I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 150

Chapter 150: You Absolute Sneak, I Can’t Even!

The people on-site didn’t know whether they were terrified by Zhang Yangqing’s move or stunned by his boastful words.

They all stood frozen, not daring to speak, some even nearly forgetting to breathe and almost passing out.

Only the sound of falling gravel rustled and clattered.

After a long while, some death row inmates finally crawled out from the wrecked walls.

If not for the bruises from being thrown and the feeling of their bones nearly shattering from the Golden Light’s residual shockwave, they might have wondered if they were still dreaming.

Was this really a move a human could unleash?!

If they, standing to the side, could feel such immense power, what must it have been like for those facing it directly?
It was simply unimaginable.

Today, not only were everyone else’s worldviews being constantly shattered, but even Zhang Yangqing’s lackey’s worldview was getting a major overhaul.

The Snake-Eyed Lackey had always been by Zhang Yangqing’s side and had never underestimated his strength.

But now, it seemed the boss was on a level he couldn’t even comprehend.

A feeling arose in his heart: ‘So, seven-star powerhouses really are trash in front of the boss.’

And weren’t they just trash? The Fox Warrior at least left some remains; the Heavy Mech Warrior and the Leopard Warrior were utterly vaporized…
This world actually had a word for ‘deity,’ used to describe someone beyond understanding.

The Snake-Eyed Lackey never had a concrete concept of the word ‘deity’ before.

Now he did—the person before him was it!
He also knew that when the boss could casually say he had “reduced the power to the minimum,” it proved he wasn’t showing off—he was genuinely that incredible.

This kind of effortless, understated display was the most致命 (deadly/decisive).

At this moment, the Snake-Eyed Lackey’s worship of Zhang Yangqing grew even more resolute.

He, too, wanted to become someone who could make heaven and earth collapse with a mere gesture.

Encountering any sturdy fortress or massive obstacle? No need to go personally.

Just point in a direction and unleash a map-wide attack, indiscriminate bombardment.

This disregard for rules, even for others’ opinions, was something countless cultivators dreamed of but could never achieve.

Other chosen ones entered the Strange Tale World facing countless dangers, attacked by its supernatural entities, it could be said they faced nine deaths for one chance at life.

When Zhang Yangqing entered the Strange Tale World, its original inhabitants and诡异 (supernatural beings) undoubtedly faced sudden danger, sometimes without even knowing how they died.

Forget the people in the Strange Tale World; even viewers accustomed to Zhang Yangqing’s screen were badly startled.

: Good grief, before, Celestial Master Zhang just ignored the rules. This time, he’s not even looking at them, right?
: I didn’t realize it until you said it! I watched the screen from Turban Country next door; there really were rules at the nuclear power plant entrance. I was just wondering how Celestial Master Zhang would get past them. Well, now he just destroys the plant remotely. Why even bother looking at the damn rules?
: Did you hear what Celestial Master Zhang said? Even this terrifying display was the lowest power level.
: If anyone else said it, I’d think it was a huge exaggeration. But if Celestial Master Zhang says it, I believe it’s true!
: Is it possible that back at the paradise prison building, Celestial Master Zhang could have just started using map-wide attacks already?
: Be more confident! Even back at the prison, they could have just pointed him in a direction. I feel the power would have been sufficient!

Zhang Yangqing’s strength had always been a mystery to everyone on Blue Star.

Now, it was even more mysterious.

On Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhang Xuanjing pointed at Zhang Yangqing’s screen, seemingly asking the senior brother: Is this really the power the Golden Light Spell can display? How come when I use the Golden Light Spell, it only blinds enemies, while the Celestial Master can shatter mountains and rivers and collapse the earth?

Su Muyu rolled his eyes at him, seeming to reply: You ask me? Who should I ask? Even our master couldn’t figure out how he did it back in the day.

Hearing this, Zhang Xuanjing understood. The master probably couldn’t bring himself to ask his disciple, fearing loss of face.

When the Celestial Master comes out, I definitely have to ask him!

In front of Zhang Yangqing, he didn’t need to worry about face at all.

However, those who believed Zhang Yangqing felt he might be telling the truth.

Others, like the Pope, felt that the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master was absolutely being Versailles-style boastful, exaggerating his abilities to deceive the masses and make everyone worship him.

