The woman was dressed in the uniform of an Intermediate Cleaner. She had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, phoenix-like eyes, and wore matte lipstick.
However, right now, her lips were dry and cracked.
She was none other than Ji Xun, a foul-mouthed woman. According to the original plot, she was part of Chen Xuan's harem and the granddaughter of the Grand Elder of the Absolute Beginning Hall.
Beside her was a man. He wasn't very tall, looking quite delicate and handsome, standing at roughly 1.7 meters.
He seemed to have an introverted personality. He kept his head down, and when he noticed Xu Mu and Zhang Yuqiang, his eyes constantly darted away in avoidance.
However, the character for "Three" was written on his armband.
"Xu Mu!"
Ji Xun's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the person appearing before her.
She never expected to run into an acquaintance here.
The delicate-looking man beside her immediately pointed into the distance. "Senior Zhang, watch out!"
"Don't worry."
Xu Mu continued to release his Qi, expanding the range of his formation to a diameter of two meters, fully enveloping the people inside the cave.
The Transcendent realm expert charging at them from a distance stopped halfway. He looked around in search before turning around and leaving.
Seeing this, Ji Xun's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Xu Mu, you know how to use formations?"
"I know a little."
Xu Mu smiled and looked at Zhang Yuqiang. "Senior, let's go inside and talk."
"Alright."
Zhang Yuqiang let Xu Mu walk in first. He pierced his fingers into a massive boulder, slowly backed into the cave, and used the boulder to block the entrance.
However, the boulder couldn't form a perfect seal. Light still managed to shine through the gaps, so the inside of the cave wasn't pitch black.
"Senior, what exactly happened to you guys?"
Xu Mu asked as he sat on the ground, leaning against the wall.
"About a week ago, we received news that there was an inner world here. So, I brought a few Intermediate Cleaners in to investigate, and we eventually stepped into this formation."
Zhang Yuqiang gave a rough summary of what had happened recently.
The moment they stepped into the formation, their first thought was to get out, but they couldn't find an exit at all.
They even encountered Realm-Breaking level experts.
Zhang Yuqiang was only a council member. Although his overall strength was greater than that of the active sequence captains, there was still a significant gap between him and the Advanced Cleaners.
Facing Realm-Breaking level experts, he was completely powerless, let alone dealing with several of them at once.
Therefore, he led these Cleaners and quickly fled toward the palace. Eventually, they found that small door and stepped in here.
They originally thought they would be safe after arriving here, but they never expected this place to be even more terrifying than before.
Several Intermediate Cleaners had already died. Currently, other than Zhang Yuqiang, only these two were still alive.
"How have you survived this past week? Have you had to fight continuously?"
Xu Mu asked curiously after hearing the story.
"How is that possible? Who could fight non-stop for that long?"
Zhang Yuqiang shook his head slightly and added, "There's a curfew here. You can't fight at night, or you'll be killed."
"What? There's a curfew?"
Xu Mu was full of surprise.
"That's right. This formation also has day and night. But unlike the gradual transition in the outside world, it turns to night instantly here."
Zhang Yuqiang explained, "After that, a voice will ring out from the distant sky, warning that no one is allowed to go outside, otherwise they will die."
"Did anyone break the rules?"
Xu Mu asked curiously.
"Yes, and they were instantly killed by a lightning strike."
Ji Xun chimed in from the side. "I saw it with my own eyes."
Xu Mu nodded to himself. "That's not too bad, at least it gave you time to catch your breath. You guys haven't eaten much these past few days, have you?"
As he spoke, he took out a few bottles of mineral water and a few packs of dried meat from his storage space.
Seeing these items, the eyes of everyone present widened.
[Favorability +20]
Without waiting for Xu Mu to speak, Ji Xun grabbed a bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and chugged down a third of it.
"Xu Mu, your water really saved my life."
Zhang Yuqiang also took a bottle of water. "It's a pity I don't have a water attribute, otherwise I wouldn't be this thirsty."
As for the delicate-looking man, he kept his head down, wanting to take one but feeling too embarrassed to do so.
Xu Mu took the initiative to hand a bottle of water to him. "Don't be shy."
"Th... thank you."
The man immediately took it and nodded repeatedly at Xu Mu.
[Favorability +10]
Xu Mu inspected the man using the Eye of God, and his eyes suddenly widened. Good heavens, it was actually him.
Name: Jin Mo
Identity: Cleaner, second son of the Jin family of the Central Plains, supporting character in "Descent of the Dragon King".
Favorability: 10
Destiny Level: 7 (Max Level 10)
Xu Mu had a very deep impression of this person. In the original plot, he was a subordinate that Ye Chen took in during the middle stages of the story.
He possessed extreme talent. Because Ye Chen had once saved his life, he always treated Ye Chen as his idol.
In the later stages, he was the top expert by Ye Chen's side, second only to Xu Ningbing.
It could be said that in Ye Chen's late-stage battles, his strongest combat forces were Xu Ningbing and Jin Mo.
As for the veteran employee Huang Qu, although he still followed Ye Chen, he completely failed to keep up in the later stages due to his age.
According to the plot's introduction, this Jin Mo was the second son of the Jin family, a hidden family in the Central Plains.
Furthermore, he wasn't born to the legal wife, but to a concubine.
Growing up ignored in the Jin family, he developed a somewhat introverted personality.
Later, when he successfully advanced to the rank of Captain among the Cleaners, he discovered that the other captains around him were either descendants of sect masters or children of elders.
Being a typical grassroots commoner, he felt even more inferior.
Even when facing captains ranked lower than himself, he was extremely respectful.
As it stood, Xu Ningbing had completely sided with him and definitely wouldn't become part of Ye Chen's harem.
As for this Jin Mo, Xu Mu couldn't let him side with Ye Chen either.
Here, you must be hungry after all this time, right? Eat up, you need your strength to fight.
Xu Mu took the initiative to open the beef jerky and handed it to Jin Mo first.
Thank you...
Jin Mo said softly, taking it with both hands.
[Favorability +10]
Oh right, I forgot to introduce you. This is Jin Mo. You've seen his armband; he is currently ranked as the Third Captain.
Zhang Yuqiang said with a smile, He's still very young. I have a feeling that he'll be able to stand in the number one spot in the future.
Senior, I'm not that amazing. I'm already very content being in the third position.
Jin Mo muttered softly, keeping his head down as he gnawed on the beef jerky.
Senior, I haven't introduced myself yet.
Xu Mu suddenly smiled.
There's no need for that. Ji Xun called you Xu Mu just now, and since you brought up Jiang Huihui, I already know who you are.
Zhang Yuqiang chuckled, I've heard of your great name from Senior Wei.
I wouldn't call it a great name.
Xu Mu waved his hand dismissively and then asked, Since Senior has been here for a week, have you discovered anything?
At first, we all thought we had just entered an array and that the people here were real. But two days ago, I saw someone I had killed with my own hands reappear. That's when I realized that most of these people are fake.
Zhang Yuqiang looked at Xu Mu. However, there are real people around. Most of these real people belong to the Jiuli tribe, because someone delivers food and healing pills to them.
Xu Mu thought of Sister H; it was highly likely her.
Meanwhile.
Ye Chen and Huang Qu had already stepped into the palace, standing face-to-face with Li Chenshuang.
Upon seeing the woman in front of him, Ye Chen narrowed his eyes into a thin line.

uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.

s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!

to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”

his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…