「November 3rd, afternoon.」

"Ugh..." Ren Suo yawned, sitting in the back seat. He tightened his hoodie, trying to close his eyes and get some sleep. However, Little Jiu hugged his arm and shook it. "Big Brother, let's queue for a match! Xing Mei, Elder Sister Shu, let's team up!"

Unable to sleep through the shaking, Ren Suo couldn't help but ask, "How much longer, Zhao Huo?"

"Almost there, almost there. You guys play one match, and we should arrive by then. The 4G signal is pretty good on this stretch, so go ahead and play without worry."

Sun Shu, in the passenger seat, and Ren Xingmei, beside Little Jiu, also took out their phones. Seeing there was no avoiding it, Ren Suo reluctantly did the same.

Indeed, it was quite rare—Ren Suo had gone out to play today.

He had forgotten that elementary school students actually had weekends. So, when he called Little Jiu to get up early that morning, Little Jiu had excitedly asked him where they were going to play, much to his confusion.

He then hurriedly called Ren Xingmei over, asking her to help look after Little Jiu while he went back to catch up on sleep. He had been pulling all-nighters for several days, and the stored sleep accumulated from "Evolution of the Cat" was almost depleted; he needed to replenish it.

However, shortly after Ren Xingmei arrived, Ren Suo received a call from Zhao Huo. The gist of it was that their group had planned to go to Joyous World (an amusement park) today, but some friends had suddenly bailed. Now, they had a few extra Joyous World Halloween package tickets. Although they could be refunded, Zhao Huo felt it would be more fun to go to Joyous World with a larger group, so he asked Ren Suo if he wanted some.

Ren Suo immediately knew this must be the anime club members—renowned for being 'Understanding'—creating an opportunity for Zhao Huo and Sun Shu to have some time alone as a couple.

Emotionally, I didn't want to disturb their private time. Since everyone else was being so considerate, I, of course, also knew how to behave. Logically, I was also quite curious to see which factor—opportune timing, favorable location, or harmonious human relations—would ultimately win out. Personally, I had absolutely no desire to go to that blasted Joyous World...

Unfortunately, at home at that moment were a keen-eyed First Transformation Cultivator and a Little Nine-Tailed Fox who had merged with a Supreme Treasure and whose cultivation was no less than his own. Ren Suo couldn't even utter a "no" before Ren Xingmei and Little Jiu rushed over, shouting, "Yes, yes!"

Upon learning there were still quite a few package tickets available, Ren Xingmei immediately called Gu Yueyan to let her know. Soon, Gu Yueyan and Lin Xianyu decided to join as well.

There wasn't enough room in the car, but no problem—Bai Ji also drove over. Heaven knows why Zhao Huo invited him to an amusement park. Perhaps to curry favor before asking for leave for New Year's Day?

Ren Suo had wanted to declare, I shall live or die with Dong Chengling, diligently cultivating and vowing never to leave home! yet he was helplessly dragged away by his sister and Little Jiu. Actually, it wasn't that he couldn't go out and have fun, but he really needed a good night's sleep tonight instead of gaming.

But Ren Suo also knew which was more important: gaming or real life. Besides, he had adopted Little Jiu for over a month and hadn't really taken her out for fun, which made him feel a bit guilty. So today, he decided to fulfill Little Jiu's wish. After lunch, he went with them to Joyous World.

But it was only for one day. As Ren Suo logged into a game on his phone, he casually said, "Tomorrow, you stay home and study hard. A famous person once said, 'Holidays are the best time to surpass your rivals'..."

"I, Little Jiu, act openly and honorably! I wouldn't do something so despicable!" Little Jiu huffed. "Besides, I don't have any rivals. I was first in the entire grade on the midterms!"

Oh no, this kid is pretty sharp, Ren Suo thought.

While playing the game, Ren Suo recalled its content from the previous night.

There were far fewer scenic spots than investigation points. After continuous trial and error, he had reached 'Fifth Day of Escape - Night.'

These past three days—Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five, encompassing six turns in total—Ren Suo had poured his heart and soul into it. He had finally found the optimal trigger route, allowing Young Master Mu to cleanse Resentment while leisurely sightseeing and searching for clues along the way.

Five days had passed. Young Master Mu's Resentment had been purified by 190,000, and the total clue percentage had reached 48.1%. Ren Suo estimated that exceeding 50% would trigger the next story segment.

Of course, during these three days of sightseeing, many oddities had naturally occurred. From time to time, minor incidents would pop up, souring Young Master Mu's mood.

At such times, "Xiao Suo's Secret Diary" had to be brought out, directly using Krypton Gold. Then, Maid Xiao Suo would speak with such practiced smoothness, uttering lines that made even Ren Suo blush.

