"That's more like living."
Jiang Xiao dodged dangerously while searching for an opening.
Not far away, the three hall masters watched this scene in shock and fury. They had never expected that damn human killing god to openly challenge them today. He had completely thrown their dignity into a cesspit!
Yet no matter how furious they were, none of the three dared step forward.
Anyone who wasn't blind could see that Gulab was in a state of rage. If they went to help and took a blade, they might not die, but they would definitely lose a layer of skin!
That thing was a Tier 2 Source Energy blunt-bladed weapon. Breaking through their Source Energy defenses to damage their bones and internal organs wouldn't be difficult, especially in Gulab's hands.
At the same time.
Above the Wicked Soul Market, a Central TV Tower alien aboard a quadrotor aircraft held an ultra-high-definition camera and livestreamed the entire scene.
In an extremely short time, every large screen and television in Sin Capital switched to the Wicked Soul Market.
"This is the Old Capital Killing God! Croak! This is awesome! This is exactly what I wanted to see, you hear me?!"
"On the day the Viper Gang's Wicked Soul Market opened, the cowardly dogs of the Sin City Council were openly confronted by the Old Capital Killing God. This is so exciting! Roar, roar, roar! That brain-dead old octopus is really good at making moves!
"First it raised a Black Mech Gang, and now there's an Old Capital Killing God too. Tsk, tsk. How about replacing that stinking brain of yours with my toe? Maybe you'd run things better that way?"
Kliffen's ecstatic, manic voice reverberated as the entire Sin Capital gradually fell into dead silence.
They ignored Kliffen's wild shouting and stared at the images on the screen in utter disbelief!
News about the Wicked Soul Market had been flooding the airwaves recently. Even the most indifferent wanderers of the wilderness knew how much the Sin City Council valued the Wicked Soul Market!
For its sake, they had even arranged for a Tier 2 Peak, three Tier 2 Elites, and multiple Tier 2 Regular Martial Artists to personally attend the opening. For all anyone knew, the chairman of the Sin City Council might even be watching personally right now.
And under such circumstances, the Old Capital Killing God had directly stormed into the venue?
And it was an open assault!
"What the hell? Wasn't the Old Capital Killing God only a Tier 2 Elite? Isn't this just asking to die?!"
"Didn't you see that Second Master Viper was using humans as sacrifices? Clearly, the Old Capital Killing God is another person who cares about his species. Pan-Humans are especially prone to producing people like that. Tsk, tsk."
"The Old Capital Killing God is clearly at a disadvantage. Hahaha, wonderful! At least we don't have to worry about being kicked to death by some powerhouse while walking down the street."
"How dare a mere human run wild in Sin Capital? This outcome is only natural. It was the same for the Hunter, and it's the same for the Killing God. Sin Capital belongs to the Viper Clan!"
"..."
Spark Bar.
Dozens of human martial artists who had been drinking and exchanging information involuntarily stopped moving and stared blankly at the television on the ceiling.
Did they hear that right? What the hell??
The Old Capital Killing God had openly attacked the Wicked Soul Market venue?!
Crack! The sound of shattering glass rang out. A black-robed Xi Ling abruptly rose to her feet and turned to walk outside.
The next moment, Li Yuan called out to her.
"Calm down. What can you do if you go?"
"But Sister Xi Guang and Mr. Jiang..." Xi Ling said anxiously. "The Viper Gang used that disgusting method to set a trap for Sister Xi Guang last time, and now they're doing it again!"
"Alas..." Li Yuan sighed when he heard this. "Don't worry, A Ling. I'll go. Even if it costs me my life this time, I won't let anything happen to them again."
Xi Ling froze, then grew even more urgent. "You know best how terrible your physical condition is. Forcing yourself to fight at full strength is nothing but suicide!"
"Forget it... Let it be. I already tasted the bitterness of regret over what happened to Xi Guang."
Xi Ling fell silent. Li Yuan waved his hand and turned to leave.
Watching Li Yuan's departing back, Xi Ling gritted her teeth and said to Bruce, "Gather some people and come with me to take a look. Remember to tell them not to approach the venue recklessly."
"Understood." Bruce nodded seriously.
Wicked Soul Market.
After several minutes of fighting, Gulab and Jiang Xiao fought their way into the depths of the Wicked Soul Market. Gulab's terrifying destructive power caused the entire building to tremble faintly.
Before the destructive power of a Tier 2 Peak, the concrete and steel framework was as fragile as tofu.
Seeing this, the frightened criminals stopped fleeing. They all gathered hundreds of meters from the market to watch. They wanted to wait for the final victor of this great battle to emerge!
The three hall masters led their people to surround the market entrances and exits, their eyes fixed intently on the inside.
They were utterly certain that the so-called Old Capital Killing God was only a Tier 2 Elite. It was impossible for him to escape from Second Master's hands!
