Under the splendid moonlight of the Third Quarter Moon, five competitors coveting the Silver Moon Crystal fell silent for a moment before immediately unleashing their signature moves against one another!

A young man somehow produced a longbow, twanging the bowstring to shoot forth Silver Moon Arrows. An African woman donned white armor, wielding a Crescent Spade to sweep across thousands of troops—Did Africa also have this kind of unusual weaponry?

Moreover, the young man's long-haired female companion and the tall African man beside the African woman were no ordinary people, each casting their devious and cunning Extraordinary Magic to prevent others from getting close to the Silver Moon Crystal!

In this game, "Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Record - Mortal Shedding" had directly become a passive Skill that enhanced strength, while "Flame Overlord" derived four active Skills. Ren Suo glanced at them and activated the damage Skill with the longest cooldown—[Flamestorm]!

Luna's fingertips released a crimson Fiery Flame that continuously expanded in the air. After being shattered by a Silver Moon Arrow, it immediately dispersed into four Seeds of Flame, continuing to advance towards the other competitors.

As long as Luna maintained her casting Status (without Casting other Spells), the Flamestorm would keep bouncing and intensifying until it blasted all creatures into Golden Crispy Chickens!

The tall African man suddenly shot out several water bullets, extinguishing the oncoming Seeds of Flame and completely eliminating the chance for the Seeds of Flame to erupt further.

The long-haired female companion pressed her hands together and raised a wall of earth, stubbornly holding out against the Seeds of Flame.

They were strong!

Ren Suo quickly realized this—if these competitors were indeed real humans, then their strength would be at least of the second turn, or even the third turn! Moreover, they were likely members of some Supernatural Organization!

It was very difficult for ordinary Awakeners to possess more than two kinds of Spells, and it was hard to have enough Spiritual Energy to cast multiple Spells, for they had neither the means to learn Spells nor the access to learn Cultivation Techniques. Although one could slowly progress by blindly groping their way forward, how could this possibly compete with state organizations that studied thousands of Awakeners as samples?

The Mysterious Country had somehow also managed to research the Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records. According to evaluations on the internal network, the latest version, V7.20, of the Records was considered a world-leading advanced Cultivation Method, comparable only to the Federation's Watchful Meditation Method.

Moreover, because cultivation methods were taught through a special network, the Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records had not been leaked. They remained tightly held by national public service cultivators. Take Ren Suo, for example. Although he had learned the Cultivation Technique, he only understood the 'what' and not the 'why.' Consequently, he couldn't impart the Cultivation Method to others through oral instruction.

However, according to news on the internal network, the Federation's Watchful Meditation Method had already been leaked many times due to the lack of a direct-to-brain teaching method like the network. Many countries' Cultivation Methods were outright pirated versions of the Federation's Meditation Method, and not even a penny of royalties was paid, yet the Federation could do nothing about it. If they attempted to lock it down, it would lead to a decrease in the quality of their Watchers; if they didn't lock it down, it could lead to leaks.

They could only search for a monopolistic method like that of the Mysterious Country, one capable of blocking the spread of Knowledge. Simultaneously, they continuously updated the Watchful Meditation Method. They strived to ensure their core Watchers remained stronger than those of other nations. The Federation might not be able to stop other countries from advancing, but it could ensure its own country always led the way.

After other countries obtained outdated versions of the Watchful Meditation Method, they would reference and modify them. Gradually, they made changes and introduced various other types of Meditation methods.

But of course, these Meditation methods could only be learned by members of Supernatural Organizations.

While everyone was positioning and bombarding each other, Ren Suo did not dare to let Luna rush forward to snatch the Silver Moon Crystal; it was a situation where whoever tried to grab it would die.

With the power of their Spells, maybe a focused Attack could really take Luna out in one round.

However, within a few seconds, a strange female voice quietly emerged, followed by five unavoidable and swift glows—

"BAA-AAA-AAA-AAA-AAA—"

All five people simultaneously turned into sheep that could only move slowly. A white woman, bleating frantically, rushed over and directly stole the Silver Moon Crystal!