However, the effects were excellent, at least enough to keep Young Master Mu's mood buoyant. That was why the Resentment was cleansed so quickly—at an average of 40,000 Resentment per day, the over 300,000 Filth of Resentment would be resolved in just a few more days.

Since his mind wasn't on the mobile game, Ren Suo obviously faltered. Fortunately, Ren Xingmei was strong and carried the whole game, crushing their enemies in the early stages. Ren Suo, playing like a complete Salted Fish, was simply carried to victory.

Just then, they finally arrived at Joyous World. Ren Suo got out of the car and looked at the Halloween decorations at the amusement park's entrance. "Halloween was over two days ago," he remarked, feeling it was strange. "Why are there still Halloween decorations...?"

"Halloween was on a Thursday this year," Gu Yueyan replied, having gotten out of Bai Ji's car and overheard Ren Suo. "Most people coming to the amusement park for the Halloween gimmick are working adults and students. The park isn't foolish; of course, they extended the event through this weekend. I guess the amusement rides will also have added Halloween elements."

Ren Suo glanced at Gu Yueyan and said, "You shouldn't go into the haunted house."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid you might get too excited and split a staff member in half..."

Gu Yueyan immediately retorted, "I wouldn't get *that* scared!"

"Oh? I wonder who it was that got so scared by a dozen cockroaches they bumped into a wall and fainted..."

Gu Yueyan's face turned crimson. She bit her lip, her hands trembling with anger. It had been several months, and he still remembered!

That night, she had slept in Ren Suo's bed until morning. When she woke up, she found herself sleeping naked in Qiao Muyi's embrace. The mere memory made her too ashamed to speak.

But at that moment, Lin Xianyu squeezed over and said, "Don't worry, we can't go to the haunted house anyway."

"Why?" Ren Suo and Gu Yueyan asked simultaneously.

Lin Xianyu took out her phone and pointed to a notice from Joyous World: "Joyous World Facilities' 'I Have A Horror House' series of themed haunted houses do not admit any Transcendents. For the safety of our ghosts, strange creatures, and other staff, we ask for your understanding."

Ren Suo remarked, "This haunted house owner is really savvy. They know Transcendents might just grab a hammer and smash those ghosts and strange creatures, so they simply don't accommodate you violent Transcendents."

"What do you mean 'you violent Transcendents'? Aren't you one too?" Gu Yueyan shot back.

"I'm not. I am a harmless and lovable Healing Cultivator."

"Alright, alright," Bai Ji said, walking over with a smile. He was dressed in heavy winter clothes and a scarf. "Let's go in and have fun. It's quite crowded in the afternoon. Try to get on all the rides you want before 6 PM, and then we can join the Halloween festivities tonight. Hmm, let's head to the Ten Rings Roller Coaster queue first; it should be less crowded there."

As they entered the amusement park, they saw five or six adorable costumed ghouls in the main plaza. They wore long-sleeved shirts painted with skeletons, skull makeup, and yellow capes, dancing and handing out balloon wands to visitors.

When Ren Suo and the others passed by, one of the ghouls laughed heartily and handed a Cross Sword-shaped red balloon to Little Jiu. She took the balloon sword, looking curiously at their faces and even poking a finger at the skeleton pattern on their clothes. The ghoul pointed towards a distant tent booth, then laughed and danced away to greet other guests.

At a booth labeled 'Ghostly Halloween Face Painting,' staff in similar ghoulish attire offered free Halloween makeup to visitors. Everyone got their faces painted except for Bai Ji. Ren Suo and Gu Yueyan initially hadn't wanted to, but with everyone else in high spirits, they relented and allowed some powder to be applied to their faces.

As for Bai Ji, he himself was indifferent, but the staff member hesitated to paint his face. Apparently a fan, she declared, 'I wouldn't want to make such a handsome face ugly!' She even got Bai Ji's autograph and boldly volunteered to take time off to be his personal tour guide, an offer Bai Ji politely declined with a laugh.

Indeed, ordinary people could never imagine how much joy the lives of the beautiful and famous held.

Then, the group followed Bai Ji, queuing for various rides. They started with the Ten Rings Roller Coaster and the Drop Tower as "appetizers" before heading to the Vertical Roller Coaster, which had the longest queue.

While queuing, Sun Shu couldn't help but remark, "Teacher Bai's girlfriend must be very happy."

Bai Ji, who was discussing the pros and cons of Third-Tier Magic with Ren Suo, turned around, puzzled. "Why do you say that?"

"You plan very thoroughly," Sun Shu explained. "The Ten Rings Roller Coaster and Drop Tower are both less crowded but still thrilling and intense. Then we came to the Vertical Roller Coaster, which usually has the longest lines. This way, we could rest and adjust our mood, and if we'd come later, we might have had to queue for an hour...

