I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 152

Chapter 152: A Win Isn’t Glorious, A Loss is Humiliating!

He wasn’t targeting anyone specifically; he just thought everyone present was trash!

One could understand that Zhang Yangqing’s statement was a massive AoE taunt.

But you had to admit, he could absolutely back it up.

After all, in his eyes, there really was no difference between an Eight-Star and a One-Star.

And even if you felt he was insulting you, you didn’t dare talk back.

This was one of the terrifying things about Zhang Yangqing.

With his level of power, he no longer needed to reason with anyone.

Zhang Yangqing’s approach was simple and brutal.

Since I’m here, you all will listen to me.
If you don’t, well, don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

Watching Zhang Yangqing’s retreating back, the snake-eyed sidekick sighed.

He had thought he was slowly catching up to the boss.
Who would have thought he had only seen the tip of the iceberg?
He even suspected that the boss hadn’t even started to get serious yet.

If Zhang Yangqing knew what he was thinking, he’d definitely say: Be confident, no need to suspect.

After a brief moment of contemplation, the snake-eyed sidekick followed.
After all, his job was to keep the boss happy. Maybe if the boss was in a good mood, he’d teach him a move or two.

On Blue Star, viewers from Pizza Country silently exited the live stream of the Dragon Nation’s Chosen One.

They had seen Gregorio’s unreasonable performance and wanted to compare it to the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master.
Who could have expected this one to be even more astonishing? They deleted the comments they had ready to post.

But it was understandable. The Celestial Master was, after all, the highest-ranking position in the Dragon Nation. A Cardinal really wasn’t on the same level.
They just wondered if the Pope himself would step in next time.

This was something the Pope was actually considering.
If the Dragon Nation Celestial Master’s prestige continued to expand like this, the entire Blue Star might witness an unprecedented golden age for Taoism.

But what if he couldn’t measure up? Wouldn’t that be rather awkward?
Right now, it was Gregorio who lost. That didn’t matter much.
He was just a Cardinal. Even if he died in the Strange Tale world, you could only say a Cardinal couldn’t compare to their Chief Celestial Master. That wasn’t really shameful.
The Pope would have plenty of excuses to explain it away.
He would remain the unshakable Pope, the supreme existence.
As long as he lived, the Church wouldn’t collapse, and he would still have devoted believers.

But the question was, if he entered the Strange Tale world, could he guarantee he’d be stronger than the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master?
Based on the Dragon Nation Celestial Master’s current performance, he wasn’t sure he could do better.
Furthermore, his status was noble, and he was the type who cared about face.
There were some things that really weren’t convenient for him to do.
This could easily lead to the same situation Gregorio faced earlier.
Most importantly, the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master had rich experience in the Strange Tale world.
The Pope wasn’t stupid. How could watching from the outside compare to the information gained from experiencing several Strange Tales firsthand?
Besides, Gregorio himself said after coming out last time that watching from outside and clearing it from inside were two completely different things.
What if he underperformed?

Don’t think the Pope now constantly talks down about the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master; would he dare say he could definitely win?
In terms of experience, there was simply no comparison!

There was another critical point: the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master was young, while the Pope was several decades older.
This created a situation where a win wouldn’t be glorious, but a loss would be extremely humiliating.

In summary, the Pope couldn’t afford to gamble.
As long as he didn’t enter, he could still consider himself on equal footing with the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master, or even think himself stronger.
Once he entered, and was outperformed in such an absolute high-stakes scenario, any excuse would be superfluous.
The faith in the entire Church would plummet.
The Pope lost? What would that mean?
His perfect persona would completely shatter.

In the end, it came back to the same phrase: as long as he never loses, he remains the invincible Pope.

Right now, it wasn’t just the Pope having these thoughts; leaders of other factions felt the same.
This was a global spectacle watched by everyone. If they lost to the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master, they would fall from grace, and the forces behind them might even decline irreversibly.
So, the top combatants and high-level officials of various countries had too many factors to consider.
It wasn’t something they could undertake lightly.

As for why the Dragon Nation’s top fighter, Zhang Yangqing, kept appearing in the Strange Tale world, it was because he had no choice.
After being randomly selected twice in a row, he had already gotten used to it.

