Chapter 613: Visit in Progress! (Two-in-One)

Caroline still hadn't reacted. In her eyes, these were two completely different matters.

Inviting the Asura Path from the "Six Paths of Reincarnation" world as guests, for a civilized exchange between two major worlds, naturally required the most prosperous Stone Star and Cybertron Sci-Fi Planet to showcase their side's immense strength and respect.

However, this "Digital Pixel Planet" before them, even after two hundred years, remained in a primitive, indigenous civilization era.

It was incredibly crude and simple, certainly not how one should treat guests. Moreover, given the current barbarity of the natives, they would undoubtedly capture the Asura Path beings...

The consequences would be unimaginable.

"They are guests, after all. Would it be appropriate to have them develop our world's civilization and work for us...?" Caroline mused.

Xu Zhi smiled.

Many deities were like this.

Over long periods, their concepts of life and death had faded, and they paid little attention to the countless ordinary beings. However, they still focused on beings of their own level, much like humans respecting other humans.

Do humans respect insects or microorganisms outside their own species?

A normal person wouldn't care how many ants died in an anthill or how many bacteria perished. These were creatures of different dimensions... there was no concept of "human rights" for them.

She respected another world ruled by the Ultra-Ancient God under whom she served.

"It's fine," Xu Zhi explained, his expression calm. "The Asura Path warriors are a passionate, highly motivated race that enjoys challenging difficulties."

Caroline couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. "Is there really such an upright race?"

"You'll see if you interact with them for a while," Xu Zhi said with a sigh and a smile. "They are enthusiastic about solving problems for anyone. No matter how much suffering they endure, they will work diligently without complaint and never give up, as long as they are given some small reward... In fact, often no reward is even necessary."

"No reward needed?" Caroline was puzzled. How could such beings exist in this world?

Xu Zhi continued, "They are very hassle-free. And while helping you, they will proactively scrounge for rewards themselves, plucking a feather from every goose that passes, leaving no blade of grass untouched. You even have to be careful that they don't scavenge too much, lest you suffer excessive losses."

"I see. So, to sum it up: passionate, righteous, difficulty-loving, miserly thieves?" Caroline pondered, feeling that the description somehow didn't quite fit, that it was contradictory.

Hearing her summary, Xu Zhi also felt that something was off. He thought, "Wasn't that exactly the 'impossible to work' kind of person?"

"However, perhaps she has, by chance, seen through the essence of those guys. She truly is a genius scientist! Impressive indeed!" Xu Zhi mused internally. Ultimately, he felt that this was an excellent idea at the moment.

It killed two birds with one stone, resolving a major concern.

With a flash, both of them became pixelated.

They transformed directly into creatures resembling the natives, walking on the land and observing the primitive tribes from a distance.

After several days of observation...

Although they were savage, their battles weren't bloody because all their severed limbs were pixelated.

"This is a planet that adheres to harmony and love," Xu Zhi remarked, having walked around the surface. He found that the Block Tribe civilization had developed into a regular ecosystem.

Flowers, trees, animals, and plants had all been assimilated, forming a self-sustaining ecosystem.

The surface was their dwelling place.

The Octahedron Tribe, on the other hand, lived underground. They adhered to the most primitive lifestyle, reproducing with the "Mother Earth" to continue their species. At the same time, they were increasingly assimilated by minerals, turning into individual octahedron crystal gem pixel creatures.

They did not infringe upon each other.

They had each claimed their territories and entered a zone of peace.

"Two hundred and thirteen years, and it has developed like this..." Even Xu Zhi found it incredible, looking at the planet's unique ecological tribal environment.

Perhaps this was the myriad of worlds he truly desired—each world with various mysterious and unknown life forms and structures. If they were all humanoid and flesh-and-blood, it would be too uninteresting and monotonous.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhi said to Caroline, "Soon, we should let them in. Didn't you say you wanted to develop diverse civilizations? Their species' characteristics can indeed evolve; perhaps they will bring surprises."

And a surprise it truly was.

Xu Zhi rested his chin in his hand, a serious expression on his face, in the living room.

He came back to his senses, looking at the bright morning sunlight outside. He had woken up and visited Caroline's place earlier, but only a short while had passed; it was now just 9:30 AM.

"Perhaps, with the entry of the second batch of players, it's time to organize some special dungeon events."