After all, worshipping the strong was a human tradition.

But at this critical juncture, the Pope couldn’t issue a statement criticizing him, lest he incur counterattacks from the Celestial Master’s ‘brainwashed fans.’ He needed facts to prove that what the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master could do, many others could also achieve.

If the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master wasn’t pulled down from his divine altar, he might monopolize the supernatural world.

Many others shared this sentiment; they couldn’t let the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master promote himself like this.

Stopping him from entering the Strange Tale World was impossible, but they could emulate him.

And right at this moment, some special circumstances arose within the Strange Tale World—unexpected emergencies.

According to the standard evolution explosion specialist approach, after destroying the nuclear power plant, they needed to immediately evacuate using prepared vehicles.

But Zhang Yangqing’s performance made the Prison Warden forget this step.

Now, because the nuclear power plant had been destroyed by an unknown attack, many of the paradise’s order-keepers had surrounded the area.

Vehicles were blocked nearby, and aircraft hovered in the air.

Many mechanical beings approached slowly with shields.

Among them was one of the paradise’s rulers, possessing seven-star peak strength.

An existence feared by the vast majority of people here, and indeed in this world.

This lineup made many on-site people’s hearts race with fear; how could they deal with so much combat power?

That paradise ruler immediately recognized the Prison Warden.

He sternly berated the Prison Warden, demanding to know what he was doing and if he was responsible for the nuclear power plant explosion.

His voice thundered, making the Prison Warden cower.

But the Prison Warden felt wronged. He thought: If I had that capability, would you be talking to me so arrogantly? Shouldn’t you be kneeling while speaking to me!

But the Prison Warden couldn’t be bothered to argue. He might not be able to defeat you, but this lord here was someone you couldn’t afford to provoke either.

The Prison Warden and the death row inmates very tactfully hid behind Zhang Yangqing.

They took “a dog bullying others relying on someone powerful” to the extreme.

The Prison Warden used to despise the death row inmates for throwing their weight around thanks to Zhang Yangqing, but now he experienced the joy of it himself.

That feeling of having no skill yourself but still being able to provoke someone stronger was f**ing awesome!*
I just love the look on your face when you’re pissed but can’t kill me.

This was the joy of being a dog!

Not only that, the Prison Warden even provoked that paradise ruler with his eyes, as if saying: Think you’re tough? Try dealing with this lord here?

The paradise ruler frowned at Zhang Yangqing, only now sensing something unusual about him.

“Was it you who did this?” the paradise ruler asked Zhang Yangqing, pointing towards the nuclear power plant.

“Yes, it was me,” Zhang Yangqing stated bluntly, never one to back down.

It’s not written in the rules, so why should I worry?

Other chosen ones might fear you, afraid of encountering you, but that doesn’t mean I do.

The paradise ruler pondered for a moment, seemingly observing something. He wasn’t in a hurry, just puzzled saying, “What tool did you use?”

Zhang Yangqing made a finger-gun gesture at him and said, “Just pointed like this.”

Hearing this, the paradise ruler laughed, as if mocking Zhang Yangqing for boasting.

In his view, Zhang Yangqing and the Prison Warden must have used some special energy cannon or the like; otherwise, how could they achieve such terrifying destructive power from such a distance?

“If you can really do it, have the guts to do it again and let me see,” the paradise ruler refused to believe it.

In his understanding, he was already a top-tier cultivator in this world. If he couldn’t do it, how could anyone else?

Zhang Yangqing was somewhat puzzled. Do people in this world all have this problem?

Well, you asked for it.

Following his request, Zhang Yangqing pointed his finger at him.

The paradise ruler actually panicked the moment he saw Zhang Yangqing gathering energy.

But he was prepared. He wore high-strength protective armor, had his energy shield at maximum, and had enhanced his own skin’s hardness to be as tough as diamond.

It could be said that under these triple protections, even someone of the same level or stronger couldn’t break through his defense. He was practically this world’s strongest shield.

He was just waiting to see the other guy make a fool of himself.

But what he saw next was a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

Space trembled; heaven and earth crumbled!
A force capable of destroying the world swept over him.

In an instant, his proud triple defenses were weaker than paper, instantly pierced.

The paradise ruler’s body wasn’t just penetrated; it was utterly vaporized by this energy.