Meanwhile, in the Dragon Nation, not only was their Chosen One outrageous, but even the viewers’ tone was starting to skew.

: I think Celestial Master Zhang is still too polite. If it were me, I’d directly say everyone present is Zero-Stars!
: If you put it that way, I think Celestial Master Zhang is indeed quite humble.
: Your angles are really sharp, but I have no reason to refute.
: For other Chosen Ones, every extra minute spent in the Strange Tale world means another minute of danger for themselves. For Celestial Master Zhang, every extra minute he spends in the Strange Tale world means another minute of danger for all the creatures inside.

In everyone’s minds, every time Zhang Yangqing spoke, it felt exaggerated.
But if you thought about it carefully, you realized he could actually deliver on his words.
This was a characteristic unique to him.

Inside the Strange Tale world, without a doubt, Zhang Yangqing was the first to get the option to settle and leave. He could exit immediately if he clicked it.
But he seemed to be waiting for something and didn’t settle the account.

Others were different. The Pizza Country’s Chosen One, Gregorio, clicked to settle the moment he could.
When Gregorio returned to Pizza Country, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Sitting on this familiar land, surrounded by cheers, he sighed, “I finally made it back alive!”
Having spent over four days in the Strange Tale world, he felt utterly exhausted.
Coupled with the fear and stress of those days, before he could even celebrate, he collapsed on the ground and fell asleep.
The expert team prepared a stretcher, carried him to a rest room, and examined him.

If anyone felt a bit reluctant to leave, it was the Turban Nation’s Chosen One, Abdul.
In the Strange Tale world, he was a peak Six-Star pyrokinetic.
With a mere gesture, he could mobilize fire particles, summoning raging flames.
This was a level of power an ordinary person like him could never achieve in a lifetime.
Humans often become fascinated by power.
If Abdul were to live in that world, he would undoubtedly pursue the limits of power infinitely.
He also understood why wars were fought over Color Fruits and Strange Fruits in that world.
But there was no ‘if’. He wasn’t from that world; the outside was his paradise.
Because, as long as he got out alive, not only would his crimes be pardoned, but the King would reward him with one billion.
That was one billion!
That was why the outside was his paradise.

Abdul took a deep breath, savoring the flow of energy within his body one last time, and then clicked to settle and exit.
After a flash of white light, Abdul returned to the familiar prison.
The guards, warden, and some high-ranking experts were waiting for him.
Everyone’s faces were filled with joy and praise, lauding his brave performance!
After all, on all of Blue Star, being the one whose performance was closest to the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master was enough to prove his outstanding performance in this Strange Tale.
“Abdul, you are truly a hero, a role model for our Turban Nation!”
The experts seized the opportunity to promote this, hoping more fearless people would volunteer for future Strange Tales.
Facing a deadly Strange Tale, most people weren’t afraid of death itself, but of the torment within the Strange Tale world.
Abdul had undoubtedly set a good example. He was amplified infinitely, received various interviews, and even got to meet the King.

He was a smart man, after all; these were honors he had earned with his life.
He should have been ecstatic.
In the Strange Tale world, he had even fantasized about how he would spend that one billion.
Buy a few villas, dozens of custom supercars, indulge in wine, women, and song every day—what a comfortable life that would be.

But ever since he settled and exited, for some reason, he felt a sense of loss.
It felt like he had lost something much more important.
His heart felt empty, as if it had been hollowed out.

The King of the Turban Nation was true to his word and immediately fulfilled the promise.
Abdul looked at the string of numbers on his card and fell into deep thought.
That decadent, materialistic life was what he had originally desired, but now that he had it, he felt no desire for it at all.

As he wandered confused, he watched the recordings of other Chosen Ones.
When he saw the Dragon Nation Celestial Master’s recording, he seemed to understand what he was missing.
When a person gains power beyond the mundane, their way of thinking becomes different from ordinary people.
Especially the cultivation methods taught by the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master during his preaching.
If you had told him before, he wouldn’t have understood.
Now, however, he found himself lost in thought, seemingly comprehending something.
Because he had once reached that realm, even if only for a few brief days.

