92: Chapter 92: The First True Wound in the Land of Bones and the Village Chief's "Secret Stash"

The sensation of weightlessness from the teleportation lasted only for a moment.

When his vision refocused, the once serene and elegant courtyard had vanished, replaced by gray-white bone dust dancing in the air and a nauseating scent of decay.

The Burial Ground was the largest gathering place for the undead in God's Domain at this stage, as well as a meat grinder where countless guilds fought for resources.

As soon as Qin Ji's feet touched the ground, the floor paved with shattered bones emitted a brittle, overwhelmed crack.

"Roar—!!"

Almost the same second he appeared, a five-meter-tall Stitched Abomination swung the rusty iron hook in its hand, bringing a suffocating, bloody wind as it smashed down toward his head.

This monster had an extremely wide aggro range; it was clear it had been waiting here for a long time.

"Too slow."

Qin Ji didn't even lift his eyelids, nor did he draw the greatsword from behind his back.

He simply raised his right hand casually, a faint cyan stream of light gathering at the tip of his index finger—this was the combination of his newly acquired [Double True Damage] passive and the basic Fireball spell.

"Boom—!!"

No incantation, no wind-up.

The fireball, only the size of a fist, did not create a conventional explosion upon touching the Abomination's belly; instead, it triggered a terrifying molecular-level disintegration.

The dark red firelight, like a Vicious Beast imprisoned for ten thousand years that had finally broken free from its cage, instantly engulfed the Abomination's massive body.

A high-temperature blast wave swept outward in a ring; the hundred or so skeletal soldiers in its path didn't even have time to scream before their skeletons vaporized instantly, not even leaving a trace behind.

[ -48 Critical Hit ]

[ -48 Effect Triggered ]

Two scarlet, somewhat blinding numbers floated up from where the Abomination had originally stood.

In that instant, within a fifty-meter radius around Qin Ji, whether it was the hard obsidian rock walls or the bones covering the ground, everything turned into charred, glass-like crystals under this unreasonable power.

The ground was forcibly plowed into a ten-meter-wide pit, with residual high heat still lingering at the bottom, emitting a "sizzling" sound.

"Tsk, used a bit too much force."

Qin Ji waved his hand to disperse the smoke and dust, looking at that exaggerated damage number, a satisfied arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

This was the terror of True Damage combined with a damage multiplier.

Ignoring defense and resistance, it acted directly upon the Origin of life.

For those players at this stage who were still calculating every point of damage, this was simply a dimensional-reduction strike.

Just then, a cacophony of human voices and the roar of skills came from the distance.

"Quick! Hold the aggro! Healers, watch the main tank's HP! This Skeleton King only has 10% HP left!"

"This is a first kill! The people from the Dynasty Guild are right behind us, don't let them snatch it!"

Qin Ji tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the pervasive bone dust, and saw a well-equipped hundred-person group in a basin a few hundred meters away, besieging a Skeleton Lord clad in broken armor.

That is... the elite group of the [Grand Blueprint Guild]?

Qin Ji narrowed his eyes, recognizing the flag embroidered with a golden lion.

In his memories from his past life, this guild was notoriously overbearing, often monopolizing leveling spots and driving away solo players.

"Perfect, let's use you all to test out my new toy."

Qin Ji didn't avoid them at all, swaggering toward the basin.

He made no effort to hide his figure, that pitch-black trench coat appearing exceptionally conspicuous against the gray-white background.

"Who goes there?! The Grand Blueprint Guild is conducting business; bystanders, get lost!"

A ranger responsible for outer perimeter security immediately spotted him, pulling their longbow to full draw instantly, an arrow gleaming with cold light pointing directly at the center of Qin Ji's brows, "Take one more step, and you'll be killed without mercy!"

Qin Ji didn't stop, not even glancing at the arrow, simply pulling the [Broken City God Seal] from his backpack.

"Since you like monopolizing areas so much, then... leave your lives behind as a toll."

Before his voice even faded, the City God Seal in his hand trembled violently, and an invisible ripple spread out from him as the center.

At the same time, Qin Ji raised his hand, his palm aimed at the Skeleton Lord that was on the verge of berserking.

[ Skill: Soul Harvest (Magic Modified Version) ]

"Rumble—!!"

A pitch-black thunderbolt appeared out of thin air, but it didn't strike the Skeleton Lord; instead, it slammed directly into the center of the Grand Blueprint Guild's crowd!

No, that wasn't thunder.

That was a spatial collapse caused by highly concentrated Dark Elements undergoing extreme compression!

"Ah—!!"

Screams instantly merged into one.

The dozen or so mages and priests at the center of the explosion evaporated instantly, not even leaving corpses behind.

Immediately following, a violent shockwave mixed with the [Double True Damage] verdict swept across the entire area like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

[ Killed player "Grand Blueprint Mad Blade", obtained Strength +5 ]

[ Killed player "Grand Blueprint Qingfeng", obtained Intelligence +3 ]

...

