Compared to the previous three apostles, Brother #4’s difficulty and layout had clearly increased.
Jason and Bill could still hedge their bets on two opposing factions, while the fourth apostle’s life objective was to become enemies with the ruling class.
Zhou Jing looked at the interpretation of the five life objectives and realized that although the meaning was similar, the content was different. They were considered to be goals at different stages.
[Justice on behalf of the heavens] was not related to rebellion. It referred to helping people when they saw injustice and defending justice. It could even be understood as a different kind of “doing justice and punishing evil”.
[Gathering the Mountains] referred to the establishment of an armed force and a base for development. The [Inciting a Rebellion] was a literal rebellion.
However, the goal of [Are You Privileged just because You’re a Noble?] was not as difficult as overthrowing the Imperial Court and rebuilding the world. It was just to become a large faction that occupied a territory and stabilize its footing.
The truly ruthless one was the [Treading the bones of the Duke in Heaven Street]. This life objective was for him to slaughter the aristocratic families and use violence to destroy the old ruling and noble classes…
This meant that even if he was lucky enough to succeed in his rebellion, he could not use these old families to stabilize his rule and not accept any allegiance from them. Just the name alone was enough to cause a bloodbath.
“What kind of ruthless person is this? You’re so murderous. Are you the reincarnation of the King of Hell…”
Zhou Jing felt a headache coming on as he massaged his temples.
He did not hate causing trouble. After all, only by causing trouble would there be Information State Particles.
However, he had never experienced such an insane life objective.
In comparison, Jason and Bill were considered small fry.
“Let’s take a look first. Fortunately, I’m traveling through the world earlier than the main world. Without the interference of the explorers, I’m not afraid of attracting unnecessary attention… After they enter, they’ll face the background that the fourth apostle has created. They won’t suspect anything.”
Zhou Jing composed himself and decided to give it a try.
He closed his eyes and thought about Apostle #004’s personality, trying to construct an image in his mind.
“His personality is violent and magnanimous, and if we look at it from his position, the rebellion means that he doesn’t follow the order. He pursues punishment and evil, and in the end, he’s still loyal… Hmm, the focus of my acting should be that he will attack without caring about the consequences when he sees something unjust, and he doesn’t hide it at all. Even if he trampled on order and violated the law, he will not hide his face. He doesn’t play tricks and schemes, and his style of doing things is to use violence to curb violence… Is this a hero-type boor?”
Zhou Jing opened his eyes wide, roughly aware of what was going on.
The requirements to clear the level were not low, but as long as he achieved his life objectives, the Information State particles produced could easily fulfill the conditions. The price was that it was extremely dangerous. He would most likely have to experience war, and the life of the fourth apostle would probably not be peaceful.
After going through the information of Plane D19 in his mind, Zhou Jing had a plan.
“Let’s accumulate capital and practice more. As long as my individual strength increases, I won’t die easily even if I become enemies with the world. I’ll officially rebel when the conditions are ripe.”
Zhou Jing nodded to himself. Then, he started to operate the interface on the apostle to perform molding on the apostle.
He used three of the four free designated project reset opportunities on the empty slot of his second talent and the free allocation of points.
[You have received the talent [Fierce Might] (It is easier to intimidate others)]
[Your free allocation points have been reset to 20 points.]
There was still one more designated reset opportunity. Zhou Jing thought for a moment and decided not to use it. His current attributes were more ideal, so he did not need to take the risk to reset, afraid that his attributes would decrease instead.
His current talents were [Tiger Body Tremor] and [Fierce Might]. Although it could not help him to increase his talent, in view of Apostle #004 having the “ambitious” personality, this kind of talent was more suitable for him.
Then, Zhou Jing opened the interface.
[Model Template Addition Limit: 0/2700]
Because Apostle #004’s template much rarer compared to the others, the basic point limit was 900 points. After factoring his Lv3 Astral Projector Rank, a multiplier of three was applied.
Currently, he had saved a lot of resources. Zhou Jing thought for a moment and decided to increase his Astral Projector Rank.
