Chapter 275: The Situation in the Wasteland Realm and Xu Dejun

As Xu Dejun finished speaking, the atmosphere fell into dead silence.

Wu Chang's mouth hung slightly open, his eyes fixed on Xu Dejun, stunned into stillness.

Since the beginning, every piece of information Xu Dejun had revealed was shocking.

The pillars of the present world had all gone out of control; the Evolutionist factions of the Four Organizations had launched a civil war, seized power, and then announced an alliance with the Light Society.

Each item alone would be enough to trigger a massive shift in the Wasteland Realm's landscape, yet Xu Dejun rattled them off like reciting a menu.

Even when he ended with "The Rational Realm is finished," he still seemed unsatisfied, as if there were more hidden truths he hadn't had time to reveal.

If he could, Wu Chang wanted to clamp his hand over Xu Dejun's mouth mid-sentence and pretend he'd never heard any of it.

Wu Chang pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts.

He'd just clashed with the Light Society and was already worrying about how to hide himself after ascending to the Rational Realm, avoiding capture by Joy.

Now, when he ascended to the Rational Realm, he wouldn't just face the Light Society—he'd face the Four Organizations that had defected to them.

At this thought, he suddenly understood the Painter: was ascending to the Rational Realm truly unavoidable?

Simply giving up and hiding in the Wasteland Realm seemed like a viable path.

"What about the members of the Wasteland Realm's third layer? Did they just let the Light Society and the Evolutionists run rampant?" he couldn't help asking.

Xu Dejun's gaze darted away, as if struck at a weakness, avoiding Wu Chang's eyes.

"There was an issue in the Wasteland Realm's third layer—they're temporarily not interfering in Rational Realm affairs."

Wu Chang sighed. "Just say it outright—what's the problem? The Rational Realm is already in chaos. What could be worse?"

Xu Dejun gave an awkward smile. "Actually, seven years ago, the entire Wasteland Realm's third layer voluntarily severed its connection to the lower layers."

Wu Chang: …

What do you mean, there are still higher-level players?

His head throbbed. He took a deep breath and probed, "Why?"

Xu Dejun hesitated, struggling to speak, then whispered, "The threshold to ascend into the Wasteland Realm's third layer is a Lower Deity—that means every player in the third layer possesses power comparable to a god."

"I don't know the full details, but it seems they believe they've transcended humanity, that mortals only bring them chaos, so somehow they severed the link between the second and third layers."

Wu Chang frowned. "Just stop contacting them—why go this far?"

Xu Dejun sighed. "The Rational Realm originally had World Dungeons, which provided a slightly easier ascent path and channeled part of the accumulated Wasteland Corruption into the third layer, reducing pressure on the Rational Realm."

"After the third layer sealed itself off, the Rational Realm's World Dungeons vanished. Without a channel to release its Corruption downward, the Rational Realm now continuously absorbs Wasteland Corruption from the Wasteland Realm, making its environment increasingly hostile."

"The true root of the Rational Realm's madness and near-collapse isn't the inability to return to reality—it's the sealing of the third layer seven years ago."

Wu Chang finally understood: Wasteland Corruption was like an invisible pressure—it brought greater rewards but also corroded players, increasing danger.

To survive, players had to grow stronger, strong enough to resist the Corruption's effects.

But the stronger they became, the harder the dungeons they matched into, the higher the pollution levels within them, until they ascended to the next Wasteland layer.

This cycle repeated endlessly—Wasteland Corruption acted like an invisible whip, driving players forward without pause.

The concentration of Wasteland Corruption should increase progressively from lower to higher layers.

Corruption from the Wasteland Realm flowed into the Rational Realm; most of the Rational Realm's Corruption flowed into the third layer—this escalating concentration perfectly matched the pressure forcing players to grow stronger.

But this mechanism broke at the third layer.

Because starting at the third layer, players gained divinity, creating a vast gulf between them and lower-layer players.

Just as mortals cannot defeat gods, divinity completely separated mortals from deities.

Players in the third layer received no support from the first or second layers, yet continuously absorbed Wasteland Corruption pushed up from below.

To the "gods" of the third layer, mortals had become meaningless—even a burden.

So they sealed the passage between the third layer and the lower layers, refusing to accept the Rational Realm's expelled Corruption.

Their actions shattered the Corruption concentration gradient: the Rational Realm could no longer release its Corruption, yet kept absorbing Corruption from the Wasteland Realm.

The Rational Realm, trapped with no exit, accelerated its players' collapse under the high-concentration Wasteland Corruption.

This desperation gave rise to the current crisis in the Rational Realm.

Wu Chang rubbed his temples—the background was clear, but one critical question remained.

"What do the Evolutionists and the Light Society want?"

Xu Dejun had said this much—everything he should and shouldn't have told this young man who was at odds with the Four Organizations—he had no way back now.

He said, "You have temporary administrator privileges—you must have seen the forming World Dungeon in the middle layer."

Wu Chang nodded. When he first entered the temporary administrator view, he'd seen a massive energy cluster taking shape in the middle layer.

Even in its early stage, that energy cluster contained power five to six times greater than a normal ascent dungeon; if fully formed, its energy would be unimaginable.

