《World-saving Plan: The Only Savior》 Chapter 1 - 1 1 The World Has Changed ?1: Chapter 1 The World Has Changed 1: Chapter 1 The World Has Changed ¡°Huff~huff~¡± In the corridor of an old office building, a young man was panting heavily as he descended the stairs. The young man appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five, an intern at a company here. At the moment, his left hand was holding a mobile phone, playing a song meant to embolden him in the night, while his right hand was constantly buried in his pocket, tightly gripping something. ¡°Ah ah oh~ ah ah oh ai~¡± From the phone, a nonsensical singing voice rose, echoing through the narrow, pitch-black corridor, creating an eerie feeling. ¡°Bang!¡± A loud noise came as the young man forcefully burst through the safety door leading to the underground car park. ¡°What the hell is going on? What has been following me!?¡± He ran into the long hallway, his face showing unmistakable panic. ¡°Creak...creak...¡± Behind him, a sound resembling the rubbing of bone joints emerged, sending shivers down one¡¯s spine. Unable to help himself, the young man shuddered and quickened his pace, his right hand subconsciously squeezing even tighter around the object he was holding. ¡°Gurgle...gurgle...¡± At that moment, the weird noise from behind suddenly drew nearer, like a stifled sob coming from a throat, making the young man feel as if it were now less than one floor away from him. ¡°Fuck! How can it descend the stairs so fast!?¡± His heart pounded violently, feeling as though he was about to be caught any second. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn anymore, let¡¯s just rub it here!¡± The young man abruptly took out the object he had been gripping in his palm from the right pocket and started rubbing it while he ran. ¡°Ten seconds! I just need ten seconds!¡± Listening to the approaching gurgle, he frantically rubbed the object while his feet also ran wildly. ¡°Diloo dadee diloo dahdee... Diloo dadee diloo dahdee...¡± From the other pocket, the music on the phone started to intensify at this very moment. ¡°Klod klad klod klad...¡± Behind him, the sound of quick footsteps emerged, as if in pursuit, accompanied by the noise of trash cans being knocked over. Hearing these closing-in sounds, the young man felt as if every second was an eternity; he had never imagined ten seconds could feel so long. The teeth-grinding gurgle sounded again, this time as if it was emanating directly behind his ear. Now he was sure that whatever was behind him was definitely not human! A human being couldn¡¯t possibly make such a sound! The young man now felt full of regret; he should have started rubbing the stone in his hand earlier. No! He shouldn¡¯t have taken this corridor at all! Why didn¡¯t he just rub it upstairs, instead of fearing exposure and hiding it? Just as he felt he was about to be caught, the music that had been playing in his pocket suddenly erupted into a piercing high-pitched cheer. ¡°Yo!!! Haiya!!!!!!¡± With the shrill soprano ringing from the phone, the footsteps chasing him from behind came to an abrupt halt. Then, a sharp and painful scream echoed from that direction, followed by an even more frantic set of footsteps. An overwhelming sense of oppression descended; the young man didn¡¯t dare to look back throughout the ordeal. Just as the dreadful presence was about to envelop him, his surroundings suddenly changed, the ground beneath him disappeared, and he fell down from the bed. He was home. ... ¡°Huff, huff, huff~¡± Zhang Xiaoman sat on the ground, breathing heavily, his mind full of the terrifying scene he had just experienced. In his right hand, an oval-shaped white stone slipped and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. ¡°This is definitely not human! Absolutely not!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was drenched in cold sweat, feeling completely drained. Just thinking about that grating gurgling sound behind him and the last roar he heard made his heart grow colder still. He pulled out his phone to turn off the music that was still playing and sat down on the bed with a flop. Glancing at the stone on the floor, he stared at the temporarily dimmed blue circle on it and spaced out. It was just yesterday, while he was eating lunch, that a wild crucian carp gave him an enormous surprise. He had unexpectedly encountered a system inside it! Yes, the kind that seems to be an indispensable soul companion for protagonists in legends. And its name was quite strange as well¡ªWorld-saving Plan. The function was simple, essentially just a lottery draw. Besides that, the system also had two other abilities, ¡°store¡± and ¡°upgrade.¡± There was only one item in the store, and the upgrade function was unusable due to insufficient points. Even the system didn¡¯t have a System Elf to chat and bicker with; everything had to be explored by himself. Suddenly bestowed with such an unexpected fortune, Zhang Xiaoman was naturally overjoyed. Unfortunately, before he could even get used to the system, he encountered the incident that had just occurred. And the stone that he had been rubbing in his hand at the last moment was an item he obtained through the system¡¯s daily lottery draw¡ªthe hearthstone. [Hearthstone] Bound Effect: After continuously rubbing for ten seconds, teleport you back to your home. Cooling time: 1 hour. ¨C Rub me. Zhang Xiaoman looked at the attribute panel of the item in front of him and took a good while to come back to his senses. He could see this kind of attribute panel just by staring intently at the item, but this ability seemed to work only on items produced by the system and had no effect on ordinary objects. ¡°Could it be that those terrifying monsters actually exist in this world...¡± Zhang Xiaoman muttered to himself, and the scene from just now involuntarily surfaced again before his eyes. The creepy gurgling sound, the horrifying roar, the heavy footsteps, and that almost overwhelming cold breath behind his head. Just the thought of it all was enough to make one¡¯s skin crawl. Originally, after obtaining the system, he had been ready to live an easy life and reach the pinnacle of human existence. But now, after what had just happened, he suddenly realized that things seemed to be a bit different from what he had expected. While he was pondering, Zhang Xiaoman heard a ¡°creak,¡± and someone opened his room door from the outside. A graceful middle-aged woman walked in. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re back.¡± Pei Lingsu opened the door and saw her son¡¯s distressed expression; she was startled first, then asked with concern, ¡°Xiao Man, what¡¯s the matter with you? You look like you¡¯ve lost your soul.¡± Zhang Xiaoman unconsciously turned his head to look at her, then stood up with a ¡°swish¡± and pulled his mom into the living room. ¡°What exactly happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± Seeing her son¡¯s abnormal behavior, Pei Lingsu was full of worry. ¡°Gurgle gurgle...¡± Zhang Xiaoman gulped down a large glass of cold water and took a couple of deep breaths before adopting a very serious expression and began to explain to his mom what had happened. ¡°Mom, I think I just ran into a monster...¡± PS: Welcome to the pit~~~ Seeking favorites, seeking recommendations~~~ Chapter 2 - 2 2 Drawing Again ?2: Chapter 2: Drawing Again 2: Chapter 2: Drawing Again Half an hour later, in the living room. The woman sat on the sofa, her face full of lingering fear and solemnity. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that there really are monsters in this world? And they¡¯re in your company?¡± By now, Zhang Xiaoman had also recovered, and during this period, he had told his mother everything that had happened before. She was also aware of the fact that he had gained extraordinary powers. There was no way around it, not because Zhang Xiaoman had chosen to tell her, but because she had witnessed it herself. The fish he ate had been prepared by his mother. And during the system binding, his body was all lit up with special effects, and his mother had directly witnessed the whole process; there was no hiding it. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m certain that thing was definitely not human!¡± Zhang Xiaoman assured. ¡°That noise, that speed, and those terrifying sounds, I felt like there was a tiger chasing after me... No, that thing was more terrifying than a tiger!¡± He was still shaken. His mother was also frightened by his words and wore a worried expression. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head to cast aside the terrifying scene from his mind, then took a drink of tea. Using this time to think things over properly, he then said: ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve been thinking... Why did those strange things start to appear just after I gained these powers? It can¡¯t really be a coincidence, or some kind of protagonist halo, could it?¡± ¡°Hmm... What do you mean?¡± Zhang Xiaoman let out a sigh: ¡°When have we ever seen these monsters before? Even if we¡¯ve heard of them, they¡¯re nothing more than flawed ghost stories. Even Sixth Grandpa, who has been fortune-telling for half his life, has never really seen ghosts or goblins. It can¡¯t be that just as I received these powers, they all started to pop up, right?¡± ¡°So, I have a thought... It¡¯s probably not a problem with some kind of protagonist halo...¡± ¡°It¡¯s... a problem with this world!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, these monsters may have just started to emerge!¡± His mother then had a realization. ¡°You mean, Spiritual Energy Recovery!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat surprised that she even knew about this. But then again, she spent her free time reading novels on Qidian just like him. Her reading level had even reached the top tier of ¡°Reading Saint,¡± one level higher than his own, so it was not strange that she was aware of such cliche?s. ¡°This is just my guess, but if there¡¯s frequent news about monsters in the future, we¡¯ll really have to consider if this is the case...¡± Zhang Xiaoman shared his analysis. His mother pondered for a moment, then said: ¡°I think you should not go to your company tomorrow, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded, as this was also his plan. He could give up his salary for the month if necessary. Compared to his life, that was insignificant. Plus, now that he had the system, of course, he couldn¡¯t possibly go back to work. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late, and you must be tired from your shift today, so try to get some sleep early.¡± Having said that, his mother yawned and went back to her room. ... Midnight. In the bedroom. Zhang Xiaoman lay on his bed, staring at his watch, counting the seconds tick by. ¡°11:55:36, 11:55:37, 11:55:38...¡± He was waiting for the new day to start, so he could participate in the prize draw. ¡°11:58:48... It¡¯s almost time!¡± Time seemed to pass intolerably slow, and he wished he could reach out and pull it forward. ¡°It¡¯s going to be midnight soon. If this prize draw really refreshes with time, then many of my speculations will be confirmed!¡± Watching the second hand inch closer to midnight, Zhang Xiaoman felt as if there was a fire burning in his chest, anxious and restless. About the lottery, he had already done it twice. The first time was yesterday when he got a white-level item¡ªthe hearthstone; the second was today¡¯s gray-level item¡ªa bone gnawed by a dog. According to his guess, the system¡¯s lottery chances should increase by one every day. Moreover, after the lottery, Zhang Xiaoman would also gain 1 point. Points could be used to purchase items in the System Store. What depressed him was that the only item for sale in the System Store was¡ª [Extractor] ¡ªcan extract Essence Qi. The price was 1 point. Besides that, there was no other description for the item. Zhang Xiaoman was also very helpless about this, who could blame him that his system didn¡¯t have a System Elf; he had to fumble everything by himself. He spread out his right hand and looked at it; in his palm was a complex pattern. The overall pattern was a seven-pointed star, with a shield in the background, and an eye in the middle that was open. This had only appeared after he had purchased and used the extractor from the store. Although it looked mysterious, he had never figured out how to use it. He checked the time; it was already 12 o¡¯clock. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly raised his head, casting his gaze towards the system interface he had already opened in advance. The system¡¯s interface was very simple, with only three functions. They were¡ªStore, Lottery, Upgrade. Right now, the lottery button that had been gray was once again lit up, signifying he could take part in the new day¡¯s lottery. He let out a long sigh of relief, closed his eyes, muttered a bunch of prayers that no one else could understand, and then stretched out a finger towards the lottery button. ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained a white-level item¡ªHoly Water.¡± As the system¡¯s prompt window popped up, a twist in space appeared, and from it emerged a transparent small bottle, which fell onto the bed. ¡°What is this?¡± Zhang Xiaoman picked up the bottle to look, curious as to what the system¡¯s reward was for this time. The bottle in his hand was roughly the size of an egg, and it looked quite rough in craftsmanship. The top of the bottle was covered by a cork made of oak wood, which also had a white string wound around it. Zhang Xiaoman shook it; inside the bottle was a clear liquid, about one ounce in volume, and he couldn¡¯t see anything special about it. ¡°Is this Holy Water?¡± He focused his gaze, and the attribute panel for the item appeared in his eyes. [Holy Water] One ounce. ¡ªLiquid Gold. ¡°This...¡± With a somewhat pained expression, he massaged his temples. The system¡¯s explanation was definitely concise, leaving one in the dark. ¡°But at least this time it¡¯s not a gray-level junk, so it should still be somewhat useful.¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought of his own white-level item¡ªthe hearthstone, and felt somewhat comforted. However, he still decided to search online to see if he could find some useful clues. (A few words aside~ I¡¯m pretty puzzled, why do people keep saying the system has informed the mother? I really have no idea where you¡¯ve seen this plot, the mother only saw the special effect when the protagonist bound the system, but she doesn¡¯t know about the existence of the system, thinking he just awakened a superpower. This book is not the type where the main character lurks behind the scenes, wearing a disguise and staying hidden; it contains a lot of public recognition of his feats. I¡¯m also quite perplexed, some people have really peculiar sore points; when the protagonist recruits underlings, some random stranger who is not involved can know about the protagonist¡¯s superpowers, but somehow not the protagonist¡¯s own family, which I really don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll say it again, this book is not about being undercover! It¡¯s not about being undercover! It¡¯s not about being undercover! It¡¯s about public recognition! The protagonist will lay low at the beginning, but as the story progresses to the middle and late stages, he will roam freely and take the whole world with him, his identity as a superpower user won¡¯t be hidden; he will be publicly acknowledged as the pinnacle of human combat power! The main theme of this book is to unite all of humanity against monsters from different worlds, not shrinking behind the scenes dealing with infighting, so stop talking about issues of exposure...) Chapter 3 - 3 3 Brother Hero ?3: Chapter 3 Brother Hero 3: Chapter 3 Brother Hero Half an hour later. Zhang Xiaoman stretched lazily, resignedly shutting down a bunch of web pages he had just opened. In that short period, he had already found over twenty games or movies with similar items. The settings regarding Holy Water were diverse and baffling, making his eyes swim. Just as he was growing frustrated, because he had been staring for so long, the attribute of Holy Water emerged in his field of view: ¡ª¡ªLiquid Gold ¡°Liquid Gold...?¡± Zhang Xiaoman slapped his forehead, ¡°That¡¯s it! Liquid Gold!¡± He quickly reopened the browser and rapidly typed the clue provided by the system into the search engine ¡ª¡ª Liquid Gold. Sure enough, the next second, as a series of search results appeared, his eyes immediately lit up. He scrolled the mouse and clicked on one of the links. ¡°Liquid Gold ¡ª Born in Western mythology, often refers to Holy Water blessed by the divine...¡± Zhang Xiaoman stared unblinkingly at the article on the screen, murmuring softly. ¡°A bottle of true Holy Water must be drawn from the clearest high mountain springs and brought back to the Holy Land by the most pure and devout, and finally, after thousands of days of praying, it can gain Divine Power...¡± He paused, looking in surprise at the unremarkable little bottle beside him. ¡°Holy Water not only brings blessings to people but can also be used to combat demons. All evil spirits that come into contact with Holy Water will instantly dissolve into nothingness...¡± ¡°The production of Holy Water is extremely difficult, and given its special ability, it is incredibly precious and was thus called ¡®Liquid Gold¡¯ at the time.¡± ¡°...¡± Afterward, Zhang Xiaoman browsed many other web pages and found similar explanations. This time, he felt fairly confident about it. Setting down the mouse, he picked up the small bottle containing Holy Water again. ¡°Can disperse evil spirits? That¡¯s interesting...¡± He couldn¡¯t help recalling the terrifying and strange encounters he had faced before. Having dealt with this obsession, a wave of sleepiness suddenly hit him, but before going to bed, there was one more thing he needed to take care of. Picking up his phone, Zhang Xiaoman quickly dialed a number. ¡°Beep... Beep...¡± The phone hadn¡¯t rung a few times before it was answered on the other end. ¡°Hello? Zhang Xiaoman? Why are you calling me at this hour?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the other side. Zhang Xiaoman hadn¡¯t expected the call to be answered so quickly and hurriedly said, ¡°Brother Hero! Luckily you¡¯re not asleep. Listen to me, do not go to the office tomorrow!¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a demon in the office!¡± He said directly. Zhang Xiaoman actually intended to say there was a monster at first, but suddenly felt that might seem less credible, so he spontaneously changed it to a term the other person would understand more easily. The man on the other end was stunned upon hearing this. He pulled the phone away to check the number displayed, confirmed it was Zhang Xiaoman, then put it back to his ear. ¡°Zhang Xiaoman? You... are you specifically calling me in the middle of the night to tell me a ghost story...?¡± Zhang Xiaoman immediately replied, ¡°Tell a damn ghost story, this is real! I just got off my evening shift, and since the elevator was broken, I took the stairs... And then I freaking encountered that thing! If I hadn¡¯t run fast, I probably would have been done for!¡± ¡°Did you get a good look at what it was?¡± Zhang Xiaoman paused; he actually hadn¡¯t seen what the monster looked like because he absolutely didn¡¯t dare turn back then. However, he reconsidered and felt that directly saying it, the other party certainly wouldn¡¯t believe him. Just as he was about to make something up, the person on the other end of the phone suddenly spoke up. ¡°There you go, you definitely didn¡¯t see it, right? Hehe, don¡¯t even think about it anymore. I¡¯m telling you, actually, there¡¯s a company on the fifth floor where a young girl always brings her little dog to accompany her during night shifts.¡± ¡°So, what you encountered today was a dog chasing you! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°...¡± Zhang Xiaoman scratched his head, feeling that the more they talked the more confused the situation became. He was very sure, it definitely wasn¡¯t a dog! The palpitations and horror he experienced when encountering the monster and the sounds that came from behind him were definitely not something a dog could do! However, he thought about it and realized, indeed. If it had been before, he also would have definitely not believed that such things existed in the world. At that moment, an idea struck him, and he at once changed his explanation: ¡°No, Brother Hero. Could you please take a day off tomorrow? Come to my place, I need a little help with something...¡± Who knew that Brother Hero would suddenly burst into laughter: ¡°Hahaha, Zhang Xiaoman, who are we kidding? You¡¯re still trying to trick me, I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re really overthinking it¡ªthere are no such things as ghosts in this world.¡± While speaking, his tone shifted: ¡°Actually, if it were on another day, I¡¯d just take the day off. We¡¯re brothers after all, consider it a favor. But I can¡¯t tomorrow! Tomorrow is the promotion assessment at our company, and I¡¯ve been waiting over a year for this team leader position, do you think I could miss it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was silent, he knew Brother Hero was speaking the truth. Ever since he had his son, the guy had stopped playing games and was working hard at his job with outstanding performance. He had been eyeing that team leader position for a long time, and his chances of success were strong. ¡°I think, once I become the team leader, you should just join our company too, since it¡¯s in the same building anyway...¡± On the other end of the phone, Brother Hero was still envisioning the splendid future. Zhang Xiaoman felt helpless, knowing this was a deadlock. Brother Hero could not possibly believe his stories about ghosts and gods, nor would he give up his hard-earned opportunity for such a reason. ¡°Ha~ Never mind, never mind, I¡¯m too tired, going to sleep...¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Zhang Xiaoman suddenly spoke up, his tone extremely serious. ¡°Brother Hero, listen to me, when you go to work tomorrow, make sure you don¡¯t walk the stairway alone, alright?¡± ¡°Ah? Alright, alright, I promise you, okay...¡± He shook his head as the person on the other side hung up, then he put down his phone. He didn¡¯t know if Brother Hero had truly taken his words to heart, but he had said all he could. If it had been someone else, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered to say as much. Brother Hero was someone Zhang Xiaoman had grown up with from childhood. He had a rather rare four-character name. Since his father¡¯s surname was Lu and his mother¡¯s surname was Lin, and they gave him the name Haohan, this guy hadn¡¯t escaped being teased for it throughout his life¡ªhis name was Lu Lin Haohan. ¡°Brother Hero¡± was his nickname. The two shared a deep friendship, but unlike the always carefree Zhang Xiaoman who played games all day, Brother Hero had settled down early with a marriage and two sons. Zhang Xiaoman knew his friend¡¯s situation and how tough it was. Besides work, he also had to do part-time jobs delivering food after work. Even so, he never complained and often used the little bit of money he saved from quitting smoking to treat him to barbecue. Regarding such a brother, he naturally couldn¡¯t just watch him walk into a trap, hence the scene earlier. Patted the pillow and just about to go to sleep, Zhang Xiaoman thought again and picked up his phone to send a message in the company group chat. ¡°I encountered something filthy in the stairwell after work yesterday! Absolutely true! The building where our company is located is unclean! Never walk through the stairwell alone!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve said what I needed to say, I hope you all take it to heart...¡± Zhang Xiaoman then sent a resignation text to his boss and promptly put down his phone to crawl under his covers and fell asleep. Chapter 4 - 4 4 Mr ?4: Chapter 4 Mr. Pei 6 4: Chapter 4 Mr. Pei 6 ... The next day, morning. Perhaps because he had experienced a terrifying brush with death yesterday, Zhang Xiaoman slept very soundly. No nightmares, no alarm clock, he slept just like on a regular day off, waking up naturally. He checked the time on his phone, and it was already past 10 a.m. He had slept for nearly ten hours, and now he felt fully energized and refreshed. He glanced at his phone and, as expected, there was a pile of missed calls and messages. Casually sending a text back to his boss, Zhang Xiaoman decisively blocked him. He had wanted to do this for a long time to the Mediterranean who had always been a thorn in his side. He opened the chat group where he had sent the last message yesterday; he wanted to see if his message had any effect¡ªthough he knew that hope was slim. Indeed, when he saw the responses in the group chat, Zhang Xiaoman almost burst into laughter from anger. Xiao You, ¡°Zhang Xiaoman, you¡¯re getting bolder, aren¡¯t you? Aren¡¯t you afraid Old Ma will pick on you?¡± Xiao Wei, ¡°Xiao Man, brother, I know the corridor isn¡¯t clean, who can blame the property¡¯s lazy cleaning staff? But you didn¡¯t have to specially mention it at night!¡± Xiao Xian, ¡°Brother Man, what exactly did you encounter yesterday, a banana peel or an apple core? Does walking alone increase the chances of stepping on something?¡± Xiao Bu, ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m dying of laughter, no, no, I have to turn Brother Man¡¯s classic quotes into a JPG.¡± Following that, Zhang Xiaoman saw a screenshot in the chat record. It was the corridor of the office, where someone had placed a trash bag right in the center, and the image was captioned with the phrase he had sent before¡ª ¡°There¡¯s something dirty in the corridor...¡± ¡°What a bunch of rainbow serpents!¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s forehead was now covered in metaphorical black lines. He wished he could rush to the company immediately and give each of these people a fatherly iron fist, not believing that his sincere warning had been turned into a JPG. But he had said what needed to be said. Since they didn¡¯t want to believe it, there was nothing he could do; he had issued the warning and sought only to be at peace with himself. He closed the chat group feeling a bit depressed and called Brother Hero again; he wanted to confirm whether this guy had taken his warning to heart at all. ... The call ended quickly since Brother Hero was at work and it wasn¡¯t convenient for him to chat. But this time, he did receive what could be considered a comforting piece of news¡ªthe elevator in the office building had finally been fixed that morning. ¡°Phew...¡± Zhang Xiaoman let out a long sigh of relief. His concern for the company¡¯s building issues, aside from having a friend like Brother Hero, was actually due to the fear of his secret being discovered. He knew that there was indeed a mysterious presence in the company that he couldn¡¯t understand. And if someone were to be harmed because of it, the police would inevitably have to get involved at some point. Moreover, in his panic when using the hearthstone yesterday, he didn¡¯t know if he had been caught on camera. If the footage of him disappearing out of thin air were to be discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable. He got up with a heavy heart, finished washing up, took his dog out for a walk, and upon checking his watch, he realized it was already noon. His mother had gone to work early this morning. Even though she was now the mother of a man with the System, she hadn¡¯t quit her job immediately. In her words, until they made some money, the job couldn¡¯t be lost. Regarding this, Zhang Xiaoman could only sigh helplessly. He had thought about making money using the hearthstone. But after a long night of deep meditation, he was greatly frustrated to find that his hearthstone didn¡¯t seem to have that ability. Of course, this was based on playing it safe. If he really wanted to pursue profit by any means, there were plenty of ways. But he didn¡¯t think it was necessary. One reason was his own mentality, and the other was that having the System, he didn¡¯t have to commit bad deeds for the sake of a quick profit while risking exposure. With a sigh, Zhang Xiaoman looked at the meager balance in his wallet and decisively gave up the idea of ordering takeout for lunch; he decided to find a place to scrounge a meal. ... Qionghua City, the old district. Zhang Xiaoman rode his somewhat old electric bike through the bustling, noisy alleys. He turned past a grocery store adorned with strings of candied haw, parked his bike, and walked into a small courtyard with a rickety, old mahogany door propped open. The courtyard was small but decently arranged. There were flowers, a well, and a single bare little peach tree. Beneath the peach tree, a lean old man in his seventies was reclining in a sun lounger. In front of him was a small wooden table with several stacks of dishes and a bottle of brandless white alcohol. The old man picked at the dishes with chopsticks from time to time and took occasional sips of the liquor, looking very content. ¡°Woof woof woof!!¡± In the yard, a large black dog ran out from under the shadow of the eaves and started barking at the newcomer. ¡°Go away, go play over there.¡± Zhang Xiaoman waved his hand at the dog before turning his attention to the old man shaking his crossed legs, smiling, and saying: ¡°Master Liu, you¡¯re eating? How about we eat together?¡± The old man squinted his eyes and cocked his head, glancing sideways at the visitor: ¡°It¡¯s you again, you cheeky kid, trying to mooch food and drink. Go away, can¡¯t you see even Xiao Tian doesn¡¯t welcome you?¡± Zhang Xiaoman shamelessly rushed over and grabbed a small stool, sitting down at the other end of the table and saying with a smile: ¡°Master Liu, what are you talking about? You¡¯re my Sixth Grandpa; can¡¯t I come and check on you?¡± As he spoke, he also poured a small bag of peanuts into a little dish on the table. Then he fished out a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo container, grabbed a couple of dishes, and stuffed them into his mouth in one gulp. ¡°Delicious! Master Liu, your cooking skills are still top-notch!¡± But Master Liu just rolled his eyes and scolded: ¡°You ungrateful little thing, you always bring just this tiny bag of peanuts. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never live to see the day you buy that old goose!¡± As he spoke, he propped himself up into a sitting position and picked out a peanut to eat with his drink. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s your plan this time coming over here?¡± Zhang Xiaoman smiled, poured him a full glass of alcohol, and said: ¡°I was thinking of borrowing your pushcart for a bit.¡± ¡°Borrow the pushcart?¡± Then, Zhang Xiaoman shared his recent plans with him. Because he had quit his job, Zhang Xiaoman had no source of income. He didn¡¯t know when the System would be able to help, so for now, he had to find something to do on his own. Of course, he couldn¡¯t possibly tell Master Liu about the System. He merely shared an idea he¡¯d had for a long time. ¡°You want to sell sushi! No way, no way!¡± Sixth Grandpa immediately waved his hands in refusal after hearing the plan. ¡°This is the tool I use for eating; how can I lend it to you to wreak havoc?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked in surprise, ¡°Didn¡¯t you retire from fortune-telling and all that business?¡± Sixth Grandpa paused and then said: ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. This cart has been with me for half my life; it¡¯s like my son. How could I possibly lend my son to you? No lending, no lending!¡± ¡°Master Liu, you¡¯ve got it wrong! Precisely because it¡¯s like your son, you shouldn¡¯t let this pearl gather dust!¡± Zhang Xiaoman implored earnestly. ¡°You lend your... oh no, you lend your son to me, and I¡¯ll get it a new outfit later on. Then keep taking it onto the battlefield, galloping into the fray. Wouldn¡¯t you gain a reputation for your magnanimity?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Moreover, a great steed is common, but a discerning master is not. Your son and I have some destiny; do you really have the heart to let it spend the rest of its days in this small courtyard?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Furthermore, Brother Che and I hit it off instantly, sharing a bond as if we were seeing eye to eye, ready to ¡®swear brotherhood.¡¯ As the saying goes, better to dismantle ten temples...¡± ¡°Enough, enough! Just stop there!¡± Sixth Grandpa hastily waved his hand to interrupt him. ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you, just stop talking. If you keep going, by tomorrow you¡¯ll want to marry it, and I don¡¯t want to be doubly related to you.¡± Zhang Xiaoman let out a sly laugh, and seeing he had achieved his goal, said nothing redundant and started to dig in with his chopsticks. ¡°Hey, you kid, after not seeing you for a while, how come you¡¯ve become so smooth-tongued? You¡¯ve even managed to wear me out with your talk.¡± Sixth Grandpa sipped his drink and commented. Zhang Xiaoman threw a chicken bone to the big black dog beside him and said nonchalantly: ¡°Isn¡¯t that our family¡¯s genetics, inherited through the generations?¡± Sixth Grandpa didn¡¯t ask further and shook his head, munching on peanuts. Chapter 5 - 5 5 Master Lius Encounter ?5: Chapter 5: Master Liu¡¯s Encounter 5: Chapter 5: Master Liu¡¯s Encounter After dinner. In the backyard. Zhang Xiaoman looked at the large cart plastered with signs like ¡°Feng Shui Fortune Telling, Lucky Augmentation¡± and couldn¡¯t help but marvel: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your gig to be such a big deal, Master Liu. It¡¯s way classier than those street stalls and small-table fortune tellers.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Haven¡¯t you seen the reputation I have around these parts? The title ¡®Half-immortal Pei¡¯ isn¡¯t just for show. Every time I set up my stall, the line of people is just endless, let me tell you.¡± The old man, while caressing the cart, began to boast, as though he were a general who had retired from the battlefield many years ago, reminiscing about his glory days. Zhang Xiaoman was a bit puzzled. ¡°Master Liu, if your business is doing so well, then why would you retire?¡± Upon hearing this, Sixth Grandpa was initially stunned, then he put on a nonchalant expression and said: ¡°Hey, why so many questions? I just got tired of it and stopped fussing with it...¡± Zhang Xiaoman just pursed his lips. ¡°Master Liu, who do you think you¡¯re fooling? We know each other too well. You almost cherish your few tricks like they¡¯re your life. You telling me you got tired of it? Do you think I would believe that?¡± Sixth Grandpa opened his mouth to say something but then swallowed his words and impatiently waved his hand: ¡°Off you go, young man. Why all these questions? Don¡¯t ask nonsense! You¡¯re not supposed to know about this...¡± As he spoke, he turned away and went to tidy up the dishes and chopsticks. Seeing him like this, how could Zhang Xiaoman hold back his curiosity? He quickly followed him and began earnestly persuading the old man again. Eventually, after a mix of dragging, coaxing, and persistent nagging, he finally ¡°moved¡± the old man and successfully pried his mouth open. ¡°Oh, you pesky kid! I really can¡¯t deal with you! Always curious, always wanting to pry into everything, just like your mother!¡± Sixth Grandpa¡¯s face showed reluctance, yet he still spoke: ¡°These things, I myself felt something off about them. It¡¯s uncertain! And don¡¯t you go spouting this off anywhere, do you hear?¡± Zhang Xiaoman, of course, readily agreed. Only then did Sixth Grandpa sigh and slowly begin to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve been fortune-telling for half my life. The neighborhood people jokedly call me ¡®Half-immortal Pei¡¯ and because of my age, they added ¡®Master Liu.''¡± ¡°But my tricks, they might fool outsiders, but our own family knows the bottom line, right? It¡¯s all fake¡ªjust a big con!¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but nod. That¡¯s right. Sixth Grandpa had been telling fortunes for half his life. To outsiders, he projected an aura of profound mystery and Daoist charm. But to his family, he was merely an old charlatan, a big con man. He¡¯d start with some fortune-telling mnemonics, then shake his head and pretend to summon spirits, and the unsuspecting laymen would dutifully pay up. ¡°So, you had a change of heart? Stopped doing it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman continued the conversation. The old man glared at him fiercely: ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt!¡± Zhang Xiaoman chuckled and gestured for him to proceed. Pei Laoliu pulled over a stool and poured himself a cup of white tea before continuing: ¡°You see, usually, I go on about things like demons, spirits, and the Three Pure Ones. But in my heart, I clearly know there¡¯s no such thing in the world. It¡¯s all made up by people¡ªfake!¡± Zhang Xiaoman, listening on the side, also grabbed a handful of peanuts, feeling somewhat like he was in an old tavern listening to a storyteller. ¡°But as they say, if you always walk by the river, you are bound to get your shoes wet. Wandering on ghostly paths at night, one is bound to encounter ghosts eventually!¡± But the old man suddenly changed his tone, his expression becoming grave: ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you... A few days ago, I really encountered something filthy!¡± ¡°What! Something filthy!?¡± At these words, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly exclaimed. While talking, he mishandled the peanut he was tossing into his mouth, and it smacked right onto his face. Onto Pei Laoliu¡¯s face. ¡°What are you doing, youngster!¡± Pei Laoliu, startled by him, caught the peanut and immediately tossed it into his mouth. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t believe it. I didn¡¯t expect such a big reaction from you.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was stunned, then slowly realized his reaction had indeed been a bit exaggerated. He composed his face to look calmer, but his heart was in turmoil. If it had been in the past, he certainly wouldn¡¯t have believed Pei Laoliu¡¯s ghostly tales. He would have naturally taken his words as just another ghost story¡ªafter all, the old guy often used to do that. But this time was different. Because not only had he obtained the System, but just yesterday he had personally experienced such a terrifying strangeness. He also understood that Pei Laoliu would not give up his fortune-telling career for no reason at all. ¡°No, Master Liu, you startled me. What you said was too compelling. I couldn¡¯t help but get caught up in it.¡± Zhang Xiaoman hurriedly smiled and filled his tea to the brim. Pei Laoliu rolled his eyes and, unabashedly, took a big gulp. ¡°I say, how come your nerves seem to be regressing more as we speak? I haven¡¯t even started my story, and you¡¯re already scared?¡± After saying that, he fiercely took another sip of tea before continuing, ¡°You should know, I, Master Liu, have spent most of my life dealing with Feng Shui and tombs, but I¡¯ve never heard of anything like souls or ghosts, and I certainly don¡¯t believe in them!¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but break into a sweat. This fortune-teller, who dealt with such things daily, didn¡¯t believe in them, whereas his floating clientele were deeply convinced. ¡°You don¡¯t know how shocked I was when I saw that thing with my own eyes.¡± Pei Laoliu seemed to recall the scene, and a hint of fear gradually emerged in his eyes. ¡°A few days ago, while I was setting up my stall at Bianmin Bridge, a young man with gold wire glasses came by. He straight up asked for an exorcism.¡± Pei Laoliu reflected on the memory. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know, but the young man¡¯s expression was anxious¡ªhe wasn¡¯t faking it¡ªand he was dressed in a suit and a designer watch. When I saw him and heard his address, Fat Fish Villa District, what do you think? Such a big fish¡ªcould I let him just slip away?¡± Zhang Xiaoman, familiar with his grandpa¡¯s style, nodded in deep agreement. ¡°So, Master Liu, what did you charge him?¡± Pei Laoliu¡¯s face lit up with a smile, gesturing a figure-eight with his hand. Seeing that, Zhang Xiaoman was at first stunned, then chuckled understandingly, not forgetting to give him a thumbs-up. Pei Laoliu continued: ¡°This young man drove me down from the bridge in a luxury car¡ªthe style of it, tut tut... He told me on the way that their basement was haunted!¡± ¡°Not only were there strange noises every day, but there was also a continual stench wafting out, and the appliances stopped working. They called the police several times to no avail. Whenever someone stood in the basement, the noise would stop immediately, and they couldn¡¯t even locate the source of the smell!¡± ¡°When I heard that, I immediately suspected it was probably some rats making a ruckus.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve encountered many similar cases before. Each visit, I¡¯d perform the same routine: draw some talismans, chant some mnemonics, and finally, discreetly sprinkle some Rat Poison. It was sure to solve the problem!¡± Pei Laoliu said this but then hesitated, reaching for the cup on the table, yet fear began to fill his eyes. Zhang Xiaoman noticed that Sixth Grandpa¡¯s hands seemed to be slightly trembling. ¡°What happened next?¡± he asked. By now, Pei Laoliu was no longer as relaxed as he initially was, and his tone became heavy and slow. ¡°Later I realized, I really shouldn¡¯t have gone!¡± Pei Laoliu slapped his thigh, expressing regret: ¡°When I got there, I realized that their place was truly bizarre. That smell, it wasn¡¯t something a rat could cause¡ªit was the stench of a corpse!¡± Seeing the somewhat puzzled expression on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face, he explained: ¡°When I was young, I helped to relocate graves in the surrounding villages and opened coffins. That smell was exactly the same as back then!¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded. Pei Laoliu continued: ¡°So I asked him. You said this smell was from the basement initially, so how come it has spread throughout the house, even the yard? The young man told me he didn¡¯t know and was hoping I could figure it out.¡± ¡°Actually, my first reaction was an opportunity to ask for more money, but I couldn¡¯t say that directly. I had to come up with a pretext during the exorcism process.¡± ¡°When I reached the basement door, I heard a ¡®woo-woo-hoo-hoo¡¯ sound inside, as if someone were continuously crying. At that moment, I felt something wasn¡¯t right, but then I thought it might just be the wind leaking through somewhere and making that noise.¡± ¡°Did you go in then?¡± Zhang Xiaoman perspired a bit, recalling his own eerie experiences from the day before, and couldn¡¯t help feeling a tingling on his scalp. Pei Laoliu again showed a regretful expression, saying: ¡°You don¡¯t know. When I opened the basement door, good lord! The stench was practically turning into a poisonous miasma, as if it was burning down there.¡± ¡°Although I felt like backing out, I had taken people¡¯s money to solve their problem, and there was no turning back. If I ran off then, wouldn¡¯t Master Liu¡¯s reputation be stinking forever?¡± Pei Laoliu¡¯s face showed his inner conflict. ¡°So, I braced myself and went in. But feeling alone made me somewhat nervous, so I told the young man that his basement happened to be on a natural array eye and that the evil spirit was cultivating there and had gained some Daoist skills. To exorcise it, the presence of the homeowner wielding righteous energy was essential to suppress it, or else, as an outsider, I feared I couldn¡¯t persuade it to leave.¡± ¡°Did he believe it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked. ¡°Whether he believed it or not, he had no choice. If not for their house, where would they live later? So we both went into the room, set everything up, and while performing the ritual, I took the opportunity to walk around the basement. After a thorough search, I couldn¡¯t find anything, not even a vent or a rat hole!¡± ¡°Seeing I had been walking around for a long time but to no avail, he asked if I couldn¡¯t drive it away. To avoid his suspicion, I told him the ghost was too strong. I needed to close the door, seal up the space and create a ¡®Ghost Extermination Array.''¡± Upon hearing him mention the ¡®Ghost Extermination Array,¡¯ Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt the chill from before dissipate and almost laughed. Pei Laoliu, however, didn¡¯t notice Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s expression, continuing: ¡°Guess what? I didn¡¯t need to close that door, but once I did, it almost scared me to death!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked curiously. ¡°Behind that door, a human face was stuck to it!¡± Pei Laoliu¡¯s eyes were filled with terror. ¡°And the appearance of this human face was exactly the same as the person standing next to me!!¡± Chapter 6 - 6 6 Breaking Out ?6: Chapter 6: Breaking Out 6: Chapter 6: Breaking Out Pei Laoliu had been fortune-telling for many years, and his storytelling skill had also become exceptionally proficient. Moreover, with Zhang Xiaoman listening so intently at this moment, such a twist indeed gave quite a fright. However, Zhang Xiaoman was only startled at the first moment he heard about the unexpected incident; once he regained his composure, curiosity strongly took over instead. At this point, he was somewhat eager to know what exactly was going on. ¡°Master Liu, what happened next?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked anxiously. Pei Laoliu pressed his hand down on him to signal him to be patient. Then he took another sip of tea to moisten his throat, before he continued: ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know how shocked I was when I suddenly saw a living face attached to the door! Moreover, the face was not just sticking to the back of the door, but it was also continually twisting and struggling, as if it was about to jump out!¡± ¡°I saw that the area around the face was covered with dense, blood-vessel-like veins, back then my soul nearly flew out of fright!¡± Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman visualized a horrifying scene in his mind. Somehow, he also recalled the incident he had encountered the previous night and shivered involuntarily. ¡°Do you know what my first thought was at that time?¡± Pei Laoliu suddenly said with some fear: ¡°My first reaction was that I had fallen into a trap! This young fellow beside me must be a servant ghost or some sort of clone; they had lured me in to harm me!¡± As he spoke, his eyes widened, as if reliving the scene. ¡°I¡¯ve lived this long, and though it was my first time encountering this ghostly thing, I¡¯ve told many ghost stories before, and I have a good grasp of those stories!¡± ¡°Plus, I¡¯m at least half an insider, though I don¡¯t have real skills, the tools in my hand are genuine! The Peach Wood Sword was indeed made from an old peach tree, and the Black Dog Blood was taken from my own dog, Xiao Tian!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying, strike first to gain the upper hand! I suddenly swung my arm, and that small bowl of Black Dog Blood I was holding splashed onto... the face of that demon. It must not have expected me to act so swiftly, it was caught off guard, and immediately let out a miserable scream!¡± Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but admire the old man¡¯s decisiveness. He himself had encountered these odd entities, and he truly understood the horror of being in such a situation. This was totally different from watching movies or reading novels. Facing life and death situations with one¡¯s own life at stake, if it were someone less courageous, they probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to stand still, let alone have the courage to fight back. The old man continued to say: ¡°When the demon let out that scream, I saw the face attached to the door scream as well. Though I was glad that my gamble paid off, the shriek it produced was so sharp and piercing, I nearly fainted!¡± ¡°Luckily, I, Pei Laoliu, am also of firm resolve. I bit the tip of my tongue and shouted loudly ¡®Evil spirit!¡¯, and then with two strides, I charged over and slashed its face with a sword...¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman sighed inwardly, ¡°Master Liu is mighty,¡± then he quickly urged: ¡°Then what happened next? Did you kill that demon?¡± Pei Laoliu, unabashedly said: ¡°Next? Of course, I fled through the door!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was stunned, his look of admiration gradually stiffened. ¡°Old man, you just... just ran away like that?¡± Pei Laoliu glared and scolded: ¡°You punk, think I, your Master Liu, haven¡¯t lived long enough? If I didn¡¯t run, should I have stayed to fight demons and exorcize evil? With my half-baked skills, wouldn¡¯t that be courting death!¡± As he said this, he seemed to recall something else, his tone wistful: ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that I left all my tools behind there, couldn¡¯t bring a single one back, and they were my partners for earning a living over the years!¡± Zhang Xiaoman broke a sweat. ¡°So you just ran away, not caring about your reputation?¡± The old man glanced at him and said, ¡°Well, there wasn¡¯t anyone else there to see it at the time, and it¡¯s not like the ghost is going to spread the word about it, right? Besides, where is a reputation as important as one¡¯s life?¡± He paused and then added, ¡°Moreover, after this incident, I¡¯ve decided not to continue in this line of work... It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was speechless but finally understood why the old man had decided to wash his hands off this risky business. To put it simply, in two words¡ªhe chickened out. ¡°After returning, I thought it over carefully. The first half of my life, I was just lucky not to have encountered a real ghost...¡± Pei Laoliu talks with a tone mixed with relief and fear, ¡°But just because I haven¡¯t seen them doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist! If I were to encounter one again... I¡¯m not ready to die yet, I plan to enjoy my peaceful retirement at home!¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded in agreement. Yes, as an ordinary person, who would actively want to encounter such oddities? ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve eaten and shared stories, now go do whatever you were doing. If you want that cart, take it now, it¡¯ll save me the nostalgia.¡± The old man started to usher people out. Just then, the big black dog Xiao Tian, who had been quiet this whole time, suddenly perked up its ears, then stood up abruptly and started barking towards the door. ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was startled, his first thought being that the ghost from the story had come knocking on their door! Pei Laoliu didn¡¯t hesitate much, just sat there and yelled, ¡°The door isn¡¯t locked, come on in!¡± The noise outside paused for a moment, and then two men pushed the door open and stepped in. After surveying the layout of the yard, they walked towards Zhang Xiaoman and Pei Laoliu. These were two policemen in uniform. Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt a bit nervous. Having just received the System, he was still lacking a bit of security, subconsciously thinking about potential exposures of secrets. Pei Laoliu was also stunned, evidently, the identity of the two men was a bit unexpected to him as well. ¡°Are you Pei Laoshi?¡± The speaker was a middle-aged man with a square-shaped face. Pei Laoliu quickly stood up, found a stool, and invited the two policemen to sit down. After all, with the nature of his business, he was somewhat wary of government workers. This wasn¡¯t exactly a legitimate business, and sometimes, if you were unlucky, you¡¯d get dragged in for criticism and education. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. What can I do for you, officers?¡± Zhang Xiaoman, seeing they were not after him, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking back on his previous nervousness, he suddenly felt his face getting warm. He was too impatient. The lead policeman sat down, his expression was not accusatory, yet neither was it overly friendly. Neutral and unreadable, giving nothing away. ¡°Pei Laoshi, on the evening of July 7th, where were you?¡± Chapter 7 - 7 7 Omens ?7: Chapter 7 Omens 7: Chapter 7 Omens ¡°Ah...?¡± Pei Laoliu was baffled by this sudden question, he paused a good while before he could respond. July 7, wasn¡¯t that the day when he encountered the ghost-faced man? ¡°That day I went to Fat Fish Villa District to check the Feng Shui for a client...¡± Pei Laoliu felt a bit nervous, he wasn¡¯t really afraid to speak out, since he hadn¡¯t done anything guilty during that time. However, he was also worried that if the ghost had killed someone, it might implicate him. He truly had entered that house, but feared it would backfire horribly. The square-faced police officer seemed to detect the old man¡¯s tension and smiled reassuringly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, we just have a few questions to ask you.¡± ¡°Oh, alright, Officer, go ahead and ask.¡± Hearing this, Pei Laoliu felt a bit more at ease. ¡°What exactly did you see in building 27 of Fat Fish Villa District on the evening of the 7th?¡± The middle-aged police officer cut to the chase. Pei Laoliu hesitated on hearing this, he thought for a moment, then said: ¡°Officer, do you want to hear the truth, or a lie?¡± ¡°Pfft...¡± The young police officer standing behind suddenly laughed, saying: ¡°Old man, you are quite funny. We, police officers, of course need to hear the truth; who listens to lies when investigating a case?¡± Pei Laoliu¡¯s face looked somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Hearing the truth is right, but you can¡¯t punish me with a re-education session afterward...¡± The middle-aged police officer waved his hand, guaranteeing him, ¡°Rest assured, just tell us what you saw. We are not concerned with anything else, and no one is going to take you for an educational talk.¡± Regardless of what Pei Laoliu was thinking now, Zhang Xiaoman next to him was filled with swirling thoughts. There were certain things Master Liu might not understand, but Zhang Xiaoman had some clues. These things, perhaps, were not the so-called ghosts... If she hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, they hadn¡¯t always been there, but had only appeared recently. ¡°He just said they don¡¯t handle other affairs... does that mean they are a department specifically responsible for such cases... or is that just a polite phrase, and I¡¯m overthinking it...¡± Zhang Xiaoman continued to analyze in her mind while listening to Pei Laoliu explaining the situation. ¡°Judging by their demeanor, they seem to already know the real situation, now they are just here to confirm their investigation...¡± Thinking this, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but take another look at the two officers. Unfortunately, she could not see anything unusual about them. At least, for her, a regular employee who rarely interacted with the government, it wasn¡¯t obvious. Pei Laoliu went on and on, repeating the story he had just told to Zhang Xiaoman. However, this time he was much more concise, finishing in no time. After drinking some water, Pei Laoliu looked at the young police officer who was still seriously taking notes, a curious expression crossed his face. ¡°Officer, do you actually believe what I¡¯ve said?¡± He ventured. The middle-aged police officer¡¯s face showed a half-smile, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Wasn¡¯t what the old man just said the truth?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Pei Laoliu quickly waved his hands. ¡°I¡¯m just curious why you guys don¡¯t seem skeptical at all. After all, what I said sounds so mystic, I reckon anyone who hears it might think, might think...¡± ¡°Think you¡¯re telling a ghost story, huh?¡± The middle-aged police officer interjected, ¡°You don¡¯t need to use your imagination. We have already conducted a preliminary investigation of this case and found that it was not caused by any so-called ghost.¡± ¡°However, as for what it specifically is, I can¡¯t disclose that to you. What¡¯s important is that you can¡¯t go around spreading rumors about this matter; I need to make that very clear to you.¡± He paused then, shifting his gaze to Zhang Xiaoman. Zhang Xiaoman quickly understood and immediately responded, ¡°Officer, rest assured, I won¡¯t speak of it either. My grandfather often told me these kinds of stories, I always took them as just stories.¡± The middle-aged police officer nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. With today¡¯s advanced technology, whether in reality or online, all words and actions can be traced. I hope you understand that.¡± The elder and the younger both nodded in agreement. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve asked everything I needed to, and I¡¯ve taken up plenty of your time. I won¡¯t bother you any further and will be on my way.¡± After finishing, the middle-aged police officer stood up, and the young officer next to him also stopped writing at this moment. ¡°Um... Officer, could you tell me what happened to the house afterward?¡± Pei Laoliu suddenly asked. The middle-aged police officer, who was about to leave, paused. He turned his head to look at Pei Laoliu for a moment before responding, ¡°As for the specifics, I¡¯m not at liberty to tell you. All I can tell you is that right after you left, the owner of the house immediately called the police, and the scene was quickly brought under control with no casualties.¡± Pei Laoliu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing there were no issues at the homeowner¡¯s house. ¡°Thank you, officer, now I can relax.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing; it¡¯s part of our job,¡± the middle-aged police officer said and waved his hand before heading towards the door. However, when he nearly reached the rather shabby door, he suddenly turned around. ¡°By the way, those... tools of yours, we¡¯ll need to run some tests on them, so I can¡¯t return them to you just yet. Oh, and that thing... don¡¯t randomly splash dog¡¯s blood on people anymore. When our patrolling officers saw the homeowner, they almost sent them directly to the hospital for emergency treatment.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh, okay...¡± Pei Laoliu was taken aback upon hearing this and his expression gradually shifted from perplexed to embarrassed; even his thick-skinned face, usually immune to shame, reddened slightly. ¡°Master Liu, he has left.¡± Zhang Xiaoman saw him still standing there, dazed, and promptly reminded him. Pei Laoliu turned around and glared as he scolded, ¡°Stinker, I know they¡¯ve left. Stop being an eyesore here and let me have some peace.¡± ¡°...¡± On the street, a police car was driving down the middle of the road. Inside the car, the young officer who was at Pei Laoliu¡¯s house was driving. On the passenger seat beside him, the middle-aged officer with a square face was leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed. ¡°Captain Hu, hearing that fortune teller¡¯s story, I feel even more like it was a ghost...¡± The middle-aged officer named Captain Hu also opened his eyes at this point and said, ¡°Xiao Wu, even the old fortune teller doesn¡¯t know; how can you still not understand? Are there really such things as ghosts in the world? If it were a ghost, could we have killed it with just one shot?¡± Xiao Wu shrank his neck upon hearing this. ¡°Captain Hu, I¡¯ve never seen such things before. You said it could move, yell, and even spew out so much stench, what exactly is it?¡± Captain Hu sat up straight, pinched the bridge of his nose, and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s my first time encountering it too... There¡¯s never been any record of such a thing in internal files... Anyway, the leadership said, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility of such events happening again in the future...¡± ¡°So, we need to intensify our investigation now and try to figure out where that thing came from and why it appeared in Mr. Li¡¯s basement,¡± Xiao Wu quickly nodded in agreement. Yet Captain Hu leaned back into his seat again, sighed, and said, ¡°Ah, I hope this incident is just an isolated case...¡± Chapter 8 - 8 8 Cats ?8: Chapter 8 Cats 8: Chapter 8 Cats Zhang Xiaoman left Pei Laoliu¡¯s house with mixed feelings. On his way home, all he could do was reflect on the events of the day. Master Liu¡¯s situation... The government¡¯s attitude... All these things combined to give him a bad premonition. Taking into account what had happened to him yesterday, Zhang Xiaoman could now be fairly certain that some unknown changes were taking place in the world. This news wasn¡¯t very friendly to him. After all, he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who thrived on chaos. Moreover, he had just acquired the System, and his life was about to take off, why would he want this sudden increase in danger and uncertainty? So, Zhang Xiaoman was indeed very worried about this series of changes. By comparison, the success in borrowing Sixth Grandpa¡¯s handcart today seemed trivial. ... At home that evening. Zhang Xiaoman was learning how to make sushi from his mom. By his side, a cat and a dog were fighting like there was no tomorrow. ¡°Woof woof woof!¡± ¡°Meow!!!¡± The two little creatures were going at it over a bowl of cat food. They engaged not only in a physical scuffle but also in a fierce verbal altercation, though neither could understand what the other was saying, they were still making quite a racket. This seemed to have become a daily occurrence at the Zhang Family¡¯s household. Watching Jin Bao the dog bully the chubby blue cat Xiao Hua while also trying to steal its cat food, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but scold: ¡°Jin Bao, how can you be so shameless! You don¡¯t eat dog food all day, but instead steal Xiao Hua¡¯s cat food.¡± ¡°Woof woof woof!¡± Jin Bao responded a couple of times, continuing to press down on the chubby blue cat and licking non-stop. Zhang Xiaoman looked at Xiao Hua¡¯s expression of utter despair and couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently: ¡°It seems that not only humans like to stroke cats, but dogs do too!¡± His mom glanced at the empty bowl that once held the cat food and then looked at the overflowing bowl of dog food, resigning herself to say: ¡°I think we might as well stop buying dog food, our cat and dog might as well both eat cat food from now on.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded in agreement. After slicing the rolled-up sushi into small pieces and adding some tomato salad and pork floss, Zhang Xiaoman brushed off a few grains of rice sticking to his hand, looked at his ¡°masterpiece,¡± and smiled. ¡°Hmm, not bad, it sort of looks the part.¡± His mom appraised his effort. Zhang Xiaoman picked up a piece to taste and showed an expression of pure enjoyment, saying: ¡°I don¡¯t think this is very hard, I got it on the first try, is my Talent just too high?¡± His mom shot him down, saying, ¡°Sushi is easy to make, but if you want to make it well and add some flair, that¡¯s difficult.¡± Seeing Zhang Xiaoman unconvinced, she asked further: ¡°I really don¡¯t get it, why do you insist on selling sushi? It¡¯s not like it makes much money.¡± Zhang Xiaoman waved his hand dismissively and said: ¡°Hey, I just thought since you learned it before, why not make use of the resources, right? I quit my job and am just looking for something to do for now. As for what to sell, that¡¯s really not important. Oh, by the way, mom, you should also stop working, commuting so far every day is tiring.¡± His mom rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid; if we had enough money, why would I still work? I¡¯m not trying to become a CEO.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded, it seemed his mom really saw through things. ¡°Woof woof woof!¡± Jin Bao had just run over, the battle between it and Xiao Hua having come to an intermission, with the dog emerging as the grand victor as usual. Although usually, among similarly sized cats and dogs, the cat would have the upper hand. But the trouble with Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s blue cat was that it was indeed a bit too fat, many of the basic cat Skills couldn¡¯t be utilized, so it wasn¡¯t strange that it was frequently bullied by the dog. It seems that obesity is a common problem for all creatures, huh? Zhang Xiaoman sighed, wanting to pretend he didn¡¯t see his dog¡¯s longing gaze, but the little guy was just too clingy, never giving up until it got what it wanted... ¡°Alright, alright, go play, go play!¡± In the end, Zhang Xiaoman still gave in, saying helplessly: ¡°Tell me, when do you ever get tired? You¡¯ve been messing with the cat for half the day, and now you want to go out and play?¡± Not sure which keyword it was that Jin Bao understood from his owner¡¯s words, it instantly realized its owner was about to take it out for playtime, whirling excitedly on the ground. He found the dog leash, tied his shoelaces, and went downstairs with the bouncing dog. The apartment building where the Zhang Family lived had only 5 floors, so there was no elevator. And the Zhangs just happened to live on the very top floor. This meant that when Zhang Xiaoman got lazy, there were ten thousand reasons he was reluctant to take the dog out for a walk. Jin Bao could only go out to play once a day, so every time it went out, it was as exhilarated as a wild dog off the leash. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t care how much it squirmed, carrying the leash in one hand and scrolling through his phone with the other, meandering along. He was browsing a local online forum. This forum, which he had only recently discovered, mostly centered around supernatural topics; many of the ghost stories were incredibly thrilling, frightening yet enticing at the same time. ¡°Shocking! Horrific howls heard emanating from underground in Sheep Village!¡± ¡°The story I must tell about the female ghost and me.¡± ¡°Your shadow is watching you.¡± ¡°Something under the bed...¡± ¡°Help, every night wild cats surround my house.¡± ¡°...¡± Zhang Xiaoman scrolled through one page after another. The titles of the posts here were all bizarre, ranging from shocking to suggestive, covering all kinds of oddities. Especially those asking for help, without much regard for logic. At first, full of curiosity, Zhang Xiaoman clicked into every one of them to read, but eventually, he found that most of these types of posts were just some boring, exaggerated tales. The posters seemed to wish dearly they had ghosts at home, turning any little incident into signs of supernatural hauntings when they spoke of them. Zhang Xiaoman remembered seeing a post a few days ago where the poster made a huge deal, but at the end, it was really just about breaking two bowls at home. The poster actually managed to tie the broken bowls to hauntings and Feng Shui, leaving readers utterly speechless. ¡°This post, surrounded by wild cats? I guess they¡¯re probably just two or three stray cats sitting at the doorstep, and now it¡¯s become a ¡®surrounding¡¯.¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head and chuckled, saying: ¡°These people, wishing for hauntings at their homes all day long, really don¡¯t know what they¡¯re thinking.¡± He casually clicked into the post, curious to see what kind of tall tale the poster was spinning. ¡°Could any expert give me some advice? My situation has been going on for almost four days now, what should I do? Urgent!!!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t chase these cats away, someone please help me! I¡¯m allergic to these little creatures, now I¡¯m even scared to step outside at night...¡± ¡°Oh my gosh, last night these cats guarded my door all night, it was terrifying...¡± ¡°...¡± Initially, Zhang Xiaoman browsed the host¡¯s description with an entertaining mind. But when he saw the pictures posted by the host later, he couldn¡¯t laugh anymore. In the photograph, outside the window, it was filled densely with wild cats. Because it was nighttime, the eyes of these wild cats glinted with a disturbing cold light, staring intently here, as if a group of vengeful spirits had arrived. Chapter 9 - 9 9 Accident ?9: Chapter 9 Accident 9: Chapter 9 Accident ¡°Oh my God, what is this nightmare!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman stared at the photos in shock. ¡°Could it be that what this forum poster said is true? Their home really was surrounded by feral cats.¡± Zhang Xiaoman had thought this post would be as exaggerated as the others he had seen before, but he didn¡¯t expect that something so bizarre had actually happened, which took him by surprise. ¡°Could this also be related to those strange occurrences?¡± He felt he might be getting a bit paranoid now, instinctively linking such abnormalities to that matter. As he scrolled down through the post¡¯s comments, a flood of replies appeared. ¡°A strong showing of feral cats spotted in the community, the original poster must be a huge salted fish.¡± ¡°OP, did you plant catnip around your place? I once saw a field of catnip and there were feral cats lying all over it...¡± ¡°omg! Scared the baby! May Ye Ge, Brother Ru, Ye Ge, Brother Zhou, and Brother Chun bless us! Evil spirits begone!¡± ¡°Amitabha, my observations of the photos reveal that this place is certainly within a villa; considering the OP¡¯s attire, undoubtedly a lady in her twenties. If this humble monk isn¡¯t mistaken, the original poster must have the family name Bai and is named Fumei...¡± ¡°Damn! Master, what keen observation! Are you looking for disciples by any chance?¡± ¡°You flatter me, but our school has rules, we do not accept disciples with the last name ¡®Ai¡¯ (short), so please return.¡± ¡°...¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed as he looked at the increasingly off-topic thread. He casually wished the original poster safety in a reply, then closed the post. As for the incident, although Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat surprised, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. After all, it was just a bunch of feral cats; it didn¡¯t really prove anything. Moreover, even if he had some ideas, given his current situation, he was helpless to act. But just as he was closing the post, he inadvertently let go of the dog leash he was holding, and by the time he looked up, Jin Bao had already run off into the distance. ¡°Jin Bao! Come back!¡± Zhang Xiaoman immediately shouted and hurriedly chased after him. However, Jin Bao, the dog, ignored his owner¡¯s calls and joyfully frolicked on the grass ahead. He wasn¡¯t too worried. Firstly, it was already late at night, and there was no one around. Secondly, this had happened before, and after a minute or two, once that silly dog got its excitement out of its system, he¡¯d be able to catch it again. Therefore, he just jogged behind, trying to keep the dog within his line of sight. ¡°Woof woof woof!¡± Jin Bao kept running ahead, as if playing a game of chase with its owner. Zhang Xiaoman was helplessly resigned to the chase. If you walked slowly, the dog walked slowly; if you tried to run after it, it would sprint away. The main problem was that you couldn¡¯t outrun it, so you could only watch helplessly as it frolicked ahead. Zhang Xiaoman followed step by step, but as he walked, he suddenly realized something was amiss. It dawned on him that this damn dog was heading towards the man-made lake inside the community¡ªa place it usually was reluctant to go near. ¡°Damn it! Jin Bao, come back! Don¡¯t go there!¡± He immediately quickened his pace to chase after it. However, anyone who has owned a dog knows that when you first start walking them, that¡¯s when they¡¯re most excited. If the leash slips from your grasp at that moment, it¡¯s nearly impossible to call them back. And that was precisely the situation now. Jin Bao ran ahead, and when it heard its owner catching up, it immediately sped up into a frantic run and quickly covered quite some distance. ¡°Jin Bao! Roll back here now, or you¡¯ll believe I¡¯ll sort you out when we get home!¡± Zhang Xiaoman shouted loudly. The dog Jin Bao was still unaware of the fury it was about to face from its owner, happily doing as it pleased, and in just a moment, it had already arrived at the edge of the small lake. Zhang Xiaoman was feeling quite troubled now, as he generally did not like to come to this area for a simple reason¡ªit was home to many stray animals. The community was filled with stray cats and dogs which, having nowhere to go at night, would sleep in the pavilion on Lake Island, gradually forming their own little groups over time. If the dog Jin Bao ran in there, it was not just a matter of whether it would get beaten up by other dogs. If it were attracted by the scent of a female dog in heat and ended up fathering puppies, it probably wouldn¡¯t come out for hours. It was so late now, he surely couldn¡¯t just wait outside for it. ¡°Sigh...¡± After sighing, Zhang Xiaoman had no choice but to follow, although he really didn¡¯t want to go into that place. It had been raining a lot lately, and not to mention how muddy it was, taking two steps might just land his foot in a warm pile of poo, which would be horribly unlucky. ¡°Huff, huff, huff, huff...¡± He followed the dog Jin Bao to the lakeside. He only saw a yellow figure dash across the stone bridge leading to the small island in the lake and disappear into the not-so-large thicket. ¡°Dog Jin Bao, you better not let me catch you...¡± Zhang Xiaoman muttered to himself somewhat breathlessly, then glanced at the small lake again and stepped forward. As he was slowly moving forward, he suddenly felt as if he had stepped on something soft. Looking down, he couldn¡¯t help but jump with fright. It was a cat! A dead cat! ¡°What¡¯s going on...¡± Zhang Xiaoman quickly moved his foot away, bent down to take a closer look, and felt a bit creeped out. ¡°This, this must have just died not long ago, right? But why...¡± He was making judgments in his mind while cautiously moving his feet away. ¡°Jin Bao? Jin Bao?¡± Zhang Xiaoman softly called the dog¡¯s name, hoping it would come out on its own. Unfortunately, his wish remained unfulfilled, as the yellow figure remained unseen on the pitch-dark island. After calling Jin Bao¡¯s name a couple more times but still without any result. ¡°Dog Jin Bao, I¡¯ll beat you to death when we get back!¡± He cursed under his breath and thought of the dead cat on the ground, feeling an increasingly ominous premonition. ¡°Drip~¡± Hurriedly turning on his phone¡¯s flashlight, a blinding white light appeared, and Zhang Xiaoman could finally see the surroundings clearly. Although Master Liu often told him ghost stories, he had developed some resistance to them. But hearing them in good spirits and actually stepping into such a scene were two entirely different things. When engulfed in such a terrifying atmosphere, a person¡¯s body instinctively feels fear of the unknown, which is hard to suppress. A trace of hesitation crossed Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face. He looked inside twice, but didn¡¯t see the dog. Clenching his teeth, he took out the bottle of Holy Water from his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s said that it can dispel evil spirits, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true...¡± He murmured to himself, holding that item in his hand, he at least found some psychological comfort. Refocusing his attention on the darkness ahead, he flashed his phone¡¯s light inside. His footsteps halted as his mind couldn¡¯t shake the image of the cat¡¯s grim corpse. Logically speaking, although a dead stray cat wasn¡¯t a common sight, it wasn¡¯t something to pay much attention to. But after experiencing the previous monster attack, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but make that association. Just as he hesitated for a moment, he suddenly felt the light around him dim sharply, and an inexplicable bone-chilling sensation crept up from the depths of his heart. Chapter 10 - 10 10 Facing the Shadow ?10: Chapter 10 Facing the Shadow 10: Chapter 10 Facing the Shadow ¡°Fuck, there¡¯s a problem, there¡¯s definitely a problem here!¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind was ringing alarm bells as he instinctively turned his head to look behind him. All he saw was the path he had come from was now gone, and darkness filled his vision. Everything around him seemed to be shrouded in darkness, unclear in form, even the moon in the sky was obscured by the twisted trees. Seeing this, how could he not understand what was happening? He had encountered something strange once again! Zhang Xiaoman immediately started running back the way he came. However, no matter how he ran, the environment around him seemed to remain the same, as if he was running in place. The darkness persisted. The path he came by was less than ten meters, yet now it seemed infinitely extended, and no matter how he ran, he couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°No, no....¡± Zhang Xiaoman forced himself to calm down and began to scrutinize his surroundings. The area was pitch black, his field of view extremely limited, unable to see the scenery in the distance. The twisted trees, accompanied by the rotting mud, brought waves of foul stench from all around. He had just run at least several hundred meters¡ªa normal island in the lake couldn¡¯t possibly be that large. He should have made it out by now. Zhang Xiaoman knew he might have encountered an illusion like a ghost hitting a wall, or perhaps some monster¡¯s domain, restricting his movements. Clutching the Holy Water in his hand, he started wondering whether he should close his eyes and walk backward. Perhaps that could break the illusion. But after trying, it was still useless. The surroundings remained the same, and he hadn¡¯t exited Lake Island as he had anticipated. Zhang Xiaoman was burning with anxiety, but suddenly, he heard a series of miserable howls. ¡°Aoaoaoaoaoaoao!!!!!!