He had some impression of his former self now; he seemed to recall just having gone through the Demon Tower, experienced the Cao Tomb, and even encountered a black hole. Could it be that he had truly been brought to this place by a black hole? The scenes from the novel were unfolding here. Lu Zong felt a bit scared, unsure if he would be safe in this place.

“Hey, kid, what time is it? Why are you heading for breakfast so early?” As soon as he woke up, he heard Ge Mei’s voice. He and Ma Xiong looked behind them and spotted Ge Mei, surprisingly looking completely unfazed, watching the two of them.

“Oh, Ge Mei, you’re awake? So early,” Lu Zong exchanged a look with Ma Xiong, then looked at Ge Mei. Unexpectedly, Ge Mei said angrily, “You two, how can you be up so late? Don’t you see what time it is? This is too much! If Prime Minister Cao finds out, you might not even keep your lives. Hurry up and get up, let's go pay a visit to Prime Minister Cao.” With that, he picked up Lu Zong’s clothes from the bed and threw them over. Lu Zong quickly caught them but froze at the sight, because the clothes he was holding looked exactly like the ancient attire he had seen on television.

“What are you two still doing? Hurry up and get up, let’s go.” With that, he walked out of the room by himself, closed the door, and shouted loudly, “You both know Prime Minister Cao’s temper; how dare you be like this!”

Listening to Ge Mei’s voice, Lu Zong and Ma Xiong exchanged bewildered glances. Lu Zong asked, “Ma Xiong, didn’t you say Ge Mei hadn’t woken up? But who was that we just saw, pointing and yelling at us? Could it be our hallucination?”

“But that doesn’t make sense. Ge Mei was clearly inside drinking the sweet water; how could he have gotten outside? If he had gone outside, we would have noticed. And looking at his behavior just now, he was completely different from his usual self, except for his appearance.” Ma Xiong looked at Lu Zong curiously, not knowing what to do.

Lu Zong finally spoke, “How about this, let’s go inside and check. Let’s see if Ge Mei is actually in there. But before we go in, I suggest we prepare ourselves, just in case some unexpected ailment flares up, and we die in this era lacking medicine. What do you say, Lu Zong?”

Lu Zong nodded vigorously, “Yes, yes, this modern society is truly a dark, old society.” Hearing Lu Zong’s exclamation, Ma Xiong was suddenly reminded of the tragic fate of the White-Haired Girl.

The two crept stealthily to Ge Mei’s room. Ma Xiong gently pushed the door open, and his face instantly turned pale. He stared blankly into the room, his eyes unblinking.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you, kid? Why are you spacing out? What’s the situation?” Lu Zong asked casually from behind Ma Xiong, not mentally prepared to see the person in the room; seeing something unbelievable might leave a shadow on his heart.

“See for yourself; stop always asking others,” Ma Xiong shot Lu Zong an annoyed glance. Seeing Lu Zong’s head turning away, he grabbed it and pulled it back. At that moment, Lu Zong saw Ge Mei lying on the bed.

“This, what on earth is going on?” Lu Zong stammered, “Ma Xiong, tell me, what is going on? Could it be that the Ge Mei from just now slipped in here while we weren’t paying attention?” Lu Zong frantically searched for possible explanations, trying to guess what had happened.

Ma Xiong said, “Lu Zong, do you think it’s possible for two identical people to exist in this world? I think it must be coincidence, pure coincidence, otherwise there’s no explaining this thing. This is too complicated.” Ma Xiong glanced at Lu Zong and saw him trembling slightly from nervousness; his own legs began to shake too.

“Ma Xiong, tell me now, we are not filming a TV drama or writing a novel. I feel like I’m just a fictional character,” Lu Zong was already on the verge of collapse, especially after seeing two Ge Meis.

“What are you two doing? Why aren’t you coming out after all this time? If you don’t come out soon, I’ll come in myself, and don't blame me for being impolite then.”

Ge Mei’s voice came from outside, but the Ge Mei inside was currently lying quietly on the bed, saying nothing, moving not an inch—truly the most obedient child right now. What they feared most was the outside Ge Mei seeing the inside Ge Mei. The inside one was somewhat better; he knew about transmigration and had a stronger capacity to accept facts. But the one outside… they didn't even know the identity of that woman yet.

But they would know eventually. Lu Zong and Ma Xiong exchanged a look and then hurried out, afraid that the outside Ge Mei might discover the presence of the inside Ge Mei and strike lethally.

“We’re coming, we’re coming! Why are you in such a rush?” Lu Zong said, quickly grabbing the ancient clothes from the bed, putting them on himself, and following Ma Xiong out to face the Ge Mei waiting outside.

“You two are so slow! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting? Honestly.” With that, he jumped into a carriage and, seeing the two dazed figures, beckoned them in, and they headed forward together.

