"You... are you okay?" Dong Chengling asked with some surprise. "Didn't you feel anything?"

Ren Suo shook his head. He glanced at the livestream chat and noticed a barrage of comments like 'That scared me to death,' 'I fell off my bed,' and 'I almost became impotent,' which indicated that countless viewers had been affected.

Was there just an emotional storm attack?

Having experienced four previous waves of 'Despair Shock,' 'Violent Infection,' 'Domination of Fear,' and 'Arrogant Contempt,' Ren Suo looked at the sky beast in front of the Truth Seeker on the screen and scratched his face. "I didn't feel anything at all..."

Ren Suo had been lying comfortably on the sofa just a moment ago, yawning and watching the replay, feeling nothing unusual.

Dong Chengling first looked at him with astonishment. Then, her expression gradually softened, and a faint smile emerged on her lips. "That's good."

Just then, the screen suddenly darkened. The floating, colossal eye in the sky suddenly tilted and fell, covering the sky like the heavens collapsing onto the mountain summit!

BOOM!

With a deafening sound, the giant fish occupied all the space on the ten-thousand-meter-high summit of Mount Hyjal!

Moreover, because the Truth Seeker had just dispersed the fierce winds and swept away the debris and Ice Spires from the summit, the surface, though uneven, was fairly flat. Thus, the giant fish pressing down encountered almost no resistance.

As the giant fish pressed down, Dong Chengling and Little Jiu again felt a dismal aura wash over them, making it hard for them to breathe. However, thanks to their recent experience, they quickly freed themselves from this emotional suppression.

At the same time, an Ice Pillar rose from beneath the giant fish, piercing through its body and releasing a cloud of gray dust. A proud, beautiful, blonde-haired figure stood unharmed atop the Ice Pillar, bathing in the sky's Radiance!

Faint voices emanated from the giant fish's wound, mixing with the dust and Smoke, quickly dissipating:

"Effort might not bring success, but laziness definitely brings ease."

"God, life is already like this; just let me dream nicely."

"You say no, no, but aren't you obediently going to work? Such hypocritical integrity... I don't want to be that person."

"The ancients were impressive, each one dreaming of immortality. When I have free time, all I think is 'I don't want to live.'"

...

Seeing the Truth Seeker injure the giant sky fish, Dong Chengling's and Little Jiu's feelings of Despair were instantly swept away. They were replaced by an excitement as radiant as sunshine, as if they'd been injected with an adrenaline rush. Suddenly, many plans popped into their minds.

"Go traveling, pursue a PhD, go bungee jumping, learn figure skating, eat delicious food everywhere, watch the sunrise from Mount Hyjal Summit, plan a grand wedding, reach the fourth transformation in 30 days..."

The world before their eyes suddenly became vibrant and colorful; everything around them was so appealing. It seemed as though the blood cells in their bodies had turned into cute little girls running around, filling them with endless Energy, as if all their desired wishes were just within reach...

"Brother Suo, let's go to Joyous World Waterpark!" Little Jiu immediately turned, grabbed Ren Suo's arm, and shook it.

Ren Suo sighed. "The waterpark is so far away... And I still have Cultivation and stuff..."

"Little Jiu wants to go out and play! Little Jiu wants to go out and play!"

"Ask Sister Ling if she wants to go..."

"Aww, Brother Suo, you promised, you promised!" Little Jiu wheedled, her eyes sparkling.

"Stop shaking, stop shaking. Let's finish watching this livestream, and then we can discuss it."

Dong Chengling looked at Ren Suo with surprise. Although she quickly suppressed the excited thoughts in her heart, when Little Jiu suggested going to the water park, an idea popped into her mind: I've never been there before; why not go for fun?

Unexpectedly, Ren Suo had stabilized his emotions even faster and didn't rashly agree to Little Jiu's request. His mindset was as Immovable as a Mountain, still focused on Cultivation!

"Ren Suo, you've grown," Dong Chengling couldn't help but commend him.

Ren Suo looked at Dong Chengling and Little Jiu somewhat perplexedly, then at the livestream chat. What happened now?

He glanced at the livestream chat and saw that all the comments were: "I'm going to confess my love soon!" "I'm going to get into the Sky Capital Supernatural Academy this year!" "I'm going to propose marriage next!" "The world is so big, I want to see it!" "I'll spend another ten thousand; I don't believe I won't get anything!"

What's going on? The livestream chat has turned into a wishing wall?

Just as Ren Suo felt confused, the Truth Seeker standing on the Ice Pillar suddenly shouted. She first swung her weapon three times, sending three streaks of Radiance falling to carve three massive wounds on the giant fish!

Before the giant fish could recover, she gathered Fiery Flames in her hands. In an instant, wind fueled the fire, transforming it into two wildfire phoenixes. She commanded them to dive, while a solid ice surface spread beneath the giant fish on the summit of Mount Hyjal, trapping it in an ice cauldron!

The flames burned through the fish's flesh!

