That is the River of Death, the manifestation of the Death World on the Real World level. It is an immense horror in itself. To him, crossing the river must be extraordinarily complex, requiring a specified ritual, the support of the 'Guardian God,' and enduring numerous dangers.

Can you simply sail across?

If it were truly that simple, why would 'Destiny' bother to give a special warning?

"Whether it's true or not, we'll know soon enough."

The text refreshed automatically at this moment, and Yang Qizhou quickly redirected his attention back to the phone.

...

"Of course, you don't believe that crossing the river could be so easy. Yet the village chief showed resolute conviction and refused to change his statement, so you chose not to press further."

"You had initially planned to cross the river as soon as possible, but the village chief was very enthusiastic and insisted on hosting you for the night. He prepared an elaborate feast to celebrate the Savior's arrival in the Ancient Village, urging you to leave the next morning."

"Without the village chief's guidance, you wouldn't find the 'wooden boat.' Given his hospitality, you eventually agreed to stay."

"And of course,"

"there was another important reason for staying: you wanted to uncover the true nature of the 'Guardian God' and confirm if the method of crossing the river was truly feasible."

"Night fell,"

"the terror within the darkness unfolded as expected, far fiercer than the old earth's horrors. Yet, the eerie brume receded under the glow of the bonfire."

"The village chief kept his promise,"

"hosting a grand banquet in the Ancient Village to greet you as the Savior. Everyone was jubilant, yearning for the light to illuminate the Land of Truth once more."

"Though you were the centerpiece of the feast and enjoyed the liveliness, in that instant, you hid in the shadows, observing like a spectator watching a play."

"To avoid disturbances, you even used the power of the 'Spiritual Dragon' to subtly hypnotize everyone."

"Gradually,"

"the bonfire grew dimmer, and you felt increasingly drowsy, until you heard a familiar voice nearby... 'My lord, you have finally appeared. I have waited far too long for this day.'

"You snapped your eyes open."

"The bonfire was still burning, but its flames had transformed into a ghostly pale green. The joyful village residents surrounding you had changed—decayed flesh and bones, grotesque and corrupted—revealing that they were, in fact, the resurrected dead.

"Your gaze shifted toward the sky,"

"where the murky river water flowed across the Sky Dome, surging unceasingly. Through the surface of the river, you could faintly glimpse the ruins of the Ancient Village, long since fallen."

"Instantly, clarity struck."

"The Ancient Village had not endured for thousands of years; it had likely been destroyed on the 'Day of Fallen' during the Third Epoch's end. The villagers' souls fell into the River of Death. It was only through the 'Guardian God's' intervention that they believed they were still alive."

...

Reading the content displayed on the text, Yang Qizhou suddenly understood many things.

No wonder the Ancient Village was seemingly protected from malevolent forces lurking in the darkness—it was never attacked. No wonder the villagers could cross the River of Death with just a wooden boat; they were never truly alive but rather the undead in definitive form.

"The villagers clearly are unaware of this truth. Their excitement, joy, and hope for salvation when the Savior appears cannot be fabricated."

"However, the village chief must know the truth."

Muttering to himself, Yang Qizhou scrolled up the text and quickly located the passage: "The village chief's kindly face had stiffened for a fleeting moment before reverting swiftly."

"So,"

"the final sentence in the 'Destiny' warning wasn't meant as comedic drama—it revealed that for unknown reasons, the village chief intended to kill the Game Character."

At this moment,

the text began to refresh line by line, and Yang Qizhou focused on it intently.

...

"You felt contemplative, realizing the 'village chief' knew the truth and that the villagers were deceived, unaware of their own deaths."

"You thought about the Prophecy of the 'Savior,' the villagers' hopeful expressions upon seeing you, and their desperate longing for redemption, concluding that those sentiments likely weren't fabricated."

"Moreover,"

"the village chief's insistence to host you didn't stem from genuine hospitality; there must be sinister motives, likely orchestrated for this moment. Surely, he would soon unveil his true self."

"Thinking this, you lifted your head and observed your surroundings."

"The village chief approached. His once kindly visage now decayed, oozing pus and blood. Behind him, the villagers walked blindly, connected by threads like some monstrous human centipede."

"Before you could react, pale arms materialized from nothingness, tightly grasping you, as the breath of death seeped into your soul."

"You didn't panic; staring ahead, you spoke with an impassive expression... 'Should I call you village chief, or the 'Guardian' of the Ancient Village, or the 'Hidden Wizard King'?"

"You know me?"

The village chief's face twisted in shock. Even more bizarre and horrifying was the fact that, though visibly an old man, his voice was unmistakably that of a woman.

"You were about to reply when suddenly your spirituality sounded frenzied warnings. Guided by the 'Lord of Blasphemy,' you sensed an unseen force attempting to corrode you."

"Immediately, you activated the authority of 'Reverse Destiny,' freezing your fate at the present state."

"Only when the corrosion ceased did you relax slightly and spoke nonchalantly... 'Of course I know you. In the outside world, there's also a 'Hidden Wizard King' actively operating. I've dealt with them countless times, and their voice is unmistakable.'

The 'village chief' widened his eyes, discerning that you weren't lying, and exclaimed in shock:

"Impossible! I've already... Wait, I see. It's Him—the dominator of the Eternal Dark River of Death, the source of all demise. He used the shared attributes of the Sequence to shepherd my 'Hidden' pillar and supplant my identity."

"You suddenly understood."

"The 'Hidden' was never truly 'Hidden'; it had been the 'Death Lord' all along. Long before the 'Dream Realm Sovereign,' He had anchored His influence upon your being."

"Yet, you felt puzzled... Why did the 'Death Lord' conceal His existence and borrow the identity and power of the 'Hidden Wizard King'?"

"To win the trust of the 'King of Nature'?"

"The stance among Old Gods?"

"As you pondered, a monstrous killing intent surged around you like a tide. Phantom waves brimmed in all directions, a mixture of 'Hidden' and 'Death' symbolism attempting to drown you."

"The already fallen 'Hidden Wizard King' harbored such hatred for you, vowing to end your life."

"Unfortunately,"

"the 'Lord of Blasphemy's' attributes were formidable. With the 'Reverse Destiny' authority fortified, no matter how fiercely the tide battered, it could not shake your frozen fate."

"Lacking an immediate solution, you casually asked... 'But you're already dead, aren't you?'

"Dead?"

"You saw the 'village chief's' visage twist into a grotesque sneer... 'Of course I am dead! On the Day of Fallen—it was all thanks to you. But I was fortunate enough to tear away a 'Death' symbol from the 'Death Lord' at the last moment, allowing me to remain within this tributary of the River of Death as a revenant, all for the day you'd arrive.'

"You mused internally."

"You tore away a 'Death' symbol from the 'Death Lord,' and yet He stripped nearly a 'pillar-level' symbol from you in return. Truly, what a thorough defeat for you."

"You began to deliberate how best to resolve the confrontation with the true 'Hidden Wizard King.'

"At that moment, you noticed the 'village chief's' lips curve into a sinister smile... 'My lord, haven't you yet ascended to the level of the 'Old King,' awakening all of your memories? Surely you're curious about the truth behind the 'Fall.' Shall I share everything with you?'

"Would the true 'Hidden Wizard King' really show such kindness?"

"You recalled that without reaching the level of the Old King, even merely grasping the truth of the 'Nameless Land' could trigger catastrophic consequences. Alarmed, you closed off your hearing, attempting to stop it."

"Yet at that exact moment,"

"a drifting and familiar whisper resonated within your mind...

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