met free Chapter 141 Whoever recognizes Flower Fruit Mountain shouldn't be deleted.
Chapter 141 Whoever recognizes Flower Fruit Mountain shouldn't be deleted.
The base of the stone tablet gleamed with a bluish light.
The light wasn't dazzling, as if veiled. Chen Fan stared at the flowing golden patterns on the surface of the stele, the lines rearranging themselves. The monkey face pattern solidified in the center of the stele, its mouth grinning with a hint of mockery.
[Rule marker status: Ready]
[Currently Hosted: High-Privilege Rule Core (Eukaryotic Embryo)]
Number of rules that can be entered: 1
Chen Fan raised his right hand. The rule sheet in his palm flew out automatically and hovered directly in front of the stone tablet. The paper was blank, waiting for him to write down the first real group rule.
A rumbling sound came from down the mountain.
The allied forces' second wave of attack had begun. Golden beams of light blasted in from outside the three gates, crashing into the remaining protective formation of Flower Fruit Mountain. The formation's light barrier trembled, and cracks spread like a spider web.
Marshal Ma roared from the mountainside, "Strategist! They've deployed the 'Script Correction Cannon'!"
"Hold on for another thirty breaths."
Chen Fan didn't turn around. He stared at the blank sheet of paper, his finger pausing at the top of the page. What should he write?
What are the coalition forces most afraid of?
Their biggest fear is that these "scrapped cases" will fall out of control. Their biggest fear is that these things that should have been deleted will gain a real foothold.
Chen Fan's finger fell.
As fingertips glide across the paper, golden lettering emerges:
"Those who acknowledge themselves are not subject to deletion because of the old script."
The handwriting is now finalized.
boom!
The stone tablet trembled violently. The monkey-faced pattern's eyes lit up with golden light, and two beams of light shot into the sky, exploding high above. Golden specks of light fell like rain, covering the entire Flower and Fruit Mountain range.
The light fell on each of the demons.
It fell on every member of the abandoned case team.
The Bull Demon King was enduring the combined attack of three Arhats at the mountain gate. His originally massive body was somewhat transparent, a sign of an unstable presence. A point of light landed on his shoulder, and his physical form instantly solidified. The iron cudgel in his hand suddenly became heavier, and with a sweeping motion, the three Arhats flew away like kites with broken strings.
"This power..." The Bull Demon King looked down at his hands, the lines on his palms clearly visible. "I'm not dodging anymore!"
Further away, the Jiao Demon King's navy was locked in fierce combat with the Heavenly Court's navy. A celestial general unleashed a "Character Deletion Talisman," a yellow paper scroll striking a carp spirit. This carp spirit was originally a discarded character from the Dragon Palace and should have vanished with this attack. The deletion talisman was affixed to his forehead, a burst of yellow light erupted, and then—
It's gone out.
The carp spirit touched his forehead, and the talisman fluttered down. He paused for a moment, then burst into wild laughter: "You can't delete me now!"
He thrust out his steel fork, piercing through the Heavenly General's armor.
Similar situations are occurring throughout the battlefield.
On the Allied flagship, the deacon in charge of revising tactics was deathly pale. The "script editor" screen in front of him was flashing red wildly, and lines of error messages were popping up:
The deletion command is invalid.
The logic behind the objective has been solidified.
[Warning: Rule-level conflict]
"Impossible!" The deacon tapped erratically on the screen. "How could they write high-level existence rules in a low-privilege area?"
A golden-armored general beside him removed his helmet, his forehead covered in cold sweat: "My lord, our 'Character Annihilation Array'... has been deactivated."
"What?"
"All magical artifacts that relied on the old script's permissions have been deactivated!"
At the mountaintop, Chen Fan watched the system notifications flooding the screen:
[Scope of application: The entire Huaguo Mountain area]
[The presence of the abandoned case team remains stable at 100%]
[Effectivity of enemy deletion and modification methods: decreased by 73%]
The monkey face on the stone tablet smiled even more broadly.
Chen Fan turned to face the battlefield below the mountain. His voice wasn't loud, but amplified by the rule monument, it resonated in the ears of every demon:
"From now on, anyone who acknowledges Flower Fruit Mountain should not be deleted."
"Your case is not scrapped."
"You are alive."
Before the mountain gate, the lesser demons, who had been suffocating under the weight, roared in unison. The weapons in their hands suddenly became heavy, a weight bestowed by "existence." A rabbit demon wielded a hammer taller than herself and smashed the wheel of a celestial chariot to pieces with a single blow.
The allied forces were thrown into disarray.
Having lost their editing privileges, they could only rely on brute force to fight. But these discarded case soldiers were now as solid as a rock, fighting with reckless abandon. A tiger demon that should have been "optimized" withstood three blows and tore through the armor of a celestial soldier.
"Retreat! Retreat first!" came the panicked order from the Allied flagship.
Chen Fan's lips twitched. Awesome.
This is just the beginning.
He looked down at the stone tablet. On the rules page, the new rule was glowing. The power of the rule was spreading, not only protecting Flower Fruit Mountain, but also beginning to penetrate further afield.
Chen Xuance stood motionless in the rear of the allied forces.
The black lamp in his hand, which had originally shone with only a tiny flame, now blazed wildly. The wick was completely engulfed, and black flames shot skyward, distorting the surrounding space.
Chen Xuance's face was hidden behind the black flames, making his expression impossible to see.
But the ground around him was cracking. The cracks spread outwards like snakes, the soil and rocks crumbled, revealing the pitch-black void below. That wasn't ordinary anger. It was the wrath of the very rules.
"Chen Fan."
The sound came from the black flames; it didn't sound like a human voice, but like the friction of metal.
"You think writing one rule can change the whole situation?"
Chen Fan stared at the ball of black flame: "At least for now, you can't delete my people."
"Your people?" The black flame flickered, emitting a sharp, piercing laugh. "Look inside the lamp."
The lights shone brightly even in the darkness.
The firelight wasn't shining outwards, but rather inwards. The light converged and compressed above the lamp's opening, gradually forming a human-shaped silhouette.
At first it was blurry, like a cloud of fog.
Then it solidifies.
It was an old man in a gray robe. His face was indistinct, and his figure was somewhere between reality and illusion. He stood atop the black flames, his gaze lowered, looking at Flower Fruit Mountain and Chen Fan as if he were looking at an ant.
Chen Fan's system was sending out alarms like crazy:
[Warning: Unauthorized privileges detected]
[Level: Observer (Higher Dimension)]
[Status: Projection Arrives]
The monkey face pattern on the stone tablet suddenly froze. The golden light receded, as if it had encountered a natural enemy.
The old man raised his hand. The movement was slow, carrying a hint of weariness. He pointed to Flower Fruit Mountain, pointed to Chen Fan, and a speck of gray light condensed at his fingertips.
The light did not shoot out immediately.
It hung on the old man's fingertips, like a sword hanging over everyone's heads.
Chen Fan's muscles tensed. He sensed that this new rule might prevent deletions and alterations, but it couldn't stop this thing. This was a higher-level force, beyond the dimensions of the current battlefield.
The old man spoke. His voice resounded directly in Chen Fan's mind, devoid of any fluctuation or emotion:
"Interesting little bugs."
"Let me see how long your rules can last."
A flash of gray light.
#Chapter 365 The Observer Arrives
The stone tablet blocked the gray light.
There were no earth-shattering explosions.
The gray light struck the surface of the stone tablet, causing the flowing golden patterns to contract abruptly before springing outwards.
Like a pebble thrown into the water, creating a silent ripple.
Chen Xuance's brow twitched.
His attack carried the authority of the new rules, enough to alter everything within its range. Even a high-level magical artifact should crumble instantly.