There was silence on the journey. Lu Zong felt rather stifled and finally spoke, “What are we doing today, Boss?” He then sighed heavily, saying, “Society is getting more chaotic by the day. We can't eat our fill; I’m practically starving to death. My memory is fading too; I don’t know when this barren era will end.”

“Hey, don’t talk nonsense. Who told you to sleep during lunch? When you didn’t come to eat, I thought you had ascended beyond mortal concerns. Now look, you’re hungry! But you have to endure it, even if you’re hungry. When you win the match for me, I’ll let you eat your fill when we get back.” With that, he cast a heavy glance at Lu Zong, as if scolding him for being useless.

Lu Zong continued, “Oh, the match, another match? I wonder who we’re competing against this time. If we win, will there be any reward?”

Ge Mei gave Lu Zong an impatient look and said, “I think you’ve gone mad! Have you forgotten about such an important match? Have you forgotten how incredible the reward for winning will be? Really, if you ruin my lifelong event, ruin my career, I’ll ruin you, believe it or not!”

Lu Zong and Ma Xiong looked at each other, realizing they were both completely clueless, so they knew the other must also be ignorant. Unfortunately, they needed to ask more questions. Lu Zong winked at Ma Xiong, signaling that he had asked enough and the rest was up to him; alas, Ma Xiong glared back at Lu Zong, internally anxious.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. He quickly asked, “Boss, may I ask, do we know who our opponent is? I’d like to learn more about them so we have a better chance of winning, wouldn’t you agree, Boss?”

The woman boss gave them a sidelong glance and said, “You’ll know when you get there. Why ask so many questions? To be honest, I don’t know them very well either. If you really want to know, you’ll find out when we arrive.”

“Right, what is Prime Minister Cao’s full name?” Lu Zong suddenly recalled the Boss mentioning Prime Minister Cao many times. Based on his understanding, this Prime Minister Cao should be Cao Cao, but he wasn't entirely sure. He had quietly asked Ma Xiong just now, and Ma Xiong was even less certain. To confirm this uncertain piece of information, Lu Zong resolutely asked.

But unexpectedly, the Boss became furious, roaring, “Damn it! Are you all eating for free? You’ve even forgotten who Prime Minister Cao is! If the Prime Minister asks you, are you going to say it’s Zhuge Liang?!”

Unexpectedly, the Boss became enraged, so the two immediately shut up. It seemed they had asked a question as foolish and shameless as asking why people eat. However, they did glean two pieces of information from the Boss: the Prime Minister Cao was very likely Cao Cao, because he mentioned Zhuge Liang, and they were both figures of the same era, making it highly probable. The second point was that their Boss had an awful temper!

For some unknown reason, this vast, empty alley was completely silent; everyone seemed to be staying indoors, as if facing some imminent danger. Lu Zong knew they were in a time of war and chaos, so closing doors was understandable; perhaps emerging for a trivial errand could get one conscripted by the soldiers.

“We’re here, get down quickly.” After an indeterminate amount of time, the carriage finally stopped. The Boss lifted the curtain, and the two froze instantly because they found themselves completely surrounded by armored soldiers. Everywhere were warriors clad in battle gear, and there were large patches of bloodstains. Clearly, they had just returned from the battlefield, and their duel must be a celebration of that victory.

Under the heavy encirclement of soldiers, inside was a structure resembling an ancient Roman Colosseum. Soldiers squatted in the surrounding seats, curiously watching the two walk quietly to the center.

Roar! As soon as the two reached the center of the arena, they heard the excited battle cries of the surrounding soldiers. It seemed they had been eagerly anticipating them for a long time. They didn't know who they were supposed to compete against, but for now, they seemed quite popular. They might as well enjoy this moment of peace and respect first. The two closed their eyes in enjoyment.

Roar! Another sound came, but this one was deep and heavy, like a coming storm, seemingly emitted by an animal, a sound so powerful it threatened to deafen their ears. They hurriedly opened their closed eyes, wanting to see what kind of monster could make such a noise without any manners.

But as soon as they opened their eyes, they were terrified because the three-meter-high city wall opened, and an animal slowly emerged. The two peered intently and immediately held their breath, realizing the creature was fully three meters tall, and even without extending its neck, it was terrifyingly huge. They were certain that if it stretched its neck, its mouth could bite anyone nearby to death. Most of the soldiers sitting in the front row were generals wearing luxurious armor, and even they couldn't help but retreat in fright.

It was then that the two realized their true identities: they were gladiators, or perhaps beast-fighters.

No wonder the Boss refused to say who their opponents were on the way—this was the reason. They surely wouldn't have come if they had known the opponent.

