I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 177

Chapter 177: The Fall of a Legend, The Birth of a Supreme God!

The fluctuations of energy awakened the most powerful existence in the Land of Divine Source.

This being was the absolute BOSS of the Land of Divine Source, an entity even the greedy Green Skins dared not provoke.

The catch was, this being never left its domain. Whether it had formed a pact with the Sacred Tree or was simply unable to leave, no one knew.

In the eyes of the Chosen Ones, the Elf Queen was essentially a walking instant-death mechanic, an unavoidable rule leading to certain demise.

They could only crawl forward at the feet of this behemoth, taking care not to disturb her slumber.

However, their energy levels were far too insignificant to rouse her—unless they did something truly earth-shattering.

With Zhang Yangqing’s restrictions lifted, the Raman Kingdom’s side received an epic-level boost.

Zhang Yangqing was unaware of the Curse Magic, so he didn’t run.

Paladin Sidney, on the other hand, was weighed down by his heavy armor. Having received no enhancements, he simply couldn’t escape in time!

The moment Sidney regained his flesh-and-blood body, he felt an overwhelming power surge through him!

Those exaggerated muscles, that intimidating demon-back, that abundant Holy Energy!

All of it was Sidney’s foundation, his reliance.

Facing a several-tens-of-meters-tall Treant, Sidney grabbed hold of its trunk with both hands. With a mighty heave, he lifted the Treant high into the air.

Then, with a leap that cracked the ground beneath him, he soared into the sky.

Finally, with a “Paladin’s Throw,” he hurled the massive Treant into the distance.

BOOM!

A earth-shattering tremor rocked the entire area.

Both mechanical guards and Elf warriors met their doom.

Sidney let out a roar that shook the heavens, causing the remaining Treants to halt their advance.

The terrifying energy emanating from him filled the Elves with fear.

At this moment, the Raman Kingdom’s audience erupted in cheers.

“God bless! Our Paladin is finally going to shine!”

“So strong! Is this the power of the Church’s Paladins?”

“Sidney is the strongest Paladin. His physical strength alone can shatter rocks.”

“I once met Sidney. That feeling of being bathed in holy light… I’m seeing it again now!”

People had scoffed at the mechanical-bodied Sidney, but they worshipped the flesh-and-blood version with fervor.

They could almost envision Sidney wreaking havoc, making everyone in the Strange Tales world tremble.

Back at the Church, Sidney’s colleagues were naturally overjoyed at his liberation.

The feeling was similar to that surrounding the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master—it seemed nothing could stop Sidney now.

But the next moment, the highly anticipated Sidney performed a move that left everyone stunned.

Instead of continuing to hunt Elves or topple all the Treants, the Holy Energy-empowered Sidney simply grabbed a single Elf to fulfill his mission objective and then fled the scene at lightning speed.

This move flooded the Raman Kingdom’s live stream screens with “???”.

No one understood what this Paladin was doing. Hadn’t he regained his fleshly body? Was he out of strength?

Or was his Holy Energy insufficient?

That couldn’t be right. Wasn’t the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master next door already on a rampage?

Even Sidney’s colleagues at the Church were baffled, wondering if he was still in shock and hadn’t fully grasped the situation.

He had his body back now, what was there to fear?
Shouldn’t others be afraid of him?

All eyes turned to Ge Lieke, seeking an explanation.

It seemed everyone was treating Ge Lieke like a translation machine.

Geleike was initially speechless, but feeling the Pope’s gaze—the Pope’s expectation—upon him, he had no choice but to explain. “Sidney did the right thing. In fact, it was the most correct choice. The Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master had his restrictions removed long ago. Sidney still has too many limitations; he can’t afford to act recklessly…”

According to Ge Lieke, the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master had killed Green Skins and only brought three people inside, so he didn’t have major restrictions.

But Sidney did.

Within this blood mist, there were 30 Green Skin warriors.

If he accidentally killed even one, the rules would execute Sidney immediately.

So, even with his fleshly body restored, his restrictions remained severe.

Therefore, capturing an Elf and turning it in was his best option at this point.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to show off; he genuinely lacked the capital to do so.

The blood mist was full of illusions, compounded by the Elf race’s masterful transformation magic.

If he stayed longer in the Land of Divine Source, within this blood mist, Sidney would face numerous troubles.

For example, if the Elves transformed to look like Green Skins, he might not be able to tell and wouldn’t dare attack.

If the Elves made Green Skins look like Elves, attacking the wrong target would mean death.

As long as Sidney kept a level head, completing the basic mission and leaving immediately was absolutely the correct choice!
This was the result of careful consideration.

