Pretending To Be A Boss

In a row of experimental cabins, cabin number 02 suddenly opened its door.

A white gas was expelled from the cabin.

Tang Xian had thought he would need to go to the divine realm to bring Tang Jing back, but it turned out to be unnecessary.

As the fog-like white gas inside the cabin slowly dissipated, Tang Jing's face gradually became visible.

He seemed to have entered a state of deep sleep, his breathing was even, and he no longer had that sense of near-death disorientation he had the last time Tang Xian saw him.

Looking at this face, Tang Xian wasn't entirely sure in his heart if choosing to "negotiate with the tiger" was one hundred percent correct.

On the one hand, feigning cooperation with the Order, and on the other, seeking a future for humanity, this was exactly what Tang Jing had been doing for the past twenty years.

The eyes of the divine being shone with a gray light, focused on Tang Jing.

Tang Jing's body was also covered with a layer of gray luster.

However, not long after, his body began to shake violently.

Tang Xian was somewhat concerned, but the divine being simply waved her hand, signaling Tang Xian to be quiet.

So, Tang Xian didn't interrupt the scene.

Curious, he glanced over at the other experimental cabins.

But the cabins were filled with the same white special fog, making it impossible to see the faces of the experimental subjects.

Could they be former Angel Envoys?

If these people were awakened by the divine being again, wouldn't they pose a threat to Baichuan City comparable to cataclysmic creatures?

As Tang Xian calculated the various possibilities in his heart, he was very certain that even if all the creatures from the southern islands were transported here, it would probably be difficult to resist the Order, which constituted one-sixth of total humanity.

He shook his head; at this moment, the divine being also stopped her actions.

The Tang Jing inside the experimental cabin stopped shaking violently as well. It was as if the glow emitted by the gray crystalline formation had severed some sort of link.

Transforming thought into data was the supreme challenge that ancient technologies sought to conquer in the field of neurology. What Tang Xian was witnessing now was precisely such a field.

A few seconds later, a sudden sharp pain in his brain woke Tang Jing up.

Just a moment ago, he was in the divine realm, living a somewhat bewildered but still blissful life. The next moment, the world suddenly shattered, a huge rift sucked away his consciousness, and that sense of disconnection made him somewhat uncomfortable.

The process of leaving the divine realm was too brutal and domineering, causing great pain in Tang Jing's brain. This pain took a long time to slowly subside.

It was then that he saw the scene before him clearly—

The divine being and Tang Xian stood together, with creatures behind them whose eye colors suggested they were of the orange rank.

This scene was incomprehensible to Tang Jing. What was going on?

Beasts, humans, the Order?

"Why are you here?"

Tang Jing suddenly remembered. All the memories from the divine realm were still intact, but only after leaving the divine realm did he truly recall the parts he had lost.

It was the memories about Tang Xian.

Tang Jing's expression was a mix of joy and concern.

He remembered that he was supposed to be unable to see Tang Xian again, at least for an extended period, as he was to stay in the divine realm.

Time would pass, and perhaps he would become like those judgment knights, unable to differentiate reality from dreams, and gradually forgetting the memories that were once most important.

However, it seemed he hadn't stayed in the divine realm for long before leaving it.

The scene of the divine realm's collapse was also very different from before. It was as if it had suffered an irreversible, devastating attack.

Along with it, his consciousness was sucked into the rift.

The intense feeling of tearing took him a long time to adapt to.

Tang Xian watched Tang Jing's astonished expression and suddenly smiled.

But he said nothing and instead addressed the divine being:

"What you said before, does it still stand? He's not connected to you anymore, right?"

"Yes. You can take him away now. But you must also remember what you promised. For me to destroy Baichuan City, even to say destroy this planet, wouldn't be difficult," the divine being replied.

Mutual threats seemed to become the foundation of the trust between the two.

Tang Xian nodded and said:

"Let's go, Tang Jing. We'll discuss it on the way. I'm taking you home."

"Home... What did you call me? So, is this actually another layer of the divine realm?"

Tang Xian shook his head and said, "I'll explain on the way."

Two cold white beams of light shot out, and both Tang Xian and Tang Jing were pulled into the Spiritual Purgatory by the Xuan Bird.

In that instant, the eyes of the god carried a certain murderous intent.