Actually, he should have raised his rank before he created a new apostle. It was just that he had not traveled for too long, so he was a little anxious. However, it was not a big problem. Plane D19 was not a strong world, and leveling up at this moment could also increase the limit of the points he could obtain.
[Consumed 4,000 Astral Points, 80 Information State Particles]
[Astral Projector Rank Lv3 → Lv4]
[Upgrading to the next level requires 8,000 Astral Points and 120 Information State Particles.]
He was quite rich in Astral Realm points at the moment, but if he leveled up again, he would not have many Information State Particles left. He thought for a moment and did not continue to level up.
The limit of points increased from 2,700 to 3,600. Zhou Jing did not hesitate and filled it up.
[3600 Astral Points have been converted. You have received 36 Free Distribution Points.]
[You have a total of 56 Free Distribution Points.]
“In terms of attributes, it’s already much better than ordinary people. It’s not a problem to protect myself. It’s better to focus on aptitude. If there’s any left, I can try the effect of adding talent points…”
Zhou Jing pondered for a few seconds before starting.
[Free points allocated]
[Aptitude: Martial Arts: [Light Blue] → [Light Purple] (18 points)]
[Physical Fitness: [Light Blue] → [Dark Blue] (10 points)]
[Innate Bone Structure: [Dark Green] → [Blue] (10 points)]
[Resistance: [Green] → [Light Blue] (8 Points)]
[Talent: [Tiger Body Tremor] → [Overbearing Aura] (Others have a higher chance of being willing to follow you)]
[Talent: [Fierce Might] → [Fiendish Aura] (A Baleful Aura overflows from you, evil retreats from you)]
“Done. The improvement is really not small.”
Zhou Jing looked at the results and was quite satisfied.
He had long decided that the apostle would mainly focus on martial arts this time, so he had to increase his “Martial Arts” aptitude.
Reaching the purple tier should mean that he had reached the threshold of a “genius”. Every time he leveled up, he needed 8 points. All the increase in aptitude had cost him a total of 46 Free Points.
As for talent, he had to invest different points to increase the effects of his talents. Among them, [Tiger Body Tremor] only cost 7 points to upgrade, and [Fierce Might] only cost 3 points.
“As for the two support functions…”
Zhou Jing’s heart skipped a beat as he loaded two items.
[800 Astral Points have been consumed.]
[Character Level System (Level 10 Limit) has been filled into the support function column.]
[600 Astral Points have been consumed.]
[Map Radar has been filled into the support function column.]
This time, the Apostle’s initial attributes could protect him and he would not die easily. Zhou Jing planned to try the support function of his character level. Every time he leveled up, he would obtain an additional 0~2 attribute points.
Although this support function could not be inherited like the follower function, he had a lot of Astral Points saved up. He could use them to do a trial test.
At the same time, Zhou Jing considered that there was a high chance that he would have to lead the troops this time. Loading a “Map Radar” function was definitely worth it. Although it could only show unknown and familiar individuals within a certain range, it was still very useful.
As for the other three support functions, he had already experienced the [Pet Function]. It was more difficult to nurture them, and there were no supernatural beasts in the new Astral Realm this time.
As for the [Follower Function], there was only Dumb Ross at the moment. There were no other available slots, so it could not be used for the time being. The [Item Analysis Function] was for those who took the path of the craftsman, and this apostle did not need it much.
“That should be enough.”
Zhou Jing looked at the attributes of Apostle #004 from the beginning before nodding in satisfaction.
Every time he did the talent molding, it was a pleasant process. He enjoyed it.
Zhou Jing thought for a moment and did not change the name of the apostle, Chen Feng.
He only slightly adjusted his appearance, making the fourth apostle look like a burly man. He had long, messy hair, like a lion, and exuded the aura of a reckless hero.
“It looks really fierce. Its male hormones are off the charts.”
Zhou Jing clicked his tongue in admiration.
Because it was noon, he did not travel immediately. Instead, he patiently went and finished his afternoon classes.
At night, he rejected Li Xiaoyin’s invitation for dinner again and went straight to the canteen to bring takeout. On the way back to the dormitory, he quickly finished his dinner.
When he returned to the house, the sky had just turned dark.
