[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-gods-foolish-game":3,"chapter-the-gods-foolish-game-the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-960":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},2362088,4617,"Chapter 960","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-960",960,"\u003Cp>Meeting, Crisis, Escape\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest delusion people have is always believing they are the protagonists of the story, the center of the world stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet reality always slaps these fools awake with icy hands, telling them that in this universe where mortals are but specks of dust, you are nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi’s plan was sound, Sun Miao’s reaction was swift, and Xiao Qi’s assault was furious—a war among players seemed ready to erupt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as the three were about to collide, the sky collapsed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if by cruel coincidence, four meteorites suddenly fell in rapid succession across this frontline zone—not a primary target of the meteor firestorm—and these four meteorites descended at similar altitudes and distances; if they all struck together, a vast area centered on the War Legion’s command post would become a true hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Tribunal’s wrath cares not whether you are a “Oathbreaker” or a player—anyone who strays from [Order] must endure His “Divine Punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, all soldiers in the region began fleeing in all directions; countless [War] troops shouted their legion’s battle cry as they retreated, only to encounter a furious blockade from the Tower of Reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, scholars were also fond of life—no one wished to die alongside enemies beneath the meteor firestorm—so what blocked the [War] troops were not flesh-and-blood scholars, but the [Truth]’s creations: the war machines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creations of the Mechanical Engineering Department proved most effective at this moment, for they felt no fear and thus had no dread of dying in this firestorm, and under military orders, their sole mission was to drag as many enemies as possible to mutual destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Delvo’s personal guards panicked now; they raised their spears and fought desperately to carve a path for their commander, yet Delvo’s slow movements seemed to tell them he had no fear of dying here—he merely gazed toward the Tower of Reason’s frontline, as if calculating his next move on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Delvo’s lack of fear did not mean others shared it—especially... Cheng Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fearlessness does not equal expressionless calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi was an old actor; the moment he saw the meteor firestorm descend, he followed his plan and raised the [Corruption] container in his hand, then, feigning terror as if being drained, calmly pulled Sun Miao away toward the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Qiyu, rushing toward them, saw this scene clearly—his sharp gaze immediately locked onto the object in Cheng Shi’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That could not be a false mask; what lay behind it seemed to be some kind of calming artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Du Qiyu had no time to dwell on it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His position was awkward—he had charged toward Cheng Shi earlier, distancing himself from the giant bow beside Kainlaor’s corpse, and now Cheng Shi and the other’s rapid retreat left him unable to reach either target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, he could not attend to either, so he memorized the bow’s location, planning to dig it out from the ruins later, then angrily sprinted toward the nearest safe direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as he retreated, he did not idle; to keep his rage from hindering his escape and to trouble Cheng Shi and the long-faced sage, Xiao Qi tamed over a dozen fleeing [War] troops along the way, ordering them to halt, draw bows, and unleash a volley at the two men’s backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, this level of volleys wasn’t useless to players—at least it provided some entertainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prudent Cheng Shi glanced back slightly in caution, but Vice-Chairman Sun simply didn’t even look—he was pulling Cheng Shi with all his strength through the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran while asking, “One glance probably won’t let the beast tamer know the effect of the Fear Tree Core. What’s your real plan? Aren’t you going to tell me yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi assessed the surrounding situation, silently calculating, then shook his head: “Wait a bit longer—Xiao Qi has another trick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he spoken than Xiao Qi’s trick arrived!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the rear ranks’ volley was merely a distraction, meant to divert their attention; just as the two pushed forward desperately, a soldier ahead suddenly halted, turned back, and thrust a shocking reverse spear straight toward... Cheng Shi’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After mocking the sage for so long, Xiao Qi’s most dangerous strike was saved for his good friend Xiao Shi—and he targeted Cheng Shi’s face in particular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with this sudden ambush, as an assassin, Sun Miao reacted faster than Cheng Shi—he severed the spear shaft with his dagger at once. But the swing had been powerful; even severed, the spearhead still drove straight toward Cheng Shi’s eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the influence of the [Corruption] container, Cheng Shi was at the peak of calmness—he instantly conceived countless