ugh, what a hassle."

Looking at the numbers within the Shadow Crescent Moon, Li Ziran felt increasingly disgusted.

He disliked being forced to move forward, and this strange, distorted number in front of him was like a Tail that had been attached to him and its Tail set on fire, forcing him to run forward.

"I feel like a lab rat in a cage. Ugh, that Sandrew... he's a menace!"

Li Ziran no gratitude, only helplessness.

You can't blame anyone else.

It's just that greed clouded my judgment.

Suddenly, a faint glow stirred in the gray Shadow Crescent Moon of the Spirit World; it was a light gray message.

"When you want to leave, use your spirit to activate the circular formation beneath your feet."

The familiar Gray Shadow Space, the familiar circular wheel beneath my feet, but Sandrew of nowhere in the Shadow Crescent Moon.

This is clearly a communication method used in the Shadow Space.

The spirit flows, settling within the Shadow Crescent Moon array.

Instantly, a surge of energy, like a gentle breeze, caressed my face, as softly as a woman giving me a massage.

Slowly opening his eyes, he found the round table room gone, replaced by a vast blue sky. Beneath that blue sky, swarms of mosquitoes flew about, freely moving among the corpses.

The familiar stench hit him; clearly, this was the Corpse Mountain he knew all too well.

The place we are in now is a small, round marble field, but it offers a perfect panoramic view of the entire Blackwind Pass.

"Come down the stairs!"

Sandrew's voice came from the Shadow Crescent Moon. Turning his head, he saw a notch at the corner of the round area, which led to a row of crimson stairs.

This is Sandrew's Magic Tower, and he should be on the top floor of the tower.

Following the stairs to the end, you'll find a huge domed room, like a luxurious grand hall.

Beneath their feet was a soft down carpet, above their heads were precious Starlight Stone, and on the walls hung portraits of different people. Some of these portraits held magic wands, some exuded a fierce Battle Qi, some were blessed with Holy Light, and some had bloodshot eyes and bat wings.

There are twelve portraits in total, each with a different temperament. Among them, the horned Demon with bat wings is the most impressive, and he looks very similar to the Dark Mandala girl he cultivated.

"This old man definitely planned this!"

Below the portrait is a round table with a teacup, a bottle of red wine, and a plate of fruit on it—very simple. On either side of the table is a mahogany chair with a yellow cushion on it.

The room wasn't luxurious, but it was extremely well-refined, with everything exuding elegance and sophistication.

At the farthest point, between the square tables, Li Ziran finally saw Sandrew.

At that moment, the other person was sitting with their legs crossed, slowly sipping a glass of scarlet juice, then picked up a glass of red wine, walked up to Li Ziran, and said in a low voice with a smile, "That woman has been talking badly about me, hasn't she? I'm really sorry, she has to leave early."