Kill

Blood Luo Continent, Sky Eagle City.

Qin Ming disguised himself as a lone adventurer, looking travel-worn and giving off an aura around the peak of Sky Level (Star Level). After paying the entrance fee, he blended into the bustling crowd.

His goal was clear: obtain at least one Blood Luo Crystal to try fusing with it, temper his will, and verify its effect on his Gene Multiplier.

According to the original story, although Blood Luo Crystals were precious, Domain Lord Level lords who ruled over a territory often had some in reserve or knew how to acquire them.

Though these lords had long since fused with Blood Luo Crystals themselves, they usually had extra stock on hand to reward capable subordinates or use as bargaining chips in important deals.

The first goal of Qin Ming's trip was to find a way to obtain at least one Blood Luo Crystal from a Domain Lord Level lord.

To a certain extent, the Blood Luo World could be considered a world "kept in captivity" by the Virtual Universe Company, but in the end, it was primarily inhabited by Humanity.

Unless necessary, Qin Ming did not want to kill indiscriminately.

So he needed to learn about the surrounding lords first and choose a target.

The best places to gather information were establishments where all sorts of people mingled, such as taverns and adventurers' guilds.

Qin Ming scanned the signs lining the street and quickly settled on the largest-looking tavern, which had the most customers coming and going. It was called the "Blood Claw."

As he entered the Blood Claw Tavern, a wave of noise washed over him.

Qin Ming chose a seat in the corner and ordered a glass of local liquor. He drank as if without a care, while his formidable consciousness spread like an invisible net, quietly catching snippets of conversation from every corner of the tavern.

"Lord Sky Eagle wiped out another band of marauding raiders last month. He went out there himself. You should've seen it..."

"I hear things are bad again over in Spirit Wall City. The city lord seems to be in a 'bad mood' this month. Black Stone Town apparently got caught in the fallout..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! You think you can just talk about the Lord of Lingbi City?"

"Yeah, right. That man... sigh."

The scattered bits of information gradually came together. Qin Ming quickly picked out the key points.

Sky Eagle Lord had a relatively decent reputation. He focused on governing his territory, suppressing bandits, and protecting the people.

By contrast, the neighboring Spirit Wall City Lord was violent and bloodthirsty. He would randomly select villages and towns in his territory for indiscriminate slaughter, calling it "purification" or a "sacrificial rite." He took pleasure in the bloodshed or used it to cultivate some kind of wicked art. His infamy was widespread, and the people under his rule lived in constant fear.

"That's the one." Qin Ming settled on his target at once.

The Lord of Lingbi City was clearly no benevolent man.

Qin Ming had no qualms about going after a tyrant who treated human lives like grass.

He could obtain a Blood Luo Crystal and rid this world of a menace at the same time. Two birds with one stone.

He finished the last of his drink, set down a few coins that served as currency in this world, and rose to leave the noisy tavern.

Qin Ming hadn't expected to run straight into a massacre as soon as he arrived near Spirit Wall City.

The village lay in ruins. Flames still smoldered beneath billowing clouds of smoke. Corpses were strewn everywhere, and blood ran in streams.

Dozens of warriors dressed in the uniforms of Spirit Wall City's guards were searching viciously for any possible survivors, finishing them off one by one.

In midair, a middle-aged man in ornate armor stood with his hands behind his back. His face was sinister as he looked down coldly at the hellscape below, a cruel smile of delight even tugging at his lips.

Judging by his aura, he was none other than the Lord of Lingbi City himself, a Domain Lord at the first level.

What... unbelievable timing.

Qin Ming didn't know whether to call himself "lucky" or say that the Lord of Lingbi City was "unlucky."

He glanced around and spotted a child hiding beneath a toppled stone mill, just as a guard raised his execution blade with a grin.

At a single thought, the guard collapsed dead on the spot.

Qin Ming appeared before the child like a ghost and shielded him.

The remaining guards were startled. They shouted angrily and rushed to attack, but Qin Ming killed them all with a single glance.

"Hm?" The Lord of Lingbi City's gaze sharpened as he looked coldly at Qin Ming.

"Who are you? How dare you interfere with my business and kill my guards?"

Qin Ming looked up at him, his gaze calm and unruffled. "The man who's going to kill you."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished from where he stood.

The Lord of Lingbi City's pupils contracted. A terrifying killing intent that made his soul tremble descended upon him in an instant!

Pfft!

A streak of sword light seemed to ignore the distance between them, piercing straight through his forehead and annihilating the Life Core within him.

The Lord of Lingbi City possessed the strength of a first-level Domain Lord, so Qin Ming couldn't kill him instantly with his consciousness.

But Qin Ming was simply too powerful!

Even without using any secret techniques, he could still kill the Lord of Lingbi City in one blow.

That was only natural. With the Space-Time Nightmare Beast clone's Gene Level of 180 times, combined with Qin Ming's Peak World Lord consciousness and will, as well as his understanding of the laws far beyond that of an ordinary Immortal,

he was invincible below the Immortal level in the Blood Luo World.

The fight ended far too quickly. Only the trembling child and Qin Ming remained amid the ruins.

Qin Ming had planned to take the sole surviving child away and find somewhere safe for him.

But the child suddenly raised his head and glared at Qin Ming with eyes filled with endless hatred and despair. He screamed through his tears, "Why? Why didn't you come sooner?!

"If you'd come sooner, you could've saved Dad, Mom, and everyone else! You murderer! You're just like them! You're all murderers!"

His voice was childish, but every word was soaked in blood and seething with hatred.

Qin Ming paused in surprise. Then the corners of his mouth curled upward.

"I underestimated you. I didn't expect you, Lord of Lingbi City, to have such a trick up your sleeve—to transfer a wisp of your residual soul or consciousness into this child and possess him with a soul secret technique without me noticing!"

The child's face showed a mix of confusion and terror. He had no idea what Qin Ming was talking about. "I... I didn't... What are you talking about..."

But there was no need for an explanation anymore.

Qin Ming's sword had already thrust out again.

Squelch!

The blade pierced the child's heart with precision. There was no hesitation and not the slightest trace of pity.

The confusion on the child's face instantly gave way to excruciating pain and disbelief. He looked down at the blade in his chest, then up at Qin Ming's icy face. "Wh... why... weren't you... here to save me...?"

Qin Ming slowly withdrew his sword. As he watched the child's life fade from his body, his expression remained unchanged.

Though he was not bloodthirsty, he had no intention of sparing someone this ungrateful and utterly devoid of reverence.

Since you see me as your enemy, I'll send you to join your family. That way, you can all be together, happy as a family!

Afterward, Qin Ming found the Lord of Lingbi City's spatial storage device on his body.

Since there was no place like the Cosmic Galaxy Bank on the Blood Luo Continent to store valuables, nearly all cultivators here kept most of their treasures in spatial devices and carried them with them at all times.