Chapter 1 Xia Hou Aotian's Exit

Xia Hou Aotian lay down for a few minutes, then sat up and opened the refrigerator in the living room, taking out a high-sugar drink and chugging it down.

After finishing a 600ml bottle of drink, he burped with satisfaction, feeling dopamine rapidly generating, his brain becoming excited and happy, diluting the fatigue and repression brought by the S-class dungeon.

"I'm never going into a dungeon again, not this year! Even if the Yuanshi Tianzun cries, shouts, and kneels to beg me, don't even think about getting me into a dungeon again!" Xia Hou Aotian vowed secretly in his heart.

After clearing the Shu Mountain Southern Garden, he developed a psychological shadow regarding high-difficulty dungeons, but the stubbornness and pride of being the protagonist made him resolutely choose to solo the family dungeon!

If only he hadn't done that!

Throwing the drink bottle into the trash can a few meters away, Xia Hou Aotian went to his computer desk, pushed a half-meter high speaker towards the window, and pressed the power button.

From the speaker's protective cover came a deafening roar:

"I, Xia Hou Aotian, have emerged from seclusion!"

"Xia Hou Aotian has emerged from seclusion! Emerged from seclusion!"

Amid the noise that spread throughout the Xia Hou family's villa district, Xia Hou Aotian picked up his phone and dialed Yuanshi Tianzun's number.

Looking at the Demon Eye Heavenly King, who had lost his fighting spirit and whose eyes were filled with unwillingness, Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly, not knowing how to comfort him.

Of course, the dignified Demon Eye Heavenly King didn't need comfort, but since he had invested so much energy and time in him, Zhang Yuanqing would still feel guilty suddenly telling him that the project was over.

So he said, "The situation is such that we can only take things one step at a time. The Sun dungeon can't be opened, but since He Chang asked me to act according to the plan, it means he doesn't want to give up."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King looked gloomy, "But he didn't leave a way to enter the Sun dungeon. He doesn't know what to do either. He's unwilling to give up, so he's just struggling a bit!"

He seemed very pessimistic.

Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to say a few words of encouragement, he suddenly remembered that Demon Eyes were inherently pessimistic, evil professions. Encouragement would likely be ineffective. If he allowed this pessimistic emotion to ferment, he might take advantage of the gap when the Demigods entered the dungeon to cleanse the world.

With the Demon Eye's current level, if things really went awry, the Lawful faction would lose many Rulers, and might even cause the death of Peak Rulers.

"I need to stabilize his emotions first," Zhang Yuanqing thought, pouring a glass of wine for the Demon Eye and talking about Fu Qingyang and Xia Hou Aotian's recent situations, deliberately mentioning words like "great goals" and "good partners on the road," slowly guiding his depressed emotions with the abilities of an Illusionist.

At that moment, his phone, which was on the glass table, rang. The caller was Xia Hou Aotian.

"The protagonist has returned?" Zhang Yuanqing perked up and quickly answered the phone.

To be honest, after learning from the Xia Hou family head that Xia Hou Aotian had entered the S-class dungeon "An Shi Rebellion," he was mentally prepared for Xia Hou Aotian to be unable to keep the appointment.

War-type dungeons usually take a lot of time. There are cases where people drift in the dungeon and lose contact. The White Tiger Soldiers have had such examples.

One elder had fought north and south in a dungeon for half a year, and the dungeon guide he wrote after returning was all in classical Chinese.

He didn't expect the protagonist to return right on time.

As soon as he answered, an ear-piercing noise came from the speaker: "I, Xia Hou Aotian, have emerged from seclusion!"

"The half-month period has arrived, Yuanshi Tianzun. I have returned to reality, and I will help you become the Lord of the Sun and establish unparalleled merit and create a glorious great undertaking." Xia Hou Aotian's tone was full of arrogant pride.

"In the future, don't call yourself a genius at clearing dungeons. If you have to brag, please include me."

