Wrapping Up

Run, run, run!!

The instant Meng Qingshuang lowered his head, Zhao Gou, watching the battle from afar, was so frightened that his soul nearly left his body, warning bells ringing madly in his heart!

He did not dare linger in the slightest, nor could he summon any will to resist. Clutching the brocade box, he fled like a madman.

Sniff, sniff~

Wu Dao tossed aside the rotten flesh and shattered bones in his hand, wriggled his nose, and, like a vicious beast that had locked onto its prey, suddenly turned to look at the fleeing Zhao Gou.

Or rather, at the brocade box in his arms.

He bared a savage grin. His blood-soaked demonic body bent slightly as he carried the snake nest in one hand, then launched himself forward with a thud like an oversized grasshopper.

Bang!

A fierce wind struck head-on, splashing mud and water everywhere.

More than ten meters vanished in a single leap.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The enormous demonic body, like an Asura from hell, rose and fell between the ground and sky without pause. Pits exploded along his path as he closed in on Zhao Gou.

Damn it, damn it! Where did this fiend come from?!

Feeling the overwhelming vicious Sha Qi surging ever closer from behind, Zhao Gou broke out in cold sweat. He squeezed out every last ounce of strength, his heart brimming with regret.

The reason he had not fled at once was because he had always held faith in Meng Qingshuang. He had never imagined Wu Dao would be so ferocious that he would tear Meng Qingshuang apart alive!

By the time he realized the tide had turned beyond saving, Wu Dao's aura had already locked onto him, and he had lost his best chance to escape.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

A scorching, tyrannical, wild aura reeking of endless bloodshed roared closer, crushing both body and will!

As Zhao Gou fled for his life, he instinctively turned his head. Within his violently constricted vision, a pair of clawed feet like tiger paws descended from the heavens, blotting out the sky!

My life is over!!

Thud!!

The ground jolted violently!

Like a meteor crashing down!

Zhao Gou's entire upper body was smashed into the mud. His bones shattered on the spot, his chest caved in, and his head burst apart in a gruesome mess.

Blood and mud splashed up in blossoming waves.

Instant kill!

Huff—

A long, scorching breath poured from his mouth, forming a white dragon.

As that breath left him,

the lava-like skin and muscles all over Wu Dao's body swiftly returned to normal. The boiling heat of his internal organs rapidly subsided, and his drumbeat heart gradually calmed.

A few seconds later,

the godlike clarity in Wu Dao's eyes dissolved into the seven emotions and six desires as he withdrew from the God-Ghost Heaven state.

The snake eggs he had swallowed last night had already burned away completely during the battle. If he maintained the God-Ghost Heaven state any longer, what would burn would be his life.

Mmgh...

The moment Wu Dao withdrew from the God-Ghost Heaven state, he groaned and staggered. Gritting his teeth slightly, his indifferent gaze swept across his upper body.

It was riddled with pits and bite marks so deep the bone showed through. Red flesh, white bone, and flowing blood made for an exceptionally hideous sight.

The snake egg energy had burned out.

Without the continued healing of Myriad Healing Fluid, the wounds Meng Qingshuang had inflicted erupted all at once, endless pain gnawing at his soul.

That was precisely why

Wu Dao had pursued Zhao Gou so relentlessly, intent on taking his life—the Abnormal Snake Eggs in his hands were the reason.

Lowering his head, he lifted the lid of the box.

All twenty-four crystalline, emerald-green snake eggs were there, not one missing, their fragrance overflowing.

Gulp~

Wu Dao swallowed, stepped directly onto the corpse, tipped back his head, opened his blood-filled maw, and swallowed them whole one after another. His throat bobbed continuously as he gulped them all down.

A few seconds later,

pleasant notifications kept surfacing in his mind.

"Evolution Point +0.85 +0.85 +..."

Twenty-four Abnormal Snake Eggs.

20.4 Evolution Points gained!

Huff~

He exhaled a stream of scorching air.

The energy of the remaining egg whites and yolks erupted, making his stomach burn like a furnace.