"Your breakfast," the ceramic butler girl said, emerging with a bowl and plate and offering him the day's meal at the right moment.

"Hmm," Xu Zhi took his breakfast and, enjoying the morning's leisure, leisurely browsed the forum.

On the online forum:

Just after 9:30 AM, a large batch of new players began logging in.

This batch consisted of a full ten thousand players.

They were dispatched to various locations within the Animal Path, categorized into three tiers based on combat ranking: animals, insects, and plants, transforming into various ecological creatures within.

"Pokémon, here I come!"

"Super Evolution Form!"

"I've already figured out my evolution path! MetalGarurumon!"

"The starter zone is undoubtedly the Animal Path. When I get rich later, I'm going into the Underworld to play arcade games and mess with Emperor Yun's body! I'll make him understand my power! Feel the fear! Ultimate move: Forced Knee Arrow Shot ↗→↗↓"

"I'm going to the Human Path, to the ancient forbidden zone, to find a master, learn skills, and master the art of grandstanding! A strong person pretending to be even stronger!"

"Waaah! My great saber is thirsty for blood!"

Xu Zhi was quite relaxed in the countryside, but even though it was only 9:30 AM, the entire forum was already buzzing.

One could say it was going wild.

This day had been anticipated for a very long time.

Almost every day brought a major plot development, exceptionally thrilling.

Especially yesterday, with Emperor Yun and others perishing – those plot scenes, filled with strategic battles and earth-shattering wisdom...

And today marked the dawn of a new era!

This batch of new players had entered!

Emperor Yun and the other remnants of the old era had fallen yesterday. With the flourishing era of Buddhism and Daoism, how could they not be excited?

Suddenly, an announcement appeared before everyone's eyes.

"This update will enable screen recording mode, allowing for recordings to be broadcast externally even when time flow rates are disparate and live streaming is not possible."

Recorded broadcast!!

Everyone immediately burst into tears of joy.

"It's finally here... While screenshots were great, constantly taking screenshots to stitch them into animated videos was too tedious. This new feature was an incredible boon."

"This hardcore development team is becoming more and more user-friendly."

"Being able to record means deeper content! Do they know that this batch of players will surely progress and frequently enter the other two paths, where time doesn't align, which is why they specifically enabled this?"

"I'm absolutely ecstatic!"

Opinions varied.

At this moment, everyone felt that it was the best of times.

Before, they had only witnessed the grand wheels of history turn, heroes composing epics, and civilizations writing hymns through text and image broadcasts...

But today, their own participation in mythical history had finally arrived.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

In the Deva Path, Yuan Qinghua remained the "stud pig Heavenly Emperor," responsible for producing Hungry Ghost Path warriors to replenish the Deva Path's recent heavy combat losses.

Bai Xiaojun, however, with the assistance of Yuan Qinghua and their several gourd-shaped sons, secretly escaped during the great extinction event in the Cloud Heaven Realm...

"I'm free!" This treant stood on a large mountain in the Animal Path, roaring loudly, tears streaming down its face.

The scene from back then was still vivid in his mind...

"Mama, please remember to come back!" The seven children's eyes glistened with tears; they were exquisitely adorable.

"I'm your dad!" Bai Xiaojun patted their heads.

But he had left, after all.

He could still clearly hear the fond farewells of those adorable children and their mother, Yuan Qinghua, and was filled with a myriad of emotions.

"From now on, I'm free!" He clutched the relic he had brought from the ancient Buddhist temple. As the first inheritor of Buddhist cultivation, he naturally felt very confident.

Especially since he was now at Tier 5!

Although not a Heavenly Emperor, he was already extremely powerful among players of the same tier.

"The new open beta has begun," he thought. He secretly moved through the Animal Path, planning to first gather with the main group of players to research "Physical Buddhism" and defeat other factions.

But the next second.

From the shadows of the forest, footsteps echoed, and a horse head slowly emerged from the darkness.

"The Lord of Reincarnation has set up a new stage, recruiting Asura Path beings from all corners of the world. Are you interested?"

The voice was eerie and hoarse, grating like metal scraping.

Bai Xiaojun paused, slightly startled, and respectfully asked, "Can I go to the Underworld?"

His heart burned with excitement: a hidden quest.

