Xia Yu's treatment of Mu Zhong lasted for a day and a half. Despite knowing that Xia Yu must be exhausted after her recent assessment, Wei Huan did not call for a halt even once. Once treatment began, there was no reason to stop for rest. Pain that had already been adapted to should not be experienced a second time. Wei Huan could be considerate, but only toward Mu Zhong.
During this period, Mu Dehao visited several times, sitting for only a short while before leaving. He was currently engaged in a war of words with the Great Bear Nation. Such is the nature of things when interests are involved; everything is easy to discuss during cooperation, but it becomes very troublesome when it comes to parting with assets. Fortunately, while both nations fought for every inch of land and conceded nothing, they both had limits and would not touch the other's core interests.
Mu Dehao battled the Great Bear Commander-in-Chief for three hundred rounds. A day and a half later, he returned to Wei Huan's room.
At this moment, Mu Zhong's legs had fully grown back; all that remained was the finer nerve reattachment. He had just woken from a stupor, looking at those entering with bloodshot eyes.
Mu Dehao whispered to Wei Huan, who had accompanied them through the day and night: "Is it done?"
Wei Huan shook his head. "Not yet." His voice was raspy as he added, "The nerves haven't fully finished growing. Since we've reached this stage, it must be done perfectly."
The last sentence was for everyone present, especially Xia Yu. Xia Yu was indeed reaching her limit, but she knew this was her chance to prove herself. No matter what, she had to persevere. For a challenger, staying awake for three or four days was difficult but possible; however, repeating the same task for a long duration made her mind hazy, and her movements unconsciously slowed.
Reminded by Wei Huan, she regained her focus, concentrating entirely on these final steps.
Mu Dehao stepped closer and glanced again at his son's newly grown legs. They were as intact as if they had never been injured, with nothing visibly wrong. He had come in several times during the process, watching the legs lengthen bit by bit. Several times, tears had nearly burst forth, but he had held them back. At this moment, he finally couldn't hold out any longer; before the tears could roll down, he raised his hand to hurriedly wipe his eyes.
Then he smiled: "Everything is turning out well. A double blessing."
Wei Huan and Mu Zhong looked over simultaneously.
Mu Dehao said, "After a day of verbal battle, I finally got that old fellow to part with his treasure and hand over the resources that belong to us."
With a flick of his wrist, an exquisite flat wooden box appeared in his hand. He handed it to Wei Huan. "I know you need this. It was the resource I was most determined to get."
Wei Huan knew what it was without even opening it. Looking inside now, it was exactly as he had thought. Seeing the Diamond-tier black robe inside, even knowing that this garment was destined for him—and that even if the state couldn't get it, he would have traded for it privately—the feeling of having it handed to him like this was still wonderful.
"Yes, I need this robe very much."
A Diamond-tier equipment from the Tier 5 world was nearly equivalent to a "Pseudo-Divine" set from the primary worlds. The attributes of this robe were extraordinary.
[The Mage God's New Clothes]
Nether Power (Mana): +4,800
Nether Power Recovery Speed: +100%
Nether Power Effect: +3,000
Elemental Affinity: +500
Elemental Resistance: +500
Equip: Gain "Mist of Magic" effect.
Equip: Gain "Gate of Magic" effect.
Equip: Gain "Shield of Magic" effect.
[Blessing from the Stars]
[Blessing of the Mage God]
This robe was undoubtedly an existence comparable to an artifact at this stage. All these attributes, aside from the Nether Power Effect, were exceptionally suited for him.
First was the +4,800 Nether Power, which allowed Wei Huan to recruit nearly five extra Two-Headed Phantom Demons every day. Then there was the 100% recovery speed; although he hadn't tested it yet, his recovery would certainly be twice what it was now. Originally, he could recruit an additional four through natural recovery; now it would likely be eight.
In other words, the growth and recovery speed of Nether Power alone allowed him to recruit a total of 25 Two-Headed Phantom Demons daily. In less than a month, he could possess an army of a thousand Phantom Demons. The effect of a thousand Phantom Demons moving together meant that even without deploying other units, he could easily slaughter five Tier 5 Dark Beast territories.
