《I Bit Everyone and Became the Strongest Zombie Cultivator》 Information Information This book was written from the first-person perspective of Yongrui. As a reader, you''ll get confused most of the time and that''s eptable because that''s how I wrote this book. Just like how our protagonist doesn''t know a certain thing, the readers won''t as well unless another character tells them about it. So for example, certain levels of cultivation would be brought up atter chapters as Yongrui begins cultivation. Some martial arts, elements, and element techniques won''t be exined unless the protagonist encounters it. And with this, I hope the readers would be able to connect to Yongrui. I want this book to be as close to real-life as possible and by that I mean you won''t know anything about a certain topic unless you encounter it. It''s like having a journey inside the book with the protagonist and I think that''s one of the beauties of the first-person perspective. That''s why, going forward, I hope you like this book! It may not be the usual third-person cultivation zombie novel but this is something I''m trying myself implementing trends into my original books. I don''t want to write a half-assed book with plot I copied. I want it to be original whilst retaining the trends these days. With that said, I just want to thank everyone who supported this book while it was still growing. I know this would blow up one day just like my other book, I''m sure of it! ^0^ I mean, let me dream a little! Hehe~ ... ... After that awesome speech, here are some things worth remembering while reading this book. First, not everything would be handed to you on a silver tter. You''d have to guess and go along with our MC Yongrui just as the story unfolds. That makes it thousands of times more fun than a book that spoonfeeds you the story. Second, just like what I said in the first reminder, you should remember that our MC was unconscious for five years so when he woke up, he has no idea what''s happening in the world aside from the apocalypse. Meaning to say, new elements, new element techniques, new practices, and traditions, etc are unknown for our MC. As he progresses in his cultivation and travels with Yu Sying and Yu Yan (maybe), he''lle to know these things so please be patient. If you don''t understand anything, then it should be a given that our MC doesn''t understand it as well so there''s that :) Last but not the least, our MC has no idea about the system and the system has no idea why it exists. It''s a pretty new concept I''m working on but this would be shown atter chapters. Now you might ask why the system exists? Honestly, I have no idea as well! I''m just a reader too! (This is how your reaction should be when you encounter something weird in the book hehe) And I''m kidding! I actually made this since... most guides in transmigration novels are useless. I want the system to replicate that at first and then grow with the MC. Just like how no one starts an expert, the system would grow by leaps and bounds as she travels with the MC. I call her a She since her voice is that of a female. These are all just reminders! I hope you enjoy the book in your way and have fun reading it. All in all, thank you so much for all the support! Shoutout to the first 17 readers who added it to their library! You''re all awesome! And as usual, all power stones, reviews, gifts, andments are wee! Let''s get to the top with this book! Have a great day everyone and enjoy reading! Sincerely, DaisukiDayoSenpai Proofreading Announcement Proofreading Announcement Dear readers, So... it''s been at least three weeks since I started writing this book and it hase to my attention that I haven''t been checking the quality of my book... And for that, I apologize >_< It''s a given that I would focus on my first book, Runners Survivors, but! Not only did I not focus on this book, but the quality of this book also reached the lowest of my expectations. That''s why I put it upon myself to improve the quality of this book! The updates are slow as it is but I would take time on proofreading and improving the quality of this book. Once I reached thetest chapter, I would persevere to uphold the standard until I reach the end! And also! About this book, I''ve alreadyid out the outline so there''s already an ending! By doing so, I could follow through with my chapters and meet everyone''s expectations! I hope you won''t take it hard on me >_< But! I''ve got some great news! I finally finished all my school stuff so I have more time to write! With this free time, I will continue to improve and get this book to the top! Hope you support me through all these and I hope you all add this book to the library and give it power stones! It means the world to me! Hope you have a great day! If not, then tell me if you had any problems in thement section below and we can talk about it :) This is a weingmunity so tell me anything! WPC #148 Winner WPC #148 Winner So yesterday, I decided to update this book so I started writing the new chapter. I wasn''t expecting anything at all since I already received the contract a few days ago. And lo and behold, I received a message in my inbox! Saying that I was the bronze winner of WPC #148. It read: Congrattions, your novel has won the Bronze Award of WPC #147 #148 - WN x Amazing Cultivation Simtor ! .... Phew! AAAHHHHHHHHH! I wasn''t expecting anything like that at all! Thest time I checked, I was on top sixteen a few weeks ago and then I didn''t bother checking it again since I was crestfallen. The others were receiving a lot of power stones while my book received nothing at all. And that was because all of them already had an awesome fanbase while I don''t have anything like that. And then, I remember that my contracted editor told me that the contests aren''t judged based on the poprity, but by how good the quality of the book is. And also, he told me not to worry about the poprity and just focus on writing good content for my book. And that''s what I did. I even improved the quality of this book by proofreading and editing thest few chapters. But man... I wasn''t expecting to win in the very first contest that I joined. It was awesome! At least I could catch up to the other authors even just a little bit with this book. Finally, I could confidently say that I won a contest... even if it''s just third ce. To those who supported this book by reading and subbing to it, I really appreciate you all. I hope you continue to stick with this book even though updates are super sloww. As soon as I finish editing the first chapters, however, I would update this book regrly so I would have enough chapters for when I sign the contract. I was actually nning to sign the contract no sooner than February but the bronze reward might change it and I might sign the contract in January.... I mean, you know what? I''m going to sign it now so it could be processed by February ahaha. And also, I will update this book tonight, GMT+8 my time. I don''t have a specific time yet but I''ll be sure to update itter! Have a great day everyone, and please continue supporting this book. After the first arc, I will challenge myself to even more original arcs. I''m aiming for the top spot in rankings! And I need your help. >_< Well then, this is DaisukiDayoSenpai Signing /d/45501-winners-of-wpc-147-148 Contract Signed Contract Signed Greetings dear readers, DaisukiDayoSenpai here! As of today, I signed the contract for this book after four months plus of waiting. Since I''m not that busy with life recently, I figured that I might as well continue this book now while I still got the momentum. Updates have been frequent but they''re not yet on the daily basis yet. Of course, all of that would change as soon as the contract is approved. Once again, to all the 168 webnovel ounts who added this book to their collection, I give you my deepest gratitude. For sure, this book would be a banger and I can''t wait to publish all the volumes and arcs that I had in mind. And just a heads-up, I already thought of the ultimate ending/closing arc for this book but that would be a few months from now. I mean, my first book, Runners Survivors, was expected to finish in four months but it took seven months to finish instead. This novel is much differentpared to that, however. First, I''ll be diving into the cultivation genre and also virus-stuff. Compared to myfort zone of science fiction, this book is something far beyond that. And also, I''ve decided to give this book at least a thousand chapters, more or less. So please look forward to it! LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST! I''ll be releasing the first 200 chapters of this book for free! And based on my calctions, that''s a total of seven or eight volumes. So you don''t have to worry about premium chapters for the first three months or so! Just enjoy reading and I hope you enjoy theedic, dramatic, and action/fantasy-packed story of Yongrui as he follows the path of a zombie (rabid human) cultivator after his cultivation was reset. This would be fun! I hope you enjoy reading this just as I enjoy writing it! That''s all for the update for now. I wish you all a great day! Another Announcement! Another Announcement! Greetings dear readers, DaisukiDayoSenpai here! Since this is the day of my rmendation, I thought that maybe I should release an announcement on our way to the top! First and foremost, to the 216 subscribers and counting of this book, I give you my gratitude! Although there''s still a few of you, I know that one day we''ll reach a good counting slowly but surely. Second, my goal. My goal for today is pretty simple. Right now I''m releasing a chapter a day and it might change to two chapters a day when I upgrade to premium. But you can help in making me release additional chapters! For every hundred subscribers, I will release a chapter! Pretty sweet deal, right? Does the first two hundred count? Yes! So if you want to read more chapters, then add this book to your collection! Every time we hit a threshold, I will schedule an additional chapter release during the week! I might put it every TGIF or I might upload it on the very day we hit the threshold. It depends. But during the week, I assure you that I will release an additional chapter every time we hit a threshold! Now, as for power stones, there''s also a goal! (I think I''m torturing myself here but whatever ahaha.) Every time we hit a hundred power stones, I will release an additional chapter! So if all of you vote a power stone for this book and the power stone count gets to two hundred this week, I will release an additional two chapters! Counting the additional chapters from the collection count and power stones, it''s a whopping four more chapters! Awesome, right? Just to rify, if we hit another two hundred power stones next week, I won''t upload any additional chapters. We need to hit the next threshold, which is three hundred power stones, for the additional chapter. That said, enjoy reading everyone! Once again, thank you all for supporting this book. I will be looking forward for the additional chapters! Thank you all so much! Update, Update, Greetings everyone! Author here! I''m here to deliver my heartfelt apology because I won''t be updating my book today. Overwork has taken its toll on me and I would be taking a break for today >_<. I''m really sorry everyone but I hope I''ll just be taking a break today. My stockpile is also gone due to the super mass releasest week... and yes, I guess I tortured myself too much. oof! But in any case, I will start writing a new chapter by tomorrow. And as such, I will be sleeping early today. My head and eyes hurt so much... and I have a slight fever. That''s it for the update... Wait, there''s another announcement! Apparently, I signed this book to go premium. And I overlooked something. I just asked my editor a few days ago and he said that I can''t unlock the book upwards, but I can lock it downwards. So if I locked it on chapter 70, I can only lock the chapter downwards from then on. On my initial release, I promised that I will be making the first two hundred chapters free. And I thought I could unlock the book after I wrote those 200 chapters. As it turns out... I was being stupid. Of course, it would be unfair to those who paid for each chapter if I were to unlock most of the chapters at ater date... and that reasoning totally slipped my mind. This book will be going premium next month, and it will be locked from after chapter 70. Thank you all so much for the support everyone and I hope you continue supporting this book! And once again, I''m sorry for having no updates today and for the broken promise of free 200 chapters. Fortunately, I managed to release 70 chapters before going premium... or the free chapters would be far less than that. >_< Have a great day everyone! I will definitely release a new chapter by tomorrow >_< Notice! Skipped Chapter! Notice! Skipped Chapter! Dear readers, it hase to my attention while I was going through this novel that I identally missed chapter 121!!! AAAARGHHH!!!! This is such an obvious mistake and as such, I sincerely apologize for it >_< When I tried to add a chapter in between the published chapters, it didn''t work. And when I tried to edit the previous chapters, it wouldn''t let me edit more than a hundred words in the story. As a final option, I went to chapter 120 and added chapter 121 under it. IT WORKED! That''s why, if you''ve read chapter 120 before, please read it again. It already has more than 2k words and it also holds important progression in the novel! That''s it for the emergency notice. Have a great day everyone and enjoy reading! I hope that clears out a lot of confusion in chapter 120 and 121 Sincerely, DaisukiDayoSenpai Chapter 1: Genesis Chapter 1: Genesis The skies were clear and sunny that day, enveloping the cave where I was with warmth. My nose twitched as I inhaled a lungful of musty air, heightened by the moistness of the cave. There was no light source in the cave, except for a few sunlight streaks that passed through the cracks here and there. The cave wasn''t that amodating but it proved to be a great spot for cultivation due to its tranquil atmosphere. It''s probably the same feeling of a snail when it retracts itself back in its shell. As I opened my eyes, it quickly adjusted to the darkness. I''ve been staying inside the cave for too long, after all. Just a moment ago, I was in a half-sleeping state while I focused on my breathing. But something happened that made mepletely wake up and got me distracted from my cultivation. That''s right, screams. Just beneath theyer of the cave where I resided, a shrilly muffled scream kept echoing all around, disregarding the calmness of the cave. If it were a normal day, I''d have put it at the back of my mind but! this was a day of utmost importance. I was so close to getting the breakthrough I needed to reach the highest realm a person could attain the Transcendence Realm. I clenched my fists in anger, barely holding in the explosive power that wanted to erupt from my body. If I were to allow it, I would''ve diminished this cave to nothing but rubble. Still, my anger was unquenchable! "Just a little more and I would''ve split my Qi Core into ten pieces to form the portal that would let me step into the Transcendence Realm! And they just had to shout?!" I eximed. It took me a few minutes before I regained myposure. When I thought I was calm enough, I slowly dragged myself towards the huge boulder that blocked the entrance to the cave. It weighed more than a ton but I moved it with such ease because I was already in the Dao Realm. In my mind, the only thought that existed was why they were all shouting outside when I specifically told them to remain silent before I started cultivating. Sighing, I finally removed the huge boulder and the prickling sun greeted me straight in the face. Sweltering heat epassed me but I didn''t sweat at all. That''s because I carefully regted the Qi Core Energy in my body to shield me from the heat. At first, I thought maybe there was a party going on or some sort of festival. It would be quite surprising if a marriage announcement or a literal marriage was going on but that''s quite normal. Unlike all the other sects, I don''t bind my disciples with strict rules such as celibacy or not drinking wine. We only have one life and being a disciple doesn''t mean you shouldn''t enjoy your life to the fullest. No one could truly be happy when he''s bound to a sect, right? I mean, think about it, how many cultivation novels have you read where the protagonist joins a sect? Not much, right? And that''s because of the strict rules and whatnot. It''s just a pain to talk about it since every sect has different rules and regtions. With these thoughts going through my head, I decided to keep myposure and observe why everyone was screaming. The heat didn''t even bother them as they screamed their hearts out, making me feel like I was in some sort of cult instead of a sect. When I got out of my cave, I was greeted by a foul stench that seemed to waft everywhere. It was horribly disgusting that I had to cover my nose and mouth since my tongue could even taste the air that wafted around us. Having heightened senses is one of the many disadvantages of reaching the Dao Realm meaning to say, smelling something so abominable would be multiplied more than a thousand times once it enters your nose. "What''s that? Did someone not take a bath? Ugh~" To my surprise, no one heard myment nor looked in my direction. I didn''t even receive a proper wee even though I''ve been cultivating for the past few months. And to top it all off, everyone looked like they were in some sort of craze! On one side, a few of my disciples were running amok, being chased by another group of my disciples who were trying to bite them by the neck! It was all too weird that I couldn''t believe what was going on at first. For a few moments, I just stared at them as they went through the process of chasing and biting. But who am I to ask? I''ve been in a cave for the past few months that I don''t even know which craze or trend is going ontely. Still, even if thetest fad involves biting around people, why were they doing it as if they were enjoying it so much? I mean, how could anyone find the pleasure in biting someone too deep that they bleed to death? On one hand, some of my disciples were even firing off element techniques and a few of them were even engaging inbat using martial arts to defeat those that wanted a bite from them. "Just let them bite you, it''s not like you''ll die from it." I shrugged, wondering why they were too afraid to be bitten. That''s why, when a disciple of mine rushed at me with her mouth wide open, I didn''t react too violently. This certain disciple was someone I knew all too well. She''s got skin as white as the pearl and it shone like jade, making her look divine. Adding to that, her figure was perfect for her height and she''s got well-ced curves. If I''d say so myself, she''s the most beautiful disciple I could ever hope for and she''s got a strong element as a bonus! I meant the other way around! She''s got a strong element and her looks are a bonus! She''s one of my most favorite disciples due to her great talent in the ice element. Talent and Beauty is her very definition and none could tell otherwise. "Oh, Natalia! How are you faring?" I greeted but she didn''t greet me back. Instead, she gave me a bite on the neck as she hugged me tightly. "Hey! Why are you being aggressive? We shouldn''t do it here?" I take my words back. Now I know why they find pleasure in biting someone and being bitten by someone. I let out a soft chuckle as I hugged Natalia back. In response, she hugged me even tighter. Her teeth dug too deep into my neck that I started to feel blood trickling from my neck down to my back. But she didn''t stop there! She wed my back and bit me even deeper. She seemed to enjoy it but at this rate, she''d be leaving a Scar instead of a simple love bite. I attempted to gently shove her away but she dug her teeth into my neck even deeper. The bite might''ve been out of line but that''s alright. I could always heal it againter since I''m already in the Dao Realm. Plus points to here though! She''s passionate, I''d give her that. Natalia was going too far that I think our endearment was quickly progressing. So instead of removing Natalia from her intense embrace, I left her there as I approached one of my disciples who were fending off one of his brothers. Quite unsurprisingly enough, his brother was struggling to bite him as well. "Rong! Quite a party you got there!" I greeted blissfully. Rong''s pupil''s shrunk as if he had just seen a ghost. He shakily pointed a finger and alternated it to Natalia, and then to me. "M-m-master! W-w-w... " Rong stammered. "Oh, this? I reckon she just missed me too much." Ickadaisically responded as I gently patted Natalia in the back. "Never mind that, tell me what''s going on here? What''s this new trend of biting someone in the neck and chasing everybody? Is this the new ''in'' now?" Before my disciple could answer, his brotherunched itself to him once again but instead of letting him do so, he shot a Fire Arrow towards his brother and beheaded him. I also noticed that he was profusely sweating and it looked quite abnormal for me. That''s because as a cultivator, the higher the realm you attain, the more energized you''ll feel since your Qi Core would be more stable. And also, once you reached the Spirit Realm and up, it''s definitely impossible for you to experience sweating. Rong here has reached the Spirit Realm as far as I remember, it''s unfeasible for him to sweat too much. And why did... OH, HE KILLED HIS BROTHER! "What''s wrong with you, Rong?! You just killed your brother!" I snapped at him. "Did I, as the Master of the Tang Sect, teach you that you should kill your fellow disciples?" "No master, I didn''t kill him!" Rong vehemently denied, much to my disappointment. "He was already dead!" "Yeah, obviously, Because you killed him, you spineless maggot!" "And you''ll be dead soon too." Rong continued, not even minding that I was shouting at him. Before I could shout back at him, He pulled back his sleeves and showed me a bite-mark on his arm. It was probably one of the bite marks that his living brother gave him. "I''ve been bitten a minute ago. Anytime now and I''ll be turning into one of them." Rong wiped a tear off his cheek and wiped off the sweat on his forehead. "Just what are you talking about?" "You''ve been bitten too, Master. It won''t be long now." Rong''s body jerked as soon as he finished speaking and his appendages began twisting crazily. He was turning around on the ground, making weird sounds with his throat. I never knew that my disciple was this flexible... but still, that won''t make me forgive him for killing his own kin. Nevertheless, I watched him with great enthusiasm since his performance was truly mind-blowing. I''ve never seen anything quite like it and to be honest, it was mesmerizing. The way he twisted his body like some possessed being made me wonder if it was real or not. Chapter 2: How Disrespectful Indeed Chapter 2: How Disrespectful Indeed It didn''t take long before Rong finished doing his weird and jerky break-dance. At least ten seconds had passed, and Rong justy on the ground, his feet were carefully ced beside his head and it looked creepy. His eyes were also beginning to get bloodshot and he started groaning to himself. It was very mystifying and eerie at the same time, making me wonder how times have changed so much even though I haven''t stayed that long in the cave doing my cultivation. Since I didn''t know how else to react, I just pped and cheered for him. In all honesty, I was genuinely amazed at his dance, so amazed in fact that I momentarily forgot Natalia was still holding me in her passionate embrace. I only remembered when her teeth dug in deeper on me and I flinched in slight pain. "What was that about? Is that dance another weird trend nowadays?" I asked him, totally not insulting his dance skills at all. After all, I couldn''t imagine myself dancing that bad- er, I mean, that well. Even though it was a weird dance, I could tell it required a lot of skills since those movements couldn''t possibly be done without practice. And others were starting to do it as well. Groan~ Rong, instead of answering me, just groaned in my face. How disrespectful! "Hey, Rong. First, you killed your brother. Second, you interrupted me while I was talking. Third, you were flexing at me on how well you do this trendy weird dance thingamajiggy. And now you won''t even answer my question? Did you just groan at me, your Sect Master?" I was barely holding it in. After just a few months, Rong had gotten so disrespectful that I''m quite shocked. Well, Rong was never the respectful disciple, to begin with, but he wasn''t that disrespectful either. I didn''t know what came about for him to change so drastically since I wasn''t gone that long. He couldn''t bepared to Natalia at all, although they were of the same age. Their difference has that too big of a gap. Look! Until now Natalia''s still letting me know how much she means to me and how much she missed me! What a good disciple she is! Compared to that, Rong not only disrespected me a lot, he even went as far as to murder his brother in front of me! What a disappointment, indeed. THE disappointment of the Tang Sect. That''s what you are, Rong. As if he heard what I was thinking, Rong stared at me with an offended look on his face as he unhinged his jaws. Uttering yet another groan, he rushed towards me with arms iling like a madman. Just like Natalia, it seemed to like he wanted to bite me too. After mocking me, he dared to copy Natalia? As if I would allow it! If he wanted to wee me, he should''ve given me some face and bowed down in my presence! Well, even if he did that, biting me is out of the question. "Master! They''re infected with some sort of zombie virus! If you get bitten you''ll die!" One of my disciples shouted in my direction. "Zombies, you say? Did you really just say, zombies? How absurd! Ahaha~! " I guffawed, shrugging off the prank as I simultaneously sent Rong flying a few hundred meters away from me using a single punch. He skittered away and it was obvious he suffered an incredible amount of broken bones and injury. Let that be a lesson for you, Rong. I hope that''s enough to make you quit in my sect. Once again, I gave the said disciple another skeptical nce before speaking. "If you''re nning to carry on with this bizarre and unusual festival then, herewith, Imand you all to stop now! This isn''t amusing, to say the least!" For a moment, all of them stopped chasing and being chased by each other. But a split second after their halt, they started rushing towards me as if to encourage that I join them. This is nonsense! There''s distinctly no way I would partake in such trifling activities! This just proved how much disrespect my disciples really had towards their one and only master. And in order to teach them a lesson, I sent all of them flying just like I did when Rongunched himself to me. "Master! You have to believe us! Some sort of virus outbreak urred and everyone infected by it started acting feral. Even Natalia is infected. You have to believe us!" One of my disciples desperately pleaded as he kneeled to the ground. By the looks of his eyes, I could tell that he was extremely desperate for me to believe him. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if I should give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, this certain disciple of mine isn''t one to tell jokes willy-nilly. In fact, he was one of the most rational disciples I could ever hope for. Well, he''s rational but that doesn''t mean he''s smart. "So, you''re telling me, that human rabies is finally a thing of the present?!" I reconfirmed, trying to affirm if what he was saying was the in truth. "How long have I been in my slumber that I''ve been ignorant in these world-changing events?" When I looked over my shoulder, I saw that Natalia was still digging through my neck! By now, it''s starting to feel rather weird for me. I didn''t expect her to sink my teeth on my neck for a long period of time. "Hey, Natalia? Don''t you think we should do thister? I know you missed me that much but don''t you think we should at least be more secretive about this? I mean, I''m your master and you''re my disciple. Our rtionship is one thing but I have an image I have to uphold in front of the others." I reasoned, whispering in her ear in hopes that she would heed my words. She paused, then after staring at my eyes for a split second, she continued biting my neck even deeper! "Grgnghnrgngh~" She responded. I thought she was trying to tell me something but her teeth were in too deep that she just made unintelligible sounds. Butter, I would find out just how much I overlooked. Chapter 3: The Turning Chapter 3: The Turning All of a sudden, I felt something piercing my chest. It wasn''t stabbed but something must''ve stuck itself there to give me an intense internal pain. It felt ufortable at first. After all, it''s been sometime ever since I felt a sting in my organs. Pain reduction was also one of the perks of being a cultivator so feeling pain would probably take me sometime getting used to it as I am now. First, it was my heart. The feeling of being stabbed made my heart beat rapidly, making my blood rush in all corners of my body. I didn''t know Icked blood cirction so something was definitely wrong with my body. Then, my lungs came a close second. It was wringing itself dry as if my ribcage was closing in on them. It tightened so hard that I felt it extremely difficult to breathe. No matter how hard I tried to regte my breathing, my lungs wouldn''t listen to me as it tightened even more. The it would loosen, and tighten again. After that, an intense throbbing headache shot through my head, making me almost keel over sideways. Once again, the pain was indescribable that even my pain tolerance couldn''t handle it at all. When I almost fell on my side, it cause Natalia to unhinge hear jaws and let go of me. She fell on the ground, butt-first, but she stood up in a split second without saying a single word. I found it weird since usually, Natalia would mutter ''Ouch!'' every time she was hurt before, even if it wasn''t anything major. That''s when I saw it. The sight of it almost made me faint that for a split second, I thought I was imagining everything. So I squinted my eyes and stared at it again... ... but it was all for naught. The sight was still the same horrifying. A big holeid bare on Natalia''s stomach, showing off her innards that dripped down from her lower ribcage. Since it was still fresh, blood continuously cascaded down her stomach as her intestines spilled all over, forming some sort of tentaclesing out of the hole. That wasn''t the worst part. Her cheeks were torn as well, making her mouth literally extend from one end to the other, giving her a creepy and ghastly look as her mouth gaped open. Her eyes were also hanging from her eye sockets by a thin strand of flesh. It dangled as she walked nearer towards me. Natalia, who was the epitome of vibrance, now resembled a corpse. Moreover, her once sweet scent was clouded with a foul-smelling one that wafted in the air. It was that drastic change in her that made me take a step back. The realization slowly sank in as Natalia sluggishly strode towards me. For one, the rabies was real and it was some sort of virus that infected humans; Two, my disciples were telling the truth and I was the stupid one for not believing in them; and Three, I was bitten and it''s just a matter of time before I turned into a rabid human just like them. Another horde of those infected by the outbreak trudged towards me but I immediately blew them away. Without wasting a single second, I approached the only uninfected disciples in my Sect, hoping that they would forgive me if I bow. After kneeling and prostrating myself (doing a dogeza) in front of them, I apologized. "My dear disciples, forgive me of my for my shorings and shortsightedness. I should''ve trusted you when you spoke those words." I began, hoping that they won''t unleash their fury on me. Because just as I expected, my remaining disciples could be counted on one hand. "To atone for my mistakes, I will act on my utmost capability to aid you in your escape from here. I know I can''t revert everything that''s happened and that we have to abandon the Sect as well as our fellow cultivators, but I assure you that I will do everything I could possibly can to get you out of here alive." Their reaction was one that I wasn''t expecting at all. Before I knew it, tears streamed down my disciples'' cheeks as they sniffled. Snot came out of their nose and they were kneeling on the ground just as I was. I didn''t want to get overly emotional so I turned around and wiped a stray tear from my face. Then, mustering my courage, I faced them once again. Still, my disciples were willing to forgive me even after all that. Their loyalty is through the roof, I''d give them that. "Let''s get out of here," I said without further ado. Another wave of those rabid humans slowly surrounded us but I wouldn''t allow them to bite another disciple of mine. Not on my watch! "Gust of Fei Lian!" I eximed as I condensed winds in my palms and shot them all around me, blowing almost all of the zombies in the vicinity. After doing so, I motioned for my disciples to follow me as we tried getting out of the densely popted area of the city. My n was to lead them somewhere out of the city so they will have better odds at survival. I''m about to turn into an infected so I was pushing them to hurry up so we could make it in time. The only thing I''m hoping for is that the Tang Sect would live on even after I sumbed to my death. Well, it was a simple and yetplicated n since everywhere I looked, I was greeted by an overwhelming amount of rabid humans on all sides. It wouldn''t take long before they cut off all our escape routes so I decided to clear another path. This time, I activated my Qi Core and used the Fire Element. "Firestorm!" Imanded as a heavy barrage of mes erupted from my fingertips and burnt everything in its path. "Hurry!" I screamed, looking back and seeing my disciples... ... or what''s left of them, I guess. Chapter 4: My Disciples Chapter 4: My Disciples As I looked back and observed my disciples, I was surprised to see only three of them left. Just a few moments ago and here I was thinking that our Tang Sect would live on but now, I''m starting to have my doubts. Maybe the Tang Sect is meant to die after all. To further express my point and make myself feel even more crestfallen, I proceeded to recall everything I know about my three surviving disciples. The first one was named Luo Zhen and when ites to close-quartersbat, he''s the cream of the crop. Not one of my disciples could beat him in a brawl and I think that much speaks about his strength. Even if he was about to lose, he would do everything in his abilities just so he could snag a win. That''s how physically driven he was. When ites to tournaments and diator-like matches, he would always be in the top three even though he would almost always be the youngest out of the bunch. Only downside is, he''s too much of a musclehead. He''s so physically driven that the only thing he cares about is improving his strength and nothing else. In other words, he''s a in idiot when ites to smarts. He could very well be the most stupid out of the bunch. I remember one time he ate the sword I gave him, and when asked why, he told me that he needed more iron in his body and it''s the fastest way to get it. At that moment, I wanted to facepalm myself so hard but I endured it. In the end, I advised him to take iron supplements since eating swords are dangerous. After much convincing, he believed me, and to this day, he still regrly intakes iron supplements. "So stu- er, I mean, muscle-headed," I muttered. My second disciple was surprisingly Ye Zhiyun. By surprise, I meant I never expected her to survive since she was one of the few female disciples I''ve had. She was the youngest out of the bunch and definitely the most intelligent. However, she''s too calctive and assuming that she always expects the worst-case scenarios, rendering her unable to act when ites down to it. This was one of the reasons why she just stayed in the Outer Court even though she had the potential to be one of the top disciples in my sect. Whenever a Sect Tournament happens, she wouldn''t join them most of the time since she couldn''t get a clear picture of all the oues. Adding to that, although she was really proficient in her Lightning Element, she couldn''t use it to harm anyone and she never did. At times like these, she''s at an absolute disadvantage. After all, how could you survive an outbreak if you don''t want to fight? It seems like a dumb question but its profoundness is on point. If you have what it takes to survive, then that will up the chance of your survival, simple as that. Seeing these puppy-like disciples of mine behind me makes me question my existence as the Sect Master of the Tang Sect. Like, what am I even doing with my life? You got the muscle head, the intellectual coward, and finally, you got the Xiao Liang, your average mob character. Ever since he entered my sect, he remained in the Mortal Realm, and not once did he attempt a breakthrough. I don''t know if he was intentionally doing it but it bothered me nevertheless. Sometimes, I even wonder if Xiao Liang really was a real-life NPC because of that. His status remained the same even after all these months. And for a cultivator, that''s not how it works. You know, I''m inclined to think that he really is an NPC, or rather, an epitome of one. "Xiao Liang are you an NPC?" I couldn''t help but ask out of the blue. "Uh, me? Uhm... no?" He said, too confused to even answer. Or maybe it''s just an automatically generated response when you ask an NPC if he or she''s an NPC... yeah, I believe Xiao Liang is an NPC, alright. Another horde of rabid humans started encircling us once again. It was such a pain, seeing theme up to us wave upon waves. We don''t get to take a break and we have to keep on moving. Adding to that, I still need to protect my disciples and slow down the virus in my body. I could feel the virus coursing through my veins, slowly trying to reach my brain as soon as possible. It was an unknown and weird feeling since I couldn''t begin to describe the virus. It''s as if an unknown substance suddenly found itself in my blood and I have no way of removing it. But No! I, Tang Yongrui, is the Sect Master of the most formidable sect in the whole country, Tang Sect! There''s no way I''m going to cease to exist just because some cursed rabid human bit me on the neck! I won''t lie though, that bite felt really good... until it wasn''t! When I turned my head once again, I perceived that my disciples were having the toughest of times trying to keep up with me. They were out of breath and their raspy breathing wasn''t helping with my vexation and impatience being. What have they been learning in my Sect? I never missed a day to train their body and mind harshly but what of it? It''s as if they just wasted their precious youth in my Sect because of the low-quality fruits of theirbor. I mean, we haven''t covered an entire kilometer yet! There''s nothing more important at the forefront of my mind than my sect surviving through this outbreak. I couldn''t ask for more! But seeing these kids behind me, I''m not confident that my sect would survive a month, let alone a whole lifetime. There''s just no way. If it weren''t for my assistance, these three would''ve been dead by now. And yet, why am I saving them? A fleeting urge of conscience? As much as I hate to admit it, I guess I should be uttering my prolonged farewell to my Sect. I poured my whole life and being into building and maintaining the high status of my Sect. Who would''ve thought I''d be saying goodbye to it on a rabies outbreak of some sort. Plop! Chapter 5: My Disciples II Chapter 5: My Disciples II When I looked back for the umpteenth time, I saw that Ye Ziyun and Xiao Liang were on the verge of copsing. Their stamina has run out and all that they could do was rest. As for Luo Zehn, he took it upon himself to drag the two instead of leaving them behind. It was obvious that Luo Zehn was doing all he could to bear his own weight and yet he even added Ye Zhiyun and Xiao Liang to himself just so they won''t die on the way. "If he weren''t that stupid, he would''ve been an outstanding disciple and the hope for my Sect," I told myself but deep inside. I was proud of him. Even in a life and death situation, he never his own selfishness get the better of him. Still, I should say that Ye Zhiyun and Xiao Liang are so weak! So weak! But since I''m the Sect Master and they''re my precious disciples, I wouldn''t just leave them here to die! (Trust me, I badly and definitely want to abandon them here and skitter the way out of here but I can''t... If there''s a slight possibility that my Sect was to live, then I''ll take it! I wouldn''t think twice about it!) Luo Zhen forced a smile on her face as he continued half-carrying and half-dragging Ye Zhiyun and Xiao Liang. He didn''t want to burden me even further so he urged me to keep on clearing our path. "Master, I can manage." He assured me. That was the final turning point in my mind as I stopped running. I hastily retraced my footsteps and shook Xiao Liang and Ye Zhiyun to consciousness. To my relief, they managed to wake up even for just a little bit. Without wasting a second, I shouted at the top of my lungs. "Zhiyun! I want you to hop on my back! Hurry! There''s no time!" Silence awkwardly befell the trio as they stared at me with teary eyes. "Master?" Luo Zhen muttered, grabbing the hem of my robe. "Master?" Xiao Liang repeated as he grabbed the other end of my robe. For some reason, two of my male disciples started crying as I knelt in front of Ye Zhiyun. And when she snuggly climbed on my back like a ko, Luo Zhen and Xiao Liang started bawling their eyes out like newborn babies. Right now, I don''t even know what''s going on. They wouldn''t even tell me why they were acting like so, they just wept and slumped on the ground as if they lost all the hope in the world. So much for wishing my Sect to live on... you know what? Why don''t I just leave them here? No, I''ve made it this far. No can do. "Don''t leave us... master." The two of them muttered as they grabbed both of my feet. "Please, master!" They were acting as if I would ditch them and fly off with Ye Zhiyun. How could they think so lowly of their Sect Master? Sigh~ These two are hopeless. "The two of you, if you press on just like what you''re doing right now, I would be more than willing to indulge in leaving you behind. In fact, it would serve me better if I just leave all of you and escape from here." I set in front of them. "In Tang Sect, there''s one unwritten rule that each disciple needs to uphold. That''s right! Bravery! We do not tolerate cowardice in the Sect! If you want to live and if you want me to not leave you behind, then wipe your snots right now! Or else I wouldn''t think twice about leaving you here." As soon as I said that, the unknown substance in my veins finally reached my brain, invading it. The virus finally got there and there was nothing I could do to resolve it. No matter how much I used my healing element to myself, I was unable to reverse the damage it did to my body and brain. Even my Condensed Qi Core that I''ve continually cultivated in my entire life was irreparably damaged. I regreting out of the cave instead of resuming my cultivation. If I had reached the Transcendence Realm, this whole ordeal would''ve been a piece of cake since it''s more or less impossible for me to die at that stage. But then again, I just let Natalia bite me in the neck and w me on the back a couple of times before I realized that something was wrong. How stupid of me. Luo Zhen and Xiao Liang did not hesitate to wipe the liquid on their face as they got up. For a moment back there, they lost their path but now they''re on the right track, upholding the unwritten rule of our Sect. Without wasting a single second, I picked both of them up on each of my arms and ran like a madman to escape the ce. With every step I took, I could feel my Condensed Qi Core gradually shrinking and escaping my body as something else was trying to take over my brain. I started to feel groggy and utterly exhausted but regardless of all that, I kept on sprinting. Even at my dying breath, I would at least bring my disciples to a safe ce so their survival would increase. After that, it''s up to them if they want to survive or not. "It is an unwritten rule for a Sect Master to be heroic!" I steeled my resolve, remembering the cultivation novels where the Sect Master rescues his disciples from danger whilst ignoring the life-threatening risks it brought. "Because if I didn''t manage to save my disciples, then that would just beme!" Well, in other cultivation novels, the Sect Masters are absolute assholes that like watching their disciples suffer. There''s also that one end of the scale, I guess. Wait! What am I thinking? Shaking my head, I tried to focus on the task at hand but it was getting more difficult by the second. It''s as if my brain was already a different entity and it just won''t listen to me! And after that, my body was beginning to do this weird dance that Rong did when he turned into a rabid human. What was it called, epileptic frenzy or something? No, it doesn''t have that cool of a name. In my seizure dance, I almost dropped Luo Zhen and Xiao Liang. It felt weird and impulsive and certainly ufortable! It''s just too bad I didn''t ''identally'' drop Luo Zhen and Xiao Liang. That would''ve been much easier. Chapter 6: Live On! And Never Forget Tang Sect! Chapter 6: Live On! And Never Forget Tang Sect! A wise man once articted that a person''s will is what affects the person''s thought and character. In the past, that saying was utter garbage in my belief. I''ve always believed that the person''s thoughts and character are what affects the will, totally opposite to the saying that wise man said, whomever he was. But who would''ve thought that my approach was wrong? That saying was true, and I was the one who thought foolishly. Even though it''s quitete for me to prove it since I was already turning into a rabid human, I would still ept it. After all, I could feel that my will was the first to be tainted as I slowly transformed into a vile rabid human. As I disproved it, so should I prove that the saying was true. Some people who have watched and critiqued a lot of zombie films in modern times would confidently say that one would lose his or her reason when turning, but that was a grave misunderstanding. As someone who''s turning into a rabid human, without a matter of doubt, I''m starting to lose my will to live first, not my reason. Although losing my reason would soon follow, I still want to refute that it''s the will and not the person''s character that''s at y here. Or maybe I just wanted to refute this eptedmon knowledge about zombies just to preupy my mind and distract it from the main subject. Wait, did I just say zombie? No, what I meant was to call them rabid humans. Because first of all, zombies aren''t real, They''re fictional characters constructed inside the minds of men and recounted like bedtime stories for a purpose. And that purpose being, to scare little children when they dream about fairy tales. Rabid humans is a more fitting term to call them since they''re basically humans with the human version of rabies. Recently, I''ve been talking too much to myself. Could it be a side-effect when turning into a rabid human? Well, that might be the case since I never really talk this much to myself before, I mean, as far as my mind can remember. "Master, are you okay?" My little disciple worriedly asked, interrupting my conversation with myself. It was Ye Zhiyun and her voice was showing much concern for me. Oh, how blessed am I to have a disciple as caring as her! Well, Natalia was also caring, and then she bit me. "I''m f-fine," I forced a smile on my face as I bit my lip. Her flesh was looking kind of delicious right now and my brain kept on urging me to sink my teeth on her arms. It was too tempting! But I tried my best to hold on to my reason like a piece of gum stuck on someone''s hair. I wouldn''t want to let go of it. If I did, then that would be the end of Tang Sect for good. And moreover, if I ever lose all reason, then I''d kill myself first before I brutally murder any of my disciples. I wouldn''t want to die thinking that I was the reason they did so I''d rather end my life first if that worst-case scenario happens. "Hang in there, we''re almost there. " I told my disciples but in all honesty, I just said that so I could spur myself onwards. And we were almost at the edge of the forest just outside the city so it wasn''t a made-up lie, we were really almost there. Previously, I was mindlessly running but then I realized that the edge of the city should be the nearest safest ce where my disciples would have a chance to thrive. Since the edge of the city has a forest right next to it, I deduced that there would be lots of trees to take refuge in and the food supply would be within arms reach since the city was near. Also, there''s the possibility of wild fruits in the forest but provided that my disciples aren''t cowardly enough, the supermarket or the convenience stores would be a few meters away from where I''ll drop them off. Regarding my disciples, I don''t think they''d have the guts to return to the very city where we escape from just for the food supplies and I would very much like to get some food for them before I leave them in the forest. But I was losing my humanity and I don''t think we can'' afford any stopovers. I mean, it won''t be long before I see the three of them as my food supplies when I turn into a zomb- er, I mean a rabid human. Finally, we reached the outskirts of the city. At longst, I had the luxury to drop both Luo Zhen and Xiao Liang to the ground. They grunted as their mouth was filled with soil but they didn''tin about my actions at all. At least they had gratefulness after I saved them from all the rabid humans. How admirable. "Master Yongrui, we''re really indebted to you. We express our gratitude for everything that you did for the three of us." Ye Zhiyun wiped her tears as it streamed down her cheeks and towards her chin. She bowed in front of me and once again, she spoke with great eloquence in thanking me. "We will never forget the life lessons and the little things you taught us in the sect. And we promise to never abandon our Tang Sect." What do you mean Our Tang Sect? It''s not our sect. It''s mine. What are you talking about? I thought "Master Yongrui, thank you so much for taking us in even though every sect shunned us because of our talentless and cowardly selves. I will never forget everythi- sniff..." Luo Zhen began. He was sniffling so hard I couldn''t fathom what he was talking about. It''s like the middle-line of gibberish and speaking in tongues. Still, I could feel the emotions welling up inside him because of how grateful he was to me. "Ehrmm, look... " I cleared my throat, interrupting their monologues. "I don''t think I couldst long. I''ve been bitten at least twenty minutes ago and I estimate that I only have a few seconds left before I turn into a rabid human... " "... And with that said. I''m heading out." Although I tried to act as cool as I could, I was starting to feel exhausted and it won''t be long before I faint and turn into a rabid human. "I just want you to keep this in mind. Never ever forget the Tang Sect and do your best to live on no matter what! Don''t make my death be in vain and for the sake of your fellow disciples who died in your ce, don''t die. That''s all." I clenched my fist as I turned around and as a sign of our farewell, I punched my fists in the air with all the strength I could muster. That''s when the tearjerking crying sessionmenced and my disciples were all part of it. Just when I was making my grand exit, they increased the volume of their wails as if forgetting that there were rabid humans all around us. "BE QUIET! THE ZOMBI-, er, RABID HUMANS CAN HEAR YOU! Idiots." I shouted at them since I couldn''t help it anymore. Were they trying to kill themselves as soon as I saved them? Or were they crying in honor of me? I don''t know but it pissed me off. What can I say except, good riddance! Finally, as the throes of death quickened its pace to erase me from existence, I valiantly marched in the middle of the city, enjoying thest fleeting moments of my life. I remembered the time when I lost my parents in a city-wide arson a few years ago and the Head of the Tang Sect took me in to teach me the basics of cultivation. I recalled the time when I first shot my Fire Arrow, dismembering a fellow disciple in the process. I remember being part of the vanguard when the ck Blood sect decided to attack our very own Tang Sect. My master died that day and as the right-hand man, I automatically assumed the position of sect master. Those days shed past my mind in a split second, reliving my memories as the movie of my life drew to a close. The skies were clear and sunny that day I know because I watched it just as the virus inside me took over my body like a hacker breaching the firewall of aputer. I know because the brightness of the sun that day almost partially blinded me since my eyes were directed at it and I lost all my strength to move my head. I know because I felt my body rot as I watched the sun. It burned my eyes and yet, I felt at peace. I never knew that dying could be such a calming experience. Not that I wanted to die, of course. It''s just... the feeling of your muscles rxing and your breathing slowing down had such tranquility. But there wille a time when one''s death will draw near and one wouldn''t have any choice but to ept it. Such was the time I was experiencing right at this moment. Just as my body fully sumbed and surrendered to the virus, something blocked the beautiful view of the sun in front of me. It frustrated me to no end since I wanted to look at the sun until I die. And yeah, for some reason, it was Natalia who blocked the view. Of all the zombi- er, rabid humans! Curse you, Natalia! I mean, not in the literal sense of the word, I still like you... as a woman and not a rabid human, of course! . Thus... I died while looking through a hole in someone''s stomach. Chapter 7: Awakening! Chapter 7: Awakening! <.....> An intensely bright light enveloped me, making me inadvertently close my eyes shut as tightly as I could but even that wasn''t enough to effectively block off the white light that shone with intense luminosity. Its dazzling brightness couldn''t even bepared to the sun when you gaze directly at it at noontime. The shing lights hinted at a few snippets of my life as it shed directly before my eyes. It was quite ironic since I lived through all of them and yet it looked like it was someone else''s life when I watched. The longer it went, the more I realized that my life was quite the mncholy one since it only revolved around cultivating my elements. Every day was nothing but practice and although I found pleasure in it, now that I''m watching it, it was a bit dreary. No friends, no love life, and not much social interaction whatsoever. What an untimely way to die I guess... Wait... I died, right? I''m really already ovee by death, right? As probing questions erupted and swirled in my mind, the bright light that surrounded me shone more intensely. By now, I could see a strong white light prating through my eyelids even with my eyespletely shut. I lightly groaned in pain as the light stung me. In all my years of living, I''ve never heard of such a bright ce but I have the vaguest of ideas about it. If the myths were true, then I''m probably inside my head, spending thest precious seconds of my life before I turn into a mindless rabid human that feeds off of human flesh and brains, I guess. Somehow, the white light that encapsted me felt so tranquil and relieving. I wanted it tost forever, I mean, stay like this forever even when I''m long dead. With this, I probably wouldn''t bother anyone even when I turn and no one would think of killing me. <.....> "That voice again?" Iined as I shouted at the top of my lungs. "What is this time? I''m trying to enjoy a momentary peace here. And just so you know, I think I''m already dead. I can''t wake up even if you tell me to do so." <.....> As the voice spoke for a second time, I felt like it sounded familiar but I can''t grasp the identity of the person behind it. For some reason, it felt near. My inner cultivation was telling me that the voice came from a different dimension and I''m convinced by it. After turning into a rabid human, I''m confident that my cultivation was crippled to an irrevocable state. And yet here I was, sensing some sort of fluctuating energy in my body. Am I really dead? For sure, I died, right? I asked myself once again but there was no way of confirming it. Well, except one... I think. Disregarding the illumination surrounding me, I focused deep into my body as I slowly breathed in and out. If I were in the mind, then I wouldn''t have been literally breathing but the feeling was there. I continued doing it until I felt that minuscule amount of Qi gathering around my navel area. For some reason, I still have life energy even though I''m already dead. That''s strange. "Is this experience a part of being dead? Or my body just wanted to remind me of the time when I first ascended to the Spirit Realm, Qi Condensation Stage? Well, it''s usible that I''m just having shbacks since the only thing I ever did back when I was alive was to cultivate. And somehow, nostalgia ising back to me as I reminisce about the past once again. "Anyways, let''s give it a try. There''s no harm in trying since I''m already dead." The Qi swam from the tips of my fingers, from the top of my head, and then towards the condensing goo of Qi that resided just where my navel is. It was tedious work since I couldn''t afford to lose concentration but being inside a superbly-lit space helped me focus more. Compared to caves, the space where I was in is a ce of unquantifiable sce and there were no distractions. Compared to when I cultivated for the first time, I gathered enough Qi for a breakthrough with half the time. I was amazed by how fast I had gotten and although I wouldn''t be able to enjoy it because I''m already dead, it was still a great aplishment for me. ... ... I didn''t know just how much time had passed inside the space where I was in now, but I was steadily gathering Qi around me. Just like in real life, there would be times when gathering Qi would take so long while there would be times when you gathered it so fast it would just take all your concentration to keep it stable. It came as a surprise since it really replicated the way I cultivated when I was alive. It probably took a few months or even years but I don''t know how much I spent in that space in my mind. I lost track of time and by now, I gathered a rtivelyrge amount of Qi to breakthrough. Beads of sweat trickled on my forehead as I continuously kept my focus. I''ve never gathered so much Qi in all my life and furthermore, I was still in the Mortal Realm of Unawakened. But now, I''m confident that it was the optimal time for a breakthrough. When ites to cultivation, someone who''s gottent talent or superfluous knowledge about certain cultivation skills would almost always have a leg up on a situation. Meaning to say, if a cultivator went back to the Mortal Realm, he could cultivate faster than those in the same realm, just because he had the experience and the knowledge to do it. In my free time in the past, I''ve read a lot of transmigration novels, and most of the time, those who underwent a reset would be too powerful. I wouldn''t refute that because it''s true and also, it''smon knowledge. It''s like a pro gamer going back to level one on a certain game. If he was pitted against a beginner, of course, he would beat that yer a thousand times over. That''s why, when I began cultivating in my mind, I didn''t rush my breakthrough. The longer you cultivate, the more sessful your breakthrough will be. And it should be mentioned that advancing from the Mortal Realm to the Spirit Realm is also called advancing from Unawakened to Awakened Realm. That''s because advancing to the Spirit Realm would grant you a random element. If you rushed it, you might not awaken an element and that would be very disappointing. Imagine all your hard work boils down to that breakthrough and that breakthrough just had to dissipate into thin air. That''s no less disappointing as it is frustrating. Although I''m experienced enough and I could rush through my breakthrough, I don''t want to awaken a useless element. When I was alive, I awakened half of all the known elements and that''s because I spent more than a decade in the Mortal Realm. And then, I just whizzed past through the other Realms since I was strong enough and my cultivation was so advancedpared to other cultivators. Honestly, why do I keep talking to myself? Well, it''s not like I have anyone to talk to. I guess it''s one of the side effects after spending a long time in a space with no one else with you. The Qi condensing near my navel was beginning to harden like a core. It was as big as a yoga ball and it took all my concentration and ''will'' to just keep it together. One wrong move and I could feel myself exploding. If I were to get distracted at such a crucial time, I don''t think I''d continue living in this space. I clenched my teeth and hoped that I would be able to condense my Qi sessfully. Little by little, I focused on the center of my condensing Qi and gathered it there, like how a ck-hole gathers everything in its center. "Almost there!" I pushed myself. I could feel my Qi running rampant all over my body but I didn''t lose concentration. I continued gathering them in the center of my Qi, not minding the intense pain I felt. I''m already dead but I could feel blood escaping my mouth as I finally condensed my ball of Qi into the size of a basketball. But that wasn''t enough. In order to make a breakthrough, I have to condense it even more until it''s the size of a ping-pong ball. Feeling my veins popping all over my body and my blood flowing through it like a rushing stream, I continued my cultivation. I was reaching the most important section of my breakthrough. I can''t fail here! The basketball-sized ball of Qi condensed into a volleyball size, and then to baseball size, and then to a tennis ball sized one. Just a little more! The space where I was in was already bright enough but it got even brighter as I sessfully condensed my Qi into a ping-pong-ball-sized one. I was ted! I never knew it was impossible to control such huge amounts of Qi in the Mortal Realm but now, I did it. It was an achievement worth recording in the history of mankind. If only I wasn''t dead. I sighed as I felt something ping in my head. Chapter 8: Qi Condensation Stage Chapter 8: Qi Condensation Stage The voice that kept urging me to awaken from my slumber suddenly spoke up after the loud ping in my head. Since the voice was so near that I imagined it speaking in my head, I hesitantly opened my eyes in confusion. "Who are you?" I asked, trying to sense if there was some sort of entity amidst the bright white light that surrounded me. To my perplexity, however, there were no signs of it anywhere. "What''s this about the Blood Element? I''ve never heard about it before. Is this a new element? Based on the amount of Qi I gathered, I should''ve unlocked all the elements right? Why did I just unlock this Blood element?" I asked. "And who are you? Howe you could talk to me in this space? Are you God? Am I really already dead?" I bombarded the voice with questions that floated in my head. There was too much I wanted to answer but I stopped asking since there was no response. That''s right, the questions were answered by a long span of silence. I strained my ears, waiting for an answer, but there were none. The voice was so random, speaking only when it was convenient for her. It''s like when you''re in a call with someone and they wouldn''t even speak after answering your call. How irksome! And why am I addressing the voice as her? That''s because she has the voice of a woman in her twenties. I have no idea if I''m hallucinating or not but I heard the female''s voice loud and clear. There was no way that''s not real! Just as I started asking myself some pressing questions about the mysterious being that spoke to me, I felt something warm in my hands. It was the weirdest feeling of all since I haven''t felt it in a long time. That''s right, warmth. It''s been so long since I felt warmth in my hands and I was surprised at how new the feeling was. Since that feeling was withheld from me all this time, I almost retracted my hands from the somewhat new feeling but then, I overcame that urge. Maybe the warmth I''m feeling right now is a clue regarding the identity of the mysterious voice. While I was thinking about that, I felt another odd feeling in my body. I felt my teeth sinking into someone else as something warm identally flowed in my throat. That unknown liquid was brimming with Qi so I decided to let it flow down my stomach even though I was oblivious as to what it was. "What''s this?" I asked myself. The longer I drank the liquid of life, the more it tasted delicious. After a few seconds, the warmth on my hands began to turn cold but that questionable liquid flowing through my throat filled me with calmness. It was warm and slightly viscous to taste yet it was so delectable that I didn''t want to stop drinking it. Still, I didn''t open my eyes since I know that that would spoil the taste of whatever I''m drinking. I still don''t want to see the truth even though I could feel that I''m drinking something. "AAAAAGGHHHHH~!" I heard a scream. What? A scream?! Why is someone screaming in the space where I''m in? Is this supposed to happen when someone''s dead? That''s odd. I don''t know when it happened but somehow, the strong white light that epassed me had mysteriously vanished. All this time, my eyes were glued shut but the urge to open them was bing more and more tempting since the white light isn''t there to stop me anymore. Then I felt a soft gush of wind whistle past my face, ruffling my hair and making my nose tingle. Wait, wind?! Why am I feeling the wind this time? Is this some sort of phase that the mind goes through when someone died? What''s happening here? Seeing that the bright light was gone, I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes. The enormous amount of information that flooded my brain almost made me faint the moment I saw my surroundings. The first thing I saw was a girl, bawling her eyes out as she looked at me while clinging to her mom. She looked like she was scared out of her wits as she buried her face on her mom''s skirt. Meanwhile, her mom was cupping her hands over her mouth as if restraining herself from screaming. Her legs were shaking like a rattling rm clock and her eyes were darting here and there as if she was looking for an escape route. Both of them were wearing dirty clothes that resembled rags sewed together. By the looks of it, I assumed that they were beggars. Honestly, why are there beggars in my mind? I''m already dead, aren''t I? Nevertheless, I decided not to turn a blind eye to them because I''d rather do good things in my fleeting moments than be a person who ignores everything just because he''s dead. "Ummph-mmm-mmnph?" I tried asking them if they were okay but my mouth seemed to be stuck on something. And that''s when I realized that I was biting on something. By now, the mysterious liquid was beginning to taste even stronger and somehow, it started to taste gamey. I looked down to see what I was drinking. For a moment, I thought I was drinking tomato juice or something of the organic sort, like carrot juice. My heart skipped a beat and I dropped whatever I was drinking. It was a man, a man in his twenties. He was dead, cold. And I''ve been sucking at his, no, I''ve been biting at his neck and I pretty much drained all his blood. Moreover, I seemed to have drained him with all his Qi. You meant to tell me, all this time I''ve been biting people and that''s how I gathered my Qi?! No, that''s just my imagination. I''m sure I wasn''t like that. There''s no way! "Wai... no.. no... this is not happening." I shook my head as I thought about all the other people I''ve sucked the blood out of. I screamed until I felt my voice cracked. It was too much! One moment I was dead and the next moment, I was biting someone''s husband. I meant sucking blood, not biting. That statement is a bit misunderstandable. I just assumed that the man I bit was the little girl''s dad and the woman''s husband. I cautiously approached them, hoping that I could apologize. "No! D-don''te near us, please!" Thedy whimpered as her daughter buried her face even more on her skirt. "Please, I''m begging you!" They probably misunderstood my shout as a war cry and the fact that I bit his husband was unforgivable, I could totally understand her reaction. "No, you misunderstand I... " I mumbled. "I died and... I''m sorry I su-, bit your husband." Suddenly, the mother''s face softened a little bit. "Wait, you can still talk? Are you infected? Wait... you don''t look infected... " "Wait, what are you talking about?" This time, I was the one confused. Chapter 9: Tang Shelter Chapter 9: Tang Shelter "Wait, what are you talking about?" "But you bit my husband who just turned into a zombie... wait, don''t tell me, are you into biting zombies? Is that your thing? Why would you do that? It''s not even sadistic anymore, that''s pure craziness!" "Wait miss, don''t misunderstand... I..." What do I tell her? Honestly, what do I tell her?! I pulled back and thought real hard but I can''t find anything to counter her assumptions. Wait! If this goes on, I''d bebeled a pervert on a higher ne! Everyone would know me as the person who sucked a zombie to death... and that''s not even an achievement worth bragging to everyone. Wait... zombie? Yeah, she did tell me that her husband just turned into a rabid human. That''s it! "Miss, you misunderstand, I repeated." I waved my hand. "It''s not that I''m into sucki-, er, biting someone. It''s just that... I know of an effective and safe way of getting rid of a zombie and that involves biting them." "No, my daughter and I know who you are." The mother closed her eyes. "You''re the Zombie Cultivator!" "What did you ju- A Zombie Cultivator? What in the zes are you talking about?" I asked her, confused. "Yes, we know you go around biting both the infected and not infected and sucking them dry." "Hey, be careful of your phrasing, what if we get demized?" I eximed because she didn''t choose her words right. It''s not that I sucked everyone dry, I specifically bit them and sucked their blood dry, get that? "Demized? What do you-" "Enough of your banters, just continue with what you''re rattling about and be done with it." I waved off my hand so she could continue. "You go around biting everyone you set your eyes on. We know because you''ve been doing it for five years!" The mother eximed. "That''s why no one wants to go to this city. You bite everyone and then you sit in a cultivating position as if nothing happened. It would''ve been understandable if you were just a different type of zombie but to think that you''re actually human?!" "Wait... what do you mean by five years? I''ve been biting everyone for the past five years?" I asked her. Everything that she said was finally starting to sink in but I couldn''t quite grasp everything yet. "You mean to say, I''ve been like this for the past five years and I''ve been going around biting everyone I see?" The mother nodded. The information was too much for me to take in and I copsed knee-first into the ground. Tears were trying to escape the floodgates of my eyes but I held it in. As a sect master, I shouldn''t lose my calm even if my dignity was stepped on. One must maintain hisposure at all times! That''s how I, Yongrui, am and I won''t change just because of something I did when I didn''t have consciousness. "I''ve turned into something I''ve sworn to destroy... but now that I got my consciousness back, it''s time to exact revenge to those who deserve it." I turned to the mother and daughter, contemting whether to tell them or not. "I''m really sorry but the truth is... I really turned into a zombie. I just managed to get my humanity back after subconsciously gathering Qi in my mind. I know you might not believe me but this was the day I finally took control of my mind once again." "I-is that true... are you... are you going to suck us dry too?" The mom asked yet a misleading question. "Please, if you''re going to suck us, leave my daughter alone. Just suck me and let my daughter escape." "AS I SAID... STOP SAYING I SUCK PEOPLE!" I screamed at her. My patience was already running thin as it is and she just had to say some misleading things. "Please, sniff~, don''t bite my mom... you can bite me instead... Please spare my mom... " The daughter sniffled. What the- are they for real?! How preposterous! This mother-and-daughter pair knows no bounds in their insolence. How could they tarnish the name of an esteemed Sect Master just because their vocabry is limited and their minds have been closed off! This is pure disrespect! "ARGH! I was unconscious when I did that and also, I was biting everyone! Sucking their blood was just an added bonus! How many times do I have to tell you!" I reasoned. No, I shouldn''t lose my calm! How unbefitting of a Sect Master! "Ehrmm," I cleared my throat before I continued. "Even though you spoke of such nder, I will spare your lives because you both are ignorant of my identity. Just this once, I will forgive you and your unpardonable sinful acts of defamation." Although it''s unbelievable, I could tell that the mother and daughter were telling the truth about me roaming around this dpidated city for five years. Long story short, I''ve been a rabid human for the past five years and now I''m probably still a rabid human but at least I got my consciousness back. "Wait, you won''t bite us?" "YES! WHY WOULD I BITE YOU TWO?!" I groaned once again. I was getting tired of exchanging words with these people. "In fact, I''d even lead you to your safety. So, where are you going?" "Wait, how could we trust you?" The mother asked. Although she had no ce to negotiate with me, she asked nheless. "You could trust me or I could just stay here and bite you two just because you''re being a pain on my butt." I finally took control of myposure. "What do you say?" Since there was no room for negotiations, the mother regrettably nodded her head. I think she was just d that she''s not yet dead. "So, where are you headed?" "To the Tang Shelter." "Tang Shelter?!" "Yes, it''s two cities from here." Tang Shelter?! Of all the names they could name the shelter, they just had to call it Tang Shelter? Now, this is interesting. Are Zhen, Zhiyun, and Liang alive? Did they make it?! "If you''re going to go there, then I could aid you in crossing through the cities." I offered, "Of course, I don''t need anything in return. Think of this as an apology for biting your husband." "N-no! You don''t have to do that! Our husband already turned and he was about to eat us when you came and bit him on the neck. We should be the ones expressing our thanks." Then why did it look like I was the criminal back there? Oh right, they thought I was a rabid human as well. Understandable. "Then I get that you want to thank me? As thanks, let me apany you to this Tang Shelter. I promise I''d get you there safely and any rabid humans that try to attack us would be put down by yours truly. I''m plenty strong if you ask me." I could tell that the mother and daughter had mixed feelings when they looked at me with a mixture of disdain and perplexity. Still, since they didn''t have any choice and they probably thought that I''d really bite them if they don''t adhere to my wishes, they decided to agree on my terms. The terms being, I apany them to the Shelter as their way of thanks for me. I know it doesn''t make any sense but that''s about it. Chapter 10: Accidents Do Happen Chapter 10: idents Do Happen I''m out of my mind. Yeah, I''m totally out of my mind. Not just me, but this mother and daughter duo as well. I mean, how could someone be as insane as them? It''s unfathomable. If I went along with what just happened, then I could conclude that they''re insanely crazy. First off, I bit this woman''s husband and drained him of his blood, absorbing his Qi in the process. After that, they wanted to thank me for saving them? And not only that, they even went as far as to let me apany them to the shelter where they''re going. Well, I did threaten them that I''ll do the same thing as I did to her husband if they won''t allow me to apany them to their next destination. But then again, howe they so easily agreed with me? And also, whose side am I on? This woman''s husband? The more I think about it, the more I felt like sympathizing with the rabid human, that is, this woman''s husband. Is this what a fellow rabid human feels when someone attacks one of its kin? Am I a rabid human or a human? I''m still not one hundred percent sure. "Mister, what''s your name?" The daughter turned around and asked me. Her mom tugged at her, beckoning her not to speak to me. But still, she looked at me with curious eyes that tempted me to answer. "Tang... Tang Yongrui, Sect Master of the Tang Sect." I tried my best to smile so she won''t feel that scared of me. "And you little miss? What''s your name?" "Yu Yan." "Yu Yan?" "Yu Yan." The girl repeated. She wanted to smile at me but the memory of her dad turning into a zombie and I killing him was probably still fresh in her mind since she looked down, nced at me for a split second, and decided not to look at me anymore. "Since we''re already exchanging names and the like... may I ask-" "Yu Sying." The mother interrupted. "Tang Yongrui, huh... who would''ve thought I''d meet a world-renowned person in our travels. So your the Sect Master of the Tang Sect? The one and only cultivator who awakened half of all the elements at such a young age?" "Unless I remember wrong or I''m just pretending to be that person," I responded with a shrug. I didn''t want to brag but she was the one who repeated my achievements. "No... no doubt about it. You were Tang Yongrui. I remember seeing you in the news before?" Yu Sying muttered. "When was that?" "Five years ago, right when this zombie apocalypse became a thing." Yu Sying muttered. "In the news, they said that you''re Sect was the first one to take on the first wave of all the zombies." While Yu Sying was speaking, she tried very hard to avert her gaze from me. The same could be said to her daughter, Yu Yan. They simply didn''t want to look me in the eyes. Sigh. It''s not like I did anything wrong. It was your husband''s fault for turning into a zombie right in front of me. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, just to make sure I heard it right. "Do you mean to say... our Sect was the very first thing that, that these rabid humans attacked? Someone deliberately made our Sect the epicenter of the outbreak?" "Yes, it was covered in the news. Most of the zombies that infected everyone in the city were of the Tang Sect. We were three cities away but the outbreak happened so fast it caught up to everyone all over the globe. I thought it was just the Tang Sect... but if I correctly remember, all the other top sects around the world experienced the same thing. They were the first ones to get infected." "From what you said, then, does that mean my sect and all the other famous sects around the world were intentionally attacked? Then there was someone responsible for this worldwide rabid human outbreak?" I asked. I know it was a crazy thought and whoever did it was just as twisted. Still, it might be possible. But who was powerful enough to do it? I can''t remember anyone having that much influence, much less have the power to produce rabid humans and scatter them all over the globe in every popr sect. "Yes, it was a conspiracy five years ago, at least." Yu Sying answered. She was still a nervous wreck as ever. "But the media even theorized of that being the case that the zombie outbreak was intentional." So it was intentional, huh. But why? Why would someone want to end the human race? Do they want to experience a rabid human apocalypse that badly? As I was mulling over these things. I heard a weak groan from a corner a few meters away from where we were. By the time I heard it, a rabid human was already emerging from the corner and I just had enough time to push both the mother and daughter on the wall so we could get out of its vision range. It happened so fast that I wasn''t even mindful of where I touched Yu Sying. I just pressed her against the wall as fast as I could in hopes that the rabid human or humans wouldn''t see us. I craned my neck to see if they wereing at us. After all, it would be bad news if they did. Not only do I have to protect two girls, but I also need to protect myself. Adding to that, I wasn''t as powerful as I was before so fighting against a horde of rabid humans would be bad news. I''m not confident that I''lle out of that fight unscathed if it were ever to happen. If only I were stronger. I have to get stronger as fast as I possibly can. That way, crushing these hordes of rabid humans would be like crushing an anthill. I''m still at the Spirit Realm but wait ''til I get to the Emperor Realm. With my talents and effort, I should reach it in no time at all. To my relief, the rabid humans that emerged from the corner of the street didn''t pass by us. They went the other way around, probably heading to the center of the city. "They''re gone now... for now we should find some she- " I stopped short as I saw Yu Sying''s face, reddened with embarrassment. Eh?! Chapter 11: No Escape Chapter 11: No Escape Yu Sying''s face screamed embarrassment as she looked at her chest area. She red at me with tears in her eyes, as if telling me I was a scum whereas I just saved both her and her daughter''s lives. It''s not like I can''t help it, you know. I just did that out of impulse. It''s not like I did it on purpose! Or so that''s what I said in my mind but before I could even defend myself, she did something I''d never think of doing in the middle of the apocalypse. That''s right, she spoke out loud in surprise. It wasn''t a scream but it certainly attracted all the nearby rabid humans around us. Sigh~ "W-w-where are you touching?!" She cried out of embarrassment. Her face reddened due to embarrassment and slight anger. "Shut up, old woman!" I hissed at her in vexation. "I did it to save your lives and you just had to give away our locations to the rabid humans we badly wanted to avoid!" The look of despair on her face after realizing what she just did almost made me want to leave the two of them alone. I''m a rational man and I do everything rationally. I might''ve been killed because of my irrationality but I am really rational, deep inside. And yeah, I''m contradicting myself. I mean, it''s not like my hand touched it. My arm barely grazed it! And it was a reflex since she wasn''t being mindful of her surroundings. Phew... why am I making up excuses in my head? For now, I have to get them out of here. "This way!" I gritted my teeth as my impatience started to get the better of me. Grabbing Sying by her wrist and dragging her as she dragged her daughter. A series of groans echoed everywhere as the rabid humans gave chase. They were especially fast that if I trip right here right now, they''d be able to catch up to us and pounce on me. What a pain. "You didn''t have to raise your voice, you know!" I shot back at Yu Sying who was already regretting her past actions. She looked towards the ground as I mindlessly dragged her and her daughter around. A rabid human came up to us with its mouth wide open. It looked as if it was ready to bite me. And to my surprise, it didn''t bite me! It just avoided me like how a river flows around a rock in the middle of it. It just went around me as if I wasn''t there. Due to shock, I turned around to see where the rabid human was headed and that''s when it jumped towards Yu Sying and Yu Yan. Without a split second to spare, I tugged at Yu Sying''s hand, forcing her to fall into my arms as I grabbed both her and her daughter. I immediately slung Yu Yan on my back. "GRAB ON!" I shouted as I got Yu Sying and carried her like a princess. "W-w-what are you doing?!" She bashfully eximed, averting her gaze from me. "Do you want to die? I take it your daughter doesn''t want to die, right? I can just take her and leave you here with the rabid humans." I sharply asked her one of the most obvious questions I know. Of course, she doesn''t! After shaking her while carrying her in my arms, I took off as the horde of rabid humans chased after us. Our goal was to enter one of the abandoned buildings nearby and lock ourselves inside to avoid the wrath of the rabid humans. Although I''m strong enough to fend them off, I doubt that I could protect them at the same time. Because of that, I decided to tactically retreat. Out of all the structures that towered all over us, I preferred finding a small shop with food supplies so we won''t have to worry about ourining stomachs. But if there aren''t any options, it''s fine wherever we find ourselves as long as we won''t end up in a rabid human''s stomach. That''s the only exception. As a little bit of a fun fact, it should be mentioned that rabid humans don''t digest their food. The myth that everything that rabid humans consume woulde out of their digestive tract is a misunderstanding. What they consume would remain inside their stomach as it continued to expand. If someone was eaten by a rabid human, that someone would rot inside the rabid human''s stomach and will stay there until the rabid human eats too much flesh. If you were wondering what would happen if rabid humans eat too much, then contemte on why there are a lot of rabid humans with a ruptured stomach. Gah! I hate just thinking about it. And how did I just know that? Simple,mon sense. Since rabid humans are basically dead, their bodily functions cease to function as well. That''s just how it goes. Still, one could say that their motor functions are still enabled, how could they not be alive? Well, that''s because the virus has taken over the brain, making the body do simple and default movements like moving the appendages, and eating. "Over there," I muttered in relief upon sighting a shopping mall just on the other side of the street where I was. Although it''srger than I wanted, there would be plenty of hiding spots and a possible abundance of food supplies. But I wouldn''t expect too much since the shopping mall hasn''t been resupplied for the past five years. The feeling of running away somehow irked and frustrated me to the core. It was quite new to me since I''ve never ran away in all my life as a Sect Master. When I was at the peak, I could effortlessly knock most people down in one shot. But now, I don''t even have the strength to face a handful of rabid humans, let alone a massive horde. Being on the First Stage of the Spirit Realm once again, I felt as powerless as a newborn chick. At my age, I should''ve been on the final realm by now. If I don''t hasten my cultivation, then it won''t be long before I waste my second chance and die a second time. And I just got my second chance, there''s no way I''m giving up now! Still, I need to get used to this exhaustion. I''ve never felt tired before ever since entering the Dao Realm five years ago, so fatigue needs some getting used to. Before, sprinting for hours is nothing but child''s y, but now a five-minute sprint is enough to exhaust me. That''s probably because I''m carrying this mother-daughter duo. Seeing thest stretch, I pushed myself to run even faster. The shopping mall was now well within my reach. A brief feeling of exhration swept me as I reached out for the shopping mall door and turned its knob. "Yes!" And... I celebrated too early. Click! Click! Click! Colors drained out of my face as I realized the door was either stuck or locked. I tried pulling at it again but it was all for naught. The shopping mall our only escape route was blocked and we have nowhere else to go. By the time I looked for another way, every nook and cranny was already filled with rabid humans. And they were fast to boot! With nothing else to do, I grabbed the door handle once again, hoping that I could force it open with brute strength. The zombies were closer now but I decided not to look at them. I know that I won''t be able to take all of them on, not with the mother and daughter with me. Don''t tell me I have to die again as soon as I came back to life?! Click! m! Chapter 12: Survivors??? Chapter 12: Survivors??? Hopelessness invaded my whole being while I desperately tugged at the door handle. It was one of the few moments of my life where I actually felt death looming up to me. The first one was when I slowly turned into a rabid human, of course. I turned around after hearing Yu Yan crying on my shoulders. She didn''t cry that loud. It''s a silent cry you do when you''re terrified but you can''t do something about it. As for Yu Sying, she was trying her best to hold it in while closing her eyes. The rabid humans were only a few feet away from us. Ten feet... Five Feet... Click! My momentum almost made me fell forward as the shopping mall door suddenly burst open. Before my face hit the ground, however, I managed to step forward and prevent myself from falling down and embarrassing myself. I should say I did it sessfully since I didn''t keel over. As if by some sort of miracle, the door opened on its own and we were saved from the horde of rabid humans outside. I heaved a sigh of relief with Yu Sying and Yu Yan. We were saved. How many second chances have I received now? The first thing that urred in my mind is to thank whoever saved me. If it was a miracle, then I''d prostrate and thank God myself but what I saw was something else. "And so, what are you three doing in the middle of the city?" A woman''s voice asked me. Click! An intense banging sound was heard as all the rabid humans chasing us collided into the door. They probably fell on top of each other as they desperately wed on themselves and the door while wondering where their meal went to. Well, not today, my friends. Sorry to burst your bubble, filthy rabid humans. "Oh, greetings," I greeted thedy who was rational enough to close the door for us. "I was traveling alone when I saw these two being attacked by a rabid human. And then we were chased by the lot of them just because this mom here just had to scream after I identally touched her bosom while I shoved her away from the rabid humans'' line of sight. And yes, it was an ident, I didn''t mean anything by touching her there... wait, did I already say that?" "Yeah, t-twice." Thedy covered her bosom as if guarding it from my harmless hands. "What''s your name?" "Yongrui." I simply mumbled. "Yours?" "I''m Lin Xian. Nice to meet a fellow human in this zombie-infested city." She greeted me but she didn''t take a step near me. I carefully dropped Yu Sying and Yu Yan on a corner. They still haven''t woken up after fainting a moment ago. "In any case, thank you for helping us. We would''ve been dead if it weren''t for you. That aside, what are you doing here all by yourself?" I questioned her with a doubtful expression on my face, keeping my guard up in front of the mysterious girl that willingly saved us, strangers. "It''s none of your business." She simply replied as she grabbed her backpack and bat on the corner of the ce. Without speaking another word, she just went deeper into the mall. What a weird woman. Whatever, now... let''s get back to business. Since Yu Sying and Yu Yan didn''t seem like they''re waking up anytime soon, I decided to cultivate and progress in my breakthrough. For a normal person, that wouldn''t be the first thing he''d do as soon as he escaped death by the teeth but as for me, I had no choice but to do it. Firstly, because I don''t have time to cultivate while traveling and secondly, I''m going to die very soon since I''m helping this mother-daughter duo travel in the apocalypse. The more people I have with me, the riskier it would get so I have to grow stronger as much as I could. It would''ve been much easier if I was alone but I need to get to that Tang Shelter and I have no idea which direction it is. After all, much has changed in the cities around the area because of the outbreak. After rechecking if Yu Sying and Yu Yan were still asleep, I sat down cross-legged a few feet from them and started my cultivation. I didn''t know it at first but after feeling rejuvenated while biting Yu Sying''s husband, I realized I have a knack for absorbing someone''s Qi, just like how a sponge absorbs water when ites in contact with it. When I sucked the blood out of those I bit, I wasn''t really intentionally doing it, I was getting the energy from their blood and making it my own. Oh well, it''s toote to realize that now, I guess. For a brief exnation, Qi is the energy of every living thing, and just like air is present around living things, Qi is present everywhere. (If you have a television at home or something, just watch the worldwide hit film Kung Fu P*nda and you will know what it is) Now, Qi is necessary for cultivation since that''s what determines how you would achieve a breakthrough. For additional information, cultivation is just a way of efficiently gathering and harnessing the Qi. Once you have a certain mastery over your gathered Qi, you will be stronger. That''s where the Realmse from. Realms are basically someone''s rank when ites to how powerful someone is. It''s basically the level someone has attained. The higher-leveled you are, the stronger you are. And just like in video games, the higher-leveled you are, the more it''s hard to level up and reach the next stage. Think of cultivation as a ss being slowly filled up with water. The ss here represents your cultivation level and the water represents how much Qi you have. Once you reach the maximum capacity of water, which is your qi, you have to use an even bigger ss of water. That''s when a breakthroughes in. A breakthrough urs when your ss is not big enough so you transfer all your water (Qi) to a bigger ss. If you''re sessful in the transfer, then you''d have achieved a breakthrough. Now that I mentioned a breakthrough, it should be fitting to discuss cultivation levels. In total, there are a total of nine known cultivation levels: Mortal, Spirit, Emperor, King, Immortal, Ancient, Dao, Transcendence, Beyond Transcendence. Each of these cultivation levels is subdivided into eight levels. Since I just achieved a breakthrough into the Spirit Realm while I was unconscious, I unlocked an element and I skipped the first level up to the eighth level of the mortal realm. When I woke up, I was already on the first level of the spirit realm which is also called the Qi Condensation stage. Basically, when you sessfully condensed your qi into a stable orb of energy near your navel, you''ve more or less achieved a breakthrough towards the Spirit realm. Each realm holds a different type of power so the higher your cultivation level is, the more abilities you have. That''s pretty much how it works. And why am I talking to myself? Without further ado, I sat down and started cultivating the Qi that I identally absorbed from Yu Sying''s husband. Although I felt guilty about it, it gave me more Qi so I''m grateful for him. To think that I probably bit countless rabid humans or humans before Yu Sying''s husband is scary... so I would rather not think about it. Chapter 13: Now, a SYSTEM?! Chapter 13: Now, a SYSTEM?! "Yongrui, Yongrui." "Stop pestering me!" "Yongrui, Yongrui." "I said stop calling me, it''s unpleasant to the ears. How insolent." I gritted my teeth as I tried to focus more on my cultivation. Still, the woman''s voice in my head kept on calling out to me like a broken cassette tape. I thought it would stop after she woke me up from my five years of slumber but as it turns out, she''s likely to annoy me for the rest of my life. "Okay, fine! What do you want?!" I shouted back at her. For some reason, I didn''t get distracted in my cultivation. "Do you want to achieve a breakthrough into the Second Level of the Spirit Realm?" The voice asked. "Of course I do! What do you think I''m doing right now?" I shot back at her. This time, I was starting to get annoyed. Eh?! "Who was that?!" I eximed. "Hello, Yongrui, I''m the System." The voice simply answer. "I will aid you in your cultivation." "Whaaat?! I don''t need help!" "If you don''t need me, you can go back to being a zombie." The voice responded with a slight hint of irritation. "It''s because of me that you got your consciousness back. Without me, you''re just a mindless zombie. And it''s not like I have any choice, I woke up in your head before I knew it." "Are you really a System? Something that would give me quests and the like? That''s how it works in roley games or system novels, right?" "Yes, since I know your whole being, I could give you quests and things to do to hasten your cultivation. Of course, it still depends on you whether to follow them or not. And honestly, I don''t know if I''m a System but seeing that I woke up in your head, then I just assumed I was one." "Understandable, have a great day," I muttered but deep inside, I was an utter wreck! Confusion was starting to overtake me. The proud Sect Master of the Tang Sect is perplexed! How deplorable indeed. I was a rabid human for five years... then I woke up with something unknown like the Blood Element, and now there''s a girl in my head calling herself the System?! How crazy could this get?! And what''s this about element levels and unlocking the dark element?! What on earth is the Dark Element? Another weird stuff the so-called System came up with? Argh!!! p* p* I opened my eyes and looked around upon hearing a few ps reverberate throughout the mall. I thought at first I was the one pping but that would be crazy. If I had no control over my body, then it would just be better if I were dead than alive. "So... you really are the Zombie Cultivator." Yu Sying muttered. "That''s the Blood Element, right?" "Oh, who taught you the Blood Element?! Don''t tell me, are you from the Alpha Shelter?" Lin Xian asked. For some reason, she was sitting beside Yu Sying and Yu Yan as if she didn''t just leave. "What''s this Blood Element you''re talking about? Is this some sort of new element discovered post-outbreak?" I asked as I turned towards Lin Xian. "And also, you left, right? Why did youe back?" "I was gone for three hours and then I returned to give you some food. I didn''t venture too far into the supermarket since there were a few high-leveled zombies lurking there. And then, when I returned, you were already sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed while a dark red aura surrounded you. You were cultivating the Blood Element, right? Who taught you the Blood Element? Can you teach it to me too!" Lin Xian''s eyes sparkled as if she just saw a treasure in front of her. She went closer and closer towards me with her pupils gettingrger by the second, or maybe that was just my imagination. In any case, she looked very zealous about this Blood Element even though I don''t know what it''s about. "I don''t even know what the Blood element is!" I retorted. It pains me to say it but there really wasn''t anything I could do about it. Up until now, the only elements that I know of were the basic four elements and their deviations like thunder, ice steel, and the like. And I''m fairly certain that the Blood Element never existed five years ago. "But, you just cultivated it, right?" Yu Sying joined in on the conversation. "That dark red aura is one of the clear signs of someone practicing the Blood Element." "F-fine! If you''re all so smart, why don''t you tell me about it." I crossed my arms as I seriously stared at both Lin Xian and Yu Sying. They seem to be knowledgeable about it to say the least. And if there was an off-chance that they don''t know anything about it... then I''d justugh at them with no reprieve. Sometimes my genius... it''s almost frightening. "Ehrmmm... I don''t know anything about it but... " Lin Xian began. Hah! She really doesn''t know anything about it! "Ahaha! See, you don''t even know what it is and you had the guts to question me? How foolish." I interrupted. It''s not even a matter ofpetition since it was clearly my win! "Don''t interrupt me while I''m exining!" Lin Xian shot back. Urk! "I don''t know anything about it but everyone has heard of it. It''s a fairly new element discovered by a powerful cultivator after studying zombies. It''s a new element that allows a person to control their blood and it could be distinguished by a red gem-like dot at the back of someone''s hand." While exining, Lin Xian pointed at my hand and continued. "Since it was just recently discovered, everyone just brushed it off as a rumor. However, after seeing you cultivate like that, I''m now a believer. The Blood Element really does exist." I followed Lin Xian''s forefinger towards the back of my hand and lo and behold, there really was a red gem-like dot in the middle of it. It probably manifested after I cultivated and achieved a breakthrough to the second level of the spirit realm. So, this is a sign of achieving Level One on my Blood Element?" I asked myself, admiring the red dot that seems to glimmer as it reflects light. "It doesn''t look that useful." "Rumors has it that those who practice the Blood Element would be powerful enough to take on a horde of high-level zombies. And also, it was rumored that someone with the Blood Element wouldn''t easily get infected by a zombie since they could control their blood and the zombie virus pretty much runs in the blood." "Oh, I see... " "... well, the more I heard about it, the more I think it''s not that useful." Chapter 14: C-Thing Chapter 14: C-Thing Time slowly ticked by and I noticed that Lin Xian didn''t have any intentions of leaving us. If it were any other person, I would''ve minded it but Lin Xian was different. Based on her first impressions alone, I could tell that she''s the kind of woman that doesn''t need protection. Simply put, she''s a survivor. In fact, she might be better than me in terms ofbat with zombies. Unlike Yu Sying and Yu Yan over here who don''t know how to protect themselves, Lin Xian was the pr opposite. And adding to that, she''s a prepossessing woman indeed. I couldn''t help butpare her to Yu Sying. Unlike Yu Sying who has brown hair, brown eyes, and a model-like figure, Lin Xian is more appealing with her ck hair and reddish, phoenix-like eyes that made it look like she was wearing contact lens. Lin Xian wasparable to my disciple Natalia in terms of beauty. Phew, just remembering her name alone is already making my neck ache. And also, Lin Xian looked really fit and in optimum health. She looked a bit dirty but underneath the grime on her skin, I could tell that her skin was like white jade. And her muscles were just enough to give her a rather rugged butdy-like figure. Even her abdominal muscles could be seen from the front side of her ck tank top. Of course, Yu Sying has a slender hourss figure but as for Lin Xian, she was well beyond that. Moreover, she has ck hair and reddish eyes which is a ten out of ten for me since those are my top two favorite colors. And aside from that, her height was my ideal. She was just slightly taller than Yu Sying, at least 5''8 in feet. As someone who sits on the realm of 6 footers, I have no problems with her height at all. But still, after saying all that, the apocalypse is not the time to be in a rtionship. It would be the worst since your mind would be clouded in judgment when the worst-case scenario happens. But still, a man could dream, right? Right?! I sighed. That''s what I get in return for being the hopeless master of a sect. Because of continuously shutting myself inside a cave to cultivate, I didn''t even have a bit of time to grab a date with ady due to how busy my role was. But now it''s different! Now that I got a second chance, a second take in life, I won''t waste it! I will live my life to the fullest! Then again, the only way to possibly do that in this kind of world was to be stronger than everybody else. That way, I would be able to protect everyone I love and care about. Before, I never really had a purpose in bing strong but now. I finally have a valid reason. That''s right! I have to be stronger so I could date in peace! Is this finally my time? But for now, we have to get stronger! "You''re creepy." Yu Sying suddenly interrupted my thoughts with her statement. She was covering her face as if she was embarrassed of my existence alone. "You got that weird look on your face, it''s creepy." Lin Xian backed her up as she dragged Yu Yan farther from me. "Listen, don''t go near that creep, okay?" "WHAT?!" But I was just imagining having a date with someone?! Sigh. Suddenly, the sound of things being scattered around could be hearding from the supermarket. First, it sounded like a sound of struggle but after a few minutes, it gradually quieted down. And then came the footsteps. "Um, Lin Xian?" I muttered. "Yeah?" "What did you say was in the supermarket again?" "A high-leveled zombie. Why?" Lin Xian answered in ackadaisical manner. This girl is crazy! I said to myself as I looked at her in disbelief. I mean, how could anyone just remain calm after an encounter with a high-leveled rabid human? And also, shouldn''t we be getting out of here if there were something like that. "Rx, high-leveled zombies are dumb. They usually just stay where they are and they would continue to do so until something attracts their attention." Lin Xian exined, probably reading my mind based on my reaction. "And I locked the doors leading to the supermarket. He doesn''t have the power to break those locks." "Yeah, right." I gazed into her eyes, looking as stressed as possible. Even though my cultivation went back to zero, the feel of my senses was still there. In other words, I still have my heightened senses. It was a very huge advantage and I was d I didn''t lose it when I had my reset. And my hearing sense is picking up someone big and bulky slowly approaching the doors that led to where we were staying. If that''s not a high-level rabid human then I don''t know what it is. A buff dude? For crying out loud. "Right, before I head over there to check it out... " I began although I was confident there really was a rabid human there. "I want to know why you''re here alone, Lin Xian." Lin Xian nervously fidgeted, giving me a puppy-look with her eyes. Of course, that won''t make me retract my question. After all, I asked that question since I''m in a dilemma. "D-do I really need to answer that?" She softly asked me back as she looked down the floor. "Yes, because that would help me decide whether I trust you or not." I didn''t want to waste time so I answered her with my hidden intentions revealed in the open. "So... why are you here all alone? Were you kicked out from a shelter or something? It''s been five years since the apocalypse, right? I''m assuming everyone''s either a part of a shelter or not due to getting kicked out." "N-no. I was never kicked out of a shelter. It''s just... " She began. "Just?" "I escaped." She simply responded. Hearing her answer, Yu Sying and Yu Yan gasped in response. "Y-you escaped? Why? Are they doing the C-thing?" Yu Sying whispered. Lin Xian''s eyes widened as she looked away. Then she nodded. And here I was, wondering what the C-thing is. Another gasp escaped Yu Sying''s mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. "That''s terrible. How did you escape?" "When I first entered the shelter, I thought it was one of the safest, most fortified shelters I''ve ever been in. I''ve been to many shelters these past five days and when we arrived there, we were overjoyed." She began. "Back then, I still have my friends with me so traveling wasn''t that traumatizing." "Okay, so what''s this C-thing?" I interrupted. "Shut up, let her continue." Yu Sying demanded. I immediately scowled at her, then I opened my mouth to show her the teeth that bit her husband and absorbed the life out of him. "At first, we expected that the shelter would have a shortage of supplies since it had been five years since the apocalypse began. But to our surprise, food was abundant. Everyone was happy and some asional scouts would go out to hunt. Sometimes, they bring in a deer, and sometimes, they bring in some rabbits. Of course, they were all cut down and only the meat was brought into the shelter." "Oh, so that''s what the C-thing is about?" I finally got it. "Yes," "By C-thing, you meant creatures, right?" Chapter 15: Subordination?! Chapter 15: Subordination?! "What in the heavens do you mean by that?" Yu Sying adamantly shot down what I said while narrowing her eyes as if she was about to step on a lowly bug. "Don''t tell me, you really don''t know what the C-thing is?" "Oh, oh! I perfectly know what it means!" My face lit up as I sarcastically responded. "It''s not like I''ve been unconscious for five years and saw everything unfold in this world." Yu Sying stopped talking as she heaved out a sigh. "Just listen to the story." She continued. What can I say? That''s another win for me. It''s not like I wanted to argue with her but that''s an absolute winner for me. Who said that arguing with a woman is hard? Not at all. "At first, we neverined about the meat since it tastes fresh and it was never gamey, making it easier for us to eat it. But every time we eat, we felt something ufortable in the smiles of the hunters but we ruled it out as them being tired. Most of the time when they explore, the new hunter or someone else would be reported as a casualty." Lin Xian continued as her face turned sour. "When we realized that there''s always one casualty, we started thinking of the possibility." "So when they brought the meat, it was always pre-cut? If it wasn''t then you''d have realized it, right?" Yu Sying cut in. "Yes, it was always pre-cut. They said that bringing the carcass of the animals would just be a burden since bones can''t really be eaten. And that''s why they just obtain all the meat and never the bones." Lin Xian continued. "We were foolish. We should''ve known better when we noticed the discrepancies in their procedures." Yu Sying gulped as the story progress. I could tell that she was withholding some sort of vomiting out of her mouth. As for me, I''m just impressed that such a shelter is filled with awesome hunters. Sure they get some casualties every time they go hunt. Nevertheless, that result is an inevitable one, seeing that the world is filled with rabid humans and all. I mean, anyone could be a hunter but not every hunter could actually literally bring home the bacon. "Then, after a few months, a few survivors suddenly went missing. We didn''t think it was weird since a lot of hunters would go missing from time to time but it became more frequent that we were starting to get worried. Still, our leader didn''t mind it and he just told us to never venture away from the shelter as they investigate what''s causing the survivors to go missing." "Oh, and then?" I asked, starting to get impatient since the high-leveled rabid human was beginning to approach the door where we were. A few minutes from now and he''d have broken inpletely. "Weter found out that they were the ones who caused the disappearances and what they fed us weren''t actually animal meat... but human meat." Lin Xian muttered. "A few of us decided to escape the shelter but we were chased down by strong cultivators. I was the only one who was able to escape and ever since then, I''ve never entered another shelter ever." "Wait?! What? So... you were eating human meat all along?" I eximed. Things turned from zero to one hundred in her story real quick that I wasn''t even ready for it. "I think that''s called... C-something, right?" "Yeah, cannibalism. It''s when a creature eats the same species in order to survive." Yu Syingnced at me as if I was the most stupid person in the world. I mean, who on earth would assume that a C-thing is cannibalism? That''s not even normal! Well, I guess I''m used to living in a world five years ago. I guess this is pretty much normal in terms of our timeline. "And so, where''s this shelter? Is it far from here?" I asked. My head kept darting towards the direction of the door since the high-leveled rabid human was approaching it."It''s just near here, maybe ten to fifteen kilometers." Lin Xian muttered. "Don''t ever think of going there." "Why not?" As I responded to Lin Xian with a question, I carefully headed towards the door on the other side of the area where we were and carefully opened it. "Lin Xian, please stick with Yu Sying and Yu Yan. I''ll be back soon." "Wai-" I didn''t hear what she was about to say as I entered the door and closed it behind me. I was a bit nervous at first since my current strength couldn''t even bepared to my power level back in the days. Hence, I was hesitant if I should defeat the high-leveled rabid human or not. Even though I don''t think I''m capable enough to bring a high-leveled rabid human down, I still wanted to try it so I could get a grasp on what my Blood and Dark Element was all about. It was just granted to me by the System without giving me any instructions so I guessed that it was up to me to discover how to use it. It was a very stupid move, of course, but I have all the valid reasons to fight the high-leveled rabid human. For one, it had already broken through the first door our first line of defense and it won''t be long now before he prates the second set of doors that leads to the room where we''re staying. Since we''re nning to stay here for a few days, getting rid of this threat would greatly aid us in our survival. Second, as a cultivator, my cultivating progress significantly speeds up when I''m fighting to the death. Back in the day, I had countless death encounters and after surviving it, I''d be given a boost in my cultivation. I don''t know if that applies to my current self but I''m confident it does. That''s why I''d just have to try it out. Last but not the least, I have some sort of System that gave me a few skills that I don''t even know how to use. If I fight to the death, maybe it would show me how. I''ve encountered novels with the protagonist being granted a System before and I could say that it was intriguing and very easy. The System would just give them quests and they''d level up as soon as they finish it. Adding to that, most of the quests were so easy to achieve; the System''s basically spoonfeeding them a level up! That said, I could safely assume that I neither hate nor like my System. After all, it doesn''t know why it exists and it just announces as soon as I level up. I just hope that when the timees, it would actually be useful and aid me in my cultivation by providing all the information I need. Things such as What are the usage of the Blood Element and Dark Element? "Blood Element allows you to control blood and Dark Element allows you to control dark" The System suddenly responded as if it were talking to a baby. "Of course! That much is obvious." I replied to my System. "I''m sorry, I don''t know anything else about your elements, Yongrui. Maybe when you level up, we''ll know more about it." "I at least know that much. Just tell me all the information you have before I kill this high-leveled rabid human." "Alright, alright! I don''t know how to put it but just say the word System and I think it would show all the information I have. I''m sorry, I really have no idea why I''m a System." Unlike all the other Systems I''ve known in all the novels I''ve encountered. This System has emotions, one hundred percent. I don''t know how or why she''s in my head but she''s as useless as I am. "I''m so sorry for being useless, Yongrui." The System apologized once again. "Stop saying you''re sorry and stop reading my mind." I scratched my head in frustration. "For better or for worse, we''re in this together so we should at least work with each other." "Yes, Yongrui. It is a pleasure to work with you." "You know what, let''s just worry about all that next time." I almost flinched at the size of the high-leveled rabid human in front of me. "How about we defeat this high-leveled rabid human first?" Chapter 16: Carelessness Chapter 16: Carelessness I never expected the System to give me an advantage, to begin with, so seeing that first two pop-ups in front of me made me expect a little too much. Here I was thinking that I would get a free rabid human subordinate. It would''ve been nicer if I''d have the high-leveled rabid human as my subordinate just by clicking ''yes'' on a prompt or something just like the Systems in novels but it just had to be something rational like defeating it to get it to obey me. Well, it''s not like I got any other choice. "System, do you have any information on how to use the Blood and Dark Element inbat?" I asked. By now, the high-leveled rabid human finally caught sight of me and it locked on, chasing me down as if I were cattle. That alone wasn''t enough to make me run though since I wanted to act cool. Honestly, though, I couldn''t run away because the high-leveled rabid human was bigger when it was nearer and just the mere sight of it on my face turned my legs into jellies. "Are you kidding me?!" I screamed as I barely dodged the punch the high-leveled rabid human threw at me. As expected, it was incredibly powerful. The sheer force of the punch was enough to even agitate the wind in the area, making me fear for my life a tiny bit. While the high-leveled rabid human''s arm was extended, I crouched and charged at it with full speeds, aiming a punch to its stomach. "Taste this!" I screamed in an embarrassing manner, nting a fist on his belly with everything I got. It was ineffective. My feeble punch only riled up the high-leveled rabid human, making it retaliate with multiple blows to my head. Even though the high-leveled rabid human was twice as tall and twice as wide as me, it was surprisingly agile and speedy. It took all of my being to barely dodge his attacks. That wasn''t enough to make me concede, however. I wouldn''t want to back down since Lin Xian and the mother and daughter duo were right behind me. If I don''t take a stand here, then they''ll be in danger. "Is this my current level? How uneptable." I threw out another punch towards a high-leveled rabid human just to try if it would work this time. But it was all for naught. It didn''t feel anything from my punch at all. Despite the obese look of the rabid human, it was rather sturdy. Maybe the virus is working its wonders or something to that extent. "If only I had my cultivation from my previous life... " "Yongrui, use your Blood Element." The System urged me. "Then teach me!" I screamed at my System. "But I don''t know how the only thing I know is that the Blood Element helps you control your blood." Yeah, as if that sort of tutorial would help me. It''s as if I''m joining apetition with no one telling me what the rules are. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Wait... maybe I''m overthinking things. Maybe the Blood Element is much more simple than that and I''m just making itplicated. Think! Think! How can I control my blood in a way that would give me a power-up? Cut myself and harden my blood as a weapon like a certain anime character? Or increase my blood flow and increase my power like a certain anime character? "Argh! I don''t know anymore!" I screamed as I did another punch. Suddenly, I felt something envelop my hands as I threw my fist at the high-leveled rabid human. It was something warm yet hard and it certainly felt ufortable. It''s the same feeling I got when I first mastered how to distribute my qi to my fists so I could use it forbat yet it wasn''t really the same feeling. The feeling was something new for me and that''s the reason why I found it weird. Ssh! Before I knew it, my fist went through the stomach of the high-leveled rabid human, spilling guts and rotten blood everywhere. The stench was exceptionally horrid that it took all my strength just to stay there and not run away from the rabid human while holding my nose. "Ugh, what''s this!" I eximed as more and more guts filled the floor. There were also bits and pieces of human body parts but I didn''t scrutinize them since it would just make me vomit. Instead, I distracted myself by staring up at the high-leveled rabid human who was in shock when his belly was ruptured. It tried screaming but what left its mouth was a hysterical groan akin to a dying beast. To my surprise, it wasn''t even weakened. At first, I thought it was already on its maximum firepower when itshed out its fists. Turns out, it was hiding more of its strength. The next thing I knew, a barrage of punches p-like punches relentlessly flew at me. "Why, why are you not dead yet?" I asked before realizing that rabid humans are basically dead. "I mean, how do I kill you twice?" The high-leveled rabid human was slowly inching forward to my direction, probably trying to intimidate me with its ghastly presence. "I have to finish this now!" I told myself, directing a punch at its head. For a moment, I probably panicked because the high-leveled rabid human was able to grab my fist, and just like before, the punch was as weak as a toddler''s fist, or at least, for the rabid human I was fighting. It gripped my hands with insane strength that I wasn''t able to let go and then. As much as I struggled, I couldn''t shake him off. Closer and closer, it brought my hand towards its mouth. I wanted to scream louder than ever but I knew it would only cause the threedies behind me trouble since it would attract a lot more zombies from outside and overrun the mall. For the first time in my life, I finally felt how powerless I have be and how cocky and stubborn I''ve turned into although I was no stronger than a rabid human. I shouldn''t have overstepped my boundaries and just took Yu Sying, Yu Yan, and Lin Xian out of the mall as soon as I detected the zombie. I just had to y it cool and act as if I''m still the great sect master of the Tang Sect, huh. Chomp! Chapter 17: Stats Chapter 17: Stats I was anticipating the pain to shoot up to my brain as a huge chunk of flesh in my forearm. To my surprise, it didn''t feel painful at all. Is it because I lost my sense of touch when I became infected? Well, whatever, at least I don''t have to experience additional suffering after witnessing something gruesome happen to me. At first, I thought the high-leveled rabid human would hurl me towards the wall after biting me once. But to my surprise, it wasn''t satisfied after biting my arm once. Yes, that''s right! It proceeded to bite me a second time. I desperately tried to shake my arms off of the rabid human''s grip. But it was useless! The rabid human had a grip of a gori. Simply put, I could only get out of my predicament if I cut off my arm. Should I just cut it off? As I contemted whether I should just get rid of my precious arm or not, a window popped up in front of me, showing me some sort of status probably recorded by the System in real-time. It resembled the windows that appear in front of those novel and animation protagonists when they receive the System. For once, my System was acting like one. <0/80 exp> "Yongrui, you''re HP is down by half! What do we do?!" The system eximed in panic. It was a first for me to see that the System genuinely cared about me and it gave me some sort of extra motivation to punch the rabid human a second time with my other hand. The weird feeling I felt before, I felt it again on my fists as I drove my fist straight on the rabid human''s face. It went through! Squelch! <50/80 exp gained> <30 more exp to level up.> I felt my fist went through its skull and its muddled brain. It wasn''t the best of feelings but I know for sure that the rabid human wouldn''t be standing up for quite a long time, that is if my punch didn''t kill it for the second time. I looked at my arm and saw the missing huge chunk of flesh that the rabid human ate. Because of this, the bones on my hands were shown and it wasn''t the best of views. For some reason though, I don''t feel any pain at all. That''s probably because the pain still hasn''t kicked in due to the nerves being damaged on that part of my forearm. I didn''t want to take my chances so I removed my shirt and wrapped up my wound before heading towards Yu Sying, Yu Yan, and Lin Xian. "Oh, you''re ba-" Lin Xian greeted but I cut her off. "Now''s not the time, I need to tell you something," I said as I firmly held my forearm against my body using my other arm. I carefully approached them, hoping that I would sense if the virus already spread on my body. "I''ve been bitten and it won''t be long before I turned into a rabid human." Yu Sying and Yu Yan gasped as I carefully unwrapped the cloth from my forearm, revealing the huge bite on it. "Wait, don''t tell me-" Lin Xian couldn''t believe it as her eyes darted from my forearm then back to my face. "You fought that high-leveled zombie on your own? Are you insane?!" "It was slowly approaching where we''re staying so I really have no choice. Please take care of Yu Sying and Yu Yan for me, Lin Xian. I need to head out before I turned into one of those rabid humans I truly despise. Gah! They smell so awful." I eximed as I walked towards the entrance and opened the door. "Yongrui! Wait!" Yu Sying muttered as she ran towards me and hugged me. It surprised me at first but I returned the hug in return since I''ve never felt a hug in five years and... well, I don''t really have good memories when ites to hugging a person. Specifically, a person with rabies and with a hole in her stomach. Natalia, stop appearing in my mind! To my surprise, it wasn''t just Yu Sying who ran towards me and hugged me before I headed out. Even Yu Yan carefully made her way towards me and hugged me silently. "Take care, you two. I hope you make it to the Tang Shelter as soon as you could." I muttered as I patted both of them on the head. "Thank you for saving us multiple times. We wouldn''t have been alive if it weren''t for you." Yu Sying bowed, showing her gratitude. "You give me too much recognition. I''ll be heading out then." I responded as I slowly utched myself from them. After doing so, I called out to Lin Xian. "Lin Xian, which direction should I take to get to your awful shelter? I think I mighty it to waste so other survivors won''t fall prey into their hands again." I announced. "It''s ten to fifteen kilometers northwards. It''s near the border of the city and it''s heavily fortified so it''s easy to notice. Thank you for saving us from the high-leveled zombie, Yongrui. I wouldn''t wish to see you again soon but I wish you safe travels." Lin Xian sincerely said as she bowed down with all the gracefulness she could muster. Honestly, she''s beautiful. But well, I''m turning into a rabid human once again so I guess I won''t have a chance to ask her out. Oh wait, now''s a perfect time! "Lin Xian, if ever I didn''t turn into a zombie, would you mind, you know... going on a date with me? Just say yes so I could at least hope before I be one." I told her. And yes, although I did have a lot of female fawn over me back in the days, I''ve never had a love interest, not even once. That''s one of the things I regret from my past. I was too focused on cultivation that I didn''t even try a lot of things in life. I guess when you''ve died once, you''d clearly see what things you missed out on in life. And I can''t believe I missed out on a lot and now I''m about to die for a second time! Well, back to Lin Xian. For a few seconds, she looked at me in surprise as her face blushed a little bit. I don''t know if that was a good sign or not so I kept quiet and not pointed it out to her. Instead, I just patiently stood in front of the door, awaiting her response. "Why are you asking her? I''d dly date you if you''d asked me." Yu Sying earnestly smiled at me. Seriously, what''s wrong with this girl! One moment she''s screaming at me and the next she''s implying that I could date her?! And also, who was the person who got rid of your husband? Sigh. "Sure, I''ll keep that in mind. If you didn''t turn into a zombie I''d dly be your girlfriend." Lin Xian answered. Um, sorry... what? Girlfriend? I was only asking for a da- Oh well, if that''s the case then there you have it. I won''tin even if it''s just words spoken to console someone like me. Well, deep inside, I knew they just said that because there was zero percent chance that I won''t turn into a rabid human. From the start, I asked that question in hopes that I''d get a ''yes'' even before I died. I guess I won''t have regrets if I died now. After all, I received two yes''s. Even though one of the yes came from a woman whose husband I just got rid of, I don''t mind either way. Frankly speaking though, there''s something wrong with Yu Sying, I''m not going to lie. Chapter 18: Deaths Door Chapter 18: Death''s Door The moment I exited the mall, I immediately recalled one of the questions that the System asked me. Without further ado, I retraced my footsteps and blocked Yu Sying from closing the door. There was something that needed to be done and it would be a wasted opportunity if I just took my leave. For a split second, Yu Sying gazed at me with a hint of confusion and surprise in her eyes, wondering why I came back as soon as I left. And then, she gave a smile upon noticing that I haven''t turned into a rabid human. She was hesitant a second ago, however, but she didn''t shut the door nor did she panic when I came back. Well, my return probably gave them a feeling of security since they were more weing than before. Just when I''m about to leave, they had a change of heart. Sigh. I guess this is why reverse psychology has a high sess rate. "Is there anything else you need?" Lin Xian asked, she was keeping her distance but she wore a concerned face as well. She probably thought that I''d be turning any time soon but she didn''t want to drive me out after I just saved them from the high-leveled rabid human. Of course, I don''t want to turn into one myself while I''m here so I wanted to do this as fast as possible. "System, you told me I could make this rabid human my subordinate, right? Can I still make it my subordinate if I already killed it?" I asked, carefully approaching the area where I killed the rabid human. A prompt suddenly appeared in front of me and I clicked yes without thinking. Suddenly, the body of the high-leveled rabid human jerked upwards and it was shrouded in a purplish hazy mist. The mist continued to encapste him as time seemed to revert backward. It''s as if the high-leveled rabid human was slowly turning into the purplish haze itself. For a moment, I thought I heard it groan but it could''ve been my imagination. The violet-hued mist that surrounded the high-leveled rabid human gradually rose up until it covered almost the entire hallway. Lin Xian and Yu Sying caught a glimpse of the haze so they decided to take a look. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw them peeking in but I didn''t mind them. Cat''s out of the bag anyway. After a few seconds, the haze dissipated and a violet-colored, high-leveled rabid human appeared in front of me. Well, it doesn''t really look like a rabid human anymore since it was violet and ck in color. If ever, it looked like a shadow warrior, but way fatter. As a previous Level 2 granted by the System, I sure received a lot of pings just for making this rabid human a subordinate. I could tell that the System is absurdly generous even though I don''t know half of what it''s doing. Or maybe, it''s just like one of them bait games I''ve heard before: games that lead you on by giving you a lot of rewards on lower levels and then tempt you to spend money onter levels because of the high-level caps and few level-up rewards. If that were so, then I have to be wary of this system. Who knows, maybe one day it would ask me for an arm or two just so I could level up. The consecutive pings of the System distracted me a little bit. I could tell that the virus is already spreading in my body and it almost reached my head. After taking onest look towards Yu Sying, Yu Yan, and Lin Xian, I headed out of the mall with my high leveled zombie. They were shocked to see it follow me but they didn''t speak ill bout it. Well, while I was around of course. As they were closing the doors, I began to wonder if their promise from awhile ago would still be avable if ever I didn''t turn into a rabid human. Once again, I found myself out and about, looking at the nighttime sky as I took a stroll around the city. It was peaceful and quiet with asional groans from nearby rabid humans, which, I do carefully avoided. I don''t want to get into another fight with them again even though I was confident in defeating them. I did defeat a high-leveled rabid human barehanded. That alone is a spectacr feat and I don''t think regr humans are capable of doing that. As expected of being the Sect Master of Tang Sect before! I sure can still fight when necessary! Walking alone on a night like this made me wonder what would''ve happened if I didn''t die back there. Would I have been able to create the most fortified shelter of all time? Would other cultivators help me? How about my three disciples? Are they still alive? Those thoughts ran through my head, joining the countless regrets that I had back then. Things like not getting a lover, a child, a vacation... I regretted them all. After all, the only thing that mattered in my previous life was to get stronger so no one would best me inbat. But at what cost? Was all that hard work for naught? Did it all happen just so I could get bitten by Natalia and die an awful death in front of a hole in her stomach? All those years, I''ve lived without meditating on what life is all about, and now that I''ve been given the second chance, it seemed like I messed up again. "Yongrui! I got news for you!" The System excitedly announced, breaking my thought process. "It''s got something to do with the Blood Element?" I skeptically gave the System a stare even though it wasn''t around. Up until now, I deemed the System useless and now it''s telling me that it has important info? Unbelievable! But please go on. As if she read my mind, she continued on with her ramblings. "A while ago, when you were fighting that zombie... " "Rabid human." I corrected her. Well, I just wanted to tease her a little bit. "Um... rabid human, you were able to activate the Blood Element. Although, it wasn''t as perfect as before." The System continued. Before I knew it, I suddenly copsed to the ground with a thud. An intense throbbing on my head rendered me immobile, making me writhe in pain and agony. Compared to before when I was bitten by Natalia, this hurt far more than I could ever imagine. Although my pain tolerance is a cut above the average human''s average, it still felt indescribably painful. What''s going on?! Chapter 19: Virus Qi Cultivation Chapter 19: Virus Qi Cultivation "Do you have anything to help me, System?" I gritted my teeth as I asked the question. "If so, then right now''s a perfect time." "Um... as I was saying, your approach to the Blood Element is wrong. It''s not about controlling your blood, it''s about controlling the virus that''s coursing through your veins. If you cultivate by focusing on the virus in your bloodstreams, you could make another core but this time, it''s of the Blood Element." "And what do I need to-" "Treat the zomb- er, I mean, rabid human virus as Qi and cultivate it just like how you condensed your Qi when you were still in your subconscious! Quick! We don''t have much time!" "As if! You could just leave me when I die, right?" I asked her. I was inclined to think that such was the case. "No, there''s a high chance that I''ll die with you and that''d be the end for the two of us!" "Alright, alright, I know that." I agonizingly let out while I forced myself to sit down cross-legged as I attempted to cultivate. Inhale. Exhale. The first and foremost, textbook thing to do while cultivating was ease your breathing and I didn''t spare any second doing it. I concentrated on using my mind and willpower, trying to ignore the skull-shattering pain that pounded my head. And as sure as me being a Sect Master, I started to feel the energy of the virus in my bloodstream! Well, that wasn''t a good metaphor but either way, I felt like the pain on my head subsided a little bit or it was just my adrenaline kicking in. Because of that, I was able to focus on gathering those virus Qi right where my condensed Qi was and after a few minutes, a sizable chunk developed right in front of my condensed Qi. But just like any other martial arts and element techniques, cultivating it would reach a point where your cultivation barely moved at all. And after gathering a fist-sized condensed virus Qi, I reached that point. Beads of sweat trickled on my forehead as the headaches intensified once again. Still, I kept on cultivating. I could feel my power rising as my headache aggravated. It was a nice yet painful feeling, and I could tell that I''m awakening into something I shouldn''t suppose to be awakening. "You''re almost there, Yongrui! Don''t give up!" The System egged me on as if I wasn''t doing what it just stated. "Just... shut up, for now, System," I said in my mind as calmly as I could. The condensing virus Qi was getting agitated the more I gathered it. In just a few seconds, the virus Qi that I gathered stirred up like a storm in my belly and it was trying to swallow my Core. "No, you''re not doing that!" I clenched my teeth as I concentrated even more. There were only three major virus Qi spots scattered all over my body and I quickly pulled it in the vortex that is my condensed virus Qi. It was almost done so I decided to shut off everything and just focus on cultivating. If I get sessful, that would make me have two Qi Cores and although I was just in the spirit realm, I could estimate that my raw power output would be twicepared to a cultivator who reached the spirit realm. That''s why I can''t mess it up now. It was getting so hard to suppress my screams so in thest spurt of gathering the virus Qi, I screamed my lungs out. As I did so, I peed my pants. It was weird but I peed my pants and for a moment, I was relieved that no one saw me. If I''d been with Lin Xian and Yu Sying at this point in time, I''d have embarrassed myself and wished that I die. Fortunately, I decided to head out! Fortunately... The agitated virus Qi core that I gathered finally calmed down after I gathered the three remaining major virus Qi spots all over my body. It didn''t take long for me to condense my virus Qi Core but it sure was hard. If I could rate it, I''d say it was just as painful when I broke through the eighthyer of the Dao Realm the highest realm I attained when I was still Sect Master. I''m just d it was all over and I managed to not die, for some reason. "Yongrui, that''s because you were able to control the virus in your body. If you continue to cultivate that, your Blood Element would level up and your resistance to the virus would improve!" "So I just need to cultivate it all the time and I won''t get infected if ever I was bitten by a rabid human? Sounds like a sweet deal to me." I responded with a huge grin on my face. If there was one thing I''m good at, it''s cultivation. I''ve always been sub-par in all aspects of my life that cultivating is the only thing I"m good at. In fact, I''m quite confident that without my talent in cultivation, I would''ve turned into aplete loser already. Well, as if I wasn''t one. Straining myself in the conquest to form my Virus Qi Core, I lost track of time and the progress was so slow I was getting bored. But that''s one of the main things in cultivation that you should ovee: getting bored. Honestly, though, this was the first time I''ve ever cultivated two Cores at once. I probably had the thought of doing this in the past but no one really tried it so I didn''t bother risking it. After all, the drawbacks of going through new cultivations that no one had discovered yet can be as bad as going back to square one, losing your progress altogether As for my current situation, it didn''t apply since I didn''t have much choice. If I don''t go through this, there''s a high percentage that I would turn into a rabid human. That''s why, notwithstanding the risks, I went through the painful process of cultivating another Core that I didn''t know even existed. If this is not crazy then I don''t know what is. Chapter 20: Wasted Tears Chapter 20: Wasted Tears I''d say it''s quite a weird feeling when you have two cores in your body. I couldpare it to having grown another pair of arms or legs and you got to have mastery over it because they''ll tend to go out of control if you don''t. I didn''t get up from the cultivating position even after my Virus Qi Core settles down. It took all my strength to keep it that way and I could tell that moving just a little bit would agitate it. I didn''t want to risk it so as long as I''m not confident enough, I''m going to stay in this position. There was only one problem though and that''s the rabid humans were beginning toe towards me. Honestly, I was beginning to panic but my high-leveled rabid human protected me even though I didn''t give it any orders. A feeling of relief swept over me. Now, I don''t have to worry about those rabid humans attacking me, I could just focus on cultivating while my high-leveled rabid human does all the work for me. My rabid human roared and plowed the horde of its kin, crushing countless of them in the process. I felt shivers run down my spine as I imagined being in the shoes of the rabid humans who were desperately trying to get near me. It felt as if I just hired a body guard and it gave me a nice feeling, to say the least. Just as I was concentrating on my cultivation, countless prompts erupted in my brain. <.....> Although these notifications were so loud it literally rang through my head, it didn''t distract me and my cultivation. I''m starting to get used to the constant pings and for a moment, it pleased me to hear it. After all, the thought of leveling up without doing anything was every cultivator''s dream! Who would''ve thought I would attain it after getting a rabid human subordinate. The System may be useless in giving information but at times like these, I can''t help but be grateful. There were countless times when I had to break through during a battle and I''ve seeded in all of them, that''s why I''m pretty confident that this time, I would seed as well. I''ve already been given a third chance when I was able to control the spread of the virus in my body and I didn''t turn into a rabid human. That''s why, I won''t fail and do all I can to be stronger and more formidable. Even though I''m back in the starting line, I wouldn''t let that affect my goal of reaching the Transcendence Realm! After a few minutes, the series of pings in my head paused for a little bit. "Sweet!" I told myself as the Virus Qi Core in my bodypletely settled down. Just like my Qi Core, it was already shaped like a perfect sphere and it wasn''t shaking anymore. I sighed in relief. The struggle is over and I could finally move again. But just when I was getting up, I heard another ping in my head. "What?! Nooo!" I screamed, rushing towards my high leveled rabid human. Since my overall strength has more or less doubled, I was able to sweep most of the rabid humans away from my high leveled one. And there it was, all bloodied up and its flesh was scattered everywhere. For the first time after waking up, I felt something tug at my heartstrings and my tear ducts opened up like an overflowing dam. "You can''t die here! We still have more things to do!" I screamed at my high-leveled zombie as it groaned. Unlike its previous form, my high leveled rabid human became really cool in appearance. It didn''t have the zombie color anymore and instead, it had the ck-color all over his body and purplish lines ran through his skin. Well, I said this before but I just wanted to stress out the fact that it looked more like a Knight than a rabid human. A fat knight of course. I got too emotional after what it did for me. Not only did it help me reach level 4 in the System, it even almost made me reach level 5 if it didn''t die. This high leveled rabid human gave me a hard time when it wasn''t my subordinate before but it did make up for it when it followed me. What''s more, it was the only thing that protected me when I needed it most. If it wasn''t for him, I would''ve been forced to move and my virus Qi Core would''ve gone berserk. And that process would''ve turned me into one of them. But it protected me at the cost of its life. For a moment, I could feel that my high leveled rabid human was on itsst breaths and a new wave of tears overflowed from the floodgates in my eyes. "Um, Yongrui... I hate to bring it up to you but... " The System trailed off. For a split second, I could tell that the System was fidgeting, hesitating to tell me something. "What?" I sniffled. The thought of my one and only ally dying weighed heavily in my mind. Am I feeling bad for a rabid human just because it died even though it was already dead? I don''t know, but it certainly grieved me when I saw it fall down. But as I asked, a purplish haze enveloped my high- leveled rabid human and turned it into an orb of ck and violet. That orb then traveled through the air and entered my mind. Chapter 21: Killing Spree Time! Chapter 21: Killing Spree Time! "W-what just happened?!" I asked myself as my gazended on the palms of my hands the very location where my high-leveled rabid human was lying down a split second ago. The realization gradually hit me as the System''s prompt was soaked in my mind. It did say that my rabid human has returned to my barracks or something like that. If that was true, then what was the point in bawling my eyes out? Bring me back my tears! "I-I was trying to tell you, Yongrui." The System stammered as if she was bashful about it. "But you were too into crying that I didn''t want to ruin the mood." "Thanks for not ruining the mood... I wasted precious tears because of you." Once again, the system gave me a useless title. I clicked my tongue in disgust as I remembered how my tears flowed when I realized that my rabid human was on its death''s door. For sure, I could say that I feel a bit of empathy towards rabid humans even though they''re already dead. As for why I don''t know either. Maybe when I was bitten by Natalia five years ago, something clicked in my brain, making me feel emotions towards rabid humans... er, I mean, empathy towards rabid humans. If I say I feel emotions towards them, then that would cause countless misunderstandings. I stood up and brushed myself off. After sitting in a cultivating position for a long time, my legs got numb and I felt a slight itch and pain as blood rushed through my legs once again. Time to head out! Right now, the possibility of turning into a rabid human is on the negatives so I didn''t have to worry about it. However, it''s not like I would just go back to Yu Sying and Lin Xian. That would just be awkward. So with that thought in mind, I decided to head northward, to the shelter that Lin Xian escaped from. Honestly, I''m not quite sure whether to destroy the shelter or just get rid of its governor. On one hand, destroying the shelter would only expose all the survivors inside to outside dangers such as high-leveled rabid humans. And on the other hand, if I let it continue, they would just suffer as their numbers slowly dwindled. By that, I mean, because they eat each other. As I continued my walk, the clouds that partially blocked the moonlight finally dispersed, revealing the chaotic mess that I was in. Dpidated buildings, broken-down roads, and exactly everything you see was just wreckage. Adding to that, countless rabid humans lurk around the night. They were in their dormant state so they weren''t running around chasing each other and biting each other''s heads off. And there were no people around. To think that it had been five years ever since the outbreak happened. I still can''t find it in me to ept it. For me, it was just yesterday when I was attempting to reach the Transcendence Realm and- Wait! As I turned around, seeing a rabid human look at me. Then a realization suddenly hit me! When I supposedly died five years ago, my cultivation level reset to zero and it took me five years to return to being human and reaching the Spirit Realm, which was the second realm that preceded the mortal realm. "T-then... that means," I muttered, stopping short as I continued gazing at the rabid human in front of me. "All those who survived the initial virus outbreak are well ahead of me in terms of cultivation?! No way!" A simple calction would prove that those who were behind me in cultivation back in the day would have had five years more to cultivate and that would either put them in my peak level or somewhere along those lines. And also, someone who reached the fourth realm, the King Realm, would have had an easy time eliminating the rabid humans at themencement of the outbreak. Meaning to say, ny-nine percent of them were capable of surviving. To say the least, that puts me at a disadvantage as someone who''s just in the Spirit Realm. If I don''t get stronger, I would just get tossed around by them if I happen to meet them. This leads me to my conclusion... I should just level up and cultivate until I could face them head-on. With the help of the System, I should be able to cultivate at a faster pace than them but nevertheless, I feel like it won''t be long now before I meet some of them again. Some of my rivals in terms of cultivation, like the White Dragon Sect Master, or the Immovable Mountain Sect Master. Five years ago, they were already in the Dao Realm like I was and they were also striving to attain the Transcendence Realm. As it turns out, I was the unfortunate one for having my cultivation destroyed. By now, they would''ve reached at least the Second Stage Transcendence Realm, assuming that it takes much longer to cultivate in that Realmpared to the lower ones. As the rabid human stared into my soul and I did the same, it lost itsposure and propelled itself towards me, arms iling and teeth chattering. It didn''t growl nor moan, it just offensively went after me as it clenched its teeth. Without a second to spare, I activated the Virus Qi Core in my body and directed the flow of its qi energy to my fists. I finally got a little bit of enlightenment when it came to using the Virus Qi Core but it wasn''t enough to permanently stabilize its flow. Nevertheless, it did the trick as I punched the living daylights out of Stage 1 Low-Leveled rabid humans. <1 EXP gained> Just as I expected, leveling up would make it harder for me to gain more exp. "Oh well, 320 low-level ones aren''t that many. And I need to practice how to use my Virus Qi Core efficiently." "It''s time for a killing spree!" I shouted, attracting various zombies nearby. Chapter 22: Difference in Power Chapter 22: Difference in Power <.....> When ites to going through a killing spree, keeping track of time could be so difficult. As time passed, waves upon waves of rabid human hordes came up to me without rest. And yet, I didn''t feel exhausted in the least. In fact, I felt more energized every time I beheaded one of them. "How many days has it been?" I asked myself while punching another rabid human to death. I lost track of how many rabid humans I''ve ughtered and they just kepting! Everything was like a blur when I let my adrenaline take over me. An unusual habit was starting to form within my body the more I killed a rabid human. And before I knew it, I was dancing around, efficiently punching their head off their shoulders. If a passerby saw me, they would think that I was crazy due to the super weird dance I was doing. I was going around and around like a kid ying. The reason for that was so a rabid human won''t sneak up from behind me and bite me. In other words, I was rotating so I won''t have any blind spots. And while doing so, I punched their heads as hard as I could with my fists. I got too used to it that the rabid humans surrounding me began to dwindle in numbers. Now, they die faster than they respawn, which was a good thing. Wait, do they respawn? Seems to me like they do since they just keeping, I guess. Wait, I''m level 6 now? So I''ve killed more than a thousand rabid humans by now? That''s insane! I thought that I only killed a few hundred of them, who would''ve thought that I already reached a thousand. The refreshing feeling in my body was reced with a certain coldness. It started from my Virus Qi Core and then it affected my Qi Core with its coldness. Then, my whole body soon followed, giving me literal chills. At first, I thought that the coldness had to do with my Virus Qi Core but as it turns out, I was wrong. The coldness that I felt came from the System and it''s like a status and hp refresh in video games. Just like when you level up in video games and your hp goes up to full, the coldness was the same. The little bit of fatigue that I felt vanished in a blink of an eye. Not only did I feel stronger than before due to the level up, but I also felt more energized. For a split second, I was tempted to look at my stats but seeing that I''m still in the middle of a battle, I stopped myself. I can just look at itter, after all, RaARGhh! My attention was attracted by a loud and ferocious scream, emanating from a really massive rabid human which was at least a hundred meters from where I was. Compared to my rabid human subordinate, the Stage 1 High-Leveled rabid human, the thing was like a monster truck. My subordinate couldn''t even bepared to it, in other words. And just by its looks alone, I could tell that it was at least ten times stronger than my subordinate. But we won''t know unless we try, right? "Let''s go, p*kemon!" I shouted, as I extended my hand and imagined pulling my rabid human from my storage. In just a split second, my First-Stage High-Leveled rabid human appeared in front of me all menacing with its ck-colored body. It''s violet, vein-like streaks glowed as it roared. In return, the massive rabid human that appeared roared as well. It seemed provoked by the appearance of my rabid human. Without further ado, my rabid human charged, ready to bite and beat the living daylights out of the massive rabid human in front of me. They were like two buildings trying to topple each other down, judging by their size. My rabid human was just a story tall, however, while the one attacking us was two stories tall. St! "Wait.. what?! What just happened?!" I eximed. It only took one shot... just one shot to kill my rabid human. It took hundreds of Stage 1 Low-leveled rabid humans to take it down but this zombie just took care of it with one p?! How could this rabid human be so strong? After the prompt, my System spoke to me in a bit of a panicked manner. "Yongrui, get out of here! You can''t take that on. It''s a Stage 2 High-Leveled Zombie!" "Stage 2?! That''s just stage 2?! How could it be so formidable when the difference in their levels is just one?" I asked as I tucked my tail and run. As I said before, I''m a rational person and I could tell that there''s no way I could rise victorious if I go head to head with that gargantuan of a zombie. Even if my system already told me that I leveled up to Level 6, I still won''t risk it. "It''s just like in cultivation, Yongrui. A higher realm is more powerful than a Lower One. And when ites to zombi- er, rabid humans, that difference in power is more conspicuous than in humans." "And so? What level do I have to attain to be able to defeat a Stage 2?" "I don''t know... but probably Level 10+ or 15+." The System spoke. "Wouldn''t that take so long? How many Stage 1 should I kill? Thousands? That will take so long!" Iined. "But no matter. For now, I just have to escape this ce and do some nning. I, Yongrui, is the strongest cultivator back in my days. There''s no way I''d allow a mere pesky rabid human to defeat me. If killing thousands of rabid humans is what it takes to reach a higher ne, then so be it. I''m not the kind of person who''ll run forever. I will defeat that Stage-2, no matter what! Groan! Thud! I didn''t even see what happened. The next thing I knew... the Stage-2 High-Leveled Zombie fell down as its head rolled over to my feet. Someone shed it with a single strike... Someone more powerful than m- wait?! What?! Isn''t that Chapter 23: Slip of Tongue Chapter 23: Slip of Tongue System! Are you messing with me? Did you give me that title just because I ran from that rabid human in order to survive? How preposterous! This title knows no bounds in tarnishing my name! For a few seconds, I wondered why I received experience points even though I didn''t fight the rabid human. Then I realized that my Stage-1 High-Leveled Rabid Human fought with it in a few seconds, and that''s probably how I obtained some shared experience points. Swish! Shwip! From a distance, I heard a sharp whipping sound as the swordsman flicked his sword to remove the bloodstains from it. After exhaling, the swordsman gently inserted his sword on the scabbard on his back. That''s when I noticed that he was carrying three swords instead of one, and all of them were carefully ced on his back. For some reason, the swordsman looked familiar. He had reddish hair, well, it''s more of maroon in color and he had some sort of ck markings on his nape. Although his hair was long, it was kept in ce by some sort of white scarf tied around his forehead. And just like your typical Chinese swordsman, he was wearing a Hanfu. I won''t bother exining what it looked like but it''s like a kimono for men, and a hundred times sophisticated in appearance. On his feet, he was wearing some sort of ck sandals, which paired really well with his ck Hanfu. Andstly, he bnced a rice hat,pleting his samurai look. But even without the garments, I could tell that the atmosphere he was emanating was that of a samurai. Sheer will, the power to slice everything, he was releasing that kind of aura as his bloodthirstiness was directed towards the other rabid humans. A glint of red came out from his scarlet, fox-like eyes, as he elerated towards me, eliminating every rabid human in his path like a tornado with full force. When he stopped in front of me, he flicked his sword once again to get rid of the stains and then proceeded to slide it on the scabbard behind him. "Young sir, are you alright?" The red-haired man asked me as he grabbed both of my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. That voice... it sounds so familiar... Wait?! When I looked up, I immediately recognized who the person was. That smile, that rugged face, and that muscle-headedness. I know this person! Of all the people I''d have to meet, why did it have to be him? And why does he look older than me? Is it because I died five years ago? Does that mean I retained my appearance from five years ago? Of course, that''s a given. But how? And why is he here? "For some reason, you look kind of familiar? Have we met somewhere before? Which shelter are you from?" The samurai asked me. "No, we never met before. I''ve never met you in my whole life! Not at all! Haha!" I nervously responded. "And I don''t have a shelter! I''m looking for a shelter named Tang Shelter. Do you happen to know where it is?" The moment I said that the swordsman''s eyes lit up. "Of course I know where it is! I''m a part of that shelter! Not to brag but I''m one of the founders of that shelter! Ahaha!" "Oh, is that so? How stupid of me to not recognize someone with great standing!" Iplimented him, just to make sure that I won''t piss him off. "Say, young man, are you heading towards our Shelter? Can you do it by yourself?" The swordsman asked. "It''s approximately two cities away so I don''t know if you can do it. How about you apany me in my scouting and in return, we will go back to my shelter and formally wee you as part of it? What do you say?" "Um... " "I will protect you, young man, don''t worry! Leave it to big brother over here!" He said, as he confidently put a fist on his chest. "I just need to do a little bit of scouting. If I didn''t have anything to do, I''d have apanied you to the shelter right now. But unfortunately, I need to do this to ensure the safety of the surrounding shelters." "S-s-sure! I''ll be in your care!" I stammered. "That''s the spirit! Well, then, let''s go!" The swordsman raised his left fist as he put his right arm on my shoulder, urging me to go forward. ... Are you kidding me? Is this really happening? I couldn''t collect my thoughts properly when I looked at the swordsman''s face. But I couldn''t deny it because he''s right there, in front of me! What do I do now? It won''t be long before he finds out about my identity? For now, let''s keep a low profile and leave him oblivious to it. That way it won''tplicate things. I mean, how could I exin that I woke up after getting bitten? And as I mentioned before I looked at least three years younger than him? Technically, I''m still older than him but still... appearance-wise he is older. "So, where are you from? I asked you this a moment ago but which shelter did youe from?" The swordsman asked me. "Don''t tell me, were you driven out of your shelter? Are you a criminal?!" "No, no!" I vehemently denied it. No matter how much he talked to me, I still can''t believe that he''s addressing me so casually as if we were friends! His audacity knows no bounds! If I were just as powerful back in the days, then I''d have erased you from the face of the earth! "I''ve never had a shelter. I survived by hopping from one supermarket to the other in the past five years." "What?! You were able to survive outside, by yourself? Alone?!" He eximed. "How could you do that? Are you strong?!" When he said that, I finally remembered something that slipped past my mind. "Luo Zhen, can you wait for me? I forgot something." The moment I called out his name, he stopped in his tracks and looked at me, perplexed. That''s when I realized I slipped and said his name. But I didn''t stop running from him. That and this is a different matter so I''ll just handle that other er. "Luo Zhen? How did he know my name?" The swordsman asked himself. Chapter 24: Are You Approaching Me? Chapter 24: Are You Approaching Me? Luo Zehn''s POV: For the past five years, I remembered the profound words that myte master imparted to me. For the past five years, I lived by those words, following them to the letter. "Live On." Those were the words that myte master etched in my mind. That''s why I tried so hard to ovee my muscle-headedness. And on my path to oveing my one and only weakness, I stumbled upon ancient teaching that required sheer focus and unbreakable will. It was a practice that existed for generations, and yet it almost died due to the new era when cultivation, along with the elements, arose from the scene. Even though it was a primitive-like technique, I decided to learn it in order to be stronger and live on. That''s right, it was the way of a Samurai. Four years ago, I took the way of the sword and practiced nonstop, until I was able to implement my element into it. And when I reached the peak of the samurai, I was ordered to scout the area and clear them of any potentially dangerous rabid humans. After traveling for days, I arrived at a city where there were little to no rabid humans. This made me bewildered since most of the cities were filled to the brim with rabid humans. Such was the case with every city I had scouted. Even a small town would at least have a thousand rabid humans and yet this city only had at least a hundred. After contemting much about it, I concluded that maybe the city has some powerful zombie hunter in it, or maybe some sort of strong infected was there and it had all the infected under it. I was surprised to find out that both of my conclusions were spot on. The moment I arrived at the center of the city, I saw a somewhat weak human being who was standing up to hundreds of infected. Even though he looked like he was struggling, he was overpowering all the infected so I didn''t bother interfering with his fight. For some reason, I felt some sort of connection with the person even though I was confident that I never once met him in my life. Even his expressions when he fought were familiar to me. That''s why the person''s existence bothered me a little bit. Who is he? What is he doing in this zombie-infested city? And why does he bother fighting such small fries when he could easily escape? Those questions made me wonder who the person was so I decided to stay. And my decision was rightfully so since a Stage-Two High Leveled Infected appeared. It didn''t take long for me to figure out that the person I was intently watching wouldn''t be able to take care of it so I decided to step in. Tensing my ankles, I grabbed the hilt of my sword. It took me a second to reach where the infected was since I used all my power to charge at it. I foresaw that the infected was about to p the person away so I didn''t waste any time in attacking it. With full force, I drew my sword and shed the infected''s neck in one sweep motion. A circr sh of white light glinted in front of the person''s eyes before I dropped to the ground, sliced my sword in the air again to get rid of the blood smears, and returned it on its scabbard. "Are you okay?" I asked, staring straight into the person''s eyes. ..... Back to the present. Tang Yongrui''s POV: "Oh no, I said his name! Why did I slip? Why did I do that? Wait, he doesn''t recognize me, right? What if he recognizes me right now? What do I do?" I muttered to myself as I slowly made my way to the Stage-Two High Leveled rabid human that Luo Zehn eliminated. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see that Luo Zehn was looking at me with the most perplexed look he could ever give. As much as I hate to admit it, I feel a cold chill run down my spine as I slowly walked. Once again, the prompt appeared in front of me but this time, I didn''t hesitate to click yes. And then, the ck smoke appeared in front of me again, as if I was summoning some sort of evil entity from a different dimension. The smoke rose up until violet streaks emerged from it. Just like before, the smoke materialized and transformed into a silhouette of the Stage-Two High Leveled rabid human. "Store!" I shouted. "Yongrui, the store is locked until you reach level ten. You cannot open it yet." The System warned me. "No, I meant, store the rabid human in my barracks." I hissed back at the system. "Oh, sorry." After my little bickering with the system, a series of notifications erupted once again. I was kind of getting used to it so I didn''t bother listening to everything. What I do know is that my Dark Element leveled up even though I have no clue what it was. As for my zombie master proficiency, I do think that it''s got something to do with getting rabid human subordinates so I won''t have any problems leveling it up in the future. "Who are you? And what was that?!" Luo Zehn eximed as he came up to me. "And how do you know my name?" As soon as he asked me that, my mind went haywire since I didn''t know how to reply. In the end, the next best thing that I could think of was to deflect the question. That means... acting mode on! "Hoh hoh, are you approaching me?" I red at him as I held my arms outstretched. "Instead of running away, you''reing right at me?" "I can''t beat the, you know, out of you without getting closer." Luo Zehn answered. He certainly knows where I''m going with it. "Hoh hoh, thene as close as you like!" At first, I thought he knew what I was referencing to but to my surprise, he had no idea! Even though he answered so perfectly, he didn''t know what I meant! That''s why I never expected him toe seriously at me. Before I knew it, he was charging straight at me with the sword pointing at my neck. I sidestepped and pped the sword away from me using the back of my palms. Thanks to my heightened senses, I was able to foresee where he was trying to cut so I was able to deflect it. "Who are you? How are you able to deflect my attack even when you''re just in the Spirit Realm?" Luo Zehn asked. "Stop it! I was kidding! I''m not an enemy!" I reasoned out as quickly as I could before he could attack me a second time. "I was just pretending not to know you but I heard from someone about you. You''re Luo Zehn, the samurai, right?" "Yes, I am." He said, his eyes narrowing even further. I knew it, even your naming sense is still muscle headed to the core. ***** Power Stone Goal per week: 100 power stones= 1 extra chapter If you really enjoy this book, then please vote with your power stones. That way we can rise to the top of the leaderboard and make this book more famous. Also, your reviews andments are always wee! Chapter 25: New Party Member? Chapter 25: New Party Member? "Then, what did you do to the corpse of the infected just now?" He continued bombarding me with questions. "It''s something to do with my summoning element." I lied. "I could copy the physique of any beasts I killed and for some reason, it includes rabid humans. Since it''s a stage two, I figured I should copy it since I only have a stage one as a copy. That way, I could summon it and take care of all the other rabid humans without doing much of an effort." "I see... your element is very convenient and pretty useful." Luo Zehn concluded. For some reason, he believed all the lies I told him. "Still, let me ask you one question... are you hiding your true strength?" He asked, getting his katanas and pointing them at me. How troublesome. To think that a mere disciple of mine would dare threaten my life? This is preposterous. Still, I can''t overstep my boundaries. At the moment, he''s stronger than me so I have to y it safe. It would be infuriating however if he finds out about my real identity so for now, I have to focus on surpassing his level. If I''m correct, I''m guessing that he''s in the Emperor Realm, one rank higher than me. It would be best if I conform peacefully with him. "No, this is my true strength. Although I''m a bit stronger than those on my level because of my Constitution." "That''s right. I could tell that your Constitution is on par with those in the Dao Realm. You probably already know this but you got the potential to be strong." Luo Zehn smiled as he snorted. "I would like to formally invite you to our shelter as a zombie hunter. Of course, you''d be greatlypensated and we''d fully support you in your cultivation through the use of essences and the like. In terms of resources, we have a lot of them, but what we need the most is extra protection and food for the shelter." To exin, Constitution has got something to do with how sturdy someone''s body is. No matter how much someone trains their element, they should also build their bodies to keep up with their elemental power. That''s why all the other cultivators who reached the rank of King Realm upwards could be seen training in martial arts or body strengthening skills. As for me, I''ve already reached the rank of Transcendence Realm for my Constitution five years ago. I wouldn''t have tried to breakthrough the Transcendence Realm if it wasn''t for that. "Thanks for the offer, Luo Zehn, I''ll think about it," I responded. "For now, are you done with your reconnaissance? I need to check something up north." "I mean, I don''t have anything to do except toe back to the shelter and report everything to our leader." Luo Zehn grabbed his chin as he thought of what to do next. "Tell you what, I''ll apany you to where you''re going, and then we''ll head together to the shelter, which is two cities away. I mean, if you''re fine with a lone swordsman tagging along in your journey, then please let me." ... For the next few days, my disciple apanied me on my travel towards the cannibalistic shelter. I don''t know what else to call it except that. Along the way, we''ve encountered countless Stage-2 High-Leveled rabid humans, increasing my zombie master proficiency by level 4 as I gathered ten of them. Counting all the subordinates that I''ve gotten, I finally have eleven of them, including the Stage-1 High-Leveled rabid human I''ve captured by the mall. I wonder what''s happened to Lin Xian and Yu Sying, I hope they''re doing all right. One of the highlights of our journey was when I received a prompt, telling me that my Stage-1 High-Leveled rabid human was about to level up. As it turns out, even my subordinates gain exp every time they fight. By now, the System was bing more and more useful so I didn''tin. "What? Why is it that I could give this one a name but not the other ones I''ve caught? As far as I know, they have a higher level than him." I asked out of confusion. "Sorry, Yongrui. But I think it''s all about the affinity of the subordinate to its master. Once a rabid human evolves while under your leadership, they''ll form a bond, enabling you to give them a name." The System responded. "I see, that makes sense. So I just have to level them up, right? Are there any perks if they reach a certain level?" I asked out of curiosity. Of course, they''ll get a lot strongerpared to before but it wouldn''t hurt to ask if they would learn a few skills or something, right? "Yes, Yongrui. As far as I know, those rabid humans in the higher levels are much more powerful. Unfortunately, I can''t divulge anything I know since you''re still under-leveled. For more information, please level up, Yongrui." "I know, I know," I mumbled. Creak! The entrance to the building, where Luo Zehn and I stayed for a stop-over, creaked open and in came Luo Zehn, all battered up. There were bruises all over his body and adding to that, he was limping. He struggled to go towards the fire which I built. Upon sitting down, he reached out towards our food supplies and grabbed a bottle of water. Although he was struggling to breathe, he still gulped the water as if he didn''t drink for days. "Are you all right?" I asked out of concern, not because I was worried about Luo Zehn, but because I was worried about the potential threat behind Luo Zehn''s wounds. "I''ve experienced worse... anyways, I heard you talking to someone. Do we have a new member or something?" "No no... I was just talking to myself. That''s it, I was just talking to myself." I responded. Chapter 26: Euphemism Chapter 26: Euphemism The clear sunny morning gave a little bit of rxation to me and Luo Zhen as we greatly progressed in our journey. It''s been two days since we got out of the city where Luo Zhen found me and now, we''re taking a stroll underneath the cover of the trees. Unlike the times when there was still a lot of hustle and bustle in the city due to its overpoption, the forest was unusually quiet, which was asionally interrupted by the chirping of birds and the breeze that rustled the leaves. Even in the middle of an outbreak, I still found it soothing. "Aah," I exhaled after breathing in a lungful of fresh air. There were hints of the disgusting smell from the rabid humans but I ignored it. Right now, it was time to rx. It was quite surprising that the forest wasn''t filled with rabid humans at all. Thinking about it, the cause of that was probably due to the limited number of humans living in the forest. If such was the case, then that would exin why a shelter has been built here. They''re utilizing the forest as an invisible barricade from the rabid humans that roamed and patrolled the area. "Is that what you''re going to check out? A shelter?" Luo Zehn suddenly asked me. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice as he spoke. And I could tell that he was afraid I would join this shelter instead of theirs. "Yes, a friend of mine told me about this shelter," I said in response. "Oh, we''re here." "So... are you nning to join them?" "Um, not really." I shrugged in a nonchnt manner. It was amusing how Luo Zehn looked a little panicked right now. But his expression quickly shifted to that of relief upon hearing my response. My jaws almost dropped to the floor as I saw the state of the shelter that Lin Xian told me about, assuming that this was the shelter she was referring to. Broken fences, messy barbed wires, and thin walls that were patched together by scrap materials were everything that I''ve seen as I observed the shelter. There were probably a few strong rabid humans who were able to infiltrate them since there were a few gaps by the fences and barbed wires surrounding the walled shelter. It would be an overstatement to coin it as fortified since there aren''t any signs of fortification at all. To summarize, the shelter was in shambles. Even if it was big enough to fit more than a hundred people, it won''t be long before it gets felled by a wave of rabid humans. Sooner orter, it would happen. t''s only a matter of time before this shelter disappears. "Are there people living within those walls?" Luo Zehn asked in surprise as his pupils shrunk. The expression on his face aggravated as it paled, in reaction to my answer. "Yes, and I think that they''re undergoing inhumane practices because of the difficulty of their situation." Iid it out before him, just so he wouldn''t be surprised once we raid the shelter. "What do you... wait, are they doing the c-thing?!" Luo Zehn almost screamed as he asked me, disturbing a couple of birds who were resting peacefully in the trees. "Let me ask something... why is everyone calling it a C-thing? Why don''t you just call it cannibalism so everyone won''t get confused?" I hissed at him as I remembered how Yu Sying looked at me when I didn''t realize what she meant by it. "Since you''ve been traveling alone for the past five years, I''d guess it would be understandable that you don''t know certain etiquette. I might as well tell you the story of why we refer to it as the C-thing instead of the actual word. Although I''m surprised that you don''t know anything about it from the word of mouth through the people you''ve met, I will give you the benefit of the doubt." "Two years ago, there was a shortage of rain in this area. And since there were fewer and fewer supplies that you could obtain from abandoned supermarkets, a lot of the shelters decided to nt crops and raise livestock. As you might have guessed, all of us were dependent on rain and water to live. But for seven months that year, it didn''t rain. Not a single drop of rain fell from the sky. Of course, since our Tang Shelter has be a formidable shelter, we didn''t have to worry about food shortages since we always kept a stockpile in case of emergencies. However, as for the other shelters that didn''t see the droughting and let me tell you that no one saw iting they resorted to the C-thing. For thest two months of that drought, the C-thing became so wildly rampant around the majority of small-scale shelters that it became the talk of the other shelters who weren''t practicing it." "The C-thing became somon that even those shelters who rejected practicing it were forced by a few of its inhabitants as they started doing it. As for our Sect, we decided to eliminate those who wanted to do the C-thing so we only had minor problems back then. But as for the other shelters, the damage was so awful that they couldn''t dare talk about the C-thing. That''s when a few of the shelters unanimously decided to just call it the C-thing instead. That way, they could get past the trauma of their traitorous inhabitants who did such a taboo. In short, we use the C-thing as a euphemism to remind us of what happened back then." Uwah! That''s darker than I''d have imagined! To think that such a thing happened two years ago, I couldn''t believe it. That''s right, a lot has changed in this world. And that change was something inevitable. But there''s hope. Us cultivators should just join hands and eliminate these rabid humans off the face of the. Well, it''s not like they would easily ally themselves to other cultivators. All I''ve got to do for now is cultivate even more and rise to the top as the strongest cultivator. That way no one would trample over me. "Luo Zehn, let''s check it out." Chapter 27: Amok Chapter 27: Amok As we got near the shelter, a sloppy sign on top of the entrance read "Si Shelter". "Si Shelter, huh. How fitting." Luo Zehn muttered to himself. Since the word ''Four'' and ''Death'' corresponds to each other in the Chinesenguage, I found it fitting as the name for this shelter as well. The atmosphere of the shelter certainly gives off a death-like vibe and I could very well assume that the same atmosphere could be found inside as well. And just as I said, we were spot-on in our assumptions. Nearing the entrance, we heard a few excited murmurs emanating from the interiors of the shelter. Well, to be perfectly honest, we couldn''t hear the murmurs clearly so we just assumed that it was so. One thing''s for sure, however. Whatever they''re doing inside those walls was enough to fill them with joy in a post-apocalyptic world. But what we were expecting was different from what greeted our eyes. At the sight of the atrocity, Luo Zehn''s face paled as nerves emerged from his neck. The pure rage and hatred could be seen from his eyes as he firmly gripped the hilt of his sword from his back. He was ready to extract his sword andy waste to the shelter in front of us but I managed to get in his way. Without second thoughts, I stepped in in front of him and gave him the most vicious re I could ever muster. The bloodlust that I''ve released from my body was enough to snap him back to reality as his eyes lost the seething anger within. "Calm down bro!" I put both my hands in front of him as I uncharacteristically tried to calm him down. He wasn''t expecting such an enthusiastic calming technique that he became confused. Well, this was better since it would be much easier to revert him into his calm state of mind. "What are you doing? Do you want to blow our cover? And here I was, thinking that you''re not a musclehead anymore." I clicked my tongue. "What was that?" He asked. He was still confused that he didn''t hear everything that I said. "Nothing. In any case, calm down. We don''t want to rile them up and cause unnecessary bloodshed. Use your mind, please." I pleaded with him. Although Luo Zehn had drastically improved when ites to his muscle-headedness, he still had a lot to learn. Just a few seconds ago, that thing he did was something that would''ve probably killed us if I hadn''t stop him. Well, getting killed was the least-case scenario. Getting eaten is the worst-case scenario. "How do you want me to react to that?! They''re cooking a whole human being!" He whispered at me but his tone could''ve very well been a scream. "Just rx. I''ll think of something." ... "That''s it, turn it a little bit more." One of the men licked his lips as he watched his meal in the spit. There were three of them, eagerly anticipating their meal as they cooked it on slow fire. Every time they felt impatient, they would get the brush from beside them and marinate the meat. One could clearly see the look of hunger in their eyes. And as if it couldn''t get any better, another man came up to them and jerked his thumbs towards one of the ramshackle houses in the shelter. It''s as if he didn''t see anything wrong with what the group was doing. "Are you done cooking him? Our kids are getting hungry, you know." Then another man came and sat beside the group. "Man, today''s our lucky day. Where did you find him?" "We caught him with one of our traps in the forest. He was a fool for walking into the forest." One of the men eximed. Something inside me was trying toe up as soon as I heard their twisted conversation. I couldn''t figure out if it was rage, sadness, killing intent, or everything in between but I could feel it. I didn''t hear the rest of the notifications as my mind drifted from consciousness to unconsciousness. It was the same feeling I got when I turned into a rabid human five years ago. Going through that again, I feared for the worst as I shoved Luo Zehn away from me. "Get away from here, now," I told him. I didn''t want him to be in the crossfire when I turned feral. And there''s a big possibility that Luo Zehn might die if he tried to stop me. I don''t know how I acted these past few years and I wouldn''t want to know either. That''s why I drove him away, hoping that he would listen. There was a hint of confusion in Luo Zehn''s eyes as he flinched and stepped backward. I could tell that he could feel the killing intent that my body was releasing. That''s because there was a slight look of fear in his eyes as he turned around. "It''s dangerous, I''m not leaving you here," He shook me. "Keep it together, man. We''re in this together." Ah, and here I was, trying to calm him down when I was the one who needed it the most. I thought to myself as the boiling wrath inside me was trying to ovee my mind. I didn''t feel normal, nor did I feel well. If I could tell the truth, I was a bit frightened. No, I wasn''t frightened at myself, I was frightened that I would cause unnecessary chaos if I turned into a rabid human once again. I''ve gotten a lot stronger and the System did tell me that it was her doing that gave me back my consciousness. If I lost it again, I fear that my powers would go rampant and there would be no one who could stop me. Even if Luo Zehn tries to stop me, I don''t think he would be able to do so. "Luo Zehn... please... listen to m- " I trailed off. And then, I finally lost consciousness. Chapter 28: Berserk Mode Breakthrough Chapter 28: Berserk Mode Breakthrough Where am I? Once again, I found myself inside the white space where I previously stayed for five years. This was the same space where I got introduced to the System. And also, it''s the same ce where I cultivated, helping me eventually regain my consciousness. Why am I here? Did I die again... No. One thing that frightened me the most was the thought that I might end up losing my consciousness once again. If that were to happen, then it''d be the same as reverting into being a rabid human again all over again. The thought of biting around both rabid humans and humans alike goes against my ideals but there was nothing I could do. When I turned, it took me five years to regain my consciousness and control my body again. Right now, I lost supervision over my physical self, and I don''t have a clue as to when I''ll wake up. "System, what''s happening?!" I screamed, desperately trying to sense a presence around me. "Yongrui! This is bad!" The System responded. "You''re running rampant in the Si Shelter!" "But I can''t control my body! How can I stop it?!" "It''s probably because of your emotional instability, Yongrui. You''ve unlocked a few passive skills such as Rage, Killing Intent, and Ferocity. I think if you stabilize your emotions, you''d be able to regain control over your body." The System responded. "Please try it out, Yongrui. I''m going to troubleshoot on my end as well. Hopefully, this won''t end in an irreversible state." "What do you mean?" "There''s a high possibility that you might eliminate everyone in the Si Shelter if this goes on." The System told me. "You''ve already eliminated half of the grown-ups, Yongrui." No! NO! This is not happening! I have to go back and control my body. Please! Please! Even if they''re trash, or even if they''ve already lost their will and minds to live, I would never want to take a person''s life! As a Sect Master, I''ve only ever killed those people who were out for my blood and I would never want to go beyond that. That would just make me a murderer, and cold-blooded one at that. Once I start taking people''s lives willy-nilly, I don''t think I''ll ever get out of that hole. Aside from that, I''m confident that my guilt and conscience would continue screaming at me until I go crazy... that or I be a murderer. There''s no helping it. System, I trust that you could help me take over my body. I will do what I do best, so, please. We don''t have time to waste! In that white space, probably a dimension in which my self is existent, I closed my eyes and worked on cultivating both my Qi Core and my Virus Qi Core at the same time. I was confident that it would be easy. I''ve got an inherent ability when ites to cultivation after all. When ites to this, no one could best me. I, Tang Yongrui, am the best cultivator out there. This should be easy... Or so that''s what I told myself. But it was harder than I thought. I guess I couldpare it to driving a vehicle. Cultivating with two cores at once is like driving two vehicles at the same time. One mistake and I could tell that I would ruin both of my Cores. It''s like I''m walking on a tightrope since I could feel death looming close over me, trying to devour me as soon as I slipped. To top it all off, the difficulty of the cultivation went by a notch when I felt both coldness and hotness in my being. I felt like my body''s about to get frozen and burned at the same time. Well, it''s not like the feeling is new to me. When I first cultivated my fire and ice element when I previously moved up to the King Realm. But even though I could easily endure prickly heat and the biting cold, I still had to wholly concentrate so my Virus Qi Core and Qi Core won''t fall apart. It''s a dangerous cultivation process. One wrong step and I might end up as a cripple. We can''t have that, can''t we? I''ve already gotten my second chance and all. I can''t fail here. A new skill? What''s happening? Argh, I''ll check itter! I can''t lose focus. "Yongrui, you have to rest! Don''t push yourself too hard. Your Virus Qi Core might explode." The System panicked. "Don''t do this. Just hold off in regaining consciousness. We can always do thatter." "No, we can''t do that." I gritted my teeth in pain. I felt like screaming as I felt like all my insides were burning and freezing at the same time. But I held it off. Two options were ced before me either to y it safe by cultivating slowly and at the same time ughter, everyone in the Si Shelter, or I take a risk and try to regain my consciousness in the shortest amount of time. "Yongrui, I take that back! Please go on. You''re so close to breaking through!" "Shut up, I''m trying to concentrate here." I snapped, but deep inside, it was nice to hear that my suffering is almost over. There''s only one thing left to do... and that is to move forward. Suddenly, my Qi Core turned into a silvery color while my Virus Qi Core turned into a ckish color with reddish smoke. I could tell that I''m getting close to achieving a breakthrough. Even though it''s a hundred times harder than before, moving up a stage is something worth celebrating. No matter how small the rank-up is, it''s one step nearer to achieving another Realm. Then, I felt myself losing consciousness once again. The pain already dulled my nerves, and even though I already lost consciousness, I still felt like fainting... which was weird! I have no idea what was happening but I fought off my drowsiness as I continued my cultivation. "If I slip into unconsciousness right here... then there''s a possibility that I''llpletely die." Fight it off! Fight it off! I spurred myself. Ping! Chapter 29: Bloodthirsty Beast Chapter 29: Bloodthirsty Beast Luo Zehn''s POV: A bloodthirsty beast. There was no other way to describe it. I don''t know what came to me when the person I was following suddenly red at me, telling me to go as far away as possible from him. There was an air about him that I found disturbing. For some reason, although I was stronger than him by leaps and bounds, I immediately opted to obey his orders. Call it instincts or whatever but when he spoke, I feared for my life for a split second. No need to think twice. As soon as he got out of control, I ran away from there while fearing for my life. As a person who lives by the Samurai code to the letter, I have no idea why I lost my calm when his eyes turned red and he became monstrous in appearance. My instincts just kicked in and I was pushed to observe him from afar. I never expected the young man to be crazy, let alone rampage on the whole Si Shelter as soon as he saw it. After all, he was the one who advised me to maintain myposure, and yet ironically, he lost his. If he were someone crazy, then he wouldn''t have warned me, right? And that''s when I arrived at a conclusion that there was something wrong with the young man. Probably an anomaly in his cultivation or a curse bestowed upon a strong elemental user. Whatever the case, he needs my help. Even though it''s dangerous and I might as well risk my life to save him. I will do so now without hesitation. After all, I am a man who lived by the Samurai code. Regaining my calm and steeling my resolve, I pushed my hair back and rearranged the bandana I wore to keep it in ce. I may be an idiot for not knowing how to stop him but I''m not stupid enough to not step in when he''s on a killing rampage. No matter how crazy the people are in the Si Shelter for eating their own kin. I know deep inside that the young man didn''t want to do it. I mean, He stopped me from doing it just a moment ago. For some reason, this young man reminded me of myte master from five years ago. Just like him, he was the epitome of justice and bnce. And the young man before me has shown me those kinds of traits. And now he needs my help. I unsheathed my swords as I calmly approached him. I remembered the time when he referenced something out of the Joj*''s series but I was too embarrassed to admit that I know it so I stopped ying along. And now, I''m approaching him again, slowly, so I can beat the living daylights out of him. That''s the only solution I could think of so give me a break! For my final preparation, I popped a pill of iron supplement on my mouth and swallowed it. It doesn''t give me a boost in strength or anything, it''s just a habit I kept to remind me of myte master, Tang Yongrui of the Tang Sect. When I got inside the Si Shelter, I finally saw how the situation drastically aggravated. He was like a feral beast, mowing everything in its path. Be it a human, a nt, or an object, whatever his teeth have sunk into, he would bite it off without reprieve. "Young man, this has to stop, right now!" I screamed. My voice cracked at thatst word but whatever. At least I got my point across. The young man left the half-chewed, cannibalistic human, and directed his attention at me. With a huge roar reverberating from his mouth and filling the air with dread, he charged at me, eyes bloodshot. But no matter how bloodshot his eyes could get. I could feel the sadness therein. Deep inside, he didn''t want to hurt anybody no matter how twisted the person is. It''s as if his eyes are screaming that I help him regain his old self. I was dumbstruck. There was no way I could beat someone with that look in his eyes. He may be running amok but he''s just a young kid. I''ve decided. I will just restrain him and hope that he would calm down. If not, then that''s when I''ll beat him up and hopefully, he will revert back to his own self. ..... Tang Yongrui''s POV: Finally! Fifth Level of Spirit Realm! I inwardly celebrated as my cultivation went up by three notches. As a great fan of cultivating, I never thought that I''d be able to skip three levels in just one day. It was something only I, the genius Tang Yongrui, could achieve! The white space that epassed me dissipated like fog clearing up in the morning. It''s like a veil in front of my eyes were steadily disappearing until I finally took back the reins that control my body. The weird feeling of returning to your body was something so surreal yet so disturbing that I didn''t want it to happen again. Virus or whatever, I won''t allow anyone to take hold of my mind and expect that they get away with it. When my vision cleared, the first thing that I saw was Luo Zehn. He wore a mortified expression on his face while mounted on top of me. At first, I didn''t know what he was doing and then I felt the series of punches that he unleashed so mercilessly towards my face. His fists were packed with speed and power that there was no way for me to dodge them. Furthermore, he was nting his fists so fast on my face that I couldn''t even speak. In the end, Iy down on the ground as he tirelessly pounded at my face. "Young man, are you alright now?" He asked, after a good two minutes of punching me. "How could I be alright after all of that?" I said, rubbing my swollen face with my hands. Because of the intensity of his punches, my face went numb and I had great difficulty talking. "Couldn''t you think of a better way to wake me up?" There was a little bit of annoyance in my mind right now since my disciple just punched me countless times in the face but there was also an underlying sense of relief that he woke me up from my uncontroble state. Had I stayed in that form a little longer, I might''ve wiped even the unknowing children in the Si Shelter. I don''t think I would be able to live with that constantly nagging on my conscience. "T-thank you.. for bringing me back," I muttered as I lowered my head a little bit towards my disciple. Honestly! I didn''t have to lower my head in front of him! But I don''t have anything with me and bowing down is the only way I could ever thank him. Nevertheless, I wouldn''t do it again. It won''t do me good to lose my esteem as the Sect Master of the glorious Tang Sect. I mean... not so glorious Tang Sect. Chapter 30: Giving Whats Due Chapter 30: Giving What''s Due Luo Zehn helped me get up as I marveled at the havoc that I caused on the Si Shelter. It was a scene straight out of a gory movie with all the mutted bodies scattered around. The sight couldn''t even bepared to all the makeshift houses that I toppled during my rampage. Fortunately, there were no children who came out during themotion. If they did, they would''ve been traumatized by what happened. In conclusion, I was a tad bit afraid about what I could do once my body reverts back to being a mindless human that I swore an oath to myself. That I would do everything in my power for this ident to never happen again in the future. "Luo Zehn, can you please help me clean all of these up," I asked him. "We shouldn''t let the kids see this. Assuming that there are kids." "I''m pretty sure they are hidden in some sort of basement." Luo Zehn looked around for further proof of what he said. "They might''ve been eating their own kin but they had enough conscience to hide it from the kids. At least they weren''t that heartless, don''t you think?" If it wasn''t for me getting rid of them, they might''ve been able to redeem themselves once they moved out of the shelter and moved to another one. Then again, there''s a small chance that they would continue living like this and eventually end up getting expelled out of a shelter. No use thinking about it now. "Let''s look around," I suggested as I jerked my thumb to the rickety makeshift houses to the side of the shelter. "I mean, once we take care of the mess... I made." Because we are cultivators, it didn''t take long for us to dig a hole on the ground and bury all the bodies there. And for finishing touches, we put a tombstone on top of it. "Young man... " Luo Zehn called out as I headed to investigate the area. "Can I... " "Yeah?" "Never mind." Seems like Luo Zehn wanted to ask me something but he couldn''t bring it up. Is this rted to how I lost control of myself a moment ago? Or maybe he didn''t want to party with me anymore because of that? No no... this is not good. If he leaves without me then I won''t be able to find out where the Tang Shelter is! I mean, I could just follow him. But! What''s worse is that he might not wee me in the shelter! T This is not looking good at all. I clicked my tongue in frustration as I entered one of the houses. To my surprise, despite the outward appearance of the house, it was filled to the brim with rare tapestries and expensive stuff. I stumbled upon something great! No... these are treasures gotten from the victims of this leader''s greed. Or maybe it''s just him born from a wealthy family? Who knows, but finders keepers it is, I guess. "Yongrui! I found something in the System when you reached the Fifth Level of Spirit Realm. I think you might need it." "Oh! Is that free gift from the system?!" I excitedly asked. "If that''s the case then this is a first! Show me!" "No, you''ve subconsciously earned it bypleting a bonus quest of sorts." The System responded. There was a hint of nervousness within her voice. I find it rather suspicious. "And... what was the quest?" "Kill a huma- er I mean, bite a human." The System corrected herself with guilt in her voice. "Anyways, here it is." Because of her unsteady tone, I could tell that the quest was the former instead of thetter. In short, I killed someone and that''s how I finished my quest. Even though I did it subconsciously, it still weighed heavily on me. Just as I mentioned before, I have my own selfish ideals and that includes giving what''s due to someone who deserved it. Of course, the cannibalistic humans deserved it but they didn''t do anything to me. I''m not saying I won''t kill them if given the options... but they were already crazy. If I had the chance, I would''ve just restrained them and rescue the kids in the shelter. All''s well that ends well, I guess. I don''t have to worry about spilled milk and just continue looting this ce. After that, Luo Zehn and I would head to Tang Shelter for the kids. Well, back to the system! As soon as she finished speaking. A dazzling light shimmered in front of me as if a diamond just spawned out of nowhere. After a few seconds, it dissipated, and out came a Silvery ring that''s shaped like wings wrapping around your finger if you wore it. Aside from that, there''s an ocean-colored gem on top of it and every time you changed the angle of where you look, the ocean-colored gem seemed like its experiencing asional waves akin to a real ocean. "This is a Silverwing Ring." The System announced. Despite its appearance, its name is sockluster that I felt disappointed with whoever named it. "It''s a cliche tool that every cultivator is supposed to have. In other words, a storage ring." Now that you mentioned it... I still have my storage ring with me. Because of the urgency these past few days, it slipped past my mind to use everything that I stored in there. "Does it have anything inside it? Or it''s just an empty storage ring. If that''s the case, then it kind of sucks, isn''t it? I mean, that''s a special quest and all that the System would give me is something that I already have?" I shrugged. "Sorry, Yongrui. I don''t know if there''s anything inside since I didn''t bother checking it. But try equipping it, maybe there''s something inside... or not?" I could totally feel the System fidgeting as I equipped the Silverwing Ring. "I''ll go with the Silverwing Ring first then," I responded. I immediately realize that the System is actually pretty convenient since I could ess both of my storage rings. And also, it came with a window that listed all the objects inside. Now I don''t know which type of objects I could put in the Silverwing Ring but one more storage ring wouldn''t hurt. As soon as I essed the Silverwing Ring, I was surprised that there were a few things inside it. <10,000 Shop Coins> <1000 Exp Cards> <5 Fatigue Potions> <5 Boost Potions> The rest of the items were filled with question marks as if some error urred. Asking the System about it, it said that my level was far too low to view such advanced items. As for the items that I could see, I could only view it. Even if I tried to, the System kept on notifying me that my level was too low. Just when the System gives me something, it holds back like a corrupt official ruling over a town. Honestly, this System is such a scam. And here I was, thinking that the System finally gave me something useful. Of course, I could use the Silverwing Rings as storage rings but to think that there are locked items in your storage? It''s simply uneptable. "Yongrui, enough about that! You might want to check that small chest over there. I''m sensing a huge amount of Qi flowing from it." The System interrupted my thoughts. Well, there''s nothing I could do about it. Even the System doesn''t know what it''s doing so what could I expect? I immediately whirled my head towards the chest and just as the System said, it was brimming with Qi. Even my senses are tingling with anticipation as I approached the chest. Would it be a rare essence? Or maybe a type of rare nt or treasure that would boost my cultivation? Whatever the case, it should be pretty valuable for it to emit such pure and intense Qi. I reached out my hand and a refreshing feeling prated my skin. Even with just that, the thing inside the chest was already speeding up my cultivation and I haven''t evene in contact with it. As soon as I opened it, a small ck pearl greeted me, cushioned by a red velvety pillow probably filled with down due to its softness. "Oh, a ck pearl! But it''s emitting such intense Qi. What''s this?" I didn''t hesitate to put it in my storage so it would show me its name. When the name shed in front of me, I couldn''t help but inwardly chuckle, as if expecting something like this to happen. "What kind of item is this?" I eximed in surprise, remembering the reference on that crazed game and anime that everyone loved back in pre-apocalypse times. Chapter 31: Food Supply Chapter 31: Food Supply "Young man! Come take a look! I found something." I quickly put all the gold and the treasures I found in my storage and headed outside. By the time I got there, Luo Zehn had already gathered every child around. Even though I knew that I was the one who eliminated all the adults,I was a bit shocked to see that there were really no adults left. And to top it all off, the children didn''t know where their parents went since we''ve already cleaned their bodies up through the mass graveyard we dug. They also didn''t know that they were eating human meat all along and we decided not to tell them. Luo Zehn and I went with the story that their parents died before we got here and we were toote to rescue them. Whereas... I was the one who killed all of them. I felt guilty about it but I didn''t want to traumatize the children. "Now''s not the time. I found something else in one of the basements." Luo Zehn told me with a grim expression on his face. Somehow, his visage was telling me that something dangerous was in the basement. "What is it this time? A Stage-3 rabid human? Or is it more dangerous than that?" I asked. "I have no idea. But whatever''s locked in there, it''s dangerous all right." "Then tell me what it i-" "Juste with me" Luo Zehn didn''t speak another word as he led me to one of the shattered houses. After clearing a few more debris surrounding it, he pointed towards a small crack on the wooden floor. "Down there." After the pause, Luo Zehn removed the wooden floor and opened a metallic trapdoor underneath it. The moment he did so, a horrid smell came out of it, making me step back and shut my nose tight by pinching it with my fingers. "What''s that?!" It sounded like my nose was clogged but I didn''t mind it. "I don''t know. However, this is where they presumably kept their stock of food." Luo Zehn said. Judging by his facial expression, I could tell that he was holding back vomit. The trapdoor led to a flight of stairs and quite frankly, I didn''t want to go in there. Not only does it smell like rotten corpses, but it also felt like I would scar my eyes for life if I go. Regardless, Luo Zhen was leading the way and I didn''t want to disappoint him. Even though he doesn''t know my identity, I''m still his awesome Sect Master. There''s no way I''m going to show my bad side to him. Well, it didn''te as a surprise when the awful scent became worse. However, I have to maintain my front so I descended with Luo Zehn who was surprisingly unfazed by the smell. "Over there. That metallic door. It''s locked pretty tightly so I don''t know what they''re keeping in there." At that time, I directed my attention to it. It didn''t take long before my heightened senses made me realize what''s going on. For a split second, I forgot about the nauseating smell and just barged the door open with sheer strength. I didn''t even unlock the locks attached to the wall, I just knocked the door open. "Young man what are yo-" Luo Zehn didn''t even finish his sentence. In fact, he couldn''t even finish it due to the shock that he received. The sight in front of us was enough to stop us in our tracks and it made me question whether the cannibals I killed were justified or not. Because what we saw was simply inhumane. There were at least twenty people locked in there and most of them suffered a missing limb or two. They were roughed up and probably waiting for ughter. And to add to the somber expression on their faces, their eyes looked dead just like dead fish eyes. It''s like they lost all of their hope as they await the day that they would die. Of course, they were shocked when I knocked the door open. They flinched and stared at me with their dead eyes. It was probably because it was a first for them that someone opened the door like that. "Is everyone okay?" I asked, even though I know that they''ve already fallen into the pit of despair. "My daughter... please save my daughter. Please! Save my daughter." One of the men rushed at me. He was the only one who didn''t have his eyes filled with hopelessness. "We''re here to help. We''re from a far shelter and we were just passing by when we heard about what happened here. We''ve already gotten rid of the... the ones who victimized you." Somehow, I found it hard to call the cannibals humans. Trapping humans here as food supply is not something a human would do. "Are we really... free?" This time, Luo Zehn walked forward and ced a shoulder on the man who kept bbering that I save his daughter. "Yes, you''re free. But if you have nowhere else to go, then we''d like to invite you to Tang Shelter." "Tang Shelter? The Tang Shelter?!" The man eximed. Even with their dead fish eyes, I sensed a glimmer of hope as the group wore smiles on their faces. I''m just d that we were able to give them hope amidst everything that they''ve gone through. "Yes, the Tang Shelter." I rified. "No... but I can''t go. I have to go save my daughter." The man continued on with his repetitive resolution. "I need to go to the Ziyou Shelter. I have to save my daughter." "Ziyou Shelter?" Luo Zehn gave me a perplexed nce as he was lost deep in thought. And then, his mouth opened as if he just realized something. "As far as I can remember, isn''t Ziyou Shelter one of the best shelters around? Why do you have to rescue your daughter from a shelter that''s basically devoid of zombie attacks?" "Y-you just don''t know... what they''re doing i-is... worse." The man muttered. "It''s worse than the cannibals that trapped us here and ate us one by one. What they did was... T-they''re monsters! They''re wolves in sheep''s clothing! Argh! AAARHGHH!" After letting out an ear-piercing scream, the man fell to the floor and vomited. Chapter 32: Bonus Quest Chapter 32: Bonus Quest As I nursed the wounded and wrapped them in bandages, Luo Zehn listened to the stories of the man who kept repeating that he had to save his daughter. He fainted right after he vomited so by the time he got up, we gave him water and we decided to hear him out. "I was originally from the Ziyou Shelter." The man began. "We never had a problem with zombie attacks before... but we- " "Can you call them rabid humans? It''s really bothering me." I spoke up, interrupting his story. "You don''t have to, of course. It''s just my personal preference." "Rabid humans?" The man asked in return. It took him a full minute before he finally got it. "Oh okay." After clearing his throat, he proceeded with the story with the same monotonous and gloomy voice just like before. At first, I thought that he was always on the verge of crying but as it turns out, that was his normal speaking voice, probably influenced by the gruesome experience he had during his stay here. "It was unusual at first since our leader was really kind andpassionate towards us and we never had a problem with him... that is until he started asking us for our children." Oh no... I already hate where this is going. "Children, why?" Luo Zehn asked as he leaned in closer to make it easier for him to listen. He was oddly curious as to what happened to Ziyou Shelter. "Since Ziyou Shelter is a big shelter, and it''s probably as big as a town, our leader has a huge house albeit a simple one." The man continued. "As survivors living under him, we didn''t see a problem to it since he was originally the owner of the house before the outbreak even started. But after a few years, he started asking us for our children. He said that he needed some workers to maintain the garden and the house and he was only hiring children." "And so?" "Of course! Some of us agreed since he was going to pay handsomely for it. Besides, he treats all of us right so we know deep inside that he''s a good person." "Let me guess," I cut him off as I bandaged another woman by the leg. "He wasn''t really the person you thought him to be, right?" "Yes, but it''s... how do I exin it... Well, I''ll just continue on with the story." The man rubbed his head as he found a better way to exin what he had in mind. "I was one of the few people who agreed to our leader''s proposition. Well, I agreed because my daughter wanted to work there. She took a liking to our leader''s son after all." Just as I said before... I don''t like where this is going! Not at all! I said in my mind but somehow, I can''t stop listening to the man''s story. "And so, I received my daughter''s first sry and I decided to give all of it to her since she earned it. You know, so she could go and spend time with the leader''s son if he happened to be free. But then, I found it weird that my daughter couldn''t even visit me. She just spent time within the walls of the leader''s house without even sending me a letter to update me of her wellbeing." "Months passed and to our surprise, our Leader asked for another batch of workers, telling us that there was more work to be done in the house and the children we sent wasn''t enough. At that point, I decided to uncover the truth as to why our leader kept hiring as if there were never enough workers under him." "One night, I decided to sneak into the leader''s house to see if my daughter was doing okay. Since I was a former zomb- er, rabid human hunter before, I''ve got quite a few skills that let me easily infiltrate our leader''s house. It was such a coincidence when I saw them dragging a boy into a sack." "However, that was the least of my concerns. Although I recognized the boy, the first thing that I had to do was look for my daughter. I searched every nook and cranny of that massive house but there were no signs of my daughter. In fact, there were no signs of the children there at all! In desperation, I decided to track the ones who put the boy in the sack and followed them." "That''s when I saw them head towards one corner of the shelter where a huge tree was growing. It was a tree that everyone called the Forsaken Tree." "Forsaken Tree? Why did they call it such a fancy and ominous name?" I asked, getting impatient since we left the children in the middle of the shelter without any protection. "And also, we have to get out of here as soon as possible so finish your story. I''m almost done wrapping everyone up." "Oh, okay." The man continued. "It''s called the Forsaken Tree because no one ventures near it. Those who did begin spreading rumors about how they could hear the voices of children inside. After that, everyone became genuinely scared of the tree. For some odd reason though, it kept on growingrger andrger until it was taller than the walls that surrounded Ziyou Shelter." "I was confused at first as to why they brought the boy there. Then, they entered a hidden trapdoor adjacent to the Forsaken Tree. I barely got in and what I saw almost made me scream... The Forsaken Tree... it''s absorbing all of our children''s nutrients!" "What?! What do you mean? They kill the children and make them fertilizers?" I eximed. "That''s... that''s even worse than these people!" "No... here''s the strange part. Somehow, the tree wrapped its roots around the children and I''m confident it''s taking nutrients directly from them. That tree is killing all those kids slowly and my... my daughter was one of them." "I was caught before I could do anything and instead of killing me. They left me to die outside the Shelter. I struggled to survive but I wasn''t lucky. After two days, I was caught by the people of this Shelter and fattened up. I was scheduled to be tomorrow''s dinner. Thank God you came here in time." "I know I''m asking for too much but please, help me save my daughter in Ziyou Shelter." Chapter 33: Heading Out Chapter 33: Heading Out The notification was too spontaneous that it left my eyes open in shock. Here I was, listening in on some random guy''s story about his daughter and a mysterious tree, and then the System suddenly gave me a quest?! Unbelievable. What am I? An all-knowing savior now? This is insane. "Can I step out for a bit?" I asked Luo Zehn who was keen on listening to the rest of the story. Well, maybe he was only listening out of respect to the one talking. If that were the case, then kudos to him. I can''t do that. "Ah, um, sure young man." Luo Zehn shed a thumbs up towards me. It was obvious that he was forcing a smile on his face since his lips were shaking a little bit. Of course, after everything that happened and after hearing the man''s pleas for us to save his daughter, no one would be able to smile. To think that the world got so messed up in just five years, I''m just grateful that I slept the whole length of that time. When I got out of that basement reeking of rotten bones and flesh, I inhaled a lungful of fresh air and sighed in relief. I still can''t believe what I just did earlier but that''s just at the back of my mind now. For now, I have more questions for the System than I ever could have. "Yes?" The System suddenly asked. "Wh-?! Don''t just speak like that all of a sudden. I almost got a heart attack." I said in exaggeration. "In any case, do you know anything about the forsaken tree? Why is it that I need to defeat it?" "I am not too sure myself either. But I received the notification and I just ryed it." The System said, almost as if she was shrugging at me. "I''m sorry but I really don''t know anything." She apologetically said with a sudden change to her tone. "That''s alright, it''s not like I expected anything from you anyway," I responded. Even with theckadaisical response I gave, I was still somewhat bothered that the System doesn''t know anything about the majority of quests I received. Well, it''s not like I couldin. The quests do give awesome rewards. After much contemtion and weighing out the pros and cons, I finally decided toply with the System''s request since everything that it did for me had been advantageous for now. It might decelerate my meeting with my precious disciples but I''m willing to go through it so I could be stronger. Right about now, I could tell that not only the cultivators are getting stronger, but even the rabid humans that lurk the aboveground are also mutating. It might be because of the ever-evolving virus present in their bodies, or rather, it''s a given that the virus is ever-evolving. If the worst-case scenario happens that the virus would mutate far stronger than the strongest cultivator, then the end of the world would be near. The whole world could be overridden with the virus and no one can stop it. "Not like it would happen, but here''s thinking." I shrugged as I returned to the basement. I instinctively covered my nose as the rotten smell of the ce after around me once more. "Oh, you''re back, young man." Luo Zehn greeted. "Young man, my foot. We have to get everyone out of here right now or else we''ll smell more terrible than we already do." I pointed out. "You, can you walk?" The dad turned to me and slowly nodded his head. Without further ado, I grabbed him by his armpits and prompted him to stand up. He limped, but he was able to maintain standing. Seeing that, the others also stood up, even the ones which were missing some legs, they all stood up with the help of someone. Upon seeing the sights in front of me, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of pity as I saw everyone raggedly dragged themselves towards the exit of the ce. Out of impulse, I helped the dad on his feet when he almost fell face first while going up the stairs. As for Luo Zehn, he was helping all of them, encouraging them to take one step at a time. "Say, what''s your name?" I asked. "I mean, I wouldn''t be able to find your daughter without knowing your name." "Yang Chen, people call me the drunken fist but without my arm, I''m just drunken." He half-heartedly joked. To be honest, I found his joke funny, that''s why it gave me a hard time suppressing myughter. "How about your daughter? What''s her name?" "Yang Mei Mei." "What a cute name." I smiled. "Don''t worry about it. I''ll save your daughter." Not because I wanted to, but because of the rewards from the System waiting for me. Had it not been for that, I would probably not risk my life doing this samaritan work. "Thank you so much, young sir." Yang Chen tearfully said, wiping snot and tears off his face. "Really, even if it''s just reassurance, I''m still thankful. And this might bete, but I''m really really grateful that you saved me, I mean, all of us. Had it not been for you, we would''ve died in the stomach of some crazy person." "Don''t worry about it. It''s a good thing we happened to pass by here." I answered. I didn''t know how long they remained under that basement but when they finally reached the aboveground, they were especially ted. It''s as if they haven''t seen the sun in so many months, and I fear such was the case. I guess I don''t want to think about the gruesome sights they saw and experienced down there, and asking them would just relive the trauma that they had to go through. Well, hopefully, they get over it soon. They''ll be traveling to Tang Shelter, after all. Meeting rabid humans is probably one of thest things they want to experience right now. "Luo Zehn, I''ve decided." I dered, stepping in front of him. "You take care of these guys. I''ll be heading to the Ziyou Shelter alone." A bit of shock gued Luo Zehn''s face but after a split second, it waspletely gone. Following that, a smile was stered on his face. "If that''s what you''ve decided then I''ll leave everything to you. I''ve seen what you can do and I don''t think you''d meet dangers that you cannot ovee. As much as I want to apany you in subjugating that abomination of a tree, I have the duty of protecting these survivors. I would''ve asked you to lead them to Tang Shelter but I don''t think you know the exact location of it." I nodded. "That''s why I''m leaving everything to you. Once I led everyone to the shelter, I wille and help you." "Thanks!" I saluted towards him before heading out. As expected of Luo Zehn, reliable as ever! Chapter 34: Campout Chapter 34: Campout "What just happened?!" I asked myself as I wiped the sweat off my brows. Now that I finally had the time to breathe, the System bombarded me with notifications that I almost got overwhelmed by it. At first, I thought that maybe I should just tell the System to shut up but I knew that would be disadvantageous for me. Albeit being rather annoying because of its monotonous voice, I didn''tin about it since they were basically perks I receive after I gained enough experience points. I looked at the pile of rabid humans that I defeated before letting out another sigh. Ever since I got separated from Luo Zehn and those survivors from the Si Shelter, hordes upon hordes of rabid humans confronted me as if they didn''t want me to breathe. By the time I realized why I''ve already defeated all of them. And after fighting against them, I''ve reached level ten! I also understood a few things about the System and rabid humans. Honestly, there were a lot of things that I don''t know yet. First was how this Subordination works. Once I''ve defeated a rabid human, a prompt woulde out in front of me asking whether I''d like to turn the rabid human into my subordinate or not. I don''t know why the System gave me this sort of skill but it had been helpful in subduing hordes of humanoids. Even though I could only turn twenty of them every time I fight a horde, they''ve been a great help. But there was a downside to it, however. As it turned out, summoning a lot of them drains my qi energy and if I use it long enough, I''ll be too exhausted that I wouldn''t be able to keep awake. At one point, I almost dozed off while fighting a horde of rabid humans and that traumatic experience made me not rely on my rabid human subordinates too much. Secondly, I finally found how to take care of this thing called the bad egg that the System gave me. Apparently, when I pour qi energy into it, cracks appeared on its surface. The more I poured, the more the cracks get bigger. Maybe if I''m patient enough, I could hatch the bad egg in no time BUT! I can''t afford to waste qi energy at such a crucial time. Rabid humans could attack me at any moment after all. Next was my Qi Core. The more I cultivated, the more I could feel myself reaching the bottleneck of what I could handle. It''s all because of my Virus Qi Core and my original Qi Core. The two of them weren''t reallypatible when ites to cultivation so I had to carefully tread the cultivation path as carefully as I can. One wrong move and I''d either explode or straight up revert into a mindless rabid human again. Finally, the one thing that I noticed the most in my travels was the rate the virus was evolving. If I couldpare it to cultivation, the mutation of the virus is much faster, therefore producing stronger rabid humans. It had only been more or less a week since I woke up and I''ve already had close encounters with rabid humans on par with those in the Immortal Realm. At this rate, they might even surpass the strength of a cultivator in the Dao Realm, which is only two steps away from Immortal Realm. But for now, they shouldn''t be a problem. I know quite a lot of masters and teachers back in my days who were also on the verge of the Dao Realm. If it were them, then they won''t have a problem dealing with super high-leveled rabid humans. And also, five years of slumber is such a long time, maybe there are geniuses who appeared while I was roaming around the city as a mindless rabid human. Not that I would count on it though. I stared at the half-eaten fish in front of me, then my eyes wandered towards the makeshift campfire that I made. Because of all the things that happened the past day, I didn''t even notice that it was already in the middle of the night. From an onlooker''s point of view, I may look like a normal person camping in the middle of the forest. Honestly, without the rabid humans in the picture, I''m probably dwelling in the most peaceful setting I''ve ever had. With a campfire in front of me, the gentle swaying of the trees and rustling leaves, and the asional breeze that passed through my face, it was quite a rxing moment. If only the rabid humans aren''t here. But then again, I wouldn''t have enjoyed this if they hadn''t appeared. The reason why these forests became even lusher was because of theck of human interaction therein. "Now, this is not the time to daydream, Yongrui. You have a mission." I told myself as I opened the panel that the system gave me. Just like before, the Status Page and the Inventory Page was still existing in the panel but right now, there''s an additional section called Shop. When I clicked on it, a bunch of items came flooding the screen. Different types of weapons, potions, cultivation materials, as well as elemental technique scrolls were there. "Whoa! What''s this?" I eximed as I checked every section of the shop. There were a lot of things on sale that I don''t even know where to look first. My heart was beginning to pound quicker as I checked every item out. Fortunately, there was a sorting function in the shop that lets you sort by grade or by price, which made it a lot easier to find the things I was looking for. "Vast array of weapons and high-grade cultivation materials that I couldn''t even dream of getting before. This shop''s the real deal. Now, the only problem is how do I earn money specifically for this shop?" "System, how do I earn money here?" I asked after seeing a big fat zero beside an icon of a coin at the top of the shop. "By killing, specifically humans." The System urgently answered. "Wait, are you serious?!" Chapter 35: Zombie Hunters Chapter 35: Zombie Hunters "Wait are you serious?!" I eximed, my eyes almost bulging out of my eye sockets, "I''m just kidding! We don''t do that here. I''m a friendly system, you know." The System responded hmph''edly. "Says the one who got me into a killing spree in Si Shelter," I muttered. "But that wasn''t my fault! Your emotions got the better of you that for a moment, I lost the connection I have with you and defaulted you into a mindless zom- er, rabid human." "Y-you, if you coulde out here, I would''ve beaten the living daylights out of you." I threatened but of course, I didn''t mean it. That''s why I was surprised when a woman suddenly appeared in front of me! And moreover, she looks a lot like Natalia! "Wait... for real?" "I can only manifest through your eyes so no one would be able to see me except you. As for my appearance, I justbed through your memories and it seems like this girl is a very important someone in your life." My hand instinctively grabbed the side of my neck. "Yeah, right." Before I get to enjoy the beautiful scenery in front of me that is, Natalia''s image without a hole in her stomach the manifestation disappeared. I wasn''t disappointed in the least since Natalia is not at the forefront of my mind right now. As I ate the half-eaten fish I kept on staring at, my eyes wandered towards the fire in front of me. "First, I need to get stronger. The System can only go so far." I told myself. Rustle Rustle "Hey, there''s someone over there." "Do you think it''s a zombie?" "You idiot, he has a campfire, do you think he''s a zombie?" "What if he''s a mutated one, you know, the one that could speak humannguage." "Those are rare, do you think we''ll meet a mutated zombie in the middle of the forest?" "Sounds like it''s an optimal ce in meeting that kind of zombie." "So, do we approach him or not?" After hearing a faint rustling sound towards my left, I strained my ear. I could barely hear their whispers with my enhanced hearing but I managed to listen to everything they said. For some reason, they were talking about rabid humans that could interact with other humans. I, for one, found it weird. However, I was asleep for five years so I don''t really know everything that''s happened. "Do I call them out or do I just let them whisper about me?" I finally asked myself. In the end, I chose the former option instead of thetter. "I can hear you, you know," I called out as I took yet another bite from the fish. Seriously, there were far too many distractions that I couldn''t finish eating the poor thing. Rustle Rustle Swish "You can hear us?" One of them asked as the three of them emerged from the thickets. "Yeah, you were being especially loud. What do you want? I''m busy eating so please make it quick." I called out waving my free hand towards them, gesturing that they leave me alone. "What the, he''s just on the Fifth Level of the Spirit Realm. We don''t have to worry about him." The girl called out as she went towards us. "We''re already in the King Realm." Upon saying that, the group didn''t hesitate to approach me, but I knew better. Without further ado, I summoned one of my Stage-3 High-Leveled Rabid Human in front of them. "Please, I won''t do that if I were you," I told them. Flinch! I didn''t even need to tell them anything since they willingly took a step back. "So, what do you want from me and what are you doing in the middle of the woods?" I interrogated with a somewhat threatening tone. As for my subordinate, it just had to stand in front of them and release a menacing aura. Well, it worked, somehow. "Is this... this is the dark element, right?" One of them asked. "Yeah. Who would''ve thought we''ll meet a master here." "Didn''t you say he''s just in the Spirit Realm? That''s impossible. Even those in the Dao Realm couldn''t even practice the Dark Element." And just like that, they started talking nonsense again. Blood Element or Dark Element, it seems like there were a lot more elements discovered while I was asleep. And also, it seems like I''m the only one who doesn''t know about it. After all, everyone I met seemed to know what the Blood Element and the Dark Element are. Or rather, they happened to hear about it. Then there''s me who kept on pestering the System about the aforementioned elements. And just like me, the System doesn''t seem to have any idea about it. Before they could admire my subordinate a little bit more, I quickly retracted my summons and gestured for them to sit. After they''ve done so, I asked them again what the purpose of their visit was. "So, what do you want from me?" One of the men turned towards the girl and confirmed for the second time if I was really in the Spirit Realm or not. After the girl reassured him about it, the man turned towards me and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, young sir. My name is Liu Zhi and I''m the leader of our party. May I ask for your name?" "Yong Rui," I told them, purposefully implying that myst name was Yong and my first name was Rui. "Oh, you''re a girl?! I''m sorry if I called you young sir!" The man quickly apologized. Due to my silken skin and youthful appearance, at first nce, I might''ve looked like a female in front of him since it was a bit dark as well. But I didn''t want any of the misunderstandings after realizing that my disguise of a name backfired right in front of my face. After shaking his hand, I addressed his assumptions. "No, I''m a guy. It''s just that, my name got a bit mixed when I was born and my parents didn''t bother changing it." "Oh, so that''s how it is." Liu Zhi scratched his head. "In any case, are you perhaps alone, young sir?" He asked with great curiosity. "Yes," I simply responded since I was still focused on eating. "Then, would you like to join our party as a fellow zombie hunter?" Chapter 36: Red Sea Shelter Chapter 36: Red Sea Shelter "I''m sorry?" "Our party." Liu Zhi repeated. "You don''t have a party, right? Every person outside the shelter more or less has a party. Did you lose your party or were they... you know... bitten? In any case, you look plenty strong and we would like to wee you as our member." "Why would you straight up recruit a mysterious person in the middle of the forest? Like, isn''t that kind of yabai?" I asked him. (Yabai means dangerous.) "Um, Yong Rui, the thing is... half of our party members were eliminated on our way back to our shelter. We were tasked to procure a mysterious gem bu-" The girl started exining but before she could say anything else, the other guy covered her mouth. "Sshh, what are you talking about? Why are you telling him top secret information?" "But, he''ll be part of our party, right? Shouldn''t he know why we''re recruiting him? If someone approached you in the middle of nowhere and asks you to join them, wouldn''t that be weird?" "She''s right." Liu Zhi sighed before turning towards me. "And that''s about the gist of it. We were sent to scout a ce where a mysterious gem was discovered and it was rumored to enhance cultivation andbat the virus of the infected. We don''t know if it would work but orders are orders. In the end, we managed to retrieve it but yesterday, we were attacked by rabid humans fleeing from this forest and lost half of our men. They were on the same cultivation level as yours so they died pretty easily." "In any case, how did you survive by yourself alone?" The girl asked. "By the looks of it, you didn''t have a party for a few days by now, right?" "I''ve never had a party, nor am I affiliated with other shelters," I told them as simply as I could. "I''m heading to Ziyou Shelter. If you''re heading that way, then you''re free to tag along." One reason why I offered them a hand was because I was probably the reason why half of their teammates died. After all, I was the one who fought with the low-leveled rabid humans in the forest and drove them out unintentionally. They were probably overwhelmed by their numbers that the others died before they could even react properly to the situation. "So... for the past five years..." The girl trailed off as I gave him a nod. Well, it''s not like I was lying when I said I was flying solo for five years now. Because of my response, all of them gasped as they gave me a good stare. In their minds, they were probably asking why someone like me could survive the past five years without anyone''s help. As for me, I''m just surprised that they weren''t doubting everything I said. I mean, was I really that believable? "What a coincidence! We''re heading to Ziyou Shelter too!" Liu Zhi pointed out as he extended his hand once again. "If it''s fine with you, can we travel together?" "Not that I mind," I responded. "Just don''t burden me too much." "What? A mere cultivator in the soul realm would dare say that?" The other man eximed as he charged at me. "Now now, we''re both on the human side so I would like it if you don''t pick a fight, de." Liu Zhi stood in front of him. "Also, Wu Yan, can you take out some of our provisions? We can set up camp here. Would that be a problem? Of course, we''ll share some of our provisions, they''re just canned goods though." "So that guy is de and the otherdy is Wu Yan, huh," I said to myself. As I rxed underneath the cloudless and starry skies, the party felt at home as they used the campfire that I''ve built. Upon closer inspection, I recognized that they looked way more ruggedpared to regr people. Heck, they looked way terrible than when I found Yu Sying and Yu Yan. Or maybe, Yu Sying and Yu Yan were well protected by the husband. "If only he didn''t turn into a rabid human, huh." My thoughts were interrupted by the intense aroma of meat and potatoes which was boiling on a pot on top of the campfire I set. I was a bit surprised since I never knew that potatoes and meat are still a thing five years after the rabid human infestation happened. But all my thoughts were flushed down the drain when I received a bowl of boiled meat and potatoes. It might beckluster in appearance but it''s meat and soup so I can''tin. I''ve never tasted these after so long, after all. "Here," Wu Yan graciously said as she handed the bowl of soup towards me. "Is this really meat and potatoes? And also, what kind of meat is this?" I asked, just to confirm. After that incident with the Si Shelter, I didn''t want to trust the food handed to me, especially if it''s some sort of flesh. "Yeah, our shelter is known for its agriculture and cattle." Wu Yan enthusiastically said as she twirled her thumbs. "Wait... are you, by any chance, from Ziyou Shelter?" I gulped. If such was the case, then I wouldn''t want to tell them the strange rumors I heard from Yang Chen, the person I saw in Si Shelter who was looking for her daughter. "Oh, no, we''re not actually from there. If I was a sane person then I wouldn''t want to go in there either." Liu Zhi fervently shook his head, violently denying my question. "We are from the Red Sea Shelter. Since our shelter was nearby, we were tasked to scout the neighboring shelters as a party of zombie hunters. Aside from hunting down hordes of zombies, one of our missions is... yes, to scout neighboring shelters. Our next destination is towards Ziyou Shelter. Frankly, I wouldn''t want to go there." Yu Yan''s eyes then turned warm with delight as she ryed a scoop that I apparently already knew. "You see, there are rumors that most of the children there." She whispered, then she leaned in closer as if she was going to tell me something awful to scare my wits. Finding the opportune moment, I interrupted her to ruin the fun. "I know, most of the children there are disappearing right?" Gasp! "How d-did you know? I thought you weren''t affiliated with other shelters. How did you know about the state of Ziyou Shelter?" Liu Zhi eximed. "Let''s just say, I have connections. Although I''m not affiliated with any shelters, I know some very important people who tell me these things." "A lone hunter with connections... and with no party... this guy is no joke." Liu Zhu whispered to himself but I could hear him. Chapter 37: Screecher Chapter 37: Screecher Our party, or rather, their party and mine, decided to sleep in on the night. However, their mere words aren''t enough to make me believe they''re a trustworthy bunch. That''s why, although they were snugly fitted inside their loose sleeping bags, I stayed up all night, trying to cultivate both my Qi Core and Virus Qi Core just so they would stabilize. Ande to think about it, I did get a notification saying that I could get a breakthrough. Click! Ti-ring! The moment I thought about that, a pinging sound entered my mind and the same old voice of the System spoke out to me. However, this time, it wasn''t the automated response of the System that greeted me. "Yongrui, do you want to achieve the breakthrough, right now?" The System asked. "Yeah, why?" Pause. "It''s just that, I don''t feel like this is the right time. Something in my guts is telling me that it would be far more advantageous for you if you achieved your cultivation at ater date." The System concernedly stated, much to my surprise. After all, the System wasn''t the kind to warn me of a decision made by the automatic notifications given by her. That''s why I was a bit worried. If the System doesn''t agree to the automated response, then does that mean the System and the automated responses are separate beings? "That''s not the time to be asking such questions. Of course, we aren''t separated. However, I don''t know much about the System. I do feel that my purpose here is to guide you through your cultivation." The System responded quite amazingly. "I see, then I''ll hold it off for now. It''s not like it would affect my overall strength, considering that I''m on par with other cultivators on a realm one step from mine. Even without the breakthrough, I think I can manage." At first, I didn''t want to listen to the System but after hearing her desperate please, I realized that there''s more than meet''s the eye in her statement. If such is really the case, then I would reap better rewards the more I held off this specific level of cultivation. Aside from that, I won''t be missing out on cultivating since I could freely cultivate as much as I can. The Realms and Levels are just thresholds that need to be surpassed after all. The only perks of reaching those thresholds is the improvement of cultivation efficiency. And as a person who almost reached the highest realm in terms of cultivation, I do think I have dexterity when ites to cultivating. Kururuk kurkkurkuk... As if my storyline started to resume, I heard a faint scratching noise from a distance, warning me of something quite eerie. Kurururuk... For the second time, it lightly screeched, followed by a rustling sound that came out from multiple directions. This, in turn, woke Liu Zhi and his party. Swish. In a split second, the three of them were already up on their toes with weapons at the ready. Liu Zhi was carrying a thin sword, Wu Yan with a bow, and de with his shortswords. The three of them darted their heads around. Just as I thought, their perception is quite good, as expected of cultivators in the immortal realm. "Don''t just sit there, Yong Rui," Wu Yan called out to me with her forehead creased with worry. "There''s a stage five nearby." But while they were busily darting looking at each and every direction, I was just sitting beside the campfire, warming my hands. I was bluffing, of course. I''ve been avoiding stage fives ever since I entered the forest and now one of them appeared in front of me. If I can''t defeat it, then god knows what will happen to me. Or rather, what will be of me. The reason why I maintained myposure was that I didn''t want to revert to the same mindless rabid human I transformed into back when I was in the Si Shelter. If the Stage Five really did try to attack, then it''s just about time before I lose it. That''s why I decided to leave it to the party and only act once I find out that it''s safe. Or if there''s any danger, then that''s when I''d step in... even though I''m not confident that I would emerge from a fight against a Stage Five unscathed. "Don''t worry, I can take care of myself," I assured them. "Just fight it as you please." I don''t know if it was the tone of my voice or my reassuringplexion that made them not worry about me. After a nod, they continued to watch the surroundings since a Stage Five was actually pretty fast, its speed probably matching that of cultivators in the Immortal Realm. Kiiaahhk! The soft screeching sound suddenly turned into an ear-piercing scream as a monstrosity appeared from the bushes and tried pouncing towards the group. me Arrow! Before the Stage Five Rabid Human could react, it was hit on the head, heart, and crotch with ming arrows, which made it instinctively retreat a few steps before resuming its attack. "Careful, it''s a Stage Five High-Leveled Rabid Human." Liu Zhi advised. "And it''s a mutated one at that." "By the looks of it, this is a Screecher, right?" de growled as he prepared his shortswords. "Yeah, known for their screeching sound and unbelievable speeds. Fortunately, there''s just one of them. If a horde was nearby, then that would''ve been dangerous." Liu Zhi continued as they watched the Screecher sidestep around them. "I mean, it would be quite hard to escape its attention and it''s even harder with a Spirit Realm in tow." "As I said, don''t worry about me," I called out to them. "I can handle myself just fine." Kiehk! Once again, the Screecher pounced towards the group but once again, he was greeted with three ming arrows to his head, heart, and crotch. It took all of my being tough at its screech when those arrows hit since the screeches were too fitting to overlook. This time, however, he wasn''t just met with three ming arrows. Suddenly, a sword was lodged towards his chest, rupturing it as it emerged from its back. After that, de charged at him using the Dash Skill and beheaded it before it could see what transpired. No screech left the screecher''s mouth as its head slowly rolled on the ground. Chapter 38: EXP Share Chapter 38: EXP Share Plop. The head of the Screecher fell on the ground and made a disgusting noise as its flesh corroded. Now that I got a good look at it, I realized that the screeched had a human form but somehow, it was walking on all fours and it doesn''t have eyes. Instead of eyes, it has one big mouth on his face with rugged teeth and a sickening inside. Just when we were about to sigh in relief, numerous screechings could be heard in the area. "Yong Rui, we have to leave right now. This forest is filled to the brim with screechers. We can''t possibly take on all of them alone." Liu Zhi nervously whispered towards me. "de, use your detection skill, how many are there in total?" "About thirty, no forty of them," I muttered before de could even respond to the question. "How did y-" "Let''s talk about thatter. Just as you had stated, we don''t have the leisure to stay here any longer." I told them. Even I was getting rather anxious about the overwhelming numbers of the screechers. "If only I were in the Transcendence Realm... " I said to myself as I clenched my fists. No, get stronger. That''s our mission and we have to focus on just that. But right now, we can''t afford to die either. "I''ll set up an escape route and we''ll rely on de and Yong Rui over here with detecting any screechers nearby. As much as I hate to say this, we''re already their prime targets. Their hunt has begun and we have to work together to get out of here alive." Liu Zhi said. "Yong Rui, I know that you don''t want to join our party, but please, lend us your aide, just until we steer clear from the screechers." "Sure, it''s not like I wouldn''t be needing your team either. We havemon ground here so let''s form a party in the meantime for now." Ti-ring! Ti-ring! ... The sudden change in my expression must have rmed the party quite a bit since Liu Zhi grabbed me by the shoulders and asked if I was okay. I nodded... but honestly, I was a bit surprised. I mean, I just gained five levels! In all those days steadily killing off Stage-One, Stage-Two, and Stage-Three Rabid Humans, I only gained ten levels but now, a mere screeched gave me five levels in one go?! And adding to that, I didn''t even lift a finger to help them fend off that cursed screeched. "Sweet!" I told myself as I looked at my current stats. .... Current Level: Fifth Level of Spirit Realm ... Liu Zhi, Wu Yan, and de looked at me with a weird expression on their face as if they just saw a crazy person in front of them. Well, who would''ve guessed since I was a bit nervous a while ago and my expression shifted to that of glee and tion. As for me and my opinion on joining my party, I digress. I think joining a party would be much better than flying solo since I could get a lot of experience points just by sitting around. Honestly, this is one of the best perks that the System ever gave me. "What do they call it again... oh, idle games. This is like an idle video game, I think." I muttered to myself as I followed the group, running towards the densest parts of the forest. "So I just have to watch them from afar and as long as they are in my party, I would earn all the experience points they gained." So far, this is the only advantageous thing that the System gave me. After ten levels of pure hard work, I guess I deserve at least this much. As I looked at Liu Zhi and the others who were panicking, my short-lived happiness was cut off in an instant and I joined them in their escape. Although they were strong, much stronger than I currently am, to be honest, I don''t think they''d be able to take on forty screechers at once. '' kiieeehk! kaaaahhhhk! screeeech! Multiple screeches and rushing could be heard from the thick foliage that surrounded us. The irritating noise that epassed the forest was too bothersome that for a moment, I forgot what my current status was and thought of getting rid of all of them once and for all. A split secondter, I remembered that I''m currently at the Fifth Level of the Spirit of Realm. That''s why I decided to hold off my fury as I followed the trio. sh! Fortunately, the screeched pouncing towards Liu Zhi''s general direction was brought to attention by Wu Yan as she fired her ming arrows towards it. It gave Liu Zhi enough leeway to act as he punched the screeched to oblivion. "We gotta go faster! We can''t stay here any longer!" Liu Zhi snapped, clearing the way forward with his fists and charging power. "There are twoing to the right, we have to turn a little bit to the left and head towards there," I spoke towards de since both of us were holding the rear of the advancement. de nodded towards me before catching up to Liu Zhi and telling him what I said. "Right?" Liu Zhi muttered, then he turned his head in my direction. "Can we trust you on this one, Rui?" I nodded. There was even no advantage for me if I lied since I knew that Wu Yan could detect them as well, however, her detection skills were not as good as mine though. Chapter 39: Backstories... Chapter 39: Backstories... What should I say, I was definitely the MVP here. Or so that''s what I told myself as I grinned at everyone while I wore a sanguine expression. We were able to exit the forest with my perfect maneuvering skills. Every time a screecher gets too close forfort, I would warn Liu Zhi and in turn, he would listen to me. Since my firsts prediction was right on the money, Liu Zhi easily believed me when I redirected their course. If I were someone maniptive, I could''ve easily used that opportunity to get them killed while I hoarded all their loots and items. But I wasn''t that kind of person. I mean, they''re my party. If something were to happen to then, then my free-real-estate experience points would be all for naught. And even if they weren''t part of my party, I would''ve protected them still. Let''s just say, it''s part of my responsibility in my subconscious. As a Sect Master, before I turned into a rabid human, the sense of overprotectiveness to those weaker than me was hard-wired into my mind. That''s why I just can''t help but look after anyone I set my eyes on. "Thanks for that, you saved us... hah~" Liu Zhi panted as he rested his back against the walls of an abandoned building where we found ourselves in. "If it weren''t for you, we would''ve found ourselves in a tight spot back there." "We avoided countless injuries thanks to your perception skills, young man." de gruffly said. "Those screechers were hellishly annoying. Thest thing we''d want to experience in this apocalypse is meeting a horde." "Yeah, what on earth is up with you anyway, young man?" Wu Yan asked although she was just a year or two older than my body age. "I''ve been cultivating, solely focusing on my perception skills, and I''m nowhere near your level. What role do you y in a party?" "Role?" I asked. There was no way I could tell her that I honed my senses to the maximum in the past and although they reset when I woke up again, my senses kept getting better every time I leveled up. And now that I reached level 15, I could tell that I''m close to achieving the maximum level of my sense enhancement. So I had no choice but to change the topic by asking what Roles every single person in the party has. I have absolutely no idea about what those are, after all. "If you ever yed a video game, then you should know what the roles are." de trailed off as he nced towards me. "Ah! Is this about Tank, Mage, Assassin, and the like?" I asked. "Yes, that. So basically, us zombie hunters y a role ording to the skills we cultivate in." Wu Yan brightened up as she began exining. "I''m an Archer, Liu Zhi here is a Melee Fighter, and de is an Assassin. I''m also partly the Scout of the group but I''m not that good yet." "By the looks of it, you''re definitely a Scout." Liu Zhi continued Wu Yan''s exnation. "I could clearly tell that your stamina is iparably better than ours, and your perception skills are top-notch. We may be hunters in the Immortal Realm, but our fighting skills could only take us so far." "Is that you indirectly telling me that you need a Scout in your party?" I asked. All of them nodded. I gulped. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the pros outweigh the cons if I ept them. But, on the flip side, if they ever met any danger that I''m not confident in partaking in, then I''d be tied to saving them IF I joined their group. They''re already in the shadows of my protection, I can''t make them any closer than that. Otherwise, I might risk my life for them when the timees. Hold on, didn''t I risk my life for them already? So there isn''t that much of a difference whether I choose to join them or not. "I will take my time to consider your gracious offer." I cupped my hands and slightly bowed towards Liu Zhi. "As someone in the Spirit Realm, being invited to the party of Immortal Realm Cultivators is something I wasn''t expecting. But, there''s a reason as to why I remained alone after all these five years and unfortunately, I can''t divulge anything about it since it''s rather personal. In any case, I''ll be apanying you towards Ziyou Shelter. After arriving there, I''ll give my answer to your offer." "No worries, just take your time. Even though you''re just a cultivator in the Spirit Realm, we could tell that you have the potential to surpass any Scout that we''ve ever known. That''s why we gave you the offer." Liu Zhi warmly smiled as he exined. "I''m more surprised that no one has recruited someone of your caliber." "That''s because I''ve been traveling all alone for the past five years. So far, I''ve only ever met five or so people in my travels." I spoke up, not bringing up the ident of the Si Shelter. "That''s why." Liu Zhi stared towards the abandoned building where we''re in as if he was mulling over some things. "By any chance, do you hate shelters?" "No, why do you ask?" I shrugged "How about humans, do you hate humans?" "Why would I?" I almost raised my voice in my response. "I see, then that''s good then. For a moment I thought you despise the thought of shelters or something of the sort. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but not entirely imusible." "What do you mean?" The moment I asked that question, I realized that I''ve gone too far in what I said. The looks their eyes gave me were the exact replica of the one that Yang Chen gave me when I found him in the underground basement in Si Shelter. It was the eyes that had seen death, and I could tell that something deep inside them resurfaced because of me. "I didn''t mean to pry, I''m sorry for asking that question." I continued. I didn''t know why they were a bit traumatized by the question but their demeanor was more than enough for me to offer my apologies. "No, it''s fine. It happened so long ago anyway." Liu Zhi shook his head as he forced a smile on his face. "You don''t have to beat yourself up." "Just like how you got those secrets kid, we also have our own." de was a man of few words but every time he spoke, that certain rumbling of a sound always sends shivers down my spine. "It''s not that we dislike your question, nor were you overstepping. We just remembered something that shouldn''t be remembered, that''s all." "I see." Although I was a bit curious about their backstory, I decided to stay quiet and get my well-deserved rest. I didn''t want them to get angry and kick me out of the party so I didn''t overstep my boundary. My free experience points hang in the bnce after all. Chapter 40: A Certain Screecher Chapter 40: A Certain Screecher "Do I really hate humans? And why did he go out of his way to ask me that?" I asked myself while watching over the group. "Did they meet someone who especially resents humans? Or maybe they met a serial killer who likes killing humans more than rabid humans?" Well, it''s not like I will be finding it out any time soon. The building where we''re currently staying for the remainder of the night was an enclosed bungalow-type one since that was the only building avable. If there were more, then I''d have chosen a more spacious one since this one could barely fit four people. With its strong mossy fragrance and its dampened walls and floors, one would find it gross to stay here. But when the other option is staying outside where countless screechers roamed, then sleeping in a dark and damp room with four people is the safer option. "I wonder how Luo Zehn is doing right now," I mumbled to myself. For the past few days, I found it rather calming to talk to myself rather than staying silent. I guess part of the reason why was because the System is literally inside my head and when I talk to her, it''s like I''m talking to myself. Since I have time to kill and there was nowhere to go, I decided to pour more of my qi into the bad egg that I got from the Si Shelter. There''s a small chance that this would give me powerful rewards and there''s a small chance that I won''t get anything at all but even with the odds ced against me, I still decided to risk it. After all, steadily pouring energy into the egg helped me further my control in controlling both of my Cores. And since I''ve been doing it for a few days now, I could now subconsciously do it. So while I was pouring my energy into the bad egg, I continued refining my Virus Qi Core and my original Qi Core so they would stabilize even more (Stabilizing Qi Core just never ends, I guess.) And while I''m at it, I decided to check the contents of my storage rings since I''m pretty sure that I missed a lot of things when I first checked it back at Si Shelter. You know what they say if you can do it subconsciously when you''re a master at it. I''ve been cultivating until I almost reached the Transcendence Realm so cultivating runs in my veins... but cultivating twice the Cores is still much harder to do subconsciously. I don''t think there''s another person in this world who''s cultivating two Cores at the moment. Not only is it dangerous, but it''s also counterproductive as well since one wrong move could end your cultivation career. The moment I opened the Silverwing Storage Ring that the System gave me, I realized that I have about ten thousand shop coins in there and my eyes grew big in shock. I immediately retrieved it from the bag and it automatically transferred to the shop where the coin amount was shown. But when I checked the shop, my coin count didn''t sit on ten thousand, it was sitting on twenty thousand. "It''s because of the screeched your party killed, Yongrui, it earned you 10, 000 coins as well." The System suddenly spoke, making me flinch as I almost dropped the Silverwing Ring. "I see, so that''s the case. Every time I or my party killed a rabid human, I get to earn coins?" I asked. "Yes, not only that,pleting quests gives you a huge amount of coins as well." The System responded. "Of course, the Daily Quests is a part of the quests I mentioned." "I see," I muttered before thinking about the Daily Quests. Now that I reached the level threshold and unlocked Daily Quests, I started to wonder what the Daily Quests are all about. I didn''t want to ask the System about it though since I''m confident she wouldn''t know anything about it. Skeek~! "What was that?!" I eximed, darting around to see where the sound came from. From what I heard, it sounded like a screech and a squealbined... but in any case, it gave me goosebumps when I heard it. "Is that a screecher? No... maybe something else." I told myself. Since the sound wasn''t that loud and it seemed like it came from a few hundred meters where we currently were, Liu Zhi and the others didn''t wake up since they couldn''t hear it. "This building seems safe enough so I guess it wouldn''t be a bother if I check it out," I told myself, slowly opening the door. Once I got outside, I gently closed the door so as not to wake everyone up. And then, I double-checked if the door was locked or not. Skreeee~ The sound was a bit closer now and for some reason, the rity of the noise sent shivers down my spine. I, the esteemed Sect Master of the Tang Sect, am getting the shivers from a sound?! How preposterous! But just to be sure that the sound didn''te from another mutated rabid human, I put my guard up and slowly walked towards the direction of the sound. Just in case, I also grabbed a cheap sword that I got from Si Shelter. If worsees to worst, I can use it as a projectile and ran the hell out of there. That sword is just a rusty old sword after all. When I reentered the underbrush that bordered the forest, I was greeted by a soft rustling of the leaves as the cold air passed by. It''s as if someone or something was whispering or blowing air at my rear. That wasn''t enough to faze me, however. Swallowing my saliva as I nervously walked forward, I decided to summon the screecher that became one of my subordinates. And yes, even if I didn''t kill the rabid human, I could still turn it into a subordinate of mine. It''s kind of a cheat skill but I''m notining since it''s not every day the System gives me something somewhat rewarding. With my subordinate with me, I rxed a little bit when I tiptoed through the forest. SKREEE~! Chapter 41: Wasted Potential Chapter 41: Wasted Potential The squealing/ screeching was getting a bit louder now and it sounded way creepierpared to before. Sttered blood decorated the area where I was walking, adding to the feeling of fright that my body felt. Get it together, Yongrui! Kuwiieehk~! My body impulsively ducked down as the sound epassed the ce. I knew that it was just a few feet from me and I didn''t want to attract its attention. Hence, I was kneeling behind a shrub before I even realized that my body had already sumbed to the fright. That''s when I saw it, A screecher, barely a foot tall, burying its head on the stomach of a cow. For a moment, I thought it was the screecher releasing the screeching sound but as it turned out, it was the cow, trying to warn its kin that it was being hunted. From all directions, there were other cows but this one was the unlucky cow out of the bunch. After all, there was only one screecher in sight and this cow was the one who was caught. I sighed in relief as I sneaked behind the screecher. I wanted to get rid of it so the other cows wouldn''t fall into danger and at the same time, hopefully, get some more experience points so I could level up quickly. But what I didn''t take into ount was the fact that the screecher was barely a foot tall. Sensing my presence, the screecher screeched towards me and I immediately ''yeet-ed'' the rusty old sword towards it. Before it hit, however, I realized that I made the wrong choice and decided to stop the sword from hitting the baby screecher. That''s right, it was a baby... I don''t know how it came to but ording to the others, screechers were supposed to be rabid humans that underwent a mutation. And it wasmon knowledge that the more Qi a person has, the quicker the virus could mutate since it relies on nutrients to evolve. And well, Qi is basically life energy so it''s safe to say that someone with a huge amount of Qi has more life than others. And here it was, a baby rabid human. A baby rabid human underwent a mutation! If a rabid human with a high level of cultivation (back when they were humans, of course) would take days or weeks before the virus could mutate inside their bodies, then this baby would''ve been a prodigy if it were given the chance to grow as a human. A split second ago, I was filled with fright when I heard the intense screeching/squealing. But now, upon seeing the source of it, I was filled with pity and dejection. The baby screecher didn''t even try to attack me even though I hit its body with my rusty old sword. It just kept on screeching as it tried to hug the cow as if it was his most prized possession. The desperate look and pudgy hands of the baby screecher were enough for manly tears to escape from my eyes. As I knelt down and raised my hands to prove to the baby screecher that I meant no harm, it quieted down and decided to ignore me as it continued eating the cow in front of it. "Come here, kid." I cooed, gesturing for the baby screeched toe towards me. I didn''t know why I did it but for some reason, I felt some sort of connection with the baby. It was probably due to the fact that I experienced being a rabid human before. Kurururuur... After ncing twice towards my direction, the screecher baby decided toe towards me. Due to itsrge head, it wobbled a little bit as it crawled on all fours. But before it reached me, the baby fell down face first as it ceased to exist. There was a low growling sound emanating from its throat before it breathed his final breath. That''s when I realized that the sword I ''yeet-ed'' towards it had buried itself through its stomach and punctured it. Although the sword didn''t damage the head, it damaged a part of the spine so the virus, which controlled the majority of the brain, was rendered useless. In short, the screecher baby died. I couldn''t help but bite my lip as I stared at the screecher baby who was just trying to hunt for a living. It had been through tough times, bing a rabid human although it was just a baby and all. It pains me to think that someone, or a group of someone, thought of instigating this hellish event. There was a part of me that didn''t want to admit it but after remembering the words of Yu Sying and Yu Yan back at the mall before, all I could think was someone really did instigate this whole thing. Moreover, it targeted all of therge sects all throughout the country. And if such was the case, then that means... they were the reason why countless people had to die, including this baby right in front of me. If this virus didn''t exist, then this baby might''ve been a prodigy that would rock the heaven and the earth. I could confidently say that this screecher baby had more potential than I did. I mean, that doesn''t get rid of the fact that I was the one who identally killed it but... just as one of my disciples used to say... It''s dead anyway, and so will I be if I get bitten by one of them again. "I swear, whoever did this to me and my Sect, as well as to every person in this country, I will make them pay. Even if they have the most powerful cultivators in the world... I will make them pay twofold... no, I will make them pay a hundredfold after everything they''ve done. Their actions deserve a thousand deaths and I will dly serve it to them." When I nced towards the screecher baby a second time, a prompt appeared in front of me and the same olddy-like voice of the System rang inside my head once again. Chapter 42: Samurais Return Chapter 42: Samurai''s Return After choosing yes, a cloud of ck smoke appeared on top of the screeched baby, followed by its manifestation. But to my surprise, instead of the usual purple streaks that ran through its body like my previous subordinates, the screecher baby had red streaks running through its body. It was like a little monster burning with intense anger as the red streaks glowed here and there. "What''s this now." "What on earth is a rare rabid human? They have rarity now? What?" I eximed. Since there was a lot of confusion about the new subordinate and the new title of the rabid human I just got... as well as the prompt that''s telling me to give it a name, I decided to hold off everything for now. After all, there''s another matter at hand and I have to aplish it before leaving the forest. Focusing my Qi on my ankles, I charged forward with incredible speed at an unsuspecting cow. There was a hint of surprise and death in the cow''s eyes but that wasn''t enough to change my mind in hunting it down. The strong prey on the weak, or rather, the predator preys on the prey. "Hah!" I let out a lungful of air as I braced myself for the impact of my sh. Swish! The cow didn''t even know what hit it as its head was dislodged from its body. The other cows, which were in the same group as the one I killed and the one that the screecher baby killed, began running in different directions after sensing the danger that flowed from my body. At that split second when I was going to sh the cow, I released a bit of killing intent and that''s probably what drove the other cows away. After all, I was confident that I didn''t make any sound when I charged towards the cow. I mean, I paid close attention to silencing my foot when I directed my qi energy there. Nevertheless, the killing intent that I released was probably more than enough to make a person flinch, what more if it''s just a cow cluelessly wandering the forest. "Finally, dinner." . p p p. . The prompt of the System made me whirl my head towards my back. The moment I heard the pping, I already realized that someone was watching me. But what surprised me was the fact that the System went out of her way to warn me, almost as if the person watching me was a threat to my existence. "You''re pretty good for a Scout." de walked towards me. "For a moment, I thought you were an assassin when you shed the cow in a sh. Even I can''t move that fast and I''m an assassin." Although he already started speaking to calm me down, I still put my guard up and maintained my distance from him. Who knows if he was targeting me or not. If he didn''t, there was no reason why he had to hide his presence like that. "Don''t misunderstand, Yong Rui, I didn''t mean any harm." de sighed as he sat in front of me and raise his hands. "As an Assassin, it''s in my subconscious to hide my presence just like that. And well, when you sneak out of our hideout in the middle of the night, wouldn''t anyone get curious as to what you''re going to do? That''s why I decided to follow you." I gulped. I already knew what he meant when he said that. "So, you saw everything?" I asked. But instead of replying, de just smiled towards me and approached me without the slightest hint of killing intent. After arriving a meter from me, de then ce his hands on my shoulder and smiled even more. "You''re a good kid, all right. Don''t let this world taint you. You might harbor resentment towards the rabid humans or the instigator behind this apocalypse but don''t let that fill your mind. I know deep inside that you got a good heart. Keep being like that." After saying that, de walked away from me, his steps as light as leaves falling from the rustling trees. "And I won''t tell everyone about your hunt, nor would I try to take it from you. So don''t worry about anyone disturbing your meal." "But, I got it for everyone... otherwise I''d have cut some meat off from the dead cow here already," I spoke up, pointing to the cow that was half-eaten by the screecher baby. "Is that so?" de turned around, his expression lightening up. "Are you really going to share that meat with us?" Somehow, he sounded more excited than I already am. After bidding goodbye to the screecher baby and burying its remains beside the half-eaten cow, I went back to our hideout with de wherewith we had a hearty dinner. A few hourster, we continued our journey. ..... Luo Zehn''s POV The past few days were a rough journey, almost as rough as the seas on a stormy night... and even that was an understatement in regards to everything we''ve gone through. With children and injured people in tow, our journey towards the Tang Shelter was arduous. But with my trusty sword and skills that never faltered, I managed to bring everyone to the glorious Tang Shelter! At that moment, I was ovee with joy as I reached the glorious Tang Shelter, named after our esteemed Sect Master who sacrificed his life for the well-being of his disciples, or rather, what''s left of them. During that time, the only goal in our mind was to survive and we couldn''t do that without getting any stronger. Hence, Ye Zhiyun, Xiao Liang, and I focused on getting stronger, working our way up until we achieve as many breakthroughs as possible. And now that we''re sitting in the higher ne of the King Realm, we managed to build a shelter and offer protection to those survivors who didn''t have a shelter. At first, it was rough going... but when the years passed and Ye Zhiyun managed to take the reins of governing the Shelter, we were cruising through our survival days. And now, we exceeded the expectations of our esteemed Sect Master. Not only did the three of us survive, but we also thrived in this hellish era. If only I could tell him that his death was not in vain. If I could go back to the past and thank him, then I will dly do it no matter what the repercussion is, as long as it''s not death, of course. "Luo Zehn, you''ve arrived!" Xiao Liang greeted nonchntly as he waved from afar. But after seeing the injured behind me, his expression took a turn for the worse and he started panicking. "Quick! Grab some medics! Also, we need some healers right now! Those with the healing element, assist Luo Zehn in any way you can!" Chapter 43: Homecoming Chapter 43: Homing Luo Zehn''s POV It didn''t take long before Ye Zhiyun caught wind of my arrival. A few secondster, she came running towards us with a bunch of healers in tow. I looked back and smiled at Yang Chen and the others. We made it. The looks of relief on their faces were priceless as they copsed to their knees, exhaustion finally overtaking them. "What happened here?" Ye Zhiyun and Xiao Liang simultaneously blurted out, almost sshing a considerable amount of saliva on my face. "Hold on! I''m tired as it is. Let me get some rest and then I''ll tell you everything that happened." I tried to act as energetic as possible but I couldn''t withhold my mouth from releasing a yawn. Just as I turned around, I noticed that there were quite a few arrivals in our shelter, not just the ones that I rescued with that mysterious young man. "I see we''ve got a few arrivals, huh." "Oh those, they''re Yu Sying and Yu Yan, mother, and daughter. The third one is Lin Xian." Ye Zhiyun introduced. "Apparently, they met a mysterious young kid who goes by the name of Tang Yongrui and you may not believe it but... apparently, he has the blood element! Can you believe that!" I gaped in shock, my sleepiness totally leaving my body. Blood Element is one of the rarest elements to ever exist, only discovered after the virus already spread all over the world. This Element allows one to wield his or her blood and could even reverse the effects of the virus itself. One of the most renowned Shelters in the world called the Red Sea Shelter, gained its power because one of their cultivators had the rare element of the blood element. This allowed some of their hunters to be a little bit immune from the bite, thus making them one of the invincible shelters to ever exist. "If we could bring him over to our side, then we wouldn''t have to worry about other shelters trying to take over ours." I thought to myself, but somehow, my thoughts escaped my lips and it was heard by Yu Sying and the others. "Yes, that is what we''re thinking about as well... but from what we heard... well." Ye Zhiyun trailed off after sneaking a nce towards Yu Sying and her daughter. "I don''t think it would be possible. You see, although the three of them did confirm about his blood element, he was bitten by a Stage-2 High-Leveled Zombie before he could take control of it. And well... there''s a chance that he didn''t survive the bite." "I see. But we can''t prove that unless we meet him, I guess." Just when I was thinking about this... a memory emerged from my mind. I immediately recalled meeting a young man which could summon dead zombies at will. "Now that I think about it, I also met a young man who utilizes another rare element. It''s not the Blood Element, however, it''s the Dark Element." Ye Zhiyun''s eyes went wide in shock as she stared at me. I could already tell what she was about to say next before she even opened her mouth. "Where is he now, why didn''t you bring him over to our side?" Ye Zhiyun eximed. "This is heaven-sent. Two connections with rare elements could only take us so far." Xiao Liang interrupted. "That aside, why didn''t you try to bring him over to our shelter, Luo Zehn?" "I did! I invited him to our shelter... but the thing is, there''s something we have to take care of first."I responded before they could even continue speaking. I could tell that I''m in a difficult spot so I had to deny their usation of not bringing him over to our side as soon as possible. "And what is that?" Ye Zhiyun''s eyes turned into slits as she questioned me. I sighed. These guys... they''re working their butts too much that they couldn''t even think properly. "Look, I''m tired... and I did say I will give a full report once I get my rest. So please let me rest first and then I''ll ry everything that happened while I was away." The moment I said that Ye Zhiyun and XIao Liang flinched a little bit. They realized that they were egging on the wrong person and they immediately made way for me. After briefly nodding my head in their direction, I headed towards my tent. Sigh... Another sessful scouting. ... Even though I was already under the covers of my bed, I still couldn''t sleep. Somehow, I felt guilty that I left some information from the group. The young man I met had some sort of berserker mode and not only that, he had the dark element as well. If I were to tell them that, I could guarantee that they would start panicking. That young man is a good kid. I mean, he went out of control after seeing the state of Si Shelter. He didn''t kill anyone just for the pure fun of it. Sure he did tear them to shreds... but they''ve brought it upon themselves. If that young man didn''t stop me... then I would have done the same. "You know what, I''ll just simplify my report as much as I can. And after that, I have to meet up with that young kid again in Ziyou Shelter. I hope he''s doing well. It would be a waste if he encounters a misfortune, after all." With that out of my mind, sleepiness finally started kicking in once again. I tugged at my nket andy down sideways as a cool breeze blew from the entrance of my tent. This is the reason why I chose to sleep in a tent rather than a house... it''s way cooler this way, literally. Ahh... As I sunk into a deep slumber, my senses woke me up and made me stand up and ready my sword. Footsteps approached my tent. "Um, pardo- " sh! Chapter 44: A Counterpart Chapter 44: A Counterpart Luo Zehn''s POV sh! Clink! Step. Step. "Who are you?!" I raged, not because someone was sneaking towards my tent, but because someone was able to deflect my full-frontal sword lunge of an attack. Of course, I didn''t mean to hit them if they were harmless but now that I saw their strength, I knew that they were serious abouting here. "I''m Lin Xian, and shouldn''t we be the one asking that? Why did you attack us when we just simply wanted to talk." Lin Xian rubbed her left wrist which was obviously sprained due to my attack. "Why did you attack us out of nowhere?" "Sorry about that, I thought you were out for blood since you were sneaking up on my tent." I apologetically responded as I grabbed some herbs from my pocket and wrapped it around Lin Xian''s wrists. "These are herbs that synergize with the healing element. This much should be enough to heal your sprained wrist, sorry about that. That aside, your deflection isn''t half-bad. And you''re only using shortswords to boot. Are you an Assassin?" "No, but I was a damage dealer in my previous party. I could pretty much use any weapons, but when ites to mastery, I''m just a bit above average." "That''s not that bad, you know. I might ask you to apany me in one of my scouting missions next time." I suggested. "And from what I heard, those two behind you are Yu Sying and Yu Yan, right? The mother and daughter?" Lin Xian, Yu Sying, and Yu Yan nodded. "So, what brings you here?" "We''d like to talk." Lin Xian proposed. Before I could reject her offer, she stepped forward and entered my tent. Yu Sying and Yu Yan, who were simply following Lin Xian, blindly tottered behind the dark-haired and red-eyed girl called Lin Xian. "What do you mea- " Before I could finish my sentence, I realized that they were the neers of the Shelter and that they met a Cultivator with the Blood Element. Did they want to talk about that? I could only wonder. "Ah, is this about the... wait, why are you here anyway?" "We want to talk to you about someone." Lin Xian continued. "Your previous Sect Master five years ago, his name was Tang Yongrui, right?" "That''s right. And why do you ask?" I skeptically responded, unsure why they were asking such an obvious question. "I see... then, would you believe us if we told you that we met him? Or rather, a counterpart of him?" Lin Xian continued. "You did tell Ye Zhiyun and the others that you met someone that goes by the name of our Sect Master, and he has the blood element, right?" I confirmed before continuing on. "But let me tell you this, there''s no way that''s our Sect Master. There''s no way he could''ve survived that bite... and... we saw him transform into an infected." I could still recall the vivid imagery of our Sect Master sitting down from afar as he looked towards the sun. There was a peaceful aura emitting from his angelic appearance as he closed his eyes in peace. A split secondter, however, he bolted upright and unleashed one of the mightiest roars I heard from an infected. I didn''t want to remember that again... after all, it was our fault that he died. We werecking in skills, and there were no words to describe how weak we were back then. Every time remember that, I would always be filled with regret. We could''ve escaped or saved our Sect Master... if only we weren''t that weak. "No, we wanted to talk to you about something else. There''s a possibility that he''s an impostor but we just wanted to rify that your previous Sect Master went by that name." Lin Xian responded, much to my bewilderment. "The thing is, we couldn''t help but overhear what you told our Shelter Leader and something struck our minds." Whatever they''re doing, they''re doing it really well since they''ve hooked me and my full attention. I gulped. I could feel that they were about to say something crazy, based on the looks of their faces, of course. "You said that you met someone with the Dark Element, right?" Lin Xian asked. "By any chance, was it a young man with long ck hair with beautifully contoured nose and a proportionate face? I mean, a young man with long ck hair, ck eyes, and looks handsome?" "Wait... how did you know that?"I asked in surprise. They clearly described the young man that I met during our travel. "Because he was the one who saved us back then. He was the one who enabled us to get here in Tang Shelter." Yu Sying continued. "And also, I do remember that he summoned some sort of zombie shadow before heading out after he was bitten by a Stage-Two." "Wait, he was bitten?!" I eximed. "Wait, now that I think about it... if he was really bitten, then the only reason why he was able to survive the bite was because of his Blood Element." I stared straight at Lin Xian''s eyes. There was one thing I needed to confirm to make sure that I really met the right person. "When you met him, what was his cultivation level?" "He was in the Spirit Realmst time we met. That was well over a week ago." "Figures. When I met him, he was still on the Spirit Realm." My voice somehow trailed off as I remembered the power he showed me when he got angry back at the Si Shelter. "But deep inside him, he holds a far greater power on par with the King Realm, no, it can even be on par with the Immortal Realm." "Do you have any contact with him? He was really looking forward to joining the Tang Shelter and all, you know." Lin Xian muttered. The three of them finally rxed since they had the gall to sit on the floor of my tent. "Yeah, I will be meeting him tomorrow. We have something we had to do in the Ziyou Shelter." I told them. "And even though he''s still on the Spirit Realm, I''ll make sure to bring him over to our side no matter what. He will be a great asset to the Shelter." After saying that, I casually lie down on my bed and turned over to the far side of it, gesturing that I will be taking my rest. Lin Xian, Yu Sying, and Yu Yan immediately got what I meant and they silently excused themselves from my tent. Finally, some peace. ... Still, I wonder why that young man has a great resemnce to our former Sect Master, Tang Yongrui. Well, there''s no use thinking about it. I''ll just ask him when the timees. Chapter 45: Gas Masks Chapter 45: Gas Masks Tang Yongrui''s POV Am I forgetting something? Was it the breakthrough that I''m holding off to now? Or was it naming the baby screecher I recently recruited as one of my subordinates? No, there''s something else... "Forget it. If it slipped my mind, then it''s probably not that important anyway." I told myself. A brand new day in this hopeless world greeted my party and me as if nothing''s changed. The sun, still with its gleaming sun rays as ever, started to arise from the horizon, touching every leaves and trunk it could find by the edge of the forest. A certain brightness flooded the entire city wherein we found ourselves as well. This city was adjacent to the forest and they shared amon border of clear in ground. Of course, if these territories were that near each other, then the types of rabid humans must be the same,mon sense-wise. "Oh, you''re awake early." Wu Yan gently got out of her sleeping bag like a butterfly getting out of its cocoon. She slowly rubbed her eyes as she let out a satisfying yawn before smiling towards me. For a moment back there, I thought my heart skipped a beat and then I realized that I probably don''t have a living heart anymore. I looked away, unsure whether my cheeks were reddening. After regaining myposure, I cleared my throat and uttered a greeting towards her and to the rest of our party. "And I didn''t sleep at all." I continued. "Why? Were we that untrustworthy?" Liu Zhi called out before patting me on the shoulder. "Thanks for keeping a lookout. An extra pair of eyes is more than needed in our group. " "No, it''s just that I couldn''t sleep," I told myself. I wasn''t exactly lying, however. But just to get it out there, the reason why I couldn''t get any shut-eyest night wasn''t because I had a lot of things in my mind. Well, that''s one thing but the sole reason why was because I was busily cultivating two of my Cores, refining these ever-growing spheres of energy inside me just so they won''t run amok at a crucial time. I didn''t want the incident in the Si Shelter to repeat itself. And also, seeing that these guys are connected to a lot of people, I didn''t want to show any of the trump cards I have in front of them. de did see me hunt that cowst night (And I still wonder why there were cows in the forest but who cares) but he didn''t tell anyone about my skills. Instead, he helped me butcher the meat and pack it in our bags so that we could have some rations on our journey. Even if he did tell them about it, I would probably forgive him since he cooked one of the best steaks I''ve ever tasted in my life. Matters aside, I finally felt that my Qi Core and Virus Qi Core had somewhat calmed a bit. Compared to before, I don''t feel some sort of torrential flow from them. If I were to put them inparison, then before, it was likened to a see in the middle of a storm. But now, I could feel that it''s like theke of the Dead Sea, as calm as death itself. Also, the moment I finished my cultivation a few minutes ago, some sort of instruction entered my mind as if I was enlightened by some knowledge within. In it, I realized just how the blood element works and I managed to gain a little bit of control over it. Since the blood element focuses on the blood flow in every part of the body, I decided to focus my enhanced perception skills on my heart and work my way from there. For now, I could only detect the main artery and some of the main veins all over the body. But this wouldn''t take too long to master. After all, I am the esteemed Sect Master of the Tang Sect. When ites to cultivation, none can best me. Technically some had already bested me since I was gone for five years and my cultivation reset but when ites to knowledge and efficiency in cultivation, I''m the cream of the crop. Well, I''ll set aside that Blood Element for now. We have the problematic Ziyou Shelter to deal with first. "YONGRUI!" I was snapped back into reality when Liu Zhi suddenly screamed at me. Before I could realize what''s going on, he threw a gas mask at me. The three of them were panicking as they hastily put it on. "PUT IT ON!" Liu Zhi continued, his voice muffled due to the gas mask he was wearing. Since I didn''t know what''s going on and I could be a bit slow in reading the situation when ites to these things, I decided to obey hismand to the letter. Of course, this doesn''t mean that I look at Liu Zhi as the leader of the group, I just knew that my safety is dependent on my decisions and it wouldn''t hurt if I listen to Liu Zhi. Becausest time I didn''t listen, I found myself in the middle of the road, looking straight through Natalia''s stomach as I painlessly died. Huff. Huff. Not going to lie, the gas mask gave me a sense of ustrophobia due to its tightness and its blurred front. The gas mask was a modernized one, or at least in my opinion since the whole front of the face was covered with ss. That way, nothing will block someone''s vision even though it could get blurry at times. I just wore it out of impulse but I''m not sure why they told me to wear it as well. Before I knew it, they came to me and Liu Zhi pulled out a notebook from his backpack. Once he did, some sort of yellow gas filled the entire building where we were in, making it almost impossible for me to see Liu Zhi and the others. Regardless of that, Liu Zhi continued writing something in his notebook. Wu Yan and de also pulled out notebooks for themselves as well and they started writing something on their notebooks as well. Finding it somewhat mysterious, I decided to wait for them. At least, now I know the reason why they all had notebooks with them. It''s quite hard trying tomunicate with the gas masks on after all. Chapter 46: Deathly Spores Chapter 46: Deathly Spores ''It may look like gas but don''t be fooled, Yongrui. These are spores from amon nt infected by the virus. One sniff of it and the virus will infect you faster than a zombie bite.'' Flip. After flipping a page of his notebook, Liu Zhi started writing the next set of exnations about the spores that were believed to infect anyone that inhales it. ''These sporese from a Level-Three High-Leveled Zombie nt that is carnivorous in nature. It may be derived from a Rafflesia but it''s muchrger than that. Careful, even though it''s just a Level-Three, it''s asrge as a ser field.'' ''These Zombie nts also grow underground so we can''t detect them. Once a living entity enters its range, it makes the ground copse, swallowing everything on top of it. That''s why, when we detect spores like this, we tend to avoid the whole area where they possibly are.'' "So rabid humans aren''t the only ones to worry about now? There are even rabid nts, or in this case, rabid flowers?! What has the world be?!" I told myself as I nodded towards Liu Zhi and the others. But then again, these are all the virus''s fault, or rather, the one who spread it. The virus must''ve mutated enough that it could now infect nts, and quite possibly animals as well. This is rming but not as surprising. "So where are we going?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs just so they could hear. Liu Zhi pointed towards the exit and gestured for me to follow them. The moment I took one step towards the door, my senses detected something ominous outside. Or maybe that was just the System warning me of the dangers ahead. Nevertheless, the warning signs prompted me to step back,pletely forgetting that Liu Zhi and my party were right in front of me. And that''s when I saw the dark shadows, lurking around the waves of spores that epassed the atmosphere. screeeeeeeeech! kiieeeeeehk! kuuuhhuwhaak! "Liu Zhi!" I screamed but my voice was muffled by the gas mask I was wearing. Based on their pained reaction, I could tell that they weren''t expecting something like this to happen as well. That''s right, the outside was filled to the brim with Screechers! And not only that, there was a huge horde of rabid humans all around us. It''s as if someone realized we were having meat for dinner and decided to tell the whole neighborhood! Before Liu Zhi and the others could react, I grabbed all of them and forced them back inside the building before closing the door. I wasn''t fast enough, however, since one of the Screechers managed to dig its teeth on one of Wu Yan''s legs. "WU YAN!" I screamed before I tried eliminating the Screecher out of oblivion. But de was rtively faster than me, quickly shing the neck of the Screecher before it could do any more damage. It has been so long since I saw someone get bitten by a rabid human and some sort of primal instinct awoke within me, making me almost lose all my reason. Somehow, the notification from the System made me snap back into reality. I quickly grabbed Liu Zhi''s notebook and wrote something on it. ''What''s happening? Why are there a lot of rabid humans outside? Also, don''t you have any first-aid kit from a bite from a rabid human?'' Upon reading what I wrote, Liu Zhi pursed his lips and stared at me with deep regret in his eyes. I could tell that there was nothing they could do about it. Even de, who rarely wore a different expression aside from his rigid one, was now sniffling as tears streamed down his cheeks. He badly wanted to wipe it but he knew that he couldn''t remove the gas mask he was wearing. Doing so would result in the turning, after all. Liu Zhi shook his head as he grabbed the notebook from me. He then wrote something on it. Something that I never thought I''d see or hear from them. ''We don''t, once someone was bitten, it''s over for them. Even though you cut off his or her limbs, the virus just spreads too fast. It takes a bit longer to root itself in the brain but that''s about it.'' Flip. ''However, we do have someone who could save her in our Shelter. Our Leader, Shen Rong, has the rare element called the Blood Element. It was just recently discovered before but it''s one of the most powerful elements to ever exist.'' ''Not only does it allow one to control the blood, it could also rid someone of the virus in the body assuming that the bite was just recent. However, by the time we get to the Red Sea Shelter, I mean, Wu Yan can''t make it.'' The Blood Element? Did he just write the blood element? I immediately grabbed the notebook from Liu Zhi, wondering if I saw it wrong or not. Well, I was sure that he really did write something about the Blood Element but I was too surprised that I had to recheck what he said. If everything he said was true, then that means there''s a chance I could learn more about the Blood Element if I go with them to the Red Sea Shelter. I don''t know if their leader is a good-natured person or not but he probably holds all the answers that I need. But then again, if the System knew more about the Blood Element, I would''ve improved on it greatly by now. This is probably a rare opportunity from the heavens. No, I cannot be dumb enough and trust their Leader just because they are good people. BUT! Rescuing Wu Yanes first. Thud thud! My head whirled around, only to find out that the door to the building was already getting rammed by the countless rabid humans outside. For a moment, I thought I''d have plenty of time to ask them about their Leader but as it turned out, our situation has taken a turn for the worse. "System, do you think I can do this?" I asked before going towards Wu Yan and grabbing her leg. "How would I know? I still have no idea how the Blood Element actually works." The System panicked, fully knowing what I was about to do next. Chapter 47: Desperate Attempt! Chapter 47: Desperate Attempt! "Yong Rui, what are you doing?" Liu Zhi mouthed as he saw me approach Wu Yan with a determined look on my face. I hesitantly grabbed the notebook from Liu Zhi, writing a vague exnation about what I''d do next. ''I''ll try to save Wu Yan. Can you and de hold the fort for me? Those rabid humans are almost at the door. Andst time I checked, they aren''t invited to the party.'' Liu Zhi stared at me, wide-eyed, before nudging towards de and nodding towards my direction. There was nothing they could do and I could tell that they weren''t willing to leave Wu Yan behind. Because of their conviction and brotherhood, it was easy to convince them to defend me and Wu Yan while I try to do my magic. Just like Shen Rong, their Red Sea Shelter Leader, I also have the Blood Element... although, I''m not that proficient when ites to using it. However, this is the only way I could save Wu Yan from turning into one of the rabid humans I truly detest. Unforgivable! They reduced a member of my party to this state?! Just you wait, you filthy rabid humans, I will eradicate you from this world sooner thanter. And the ones who let you out to this world will pay tenfold as well, just take your sweet time waiting for me! "System, once I give you the signal, transfer some of my energy in my Virus Qi Core towards my blood. I''ll try to absorb all the virus in Wu Yan''s blood." Imanded before cutting my palm and pressing it on Wu Yan''s wound. Upon seeing that, Liu Zhi and de stared at me open-mouthedly before screaming their lungs out. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Liu Zhi desperately shouted at me but because of the gas mask, I barely heard him. That''s why I decided to ignore him as I focused on the task at hand. Before Liu Zhi could go near me with his right arm outstretched, (probably to touch my shoulder and drag me away from my inevitable death), de touched him by the shoulders and shook his head. He then wrote something in his notebook. ''Let him, he''s already too far gone into it which just proves he really wanted to save Wu Yan. Let''s trust him and pray that he won''t turn just like Wu Yan.'' de continued. I didn''t know what ulterior motives de had but I could tell that he was taking my side on this one, probably due to the fact that he saw a few of my hidden abilitiesst night. Yeah, I guess he just wanted to see what sort of miracle could be pulled off with what I''m doing. Honestly, I have no idea what I''m doing but I''m not that honest enough to tell them so. Without further ado, I emptied my mind and focused solely on trying to detect the virus within my blood. Since I''ve been cultivating the Blood Element for a time now, I could now easily do it with ease. My control has significantly gotten better over my Virus Qi Core and my detection of the virus is just one of the fruits of mybor. I didn''t actually think that this would work but after a time, I managed to detect the blood on my palm as it flowed towards Wu Yan''s bitten leg. Wu Yan could see that I was doing something weird but she didn''t voice out anything since she could more or less tell that I was trying to save her. She probably thought that there''s no use resisting since she''s going to die anyway. Of course, she was a bit surprised when I purposefully pressed my wounded palm on her bitten leg. She couldn''t tell whether I was trying tomit suicide or not at first but upon seeing my strained face, she could tell that I was attempting to save her at the risk of my life. Or that''s what I''d like to think. ording to her expressions, though, my assumptions might be right. After at least two minutes of closing my eyes shut and trying to feel the wound that Wu Yan had, I detected the virus already existing in all parts of Wu Yan''s body. It might look too far gone but it''s only been two minutes so I knew that I should be able to work on it. Slowly, I tried to control the virus in her body using my Virus Qi Core. At first, the virus just continued spreading towards the body and for a moment, all hope was lost as I thought that my method wouldn''t work at all. But then again, I didn''t know what method that Shen Rong uses in order to get the virus out of her system. Just like that, the System assisted me with her clutch save. For some reason, I could control my Virus Qi Core better and so I worked on absorbing the virus in Wu Yan''s body. For the second time, I tried the method that didn''t work before. s! This time, it worked just like how I imagined it to be. Slowly but surely, the virus in Wu Yan''s body was attracted towards my wound. They were like swarms of bees who finally found a flower in a field. "It''s working!" I told myself as I shed a thumbs up towards Wu Yan. "Everything''s going to be all right." I mouthed off. Wu Yan probably didn''t know what I meant but with tears in her eyes, she nodded towards me and forced a smile on her face. I could tell that she was ready to say goodbye but I''m not allowing it. She''s part of my Exp Farm after all. Crack! Bam! Before I knew it, the entrance of the building busted open, forcing de and Liu Zhi to take a step back as the horde pushed them back. Chapter 48: Healer-kun Chapter 48: Healer-kun "Hurry, you have to finish extracting the Virus, Yongrui." The System worriedly called out to me. "We don''t have much time!" "Even if you tell me... " I bit my lips in frustration since I could tell that we might not finish on time. The horde is pressuring us from all directions and they''vepletely blocked our escape routes. If they be more saturated than ever, it will be problematic for us to escape. But we were so close! No, let''s continue on, it''s my sworn duty to help Wu Yan and Liu Zhi and de are working hard for her sake. I can''t back out now, even if it meant we''ll getpletely surrounded by those rabid humans. Curse those rabid humans. Liu Zhi nced towards us, gesturing that we have to get out of there. de nodded in response, then looked at me to see if I would agree. Here goes nothing! I raised my hands and gave them a sign of my two fingers. Two minutes, just two minutes and I should be able to heal her. They nodded. Once more, they desperately continued on pushing the rabid humans out of the building. Props to them, they were holding the fort as best as they could. And because of that, many rabid humans were dropping off like flies, giving me the experience points I needed to level up. Sadly, the ones that managed to break into the building were only Stage-Two''s and Stage-Three''s. They only me a hundred to a thousand points at most. Right now, I need more than fifty thousand experience points to level up but that''s beside the point. I could feel that my mind is beginning to lose all reason as the virus invaded my body once again. And as it turned out, the virus infecting Wu Yan was a much stronger strainpared to the one I have. In other words, there''s a huge chance that I will turn into a rabid human once again in ce of Wu Yan. But that''s a small sacrifice to take, right? "What on earth is up with that title?!" I screamed, but no one heard me because of the gas mask I was wearing. Throb. Throb. Suddenly, an intense headache gued me, making me squirm in pain as blood came out of my mouth. I couldn''t breathe... and for some reason, my lungs and heart seemed to tighten as well. I could feel my blood pressure rising up and killing intent leaked from my body as if everyone in the vicinity was my target. Even the rabid humans trembled when they saw me and they even backed out a little bit after that. "I... I can''t breathe." I told myself as my hand instinctively reached towards my gas mask... ...and removed it. "Hah... hah." Liu Zhi rushed towards me and shook my shoulders as if I''ve done something terrible. Before they could tell me anything, however, the smell of their flesh blinded me and I almost reached out for his neck. Fortunately, my Virus Qi Core kept me sane and made me hold back... well, somewhat. "Listen here," I muttered as I grabbed Liu Zhi and de on their shoulders. "The three of you have to get out of here, right now! And don''t worry about Wu Yan turning into a rabid human. She''s already well past that. I''ll meet you as soon as I deal with these bastards." I said. Somehow, the bloodthirstiness in my voice must''ve spurred them to act since they didn''t even tell me off about my suicidal decision. Instead, they both gripped me on the shoulders and mouthed something before Liu Zhi grabbed Wu Yan. "We''ll see you soon." "Sigh~ here we go again, Yongrui." The System told me. "I''ll try to assist you on my end but for the meantime, kill as many rabid humans as you can to lower your ferocity. Once that''s over, it will be much easier to gain control of your body." "I''ll leave it in your care," I muttered as my body once again entered autopilot rage mode. ..... Luo Zehn''s POV "What are you talking about? You just came back yesterday. Are you really leaving now?" Ye Zhiyun eximed as she mmed her fist on the desk in front of her. Since she had such pudgy fists, the m was more like a gentle tap on the wooden surface I gulped as I watched Ye Zhiyun pout and her face reddening, fuming with anger. "No, I can''t allow this. It''s been getting more and more dangerous outsidetely. And also, you just came back! I know you''re tired. If you were to ask me the same question tomorrow, perhaps I would have considered it. But right now, no means no." I released a little bit of killing intent towards Ye Zhiyun and that was enough to make Xiao Liang act. Xiao Liang, who was previously deemed to be an NPC by our Sect Master, is surprisingly on the bottleneck of Immortal Realm, which is on the Eighth Level of the King Realm. As it turns out, Xiao Liang is the type to be more efficient in cultivation inbat. That''s why, when the outbreak started and we were barely scraping by to survive, he was the very first one to get stronger. I can confidently say that without him on our side, we wouldn''t have survived the first year of the outbreak, nor would this Tang Shelter be possible. Since one level in cultivation is leaps and bound stronger than the previous level, I was a bit helpless in front of Xiao Liang. Well, if I were to fight him on a life and death battle, then I might or might not achieve victory. It all depends on who fumbles first. Back to Xiao Liang, before I knew it, he was already in front of me, grabbing me by the shoulder. "Luo Zehn, don''t be too hazy, we can''t afford to lose you. This shelter needs you more than me." Although Xiao Liang became the most powerful when ites to cultivation, he never lost his meek manner. Even now that I''m being a little bit selfish, he was still putting me first. "The outside is getting more and more dangerous as time goes on. I know that you share the same zeal as us when ites to ridding this world of zombies, but don''t overwork yourself. Just get another day of rest and then you can go." Xiao Liang continued with concern in his eyes. Ye Zhiyun sighed in relief. He could tell that Xiao Liang seeded in convincing me. But convincing me and trying to change my mind are two different matters. Before they could continue on with their advice of letting me rest, I spoke up for the first time in this council. "I... I made a promise." Chapter 49: A Promise Chapter 49: A Promise Luo Zehn''s POV "I... I made a promise." I simply stated. For a split second, Ye Zhiyun and Xiao Liang stared at me in utter confusion before what I said finally sunk in. But before they could retaliate with their convincing words, I continued telling them my side just so they would know what I''m talking about. I figured that if I let them speak now, I wouldn''t have the chanceter on since they would drown me in their useless banter. "You remember that young man I told you who had the Dark Element?" I spoke up. "I promised him that I would catch up to him before he reaches Ziyou Shelter. I made a promise that I would help him in rescuing Yang Mei Mei. You read my report right?" "Yes, I pretty much got the gist of it. So basically, Yang Chen asked you and that young man to save his daughter, right?" Ye Zhiyun sighed, but she still hasn''t given up on convincing me to stay. I know since I could tell in her expression that she''s set on not letting me go. "That''s right. But this isn''t because I promised Yang Chen that I''ll save his daughter. As far as I know, I never promised Yang Chen anything. However, I did promise that I would assist that young man in his rescue. And the reason being is that I wanted to, that''s all. I can''t go back on my word." "If that''s the case, then I''ming with you. I can''t let you go alone. Not like this." Xiao Liang suggested. "No, what if something bad happens to this shelter while I''m gone? You''re the strongest amongst us. You can''t go with me." I responded. I know that Xiao Liang always thinks for our welfare and if pushes to shove, I could tell that he would abandon the shelter if it meant saving both me and Ye Zhiyun. "You''re right. Sorry for speaking before I thought things through." "I promise I will return in three day''s time," I reassured both Ye Zhiyun and Xiao Liang. "You wouldn''t believe it but that young man has survived the outside for five years, alone. I want to wee him to our shelter and... that''s another promise I told him. I can''t just leave him alone." "Besides, he''s got one of the rare cultivation elements. Wouldn''t he be a good addition to our arsenal? Just in case another shelter tries to take over us? Trust me, I''ve traveled with the kid for a few days and I can say that deep inside, he''s a good kid." Sigh. ording to Ye Zhiyun''s sigh, I could tell that she''s conceding. "Fine, be back by three days. If you''re not back by then, then we can assume that you''ve gotten into trouble. You know that once I set my mind on something, I wouldn''t change my mind, right? But now, I''m giving you a pass. I know that you don''t go back on your words and even if we tried to stop you, which is highly unnecessary, you would still go to that kid and try to save him. If that''s the case, then just promise me that you will bring back that kid with you. And let me emphasize... WITH YOU." "All right, all right," I said. "And thanks for allowing me to." "By the way, why do you keep calling him young kid? Even in the report, you just wrote young kid over and over again." "Oh, that?" I shrugged. "I just didn''t bother asking for his name, that''s all. At first, he joked that his name was Tang Yongrui, but after that, he didn''t say anything else... now that I think about it. He did look like Master but much much younger than him. I don''t know if he''s rted to Master or not... or maybe I just don''t remember Master''s face clearly. It''s been so long." "I guess that''s all the more reason to go to him. From the start, we already lost this argument, Ye Zhiyun." Xiao Liang smiled as he shook his head. "Just make sure youe back in one piece, and make sure you''re still breathing when you get back." "You got it!" Before they could change their minds, I immediately rushed towards my tent and grabbed another sword of mine. I do have my trusty sword with me always but having a spare wouldn''t hurt since I''m going through two to three cities. And who knows what kind of zombies are there? Or in that young kid''s term, rabid humans? Of course, I also didn''t forget to bring a few provisions with me, just enough tost me a day since I would be traveling alone. Reaching Ziyou Shelter would be easy if I don''t meet an irregr horde of zombies on my way. By Irregr horde, I meant those hordes of zombies with a system that could easily defeat someone in the Immortal Realm, which is one cultivation higher than I am. There were rumors that Irregr hordes could also fight neck and neck with someone in the Dao Realm... which sounds pretty scary but utterly possible. After all, it''s been five years since the outbreak ensued, who knows how the virus had evolved? Without further ado, I exited our Shelter andmenced my travel. Although I just came back to the Shelter for a day, I could tell that my body will miss this peace as soon as I set foot outside. There''s no use thinking about it now. I made a promise and I should see to it that I fulfill it. Otherwise, I will just be giving that young kid lip service. And man, don''t I want that kid to get angry. I''ve seen it first-hand and I shudder to think that he has the power to annihte a shelter in one fell swoop. If I leave him unattended, who knows how many shelters he could destroy after destroying the Ziyou Shelter? As someone in the King Realm, even I''m not confident in going head to head with him? "It''s already been at least a week or so since west saw each other. He must be a bit stronger by now." I told myself, hoping that nothing bad happens before I could get to his side. "Wait for me, young kid." Chapter 50: Forced Breakthrough Chapter 50: Forced Breakthrough Rip. sh. Tear. Scratch! My mind and eyes were muddled by flesh and blood as I focused on my cultivation. The energy in my body was going uncontrobly wild and I could tell that the virus is taking advantage of it. It''s all thanks to the additional virus that I got from Wu Yan. If it weren''t for it, then I would have taken the reins of my raging self sooner thanter. Well, all I could say was that it was worth trying it out. Wu Yan is nowpletely without the virus. As for my party, I figured they would be able to get to safety now that I''m taunting each and every rabid human here. From all around me, the rabid humans wed and tried to grab me by my appendages but I was too nimble for their liking. Of course, there were some Screechers who managed to sink a bite because some of them were Stage-Five''s. And that''s a bit problematic. Every time I suffer a bite from a rabid human, my body bes more and more uncontroble. If I stayed longer here, I don''t think I''d live to see another day. If I''m not careful, the virus mightpletely take over my mind with no chance of me getting it back. But I''m stuck inside a horde with my escape routes cut off. So... it''s not like I have any other choice here. I might as well fight to eliminate as much as I can before I get an opening. Everywhere I look, my sight is filled with the rotten faces of rabid humans with their mouths gaped open. It''s like they are willing to sink their teeth into anything if they find a suitable host. My hands and feet were like a flurry of punches and kicks as I tried to get away from them while I tried to regain my control. Technically, I wasn''t the one controlling my body. Right now, it''s on autopilot mode and it seems like my body didn''t want to get away from here. "Yeah, right now''s not a good time. I''ll check my statster." I told myself, refocusing my concentration towards my Virus Qi Core and Original Core which are both running rampant. As for the System, I could tell that she''s also working hard on her end. However, no matter how much we tried, it was impossible to take control of my mind. Even my consciousness feels like it''s slipping away from my mind instead of closing in on it. "System, any progress?" I asked, gritting my teeth in my consciousness. "No, the Virus is too strong! I don''t think we''ll be able to survive this one, Yongrui!" The System responded in a panicked tone. "So, if we go by your words, that means I should be able to ovee this if I''m stronger than the Virus, right?" I asked. "Are you thinking about breaking through to the Sixth-Level of the Spirit Realm? No, you can''t do it now!" The System screamed. A brief feeling of concern emanated from her voice. I''ve already made up my mind, however. "Yes, that''s the only case. There''s a risk that I mightpletely lose to the Virus but if we don''t do anything now, then I''d just die sooner thanter. At least, if I managed to sessfully break through, my Qi Core should get bigger, and such would be the case for the Virus Qi Core as well. Well, of course, that doesn''t guarantee my safety but it''s worth the try. It also increases the chances of regaining my mind back." "You got it right but... sigh~" The System trailed off. "I''ll assist you in stabilizing your Qi Cores once you finish the breakthrough. Just... don''t die in the middle of it. I don''t want to disappear into oblivion as well, just like what would happen to you if you can''t take control of your mind." "I''m ready." Amidst the blood and gore in my midst, I decided to rx as the prompt appeared in my mind. Click! ..... Liu Zhi''s POV As the head of the party, I was responsible for the safety of both Wu Yan and de. And even if I weren''t, I''d still hold myself ountable if anything bad happens to them. That''s why when Wu Yan was bitten in front of me, I felt hopeless. I thought that it''s just about time before all of us would sumb to our gruesome deaths. It was unexpected... totally unexpected. I thought that the spores epassing the atmosphere were the only thing I should keep in mind. Who would''ve thought that a horde was waiting in ambush outside. But miracle of miracles, Yong Rui, our newly-found member, managed to get rid of the virus inside Wu Yan''s body. And not only that, he sacrificed himself just so the three of us could get away from that hell of a ce. As the leader of the party, I can''t help butpare myself to Yong Rui who was all the man that I wasn''t. Strong and resolute, there''s no other way to describe him. He''s like an imprable wall against the horde of zombies. "How''s Wu Yan?" I turned back and asked. We were able to find sce by the edge of the forest and there, we await Yong Rui''s glorious return. "It''s been two minutes. She still didn''t show any signs of turning. Whatever Yong Rui did, it worked." de simply answered. He was constantly checking Wu Yan''s temperature but it didn''t rise up. "Is it the Blood Element? Or maybe he knows some other technique that could purify the blood?" I asked myself before my sight wandered towards Yong Rui once again. There he was, surrounded by the Horde just as usual. But this time, he seemed to be struggling. He had already suffered countless bites all over his body but he relentlessly continued his attack. Swish! Suddenly, I heard a noise from behind me, making me inadvertently turn around. "Man, why are you just standing here. Shouldn''t you help that young man over there?" That person asked. Chapter 51: Qi Absorption Chapter 51: Qi Absorption Tang Yongrui''s POV Bit by bit, my concentration dwindled away as my body suffered more and more bites from the horde. No matter how much I whittle away on their headcount, the rabid humans kept on multiplying just like rabbits. If I cut one rabid human''s head off, two more will emerge from afar. And pretty soon, my body couldn''t keep up with the amount of rabid humans surrounding me. After five minutes of desperation, my body finally fell forward as the autopilot died down. And the bad news was, I still haven''t taken control of my body! "Yongrui, you''re going to die soon if this goes on!" The System voiced out with shakiness in her voice. It was obvious that the worst is about to happen and there was nothing we could do about it. "Just give me a minute!" Click! Swoosh! With the prompt said, an overflowing amount of energy enveloped me, almost making me vomit pure energy from my mouth. It was like a huge boulder was ced on top of me, weighing me down the more I tried to resist. But instead of panicking, I continued on my cultivation in hopes that this power would be enough to fight back the virus. Because there were a lot of rabid humans in the area, specifically the rabid humans that I eliminated, the amount of Qi Energy in the area was too much that it was getting too hard for me to breathe. I could feel the heaven and the earth putting their pressure on me as if I was the burger in between a bun. "AAAGHHHH!!!!" I couldn''t help but unleash an ear-piercing scream that had Liu Zhi and the others covering their ears. Well, it''s not that I assumed that they were covering their ears, I could see them by the edge of the forest, looking out for me. They were probably trying to find an opening so they could rescue me. Oh no, my consciousness is slipping away, even my consciousness in my mind... Is this the end? Will the Virus really overtake me so easily like this? . . . sh! Tip, tap, tip tap. Swoosh! From the edge of my consciousness, I could feel someone, fighting the rabid humans in ce of me. And ording to the movements I heard, I could tell that that person wasn''t even breaking a sweat. Just like a surfer intricately riding the waves and swells of the sea, his footsteps gracefully outmaneuvered the Horde, reducing their numbers down as he shed some sort of weapon. By the sound of it... is that a katana? I can''t tell. But with him around, I know that at least, Liu Zhi, Wu Yan, and de would be safe. I wonder, will I still receive experience points if I became a rabid human just like this? "Yongrui, Yongrui! Can you hear me?" The System faintly called out. "Yeah, just barely. Can you scream so I can hear you clearly." "You know I''m in your head, right? I can feel that our consciousness is slipping away... but I have a solution in mind. It might be risky but I''m sure you can pull it off." "What is it this time? If you tell me I have to bite a living person, then I refuse." The System paused for a split second. I could feel her slipping away but nevertheless, I decided to listen to herst request before I turned into a mindless rabid human again. The Virus haspletely taken over my mind and I only have a few seconds left to live. Who would''ve thought that I will be spending myst moments talking to a System... This is my third time on the verge of death and yet I still haven''t gotten anything from life. How bothersome. To think that I''ve received these many chances and then I''d have to die like this? "Yongrui, Yongrui!" "What do you want, I''m having my sweet time reminiscing my bittersweet life here. Just let me die in peace!" "But... Just please hear me out thisst time! I think if you focus on stabilizing your Virus Qi Core right now, you''ll be able to take control of your mind again. After that, it will be easier to stabilize your original Qi Core! Please, this is our only chance." "Fine, but if you can minimize the pain I''ll feel when my original Qi Core goes out of control, I''ll be pretty grateful." "I''ll do what I can." The System reassured me. I could feel that the presence of the rabid humans around me was already gone. That one person with the katana probably annihted all of them. If that was the case, then even if I turn into an infected right now, Liu Zhi and the others are guaranteed their safety with him around. Taking a risk in stabilizing my Virus Qi Core instead of both cores simultaneously wouldn''t hurt anyone except me. There''s nothing to lose here and there''s everything to lose if I don''t take this risk. Going with this thinking, it was safe to assume what I chose as I decided to cultivate once more. From the atmosphere, I could feel the Qi energy that came from the dead rabid humans, swirling up and around like an electrical surge that had no way to go. And the fool that I was, I decided to gather them while I was cultivating my Virus Qi Core. Now, was that a good idea? No. "Yongrui, what are you doing?" The System asked. Her presence is somewhat stable now, unlike before when she was slipping away just like my consciousness. "Are you crazy?" "But doesn''t it feel like a waste? There''s lots of energy lying around here." I reasoned out, but deep inside, I know that this is a bad idea. "I won''t get another chance like this." "So this is the reason why you asked me to minimize the pain you''ll experience?" "That''s right!" Chapter 52: A Warm Hand Chapter 52: A Warm Hand I knew that once a Qi Corepletely gets out of control, one has a high chance of bing a cripple. Being a cripple meant losing all your cultivation without the hope of ever regaining it back again. On simple terms, if you have a job as an office worker and you get fired, you''re a cripple, in the sense that you lost something without ever regaining that same thing back again. Of course, I don''t know what would happen if one of my Qi Core gets destroyed while I tried to stabilize the other one. But hey! It''s better than losing both with losing your life as an added bonus. And with all these on the line, I decided to make it a notch harder by gathering the surrounding Qi in the area. To put it inyman''s terms, cultivation is the ss and qi is the water. The better your ss, the bettermand you have with that water. But what if your cup is already overflowing and you still decided to put more water on it? That''s pretty much what I''m doing when I began gathering the surrounding Qi. Of course, it will further improve the quality of my ss but if my cultivation can''t keep up, then the ss wouldn''t be able to take it and it would break. However, regardless of what I do, both of my Qi Cores are at breaking point, so doing something this stupid won''t really add to the risk. If I seed here, then there''s a huge chance I''ll be able to stabilize my Qi Core as well before it''s toote. But if I fail, well, back to being a rabid human we go. No, I must not fail here! I am the esteemed Sect Master of the most powerful sect in the world! I am Tang Yongrui of the Tang Sect! I can''t die here, not when my disciples are eagerly waiting for me! "You have to stop this now, Tang Yongrui! Your body won''t be able to take it!" The System advised, but I decided to ignore her. ''Just do your job reducing the pain, I''ll do the rest.'' I thought to myself since I''m sure the System could read my mind. Is it just me or did the System just nod in response? I''m bing crazy, that''s what. Now, when ites to risky cultivations like this, we have what we call the bottleneck. Just like when a cultivator couldn''t break through the next realm for a long time, risky cultivations like this are more likely to get a bottleneck as well. This is like the unpassable wall on your journey. The only way to a breakthrough was nothing short of a miracle... ... and luck, lots and lots of luck. Now, as a Sect Master who has experienced countless risky cultivations like this, I know that having the confidence of breaking through the cultivation is a must. If one wouldn''t believe in himself, then he''d have already lost the battle. I live by those ideals. And those ideals are put to the test right now. Gradually, my Virus Qi Core was getting bigger and bigger with no point of stopping. It took all of my being just to make sure it won''t explode and make my body explode with it. As for my original Qi Core, it was far beyond saving. The System was just giving me all the pain reliever it could give so I won''t experience more pain than I''m experiencing now. If it weren''t for the System, I would have died of pain by now. Tip. tap. Tip. tap. "Young man, just hang in there." I heard someone whisper on my ear as my body was dragged towards somewhere. I still don''t know who our savior was but apparently, he didn''t leave me behind although I was bitten in several ces. If you ask me how I know about this, somehow, I could still feel my body. WHICH IS A GOOD THING! That means the stabilization of my Virus Qi Core is working and I''m slowly taking control of my mind. "Will he be all right?" I heard a girl''s voice worriedly asked as she caressed my hair. For some reason, warm water was dripping on my face. I don''t know if it was the girl''s tears, snot, or saliva, but all I could say is that it was warm... and gross! Totally gross! But who am I toin, I can''t even move my body at the moment. "Do you have any healing herbs or medicine in hand, sir?" If I were to guess, I think it was Liu Zhi who was speaking now. "No, I don''t. And we can''t touch him either. From the looks of it, his body is trying to fight the virus. Tampering with his healing or progress might impede his oveing. He must ovee this trial alone. All that we could do is believe that he will make it through." An unfamiliar guy spoke, for some reason... his voice is so familiar. "He''s right, Liu Zhi. If we gave him the wrong herb or the slightly wrong medicine, it might endanger his life even more. Right now, we have to wait. Just as he saved Wu Yan, I hope he could do the same to himself." This time, it was de who spoke. But seriously? Wouldn''t you at least attempt to help me? I saved your life, you know. Even a simple pain reliever is enough! Argh, not being able to talk is so frustrating. "Do you have anything to say to him? There''s a possibility that he can hear us right now." The unfamiliar yet familiar man spoke again. Great! Let me guess whates next... my burial? Am I right? Sigh. sp! Suddenly, something warm sped my hand. Although I couldn''t feel it, I could sense that it was a girl. Is it Wu Yan? Well, she''s the only girl in the group. "Yong Rui, thank you... thank you so much for saving me." Wu Yan tearfully muttered as she sped my hand even tighter, pushing it on her chest. "If it weren''t for you... " Ahh... I can die in peace now... Wait, not yet! Isn''t this my chance?! A girl''s finally fallen for me! No, let''s not jump to conclusions here. Right now, we have to stabilize our Virus Qi Core... stabilize.... stabilize... "Wait, did you just call him Yong Rui?!" The unfamiliar yet familiar voice asked. His exmation reminded me of one person... Luo Zehn?! Chapter 53: Im a Guy! Chapter 53: I''m a Guy! Luo Zehn?! What are you doing here? Oh right, he did tell me that he will join me in my adventure to the Ziyou Shelter. Still, he arrived earlier than expected. That must mean, their journey back to Tang Shelter was sessful, hopefully. "Yeah, his name is Yong Rui." Wu Yan muttered. "Or at least, that''s what he told us." "You mean, Tang Yongrui?" Luo Zehn asked. "No, just Yong Rui. Rui is his name." de simply responded. "Rui? But that''s a girl''s name... don''t tell me?!" NO! LUO ZEHN! WHATEVER YOU''RE THINKING DON''T DO IT! I''m a guy, you know! I''m a guy! You don''t have to check what''s down there... you''ll just see my third leg. Also, there''s a girl here, don''t be immodest! And what if I was a girl, Luo Zehn? Haah?! Thankfully, de interrupted Luo Zehn before he could even do anything. "No, he''s a guy. But when I first saw his long hair, I thought he was a girl as well." "With a face like that, someone can mistake him for a girl. He''s just too handsome to ever exist." Liu Zhi spoke. I don''t know if he was sucking up to me or hispliment was really genuine... but in any case, it felt really nice to hear it from someone as good-looking as Liu Zhi as well. NO! Yongrui, focus! Stabilize your core! It was so hard blocking my senses from Liu Zhi and the others but as I gradually continued my stabilization process, I could tell that it was sessful. The gathered Qi around us provided a shield for the Virus Qi Core instead of bing a part of the main core. Because of that, the outside of the VIrus Qi Core was strengthened and I didn''t need to focus that much on stabilizing it. Once I can subconsciously do it, i will work on my original Qi Core. But I don''t think I''ll be waking up soon. ..... Luo Zehn''s POV During my first day of travels, I''ve got a worrying feeling inside me that made me rush through my journey. As someone who''s in the King Realm, sprinting for an hour straight is something of the norm. And it didn''t take long before I arrived where the young man was. Just like the first time I met him, he was being surrounded by zombies, or what does he call them? rabid humans? In any case, I found him again in his berserk state, trying to stand up against hundreds, if not thousands, of rabid humans surrounding him. It was a one-sided fight but seeing the fire in his eyes made me not want to interrupt. He hasn''t given up and every second that passed, a rabid human would be found ripped into pieces. He was relentless in tearing them to shreds but I could tell that it wasn''t him. He wasn''t the one doing all these things. "What happened to you this time? The same thing also happened when you attacked Si Shelter, right? What triggers someone as kind-hearted as you to resort to something so inhumane?" I asked myself, and that''s when I noticed the presence of three people from afar. I circled around the young man, and when I found myself with the three, I could tell that they were eagerly waiting for the young man to return to them. There was a hint of fear in their eyes and their hands were shaking, bodies trembling. But although their instinct told them to run away from the area and nevere back, they still stayed. As calm as I could, I walked out from the undergrowths and approached the group while scratching my head. "Man, why are you just standing here. Shouldn''t you help that young man over there?" The group almost jumped back in surprise as they saw me. Just from the energy they were releasing alone, I could tell that they were strong. Their cultivation level is a realm above me and yet... and yet I don''t feel afraid at all. I can tell that I could beat all of them in a one-on-one fight, except for the big guy. I can tell that he''s an assassin type. As someone who''s proficient in the way of the sword, I could probably defeat him if I put my life on the line, but in a casual fight, I''m not that confident facing him. "Who are you?!" The big guy asked me. Before I knew it, a dagger was pressed on my neck. But before it could touch me, I immediately jumped back and pulled out my katana from my back. "Rx, I''m not an enemy. I''m Luo Zehn from the Tang Shelter, a friend of the young man over there." "I''m Liu Zhi, the leader of this party. Can you please help us?" Liu Zhi asked. "You mean, help you with that girl? No, sadly, you have to give up on her, she''s already bi- wait... is this real?" I asked in utter perplexity. Somehow or the other, although the girl was clearly bitten by a rabid human, there was no virus inside her. "Wha... how?" I couldn''t help but utter. "We don''t know either. But that young man, he''s the one who did it for us." Liu Zhi pointed. "He attracted the horde just so we could escape and he''s already been bitten plenty of times... but we still want to save him." "And the thing is, we don''t know what to do." "All right, I more or less get what''s happening," I told them as I stood up. "It''s because of the spores, right? I will get rid of it. And as soon as you get an opening, I want all of you to attack the horde. Meanwhile, I will save that kid." They all nodded. Without further ado, I dashed into the horde as I held my breath. One whiff of the spores and it would be over for me. But since I''ve been training my breathing, this much is nothing. Now, all that I have to do is to sense that cursed nt underground and get rid of it. Chapter 54: Just One Hug! Chapter 54: Just One Hug! Still Luo Zehn''s POV: A few minutester: Once the tearjerking moment was over, and everyone had said their thanks, I decided to do the most foolish thing I had ever done. Upon sensing that this Yong Rui kid couldn''t control the Qi energy inside him, I decided to aide him by lending some of my Qi to him. "He''s still not waking up, what do we do?" Liu Zhi concernedly asked. In his eyes, I could tell that he couldn''t stomach the number of bites Yong Rui had. But just like before, he didn''t move an inch from where he was. "Is there anything we could do?" Wu Yan sped her hands in front of me as she stared at me with googly and teary eyes. I could tell that she owed Yong Rui her life and she has probably fallen head over heel for him. Good on you, Yong Rui! Now wake up already! "I will try to ease his tempestuous qi energy by lending him some of mine. We can''t help him with any medicine or material... but I''m pretty sure that we can aide him in his self-healing by lending him some of my Qi." "But... what if that made his energy go even more wild? Wouldn''t that cripple him for life?" Liu Zhi asked. "That''s why I''ll only be assisting him internally. I won''t feed him my Qi energy, but instead, I will envelop him with it and hopefully, that would help him contain his Qi." I continued. The three of them could more or less understand what I was talking about so they unanimously nodded. "We''ll take care of any stray zombie that wille here. Please, we''ll leave him to you." Liu Zhi bowed towards me as soon as he stood up. "Leave it to me." Once that''s settled, I essed my Qi Core with it''s fire attributes and wrapped it around the stormy qi that came out of Yong Rui. To my surprise, instead of enveloping Yong Rui, my Qi energy was absorbed as if Yong Rui was a sponge and my Qi was water. And not only that, Yong Rui even went as far as to absorb the Qi energy directly inside me. "This is dangerous! We have to get out of here, right now!" I screamed. Since Liu Zhi and the others were a realm above me, they were able to sense the disturbance before I did. After hearing it from me, the four of us rushed away from Yong Rui as fast as we could. Swiiiish! In that split second, the Qi in the surrounding area was sucked dry. A portion of the forest was cleared and even the ground was as dead as ashes. There was not a speck of Qi left in a hundred-meter radius. "What''s going on?" I asked myself, as we slowly approached Yong Rui. Wait... was he sitting down when we left him? Somehow, the aura surrounding Yong Rui has gotten much more tumultuous and unrestrained. But there was a bit of a differencepared to before. Before there was no control whatsoever in his Qi but now, it''s as if the Qi was bending at his will. What monstrous Qi absorption! ..... Tang Yongrui''s POV Wait, I''m awake?! And what was that explosion just now?! I was convinced that my cultivation took a turn for the worst and that I won''t be waking up a few days from now... But miracle of miracles! A warm Qi enveloped my body, making my wild Qi calm down for a moment and allowing me to take control of it. And before it was toote, I was able to control my Original Qi Core as well before it exploded. Whatever that Qi is or wherever it came from, I would be eternally grateful. That was a literal lifesaver! "Man, my head hurts." I sighed as I tried to stand up. To my surprise, although I already took control of my mind, I still couldn''t control my body. "You''re exhausted. Well, that should be normal since you just absorbed all the Qi in the surrounding area." Luo Zehn came up to me, offering a hand. "You all right?" "You''re telling me... I did all these?" I couldn''t believe it. Even when I was at the peak of Dao Realm, I could never be this efficient in absorbing Qi energy. But then again, I felt so much stronger ever since I lost control a few minutes ago. Was this how strong I was back when I reached the Sixth-Level of Spirit Realm? I don''t think so. "Yong Rui, are you okay?!" A girl''s voice squealed from afar. She was teary-eyed and by the looks of it, she was rushing forward just so she could hug me. Ah, so this is what youth feels like... But before she could reach me, Liu Zhi and de stepped forward, blocking her path. "Wu Yan, you can''t. Not right now." Liu Zhi reprimanded her as if she were a little kid. "He''s still not fully recovered yet..." Whaaaat?! You mean to tell me, just because I couldn''t move my body at all, a girl can''t hug me anymore? What on... ! "That''s right, Wu Yan. Besides, he has a lot of bite marks on him. If you were to hug him, it''s like you''re putting salt in all those wounds." Luo Zehn agreed, putting his katana away. Sigh... so much for youth. A hug isn''t that much, right? Right?! But now that I think about it, I don''t even feel pain although most of my flesh on my arms and legs were chewed off. They looked excruciatingly painful but I couldn''t feel anything. It''s probably due to the fact that my body is that of a rabid human already. "Wu Yan, I''m d you''re okay." That was the only thing I could say as Luo Zehn slung me on his shoulder like a sack of rice. "Mhmm." Wu Yan nodded as she wiped the tears off her face. Based on her expressions alone, I could tell that she was genuinely relieved that I didn''t die. Or maybe, she was just d to be alive. Can''t I just assume the former? Chapter 55: Stop Over Chapter 55: Stop Over The pandemonium was finally over. And now that Luo Zehn is here with us, well, I could say that I feel a bit more secured and relieved. Although Liu Zhi and his party were a realm above when ites to cultivation, it was evident that the three of them never really had any experience when ites tobat. Their cultivation may be higher than Luo Zehn but when ites to throwing punches, Luo Zehn is a league above them. "What''s your name?" Luo Zehn asked me out of the blue. "What?" I asked back, thinking that Luo Zehn asked the wrong question. "Your name, what''s your name, really." He confirmed, giving me a side-nce since I was slumped on his back. Gulp. I could feel Liu Zhi and his party''s stare boring through my back as they awaited my response as well. I knew that I couldn''t screw up this question since I already lied to them plenty of times. And I could tell that Luo Zehn, as well as Lui Zhi and his party, trusts me more than I trust them. Asking for my name is just a formality at the very least, but in their shoes, it could very well serve a reassurance of their directed trust towards me. "Um, as much as I want to tell you, I can''t do it right now." I finally admitted. Although I very much hated the fact that I''m currently deceiving them, I had no choice but to go through it. After all, I''m still not strong enough to live up to my past name, Sect Master of Tang Sect, esteemed Tang Yongrui. If I were in the Dao Realm, then I wouldn''t be afraid in announcing what my identity was. But times are dangerous, and adding to that, my cultivation had reverted back to zero when I woke up. If I were to suddenly appear in the limelight, God knows how many shelters will be targeting ours just so they could emerge to number one. Having thought of all those possibilities, I decided to hide my identity for the present. This is only until I be stronger. Once I enter the Dao Realm, I wouldn''t hesitate twice about announcing to the world who I am. Besides, with my face, I should''ve been much older than Luo Zehn and the others. The time spent being a rabid human blessed me with a face and a body that didn''t change. If I were to introduce myself as their Sect Master, I may or may not create an enemy of Luo Zehn and Tang Shelter for tarnishing their Sect Master''s name. And if they were to ask me for proof... well, I should be able to give them some proof... but it''s too tedious. I might as well not reveal my identity. When I finally directed my attention towards Luo Zehn and the others, realized that they didn''t know what to say to me. Thus, I continued my monologue. "People told me that I look like Tang Yongrui... that''s why I''ve been going with that name ever since. I know he''s the Sect Master of the Tang Sect... and Luo Zehn, I know what that name means to you... That''s why I''ll be abandoning that name right now." "Yeah, it''d be best if you do that." Luo Zehn forced a smile on his face. "I am eternally grateful to our Sect Master for rescuing us back then. And I deeply regret the fact that we weren''t able to do anything for him. That''s why hearing his name still pains me." "But you''ve made him proud. Hisst wish was for you to live on, right? And you did just that." I told him as I got carried away by my emotions. "Wait, how did you know that?" Luo Zehn almost stopped in his tracks. Carp! I spoke too soon! Why did I bring that up?! "Um, I was just thinking that was probably hisst wish before he died. Seeing as he went out of his way to rescue you further proves that fact. I just guessed that''s hisst wish." I responded, hoping that Luo Zehn would fall into my lies. And I lied again. Tsk. "Yeah, that was what he told us before he disappeared. He wanted us to live on for the sake of Tang Sect. And even until now, we''re still grateful that he saved us even though we were weak." "But right now you''re part of one of the strongest Shelters in the whole of China." Liu Zhi interrupted. "Just so you know, um... kid, Tang Sect is on par with our Red Sea Shelter. We''re basically the stronghold for survivors." "You can just call me " I stopped short. I didn''t know that thinking up of a name was this hard! And why didn''t I think up of a name before? I''m so stupid. "On second thoughts, just keep your name Yong Rui." Luo Zehn chuckled. "You might be having a hard time trying to think of another name for yourself... and I figured that you''re probably going with that name for more than five years. Besides, Yong Rui doesn''t sound the least bit like my master''s name. In fact, it sounds cute." "Yeah, when we first met him, we thought he was a girl." Liu Zhi chuckled. Just you wait, you Once I regain my strength, I''ll beat you to a pulp forughing at me! Well, it''s not like I''ll do it. But man I want to beat the two of them up! I''m way older than the two of you, you know! "Now that you mentioned it... aren''t we near Red Sea Shelter?" Luo Zehn asked as he nced towards Liu Zhi. "We are in dire need of supplies and a good rest. Mind if we stop by your shelter before we continue our journey to Ziyou Shelter?" "Yeah, if we run, we can reach it in an hour." Liu Zhi responded. "If you''re up to sprinting, we can probably reach it in half that time." "That''d be for the better. So, is it all right if my friend and I pay a visit to your shelter?" Luo Zehn asked for the second time. "No, it''d be for the benefit of both parties. Our shelter wants to keep a good rtionship with your shelter, after all." Lui Zhi responded as Wu Yan and de nodded in agreement. "Well, that''s settled then. Off to Red Sea Shelter we go!" Chapter 56: Shen Rong Chapter 56: Shen Rong Gah~! "Hey Luo Zehn, did you forget that you''re still carrying an injured person here?!" I eximed in surprise but to no avail as the howling winds drowned my voice. "Don''t worry, you''ve healed enough! You won''t die from being shaken up!" A few minutes earlier, after Liu Zhi and his party agreed to Luo Zehn''s visit request, the four of them started sprinting. When ites to cultivators, sprinting is not something as exhaustingpared to a normal person. But needless to say, it still drains the Qi energy. If someone was traveling long distances, it would be advisable to conserve their Qi energy just in case they get surrounded by a horde and they need to escape. But right now, all four of them had a set destination so there was no conserving whatsoever involved. And as prideful cultivators, it would be hard to avoid the urge topete with one another. Before I knew it, the four of them were sprinting at their full speeds. And since I was slumped on Luo Zehn''s shoulders, the up and down motion caused by his sprint was making me a bit seasick. de easily took the lead since he was of the assassin ss. As for Luo Zehn, he could easily keep up with Lui Zhi and Wu Yan because of his insane strength and physical capabilities. Ahh, this kid still hasn''t changed. But that doesn''t mean you could just shake my head off like that! Unforgivable, Luo Zehn! What are you doing to your Master?! Once myining was half over, we reached a fortress-like ce with its massive walls painted in crimson red. It was obvious why the shelter was named the Red Sea Shelter. In the middle of nowhere, it looks like a sea of hope which was paved with blood. Now that I said it... it just sounded more ominous than I imagined. "We''re here." Liu Zhi let out a huge breath. From the looks of it, all of them weren''t even out of breath even after sprinting half an hour straight. Just what you''d expect from an Immortal Realm cultivator! As soon as we stepped foot in front of the entrance of the Red Sea Shelter, the entranceway to it slowly slid open, just like the parting of the red sea. It was an intense sight since the Red Sea Shelter was actually bigger on the insidepared to being viewed from the outside. Because of its crimson red color, it looked way smaller than its actual size. When the gates opened halfway a man dressed in ck robes stepped forward, releasing an aura that seemed to petrify the heaven and the earth. His long red hair and beard flowed in the rhythm of the wind, making him seem more like a sage rather than an esteemed person. Somehow, although his powerful aura was leaking from his body, there was tranquility epassing it, just like the gentle blow of the wind or the rhythmic waves that hit the shore. This man! He''s powerful! Probably more powerful than me back when I was at my peak! "Shelter Leader Shen Rong! We have arrived." Liu Zhi cupped his hands and bowed, followed by de and Wu Yan. Of course, I''m not stupid enough to offend someone stronger than me. Even though I was not used to bowing down to others, I hesitantly swallowed my pride, cupped my hands, and bowed in greeting. "I greet the elder Shen Rong." I continued. "Luo Zehn from the Tang Shelter greets Shen Rong." Shen Rong quietly took our greetings as he just stood there like a towering figure. It wasn''t just me but Luo Zehn could also feel the pressureing from this master as well. After a few seconds, it was already taking all my strength just to keep on standing. "Liu Zhi, who''s that young man with you?" Shen Rong finally spoke, "He''s Yong Rui, the newest addition to our party." Liu Zhi announced. "I deeply apologize for not being able to inform you about this, Shelter Leader. We didn''t have the means to contact you." "How did you do it?" Shen Rong asked. Wait, what? What is he talking about? How did Liu Zhi do what? "I''m sorry, Shelter Leader?" Liu Zhi asked. Just like me, he also couldn''t understand what Shen Rong was asking. "I mean, how did you recruit a genius to your party?" Shen Rong asked. "Good job. With his abilities and potential, our Shelter will greatly increase in strength." I could tell that Shen Rong was jumping the gun a little bit too early here so I decided to cut him off. But first, I had to kneel in front of him just so I wouldn''t sound too imposing. "Shelter Leader, I am so sorry but I only joined Liu Zhi and his party temporarily, I''m already tied to Tang Shelter, and thus I cannot join your Shelter." Shen Rong looked at me with a hint of disdain in his eyes for a split second, before catching himself once again and regaining hisposure. "I''m sorry. I badly wanted to recruit you as part of the Red Sea Shelter, is it really not negotiable? When ites to cultivating resources, we have an abundance of it." "I''m sorry, esteemed Shelter Leader, but I''m already tied to the Tang Shelter. I can''t change my mind. Had you been a little bit early in inviting me, I would''ve had joined this shelter in a sh." Tip. Tap. A guard, stationed as one of the lookouts for the shelter, suddenly walked towards Shen Rong, cupped his hands, and whispered something to him. Because of my keen sense of hearing, I managed to overhear everything that the guard ryed to their Shelter Leader. "Sir, we can''t let him and Wu Yan in. Wu Yan has a bite on her leg and that guy has multiple bites all over his body. All of them probably have bite marks and such, we should keep our guard up and ban them from entering." "Is this true?" Shen Rong confirmed to the guards. "Yes, sir. I''ve confirmed with the other guards. They are carefully watching Wu Yan and the new guy. Hopefully, they don''t turn before we eliminate them." "I see." Shen Rong closed his eyes and pondered. Chapter 57: Dinner Invitation Chapter 57: Dinner Invitation Beforeing here, I never thought that Red Sea Shelter would try to eliminate us just by having bite marks. Then again, I can''t me them for being cautious. Who knows how many shelters have fallen due to the carelessness of the lookouts and guards alike. If worsees to worst, I may have to fight Shen Rong and I don''t think I''lle out of this fight unscathed... if I evere out of it at all. Shen Rong sighed. Fuwhooooo! Before I knew it, the massive aura that dwelled in Shen Rong came out again, surrounding the whole ce with its pressure. Unlike any other aura of the masters I''ve seen in my ''past'' life, Shen Rong had a ck and deep-blood red aura. Shaaaaaaaa... In just a split second, the aura that Shen Rong released returned to his body and I was able to breathe normally again. Liu Zhi and the others were already sweating but they didn''t show any tiredness from their face at all. They were probably used to Shen Rong doing this out of the blue. "Liu Zhi, Wu Yan, de, and Luo Zehn, you may enter." Shen Rong spoke up. "But you, Yong Rui, you stay here. I need to speak with you." Wait, what? Why does he want to speak to me? It''s not like I did anything wrong, did I? Or maybe that pressure he released was some sort of mind-reading ability? Did he happen to see the System? Or maybe he saw that I''m actually a rabid human? Or... did he see my innermost desires?! Oh no! I looked at Luo Zhen with pleading eyes, hoping that he would disagree and help me. But instead of standing up for me, he shook his head and patted me on the shoulder. "Red Sea Shelter will continue to have a good rtionship with Tang Shelter. I don''t want to antagonize Red Sea Shelter just because Shen Rong wants to talk with you. Just don''t be disrespectful, all right?" He said before joining Liu Zhi and his party as they headed inside the Red Sea Shelter. Talk about betrayal! Luo Zehn! Did you forget that I saved you five years ago when you were still a weakling?! How dare you betray me now! How preposterous. Preposterous indeed! I will get back to you once I''m done with this predicament! "Yong Rui, before I let you in. I just want to know of your true identity." Shen Rong asked. "Because this is the Red Sea Shelter and I''m the leader of the said shelter, I have to be careful in whom I let in inside it. I hope you understand this, Yong Rui." "I understand, Shelter Leader." I respectfully responded. Although this pains me a lot since I was used to being the one bowed down to, I swallowed my pride and continued acting as respectfully as I could. I know that it was still not time for me to ask for respect since it would just affect the Tang Shelter badly. And also, it''s not like I''m worthy of respect at the moment. After all, I''m still at the peak of Spirit Realm, specifically, on the Sixth-Level of the Spirit Realm. "First of all, what are you." Shen Rong asked with eyes scrutinizing me. "It''s evident that you have the zombie virus in your body. I know since I checked all of you with the blood element. It''s also weird that I found Wu Yan to not have the virus. It was clear that she was bitten but it was probably just a wound incurred from an ident. As for you, you have the zombie virus and yet you can speak and act like a human. And also, why