What glory was it to clear an S-class dungeon alone? It was equivalent to getting a perfect score on the civil service exam. Yuanshi Tianzun became an official star and a world-renowned genius by clearing S-class dungeons.

Xia Hou Aotian felt that he could be on par with Yuanshi Tianzun as the twin pride of the Lawful faction!

Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously, "Did you advance to Level 8?"

"That's not important. What's important is that I cleared an S-class dungeon alone." Xia Hou Aotian said that he was different from Yuanshi Tianzun. The latter used A-class dungeons as an upgrade base, while he used B-class, even C-class, until he had accumulated enough experience points and enough items before gritting his teeth and trying an S-class dungeon.

His current experience points were 86%. To advance to Level 8, he still had to go through an A-class dungeon.

"Oh, you're not Level 8 yet? But I am Level 8."

"That's not important. What's important is that I cleared an S-class dungeon alone." Xia Hou Aotian's voice was laced with gritted teeth.

"Demon Eye also cleared an S-class dungeon alone. Demon Eye is Level 9."

Xia Hou Aotian suddenly wanted to enter a dungeon again. He couldn't stand this grievance.

"Prepare yourself, enter the Mo Sect's Mechanical City in sixty seconds." Zhang Yuanqing said and then hung up the phone.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King leaned lazily on the sofa and said indifferently, "It seems that bullying the arrogant Xia Hou Aotian is a common entertainment project for your gang."

Zhang Yuanqing shrugged, "There's also mocking Red Rooster Bro, and watching Red Rooster Bro laugh at the shame of the Fire Master. They're called the two great joys of the Returned."

He picked up a piece of ham and threw it into his mouth, chewing as he said, "I've already lost my qualification to participate, and I'm likely to have no chance with the Lord of the Sun, but I've worked hard for so long and don't want to give up. I'll keep going until the birth of the Sun."

After speaking, he made a waving motion with his Demon Eye and disappeared from the study.

In the woods at the foot of the Mo Sect's Mechanical City dungeon, Zhang Yuanqing held a writing brush and drew the last stroke of the Lingzhuan (spiritual seal) formation. A golden circular array with a diameter of three meters took shape.

Golden light flickered, and the temperature rose by several degrees!

A three-legged bronze furnace was placed in the center of the array, the golden sword-colored patterns on the furnace body perfectly matching the array "underfoot."

Zhang Yuanqing took out the Jade Purification Bottle and said, "Refine all three together, or one by one?"

The handsome Xia Hou Aotian raised his chin, "My alchemy is like my use of troops, the more the better!"

"Amazing! Amazing, as expected of the pillar of the Returned. I, this gang leader, am just background decoration. You, Xia Hou Aotian, are the protagonist. Hmm, what's the success rate?" Zhang Yuanqing clapped his hands.

Xia Hou Aotian scoffed, "When you need me, you call me the protagonist. When you don't need me, you show off your superiority as Yuanshi Tianzun. You're more treacherous than Yang Guozhong!"

Zhang Yuanqing pretended not to hear, pulled the cork off the Jade Purification Bottle, and poured out three sleeping black-robed men.

Their images were of an old man, a middle-aged man, and a young man, corresponding to "Mountains and Rivers Endure," "Surgeon," and "Shaman" respectively.

The three of them were sleeping peacefully with even breaths. Xia Hou Aotian examined them for a few moments and said, "Their minds are calm, their spirit, energy, and essence are balanced. No need to use medicine."

He pointed his fingers like a sword and gently pointed.

"Rise!"

The lid of the alchemy furnace at their feet flew into the sky. Xia Hou Aotian manipulated more than a dozen auxiliary medicines, letting them fly into the pill chamber, and then sent the three Day Tour Gods into it.

During the process, the three Rulers' clothes automatically tore, becoming stark naked.

"Clang!" The furnace lid fell, sealing it tightly. Xia Hou Aotian spread out his palm and summoned a cluster of flames with a white base and a red outer flame, flinging it towards the alchemy furnace.

