Chapter 30: The Formula for the Elixir of Life (Please Keep Reading)

Whispers of God, Dusk Mercenaries, and the Airplane Boy Group—the three major factions of District 107 have entered a period of rapid expansion. Their discussion groups grow in membership every day, forming a tripartite balance of power.

Han Xing, however, has failed to gain any momentum since dropping out of the top ten. His territory score has just barely crossed the 400 mark, struggling to maintain a position in the top twenty. Discussions about him in the chat channels have all but ceased; he seems destined to fade into obscurity among the masses.

By the morning of the fourth day, Han Xing’s score reached 456, dropping him out of the top twenty. Yet, this was a deliberate choice to pace himself. If he truly pushed, he could remain in the top ten, but that would not meet his internal expectations. The rewards for the top ten and the top twenty were not significantly different, and his only goal was first place.

He was waiting for a turning point: the hatching of his pet. At this stage, where everyone is fighting alone, having an extra pet—no matter how weak—would provide significant assistance to a survivor. And this egg, a treasure snatched from the hands of the Demon Overlord, was bound to be extraordinary. That would be the moment he truly made his move.

On the rankings, Cheng Jieyong and Shen Yun had also been pushed out of the top fifty. In their private chat, Cheng Jieyong grumbled early that morning, "Damn it, these guys are suicidal. I’ve kept my daily sleep under six hours and spent all other time exploring floating islands, yet I still can’t keep up with these grinding machines!"

Han Xing replied with a smile, "It’s normal. During the event, all survivors in District 107 have an 'Heroic Struggle' status, making combat easier. They’re surely going all out to explore."

Shen Yun, however, said thoughtfully, "Four days... today is the 90th hour since the event began. Those grinders in the top twenty probably haven’t slept much. Even the most strong-willed among them must be reaching their limits."

Cheng Jieyong responded dejectedly, "What good does that do? The gap is too big now. Even if some of them can't hold on and rest for a few hours, we won't be able to catch up. Don't even think about first place; that 'Whisperer' has already broken 800 points. He’ll likely surpass 1,000 today and secure the top prize."

Shen Yun shook his head. "No, you don't understand. Those people at the top, especially the top ten, are terrified to rest right now. They fear that if they take a few hours off, the ranking they’ve fought for days to maintain will slip away. The coming day will be the one that decides the final standings; it all depends on who can hold out. Besides, don't forget the regional bosses..."

Shen Yun was right. At that very moment, in other survivors' territories, the Whisperer in full mage gear, Black Hawk the rogue, Papaya Spirit the warrior, and others at the top of the charts were all biting their lips, their eyes bloodshot, summoning their last reserves of energy to battle monsters.

Yet, no matter how hard they forced themselves, their physical exhaustion and sluggish movements betrayed them. Just then, a young man wielding a greatsword found his vision blurring while fighting a giant lizard. He blinked, but his consciousness flickered in and out. By the time he regained his focus, the lizard had lunged at him, its massive, blood-stained jaws expanding in his field of vision. A deep, primal fear surfaced in his weary eyes.

"Ah!!!"

After a shrill scream, a floating island spanning over five hundred square meters collapsed into the void. Simultaneously, a name was quietly wiped from the territory leaderboard.

...

Han Xing sat on a stool in his territory, watching the progress bar in front of him.

[Beast Egg remaining incubation time: 0 hours, 30 minutes, 59 seconds...]

"Almost there, only half an hour left!" After a hundred hours of waiting, he was about to discover what creature lay inside this black egg. Han Xing felt a stir of excitement. "An egg obtained from a Demon Overlord—it has to be at least a legendary-grade pet, right?"

Hearing his voice, the giant egg trembled slightly on the ground, complex patterns glowing across its black-and-gold shell. The creature inside seemed desperate to emerge. However, with half an hour still remaining, Han Xing had no choice but to wait.

Just then, a private message caught his attention. He checked the name: it was "Smart Little Sheep" again.

Smart Little Sheep: "Star... Star God, hello. Do you... have a moment?"

Han Xing: "..."Who taught you to call me that?"

Smart Little Sheep: "Ah? I saw everyone else calling you that... so, I, I..."

Han Xing: "Never mind. What do you need?"

The other side seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. A moment later, she replied: "It’s like this. While exploring today, I encountered a very powerful monster—a strange tree with many arms! It took everything I had, but after barely winning, I found a recipe at the base of the tree. I looked at the information and thought you might be able to use it."

"A strange tree? Is it a plant-type monster?" Han Xing pondered for a moment. "And a recipe? Send it over so I can see."

"Mm-hmm."

[Smart Little Sheep has initiated a trade request.]

Han Xing: "..." "Didn't I teach you that you can just send the item information in the chat window? You don't need to trade."

Smart Little Sheep was stunned, then reacted: "Ah? Oh, I forgot..."

Han Xing sighed: "Forget it, just put it up."

Smart Little Sheep quickly uploaded the recipe.

[Recipe: Vitality Potion (Green): Records the production method and material ratios for the Vitality Potion. Can treat critical wounds in one-star creatures and minor wounds in two-star creatures.]

The moment he saw the details, Han Xing’s eyes widened. This was a rare, high-value recovery recipe! While Spirit Spring Water had healing properties, it paled in comparison to the Vitality Potion. The ability to treat critical wounds was a game-changer—as long as a survivor wasn't killed instantly or suffered dismemberment, the potion could pull them back from the brink of death. At this early stage, it was essentially an extra life!

Suppressing his excitement, Han Xing said calmly, "I want this recipe. Name your price."

Hearing this, Smart Little Sheep seemed confused. A moment later, she hurriedly replied: "You... you misunderstood. I intended to give this recipe to you. I don't want anything for it..."

Now it was Han Xing’s turn to be surprised. He knew this girl was a bit airheaded, but she wasn't foolish. She couldn't possibly be unaware of the recipe's value. If she threw this into the trade channel, major factions would bankrupt themselves to acquire it. There was currently no recovery item that could compete with the Vitality Potion. It was arguably as indispensable as the Spirit Spring Water had been, and controlling the only recipe meant controlling the market. Its potential value was truly limitless.

Yet, she was offering it to him for free. Han Xing almost doubted his own ears.