do you have two Qi Cores?" "Um, esteemed Shelter Leader, would it be all right if I take my time to answer your question?" I asked, hoping that he would be as understanding as I thought him to be. In all honesty, however, I was prepared to fight if he were to reject my proposal. "Yes, please take your time." Shen Rong waved his hand, telling me to just get it over with. "Shelter Leader, regarding your first question, I am a human," I lied, but I was confident that he would buy it. "Although it is true that I was really bitten by rabid humans, I chanced upon a weird element and cultivated it, making me immune to the bites of rabid humans. Furthermore, I have the ability to extract the virus from a recently bitten human, and that''s why Wu Yan didn''t have the virus although she was bitten." "You mean to tell me, you managed to extract the viruspletely out of a person?!" Shen Rong eximed. "But... that''s impossible! Even I, with the Blood Element, could onlybat the virus inside the body using my cultivation. I can''t really extract the virus from someone. How did you do it?" "I don''t know either, but once I know of its process, I will definitely inform you of it, Shelter Leader. After all, it''s rare to find someone with the Blood Element like me." I nonchntly announced. The moment I said that Shen Rong''s jaws seemed to drop all the way to the ground as he looked at me in disbelief. But just like before, it only took him a split second to regain hisposure. "I see, that exins everything." Shen Rong cleared his throat. "You don''t have to answer any of my questions. You maye in." "But sir!" The guard was about toin when Shen Rong stopped him short using his pressure. "You do know how the Blood Element could be obtained, right?" Shen Rong continued. Gulp! "But still, to think that I will find a master in the blood element in the form of a young man in a mere spirit rank... I must be dreaming." Shen Rong muttered to himself. "Yong Rui," "Yes, shelter leader?" "I hope you don''t have anything scheduled for tonight. I formally invite you over to dinner." Shen Rong continued. "We have a lot of things to talk about and catch up on, right?" Sigh, and here we go again with all these formalities. I thought I finally escaped these when I turned into a rabid human. But as it turns out, prestige seems to overtake me in a sh. ''Let''s not jump to conclusions here, Yongrui. He''s only inviting you out for dinner!'' I told myself as I meekly followed Shen Rong inside the Red Sea Shelter. Chapter 58: Core Against Core Chapter 58: Core Against Core "Yong Rui," Ah, here we go again. Why is he calling me again? "Yes, Shelter Leader?" I asked, trying to sound as humble as possible. There was no saying when Shen Rong would just snap and attack me for no reason. That''s why I had to appease him in any way I can. "Although I believe that you have the Blood Element, I still have to test you in front of all these people. If not, then you might get assassinated in your sleep along with me." Shen Rong said. It was clearly meant as a joke but he said it rather seriously that I was almost forced to believe such would be the case. wooooosh... A menacing aura enveloped me as I was brought to my knees with the intense pressure that Shen Rong released from his body. Compared to before, his aura was so heavy that I felt like I was drowning. My chest tightened and I had difficulty breathing, even my eyes turned blood-red as I felt like my brain was about to explode. "AAAARGHHHHH!!!!" I screamed as the unbearable pain overcame my brain. For a moment, I was almost reduced to transforming into a mindless rabid human once again, but the System helped keep me conscious. Although the pressure was pressing me from all directions, I decided to calm my breathing and ignore everything happening around me. A few seconds ago, I could hear a distant murmur from the onlookers but I didn''t mind them at all. "Shouldn''t somebody stop leader? He''s going to kill that kid!" "Wait, that kid is bitten?!" "What is our leader doing?" "Are we weing him like this? Isn''t this too much?" "I get that the kid is bitten... but I don''t think this is the right approach." The constant whispers eventually disappeared from my ears as Ipletely focused on my breathing. When I finally calmed down, that''s when I realized that Shen Rong wasn''t actually putting the pressure on me. He was, in fact, applying pressure on my Virus Qi Core. In other words, Shen Rong was actually attacking me! He was trying to damage my Virus Qi Core! What insolence! How dare he, a mere Dao Realm, attack me like this when I was reduced to this state. "System, can you activate the skill Killing Intent without turning me into a mindless rabid human?"I asked in my mind. "Yes, as long as all the other skills are blocked, do you want me to block the skills Rage and Ferocity?" The System replied. "If we continue on like this, I''m not confident we''ll get out of this situation unscathed, Yongrui." "Yeah, I''m working on it. If you can activate Killing Intent without activating Rage and Ferocity, then that would be extremely helpful. Once his guard is down, I will retaliate by attacking his Virus Qi Core directly." "Whatever you say, Yongrui. But please be careful." As the System worked on activating and blocking my skills, I decided topress and expand my Virus Qi Core just so it wouldn''t explode and cripple me for life. Fortunately, the recent situation where I lost myself granted me enough control to constantly expand andpress my Qi Core as I tried to absorb the Virus Qi that Shen Rong was constantly attacking me by. Before I knew it, my Virus Qi Core was already twice the size of my Original Qi Core and it wouldn''t stop growing. If I don''tpress it even further, then that would mean the death of me... and quite possibly, the death of everyone in this shelter as well. In other words, I may very well be a ticking time bomb if Shen Rong continued his attack. Well... not like he can just stop attacking me. If he does so right now, the interruption would immediately cut his Qi off from him and he will be weakened. It was obvious he didn''t expect things to turn out the way they did. When I opened my eyes for a split second, I immediately saw Shen Rong''s expression turn to that of horror as I directed my killing intent towards him. Because of that, his constant pressure on me was halted for a second, which gave me the leeway to counterattack by applying pressure on his Qi Core. The moment my Qi energy met with his Virus Qi Core, I could tell that it was unusually weakpared to mine. That''s probably because the amount of virus in his body was significantly less than I have, and from the looks of it, he hasn''t really experienced turning into a rabid human. But just as I was beginning to absorb some of his Virus Qi energy, Shen Rong suddenly applied pressure on me using his Original Qi Core, which had the cultivation of the Dao Realm. And as someone in the Spirit Realm, the gap in our power was five realms apart! Of course, I''d lose! "Aghk~!" I eximed as a mouthful of blood escaped my lips. The pressure that attacked me almost reduced me to bing a mindless rabid human again. Because of the pressure, my Original Qi Core ballooned up in size, almost surpassing the current size of my Virus Qi Core. As it was on the verge of explosion, I decided to sit down and cultivate before my body burst into tiny little pieces. "Attacking someone''s cultivation is a double-edged sword. Sometimes, what emerges from an onught is a crippled cultivator, but in rare cases, what emerges from such pressure would be a monster who has achieved a breakthrough. As the genius and esteemed Sect Master of the Tang Sect, I should break through right here and now! I can''t afford to be a cripple!" I said in my mind as I attempted to control the explosive energy in my body. And just like before, the Virus Qi Core and my Original Qi Core had increased twice in size. If I''m not careful, I might as well be the end for this Red Sea Shelter as well as Shen Rong. Breathe in. Breathe out. Let''s do this. Chapter 59: Truth Behind Blood Element Chapter 59: Truth Behind Blood Element "Leader! What happened?!" Liu Zhi eximed with his eyes wide with fear. "Leader! He''s on our side, he was the one who removed the virus from my body when a zombie bit me." "What Wu Yan said is the truth. This young kid is a member of our party and he has saved us countless times. We are in debt to him, Leader. Please cease your attack on his Qi Core." Since I''ve already decided to not block my senses while I cultivated the explosive energy inside me, I could clearly hear the conversation that Shen Rong and Liu Zhi''s party were having. In the middle of my inhales and exhales, their conversation resonated in me and there were times when I wanted to interrupt them due to their useless and distracting ramblings. Fortunately, the System managed to keep me focused by way of constant notifications in my mind. Shen Rong cleared his throat and turned around, his robe, pping in the wind. A moment ago, there was an air of arrogance and dominance surrounding him but now, his aura was as light as a feather and humility echoed in his heart. I could tell that he had already regretted his actions. "I deeply apologize, Yong Rui and Liu Zhi." Shen Rong lightly said after clearing his throat. "I only wanted to test him but I let my emotions get the better of me when he managed to injure my Qi Core. Although he''s just in the Spirit Realm, he managed to injure someone in the Transcendence Realm. That alone speaks much of his achievements at such a young age." Shen Rong, you tter me. The only reason why I managed to do that was that I have profound enlightenment, or rather, understanding when ites to Qi energy. And also, I look way younger than I really am! "Liu Zhi, you may not know this... but do you know how one could start cultivating on the Blood Element?" Shen Rong asked, His question was enough to pique everyone''s interest and before he knew it, everyone was already gathered around him. He wasn''t expecting such arge audience but somehow, he managed to maintain hisposure. How befitting of a Shelter Leader! He began. "It is a general rule of thumb that high rewards require higher sacrifices and such a rare and powerful element can only be obtained through hardship and suffering." Shen Rong stole a nce towards my direction before continuing on with his speech. "And if one were to try awakening the Blood Element, they have one percent chance in awakening it. Of course, certain aspects in one cultivation couldrgely affect the chance of awakening... but right now, there aren''t any known ways of awakening one." "I was part of the one percent... and that''s the reason why I have the Blood Element right now. Because of the rarity of this element, I had given up on looking forward to meeting someone with the same Blood Element as I am. And yet, it''s as if my life had the singrity of the river... and that river washed downstream where it found its kindred that is Yong Rui." "The reason why blood element is so rare... is because one had to expose himself or herself to the Virus in order to awaken it. Yes, one has to get bitten in order to awaken the Blood Element." Murmur. Murmur. Wait, so that''s the reason why the Blood Element was only recently discovered? I never would''ve thought that such a scary cultivation process would emerge because of these damned rabid humans. I almost lost focus in my cultivation as the surroundings became unusually louder. Because of Shen Rong''s announcement, everyone was hugely shocked by the revtion that they couldn''t help increasing the volume of their voices. They were being a pain, to be honest. I''m trying to cultivate here. "No wonder it''s such a rare element." "Who would risk getting bitten just so he could awaken a blood element?" "I know right, and there''s only one percent chance of obtaining it." ''Man... can everyone please give me some peace? I am attempting to cultivate here!'' I thought to myself, but somehow, everyone just got noisier and noisier. Still, it''s not like I couldin about their noisiness. Because of their raucous voices, I was able to keep myself awake every time my two Qi Cores tried to pull me into unconsciousness. Aside from that, their noise also made me more focused than before. If I were alone, I would have sumbed to the Virus already. Suddenly, I felt someone approach me amidst the gathering that Shen Rong initiated. Before I knew it, a damp cloth was gently rubbed on my forehead, wiping the sweat off of it. Not only that, but that person also took the time to wipe my upper body off as I cultivated. When I briefly opened my eyes, I realized that it was Wu Yan who was doing it. I didn''t know what came upon her but all I could think about was gratefulness. Although her gesture amounted to little, she kept my body from overheating too much. Seriously, all these miracles on top of each other, where do theye from? Am I just lucky or is there someone nurturing me from above? "Thanks," I muttered to Wu Yan, making her a little bit flustered. After that, I continued listening to what Shen Rong was saying while I carried on with my cultivation. Because of the frightening amount of energy Shen Rong unleashed upon me, I could now break through the Emperor Realm. However, I haven''t gotten the go-signal of the System so I''ll probably keep my breakthrough on hold. And even if my System gave the go-signal, I don''t think I''ll decide to breakthrough right now. I still haven''t condensed my energy enough and if I were to break through, my Qi energy might go wild and cripple me. "That''s right, this young man here, he also has the Blood Element." Shen Rong finally announced. "I hate to admit it but, this young man is more proficient in his Blood Element than I am. Even at the cultivation of Spirit Realm, he managed to injure my Qi Core quite slightly." After dropping a heavy announcement like that, Shen Rong approached me and knelt in front of me. For some reason, Wu Yan knelt beside me when Shen Rong did it and as such, the event more or less looked like I was asking for Shen Rong''s agreement in our marriage. Or maybe I was just imagining things. "Hey, doesn''t this look like a father giving a blessing to his daughter?" An onlooker pointed out. "Yeah, it does look like that?" "Wait, is Wu Yan getting married?" Another one joked. Ah yes, I''m totally not imagining things. Chapter 60: Collectively Made Miracle Chapter 60: Collectively Made Miracle After half an hour of intense and severe cultivation, I finally toned down both my Original Qi Core and Virus Qi Core, condensing them to one-third of their size. Albeit being a cultivator in the Spirit Realm, I could sense that both my Qi Cores held enough power to rival those in the Peak King Realm. Still, that doesn''t mean I can fight head to head with them. My body is not strong enough to handle the power I have, after all. If I were to immediately harness these powers out, I''ll be seeking death. In any case, if someone in the Peak King Realm or Lower Immortal Realm, I''d probably be able to emerge victorious if I fight to the death. The sweltering heat wrapping my body has increasingly abated, all thanks to Wu Yan tending to me. And with that out of the way, my continuous condensing of my Qi was now easier than it was previously. There was no need to worry about dying mid-way in my cultivation now. It was a miracle that I was able to survive that onught and pressure from someone in the Dao Realm. "Haaah~! " I breathed out as I opened my eyes. My consciousness has stabilized a little bit. I won''t have to fear going on a rampage in the Red Sea Shelter. When I woke up, I realized that most of the onlookers had already taken their leave. They were probably waiting for me to wake up and decided to give up because I was taking too long. As for Liu Zhi''s party, Shen Rong, and Luo Zehn, they eagerly gathered around me, surrounding me with their Qi so I won''t overheat. And here I was, thinking that it was mostly Wu Yan who helped bring my temperature down. I had all these guys to thank, I guess. "Young kid, are you all right? I apologize for my actions earlier." Shen Rong cupped his hands and bowed towards me as soon as he saw me open my eyes. His genuine expression and apologetic response almost threw me by surprise. In my past life, every Dao Realm Cultivator I''ve ever met had an arrogance that is higher than the heavens. But this Shen Rong is as humble as a rock, and he even treats a Spirit Realm Cultivator like me with respect. He''s the very definition of the saying ''Like a Bamboo, the higher you grow, the deeper you should bow'' In return, I cupped my hands and bowed even lower than him. Respect must be returned with respect and as someone who was in the Peak Dao Realm before, I know how hard it is to humble oneself when in ess to greater powers. "I must apologize as well, Shelter Leader Shen Rong. My body sensed danger and it impulsively retaliated. I apologize for breaking a small portion of your Qi Core, Shelter Leader." "No, it''s fine. I was the one who decided to test you. The consequences should fall solely to me." Shen Rong responded. "Now that that''s out of the way, would you mind telling me what happened to you? Over dinner, of course." "I will be willing too, Shelter Leader. As it turns out, I also have a lot of questions regarding the Blood Element." I answered. "Very well," Shen Rong then turned around as his bodyguards meekly followed behind. "I''ve been informed by Luo Zehn that you have somewhere to go off to as soon as tomorrow draws nigh. I will arrange the necessary preparation for your journey ahead. But for tonight, let''s at least share a meal together." "I''m grateful, Shelter Leader." I cupped my hands once again as I watch him leave. "Not bad Yong Rui." Liu Zhi patted me on the shoulder as he grinned from ear to ear. "Not only did Shelter Leader invited you for dinner, he even invited you for a friendly conversation. Everyone will be surprised once they hear the news." "Why? Is he really that great of a figure? I mean, he''s a Shelter Leader and there are other Shelter Leaders like him. Wouldn''t it be normal for them to invite guests over for a meal?" "You misunderstand. Red Sea Shelter is on par with Tang Shelter. Since we''re as big as a city, many people from far and wide woulde here, seeking refuge. That''s why Shelter Leader barely has enough time for himself. And despite his full schedule, he still found time to invite you for a meal." "Enough about that, leader." Wu Yan addressed Liu Zhi as she came up to me once again. Her sweet scent invading my sense of smell as she easily stepped inside my personal space. "Are you all right, Yong Rui?" She asked. Her mesmerizing red hair and eyes were all too visible now, making me rather ufortable. That''s why I instinctively stepped back. "Y-yeah, I''m all right." AAH! How can a mere brat make my heart skip a beat... wait, if I think about it, isn''t she only three years younger than me? So she''s not considered a brat after all. Before I could get away from the awkward moment I had with Wu Yan, she invaded my personal space even further and sped my hands with both of hers. With her teary eyes, she bowed down as she pressed my hand against her chest. "Yong Rui, once again, thank you so much for saving me back there. If it weren''t for you, I would have harmed Liu Zhi and de once I turned into a zombie. You have my sincerest gratitude. If there''s any way I can repay the favor, please don''t hesitate to tell me. I''ve already resigned to my fate of death, but you willingly plucked me out from it. I am eternally grateful." "You don''t have to make it a big deal, Wu Yan," I responded. Her sincere thanks were already more than enough, what more could I ask for? "We''re both in the same party, albeit a temporary one. And it''s just normal that we watch each others'' backs in the presence of danger." Compared to Natalia, her smile gives a sense of security. It''s as if an angel has descended to smile upon us mortals... or maybe I''m just being overly delusional. Yeah, I''m probably just being overly delusional. Chapter 61: Complementary Compliment Chapter 61: Complementary Compliment "Wait, howe it''s so big?!" I eximed as my head darted around the Red Sea Shelter. "Were my eyes ying tricks on me?" Wu Yan covered her mouth as she quietly chuckled. "No, Yong Rui, your eyes weren''t ying any tricks on you. The Red Sea Shelter may look its size from the outside, but its space is distorted inside. That''s why it''s five times bigger than how it looked like outside." "Ahh, I''ve heard of this phenomenon... but if it''s distorted space, doesn''t that mean someone put up an array around Red Sea Shelter? Which person has the ability to do that?" I asked. "It''s Shelter Leader. He has the space element. That''s why he can distort space. Although he''s not that proficient at it, he still managed to put up such an intricate array. I remember he almost exhausted his Qi Energy back then." "At that time, he was also protecting everyone. It was quite a feat how he managed to put up the Inner Space Array while fighting all those zombies." Wu Yan exined. "I can''t believe that Shen Rong managed to do it all by himself. Completing aplicated array while shielding everyone from the rabid humans... " If I were in his position, I don''t think I''d have aplished something like that. I continuously admired the Red Sea Shelter as Wu Yan and I walked side by side. I didn''t know how it came to this but after Shen Rong''s exit a few minutes ago, Wu Yan and I just happened to found ourselves sight-seeing inside the Red Sea Shelter. A date? Is this considered a date? Hah~ I wish. "The Red Sea Shelter is a ce where six families, or should I say ns, live together. We all have our differences in our views but we try to live together in harmony. I''m from the Wu Family, and Liu Zhi is from the Liu Family. Each and every head of the family belongs to the congress under the Shelter Leader. They are assigned to enforce thews and watch over the Shelter to assist Shelter Leader." "I see, now that sounds more or less like a Shelter if you ask me," Imented. "Now that I think about it, the Tang Shelter is also like that... but there, there were at least eight families. That''s right, Tang Shelter is much bigger than Red Sea Shelter." Wu Yan continued. "Really? The Tang Shelter really lives up to its name, huh." I said to myself, feeling rather proud. My disciples, they''ve really gone above and beyond my expectations. "In this life, it''s the ones pushed off the nest that soars off through the sky higher than their predecessors." "What are you getting sentimental for, Yong Rui?" Wu Yan asked, suppressing yet another outburst of a chuckleing out from her mouth. "You''re not that old to be getting this sentimental." "You don''t even know my age, for all we know, I may be a sixty-year-old geezer." I joked. "If you were a sixty-year-old geezer, what would that make me? A seventy-year-old grandma?" "If you were a grandma, then you''re the most beautiful grandma I''ve ever seen." Upon saying that, I''ve received an elbow towards my sides. "Well,pliment or not, thanks for thepliment!" Wu Yan warmly smiled as she wrapped her arms around mine next. Since I didn''t know what to do after Wu Yan wrapped her arms around mine, I decided to just leave it at that as we leisurely strolled around Red Sea Shelter. As we passed by an ancient building painted with red and gold, I noticed that there was such a crowd waiting outside. All the people that were in the crowd were of different ages but those ones who were in the middle of their twenties and thirties were all warming up and equipping their full-body armors. It was obvious that such a contest is about to happen right now. "What''s happening here?" I asked out of curiosity. I could tell that the cultivation of these people was in the Peak Emperor Realm, and some were even in the King Realm. "Oh, this is just a friendly bout between the families. We have it once every season. This is called the Red Sea Tournament." Wu Yan exined. "Even people from other shelters have visited right now, trying to obtain the top prize of the tournament." "Which is?" "It''s a spirit beast with Emperor-Level growth rate." Wu Yan continued. "As you may know, cultivators can fuse their souls with a spirit beast, allowing them to ess its attributes and further improve their cultivation. A spirit beast is not that rare, but a spirit beast with an Emperor-Level growth rate is so rare since their power is on par with someone in the Emperor Realm. Someone can even breakthrough to the next realm just by fusing with a super powerful spirit beast. That''s why thesepetitions are held in high regard amongst the current generation." "Last time, Shelter Leader Shen Rong managed to catch an Ice Wolf Spirit Beast. It was also given as the top prize in the Red Sea Tournament." "An Ice Wolf Spirit Beast? Isn''t that a powerful spirit beast that has control over the ice attribute? Shen Rong was willing to just give it to someone?" I asked, pretending that I didn''t know anything about spirit beasts. I perfectly knew that spirit beasts with Emperor-level growth rate are useless for someone in the Dao Realm. And it''s also a given that one can only fuse with one spirit beast, and releasing one from a fusion would not only hurt the cultivator but there''s a great chance that that cultivator would suffer and be a cripple. That''s why, in my past life, I''ve never risked fusing with a spirit beast. "Yes, speak of the devil. That guy right there, with white hair and blue eyes, he''s the one who managed to get the Ice Wolf Spirit Beast." Wu Yan pointed to a guy with phoenix-like eyes and curly hair. He was talking to a group of twenty-year-olds and from his aura, I could tell that he''s a friendly person. "Wait! This is basically cheating!" "Why are you back here?! Didn''t you win the Spirit Beastst time?" "Yeah! Get out of here." Suddenly, amotion arose among the crowd as they recognize the guy with the Ice Spirit Wolf Beast. Chapter 62: Blame Chapter 62: me Themotion suddenly turned into chaos as everyone startedining. After catching wind that the previous tournament''s winner is most probably joining the next tournament, everyone started speaking up for themselves. It didn''t take long before riot ensued outside the red and golden building. "What''s the matter here?" One of the guards spoke up, trying to appease the whole crowd. "That guy! He''s joining the Red Sea Tournament again! Isn''t that practically cheating?!" "Yeah! How could we have a chance in getting the reward this time? And if he were to join every year, doesn''t that mean that he''ll just be monopolizing the spirit beasts that Shelter Leader willingly bestowed upon us?" The guard looked to the left and right, not knowing what to do. For all he knew, there were no rules that stated that one is ineligible to join the tournament if he won the previous one. Suddenly, a cold, bone-chilling aura, enveloped the entire area as the white-haired and blue-eyed person summoned his spirit beast. His eyes turned into in white, making him seem overwhelming. "Silence!" His voice was like multiple waves crashing onto the shore. Raise. Everyone fell silent. The man was just in the lower levels of the King Realm but he released such pressure that everyone froze on their spot. After raising his hand, he began pointing at people one at a time. "You! You! You and you and you!" He repeated like a broken record. "All of you have joined this tournament more than four times now. You, and you and you, you''ve joined this tournament three times now... and most of you have joined this tournament two or more times. This is just my second time joining the tournament and yet I''m not eligible? if that''s the case, then shouldn''t all of you be eligible in joining this tournament as well? What prejudice do you have against me that your self-spoken rules only apply to me?" "B-but! You''ve already won a tournament!" One of the people in the crowd managed to speak up amidst the pressure that the white-haired guy released. "Is it my fault? No, it''s all your fault. The only reason why I won the tournament was that I worked hard for it. Anyone would''ve won it! Instead of making up excuses and putting all the me and hate on me, why don''t all of you focus on your cultivation first and try to improve? Some of you were on higher cultivation than I am, and yet, I managed to beat all of you in thest tournament. Why is that? It''s because I''ve worked harder and cultivated longer than all of you. Losing the tournament is not my fault, it''s all your fault individually for failing to bring out the maximum potential of your cultivations." p. p. Before I knew it, I was pping to the motivating speech that this guy just gave everyone. I could tell that he wasn''t putting himself up on a pedestal, he was trying to make everyone realize that they weren''t working hard. In terms of age and talent, this white-haired kid is below average. He''s already at least twenty-five years old and yet he''s only in the lower levels of the King Realm. Still, his control over his cultivation is more proficientpared to the ones in the crowd. He was speaking the truth and only the truth. "That''s right! Don''t me him!" "Yeah! You''re more talented than him and yet you me him for winning the tournament?" "Like an idiot ming the stone when he tripped on it himself. How disappointing." To my surprise, those people talking to the white-haired kid agreed to what he said. Even Ipletely agree with what he just said. As someone who worked harder than anyone else in my previous life, I know how hard and painstaking that path is. "Who are you? How could you agree to him?" "Yeah! You''re also just a guest here, you don''t even know what''s happening here." "Get out of here!" Since they didn''t stand a chance in front of the white-haired kid, they started directing their hatred and anger towards me just because I looked way younger and inexperiencedpared to him. Just like I thought, they really are a shameless bunch who would just me everything on everyone if something doesn''t go their way. As someone who has experienced many near-death encounters in the past on my journey to the Transcendence Realm, my killing intent was honed to an extent that it can even pressure someone in the Dao Realm like Shen Rong. "System, can you block my ferocity and rage skills again, I want to activate my killing intent once again." "I understand, Yongrui." "Yes," I muttered. The System didn''t even bother warning me beforehand. In a split second, a menacing aura erupted from my body. The pressure was so great that even those who were a realm above me (King Realm cultivators) and those who were two realms above me (Emperor Realm cultivators) kneeled down on the ground as blood escaped their mouths. I didn''t expect my killing intent to be so powerful that it could even bring Emperor Realm cultivators on their knees. The only one who remained standing up was the white-haired guy. As for Wu Yan, my killing wasn''t directed towards her so she didn''t feel anything. "Someone from the Spirit Realm... impossible!" The white-haired guy muttered. The rest of the crowd were speechless after they were reduced to their knees by none other than a mere Spirit Realm cultivator. Before the damage became irreparable, I withdrew the pressure I applied towards them and walked forward, my eyes fixed on the white-haired guy. "You''re all weak. Even a mere Spirit Realm cultivator could bring you down to your knees. How pathetic." I voiced out. "If you had the strength to go out of your way toin about injustice, then work on your own cultivation first. You all won''t get far in life if you keep on ming someone else for your shorings!" Oops... my instinct as a Sect Master before is taking over! "Greetings, young sir." The white-haired kid cupped his hands in greeting me. "I must say, I am inclined to take my words back. Surely, I haven''t worked harder than you have. I never would''ve thought that someone from the Spirit Realm could release such intense killing intent." "Well, for someone who had traveled the continent for five years solo, this much is normal." I tried to make up an excuse. "Young sir?! You''ve traveled the outside world solo ever since the outbreak urred?!" The white-haired man eximed. "May I trouble this young sir for his name?" "Not at all, I''m Yong Rui. What''s your name?" I asked, extending my hand. Chapter 63: Xiao Xue Chapter 63: Xiao Xue "I go by the name Xiao Xue, young sir." The white-haired man responded, shaking my hand. "I''m from the Xiao family. May I ask which family young sir belongs to?" "I belong to the Tang Shelter and as for family, I don''t belong to any," I responded. "I just came to this shelter for a visit but I''ll be taking my leave tomorrow." "Then, is young master joining the Red Sea Tournament in five day''s time?" Xiao Xue asked. "I will be quite delighted to face such a promising figure in a bout." "Five days from now? I thought it''s starting today?" "No, today is just the pre-registration." Xiao Xue smiled. Somehow, this guy''s name reminds me of a certain character in a novel... was it a girl? Yeah, I think it''s a girl... and she''s engaged to a certain Liu Piao. Well, why am I remembering this? "So the tournament will start five days from now, huh," I muttered to myself. "This caught my interest. Wu Yan, can I register for this tournament?" "Yes, but are you sure, Yong Rui? Your cultivation is a realm lower than the average contestant." Wu Yan worriedly asked. "Yeah, this is a good way to gauge my strength, and also gain some experience in everyone''s martial arts." "That''s decided then, I''ll see you in the Red Sea Tournament, Yong Rui." Xiao Xue extended his hand. Before I could shake his hand, however, someone approached me and grabbed me by the cor. "You brat! How dare you make me kneel in front of you! You used some cheap tricks, didn''t you?!" The man roared. Ah, yes here we go again. Not receiving a response from me, the bald fat man dropped me on the ground and pointed at me. "That''s it! Brat, I invite you for a duel! Let''s see if you hold true to your word!" The bald fat man challenged. "Very well, it''s not like you won''t attack me if I refused, right?" I told him as I dusted my robe. "We can have it right here right now. Just don''t regret your actions once this is over." "I''m Pang Tou, a peak King Realm Cultivator." the fat bald man introduced himself. "I hope you''re not ''all words'', Spirit Realm Cultivator." "Yeah yeah, let''s get this over with so you can return drinking your mom''s milk." I shook my hands as if shooing him away. "You''re three years too soon in challenging me, you know." "Enough talk!" I released a minuscule amount of killing intent, but I kept it in my mind not to overdo it since I might revert to being a mindless rabid human. essing my Virus Qi Core and my Qi Core, I could feel my strength rising to great heights as I stood tall in front of this so-called Pang Tou. "Raaargh! Unforgivable. I will not allow a mere brat to treat me like trash! You''re courting death!" Pang Tou eximed. Well, let''s just say that he wasn''t lying when he said he''s in the Peak King Realm. "You''re already well over thirty years old, right?" I asked, further provoking the fat man. "Why do you have the cultivation of a twenty-year-old?" "You dare!" Like a raging bull, Pang Tou charged at me with the intent to kill. His arms were outstretched, probably preparing to grapple me and squeeze my head out of my neck. He was fully blinded by rage. For someone who has reached the peak age for a male, he sure is short-fused. Since I had both my Virus Qi Core and my original Qi Core activated, my power output was not inferior to that of a Peak King Realm. That''s why I was able to gracefully dodge Pang Tou''s attack. "For someone in the Peak King Realm, you''re pretty fast." Iplimented him as I stepped backward. Just like how I expected, a fistnded on the ground where I was standing a split second ago. His speed is really no joke! "Are you an assassin type? What element do you cultivate?" I casually asked after taking yet another step backward. "Quit whining. Why don''t you stop running away and fight me head to head?!" Pang Tou growled as veins appeared on his bald head. "You''re reminding me more and more of a cockroach." "Whoa, isn''t that offensive to the honest cockroaches out there?!" I blurted out. "Whatever that means." Chapter 64: Peaceful Life Chapter 64: Peaceful Life "Y-you!" Pang Tou once again furiously screamed as he charged for the umpteenth time. There was no indecisiveness in his eyes and I could tell he was really out for my blood. But even with all that, I tried my best to maintain myposure since I didn''t want to hurt anyone. No matter how much killing intent this Pang Tou directs towards me, nothing can change my mind. I mean, although his cultivation was really higher than mine, he was weaker in terms of technique and refining of his Qi Core. If I were to attack him head-on, he probably won''t be able to recover. He''s simply not worth the effort. Swish! As I dodged for who knows how many times by now, a person wearing a red robe stepped in front of me, blocking Pang Tou''s attack and sending him flying. He was too fast that I only realized who he was after he stopped in front of me. "Shelter Leader," I cupped my hands. "You scoundrel! Is that how you treat our guests?!" Shen Rong roared in pure wrath, not even bothering to return my greeting towards him. "Is this how you handle the neers in this shelter? You filthy pig?!" Pang Tou didn''t even realize what hit him! And by the time he came to his senses, he was already bombarded with insults from none other than the Shelter Leader himself. His eyes narrowed and he immediately prostrated himself in front of Shen Rong as his whole body trembled. ''This is the reason why you don''t go around offending people. For all you know, they might be stronger than you, or they might have strong connections... or both. You pretty much lucked out this time, Pang Tou'' I said to myself while maintaining my position of greeting towards the Shelter Leader. "Please forgive me, Shelter Leader. I was only trying to teach him a lesson about respecting the old." Pang Tou still had the gall to make excuses. Seriously, what a rotten person. If I were topare him to a rabid human, I''d say he''s more rotten than them. Sigh~ "If there''s someone who needs a lesson about respect here, then it''s certainly not Yong Rui here." Shen Rong pointed at me while making a twisted face towards Pang Tou. "I don''t know why you''re making excuses for but since you still have the energy to make excuses, then I''m assigning you to hunt outside right this instant!" "B-but, shelter leader... " Pang Tou trailed off as he pressed his forehead even harder towards the ground. "You still have more energy to make excuses? How about I make you hunt outside for two days? If you don''t leave now, then I''ll dly add more days to your punishment." Shen Rong waved his hand off, implying that Pang Tou was already dismissed and there was no need for further discussions. After that matter was settled, Shen Rong approached me with an apologetic expression on his face. "Young kid, in ce of my subordinate''s mistake, I offer you an apology." I cupped my hands in return. "I ept the apology, shelter leader." Shen Rong sighed in relief. He then walked towards me and patted me on the shoulder just like what he did before. "It''s about time we get to have a ta " Upon noticing the presence of Wu Yan beside me, he cleared his throat and turned around. "I guess I''m in the way of your stroll, ehrmm. Well then, if you will excuse me, Yong Rui. I will be waiting for you by the pavilion. And I hope, as an apology, Wu Yan can also join us for dinner." "I''m very honored, shelter leader. Grateful to your invitation." I responded as I eyed Wu Yan. For some reason, her eyes were sparkling as she hastily nodded her head. It seems like I wasn''t the only one who was excited to eat dinner with a Shelter Leader. After all, eating with one is like being in the presence of the king. Wu Yan and I watched shelter leader as he slowly disappeared from view. He never failed to let out the air of nobility inside him and that alone made us not avert our eyes as he walked away. "That was rather eventful," Imented. "I can''t believe we''re having dinner with Shelter Leader!" Wu Yan excitedly said as she leaned her face closer towards mine. I could feel her breath tickling my cheeks but I didn''t flinch, or rather, I tried really hard not to. "I mean, I really badly wanted to invite you over to my ce for some food but shelter leader invited you first. I guess this one works just as fine. We get to have dinner together after all." Her light tone and soft giggle almost made my face redden. It''s been so long since I''ve had a sweet and normal interaction with the opposite sex that I didn''t know how to react. One thing''s for sure, however, Wu Yan is actually pretty cute. And if I were topare our age, then we''re more or less the same age assuming that the five years I missed as a mindless rabid human was included in the count, of course. "Well, we still have an hour at most. Is there anywhere you''d want to go before we head to the pavilion?" "Now that I think about it... yes. But... promise me you won''tugh?" Wu Yan asked''s eyelids fluttered as she bashfully looked down. "I''ve never gone there with anyone since I know they''ll probably justugh at me... but if it''s you... " "If it''s really that nice, then let''s get to it." I voiced out. Somehow, this life without the hassle of the rabid humans is something that would take a long time to get used to. But dare I say that I don''t hate this at all. If I could abandon everything and live my life peacefully like this strolling around the city with a girl to my side as we enjoy the sights then I''d dly do so without thinking twice. But then again, I''m already a rabid human who got his consciousness back, and somehow, a System found herself in my mind. I don''t think I''ll be living a peaceful life soon. Chapter 65: Forest Date Chapter 65: Forest Date sp! My heart skipped a beat as blood surged towards my brain, forcing it to overheat. Since I couldn''t see my face, I don''t know what kind of expression I was wearing but I could tell that my face was reddening. If one were faced with such a surprise, how could someone keep calm and take it in in a rxed way? That''s utterly impossible! Or maybe, it''s because I''m a hopeless guy who never had any experience with romance that I found such a situation overwhelming. Sigh~ "I figured you might get lost in the crowd so~ " Wu Yan trailed off as she looked down on the ground. Although she was the one who initiated to hold my hand, she couldn''t help but feel bashful about it. Wu Yan was actually not making excuses, though. For some reason, the crowd has gotten thicker in this part of the shelter. They''ve all been trying to get to a building that had the same red and gold color as the building where they hold the Red Sea Tournament. But this building was iparably bigger than the previous one. "That''s the auction hall. Every once in a while, some nearby shelters woulde here and sell their goods. Once we''ve umted enough items, we will hold an auction where people of prestige and wealth are invited. Of course, if you don''t have the money then you can''t possibly attend so we only invite those from rich families from nearby shelters." I see, so even though the outbreak has already happened, certain traditions such as tournaments and auctions are still relevant in this day and age. When I first got my consciousness back from being a mindless rabid human, I''ve never had any problems with money. But after seeing these, it seems like money holds great power in this day and age as well. "Now that I think about it, I have quite a few precious materials that could greatly aid in cultivation." I brought up. "From refinement pills to rare herbs and minerals that boost cultivation, as well as high-grade equipment, I have some in my inventory. If ever you''re holding an auction, please keep me in mind, Wu Yan." Wu Yan''s face reddened once again as she bashfully nodded her head. "Spirit beasts are also pretty popr in auctions, Yong Rui. So if you ever get your hands on some, please don''t hesitate to tell us." "Sure, I''ll keep it in mind." For some reason, Wu Yan kept on drooping her head lower and lower every time I sneak a nce towards her. Her face was so low that it almost touched her chest, making me feel rather embarrassed myself. I never thought that Wu Yan was such a maiden that she will get flustered over mere handholding. As if I have the right to think about that. Even I''m getting flustered at the moment! No, I, Tang Yongrui, have only worried about bing stronger in terms of cultivation. I can''t let such small matters affect my thinking! Arrgh~ this is not working at all. When we finally got close to the edge of the Red Sea Shelter, Wu Yan pulled me towards a forest inside the Red Sea Shelter. "This forest is connected outside but there''s an array that doesn''t let the zombies get through it. That''s why it''s safe to have an open forest like this even inside the shelter." Wu Yan continued her exnation as we resumed our sightseeing. "This is also the source of our steady supply of food. Since this forest is pretty much untouched by the virus, a lot of wild beasts roam here." "So you''re taking me to the forest to hunt some wild beast for food? "No silly," Wu Yan let out a chuckle. Until now, she still held my hand. I wonder how my hand feels on hers? Does it feel cold like my lifeless body? Or does it feel warm like my heart right now? Urk~ that sounded so cheesy I''m going to puke! Since the forest had a dark greenish color due to the darkness, I was surprised when we''ve arrived at the spot which was bathed by the moonlight. Although it was just a small clearing, it seemed so peaceful and serene like a lighthouse amidst the torrential ocean. The ground gave off pure Qi, allowing the brightness to be even more potent, which in turn added to the surrealness of the ce. I never thought that such pure output of qi could look so beautiful under the ocean. Who would''ve thought that there''s more to Qi than being a source of greater power. "It''s beautiful." I couldn''t help but utter, which made Wu Yan gasp in surprise. "Wait, you don''t find it silly? Everyone else who''d seen it said that it''s so childish... " Wu Yan mumbled. "Thank you for saying that, Yong Rui." "No, I didn''t say it just to make you feel better. It''s really beautiful." I cut her off since her face clearly showed that I didn''t appreciate the aesthetics of the ce. "When I was young, all I ever did was climb to the top and be the strongest cultivator in the world. But now that I thought about it, I think it''s all pointless. Power alone doesn''t bring you happiness. When ites down to it, the people around you, those whom you wish to protect, and the beauty of peace and tranquility are what really matters in life. If I didn''t know anything about Qi and you showed me this ce, I wouldn''t have believed you if you were to tell me this is used as a tool for war and conflict. That''s how beautiful it is." Yabai, why did I just say all that? But well, Wu Yan is genuinely smiling towards me. Am I always this smooth? Maybe I have an innate talent when ites to wooing girls?! No, don''t be overconfident in yourself, Yong Rui. You''re a failure who has never even experienced romance. Not even once! Wait, why must I hurt myself with that mindset? "Yong Rui,e here. I''m going to show you something even better." Before I knew it, Wu Yan and I were lying side by side in the middle of the clearing. For a moment, I thought that I would feel embarrassed at the sudden turn of events, but upon seeing the view of the stars and the moon in the heavenly nket, I immediately ignored everything and just admired the view. If only life is this peaceful. Chapter 66: Three Conditions Chapter 66: Three Conditions The Pavilion was one of the most aesthetic and beautiful sceneries in the Red Sea Shelter. Compared to the monumental buildings and entric architectures surrounding it, it was the most eye-catching ce. There was really nothing much topare. Situated in the middle of a man-made river and essible only through a wooden bridge that matched the Pavilion''s red and gold design, the ce was simply breathtaking. Adding the fact that there''s a cherry blossom tree adjacent to it, one would think that the ce would look really dreamy if it were springtime. "You sure took your sweet time getting here, young man." Shen Rong teased as he raised a ss towards me. From his smile alone, I could already tell that he was in a light-hearted mood. If I were topare his stern face before to his face now, I wouldn''t even believe that these faces were worn by the same person. Or maybe it''s because this was the first time I saw this side of Shen Rong. "Greetings esteemed shelter leader. I express my gratitude for your formal invitation. I am deeply honored that I get to join you for dinner." I cupped my hands and formally greeted the shelter leader. Why am I getting good at sucking up to people? It''s probably because a lot of people had attempted sucking up to me when I was still at the peak of my cultivation. Who would''ve thought that those past experiences would be extremely useful now! "You don''t have to be so tense, Yong Rui." Shen Rong waved his hand as he directed me to a square pillow with the embroidery of a swan. "Come sit here, and you can have your girlfriend sit beside you." "Wha " Wu Yan''s face went beet red in surprise as her mind overheated. She embarrassingly nced at me before nodding towards Shen Rong. In the end, she didn''t deny that she was my girlfriend, nor did she react violently to it. Ah, what a good sign. If only I have the time to dawdle around and spend more time with her. AARGH! I promise I will return back to this shelter as soon as I finished rescuing that Yang Mei Mei in Ziyou Shelter. Wait, why don''t I just join Red Sea Shelter? It''s not like I''m already tied to the Tang Shelter, right? Let''s just tell Luo Zehn that I changed my mind! But that would mean I''ll technically betray my sect! No, that can''t happen. OH! I can just bring Wu Yan over to Tang Shelter! What a great idea! "You seem to be in a good mood, Yong Rui." Shen Rongmented, noticing the grin on my face. "Did something satisfactory happen to you?" Caught by surprise, I almost fell off the heavenly cushion where my butt sunk in. The cushion where I was sitting was some good stuff! My backside doesn''t even feel the least bit ufortable although I''m not used to this Japanese way of sitting. "Yong Rui, let''s get down to business." Shen Rong sped his hands tomorrow as he wore a serious face. It''s as if the light atmosphere that he had a split second agopletely vanished. Right now, he was a man in the middle of a negotiation. And heaven knows what would befall me if I happen to offend him. Gulp. Even though I''ve been to the Dao Realm before, I never thought that this amount of pressureing out from his expression alone was this threatening. "Please hear me out fully, Yong Rui, without letting any bias escape your mind." Shen Rong began. "I would like to exin everything first and I''d appreciate it if you don''t interrupt me." I nodded. There isn''t that much of a choice here, is there? "First of all, I want to take you under my wing. I''m not saying that I''m snatching you from Tang Shelter but I want you to be Red Sea Shelter''s ally." Shen Rong continued as soon as I agreed to listen to him. "And in return, I will willingly guide you through your blood cultivation and bring you all the cultivation materials you need in cultivation. For every sessful hunt our shelter makes, I will not hesitate to give you at least ten percent of the zombie cores we get from high-leveled zombies. And aside from that, I, Shen Rong, will always have your back. Even if you cause trouble with other shelters, I will dly back you up. Of course, I could only go so far. I wouldn''t want to risk Red Sea Shelter being destroyed if you offended a muchrger shelter." I stopped for a moment and slowly took everything in. The sum of everything he said was all too good to be true and there are only benefits here for me. He wouldn''t even try to tie me in his shelter and is just asking whether I''d agree to it or not. The more I see it, the more I think that this offer is just too good to pass up! No, there''s definitely something at y here. "I''m already an ally to the Red Sea Shelter, Shelter Leader." I carefully addressed him so as not to identally offend him. "After all, I have a temporary alliance with Liu Zhi and his party. Of course, the way I see it, there are only benefits here for me. May I ask the esteemed shelter leader something?" "Please, feel free to speak up." "Why would you go that far just to make me your ally?" I asked. Shen Rong''s eyes widened as if I just caught him by surprise. On the surface, one could tell that he wasn''t expecting me to ask such a question. "Let''s just say, you''re an important ally and a kindred." Shen Rong calmly responded. "And as such, I want to guide you. Your strength is already formidable as it is, but with proper guidance. I''m confident that you can surpass me in the short run." So that''s why he offered all that, he knew that my potential far outsses his. And that''s why he wants to take me under his wing to secure the safety of Red Sea Shelter. After all, if I didn''t have any connection with the Red Sea Shelter, then I may be a threat to them in the future. Even though they''re currently allied with the Tang Shelter, which I''m currently affiliated with ording to what I told them, there mighte a time when Red Sea Shelter might sever that bond between them. If that''s the case, then there''s nothing much I can do about it, right? It''s not like I can disagree with his offer... besides, Wu Yan is here! No, as the esteemed Sect Master of the Tang Sect, I won''t stoop that low. "Shelter Leader, your offer is truly generous. before I agree to it, I have three conditions that I would like Shelter Leader to consider." Shen Rong didn''t answer, instead, he just nodded. "First, I would like Red Sea Shelter to forever remain on good terms with Tang Shelter. I will also convince our Shelter Leader to forever be allied with Red Sea Shelter." I began. "Second, I would like to cultivate freely. And as such, I can''t ept your offer of teaching me and also of providing me with zombie cores." "As long as Tang Shelter can guarantee the same thing as per your first condition, then I can consider all that. And thest condition?" "I would like to bring Wu Yan into the Tang Shelter." I straightforwardly spoke. "Ahaha, I''m just ki- "Eh?!" Wu Yan eximed. "Very well! As long as Wu Yan allows it, then, she''s free to be with you." Shen Rong announced before I could even tell them that I''m just kidding. Chapter 67: Reciprocated Feelings Chapter 67: Reciprocated ''Feelings'' Just from their attitude alone. I could tell that Shen Rong is really wild-spirited and yet, he doesn''t force anything on anyone. Everyone in the Red Sea Shelter remained here because of their own decision and together, they''ve managed to coexist, even though the Red Sea Shelter is slightly divided into families, they''ve coexisted under the leadership of Shen Rong. Truly, he is a wonderful leader. I could tell because he never had any violent reactions when I asked if Wu Yan could be transferred to another shelter. In all truthfulness, I''ve only asked that question as a jest, and a test to see whether Shen Rong would be acquiescent to it or not. And quite remarkably, he did. Now, I could tell why Liu Zhi and the others admire him as the Shelter Leader. He''s a capable leader, kind of just like me when I was previously looking after the Tang Sect. My Tang Sect. "I-if it''s fine with shelter leader then I " Wu Yan stopped as if she was short on breath. Wait, what?! "Wu Yan, you don''t have to do it. I was just testing shelter leader to see if he wi " I furiously shook my hands in denial. "Very well, then I have no say in the matter anymore. As of today, Wu Yan is free to transfer into the Tang Shelter. I just hope that you won''t forsake your party. I also hope that Liu Zhi and the others will be willing to. If they wanted to transfer to Tang Shelter with you, then I won''t stop you as well." Shen Rong concluded. "Shelter Leader, as I said, there really is no need for it. I am already allied to the Red Sea Shelter and I can tell that Wu Yan isfortably residing in this shelter. Moreover, I don''t know if she''d be able to adjust there in Tang Shelter. Wu Yan, I just asked it to surprise and test shelter leader, please pay it no mind." I hurriedly responded. Although I can tell that Wu Yan would willingly submit to me, I don''t want to make anything ufortable to her. I mean, my youth! It''s just about to start! I don''t want to ruin it by forcing Wu Yan to abandon her shelter and go to mine. "I-if you say so, Yong Rui." Wu Yan looked down, her face almost buried on her chest. "But my decision will remain unchanged. Wherever Yong Rui wants me to go, I will dly traverse there. My life already belongs to you, Yong Rui." She continued. "Man, just get married already ahaha." Shen Rong voiced out as he held out a cup of wine towards me. "A toast for our Wu Yan and Yong Rui." He offered. v Wu Yan and I hesitantly reciprocated the offer with a slight nod. ... "Now, for the more pressing matters." Shen Rong continued. "Do you know of the ck Spirit Sect, Yong Rui?" ck Spirit Sect... when I was Sect Master, ck Spirit Sect was one of the most formidable sects in China as they were a group of cultivators that specialize in summoning. From spirit beasts to monsters, to undead, they really are a force to be reckoned with. But back when I was trying to break through from the Dao Realm to the Transcendence Realm, the ck Spirit Sect disappeared from view. Rumor has it that they managed to ess the dimension of the spirit beasts and resided there instead, and there were also rumors that they were carefully gathering a force to attack the most provident sects in the world. But since their disappearance remained a mystery, no one knew what happened to them. Upon seeing Shen Rong''s mortified expression. I carefully nodded. Of course, I''ve certainly heard of the ck Spirit Sect and heard of them. After all, they tried to take over my Sect multiple times but I managed to defend it from their filthy hands. Shen Rong rummaged through his pockets and showed me an inscription on a paper. It was a simple inscription of summoning a low-level spirit beast, or rather, a spirit beast in the mortal realm in rank. But as soon as I saw the inscription, I realized that the ink used on it was something unusual. It was s unusual that I never thought anyone would use it as a catalyst in summoning. "Yong Rui, this inscription pattern ismon, but the material used is- " "Rabid human blood." I interrupted him. "That ckish, ink-like substance and that rotten odor... there''s no doubt about it. " "Five years ago, my master, the former leader of the Red Sea Sect, found this in one of the hideouts of the ck Spirit Sect. Since then, I more or less concluded that the outbreak is caused by them. They probably managed to discover the virus after mixing a few herbs, infected someone with it, and used their blood as a catalyst to summon something evil. Or maybe, this is what they used to travel to a different dimension where no one would be able to find them while they strengthen their forces. All of these are just my spections, of course, but from this inscription alone... well, you know what I''m meaning to say, right, Yong Rui?" "Yes, this more or less proves the fact that they''re connected to the outbreak. Heck, it might not even be far-fetched to conclude that they are the ones who caused it, directly or indirectly." I continued. "Also, I would also like to bring up something." "Continue." "Back when the outbreak started, I heard from someone that the infected appeared inside the Sects all over China. It may be true that someone really did nt a few infected in the Sects just so they could whittle down their influence. "Yes, from the news I heard. Wasn''t the Tang Sect the first one to get attacked?" Shen Rong continued. "Now I know why. Their Sect Leader was approaching a breakthrough to the Transcendence Realm. The perpetrators probably thought that at the very least, they could halt his cultivation. But not only did they manage to destroy Tang Sect, but they were also sessful in killing their leader, or rather, turning him into one of the infected." "That''s right. If the instigator of this outbreak really is the ck Spirit Sect, then I won''t rest with my hands behind my back." I continued. "I will do my best to look for them and give them the punishment they deserve." "Recently. I managed to obtain information that the ck Spirit Sect was seen hopping between dimensions. If we''re able to know of their portal''s whereabouts, then we should be able to track them down and destroy them for good. But from what I heard, the ck Spirit Sect is probably staying in the Middle ne." "The Middle ne? Isn''t the Middle ne just a myth?!" I eximed. The moment I said that, Shen Rong looked at me with a doubtful look in his eyes. "Where have you been living all this time, Yong Rui? Did you leave as a hermit? " "Yes, Yong Rui." Wu Yan agreed as her face approached mine. She seemed concerned about my well-being as if I just asked a weird question. "Didn''t you know that the Middle ne exists? It was proven three years ago when Master Ling managed to reach the Transcendence Realm." Chapter 68: Evil Dark Element Chapter 68: Evil Dark Element In one of the sacred texts, a higher ne in a different dimension is said to exist since time immemorial. It was called the Middle ne, and as its name suggests, then there should be a High ne or something higher than that. Since the Qi energy was rumored to abound there, the average cultivation in that realm was rumored to be that of Transcendence Realm. Whereas in the normal world, the average cultivation is in the Mortal Realm. Long story short, this dimension is set to have Transcendence Realm as its base cultivation. And since no one has entered the Transcendence Realm when I was alive, I never thought that it actually existed based on the legends. Who would have thought that that grandpa Ling would be able to reach Transcendence Realm before he died. Tsk. "So Grandpa Li- er I mean, Master Ling managed to ess the Middle ne? How was it, did he ever contact anyone here about it?" I asked, really excited about the good news that was brought to me. If this was true, then the Transcendence Realm is basically the start of the journey. For a brief moment, I forgot everything about the ck Spirit Sect and the outbreak as I was fascinated by the news about the Middle ne. If I could get there once I surpassed Transcendence Realm, then I should be able to survive and establish a branch of my Tang Sect there. That would be pretty cool. "A few cultivators have already contacted him but he was too fascinated with the Middle ne that he decided to stay there for good." Shen Rong continued with disappointment in his eyes. "As such, the knowledge about the Middle ne is still not known to us. I guess what Master Ling is implicating is that one should reach the Transcendence Realm and find it out for himself." "What made you believe the ck Spirit Sect is in the Middle ne now?" I couldn''t help but ask. After all, from what he said, only the ones in the Transcendence Realm could get there. "Because they have thergest collection of Transcendence Realm Cultivators." Shen Rong sighed in utter grievance. "I know it''s hard to believe and you probably didn''t know anything about it. But Master Ling wasn''t the only one who managed to attain the highest cultivation level possible. A lot in the ck Spirit Sect managed to do it as well." I put my chopsticks down and sped my hands as I faced Shen Rong. It was true that the ck Spirit Sect had been a major power back in my days and a lot of their cultivators were almost on par with me back then. I was just only slightly stronger since I was nearing my breakthrough. But even then, no one had the strength to touch the ck Spirit Sect. Although they are viinous and they''vemitted countless crimes, no one can defeat them. It may be on their constitution or maybe the martial arts they train speeds up their cultivation... but in any case, none can match their overall strength. And now that my cultivation has reset, who knows if anyone could stand up to them right now? "This is not good. If what you said is true, then they''re probably increasing their influence in the Middle ne right now. And if they''d want to, they cane back here and harass anyone they want. After all, they''re much stronger than any Sheltersbined." "Yes, I fear for the worse. My master was one of the few who managed to uncover the true identity of the ck Spirit Sect and it''s only a matter of time when they''ll give me what''s due of my master." Shen Rong continued. "That''s the reason why I wanted to ally with Tang Shelter and with you. You have the potential, Yong Rui. With the correct guidance, I''m sure you''ll easily reach the Transcendence Realm." "Forgive me, Shelter Leader, but I really can''t be your disciple. I have my ways when ites to cultivation and also, I have enough resources to go up the Realms." I cupped my hands. "However, I do have one thing I want to ask of you," "Go ahead, if it''s in my ability to do so then I will dly entertain your question." "Do you know anything about the Dark Element?" I straightforwardly asked. Gasp! Shen Rong almost fell backward as his pupils dted. Wiping the sweat off his brows, he continued staring at me with doubt. "Why do you want to know about it?" "Because I heard that the dark element and the blood element are newly discovered elements. Also, are there other newly discovered elements that I should be aware of?" I asked. Shen Rong sighed in relief. Wu Yan worriedly nced towards me but she kept quiet. I could tell that the Dark Element held such a secret and yet Liu Zhi and his party still decided to keep quiet about it. Or maybe, they were just too scared to go against me that they''re trying to y it safe. There''s also the fact that I saved them from the horde so maybe, they saw me in a different light. Whichever the case, I don''t think they''ll be telling their Shelter Leader about my Dark Element any time soon. "Aside from the Blood Element and Dark Element well, there aren''t any more new elements. And also, both of these elements are so rare that it''s so hard to encounter them." Shen Rong reconfirmed as he refilled his te with food. "Blood Element grants you control over your blood, allowing you to wield the virus inside your body. Also, it grants you another Core, which slows down your cultivation but it increases your power output. I haven''t refined my other Core yet unlike you, that''s why you managed to injure me when you retaliated with your pressure." "As for the Dark Element, it is such a scary Element that no one would even want to awaken it. This Dark Element grants you ess to the power of darkness and lets you summon dark mythical beasts and the undead. It''s just like a necromancer kind of but you don''t have ess to the dead. The Dark Element has never been fully studied unlike the Blood Element since most who awaken the Dark Element tend to lose their mind and kill themselves. It is rumored that the Dark Element has the power to make a cultivator skip realms in his cultivation, but the downside is that one''s mind will get so corrupted that they will either drive himself crazy, kill himself, or join the tyrannical sects." "And by that, I mean, most of the members of the ck Spirit Sect has awakened the dark element and they are quite proficient at it." Chapter 69: Niceness Chapter 69: Niceness The fact that the Dark Element could actually corrupt one''s mind is something that I''ve never encountered. I''ve been using my Dark Element in the past like an auto-farm in which I tried to fight the horde with the summons that I have. I don''t know if they are rabid humans or just mythical beasts that manifest from the eliminated rabid humans, but they help me with killing a horde of raid humans so I don''t really have anything toin about them. And also, I do think that they look rather interesting in their ck and purple colors. Now that I think about it, I still have that baby screecher I recently got. I''ve never given him a name although the System already prompted me about it. I''ll just do it tomorrow, I guess. Man, it''s so hard thinking up a name for someone "You can eat more, there''s plenty more where that came from." Shen Rong dly offered as another whole roasted chicken was ced on the table by one of his subordinates. "Is it really this abundant here in your shelter?" I indirectly asked whether he was the only one who has ess to all this food or not. "Don''t misunderstand, Yong Rui, everyone has ess to this abundance and we all work together to attain food supplies like this." Shen Rong exined. "This is also the reason why we don''t just let anyone in the shelter. Once they find out that we have plenty of resources, the neighboring shelters might attack us and try to take over. If that were to happen, then I''m afraid that even I wouldn''t be able to defend these walls with my strength alone." "So, in these five years, no neighboring shelters have attacked Red Sea Shelter?" I asked, surprised "From the looks of it, I think you''ve stayed oblivious to the ways of this post-apocalyptic world, huh." Shen Rong sighed. "Well, that''s how it''d be if you managed to solo the outside without meeting other people." If I were to tell him that I was a mindless rabid human since more or less two weeks ago, then he''d probably not believe me. Well, let''s just remain oblivious of anything so I can ask him all the questions that I want to be answered. "Attacks on a shelter are prettymon. And without the power of a strong shelter leader, a shelter is a sitting duck, or like a fly in the middle of a frog-infested pond. The only reason why Red Sea Shelter managed to survive until now is by allying ourselves with the Tang Shelter, and also by sending out hunting parties like Liu Zhi''s party so they can manually scout the whole area. Every now and then, a horde of high-leveled zombies would try to attack this shelter but each and every time they did, we manage to survive yet another day. It is a hard life, and I know that there wille a time where I won''t be able to defend these walls anymore. But needless to say, I do everything that I can now so I won''t have to live with regretster on. If dying meant I could give these people a safe ce to live in, then I won''t hesitate to jump in the fire and kill myself." "I think so too. It''s nice to see someone with that conviction, shelter leader." I told him, a smile sincerely forming on my face. Without further ado, I grabbed the bottle of wine on the side of the table and refilled our cups. "To Red Sea Shelter, I called, raising a ss. Clink. After a few minutes of discussing a few more things with Wu Yan and Shelter Leader, I finally managed to learn the affairs of the present world and all I could say is it''s worse than I thought. I thought that those in the shelter already obtained a momentary rest from the rabid humans outside but from what I heard, there are the asional traitors, bad blood, and inner strife in a shelter. A lot of shelters had already fallen to the hands of rabid humans just because it self-destructed on its own. Really, even until now, the real monsters are the humans and not the monsters themselves. In other words, the reality is that every shelter, no matter how formidable they are, could fall just like that if someone were to betray it. And with more people in the shelter, it''s more likely that someone would do betray it. "What are you thinking about, Yong Rui?" Wu Yan interrupted me as she went a little ahead of me to grab my attention. "Just... shelters are like eggs, I guess. They''re hard on the outside but inside, they''re really soft and gooey. If one is not careful, then it could fall at any moment." I responded as I strained my head up. There weren''t any clouds in the sky so the stars were clearly visible. The Shelter may be ''walled'' but it didn''t block the view of the starry night. "That''s a weirdparison!" Wu Yan giggled once again. "But you''re right. A shelter could just fall at any moment. In the past five years, we''ve seen countless neighboring shelters get destroyed, and some for the light reasons like someone just wanted all the resources for themselves, or he just wanted to be a hero so he let the zombie in and tried to eliminate them. Of course, those didn''t end well. " "Greed is a bottomless pit that exhausts the person in an endless pursuit of satisfying oneself without ever reaching satisfaction. Red Sea Shelter is a different case, however. I can tell that Shen Rong is one of the best shelter leaders out there with his selflessness." I said. Wu Yan nodded, her eyes sparkling as if reflecting the stars in the night sky. The two of us walked each other and on the way, we encountered Lui Zhi, de, and Luo Zehn, who were discussing something of importance. "Oh, Yong Rui, Wu Yan, perfect timing." Lui Zhi said, his face showing clear signs of anger and annoyance. Chapter 70: Qi Current Chapter 70: Qi Current At first, I thought that Wu Yan and I did something unforgivable and that''s why Lui Zhi was ring at us with all the killing intent he could muster. "Stop," I muttered before the System forced my mind and body to go out of control again. Fortunately, I managed to stop the prompts in time, or else my Original Qi Core and Virus Qi Core might have gone amok once again. "Lui Zhi, your eyes, your eyes!" Wu Yan whispered towards him as we walked forward. Upon realizing that he was ring at us, Liu Zhi cleared his throat and tried to regain hisposure. Of course, it was obvious that Liu Zhi was angry about something else, but for a moment, my instinct told me that he was directing his anger at me. If I were me in the past, I would''ve attacked him first, no questions asked. It''s amusing how much I''ve changed after waking up as a rabid human with my consciousness intact. "Is something wrong? You''re making a twisted face, Liu Zhi." I asked as Wu Yan and I sat with them. "Did another family offend yours? Or maybe you were scammed?" "No, it''s worse than that." Liu Zhi said. de and Luo Zehn nodded. "I will contact the Tang Shelter to see if they can send any reinforcements here but the journey might take at least ten days at most so they might not make it in time." Luo Zehn suggested. "As for the neighboring shelters who are allied with us, most of them are also dealing with the same problems so we can''t afford to ask for reinforcements from them." Wu Yan gasped and stared at everyone in shock as her body trembled. "Is it happening now? That''s impossible. It''s expected to happen a few months from now. Why is it happening now." "We don''t know either, but the reports from the scout aren''t a lie. We''ve received a few reports from neighboring shelters, saying that they were experiencing it as well." de responded as he nced towards me and gestured her lips towards Wu Yan. It''s as if he was telling me that I calm Wu Yan down. Why am I supposed to be the one to do that? I just got here? "W-what are you all talking about? What''s this thing you speak of? Is it a war? From the way you''re discussing it, it''s a regr thing, right?" I asked, unsure what to expect. "For now, you should calm Wu Yan first, and then once she''s taken control of her senses, we will n our next move." Liu Zhi advised. "de, can you inform shelter leader about this? We can''t afford to leave him in the dark and precious minutes are ticking." After receiving the order from Liu Zhi, de disappeared in the blink of an eye. From my enhanced sensory perception though, I detected that he just stood up and ran faster than a blink of an eye. ''So he was hiding his true strength all this time I thought to myself. As for me, I carefully approached Wu Yan and patted her on the shoulder. I''ve never had any rtionship with women so I don''t know how to calm her down. But back when I was a kid, my master would always pat me on the shoulder each time he encourages me to regain myposure. Was it the right approach to calm her down? I would have gone in for a hug if I had the confidence but sadly I don''t. Less than a minuteter, de returned with Shen Rong in tow, his face flushed with worry. "Liu Zhi, is it true?" "Yes, we''ve also just received news from the other neighboring shelters as well." Liu Zhi continued. "Since the horde this time is bigger thanst time, they managed to touch on farther shelters as well. So far, three shelters have already fallen down and countless others are struggling to hold their fort." "This is not good. Why did it happen so early? How many days before their ETA?" Shen Rong asked. "About a week from now, shelter leader. Although, they might arrive quicker if the other shelters can''t drive them out." "What''s happening? What''s going on?" I interrupted as I continued patting Wu Yan on the shoulder. By now, Wu Yan was already leaning on my chest as she clutched on my shirt. She was trying hard not to cry. She was probably traumatized by the subject, whatever it is Liu Zhi and the others were conversing about. "It''s the Rush Hour, it''s happening much earlier this year." Liu Zhi continued. "This Rush Hour is connected to the Qi Energy that revolves around the earth. And since four years ago, the zombies evolved to the state that it could now track down where the Qi Energy is most abundant. This concentrated Qi Energy helps cultivators in their cultivation and it travels around the world." "Oh, I know about that. it''s the Qi Current, right? Why do you call it the rush hour?" I continued. I''ve heard about this phenomenon before even I managed to hasten my cultivation because of it! this Qi Current flows on the earth''s surface at such a pace that all cultivators around the world could partake of its benefits in boosting someone''s cultivation level. Every person in the world has already probably seen it or took part in it since it''s a worldwide phenomenon. "The zombies have evolved to a state where they track this Qi Current down. Now they know that the more abundant Qi is in a ce, time more people are likely to gather there. And thus, as more and more zombies evolve, the bigger the horde got. And now, close to ten thousand rabid humans are chasing this Qi Current." "It has a cycle of once a year and it always happens every fall season. But now, it''s already happening in springtime. Somebody probably disrupted the flow of current or the current just got naturally faster." de continued. "Last year we were able to survive but the losses were so great. This year, I''m afraid that we might not make it through." "The Qi Current may be an aid to our cultivation and it might help us in our breakthrough. But now, times have changed Yong Rui. The Qi Current that everyone anticipated and admired is now a current of death, followed by a huge horde that tramples everything in its path." Shen Rong continued. "Shelter leader, I''m afraid that Yong Rui and I have to go." Luo Zehn suddenly spoke up. Chapter 71: Preparations... Chapter 71: Preparations... What do you mean by that Luo Zehn? Are we leaving? Why are you deciding for the two of us? Can''t I decide for myself? And also, why are we leaving now? The countless questions that invaded my mind almost slipped out of my mind but I held it in. I didn''t want to needlessly cause misunderstanding by asking what Luo Zehn was talking about. Although Luo Zehn was a musclehead before, I could tell that his decision was already thought-through. If it wasn''t, then he wouldn''t have worn such a determined face. "Luo Zehn, I know that you need to get to the Tang Shelter to defend your shelter against the horde, but why are you rushing right now? You can take some rest here and go to your shelter tomorrow. It''s especially dangerous to travel by night and I don''t want you to invite danger upon yourself if it could be avoided." Shen Rong calmly advised but it was clear in his eyes that he was taken aback by Luo Zhen''s decision. "That''s right, Luo Zehn, you don''t have to force yourself to travel to your shelter at this time. If you were to die along the way, how could we face your shelter or ask for your assistance if we ever need one? We will dly amodate you with the best of our housing tonight, please don''t be rash with your decision." Lui Zhi acquiesced with a concerned look on his face. Even Wu Yan, who was not one to meddle in everyone''s decision-making, was wearing a concerned look as she tugged on my shirt. I could tell that she didn''t want me to leave and honestly, I have no intentions of leaving in the middle of the night. I know how aggressive the rabid humans could get once nighttimees. And on my level, I could only face at most a Stage-4 rabid human, which is on par with those in the King Realm, but if I were to face a whole lot of them, then I''ll have a pretty hard time. Previously, I was just a bit fortunate that I encountered a few Level-Three High Leveled rabid humans and I managed to overpower them with the numbers of my subordinates and sneakily kill them. But if I were to encounter a horde of Level-Four''s or Level-Five''s, then that would be a different story. I was even decimated when those Screechers managed to sneak up on us and one of them ultimately bit Wu Yan. Well, if worsees to worst, then I''d just go berserk and risk breaking through again. Although it was excruciatingly painful, I''m getting used to it so maybe the third time won''t hurt that much anymore. In fact, the second experience was a bit tolerablepared to the first one. "Yong Rui and I," Luo Zehn finally answered. "We made a promise to a certain man named Yang Chen. His daughter is in Ziyou Shelter and it''s our initial mission to rescue her. That''s the reason why we made a stopover in your shelter, Shelter Leader." Luo Zehn continued. Oh, so it''s about that. Still, why do we have to leave right now? "Ziyou Shelter? Isn''t that the famous shelter with a mysterious tree in its premise? Something called a Forsaken Tree that wails in the night which keeps the surrounding zombies at bay?" Shen Rong confirmed. "As far as I know, that shelter is apletely safe shelter because of that mysterious tree. Also, it hasn''t experienced any zombie attacks since the outbreak urred. Why would you want to rescue someone''s daughter in an exceptionally safe ce like that? Even if the horde passes through there first, they have nothing to be afraid of." Upon hearing that from Shen Rong, I was a bit surprised that they didn''t know what''s happening inside the walls of the Ziyou Shelter. It was true that every trump card is hidden until it''s used, and now that Ziyou Shelter hasn''t revealed any information about why they haven''t suffered any attack from the rabid humans, everyone assumed that that tree is actually good. Which, in fact, is false. That tree is an abomination and yet it served a purpose that benefited the whole ce. I guess it''s true that the greater the sacrifice, the greater the benefits one can obtain. "We will tell you everything once we''ve confirmed the reports we got from the ce." Luo Zehn vaguely answered. "As for now, Yong Rui and I had to get there before the Horde halts our travels. Once they appear, one wouldn''t be able to freely travel and I''m afraid it will be toote once the hordepletely passes through." Lui Zhi''s party and Shen Rong stared at us with disbelief as they tried to process the situation. Still, Luo Zehn has made up his mind. And if it was true that the horde passes through there first, then it''s all the more reason that we have to get there as soon as possible. We can''t afford to miss the rescue just because a seasonal horde is strolling down the ce. If we can''t reach it, now, then who knows if Yang Mei Mei could survive by then. "Then, it looks like we can''t change your mind then." Shen Rong sighed as he nced towards some of his bodyguards. "Are there anything you need, Luo Zehn? Provisions? Equipment? We can have them ready for you before you depart." "No need, I have enough provisions with me. However, I would love it if you provide some provisions to my young friend Yong Rui over here. He may be capable, but I only have enough provisions for one person." Luo Zehn tactfully asked for my food in other words. "We will prepare them for you. Anything else?" Shen Rong continued. A split secondter, one of his bodyguards returned appeared carrying a stick. On one end of it is some sort of food wrapped in a cloth. It was obvious that there were a lot of provisions for me since it was such a big wrap of cloth. "Many thanks to Shelter Leader," I said as I received the food and put it in my storage ring. I didn''t bother disagreeing with Luo Zehn''s decision because as far as I can remember, I was the one who promised Yang Chen that I will save his daughter. And Luo Zehn simply went along with it. "Wait!" Wu Yan suddenly eximed as she stood beside me. Just like Luo Zehn a moment ago, there was determination in her eyes as she faced Shen Rong. To my surprise, not only her but Liu Zhi and de also stood beside Wu Yan. They were really getting into convincing Shelter Leader of something. "Please, let use with them." They simultaneously voiced out as they bowed. Chapter 72: Brief Rest Chapter 72: Brief Rest It didn''t take long before Liu Zhi and the others managed to convince their shelter leader to go with us. Although it looked like Luo Zehn and I were going on a pointless mission, Liu Zhi and his party still decided to go with us, their reason being they wanted to repay me for saving Wu Yan''s life. And that I was a member of their party but that''s beside the point. Liu Zhi and his party were one of the strongest hunter parties in the Red Sea Shelter but Shen Rong still allowed them to go. "Please look after them for me, Yong Rui." Shen Rong asked as we headed out. "I will do my best," I responded. And just like that, we were out of the Red Sea Shelter in the middle of the night, with a horde of rabid humans advancing towards us. What''s worse, we''ll be on our way to intercept them in one of the shelters where they''ll be passing through. Honestly, I don''t think this is a good idea. ..... Since we have to cross another forest before we could arrive at the ruins of the city where some shelters are erected, we stuck close to each other as we watched each other''s blind spots. The night was still young but the darkness in the forest asionally sent chills down our spine. It was an understatement to say that the forest is not creepy at all. Perchance there are rabid humans lurking in the dark but there was no way we could sense them. I could only detect so far with my enhanced perception skills after all. Wu Yan walked closer to me and tugged at my shirt. ''Girl, do you really have to make it that obvious?'' I thought to myself as I dly took her hand. Liu Zhi and the others saw it and a smirk was momentarily stered on their face. A split secondter, they hid their expressions with a fit of coughs. "Don''t worry, we got Luo Zehn with us. And aren''t you in the First Level of the Immortal Realm already?" I asked her. Although Liu Zhi''s party isprised of Immortal Realm Cultivators, it was obvious that Luo Zehn is more formidable than any of them individually. (Luo Zehn is still in the Seventh Level of the King Realm.) "Screechers are already on par with us, if a group of higher-leveled zombies attacks us, then we won''t survive." Wu Yan whispered in my ear, afraid to make any unnecessary noises. "Wu Yan is correct, there are others such as Parasite Zombies, Five-wed Zombies, and Muscle Zombies. All of those are on par with Ancient Realm Cultivators, which is a realm higher than ours. If we were to meet one of them, then we''ll be dead for sure. What more if we meet a horde." "Don''t worry, I''ll just cut right through them." Luo Zehn confidently dered as he unsheathed his sword and returned it to its scabbard. "Last time I managed to cut through a Muscle Zombie and when I woke up, it was already dead and Xiao Liang, my fellow hunter in Tang Shelter, was already standing in front of me. For sure I was the one who defeated that Muscle Zombie." Xiao Liang?! You mean that NPC is already strong? Wow, how the tables have turned. I mean, Luo Zehn, what are you talking about? You mean to tell me, you fell unconscious while fighting a muscle zombie and when you woke up it was already defeated? And what''s more, Xiao Liang is standing in the background like an NPC? Isn''t that way too suspicious? I looked at him with eyes of disbelief, wondering why he said that even though it was obvious that Xiao Liang was the one who defeated it. And that''s when I noticed the trembling hands that clutched the katana. Just like the others, he was also terrified of the forest. If you were really that terrified, then why did you have to suggest that we leave as soon as possible?! No, this is all for Yang Mei Mei! The periodic sound of the rustling of leaves and the blowing of winds was enough to make all of us flinch as we continued our journey. The forest was getting a little denser, which goes to show that we were nearing the middle of the forest. After this, it will only be easygoing for us since the forest will be brighter on its outskirts. Still, now that we''re getting to the thick parts of the forest, the vibe is getting a bit unsettling. Before I knew it, thirty rabid humans entered my radar. And all of them were Stage-4''s! "Stop, we can''t go farther," I announced to everyone. de sensed it a few seconds after me and he nodded in agreement. I could tell that he also detected that much rabid humans. I tried to expand my perception to cover a bigger area, and as I did so, I noticed that there were no less than a hundred rabid humans in the densest parts of the forest! "If it''s just twenty, then we can handle them, Yong Rui. But we can''t risk it right no" "No, there''s at least a hundred of them. And two of them are Stage-7''s. They''re on par with your shelter leader, who''s in the Dao Realm." I pointed out. "Although we''re running out of time, we''ve got no choice but to turn around. Or, we can choose the other option of hiding close to the horde and wait for them to pass through." de stared at me, wide-eyed. He probably wasn''t able to detect the rest of the rabid humans. Moreover, he could only detect twenty or so of them at most. With his basic perception skills which arepletely inferior to mine, I wonder how they were able to survive their previous ventures. They probably just relied on their raw strength alone. "We''ll do thetter. A horde wouldn''t stay in the same ce in an hour so we can be sure to wait." Luo Zehn decided as he climbed one of the trees, motioning that we climb a tree as well. Chapter 73: "Im Die," Chapter 73: "I''m Die," Once we got to the gathering of the horde, the three of us noticed that there were two groups of rabid humans. The Stage-7''s were both facing each other, roaring and growling as if they were telling the other party to go somewhere. Just from their roars alone, one could tell that a fight was about to ensue. But although they were two strong powers, neither side was backing down. "That''s a Ripper Zombie, and the other is a Gripper. Although, it''s my first time seeing a Stage-7 High-Leveled one. Those shrieks are making me shudder in fear. So this is the difference between a shen rong and a regr screecher. No wonder the screechers are like cannon fodder for shelter leader." Liu Zhimented.0 "As far as I know, these two are highly territorial and they value and prioritize expanding their territory when they get the chance. No matter what happens tonight, one side will perish in this very ce." de said in a foreboding manner. "This is good for us since we can scavenge the zombie cores they drop." "Yes, it''s a good decision to wait here." Luo Zehn agreed. "We''ve covered a bit of distance since we left the shelter, we should at least get some rest before we continue our journey." Perfect timi whoa! Wu Yan?! Wu Yan, what are you doing? Before I knew it, slender hands hugged me from the side as something soft leaned on my chest. It was Wu Yan. All the excitement today probably overtook her and she didn''t realize she was already asleep. At first, I was surprised but after seeing the horde of rabid humans about to fight just a few meters from where we were, I regained myposure and decided to sleep with Wu Yan hugging me from the side. She seemed exhausted so I didn''t want to wake her up. From afar, I could feel theser-pointed stares of Luo Zehn and the others as they smirked from ear to ear. Even from afar, I could clearly hear what they''re saying based on their expressions. I gulped as I felt someone''s warmth on my cold and lifeless body. For once in my life, I felt secure upon feeling the body of an Immortal Realm Cultivator wrapped around mine. Saying that it''s the greatest feeling of all is merely an understatement since I felt a hundred percent safe in her arms. When ites to an embrace, the woman should be the one to feel secure, but this time, someone stronger than me is hugging me, so it''s a given that I''d feel more secure than her. Enough about that! One by one, I saw everyone drift off to sleep as the rabid humans were still menacingly growling and taunting each other. They were at each other''s throats but none dared to make a move. The Ripper Rabid Human, which was thin with long branch-like hands and short legs, bared its fangs towards the Gripper Rabid Human. Albeit its insignificant sizepared to the Gripper Rabid Human, which is two feet in height and has arms as thick as a tree trunk, the Ripper Rabid Human still had the audacity to challenge it to a territorial fight. It was the living definition of ''size doesn''t matter when ites to cultivation.'' Their subordinates, or rather the two different hordes,prised of the same kin but their levels were much lowerpared to their leaders. But regardless of that, every individual rabid human was much stronger than me and that ced me in a difficult spot. If worsees to worst, I''ll just be cannon fodder to our party. Whatever, let''s just go to sleep. Fwip! Honestly, that Daily Quest thingy totally slipped my mind due to the eventful day I had. Since it has a punishment if not met, I could tell that the rewards for the daily quests must''ve been rewarding. And yet I missed out on it. Also, what did it mean by Mediator Trial? What kind of punishment is that? Is it some sort of trial where I mediate between two parties and try to appease both parties so they won''t reach out for each other''s throats? If such is the case, then which or what parties am I mediating on? A split secondter, I realized that there was no need to ask any questions since the punishment immediately happened as soon as it was announced. The moment I blinked my eyes, I found myself in the middle of the Ripper Rabid Human Horde and the Gripper Rabid Human Horde. I blinked my eyes twice to see if it was really happening, The only thing I heard next was the deafening roars of both parties. <01:00:00> <00:59:59> <00:59:58> After the prompt ovepped in front of me so many times, another screen with my status and level was shown. It''s as if it''s telling me to keep track of myself while I fight so I won''t necessarily die during the process. Still, with my current level, the status screen wouldn''t help at all. "I''m die, thank you forever," I told myself, remembering the famousst words of a certain famous idol as the Gripper Rabid Human and Ripper Rabid Humanshed out their appendages towards me, their fangs bared. Of course! My first impulse was to run and run I did. Ipletely forgot about my dignity as an esteemed Sect Master and as someone who was once in the Dao Realm. The only thing inside my mind right now is that I''ll die if they managed to catch me. And what''s even worse, my presence was what instigated the fight between the two hordes. And because of that, the whole horde subconsciously blocked all my escape routes,pletely surrounding me as the fightmenced. Chapter 74: Death Awaits Chapter 74: Death Awaits "Yong Rui! What are you doing?!" Liu Zhi shouted towards me. Something in his expression was telling me that he was about to jump off and try to rescue me so I hurriedly gestured that I didn''t need any saving. As for Luo Zehn, he was already holding his unsheathed sword in front of him. Before he could jump, Liu Zhi and de stopped him and shook their heads. The bem was so severe that the forest was trampled down in a hundred-mile radius. Left and right, Gripper and Ripper rabid humans relentlessly shed and shed at each other while I was left in the crossfire. It took all of my being and concentration to just get out of everyone''s way while I tried to survive the hour time limit given to me by the system. After all, if I can''t do it, then I would reap some sort of punishment worse than this one. And I for sure don''t want that to happen again. Meanwhile, the Ripper and Gripper leaders, who were Stage-7 High-Leveled, were constantly fighting each other alone. It was a battle between two apex predators that I couldn''t even believe I was standing in their fray. For some reason, Wu Yan was not surprised when she saw me disappear just like that. She probably thought that I had some sort of n. While I was trying to survive an inch away from death, Wu Yan approached the group and started discussing something about them. They were all wearing shocked expressions as they constantly sent a nce towards my direction. It was obvious that they were talking about me, but as to what they were talking about, one could only wonder. The only thing that drowned my ears were the constant shrieks and roars of the Ripper and Gripper rabid humans as they continued their battle. Sonic booms resounded from the blows that the Stage-7 Gripper and Ripper Rabid Humans let out as they traded fists. It was like a fight between two people in the Dao Realm, except they don''t fight like humans since they have no regard for defense nor tactics. Blood and flesh scattered all around while the prolonged fight was reaching its climax. As for me, I just tried to dodge everything that came my way, and hopefully, one hour would pass quickly. But I wasn''t as fortunate. One moment, I was dodging a w that was about to grab my arm, the next moment, I was pinned by four Gripper Rabid Humans as they literally gripped my four appendages and shoved me to the ground. It didn''t even take a split second for the four Gripper Rabid Humans to do this. After all, they were considerably stronger than me because they were a Realm higher than me. But if I use everything in my power, then they won''t even hold a candle to me. "AARGH!" As I shouted, I activated my Virus Qi Core and my Original Qi Core, sending the four Grippers away from me while hitting the other rabid humans on their way. I may not be in the Emperor Realm or in the King Realm, but I should be able to fight them with my current strength. The only reason why I was saving up my strength was that I wanted to survive an hour. But from the state of the Stage-7 Gripper and Ripper rabid humans, the fight might end even quicker than that, so I decided to make my move. When I scanned the area, multiple prompts appeared in my line of sight and I hastily agreed to them. < Do you want to make this zombie your subordinate?