The stone tablet merely swayed.
The monkey face pattern on the surface grins and then disappears.
"There's something to it," Chen Xuance murmured. He raised his hand, and gray light gathered in his palm once more.
Just then—
The true core integrated into the base of the stone tablet above Chen Fan's head suddenly became hot.
A burning pain came from between Chen Fan's eyebrows, and a white light appeared at the edge of his vision.
It was not an attack.
It means "access".
The light of the black lamps had somehow permeated the entire battlefield. No, not permeated, but replaced it. The sky, which had just been faintly glowing, was now swallowed by pure darkness. Only around the stone tablet, a faint golden pattern still flowed.
A second voice rang out from the darkness.
Aged, smooth, without any undulations. Like one stone rubbing against another.
"Ninth Experimental Field, Evaluation Node, Seventh Intervention."
The sound penetrated directly into everyone's ears, as if it were echoing in their minds.
On Chen Fan's retina, lines of rapidly scrolling characters appeared, glaringly red:
[Core recovery progress: 78%]
[Rule Contamination Index: Critical]
[The behavioral sequence of the experimental subject 'Chen Fan': severely deviated from the preset trajectory]
[Recommendation: Remove all contaminated nodes and reset the experimental field]
"Observers," Chen Xuance said hoarsely, standing in the darkness, "you've finally shown yourselves."
A phantom image materialized in mid-air in front of Chen Fan.
It wasn't human-shaped. More like a blot of ink scattered by the wind, barely managing to piece together a human outline. It had no facial features, only a blurry darkness. Around it, space was subtly distorted, and light that approached it was stretched and broken.
"Chen Xuance," the observer said, "your recycling efficiency is below the threshold. Explain."
A gray light flickered from Chen Xuance's sleeve: "The target is embedded in the rule layer, and conventional removal methods are ineffective. Higher privileges are required."
"Higher authority is a last resort," the observer said, the blurry shadow turning to Chen Fan. "And you, Chen Fan. Your sequence of actions has created unpredictable variables. Initial assessments indicate that the 'dramatic deviation' you've generated exceeds all our historical records."
It paused.
"Very interesting."
"But just because it's interesting doesn't mean it's allowed."
Facing the imminent capture, Chen Fan did not retreat. He raised his head, the warmth emanating from the pages of the rulebook in his palm almost scorching his skin. He stared at the blurry figure. "So what?" he uttered only two words.
The observer seemed to laugh. There was no sound, but Chen Fan felt the surrounding darkness tremble.
"Your very existence is a mistake," the observer said. "But your mistake has given rise to possibilities we never foresaw. So, we decided... to watch."
"What are you looking at?"
"Let's see how this farce ends."
"Until you fail completely, or until you utterly destroy everything here, including yourself."
"We will not conduct any liquidation until then."
Chen Xuance's voice turned cold: "Observer, his potential has exceeded controllable limits. If left unchecked—"
"Then," the observer interrupted him, "if you fail again, we will grant you Level 3 privileges to completely format the underlying rules of this area. The consequences will be borne by you."
The light from the black lamp suddenly flashed.
The observer's phantom began to dissipate, like ink dripping into clear water, spreading and fading.
"The game continues."
The darkness receded.
The light was so bright that Chen Fan squinted.
The battlefield was still the same battlefield. Scorched earth, broken blades, demons and celestial soldiers lay scattered on the ground. But everyone looked up, staring blankly at the spot where the phantom had vanished. It was the emptiness of a fleeting moment, the soul ripped away, after witnessing something utterly beyond comprehension.
Marshal Ma's mouth was open, not closed.
The Bull Demon King gripped the axe handle, his knuckles cracking, but he remained motionless.
Even the Demon King of the Flood Dragon forgot about the wound on his chest, and his breathing stopped.
Chen Fan slowly exhaled. The breath condensed into white mist before his eyes, then was dispersed by the wind.
He turned his head and looked at Chen Xuance.
Chen Xuance remained standing there. The light from the lamp had faded, revealing his pale face. His face was expressionless, but something burned in his eyes. It wasn't anger, but the coldness that came after being utterly rejected.
The observer's words were like a knife, scraping away the last shred of his "decency." Inefficient. Requires authorization. Format if it fails.
He is no longer just a tool of the system. He is a discarded tool, awaiting final elimination.
Chen Xuance slowly raised his right hand.
That hand, which had been bathed in the dim light, was now exposed. Its skin was covered in fine cracks, like a dried-up riverbed, each crack gleaming with a greyish light.
He turned off the black light.
The movement was slow. His fingers gripped a recessed area on the edge of the dark light, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
The darkness seemed to be etched onto his face, an extension of his flesh. He pulled hard.
There was no blood.
But ashes-like fragments drifted down from his forehead and temples, disappearing as soon as they hit the ground.
The black light has been removed.
It was no longer shining in his palm, but just like a piece of cooled coal, rough and cold.
Chen Xuance looked down at it.
Then, he raised his head and looked at Chen Fan.
Their eyes met.
There was no mockery.
There was no anger.
There was only a pure, burning nothingness.
He opened his mouth, his voice not loud, yet it carried clearly across the deathly silent battlefield:
"The last time."
"A duel at the rule level."
"Are you ready to be completely deleted?"
He clenched his fist, and the black lamp shattered in his palm, turning into countless points of light that merged into his body.
The next instant, the space around him began to collapse. Not a physical collapse, but the wrinkling of "existence" itself. The edges of everything—the ground, the sky, the fallen corpses, the fluttering flags—began to blur and melt, like a painting soaked in water.
He stepped out.
This step did not touch the ground.
He appeared ten feet in front of Chen Fan, yet it seemed as if he had always been there.
He raised his hand, but there was no magical light or fluctuation of air currents.
He simply pointed a finger at Chen Fan's forehead.
Chen Fan felt a chill run down his spine.
It's not a threat.
The act of "editing" itself has already taken its toll.
The rules page vibrated wildly in my palm, so hot I could barely hold it. The gold patterns on the stone tablet swirled wildly, and the monkey face reappeared, emitting a silent roar.
The protective barriers to the mountain have long been broken.
All the reinforcements were stunned by the observer's presence and stood frozen in place.
No one can stop this one finger.
He had no choice but to block it himself.
Chen Fan bit his tongue, the taste of blood rushing into his throat. He held nothing back, pouring all his conviction, the cries of all the demons, and all his indomitable will into the rule page.
"Write!"
The rules page shone brightly, golden veins bulging like blood vessels, and a brand new, incomplete page struggled to materialize in the void—
[Eighth Experimental Field (Huaguo Mountain): Rejects all external rule deletions. Self-law: Existence.]
Two "laws" collided in the void.
No sound.
But in the ears of everyone on the entire battlefield, a sharp, shattering sound rang out.
Chen Xuance's finger stopped three inches in front of Chen Fan's forehead.
Fingertips touched that invisible law of "rejection".
The laws are crumbling. Golden light is peeling away piece by piece.
Blood trickled from the corner of Chen Fan's mouth, and his vision blurred. He knew he wouldn't last much longer.
Just then—
Chen Xuance's expression shifted slightly.
It wasn't surprise, nor was it solemnity.
Rather, it is a kind of... extremely slight distortion, close to "understanding".
He stopped, took a step back, and stood still.
He looked down at the finger he had pointed.
On the fingertip, there was an extremely tiny spot of light, neither gold nor black.
The spot of light was slowly...spreading.
Like a drop of ink falling into clear water.
Chen Xuance raised his eyes and, for the first time, truly looked directly at Chen Fan. The ethereal flame in his eyes seemed to be ignited by something, transforming into something colder and harder.
His lips moved.