"This route, though slightly longer, was still quite efficient. And by following it, we can also hit the Tornado and other less crowded thrill rides. The itinerary is well-paced, both compact and relaxed..."

Bai Ji smiled. "Miss Sun, you've done quite a bit of homework too."

Sun Shu glanced at Zhao Huo, a hint of wistfulness in her voice, and said, "Actually, I've been looking forward to coming to Joyous World for a long time..."

"Then let's enjoy today to the fullest!" Zhao Huo raised his phone. "We'll have enough fun for those who couldn't make it too! Come on, let's take a selfie and post it to the group chat to make them burn with Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred! Hmph! That'll teach them to stand me up..."

Lin Xianyu asked, "But what does doing your homework have to do with having a girlfriend?"

Sun Shu and Bai Ji exchanged a smile. Sun Shu then explained, "Actually, going to an amusement park can be a big challenge for couples. The long queuing times really test the planner's ability to manage the schedule and keep up a conversation. If you spend too much time queuing, or if the couple has nothing to talk about while waiting, the outing can become very dull and potentially cause rifts in the relationship."

Lin Xianyu had an epiphany. "Wow, I never knew there was such a knack to it..."

Ren Suo also realized then that—perhaps due to the holiday—Joyous World was exceptionally crowded today, yet their waiting times had been quite reasonable. They had only faced a lengthy queue after already enjoying two rides.

Bai Ji said with a smile, "It's not that exaggerated. It's just that I'm used to planning things out when I travel. I always try to make any trip I'm part of as fun and interesting as possible."

"So, inviting Teacher Bai on trips means we save on a tour guide?" Ren Xingmei commented.

"Exactly," Bai Ji replied cheerfully. "Feel free to invite me on your trips. Even if it's overseas, I can get everything perfectly prepared."

Gu Yueyan glanced at Ren Suo, crossed her arms, and said with a snort, "So, will a *certain someone* also make such thorough plans when taking his girlfriend on a trip?"

Ren Suo shrugged and remained silent. I'm not interested in traveling, so naturally, I wouldn't bother developing a 'trip scheduling' Skill, let alone plan travel routes!

After enjoying the Vertical Roller Coaster, Pendulum Ride, Tornado, Surfing, and other attractions, everyone was so thrilled they decided to ride the Vertical Roller Coaster once more. Afterward, they headed to the grand theater to watch an acrobatics show.

At six o'clock, they had dinner at a restaurant inside Joyous World, then went to visit the Alien Spaceship attraction.

Inside the terrifying spaceship, with its gothic and futuristic design, several of the girls got scared and clung to whoever was next to them. Sun Shu grabbed Zhao Huo, Lin Xianyu clutched Little Jiu tightly, and Ren Xingmei and Gu Yueyan couldn't help but grab onto Ren Suo's clothes. Ren Suo, meanwhile, walked forward with a hand on Bai Ji's shoulder...

After they came out, the sky had completely darkened. Everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed, and they let out collective sighs of relief.

"That Facehugger looked like it was about to jump out and bite me!"

"Actually, I wasn't scared, but the Alien Queen and the atmosphere were so realistic. It kept reminding me of scenes from the movie, and every now and then you'd hear the sound of an Alien's footsteps approaching..."

"That's called being scared."

"I was not scared!"

As they walked and chatted, Zhao Huo pointed to a colorful parade procession nearby and exclaimed, "The Halloween night program has started!"

"Program?" Lin Xianyu looked over, leaning on Gu Yueyan's shoulder. "Monitor, what kind of program is it?"

Gu Yueyan opened the Joyous World guidebook. "It seems to be a 'Large-Scale Outdoor Stunt Show with Exploding Car Performance'."

"An exploding car stunt!" Zhao Huo, Lin Xianyu, and the others immediately got excited, dragging everyone to get a closer look.

The parade route, flanked by metal barriers, was already crowded with visitors in various ghoulish costumes and makeup. A car that looked like it had been doused in gasoline was moving slowly forward. A man with skeleton makeup and a buzz cut was squatting on the hood, looking like a serial killer.

The Joyous World amusement park was a kaleidoscope of colors under the night sky. The roadsides were packed with visitors in outlandish costumes and varied makeup—a veritable pandemonium, truly capturing the Halloween spirit.

"Is it going to explode? Is it going to explode!?" Lin Xianyu, who seemed to thrive on chaos, was full of anticipation, her eyes, heavily accented with eyeliner, wide as she stared at the car.

Gu Yueyan pointed towards a pile of stacked tin cans set up in the distance along the parade route. "They'll probably have the car crash into those."

