I, a Third Rank, Desire to Slay a First Rank (8000)

Xu Bai was sitting properly, but upon hearing what Wang Fu had just said, his expression instantly turned fervent, and his series of actions left Wang Fu stunned, completely bewildered as to what had just happened.

"There is indeed a palm print, and it hasn't disappeared yet." Although Wang Fu didn't know what had happened, he still answered honestly, "It's strange, that palm print is too peculiar. When we wanted to get rid of it, we thought we'd level that piece of land, but unexpectedly it was restored to its original state."

I suspect it's due to that person's martial arts technique. After all, that person possesses incredibly powerful regenerative abilities; any injury is as if it didn't exist on him. Therefore, even the palm print he left behind carries regenerative capabilities.

The leftover palm print also possesses regenerative abilities, which is a very fantastical claim, but in this fantastical world, everything is science.

Xu Bai had a guess about this person; he was likely the madman from the Great Feng Kingdom.

He created Undying Body, but because of its Undying Body, he wanted to take it a step further, which resulted in him losing his soul and becoming mentally impaired.

Its most recent appearance was probably at the Ingenious Craft Pavilion, where it almost wiped out the entire Ingenious Craft Pavilion. Fortunately, it didn't succeed, but it still caused the Ingenious Craft Pavilion to fall out of the threshold of a first-class power.

According to the Pavilion Master Ji, this person seems to be looking for something related to the soul. So, why did he come here? Could it be that there is something he needs here?

Xu Bai didn't have many clues and couldn't guess the outcome, but did it all matter?

It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter at all. What matters is that the person left a palm print, just like the Female Daoist Abbot did back then.

The palm print might trigger a progress bar. Although it was just Xu Bai's guess, he had to check it out. If it was true, he would make a fortune.

The Undying Body is incomplete; its current drawback is that it cannot regenerate severed limbs.

Therefore, Xu Bai also wanted to complete the sect's cultivation techniques, since its recovery ability was indeed too strong and could play a role in turning the tide of battle.

Regardless of whether the progress bar is likely to be triggered, he has to check it out. If it is, he has to wait a few days to finish the progress bar.

"Mister Lin, do you mean you want to go and take a look?" At this point, Wang Fu finally understood Xu Bai's thoughts and couldn't help but show a puzzled expression.

There wasn't much to see there. All the city lords of the Demon-Strange Entity Market gathered together, but they couldn't find what they were looking for; it was just an ordinary palm print.

"Is it convenient?" Xu Bai asked.

"Of course it's convenient," Wang Fu said.

There's nothing inconvenient about it. The palm print is right there, anyone can see it. It's not some kind of treasure that needs to be protected.

Xu Bai nodded and said, "Then take me there to have a look now!"

There's no time to lose; the sooner the better. He needs to make the most of the time.

Seeing Xu Bai's enthusiasm, Wang Fu said nothing more. Since he had nothing else to do, he prepared to go out with Xu Bai.

After leaving the house, Xu Bai saw that apart from the servants, there was no one else in the entire City Lord's Mansion, not even the City Lord Huang himself.

Of course, he didn't ask, but followed behind Wang Fu, and the two of them headed towards the location of the palm print without stopping.

Along the way, Xu Bai also witnessed the local customs and culture of this Demon-Strange Entity Market, which were no different from those of the human world, both bustling and lively.

Apart from the deathly stillness, everything seemed the same. The two walked through many streets, taking about half an hour, before finally arriving at an open space.

There wasn't a single monster in this place; it was empty and unusually desolate. You could hear a pin drop clearly.

"Ever since that incident, everyone's afraid of breaking a taboo, so no one's set up a stall here anymore, and everyone who used to live here has left," Wang Fu sighed as he looked at the empty street and explained.

Xu Bai didn't speak. His gaze followed the street and finally settled on the middle section of the street.

In the middle of this deserted street, there is a huge handprint on the ground, which looks particularly conspicuous.

The palm print appeared to have been struck from the sky; the area around it was covered in signs of destruction, making it a shocking sight.

Xu Bai's focus, however, was not on the shockingly dilapidated scene.

In the very center, a golden progress bar appeared out of nowhere, but only Xu Bai could see it.

