[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-77":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Gods' Foolish Game",{"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},2361205,4617,"Chapter 77: The Substitute for Past Prosperity: Fleeting Afterglow!","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-77",77,"\u003Cp>The substitute for past prosperity: Fleeting afterglow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the dead Xu Xu Tun Tun swallowed everyone, its corpse continued to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when the players burst out of the beast’s belly, they were already close to the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Cui Dingtian’s swift swimming, the group was soon dragged out of the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Splash—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff, huff!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re saved...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment everyone surfaced, the old man immediately retracted his skin and sank toward the bottom, coughing violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian acted swiftly, grabbing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cui Lao!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Yi da quickly freed himself, afraid he’d sink again with the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yi frowned slightly, then used a floating branch to drift over and cushion it under Cui Dingtian’s armpit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi didn’t care about any of this—what concerned him most was that the massive storm and waves from hours ago had vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as the eye could see, nothing but ocean—floating debris and countless unknown creatures’ corpses, with not a trace of disaster left in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked around in disbelief and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one could answer him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu pulled over a horizontal log, placed it against his chest, and exhaled heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Looks like I still have a chance to make it to my 18th birthday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yi, pale and battered, gave a bitter laugh and submerged her body below the neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly twenty hours had passed since the trial began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun hung far on the horizon, radiating light and heat, scorching the sea and burning the skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After floating and gasping for breath for a long while, they confirmed this wasn’t an illusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disaster was truly over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if only temporarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cheng Shi, save him—Cui Lao’s dying!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Qian pushed a floating log closer, his face uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi frowned, growing more suspicious of Zhao Qian’s attitude toward Cui Dingtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did care about the old man—but beyond occasional help when convenient, he never went out of his way to save him in danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it. Right now, the only reason we’re alive is because of Cui Lao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi quickly swam toward the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his hand gripped Cui Dingtian’s wrist, he realized just how dire the old man’s condition was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart wasn’t pounding violently after exertion—it was slowing, growing weaker, as if he were truly turning into a mummy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this the aftereffect of his divine power surge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or the cost of his talent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was far too severe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary healing spells could only delay his death—they couldn’t save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Past Prosperity might help, but his personal space was locked—there was no way to retrieve the pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t impossible to find!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gao Yu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi gripped Cui Dingtian’s hand and shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need a pill furnace! At least 15 centimeters, with a grinding wheel, mixing device, and pressure booster—must be fireproof and heat-resistant!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu froze in shock, then nodded quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tool kit had been torn apart by the void inside the beast, but none of the tools or materials were lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he’d stuffed them all into his own abdominal cavity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was using the slow erosion of his flesh to delay their disappearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These tools were his only remaining advantage—if he lost them, the rest of the trial would be impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this clumsy method was his only option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth, furrowed his brow, and sliced open his recently healed abdomen with a sharp wooden stick, then pulled out tools and began hammering furiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pill furnaces on Hope Island were mostly similar—differing only in material and internal attachments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s requirements were clear and precise; the materials were just enough to forge a palm-sized furnace, so Gao Yu finished it quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Cheng Shi held the furnace, his eyes gleamed with an odd light: “I’m betting big this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone saw his expression—they knew Cheng Shi was desperate and uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for what he was uncertain about...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Probably the idea of brewing medicine on the spot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can brew medicine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Yi da was bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yu snorted at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Su Yi da had stayed to listen to the whole conversation, he’d have known Cheng Shi’s greatest interest was alchemical creations—and that school didn’t just revolve around puppets; strange, dangerous potions were their relentless pursuit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s face was tense—he ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cui Dingtian’s condition is terrible. The [Decay] divine power should be flowing through him, but as you saw, it’s being restrained by some other force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we leave him like this, by tonight he’ll truly become a mummy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My healing talent is limited—I can’t reverse his condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have another method—something to try!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s alchemy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under everyone’s stunned gaze, Cheng Shi opened the furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve all heard of The Past Prosperity—an A-rank potion combining [Memory] and [Prosperity] divine power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I studied alchemy, I simulated its properties and brewed a potion with nearly identical effects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You brewed an A-rank potion?!” Su Yi da gasped, then immediately questioned, “But there’s no [Divinity] here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi ignored him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I named it ‘Fleeting Afterglow.’ Drinking it eliminates all pain and instantly restores the body to peak condition!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But?” Zhao Qian seemed to guess something, frowning as he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, but...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The potion has severe side effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patient will relapse into agony five days later—and their speed toward death will accelerate drastically!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it’s a potion that burns life force—you can think of it as five days of fleeting afterglow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi finished speaking and turned to look at Cui Dingtian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cui Lao, I know you’re searching for your son—but if you live, there’s still hope. If you die here...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Dingtian’s fading consciousness fought desperately against death—he suddenly gripped Cheng Shi’s hand and squeezed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Cheng Shi tore off a piece of flesh from his own arm and dropped it in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Flesh alchemy?” Gao Yu was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What else? Flesh is the best material—my flesh contains healing power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even my flesh might not be enough. Though this potion doesn’t require [Divinity], it still carries [Prosperity] and [Memory] power...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to finish—their eyes followed him to Tao Yi and Su Yi da.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Yi widened her eyes in shock, then firmly nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the pain, she used a branch to scrape a piece of skin from her arm and dropped it into the furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, fearing the [Prosperity] power might still be insufficient, she prepared to scrape flesh from her other arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, Cui Lao’s current state was entirely because he saved them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Tao Yi’s eyes, whether for future team support or out of gratitude, she had to save him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, this skin-deep pain was nothing compared to what she endured underwater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts were simple—but Cheng Shi stopped her in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alchemy requires precise dosage and ratios—more isn’t always better!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed the furnace toward Su Yi da.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Yi da’s expression darkened, uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, he had no resistance to saving Cui Dingtian and was more than willing to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because both Cui Dingtian’s strength and his character made him the most reliable teammate possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was, he was not a true believer of [Memory]!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Cheng Shi speak with such confidence, he had no doubt this Daoist Priest could brew such a potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he feared that if the brewing failed, his identity might be exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exposing his identity wasn’t serious in itself—the worst consequence was that this failure could cost the entire trial team three combatants outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Dingtian, himself, and... Tao Yi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would be a catastrophic disaster!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Su Yi had such concerns, could Cheng Shi not have foreseen it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already calculated everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was lying too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, before he obtained Ados’s alchemical notes, he didn’t even know what a potion furnace looked like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His potions were conjured out of thin air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His personal space being sealed robbed him of the ability to fabricate on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, to succeed, he had to put on a show!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind raced furiously, draining every scrap of knowledge he had about potion-making, then exhausting every detail, describing effects and properties—all to make the brewing seem utterly believable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Tao Yi and Su Yi, things might not have gone so smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fate was clever here:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The team happened to include a believer of [Prosperity] and a believer of [Memory].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if this [Memory] believer was, at heart, a [Deception] follower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t matter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let us recall the ability of [Offerings to the Void]: when five outsiders, excluding oneself, acknowledge the existence of a fabricated object, the object exists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undoubtedly, everyone present now believed Cheng Shi could brew this potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beyond Cheng Shi, the other four all believed Su Yi was a [Memory] mage, that he possessed [Memory] power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Su Yi himself doubted whether his own flesh could be successfully brewed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the greatest stake in this gamble was not anyone else—it was Su Yi himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi was betting that Su Yi could convince himself, that his own heart would accept he truly possessed [Memory] power, and therefore the brewing would not fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game was not simply Cheng Shi deceiving Su Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was waiting for Su Yi to deceive himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, in that instant, Su Yi’s mind flashed with countless thoughts, finally giving birth to a rational yet absurd conclusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His [Memory] power, though obtained through deceit, was still [Memory] power in the eyes of others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, according to His will, the brewing should not fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of hesitation passed through his eyes; Su Yi gritted his teeth, tore off a chunk of flesh from his arm, and threw it into the furnace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Su Yi moved, Cheng Shi knew it had succeeded!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hell with five days of dying breath!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he lasted three days, survived the trial, there would be plenty of chances to save himself later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t make it through three days, and everyone died, then nothing else mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi slammed the furnace shut, grinning wildly at Zhao Qian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need fire!”\u003C\u002Fp>",1708,"2026-06-21T06:05:06.137Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","44f11d07382ea298219c8086df838f52b508686b063f2c89d7a4631a4379642a","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-78","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-76",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]