Chapter 473: Player Becomes God (Two-in-One)

Below the temple, mists drifted, forming a sea of white clouds where fairies danced. Their beauty was enchanting, captivating all who beheld it. High above, ancient beings sat, their gazes cold and their terrifying aura capable of tearing through the heavens, like the oldest, most merciless entities from eternity. Even Mengmei, Bell, Dragon Wuming, and others had transformed into one of these ancient beings.

By this time, nearly three thousand years and multiple epochs had passed since the nascent period when the Primordial Gods created the world and discussed the Dao, leading to the mature Three Realms of today.

"Medusa has, after all, fallen back into slumber..." Ermin whispered beside her. She watched as the clone attending the Peach Banquet beside her also fell asleep. The main body, still slumbering, had just been sent back to the other side of the ocean in the Demon Realm.

The Three Realms were constantly expanding; the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm were already countless times vaster than the Mortal Realm, their foundational world, truly deserving the title of great worlds! Though still far from matching the area of the ancient Lava World.

"Fellow Daoist Qing Teng," Ermin said, seated high above, her voice subtly dignified as she voiced her inner doubts, "after much thought, it seems the God of Beautiful Dreams just inexplicably died in your dream. That's how we were able to escape quickly, swiftly prevent this catastrophe, and reverse the desperate situation."

Mother Earth Qing Teng calmly replied, "It saw something it shouldn't have—an unobservable existence."

Ermin was startled. "May I ask..."

"To be frank, it's my fiancé!" Mother Earth Qing Teng said with a serious expression. "It's an imprint of his presence left within me, protecting me at all times."

What kind of being was that? Ermin, seated on her divine throne, couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart. Just attempting to observe such an existence—even a deity would instantly collapse and perish? Ninth-rank? Tenth-rank? Her breathing quickened slightly. Mother Earth Qing Teng's origins might truly not be simple!

She continued to ponder and organize her thoughts. On the Demon Realm's side, she, Medusa, and the newly ascended Blood Emperor were paying even closer attention to the Immortal Realm.

Mengmei, draped in tiger skin, had effectively suppressed Ermin's skepticism. Feeling quite satisfied, she sat in the center, constantly calculating. "Current forces are broadly divided into four categories: the Demon Realm, the Immortal Realm, the Mortal Realm, and the rising Grotesque beings. Although we repelled them, they are becoming increasingly formidable... And within the Immortal Realm, our player faction, along with Dao Changsheng's lineage, is not strong at all."

In the Immortal Realm, combat power also relies on Dao Changsheng, the only deity who has ascended. Below the deities, there are also figures like the former Heavenly Emperor Xuwei, whose combat power is impressive. Players do not dominate the combat power hierarchy of the Immortal Realm. The reason players have their current influence is because she pioneered the Dragon Vein method, which is why all realms respect her as Mother Earth Qing Teng. Because she cannot be killed and provides incense offerings to all beings!

Her incense offering system has limited control over power, similar to licensing "intellectual property." She cannot interfere with the incense offering lineage herself. She merely gave them the tools for cultivation, and they became self-sufficient. Furthermore, once they break through to an Eighth-rank deity, they significantly reduce the possibility of being assimilated by incense offerings. Only if they die completely and are resurrected several times through faith do they embody the self in the eyes of all beings and begin to lose themselves. But how could an Eighth-rank deity die so easily? Generally, Incense Gods are immortal, but incense is toxic, and resurrection through death has extremely strong side effects. No deity is willing to endure losing themselves. Faith, in daily life, is merely a channel for them to collect energy.

"We players are too weak," Mengmei thought, organizing her thoughts. "After I become a god, it will be Bell and these people's turn to ascend! After all, they are about to reach their limit; only by becoming gods can they resist the collective will of all beings!" This group of people, after so many years of hard work, are still only Seventh-rank Heavenly Emperors; quitting the game is unacceptable! "We're falling behind the times," she mused. "Before, the first player, the Ancient Alchemist Emperor, was already a Seventh-rank combatant... After all this time, we are still Seventh-rank Heavenly Emperors. It's time to break through to the Eighth-rank realm."

As she pondered, she suddenly received a message from players outside. "What the hell is 'helping Emperor Messiah boost his image and correct his reputation'?" She was stunned. Dragon Wuming and others beside her also seemed to have received the message. They found it highly amusing. Are these jokers serious? What about our dignity? But after a private exchange, they agreed, "Messiah, we definitely need to win him over."

"According to the system's dispenser," they discussed, "he might be the protagonist of this era, perhaps breaking through to the Ninth-rank in the future—the protagonist of the main storyline... to seek revenge and fight the Super Ancient God again."

"Regardless, we should try to curry favor and win him over!"

"It would be very beneficial for our player faction."