> <.....> After that, I summoned all of my subordinates, Ten Stage-2 High-Leveled, One Stage-1 High-Leveled, and Twenty Stage-3 High Leveled, totaling thirty-one rabid humans. Adding to that, I also turned exactly ten Stage-4 Ripper Rabid Humans and ten Stage-4 Gripper Rabid Humans to my subordinates. Together, the headcount was a whopping fifty-one! It may very well be considered a fact that my army is the third horde fighting for territory. But of course, with every advantage obtained, a disadvantage will arise. The moment my subordinates started pushing through the two enemy hordes, the leader of both hordes suddenly noticed my presence and they roared towards me. In that instant, they had a temporary truce. I knew because both of them charged towards me. And just like that, my entire n fell into ruins. I had barely enough time to intercept their attack by putting all my subordinates to a shield-like formation in front of me,pletely blocking the two hordes that tried to overwhelm me. But because we were outnumbered, the two hordes easily seeped through my defenses, rendering them useless. I was at my wit''s end, and seeing the two Stage-7''s weren''t helping with my ease at all! Because of the severe damage my subordinates suffered, my Virus Qi Core started acting violently, making me flinch in pain as my heart momentarily stopped. There was a huge chance that my Virus Qi Core would run amok once again but I encapsted it with my own Qi in the nick of time. Fortunately, I managed to bring its stability back, but my Original Qi Core was critically depleted, making me almost lose consciousness. Seriously, it''s one after another but there was no time to think about it. All I have to do was continue breathing and moving forward because if I didn''t, then only sure death awaits. Because of the difference in our levels, their charge was too fast for my eyes and I couldn''t put up another meat shield, or rather, subordinates-shield in front of me. A w mercilessly hurtled itself towards me as arge hand was about to grip me. My life shed before my eyes and before I knew it, my consciousness has drifted far off into the distance once again. Chapter 75: Mediator Trial Chapter 75: Mediator Trial Sch! The ws of the Ripper Rabid Human tore my body in half and the Gripper Humanpletely tore off my right arm from my main body. There was only a momentarypse where I was able to regain my consciousness but after that, I fellpletely into slumber. <00:00:01> <00:00:00> Just as how fast I fell into unconsciousness, my consciousness was regained in an instant. However, the pain I felt as my right arm was torn to shreds, and my lower half was cut off from my body. I could see my innards escaping on therge hole in my stomach as blood and gore oozed out with it. It was a pretty harrowing sight to behold! "YONG RUI!" Wu Yan shouted from afar but I couldn''t see her since I couldn''t move my head. As for the rabid humans who were surrounding me, they suddenly stopped moving as if they were influenced by some sort of power that put pressure on them. Fwooooosh! One by one, the subordinate that I''ve summoned slowly vanished while my consciousness faded away. I don''t know what''s happening to my body but it seems like my consciousness was like a switch wherein it was being turned on and off. I could feel the momentous fluctuations of my Virus Qi Core and Original Qi Core as they stabilize and goes wild just like my consciousness. "What''s going on..." I weakly muttered but the voice didn''te out from my lips. What I feared for the worst finally happened. Here I was thinking that being sliced in half and having my right arm torn to shreds is the worst, but what happened next tops it all off. It was expected to happen but when it finally did, I was still surprised. Boom! A huge explosion resounded all over the ce as my Virus Qi Core and Original Qi Core both exploded for some unknown reason. For a moment, I felt like my body was being pierced by a thousand needles and I screamed an ear-piercing scream. My head was on the verge of exploding, or rather, it felt like it was about to explode as well. As for my body, I felt like I was being roasted to death. It was excruciatingly painful torture, worse than a thousand deaths. But after going through that, something warm erupted from Virus Qi Core and Original Qi Core. The feeling was likened to being soaked in a hot spring with just the right temperature. I felt at ease. After that agonizing experience, my body rxed as if it was finally in peace. A sh of bright light appeared before my eyes before my consciousness drifted off once again to the familiar ce of whiteness. "Looks like you''re back," The System greeted me. She seemed to have heaved a sigh of relief after finding me in such a state. "What happened? Am I still alive?" I asked, "Yes, you''re in the process of a breakthrough, Yong Rui. Being cut in half is not enough to kill you, but " The System trailed off. "But?" I asked in perplexion. "But someone needs to reattach it as soon as possible, otherwise you might not make it out of there alive." "Oh well, it''s not like I can do something about that." I shrugged. I''ve died plenty of times already that I don''t feel like it''s such a new thing. And since I can''t do anything about it while I''m in my consciousness, I decided to just ignore it and focus on what I could do at the present. Panicking won''t do me any good after all. "Right now, your body is in the process of Automatic Qi Condensation. Since you can''t handle it alone, the System decided to shut your consciousness down first as it formed your third Qi Core." "MY WHAT?!" "Your third Qi Core." "Chotto matte! Why am I getting a third Qi Core now?! I didn''t ask for this!" I eximed as I paced back and forth my consciousness... well, more like I floated around it. "What would happen to me if it goes uncontrobly wild?" "I don''t know Yong Rui, maybe three times the pain you get when your Qi Core runs rampant?" She asked. "Honestly, I don''t know everything the System does, I already told you. I''m just here to notify you of things that the System tells me to." "Yeah, I know that, you''re just like a separate entity in my brain other than the Syste um." "What is it Yong Rui? Is it about the Automatic Qi Condensation? If it''s about that I can tell you at least how it works. Aside form that I can''t te-" The System tried to make itself useful although it doesn''t know the cause of my third Qi Core being formed. "No, it''s just that." I interrupted her as I scratched my head. "Until now, I only ever called you System this and System that... and well, you''re not exactly the System, aren''t you? You''re just like a part of it, more like a secretary of a CEO or something." "Y-yes, now that you said it out loud... I don''t have very much use, don''t I?" The System sniffled, and for a split second, I felt sympathy towards an unknown entity in my brain. "Honestly, I don''t remember much about myself, I just woke up and I found myself having this role." "No, you''ve been a great help to me so far. At first, you were pretty useless but when ites down to it, you''ve given me all the information you have with you. And for that, I''m really thankful." I continued. "That''s why... I felt guilty that I''ve only ever called you System until now. Don''t you have like... a name that you go with? Something that I could address you as my ally and not as a separate entity in my brain?" "Eh?!" The System eximed in shock. "I mean, for better or for worse, we''re stuck with each other. And I thought... I only ever asked you about things that benefit me. I don''t have much time left, right? I figured I''ll just spend myst few moments talking with you." "T-then... " The System trailed off, I could feel that she was twiddling her thumbs when she said that since her voice sounded so uneasy. "Then?" "Would you give me a name?" Chapter 76: Skipping Realms Chapter 76: Skipping Realms "A name, you say?" From all the experiences I''ve had of asking someone''s name in the past, I''ve never had anyone tell me to give them a name or something of the sort. Therefore, this is truly a new experience for me. And as someone who only knew how to cultivate and with no experience to socialize back then, I didn''t know how to react to this puzzling situation. "Yes, if you really want to be w-w-with me then you can at least give me a name. I mean... that would prove my importance to you, Yongrui." She continued. "I guess that''s understandable, but a name? What name do you like? I''m so sorry, I''ve never really had any experience with naming someone before so I don''t know what to give you." I continued. "A-anything is fine." "T-then... how does Natali" "Not that, anything but that." The System vehemently rejected it. "But that''s such a good name!" I continued as I let out a chuckle. "Then... how about Hui-ying? it''s written with the kanji for smart." Pause. . "It''s a nice name, it also means to shine, just like how I shined in your life and you got your consciousness back." She continued. Clearly, she liked the name Hui-ying. "It''s settled then. I will go with that name." "Why did you want me to name you in the first ce though? Didn''t you have a name?" I asked. "Not really, I have no memories of the past whatsoever. I probably just manifested in your mind as a wandering soul or something like that." She continued. "There aren''t any known cases about wandering souls though so maybe I''m just an unknown entity." "Or perhaps, your someone legendary from the past, and this is your intent. Seeing that you can talk, we might have a way to give you a body and separate you from my mind. But I''d have to reach the Dao Realm before I could do that." I continued. "And that''s assuming you''re someone''s intent. If you weren''t, then I guess I''m stuck with you in my mind forever." "I- I don''t mind. Just treat me right from now on, Yongrui." She pouted. "Right right, I will. I promise. I''m looking forward to working with you from here on out, Hui-ying." I cupped my hands as I greeted her. "Same here." She greeted back. I imagined her cupping her hands towards me but I don''t even know how she looks like. Well, I guess I''ll just leave it at that. "Now that that''s settled, do you want to know about the Automatic Qi Condensation, Yong Rui?" She continued. "It''s not like I have anything better to do. Can you tell me everything about it? Also, is there anything I could do to help my dying body even if it''s just a little bit?" "There''s nothing you could do but cultivate, Yongrui. As for the gathered Qi, you don''t have to worry about the shortage of Qi. The Automatic Qi Condensation is an autopilot technique of the System that gathers all Qi energy in the surrounding area. This has happened before while you were unconscious. Back then, you were supposed to die but the System utilized the Qi energy from around you and managed to stabilize your two Qi Cores." "If that''s the case, then why is it giving me a harder time by giving me a third Core? Wouldn''t that be called torture?" "Yes, I think having three Cores would actually be pretty risky, and yet... I feel like the System has been nning on giving you this core right from the start. Just like the Virus Qi Core, I think this third Core will be a key foundation to an unknown breakthrough or an advanced element like the dark element and blood element." "If that''s the case, then I''m getting another new element, is that the case? Or maybe I''ll get rare martial art or ability? That would be great. But the risk is too paramount and I can''t get excited about it." But there was no time toin. Upon hearing that, I tried to focus on my consciousness as I eased my breathing. Once I got into a calm and tranquil state, I started trying to form my Qi Cores although I couldn''t feel it at the moment. A minuteter, I felt a strange light epassing my body, filling me with warmth. At that instant, I immediately felt my Virus Qi Core and my Original Qi Core. And just a few ways from them, there was a third Qi Core forming. It was still small but the power it held was vast, greater than the Virus Qi Core and the Original Qi Corebined. Compared to my first two cores which were pure white, this third Core had the color of darkness with asional sparks of white. It was a super weird Qi Core but I knew that if I failed in forming it, then I''ll die earlier than expected. For some reason, my Virus Qi Core and Original Qi Core were rtively calm while my third Qi core was on the verge of exploding. Hence, I decided to direct myplete focus towards my third Qi Core. My third Qi Core was unpredictable and it wouldn''t submit easily. However, its power was still a bit weak since it was still in the process of condensing. Normally, if one were to encounter such uncontroble Qi Core, one wouldn''t be able to subdue it, but I was a different case. As someone who had been in the Dao Realm, I''ve managed to subdue my Qi Core, and that Qi Core was way stronger than this one. Since my mental strength far surpasses the threshold needed for me to be able to control my third Qi Core, I was able to subdue it after putting a considerable amount of effort. Somehow, even though I''m in my consciousness, I could feel beads of sweat trickling from my forehead. "You''re almost there, but there''s a problem..." The System, or rather, Hui-ying pointed out. "Since you''re Virus Qi Core and Original Qi Core has erged to such a state, the only way you couldpress it before it explodes is by breaking through. With the System''s help, it would be much easier but it still needs your permission." "That''s fine with me." <.....> "WAIT WAIT! STOP! What''s going on?!" I eximed. Chapter 77: Special Quest Chapter 77: Special Quest For many days now, I''ve been trying to hold off my cultivation just so I could slowlyy down the foundation of my cultivation and steadily rise to the top without hurting myself. Also, it''s topletely stabilize my Qi Core so I won''t have any additional problems when trying to break through through the Transcendent Realm. But for some reason, the System let me skip two realms at once and now I''m on the Fifth Level of the Immortal Realm. I mean, one death encounter and I already got to this level? What sorcery is this?! "Hui-ying, what''s this? What''s happening?" I asked, my hands starting to shake, or more like, I could feel it shaking due to shock. "I don''t know either, Yongrui! For some reason, you just skipped so many levels. I think the amount of Qi in the surroundings was a little bit too much, resulting in elerated cultivation." Sigh. There it is, all my ns down the drain. But oh well, I''ve already saved up too much Qi, this much shouldn''t be surprising. I could already go head to head with those in the King Realm while I was on the Spirit Realm, and now I skipped the emperor realm and king realm and headed straight to the Immortal Realm, can I go head to head with a Transcendence Realm Cultivator now? No, I shouldn''t dream too much. Once again, I regted my breathing as my consciousness became more and more solid. I could tell that I was already on the verge of waking up so I decided to cultivate some more. Once I wake up, I know that the pain I felt will rebound and I''ll be in hell again. Better to enjoy my sweet time here before I suffer once again. "AAAH!" I eximed as I gasped for air. I thought I would slowly wake up but lo and behold, I woke up as if I just drowned. When I looked around, I realized that Luo Zehn and Lui Zhi''s party were all gathered around me. They all seemed like they traveled a whole desert with how exhausted they were. "Yong Rui, we''re d you''re awake." Luo Zehn muttered as he fought back his sleepiness. "For a moment back there, I thought you wouldn''t make it." "What kind of cultivation technique or martial arts did you practice? Did you practice the Phoenix Fire Technique of Healing?" de asked. "You''re regenerative abilities are on par with Transcendence Realm Cultivators. And also, how did your cultivation leap by soars and bounds in just a split second?" "It''s that crazy cultivation technique he practiced that sucks all the Qi Energy nearby. We''ve seen it firsthand but your technique has improved a lot, Yong Rui." Luo Zehnplimented. And just like that, the four of them stopped talking as they fell deep into unconsciousness. The moment they did, that''s when I noticed the warm Qi energy that enveloped my body. They were probably the ones who encapsted me just so my Qi wouldn''t run amok. But still, they weren''t able to get out of my Automatic Qi Condensation area and as such, they had their Qi energy drained from their bodies. "I''m really sorry everyone!" I quickly apologized before pulling all of them towards a tree where they could lean on as they slept. "Some sort of power teleported me into the middle of the two hordes... and I didn''t want you to get caught up in it as I did." "Yong Rui." Wu Yan''s eyelids fluttered as she looked towards me. She was still half-conscious. "Yes?" "I-I''m so d you''re okay." She gently whispered with a smile on her face. After that, she finallypletely fell into a deep slumber. . . The next hour was spent watching over them. There were a lot of questions in my mind right now, like who reattached my lower half to my upper body, and why I skipped two realms in my cultivation. But those questions had to wait. Ah, also about the daily quests. "Hui-ying!" "Y-yes?!" "About the Daily Quests, ah never mind." I immediately remembered that I could ess the system through the panels that appear in front of me. As soon as I said ''daily quests'' a screen appeared in front of me. On top of it, the words ''daily quests'' were shown, and under it was a checklist. "Hmmm... wait what? I''d have to bite? Why do I have to bite? What''s this for?" I eximed in a whisper so as to not wake anyone up. There was something fishy going on with the daily quests that I didn''t even know where to start. For starters, why do I have to bite a lot of things? And wat does ''bite anything'' mean? Does that mean I can bite a tree and finish the quest? Or I can bite my shoes? What? "Yongrui, I don''t know anything about this. The System just gave it to you but I think there are benefits in doing this. For now, why don''t you try biting anything?" Hui-ying advised. "I''m not worried about anything, I''m worried about biting a human. Who in their right mind would bite a human and infect them with the virus? Unless those humans are criminals, I''ll dly do i argh! Even if they are criminals, I wouldn''t be able to bring myself to do it. All of us have amon enemy... and biting a human, well, it simply means that I''ve betrayed humanity, right?" "But... Yongrui, if we don''t finish the daily quests, then we''d have to suffer another punishment by the end of the day. The first punishment almost killed you, Yongrui. We don''t have a choice." "No, we certainly do have one." I clenched my teeth in anger. I can''t bear to think that the System could just order me around and do some inhumane things. That goes well past my ideals. I mean, I''ve benefited a lot from the System up ''til now, but this... this is simply too much. "What do you intend to do Yongrui?" Hui-ying asked, I could sense the worry in her voice. "Nothing... we''ll do nothing. If it boils down tomitting such crimes, I''d rather suffer my daily punishment rather than live my life being ordered around." Chapter 78: Additional Party Members Chapter 78: Additional Party Members "Don''t worry about us, Yong Rui. de and I will hold them off. Wu Yan, can you go get some help from our Shelter. A zombie this strong should be eliminated as soon as possible. Call as many cultivators as you can." Liu Zhi announced as he pulled out Wind Daggers from his storage ring. Wu Yan nodded. As for me, I was still contemting about the seemingly confusing notification that the System gave. If I don''t make a move soon, there''s no way we''d be able to survive this predicament. "Yes." I said in a sh. [Skill: Thousand Hand Technique> Description: A cultured man once invented this martial art and it became one of the most powerful forms of martial arts ever invented. After practicing the twisting of ankles and wrists, one can grope, or rather, touch the opponent''s weak body parts and make them weaker. Gradually wearing the opponents down while you choke their body with the adept use of wrists and ankles, resembling a snake on the process of constriction. Not only does it limit the movement of the opponent, it also lets the user handle the opponent''s body and control it as he wills.] Oh great! Another weird skill to add to my collection. Kudos to the Sys wait, what is this skill?! This is sexual harassment, right? Right?! Chapter 129: The Fourth Core Chapter 129: The Fourth Core A breeze gently passed by, rustling the leaves of the forest right in front of us. Although the forest was nearby, it seemed so far due to the Imperial Rabid Human in front of us. Now with its ming SpineSword, the Imperial Rabid Human continued its onught by swinging it around like a maniac. The surrounding area was already filled with mes but now it burned even more intensely. There was no stopping the Imperial Rabid Human. All that we could do was get out of the way as it tried to hit us with its attack. Equipped with his Wind Daggers, Liu Zhi tried to stall the Imperial Rabid Human by sending a couple of wind des towards it. However, as soon as it touched the mes, the Wind des disappear before even hitting the rabid human. Who would''ve thought that Wind is disadvantageous against fire. As for Wu Yan and de, they were trying to find an opening by circling the Imperial Rabid Human. de had the Fire Element while Wu Yan had the Ice Element... and yet, they couldn''t attack the Imperial Rabid Human due to the sea of mes surrounding it. It was like it came out of an inferno, leaving everything burned to ashes as it moved forward. "Just give me a few minutes. My Qi Cores are unstable right now." I gritted my teeth in frustration as I let out a fake promise. "Don''t worry, we won''t leave you behind." de said as he tried to attack the Imperial Rabid Human with his own Fire... Well, it was the dumbest thing I''ve ever seen in my life. As for Wu Yan, no matter how much Ice she released, the Imperial Rabid Human just melts it. The difference inbat power was just too much, just like the gap of heaven and earth. With the help of the System, I tried to stabilize my Qi Cores as fast as I can, hoping that no one would suffer any injuries before I could finally move. It was a bit of a dilemma for me since making a move would make my Qi Cores explode, probably killing everyone in my vicinity. And if I didn''t move, I would just be a burden to them. That''s why I decided to stabilize my Qi Cores as fast as I could. I felt ten thousand needles puncturing my body as I tried to stabilize my Qi Cores. Now that I''m nearing a breakthrough, it was bing more and more challenging to keep my focus. The reason why I was feeling the torture of needles on my body was that I absorbed too much energy at once, which ultimately led me to speed up my cultivation. If I were a normal person, I would''ve died ten times over by now. But I endured the pain. "Yongrui, if you need a health potion just tell me. I can buy it for you from the shop." Hui-ying advised. "No thanks, I can take it." I responded as I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth. I know that I can''t lose consciousness now. A momentarypse of rxing would mean certain death to everyone and I can''t afford to do that. Right now, I have to stabilize my Qi Cores... that''s the only thing that matters. Nothing else matters. Suddenly, a powerful surge of Qi Energy erupted from my body, making me almost vomit blood. For a moment, I thought that one of my Qi Cores erupted but to my relief, they were all still intact. I don''t know if it was the Imperial Rabid Human who attacked me with that Qi Energy or it came from someone else. All I know is that the Qi Energy was probably not mine and so I don''t really need to take notice of it. "Raaaargh!" The Imperial Rabid Human screamed as one of Wu Yan''s ice spike squarely hit its chest. Because of that, the Imperial Rabid Human became agitated even further. Suddenly, it began targeting Wu Yan as it swung its SpineSword. It took all of Wu Yan''s strength to try to dodge everything but soon enough, fatigue overcame her and she was hit with the ming SpineSword. Wu Yan uttered a groan before falling unconscious in front of me. Even with arade fainting in front of him, de didn''t waver. He continued to distract the Imperial Rabid Human by shooting Fire Balls towards him. As I said before, it may look stupid but I could feel de''s desperation. And during this time, Liu Zhi continuously fired Wind des towards the Imperial Rabid Human even though it doesn''t have any effect. His Qi Energy was getting depleted but he ignored it. Sweat continuously trickled down his head, making him look like he came out of the shower. Because of the notification, I almost lost my concentration. Fortunately, Hui-ying was there to keep me on track. "Yongrui, get it together!" She half-hissed, half-screamed in my head. I felt my blood boiling as my heart rate increased twofold. My eyes felt like they were going to pop up and a throbbing headache suddenly attacked my head. Adding to that, my consciousness was slowly slipping away as soon as I heard the notifications. Even though I heard Hui-ying that I should get it together... my body wouldn''t listen to me anymore. "Yongrui! Yongrui! You can''t give up now! You just got the Fire Element! That means you have another Qi Core in your body! You can''t sumb to your new element! Wake up, Yongrui!" No... I can''t do this anymore. I''ve reached the end of my rope. No matter how much I tried to scream and tell my body to remain awake, it wouldn''t listen to me anymore. That momentary pause in time felt like an eternity as my eyes slowly closed. From the gaps between my eyelids, I could see Liu Zhi''s party, desperately fending off the Imperial Rabid Human in front of them. Curse that rabid human. It''s his fault I was reduced to this state! How dare a lowly being like you attack me and get away with it! You''ll pay for this... no, I''ll make you pay for this tenfold. I tried to wake myself up by threatening the Imperial Rabid Human in my head hoping that it would fill me with determination and make me wake up. But to my disappointment... it was all for naught. My consciousness was slowly slipping away like five fingers holding on for dear life by the edge of the cliff. It was at that moment, I knew I messed up. This is it. Who knows when I''ll wake up as a conscious rabid human once again. I guess it''s time to ept my life as a mindless rabid human right now. It won''t hurt, right? Besides, there''s a chance that my reawakening might happen again. I''ve done my best, but nothing seemed to work anymore. I guess I''ve had enough second chances for my whole life. Although I''m grateful for it, I still wished to live just a little bit longer. I still haven''t experienced what real romance was like after all. The closest thing that happened to me when ites to romance was when Natalia zealously bit on my neck as she passionately trapped me in her embrace... and even then she was already a mindless rabid human so it doesn''t really count as romance. As for Wu Yan, I still haven''t reciprocated her feelings since I want to make sure that she really likes me. And now, that''s probably toote. I guess this is the heavens asking me to pay my dues after wasting all my second chances. ..... Shiiiiiiiiing! Fwooooooshhhh!!! A cold bright light enveloped me, or rather, my soul as I was about to slip into unconsciousness. For some reason, that bright light gave me warmth and rxation, and somehow, it calmed down my Qi Cores to a minuscule extent. However, that moment of rest was more than enough for me to get my bearings back and stabilize my Qi Cores. With the help of the warm yellow light surrounding me, my Qi Cores started to stabilize one by one. One. Two. Three. Four. Even my third Qi Core wasn''t darting so much like before, making it easier for me to stabilize all of them at once. As for my Fourth Core, it took a few seconds before I could finally grasp its form. Whoever owned that warm yellow light, I am eternally grateful. I didn''t know who my benefactor was since my eyes were closed but I could tell that it wasn''t anyone belonging to my party. "Young man, are you all right? That was so close, right? It was a relief I made it in time." That voice I immediately opened my eyes after recognizing the voice of my benefactor. And lo and behold... it really was her! Master Shi Yanmei! Chapter 130: Reunion II Chapter 130: Reunion II That orange hair that seemed to resemble the sunset, and those fiery red eyes that seemed to be burning coals, there''s no doubt about it! "Maste " I cut myself short by covering my mouth but the damage has been done. I was just filled with so much joy that I blurted out something so controversial. What if she didn''t recognize me? Would she think I''m weird? Do I look like the Yongrui she knew before? What if she bes suspicious of me? I covered my face in frustration, trying to hide my embarrassment in front of Master. She didn''t age at all, still as beautiful as ever. I still remember the time when I first met her, I was mesmerized by her beauty. To normal people, I guess one could call her my first love. Except she was already married by that time and her daughter was almost the same age as me, just like right now. As I tried so hard to hide my countenance in front of my master, I felt something warm enveloped my neck and something soft on my face. A nice fragrance entered my nostrils, making my tensed self rxed a little bit. It was a very familiar smell, something that felt like home after all these years. That''s when I realized that Master Shi Yanmei locked me in her embrace. "U-um, Maste er, I mean, Shi Yanmei?" I cluelessly asked. "How dare you address your master by her name." Shi Yanmei softly smiled at me as she pinched my cheeks. "And how dare you assume I wouldn''t recognize my long-lost disciple. Even if I didn''t see you for ten years, I would still recognize you." She continued. "B-but... " "What? Do you want me to tell you that you look younger than before? How rude. I don''t know what sort of cultivation technique you practiced while you were missing but it''s very effective. Can you teach it to meter?" She continued. "Ah er, you must be mistaking me for Yongrui... Yongrui is already dead, five years ago." I continued as I hugged her in return. And then, leaning into her ears, I whispered something to continue my statement. "I''m sorry, Master, but I''m hiding my identity at the moment. I''ll tell you everythingter." Master Shi Yanmei heaved a sigh before giving me a kiss on the forehead. "I understand, I hope to hear everything from you when the timees." A pitter-patter of footsteps could suddenly be heard from behind Master. "Mom, what are you doing?! Isn''t that MOM! Tang Yongrui is the same age as me, you can''t possibly be thinking that, right? Even though dad died a decade or so ago, you can''t possibly marry someone who''s twenty years younger than you." Shi Meili eximed as she tried to pry her mom away from me. Oh no! This is not good! "H-hey, Shi Meili! We were just talking about you! I was just asking your mom if you could join me back at the Tang Shelter. And she sealed our agreement with a hug after asking me to take care of you." I immediately reasoned out before Shi Meili got the wrong idea. Sure I''m close with her mom and all that, she''s my mentor after all. But, there''s no way I''d see her as a romantic partner. But I wasn''t lying when I said she was my first love back when I first met her. Yeah, honestly, that hug made my heart skip a beat. And we aren''t even twenty years apart, just a little short on ten years. I just look five years younger, Shi Meili. "Wait, what are you talking about, Yongrui?" Master Shi Yanmei covered her mouth, trying to suppress her shock. It was written all over her face that I didn''t tell her anything about it. I''m so sorry, Master, I will exin all of it to you as soon as I can! "Yong Rui! Are you all right?!" Wu Yan and the others eximed as they rushed towards me. I heaved a sigh of relief. In hindsight, I''m just d that everyone was all right. "Yeah, I''m okay. Someone helped me stabilize my Qi Core." I responded with a smile. "Yeah, and that person is me. Geez, Yongrui, is that how you thank your Master?" Master Shi Yanmei asked as she wrapped her arms around mine. "Mom!!!" Shi Meili pouted as she went between us and wrapped her arms around mine instead. The rivalry between the two of them was so humorous that I find it hard to suppress my chuckles. "It''s quite shocking, who would''ve thought that you''re a close acquaintance with the Meili Shelter Leader. Well, I''m just d that the four of us made it out alive." Liu Zhi smiled. "Yeah, I thought we were going to die back there. Fortunately, people from the Meili Shelter got here in time." de added. "Yong Rui, how are you feeling?" Wu Yan asked, her face reddened. "I''m sorry, we couldn''t hold off that Imperial Zombie." "N-no, I should be the one... I should be the one apologizing, Wu Yan. I ended up being a burden." I muttered lightly. "Now now, all of you, you shouldn''t beat yourselves up." Shi Yanmei pped her hands as she stood in the center of our group. "I brought some food for ate dinner, why don''t we eat up before we head back to the Red Sea Shelter? The scenery here is nice, you know. And also, I''ve got a lot of catching up to do with your friend over here so this would be an opportune time." While Shi Meili and Wu Yan were giving us strange nces, Liu Zhi, de, and the other cultivators from the Meili Shelter all agreed to the food. Of course, who would reject some free food? "Come with me." Shi Yanmei said as she dragged me to a corner under the shade of a tree. As for everyone, they gathered around a makeshift fire that de made so they can cook the soup together. A warm conversation could already be heard from the group while Shi Yanmei and I separated ourselves from the group. As usual, Shi Yanmei and Wu Yan couldn''t help but observe us, just in case we step over the line as if we would do such things while everyone could see us. What are they thinking?! Once we reached the spot where Shi Yanmei wasfortable on, a Light Qi Energy enveloped us like a bubble. It wasn''t surprising that the Light Qi Energy that cloaked us was the same Qi Energy I saw while I was unconscious. "I just covered us in my area. Here, our conversation will remain private and it will be impossible for anyone to hear us. You can speak any time you want. Or you want me to speak first?" She asked with a straight face. There was a hint of worry in her eyes. I looked up and pondered on what she said. At first, I thought that I would only reveal all the information I have regarding myself. But now, my Master was offering me to ask her anything that happened in the past and she will tell me about it. Of course, I can''t pass that up. There was no need to think about it further. "Master, can I say something first?" I asked. "Sure." After receiving her approval, I cleared my throat and cupped my hands in front of her. "I''m so d to see that you''re as healthy as ever, Master. Your disciple deeply expresses his well wishes." "You don''t have to be so formal, Yongrui. I''ve known you since you were little. You''re basically mine, my child." She said as she approached me and gave me another hug. This time, the hug was even tighter than before, making it hard for me to breathe. But I didn''tin, I could tell that Master really missed me, just like how I missed her after all these years. Because the bottom line is, ever since I became the Sect Master of the Tang Sect, I couldn''t meet with Master anymore, nor was I able to visit the Meili Sect since it''s secluded and only girls can enter inside it. Just then, I felt something warm and wet drop on my shoulder, followed by one after the other. It didn''t take me long to realize that my Master was crying. "Master?" "Five years ago... I, I wanted to visit you." She began. "But just when I excused myself from my Sect, I heard the news that the Tang Shelter has fallen and no one survived. I didn''t have time to mourn for you, Yongrui, because my Sect was attacked as well. It was but by a stroke of luck that we survived the first wave of the outbreak. I''m just d that you''re alive, Yongrui. And I''m really sorry, I should''ve visited you sooner. I''m a failure as your Master." My hands moved by their own as I hugged my Master in return. Although I received evil res from Wu Yan and Shi Meili, I didn''t mind it for now. Master truly cared for me even though no one else did, and reciprocating her hug is the least I could do to express my thanks to her. Chapter 131: Catching Up With Chapter 131: Catching Up With "So tell me, what happened after you died?" Shi Yanmei calmly asked as she slowly released me from her embrace. This made Wu Yan and Shi Meili heave a sigh of relief but they still gave me a re, tracking my every move as if I were a mannequin in a supermarket. Trying hard to ignore them, I looked at Shi Yanmei and began telling him everything. "Five years ago, I was too slow t realize that an outbreak has started and I was bitten by one of my close disciples. I still shudder just thinking about that time." That''s right, I still clearly remember how passionate Natalia was during that time. "And in the end," I continued. "My cultivation disappeared and I turned into a mindless rabid human. Before that happened, however, I was able to save some of my disciples, wishing them a good life. Now, they rule over one of the most formidable shelters around the area, the Tang Shelter. I don''t know how they survived for all these years without my hand guiding them, but I''m proud of them. As the saying goes, a chick can only fly if the mother pushes them off its nest. And I think they''ve grown more without my guidance. They really lived by the name of the Tang Sect." I puffed my chest with pride as I remembered the weakling they once were. Now, they''re ruling the affairs of a strong shelter. How magnificent. "For the past five years, I didn''t realize but I started cultivating unconsciously. Even though my cultivation was reset and my Qi Core was practically gone, I managed to absorb the Qi Energy all around me over the years. And because of that, I managed to form a Qi Core." I said. "And when I woke up, I realized that I gathered the Qi Energy over the people I bit over the years. In short, I was biting someone when I woke up... and that''s how I met my firstpanions during my travel. They are now in the Tang Shelter and are helping it with things they could do. One thing led to another and I managed to find myself acquainted with the Red Sea Shelter which is closely allied with the Tang Shelter at the moment. Also, just to make things clear, I''m not part of the Red Sea Shelter, nothing of the sort. The reason why I joined the Red Sea Tournament as their representative was because " "I know, I''ve seen the fight between you and Xiao Xue. As your former Master, I cannot be any more proud seeing you overwhelm someone with your strength. And it''s even more impressive that you managed to attain that level in just a little over a month of cultivation after you got your Qi Core." Master Shi Yanmei interrupted me, patting me on the shoulder. "Now, enough about that, tell me, why do you have four Qi Cores right now? Is that normal? Also, while sensing your Qi Cores, I realized that you''re Original Qi Core is just on the King Realm, at least. But one other Qi Core is actually on the Ancient Realm. How did that happen?" "Master, don''t call yourself my Former Master, you will always remain my Master, stop saying such" In a sh, I was bombarded with questions I was trying to ry to her slowly. I gulped and tried to recollect my thoughts before answering. Even I was confused with what happened to me that I know I''ll have a hard time exining everything to her. Suddenly, I heard the same old tune on my head. [Title: New Ruler of the Infected Description: Once equipped, you will have a buff of +100 in all of your stats. Qi Energy consumption will be reduced to 50%, Qi Energy regeneration will be increased by 50%, and the stability of Qi Core is strengthened. Usage of the title will greatly decrease the chance of activating Berserk Mode but will greatly increase the activation of Automatic Qi Absorption. Dark Element proficiency will also increase while this title is equipped. <... > <...> I almost gripped my head in frustration as thete notifications from the System came bombarding my head like bullets from a submachine gun. In total, there were five level-up notifications, six breakthrough notifications, and some other stuff that I couldn''t even be bothered to care about. Without further ado, I opened a panel in front of me which showed my current stats. For some reason, I felt oddly stronger, and I mean, much stronger than everpared to before. [Level 33 Virus Qi Core: Third Level of the Ancient Realm Original Qi Core: Fifth Level of the King Realm HP 12000/12000 Strength 5600 Stamina 5600 Vitality 4700 Agility 4100 Stat Points (unused) 121] My eyes opened wide in shock. That''s why I felt as if I were ten times stronger than before. Master Shi Yanmei looked at me with great concern but I ignored her for a moment as I tried to exin what just happened to me. And then I remembered one of the notifications that appeared in my head. If I recall correctly, the System said that the Imperial Rabid Human was on the Tenth-level. If that were true, then it was two realms stronger than the maximum level known to rabid humans, the Eighth-Level, which is on par with Transcendence Realm cultivators. No wonder I gained so many rewards and breakthroughs! That should exin it. Furthermore, if that were the case, then that exins why the System waste on giving me the notifications. It probably tried to process everything all at once and only gave me the notifications now after getting everything sorted out. Still, it caught me by surprise, I thought I didn''t achieve any breakthrough or level-ups after all that even though I didn''t do anything at all. "Yongrui, are you okay? Do you need help right now? Are your Cores acting up again? Seriously, why do you have so many Cores?" Shi Yanmei sighed. "I''m all right, Master, I just felt something weird but it was just a breakthrough." I forcefully smiled... but little did I know that what I said shocked her as well. "You achieved a breakthrough? Wait let me check... haah? How? How can you achieve a breakthrough without even cultivating? There''s also your Cores, your Summoning Element, and your " Suddenly, Master put both her hands on each of her armpits as her eyebrows furrowed. I almost chuckled. This is what she usually does when she tries to meditate on things. After all these years, Master really hasn''t changed at all. "I got it. Now I know why you got four Qi Cores. They correspond to your elements! Your Original Qi Core might be your Wind Element. As for your Qi Core, it might be something powerful like your Healing Element... but I don''t know what it is. Your third Qi Core might be your Summoning Element, and your Fourth Core might be something like Fire Element or something. How many elements do you have, Yongrui? Oh wait! Don''t tell me that! Even if I''m curious, I can''t let you divulge something so important. I sincerely apologize for asking." She bowed her head down after thinking. Vigorously shaking my hands, I tried to convince her to raise her head. Well, if she were to know how many elements I have, she''ll probably faint. Right now, I have the Wind, Fire, Space, Time, Dark, and Blood Element. Even though I don''t really know how to use thest four elements I listed out, I knew that they''ll be really useful one day once I master it. There are no weaker elements, after all, just weak cultivators. "It''s all right. But you''re right, Master, I do have the Wind and Fire Element." I vaguely responded. Everyone seemed to assume that I have both the Healing and Summoning Element when in truth, I don''t have any of them. Master stared at me for a long time before heaving yet another sigh of relief. "Can I hug you again?" She asked. I nodded before I even had the thought of hesitating. Once in her arms, I felt warm andfortable again as if I reverted back to when I was still a young cultivator. Before, Master used to hug me like this as well every time I achieved something. "I''m just d you''re all right, Yongrui. I''m d that you''re still alive. I can''t stress that out enough. I will ept your terms and dly ally ourselves with the Tang Shelter. Now that I know you''re guiding them in the shadows, I will support you all the way. In return, if you need anything from me, just give me a heads up, okay?" I nodded, relishing the fragrance that came out of my Master''s body. She smells good, to be honest. "Be it cultivation essences, herbs, high-grade armor, or equipment, just tell me. Even if you ask Shi Meili''s hand in marriage, I''ll happily hand her over to you. I guarantee you Shi Meili won''t refuse the proposal." Master?! What are you talking about?! Chapter 132: Setting Up Chapter 132: Setting Up After a sumptuouste-night meal with Liu Zhi''s party and Master, who was apanied by Shi Meili and other women from the Meili Shelter, all of us headed back to the Red Sea Shelter to rest for the night. "Yongrui, Yongrui," Hui-ying suddenly called out to me, sort of in a panic. "What is it?" "Your daily quests, you have to finish your daily quest!" She eximed in my head. "There are a lot of people around you. If you were to get punished by the System, then they might be in danger." Right! That''s why something at the back of my head kept bugging me. I almost forgot that I haven''t done my daily quest for the day. Without further ado, I discreetly raised my right hand and bit it ten times. While walking with everyone, I totally ignored the notifications that resounded inside my head. Before, I really thought that I had to bite ten humans, ten rabid humans, and ten misceneous stuff. But who would''ve thought that biting myself wouldplete all the quests at once. Don''t ask me how I found out that I just needed to bite myself. I wouldn''t even bother telling you anything about it. "Yongrui, who are you talking to?" Hui-ying asked, totally oblivious to the fact that I wasn''t talking to anyone else. "No one, I simply answered. In any case, do you still have any other information about the Void Tower Dungeon? What enemies should we expect if ever we run into them? Also, about that powerful guardian you told us about, can I fight it head-on?" "At your current level, you might be able to deal some damage to it if you use all your trump cards." Hui-ying continued. "That guardian is at least as strong as the Imperial Zombie you fought a moment ago." "I see. That means I should be at least above the Transcendence Level right now, right?" I heaved yet another sigh. Right now, I feel like I''m revolving around my own world where I''m strong and talented. And then there are those monsters and rabid humans that are leaps and bounds stronger than me. The difference in genius might very well be the difference between heaven and earth. If I were topare myself to them, I wouldn''t even amount to anything at all. I guess it''s true that no matter how good you are, there will always be someone better than you. As our group made our way back to the Red Sea Shelter, a few thoughts urred in my head. First, there was the ck Spirit Sect, then there are those who dwell in a higher ne of dimension called the Middle ne. Then there''s the grandpa, Master Ling, who managed to break through beyond the Transcendence. And as if those aren''t enough, there are also rabid humans, spirit beasts, and mythical beasts who are more powerful than Transcendence Realm Cultivators even though they don''t cultivate. Really, the world can be unfair sometimes. That just means I have to get even stronger. If I had retained my cultivation in the Past, then I would ve reached the Realm beyond the Transcendence Realm. Not that I care so much about it though; it''s all in the past after all. Right now, I''ve started afresh and my journey is tenfold faster than before. It''s only a matter of time before my overall power could reach the Dao Realm. I mean, my Virus Qi Core is already on the level of Ancient Realm. My thoughts were then interrupted by Master Shi Yanmei and her daughter, Shi Meili, as they argued about something. They were talking in a rather low voice but because of my sense enhancement and more sensitive perception skills, my hearing is a lot betterpared to most people. Hence, I could hear every single word they said. "No, mom! Stop saying that!" Shi Meili clenched her small fists as she tried to persuade her mom to drop the topic. "He already has a different life... and I can''t catch up to him. There''s no way he''ll look in my direction. We are like the east and the west, never meant to be a part of each other''s lives as we go our opposite ways. Even if we did go the same way, we are like parallel lines that are never meant to cross. Before, I had the notion that I can reach him. But now, it''s simply impossible. Besides... he already has a lot of women fighting over him. It would just add to his pride if I try to take him for myself as well." "You have a chance! You certainly have a chance! I''ve never seen Yongrui stare at anyone like that except you. You''ve been close to him ever since you were kids, right? And also, I''ve decided to ally with the Tang Sect, improving our rtions by marrying you off to him will be quite satisfactory for both parties. And, it''s obvious that the two of you want it so why not?" "Seriously, mom? You''re marrying me off?" Master nodded with a slight smile on her face. As for me, I almost let out a chuckle at the panicky expression that Shi Meili wore. Her cheeks were as red as a beet. ..... The moment we arrived at the entrance to the Red Sea Shelter, I was surprised to see that it was already open. As it turns out, a youngdy was waiting by the entrance to the Shelter, wearing a worried face. I immediately recognized that it was Yang Mei Mei who was waiting there. Wearing a concerned expression on her face, Yang Mei Mei paced back and forth as she waited intently. "Is something wrong, Yang Mei Mei?" I greeted as our party walked towards her. In a split second, the worry on her face disappeared in an instant as she saw me. With a huge smile on her face, she ran towards me and gave me one of the biggest tackle hugs I''ve ever experienced. But then again, I only ever experienced one tackle hug in my whole life and that hug cost me my life. "Yong Rui!" She said in a high pitch as she buried her face on my chest. Suddenly, I felt a few intense res raining down on my neck likeser beams boring a hole on it. There wasn''t even any need to turn back since I perfectly know the people who were giving me those looks. After a few seconds, Yang Mei Mei looked up towards me. "The children! The children!" She said with a heavy tone. "The children? Why what happened to them?" I asked. There was only one group of children she''s probably referring to the children I rescued from the Ziyou Shelter along with her. "They''re awake... but... " She trailed off, biting her lips in what seemed like a mixture of frustration and pity. There was only one exnation for it. The children are in a critical serious condition! "Lead the way," I ordered. Hanging her head down as she tried to suppress her tears, Yang Mei Mei ran straight through the Red Sea Shelter towards a small clinic where the children are being monitored and taken cared for. There were a lot of questions in my mind but I know all of them would be answered once we arrived at the clinic. I know that if I were to ask Yang Mei Mei some questions, her emotions will get the better of her and she will bawl her eyes out. And right now, we can''t have someone losing theirposure. Once we arrived at the clinic, we were greeted by three people who wore white robes, probably the doctors who are assigned to look after the children. Judging from their expression, it was in to see that there really was something going on with the children. "Are you... are you the one who rescued these children?" One of the white-robed individuals asked. "Yes, that''s me, Yong Rui. Is something wrong?" I asked. There was a pause, and then the second person in a white robe walked towards me. "Sir, we''re sorry. We tried to do our best but " By now, Liu Zhi''s party and Master''s party were already inside the room. Apparently, they apanied me inside, hoping that they could help. " we can''t save them, young sir. Their bodies arecking so much in nutrition and their Qi Energy is destabilizing. It won''t be long before their Qi Energy destroys their whole body, ultimately killing them. With their current physique, I''m not sure if they could survive this. They''ve lost too many nutrients in their body in other words, their body is basically rotting. Even though they''re still alive, they''re dying a slow and painful death." The exnation of the caretaker was enough to make everyone gasp in shock. As for me, I wasn''t shocked, per se. I was infuriated. It was because of that damned Forsaken Tree that they ended up this way. I clenched my fists. "Let me see them," I requested. Chapter 133: Blood Element, Healing Element Chapter 133: Blood Element, Healing Element "Xiang Xiaoqing? What are you doing here?" As soon as I asked to be let in inside the room, the nurses didn''t think twice about opening the door for me. And once I got there, a familiar face greeted me. Her white hair was tied to a bun and she was sweating all over. She was just wearing a shirt so it was hard not to look at her. "Yongrui, you''re here." She said with a problematic face as she wiped the sweat off her brows. It was clear that she was exhausted but she was trying hard not to show it. As I closed my eyes and detected the amount of Qi Energy she has left, I realized that her reserves were almost depleted and she was close to losing her consciousness. But nevertheless, she still continued on with trying to treat the children. When I tried to sense her Qi Energy, I realized that her Qi Energy was covering the whole room and she was trying to stabilize everyone''s Qi Cores. From the looks of it, she probably wasn''t moving forward with focusing on just one patient so she decided to try to halt everyone''s deterioration, buying time for someone capable to treat them. I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the sweat from her face and the nape of her neck. Because of the sweat, she looked even more appealing than before but I ignored it. This is not the ce and time to be staring at someone. I have a lot of time to do thatter but right now, the children shoulde first. And also, I''ll feel bad if they die after I saved them. That would leave a bitter taste in my mouth and I''ll probably feel evesting guilt. "You''ve done well, Xiaoqing, now let me take care of the rest," I reassured her. "And also, take this." I continued, handing her one of the fatigue potions that the System gave me. From what I know, it is very effective in getting rid of someone''s fatigue. Although I haven''t tried it before, I think it would work since the System has never lied to me, not even once. "What''s this?" Xiang Xiaoqing asked as she observed the bottle. There wasn''t any trace of Qi Energying from the bottle but it certainly looked weird since the color was transparent like water. "That''s a potion I got from someone. It gets rid of fatigue and it might recover the Qi Energy you''ve depleted. You have to take care of yourself, Xiaoqing, you can''t afford to overwork yourself like that. You''d have be a cripple a moment ago if I didn''t arrive in time." I said. "Yongrui, do you need any help? With my Light Element, I might be of assistance to you." Master Shi Yanmei inquired. "No, the Light Element is of no use to these children. The virus had done decent damage to their System and their Qi Cores are on the verge of breaking. Xiaoqing chose the right option to stall the deterioration of their Qi Cores. Had she tried to really fix it, she would''ve shortened the lifespan of their Cores even further. And also, a highly potent healing element might give the opposite result." I reasoned. "Then, what are you " I closed off my mind and tried to ignore everyone. I''ve already said my two cents and I knew that time was running out. I didn''t want to exin everything to them so I just indirectly told them to not get in the way. Although I''m not sure if this method will work or not, I knew that this gives a higher chance of survivability to the children. It worked before, but now, I''m stronger and my System level is rtively higher as well. With the same skills and my Blood Element, I know that I can help these children. First, I activated the skill that grants heal through the blood element. Second, the Blood Control skill allows me to control the blood of the children. This skill synergizes really well with my third skill Virus Control. Virus Control helps me control the Virus in someone else''s body. As for my fourth skill, it allows me to transform my Qi Energy into pure blood to help with the recovery of someone. All in all, these four skills are basically healing skills but they''re directly connected with the Blood Element. In a split second, a strange Red Aura erupted from my body as these four skills were activated. I heard a few gasps in the background but those were probably just my imagination since there were a lot of people in the room. Without further ado, I used my Blood Control skill to control the blood of the children and to try to examine what''s wrong with them. Just as I expected, there''s still a bit of Virus in their body and it''s slowly multiplying. I''m guessing it''s because they were exposed to the virus on their way to the shelter as they were brought by my Subordinates. Since their immune systems were still weak and recovering, they didn''t stand a chance against the airborne virus. This is just like someone turning into a rabid human when they are on the verge of dying and a wound was exposed to the airborne virus. With a weak and dying body, it''s easy to be infected with the Virus. I immediately activated my Third Skill to control the virus and try to gather them in one ce, preferably at their fingertips. And while I did that, I struggled to stand up and pricked their index finger with an acupuncture needle just so I could get the Virus out of their blood. Since I''ve done this before, it was easier to execute it now. With that done, I immediately activated my first skill to grant heal on their blood. And while I''m doing that, I used my Qi Energy Conversion to turn my Qi Energy into their blood type and I transfused it through their pricked index fingers. In just a few seconds, their countenance slowly reverted to normal (they were utterly pale before). But I didn''t stop there, I continued transfusing my blood and purifying their blood with the use of my first skill. Although the name of my first skill is Blood Transfer, it essentially works as purifying the blood for some odd reason. "Are you seeing this, Xiaoqing?" Shi Meili asked, nudging Xiaoqing by the shoulder. (I was already past the critical phase so I had enough energy to open my eyes) "Yeah, why?" Xiaoqing asked, her eyes unblinking. "Is this the healing element? Do you know what he''s doing right now?" "Even I have no idea what Yongrui''s doing. Xiaoqing, if you can enlighten us as to what''s happening, I''ll be grateful." Master Shi Yanmei butted into the conversation. "Actually, I have no idea what Yongrui''s doing as well. It may look like the Healing Element but he''s controlling Blood wait... is that the Blood Element?!" Xiang Xiaoqing eximed, almost throwing me off my focus. "Shhh! You almost made me jump up." I calmly said as I continued with what I''m doing. "Keep it down, Xiaoqing." "Sorry." Xiaoqing apologetically said. This time, the group talked with quieter voices as they tried to watch me. Seriously, what are they even doing inside this small clinic? It''s not like they''re helping me cure these kids! Before I couldin even further, Xiaoqing approached me and patted her handkerchief on my forehead. I didn''t even realize that I was already sweating so much. Thankfully, Xiaoqing returned the gesture and wiped the sweat off my face. Now that her face was ufortably close to mine, I couldn''t help but bask in her sweet-smelling self. Yes, her smell was akin to a garden of flowers. It was simply pleasant. Wait, I shouldn''t lose my concentration! Focus! Yongrui! "When I was training my Healing Element, I met Yao Qiqiang, the most proficient cultivator in the lightning element." Xiaoqing began as she continued wiping my sweat which was continually dripping from my forehead. "One time, I asked him how he became the best cultivator in the Healing Element even though he''s just in the Dao Realm." Xiaoqing continued. "When I asked that, he raised his hand and shook his head, signaling that I shouldn''t speak of the matter further. And just when I was about to say something else, he told me a story of a legendary cultivator who''s at the Peak Transcendence Realm. That healer travels all across thend, healing people with the use of his Blood Element. To this day, I''ve never seen someone who uses the Blood Element. But... there''s no doubt about it. Yongrui is using the Blood Element right now. If I remember clearly, Yao Qiqiang said that the Blood Element is far superior to the Healing Element. And now I know why." Liu Zhi''s party and the rest of thedies with Shi Yanmei all nodded vigorously. Theypletely believed what Xiaoqing told them while I was there, trying to suppress the blush that tried to appear on my face. Is Blood Element really that good? Why am I learning this now?! Chapter 134: Four Cores Chapter 134: Four Cores I was just about to me the System when I realized that the System doesn''t really exin that much when ites to elements. I guess it was a part of its function to assume that I already know the different types of elements since all of them aremon knowledge. But that doesn''t mean there is a lot of information when ites to the rarer elements. Even I didn''t know that the Blood Element existed! For the past few weeks, I thought that the Blood Element was exclusive only for me. After a few minutes of constantly draining my precious Qi Energy and having my sweat wiped off by Xiaoqing, the countenance of the children finally returned to normal and they began breathing normally. Next, I moved on to stabilize their Qi Cores with my Blood Element. Since their health is back to normal, I could finally ask Master Shi Yanmei to help me stabilize their Qi Cores with her Light Element. In response, Master smiled at me and assisted me, just like what she always do every time she helped me out in the past. "I''ll help too." Xiaoqing offered. "No, you need to get some rest," I told her. "The fatigue potion is only there to remove your tiredness. Your depleted Qi Energy is still not replenished. If you help me now you might not break your Qi Core. It''s dangerous." After discussing the Blood Element with the others, Xiaoqing finally took the fatigue potion I gave her, and to her surprise, her fatigue was gone in an instant. I expected the fatigue potion to work really well and my expectations were met. Her expression told me that she wanted to ask me about the fatigue potion but she didn''t ask me anything since a majority of my concentration was directed to the children. Well, if she really wanted to help, I know plenty of other ways to replenish her Qi Energy but I didn''t tell her anything about it. She''s done enough for these kids. The least I could do to express my gratitude is to let her get some rest. While I was trying to intricately nket the children''s Qi Cores with my Qi Energy, Master Shi Yamei released a light yellow aura from her body, making her look like the epitome of light itself. And to my surprise, her aura was much stronger than Transcendence Realm! I don''t know if she actually reached a realm beyond Transcendence but there''s a huge chance she did. If that were so, then why hasn''t she tried going to the Middle ne? Perhaps she''s still on the Eighth Level of the Transcendence Realm? In any case, she was so powerful that her Light Element overwhelmed my Blood Element. In a sh, she managed to stabilize the Qi Cores of the children just like how she stabilized my Qi Cores back when they were agitated by the Qi Energy of the Imperial Rabid Human before. "Honestly, Yongrui, your Cores are much more difficult to stabilizepared to these children. The Qi Cores of these children are literally child''s y... all thanks to you healing them of course." Master whispered towards me. "Especially your Third Core that darts around and all over your body? Gah~ I just dread thinking about stabilizing it again." "I''m sorry about that, Master. But it wasn''t really my fault. For some reason, my Second, Third, and Fourth Qi Cores just appeared out of nowhere. You won''t believe how much hardship they gave me when they first appeared, Master." I reasoned, trying to pass the me to my Qi Cores... well, they were clearly the ones at fault, not me. "In any case, you have to do what you can to always stabilize them. If it means cultivating for a few hours every day, then you have to do it. If your Qi Cores go out of control like that once again, you might end up losing your life. Your Qi Cores are so unpredictable that the slightest disturbance might end up posing a threat to you. That''s why you have to be careful." I nodded apologetically. "That''s why, if you have the time, I will give you a High-grade cultivation technique that will help you cultivate multiple cores at once. This cultivation technique has been passed on to me by myte master who had two Qi Cores. Even if it only works for two Qi Cores, it would be really useful for you, Yongrui. And if it works for multiple Qi Cores, then you''ve found a hidden gem of a cultivation technique." Of course, I don''t really have a reason to deny her offer since it would greatly help me. And right now, I haven''t actually practiced any cultivation technique ever since I woke up so practicing one might greatly aid me in my cultivation. I don''t know what type of cultivation technique Master was trying to teach me but I''m confident that it would be really effective since Master''s already at least above Transcendence Realm. "I express my gratitude, Master. I will definitely take the time to visit your Shelter one of these days to learn from you. Also, Master, are you already above the Transcendence Realm?" I asked out of the blue. shing a grin towards me, Master didn''t answer anything as she shook her head. At first, I thought she was shaking her head since I thought wrong about her cultivation level. But as it turned out, she was referring to something else with that gesture. "No, you don''t have to hurry. Just take your time visiting our shelter. In return, I will grant my daughter, Shi Meili, permission to apany you back at the Tang Shelter. I hope you will also agree to this." "It will be my pleasure, Master. I already nned to bring her along with me to the Tang Shelter." Master Shi Yanmei smiled. The two of us continue to stabilize the Qi Cores of the children and after a few minutes, they finally returned to normal. I''ve never felt so exhausted in my life since my Qi Energy was almost depleted. Before I knew it, my body copsed by itself and I found myself lying down on the floor. My muscles won''t even listen to me no matter how I tried to tell them to activate. In the end, I gave up trying to do anything and I just closed my eyes to get a quick rest on the floor. "Thank you, Yong Rui." I heard Yang Mei Mei''s voice before I finally slipped into unconsciousness. ..... No sooner had I slipped into unconsciousness than I woke up from my sleep. But just like any normal sleep, much time had already passed even though it felt like an instant. My eyes shot open and the first thing I saw was the unfamiliar ceiling in front of me. I was in a small room with a huge window by the side where an asional breeze blew in. ''At least I''m still alive.'' I said to myself as I removed the nket draped over me. And when I did so, I realized that there was another person sleeping beside me! I almost jolted upright but I managed to maintain myposure. When my eyes finally adjusted to the brightness of the morning, I realized that the person resting her head by the edge of my bed was someone I know. "Wu Yan? What are you doing here?" I asked, barely whispering. She didn''t stir. Without making any huge movements, I got up from the bed, trying my best not to wake her up. She probably looked after mest night while I was unconscious. After stretching my legs, I tiptoed out of the room. Still, I was surprised that Ipletely recovered my depleted Qi Energy after just spending a goodnight''s rest. It was probably all thanks to my constitution as a rabid human. I mean, I''ve always healed faster ever since I turned into one. In any case, at least I''m more than prepared for the Red Sea Tournament semi-finals today. When I got out of the room, I found myself in the room where the children are confined. I finally realized that I slept in one of the spare rooms of the clinic. "Good morning," "Good morning," I returned as I was greeted by the nurses working there. "Did you have a good sleep?" I nodded. "Thank you so much for saving these kids." "We are reallycking when ites to the Healing Element. We have a lot to learn from you, young man." "If you ever decided to stay here in the Red Sea Shelter, I hope you will help us manage all the clinics here." After smiling towards them, I just headed outside. I didn''t want to give them an answer since I''ve decided that I will join the Tang Shelter. It would be impolite to give them any false hopes, especially when they''re expecting a lot of things from me. The moment I got out of the clinic? I decided to head towards the Coliseum where the Red Sea Tournament is happening. It was still early in the morning, but I didn''t have anything else to do so here I was. "Yongrui?" Someone called from behind me. Chapter 135: Joint Extermination Chapter 135: Joint Extermination Wu Yan''s purplish hair danced with the breeze as she quickened her pace to catch up to me. It was still early morning so I found it weird that anyone''s walking outside. Since it was still early spring, the temperature could get so cold in the morning that I assumed no one would be outside at this time. "Wu Yan, good morning," I smiled in greeting as I walked towards her. "Aren''t you cold? It''s still early in the morning and you''re already spending your time outside." "I''m used to it." She nced down as if in embarrassment as she held a basket towards me. Just realized that she was holding a basket when she held it out. "I have the Ice Element so I don''t get cold easily." That exins it. "What''s this for?" I asked as I extended my hand to receive the basket. "I-I made you breakfast." She said with a blush on her face. Before I could give her a word of gratitude, she turned around and left without saying another word. From a few feet away, I could tell that her ears were beginning to redden. Seriously, how do I even respond to her? I know about her feelings towards me and I also do like her... but how do I tell her that? Besides? What would the others feel when I did? Even though they haven''t told me anything, I can more or less recognize their feelings. It''s not like I''m dense or something of that sort. Shaking my head in a fruitless attempt to try to forget everything that went through my mind just now, I helplessly wore a smile as I opened the basket and sat under one of the trees around the clinic. The sun was just starting to go up so I decided to enjoy it to the fullest before another hectic daymences. Just when I was about to open the basket Wu Yan gave me, a delectable fragrance wafted in the air, making my stomach responded with a growl. Whatever it is inside the basket made me go hungry in an instant. What was inside the basket were a couple of handmade sandwiches made out of the freshest meat and vegetables. Why do I know this? It''s because I''m a rabid human and my senses are heightened to the maximum. The fresh vegetables and meat were enough to make me salivate but I kept myposure so I didn''t ravenously devour the sandwiches. And then the bells rang... I was about to sink my teeth into one of the perfectly cut triangr sandwiches when the bells rang. Since I didn''t want to ruin the moment of my first bite, I returned the sandwich into the basket and put it in my storage ring. I then headed towards the entrance where the bells are resounding. Deep down, I kind of jinxed what happened to me this time since everything was going too well that I didn''t keep my guards up. I knew that there will always be no rest for someone like me, a man/rabid human dwelling in the infected limbo. I, for one, have no idea what the bells are for but it sounded like an emergency so I decided to head to the location of the bells to find out what was going on. I assumed that doing so would rid me of my ruined morning. But I was wrong, totally wrong. When I got to the entrance to the Red Sea Shelter, a few groups were already there. Liu Zhi''s party, the visitors from the Meili Sect including Master Shi Yanmei, the people from the Immovable Mountain Sect, and a few other parties who belonged to the Red Sea Shelter and other visiting shelters. For some reason, they were all already fully equipped with their high-grade equipment and some of them were in the process of polishing and sharpening their swords and weapons. As for the others who were already prepared, their party leaders started talking in front of them. I was still too far to hear what their leaders were saying but I can more or less conclude that they''re having a little pep talk before what''s about toe. "What''s happening?" I couldn''t help but ask. "Oh, Yong Rui, you''re here. You''re up early." Shen Rong greeted as he walked towards the group. For some reason, he was wearing a red robe this time instead of his usual ck robe. Also, he was wearing a few pieces of high-grade armor, probably s-rank ones, which are of the highest rank. "Are you all heading out? Is everything all right?" I knew that that was such a stupid question to ask but I realized there was a good reason why they were heading out, fully equipped. "It was my idea." Shen Rong proudly puffed his chest. "Since every neighboring shelter is already here, I figured that it''d be really productive if we do joint extermination of the rabid humans around us. And, I made it into a contest to see which party is the best hunting party out of everyone. Of course! There will be rewards as well!" Without hyping everyone up, Shen Rong removed his red robes, revealing a set of armor that shone against the sunlight. Albeit its white and golden in color, it didn''t seem like cheap armor at all. In fact, it looked like something that a holy knight would wear. "This is the White Beetle Armor Set, one of the few sets I have in the Red Sea Shelter treasury. This set of armor is S-rank, meaning it can block a hit against a cultivator in the Dao Realm and quite possibly, in the Transcendence Realm as well. And not only that, it also grants additional speed and power to the one wearing it. And since I have a few sets of it at my disposal, I figured that giving it to the party who will win on this contest would be for the best." "But " One of the hunters asked. "I know what you''re thinking. This type of high-grade set of armor can''t be worn by Ancient Realm cultivators and below. But! You can always sell it. Whichever works for you is fine since I don''t have the luxury to change the prize for this contest." At the notion that the armor would probably fetch a decent price in the market, everyone was ready to partake in the contest. Even Liu Zhi''s party, who never showed their enthusiasm when ites to hunting rabid humans, was raring to go when Shen Rong announced everything. And of course, I''ll be joining their party as well. I temporarily belong to Liu Zhi''s party after all. Now that I realized it, the other parties have at least seven to ten members with them whereas our party only has four. I don''t know why but Liu Zhi''s party is probably one of the reserve party and the others just died off. It must''ve sucked being undermanned this whole time. And that exins why they really wanted me to join their party. "This will be a mini-event before we start the semifinals of the Red Sea Tournament. I hope everyone does their utmost in eradicating the zombies. The number of points you get every time you defeat a zombie corresponds to the points attached to them. For example, a Stage-1 is one point, a Stage-2 is two points, so on and so forth. The other Shelter Leaders and I will be roaming around, tallying all your scores using a special pen and paper that prevents anyone from cheating. If anyone was caught doing suspicious things, he will automatically be eliminated from the contest. Of course, there will be voting involved. Everyone nodded in response. "Also, I will not allow killings in the midst of the hunt. Anyone who attempts to kill someone will be severely punished. The worst-case scenario is that you''ll be put to death. I hope all the participants take this to heart since this is of utmost importance." They nodded once again. One thing I don''t get about these things is the reason why another group would put another group down just so they could rise to the top. Even if no one told me, I know just how dangerous greediness is it eats at your soul and conscience and by the time you realized it, you''re already in the deep-end, trying to crawl out of the rabbit hole you dove into. Being greedy is fine, but being greedy to the point that you''ll try to put someone down just for you to go up? It seems kind of childish and yet... I''ve heard a lot of stories about it... true stories. Maybe I''m just so used to standing at the top in the past that it didn''t matter to me. But now, as I reverted back to being weak, I realized that there are a lot of messed up things in this world and it should be changed in someone''s mindset before they turn into a greedy monster. Even right now, I can detect menacing eyes and bloodthirsty aura emanating from the other parties as Shen Rong started the countdown for the officialmencement of the contest. "3... 2... 