Rewards

Chapter 42: Rewards

Not far away, Situ Kong's throat felt parched. Watching Chen Lin strike down Han Shuitong and Liu Han one after another before turning toward him, he couldn't help but shudder.

When Chen Lin reached his side, Situ Kong offered a bitter smile. "How is it? Does Brother Chen intend to kill me as well?"

Chen Lin smiled faintly, helped Situ Kong to his feet, and waved a hand. "I killed them because they saw too much. If word got out, it would bring me endless trouble."

Whether it was the top-tier Dharma Artifact like the Void Spirit Mother-Son Sword or the miraculous recovery effects of the Senzu Bean, any leak would invite countless prying eyes. To avoid such trouble, Chen Lin had chosen the most direct solution: silencing them.

Situ Kong's expression shifted. He said slowly, "Are you not afraid that I might leak your secrets, Brother Chen?"

"Chen has always been clear about gratitude and grudges. You have helped me many times, and I have kept that in my heart. Naturally, I would not make things difficult for you." Chen Lin waved his hand, his expression calm.

"That is good to hear."

Hearing that Chen Lin did not intend to trouble him, Situ Kong remained composed on the surface, but the last trace of tension in his heart quietly dissipated. However, being quick-witted, his eyes darted around before he suddenly said solemnly, "Since Brother Chen trusts me so much, I, Situ Kong, swear by my soul that I will never reveal your secrets. Should I break this oath, may I be reduced to ashes under the heavenly tribulation, body and soul destroyed!"

"Brother Situ, why make such an oath? I naturally trust you."

Hearing Situ Kong swear a soul oath, Chen Lin feigned an indifferent expression, though he felt a quiet sense of relief inside. In truth, the thought of killing Situ Kong had crossed his mind. Had Situ Kong not assisted him earlier, Chen Lin would have struck him down without hesitation. But while he could be ruthless, he was not the type to repay kindness with enmity. Now, the situation was a win for everyone.

"Brother Situ, this is no place to linger. Let us harvest the mission herb and leave the Demon Prison as soon as possible."

Though Chen Lin appeared relaxed, he felt a lingering sense of heaviness in his heart.

He still remembered that upon entering the Demon Prison, he had felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him from the shadows. He had initially dismissed it as a hallucination, but his innate caution prevented him from letting his guard down, and he remained hyper-aware of his surroundings. It was best to complete the mission and leave immediately.

"Agreed!"

Situ Kong had no objections; he was still injured and had no desire to stay in the Demon Prison a moment longer.

Before long, the two successfully located a strange plant growing in a rock crevice deep within the Yin Corpse Cave. It bore three pitch-black leaves—the "Shadow Moon Poison Leaf" mentioned in the mission.

Carefully placing the Shadow Moon Poison Leaf into a prepared jade box, the two exchanged a smile. With this, the Demon Prison mission was successfully completed.

Finally, Chen Lin claimed he had some private matters to attend to and asked Situ Kong to go ahead, promising to catch up later.

Though curious, Situ Kong was wise enough not to ask why. He simply urged Chen Lin to be careful and departed first.

Once Situ Kong's figure vanished from sight, Chen Lin's gaze sharpened. He had stayed behind to deal with the corpses of Jiang Yue and the others.

These were, at the very least, corpses of demons at the Late Xiantian Stage. Jiang Yue, in particular, was a Demon Cultivator in the Sea Opening Realm; his scales and the horns on his head were excellent materials for refining Dharma Artifacts.

Opening the Main God Trading System, Chen Lin did not hesitate to trade the corpses of Jiang Yue and the other demons directly to the Main God Coffin system, yielding a bountiful harvest. He did not overlook their Storage Bags either, collecting them without hesitation. As for the contents, he planned to examine them once he left the Demon Prison.

Finally, Chen Lin picked up the Yin Corpse's head, tucked it into his Storage Bag, and scanned the area one last time. Satisfied that nothing had been left behind, he took to the air and departed.

Having reached the Mid Xiantian Stage, he had naturally mastered the art of flight, allowing him to travel much faster. Within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, he had caught up with Situ Kong.

About half a cup of tea later, a blurry figure appeared strangely at the spot where Chen Lin had vanished.

