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"It actually revived on its own..."

Xiao Yun's expression darkened slightly.

His original plan was to strike first and seize the second Dragon Heart before the Palace of Illusion and Reality had fully recovered, before the Dragon King had fully awakened, and before many people had realized the existence of such a world boss.

But the Dragon King suddenly awoke and even took the initiative to spread the power of illusion and reality to the world, catching him completely off guard.

As he gazed at the palaces that appeared and disappeared in the sky, countless thoughts flashed through Xiao Yun's mind.

Before he could come up with a new solution, a system notification sounded.

A system announcement appeared before everyone's eyes.

[Ding! Due to the influence of [Illusion and Reality], the world-class event - 'The Shift Between Illusion and Reality' - is about to begin!]

[Event Timeframe: One settlement cycle]

[Event Rules: Once the event officially begins, all creatures of Sequence 8 and above in Eternal Terra will be forcibly entered the 'Palace of Reality and Illusion']

[Event Objective: Clear the Palace of Illusion and Reality, and end the 'Change of Illusion and Reality']

[Event Reward: All items obtained from the Palace of Illusion and Reality will be verified by the system and truly belong to the participants.]

[Punishment for failure: ...unknown...]

[Ding! System reminder: The above is a system message. Please explore the internal rules of the Palace of Illusion and Reality and the specifics of the 'Change of Illusion and Reality' on your own.]

[Event countdown begins: 30 minutes]

The sudden system announcement caused a huge uproar throughout the world.

Countless people condemned the system as garbage and shameless.

The surprise attack was bad enough, but the announcement about the incident lacked any specific rules or information?

Moreover, even the rewards need to be earned by oneself in the event; the system only provides authentication services. What's the difference between this and making empty promises?

Players from all over the world unleashed their respective nationalistic curses, instantly showering the system with countless insults.

However, many top professionals like Xiao Yun noticed something amiss in the system announcement.

"This event was not initiated by the system itself, but was passively triggered due to the influence of the [virtual and real]."

"This power, called [Illusion and Reality], is of a very high rank; it can even affect the system?"

Many who realized this were deeply shaken, and some even felt a sense of unease.

But many more people are filled with anticipation.

"Yosh! If I can obtain this power, I can rise to the top in one step! I'll no longer fear the influence of the dead, and I'll rule the world!"

The shifty-eyed man blushed and hurriedly left the captain's cabin.

Standing on the rusty plank, he shouted:

"Suspend the strategic shift! Listen up, all of you: complete this mission at all costs and acquire the power of [Illusion and Reality]!"

……

On the western continent, on the land eroded by the dead, a handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes walked here.

The wind was biting cold, but the warm sunlight shone on him, and even the surrounding death energy could not get close to him.

"A shift between reality and illusion? That Dragon King still retains his will? Interesting..."

A sharp glint flashed in the man's azure eyes:

"Go and see, see that rebellious being that once ruled the world and stood above the gods."

"If it's still alive... then destroy it completely."

With a thought, the sunlight shone even brighter, gathering at his feet and paving a road that stretched straight to the sky.

……

In the frigid north, in a large camp built of pine wood and animal bones.

The cheers of a group of muscular men and powerful women nearly turned the entire camp upside down, their high morale driving away the winter chill.

"Brothers and sisters! A truly significant prey has appeared!"

A burly man, nearly three meters tall and as large as a giant, shouted, his face flushed red, his voice almost cracking:

"Grab your weapons, let's go kill that dragon, or... get eaten by it!"

"Awooooo!!! Hurrah!"

……

Eastern part of the mainland, headquarters of Wuyou Township.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat heavy.

Originally, Wuyou Township was resettling refugees and gathering strength, preparing to lead everyone in fighting against the dead.

But a sudden event disrupted everything.

Ye Cheng, Jing Feiwan, and the other managers looked at each other, and finally all looked towards the head of the table.

Gu Shen's clone leaned back in his chair without any manners, looking up at the ceiling while humming a little tune.

As if sensing the gazes of the crowd, he looked down and glanced around.

Seeing the confusion in everyone's eyes, he chuckled softly:

Why are you looking at me? I don't have a solution on my face.

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in everyone's eyes.

In their eyes, Gu Shen was almost omnipotent, nearly precognitive, and even knew about the time travel in advance and made preparations for it.

Following his plan, everyone progressed step by step to where they are today with almost no setbacks.

But recently, things seem to be different...

First, a powerful monster suddenly appeared on the second full moon night, preventing headquarters from sending reinforcements to other branches, which resulted in severe damage to the branches.

