Chapter 1
: Live Streaming the Kunlun Raid!
It's 3 a.m. in the ICU.
The electrocardiogram monitor emitted a monotonous and piercing "beep-beep-" sound, as if it were counting down the last moments of life.
Jiang Han stared at the ceiling, the stark white incandescent light stinging his eyes, but he barely had the strength to blink.
The piece of paper he was clutching in his hand was already wrinkled and soaked with sweat.
Critical Illness Notice
Each word above was like a rusty, dull knife, slowly and methodically slicing open his throat.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, late stage. Multiple organ failure.
The doctor's gaze as he walked out was as if he were looking at a corpse: "Notify the family. It'll only be a matter of two or three days. They can eat whatever they want."
Jiang Han wanted to laugh, but only managed to twitch the corners of her chapped lips.
Family members?
He's an orphan, he has no family.
His only "family" are probably the hundreds of thousands of haters on his phone who are waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
He laboriously moved his finger and swiped to open the phone screen.
The light illuminated his sunken eye sockets and bloodless cheeks, making him look like a vengeful ghost.
The inbox exploded with private messages, the red "99+" messages were alarming.
"I heard the streamer is in the ICU? Is it true? Is it scripted again?"
"Hey upstairs, have some confidence. Remove the 'won'. What wouldn't this guy do for clicks? Last time he faked a broken leg, this time he faked a terminal illness, next time is he going to livestream his cremation?"
"Hahaha, pop the champagne! That fraudulent streamer finally got his comeuppance!"
"I suggest the streamer just unplug the pipe live on stream; I'll gift ten Carnival virtual gifts!"
Vicious words buzzed around like flies.
As Jiang Han watched, the last trace of human warmth in his eyes was completely extinguished.
Instead, a kind of madness seeped from the depths of his bones.
This messed-up world.
Since you're so eager to see dead people...
Since it's a lose-lose situation either way...
"Then I'll take you to see the real hell."
He murmured hoarsely, his fingers suddenly tightening.
"Sizzle—"
He tore that critical illness notice, which looked like a judgment, to shreds!
Paper scraps flew everywhere, like paper money scattered in advance for this funeral.
In that very instant.
A violent ringing sound exploded in his head without warning!
"Buzz—!!!"
The world seemed to be muted, and then a cold, mechanical, yet supremely authoritative voice was imprinted directly into the depths of his soul.
[Host's health is nearing zero...]
[Host's mental state has been detected to be extremely abnormal (madness/desire for death/tyranny)...]
[Meets the binding requirements!]
[The "God-Level Forbidden Zone Exploration System" is forcibly connecting to the central nervous system... 10%... 50%... 100%!]
[Binding successful!]
Jiang Han's eyes widened suddenly, and her pupils contracted sharply.
A final burst of energy before death?
Or was it a hallucination before death?
No, the pain felt too real.
In my mind, a vast and terrifying three-dimensional map slowly unfolded.
That wasn't a city street, but a "restricted area" marked with countless red skulls.
The Sacred Tree of Qinling Mountains, the Cloud Peak of Changbai Mountain, the Ear of Lop Nur, the Bermuda Triangle...
At this moment, the red dot closest to him was emitting an eerie blood-red light, like a beating heart.
[New player quest has been released: Head to the "Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains"—Kunlun Mountain, Death Valley.]
[Mission Objective: Venture deep into Death Valley, locate the "Gates of Hell" magnetic anomaly, and survive for 24 hours.]
[WARNING: Danger level of this area: S (100% chance of death).]
[New player gift pack has been sent out, would you like to claim it now?]
Jiang Han stared intently at the red dot.
Kunlun Death Valley.
That place is a well-known no-go zone for humans. It is said that even herders' cattle and sheep will inexplicably turn into charred remains if they go in. It is constantly struck by lightning, and there are also legendary prehistoric beasts that are said to roam there.
Where to go?
Are they trying to die even faster than expected?
"Oh……"
Jiang Han let out a strange laugh.
go with!
Why not go!
Dying in a hospital bed is cowardly; dying in the Kunlun Mountains is heroic!
"Receive it," he murmured to himself.
[Ding! New player gift pack activated!]
[Item Acquired: Black Gold Ancient Blade (Use this blade to vanquish all evil spirits under heaven; weighs 108 jin; already stored in system space).]
[Acquired Bloodline: Ancient Qilin Bloodline (Not Activated)]
[Note: The Qilin bloodline is the purest and most potent Yang blood of heaven and earth, capable of suppressing all corpse poison, insect venom, and evil spirits. The activation process will be accompanied by the pain of "marrow cleansing and bone tempering," so please be mentally prepared.]
Activate now?
Jiang Han looked at the line of words, a ruthless glint in his eyes.
pain?
Even if it meant being slowly sliced to death, he would accept it as long as it allowed him to stand up again!
"activation!"
The instant the command is issued.
An indescribable torrent of scorching heat appeared out of nowhere in his heart.
Boom!
My heart skipped a beat, the sound so loud it was like a drumbeat in my chest.
Immediately afterwards, the heat surged through my blood vessels and rushed to every part of my body!
"Ugh—!"
Jiang Han clenched his teeth tightly, veins bulging on his neck, his whole body curled up like a boiled shrimp on the hospital bed.
This is not treatment.
This is a reforging!
He could clearly feel that the necrotic and decaying cells in his body were being frantically devoured and strangled by this domineering golden blood!
His bones were making a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound, as if an invisible hand was crushing and piecing them back together.
Sweat instantly soaked through the hospital gown, followed by black, foul-smelling blood seeping out.
Those were the corpses of cancer cells.
pain!
It hurts so much!
It felt like being thrown into Laozi's alchemy furnace, every inch of my skin was burning, and every nerve was screaming.
But amidst this extreme pain, Jiang Han sensed an unprecedented power awakening within him.
That power was violent, ancient, and supreme.
Like a divine beast that has been asleep for ten thousand years, it is opening its eyes inside his body and letting out a roar that shakes the heavens and the earth.
His left shoulder, which was originally as pale as paper, began to feel hot.
Dark blue lines seemed to come alive, slowly moving and outlining beneath the skin.
First came the sharp claws, then the scales, and finally a ferocious and majestic beast head.
Fire-Treading Qilin!
The moment the tattoo was completed, a fierce aura erupted, instantly dispelling the dense deathly atmosphere in the ward!
"Drip—drip—drip—"
The electrocardiogram monitor next to me suddenly started beeping wildly, and the readings instantly soared to a limit that no human could possibly reach!
Jiang Han suddenly opened her eyes.
A strange golden light flashed in those originally cloudy and dull eyes, before quickly disappearing and turning into a bottomless abyss.
He raised his hand.
The arms, which were originally as thin as a rake, are still not particularly thick, but the muscle lines have become extremely firm and smooth, full of explosive beauty.
Her skin had a subtle, jade-like luster beneath it.
He ripped the IV tube out of his body.
The needle drew out a string of blood beads, but he didn't even flinch.
The wound stopped bleeding, scabbed over, and healed within two seconds.
This is... Qilin blood?
Jiang Han sat up in bed and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor.
That feeling of weakness completely disappeared.
Instead, there was an extreme thirst for blood and battle.
He glanced at the bustling night view outside the window, a cold smile curving his lips, and whispered to the empty hospital room:
"Kunlun, I'm here."