Entering

As a newcomer, Xia Lin knew little about the Ash Zone.

That was especially true of the stories about the Sequences.

But Bai Guang, a fellow Sequence, knew them.

He briefly recounted the legendary story of Martial King Lie, leaving Xia Lin stunned.

"You can do that!?"

Bai Guang grinned. "Why not? You sure can! Absolutely!"

"That's all basic stuff. Let me tell you something more interesting. Do you know what Sequence 100's nickname is?"

"What is it?"

"Fecal Sea Mad Maggot!"

Xia Lin said, "Huh!?"

"His class is gold cultivator. He shovels shit, and the more shit there is, the stronger he gets."

Sequence 100's name was on the notice board at the Ashes Bar, but to avoid offending anyone, it listed no nicknames and even concealed many Sequences' classes.

But Sequence 100's gold cultivator class was clearly recorded. Xia Lin had assumed the class dealt with metal, never imagining that this "gold" meant something else entirely.

"So now you know why Li Peipei wants to capture you alive, right?"

"She wants to change classes and follow the same path the Martial King took. Honestly, Li Peipei's strength no longer lives up to the name of a Sequence. Competition among the Sequences is getting fiercer, and there are more and more capable people. She doesn't even have a limit-breaking skill, so what's she doing in the top fifty?"

"And as everyone knows, martial arts have the most limit-breaking skills."

Xia Lin said, "Doesn't the Limit Breaker class have the most limit-breaking skills?"

Bai Guang raised an eyebrow and looked Xia Lin up and down before smiling. "I said the most, not the strongest."

"The Limit Breaker's limit-breaking skills are the strongest, but they can't compare to immortal cultivation or martial arts in number."

"But you know quite a lot, buddy."

Xia Lin smiled and changed the subject. "So you came looking for me because you wanted my skill too?"

Oni Warrior had the word "warrior" in its class name.

Rapid Nourishment would most likely be useful to Bai Guang as well.

Bai Guang wasn't surprised that Xia Lin had guessed his other purpose.

He simply leaned forward, looked at Xia Lin, and said solemnly, "Come into the Ash Zone with me once and help me get fat and strong. In return, I'll help you kill Li Peipei."

"What do you think of that deal?"

Without needing much thought, Xia Lin said, "Change the terms."

"I don't need you to kill Li Peipei. I can kill her myself. Help me get a similar skill instead."

Since Martial King Lie, Li Peipei, and Bai Guang could all do it, Xia Lin, the skill's owner, naturally could too.

That condition put Bai Guang in a difficult spot.

"I can try, but I can't guarantee it."

"After all, it's a limit-breaking skill. The requirements for obtaining skills like that are extremely demanding."

Xia Lin smiled. "Trying is enough."

With that, he swirled his glass. "Next question, then. How can you guarantee you can follow Li Peipei into the same Ash Zone?"

Bai Guang smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said mysteriously, "The authority and benefits of being a Sequence are beyond your imagination."

The two chatted for over half an hour before Bai Guang offered to pay the bill and left.

After Bai Guang left, Xia Lin remained at the Ashes Bar.

Several hours later, Xia Lin called over a server and paid one Ash Zone Point to be introduced to a reliable information broker.

But he didn't spend money asking about Li Peipei or himself.

Instead, he paid five Ash Zone Points to ask about Bai Guang.

Only when the blood-red sun began to sink did Xia Lin leave the bar, a relaxed, cheerful smile on his face.

"Looking at it this way, there probably won't be any problems with the partnership."

As a Sequence, his every move attracted attention.

The Sequence Hegemony Battle, in particular, was held at irregular intervals and was a carnival for every human, every Ash Zone Walker, and every powerhouse on the planet.

Every word and action between the Sequences was placed under a microscope and carefully analyzed, and the conflict between Bai Guang and Li Peipei was no exception.

Li Peipei had indeed ambushed Bai Guang, and she had done it ruthlessly.

She had sent Bai Guang's strength plummeting, despite his ability to compete for a place among the top forty Sequences. In the last Sequence Hegemony Battle, he had barely managed to hold on to his current position.