¡± The eerie silence was broken. In the light of his flashlight, a yellow figure suddenly ran out from the darkness. Before he could react, the figure reached him and then without stopping, charged down the path he had come from, disappearing in the blink of an eye. ¡°Jin Bao!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman had come to his senses by now. The one that had just run past¡ªwasn¡¯t that his own dog, Jin Bao? But before he could ponder further, the next scene that unfolded caused his face to change dramatically. In the spot that had been illuminated by his flashlight, he didn¡¯t know when a shadow had cast over it. And this shadow was rapidly expanding, soon occupying a large area. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes widened as he made a horrifying discovery¡ªthe shape of the shadow was identical to his own! Or perhaps it was, in fact, his own shadow! ¡°Fuck!!¡± He screamed frantically in his mind, knowing he had finally encountered the real deal. Observing the shadow on the nearby wall, which mirrored his own, and its increasingly distorted, bizarre movements, Zhang Xiaoman felt as if his heart was going to stop. Without any hesitation, he quickly backed away. Yet, no matter how he ran, the surrounding darkness remained unchanged, and the Black Shadow followed him closely like a bone-eating maggot. Zhang Xiaoman reached into his pocket; he was ready to trigger the hearthstone and make a run for it. But after fidgeting for ten seconds, the scene around him remained the same, and he was stunned to find himself still at the original spot. The illusion created by the unknown entity was still present, the view before his eyes still shrouded in darkness. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t know whether it was the existence of the illusion blocking the hearthstone¡¯s function or if his own casting had been disrupted by the monster¡¯s continuous mental disturbances. Whatever the case, his current priority was to leave this place immediately. He broke into a run, although doing so might not necessarily allow him to escape the illusion, but at least he couldn¡¯t just stay there waiting for death. Zhang Xiaoman continued to rub the hearthstone while sprinting. He didn¡¯t know if stopping would cause the monster to pounce on him right then. Even though he held Holy Water in his hand, it had never been tested, and he didn¡¯t really know if it would be effective, so he could only use it as a psychological comfort. Moreover, the Holy Water was in a bottle, and its small quantity could hardly be thrown far; he feared that before it could even touch the monster, it would have all spilled on the ground. As he fled, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt his body stagger, and then, to his horror, discovered that his legs could no longer move. The abrupt halt in movement, influenced by his forward momentum, caused his upper body to topple forward violently, but eerily his lower body remained standing, causing him a flash of pain in his lower back that made him inhale sharply. ¡°I can¡¯t stop!¡± The only thought left in his mind was to try hard to break through this limitation. But no matter how hard he tried, his body acted as if it was not under his command, and he simply couldn¡¯t manage it. Zhang Xiaoman only felt that he was gradually losing sensation beginning with his legs¡ªas if his body was slowly being overtaken. This terrifying feeling was almost enough to drive someone to despair. Looking down, he followed the warped shadow not far away to the ground, and from the shadow on the ground, he saw his own feet. In that moment, he seemed to understand that he must be under the control of this shadowy ghost-like thing before him. Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but start to tremble. If I can¡¯t even run, what should I do? He immediately thought of the Holy Water in his hand; now it seemed he could only place his hope on it. Unfortunately, he only managed to open the cap of the Holy Water bottle before his arms, just like his legs, could no longer move. No matter how hard he struggled or strained, he seemed unable to break free from this restraint, and all that was left for him to move was his head. ¡°Er... ah...¡± He tried to scream, but his voice choked in his throat and could not come out. The distant shadow began to move anew, slowly sliding down, gradually moving onto the ground. Afterward, under his terrified gaze, it slowly approached him... ¡°Ten meters... five meters... three meters...¡± The humanoid shadow came over like flowing water, causing ripples to spread. Then, a semi-transparent black claw extended from it, slowly approaching him. At the sight of that hand, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s brain buzzed, and he felt as if suddenly his mind was filled with countless terrifying and bizarre faces twisting. It was as if a series of shrill and unpleasant wails spread, and a wave of chaos and frenzy rampaged through his consciousness. ¡°No... I can¡¯t give up...¡± The remaining thoughts continued to struggle; he was past the point of feeling despair, left only with the ultimate desire to survive. ¡°Woof woof woof!!!¡± Just at this critical moment, he seemed to hear a familiar barking near his ear. Distant, yet so close! ¡°Awooo!¡± A yellow figure suddenly sprang from behind, unhesitatingly leaping up and lunging at the claw that emerged from the shadow. Chapter 11 - 11 11 Desperate Counterattack ?11: Chapter 11 Desperate Counterattack 11: Chapter 11 Desperate Counterattack The next moment, the small yellow figure and the claw suddenly intertwined, and then immediately penetrated through each other, as if passing directly through. ¡°Jin Bao?¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind suddenly cleared, and he looked at the little yellow fellow that had tumbled a long distance away due to missing its target, finally realizing what had just happened. Unexpectedly, the dog that had run away in fright had now returned! However, the shadow-like demon seemed to have no physical form, as Jin Bao¡¯s recent pounce had penetrated straight through it, apparently causing no harm at all. Zhang Xiaoman could feel the lethal threat from those terrifying claws, but he couldn¡¯t understand why Jin Bao couldn¡¯t touch it. This thought flashed through his mind instantaneously; the current scene left no room for him to analyze further. ¡°Hiss hiss hiss hiss!!¡± Just then, a piercing screech emanated from the shadows on the ground. The black claw suddenly increased the frequency of its twisting, and in just the time it took to take two breaths, the black arm that was connected to the claw extended out from within. Next, with a forceful push against the ground by that black arm, a hideous head made of a semi-transparent shadow, along with half of a body, crawled out from the shadows. At the sight of that head, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind was struck with a violent thundering, as if his entire spiritual world had been ruthlessly impacted. He felt as if he had fallen into an endless abyss, an oppressive darkness trying to engulf him. ¡°Woof woof woof!!!¡± The familiar barking sound rang out again; he seemed to see Jin Bao once more lunging at that shadow. However, just like before, Jin Bao¡¯s attack missed¡ªor rather, it once again passed through the monster¡¯s body. It seemed that to Jin Bao, this shadow demon was as if without a physical form, untouchable. Perhaps due to Jin Bao¡¯s repeated attacks, the monster seemed to have been provoked. The shadow around it fluctuated, and it violently twisted its body to face Jin Bao. Then, under the shadow demon¡¯s body, a slender shadow rapidly reached out, and in the blink of an eye, it had spread under Jin Bao¡¯s feet. ¡°Woof woof woof!!!¡± Jin Bao also let out a series of barks, its head swinging, but its legs didn¡¯t move an inch. Clearly, just like Zhang Xiaoman, it too was immobilized by the monster using some method. Nevertheless, Jin Bao¡¯s effort just now had not been entirely in vain. As the monster turned to control Jin Bao, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt the pressure on him lighten sharply, and his body, which he had been holding in a fixed position, seemed to move slightly. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t enough!¡± He screamed frantically in his mind, feeling that the force binding him had loosened a bit, yet it remained firm, and he seemed unable to take action. ¡°Hurry! Do something! You must do something! Even if it¡¯s just moving a finger!¡± His heart roared; he understood this was probably his last chance. ¡°Arghh!¡± Zhang Xiaoman let out a series of guttural roars, and his right hand, which had been holding the Holy Water Bottle, trembled violently, the thumb that had been covering the opening now struggled to move aside, slowly moving to the bottom of the bottle. His eyes bloodshot, he stared deadly at the monster just a step away from him. Suddenly, he exerted force on his hand, and the thumb at the bottom of the bottle sprang off as if flicking a coin, shooting the Holy Water Bottle toward the monster in front of him. Accompanying this action, the transparent little bottle began to spin, tumble. The crystal-clear liquid, like the dew of spring, scattered about, twinkling under the light of the mobile phone. In the air, a graceful trajectory slowly emerged, as the Holy Water, with the last hope of both human and dog, silently descended towards the demon ahead. To Zhang Xiaoman, this scene was unspeakably long, much like a slow-motion masterpiece, encapsulating a breathtaking beauty. A meter away, the monster that had already crawled more than half of its body out of the shadow seemed to sense something too. It violently turned its head, its eyes resembling icy flames burned as it fixed its gaze on the Holy Water splashing towards it, and began to pulse violently. However, it was all too late. ¡°...¡± Without a sound, the small bottle penetrated the monster¡¯s translucent body and fell into the soil... Yet, the Holy Water that was flung out drenched its body entirely! ¡°Sizzle...¡± A sound akin to corrosion emerged from the monster¡¯s body, followed by its terrifying and ghastly screams. ¡°Hiss!!! Roar!!!¡± ¡°Roar!¡± ¡°Gurgle...¡± ¡°...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s body regained the ability to move the instant the monster let out its miserable scream. He suddenly fell seated on the ground, his hands immediately clamping over his ears; the monster¡¯s terrifying howls at such close quarters were unbearably painful. Up ahead, the Shadow Demon went through a period of frantic distortion and struggle, and gradually became still and silent. Its voice also shifted from an initial fierce roar to a barely audible gurgling. Zhang Xiaoman saw its body continuously boiling and churning before rapidly fading and shrinking. After a minute, the mass of shadow that was the monster was no longer visible in front of him. On the ground, only the crudely made small bottle and a spherical object emitting a dark hue remained suspended. ¡°Is it... dead...¡± Zhang Xiaoman slowly climbed to his feet, warily staring at the small black sphere in front of him. The brightness around him began to return at that moment, as if the moonlight could shine through once again. The surroundings no longer had that previous suffocating depth and had returned to the appearance of a normal night. He felt a sensation in his heart and looked up at the sky. The light of the stars reconvened, the invisible curtain that had blanketed the island vanished. Everything had returned to normal, the Shadow Illusion Realm along with the demise of the Shadow monster had dissipated on its own. ¡°Pant, pant.¡± Jin Bao too recovered the ability to move, trotted to its master¡¯s side, propped itself up on its hind legs, and fervently licked Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face with its tongue. Although Zhang Xiaoman was annoyed that it had run around disobediently just before, the fact that the dog had come back courageously to save him in the end moved him somewhat. ¡°Forget it, no more dog meat hotpot, let¡¯s call it making up for your past mistakes...¡± He patted Jin Bao on the head with his hand, his gaze then shifted to the Holy Water beside him. ¡°Who would have thought that this so-called Holy Water could actually suppress these monsters...¡± The thought that the terrifying demon from just before was so vulnerable under such a small bottle of Holy Water filled his heart with a surge of awe and excitement. Crouching down, Zhang Xiaoman reached out his right hand towards the small bottle on the ground. There was still some Holy Water remaining in the bottle, and with regard to such a precious item, he could not bear to waste even a little bit. However, just then, he suddenly felt a burning sensation coming from the palm of his right hand. He quickly raised his hand to look and saw that the Seven-pointed Star Array composed of black lines on his right hand was now emitting a faint white light. Chapter 12 - 12 12 Spoils of War ?12: Chapter 12 Spoils of War 12: Chapter 12 Spoils of War ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the anomaly in his palm, a wave of confusion rising in his heart. ¡°Why did this pattern on my hand suddenly light up?¡± He brought his hand closer to his face, wanting to see what exactly was happening. ¡°Eh? It¡¯s gone again?¡± But just as he withdrew his hand, the faint white light that had just appeared in the center of his palm abruptly disappeared, and the Seven-pointed Star Array returned to its previous state. ¡°Strange...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at his palm and tentatively stretched out his hand again. At that moment, the light flared up again. ¡°Could it be...¡± His eyes narrowed, and he immediately had a guess. Slowly bringing his hand closer to the ground, with this movement, the light in the center of Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s palm became increasingly bright. ¡°The reason this Emblem on my hand is glowing...¡± His heart began to thump excitedly, thrilled by the anticipation of solving the puzzle. ¡°Is probably related to this black bead on the ground!¡± As he spoke, his hand already reached out to the bead, which was emitting a dark black luster. At that moment, the light from the Seven-pointed Star was incredibly dazzling. ¡°It looks like this extraction feature I¡¯ve never understood, its purpose is right here.¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought excitedly, his eyes sparkling with vitality. He slowly moved his hand forward, and just as it was about to touch the black bead, a sudden change occurred. He suddenly felt a searing pain in his palm, which made him quickly withdraw his hand in fright. ¡°What... what¡¯s going on? Why does it hurt so much?¡± He looked at the object on the ground with some suspicion, thinking about retreating. ¡°No, this black bead is clearly related to the Seven-pointed Star on my hand. How can I give up at this moment?¡± Zhang Xiaoman gritted his teeth, his eyes shone with determination. Once again, he stretched out his hand, this time ignoring the pain in his palm, turned his head, and stared unblinkingly at the changes under his right hand. The black bead started to emit countless thread-like strands of energy that surged towards the Seven-pointed Star Array. These energy waves flowed visibly fast, and in just a moment, the black bead had shrunk to the size of a ping-pong ball. ¡°The Array is absorbing it!¡± Zhang Xiaoman saw this scene, and he had a clear judgment about the extraction feature. ¡°Extracting Essence Qi means absorbing the Essence Qi of monsters.¡± Seeing that the black bead was completely absorbed, a smile appeared on his face, and he began to conclude: ¡°It seems that in the future, whenever I come across the bodies of these monsters, I can use the Array on my hand to extract their Essence Qi!¡± As the Seven-pointed Star Array dimmed again, a long-missed System notification sound suddenly resonated in his mind. ¡°Ding, Essence of Shadow Demon absorbed, points increased by 10.¡± ¡°Points!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was struck by an epiphany upon hearing the System¡¯s notification. ¡°So the so-called Essence, once extracted, turns into points in the System Store!¡± ¡°It looks like I need to reconsider my understanding of this System.¡± He casually picked up a small bottle from the ground and stood up. ¡°I originally thought this was just a lucky goody-two-shoes that relied on lotteries to get by, I never expected it to possess such a ferocious ability.¡± Shaking his head, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze shifted toward a spot not far in front of him, which was emitting specks of purple light. He could vaguely see what seemed to be a floating light ball. Pinching the Holy Water bottle in his hand, which had less than a third remaining, Zhang Xiaoman slowly moved towards the source of the light. For some reason, he didn¡¯t feel much fear in his heart at the moment. On the contrary, an inexplicable sense of anticipation had emerged. Perhaps it was because he had just experienced a battle of life and death, or perhaps he sensed from the changes in the environment that there was no danger nearby, or it might even be that the hidden soul of adventure in his heart was stirring things up. At this moment, Zhang Xiaoman felt somewhat strange to himself; he couldn¡¯t believe that he could be so bold. ¡°I must be crazy...¡± He muttered this as he approached the glowing orb. Zhang Xiaoman steadied himself with a hand on a tree, slowly drawing nearer. In front, the source of the faint glowing light finally appeared before his eyes. ¡°What is this...thing...¡± He marveled to himself, with his eyes reflecting a stretch of purple flowing light. At the center of Lake Island, a distorted patch of purple light was floating conspicuously. The patch of light quietly hovered about a meter above the ground. Around it, streams of purple light roiled continuously, resembling streaks of lightning, sinister yet beautiful. However, what didn¡¯t match with this beauty was that there was not a single sound around this patch of light; the roaming lights flickered continually but remained completely silent. Jin Bao also ran over, sniffed around the base of the wall, lifted his leg, and squeezed out a couple of drops of dog urine. ¡°Rustle rustle rustle.¡± Zhang Xiaoman heard the noise by his feet, looked down to see that Jin Bao was digging the earth where he had just urinated, then shifted his gaze away once again. ¡°What is the relationship between this thing and that Shadow Demon from before...¡± He pondered internally, stepping forward tentatively. ¡°Hmm?¡± At that moment, a sudden burning sensation came from his hand. Zhang Xiaoman quickly raised his hand to check and saw that the Seven-pointed Star Array in his palm was emitting light again, and this time the light was much brighter than before. ¡°Could this be... another monster corpse?¡± He looked incredulously at the purple patch of light a few steps away. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try!¡± Saying this, he gritted his teeth, held out his right hand in front of him with the palm facing the light ball, and cautiously approached it step by step. As he moved, the Seven-pointed Star Array suddenly emitted an even more dazzling white light. Zhang Xiaoman felt a heat from his palm more intense than before and nearly pulled his hand back reflexively. However, after regaining his senses, he did not feel the urge to retreat; instead, excitement flickered in his eyes and a barely concealable joy spread across his face. ¡°This seems to be a big one!¡± He said, keeping his arm extended forward, and took small, deliberate steps toward the light patch. As the distance closed, the burning sensation in his palm grew even more intense. ¡°Ah!¡± A restrained shout rang out in the quiet surroundings. At this moment, Zhang Xiaoman felt as if his right hand was immersed in hot water, the pain was unbearable. That pain originated from a spiritual level, as if flames were scorching his soul, indescribably agonizing. Chapter 13 - 13 13 Upgrade ?13: Chapter 13 Upgrade 13: Chapter 13 Upgrade Clamping his teeth, Zhang Xiaoman reached out with his left hand to grab his right wrist, as a bead of sweat the size of a soybean rolled down his face. Finally, when he was less than two meters away from the light spot, the Array in his hand, which had become as bright as the blazing sun, suddenly changed! On his right hand, the Seven-pointed Star pattern burst forth with a blinding brilliance, instantly covering the purple light spot that was suspended in the air. The spot, enveloped by the white light, began to fluctuate violently. He only felt a surge of purple light around him as countless small, lightning-like lines danced nearby, seemingly causing the space itself to warp at that moment. ¡°Do the special effects really need to be this exaggerated?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was shocked deep inside, feeling as though he had been thrust into a fantasy blockbuster with unlimited budget and special effects galore. However, the only downside was that, in such a scene full of perfect special effects, there was no other sound besides his own suppressed cries of pain. The white brilliance emitted by the Seven-pointed Star had now covered the entire purple area. Zhang Xiaoman saw energy threads, purple in color, continuously being drawn by the Array in his hand, tracing various paths in the air as they flew towards his palm. ¡°Ugh! Ah!¡± The pain in his right hand continued, and he bore it with gritted teeth. Clearly, this absorption was taking much longer than when he absorbed the Shadow Demon. Zhang Xiaoman eventually stopped admiring the special effects, closed his eyes tightly, and resisted the burning pain with all his might. After an indeterminate amount of time, the long torment finally ended. He suddenly felt a release in the palm of his right hand¡ªthe terrifying heat abruptly dissipated. ¡°Thunk.¡± He sat down on the ground with a thud, his back already soaked with sweat. ¡°Ding, absorbed a small Space Node, points increased by 50.¡± Hearing the system notification once more at his ear, he then slowly opened his eyes. In front of him, the purple light was gone, and the island¡¯s center, which had just been like the scene of a 3D blockbuster, now returned to its previous state. Rubbing his still slightly painful palm, Zhang Xiaoman slowly got to his feet. Not far away, Jin Bao looked on, tongue lolling out and eyes filled with confusion at its master. Seeing Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze turn towards it, it immediately wagged its tail and ran over. After casually petting its head, Zhang Xiaoman picked up his cellphone from the ground. ¡°It seems to have returned to normal here.¡± He looked around, seeing no other anomalies, and finally heaved a sigh of relief before turning to leave. Home. His mother had already gone to sleep. After settling down Jin Bao, Zhang Xiaoman comfortably took a bath and then returned to his bedroom to tally his gains from the excursion. He opened the System panel and first went into the marketplace interface to check his points. When he saw the number at the bottom right corner representing his points balance, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a small surge of excitement. ¡°62 points!¡± Zhang Xiaoman cheered inwardly, amazed that just an hour ago he was a pauper with only 2 points, and now he had suddenly become a big spender. ¡°It¡¯s just a pity that there¡¯s nothing to sell in the marketplace.¡± Shaking his head with a wry smile, he returned to the main page, where his eyes couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to the Upgrade button as his heartbeat started to quicken. ¡°With so many points now, this feature should be available for use, right?¡± He mused, his finger unconsciously tapping the system interface. A slight ripple emerged, and Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s finger was now pressing on the Upgrade feature. The next moment, the system¡¯s prompt appeared in front of him, and this time, it indeed didn¡¯t disappoint him. ¡°Random Upgrade in progress, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade completed! White Prop¡ªHoly Water, has been successfully upgraded to Green Prop¡ªDivine Grace.¡± Staring at this result, he was momentarily stunned. He had never imagined that this so-called upgrade function was actually for upgrading the Extraordinary Items he carried on him. ¡°Is this... isn¡¯t this supposed to be a feature for upgrading the System?¡± Zhang Xiaoman stared blankly at the system panel, muttering to himself: ¡°If the system can¡¯t be upgraded, then how are items in the shop supposed to increase? Isn¡¯t this feature useless?¡± With that thought, he didn¡¯t bother to check the Green Prop he had just upgraded and went straight to open the shop interface. ¡°Huh? How did an extra item appear?¡± The moment the interface opened, Zhang Xiaoman was surprised to notice that a new item had unexpectedly appeared in the previously solitary showcase window! He reached out and clicked on it. [Holy Water] ¡ª¡ªLiquid Gold. Price: 10 points. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes widened, wasn¡¯t this the Holy Water he had gotten before? ¡°Could this be because... of the upgrade?¡± He immediately came back to his senses, and after a bit of thought, he had an initial judgment. ¡°The items I use the upgrade feature on appear in the shop!¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face gradually showed an excited expression: ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it doesn¡¯t really matter whether the system upgrades or not. As long as I get items from the lottery and then use the upgrade function, I can purchase them again from the shop!¡± He felt he had grasped the truth. ¡°In that case, how much does a single upgrade cost?¡± With that thought, he turned his gaze toward the remaining points. ¡°52 points.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the number, feeling neither highs nor lows in his heart. Ten points for a single upgrade, not too many, but not too few either. ¡°So, if I draw a prize every day, I can gain points to increase my strength?¡± He thought this and then immediately shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s too slow. If I rely solely on drawing the lottery for points, it would take ten days to upgrade once. But like fighting monsters today, in less than an hour, I¡¯ve earned 60 points...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but feel torn. On one hand, fighting monsters could quickly earn a large number of points; on the other hand, there were unknown dangers that came with the generous rewards. The terrifying appearance of the Shadow Demon and its inscrutable control techniques were still fresh in his memory. He didn¡¯t know if he could be so lucky to win if he encountered a similar monster again. ¡°But now, it seems there are more and more monsters appearing...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face showed confusion, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused: ¡°If it¡¯s true that the world has changed... then how am I to avoid it...¡± His eyes became focused, slowly revealing a sense of determination. ¡°It seems I must make some changes.¡± PS: In this book, there are only monsters, no ghosts! No ghosts! No ghosts! There are no ghosts in this world! Chapter 14 - 14 14 Big Points Purchase ?14: Chapter 14 Big Points Purchase 14: Chapter 14 Big Points Purchase Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s attention returned, and he looked at the upgrade function. ¡°Ah, right, where is the item after I upgraded just now?¡± He suddenly remembered the bottle of Divine Grace. Reaching into his pocket, Zhang Xiaoman felt a strange square object. ¡°Is this the Divine Grace?¡± Looking at the square glass bottle in his hand, he became doubtful. ¡°Is this upgraded from that Holy Water I had?¡± With a focused gaze, Zhang Xiaoman opened the attribute panel. [Divine Grace] ¡ª¡ªExtracted from the essence of Holy Water, it is the blessing of the Divine. ¡°It seems that it must be an advanced version of Holy Water, right? The power should also be greater...¡± Zhang Xiaoman played with the square bottle in his hand. This bottle was much more exquisite than the previous oval-shaped bottle used for the Holy Water, and it had strange patterns on it. However, although its shape had changed, the total capacity hadn¡¯t increased¡ªit was still only about 30 milliliters. Moreover, since more than half of this bottle of Divine Grace had already been used up before upgrading, now less than a third was left. ¡°The previous Holy Water already had so much power, wouldn¡¯t this upgraded Divine Grace be even more miraculous?¡± Zhang Xiaoman recalled the scene where the Holy Water corroded the Shadow Demon, and looking again at the Divine Grace in his hands, he made a plan. ¡°It seems I can keep this item as a trump card for now, but I wonder if it will be effective against all types of monsters.¡± Thinking this, he became a bit impatient. Only by obtaining more types of Extraordinary Items, could he effectively ensure his own safety, as well as that of his family. Looking at the remaining 52 points, Zhang Xiaoman carefully thought it through and made a plan for usage. He tapped his finger, intending to continue with the upgrade. ¡°Upgrading randomly, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! White tier item¡ªhearthstone has been successfully upgraded to a white tier item¡ªSwift Stone.¡± This time he randomly got a hearthstone! ¡°Swift Stone? But why is it still a white tier item after upgrading?¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the result, somewhat surprised. He quickly took out the upgraded hearthstone, intending to see what exactly had changed. He saw that the hearthstone still had its original shape, but its overall size had shrunk by a significant amount, seeming only about half of its previous size. Zhang Xiaoman held it in his hand again to take a closer look, and its attributes appeared in his eyes. [Swift Stone] Usage effect: After rubbing continuously for five seconds, it will teleport you back home. Cooling time: 1 hour. ¡ª¡ªFaster teleportation. ¡°This seems quite interesting...¡± Zhang Xiaoman, looking at its attribute panel, couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit excited: ¡°The teleportation time has actually shortened, now it only takes 5 seconds!?¡± He decided to try it out immediately. He propped up the hearthstone with one hand and stretched out the other hand to start rubbing. But just then, he stopped. Only frowning and thinking for a moment, he withdrew one hand, holding the hearthstone in just one palm. Yes, he was going to try the possibility of rubbing the hearthstone with one hand. After all, the hearthstone was now much smaller, only about half its original size, and it could easily be held in one hand. Zhang Xiaoman counted in his mouth, and his hand also began to move. ¡°One, two... five...¡± As he counted to five, his figure instantly disappeared from beside the bedroom door and appeared on the bed. ¡°It worked! It really only takes 5 seconds!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was thrilled. At first, he felt that this upgrade was somewhat of a waste, after all, unlike Holy Water, the hearthstone didn¡¯t seem to directly enhance his combat ability. But after the test just now, he had new ideas. Holy Water was indeed powerful, but it couldn¡¯t necessarily get him out of danger when it really mattered. The improved Teleportation speed of the Swift Stone, however, could greatly enhance his ability to survive. If he had had this type of hearthstone back at the office, he might not have been nearly caught by the monster behind him. ¡°It¡¯s just too bad, I still don¡¯t know how to change the Teleportation destination of the hearthstone...¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head, having tried many times, but still not knowing how to change the Teleportation location of the hearthstone. In the game, players could simply talk to an NPC to change their desired teleportation destination, but obviously, an NPC wouldn¡¯t appear in reality to help him swap it. After testing the capabilities of the new hearthstone, Zhang Xiaoman opened the shopping interface again. ¡°As expected, I still have 42 points left, and the number didn¡¯t increase with the upgrade; the item window also has one new item added, it seems my previous guess was right!¡± A smile appeared on his face. After two upgrades, his means of survival had improved slightly. Of course, just slightly. Regarding those suddenly appearing terrifying monsters, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t know what kind of bizarre abilities they possessed. Just like the Shadow Demon he encountered earlier, under that silent control, having many strategies would be useless if he couldn¡¯t use them. Thus, he was not yet prepared to actively provoke those monsters. Although after surviving two life-and-death crises, Zhang Xiaoman could definitely feel some changes in his mindset, it didn¡¯t mean he would recklessly seek death. He was still waiting, waiting until after several more draws, to have a variety of items and abilities to ensure he could handle any unexpected situations, and then... Images of himself, dressed in black, roaming the shadowy corners of the city under the starry sky and hunting various bizarre monsters, irresistibly surfaced in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind... ¡°Cough, I¡¯m getting ahead of myself...¡± He coughed somewhat awkwardly, but his gaze returned to the shopping interface. He had already decided how to use the remaining points. He planned to first buy items. As for continuing to upgrade, he didn¡¯t think it was necessary for the time being. For now, the variety of items in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s possession was still too limited, and upgrading the same item multiple times posed a substantial risk. After all, he couldn¡¯t control the direction of the upgrades, since the item selection was random. If it randomly selected the hearthstone that would be fine, but if it randomly chose the Holy Water series, then the loss would outweigh the gain. Anyway, Holy Water was a consumable item. Higher levels would only cause more excess damage, he could just buy a few more bottles to store on his person to increase the margin for error. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t alone. Looking at the price of the hearthstone inside the shop, which only required 5 points, Zhang Xiaoman finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it¡¯s not expensive. A hearthstone, a bottle of Holy Water, plus a 1 point extractor, Zhang Xiaoman spent a total of 16 points. These were for his mother. Then, he spent another 20 points to buy two more bottles of Holy Water. By now, he was left with only 6 points. Looking at the pile of items that had appeared before him, Zhang Xiaoman felt like he was clearing out an online shopping cart and his balance. He placed the three items for his mother on the table and put the remaining two bottles of Holy Water into his pockets, finishing his task. Thus, having three bottles of Holy Water greatly increased his margin for error when facing monsters and gave him a better chance of winning. Chapter 15 - 15 15 The Taste of Happiness ?15: Chapter 15 The Taste of Happiness 15: Chapter 15 The Taste of Happiness He lifted his watch to check the time, and it was already 11:30 PM. In another half hour, Zhang Xiaoman could start the new day¡¯s lottery, so he decided to wait a bit longer. Pacing to the window, he looked through the glass toward the direction of the small island in the lake. It should be safe there now, right? Recalling the recent events made Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heartbeat start to quicken. ¡°The Shadow Demon¡¯s control is not only fast but also very stealthy. Encountering such a monster for the first time, I couldn¡¯t even react...¡± He mentally replayed the scene. ¡°If it happened again, could I do better?¡± Zhang Xiaoman wondered to himself. ¡°And that white Light Ball the system called a ¡®small Space Node¡¯, could it be that monsters were coming out of there? What is this, world fusion? Or a dimensional invasion?¡± He analyzed some of the intelligence he had gathered today, trying to find more answers. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Shadow Demon leave the island? Was it guarding that node, or perhaps the open area around the island prevented it from moving?¡± He shook his head vigorously. Many things were difficult to guess; he needed more material. As time quietly passed, Zhang Xiaoman welcomed the new day amidst his focused thoughts. Upon opening the system panel, he saw the lottery button, now reactivated, and took a deep breath before pressing it. ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained a gray item¡ªsocks worn by Yasuo.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What is this nonsense?¡± Seeing this system prompt, Zhang Xiaoman felt a chill in his heart. A spatial vortex appeared, and two gray socks fell to the ground, Followed by an indescribable odor. He had planned to go forward and check, but his face changed in a flash when the smell was released, and he immediately jumped back. ¡°What the hell is this smell! Since when could Yasuo release poison!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman kept his distance. He covered his nose and looked at the socks on the ground as the attribute panel appeared: [Socks Worn by Yasuo] ¡ª¡ªStill retaining the scent of happiness. ¡°My happiness my foot!¡± To prevent his room from turning into a gas chamber, Zhang Xiaoman, with the fastest speed of his life, grabbed the socks, stuffed them into a plastic bag, sealed it, went downstairs, and threw it in the trash, all in one go. Half an hour later, Zhang Xiaoman finally got rid of the strange smell in his room. He collapsed on the bed with a look of profound regret on his face. He felt incredibly guilty about his decision to wait for the lottery. He decided he would never force himself to wait for lottery times again and would just leave it to chance in the future. The only thing he was thankful for was that he hadn¡¯t been sitting on his bed while he played the lottery... ¡°Now I finally understand why Yasuo¡¯s E can also deal damage...¡± ... Noon. Zhang Xiaoman would never wake up before the sun was well up in the sky whenever he rested at home. His mother had a simple word to describe this behavior¡ªpig. By now, Zhang Xiaoman had already had lunch. After the meal, he had given his mother the set of three Extraordinary Items he had prepared for her yesterday, briefly explaining how to use them and their origins. Once his mother understood the whole story, she naturally had a moment of shock, and only after Zhang Xiaoman earnestly assured her that he was completely unharmed did she joyfully go off to play with the items. Seeing her happily rubbing the hearthstone, Zhang Xiaoman quickly reminded her, ¡°Mom, you must always carry the Holy Water with you, and that hearthstone, if you want to use it to teleport after work, make sure to find a place with no people around, and also watch out for cameras...¡± His mom made a reassuring gesture and said, ¡°Your mom is a university professor, and a Qidian Reading Saint, after all; do you think I don¡¯t understand these simple principles?¡± As she spoke, she waved her hand and continued, ¡°Plus, do you think I¡¯m as lazy as you? I¡¯m still planning to ride my bike to work every day to exercise. I probably won¡¯t need to use these things often. But you, now that you know about the changes outside, you should be more careful. Fighting monsters, although rewarding, is also risky, and you¡¯re still too fragile...¡± She had hardly finished speaking when she suddenly disappeared from in front of Zhang Xiaoman. Zhang Xiaoman was stunned, and before he could react, his mother¡¯s voice already came from the next room. ¡°This is amazing! I actually teleported directly to my bed!¡± After saying this, she walked out of the bedroom and continued, ¡°Son, you can¡¯t be soft-hearted when you see a monster, remember. With great power comes great responsibility. Seek fortune amidst danger! Fight monsters, upgrade, and rise to godhood... Oh, and next time you get something new, don¡¯t forget to bring one for me too.¡± Zhang Xiaoman: ¡°...¡± Although he knew his mom was just joking, Zhang Xiaoman had already developed a clear plan. Considering the Extraordinary Items he currently held, Zhang Xiaoman felt it was not enough to use them traditionally; he needed to think of more efficient methods, otherwise, it would be difficult to fully tap into their combat power. Taking a cab, he headed straight for his destination¡ªthe toy city. Yes, he was here to buy toys! However, these toys were not for playing, but rather the crucial weapons in his plan! Indeed, his target was the widely used toy, the Water Gun. So far, the only effective method Zhang Xiaoman had to kill monsters was Holy Water. But since the Holy Water was contained in tiny bottles, he didn¡¯t want to get face-to-face with a monster and then splash water on its face. This approach was not only particularly dangerous but also extremely hazardous, and could become even more perilous... Well, what Zhang Xiaoman really wanted to say was that his life was important, and he aimed to be a ranged fighter. So, after a night of deep contemplation, Zhang Xiaoman decided to use the Water Gun as his weapon, thereby transforming from a melee fighter into a ranged one. However, due to the scarcity of Holy Water, ordinary water guns naturally could not meet his needs. First, ordinary water guns could lead to wastage as the water just spilled on the ground after being fired. Second, there was too little water, and the guns couldn¡¯t shoot far. One bottle of Holy Water was only about an ounce, approximately thirty milliliters. In this case, the water amount was too low, and the water pressure inside the water gun was not enough to shoot far. But this was not going to stop him. Zhang Xiaoman had already set his eyes on a type of alternative water gun, the bead-loading water gun. This type of water gun shot Water Absorbing Beads, which would absorb water and swell in size, nearly as big as a pearl. And these beads would burst upon hitting the target, splashing the contained water outward. Moreover, this type of gun had a long range, high speed, and could be equipped with infrared targeting, which perfectly met Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s current needs. Thus, once he had the means for ranged attacks, even if he faced the same two types of monsters again, his chances of winning would greatly increase. Chapter 16 - 16 16 Water Gun ?16: Chapter 16 Water Gun 16: Chapter 16 Water Gun Zhang Xiaoman had already scoped out the location of the store online, and headed straight for it as soon as he got off the car. ¡°Boss, do you have those water guns that shoot Crystal Beads?¡± In the store, Zhang Xiaoman was asking a middle-aged man wearing glasses. Seeing potential business walk in, the middle-aged man with glasses eagerly greeted him: ¡°Of course, we do, my friend! You¡¯ve come to the right place¡ªwe are the biggest dealer locally, and all the Water Guns we sell are guaranteed in quality!¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded and walked into the store. He saw that it was filled with all sorts of children¡¯s toys, most of which he had never played with as a child. ¡°My friend, what kind of Water Gun would you like? One for both hands or just one hand?¡± The boss led him to a counter and picked up one to introduce it. ¡°How about this one? It¡¯s our best seller right now, can be fitted with various accessories, and the whole set is just 300 yuan.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the large toy Water Gun in his hand and shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m looking for a compact, single-handed one with long range and high firing rate. Oh, and it¡¯d be better if it looked cool too.¡± Upon hearing this, the boss immediately took out a small, silver Water Gun from under the counter and said: ¡°My friend, pistol-styled Water Guns are generally small in size and limited in range. If you want one with a long range, this is the only option.¡± As the boss spoke, he handed it to Zhang Xiaoman and continued: ¡°This is the best we have for a single-handed model, with a range of 15 meters. It can be fitted with an infrared sight, holds 10 bullets at a time, and can empty the magazine within 1 second if switched to burst fire mode.¡± Zhang Xiaoman took it and asked, ¡°15 meters? Isn¡¯t there anything with a longer range?¡± The boss shook his head. ¡°This is the longest range available. After all, it¡¯s still a toy, and more powerful ones could easily hurt people. Besides, the government doesn¡¯t allow the sale of those with greater energy.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded in understanding. He inspected the Water Gun, which had a sci-fi look and reminded him of the kind of gun used by the Earth Defense Team in Ultraman. It was clearly identifiable as a toy. Seeing his expression, the boss immediately caught on to his thoughts and explained: ¡°My friend, this is how these models look. You know the situation in our country; if you buy a realistic-looking Water Gun today, it will be confiscated tomorrow. We¡¯re a registered legal shop, so we don¡¯t sell the realistic-looking ones.¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, but then thought that it might not be so bad after all¡ªit could save him a lot of trouble. As for the design, it was all secondary. He asked about the price, and it was 400 yuan for one! Zhang Xiaoman was shocked, having never expected to spend so much on a toy. However, although it pained him, he still grimly bought two. The boss also gave him fifty thousand Crystal Bullets and twenty Burst Water Balls along with two extra magazines; this way, Zhang Xiaoman had secured both the ¡°pistols¡± and the ¡°hand grenades.¡± However, the ¡°hand grenade¡± required more water, and with his current Holy Water reserves, he probably couldn¡¯t use it yet. Looking at his wallet that was close to starvation, Zhang Xiaoman decided to go for broke and went to a nearby printing shop to get a sign made for selling sushi. However, a rather frustrating event occurred. Due to insufficient funds, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s sign ended up being smaller than planned. After a furious round of haggling, he managed to get the largest face of the sign made by emptying his wallet completely. ¡°Now I don¡¯t even have the money to take a cab home...¡± As he looked at the balance showing up as zero, Zhang Xiaoman revealed a wry smile. Now his wage might be gone too; for a while, he might have to be a true miser. The only consolation was that he had previously bought all the raw materials he needed to make sushi in advance, so he could still make some pocket money by selling it. Finding a secluded spot, he reached into his pocket, rubbed the hearthstone, and teleported home! In the afternoon, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t go out anymore. Holy Water was precious, and he obviously could not afford to waste any of it. So, after soaking a large basin full of Crystal Beads, he began continuous shooting practice. Zhang Xiaoman found that after soaking and swelling with water, these shriveled Crystal Beads were about the size of pearls. His own bottle of 30 ml Holy Water could only be converted into 10 Crystal Bullets, just enough to fill one magazine. Despite the small size of these Crystal Bullets, upon bursting they could cover a splash area of nearly 20 square centimeters. That number might seem insignificant, but if it impacted an individual¡¯s body, it could create a quite frightening wound. 15 meters was the straight-line firing range of the Water Gun. This also seemed not very far, but in reality, it was enough for Zhang Xiaoman to shoot across the width of a two-way street. As someone who had never dealt with shooting before, Zhang Xiaoman found this distance somewhat challenging. Luckily, his purchased Water Gun was also equipped with an infrared sight, and because it had no recoil, it somewhat improved his hit rate. Zhang Xiaoman converted his two bottles of Holy Water into 20 bullets, enough for two magazines. As for the remaining bottle of Divine Grace, he hadn¡¯t touched it yet. After all, its uses were still to be explored, and he couldn¡¯t just turn all of it into bullets right now. Having sorted out all this, Zhang Xiaoman finally had some free time. He intended to go and play on the computer for a bit of entertainment, but his finger paused on the power button for a long while, and he ultimately moved it away without pressing it. ¡°Forget about games for now... I¡¯ve finally got the chance to be Transcendent, I can¡¯t continue like I used to.¡± Finishing his thought, he stood up and went back to the living room, arranged the plastic bottles for target practice, and resumed his training. ... At night, at home. Zhang Xiaoman had just come back from walking the dog when suddenly a message popped up in the chat group on his phone¡ªit was from his company chat group. He opened it to see several hundred unread messages, with the last one mentioning him directly. Xiao Wei: ¡°Brother Man, Brother Man! Was it true that you encountered a ¡®dirty thing¡¯ in the company corridor the other time?¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt a stir in his heart when he saw this message, as if he had guessed something, and quickly replied, ¡°It¡¯s true! That thing chased me up several floors, and I barely managed to shake it off! What happened, did you encounter it too?¡± As soon as Zhang Xiaoman sent the message, a reply came right back. ¡°Brother Man, I was wrong! I shouldn¡¯t have laughed at you last time! I encountered it today too! It was so scary! I felt like I could have died right there!¡± Chapter 17 - 17 17 Brother Heros Crisis ?17: Chapter 17 Brother Hero¡¯s Crisis 17: Chapter 17 Brother Hero¡¯s Crisis Watching the message sent by Xiao Wei, Zhang Xiaoman was just about to reply when he saw several other colleagues gathering around for fun. Xiao Bu: ¡°Brother Wei, why are you teaming up with Zhang Xiaoman to pull a fast one on us now? Is today April Fool¡¯s day or something? But seriously, your trick is way too lame, totally ineffective on me.¡± Xiao Tang: ¡°Brother Wei, aren¡¯t you the one who claims to be the toughest guy in the company? How come a bit of dirt scared you like that? Why don¡¯t you just hand over that title to me, and I¡¯ll call the cleaner for you?¡± Xiao Wei: ¡°It¡¯s true! You have to believe me!¡± Xiao Xian: ¡°Hands up for questions, how exactly are we supposed to believe? Should we stand or lie down, or maybe adopt a face-up to the sky pose to believe?¡± Xiao Wei: ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you guys! Listen to me! Today, after work, since the elevator was too crowded, I took the stairs alone. When I was going down to the second floor, suddenly, from behind that security door, came a gurgling sound, followed by a loud bang, the door was shaking violently.¡± Xiao Wei: ¡°I can assure you, that thing was definitely not human! You have no idea how terrifying the sound was! Luckily, I ran fast, otherwise, I might have been a goner by now!¡± Xiao Bu: ¡°Give me a break, would you? Ghosts bumping into doors? It would definitely phase through walls to find you!¡± Xiao Xian: ¡°Brother Bu makes an excellent point, but I think what Xiao Wei said could make a great topic. I might use it next time I stream live.¡± Zhang Xiaoman watched this group of clowns fooling around, unable to find it funny at all. He knew, what Xiao Wei said was probably all true, the monster in the office might still be there. Thinking this, he rapidly typed a few lines in the group chat and hit the send button. ¡°Guys, Xiao Wei is not joking, both he and I experienced this. That monster should be wandering around the second or third floor, areas our company doesn¡¯t rent and the security seldom visits. I don¡¯t want any of us to be the first victim. We are all colleagues here, and I don¡¯t want any of you in danger. So, better to stick to the elevator from now on, avoiding the stairs.¡± Having sent this message, Zhang Xiaoman did not even check for their reaction and directly closed the group chat. He knew they definitely wouldn¡¯t believe what he said, and as for advising them to take a leave or quit, that was even less likely. Since he had said all he could, there nothing more he could do if they didn¡¯t listen. Just after he turned off his phone, Zhang Xiaoman was about to organize the ingredients needed for selling sushi the next day when his phone suddenly lit up again, it was a message from Brother Hero. Picking up the phone, his face suddenly went pale. ¡°I¡¯m trapped in the underground parking lot, there¡¯s a monster outside! I dare not make a sound! Call the police for me quickly!!!!¡± A short circuit occurred in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind upon reading this, Brother Hero had encountered the monster? How could his luck be so bad! He hurriedly threw the teacup on the table, picked up a face mask, and the two water guns he had just bought, and rushed out the door. But just as he finished changing his shoes, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly froze. He looked around his home somewhat bewilderedly, then at the corridor outside, his feet hesitating. Although he had made all sorts of mental preparations, at this moment, he was still hesitant. This was not watching a movie, nor reading a horror novel, nor playing a game where if you died, you could come back to life. About to face that unknown terrifying monster personally, it was definitely impossible to say he wasn¡¯t a bit scared. Zhang Xiaoman clenched his fists, sweat seeping out of his palms. He suddenly bit down hard, thinking to himself: ¡°No! Brother Hero is my brother! The only brother I have had since childhood! I can¡¯t watch him die! At worst... I¡¯ll call the police on my way! Anyway, I must make a trip over there!¡± ¡°If Brother Hero were to die like this...¡± Brief flashes of Mrs. Hero¡¯s tear-streaked face and two little boys crying for their dad flickered through Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind. Well, Brother Hero¡¯s son had actually just turned one month old and couldn¡¯t even call for his dad yet. But Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s imagination was somewhat useful, adding a little more resolve to save someone. By this point, his mind was made up, and Zhang Xiaoman no longer felt that bone-chilling sensation from before. Instead, as he was about to face the battle, a rush of blood began to slowly burn in his chest. Upon reaching the community gate, Zhang Xiaoman borrowed some money from Mr. Ma and called for a fast ride. While waiting for the car, he suddenly remembered the last time he encountered that monster, immediately opened his phone, and sent a message to Brother Hero. ¡°Brother Hero! Hide well, make no sound! If that monster happens to spot you, play a song with a high pitch! It¡¯s afraid of high pitches! Remember this!¡± Brother Hero didn¡¯t reply at the other end, and Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t know his current situation, he could only pray he was safe. In the car, Zhang Xiaoman was not idle; he dialed the police, hoping for more backup. ¡°Hello! Officer! There¡¯s a ghost in the Aries Office Building in East Information Industrial Park! My friend is trapped in the underground parking garage! He dares not make a sound, I¡¯m calling to ask the police for help!¡± ¡°Sir, there are no such things as ghosts in this world, please don¡¯t prank us...¡± ¡°Ah! Right right right! It¡¯s not a ghost, it¡¯s a monster! There¡¯s a monster there! My friend is blocked by a monster!¡± ¡°Sir, please do not make malicious calls to the police, we are issuing you a verbal warning now, and if you continue to ignore our warnings, we will pursue your legal responsibilities!¡± ¡°...¡± Zhang Xiaoman cursed himself silently for being too hasty and speaking without thinking. He quickly thought of another excuse, trying to get the police to respond first so he could bluff his way through. But it turns out the other party wasn¡¯t naive, asking several probing questions that made it obvious he was making things up, and issued a stern warning: ¡°Sir, your call has been recorded, and if you continue to insist, I will still contact your local police station for you. However, if the circumstances are found to be inconsistent with what you have described after verification, we will take action to detain you for no less than 7 days and no more than 15 days. This is your last warning; I hope you do not deceive yourself.¡± Upon hearing the other party¡¯s words, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat. He knew that if he kept pressing, they would still send out the police. But that would inevitably lead them to come and investigate him. Thinking this, Zhang Xiaoman reluctantly put down his phone, his expression conflicted. In the past two days, he had even gone to the property management of the building to see if the surveillance had caught him using the hearthstone in the underground parking lot. If it had, he would find an opportunity to delete it. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t reach the surveillance room of the property management. The old man in charge had taken leave to go home, and the door was locked. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t immediately report the situation he encountered to the police at Sixth Master¡¯s House. Once they found out something was off in that building, they would definitely check the surveillance. That could potentially reveal footage of him disappearing into thin air; what would he say then? For many people, what¡¯s there to explain? If it¡¯s seen, it¡¯s seen; it¡¯s not a big deal to collaborate with the government. With a superpower, you couldn¡¯t possibly be treated unfairly. Reality isn¡¯t as dark as depicted in novels and films, where horrible things like dissection happen frequently. But for those people, all it costs is a word. If they¡¯re wrong, then they¡¯re wrong. For Zhang Xiaoman, however, it was a gamble with his life, his everything. If he were a bystander, he could easily say such things. But not now. Not until he had the strength to protect himself. Zhang Xiaoman gritted his teeth and, after hesitating for a moment, put down the phone again. He didn¡¯t know what exposing these things would mean for him, so he couldn¡¯t take the risk. Touching the water bullet gun and hearthstone in his pocket, a determined look flashed in his eyes. ¡°This must be my first time actively hunting, I suppose. Who would have thought that me, a mere worker, would end up on this path? Life really is like a drama...¡± At that moment, the driver sneaked a peek at him through the rearview mirror, his expression quite bizarre. Coming back to his senses, Zhang Xiaoman, feeling somewhat embarrassed, said: ¡°Ahem, sir, could you please drive a bit faster? I have an emergency with a friend...!¡± The driver was quite adept, gave an OK sign, then shifted gears and stepped on the gas, showing real skill. ¡°Big brother, don¡¯t forget to leave a good review later!¡± ... PS: Many friends asked me why the protagonist didn¡¯t tell the special department at Sixth Master¡¯s house about the monster when he first encountered them. Actually, I had already written that the protagonist was panicked when he used the hearthstone in the garage and didn¡¯t notice if there were any cameras around. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t dare to talk about it openly. Because once he tells others, they would certainly come to check the surveillance. If they then saw him using the hearthstone to teleport, his secret would be exposed. That¡¯s also why the protagonist warned his colleagues in the company not to use the underground parking lot. Partly out of goodwill. And partly because he feared that if someone died there, and others checked the surveillance, they might witness his extraordinary abilities. As for why he doesn¡¯t cooperate with the government, I won¡¯t elaborate on that here. If you have any questions, feel free to discuss them with me in the comments below. I will answer them at the end of the article. Wishing everyone a happy reading experience. Chapter 18 - 18 18 Rescuing Brother Hero ?18: Chapter 18: Rescuing Brother Hero 18: Chapter 18: Rescuing Brother Hero Ten minutes later, inside the industrial park. As soon as the driver had brought the car to a stable stop, Zhang Xiaoman hurriedly opened the door and dashed into the company building at a swift pace. The first floor lobby was already empty, with only two dim lights on the ceiling casting a dismal glow. Zhang Xiaoman took out two water guns loaded with Holy Water Bullet magazines from his pocket, and slowly moved towards the safe door leading to the underground parking garage. ¡°Gulp...¡± He swallowed hard, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face, but then he shook his head and put on a determined expression again. ¡°To hell with it!¡± Zhang Xiaoman muttered fiercely to himself. He pressed his head against the safe door and listened intently with his ear, hoping to pinpoint the location of the monster below. Unfortunately, he heard nothing. It was very quiet below; the monster did not seem to be near the staircase. Touching the Swift Stone in his pocket, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze grew slightly tense. It was his escape route, and the reason he dared to take the risk of coming here. He turned on his cell phone to the music interface and selected the high-pitched song ¡°The diva dance.¡± For reasons unknown, but based on the last encounter, the monster in the company might be frightened by high-pitch music. If things turned south and Holy Water proved ineffective, Zhang Xiaoman would have to apologize to Brother Hero. He would play the music immediately and then rapidly use the hearthstone to teleport away. Wiping the sweat from his hands, Zhang Xiaoman took a deep breath and then inch by inch, he cautiously pushed open the safe door to the underground parking garage. His movements were slow and light, as if afraid that even the slightest sound would be made. As the door slowly opened, the eerie green light from the corridor gradually filled his field of view. The silence around him was profound, quiet enough to instill fear. Zhang Xiaoman first glanced upstairs before focusing on the passageway below the stairs, gingerly stepping forward. Sweat beaded on his forehead, each step taken with utmost care and precision. ¡°This corridor is very narrow. If possible, I¡¯ll try to lure it here, which would also help me aim and shoot,¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought to himself, but then he shook his head: ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t do. If the Holy Water fails here, I might not have enough time to use the hearthstone... There¡¯s nowhere to take cover, it¡¯s too open...¡± While Zhang Xiaoman was still analyzing, he had reached the end of the passage. There, the safe door stood open, and a corner of the underground garage came into view. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it here that I almost got caught by it last time?¡± Upon remembering this, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but look back. That look nearly scared him to death! At the end of the corridor, a terrifying monster was standing silently! The creature was humanoid, its wrinkled skin exposed as if it were a hairless big dog. It appeared to be over two meters tall, squatting on its long hind legs, its forelimbs drooping, and on its horrifying face were no eyes or nose, only a giant mouth full of sharp teeth. And on both sides of its head, there were two hollows resembling what seemed to be ears. Zhang Xiaoman suddenly saw such an ugly monster standing behind him and nearly screamed out in fright. His entire body bristled with sweat, and he staggered back three steps with a ¡°thud thud thud,¡± gripping his pistols tightly in his hands. In his nervousness, he immediately raised his hands and fired, with three crisp shots of ¡°bang bang bang¡± ringing out as a string of bullets was shot forth. The monster, originally facing Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s direction and probing around, might have suddenly heard the footsteps coming from that direction. The skin near its ear holes wrinkled slightly, followed by a hoarse cry, and then it propped its hands on the ground and charged on all fours towards him. Zhang Xiaoman had already fired his gun by this time, and although it was his nerves that caused him to ¡°misfire,¡± this misfire played a critically important role. With three shots fired, he came back to his senses, subconsciously wanting to use the infrared to aim and shoot again. However, his luck was clearly on his side this time, perhaps due to the narrowness of the passage. The three Holy Water Bullets that Zhang Xiaoman had hastily fired all hit the monster accurately. The intense forward momentum of the monster was suddenly arrested. One of the bullets Zhang Xiaoman had fired struck it right on its bald head, causing it to fall to the ground after running only a few steps. ¡°Roar Roar!!¡± The monster let out a series of hoarse roars, and its body slid on the ground for a few meters due to inertia before it finally stopped. Zhang Xiaoman was scared into a cold sweat, with the monster now being less than three meters away from him¡ªand this was under the circumstance where he had fired early. If he had hesitated any longer, the outcome would have been unimaginable. ¡°Such fast speed...¡± Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t bother to wipe his sweat; his hands trembled slightly as he held up the gun, aiming at the struggling monster on the ground, not daring to relax in the slightest. ¡°Roar... roar... gurgle... gurgle...¡± The Faceless Monster twisted on the ground, the injuries from the Holy Water Bullets seeming to be far more severe than they appeared on the surface. Zhang Xiaoman saw plumes of white smoke rising intermittently from its body, and the horrific wounds continued to spread. The struggling intensity of the creature lessened until the corroded areas spread like flames across its body. In not much time, it ceased moving altogether, leaving behind only a twisted, charred, and corroded carcass on the ground. ¡°It was actually right behind me...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart pounded wildly. Just thinking back to the scene he saw when he turned around made his scalp tingle uncontrollably. Fortunately, the monster seemed already dead. Zhang Xiaoman was inwardly amazed at the power of the Holy Water and extremely relieved that he had decided to use the Water Gun. Had he still been using bottled Holy Water, with the monster¡¯s speed, he would have been unlikely to attack in time before sustaining serious injuries. Looking at the monster¡¯s sharp claws and dense sharp teeth, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill of fear. He glanced at the terrifying corpse lying at his feet and then at the pattern in his palm, starting to consider whether or not to touch his hand to it to extract the Essence. ¡°Who would have thought that Holy Water was so powerful!¡± In the end, Zhang Xiaoman squatted down and slowly extended his right hand, placing the faintly glowing Seven-pointed Star Array in his palm over the monster¡¯s carcass. ¡°Ah! Help!!!¡± A piercing scream suddenly erupted, coming from the underground parking garage! Zhang Xiaoman sharply turned his head, his face filled with surprise as he looked towards that direction. ¡°That voice, it¡¯s Brother Hero!¡± He immediately retracted his hand, stood up, and strode quickly toward the source of the noise. Monsters, not just one! Chapter 19 - 19 19 The Tragic Little Monster ?19: Chapter 19 The Tragic Little Monster 19: Chapter 19 The Tragic Little Monster Zhang Xiaoman was extremely anxious as he followed the sounds all the way to the underground parking garage, only to hear another scream before he could spot anything. ¡°Fuck!! Don¡¯t eat me!!¡± Following that voice was a loud and clear singing voice. ¡°Who brings forth~ the ancient call~~ Who leaves behind~ a thousand years of longing...¡± Along with the singing, there seemed to also be the agonized howling of a monster. This must be Brother Hero¡¯s music playing; that kid¡¯s phone volume is surprisingly loud. Once he played it, the entire underground parking garage seemed to echo with the soaring melody of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Zhang Xiaoman then saw a lithe and plump figure emerge from a corner deep in his line of sight and hurriedly opened an SUV¡¯s door with incredible speed before diving in. Right behind him, another faceless monster charged over and slammed into the SUV¡¯s door. With a ¡°thud,¡± the entire car shook under the terrifying force almost tipping over. The sound of shattering glass reached him, and from a distance, Zhang Xiaoman thought he could see the car door caving in. This monster was clearly much bigger than the previous one! ¡°Fuck your granddad!! Get the hell out of here!!¡± Brother Hero¡¯s voice even had a crying tone to it; this guy who often bragged about his courage was now scared out of his wits. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t dare to delay. He raised his gun and aimed at the monster that was still clinging to the car door in the distance, his finger on the trigger. ¡°Bang!¡± The faint sound of the water gun reached his ears, and a Holy Water Bullet shot out, heading straight for the faceless monster. The monster appeared to be over two meters tall. It was climbing on Brother Hero¡¯s car door, its entire upper body having squeezed through the broken window, leaving only half of its butt outside. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s exploratory shot just now had struck the monster¡¯s lower half. The point of impact immediately rotted away, creating a hole the size of a bowl, and the edges continued to expand and spread under the effect of the Holy Water, like the flame of bone-burrowing maggots, burning on its body. Feeling the pain coming from behind, the monster let out a series of piercing screams. It tried to back out of the car window, but its massive body seemed to have gotten stuck there, unable to pull free. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t possibly pass up such a good opportunity. Without any hesitation, he took three more shots at the monster, hitting the mark each time! Shooting at such a stationary target was quite satisfying for Zhang Xiaoman, but he didn¡¯t dare to get careless. He slowly stepped forward, keeping the gun aimed steadily. Inside the car, Brother Hero was cornered and panicked, having completely failed to realize he could have opened the car door and run out the other side. He watched in terror as the monster slowly made its way into the car, its sharp-clawed forelimbs constantly waving in front of his face, even the strands of flesh hanging from its foul-smelling gaping maw clearly visible. The monster¡¯s fingers were getting ever closer to him, but at this critical moment, Brother Hero suddenly saw the monster¡¯s tooth-filled maw contort as if it were in unbearable pain, a truly horrifying sight. After being hit by three more Holy Water Bullets, the monster¡¯s body twisted even more violently. It struggled frantically to escape the window, the entire SUV swaying back and forth under its tremendous power. However, all its efforts were in vain, for due to its size, it was now truly caught in a dilemma. Zhang Xiaoman did not fire any more bullets, as the effect of the four Holy Water Bullets was quite evident. The monster had long since lost its imposing appearance from the beginning; its skin was scorched black from the spreading Holy Water, with wisps of black gas ascending around it, and the foul smell filled the entire carriage. Gradually, as time passed, the Faceless Monster¡¯s struggles lessened, and after about a minute, it let out a final unwilling roar before falling silent. Looking at the creature now, it was charred black like carbon, its whole form seemed to shrink under the purification of the Holy Water, resembling a burnt corpse. Zhang Xiaoman finally let out a sigh of relief. Initially, when he saw the monster charging into his field of view with such an aggressive momentum, and with its larger size, he thought he would be facing a tough battle. But to his surprise, it had plunged headfirst into Brother Hero¡¯s car window, leaving only its buttocks exposed outside for him to use as a target. Brother Hero finally came to his senses at this point, he fumbled about for a bit, then opened the door on the other side and ran out. He retreated slowly, taking a few steps away from the car, only then did he belatedly notice Zhang Xiaoman standing not far away. ¡°Zhang Xiaoman!!¡± Brother Hero¡¯s face was full of puzzlement; he ran around to Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s side and exclaimed in astonishment, ¡°Zhang Xiaoman? How did you get here?¡± After that, he glanced at the two strangely shaped toy guns in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s hands and then around at the surroundings, disbelieving, ¡°You, you took down this monster!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt a headache coming on at those words. He wanted to say no, but there were only the two of them in the entire underground parking lot, and the situation was clear; he couldn¡¯t avoid it even if he wanted to. Trying to appear calm, Zhang Xiaoman put the guns back into his pocket and lifted his chin towards the direction of the monster¡¯s body, not answering Brother Hero¡¯s question but instead changing the subject, ¡°Old Lu, ah, didn¡¯t I warn you before that there were monsters here? You just wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± Brother Hero initially froze at these words, then displayed an unnatural embarrassed expression, saying, ¡°Well, I was... confused... who knew that these kinds of monsters actually existed in the world...¡± As he said this, he glanced involuntarily at the body still stuck in his car, swallowing his saliva uncontrollably and continuing, ¡°It¡¯s terrifying; it almost got me just now. I nearly lost my life over my two hundred plus pounds here! Brother Man, I was wrong! I really should have listened to you!¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s hands were also trembling slightly; this was his first time actively hunting a monster in earnest. To claim that he wasn¡¯t scared would be a lie. However, in front of Brother Hero, since he had already put on an act, he naturally couldn¡¯t show any fear. He glanced at the other man and spoke with a deliberately profound tone, ¡°Brother Hero, it¡¯s good that you found me today, and it just so happened that I saw it at the first opportunity. If it had been someone else, the consequences might have been unimaginable!¡± Brothing Hero shuddered at these words, his heart still grieving as he looked again at the Faceless Monster¡¯s body and then at Zhang Xiaoman, finally voicing his biggest question. ¡°Brother Man? How did you... take it down? It feels like you knew about them from the start... Have you often... dealt with these monsters before?¡± Here it comes, Zhang Xiaoman thought warily. He knew Brother Hero would eventually become curious about all this. He was conflicted inside, uncertain whether to tell the truth. Looking at Brother Hero¡¯s slightly excited eyes, a thought flashed through Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind, and suddenly he had an idea. He decided to tell a lie. Chapter 20 - 20 20 The Truth ?20: Chapter 20: The Truth 20: Chapter 20: The Truth ¡°Actually, this world isn¡¯t quite what we imagine it to be.¡± Zhang Xiaoman slowly turned around, facing in the direction of the monster¡¯s corpse, trying to make his face appear calm. ¡°The world we see is not its true form...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face was calm, his eyes slightly squinting forward, outwardly nonchalant, but inside his mind was frantically thinking about what to say next. Brother Hero had also recovered from the recent crisis. Following Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze towards the monster¡¯s corpse still stuck inside the car, and thinking back to what Zhang Xiaoman had just said, waves of speculation about the truth of the world began to emerge in his mind. ¡°This, this... Xia... Brother Man, are you saying that monsters like this are actually hidden around us? Are we just ordinary humans living in ignorance...?¡± Brother Hero stammered. Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but mentally applaud the guy¡¯s cooperation; he was worrying about the plot, and here he was, delivering the outline like divine assistance. Zhang Xiaoman slightly turned his head to glance at him, then lifted his feet and slowly walked toward the direction of the Faceless Monster¡¯s corpse, starting to bluff: ¡°In this world, darkness lurks in every corner, constantly spying on us, the spread of evil has never ceased...¡± Brother Hero swallowed hard upon hearing this. He stepped in time behind Zhang Xiaoman, his face a complex mix of fear, anticipation, and excitement. His hands began to tremble slightly again, his whole being filled with excitement about to uncover the truth, as if he were seeing the gates to the Extraordinary World opening before him. ¡°Man, Man Brother, are there many of these monsters?¡± Zhang Xiaoman came right next to the monster, slowing his movements down a bit more to give himself more time to think about the next part of his script. His expression placid, he slowly turned his head to look at Brother Hero and then said slowly, ¡°They are... endless...¡± Brother Hero gasped sharply. ¡°They come from endless darkness, invading our world through various means, not only with bizarre abilities but also bringing pollution and corruption. For ordinary people who encounter them, the outcome is often more deadly than lucky...¡± Zhang Xiaoman wasn¡¯t lying with this statement; these were the speculations he had begun to form after encountering monsters a few times. Brother Hero, however, had his eyes wide with disbelief and asked, ¡°Do you mean they all come from other planes? Or are you saying, they are actually aliens?