Anyway, this run had been embarrassing enough; one more incident wouldn’t make much difference.

Compared to Zhang Yangqing’s indiscriminate slaughter, this guy truly didn’t dare to kill.

It was like being given great power but still being too afraid to use it.

Such was the nature of this Strange Tales world with its four death rules.

After hearing Ge Lieke’s explanation, the others finally understood why Sidney had fled.

Ge Lieke knew this feeling all too well. In the Strange Tales world, having power didn’t mean you could do whatever you wanted.

In his previous run, he had been frustrated to the extreme. Even after regaining his Holy Energy, he didn’t dare unleash it on the first day.

It was only by cooperating with the Mad Scientist, waiting until the final day was almost over, that he dared to show off a little.

To handle things as effortlessly as the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master was something only he could do.

Ge Lieke was beginning to realize that only those who had been inside could truly understand how outrageous this man was.

If the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master hadn’t initially dealt with the Green Skins and removed the City Lord, he would likely be in a situation similar to Sidney’s in this stage—possessing power but not daring to use it.

Moreover, the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master’s power was immense. The mere aftershock killing a Green Skin would be a disastrous joke.

“Did he really calculate all of this?”

Thinking this, Ge Lieke shook his head.

He had been constantly observing the Dragon Kingdom’s Celestial Master’s strategies.

While others couldn’t replicate them, Ge Lieke was among the very few who could learn something.

From this stage, he learned one thing: the Celestial Master was adept at minimizing danger.

He eliminated potential threats before they could become actual dangers.

If one could master this, clearing Strange Tales worlds would become much easier.

Inside the Strange Tales world, various different strategies had emerged so far.

The two top-tier Transcendents: one moved deeper in, the other moved out.

The other Chosen Ones, relying on the strength of their mechanical bodies and speeds four to five times that of a human, managed to escape the range of the Curse Magic.

Seeing those behind them transformed into human form by the curse, the Chosen Ones felt nothing but relief.

They had grown accustomed to their mechanical bodies. Returning to human form would make everything around them terrifying.

Things that weren’t previously dangerous would become their worst nightmares.

For instance, currently, when Chosen Ones encountered fierce beasts, as long as they weren’t too large, they could instantly kill them using their mechanical bodies.

If they turned human, even a non-mutated tiger or a few wolves could mean instant death.

The Bullfighting Country’s Chosen One, Braden, was the lone wolf type.

Once separated from the team, in this blood mist, no one could be trusted!

He followed the rules: don’t easily believe everything you see.

To pass this stage, there was another key point.

Analyzing the rules:

[Rule 6: The Elf race also has things they fear.]

Find that thing, and you could capture an Elf.

“But how do I find it?”

Braden fell into thought. He wasn’t the type to search blindly.

Only after identifying the target should one act.

Otherwise, you’d just run into various terrifying anomalies within the Land of Divine Source.

Suddenly, Braden thought of something.

[Rule 5: If you fall into the abyss, climb out quickly. There is nothing you want inside.]

If falling down doesn’t yield what I want, then what I want must be… above?

Thinking this, Braden started climbing trees, striving to reach higher ground, searching for things that might frighten the Elf race.

This was the lone wolf’s approach.

As for team play, that was the forte of the Argentinian Chosen One, Ramirez. As the deputy leader, he had already assumed command.

It was the familiar tactic: use other mechanical guards as cannon fodder for trial and error.

Whenever a dangerous situation arose, send the mechanical guards in first.

His approach could be considered very steady. But there was one even steadier than him.

On the Dragon Kingdom’s live stream, Zhang Yangqing had already led his team deep into the Land of Divine Source.

They were very close to the so-called Sacred Tree. Even the Black Bear Girl could feel a powerful energy.

Zhang Yangqing didn’t need to capture an Elf as a guide to find this place.

He had heard the ancient legends from the Beastkin brothers.

That former ruler who once dominated the entire Beastkin race must have reached some kind of agreement with the Sacred Tree.

According to the Beastkin brothers, the Sacred Tree was likely the center of energy here.

So, by following the density of energy, one could naturally find the Sacred Tree.

Without the interference of the blood mist, this was just a vast primeval forest.

The spiritual energy was much denser than in the Half-Beastmen area.

Walking on the thick layer of fallen leaves in the primeval forest, their feet made crisp sounds, somewhat like stepping on snow.

The air was filled with the scent of aged, decaying leaves, a simple and rich aroma that mechanical bodies could never experience.

Near some peculiar flowers, one could even smell a mellow fragrance, like aged wine, refreshing and pleasant.

While the Beastkin brothers were still looking around, Zhang Yangqing had already stopped.