"Please tell the city lord that I won't be going back anytime soon; I'll stay here," Xu Bai said.

Wang Fu was taken aback, not understanding what Xu Bai meant, but he still nodded.

"By the way, if the things you took back are fixed, you can come and call me," Xu Bai added.

Wang Fu nodded again, opened his mouth as if to say something, but a look of hesitation flashed across his face. In the end, he didn't say anything and turned away.

After Wang Fu left, Xu Bai strolled over to the location of the palm print, staring at the golden progress bar as it slowly increased, while his mind was occupied with other things.

There is no food or water here, but he currently has his True Yuan Power to sustain him, so he shouldn't have too much of a problem for the time being.

The priority now is to finish this progress bar, and then we'll figure out how to get back. Anyway, it'll take a few days to fix things over there, which should be enough time.

Thinking of this, Xu Bai found a spot to sit cross-legged and watched the progress bar on the ground with peace of mind.

The surroundings were quiet, and Xu Bai did not make a sound. A gust of wind blew by, bringing with it boundless crimson. Within this crimson light, Xu Bai observed more and more carefully.

On the other side.

On his way back, Wang Fu kept his head down, expressionless, but his eyes were very complicated, as if he was thinking about something. He didn't even see the road clearly along the way and bumped into many monsters who were setting up stalls.

No one knows what he was thinking, but he returned to the City Lord's Mansion and happened to run into City Lord Huang.

City Lord Huang gently stroked his beard with his beast claws. Seeing Wang Fu's expression, his tone became stern, and he called Wang Fu to a halt.

When Wang Fu came to his senses and saw that it was the city lord, he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "This subordinate greets the city lord."

"I haven't seen him since I came back. Where did Mister Lin go?" City Lord Huang asked.

Wang Fu quickly replied, relaying all of Xu Bai's words to him.

After hearing what Wang Fu said, City Lord Huang frowned deeply. After a long while, he waved his beast paw and said, "You hurry up and fix that place. Don't worry about the rest. Let him wait there. Go find him after it's fixed."

"Yes!" Wang Fu quickly replied.

City Lord Huang did not say anything more. After letting Wang Fu leave, he returned to his room. The whole process was normal and seemed like a trivial matter.

The City Lord's Mansion fell silent. Apart from the servants who were still moving around, the City Lord Huang could no longer be seen. The deathly silence still lingered, which, combined with the blood-red environment, made it look extremely strange.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past few days, Xu Bai hasn't gone anywhere; he's just stayed in the same spot, watching the golden progress bar.

The golden progress bar was also very cooperative, and under his enthusiastic gaze, it was almost at its maximum. Xu Bai.

After nearly half an incense stick's time, everything reached its perfect point, and the last bit of progress bar was completely finished.

Before Xu Bai's eyes, a pale blue mist rose and gathered in wisps.

A moment later, pale blue smoke formed words that appeared before his eyes.

[You observe the palm print and comprehend the Undying Body (incomplete).]

"Crippled? Again, crippled?" It has the same name as the previous Undying Body, both containing the word "crippled." Although Xu Bai complained inwardly, he still patiently waited for the fusion.

The pale blue text vanished with a bang, then transformed back into pale blue smoke. The smoke slowly reformed, eventually forming a new line of text in no time.

[Mergeable options found, currently in progress.]

[Undying Body (residual) + Undying Body (residual) = Undying Body (residual)]

[Merger successful!]

Xu Bai: "..."

Although Xu Bai was mentally prepared, given the naming ability of his cheat system, he had already anticipated this outcome.

But now that he sees two identical skills combined and given the same name, he's convinced that Little Gold is utterly terrible at naming things.

This time, the pale blue smoke did not recombine, but slowly disappeared, transforming into a large amount of information that entered his mind.

The latest panel has appeared.

[Name: Xu Bai]

[Realm Level: Third Rank Loose Cultivator]

[Chess Saber Five Styles (Tier 7): Max Level.]

[The Inverted Purple Firmament Gang Wind Yin Yang Melody (Tier 7.5): Max Level.]

[Returning Wind Flowing Snow (Tier 5): Max Level.]

[Movement Break Fourth Cycle (Tier 6): Max Level.]