After a long while, Abdul sighed. “So this is what one billion can’t buy.”
Saying this, he spent a large sum to book a flight to the Dragon Nation.
It seemed he had found a new pursuit now.
He packed his bags, dressed simply, even a bit unkempt.
If someone saw Abdul now, they would never imagine he was the Turban Nation’s Chosen One who had won a billion; he looked just like an ordinary tourist.
Abdul’s eyes held an unprecedented determination.

The door to the world of the transcendent seemed to have opened for him. A higher world awaited his ascent.
Those powerful Taoist masters of the Dragon Nation, the Cardinals and Holy Knights of the Church, the Buddhas and Arhats of the Buddhist faith—they were all up there.
And in his mind, the Celestial Master at the very peak shone with immense radiance!
He, a mere mortal, couldn’t help but yearn for such a sight after witnessing it.
If he indulged in the世俗 (shìsú – secular world), he might never reach that境界 (jìngjiè – realm/state) in his lifetime.

Just as Abdul was thinking this, Zhang Yangqing’s goal had already been achieved.
The so-called preaching was precisely about making people yearn for it.
Most importantly, Zhang Yangqing didn’t deliberately promote it; he just used practical examples to subtly show everyone that they could all practice the way, that if they practiced, they had a chance to become like this.

Another superhuman soon exited as well.
This was none other than the Pizza Country’s Chosen One, Gregorio.
As for why he chose to settle and exit—he didn’t know where to find special rewards or hidden tasks!
Basic information in the Strange Tale world was mostly in the prison. His performance there had been lackluster; he hadn’t paid attention, single-mindedly focused on removing the bracelet and starting his killing spree.
The intelligence he gathered was extremely limited. Managing to clear it could be considered good luck.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to find hidden tasks, but what if he couldn’t find any? Wouldn’t that make him look useless?
Wouldn’t his recent impressive performance be forgotten?
So, taking advantage of the fact that he had just pulled off a cool move, he settled and exited without hesitation.

The Church and Pizza Country were prepared to welcome Gregorio upon his exit.
The moment Gregorio emerged, they launched a major publicity campaign.
His final performance had also attracted a wave of admirers.
After all, the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master hadn’t come out yet. Among those who had exited, his performance was relatively good.
Once the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master emerged, he would undoubtedly attract the world’s attention.
By then, they wouldn’t even have a chance to promote him.
Gregorio was just surviving in Zhang Yangqing’s downtime.

“Your Holiness, my performance this time…” Gregorio began, but was interrupted by the Pope.
“Completing the mission this time is already good enough. The Lord will not blame you.”
He was, after all, a Cardinal loyal to him. As Pope, he couldn’t let his subordinate’s heart grow cold.
Gregorio’s skills were considered top-notch among superhumans; there was no need to crush his confidence.
Only by knowing one’s shortcomings can a person improve.
Otherwise, cultivators in the later stages often think they’re good enough and become complacent.
Besides, Gregorio didn’t make any fundamental mistakes. In the final stage, he saved many people and spread the glorious image of the Church.
The ending was quite good.

Gregorio also learned a lot this time. After returning, he went back to the church to continue his cultivation.

Inside the bizarre world, Chosen Ones gradually settled their accounts and left.
Very few could exit this time—only 15 Chosen Ones.
Many Chosen Ones fell at this final hurdle.

So far, only two remained inside.
The bear country’s Chosen One, Goncharov, was playing wilderness survival, still needing to complete his three days in the Paradise.
Every day, he used binoculars to observe the situation in the Paradise, checking if the strange plants had left.
He thought hiding here would be safe, but unexpected trouble still found him.
Many people from the Paradise fled to the desert like refugees, as plants couldn’t grow there. Anyone who could think of it headed that way.
Goncharov’s hiding spot was discovered by a group.
The others were being chased there and had no food supplies. They were starving.
Under these circumstances, even the trash Goncharov had collected became highly contested.
And Goncharov’s strength wasn’t great, at best around Three-Star level.
His physique was somewhat enhanced, and his strength increased.
But facing truly high-star superhumans, he could only choose to submit and plead.
Watching the food he scavenged from the garbage being taken, Goncharov had to apologize politely.
Because in this remote wilderness, if someone was in a bad mood and killed him, what could he do?
There was no order here, no rules.
So for a Chosen One, having rules is actually beneficial.
Rules are key to protecting them.