Xu Dejun continued, "The scale of this World Dungeon far exceeds ordinary dungeons. Before they ambushed me, the Evolutionists sent someone to propose a plan to me."

"That plan was to continuously intensify Wasteland Corruption in the real world—because the Wasteland Realm is protected, this excess Corruption would be channeled into the World Dungeon, making it grow even larger."

"If they prevent the World Dungeon from being cleared and instead turn it into a colossal Pillar of the Present, that Pillar would surpass the upper limit of any ordinary Pillar of the Present."

"It would provide a stable passage—not only allowing Rational Realm players to freely return to reality, but also drastically raising the energy cap for players, letting those with divinity return to reality at will."

Wu Chang's head throbbed harder. The Light Society and the Evolutionists—no wonder they were high-level players; when you stand high, you see far.

He'd thought manufacturing a Pillar of the Present or finding a way to destroy one was already the Four Organizations' limit—turns out, that was just their warm-up.

Their real goal was to turn the World Dungeon into a colossal Pillar of the Present!

A dungeon involving tens of thousands of players, secretly manipulated from behind—it sounded unbelievable. But if Xu Dejun was telling the truth, and the Light Society had targeted the World Dungeon from the start, then all the intelligence Wu Chang had gathered suddenly connected.

First, the Light Society controlled the Iron Armor Group and others, ordering them to trigger widespread dungeon failures and create Corruption Dungeons—to increase Wasteland Corruption in reality, indirectly feeding the World Dungeon.

Second, the Four Organizations' power zones were attacked. Power zones were supposed to be peaceful areas, immune to damage—unless there was a high-privilege traitor inside colluding with outsiders.

Wu Chang had always known the Administration was divided into Orderists and Evolutionists, believing their differences were merely ideological, and that higher-level Wasteland players kept them in check, ensuring unity at the top.

But he never imagined that the higher-level Wasteland players had long abandoned the lower layers—and in the Rational Realm, the Light Society had become utterly dominant, forcing the Four Organizations to unite just to oppose it.

The Administration's current leadership is nowhere near as powerful as the Light Society, so they can't hold the line, and the split between Evolutionists and Orderists has become irreparable.

Not only the Administration, but the other three organizations faced similar fates.

If the attacks on the four organizations before were all orchestrated by the Evolutionists' high command, everything would make sense.

The destruction of the Pillar of the Present World was likely also the work of the Light Society.

They first destroyed the Pillar of the Present World, severing the connection between the Wasteland Realm and the Rational Realm, then launched a civil war in the Wasteland Realm while it remained utterly unaware, seizing control of the Rational Realm.

Once the situation stabilized, they would use the controlled Pillar of the Present World to dominate the four organizations' branches in the Wasteland Realm.

Since the four organizations monopolized information about the World Dungeons, each World Dungeon granted them seventy to eighty percent of the slots; if the four organizations in the Wasteland Realm cooperated, turning the World Dungeon into a massive Pillar of the Present World was not impossible. Thinking of this, Wu Chang's breathing quickened.

The Light Society must not succeed.

If he stops the Light Society's plan, he has an escape route—even if worst comes to worst, he can hide in the Wasteland Realm like the Painter, and Huanxi won't be able to touch him.

If the Light Society's plan succeeds, the Light Society, free to move between realities, will not merely control the four organizations—it will control the entire Blue Star!

At that time, he, opposing the Light Society, would become the public enemy of all, a situation far graver than his own ascension to the Rational Realm.

Of course, besides stopping the Light Society, he had a second path open to him.

That was to hand over the Omniscient Crystal and demonstrate his value as much as possible, begging the Light Society to take him as a dog.

Unfortunately, Wu Chang's legs were weak—he couldn't kneel, and he was born with a rebellious spine.

He most despised those who believed their high position gave them the right to manipulate others' fates.

Precisely speaking, from the moment he discovered in the Midnight Graveyard Dungeon that the Light Society had secretly manipulated the Iron Armor Squad, deliberately causing the dungeon to spiral out of control, he was destined to crush the Light Society.

!

Being a player is too hard—not only must you face dangerous dungeons, but to live freely outside them, you must find ways to crush every ambitious schemer.

Wu Chang looked at Xu Dejun and asked: "What was the favor you asked me to do before?"

Upon hearing Wu Chang's question, Xu Dejun's face relaxed.

He told Wu Chang these deepest secrets precisely to make Wu Chang fully understand the current situation—he bet that Wu Chang's grudge against Huanxi ran deep enough, and that Wu Chang refused to be anyone's dog.

Now it seemed he had won his bet.

"Right now, the Light Society and the Evolutionists haven't yet moved in the Real World. I ask you, Lord He Ping, to deliver a letter to Beijing, so the Order Faction can prepare in advance and strike first—don't let them be caught off guard like the Rational Realm was by the Evolutionists, leading to total chaos."

As he spoke, Xu Dejun pulled a metal card from his chest and handed it to Wu Chang.

The metal card was an F-rank item, storing several holographic recordings, including Xu Dejun's own words and footage of the Evolutionists' surprise attack on the Order Faction during the civil war.

