Yu Haiqing’s account has a bit of a backstory.

Back then, the heated debate about him being an “insider” wasn’t entirely wrong. Strictly speaking, he was more like the ultimate insider—the “father” of the company. However, despite the account’s uniqueness, it didn’t actually gain any advantages. In fact, it was far more labor-intensive compared to regular player accounts.

When Gods and Demons launched, its freedom was miles ahead of other games on the market. It wasn’t unusual for game companies to set up guiding player roles in games of this type. But Endless Sea was still in its early days, understaffed and pressured by investors to launch quickly, so Yu Haiqing personally stepped up.

He developed the first version of the Sea system, but when the game launched, it hadn’t even undergone full testing. Most of his attention was still on the technical side, so the launch was rushed, and he couldn’t stop worrying.

The only unique feature of this account was the ability to switch identities, almost like a hidden profession. Its second identity had some testing functions, allowing for quick bug identification and feedback to the main system.

At that time, Sea wasn’t as smart as it is now, so it needed human intervention to prevent players from exploiting bugs and causing chaos. The goal was to keep the game world stable.

Otherwise, it was just an ordinary account—no perks, no preferences. In fact, they imposed additional restrictions on it to ensure fairness. Yu Haiqing was essentially playing the game and working simultaneously, barely managing to juggle both.

So, Gou Yuan wasn’t wrong in calling Yu Haiqing the Endless Sea prince and the real “favored son” of the company. He truly poured his heart and soul into it.

During Endless Sea’s toughest times, Yu Haiqing had done everything—tech work, early and mid-testing phases, and even writing parts of the storyline himself. He even lent a hand to the overloaded Wei Lan and was a well-known founding player, laying the foundation for the Gods and Demons world.

When those slanderous remarks circulated, his departure from the game wasn’t out of bitterness; it was simply because Endless Sea had gotten back on track, and his responsibilities had grown too demanding to make time for gaming.

Gou Yuan had assumed that meant Yu Haiqing was moving on, evolving from a scrappy founder to a distinguished new elite. But then, out of nowhere, he returned to the game, as if he’d suddenly reignited some strange fascination with it.

“Don’t bother guessing what the boss is thinking,” Gou Yuan waved his hand, avoiding sharing these thoughts with others. “We’ll just follow his lead. If he says to keep Sea as it is, then that’s what we’ll do. It saves us a ton of hassle.”

Thus, the Gods and Demons team’s debate for the day finally settled down.

Meanwhile, Xie Shuangxue, lying in bed, had also calmed down.

Just moments ago, Chun Yao had sent someone with medicine, explicitly stating that the current situation wasn’t the truth and that the Feather Clan would continue investigating. She even hinted at formally initiating him into the clan, causing quite a stir among the Feather Clan onlookers.

When it was rumored that the princess wanted to take him in for healing, Ling Xuan resisted, coming up with a thousand excuses to keep him there.

Initially, no one thought much of Xie Shuangxue; why was he suddenly getting more attention after taking a beating? And now they’re even fighting over who gets to take care of him?

It was quite strange.

But due to all this, some ordinary Feather Clan members now hesitated to look down on him.

Ling Xuan wasn’t overthinking things. He was genuinely happy for Xie Shuangxue and said, “Maybe Her Highness also realizes you were wronged.”

He then seemed hesitant and paused for a moment before awkwardly saying, “I… I just couldn’t bear to expose my master. I’m sorry, if you…”

He worried that Xie Shuangxue might hold a grudge, but Xie Shuangxue interrupted him with a gentle smile.

“You don’t need to explain. I understand, and it’s all in the past,” Xie Shuangxue said softly. “After all, I did make a mistake. I’m already grateful for how things turned out; I have no complaints.”

Hearing this softened Ling Xuan’s heart even more.

He thought Shuangxue was so kind-hearted and easygoing; he felt an even stronger desire to protect him.

But Xie Shuangxue was simply stating the truth.

At this moment, everything was going according to his plan, and the worst of the pain from his whip wounds had already passed.

Meanwhile, Qiao Zhihui was still crouched outside the window, streaming live.

It was the first time he’d realized how useful his Assassin skills were.

“My boy seems to be well taken care of,” the streamer mumbled to the chat. He had apparently accepted his role as a “mom-dad” figure and was starting to worry. “But why is he still thinking about Chun Yao?”