Only a wide-eyed head remained, dropping to the ground.

The reason he left him a head was so he could see whether Zhang Yangqing could actually do it.

The paradise ruler couldn’t comprehend how his strongest shield had vanished just like that, and how the area kilometers behind him had been utterly destroyed.

Earlier, Zhang Yangqing had targeted the nuclear power plant. Since it was on the outskirts, the destruction was limited to the plant and its surrounding area.

Now, the paradise’s center suffered this attack. Skyscrapers were instantly obliterated; people in the central area evaporated instantly. Countless lives were lost or injured.

Only now did everyone understand what it meant to reduce something to ashes between one’s fingers.

The Prison Warden had anticipated the paradise ruler’s death, but what made him sweat was this:

He had asked Zhang Yangqing to destroy the nuclear power plant, but Zhang Yangqing had ended up destroying half the paradise.

If he had known this would happen, he would have just knelt and begged Zhang Yangqing to destroy the paradise outright!

Perhaps even more perplexed than the Prison Warden were the eerie plants.

According to the script, after the nuclear power plant was destroyed, they would attack this place.

But when they arrived, they would find someone had already demolished half the paradise.

So, saying Zhang Yangqing was the apocalypse itself for this world was not an exaggeration at all.

With no obstacles ahead, the Prison Warden began executing the plan, leading the small team that attacked the nuclear power plant back.

After all, while this big brother wasn’t afraid of the eerie plants, the others were.

Since they were afraid, keeping the big brother close was undoubtedly the best choice.

And so, the two evolution explosion specialist chosen ones had completed their final task. All they had to do now was wait.

The survival journeys of other chosen ones also began.

The football country’s chosen one, Lenny, was one of the more highly supported among the survival playstyle this time.

In this Strange Tale World, he not only had good luck but also repeatedly used his unique insight and ruthless methods to survive against all odds.

With two hundred inmates as helpers and the prison tyrant as backup, his survival difficulty was relatively low.

He had just gotten off the vehicle. Aside from enhancing his body, he had no time to rest.

Facing the impending apocalypse, he first went to the territory of the boss, the Crocodile Man.

The Crocodile Man boss wasn’t very wealthy but had his own turf.

In this world, he was the type of gang leader.

With many people, the first priority was preparing food, then using ‘stealing’ and ‘robbing’ methods to acquire the special materials needed to isolate the plants.

Initially, many inmates were worried. After all, they had just gotten out and didn’t want to be sent back for something like this.

In this world, killing wasn’t a big deal, but robbing the wealthy of their possessions was a major crime.

Usually, only the powerful and privileged had these valuable things.

Who knew if they would survive being caught and sent back next time?

The football country’s chosen one, Lenny, assured everyone that the apocalypse was coming soon.

He said he had received news upon arrival that this paradise’s defense system was about to collapse. Hordes of eerie plants would destroy this place. Only by holding out until the wealthy and powerful outside died could they change their destinies.

“Do you want to be at the bottom your whole lives? Do you want to return to that hopeless prison?!”

With Lenny’s motivational speech, the inmates also went all-in, working hard to build defensive structures and snatching useful resources from all over this world.

After all, once the prison tyrant was released and his restrictions lifted, he already had five-star strength.

Dealing with ordinary superpower users was still easy for him to brutally kill.

Moreover, they acted quickly; they were habitual offenders. The paradise wouldn’t investigate them immediately.

By the time they started sending people to investigate, the apocalypse Lenny mentioned should have already arrived.

After preparing food, defensive structures, artificial lighting, power equipment, oxygen tanks, and the like, Lenny’s survival journey began.

But there was one thing Lenny didn’t mention.

Most of these two hundred people would die.

They were just being used by Lenny as free labor.

But there was no helping it. The special pollen would drive the inmates mad, and only red rose petals could cure it.

He had very few petals, so those who inhaled the pollen would attack others and would be killed by the prison tyrant.

Lenny only wanted to protect the prison tyrant; he didn’t care who else died.

And so, he endured bitterly for two and a half days inside the defensive structure.

He truly didn’t dare go out or face the eerie plants.

The two hundred inmates had now dwindled to seventy-five.

These inmates were either killed by other pollen-crazed inmates or went mad and were killed by the prison tyrant.