“My brothers, these two are the legendary Peerless Heroes! In their matches, whether at the county level or the national level, they have never lost. Today, we are privileged to have invited them, and now, they will face an even greater challenge. Let us welcome our beast-fighters with thunderous applause: The Peerless Heroes!” said a host-like figure from the platform.

Immediately, a deafening roar of applause erupted.

“Next, let’s have something even more breathtaking! Let us welcome Ao Bai the Fierce Beast, who is victorious in a hundred battles and defeats his enemies in a single move!” the host-like figure announced. Instantly, an even more intense round of applause was sent to Ao Bai the Fierce Beast.

This thing seemed to know people were welcoming it, as it opened its mouth and let out a huge roar. It seemed this creature also possessed vanity.

“I believe everyone knows the origin of our Ao Bai Demonic Beast. It comes from the ancient heavens, a gift from God for us to enjoy, so everyone cherish this moment. Take good care of this fierce beast, and continue to train it. That is why we provide it with prey; it will feel gratitude toward us and inspire our soldiers to advance bravely. On the battlefield, we shall be eternally invincible. Everyone, toast to our future! Toast to our imperialism!” With that, he grabbed a jug from the ground, drained it, and then violently smashed it onto the beast’s head. The other soldiers followed the host's example, grabbing wine jars, emptying them, and heavily smashing them onto the beast’s head.

The beast was finally provoked. How could it tolerate such rudeness directed at it? It immediately roared toward the soldiers, but the soldiers only laughed; it couldn’t harm them.

The Ao Bai Fierce Beast finally grew angry. It let out a low growl, and then its gaze fell upon the Peerless Heroes.

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong, then at the beast, and cursed, “Damn it, what Peerless Heroes? The two of us in here are practically being served up as lunch! Why is our fate so bitter? It was one thing to be someone’s breakfast in the tomb, but now, no matter what the era, we’re still on someone’s dinner plate! Do we really deserve to be in the catering business?”

Ma Xiong could only sigh helplessly, “Oh, forget it. Let’s stop blaming fate. Look now, that thing is staring at us; it seems we’re doomed today. I didn't expect that creature to be so vicious. How could the person with Ge Mei’s face have such a heartless nature?”

They then remembered the Boss who brought them here and immediately looked over in that direction. At this moment, the Boss seemed quite calm. He watched the two, a faint smile touching his lips, and his mouth moved. Lu Zong understood; he was saying, “I believe in you two.”

For some reason, he could understand what the Boss was saying just by watching his lips move. In that instant, the two felt a powerful force occupy their bodies, a strength they had never possessed before—a power utterly beyond mortal capabilities.

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong and was astonished to find his muscles had instantly increased by half, and his height had grown significantly, making him look incredibly strong. He quickly looked at himself and was surprised to see his own body undergoing strange changes. Was this the consequence of his transmigration, turning into a strong man?

The roar of the crowd intensified. Everyone was watching how Ao Bai the Fierce Beast would dine. Only the two of them gritted their teeth, vowing absolutely not to let this monster devour them.

But looking at the monster, a cold dread filled their hearts. They couldn't imagine what that thing was to look like that. Its entire body was covered in wrinkles; its skin was merely a layer of decaying, semi-transparent flesh, through which their internal skeletons could be clearly seen—it was like a giant maggot. The only difference from a maggot was its sheer size; hundreds of millions of maggots could fit inside it.

The disgusting comparison made Lu Zong feel nauseous, and he had to retch for a moment.

But just as he lowered his head, Ma Xiong instantly pulled him back, followed by a powerful yank that sent him flying to the side with incredible speed, almost beyond comprehension.

Lu Zong quickly looked and saw that the monster’s tongue had shot out, nearly swallowing him whole. Thinking of this, he felt a chilling terror; if he had truly been swallowed, his entire future would be hopeless.

He stopped thinking about it and focused entirely on fighting this thing. Judging by the strength Ma Xiong displayed earlier, his own power should have increased substantially too. But even if it had increased immensely, compared to the entity before him, they were nothing more than a roasted chicken on a dining table. Consider it: how can a turkey fight a living animal? The outcome was obvious: they would be shouting threats even after entering its stomach.

Ma Xiong looked at Lu Zong and cautioned, “Lu Zong, what do we do now? The host just said we are here to be its meal. But I’ve always had one suspicion?”

Lu Zong thought Ma Xiong had thought of a way to deal with the fierce beast and eagerly asked, “What is it? Hurry up and say it!”

Ma Xiong said, “We are so small, how can we be enough for it to eat? Besides, do you think there’s any possibility of survival after being eaten into its stomach? This thing doesn't seem to have teeth; it should just swallow us whole, right?”

Lu Zong cursed, “Damn it, this is no time to be joking! Hurry up and think of a way to get out of here! Stop joking around. If life plays a joke on you, you’ll die on the spot, guaranteed!”