41: Chapter 41 The city is teeming with experience monsters! The city lord's "forced calm"

The setting sun was like blood, staining the ruins a dark red.

Qin Ji stepped on the broken armor of the Cavalry Captain with one foot, casually flicking the last drop of warm blood from his heavy sword. Those purple-gold pupils shone in the twilight, just like an ancient Vicious Beast that had just finished a full meal, watching this about-to-boil steel jungle with indifference and greed.

"Boom—!!!"

Almost at the moment he looked up, the three magic-powered airships hovering in mid-air fired simultaneously. Thick beams of Demonic Energy tore through the air, carrying destructive high temperatures, accurately covering every inch of ground in the center of the square.

No nonsense, no call for surrender.

This was the highest courtesy a Rank-one main city offered to a red-named thug.

"This kind of welcoming ceremony is truly so passionate it's touching."

The corner of Qin Ji's mouth curled into a mad arc. Facing the concentrated fire attack that was enough to melt steel, he didn't retreat but Advanced instead.

The obsidian ground beneath his feet burst apart. With the help of this terrifying counterforce, his figure was like a bolt of black lightning, actually braving the sky-filling cannon fire and charging directly into the heavy infantry phalanx that had finished assembling right in front!

Since he was going to make a scene, he would turn the world upside down!

"Defensive formation! Raise shields!!"

The infantry commander's shrill roar had just left his mouth when a jet-black Sword Qi swept across.

The tome of death floated by Qin Ji's side, its pages flipping madly. The grayish-white power of the Law of death coiled around the heavy sword like a plague.

"Death Ripple!"

Buzz—!

A visible gray ripple exploded outward with Qin Ji as the center.

There was no world-shaking explosion, only the tooth-aching sound of bones shattering. The dozen or so heavy infantrymen charging in the front row, along with the tower shields in their hands, seemed to have experienced millions of years of weathering the moment they touched the ripple. Their armor rapidly rusted and disintegrated, followed by the withering of flesh and blood.

-24800!

-24800!

-24800!

A large area of eye-catching purple true damage numbers floated up.

[Plunder successful! Obtained Physique +10.]

[Plunder successful! Obtained Physique +12.]

[Plunder successful! Obtained passive skill fragment: Tough Skin (1/10).]

Listening to the pleasant System notification in his ear, the red light in Qin Ji's eyes grew even more intense.

In his eyes, how were these fully armed elite guards? They were clearly walking attribute point bundles!

"Kill him! That's a Demonic Technique!!"

The mage group in the rear finally finished their chanting.

Countless fireballs, ice cones, and wind blades poured down like a rainstorm. At the same time, several priests in white robes worked together to cast a high-level control divine technique.

"Holy Light Shackles!"

Several golden chains of light appeared out of thin air, tightly binding Qin Ji's limbs.

Immediately after, an assassin-type NPC hidden in the shadows seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Shadow Raid!"

That was an elite NPC wearing tight leather armor, holding a dagger that emitted a ghostly green light, obviously coated with deadly poison. His speed was extremely fast, even pulling out afterimages in the air, the dagger pointing straight at Qin Ji's back.

"Got him!" A flash of joy appeared in the assassin's eyes.

However.

One millisecond before that poisonous dagger pierced Qin Ji's skin, he saw Qin Ji's slightly turned face.

There was no panic in those eyes, only playfulness.

"Too slow."

Crack!

The golden Holy Light Shackles were as fragile as noodles in the face of Qin Ji's terrifying strength attribute, snapping instantly.

Qin Ji didn't even turn around, swinging his sword with a backhand.

The heavy sword carried a shrill wind-breaking sound, arriving first despite being launched later, slamming hard into the assassin's face.

Bang!!

Like smashing a rotten watermelon.

That assassin didn't even have time to scream before his entire body was blown away by the terrifying kinetic energy. While his body was still in mid-air, his health bar was completely emptied.

[Plunder successful! Obtained Agility +50!]

[Triggered "Greedy Grasp" critical hit! Additionally obtained Agility +50!]

"Refreshing!"

Qin Ji felt the surging power within his body and laughed at the sky.

This pleasure of dancing on the tip of a blade, watching enemies fall in despair, and then taking their power as his own was simply intoxicating.

In just three short minutes.

Hundreds of corpses already lay on the square.

The originally neat City Guard phalanx had been scattered into pieces by Qin Ji alone. Those originally high-and-mighty NPCs, now looking at Qin Ji who was covered in blood like a demon god, finally showed an emotion called "fear" in their eyes.

This outsider was simply not human!

His health bar was like a bottomless sea; despite taking countless attacks, it still didn't show its bottom. On the contrary, their elites would be instantly killed if they were even slightly grazed by that heavy sword!

"Damn it, we must use that!"