Gu Shen had prepared for this refugee crisis well in advance, but he didn't know why the Eternal Empire reacted so quickly, intervening and taking away most of the population and resources.

Then came this incident, which was completely unplanned.

"Ha, no one can have a smooth journey forever, or always stay on the path they plan... even if that person could predict the future, it wouldn't work."

"Ha, no one can have a smooth journey forever, or always stay on the path they plan... even if that person could predict the future, it wouldn't work."

Gu Shen's eyes flickered, and he tapped the table:

"Don't just stand there like idiots. Everyone above the eighth rank, get ready. The dungeon is about to open."

The group nodded and left.

After everyone left, Gu Shen leaned back in his chair again, closed his eyes, and sighed softly:

"World, oh world, where are you leading us...?"

"However, the sudden change in the Palace of Illusion and Reality may also be a good thing."

Gu Shen suddenly smiled again, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes:

"After all, I've been craving the power of [real and virtual] for a long time. If I could get it, it would make everything I do in the future much easier."

"Moreover, with the main force of the Ideal Nation leaving to participate in the event, the Main Body can take advantage of this time to advance its plans."

Gu Shen's mind raced with thoughts, and the look in his eyes slowly hardened.

"No matter where the world leads, my purpose will never change..."

To lead this world to a better future!

……

In the ideal world, Xiao Yun closed the preview system and sighed softly:

"Sure enough, even the forecast system was affected, and we could hardly find any useful information."

However, Xiao Yun still managed to glean some information from the few words provided by the preview system.

"It's not one of those violent, action-packed dungeons, but rather... a replay of yesterday, a role-playing dungeon? Something like a story-driven dungeon?"

A strange light flickered in Xiao Yun's eyes:

"So, to achieve the event's objective, you need to advance the plot based on your own role until you defeat the Illusion and the Wind King, or obtain the power of the Illusion through other means?"

He had many guesses in his mind, but he quickly buried them all deep in his heart.

"There's not enough information; we'll have to go inside first."

"However, I could try searching for the identities of the other people so we can meet up once we get inside."

Xiao Yun opened the preview system and gave it a try.

As expected, Xiao Yun himself, Ji Mingyu, Wang Tianyuan, Zhong Mo, the president of Wuyou Township, and Emperor Shang Qi of the Eternal Empire were all unable to reveal their respective identities.

Xiao Yun had no choice but to settle for second best and search for the identities of Su Muqing and Jiang Shangzhen.

But after reading the information provided by the preview system, Xiao Yun frowned deeply.

"One is the Dragon King's chief steward, and the other is the Dragon King's apothecary. Hiss... such high-ranking officials are not easy to run into each other."

Worldwide, there are at least five figures of professionals at the eighth rank or above. Everyone has their own agenda, and in an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar identities, it's similar to playing Werewolf.

If the rendezvous fails, that's fine, but if someone with ulterior motives discovers your identity, you'll likely face a lot of trouble.

Xiao Yun sighed helplessly and sent a message to the two of them, informing them of the situation.

"Although the identities of the others are unknown, the two of you know each other's identities, so you can at least meet up and discuss things further."

Then, he relayed the news to Ji Mingyu and other core members:

"If you have the chance, everyone should go find Su Su and Teacher Jiang as soon as possible. They have higher status and may have 'privileges' in this kind of instance."

Everyone responded, indicating that they understood.

Meanwhile, the countdown ended and a system notification sounded.

[Ding! The "Shift Between Reality and Illusion" event has officially begun!]

After a dizzying spin, the scene before Xiao Yun's eyes suddenly changed.

A magnificent, unbelievable hall appeared before them, exuding an air of wildness, yet also mysterious and noble.

Through the front of the main hall, through the transparent opening like a floor-to-ceiling window, a giant city appeared before one's eyes.

A blue wind drifted across the sky, and giant dragons traversed the clouds.

Some unprecedented humanoid creatures roamed the city, their forms varied, yet they were so similar to the metropolises of my memory.

"Is this... the era when dragons rule the world...?"

Xiao Yun's pupils trembled slightly, his heart filled with shock.

At the same time, he also noticed something unusual.

"This grand hall, this vantage point, and the respectful gazes cast upon us from the city..."

Xiao Yun leaned back on the throne, falling silent, his expression unusually complex.

"Oh no! I've become the dungeon boss!"

……

In the void, a pair of cyan-gold vertical pupils slowly opened, letting out a long sigh:

"I'm back... world..."

The shift between reality and illusion is progressing... 1%...