[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-monsters-are-coming":3,"chapter-the-monsters-are-coming-monsters-are-coming-chapter-260":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Monsters Are Coming",{"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},2250109,4069,"Chapter 260: Core Demand","monsters-are-coming-chapter-260",260,"\u003Cp>[Great Demon Wasteland.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four large characters flashed before Jiang Cheng's eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening the map revealed this to be an unexplored region; aside from their current location, the rest of the map was shrouded in mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All other areas were covered by fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance lay an endless desert, while snowfields stretched out behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this point onward, the snow layer on the ground grew thinner, exposing the grayish-brown frozen earth beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind remained biting, yet it no longer carried dense snowflakes; only a few scattered ice crystals drifted down, vanishing without a trace before hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Further ahead, the ground exposed gravel and crushed stone, and the snowflakes disappeared entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The environment here was harsh; the land was baked dry and cracked, with clumps of withered, stiff yellow grass creeping out of the fissures, trembling rustlingly in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chill in the air persisted, yet it was now mixed with a hint of dry heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuing for some distance, the wind here whipped up fine sand, carrying waves of heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The environmental changes did not follow a normal, gradual progression; it was as if, after passing through an invisible wall in a game, one had suddenly arrived in another world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding this, Jiang Cheng felt quite puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To pursue realism, the Monster World should, in theory, feature gradual scenic transitions between different regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiously asking the Guide, he received the explanation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The territories of the Monster World are pieced together with different nodes as cores, like a giant world puzzle, within which numerous descending factions have also inserted their own lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This results in completely different environments and climatic manifestations across various regions of the Monster World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Guide's explanation, Jiang Cheng understood it simply as: game settings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Overlord Sword, where is the Blood Storage Cauldron you mentioned?\" Xia Sheng asked from the side at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's just beyond the desert; there's still some distance to go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While speaking these words, Overlord Sword's heart was bleeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, it was utterly exhausted and completely incapable of moving independently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it was highly satisfied with this current host's condition, the host produced absolutely no energy, and it had no idea what the problem was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing it could do was head to the resource vault to directly consume the reserved qi and blood energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This resource vault had been left behind by a previous host; after that host died, it had been repurposed by Overlord Sword as an energy transit station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before growing to enter its complete form, the characteristics of the artifact's rules meant it could only unleash its full power while held by a host.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a host, its power would be severely suppressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, it needed to constantly change hosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the double-edged sword of the rules: to gain the power of the rules, one must act according to the operational logic of those rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that top-tier rules had no limitations, but at least it had never witnessed such a thing with its own eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this trip to the resource vault, one could imagine that everything inside would be taken out and used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't care about those pieces of junk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing it lamented was that the power earned by the previous host had been almost entirely consumed on this current host.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It only hoped there would be rich rewards later, allowing it to fully enjoy a feast of negative emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the journey, Overlord Sword was also pondering a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where exactly had things gone wrong, causing its body to be unable to absorb qi and blood energy, or even negative emotional energy anymore?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before this, such an event had never occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it truly couldn't find the cause, perhaps the only option was to return to the clan lands and seek assistance from the clan elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After traveling for most of another day, until sunset and twilight, Jiang Cheng and Xia Sheng, following Overlord Sword's guidance, arrived at their destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, a square structure built of black stones stood abruptly amidst the sand dunes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing closer, the wind-eroded outer walls were covered in honeycomb-like holes, emitting a whimpering sound in the wind and sand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging solely from the outside, this place held no distinctive features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked more like a dilapidated ruin left behind by some tribe before migrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Approaching closely, a statue stood at the building's entrance: a sword-wielding warrior who had lost his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword in its hand was identical in appearance to Overlord Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the place; stab me into the hole in front of the gate.