They thought for a moment. This mysterious Heavenly Emperor was currently concealing his identity and being challenged, making it a perfect opportunity to show goodwill. Heavenly Emperor Lei suddenly walked down. The surrounding Heavenly Emperors were slightly stunned. Why had Heavenly Emperor Lei suddenly descended? They watched as he slowly approached Messiah's table, just as he was about to speak.

But at the table, the scene was completely different.

"So that's how it is!" The Ancient Race Heavenly Emperor was suddenly enlightened, humbly stating, "I did indeed break through as a Heavenly Emperor using Witch Tribe cultivation techniques. Now that I've just begun cultivating a second system, the Martial Cultivation lineage, I do feel some discomfort. My lower back, spine, and fingertips—these three areas haven't been properly trained!" The Ancient Race Heavenly Emperor respectfully completely forgot his earlier provocation. "So, how do you suggest I remedy this?"

Heavenly Emperor Lei: ???

This situation felt off! We were supposed to out and help him boost his image; how did it turn into a large-scale teaching session?

"You should do this," Xu Zhi slowly explained to him. The Ancient Race Heavenly Emperor felt as if enlightened, suddenly understanding and repeatedly exclaiming, "So that's it!"

"Thank you for the guidance," the Ancient Race Heavenly Emperor said respectfully.

After Xu Zhi entered the Martial God Palace, although he hadn't yet begun cultivating, he had already instructed Hermes to start researching the Martial Cultivation system. With an additional demon core gene, his computational power had greatly increased, and his learning ability naturally became even more formidable. In such a short time, he had already gained a thorough understanding.

"Heavenly Emperor Lei, what are you doing?" Xu Zhi looked at Heavenly Emperor Lei, who was standing beside him, with a half-smile. "I prefer a quieter environment," he said.

Heavenly Emperor Lei was immediately awkward. After a moment of silence, he forced a dry laugh to those around him, saying, "Just came down for a stroll..." The scene was a bit awkward. He quietly turned back.

Xu Zhi's expression was calm. *Trying to mess with me? Do you really think I don't check the internet, letting me be set up for a dramatic confrontation?* He took a deep breath, feeling fortunate that he always kept an eye on these players' movements, secretly monitoring their activities. Otherwise, he would have fallen into another big trap.

*Screenshot.*

"He actually got rebuffed? Good thing I didn't go down," Mengmei thought with a slight smile, "otherwise, this Mother Earth would have been embarrassed." She quickly took a screenshot, added text, and posted it online.

The online forum immediately erupted in laughter. A flood of question marks appeared, indicating their immense shock.

"What do we do? This guy doesn't play by the rules!"

"You truly underestimated Emperor Messiah's wisdom; he can resolve crises on his own."

"Hmph, those online 'face-slapping' plots are simply unrealistic! How many faces are there to slap? Look, he resolved it himself from the start, and he was full of amiability. This is the proper way to conduct oneself. Always making enemies and seeking confrontations indicates either psychological distortion or illness! (Humorous)"

However, more people became even more astonished.

"But, could he have already anticipated that Heavenly Emperor Lei and the others would come to his rescue, and acted accordingly?"

"Highly likely."

A renowned professor certified in psychology also shared their view: "Emperor Messiah's expression has always been calm. He seemed to have long anticipated that Heavenly Emperor Lei would come to his rescue, and even intended to announce his recent act of saving the Three Realms, making the world take notice... Now, he clearly doesn't want to expose himself, saying he prefers quietness, which should be interpreted as having a hidden meaning."

Everyone felt it made sense upon hearing this. It was highly probable that he had already guessed Heavenly Emperor Lei and others would come to his rescue. This was foresight!

"Too amazing! So indifferent to fame and gain, I'm a fan!"

"He calculates everything perfectly!"

"Awesome! So cool!"

Countless people became even more agitated. He even calculated this? This Messiah is too powerful, truly worthy of being someone who can contend with Bai Xiaosheng. Especially his characteristic faint smile, which gave off an aura of unfathomable wisdom.

Instantly, the entire forum became incredibly lively, with many people commenting:

"The charisma and wisdom of Emperor Messiah are no less than that of the Super Ancient God who previously altered timelines and acted like an overbearing CEO!"

"Yes, after all, his previous life was also the Super Ancient God's nemesis—the Ninth-rank existence, Hermes. So, can he rise again? The main storyline will likely be Emperor Messiah seeking revenge, returning to the Ninth-rank realm in the future, and fighting the Super Ancient God."

Everyone began speculating and discussing. "But it will probably be very long," one speculated. "Given the lifespans of tens of thousands of years for such beings, Messiah's return to peak strength will likely take thousands, even tens of thousands of years of resurgence. After all, he's not even a deity yet."

