An Astonishing Reward, the Demonflame Heart Sutra

As the sword's gleam swept across the Four-Armed Demon Maggot's neck, a pleasant notification chimed-followed by several more.

Meanwhile, Hong Mian was racing toward the scene. Because of their blood pact, the Four-Armed Demon Maggot's death inflicted some backlash on him as well, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Hong Mian stopped running. It was already too late. He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes somewhat vacant, muttering, "Impossible."

A few breaths later, Hong Mian's savage early Grandmaster Realm Spirit Power erupted, instantly leveling everything within a hundred-meter radius.

"Whoever you are, you dared kill my Demon Maggot. I'll make you pay."

Hong Mian realized that, since entering Falling Moon City, he had lost his composure several times in just two short days, despite normally never betraying his emotions.

At that moment, he decided he would no longer subjugate the Falling Moon Fief. He would destroy it. He did not want to see even a single ant left alive.

"Ding! Congratulations on slaying an early Grandmaster Realm Demon. Experience +2,000, righteousness +100."

"Ding! Congratulations on your breakthrough. Current realm: early Innate Realm."

"Ding! Congratulations on earning the First Demon Kill achievement. Reward: one Seven-Colored Treasure Chest."

"Ding! Congratulations on raising your Titan Enforcer class to level 2. Strength +100, endurance +100, constitution +100."

Yun Che grinned. He had never imagined that killing a Demon would yield hidden rewards.

A Seven-Colored Treasure Chest was an ultra-rare chest that could potentially contain a Peerless Treasure. He had hit the jackpot.

Treasure grades differed slightly from cultivation art grades. Treasures fell into seven ranks: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, supreme-grade, peerless, special, and Forbidden Item.

Of these, low-, mid-, and high-grade treasures were relatively common. Supreme-grade and special treasures could only be obtained from diamond chests.

In addition, special treasures were all single-use consumables. They often possessed extraordinary abilities and were exceedingly rare.

As for Forbidden Items, these were naturally legacy treasures like the Sin Mask, exceptionally rare and difficult to find. Their appearance often heralded an impending catastrophe, making people both love and hate them.

"This Demon most likely had a blood pact with someone who ordered it to kill me at all costs."

"Who the hell insists on killing a useless academic instructor like me?"

Yun Che frowned in thought. After being chased all this way by the four-armed Demon, even an idiot could have figured out that someone was deliberately targeting him.

Originally, he had resented whoever was responsible, but now he actually felt somewhat grateful.

This was no harbinger of death-it was a god of wealth!

Yun Che turned his gaze toward the four-armed Demon's corpse. Killing enemies had a chance of dropping something good.

Beside the corpse lay a strange book that emitted black vapor. It looked rather ominous.

"Is it a combat technique?"

Puzzled, Yun Che stepped forward and picked up the black book. Its basic information appeared.

[Demonflame Heart Sutra (high-grade): A cultivation art based on absorbing flames, with the potential to condense a unique flame Spirit Power. Note: Absorbing flames carries a chance of damaging the dantian Spirit Power vortex. Exercise caution when practicing.]

A gleam flashed through Yun Che's eyes. This was an excellent cultivation art!

But there was no way he would diligently cultivate it himself.

He planned to give the Demonflame Heart Sutra to Feng Chu to cultivate, then acquire it himself through the Divine Hand.

Feng Chu possessed a rare peerless martial root. This type of martial root came with a small perk: regardless of the cultivation art she practiced, success was guaranteed. She therefore did not need to worry about damaging her Spirit Power vortex.

"Next up is the treasure in these ruins."

Just as Yun Che was about to leave, the Gluttony Mask suddenly flew out of his game inventory on its own. It hovered above the Four-Armed Demon Maggot and began absorbing its powerful blood essence.

"What... how did it come out on its own?"

Yun Che stood there, stunned. This relic handed down from ancient times truly was uncanny. Even the game inventory could not contain it.

He had originally intended to wait until his stats reached a terrifying level before nurturing it.

To his surprise, the Gluttony Mask refused to give him any chance to widen the gap between them.

After draining the Four-Armed Demon Maggot's blood, the Gluttony Mask slowly flew back in front of Yun Che and silently stared at him. It looked utterly eerie.

Annoyed, Yun Che said coldly, "Come out without permission again, and I'll melt you down. Get it straight: I'm the master, and you're the tool!"

The Gluttony Mask seemed to understand Yun Che's words and gave a slight nod, which only made him find it even eerier.

With a wave of his hand, he returned it to his game inventory. Fortunately, it did not resist and still acknowledged him as its master.

"No, I need to find a treasure that boosts my spirit as soon as possible. Otherwise, sooner or later, this thing will lead me around by the nose."

Yun Che cut off the Four-Armed Demon Maggot's four long arms and stored them in his inventory. They were excellent equipment-forging materials and could not go to waste.

Since Yun Che was familiar with all the traps, it took him only five minutes to reach the depths of the ruins and take the diamond chest beneath the goddess statue, along with the teardrop-shaped necklace hanging around its neck.

He did not dare linger, worried that the four-armed Demon's master might come looking. Anyone capable of controlling a Grandmaster Realm Demon was certainly no weakling and was far beyond his current ability to contend with.

Under the deep cover of night, Yun Che swiftly left the ruins and headed in the opposite direction from which he had come.

Three minutes after Yun Che left, a furious Hong Mian arrived at the entrance to the ruins and descended, his eyes filled with shock.

Hong Mian had never imagined that these ruins, which countless people had investigated, really possessed an undiscovered underground entrance.

He soon found the Four-Armed Demon Maggot's body. In his extreme fury, he trembled from head to toe.

His precious darling really had been killed by its intended prey. Its four arms had even been cut off. It was a truly wretched sight.

"Who was it? No matter what it costs, I, Hong Mian, will find you, skin you alive, tear out your tendons, and hack you into pieces!"

Vice Dean Zhao Cang also walked in with a horrified expression. He had investigated this place many times himself, yet had never found this entrance.

After observing the surroundings for a while, his expression brightened with delight. He said to the grief-stricken Hong Mian beside him, "Third Chief, only the traps around this part of the ruins have been triggered. Everywhere else is untouched."

"If we can bring back the treasure from these ruins, I'm sure the Chief won't blame you. He'll shower you with praise instead."

Hong Mian took a deep breath. Naturally, he had noticed this too. But if even the Grandmaster Realm Four-Armed Demon Maggot could not withstand the traps here, how could they possibly get through?

Still, after only a moment's hesitation, the vicious Hong Mian made his decision.

He had to take every last treasure here!

Even if he had to throw waves of people at the traps, he would force his way into the deepest part of the ruins.

But one question troubled him.

Why had the bastard who lured the Four-Armed Demon Maggot here to kill it not died?

Although he could not figure it out, he did not believe that person had successfully taken the treasure.

That was simply impossible-a complete fantasy.

"Go find Pi Piya. Tell him to gather our Red Skull men here as soon as possible. The more, the better."

"No problem. I'll go right away."

Yun Che, who had already fled far away, had no idea that his unwitting actions would ultimately lure most of the Red Skull Bandit Group to their deaths.

As a result, Hong Mian's father would string him up and give him a vicious beating. Hong Mian would be so furious that he coughed up blood every day-and worst of all, he would not even know who had set him up.