\" Hearing this, Jiang Cheng did not hesitate, extending his hand to summon Overlord Sword into his right hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping the hilt, he inserted Overlord Sword's blade into the groove in the center of the stone door; immediately, a muffled sound like grinding gears echoed from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy black stone door slowly sank, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the door lay a staircase leading downward; inside was pitch black, the end invisible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Withdrawing Overlord Sword and carrying it on his back, Jiang Cheng stepped in first, with Xia Sheng following immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This passage resembled the esophagus of some colossal beast; the air was filled with an aged scent of blood, mixed with the odor of oxidizing metal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the bottom of the stairs, a dim red glow was faintly visible, resembling a clot of blood mist suspended in the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they descended, the bronze lamps hanging on the surrounding rock walls lit up one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the firelight, dense carvings emerged on the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With automatic translation from the Analyzer, the information described by the text became clear at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pain is power; I gladly accept it as sweet dew.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first passage to catch the eye had been repeatedly inscribed seven times on the passage's rock wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black scabs of dried blood congealed along the edges of the characters, and the final stroke dragged out a long, hooked tail, as if the sword-wielder was still enduring some excruciating pain while writing it in their last moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuing further downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So what if I am flayed and my bones dismantled? I only want power!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The pain of the body does not amount to one ten-thousandth of the hatred in my heart.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the characters remained five clear fingerprints; the rock had been forcibly gripped until cracks formed, with several shattered fingernails still embedded between the fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the corner of the passage, written in fresh blood:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the dried blood characters, the word \"Kill\" was densely carved over and over, each stroke penetrating deep into the rock, as if trying to nail all hatred into this cold stone wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I swear to slaughter the entire Cangyan Clan!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking along, every inscription radiated killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Cheng could imagine the hatred residing in the heart of Overlord Sword's host at that time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as they went deeper, the content of the text gradually became gentler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until stopping before a particular inscription, Jiang Cheng halted his steps:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Mother, Xin'er's heart hurts so much.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sentence had been violently crossed out with a sharp object, yet the original strokes remained visible in the gaps of the scratches, like a wound that could never heal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words suddenly made Jiang Cheng realize that this avenger's initial hatred had not been so intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, under Overlord Sword's constant instigation and manipulation, he had eventually transformed into a killing machine filled with hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few minutes later, they reached the end of the passage, where a bronze gate stood ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overlord Sword's blade sliced across the door seam; a flash of blood light swept over its surface, and the heavy door slowly opened inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who could this broken door possibly stop? Why make things so complicated just to enter?\" Xia Sheng couldn't help but complain in the team voice channel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Idiot, the gate isn't meant to stop thieves, but to prevent the spiritual energy inside from leaking out and attracting external forces; secondly, it prevents specific resources from spoiling during storage... You can think of it as a refrigerator. Spend more time on the forum learning knowledge usually.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That makes sense!\" Hearing Jiang Cheng's explanation, Xia Sheng nodded in sudden realization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them passed through the heavy gate at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area inside was not large; it was a hemispherical stone chamber of about a hundred square meters. The uneven rock walls were covered in fine sword marks, while the ground was layered with dark red dust, resembling powder formed from coagulated blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the left rock wall, three tiers of stone niches had been chiseled out; the top tier was piled with yellowed bone slips, bound with faded red strings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle tier held over a dozen small porcelain bottles, half of which were already shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bottom tier scattered with a few rusted weapons, among which a short sword still had half a rotting leather strap hanging from its guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corner, a skeleton could be seen curled up; its bone surface was covered in cracks, bearing numerous red marks. The finger bones had dug deeply into the ground, and the skull tilted at a twisted angle, gazing up at the dome, as if having endured extreme pain in life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Analyzer swept over, relevant information surfaced:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sword Heart (Deceased)]:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Target Analysis: During a critical stage of cultivation, Overlord Sword forcibly drained all essential blood from the entire body, causing the physical flesh to disintegrate. Overlord Sword deliberately prolonged the dying process, converting the extreme pain of near-death into its own energy; the pain lasted for three days before death occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk, this broken sword is so vicious; it kills once there's no more utility.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the analysis, the origin of this stone chamber became obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be confirmed that this was left by a previous host of Overlord Sword; he had cultivated, grown, and sworn to avenge his clan here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But ultimately, under Overlord Sword's deception and instigation, he walked down a dead end in pursuit of power, eventually becoming nourishment for Overlord Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shifting his gaze forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the center of the stone chamber stood a black square cauldron, covered in spiderweb-like cracks, from which a rich fluctuation of qi and blood emanated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overlord Sword automatically detached, flying to hover above the great cauldron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword body trembled slightly, emitting a low hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The solidified black substance inside the cauldron suddenly began to writhe; a strand of viscous blood plasma rose from the cauldron, coiling around the sword body like a living creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cracks on the sword spine greedily sucked in the energy, and the spiderweb-like fissures on the sword body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood patterns flowed across the sword body as if life had been