As someone who once commanded attention and now fancies himself chosen, Liu Ziwen harbored a deep-seated grievance, a lifelong humiliation.

It dated back to high school, to a male classmate in the same grade who was also something of a notable figure—though his background paled in comparison to Liu Ziwen's, he was otherwise his equal. As the saying goes, one mountain cannot house two tigers, a reality utterly intolerable to an arrogant spirit like Liu Ziwen's. He thus orchestrated a series of schemes, splashing filth upon the man until his reputation was utterly ruined. Unexpectedly, the guy proved to be a tenacious fighter, eventually dragging him into the bathroom one day and forcing him to drink a full belly of toilet water!

At the time, Liu Ziwen was so enraged he nearly went mad. Afterward, though he plotted revenge, the man was not easily dealt with. Furthermore, Liu Ziwen dared not leverage his family’s influence; even if the opponent’s background was inferior, he wasn’t a soft persimmon to be crushed at will, especially since Liu Ziwen had instigated the whole affair.

Of course, the most crucial aspect was that the incident of drinking toilet water absolutely could not become known, or he wouldn't be able to hold his head up in society.

It wasn't until a year later that he suddenly learned the man’s parents had died in a car crash. Overjoyed, he immediately set a series of retaliatory actions in motion. What he hadn't anticipated was the opponent’s slipperiness, like a loach; the day after the funeral, he sold everything sellable and fled the city, leaving not even a shadow behind.

This left Liu Ziwen depressed for quite some time, inducing a frantic urge every time he recalled it, dampening even his enthusiasm for intimacy.

That man was Lin Luo!

And now, this enemy he had obsessed over day and night was standing right before him, reduced to the form of a child... Liu Ziwen first felt a boundless wave of fury, but immediately burst into uproarious laughter.

“Lin Luo, you are actually Lin Luo! Hahahaha… This is too good, truly too good!” For Liu Ziwen, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to return every shred of past humiliation, with interest to boot.

Meiqin, watching Liu Ziwen verge on madness, gently tugged Lin Luo’s sleeve and whispered, “What’s wrong with him? Is he brain-damaged?”

“This…” Lin Luo was equally speechless at Liu Ziwen’s reaction, whispering back, “Probably just another bout of chuunibyou; the pressures of real life can be quite intense, after all.”

“Lin Luo, the only time you can be this carefree is now. I never expected the master of the Contract Book to be you, hahahaha…” Liu Ziwen roared, his face slowly twisting into a sneer. “I originally just planned to kill you and be done with it, but now I truly rejoice in the failure of Poison Wolf. I swear I will make your life a living hell, ensuring you never smile again!”

“So you really know about the Contract Book. What exactly is it?” Lin Luo was entirely unfazed by Liu Ziwen’s threats and retorted.

Liu Ziwen froze upon hearing this, stunned for half a second. “You… you don’t even know?”

“What?” Lin Luo frowned, asking instinctively.

“You really know nothing at all!” Liu Ziwen’s face showed utter surprise. Suddenly, he flipped his hand, and the Book of Beast Taming reappeared in his grip. After only two glances, he erupted into laughter again.

Lin Luo and Meiqin exchanged a look, bewildered by what the man was up to, yet both sensed that Liu Ziwen knew something they did not.

“Lin Luo, I truly don’t know whether to call you fearlessly ignorant or just plain foolish for attacking me when you know nothing,” Liu Ziwen said, looking up with biting sarcasm. “Do you really think you can defeat me at your current level? I am LV2!”

Lin Luo’s heart skipped a beat. At that exact moment, the cold voice of the Contract Book echoed in his mind: “System detects the Book of Beast Taming. Target level is too high; unable to query.”

The Book of Beast Taming? The item in Liu Ziwen’s hand?

“The Codex. My Book of Beast Taming and your Contract Book are both types of Codex,” before Lin Luo could process the information, he heard Liu Ziwen slap the book in his hand, “Lin Luo, do you know why you and I possess a Codex?”

“What… what exactly do you know?” Lin Luo asked gravely, a note of urgency in his voice. This question had haunted him—what was the Contract Book?

And Liu Ziwen clearly knew!

Meiqin also stared intensely at Liu Ziwen; although she couldn't comprehend the terms like 'Codex,' she vaguely felt this matter might involve her too.

“Don't rush, I’ll tell you slowly,” Liu Ziwen said with a smile. Would he really tell? Of course, he would. He had quickly assessed that Lin Luo was currently LV0, having not even signed a contract yet. A Contract Book at this level was no match for his own, so he felt no worry whatsoever… Moreover, wasn't delivering despair after revealing the truth far more entertaining?

It was the same principle as a cat enjoying playing with a mouse before consuming it.

“This is a Holy War of the Gods. The Gods participating in this war select their avatars from various parallel worlds and bestow them with a Codex. You and I are both chosen individuals. When our bodies merge with the Codex, we become the walking agents of the Gods on earth, gaining divine power to exercise divine authority…”

Damn gods! Looking at the self-satisfied Liu Ziwen, Lin Luo desperately wanted to retort. He certainly didn't believe Liu Ziwen was being genuinely helpful by sharing the truth. Though he couldn’t fathom the motive, listening for now was acceptable.

“Naturally, the winner takes all, the loser fades into oblivion; for one general to succeed, ten thousand bones must be bleached. There is only one victor in any war. In this world, it seems there are only two walkers—you and me. Speaking of which, Lin Luo, you are truly tragic; you are about to be eliminated from this Holy War.”

“I don’t know anything about a Holy War, but your chuunibyou is definitely severe,” Lin Luo scoffed, his face full of disdain.

Liu Ziwen paid him no mind and continued, “Lin Luo, do you know that for us walkers, there is something even more crucial than the Codex?”

Lin Luo slightly paused, blurting out, “The Heart of the World?”

“The Heart of the World is an indispensable artifact in the Holy War, for both you and me. Because the Contract Book is the core of all Codices, its nature allows it to attract the Heart of the World. Therefore, all those Hearts of the World reside within all of your Contractors, serving as their very hearts. You are fortunate; you can obtain the Heart of the World simply by successfully signing contracts with them. However, this is also a misfortune, because it means all your Contractors become targets for other walkers. To upgrade their Codices, they will employ any means necessary to hunt them down, extract their hearts, and refine them with their Codex… Hahahaha, this is truly an entertaining game. Well, what are your thoughts?” Liu Ziwen laughed unrestrainedly.

“What did you say?” Lin Luo exclaimed in shock. Extracting a heart? Refining the Heart of the World? Was this the reason Liu Ziwen wanted to capture Meiqin?

“You bastard! Are you serious?”

Lin Luo glared fiercely at Liu Ziwen, who merely smiled in reply, then a sharp killing intent flashed across his face in an instant!

“Book of Beast Taming, Summon!”

With a loud shout from Liu Ziwen, the stars and moon vanished, and a monstrous entity, vast as a mountain, pressed down upon Lin Luo and Meiqin!

“What is that…” Lin Luo looked up and gasped sharply; it was a super giant python!

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