No sound was made.
But Chen Fan read his lip movements.
—So it was you.
Chapter 367 The Final Limitations of the Original Design
The roar of the shadow behemoth shattered the mountain peak!
Chen Fan held his sword horizontally in front of him, staring intently at the black mist surging in from all directions. Each of the giant beasts was three stories tall, its burning red eyes like lanterns retrieved from hell.
"Kill!" Chen Xuance stood at a distance and uttered only one word.
The Shadow Beast moved.
They surged forward like a tidal wave, their sharp claws tearing through the air. Chen Fan was instantly overwhelmed by the attacks; every swing of his sword cleaved one in two, but more immediately followed.
Not right.
These monsters are endless.
Chen Fan glanced at the stone tablet out of the corner of his eye, and his heart sank. The new rule he had just acquired, "Rule Backlash," could only be used for passive defense, but it was too much of a drain on his resources in the face of this kind of relentless battle.
"Eukaryotes, analyze!" he shouted in his mind.
[Analysis complete. The Shadow Behemoth was generated by the core will of the experimental field. Each kill consumes the corresponding rule points. Host's current rule points: 178]
One hundred and seventy-eight points.
Killing one consumes ten points.
There are at least five hundred of these monsters.
"He wants to wear me down." Chen Fan understood Chen Xuance's plan, "to drag it out until I collapse on my own."
Just then—
"Chen Fan".
A familiar voice rang in my ears.
It is a eukaryote.
[Host, this isn't about fighting. Haven't you realized? No matter how many monsters you kill right now, it's useless.]
"What do you mean?"
[You have only been granted temporary access. The official ownership of the Ninth Experimental Field is not written into the rules. The more you kill, the greater the cost, but the final determination is not in your hands.]
Chen Fan cleaved the giant beast that pounced at him with a single sword strike, and took the opportunity to glance at Chen Xuance in the distance.
The other person crossed their arms, a smile playing on their lips, and just watched.
He is waiting.
Wait until you've exhausted everything, then come and collect the corpse.
"True core, tell me what other methods are there?" Chen Fan's voice was very calm.
Yes. But the risk is very high.
"explain."
[The original design limitation of the discarded case shell: you cannot write formal conclusions, only temporary continuations. This means that the Ninth Experimental Field, in your hands, will always be "temporary." But I just detected a vulnerability—]
The true kernel paused.
If you can gain enough public support in a short period of time, you can temporarily bypass the restrictions and officially define the ownership of the experimental field.
"Public endorsement?"
[Yes. All beings in the Three Realms who agree with the rules of Flower Fruit Mountain can be included. The more people there are, the higher the authority.]
Chen Fan suddenly wanted to laugh.
Isn't this just sending him to campaign for votes?
"How much do you need?"
At least 100,000.
One hundred thousand.
There are only a few thousand people in Huaguo Mountain at most now.
"Are you kidding me?"
No. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Host, don't forget what you hold in your hands now.
Chen Fan forced the giant beast back with a single sword strike, then suddenly looked up.
Rule marker.
He held the final right to interpret the rules.
"Everyone—"
Chen Fan suddenly withdrew his sword and retreated, gathering all his spiritual energy, his voice booming throughout the entire mountain peak.
"The Rules of Flower Fruit Mountain are here! The ownership of the Ninth Experimental Field is witnessed by all three realms!"
The moment that shout rang out, Chen Xuance's smile froze.
"Are you insane?" Chen Xuance finally spoke, his voice icy. "You exposed the Rules Tablet, are you trying to hasten your death?"
"I don't know if I'm crazy or not," Chen Fan said, pressing one hand against the stone tablet. "But I know one thing—"
"I can't write the official conclusion, but I can get the entire Three Realms to write it for me."
"As long as they acknowledge that the Ninth Experimental Field belongs to Huaguo Mountain, then it can be considered officially designated."
Chen Xuance's expression changed.
"you-"
"Friends from all walks of life!" Before he could finish speaking, Chen Fan's voice, enveloped in spiritual energy, resounded in all directions, "The Rules Stele of Flower Fruit Mountain is here! Today, we seek recognition from the Three Realms—"
"Whoever recognizes Flower Fruit Mountain retains the right to have it written into the rules!"
"Who objects—"
Chen Fan's gaze swept towards Chen Xuance.
"Those who are going to get their work edited will be!"
The entire mountaintop fell silent for a moment.
Then, the rule marker suddenly lit up.
Golden veins spread from the base of the monument, flowing across the entire stone like blood vessels. A line of text appeared on the surface of the monument:
[The process of determining ownership of the Ninth Experimental Field has begun]
[Current response: 1 people]
Chen Fan was stunned for a moment.
Someone responded so quickly?
He looked down.
The response is to the stone tablet itself.
The ownership of the rule marker has been confirmed.
[Respondent's Identity: Guardian of Flower Fruit Mountain (Rules Monument Spirit)]
Chen Fan: "..."
Does this count as cheating by one of our own?
But immediately, the second line of text appeared.
[Current response: 3 people]
Then it was 5 people, 12 people, 47 people...
The numbers are skyrocketing.
Chen Xuance's expression finally changed.
"What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," Chen Fan laughed. "They came on their own."
Shouts came from the foot of the mountain.
Those are the monkeys and their offspring from Flower Fruit Mountain.
They were emerging from their hiding place, kneeling before the rule-making monument, reciting the new rules they had just learned:
"Huaguo Mountain...accepts..."
With each sound, the numbers on the monument jump up and down.
The number of respondents has exceeded 500.
Chen Xuance finally realized something was wrong.
He raised his hand, and gray light gathered in his palm.
That's enough.
The gray light shone directly at the stone tablet.
however--
"Backlash from the rules."
Chen Fan uttered four words calmly.
On the surface of the stone tablet, the golden patterns instantly turned black and bounced back.
Chen Xuance grunted and took three steps back.
He looked down at his palm.
My fingertips are trembling.
"You—" He raised his head, and the vacant flame in his eyes finally flickered. "You actually dared to…"
"What wouldn't I dare to do?"
Chen Fan took a step forward and stepped onto the gravel.
"I've already told you that rule monuments can be used to launch rule-based attacks."
"Now, the rules of the game have changed."
"Chen Xuance, didn't you want to stall for time? Come on, let's see who gives up first."
The numbers on the monument are still rising.
One thousand, two thousand, five thousand...
The response spread from Huaguo Mountain.
The mountain spirits and wild monsters nearby sensed the aura of the rule monument, and some began to tentatively join in.
One, two, three...
A faint but real power gathered from all over the Three Realms.
Chen Fan could feel something forming inside his body.
That was the prototype of "formal characterization".
Once the number reaches 100,000, this experimental field will completely belong to the Chen family.
Chen Xuance stood there for a long time.
Suddenly, he smiled.
The laughter was soft, carrying an indescribable meaning.
"That's interesting."
"But do you really think that's enough to win?"
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The shadow behemoths suddenly stopped and began to retreat.
It's not about running away.
It is re-arranging the formation.
Chen Xuance looked at Chen Fan with a strange expression.
"Do you know why the Journey to the West system was able to win?"
"Because it's not fighting alone."
"Your rule-making stele is impressive."
"But it can only radiate a portion of the Three Realms at most."
Do you know what's standing behind me?
Chen Fan's heart sank.
"Higher levels."
"Not bad." Chen Xuance nodded. "I admit that your move surprised me."
"but--"
He raised his hand and pointed to the sky.
A crack appeared.
On the other side of the crack, several blurry figures stood.
"The game is over."
"kid."
The crack is widening.
The figures began to stride over.
Every step made the entire mountain tremble.
Chen Fan gritted his teeth and stared intently at the figures.
