[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h":3,"chapter-the-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h-the-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h-chapter-166":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Eighteen Levels of Hell: Lying is Forbidden Here",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},749443,993,"Chapter 166: Negotiation","the-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h-chapter-166",166,"\u003Cp>Zhang Meili glanced around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking toward the three Three-Star Players, she said, \"You didn't pass Judgment on Cao Xiu just now. You must have known in advance that his Skill has a life-saving effect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reset to Zero. A moment ago, he erased his past mistakes and incorrect actions. That was most likely the 'Reset' portion of his Skill. This means Cao Xiu's Skill very likely has a secondary effect: 'Zero'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Dorje shrugged. \"Who knows? Anyway, players who are stuck at a Star Rating bottleneck generally have Skills with some sort of life-saving effect. Playing it safe is a necessity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, he pointed at Zhang Meili. \"Earlier, when Li Zhitong was about to use his Skill for the second time, I noticed that the rest of them all wanted to use their Skills immediately. You were the only exception. So I am very curious. What was the reason you didn't use your Skill right away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Meili toyed with her Liar-Slayer. \"Generally speaking, Liar-Slayer Skills have four-word names. For ordinary Skills, there is only one effect at the first level, while a secondary extended effect unlocks at the second level. Of course, some rare Skills possess two effects right from the start.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take Chen Ran's Eternal Kingdom and Qiu Yinong's Wheel of Time, for example. When such special Skills level up, they often gain an extension in numerical value or range.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You all should have noticed it by now. Although Chen Ran's Eternal Kingdom can nullify other Skills, it requires the owners of those Skills to be in the same spatial dimension as him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The items we carry are basically all created by Players. When Chen Ran used Eternal Kingdom just now, it didn't cause these physical objects to vanish simply because the Players who manufactured them were not in this Instance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For example, upon activating Eternal Kingdom, all the physical items we carry would also be dispelled and wiped out by his Skill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that happens, the tools, items, and medicines that Players bought at exorbitant prices would instantly be turned to dust by Eternal Kingdom.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In other words, if Chen Ran escapes alive this time, any future attempts to track him down into an Instance would be futile. He could nullify your Skills and dismantle all your physical items. The only thing his pursuers would be able to rely on is their Mental Cultivation Method, but...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If, and I'm just saying if, this Instance ends and only Chen Ran and Qiu Yinong make it out alive, do you think the Points he earns will be enough for him to advance to a Three-Star Player?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Upon reaching three stars, he can exchange for a Mental Cultivation Method in the alliance, officially kickstarting his unstoppable rise to power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Therefore, you have no choice. You must strangle him in the cradle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three did not offer any rebuttal. At first glance, the Skill Eternal Kingdom seemed unremarkable, but the more they thought about it, the more it made their scalps tingle with dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ran rested his chin on his hand. He understood that this was Zhang Meili's negotiation tactic. She presented a massive, terrifying problem so that she could offer her own solution, thereby forging an alliance with the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Meili continued speaking. \"After going through these two Secret Rooms, you must have some understanding of Chen Ran. Do you feel confident in killing him within this Instance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get to the point,\" Diwu Zeyi stated, clearly disliking Zhang Meili's lengthy speeches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well.\" Zhang Meili raised the Liar-Slayer in her hand. \"My Skill can synergize with Li Zhitong's Skill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left everyone with plenty of room for imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, Chen Ran at this very moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'First, she asks the three of them if they are confident in killing me within this Instance.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'She must mean tricking me into a lie to pass Judgment on me, or using the traps in the Secret Room to get me killed.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This implies that her upcoming plan has nothing to do with Lie-Judgment or relying on traps.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Coupled with Li Zhitong's Skill, which can attack the mind of anyone it hits.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'However, Li Zhitong's Skill is an area-of-effect attack. If I get hit, everyone else gets hit too.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Conclusion: Zhang Meili's Skill can transform Li Zhitong's widespread mental attack into a single-target or pinpoint strike.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Simply put, Zhang Meili's Skill very likely ensures that Li Zhitong's Skill only takes effect on me...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'No, it shouldn't be that exaggerated.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Most likely, it temporarily shields the others from the mental attack, or delays the time it takes for the attack to affect them.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'For example, if Li Zhitong uses a mental attack right now to target everyone, the rest of them would only suffer its effects hours or days later, while I would be struck by his Skill immediately.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'They would have time for their minds to recover, but I wouldn't. If I take a few of these mental bludgeonings in quick succession, I am bound to die.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is this what they call failing a battle of wits, so they plan to physically exorcise me?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'But why would I ever give them the opportunity to chain mental attacks against me?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ran did not take this lightly. Instead, his expression grew solemn. Since Zhang Meili had confidently proposed a plan...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, she definitely had a way to stop Chen Ran from using his Skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Meili looked over at Zhou Chen. \"I've read some of your files and have a certain understanding of your Skill. I must say, your Skill acts as somewhat of a counter to Chen Ran's Skill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ran: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suspected he had misheard. Countering Eternal Kingdom was impossible, unless they made him unable to activate Eternal Kingdom...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Wait!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'It really is possible. Eternal Kingdom suppresses all Skills, but the prerequisite is...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Eternal Kingdom must actually be activated!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Zhang Meili's Skill can turn an area-of-effect attack into a single-target one. If Zhou Chen's Skill is some kind of illusion, their cooperation would result in only me being trapped in a hallucination.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Inside an illusion, I wouldn't be able to determine who is lying, which means I wouldn't be able to use my Skill.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'At that point, the people who aren't caught in the illusion could just repeatedly lie, allowing Li Zhitong to relentlessly bombard me with mental attacks.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon realizing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ran reached for the Liar-Slayer at his waist, but quickly pulled his hand back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is there a possibility that this is a trap laid by Zhang Meili?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Did she deliberately speak ambiguously just to bait me into passing Judgment on her the moment she uses her Skill, causing my Judgment to fail?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Meili chuckled softly, taking in everyone's expressions. She knew very well that after Cao Xiu erased his mistakes, nearly three million in funds would be added to the ledger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Xiu wouldn't be worn down to death anytime soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only person who would be drained to death was Zhang Meili herself. If she told a lie to use her Skill, even if that Skill possessed the Avoidance of Lying and made her immune to Judgment like Cao Xiu, however...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Chen Ran was alive, a single blast of Eternal Kingdom would mean certain death for both her and Cao Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant that speaking a lie only she knew about would ultimately still leave her as meat on a chopping block, entirely at the mercy of others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Ran died!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the others wanted to eliminate Chen Ran swiftly, they would have to rely on her Skill. That way, she would have the leverage to negotiate.\u003C\u002Fp>",1280,"2026-06-02T12:08:03.809Z",1,"novelbin.me","6531ee6a8c6aa0d3fe7c8583603b65f87664559f807262bc5779d440f7b7bec0","the-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h-chapter-579","the-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h-chapter-578",621,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-eighteen-levels-of-hell-lying-is-forbidden-h-cover.jpg"]