He couldn’t have his boy getting into an early romance, especially one doomed to fail!

No one was good enough for his boy!

Occasionally, his task interface would shake, reminding him that the time had come to pick up the main storyline quest. But Qiao Zhihui didn’t move. He didn’t want to leave Xie Shuangxue, so he kept eavesdropping from outside the room.

Even without taking the quest, he roughly knew what it was about; discussions on the forum had already hinted at it. In the meantime, Chen Xin had returned to the room.

His expression was much more serious than when he had left.

Possibly to distract Xie Shuangxue, or because the news involved Penglai City, he didn’t hold anything back, immediately recounting what he’d just learned.

“We’ve discovered that the unrest in the Demon Clan isn’t isolated to Penglai City. The other night, several main cities in the larger world also faced similar disturbances, though on a smaller scale. They were attacked by Skeleton Ghosts but were quickly suppressed,” Chen Xin said, frowning. “Also, the road from Penglai City to the Feather Clan has encountered some problems. Something very important was stolen.”

These incidents had been compiled over the last few days, but Chen Xin continued with even more pressing news: “Just now, in a few other main cities, they also found formations similar to those in Penglai City that connect to the Feather Clan.”

Even Ling Xuan was startled.

“Really?!”

It was news that had broken while Xie Shuangxue was unconscious.

In a hastily delivered memory stone recording, a glowing pathway was visible extending from a small hill into the sky, similar to the one connecting Penglai City to the Feather Clan. However, the glow flickered, disappearing as soon as anyone got close.

The other cities’ recordings showed similar paths—one appearing in a field, another in an empty alleyway of a bustling market.

For now, they were just empty pathways, but who knew what could come next?

Even Elder Ling was now more focused on the bigger issue than anything involving Xie Shuangxue.

He knew this meant Penglai’s destruction was merely the beginning, not the end. Someone was clearly targeting the Feather Clan, and as an elder, he couldn’t afford to be distracted. If a disaster struck the Floating Dream, there’d be nothing left to fight for.

“In a few days, the Feather Clan will send people to those locations to investigate. We’re already gathering teams,” Chen Xin continued. “Her Highness has also issued a call for help, so mercenaries and warriors from across the continent will be joining us for the reward. Shuangxue, Ling Xuan, you both need to be cautious while staying here.”

Xie Shuangxue listened quietly, taking everything in.

This was the true Gods and Demons world quest.

World quests weren’t like regular ones—they weren’t identical for every player. The immersive nature of the game showed itself here.

The Feather Clan would have to investigate the seven main cities across the continent, with each city’s storyline being entirely unique. Players could choose the perspective they wanted to follow or even side against the Feather Clan to uncover the truth. They could even shape the story’s course themselves.

With the Book of Floating Dreams, which had once shaken the entire continent, no one could see the full picture. Each protagonist advanced through their own viewpoint.

Right now, players could hear about this from Chun Yao or from eavesdropping on Chen Xin because in a realistic game world, there’s never just one path.

Players’ choices were like pieces of a puzzle, coming together to form a complete story. This enriched a vast labyrinth, with countless entry points and paths, all leading to the same end.

Of course, laid-back players could always wait for a walkthrough, follow the steps, and still earn the basic rewards.

A world quest…

Xie Shuangxue lay there quietly, but a thousand thoughts were running through his mind.

Yu Haiqing, seeing his expression, immediately knew he was hatching some new scheme.

Yes, Yu Haiqing was also watching the live stream.

The Lin Jiao camera zoomed in significantly, catching even the smallest details, so Yu Haiqing was one of many viewers in Qiao Zhihui’s channel, watching Xie Shuangxue intently.

He kept recalling that sly smile from the first time he’d seen Xie Shuangxue—the one he’d wondered if he’d imagined.

Now he knew he hadn’t.

The obedient look, the downcast eyes—this wasn’t the real Xie Shuangxue. When he looked like this, it meant his mind was racing. The real him was that slight, mischievous tilt of his chin and smile.

Xie Shuangxue’s current look made it clear that he hadn’t stopped scheming, not one bit.

Yu Haiqing couldn’t help but feel a bit curious.

What was Xie Shuangxue planning next?