516: A bird startled by the twang of a bow

What does that mean?

Luo Daonan couldn't understand.

What exactly did Looking Up at the Stars Faction mean?

Could it be that these children of destiny were hiding their strength, all pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?

But that doesn't make sense. Luo Zheng was treated as a Live Target and abused for so long. If that was an act, how stupid would he have to be?

He couldn't help but ask curiously.

But then he heard Looking Up at the Stars Faction reply:

"When we players are forced into a corner, we often spend transaction points to temporarily purchase trump cards. You know about this gameplay, right?"

"Of course I know."

He had used this gameplay when chasing Hei Da Luan, spending transaction points to temporarily buy Medicinal Pills, Talismans, and even Treasure Tools to greatly boost his combat power in a short time.

It's said that some players, forced into desperation in Secret Realms, would even spend a large amount of transaction points to buy a Bloodline Physique, suddenly powering up.

This is a privilege belonging to players, something natives can only envy.

But children of destiny overturned this common sense.

"First, I declare that what I'm saying is just an example and has nothing to do with Luo Zheng. I've been gagged about everything regarding Luo Zheng and dare not speak recklessly.

"Just imagine, you force a child of destiny into a desperate situation, seeing his formidable combat power. He gives a cold smile, spends his transaction points, and directly swaps for a Bloodline Physique specialized in offense.

"To ensure absolute success, he specifically buys Medicinal Pills to take, casually buys a Talisman for enhancement, and then buys a Magic Treasure, his combat power skyrocketing.

"Just as you let out a Sinister Laugh, the child of destiny reveals an eerie smile, and suddenly a Great Emperor appears beside him to protect him... That's the situation.

"The cheats children of destiny use are even more outrageous than ours, completely unreasonable."

Luo Daonan was stunned for a long moment before hesitantly saying, "But, don't we all know that children of destiny Use Cheats? What's so strange about that?"

Indeed, before this, players had long formed a consensus that children of destiny Use Cheats.

Moreover, their previous plan was to hunt Hei Da Luan and seize the "cheat" on him.

Luo Daonan now didn't understand: you already knew others Use Cheats, and now you're surprised when they Use Cheats to counter-kill you?

Just like when he was counter-killed by Hei Da Luan before, although he had a moment of shock and speechlessness, he felt more excitement afterward, wanting to recruit stronger allies to continue hunting Hei Da Luan.

Although Looking Up at the Stars Faction failed, he should be similar, becoming more excited and mobilizing more people to hunt together.

Because Luo Zheng, who counter-killed him, must have exposed more trump cards, corresponding to greater benefits.

By analogy, Hei Da Luan should be the same, possibly having even better treasures on him.

So Luo Daonan couldn't comprehend: what could possibly happen to make a Fifth-Rank Player so terrified they didn't dare act again?

It couldn't really be like his example, with a very powerful Protector appearing, could it?

"Divine Craftsmanship, I suspect you've been influenced by a child of destiny."

"What? I've been influenced?"

"According to research by the Hundred Mechanisms Pavilion, children of destiny naturally possess a Domain skill called 'Intelligence-lowering aura,' passively existing, causing surrounding antagonists to lose intelligence."

"What does that have to do with me? I'm a player, not a native. How could I be influenced?"

"That's not necessarily true... Otherwise, why would you keep asking questions when I, a Fifth-Rank Cultivator, advise you, insisting on a reason before giving up?"

"Isn't that normal? That's a child of destiny! If we can kill him, we might not just gain spiritual resources but also obtain things unavailable through conventional means!"

"That's why I say you might have been intelligence-reduced."

Luo Daonan was completely stunned.

He carefully recalled his own behavior and reviewed the conversation he just had with Looking Up at the Stars Faction.

He followed Looking Up at the Stars Faction's request to lie low, encountered Hei Da Luan, reported it, asked whether to continue acting, was told not to, and pressed for a reason.

Very normal, very reasonable.

Where's the intelligence reduction?

After pondering for a moment, he replied, "Looking Up at the Stars Faction, I think it's not me who's been intelligence-reduced, but you who've been scared silly, like a Bird Startled by the Mere Twang of a Bowstring, completely deifying children of destiny."

"Maybe."

Looking Up at the Stars Faction didn't reply further.

Actually, it wasn't exactly intelligence reduction, but a slight deviation in their thinking logic.

Looking Up at the Stars Faction had truly witnessed great terror. He was gagged and didn't dare ask a single word more, staggering away.

Thus, he thought that with his identity as a Fifth-Rank Cultivator advising Luo Daonan, he shouldn't be questioned further and should be able to make him abandon the idea immediately.

But Luo Daonan kept pressing, insisting on an answer.

But many things in the Xuanhuan World simply cannot be asked about.

Even using the most special, secret chat System to exchange information, learning the intelligence would inevitably cause a reaction. Once there's a reaction, it would be exposed, implicating him.

This reasoning is very easy to grasp; those who can't think of it are idiots, and Luo Daonan clearly wasn't an idiot before.

So Looking Up at the Stars Faction only felt that Luo Daonan had been intelligence-reduced.

But from Luo Daonan's perspective, he thought both were players. Could there really be things players can't discuss among themselves?

Things discussed in the chat System—even if natives had omnipotent means, could they possibly find out?

So Looking Up at the Stars Faction's hesitation and reluctance to speak clearly showed he was scared witless, completely losing the players' sharpness.

Luo Daonan even found it laughable: he, who had immersed himself in native society, hadn't fully become native-like, yet Looking Up at the Stars Faction had taken the first step, actually being scared by native Cultivators into not daring to share intelligence.

The gap in their perspectives and thinking created a huge rift between them.

Delving deeper, it was actually Luo Daonan's insufficient understanding of High-level Cultivators. He simply didn't know what High-level Cultivators truly were.

Player privileges allowed him to avoid having his thoughts and memories spied on (providing false thoughts and memories to avoid suspicion).

Thus, he lost sensitivity to some behavioral logic of High-level Cultivators, even thinking most High-level Cultivators in this world were kind and reasonable.

So even if there really was a "Protector" secretly guarding a child of destiny, they couldn't just attack him outright. They'd only react if he acted against the child of destiny.

"Not even allowed to chat? What a Coward."

Luo Daonan finally cursed under his breath, shook his head, and stopped overthinking it.

Looking Up at the Stars Faction was unreliable; their plan was effectively a failure.

Next, he could stop lying low and leave immediately.

But after thinking, he decided to continue lying low.

'I've been lying low for so long, finally completely washing my identity into a native's, no longer suspected or doubted.

'Making me stop now is too regrettable; I'm unwilling.

'Since I've encountered Hei Da Luan here again, giving me another chance to hunt him... I'll seize it!

'I absolutely won't give up!'