¡± Zhang Xiaoman secretly wiped sweat from his face. How was he supposed to know the answers to these questions? He himself was completely confused at the moment. But since the bluff had already started, Zhang Xiaoman naturally couldn¡¯t stop midway. So, he simply closed his eyes and decided to make things up altogether. ¡°The Endless Plane, as you understand it, has not actually transcended our universe. Worlds overlap with each other inherently. After analyzing space and time, there¡¯s genuinely no distance between planets, just like you standing where I just walked by. After eliminating the limitations of time and space, we might consider ourselves to be standing in the same place. Our universe itself is nothing but a point. This point is what we call a singularity.¡± ¡°Beyond the singularity, there are countless other singularities, each different from our own singularity and each governed by a set of rules that totally exceed our understanding. Perhaps the time and space you understand do not even exist in another singularity. And that realm, made up of endless such singularities, we call the High-dimensional Domain. It is a place beyond human imagination, where endless information can instantly overwhelm your mind.¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue as he said this; he felt like he was making up a science fiction novel, unable to stop once the creativity flowed. ¡°In the High-dimensional Domain, each singularity follows entirely different rules, and these rules constantly change. When the rules inside one singularity change to become similar or even identical to another, those two points begin to merge. And the situation we¡¯re now facing... these monsters are from another singularity that is merging with ours...¡± Brother Hero, with his mouth open, looked at Zhang Xiaoman in complete bafflement, scratching his head as he said: ¡°This, I kind of don¡¯t understand... It feels a bit different from what the teachers taught...¡± Zhang Xiaoman rolled his eyes internally, of course you don¡¯t understand, I don¡¯t even know what I just said myself, how could you possibly understand? ¡°Brother Man, although I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, I feel like you seem very powerful. How did you learn all this? We¡¯ve been friends for so many years, and I didn¡¯t even know you knew all this... So, can you explain it to me in more detail...?¡± Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman sighed softly, speaking in a deep and serious tone: ¡°Brother Hero, actually, I didn¡¯t want to tell you these things, but since you¡¯ve already encountered them today, I can tell you...¡± As he spoke, his tone became more grave: ¡°But Brother Hero, are you truly ready to accept all of this? Mental alignment is also a manifestation of our universal rules. In this rule fusion, it significantly increases the likelihood of encountering monsters again! Do you really want to know?¡± Brother Hero shuddered all over. He glanced subconsciously at the monster corpse beside him, then turned to look at Zhang Xiaoman, his face full of conflict. ¡°I, I...¡± Brother Hero bowed his head, hesitating to speak. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t rush him, but quietly waited for him to make a decision. Having said so much, Zhang Xiaoman himself had also begun to entertain a somewhat crazy idea, although he had not yet decided to act on it. In a sense, Brother Hero¡¯s choice was not only about himself. To some extent, his decision would also influence Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s next actions. Brother Hero lowered his head in contemplation for a while, various emotions flitting across his eyes: fear, cluelessness, desire, unwillingness... Finally, he gritted his teeth, raised his head to look directly at Zhang Xiaoman and said: ¡°Xiao Man, I¡¯ve made up my mind! I don¡¯t want to live blindfolded all my life! Please tell me the truth!¡± Zhang Xiaoman had already seen his choice in Brother Hero¡¯s gradually fierce gaze, and at the same time, he had also made his decision, that somewhat crazy plan. ¡°Then, I will start by telling you some things...¡± PS: The above content is pure nonsense, please don¡¯t take it seriously. Chapter 21 - 21 21 Deceiving Brother Hero ?21: Chapter 21: Deceiving Brother Hero 21: Chapter 21: Deceiving Brother Hero ¡°When I was a child, I once met a white-haired old man...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face showed a look of reminiscence, as if he could see the distant past. ¡°He told me I was special and was willing to teach me some things... He was my mentor, Ling Wushuang...¡± Zhang Xiaoman spoke very slowly to make it easier for him to make up the story on the spot. ¡°Later, he left, and it wasn¡¯t until several years had passed that he returned to me, barely alive, and before dying, he told me all of this... It was from him that I received some inheritance...¡± Zhang Xiaoman got stuck at this point, paused, and turned around inconspicuously, his face taking on an expression of deep thought. Brother Hero hadn¡¯t thought that much and, seeing Zhang Xiaoman stop, quickly asked, ¡°What happened next? What inheritance did you get?¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought to himself, I don¡¯t know any inheritance, I¡¯m just fooling you. However, to avoid giving himself away, he decided to drag the topic out for a while longer and then said: ¡°Brother Hero, trust me, it¡¯s not yet time to tell you about this... What I can tell you is that this inheritance is not a blessing but rather a heavy burden...¡± Brother Hero, seeing Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s serious expression, couldn¡¯t help but imagine all kinds of secrets; despite his immense curiosity, he knew better than to press further. Zhang Xiaoman quietly breathed a sigh of relief at this, but before he could relax, he saw Brother Hero as if suddenly realizing something, his face lighting up with understanding. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! I remember now, no wonder you always asked us to play hide and seek next to a solitary grave before we moved houses when we were kids. I even asked you who it was, but you would never tell. Could it be that the person buried there... was your master?¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt a surge of frustration, thinking Brother Hero¡¯s imagination was a little too active. I had no damn master; playing there was purely because I was just too timid back then, okay? As for not telling, I didn¡¯t even know who it was; what was there to say? But no matter how much he internally complained, he couldn¡¯t lose the basic quality of being a master confabulator. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t respond to Brother Hero¡¯s question but instead turned back and gave him a meaningful smile, neither confirming nor denying. Unsure of what Brother Hero imagined again, he looked enlightened after seeing the other¡¯s expression. He then nodded as if he believed even more in what Zhang Xiaoman had just said. ¡°Brother Man, I had no idea you were a hidden expert... I¡¯ve been with you for so many years and never realized, you¡¯ve hidden it too deep. I¡¯m very curious, when did you learn all these skills, and how did I never notice?¡± Zhang Xiaoman put on an expression that said ¡°think about it carefully¡± and then replied: ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that starting from the fourth grade, I¡¯d go out every Saturday?¡± Brother Hero suddenly realized: ¡°Ah! I was curious where you went back then, so you were...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded briskly but privately scoffed. ¡°Joking, my math was terrible back then, I had to go to the teacher¡¯s place for tutoring every Saturday, how could I let you know such an embarrassing thing!¡± Seeing that Brother Hero was about to ask more questions, Zhang Xiaoman quickly waved his hand to interrupt: ¡°Old Lu, let¡¯s not worry about other questions for now, I need to purify these monsters¡¯ corpses first, or it¡¯ll be troublesome if someone finds them.¡± Brother Hero swallowed his forthcoming question upon hearing this. He then saw Zhang Xiaoman slowly spread out his right hand, and an intricate and beautiful seven-pointed star emblem immediately caught his eye. ¡°This, this is...¡± ¡°This is the will of the Inheritors, the dawn in the darkness, the mark of the Dawn Breaker, the badge beneath the dawn...¡± Zhang Xiaoman paused, glanced at the eye in the middle of the seven-pointed star in his hand, and said subconsciously: ¡°This is called...the Eye of the Starry Sky.¡± Brother Hero was also deeply captivated, and after a moment, he asked, ¡°But how come I don¡¯t seem to have seen this on your hand before?¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but laugh and shook his head. ¡°Brother Hero, let me ask you, do you remember ever looking at the palm of my hand?¡± Brother Hero thought for a moment and said hesitantly, ¡°That, I don¡¯t think so... I can¡¯t quite remember.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, I have always intentionally hidden it, and since you¡¯ve never paid attention to it, it¡¯s quite normal that you didn¡¯t notice.¡± Brother Hero was speechless, his face a mixture of confusion, and he didn¡¯t speak again. Zhang Xiaoman slowly approached the monster¡¯s corpse and reached out slowly towards the Faceless Monster. As he closed the distance, the Seven-pointed Star on his palm became increasingly bright. Just before Zhang Xiaoman was about to touch the corpse, a visible wave of energy surfaced, followed by streaks of light flying from the monster¡¯s body to his palm, the whole process spectacularly vivid. In just a moment, the monster¡¯s body, along with the flowing light, became fainter and fainter, finally disappearing completely, and the pattern on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s palm returned to its previous state. ¡°Ding, Corpse Demon Essence absorbed, points increased by 7.¡± The system prompt sounded in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind. Brother Hero, having witnessed this whole process, was so shocked that his mouth was agape. His eyes, as if about to pop out, were fixed on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s right hand, not even realizing his phone had fallen to the ground. ¡°This, is this Extraordinary Power...¡± Brother Hero¡¯s lips trembled uncontrollably, he was incredibly shocked by what he had seen. Zhang Xiaoman smiled calmly and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go, there¡¯s another one over there.¡± Brother Hero hadn¡¯t yet grasped what Zhang Xiaoman meant, but seeing him head toward the entrance, he followed. ¡°Zhang Xiaoman, what was that ability you just used? Was it magic? Or a superpower? Could it be Cultivation Techniques... Ah! Shit! What is this!¡± Brother Hero had been following behind Zhang Xiaoman, asking questions, but when he turned into the entrance of the passageway, he suddenly saw a terrifying monster and was so startled that he almost stumbled and fell. ¡°There¡¯s another dead one here! Damn, that scared me! I thought I ran into a live one!¡± After realizing that what was on the ground was just a corpse, Brother Hero finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Xiaoman glanced at the corpse on the ground and said nonchalantly, ¡°I encountered one blocking my way when I was coming through here, so I killed it casually.¡± These seemingly indifferent words sounded like thunder to Brother Hero. ¡°Casually... killed?¡± He repeated blankly, looking at Zhang Xiaoman with even more complexity in his eyes. Chapter 22 - 22 22 Origin ?22: Chapter 22 Origin 22: Chapter 22 Origin Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t say anything more, his expression as still as an ancient well. Stretching out his hand, Zhang Xiaoman followed the previous examples and used the Seven-pointed Star to absorb the Corpse Demon lying on the ground. Immediately, the pleasing notification sound from the System echoed in his mind. ¡°Ding, absorbed Corpse Demon Essence, points increased by 5.¡± ¡°Hm? Only 5 points this time...?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was slightly surprised; it seemed that even if the monsters were of the same kind, the points absorbed from each individual varied. This body, which was obviously smaller by one size, yielded 2 points less than the previous one. Upon witnessing the monster¡¯s body being ¡°purified¡± by Zhang Xiaoman again, Brother Hero no longer found it as unbelievable as the first time, but this time, his face revealed more excitement and anticipation. ¡°Xiao, Xiao Man, can I, can I learn those skills of yours?¡± Brother Hero asked somewhat nervously. Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and then shook his head slightly, saying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, I just sensed it and you don¡¯t possess the Talent for controlling Dark Energy.¡± ¡°Is that so... The things you just used, those were Dark Energy?¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, but to be honest, for so long, apart from myself, I have never found a second person with the Talent for Dark Energy...¡± Upon hearing this, Brother Hero nodded disappointingly, but before he could dwell on his melancholy for long, he heard Zhang Xiaoman continue. ¡°However, you don¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯ve been researching a special Magic Technique recently that can activate the spiritual energy hidden within the human body, thus allowing ordinary people to also possess the Talent for Dark Energy.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Brother Hero was overjoyed. Zhang Xiaoman smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, now that you know all this, I naturally will not let you face it empty-handed. Once I complete that Magic Technique, I will help you with Enlightenment.¡± He paused, then added: ¡°By the way, try not to tell anyone else about this matter, including your family. After all, according to the rules of cognitive assent, the less they know, the safer it is for them.¡± Brother Hero nodded hastily. Zhang Xiaoman turned around, his face revealing a faint, barely noticeable smile. The best way to make a person willingly keep a secret is to bring them into your camp. Of course, his actions were not entirely for the sake of secrecy. More importantly, it was the gradually clarifying grand plan in his mind. ¡°Xiao Man, are we going back now? There should be no monsters here anymore, right?¡± Brother Hero asked. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head. ¡°No rush, the source of evil should be on the second floor of the building, I need to take a look over there.¡± What he referred to as the source of evil was naturally the Space Node, which was worth several dozen points. Brother Hero was startled and said with some fear, ¡°Is it, could it be dangerous?¡± Zhang Xiaoman glanced at him and replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll go by myself. You have to work tomorrow, you should head home early.¡± Brother Hero bowed his head in silence for a moment, then clenched his teeth and said, ¡°Xiao Man, let me go with you! Although I can¡¯t do much right now... I do have a loud phone volume, right? Playing some BGM for you is also good. Besides, I¡¯ll have to face these things sooner or later, so now is a good time to train! And with an expert like you around, I must seize this opportunity!¡± When Zhang Xiaoman heard him call himself an expert, he couldn¡¯t help but feel speechless, secretly thinking his bluff had been quite successful this time. However, on second thought, what Brother Hero said made sense, After all, having an extra person meant having another pair of eyes, and if there were still dangers, it would increase the chances of spotting a monster. Zhang Xiaoman nodded, motioned for Brother Hero to follow, and took out two water guns from his pocket before walking quietly towards the second floor. Brother Hero hurriedly followed behind him, occasionally glancing back with caution. The two of them reached the second floor where the security door had been damaged; it seemed to have been knocked down by a monster. The door led to darkness; one couldn¡¯t see anything inside. Brother Hero quickly turned on his phone¡¯s flashlight, taking on the task of providing visibility. Zhang Xiaoman stood at the entrance, listening quietly for a while, and not detecting any noise, he took the lead and walked in. Just a few steps into the door, they began to smell a foul stench, as if something inside was rotting, causing a wave of nausea. Zhang Xiaoman suppressed his discomfort and remained on high alert. The smell was the same as what he had just smelled on the Corpse Demon, indicating that this was indeed the lair of the Corpse Demon. The office building was structured like a square, and after exiting the middle security door, the two walked around the corridor but did not encounter any new monsters. Of course, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s main goal was the Space Node, but to his disappointment, he did not find traces of it here; that mysterious purple light did not appear. ¡°It seems that not all monsters come from the Space Node; there may be other ways... Or perhaps, those two Corpse Demons came from somewhere else? The Space Node they used to descend isn¡¯t here?¡± Zhang Xiaoman speculated about the situation in front of him and swept his gaze ahead, catching some movement in a corner. ¡°There¡¯s something over there, let¡¯s go check it out, move quietly...¡± He whispered to Brother Hero beside him. Brother Hero nodded and followed behind Zhang Xiaoman. As they drew nearer, Zhang Xiaoman felt the foul odor becoming stronger, suggesting that the source was nearby. This was an open-plan office, pitch black inside. The flashlight beam scanned the room, and Zhang Xiaoman spotted a black shadow in the corner directly opposite the door. ¡°What is that?¡± Brother Hero softly asked, shining the flashlight on the black shadow. Zhang Xiaoman looked and said uncertainly, ¡°It seems to be the corpse of some animal, but it¡¯s rotted so badly, it¡¯s hard to tell what it was.¡± Brother Hero stepped forward two paces, intending to take a closer look, but at that moment, a white figure burst out from beneath the black fur of the animal corpse and let out a ferocious roar towards Brother Hero. ¡°Back off! It¡¯s a Corpse Demon!¡± Zhang Xiaoman exclaimed in a low voice and immediately raised his gun to shoot. ¡°Pah~¡± A faint sound of a gun shot, and the Holy Water Bullet hit the Corpse Demon accurately. As the water droplet burst open, the Holy Water splashed onto it, black smoke rose from the wound, and the damage began to spread rapidly. This Corpse Demon was very small, roughly the size of two adult hands. After it was hit by the Holy Water Bullet, it lost its ability to move immediately, twisting and writhing on the ground before it quickly stopped moving. Chapter 23 - 23 23 Brother Hero the Utility Man ?23: Chapter 23: Brother Hero the Utility Man 23: Chapter 23: Brother Hero the Utility Man ¡°It... died?¡± Brother Hero had been startled just now, but he finally let out a sigh of relief when he saw Zhang Xiaoman instantly kill that little monster. ¡°This is just a juvenile Corpse Demon, very fragile,¡± Zhang Xiaoman said. He squatted down and activated his extraction ability to absorb the corpse. ¡°Ding, Corpse Demon Essence absorbed, points increased by 1.¡± Sure enough, only 1 point. Zhang Xiaoman curled his lip. His Holy Water Bullets cost, on average, 1 point per bullet. If he had carelessly fired one more shot just now, he would have been at a loss! ¡°Xiao Man! What is that over there!¡± Brother Hero¡¯s voice came from the side. Zhang Xiaoman turned his head and saw, in the light of Brother Hero¡¯s phone, a bunch of red oval objects arranged haphazardly. ¡°Are these... eggs?¡± Brother Hero asked. Zhang Xiaoman also walked over and took a closer look at those things. He saw that these were dark red egg-like objects, with surface and surrounding ground covered with blood vessel-like patterns that would twitch from time to time, incredibly creepy. ¡°These are Corpse Demon Eggs; no wonder those two Corpse Demons were guarding this spot. It looks like this is indeed their nest. We¡¯d better smash them before they hatch; otherwise, if so many Corpse Demons get out, it¡¯ll be troublesome.¡± Brother Hero nodded in deep agreement. Zhang Xiaoman raised his Water Gun to shoot but stopped halfway and put it back down. He thought about the juvenile Corpse Demon that had only provided 1 point when absorbed. If these unhatched eggs were worth even less, he might not even recoup the cost. Brother Hero looked over in confusion. But Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face was the picture of calm. He said with an easy gaze, ¡°Brother Hero, leave these Corpse Demon Eggs to you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Brother Hero pointed at himself in surprise. Zhang Xiaoman nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you¡¯ve chosen this path, then you should be prepared for it. These are just some eggs that can¡¯t move; if you¡¯re too scared to deal with them, how will you confront the strange beings that come from the darkness in the future?¡± Well, when Zhang Xiaoman said that, he was actually just too lazy to do it himself; on one hand, because he was lazy. On the other hand, his means were limited at the moment, and he was reluctant to waste Holy Water, so he had to resort to elbow grease instead, which really wasn¡¯t good for his image as an expert. Moreover, having such a large piece of free labor at hand, he¡¯d be foolish not to use it. Over at Brother Hero¡¯s side, having heard Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s previous speech, a flush of embarrassment appeared on his face. He knew in his heart that when he had heard Zhang Xiaoman tell him to smash the eggs, he really had flinched. With this thought, he clenched his teeth, lifted his head, and said: ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry! Leave it to me!¡± With that, he turned around, found a thirty-centimeter-wide plank on the ground, and approached the eggs with a ferocious momentum, raising the implement high. ¡°Ha!!!!¡± With a powerful shout like a dragon¡¯s roar, Brother Hero smacked down with the board, and Zhang Xiaoman heard a ¡°smack¡± sound. When he looked again, the egg had turned into a puddle of white liquid. After a successful hit, Brother Hero struck again, his face flushed with excitement. ¡°Thwack thwack thwack thwack!¡± A series of smacks later, not a single intact egg could be found on the ground anymore. ¡°Whew~ Haha~¡± Brother Hero was panting from exertion. He looked away from the Corpse Demon Eggs towards Zhang Xiaoman, excitedly saying: ¡°Xiao Man, I¡¯ve finally also taken care of these monsters... their eggs that is!¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Brother Hero, well done, you have a lot of potential, I have faith in you,¡± Brother Hero¡¯s face broke into a beaming smile, bubbling with excitement, showing no signs of having just been used as a tool. ¡°Let¡¯s go for another round here, see if there are any that slipped through the net,¡± Zhang Xiaoman said. Brother Hero responded with readiness. And so, the two of them did another two rounds on that floor, smashing any Corpse Demon Eggs they found, before finally heading back to the underground parking garage. Fortunately, all the equipment in the company¡¯s old office building was aging, and many of the surveillance cameras were broken. Zhang Xiaoman had checked earlier; it seemed the places he moved through tonight were just in the blind spots of a few cameras. Besides, now that the Corpse Demon had been eliminated and as long as no one was harmed and no one called the police, no one would bother to check the surveillance footage without cause. As the two walked, Brother Hero¡¯s excitement gradually faded. He glanced at Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s pockets, holding the Water Gun, and couldn¡¯t help his curiosity: ¡°Xiao Man, actually, I¡¯ve been wanting to ask for a while now, those two guns of yours, are they real...¡± He paused, then suddenly slapped his forehead. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m such an idiot, if they weren¡¯t real, how could they possibly kill monsters with a single shot.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and said: ¡°The guns are fake, but the bullets are real.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Brother Hero was stunned. He took a Water Gun out of his pocket, ejected the magazine, and removed two bullets, saying: ¡°These are Holy Water Bullets, they have a strong restraining effect on certain monsters. I¡¯m giving these two to you; if you encounter those monsters again, you can throw them at them to buy some time.¡± Brother Hero hurriedly reached out and carefully cradled the two translucent Holy Water Bullets in his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t have many of these bullets left, only about ten. Holy Water is very rare. I¡¯ll give you some more if I get the chance to obtain it later.¡± Brother Hero was deeply moved, ¡°Good buddy, the barbecue I promised last time is on me.¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes lit up but he pretended to be nonchalant and waved his hand, saying: ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry for the barbecue; I quit my job, so I have time every day. It¡¯s mainly up to you... How about tomorrow night?¡± Brother Hero rolled his eyes in resignation, ¡°Zhang Xiaoman, if it weren¡¯t for your revealing your true nature, I would¡¯ve hardly recognized you.¡± Zhang Xiaoman laughed, then earnestly advised him: ¡°Seriously though, I can feel that things have been a bit unsettled recently. Try not to go out and deliver food at night for the next few days. If you run into danger, don¡¯t skimp on bullets, throw one right away ¨C staying alive is what¡¯s most important.¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, he added: ¡°Oh, and another thing. The shell of the Holy Water Bullets is very fragile and easy to break, so you better find a bottle to keep them in and add some water to avoid any impact.¡± Brother Hero nodded earnestly, showing he took note. He and Zhang Xiaoman made their way to his new SUV, but his face instantly fell. ¡°My car!!!¡± Brother Hero jogged up to his deformed car door, looking at the shattered glass on the ground and the seats torn by the monster¡¯s claws, his face a picture of despair. ¡°I haven¡¯t even finished paying the loan off...¡± Brother Hero looked like a helpless little lamb. ¡°Old Lu, my condolences...¡± Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t know what else to say; it was indeed an unlucky day for Brother Hero, just by chance it was him that the monster ran into. But in comparison to a car, it¡¯s the person being safe that truly matters. ¡°Xiao Man, Brother Man!¡± Brother Hero suddenly looked up, his voice charged with excitement, ¡°You must tell me as soon as you complete the Enlightenment Technique, from now on I¡¯m going to exterminate all these monsters! To avenge my car!!¡± Chapter 24 - 24 24 Soul Absorption Technique ?24: Chapter 24: Soul Absorption Technique 24: Chapter 24: Soul Absorption Technique Zhang Xiaoman looked around and confirmed that there were no cameras in this area before he breathed a sigh of relief. Brother Hero stood by the car, patted the door, and said to him, ¡°Xiao Man, how did you get here? Let me take you home.¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head. ¡°No need, I have another way to get back. You have work tomorrow, go home and rest early.¡± Brother Hero didn¡¯t ask further, he started the car, then leaned out of the window and said seriously: ¡°Xiao Man, I really appreciate it today. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have been left lying here with my over 200 pounds...¡± Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t let him finish, interrupting, ¡°Alright, alright, who are we to each other? You¡¯re getting sentimental. Get moving, your wife and kids are waiting at home.¡± Brother Hero pursed his lips, nodded, and left. All was said without words. Seeing him drive away, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t stay there much longer; he immediately found an electric scooter and sat in the back seat, reaching into his pocket to play with the hearthstone. At home, in the bedroom. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s figure suddenly appeared on the bed sitting down. Seeing the familiar surroundings, he sighed deeply. Looking at the time, it was almost eleven o¡¯clock. His mom was probably already asleep, and he himself was extremely tired. Everything that happened tonight was extraordinarily thrilling, whether it was facing two Corpse Demons in combat or the decision to coax Brother Hero into joining. For him, it was a bold attempt. He had initially gone in with the mindset to do his best to save people, but he hadn¡¯t expected to not only successfully defeat the monster but also spontaneously make the decision to recruit Brother Hero, and even some of his future plans had gained some direction. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t know whether his spur-of-the-moment decision was good or bad, but since the world was changing, he felt he also needed to do something¡ªnot for so-called righteousness, but just to protect those around him. He pulled out the Water Gun from his pocket and checked the magazine. That evening, he had used a total of eight Holy Water Bullets and given two to Brother Hero, which meant he had only ten left in total. Zhang Xiaoman thought about it and decided to load all the bullets into one gun. After tonight¡¯s real combat, he found using two guns simultaneously wasn¡¯t handy for him; he generally used one-handed targeted shots. If he was going to use just one gun in the future, then his free hand could do many other things, such as providing lighting in the dark or using the hearthstone during emergencies. These were all shortcomings identified through real combat. After the night¡¯s efforts, Zhang Xiaoman had gained a total of 3 points. This gave him a new understanding of the points earning situation. The large haul the day before at the lake¡¯s central island was mainly due to a lot of luck. ¡°I now have 20 points left, should I use them to buy Holy Water?¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the System page, pondering. ¡°The rate of earning points is much slower than I initially thought. To buy one bottle of Holy Water, I need to go through ten draws which would take ten days...¡± ¡°But randomly upgrading items seems like a loss. I still have too few types of items I possess. Moreover, I still have a used bottle of Divine Grace, and if the System selects it during an upgrade, then I would really be at a loss...¡± He silently carried out his analysis. In the end, he still stretched his hand toward the Holy Water icon in the store and spent 10 points to buy a bottle. Regardless, he needed to keep a spare magazine on himself to enhance his personal safety and reduce the chances of unexpected events. As for the remaining 10 points, he decided to save them for future use. After sorting out today¡¯s gains, Zhang Xiaoman just felt a wave of sleepiness hit him, possibly because he had expended a lot of energy fighting the monsters. He quickly washed up, not caring that he could start the new day¡¯s draws right then, and immediately fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed. ... The next day. Zhang Xiaoman once again proved just how lazy humans can be. From the previous night at eleven until the next day at noon, his sleep time almost matched that of Zhang Jinbao and Xiao Hua. He got up, went to the living room, where his mom had already prepared the meal, and was now sitting on the sofa stroking the cat. ¡°Mom? Isn¡¯t it Wednesday today? Aren¡¯t you going to work? Did you quit your job too?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked in surprise. His mom pushed Xiao Hua to the side and stood up from the couch with a resigned look in her eyes, ¡°It¡¯s the 15th already, our school is on summer vacation.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman stood frozen in place, envy shining in his eyes. ¡°Ah, why didn¡¯t I choose to major in education back then?¡± He deeply regretted it. His mom still didn¡¯t know about the events of last night, and Zhang Xiaoman had no intention of telling her. After all, it was all over, and he hadn¡¯t been seriously harmed. Bringing it up would only cause unnecessary worry. In fact, once Zhang Xiaoman learned that absorbing the bodies of monsters could yield points, his fleeting idea of setting up a small stall had almost entirely vanished, replaced by dreams of battling monsters and upgrading. But he still stuck to the old saying ¡ª since he had come this far, he might as well follow through. He¡¯d already got the raw materials and the cart ready. Since he couldn¡¯t find any other job for the time being, he might as well go out and sell sushi for a while. It¡¯d help him earn some pocket money and fulfill his persistent dream of ¡°starting a business.¡± However, before setting out his stall, he had another very important thing to do. He opened the System page and clicked on the lottery! ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained the white skill ¡ª Soul Absorption Technique.¡± A white Skill Ball fell in front of Zhang Xiaoman, emitting a warm glow. ¡°Is this... a Skill Ball? Did I actually draw a skill?¡± Zhang Xiaoman stared at the Light Ball on the ground, amazed. It was the first time he had drawn a skill-based reward from the System. ¡°I thought this System could only draw objects, I didn¡¯t expect it could draw skills too.¡± He poked the Light Ball with his finger, but it didn¡¯t respond. ¡°How do I use this thing?¡± Zhang Xiaoman promptly picked up the ball from the ground and scrutinized it closely. [Soul Absorption Technique] ¡ª Can extract energy from the environment. That was the attribute panel of the Light Ball, its description was still in the typical cryptic style of the System, baffling as ever. Zhang Xiaoman squeezed it gently. There was not much of a tactile feeling, but the little light ball seemed to have a physical form. It had a bit of elasticity just like a spherical sponge. ¡°Hmm, how do I absorb it? Do I need to eat it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was thoroughly perplexed. Even though he was saying this, Zhang Xiaoman was still cautious about these mystical things and certainly wasn¡¯t about to just swallow it down. Half an hour later... After trying numerous other methods, Zhang Xiaoman looked at the small object in his hand with immense frustration, grinding his teeth. ¡°Why is this not making any progress?¡± Looking at the roundness of the small Light Ball, it almost seemed like there was a smirking face on it, mocking him for being unable to do anything with it. ¡°Don¡¯t push me, keep looking, keep looking, and see if I don¡¯t eat you up!¡± Chapter 25 - 25 25 Soul Absorption Technique ?25: Chapter 25 Soul Absorption Technique 25: Chapter 25 Soul Absorption Technique Zhang Xiaoman ultimately did not have the guts to put it in his mouth, as it was an item mysteriously produced by the System, and he dared not carelessly ingest it without understanding it first. ¡°This crappy System, not even a manual included!¡± After much tossing and turning, Zhang Xiaoman still couldn¡¯t figure it out, and now he finally understood what it meant to look but not eat. ¡°The thing must be physical, though it has no tactile sense, but when I squeeze it, I can really feel some resistance, as if I¡¯m squeezing a whirlwind in the palm of my hand...¡± Zhang Xiaoman squeezed the Light Ball in his hand, staring at it without blinking. ¡°The attribute panel doesn¡¯t have a usage method either, the Seven-pointed Star Array shows no response, and mental fusion doesn¡¯t seem to work...¡± He felt frustrated, and unconsciously increased the force in his hand. ¡°Damn Skill Ball! I just don¡¯t believe it! We¡¯re in for a long haul today!¡± As Zhang Xiaoman finished speaking, he suddenly exerted more force in his hand, and the next moment, something happened that totally stunned him. The little Light Ball in his palm, when squeezed to a certain degree, suddenly broke silently, turning into countless white light points scattering around. ¡°Did, did I just burst it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman muttered dumbly, then suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly reached out to catch the light points in the air. ¡°Oh shoot! Don¡¯t run, my little ancestors, come back here!¡± He almost felt like crying without tears, knowing now that the Light Ball could break up so easily, he should have been gentler with it initially. However, before he could shed his scoundrel¡¯s tears, he saw the scattered glimmers of light didn¡¯t vanish quietly as he had imagined. Instead, they slowly gathered towards him and finally integrated into his body under his astonished gaze. ¡°This... is this a success?¡± Zhang Xiaoman still couldn¡¯t quite believe it, not expecting that the elusive little Light Ball would be resolved so mysteriously. ¡°It seems this thing had to be crushed in order to merge.¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt he had inadvertently found the correct way to use it. Next, naturally, he was going to test the effect of this skill. He first stared at his hands, calling up his attribute panel: Zhang Xiaoman Abilities: [Extract] Skills: [Soul Absorption Technique] ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª The above were his most recent attributes. This time, there were two extra lines compared to before, a new category with a skill, and another line with the newly integrated skill, Soul Absorption Technique. Zhang Xiaoman subconsciously tapped on the interface, then was surprised to see an unexpected discovery. As his finger touched the Soul Absorption Technique¡¯s name, a dropdown suddenly appeared underneath the skill, detailing the explanation for Soul Absorption Technique. [Soul Absorption Technique] Effect: Continuously absorbs energy from the surrounding environment. Maximum Extraction: 10 Energy Consumption: None Range: 20-meter radius Cooling Time: 1 hour ¡ª¡ªCan extract energy from the environment. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t expect his System to have such a function, and he eagerly tapped the ¡°Extract¡± information again. [Extract] Passive Cannot be upgraded Effect: When near Source Energy, can absorb it and convert it into Host Points. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Just as I thought! My system does have some annotations after all, it¡¯s just that I never noticed it before. It looks like I misjudged the system...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was overjoyed at this moment, having this information about the skills made things much easier. He wouldn¡¯t have to blindly stumble his way forward anymore. Today¡¯s discovery was indeed great news for him. While he was celebrating, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of something on the system interface. ¡°Convert to Host Points...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze rested on this prompt, his eyes gradually revealing a trace of excitement. ¡°It looks like my hypothesis was indeed correct, my plan is also executable!¡± Zhang Xiaoman clapped his hands, his face revealing an irrepressible smile. The reason he was so happy was all because of two words mentioned in the skill description¡ªHost. Indeed, Host naturally referred to himself. If these abilities were to convert all points to himself, then he could simply imprint the Seven-pointed Star Array on others. Whenever they killed a monster, he would receive the corresponding points! Next, he would use the points to buy Extraordinary Items to give to them, and they would continue to fight monsters... Through this, once a virtuous cycle was formed, wouldn¡¯t he be able to sit at home and accumulate points? Zhang Xiaoman thought about this and couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart thrum wildly, as if he was seeing the peak of his life unfold before him. He had already had this idea for a while, but it had been just speculation until now. Now that it was confirmed, how could he not be happy? After calming himself down, Zhang Xiaoman looked at the newly added skill and tried using it again. His method was simple; he just silently thought about using this ability, and he succeeded. However, what puzzled Zhang Xiaoman was that he could clearly feel that he had activated the ability, but he couldn¡¯t feel any effect from it. It was like picking up a cup and opening his mouth to drink water. His mouth opened, but he couldn¡¯t taste the water. ¡°Strange, could it be that the activation failed?¡± Zhang Xiaoman wondered. He wanted to try again, but found that he seemed unable to use it again. ¡°It looks like the skill has entered its cooling phase...¡± Zhang Xiaoman furrowed his brows in thought. ¡°But, I could clearly feel that it was successfully activated just now. Why can¡¯t I feel any feedback?¡± He paced back and forth, and his eyes hesitantly caught sight of an empty cup on the table. He suddenly slapped his thigh, having found the answer. ¡°Extract the Spiritual Energy from the environment! There needs to be Spiritual Energy in the environment for it to work! If the cup can¡¯t drink water, it¡¯s because the cup is empty!¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt he had grasped the key point and wanted to try it somewhere else immediately, but the skill¡¯s one-hour cooling time meant he couldn¡¯t do anything for now. ¡°Perhaps, I could try upgrading...¡± He suddenly remembered the 11 points he had left over, wrestling with whether to gamble. After hesitating on the spot for a long while, Zhang Xiaoman finally gritted his teeth, ¡°I¡¯ll risk it! As long as it¡¯s not randomly Divine Grace, I can accept either hearthstone or Soul Absorption Technique!¡± He brought up the upgrade option, silently praying, and swiftly clicked on it. ¡°Randomly selecting upgrade, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! White skill¡ªSoul Absorption Technique, has successfully upgraded to green skill¡ªSoul Absorption Technique.¡± ¡°It worked!¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but exclaim happily, ¡°System Dad is so accurate! Hit right on target!¡± Of course, he also knew that this was mainly because he currently had very few items and skills. In the future, when he had more things to draw from, it probably wouldn¡¯t be as pleasant as now. However, it wasn¡¯t time to worry about that yet. Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t wait to open his personal attribute panel and began checking the skills inside. Chapter 26 - 26 26 Master, how much do you sell your sushi for ?26: Chapter 26: Master, how much do you sell your sushi for? 26: Chapter 26: Master, how much do you sell your sushi for? [Soul Absorption Technique] Usage Effect: Continuously absorbs energy. Maximum Absorption: 20 Usage Cost: None Range of Use: Radius 40 meters Cooling Time: 30 minutes ¡ª¡ªCan absorb energy. The attribute panel for the new skill was opened, and the text color had changed from white to green. Zhang Xiaoman looked at the changes on the skill, feeling happy yet somewhat puzzled. Naturally, the attributes had doubled compared to before, but the description of the skill was somewhat vague. Zhang Xiaoman opened the shopping interface, and indeed, there was a new Soul Absorption Technique listed. He checked the price¡ªit required 10 points, the same as Holy Water. ¡°The description of ¡®Soul Absorption Technique¡¯ lacks the keyword ¡®environment¡¯ unlike ¡®Soul Absorption Technique¡¯, so does that mean it can target specific subjects?¡± Zhang Xiaoman came to a preliminary conclusion, but due to limitations, he couldn¡¯t find a subject to experiment on. Having spent all his points, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t delay any further. He planned to set up his stall today, which was directly related to his pocket money situation. He pulled the stall cart out of the garage, hopped on, but just as he was about to set off, he stopped, a grim expression on his face. ¡°This, this... the school is closed today!¡± Zhang Xiaoman almost spat blood, having completely forgotten about the holiday in his planning. Yes, Zhang Xiaoman had already chosen the perfect spot for his stall, which was near a school in his neighborhood. There were many students there, a high foot traffic, mostly young people, who had a strong desire to buy sushi, making it a golden spot for his business. As a hardworking worker who had graduated over three years ago, Zhang Xiaoman had long forgotten what school holidays felt like. Thus, he had forgotten about this detail when choosing the location, leading him to this awkward situation where he had nowhere to go. ¡°To die before achieving victory, is to make a hero¡¯s tears flood his garments!¡± Zhang Xiaoman regretfully slapped the handle of his cart, tears nearly falling. However, having come all this way, he couldn¡¯t just go back. Zhang Xiaoman pedaled his tricycle out of the neighborhood, aimlessly riding down the road. Actually, Zhang Xiaoman had thought about it¡ªapart from schools, there were other places where business might be good. For instance, near the industrial park where he used to work, which also had many young people with strong purchasing power. Unfortunately, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s home was located in a remote area, with the closest business districts over 14 kilometers away. Riding such a tricycle, he would probably be exhausted before even reaching the place. Zhang Xiaoman kept riding his tricycle for a while and dared not set up his stall on the main road, so he had to head towards areas with more alleys, and somehow ended up near the old town area where Master Liu lived. ¡°Hey, after all that detouring, I ended up coming back here.¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but feel sentimental about his surroundings. By then, he had ridden quite a distance, and his legs were already sore and numb. Deciding not to look for another spot, he chose to start his business right there. He found a relatively pleasing spot by the roadside and set up his stall. A few other stall owners scattered around were selling skewers, fast food, and fruits¡ª all kinds of stalls were there. Seeing a new young man setting up, they couldn¡¯t help but stare at him a few more times. As a newbie to the vending world, Zhang Xiaoman actually felt quite nervous at this moment. He tried to ignore the strange looks from both sides and put on a straight face, pretending to be experienced in setting up stalls as much as possible. ¡°I am a stall owner without feelings. Other people¡¯s stares don¡¯t affect me...¡± Zhang Xiaoman murmured. The vegetable selling lady next to him tilted her head watching him. ¡°Let your stares be sharp, but I remain unmoved...¡± Zhang Xiaoman maintained a calm demeanor. The lady continued watching him. ¡°He is strong, let him be; a gentle breeze sweeps the mountains; he is free, let him be, the bright moon illuminates the river . . . ¡± Zhang Xiaoman kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart. The old woman was still watching him. ¡°They¡¯re all just tools, all NPCs, I shouldn¡¯t care about their stares . . . ¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s forehead showed veins popping out. The old woman kept glaring at him relentlessly. Five minutes later. ¡°Damn . . . ¡± Feeling the old woman¡¯s stare, Zhang Xiaoman almost let out a swear word. He reached under the counter and pulled out a sushi chef¡¯s knife, slammed it down onto the cutting board with a ¡°thud,¡± turned around, and glared fiercely at the vegetable-selling old woman. The vegetable-selling old woman, startled, hastily averted her gaze, and the surrounding vendors also looked away. ¡°Phew, finally some peace.¡± Zhang Xiaoman let out a long sigh of relief. ... Evening. Having forgotten to bring a sun hat, Zhang Xiaoman endured the afternoon under the enthusiastic care of Father Sun, looking at the till that still showed a zero balance, he felt like crying but had no tears. ¡°I might as well go deliver takeout . . .¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt that his actions could be recorded in textbooks like ¡°How Corporate Leaders Retain Employees with Unrealistic Entrepreneurial Dreams.¡± Just as he was feeling disheartened and about to pack up and go home, a voice interrupted him. ¡°Master, how much are your sushi?¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked up to see a young man who looked quite young and was nervously looking at his stall. Although Zhang Xiaoman did not understand why the man called him ¡®Master,¡¯ this was after all, his first customer since the opening. Zhang Xiaoman quickly welcomed him. ¡°The plain ones are 10 yuan a box, the fruit ones 13, and the ones with Yu Zi are 14 . . . ¡± The young man, surprised, said, ¡°Master, your prices are very affordable.¡± Zhang Xiaoman laughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, I run a small business, thin profit margins but high turnover.¡± The young man showed a realization, saying, ¡°Oh, Master, this must be a side job for you, I get it.¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face was full of question marks, what Master? What side job? What do you understand, I don¡¯t get it at all. The young man didn¡¯t say much more, took two boxes of fruit sushi, paid, and quickly left. Zhang Xiaoman, who was initially thinking of closing up, suppressed that thought; having his first customer as a newcomer to the vending scene was indeed encouraging. Indeed, as it was nearing the end of the workday, the crowd on the path grew larger, with many young people from the old city district coming back as well. Zhang Xiaoman started to feel glad that he hadn¡¯t gone back straight away; in just a short while, he had managed to sell several more boxes of sushi, making the place not seem as terrible as he had initially thought. ¡°Master, how much for this signature sushi?¡± ¡°Signature sushi, 10 yuan a box . . . ¡± ¡°Master, how much for this tempura shrimp roll?¡± ¡°Tempura shrimp sushi, 17 yuan a box . . . ¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯ll take the Sweep Across the Wastelands meal!¡± ¡°Alright, a special offer of 45 . . . ¡± ... Zhang Xiaoman, smiling, flipped through his wallet balance. Although he hadn¡¯t sold much up until now, it was still a good start. Compared to sitting in an office and laboring for someone else, he really preferred the feeling of earning money for himself. Yet, there was one thing he just couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why do they all call me ¡®Master¡¯?¡± Chapter 27 - 27 27 Hearing Assistance Technique ?27: Chapter 27 Hearing Assistance Technique 27: Chapter 27 Hearing Assistance Technique Sunday, morning. Zhang Xiaoman got up early from bed to prepare the ingredients needed to sell sushi, a change from his usual habit of sleeping in until noon. Today was the fifth day he had set up his stall, and compared to when he first started, his income had seen a slight improvement. Although his daily net profit was still less than 60 yuan, Zhang Xiaoman knew he didn¡¯t plan on getting rich from this, he was just doing it for some extra spending money. Of course, he would never miss his daily lottery draw. Looking at the red cloth, resembling a shawl, hanging on the chair, attributes about it surfaced in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes. [Wine-stained Cloak] Armor 5 ¡ª¡ªEssential for newbies! This was a white item, the only white piece that Zhang Xiaoman had pulled in these past few days. The other two items, both useless grays, were the ¡°Immortal Slaying Sword¡± and ¡°Legendary Mage McCarthy Larentra¡¯s Body Hair.¡± Naturally, the so-called Immortal Slaying Sword was nothing but a knockoff, the kind that was as fake as it gets¡ªthe kind sold as plastic toy swords at street stalls for ten yuan each. As for the Legendary Mage McCarthy Larentra¡¯s Body Hair, Zhang Xiaoman hadn¡¯t even laid eyes on it. All he saw was the space warping for a bit, with nothing appearing in the end, probably because the body hair was too fine for him to see. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t immediately throw away the gray toy sword like he did the previous two times, but instead stashed it casually under his bed. He wanted to test during the next upgrade whether gray items could also be randomly drawn by the system. Upon opening the system panel, Zhang Xiaoman looked at the lottery draw option; he hadn¡¯t used today¡¯s chance yet, and now that he was done with his tasks, it was time for a shot. Click, lottery draw! ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained a green skill¡ªHearing Assistance Technique.¡± Then, familiar spatial fluctuations washed over him and in a burst of green light, a small light ball fell out, which Zhang Xiaoman caught in his hand. ¡°Green at last! I was starting to think this system could only draw white and gray items.¡± Zhang Xiaoman excitedly squeezed the green light ball in his hand, revealing a smile characteristic of an unlucky person. As he focused on the skill ball, the attributes information materialized in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes: [Hearing Assistance Technique] ¡ª¡ªHelps you understand different sounds. ¡°What does that mean? Is it to enhance hearing, or is it for translation?¡± Zhang Xiaoman declared that even with a green item, the system¡¯s descriptions remained frustratingly inadequate. ¡°But honestly, the name ¡®Hearing Assistance Technique¡¯ is really ugly... Anyway, I¡¯ll absorb it first and see what it actually does.¡± It was easier the second time around, and squeezing the light ball in his hand, he crushed it effortlessly. The ball dissolved, turning into countless green specks that merged into his body, and Zhang Xiaoman immediately opened his personal attributes to check, where the changes were indeed reflected. Zhang Xiaoman Abilities: [Extract] [Hearing Assistance Technique] Skills: [Soul Absorption Technique] ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª It really did add a Hearing Assistance Technique, but why is it listed as an ability, could it be a passive skill?¡± While pondering, Zhang Xiaoman clicked to see the details of the Hearing Assistance Technique. [Hearing Assistance Technique] Passive Use mental power to engrave and understand languages you¡¯ve not learned, up to two languages. Current Engravings: 0/2 ¡ª¡ªHelps you understand different sounds. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw this description, and his heart leapt with joy. This skill is incredible! If he hadn¡¯t misunderstood, with this skill, he could now learn two languages directly! For someone who had never passed English, this skill was truly a godsend for poor students! Not to mention the system had an upgrade function, he¡¯d have plenty of opportunities to improve the level of this skill in the future, and he might even unlock other more powerful effects! By then, even if I just went into translation, I could make a fortune! His face lit up with excitement, thrilled at the thought that he finally had a skill that could make earning money a little easier since he acquired the System. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± But just then, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s smile suddenly faded as he stared at the skill description again and realized there was a serious problem. ¡°This skill... It seems it only teaches me to listen, but not to speak!¡± Zhang Xiaoman covered his face in dismay, as the grand stage of ¡°Master of Multiple Languages¡¯ Show-off¡± he had just envisioned instantly disappeared. ¡°Alright, actually, even if I can only listen and not speak, that¡¯s still pretty good. At least it¡¯ll be somewhat convenient when I travel abroad in the future...¡± he consoled himself. ¡°So the question now is, how should I go about engraving new languages?¡± Zhang Xiaoman tapped his finger on the screen, trying to figure out how to engrave languages. Just as he pondered, the living room suddenly erupted with the sounds of Zhang Jinbao and Zhang Xiaohua fighting. ¡°Woof woof woof!!¡± ¡°Meow!!!!¡± This playful tussle had long become the norm for the Zhang Family. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t take it seriously; anyway, those two critters would tire out soon after and curl up together to sleep¡ªhe¡¯d grown accustomed to it. However, Zhang Xiaoman felt something was slightly amiss this time. When the voices of Jinbao and Xiao Hua arose, indeed cat and dog barks echoed in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s ears. But what he found eerie was that after his brain picked up these sounds, it also seemed to hear another kind of voice, or to be more precise, to understand the underlying meaning of these sounds. ¡°Fur Ball! Fur Ball! Lick the Fur Ball!!¡± ¡°Dumb dog! Stop licking! Get away!!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was initially stunned, then his expression suddenly changed, and he immediately looked at the skill panel. [Hearing Assistance Technique] Passive Engrave and understand languages you haven¡¯t learned through mental focus, with a maximum of two languages. Current Engraving: 2/2 ¡ª¡ªHelps you understand different sounds. ¡°This, this counts as successful engraving!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face showed shock, as he hadn¡¯t thought the engraving would be so simple¡ªthat any language he didn¡¯t understand would be automatically engraved upon hearing it. ¡°My two slots have been taken up by the dog and cat...¡± His expression turned blank as he slowly turned his head, casting a disapproving glance at the dog and fat cat still frolicking. The fat blue cat Xiao Hua suddenly stopped, turned its head towards Zhang Xiaoman. ¡°Meow!!¡± (¡°Danger!¡±) With a swish, it darted into the room and hid under the bed. The dog Jinbao also looked over. ¡°Woof woof woof!¡± (¡°Out to play! Out to play!¡±) Then, wagging its tail, it ran over enthusiastically. Zhang Xiaoman reached out with his guilty hands... ¡°How about we play ¡®lift you up high¡¯?¡± The next thing, Jinbao the dog¡¯s terrified howls echoed throughout the building. ¡°Awooo, awooo, awooo, awooo, awooo!¡± (¡°So high! So high! So high! So high!¡±) ... Moments later, Zhang Xiaoman, panting, set down Jinbao. Lifting this pet of over ten pounds had been a workout for him, the shut-in. But as soon as Jinbao the dog touched the ground, it immediately started wagging its tail and pawed at Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s pant leg, barking incessantly. ¡°Woof woof woof!¡± (¡°Lift high! Lift high! More play!¡±) Zhang Xiaoman: ¡°...¡± Chapter 28 - 28 28 Stomach Ache and Forgot to Bring Money ?28: Chapter 28: Stomach Ache and Forgot to Bring Money 28: Chapter 28: Stomach Ache and Forgot to Bring Money Regarding the results of this lottery, Zhang Xiaoman was actually quite satisfied. Although there was a little unexpected event at the end that deviated from his original thoughts, he reconsidered and felt that it seemed not too bad. After all, how many people in the world can understand English? And how many can understand animal languages? Thinking about it that way, he still came out ahead. However, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t have time to dwell on this as it was getting late. If he didn¡¯t set off now, he would miss the lunchtime rush. Riding Sixth Grandpa¡¯s modified tricycle, Zhang Xiaoman returned to the spot where he had been setting up his stall these past few days. At this point, he had gained a foothold here, with repeat customers and new ones gradually increasing his daily earnings. The other vendors in the vicinity no longer found the sight of this young stall owner strange, and the auntie next door warmed up to him after he gave her a box of sushi. ¡°Xiao Zhang, you better not come tomorrow. They don¡¯t allow setting up stalls here on Mondays when the city management comes patrolling, and you don¡¯t want your cart confiscated,¡± she warned. Zhang Xiaoman smiled and politely replied, ¡°Thanks, Aunt Lu. You take such good care of me. Next time your grandson, little Yong, comes to eat, I¡¯ll give you the cost price, no profit.¡± Aunt Lu laughed even brighter upon hearing this. Zhang Xiaoman greeted the nearby vendors and began preparing sushi. To ensure the quality, he made all the sushi fresh, and with noon approaching, he had to finish before the office crowds returned. As he made the sushi, Zhang Xiaoman occasionally looked up at the passing crowd, calling out greetings to those nearby. He was far more outgoing now compared to when he first started. ¡°Beautiful, want some sushi? Freshly made for you.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked up again and saw a young girl walking past his stall and casually asked. The girl, hearing his offer, stopped in her tracks and turned her head, looking somewhat puzzled towards Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s direction. She was an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl with a black ponytail and wearing a light yellow bright casual outfit, exuding freshness and docility. ¡°Are you calling me?¡± she asked. Seeing her stop, Zhang Xiaoman knew he had a chance and quickly said, ¡°Yes, beautiful. How about a serving of sushi? It¡¯s cheap and filling, all freshly made.¡± The young girl frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then hesitantly said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll buy a serving... Oh, right, can you make it fruit-flavored?¡± Zhang Xiaoman quickly responded, ¡°No problem, fruit-flavored is $13 a box. Just wait a moment, I¡¯m making it right now; it will be ready soon.¡± The girl nodded obediently, her eyes fixed on Zhang Xiaoman. Zhang Xiaoman felt somewhat uneasy under the stare of such a pretty girl, and he unconsciously sped up his actions. ¡°Out walking your dog, beautiful?¡± While making sushi, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly noticed something yellow moving at the corner of his eye. Looking down, he saw that the girl was holding a large golden retriever. ¡°Ah, yes... Its name is Tutu, and it¡¯s already 5 years old this year.¡± ¡°Tutu...¡± Zhang Xiaoman twitched his mouth hearing the name. He looked down at the big dog, noting its bright fur and handsome build. It was indeed beautiful but seemed a bit restless at the moment, circling anxiously around the girl¡¯s feet. The girl, sensing her dog¡¯s restlessness, crouched down to pet its head, soothing it with comforting words: ¡°Tutu, be good, we¡¯ll be home soon. I¡¯ll make you something delicious when we get back,¡± she said. ¡°Woof, woof, woof!¡± The golden retriever barked twice. Although it seemed somewhat calmer, the anxiety was still apparent. The girl patted it a couple more times before she stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it doesn¡¯t usually act like this. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong today; it seems unhappy.¡± At this time, Zhang Xiaoman furrowed his brows. To others, the two barks of the golden retriever might have seemed like just a couple of meaningless dog barks, but in his mind, he could understand the mental implications. ¡°My stomach hurts! My stomach hurts!¡± These were the words Zhang Xiaoman heard and the message the dog had conveyed through its barking. ¡°Miss, your dog seems to be feeling quite uncomfortable.¡± Zhang Xiaoman pushed the prepared sushi towards the young girl and then focused his attention on the golden retriever. ¡°It seems to have a stomachache, and its current expression seems painful. I suggest you take it to a vet,¡± Zhang Xiaoman advised. The young girl, already holding onto the sushi, looked puzzled at Zhang Xiaoman and asked curiously, ¡°Boss, do you also treat dogs?¡± Zhang Xiaoman waved his hand offhandedly, ¡°Not exactly. I studied a bit about this in the past, just dabbling. But your dog really seems to have a problem. I¡¯ve often seen these symptoms before; I advise you to take it to a pet hospital.¡± Hearing this, the girl¡¯s face showed a contemplative expression. She bit her lip and then said, ¡°Okay, thanks, boss. I¡¯ll take it this afternoon.¡± Having said that, she reached into her clothes pocket, but after a long moment, she pulled out nothing, her face turning a deep red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I, I forgot to bring money...¡± The girl kept her head down, unable to meet his gaze, and put the sushi box back on the cart. Zhang Xiaoman was taken aback. He looked at the girl, who wished she could disappear into the ground, sighed, and said, ¡°Forget it, I see you live nearby. Take it for now, and you can pay me next time.¡± The girl stood there twisting the corner of her clothes, too embarrassed to take it. Zhang Xiaoman simply pushed the box into her hands. She clumsily accepted it, standing there, dazed and unsure of what to do next. After a long moment, she managed to stammer out a few words. ¡°Thank you, boss...¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a matter of a few dollars. Just give it to me next time you pass by. It¡¯s more important for you to get the dog checked out today if you can.¡± Zhang Xiaoman waved his hand as if it were no big deal. ¡°Oh, by the way, I might not open tomorrow, so don¡¯t make a wasted trip,¡± he added. ¡°Okay, I will definitely pay you back! Boss, will you still be at this spot in the future? I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to find you...¡± Zhang Xiaoman found it odd that she asked this but nonetheless confirmed with an affirmative response. The girl thanked him several more times before she slowly walked away. Zhang Xiaoman watched her awkward manner of walking and couldn¡¯t help shaking his head, silently lamenting how thin-skinned kids are these days. As he resumed making sushi, Zhang Xiaoman kept busy with his hands but his mind was occupied with the day¡¯s events. ¡°I can understand animal barks. Is there any way I can make money from this?¡± Chapter 29 - 29 29 Master Lius Approach is Quite Wild, Huh ?29: Chapter 29: Master Liu¡¯s Approach is Quite Wild, Huh? 29: Chapter 29: Master Liu¡¯s Approach is Quite Wild, Huh? Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s first thought was to open a pet hospital, but after thinking it over, he realized that the idea was not feasible. Although his current ability was well-suited for pet care, it was rather unrealistic for someone completely inexperienced like Zhang Xiaoman to enter the industry. Firstly, he lacked veterinary skills and could not treat animals even if he could understand the voices of cats and dogs. Secondly, opening a pet hospital required a substantial initial investment, and the return on investment was slow. Not to mention the rent for the shop, which could amount to hundreds of thousands; just the prolonged decoration and cost recovery... by the time he could make money from it, he would probably have already ascended to the heavens or burrowed into the earth through the System. By then, who would need the meager income from a pet hospital? Besides, he did not envision spending his days in a clinic treating pets¡ªhe felt he was not destined to be a protagonist of a daily life genre. Moreover, Zhang Xiaoman found out that his ability seemingly allowed him to grasp what animals wanted to express, yet he could not understand what they were actually saying. This statement might seem contradictory, but it was actually easy to understand. Animals, in fact, have no language; their cries can only express their emotions and cannot convey specific meanings like humans. Add to that their limited intelligence; when they try to express themselves, it is mostly from their own perspective, which means the things they can convey are often very simple and vague, and sometimes even incomprehensible. For example, his own dog¡¯s nickname for Xiao Hua was ¡°Fur Ball,¡± and another time, Zhang Xiaoman heard a street dog referring to a sedan as a ¡°monster¡± while he was setting up his stall; these interpretations stem from their viewpoints and cognitive abilities. So although Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s ability might seem extraordinary at first glance, as it stands, its practicality on animals was not as significant as imagined, let alone using it to rapidly accumulate funds. Thinking this, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but look up at the yellow street dog lying across the road dozing off; it was this fellow who had suddenly yelled, ¡°Monster! Monster!¡± scaring Zhang Xiaoman, who was engrossed in making sushi, nearly causing him to hastily teleport back home. ¡°I really hope to draw a piece of gold next time.¡± Zhang Xiaoman gave a wry smile and shook his head. Having owned the System for quite some days, he had drawn several Extraordinary Items and Abilities, yet he still hadn¡¯t found a way to significantly improve the quality of his life. ¡°Should I find a wealthy individual and tell him that there really are monsters in this world, then sell him a bottle of Holy Water for eighty to a hundred thousand?¡± Zhang Xiaoman pondered the feasibility of this idea. ¡°Hmm, that would probably end badly...¡± ... In the afternoon, a few clouds drifted over, shading the skies above the old district and offering the busy people below a rare cool respite from the summer day. Zhang Xiaoman was also in a very cheerful mood, perhaps due to it being the weekend, as his sales today were much higher than usual. Looking at the new hundreds of dollars in his wallet, Zhang Xiaoman felt a pleasant surge of joy. Although these funds had not yet had the costs deducted, the sense of earning money by working for himself was highly motivating. Checking the time, it was nearly evening; some shift workers or those on duty would also be getting off work soon, and Zhang Xiaoman felt his achievements for the day could still increase significantly. ¡°Soul Absorption Technique!¡± Zhang Xiaoman silently activated the skill, targeting a small tree not far behind him. ¡°Still no reaction...¡± Feeling no feedback, he shook his head in disappointment. Over the past few days, during his free time, Zhang Xiaoman had been trying this sole active Skill he mastered on his surrounding environment. Although he had never successfully activated it, he continued his attempts with a mentality of ¡°there¡¯s no cost, so why not use it.¡± During this period, he even remembered to try using the Skill at the jade and antique markets as he had read in novels, to see if it would work there. But what made him immensely frustrated was that there were simply no such legendary places in Qionghua City, a third-tier city. Until now, Zhang Xiaoman had not used it on anyone else, the most he had ever done was to unleash the skill on a mouse that happened to pass by. Unfortunately, for these living creatures, Zhang Xiaoman still felt no response whatsoever. The skill entered its cooling time, and Zhang Xiaoman sighed in dismay, originally thinking he had drawn a powerful active skill, only to find it was a useless chicken rib. ¡°A monster! There¡¯s a monster!¡± Across the street, the yell of a yellow earth dog rang out again. Zhang Xiaoman continued playing with his phone nonchalantly, already too lazy to look up again. Needless to say, it must have been another car passing by; he had heard that silly dog across yell ¡°monster¡± a dozen times that afternoon. ¡°Master!? Master!?¡± suddenly, a voice called out. Zhang Xiaoman looked up upon hearing it and was startled. At the side of his small stall stood three men in black suits, with a luxury car parked beside them. Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t make out the specific model, only recognizing it as a Bentley. ¡°What is this, a scene from ¡®Black Empire¡¯?¡± ¡°Master, we finally found you! Our boss has specifically asked for you to come to Su Zhuang to help with a ritual, please come with us!¡± said the lead man in the black suit. Zhang Xiaoman was completely baffled. Why are you also calling me master? Why has everyone been calling me ¡®Master¡¯ these past few days! Also, what¡¯s this about a ritual? The more I hear, the more confused I am! Seeing his confused expression, the man in the black suit said anxiously, ¡°Master, don¡¯t just stand there, hurry up and get in the car with us. Are you really going to pass up business that comes knocking at your door?¡± ¡°No, no, hold on a second, what exactly are you here for? For sushi? I know my sushi is delicious, but you don¡¯t need to come to the door for freshly made sushi, right? And you want it French-style too; I¡¯ve only heard of Japanese-style sushi, but I definitely don¡¯t know how to make French-style sushi!¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought these people were utterly bizarre. The man in the black suit looked at him with an expression that said, ¡°What kind of bird language are you speaking?¡± Then, pointing at the side of the small car, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the half-immortal Master Pei?¡± Zhang Xiaoman walked over to take a look and finally slapped his forehead, understanding why these past few days everyone had been calling him master. It turned out that on the side of his food cart, because there was no money for new signage, he still had the old sign that Master Liu previously used, which really read in bold characters: ¡°Half-immortal Pei ¨C Fortune Telling!¡± Beneath it was a line in smaller print: ¡°Eight Diagrams Divination, Feng Shui Inspection, Exorcism, 20% off for members.¡± At the very bottom was an even smaller line of print: ¡°Homework completion for grades five and below, mobile phone credit top-ups, naming and renaming, fake documents, fixing faucets, unclogging drains, tire repairs, locksmith services, nail fungus treatment, cat washing, dog washing, wall painting, rat poisoning, regular watering of plants, weeding, babysitting...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes twitched continuously as he read this. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Master Liu to be quite the jack-of-all-trades...¡± Chapter 30 - 30 30 New Bizarreness ?30: Chapter 30 New Bizarreness 30: Chapter 30 New Bizarreness ¡°There¡¯s a monster! A monster!¡± The yellow earth dog kept barking relentlessly, and from Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s perspective, he could see it urinating on the Bentley mid-bark. Zhang Xiaoman twisted his mouth, shifting his gaze back to the man in the black suit in front of him. By now, he had more or less figured out what was happening¡ª the man had mistaken him for Pei Laoliu. ¡°Listen, brother, I think you may have the wrong idea...¡± Zhang Xiaoman opened his mouth to explain but was abruptly interrupted by the anxious man in the black suit before he could finish. ¡°Master! This is an emergency, let¡¯s talk in the car!¡± ¡°No, you see! Actually, I...¡± ¡°Master!! Stop dawdling! The young master is possessed, his life is in danger! The boss is nearly out of his wits! You are the famed Master in Qionghua City, the boss insisted on inviting you back, just take a look! If you can save the young master, you will definitely be rewarded handsomely!¡± The man in the black suit looked urgent, his hand reaching out to pull Zhang Xiaoman into the car. Zhang Xiaoman initially resisted going with all his might, but when he heard the words ¡°ghosts¡± and ¡°reward,¡± he unconsciously followed into the car. After the events of the last two days, he had become quite sensitive to words like monsters, not to mention the promise of a reward. ¡°Hmm, maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a look, no loss there, and if it¡¯s true, I could maybe earn some points...¡± Under the man in the black suit¡¯s urging, Zhang Xiaoman made up his mind as well. ¡°Ah! Right, my trike...¡± He suddenly remembered his vehicle was still there. The man in the black suit gestured to a companion who stayed behind, standing next to Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s tricycle. ¡°I¡¯ve asked him to stay and watch it for you, so don¡¯t worry, Master, let¡¯s hurry!¡± The man in the black suit said. In the car. Zhang Xiaoman was sitting somewhat awkwardly in the back seat, accompanied by the suit-wearing man who led the way earlier. It was his first time riding in a car of this caliber, and he felt a little uncomfortable all over, even though he knew he could very well pretend to be an aloof, nonchalant sage. But he thought doing so would seem childish and that probably only he himself would fail to see it. After all, it was the pot of poverty speaking. ¡°By the way, Master, you kept saying you weren¡¯t something?¡± the man in the black suit suddenly asked out of curiosity. Zhang Xiaoman broke out in a sweat from the back of his head and stiffly turned to glance at him, then chuckled: ¡°What I mean is, I am not the kind of person who casually goes about performing exorcisms for people, money doesn¡¯t matter, I only help those who truly need it! Since your young master is in a life-threatening situation, I can¡¯t shirk my responsibility.¡± The man in the black suit looked impressed and said, ¡°Master, you truly are a Master! Your realm is really different from ours!¡± ¡°Hahaha, too kind, too kind...¡± Zhang Xiaoman thickened his skin and laughed, then added: ¡°By the way, who exactly is your boss? And where are we going? Tell me all about the situation.¡± He was actually a bit nervous when he asked this, his hand remaining on the hearthstone in his pocket. On one hand, he worried these guys might be bad news, like human traffickers or something. Although this was unlikely¡ªafter all, criminals wouldn¡¯t go to the trouble of using a Bentley to pick up a poor kid like himself. On the other hand, he knew he wasn¡¯t Master Pei at all. If the family truly encountered some kind of monster, that¡¯d be something else. But if it was just a mundane visit to check on feng shui or fortune-telling, he wouldn¡¯t be able to squeeze out even a single fart. With this thought, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but chuckle and shake his head. Although the person they¡¯re really looking for is Master Liu, by all accounts, shouldn¡¯t my abilities be considered genuine? But why do I end up feeling like I¡¯m the swindler? Okay, maybe I did deceive them, since I am not Master Liu after all. But what does it matter? Master Liu is just an old charlatan anyway. They¡¯d be swindled no matter who they sought. If I went, maybe I could actually help them. ¡°Master, have you ever heard of Su Zhuang?¡± The man in the black suit suddenly revealed a mysterious smile. ¡°Su Zhuang?