Of course, the King-tier were exceptions.
The "Royal Will" and "Royal Dharma Image" possessed by the Dark Beast royalty were essentially "bugs" in the early stages of the challenge. The Dark Beast race followed the royalty's orders 100%, and the royalty could condense the power of all nearby Dark Beasts into a massive Dharma Image for battle.
And the Human race? Until Sequence 5, they still lacked sufficiently powerful Dharma Image-type abilities, leaving them severely lacking in raw power. At present, setting aside development, the Human race was not as strong as the Dark Beast race in overall strength. Thinking about it this way, for humanity to have resisted the Dark Beasts for eight years without a direct defeat was already remarkable. This was partly due to the flexibility of human war vehicles and partly due to the correct decisions of the leadership.
However, the balance of power between humans and Dark Beasts would soon undergo a new change. Individual civilizations indeed reached a turning point in the Tier 5 world. This wasn't just brought about by Wei Huan; from the evolution paths of various Sequence 5 classes to the potential abilities of Sequence 6, one could see how great humanity's potential truly was.
By contrast, the Dark Beast race was clearly an early-game race. Their strongest royalty numbered only 321 in total—and three were recently killed by Wei Huan, leaving only 318. Aside from these 318 who were powerful due to bloodline, the rest of the Dark Beasts were merely pawns. Not only was their ceiling limited, but they were also suppressed by the royalty and could never surpass them.
But for humans, the strong were not restricted. As long as one had talent, strength, and luck, they had a chance to reach the level of Dark Beast royalty or even surpass them. Would humanity have only 318 powerful individuals? Impossible!
Wei Huan had recently begun to realize that humans were a late-game race. The longer they persisted in the Challenge World, the more immeasurably powerful they would become in the future. Everyone a Mage God, everyone a Demon God, everyone a War God—how could the Dark Beasts compete with that? 318 was their hard limit!
More importantly, Wei Huan would not let their royalty survive until the end. As long as they dared to appear before him, he would naturally kill them all! He just wondered if the royalty he killed could be brought into his Great Tomb. Although he slightly looked down on them now, if they were recruited as pawns under his control and command, he wouldn't mind.
For a moment, his thoughts drifted far, filled with lofty ambitions as if the annihilation of the Dark Beasts was already at hand. Such thoughts were a bit silly; Wei Huan silently regained his composure and, under the expectant gazes of everyone, put on the robe.
He emerged from the adjacent room and saw Mu Zhong looking at him. Knowing that Mu Zhong was still enduring pain, Wei Huan specifically stood by his bed and asked, "How is it?"
"Very mysterious," Mu Zhong thought for a moment. "Very wicked." Then, seeing Wei Huan's raised eyebrows, he added at last, "And very handsome."
It was indeed handsome. After all, a Diamond-tier robe wasn't just about rare materials or simple auxiliary effects. A robe of this level was crafted with extreme care, from the cut of the fabric to the design of the style—it was exquisite. It felt light as a feather in hand, but once worn, it not only accentuated his figure but also featured special designs at the shoulders, waist, and hem, making Wei Huan appear tall, imposing, and even more cold and arrogant. Yet, despite its appearance, it was extremely comfortable, like wearing a set of pajamas at home, with no sense of restriction.
The material used was unknown, imprinted with complex magical patterns that not only made the robe look extraordinary but also granted immense attributes. As Wei Huan looked down at the robe, he also saw his latest data:
Name: Wei Huan (Pseudo-Artifact +75%) (Title +25%)
Age: 20
Class: Nether Realm Gatekeeper (Sequence 5)
Stamina: 11,000
Strength: 1,220
Agility: 1,066
Nether Power: 17,200 (Recovery Speed 100%)
Status: > 1. Dark Energy Accelerated Erosion
2. Hunted by Mofidi...
Equipped Spells: > "Mist of Magic"
"Gate of Magic"
"Shield of Magic"
Dark Mastery: +3
Summon Limit: 120,000+
Wei Huan's current attributes were terrifying, especially his Nether Power points, which were miles ahead of the second-place magic class—more than five times higher. It was this massive pool of Nether Power that allowed him to possess such a vast undead army and control them. It was important to remember that although the undead were not afraid of death, every time they were resurrected, it consumed Wei Huan's power. If the power was insufficient, the necromancer's human-wave tactics would be a joke.