[Cosmic Shift (Tier 4): Max Level]

[Vajra Heart Demon Body (Tier 4); Max Level.]

[Strengthening Kidney Gathering Art (Tier 5): Max Level.]

[Hundred Poisons True Explanation (Tier 3): Max Level.]

[Ingenious Craft Puppet Technique (Tier 6): Max Level.]

[Undying Body (Remnant) (Tier 6): Max Level.]

[Water Adaptation Method (Tier 5): Max Level]

[Comprehension: Max level.]

The Undying Body skill directly reached the sixth rank, equivalent to the fourth grade. After absorbing all the information in his mind, Xu Bai opened his eyes.

After reaching the sixth rank, this skill has seen a qualitative improvement in recovery speed compared to before. Moreover, the shortcomings in recovery that he had long wanted to make up for were also satisfied at this moment.

Limb regeneration, true limb regeneration, now even if his hands and feet are broken, he can recover completely. This ability makes him feel that he has the right to be reckless again.

Regardless of the location, recovery-type abilities are extremely powerful skills.

"I wonder what level this skill will reach if it continues to level up or merges with other skills, to the point of immortality?" Xu Bai thought to himself.

The palm print is still there in front of me.

Xu Bai got up, stretched, and with the circulation of his True Yuan Power, his fatigue was greatly reduced.

"It should be repaired soon over there, I need to go back and take a look."

The surroundings remained as quiet as before. During the time he was working on the progress bar, not a single demon or monster passed by. They all seemed to be very wary of this place and refused to come over.

Thinking this, Xu Bai decided to go back, but before he could take two steps, Wang Fu, with a single horn on his head, was hurrying towards him from a distance.

"Mister Lin, the parts are fixed. Would you like to come with me to take a look?" Wang Fu said before Xu Bai could even speak.

Several days have passed, which is actually past the time Wang Fu mentioned earlier.

Xu Bai stroked his chin and said, "Okay, let's go take a look."

Regardless of whether City Lord Huang had ulterior motives, he had to go and see for himself. Only by going and seeing for himself could he discover what was going on.

Upon hearing this, Wang Fu prepared to lead the way, but after taking a few steps, he paused slightly, as if he had something to say to Xu Bai.

Upon seeing the other party's expression, Xu Bai frowned, looked him up and down, and gripped the hilt of the Black Saber Hundred Rends, with his right hand.

"It seems you have something to tell me. Why don't you just be direct?"

When he was preparing to work on the progress bar, he noticed that Wang Fu seemed hesitant. Seeing the same expression today, Xu Bai concluded that something was definitely going on.

"Mister Lin, if you can get out of here, please do me a favor. There was something I told you about before." Wang Fu hesitated before saying, "That's my only remaining branch of the clan."

Xu Bai frowned even more deeply. He felt there was more to the story than met the eye, and said, "From what you're saying, it seems there's still danger. Why don't you be frank? If something happens to me, I can't take care of your clansmen."

Judging from this situation, it seems that Wang Fu values his clansmen very much. Xu Bai played a trick here, using himself as a hostage to see what Wang Fu would say.

If something happens to him, he can't control his people. If he doesn't want anything to happen, he should speak up quickly.

That's roughly the idea.

Wang Fu's gaze became complicated. Finally, he turned around, stared intently at Xu Bai, and asked, "Mister Lin, what is your strength?"

"Third rank," Xu Bai said directly.

"If you only have the third rank, even if I told you, there's nothing I could do to change the situation," Wang Fu said. "To be honest, with the strength of a third rank, you can't go to the mortal realm."

Xu Bai's gaze sharpened.

"What does it mean that we can't go to the human world?" Wang Fu took a deep breath and finally said something even more shocking, "The Demon-Strange Entity Market and Monsters looks very ordinary, no different from any other city, but most of the demons and monsters here still retain their old temperaments."

At this point, Wang Fu paused and continued, "They hate humans because they were once demons, and they hate the living because they are now the dead. It's just that because of Mister Lin's special background, City Lord Huang doesn't dare to make a move. After all, some demons would be annihilated just by discussing the reason why you maintain your soul, let alone take action."

"But what does this have to do with me returning to the human world?" Xu Bai pondered.

