Chapter 449

"You want to see me?"

A tall figure, completely shrouded in a black robe, with no visible appearance, spoke.

"Second senior brother?" Ao Yulie frowned, feeling something was off.

"Senior brother?" The black-robed man chuckled, "I don't even have a master..."

"If you dare to act against our Concluding Assembly, you must pay the price!"

Then his tone shifted abruptly, and he launched a fierce attack.

Only to see this person raise a hand, and an immense, overwhelming force surged toward Tang Luo and Ao Yulie.

Ao Yulie's expression hardened as he retaliated.

Terrifying power erupted between the two, and the entire island seemed to tremble.

Air waves surged, wind and sand flew, as if a heavenly disaster had descended.

Everyone was affected, unable to stand firm, their vision blurred.

When the surroundings finally calmed, the three had vanished, and rumbling sounds echoed from the sky.

Looking up, one could see a mass of black clouds pressing down, with lightning flashing within.

These three had clearly fought from the ground up into the sky.

"Won't this attract the Heavenly Punishers..." someone said, worried.

This time, they could be said to have come out in full force, intending to quickly defeat these two.

To avoid delay and prevent the Heavenly Punishers from appearing.

I never expected these two's strength to far exceed our imagination; judging by the current situation, their battle is so intense that we would find it difficult to intervene.

"Let's leave first," someone reminded.

Such a massive spectacle, with our group gathered together, will inevitably attract the Heavenly Punishers.

We must stay away—once the Heavenly Punishers appear, things will become even more complicated.

The group glanced at the sky again, carried off the wounded, and hurried away.

In the sky, black clouds surged, lightning flashed, thunder roared, as if it were the end of the world.

Yet inside, it was utterly calm—Tang Luo sat on the dragon's head, facing the black-robed man in a distant standoff.

Ao Yulie focused on creating exaggerated light and shadow effects, appearing powerful but actually just an empty facade.

"What's going on with you?" Tang Luo asked the black-robed man.

The black-robed man lowered his hood, revealing a face somewhat resembling Zhu Bajie.

In fact, Ao Yulie is also in a similar state—his current form is about eighty percent like a normal human, not entirely the same.

Only Tang Luo, having experienced the black tide, had his original identity completely erased, before fully returning to his original appearance.

"Master." The black-robed man smiled at Tang Luo—clearly, he is Zhu Bajie.

I was just acting earlier.

"Second senior brother, you scared me." Ao Yulie said, realizing Zhu Bajie's intent during their clash, but before the fight, he truly thought his second senior brother had suffered amnesia like him.

"Can't be helped." Zhu Bajie laughed, "They don't really trust me either. Master, why did you take so long to arrive?"

"How long have you been in this mission world?" Tang Luo asked.

"Over ten years." Zhu Bajie startled, then said, "You guys aren't...?"

"I've only been here a month." Tang Luo replied.

Ao Yulie said, "I've been here a bit longer—three months."

"... I was just saying, with Master's efficiency, how could it be this slow?" Without hesitation, he offered a flattery.

"Have you uncovered the truth of this mission world? Is it a false world?" Tang Luo skipped the topic, "Is it an illusion, a phantom realm?"

"Not that simple." Zhu Bajie said, "Master, I suspect this world was jointly constructed by the thoughts of the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers. To call it false, but in reality, it's hardly distinguishable from the real."

"A hundred thousand heavenly soldiers." Ao Yulie exclaimed slightly.

That's no small number—even a hundred thousand minor demons would be enough to shock most cultivators, let alone a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers.

Ao Yulie seriously considered this—let alone his current self, even if it were his peak self back then.

Facing a thousand heavenly soldiers arrayed in battle formation, he might not even be a match.

Even the former eldest senior brother wasn't capable of solo combat—he needed formation support at the front, plus surrounding demonic forces.

In the Mountain and Sea Realm, individual strength is indeed the main axis, but if one truly believed numbers were useless, there wouldn't be heavenly courts or the Great Thunderclap Temple of Ling Mountain.

"Continue." Tang Luo said.

"Nothing more." Zhu Bajie said.

"Is that it?" Ao Yulie said, "Second senior brother, you're not being fair—just starting and then cutting off, worse than a eunuch, you didn't even grow properly."

"I can't help it." Zhu Bajie said with a bitter face, "I started making too big a scene, already drew attention, still haven't found you two, and now I'm hesitant to act, bound hand and foot."

Zhu Bajie's original identity was quite comfortable.

He was the son of a wealthy and powerful family, not even a bastard, but the legitimate son of the proper wife.

He had an older brother above and a younger sister below.

As the second son, he was truly favored, cherished all his life.

As Tang Luo had anticipated, at first Zhu Bajie was just like Ao Yulie—completely unaware of "who I am," happily licking sugarcoated treats, enjoying life.

Until he met a woman—a woman who made his heart flutter.

Tragedy unfolded just like that.

As a member of the family, while enjoying excellent treatment, he naturally had to contribute to the family.