reinjected; the originally dim blade gradually began to gleam with a cold, deadly light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the absorption proceeded, the congealed blood clumps in the cauldron rapidly dried and cracked, turning into dark red dust that rustled down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the guard of the Tyrant Sword, the vertical pupil that had remained tightly shut suddenly snapped open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red pupils contracted to the size of needle tips; several blood filaments extended from the end of the hilt, rooting into the cauldron like a root system to squeeze out the last drop of essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the final drop of blood was absorbed, the Tyrant Sword suddenly erupted with a blinding blood-colored radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jiang Cheng, observing with Analysis, discovered that the Tyrant Sword's Hunting Rank had not been restored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this, it could be deduced that when the Tyrant Sword had previously assisted his cultivation, it had used its own source power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This portion of power could not be repaired by devouring external energy; it could only grow by following the logical requirements of the Rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The qi and blood energy in the cauldron was similar to health potions in the player system, whereas the Tyrant Sword's own growth could only be obtained through hunting after being wielded, and even through emotions of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this were before the launch of the \"Seize Divine Artifact Rules\" plan, Jiang Cheng would definitely not have given the Tyrant Sword the chance to devour qi and blood energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Tyrant Sword's strength recovered somewhat, it would completely break free from their control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than risk losing control, it would be better to directly deal true damage to kill it and reap the hunting rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now they had a far greater goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before obtaining the coordinate address of the race behind the Tyrant Sword, the weapon still retained utilitarian value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Tyrant Sword, having recovered a portion of its power, automatically returned to Jiang Cheng's hand at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing around, Jiang Cheng decided to take everything in the stone chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there seemed to be nothing of value here; it was not a true resource treasury, but rather a refueling station along the Tyrant Sword's journey of deception and fraud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had stored a portion of qi and blood in different regions for emergencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tyrant Sword, can I take the pills and items refined here?\" Jiang Cheng asked before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naturally,\" the Tyrant Sword agreed without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the items in the stone chamber were all left behind by the third host and held no significance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing of value was the qi and blood energy inside the stone cauldron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was something it had demanded its host construct back then, intended to assist the host in cultivating a technique with severe aftereffects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After it had drained the host dry, the remaining blood in the cauldron was treated as a transit station; it had thought that since it was operating in the Pale Continent region, building a few more resource chambers for future crises could serve for healing and hiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It never expected that it would actually be put to use this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the Tyrant Sword's agreement, Jiang Cheng acted decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He activated Analysis to sweep the area, packing the items on the three-tiered stone niches into his Spatial Sack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he couldn't use them himself, he could list them on the Trading Row; at the very least, he could sacrifice them to Brother Di Zhao in exchange for Sacrificial Power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A preliminary estimate suggested the items here were worth about 10,000 Sacrificial Power; compared to the Blood Pool Treasury discovered by the Little Mage or even the Director's Darkblood Spatial Treasury, the difference was not just a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it was still a substantial extra income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jiang Cheng take away the items from the niches, the Tyrant Sword asked curiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You possess spatial-type artifacts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the inquiry, Jiang Cheng, who had already packed everything into his Spatial Sack, nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the sole remaining supreme treasure of my Heavenly Fire Clan; it can store items.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking, Jiang Cheng pointed to the ring in his hand; in reality, this was a Rune Resonance Weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tyrant Sword's perception swept toward the ring, and it was subsequently shocked to discover that the object actually retained a substance that seemed to be Rule Energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what exactly it was, it could not decipher through perception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This instantly stirred greed in the depths of its heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already decided in its mind: after tricking and killing Jiang Cheng, it would pocket this ring imbued with partial Rule power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving the resource vault, the Tyrant Sword once again harbored thoughts of hunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wanted to test whether its partially restored self could now obtain power through hunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it still failed, perhaps only returning to the clan lands would offer a way to resolve the hidden danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since Senior wishes to, then let us continue hunting,\" Jiang Cheng nodded respectfully in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he agreed verbally, he still had no intention of letting the Tyrant Sword absorb even a wisp of qi and blood energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current goal was clear: locate the specific coordinates of the Tyrant Sword's clan lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When facing unsolvable problems, normal thinking dictates seeking help from elders, relatives, or friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even we players are the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If encountering an unsolvable problem, the first thought is to post on the forum seeking assistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, he would not let the Tyrant Sword succeed; he must continue to create dilemmas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to make the Tyrant Sword utterly despair, abandoning any further attempts and turning instead to seek help from its clansmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, he would have the opportunity to make contact with the Divine Artifact Race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With specific coordinates, seizing the Divine Artifact Rules would merely be a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, they found a hunting target in the desert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A giant scorpion with a Hunting Rank of 28.