First of all, the cheat ability is indeed very strong; it can be wiped out with just a few words, which Xu Bai did not expect.

The so-called background is nothing more than a cheat code related to the progress bar.

City Lord Huang couldn't see through it, so he didn't dare to make a move. The reason those demons didn't dare to make a move was because he had already given them a warning when he arrived.

After all, he was able to retain his consciousness here, and that alone was terrifying enough.

But what does all this have to do with going back?

City Lord Huang must know that his apparent strength is inferior to his, but he dares not make a move for fear of being implicated.

Could it be that by using underhanded tactics when I go back, I can avoid being implicated?

"That place is indeed an important passage, and it is indeed possible to get there, but it requires City Lord Huang's warrant," Wang Fu explained. "If City Lord Huang destroys the warrant while crossing that passage, the passage will be destroyed, and what lies beneath will be the boundary that causes one to lose their soul."

You will die a horrible death, and City Lord Huang sent Tongdao to kill you. No matter how powerful your background is, it can't surpass the limit of causing someone to lose their soul. Of course, failure won't matter; he won't lose anything.

"No wonder..." Xu Bai stroked his chin.

How can the hatred between humans and demons be diluted by life and death or by time? This world does not advocate good demons and good humans. Humans and demons are inherently opposed.

Aside from professions that specialize in associating with demons, I've never seen them living together in harmony.

Not long ago, City Lord Huang said that everything had vanished into thin air, which was probably a lie.

but...

Xu Bai concealed the emotions deep within his eyes, making himself even calmer, and said, "Tell me, aren't you afraid of City Lord Huang's wrath?"

Wang Fu shook his head and said, "Mister Lin, you have no choice. If you don't choose to go there, there will be no food or drink here. Even if you can hold on with your current strength, how long can you hold on? A month, a year, or ten years?"

Xu Bai waved his hand and said, "Let's go."

Wang Fu was taken aback.

He thought Xu Bai would argue with him for a while, since he had said something a bit too serious earlier. But Xu Bai shut him down with just one simple word.

"Like you said, I have no choice. I'll go take a look and then decide," Xu Bai said with a smile.

Wang Fu opened his mouth, intending to continue speaking, but seeing that Xu Bai had made up his mind, he didn't say anything more and turned to silently lead the way.

As soon as Wang Fu turned around, Xu Bai's lips curled up slightly, and he looked at Wang Fu's back with an ambiguous expression in his eyes.

These guys are all no good. Sure enough, the Demon-Strange Entity Market —how could anything with the word "demon" attached to it be anything good? This Wang Fu, on the surface, seems to be thinking of Xu Bai, no, he seems to be thinking of his own people, but upon closer inspection, isn't this just provoking conflict? In any case, it's time for me to make my move. I'll go over there first.

Instead of returning along the original route, the two took another path, moving further and further away from the bustling streets until they reached a deserted open space.

On this open space, City Lord Huang had been standing there for a long time.

Upon seeing Xu Bai approach, City Lord Huang adopted a warm demeanor, stepped forward, and loudly proclaimed, "Mister Lin, I have been waiting here for quite some time. Are you about to leave now?"

In the hands of City Lord Huang was a special token, made of an unknown metal, which was still shimmering.

Xu Bai stared at the token and suddenly said, "If City Lord Huang wants to destroy the token in his hand, he should wait a moment."

This statement was so abrupt and direct that not only was City Lord Huang stunned, but even Wang Fu, who was standing to the side, was taken aback.

If Wang Fu hadn't long since ceased to be a demon, he would probably be covered in sweat by now.

What's going on here? I was telling you all that at the beginning, and now you're bringing it all up now? Is it really necessary to bring it up?

If Xu Bai knew his thoughts, Xu Bai would definitely answer that it was necessary.

City Lord Huang turned his gaze to Wang Fu, which gradually turned cold. "So there's a traitor among us."

The previous friendly tone has completely disappeared.

A chilling feeling rose from City Lord Huang, and the chilling feeling, combined with the deathly atmosphere, made it seem even more bizarre.

Coupled with the surrounding blood-red light, City Lord Huang appeared to be a ghost.

"So what if you know? Are you going to pass this level or not?"

