When "God" Decides To Start Over

"Have you received a black invitation card? Show it to me. I should have guessed that someone like you would not go unnoticed by Long Life Hall," the old knife sighed.

Li Xiu took out the black invitation card given to him by the Red Sand City Lord and handed it to the old knife. The old knife took a careful look and his expression suddenly changed: "There's a problem with this black invitation card."

"What problem?" Li Xiu asked, puzzled.

"Only the six commanders of Long Life Hall have the authority to recruit new members externally. Even the deputy chairmen don't have the power to recruit new members. This is a rule set by the chairman, which has never been changed, and no one dares to violate it," the old knife said as he flipped the black card over to show Li Xiu. "All invitation cards look the same, no difference, but on the card itself, there are actually hidden messages. Different messages represent different commanders, and just by this invitation card, you can know which commander invited you to join."

"How come I didn't see any messages on the card?" Li Xiu scrutinized the card, confused.

"Of course, you can't see them. The messages on the card aren't meant to be seen with the eyes but to be felt with the hands, like braille. Only those who know can sense these messages and understand what they mean," the old knife said with an odd expression. "But your invitation card doesn't have these hidden messages."

"What do you mean? Is my invitation card fake?" Li Xiu was taken aback by what he heard.

"The material and craftsmanship should be genuine, but it lacks the hidden messages. This black invitation card is half genuine and half fake, truly perplexing. Who knows what the person who made this card is trying to do," the old knife said with a cold glint in his eyes.

Li Xiu had no doubt that if the person who made this card were in front of him, he might have already cut them down with one sweep.

"Who gave you this card?" the old knife asked, staring at Li Xiu.

"The Red Sand City Lord," Li Xiu said, curious about what was going on, so he didn't hide it and mentioned the Red Sand City Lord.

"The Red Sand City Lord?" The old knife was taken aback by the answer.

"What's wrong?" Seeing the old knife's reaction, Li Xiu sensed something was off.

"Didn't I mention earlier that only the six commanders have the right to invite new members? I don't know if the Red Sand City Lord is one of Long Life Hall's people, but he's definitely not one of the six commanders. How could he have such a problematic super member invitation card and even give it to you? He can't possibly have the authority to issue this invitation card," the old knife said with a frown.

"If you don't know, then I have even less idea about what's going on," Li Xiu said, spreading his hands.

"I've always thought that the Red Sand City Lord must be a member of the Hall. Such a figure, Long Life Hall cannot ignore. After all, the Southern Cross Federation is rich in gemstones, an area Long Life Hall must control. It's not surprising if the Red Sand City Lord is one of their people. What's strange is why he gave you such a problematic invitation card. Be careful if you run into him; the Red Sand City Lord is likely not a simple figure," the old knife advised.

"Can I use this card to join Long Life Hall?" Li Xiu hadn't expected such an issue to arise.

He had originally been considering when to sneak into Long Life Hall, but now it seemed like getting in would be a problem.

"Without a recommendation from a commander, just having this card won't work," the old knife chuckled. "I suggest you wait for a commander to notice you and give you a new card. Make sure it's a red card, not a black one."

"Thank you, old knife." Li Xiu didn't expect the old knife to tell him so much about Long Life Hall.

"Nothing to thank for, just casual talk," the old knife laughed.

Li Xiu didn't ask the old knife about his identity within Long Life Hall. If he wanted to tell, he would have already done so.

"Old knife, everything's ready. What do we do next?" Chu Jun ran over, pointing toward the Golden Gate.

"Wait until it's dark, then light the piles of wood arranged there. After that, there's nothing more for you to do, just rest nearby. Once I deal with the magic spirit, there shouldn't be any problems here for some time, and you'll be able to enter the Land of Trial safely," the old knife said, glancing at the sky.

Li Xiu and the others also looked at the sky. It was already evening, with about an hour left before sunset.

Soon, the sun fully set, and following the old knife's command, Li Xiu, along with Chu Jun and Ye Yuzhen, lit the piles of wood in front of the Golden Gate.

The wood was brought by Li Xiu and his group; it was not ordinary wood but natural deadwood.

Deadwood is wood that has fallen naturally; it's much rarer for wood to die naturally than for people.

People have a lifespan of several decades, but a tree, if healthy, could live for hundreds or even thousands of years.

The Southern Cross Federation has abundant trees, with ancient trees hundreds of years old everywhere in the deep mountains. Finding a few dead giant trees isn't difficult.

Each pile of wood had a large iron pot placed on it, filled with strange items that Sha Chu had bought. Many of them Li Xiu didn't even recognize.

Under the intense burning of the firewood, the water in the pots quickly began to boil, releasing a stench.

But strangely, although it smelled foul, once smelled, it made you want to sniff it again.

It's addictive to smell.

"Move away from here, don't wander around, or you might end up hurt," the old knife said, approaching the iron pots and removing the flask from his waist. He opened the cap and poured some of the liquid into the pots.

As soon as the liquid touched the water, the foul odor was replaced by a fragrant aroma, causing everyone to unconsciously take deeper breaths, immediately feeling an indescribable sense of comfort, as if injected with a stimulant.