A new path appeared where the old one seemed to end!

Soon, right after the server opened, many new players and veteran players alike received random invitations.

A piece of news on the internet also completely ignited.

"As expected, the second expansion pack has launched! The flourishing era of Buddhism and Daoism, and the Underworld's farming-simulation style, has officially begun!"

"I knew it! The combat-oriented main quest is about fighting the Underworld... and the farming-oriented main quest is about helping the Underworld farm. Two major factions."

"This newbie has already joined! Hidden quest, so sweet."

Based on the statistics, they found that most of those who received hidden quests were the newly arrived batch of players.

This group of "little darlings" constantly showed off online, immensely happy.

But it was inevitable.

Currently, only just over a hundred veteran players remained, while there were ten thousand new players. Statistically, the vast majority were newcomers.

At this point, Cat Jump began to explain:

"Don't rush, everyone. This is just a preliminary selection. You saw they merely came to notify you to cultivate diligently and await assessment?"

"According to what I heard from Granny Meng, the assessment requirements have also been released: you need to reach Tier 3 cultivation within a month, and practice both Buddhist and Daoist arts to have a chance of being selected."

"Only the top three hundred will be chosen, and this recruitment is reportedly personally overseen by the Lord of Reincarnation."

Lord! Of! Rein! Carnation!

Everyone instantly grew excited, their hearts ablaze.

Who was the Lord of Reincarnation? The Dream Crusher, the Show-off Terminator. They had witnessed with their own eyes yesterday how the remnants of the old era were all wiped out. Who could resist such terrifying power?

It was great to have an insider in the Underworld who could constantly reveal hidden information to them. This highlighted the importance of gaining NPC favorability! Look at Cat Jump; you might think he works for free, but his favorability points are racking up!

This was a chain quest.

With such high talent requirements, it must be a super hidden quest.

"Could it be a selection for trusted subordinates?"

"Surely not an apprenticeship?"

Everyone instantly became agitated, incredibly excited.

Of course, some prominent players directly speculated: "It's likely related to something the Lord of Reincarnation was doing before! Didn't he disappear with reincarnation earlier? This world poses no threat to him, so he might be planning something beyond this realm."

"Beyond this realm? Another world?"

"Yes, the 'stage' he set up might be some kind of high-dimensional world or spacetime beyond our comprehension."

Everyone got goosebumps.

The Lord of Reincarnation was truly difficult to fathom, being too mysterious and powerful.

"That ruthless! He's just a Heavenly Emperor, and he's already busy with other worlds?"

"This Six Paths of Reincarnation world is a fragmented world, just like the ancient hell temple. He only monopolized it recently. In a more distant era, perhaps there are still opportunities or secrets hidden, which is why he's working on those."

How fast was the time flow inside?

Xu Zhi leisurely finished his breakfast and ambled until 1 PM. The first three hundred individuals had already gathered during the morning, showing incredible dedication and excellent aptitude.

"Very well, let's begin," Xu Zhi elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin.

In the Underworld.

Granny Meng looked at this batch of players and revealed the truth:

"This time, the Lord has negotiated with another world-level entity for a mutual visit, and you will be part of that visiting exchange!"

Another world?

A visit? An exchange?

At this moment, all the players' expressions changed. The implications were immense!

Another world, and all that? It was beyond exaggerated!

They knew that no other worlds were currently engaged in inter-world civilized exchange... They had originally thought it would be the Three Realms, the Molten Earth, or the Ancient Wood Planet's turn, never theirs, but who would have thought...

Here they were, as a civilization's representative team, going abroad for a friendly visit?

"Holy cow!"

"I didn't mishear, did I? This is how we get rich!"

"It's worth dying for!"

"I want to see foreign, ugh, I mean, beautiful alien girls!"

Countless faces flushed with excitement.

Soon, under Granny Meng's guidance, they traversed to another world, and a vast planetary universe appeared before them.

Planets?

A cosmic world?

"Holy cow! Holy cow, holy cow!" The three hundred players felt an overwhelming surge of excitement. They couldn't help but swallow, realizing this was a cosmic-level civilization.

They were utterly stunned.

At that moment, a white porcelain being, clad in a divine official's angelic robe and holding a scepter, elegantly stated, "Greetings, everyone, and welcome to our world. I am the First Divine Official under the All-God."