Boom!! Rumble—!!
Under the equipment's amplification, dark-brown Source Energy blade qi crackled with arcs of electricity as it tore apart one wall and storefront after another. It was as if this weren't a blade attack at all, but some kind of portable missile rampaging through the area.
Life: 67%
Good grief, just getting grazed twice took off this much Life. Jiang Xiao marveled.
Gulab roared, his long blade never stopping as he swung it. "Lowly vermin, you wretched ant! Let's see how long you can keep dodging!"
The loach-like evasions of his opponent only stoked his fury further.
His tail, wrapped in a fierce gust of wind, slammed toward Jiang Xiao, but Jiang Xiao dodged it again.
Glancing at the ruined and chaotic market, Jiang Xiao laughed. "Indeed. There's still a whole pile of experience packs outside. I can't waste all my time on you."
Gulab was so furious that he laughed. "A presumptuous ant... Hm?"
Suddenly, Gulab sensed heat coming from beneath his tail. Before he could examine it carefully, an intensely thick sense of impending death descended in an instant!
The dust drifting through the air seemed to freeze at that moment.
What was this thing? How had it appeared? A trap?
"You..."
Vmmmm—BOOM!!!
The smoke began to flow again. In an instant, terrifying, blazing-blue radiance filled Jiang Xiao's entire field of vision!
Dozens of blue-white lightning serpents erupted. Wherever they passed, solid rock became brittle and split apart, metal melted into red-hot liquid, and concrete walls were torn apart like flimsy paper. A mushroom-shaped plasma cloud rose from the center of the explosion, completely dispelling the dim shadows within several hundred meters!
Jiang Xiao weaved through the electric arcs and barely squeezed into a crack in the ruins.
Life: 25%
Jiang Xiao's eyes widened.
Fortunately, there was Datafication. Under normal circumstances, after losing 75% of his Life, it was questionable whether he could even stand back up.
Killed Viper Gang Deputy Leader (Second-in-Command). Obtained 27,570 Experience Points (cross-tier bonus, Alien Bonus)
One-hit kill!
The tension in his heart finally eased. When he saw the ion cloud rapidly dissipate, Jiang Xiao came to the edge of the crystallized crater and looked down.
He was stunned. A mostly intact charred corpse lay sprawled at the edge of the crater, its form faintly recognizable as belonging to the Viper Clan.
It had actually left a complete corpse?!
"Hard as hell."
Jiang Xiao withdrew his gaze. Next, it was time to harvest the experience packs outside, but before that...
"Personal Panel!"
Player: Jiang Xiao Level: Tier 2 Regular Martial Artist (Evolution Progress: 22%) Talent Ability: Origin Data Talent Value (Dual Talent): 2.58 ... Source Energy Intensity: 61 (519/1000) Spirit Energy Intensity: 49 (1102/2500) Experience Points: 27570
Jiang Xiao decisively raised his Source Energy Intensity to 75 points first, then increased his Spirit Energy Intensity to 50 points!
A lava-like torrent of heat erupted inside his body in an instant, while a cool, gentle sensation rippled through his consciousness, raising tiny ripples that grew increasingly violent!
Player has advanced to Tier 2 Esper Confirmed Spirit Energy Intensity has reached 50 points Confirmed. Conditions for a mental leap have been met. Mental leap commencing. Please select a direction for the mental leap: 1. Primary Inspiration Mind: When studying, researching, or thinking, it becomes easier to obtain intellectual inspiration drifting between truth and illusion 2. Primary Mechanical Mind: Thinking speed, mechanical calculations, and mechanical learning ability will be enhanced (Note: The enhancement from the Mechanist profession and Origin Data will greatly dilute this effect) 3. Primary Idealistic Mind: When developing and researching machinery, there is an extremely low chance of obtaining an enhancement originating between truth and illusion, granting machinery a "miracle" that surpasses its limits
Jiang Xiao was already accustomed to the massive increase in Source Energy Intensity, so he ignored the discomfort and carefully studied the panel before him.
Between truth and illusion?
What was that?
He vaguely remembered players discussing it on the forums in his previous life. It seemed to be some kind of Major Event in the stars, called... Descent of the Heavenly Realm?
The adjective used to describe the Heavenly Realm was something about illusion, and the accumulation of all things throughout history or something like that.
Hmm...
As a veteran Paradox player, Jiang Xiao felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The subspace? The imaginary realm? He wasn't sure. He would have to keep watching.
"I choose... Primary Inspiration Mind!" Jiang Xiao quickly made his decision.
Mechanical Mind was clearly being heavily outshone by the functions of Origin Data, while the extremely low probability of Idealistic Mind depended too much on luck and couldn't provide any help in the short term.
That left Inspiration Mind as the only somewhat useful option, though it also seemed to depend quite a bit on luck.
Before you continue