A languid sigh echoed through the sky. The massive gray fish, trapped in the ice cauldron and scorched by Fiery Flames, seemed to cook instantaneously. Those three massive wounds burst open from the flames, yet its body quickly achieved full Recovery moments later!

SNAP!

The massive gray fish rebounded, leaping far below the clouds, flipping over, and smashing down again!

The Truth Seeker easily defended against the Attack and then continually bombarded the massive gray fish with Spells of flame, frost, light blades, and storms. The onslaught was relentless, wave after wave, without the slightest gap!

But the massive gray fish seemed invincible, recovering quickly no matter how it was attacked.

It always stared at the Truth Seeker with dead-fish eyes, emitting lazy cries, rolling over every once in a while, again and again!

It seemed it wasn't fighting but sleeping in bed, occasionally turning to change its sleeping position!

However, Dong Chengling and Little Jiu watched with great enthusiasm. Every time the massive gray fish was injured, their blood, muscles, and even their marrow seemed to hum satisfyingly, and their minds became clearer, excited beyond control!

Only Ren Suo frowned slightly. He noticed comments occasionally flashing in the chat: 'I have awakened!' 'Life is so wonderful, I didn't expect to achieve Awakening too!' He hesitated for a moment, then quietly asked, "Cheng Ling, has your Qi Cyclone started spinning on its own?"

"Hmm? Yes," Dong Chengling replied, intently watching the screen, not noticing Ren Suo's strange expression. She said excitedly, "Although I've resonated with my Qi Cyclone spinning during a few previous livestreams, the resonance this Truth Seeker livestream has brought me feels even stronger than the earlier ones!"

Is it because this particularly resonates with my state of mind? Defeating decay, eliminating laziness, encouraging hard work, diligence, and Temperance? Dong Chengling's face flushed, and she seemed genuinely happy. "I love this feeling."

Little Jiu swayed back and forth, shouting loudly, "Little Jiu loves it too!"

Ren Suo looked as though he had eaten something foul, feeling Depressed. He finally realized a fact—only he wasn't affected by the emotional storm and didn't gain any benefit from this livestream!

He used Rippling Spring Sounds to question the Truth Seeker: 'What's the deal? Why can't I gain Cultivation by watching you fight that Strange Creature?'

The Truth Seeker's voice seemed to carry a hint of laughter. 'Because… you have no resonance.'

Ren Suo: 'What resonance?'

The Truth Seeker: 'I don't know much either. But from what I understand, you gain Cultivation benefits by watching our battles with a Source of Disaster because when the Source of Disaster is injured, it represents a reduction in the corresponding part of the collective Willpower of all living beings.

'We, in fact, are to portray the exact opposites of these Willpowers. Only by doing so can we truly destroy these sources of emotional turmoil.

'Newcomers in battle still need Destiny to arrange specific Keys for them to play their roles. We don't have these specific Keys, so we can only try to act them out.'

Ren Suo reflected on the two boss fights he had experienced as Disaster Girl. Both times, he had obtained blessings like the "Dust of Hope" or assistance from the "Heart of Courage."

Although these buffs weren't very useful, they indeed labeled Disaster Girl—she represented Hope and Courage, so it was natural and justifiable for her to fight Despair and Fear.

Ren Suo: 'But what do you do without the Keys?'

Truth Seeker: 'We don't have "specific Keys," but we do have "Keys"—it's just that the damage will be lower during battles. I originally didn't have any Keys at all; it's thanks to Mr. Sun that I learned the Skill of using them.

'Moreover, Mr. Sun and I can generally portray most character archetypes, so it doesn't matter if we don't have specific Keys; we can act them out.

'Take Mr. Sun, for example. He confronts the Source of Arrogance Disaster, so he must exhibit a spirit of Rebellion against heavens and earth. He says he's very well-suited for this role.

'Mr. Sun thought this enemy was a suitable match for me, so he sent me here.

'Now that I see it, it is indeed so.

'For the Source of Laziness Disaster, I must be its natural enemy.'

'Rebellion' against 'Arrogance,' and 'Diligence' against 'Laziness,' huh…

Although the Handsome Monkey King could also play the role of 'Diligence,' there's no doubt the Truth Seeker is more suitable—she seems like a perpetual motion robot assembled from concepts like 'Tenacity,' 'Diligence,' and 'Never Give Up'!

Ren Suo hadn't expected that his choice of the Truth Seeker would so fittingly match the game's plot!

Indeed, the Destiny of game characters depends not only on their own efforts but also on the progress of the game...

"That's not right!" Ren Suo suddenly exclaimed, remembering his question. He mentally projected to the Truth Seeker: 'I was asking why I can't freeload... I mean, why I can't watch you fight and gain Cultivation!'

Truth Seeker: 'Because the essence of "Watching Cultivation" is that humans, while watching, resonate emotionally, which induces the free Spiritual Energy and scattered Emotional Energy to contribute to automatic Cultivation.

'Most people are very complex. They are sometimes filled with Despair, sometimes Hope, sometimes conceited, and sometimes humble... Rarely is someone "pure"; most people's emotional makeup changes continuously with their environment.