In the distance, an old mage in a magnificent robe gritted his teeth and took out a deep blue Talisman from his bosom that emitted an extremely cold aura.

That was a blue-quality Talisman treasured in the City Lord's treasury—[Extreme Cold Ice Prison]!

"Outsider, freeze for me!"

The old mage slammed and crushed the Talisman.

Boom!

A terrifying cold current instantly swept across the field.

Water molecules in the air were instantly solidified, and thick Frost formed on the ground.

Qin Ji, who was moving at high speed to harvest lives, suddenly stiffened.

The cold air was like a maggot on a bone, crawling madly up his legs. In the blink of an eye, Qin Ji was sealed inside a huge block of hard ice, turning into an ice sculpture.

-9999! (Freeze Damage)

-9999! (Continuous Frostbite)

The health bar above Qin Ji's head began to jump wildly.

"Now! Focus fire!!"

Seeing Qin Ji controlled, the surviving guards around him were immediately boosted in morale.

Flame Slash, Explosive Fireball, Armor-Piercing Arrow...

Countless high-damage skills were smashed toward that ice sculpture as if they cost nothing.

Boom boom boom boom!!

Ice and fire mixed, energy surged.

The huge explosion kicked up a sky full of dust, and a giant crater several meters deep was blasted into the ground.

"Is he dead?"

The old mage stared intently at the center of the dust, his hand tightly clutching his staff, his knuckles turning white.

Whoosh—

A gust of wild wind blew past, and the dust dissipated.

Everyone's pupils suddenly constricted.

In the center of that giant crater, that block of hard ice had long since shattered into pieces.

Qin Ji stood there unscathed. The novice gear he was wearing, which was originally somewhat damaged, was now emitting a faint red light.

"Is this your trump card?"

Qin Ji patted the ice chips off his shoulder, his tone full of disappointment.

"It's not even enough to give me a pedicure."

Before his voice fell, he raised his left hand.

Above that slender palm, an ancient jade pendant was emitting a soft light—[purification jade pendant]!

Immune to 80% of negative statuses!

Just as Qin Ji was preparing to strike again and completely clear out this group of wealth-delivering boys.

Suddenly.

An indescribable, terrifying pressure descended from the sky without any warning.

This pressure was so great it felt like the entire sky had collapsed.

The originally noisy battlefield instantly fell silent.

Those guards who were about to charge knelt directly on both knees under this pressure, unable to move. Even the magic-powered airships in the sky were like kites with broken strings, swaying and forced to make emergency landings.

Qin Ji only felt his shoulders sink, as if he were carrying a mountain.

He suddenly looked up at the sky.

He saw an old man with white hair and a youthful face, wearing a plain robe, standing out of thin air in the Void Realm.

He held an unremarkable withered wood staff in his hand, with no magical halo flowing, looking like a branch that could be seen anywhere on the roadside.

But just by standing there, he became the center of the whole world.

[Situ Ji]

City Lord of Donghai City

Elder of the Divine Dragon Temple

Rank: ???

Health: ???

"Three question marks?"

Qin Ji narrowed his eyes, his arrogance slightly restrained, replaced by extreme calmness and calculation.

In "God's Domain," all question marks meant the Rank difference exceeded 50 levels, or the opponent possessed a Divine Artifact that blocked inspection.

No matter which one it was, it meant the old man in front of him was not someone he could contend with at this stage.

"Young man, having too much Killing Intent is not a good thing."

Situ Ji's voice was very light, yet it clearly entered the ears of everyone present.

He slowly descended, his toes touching the ground without kicking up a single speck of dust.

As he landed, that suffocating pressure receded like a tide. The surrounding guards then gasped for breath, as if granted a great pardon, and knelt down toward the old man one after another.

"Greetings, Lord City Lord!"

Situ Ji ignored his subordinates who were kneeling all over the ground. His eyes, as deep as the starry sky, just quietly sized up Qin Ji.

To be precise, he was staring at the tome of death floating by Qin Ji's side.

"As expected, it is the power of death."

Situ Ji nodded slightly, a complex look flashing in his eyes, "I didn't expect that in this era, there would still be someone who could awaken this cursed class."

"Cursed?"

Qin Ji raised an eyebrow, not putting down the heavy sword in his hand. His muscles were still tense, ready to strike or run at any moment.

"Old man, don't play riddles there. If you want to fight, fight; if not, move aside. I'm in a hurry."

Hearing these disrespectful words, the surrounding guards were scared into Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

This was the King of Donghai City! An Elder of the Divine Dragon Temple!

Even a Duke of the Empire would have to be respectful when meeting him, and this madman actually dared to call him "old man"?!

However, Situ Ji did not get angry.

Instead, he smiled, and a meaningful expression appeared on that wrinkled face.

"Fight? You are still too weak right now."