At the end of the metal card, an additional message proved that He Ping had been entrusted by him and was trustworthy.

Wu Chang fiddled with the metal card in his hand and said: "Aren't you afraid I'll join the Light Society, use this to infiltrate the Order Faction, and at the critical moment betray them as my blood oath to the Light Society?"

Xu Dejun replied bluntly: "I am afraid—but I have no choice."

Wu Chang glanced at the metal card in his hand and said: "This is too troublesome. I'm too lazy to go. I'll take you back to the Real World—you go speak to them yourself."

Xu Dejun shook his head: "I can't leave yet—the Rational Realm still needs me."

"Although the Evolutionists have seized actual power, the Rational Realm differs from the Wasteland Realm—since there are no safe points, not all players from the four organizations remain in their power spaces."

"I need to use this window while the Evolutionists control the power spaces to visit other Order Faction outposts, inform them of the current situation, and prepare to resist the Evolutionists."

Wu Chang looked at Xu Dejun with suspicion and asked a question that wasn't polite.

"Can you even do it?"

Xu Dejun's strength was comparable to You Feipeng—his level probably didn't exceed fifty. Even without the Vengeful Poison devouring his heart, he couldn't have handled the four pursuers just now.

At this level, in front of the Light Society, whether he was present or absent made no difference.

Xu Dejun's face flushed red. He wanted to argue, but then recalled how Wu Chang had effortlessly erased private entities with his power—and fell silent, only letting out a resentful grunt.

"Though my strength is weak, I've been in the Administration a long time—I have some seniority. With the Order Faction's high command severely wounded, I can barely integrate the Order Faction and the Zhongli Sect to stall the Evolutionists, preventing them from achieving total victory."

As he spoke, Xu Dejun's spirit sagged, and he fell into self-reproach.

"The one thing I most regret in my life is my early tolerance of the Evolutionists. I thought that no matter what ideology they held, as long as it strengthened the Administration and promoted competition and advancement among members, it was good."

"The Evolutionists were extreme, but full of drive. In their early formation, I gave them many green lights—I even convinced the Order Faction to let them develop freely in the early stages. The result? I raised a tiger that turned on me."

"The trouble started because of me. I cannot flee to the Wasteland Realm and let the chaos in the Rational Realm escalate. Even if I can do little, if I can do even one percent, it atones for one percent of my past misplaced trust."

Seeing Xu Dejun's resolute state, Wu Chang said nothing more.

From Xu Dejun's posture, appearance, and speech, Wu Chang could sense a part of his character.

Though the man was weak, he carried a conviction and sense of responsibility that Wu Chang could perceive clearly without any insight.

If possible, such people should die less often.

He looked at Xu Dejun and said: "You owe me two lives. When I ascend to the Rational Realm, remember to repay me."

Xu Dejun laughed twice, as if he'd won a great fortune: "If you can't find me then, just ask the Order Faction—they'll gladly pay."

Wu Chang shook his head, placed the metal card into his personal space, and said: "I'm afraid Huanxi will target me. If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

Xu Dejun bowed solemnly to Wu Chang: "Lord He Ping, the safety of the entire Real World is entrusted to you, uh..."

This time, Wu Chang was wiser—he clamped his hand over Xu Dejun's mouth before he finished speaking.

"I'm not a Ming Dynasty strongman who can carry two capitals and thirteen provinces. I can't bear such a burden—don't pile pressure on me."

"I'm just a passing lone wolf player. I'll only do what I can—do my best and leave the rest to fate. If it fails, don't blame me."

Xu Dejun rubbed his mouth, about to say more—but saw that Wu Chang had already vanished.

He looked at the spot where Wu Chang had disappeared, his expression complex: If only such a talent were from the Administration.

But moments later, he shook his head again.

He shouldn't expect too much from Deep Abyss players—he admired He Ping only because of the He Ping of now.

Has the Administration never produced talents like He Ping? Yes—more than one.

But they all got lost in the Deep Abyss—after reaching the third layer, they became someone else, forgetting where they came from, forgetting they had once been ordinary mortals.

Precisely because of this, since the third layer and lower layers were severed, the Administration has outwardly remained unchanged, but deliberately suppressed the growth speed of its talents, hoping their character and strength would mature together.

He Ping is growing too fast—and too urgently.

Xu Dejun believed his achievements could surpass Huanxi, but found it hard to believe that after entering the third layer of the Abyss, he could still hold fast to his original heart.

He laughed at himself with a self-mocking smile — he was nothing but a wretched old man, plagued by troubles at every turn, so how could he put on such a solemn show of worrying about a pride of heaven?

What he ought to do now was to unite all of the Order Faction and the Zhongli Sect, and find a way to resist the Evolution Faction.

The Crimson Courtyard lay within the Reason Realm's territory; although there were very few safe zones, it was not a lawless combat zone either.

As long as one made good use of the rules, neither the Evolution Faction nor the Radiant Society could truly hold absolute power.

He recalled the words Heping had said before leaving — someone always had to play that strongman; since Heping was unwilling to do it, he could only shoulder the burden for a while.

(End of Chapter)