Zhou Jing took a shower as quickly as possible and lay on the bed in his pajamas, preparing himself.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, suppressing his excitement as he started the travel process.
[Map Overview Mode activated]
[Please select the delivery mode, [Random Area Delivery / Specified Area Delivery]?]
The map interface popped up on the interface. It should have been an unexplored black fog, but at this moment, a detailed map appeared.
This was the information he had obtained from the Explorer course.
After the new Astral Realm was connected, the interface automatically loaded the map of Plane D19 he had seen. It was completed by the explorers of the main world and was very detailed.
Therefore, even if he had just entered the new Astral Realm, Zhou Jing did not have to try his luck and randomly send his apostle out.
“I choose Specified Area Delivery!”
[100 Astral Points have been consumed!]
[Beginning Projection]
Whoosh!
The familiar crack of light opened, and Zhou Jing’s consciousness was sucked in…
***
The world was divided into six countries. Smoke and flames could be seen everywhere, and there were endless conflicts.
In the past, there was a hero, Wang Yancheng, who raised his army to flatten the countries and end the chaotic world. He unified the world again and named the country Xia, after the Great Ancestor of Great Xia.
Today, the Great Xia Dynasty had been established for 160 years. It had experienced rise and falls, and there had been a peaceful era where politics and people were harmonious. However, in the end, it could not escape the cycle of feudal dynasties and could not avoid decline.
The current Emperor was too ambitious. He forcefully recruited commoners and wasted the country’s strength to build a wonder.
The court was in a slump, and the treacherous officials were in charge. Corruption was the norm, and the court was filled with corrupt officials.
The aristocratic families were deeply intertwined with such matters, and there were many factions in the royal court… They attacked each other, changed their ways day and night, and ruined the political affairs.
The local officials and merchants colluded to annex farmland, exploit the tenant farmers, and bully the marketplace.
Under the layers of exploitation, the aristocratic families lived a peaceful life. The rich and powerful were filled with money and luxury, and the people suffered indescribably.
Many of the refugees who fled the countryside turned into bandits, and the Green Forest Path1 grew ever stronger.
Gangs appeared one after another in the various state capitals and counties.
The world had withered, and the people’s hatred boiled… A sign of chaos!
…
Year 11 of Xinghe, spring.
The spring sun was warm and the sky was blue.
It was the time for the recovery of life. In a wild forest, the trees were growing branches and spitting out greenery. Birds flew around, and it was a scene of exuberant life.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared in the forest. The surrounding soil, rocks, and weeds shattered and gathered, gradually turning into the body of the Astral Apostle.
Silently, a burly man with lion hair was born out of thin air and lay in the forest with his eyes closed.
In the next moment, the burly man suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and looked around.
“It’s still grass and soil. It’s alright. At least it’s clean…”
Zhou Jing touched the face of this body and confirmed that it was the same as his appearance.
After traveling many times, he was already familiar with the process. In a few breaths, he was completely familiar with the body of the Astral Apostle this time.
His apostle only had 26 points of Physical Fitness. With his current experience, he would not make any mistakes.
Zhou Jing stood up and sized up the forest. Suddenly, he bent his knees and jumped a few meters high, breaking a branch from a tree beside him.
Then, he used his palm like a blade to clean the branches on it with a few strokes, turning it into a relatively strong walking stick that could also be used as a club.
With the club in hand, Zhou Jing performed a set of spear techniques on the spot. It was the beginner level [Mid-Level Spear Technique] that this apostle came with.
The moves were quite simple. There was basically only a set of flat and straight movements, like how a battle formation was used. It was straightforward and did not have any other complicated or profound moves.
However, with the initial strength of the apostle, every time he stabbed out, there was a whistling sound of air being torn apart.
“A free skill will most likely not be a high-level one. However, this spear technique is quite practical. The spear penetrates sharply in a line, and it’s the hardest to guard against. Even if I don’t have a saber, I can make do with it first.”
Zhou Jing nodded in satisfaction. He stopped what he was doing and stood with the help of his stick.
Then, he turned to look at the distant mountains and grinned.
“A new world. I’m here… No, your grandfather, Chen Feng, is here!”