A notification popped up in the combat information bar: 'Luna has turned into a sheep and cannot Attack or cast Spells. She can only Move slowly. Being attacked will immediately break the sheep Status (and she will take no damage), lasting for 5 seconds.'

Ren Suo immediately determined that this must be a Miracle that only an Apostle of the Moon God could use. No Spell could turn a person into a sheep instantly—unless it was an Illusion Technique!

This complete twist of physiological structure... it would be simpler to just extract the target's soul and stuff it into a sheep's body. And after being turned into sheep, they could change back after a few seconds; if this really were a Spell, the required consumption of Spiritual Energy would be astronomical.

Moreover, the white woman was also bleating frantically, which must be the price she paid for casting the Miracle—the cost of turning others into sheep was that she herself could only bleat chaotically, which made sense.

But this Miracle was also terrifyingly effective, impossible to resist, impossible to dodge, and once affected, one would be forcibly controlled for five seconds. If it weren't for the limitation of 'returning to original form if attacked,' Ren Suo had no doubt that Luna, in her sheeply form, would be instantly killed by the white woman.

At the same time, Ren Suo saw the young man and the African woman—both turned into sheep—bleating frantically with speech bubbles over their heads:

"If only I could have nullified the Miracle in time—BAA—"

"If only I could have bounced back the Miracle in time—BAA—"

As the white woman was about to steal away the Silver Moon Crystal, Ren Suo decisively chose to load a previous save.

There was only one save file in the save library, named 'Luna·The First Round of the Third Quarter Moon.'

The game's saving is automatically done based on time changes, or rather, changes in the Moon Phase, right... Ren Suo thought, while having Luna sneak up to the location of the Moon Pillar and stealthily climb it.

Although Luna wasn't there to disrupt the balance, the four people on the Roof, after an awkward moment stemming from a miracle-invalidation field and a miracle-rebound shield, quickly started fighting.

Crouching on the air conditioning unit outside, Luna waited patiently for a moment. Soon, the white woman leaped out, bleating a few times to turn everyone on the Roof into sheep.

At the same time, Ren Suo also immediately had Luna emerge to activate a 'repeated Miracle.' A faint Moonlight emanated from the white woman and transferred to Luna. Then Luna pointed at the white woman, solemnly declaring the Divine Decree:

"BAA—"

The white woman instantly transformed into a beautiful sheep, scrambling around in a panic, while Luna took the opportunity to use "Ghostly Rapid Step" to slip in and pick up the Silver Moon Crystal.

But just then, countless hailstones, like raindrops, pelted down onto the Roof. Although they didn't cause any Damage, the combat record also indicated that Luna was hit by the hailstorm Attack.

And the Apostle of the Moon God who had been turned into a sheep, along with her companions, instantly transformed back!

Ren Suo immediately realized that this white woman, the Apostle of the Moon God, also had a companion!

At the start of the game during character creation, choosing the default character came with a companion of the opposite gender. Because Ren Suo created a custom character, he didn't have such a companion—unless he was willing to use up 100 hours of summonable time to get a husband for Luna.

But now it seemed that the other Apostles of the Moon God had brought extremely powerful companions of the opposite sex to assist in the competition. These companions either helped fight or provided remote assistance.

Like now, the white woman's companion was clearly capable of Casting Spells remotely. Based on the white woman's Miracle Ability, the two had chosen to let her Charge in while the companion stayed hidden. If anything happened, the companion would immediately launch a long-range Area Attack, undoing everyone's sheep Status.

The five people, freed from their sheep Status, immediately launched a Spellstorm Attack against Luna!

They were determined. No matter what, they had to make Luna leave her Silver Moon Crystal behind first, and then they would fight among themselves for this Blessing of the Moon God!

However, Luna had already obtained the Silver Moon Crystal. Ren Suo immediately had her use "Mage's Death-Defying Feather" to Dodge all Spells and successfully escape from the Roof!

Although "Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Record - Mortal Shedding" hadn't yet enabled Luna to use the Teleport Ability of "Mage's Death-Defying Feather" without limits, using it once or twice in battle wouldn't inflict injuries that reduced the game character's Combat Power. She could just heal slowly after escaping the battle.

