99: Chapter 99 The Fearful and Desperate Little Thief

As the black mist dissipated, Chu Xuan appeared before everyone without a single sign of abnormality, leaving them all looking shocked.

"The black mist actually dissipated just like that? Then... the scream from just now wasn't you, but... a Strange Creatures that came out of the rift?"

Old Wu gasped, his face full of disbelief: "This is the result of a backlash, dying instantly... No, that's not right! There isn't a shred of aura left; it was devoured completely!"

Fox's face also paled: "Although most of the things that come out of here are the lowest-level D-rank Specter and lack physical form, to be able to prevent it from even escaping back into the rift... you must have at least a C-Rank... No! It should be at least a B-rank Ghost inside you!"

"Maybe it's an A-Rank Specter!"

Old Wu's mouth twitched: "No wonder your skill Rank had already reached Rank 2 when you were at Rank 1... What a freak, to be able to host a Strange Creatures with such a high terror level!"

The Bald Man showed a look of gravity for the first time.

The White-haired Old Village Chief, however, wore a smile.

"Brother, you are truly fierce! You just reached Rank 2, and you're already controlling a Specter that's at least a B-rank Ghost, possibly even an A-Rank Specter. That's absolutely insane!"

Chen Yao exclaimed with a face full of wonder: "Your guide must have overdrawn the luck of the rest of his life to obtain a capable subordinate like you... Oh, your guide seems to be dead, so never mind."

"Not only that, this is a human bomb! When facing a desperate situation, as long as he isn't decapitated instantly, the Strange Creatures inside him will revive and forcibly take control of his body! Those who want to kill him will be in for a world of pain then..."

Old Wu looked fearful: "Although he might overdraw his life and die afterward, or turn into a monster completely, at least he would have avenged himself."

The others, recalling the earlier standoff, couldn't help but shiver, all turning their gazes toward Xiao Zei simultaneously.

Xiao Zei's face was deathly pale, his expression full of shock and disbelief: "How is this possible? I actually guessed wrong! You actually... tamed a Specter with an extremely high terror level!"

Devoured, huh...

Chu Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Naturally, because the Phantom Demon existed within him, he had come before the rift without fear, accepting the Specter from the black mist into his body without any resistance.

However, looking at the prompt the System gave at this moment, Chu Xuan fell into deep thought.

[Your spirituality value + 4]

[Current spirituality value: 29]

There was no kill notification, just a direct gain of 4 points of spirituality value. This was the least amount of spirituality value Chu Xuan had ever obtained from a Specter to date.

Chu Xuan had roughly guessed the reason and asked indifferently:

"Phantom Demon, you devoured a Specter through my body and only fed back this little bit of spirituality value to me? Wasn't it agreed that we would split it 90/10?"

The Phantom Demon's voice rose as expected: "My friend, we did have an agreement, but that only applies to what is gained after you find the False Gods Believers through my guidance and kill them. As for that little guy just now, you didn't take action; I helped you by devouring it as food. That I can share some with you is enough to represent my friendship for you."

"Heh! I'm afraid it's not you sharing it with me, but the System absorbing it directly, right?" Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"There is no difference." The Phantom Demon smiled gently.

"How about this..." Chu Xuan's heart stirred, and he said: "Let's split it 50/50. This time, 50/50, and including the Specters I kill under your guidance in the future, we split everything 50/50. How about it?"

"It is truly hard to believe that you would make such a decision, but... I sense your ill intentions. My friend, what kind of bad idea are you plotting?"

Chu Xuan said calmly: "You misunderstand me. We are close friends, after all. Naturally, we should have mutual benefit and a win-win situation; a 50/50 split is the most fair."

"Although these are not your true words, I am willing to believe in your character. I hope you can keep your promise; otherwise, you will certainly not be able to withstand my wrath."

The Phantom Demon's voice faded, and another System prompt appeared.

[A Strange Creatures from The Gloom is transmitting spirituality value to you. Do you choose to absorb it?]

— Yes.

[Your spirituality value + 1]

[Current spirituality value: 30]

"Just this little bit?"

Chu Xuan finally understood why the Phantom Demon had been so agreeable. But it was alright; even a mosquito's leg is meat. It was basically free, so he didn't lose out.

"How much did you expect? With the death of every human and pioneer, most of the spirituality contained within is seized by the two worlds. We can only obtain a small portion..."

The Phantom Demon's voice was full of gentle laughter, like a teacher patiently instructing a young child:

"My friend, my goodwill toward you is like the rivers, lakes, and seas of your world—endless. So, you need not be overly guarded against me. We are beings that prosper together."

So, most of the spirituality is seized by the two worlds...

Chu Xuan was lost in thought, selectively ignoring the other party's last sentence.

He had previously been very confused; the spirituality gained from killing a Specter was pitifully small compared to the risks faced. So, it was because of the "platform commission."

"You're talking to yourself... You wouldn't happen to be having a conversation with the Specter inside you, would you?"

Xiao Zei's voice rang out, pulling Chu Xuan's thoughts back to reality. At this moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on Chu Xuan as if looking at a monster.

Xiao Zei's face showed even more terror: "You can actually hold consultations and negotiations? It wouldn't really be an A-Rank Specter, would it? And with your current personal Rank, you're actually able to reach a balance with a Specter of this level? You wouldn't have awakened a Talent, would you?"

"Hiss—"

Once these words were spoken, everyone suddenly realized, gasping in cold air once again.

Especially Fox, her fox-like eyes widened: "The Rank is still so low, and he shouldn't have done many System tasks, so it's highly probable it wasn't an Acquired Awakening of a Talent, but..."

Fox opened her mouth wide, her chest heaving: "Old Wu, he wouldn't happen to be that lucky person you mentioned before, who awakened a Talent directly while still a normal person, would he?"

"It must be so! Otherwise, how could he possibly host a Specter that far exceeds his own Rank?"

Old Wu's expression was extremely grave. He exclaimed: "Such a person, if they grow up, will surely become someone of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. I didn't expect us to run into one today!"

Everyone looked as if they were in disarray in a gale, their expressions all incredibly complex.

It was just like a construction worker who had been exposed to the wind and sun for years, suddenly discovering that the new colleague working with them to pour concrete was actually a top-tier university graduate.

While they were still struggling to pass the second-level construction exam, the other person already had all the certifications, and even the first-level certification was just used as a table shim. They were merely here to gain some experience, a being with a bright future ahead.

The feeling of envy and jealousy was unbearable. The sense of superiority they had previously felt as Seniors and experienced hands was completely swept away at this moment.

Thump!

Xiao Zei's knees went weak, and he actually knelt down directly, his heart filled with despair: "It's over, it's over! If this kid were just a Transcendent controlling an ordinary Specter, Old Wu and the others might still look at the little bit of shared past and try to find a way to save my life, but now they definitely won't. Given the style this kid has shown, he will definitely take advantage of the Rank suppression to kill me directly!"