Outside the defensive structure, knocking sounds could be heard again. The eerie plants had probably smelled the blood and were constantly attacking, already destroying the outer simple defensive measures.

As food and oxygen dwindled and the number of people continued to decrease, panic began to spread inside.

Lenny didn’t feel particularly endangered. Fewer people meant fewer resources needed. If necessary, he could have the prison tyrant actively kill some people to ensure sufficient resources like food and oxygen.

Lenny knew clearly that in this world, without being cold-blooded, one simply couldn’t survive.

The corpses of the dead inmates would also be used as bait, thrown outside through other passages, instantly attracting the eerie plants to devour them, thereby slowing down the plants advance speed.

But this Strange Tale was special. The supernatural ability values were not only greatly increased but could also mutate under certain conditions.

After devouring some seven-star human powerhouses, the eerie plants in this world also mutated.

A nearly twenty-meter-tall eerie Treant Warrior appeared.

It wantonly destroyed the paradise’s buildings and slaughtered its people.

With every wave of its hand, several buildings collapsed. With every stomp of its foot, large numbers of humans hiding in bunkers and air-raid shelters died.

This twenty-meter-tall eerie Treant Warrior seemed to have gained intelligence and would seek out human hiding spots.

Wherever it passed, it basically left no survivors.

Even the paradise’s seven-star powerhouses could only run upon seeing it.

It was no longer an existence the people of this world could deal with.

This was also the final danger the survival-style chosen ones would face.

And Lenny had already seen the terrifying scene through the periscope and informed the seventy-five surviving inmates.

This thoroughly panicked the inmates.

“What do we do? If that thing finds us, we’re dead for sure.”
“I saw it too. That eerie Treant Warrior dug up a hiding spot directly. No one inside survived.”
“Dammit! If I had known it would be like this, we shouldn’t have left the prison in the first place.”
“Not necessarily. The prison over there might have already fallen.”

Just as everyone was at a loss, the prison tyrant Crocodile Man said to Lenny, “Lenny, do you have a plan?”

Lenny was the smartest among them. If not for Lenny warning them in advance about the impending apocalypse and the need to prepare food, they might have died long ago and wouldn’t have lasted two days.

Moreover, Lenny had performed excellently in prison, with可怕 (terrifying) observational skills.

So Lenny was their designated brains and their hope.

At this point, Lenny began to show off his acting skills.

Because the apocalypse started ten hours after he got off the train.
Now, two and a half days had passed.
According to the rules, he only needed to survive for three days.
With 24 hours each day, by that calculation, he had already survived two days and 22 hours.
He only needed to endure for two more hours to conclude and leave.

So he started acting inhumane.

All these people here were merely his pawns, sacrifices he could make.

He first pretended to be thinking of a strategy, actually just stalling for time until the eerie Treant Warrior arrived.

Then he put on an sudden inspiration expression and said, “We can’t just sit here waiting. We’ll be discovered eventually if we stay. We need to charge out now and try to get to those areas already destroyed by the eerie Treant Warrior. Those places no longer have human scent and won’t be attacked a second time.”

Because most of the paradise’s geological structure was made of special materials where eerie plants couldn’t grow, they, like the main horde, were bloodily cleansing the paradise, led by the Treant Warrior and its troops.

A dark, oppressive mass, like a colony of ants.

But there were still many tall buildings in the paradise serving as cover.

Lenny’s idea wasn’t wrong in theory. As long as they bypassed these tall buildings, they could avoid the Treant troops’ attacks and reach those previously destroyed hiding spots to survive.

Everyone praised Lenny’s cleverness and decided to follow his plan.

After all, besides running out, there really was no other way.

Going out offered a slim chance of survival, but staying here meant certain death.

This was everyone’s consistent thought.

But precisely because of this, they fell for it.

Because the eerie Treant Warrior was nearby, the inmates running out of the tunnels would attract its attention and that of the Treant troops.

Lenny wanted to sacrifice the others to save himself.

He just pretended to run out and then hid back inside.

After returning, he saw the prison tyrant Crocodile Man had also just returned.

They stared at each other, seeming to have had the same idea.

After an awkward atmosphere, the two looked at each other and smiled, as if saying: You absolute sneak, I can’t even!