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Tyrant Sword pierced the first Dune Demon Scorpion, at the instant the corpse exploded, the flesh and blood essence automatically turned into a blood mist and was absorbed by Jiang Cheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the Tyrant Sword's eyes, the scene was entirely different: the demon scorpion seemed to be pulverized by some invisible force, turning into fine powder that flew away with the yellow sand, disappearing into the hot wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strange!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anxiety permeated the fluctuating emotions radiating from the Tyrant Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having now recovered one and a half tenths of its power, it had assumed this hunt would proceed smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It never expected the problem remained unresolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not even know how to solve this problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was certain was that it could still absorb qi and blood energy to restore its own strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only in the aspects of hunting absorption and negative emotion absorption had problems arisen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about it this way, the issue most likely lay with the Divine Artifact's Derived Rule Imprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the \"Derived Rule Imprint\" within its body had undergone some unforeseeable change due to the strike from the Purple-Skinned Fiend, causing the Derived Rule Imprint to malfunction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This problem might only be solvable by returning to the clan lands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having completed the kill, Jiang Cheng at this moment feigned concern and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior, is the recovery proceeding smoothly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Try again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Cheng agreed decisively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Tyrant Sword wanted to try, he would let it try until it was satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would let it try until the Tyrant Sword began to doubt whether it was crippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most desperate situation is not having no chance to try, but trying countless times only to end in failure every time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It proves that the opportunity exists, but you are incapable of seizing it even when given the chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng resumed hunting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He killed the second prey, then the third...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With every hunt, Jiang Cheng would activate his Soul Characteristic, causing the energy that should have been absorbed by the Tyrant Sword to strangely \"evaporate\" the moment it touched the sword body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period, he accelerated the pace of hunting, giving the Tyrant Sword ample opportunity to feel the despair of every futile effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the seventh Desert Giant Lizard likewise turned into flying ash, the Tyrant Sword's blade began to emit an unstable hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cracks that had just been repaired reappeared; Jiang Cheng and Xia Sheng could clearly perceive the chaotic emotions radiating from the Tyrant Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confusion, anger, and... a hint of despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Jiang Cheng and Xia Sheng feel delighted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This broken sword actually thought it could trick us players; did it not ask if our accompanying Analysis ability would agree to that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind us players stands a whole system of Rules providing support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wanting to trick us players? It is far from sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tyrant Sword clearly did not know that the prey in its eyes fell completely outside its scope of cognition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What are players? They are infinitely scalable talent monsters capable of containing even the Primordial Monsters that represent the world's fundamental Rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They are hidden calamities capable of fighting the Black Black Tide and Insect Black Tide relying on the \"Resurrection Mechanism.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tyrant Sword's methods of bewitching hearts might work on ordinary NPCs in the Monster World, but against us players...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sorry, we do not fall for scripted deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of the Tyrant Sword's bewitching lines, in the eyes of Jiang Cheng and Xia Sheng, were merely skippable plot content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In essence, the Tyrant Sword did not even qualify to be an opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From start to finish, this was just a small game of playing the pig to eat the tiger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the Tyrant Sword still having utilitarian value, it would have already died in despair amidst the extreme pain inflicted by the \"Touch of Agony.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps its materials would have already been listed on the Trading Row, bought at a high price by some player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After repeated failed attempts, the Tyrant Sword, now thoroughly despairing, finally spoke the words Jiang Cheng and Xia Sheng had long awaited:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heavenly Fire, I have a request.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior, please speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have slept for three thousand years; my body seems to have undergone some unexpected changes. Now I may need to go to the clan lands for recuperation, but the journey is quite distant. Are you willing to escort me there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem.\" Jiang Cheng nodded in agreement without hesitation, while in his heart he was blooming with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasting so much time accompanying Ba Jian was their core demand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Find the lair, then wait for the chance to blow it up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buying is impossible; only stealing can solve the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3608,"2026-06-19T09:20:37.851Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f811efa9949db8390b648329e0ccc0a0a76b5c74f5a041e98c678504495df69c","monsters-are-coming-chapter-261","monsters-are-coming-chapter-259",393,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmonsters-are-coming-cover.jpg"]