He currently only has 13,000 followers.
not enough.
But he had no way out.
The numbers on the monument are still rising.
People across the Three Realms began to put down what they were doing and look toward Flower Fruit Mountain.
Some are curious, some are watching, and some have already taken the first step.
A streak of light flew in from the north.
Then comes the east, the south, the west...
More and more streaks of light pierced the sky.
the goal--
Huaguoshan.
End of this chapter.
Chapter 368 The entire Three Realms gave me a shout of recognition
The numbers on the monument are still jumping.
Thirteen thousand.
Thirteen thousand five.
Fourteen thousand.
Chen Fan stared at the number, his palms sweating profusely.
not enough.
It's not even close.
He looked up at the sky. The figures were still approaching, each step carrying a suffocating sense of oppression. The aura of the observers was even more terrifying than he had imagined.
"How much longer?" Sun Wukong's voice came from the side, filled with suppressed urgency.
Chen Fan did not answer.
He couldn't answer.
Because he didn't know either.
The numbers on the monument suddenly accelerated.
Fifteen thousand.
Sixteen thousand.
Twenty thousand.
Thirty thousand.
"They're here," Chen Fan said in a low voice.
Throughout the Three Realms, people began to raise their heads.
On a desolate snow-covered plain in Beiju Luzhou, tens of thousands of demons halted in their tracks. They had been migrating, fleeing, and evading the Heavenly Court's pursuit. But now, they all stopped and gazed in the same direction.
Huaguoshan.
An old wolf demon covered in wounds stood at the forefront. His fur was already white, and a shocking scar marked his left eye. It was left three hundred years ago by the Heavenly Court's pursuers.
"Great Sage..." the old wolf demon murmured, "That's the Great Sage's place."
The demons behind him began to stir.
"Are you going or not?" someone asked.
The old wolf demon remained silent for a moment.
Then he raised his head and let out a long howl.
"go!"
"If Huaguo Mountain recognizes us, then we recognize Huaguo Mountain!"
Tens of thousands of demons transformed into streaks of light and soared into the sky.
The numbers on the monument suddenly jumped.
Thirty-five thousand.
forty thousand.
In the Eastern Continent, dozens of rogue cultivators gathered in front of an abandoned cave. They had all been wronged by the Cultivation Bureau. Their original cultivation paths had been forcibly rewritten, their original opportunities inexplicably taken away, and their original destinies crushed.
They survived.
But he lived like a dog.
"Look in that direction," a rogue cultivator pointed west, "Flower Fruit Mountain."
"What are they doing over there?"
"I don't know. But..." another rogue cultivator gritted his teeth, "the people from the Correction Bureau are on their way there."
"Then let's go."
"Crazy?"
"So what if she's crazy?" A female cultivator stood up. She was originally the heir of a small sect, but the sect was wiped out by the Rectification Department, and she was turned into a mortal. It took her two hundred years to cultivate her spiritual roots again. "They ruined us once, why can't we take a gamble?"
"What are we betting on?"
"I'm betting on that guy over there; he'll win."
Dozens of independent cultivators transformed into streams of light.
The numbers on the monument continued to jump.
fifty thousand.
Sixty thousand.
In the human world, in front of a City God Temple where incense has ceased to burn.
The temple keeper was an old man, wearing a patched Taoist robe. He had been tending this temple for sixty years. Sixty years ago, the incense offerings here stopped. It wasn't that no one came; it was that even if they did, it wouldn't make a difference.
The Heavenly Court will no longer accept prayers from this region.
The prayers of the people of this region floated in mid-air, unable to fall.
The old man knelt at the temple entrance, looking at the western sky.
"Over there..." he murmured, "someone's answering that call over there."
Behind him stood hundreds, even thousands, of ordinary people. They knew nothing of rules, systems, or the power struggles between the three realms. They knew only one thing—
They prayed for sixty years, but no one answered.
Today, someone responded.
"Go." The old man stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees, and said, "Let's go and kowtow to that person."
The numbers on the monument surged again.
70,000.
80,000.
One hundred thousand.
Chen Fan stared at the number, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid.
not enough.
He needs more.
"The old site of Wuzhi Mountain is beginning to be revisited!" Sun Wukong suddenly shouted.
Chen Fan suddenly turned his head.
He saw a golden beam of light shoot into the sky from afar, heading straight for Flower Fruit Mountain. That was the direction of Five Finger Mountain, the place where Sun Wukong had been imprisoned for five hundred years.
It's already a ruin.
But at this moment, the ruins were filled with people.
There are demons, humans, cultivators, and mortals.
They were all people who had witnessed Sun Wukong being imprisoned back then. They had mocked, insulted, and scorned that "demon monkey."
But at this moment, they all knelt down, facing Flower Fruit Mountain.
"We were wrong back then," someone shouted.
"We admit it!"
Golden beams of light merged into the surface of the monument, and the numbers on it surged once again.
150,000.
Two hundred thousand.
"The main route to the west has also begun!" Tang Sanzang's voice came from the other side.
Chen Fan turned his head to look.
In the west, another beam of light shot into the sky.
That was the direction of the journey to the West, the place where Tang Sanzang had traveled for fourteen years. The kings along the way, the people along the way, and the demons who had been "converted" along the way—they all stood up at this moment.
A king who was forcibly converted into an Arhat tore off his robe.
"I don't want to become a Buddha," he cried. "I want to be myself!"
A little demon who had been recruited smashed the golden headband on his head.
"I am not a dog of Buddhism!"
Countless sounds converged, transforming into a pillar of light that shot towards Flower Fruit Mountain.
The numbers on the monument continued to jump.
Three hundred thousand.
Four hundred thousand.
"Abandoned plot flow..." Chen Fan murmured, "There's also the abandoned plot flow."
As soon as he finished speaking, a third beam of light shot into the sky.
That was the most bizarre one.
It comes from the void, from those deleted, abandoned, and erased storylines. There are countless "non-existent" existences there—deleted characters, rewritten plots, and forcibly erased possibilities.
They have no physical form.
But they are conscious.
At this moment, those consciousnesses converged, transforming into a pillar of light that shot towards Flower Fruit Mountain.
"We were deleted," countless overlapping voices echoed from the void, "so we recognize you."
The numbers on the monument were jumping wildly.
Five hundred thousand.
Six hundred thousand.
Eight hundred thousand.
One million.
Chen Fan stared at the number, his whole body trembling.
One million.
One million likes.
He did it.
No.
not enough.
What he needs is the entire Three Realms.
"Tang Sanzang!" Chen Fan suddenly shouted.
Tang Sanzang looked up.
How many people are left on your side?
Tang Sanzang paused for a moment, then smiled.
"What do you want this humble monk to do?"
"Make them step forward," Chen Fan stared at him. "Openly switch sides. Let them know that with you, they no longer need to fear Buddhism."
Tang Sanzang nodded.
He turned and faced west.
"This humble monk was once Jin Chanzi," his voice clearly resounding throughout the three realms. "This humble monk once vowed to obtain the scriptures and save all sentient beings."
"But I was wrong."
"The Buddhist concept of 'salvation' is not about saving sentient beings, but about liberating sentient beings from suffering."
"They don't want believers, they want livestock."
"Today, this humble monk hereby declares—"
"This humble monk no longer believes in Buddhism."
"This humble monk only believes in himself."
Behind him, hundreds of figures stepped forward. They were former Buddhist disciples, mortals forcibly ordained, and brainwashed believers.
At that moment, they all raised their heads, their eyes clear.
"We'll follow the monk."
"I don't recognize Buddhism, I only recognize the Dharma Master!"
The numbers on the monument surged again.
One million two hundred thousand.
One million five hundred thousand.
