[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] felt very sorry that he couldn't hear the story unfold as he had hoped.
However, adhering to the principle of thoroughly exploiting Xilǐ'er's knowledge base, he still asked another question, concerning his speculations about the plot of Empire-related missions and events:
Is there any risk that Leo VII, whom you mentioned, will pass away soon?
After saying this, the Soul Returner looked at Xilǐ'er expectantly, waiting for his answer.
If Xilǐ'er says there is no risk of his death, then the Empire's storyline should still focus on either confrontation or alliance.
But if Xilǐ'er says yes, then there is no doubt that the Empire will become a paradise for players who enjoy chaos.
However, Xilǐ'er did not answer the question directly, because to him, the Soul Returner was not asking a question, but rather declaring—
Is Leo VII still alive? It would be better if he were dead, but if he were alive... then everyone would have something to do.
However, considering that the Empire and the Second Holy See had never had any dealings, Xilǐ'er felt that the moral standards of the Soul Returner would not allow them to launch an attack without a reason.
He thought for a moment, but instead of answering, he asked a question:
Do you know how long Leo VII has been in that position?
How would I have known...?
[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] looked at Xilǐ'er with a puzzled expression, seeing the other slowly raise a finger.
"A year?"
Xilǐ'er shook his head.
"Ten years?"
Xilǐ'er shook his head.
The Soul Returner swallowed hard, and the knight nodded firmly.
"One hundred years."
"Is this even human?"
"It's hard to say."
The knight said with a serious expression:
"It's not that strong humans can't live that long, but it's said that Leo VII looks exactly the same as he did a hundred years ago."
"To live to be a hundred years old without changing one's appearance is quite rare among humans."
However...
Xilǐ'er then changed the subject and began to patch things up:
"It has been said for a long time that anything is possible in the world after the Demonic Tide."
"Perhaps Leo VII was simply affected by the Demonic Tide, which is why he has maintained his ageless appearance."
[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] Upon hearing this, he gave a "I don't believe it" look and said:
How could such a thing happen?
"Others affected by the Demonic Tide all suffer negative effects, such as Aberration by merging with various things."
Why does he get all the benefits? Not only does he live forever, but his appearance also remains unchanged?
"If the Demonic Tide were this kind, everyone would be living a good life long ago."
"..."
Xilǐ'er was momentarily at a loss for words. The Soul Returner was right, but it was also true that the Demonic Tide affected everyone differently.
Perhaps King Leo VII does indeed have some ulterior motive regarding the Demonic Tide, but anyway--
Currently, he is the highest-rated imperial emperor besides Stral and the second emperor.
After all, what fans love most is rating the monarchs of kingdoms and empires, and the Demonic Tide was an unprecedented Calamity. It wiped out the kingdoms in one fell swoop, while the empires actually managed to retain half of their territory, which is already quite remarkable.
"In short, that's about all I know about the Empire. Once you've covered the central provinces, you can go and explore the southern regions that are closer to the Empire."
Xilǐ'er's understanding of the Empire was indeed limited; after being drained dry by the Soul Returner, he could only say this.
[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] paused for a moment before responding, but what he said was completely different from the original topic.
" Xilǐ'er, I just received news: a group of Soul Returner have discovered a new Grand Duke's seal site in the Wilderness of Chaos near the Graycast Corridor!"
"What?"
Xilǐ'er's tone was tinged with surprise, but it was clearly not genuine astonishment.
He quickly recalled his encounter with Gray in the Wilderness of Chaos. It seemed that the area he had discovered back then was indeed problematic, and most likely, it really did contain a Grand Duke.
It seemed absurd to Xilǐ'er that Gray, a merchant nearing the Middle Tier, could escape death, so he didn't entirely believe him at the time.
But now it seems...
His face gradually darkened. The knight thought of Klaf City, the Rotting Corpse Dark Lake, the two emperors he both respected and hated, and the "grand plan" they had gleaned from their mere words.
The knight looked at [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] with a serious and earnest expression:
"I have something I need you to convey to the other Soul Returner exploring the Wilderness of Chaos."
"Hmm? You say it."
[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] looked back at the knight with a puzzled expression.
"If you're going to deal with that sealed area, you'll probably need to do it as soon as possible— the Twin Kings are aware of this."
"What?!"
The Soul Returner instantly lost control of his expression, and looked at Xilǐ'er, saying:
"How did they know? How come there are Twin Kings everywhere?"
Upon hearing this, Xilǐ'er's serious expression turned slightly embarrassed.
"I told the Twin Kings... I encountered Gray, who had narrowly escaped death, in the Wilderness of Chaos, and learned about this from him. Later, during a prayer, I reported it to the two lords."
"... You're a little too dedicated..."
The corner of the Soul Returner's mouth twitched, but in the end, he didn't say anything more.
After all, Xilǐ'er was just doing his job. At the time, they weren't even in the same "company," so what right did he have to criticize the other party?
Thinking of this, [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] said seriously:
"I need to enter a period of slumber now. Please help me pull the Hoofed Beast forward."
After saying that, [Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] immediately fainted on horseback, quit the game, and started writing a new post on the forum in real life.
In the southern part of the mainland, within the territory of the [ Skeleton Alliance ].
A man in a gray robe was walking briskly along a sandy road. The environment he was in was no different from most of the Gobi Desert in the Wilderness of Chaos Wilderness of Chaos, and even a bit hotter because it was further south. It seemed to be moving from the Gobi Desert into the desert.
But he showed no sign of panic; instead, he moved forward quickly, step by step, muttering to himself:
"How did this place become like this?"
A mournful bird cry echoed through the sky, accompanied by a black Shadow swiftly sweeping across the sand. A giant eagle with a wingspan taller than a person landed on the gray-robed man's shoulder.
The falcon was so large that if the gray-robed man didn't stretch out an arm to serve as a foothold, it could only place one claw on each of his shoulders.
Several grayish-brown withered branches peeked out from under the gray-robed man's robe, and the giant eagle wisely moved onto the withered branches.
What's the road ahead like?
"I asked the man in the gray robe."
"Fifty li ahead Sand Capital."
"Great, it seems we're almost there."