Entering Suotuo City and Becoming a Bounty Hunter, Codename: Geng Metal!

Within the Heaven Dou Empire, Suotuo City!

Dai Fei walked through the town's streets in an ordinary gray cloak that concealed his trademark black robes and stern face. His gaze was calm, as though he were just an ordinary traveler.

Yet he had long since planned everything out.

In the original story, this place was a very large city in the Balak Kingdom, which was under the Heaven Dou Empire. It was an extremely important military stronghold and one of the most crucial locations in the Heaven Dou Empire's struggle against the Star Luo Empire!

Now that the two armies have temporarily ceased fighting because of my arrival, and Spirit Hall has also begun to take notice of me, this isn't the time to reveal my identity.

In that case, Dai Fei thought, I'll lie low for now and use the identity of a bounty hunter to collect high-level killing Qi while improving my strength. I suppose that means I'm going back to my old line of work from my previous life!

In his previous life, he had been an international bounty hunter, so this line of work was right in his area of expertise!

Earlier, he had discovered that Spirit Hall had already sent people to the battlefield to investigate him. Knowing that his existence had now drawn the attention of all three sides, he had deliberately settled for the next best thing and chosen this path.

He entered an underground tavern called the Shadow Pavilion.

It was a well-known gathering place for bounty hunters in the Heaven Dou Empire, specializing in all sorts of high-paying bounty missions.

The tavern was dimly lit, and the air reeked of alcohol and blood. All manner of people sat in the corners, talking in low voices, with the occasional cold laugh ringing out.

Dai Fei walked up to the bar. The bartender looked up, glanced at him, and asked indifferently, "New here?"

"Mm," Dai Fei answered quietly, his voice hoarse, icy, and utterly unfriendly.

The bartender thought nothing of it. He had seen too many people like that in this line of work; as long as they weren't here to cause trouble, everything was negotiable.

He nodded, took a thick booklet from beneath the counter, and pushed it toward Dai Fei. "This is the latest bounty list. Have a look. You'll need to register an identity to take a mission; a codename will do."

Dai Fei opened the booklet and quickly scanned its contents.

The bounty list was packed with all sorts of missions, from hunting down Soul Masters who had defected to killing powerful Soul Beasts. It had everything.

His gaze finally settled on a high-paying bounty:

[Target: Black Fiend, level 59 Five-Ring Soul King. Slaughtered three villages. Bounty: 50,000 Gold Soul Coins.]

"This one," Dai Fei said indifferently, closing the booklet.

The bartender raised an eyebrow and gave him a somewhat surprised look. "Black Fiend is a Soul King-level Evil Soul Master. He's cruel, and several bounty hunters have already died at his hands. Besides, that information is old. He might very well have broken through to Six-Ring Soul Emperor by now... Are you sure you want it?"

"I'm sure." Dai Fei's voice remained icy, without the slightest fluctuation.

Greater strength also meant stronger killing Qi. The more evil his opponent was, the more he liked it!

If Black Fiend really had broken through to Six-Ring Soul Emperor, Dai Fei could go all out and see just what level his own strength had reached!

The bartender shrugged. He had given the warning he needed to give; if someone wasn't afraid of death and insisted on going, it was no great concern of his. He took out a contract. "Codename?"

"Geng Metal," Dai Fei said offhandedly.

The bartender wrote the codename on the contract, then handed Dai Fei a mission scroll. "This has information on the target and the area where he operates. Good luck."

Dai Fei took the scroll, turned, and left the tavern.

Following the information on the scroll, Dai Fei arrived at a barren valley.

It was Black Fiend's hiding place, surrounded by traps and poisonous mist. Ordinary people couldn't get close at all.

"A cunning fellow, just as I thought." Dai Fei sneered. His figure flashed as he easily avoided every trap and slipped silently into the depths of the valley.

A dilapidated wooden house stood in the center of the valley, surrounded by the heavy stench of blood.

Standing on the roof, Dai Fei peered into the house through a gap.

A thin man sat at a table, playing with a bloodstained dagger.

His face was covered in hideous scars, and a mad light flickered in his eyes.

"Black Fiend," Dai Fei murmured, a trace of killing intent flashing through his eyes.

A breeze stirred, making his black clothes flutter noisily.

It marked the official start of a brand-new hunt!

His figure flashed, and he appeared inside the house in an instant. Geng Metal Qi gathered in his hand into a sharp golden blade, which stabbed straight at the center of Black Fiend's back.

"Who?!" Black Fiend spun around, swiftly raising his dagger in front of his chest.

Clang!

The golden blade struck the dagger with a crisp ring.

The impact sent Black Fiend staggering back several steps, a trace of shock flashing through his eyes.

"Who are you?" Black Fiend demanded. But in the next second, he realized something and ventured, "A bounty hunter?"

He had encountered several people who had come to kill him before, but he had killed them instead.

"That's right. As a reward, I'll take your head and exchange it for the bounty," Dai Fei said coldly. His figure flashed as he closed in on Black Fiend again.

"You're courting death!"

"If you want to kill me, let's see if you have what it takes!"

Black Fiend roared. Five Soul Rings-yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black-rose beneath his feet. Black Soul Power erupted in an instant, transforming into countless black blades that shot straight at Dai Fei.

He had five Soul Rings, but his Soul Power had reached level 60.

In other words, Black Fiend had only recently broken through and was planning to hunt for his Sixth Soul Ring.

But now, it seemed he wouldn't have that chance!

Because today, he would die at Dai Fei's hands!

Dai Fei sneered as his Sacred Beast White Tiger Martial Soul instantly possessed him. Golden light flashed around his body, and Geng Metal Qi gathered into a golden barrier that easily blocked Black Fiend's attack.

"Impossible!" Black Fiend's eyes went wide, his face full of disbelief.

"Geng Metal Sacred Art, White Tiger Sky-Rending Claw!"

Dai Fei gave a low shout. By circulating his cultivation art in combination with his first Soul Skill and his own level 39 Soul Power, he could unleash terrifying killing power in an instant!

The phantom of the Sacred Beast White Tiger appeared once more, its enormous claw slamming down at Black Fiend.

Boom!

Black Fiend used a Soul Skill to possess himself. However, the power of Geng Metal was utterly terrifying, piercing straight through his defenses and suppressing his evil Soul Power!

The claw sent him flying backward. He slammed hard into the wall and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Damn it! This time they actually sent someone this powerful!"

"If I'd already hunted down my Sixth Soul Ring, you'd be dead for sure!"

Black Fiend wiped the blood from his mouth and said through gritted teeth, "The Soul Power fluctuations coming from you are clearly only those of a level 39 Soul Elder, but your strength is far greater than that! Which bounty hunter are you?!"

"Remember this: the one who killed you was Geng Metal!"

Dai Fei spoke coldly as Geng Metal Qi gathered in his hand into a sharp golden blade, which stabbed straight at Black Fiend's heart.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Bloodthirsty Frenzy!"

Black Fiend was furious. Incomparably violent power surged from his body, and his strength soared!

He charged straight at Dai Fei!

"Third Soul Skill: White Tiger Geng Metal Roar!"

Dai Fei frowned, and his purple Third Soul Ring appeared.

The phantom of the Sacred Beast White Tiger appeared once more and let out a furious roar!

Boom!!!!!!!!!!