Everyone was fervent, discussing animatedly. After all, the previous Super Ancient God, who closed world lines and made them seek their own destinies, was too overbearing. The current Emperor Messiah, however, possesses astonishing wisdom and a calm demeanor.

Overbearing CEO VS Calm Sage?

Both characters seemed to have high popularity, and many people were very excited, exclaiming that the game development team was amazing. The main storyline had already begun to unfold, and the character design for such an opponent was truly cool.

Xu Zhi relaxed for a moment. Sitting on a chair, he took a big bite of an immortal fruit whose sweet juice burst forth, and helplessly said, "Are you trying to make me die of laughter?" He continued eating the fruit without looking up. "What's so interesting about the Peach Banquet?" he thought. "It's much more interesting to watch these players."

High above.

Mengmei was speechless. "The entire grand shocking spectacle was nipped in the bud before it even began." She knew these players were unreliable! "Still, this Messiah is truly extraordinary," she thought, finding it terrifying. Her gaze fixed on Emperor Messiah below, who was calmly eating fruit.

The "Pure Land of Bliss" fairy dance performance had ended, formally commencing the main event of the Peach Banquet: the ceremony of her own ascension to godhood. The elaborate rituals began. Although the ceremony was luxurious and magnificent, she didn't desire it, but she still had to consider her identity as Mother Earth. Several hours later, under the gaze of the Three Realms and having absorbed the stored energy, Mengmei began to break through to the deity realm!

*Rumble!*

Terrifying light radiated outwards. Ermin, the Blood Emperor, and Heavenly Dao all intervened to protect her. At this moment, among the Heavenly Emperors observing the ceremony endlessly below, Mother Earth Qing Teng was shrouded in hazy white divine light. Within Mengmei's body, an ancient Qing Teng dragon slowly coiled within her sea of consciousness, emitting immense pressure... In reality, Mengmei's soul, seated before her computer, seemed to be instantly pulled away!

*Thud.*

She completely fainted in front of her computer.

Xu Zhi's gaze slightly narrowed, and he put down the fruit. "Has it begun?"

Although he had inexplicably experienced a sudden attack during the Peach Banquet, Xu Zhi had not forgotten his true goal for attending: to witness Mengmei's ascension to godhood. Before coming, he had thought about certain matters and even considered much of the future. She was going to become a god, and he had no intention of stopping her.

In this era where deities were beginning to appear in large numbers, and the world was rising from an ordinary lower-tier world to a higher-tier extraordinary world, the Heavenly Emperor realms of these players could no longer keep up. If he secretly restricted them from becoming gods, their role would become increasingly insignificant, possibly even leading to their obsolescence. So, why should he restrict them? Being able to become gods by themselves was their capability, and he had no reason to stop them. Mengmei, Heavenly Emperor Lei, and others had lived for thousands of years and indeed possessed the qualifications and talent to become gods. Although they couldn't compare to top existences like Medusa and Ermin, they were still outstanding and had contributed much to the development of the Three Realms civilization!

"I will not abandon you once you've served your purpose," he mused. "Everything depends on your efforts."

Xu Zhi smiled faintly, looking calm and composed, gazing at Mother Earth Qing Teng, who was enveloped in white light high above. "As the sandbox world progresses, and I progress," he thought, "you will naturally progress along with the sandbox world. As long as your abilities suffice, you will have equal status to the Zerg, with the qualification to reach the peak and look toward the future. Eighth-rank deities have an eight-thousand-year lifespan! And even the Ninth-rank realm, whose future achievements are still being speculated! You, like the Zerg, will deduce a new future, not just for yourselves, but also paving the way for my future... realizing what you believe is an unprecedented opportunity on Earth: a long path towards higher civilization and becoming true powerhouses."

He had never restricted players.

"However... there's something you should understand," Xu Zhi said, slightly closing his eyes. "When you enter the Eighth-rank, you will completely transform into Zerg, no longer human... I still need to ask for your opinion. After all, if you truly become Zerg of the sandbox, you will have an eight-thousand-year lifespan... But in Earth's reality, you will only live for about three months!"

Yes, eight thousand years in the sandbox equates to living only three months in reality.

"What's happening!?"

At this very moment, within Mengmei's inner world of consciousness, she suddenly felt an unprecedented and terrifying change! She was playing this online game, and suddenly she couldn't log out! A system prompt appeared: "Unknown force interfering, temporarily unable to log out." Everything around her was a vast expanse of white.

"Outside, aren't there people protecting me?"

"Did something go wrong?"

She couldn't even feel her other self on Earth, the one seated at the computer in her room. It was as if the Qing Teng Dragon, currently ascending to godhood and wildly gathering energy, was her true self.

"Have you truly decided?" a hazy, flickering light asked softly.