For example, through marriage alliances, strong unions, rising even higher.

The choice of marriage partner, Zhu Bajie's type, was the most suitable.

Originally, even if it was an arranged marriage, Zhu Bajie keeping a little one outside wouldn't matter, but Zhu Bajie being a lovesick fool, how could he do such a thing?

He firmly opposed it and staged a elopement drama.

After being caught, he got a beating, which was fine. The problem was, the woman Zhu Bajie was betrothed to was extremely vicious.

Feeling her face lost, Zhu Bajie's side she couldn't handle, so she took it out on another woman.

Thus, Zhu Bajie "half-awakened," similar to Ao Yulie's situation, vaguely recalling part of it and recovering some strength.

After twists and turns, he eventually joined the Conclusion Society, truly remembering everything only after he once completely killed a heavenly soldier.

Black tides surged, a large area was completely wiped out.

Only he remembered everything, including those awakeners, who didn't know.

However, his own identity still remained.

Later, Zhu Bajie killed several more heavenly soldiers in succession, thus being listed as a "key figure"; even slight movement would draw heavenly soldiers, still several of them.

So he timidly withdrew and began covert investigation.

Already feeling the world's rejection of him, without finding Tang Luo and them, he dared not act rashly.

What if he messed up?

With the master around, at least he could fall back on him.

"I fear that if I really cause trouble, being swallowed by the black tide, it wouldn't be escape but eternal sinking, which would be terrible." Zhu Bajie said.

While everyone communicated, they had already flown far away.

The outside dark clouds had already dispersed; otherwise, heavenly soldiers would appear soon.

"What about the Conclusion Society president?" Tang Luo asked.

This person's identity is mysterious, likely knows more, can continue to investigate a bit.

"I've never met him." Zhu Bajie said.

"You've joined the Conclusion Society for ten years already." Tang Luo said, ten years without seeing the president, with your level, Zhu Bajie, it shouldn't be like this.

Zhu Bajie said: "He suffered serious injuries. Not to mention ten years, even twenty years later, his meetings with outsiders are few, just one or two old fellows occasionally every six months, occasionally passing on his meaning."

"I only fully woke up these past years; at first I was muddled..."

Past events are unbearable to recall, emotional wounds too deep.

Deep affection since ancient times leaves only regret, this regret stretches endlessly without end.

Sometimes, everyone doubts whether Zhu Bajie, when reincarnated, was truly cursed by the Old Man of the Moon.

The Old Man of the Moon's function certainly isn't as exaggerated as rumored.

But occasionally tricking this lovesick fool is still no problem.

Later, everyone also talked with the Old Man of the Moon, who looked innocent, saying he really didn't do this, he isn't, he didn't, don't talk nonsense.

"Besides the dog child all being here, then no need to hide." Tang Luo said.

Simply put, the way to complete the mission simply.

Xiao Tianquan needn't worry; on the contrary, if worrying about her situation, it's actually safer to complete the task quickly or fail it, to escape this task world.

So, the three headed straight for the Conclusion Society headquarters.

Indeed, just as Ao Yulie initially imagined, a constantly moving "great ship."

No need to board a submarine; for the Heavenly Punishers, ship and submarine are actually no different.

"What's the situation with awakeners?" On the way, Tang Luo asked.

Zhu Bajie seriously thought and said: "I suspect they might also be heavenly soldiers."

"Internal division?" Ao Yulie asked.

"Not necessarily." Zhu Bajie said, "I tested them; those awakeners likely don't realize they might be heavenly soldiers, so I only suspect, can't act rashly."

"First meet that president." Tang Luo said, "If he also knows nothing, then quick knife cuts tangled mess."

What is quick knife cuts tangled mess? Just kill them all.

Solving the problem at its source, the creator, equals solving the problem.

Lure out all heavenly soldiers, let the black tide completely devour this false world, the world will be gone.

Then escaping the mission will definitely be completed.

If this doesn't count as completion, what does?

Anyway, Tang Luo can't think of it.

Soon, everyone arrived at the Conclusion Society headquarters, much more exaggerated than imagined.

Not just a simple ship; calling it an "aircraft carrier" is still somewhat shabby.

It can be said, this is a moving steel fortress, like SHIELD's large airship, just not flying.

But precisely because it doesn't fly, it seems impregnable.

Unfortunately, this impregnability is useless to Tang Luo and the three; they entered like no one's land, into the "fortress," straight to where the Conclusion Society president is.

The place where the president stays is likewise not fixed.

Exactly where, Zhu Bajie also doesn't know.

This time, because Lin Jing awakened, they've already come to headquarters; at the general location, Zhu Bajie can still confirm.

Ten years can't be truly wasted.

A spacious room like a wind-and-rain playground, all around copper walls and iron walls, in the middle a cylinder connected to various pipes.

Cold and strange, the whole room filled with steampunk feeling.

Before the cylinder, two old men were quietly reporting what just happened, utterly unaware that a two-faced traitor with the two people in his mouth had already stood behind them.