Chapter 126: Gathering Intelligence on Potential Opponents Early

Alliance members were handing something out. When they approached Chen Ran and his companion, they first asked for their Star Rating. Upon confirming it, they handed Chen Ran a flyer.

[One: The prerequisite for killing a Ghost Whisperer is absolutely determining whether the Deceiver's Tongue has been formed.]

[Two: Any Three-Star Trickster-Speaker encountered in a One-Star Instance is a Ghost Whisperer highly proficient in creating Deceiver's Tongues.]

[Three: Three-Star Trickster-Speakers can obtain Mental Cultivation Methods within the Deceiver Alliance.]

[Four: The majority of Three-Star Trickster-Speakers have not even reached the beginner level in their Mental State. As long as you avoid competing with their Skills, you can deal with them using standard Lie-Judgment methods.]

[Five: Determine their psychological realm by observing their facial expressions. Those who remain completely expressionless are likely in the half-realm Id. Of the Three Corpses of the Spirit Terrace, they have only slain half a corpse, discarding their emotions but failing to retrieve them, leaving them unaffected by emotional fluctuations.]

[Lie-Judgment cannot be achieved through emotions; it must be approached through Common Sense or sentiment.]

[If a Three-Star Trickster-Speaker appears no different from a normal person, remain on high alert at all times. Such Three-Star Players likely possess the True Self State of Mind. Having slain a complete corpse among the Three Corpses of the Spirit Terrace, they can freely switch between being affected and unaffected by emotions, able to suppress their feelings at will.]

[If you encounter this genius level of Three-Star Trickster-Speaker, do not speak. Survive until the Instance ends, and you might live.]

[Six: Lin Xiuyuan, Zhang Sheng, Luo Yang Yundi, Sun Yu, Hua Jingyan, and Li Zhitong are all one- or two-star Ghost Whisperers. If encountered in an Instance, killing any of the first five will grant an additional Reward of 100 Points.]

[Li Zhitong's Skill is highly likely only at the Ego Tier, but it is very possibly among the strongest in that tier. If encountered, killing her grants an extra Reward of 400 Points.]

...

Meanwhile.

In the main hall of the Deceiver Alliance, located deep within The 18th Level, Li Zhitong frowned as she looked at the list on her flyer.

[Six: Qiu Yinong, Lin Xuan, Wu Jieyi, Liu Xingwen, and Feng Rui are all one- or two-star Liar-Slayers. Killing any of the latter three grants an extra Reward of 100 Points.]

[Qiu Yinong and Lin Xuan highly likely possess time and space attribute Skills. There is currently no information on who holds the time attribute and who holds the space attribute. Killing either of them grants an extra Reward of 500 Points.]

'Qiu Yinong, Lin Xuan... To think that the noble time and space attribute Skills would both appear in the Liar-Slayer Alliance...'

'Still, they are just rookies. My Skill is perfectly suited for crushing novices.'

Afterward, Li Zhitong spent Points in the hall to purchase information regarding Qiu Yinong.

It was mostly useless data.

However, the last two lines caught her attention.

[Unconfirmed: Qiu Yinong once entered and exited an Instance simultaneously with another person. It is highly likely they formed a team. Teammate: Chen Ran.]

[Chen Ran's Skill: Can prohibit a Player from using Skills for one hour.]

Li Zhitong paused, startled.

'What kind of ridiculous Skill is that? What use is banning Skills for an hour? You still have to compete against the opponent's intellect, and by the time the battle of wits is over, their Skills will be usable again.'

'Chen Ran... I can ignore him and focus entirely on Qiu Yinong.'

Immediately after, she bought a file on Lin Xuan, glossing over the useless details.

[Unconfirmed: Lin Xuan is highly likely in a team. Two teammates, identities unknown. Very likely under the protection of a Three-Star Player.]

[Special Note: Lin Xuan's Skill is highly suited for a Ghost Whisperer. Kill him if possible, but do not force it if you cannot. His Skill will only unleash its maximum potential if he becomes a Ghost Whisperer.]