Situ Ji shook his head, and the withered wood staff in his hand lightly tapped the ground.

Buzz!

An invisible barrier instantly expanded, enveloping him and Qin Ji, isolating all outside sounds and sights.

"Young man, your appearance is a variable. The God-Forbidden Land has been peaceful for too long. Perhaps just as the prophecy said, the catastrophe is coming."

Situ Ji looked at Qin Ji, his gaze as if piercing through his body and seeing something deeper.

"I won't kill you, at least not now. Because I am also very curious to see how far you, who have mastered the Laws of death and catastrophe, can go."

Saying that, Situ Ji waved his hand.

A rusty iron medal, looking like it was picked up from a trash heap, slowly floated in front of Qin Ji.

[Forsaken One's Medal]

Quality: Special/Unique

Effect: Upon use, forces teleportation to the hidden map "Land of Oblivion."

(Can only be used once. Countdown: Automatically destroyed in 4 minutes and 52 seconds.)

"What does this mean?" Qin Ji grabbed the medal, the cold touch making his spirit jolt.

"A test, and also an opportunity."

Situ Ji's voice became somewhat ethereal, "Donghai City cannot accommodate you as you are now. You have killed too much here. If you don't leave, what you will face next will be the endless pursuit of the Divine Dragon Empire. Even I cannot blatantly shield a sinner who has slaughtered a city."

"Go to the Land of Oblivion. If you can walk out of there alive, I will tell you the true information about the 'Death Dominator'."

[Ding! You have triggered an Epic-level hidden quest: Situ Ji's Test.]

[Quest Objective: Pass through the Land of Oblivion and reach 100% exploration.]

[Quest Reward: Unknown (Related to class advancement).]

[Failure Penalty: None (Death means failure).]

Qin Ji looked at the quest panel in front of him, his brain working rapidly.

The current situation was very clear.

Although he could rely on life-steal and high attributes to slaughter these ordinary guards, if this inscrutable City Lord made a move, or if a higher-level army arrived, he would likely die here.

Resurrection meant losing levels, and equipment would drop.

To give back the attributes and equipment he worked so hard to farm just to show off, that was something only an idiot would do.

Since this old man gave him a way out, and it was even an Epic-level hidden quest...

This was a huge profit!

"Deal."

Qin Ji didn't hesitate and directly put away the medal.

"But old man, remember this. Next time we meet, if that so-called 'true information' isn't worth this price, I'll tear the roof off your City Lord's mansion."

Hearing this, Situ Ji laughed involuntarily.

"Interesting little fellow. Go, not much time left for you."

As the barrier dissipated, the outside clamor surged in once again.

On the distant streets, more dense footsteps were approaching; clearly, the reinforcements had arrived.

Qin Ji didn't stay any longer.

He took one last look at these "EXP bundles" all over the ground. Although it was a pity he couldn't harvest them all, there was plenty of time in the future.

"Activate!"

The [Forsaken One's Medal] in his hand instantly burst with a blinding gray light.

Space began to distort.

At the last second before his body disappeared, Qin Ji slowly raised a middle finger toward those terrified players and guards in the distance.

"Goodbye, noobs."

Shua—!

A white light flashed, and Qin Ji's figure vanished into thin air.

Only the scarred square and a ground full of broken armor remained.

Situ Ji stood in place, looking at the direction where Qin Ji disappeared, not moving for a long time.

After a long while, he finally looked up at the gradually darkening sky. His cloudy old eyes reflected the first star that lit up, and he murmured in a low voice:

"Death is not the end, and catastrophe is also a new birth... I hope this time, we didn't bet wrong."

...

At the same time.

Tens of thousands of miles away, in a desperate land forgotten by the world.

Gray mist enveloped this land all year round, withered trees stretched toward the sky like ghost claws, and the soil beneath his feet was a nauseating black-red, as if soaked in endless blood.

Space rippled.

Qin Ji's figure stumbled out of the Void Realm.

Before he could stand firm, a decayed, cold, and malicious aura rushed toward him.

"Roar—!!"

Not far away, a non-human roar shook the clouds.

Qin Ji stabilized himself and slowly raised his head.

The wild wind howled, blowing away the mist in front of him. He saw a giant abomination, three stories high, its body stitched with rotting corpses, dragging a rusty butcher knife, staring intently at this intruder with its one eye.

Facing this terrifying scene, Qin Ji didn't draw his sword. Instead, he took out a piece of dried meat he had just swiped from a City Lord's mansion guard and took a big bite.

The withered tree shadows behind him bared their fangs and claws, the giant abomination's butcher knife dragged out ear-piercing sparks on the ground, and Qin Ji chewed the dried meat. Those purple-gold pupils slightly constricted in the gray mist, reflecting the desolation and ferocity of this land of death, as a cold smile belonging to a predator slowly curled on his lips.