ways to counter the beast tamer and the spear thrust, yet he used none, made no move, merely forced a flicker of terror across his face, then clenched his teeth and suppressed it, instinctively raising his left hand holding the container to block for an instant—allowing the spearhead to precisely knock the container loose and graze his cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when he felt the pain along his cheek did his gaze sharpen, and he unleashed a terrifying thunder upon the beast tamer, now within arm’s reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast tamer’s amused smile turned to ash, and the final image he saw transmitted a message to Du Qiyu:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Xiao Shi were the legendary Threadweaver, he seemed no different—he panicked, even used his hand to block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his reputation was merely the result of artifact power—but undeniably, that thunder was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, no one knew what Du Qiyu thought; Sun Miao only knew his own emotions had returned—and that meant Cheng Shi had once again hidden the Fear Tree Core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps a touch of fear could better awaken one’s survival instinct; Sun Miao now surged forward faster than ever, dragging Cheng Shi through shadows, soon escaping the inferno.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the two left the valley ahead of the others, “Boom—boom—boom—boom—” four meteors struck in sequence, flattening the land behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames surged without wind; smoke rolled, swallowing dust and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi watched Delvo fail to escape, reduced to charred ash—and yet he knew that even if this War Commander died, another Delvo would rise again, standing before the Tower of Reason or the Grand Tribunal’s fleeing front, commanding the surviving [War] troops to drive out these “invaders” from the War Kingdom’s borders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Cheng Shi turn back, his expression complex, Sun Miao gasped and frowned:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vice-Chairman Cheng, though overreliance on external tools is not the true Dao, I must say—you chose a terrible moment to hide the Fear Tree Core. Calmness gives us more options, not just endless flight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And your plan—aren’t you going to tell me now? You don’t plan to discard me as a free helper, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Free?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Free is good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi smiled, gazing at the valley ablaze with meteor fire, and spread his hands: “Sorry—it wasn’t my choice to hide the Fear Tree Core. Xiao Qi’s ambush caught me off guard—the Fear Tree Core was... knocked loose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!??”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Miao’s pupils contracted; he pointed at the burning, charred earth, disbelieving: “You just threw the Fear Tree Core there as bait?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said—it was an accident.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think I believe that? Hmph—I never thought you had more guts than I imagined. Aren’t you afraid someone will profit from this, and the Fear Tree Core is lost forever?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Afraid? Of course I am.” Cheng Shi smirked, glanced around, then pushed Sun Miao toward the outer edge of the battlefield: “But under these circumstances, no fool will return into that charred earth—unless someone left behind something they’ve dreamed of.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like... a giant bow forged by the Highest Judge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brilliant plan!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Sun Miao now understood Cheng Shi’s scheme—he only awaited the moment the beast tamer, out of curiosity, picked up the Fear Tree Core, and wondered what expression would cross his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Cheng Shi, he now had no fear that Du Qiyu would flee after retrieving the Fear Tree Core—because when Du Qiyu felt the artifact’s power, this old friend who disliked Cheng Shi would make the most rational decision: seize this perfect chance to finally resolve his “inner knot” during this trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sun Miao stared at the direction Du Qiyu fled, his gaze sharpening, filled with deep emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is desire—desire so potent even the [Corruption] container cannot fully absorb it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BREAKING NEWS!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xi Lian Dong, Wang Dongcheng, Hangzhou Anti-Fraud Center, and Xiaoshan Anti-Fraud have launched a special [Anti-Fraud] campaign—coming to CP31! Attendees, remember to visit the Tomato official booth to claim gifts from Cheng Xiaoshi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Limited quantity—first come, first served.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly whispering: Tomato’s illustration restrictions forced us to crop the top half of the poster—the Tomato logo is missing, but it shouldn’t matter... see the full poster in the author’s note~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Full poster in the author’s note—thank you all~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, Moxing Novels has a booth at CP31—interested readers, please visit to claim free merchandise, and help me check on the status of the physical book, please~\u003C\u002Fp>",1514,"2026-06-21T06:05:16.216Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0a067b01fe8acaf98ee2044d8c98ff1af513591468a918dc14c86bc136993e4e","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-961","the-gods-foolish-game-chapter-959",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-gods-foolish-game-cover.jpg"]