'This Lin Xuan is such an oddball. Why didn't he join the Deceiver Alliance in the first place?'

'Everyone knows that once you join the Liar-Slayers, you have to successfully craft a Deceiver's Tongue in The 18th Level to transfer over to the Deceiver Alliance.'

'Though, is it possible that this is just a smokescreen tossed out by the Liar-Slayer Alliance?'

'Whatever. Those are games for the higher-ups. Cannon Fodder like us shouldn't overthink it.'

However, right at that moment.

She noticed the text on Qiu Yinong's file shifting.

Within the Deceiver Alliance, there was a six-star Ghost Whisperer whose Skill could gather intelligence. Though only at six stars, their status was transcendent.

The text on the documents was the physical manifestation of her Skill, allowing her to update information at any time.

A few new lines of text appeared on Qiu Yinong's file:

[Unconfirmed: The most difficult One-Star Instance, "Solitary Revenge", was highly likely cleared by Qiu Yinong and Chen Ran. No other survivors.]

Li Zhitong's eyes widened in shock.

'"Solitary Revenge"... I remember that Instance. It had never been conquered. Whether it was a one-star or two-star team that randomly matched into it, no one ever made it out alive.'

Immediately following that, to her horror, she saw that the Bounty on Qiu Yinong on the original flyer had increased, becoming...

1,000 Points!

'A rookie's first time entering a normal Instance, and they matched into the hardest One-Star Instance.'

'There are two possibilities. Either she was incredibly unlucky, or it's because of her Skill...'

'True-Self Level?'

'It's highly unlikely to be True-Self Level. If it were, the Liar-Slayer Alliance would treat her like an absolute treasure. How could they possibly let her choose to be an Amateur Lie-Slayer?'

...

Meanwhile.

Inside the Liar-Slayer Alliance hall, Chen Ran and Qiu Yinong had also purchased several dossiers on the low-star Ghost Whisperers highlighted on their flyer.

They likewise ignored the useless information.

[Unconfirmed: Li Zhitong's Skill is extremely difficult to break for anyone below the True Self State of Mind. It may be a mental attack.]

[Unconfirmed: Li Zhitong once entered and exited an Instance with another Player. They might have formed a team. Teammate: Chen Zaixing.]

[Chen Zaixing's Skill: A mobile physical entity type. Specifics unknown.]

'Something is fishy!'

Both Chen Ran and Qiu Yinong had the exact same thought. It was widely known that Ghost Whisperers almost exclusively possessed Skills capable of manifesting physical entities.

Yet the intel suggested her Skill was a suspected mental attack. This meant that when she first joined the Deceiver Alliance, she had tampered with her registration Form, intentionally obscuring the true nature of her Skill.

They continued reading.

[Unconfirmed: High-difficulty Instances such as "Cannibal Island", "Triple Simulation", and "Gymnasium Murder" were suspected to have been cleared by Li Zhitong's team.]

[Special Note: If encountered in an Instance, you must kill this person if at all possible.]

Wanted individuals typically possessed Skills that posed a latent threat to the Liar-Slayer Alliance. Therefore, Bounties were issued to strangle them in the cradle.

"The Bounties on these types of Players are very high," Qiu Yinong noted. "Three-star Liar-Slayer teams will likely fight over the chance to hunt her down, and might even use Tracking Talismans. The chances of us matching with her are slim."

Hearing this, Chen Ran looked at Qiu Yinong with a solemn expression and asked, "Do you think there's a possibility that either you or I might also end up wanted by the Deceiver Alliance?"

Seeing her remain silent, Chen Ran pretty much already had his answer. "Regardless of which of us is wanted by the Deceiver Alliance, it means there's a high probability we'll be facing a rookie team led by a Three-Star Trickster-Speaker in our next Instance."

The two of them were rendered speechless.

'As expected of Hell. It doesn't give you any room to grow at all; it just keeps ramping up the intensity.'

Qiu Yinong withdrew her gaze. "It looks like we'll need to prepare a lot more supplies this time."