"What are these spells like 'Mist of Magic'?" Mu Zhong was clearly also checking his current attributes via the "Heart of Steel" portable system.
The most powerful aspect of this robe was that it came with three innate magical effects.
"Shield of Magic" was the easiest to understand—a defensive shield carried at all times. Wei Huan felt it out and realized it was passive, meaning he was no longer afraid of ambushes, though the specific effectiveness would have to wait for testing.
"Gate of Magic"—Wei Huan could guess its function from the name. He cast the spell, and two gates appeared. He walked into the gate in front of him and stepped out of another gate immediately. It functioned similarly to the Kobold's teleportation portal. At first, Wei Huan thought this spell was redundant, but after further study, he found that the two sides of the gates could be set with coordinates; he could travel to any location in the current world, exceeding his summoning range. He could completely fight monsters tens of thousands of kilometers away during the day and return home to sleep at night. Viewed this way, the function was not wasted. The only pity was that since it wasn't a spell he mastered himself, he couldn't carry others; he could only travel between the two gates alone. The cooldown for one use was one minute.
Finally, there was the "Mist of Magic," a spell whose function was hard to determine by name alone. But in actual use, it proved very simple: it was a "Flight Spell." Consuming about ten points of Nether Power per minute, the Mist of Magic would envelop his body and move according to his will. As long as he had enough power, he could keep it active. Although Wei Huan already had the ability to fly, this was a nice addition; after all, he couldn't fly on his own and relied on Crypt Beasts. In case of an emergency, he now had a "second option."
All three skills equipped on the robe were useful, but the most practical was the "Shield of Magic." Mu Zhong also said, "We need to find someone to test it properly to know its tolerance."
Wei Huan nodded. "This robe strengthens me significantly. It might not make it in time for the Opening Battle, but in the long run, it was worth whatever price was paid for it." Wei Huan paused, looked at Mu Dehao, and said, "Uncle Mu, I have some Diamond-tier equipment on my ship. Take one to offset the cost of this robe."
Mu Dehao waved his hand and smiled: "I'm not being a stranger, and I'm not ignoring your great ambition to lead the human race to clear the game. But you must know one thing: as the strongest person of our human race, it is only right that we prioritize trading the things you need to you. That fellow Andreev argued with me until he was red in the face over other resources, but for this robe, once he knew you were the one to wear it, he never contested me from start to finish. You should know that while there are bad people among humans, there are many more who are sensible and remember your kindness."
Wei Huan nodded; Mu Dehao's words warmed his heart. It was precisely because of these open and upright people that the human race remained united. Even if some black sheep appeared, in Wei Huan's heart, the human race was always his people, the home he could return to after struggling in the Challenge World.
As for how many resources Wei Huan sent back or how many Mu Dehao had given him in the past, there was no need to calculate those fine accounts. They were one entity. If the human race truly perished, no matter how strong Wei Huan was, he would just be a wandering orphan with no home to return to.
Wei Huan talked with Mu Dehao while Mu Zhong listened intently. Until at a certain moment, a long sigh sounded. Xia Yu raised her parched, pale face, though her eyes were shining. She stood up and said, "Commander Mu, Colonel Wei, I have fortunately fulfilled the mission. I have completed the treatment of Colonel Mu's legs!"
Everyone looked over, and then toward Mu Zhong's legs. Even Mu Zhong himself stared fixedly at his newly formed legs. Then, under everyone's encouraging gazes, he propped himself up to sit, and slowly, gradually, tentatively moved his legs. Then he raised a hand and pinched his leg.