"Bull Demon King!" Chen Fan shouted again.
The Bull Demon King couldn't wait any longer.
He took a step forward, his entire body radiating a murderous aura.
"I've been used as a pawn for five hundred years!" he roared. "Red Boy was captured, my wife was abused, and I've endured it all!"
"I can't hold back today!"
"Anyone who doesn't want to accept the old fate, step forward!"
"Old Niu will take you to hell with Heaven, to hell with Buddhism!"
Behind him, countless demon kings roared in unison.
"I refuse to accept the old destiny!"
"I only recognize Flower Fruit Mountain!"
The numbers on the monument were jumping wildly.
Two million.
Three million.
five million.
The figures in the sky finally stopped.
They hovered in mid-air, looking down at Flower Fruit Mountain and the constantly pulsating stone tablet.
One of the figures spoke.
"That's enough."
The sound was very soft, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"Do you think that having more people means you're more effective?"
"Rules are not voting."
"Identity does not change the essence."
Chen Fan raised his head and looked directly at the figure.
"Yeah?"
He smiled.
"Then why did you stop?"
Why aren't you coming over?
The figure fell silent.
Chen Fan turned his head and looked at the stone tablet.
The numbers on the monument are still jumping.
Six million.
Seven million.
Eight million.
"Where is Erlang Shen?" Chen Fan suddenly asked.
Sun Wukong paused for a moment, "He's on the Heavenly Court's battle formation."
"He didn't move?"
"without."
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes.
Authentic Erlang Shen.
It's not the one being manipulated by the system, it's the real Yang Jian.
He did not take sides.
But he didn't take any action.
Part of the Heavenly Court's battle formation had ceased. The soldiers still held their weapons, but their eyes were filled with confusion. They didn't know whether they should attack, or whether they should obey orders.
Because Erlang Shen did not give the order.
"He's observing," Tang Sanzang said in a low voice.
"No." Chen Fan shook his head. "He's waiting."
"What are you waiting for?"
"Waiting for a result."
Chen Fan stared at the stone tablet.
The numbers on the monument have finally stabilized.
Ten million.
Ten million likes.
Throughout the entire Three Realms, everything that needed to be acknowledged has been acknowledged.
Chen Fan took a deep breath.
"That's enough."
He reached out and placed his hand on the stone tablet.
The stone tablet trembled violently, and the golden patterns on its surface swirled wildly, eventually converging into a single point of light.
The point of light slowly floated up and landed in Chen Fan's palm.
[Eukaryotic embryo completion complete]
[Achieved: Qualification for formal rule writing (disabled)]
[Note: One rule-level rewrite is possible, but it is limited to a local area and is irreversible.]
Chen Fan grasped that glimmer of light.
He looked up at the figures in the sky.
"Now," he said slowly, "it's my turn."
The figures remained silent.
But their aura began to change.
From looking down, it became looking straight ahead.
The initial disdain turned into solemnity.
Chen Fan was about to speak—
The sky suddenly split open.
An aura far more terrifying than any of the previous figures surged forth from the crack.
That was a true observer.
It is not a phantom, not a projection, but a corner of the original body.
It has arrived.
"You think," the observer's voice echoed through the three realms, "that I would let you finish writing?"
A giant hand emerged from the crack.
It lunged directly at Chen Fan.
They reached for the glimmer of light in his hand.
"Give it to me," the observer said. "Stop."
Chen Fan gripped that glimmer of light tightly, his muscles tensed to the limit.
The giant hand was getting closer and closer.
The entire Flower and Fruit Mountain was trembling.
Everyone looked up at the hand, at the crack, at the being that was descending.
Sun Wukong took a step forward and stood in front of Chen Fan.
"Old Sun, I'll block you," he said without turning his head. "You write it."
Tang Sanzang also stepped forward.
"This humble monk will also stand in the way."
The Bull Demon King roared, unleashing his murderous aura as he charged toward the giant hand.
"Old Niu goes first!"
Countless figures soared into the sky, rushing towards the giant hand.
But that hand was too big, too strong, and too terrifying.
All attacks are as fragile as paper in its presence.
It is still approaching.
Chen Fan stared at the hand, at the light emanating from it.
He only has one chance.
An opportunity to write.
He had to write.
But what to write?
The giant hand was already above their heads.
Chen Fan gritted his teeth—
End of this chapter.
Chapter 369 No one can interrupt my writing
"boom--"
The first beam of light slammed down.
The spear of light was as thick as a roof ridge, entirely gray-white, and carried an aura of judgment. The moment it fell, the entire Flower Fruit Mountain trembled.
"They're here!" came the monkey's voice.
Sun Wukong soared into the sky and swung his golden cudgel in a wide arc, smashing down on the target.
"when--"
With a deafening roar, the light spear was deflected, grazing the mountain peak before landing in the sea. The seawater exploded, and waves surged dozens of feet high.
But this is only the first step.
The second, the third, the fourth...
Ten beams of light pierced down from the sky, like ten giant nails, trying to nail this piece of sky down.
"I'll do it!" the Bull Demon King roared.
He and Zhu Bajie charged towards the two nearest beams of light, one on the left and one on the right. The Bull Demon King's double axes and Zhu Bajie's nine-toothed rake slammed down simultaneously.
"Bang bang—"
The two beams of light shattered.
But the third one was already overhead.
"Master!" The little white dragon transformed into its true form, its roar shaking the heavens, and flew towards the third spear of light.
"boom--"
The dragon's body collided with the light spear, exploding in a blinding flash. The little white dragon was thrown back, a piece of its scale shattered. But it managed to deflect the light spear.
"And another thing!" Tang Sanzang said calmly.
He stood behind Chen Fan, holding a tin staff in his hand. The monk looked up at the sky, his eyes showing no fear.
"Although I have lost my magical powers," he said calmly, "my eyes can still see."
The fifth beam of light descended.
Tang Sanzang raised his tin staff.
"when--"
He was slammed into the ground, half his body submerged. But the light spear was also blocked.
"Master!" Chen Fan saw it out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes welled up with tears.
"Don't stop." Tang Sanzang's voice came from the earth, calm as ever. "Continue."
The sixth, the seventh...
One light spear after another.
On Flower Fruit Mountain, everyone was moving.
The abandoned case army rushed up.
Those abandoned characters were now acting like madmen. They shouldn't have existed in the first place, so now they had nothing to fear.
"kill!"
They charged toward the eighth spear of light, slashing with their swords, biting with their teeth, and ramming into it with their bodies.
A figure exploded.
Another figure exploded.
But the light spears were also deflected by them.
"Ninth!" someone shouted.
The fragment of Yang Jian's broken tail moved.
It was a phantom with three eyes but only two legs. Its tail, which it had severed in the previous battle, was now unleashing unprecedented power.
"Well--"
The fragment rushed towards the ninth spear of light and actually hugged it directly.
"boom--"
The light spear shattered.
The fragments have also been scattered.
But before he left, he turned back and glanced at Chen Fan. There was no hatred in his eyes, only relief.
Worth it.
The tenth spear of light.
This one is thicker and shinier than all the others.
It was aimed at the top of Chen Fan's head.
"Watch out!" Sun Wukong shouted and rushed back.
But he was too far away.
The Bull Demon King was entangled. Pigsy was entangled. The White Dragon Horse lay on the ground, unable to move. Tang Sanzang, buried in the ground, had just crawled out.
No one had time.
The light spears fell.
Chen Fan suddenly looked up.
He didn't dodge.
He cannot hide.
Because he held the pen in his hand, and the rule page beneath it was already half-opened.
It's just one word different.
He only needs to add one word, and the rules on this page will be completely finalized.
The light spear reached above his head.
