Chapter Fifty-Eight: Third Tier

Making use of the evening hours, Lu Sheng focused on his cultivation. At his current rate of refining the Crimson Pouch, it would take roughly a day for him to break through to the third tier.

The next morning, Lu Sheng chose not to join Shi Jiu and the others in monster hunting. Eager to advance his cultivation, he had no interest in wasting time on their outings. In his eyes, tagging along with Shi Jiu was nothing more than a way to pass the time when boredom struck. Now that he was on the verge of a breakthrough, he naturally wouldn't squander precious hours on idle amusements.

Evening fell in the blink of an eye.

Upon a small hillside, nine figures stood together. One among them cut a particularly wretched figure—his face marred with scars, the skin exposed to the air burnt and blackened. This was Yan Dao, who had escaped from Fei Liuhuo’s grasp. At this point, he looked scarcely different from a monster himself.

Yet the eight others who stood with him showed no sign of disdain. They were clad in matching attire, their garments a dark red hue reminiscent of dried blood.

One of them addressed Yan Dao, "Now that most of your injuries have healed, it’s time for you to undergo the initiation ceremony."

Yan Dao’s voice was hoarse. "Sir, I have yet to take my revenge."

Fang Wen'an, displeased, looked at Yan Dao. "Joining our Mad God Cult is an honor for you. Being accepted is already the limit of your abilities. If you think we’ll go to Tianniu City to avenge you, your talent simply isn’t enough."

Yan Dao’s tone was unwavering. "No, sir, I do not intend to go to Tianniu City for revenge. I’ll wait until my strength is sufficient before returning."

"Then where do you intend to go?"

"I want to deal with some accomplices—a few gathering points, that’s all."

"Very well. Li Tai, accompany him and make it quick. Don’t dawdle."

"Understood."

Two of the nine left the group.

Li Tai was tall and burly, his face broad and fierce, clearly not one to be trifled with.

Yan Dao did not know which gathering point had been involved in the incident, so he resolved to slaughter all the nearby settlements.

As the pair walked away, a voice rose among the remaining seven. "Captain, is he really worth all this trouble?"

Fang Wen'an chuckled. "Did you really think I intended to keep him? He’s strong, and Lord Mad God requires living sacrifices."

"I understand."

The seven returned to their temporary shelter on the hillside, awaiting the others’ return.

...

After a full day of cultivation, Lu Sheng successfully advanced to the early third tier.

[Spacetime Ant]

Quality: Purple (formerly Red)
Rank: Early Third Tier
Skills: Subdimensional Space (10,000-meter range), 100-fold Strength, Time Reversal, Spatial Stasis
Evolution Requirements: One third-tier material with spatial properties; one third-tier material with temporal properties.

Though the Spacetime Ant had reached the third tier, Lu Sheng noticed that its strength multiplier had not increased. At the peak of the second tier, it was already a hundredfold; now, it remained the same. Whether this was a limit or simply a temporary plateau, he could not say.

He reviewed the evolution requirements. Both materials were of the highest grade. For the spatial attribute, at least, he had an idea: the spatial stones used for crafting storage cards. A single third-tier spatial stone cost three thousand third-tier source pearls—a hefty price, but understandable, as one stone could yield a hundred storage cards, each worth a hundred source pearls.

Lu Sheng could scrape together the funds for a spatial stone if he needed to, but there was no point. Even if he acquired one, he had no clue where to find a material imbued with temporal properties, so the Spacetime Ant’s first evolution would remain out of reach.

With his cultivation complete, he looked forward to tomorrow, when the Bloodthirsty Mosquitoes would mature. His strength would surge once more. All he needed to do now was wait; going out to hunt monsters would be a waste of effort.

Now, a single breeding cycle of the Bloodthirsty Mosquitoes would yield a million mosquito cards. It was like being able to earn a million in three days—why bother spending time to earn a mere dollar? Hunting monsters with Shi Jiu and the others was just for fun, a brief taste of adventure. When he tired of the amusement, he could simply reveal his hand.

Only the strong have choices; the weak can only be subject to the will of others.

...

Night had fallen. A solitary figure moved through the darkness, ascending the highest hill within the safe zone. He was clad entirely in black, his physique robust, a great blade strapped to his back.

At the summit, he withdrew a tent from his storage card and set up a simple camp. Afterward, he gathered some firewood, lit a blaze, and began roasting food.

He was Gu Quan, the third gatekeeper of the Xuanbing Sect, dispatched to pursue Yan Dao. To call it a pursuit was not quite accurate—he was stationed along Yan Dao’s route of slaughter, waiting to ambush him while his subordinates searched for clues.

With the safe zone so vast, finding a single person was no easy task. All he could do was lie in wait along the path Fei Liuhuo had provided, while his men fanned out to gather intelligence. If Yan Dao was not found within seven days, the matter would be dropped, as he might have left the region altogether.

Gu Quan sat quietly, roasting a pork leg, occasionally sprinkling it with spices as the aroma slowly permeated the air.

Bang!

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted not far away.

Gu Quan paused, turning toward the source of the commotion. It was the location of one of the gathering points along Yan Dao’s route. He hadn't expected Yan Dao to make a move on his first day here. Judging by Fei Liuhuo's description of Yan Dao’s injuries, it was doubtful he’d recover within a week.

Was the information Fei Liuhuo provided mistaken, or was Yan Dao simply too impatient?

Looking at the half-cooked pork leg in his hand, Gu Quan took a reluctant bite.

"Bah, it’s still better fully cooked."

Irritated, he glanced toward the site of the ongoing battle. His anger needed an outlet, and now, he had found one.

His figure vanished from the mountaintop as he raced toward the source of the conflict.

...

At the Windsand Encampment, Wu Xun, blood pouring from his mouth, faced the two men before him. "Sirs, our settlement has never offended anyone. Why do you bring such slaughter upon us?"

Wu Xun was certain that their humble settlement had never provoked others. This disaster had come out of nowhere—innocent victims of catastrophe. He felt deeply wronged. The two before him unleashed indiscriminate carnage; everyone in the settlement was slaughtered, and Wu Xun himself had no intention of begging for mercy. He could tell these two would not spare him.

He desperately wanted to know how misfortune had found them.

Yan Dao’s voice rasped, "Did you or your people take part in the conflict between the Liuhuo Gang and the Heavenly Blade Gang?"

Wu Xun shook his head. "No."

At that, Yan Dao’s monstrous face displayed a flash of bared teeth, and he drove his blade into Wu Xun’s chest.

"Sorry, then. Wrong man."

Wu Xun’s eyes widened, confusion filling them in his final moments. "If it was a misunderstanding... why still kill me?"

"I’d already made my move. I couldn’t possibly let you live."