A game prompt popped up:

'Luna has acquired 'Silver Moon Crystal·Glimmer.''

'Silver Moon Crystal·Glimmer: Possessing this Silver Moon Crystal, you cannot be detected by Miracle Abilities. All Supernatural Abilities are enhanced by 5%, with an additional 25% enhancement to Moon-Related Supernatural Abilities.'

'You have acquired a Silver Moon Crystal. Mission information updated.'

'Acquire more than 25 Silver Moon Crystals to become the undisputed Moon Chanter! (1/25)'

Just then, a solemn male voice suddenly rang out: "In the name of Justice, I judge your sins."

The fleeing Luna had no choice but to stop and repeat, "In the name of Justice, I judge your sins."

When everyone turned to look, they saw a Six-winged Light Feather Seraph, dual-wielding Cross Lightsabers, hovering midair. He was fully Armed, and his golden eyes beneath his helmet slowly swept over the seven of them.

The ground began to glow with a golden light, and the high-pitched praises of a castrato singer rang out in the night sky.

Run!

Almost all the Apostles of the Moon God and their companions chose to flee immediately. Ren Suo had Luna instantly use "Mage's Death-Defying Feather" to Teleport and sprint away. However, it was futile—the Seraph's speed was faster than all of them!

Luna was covered in golden light, and then multiple game messages popped up.

'Luna is Stunned, falling into a comatose Status.'

'Luna has lost 'Silver Moon Crystal·Glimmer.''

'Current Silver Moon Crystal count is: 0/25.'

Ren Suo immediately reloaded the game without a word. This time, knowing in advance that the white woman had a companion, he had Luna use "Mage's Death-Defying Feather" to sprint away as soon as she acquired the Silver Moon Crystal, giving the others no chance to launch their Spellstorm Attack.

Perhaps Luna's escape had made the others more cautious. The moment the Seraph appeared, the white woman immediately used her Miracle of Turning into a Sheep on the Seraph!

The Miracle, truly a Blessing from the Moon God, even turned the formidable Seraph into a six-winged sheep floating leisurely in the sky.

And thanks to the white woman's 5-second delay, Luna had already run quite a distance.

She hurried along, swift as the wind. However, for some unknown reason, the city lights, which should have been dim, gradually brightened with Luna's steps. Countless people poked their heads out of windows, watching Luna with the eyes one might reserve for a Strange Creature.

Just as Luna was about to successfully escape with the Silver Moon Crystal, a frivolous male voice drifted on the night wind.

"The wind tonight is quite boisterous."

An ancient swordsman holding an Embroidered Spring Knife, dressed in a Flying Fish Robe, with a foxtail grass sprig dangling from his lips, suddenly appeared before Luna. He stood on the railing at the edge of the Roof, looking quite flamboyant.

Luna repeated, "The wind tonight is quite boisterous."

Then came a piercing howl as dazzling silver light pierced through Luna. Once again, multiple game messages popped up.

'Luna is Stunned, falling into a comatose Status.'

'Luna has lost 'Silver Moon Crystal·Glimmer.''

'Current Silver Moon Crystal count is: 0/25.'

There are other NPCs that can obstruct game characters?

Ren Suo immediately reloaded his save. When Luna encountered the ancient swordsman again, he had her Teleport and charge forward first, attempting to teach the swordsman a lesson with overwhelming Force!

Just then, several other swordsmen in identical Clothing emerged beside the ancient swordsman and instantly hacked Luna to pieces!

After another reload, Ren Suo tried fleeing in a different direction, but it wasn't long before he ran into the Ancient Swordsmen Dance Troupe again. If he continued to flee, the flamboyant swordsman leading them would severely wound Luna with an unavoidable Sword Technique. If he chose to fight, the group of burly men would gang up on Luna, and the scene would become unsuitable for viewers under the age of 15...

Ren Suo quickly came to a conclusion: This Ancient Swordsmen Dance Troupe could accurately track and capture Luna's location!

Fleeing was futile, fighting was impossible.

