423: Chapter 423 Directly taking down a level 100 enemy?

The collapse of the trial space happened in an instant.

"If it's Lack of Virtue, then so be it." Chen You closed the panel.

All attributes increased by 20%, the first strike is forced to double with a critical hit, and 10% ignore dungeon rules.

These stats are way too high.

A white light flashed, and the scene before Chen You's eyes quickly restructured.

Cangxing City in the dead of night.

This once lifeless wasteland-style city had now been transformed into a cyberpunk city that never sleeps by Chen You's infrastructure frenzy.

Huge holographic projections in mid-air looped highlights of the "Voice of Star Source" auditions.

Chen You stood at the edge of the teleportation array as two fully armed City Guard patrolled past.

The two of them swept their gaze over Chen You.

In the next second, the two two-meter-tall heavy-armored guards suddenly stopped in their tracks, their halberds hitting the ground with a "clack" as they knelt on one knee.

"Salutations to you! Respected Lord Lack of Virtue!"

Their voices were loud, echoing through the streets.

Chen You was just about to wave in greeting when his hand froze.

The "Highly Respected (Pseudo)" effect attached to the title was indeed impressive.

But this name was simply too lethal.

"Rise," Chen You said with a straight face. "Call me Lord Overlord from now on."

"Understood! Lord Lack of Virtue!"

Chen You gave up on communicating, waved his hand, and headed toward the City Lord's Mansion.

Just then, a crimson exclamation mark popped up on his retina.

[Ding! Detected that player "Chen You" has become the first existence in this era to obtain a "Virtue" name.]

[Special Quest Triggered: Divine Audience.]

[Quest Description: The City Lord of the City of Gods (Level: 100) has sensed the birth of a new "Virtue" and has developed an extremely strong interest in you.]

[Please proceed to the City of Gods to receive an audience with the City Lord.]

[Note: The City of Gods is the absolute core of the Source Realm and is currently not open to any players. You have obtained a one-time cross-realm teleportation permission.]

Chen You stared at the words "Level 100," and his eyelids twitched.

Level 100?

Currently, Salos of the Titan God Clan, who is ranked first on the server-wide level leaderboard, is only level 92.

This City of Gods is actually a level 100 main city?

"Isn't this jump a bit too large?" Chen You rubbed his chin.

Since it's a main city, there shouldn't be any danger.

Based on his understanding of the Source Realm, this hidden quest was most likely another attempt to scam him of his gold coins.

Let's go see what's going on first.

He clicked [Accept Teleportation].

Boom!

A golden pillar of light, thicker than any before, descended from the sky, piercing straight through the night sky and swallowing Chen You whole.

The weightlessness of space tearing lasted only for a moment.

When Chen You opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on an outrageously wide White Jade Divine Path.

There was no sky, and no earth.

All around was an endless sea of stars, with massive nebula whirlpools slowly rotating in the far distance.

The entire divine path floated in the cosmic void, with hundred-meter-tall divine pillars standing on both sides, carved with ancient totems of unknown meaning.

The air was filled with spiritual energy so dense it almost turned into liquid.

"If I were to open an AFK room here, how much money could I make in a day?" Chen You instinctively began to calculate.

But soon, his attention was drawn to the guards on both sides of the divine path.

On the left was a row of ten-meter-tall warriors, bare-chested, with muscles as knotted as rocks.

On the right was a row of six-winged archers, holding longbows flowing with starlight, their eyes cold and arrogant.

[Celestial Guard]

[Level: ???]

[Health: ???]

Nothing but question marks.

These gatekeepers were at least fifty levels higher than him.

Chen You swallowed hard, straightened his back, put on the air of the Lord of the White Jade Capital, and stepped forward.

He had only taken two steps.

"Clang!"

Hundreds of Celestial Guards on both sides knelt on one knee in unison, their heavy armor crashing against the white jade floor with a deafening roar.

"Greetings, My Lord!"

The collective roar of the level 100 guards made Chen You's eardrums ache.

But he keenly noticed that the moment these guards bowed their heads, their eyes darted strangely toward the top of his head.

Chen You instinctively looked up, as if checking the two golden, shining words "Lack of Virtue" above his head.

Clearly, the title's effect was also active in the City of Gods.

It's just that the expressions of these guards looked like they were forcefully holding back some complex emotion.

"Everyone, rise," Chen You coughed dryly, quickened his pace, and rushed toward the grand palace at the end of the divine path.

The bronze giant doors of the palace were not closed.

Chen You crossed the threshold, and before him was a giant hall so vast it could fit two aircraft carriers.

At the end of the hall, a throne crafted from star fragments hung high.

On the throne sat a man.

He wore a plain white robe without any decoration, his long hair falling loosely.

He had no exaggerated physique of the God Clan, nor did he have magnificent wings.

He looked like an ordinary human, yet the surrounding space constantly collapsed and restructured with his breathing.

[City Lord of the City of Gods — Uranus Rad]

[Level: 100 (Limit Break)]

Uranus slowly opened his eyes.

They were eyes without pupils, within which the birth and death of the sea of stars flowed.

"You have arrived, my new colleague."

The voice wasn't loud, but it exploded directly in Chen You's mind.

Chen You steadied his mind and cupped his hands slightly. "The City Lord is too polite. You can just call me Little Chen."

Uranus's gaze fell upon Chen You, then shifted upward.

The air in the hall suddenly froze.

One second.

Two seconds.

A full half-minute passed, and Uranus did not speak.

This supreme existence, who had ruled the Source Realm for countless eras, had a rare flash of bewilderment on his face, which hadn't shown any emotional fluctuation for billions of years.

"I have guarded the City of Gods for thirty thousand years," Uranus spoke slowly, his tone carrying an indescribable sense of vicissitude.

"I have seen countless geniuses who passed the trials."

"Some were honored as 'Saintly Virtue,' some were titled 'Martial Virtue,' and others were called 'Benevolent Virtue'."

Uranus took a deep breath, a hint of helplessness appearing in his star-like eyes. "But 'Lack of Virtue'... I am indeed seeing it for the first time."

Chen You's face flushed, and he forced an explanation.

"Laozi once said: 'The highest virtue is not virtuous, therefore it has virtue; the lowest virtue never loses virtue, therefore it has no virtue.'"

"City Lord, this is called 'great wisdom appearing as folly'."

"The Great Dao has fifty paths, heaven's derivation is forty-nine, and humans escape through the one. This lost part is precisely where the variable lies!"

Uranus watched quietly as Chen You spoke nonsense with a straight face.

"Laozi?" Uranus was stunned for a moment.

He seemed to be pondering whether this word, when translated into his language, was a self-reference or a name for someone else.

Soon, he smiled again.

"You are right. The Source Realm indeed needs a... variable like you."

Uranus raised his hand and pointed at himself.

"Then do you know what 'Sang' represents in the ancient language of the Source Realm?"