Wu Dao adjusted his breathing. Stray thoughts faded from his eyes, his heart thundered, his blood surged, adrenaline spiked, and his entire body turned red and hot as he entered the God-Ghost Heaven state once more.

He needed to heal his injuries quickly, but using the Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique normally to convert Myriad Healing Fluid was too slow.

Only by entering the ultimate God-Ghost Heaven state and pushing his stomach's digestive capacity beyond its limits could he speed up the conversion.

Buzz, buzz, buzz~

After entering God-Ghost Heaven, his body shook violently inside and out. His stomach churned like a mixer, madly breaking down and converting the Abnormal Snake Eggs into Myriad Healing Fluid that rushed through every limb and bone.

Visible to the naked eye,

the pitted flesh of Wu Dao's upper body began to regenerate muscle and grow flesh. The holes quickly filled, blood scabs peeled away, and he was as good as new.

In little more than ten seconds,

his internal and external injuries, the injuries to his muscles, organs, tendons, and bones, were all healed. His burly, powerful body, like it had been cast from bronze and forged from iron and radiating a ferocity that could make all beasts prostrate themselves, stood once more upon the earth without the slightest trace of damage.

Huff~ Potential Liberation is still too low. If I entered the 75% Overlord Realm, the human body would possess rapid self-healing. None of this trouble would be necessary.

Opening his eyes and exhaling a turbid breath, Wu Dao left the God-Ghost Heaven state, recalling the immortal body of his previous life that could regrow flesh over bare bones in the blink of an eye.

Hm?

There was still a fragrance?

Suddenly, a scent even richer and more fragrant than the snake eggs flowed into Wu Dao's nose, jolting his spirits.

Following the scent, he turned his head.

Its source was actually the monster named Cyan Snake Nest that he had tossed onto the ground nearby.

At some unknown time,

the monster had shriveled and cracked all over. Within the gaps were countless tiny cyan snakes tangled together, as though someone had truly opened up a snake nest. It was exceptionally disgusting.

Wu Dao was not afraid of snakes, nor did he have trypophobia. He thrust out his large hand and rummaged through the densest part of the "snake nest."

A moment later, Wu Dao suddenly exerted force and pulled out a strange Human-Faced Snake roughly half a meter long and as thick as a chopstick, its entire body crystalline like green jade.

"A demon?"

With great interest, Wu Dao lifted the limp, lifeless little snake before his eyes. Looking at its face, which somewhat resembled Meng Qingshuang's, he found it remarkably novel.

This bizarre creature

immediately reminded him of the demons described in myths, legends, and strange folk tales from his previous life—creatures with all manner of uncanny and terrifying methods.

But...

"Just this? It's so weak."

Wu Dao pinched the snake's limp body seven inches below its head and shook it, feeling somewhat disappointed.

This little snake did not seem to possess the bewitching, unfathomable abilities of those creatures in legends.

Its only ability seemed to be turning people into monsters through demonization. Most likely, its cultivation was insufficient.

Wu Dao glanced at Meng Qingshuang's corpse by his feet, now transformed into a snake nest, and had already guessed most of the relationship between him and the little snake.

They had parasitized one another.

They shared glory and disgrace, prosperity and ruin.

"If people like Meng Qingshuang are everywhere, then this world is rather interesting."

Wu Dao rubbed his chin, recalling Meng Qingshuang's crazed demeanor when he questioned where the "medicine" was.

Clearly, extraordinary humans like Meng Qingshuang, who coexisted with demons, used the medicine he spoke of to improve themselves.

And the source of that medicine...

was utterly inhuman, bloody, and cruel.

"Thinking about it that way, it seems I just insulted myself too. Heh."

Wu Dao grinned. There was only mockery on his face, not the slightest hint of pity.

He liked this world!

Splat!

Crunch! Crunch!

As if eating a spicy snack strip, he put the little snake into his mouth. His shark-like teeth opened and closed as he chewed without pause, fragrance filling the air.