"Whoa!" Zhao Huo exclaimed, standing on his tiptoes and raising his phone to record. "This trip was totally worth it! I'll upload this to the group chat later and make them burn with Envy, Jealousy, and Hatred!"

Ren Suo was truly amused by Lin Xianyu and Zhao Huo. What's so great about an exploding car? You two could probably do it yourselves! Seriously, if you have the ability, you can go right ahead.

Those two must harbor some audacious ideas normally. However, our country has a comprehensive set of criminal laws, so they've always suppressed their destructive impulses. Now that they could witness a classic movie scene of an exploding car with their own eyes, they were naturally ecstatic.

Suddenly, the skeleton-faced man on the car stood up. He raised the Iron Stick in his hand and violently smashed it down onto the car's roof!

CRACK!

After several blows, the car roof was deformed, and the windshield glass shattered, scattering fragments everywhere, while orange-red flames erupted from the car.

"It's starting, it's starting!"

Ren Suo also picked up Little Jiu, letting her sit on his shoulders to watch the explosion. I'm not worried about setting a bad example for the child; after all, for a Little Nine-Tailed Fox, an explosion like this is just a minor spectacle.

The skeleton-faced man jumped off the car. But instead of moving away quickly, he squatted down, placed his hands under the car, and seemed to be trying to lift it by himself—

"Huh? Is this part of the performance?"

"Is this car made of paper?"

"Is he going to lift it and throw it?"

Before the amazed and expectant eyes of the onlookers, the skeleton-faced man indeed lifted the car all by himself, using only his bare hands!

The car emitted loud, mechanical groans, sounding incredibly heavy!

The crowd burst into applause, cheering for the staff member's incredible performance. Never mind the explosion; just seeing him lift a car with his bare hands was worth the price of admission!

Hearing the applause, the skeleton-faced man turned his head and flashed the onlookers a ferocious smile.

At this moment, park staff members were shouting and running over from a distance.

However, their voices were drowned out by the applause and cheers.

The skeleton-faced man raised the burning car above his head. But instead of turning towards the parade route ahead or aiming for the stacked tin cans, he pivoted and faced the crowd to his right.

The onlookers before him sensed something was wrong, but their voices were similarly lost in the cacophony.

Some of them seemed to want to dodge, but with an iron fence in front and people packed in on all other sides, they couldn't squeeze out in time, trapped in the cage infamously known as 'rubbernecking.'

The skeleton-faced man leaned back slightly, his entire body tensing like a bowstring, and then—

He hurled the burning car towards the crowd!

BOOM!

A massive Ice Wall suddenly shot up in front of the onlookers. The ice was heavily cracked and shattered by the impact, but the burning car's trajectory was altered. It flew into distant amusement park structures and exploded, quickly starting a raging fire!

The skeleton-faced man was briefly stunned by the Ice Wall before him but reacted instantly, crashing into the crowd and unleashing a bloody maelstrom!

The onlookers immediately scattered in Chaos, their frantic screams filling the final, bloody moments of the Halloween parade, tainting the joyful Halloween tour with the color of death.

Teacher Bai, who had been Casting Spells with his hands on the ground, saw the skeleton-faced man escaping. He immediately kicked open the fence and shouted, "I'll go after him! Zhao Huo, Ren Suo, stay here and take care of the injured!"

"I'm going too!" Ren Suo, still holding Little Jiu, and Zhao Huo responded simultaneously.

"Ren Suo, you're not built for combat; Healing is your specialty!" Teacher Bai said. "You only excel at extremely close-quarters combat. Even Zhao Huo is better suited for fighting than you. If another enemy appears, Zhao Huo will engage them first. You're the last resort, Ren Suo!"

"No problem!" Zhao Huo casually snapped off a bar from the iron fence. He then infused it with Spirit Qi, causing the rust spots on the iron bar to emit a greenish Radiance.

"I—"

"Ren Suo, just do your best." Frost seemed to radiate from Teacher Bai's feet. He pushed off powerfully, his entire figure blurring into an Afterimage as he sped in the direction the skeleton-faced man had fled. I'm going all out, he thought grimly.

「 」

Ren Suo watched Teacher Bai's departing figure and sighed silently.

My desire to follow Teacher Bai wasn't because I wanted to use my martial prowess to dominate the ages and exude Pressure over all creation, but simply to... minimize my connection to what was about to happen as much as possible.

But Teacher Bai had a point. As a Healing Cultivator, it would indeed be incongruous for me to rush into battle.

Well, then. There's no other choice.

Ren Suo touched the azure Mark on his left ring finger. Teacher Bai should be more than capable of handling that fiend.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.