Are 4-star games this hardcore from the start, designed to make players quit immediately?

Ren Suo exited the game and returned to the tavern. He approached the tavern owner, who was mopping the floor, and asked, "The 'Night of the Hunt' is really tough at the beginning. I can't hold onto the Silver Moon Crystal. What should I do?"

The tavern owner moved a small stool aside and, while continuing to mop, answered, "10 Merit Points."

Can you even spend Merit Points to ask about game content?!

Ren Suo paid up readily. This time, he even triggered the 'Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose' effect, which reduced the Merit Point cost by 10, effectively getting a question for free.

At that moment, Ren Suo naturally lifted his feet and placed them on the coffee table, as his clone had reached that spot while mopping. The clone moved Ren Suo's cotton slippers to the side and then, huffing and puffing, mopped vigorously.

The tavern owner replied, "If you can't win, just give up. If you can't keep it, then don't."

"..." Ren Suo thought that if he had dared to speak to his mom in such a tone before, saying something like, 'So what if I failed?' he would have had a very 'joyful' day at home—his buttocks beaten so sore he couldn't sit, forced to rest on his stomach on the bed.

I paid money, and you dare to tell me such a blunt truth? Your butt would get spanked raw, you know!

A game notification popped up: 'The Tavern Owner, after receiving a fair tip, quietly tells you: Losing a battle with an NPC won't result in death and might even trigger additional plotlines. There are 28 Silver Moon Crystals in total. You can still clear the game if you're one short, and you can get it back later.'

Oh? Ren Suo's eyebrows raised.

So the Seraph and the Ancient Swordsmen Dance Troupe really are NPCs? No wonder they didn't use any Moon God's Miracles. It seems Miracles are exclusive to the Apostles of the Moon God.

There are a total of 28 Silver Moon Crystals, and you need to collect more than 25 to clear the game. Theoretically, even if I collect 3 fewer, it won't affect the outcome. At most, I might miss an achievement rating.

But if I can get the Silver Moon Crystals back later, it doesn't matter if I can't get them early on. I'll just consider them temporarily stored with other competitors.

Once I get familiar with this game, all items will be returned to their rightful owner.

So, should I still rush to grab the first Silver Moon Crystal?

The tavern owner said that losing a battle can trigger extra plotlines. Could it be... a 'defeat PLAY' type of plot?

"That's impossible, right...?" Ren Suo shook his head very seriously, dismissing his own thoughts, while controlling Luna to try and snatch the Silver Moon Crystal once more.

This time, Ren Suo still had Luna try her best to flee, but the Ancient Swordsmen Dance Troupe intercepted her again. The Silver Moon Crystal was lost once more, and Luna was undoubtedly Stunned, unsure of what cruel fate awaited her.

Ren Suo immediately sat up straight, signaling his clone, who was mopping in front of him, to get lost so as not to obstruct his view of the 'defeat PLAY' plot.

"It's not mopped clean yet."

"If it's not clean, then it's not clean."

The clone quietly left with the mop. At that moment, the screen faded from black, revealing an unfamiliar, pristine white ceiling.

Luna seemed to be lying on a soft white bed, with a young man sitting beside it.

What, it's already the aftermath? No cutscene of the process?

Only when the image sharpened from Blur to clear did Ren Suo see that the young man was wearing a white coat and looked like a doctor. A cute girl in a nurse's uniform stood beside him.

The adorable nurse clutched the doctor's white coat with one hand, hiding behind him. She looked at Luna with fearful eyes, like a nervous little rabbit.

It seemed Luna hadn't received any Non-Human treatment; after being Stunned, she appeared to have been sent directly for medical care.

"You're awake?" the doctor said with a smile. "I'm a doctor."

"The best doctor under the Moonlit Night," the adorable nurse added.

Gu Yueyan threw off the covers, picked up her actually vibrating phone, and sneaked onto the balcony. She closed the balcony door, careful not to wake the soundly sleeping Lin Xianyu.

She glanced at the caller ID—'Gu Yuexuan'—and answered with irritation, "I don't know where you are, but right now it's 2:33 a.m. Sky Capital time."