The figure was an unremarkable young man. He stared expressionlessly at the direction in which Chen Lin had left, then glanced at the brutal battlefield, a strange glint flashing in his calm, ripple-less eyes.

"Interesting. To be able to kill both the Yin Corpse and that little fellow in the Sea Opening Realm... it saved this old man the trouble of having to save his life. It seems this 'cheap' disciple of mine has some secrets, but they are of no consequence..."

The young man muttered to himself, his voice sounding incredibly aged.

Suddenly, the indifferent expression on his face shifted, replaced by a bizarre look of compassion. He pressed his palms together, and a strangely resonant voice emerged from his throat: "Amitabha. Benefactor Hong, you and I have fought for so many years. Your soul fire is about to extinguish; why not take refuge in my Buddha? The light of eternal life shall shine upon you."

"Shut your mouth, you stinking monk!"

The compassion on the young man's face vanished in a flash, replaced by a ferocious, malevolent expression. His eyes flickered as he sneered, "Hmph! You hypocritical, fake-compassionate monks. You paint a picture of an afterlife for cultivators, but once they enter your Buddhist sect, it is you high-ranking ones who reap the benefits! Just wait. When my 'cheap' disciple masters the immortal arts, that will be the day you old monk dies... Hahaha!"

Amidst his wild laughter, the young man's figure flickered and vanished into thin air.

※※※※※

"Brother Chen, let us part ways here. I will go to turn in the mission. As for the Sea-Breaking Pill from the reward, I will personally deliver it to you tomorrow."

Halfway up the mountain of the Underworld Spring Branch of the Myriad Demon Sect, Situ Kong cupped his hands toward Chen Lin.

Chen Lin smiled faintly and returned the gesture. "I leave it to you, Brother Situ."

Watching Situ Kong depart, Chen Lin's gaze flickered as he walked toward his own residence.

As soon as he opened the courtyard gate, he saw a figure standing gracefully—it was Yang Qianqian, leaning against the doorway and staring blankly at the sky.

Hearing the noise, the young girl snapped back to reality. She looked over with vigilance, but when she saw it was Chen Lin, a flash of joy appeared in her eyes.

"Eh? Stinking demon, you're back so soon?"

Chen Lin smiled slightly and walked toward Yang Qianqian, teasing, "What? We've only been apart for a day, and you already miss your husband?"

"Stinking demon, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Yang Qianqian reached out with her fair, delicate wrists, claws bared, glaring fiercely at Chen Lin as if she were about to strike.

Chen Lin's eyes shifted. With a chuckle, he lunged forward, his right hand darting out to grab her small hand, successfully catching it.

"Delicate fingers, skin like congealed fat... tsk tsk, Sister Qianqian, your hand is so white, it's as if you've banished the night..."

"You!..."

The girl froze, taking a long moment to recover. Seeing her palm held in Chen Lin's grip, she became both shy and angry, pulling her hand back with a sharp cry.

"You disgusting, shameless, perverted stinking demon! I'll fight you!"

Chen Lin chuckled, nimbly dodging Yang Qianqian's swipes. He retreated into the room and slammed the door shut, refusing to open it no matter how much the girl shouted outside.

Sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, Chen Lin took the incomplete Buddha Relic out of his Storage Bag, and only then did the Guide's cold voice reach him.

"Ding!"

"Contractor's main quest completed: obtain the incomplete Buddha Relic. Current progress: complete. The system is issuing rewards; would you like to receive them now? Yes/No."

"Yes."

With a soft swish, ten Foundation Strengthening Pills appeared before Chen Lin.

"Contractor has automatically comprehended the skill: Legilimency."

"Legilimency: The user must look directly into the target's eyes to read their emotions and memories. Note: The user's soul power must be stronger than the target's."

"Contractor has completed the main quest; the system is granting a special reward. The contractor may randomly draw one precious item from another plane. Would you like to begin the draw now? Yes/No."

Chen Lin chose "Yes" without a moment's hesitation.

"Item draw in progress... Draw complete."

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the item: Gamma Bomb."

"Gamma Bomb: Created by physicist Dr. Robert Bruce Banner (originating from the 'Hulk' world)."