"Good technique. You've prepared thoroughly to meet me."

"What is he talking about?" asked Tang Jing.

"I don't know. We're no longer in the same space as her."

At this moment, both Tang Jing and Tang Xian had entered the Spiritual Purgatory, where Tang Jing could feel his vitality slowly slipping away.

Now still an Angel Envoy, his combat strength significant and the ability to recover vitality insufficient to resist the soul devouring effect of the Spiritual Purgatory, but he could still hold on for a long time.

The exit at the bottom of the Divine Seat Fortress began to open slowly.

The Xuan Bird spread its wings and flew out of the Divine Seat Fortress without any hesitation.

Despite being filled with immense rage, the Xuan Bird's fear of this deity was perhaps even greater than its fear of the six great beast gods; it was thanks to this rage that it could mask its fear.

Now, having flown away from the Divine Seat Fortress, the Xuan Bird finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it felt that perhaps that deity had not completely returned to her strength during the twilight of the gods, she was definitely to a degree where she would not be an enemy unless it was the apocalypse.

Fortunately, with its body enshrouded in cold blue flames, it had no cold sweat to speak of.

During the flight back, Tang Xian began to explain his arrangements to Tang Jing, along with the changes that had occurred in these past days.

Not many things had happened during this period, but the situation in the mining area, the state of affairs in Baichuan City, the current primary mission of humanity, and what the two brothers had to do when mixed together, also had quite a lot to talk about.

After a long time, Tang Jing finally understood the full picture.

His expression was chaotic, different from the uncontrollable chaos when he had transformed into an Angel Envoy; it looked like a mix of happiness mingled with worry.

He was happy that he could return to the human world, even if his body was no longer human, and he was also happy that Tang Xian had made such a daring move for him.

"Big brother... thank you."

"You're welcome. I don't like being in debt, and besides, if we don't do anything, we only have three months left to live," Tang Xian said casually, as if today's events were just about repaying a favor.

"Big brother, you're somewhat tsundere. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Tang Xian turned his head away and did not respond to that comment.

Tang Jing didn't continue the topic but said with worry:

"The judge's tool can defeat gods, something that only works against them, and the inheritances of the six great beast gods can not only defeat gods but also the judge. Big brother, don't you think you've promised too much to the deity?"

"This had to be done. In fact, that deity demanded even more. She only gave humanity fourteen days, but now the countdown has changed to ninety days. Although it's still a near-certain death, at least we have a glimmer of hope."

What Tang Xian didn't say was that all this was also about repaying a favor.

Tang Jing knew it in his heart but didn't become sentimental at this time.

"The best scenario we can hope for now is to gather all the beast god inheritances within ninety days," Tang Jing said.

Tang Xian nodded, not denying this.

Still worried, Tang Jing said:

"What if we can't achieve it within ninety days?"

Tang Xian grinned and replied:

"To gather all of the beast god inheritances within ninety days is a pipe dream; it would be difficult enough to find even one. But there are ways to delay. There's a saying, 'Too many lice do not itch, too many debts do not worry.'"

"You have a plan."

"Yes. Do you know what the advantage of humanity and the mining area being separated by a dimension is?"

"Neither enemy can spy on the other?" A flash of insight appeared in Tang Jing's eyes.

"That's right. The judge does not know the status of the law enforcer. Perhaps in the judge's view, the law enforcer has not awakened yet. And if the law enforcer has awakened early, that means the judge has lost control."

"The law enforcer also doesn't know that the judge is seriously injured. Even though it came to me, the ceremony was interrupted by the Xuan Bird, and its injuries have not yet healed."

Tang Xian said with a laugh:

"Muddy waters make it easier to catch fish. Although we are the weakest party, sandwiched in the gap between two colossal beings, we might as well play the role of the straw that breaks one's back."

Tang Jing understood. Who said... we could only choose to cooperate with the law enforcer?

But then he also thought that persuading the judge might be even more dangerous than persuading the deity.

(Tomorrow will feature a highly visible promotional spot, and by then, you can imagine a big wave of book friends bombing the comments section of this book. For a while, I'm not sure whether this will be a source of joy or concern—I'm planning to go from start to finish tomorrow, correcting any typos and problems. I'll try to keep updating without breaks.)