Thousand Streams Island, No. 10 Street Tavern.
A slightly tipsy man with a slicked-back mustache, a dirty blanket tied behind his back, sat at the bar, engaging in lively conversation with several martial artists.
"Let me tell you, I ran into some outsiders when I went out yesterday at noon."
"I guess it's that jerk of a ticket inspector who didn't explain the situation inside to them again."
"I specifically warned them that in an hour or two the whole world would be on fire, but they just wouldn't believe me."
"I waited outside for two hours, but they still didn't come out. I guess they'll never get out in this lifetime."
Someone nearby joked, "You can't stop someone who's looking to be reincarnated."
"They see you're carrying a lot of stuff; they're probably trying to make a quick buck."
The man with the mustache waved his hand. "You still have to be alive to enjoy it."
"Countless outsiders have died inside over the years."
Bang--
The tavern door suddenly opened.
The Dharma King, carrying the Image Recording Stone, walked first.
Following closely behind were Qin Ze, Brother Devour, and Giant Overlord.
The four of them looked travel-worn, covered in sand, clearly having just emerged from another world.
The once bustling and noisy tavern fell silent in an instant.
Dozens of eyes turned to Qin Ze and his group, all looking as if they had seen a ghost.
Especially the man with the thick mustache, who spat out all the wine he had just drunk.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Could it be that I drank too much fake alcohol?
Qin Ze sat down in the empty seat next to the mustache and patted the sand off his shoulders.
"Just bring me some food."
The waiter snapped out of his daze, "Oh, okay."
The man with the mustache asked tremblingly, "Are you a human or a ghost?"
The other world has existed for decades.
Currently, apart from Guardian Yao, no one can stay inside for more than a day.
Qin Ze said calmly, "Do I look like a human or a ghost to you?"
The man with the mustache hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and squeezed Qin Ze's arm.
"You actually survived."
"Incredible."
The other people in the tavern would occasionally steal glances at the strange group of masked men.
But no one came looking for trouble.
The three Dharma King deliberately released the aura fluctuations of Level Three Martial Artist to keep all trouble at bay.
The waiter served each of Qin Ze and his three companions a plate of fried rice.
The man with the mustache watched the group wolfing down their food and asked, "By the way, did you encounter anything strange inside?"
Qin Ze: "What strange thing are you referring to?"
A basketball that can play movies, a black hole that's emitting fire...
Each item, taken individually, looks strange.
The man with the mustache leaned closer and whispered, "Strange beasts, have you spotted any?"
Qin Ze frowned slightly. "Are there any strange beasts inside?"
The man with the mustache nodded. "Although there haven't been any confirmed sightings so far, many people have heard the roar of the beast."
Qin Ze seemed to be deep in thought.
What this guy said is very likely true.
The Eastern Domain has been cut off, but the Gate of the Abyss is most likely still open.
Qin Ze suddenly felt somewhat fortunate.
Fortunately, the Blue Flame Realm is burned down every day.
Otherwise, hordes of strange beasts could very well descend upon Thousand Streams Island through the spatial portal.
The waiter interjected, pointing to the photos on the wall, "Isn't this a clear eyewitness account?"
The photo shows an endless expanse of sand.
On a distant sand dune, a huge dark shadow stood tall.
The distance was too far, so the photo was blurry and not clear.
The man with the mustache scoffed, "Those who know, know; the resolution of eyewitness photos automatically decreases."
This guy was extremely talkative, and since Qin Ze had bought him a drink, he told him a lot of strange and unusual things about the other world.
According to him, he has been exploring other worlds for five or six years.
They make a living by reselling some of the bottles and jars inside.
Although these things aren't very useful.
But after all, it comes from a different civilization.
With this mark, its value will increase many times over.
"About six months ago, my brothers and I were digging sand as usual."
"Damn it, we suddenly stumbled upon a portal, which transported us all to the Abyss."
"Luckily, we're not far from Penglai City, otherwise we really wouldn't have been able to get back."
Qin Ze became interested and took out a map, asking him to mark the location of the spatial portal on it.
The man with the mustache drew a line on the door with a pen, then said, "I went to check again later, but the door was gone."
Qin Ze put away the map.
A portal that appears and disappears suddenly.
That's very interesting.
Qin Ze had a bold idea.
Could it be that the Blue Flame People who were separated have returned?
Finding the world still unsuitable for habitation, they left again.
Qin Ze stayed at the tavern until late at night, during which time he obtained very little useful information about the other world.
When the martial artists and mercenaries got drunk, they mostly talked about women.
Qin Ze stretched and returned to the ship with the Dharma King and the others.
After more than a day of patching and mending, the Flying Circus Man has finally been repaired.
At least the holes under the bed have been patched up, so there's no need to worry about the ship sinking as soon as it sets sail.
Inside the cabin, Qin Ze lay on the bed and activated the Image Recording Stone again.
The interior of the cabin transformed into a tall tower.
Unfortunately, the Image Recording Stone still has no new content; it's the same old thing.
The next morning, the Flying Circus Man set sail back to Sea Capital.
Giant Overlord and several clones remained behind.
They will continue exploring the Blue Flame Realm to see if they make any new discoveries.
After a tumultuous three-hour voyage, the Flying Circus Man, its hull tilting nearly twenty degrees, docked at Fisherman's Wharf.
The workers and sailors on the dock were nearly speechless when they saw this scene.
How could a ship that tilted to this extent still be steered back? Who was this legendary Captain?
"We have arrived at Fisherman's Wharf, our final destination. Thank you for your ride, and we look forward to your next visit."
The pirate Captain, dressed as a cosplayer, stood on the deck and waved his hook at Qin Ze.
Qin Ze's face darkened. "These past few days, you guys need to improve your boat-driving skills. Even a dog can drive better than you."
The sailors were immediately displeased.
"You're making such a fuss. We're already being lenient by not charging you your ticket."
"Let me say it again, my major is 'jumping ship' (a euphemism for switching majors)."
"Master Qin, when are we going to go on a gang jump?"
"You drive a dog better than me? I don't believe it."
"I don't believe it either."
"..."
Qin Ze returned to school.
The dormitory was completely empty.
The three fat guys were all in the classroom having a general education class.
Qin Ze simply sent a clone to take his place.
Ding dong~
Teacher Yao sent out a notice in the class group.
"There will be a practical training session on alien beasts next Wednesday, and no one is allowed to be absent."
Beast Combat Course?
Is it time to fall into the Abyss?
Qin Ze was quite looking forward to it.
I had just sat down on the bed when my key suddenly vibrated; someone was looking for me.
When he opened the chat group, he saw that Slacking on the Sidelines was frantically tagging all the members.
[ Slacking on the Sidelines: Help, guys! Something's happened, something really bad!]
(It's so hot today, I almost threw up from the heat. I forced myself to write this chapter, and I'll try to write more tonight. If I don't, consider it a day off...)