He used some force, leaving deep red marks. The pain caused Mu Zhong's eyes to fill with tears; he could only bow his head as the tears fell uncontrollably. Mu Dehao thought for a moment and signaled for Xia Yu to follow him out, leaving the space to Wei Huan and Mu Zhong.
There was naturally a bit of bitterness in his heart; a father's role had changed from accompaniment to protection. The person staying by his son's side had changed, and he felt both a sense of loss and happiness. Even though the marriage of Mu Zhong and Wei Huan had churned in his heart countless times with too much helplessness and compromise, seeing how stable their relationship was made him relieved. He consciously yielded the position closest to his son to that young man who loved his son just as much.
"Thank you, Xia Yu. Go rest well first; we'll talk about anything else when you wake up. I've already asked about your transfer; Commander Wang has agreed. The process is being handled now. If it's fast, you can board the ship before the Opening Battle." Aside from his joy, Mu Dehao personally escorted Xia Yu to the door of her room.
Xia Yu stood at the door. Though she was exhausted, her spirit was elated. These past few days felt like a dream; not only had she obtained the best inheritance and mastered the key to the Second Heaven, but she had also gained the chance to board Colonel Wei's war vehicle. Healing Colonel Mu's legs was an even better start. In the future, she would surely become more useful and an indispensable core member of that vehicle!
---
While Xia Yu fell asleep in a beautiful dream, Wei Huan had already helped Mu Zhong out of bed and was walking back and forth in the room.
"I'm just not used to it, but I can feel that the strength from my legs is very powerful. The Life Angel's ability wasn't just helping me regrow limbs; it was more like using my own cells to extend a pair of legs, so the quality of these legs is similar to my body. I just haven't felt sensation below my thighs for too long, so I need a little time to adapt."
From initially gripping Wei Huan's wrist tightly and taking every step with extreme caution, to now only lightly resting his hand while nearly walking as if flying, the progress was visibly immense. Equally rapid was the change in Mu Zhong's smile—that joy of recovering a lost treasure made him talk much more than usual.
Wei Huan supported Mu Zhong from the side, listening to him speak, his eyes filled with irrepressible smiles. Until at a certain moment, his hand dropped, about to let Mu Zhong go so he could walk alone. However, the slipping hand did not fully detach as intended but slid down Mu Zhong's wrist until it finally grabbed his hand, fingers interlacing, palm to palm.
"Let's go for a walk outside."
Mu Zhong pulled him back and led the way. Wei Huan followed with a smile, his eyes full of indulgence. They went to the balcony and saw the azure ocean outside. Light spilled from the sky, making the sea surface shimmer. A sea breeze blew toward them; amidst that soft warm wind, Wei Huan brushed aside the hair on Mu Zhong's forehead and placed a lingering, tender kiss on his brow. Mu Zhong hugged him back, holding him very, very tight.
---
November 24th was not originally a holiday, but today it became a date that drew the attention of the entire world. Many countries even chose to take the day off. Live-stream rooms were packed, and many media outlets and TV stations broadcasted the live-stream content. Various military expert groups, challenge experts, and others were invited to participate in the live broadcasts.
In Daxia, in major streets, residential areas, challenger camps, and challenger universities, banners were unfurled with the words: "Return in Triumph!" Many of the elderly got up early that morning to light incense for the Bodhisattvas, Guan Yu, and other deities in their homes, praying that the human race would achieve a great victory.
People on the streets were talking fervently, and the most frequently heard word was "Wei Huan."
"Wei Huan will participate in the Opening Battle this time, right?"
"Last time, although he didn't participate, he influenced the outcome of the battle in an unpredictable way. If he hadn't slaughtered a hundred thousand Dark Beasts and killed a Dark Beast King at the critical moment, it would have been very hard for humanity to win that battle."