The Samadhi True Fire flickered, solidifying at the bottom of the furnace. Then, he stepped into the array, extending it under the feet of the alchemy furnace. The array rotated clockwise, and the Samadhi True Fire blazed.

Stimulated by the raging fire, the three Day Tour Gods in the pill chamber immediately woke up and desperately rammed the furnace walls, trying to escape.

Bang, bang, bang, the sound of violent impact on the furnace walls came, and the furnace lid was like a boiling teapot, nearly being lifted off. Every time this happened, the furnace body and the array on the ground would emit golden light, forming a seal to stabilize the alchemy furnace.

Zhang Yuanqing was worried it wasn't safe enough, so he flew up and stepped on the furnace lid with one foot, and the furnace lid was no longer lifted.

"Yuanshi Tianzun, you will die a horrible death! You're actually using such vicious methods to advance. Ah, you're unworthy of being Lawful!"

"Yuanshi Tianzun, I will kill you, kill you!"

The roars of the three Dark Rose Guardians came from the alchemy furnace. As experienced Lingjing Xingzhe (spiritual realm travelers), and with the status of Rulers, they naturally had contact with the evil art of ancient cultivators eating people. Furthermore, their cooperation with Dark Rose was close. The Pure Yang Sect Leader was a living example.

Therefore, upon discovering that they were in a narrow pill chamber and feeling the pain of the raging fire, they immediately guessed Yuanshi Tianzun's vicious plan.

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes narrowed and the corners of his mouth turned up, "There is no distinction between good and evil in the means of obtaining power. It is the people who control the power who are divided into good and evil, right and wrong. Everyone, why are you talking about morality with a philosophical idealist like me? Do you even know me?"

The three men's angry curses halted.

Yuanshi Tianzun was an extremist like the Demon Monarch, so extreme that he would die together with a Peak Ruler for a group of unrelated people.

Xia Hou Aotian tried his best to operate the array, and the speed of the pointer's rotation became faster and faster. The Samadhi True Fire blazed, and the rising flames almost engulfed half of the alchemy furnace. Zhang Yuanqing's shoes and pants on the furnace lid were instantly burned, and his skin was severely burned. He had no choice but to activate the Blazing Sun God of War to withstand the flames and high temperature.

Time passed quickly, and the cursing voices in the pill chamber became smaller and smaller, eventually becoming inaudible.

After another half an hour, blood-red mist spewed out of the pores of the alchemy furnace, accompanied by a strong, fishy fragrance.

Seeing this, Xia Hou Aotian quickly extinguished the Samadhi True Fire. After waiting for the golden Lingzhuan array to fluctuate and dissolve the mental pollution in the pill, he revealed a happy expression: "It's done!"

Refining a cauldron of pills and refining a piece of equipment was a very fulfilling thing for a Scholar.

Zhang Yuanqing couldn't wait. He kicked the furnace lid away, and saw that a layer of mud-like black-red impurities had accumulated in the pill chamber. Three egg-sized, deep golden-red blood pills were trapped in the impurities.

A rich spiritual power wafted out, containing powerful vitality and solar divine power.

Zhang Yuanqing took out a small bottle for storing pills and carefully collected them one by one.

Looking at the pills, Xia Hou Aotian thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Sooner or later, the old man in the position of family head will have to tell me... The Demigods have all entered the Sun dungeon. Are Taiyin (Lunar) and the Lord of the Stars going to fight until their brains are smashed out?"

Before, he was just about to call Yuanshi Tianzun when his uncle came to his door.

Xia Hou Aotian chatted with the old family head for a long time before contacting Yuanshi Tianzun.

Zhang Yuanqing rolled his eyes, "Did you ask the old man for his opinion before you arbitrarily added a long string of prefixes to the Xia Hou family head?"

After complaining, he forced a smile and said, "My account hasn't been maxed out yet, and the peak competition has already started."