Goncharov endured until the fourth day, feeling utterly famished.
The hunger in the bizarre world was intense. He felt if he didn’t eat something soon, he wouldn’t need the strange plants to attack him; he’d starve to death here.
Besides, this was a desert, all sand, nothing else.
If he was hungry, wouldn’t the other natives be hungry too?
When humans are truly starving to death, they will do anything to survive.
With his low strength, he became prey for the other natives.

So, Goncharov gritted his teeth and returned to the small slope near the Paradise.
He was extremely careful, using binoculars to observe while searching for possible locations that might have food.
Inside the Paradise, most strange plants were busy destroying important facilities. This was still the outskirts, so the number of strange plants wasn’t high.
Using the dim, broken lights from the city, he found a feasible route and prepared to infiltrate a supermarket.

Goncharov knew he likely only had one chance. If chased by strange plants, in his current state, he lacked the strength to escape, let alone fight back.

Watching Goncharov climb into the Paradise, viewers in the bear country held their breath for him.
He tread lightly, navigating through the ruins.
There were many skeletons under his feet, all stripped of flesh.
The strange plants were the type that consumed people and spit out the bones.
Here, Goncharov had to be very careful. The smell of blood could attract strange plants.
Now the entire Paradise was within their attack range, but as long as they didn’t detect him, he still had a chance.
He especially needed to avoid sharp glass shards and collapsed walls.

Just as he reached the supermarket entrance, he heard the sound of bending steel above him.
Boom!
Fortunately, Goncharov was agile and rolled out of the way like a donkey (a Chinese idiom for a quick, clumsy roll).
Otherwise, he would have been hit by the falling sign.
The sign flickered with a faint light—the battery inside must still have had some charge.
But this provided some illumination in the darkness, however faint, which was better than nothing.

Soon, Goncharov felt his way to the supermarket entrance.
It was pitch black inside; he couldn’t see anything.
He had to feel for everything.
He would eat whatever he could find.
Based on his understanding of supermarkets, Goncharov felt several packages on a shelf.
He gently tore open a package, and a dark creature suddenly rushed at him.
Faced with this sudden event, his soul nearly left his body.
Just as he prepared to flee, the dark creature didn’t attack him but spoke in a mechanical voice: “Payment is required before consuming any merchandise. Payment is required…”
The repeated phrase echoed in the area, seemingly a warning to Goncharov.

When Goncharov saw it was a mechanical creature, he was furious.
At a time like this, Goncharov didn’t know whether to call it dedicated or inflexible.
Goncharov noticed the mechanical creature was made of special metal, seemingly similar to the material used on the prison’s exterior. Perhaps this was why it wasn’t attacked.
The mechanical creature had pre-programmed instructions. If Goncharov didn’t pay, it absolutely wouldn’t let him eat.
The most infuriating part was that Goncharov couldn’t defeat it.

After several failed attempts to eat by force, Goncharov had to search for The so-called ‘money’.
In the apocalypse, without strength, it was like this—a tiny mechanical creature could bully him.
This mechanical creature only cared about payment for goods; it didn’t care about anything else.
Goncharov found some wallets near a pile of bones.
He didn’t know how money worked in this world, so he handed some bills to the mechanical creature.
Sometimes, things that seem useless in the apocalypse actually serve a purpose, or perhaps this mechanical creature was easily swayed by money.
Just moments ago, the mechanical creature looked at Goncharov angrily, like it was guarding against a thief.
Now, having received the money, it smiled and even used its power source to provide light for Goncharov.

After struggling for so long in the bizarre world, Goncharov finally got to eat normal food.
He was so moved he could cry.

The army of strange plants had already swept through this area, but they might return for a second pass.
He thought about taking some food back out.
But thinking again, the relatively safe desert area had those fierce natives. Going back now would be suicide.
So he decided to find a spot near the supermarket’s storage area to hide out.
He had money now. Whatever he needed, he could just have the mechanical creature get it for him. Money made things easier.
There was enough food in one supermarket for him to survive three days.
Goncharov had temporarily entered the countdown to settling the account.

But the other one finally rose to his feet.
His movement instantly attracted the attention of countless people.
Whether in the bizarre world or on Blue Star, he was the most dazzling sun!