Chen Fan gritted his teeth and endured it.
"boom--"
The light spear struck his shoulder.
He knelt down, his knees embedding themselves deeply into the rock. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his shoulder was a bloody mess.
But he didn't let go.
The pen is still in my hand.
"Hiss..." Chen Fan gasped, his vision blurring from the pain.
But he saw it.
Chen Xuan made a plan.
That guy had been standing by, observing coldly from the beginning. Now, he's seized this opportunity.
Chen Xuance charged toward Chen Fan.
He wanted to steal the limelight.
"Get out of my way!" Sun Wukong swung his staff at him.
Chen Xuance dodged to the side with incredible speed.
"I only want the tip of his pen," he said indifferently. "You can't protect him."
"Then let's give it a try!" The Bull Demon King attacked from the side, slashing at Chen Xuance with his double axes.
Chen Xuance raised his hand and gently flicked it.
A beam of black light shot out, knocking the Bull Demon King back more than ten steps.
"So powerful..." The Bull Demon King's expression changed.
But Chen Xuanze did not linger in the battle.
He bypassed the Bull Demon King and continued charging towards Chen Fan.
The eleventh spear of light arrived.
This was descended by the observer himself, carrying the true meaning of judgment.
The phantom condensed in the air, raised its hand, and pointed.
This single finger strike was more terrifying than all the previous light spears combined.
Chen Fan's heart pounded wildly.
It's over.
He definitely can't stop it this time.
Just now.
"Whoosh—"
A beam of light shot from afar.
"when--"
The arrow struck the finger of judgment, but it deflected it.
Chen Fan suddenly looked up.
The west.
Erlang Shen stood atop a mountain, his bow still smoking.
His arrow just now saved Chen Fan.
"Yang Jian?!" Chen Xuance also saw him and frowned.
Erlang Shen did not speak.
He simply drew his bow again and fired another arrow.
"Whoosh—"
The second arrow was aimed at the twelfth spear of light.
The light spear shattered.
"Erlang Shen..." Chen Fan murmured, "You..."
Erlang Shen stood atop the mountain, his figure upright.
He didn't say anything.
But the actions have already spoken for themselves.
He was helping Chen Fan.
Even if it's just a secret favor, even if it's just two arrows.
This is enough.
Chen Fan took a deep breath.
He straightened up again, aligning his pen with the rule page.
No one can interrupt now.
The light spears were either blocked or deflected. Chen Xuance was entangled by the Bull Demon King and Sun Wukong and could not get through for the time being.
The eukaryotes are glowing.
The draft resonates.
The agent's seal hovered above the rules page, casting a hazy blue light.
The pen strokes fell.
Chen Fan was about to write the first character.
On the rules page, the previous content is waiting. Now, a beginning is needed.
A beginning that will make the rules on this page effective.
Chen Fan picked up his pen.
The ink was golden, exuding majesty.
He dipped it in, and then—
The pen tip landed on the paper.
"No...."
He wrote the first word.
The character is complete.
The rules page suddenly lit up.
Then, it came to an abrupt end.
End of this chapter.
Chapter 370 The Ninth Experimental Field, No Longer Your Sole Control
"What exactly is the first...word?"
Chen Fan picked up his pen, the tip hovering above the rules page.
This single word carries immense weight.
The pen tip falls.
"male."
"male!"
The moment the words were written, the true core of Huaguo Mountain resounded with a deafening roar.
A golden light shot into the sky; it wasn't a pillar of light, but a tsunami.
The light of the eukaryote poured out in all directions, redefining everything in its path.
The thirty-three heavens of the Heavenly Court are collapsing.
It's not a physical collapse, it's a legal collapse.
The "legitimate" label hanging above the Lingxiao Palace is peeling off.
That label is gold; it represents the foundation upon which the Heavenly Court rules the Three Realms.
With the labels peeled off, the celestial beings of Heaven instantly lost their source of power.
The pagoda of Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, is shattered.
Nezha's Wind Fire Wheels are destroyed.
The giant axe of the Titan, rusted.
The Curtain-Rolling General's demon-subduing staff is broken.
The magical treasures and weapons that the Heavenly Court was so proud of all became ineffective in the face of this light.
"Because this was never yours to begin with."
Chen Fan picked up his pen and continued writing.
The second character.
"common!"
On the rules page, the word "public" is listed side by side.
The brilliance of the eukaryotes shone forth once more.
This time, the light enveloped the entire Xiniu Hezhou.
Lingshan.
Great Thunder Temple.
The Buddha sat on a lotus throne and suddenly opened his eyes.
He sensed something.
Something he hadn't felt in a long time.
--threaten.
The threat from Flower Fruit Mountain.
There is also a label above Lingshan.
"Orthodox Buddhism"
But now, that label is crumbling.
A crack appeared, then a second, a third...
"impossible……"
The Buddha stood up.
For the first time, he stepped down from the lotus platform.
He is the Buddha, the ruler of the three realms; he should not have emotions.
But now, he has it.
Because of the rules.
The rules revealed by the true kernel of Huaguo Mountain are stripping away its legitimacy.
Buddhism is no longer the orthodox religion in the Three Realms.
The Western Paradise is no longer a paradise.
All the monks, all the believers, all the Buddhist scriptures...
At this moment, everything becomes ordinary.
Without the blessing of orthodoxy, the power of Buddhist faith is collapsing.
The eighteen Arhats have fallen from their spiritual realm.
The protector of the Garan has lost his power.
The jade bottle in Guanyin Bodhisattva's hand has developed a crack.
"impossible……"
The Buddha spoke again.
But his voice no longer carried any composure.
All that remained was disbelief.
Chen Fan finished writing the second character.
On the rules page, the word "Public" is listed side by side.
The light of the true core has already covered the entire Three Realms.
Heaven, Mount Ling, and the mortal realm.
All the labels were stripped away at this moment.
The Heavenly Court is no longer legitimate.
Buddhism is no longer orthodox.
The Bureau of Revision is no longer orthodox.
The black light array of the Correction Division is malfunctioning.
Every black light is going out.
Chen Xuance stood in the array of dark lights, his face ashen.
"impossible……"
"This is impossible..."
"This is only the first word..."
"Only two words..."
"How is that possible..."
He couldn't accept it.
But the facts are right before our eyes.
The power of rules exceeded his imagination.
The black lamp in Chen Xuance's hand was trembling.
This is not a tremor of power, but a tremor of essence.
The definition of "blackout" is being revised.
The Amendment Division is no longer the rule-maker.
They are merely the administrators of the Three Realms.
Moreover, they are managers who can be replaced.
The first crack appeared in Chen Xuance's black light.
"Click..."
A crisp sound.
The black light is cracked.
Chen Xuance took a step back.
The black light he was so proud of, the black light he relied on for survival, has cracked.
"impossible……"
"This is impossible..."
Chen Xuance stared at the black lamp in his hand, staring at the crack.
The crack is widening.
The fragments of the black lamp began to peel off.
Then, a second crack appeared.
The third way.
The lamp was covered with cracks.
Chen Xuance looked at the black lamp in his hand.
This was his last resort.
But now, that support is gone too.
"Wow--"
Chen Xuance coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Black blood.
This is a backlash.
He suffered the consequences of breaking the rules.
Chen Xuance knelt on one knee.
The black lamp in his hand shattered completely.
Fragments were scattered all over the ground.
Each fragment is losing its luster.
Everything is becoming ordinary.
Chen Xuance raised his head and looked in the direction of Flower Fruit Mountain.
"Chen Fan..."
"I underestimated you..."
His voice was trembling.
It was not a tremor of power, but a tremor of the soul.
He lost.
Utter defeat.
At least, at this moment.