¡± ¡°Yes! Su Zhuang in the Fat Lake Scenic Area belongs to our boss, and our boss is Su Fu!¡± the man in the black suit proudly stated. ¡°Su Fu? Is that the... what¡¯s that Su Fu!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman feigned surprise. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the Su Fu!¡± The man in the black suit beamed with pride. Zhang Xiaoman felt that if the two of them could strike a ¡°hands forming the number eight¡± pose right now, the atmosphere would be even more perfect. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet the great steward of the Su Mansion in person,¡± said Zhang Xiaoman politely. The man in the black suit blushed, ¡°What steward? I¡¯m just a bodyguard. You flatter me, Master.¡± Okay, Zhang Xiaoman had to admit, he had never heard of this Su Zhuang or Su Fu. ¡°Brother Hei, what exactly is going on with the Su family? Have they encountered some strange incident recently?¡± Unexpectedly, the man in the black suit¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he said, ¡°How did the Master know my name is Xiao Hei!¡± After saying that, he mumbled to himself, ¡°Well, of course, you¡¯re a renowned Master, truly not unworthy of your reputation!¡± Zhang Xiaoman: ¡°...¡± Who knew your name really was Xiao Hei! The young man in the black suit continued, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know, Master, but a few days ago, the young master of our boss¡¯s family lost a bet outside, where the loser had to take a photo with a wild tomb in the old locust forest in the Northern Suburb. After the young master lost, he kept his word, but ever since he went, he never came back.¡± ¡°Eventually, his friends realized something was wrong and called the police. The police found him in the old locust forest and brought him back, but he¡¯s been in a coma ever since. The hospital can¡¯t find any problem, but he just can¡¯t wake up...¡± As he reached this point, he glanced at Zhang Xiaoman and said uneasily, ¡°I never believed in any stories about ghosts and gods, but the things that have happened to the young master these last few days really give even a blunt man like me the chills.¡± ¡°Oh? Besides the coma, are there any other conditions?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked curiously. Xiao Hei struck a pose of wringing his hands and sighed, saying, ¡°Of course there are! If it was just a simple coma, the boss would have definitely sent him to the hospital for observation. If not in Qionghua City, then in Bai Yulan City, or he would have sought an international team of experts for treatment. He would not have so easily related it to legends of ghosts and gods!¡± ¡°Even, our boss has sought the help of many well-known Masters from around the area to perform exorcisms; something that would be nearly impossible under normal circumstances!¡± At this point, he suddenly stopped and involuntarily swallowed hard: ¡°I saw it, the young master has a human face growing on his stomach!¡± Chapter 31 - 31 31 Crafty Play ?31: Chapter 31 Crafty Play 31: Chapter 31 Crafty Play ¡°A face?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat surprised. ¡°And it was growing on his stomach?¡± Xiao Hei nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes, I saw it clearly! That face would even move occasionally! And these past few days, Mr. Su seems like he has become a completely different person.¡± ¡°Although he has never woken up, he sometimes emits terrifying screams and his strength has become incredibly great. Several people are needed to hold him down when he goes into a frenzy. It¡¯s too scary! Master, what do you think is going on?¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought, where do I know what¡¯s going on! I¡¯m just a half-baked expert myself! However, considering his current role as a master, it seemed inappropriate to say it outright. He recalled how Master Liu usually bluffed people, then put on a thoughtful frown and said seriously: ¡°Hearing you describe it, it does sound like a case of evil possession. This... might be a bit tricky...¡± Xiao Hei¡¯s face immediately fell. ¡°Even you say so, Master... then Mr. Su¡¯s situation must be really grim... It looks like I¡¯m doomed too. I still have a mortgage on my new house to pay...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at him oddly. ¡°Your boss¡¯s son is in danger, why would you be doomed?¡± Xiao Hei said with a mournful face, ¡°I usually just drive for the young master of the Su family. That night, he adamantly refused to let me accompany him, insisting on going alone to fulfill a bet. I had no choice... If he really does die, I¡¯m almost certain I¡¯ll be fired...¡± Zhang Xiaoman suddenly realized. No wonder this guy has been the most anxious all along. The other two¡¯s calm and collected appearances in their sunglasses are more like it, right? ¡°Ah, all the previous experts from out of town have failed. Master, you must pull this off! If you succeed, I¡¯ll personally give you an extra ten thousand yuan! Master! You¡¯re my last hope!¡± Upon hearing the offer of ten thousand yuan, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. If he could really earn this money, why would he even need to set up a stall anymore! Not to mention this guy¡¯s offer was just the icing on the cake; the real payoff was still with Su Fu. Just then, the driver in black sitting in front looked back through the rearview mirror and said: ¡°Heizi, I¡¯m saying you shouldn¡¯t get your hopes too high. You saw what those so-called masters before us were like. You might as well plead more with the boss; maybe you can leave with some dignity.¡± Xiao Hei glared at him and cursed: ¡°Lao Liu, stop making those cold remarks! If the boss really loses his son, is that something begging can fix? Tell me, if it were you, would you just let it go?¡± The Lao Liu in front smacked his lips and said, ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t just fire you. I¡¯d dig out the contract, find a good lawyer, and sue you. Make you bleed out a few more pints at least!¡± ¡°To hell with you, Lao Liu! We¡¯ve been comrades for so many years, and you¡¯d be this ruthless?¡± ¡°Hahaha, isn¡¯t this just putting oneself in another¡¯s shoes.¡± Zhang Xiaoman watched the two bicker while calculating the possible scenarios that could unfold later. As for the money, he was indeed eager to earn it. After working for several years, he had managed to save ten thousand yuan only because of his mother¡¯s forced taxation. An underling of the real boss alone had given him ten thousand yuan, not to mention what Su Fu himself would pay, making him feel that happiness had come too suddenly. However, while he needed to earn money, how exactly to earn it required careful consideration. His main method now was still reliant on Holy Water. If the monster attacking Mr. Su could be controlled with Holy Water, nothing could be better; but if Holy Water also didn¡¯t work, then he might need to prepare his dramatic exit lines. ¡°Ah, having had the System for so long, a money-making opportunity has finally appeared. It¡¯s just not certain if things will go as smoothly as I expect...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, feeling somewhat anxious. Xiao Hei and Lao Liu had also stopped arguing, leaving the car temporarily immersed in silence. The Bentley sedan continued west along Fat Lake Road, and after several turns, it arrived in an area that was somewhat unfamiliar to Xiaoman. As a Qionghua City People, Zhang Xiaoman knew his hometown well, but he really couldn¡¯t recognize the place where he was now without looking at a map. ¡°We¡¯re approaching Su Zhuang, we should be there in about three to five minutes.¡± Xiao Hei¡¯s voice broke the silence. Zhang Xiaoman asked him, ¡°Brother Hei, what exactly is Su Zhuang? I¡¯ve never heard of it before?¡± Xiao Hei glanced outside the window and explained, ¡°This place was originally planned by Snow Crystal Group for developing an apartment area, but then the government decided to build a subway here, so the buildings couldn¡¯t be constructed and the project was temporarily shelved. Later, Boss Su simply built a small villa here and turned the surroundings into a meadow, moving in himself. I heard they are now negotiating with the government to turn this place into a horse park. If it happens, we can also come and ride horses whenever we want.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded, marveling, ¡°Boss Su really is rich. I had no idea Qionghua City had such tycoons.¡± Xiao Hei nodded and responded, ¡°Right, who could afford to do this without money? This large area is styled like a manor. Although it¡¯s temporary, I¡¯d die laughing if I could live like this even for just one day.¡± Seeing the undisguised envy in Xiao Hei¡¯s eyes, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt extremely fortunate to have the System. Such a lifestyle, which he would have never dared even to dream of before, would probably be just a trivial matter in the future, right? The sedan drove on, entered through a circle of fences, and continued on the road for another two kilometers before stopping in front of a large villa. Zhang Xiaoman got out of the car and looked around, feeling somewhat like Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden. The four-story French villa was larger than any he had seen in Yangzhou. At his feet was the legendary swimming pool, and ahead was a row of delicate, unnamable plants. Several male and female servants were bustling around, as if preparing for a grand party. Of course, a party was clearly out of the question. Zhang Xiaoman looked at the diverse crowd around him, feeling everything in front of him to be incredibly strange. A few men dressed like Xiao Hei stood on the outermost part, while behind them was a group of elderly men wearing various bizarre garments, such as Daoist robes, monk robes, cloth shirts...it was as if a senior¡¯s cosplay party was in full swing. Behind these elderly men were several doctors in white lab coats, all of them talking animatedly and drawing attention. Servants, security, Taoists, monks, priests, doctors, nurses... Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the bizarre mix before him. ¡°Rich people know how to have fun.¡± Chapter 32 - 32 32 Chaos of Demons ?32: Chapter 32: Chaos of Demons 32: Chapter 32: Chaos of Demons Xiao Hei led Zhang Xiaoman toward the direction of the villa and pointed at a few men in black suits standing ahead. ¡°The man up ahead is our captain; he used to be an ace special forces soldier in our military district. Sadly, he was discharged later on.¡± Zhang Xiaoman followed his gaze and saw a rugged-looking middle-aged man speaking with another man in a black suit beside him, seemingly sensing the two¡¯s gaze, the man also glanced in their direction. As the man¡¯s gaze swept over Zhang Xiaoman, it abruptly narrowed when it reached the pocket of his jacket, then, without changing his expression, he tilted his head and quietly said something to his companion before stepping toward them. The man in the black suit beside him, however, stood frozen for a moment before his face changed color and he hurriedly followed. Because the two words their captain had whispered in his ear were: ¡°Gun.¡± The group quickly met face to face, and Xiao Hei went forward to greet him, saying, ¡°Captain Wu, I found Master Pei whom the boss mentioned, I¡¯ll take him over first.¡± But Captain Wu stretched out his hand to stop him to the side, standing less than a meter away from Zhang Xiaoman, he inquired, ¡°Master Pei? May I ask what is in this pocket of yours?¡± Zhang Xiaoman first blinked in confusion, then followed Captain Wu¡¯s gaze to his own pocket before he realized. ¡°Uh, this, don¡¯t misunderstand, it¡¯s just a toy gun, not a real one.¡± As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand, tugged at the side of his jacket, and gestured for the other party to reach in and take it themselves. Captain Wu didn¡¯t hesitate; although he saw that Zhang Xiaoman was cooperative, he didn¡¯t relax his vigilance and quickly reached in to take out the water gun. As soon as he held the gun, Captain Wu knew Zhang Xiaoman was likely not lying, after all, the material and weight were telling¡ªit was too light. He then looked down at the shape of the handgun, his facial muscles involuntarily twitched. Well, it was an Earth Guard Team-style toy gun, the kind used to fight monsters. Even so, Captain Wu still examined it from all angles, also ejecting the magazine from the back of the pistol, and only after seeing it was loaded with water bullets did he return it to its owner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it was presumptuous of me.¡± Zhang Xiaoman took back the water gun and put it in his pocket, politely responding, ¡°Captain Wu, there¡¯s no need for apologies, you were just doing your duty.¡± Although the misunderstanding was resolved, the way several people around started looking at Zhang Xiaoman inevitably turned a bit strange¡ªa grown man, toting around a toy gun in his pocket, seemed a bit off. The commotion at the entrance of the courtyard had evidently attracted the attention of many people; a few elderly men in bizarre attire looked over, and upon seeing a new young man, each speculated about his identity. ¡°Master Pei, you might have to wait a bit longer. Just now, Master Liao from the town said he had thought of a way to counter the evil spirits, and he went inside. If he fails, I¡¯ll talk to the boss later and let you go in and have a look,¡± stated Captain Wu. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not in a hurry...¡± Zhang Xiaoman waved his hand, but soon felt his response was inappropriate. After all, according to Xiao Hei, the man¡¯s son was on his ¡°deathbed¡±; his lack of urgency seemed quite improper. He hastily corrected himself, ¡°Uh, what I mean is, I am very anxious, after all, it¡¯s a matter of life and death. But since there are other... Taoists casting magic, I should wait a bit longer.¡± Upon hearing this, Captain Wu¡¯s face twitched, revealing an awkward yet polite smile. He then turned, pulled Xiao Hei in front of him, and asked in a low voice: ¡°Heizi, are you sure you got the right person? This Master Pei, how can he be so young? Could there be a mistake?¡± Xiao Hei emphatically patted his chest, saying, ¡°Captain, absolutely no mistake. I found him in the old district area; his stall clearly stated, ¡®Half-immortal Pei tells fortunes.¡¯ Moreover, I never told him my name, but he just figured it out by calculating with his fingers¡ªthat is definitely a real master!¡± Captain Wu smacked him on the head, ¡°Still calling him a master? Have you written that report I asked for? Later, admit your mistakes thoroughly, and I¡¯ll plead for you, isn¡¯t that better than those so-called masters you talk about? Look around; these people have been causing a ruckus for two days now, any useful results? In my opinion, they¡¯re all swindlers from the Martial World.¡± Looking around, Xiao Hei¡¯s face inevitably fell, ¡°Captain, I had no other choice! Look at the so-called experts and doctors the boss had brought home, they¡¯re clueless too. If I don¡¯t do something, what about the remaining million plus mortgage, it¡¯s like treating a dead horse as though it were alive.¡± ¡°What am I to say about you...¡± Regardless of what the two were whispering about next to him, Zhang Xiaoman found himself in such a peculiar scene and couldn¡¯t help but observe the charlatans around him. Most of the old men here were Taoists, but there were also one or two monks, and Zhang Xiaoman even spotted a priest dressed in clergy attire in the crowd. Some were huddled in small groups, others sat quietly alone, all wore serious expressions on their faces, their brows furrowed tightly, occasionally shaking their heads and sighing as if encountering extremely troublesome matters. Although Zhang Xiaoman had now acquired the system, gaining Extraordinary Power, and had encountered and defeated several unknown eerie entities, he was still unsure whether there were other Transcendents in this world aside from himself. Could there be, as written in novels, an Extraordinary World hidden behind the real world, unknown to ordinary people... Hence at the moment, when he looked at those masters around him, he couldn¡¯t distinguish which one genuinely had real skills, and who, like Master Liu, belonged to those old charlatans. With this in mind, he pricked up his ears, intending to listen to what these famous masters from nearby cities were discussing. The closest to him was a bald monk in monk robes, who wasn¡¯t doing much else but sitting cross-legged on a chair with his eyes closed, chanting scriptures that were incomprehensible. On the other side, two old Taoists huddled together discussing something. Zhang Xiaoman moved closer to listen and heard them discussing the matter concerning Mr. Su. ¡°Mr. Wang, do you have any new methods for dealing with Mr. Su¡¯s issue?¡± ¡°I am ashamed to admit, having descended from the Heavenly Master Sect and having roamed the mortal world for decades, I have captured countless evil spirits. But I have never encountered a demon like the one within Mr. Su. This ghost¡¯s Yin energy is deep and cold, and its grudge is incredibly heavy, inherently difficult to deal with. Now that it has attached to Mr. Su¡¯s body, we must act cautiously. Even with thousands of skills, it is hard to carry them out...¡± ¡°Exactly, exactly. From what I see, this ghost transformed from a person who died a violent death. After death, someone buried it in a wild grave in the wilderness, keeping it out of the ancestral grave. Combined with the locust grove¡¯s inherently Yin nature, which easily nurtures ghosts, this has greatly increased its powers. Moreover, it hides within Mr. Su¡¯s body, avoiding conflict, leaving us helpless!¡± ¡°Absolutely right, Mr. Liu, what you¡¯ve said completely coincides with my thoughts. If this ghost dares to show itself, I will certainly destroy it with Thunderbolt methods, yet it cunningly uses Mr. Su¡¯s Yang energy and vital force to resist the power of our magic... Alas, it¡¯s just sad for that child!¡± ¡°Yes, indeed, it¡¯s pitiable and deplorable, the demon wreaks havoc, what a calamity!¡± Chapter 33 - 33 33 Showing Off Their Divine Skills ?33: Chapter 33: Showing Off Their Divine Skills 33: Chapter 33: Showing Off Their Divine Skills Zhang Xiaoman listened to their mutual business flattery and muttered darkly to himself, ¡°Two drama kings,¡± before shifting his gaze elsewhere. Up ahead, a priest dressed in a black robe held a thick black book, making the sign of the cross with his hand. It was only when he turned around that Zhang Xiaoman realized the man was actually Caucasian. ¡°Eastern mountains block the purple aura, trees by the courtyard invite evil spirits. The main house is too low, the layout uneven, misfortune looms over the descendants...¡± Suddenly, a voice came from behind Zhang Xiaoman. He turned and saw a middle-aged man in a suit passing by, mumbling continuously. ¡°This section of the wall, particularly, avoids triangular reverse paths, wider at the front and tapering at the back, accidents thrive here!¡± The man walked around, scrutinizing his surroundings now and then, furrowing his brow or closing his eyes in deep thought, much like an old scholar. ¡°And this west side room, directly facing the swimming pool, this is the White Tiger opening its maw, an ominous presence!¡± The man pointed and shook his head incessantly. As he reached a small bridge, a look of shock suddenly crossed his face. He hurried to the roadside, pointing a trembling finger in the direction of the bridge and said with a disbelieving expression: ¡°Who designed this bridge and road? How could it be built this way? Jade belt around the waist, water path attacking the house, this is the Scythe Sha!¡± By this point, Zhang Xiaoman could barely hear what he was saying any longer. The man rushed over to another in a black suit, looking frantic, gesturing and babbling to the man across from him, who appeared utterly confused and clueless. ¡°This person must be a Feng Shui Master,¡± Zhang Xiaoman guessed. He looked up at the sky, which had gradually darkened, yet the courtyard of the Su family was still bustling and very lively. Zhang Xiaoman took a moment to familiarize himself with his surroundings, his gaze passing over the villa¡¯s main gate, over several arguing doctors flushed with anger, and looking towards the interior, estimating roughly how long Master Liao had been inside. As he was considering what action to take next, he saw a middle-aged man walk out of the foyer, his face full of impatience and annoyance. Behind him, an old man in a Daoist robe staggered out, his face flush red, one hand clutching his chest and the other holding a Peach Wood Sword, as if he had suffered a great internal injury. Every few steps, he turned to look back at the house, his face a mixture of guilt and rage. ¡°Damn evil spirits! To attack me while I was transferring True Qi to Young Master Su to save his life! Utterly detestable!¡± The previous two business-flatterers approached, full of concern, asking about the situation inside. ¡°Master Liao, may I ask how things progressed?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Liao, did you manage to catch the ghost?¡± Seeing them, Master Liao, with some difficulty, bowed and said with a face full of annoyance: ¡°All my efforts wasted, all my efforts wasted!¡± lamented Master Liao. ¡°Little did I, Liao Kongxu, imagine that after a lifetime of exorcism, I would be outwitted by a ghost today. After entering the room, I intended to directly kill the evil spirit, but seeing Young Master Su¡¯s extremely frail condition, I feared he could not withstand the impacts of my battle with the evil spirit, so I decided to first use my True Qi to stabilize him before annihilating the evil spirit...¡± He said, coughing repeatedly before continuing, ¡°Who would have expected that this evil spirit was so cunning? It took advantage of the moment I was transferring True Qi to launch a sneak attack on me with its Yin Poisonous Spiritual Power within Mr. Su¡¯s body!¡± ¡°This ghost is so malicious? Even Master Liao has been deceived. What are we to do now?¡± the two sidekicks added with great vigor. ¡°However, you need not worry too much, my fellow Daoists. Although it ambushed me, at the critical moment, I too unleashed a powerful counterattack with my Spiritual Power. The evil spirit did not have an easy time and is probably heavily injured by now. If one of you Daoists could strike while the iron is hot and pursue it, you can naturally capture the evil spirit easily!¡± The sidekicks, faces alight with joy, exclaimed, ¡°Really!? Master Liao is truly a master of Meihua City; with Master Liao¡¯s strike, that evil spirit won¡¯t be at ease for long. If anyone resolves this ghost issue, we must thank you, Master Liao! If it weren¡¯t for your critical hit, things could have become much more complicated!¡± Master Liao waved his hand and sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I was careless. Otherwise, this ghost would have already been slain by me, and there would have been no need for other Daoists to waste their mana...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was watching the three old drama queens competing in a performance, and his mouth nearly hit the floor. What was this? Did they underestimate everyone else¡¯s intelligence? Thinking this, he glanced at the middle-aged man standing by the door. This must be Su Fu, right? Looking at his expression, his face was so dark it seemed like it might drip water. Who knows what he was feeling now. The middle-aged man standing outside the hallway indeed was the person in charge here, Su Fu. Since his son¡¯s accident a week ago, he hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep. Initially disbelieving in ghosts and gods, he began to waver after seeing the human face on his son¡¯s stomach. Furthermore, with the doctors also clueless and his son¡¯s body showing no signs of irregularities, he had gritted his teeth and sought out these ¡°renowned¡± masters. ¡°I never imagined that I, Su Fu, would have a day when I would be made a fool of by these buffoons,¡± Su Fu remarked solemnly as he watched the people in front of him, feeling infuriated. He clapped his hands to draw everyone¡¯s attention and said, ¡°Masters, I truly appreciate your coming to help, but after these two days of effort, my son¡¯s condition has not improved. Perhaps it¡¯s his lot in life not to enjoy such a thrilling existence.¡± ¡°So as not to waste your time, I would ask you all to leave shortly. Also, as a token of my gratitude for your assistance, I¡¯ve prepared some travel expenses for the masters. Please accept this gesture.¡± His words were a clear dismissal. Although he was annoyed with these Martial World charlatans for their poor performance, they were, after all, invited by him. And since some of them were quite connected, as a successful businessman, he was capable of great forbearance. Thus, despite his extreme disdain, he managed to mask his feelings well. Upon hearing Su Fu¡¯s words, the crowd murmured softly among themselves, showing various expressions. Some secretly rejoiced at the mention of travel expenses, others bowed their heads in contemplation, some looked sad and shook their heads, and there were even those who beat their chests and cursed the evil spirits¡¯ cruelty. Zhang Xiaoman found the varied expressions of these charlatans quite entertaining; the competitive acting of these old men compelled him to almost laugh uncontrollably. ¡°Truly, what a spectacle.¡± Chapter 34 - 34 34 Su Fu ?34: Chapter 34 Su Fu 34: Chapter 34 Su Fu At the entrance hall, Su Fu was speaking with Captain Wu; the two seemed to be discussing something when their gaze fell upon Zhang Xiaoman, who had remained silent amidst the crowd. ¡°Wu Feng, is this Half-immortal Pei? He looks quite young.¡± ¡°Yes, this person is the master Xiao Hei brought in, reportedly the most famous fortune teller in Qionghua City. He just arrived and hasn¡¯t entered yet.¡± He paused here before continuing: ¡°Xiao Hei says this man is genuinely skilled. He could call out his name upon a single meeting and in conversation, he doesn¡¯t like the other masters who indulge in mystifying things... How about... you let him give it a try?¡± Upon hearing this, Su Fu turned his head to look at Captain Wu: ¡°Wu Feng, I know you want to plead for Xiao Hei, and I know it¡¯s not all his fault... But that is my son, after all. If he is fine, naturally, I won¡¯t say a thing. But if something truly happens to him, do you think I can act as if nothing happened and let him stay?¡± Seeing that Wu Feng didn¡¯t speak further, he then looked towards Zhang Xiaoman in the crowd and said: ¡°As for that so-called Master Pei, I think he¡¯s just like the rest. Those fortune-telling and name-guessing tricks¡ªXiao Hei might not know any better, but do you think they can deceive me?¡± ¡°So, should I send them all back now?¡± Su Fu waved his hand, ¡°No need. Since you mentioned it and Xiao Hei went to great lengths to find him, I will give this young man a chance. It would also let Xiao Hei truly give up... Well, once this is over, help Xiao Hei arrange a position at Old Zhang¡¯s company.¡± Captain Wu was initially taken aback, then a smile appeared on his face, and he said, ¡°Thank you, Boss. I will make sure to arrange it properly. I¡¯ll thank you on Xiao Hei¡¯s behalf too.¡± Su Fu shook his head, resigned, ¡°Let it be then. I know Xiao Hei is your comrade, but don¡¯t tell him that I arranged this.¡± Captain Wu happily responded and turned towards where Zhang Xiaoman was. Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaoman was enjoying watching the performances of the people around him when he suddenly felt someone approaching. Turning his head, he saw it was the previously mentioned Captain Wu. Wu Feng being in a good mood, strode over to Zhang Xiaoman and in a calm voice said: ¡°Master Pei, our boss would like you to have a try at resolving the... issue with his son. Are you available to take a look now?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was here precisely for this reason; there was no reason to refuse. He immediately nodded in agreement and followed him. The surrounding old charlatans, who had been enjoying their performance, saw someone else going to attempt and all stopped to look curiously over, sizing up the man. ¡°Eh? Why is it a youngster?¡± someone said, looking puzzled. ¡°Don¡¯t know, and looking at his attire, it¡¯s hard to figure out which sect he¡¯s from. So young, he might be sent by his elders for training.¡± ¡°Truly ridiculous! This is a matter of life and death, how can they let a junior handle it? I don¡¯t know whose idea this was, but it¡¯s very inappropriate!¡± ¡°Heh, indeed, a mere junior ¨C what would he know about exorcism? I fear it won¡¯t be long before he comes out embarrassed.¡± The old Taoists stood together, expressions filled with indignation as if they were quite displeased that a junior dared to undertake rescuing someone here. Their words were not spoken quietly, and there seemed to be a purpose in making sure others overheard, which naturally also reached Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s ears. However, he merely glanced in the direction the voices came from and did not argue, instead following Wu Feng directly to where Su Fu was. ¡°Master Pei, thank you for offering your help. Things have been busy today, and I¡¯m sorry for any previous neglect,¡± he said. It was a handsome middle-aged man. Although Xiao Hei had said he was over fifty, one couldn¡¯t deny that this wealthy man¡¯s maintenance was excellent. The neat short hair and a well-groomed beard, wearing a fitting casual suit along with the charisma brought by confidence, Zhang Xiaoman thought he looked like a dashing uncle in his forties. Su Fu was indeed a tycoon who soared in the business world. All displeasure from his face had vanished the moment Zhang Xiaoman approached, replaced by a graceful and collected expression, a subtle smile on his lips ¨C neither too much nor too little. His eyebrows relaxed just right; in the impeccable gaze, he nodded at the other party, neither appearing rude nor awkward, just a glance was enough to involuntarily earn goodwill from someone, as delightful as a spring breeze. Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but internally remark that there was indeed a reason behind everyone¡¯s success. ¡°Boss Su, you flatter me. I am too young to be called a master, it¡¯s just what others call me, so please don¡¯t mock me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about age, it¡¯s about achievements that make a hero. Master, there¡¯s no need to be overly modest, please come in.¡± Su Fu smiled and made a welcoming gesture, even though he didn¡¯t hold Zhang Xiaoman in high regard, he still showed no neglect. Accompanied by Su Fu, Zhang Xiaoman walked into the villa and headed toward a room on the ground floor. The villa¡¯s decor was quite tasteful, not the gaudy opulence Zhang Xiaoman had initially imagined, but rather a simple modern European style. Inside the hall of the villa, several people were sitting at that moment, who looked to be the Su family¡¯s relatives. Seeing another young man enter, and hearing Su Fu address him as master, they all looked over, several of them with disdainful glances. With a calm glance at them, Zhang Xiaoman remained unmoved. Among these people, aside from those few cold onlookers, most wore expressions of despair, including a woman who was continuously crying, likely Mr. Su¡¯s mother. Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but shake his head slightly, lamenting how harsh the world could be, treating all beings as mere straws dogs. Whether you are a high official or a commoner, in the face of death, everyone looks so similar. Only by stepping onto the true Extraordinary Path can one avoid this suffering and reach eternity. Mr. Su, named Su Changqing, was about the same age as Zhang Xiaoman. He originally lived on the third floor of the villa, but now for the convenience of medical care, he was staying downstairs. ¡°Master, up ahead is Changqing¡¯s room, in a moment...¡± Su Fu was about to say something, but a voice interrupted him. ¡°Daddy! Daddy! You¡¯re taking someone to see Brother again, right? I want to go see him too!¡± The speaker was a little girl, Zhang Xiaoman saw a six- or seven-year-old girl run over from a woman¡¯s side and throw herself into Su Fu¡¯s arms, hugging his waist and acting coquettishly. Kuangkuan, behave, don¡¯t go in.¡± Su Fu crouched down, gently stroking the little girl¡¯s head, and said softly, ¡°Brother is sick now, he could infect you, he can¡¯t see you, be obedient, okay?¡± Su Kuangkuan reluctantly shook her head, protesting, ¡°But everyone else can go in, I¡¯m not afraid of getting infected, I want to go in too!¡± Su Fu looked at her with affection, then rested his forehead against the little girl¡¯s forehead, whispering, ¡°Kuangkuan, can you be good? Remember our promise? If you fold Xiao Hua into a hundred, Daddy will bring Brother to see you, okay?¡± After hesitating for a long while, Su Kuangkuan finally nodded and said, ¡°Okay, but I¡¯ve already made 55, Daddy, you better not trick me!¡± ¡°Of course not, when have I ever tricked you when we do our forehead touches? Go on, go back to Mommy. She really needs you now.¡± The little girl went back, turning her head back with every step she took towards the woman, her pitiable look tugging at one¡¯s heartstrings. Watching this scene, Zhang Xiaoman felt an indescribable complexity in his heart. Usually occupied with a routine job, his thoughts and soul had gradually stiffened, as if forgetting many social graces. To him, people seemed more like NPCs living in the world, emotionless, without a life, merely appearing at specific places, at specific times, just being encountered by him incidentally. Once parted, they would turn back into unconscious puppets, only waiting for him to pass by again. But the moment Su Fu made that promise with his daughter, it slightly moved his heart, suddenly giving rise to a strange feeling. Those who originally seemed like NPCs, now seemed to come alive once again. ¡°You must find it amusing, my little girl doesn¡¯t understand much, always wanting to go in.¡± After seeing his daughter return to her mother¡¯s side, Su Fu stood up again and said to Zhang Xiaoman. ¡°Changqing is inside, let¡¯s go in now.¡± Chapter 35 - 35 35 Holy Water Ineffective ?35: Chapter 35 Holy Water Ineffective 35: Chapter 35 Holy Water Ineffective In the room, there was a large hospital bed, and the surrounding furniture had been removed, now replaced with various and sundry medical equipment. Near the equipment, two nurses were watching a monitor and occasionally picking up a pen to take notes, looking very focused. However, Zhang Xiaoman could feel that these two nurses occasionally stole curious glances at him, probably having heard the commotion outside the room earlier. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze was primarily on the bed where a young man of similar age to himself was lying. The young man was shirtless and currently had his eyes tightly closed, his breathing faint. Several IV tubes were inserted into his body, and as Zhang Xiaoman approached, he saw a swollen human face pushing outward from the middle of the young man¡¯s abdomen, as if trying to break free from the confines of the body, its expression extremely painful and distorted. ¡°This face is indeed the same as they described, identical to Mr. Su of the Su family...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was quietly astonished. ¡°Master, is there a way to help Changqing with his condition?¡± After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xiaoman shook his head and said, ¡°There is a method I could try, but... there is something I must explain to you first. After you hear it, you can decide whether or not you want me to proceed.¡± Su Fu was taken aback. ¡°What is it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman, with hands clasped behind his back and eyes fixed on Su Changqing lying on the bed, slowly said: ¡°The entity attached within your son is not an ordinary ghost or monster, what it specifically is, I cannot detail at the moment. However, you need to know that it has deeply invaded his body, and I have two concerns about it.¡± ¡°What concerns, Master Pei, please tell me quickly.¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head, a look of reluctance on his face: ¡°First, it might already be too late, this entity might have already fully formed within him, and I¡¯m not sure I can cure your son...¡± Su Fu¡¯s face became grave, but he responded: ¡°I understand what you mean, Master. After all, nothing is absolute in this world, and I only hope that you can do your best.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded, then continued: ¡°Second, because it has invaded so deeply, it may have already fused with him. If that is the case, Mr. Su¡¯s Divine Soul might have already dissipated, and what we see before us might just be a body¡ªa monster¡¯s shell.¡± ¡°At this time, if I use magic that suppresses malevolent spirits, it could directly destroy your son¡¯s body, so I hope Mr. Su can be mentally prepared.¡± Zhang Xiaoman mentioned these concerns primarily because he feared that if Holy Water was used carelessly and ended up purifying Mr. Su as well, the consequences could be severe, so it was better to provide a warning beforehand. Hearing Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s words, Su Fu stared blankly at his son for a long while before hesitantly asking: ¡°You mean to say, my son might already be dead, and what has taken over his body is that monster?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Su Fu¡¯s gaze faltered: ¡°What will happen if this monster completely fuses?¡± Zhang Xiaoman slightly shook his head: ¡°Then it will break free from the body, choose its victims, and massacre the entire Su family.¡± ¡°Hiss...¡± Su Fu drew in a sharp breath and then remained silent for a long time. Zhang Xiaoman did not rush him, as such a matter required careful consideration. After quite some time, Su Fu finally exhaled and said, ¡°Master, please proceed with the casting.¡± He had also realized earlier that if what Zhang Xiaoman had said was true, then his son had already died, and he certainly would not allow his other family members to be endangered for the sake of a corpse. But if everything Zhang Xiaoman said was false, and all his previous actions were mere trickery, then what he claimed regarding the magic ruining Su Changqing¡¯s body would also be nonsense, and he seemed to have no reason to be overly concerned about this matter. Zhang Xiaoman glanced at him and nodded, ¡°Please step back, Mr. Su.¡± Upon hearing these words, Su Fu, nervously swallowing, slowly moved back to the door as per Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s indication, a strong sense of hope rising in his chest. Su Fu prided himself on being a good judge of character, and he could clearly sense that the way this man operated seemed different from the charlatans he had encountered before. ¡°Maybe, this time it¡¯s real...¡± He silently prayed in his heart. Zhang Xiaoman stepped forward a few paces to the bedside. He calmly looked at Mr. Su lying on the bed while incessantly reciting names of various heavenly gods in his mind, equally praying for the protection of the higher powers. Reaching into his left pocket, Zhang Xiaoman took out a spare magazine he always carried, carefully extracted a Holy Water Bullet, and pressed it slowly against Su Changqing¡¯s forehead. ¡°Pop.¡± The faint sound of the Holy Water Bullet bursting was audible only to Zhang Xiaoman; he felt his fingertip wet and saw that a small water mark had formed on Su Changqing¡¯s forehead. Zhang Xiaoman immediately withdrew his hand and quickly stepped back, ready to avoid any anomalies that could follow. However, to his disappointment, nothing happened to Su Changqing¡¯s body, and the room remained as quiet as usual, with only the occasional beep from medical equipment audible. A bead of sweat the size of a bean slid down Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face. He felt a surge in his heart and became somewhat uneasy. Is my Holy Water ineffective against it? Is this a kind of monster that is not restrained by Holy Water? Or is it, in fact, that there is no monster at all, and Mr. Su is simply suffering from some undetectable disease by current medical standards? Zhang Xiaoman was in turmoil. He felt that his attempt to show off was about to fail. Looking subconsciously at the face on Su Changqing¡¯s belly, an idea suddenly popped into Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind: ¡°Could it be that I got the location wrong, and the place where the monster resides is actually on the belly? Using Holy Water anywhere else is useless, and I must apply it directly onto the face on his belly for it to work?¡± Not daring to delay, Zhang Xiaoman quickly extracted another Holy Water Bullet from the magazine and, suppressing his feeling of nausea, pressed his hand against the eerie face¡¯s forehead. ¡°Pop.¡± Once again, the slight sound of bursting came, but this time Zhang Xiaoman did not retreat, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the area where the water mark was spreading. Unfortunately, still no reaction occurred on Su Changqing¡¯s body. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart faltered, thinking it was all over! After having put on such a big show earlier, now it had come to this; where could he even place his face after this? On the side, Su Fu saw Zhang Xiaoman first take out a strange black object, and then carefully place something on his son, afterwards adopting a watchful stance, which also made him closely monitor his son on the bed without diverting his gaze. But as he waited, even until the Master repeated the prior actions at a different location, his son still exhibited no movement, just like the previous masters who had come here. ¡°Could it be... he¡¯s also a fraud?¡± At that thought, Su Fu¡¯s heart suddenly sank, and a foreboding feeling began to emerge. Chapter 36 - 36 36 The Function of the Soul Absorption Technique ?36: Chapter 36 The Function of the Soul Absorption Technique 36: Chapter 36 The Function of the Soul Absorption Technique ¡°Master...this...¡± He couldn¡¯t help but want to ask. But at that moment, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s expression was extremely serious. He suddenly raised his hand, interrupting Su Fu¡¯s words. Despite the fact that he himself was incredibly anxious inside, his facial expression remained composed, as if everything was within his expectations. Su Fu fell silent, a surge of hope rising again within his heart. ¡°Perhaps, I was just too impatient just now...¡± Zhang Xiaoman then reached into his pants pocket and slowly pulled out a small bottle filled with a transparent liquid, his whole being exuding a solemn and reverent atmosphere. Indeed, what was inside that little bottle was the scarcely remaining Divine Grace, less than one-third of it, which he had been reluctant to use! Su Fu, watching from the side, also narrowed his eyes. He could sense that the young man before him seemed to be getting serious. Zhang Xiaoman twisted off the cap of the bottle holding the Divine Grace with some reluctance ¨C after all, he had been unwilling to use it. It was known that just the power of Holy Water was formidable, a mere four-drop dose capable of killing a terrifying adult Corpse Demon. And this less-than-half-bottle of green-grade Divine Grace was even more of a treasured last resort for him. If it weren¡¯t for the ineffectiveness of Holy Water and his own overconfident blunder just now, he would never have been willing to use it for an experiment. Yes, Zhang Xiaoman was conducting an experiment. Because he knew that using the Divine Grace this time was very likely to produce no effect whatsoever. In his view, the difference between Holy Water and Divine Grace should be in their relative Strength, but when Holy Water was used just now, it was completely ineffective. That indicated that the anomaly he currently faced did not belong to the same system as those he had encountered before, and was entirely unaffected by such countermeasures. Otherwise, Holy Water would not have been entirely useless¡ªit would have at least stirred some ripples. But now, Divine Grace was his last hope, and he could only try it with a mentality of desperation as a last resort. With a slight tremble in his hand, Zhang Xiaoman tried hard to control the power, carefully dripping a drop of Divine Grace. As the transparent droplet fell, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze did not waver for a moment, nor did Su Fu who was standing at the door dare to make a sound, watching the droplet with absolute Concentration. ... In this deathly silence, the faint ¡°tick-tick¡± of a watch sounded ten times, yet Su Changqing, who lay in the hospital bed, still showed no response. Divine Grace, ineffective. Seeing this, Su Fu¡¯s spirits plunged to the depths, standing there in a daze, with many thoughts flooding his mind. ¡°Master, this...¡± Su Fu¡¯s throat felt dry, and he opened his mouth to ask for clarity, to understand what exactly Zhang Xiaoman had just been doing, whether or not he had been deceiving him. Although at the beginning, he had only brought him along to give face to Wu Feng and Xiao Hei, but when it came down to it, he couldn¡¯t suppress the hope that had risen within him. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t give him the chance to speak, because at that moment he still held one last card, one of the few measures he could use. The Soul Absorption Technique! He stepped back several paces to the door, extending his left hand straight toward the direction of the bed, muttering something softly under his breath. In the next instant, a visible wave of energy came from the direction of Zhang Xiaoman. The Soul Absorption Technique that had shown no response no matter how he used it finally changed. From Su Changqing¡¯s body, waves of energy furiously rolled back towards Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s direction, swift as a gale and surging like a torrent. The relatively spacious room suddenly felt like the center of a level 9 typhoon, with medical instruments clattering to the floor, and a distinct pressure of wind assaulting them, causing the clothes on both of their bodies to flap loudly. Su Fu¡¯s questioning words ultimately never left his mouth. His eyes were wide as saucers, as if he had witnessed the most surprising scene of his life, leaving his mind instantly blank. ¡°Really... really...¡± He murmured to himself, yet his words were drowned by the howl of the wind. Zhang Xiaoman was also extremely excited at this moment. Unlike the newbie Su Fu, who had never encountered Extraordinary Power before, he could be considered a veteran. He had fully mentally prepared himself for releasing the Skill. Therefore, even now, facing such intense wind pressure and the torrent of energy, he was only slightly astonished at the tremendous impact caused by the Soul Absorption Technique. However, the incident was far from over. In the mere seconds since the anomaly began, a piercing, shrill scream suddenly emanated from Su Changqing¡¯s body, resembling a fierce ghost from the Nine Netherworld, mixed with endless pain and resentment. Standing closest, Zhang Xiaoman consequently bore the brunt of it. He felt a terrifying sonic wave assault him as if it were tangible, his ears ringing as though struck by Thunder Strike, as if they were about to explode. Not only that, the most uncomfortable part for him was that as this scream swept through, it felt like a heavy hammer had viciously smashed into his mind. His head throbbed as if it would split open, and he staggered, nearly toppling over. Su Fu, only two or three steps away from Zhang Xiaoman, didn¡¯t fare much better. His eyes wide open in pain, his hands tightly covering his ears, all his facial features scrunched together. The group of doctors standing outside were anxiously waiting for Su Fu to come out quickly so they could prepare for surgery. They hadn¡¯t expected to suddenly hear a huge gust of wind from inside the room, followed by a series of metallic objects hitting the ground with a clang. The doctors were taken aback and were just about to open the door to check the situation when an extremely mournful wail came from the other side of the door, a voice so despairing as to pierce the soul, causing unbearable agony. Within the range of the Su Mansion, everyone heard this piercing scream at that moment. Those standing outside received a lesser impact from the volume, but felt the soul-piercing pain in full force nonetheless. Outside, some elderly Taoist priests immediately rolled their eyes and fainted away, and Su Kuangkuan also silently collapsed into his mother¡¯s arms. Zhang Xiaoman was stunned. He thought the initial wind pressure was already a major event, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated such a terrifying Spiritual Attack. What exactly had his Soul Absorption Technique extracted from Su Changqing¡¯s body? The time from the beginning to the eruption of the sound was but a few short seconds. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s body was tense at this moment, the energy extraction continuing on his left hand. He gritted his teeth and endured the terrifying howls, daring not to relax. The piercing screech came quickly and ended just as swiftly. Accompanying the cessation of the sound, a terrifying translucent phantom face slowly emerged from Su Changqing¡¯s body. This face bore a resemblance to Su Changqing. He was undergoing energy extraction from the Soul Absorption Technique, which was siphoning energy from his face relentlessly, his expression showing pain and contortion. Su Fu also managed to barely open his eyes and clearly see this scene, his shock reaching an indescribable level. After emitting that sharp scream, the face seemed to lack any other power, merely resisting and struggling desperately under the absorption of the Soul Absorption Technique, but ultimately unable to escape. Ultimately, the eerie face slowly disintegrated, faded, and gradually turned into a white translucent orb, which quietly landed on Mr. Su¡¯s body. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s entire body relaxed, as if he had just set down a heavy burden, feeling as though he was about to collapse from exhaustion. ¡°This thing... such a loud voice...¡± Looking at the white orb that had fallen nearby, a smile gradually appeared on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s relieved face. Chapter 37 - 37 37 Parasitic Spirit ?37: Chapter 37 Parasitic Spirit 37: Chapter 37 Parasitic Spirit Su Fu, seeing that everything seemed to have settled, subconsciously opened his mouth to ask something, but was interrupted by Zhang Xiaoman with a raised hand. Seeing this, he hesitated for not even a second before quickly closing his mouth, staring unblinkingly at the young man before him. At this moment, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s back was to him. Although his facial expression was still somewhat distorted, it was unseen by Su Fu standing behind, thus still maintaining his figure as a master. Stepping forward, he carefully approached the bedside. The Soul Absorption Technique had already entered a 30-minute cooling period. Although he could feel that the monster was likely dead, Zhang Xiaoman still didn¡¯t dare to be careless, remaining tense throughout the process. If there was any slight movement, he would retreat immediately. Fortunately, the situation proceeded smoothly. When his right hand successfully approached the white orb on Su Changqing¡¯s abdomen, the Seven-pointed Star in his palm emitted a white light as usual. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoman quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that, once the Seven-pointed Star emitted light, it signified that the monster was dead, and he could proceed with looting the body. The light in his hands grew stronger, and finally, under Su Fu¡¯s astonished eyes, the white orb transformed into strands of energy filaments, all drawn into Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s hand, while the System¡¯s notification echoed in his mind. ¡°Ding, absorbed Parasitic Spirit Essence, points increased by 5.¡± ¡°Whew~~¡± Taking a long breath, Zhang Xiaoman knew he had successfully shown off. ¡°Mr. Su, mission accomplished. The monster inside your son has been cleared.¡± Standing at the door, Su Fu¡¯s face was already full of excitement and joy. As soon as Zhang Xiaoman said this, Su Fu rushed over impatiently. His hands trembling, he grabbed onto the hospital bed and eagerly checked his son¡¯s condition. On the bed, Su Changqing had indeed recovered a lot compared to before. Not only was his breathing more steady and powerful, but his previously pale complexion had also become rosier. ¡°Bang.¡± The room¡¯s door was suddenly opened, and it was the doctors along with several family members who rushed in. The crowd upon seeing the disordered scene inside was stunned at first, then one by one, they swarmed beside the bed, peering at the condition of the young master of the Su family. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t push! Don¡¯t hurt the patient! Let us check the patient¡¯s condition first!¡± A doctor shouted in the crowd. Zhang Xiaoman chuckled, shook his head, and went out. In the lobby, there were only a few people left at this time. Apart from a young doctor who was still comforting Mrs. Su, who was holding her unconscious daughter, there was only a chubby boy who held onto his phone, reluctant to give up on his teammates. Setting aside the reasons of making money and earning points, Zhang Xiaoman was actually quite happy to be able to help them. This was a feeling of satisfaction, not exactly an overflow of sympathy. He simply liked this sense of achievement, similar to pursuing a perfect ending while playing video games. Of course, the deserved reward must not be shortchanged. Thinking about the reward, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but get a bit excited. With Boss Su being so wealthy, getting a few hundred thousand shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? Hehehe, with so much money, how shall I spend it? Ah, just thinking about it gets me a bit excited. Standing alone outside the door, Zhang Xiaoman was silly-happy for quite a while until he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, it was Su Fu who had come out. ¡°Master! There you are!¡± Su Fu¡¯s face was filled with a smile, having already shed the initial worry. He took a few steps to Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s side and expressed his gratitude: ¡°Thank you so much, Master. I had no idea that a true dragon was hidden within this river. If there was any slight earlier, please do not take offense, Master.¡± Zhang Xiaoman smiled lightly. ¡°Mr. Su, you are too kind. Exterminating these monsters is our goal after all. I dare not accept the honor of being called a true dragon.¡± Su Fu was taken aback by his words. He keenly picked up on the two words from Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mouth and curiously asked: ¡°Monster? So the thing just now wasn¡¯t a ghost?¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head and said: ¡°Where are there ghosts in this world? They are but monsters unknown to the world.¡± Su Fu immediately felt a surge of curiosity. Originally, he was still shocked that ghosts and Daoist magic truly existed in the world, but the person himself denied it, suggesting that these things were another type of bizarre existence. ¡°This, Master, are there many individuals like you? But how come I have never heard of them?¡± Su Fu asked. Zhang Xiaoman sighed softly, his gaze piercing through the window to the sky outside. ¡°Now, not many...¡± ... Outside the villa, in the yard. At this moment, the place was bustling with noise, the group of Daoist priests exploded after experiencing the recent upheaval. Their expressions varied ¨C some shocked, some fearful, some skeptical. Gathered in groups, they discussed the recent events animatedly. ¡°This, this... How is this possible! How could such things exist in the world...¡± ¡°Could it be, could it be that the young man really possesses the power to comprehend ghosts and gods?¡± ¡°Impossible, impossible! He must have used some method, used that something, high technology... Yes! He must have used high technology!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be... I have followed the Dao for decades... Could it be that I have been on the wrong path? Heaven! If there truly is a Dao, why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!!!¡± ¡°...¡± The security guards were also whispering to each other, busy and flustered. ¡°Captain Wu! How is it inside?¡± Xiao Hei anxiously asked Wu Feng, who just came out of the villa. Wu Feng was also full of disbelief at this moment. He turned back to look at Zhang Xiaoman and Su Fu still conversing inside the villa, somewhat excitedly said: ¡°I just went in and checked, the boss¡¯s son is alright now, the face on his stomach is gone, and his vital signs are stabilizing, recovering slowly. The doctor said he¡¯s sleeping now, and he should wake up soon.¡± ¡°Really!?¡± Xiao Hei¡¯s face lit up with joy. Unexpectedly, the Master he had found today turned out to be a real expert. ¡°Sure enough, sure enough! The Master really is capable, I knew I hadn¡¯t misjudged him! Hahaha! My loan has hope again! Hahaha!¡± Wu Feng patted his shoulder and laughed: ¡°You lucky guy, you really bumped into the so-called expert this time. It looks like not only will you not be fired, the boss might even give you a raise!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Tomorrow I¡¯ll treat the guys to a meal!¡± Chapter 38 - 38 38 Blood Butterfly ?38: Chapter 38 Blood Butterfly 38: Chapter 38 Blood Butterfly Zhang Xiaoman felt refreshed and invigorated, as if he had just experienced the fullness of having a good meal. However, this sensation was not in his stomach but on a spiritual level. He guessed that this might be because he had used the Soul Absorption Technique on that human face monster and had obtained 20 points of energy as a result. Moreover, Zhang Xiaoman seemed to have gained a kind of intuition, as if he could sense some changes in the surrounding environment. This wasn¡¯t to say that he had acquired any sharp sensory abilities. It was just that he could now sense that inside the Su Mansion and in the surrounding yard, there seemed to be some scattered remnants of energy similar to what he had encountered while absorbing the human face monster. ¡°Is this what the Skill description referred to as ¡®energy in the environment¡¯?¡± Zhang Xiaoman made this guess internally. ¡°Perhaps, because the human face monster had stayed here for so long, the nearby environment inevitably became contaminated with some energy?¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt that there was an eighty percent chance that this guess was correct. He looked at his watch and decided to try again after the cooldown of the Soul Absorption Technique had ended. ¡°Master, may I have a contact number?¡± Seeing him return to his senses, Su Fu spoke up: ¡°If we encounter similar incidents in the future, I would like to request the Master¡¯s help again. Of course, the appropriate reward will still be provided. Oh, and if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me your bank account number so I can transfer this time¡¯s reward to you?¡± Zhang Xiaoman happily added the other as a friend and shyly provided his bank account number. ¡°Mr. Su is too polite. Really, the money doesn¡¯t matter to me; I just can¡¯t stand to see these monsters wreak havoc, I can¡¯t just stand by!¡± Su Fu chuckled slyly, indicating that he understood, then glanced at the name on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s phone and exclaimed in surprise: ¡°Isn¡¯t the Master¡¯s surname Pei?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was startled for a moment before realizing that his social media account was registered under his real name. He awkwardly laughed and said, ¡°Haha, actually, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Brother Hei must have mistaken someone else for me, and as a result, I got brought here by accident.¡± Su Fu hadn¡¯t expected this and sighed, ¡°It seems there is some destiny between the Master and me!¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded and then cautioned, ¡°About today¡¯s matter, I hope Mr. Su can keep it confidential and not disclose my identity to others...¡± ¡°Of course, rest assured, Master. I, Su Mou, always keep my word and stay tight-lipped; I won¡¯t speak of this matter to anyone!¡± Su Fu promised earnestly. ¡°However, I wonder if the Master could tell me what that thing on Changqing was, exactly?¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought for a moment and then slowly said: ¡°As you may have seen, Mr. Su, that thing resembled Young Master Su and could easily be mistaken for the kind of ghost spoken of in legends. But as I have said before, there are no ghosts in this world; that thing is merely an energy body.¡± Su Fu also became eager, promptly adopting a serious listening posture. Zhang Xiaoman thought about the name prompted by the System and casually concocted a complete setting for it. ¡°This creature is called a Parasitic Spirit, which favors darkness. When young, it exists as an energy body, very weak. It searches for creatures to parasitize, constantly absorbing the host¡¯s bodily nutrients to achieve its evolution.¡± ¡°Once a host is targeted by this monster, those with weak spiritual power will fall into a prolonged coma until their nutrients are completely drained, ultimately serving as nourishment for the monster.¡± Upon hearing this, Su Fu visibly showed alarm. Zhang Xiaoman continued, ¡°The strength of the Parasitic Spirit increases with the length of time it parasitizes its host. Once it fully evolves, it will use the host¡¯s flesh and blood to reconstitute its own body, and like a butterfly breaking out of its chrysalis, it emerges from its shell as a fleshy, living monster...¡± ¡°This monster is the Blood Butterfly.¡± ¡°Blood Butterfly...?¡± Su Fu muttered to himself, a look of both fear and astonishment on his face, he had not expected this creature to grow in such a bizarre way. ¡°Once the Blood Butterfly spreads its wings, it¡¯s about the size of two people. Its abdomen bears a mark similar to the facial features of its victims, hence it¡¯s also called the Human Face Butterfly.¡± ¡°Unlike the weaker Parasitic Spirits, Blood Butterflies are extremely powerful! They are fond of consuming brain marrow and possess very strong spiritual abilities. Ordinary people who encounter them will lose their ability to resist under the massive Spiritual Shock in an instant, becoming a delightful meal for the Blood Butterflies.¡± ¡°Of course, they are not without weaknesses. While possessing strong spiritual power, their bodies are relatively fragile in contrast. If encountered, one should try close-range killing instead of running away. After all, your speed could never surpass that of the mind.¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt that he could now switch careers to writing novels. It was the same last time when he fooled Brother Hero, always feeling unstoppable whenever inspiration struck. Su Fu naturally believed this without a doubt. No matter how outrageous Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s fabrications were, the moment the latter truly demonstrated that extraordinary power and saved his son from despair, he could only believe that it all was true. After all, the facts were right before his eyes. What was there to question? The two had arrived at the doorstep of the mansion during their conversation, and the group of old Taoists outside quieted down when they saw the homeowner emerge. Master Liao stepped forward a few paces, firstly bowing to Su Fu, and then asked, ¡°I just heard the fierce ghost¡¯s roar from inside the house. May I ask if Young Master Su¡¯s condition has improved now?¡± Su Fu looked at him with some disgust, but still answered, ¡°Thank you all for your concern. Changqing has passed the critical period and is now resting inside.¡± Master Liao heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m relieved. Our efforts were not in vain.¡± Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman raised his eyebrows slightly. Oh ho, this old man spoke with hidden implications. Indeed, another Taoist stood out next to him, bowing slightly towards Su Fu, and said, ¡°Mr. Su, in my view, although Mr. Pei captured the ghost, it was actually through the convenience provided by us, particularly Master Liao.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Master Liao consuming a great amount of his cultivation and severely injuring that ghost, Mr. Pei¡¯s journey might have ended with more bad luck than good.¡± This man was the Taoist who had been shouting about high technology in the courtyard previously. He had never believed in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s so-called exorcism, thinking that the young fellow must have used some sort of sound system or the like. And moreover, it was sheer luck that Mr. Su was conveniently cured by those doctors, thus receiving the credit. So, he had earnestly persuaded the others to await their turn to share a piece of the pie. As he spoke, some people in the crowd immediately began voicing their agreement. Zhang Xiaoman could now see plainly that these old folks were trying to steal credit. But he was not worried. From his interactions with Su Fu during this period, Zhang Xiaoman could tell that Boss Su was a keen and astute man. The old tactics of these Taoists probably would not deceive him. As expected, Su Fu looked displeased and inquired of the Taoist, ¡°Oh? May I know what exactly is this ghost you speak of?¡± The high-tech Taoist was taken aback for a moment, and after a brief silence, he said, ¡°This individual was a wrongful death ghost, named Li Gousheng, who died at the hands of Knife Thugs during the period of the Republic. Later, a passerby woodcutter buried him in the forest and erected a solitary tomb, which was never visited for worship. Due to the locust grove¡¯s yin nurturing properties and his heavy resentment, he transformed into a fierce ghost that troubled the village. Later, Mr. Su encountered him while making a bet, and thus the ghost attached to him, drawing his yang energy.¡± ¡°All this I came to know through the memory of the ghost when I explored with my True Qi. Mr. Su, if you do not believe me, please feel free to ask the other Taoist brethren.¡± The old Taoist elaborated without a single pause, leaving Zhang Xiaoman somewhat stunned. Chapter 39 - 39 39 Dividing the Money ?39: Chapter 39: Dividing the Money 39: Chapter 39: Dividing the Money Jin Bao¡¯s expression was quite ugly at this moment. Previously, Zhang Xiaoman had used real extraordinary means to prove the truthfulness of his words to him. In his view, all of this was undoubtedly just as the master had said, the work of something called the Blood Butterfly. Now, hearing the person in front of him seriously concocting a story about restless ghosts, a surge of nameless anger arose in his heart. Although I, Su Fu, have treated you with respect, this does not mean you can recklessly make up stories, thinking I, Su Fu, am a fool? Thinking of this, even with his temperament, his face couldn¡¯t help but turn cold as he said in a deep voice: ¡°Gentlemen, I was originally grateful that you all came to help me with the exorcism, but I didn¡¯t expect you to come together and make up a story about restless ghosts to deceive me! Do you really think Su Fu is a fool? Considering that Changqing has already recovered, I won¡¯t hold this against you today. Please, feel free to leave now!¡± With these words, it was clear he was sending them away. He also told them that their travel expenses were gone, and they should return the way they came. The old Taoists immediately refused to accept this, and some unrest began to unfold at the scene. At this moment, Wu Feng came over with a group of bodyguards and managed to suppress them. The old Taoists, realizing they could do nothing to Su Fu, instantly directed their anger at the few who had led the trouble-making. You say the problem has already been resolved, wouldn¡¯t it have been fine to just take the money and leave? Why did you have to make such a commotion? In the end, not only did we miss the cake, but we also lost our travel expenses. Isn¡¯t this just screwing us over? Instantly, people led by Master Liao and the high-tech group became the targets of a collective attack. Now, no one cared if you were somewhat famous in the industry; daring to cut off their own fortune was something they couldn¡¯t indulge. On the side, Zhang Xiaoman and Su Fu no longer bothered with the crowd¡¯s drama and instead found a quiet place again. ¡°Boss Su, today¡¯s problem has been resolved. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back first. Oh, and could you tell me where your son encountered the monster last time? I¡¯d like to go check again to see if there are any that slipped through the net.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was actually quite satisfied with this trip¡¯s gains. Although a bit of Holy Water and Divine Grace was wasted, he now had a better understanding of these types of monsters. If he encountered them again in the future, Zhang Xiaoman could earn a substantial amount of points. After all, using the Soul Absorption Technique doesn¡¯t require any consumption; these are all cost-free profits. Su Fu nodded thoughtfully, then smiled heartily and said: ¡°Mr. Zhang, you¡¯ve really been a big help today. I¡¯m tied up with a lot right now but will have Wu Feng drive you back later. Please allow me to host you properly another day.¡± Zhang Xiaoman exchanged a few polite remarks and didn¡¯t take it too much to heart. His purpose for this visit was achieved, gaining both money and points, truly a fruitful harvest. ... After saying goodbye to Su Fu, Zhang Xiaoman returned to his residential complex. He parked his sushi truck in the garage, closed the door, and reached into his pocket for the Swift Stone. Five seconds later, in the bedroom on the fifth floor. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s figure instantly appeared on his bed. True, he had used the hearthstone directly downstairs out of laziness to avoid climbing the stairs. Zhang Xiaoman thought that if it weren¡¯t for the need to store a bunch of ingredients every morning, he might have even been too lazy to ride the food cart back, probably just leaving it at Sixth Master¡¯s House and using the hearthstone. Thinking of the Sixth Master, Zhang Xiaoman recalled the events that had just occurred at the Su family, noting that except for Su Fu, everyone seemed to think he was Pei Laoliu all along... ¡°Sixth Master, sorry about today, I made you take a lot of blame. Next time I visit your place, I¡¯ll bring you an old goose, haha.¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought to himself. Checking his watch, it was already past eight in the evening. Having been hungry all afternoon, Zhang Xiaoman was now unbearably hungry. He opened the door of his room and walked out to the living room where his mother was watching the latest web series via TV screen casting. At the other end of the sofa, Zhang Jinbao and Zhang Xiaohua were huddled together, sound asleep. Seeing Zhang Xiaoman come out of the room, they hazily opened their eyes, took a glance at him, and then continued to sleep. Recently, Zhang Xiaoman had noticed a strange phenomenon. In the past, whenever he came home from work, the dog Jinbao would excitedly jump up at him. But in the past few days, when he used the hearthstone and appeared from his room, his dog remained entirely indifferent and did not come to greet him, which he found rather curious. ¡°You¡¯re back, huh? Was business that good today? Why did you work until now?¡± His mother glanced at him, having grown accustomed to her son¡¯s laziness in not even wanting to climb the stairs. Zhang Xiaoman grinned mysteriously, ran to the couch, and waved his phone in front of his mom. ¡°Hehe, mom, let me tell you, today¡¯s business wasn¡¯t just good, it was fantastic. Guess how much I made?¡± His mother rolled her eyes and pushed his phone away. ¡°Show off. With your lousy stall, making 100 in a day would be good. Did you get lucky today and hit triple digits? Maybe 200 yuan?¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head and smiled: ¡°Too low, guess again.¡± ¡°Whoa? Did you make it to 300 today? That lucky, huh?¡± Zhang Xiaoman continued to shake his head. ¡°Of course more than that, guess higher.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Surprised, his mother took another look at him and said: ¡°You mean you made 500 today?¡± Zhang Xiaoman still shook his head. ¡°1000!¡± This time, Mom doubled the amount. Zhang Xiaoman still shook his head. ¡°Hey, you little rascal!¡± Mom slapped him and said unhappily, ¡°Even fooling your own mom!? How much did you actually earn? Spill the beans!¡± Zhang Xiaoman grinned sheepishly, then flashed the number six with his hand. ¡°Could it be 6000? What on earth did you do today to earn so much?¡± Mom¡¯s eyes widened. Seeing the look on his mom¡¯s face, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but boast, ¡°How could it be just 6000? Add a zero to the end of that number...¡± ¡°Sixty thousand!?¡± Mom¡¯s face turned to shock. Zhang Xiaoman smiled shyly. ¡°Mom, let me finish speaking. After you add that zero, you need to add another one.¡± He said this as he stretched out his other hand, also making a six gesture, and the hands touched as he spoke, ¡°Six sixes, super smooth!¡± ¡°How, how much?¡± Mom was already somewhat bewildered by then. ¡°Super smooth, yup.¡± Zhang Xiaoman added as he held out his phone to her. This time mom didn¡¯t push it away but snatched it, staring fixedly at the digits displayed on the screen. ¡°Six, sixty-six thousand, six hundred sixty-six...¡± Mom stammered through the digits, her eyes shifting from confusion, to disbelief, and then to wild joy ¨C the expression on her face was exactly like Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s earlier one. ¡°How, how did you manage to earn so much money?¡± Zhang Xiaoman chuckled and immediately recounted what had happened today at the Su family¡¯s place. In his excitement, he even mimicked the movements from earlier. Mother and son embraced the new fortune of over six hundred thousand, brimming with joy, while the dog and the fat cat nearby looked utterly perplexed. ¡°Mom, and it¡¯s not just that. Boss Su also gave me this.¡± Zhang Xiaoman said as he took out an exquisitely crafted jade pendant and handed it to his mom. ¡°This looks pretty valuable, but I don¡¯t like wearing such things. Mom, if you like it, you can wear it.¡± Upon hearing this, Mom took the jade pendant, inspected it closely, couldn¡¯t figure out much beyond its attractiveness, and, without any pretense, joyfully accepted it. Though Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t understand the market for jade, the envious looks from Wu Feng and Xiao Hei when Su Fu handed him the pendant suggested that the item was clearly not cheap. Perhaps, compared to that six hundred sixty-six thousand, this jade pendant was the truly valuable thing. He somewhat understood Su Fu¡¯s intention. The other party clearly saw him as some sort of transcendent master and assumed he wasn¡¯t interested in wealth, which is why he specially prepared this pendant. He felt somewhat resigned; actually, he would have preferred cash. ... Today was destined to be an unforgettable day. Zhang Xiaoman had, for the first time since obtaining the System, reaped financial benefits through it. The six hundred sixty-six thousand was a substantial amount of money for him at this point. And the most thrilling part was that this fortune was just the beginning. After the joy of an unexpected windfall, it was time to grab the cake. Zhang Xiaoman, with a grand gesture, declared generously, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be shy, just take the thirty thousand six hundred sixty-six as pocket money!¡± Mom looked at him skeptically and said, ¡°Oh? One might think it¡¯s fairer to split this fifty-fifty.¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°But... dear mother! You have everything you need provided for at home, why do you need so much money?¡± ¡°Of course, I am keeping it for you. Tell me, since you were a child, whenever you had a bit of money, didn¡¯t you spend it recklessly? With so much cash on hand, what else do you plan to buy?¡± Zhang Xiaoman stammered, ¡°I... I... I need to buy a car! And gear, like Level 3 Armor and Level 3 Helmets, those are really expensive! Plus, I¡¯m planning to rent some abandoned workshops on the outskirts of the city and turn them into a warehouse and base, all of it¡¯s useful!¡± Mom, confused, said, ¡°Why do you need a warehouse? And a base, what for?¡± Zhang Xiaoman seriously replied, ¡°They are definitely useful! Think about it, Mom, it¡¯s probably the revival of Spiritual Energy now, even Space Nodes are appearing. In the future, there might be more monsters, and who knows what things could turn into around here! So, we need to be prepared, to ensure we have a backup plan.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really thinking too far ahead.¡± Mom gave him a roll of her eyes but didn¡¯t say anything more. In the end, Zhang Xiaoman handed over 166,666 yuan, of which more than sixty thousand was for Mom to splurge, and the remaining hundred thousand was banked by Mom ¡°for safekeeping¡± in her own account. As Zhang Xiaoman looked at the remaining five hundred thousand in his wallet, his heart was torn between pain and pleasure. Chapter 40 - 40 40 Legendary Items ?40: Chapter 40: Legendary Items 40: Chapter 40: Legendary Items Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night¡ªliterally sleepless. Zhang Xiaoman tossed and turned in bed for several hours but couldn¡¯t fall asleep. It wasn¡¯t because of the excitement of winning a huge amount of money that kept him awake. On the contrary, as a Sleep King Level expert, he could fall asleep whenever he wanted to, even in a KTV private room blaring ¡°Even If I Die, I Must Love¡±. But tonight was different. Zhang Xiaoman felt energetically vibrant, as if he had just awakened from a centuries-long slumber, brimming with an abundance of energy. He sat up in bed, scratched his head vigorously, and finally figured out the reason. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that absorbing energy could substitute for sleep? It looks like I won¡¯t need to sleep anymore...¡± He didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or depressed. Suddenly losing such a significant pleasure in life, he found it difficult to adapt for a while. Checking the time, it was already past 3 AM. Dawn was upon him, so Zhang Xiaoman simply got dressed and got up. While pouring a glass of water in the living room, he opened the system interface, deciding to use today¡¯s lottery draw. He reached out and clicked the lottery draw button. After so many draws, Zhang Xiaoman had managed to stay relatively calm and collected. As he casually withdrew his hand, a familiar spatial distortion followed, and the living room was suddenly filled with a splendid orange glow, an ancient and profound aura rushing forth. ¡°Orange light? Hmm... ORANGE LIGHT!!!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s action of drinking water became too vigorous, and he ended up dousing himself with water. He didn¡¯t care about anything else and quickly looked at the prompt that popped up on the system interface. ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained a Legendary item¡ªSkill Big Gift Pack.¡± The transfer from the space completed, and an orange gift box fell out, landing silently on the floor as if weightless. ¡°Holy shit!! A Legendary item!!¡± After realizing what had happened, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but exclaim excitedly. He immediately untied the string around the box and flung open the lid. As he did so, numerous Skill Light Balls of varying sizes popped out of the box, scattering all over the living room floor. ¡°One, two, three, four... nine, ten!¡± Zhang Xiaoman counted all the skills, and there were ten in total! He then picked up the Light Balls from the floor and arranged them. The numerous Skill Light Balls were, from small to large, in green, blue, purple, and orange. Of these, there were five green Light Balls, three blue ones, one purple, and one orange. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze was subconsciously drawn to the largest orange Light Ball. His eyes lingered on it for a moment before an attribute panel emerged. [Following the Way of Heaven] ¡ªExpel evil with Heavenly steps, Ascending Sword Absolute Saint Formation. ¡ªTo practice this skill, one must first become a eunuch. ¡°What the hell is this...?¡± Staring at the brief system introduction, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Can someone tell me... what the hell is the meaning of the sentence below...?¡± ¡°The Kuihua Manual?¡± A darkness fell before Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes. A bad premonition suddenly surfaced in his mind. What kind of gift pack did I actually draw... After a long while, he came to his senses, grabbed the orange Light Ball from the ground, and began squeezing it with disbelief. ¡°Maybe, just maybe, that last sentence from the system is just for show...¡± He tried to reassure himself. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he squeezed, the Light Ball remained intact. ¡°Could it be that the system is serious about this...?¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart. He then tried every possible method to break the Light Ball, but it was as if it had made up its mind to be unyielding; no matter how much he abused it, it wouldn¡¯t give in. Finally, Zhang Xiaoman stopped, feeling somewhat deflated. At this moment, his mother was also disturbed by the noise and walked out of the room, her eyes bleary from sleep. ¡°Zhang Xiaoman, what are you doing? It¡¯s so late and you¡¯re not sleeping.¡± Zhang Xiaoman saw the opportunity and had an idea, so he handed the Skill Light Ball to his mother to see if she could try to crush it. His mother, looking utterly confused, took the Light Ball and squeezed it hard in her hand, but just like Zhang Xiaoman, she also couldn¡¯t crush the Light Ball. ¡°This... Could it be that only a eunuch can do it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman took back the Light Ball from his mother and muttered dejectedly, ¡°But we don¡¯t have a eunuch in our family...¡± Just then, the dog Jin Bao trotted out of its kennel, seemingly headed to the bathroom for a drink of water. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze involuntarily fell upon it. ¡°Mom, I remember, didn¡¯t Jin Bao get his balls cut off?¡± he asked. His mother nodded. Jin Bao, seeing his master staring at him with a strange expression, couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°Woof?¡± His dog face was full of bewilderment and innocence. ¡°Jin Bao, come here.¡± Zhang Xiaoman waved toward the dog. Jin Bao seemed to sense something and started to back away. With a sigh of resignation, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Jin Bao, let¡¯s go, we¡¯re going out to play!¡± Upon hearing the words ¡°going out,¡± Jin Bao instantly pricked up his ears and wagged his tail vigorously, running over with a ¡°huffing and puffing¡± sound. Zhang Xiaoman quickly extended his hand and slapped the Skill Light Ball onto its body. The Light Ball shattered upon impact with Jin Bao, turning into a sky full of orange specks, like stars filling the night sky, both beautiful and intoxicating. The next moment, all of the orange stars converged on Jin Bao, instantly merging into his body. Startled by the commotion, Jin Bao stretched his neck and barked several times, as if to say ¡°Stay away.¡± Once he had absorbed the Skill, Zhang Xiaoman then focused his gaze on his pet dog, and the dog¡¯s attribute panel appeared in his eyes. Jin Bao Skills: [Following the Way of Heaven] ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°As expected, this Skill can only be used by eunuchs...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the shimmering orange Skill, feeling a twinge of pain in his heart. He tapped on the name, Following the Way of Heaven, and the detailed information about the Skill then appeared before his eyes. [Following the Way of Heaven] It is said that this move comes from the Sunflower Refining God Skill, which was later obtained and improved by a predecessor of the Mount Hua Sword Heart, greatly increasing its power, but it can be cultivated only under certain conditions. Usage effect: Absorbs all surrounding Sword Array enhancement effects; cannot be stacked Energy consumption: None Range: 500-meter radius Duration: 1 minute Cooling time: 24 hours ¡ª¡ªAscending Sword Absolute Saint Formation. ¡°Hm? Is this the Legendary level Ability? What does it mean by ¡®Sword Array¡¯ mentioned in there?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was a bit puzzled after reading the Skill description. The Skill didn¡¯t seem very powerful based on its attributes. The cooling time was a day, and it lasted only a minute. He didn¡¯t even know what the so-called Sword Array was. Zhang Xiaoman described this Ability to his mother, as others couldn¡¯t see the attribute panel, only the host could see these things. After listening to his description, his mother furrowed her brows in thought for a moment, then suddenly pointed at the Skill Light Balls on the ground and said: ¡°Xiao Man, do you think the Sword Array might be those things on the ground?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was startled and instantly came back to his senses. ¡°Right! I almost forgot about it. These Skills all came from the same Gift Pack, so they should be a set! Maybe the Sword Array is in here!¡± After saying that, he looked down at the little Light Balls on the ground, observing their attributes. Chapter 41 - 41 41 Sword Array ?41: Chapter 41 Sword Array 41: Chapter 41 Sword Array First to catch his eye was the biggest and most dazzling purple Light Ball among the nine; Zhang Xiaoman focused his gaze on it, and its attribute panel instantly appeared. [Mountain River Suppression] ¡ª¡ªMysterious Sword Transformation. ¡°Huh? It really does seem similar to the previous skill, it looks like it might really be part of a set.¡± Zhang Xiaoman said while taking a look at the other eight skills, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness, it seems the other skills don¡¯t require any self-castration...¡± Zhang Xiaoman picked up the Skill Balls one by one from the ground and, while making a ¡°pop, pop, pop...¡± sound effect, he burst all of them. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s satisfying!!¡± he exclaimed with a long sigh, his face full of comfort. Then he saw the dog Jin Bao nearby and a feeling of pity rose in his heart. ¡°Jin Bao! You really came out ahead this time!¡± Zhang Xiaoman paused, as if thinking of something, and continued, ¡°It looks like I might have to train you into a proper tool dog after all...¡± Jin Bao: ¡°Woof! Woof!¡± Upon hearing this, he was startled, then waved his hand: ¡°Go on, go on, go grab some water if you¡¯re thirsty, don¡¯t be an eyesore here.¡± Understanding his master¡¯s gesture, Jin Bao happily ran to drink water from Zhang Xiaohua¡¯s bowl. Zhang Xiaoman no longer paid him any attention and refocused on the skills he had just learned. Opening the attribute panel, there was a significant change; the nine newly acquired skills flashed with various colors, dominating Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s field of view, making him eager to check their details. First were the five green skills, which are: Sky Shattering, Three Pure Ones, Shattering Stars, Harmonizing Yin and Yang, Soaring Beyond the Void. Zhang Xiaoman opened one of the skills to bring up its detailed information. [Sky Shattering] Usage effect: Place a sword nearby to form an array eye, granting the ¡°Breaking Sun Formation¡± effect to allied units within a certain range of the array eye. Breaking Sun Formation: Increases energy attack by 5%. Energy consumption: 5 Energy Effective range: radius 5 meters Duration: 1 minute Cooling time: 1 minute ¡ª¡ªLonely Sword Breaking Sun Formation. ¡°Hmm, certainly a Sword Array...¡± Zhang Xiaoman observed the skill panel¡¯s introduction and couldn¡¯t help nodding. ¡°This one is basically a buffing skill, but it¡¯s rate-limited; I think I know which game these skills come from... However, they seem somewhat different to the game, could they have been modded?¡± Next, Zhang Xiaoman reviewed the other four green skills and found that, aside from the different benefits they provided, the rest of the attributes including energy consumption and range were the same. They are: [Shattering Stars] Shattering Star Formation: Increases physical attack by 5%. ¡ª¡ªJade Sword Shattering Star Stance [Three Pure Ones] Soul Stealing Stance: Increases spiritual power by 5%. ¡ª¡ªDivine Sword Soul Stealing Stance [Harmonizing Yin and Yang] Qiankun Formation: Increases speed by 5%. ¡ª¡ªExtreme Sword Qiankun Skill. [Soaring Beyond the Void] Soul Suppressing Stance: Increases attack speed by 5%. ¡ª¡ªThunder Sword Soul Suppressing Formation. That concludes all green Skill effects, which Zhang Xiaoman was quite satisfied with. Although they seemed insignificant at only a 5% increase, they could be upgraded in the future, offering substantial improvement potential. Having grasped the green Skills, he moved on to the three blue Skills, which were: Life Tai Chi, Swallowing Sun and Moon, and Transforming Heaven and Earth. Zhang Xiaoman opened the first Skill to check it out. [Life Tai Chi] Usage effect: Plant a sword nearby to form an array eye, granting the ¡°Sky-filling Formation¡± effect to allied units within a certain range. Sky-filling Formation: Immunity to control effects. Energy consumption: 10 Energy Effective range: Radius of 5 meters Duration: 1 minute Cooling time: 1 minute ¡ª¡ªFlying Sword Full Sky Formation. When Zhang Xiaoman saw this Skill description, his first thought was of the Shadow Demon monster he had previously encountered. If he had possessed this Skill at the time, the Shadow Demon¡¯s control would have been ineffective against him, and he could have easily poured Holy Water over it. ¡°This Skill is fantastic! The thing I fear most right now is control type monsters. Once controlled, it¡¯s impossible to even teleport away, let alone fight.¡± He was ecstatic and opened the other two blue Skills with great anticipation. [Swallowing Sun and Moon] Prisoner Dragon Formation: No flight allowed. ¡ª¡ªIce Sword Capturing Dragon Stance. [Transforming Heaven and Earth] Primordial Force: Converts 5% of physical attacks received into Physical Strength and 5% of energy attacks into Energy. ¡ª¡ªSpirit Sword Ying Yuan Formation. The attributes of these two Skills were similar to Life Tai Chi. However, the Swallowing Sun and Moon Skill targeted enemy units. Zhang Xiaoman was quite pleased with these two Skills, one preventing flight and the other providing recovery, both being powerful. They would surely be very useful later on. Especially Transforming Heaven and Earth, although it recovered Physical Strength rather than Qi-Blood, he could even envision himself slaughtering millions of monsters with this ability once the Skill level was high. Now, having reviewed eight Skills, only the last one remained, which was the highest quality Skill Zhang Xiaoman currently possessed. [Mountain River Suppression] Usage effect: Plant a sword nearby to form an array eye, granting the ¡°Transformation State¡± effect to allied units within a certain range. Transformation State: Immunity to all types of damage. Energy consumption: 20 Energy Effective range: Radius of 1 meter Duration: 5 seconds Cooling time: 1 hour ¡ª¡ªMysterious Sword Transformation. When Zhang Xiaoman finished reading the introduction to this Skill, his jaw nearly hit the floor. He hadn¡¯t expected the effect to be quite like it was in games, making him immune to damage. ¡°Invincible? What the hell!¡± Zhang Xiaoman exclaimed loudly, startling his mom. ¡°Mom! I¡¯m invincible!¡± He hurriedly explained the new ability¡¯s effect to his mom, who was also pleasantly surprised after hearing it. ¡°It takes me 5 seconds to teleport back to town, and this Skill makes me invincible for 5 seconds. That means if I encounter a monster I can¡¯t defeat, I can just activate invincibility and teleport! Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry about me everyday now. With these two abilities, I can pretty much stay undefeated.¡± Although his mom was still a bit concerned, she nodded and said, ¡°This ability is indeed impressive, but you still can¡¯t be careless; you must be cautious in all matters.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded hastily in agreement, yet his gaze turned to the golden retriever sleeping back in its kennel. He imagined what it would be like if it activated its Skill after he set up nine Sword Arrays. ¡°Hmm, it seems I might have the potential to be a Summoner in the future...¡± Chapter 42 - 42 42 Next Steps Plan ?42: Chapter 42 Next Steps Plan 42: Chapter 42 Next Steps Plan Mom went to bed. Zhang Xiaoman was still sitting on the sofa in the living room. he had energy in him and didn¡¯t need to sleep for the time being. He tapped on the attribute panel over and over, never tiring of looking at the new skills he had acquired, even though he couldn¡¯t use the most powerful Fusion skill himself. But since that was the case, he didn¡¯t dwell on it. After all, it was his own dog. If he came across a big boss, he could just release Jin Bao. On the balcony, the dog Jin Bao, deep in sleep, was still unaware that it had been designated as someone¡¯s future backup hitter. ¡°I should have around 20 points of energy now, deploying a green Sword Array costs 5 points, a blue one costs 10 points, and the purple Mountain River Suppression needs 20 points... Leaving other things aside, this energy limit is indeed a bit low. My urgent task now is to find a way to increase my energy cap...¡± Zhang Xiaoman analyzed his attributes information, but the System provided too little guidance¡ªmany things felt like he was examining them through a veil. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ve got a decent understanding of the skills now. It¡¯s time to try one out!¡± He sprang up from the sofa and selected a green skill that only cost 5 points of his energy reserves, trying to activate it silently in his mind, just as he had done with the Soul Absorption Technique. However, half a minute passed and there was no activity around Zhang Xiaoman. He looked at his attribute list in confusion. The skill name was correct, but why couldn¡¯t he use it? Could it be that this skill had to be shouted out loud? With that thought, he formed a sword gesture with his hand and shouted, ¡°Sky Shattering!¡± Then, keeping that pose, nothing happened after a considerable wait. ¡°That¡¯s not right! Isn¡¯t it that in the games, once the character strikes a pose, a sword flies from his body and spins around in the sky before stabbing down into the ground¨Cwhy doesn¡¯t it work when I do it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman walked around the living room in irritation. Who would have thought that the anticipated Sword Array couldn¡¯t be used? ¡°Could it be that I¡¯ve been misunderstanding this whole time and my energy value isn¡¯t even close to 20 points? Or maybe it¡¯s not even 5 points?¡± Zhang Xiaoman suddenly considered a possibility. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case, then I¡¯ll have to make another trip to Su Fu¡¯s house tomorrow to absorb some more energy...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was deep in thought with a frown, having reached the door of his room. Still, he tried to activate the skill one last time. ¡°Sword, come forth!¡± He whispered, raising his hand to point at the floor in front of him. The moment the action was completed, Zhang Xiaoman instinctively went to shake his head. That was too cringeworthy. However, before he could react any further, he heard a disturbance coming from the room behind him. Then came the sound of something slicing through the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a colorful stick-like object whizzing by his side and then whirling around the spacious living room. Accompanied by a swishing sound, the object struck directly towards the spot he had just pointed at. ¡°Thump...¡± It was the sound of plastic breaking. Zhang Xiaoman stared dumbfounded at the ¡°Immortal Slaying Sword¡± on the floor, broken into several sections, before he came back to his senses after a long while. ¡°This, isn¡¯t this the ¡®Immortal Slaying Sword¡¯ I won last time? How did it fly over here?¡± He looked at his own finger and then at the plastic sword on the ground, gradually a light of realization appeared on his face. ¡°Could it be that the activation command for this skill is, ¡®Sword, come forth¡¯?¡± Just as the thought crossed Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind, he immediately dismissed it. ¡°That can¡¯t be the reason... It doesn¡¯t make sense...¡± He muttered to himself, then brightened up, annoyed at his own foolishness as he smacked his forehead. ¡°I¡¯ve been foolish, so foolish.¡± He remembered now, the skill description had made it very clear, ¡°Plant a sword by your side to form a Sword Array.¡± Because of the inertia of the game mechanics, he hadn¡¯t thought in that direction. After all, in the game, the sword came right out of the character as a Qi Sword without needing to prepare any actual sword in the inventory. But this was reality. In reality, he realized, the abilities awarded by the System lottery had changed somewhat. The most evident change now was that he needed a real ¡®sword¡¯! Zhang Xiaoman looked down at the heroically sacrificed toy sword on the floor, he already knew the answer. However, a new question arose due to this. ¡°What is the definition of a ¡®sword¡¯? Does it have to be commonly recognized by people as a sword, or does it just have to be something I consider a sword?¡± With these thoughts, he had already moved to the kitchen and picked up a spatula. Then he stared intently at it, trying to hypnotize himself into believing it was indeed a sword. ¡°Shattering Stars!¡± Zhang Xiaoman gave it another go, but the spatula remained motionless in his palm. ¡°It seems that the definition of a ¡®sword¡¯ has to be universally acknowledged as a ¡®sword¡¯ for it to be valid.¡± As he mused, his gaze returned to the remains of the Immortal Slaying Sword on the floor. ¡°Although the sword skill was activated just now and I could feel the skill enter cooldown, the skill still failed to deploy... which means, not only do I need a sword to activate this skill, but also the sword needs to insert into the ground to be effective.¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head, somewhat helpless. The limitations of these skills were greater than he had expected. He would need to buy some sufficiently hardy swords for it to work. After cleaning up the broken pieces, he went back to his own room to think over his next steps. ¡°Sushi, still selling?¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head. Of course not! With the five hundred thousand given by Su Fu, there was absolutely no need to waste time selling sushi every day. He¡¯d be better off finding more supernatural events, continuing to pose as a Master, offering exorcism services, and earning money and points. And now, he even had an invincible means of protecting his life. If he truly encountered danger, he could simply Teleport back, provided he had enough energy and a high-quality sword. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s time for me to start my hunting plan... So the first step is to go to the spot where young master Su encountered danger last time.¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes brimmed with the urge to fight. He now started to adapt to these monsters and was no longer as helpless as he had been in the beginning. ¡°But before that, for safety¡¯s sake, I still need to get my Sword Array ready. Let¡¯s go online and see if there¡¯s anywhere selling swords...¡± Chapter 43 - 43 43 Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak ?43: Chapter 43 Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak 43: Chapter 43 Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak Before he acquired the System, Zhang Xiaoman, as a member of the Cultivation Party, had once longed for the ability to go without sleep. However, when his wish finally came true today, he realized that not being able to sleep was not at all as pleasant as he had imagined. Sleep symbolizes the end of the old; awakening marks the beginning of the new. The long dark night can be especially lonely for those with nothing to do. Thankfully, now that Zhang Xiaoman has the System, he wouldn¡¯t be too bored. After organizing his thoughts about what to do next, Zhang Xiaoman first spent nearly ten thousand yuan online to purchase three high-quality Metal Steel Swords. Due to his limited knowledge in this area, he took quite a while comparing back and forth, just trying to find materials with greater hardness. After all, he didn¡¯t need to consider things like moisture resistance or rust protection; he was going for one single purpose¡ªto stick the swords into the ground. Although the swords sold online were all unsharpened, Zhang Xiaoman did not require them to be particularly sharp. For him, the process of sticking swords into the ground did not need to be done by himself; it was all handled by the System. Therefore, theoretically speaking, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s swords just needed to be harder than the ground. After successfully ordering the three steel swords, he also bought some flashlights, liners for Bullet-Proof Vests, and other auxiliary equipment online. Since these were all professional-grade items, he ended up spending quite a bit of money. But now, with a large sum of money and the support of the System, Zhang Xiaoman felt that this small expense was just trivial; he was not worried at all. He opened the System Store interface and looked at his current points balance¡ªhe had 11 points, enough for another Upgrade. This time, he didn¡¯t hesitate much; after a brief thought, he decided to spend all these points immediately. After all, points were the kind of thing that could only enhance his strength when spent. ¡°I wonder how the System determines which items to Upgrade. I don¡¯t know if those bullets made from Holy Water will be selected, and if they are, how many it could Upgrade...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was sorting his equipment when he took the last two drops of Divine Grace from a small bottle and made them into bullets, placing them in the last two slots of the spare magazine. This way, not only would it be much easier to carry around, but it could also serve as an unexpected means of attack in the future. After preparing everything, Zhang Xiaoman reopened the main System interface, ready for an Upgrade. He was still very much looking forward to this Upgrade. The ideal outcome would, of course, be an Upgrade to his Soul Absorption Technique or Invincible Skill. After all, one was a mana recovery Skill that had no consumption and could also be used as a means of attack; the other was his life-saving Divine Skill, which was directly related to his safety level. ¡°Heavenly Gods bless me, Supreme Deity protect me, great System, please grant me strength!¡± Zhang Xiaoman prayed fervently. Then, eyes wide open with lightning speed, he swiftly pressed the Upgrade option. ¡°Random Upgrade in progress, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! White item¡ªwine-stained cloak, has been successfully Upgraded to white item¡ªBeautiful Wine Stained Cloak.¡± ¡°Cloak!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was startled and quickly looked towards the little red cloth hanging on the chair. With the success of the Upgrade, he saw the wine stain on the cloth begin to spread and change slowly. With the color deepening, a rich aroma of wine emanated. After a while. Looking at the small cloak that had now ceased any movement, lines of frustration emerged on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face. What kind of nonsense is this? Is this so-called Upgrade just about sprinkling some more wine on my cloak? There¡¯s practically no change at all! Also, what¡¯s with the ¡®Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak¡¯? Just one extra word! The System is really half-assing it now! He ¡°thump thump thud¡± ran to the chair where the cloak was hanging, grabbed the small red cloak, and sniffed it close to his nose. ¡°Why does this smell so strong of alcohol? I don¡¯t remember it being this exaggerated before, it feels like it¡¯s been soaked in a wine vat for a month. This is no wine-stained cloak, it might as well be called a wine brew cloak.¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt he had been royally screwed by the System. This piece of cloth, only a little larger than a rag, although he had won it a few days ago, he had never worn it. The reason being, it was just too ugly, and it smelled awful, not to mention the stench couldn¡¯t be washed out no matter what. If he were to wear this thing on his back while setting up his stall, he¡¯d probably be surrounded and ogled by the neighborhood aunties and uncles all day long. ¡°The System is such a scam, other than the scent being a bit more fragrant than before, not even the material has changed. It¡¯s still so rough to touch...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was rubbing the cloth in his hands, but his gaze didn¡¯t wander. Instead, he stared steadfastly at one spot, and after a few breaths, he opened its attribute panel. [Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak] Armor 5 Spiritual Power 1 ¡ª¡ª¡±Who¡¯s the little rascal that spilled my ¡¯82 Lafite!¡± As soon as the attribute panel appeared, the disdain in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes instantly changed to a mix of surprise and delight. The reason being a new attribute had appeared on the cloak¡ªSpiritual Power! Zhang Xiaoman was familiar with the concept of spiritual power, after all those years of gaming weren¡¯t for nothing. In most games, spiritual power is usually linked to magic limits and magic regeneration speed, and in some games, it¡¯s even related to magic damage and magic defense. It has to be said, these various possibilities indeed stirred up some anticipation in him. Zhang Xiaoman flipped the cloak over his shoulder, then lightly tied a knot at the collar, waiting quietly for the change to come. However, after carefully feeling for a moment, Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat disappointed to find that the cloak didn¡¯t give him that feeling of sudden enlightenment or a jolt to his spirit. On the contrary, the strong smell of alcohol from behind kept assaulting his nose, making him sneeze several times. ¡°Could it be that the spiritual power bonus is too low to be noticeable?¡± Zhang Xiaoman pondered the reason and subconsciously opened his attribute panel. When he saw his attributes, his eyes suddenly brightened. At the very top of his attribute panel, there were two new attributes: Zhang Xiaoman Spiritual Power: 1 Energy: 13/10 Ability: [Extract] ... ... ¡°This... I can see energy now? But why is the maximum only 10 points, that¡¯s so little!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was slightly surprised, but soon he figured it out: ¡°It seems that no matter what, my spiritual power attribute in reality can at least increase my energy limit! I was worrying about how to overcome this bottleneck, and here comes a pillow as I was dozing off. This Upgrade seems pretty powerful!¡± Chapter 44 - 44 44 The Confusing Maze ?44: Chapter 44 The Confusing Maze 44: Chapter 44 The Confusing Maze Zhang Xiaoman was quite thrilled upon learning that spiritual power could also increase one¡¯s energy limit. Even though the cape was a bit ugly, smelled quite strong, and was particularly prickly against his neck. But who could blame him when it could increase his energy limit? For him at this moment, an energy limit equaled invincible skills, which equaled survival¡ªhow could he not be happy? After repeating the process of taking off the cape and putting it back on several times, Zhang Xiaoman gradually began to understand some of the System¡¯s patterns. If he had a specific attribute, then it would be visible on his personal panel. However, as soon as he took off the cape, the additional spiritual power and energy values that had appeared would also vanish. ¡°It seems I don¡¯t have an energy limit inherently. When I absorbed the Parasitic Spirit, it caused the energy in my body to be in a state of overflow, and the excess energy would also dissipate over time. No wonder I was so energetic all night; it was an overload.¡± To Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s regret, he currently had only 14 points of energy, which was not enough to use Mountain River Suppression. He took off the cape and put it far away. Even though its attributes were great, the strong scent of alcohol was still a bit much to bear. Turning on his computer, Zhang Xiaoman decided to take this moment to browse some local paranormal forums, looking for any strange or enigmatic incidents nearby. He planned to take the initiative to try upgrading by fighting monsters. After logging into the forum he used to frequent, Zhang Xiaoman began to sift through those posts that might be real strange events. In the process, he noticed that the forum seemed to have become livelier than before. Many of the new posts would have several newly registered accounts joining the discussion, and the forum seemed to have become more active overnight. Zhang Xiaoman kept busy. He first took notes on several posts that seemed valuable, then he sent messages offering paid help to many of the users who had asked for assistance, and finally, he changed his nickname to ¡°Master Pei¡± and added some advertising phrases for exorcism services in his personal note. With all his bustling about, noon arrived before he knew it. Because of the energy overflow, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t feel tired at all. On the contrary, he was still full of vigor, feeling as if he had drunk fifty cans of Red Bull. Looking at the addresses he had organized, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face showed an eager expression. ¡°An abandoned chemical school, No Light Alley that can¡¯t turn on lights at night, a mysterious graveyard beside the Han Tomb, the junkyard in Zhao Village...¡± ¡°These seem pretty reliable. I can check them out one by one over the next couple of days.¡± Zhang Xiaoman tentatively set his plan, then browsed the forum again to see if there were any new posts. After clicking refresh, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly saw a very familiar title. ¡°Help, my house is surrounded by stray cats every night.¡± ¡°Huh? This post has been bumped up again?¡± Zhang Xiaoman wondered curiously. He clicked to read, seeing that the post was from a few days ago. The recent comments were either inquiries or jests from the community, and there was no further reply from the original poster. Zhang Xiaoman had a rather clear memory of this post because the pictures inside made him feel that the original poster wasn¡¯t just seeking attention but actually encountering the situation described. But back then, he was focused solely on survival and had no intention of poking his nose into other people¡¯s business. However, now that Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mentality had undergone a complete shift, and he had gained some new abilities, he sent a private message to the original poster, adopting the mindset of never letting a potential mistake slip by. Returning to the pictures in the post, Zhang Xiaoman gazed at the glowing eyes of the stray cats and couldn¡¯t help but wonder: ¡°What are these cats talking about?¡± ... ¡°Could they be trying to warn us that there¡¯s danger in that house?¡± In an office of the Qionghua City Government, a young policeman in his twenties was holding a coffee cup in one hand and sliding the mouse with the other, staring unblinkingly at the images on the computer screen. ¡°Wu Wei, can you stop daydreaming, it¡¯s absurd, I¡¯d believe if you said they were attracted by the pollen from No. 2, but claiming they¡¯re warning us of danger, do you really think they¡¯re dolphins? And since when does a warning consist of silently watching your front door in the dead of night?¡± At the other end of the office, a female police officer with her hair in a single ponytail spoke without lifting her head. The policeman called Wu Wei couldn¡¯t take it anymore, he turned around and looked at the female officer: ¡°Hey, Tang Mei, can you stop arguing with me? There are only four of us in the team, if not talking about solidarity with comrades, you¡¯re always stirring up internal strife. Do you believe I¡¯ll report you to Captain Hu and make you lose this month¡¯s bonus?¡± The female officer put down the pen in her hand and looked up at him with a glare: ¡°Go ahead, when you report to Captain Hu, don¡¯t forget to tell him you stuffed a bag of grasshoppers into my drawer last time, let¡¯s see who gets fined!¡± ¡°It was just a joke, do you have to be...¡± Wu Wei was speaking when suddenly the office door was flung open by a middle-aged policeman with a square face, who walked in looking travel-worn. ¡°Enough, I¡¯ve heard your petty squabbles at least five times, you might as well use that energy to finish organizing recent materials for me earlier.¡± As the middle-aged policeman spoke, he had already arrived at a desk, lifting a document bag in his hand, he continued toward the other two: ¡°I just went to the Three Institutes, the test report for No. 2 has come out, come and take a look.¡± The man and woman quickly gathered, their gazes all fixated on the document bag on the desk. Captain Hu wasted no time, reaching into the bag and pulling out a stack of paper documents, with several strange photos on a few of them. ¡°According to the research results, No. 2 is a plant-based life form with some gene segments similar to feline animals, highly developed reflexes, and most crucially, it has a metabolic system that is completely beyond our understanding. Professor Han said that this structure is something we have never encountered in history, not anywhere on Earth.¡± He paused here and looked at the two, asking, ¡°Do you remember No. 1 from the Fat Lake Villa District incident before?¡± Tang Mei immediately answered, ¡°Of course, although I wasn¡¯t in the team at that time, I¡¯ve seen the files later. They say it could exhale mist and transform into human faces, but it seemed to have no other threats, we took it down with a single shot.¡± Captain Hu nodded and said, ¡°Professor Han told me today that according to in-depth analysis, research, and calculations, No. 1 and No. 2 could exist on some peculiar biological chain...¡± Wu Wei¡¯s eyes brightened at this, ¡°Captain Hu, so this means they really could be from outer space? Does this count as contact with aliens for us?¡± Captain Hu waved it off and said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, leave those things to the Three Institutes. Our task is to understand them as much as possible and then come up with rapid and workable contingency plans.¡± Wu Wei shrank back a bit and muttered softly, ¡°Determining if it¡¯s an alien is part of understanding it...¡± Captain Hu rolled his eyes: ¡°Have you finished organizing the stuff I asked you for last time?¡± Wu Wei hurried back to his seat and retrieved a stack of files, saying: ¡°It¡¯s been done for a while, I also did some exchange and updating of information with the Criminal Investigation Department.¡± Captain Hu took them and looked through, his eyes scanning over some key information, he murmured softly, ¡°Chen Lu, male, twenty-nine years old, unemployed, has a cross-dressing fetish? His parents died in a plane crash three years ago, now living alone in Dian Garden Villa District. Found dead at home on the afternoon of July 13th, the murderer was No. 2 in the basement...¡± After quickly going through the content, Wu Wei couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Captain Hu, I heard the leadership is planning to expand our team? Is that true? Does that mean we¡¯ll have to start calling you Minister Hu soon?¡± Captain Hu glared, ¡°News travels fast with you! Stop speculating! We just need to do our own jobs well.¡± He paused then continued, ¡°No. 2 has been contained, everyone should take this opportunity to get some good rest these next few days. I have a feeling that we¡¯re going to get much busier soon...¡± Chapter 45 - 45 45 Purple Cloud Divine Sword ?45: Chapter 45 Purple Cloud Divine Sword 45: Chapter 45 Purple Cloud Divine Sword Noon was high, the sun blazed overhead, the sky was clear, and not a whisper of breeze stirred. The air itself seemed to have stalled. The number 8 bus Zhang Xiaoman was on came to a halt at a station in the old city with a grunt, dropped off a few passengers as if shaking off fleas, and then trundled slowly away. Standing at the curb, Zhang Xiaoman awkwardly felt the pocket-sized fold of his cloak in his pocket and gave a wry smile, shaking his head. Throughout his journey, the rich smell of alcohol emanating from this little cloak drew the eyes of everyone in the bus. Even with Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s thick skin, he couldn¡¯t help feeling his face heat up as a few old ladies on the bus whispered and pointed at him, giving him the kind of look reserved for social misfits. Fortunately, although the bus was old, it was also quite empty, so it didn¡¯t take long for him to shake off that awkward situation. After buying some cooked food nearby, Zhang Xiaoman headed towards Pei Laoliu¡¯s house, his hands laden with a heap of things. ¡°Master Liu! Come out and welcome your guest!¡± Zhang Xiaoman struggled to push open the door and squeezed into the deserted courtyard. In the shadow, the resting big black dog, Xiao Tian, got startled and, tucking its tail, started barking at him. ¡°Woof! Woof! Woof!¡± (¡°Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!¡±) Zhang Xiaoman heard this and his forehead creased. Intruder? Had anyone ever brought a table full of dishes to intrude? ¡°Big black, how come you never recognize me each time I visit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because its old now, its eyes aren¡¯t so good. Just call it a couple of times and it¡¯ll recognize you,¡± Master Liu came pushing the door open, clad in a simple elderly outfit, fanning himself with a broken fan, nowhere looking like the once commanding Half-immortal Pei. Even big black seemed to hear Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s voice, whined a little uncertainly, then lay back down. ¡°Master Liu, leaving the underworld life isn¡¯t without its benefits. Look at Big Black, it has gotten plumper these past few days without your meddling.¡± Pei Laoliu rolled his eyes and said gruffly, ¡°What are you talking about? I only take a little blood from it once a month and then feed it well with meat and fish. How come in your mouth, it sounds like I abuse it?¡± Zhang Xiaoman chuckled, handed over the stuff he was carrying to Pei Laoliu, and squeezed his way into the house. Pei Laoliu followed him in and watched Zhang Xiaoman expertly turning on the lights, the TV, and the air conditioner, and could not help but curse: ¡°You little pest, you¡¯re here to mess up again, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re paying the electricity bill next month!¡± Zhang Xiaoman pointed to the bag in his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Master Liu, check out what¡¯s inside first.¡± Mystified, Pei Laoliu opened the bag and his face immediately showed a ghost-seeing expression. ¡°Old goose! Roast duck! Cooked chicken! Beef...¡± he said, his face full of disbelief as he turned to Zhang Xiaoman, ¡°Did the sun rise from the west today? You didn¡¯t take the wrong medicine, did you? Bringing me so much stuff.¡± Zhang Xiaoman chuckled, ¡°Master Liu, when have I ever short-changed you? I respect you the most! See, the moment I got my salary, I came straight here to pay my respects.¡± He said this, but inwardly he added, ¡°Sorry, Master Liu, but there will be more burdens for you in the future, consider this an appetizer.¡± Unaware of any of this, Pei Laoliu¡¯s face broke into a satisfied grin. ¡°You¡¯ve got a conscience, kid. Master Liu hasn¡¯t doted on you for nothing.¡± With that, he continued rummaging through the bag, turning it upside down in his search until he finally stopped, puzzled. ¡°Where¡¯s the liquor you bought?¡± he asked. ¡°What liquor?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was taken aback. ¡°The moment you walked in here, there was a strong smell of alcohol. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t bring any liquor.¡± Zhang Xiaoman paused, then silently took out the cloak from his pocket. Pei Laoliu: ¡°...¡± Half an hour later. Master Liu wiped the greasy corners of his mouth and took another sip of his drink, sitting upright with a serious expression, and said, ¡°Tell me, what brings you here this time?¡± Zhang Xiaoman gave him a thumbs up, ¡°I can¡¯t escape the scrutiny of your keen eyes, Master Liu. Indeed, I¡¯ve come to ask for your help with something...¡± ¡°Spit it out already!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow your Purple Cloud Divine Sword!¡± Pei Laoliu shuddered, his eyes widened, and he immediately refused, ¡°No way! The Purple Cloud Divine Sword is our clan¡¯s Treasured protector, how can I lend it to you?¡± Zhang Xiaoman squinted his eyes slightly, ¡°Master Liu, won¡¯t you reconsider?¡± Pei Laoliu spoke righteously, ¡°No need to think it over, absolutely not!¡± Zhang Xiaoman tapped his fingers on the table, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you another goose.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°You, what are you trying to do? Do you think I, Pei Laoliu, would betray my clan for a bit of benefit? Don¡¯t even dream about it...¡± ¡°Seven.¡± ¡°Gulp...¡± the sound of Pei Laoliu swallowing his saliva. ¡°Ten!¡± ¡°Ah... since you are so sincere and persistent, it wouldn¡¯t be right of me to ignore your heartfelt request. You do have a certain fate with the Divine Sword, so today I will gift it to you as to complete a wonderful tale.¡± Zhang Xiaoman: ¡°...¡± After finishing, Pei Laoliu immediately got up and ran to the inner room, returning shortly with a sword wrapped in a yellow cloth in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve had this sword for decades. It might look ordinary, but it actually is an Innate Treasure once used by our Daoist Ancestor Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad...¡± Zhang Xiaoman took the sword and unwrapped the yellow cloth. As he examined it, he didn¡¯t forget to undermine Pei Laoliu. ¡°I say, Master Liu, we know each other, why even say those things? Your lines are too exaggerated. Anyone who believes you could just be robbed directly, no need to sweet-talk them. Moreover, I dare say he must be blind, not even seeing the big ¡®deceit¡¯ written on your face.¡± Pei Laoliu, his old face flushed with embarrassment, grumbled, ¡°Kid, how do you speak to your Master Liu... hey hey hey! Be careful! This thing is sharp, don¡¯t cut your hand.¡± Zhang Xiaoman ran his fingers along the body of the sword, sizing it up. It was entirely black, crudely made, and the handle was even crudely engraved with the words ¡°Purple Cloud¡±. Though it was sharpened, it was blunt and rusty because Pei Laoliu was too lazy to maintain it properly, often using it to cut weeds, making it look like a fire poker. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head secretly. No matter how much Master Liu had boasted earlier, giving it such a grand name. In reality, it was just an ordinary iron sword. The reason he wanted it was because the delivery was too slow, and he couldn¡¯t wait to gather some points with a new weapon. Seeing his disdainful look, Pei Laoliu quickly said, ¡°The sword is yours now, no returns! Make sure to deliver those ten geese soon!¡± After speaking, he seemed to remember something else, adding, ¡°Remember, buy them all from that shop on Meihua Road! Theirs are the tastiest, most savory.¡± PS: I heard there¡¯s a Legendary item called a Recommendation Ticket~ I wonder if I could have one~ Chapter 46 - 46 46 It Turns Out to Be Him ?46: Chapter 46 It Turns Out to Be Him 46: Chapter 46 It Turns Out to Be Him Zhang Xiaoman wrapped the Purple Cloud Divine Sword back in the yellow cloth and stood up, saying: ¡°I have some matters to deal with, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. Mr. Goose, I¡¯m worried you might get tired of eating the same old thing, so I¡¯ll bring you some every other day, how about that?¡± Pei Laoliu, upon hearing this, hurriedly waved his hands: ¡°No, no, no, I¡¯ll be heading to Binglong Province next week, you better deliver them all this week. Master Liu can¡¯t wait to come back and eat again.¡± ¡°Binglong Province? What are you going there for?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was puzzled. Sixth Grandpa usually wasn¡¯t one for traveling far, only occasionally wandering around Qionghua City. So, why suddenly decide to go to another province? Pei Laoliu explained: ¡°There¡¯s going to be a Cultivation Exchange Convention there soon, and a couple of old friends wanted to bring me along for the excitement.¡± ¡°Master Liu, didn¡¯t you retire from all that? Why would you go to such places?¡± Pei Laoliu laughed and said: ¡°That¡¯s different. I retired because I didn¡¯t want to deal with those dirty things anymore, but the convention isn¡¯t a big deal. Plus, I¡¯ve heard that the hosts have hoodwinked a rich sponsor this time, and every cultivator who attends gets a nice sum of travel expenses.¡± As he spoke, he even rubbed his fingers together, displaying a sleazy smile on his face. Zhang Xiaoman understood, but he wasn¡¯t interested in these things; right now, he just wanted to find a place to kill monsters and accumulate points quickly. ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll deliver them all to you in the next few days, but don¡¯t blame me if you can¡¯t finish eating them.¡± As Zhang Xiaoman spoke, he was already heading towards the door, with Pei Laoliu warmly seeing him out and repeatedly assuring that, when it came to geese, he never refused, no matter how many. After leaving Sixth Master¡¯s house, Zhang Xiaoman now had an additional ¡°Purple Cloud Divine Sword¡± on him. He donned his cloak and strapped the Divine Sword to his back, then opened his chat history with Su Fu to check the location information sent to him. Just last night, Zhang Xiaoman had already acquired the approximate location of where Su Fu¡¯s son had encountered trouble. He planned to go there to try his luck and see if he might encounter something like a Space Node. Flagging down an oncoming taxi, Zhang Xiaoman directly gave the driver the address from his phone, only to find that the driver started laughing after looking at the location. ¡°What a coincidence, I¡¯ve just come from the edge of that locust grove. The last passenger I had, just like you, was heading there. Heh, driving a taxi, and I¡¯ve somehow ended up getting the feeling of being a bus driver.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was momentarily taken aback. Someone else had been to that place? That shouldn¡¯t be the case; it was such an out-of-the-way grove, who would go there for no reason? Could they, like himself, be after Extraordinary Power? With this thought, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Driver, was the place you went before exactly the same as mine? How many people went? Do you remember what he looked like?¡± The driver didn¡¯t expect him to ask so many questions all at once and curiously asked: ¡°What¡¯s up? Do you know each other? The place is indeed just like the one you showed me, probably only a slight deviation. As for the number of people, it was just one young man, who seemed well-mannered, kind of like a college student.¡± Zhang Xiaoman quickly forced a smile and said, ¡°No problem, no problem. I actually arranged to have a picnic there with a few friends today, and I just wanted to make sure it was him.¡± While he casually brushed off the driver¡¯s questions, his mind was actively calculating. He had initially thought he was just going to see if he could find something left behind, but now there was an unexpected development. Now the question was whether the person who went before had the same goal as him, to kill monsters and Upgrade? If that was the case, then Zhang Xiaoman had been harboring a question that now seemed likely to be answered. Apart from myself, are there other Transcendents in this world? If there are, what is their attitude towards their own kind? Is it to coexist harmoniously, or to murder and seize treasures? It seems that no matter what, I must be on high alert when I go there this time. While Zhang Xiaoman was agonizing over the situation, the taxi driver had already expertly brought the vehicle to the destination. After paying more than twenty yuan in fare, Zhang Xiaoman cautiously made his way towards the place marked on the mobile navigation. Because he had intensified his vigilance along the way, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but slow down his pace. However, to his disappointment, even when he reached the end of his journey, he still couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary. This place appeared to be just an ordinary locust grove, situated on a small hillside in the northern suburbs of Qionghua City. It wasn¡¯t very large, probably only around a hundred or so acres when estimated from the map. It was now noon, and although the shade from the trees helped shield him from the sun, Zhang Xiaoman still found himself covered in sweat. Not to mention that in order to prevent exposure as much as possible, he was wearing a mask. Just the effort of searching for a short while made him feel like his mask was almost soaked through. ¡°Ah, still too fragile. Although I¡¯ve obtained quite a few skills recently, my constitution remains the same. It looks like I need to find some time to work out.¡± ... July is when locust trees bloom, and his view was filled with the same scenery everywhere he looked. Zhang Xiaoman wiped his sweat and felt somewhat helpless, thinking about giving up; he had already been searching for over an hour in the locust grove filled with white blossoms. ¡°Walking around here, it¡¯s all the same scene; the scenery isn¡¯t bad, but it doesn¡¯t look like the desolate graves they told me about... Could it be that I¡¯m here at the wrong time? Should I have come at night instead?¡± Zhang Xiaoman feared that this trip might turn out to be pointless. Just as he was thinking about searching a bit longer before using the Swift Stone to return home, he suddenly heard a heart-wrenching scream not too far away, which seemed to be moving toward him. Zhang Xiaoman quickly put away his phone and found a relatively large locust tree to hide behind. After he hid himself, it wasn¡¯t long before intense running sounds could be heard ahead, and a somewhat familiar figure, screaming in agony, ran into his field of view. ¡°Is that him? What is he doing here?¡± The man was one of the doctors Zhang Xiaoman had seen yesterday at the Su family. Without rushing out, Zhang Xiaoman kept himself well hidden and continued to observe, while his other hand was constantly poised on the Swift Stone in his pocket, ready to retreat immediately if anything went awry. As the doctor drew nearer, Zhang Xiaoman squinted his eyes slightly; he saw two semi-transparent ghastly apparitions pursuing him. These two ghostly figures had the basic shape of a human body but were much more elongated, like an ordinary person around 1.7 meters tall being stretched to over two meters in a ghastly manner. ¡°Parasitic Spirits!¡± The moment Zhang Xiaoman saw them, a speculation flashed through his mind. Although they looked slightly different from the one he had absorbed from Su Changqing at the Su Mansion last time, given the context, he could pretty much guess that these were indeed what a Parasitic Spirit looked like before taking a host. Watching Xiao Shun approaching closer and closer, Zhang Xiaoman found himself in a dilemma. Although his Soul Absorption Technique could dispatch one Parasitic Spirit in a second, the current situation was that there were two of them! And his skill came with a 30-minute cooling time; he couldn¡¯t face two monsters at once! Zhang Xiaoman found himself tangled in indecision. Chapter 47 - 47 47 Disguise ?47: Chapter 47: Disguise 47: Chapter 47: Disguise To go up or not to go up, that is the question. Although the two monsters were translucent energy bodies, they had been following the doctor step by step from the start. Where they passed, the ground¡¯s mud and petals rustled, and as the distance closed, Zhang Xiaoman even heard a series of strange footsteps. ¡°These two things don¡¯t seem very fast when they run. Maybe I can take one down in a second and then just run like this doctor. If it chases after me, I can keep running while twisting the hearthstone, waiting for the skill¡¯s cooldown to end before coming back to shoot it in the back!¡± Zhang Xiaoman analyzed in his mind, his eyes gradually lighting up. ¡°This method... seems workable!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going for it!¡± Zhang Xiaoman immediately stopped hesitating, turned around, and walked to the tree; by this time, the doctor¡¯s figure was already less than 50 steps away from him. Accompanied by his pig-slaughtering-like scream, Zhang Xiaoman also made out the appearance of the two Parasitic Spirits. He saw their legs, sharp as steel needles, running on the ground, each step piercing into the soft earth, making a ¡°chit, chit, chit¡± sound. The arms of the two monsters were just as slender as their legs, looking from a distance like two swords flickering with cold light. At this moment, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart; he always felt that something was off. However, by then, the doctor was even closer to him, leaving no time for further thought. Zhang Xiaoman instinctively stretched out his left hand, targeted one of the Parasitic Spirits, and activated the Soul Absorption Technique! But in the next moment, something horrifying occurred that startled Zhang Xiaoman. As he used his skill, the monster paused but did not scream in pain as he had anticipated. Instead, streaks of flowing light flashed across its body, and strands of transparent energy flowed along the trajectory of the Soul Absorption Technique into Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s hand. The Soul Absorption Technique had not failed; in that instant, Zhang Xiaoman could even sense that he had absorbed a stream of pure energy. Yet, the monster suffered no damage. Zhang Xiaoman only saw a layer of flowing light being absorbed from its surface, slowly revealing the grey skin underneath! Following that, a chillingly horrific monster appeared before him! ¡°Running, footsteps, aggression... this isn¡¯t a damn Parasitic Spirit at all!¡± Zhang Xiaoman instantly realized what was amiss. ¡°This thing isn¡¯t an energy body at all; its translucent appearance is just a disguise!¡± At this moment, the monster, having had its surface energy drawn out, seemed to have been enraged by Zhang Xiaoman. After a brief pause, it immediately turned and ran towards Zhang Xiaoman. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s body broke out in goosebumps, and he instinctively wanted to run back immediately. However, after losing its disguise, the monster¡¯s speed had notably increased, covering the short 40-meter distance in just two or three breaths. The doctor, who seemed to have noticed the person standing diagonally in front of him, suddenly felt a flicker of hope on his previously despairing face. At this point, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t care less about anyone else, he hadn¡¯t even had time to turn around when he saw the distance between him and the monster had rapidly closed by half! ¡°Damn it!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was in a complete flurry; there was definitely no time to twist the hearthstone now. He reached into his pocket and grabbed something familiar. It was a gun! But before he could even raise the gun to shoot, the slender grey monster had already charged right up to him, its sword-like arms raised high, ready to pierce his chest in the next second. Zhang Xiaoman felt his scalp tingle, his muscles tensed to the extreme, his heart pounding violently, and time around him seemed to slow down. ¡°Mountain River Suppression!!!¡± He roared, like a gambler going all in. The next moment, the ¡°Purple Cloud Divine Sword¡± instantly flew out from behind Zhang Xiaoman. The sword spun beautifully and rushed to the front of Zhang Xiaoman with a ¡°clang,¡± blocking the monster¡¯s descending arm. After that, it emitted a series of buzzing sounds, swiftly circling around Zhang Xiaoman twice, creating trails of afterimages and sounds of cutting through the air. Finally, the Flying Sword hung high in the air and shot straight down, plunging into the ground near Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s feet with a ¡°whoosh¡±. The monster¡¯s arm, blocked by the Iron Sword, forced its entire body to recoil backward, retreating several steps with ¡°clanking¡± sounds. Then, it immediately regained its balance, its yellow pupils fixating on Zhang Xiaoman, lifting its other hand for another attack. As the Iron Sword landed, Zhang Xiaoman felt as though he had entered a strange field of energy. It was as if he was enveloped by an invisible force, isolating him from everything outside. When the monster¡¯s arm stabbed toward Zhang Xiaoman again, it abruptly stopped upon touching his skin, unable to advance further as if his skin were made of impregnable steel. At that moment, Zhang Xiaoman only felt a tremendous force coming at him. Although he sustained no injuries, the powerful kinetic energy pushed him off balance, nearly causing him to stumble out of the Mountain River Suppression Skill¡¯s range. Zhang Xiaoman was uncertain, but he also understood the urgency of the situation. Not daring to delay further, he immediately raised his gun. ¡°Bang bang bang bang...¡± A series of light sounds erupted, and several horrifying holes suddenly appeared on the monster¡¯s body! ¡°Bang bang bang!¡± Zhang Xiaoman fired several more shots until he had emptied the first magazine and then stopped. But before he could even think about wasting bullets, Zhang Xiaoman was astonished to find that, unlike the monsters he had encountered before, which would instantly lose the ability to move, this one struggled and continued to advance toward him, the wounds caused by the Holy Water expanding very slowly on its body. ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was terrified. The monster let out a hoarse growl and charged again, but fortunately, the 5-second duration of the Mountain River Suppression hadn¡¯t ended yet, and the monster¡¯s attack was blocked once more. Zhang Xiaoman immediately took out a spare magazine, pressed softly on the release button with his thumb, and quickly replaced it with a new one. He had practiced this movement many times at home, so he was now quite smooth at it. ¡°Bang bang bang bang!¡± Four more shots fired! This time, Zhang Xiaoman outdid himself and hit the monster¡¯s face with all four shots! This time, the monster was not as lucky as before. All four Holy Water Bullets hit its head, causing half of its brain to instantly dissolve, and its entire body crisply fell down. The Black Iron Sword on the ground also ceased its buzzing, and the invisible field of energy vanished as well. Zhang Xiaoman looked at the monster in front of him, which was apparently dead, but he didn¡¯t dare relax because not far ahead, another one was running towards him! Meanwhile, the doctor had already run up close. He only saw Master Pei draw his Flying Sword, who then subdued the terrifying monster with a raise of his hand, igniting a strong sense of hope within him. Just as hope shone in his eyes, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his leg. His running staggered, he fell face down to the ground, with a monster¡¯s arm gruesomely embedded in his calf. He¡¯d been caught up to! Chapter 48 - 48 48 Bone-eating Demon ?48: Chapter 48 Bone-eating Demon 48: Chapter 48 Bone-eating Demon The monster pulled its arm back, and the doctor, who was still violently struggling on the ground, was dragged closer. Due to the pain and fear, the doctor¡¯s hands were deeply embedded in the ground, leaving ten long finger marks on the surface. Sensing the terrifying presence behind him, the doctor¡¯s face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled uncontrollably. He was filled with regret now, regretting that he hadn¡¯t believed what had happened the previous night, regretting that he had insisted on coming here today to see for himself. If he could do it all over again, he would abandon his so-called dignity and pride, discard everything he had previously believed, and maintain a sense of reverence for all that is unknown. Unfortunately, among the myriad herbs in the world, the only one that does not exist is regret medicine. The doctor could feel the monster¡¯s gaze fixed on him, and he could feel death drawing ever closer. ¡°Ah!!!¡± The intense pain in his body and the psychological terror struck simultaneously, and with a scream, he promptly fainted. Elsewhere, Zhang Xiaoman had just killed a monster when he looked up and saw the doctor being caught. In his eyes, after the monster had pierced through the doctor¡¯s shin, the camouflage on its body began to fade from its arm, revealing its gray skin and fearful appearance. Zhang Xiaoman had a thought; it seemed that the monster¡¯s camouflage ability was not some kind of passive effect but an active skill with a cost. However, now was not the time to think about that. Zhang Xiaoman had to quickly decide whether to run or continue fighting. He gritted his teeth, aiming the gun with one hand at the monster while slowly rubbing the hearthstone with the other. As six faint gunshots rang out, Zhang Xiaoman rapidly emptied the magazine in his hand. By this time, the monster had dragged the doctor in front of it, another hand already raised high, targeting the back of his head. Just as it was about to attack, a few small droplets of water silently exploded on its body, and a few fist-sized wounds appeared instantly, emitting a burnt scent. The monster felt the pain and let out a series of roars. Zhang Xiaoman fired another empty shot; he had fired the last six Holy Water Bullets, only five of which hit, with not a single one striking the monster¡¯s head. Despite that, he stopped the motion of rubbing the hearthstone. Because he could see that the monster had been gravely injured, lying on the ground too weak to get up. The monster¡¯s howling continued, growing weaker and weaker. Its hunched back writhed on the ground while its limbs flailed wildly, the bullets Zhang Xiaoman had fired had inflicted lethal damage! The first three Holy Water Bullets that hit the monster hadn¡¯t caused such severe wounds, but the last two were filled with Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s scarce Divine Grace. When the two Divine Grace bullets hit their target, they immediately had a tremendous effect. The monster¡¯s struggle was nearly over, and the two massive wounds caused by the Divine Grace were horrific; Zhang Xiaoman could even see the creature¡¯s organs through the gaping holes. However, whether it was Holy Water or Divine Grace, the greatest damage from these two weapons came from the fierce burning that spread crazily after impact. At that moment, it was like the previous monsters, emitting a burnt smell all over, and its body was as if scorched by flames, a sight too dreadful to behold. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t immediately approach, although the monster seemed to be utterly dead. Out of caution, he still waited for a while before he carefully moved closer. After dragging the unconscious doctor further away from the monster, Zhang Xiaoman checked his injuries. Although his shin was bleeding, it didn¡¯t appear to have hit an artery. However, the wound was still quite serious, and Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t dare delay further. First, he hastily bandaged it with the yellow cloth that had wrapped the ¡°Purple Cloud Divine Sword,¡± and then he took out his phone, ready to dial the emergency center. But as soon as he entered the number, he found himself in a dilemma again. Should he make this call? Could it expose the secrets here if he did? How would he explain his injuries? And, after waking, wouldn¡¯t this man blurt out everything that had happened? After all, last time at the Su family¡¯s place, he had a whole host of Masters covering for him, but this time he was alone. As he wrestled with the decision, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes brightened; he suddenly thought of someone who might be able to help him out of this predicament. That person was Su Fu. Finding the contact he had added, Zhang Xiaoman pressed the call button, and the phone was swiftly answered after a few rings, Su Fu¡¯s joyful voice coming through. ¡°Mr. Zhang! I really can¡¯t thank you enough. Changqing has just woken up, the doctor said he is mainly still a bit weak now, only needing more rest to recover. By the way, Mr. Zhang, do you need anything from me?¡± ¡°Mr. Su, you¡¯re too kind. The reason I¡¯m calling is that I¡¯ve encountered a bit of an emergency and need your advice on how to deal with it.¡± Zhang Xiaoman then briefly recounted the events here and also expressed some of his concerns. On the other end of the line, upon learning of the doctor¡¯s injury, Su Fu also showed a trace of anxiety, told Zhang Xiaoman that he would send someone to pick him up, and again expressed his heartfelt gratitude. ¡°This young man is Xiao Shun, the son of an old friend of mine. The reason Changqing went into that forest last time was because of a bet he made with him. Though he indirectly landed my son in trouble, he¡¯s still someone I watched grow up. I didn¡¯t expect that today he would be saved by you, Mr. Zhang. It seems I owe you another favor!¡± Zhang Xiaoman exchanged pleasantries with him for a bit and then hung up the phone, sending his current location through a messaging app, finally setting his mind at ease. He had more or less figured out why the other party was here ¨C it seemed to be out of curiosity about the incident last time and he had come to see for himself. But now that the matter of saving the man was taken care of, it was time to reap the rewards of the battle! ¡°This monster fighting used up all my Holy Water Bullets. I hope the points from these two monsters will compensate for my losses...¡± Having said this, he had already arrived at the first dead monster. He squatted down slowly, his hand approaching; the white light in his palm lit up, and although the monster¡¯s body began to turn into a black gas and was absorbed, Zhang Xiaoman was now adept at this. Feeling a slight burn in his palm, Zhang Xiaoman just frowned a bit; he had gradually become accustomed to this pain. As the monster¡¯s body disappeared completely, the System¡¯s notification sounded in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind: ¡°Ding, absorbed the Bone-eating Demon¡¯s Essence, points increased by 11.¡± ¡°Bone-eating Demon... 11 points...¡± Zhang Xiaoman repeated softly with a hint of disappointment on his face. ¡°I used 14 bullets on this monster, which is like 14 points, so in the end, I¡¯ve actually lost 3 points...¡± Calculating his gains and losses, he stood up and walked toward the other monster¡¯s corpse. ¡°Ding, absorbed the Bone-eating Demon¡¯s Essence, points increased by 13.¡± Zhang Xiaoman exhaled, looking at the somewhat messy ground now free of monster corpses, and his taut nerves finally began to relax a bit. Chapter 49 - 49 49 Do You Really Want to Listen ?49: Chapter 49: Do You Really Want to Listen? 49: Chapter 49: Do You Really Want to Listen? Having returned to where Xiao Shun was, Zhang Xiaoman pushed him again, feeling somewhat speechless. This guy is a doctor; how could his mental fortitude be so poor? Looking up, Zhang Xiaoman glanced again in the direction from which the monsters had come, a hint of apprehension in his eyes. He extended his hand to make a mark on the map on his phone, circling the general area, planning to come back and check it out the next day. As for now, he decided it was best to head back and resupply. Today¡¯s encounter had introduced Zhang Xiaoman to a completely new type of monster. This creature, called by the System as the Bone-eating Demon, not only possessed a type of invisibility camouflage but also had a strong resistance to Holy Water, which he found very problematic. However difficult, Zhang Xiaoman still wasn¡¯t planning to give up on that place, considering that two types of monsters had appeared in this forest sequentially, he felt it was very likely that there was a Space Node present. Checking the time, it had been less than five minutes since the call ended. Su Fu¡¯s people would probably take a while longer to arrive. Zhang Xiaoman found a large tree to lean against and stood watch, focussing intently in the direction from which the monsters had come, on guard for any that might appear again. Although the likelihood was small, those semi-transparent monsters were too peculiar, and with their needle-thin limbs, if they approached quietly, it would be very difficult to notice them. After waiting for about ten more minutes, sudden rustling footsteps came from the other end of the forest. Zhang Xiaoman turned to look and saw seven or eight security guards and medical staff running towards him. ¡°Master Pei!¡± Even from a distance, Zhang Xiaoman heard Xiao Hei¡¯s excited shout. ¡°Brother Hei, Captain Wu, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± He went forward to greet the two men, pointing at Xiao Shun, who was still lying on the ground: ¡°I¡¯ll leave this guy to you. When he wakes up, remember to tell him not to blabber about. I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Wu Feng quickly said, ¡°Please wait a moment, Master Pei! Mr. Su mentioned he¡¯d like to invite you back for a bit to express his thanks personally.¡± Zhang Xiaoman paused mid-step, pondered for a moment, and then nodded agreeably. Stopping by again wouldn¡¯t hurt; he had almost run out of energy, with only 4 points left, not even enough to use a common Skill. And at the Su family¡¯s place, there should still be some residual energy left from yesterday that hadn¡¯t been fully absorbed, which would serve as a good replenishment for him. Of course, if Su Fu insisted on giving him a thank-you fee, he wouldn¡¯t be too keen to refuse and would reluctantly accept it. An hour later, inside the Su Mansion. Su Fu, looking at Xiao Shun who had his wounds treated, couldn¡¯t help but want to scold him. However, seeing that he was still unconscious, he had to let it go. ¡°Mr. Zhang, I can¡¯t believe that in just two days, you¡¯ve helped me out tremendously twice. I¡¯m truly grateful.¡± Su Fu said with a smile and, as if he smelled something, added, ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay and have dinner with us tonight, Mr. Zhang? I see you¡¯re a man who enjoys a good drink. I¡¯ve got a bottle of fine wine a friend gave me; let¡¯s not go home until we¡¯re both drunk.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was initially stunned, but after realizing what was said, he quickly waved his hand: ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Su. You might not believe it, but this smell of alcohol on me was accidentally splashed on; I don¡¯t actually drink. There¡¯s no need for dinner.¡± ¡°Today, I mainly came to see if there are still lingering Parasitic Spirits here. If there are, I¡¯ll take the opportunity to cleanse them to prevent any further impact on you all.¡± When Su Fu heard his home might still have residual energy, his expression tensed up, and he looked around before asking, ¡°Then, Mr. Zhang, can you check if there¡¯s still anything unclean here?¡± Zhang Xiaoman then assumed a detecting stance, and after a long moment, he sighed and said, ¡°Fortunately, I came to check again today. There indeed are some that slipped through. Mr. Su, step back; I¡¯ll disperse them.¡± At that time, apart from Xiao Shun, who was still unconscious, it was just the two of them in the room. After Su Fu stepped back two meters, Zhang Xiaoman then raised his hand and activated his Soul Absorption Technique Skill. The next moment, streams of air surged from all directions towards Zhang Xiaoman, then entered his body, the breeze arriving as expected, albeit a bit more gentle than before. This time, the Duration was much shorter, and after Zhang Xiaoman withdrew his hand, he saw that his energy had only increased by 4 points, feeling somewhat disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s done, this place has been thoroughly cleansed, Mr. Su; now you can truly rest easy.¡± By his side, Su Fu walked back over, and although it was already the third time he had witnessed such a scene, he still found it unbelievable, his reverence for Zhang Xiaoman not only unchanged but increased even more. ¡°Brother Xiao Man, I really can¡¯t thank you enough; you¡¯ve done me such a great service, I don¡¯t even know what to say. Here¡¯s a Crystal VIP card from Crystal Plaza, an industry invested in by our Su family.¡± ¡°With this card, all purchases made in Light Blue are free of charge. Please accept it, Mr. Zhang, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the luxurious card being handed to him, then stepped back. He hadn¡¯t come here for Su Fu¡¯s thanks, just to reconfirm the situation here. However, Su Fu was too persistent, unwilling to rest without giving away the card. Unable to dissuade him, Zhang Xiaoman reluctantly accepted it. After the pleasantries, Su Fu suddenly remembered something Zhang had mentioned earlier and couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously, ¡°Mr. Zhang, earlier I heard you mention Alien Species, are those what we¡¯ve encountered these last two days? Are there many of these things? Could you tell me more about them?¡± Zhang Xiaoman froze; the term Alien Species was something he had just made up on the spot, not expecting Su Fu to take it seriously. However, having said it, he had to cover his tracks, so he spoke solemnly, ¡°Alien Species, indeed, is a general term... But Mr. Su, are you sure you want to hear about this? Some things, once known, cannot be unchanged.¡± Hearing this, Su Fu¡¯s face stiffened, and Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s words made him hesitate. He unconsciously wanted to say forget it. But the words of resignation, at the tip of his tongue, just couldn¡¯t be spoken, As if voicing them, he would lose some crucial opportunity, leaving him feeling deeply uncomfortable. Chapter 50 - 50 50 Big Con Man Zhang Xiaoman ?50: Chapter 50 Big Con Man Zhang Xiaoman 50: Chapter 50 Big Con Man Zhang Xiaoman Su Fu stood in place, silent, and Zhang Xiaoman did not urge him. Although he was still not clear about the concept of Alien Species, that did not hinder his ability to improvise on the spot. Su Fu appeared deeply conflicted, his face slightly flushed, at times opening his mouth as if to speak, at times pursing his lips in deep thought. It was apparent that he truly wanted to know, yet he was fraught with hesitation. ¡°Mr. Su need not force himself; knowing the truth may not always be a blessing. Sometimes, being able to close your eyes is also a form of happiness,¡± Zhang Xiaoman said, feeling sentimental. Upon hearing these words, Su Fu seemed to suddenly think of something, his face turning bright red and his breathing becoming heavier, echoing around the empty room. ¡°Hmm? Echo?¡± Just as Zhang Xiaoman felt something was off, he heard a voice filled with excitement and longing not far from him, which interrupted Su Fu who was about to speak. ¡°I want to know! Master Zhang! Please tell me! I don¡¯t want to live in ignorance! I want to know the truth!!