High in the mountains, the villagers listened tensely, hearts clenched at the constant sounds echoing from Juling Mountain.
Their worry was simple: if Qin Fu failed, how could they survive a flying dragon attack? Just hearing the battle's intensity was enough to make their stomachs churn.
Meanwhile, Qin Fu continued to engage the savage. It wasn't exactly close combat—more like a tactical delay, relying on teleportation and mobility. His mana was low, so this was the only way to sustain the fight. A full-power engagement would have been impossible with the "Power of Stop" active.
He relied on mental calculations to conserve mana, turning meditation into a passive trigger during the battle. While the passive could restore mana more efficiently, it was useless for someone without six eyes. A constant, full-time passive recovery was impractical for him.
Tear!
A hideous wound opened on Qin Fu's left abdomen. He had briefly let his attention slip, and the savage had taken advantage. The injury was minor in the grand scheme, more like a signal than a threat.
Through the chaos, he caught glimpses of space elements—the same patterns he had seen only in meditation. Instinctively, he tried to pull them into his body.
What he didn't realize was that invisible spiritual energy had breached his boundaries, surging uncontrollably. Space elements poured in, while residual energy flew outward. Mana surged within him.
Qin Fu raised his [Secret Scepter], and countless void missiles converged, encompassing both him and the savage.
The savage froze, unease flashing across his eyes. He swung his fists frantically, channeling internal force into ten forms of martial arts: knives, guns, swords, halberds, sticks, fists, palms, legs, claws, and fingers. Each figure struck at Qin Fu in synchronized fury.
"Kill in all ten directions!"
Qin Fu's eyes glinted with determination, blood dripping from his mouth and nose.
"Void Missile Change!"
Countless missiles stretched outward, forming a protective barrier.
"The Power of the Void!"
"Goo-goo! Do it!"
Shriek!
A twisted black light shot into the savage's mind. His once orderly internal force flow froze, and his movements stuttered for a brief moment. But he quickly broke free of Gu Gu's control.
Qin Fu seized the opportunity. Layer upon layer of void missiles formed a repulsive barrier, accelerating energy waves into spiraling sonic booms.
The sheer force was overwhelming. Qin Fu collapsed to his knees, barely supported by his [Secret Scepter]. Without it, his head would have hit the ground hard. His brain felt like it was being torn and kneaded, vision blurred, ears ringing unbearably. Blood poured from every orifice.
Above, Gu Gu hovered anxiously, flapping around Qin Fu, unsure how to help.
Suddenly, a hand reached out from the smoke ahead. Gu Gu tensed, wings spreading as he soared into the air, ready to dive at any threat. He would not let anyone harm Qin Fu.
The figure emerged slowly from the dust, its flesh vanishing into something almost skeletal, barely human in appearance. Before Gu Gu could strike, it collapsed forward, lifeless.
A bright blue treasure chest floated slowly into view.
The park's prompt sounded in perfect timing.
[Tips: You killed the Ancestor of Martial Arts, Nameless][As Wuming is the origin of martial arts in this world, you have obtained 10% of the Source of the World (now 13.2%)][Your talent "Void Devourer" is activated. The world has reached the limit of obtaining intelligence attributes, permanently increasing mana by 15 points. Existing mana is 485 points. Devours enemy souls to gain a small amount of soul power, which does not yet meet display standards.]
Gu Gu hovered in surprise, then swooped down to collect the treasure chest. With Qin Fu on his back, he flew toward Baiye Village at the foot of the mountain.
Five days later, Qin Fu slowly opened his eyes.
The violent tearing sensation surged instantly, forcing him to cry out in pain.
Gu Gu, standing guard nearby, heard the movement and immediately rushed over, eyes wide with concern.
"The benefactor is awake!!" he cried.
"Village chief! Come quickly, the benefactor has woken up!"
Footsteps thundered, and the village chief, followed by a large group, burst into the room.
Seeing this, Gu Gu immediately narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. A group of people standing at the doorway was enough to make anyone wary. None dared to step further.
Qin Fu patted Gu Gu gently.
"Gugu, it's fine. Let them in."
At Qin Fu's order, Gu Gu reluctantly stepped aside.
The village chief and his companions exhaled in relief and cautiously approached Qin Fu's side.
"Young man, your life is remarkable. Surviving such an ordeal with your brain overdrawn… it's nothing short of a miracle."
"If you hadn't returned in time, even the Medicine King Divine Doctor wouldn't have saved you."
"I've reported your mission to the Assassins Association. I never imagined you could actually kill that flying dragon."
Qin Fu gave a weak smile, his mind still foggy, almost completely blank.
Seeing Qin Fu's fragile state, the village chief handed him a potion and gestured for everyone else to leave. Before leaving, he instructed,
"Since you are awake, drink this medicine. It will help your body recover."
Qin Fu picked up the bottle, and information instantly appeared before him.
[Healing Holy Water]Origin: Assassin Wu LiuqiQuality: Blue (Rare)Type: Restoration ProductEffect: Completely restores all injuries. Prepared by the Medicine King using Black Jade Intermittent Ointment.Rating: 70 (Blue items are rated 30–70, representing their value.)Introduction: The culmination of the Medicine King's art. It is said no one in the world cannot be cured by this medicine.
Seeing the full-score rating, the tension in Qin Fu's brain eased slightly. Without hesitation, he uncorked the bottle and swallowed it.
A strange, indescribable taste spread through his mouth—harsh, yet effective.
As the potion took effect, Qin Fu felt his clouded mind begin to clear. Thoughts flowed smoothly for the first time in days. Invisible spiritual power spread around him, lifting the surrounding tables and chairs into the air.
Gu Gu tilted his head, clearly confused by the floating furniture.
After a moment, Qin Fu opened his eyes fully, and the tables and chairs gently returned to the ground.
A message appeared:
Personal Information:Contractor No.: 13159Name: Qin Fu (Hunter)Level: Lv.2Health: 100%Mana: 495 (Intelligence ×10; current mana recovery rate: 5.5 points/hour)Power: 8Dexterity: 10Stamina: 10Intelligence: 18Charm: 10Lucky: 2Note: Standard attributes for adult men are 5 points; standard luck is 1 point.
Killing Talent: Void DevourerEffect 1: Killing a target increases intelligence by 1 and mana by 1–15. Each world allows a maximum of 3 intelligence and 150 mana.Effect 2: Devours enemy souls to gain a small amount of soul power.
Skill 4: [Meditation] Lv. Max (Passive Skill)Effect 1: Slowly increases mana through meditation (up to 920 points; each point of intelligence adds 8 points).Effect 2: Overclocking (Active): During battle, increases dynamic vision by 50% and reaction speed by 20%. Mana consumption increases by 150%, and damage dealt is doubled. (Each world can only use this twice; exceeding this limit will cause a state of soul overdraft.)
Qin Fu stared at his intelligence attribute, now 18, and the added active skill under Meditation. He couldn't help but feel impressed. Overclocking was immensely powerful. Though it could only be used twice per world, doubling damage made it worth the cost.
The only limitation: mana was still a glaring weakness.