While eating his "snack," Wu Dao headed deeper into Red Fire Mine, toward the residence of the Four Seas Gang members.

He knew too little about this world and urgently needed knowledge to broaden his horizons.

There would surely be such books in the home of Meng Qingshuang, the master of Red Fire Mine.

Gulp~

By the time Wu Dao reached the neat and tidy cluster of blue-brick, green-tiled buildings within Red Fire Mine, he had swallowed the last mouthful of flesh and blood from the little snake.

After waiting a few seconds,

"Evolution Point +10!"

A full ten units of Evolution Points!

That was after the green snake had already been drained dry and died. If it had been whole, there would likely have been even more.

What a fat haul!

Wu Dao's eyes gleamed. His "hatred" for the Four Seas Gang rose again as he licked his lips with lingering desire and opened the Attribute Panel.

[Physique: Beast King (Limit)]

[Extraordinary: Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique (56% Potential Liberation) +]

[Evolution Points: 40.24]

"After one fierce battle, Potential Liberation rose by 1%?"

After glancing at the Attribute Panel, whose numbers had surged by a large margin, Wu Dao also noticed the 57% progress behind the Stealing Heavenly Secrets Breathing Technique. He was not surprised by the increase.

He had fought desperately in the ultimate God-Ghost Heaven state, his body shattering and repairing itself repeatedly. Once the battle ended, his physique naturally improved again.

At the same time as another 1% of his potential was liberated,

the Beast King Realm had also advanced from major accomplishment to its limit stage. His strength had improved, though not by much.

Pity. Opportunities to nurture battle through battle are rare, unless I encounter another abnormality that can be eaten twice as one.

Wu Dao felt the egg white and yolk within him, their heat reduced by more than half after repairing his broken body. A faint look of regret appeared on his face.

He estimated that after digesting these things, his Potential Liberation should rise by another 1%.

"Get lost, this is mine!"

"You're courting death!"

Two arguing voices suddenly rang out, interrupting Wu Dao's thoughts.

He raised his eyes in surprise.

Several dozen meters away, beneath an elegant three-story building that stood out like a crane among chickens, two Four Seas Gang members were fighting fiercely, gold, silver, and valuables scattered all over the ground.

Clearly, the two had taken advantage of the chaos to loot Meng Qingshuang's residence, boldly barging in to search for valuables, only to come to blows over unevenly divided spoils.

Perfect. I need a mouth to answer my questions.

The corners of Wu Dao's mouth curved upward. With a kick of his feet, he sprang forth like a fierce tiger leaving the mountains, stirring a gust of wind that howled mournfully as he crossed dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.

"Who—"

Splat!

One of the Four Seas Gang members had only just heard the violent sound of air being torn apart. Before he could turn around, his head exploded like a watermelon, and his mangled body rolled away.

Splash!

A steaming spray of red and white splattered all over the face of the remaining Four Seas Gang member—a dark-skinned, short-limbed man with a black eyepatch over his right eye, resembling Wu Dalang.

Thud!

Heavy footsteps landed.

"B-B-Big hero, spare my life! I'm just a petty scavenger taking advantage of the chaos. I didn't attack you just now!"

The instant he saw Wu Dao's face,

"Wu Dalang's" one remaining eye nearly bulged out of its socket. He dropped to his knees, shit and piss flowing freely as he kowtowed over and over, begging for mercy.

Wu Dao had left far too deep a psychological shadow on him.

He was nothing less than a Mad Beast that killed without blinking, his methods exceptionally vicious and brutal. He either tore people apart alive or smashed them into pieces. He was even more terrifying than the Living Yama.

"I can spare you, but first, you have to satisfy me."

Wu Dao flicked the bits of flesh from his hooked nails. Looking at "Wu Dalang," who knelt and kowtowed like one of those roly-poly toys, anticipation appeared on his face.

"Yes, yes, yes! This little one will answer every question and fulfill every request!"

How could "Wu Dalang" dare hesitate? He hurriedly straightened his back and nodded like a pounding garlic pestle.