"Of course we'll go." Xu Bai turned to Wang Fu and said, "We'll join forces to take him down, the token is yours, and you help me get back."

Wang Fu was stunned for a moment, then finally came to his senses, sighed, and said, "Mister Lin, you have really driven me to a dead end."

Xu Bai said, "I have to give this City Lord Huang a try."

"Alright." Wang Fu stood next to Xu Bai and drew the long sword from his back.

He had no other choice.

The City Lord Huang's eyes were filled with a cold light as he said, "You two mere chickens and dogs, two third-rank officials, dare to fight me?"

"City Lord Huang, how about we make a deal? Give me the token, and I'll spare your life," Xu Bai said.

Upon hearing this, City Lord Huang laughed loudly and said, "Spare me? Do you understand? I am a first-rank official, while you are only a third-rank official. If it weren't for your powerful background, I would have killed you long ago. Do you really think a mere human can cause trouble in front of me?"

A plume of black smoke rose from the hands of the City Lord Huang, gradually solidifying into a jet-black spear.

"Be careful," Wang Fu warned. "City Lord Huang is skilled in spear fighting and the rat tribe's unique burrowing and escaping techniques, making him difficult to defend against."

As soon as he finished speaking, the City Lord Huang suddenly disappeared from the spot, and the ground trembled slightly.

The next moment, Wang Fu's gaze sharpened, and then he quickly rolled to the side, causing the soil beneath his feet to suddenly churn up.

A jet-black spear emerged from the ground, causing cracks to appear in the surrounding area, with City Lord Huang following closely behind.

"Such speed." Xu Bai stood not far away, but was not affected by the impact.

In fact, the stronger a person is, the greater the damage they can cause, but City Lord Huang's attack did not cause much damage to the surrounding area.

Don't underestimate the strength of a first-class individual.

The reason it didn't cause much damage was because the opponent concentrated all their power into one point.

That's the decisive factor.

However, in Xu Bai's opinion, the City Lord Huang's attack method was too unique.

To crawl out from underground and then stab upwards with a spear, wouldn't that be...

Xu Bai touched his backside, hum...

It feels like phantom pain.

"Mister Lin, why aren't you making a move yet?" Wang Fu asked anxiously, having just dodged the attack.

The ground beneath his feet began to shake again, so he quickly regained his composure and rolled to the side.

The jet-black spear burst forth from the ground once more, but quickly returned to its underground roots.

Don't be fooled by how easy this move looks to dodge; it actually takes a lot of mental effort for Wang Fu.

As the saying goes, I can make countless mistakes, but you can only make one. That's the most accurate description of the situation.

Xu Bai stood with his sword at rest, but did not make a move.

City Lord Huang would certainly not take action against him; at most, he would just let him roam freely in this Demon-Strange Entity Market.

If Xu Bai doesn't leave through this passage, he won't be able to stay here for long.

After all, without water and food, even if one relies on True Yuan Power to hold on, there is a limit.

"Mister Lin, hurry!"

Wang Fu dodged the attack again. He didn't even dare to retaliate, because retaliating would exhaust his mind, and he might not be able to dodge anymore in the next moment.

Xu Bai still didn't make a move, but just watched with great interest.

At that moment, Wang Fu seemed to understand something.

"You've seen through my thoughts?"

"No." Xu Bai shook his head.

He saw through some things, but not all of them.

Overall, Wang Fu wasn't a good person either; he just wanted to use him and let him know this information in advance.

"Then why don't you help me? If I die, are you going to deal with him alone?" Wang Fu asked urgently.

Xu Bai shook his head and said slowly, "I would rather you die than have an unstable helper. Actually, if you had pretended a little longer and instead of asking me directly if I had seen through your thoughts, I might have really made a move. You were too impatient."

Wang Fu was slightly stunned. In that moment of hesitation, he failed to dodge the shot and was pierced through the body. If he hadn't run fast in the critical moment, he would have been dead long ago.

He finally understood. When Xu Bai said he wouldn't help, he was too hasty, which was tantamount to admitting that Xu Bai had ulterior motives.

Wang Fu gritted his teeth, abandoned his plan to fight City Lord Huang here, and leaped high into the air, intending to leave.

Just then, Xu Bai's voice drifted over.