A Sequence's ranking determined rewards, privileges, and power.

And power was everything in the Ash Zone and in this broken world!

This was worse than the grudge of having one's father killed.

Given Bai Guang's personality, there was no way he would let this go, so Xia Lin could rule out the possibility that Bai Guang and Li Peipei had joined forces to set a trap.

As he thought about how Martial King Lie had traded fat for power, Xia Lin found a hotel.

He checked in after registering.

Then all he had to do was wait.

Bai Guang had said he would keep watch on Li Peipei's movements. Once she made her move, they would act too.

And all Xia Lin needed to do was wait.

The wait wasn't long.

Li Peipei couldn't afford to wait.

With her obese body and distorted face, she naturally drew strange looks from others.

On top of that, the Sequence Hegemony Battle was drawing ever closer, and Li Peipei had long since grown impatient.

Ash Zone Walkers had to enter an Ash Zone at least once a month, but there was no minimum interval.

In other words, if you were capable enough, you could enter the next Ash Zone immediately after completing one.

This rule could be considered the Ash Zone's reward for the brave.

Early that morning, Li Peipei and Gu Hua arrived together at the Ash Zone entrance in the Ancient Splendor Base.

Pedestrians streamed back and forth, and there were even more strange looks.

A giant tank like Li Peipei was a rare sight indeed.

But Li Peipei paid no attention to their gazes, silently recalling the stories of Martial King Lie's experiences.

The Three-Phase Martial Arts Hall.

That was the focus of this trip!

As long as she received the true teachings of the Three-Phase Martial Arts Hall, a little fat would be nothing.

The other key was Xia Lin's whereabouts.

Unfortunately, there was no news of Xia Lin.

At that thought, Li Peipei took a deep breath.

"I'll catch you eventually... I definitely will."

Without Xia Lin to fatten her up, even if Li Peipei obtained the true teachings of the Three-Phase Martial Arts Hall, the results would be greatly diminished.

But even diminished, they would still be effective... that was a limit-breaking skill!

It was also what Li Peipei had been longing for.

Just then, Gu Hua raised a hand and pointed, multicolored light blooming at his fingertip.

"In the name of Sequence 56, designate!"

"Chosen Ash Zone: Fierce Martial City!"

The halo around the Ash Zone entrance ahead surged, then quickly stabilized. Gu Hua smiled at Li Peipei and stepped inside first. Seeing this, she immediately followed close behind.

At the same time Gu Hua designated the Ash Zone, Xia Lin and Bai Guang appeared in a secluded clearing outside the Ancient Splendor Base.

As Gu Hua began, Bai Guang seemed to sense something and raised his hand as well.

"In the name of Sequence 73, follow!"

He spoke solemnly, and light likewise burst from his fingertips.

The light landed in midair and quickly transformed into a rotating doorway as tall as a person. It was an Ash Zone entrance!

The sight left Xia Lin clicking his tongue in wonder.

Beside him, Bai Guang smiled and explained.

"Gu Hua used his Sequence privileges to select an Ash Zone himself."

"Ash Zones like that don't follow the ten-day disaster rule. Their entrances disappear after opening once, though they may open somewhere else at another time."

"As for what I did, that's another way to use Sequence privileges—a great way to track down an enemy."

The word "Sequence" rang in Xia Lin's mind once again.

He hadn't expected Sequences to be able to interfere with the Ash Zone's workings and alter its laws!

"So where did the Ash Zone come from?"

"And who established the Sequences?"

This time, Bai Guang shook his head.

"Lower-ranked Sequences don't have the clearance to know those things, but I'm certain the top five, or even the top ten, know more than we do."

"In short, if you have the strength, you have to become a Sequence. There are just too many benefits. If you don't fight and compete, others will pull further ahead of you, and then..."

Bai Guang didn't say what would happen then. He simply shrugged.

But even without him saying it, Xia Lin understood.

Having been cannon fodder once, he had no desire to experience that feeling of being at someone else's mercy again, no matter what.