"Xiao Yan, have you missed—"

"No!"

"Your big brother is very sad..."

"It's bad enough you always ask such nonsense, but you also deliberately disturb my rest. I have to study in the morning. I'm going to blacklist you later. From now on, contact me through Mom for all your important family events."

"But isn't today Saturday?"

"Morning self-study."

"Your big brother here has reached the third turn!"

Gu Yueyan's breath caught. After a few seconds, she slowly said, "Congratulations."

"So, what about you, Xiao Yan?" Gu Yuexuan giggled.

Gu Yueyan said, "I'm about to reach the second turn, probably in the next two or three days."

"Not bad. But Xiao Yan, take your time, it's okay. Your big brother now leads an elite tracking and Scouting team of Second Stage Cultivators. I hold a significant position of power in Sky Capital's counter-strategy system. I don't need to ask Dad anymore; I can apply to transfer you to Sky Capital Superhuman Academy myself—"

"Don't!"

"Is it because of Teacher Dong?" Gu Yuexuan asked directly, as if he had anticipated this.

Gu Yueyan took a deep breath and said, "Besides Teacher Dong, I also have many friends at school. I'm doing very well here; you don't need to worry."

"But your big brother wants to see his little sister often... How about you send me some recent photos of your daily life for me to look at?" Gu Yuexuan said in a tone like a Goldfish Dude.

"No way!"

"Then I'll just have to send you a cool photo of me cosplaying as a Brocade Guard. Don't worry, I got a bunch of 'green leaf' teammates to act as foils, ensuring your brother is the most handsome one."

Gu Yueyan coldly refused, "No need."

"You won't even look at your brother's photo? Little sister, have you found some brat you like?!"

"No, I'm hanging up—"

"Is it that Bai Ji, the one with the sleazy face who acts like a Korean heartthrob and messes around indiscriminately?" Gu Yuexuan blurted out.

Hearing this, Gu Yueyan frowned slightly. She couldn't accept Gu Yuexuan slandering a teacher she knew. "Teacher Bai has a very good teaching attitude, and he's not messing around with anyone. Don't talk nonsense."

"Is it that old man Liao Yonghai, the one who can turn into a Transformer?" Gu Yuexuan continued to ask.

Gu Yueyan: "Teacher Liao has an affinity for Iron-series Magic, and he and his wife are very much in love. Stop spreading rumors."

"Is it that hooligan Zhao Huo, the one who was brawling everywhere by the age of twenty?" Gu Yuexuan asked again.

Gu Yueyan: "Teacher Zhao was challenging dojos, not brawling. His close-combat skills are incredible. In Lianjiang, he's second to only one person."

Gu Yuexuan continued down the list in his hand, gradually feeling relieved. He had deliberately belittled the male teachers at Heavenly Lotus Academy to see his sister's reaction. Since his sister could evaluate them with Calmness, it indicated she only felt respect and admiration for them, with no other special feelings.

However, even if the teachers could be ruled out, there were still many young rascals at the school under twenty, full of vigor, whose lower bodies thought much faster than their upper ones—brats who could get hard just by wearing slightly tight jeans!

Gu Yuexuan had also gone through that phase. With his extensive experience, he naturally knew how much danger his sister was in!

No, I need to find time to go to Lianjiang and beat up some teacher from Heavenly Lotus Academy. That'll let those brats know that Xiao Yan has a brother who's not to be trifled with... My second turn wasn't imposing enough, but the third turn should be enough for complete Intimidation. Gu Yuexuan looked at the list. But I probably can't beat Bai Ji...

Hmm? Zhao Huo, the one who's good at close combat? He's the one. He looks easy to beat.

Thinking and questioning simultaneously, Gu Yuexuan reached the last name on the list: "Is it that Ren Suo, the one who calls himself a Healing Cultivator but only knows a few Three-legged Cat Spells?"

"Ren Suo is the best Healing Cultivator in Lianjiang!"

Hearing his sister's angry voice abruptly cut off from the phone, Gu Yuexuan looked at his handset and realized she had hung up on him.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. ...Oh?

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