Xia Hou Aotian neither gloated nor took the opportunity to mock him. He stood there in silence.

"Wasn't it pretty good at the beginning?" Xia Hou Aotian suddenly shrugged, "I don't have to go to dungeons anymore. I can just take a vacation and study refining equipment. If the world hasn't been destroyed by the time I come out of seclusion, that's great. If the world has already been destroyed, I'll have to open my protagonist mode and secretly level up in the apocalypse and turn the tide."

He waved goodbye to Zhang Yuanqing and quit the gang dungeon. Zhang Yuanqing didn't leave the Mo family's Mechanical City. After thinking for a few seconds, he opened his inventory and began to set up a summoning ceremony.

He wanted to summon the Third Dao Mountain Goddess to ask about the specific situation.

Since the Goddess had already entered the Sun dungeon, he would return to reality and consult the Peak Rulers one by one, asking them if they had a way to enter the Sun dungeon.

He would only give up if the Peak Rulers in reality all gave negative answers.

Soon, in the sky above the Zong (Mo Sect)'s Mechanical City, patterns of golden light rippled, and the Third Dao Mountain Goddess, in fluttering feathered clothes, descended on the dungeon riding the golden light.

Zhang Yuanqing bowed his head, "Master, I greet you!"

The Third Dao Mountain Goddess examined him, her beautiful eyes revealing undisguised appreciation. "Your cultivation speed is faster than I expected. In the future, there's no need for such a grand salute. With your level, you can serve by my side."

Zhang Yuanqing insisted on bowing, saying, "A teacher for a day is a mother for life. This disciple will always be inferior."

Seeing a smile on the Third Dao Mountain Goddess's face, Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "This disciple has heard that the strongest experts in the Human Immortal Realm have gathered in the Sun dungeon, and Taiyin (Lunar) and the Lord of the Stars are competing for the Sun. Master, your ambition is Human Immortal, why didn't you participate?"

A helpless expression appeared on the Third Dao Mountain Goddess's pale face. "Initially, the Sun dungeon only allowed experts at the peak, preventing any non-Night Tour God professions below the Human Immortal level from entering. Later, a ray of purple light broke open the Lingjing (spiritual realm) and opened the restrictions of the Sun dungeon."

"The Human Immortals of the present world poured in. I know my limits. The battle for the Human Immortal is beyond my reach."

That's right, the old woman was a Peak Ruler, but she would definitely die in the face of a Human Immortal, let alone a Human Immortal melee!

Zhang Yuanqing was unconvinced, "Master, is there a way to open the Sun dungeon? You have achieved such great attainments and can engage in guerrilla warfare and fish in troubled waters."

The Third Dao Mountain Goddess shook her head regretfully, "The Sun dungeon seems to have changed. The restrictions are becoming more and more solid. Before the birth of the Lord of the Sun, no one from the outside can enter."

Although Zhang Yuanqing had expected this, he couldn't help but feel disappointed upon hearing this.

"What is the origin of that purple light?" he asked.

The Third Dao Mountain Goddess said, "It's very similar to the Desperate Poison Master profession that I saw in the First District dungeon last time."

As soon as she said that, Zhang Yuanqing understood. The Demon Seed had taken action!

It was the Demon Seed, a god, who opened the restrictions of the Sun dungeon, sending the Demigods of the Evil faction into the Sun dungeon, and the Lawful Demigods took the opportunity to follow.

In other words, the dungeon was opened by god-level experts. The Demon Seed's level was higher than the Demigods. Such a thing didn't exist in reality, and it didn't exist in the Lingjing (spiritual realm) either. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head in disappointment again.

"What are Master's subsequent plans?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

The Third Dao Mountain Goddess said, "When the Lord of the Sun is born, I will leave the Lingjing (spiritual realm) and return to the present world, personally ending the karma with my teacher and supporting the righteous path."

"Master is righteous!" Zhang Yuanqing bowed his head.