Chen Fan stood atop Huaguo Mountain, the pen still in his hand.
On the rules page, the word "Public" is highlighted.
But he knew that wasn't enough.
Just a start.
A beginning.
He still has a lot to write.
There are still many rules he needs to establish.
There are still many things he needs to break down.
But at least, he has taken the first step.
"The Ninth Experimental Field will no longer be yours to monopolize."
This was what he initially wanted to write.
That is also what he ultimately wants to achieve.
The Three Realms should not be monopolized by any single power.
The rules of the Three Realms should not be set by any single power.
The Three Realms should refer to the Three Realms of all sentient beings.
It is not the Three Realms of Heaven.
It is not the Three Realms of Mount Ling.
The Three Realms are not for observers.
Rather, it is the Three Realms of all people.
Chen Fan picked up his pen and wrote the third character.
"Everyone!"
On the rules page, the three words are listed side by side.
The public.
The brilliance of the eukaryotes shone forth once more.
But this time, the light was no longer golden.
It became transparent.
It turned colorless.
A colorless light enveloped the three realms.
This is a completely new set of rules.
A rule without any labels.
A set of rules that belong only to all living beings.
The immortals in Heaven discovered that their power was fading.
It's not disappearance, it's stripping away.
They became ordinary living beings.
No longer aloof and superior.
The Buddhas of Mount Ling discovered that their magical powers were disappearing.
It's not disappearance, it's stripping away.
They became ordinary practitioners.
No longer aloof and superior.
The reformers of the Correction Bureau discovered that their power was disappearing.
It's not disappearance, it's stripping away.
They became an ordinary organization.
No longer aloof and superior.
All beings in the Three Realms discovered that their bodies were changing.
An unprecedented power awakens within me.
This is……
"The power of all living beings?"
Chen Fan murmured.
This is the power of all living beings.
This is the rule he wants to establish.
The power of all living beings will no longer be monopolized by any single force.
The power of all beings belongs to all beings.
Chen Fan put down his pen.
On the rules page, three words are glowing.
The public.
This was the first rule he wrote.
The Ninth Experimental Field belongs to all living beings.
The right to interpret is no longer exclusively held by a single upper-level module.
This is the ceiling he wants to break through.
But he knew this was just the beginning.
Chapter Thirty.
There are only thirty chapters.
A system notification sounded.
The rules are now in effect.
[Validity period: Chapter 30.]
Please complete the rules within the validity period.
Otherwise, the rule will be overridden.
Chen Fan frowned.
Chapter Thirty.
In other words, if he doesn't complete the second rule after Chapter 30, the first rule will become invalid.
Even, it was covered up.
At that time, the Heavenly Court, Mount Ling, and the Cultivation Bureau will all make a comeback.
Even stronger.
He needs to accomplish a lot within thirty chapters.
But he had no choice.
He had no choice but to continue.
Write the second rule.
The rules for Day Three.
Until a complete set of rules is established.
Until, the Three Realms truly belong to all living beings.
The Bull Demon King walked up to him.
"How did it go? Did you win?"
Chen Fan shook his head.
"We didn't win."
"It's only just begun."
Chapter Thirty.
"We only have thirty chapters."
The Bull Demon King was stunned.
"Thirty chapters?"
"What can thirty chapters do?"
Chen Fan did not answer.
He just stared at the pen in his hand.
Chapter Thirty.
Three hundred chapters.
Still thirty chapters.
time is limited.
He needs to speed things up.
The Bull Demon King looked at him and suddenly laughed.
"What's there to be afraid of?"
Thirty chapters it is.
"Back then, the old ox was trapped under the mountain for five hundred years, and it still survived."
"Thirty chapters? That's nothing."
Chen Fan nodded.
"right."
"That's bullshit."
He turned around and looked down at Flower Fruit Mountain.
Countless living beings are gathering.
They felt the power of the rules.
They saw hope.
The Heavenly Court collapsed.
Lingshan disintegrated.
The correction is invalid.
This is an era that belongs to all living beings.
This is his era.
But he knew this was just the beginning.
The real challenge is yet to come.
The observers will not give up easily.
The Heavenly Court will not let this go.
Lingshan will not admit defeat.
They will launch a counterattack within thirty chapters.
They will launch a counterattack before the rules expire.
He needs to defeat all the counterattacks within thirty chapters.
He needs to establish rules that truly belong to all living beings within these thirty chapters.
He needs to give the Three Realms hope within these thirty chapters.
Eternal hope.
Rather than, the illusion of Chapter Thirty.
Chen Fan took a deep breath.
Then, I picked up my pen.
Start writing the second rule.
On the rules page, the pen tip falls.
"No...."
"The first rule has taken effect."
"Rule number two..."
"Begin writing."
End of this chapter.
Chapter 371 Rules Have Time Limits
Chen Fan's pen tip hovered over the rule page, golden light overflowing from it.
The first character, “第”, has been written, its strokes bold and graceful, exuding an unquestionable majesty.
As the second character was written, the rules page shuddered violently. The entire page glowed with a bluish light, like ripples spreading across water. The bluish light swept over the mountain peak, seeping into every stone and every peach tree of Flower Fruit Mountain.
"Is it done?" the Bull Demon King asked in a gruff voice, his eyes wide open.
Sun Wukong stared at the blue light and scratched his cheek: "It's a bit like... the feeling of being enveloped in Buddha's light when I was suppressed under the Five Fingers Mountain, but it's wilder."
Chen Fan didn't reply. He felt the rule page warming slightly in his palm, breathing like a living thing. The first rule—"Huaguo Mountain is an island of freedom, not subject to the Heavenly Laws; all living beings may come to join us"—was taking effect. Outside the mountain, the clamor of the allied forces' retreat could be faintly heard, but where the blue light reached, even the wind was still.
Just then, a hair-thin crack appeared without warning in the upper left corner of the rules page.
Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
The crack was extremely faint, almost invisible in the bluish light, but it was definitely there. Moreover, the crack was slowly extending, like ice flowers on glass.
"Chen Fan?" Tang Seng approached unnoticed, his voice low. "You don't look well."
Chen Fan took a deep breath and focused his mind on the system interface. There were no new prompts, but a twisted, dark gold line of text was seeping from the bottom of the rules page, like blood seeping from stone:
[Limited time offer: 30 chapters. This rule will be automatically lifted after 30 chapters.]
Thirty chapters?
Chen Fan's mind raced. Thirty chapters, in the time scale of the Journey to the West world, might only amount to a few dozen days, or at most a few months. It's short for mortals, and even more so for immortals who often seclude themselves for thousands of years.
But for him, that was enough. And it had to be enough.
"Observer," Chen Fan muttered to himself.
There was no response. But the next second, he heard a faint resonance in his ear, like a rusty gear being forced to turn. A voice, mixed with countless noises, came through intermittently:
"...Trap...Total recovery...After chapter thirty...you will...understand..."
The sound stopped abruptly.
Chen Fan suddenly looked up. Sun Wukong, the Bull Demon King, and Tang Sanzang were all looking at him, their eyes questioning.
"The first rule is set," Chen Fan said, his voice steady. "But there's a condition—it can only last for thirty chapters."
"Chapter Thirty?!" The Bull Demon King slammed his hand on the stone table, making the teacups jump around. "Isn't this a trap? We just caught our breath, and now we have to fight again?"
"It's not war," Chen Fan shook his head. "It's reconstruction."
He stepped out of the stone pavilion atop the mountain and faced the foot of Flower Fruit Mountain. A blue light, like a curtain, enveloped the cheering monkey demons, the resigned old subordinates, and the newly arrived scattered demons. In the distance, the retreating allied forces were in disarray, the flags of Heaven and Mount Ling askew, clearly indicating that command had fallen into chaos.