¡± Xiao Shun, who had been unconscious, suddenly sat up looking excitedly at Zhang Xiaoman, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. Zhang Xiaoman was startled by his sudden outburst, but his recently strengthened mental resilience came into play. He calmly shook his head with a smile, as if he had known all along that Xiao Shun was feigning unconsciousness: ¡°Well, since you spoke up first, it saves me from having to ask you again later.¡± Xiao Shun¡¯s eyes narrowed, then his eyes gleamed with ecstasy. At that moment, Su Fu lowered his head, the expression on his face changing several times, as countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Only when he noticed Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze did he lift his head, revealing a resolute look. Zhang Xiaoman smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°Since that is the case, let me tell you about the origins of these things, but I hope that after listening, you will not casually inform others ...¡± The two nodded frantically in agreement. Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze turned to the window, activating his ability to make up stories on the spot. ¡°In this world, there are no gods or demons, no evil spirits or monsters, but there are some beings that ordinary people cannot contend with, known as the Alien Species.¡± ¡°Alien Species are strange and varied; they could be living organisms, energy bodies, or even a mass of lethal aura... but one thing about them is the same¡ªthey are not from our world but from a singularity with similar rules.¡± ¡°Singularity?¡± The two looked perplexed. ¡°Think of a singularity as something external to our domain,¡± Zhang Xiaoman then repeated the theory he had once used to bamboozle Brother Hero. After a while, Xiao Shun nodded with a realization: ¡°I understand now, the singularity isn¡¯t a parallel universe; the so-called parallel universes share the same rules as ours and still exist within our singularity. The other singularities are unknown realms with entirely different rules from ours, and these monsters come from there!¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded in satisfaction, surprised that someone could understand the theory he had concocted. ¡°Exactly, in the high-dimensional space, countless singularities do not interfere with each other due to different rules. Yet, some singularities begin to blend due to increasingly similar evolved rules, and these monsters, they are from there.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it. No wonder it¡¯s so bizarre, to even develop from an energy body into a fleshly form ...¡± Su Fu nodded earnestly, then suddenly changed his expression and asked: ¡°So, Mr. Zhang, are you saying that our world is currently undergoing a fusion with another world? Then won¡¯t these monsters...¡± Zhang Xiaoman applauded their understanding, which was much better than that unreliable Brother Hero. His expression was serious, and he nodded solemnly: ¡°The process of world fusion is extremely lengthy, especially for us humans. Thus, these monsters have actually existed since ancient times...¡± As he spoke, he suddenly changed the topic: ¡°However, this relatively slow fusion has suddenly accelerated now!¡± ¡°Accelerated? By how much?¡± Xiao Shun asked. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head and said: ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the specifics, but I¡¯ve heard from my mentor that this fusion once suddenly stopped three hundred years ago, yet now it has resumed and even begun to speed up crazily! The speed is terrifying! Extremely fast! So fast that it¡¯s hard to imagine! I can feel it, the ¡®Great Fusion¡¯ is not far off...¡± ¡°What should we do!?¡± Xiao Shun exclaimed. Zhang Xiaoman frowned and said, ¡°The intensifying fusion means that the frequency of the Alien Species¡¯ arrivals will also become increasingly higher. And I have also been trying by various means to find others like me, other Transcendents...¡± ¡°So, have you found anyone?¡± Su Fu asked with concern. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head sadly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid, besides me, there are no other Transcendents left in this world...¡± Upon hearing this, both of them were shocked. Zhang Xiaoman showed a look of deep sorrow. ¡°Before this, I was not alone; I had my mentor¡ªLing Wushuang.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, my mentor has passed away...¡± As Zhang Xiaoman said this, his eyes revealed endless memories. ¡°Thirteen years ago, my mentor had discovered a massive Dimension Rift. In order to find out the reason, he crossed the rift alone to the other side. There, he saw countless Alien Species...¡± ¡°What happened next!¡± ¡°Afterward, my mentor was surrounded, but he fought through the Alien Species¡¯ army desperately to escape. Moreover, after crossing back, he used his powerful Extraordinary Power to dissolve the singularity rift... Unfortunately, he was severely wounded and passed away soon after.¡± ¡°Before he passed away, my mentor entrusted me with a legacy called ¡®Forest Guardian¡¯, although this legacy has now declined, even culminating in only me being left... But I will not fail his expectations, I will do everything I can to protect our world, even if I am the only one left...¡± ¡°To this day, I still remember the words my mentor whispered in my ear just before he died.¡± ¡°The world is a forest, and we, are the Forest Guardians...¡± ¡°...¡± After Zhang Xiaoman finished speaking, he wanted to gauge their reactions, but after waiting for quite a while, the two men remained silent, and the room suddenly fell into quietness. ¡°Did... perhaps my attempt to impress fail? But in such a short span of time, I really couldn¡¯t think of any grandiose name...¡± Just as he was about to speak to ease the awkward silence, he suddenly heard Xiao Shun breathing rapidly. Then he saw him excitedly trying to get out of bed, continuously shouting: ¡°Master Zhang! No! Senior Zhang! Can I become your disciple? I want to learn the Extraordinary Power! I want to join the Forest Guardians! I want to protect this world!!¡± Chapter 51 - 51 51 Are You Still Willing ?51: Chapter 51 Are You Still Willing? 51: Chapter 51 Are You Still Willing? Zhang Xiaoman looked at Xiao Shun somewhat blankly, unable to believe that his bunch of made-up words had actually fooled someone. But looking at his leg dangling high, it was indeed crippled. At that moment, Su Fu reacted and quickly pressed him down to prevent him from really falling and getting injured. Xiao Shun, however, still insisted relentlessly, his eyes filled with hope as he looked at Zhang Xiaoman, and continued pleading, ¡°Senior! Senior! I truly wish to join! I will fight to the death to protect this world! Please accept me!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was left speechless upon hearing this. I can¡¯t even take care of myself now, let alone protect the world. To think that even in this day and age, someone would believe such nonsense. ¡°Actually, the reason I said there are no Transcendents left in the world is that my mentor once told me that during these three hundred years when the Fusion halted, our human Dark Energy Talent began to decline rapidly, until eventually, the inheritance was broken, and only my mentor and I remained with the talent.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to teach you, it¡¯s that you don¡¯t have the Dark Energy Talent, and I am powerless to help...¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Shun¡¯s expression darkened, and he stopped struggling, quietly being pressed back onto the bed by Su Fu. ¡°Really, not even a trace of talent...¡± He looked at Zhang Xiaoman with a bit of reluctance. Zhang Xiaoman, however, shook his head regretfully. Su Fu also wore a look of pity on his face. He had felt a stirring of excitement in his heart upon hearing Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s words, but now he too felt some regret. However, just as he was about to retract his hands from Xiao Shun, the latter suddenly sat up abruptly. He sat up suddenly, the flames in his eyes as if reignited. ¡°Senior! Although I lack the talent, I still wish to protect this world! If I cannot be at the forefront, then I will operate from behind the scenes, I can be your assistant! Please allow me to join you!¡± Zhang Xiaoman, hearing this, looked at him with some surprise and said, ¡°Why do you so desire to get involved in these matters? Many people dread them and would avoid them at all costs, you know. These monsters are no joke; they pose a threat to life.¡± Seeing Zhang Xiaoman speak in this manner, Xiao Shun seemed to sense a sliver of hope and quickly said, ¡°I am not afraid of danger! After experiencing what I did today, I have seen a new world! I no longer wish to live an ordinary life; I want to engage with this real world!¡± Understanding his intent, Zhang Xiaoman nodded. Indeed, if one didn¡¯t know, it would be alright. But once one knew and had even touched the realm of the Extraordinary World, how many could ignore its allure? Feeling the intense gaze of the other, Zhang Xiaoman was slightly moved. He remembered his slightly insane plan from earlier. Perhaps, now was the opportunity. With this thought, he adopted a serious demeanor and solemnly said to Xiao Shun, who was sitting on the hospital bed, ¡°Perhaps you really do want to enter this so-called Extraordinary World, thinking it is a place of mystery and filled with fantastical charm, and you may even be fantasizing about becoming a hero, the center of attention one day...¡± ¡°But what I want to tell you is that none of this exists! Here, there are no fantastical epic adventures, only brutal and desperate fighting! Here, there are no heroes and legends you aspire to, only countless warriors and honors silently buried.¡± ¡°Moreover, don¡¯t think that just working in a support role will keep you out of danger. You must have heard the saying¡ªwhen you gaze long into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes also into you. You should know, the more you interact with these anomalies, the greater the risk!¡± ¡°At that time, in the eyes of the monsters, you will shine as brightly as a lamp in the Dark Night, and your peaceful life will never return, everything you cherish might get involved!¡± After saying this, Zhang Xiaoman looked at Xiao Shun with a profound gaze. ¡°Even so, are you willing to step into this Domain?¡± Xiao Shun remained silent. Su Fu was also silent. The room fell into silence once again. After a while, a spark of resolve flickered in Xiao Shun¡¯s eyes. The Flames reignited, and he bit his lips, affirming, ¡°I am willing, I am willing to set foot in this Domain, to defend this world with my life! Never will I regret!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was genuinely surprised this time. He hadn¡¯t expected the guy¡¯s determination to be so great. Even after putting it as drastically as he had, he still hadn¡¯t been able to change his mind. ¡°Hmm... This kid seems like a good little brother, might be worth training later... But before that, I need to strengthen myself, I¡¯ll just add him to my list of potentials for now.¡± As Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s thoughts turned, he had already made a decision. He nodded in a quite approving manner and then said: ¡°Actually, even though you don¡¯t have a talent for Dark Energy, the opportunity to control Extraordinary Power is not entirely unattainable...¡± As soon as he said this, Su Fu and Xiao Shun both widened their eyes in surprise. ¡°Senior! Are you saying, I can also cultivate?¡± Xiao Shun asked excitedly. Zhang Xiaoman nodded: ¡°Actually, I have been developing a method for Dark Energy talent recently, and I have made significant progress. I am constructing a special Energy Technique, which I call the Enlightenment Array.¡± ¡°Once it¡¯s complete, even ordinary Humans will be able to obtain the talent to control Dark Energy!¡± Upon receiving Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s confirmation, an even more intense light burst from Xiao Shun¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then, senior... may I ask when can I join the Forest Guardians? Where is our headquarters?¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and slowly shook his head: ¡°Don¡¯t rush, wait until I have officially completed the Enlightenment Array.¡± ¡°Joining too early without the corresponding power is also not a good thing for you. After all, of the once Three Great Guardian Forces, only I remain now...¡± Although Zhang Xiaoman said so, with a face that seemed lost in reminiscences, he was actually quite overwhelmed internally: ¡°Who are the Forest Guardians? Where are the Forest Guardians? Someone tell me what the Forest Guardians are! I really want to know! I¡¯m improvising here, coming up with a name for you is already pretty good, and you want me to craft an entire framework and base too? Aren¡¯t you making things difficult for me, Pang Hu!¡± ¡°Oh... I see...¡± After hearing this, Xiao Shun initially responded with a somewhat disappointed tone, and then, as if suddenly thinking of something, he immediately raised his head, full of curiosity, and asked: ¡°Senior, you mentioned the Three Great Guardian Forces just now, is that true? What are the other two?¡± Chapter 52 - 52 52 Zhang Xiaoman, the Bragger Who Doesnt Need a Script ?52: Chapter 52: Zhang Xiaoman, the Bragger Who Doesn¡¯t Need a Script 52: Chapter 52: Zhang Xiaoman, the Bragger Who Doesn¡¯t Need a Script ¡°Fake! It¡¯s all lies to deceive you!¡± Although Zhang Xiaoman really wanted to say this, he couldn¡¯t. After all, it was a pretense he himself had staged, and even with tears in his eyes, he had to maintain it. Looking at Xiao Shun, who appeared as curious as a baby, Zhang Xiaoman really had a million sarcastic comments he wanted to hurl. Why did you have to ask so many questions? Was it necessary to be so detailed? When I mentioned the Three Great Guardian Forces, I was just embellishing the world-building off the top of my head. Why are you taking it so seriously? Of course, Zhang Xiaoman could now simply retort with a ¡°You shouldn¡¯t know too much¡± and shut him down. But was Zhang Xiaoman that kind of person? Was he someone who would choose to flee when he lacked strength? He was not! Therefore, being an honest and good-natured individual, Zhang Xiaoman decided to continue bluffing him. It must be said that sometimes, people are forced into situations, and the same goes for bluffing. Zhang Xiaoman suddenly walked to the window, his eyes gazing out as if reminiscing something. ¡°As you¡¯ve learned before, the Fusion process is incredibly long. Thus, shadows of monsters have always existed in this world...¡± His gaze was profound, as if his eyes could see through the endless expanse of time to witness scenes from bygone years. ¡°Alien Species have been continuously invading our world, with Transcendents blessed with Dark Energy Talent sporadically resisting the assaults from beyond our realm, suffering heavy casualties.¡± ¡°The only consolation is that the overlaid monsters don¡¯t seem to have the ability to spread the Plague...¡± ¡°889 years ago, with the massive collapse of the Luo Dynasty, this situation became even more serious...¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Shun couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°I know this part! I remember my teacher saying that after the collapse of the Luo Dynasty, there was a historical gap of 10 years. Could it be that...¡± Zhang Xiaoman turned his head to glance at him, saying nothing, yet his eyes revealed a hint of admiration. He calmly turned his head back, his heart pounding with anxiety. ¡°What? There¡¯s also a talk about a 10-year gap? How come I don¡¯t remember that? It seems there¡¯s a reason why I didn¡¯t pass history...¡± With his hands behind his back, he continued to speak: ¡°This situation lasted until the year 1140, with the establishment of the Forest Guardian organization.¡± ¡°Transcendents were united, casting aside prejudices of identity and status, working together to fend off the onslaught from the Alien Species.¡± ¡°It goes without saying that there is strength in unity. According to internal records, in just a short span of five years, the monsters that had plagued the continent for centuries were nearly eradicated, and people saw hope once again.¡± ¡°Later, the people of the other two continents followed suit, establishing their own organizations, namely the Guardians and Trackers...¡± Zhang Xiaoman stopped here suddenly, his gaze on the window, frantically thinking about the next part of his script. However, Su Fu, who had been silently listening behind him, suddenly spoke up, asking, ¡°Mr. Zhang, what happened to the other two forces later? Did they end up like the Forest Guardians...¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head and sighed, ¡°They no longer exist... Ever since human Talent mysteriously vanished 300 years ago, the number of Transcendents has only been decreasing. Under the passage of time, they have faded into obscurity.¡± ¡°In their heyday, Transcendents from the Three Great Forces supported each other, fought side by side. Forest Guardians battled bloodied, Guardians protected City States, and Trackers sought out the strange beings lurking in various corners...¡± His tone carried a sudden hint of melancholy as he said, ¡°The old Mentor¡¯s wish at the time was to rediscover these three forces and integrate them to collectively face the ¡®Great Fusion¡¯ that is soon to come.¡± ¡°Unfortunately...¡± Zhang Xiaoman ended his fabricated tale there, drawing towards a close. Both listeners were immersed in the story, which made him feel a bit embarrassed. After a long silence in the room, Xiao Shun¡¯s voice suddenly broke the quiet again. ¡°Senior, why don¡¯t we join forces to accomplish this great endeavor! I am convinced that with your ability, you can surely do it!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat stunned after listening. What great endeavor? Did I say I was going to do something? How did this guy suddenly assign himself a main quest? And what¡¯s this about ¡®with my ability¡¯? I know exactly what I¡¯m capable of; how come this fellow is suddenly so confident? Could it be that my bluff this time was too successful? While he was pondering, he heard Xiao Shun on the bed speaking again: ¡°Senior, rest assured, I will follow you to the death! Even if I cannot become a hero, I will fight to the end... Ah, right, Senior, does our lineage¡¯s cultivation system have any realm classifications? Like in those cultivation novels, with Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and so on.¡± Zhang Xiaoman suddenly had lines on his face. This kid must have read quite a few novels. Immediately, he laughed and said: ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as realm classifications; everyone¡¯s strength is just their control over Dark Energy. Of course, if we must say, we could differentiate according to different stages.¡± Having said that, and seeing the expectant looks on their faces, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and continued: ¡°As of now, based on the different levels of control power, it can be divided into Enlightenment, Control, and Transcendence stages. The specifics aren¡¯t convenient to discuss right now, we¡¯ll talk about it after I construct the Enlightenment Array.¡± ¡°So, what stage are you at now, Senior? You must have reached the Transcendence stage, right?¡± Zhang Xiaoman heard this and did not directly answer him but just smiled gently, giving an expression that did not wish to boast. The latter saw this and instantly admired him even more. After listening to Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s explanation, the two men couldn¡¯t help but get visibly excited. Xiao Shun was especially ecstatic, his eyes brimming with boundless longing, wishing he could immediately set out on the Extraordinary Path. Su Fu¡¯s expression was also filled with anticipation. Though he didn¡¯t show the same level of excitement as Zhang Wei, his slightly trembling hands and constantly twitching eyelids were betraying his inner turmoil. Zhang Xiaoman started bluffing these two guys at first just because he had told a lie and needed more lies to cover it up. But later on, he slowly began to place them in the future backup ranks of his underlings. After all, one of them had money, and the other had time; both were indeed not bad choices. And he himself was well aware that the reason why he could fool them was partly because he indeed displayed abilities beyond the ordinary. On the other hand, it was the strangeness they had personally experienced that directly proved his claims. One almost lost his son, and the other almost lost his life. For them, these were major horrors in their lives. And it happened to be at the most desperate moment that Zhang Xiaoman stepped in like a divine savior and saved them. One could say that it was a fantastic start to the game. The rest, as long as he didn¡¯t claim to be the Creator God, would basically work with just any random fabrication. PS: Some readers have commented that the protagonist is always bluffing, which is boring. This... to avoid spoilers, all I can say is that there is a bit of that indeed... But after you read the beginning of Volume 2, ¡°Enlightenment,¡± you should understand... How should I put this... The holes will be filled... Chapter 53 - 53 53 A Surprise or a Fright ?53: Chapter 53: A Surprise or a Fright? 53: Chapter 53: A Surprise or a Fright? After leaving the Su family, Zhang Xiaoman found a deserted place and immediately used the hearthstone to return home. That evening, he brought out the notebook he had previously used to record System content and organized the monsters he had encountered over the past two days once again. Excluding the terrifying face that Pei Laoliu had mentioned earlier, the monsters Zhang Xiaoman had personally encountered so far had reached a total of four types. They were: Shadow Demon, Corpse Demon, Bone-eating Demon, and Parasitic Spirit. Zhang Xiaoman picked up his pen and mumbled as he wrote in scribbled handwriting in his notebook. ¡°Shadow Demon, immune to physical attacks, suspected to have Spiritual Attack ability, controls Skills, and highly stealthy. Control is reduced when manipulating multiple targets simultaneously. Weakness: Holy Water. Points provided: 10.¡± ¡°Corpse Demon, very fast, lacks vision, has sensitive hearing, likely to be gregarious. Weakness: Holy Water, high-pitched noises. Points provided: 5-7.¡± ¡°Bone-eating Demon, sharp limbs, stealthy movement, possesses disguise ability. Once the disguise is removed, speed increases significantly. Using the Soul Absorption Technique to absorb its disguise effect can yield about 10 energy points. Weakness: Holy Water. Points provided: 11-13.¡± ¡°Parasitic Spirit, a parasitic type of monster, can launch a Spiritual Attack, attaches to the human body. The person possessed will fall into a coma, their bodily functions significantly decline, and current medical methods are temporarily unable to recover. No obvious weaknesses have been discovered yet, but it can be directly destroyed using the Soul Absorption Technique. Points provided: 5.¡± Zhang Xiaoman roughly recorded the information he had gathered so far. The monster that seemed strongest based on the points provided was the Bone-eating Demon. Following that, the Shadow Demon, the third being the Corpse Demon, and lastly, the Parasitic Spirit. Naturally, he understood that these could only serve as a reference. The actual combat power of the monsters could not be solely judged by the number of points provided but also had to consider a variety of other factors. Even in different circumstances, faced against different opponents, they could demonstrate unusually potent killing power based on their characteristics. Zhang Xiaoman wrote up to this point and then suddenly noticed a very interesting phenomenon. Among these monsters, those whose names contained the character ¡°Demon¡± seemed to be vulnerable to the effects of Holy Water. He didn¡¯t know if this was a coincidence but, in any case, he kept a mental note of it. Thinking of Holy Water, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but frown. All the Holy Water he had was now depleted during the afternoon. The main issue was that ordinary Holy Water seemed no longer capable of causing devastating damage to the Bone-eating Demon. Only by relying on Divine Grace could he quickly kill the adversary. ¡°It seems I need to further enhance my strength,¡± he said. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head helplessly, although he said this, he also understood the rationale. But his System wasn¡¯t some well-behaved baby that upgrades methodically; instead, it completely depended on luck and played breathtaking gambles. If lucky, he could draw an Invincible Skill and strike it rich overnight. If unlucky, he could draw some worthless junk and make no progress. Thinking this, he couldn¡¯t help but look dejectedly at Jin Bao lying next to him. If he had that Legendary Skill, then this afternoon, he could have simply charged with a minute of invincibility and cut down those two Bone-eating Demons, not needing to use so much Holy Water! Sensing his master¡¯s gaze, Jin Bao immediately perked up and scrambled to his feet. ¡°Go out and play! Go out and play!¡± Jin Bao barked excitedly. Zhang Xiaoman kicked him aside and said grumpily, ¡°Scram, scram, scram! You just went out, and now you¡¯re running off again? Can¡¯t you ever get enough playtime? Why can¡¯t you just be like Xiao Hua, who doesn¡¯t mind never going out her whole life!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s calling me?¡± From the sofa, the just-awoken Zhang Xiaohua yawned in a dazed fashion. For Jin Bao the dog, Zhang Xiaoman had planned to create a series of dog training strategies over the past few days. At any rate, he needed to make this creature understand how to use Skills properly first. Shaking her head, Zhang Xiaoman sighed quietly. Despite having quit her job, she felt she had even less time now. Aside from searching for anything peculiar, she had added fitness and dog training to her plans. Jin Bao bounced around on the spot, and seeing that his owner was ignoring him, he ran over to Xiao Hua and wildly licked the still drowsy, chubby blue cat, causing her to instantly bristle. Watching the cat and dog suddenly start fighting again, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but silently sigh: ¡°Loyal dogs are truly incredible.¡± After that, Zhang Xiaoman restocked her current equipment. She first spent 20 points to buy two more bottles of Holy Water. She turned one of the bottles into ten Holy Water Bullets, while she kept the other bottle to see if there would be a chance to upgrade it into Divine Grace, or even a more advanced item. Then, she logged onto an online shopping platform and, enduring the pain, spent a five-figure sum of small money to purchase a thermal imaging night vision device. This time, she was learning from her mistakes. She specifically chose a more efficient domestic logistics company, hoping that maybe it could be delivered by tomorrow night. The reason she bought this device was solely because of the Bone-eating Demon she had encountered that day. This type of monster had a tricky ability to camouflage, especially at night, making them almost impossible to detect if one didn¡¯t pay close attention. Zhang Xiaoman wasn¡¯t even sure whether these things could actually become optically invisible when completely still. So, although she didn¡¯t know if thermal imaging would be effective on them, she couldn¡¯t skimp on the money when it came to her own life. After handling all these matters, Zhang Xiaoman checked her Energy again, with the current display showing: 8/10. She scratched her head in slight annoyance, muttering that tonight she could only sleep wrapped in her cape; otherwise, if she lost the cape¡¯s bonus of a 10-point Energy limit, she would fall into a state of excessive mental excitement again. Doing this would not only keep her from sleeping but also continuously consume her excess Energy, which pained her since she always felt that Energy resources were scarce. However, Zhang Xiaoman was destined not to be able to sleep soundly in bed today. Midnight, the hour of the Rat. A dull thud suddenly emanated from Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s bedroom. The resting Zhang Jinbao and Zhang Xiaohua were frightened and immediately jumped out of their nests; one swiftly dashed under the coffee table while the other barked continuously toward the direction of the noise. Zhang Xiaoman was standing by the window at the time, staring blankly at the massive figure that had suddenly appeared in front of him, completely baffled. ¡°What in the world is going on?¡± He muttered to himself. Just before, Zhang Xiaoman had seen that the time had passed midnight, so he decided to take his chance on today¡¯s lottery draw to see if there might be any surprises. As it turned out, while there were no pleasant surprises, there certainly was a fright. Before him, a sci-fi-laden, silver-white sedan now occupied most of his room, having crushed his double bed, which had accompanied him for years, into pitiful splinters. Chapter 54 - 54 54 Anti-gravity Car ?54: Chapter 54 Anti-gravity Car 54: Chapter 54 Anti-gravity Car ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve obtained a green prop¡ªan anti-gravity car: Civilian Base Type.¡± [Anti-Gravity Car] Civilian Base Type ¡ªA Da Han Technology product. Zhang Xiaoman stared at the enormous thing before him, the system¡¯s recent prompt still lingering before his eyes. Looking at his room, now in complete disarray, he didn¡¯t know whether to cry or to laugh. ¡°Is the system trying to get me to climb the tech tree or what...¡± He felt as if ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart. What happened to the promised extraordinary items, the promised bluffing and deceiving? Why did the style suddenly change? And an anti-gravity car? This thing must have come from some high-tech dimension, right? Zhang Xiaoman looked somewhat painfully at the room occupied by the car, inwardly lamenting that he had forgotten the random size of the lottery items. This time it was still okay since it was a car that could fit in the room, but what if next time it was some aircraft carrier or something? Would his little house then be doomed? However, as much as it hurt, Zhang Xiaoman was very satisfied with this reward. Never mind the high-tech anti-gravity stuff, just the luxurious appearance of this car alone was enough to attract attention. For a poor homebody who had a driver¡¯s license for years yet never touched a steering wheel, suddenly owning such a top-notch luxury car that was ahead of its era felt like being launched on a rocket, skyrocketing to heaven in one step. He carefully examined this peculiar car. The main body was in a silvery-white base tone with an outer layer of transparent, curved cabin. Zhang Xiaoman could directly see the luxurious interior structure through its exquisite shell. Where there should have been wheels, there was nothing; at the front, a large ¡°Han¡± character was stamped, like a bright flag, proclaiming its identity. If he hadn¡¯t just been informed by the system that this was an ¡°anti-gravity car,¡± Zhang Xiaoman might have thought it was a space shuttle. Outside, his dog Jin Bao had stopped barking, and Zhang Xiaoman heard the bedroom door open; it was his mom, awakened by the noise. ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± His mom, opening the door, also got a shock. She stared dumbfounded at the scene inside the room, taking a moment to realize whether she was still dreaming or not. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoman also had his work cut out for him explaining what had just happened. After listening, his mom was also amazed. But then she made a point, saying that despite everything, she expressed strong disapproval of Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s severe destruction of the furniture. Zhang Xiaoman let it go in one ear and out the other. His mind was entirely on the anti-gravity car, and his expression had transformed from initial gloom to present joy. ¡°Hahaha, who would have thought! I had just thought of buying a car, and big brother System so thoughtfully delivered one to me, and not just any car¡ª a cross-era limited edition! What a delightful surprise!¡± As he spoke, his hands couldn¡¯t stop feeling the outer body of the car, enjoying the unique sensation he had never experienced before as his heart filled with joy. ¡°Zzz~¡± A soft sound came. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t know which switch he had touched, only to see the layer of transparent curved cabin suddenly open. The sci-fi-filled cockpit instantly became reachable. ¡°Awesome, awesome... Who would have thought my first car would be such a huge deal...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was sitting down while incessantly grumbling about something, looking excited. His mother had been standing by, sizing up the car when she suddenly asked, ¡°That, Xiao Man, how do you plan to drive this car out?¡± She said that and then took another glance at the small bedroom, whose largest features were probably two windows that were slightly more than a meter in height and width. Upon hearing this, the happy expression on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face instantly froze. He stiffly looked around him, feeling as if he had plummeted into the Mariana Trench, his entire being stuck in a brief freeze. Seeing this, his mother shook her head and walked out. After a while, Zhang Xiaoman, who had snapped out of his daze, frustratingly scratched his head. In the moments that had just passed, he had already thought of several methods to get out. However, no matter which method, they all closely involved the two words ¡®tear down the house.¡¯ He feared that just as he would step out, the property management would be knocking at his door. Actually, after the initial excitement, Zhang Xiaoman understood that, setting aside a series of other driving and entry challenges, it was also impossible for him to simply drive the car out like that. ¡°This car doesn¡¯t seem to be able to become invisible. Not to mention the satellites in the sky; just the cameras in the city could push me into the public eye in minutes...¡± He shook his head and was about to disembark when his eyes suddenly got drawn to a red button in front of him. Then, driven by intense curiosity, his finger couldn¡¯t help but press down on it. ¡°This should be the start button... Pressing it should be fine, right? At worst, I won¡¯t fly out, I¡¯ll just start it to see what exactly happens...¡± As he spoke, his finger had already touched the button. ¡°Beep~¡± With a clear electronic alert sound, the car¡¯s interior went from dull and dim to bright, and all the lights on the car¡¯s shell lit up. The roof of the car immediately sealed shut, and with a ¡°zzt~¡± sound, the transparent glass of the cabin flipped and transformed into a silver-white shell. While Zhang Xiaoman was still at a loss, he suddenly heard an electronic female voice around him. ¡°Ding, dear car owner, hello, welcome to using Da Han Technology product. This product is a Civilian Base Type, please do not fly above the stratosphere, for detailed functions please refer to the user manual...¡± ¡°Ding, it¡¯s detected that this is the first start-up, please enter your fingerprint and iris information to bind with your car...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was staring blankly at the LCD screen that had suddenly extended right in front of him from the right side, and his finger inadvertently pressed down on it. ¡°Ding, entry successful, car owner information has been bound...¡± As this alert sounded, Zhang Xiaoman saw the interior walls of the car suddenly change and surprisingly turned into the environment of his own bedroom. And now, he felt as if he was sitting on a flying carpet, with everything around him except for some function buttons of the driver¡¯s seat switched to the outside scenery. ¡°Is this, is this a holographic screen?¡± Zhang Xiaoman touched around him, still able to feel the structure of the car, and immediately understood that this must be some high-tech facility. Immediately after, he saw his altitude suddenly rise a bit, as if he had floated up from the ground. If one were to look from the outside at that moment, they would see the silver-white Anti-gravity Car quietly hovering mid-air. Chapter 55 - 55 55 The Captured Corpse Demon ?55: Chapter 55: The Captured Corpse Demon 55: Chapter 55: The Captured Corpse Demon Zhang Xiaoman looked around in a panic, he hadn¡¯t expected the car to suddenly take off without warning, and his hands quickly withdrew, fearing that an accidental touch could lead to disastrous consequences. ¡°Oh my, I only have a C-level driver¡¯s license! I don¡¯t know how to operate this thing!¡± Feeling the suction from the seat, Zhang Xiaoman looked again at the retractable steering wheel and the multitude of mysterious buttons on the dashboard, his palms sweating profusely. Fortunately, the situation didn¡¯t worsen; this ultra-modern car, though advanced, was still just a cold machine, and without someone controlling it, it did not ascend on its own. Cautiously, Zhang Xiaoman reached out again and pressed the red button. Then, he saw the lights inside the car gradually dimming, the surroundings returned to normal, and the car landed back on the ground. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xiaoman stepped out of the car. The tension he had felt before now receded like a tide, replaced by an uncontrollable excitement. ¡°Hehehe...¡± After a series of silly laughs, Zhang Xiaoman circled around it for quite a while, until the late night was about to end, before he went to sleep on the couch in the living room. ... Meanwhile, in Qionghua City, Jiangnan Province, Third Research Institute. On the sixth floor, inside the newly established Abnormal Creature Research Department, a group of researchers clad in white lab coats stood beside a transparent glass box, discussing something. On the box, the words ¡°No. 2¡± were emblazoned on the tough specialty glass. Inside it, an oval-shaped, blood-red sphere was visible. The sphere was covered in dozens of bizarre veins, dark red and leading directly to the interior of the sphere, and if one looked closely, they were pulsating with every beat. ¡°Xiao Tan, you go sort out the data records from No. 2 and bring them to my office later. Old Li, you and I will do another physical test later to see if animals other than felines are attracted to No. 2. Duan, you go check on Specimen No. 1...¡± Among the crowd, a man in his seventies was instructing the researchers about their next tasks. Elsewhere, a square-faced middle-aged man put down the phone, walked toward the crowd with an anxious expression, and spoke to the elderly man: ¡°Mr. Wen, we have just captured No. 3, alive! The transport vehicle is arriving soon! They asked us to prepare for reception!¡± The researchers turned their heads at this news, and Mr. Wen looked at him somewhat unexpectedly before joyfully saying: ¡°Captain Hu, you really caught No. 3? Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head downstairs to wait!¡± After speaking, he looked around again and said to two researchers nearby: ¡°Xiao Tan, Duan, put the other tasks aside for now, open the containment room next door and get ready to receive No. 3.¡± With that, he led the way to the elevator entrance, and the others quickly followed. The previously bustling lab quickly fell silent. However, not long after they left, in a spot hidden from the outside world and the cameras, a root-like tendril slowly emerged from beneath the oval red sphere, easily piercing the tough specialty glass, then spreading downwards behind the lab bench, burrowing into the steel-reinforced concrete floor... Downstairs, the research personnel had already arrived in the lobby on the first floor. As they walked to the door, a series of special vehicles flashing red and blue lights also entered the plaza of the Third Research Institute. As the vehicles came to a stop, a group of armed police officers quickly ran out from the police cars. In the center of the convoy was a modified troop transport armored vehicle, and everyone got out and subtly surrounded it. Captain Hu hurriedly walked up to one of the command vehicles, just as a few policemen were stepping out of it, and greeted them as they met. ¡°Director Wang, you¡¯ve arrived!¡± Captain Hu spoke to one of the middle-aged men who appeared to be in his fifties. ¡°Old Hu, this is Lei Ying, the newly appointed captain of the special police brigade, and he is responsible for this operation,¡± he said. Director Wang said to the two people next to him, ¡°Xiao Lei, this is the captain of the detective squadron, who is currently serving as the temporary commander of the Abnormal Event Emergency Investigation Department, Hu Hu.¡± The man named Lei Ying, captain of the special police brigade, was a muscular man in his thirties. When he saw Captain Hu, he hurriedly stepped forward to shake hands and said, ¡°Mr. Hu, hello, you have lectured at our school before; I¡¯m finally meeting you again!¡± Captain Hu exchanged pleasantries with him before turning his attention back to Director Wang, ¡°Director Wang, how¡¯s the situation? What about No. 3?¡± Director Wang pointed to the armored vehicle in the middle and said, ¡°It¡¯s inside. I didn¡¯t expect this thing to be so vicious. Luckily, with Comrade Xiao Lei¡¯s command, although some personnel were injured, there were no casualties.¡± After he finished speaking, he instructed a nearby police officer, who then jogged toward the direction of the armored vehicle before pulling open the rear door with a few other colleagues. ¡°Gurgle gurgle...¡± The moment the door was opened, everyone outside heard a strange sound, like a monster making noises from deep within its throat, sending shivers down their spines. A few police officers used a cart to push out a double-layered iron cage from inside, and a hairless gray-skinned monster suddenly appeared before everyone. The creature was thin and long-limbed, squatting in the cage with knees bent. Just by eye measurement, one could tell its height reached over two and a half meters. It had no eyes; instead of ears, there were two large holes, and rows of dense teeth looked exceedingly creepy. Sensing the changes in its environment, it immediately lay on the cage, emitting a hoarse cry. This was unmistakably a Corpse Demon! ¡°This creature, it appeared barely alive before, I didn¡¯t expect it to recover so quickly. Such a terrifying ability...¡± Captain Lei remarked as he looked at the monster. Captain Hu¡¯s eyes narrowed at this time, for he clearly saw dozens of bullet holes of various sizes on the monster¡¯s body, yet not a single drop of blood was visible, as if its body contained no blood at all. Mr. Wen, among other researchers, also came over, all staring in astonishment at the creature, unable to resist moving closer. ¡°Mr. Wen, be careful! Don¡¯t go over there just yet, let me first have my brothers move this thing into the containment room before you take a look,¡± Captain Hu quickly stepped forward to stop him. Mr. Wen nodded subconsciously at these words and then hastily urged the special police warriors to push it inside. Once everyone took the large elevator upstairs and secured the monster in the containment room along with its cage, Mr. Wen approached the observation room¡¯s glass to closely examine it. ¡°The skin is gray with a hint of white, likely due to minimal exposure to light sources... No eyes, meaning it does not rely on vision, but that doesn¡¯t rule out other sensory capabilities... The earholes are large and lack external pinnae; either its hearing is very poor or very good, most likely the latter... It has constantly been making a peculiar gurgling sound since it entered, initially assessed as a form of communication with its peers, possibly indicating that it¡¯s a social species...¡± Mr. Wen observed from different angles, making preliminary analyses, while a young researcher beside him was rapidly taking notes. ¡°Body riddled with injuries but no trace of blood; a very peculiar internal structure...¡± Muttering to himself, Mr. Wen¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up as he said, ¡°Since entering, it has continuously stayed on the right side of the cage, its body curled up defensively and showing signs of agitation; it seems to be fearing something...¡± After saying this, he glanced at the wall on the left side of the containment room, his eyebrows furrowing deeply. ¡°On the other side of the wall is the laboratory where Specimen No. 2 is detained. Could it be... it is afraid of... No. 2?¡± Chapter 56 - 56 56 Four-leaf Flower ?56: Chapter 56 Four-leaf Flower 56: Chapter 56 Four-leaf Flower Three days later, at noon. Zhang Xiaoman dejectedly tossed an apple core into the kitchen trash can and turned back to his bedroom. That¡¯s right, the core he had just thrown away wasn¡¯t something he had eaten, but a grey item he had won in the lottery today! [Miss¡¯s Leftover Apple Core] ¡ªThis is an apple core left over by a young lady. As a single dog, are you sure you don¡¯t want a taste? Just thinking about the system¡¯s description made Zhang Xiaoman instantly feel annoyed. Was the damn system having a dig at my being single for over twenty years by strength of character? Why keep bringing up my single status! ¡°Lucky you don¡¯t have a system elf, otherwise I would definitely drag you out and rub you against the floor with all my might!¡± Remembering the two pieces of grey trash he had received in the past three days, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit depressed. He had originally planned to use the time waiting for the courier to try his luck at the lottery and hopefully beef up his strength a bit, but he hadn¡¯t expected his luck to be so bad, winning two completely useless grey items! When he glanced at the semi-transparent plastic bottle with a skull sticker on the shelf, his face was immediately streaked with lines of frustration. [Kidney Treasure] ¡ªKidney treasure, tastes extremely good! Zhang Xiaoman felt that the system must be messing with him. Did he need this kind of thing? Besides, with a big skull stuck on it, it looked more like a bottle of poison, didn¡¯t it? As for why he hadn¡¯t thrown it away? Don¡¯t get it wrong, he wasn¡¯t planning to taste it himself later. He just wanted to keep it for now, to see if he would randomly get grey items when he used the upgrade function in the future. Luckily, not all the lottery draws over these three days were fruitless, and he was still looking forward to the item he had received yesterday. Although it was just a very ordinary white item, Zhang Xiaoman had taken it very seriously and stored it away. [Four-leaf Flower] Effect: Restores 40 life points. ¡ªA small flower with four leaves. This flower had five yellow petals, and a green stem with four vibrant leaves sprouting from it. This was also the first time Zhang Xiaoman had received an item for healing, and although he wasn¡¯t sure about his life limit, judging from how a Parasitic Spirit died instantly from 20 points of energy last time, his life value probably wasn¡¯t too high either. He hadn¡¯t planned on carrying this flower with him just yet, instead, he had placed it in a small water-filled bottle in his bedroom. The reason he did this was that he hoped to try his luck next time and see if he could upgrade it. From his experience so far, only items selected by the system for upgrade had the chance to appear in the shop¡¯s list. So, for such a precious healing item, he still wanted to have the right to purchase it. Touching the petals of the four-leaf flower, Zhang Xiaoman silently prayed that it wouldn¡¯t wither away, as he was counting on it as an emergency medicinal herb for the future. Gathering the equipment that had been delivered over the past two days, Zhang Xiaoman locked his bedroom door. Ever since he won the anti-gravity car, his room had become the household storage space, and over the last three nights, he had been sleeping on the couch in the living room. ¡°Three steel swords in their scabbards, the strong light flashlight isn¡¯t needed during daytime, thermal imaging night vision goggles are a must, the bullet-proof vest is too hot so pack it in a plastic bag for now, the multi-purpose military knife is better than nothing, I¡¯ll stick it in my pocket...¡± Zhang Xiaoman methodically prepared his gear, planning to head to the locust grove in the northern suburb that afternoon to find the space node and complete the last exploration. Having bundled three steel swords together with a rope and slung them over his back, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly looked a bit pale. He weighed the bulk behind him and muttered to himself, ¡°Miscalculated!¡± The reason was nothing else but their heaviness! When he had been purchasing the steel swords, to make his weapon adaptable to more types of terrain, he had chosen those that were thick and heavy, each one immense in size, resembling the broadswords used by European medieval knights. Now, as Zhang Xiaoman held one of the swords in his hand, he startlingly realized just how heavy it actually was¡ªburdensome and weighty to hold. Three swords strapped to his back felt like he was carrying Jin Bao. In the end, Zhang Xiaoman packed the swords properly and even took along the ¡°Purple Cloud Divine Sword¡± given by Pei Laoliu as an extra. After packing his things and leaving the house, he first took a trip to Pei Laoliu¡¯s house. Lately, every day, Zhang Xiaoman had been bringing two old geese to the elder, and then conveniently helping himself to a meal there, which was quite enjoyable. For the past three days, in addition to searching for oddities every day, he also signed up for a gym membership nearby and had a beautiful personal trainer guide him through intense physical training. Moreover, he had begun basic training for the dog Jin Bao as well. However, somewhat helpless, he didn¡¯t know whether the silly dog was too dumb or had already used its skill when he wasn¡¯t aware. In any case, no matter how he tried to guide it, he never saw the creature successfully cast ¡°Following the Way of Heaven.¡± Zhang Xiaoman did have some idea about how to teach Jin Bao to cast skills since he himself had used skills granted by the system. He understood the method did not require accurately chanting or thinking the words ¡°Following the Way of Heaven.¡± It required one to be clear in their subconscious mind about what they wanted to do next and what effect they hoped to achieve; then, the corresponding skill would manifest effortlessly. But for now, limited by energy, Zhang Xiaoman could not set up a Sword Array for Jin Bao to try it out in, so he could only proceed with the dog¡¯s training slowly. Master Liu seemed to have been in a good mood these past few days, not sure if it was because he had been eating old geese every day. In any case, Zhang Xiaoman noticed that his smile seemed to have never left his face the last couple of days, to the point that even his daily use of the air conditioner didn¡¯t provoke any glares from him. ¡°Master Liu, did you come across some good fortune recently? Why do you have such a sleazy smile every day?¡± Zhang Xiaoman asked while helping himself to Master Liu¡¯s specialty dish ¡°One Sweep Clean.¡± ¡°One Sweep Clean¡± was really just Master Liu¡¯s preparation of minced garlic with dried tofu, which got its name because it was always the first to be finished whenever it was served. Master Liu simply shook his fan, gave him a look, and said with discontent, ¡°How can you talk like that, kid? When have I ever smiled sleazily?¡± Zhang Xiaoman blinked, ¡°Every time you successfully tricked someone, you had that grin. I have a vivid memory of it.¡± Pei Laoliu calmly took a bite of his food and replied nonchalantly, ¡°What do you mean ¡®tricked¡¯? Was that trickery? They came to pay the consultation fee, and I removed their mental blocks. That was psychological therapy!¡± Zhang Xiaoman bowed, ¡°I had no idea my Sixth Grandpa was such a venerable doctor; my sincerest apologies.¡± Ignoring his jest, Pei Laoliu continued, ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m so happy? It¡¯s why I fried up both pork and beef for you. It¡¯s because, a few days ago, I received a phone call.¡± ¡°A phone call? From who?¡± Curious and intrigued by his mysterious demeanor, Zhang Xiaoman pressed. Pei Laoliu waved his fan. ¡°It was from Binglong Province, from the organizers of the Cultivation Conference!¡± ¡°The day before yesterday, someone in charge over there called me. They actually said they sincerely wanted to invite me to the Cultivation Conference and asked me to honor them with my presence. They were so polite on the phone, and they offered me this much in travel expenses... Heh, who would have thought that I, Sixth Master Pei, would have such renown in this field...¡± As he spoke, Pei Laoliu gestured a ¡°six¡± with his hand and smiled particularly happily at Zhang Xiaoman. Chapter 57 - 57 57 Lin Sisi ?57: Chapter 57 Lin Sisi 57: Chapter 57 Lin Sisi Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s expression froze for a moment when he heard Sixth Grandpa say that; then, as if he had thought of something, he quickly asked: ¡°Sixty thousand! Really? Sixth Grandpa, why would they give you that much money? Is it the same for others? And how did they get your phone number?¡± ¡°Sixty thousand? Heh heh, the six I just gestured wasn¡¯t sixty thousand, but six figures!¡± Pei Laoliu laughed heartily and smugly said: ¡°A full hundred thousand in travel expenses, others don¡¯t get this kind of treatment! To think that I was just about to go sign up, and they already called me first.¡± ¡°As for how they got in touch with me, isn¡¯t that easy? I¡¯ve been in this line of work for the better part of my life, after all. Ask around among my peers, and they could easily find out my number.¡± Zhang Xiaoman paused for a moment, then quickly understood. After his last successful impersonation at the Su family, the title ¡°Master Pei,¡± though still unknown to the public, probably gained some recognition within their circles. Looking at Sixth Grandpa, who was still oblivious, Zhang Xiaoman felt conflicted about whether to reveal the truth to him. ¡°Um, Master Liu, do you think it¡¯s possible that there¡¯s been a legendary master recently, who¡¯s used your name, going around doing heroic deeds, and as a result, the event organizers mistook him for you and thus offered a high appearance fee? Could this all just be a misunderstanding... Could there be such a possibility?¡± Upon hearing this, Pei Laoliu looked at him with the eyes one would use to view an intellectually challenged person: ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? Is there a second Master Pei in Qionghua City besides me? Going around performing acts of chivalry, have you been reading martial arts novels again lately?¡± Zhang Xiaoman gave an awkward smile and silently apologized to Sixth Grandpa in his heart, then he conveniently skipped over the subject. After a hearty lunch, Zhang Xiaoman packed up his stuff and went out again. Just like the last time, he planned to take the express to the small woods in the north of the city to see if there might be the existence of a ¡°Space Node.¡± Taking a different route than the one he took to get there, Zhang Xiaoman this time took a shortcut through the old city district, and just so happened to pass by the place where he used to set up his sushi stand. But when he arrived there, he saw a familiar figure. It was a girl in her late teens, dressed in a light yellow casual outfit; young and pretty, with an unadorned, natural beauty. Zhang Xiaoman remembered her; she seemed to be the same girl who passed by with her dog last time, and he had mentioned to her that her dog seemed to have a tummy ache. He wondered what had happened afterwards. At this moment, the girl stood by the roadside alone, holding a small floral umbrella and a long stick in her hand, with no sight of the big golden retriever by her side. Zhang Xiaoman approached, puzzled, and just as he drew near, he heard a vegetable vendor suddenly shout: ¡°Here he comes! The young man is here!¡± Zhang Xiaoman saw the vendor waving at him, so he walked over. ¡°Ah, Xiao Zhang, you¡¯re finally here. This girl has been waiting for you here for several days now; insistent on returning the money she owed you in person, and wouldn¡¯t leave under this blazing sun...¡± Upon hearing her say this, Zhang Xiaoman was instantly surprised. This girl couldn¡¯t possibly have been so stubborn as to wait here for me for four days, could she? ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯ve got nothing much to do lately anyway. Hanging around here has been pretty interesting.¡± The girl said while turning her head towards Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s direction, her large eyes staring at him intently. ¡°Thank you for the sushi you made for me last time; it was really delicious. Oh, and there¡¯s also Rabbit¡¯s matter. Thanks to you, the doctor said it has caught the parvovirus, but luckily it was discovered in time. It¡¯s currently in the hospital receiving IV treatment, I really can¡¯t thank you enough!¡± After finishing, she even gave a bow, though her direction seemed slightly off. Seeing the girl like this, Zhang Xiaoman quickly waved his hands, saying it was nothing, while he finally understood what was going on in his heart. ¡°You... can¡¯t see?¡± He asked cautiously. The girl nodded and said, ¡°Yes, I went blind a year ago. Tutu is my guide dog.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was genuinely shocked this time. He hadn¡¯t expected that the girl would be blind, which explained why he had felt something was amiss when he watched her earlier. So, this was the reason! Thinking about how this young girl had come here every day just to wait for the dozen or so dollars from him, a feeling that he was a terrible person began to grow in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart. ¡°Here¡¯s your money back, and thank you for the sushi! It was really delicious!¡± As the girl spoke, she reached out and handed over a few crumpled banknotes that were slightly damp with sweat. Zhang Xiaoman was tempted to refuse the money, but the girl was insistent, so he reluctantly accepted it in the end. The young girl thanked him several times before slowly leaving with the aid of her guide cane. Zhang Xiaoman watched her retreating figure and eventually followed her. ¡°Beauty, I can see you¡¯re having a tough time. Grab onto my shirt, and I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Zhang Xiaoman said, walking beside her. At his words, the girl stopped, turned in his direction, and ¡°looked¡± at him. The words of refusal she had been about to say subconsciously somehow remained unspoken. ¡°Thank you...¡± The girl lowered her head and quietly responded, her voice as soft and fragile as a mosquito¡¯s whine. Feeling the girl¡¯s hand lightly grasp his sleeve, Zhang Xiaoman felt a surge of excitement in his heart. He hadn¡¯t expected that his first attempt at striking up a conversation with a girl, after being single for over twenty years, would actually be successful! Following that, the girl gave him her home address, and Zhang Xiaoman was surprised to find that she seemed to live quite close to Sixth Grandpa. On the way, the two of them got to know each other a little better. The girl¡¯s name was Lin Sisi, nineteen years old, living alone in this old district. She used to attend Qionghua University, but since becoming suddenly blind a year ago, she had been unable to continue her studies, and now the only one with her was her guide dog, Tutu. ¡°You live alone!? What about your other relatives!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but be startled when he heard about her living situation. In his opinion, it was hard to imagine how a blind person could manage to live alone. ¡°My parents were both raised in the Qidian Orphanage, and they died in a car accident a year ago... It was during that accident that I hit my head and lost my sight...¡± Lin Sisi spoke softly, her head lowered in a touch of sadness, but then suddenly raised her face with a bright smile: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not too bad. I¡¯ve grown up here since I was little, and I¡¯m very familiar with the surroundings. Plus, Aunt Wang, the landlord, often comes to take care of me, so my life isn¡¯t as hard as you might imagine.¡± The smile on her face was bright and cheerful, showing no sign of resentment, as if she was completely blind to the injustice fate had dealt her. Zhang Xiaoman felt a sharp tug at his heart and for a moment, didn¡¯t know what to say. At this moment, Lin Sisi broke the silence herself, tugging at Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s sleeve and whispering: ¡°Oh, by the way, someone was asking about you while I was waiting for you the other day. It had me thinking your last name was Pei.¡± Chapter 58 - 58 58 Encountering the Space Node Again ?58: Chapter 58: Encountering the Space Node Again 58: Chapter 58: Encountering the Space Node Again ¡°Someone came to inquire about me?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was slightly startled and then gently nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t too surprising that someone had come here looking for him. After all, Master Liu had been a master for so many years, and it wasn¡¯t too hard to roughly find out where he set up his stall. The question now was, who exactly were the people looking for him? ¡°Hmm... do you know who they were? And why do you say they were looking for me?¡± Zhang Xiaoman cautiously voiced his doubts. However, no sooner had he finished speaking than he began to regret it, wondering if it was any use to ask such detailed questions to a girl who was blind. Unexpectedly, Lin Sisi didn¡¯t seem as puzzled as he thought, instead she chuckled and said: ¡°Of course I know! They should be two old Taoists, from their accent it seems they are not locals, possibly from the vicinity of Qionghua City. As for why I¡¯m sure they were looking for you, that¡¯s because I heard a young lady in my direction say, ¡®I saw Master Pei set up his stall here a couple days ago...''¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief: ¡°That¡¯s incredible! You can even tell their identities just by listening?¡± Lin Sisi smiled slightly and said: ¡°It¡¯s not as exaggerated as you imagine. It¡¯s just that when you can¡¯t see with your eyes, if you listen with your ears, you can hear a lot of things you usually wouldn¡¯t catch.¡± She held onto Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s sleeve, following him step by step into an alleyway, saying playfully: ¡°Just like when we entered this alley just now, I heard at the street corner there was a child playing pesticide, he must have been playing Li Bai; and three meters behind us, an auntie riding an electric scooter stopped to pick up the vegetables that fell on the ground; on the electric pole to the left, two pigeons landed and cooed twice...¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes when he heard this. ¡°You¡¯re too amazing, it almost feels like you¡¯ve got a superpower...¡± Lin Sisi simply laughed softly and said: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not that difficult to achieve, it¡¯s just that people sometimes rely too much on their eyes, so they easily overlook what their ears hear.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded in sudden realization. It turned out that although this young girl couldn¡¯t see, her view of the world was not necessarily any blurrier than anyone else¡¯s. ¡°Ah, right, did those two people later ask you anything about me?¡± He suddenly remembered the earlier topic of conversation. ¡°They did ask; they wanted to know if there was a Master with the surname Pei around here.¡± ¡°What about after that? What did you tell them?¡± Lin Sisi said with an innocent face: ¡°I told them I didn¡¯t know any Master Pei, and that I had never heard of him...¡± Zhang Xiaoman let out a breath of relief. If what this girl said was true, then things were just as he had previously speculated. The information had only spread within their small circle and hadn¡¯t reached society at large or the government. But that was to be expected. To others, these masters were no more than old charlatans. And the mystical topics they talked about were even less likely to be believed. After chatting idly with the girl for a bit, the two of them soon reached their destination. After seeing her home, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t stay for long. He said a few more words and then turned around to leave. During the conversation, the little girl expressed joyfully that she was really happy to have someone to chat with and hoped that they could play together next time. Despite his many years as a bachelor, he knew how to reply to that. They immediately exchanged phone numbers, so they could contact each other in the future. After leaving Lin Sisi¡¯s house, Zhang Xiaoman checked the time, nearly an hour had passed. He did not delay any further and soon hailed a ride-share car to the northern woods of the city. The small grove was the same as a few days ago, lush and dense, with locust trees blooming like snow, their fragrance refreshing. If there were fewer cicada choruses and more quietude, it would be quite the scenic spot. However, Zhang Xiaoman was in no mood to appreciate the scenery. He had already arrived at the previously marked spot, and by now, he was fully geared up. He donned a bullet-proof vest reinforced with steel rods, held a water gun in one hand, and a thermal imager in the other. Now, every few steps he took, he would carefully observe multiple times with his naked eye and the thermal imager to guard against any lurking Bone-eating Demon. It took him over ten minutes to merely walk another hundred or so meters. Wrapped tightly all over, he was already drenched in sweat in such an environment. But now wasn¡¯t the time to care about that. He cautiously continued to push through the small forest, as survival was his top priority. There was no one else to help him here, he could only rely on himself. He slowly made his way forward for another twenty minutes. Zhang Xiaoman was starting to doubt whether any weird entities still existed here, fearing his idea about absorbing the Space Node might come to nothing. Just as he hesitated whether to give up, a flash of purple light suddenly appeared at the edge of his field of view, instantly capturing his attention. ¡°Is that...¡± His eyes lit up. The light was familiar to him, identical to what he¡¯d seen on Lake Island in the residential area before. ¡°Space Node!¡± Zhang Xiaoman instantly perked up, his already tired spirit electrified. From his current position, he could faintly sense the energy fluctuations in the nearby environment, but he didn¡¯t dare confirm it until he saw it with his own eyes. ¡°Hold steady, need to hold steady!¡± He forced himself to suppress the urge to run straight over, constantly reminding himself to stay calm, especially at critical moments like this. After thoroughly scanning the vicinity with the thermal imager and not finding any trace of the Bone-eating Demon, Zhang Xiaoman cautiously moved a short distance closer. This time, he got a clear view of the source of the purple light; it was indeed the kind of Space Node he¡¯d seen before! Unexpectedly, after so many days, he had once again stumbled upon this valuable item representative of a large number of points. However, beyond the Space Node, Zhang Xiaoman noted many other things in that spot. There were about seven or eight semi-transparent insects, each roughly the size of two adult fists. At the moment, they were aimlessly wriggling around a tombstone, their speed not very fast, seemingly as harmless as silkworm babies. But Zhang Xiaoman knew that these creatures couldn¡¯t possibly be as cute as silkworm babies; their semi-transparency was a clear indication of their true nature. Cryptic beings from an unknown domain! ¡°Could these be the Parasitic Spirits?¡± Zhang Xiaoman muttered to himself in puzzlement. He was currently hiding behind a large tree, stealthily peeking out at these creatures. Chapter 59 - 59 59 Fat Insect ?59: Chapter 59: Fat Insect 59: Chapter 59: Fat Insect Considering the encounter last time, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t jump to conclusions this time and didn¡¯t rashly attack, instead observing from a distance for quite a while before making a decision. ¡°These insects don¡¯t seem very fast. I can try attacking them with the Soul Absorption Technique first. If their speed is indeed as slow as it appears now, I can just run further away, wait for the Skill to end, and then come back to kill the next one.¡± As he spoke, he thought of the scene when he encountered the Bone-eating Demon last time and couldn¡¯t help but mutter: ¡°If these insects¡¯ real speed is faster than they appear now, I must escape immediately and then keep rubbing the hearthstone to return...¡± Zhang Xiaoman placed his hand on the Swift Stone in his pocket, feeling slightly more confident. He took off his bullet-proof vest and steel sword to avoid increasing his load. After making a map location on the spot, he quietly moved closer to the group of insects. ¡°The range of the Soul Absorption Technique is 20 meters. I need to get a bit closer...¡± Moving from behind one tree to another, he carefully made no sound, while also silently calculating the distance, fearing that he would fail to use the Skill later due to insufficient range. ¡°This should be close enough.¡± By now, Zhang Xiaoman had entered the 20-meter range, which is roughly equivalent to the width of a six-lane dual carriageway. Thus, he could now see those semi-transparent fat insects clearly in front of him. These insects were round and plump, somewhat like chibi-style insects in cartoons. They looked the same from front to back. If they stood still, he couldn¡¯t even tell which side was the head. Unlike the colorless transparency of the Bone-eating Demons, these insects¡¯ bodies exhibited a milky white halo, which could be easily spotted on this land. ¡°These things seem pretty dumb. I¡¯ve gotten this close, and they haven¡¯t reacted at all...¡± While Zhang Xiaoman was pondering in his mind, his actions were not vague. He put his left hand in his pocket on the hearthstone, while his right hand slowly stretched out, opening his fingers towards the insect closest to him. Soul Absorption Technique! In his mind, he envisioned the intent to extract energy from the insect, and the Skill was immediately activated. The insect¡¯s body suddenly stiffened and became a blur. Strips of visible energy were stripped from its body, all rushing toward Zhang Xiaoman. The insect seemed very fragile. In just two or three breaths, under the intricate extraction of the Soul Absorption Technique, it turned into streams of energy and left a thumb-sized spherical crystal in its place. Listening to the somewhat piercing buzzing coming from ahead, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, these must mostly be Parasitic Spirit larvae. At least from the abilities they displayed currently, he should be able to handle them. Yet, before he could rejoice, he saw the several little insects around him all turn towards him. Then they all stood upright, and the mouthparts hidden under their heads suddenly opened wide, exposing sharp teeth within. The next second, Zhang Xiaoman heard a sharp and piercing buzzing sound. It felt as though someone had fiercely pinched his brain. He felt a wave of dizziness and nearly lost his balance, almost fainting. ¡°What a terrifying Spiritual Attack!¡± He shook his head, not expecting these little creatures to also cast a combined Skill. By the time he came to his senses, he was shocked to find that these insects had actually balled up and were rolling towards him. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t waste any words and started running back while twisting the hearthstone in his hand. Fortunately, although these creatures had turned themselves into rolling forms, their speed wasn¡¯t too fast due to their small size. At least, they definitely couldn¡¯t catch up within 5 seconds. He maintained his running posture and instantly appeared on the couch at home. He then toppled over with the inertia and frightened Jin Bao, who was passing by, causing him to bark loudly in a string. ¡°Attack! Attack! Attack! Attack!¡± Zhang Xiaoman scrambled up from the couch, looked around at the familiar surroundings, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, okay, it¡¯s me!¡± He waved at his dog, Jin Bao, and said. Jin Bao also paused, then hurried forward wagging his tail, his tongue lolling out in a well-behaved manner. Having sent him away, Zhang Xiaoman finally had time to think about what had just happened. He opened his attribute panel to check his energy, which now displayed: 12/10. The insect just now had provided him with 4 points of energy. Clearly, those creatures were probably the juvenile forms of the Parasitic Spirit. The translucent form and the ability for Spiritual Attacks were similar to the one he saw at the Su family¡¯s house, though their appearances were slightly different. Not only that, these creatures seemed not to be purely energy bodies as he initially thought. They were more akin to elemental creatures like those in games. Because if they were pure energy bodies, they wouldn¡¯t move just by rolling on the ground, and they wouldn¡¯t leave a corpse after death. However, no matter what, in his view, these insects seemed manageable. The real hassle was that his Soul Absorption Technique couldn¡¯t launch an area attack after being used on a target, plus the hearthstone had a one-hour cooling time. Thus, he might need to run back and forth a few more times today. As for the teleportation destination of the hearthstone being switched to the couch, Zhang Xiaoman actually knew about it a few days ago when he used it. He guessed that the teleportation spot after using the hearthstone was probably where he last slept at home. In any case, as of now, it didn¡¯t have much impact on him. About going back to the small forest in the north of the city, Zhang Xiaoman was certainly planning on it. However, since he could take a taxi and it would only take about 20 minutes, and the hearthstone still had an hour of cooling time, he didn¡¯t need to rush over there right away, especially since it was too hot under the big sun. After turning on the air conditioning, Zhang Xiaoman watched some TV at home for about half an hour before he finally left for the woods again. He called another ride-sharing car, feeling like a big boss now. In the past, each time the cost pinched him, but now, his heart felt no fluctuation whatsoever. A somewhat familiar white sedan stopped in front of him, and as soon as Zhang Xiaoman got in, he heard the driver¡¯s voice coming from the front. ¡°Eh? It¡¯s you, huh? Didn¡¯t I just take you there a while ago?¡± Chapter 60 - 60 60 Pest Control Operation ?60: Chapter 60: Pest Control Operation 60: Chapter 60: Pest Control Operation Originally, Zhang Xiaoman wasn¡¯t too concerned about what the driver looked like while riding in the car. However, after his mention, a sense of familiarity did start to rise. ¡°Bro, that place is just a barren hill and wild ridge, not even a rural resort ¡ª what are you going there for?¡± Driven by curiosity, the driver couldn¡¯t help asking. Zhang Xiaoman glanced at him and casually replied: ¡°I¡¯ve arranged to meet a few friends for a wilderness camp, just going back home to fetch something.¡± With an ¡°Oh,¡± the driver made small talk for a bit more and left after reaching the destination. Following the previous route, Zhang Xiaoman stayed alert the entire way, to prevent any sudden incidents. When he arrived smoothly at the tree where his steel sword was planted, he eyed the position of the Space Node ahead. Sure enough, those insects had gone back and were aimlessly wandering nearby. ¡°It seems these creatures are attracted to energy, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have specifically come back from so far away, right? But this actually makes things easier for me.¡± Zhang Xiaoman relaxed slightly upon finding the corpse of the insect he had killed earlier still on the ground. Thankfully, these creatures didn¡¯t have the habit of eating their companions¡¯ bodies, otherwise, he felt he would lose a hefty sum of points this time. Checking the cooling time for the hearthstone, it had been an hour by now. He prepared himself and advanced once again. This time, unlike before, Zhang Xiaoman found a locust tree that was easier to climb and sneakily scaled it from the back. Knowing that these insects couldn¡¯t fly, he planned to launch a stealth attack from a higher position! He targeted the nearest unlucky insect and, without hesitation, raised his palm to unleash the Soul Absorption Technique. Streams of energy flowed through, and the insect, just like the previous one, was drained dry within two to three breaths. At this time, the other fat insects immediately reacted, raising their upper bodies and opening their tooth-filled mouths to send out waves of Spiritual Attacks. After absorbing that insect, Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t start the teleportation process right away. Instead, he clung tightly to the tree trunk to avoid falling from the tree during the intense Spiritual Attack. Another wave of piercing pain came, but he gritted his teeth and resisted. However, perhaps because there was one less insect this time, it felt milder than before and wasn¡¯t nearly enough to make him pass out as last time. After launching their Spiritual Attacks, the insects rolled up into small balls, just like before, and started rolling towards him. As soon as Zhang Xiaoman came to, he began the action to teleport with the hearthstone. As expected, these little fellows stopped under the tree upon reaching it, with some even accidentally hitting the tree, and then they began their slow, wriggling action to climb up. With a sly smile on his face, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s hand passed over the hearthstone, and his figure vanished from the tree. At home, on the couch. His figure reappeared once more; this time he teleported while sitting, so he didn¡¯t end up falling on the floor as he did last time. Jin Bao the dog was fake-napping at the other end of the couch, suddenly scared into barking loudly when he felt someone abruptly appear next to him. ¡°Ambush! Ambush! Ambush! Ambush!