'However, if someone possesses a "pure personality," and that personality happens to be predominantly negative, then… they might not benefit from watching battles, unable to receive the Spiritual Energy feedback brought by positive traits…'

Ren Suo twitched the corner of his mouth. "That's too far-fetched, isn't it?! I'm not that lazy!"

He finally understood. Previously, when he watched game characters battle against Despair, Violence, Fear, and Arrogance and managed to increase his Cultivation, it was because he embodied the opposites of these emotions: Hope, goodwill, Courage, and Rebellion.

Now, he gained nothing from watching the Truth Seeker beat up the giant fish because he... lacked the spirit of diligence?!

Truth Seeker: 'Did you feel yourself being invaded by Laziness just now?'

Ren Suo: 'No.'

Truth Seeker: 'That's correct. Only fire can be immune to fire; only Cold Ice does not fear Cold Ice.'

Ren Suo's thoughts took a turn. He finally understood: the Truth Seeker was saying he had completely taken on the form of Laziness...

Ren Suo: 'I usually pursue Cultivation diligently! How could I possibly be this lazy?!'

Truth Seeker: 'It's not necessarily absent; there might just be very little of it...'

Ren Suo: 'But I don't feel anything at all!'

Truth Seeker: 'I'm busy here. We'll talk later.'

Ren Suo: 'We're using Mind Communication! And you're currently thrashing that fat-headed fish effortlessly. Did you think I couldn't see that?'

Ren Suo looked Depressed. Was he just a bit lazier than normal people? Not pursuing Cultivation despite having good Cultivation Techniques, not practicing despite having good Spells, and always dragging his feet with work or dumping it on his female students... Was this harsh judgment really necessary?

However, it was already a foregone conclusion that he wouldn't benefit this time, so he changed the topic. 'So, did you learn Mr. Sun's Spells?'

Truth Seeker: 'I can only grasp the basics. Mr. Sun's Spells are closely related to his True Form. I can't reach his level in a short time.'

The secret technique of the Devouring the Spirit of the World naturally resonated with Spiritual Energy, allowing one to either devour it or open Spiritual Apertures. Although the Truth Seeker could only learn a bit of the basics, it was still formidable—this was an innate Talent, a Skill inherent to game characters, one Ren Suo couldn't even dream of snatching!

Ren Suo: 'If other people also have similar Innate Divine Abilities, could you learn them as well?'

Truth Seeker: 'Learning them completely might be impossible, but if they're willing to teach me, I can at least produce a weakened version with one percent of the effect.

'This mainly depends on the threshold of the Divine Skill. Divine Skills that rely on one's True Form have an extremely high threshold. However, if a Skill relies on Knowledge, Consciousness Power, or proficiency, I might be able to learn it completely.'

As expected from the Truth Seeker, whose strength was second only to the Devouring the Spirit of the World and Ren Han!

Ren Suo involuntarily sucked in a sharp breath. The Truth Seeker's Talent made him envious, but he didn't even dare to feel Jealousy—the gap was too vast.

In other words, if it were possible, the Truth Seeker could fully learn the unique Talents of all Ren Suo's game characters, becoming a terrifying existence, a true master of all arts!

Of course, that was all theoretical. Not to mention the difficulty of learning other unique Innate Divine Abilities, just making two game characters appear simultaneously was already challenging. This time, Ren Suo had used two holiday promotions to summon both the Truth Seeker and the Devouring the Spirit of the World at the same time; such opportunities might not always be available in the future.

If Ren Suo had more Rippling Spring Sounds moments, he might be able to frequently summon game characters to exchange knowledge and learn. However, each exchange would increase the game character's Star-level experience. If a game character's Star-level increased too quickly, Ren Suo might not be able to summon them using Rippling Spring Sounds. Then, no matter how strong she became, she wouldn't be able to help him...

While Ren Suo was lost in thought, the massive gray fish, after enduring over twenty minutes of relentless bombardment and countless flips, finally let out a wail like a shut-in being dragged out of their home. Its gray body then exploded into dust and vanished!

"Death to laziness!" Little Jiu clenched her small fists and clapped, exclaiming with a wide, happy smile, "Laziness has finally been defeated!"

Seeing this, Dong Chengling also smiled sincerely, as if witnessing a great evil disappear from the Human World. She turned her head to look at Ren Suo, somewhat surprised. "Ren Suo, you don't seem very happy?"

"Not at all! I'm delighted! Death to laziness!" Ren Suo shouted the slogan, then patted Little Jiu on the head. "So, the diligent Ren Xiaojiu has to finish all her homework and tests today! And no playing on your phone to slack off, okay?"

"Okay!"

Hearing Little Jiu's energetic reply, Ren Suo paused, then a sense of complete relief washed over him.

Forget it. If accepting emotional resonance means adopting this twisted kind of diligence, then I choose to maintain my true self.

A mere bit of Cultivation, and it thinks it can warp my personality?!

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