"Look," Chen Fan pointed downwards, "the allied forces were defeated, but the Heavenly Laws have not fallen. The Heavenly Court is still here, Mount Ling is still here, and those forces that did not participate in the war, such as the True Martial Emperor, the Great Savior of Suffering, and even the Nine Luminaries, are all watching."
"What are you looking at?" Sun Wukong jumped to Chen Fan's side, carrying his golden cudgel on his shoulder.
"Let's see who's qualified to interpret the new rules." Chen Fan sneered. "The first rule says that Flower Fruit Mountain is an island of freedom, not subject to the Heavenly Laws. But what are the Heavenly Laws? Who decides them? Right now, we're the strongest, so they say Flower Fruit Mountain has the final say. But after Chapter Thirty, the rules will become invalid, and the Heavenly Laws will be restored—unless we write a second rule within Chapter Thirty, permanently rewriting the Heavenly Laws."
The air went still for a moment.
"What should be written in the second rule?" Tang Sanzang asked, his eyes sharp.
"We need the 'Original Conclusion Page'," Chen Fan said, emphasizing each word. "That's the foundation of rule writing, an original 'conclusion' that hasn't been tampered with by any force, like the first footprint. Without it, the second rule can't be written."
"Where is that thing?" the Bull Demon King pressed.
"I don't know. It might be in the Tushita Palace, on the lowest level of the Leiyin Temple's Sutra Repository, or even deep within the Nine Netherworlds." Chen Fan's gaze swept over everyone. "But one thing is certain: all the forces will try to hide it or destroy it before we do."
"Then let's rob it!" Sun Wukong grinned, revealing his white teeth. "Old Sun is best at robbing."
"It's not just about looting." Chen Fan pulled up the mental map—a simplified map of the distribution of forces in the Three Realms—and highlighted key areas with a golden light. "Listen carefully: In the Red Lotus region, the remnants of the former Heavenly River Navy are currently observing and need to be quickly recruited or scourged; in the Emerald Cloud Mountains, Princess Iron Fan and some demon kings are unclear about their attitudes. They may remain neutral or take the opportunity to expand; in the Northern Continent, those old demons who have been suppressed by the Heavenly Laws for thousands of years are restless and must be kept in check. Otherwise, if they cause trouble, our backyard will be on fire."
He went through each item one by one, speaking faster and faster.
"Therefore, within thirty chapters, we need to do three things: First, consolidate Flower Fruit Mountain and spread the concept of 'freedom' from the first rule to attract more living beings; second, send out three vanguard teams to control key nodes and find the original conclusion page; third, suppress any forces that take advantage of the chaos to establish our authority."
"I will guard Flower Fruit Mountain," Tang Sanzang said, putting his hands together in prayer. "This humble monk can take advantage of the new rules to set up the 'Purifying Lotus Formation.' Outsiders who travel three thousand miles into the mountain will automatically reveal themselves, without the need for a single soldier."
"Old Bull, lead a team to Red Lotus." Bull Demon King patted his chest. "Those shrimp soldiers and crab generals, I, Old Sun, beat them up easily back in the day."
"I'll go to Beiju Luzhou myself." Sun Wukong leaped onto a cloud. "Those old monsters need to be reasoned with using fists."
Chen Fan nodded: "I will be stationed at Huaguo Mountain to oversee the overall situation, and at the same time... I will try to write the second rule."
"What do you want to write for the second rule?" The Bull Demon King squinted.
Chen Fan looked at the rules page. Under the blue light, each word of the first rule shimmered, as if it were breathing. He recalled the hundred years under the Five Finger Mountain, and the system notification that "the Journey to the West System will eventually be overthrown."
"Write down the heavenly rules, and all living beings can change them," he said softly, but each word sounded like a hammer striking a stone.
Before the words were finished, an explosion was heard in the distance.
In the southeast direction, flames soared into the sky.
"Report—" A little monkey scrambled up the mountaintop, "In the Emerald Cloud Mountain area, a demon king has raised an army, claiming that 'the new rules belong to the strong,' and has already breached two mountain peaks, heading towards Flower Fruit Mountain!"
Chen Fan didn't even flinch. He knew chaos was coming, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
"How many troops?"
"About eight thousand, mostly elites of the old demon king, led by the Nine-Headed Insect."
"Nine-Headed Insect?" Sun Wukong scoffed. "That thing I crippled back then dares to jump around?"
"Perfect." Chen Fan turned around and looked at the demon soldiers who were organizing their troops down the mountain. "Use these eight thousand heads to show the Three Realms that the new rules of 'freedom' are not something that anyone can steal."
He walked to the rules page and picked up a pen.
He didn't write the second rule—insufficient conditions. Below the first rule, he added a line of small, blood-red text:
Outside Flower Fruit Mountain, the rebels die.
The moment the pen touched the paper, the entire Flower and Fruit Mountain roared and shook the heavens.
The azure light surged, transforming into countless sword energies that shot out from the mountain, pointing straight to the southeast.
Down the mountain, the shouts of eight thousand demon soldiers shook the heavens as they charged into the territory of Flower Fruit Mountain.
Then, the sword fell.
There was no sound. But the eight thousand demon soldiers, along with the nine-headed worms on their heads, instantly turned to ashes. Not even their souls remained; they were utterly annihilated.
The spies from all sides who were watching from afar were all suffocated.
Rules can really kill.
Moreover, they killed him so easily.
Huaguo Mountain was deathly silent, both inside and out.
Immediately, a thunderous cheer erupted.
Chen Fan put down his pen. The blood-red characters on the rules page slowly faded, merging into the blue light. He turned his head and looked at the northern sky—there, an extremely dark streak of light was tearing through the sky at a speed that defied the laws of physics, fleeing towards the Nine Netherworlds.
It was Chen Xuance.
He didn't die because of the rules.
But the other half of the main volume is also gone, along with the black light.
"Trying to run away?" Sun Wukong bared his teeth, ready to give chase.
"No need," Chen Fan said, pressing him down. "He's carrying something, so he won't dare to act rashly. Besides..."
He looked up at the sky. At the edge of the blue light, faint dark gray ripples were spreading, like cracks in a regular page reappearing in the sky.
The observer's words echoed in his mind: "Total recovery, after chapter thirty..."
"We don't have much time left," Chen Fan said, his voice low so only the core members could hear, "but... it's enough."
He looked at the rules page again. The first rule shone brightly with a bluish light. But the edges were cracked.
Chapter Thirty.
After Chapter Thirty, everything starts over, unless the second rule is fulfilled.
The original conclusion page must be found within Chapter Thirty.
"Pass on the orders." Chen Fan turned to face the demons, his voice echoing throughout the mountain, "First, the three vanguard teams shall depart immediately; second, the entire mountain shall prepare for battle, and there shall be no slackening for the next thirty chapters; third..."
He paused.
"Tell the Three Realms—the new rules, thirty chapters. These thirty chapters are the final window to freedom. Those who comply will live; those who rebel will be like nine-headed worms."
With his last words, he shouted towards the sky.
In the distance, towards the Heavenly Court and Mount Ling, several divine thoughts fluctuated violently before falling silent.
At the foot of Flower and Fruit Mountain, cheers thundered.
But Chen Fan knew that this was just the beginning.
He glanced one last time at the dark streak of light fleeing into the depths of hell, picked up his pen, and wrote the first word on the blank page:
"No."
Chen Fan put down his pen, the blue light faded, and Flower Fruit Mountain returned to calm, but everyone knew that a storm was on its way.
Rules may have time limits, but human kindness is priceless.
he thinks.
Then, he turned around and made arrangements for military affairs.