¡± ¡°Ambush my foot!¡± Zhang Xiaoman slapped it on the dog¡¯s head and tossed it aside. Ignoring the dog¡¯s look filled with silent reproach, he took the earplugs out of his ears and ran over to the air conditioner to cool down. ¡°These earplugs are completely useless against the insects¡¯ spiritual attacks, looks like just blocking sound won¡¯t cut it.¡± As Zhang Xiaoman blew the air conditioning, he rubbed his forehead and said: ¡°I just don¡¯t know if the spiritual power attribute can reduce the effect of these kinds of spiritual attacks, or should I take off the cloak to feel it out?¡± He shook his head again, deciding that he really shouldn¡¯t go courting death. Now, the number of insects had dwindled to only six, and their spiritual attacks would keep getting weaker, he just needed to battle steadily to eventually get the chicken... Oh no, to get the space node. Having absorbed another plump insect, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s energy had increased by another 4 points, already overloading to 16 points. Based on past experience, given his current maximum limit for spiritual endurance, he might only be able to handle an overload of up to 30 energy points before it becomes too much to cope with. And with six insects remaining, it meant that he still needed to use up another 10 energy points. However, these were secondary issues, he just needed to have a rough mental preparation. Compared to gaining energy, using energy was much easier. After resting at home for a bit longer, Zhang Xiaoman tidied up and set out once more. But when he got to the entrance of his residential complex and saw the ridesharing car he had just called, he was immediately speechless. ¡°How is it this guy again?¡± As he opened the car door and sat down, the voice of the driver in front once again rang out, tinged with surprise: ¡°Brother, we must have fate! Where are you off to this time? Did you forget something again?¡± Zhang Xiaoman stiffly nodded, surprised to find himself unexpectedly turned into a forgetful demon today. Throughout the trip, the chatty driver unleashed his wild imagination. He boldly conjectured from Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak and the ¡°Purple Cloud Divine Sword¡± on his back that they were holding a unique cosplay wine and barbecue gathering in the locust grove of the Northern Suburb. He even guessed the number of participants convincingly, and finally, with a look of yearning and reflection, he expressed his sincere wish to return to those carefree and wild youthful days! To this, Zhang Xiaoman could only silently nod. Having bid the driver farewell once again, he entered the small grove for the third time that day, and the well-practiced Zhang Xiaoman quickly repeated his previous steps: Kill insects, teleport back; Kill insects, teleport back. Zhang Xiaoman repeated this process several times. But to his annoyance, every subsequent visit he miraculously managed to hail a ride from the same driver. Eventually, the driver¡¯s gaze began to change when he saw him. And he would ask with a look that said he had seen right through everything, wondering if this was for a reality show about an infinite loop. Zhang Xiaoman was speechless and choked up. The extermination went smoothly, and as the number of insects decreased, resisting their spiritual attacks became easier and easier for him. However, the hour cooling time of the hearthstone was a significant drawback, so after killing a few more insects, Zhang Xiaoman decided not to continue for the day. After all, this place was not like in the city with no lights around, and it was situated in a grove where one could hardly see anything upon entering. Taking into account the potential for lurking monsters, he abandoned the idea of conquering this node in one go and planned to return the next day to finish off the remaining three insects. Chapter 61 - 61 61 Sand Soldier Appearance! ?61: Chapter 61: Sand Soldier Appearance! 61: Chapter 61: Sand Soldier Appearance! The next day, morning. Zhang Xiaoman hadn¡¯t been able to sleep all night due to spiritual power overload, and he hurried out as soon as dawn broke. Compared to yesterday, he was even more confident today. Because today, during the lottery draw, he was lucky enough to pull a blue skill. [Sand Soldier Appearance] Use effect: Summon one Yellow Sand Soldier using the surrounding Earth Element, soldier¡¯s strength enhanced by the user¡¯s spiritual power. Maximum limit: 2 Energy consumption: 15 Summoning range: 5 meters Control range: 50 meters Duration: 1 hour Cooling time: 10 minutes ¡ª¡ªShurima, your emperor has returned. When Zhang Xiaoman saw this skill, he knew it was going to make him rich. Compared to the other skills he had drawn before, Sand Soldier Appearance undoubtedly matched Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s idea of clinging to life more closely. In his view, if he could stand at a distance and cast skills, he would never go up to hack and slash. If he could let underlings do it, he would never lift a finger himself. Since using the skill required 15 points of energy, and he only had 28 points at the moment, he was also reluctant to try it recklessly. He had been cooped up at home all night, waiting until now for daylight so he could finally go to the small woods and indulge himself. He walked to the entrance of the residential area, full of confidence. Zhang Xiaoman was putting in a ride-hailing order while also going over his plans for the expedition in detailed simulations. With the assistance of the Yellow Sand Soldiers, he planned to take out the remaining three insects in one fell swoop. Standing at the entrance of the residential area, it took less than 5 minutes for a very familiar white modern sedan to slowly enter his field of view. ¡°What the hell? Why is it this guy again? Are there no other cars in Qionghua City?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was frustrated; he had been too engrossed in his thoughts just now. If he had known, he would have checked the license plate number of the vehicle accepting the order. As soon as the car came to a stop, the driver hurriedly rolled down the window, looking at him with a face of surprise: ¡°Wow, brother, what a coincidence we have! It¡¯s been a day and we meet again! How about we just add each other as friends? Next time you want to go, just send me a message directly, and I¡¯ll come pick you up. That way, we can also avoid letting the middleman make a profit.¡± Seeing the driver handing over his QR code for adding friends, Zhang Xiaoman felt embarrassed to refuse, so he took out his phone and added him. ¡°Li Xiang...¡± After checking the driver¡¯s name, he casually dragged it into a seldom-used chat group. ¡°Heh heh, brother, is your event not over yet? Looks like you¡¯re pulling an all-nighter?¡± The driver, named Li Xiang, asked. Zhang Xiaoman nodded helplessly: ¡°Uh-huh, we¡¯re having a ¡®Three Days Three Nights Cosplay Barbecue Party¡¯.¡± Li Xiang was excited at the mention: ¡°Really? The legendary ¡®Three Days Three Nights Cosplay Barbecue Party¡¯? I¡¯ve seen people do it in short videos before, wow! That¡¯s awesome! Can I come and see?¡± Zhang Xiaoman had a befuddled expression on his face. How could this thing actually exist? He then snapped back to reality and said somewhat awkwardly, ¡°Uh... we have a membership system here, and we can¡¯t add people halfway through. How about next time? I¡¯ll notify you in advance when there¡¯s an event.¡± Initially disappointed, Li Xiang then enthusiastically began discussing the various details of the party, making the latter nod repeatedly in agreement. Twenty minutes later, Zhang Xiaoman finally finished the journey. It must be said, this driver really knew how to chat. And he was especially friendly; it was really a pity he wasn¡¯t in business with that kind of eloquence. Walking into the woods, he made sure there was no one around, then waved his hand and activated the Skill he had just learned. Sand Soldier Appearance! As his consciousness commanded, the surrounding dirt suddenly rose into the air. It then gathered together, gradually forming a human shape; after a couple more breaths, the figure had fully solidified. The Sand Soldier, around 1.9 meters tall with rippling muscles and dressed in a neat suit of armor in dull yellow, had only his eyes visible, glowing blue. In his hands, he held a huge spear over two meters long, with an immensely broad spearhead, almost like Guan Yu¡¯s Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Zhang Xiaoman felt that if he encountered enemies, he might not even need to thrust; a simple slap could probably kill a person. A light purple cape hung on the back of the Sand Soldier, bearing an upside-down triangular emblem. He looked at the symbol and felt it was familiar. After thinking briefly, he realized it was the emblem of the Shurima Empire from the game. He waved his hand to command the Sand Soldier to attack a small tree nearby. Zhang Xiaoman then watched it take heavy steps towards the tree, then with a sweeping motion of the long spear, ferociously chopped down the locust tree, which was as thick as a bowl. ¡°Cool! So cool! This attack power is too strong! Now I finally have a mighty physical attack option!¡± He was euphoric. Afterward, Zhang Xiaoman spent a few more minutes testing the various abilities of the Yellow Sand Soldier and discovered its behavior differed significantly from that in the game. In the game, Yellow Sand Soldiers only had one kind of thrust attack, and they couldn¡¯t move at will. Even after being summoned, the summoner himself couldn¡¯t make other attacking moves. But the tests Zhang Xiaoman just conducted revealed that the ability the System extracted seemed to have been enhanced and modified. These Sand Soldiers could not only move but run at a speed much faster than his own. Their attack methods were also varied: chopping, stabbing, jabbing, just like a true battle-hardened warrior. However, Zhang Xiaoman found that he could only issue commands to it in his mind, down to each specific action, but he couldn¡¯t substitute for its control. ¡°Awesome! Awesome! Now that¡¯s how a Transcendent should look like!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was immensely satisfied with this Skill, and his confidence in his plans for hunting monsters increased manifold. Controlling the Sand Soldier to clear the path ahead, he followed closely behind, heading towards the location of the Space Node. This time, with such a meat shield in front, Zhang Xiaoman felt his safety was greatly enhanced. Upon returning to the front of the Space Node, the purple light appeared in his field of view again, he held back his excitement and stood at a distance to carefully observe the situation. Seeing that there were still only three fat insects, he then slowly approached with the Sand Soldier he had just summoned. Chapter 62 - 62 62 Easily Resolved ?62: Chapter 62: Easily Resolved 62: Chapter 62: Easily Resolved Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t climb the tree this time but swaggered over instead. Although he was cautious, he didn¡¯t need to overcomplicate things. Now that he had a Sand Soldier, he didn¡¯t need to hide if he could face the situation head-on. After all, climbing trees was exhausting, and it looked pretty low. Without any cover, Zhang Xiaoman commanded the Sand Soldier to charge at the three insects. The insects, spotting him from afar, stood up and launched a series of Spiritual Attacks. However, with their numbers reduced, just three insects¡¯ attacks were something Zhang Xiaoman could easily handle. Raising his hand, he directed the Soul Absorption Technique at the closest chubby insect. Streams of airflow surged, and in just a moment, the insect was absorbed by Zhang Xiaoman. On the other side, the Sand Soldier also engaged with the remaining insects. To be safe, Zhang Xiaoman used his remaining 15 points of Energy to summon another Yellow Sand Soldier. As soon as the new soldier appeared, Zhang Xiaoman sent him straight into battle against the remaining insect. The Sand Soldiers and the insects formed teams of two for combat. Zhang Xiaoman watched as their Long Spears pinned the insects directly to the ground, immobilizing them. ¡°What the hell! How are these things so trash?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was dumbfounded as he watched. ¡°Damn it! They charge so fiercely for such weaklings! If I¡¯d known, I would have just sat in the tree and chopped them down with one sword stroke each. What a waste of time running back and forth!¡± As he was feeling frustrated, he saw the two insects starting a frantic struggle, then they forcibly squeezed out from under the Long Spears and moved desperately toward the Sand Soldiers. ¡°Huh? They really do have a half-energy form. No wonder they hit the tree earlier but now can squeeze out by themselves,¡± Zhang Xiaoman noted with a hint of surprise in his eyes. ¡°Pfft...¡± The sound of Long Spears piercing the ground resonated again. The two Sand Soldiers pinned them to their spearheads once again. ¡°Really... still so weak...¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes twitched. The two insects let out painful screams, attempting again and again to free themselves. The process repeated itself four or five times. The light on the insects¡¯ bodies grew dimmer and dimmer until they finally twisted and vanished in silence, leaving behind two milky-white Light Balls. Zhang Xiaoman, seeing how easily the battle was resolved, felt quite pleased. He strode forward, crouched down, and began to absorb the bodies on the ground one by one. ¡°Ding, Essence of Parasitic Spirit absorbed, points increased by 2.¡± ... ¡°Ding, Essence of Parasitic Spirit absorbed, points increased by 1.¡± ... ¡°Ding, Essence of Parasitic Spirit absorbed, points increased by 2.¡± ... ¡°They really were Parasitic Spirits, but these points are a bit too little.¡± Hearing the System¡¯s prompt in his mind, Zhang Xiaoman nodded to himself. He counted eight Parasitic Spirit corpses and accumulated a total of 14 points, which, added to the six points he already had, gave him a total of 20 points now. ¡°Hmm, not bad, not bad, although it took a bit longer this time, there were no expenses involved. All these points are pure income!¡± Zhang Xiaoman closed his System page and couldn¡¯t help but look towards the Space Node ahead, his eyes filled with excitement. ¡°There¡¯s still a big 50-point prize left here, haha, this is truly delightful!¡± Elsewhere, in the locust grove, Li Xiang was watching incredulously at the figure of a person carrying a black Iron Sword in the distance, the scene he had just witnessed completely overturning his understanding of the world. Li Xiang had initially come out of curiosity and looking for fun, wanting to see the legendary ¡°three-day and three-night cosplay barbecue party.¡± But by the time he had parked his car, the young man¡¯s figure had already disappeared. When he finally managed to follow the direction and arrived at the location, he was suddenly met with a burly man holding a giant Long Spear, dressed in yellow armor. Not far ahead, there were even purple light beams. ¡°There really is a cosplay party going on! They even have lights!¡± Li Xiang was also exceedingly excited then. However, as he moved closer, he began to realize that the situation seemed a bit different from what he had imagined. Besides the two men, there were no other people around, and the place was too quiet! Fueled by curiosity, Li Xiang moved a bit closer; just as he was hesitating whether to go over and ask, he suddenly witnessed an incredible scene. He saw the young man wave his hand, and at that moment the ground¡¯s dirt flew up and then condensed right in front of him into an armored warrior, looking exactly like the one next to him! Li Xiang was truly stunned this time. He thought he was just sneaking a peek at a party, but to his astonishment, he was witness to what seemed like a miracle¡ªmagic that could ¡°Planting beans into soldiers¡± and summon powerful Heavenly Soldiers and Generals with a wave of a hand. Then, Li Xiang saw the two ¡°Heavenly Soldiers¡± charge forward, as if fighting something. During this, he also heard a distant, faintly audible horrifying scream of a fierce ghost. Since he was too far away, he couldn¡¯t see the translucent fat Insects on the ground. ¡°Is this... a Master capturing ghosts?¡± Li Xiang guessed, concluding that the reason he couldn¡¯t see the opponents of the ¡°Heavenly Soldiers¡± must be because of those ghosts! ¡°Does this world really have ghosts!? Are there really gods!?¡± he suddenly thought of something and became overly excited, ¡°Does that mean death isn¡¯t the end? We have a next life!?¡± Li Xiang felt like he had learned an incredible thing today, as all sorts of stories of reincarnation flooded his mind. ¡°Hahaha! I knew it, this world isn¡¯t as simple as it seems! I can¡¯t believe I got to witness these Transcendent beings today!¡± Lost in his excitement, he was a bit careless and tripped over a tree root, falling to the ground. At that moment, Zhang Xiaoman was preparing to go and absorb the Space Node when suddenly he heard a noise not far away. He immediately tensed up and focused intensely on that direction. ¡°Come out!¡± He called out tentatively to that direction, though he didn¡¯t really expect any result. Then he left a Sand Soldier to guard him as he ordered another to scout ahead. Li Xiang was hiding behind a tree at this time, panicking about what to do if he had been spotted, wondering whether to run away or to bravely step out and greet them. After considering Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s unpredictable abilities and the robust build of the ¡°Heavenly Soldiers,¡± Li Xiang thought his chances of successfully running away were not high, and he might even arouse suspicion and be attacked from behind like an extra in a movie¡ªbetter to come out and admit his fault and ask for forgiveness. Deciding this, he no longer hesitated. He gritted his teeth and walked out, hands raised high, and shouted loudly, ¡°Brother! Brother! It¡¯s me! It¡¯s me! Don¡¯t shoot by mistake!¡± Chapter 63 - 63 63 Anomalies within the Space Node ?63: Chapter 63: Anomalies within the Space Node 63: Chapter 63: Anomalies within the Space Node Zhang Xiaoman saw the newcomer and was also somewhat surprised. He had thought that there would be a hidden monster there but didn¡¯t expect it to be this guy. ¡°Brother! Big bro! It¡¯s me! Xiao Li, who gave you a ride here, don¡¯t make a move, okay!¡± Li Xiang spoke as he walked closer, constantly sizing up the ¡°Heavenly Soldier¡± who had already come up to him. He saw that most of the other¡¯s body was wrapped in a yellow suit of armor, with only a blue glow visible where the eyes were. ¡°This really isn¡¯t human at all...¡± Li Xiang suddenly felt a tremendous pressure coming over him as if he was being watched by the Grim Reaper. Watching the other party slowly approach with his hands held high, Zhang Xiaoman subtly had his accompanying Sand Soldier move forward two steps, placing it in front of him. Then, he signaled to Li Xiang to stop not far away and gave the Sand Soldier an instruction to search him. Upon seeing that only a bunch of keys and a cell phone were taken out, he was slightly relieved. Li Xiang picked up the items the Sand Soldier had casually tossed onto the ground, then moved closer at Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gesture. ¡°I apologize, but within the Alien Species, there are those who are adept at hiding, and I have to be wary,¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at him, then suddenly changed the topic, ¡°Tell me, why are you following me.¡± Li Xiang, who had begun imagining a series of things upon hearing the first half of Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s words, hurriedly came back to his senses when he heard the second half and anxiously explained, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong! Don¡¯t misunderstand! I was just curious what the three-day, three-night party here was like and wanted to join in the fun...¡± Zhang Xiaoman watched him with a calm gaze and then extended his left hand, slowly uttering two words, ¡°Cell phone.¡± Upon hearing this, Li Xiang was first taken aback, then quickly realized the situation, hurriedly took out his cell phone, unlocked it, and handed it over. ¡°Big bro, rest assured, I didn¡¯t record any video or take any pictures. I absolutely won¡¯t speak of today¡¯s events!¡± Zhang Xiaoman took his somewhat worn phone, casually flipped through the album and videos, and upon finding that there was indeed no information recorded, as he claimed, handed it back to him. Looking at the other party, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind suddenly stirred, and he gave a series of instructions to the Yellow Sand Soldier beside him. The soldier abruptly raised his Long Spear and gently touched Li Xiang¡¯s exposed arm with the tip, causing a bright red Blood Pearl to stick there. Zhang Xiaoman then took out a piece of tissue paper from his pocket, lightly brushed it over the tip of the spear, transferring the Blood Pearl onto the paper. Li Xiang felt a slight sting in his arm and saw the other¡¯s recent action. Suddenly realizing something, his complexion involuntarily changed, and he quickly asked, ¡°Big, big bro, what is this for? We can talk it over, right!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you don¡¯t go spreading rumors, you won¡¯t have any problems.¡± Zhang Xiaoman folded the paper neatly and put it back in his pocket, his tone indifferent. Upon hearing that, Li Xiang breathed a sigh of relief, though his face couldn¡¯t help but turn bitter. Zhang Xiaoman turned around, his eyes focusing on the Space Node ahead as he spoke casually, ¡°You should leave, it¡¯s dangerous here, not a place you should be in.¡± As he spoke, he assigned a Sand Soldier toward the purple light ahead, his face revealing a contemplative expression. ¡°So, should I really absorb this Node or not?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was weighing his options. Indeed, if he absorbed the Node, he could instantly gain around 50 points from it, but that didn¡¯t seem like a long-term strategy. Based on his own speculation, the Space Node should be a major monster-spawning ground, and this little grove was quite secluded with almost no one passing by. Coupled with his own ability to command Sand Soldiers, it might be better to treat this place as a long-term point farming base. As he pondered, he suddenly felt something was off behind him. Why was the chatty driver silent? Hadn¡¯t he just told him to leave? Turning his head, Zhang Xiaoman saw Li Xiang, half-bowing his head with a flushed face, lips moving as if he wanted to speak but seemed to be stuck in his throat, his expression conflicted. Sensing Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze, Li Xiang also raised his head and looked over, with a flash of excitement in his eyes. ¡°Bro! No, Master! Do you still take disciples? I want to become your disciple! Let me follow you!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was instantly baffled. What¡¯s going on? Why is this guy suddenly asking to become a disciple? Could it be another case like Xiao Shun? ¡°Master, look, it must be tiring running around alone all the time, carrying so much stuff. It¡¯s also inconvenient to keep hailing cabs. Why not take me as your disciple? I can take care of all these odds and ends for you! How about it, Master?¡± A flattering smile crossed his face. This time, Zhang Xiaoman also understood the other¡¯s intentions¡ªit was just another person drawn to the allure of extraordinary power. Actually, his reaction was to be expected. Had he been in the other¡¯s shoes, he might have done the same. After all, when true extraordinary power is before one¡¯s eyes, how many could remain indifferent? That said, understanding was one thing, but accepting was another. Zhang Xiaoman had no intention of indiscriminately taking every interested person as a disciple. If others wanted to use his System¡¯s tools, they too needed to purchase them with points¡ªit¡¯s essentially an investment. Venture capital firms carry out thorough assessments before investing. He couldn¡¯t possibly just accept anyone into his fold based on a few words. Zhang Xiaoman immediately shook his head and said, ¡°I checked earlier, and you don¡¯t have the talent for cultivating Dark Energy.¡± Upon hearing this, a look of indescribable disappointment surfaced on Li Xiang¡¯s face. His expression froze, and then he stammered: ¡°Then, well... Master, are you hiring? I can run errands for you, do chores, and even be your personal driver!¡± Zhang Xiaoman took a look at him and declined, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t need any of that. Besides, I¡¯m telling you not to join for your own good. For someone without strength, dealing with Alien Species is no different from seeking death...¡± As Zhang Xiaoman spoke, he noticed the gradually dimming expression on the other¡¯s face and felt relieved in his heart. Just as he was about to persuade the other person to leave quickly, he suddenly felt a disturbance behind him¡ªa terrifying presence emitting from the direction of the Space Node. Whirling around sharply, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze fixed on the purple light spot. He promptly dispatched Two Sand Soldiers in front of himself. To the side, Li Xiang was even more panic-stricken, feeling as if he were being crushed by a gigantic mountain. His scalp tingled, his body went stiff, and he couldn¡¯t even move a finger. The next moment, the previously serene floating purple light spot suddenly shook violently, streams of energy darted around it like lightning, looking as if it were a piece of paper about to rip apart, struggling desperately on the verge of collapse. Chapter 64 - 64 64 The Warmth Across Space ?64: Chapter 64: The Warmth Across Space 64: Chapter 64: The Warmth Across Space Zhang Xiaoman was also in much distress at this moment, although it might be because he had experienced similar situations many times, or perhaps due to the enhancement in spiritual power imparted by his cloak, he wasn¡¯t as overwhelmed as Li Xiang. However, a terrifying sense of crisis continuously lingered in his mind, and he felt goosebumps all over his body. At this time, the Space Node¡¯s pulsation became even more frantic. In the horrified eyes of the two men, a huge arm covered in black scales suddenly extended from within, grabbing onto the edge of the light spot as if it intended to tear it apart. As expected, a monster had come! And the creature that arrived seemed to be terrifying! While Zhang Xiaoman was shocked, he didn¡¯t forget to strike first, immediately ordering his two Yellow Sand Soldiers to charge forward and attack it. A clash of metal rang out, but the Long Spear, which could usually easily split a sapling, couldn¡¯t even pierce the monster¡¯s outer scales. The recoil from the impact even pushed the two Sand Soldiers back several steps. The monster seemed to have felt the provocation. The arm wildly waved around on the spot, attempting to grab at the one who had just attacked it. Under Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s control, the two Sand Soldiers quickly retreated, but one of them was a bit too slow because of the close distance and had his Long Spear snatched away by the huge black hand. The next moment, Zhang Xiaoman saw the two-meter-long Long Spear get crushed to pieces like sawdust in the black hand, and before he could be surprised, the purple Space Node shook again and forcibly squeezed out a head. ¡°Is this, is this a devil...¡± By this time, Li Xiang had fallen onto the ground, completely taken aback. Seeing the monster¡¯s head, he felt as if his soul was being sucked out, his face filled with an expression of unspeakable terror. The monster had a bizarre appearance, with a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth taking up almost two-thirds of its face. It had no nose, no ears, and its two yellow eyes stood tall like those of a crab. At this moment, upon seeing Zhang Xiaoman and the others, the monster¡¯s massive mouth suddenly opened wide, issuing a steam-whistle-like roar, and its eyes extended forward on their stalks quite far out. Zhang Xiaoman also felt extremely uncomfortable, much like the first time he saw the Shadow Demon on Lake Island, as if his mind was suddenly filled with endless terror, and his thoughts began to grow uncontrollable, a chaotic and frenzied emotion breeding within his heart. ¡°Is this... spiritual pollution...¡± Zhang Xiaoman gritted his teeth and struggled to raise his hand to trigger and fire two Holy Water Bullets. The monster, initially pushing its way out with great effort and about to reveal its other hand, was suddenly hit by the just-fired Holy Water Bullets, coincidentally striking its extended eyeballs. The pain made it immediately retract its entire body back into the node. Zhang Xiaoman was considering whether to directly use the hearthstone to flee, but unexpectedly, after taking two of his bullets, the monster simply ran away, and the pressure exerted on him also suddenly lifted, making him feel as if a heavy shackle had been removed. By then, Li Xiang also started panting heavily, his body appearing drenched in sweat, having felt extreme difficulty even in breathing just moments ago. Looking at the Space Node that had returned to normal, Zhang Xiaoman no longer had any thoughts of staying to farm monsters. He wished he could immediately remove this node. ¡°That monster seems to have been temporarily scared off by me, I don¡¯t know when it might come back, I must absorb it now... And although the Space Node could potentially provide me with a continuous stream of Monster Points, there¡¯s a greater chance it might bring something I can¡¯t handle at this stage. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be better off using it to exchange for points to boost my strength sooner rather than later.¡± With that thought in mind, Zhang Xiaoman hurriedly took a few steps forward and stretched out his right hand, engraved with the Seven-pointed Star Array, initiating the absorption process. An intense stabbing pain surged through him again as the Seven-pointed Star burst into a dazzlingly brilliant light. The purple spots, engulfed by this light, began to fluctuate violently. At that moment, the space around them visibly twisted, countless streams of purple energy flowing toward Zhang Xiaoman, drawn by the Array. The small grove, under the illumination of these lights, instantly transformed into a dazzling, fantastical forest. Enduring the severe pain in his hand, Zhang Xiaoman painfully awaited the complete absorption of the Space Node. The time it took to absorb the Space Node was significantly longer than it took to absorb monster corpses, and higher points required even more time. Zhang Xiaoman had already spent close to a minute on this, and seeing that the purple spots were getting smaller and smaller, he assumed it was almost over. But just as he gritted his teeth and bore the pain, he saw something black appearing at the center of the purple spots. His eyelids twitched, realizing instantly what it was. ¡°It¡¯s that monster from before! Damn it, it¡¯s back!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was immediately terrified, standing less than two meters from the Space Node, while the length of that arm alone already exceeded this distance. Fortunately, he had shifted his position slightly before absorbing the Node. Now, although that arm extended from the spot of light, it was at an angle about 30 degrees away from him. ¡°Can¡¯t stop, can¡¯t stop. From this position, it shouldn¡¯t be able to touch me, and I mustn¡¯t let it escape. Otherwise, if it guards this place afterward, I might have a hard time claiming this Node!¡± With this thought, Zhang Xiaoman immediately ordered two Sand Soldiers to stand in front of him. If that arm showed any signs of swinging toward him, they¡¯d immediately step forward to block it for him. Fortunately, as the Space Node shrank, the monster, though able to extend a black arm, could no longer probe half its body through like before, struggling in vain there but unable to stop the spot of light from diminishing. Eventually, as the purple light lessened and the Space Node shrank to a certain size, it suddenly disappeared completely, leaving only the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, which was the black monster¡¯s arm segment. ¡°Ding, absorption of a small Space Node completed, points increased by 56.¡± The familiar voice of the System echoed in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief, having narrowly secured these points without incident. Then, when his gaze inadvertently caught sight of his palm, he was somewhat surprised to find that the pattern of the Seven-pointed Star still faintly glimmered with a weak light. Zhang Xiaoman immediately looked toward the severed arm lying on the ground, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. ¡°Who would have thought there¡¯d be an extra gift here? It¡¯s hard to believe it crossed dimensions just to bring me warmth,¡± he mused. Chapter 65 - 65 65 Fooled Another One ?65: Chapter 65: Fooled Another One 65: Chapter 65: Fooled Another One ¡°Ding, absorption of Horror Demon Essence, points increased by 10.¡± When the system¡¯s notification rang in his mind, Zhang Xiaoman was truly startled. He hadn¡¯t expected that the monster referred to as the Horror Demon by the system was worth 10 points just for an arm! ¡°Lucky I absorbed the Space Node decisively just now, if I had been any slower, the consequences would have been unimaginable...¡± Zhang Xiaoman now felt incredibly fortunate; just the thought of such a monster made his scalp tingle. At this time, Li Xiang, who had witnessed the entire event, slowly recovered from his shock as well. In his view, everything that had just happened was nothing short of a miracle. The monster terrifying enough that just one glance could rob a person of their sanity, the powerful Transcendent who had easily repelled it, and the splendid radiance of the sealed space rift, all these scenes continuously battered Li Xiang¡¯s already frayed nerves. ¡°Master... what exactly was that just now...¡± he asked with a bit of a stutter. Zhang Xiaoman was still tallying his gains when he suddenly heard someone speaking to him, reminding him of the spectator. He tucked the Water Gun back into his pocket and patted off the petals and leaves scattered across his clothing before slowly approaching Li Xiang. ¡°Sometimes, ignorance is a form of protection; the more you know, the more dangerous it becomes.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at Li Xiang¡¯s somewhat disheveled appearance and sighed, ¡°So, tell me, after witnessing all these horrors, do you still plan to join this line of work?¡± Upon hearing this, a few strands of conflict flashed across Li Xiang¡¯s face, but then he nodded with conviction and said, ¡°Master, please let me join. I want to follow you, just give me a chance!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was truly surprised this time. He had asked the question purely to persuade Li Xiang to give up, while also showing off a bit. But unexpectedly, the guy still hadn¡¯t given up hope, leaving Zhang Xiaoman momentarily unsure of what to say. ¡°My god, what¡¯s with people these days? First, Xiao Shun was like this, now Li Xiang too!¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt helplessly that they were fearlessly courting death. Even after he made his stance clear and they had both witnessed the terror of the monsters, they still wanted to rush in. Looking at the expectant expression on the other¡¯s face, suddenly a phrase popped into Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s mind: If one is to hear the way in the morning, they can die in the evening. Of course, this phrase can be used in various situations depending on the context. But for the moment, he truly seemed to see the yearning for Extraordinary Power in Li Xiang¡¯s longing gaze. A thought struck Zhang Xiaoman; perhaps compared to Su Fu and Xiao Shun, this guy appeared a bit more ordinary. But how many people are as headstrong as he is? Maybe it¡¯s worth doing an assessment first. Thinking this, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s gaze once again turned toward the man in front of him. Li Xiang was actually not that old, probably only around 27 or 28, but his unkempt dress gave him the appearance of a man in his thirties. ¡°I can give you an opportunity...¡± Zhang Xiaoman suddenly spoke up, and just the first sentence made Li Xiang¡¯s eyes light up brightly. ¡°To join us, apart from talent, one also needs perseverance, courage, and determination. Pass my test, prove your ability to me,¡± As Zhang Xiaoman uttered these rather cringeworthy lines, he slipped into his usual show-off mode. Li Xiang was excited beyond measure, quickly saying, ¡°Master, rest assured, I will do everything I can. May I ask what the specific test is?¡± Zhang Xiaoman paced on the spot, his mind racing with the same question. Then, when his gaze swept over the former location of the Space Node, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind, and suddenly he had an idea. ¡°These monsters, known to us as Alien Species, are adept at hiding and evading detection, often lurking in the shadows, waiting to invade our world. What I want you to do is to help me find traces of them and then report to me. Provide me with at least 5 pieces of valuable information, you have my contact details, when the time comes do not text, contact me directly.¡± Upon hearing this, Li Xiang was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, ¡°But how can I find them? Brother Man, give me some hints on the mission, please!¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at him and said, ¡°We¡¯re in the era of information now; some things you can directly search for online. Pay more attention to local supernatural forums and Tieba; you¡¯re bound to gain something.¡± Li Xiang nodded his head. Zhang Xiaoman continued, ¡°Of course, since you are an ordinary person without Extraordinary Power, I won¡¯t force you into close encounters with the strange. You just need to provide general information, and I will investigate the specifics myself.¡± ¡°However, I hope you won¡¯t provide me with all sorts of messy information either. You should at least make a preliminary screening yourself, and I will also judge based on the accuracy of the information you provide.¡± Zhang Xiaoman said all this, and Li Xiang listened intently, slightly relieved upon hearing that he did not need to come into close contact with the monsters. Zhang Xiaoman then patted him. ¡°Li Xiang, I know you yearn for this so-called Extraordinary World, but I still must tell you it¡¯s not as wonderful as you imagine. Here, killing and death are the underlying themes. If you ever want to give up, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me directly; I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡± ¡°And one more thing, definitely remember this. I only need you to gather information for me; you should never come into close contact with the bizarre. That could cost you your life within minutes!¡± Li Xiang was deeply moved and nodded, affirming, ¡°Brother Man, don¡¯t worry, I will not let you down!¡± After saying this, as if something occurred to him, he continued to ask, ¡°By the way, Brother Man, what¡¯s the name of our organization?¡± Zhang Xiaoman thought to himself, what was the bluff I made up for Xiao Shun and the others last time? For the moment, he couldn¡¯t quite remember; after all, it was something he had concocted on the spot and wasn¡¯t deeply etched in his memory. He simply shook his head and said, ¡°The name of the organization, I can¡¯t tell you yet. You will have to wait until you¡¯ve officially passed the test before I can reveal it to you. Trust me, it¡¯s for your own good, because the more you learn about us, the greater the likelihood you¡¯ll encounter monsters, and I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡± Li Xiang nodded understandingly, ¡°I get it, thank you, Brother Man. I¡¯ll start investigating today! Just wait for my good news!¡± Zhang Xiaoman ¡°Hmm¡±ed in affirmation, saying, ¡°Alright, I still have some follow-up work to do here, so you should head back first.¡± Upon hearing this, Li Xiang took another look at Zhang Xiaoman and the two Sand Soldiers standing behind him with their eyes glowing blue, then he walked away, looking back with every step he took. All along the way, as he looked around at the lush woods, a strong sense of anticipation flashed in his eyes, and a profound sense of mission rose in his heart. ¡°I, Li Xiang, will also be a hero!¡± Chapter 66 - 66 66 The Upgrade Begins! ?66: Chapter 66 The Upgrade Begins! 66: Chapter 66 The Upgrade Begins! Watching Li Xiang¡¯s figure gradually disappearing into the distance, Zhang Xiaoman finally let out a long sigh of relief. Who would have thought that coming here to hunt some monsters would actually lead to an encounter with a delusional teenager. He didn¡¯t know what was wrong with people these days, one after another eagerly crowding around monsters. Though the Extraordinary Domain was indeed fascinating, it also had a high danger coefficient. He had made his warnings quite stern, yet there were still those unafraid of dying, wanting to join. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head; having a fearless underling was, after all, better than a bunch of cowards, especially since the Old silver coins only needed him alone. Temporarily setting aside these matters, Zhang Xiaoman refocused his attention on his gains from this venture. From 8 Parasitic Spirit larvae to the Space Node, and then to the arm dropped by the Horror Demon, he had actually earned a total of 80 points! Adding the original 6 points to that, he now had a total of 86 points! Up until now, this was the first time Zhang Xiaoman had so many points at once. Suppressing the desire to immediately click the Upgrade feature, Zhang Xiaoman decided to wait until he got home to use it; he planned to give his face a good wash first. He glanced at his attribute panel; the Energy Value was still displaying a zero, which was why Zhang Xiaoman was still lingering here without leaving. He planned to wait for the Soul Absorption Technique¡¯s cooling time to end, then see if he could absorb energy from the surrounding environment. After all, he had previously sensed that the energy around the Space Node was quite abundant. The thought of Energy Value inevitably made Zhang Xiaoman a bit frustrated. According to his findings over the past few days, the spiritual power attribute, though it increased the upper limit of Energy Value and might offer some resistance to Spiritual Attacks, did not bring about the effect of energy regeneration, which had caused him quite a bit of distress. ¡°Aside from the Soul Absorption Technique, I don¡¯t have any other methods to increase energy for now. It seems I¡¯ll have to visit this small grove a few more times in the coming days...¡± Zhang Xiaoman shook his head with a hint of helplessness; finding a place to absorb energy was truly difficult. He had run all over Qionghua City these past few days, trying all sorts of places including tourist spots, ancient ruins, and bustling temples, but alas, he had never found a place with energy. He had even begun to doubt whether this so-called energy existed at all on the planet he lived on. As for Lake Island in the residential complex, Zhang Xiaoman had checked it out in the past two days. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t felt any energy fluctuations nearby. He guessed that this was probably because the energy left in the environment dissipated quickly once the Space Node disappeared. After waiting for a while, Zhang Xiaoman sensed that he could use the Soul Absorption Technique again, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to do so. Suddenly, that spirited feeling returned, but it was accompanied by a sense of fullness from being overloaded. He opened his attribute panel and saw that the current Energy Value had changed to: 20/10 After packing up his Bullet-Proof Vest and steel sword, which he had left under the tree for the night, Zhang Xiaoman looked around, saw no other anomalies, and then used the hearthstone to return home. At home, Zhang Xiaoman still appeared on the sofa. There was no sign of Jin Bao and Xiao Hua; these two had been scared back and forth by him yesterday and now had developed a psychological shadow towards the sofa. After putting everything neatly away and thoroughly washing his face in the bathroom, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t wait to run back to his room, ready to start the upgrading process! Arranging all of his items in a row, Zhang Xiaoman started the pre-upgrade prayer ritual. ¡°Fate above, System beside; Blessings of heaven and earth, may my fortunes be strong!¡± With his eyes closed, he recited the prayer, then swiftly reached out and pressed the Upgrade feature. ¡°Random upgrade drawing in progress, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade Complete! White Prop ¡ª Holy Water, has successfully upgraded to Green Prop ¡ª Divine Grace.¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but cheer inside when he saw the system prompt page that appeared before him; the system was really delivering this time! He hadn¡¯t expected to get the item he wanted on his very first try. ¡°Haha, now I finally have a complete bottle of Divine Grace, and this time I¡¯m definitely going to save it, at least until it can be upgraded once more. Then I¡¯ll have the right to make purchases from the shop!¡± As he spoke, Zhang Xiaoman turned his gaze toward the glass bottle sitting in front of him. It had changed from its previous oval shape to its current square form, its craftsmanship becoming even more exquisite and beautiful. Although the liquid inside was still transparent, Zhang Xiaoman knew that this was the Divine Grace he had been dreaming of! After carefully stashing his treasure away, Zhang Xiaoman continued on to the next upgrade. ¡°Randomly drawing an upgrade, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! The green skill¡ªSky Shattering, has successfully been upgraded to the green skill¡ªSky Shattering¡¤Second Layer.¡± Looking at the result he randomly got, Zhang Xiaoman quickly opened his attribute panel and scrolled to the skill section to check out the detailed description. [Sky Shattering] ¡¼Second Level¡½ Usage Effect: Plant a sword into the ground to form an array eye, granting allies within a certain range the ¡°Breaking Sun Formation¡± effect. Breaking Sun Formation: Increases energy attack by (5%)¡ú10%. Energy Consumption: (5)¡ú10 Energy Effect Range: Radius (5)¡ú10 meters Duration: (1)¡ú2 minutes Cooling Time: (1)¡ú2 minutes ¡ª¡ªLonely Sword Breaking Sun Formation. ¡ª¡ªPS: Values inside parentheses indicate the attributes of the previous level¡ª¡ª The moment he saw the skill attributes, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s heart was blooming with joy. He hadn¡¯t expected that after the upgrade to the Second Level, all the previous attribute values would have doubled! Although the cooling time and energy consumption had also doubled, the imperfections didn¡¯t overshadow the virtues, and the benefits brought by the attribute improvements far outweighed the consumption. Zhang Xiaoman also took the opportunity to open the shop and check the price of the previous level of Sky Shattering, finding that it didn¡¯t require many points¡ªjust 20 points to purchase. Returning to the main task, Zhang Xiaoman clicked the upgrade button for the third time. ¡°Randomly drawing an upgrade, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! The white prop¡ªSwift Stone, has been successfully upgraded to the green prop¡ªNostalgic Swift Stone.¡± ¡°Eh? This time the hearthstone got upgraded.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the result given by the system and then immediately directed his gaze to the white oval stone in front of him. He saw that the surface of the hearthstone suddenly started to change, shifting from the original ivory white to a tinge of yellow. And on top of that, two leaf-shaped watermarks had appeared, making it look even more beautiful than before. ¡°Hmm... I hadn¡¯t expected the hearthstone to be upgraded to green, just not sure what has changed. But as my lifesaving Divine Artifact, the effects shouldn¡¯t be too bad...¡± As he talked, Zhang Xiaoman opened the attribute page of the hearthstone, full of anticipation. When he clearly saw the description inside, he became almost deliriously happy. PS: Values in parentheses indicate the attributes of the previous level, for reference only. Chapter 67 - 67 67 Good Luck All The Way ?67: Chapter 67 Good Luck All The Way 67: Chapter 67 Good Luck All The Way Zhang Xiaoman only saw an additional line of text on the attribute panel after the hearthstone was upgraded, no longer appearing as weak as before. [Nostalgic Swift Hearthstone] Bound Use effect: After continuously rubbing for five seconds, teleports you back to your home, following which it restores 2 points of energy. Cooling time: 1 hour. ¡ª¡ªThe deep nostalgia, transforming into this longing, grants me the power to return home. Zhang Xiaoman was truly delighted; the very thing he was most in need of was a way to recover energy value. Although he had the Soul Absorption Technique, that was too unstable and often plagued by the difficulty of finding a target from which to absorb energy. But the hearthstone was different; as long as he used it immediately when its cooling time finished, multiple uses throughout the day could easily net him more than 20 points. As a result, the many skills he had drawn now had their place, no longer needing to worry about lacking the energy to be invincible. Putting the reskinned hearthstone back in its place, Zhang Xiaoman was ready to continue on his path of upgrade. However, before that, he still followed his usual practice of checking the prices of new items added to the store. ¡°Swift Stone, price: 10 points.¡± Zhang Xiaoman, looking at the new item in the store, muttered softly: ¡°Each time after upgrading an item, I can gain purchasing rights of its previous level, which makes me hesitant to directly use certain consumable items...¡± He furrowed his brow, but was nonetheless helpless; after all, these were the rules of the System, and he lacked the power to change them. ¡°So, let¡¯s continue upgrading...¡± He pointed his finger towards the upgrade button. ¡°Random upgrade in progress, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! White prop¡ªBeautiful Wine Stained Cloak, has successfully been upgraded to Green Prop¡ªSunshine Aged Stained Cloak.¡± Zhang Xiaoman watched the System notification in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but twitch his lips; so this cloak is really hooked on wine, isn¡¯t it? However, despite his gripes, Zhang Xiaoman was looking forward to the changes after the cloak¡¯s upgrade. With the previous example in mind, he now dared not underestimate this quaintly named Xiao Bu. But before Zhang Xiaoman could check the cloak¡¯s attributes, he first caught a unique aroma; although there was still a hint of the smell of wine, it was mostly a refreshing fragrance that uplifted both mind and spirit. It was like standing in the warm sunshine of an afternoon in spring, breathing in the fragrant air, intoxicating. ¡°This, the scent has lightened? And it smells better too...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was quite surprised by this change in the cloak; having gradually become accustomed to the strong aroma of the Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak, he had been prepared to endure an even more pungent odor, only to find the situation had delightfully reverted. ¡°System, you¡¯re playing it cool; I¡¯ve got to give you a thumbs up!¡± Saying this, he had already opened the attribute panel for the cloak. [Sunshine Aged Stained Cloak] Armor 5 Spiritual power 3 ¡ª¡ª¡±Oh my god! Those Blood Elves are definitely going to kill me!¡± The cloak still looked the same, not quite red, not quite purple, just a small patch like a rag. But this time, something different was that the previously wine-stained area now occasionally sparkled with flickering lights, as if a ray of sunlight was reflected on water, creating shimmering ripples. ¡°Damn! Have I actually... qualified?¡± At this moment, Zhang Xiaoman was overjoyed. He had not expected that right after finding a way to recover energy, he now had also increased the limit of his spiritual power. The stroke of luck had him feeling quite elated. After fastening the cloak on his back, Zhang Xiaoman opened his attribute panel. Indeed, the energy numbers displayed had changed from the original 20/10 to the current 20/30. Cloaks as equipment, Zhang Xiaoman had once tried to put them in his pocket or tie them in other spots, but they did not work. Only when he dutifully wore the cloak on his back did his spiritual power increase. This miraculous phenomenon made him pensive; it seemed that the items drawn randomly related to the System had certain restrictions rule. Casually opening the System Store page, Zhang Xiaoman took another look at the price of the previous level cloak. ¡°20!?¡± His eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°How can it be so expensive, isn¡¯t this just a white prop?¡± Based on his initial assumption, a white cloak should roughly cost the same as Holy Water, so he planned to buy another one to wear¡ª although he still didn¡¯t know if wearing two pieces of equipment at the same time would work. However, what he did not expect was that the price of the Beautiful Wine Stained Cloak had reached 20 points, which was the same price as the green Skill, Sky Shattering. ¡°It seems that the pricing of items in the System Store is not solely based on quality level; there must be other standards involved.¡± After a brief analysis, Zhang Xiaoman temporarily put the matter aside. He had gone through 4 upgrades so far and was quite pleased with the results. With 46 points still remaining, he decided to go ahead and spend them all. Clicking on the upgrade feature again, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes suddenly sparked with excitement the moment he saw the System¡¯s prompt. ¡°Random upgrade draw in progress, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! Green Prop¡ªSunshine Aged Stained Cloak has been successfully upgraded to a Green Prop¡ªSunshine Aged Leather Armor Cloak.¡± ¡°I hit the cloak again in the random draw! Fortune really favors me!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was ecstatic, his gaze returning to the cloak. As the cloak began to slowly change following the system notification, it extended from the original size of a shoulder cape, growing longer and eventually reaching about 30 centimeters. In addition to that, the color of the entire cloak had also changed, from the original purplish-red to a pale yellow, covered with a layer of short fur, feeling fluffy to the touch. ¡°As expected, even the material has changed, from the original cloth to leather now, much thicker. At last, it actually looks like a cloak.¡± Zhang Xiaoman nodded with satisfaction. Then naturally, it was time to check the attributes. [Sunshine Aged Leather Armor Cloak] Armor 20 Spiritual Power 3 ¡ª¡ª¡±Now not only the Blood Elves will want to kill me! Pang the Tannery will also be after my life!¡± ¡°Just an increase of 15 points in Armor without extra spiritual power, seems a bit useless...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the updated attribute information, and the excitement in his eyes quickly faded. Regarding the Armor attribute, he had already tested it himself. While wearing the cloak, he had tried to prick his arm with a small pair of scissors but after several attempts, he found that the pain and damage seemed the same as when he wasn¡¯t wearing the cloak. Therefore, he guessed that the Armor here might only refer to the toughness of the cloak itself. Although this attempt felt like a setback, Zhang Xiaoman was generally very satisfied with the five draws. Now, he still had 36 points left, and he had no intention of saving them; instead, he planned to use them all according to plan. Chapter 68 - 68 68 Unicorn Blood ?68: Chapter 68 Unicorn Blood 68: Chapter 68 Unicorn Blood He mocked the cloak¡¯s bizarre name for a moment, then took the opportunity to check the information in the mall. Immediately after, he was somewhat surprised to find that the price of the Sunlight Aged Cloak soared up to 50 points, which made his fragile and naive little heart thump wildly for a long time. ¡°I originally thought that points were pretty easy to earn, but it turns out I was just too naive...¡± Zhang Xiaoman muttered to himself, yet his fingers once again moved towards the Upgrade button. ¡°Randomizing Upgrade, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! Green Prop¡ªDivine Grace, has successfully upgraded to a Blue Item¡ªUnicorn Blood.¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth wide in amazement. He didn¡¯t expect happiness to come so suddenly. The Divine Grace he had just upgraded, was chosen again and successfully promoted to the next level. ¡°Directly upgraded from a Green Prop to a Blue Item!¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes lit up, and a realization struck him, ¡°Could it be... consumables upgrade faster?¡± He nodded privately, feeling like he had grasped something. Once he upgraded another consumable, the Four-leaf Flower, next time he would probably have an answer. Turning his gaze to the just upgraded item, Zhang Xiaoman saw the original rectangular bottle that held a transparent liquid had now changed into a conical shape, and the solution inside had turned a beautiful silver-white. [Unicorn Blood] ¡ªThe most pure blood in the human world. Zhang Xiaoman held the bottle of silver-white blood in his hand and looked closely, a sudden sense of guilt arising within him. He quickly shook his head and tucked the Unicorn Blood into his pocket, not daring to look any longer. Opening the mall interface, Zhang Xiaoman looked at the 20-pointer price tag of Divine Grace, then at his own remaining balance of 26 points, and was immediately caught in a dilemma. Should he carry on with random upgrades, or should he buy a bottle of Divine Grace? He hesitated on the spot for quite a while before biting the bullet and choosing to buy the Divine Grace. If it had been just a few days earlier, Zhang Xiaoman might have chosen to continue upgrading. But after going to the small woods and encountering several even more terrifying monsters near a Space Node, he decided that he still needed to prioritize improving his own strength. After all, compared to other abilities, Holy Water Series items have an extremely high restraining effect on Demon Monsters. Just thinking about the Bone-eating Demon enduring a dozen or so Holy Water Bullets, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but feel a tingling on his scalp. The effect of ordinary Holy Water on monsters of its level was becoming increasingly low. Not to mention the Horror Demon he encountered later on. If it hadn¡¯t been for his two bullets hitting it right in the eyes, that thing might have already broken loose. If it had run into more populated areas, the consequences... Zhang Xiaoman shivered and didn¡¯t dare to think any further. All in all, aside from the Sand Soldiers, enhancing the killing power of the Holy Water was another key method to increase his current offensive capabilities. By now, Zhang Xiaoman had finally spent all his points, and although the Upgrade hadn¡¯t granted him the Four-leaf Flower he most desired, overall, it had left him quite satisfied¡ªespecially with the unlocking of the purchasing rights for Divine Grace in the shop. After organizing everything, Xiao Man glanced at the time and saw it was nearing noon, so he immediately headed out to Meihua Road to buy a couple of old geese and mooch a meal at Pei Laoliu¡¯s house. ... Qionghua City, East District Suburb, Sheep Village. It was mealtime, and next to a medium-sized police car, seven or eight police officers in summer uniforms were enjoying their boxed lunches with gusto. Although they were chatting and laughing, the subtle look of concern that they couldn¡¯t hide revealed the anxiety in their hearts. ¡°Minister Hu, we¡¯ve been here for two days and haven¡¯t seen anything unusual at all. Maybe we should just go back,¡± complained a young police officer in his twenties. ¡°Yeah, Minister Hu, it¡¯s really boring here. I¡¯d rather be at the Three Institutes watching Professor Wen and the others research Subject Three than standing around here every day,¡± another man chimed in. Hu Hu glared at the two of them and said, ¡°Wu Wei, Zhang Li! Why is it always you two who talk the most? Our colleagues in the intelligence team work overtime every day to prepare our information while you, the action team, are having the quietest time, and still you¡¯re complaining...¡± He was cut off mid-sentence by his ringing phone. After looking at the caller ID, Hu Hu raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet and then answered, ¡°Qi Tian, what¡¯s the situation? Any progress?¡± The volume on the phone was so high that even though it wasn¡¯t on speaker, everyone around could clearly hear it. ¡°Minister Hu, there are three things to report. First, the network monitoring system you asked me to set up for Qionghua City is almost complete. We have integrated the targeted capturing program into the backend, and from now on, we just need to monitor it in real time. I¡¯ve also contacted the emergency receiving center to coordinate with the local police station to compile a list of all sorts of unusual cases that have occurred recently. Including those already investigated and those categorized as false alarms, there are a total of 79 cases. I will lead the intelligence team to scrutinize each one in the coming days to prevent any oversight.¡± ¡°Second, Imperial City just sent an email with the latest statistics on extraordinary incidents. As before, they focus mainly on our Qionghua City, with one new case in the neighboring area, Yadan City. Detailed intelligence from other countries has not yet been communicated. Oh, and the Demon Monster from Yadan City has already been killed by our brothers there, and the body is expected to arrive at the Three Institutes this afternoon.¡± ¡°Last is the abnormal situation in Sheep Village. I just spoke with the comrades from the seismological bureau again, and they can send reinforcements this afternoon. When the time comes, you can arrange it.¡± Minister Hu looked at his watch and spoke into the phone, ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Now that the network monitoring is complete, for the next period, let¡¯s focus on this area and try to grasp the trend of the emergencies as soon as they happen. This afternoon, you and Xiao Luo head to the Three Institutes to help out, and later, just bring me the report on Subject Four...¡± Minister Hu gave a few more instructions and then ended the call. As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Wei eagerly said, ¡°Boss, do you think the villagers¡¯ reports are true? Earthquakes and horrifying howls; we¡¯ve been here so long and haven¡¯t heard anything. I feel like these folks are so unreliable!¡± Hearing this, Minister Hu shook his head and said, ¡°Localized shocks are certain; the seismological bureau has already provided precise data, and the epicenter should be right beneath us. As for the horrifying howls, they probably occurred alongside the earthquake. We must remain on alert at all times...¡± But before he could finish, he noticed his boxed lunch starting to tremble. The surrounding officers exchanged surprised glances. Before they could even speak, a low rumble that sounded like a ship¡¯s horn came from beneath their feet, carrying undertones of pain and anger. It was a sound that made one¡¯s hair stand on end, filled with shock and uncertainty. Chapter 69 - 69 69 Enlightenment Kaleidoscope ?69: Chapter 69 Enlightenment Kaleidoscope 69: Chapter 69 Enlightenment Kaleidoscope The events that occurred in Sheep Village seemed to have gone unnoticed; only a few scattered vehicles passing nearby experienced a bit of a jolt. But the drivers didn¡¯t pay it much mind; after all, in the hustle and bustle of daily life, no one had the time to care about such minor disturbances. After a massive upgrade yesterday morning, Zhang Xiaoman returned to the small woods in the afternoon. He took advantage of the residual energy near the Space Node, which hadn¡¯t yet dissipated, and used it to conduct a thorough experiment with his skills. Among them, Zhang Xiaoman mainly focused on the ¡°Sand Soldier Appearance¡± skill, testing various aspects including tenacity, strength, speed, and explosive power. The results were quite satisfying. There¡¯s a reason why ¡°Sand Soldier Appearance¡± is classified as a Blue Level skill. Although these summoned Sand Soldiers were condensed from the Earth Element, they looked just like real people, with weapons and armor as hard and sharp as the real deal. Furthermore, when hit, the Sand Soldiers could almost ignore most of the damage. They were much like the zombies in Resident Evil; what would be lethal penetrating wounds for normal people didn¡¯t affect them in the slightest. It must be said that Zhang Xiaoman now had a very decent shield; in the face of certain dangers, even if he couldn¡¯t overcome them, he could use the Sand Soldiers to hold the enemy off and then withdraw at his leisure. This undoubtedly greatly increased his safety and filled him with confidence for his upcoming hunting plans. On the other hand, Zhang Xiaoman also tested the Invincible Skill, Mountain River Suppression, multiple times. He found that this skill was quite different from the game; it couldn¡¯t resist control effects. The skill description also made it clear: it provided immunity to all damage, but said nothing about resisting controls. That is to say, if Zhang Xiaoman were struck by a powerful force and knocked out of the Sword Array range, he would be unharmed by the first impact but could likely suffer from a secondary collision. So this so-called Invincible Skill actually had certain disadvantages. Even from the time the skill was cast until the Flying Swords hit the ground and took effect, it required about two seconds. And to avoid such a situation, the first step was to get the timing right and the second step was to combine it with another one of his skills¡ª Life Tai Chi: immune to all control effects. Zhang Xiaoman had tested this, and ¡®all controls¡¯ indeed included push forces. As for his other skills, possibly because they were currently at a low level and the enhancements were not yet significant, Zhang Xiaoman had not felt they provided much of a boost to himself. However, he acknowledged the potential of these skills and believed that in the future, with the System¡¯s upgrades, they would also become good supports for him. ... In the morning, Zhang Xiaoman routinely took part in the daily lottery, but this time he once again won a technology-side item: [Enlightenment Kaleidoscope] ¡ªStandardized equipment of the Star Alliance. This was a White Quality item, and it looked like a white cylindrical tube, similar to the kaleidoscopes often played with in childhood, but it appeared a bit more sophisticated. Zhang Xiaoman picked it up and looked into it, but he couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°How do you use this thing?¡± He held it carefully and pondered for a while, eventually finding a round button on the other end. After pressing it, he heard a slight ¡°zzt¡± sound as a cover was opened, revealing the display screen inside. Zhang Xiaoman randomly tapped on it with his finger, and the screen abruptly lit up. Then text appeared, accompanied by a pleasant female voice. ¡°System initializing, please wait...¡± ¡°System initialization successful! Connecting to Star Network...¡± ¡°Star Network connection failed, would you like to use offline mode?¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the interface that lacked any prompt buttons and tentatively spoke out, ¡°Yes?¡± As his voice trailed off, another prompt emerged from the Kaleidoscope. ¡°Authorization approved, offline mode enabled, welcome to the Enlightenment Kaleidoscope...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Important notice: This product is provided by the Star Alliance for the spiritual power training of new students at Starry Academy. Please carefully read the instructions before use.¡± ¡°Spiritual power training?¡± No sooner had Zhang Xiaoman voiced his confusion than he heard a soft ¡°click,¡± and the once plain white cylinder suddenly emanated gleaming white light from its seams, as if it were coated in a layer of magical luster. ¡°Enlightenment Kaleidoscope activated, timing program ready. Observation will commence and the focus system will initiate synchronized timing.¡± ¡°Friendly reminder: When observing the Kaleidoscope, ensure you are in a safe environment. Please confirm your surroundings first.¡± ¡°...¡± Zhang Xiaoman glanced at the white cylinder in his hand that radiated beautiful light, somewhat puzzled by what it meant by a ¡°safe environment.¡± But then he looked around. Currently sitting on the sofa at home, this hardly seemed like a ¡°danger zone,¡± right? With that thought, Zhang Xiaoman slowly brought the Kaleidoscope¡¯s viewing end up to his eyes, peering inside with curiosity. There, was a profound view of space. Right after Zhang Xiaoman pressed his left eye completely against the Kaleidoscope, the scene within abruptly changed. Instantly, the stars began to pulse, and Zhang Xiaoman felt like he was hurtling through them at an indescribable speed. Countless stars whipped past, their dazzling light like a sky full of fireworks flickering before his eyes. In just a moment, his entire body was soaked with sweat. Then, as the frequency of the changing images grew higher, an immensely powerful impact struck Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s brain. It was as if bolts of thunder exploded within the sea of his consciousness, throwing his mind into chaos. At this moment, Zhang Xiaoman felt as if a giant hand had reached into his brain and grabbed hold of his nerves, frantically pulling at them as though to yank them out of his body, causing him excruciating pain. Time seemed to slow down; what was merely a few breaths felt like several minutes to Zhang Xiaoman. During this time, with every passing second, he was enduring the torments of spiritual anguish. ¡°Thump!¡± Zhang Xiaoman promptly collapsed onto the couch. Despite having slept through the night, he now fell deeply asleep once again. And from start to finish, the time elapsed was barely less than seven seconds. ¡°Observation detected as concluded... Data being compiled... Star Network connection not detected, observation record cannot be uploaded...¡± The voice inside the Enlightenment Kaleidoscope spoke again. Though its new master had already fallen asleep, it continued to dutifully report the results of the session. ¡°Congratulations, you have set a new personal record. Your training duration this time was 6.66 seconds.¡± Chapter 70 - 70 70 Special Training Jin Bao ?70: Chapter 70 Special Training Jin Bao 70: Chapter 70 Special Training Jin Bao ¡°Uh... how did I fall asleep?¡± Time passed unnoticed until Zhang Xiaoman slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, slightly confused, and then suddenly sat upright. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is it dark already? I remember I just got up this morning...¡± With this thought, Xiaoman checked the time, which left him completely baffled. ¡°Midnight! It¡¯s midnight!? Where did all my time go!?¡± His gaze swept around and suddenly fixed on the coffee table beside him, where the Enlightenment Kaleidoscope he had obtained the day before was placed. He grabbed the gadget and, looking at the last displayed time of 6.66 seconds, he had an epiphany. ¡°Could it be you, the little demon, who stole my time?¡± He poked around on the screen with his finger and accidentally activated it again, only to hear that pleasant system voice inside say, ¡°For your health, please do not use this again within a short period of time. There should be a 48-hour interval between each use.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was stunned for a moment before narrowing his eyes, ¡°So it was you all along! No wonder you asked if the environment was safe earlier, you were planning on making me sleep!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was shocked to find that he had just set a new record for the longest sleeping time in his house. Including the previous night¡¯s sleep, he had slept for a total of 24 hours yesterday! This perfectly broke Zhang Xiaohua¡¯s record of 15 hours. He shook his head helplessly. Although he felt the gadget was somewhat tricky, he still carefully put it away to prevent his cat and dog from treating it as a toy and spoiling it. After all, it was said to be something the Star Alliance used to train newcomers¡¯ spiritual power. Thinking of spiritual power, Xiaoman opened his attribute panel with some anticipation, but after seeing it was still just the additional 3 points from the cape, he closed it again, quite disappointed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I only used it once and the effects aren¡¯t apparent yet. I¡¯ll try again after a few more uses...¡± While pondering, he stood up and walked to the kitchen. He hadn¡¯t eaten all day, and his stomach was now growling. After looking around a bit and not finding anything particular he wanted to eat, Zhang Xiaoman simply picked up his phone and ordered some barbecue delivery. Now that he had money to spare, he certainly planned to enjoy himself. He peeked into his mother¡¯s room; she should have already been asleep by this time. However, Jin Bao, upon realizing he had woken up, dashed over impatiently, barking crazily: ¡°Let¡¯s go out! Let¡¯s go out! I need to pee! I can¡¯t hold it any longer!¡± Zhang Xiaoman calmly patted its head and then hurried to the bathroom to relieve himself, leaving Jin Bao scampering about outside the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go out! Let¡¯s go out! Or I¡¯ll pee on the sofa!¡± Zhang Xiaoman glared, ¡°Wow, the little guy is threatening me now? You¡¯ve got quite some nerve!¡± Jin Bao span around in circles, desperately barking to go outside. Concerned the dog might disturb others, Xiaoman was ready to open the door to take him out for a walk and to pick up the delivery when he suddenly noticed a golden light rising from Jin Bao¡¯s body and a majestic presence followed. ¡°Holy shit! What¡¯s going on!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was stunned for only a moment before he realized what had happened ¡ª this silly dog had actually triggered a skill by holding its pee! Jin Bao¡¯s entire body radiated dazzling golden light, with mysterious runes occasionally projecting around him, and the magnanimous aura of the Heavenly Dao spreading out, making him seem like a... heavenly dog descending to earth. ¡°Help! Help! Help!¡± But Jin Bao got scared by the light emitting from its own body and began running wildly in the living room, trying to shake off the peculiar phenomenon, filling the Zhang Family home with golden light. Zhang Xiaoman was astounded by the scene, never imagining that the dog could actually activate a skill, and such a fancy one at that, without knowing exactly how it had triggered it. After a few more seconds, the glow on Jin Bao faded, and it returned to its normal appearance. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. You really know how to make a fuss...¡± Zhang Xiaoman said helplessly. He went out to walk the dog and pick up the delivery, his mind full of thoughts. He pondered how he could help Jin Bao master this newfound ability completely. ¡°Since holding in pee can bring out a Skill, there must be some reason behind it that compels Jin Bao to feel the need to use a Skill.¡± After he finished speaking, he cast a not-so-kind glance toward Jin Bao, who was playing on the grass, having already schemed in his heart. ¡°Dog Jin Bao, it looks like you¡¯re going to suffer these next few days...¡± ... In the following four days, Zhang Xiaoman began his inhumane special Skill training for Jin Bao the dog. Using the common reward training method and his own innovation of the holding in pee training method, he finally succeeded in fostering Jin Bao the dog¡¯s habit of using his Skill. Although Zhang Xiaoman never did figure out on what premise the creature decided to use his Skill, as long as it could be used, that was good enough. Now he only needed the command ¡°sofa,¡± and Jin Bao would more or less be able to use the ¡°Following the Way of Heaven¡± Skill. While training Jin Bao, Zhang Xiaoman also made sure to keep up with his own exercises. After the 48-hour waiting interval had passed, he once again used the Enlightenment Kaleidoscope. This time, he took off his cloak and emptied his energy bar before using it, so his performance dropped by a large margin from the last time, clocking in at only 3.79 seconds. He even slept for a whole 17 hours during his subsequent recovery sleep. If he hadn¡¯t explained in advance, his mom might have suspected that he was sick. The only regret was that his spiritual power on the attribute panel still hadn¡¯t increased. During this time, Li Xiang also sent him three pieces of intelligence: One was from an abandoned factory where there were always creepy laughs. Another was from an alley in the old city district where scary ghostly figures were said to be seen in the middle of the night. The last was under a dilapidated bridge where the nearby residents said that a thick fog had spread in recent days, and occasionally, terrifying screams could be heard. Zhang Xiaoman gave him an encouraging smile but had yet to find the time to investigate; he planned to start visiting these places one by one the next day. What frustrated him the most was that the items he got from the lottery these past few days were all gray, leading him to doubt whether he had fallen back into the ranks of the unlucky ones. [Wild Flowers by the Roadside] ¨C Don¡¯t pick the wild flowers by the roadside. [Strawberry Picked Clean Except For One Seed] ¨C The person who picked it must be going crazy. [Green Gang Sword] ¨C Too bad it¡¯s just a tabletop game card. [A Cloud] ¨C ¡°I am a free and easy cloud, if anyone wants to imprison me, I¡¯ll die just to show them!