And the Black Bear Girl began to snarl and bare her claws.

It seemed they had encountered something dangerous.

It was important to note that the Black Bear Girl was once a dominant force, fearless even against High Elves.

For her to show such a reaction now was enough to prove the threat was serious.

“Greedy human, this is not a place you should be.”

The gentle voice was soft yet sorrowful, as if mourning an impending death.

Even though it was just a whisper, it filled the space, echoing in everyone’s ears.

The voice arrived before its owner.

Someone capable of this in the Land of Divine Source was probably only that one.

When she appeared, the entire forest seemed to become mere backdrop.

Flowers lost their color, leaves grew dimmer.

She had long golden hair, skin so fair it seemed translucent, even shrouded in a faint light.

Dressed in a plain white long dress, her demeanor was holy and elegant.

She wore no shoes, yet remained spotless.

Wherever she stepped, life seemed to revive.

Her nose wasn’t small and delicate like most women’s but rather tall and straight, giving her features a distinct three-dimensionality and exquisite beauty.

Her lips were thin and crimson, her eyes large and expressive, especially her emerald-green pupils—each glance was stunning.

Her beauty outshone all jewels.

The appearance of the Elf Queen, with her powerful presence, made ordinary people feel the urge to kneel in worship.

Merely standing here felt disrespectful to her.

As the oldest living being on this continent, everyone felt an involuntary respect towards her.

The Beastkin brothers were truly witnessing a legendary figure of the continent today.

If not for Zhang Yangqing’s presence, upon seeing the Elf Queen, they would likely have kowtowed.

The Black Bear Girl sensed danger from her and moved to block Zhang Yangqing, but he waved her back with his hand.

The Elf Queen walked forward slowly. She seemed to sense something and spoke to herself.

“To see me is the greatest blessing the gods can bestow upon you. Humans, do not be overly greedy. You three may leave. You,” she pointed at Zhang Yangqing, “stay and atone for your sins.”

The Queen assumed the Beastkin had come seeking power, but she was unwilling to grant it to them again.

Merely seeing her was a blessing in itself—such was the prestige of the Elf Queen.

The three she said could leave were naturally the Black Bear Girl and the Beastkin brothers.

She seemed able to sense that Zhang Yangqing had killed her kin. As the Elf Queen, it was her duty to punish this invader.

She would grant Zhang Yangqing a painless death.

This left Zhang Yangqing somewhat speechless. We haven’t even fought yet, and you already think I’m no match for you?

After going through so many dungeons, I’ve finally encountered someone confident. Not bad!

But given the Elf Queen’s invincibility and centuries of dominance, she had every reason for such confidence.

The Black Bear trio naturally didn’t obey the Elf Queen and remained standing behind Zhang Yangqing.

Zhang Yangqing didn’t stand on ceremony either. Waving his hand towards them, he said, “Step back, unless you want this woman’s blood splattering all over you.”

Both sides had thrown down the gauntlet. The atmosphere grew tense.

The Black Bear trio were loyal, not stupid.

A battle of this level, even its aftershocks, could be lethal.

To avoid being collateral damage, the Black Bear trio immediately ran back and hid behind a large, ancient tree.

They then peeked out, eager to witness the grandeur of this ‘battle of the century’.

The Elf Queen was a legendary powerhouse, and their boss was a titan of the current era.

They wondered just how spectacular the clash would be.

Feeling insulted by Zhang Yangqing’s words, the Elf Queen grew angry.

If an ordinary human had insulted her, she wouldn’t have cared.

How could an elephant bother with the words of an ant?

But now, a powerful human was insulting her, stirring her emotions.

Because she felt that this human before her was… somewhat her equal.

This made her cautious, of course, but this was just her own perception.

“Ignorant human, I will destroy you.”

The Elf Queen finally unleashed the energy within her.

Instantly, the heavens and earth changed color, winds and clouds swirled.

Waves of energy spread out from around her, each wave capable of annihilating any living being that drew near.

Countless trees in the vicinity began to collapse, indicating the Elf Queen’s rising anger.

With a single gesture, the Elf Queen summoned a killing move.

The Elf King’s Judgment!

An opening super-tier spell, to show respect!

A pillar of energy capable of shaking heaven and earth slammed down around Zhang Yangqing, distorting the very space around him.

It’s important to note that super-tier magic ranks above high-tier magic. It was a royal-selection spell, something only an Elf King could cast.

In other words, the ability to cast super-tier magic was a qualification for becoming the Elf King.

The terrifying energy made the distant Beastkin brothers afraid to look. They ducked behind the large tree, even wondering if they should run further away.