"A first-rank expert wouldn't be this slow. You want me to make a move, right?"

City Lord Huang was hiding underground, suddenly paused, then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, you young man are indeed extraordinary, you were able to guess my thoughts."

Wang Fu, who was in mid-air, suddenly clutched his chest and then fell to the ground. There was a penetrating wound on his chest, and the figure of City Lord Huang was revealed in the air beside him.

"Once I reach the first rank, there is nothing in this world that I cannot escape into," City Lord Huang said calmly.

Wang Fu was completely stunned. He couldn't understand why all this was happening. He felt like a fool, like someone without any intelligence compared to these two people.

"Don't understand? Then let me tell you." Xu Bai said calmly, "If a city lord of the Demon-Strange Entity Market only has this much wisdom, then he cannot be a city lord. City Lord Huang, how about I guess?"

City Lord Huang stroked his beard with his beast-like hand, while holding a jet-black spear in his other hand, and said, "Tell me about it."

"Firstly, you must have realized long ago that Wang Fu had a rebellious streak," Xu Bai said, raising a finger.

City Lord Huang laughed and said, "That's true. This Wang Fu is indeed quite something. He actually pretended to use the excuse of saving his clansmen to try and gain your sympathy first."

"Secondly," Xu Bai raised his second finger and said, "After you learned of Wang Fu's betrayal, you tried to use a scheme to lure us into attacking you."

City Lord Huang nodded, this time without speaking, but it was considered an admission of Xu Bai's statement.

"Thirdly," Xu Bai held up his third finger, "You can't kill me first, but if I attack you, you can retaliate and kill me. Am I right? Actually, you're practically guaranteed to win. If I don't make a move, you won't touch me. But I either leave through this passage and get ambushed by you again, or I stay here without food and water. Even if I can survive for a year, it won't help."

If I make a move, you'll attack me and take my life. After all this consideration, this is the only possible outcome. Am I right?

City Lord Huang gripped his spear tightly, praising, "At such a young age, you not only possess profound strength but also extraordinary strategy. Even in my time, such talent was extremely rare. It's a pity. If you were a member of my demon race, I would have imparted all my knowledge to you and helped you achieve great things. But you are just an ordinary person..."

Lying on the ground, Wang Fu was completely stunned. He was somewhat disoriented, but he understood one thing: he had become a pawn, a pawn being used by these two people to test each other.

"Let me guess again. It's just the two of us here. Because with your personality, you would never trust other demons. If something unexpected happens, you're afraid that other demons will attack you," Xu Bai continued.

City Lord Huang raised his spear and pierced Wang Fu through the neck with a single thrust.

A powerful force surged forth, and Wang Fu died instantly, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

Having done this, City Lord Huang turned his head and said calmly, "If you don't make a move, I'll leave. The passage is there; you can go over at any time. You just need to step on a disc."

But it depends on whether you have the courage. Of course, you can choose not to go, but you'll just starve to death here sooner or later. You have no other choice.

In the center of the venue, there is a disc about ten meters in diameter, engraved with intricate patterns, which is obviously not a complex object.

"Why don't you tell me some of the secrets of this place while I'm dying?" Xu Bai suddenly said.

City Lord Huang suddenly sensed something was wrong. He realized that the other party seemed to be deliberately talking to him to stall for time.

The next moment, City Lord Huang discovered that there seemed to be something strange inside his body, making his movements slightly sluggish.

"Heh... low-level poison technique. You're quite cunning, but this poison is too ineffective against a first-grade poison master," City Lord Huang said disdainfully.

"You're right, but I always like to go all out, even if it only has a small impact on you, it's still beneficial."

Xu Bai drew his Ghost-Head Saber from his waist, pointed it directly at City Lord Huang, and said calmly, "I have a third way."

"Oh?" City Lord Huang asked with a mocking expression. "What road?"

A crimson light surrounded him, and a gentle breeze stirred, causing ripples to appear on Xu Bai's sleeves.

Xu Bai's face revealed boundless fighting spirit, which soared into the sky.

This was a fighting spirit he had never felt since he entered this circle; it was intense and vigorous.

Our fighting spirit soars to the heavens!

"The third way."

"I will slaughter you, a mere first-rank official!"