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was speechless with such outcomes. Especially the last cloud, which made his room damp, only to end with no trace of it left, truly ¡°heroic like fire.¡± Looking at the remaining three gray items beside him, Zhang Xiaoman suppressed the urge to simply throw them away and chose to keep them instead. Not for anything else, he just wanted to see if the System would select gray-level items when randomly performing an Upgrade. After all, following several Upgrades, Zhang Xiaoman understood that these selected items would undoubtedly become increasingly more powerful. Based on the principle that anything can be subject to Enlightenment, he still held a certain degree of fantasy for these gray items. PS: Jin Bao: Pee on sofa=getting hit=afraid of pain=running away=need. Chapter 71 - 71 71 The Arrival of the Ultimate Item ?71: Chapter 71 The Arrival of the Ultimate Item 71: Chapter 71 The Arrival of the Ultimate Item Temporarily setting aside the issue of upgrading, Zhang Xiaoman left home and arrived at the island in the lake, as he hadn¡¯t used his lottery draw for the day yet. There was a reason for coming here. Since the last time he drew the anti-gravity car, Zhang Xiaoman had decided to avoid similar situations by conducting all further lottery draws outside. After all, he could never predict what the next item the System might draw. The previous one was just a car, which merely occupied his room. If it were to draw something like a ship or airplane next time, Zhang Xiaoman wasn¡¯t sure whether the building his home was in would be directly demolished. At that time, he might become the first System Host to be killed by a reward item. Therefore, finding a spacious area for drawing the lottery had become necessary, and this little island turned out to be an excellent choice. After the incident with the Shadow Demon, people had been reluctant to come here. The elderly had moved their dance sessions to another area, and almost no one dared to pass by even during the day. Of course, another reason was that the surveillance cameras here, since being damaged by the slingshots of some brats from the community, had not been maintained. When Zhang Xiaoman arrived, he only had to take the likewise unsupervised path, confident that even if he created some commotion during the lottery, it would be hard to trace back to him. Of course, this was a just-in-case measure; after all, the chances of drawing a super-sized item seemed quite slim to date, and Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t possibly give up the path to transcendence for fear of drawing the Sun, could he? Returning to the lakeside, the murky water that resembled a nasty swamp had been cleaned up by the property management¡¯s construction team. Although there was still a lingering stench, it was, at least, better than the morbid and gloomy scene from before. Reaching the center of the island, Zhang Xiaoman skillfully opened the System interface. Although he had been an unlucky fellow for four consecutive days, he no longer got as agitated as he did at the beginning. Since he could draw every day, there was no need to fuss over it. Touching the lottery option lightly with his hand, Zhang Xiaoman watched the interface in front of him with calm anticipation, waiting for it to produce a result. However, the next second, his composure was suddenly frozen on his face as the System¡¯s prompt that appeared made his entire being go numb. ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained the ultimate item¡ªthe legendary Sect Establishment Order.¡± Immediately, the sky erupted in light. Strands of rainbow-colored light descended from the clouds, and the pillar of light that reached to the heavens suddenly brightened everything as if the quiet dark night were as bright as day. At that moment, Zhang Xiaoman was utterly baffled. Staring blankly into the sky at the cascading myriad of colored lights, a small jade token glinting with seven-colored radiance slowly floated down, like a celestial being descending to the mortal world, bringing down endless auspiciousness. ¡°Who am I?¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Zhang Xiaoman watched the item hanging still in front of him with a wooden expression, his mind a complete blank. In the sky. The glow persisted, birds competed in song, and a myriad of flowers bloomed. The huge column of light that pierced through heaven and earth, as if it came from the endless deep space, cleaved the darkness, making even the stars seem dim in its presence. At this moment, countless people woke up from their sleep, running out of their houses to gaze at the scene that seemed like a divine spectacle. Qionghua City was as lit up as if it were daytime, with the anomaly covering the sky, visible within a hundred miles. However, at the very heart of the incident, Zhang Xiaoman was in a state of panic, more directly impacted by the event than others. All the brilliance poured down on him, with every visible and invisible color in the cosmos shining within his consciousness. In the midst of it all, it was as if the gaze of every life form in the vast depths of space was converged upon him, ultimately resting upon a certain point. ¡°Jade Token!¡± Zhang Xiaoman suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly reached out to grab the jade token floating in front of him. The next instant, the anomaly that had blotted out the sky vanished without a trace, and all of the scenery returned to normal as if nothing had happened. Zhang Xiaoman was now covered in cold sweat, too flustered to feel joy. He had only casually come here to draw a prize, never expecting to cause such a commotion. He feared that it wasn¡¯t just the people of Qionghua City who had noticed, but probably the whole country and even the entire world. Without delay, he reached into his pocket and rubbed the hearthstone, returning home right away. At home, his mother was leaning over the balcony looking out. As she saw her son return, she quickly came over to inquire about what had happened. Zhang Xiaoman first calmed down his thoughts, which were overwhelmed by various emotions, before offering a brief explanation of the events. Before he could even take a sip of water, his phone started ringing off the hook with a barrage of calls. Zhang Xiaoman answered them one by one. The callers were all the friends he had fooled over the last few days. Each expressed strong curiosity and shock about what had just happened, bombarding him with questions about what exactly had occurred. At that moment, Zhang Xiaoman was preoccupied with a million thoughts and hardly had the patience to explain in detail, so he quickly fobbed them off with an excuse about a breakthrough in cultivation. However, after listening to his explanation, his friends were extremely excited, as if they were the ones who had achieved the breakthrough and caused the anomaly. They hung up the phone with great anticipation and longing. About half an hour later, Zhang Xiaoman finally got some peace. His heart had calmed down, and it was not racing as crazily as before. At last, he started to examine the jade token more closely. Compared to its initial appearance, the jade token now seemed ordinary, even unremarkable. But Zhang Xiaoman had witnessed the scene of its emergence, which was truly like the descent of a divine being, unparalleled. Placing the jade token gently on the coffee table in front of the sofa, Zhang Xiaoman sat down solemnly, staring at it without blinking, and nervously opened its attribute panel. [The Legendary Sect Establishment Order] ¡¼Ultimate¡½ ¡¼Not Upgradable¡½ ¡ª¡ªA relic left by the Creator God. ¡ª¡ªIt is rumored that drawing a name with the Nine-color Mixed Brush can create any gang you desire. ¡°Is this... is this really an Ultimate Item...¡± Zhang Xiaoman read the contents with a confused face, ¡°But what does this all mean, exactly!¡± His expression was indescribably complex. He had braced himself for something that would dazzle his eyes, but this was not the outcome he had expected. Moreover, if he based his judgment solely on the name, it felt quite unreliable, like some in-game item from a pay-to-win game. Zhang Xiaoman shook his head. Regardless, this jade token was indeed an Ultimate Item. The name that flickered with iridescent light couldn¡¯t be false in the attribute panel, unless he was blind, and he and his mother had both just experienced a miraculous illusion. Obviously, that was impossible. Having learned a little about the System¡¯s nature, he guessed that the item might not be as straightforward as it seemed, and that there must be deeper aspects to uncover. And verifying this was very simple, he just had to try using it himself. PS: The main character has obtained an Ultimate Item~ I want one too~ asking for monthly votes~ Chapter 72 - 72 72 9-Colored Mixed Brush ?72: Chapter 72: 9-Colored Mixed Brush 72: Chapter 72: 9-Colored Mixed Brush Zhang Xiaoman scrutinized the jade token in front of him, palm-sized with a bland color and unimpressive at first glance. The jade token was elliptical in shape, bearing a circle of simple patterns; one side was smooth without a mark, while the other side was engraved with a large character for ¡°origin.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the blank side of the token and thought to himself that this must be the place for him to write. Although he had figured out where to write, Zhang Xiaoman was baffled by the mention of the Nine-color Mixed Brush by the system. He asked his mother about it, but even she said that she had never heard of such a thing. But this was the internet age, after all. Zhang Xiaoman opened up a web search and quickly discovered what this so-called Mixed Brush actually was. ¡°A brush made from more than two types of hair is called a Mixed Brush...¡± Zhang Xiaoman mumbled to himself as he read the web page, ¡°Then this Nine-color Mixed Brush... couldn¡¯t it be a pen made from the hairs of nine different types?¡± He logged onto various online shopping platforms to take a look. There were quite a few Mixed Brushes available, but those were mostly made from two types of hair, at most three; nowhere could he find a brush made from the so-called nine types of hair. This left Zhang Xiaoman in a bind. Now he had the treasure in hand, but no way to use it. At that moment, the cell phone lying to the side suddenly rang. Zhang Xiaoman saw that the call was from Su Fu. Although Zhang Xiaoman was somewhat surprised, he quickly came to terms with it. Brother Hero and Xiao Shun had already inquired about the situation separately. Being one of the many people he had successfully swindled, it was within reason for Su Fu to call at this time. What he had to admit was that this guy was indeed clever for choosing such a moment to call, perfectly avoiding the initial ¡°peak hours,¡± not appearing too hasty, nor too unexpected.¡¯ Zhang Xiaoman answered the phone and immediately heard Su Fu¡¯s magnetic voice on the other end. After exchanging some polite pleasantries, Su Fu got straight to the point. Like Li Xiang and the others before him, he was inquiring about the incident that had just occurred. Zhang Xiaoman stuck to the script he had used before, and Su Fu didn¡¯t press for details. Instead, he offered a heap of congratulations and mentioned how his son was doing in the past couple of days before signaling his intention to hang up. Just then, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly remembered the problem he had encountered and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Oh, Mr. Su, do you have any experience with calligraphy by any chance?¡± Surprised, Su Fu asked, ¡°Oh? Do you have a fondness for calligraphy, Mr. Zhang? Although I don¡¯t know much about it, I have many friends who do. If you¡¯re interested, I can introduce you to interact and exchange thoughts with them.¡± Zhang Xiaoman knew there had been a misunderstanding and explained: ¡°I appreciate the goodwill, Mr. Su, but you know where my usual focus lies¡ªwhere would I find the time to ponder over these things... What I¡¯m actually facing is a little problem with the Enlightenment Array. I need to use a Nine-color Mixed Brush to draw a crucial magic technique, but just can¡¯t find one for sale anywhere. I was wondering if you might know of any way to acquire one.¡± Su Fu paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed, ¡°So that¡¯s the situation. In that case, you¡¯ve come to the right person! Not long ago, a friend of mine just showed off his Four Treasures of the Study to me, and it included the very brush you¡¯re looking for!¡± ¡°Really!?¡± Zhang Xiaoman exclaimed, surprised. ¡°Absolutely! I do know a bit about that kind of brush. Though it¡¯s not particularly valuable, it¡¯s quite rare. A standard Mixed Brush usually only needs two types of hair to make, and using more can actually have adverse effects. However, that Nine-color Mixed Brush uses rat whiskers, ox ear hair, tiger hair, rabbit hair, Mountain Horse, sheep hair, monkey hair, Eagle Feather, and wolf hair¡ªnine different materials altogether. It¡¯s so chaotic that it ends up being impractical for writing and is typically just for collection.¡± Su Fu explained a lot in one go, while Zhang Xiaoman listened with a face full of helplessness. If he had to find such an odd item himself, he had no idea how long it would take. Fortunately, with Su Fu offering help, it saved him a great deal of trouble. Now, he felt even more grateful for the decision he had made earlier; indeed, there was strength in numbers. After thanking Su Fu, they chatted casually for a bit, and Su Fu mentioned he would ask his friend for the brush the next day¡ªit should be delivered quickly. This cheered up Zhang Xiaoman, who was eager to explore the Sect Establishment Order, and he naturally accepted Su Fu¡¯s invitation to a meal. After hanging up the phone and sharing the good news with his mom, Zhang Xiaoman was all smiles, completely unprepared for what had transpired that very night. He had always thought that orange, Legendary-level items were the highest tier available, but he had managed to draw something even more extraordinary, which was an unexpected delight. Now, calling himself the Luck Emperor wouldn¡¯t be a problem, right? Zhang Xiaoman cradled the jade token, grinning like a fool. ... Within the Endless Plane. On a cerulean planet, numerous people were playing a virtual game called ¡°New World.¡± This game, which had first appeared more than twenty years ago, was one of the first to use virtual reality technology, said to be constructed as humanity¡¯s second home by the World Federation. Today was an extremely important day for players of this game because tonight, over 280 top guilds from across the server of ¡°New World¡± all gathered together, planning to take down the Ultimate Boss¡ªthe Creator God. This battle shattered the heavens and split the earth, incinerating countless stars. As the Heavenly River fractured, star systems were torn asunder beyond count. Players marched on one after another, and various top-tier Divine Artifacts were damaged as if they cost nothing. The potions, which were usually auctioned off for exorbitant prices, were consumed like water, causing some newbies who had just started playing the game to tremble with fear. In the end, the Creator God fell, and the players finally triumphed! However, this was just the beginning. After the Creator God¡¯s colossal body, which spanned hundreds of star systems, dissipated, all that was left at the original spot was a jade token shimmering with a seven-colored radiance. ¡°The BOSS dropped something!¡± someone exclaimed. ¡°Oh my God! It¡¯s the legendary Sect Establishment Order! There was an introduction to it during the game¡¯s beta, but it was never seen afterwards. I didn¡¯t expect the Creator God would drop it!¡± Within the crowd, a veteran player dressed in exclusive gear shouted loudly. At this moment, everyone was shaken, not expecting that the legendary item would appear right here! This was truly a once-in-a-century opportunity! Everyone went insane! However, there was only one item... The battle erupted once more, this time even more brutal than before. The dome of the sky broke apart. The earth was silent. In this battle, countless galaxies turned to dust. Finally, when there were no more enemies around, the handsome man standing in the center of the battlefield, clad in purple-gold battle armor, revealed a wicked and flamboyant smile. ¡°Hahaha!! I won! In the end, I still won! Undefeated Martial God of Sky-Piercing Battle Soul, the Carefree Young Master from Supreme Red Face, the Overlord War God of Blood Brother Alliance, the Supreme Madman of Jiangshan Imperial Army... in the end, you all lost to me!¡± ¡°And I, Long Aotian, will lead the brothers of the Unfallen Imperial Banner to unite the entire New World! Hahaha!!!¡± The man laughed wildly and unrestrainedly. Moments later, when his grandiose proclamation came to an end, a subordinate respectfully handed over a colorful jade token, saying, ¡°Boss, this is what the Creator God dropped!¡± ¡°Excellent! With this, we can dominate the entire server right away!¡± The man smiled wickedly. Curiosity got the better of the subordinates beside him, who couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Boss, this item has been shrouded in such mystery, what exactly does it do? Please enlighten us.¡± Long Aotian flung his cloak with a charming smile and said, ¡°You might not know about this, but the old-timers have all heard of it¡ªit is none other than the legendary Sect Establishment Order!¡± ¡°Back in the day, during ¡®New World¡¯s¡¯ beta, its information was leaked due to a BUG. It is said that as long as you use this Sect Establishment Order to create a gang, at the moment of its use...¡± He was speaking when the token in his hand suddenly faded, and then vanished abruptly. Since the event was so sudden, the entire group was stunned, standing there dumbfounded, staring at their guild leader¡¯s empty hands. ... Chapter 73 - 73 73 Busy Abnormality Department ?73: Chapter 73 Busy Abnormality Department 73: Chapter 73 Busy Abnormality Department On Water Blue Star, within Hua Xia Country. The night had already deepened, all was silent, and moonlight shimmered like water, with darkness enveloping the landscape like a curtain. Everything appeared so tranquil and peaceful. However, within the realm of the internet, a storm had long since been brewing. The anomaly that occurred tonight, after just two hours of fermenting, had already caused great upheaval on various forums, Tieba, video websites, and other places. Countless netizens were sharing and uploading relevant videos, and discussion boards were abuzz with continuous fervor¡ªeven in-game chats were dominated by the recent incident. ¡°Shocking! At midnight, an extraordinary celestial anomaly occurred in Qionghua City! It was clearly visible from over a hundred li away!¡± ¡°Heavenly auspices descend, and immortal melodies pervade¡ªis it that some esteemed cultivator has ascended to immortality?¡± ¡°Honey, come out and see, God... has arrived!¡± ¡°So there really are immortals in this world! I don¡¯t care! I want to cultivate to immortality! No one stop me!¡± ¡°Experts debunk rumors! Tonight¡¯s incident was actually a massive mirage! The projections were scenes from a film and television base!¡± ¡°This could be a sign of the resurgence of spiritual energy! Brothers, prepare for the Awakening! Let¡¯s revel together when the time comes!¡± Online, there was an endless stream of posts and comments with various headlines, with many people staying up late to join in the tide of discussions. For a time, it seemed as if the entire internet had boiled over. ... In Qionghua City, the Abnormal Event Emergency Investigation Department. Compared to the online tumult, this place was no less busy. In the newly designated small office building, it was still brightly lit. Twenty or thirty police officers were busily moving about, and people occasionally ran through the lobby, where the sounds were rather noisy, presenting a bustling scene. In the office, Hu Hu was holding his phone, his expression extremely solemn as he listened to the voice on the other end, jotting down notes with a pen from time to time with utmost concentration. ¡°Yes! Yes! I understand. Please rest assured, leader, we have already launched an investigation into this incident and will surely clarify the truth in the shortest time possible...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not tough, not tough at all... Thank you for your concern. All this is what we ought to do... Goodbye, leader. I will report to you immediately if there¡¯s any update!¡± Once the call had been hung up on the other end, Hu Hu finally let out a long sigh. He looked haggard, with two prominent dark circles under his eyes and a deeply furrowed brow that seemed to be knots of worry that couldn¡¯t be untangled, portraying the image of someone burdened with heavy thoughts. ¡°Minister Hu, why don¡¯t you take a break? You haven¡¯t slept for two days; I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to withstand it if you keep this up.¡± At the side of the desk, a tall and slender man spoke to him. The man appeared to be about thirty years old, quite tall and with a chiseled face; every move he made seemed to carry the air of military discipline. ¡°Qi Tian, you know the current situation as well as I do. How could I possibly feel like sleeping...¡± Hu Hu rubbed his temple and sighed, ¡°We haven¡¯t resolved the situation under Sheep Village, and now suddenly another mess has cropped up...¡± He shook his head as he continued, ¡°The leader just told me that the higher-ups are taking this incident very seriously. They have requested that we use all available resources to quickly clarify the facts. The additional equipment and personnel are also being urgently deployed, and they should all be in place within two days at the latest.¡± Upon hearing this, Qi Tian nodded and said, ¡°I have already assigned tasks to the intelligence group, and the Space Agency is copying satellite imagery. I believe it should be very helpful.¡± ¡°Good... the leader also said that we don¡¯t need to worry about other aspects of this incident; specialized personnel will handle those. We just need to focus all our efforts on investigating the relevant information,¡± said Hu Hu. No sooner had Hu Hu finished speaking than a young female police officer suddenly ran in, her face anxious as she said, ¡°Minister Hu, you need to come and see this! The satellite imagery is completely covered by bright light, we can¡¯t see anything!¡± Hu Hu and Qi Tian exchanged glances before hurrying out with the female officer. They arrived at a desk in the main hall where quite a few people had already gathered. Seeing them arrive, the crowd parted to give way, and several people pointed at the images on the computer screen, relaying what had transpired. Hu Hu¡¯s face also became grave as he looked toward the computer, only to see on the screen a large swath of brightness, completely obscuring the area where the anomaly had occurred. ¡°Are there any other satellite images?¡± he asked. A young police officer by his side hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, we have images from a radar satellite, and we¡¯ve got the data!¡± As he spoke, he sat in front of the computer and operated it quickly, soon opening another set of images. However, as the images were opened, what everyone saw were only uneven shadows. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Hu Hu asked. The young officer had not expected this either, and hesitantly said, ¡°This, this shouldn¡¯t be... it looks like... strong magnetic interference...¡± Hu Hu¡¯s eyes widened. Just as he was about to say something, another person came running over, saying in a hurry, ¡°Minister Hu, we¡¯ve just received a report from the site that there¡¯s been a disturbance at Zone 5. The ground vibrations and roaring have been continuing for a while now, and the amplitude is getting stronger. Please issue your instructions!¡± Hu Hu rubbed his temples forcefully and then said to the person in front of the computer, ¡°The intelligence team stays here. If imagery during the anomaly is obscured, then check the recordings from before and after. Lock down the area, identify the center zone, find where the anomaly is!¡± ¡°Also, strictly filter through chat records on all platforms and social media. Don¡¯t miss any suspicious details! The rest of you, follow me to Sheep Village!¡± ... Tonight, peace was destined to elude us. ... On the other hand, after drawing the Ultimate Item, Zhang Xiaoman was so excited that he couldn¡¯t sleep all night and only dozed off as the sky began to brighten. By the time he woke, the sun was already high in the sky. Checking the date, it was the last day of July. Pei Laoliu was probably on the train to Dragon Province this morning, so Xiao Man didn¡¯t need to buy an old goose for lunch to mooch off him anymore. Honestly, after following Master Liu for a week straight and eating nothing but old goose, Xiao Man felt like he wouldn¡¯t want to touch that stuff for at least another six months. Checking his points balance, he now had 12 points again. Embracing the principle of always being ready to enhance his abilities, Xiao Man immediately opened the System interface and chose the Upgrade function. ¡°Random Upgrade in progress, please wait...¡± ¡°Upgrade complete! The blue Skill¡ªSand Soldier Appearance, has been successfully upgraded to the blue Skill¡ªSand Soldier Appearance¡¤Second Level.¡± He opened the attribute panel, and the Skill change was as follows: [Sand Soldier Appearance] ¡¼Second Level¡½ Effect: Use surrounding Earth Elements to summon (1) ¡ú 2 Yellow Sand Soldiers, soldier strength reinforced by the summoner¡¯s spiritual power. Maximum number: (2) ¡ú 4 Energy consumption: (15) ¡ú 30 Summoning range: (5) ¡ú 10 meters Control range: (50) ¡ú 100 meters Duration: (1) ¡ú 2 hours Cooling time: (10) ¡ú 20 minutes ¡ªShurima, your Emperor has returned. Seeing this, Xiao Man couldn¡¯t help but brighten up. He hadn¡¯t expected that casually upgrading would land him his main summoning Skill, it seemed that Lady Luck was truly smiling upon him! Chapter 74 - 74 74 The Uncanny Under the Bridge ?74: Chapter 74: The Uncanny Under the Bridge 74: Chapter 74: The Uncanny Under the Bridge It was 3 p.m. Zhang Xiaoman was standing by a small river, staring at the scene enveloped in thick mist before him, frowning in thought. ¡°Something¡¯s not right... this is very strange...¡± He muttered to himself. The scene in front of him was bizarre, with grey, murky mist shrouding the area ahead while the surrounding regions remained clear. When it came to mist, it surely couldn¡¯t be that only a small area ahead was affected. ¡°It seems that there might really be something strange here.¡± Zhang Xiaoman became extremely alert and slowly advanced along the river. However, rather than calling it a river, it was more like a small drainage ditch. It was only about three meters wide and half a meter deep, with the muddy bottom clearly visible at a glance. This place was located south of Southern City, in a village, one of the three locations Li Xiang had told him about yesterday where bizarre events were reported. The local villagers had mentioned online that this place was shrouded in mysterious mist, and under a small bridge, they could often hear ghastly and horrifying howls. Zhang Xiaoman was initially just trying his luck, letting others help him gather information. But what surprised him was that his first exploration site seemed promising. He looked around and saw no one else. Zhang Xiaoman activated the Sand Soldier Appearance Skill, summoning two fully armed Sand Soldiers from the soil. He then adjusted his hood and mask before stepping into the thick fog. ¡°What a foul smell!¡± As soon as he entered, Zhang Xiaoman immediately smelled a strong stench, like a rotting marsh filled with corpses, almost making him retch. This stench had been faint and barely detectable outside the mist, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be so nauseating upon entering. Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply, thinking to himself that no matter what kind of monster it was, just for daring to emit such a foul ¡°fart¡±, he would beat it mercilessly. He reached into his pocket, took out his thermal imager, turned it on, and looked through the viewer. However, what surprised him was that all he saw were snowflakes; the device seemed to have malfunctioned. ¡°What¡¯s going on? It was working just fine before I came.¡± Zhang Xiaoman was perplexed, inspecting the thermal imager and restarting it several times, but nothing changed. He then took out his cellphone to check it, and Zhang Xiaoman was shocked to find that it too had no image. After thinking for a moment, a somewhat astonishing speculation suddenly emerged in his mind. ¡°Could it be... the mist causing this!?¡± Having thought this, Zhang Xiaoman took a few steps back to leave the range of the mist. When he looked at his phone screen again, he saw that the image that had previously disappeared had now reappeared, and the thermal imager had also returned to normal. ¡°This mist can even interfere with the operation of electronic devices!¡± Zhang Xiaoman was genuinely surprised now. If one were to ask what weapon humanity could wield against these bizarre entities, it would undoubtedly be the power brought by high technology. But if even these could not be used, it was hard to imagine what kind of fate humanity would face when encountering monsters in the future. This thought made Zhang Xiaoman shiver without feeling cold. However, he knew now was not the time to explore this issue, so he hesitated no longer and re-entered the mist. Without the aid of detecting equipment, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s field of view became very small. Considering the possibility of a surprise attack, he had to slow down his pace, cautiously exploring forward along the small ditch. Ordering one Sand Soldier to clear the path ahead and keeping another by his side for protection, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s muscles were tensed, not daring to relax even in the slightest. After walking about five hundred meters in this manner, he finally saw an old, slightly dilapidated bridge, which must be the ¡°bridge from which terrifying screams were reported¡± mentioned in the intelligence. The bridge was tiny, spanning the small ditch with a little arch underneath, just big enough to allow two or three people to pass through at the same time. Zhang Xiaoman commanded a Sand Soldier to ascend to the head of the bridge and then carefully looked around but encountered no attacks, nor did he hear the so-called terrifying screams. He first frowned in thought, then shifted his gaze to beneath the bridge. ¡°Perhaps the oddity lies there?¡± Leaning over to look in that direction, he couldn¡¯t see anything amiss and had no choice but to go down with the Sand Soldier for a closer look. The edge of the ditch featured a descending slope; carefully, Zhang Xiaoman followed the slope down to the roadside, arriving near the bridge¡¯s arch. As he got closer, he felt as though he could hear something. ¡°Whoo whoo whoo...¡± It sounded like someone crying or perhaps the noise of wind leaking through a window. Suddenly, he remembered the story Master Liu had once told him, the description of which matched exactly the scenario he was now facing. As his thoughts raced, Zhang Xiaoman had already approached the underside of the bridge. As he drew near, the sound became clearer and, by the time he reached under the arch, he could see the inside. There, on the wall of the bridge¡¯s arch, were streaks of dark red lines, resembling terrible blood vessels. In the middle of these lines, a flesh ball resembling a heart throbbed continuously, with a small, round mouth on it, out of which mists were spewing forth. ¡°Found you!¡± Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes lit up. However, just then, the eerie heart suddenly contracted, its surface muscles writhing, and suddenly it completely changed its appearance. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a face exactly like his own. Then, the mouth on the face opened wide, and immediately let out a terrifying wail, the sound shrill and piercing, making it quite unbearable to listen to. However, although Zhang Xiaoman found the sound unpleasant, it didn¡¯t cause him any other discomfort. Perhaps the scream of this thing was merely nauseating. Of course, it might also be that his now 3-point spiritual power resisted the other¡¯s Spiritual Attack. All in all, this eerie heart didn¡¯t seem to have anything particularly terrifying about it. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t think further and immediately ordered a Sand Soldier to cautiously move forward, intending to end this annoying thing with one shot. However, just at that moment, a splash erupted suddenly from the ditch nearby, and within the mud, a figure was rapidly rushing towards him. Startled by the noise, Zhang Xiaoman instantly turned his head to look. The next moment, amidst the splashing water, an ugly monster suddenly leaped out of the water, its mouth full of sharp teeth expanding within his field of view. PS: The next chapter will come after 12 o¡¯clock. Chapter 75 - 75 75 Fog Heart ?75: Chapter 75 Fog Heart 75: Chapter 75 Fog Heart Facing this sudden scene, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. In his eyes, the speed of the approaching creature was too fast, like a pouncing tiger, unstoppable. However, since he had come here, it was naturally impossible that he was without reliance. The next moment, a cold gleam flashed by Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s side, and a long spear suddenly thrust out from the side, instantly impaling the monster still in midair. The Sand Soldier had made its move! Immediately afterward, another Sand Soldier heading toward the bridge tunnel also abruptly turned back and rushed to the monster¡¯s side in just a few steps, launching a follow-up attack. The monster, suddenly pierced, let out a mournful scream, then was pinned to the ground by the force of the Sand Soldier¡¯s long spear, its body twisting frantically trying to break free of the hold. Then, another sound of a blade entering flesh rang out, the second Sand Soldier arrived and drove its long spear deep into the monster¡¯s skull, stirring and pulling it for a moment, after which the monster gradually went still. Zhang Xiaoman saw that it had stopped struggling and then directed the Sand Soldiers to finish it off with a few more stabs, and only after confirming that the creature was completely dead did he cease the attack. Without the time to examine the slain monster, Zhang Xiaoman immediately ordered the Sand Soldiers to enter the bridge tunnel and kill the face-changing monster inside, then finally let out a slight sigh of relief. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect its ghostly scream to attract other monsters nearby... But fortunately, it seems there was only this one fellow around, so my luck isn¡¯t too bad.¡± After remaining on high alert for a while longer, Zhang Xiaoman relaxed slightly. Looking at the bodies of the two monsters, Zhang Xiaoman felt a surge of excitement in his heart, not expecting to have killed two monsters in such a short time. Indeed, earning points was faster when killing monsters. He commanded the two Sand Soldiers to stand guard, and Zhang Xiaoman slowly approached the corpses of the monsters. The monster in front of him was the one that had attacked him earlier. It had an elongated body with particularly well-developed hind legs and was colored a deep yellow, making it difficult to spot when camouflaged in mud. ¡°This thing looks a bit like a crocodile with a pus-filled back...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at its mouth full of sharp teeth and felt a shiver down his spine. If he wasn¡¯t careful and the creature got a bite on him, the consequences could be disastrous. He slowly crouched down, extending his right hand toward the corpse of the monster. ¡°Ding, absorbed toad crocodile essence, points increased by 4.¡± The System¡¯s notification sounded, and Zhang Xiaoman looked at his palm somewhat disappointedly, not expecting the menacing-looking monster to increase his points by only four. With that thought, he moved on to the bridge tunnel, arriving before the face-changing monster. This monster was already pierced and killed by his Yellow Sand Soldiers and had reverted back to its original heart-like appearance. However, due to the blood vessel patterns around it, it was still firmly attached to the wall and hadn¡¯t fallen. Looking at its appearance, and piecing together the events that had just happened, Zhang Xiaoman speculated about its abilities in his mind. ¡°It was able to let out a scream, which should be a kind of psychic attack, but the intensity doesn¡¯t seem high, probably similar to the Parasitic Spirit... As for the ability to change faces, last time I heard Master Liu say that the one he encountered had turned into the villa owner¡¯s appearance. Such a technique may be its way to camouflage or confuse opponents. Looking at it this way, the combat power of this thing indeed isn¡¯t strong, and the points given should also be few...¡± Zhang Xiaoman extended his palm, slowly moving closer to the heart on the wall. ¡°Ding, absorbed the essence of the Fog Heart, points increased by 2.¡± ¡°Just as I thought, only 2 points. It seems this thing isn¡¯t really some kind of combat species.¡± Zhang Xiaoman had anticipated this, but he was still somewhat disappointed. He checked his current points balance, only 8 points remaining. He had planned to accumulate a total of 10 points and then upgrade again after killing these two monsters, but now it looked like that wasn¡¯t going to happen. ¡°In the system prompt just now, this thing was called a Fog Heart. So it seems that the mist is indeed released by it.¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at the walls around him, which had returned to normal, while analyzing in his mind. ¡°Capable of creating mist, which can interfere with electronic equipment, and perhaps other functions I¡¯m unaware of. Anyway, this so-called Fog Heart can change the environment to favor the monsters and create an advantage. This seems very strong, and I¡¯ll have to prioritize killing them from now on.¡± Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaoman strangely recalled two games he had played before, which featured similar abilities¡ªthe Insect Race¡¯s Creep and the Undead Clan¡¯s Blight. ¡°These things differ from those demons and spirits I encountered before. They seem more like a kind of exotic creature. Could it be they are not part of the same system?¡± Zhang Xiaoman was filled with doubts. Unable to find an answer for now, he put it aside for the time being. Then, leading his two Sand Soldiers, he continued exploring within the mist using the method he had used earlier, to see if he could find any other monsters. This time, Zhang Xiaoman not only searched along the roadside but also rummaged through the ditches once again. He commanded his Sand Soldiers to stir the water with their Long Spears in the hope of skewering another toad crocodile, but to his disappointment, they didn¡¯t find any. Instead, they caught quite a few crayfish. After searching for more than an hour, Zhang Xiaoman regretfully called it quits. He had no choice; his Sand Soldiers could only last for two hours, and with the time spent earlier, they were almost at their limit. Looking at the mist that seemed to be fading around him, Zhang Xiaoman rubbed his hearthstone and returned home. ... Back home, Zhang Xiaoman saw Jin Bao and Xiao Hua fighting, one yelling on the floor ¡°Come down here!¡±, while the other stood on the table shouting ¡°Come up if you dare!¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked helplessly at the two, contemplating whether to check out the other two places mentioned in the intelligence reports. He opened his attribute panel and saw the Energy Value displayed as: 2/30, and finally decided to put that thought aside for now. He could no longer summon Sand Soldiers, nor could he even unleash a small Skill. Going out to face unknown monsters directly would undoubtedly increase the danger significantly. Looking at the time, it wasn¡¯t even 5 p.m. yet. Zhang Xiaoman decided to head back to the small forest north of the city later. There, he could feel the last bit of energy remaining. He reasoned that after this next visit, he should be able to absorb it all. Sure enough, half an hour later, Zhang Xiaoman took a ride back to the forest, and after absorbing 11 points of Energy from the previous Space Node¡¯s location, he could no longer sense any energy fluctuations nearby. With that, the resources in this small forest had been thoroughly depleted. Chapter 76 - 76 76 Lin Sisis Plea for Help ?76: Chapter 76 Lin Sisi¡¯s Plea for Help 76: Chapter 76 Lin Sisi¡¯s Plea for Help In the hours that followed, Zhang Xiaoman used a hearthstone every hour. Each time, it restored 2 points of energy, and by 10 p.m., his energy value had accumulated to 23 points. It had to be said that the recovery function of the Nostalgic Hearthstone was incredibly important for him. After all, Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s current methods of attack were rather limited; aside from using skills, he didn¡¯t have any effective means of physical harm. In this regard, Zhang Xiaoman wasn¡¯t particularly worried, as following the warrior path clearly wasn¡¯t his style. Acting as an elegant mage from a distance was his preferred choice, specializing in survival. However, as good as the hearthstone was, it had its limitations. The item description was clear: ¡°Use to recover 2 points of energy,¡± not ¡°Use to gain 2 points of energy.¡± Thus, once his energy value reached its current maximum, using the Nostalgic Hearthstone again wouldn¡¯t increase his energy. At the moment, Zhang Xiaoman was timing his use of the hearthstone while watching TV and waiting to use it again. What disappointed him, though, was that the entire day had passed and Su Fu hadn¡¯t managed to deliver the Nine-color Mixed Brush. Just then, a call came through from the other party, and Zhang Xiaoman eagerly pressed the answer key. On the other end, there was an apologetic voice from Su Fu. Su Fu explained the situation: his friend wouldn¡¯t be home until tomorrow, so they would have to wait until then. Su Fu also assured him that he¡¯d discussed it over the phone with the friend and would arrange for someone to pick it up early in the morning; the Nine-color Mixed Brush should be in hand by afternoon, and he would have Wu Feng drive it over. In response, Zhang Xiaoman politely expressed his gratitude. Although he was eager to use this Ultimate Item, he figured one night wouldn¡¯t make much difference. After telling Su Fu to keep him posted, he hung up the call. Just as Zhang Xiaoman put down his phone, without time to retract his hand, it lit up again¡ªanother call was coming through. Checking the caller ID, Zhang Xiaoman was a bit surprised¡ªit was the blind girl he had met a few days ago. ¡°Lin Sisi? Why is she calling me at this hour?¡± Zhang Xiaoman picked up the phone again and pressed the answer key, and immediately a familiar voice reached his ear. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s me... Lin Sisi...¡± Her tone was hesitant as if she was a bit shy. Zhang Xiaoman also greeted her before asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, is there anything I can help with?¡± There was a pause on the other end before she stuttered, ¡°I... I¡¯m just... a bit scared... Wanted to find someone to talk to...¡± Zhang Xiaoman sensed something unusual in her words and asked, ¡°What happened? Why are you scared? Can you tell me about it?¡± After hesitating again, she replied, ¡°It¡¯s like this... I feel like something entered my house... but I can¡¯t see... It seems to be always watching me, the feeling is terrifying...¡± Zhang Xiaoman had not expected her to say something like this. Startled, he then said, ¡°Did you call the police?¡± ¡°Yes... I called the police. But they didn¡¯t find anything when they came. After they left, that feeling came back, and it¡¯s getting stronger... I¡¯m a bit scared...¡± Zhang Xiaoman listened with a growing sense of unease and continued, ¡°Have you ever felt like this before? Or experienced something similar?¡± After thinking for a bit, Lin Sisi firmly said, ¡°No! I have never felt this before, but it is really frightening, as if it¡¯s real...¡± Hearing her say this, Zhang Xiaoman recalled the information Li Xiang had given him. Wasn¡¯t there an incident reported in the old city area? Could it be... His expression turned grave as he said solemnly, ¡°Lin Sisi, can I come over? Perhaps your feelings are right. Let me come and take a closer look for you.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± She uttered a single word and then fell into a long silence until, just when Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but want to ask again, her voice finally reached out. ¡°Okay... Thank you...¡± Zhang Xiaoman said she needn¡¯t be polite and told her not to move around rashly before hanging up and getting ready to leave the house. His mother happened to walk by at that moment, and curious after hearing her son¡¯s phone conversation, she asked, ¡°Xiao Man, are you going out this late? Was that a girl on the phone? Are you heading to her place? Are you seeing someone?¡± Zhang Xiaoman felt a headache coming on and helplessly said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve only talked to her once. She¡¯s a blind girl in trouble, and I¡¯m going to help her.¡± His mother frowned slightly at his words and then said, ¡°A blind girl, huh? Well... what¡¯s she like? Pretty? How old is she? If she¡¯s a good catch, it might not be so bad... You have superpowers now, after all. Maybe you¡¯ll cure her one day... I think character is what matters most...¡± Zhang Xiaoman was exasperated and quickly waved his hand, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. She¡¯s only 19, six years younger than me...¡± His mother¡¯s eyes widened as she interrupted, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being six years younger? If other people can go for someone younger, why can¡¯t our family? Besides...¡± Seeing her posture, Zhang Xiaoman felt something was amiss. He didn¡¯t have time to dawdle, so with a wave of his hand and a promise to talk later, he dashed out as if escaping. On the way, he sat in the back seat of a ride-share, half-heartedly engaging with the chatty driver while his mind was preoccupied with what might await him. ¡°I only have 23 points of energy now, and I¡¯m quite limited in terms of using my skills. Sand Soldier Appearance can only summon one Sand Soldier...¡± Zhang Xiaoman furrowed his brows, pondering over how to allocate his skills. ¡°Although the skill Sand Soldier Appearance indicates that summoning two Sand Soldiers requires 30 energy points, I can feel that I¡¯m able to summon just one by using half of the energy...¡± ¡°If we do encounter a monster later, I¡¯ll first try using the Soul Absorption Technique. If I can absorb energy, then I¡¯ll straight away summon two Sand Soldiers. Otherwise, I¡¯ll release a Sword Array to increase attack speed...¡± Zhang Xiaoman quickly ran through simulations in his mind, aiming to be ready for any situation that might arise for his own safety, to maximize his chances of success. Before he knew it, the car had arrived at the edge of an alley in the old city area, which could not be accessed any further by vehicle. Zhang Xiaoman quickly paid the fare, got out of the car, and started running towards Lin Sisi¡¯s home, following the route he remembered from last time. Chapter 77 - 77 77 Family Portrait ?77: Chapter 77: Family Portrait 77: Chapter 77: Family Portrait Although it was already past 10 p.m., many people still hadn¡¯t gone to bed, and plenty of houses were lit with lights that added a touch of warmth and peace to the area. However, Zhang Xiaoman was quite troubled at the moment, simply because the alleys here lacked lighting, and it was too dark, making it very inconvenient for him to walk. Fortunately, Lin Sisi¡¯s house wasn¡¯t far from Sixth Master¡¯s House, so he could find his way there by memory, which ensured he wouldn¡¯t get lost. After running for about 5 minutes in the dimly lit alley, Zhang Xiaoman finally found that somewhat familiar door. The benefits of regular exercise were evident; if it had been in the past, he would definitely be gasping for breath by now, but currently, he was just slightly out of breath. Looking at the small house behind the door, there wasn¡¯t a single light on. Zhang Xiaoman confirmed he was at the right place before reaching out to knock on the door. ¡°Thump, thump, thump.¡± The sound of the wooden door being struck was somewhat piercing in the quiet alley, but Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t care less about disturbing the peace at that point. After waiting a bit and seeing no one coming to open the door, he knocked again with more power. ¡°Who is it...¡± Just when Zhang Xiaoman wondered if he had the wrong place, a somewhat timid voice suddenly came from inside, followed by footsteps. ¡°Zhang Xiaoman... is that you?¡± The speaker was Lin Sisi, and from her voice, it was obvious that she was slowly walking towards him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, it¡¯s me,¡± Zhang Xiaoman offered comfortingly. ¡°Creak~¡± With a noise, the wooden door was opened from the inside. Zhang Xiaoman saw only darkness within, but through the light at the door, he could faintly make out the girl¡¯s delicate face. ¡°This... it¡¯s so dark. Don¡¯t you use lights at home?¡± he asked instinctively, but he immediately realized his blunder after the words left his mouth and cursed himself silently for asking such an odd question. Lin Sisi, however, laughed softly after a slight pause and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to turn on the lights; I can¡¯t see anyway, so it¡¯s all the same to me.¡± Zhang Xiaoman gave an embarrassed smile and then followed her into the small courtyard. The girl went into the inner room and turned on the light, instantly brightening the house. Zhang Xiaoman could now clearly see his surroundings, which were different from what he had imagined. The reason was that the place was simply too tidy. At a glance, there were hardly any clutter, just common everyday items. And their placement seemed quite orderly, not at all like the disorganized environment he had pictured for a blind person¡¯s residence. Lin Sisi, as if understanding his thoughts, said somewhat embarrassedly: ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do usually, and since I can¡¯t see, I often clean up the house. Everything has to be placed in a fixed position, or else I won¡¯t be able to find them...¡± Seeing her like this, Zhang Xiaoman felt a surge of sympathy, and couldn¡¯t help saying: ¡°Your home is very clean and organized, by comparison, I feel more like I¡¯m the blind one.¡± At that, Lin Sisi chuckled and said, ¡°You sure have a unique way of comforting people...¡± Zhang Xiaoman knew his skill level in interacting with girls was zero, so he quickly changed the subject: ¡°By the way, you said before that you felt something was watching you, where exactly did you feel that?¡± Lin Sisi frowned in thought, then said, ¡°It seems I can feel it in the living room too, but mainly in my bedroom...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked around, and the lights were off in several nearby rooms, which were all pitch-dark inside, uncertain of their appearance. After speaking, Lin Sisi felt for the direction with her hands and then led Zhang Xiaoman toward a room further inside. Upon turning on the light, everything around them suddenly became clearly visible. The first thing Zhang Xiaoman did when he saw the scene was to inhale sharply, and then he exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Are these all... paintings?¡± Lin Sisi nodded a little embarrassedly and said, ¡°I used to study fine arts, and these paintings are all my own work... but since I went blind, I haven¡¯t touched a brush again... I can barely remember what these paintings look like anymore...¡± She sounded somewhat discouraged as she spoke. ¡°These paintings are very beautiful, they look just like real, very lovely!¡± Seeing her like this, Zhang Xiaoman also offered a word of comfort. ¡°Hmm! Thank you.¡± Lin Sisi nodded happily, and then continued on the topic from before, ¡°I only started feeling this way today, it was all normal before... But now, standing here with you, it seems I can¡¯t feel that gaze anymore.¡± Hearing her say this, Zhang Xiaoman glanced around at the portraits, and the possibility came to his mind, a classic trope in many horror films. ¡°Could it be that the so-called eeriness is hidden within these portraits!?¡± Thinking this, he immediately scanned carefully with his perception, but he did not detect any traces of energy fluctuations. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right, these are all landscape paintings...¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked around once more, then his gaze settled on the largest painting of them all. ¡°Did you paint this one too?¡± Zhang Xiaoman pointed at the painting near the bed and asked, and then felt he had made a foolish mistake, quickly adding, ¡°I mean the one hanging above your bed, the one with three people in it...¡± Upon hearing this, Lin Sisi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the last painting I did, it¡¯s my mom, dad, and me...¡± Zhang Xiaoman narrowed his eyes and slowly walked towards the bed, his muscles tensing up. This painting was the only portrait in the room. Perhaps sensing the change in the atmosphere, Lin Sisi opened her eyes wide and puzzledly ¡°looked¡± in the direction of Zhang Xiaoman, asking softly, ¡°Is there something wrong with the painting?¡± As Zhang Xiaoman walked, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure yet, I¡¯m just going to take a look, don¡¯t worry.¡± As he spoke, he had already reached the painting and began to study the figures in it carefully. The background of the painting was a riverside, where a family of three was sitting around a tablecloth, as if picnicking in the countryside. Lin Sisi¡¯s painting was rather lifelike, with the three people looking towards the camera, their smiles vivid and lifelike. Zhang Xiaoman always felt there was something strange about the painting. After examining it carefully for a moment, his expression suddenly changed and he quickly asked Lin Sisi who was behind him, ¡°When you painted this, which direction were the people in it facing?¡± Chapter 78 - 78 78 The Difference Between Wandering Spirits and Ghosts ?78: Chapter 78 The Difference Between Wandering Spirits and Ghosts 78: Chapter 78 The Difference Between Wandering Spirits and Ghosts Lin Sisi was somewhat baffled by his question, but after pondering for a moment, she replied: ¡°I am more skilled at painting landscapes. This painting depicts a scene of me and my parents at Fat Lake. I remember that when I painted it, I didn¡¯t focus much on detailing the faces but mostly on the landscape...¡± As she spoke, she seemed to make a connection and her expression changed, her large eyes blankly staring in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s direction, a hint of panic spreading across her face. ¡°Is, is there something wrong with this painting?¡± A look of ¡°I thought so¡± appeared in Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes, and he stepped back to Lin Sisi¡¯s side, whispering: ¡°The people in the painting, they are looking at us...¡± Lin Sisi instantly showed a look of disbelief, glancing around helplessly, her eyes lacking focus. ¡°How, how is that possible ... I clearly only painted their backs ...¡± Zhang Xiaoman then said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything¡¯s under control, it won¡¯t be able to stir up any trouble.¡± The reason he had those doubts was because he noticed something odd about the figures in the painting. Although Lin Sisi did not focus on depicting the characters¡¯ features, there was still something Zhang Xiaoman could discern. That was, all the people in the painting were clearly turned away from the camera. But eerily, they were all facing towards himself. Thus, he was almost certain about the situation here now. Moreover, when he was beside the bed earlier, he faintly felt a surge of energy flowing from the painting, suggesting that the monster was hiding inside it. After hearing what Zhang Xiaoman said, Lin Sisi¡¯s expression grew even more panicked. ¡°You, what are you planning to do? If there really is a monster, we should call the police right away!¡± Zhang Xiaoman looked at her and smiled, saying: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am a professional, have you forgotten my previous nickname? I am a genuine master.¡± Seeing Lin Sisi¡¯s puzzled expression, he almost wanted to laugh, but considering the current situation, he spoke in a serious tone: ¡°Alright, leave the monster in the painting to me, you just wait outside for my good news.¡± Having said that, Zhang Xiaoman pulled her and led her out of the room. Lin Sisi followed him out somewhat bewilderingly, waiting until she heard the door close again before reaching for it. However, just as her hands touched the doorknob, she suddenly stopped moving. Although she was not sure whether what Zhang Xiaoman had just said was true, she was still somewhat worried. If it was true, her rash entrance might interfere with Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s upcoming ¡°casting.¡± After all, according to those movie plots, many situations that were supposed to be easily resolved often got complicated because of such interruptions. But Zhang Xiaoman would not be distracted by her, his actions were purely out of consideration for her safety. Since he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly the monster in the painting was, he feared that Lin Sisi might be inadvertently affected if he couldn¡¯t subdue it in one strike. Focusing his gaze on the painting, Zhang Xiaoman slowly raised his left hand. Instead of moving closer carelessly, he stood in place and activated his skill directly. Soul Absorption Technique! As the first stream of light lit up inside the room, a chilling, agonizing scream suddenly emanated from the family photo at the bedside. Zhang Xiaoman saw a green orb-like Spiritual Body being sucked out amid the swirling energy flow. It kept shrieking sharply, trying to escape back into the painting. But it couldn¡¯t resist the strength of the Soul Absorption Technique, and its glow increasingly dimmed. Eventually, the monster gradually vanished within the peeling layers of the Energy Flow, eventually transforming into a semi-transparent spherical orb floating in mid-air. Upon seeing this scene, Zhang Xiaoman smiled happily, thinking that it might take some effort, but the battle was unexpectedly simple to resolve, which surprised him greatly. He walked up to take a closer look at the small bead which was similar to the spherical shape formed after the death of the Parasitic Spirit, only it didn¡¯t fall to the ground and instead stayed suspended in mid-air. Zhang Xiaoman spread out his palm and absorbed it, and immediately, the System¡¯s prompt echoed in his mind. ¡°Ding, absorbed Wandering Spirit Essence, points increased by 3.¡± He checked his points balance, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Although this monster provided only 3 points, its advantage was that it was weak and effortless to eliminate. Now, with his points again over 10, he was ready to upgrade once more. However, now was not the time for a random upgrade. Zhang Xiaoman straightened the slightly crooked family portrait, and when he looked at it again, the faces of the three people inside were no longer visible. The image was fixed on a scene of them sitting on the grass by the river, bending over their lunch. ¡°This girl...¡± Looking at the harmonious and joyful family of three in the painting, Zhang Xiaoman suddenly felt sorry for her, as fate seemed particularly unfair to this girl. He turned and stepped out of the room where outside, the girl was anxiously waiting at the door. As soon as she felt the door open suddenly, Lin Sisi took a slight step back and then asked: ¡°Zhang Xiaoman... is that you?¡± Zhang Xiaoman replied, ¡°It¡¯s me, that monster has been eliminated, everything¡¯s fine now. Uh, are you okay?¡± Lin Sisi shook her head: ¡°I¡¯m fine, it was just the noise earlier that made me a bit dizzy, but I¡¯m much better now...¡± She paused in her movements and then looked towards Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s direction with a mix of amazement and curiosity on her face, saying: ¡°The thing just now, was it really a Ghost? How can such things exist in the world...¡± Zhang Xiaoman smiled and corrected her: ¡°To be precise, it was a Wandering Spirit.¡± ¡°Ah... is there a difference?¡± Lin Sisi looked puzzled. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a difference. The former is a ghost from folk tales, transformed from the dead. The latter, on the other hand, is a unique form of life made up of energy bodies.¡± Zhang Xiaoman casually explained, all this being his own speculation. ¡°There are no ghosts and gods in this world, but these bizarre creatures do exist¡ªthey come from another domain and their methods are incredibly varied and unpredictable.¡± Curiosity appeared on Lin Sisi¡¯s face: ¡°Then, do you specialize in hunting them?¡± Zhang Xiaoman subconsciously nodded, then remembering the girl couldn¡¯t see him, he said aloud: ¡°Exactly, we are hunters walking beneath reality, and these monsters are our targets...¡± Lin Sisi¡¯s face showed surprise. Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t say much more on the topic but walked a few steps in the living room, scanning the girl¡¯s home once more. He approached a table, picked up the water she had poured for him just as he entered, and his gaze settled on a certain spot, he casually said: ¡°So, you study fine arts, no wonder this sculpture is so lifelike. Did you carve it too?¡± Lin Sisi looked stunned and bewildered: ¡°What sculpture?¡± Zhang Xiaoman didn¡¯t pay attention to her tone, walked straight to the sculpture, and continued: ¡°The one in the corner of your living room, when I first saw it, I found it a bit strange. Later, when I found out you were an art student, it made sense...¡± Just then, Lin Sisi suddenly said: ¡°But... I only studied painting, I never learned sculpture...¡± She paused, then continued, ¡°And my home... has never had any sculpture...¡± Chapter 79 - 79 79 The Mysterious Statue ?79: Chapter 79: The Mysterious Statue 79: Chapter 79: The Mysterious Statue Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s hand stretched out towards the statue suddenly stopped mid-air, and he was instantly enveloped by a hair-raising sensation. He suddenly leaped backward and took several steps back, ¡°thump thump thump,¡± before he finally stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Sisi asked with curiosity as she felt the movement at her side. Cold sweat slipped down Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s face as he moved his lips slightly and asked in a low voice, ¡°If there are no statues in your house... then where did this stone sculpture in the corner come from...¡± Upon hearing this, Lin Sisi¡¯s expression gradually shifted from confusion to surprise, and then she began to panic. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me... We have never had a statue in our house, never!¡± At that moment, Zhang Xiaoman could no longer afford to say anything more to her because just then, he had felt the statue in front of him move slightly. Although the movement was very subtle, he still noticed it. It was a huge statue, nearly as tall as a person, and the entire statue looked like a gigantic human face. Although it was large and quite eye-catching, there was nothing else particularly special about it. Therefore, when Zhang Xiaoman first came in, he had only given it a few extra glances and did not pay much attention to it. But now, he finally understood that the weirdness in Lin Sisi¡¯s house was not just in one place! This mysteriously appearing statue was evidently another unknown frightful monster! As if knowing that its disguise had been seen through, the statue in the corner suddenly moved again, this time more noticeably than before, and Zhang Xiaoman could clearly see its movement. ¡°Crack crack...¡± Following that, a sound of stones being compressed against each other could be heard as the statue moved forward, and flakes of stone began to fall off its surface. As its movements increased, the external stone fell off layer by layer, soon revealing the deep brown skin underneath. ¡°Duck down quickly!¡± Zhang Xiaoman only had time to say this to Lin Sisi beside him before he waved his hand and activated the Sand Soldier Appearance skill. His energy value had just reached 30 after absorbing the Wandering Spirit, which was just enough for him to summon two Sand Soldiers. As the skill was activated, dust rose from the floor tiles of Lin Sisi¡¯s home and the soil in the courtyard. Even the fragments falling from the stone monster began to levitate, and then all converged in front of Zhang Xiaoman, slowly solidifying into two towering figures clad in armor. The execution of the Summon Sand Soldier skill was not slow. Although there was a process of reconstitution and convergence, it only took about seven or eight seconds in total. Compared to that, the preparation time for the stone monster was much longer. At that moment, most of its body was still trapped in the stone, with only a small portion of its true face exposed. Yet, even just this small exposed part was enough to make one¡¯s skin crawl. The visible lower half of the stone statue revealed a face with deep brown skin, riddled with pus-filled sores, with sagging eyelids hanging long, and pale pupils staring unblinkingly at Zhang Xiaoman in front of it. Zhang Xiaoman clenched his teeth and commanded the two Sand Soldiers to attack first. He had none of that decorum of waiting for an ultimate fighter to prepare before engaging in combat. Moreover, since this creature was such a terrifying and bizarre monster, he would not even consider talking to it about the ¡°morals of the martial world.¡± The two Sand Soldiers, at the command of Zhang Xiaoman, raised their long spears and fiercely thrust them towards the exposed skin of the monster. One attacked the monster from the front, aiming for its eyes, while the other stabbed at the monster¡¯s massive skull from the side. Clearly, the advantage of striking first was quite obvious. The Sand Soldier that struck from the front pierced the monster¡¯s right eye with its spear, instantly causing a greenish-yellow liquid to flow out, and the monster immediately let out a scream of agony. However, it was a bit regrettable that the Sand Soldier attacking the monster¡¯s head from the right did not succeed; its spear only penetrated the outer layer of the monster¡¯s skin before it could go no further, seemingly blocked by the hard skull inside. Zhang Xiaoman immediately realized that this creature¡¯s weakness must be in its eyes! However, the monster obviously wasn¡¯t just going to take the hits; right after its eye was severely damaged, it immediately started shaking violently, discarding its previously sluggish demeanor. It suddenly shattered the rocks beside its body and stretched out two scythe-like arms from behind its head, swiftly attacking the Sand Soldier in front of it. The Sand Soldier, caught off guard, quickly dodged to the side, not even having time to pull out the long spear stuck in the monster¡¯s eye. Even so, its reaction was a beat too slow, and one of its arms was instantly severed by the monster, thudding onto the ground. It was then that Zhang Xiaoman finally got a clear look at the monster¡¯s appearance. In the middle of its massive head was a mouth with three layers of mandibles, eerily resembling an insect¡¯s jaws. Besides the two scythe-like arms extending from its back, its ¡°neck¡± was also adorned with seven or eight short bug legs, and when its body stretched out, it instantly grew from about 1.5 meters to over two meters tall. Overall, its appearance resembled a grotesque creature that merged a human face with insect limbs. Zhang Xiaoman merely glanced at it and quickly ordered the Sand Soldiers to continue attacking; he didn¡¯t have time to admire this creature¡¯s majestic appearance as the pressing task was to kill it first. Although this monster was formidable, the two Sand Soldiers were also strong, especially since they were enhanced by Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s three points of spiritual power, making them stronger than before. After several rounds of skirmishing, the one-armed Sand Soldier was desperately holding the monster¡¯s left arm while another pierced its other arm with a spear, temporarily creating a deadlock among the three parties. At this moment, Zhang Xiaoman also came to his senses, realizing that his two Sand Soldiers were only evenly matched with this monster, or perhaps slightly weaker. He could not hesitate now and had to make a quick decision. ¡°Run?¡± He glanced at Lin Sisi, who was crouching on the ground shivering, and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, his resolve hardening. At least for now, it wasn¡¯t time to run. He steeled himself and slowly approached the monster, then stretched out his hand, grasped the long spear embedded in its left eye, and pushed it deeper. However, to his disappointment, things didn¡¯t go as he had imagined; as soon as he thrust the long spear, it seemed to be blocked by some hard object and could not advance further. ¡°That must be some kind of bone similar to a cheekbone,¡± he guessed. However, after this painful attack, the monster immediately burst out with even greater strength, and it looked like the two Sand Soldiers were about to lose their grip. Zhang Xiaoman was desperately anxious; he pulled out his pistol and gave the creature two close-range Holy Water Bullets, but they had no effect, indicating it was not within the suppression system of Holy Water. As Zhang Xiaoman was at a loss, he suddenly saw the other eye of the monster staring intently at him. An idea flashed through his mind, and he quickly pulled out the long spear, then stabbed it towards the monster¡¯s other eye. ¡°If I can¡¯t stab you to death, then I¡¯ll just blind both your eyes!¡± Chapter 80 - 80 80 Ete ?80: Chapter 80 Ete 80: Chapter 80 Ete Following his action, the monster let out an even more miserable scream, suddenly exerting force with both arms and flinging away the two Sand Soldiers that were holding it down, wildly flailing in the direction of Zhang Xiaoman. Zhang Xiaoman had already backed away at the first sign of trouble, watching as the creature rampaged through the room. He immediately ordered the Sand Soldiers to sever its few short insect-like legs, thereby limiting its ability to move. The monster collapsed on the ground, its arms flailing wildly, and its mouth emitting spine-chilling screams from time to time. This time, Zhang Xiaoman was in no hurry and slowly engaged in a war of attrition with it. Worried that its noises would disturb others and attract unnecessary trouble, he even drove a spear through the creature¡¯s mouth, silencing its calls for good. In the end, the monster was ground to death in a rather tragic manner by the two Sand Soldiers. By the end, the monster had lost all will to resist, while the Sand Soldiers showed no sign of fatigue, mechanically repeating their stabbing motions as though they were more monstrous than it. Zhang Xiaoman witnessed the entire event from the side, and even after experiencing so many battles, he still found the scene disgustingly repulsive. Fortunately, Lin Sisi, the poor girl who was blind, could only hear and not see what was happening at the scene, which was a stroke of luck in an otherwise unfortunate situation. Zhang Xiaoman cautiously approached after the monster had completely stopped moving, only to exhale a sigh of relief when the Seven-pointed Star Array in the palm of his right hand began to glow. Feeling a rather intense sting, Zhang Xiaoman knew he had caught a big fish this time. It took nearly 20 seconds for the corpse of the monster in front of him to disappear completely, and at that moment, the System¡¯s notification sounded in his mind. ¡°Ding, extracted Ete¡¯s essence, points increased by 17.¡± ¡°Ete, really a strange name... But it¡¯s surprising that it provided me with 17 points,¡± he mused. Zhang Xiaoman checked his points, which had now reached 28, and his mood greatly improved. With the surroundings now quiet, Lin Sisi cautiously called out, ¡°Zhang Xiaoman, are you still there? Is, is the monster dead?¡± Zhang Xiaoman snapped back to reality upon hearing her and promptly soothed her with a few words, helping her to stand up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the monster has been killed by me, it¡¯s all safe now.¡± After speaking, he glanced at the mess in the living room, couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly and shook his head¡ªit was almost no different from a house being torn apart. Looking at the girl¡¯s frail and pitiful state, Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Helping others to the end, he thought, he might as well clean up the place as well. If it had been anyone else, he felt he definitely wouldn¡¯t have stayed late at night to help clean someone¡¯s house. But since the girl was blind and living alone, it was impossible for Zhang Xiaoman to just walk away without a second thought. However, he didn¡¯t do the cleaning himself; although the monster¡¯s body had already been absorbed, there was still a lot of disgusting greenish-yellow blood splattered around. Zhang Xiaoman had two perfect tools at his disposal¡ªthe Sand Soldiers. Naturally, it was time to put them to use. The two Sand Soldiers still had about an hour¡¯s duration left, which was enough time to clean up the house. As for the one that had its arm severed earlier, it had already been reattached during the battle. But after it was reattached, the firm and heavy Armor on its body had somehow become a bit blurry and less real-looking than before. Sitting at the table with Lin Sisi, Zhang Xiaoman leisurely commanded the sand soldiers to busily scurry about while he sipped his tea, feeling like he had discovered a treasure this time. The summoning skill for the sand soldiers apparently had such an unconventional method of use, and it seemed he had found a new excuse to be lazy in the future. Lin Sisi pricked up her ears, listening to the noises in the room, and finally couldn¡¯t help but gently tug on Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s sleeve and asked in a low voice, ¡°Zhang Xiaoman, are they... your friends? I thought I heard them fighting that monster earlier. When did they get here?¡± Zhang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t help but laugh and said, ¡°Haha, they¡¯re not any sort of friends. Actually, they¡¯re not even human.¡± Lin Sisi let out a shocked cry and inadvertently gripped his sleeve a bit tighter, ¡°Could it be, could it be... are they ghosts?¡± Zhang Xiaoman explained, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? There are no ghosts in this world. Strictly speaking, they are just guardians summoned by me using Dark Energy, which you can think of as Elemental Puppets.¡± Upon hearing this, Lin Sisi looked toward where the sand soldiers were with both curiosity and trepidation. It took her a moment to realize she was still holding onto Zhang Xiaoman¡¯s clothing and quickly withdrew her hand. But because she retracted it too hastily and couldn¡¯t see the items, her little hand swept over the Black Iron Sword lying on the table, and instantly a wound appeared, from which blood dripped down drop by drop. ¡°Ah!¡± She exclaimed softly and quickly covered the wound. Zhang Xiaoman inwardly cursed himself for being careless. Knowing full well she couldn¡¯t see, he had carelessly placed the Black Iron Sword on the table. Although it seemed unremarkable, it had been sharpened, and considering he had honed it the past couple of days, it was quite sharp indeed. ¡°Are you alright? Do you have any band-aids at home? I¡¯ll go get them for you,¡± he hurriedly said. The girl first shook her head to indicate she was fine and then directed him to where the band-aids were. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, ¡°The thing just now... was that a sword? I¡¯ve never touched a sword before.¡± Zhang Xiaoman quickly got a band-aid and returned to the table. Looking at the wound on her hand, which thankfully wasn¡¯t that deep, he carefully started to apply it. ¡°This is no ordinary sword I have here; my sword has quite a history,¡± he said as he stuck on the band-aid, strangely compelled to tease her a bit. Lin Sisi felt her hand being held by him and a hint of blush spread across her face. She quickly turned her head away and pretended to be nonchalant as she asked, ¡°Oh, is this sword that amazing? Can you tell me about it?¡± The utterly clueless straight man Zhang Xiaoman did not notice the girl¡¯s blush and instead spontaneously borrowed some of Pei Laoliu¡¯s backstory and began to say, ¡°This sword is called the Purple Cloud Divine Sword, a Divine Artifact from Ancient Times. With it, not only can you tear through the void and travel across worlds, but you can also summon the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and bring down a tremendous force from the heavens...¡± As he spoke, he even made up a story. It was about how Sixth Grandpa went out to travel, stumbled upon a heaven-sent treasure sword by chance, thought he was the Purple Cloud Sword Master, only to find out at the end that he was just the person meant to pass the sword on, and that Zhang Xiaoman was the true Sword Master... ¡°It¡¯s just a pity I haven¡¯t been able to find a way to break the seal on the Purple Cloud Divine Sword yet; otherwise, that monster earlier would¡¯ve been blasted to smithereens by me, and none of this destruction would have happened.¡±