1... start!" Chapter 136: OP Detection Skills Chapter 136: OP Detection Skills "Let''s go!" Liu Zhi called out as he headed southeast from the Shelter. HIs decisiveness made us follow him without question and as for me, I concluded that he probably knew what he was doing. Wu Yan and de easily matched Liu Zhi''s pace as we traveled southeast. Well, it was a given since Liu Zhi is not really the fastest in the group albeit his Wind Element. This is one of the subjugations of rabid humans, right? Then I guess I can leave everything in Liu Zhi''s hands. He''s the leader of our party after all. "We''re going to the most remote part of the area here where not a lot of zombies are grouped up." Liu Zhi exined. "I figured that all the other parties would immediately head towards the most concentrated area to get all the points they need. With that in mind, it would be inevitable if the other parties were to get in a fight." "That''s true. But what if everyone else thought the same as you di " I called out, and then I stopped since I might jinx it. But now that I think about it, I think that a lot of parties would have the same mindset since they are all professional parties, or rather, rabid human hunters. And just as I thought... I was right. We only got a little bit farther into the southeast when we already met another party. "I knew it." I sighed as I prepared myself to fight. Well, I didn''t really prepare, I just nketed a huge area with my Qi Energy to detect everyone nearby. "Hey, are you heading this way, Yongrui?" One of the party members of the other party asked. For some reason, he was casually grinning as he waved towards our group. For someone in another party, he seemed to be a pacifist type not like the aggressive ones we usually encounter. "Yeah, but if you''re heading this way, then you can take it," Yongrui responded. "Your team is much better than ours anyways when ites to efficiency." "N-no, please take it! As you said, we''re more efficient in hunting. We can just look for another spot." Another party member of the other party shook his head and waved his hand, gesturing that we just move forward and ignore them. "Then, we''ll oblige." Liu Zhi cupped his hand. "de, Wu Yan, Yong Rui, this way." He signaled. Wait, what?! What just happened? Wu Yan probably saw my shocked expression since she chuckled underneath her breath. "You probably don''t know them, Yongrui, but they are one of the parties in our Red Sea Shelter. Wait, did you think we are the only ones in Red Sea Shelter?" "No, it''s just that, I''ve never met them before," I muttered. "Well, that exins it." Our group continued heading southeast, eradicating rabid humans we meet. Since they were at least Stage-2''s, it wasn''t that hard to hunt them down. I''m guessing that someone somewhere is watching everyone''s performance as they tallied our scores. If that were the case, then we can''t possibly continue hunting down Stage-2s. If we were to aim for the prize that Shen Rong offered to the winner, then we''d have to hunt rabid humans with higher stages. Since we weren''t meeting any rabid humans that would give us a significant amount of points, I decided to thin out the detection circle I released. After a few kilometers or so, I finally found something that would boost our points. "Liu Zhi, I''m detecting a horde three kilometers southeast from where we are. Should we head there?" I asked. "Do you know what stages are they? Also, if it is a huge horde, then they might have a leader within them. Can we defeat them?" Liu Zhi asked but he continued leading everyone to the southeast. In fact, he was charging even faster than before as if he has a clear goal of winning in his mind. I never thought that Liu Zhi was the type to take a contest seriously. Ever since we''ve started the Red Sea Tournament, I never saw him raise his voice in his cheers. The only thing he told me before I entered the stage on my first match was ''good luck'' so I thought he was indifferent towards contests and such. But now, he seemed more eager to winpared to the other party leaders. "Their leader has an aura of a Stage-Five. With our current strength, I think we can defeat it. The rabid humans under it are just Stage-3''s" I announced. de and Wu Yan looked at me in surprise as I announced. "How could you detect them so urately at such a distance?" Wu Yan asked out of the blue to which I don''t know what to reply since I just tried it out today. "Just as I thought, you really are a talented Scout, Yong Rui." de said with a smile on his face. A few minutes or soter, our group arrived at the location I pinpointed. And lo and behold, there really was a horde there. And fortunately, the horde was rtively weakerpared to our group. We didn''t have to call for other parties for help in subjugating this horde. "Let''s go." Liu Zhi smacked his lips as he charged straight on. I was about to stop him when I realized that all of them were already in the Immortal Realm. Even if he goes straight ahead, there''s no way the Stage-3 rabid humans would stand a chance against them. After all, a Stage-Three Rabid Human is only on par with cultivators in the Emperor Realm, which is two realms lower than the Immortal Realm. As for the leader of the horde, which is a Stage-Four High-Leveled Rabid Human, it''s only on par with the King Realm which is, again, a realm lower than the Immortal Realm. Countless wind des shed through the horde as Liu Zhi mercilessly shot them down. de also initiated attacking the other side of the horde as well, just so they won''t be able to get away. As for those who managed to slip through de, they were frozen to the core, courtesy of Wu Yan''s Ice Element. I almost cheered in surprise as I realized that their cultivation has risen by a lot. They were at least on the Fourth Level of the Immortal Realm and they are on the verge of a breakthrough, the essences and cultivation techniques that I gave them must''ve worked their charm. Even though they are still starting and there aren''t really any solid results from their training, it was obvious that they''ve gotten a lot more formidablepared to when I first met them. The leader of the bunch was just a Stage-Four High-Leveled Screecher Rabid Human. And even though it has superb agility and strength on par with those in the Peak King Realm, it immediately knew that it stood no chance against our bunch. Using the other rabid humans in the horde as its meat shield, it tried to escape, using its speed to its advantage. Nevertheless, the other rabid humans were like meat being presented to a slicer since they were instantly killed by Liu Zhi and the others. Since there was no escape for the Screecher, it stopped in the middle of the horde and tried to hold its fort for as long as possible. Its screeches constantly resounded in the air, making me impulsively cover my ears in frustration. I badly wanted to just go over there and give the Screecher a good slice on its neck. But Liu Zhi''s actions told me that any help would be unnecessary. That''s why I remained where I was as they did their job. In any case, their teamwork was really fascinating when ites to hunting down rabid humans. Figures, they were probably doing the same stuff over and over again for the past five years. A moment ago, they were beating themselves up, trying to tell the other party member we met that our party was inferior to them. Little did I know, they were just trying to act meek about it. When ites to efficiency, they are probably one of the top parties I''ve ever seen... or I may be biased since Liu Zhi''s party was the only party I''ve seen. But that doesn''t mean that my inwardpliments for them are fake. They really are oddly efficient when ites to eliminating a horde. "de, take care of the nk, I''m almost done over here!" Liu Zhi shouted. "Wu Yan, we need all the points we can get. Don''t let a single rabid human slip past us! Remember, a single rabid human gone is one less infected in the world." "Yes, leader." de and Wu Yan answered in unity. During the course of the battle, the Screecher kept on screeching and screeching... and screeching until it met its demise. Even when it was on the verge of death, it still tried to screech but to no avail. "We did it!" Liu Zhi cheered as he walked towards me. "Now, where to next?" He asked. And that''s when I detected it. Chapter 137: Skill: Virus Madness Chapter 137: Skill: Virus Madness I could still hear the Screecher Rabid Human screaming its heart out as if it''s its throes of death. Those screams, akin to screeches someone makes when they''re in great pain, resounded all over the surrounding. It''s as if it wanted to leave a mark before it died, and it did so in the way of screeching in a heartrending manner. At least, that''s what I thought it did. But as it turned out, such wasn''t the case. As soon as Liu Zhi''s party cleared out the horde in front of us I didn''t really do anything regarding the horde, I just stood there watching everyone do their thing the ground started to rumble as if something ominous was about to befall us. My first thought was to retreat with everyone but Liu Zhi''s party was too into their celebration that they didn''t even notice the rumbling that came from the ground. And then I realized that I was the only one who could sense it. It''s either the noise was directed specifically at me, or something''s about toe for us but they''re still a great distance away. I''m guessing it''s thetter. Without telling Liu Zhi and the others, I found afortable spot underneath a tree and heaved a sigh. I tried to focus on spreading my Qi Energy even more so I could detect what''sing for us. It didn''t even take a split second before I realized that another huge horde was located on the south. The only difference was, this time, they were all Stage-4s and their leader was at least a Stage-7. It was quite a formidable assembly of rabid humans that I figured it''d be best to leave it to the higher-ups like Shen Rong. But then again, I realized that this is a rare chance and an opportunity for us to get the top prize that Shen Rong presented for us. I mean, a risk has its rewards... but is it worth risking our lives for a measly high-grade armor? "Liu Zhi, is something wrong?" Wu Yan asked as they approached me. They might''ve noticed the stern face I was wearing that they became mildly concerned about it. "Thousands of Stage-4 Rabid Humans, can you take care of them?" I asked with a straight face. I don''t know the exactbat power of Liu Zhi''s party right now but if they could take care of the Stage-4''s for me, then I could easily stall or tank the Stage-7 Rabid Human that leads the entire horde. And then, once they''ve cleared out the Stage-4s, we could gang up on their leader and get rid of the horde. There''s also the option of turning berserk and ughtering everyone in my sight. But I don''t really want to rely on that right now. If worsees to worst, then I''d resort to it. But I won''t use it if I could help it. "Stage-4''s? And thousands of them? That would be a problem." Liu Zhi put his thumb on his chin as he tried to analyze the situation. It''s tough being a leader, all right. "Wu Yan, how powerful is your Ice Domain?" "About fifty meters in diameter. I can make itrger but it would greatly drain my Qi Energy. With fifty meters, I could maintain it for at least an hour." Wu Yan responded. "How about your Wind des, Liu Zhi? How many can you use at the maximum right now?" "About three per second. I can keep it up for two hours if I go at that pace. But if I ever run out of Qi Energy, I can still fight at close quarters like de. As long as we have your domain set-up, we can keep up with the Stage-4s." "I can still enhance my speed by using my Qi Energy. If things get ugly, I can pull all of you out and run away from the horde." de offered. "I won''t be using that much Qi Energy when ites to fighting since I''ll be using my daggers." "So you can take care of the Stage-4s?" I reconfirmed. Deep inside, I was hoping that they won''t say yes since I felt guilty withholding the information that the rabid human leading the Stage-4''s is a Stage-7 High Leveled Rabid Human. Liu Zhi looked at de and Wu Yan and nodded. "This is a one in a lifetime chance of proving our worth as a party. If you''re with us, Yong Rui, then we''ll take it." ''There''s no stopping these guys.'' I sighed. I felt a bit of adrenaline rushing out my system as I eagerly anticipated the uing battle with the next wave of hordes. ..... A few minutester, the horde of Stage-4''s came rolling down the forest like a huge tsunami wave. There were at least two thousand of them, trampling the trees that stood on their way. And to my surprise, they were all Screechers! There''s no doubt about it. They came here to get revenge for their friend who we just killed. Although they were already rabid humans, I could still feel a bit of emotion emanating from them one of wrath and anger. "Yong Rui... did you perhaps... get your predictions wrong?" Liu Zhi''s mouth twitched as he stole a nce towards me with pleading eyes. With my enhanced eyesight, I could tell that his legs and knees were beginning to shake and rattle at a terrifying degree. I take that back, I didn''t even need my enhanced sight to see that he was nervously shaking like the tail of a rattlesnake. "Yong Rui, we have to get out of here, right now," de muttered in a low voice. "It seems that your predictions are incorrect." "That''s a Stage-7 High-Leveled Screecher, right? Right?" Wu Yan stammered. She was so nervous that her voice started getting shaky. Liu Zhi''s party stared at me. There were only three hundred meters of a gap before the horde caught up to us and they were waiting for me to voice out the final decision. I think Liu Zhi was trying to make me have a final opinion since I was the one who told them about the horde. If it were a regr person, they would''ve tucked their tail and run for their lives... but not for Liu Zhi, de, and Wu Yan. they just stood there. Or maybe, part of the reason why they couldn''t leave was that their nerves got the better of them. I can''t me them, though. "That''s why I was asking you if you could take care of the Stage-4''s. I''ll go take care of their leader." I said with utmost confidence as I stepped forward and clenched my fists. "I''ll leave all the STage-4''s to you while I go aim for their leader''s head." The atmosphere that was once darkened by their nervousness suddenly became brighter than before as the three of them heaved a sigh of relief. The tenseness of their shoulders disappeared and Liu Zhi even went as far as to let out a slight chuckle. "So that''s what this is for. You wanted us to take care of the small fries, huh." Liu Zhi rubbed his nose. "Then, leave it to us. We''ll try our best to not hold you back." "Look at him now, acting all high and mighty for a young man." de said, patting me on the back. "You''ve gotten stronger, Yong Rui. If you want us to take care of the weaker ones, then you should just go straight up and tell us. You know we''re good at those." As for Wu Yan, she simply stood there, with clenched fists, as her eyes glistened in admiration. For a moment there, my heart skipped a beat but I wore a straight face and tried to actposed all the way. Then the sh began. If one Screecher could let out a screech that resonated through a great distance, then one wouldn''t be able to imagine just how much noise a thousand Screechers could make. As soon as the horde caught up to us, they started screeching, making my brain want to shrivel up and die as their screeches almost destroyed my eardrums. In a split second, I immediately covered Liu Zhi, de, and Wu Yan with my Qi Energy so the noise wouldn''t bother them. With a nod of thanks, they started their attack with the same formation as before. This was my first time using one of my skills called the Virus Madness. If I remember correctly, this skill allows me to activate the virus in my body, making it possible to raise my cultivation level in a short period of time. Depending on the amount of virus I have in my body, I could step two realms above my original cultivation at a maximum. But what I didn''t know was that there was a drawback in using such a scary skill. Chapter 138: Massacre Chapter 138: Massacre My incessant breathing aggravated as seconds passed, making me wheeze like a rabid dog. I could feel my lungs tightening, constricting my heart which was just behind it. It wasn''t one of my greatest feelings since I felt like I just got infected by a serious disease. "Yong Rui, are you " Liu Zhi stopped short and turned around as he called for my attention. But before he could finish what he asked of me, he stopped short. He probably noticed the changes in my body, catching him off guard and making him swallow his words. I could feel my shirt getting more and more cramped as my body structure expanded, ballooning up twice its size and transforming me into a monster I never wished to be. Such a hideous sight might''ve scared everyone out of their wits but they held theirposure and decided to avert their eyes from me as they focused on the fight at hand. What''s happening to me? I asked myself as my vision darkened. I thought I was getting blind but I realized that some of my vessels were beginning to pop, drowning my irises in blood in the process. And to add to the atmosphere of my physique, a voice emerged from my head, telling me to massacre everyone I see... telling me to kill... telling me that I should start killing or the voice would drive me crazy. Fortunately, my Qi Cores weren''t on the verge of copsing. I''m guessing the skill Virus Madness was just there to whisper a few words of encouragement in my head so I would be an efficient killer. That''s why I ignored it for now and started to ess my Qi Cores to stabilize the Virus a little bit. I don''t want to get out of control anymore. Even if I seem like going out of control, I would like to at least maintain a portion of my sanity so I wouldn''t endanger Liu Zhi and the others... especially Wu Yan. I would kill myself if Wu Yan came to hate me, to say the least. Something in my throat started climbing up, trying to w its way to my mouth as I tried so hard to suppress it. But just like an inevitable farting out of one''s system, that something finally reached my mouth and I had no choice but to release it. "Raaaaarghhhh!" I growled as my head tilted upwards like a lone wolf hunting for its prey. "Skreeeeeee " The Stage-Seven High-Leveled Screecher Rabid Human returned my scream with a screech of his as if telling me that he was the only one who deserves to let out such a scream. "Raaaargh!" Another scream escaped my lips, and then, my legs started pumping up and down as I started running impulsively. In conclusion, I can more or less say that the skill Virus Madness certainly lives up to its name. If ever, I felt like I turned into a madman who needs to be sent to an asylum, or a mental institute asap. So this is how it feels like to have the crazies. A voice in your head constantly tells you what to do and your body reacts even though you tell it not to. Yeah, I''m totally crazy right now. Liu Zhi and the others made the right decision to avoid me as I charged straight through the horde without reprieve. There was nothing in my head except the thought of killing every single Stage-4 Screecher I see. My body, my hands, and my legs ballooned up in size just so I could meet that goal and just so I could satisfy the voice in my head. Needless to say, the Screechers don''t stand a chance against me right now, More like, they never stood a chance against me. Aside from feeling like a crazy person, I also feel like my cultivation rose up by two realms... and it wasn''t even an understatement. Right now, my Original Qi Core has a cultivation status of King Realm... but I feel like my cultivation rose up to the Ancient Realm. And as for my Virus Qi Core, I felt like its cultivation status rose up in the Transcendence Realm since it is currently on the Ancient Realm right now. There was no doubt about it. With the strength, I''m currently at, right now. I figured that my overall cultivation could very well be on the verge of Beyond Transcendence that is, cultivation which is a realm higher than Transcendence. An oppressive aura leaked from my being as I plowed my way through the horde like a super bulldozer. The voice in my head kept getting louder and louder until it began ringing in my ears. But even with all that, I still had the mental fortitude to ignore it. It was probably because I was used to listening to the System and Hui-ying in my head that I''m somehow resistant to the voice that was telling me to kill. It''s quite a relief. At least I still have a sense of control over my body even though it''s just a little bit. The Stage-7 Screecher opened its mouth as it was about to let out another screech when I finally caught up to it. Before it could scream its lungs out once again, I stepped forward and cupped my hand on its mouth, and smashed his head on the ground. His legs iled everywhere, trying to kick its way out of things but I held it down. Without wasting a single second I then brought my other hand down in a chopping motion towards the Screecher Rabid Human''s shoulders. Before, the Stage-7 High-Leveled Screecher had no life in its eyes, but now that I''ve done what I did, it became more lifeless than ever. Needless to say, my hand chop managed to cut off his hand in one swift motion just like how a butter knife cuts through a butter easily. Seeing that their leader is in a pinch, the other Screechers turned towards me and tried to gang up on me like the horde they are. I wasn''t even paying attention to them at first but now, they dared challenge me. The insolence of these rabid humans knows no bounds. And because of that, Liu Zhi, de, and Wu Yan managed to pick them off one by one since their formation copsed. The Stage-4 Screechers could''ve put up a great fight if they weren''t intimidated by me. But now, their defenses were broken and Liu Zhi''s party didn''t waste the opportune moment to annihte them. It was a one-sided struggle, to say the least. Those who managed to reach me were met with either my zing mes or my wind element. My Qi Cores were always on the verge of going out of control, so using the reserve Qi Energy from it actually benefited me. And these Qi Energy manifested into my newly-obtained elements of fire and wind, giving me the defense I need while annihting those whoe close. Liu Zhi and the others looked at me in shock as they saw the Stage-4''s just erupting into mes or erupting into a bloody mess as they approached me. It was one of the perks of having such strong mastery over an element. I can intricately control them without expending a lot of Qi Energy while the output of the attacks remained the same. "Hey, leader," de called out as he beheaded five Screechers in front of him. The reason why he could easily do it was that their attention was focused on me and not them. "Yes?" Liu Zhi forced himself to smile. "Do you think Yong Rui still needs us? How on earth is he still in King Realm?" de asked, trying to figure out the uniqueness of my constitution. "Look, he said he''s going to take care of the leader and he''s doing a good job at it. The only thing we could do right now to assist him is to continue getting rid of the Stage-4''s so we can finish up faster." Liu Zhi called out. Right now, he was firing countless wind des towards the head of the Screechers. Clearly, he was overextending his usage of his Qi Energy. Trying to w its way out of my grasp, the leader of the horde helplessly iled as I held its head on the ground. I didn''t want to kill it just yet so that the other screechers would feel threatened by my actions. And just like that, we were able to pick them out one by one, or rather, it was Liu Zhi''s party who did all the work. Really, the only thing I did was stall the Stage-Seven Screecher and that''s about it. [Skill: Area Taunt Description: Taunts all enemies in a hundred-meter radius, making them attack you. This Skill is only effective on enemies that have lower cultivation than you. As for enemies with higher cultivation, there''s a forty percent chance that this skill will work against them.] Chapter 139: Conclusion: Joint Extermination Chapter 139: Conclusion: Joint Extermination "Shen Rong," Someone called out, making him look back. He was just about to ry the results of the group extermination when someone caught up behind him, calling his attention. "Yes?" Shen Rong didn''t recognize who the person was but she looked oddly familiar. After a few seconds of thinking too much, Shen Rong dismissed that she was probably someone from a different shelter. He isn''t entirely mistaken, however, since thedy was definitely from another shelter specifically the Immovable Mountain Sect. And how do I know that? Well, I know her since she''s the daughter of the Sect Master of the Immovable Mountain Sect. She was also the one who was assigned to watch over our party as the tallies were counted. Still, she grew up to be a fine young woman. She can''t even bepared to that maniptive father of his. Seriously, that guy should be weaker than me. And now he''s probably in the Transcendence Realm... I hate it. "This is the tally of all the infected that Liu Zhi''s party killed." She reported, handing him a piece of paper. "I was surprised when I saw them inbat. As expected of the top one hunting party of the Red Sea Shelter." "You tter us, miss " Shen Rong stopped short as his mouth gaped open. His jaws seemed to fall down on the floor the more he looked at the paper handed to him. "Is this... is this report urate?" "Yes, you can check the locations of the hordes to the southeast. They killed at least five formidable hordes and didn''t even suffer a single scratch. And in that regard, that''s the reason why I came to you, Shen Rong, Shelter Leader of the Red Sea Shelter." "No need to be so formal." Shen Rong dismissed as he scratched his head. Is this old man really losing hisposure in front of this woman? How embarrassing. Even I don''t go around looking like an idiot like that. That''s someedic expression he''s wearing, all right. "We would like to formally recruit your shelter member, Yong Rui. If you agreed to us, we will agree on allying ourselves with your shelter and we will also take care of all your cultivators with the resources we have. Not only that, but Yong Rui will also get the resources he deserves so he can reach greater heights with his power. As for the price, just name it and we will try to negotiate with you. That''s what fathe er, I mean, that''s what our shelter leader wants to ry to you, Shelter Leader Shen Rong." "So that''s the reason why." Sighing, Shen Rong waved his hand as if he was giving in to the Immovable Mountain Shelter''s request. The woman''s eyes lit up a little bit but they then lost their color a split second after when Shen Rong continued speaking. "But I''m sorry to say this Shen Rong isn''t actually part of our shelter. He is just temporarily staying here. He''s already connected to the Tang Shelter. Trust me, I also tried recruiting him over to our side but he cannot budge. Instead, he gave me precious and priceless gifts to thank me for allying ourselves with the Tang Shelter." "I see. So that''s how it is. Then, if you''ll excuse me, Shelter Leader." The woman cupped her hands before leaving the tform where Shen Rong stood. The woman went down the tform as Shen Rong turned around, wondering why the only daughter of the Immovable Mountain Shelter Leader approached him. It probably dawned on him that not a lot of cultivators nor bigshots know about my identity. Well, figures, I just started going with this identity when I woke up weeks ago. "Do you think we got first ce?" Liu Zhi muttered to de, thinking that I don''t hear him. He nced at me from time to time as he continued talking to de and Wu Yan. "I mean, we did kill a Stage-7, that''s already more than what all the other parties could kill." "That may be the case, but if another party managed to discover a huge horde with a lot of Stage-1''s, then we''ll still lose. The only thing that we could do is wait for the results and hope for the best. In my opinion, though, I think we handled ourselves pretty well." "We may as well get to the top three, all thanks to Yong Rui. Of course." Wu Yan agreed. As the sun fully came out of the horizon, disying its glory on top of Shen Rong''s head as he announced the winners, every party gathered around Shen Rong as he cleared his throat. From the looks of it, I don''t think that we''re the ones who won the match since he wasn''t ncing at us. If I were to assume something... I guess it would be the Meili Sect who will get the reward. With everyone gathered together, Shen Rong finally looked up and addressed everyone. "And that concludes the join extermination today. I would like to thank every party for participating in this extermination. Although I only have a few high-grade essences to give out to everyone in the top three, I would like to once again express my gratitude to everyone who cooperated. One zombie eliminated is one less zombie in the world." Shen Rong continued. The once noisy atmosphere of the area instantaneously became quiet as Shen Rong held out a piece of paper in front of him. Even Liu Zhi''s party was gulping along with everyone as they nervously and patiently waited for the results. At the very least, the joint extermination took at least three hours so anything can happen. Nevertheless, our party managed to defeat five hordes and one of them was a formidable one. Still, since there are only four of us at our party, I won''t be surprised if another party managed to snag first ce from us. I mean, there are parties with ten or so members. Like how is that fair? This is just my biased opinion, however. If I were in their position, I would be ming our party for only having four members when we could recruit more. "As announced before, the tallied points correspond to the quantity of the zombies hunted. Their Stages y a big role as well. That''s why efficiency and strength are important in this contest. You can hunt a Stage-2 but another party could hunt ten Stage-1''s by the time you''re done." ''Just get to the main point already, I''m genuinely curious if we won or not.'' I said to myself, impatiently tapping my foot on the ground while waiting. "Without further ado, I will now announce the party who got third-ce... With four thousand, one hundred twenty-six, points, Wu Jia''s party from the Immovable Mountain Shelter wins third ce!" Shen Rong excitedly announced as a man beside him nodded and presented a few Essences and Pills to Wu Jia and yes, she was thedy who approached Shen Rong before the announcements started. "Thank you, Red Sea Shelter Leader Shen Rong." With a slight bow and cupping of hands, Wu Jia expressed his thanks as she received the rewards. "Four thousand points? Isn''t that too many? How many zombies did they kill?" "That''s the Immovable Mountain Sect for you. When ites to exterminating zombies, they are one of the best!" "If they are really that good, then why are they third ce?" "Shut up, leader. Our party isn''t even in the top three. You''re making us lose face here." "Yeah, and how many members do they have? Seven. We have ten members in our party and we only managed to get five hundred points." "Bunch of good-for-nothings." "Who are you to talk? Your party ranking is even lower than ours!" Before we knew it, every party was murmuring under their breath as they tried to figure out who got more than four thousand points. In the process, they also started fighting andining amongst themselves as they realized the difference in strengths when ites to being rabid human hunters. Have they no pride? Why would they stoop so low trying to put each other down when they''re all at the bottom? I don''t get it. "Now let''s move on to the second ce... actually, the Second ce and first ce are really close. First ce only won by a mere two hundred points." Shen Rong continued. No way? If that''s the case.. then which party i I stopped short as I saw Shi Meili''s anxious face. So it was their party, huh. That exins it. No other party could go head to head with their party when ites to rabid human exterminations. I mean, I saw it first-hand when they dealt with the Stage-Nine Imperial Rabid Human before. Their strength really is frightening well, I didn''t really see it. When I woke up it was already defeated or something like that. "For second ce, having the score of thirteen thousand five hundred and fifty-nine points... " Shen Rong said. "Second ce goes to " " Liu Zhi''s Party!" Chapter 140: Second Place... Chapter 140: Second ce... My muscles tensed for a little bit as the shock slowly came to me. I looked around and see everyone dropping their jaws in shock at the score we got and somehow, it made me feel a little bit consoled since we only got second ce. To think that we only got second ce after killing at least four hordes? Sigh~ reality does hit hard when it shows up. One by one, the other parties and their members dropped their jaw at the outstanding numbers we''ve achieved. And although they looked please, I could see the disappointed expressions on Liu Zhi, de, and Wu Yan''s faces. I didn''t even look downtrodden about it but they looked worse. For one, Liu Zhi looked aggravated, clenching his fists while biting his lips as he hung his head down. As for de, he nced at me once, and then he tried so hard to avoid looking me in the eyes. Wu Yan was the same, they look crestfallen... and it''s the most expression I could get from them ever since I met them. I was genuinely surprised that they could make those expressions. After all, they never seemed like the type to feel that bad after a loss. I guess I never really knew them that well. "Come, on. We have to go upstage." With a sincere and warm smile on my face, I patted them on the shoulder, indicating that we should go and receive our prize. I mean, it''s still second ce, and we were up against parties with a lot of members and some of them were even on the Ancient Realm or something. "Believe it or not, Liu Zhi''s party only has four members at the moment and they are already this strong. And what''s more, three of them are in the Immortal Realm and thest member is just on the King Realm." Shen Rong lightheartedly said as he let out a hearty chuckle. I''m guessing he said that just so Liu Zhi and the others would feel better. But the reaction he received was something he didn''t expect. "Haah?!" Shi Yanmei eximed as she heard Shen Rong''s obvious hints. Clearly, Shen Rong was implicating that the others were on a much higher rank than his party. And yet, they managed to snag second ce. And unsurprisingly, she wasn''t the only one who reacted the same way. "No way, are they really?!" "How many Ancient Realm Cultivators do we have? Is this real?!" "Yeah, I''ve known Liu Zhi''s party for years. They are still in the Immortal Realm. This is surprising." "Wait, really?! Then what does that make us?" "I presume the one who got first ce is the Meili Sect?" "Figures, they have a lot of Ancient Realm and Dao Realm cultivators in their main party." "Their main party has a dozen members right? That''s three times more than Liu Zhi''s party." "Shut up, our team has fourteen members and we didn''t even make it to top three." "Maybe they just got lucky, they might''ve found thirteen thousand Stage-1''s" "Are you stupid or what? How could you find a horde like that." "Yeah, how? We couldn''t even find a single Stage-1 around." "Maybe they hunted every Stage-1s?" "Then that would''ve taken them the whole day. Are you for real?" Even though the others were unintentionally showering them withpliments, Liu Zhi, de, and Wu Yan still seemed downhearted as our party walked up the stage. If it were me, I would have stopped short and turned around, addressing everyone that we''re the best party in the area. But somehow, that didn''t even ur in their minds. They were too engrossed with the loss... but why? "I''m sorry, Yong Rui. As the leader of this party, we should''ve gotten first ce with you in our team." Liu Zhi said. "I swear in my life that I will definitely get stronger. Or at least, strong enough to be able to assist you." "Yong Rui, even though you gave us all those Essences and Pills, and even gave us cultivation techniques... we were still not strong enough. It would''ve been so easy to get first ce since you were with us... but it was our own fault we only got second ce." "When we heard about the prize, we thought that we would work hard in order to obtain that high-grade set of armor. We thought that giving it to you would at least show our gratitude for everything you''ve done for us. And yet, we were still short two hundred points. It was our shorings that led to our loss. We''re really sorry, Yong Rui." Wu Yan added. What are they talking about? They''ve done their best. I''ve never seen them go above and beyond like that and they were in no waycking in effort. I''m definitely sure of this since I saw that their Qi Energy was almost depleted when the joint extermination was over. Although they paced themselves, they never took any of the battles lightly. Why do they talk like they didn''t give their best? If you say it like that... As a former Sect Master, I can''t leave them alone like this. They''ve done their best. They are in no position to droop their head around like that. We are in second ce, right? They shouldn''t act as if we got thest ce. Or maybe, in their heart, they think that they''re being a burden sigh, seriously. WIth arms outstretched, I turned around before Shen Rong could give me our reward. Since we were already on the stage, every party and their members were on the ground, looking up as they marvel in all our glory well, that''s just in my perspective. They''re not doing that at all. "We''re just in the Immortal Realm right now, but when we get to Ancient Realm, then that''s when we''ll get serious," I said with all the confidence I got. "Liu Zhi, don''t droop your head like that, our party got the lowest member count and the lowest overall cultivation level. Getting second ce is already a huge achievement. " The people down below went utterly silent as we received the reward and got down the stage. Whilst going down, I saw Shi Yanmei, smiling towards me as she nudged at her daughter. Shi Meili, on the other hand, couldn''t look me in the eyes as her party walked towards the stage to im their prize. "Even t-though we... um." Shi Meili said as she addressed everyone. "First ce is still first ce!" She shouted while her eyes were closed. It was obvious that she was flustered to the core. ..... "We got second ce, that''s all there is to it. You''ve done well for a team of Immortal realm cultivators." Iforted Liu Zhi since he was still hanging her head down like a wilted tree as we sat around the table in the middle of the living room. Right now, we''re already back to the house where Liu Zhi''s party resides. Yang Mei Mei and Luo Zehn were already there, preparing some sort ofte breakfast. Apparently, they also eagerly waited outside for the announcement so they weren''t able to prepare anything for us. "But still... no, you''re right." Liu Zhi said, forcing himself to smile as he shook his head in denial. "We can''t go around being mopey about it. All that we have to do is get stronger." Liu Zhi said... but it was evident that he was forcing himself to smile just so I wouldn''t worry about them. "We could only cook roasted chicken for ate breakfast. Is that okay, Yong Rui?" Yang Mei Mei asked as she walked inside the living room with Luo Zehn right behind her. "That''s hardly breakfast at all," Imented. After the two roasted chicken was ced on the table, Luo Zehn set the utensils and the other side dishes that he cooked. Yes, surprisingly, Luo Zehn could cook, as expected of someone who uses the Fire Element. Honestly, I didn''t know he could cook... wait, this is actually delicious. Although some of them were just sauteed vegetables, they turned out extremely well,plimenting the roasted chicken which was the main dish for breakfast. Maybe I was just so hungry, or maybe I wasn''t used to a normal meal like this... but indeed, this is delicious in its own way. "Right, after the Red Sea Tournament, are we heading straight to the Void Tower?" I asked. Somehow, I felt a bit exhausted for the day even though it''s still morning. "Yes, we will try to clear out as many floors as we can today. And then if we can''t move on, we''ll leave it to Shen Rong toplete everything." Liu Zhi affirmed. "But well, I hope we could get to thest floor with just our strength." ''No, that''s impossible.'' I thought to myself as I remembered everything that Hui-ying told me about that certain dungeon. Knock. Knock. Our group immediately went silent as we heard the knock on the door. "Yongrui, are you there?" A woman''s voice asked. Chapter 141: Semi-finals Chapter 141: Semi-finals "Yongrui, are you there?" The woman''s voice asked from behind the doorway. I recognize that voice. Shi Meili? What is she doing here? The moment I stood up from where I was seated, Yang Mei Mei and Wu Yan red at me for a split second and then reverted back to their former expression as they enjoyed the delectablete breakfast we''re having. Hmph, they are probably underestimating me, thinking that I wouldn''t notice the shift in their faces. "Excuse me one second." I addressed the others before I walked towards the doorway. All the while, I was wondering why Shi Meili would visit me when we just saw each other a few minutes ago during the joint extermination party. Did she have something to tell me? Or maybe, has she finally decided to go with me to Tang Shelter? I mean, I know she would go with me but that doesn''t mean she can''t change her mind at thest minute... wait maybe she came here because she changed her mind. No, that shouldn''t be the case. Her voice didn''t sound like she''s going to ry some bad news, not at all. Since I couldn''t let my mind go through countless scenarios that would just tire me out, I think I decided to just open the door and not think about anything else. And just as I expected, there she was. "H-hi," Shi Meili stammered as her face reddened. The redness on her face spread all over her face until it reached the tip of her ears, making her appear like a fairy rather than a person. After blinking her eyes twice, she held her breath and pulled out something from her storage ring. "I worked so hard to get this... this is for you." She said. "Um~ thanks," I muttered as I extended my hand. But before I could receive it, she dropped it in front of me and ran away without looking back. Fortunately, my reflexes were speedy enough to enable me to catch the falling ''present'' from Shi Meili. All this time, I was looking straight at Shi Meili''s prepossessing face, mesmerized by her beauty. That''s why I didn''t even notice what she gave me until thest moment when she left. Honestly, she was so small before and now she''s fully grown up. I mean, in the past, she was just like a baby fox, always following me around, trying to impress me. She was really talented so it wasn''t that hard for me to notice her. But the only thing was, I never really called out to her in the past. In fact, I think I was dead set on ignoring her before... yeah, I was so stupid that I just focused on trying to get stronger and stronger. Gah~ if only I wasn''t stupid back then. I wouldn''t have missed my chance. I would''ve had experienced a life of romance before I died. When Shi Meili was already a few hundred meters away, that''s when I realized that the "present" that she gave me was actually the high-grade set of armor that their party won during the joint extermination. A brief feeling of bliss swept me as I stared at the armor with its intricate gold carvings and pure white appearance. It was truly befitting of the name high-grade armor. I must say, none of my high-grade armors looked as well-made as this. Even though they have higher stats, they don''t look half as good as the white and gold armor that I got from Shi Meili. But that feeling of happiness came to a halt when I realized that I didn''t deserve the armor. Sure she wholeheartedly gave it to me, but what would my party members feel if they see me wearing it. That''s why I decided to keep it in my storage ring, for now, hoping that I could use it in the near future. Nevertheless, I kept on getting the itch to try it on right now since it really looked sophisticated. I closed the door and headed back to the table where Liu Zhi and the others were expecting me to return. For a good few seconds, they stared at me from head to toe, wondering if I were any different from a few seconds ago. "She just gave me something, that''s all." I said, hoping that their suspicions would get cleared. "Mmm... " de''s eyes narrowed as he intently stared at me even harder than before. "It doesn''t seem like she gave you an item. Perhaps, she gave you the mark of her lips? Or am I looking too into this?" "A k-k-kiss?!" Wu Yan and Yang Mei Mei eximed as they mmed the table with their small fists. "N-no it was a " I panicked as I tried toe up with a reasonable excuse. But before I did so, de and Liu Zhi burst outughing as if they were just messing with Wu Yan and Yang Mei Mei. I guess, they really were messing with them. There''s no doubt about it. "Are you ready for the semi-finals, Yong Rui?" Liu Zhi asked, spontaneously changing the subject just so the girls wouldn''t feel any more humiliated. "This is the fifth time you asked me that." I calmly said, chewing on a mouthful of chicken that I quickly put in my mouth. Liu Zhi should learn a thing or two from me. When ites to changing the topic, the most effective way is to fill your mouth with food so no one would bother prying you into answering more questions. And also, it helps with the atmosphere as well. I mean, I genuinely am enjoying the meal right now so my appearance probably matches my feelings. When breakfast was over, our group decided to head towards the Coliseum where the Red Sea Tournament is being held. Compared to before, Liu Zhi and the others seemed more nervous than before. They were totally shaking in their boots every time they took a step forward. "Why are you more nervous than I am?" I asked since I couldn''t take it anymore. "We know you''re strong, Yong Rui, but your opponents are a realm higher than you. I mean, technically, they''re two realms higher than you since they''re on the peak Immortal Realm. if you were to fight with them, I think the two of you would be evenly matched." Liu Zhi lengthily exined. "So, why does that make you nervous? Shouldn''t you feel relieved that I can go head to head with them?" "But it was clear you overextended yourself while we were in the joint extermination earlier. Who knows, maybe you''re just putting up a farce right now but deep inside, your Qi Energy is already depleted." de continued, totally agreeing with Liu Zhi''s statement. "Yes, Yong Rui. We don''t want to worry about you but we can''t help it." Wu Yan said. "Do well on your semi-finals match, okay?" "Leave it to me. I didn''t survive the outside world for five years just so I''d be defeated in a semi-finals match. Besides, my opponent is someone who''s got a rotten personality so where am I going with my words again?" Somehow, the subject of my opponent''s rotten personality just came out of my mouth of nowhere. "That''s riching from a King Realm. Didn''t expect that my opponent would stoop that low." I heard a voice from behind my group. A sweet-smelling fragrant wafted in the air as I managed to catch a glimpse of the woman behind me. Just as I thought, the person behind me was Zeng Meihui or whatever her name is. Although her name was the epitome of beauty and wisdom, her personality is as rotten as a corpse of a dead beast. I know because I''ve seen how she fought in the previous matches. She was merciless, and her way of fighting is uneptable. Enough about her personality. When ites to her appearance, she was a real beauty. Just like her name, she''s probably the epitome of wisdom nd beauty as well. If only her personality was just as good. She has pink hair and pink eyes, and her figure could rival that of Xiang Xiaoqing''s. I''ve heard a few spectators talking about them and from what I could gather, she''s in the top three of the most beautiful and graceful women in the area. "Oh, you''re here, didn''t expect that my opponent would be eavesdropping in my group''s conversation," I said with a smirk. "I look forward to exchanging fists with you." I said, cupping my hands. "Exchanging fists? How primitive. I don''t even have to raise my hand to defeat you. Didn''t you know, I''m known as the Hundred Poison Lady. You don''t stand a chance against me." She continued as a malevolent aura enveloped her entire being. "Hundred Poison Lady? Isn''t she an old woman? Did you do something to revert your age and your cultivationdy as well? What happened to you?" I sarcastically asked, fully knowing what her rtionship is with the original ''Hundred Poison Lady'' "Wha how dare you call my mom an old woman!" She retaliated, gritting her teeth towards me. "Whatever, just look forward to your one-sided beatingter." Chapter 142: Zeng Meihui Chapter 142: Zeng Meihui "Begin!" Shen Rong brought his hand down in a chopping motion, indicating that the semi-finals match has already started. After cupping my hands and walking towards the stage, I saw Zeng Meihui wearing a mischievous smile on her face as she just stood there, obviously trying to intimidate me. However, she needs to do more than that to make me nervous. With a swift motion of her hand, a violet-like substance came out of her palms, making her look like she was shooting out some sort of mysterious liquid from who knows where. Well, that was probably what she was doing but the liquid didn''t shoot through the air, it just dripped on the ground, covering the entire arena with it. inly, she was trying to make the entire arena with that liquid to make her more powerful, sort of like the ice domain that Wu Yan uses. In my opinion, Wu Yan''s ice domain looked indubitably better than Zeng Meihui''s poison domain. The more I see it, the more inelegant it seemed. "You should''ve defeated me before Ipleted my Poison Domain. Now you can''t escape from me." Zeng Meihui licked her lips as she charged towards me. With arms outstretched, she began forming what seemed like a ball of violet liquid on her palms, intending to shoot it at me. She was moving so slowly so I had plenty of time to think of my next move. Should I dodge it or not? Well, dodging it would enrage her even more and she''ll probably be desperate in trying to defeat me. And if I didn''t dodge it, there''s a good chance that she''ll be distressed and concede. It was obvious what I should pick. The ball of mysterious liquid slowly came up to me, making my body want to flinch but I held it in. In just a few seconds, the ball of violetish liquid hit me squarely in the face. Seriously, she had plenty of time to aim and she dared aim it on my face? What insolence indeed. "And Yong Rui was hit in the face with Zeng Meihui''s poison! Now, will he surrender or will he fight to the bitter end until the poison ovees him?" Shen Rong announced with enthusiasm. I mean, what? I''m your Shelter''s representative and you''re cheering for my opponent. But then again, it just goes to show just how unbiased he was when ites to the Red Sea Tournament. "This poison is something that has been passed to me directly from my mother. It took her more than a decade to master this type of poison but I was able to have mastery over it in just five years. And now that I''ve almost broken through the Ancient Realm, any cultivator who''s in the Immortal Realm or below would easily fall prey to my poison." She announced as she backed off and returned to her side of the arena. She''s probably nning to keep her distance until the poison kicks in. And then, it''s all downhill from there, assuming that the poison would work on me. Unfortunately, it won''t, or rather, it can''t. I haven''t really good anyone about my constitution as a rabid human and I guessed no one realized it yet. Or maybe, she''s just too fixated on trying to beat me that she forgot about my fight with Xiang Xiaoqing when she tried to poison me. Or maybe she thought that her poison is much more powerfulpared to that. There''s no doubt that her poison is more potent than other poisons since she learned it directly from her mother who is the most powerful cultivator who uses the poison element. She doesn''t really belong to any sect back then but now, she probably owns a shelter. It''s been more than five years since Ist met her that I didn''t even know she had a daughter. I wonder where she is right now. "So this is the Death Layer Poison, huh." I casually brushed off as I slowly approached Zeng Meihui. She was still trying to distance herself from me but it wasn''t working at all. "Did you really master it? From what I can remember, after a minute ofing into contact with the Death Layer Poison, one would be numb and be unable to move. After two minutes, one would have difficulty breathing, and after three minutes, the poison would reach the brain as it travels through the bloodstream. Once that''s over, an overwhelming pain would be felt while the poison starts melting one''s organs." "Y-you, how did you know all that?" Zeng Meihui asked as she backed away. Her expression showed that she wasn''t expecting what I said at all. "But whatever, even if you know what it is, that doesn''t mean you have the antidote for it. And if that poison doesn''t work, then I''ll just use an even better one. That''s not the only poison my mother bestowed upon me." "I see, then how about I tell you about your Wrath Venom Domain?" I said, pointing towards the purple gooey liquid on the arena grounds. "This domain can extend up to two hundred meters in diameter and it allows the user to be immune to all poisons. As someone who uses the Poison Element, this is probably one of the few skills you have to learn first since dealing with poisons can be dangerous and deadly. Well, that''s not all, this Wrath Venom Domain also increases the potency of poison by one hundred percent. That''s why you look so confident, right?" "H-how do you know that? Do you know my mother?" She voiced it, clearly threatened of me. Because of that, intimidating here was made easier. "And how many minutes do you think have passed?" I asked. "It''s been three minutes and I still haven''t shown any signs of dying. Did you really learn the Death Layer Poison?" After being backed into a corner, Zeng Meihui''s aura started getting more ominous. The once purplish aura turned ckish as it grew bigger and bigger until it was almost as tall as the height of the coliseum. Zeng Meihui''s eyes turned bright blue as she extended both her hands in front of her. "You really are a worthy opponent. I''m impressed. There aren''t very many people who could take on Death Layer Poison." She said with her shaky voice. I get that she was trying hard to sound as convincing but she wasn''t doing a good job at it. "Take this!" She shouted. Compared to the Death Layer Poison which formed a purple orb of liquid on her hands, this condensed liquid orb was of a reddish color. Of course, even though it doesn''t look like poison, I still decided to not dodge just in case it would work on me. I doubt that it would work on me though. But what do they say again? Second time''s a charm? Maybe it will work this time... and then I''ll be in a bind. The reddish orb of liquid, once again, hit me squarely in the face. Unlike the first one, I immediately felt something in my body as soon as the liquid came into contact with my skin. From the soles of my feet and palms of my hand, I felt a light scorching heat that became stronger and stronger by the second. I clenched my teeth as I stared at my soles and palms. For a moment, I thought that they were already burning, almost charred, and about to turn into ashes. But to my surprise, they appear to be fine. Whatever it is that I''m feeling, it''s just a mere illusion. Nevertheless, the burning sensation was so strong that I feel like I could die! "Hah~ you can''t hide it! You can feel it right? This Poison is called the Scorch Poison. It is an extremely strong poison that constantly eats the flesh, starting from the soles of your feet and the palms of your hand. Now, do you concede?" Zeng Meihui confidently announced as she ced both her hands on her hips. Regardless of how she acted, she still looked prepossessing as ever. If only she could do something about that attitude of hers. Sigh~ Although I really felt like my palms and soles were being eaten by this Scorch Poison, I gritted my teeth through the pain as I act like nothing''s happening to me. So far, my Qi Cores aren''t agitated so they weren''t taking action and I don''t particrly like using my Blood Element Skills since there''s a huge chance I might go berserk when I do. Unless I''m in an open area, I''d prefer not to use them. The Scorch Poison, I''ve only ever heard it from the Hundred Poison Lady herself and she told me that there''s only one antidote for it. The antidote was called the Deep Freeze Poison but it''s extremely hard to use. If someone were to use it on a person who got poisoned by Scorch Poison, then there''s a chance that the person would die. After all, the Deep Freeze Poison could act as an antidote or it could act as a poison, depending on what the person''s intent was. That''s why the Scorch Poison is extremelyplicated. Furthermore, since it''s a legendary poison, everyone here knows about it. I don''t really have to exin it to Zeng Meihui. Now, this has be a real pain. Chapter 143: A Miracle Chapter 143: A Miracle It didn''t take long before my Qi Cores became agitated as well. All four of them, who happened to be unaffected by the Death Layer Poison, were now acting strongly against the Scorch Poison. I have no idea how Zeng Meihui managed to affect me with poison but now I realized she just happened to get lucky. Who would''ve thought that I would be affected by poisons that affect physicality. Or maybe, this poison is just special. After all, the Death Layer Poison also affects the body, but maybe it was more focused on the effect rather than the deterioration of the body. There''s also the idea that maybe, the constitution of a rabid human is only unaffected by high-level poisons... and lower-leveled poisons work effectively against them. If that''s the case, then I''m in big trouble right now. Even though I avoided using my Blood Element Skills, I think that not using them right now would result in my demise whether I like it or not. I didn''t think twice about choosing yes. But before I did, I felt a certain coldness overwhelm my body. When I nced at Zeng Meihui, I realized that she shot a mysterious cyan-colored liquid towards me the Deep Freeze Poison. A mouthful of blood came out of my lips as I knelt to the ground. Not only did I feel a certain heat developing in my body, but I could also feel a certain coldness enveloping my heart and spreading all throughout my body. I tried to breathe but instead of air, a hazy fog came out of my mouth. Just like when someone exhales in the middle of winter, my mouth continuously released white smoke. From my lungs, I could feel a cough trying toe out. However, no matter how hard I tried, nothing could be released from my lungs. After just five seconds, I felt like my lungs were totally frozen and I couldn''t breathe. "Yong Rui... are you oka no! Do you surrender now? If you surrender now, I will dly give you the antidote to the poison. What do you say?" Zeng Meihui voiced out but I could tell that she was totally not confident about what she said. When I stared into her eyes, she tried to look sideways, trying hard not to show that she was lying. Even the audience, who were cheering so loudly until just recently, suddenly became quiet as if a funeral suddenly appeared in front of them. They were all so deathly silent that for a moment, I thought that they left. Even Shen Rong and the othermentators, who were supposed to give everyone their inputs about the match, became as quiet as a mouse as well. And for the next minute, no one dared to talk. Figures, of course, they won''t talk that much. After all, it''s only a matter of time before they witness the death of a talented cultivator in front of them. I probably haven''t mentioned this before but there''s also a certain function to the Scorch Poison and Deep Freeze Poisonbination. First, the Scorch Poison could only be cured by Deep Freeze Poison and vice versa. But! There''s also a chance that trying to cure one with the other would cause the poison to worsen. And the catalyst for such urrence is when the one giving the second poison would choose the poisoned individual to die or not. In other words, it all depends on whether Zeng Meihui wanted me to die or not. I''m guessing she probably didn''t want me to die but something in her heart made the poison act the opposite. And right now, instead of curing me, she made the poison irreversible. And yes, just in case you still don''t know, if the Scorch Poison and Deep Freeze Poison arebined with each other and the poison was doubled... then the poison is incurable. Nothing can cure it anymore. Just like what I said before, it''s only a matter of time before I die... at least, that''s what I think is going to happen. The freezing feeling finally reached my neck and the heat on my palms and soles were already burning my appendages. I felt like my arms and legs were being bathed inva while my main body is being frozen in a freezer. It felt weird... and dying like this would sure feel even more painful. I mean, my pain tolerance is already high enough but it was still too painful for me. Before I knew it, I already fell on the ground, writhing in pain, as ckish blood continuously escaped my mouth. Once again, I tried to activate my Blood Element Skills in hopes that it would help. However, it didn''t do a single thing for me when I activated it previously. I don''t think my skills would work the second time. Second time''s a charm, right? Right? I''m running out of time. "Wait, are you sure, Yongrui? There''s really no cure for this poison?!" Hui-ying eximed in my head. "T-t-then, what do we do? If you die... then there''s a huge chance I''ll be going with you. It would suck if I die a second time without even being able to help you. What do we do?" "I don''t know. Hui-ying, do I have any skills that would get rid of the poison? Can I use Blood Control and try to get rid of the poison from my blood?" "N-no, the poison is already all over your body... and it doesn''t just run through the blood, it also runs through your bones, muscles, and everything else in your body. That''s the difference between this Poison and the Death Layer Poison before. You''re immune to poisons but it''s only limited to poisons that run through the bloodstream." "Wait, that means that Zeng Meihui can kill a rabid human with this poison?! That''s surprising, I thought rabid humans are invincible." "No, they''re not. Remember, if someone cuts your head off, you''re pretty much dead, Yongrui." Hui-ying pointed out. "Of course that much is obvious!" I eximed. I didn''t notice it at first but when she was only two meters away from me, I realized that Zeng Meihui was already in front of me. "Y-Yong Rui?! Are you okay?! She eximed." Adding to the heavy atmosphere in the Coliseum, Zeng Meihui seemed to be in the dumps as well as she kneeled in front of me. She was on the verge of crying so I decided to ignore her. Just like what I assumed, she really poisoned me like that, fully knowing that I could die if the poison were to work. Now, I had no idea that the poison would be effective for me as well. I guess I can''t me her. After putting up a front that I could take on all her poison, I ended up like this. I guess I can''t be too overconfident even though I''m already a rabid human. "I''m so sorry, I didn''t know that the poison would work on you. I only ever used the Death Layer Poison and that''s what got me into the semi-finals... and... " Yes, just don''t say it. Don''t say i "And, as far as I know, there are no cures when ites to the Scorch Poison and the Deep Freeze Poisonbined." "Then why did you use it in the first ce?!" I eximed as stters of blood escaped my mouth again. Right now, my body is as frigid as ice and yet it burned like an evesting inferno. The torture was unbearable that it took all my strength to just keep my consciousness in check. If I were to let my guard down for a split second, I''m fairly certain that Zeng Meihui''s face will be thest thing I''ll see before I depart from this world. Well, that''s not entirely that bad. It''s way better than seeing through Natalia''s exposed stomach. No! I can''t die like this! What would anyone think if I did? That the esteemed Sect Master of the most powerful sect in the world died because of a mere poison? And what''s worse, that Sect Master didn''t even dodge the poison since he overestimated himself? That would suck a lot if I died like that. Seriously, why did I even overestimate myself? I was a pretty careful person before but now... Sigh~ "Hui-ying, aren''t there any other way? I''m out of ideas." I admitted, even though it was frustrating to say it out loud. "I need your help, perhaps... there may be a function in the System that I can abuse." "How about the potions, Yongrui! You know, the potions you can buy in the System Shop? Maybe there''s some sort of potion there that nullifies the effect of poisons!" Hui-ying excitedly suggested. "That''s a great idea, sort of like Ice Heal or Burn Heal, right?" I said as I pursed my lips. I knew I''m already grasping at myst straws... ... and if I were to survive this misfortune, I''d need nothing short of a miracle. Chapter 144: System Shop! Help! Chapter 144: System Shop! Help! The panel to the System Shop immediately opened in front of me as soon as I thought about it. Just like before, there was a long list of items inside it, with costs ranging from fifteen shop coins to fifteen billion shop coins. Since I already have more than seven billion shop coins, I knew that I could buy anything, assuming that it wouldn''t cost me that much. Hopefully, those potions that could nullify the effects of the Scorch Poison and Deep Freeze Poison would be affordable. Because if they were avable in the shop but they were so expensive that I can buy them then I would''ve been better off not knowing that they existed. It would be like when someone throws you a rope while you''re on the edge of a cliff... but then the rope was too brittle that it gave in on your weight. And then, you fall to your death. My consciousness began slipping away the more I scrolled down the marketce. From a distance, I could hear Shen Rong''s panicked voice shouting at everyone to stop the match but I raised my hand to stop them. They cannot do anything to save me from this poison so removing me off the arena would just deem me the loser of the semi-finals match. But, on an off-chance that I could recover from this poison, then I''ll take it and win this match. The scrolling continued. My surroundings became quiet. And finally, I reached the potion section in my System. I immediately bought a couple of high-grade health potions, each costing thirty shop coins. After drinking them, I felt a bit better... but the unbearable pain was still so overwhelming that I couldn''t really stand up. And as for the potions, there were only the health potion, mana potion, and fatigue potion. There aren''t any signs of Burn Heal or Ice Heal Potion that would get rid of the poisons in my body. Since it hase to this, there isn''t anything I could do except to use everything in my arsenal. And that means, using all my skills. A series of notifications rang in my head as most of my active skills activated. Once again, my Strong Will Skill managed to seed and I went into controlled berserk mode. My body ballooned up in size and my eyes turned red as well. I could barely hear the other people assuming that my body was reacting to the poison but such wasn''t the case. Ignoring their murmurs, I continued trying to fight the virus out of my system. While all these were happening, I also continued scrolling through the System Shop in hopes that I could find a temporary cure to my dying self. Needless to say, I''m going to die soon and my adrenaline is the only thing that''s keeping me alive. After a minute of scrolling, I finally arrived at the most expensive items, weapons, and armor in the shop. They were all at the price of fifteen billion minus one shop coin as if it was some sort of a bargaining shop. I was ready to close my eyes... I got too overconfident in myself that I took the poison head-on. I should''ve dodged but I didn''t. It was a stupid thing to do but I did it anyway. I heaved a sigh of relief as regret filled my mind. Finally, I got to thest item in the shop and I prepared to leave this world. ... < <.....> A series of notifications rang in my head as the scroll button for the System Shop became even smaller. A few buttons were added in the shop as well. Before, there were only Potions, Armors, and Weapons. But now, there were two additional buttons Elements and Skills. If my eyes could open wide right now, they would''ve done so already as I saw the additional products in the System Shop. I felt a smile form on my face as I went to the Element and Skills Section. First, there were a few Elements in the shop... no, let me change that. Apparently, every discovered Element was there in the System Shop... and that includes the poison element. A sliver of hope! There''s a chance that I can get out of this mess. If I were to buy the Poison Element, there''s a huge chance that I''ll be immune to a majority of poisons including the Scorch Poison and Deep Freeze Poison. But that''s just an assumption. Maybe those two poisons would work on someone with the poison element as well so there''s also a chance that it wouldn''t work. But I''m willing to take the chance. Pause. My breathing stopped short, not because I''m already dead, but because the prize for an Element is Eight Billion Shop Coins! I wascking at least a billion shop coins which is a lot, considering I only saved up Seven Billion after all these days. Dejected, I moved to the Skills Section in hopes that I would find the right skill to counter the poison. There were two sections in the Skills Section which read ''Passive'' and ''Active''. It probably refers to skills that could be activated and skills that automatically activate when certain conditions are met. Well, everyone knows that... why am I thinking about that? "Hui-ying, did you know about this?" I asked as my eyes skimmed through every Skill avable. Compared to the Elements Section, every skill here only costs a hundred million, which is very affordable. First, there were the physical Skills, then the elemental Skills starting from the Fire Element. I didn''t bother checking everything since I know which section I should be skimming through. In just a few seconds, I finally reached the part where all skills rted to the Poison Element are listed. And there it was! As if by some sort of miracl no, call it divine intervention, the first Skill listed in the Poison Element Section was the one I''m looking for. [Skill: Poison Nullification (Passive) Description: Automatically nullifies any and all poisons] [Skill: Healthy Body (Passive) Description: Removes all toxic and wastes on the body. Grants the user a healthy body. This skill is based on another System, courtesy of the System.] [Skill: Hundred Poison (Passive) Description: Grants you the knowledge of a hundred high-grade poison. Gaining this ability will also grant you the knowledge of their antidotes.] [Skill: Thousand Poison (Passive) Description: Please purchase the Hundred Poison Skill to unlock this Skill] After seeing the first four skills rted to the Poison Element, I knew that I need all of them so I didn''t think twice about purchasing them. "Yes," I said out loud. Suddenly, I felt a drastic change all over my body as I obtained these four skills. I may have lost four hundred million shop coins but they were worth it. In just a split of a second, my body reverted back to its former state no, perhaps better than that. And adding to that, the knowledge of a Thousand Poison invaded my mind as if that knowledge was some sort of downloadable data being installed in my brain. Of course, the Scorch Poison and Deep Freeze Poison were included there as well. My mind was also filled with information regarding the antidotes for all those Poisons. This is a cheat right?! No matter how I look at it, these are all cheat. But then again, I did work hard to get all those shop coins so I basically earned these skills... I mean, I literally earned these skills. However, I don''t think I really needed thest three skills. Once I got the Poison Nullification Skill, my boy immediately got rid of the poison inflicted upon me. The other three skills justplemented the first skill. In any case, I bought all four of these skills just to be on the safe side... and I guess I could say all of them worked satisfactorily. In fact, they exceeded my expectations. I never would''ve thought that the System would just hand me a skill just like that. I did have to spend shop coins but that''s basically from the System as well. A series of gasped entered my ears as I immediately stood up and wore a smirk in front of Zeng Meihui. However, my expression changed in a split second upon realizing that she was bawling her eyes out in front of me. She was right there, kneeling while wiping her tears. Even when she stopped crying, she was still sniffling. Unlike her haughty and arrogant appearance before, right now she was like a youngdy who got her guard down. Compared to her appearance before, she was now a hundre no, two hundred percent more attractive than before. I extended my hand. "It''s fine, I''m okay." I grinned as I helped her up. "You''re okay." She smiled as she wiped another tear that streamed down her cheeks. Chapter 145: Poison Against Poison Chapter 145: Poison Against Poison I didn''t want to sound condescending but that''s how I must''ve sounded like. Well, I couldn''t help it since I was wearing the smuggest and most arrogant face I coulde up with. I figured I have the right to do so since I managed to miraculously survive the near-death situation I was put in. Moreover, I didn''t just survive it, I came out unscathed, which not a lot of cultivators could do if I''m being honest. "Impossible!" Shen Rong''s eyes were filled with shock and disbelief as he stared at me as if he had just seen a ghost. "Impossible," He repeated, his irises shaking as he looked down on the ground and then back to my face. "But... isn''t that the Scorch Poisonbined with the Deep Freeze Poison? How could he survive that?" One of the nearby audiences whispered but all he received were the shaking of the heads. Just like him, everyone else in the audience, cultivators and non-cultivators alike, couldn''t exin what they had just witnessed. It''s as if a miracle was disyed right before their eyes. Well, I couldn''t me them, my eyes would''ve popped out if I were in their shoes. "How? This is absurd. There''s no way you could survive an incurable Poison! How did you do it?" Zeng Meihui was flustered to her core, evident through the redness on her cheeks and ears. She was shakily pointing a finger at me as if she was using me of doing something wrong. And as for her legs, they were like two broken pirs who were struggling to keep themselves upstanding. I''m guessing it was only her headstrong nature that''s keeping her standing like that. "You want to know?" I challenged, taking a step forward as I put my right hand on my chest. "If you really want to know, then you can surrender the match right now and I will teach you everything I know about poisons," I told her. A pang of guilt pricked my heart as I said those words. I knew for a fact that the knowledge about all those poisons didn''te from my own efforts, but rather, it was given to me by the system like downloadable data that I installed in my brain. In any case, the end result was that this knowledge is in my mind right now so technically... I have full ownership of them. Even if it came from unconventional or perplexing sources well, what I''m trying to imply is that the end justifies the means. And clearly, the end was something satisfactory for me. But thinking about what happened a few minutes... I would''ve been a goner if it weren''t for Hui-ying and the System''s help. Thanks to Hui-ying, I managed to identally stumble upon the locked items in the shop and they unlocked after I saw them. And as for the System, it''s thanks to its System Shop that I managed to survive yet another day. If it weren''t for those miracles, I would''ve kicked the bucket a bit earlier than expected. Now back to Zeng Meihui, she didn''t answer for a good few seconds after I asked her to throw in the towel. While wearing a conflicted expression on her face, she tried to say something but then she bit her lips, probably thinking that one wrong move and she''ll end up like me a few minutes ago. My heart skipped a beat. Curse you, heart. Why would you react that way right now? I know she looks charming and alluring right now but seriously, you should know your ce. There''s a time and ce for everything. Even if she looks like a pink rose underneath the summer sun, you know that this isn''t the time to be skipping like that. Seriously. "All right... but if I surrender the match... promise me you would teach me a thing or two about poisons." She said, her brows furrowing. "Hoh hoh~ is that how you treat your master?" I asked in a rather haughty manner. "T-then... I look forward to your teachings, Master Yong Rui. I surrender this match." She said, cupping her hands. First off, I did not expect her to surrender that easily. If I were her, I would''ve forcefully attempted to make my opponent reveal all his cards before I believe what he said in this case, I would''ve asked for more proof in regards to the poisons I know. Probably, my instant recovery from the poison must''ve removed all the clouds of doubt in her mind and that''s what made her concede. "How impertinent." A voice from the audience stood out as a figure suddenly appeared in front of me. "M-ma " Zeng Meihui was about to say something when I realized who the figure belonged to. Even if it were five miles away from me, I would have recognized her by the way she was carrying herself. What I mean to say was, she was incredibly conspicuous. The figure belonged to an old woman but her pink hair starkly contrasted her appearance. Even though she was already of old age, she still looked surprisingly beautiful. Even if I didn''t know of her identity, I would have immediately concluded that she was somehow rted to Zeng Meihui due to their uncanny resemnce. She seemed like she was fifty years old but I know that she was already past that age. When I met her before, she was already seventy years old... and that was seven years ago. "Shen Rong, is this your kid?" The old woman spat a gum to the side of the arena as she walked towards me. "I''m surprised. For a respectful kid, you sure didn''t teach your own kid some manners." "Um, Master Duyao, this is actually, he''s not from my Shelter. He''s technically from Tang Shelter but right now he''s representing my Shelter. On behalf of his disrespectfulness, I offer my sincerest apology." Shen Rong bowed his head not too high and not too low to show respect to the elderly. Yes, in my eyes, he''s showing respect to the elderly, which is quitemendable if you ask me. Because if it were me, I don''t think I''ll find it in my graceful self to respect someone that acts unusually cocky. Respect begets respect, and I''ve lived on those words for the past twenty or so years of my life. "Well, whatever. This kid is trying to steal my one and only disciple from me. It would be fine if I teach him a lesson before the finals, right?" The elderly woman asked. It''s just my personal preference but I utterly refuse to call her a master since she doesn''t have the right to receive that kind of respect. Before, her attitude was quite bearable for me, probably because I held great respect for her talent at that time. But now that I have the System with me, along with priceless knowledge regarding poison in my head. I realized that what she knew were only the basics. I guess ignorance is bliss, after all. After the System gifted me with this knowledge, it was obvious that she didn''t deserve to be called a master. After all, the cure to the Scorch Poison and Deep Freeze Poison was one of the basics when ites to poison. The other five hundred poison is on a different level a rtively higher level that not a lot of Poison Element users would know. "Master Duyao, there will be another match before the semi-finals. I hope that you would be understanding enough to let that match go first befo " Shen Rong gulped as he received a deadly stare from the old woman. "I mean, you can have a separate fight on one of the arena stages here. We just hope that you won''t interrupt the next semi-finals match." "Very well. Then, I will be borrowing your kid for a while." The old woman smiled as she walked towards me. "Master!" Zeng Meihui desperately called out as she tried to stop her, but realizing that she didn''t have the strength to do so, she slowly backed away as she pursed her lips. After stealing a few nces my way, she heaved a sigh of concession as she closed her eyes. She was probably praying that I survived the trials her master would shower upon me. Or should I say, previous master? This girl, to think that she could make an expression like that. I guess her master''s arrogance and cockiness must''ve rubbed on her, giving her a personality like that. But deep inside, she''s a good person, I think. I mean, if she weren''t, she wouldn''t have cried after seeing me sprawled on the ground like that, struggling to breathe my next breath. If she were toe under my wing. I swear I''ll make her useful for the sake of my Sect. She''s a good addition to my team if I could fully utilize her power over the Poison Element. But right now, making her master lose face and snatching her master''s position from underneath her feet is of prime importance. Let''s see if these poisons in my head would make her resign from her role as her master. Chapter 146: One-sided Poisoning Chapter 146: One-sided Poisoning "Are you sure that''s everything you need, Master Duyao?" Shen Rong seemed to flinch every time he spoke to the old woman. I guess his primal fears were overreacting to the point that they find this frail olddy a threat. Considering that she could easily kill everyone here in the arena with a mere wave of her hand, then I guess Shen Rong was right on his approach. And here I was, sitting opposite of the old woman as we both faced the table. Apparently, she just wanted to test me out with her Poison Element and ourpetition wouldn''t involve fighting. We would just exchange Poisons with each other and try to neutralize it with an antidote. If one cannot do it, then they would immediately lose the match. Considering all that, it''s probably impossible for me to lose right now... unless she knows of an out-of-this-world poison that even the System doesn''t know. Also, I just remembered something... she''s called the Hundred Poison Lady, right? I guess I''ll just call her that instead of ''old woman''. The Hundred Poison Lady smirked at me as she pulled out an old jar from her rucksack. "We''ll start off with an easy one. If you can drink this without having any difficulty, then you can challenge me with your poison. Now, are you going to go through all this suffering or are you willing to give up on my disciple?" The Hundred Poison Lady asked as she clicked her tongue. Seriously, if she spat out another gum from her mouth one more time, I might give her the most potent poison I have in my arsenal. "It''s not like I was trying to steal your disciple away from you. She was the one who wanted toe under my wing." I casually shrugged as I pulled out a bottle of water from my inventory. Well, not exactly my inventory since I bought it from the System Shop for ten shop coins. And since I have most of the ingredients I need in my Storage Rings, I didn''t have to gather herbs in the fields just to concoct one potion for the Hundred Poison Lady. A few meters from where we were, the semi-finals were already starting. From what I heard, the match would be between Yuan Han and Wu Jia. Honestly, I don''t know who the first one was, but thetter belonged to the party that won third ce during our joint subjugation this morning. Something in my guts tells me that it would be Wu Jia who will win but I didn''t want to conclude just yet. I mean, Yuan Han looked strong as well but I''ve never heard about him until now. Even his hunting party is unknown to me. "Kid, are you listening to me?" The Hundred Poison Lady looked more irritated than before so I decided to pay attention to her this time. It would be bad news if she goes through a rampage, especially when there are thousands of people in the audience who came from other neighboring shelters. It would really put us in a bad light if a massacre were to happen in Red Sea Shelter. Without further ado, I nced at the antique jar and gave it a good whiff. Just from that one whiff alone I already knew what type of poison it was. It was the basics of the basics when ites to poison and a lot of Poison Element users are probably immune to it, judging by themonness of it. "This is a me Tongue Poison, one of the mostmon poisons found in the saliva of a me Tongue Lizard. This me Tongue Lizard is a Spirit Beast that is known for burning its victims into ashes. However, it doesn''t burn them using fire, it burns them using an acid that is secreted in its tongue. The me Tongue Lizard got that name because the poison in its saliva makes the victim erupt into mes as soon as it touches its body." After that brief summary. I got the jar of the me Tongue Poison and stood up. "When ites to the me Tongue Poison, any Poison Element user could easily obtain resistance from it. But the type of resistance they develop involves the stomach. A normal Poison Element user would have no problem drinking the me Tongue Poison, to say the least." I continued. "Yes, but that''s useless knowledge. A beginner like you could never hope to " The Hundred Poison Ladymented but I cut her short. "BUT! A Cultivator of the Poison Element wouldn''t spread this Poison on their skin. Why? Because they could never develop a resistance to it. Sure they can drink it, but they cannot let their skin touch it. That''s why the me Tongue Poison is aplicated type of poison." A series of ooh''s resounded all throughout the Coliseum as the audience finally realized the gravity of the situation. Simultaneously, I opened the jar in my hand and put the Poison in my hand. "Are you crazy?! What are you doing?" The Hundred Poison Lady eximed as she pounded her fists on the table. She watched in horror as I continued to spread the poison all over my skin. Lathering my skin with the me Tongue Poison as if I was putting on lotion, I instantly felt the burning sensation on my skin as if it was being turned into ashes. But funnily enough, the excruciating pain disappears in a split second and the Poison seemed to evaporate in thin air after that. "The me Tongue Poison is one of the most basic poison in the book. This much wouldn''t amount to nothing." "Lies! You''re using a cheap trick! I get it, you put something on your skin to cover it, didn''t you?" The Hundred Poison Lady usingly pointed a shaky finger at me as she sneered. She probably thought that she had seen through my tricks but she waspletely wrong about it. Whatever it is she was thinking, it was obvious that her thoughts were misced. It wouldn''t even take a keen eye to know that I''m not using any cheap tricks. "Suit yourself, Hundred Poison Lady," I said as I approached her. "Touch it and see for yourself." I challenged. The Hundred Poison Lady gasped as she slowly reached his fingers on my skin. Her eyes widened. "I-impossible!" She interjected. However, I knew that it was a front. From the moment she touched my skin, I received a notification in my head. "My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined." I sighed in slight annoyance as I stared at her in the eyes. "Look who''s using me of such cheap tricks when you''re the one who''s using them yourself. Just now, you tried to poison me with one of the most potent high-grade poison, didn''t you? If I could recall, the poison is called the Thousand Death Poison, right? Why do you have such deadly poison on your fingertips? Are you trying to rid this world of a talented Poison Master like myself?" To state the obvious, the Thousand Death Poison is one of the most advanced poison any Poison Element user can learn. Learning it requires partaking in the mentioned poison every day. Daily, one has to drink a small portion of the Poison and cultivate one''s core with it. Even with just a small dosage, the Thousand Death Poison makes its victim experience a thousand deaths in a split second. Most of the Poison Element users who tried learning this Poisonmitted suicide after experiencing a thousand deaths in their minds. That''s why most Poison Element users choose not to learn this certain poison. But if one were to seed in learning this, they could immediately be a Poison Master because of how powerful it is. And if you''re wondering why this poison needs to be ingested to be learned, then you might as well know that the Thousand Death Poison is just the saliva of a Poison Master. (It may make the smell of your breath good, but suffering a thousand deaths is not worth it, honestly.) The Hundred Poison Lady didn''t know what to do as the crowd went