"Wei Huan is so strong and has gone to the Tier 6 world. Logically, fighting for a chest or pioneering a ruin should be easily live-streamed. I watch every day but haven't seen it; is it because it's classified? But just how strong has he become? Can he win this fight?"
"I saw Wei Huan explore the Platinum ruin dungeon and pull a piece of an artifact from under the tentacles of the Demon God Morfid. That's already ceiling-level combat power for the Tier 5 world. Just how are the Dark Beasts supposed to fight? The Dark Beasts are still on the first floor while our powerhouse is already on the 99th floor looking down at them."
"We still need to be cautious and not too overconfident. The overall strength of the Dark Beast race is actually a bit stronger than ours. We can't pin all our hopes on one person. I hope the various legions can prepare for war rationally."
"It's about to start. Three minutes left. My god! I was scared to death during the Tier 4 Opening Battle and hoped time would move slower. This time it's the opposite; I hope the three minutes pass instantly. Go kill those bastards!"
A City Challenger University was the alma mater of Wei Huan and Mu Zhong. Ever since the two entered the Challenge World and surpassed the highest explored world of humanity, their school had become the most popular in Daxia. The new year's enrollment hadn't started yet, but those inquiring about transfers or qualification exams had already worn down the school's threshold.
The school's principal was invited daily by universities and challenger legions around the world to give speeches. The purpose was obvious; everyone was curious: how do you awaken the "Gravedigger sequence"? And were there any tricks to awakening a double sequence? If a student of this school went out and said, "I'm Wei Huan's alumnus," they would instantly become the most popular person in their village. Studying at the same school as Wei Huan and Mu Zhong made finding a wife much easier.
The only fly in the ointment was that the school had invited Wei Huan and Mu Zhong several times, hoping they could return for a speech when they were free. But Wei Huan had never agreed. Mu Zhong had agreed, but the timeframe was unknown. As time went on, everyone knew Wei Huan was extremely busy risking his life in the Challenge World to save humanity and fight Dark Beasts; he clearly didn't want to waste time on such superficialities.
There was naturally nothing to be angry about. Wei Huan was busy with the future of humanity and the safety of the Blue Star; he was the umbrella standing in front of all of them. He should be busy. So, although A City Challenger University had invited Wei Huan several times without success, the names and portraits of Wei Huan and Mu Zhong were already hung in the school's Hall of Fame.
For this Opening Battle, A City Challenger University even announced the suspension of classes during the fighting. Aside from entering the Challenge World for adventure and basic physical education, students at the school had to go to classrooms on time to watch the live-stream. If there was battle news at night, they also had to get up to watch. Furthermore, students from the second year and above, including graduate and master's students, had to be prepared to enter the Challenge World at any time.
Of course, this last point was an order issued before every Opening Battle. It was to ensure that at critical moments, even if they had to use their own bodies to face death, they would stop the expansion of the Dark Beast Lords. The students all expressed understanding regarding the school's notice not to rest and to be woken up if they fell asleep.
When can't you sleep? Do you have to sleep these two days? It's about the survival of humanity and the counter-attack; anyone who can sleep at such a critical moment is a pig.
At two minutes before six, the students of A City Challenger University were already seated in their classrooms. The classroom screens were projecting the live-stream. Every student also held a mobile phone, allowing them to choose their own perspective to watch once the broadcast began. The projected view in the classroom would undoubtedly be placed above the two armies and kept there, which was likely the choice of most people.
The rest would probably set their perspective on Wei Huan's war vehicle. Before the broadcast started, the classroom was a bit noisy with whispered conversations. The young people's faces were filled with heavy anticipation and irrepressible excitement, as if they were the ones about to step onto the battlefield.
In one particular second-year class, those sitting inside were especially nervous and expectant. While looking at their phones, they couldn't help but look toward an empty seat. Ever since their classmate had taken first place on the overall ranking of the primary assessment in one fell swoop and ascended to the school's Hall of Fame, that seat had been left empty. Even now, the principal would occasionally bring experts and scholars from around the world to take a look.
Undoubtedly, that was Wei Huan's seat.