If not for the metal combat suits made by the Green Skins they wore, that single blast would have been enough to kill them instantly.

And they were this far away. They couldn’t even imagine what kind of bombardment their God was enduring at the epicenter.

In truth, they would never guess that Zhang Yangqing, under the energy bombardment, was even yawning.

He had merely allowed the Elf Queen to strike him once to gauge the power of this 5.5-star dungeon boss.

But the power disappointed him. The energy was substantial, but the application was too crude.

The beings in this world possessed power but didn’t know how to use it properly.

Against other Transcendents, it might be sufficient. But against me…

The Elf Queen wasn’t weak. Seeing Zhang Yangqing raise his hand, she immediately defended herself.

Dozens of shields materialized around her, protecting her.

Just as she was wondering what technique Zhang Yangqing would use, he spoke: “One percent.”

Instantly, the void trembled as if stirred by towering waves.

A vast, suffocating energy instantly shattered the Elf energy surrounding Zhang Yangqing.

The Elf Queen was struck as if by a physical blow, her hair disheveled, her expression gritted with strain.

All the sturdy ancient trees in the vicinity instantly turned to dust.

But the most terrifying thing wasn’t this energy; it was Zhang Yangqing’s next words.

Zhang Yangqing continued, “Two percent.”

In that moment, a raging aura, as if rushing forth from ancient epochs, pierced through the heavens!

Wherever it passed, thunder ran rampant, the sky shook, and all things fell into silence!

This nearly annihilated the Elf Queen on the spot.

But as an Elf Queen who had lived through who knows how many eras, she couldn’t possibly be destroyed so easily.

“Forbidden Art: Descent of the Elf King!”

The Elf Queen roared, activating a Forbidden Art—a technique that cost life force as its price.

Elves merely had long lifespans; they could still die of old age.

This was the supreme technique of the Elf race. The fact that the Elf Queen used this move proved she was at the end of her rope.

At this moment, she had lost her holy appearance. The immense pressure from the ancient, vast energy forced her to her knees. Blood seeped from her mouth, ears, eyes, and nose.

Staring at Zhang Yangqing, she stubbornly said, “Finally, a proper battle. Human, I hope you don’t disappoint me.”

Having lived for countless years, the Elf Queen possessed absolute confidence.

Because she was the ceiling here.

She yearned for a hearty, satisfying fight.

At this moment, the Elf Queen thought to herself: He looks calm on the surface, but he must be reaching his limit too, right? Such power, and he calls it two percent? Who does he think he’s fooling?
You can’t boast like that!
That guy opposite me must be clenching his teeth and holding on, waiting to see who falters first.
But this kind of psychological warfare won’t work on me.
You want to compete with me in terms of strength, right? Let me show you what strength really means!
As long as I can survive your ultimate move, you’ll be dead!

The Elf Queen believed Zhang Yangqing would likely cough up blood before she did.

But when Zhang Yangqing casually said, “Three percent,” her heart sank halfway.

She instantly felt a power capable of destroying heaven and earth twisting her body. Even after employing her Forbidden Art, she was utterly helpless.

Was this really a power a human could wield?
So he wasn’t boasting after all!

Confused, the Elf Queen’s body was twisted into a dough stick by the immense force, blood gushing out and splattering everywhere.

Both her bones and flesh were as crisp as paper, their shapes utterly contorted.

Beauty is beauty, even in the form of a dough stick, she remains the most beautiful dough stick.

Finally, it condensed into a small ball. With a snap of Zhang Yangqing’s fingers, the small ball exploded into crystalline powder and fell on the ground.

The powerhouse who had lived in this world for countless eras fell like mere dust.

The Beastkin brothers climbed to their feet, covered in dust. The scene before them exceeded their comprehension.

If the God-man wasn’t boasting, and he only used three percent of his power… then the undefeated Elf Queen was just… gone?
Their jaws nearly hit the ground. The shock in their hearts took a long time to subside.

So when the God-man said at the beginning that no one could restrict him, he really meant no one!

The older Beastkin brother took a deep breath and sighed, “So this is the aura of a true powerhouse.”

The younger Beastkin brother, looking at the scene, said, “I feel that all the words of praise I can think of are insufficient to describe the God-man’s power. He is the Supreme God!”

Even the Elf Queen had fallen. Zhang Yangqing deserved the natives’ adulation.

It wasn’t because others praised him that he became powerful; he was simply powerful to an exaggerated degree from the start.

Everything around had turned to dust, creating an empty clearing.

As the dust settled, sunlight poured down.

The man stood with his hands in his pockets, his back was radiating utter invincibility!