deathly silent. Even Shen Rong sensed what happened when the Hundred Poison Lady touched me. There was definitely foul y there and what''s more she used one of the deadliest poisons on me. "I-It''s my loss... " The Hundred Poison Lady continued as she gave a sincere smile. Hey, you won''t get out of this even if you smile like that! While I was contemting whether to forgive the olddy or send her to oblivion with my Space Element, she pulled out a sk from her pocket containing a clear liquid. Upon seeing it, I immediately realized what it was. It was the antidote for the Thousand Death Poison. Chapter 147: Wu Jia Chapter 147: Wu Jia When I saw the antidote in front of me, a smile formed on my face as I realized what the Hundred Poison Lady wanted to do. She didn''t want to get rid of me in the first ce, she was just testing me. "Who said you can ept defeat?" I asked as I pulled something out from my storage ring. The Hundred Poison Lady cluelessly stared at me as she tried to figure out what I was tring to do. Just like the audience, the Hundred Poison Lady eagerly watched me as I concocted a poison in front of them. "These are the Purple Mist Grass, the Blue Bell Grass, and the Mountain Top Grass. Get the right proportion and you cane up with one of the most basic poisons in the world. In and of itself, these three types of grass are never poisonous, to begin with, but mix them up together and you can make one." I exined as I continued mixing the three ingredients together. "Master Duyao, you are called the Hundred Poison Lady because you probably know a hundred poison and know how to use them, right? What if I tell you that I know every antidote for those poisons. And what if I tell you that you don''t know a thing about the poison I''m making right now? If I were to put it in your terms, let me just say that this is your one hundred first poison?" "That''s impossible, there are only a hundred existing Poisons in the ancient records." The Hundred Poison Lady eximed but I didn''t say anything about it. After a few minutes of mixing and grinding the grass together, I finally turned it into aplete liquid. Without further ado, I put the poison in a bottle and gave it to the Hundred Poison Lady. "This is called the Grass Poison. Such a simple name but I don''t think you know of it." Zeng Meihui''s eyes sparkled as she watched me concoct and finished the poison with a live audience. After a few seconds of pause, the audience erupted into cheers. The winner for the match was as obvious as daylight after all. Simultaneously, the second semi-finals match hase to an end as well. Just as I had predicted, it was Wu Jia who won. I didn''t know what kind of element Wu Jia was using since I was too preupied with my match but I''m guessing she''s a speed type just like Yang Mei Mei. I wouldn''t be all too surprised if she had the Wind Element. Deep inside, I was hoping that she had the Wind Element since my Wind Element might be superior to hers. If that were the case, then the finals match would be a walk in the park. "Master, that means I can be his disciple, right? Right? Right?" Zeng Meihui clenched her fists as she gave puppy eyes to her master. For a moment, I thought that the Hundred Poison Lady would actuallysh out at her own disciple, but to my relief, she just heaved a sigh. And then, she gave a heartwarming smile as she patted her disciple on the head. "I might''ve been too audacious to call myself a master when I was just a frog in the Wall. Clearly, Yong Rui is more suited to be your master. I may be possessive as a master since there aren''t that many Poison Element users in the world, but I''m not that cruel enough to keep you to myself when you have a much better potential under a better master." After saying that, the Hundred Poison Lady then eyed me from head to toe as if she was examining my very being. "I just hope that this young man right here would really take care of you as I did." She continued, purposefully making me hear what she has to say. "It will be my pleasure, Hundred Poison Lady. And also, if you want to learn more about poisons, I will dly answer any questions that you might have. Of course, the knowledge won''t be for free." I said. "And Zeng Meihui, feel free to tell your master anything that you''ve learned from me. Just don''t tell her too much since I''ll be teaching her the ropes of poison-making myself." The Hundred Poison Lady''s eyes widened as she heard what I just said. Truly, my offer was too good to be true. She squinted and rubbed her eyes, probably to see if she was dreaming. But she realized that she wasn''t. "Then, will you take me in as a disciple too?!" The Hundred Poison Lady said. "No, you''re too knowledgeable to be my disciple," I said, shaking my head and waving my hand in front of her. Quite frankly, I just didn''t want to take her in since she was too old to be my disciple. That''s why I thought of a better idea. "I see you as an equal, Hundred Poison Lady. It would be in my best of interest if you see me as a rival as well. You''re wee to share anything you find out and I''m willing to exchange ideas with you. In return, would it be too much if I ask you to be an ally for the Tang Sect?" "Tang Sect?" The Hundred Poison Lady asked. "I mean, the Tang Shelter, sorry." I chuckled. ..... In the end, the Hundred Poison Lady epted my offers and in return, I gave her the correct proportions on how to make the Grass Poison. It was easy, just three clumps of Mountain Top Grass, two clumps of Blue Bell Grass, and a clump of Purple Mist Grass. I remember having read about the Purple Mist Grass in a certain novel. But in that novel, it was portrayed that the Purple Mist Grass has a hundred beneficial uses. But that''s not true. In this world, the Purple Mist Grass can only be used as a substitute for lemongrass when you''re cooking chicken stew. I don''t think there are any other uses other than that. It is a good substitute for lemongrass though. Well, back to the Red Sea Tournament! After my match with the Hundred Poison Lady, I returned back to my seat beside Yang Mei Mei and Wu Yan. Just like before, they were pouting at me as if I just did something wrong. But I ignored them. Right now, I felt like I was on top of the world. It was one of the best feelings as if I just achieved one of my greatest dreams. If I were a ghost, my main body would''ve dispersed by now since my regrets have finally been fulfilled. I heaved a sigh of happiness as I sank down on my seat. The finals can wait... ... right now, I got my first disciple after five years! The return of the glorious Tang Sect is well within my grasp! I''m not overestimating myself or anything. After all, getting a disciple is just proof that my abilities are acknowledgeable. Ultimately, it was thanks to the System and the System Shop. But then again, I did get the Shop Coins through killing countless rabid humans. So if it alles down to it, my efforts yed a part in me getting that knowledge about the Poisons. "Why are you smiling?" Luo Zhen teased as he tapped me on the shoulder. "Something good happened aside from getting another girl?" "Girl? She''s my first disciple! She''s not just any girl." I defended. "Now, my goals can finally be achieved." "And what''s that goal?" Luo Zhen asked. "Making my own Sect, of course," I answered confidently. In response, Wu Yan fidgeted as she made eye contact. "T-then... does that mean I''ll be a part of your Sect too?" She mumbled. "Do you want to?" I said, although I already know what her response should be. "Yes, you can... well, I did ask you to go with me to the Tang Sect so... " "Yes. Yes, you did." Wu Yan mumbled as she covered her face with her scarf. I don''t know what kind of expression she was wearing but she definitely looked flustered. ..... Nothing noteworthy happened for the rest of the time I stayed in my seat. Shen Rong just wasted everyone''s precious minutes talking about how grateful he was for everyone who managed to attend the Red Sea Tournament. "And now, for the finals match, please wee! Wu Jia from the Immovable Mountain Sect!" A series of cheers erupted as a young girl with ck hair and fox-like eyes entered the scene. She had quite a figure and just as I had predicted, she was the speedy type. The moment I blinked my eyes, she was already on the stage. I didn''t even see her walk the rest of the way. I''m quite fast but she''s definitely faster than me. But just when she got onto the stage, a weird portal began forming right above the Coliseum. We all stared at Wu Jia but she also seemed clueless about it. "It wasn''t me!" Wu Jia vehemently denied. Chapter 148: The Portal Chapter 148: The Portal The skies continued to darken. Even though it was time for the finals, everybody seemed to forget that it was about to take ce. Just like the others, Shen Rong was heavily distracted by the portal. It continued to grow in size as the power it umted be even more intense. Well, I as well don''t know what''s currently happening so I decided to stay quiet as I watched the scene with the others. The once small portal was now about two meters in diameter and it continued to grow. Its purplish shade of color became a more intense shade as it grew... and then the color changed entirely. What was previously violet became a dark shade of crimson as the portal continued to fill the skies. And just like the portal, the skies continued bing heavier and heavier as rain clouds filled the sky. A slow rumbling sound could be heard emanating from the far reaches of the atmosphere as it groaned because of the portal. I, for one, know that something rather important is happening so I should just continue watching without asking anyone what''s happening. For sure, they have no idea what''s going to ur next, just like me. "What''s that?" "Is somethinging?" "Should we evacuate" "What should we do?" "Maybe the heavens are punishing us for everything that we''ve done wrong to the earth." "No, maybe it came for you because you are rotten to the core, just like the tomatoes in my backyard." "Shut up, now''s not the time to be joking around." A half chuckle escaped my mouth as I heard the conversation of a few of the audience. I could tell that they were trying to make the best out of the situation even though it might as well end their life. Even though they were faced with something that seemed unusual and hopeless, they still tried to make light of it which is a good thing, considering that the future looked bleak as it is. "The finals for the Red Sea Tournament are postponed for now, please head to the nearest shelter as orderly as possible and remain inside while we deal with this unknown portal." Shen Rong announced, just in time as the portal finally opened. That''s right, the portal finally opened. Instead of getting a move on with things, the audience just stared, wide-eyed, on the portal as a figure d in a white robe descended from it. The portal released such intense Qi Energy that everyone was forced to kneel. Even Shen Rong spat blood as he felt the pressure of the Qi Energy that came crashing down on him [Skill: Portal Description: Allows one to freely create a portal at any given point in a situation. One must learn the Space Element first before essing the skill and it takes a few years to master the cement of this portal. It is easier to create a portal that would lead to a destination where one had already been to. If not, then the portal could teleport the user to a random ce within a ten-kilometer radius. Using the Portal would increase its proficiency, making the ''jumps'' to other dimensions or ces a bit more uratepared to before.] The notification shed in my mind. For a moment, the notification made me forget about the white-robed man who was slowly descending from the sky as if he were some sort of fallen angel. If he really was a fallen angel, then why doesn''t he look majesticpared to how I pictured him to be? Could a fallen angel really have such unkempt white hair? I mean, it looks nice, but from my perspective, it looked weird. But then again, it could''ve also been the result of traveling through the dimensions. I mean, having unkempt hair is a small price to pay when using a portal that and probably an incredible amount of Qi Energy needs to be expended as well. Shen Rong stepped forward as he respectfully cupped his hands to the being. I don''t know if they know each other or not but I''m guessing it''s thetter since Shen Rong looked genuinely scared. He wouldn''t even make eye contact with the guy. He just kept his head down as if he was a dog that chewed on his owner''s shoes and was caught red-handed. For someone who''s almost at the Transcendence Realm, it was quite a rare sight to see someone on that level bowing down to someone. Not only him, but Shi Yanmei, who was already in the Peak Transcendence Realm, also cupped her hands in humble greeting as she went beside Shen Rong. She probably did it so Shen Rong wouldn''t feel so awkward. Or maybe she did it so that white-robed man wouldn''t feel disrespected as he descended. The white-robed man had white hair and unusually long eyshes and thick eyebrows. His eyes were white-colored as well. Yes, you guessed it. His features totallyplemented his white robe. In any case, he wasn''t that muscr in stature, nor was he thin enough to be called thin. If I were topare him to anyone else here, I''d say he probably has the same body type as me. Adding to that, his robe clearly spoke of royalty. Not only was it pristine white, it also had golden intricate patterns running through its hems. They were like symbols of some ancientnguage but I couldn''t quite decipher them. "System, can you read that?" "I''m sorry, Yongrui, but even those symbols are beyond my understanding." Hui-ying apologetically said. "But judging from his clothes, I can tell that he probably came from the Middle ne." The Middle ne? Did Hui-ying just say, the Middle ne? If so, then what is he doing here? "His purpose or purposes of visite remains unclear but he doesn''t seem to be hostile. I wouldn''t rile him up though. He''s two times stronger than Shen Rong, the Shelter Leader of the Red Sea Shelter." Hui-ying ryed. With his robe fluttering in the air, the man slowly descended until he touched the ground, just a few feet away from me since he descended in the middle of the arena. He then deeply inhaled and exhaled before looking at everyone''s faces. A smile formed on his face. "Looks like I''m not toote." He said to himself. Now that I got a closer look at him, he didn''t seem like a man at all. In fact, he looked significantly younger than me. And yet, his Qi Energy was so refined that I could only detect a portion of it. There''s no doubt about it. This guy is a genius from the Middle ne. It was in that an intense aura wasing out of his Qi Core but he was suppressing it so much that no one could detect it that much. Only those who is in my level or higher are probably the only ones who could see just how much control he practiced over his Qi Energy. "Who is your leader?" The white-robed person asked out of the blue, making everyone flinch as if their life just shed before their eyes. By the looks of it, even Shen Rong wanted to get out of the center of the Coliseum. But, he remainedposed as he kept his hands cupped. Shi Yanmei did the same as well. "Greetings esteemed master." Shen Rong greeted. Fortunately, he didn''t stutter as he spoke. "What did you visit us for?" "Greetings to the esteemed master. We wee you to this humble Shelter." Shi Yanmei backed him up. The white-robed man stopped short as he stared at Shen Rong and Shi Yanmei. His mouth frowned a little bit as his expression turned into a disappointment. However, instead of insulting or saying something to Shi Yanmei or Shen Rong, he decided to walk around them as if they were rocks in the middle of the flowing river. And then, when he was already a few feet away from them, he turned around and asked the same question once again. "Who is your leader?" "Esteemed master, if you''re asking for the leader of this Shelter, then it is I, Shen Rong." Shen Rong slightly bowed his head as he addressed the white-robed person. "And you?" The white-robed man asked as he pointed at Shi Yanmei. "I am the Shelter Leader of the Meili Shelter. I may be weak but our shelter is one of the strongest in the area." Shi Yanmei continued. "I hope we find favor in the eyes of the esteemed master." During this exchange, no one dared to make a move. They knew that one misstep, one slip, and everything will be over. Everyone could probably already see this white-robe man snapping his fingers and causing the Red Sea Shelter to turn into rubble. He was simply a dangerous being and none can deny that. Heck, no one even dared to breathe as Shen Rong and Shi Yanmei conversed with him. Judging from how humble Shen Rong and Shi Yanmei sounded, the people concluded that he was probably tens of times stronger than them. And they were right. I''m surprised these people had good judgment. "You and you. The two of you are not the leader here. Now, let me ask again, who is your leader?" The white-robed man asked as his brows furrowed. Chapter 149: White Chapter 149: White "You and you. The two of you are not the leader here. Now, let me ask again, who is your leader?" An ominous chill ran up and down my spine as the white-robed man spoke with a cold-inducing tone. My legs started shaking as if they were pirs crumbling down to the sheer pressure that the white-robed man emitted. When poweres in contact with greater power, I guess there isn''t any choice but to yield unless one has a death wish. I''ve been given a lot of chances in life so I don''t really have a death wish right now. Nevertheless, my gut instincts were telling me to fight, freeze, or take flight. Whatever it is, my adrenaline just wanted me to do something to get out of that pressure. My stomach churned as I tried to maintain myposure. However, the pressure just kept on increasing and increasing until I felt a viscous liquid escaping my mouth. It wasn''t vomit, to say the least, but for sure, the metallic taste of the liquid made me conclude that it was blood. Due to the pressure, I guess something internal was getting damaged in my body. While all this was happening, Zeng Meihui had already fallen to the ground as her pupils dted. She had sumbed to the pressure and now she couldn''t bring herself back up. In the end, she decided to remain immobile as tears slowly streamed down her cheeks, fell, and ricocheted on her breasts. I didn''t know that that was possible but I guess it is when you''ve got a lot of tears flowing down. Those tears felt like they were disobeying thews of physics but who am I to judge? And why am I thinking about these unnecessary things in the face of death? Maybe because I''ve resigned to my fate? It''s probably because of that. Gulp! The intense pressure I was feeling suddenly copsed on me in a split second, making me fall on my knees and spit blood. At first, my mind was too disoriented to search for the source and adding to that, my head was hit with an unbearable and throbbing headache. My vision grew hazy as well as my heart palpitated, making me breathe rapidly. Swish! My Qi Cores didn''t even take that long to get agitated and before I knew it, they got out of control. In response to the pressure and concentrated Qi Energy in the surrounding, my Qi Cores expanded to the point that they were on the verge of exploding. I felt great power swelling within me as I tried to keep myself conscious. If I were to lose my consciousness right now, I know that a massacre would soon follow suit. Somehow, my Qi Cores calmed down a bit, giving me the window of opportunity to cultivate them while my Automatic Qi Condensation is active. This skill allows me to automatically absorb the Qi Energy around me, making me immune to most attacks involving Qi Energy. Judging from this white-robed man, he probably has a lot of Qi Energy in his arsenal that he didn''t even bat an eye as he pressured me with it. He wasn''t even bothered when my Qi Cores started absorbing his Qi Energy. For sure, he was looking down on each and every person here in the Red Sea Shelter. What a typical overpowered guy. "You, what''s your name?" The white-robed man asked with a slight panic in his voice. I guess even though his face didn''t show any expression, he was a bit concerned about my overwhelming passive skill. "Pretty rude for someone to ask for my name when he didn''t even give his," I said, clenching my fists as I struggled to stand up from the pressure. <.....> I didn''t think twice about saying yes to both. "AAAAGGHHHHHHH!" I screamed as an immense pain exploded in my stomach, making me feel like my body was about to be torn to shreds. A column of light came from my body as the breakthrough was sessful. That column of light pierced through the skies, making the dark and heavy clouds dispersed and in the process, reversing the sky to its former rity. I tried to contain the power erupting from me but I couldn''t really do anything about it. Fortunately, the column of light didn''t affect my Qi Cores. In fact, my four Qi Cores becamepressed and stable after the column of light escaped my body. I''m guessing the column of light was the excess Qi Energy I absorbed but cannot cultivate. With that amount of Qi Energy, I wonder how my body is still intact. "Yongrui, it''s because you''re half-zombie, er I mean, rabid human. Your body is somewhat invincible and almost impossible to break down." Hui-ying answered. "Phew~ I''m d you''re alive, Yongrui. I thought you were going to die when your Qi Cores were on the verge of exploding. And when that column of light escaped your body, I thought we were gone for good. Haah~ for a moment my heart stopped beating. I thought we were going to die!" "Ahah~ very funny. I thought we were going to die as well. And isn''t that a bad analogy? You don''t have a heart, right?" I teased. "How rude, Yongrui. I had a heart once so I know how it feels to have one. Technically, I have the right to say that." Hui-yingined. "Still... how do you n on beating that guy. He''s from the Middle ne, right? Even I can''t gauge his power level." "Yeah, I have no idea as well. Judging from the amount of Qi Energy he can release, I don''t think he''s that simple." I responded, clicking my tongue. Indeed, I found a terrible match-up for myself. "Sweet!" I eximed as I pumped a fist in the air. "That''s a nice way to level up!" Pause. Everyone looked at me as if I just did something crazy... and I guess I probably did. I was too engrossed in the notifications I received that for a moment, I forgot that the white-robed man was still in front of me. Aside from that, he was increasing the intensity of his released pressure, forcing everyone to kneel to the ground. And yes, I was the only one who was able to stand up right now. Carp! I wanted toy low in an attempt to get out of this mess easily and then I had to lose myself over my element level-ups. Such a stupid move, Yongrui, what are you doing?! "Mmm~ interesting. So you can still stand even after all that pressure. And you''re still in the King Real no, you''re already in the Immortal Realm. So you jumped a Realm after cultivating under my extreme pressure. What a bold move. No one would think about using my Qi Energy Pressure as a means to further his cultivation. You certainly are a special case." The white-robed manmented as a smile formed on his face. I stayed quiet as I stared at the white-robed man. I don''t know what he was thinking so just like before, I decided not to speak. I know that one false move and he could end my life just like that. Well, I do have the Evolved Fanged Ice Wolf, the Screecher Baby Feng, and the Astal Lion Cub with me and I know they will certainlye to my aide if I called for them. But right now, I don''t think I can stand a chance against this white-robed man''s overwhelming power... even if I use everything I have in my arsenal. "You really are interesting. And it seems like you''re younger than me. Perhaps, you are the boss of this ce?" The white-robed man''s smile turned into a satisfying grin as he approached me. He then extended his hand, hoping that I would shake it. "I am White. Care to tell me your name?" He said in a cordial tone. Chapter 150: Blink Chapter 150: Blink Somehow, my mind worked faster than ever and I immediately answered yes in my head. The sword was almost at my neck now and I could feel the heat of the lightning touching my skin. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. [Skill: Blink (Active) Description: Allows the user to teleport from one location to another. Limit of distance 5 to 10 meters depending on user mastery. This skill expends a lot of Qi Energy but it can be used as many times as the user wants.] Chapter 151: Provoke Him Chapter 151: Provoke Him Although my overall strength is almost at the Ancient Realm, I could tell that the sword that White was using was something that could rival someone beyond the Transcendence Realm. It wasn''t even a question since everyone in the Middle ne are probably stronger than those in the Transcendence Realm. I mean, I wouldn''t even be surprised if the Spirit Beasts over there have a rank beyond Transcendence Realm. My newly found skill Autopilot worked so fast in a split second as it took over my body. While that was happening in a small frame of a second, I felt the blue lightning of the sword slowly touching me as its momentum elerated towards my neck. For a split second, I felt like my neck was melting and being swallowed by an unknown force. Upon saying that, my body suddenly jerked and I found myself in a different spot from where I was. From the corners of my eyes, I could see White shing the empty air as he wore a surprised look on his face. Once he swung his sword, he gazed at me in shock as if he didn''t believe he dodged that. Well, I couldn''t believe it either. Somehow, the System just save me from dying a painful death. The force generated by the sh was enough to cut through the Coliseum... all the way to the Walls of the Red Sea Shelter and a few more meters from there. It was truly an earth-shattering shing from that sword that has cheat-like status. Fortunately, not a eh?! For some reason, my head tipped over sideways as I gazed towards White in disbelief. I immediately tried to steady my head but it was pointless. When I looked down, I finally realized what has happened. Somehow, the small point of contact of the sword to my neck made my neck disappear into thin air. Perhaps, the right term for it was... yes, in short, my neck was obliterated and there was only a small portion of it left. [Skill: Sword Dance of Midnight (Active Skill) Description: A sword skill that has been passed down to generations of the Midnight Sword n. This sword dance allows the user to continuously use his swordsmanship for a length of time. It also enables the user to use his swordsmanship to the maximum potential without any penalties. Moreover, this sword technique bes stronger the closer you are to midnight. Additional Function: Has a chance to make the user enter the Transcendent State.] The panels didn''t even catch my attention since I immediately closed it after I closed it. When I looked up, I realized that everyone was looking at me in pure astonishment, probably trying to figure out what I just did. As for me, I also didn''t know what I did nor what kind of skill Autopilot was, but I''m just thankful that I''m still alive I think I already brought this up twice but oh well. Because Autopilot has taken over my body, all the skills that I activated weren''t nned at all. But theirbination worked so well that I was quite surprised. I''m guessing that the Autopilot skill is just another extension of the System. For a moment, White wore a smug look on his face as he saw the damage on my neck, but then, his expression changed in an instant as my neck healed in just a split second. I didn''t even know but apparently, the Berserk Skill along with Blood Transfer Skill has healing capabilities. "For a moment, I thought you were just an Assassin Type, but who would''ve thought that you got the Healing and Blood Element. I underestimated you, Yongrui." White said as his body floated and he charged at me once again. This time, I was prepared and I immediately dodged to the side. I kept in mind that I shouldn''te in contact with the sword since it had the capability of bending space. I mean, that''s the only way I could exin why my neck was obliterated a few seconds ago. "That mysterious power, I can tell that you''re connected to it. I may not know the reason behind it but I could detect a portion of that power from you." Whitemented. I braced myself as I tried to gauge the situation. I know that no matter how hard I try, I won''t be able to go head to head with this White. That''s why I decided to focus on dodging instead of fighting head-on. But then again, it''s only a matter of time before I reach the end of my rope. If I don''t act now, then it''s not just me who''ll be ending up dead. Everyone here might as well be dead if I don''t do something. On top of that, I can''t rely on Shi Yanmei and Shen Rong either. Even if they did want to help me, they''re probably thinking that they''ll just hold me back after seeing that crazy dodge I did. It''s all up to me. Whether Ie out of this alive or not will judge the fate of everyone else in this shelter. "White, you''re from the Middle ne, right?" I reconfirmed, trying to buy some time. "I thought we''ve concluded on that. Yes, I just told you I''m from the Middle ne." White said. It worked! "Then, isn''t this just in bullying what you''re doing here?" I asked, shaking my head. "Look, you''re probably the strongest in this ne but I swear you''re probably the weakest over at your ce." I swear I heard a vein popped on White''s forehead as he looked at me with disdain in his eyes. He may appear handsome but right now, his face was so twisted that it felt like a demon possessed him. I gulped as I felt the pressure emanating from him once again but I held my ground. If this were to work, then I have to y all my cards right. One misstep and we''re all done for. "What are you implying?" He growled as his teeth chattered against each other. Suddenly, a mysterious power exploded from him and his sword became even stronger. It even seemed like the sword had a will of its own as it floated in the air, producing thunderps as lightning coursed through it. "I mean, one-sidedly attacking me like that is not fair. Why don''t we make this contest fair?" I dared. "Interesting. Then, entertain me." He responded. Phew! I sighed in relief. Fortunately, he stopped his onught for now and I can finally formte a n that would work in my favor. "You said you can detect that Ancient Power from me, right? Well, let me tell you that I''m connected to it. In fact, I even know the location of it. But I won''t tell you that. You can kill me right now, or you can try to torture me, but you won''t get anything out of this mouth. That''s why it would work for the best if you hear me out." I could tell that there were some conflicting emotions going through White''s mind right now but he wasn''t voicing anything out. He closed his mouth and brought a thumb to his chin as he thought of everything Iid out to him. Since I''ve thought hard enough about this, I know that the more he thinks about it, the more he''ll see that it would be better if he listens to my terms. "Assuming that you do know of this power, then I will listen to you. But if I find out that you don''t know anything about it in any way, then I''ll kill you and everyone else in this Shelter, no questions asked." "Fair enough, then are you ready to listen to my terms?" White nodded. Shen Rong and Shi Yanmei stared at me with grave horror written on their faces. Sure I saved them from White''s attacks... but it was just a temporary solution. If he finds out that I''m lying, then it''ll be for certain that I''m not the only one who''ll die today. "Then how about this, we will fight each other, no holds barred. But I don''t have to defeat you. If I can touch you, then I win and you tell me everything I need to know about the Middle ne and the situation over there." "And if I win?" "I''ll willingly show you the location of the power you''re looking for." I continued. "Deal!" White said as he flew towards me, grinning like a madman "Wait," Chapter 152: Blue Lightning Chapter 152: Blue Lightning "Wait!" The swing of the sword abruptly stopped in front of me, losing its power as White backed down a little bit. He seemed confused but he tried not to show it too much. "What is it?" He asked in slight annoyance as he red at me, I could tell that he was itching to fight me head-on. After cutting him off like that by shouting ''wait'', I did expect him to take it negatively but I never imagined he would take it with contempt. "You must be thinking that you can get your way either way, right? Even if you lose, you could just overpower me and make me spill everything I know about the mysterious power you were talking about, right? Of course, it''s natural for you to think that since I''m rtively weaker than you. That''s why I''m going to propose something that would ensure that both sides will get what their want ording to the rules set in stone." "Fine by me." White smugly answered as he raised his chin. He probably thought that whatever Ie up with, he would always find a way to work around it. His satisfied expression exuded overconfidence and for a split second, I wanted to p his head with the palms of my hand for disrespecting a Sect Master but I can''t do that. That would just ensure a swifter death for me. "What kind of agreement do you like? Swearing an oath? I give you a handicap? Or do you want everyone else here as witnesses? Or maybe you want to ensure that you won''t lose even though you will clearly lose? How would you go about it? Pray, tell me." White continued, grinning. A smile almost stered on my face but I held it in. He would''ve thought that I don''t have anything up my sleeves right now. Well, he''s in for a surprise. "With the good graces of the heavens have we been granted life. Life flows like a river, never flowing rearwards. As such blood flows, and blood flows continuously... " I started. Everyone probably knew what I was doing since they all gasped as I started my chant. With wide eyes of disbelief, everyone around us held their breath as they feared for the worse. They knew what would happen if I ever say something incorrectly. Gah~ I shouldn''t think about it too much. I can''t afford to make a mistake here and die a pointless death. I mean, I''m already dead but dying again might be a bit more painful than normal. "Blood is the essence of life and blood is the core of life. With this blood, I swear an oath that will never be broken. This oath will be in ce and none can alter nor reject it. The contract is in ce, and the necessary blood is here." It was a simple yet deadly oath that is impossible to be broken the Blood Oath. The Blood Oath can be used by anyone and it is the simplest oath to ever exist. Of course, the drawback of using such an oath is huge as well. In simple terms, using this oath causes the user to die five seconds after using it. That''s why cultivators use it as ast resort. But I know that even if I used it, I won''t be affected by it, to say the least. I already died five years ago so it won''t work on me. Although it was quite a risk to use it. I know that it was worth it. Wide-eyed, White and the others were still holding their breath as I finished the Blood Oath. They knew that I would die in five seconds. Usually, the Blood Oath is used to two people, making the user sacrifice his life so the oath will fall to the two parties. And usually, the Blood Oath doesn''t work since the intent of the user was not that strong. Of course, who would want to die for the ske of an oath between two parties? Any sane person wouldn''t. That''s why the Blood Oath never worked. Suddenly, White''s face became twisted as the blood vessels swelled all over his body. No on knew why such a thing was happening to him but it was clear that it was an effect of the Blood Oath. Since the Blood Oath was sessful, it''s only a matter of time before his body explodes into shreds as all his blood vessels get ruptured. Unless he acknowledges the Blood Oath, the death is the only thing that awaits him. The same thing happened to me, but I quickly agreed to the Blood Oath so I won''t have to suffer. After four seconds, White''s face returned to normal as his blood vessels were reduced to their normal size. He panted as if his body was badly damage. Honestly I also don''t know if I would be able to endure what he just went through. "Now we can begin." I muttered. "That Yongrui, did he just sessfully used the Blood Oath?" "Man, that scared the hell out of me. I thought we were all going to die when he started chanting those words." "It honestly gave me the creeps. My heart stopped beating for a split second back there." "So I wasn''t the only one who was holding my breath. That''s reassuring." As the audience started talking, Shen Rong approached me. This was the first time he spoke out loud. "Yongrui, be careful!" He shouted. At first, I thought he would ask for an exnation on the Blood Oath but surprisingly, he didn''t ask anything. He just concernedly voiced out his worries and Shi Yanmei nodded along with him. Let''s not forget about Wu Jia as well. Until now, she still sat in the arena, unmoving, as she watched the entire ordeal. In her eyes, I could see that she already epted my death as well as everyone else''s. She was clearly scared out of her wits. If I were in her position, I would''ve acted the same. "Blood Oath or not,the bottom line remains the same. As long as I win, I get what I want. It''s impossible for me to lose. At your level, you won''t even close the gap between us. You may have a few hidden tricks in your sleeves but they''re useless against me. I''ve already seen most of your cards." White tried to intimidate me but sadly, it wasn''t working. After all, I''ve already nned everything from the start. He should''ve stopped me from using the Blood Oath. Had he done so, he wouldn''t need to suffer a lost against one of the weakest enemies he had to face. "Then, let''s begin." A sh of lightning echoed all throughout the arena as White disappeared from my sight. He was so fast that his afterimages were like a crowd of people surrounding me. Even though I''m confident with my speed, I know that I can''t match his own speed. It''s basically impossible. Furthermore, his footwork was something close to extraordinary. The tip of his feet barely touched the ground as a ripple of air breaking the sound barrier formed underneath it. Every step he took produced a sonic boom, which was matched by the thunderps that could be heard every time his sword releases blue lightning. "If you don''t start attacking, then I''ll take the first bite." White called out as a hand, shaped like a w, attempted to dig itself on my back. Since my senses are heightened to almost its maximum potential. I managed to dodge the attack... just barely. "Impressive. Then how about this!" Suddenly, lightning came down from the skies as a huge thunderp resounded all throughout the arena. I quite underestimated the size of the lightning since I thought it wouldn''t be that intense... but as it turned out, the lightning covered the entire stage. Fortunately, Shen Rong and Shi Yanmei managed to dodge the lightning, scooping Wu Jia out of the way as they exited the arena. I had no idea how they managed to move like that, but I''m guessing the pressure emanating from White were all concentrated on me and that''s how they regained their senses. I wasn''t the lucky one though. Since I got a bit preupied with Shen Rong, Shi Yanmei, and Wu Jia''s escape, I wasn''t able to act quickly. Since I was a step toote, I didn''t manage to dodge the lightning. It hit me squarely on my well, it hit me squarely on my whole body. And it wasn''t your regr run-of-the-mill lightning it''s BLUE LIGHTNING! Chapter 153: Race Level Up! Chapter 153: Race Level Up! The blue lightning was like the bringer of death as it struck me. "Raaaarghhhh!!!" I let out an ear-piercing scream. My body seemed to crumble into pieces as it slowly burnt and became ashes. For a moment, I thought that I''ll really die at this rate. Once again, countless thoughts streamed through my mouth as I approached death itself. My body started to disintegrate and even as a rabid human, I know that it wouldn''t take long before I meet my demise. Ahh, am I finally going to meet Natalia? Wait... no! She''s still a rabid human. Even if I die, she''ll still roam the earth as if nothing happened! That''s intolerable! Wouldn''t that mean I''d die sooner than the person who killed me? As I watched White slowly turning his frown into a satisfactory smile, I held my ground and tried to sustain as much damage as I can. Fortunately, I''m still in my berserker state so the damage was reduced by who knows how much. In any case, my activated skills helped me inbatting the blue lightning to an extent. However, that wasn''t enough. The blue lightning still continued toe down from the skies. My Qi Cores, who were about to get out of control a few moments ago, now became even more uncontroble as they ballooned up in size. Who would''ve thought that the blue lightninging down from the skies are filled with pure Qi Energy. It was quite a surprise. System! Do your thing! "What? No! I don''t need that! You''ll kill me!" I screamed. It was the first time I lost my cool over something that the System was doing. I scared out of my wits. I know that at this rate, I will surely die a horrible death. Right now, my body has disintegrated at an irreparable level. And furthermore, my Qi Cores were agitated to such a state that I only have a few seconds before they explode or in a more specific term, my body will explode, along with my Qi Cores. When I first died, I just had someone hug me passionately and then bit me on the neck. That''s nothingpared to what''s happening right now. It would''ve been way better if I died a painless death but right now, the pain was so unbearable that I just had to scream my lungs out as I suffered. Crack! I felt like something cracked within me as the Fifth Qi Core started forming. Original Qi Core, Virus Qi Core, Dark Qi Core, and the Fiery Qi Core long ago, the four Qi Cores lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fifth Qi Core was formed. Yeah, something like that. The crack that I hearding from within me started spreading until I felt like my whole body was like ss being shattered. I screamed in agony as blood and water spilled out of my body. I was being reduced to a pulp and there was nothing I could do about it. All that I could do was patiently and silently wait as I die in the most painful way possible. Just like that, I avoided death once again. For some reason, an uneasy feeling started creeping up to me as I tried to understand what the System was doing. Recently, the System has been giving me a lot of advantages and cheat-like abilities as if it was using me for something I don''t understand. Aside from that, I could imagine the System asking me for something in return one of these days. And what did it mean when my intimacy with the Harbinger of Death has increased by 30 points? Who is this Harbinger of Death anyway and why is he watching me? Is he a he? Or a she? And why do I have intimacy with him or her? I have no idea. ''Hui-ying? Do you know anything about the Harbinger of Death?'' I asked in my head as I tried to keep myself from exploding. Since my newly-formed Qi Core has helped me recover a bit of my health, I could now focus on the recovery of my whole body. It still wasn''t enough, however. I can still feel my health points draining away as the Lightning continued to strike from the skies. What a cheat skill. This White is something else, I guess. "No, I don''t know why the System is acting like that. But still. I think you need to be wary of that being. That being sounds dangerous enough to befriend." Hui-ying responded. "Are you giving up now, Tang Yongrui of the glorious Tang Sect?" White shouted from a safe distance, egging me on. "You do know that it''s only a matter of time before you die, right? If you don''t give up now, it wouldn''t be my fault if you die a horrible death." "I''m already in a horrible state, thanks to you!" I shouted back as I writhed in pain. Nevertheless, I kept myself standing since falling down would mean I''m defeated. "Yongrui, you have to give up on this right now. You can trick him by showing him some sort of Ancient Power and he might fall for it." Hui-ying advised. "Your life is draining away. Any more than this and you''ll die along with me." "That''s funny. This time, you said ''you'' first instead of saying ''I''. Do you like me that much now?" I teased. "Yongrui, this is no time to be joking." Hui-ying hissed. "You have to concede right here and now! Don''t think about pride or anything like that, just give up, and then we''ll regroup. I''ll think of a way." A way? No... wait... this is That''s right! Why didn''t I think of that! That should work! A mischievous smile formed on my lips as I raised my hand. "Fine! White! I give up!" I screamed. "Wait, wha " ... ... <.....> < Your race has now changed from a ''Human'' to a ''Zombie Overlord''> For a split second, I felt like I really died since my consciousnesspletely left me. But after I died, heard a surprising amount of notifications in my head, making me wonder if I had really died. In conclusion, I didn''t die. Apparently, I underwent a change that has changed my race forever. I don''t know what kind of race a ''Zombie Overlord'' is... but it certainly didn''t sound human. It sounds like what you''ll call a leader of a rabid human horde. In short, it sounds creepy and disgusting and that''s what I am now. A Zombie Overlord, this is definitely weirder than hearing that my intimacy with the Harbinger of Death has increased by thirty points. Yes, definitely a lot weirder. Finally, the lightning surge has stopped and I found myself gasping for air as I fell on the ground. The audience was appalled at the sight of me, naked. As for Yang Mei Mei, Shi Meili, Wu Yan, and Xiang Xiaoqing, they screamed in shock as they covered their eyes with palms open. I quickly covered my dangling third leg as I stood up, my face reddened with embarrassment. Zeng Meihui, however, had a different approach. She immediately leaped out from the audience seats andnded beside me. She then gave me a hooded robe. But even with all that, she still couldn''t hide the embarrassment on her face as she saw my bare skin. Who would''ve thought that the blue lightning wouldpletely burn all my clothing! Why didn''t I think of that! "So, you surrender, huh. By the Blood Oath, that means I won, right?" White announced as he approached me. Sigh~ and here goes another problem. Chapter 154: Enter the Dungeon! Chapter 154: Enter the Dungeon! The Void Tower stood more ominouspared to how it was before. Before its image was that of an ancient tower but now, it appeared to be even darker and cataclysmic. It was just like a huge billow of cloud that would bring upon a huge rain to thend. Lightning and thunders surrounded the Void Tower and a low echoing scream could be heard from the inside the sound was like a wailing woman and it sent chills down my spine. "So, this is the one, the clue to the Ancient Power." White admired the Void Tower with a pleased expression on his face. "In retrospect, I definitely thought that you were going to trick me, but who would''ve thought that you will tell me the truth. Are you really fine with this? You could''ve gotten a lot stronger if you had gotten your hands on the treasure inside here." Luo Zehn, Liu Zhi''s party, and Yang Mei Mei all gulped as they desperately eyed me. In their eyes, I could sense that they wanted me to get in White''s way and dissuade him from clearing the Void Tower. However, they were too afraid to voice out anything. That''s why I was left trying to figure out what they were trying to say. As for Shen Rong and Shi Yanmei, the two of them pursed their lips since they cannot do anything about the whole situation. They knew that such a rare dungeon would give valuable rewards and right now, I''m basically giving it to an unknown individual for free. What if White turned out to be a viin and he decided to annihte everyone in the Lower ne? No one would be able to stop him, that''s for sure. Nevertheless, something tells me that he isn''t exactly a viin. After all, everything that he told me a moment ago was all sincere and he wasn''t lying in the least. The Middle ne is in danger and he took a risk going to uncharted territory just to find a clue about this Ancient Power that could possibly save their whole world. And now, he got a clue as to what it is. Surely he feels overwhelmed by it. If I were in his position, I would be jumping for joy and screaming in exultation. White closed his eyes and spread his Qi Energy around. It''s the same thing as my detection skill but White''s technique was far more refined and he was using his Qi Energy more efficiently. Even after firing such arge-scale lightning attack towards me, he still had enough Qi Energy and his control was exceptional, to say the least. A smile formed on his face, revealing two sets of white teeth that glinted in the sunlight. "Very well, so you have spoken the truth. This time, I tried to sense if there are hidden gimmicks inside the Void Tower. Aside from the strong Guardian at the lowest floor, I don''t think there isn''t anything else. My confirmations are done and all I could say was that you kept the end of your deal." White muttered. "Sure, if I didn''t, I would''ve died through the Blood Contract. At least the fight was fair and square. No hard feelings on my part since it was clearly my loss." I shrugged. "Well then, since you''ve done me a huge favor. I''ve decided!" White pointed a finger at me as his voice exuded confidence. "I''ll tell you everything about the Middle ne!" Gasp~! Everyone was surprised at the sudden announcement. I wasn''t that shocked, however, since I knew that White isn''t a viin, to begin with. Sure, he''s a threat; but that''s only because he was leaps and bounds stronger than anyone else in the Lower ne. I was right. He clearly didn''t harbor any animosity to the Lower ne. "You are a very trustworthy person, Yongrui. In the beginning, I''ve made up my mind not to trust anyone but you, you didn''t try to take advantage of me and myck of knowledge about the Lower ne. As such, I will return the favor by being a trustworthy ally. You''re almost at the Transcendence Realm, right? Then, that means you will be climbing to the Middle ne soon. If you have any questions, just ask me anything as we clear this dungeon. I''ll tell you everything I can." He offered. "Deal," I smiled, extending my hands for the mutual agreement of a handshake. After shaking my hands, he turned around and headed inside the Void Tower Dungeon. The gargoyle at the entrance of the ce didn''t even show up so we just walked straight through. "Are you sure about this, Yongrui? You may find something helpful for us here. Why did you tell him about this ce? If he gets one of my treasures first, then clearly, we won''t be able to get it back." "That''s fine. I don''t really need anything right now. Besides, I need as much information I could get about the Middle ne. I don''t want to go there without knowing anything, and then I''ll die without knowing how I died. At least, with White''s help, we might be able to survive the Middle ne." "What if one of my treasures is a weapon or armor that is above Titanium Rank? Or a Mythical Beast like the Astral Lion?" Hui-ying reasoned out. "If that''s the case, then I got a n, you don''t have to worry about anything," I said, assuring Hui-ying that I didn''t make a mistake. "Whatever you say." She mumbled. Ignoring her, I headed inside the Void Tower, following White as he descended downwards. I still can''t believe that this is called a Void Tower when it''s basically a dungeon. If it was a Tower, then it''s a given that we should be going upwards. And yet for some reason, there is no way up. This is indeed one of the most mysterious dungeons I''ve ever seen. As for Hui-ying, she wouldn''t even tell me anything about this dungeon aside from the Guardian on the deepest parts of the dungeon. "Yongrui, be careful." Shen Rong called out from the outside. For safety purposes, I didn''t let anyone enter the dungeon with us since White could just turn on me and use one of them as a hostage. If there was a small chance that that would happen, then I''d like to avoid it as much as possible. "Are they noting?" White asked, jerking his thumb towards the entrance which was already above us. Right now, we were already descending a flight of stairs that would lead to who knows where. "No, I wouldn''t want you taking one of them hostage, or using one of them as bait or sacrifice." I half-jokingly said. "And also, I don''t know what''s waiting for us inside this dungeon. This dungeon is connected to the ancient and mysterious power and I nned to reconnoiter around the ce alone. With you around, it makes things easier for me." "Yeah, right. But you do know that I can easily overpower you, right? If worsees to worst and there really is a priceless relic here, then I can easily take it right under your nose." White returned, clearly telling me that I shouldn''t have any funny ideas. "Sure, you do you." I tried to sound as casual as possible. "I won''t stop you from taking anything. In return, you should keep your word and tell me everything about the Middle ne." "Once you get to the Middle ne, you will realize that everything I''ll tell you is all justmon knowledge. If you badly want to know about this, then I don''t mind telling you." ] White had a pleased expression on his face. It was obvious what was going through in his mind. He''s probably thinking that he''s got the bigger bite on the bone, but he doesn''t know what''s about to hit him next. "I don''t mind. I need all the information I can." I continued. "Before you tell me about the general knowledge of the Middle ne, I have one question?" "Sure, what is i " Screeeech! A huge bird instantaneously appeared in front of us, shing its beak as it asserted its dominance. The bird was about thrice my size and it didn''t show any hesitation in attacking us. For something its size, it''s a literal bird-brain. Can''t it see that White is more powerful than any individual in the Lower ne? Or maybe it nned a surprise attack and it was toote for it to back down. Either way, I instantly knew that it was dead meat. "Shut up." White calmly said as he snapped his finger, blowing the Griffin-like beast as if it was booger. "Now, where were w oh yeah, you were asking about something." "Ehrmm~" I cleared my throat, surprised that White didn''t even bat an eye at such a creature. Based on my judgment, the bird was at least a tinum-rank Spirit Beast. Well, I''ll just harvest its core and spiritter. "How is the ck Spirit Sect doing up there in the Middle ne?" I asked straightforwardly. Chapter 155: The Purpose Chapter 155: The Purpose White''s straight face suddenly turned sour as he heard me mention the name of a certain sect. Since he came to the Lower ne, he never made a resentful expression but now, it was obvious that he was trying not to show it. He bit his lips and clenched his fists. To me, he seemed like he was trying to make himself calm down. If it were me, I would really like it if he could maintain hisposure as well. If he ever runs amok, at least let him do so in an open space, not in this cramped dungeon where there''s a high chance of getting buried alive. As we descended the stairs, he started recounting everything that happened ording to his perspective. "They came without warning." White started. It''s a little bit cliche for a start but I''m not ming him. "For time immemorial, there are only rare cases where beings from the Lower ne would have the ability to transfer into the Middle ne. It is basically a legend in the Middle ne. And as someone who is on the younger side of things, I didn''t really believe that such a ne for weaklings exists." "There in the Middle ne, the lowest cultivation one could get is on the Heavenly Realm. If I were topare it to how you base your cultivation here, then it''s probably in the Ancient or Dao Realm. If you were born with lower cultivation, you''d have to undergo special training in order to keep up with everyone. When you told me that I may be the weakest in the Middle ne, frankly I didn''t have the right to deny it. When I awakened, my cultivation was lower than the Ancient Realm and a master in the Lightning Arts took me in as a disciple. Thanks to him, I managed to at least go head to head with my generation of geniuses. He was a great teacher." "Was? Did he die?" I asked insensitively. The moment I asked, that''s when I realized that I just casually brought up a dark topic without even thinking about it. "Yes, thanks to the ck Spirit Sect. When they appeared in the Middle ne, we clearly underestimated them. We thought that since they came from the Lower ne, they''d be significantly weaker than any of us... but we were wrong. We were totally wrong to assume that such was the case." "By the time we realized that they posed a great threat in our world, it was already toote. A ''Rush Hour'' Event happened and the Middle ne was caught in the middle of it. Well, the ck Spirit Sect calls it the ''Rush Hour'' Event but in simple terms, it was just a huge horde of zombies, made possible by the virus they concocted. And that horde of zombies gets stronger over time as they ride the Qi Current. And mind you, the Qi Current over at the Middle ne is so potent that a Stage-1 Zombie could immediately rise to Stage-8 in a sh." "But you''ve got masters over there, right? Don''t tell me the ck Spirit Sect was really stronger than any of you therebined." This time, White''s face got even more twisted as his countenance darkened. It''s as if he was reliving bits and pieces of his trauma in his mind. It was an unusual sight to see weirder than any expression he put on, so far. "Let''s just say that the ck Spirit Sect came at a critical time. And they used that moment to further their ns, even more, making all the ns lose face after underestimating them." White sighed. "Forget it, I''ll just tell you everything." I gulped, readying myself as White continued on with his story. I should also mention that during all these times, we were continuously clearing the Void Tower/Dungeon one floor after another. White was so overwhelming that he didn''t have a hard time defeating each and every beast we faced along the way. As for me, I proceeded to gather the Spirit Beasts Souls and their Cores so I could use themter on in the future. They were such high-grade materials that I couldn''t just miss out on them. "Have you ever heard of an ancient story about a young cultivator who ruled over the four elements? It''s a popr ancient story in our ne so I figured it would be recognizable here." "Yes, I''ve heard of the story. This is about the four kingdoms with the mastery of each of the main elements, right?" I continued. "Then, I guess it would be easy to tell you everything about the Middle ne. I''ll go back to when the ck Spirit Sect just arrived at the Middle ne." This is going to be a long day. I just know it. "I''ll go the easier way and ry a simplified version of the history of our world, the Middle ne." White continued. "Simply speaking, there are four kingdoms in the Middle ne, or at least, four main kingdoms. Just like that ancient story about a master cultivator, our four kingdoms also lived in harmony once... but some internal disputes got worse throughout history until war broke out, separating the four kingdoms and leaving each other to fend for themselves. The smaller kingdom, thinking that they wouldn''t stand a chance if they got caught in the middle of things, decided not to meddle in the fights. Because of that, the internal disputes and infighting became so worse that the four kingdoms dered war on each other." "And of course... when there''s war, then the kingdom with the most military might and resources would win, right? Because of that, the Conquest of the Middle ne started. Major kingdoms started swallowing up the other smaller kingdoms, making themselves stronger by establishing fortresses and hiring professional cultivators to protect themselves. I was never part of a major kingdom. I''m just a normal viger boy who so happened to awaken at such an early age. Even among my peers, my awakening was considered genius... but everything that followed isplete trash. My cultivation didn''t rise as fast as I expected them and I was significantly weaker than those in my generation. Wait... I said that before in any case. Long story short, the smaller kingdom where I lived got swallowed up by a major kingdom and I was forced to go to war. My dad and mom intensely rejected it but I had to do it so they won''t drive us out of our homes." "Then the ck Spirit Sect announced their debut. One day, it just all happened. People infected by some sort of rabies virus suddenly appeared everywhere, biting anyone as they go. I was in the middle of my intense training when it all happened. My master died protecting me, and my parents died while I was away. The four kingdoms slowly copsed and ck Spirit Rose to the top. This wasn''t because the four kingdoms were weak, they were just so into fighting with each other that they didn''t realize that n actual enemy was already right in front of them." "And then it all went downhill from there. From then on, I continued my training as seriously as I could, hoping that I could at least do something be a hero when another crisis arises. I also buried my nose in books, trying to learn the profound existence of the people in the Lower and Higher nes. That''s right, while everyone was trying to hunt as many zombies as possible. I locked myself in one of the nearby libraries and read there. That''s when I found out about this Ancient Power. Upon learning that, I immediately prepared myself and traveled down here. I didn''t believe that it was just a myth anymore since the ck Spirit Sect came from there." "HOWEVER! Instead of settling their disputes with one another, the four kingdoms med each other for everything that happened. I would''ve understood it if they med the ck Spirit Sect. How frustrating. How many innocent dies would have to die before they would even team up as one kingdom... just like before. Had they done that, my master and my parents wouldn''t have died.... sigh~ it''s no use thinking about all these things now. What matters most is uncovering the truth behind this Ancient Power and hopefully, we can use it to stop the ck Spirit Sect''s evil rule." I zipped my lips as I nodded my head. Somehow, I totally understood everything he said. It is a normal urrence, even in the Lower ne, for someone to me someone for their mistakes rather than ming himself or herself. It is such a simple urrence but if ced at the wrong time, it could very well be disastrous to everyone. "Now, all the kingdoms are in ruin and the ck Spirit Sect are getting what they want. This Ancient Power is my lifeline. If it can''t help me deal with the ck Spirit Sect, then it''s all over." Chapter 156: The Guardian Chapter 156: The Guardian I now realized how desperate White was. Although this is unknown territory for him, he decided to travel to this ne just so he could fix the Middle ne himself. It is kind of a grandiose ambition but he''s trying to do his very utmost. He''s amendable and straightforward person. Also, I kind of understood why he acted like that the moment he arrived at the Lower ne. Of course, there were legends in their ne where the Lower n holds the secret to the Ancient Power that he was eagerly looking forward to. And then when he arrived, everyone was so weak. Of course, he felt offended. Gulp. My thoughts were interrupted as soon as my senses detected a massive amount of Qi Energy. The Qi Energy almost suffocated me and I almost fell on my knees due to the pressure. The pressure was only a little bit weaker than White''s but it was still intense. I could tell that the entity a few meters from us was more powerful than me. If I were to go head to head with it, I''ll probably die. "So, the Guardian''s just up ahead, right? If we beat him, then we''ll finally get a clue on this Ancient Power." White''s eyes gleamed. He was brimming with anticipation as he strode through the Void Tower. Now that we''ve finally reached the bottom of the Void Tower, we arrived at a long, pitch-ck tunnel. The intense Qi Energy was right in front of us. I may not see the Guardian right now but the Qi Energy emanating from it got even more intense the closer we approached it. White and I cautiously moved through the tunnel. As expected of a powerful cultivator, White still remained cautious even though he defeated the majority of spirit beasts and monsters that existed in the Void Tower. By the end of a tunnel, a towering door was etched on the wall. The door had ancient runes and writings on the sides of it and the handles were twice my height. "You ready?" White asked with a sneer. "Sure, go ahead." Just like before, my muscles and body swelled up in size. My eyes became bloodshot and my nails became longer, bing harder than steel. My Qi Cores were agitated but they were controble, all thanks to the Strong Wil Skill that the System gave me. At this point, I was merely relying on stacking up my skills just so I could go head to head with White and the Guardian of this Void Tower. Right now, my current Cultivation Level was that of the Ancient Realm, but now that I used all the skills I got, I finally reached my most powerful level. Right now, my Cultivation Level has risen at least three levels. That''s right, I finally reached my life-long dream! Even though I''m using my skills, I finally reached a level beyond the Transcendence Realm. The power was so overwhelming that I almostughed out loud at how incredible it is. I''ve never felt so ted in my life. It felt like I could do anything. The power I have right now was someone that has only been attained by a handful of people in the past. Right now, I can basically defeat everyone in the Lower ne. I mean, right now... I can definitely rule over the Lower ne if I chose to, right? Ehrm, Tang Yongrui of the Esteemed Tang Sect, don''t get ahead of yourself. This is just temporary. You haven''t reached the Realm beyond the Transcendence Realm. It was all thanks to the System that you''re like this right now. Having struck myself with reality. I was now prepared to face the Guardian. "Wow, that''s some insane power-up you got there. No wonder you''re strong. If you were on my level, I''d have no chance of defeating you. That being said, are you fully prepared now?" "I was born ready," I smirked. It may be a cliche way of putting things but I just had to say it. Right now, there''s a huge chance that I''ll be gravely injured or maybe I''ll get killed as soon as I entered through these doorways. Nevertheless, I must go through with this. I''ve made it this far with the help of White. Also, this is aa once in a lifetime opportunity that would grant me more information about the System on my head and Hui-ying who apparently existed in the Ancient Times. Who would''ve thought that she was such a great figure in the past? It won''t even be an understatement if someone were to call her a hero. She may no have saved her world from an outbreak, but right now, she''s making history through me. Argh. I shouldn''t be too sentimental right now! I''ve got a fight to finish! "You done with your pep talk?" White teased. "Should we head in? Or do you still need a few more minutes to yourself?" "No, I was just trying toe up with all the possible scenarios that could happen once we enter that room. You know, if we''re not careful, we might die on our first step." "That''s right. But don''t worry too much about it. I know you''ve lived this long because you are a very vignt individual." White acquiesced while nodding his head. For a moment, I thought he was teasing me but upon closer look, he wasplimenting me. That''s unusual. Maybe White is getting nervous as well. "If there are trapsid out in there, or if the Guardian was too powerful for both of us, I know that I must simply cut through it. With my sword, I''m unstoppable, so just follow my lead. Okay, Yongrui?" I nodded. This guy... this guy is hopeless. ..... Fwoooooosh! A huge gust of wind came out of the door as soon as White touched it. Since there was no other choice, White and I headed into the room. It was a huge room with stone walls and a ceiling filled with stctites of some unknown material. The room was your typical cliche dungeon boss room. "That''s the guardian, Yongrui. Can you really defeat that?" Hui-ying concernedly asked out of nowhere. "Yes, with White''s help, I think we can take them down. Why? Are there any other gimmicks to this Guardian?" "No, but rather... um, I don''t know if this is a gimmick but every ten percent of its health, its power will move up another realm. So by the time you whittled it down to ten percent of its health, its power could rival thrice the power of the Transcendence Realm." Wha HUI-YING! ARE YOU FOR REAL?! I tried to rein in myposure since I almost screamed my lungs out in surprise. "Why are you telling me this now? Why didn''t you tell me anything about it earlier? We had plenty of time! Why? Why are you telling me this now?" I hissed, clenching my fists as a thousand thoughts ran through my head. We''re dead. We''re really dead. "Yongrui? Are there any problems? Let''s go." White called out with a carefree expression on his face. "Let''s kill this thing over there." "But... I thought all boss monsters are that way. You didn''t know?" Hui-ying cluelessly asked. "I''m really sorry Yongrui, I didn''t know that what I made is such a powerful boss. In our time, that monster is just a normal boss. Stronger bosses increase their cultivation level by two or three levels." "Sigh~ next time just tell me everything about it. You can''t do this to me." I told him. But it was toote. No matter what I think of right now, I know that there''s no going back. Either we defeat this boss or we get killed. We can still try going out of the boss room... but I know that dungeons like this wouldn''t allow that. The entrance might close in front of us, or we get killed after breaking the rules of the dungeon. In short, there''s no way back. The Guardian had a body of a muscr,rge-sized human. Its body was tough like a hide of an imprable beast and although it was still in its dormant state... the Qi Energying out of it was so powerful. Andstly, its head was of a minotaur but one of its horns was broken. And as for the weapon, it carried a BroadAxe that was twice my size. And just when I was admiring the size of its weapon... its eyes suddenly shed open, showing us its orange pupils. Smoke came out of its nose as it snorted. The damned Guardian. It''s finally awake! "White, I just noticed that this Guardian is not what it seemed to be. The more damage it absorbs, the stronger it gets! Once we whittle it down to ten percent of its health, its cultivation level will exceed yours by twice the amount!" I hastily informed White just so he would be aware of the gravity of the situation we''re in right now. "T-t-that''s very reassuring, you know that." White stammered. "Anyway, we won''t do anything if we stand around for too long." "Let''s kill this thing." "Yeah!" Chapter 157: Bloodborne Poison Chapter 157: Bloodborne Poison "Gruuaaarghh!" As soon as White and Imenced our attack, the Guardian fiercely let out a scream as it pounded its legs like a charging bull. With eyes ring and nose fuming, the Guardian charged at us, wildly swinging its axe that agitated the stilled winds in the dungeon room. As it charged closer and closer, I realized that the Guardian had no thought of stopping and it just kept elerating, hurtling itself towards us with pure force. In a split second, I had to decide whether to charge at the Guardian or step sideways and dodge its attack. I knew that both options wouldn''t guarantee my safety, not in the least bit. Regardless, I didn''t want to die a few seconds in on the battle. Thus, I chose thetter. With a twist of my ankle, I propelled myself sideways as the Guardian directed its head towards me. It wasn''t expecting me to y the coward card and stop midway through my attack so it charged straight without slowing down. As for White, he also didn''t expect that I''d jump sideways and dodge the Guardian. With jaws dropped, White stared at me in disbelief as he continued on with his attack. I''m sorry, White. You know I''m not the type of cultivator who would throw his life away at such an uncertain situation. In an instant, White unsheathed his sword and mightily swung it at the Guardian. Because of the Guardian''s eleration, it didn''t have the leeway to dodge the blow and the sword struck him squarely on the stomach. "Yeah! Take that!" I shouted as I pumped a fist in the air. ... Let''s just say I celebrated too early. The moment the attacknded on the Guardian, White was thrown off his feet. He was then sent flying off to the wall on the other side of the room, making him gasp for a breath as air escaped his lungs. Who would''ve thought that White would be thrown instead when he was the one whonded such a powerful attack on the Guardian. "Grrghhghgh~! " The Guardian growled as it held its stomach. To my relief, there was a small gash of a wound on his stomach and blood flowed from it. White clearlynded the attack but the Guardian was just too powerful. And even after all that, the Guardian still suffered some damage. White did suffer more damage but at least I can now estimate the power level of the Guardian. It may be stronger than White but with the help of the System, I know that I can get to their level and catch up to them. Now that both of them were thrown in disarray. I immediately rummaged through my Storage Rings in a haste to concoct a deadly poison. After seeing the blood on the Guardian, I immediately knew that it''s a living entity. It may not be a beast nor a human but it has blood. And blood is the life of the flesh, or so that ancient text said. A series of thoughts ran through my mind as the hundreds of poisons I''ve learned started shing in my head. It didn''t even take me a second to find the right poison and immediately work on it. "Yongrui! Watch out!'' White screamed as he got back to his feet. What is it this time? I was almost finished with the poiso One moment, the Guardian was crashing on the far end of the room. The next moment, it suddenly appeared in front of me, swinging down its axe as it aimed at my chest. Before the axe coulde in contact with me, I managed to teleport on another part of the room, right where White was. "You! How did you do that? I didn''t see you activate any of your Qi Cores when you did that? Are you really just that fast?" White asked. "Well, we have plenty of time to talk about thatter. For now, I''ll try to distract that Guardian while you try to finish whatever you''re doing. I hate to admit it but... the two of you are considerably faster than me. Be quick, Yongrui. Even I''m not certain if I could hold that Guardian off long enough for you toplete that poison." "How did you know this is poison?" I asked. "It''s the Bloodborne Poison, right? We have that up there in the Middle ne. One of the best poisons when ites to monsters with high health. Only Poison Masters can concoct it though and the poison fetches a high price. Only the rich could get it." Before I could say anything else, White charged at the Guardian once again. This time, he already had his sword out. He just needs to swing it and hope that his attack would be effective. Just hang in there for a little longer, White. Once I''m done, I''ll be able to help you with my activated Berserk Mode. The main problem in creating the Bloodborne poison is that you need at least two pints of blood when creating it. The two pints of blood will then be condensed until it''s as hard as a rock, and then one has to inject a mixture of herbs that would corrode the inner portion of the rock-hard blood. And once all these are over, the Bloodborne poison should be eaten by the victim for it to be effective. These two criteria are two of the hardest to pull off when ites to poison. Because one how would you condense the blood until it''s hard enough? And two no sane person would swallow an unknown substance by their own volition. But once I managed to do it, the Bloodborne poison would melt in the mouth of the victim, and the mixture of herbs that reacted to the condensed blood would be released, corroding everything in its path. It won''t take long before the head willpletely get corroded and then the victim will die just like that. Easier said than done, to be honest. Once I finished the herbs I was mixing, I immediately cut a portion of my wrist and let my blood flow freely from it. Even until now, I still can''t believe that I have blood. I mean, I died five years ago and if I had blood, then it would''ve been drained long ago. And yet, right now, I''m right here, seeing the thick and viscous red liquid dripping from my wrist. "ARGH!" White suddenly screamed as a White Light erupted in the room. When the light finally dissipated, I saw White, floating in mid-air as blue lightning surrounded him. He looked like that certain person in ultra instinct mode but the only difference was there was lightning with him. And adding to that, his eyes were bright white as well. My adrenalin suddenly reacted to White as it detected a life-threatening situation. Right now, White has stepped into a different Realm altogether and his strength was on par with the Guardian, if not stronger. And as for his Qi Energy, it was so vast that I couldn''t even fathom the greatness of it. So this is the true strength of a cultivator in the Middle ne. And he''s already one of the weakest there is. After draining two pints of blood from my System, I felt a bit woozy but I held it in. With the help of my Qi Energy and the Blood Element, I managed to condense the two pints of blood into a cube no smaller than a millimeter cubed in volume. The dark reddish and ckish color of it made it seem more like a unique gemstone rather than blood. I then proceeded to inject the mixture of herbs inside it. In that instant, I saw how the poison corroded the condensed blood from the inside out. Before, it had a dark reddish and ckish hue, but now, it had the color of dark purple, just like the presumed color of poison. "Yongrui, are you done?" White asked. "I can''t hold him for much longer." "Yes, I''ll help you out." I responded as I teleported towards his side. With my Berserk Mode and Virus Madness, I felt great power surging from my body. Even though I feel a bit woozy, I still had the strength within me to fight. Smash! The moment I punched the Guardian, it flew backward for a few meters before hitting the ground. I didn''t give it time to recover and I immediately activated my Wind and Fire Element, shooting one of the high-grade elemental techniques I learned from a while back. Wind-Fire Tornado! It doesn''t sound sophisticated but I swear it''s one of the strongest techniques out there. "White, can you go over there and force its mouth open. Just for a split second will do." I called out. White nodded. Before the Guardian could stand up, it was hit by a tornadoposed of wind and fire. And then White appeared near the Guardian and stuck his sword in its mouth. "NOW!" White screamed as the Guardian screamed with him. Chapter 158: People die when... Chapter 158: People die when... "Now!" My vision blurred as my body suddenly teleported on top of the fallen Guardian. Down below, White was hanging onto his sword for his dear life as he tried to keep the Guardian''s mouth propped open. He was gritting his teeth, making them chatter as if they were about to break. With one smooth motion, I swung my hand and threw the condensed blood which contained the Bloodborne Poison. My aim was on-point and the Bloodborne poison squarelynded on the tongue of the Guardian. It didn''t take long before the condensed blood turned into liquid, spreading the Bloodborne poison on the tongue of the Guardian. "Grgrgrhkk~!" The Guardian tried to scream but the blood flowed on its throat, his voice bing a weird gargling sound. The condensed blood underwent a pretty conspicuous change as it reverted to its former amount. I knew that two pints of blood is a lot of blood but seeing it from afar, it was obvious just how much blood I lost when I concocted the poison. "Will that really work?" White asked, regrouping with me as Inded. Unlike before, I could tell that he was having a difficult time fighting the Guardian. He was sweating to no end and moreover, he was already out of breath. Maybe his awakened form can onlyst him so long and maybe it was meant to be used as a final move in a fight. "Yes, I''m sure of it. We''ve confirmed that the Guardian is in fact a living being, right? As long as it has blood coursing through its veins, the Bloodborne Poison will work no matter what." I exined. Even though I''m not that confident about my knowledge of poisons since the System just gave it to me through the System Shop, I decided to tell White a piece of reassurance just so he won''t feel dispirited. ''Hui-ying, the System can do anything, right? Can you tell me the status of the Guardian right now?'' I asked Hui-ying in my mind. After all, she was directly connected to the System and she can ess its information better than me. "Graagghh~!" The Guardian let out another scream but this time, it was a scream from pure agony. ''I don''t know, Yongrui. Lately, I can''t contact the System that much.'' Hui-ying said. "Sure it tells me information from time to time but right now, it won''t even answer whenever I try talking to it." ''Mmm, I see, it''s probably resting. It''s done a lot for both of us and it deserves it. However, if it''s withholding some information from us, then I''ll pester it once this fight is over.'' A sizzling sound suddenly interrupted my conversation with Hui-ying and what I saw in front of me made my eyes widen in shock. The Guardian, who was standing formidably just a couple of seconds ago, was already missing half of its head! That''s right, half of its head! As it turned out, the Bloodborne poison was too potent that it quickly ate away at the Guardian''s tongue, then it crawled onto the neck and ate its way upwards, leaving the Guardian howling in torment as it tried to fight the poison off. I didn''t even need to see the health bar of the Guardian to be able to say that the Guardian is definitely losing a lot of health. No, saying that this Guardian is losing health is an understatement. The Bloodborne Poison is literally eating it away like how hydrochloric acid eats through metal. Wait, how do I know that about hydrochloric acid? Oh, maybe it''s one of the useless facts that I learned after gaining some knowledge about poison. Quite surprisingly, acid is actually used in a lot of Poisons. I mean, a lot of poison in my knowledge had acid as its ingredient. It may be incredibly corrosive, but it can even be more lethal when mixed with the right chemical or herbs. But enough about that. Right now, I should be focusing on the fight! "Yongrui, be careful." White warned as he shook me on my shoulder. Without missing a beat, he then jumped sideways, barely avoiding the Broadaxe that the Guardian threw at us. As for me, I almost choked on my saliva as I saw my reflection from the Broadaxe. I didn''t even notice it. It didn''t even take a split second for it to appear in front of me. With this, I realized that Hui-ying was right. Every time we whittle away at the Guardian''s health points, the Guardian kept on climbing up the Realmdder, making it overwhelmingly stronger as time went on. Sure the Bloodborne poison can undoubtedly kill this Guardian... but how could we be certain that we won''t be killed before it died? Even though the Guardian lost its whole face and it couldn''t scream anymore due to its damagedrynx or something, I could tell that it was still growling at us. Fwoom! After throwing the Broadaxe and leaving us in a state of confusion for a few seconds, the Guardian leaped in the air and cannonball-ed right where I was standing. I saw himing so I managed to dodge. However, the Guardian wasn''t really aiming for me, it was aiming for its weapon. "Yongrui, watch out! It''sing! You have to brace yourself! Don''t lose focus!" White screamed at the other end of the room, making me blink twice in bewilderment since I didn''t know what he was talking about. And then I felt it. The Qi Energy that the Guardian was releasing became even more opressive as he hit another threshold in his draining hp. Right now, I estimated that the Guardian''s power could match twice the rank of a Transcendence Realm Cultivator. Without the Bloodborne Poison, I know that we don''t stand a chance. My eyes turned even more bloodshot as the pressure squeezed my body in all directions. I could feel my organs and bones tightening as the oppressive pressure got even more intense... ultimately, it brought me to my knees, making me curl down on the floor as I writhe in pain. The pressure... Blood gushed from my mouth, nose and ears as the pressure increased by the second. No matter how hard I attempted to block the pressure using my own Qi Energy, it always gets negated by the Guardian''s Pressure. Sching! I heard a metallic noise and realized that my life was in danger. My danger-sense suddenly started acting up as I got goosebumps all over my body. In a sh, I used up all my remaining strength to push my body sideways and I managed to avoid the Broadaxe swinging down at my neck. There was only a hair''s breadth of a gap between the Broadaxe and my neck. When I opened my eyes, I saw a bitemark right on my shoulder where the trapezius muscle was located. For some odd reason, my mouth formed into a smile as I remembered that someone who bit me and turned me into an infected five years ago. From the corner of my eyes, the Guardian was standing on top of me, looking down on me even though it didn''t have a head anymore. With muscles tensed, it lifted up its Broadaze which was twice my size. If the Guardian brings it down on me without reprieve, then I would probably experience a swift and painless death as I get cut lengthwise. When I tried to move, I felt a part of my veins near my nasal cavity get raptured and blood filled my irises. Right now, I was a bundle of muscles and blood on the verge of death... ... so this is what the pressure of someone in the Middle ne feels like. I can''t even resist it. No matter how I tried to move, my body just wouldn''t respond. And to top it all off, my Qi Cores were already on the verge of exploding once again! Ah~ how many times has this happened to me? But right now, is it really the end? System! Do your thing! ... no response. System? Are you there? You can''t ditch me like this. ... still no response. System? ... SYSTEM! With a cry of despair, I felt helplessness slowly oveing me as I started slipping into unconsciousness. I felt huge amounts of wind pressure as I imagined the Broadaxe descending upon me like a certain killing machine that is popr for cutting people''s heads off. Honestly, I felt helpless a couple of times in the past... but this time... this time was the first time where I felt thiiiiis close to dying. The pain was so torturous that I couldn''t even begin to describe it. ''Yongrui! Yongrui, you have to wake up! You have to dodge this! Yongrui!'' ''Can''t you see I can''t move? Why don''t the System use that autopilot skill and take over my body? Does it want us to die right here and now?'' ''Yongrui! You have to stand up! You have to do something and dodge! Yongrui! You have to move!'' With a smile, my tensed body rxed as I epted my fate. I didn''t know what to say for my final words and I don''t really have the time to think about somethi oh well, might as well go with this. ''People die... when they are killed!'' sh! Chapter 159: System Level UP! Chapter 159: System Level UP! My quote was so unoriginal that it made me want to dig a hole and bury myself inside it. But then again, I''m already on the verge of death that I don''t have to do such things. In any case, even though I felt embarrassed about saying that but I don''t regret it the least bit. sh! Clink! I felt the pressure of the Broadaze as it descended towards me but just before it hit my nose, the Broadaxe was suddenly sent crashing towards the far end wall of the room. Amidst the noise of the crash, I heard a low groaning from the Guardian even though it doesn''t have any vocal cords anymore. It was probably because of his body systems failing that it produced such a sound. And just like that, the overwhelming pressure I felt was gone and I immediately worked on calming my Qi Cores down. I''ve lost count on how many times my Qi Cores reached such a state. Nevertheless, I''m used to the feeling by now. Even though I''m already this close to death, I still managed to calm myself down and started cultivating. ''Are you serious?'' I eximed in my mind as I continued to calm my Qi Cores and continue my cultivation. <.....> <.....>