Densely packed kill notifications flooded Qin Ji's vision.

The hundred-person group that had been so aggressive just moments ago had lost half its members in a single exchange.

The remaining dozens of heavy-armored warriors, while having managed to survive thanks to their thick armor, saw their HP bars hit rock bottom instantly, and one by one, they were sent flying like kites with broken strings, slamming heavily into the rock walls, the sound of their armor shattering clearly audible.

"This... what kind of damage is this?!"

The commander of the Grand Blueprint Guild, a max-level knight, was currently slumped on the ground, looking at his remaining few hundred HP, his eyes filled with terror, "Who are you?! Are you that Qin Ji?!"

Qin Ji didn't answer, merely walking slowly to the Skeleton Lord, which had also been caught in the blast and was currently shivering in fear.

"Borrowing your Soul Fire for a moment."

"Puff."

The greatsword swung past lightly, and the Skeleton Lord's incredibly hard skull was sliced open like tofu.

[ Killed LV.25 Skeleton Lord, plundered passive: Bone Hardening (Physique +50) ]

As the BOSS fell, a ghostly blue ball of Soul Fire didn't dissipate but was forcibly absorbed by the City God Seal in Qin Ji's hand.

On the surface of the seal, which had originally been covered in cracks, a tiny fissure slowly healed, flashing with an eerie luster.

"It really works."

Qin Ji toyed with the seal in his hand, not paying any attention to the terrified players behind him.

Just as he was preparing to continue deep into the Burial Ground to harvest Souls, a special System notification suddenly rang in his ears.

"Ding! Newbie Village Chief Li Youde has initiated a remote communication request with you."

"Hm?"

Qin Ji raised an eyebrow. What did that old fox want with him?

Although somewhat puzzled, he still accepted the communication.

"Oh, brave adventurer!" Village Chief Li's voice, trembling with excitement, came through, "Thank you for clearing the curse of Fan Hall! Because of your heroic deed, our village's Spiritual Vein has finally recovered! Please, you must come back; I have something to give you!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of insight crossed Qin Ji's eyes.

The entrance to the Fan Hall dungeon was near the Newbie Village; it seemed that by clearing the Fan Hall, he had indirectly lifted some kind of restriction on the Newbie Village.

"Wait there, I'll be there soon."

Qin Ji hung up the communication, glanced at the "corpses" and equipment scattered on the ground, and casually dropped a Return Scroll.

As for the equipment dropped by the Grand Blueprint Guild on the ground? Sorry, the trash took up too much inventory space; he couldn't be bothered to pick it up.

With a flash of white light, Qin Ji's figure reappeared in the Newbie Village plaza.

The village had indeed undergone earth-shaking changes.

The originally gray, hazy sky had become clear and blue, the air was filled with faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi, and even the withered trees at the village entrance had sprouted new buds.

All the NPCs were gathered in the plaza; seeing Qin Ji appear, Village Chief Li immediately walked up quickly and bowed deeply to him.

"Hero! You are the benefactor of our entire village!"

Village Chief Li straightened his back, his wrinkled face smiling like a chrysanthemum, "According to our ancestral teachings, you may take any three items from the village's treasure vault."

As he spoke, Village Chief Li waved his hand.

Several strong guards immediately brought up three heavy treasure chests and opened them in public.

The dazzling array of light instantly blinded the eyes of the surrounding spectating newbies.

Qin Ji's gaze swept across: [Heaven-Grade Hidden Class: Poison Alchemist], [Epic-Grade Set Blueprint], [High-Tier Skill Book]... These treasures, which would be enough to cause a bloodbath if placed outside, were now laid out before him like cheap cabbages.

But he only glanced at them indifferently, his gaze finally resting on a tattered little booklet in the corner.

[ Tattered Law Secret Manual: Ice (Special) ]

[ Introduction: Records a trace of the ancient Ice God's insights. After studying it, there is a very low probability of touching the threshold of the Ice Law. ]

"Law."

Qin Ji's heart skipped a beat.

There are ten thousand paths to godhood, but only the Law is indispensable.

Players before their second class advancement couldn't even touch things at this level; he hadn't expected such a good item to be hidden in this Newbie Village.

Even though it was just a fragment, and even though it was only Ice-attribute, it was vital for his future "God-Creation Project."

"I want this." Qin Ji picked up the booklet without hesitation.

A flash of admiration crossed Village Chief Li's eyes, "Good eye. Although this thing is tattered, its Origins are extraordinary."

Qin Ji didn't waste words, his gaze continuing to search.

Suddenly, his sight was drawn to a scroll gleaming with a bronze luster.

[ Weapon Evolution Scroll (Special) ]

[ Effect: Designates one piece of equipment to undergo an "Over-Limit Evolution", with a probability of increasing its quality or mutating special affixes. ]

[ Restriction: One-time use item, cannot be used on items above Divine Artifact grade. ]

Qin Ji's eyes lit up.

This was exactly what he was urgently lacking!

His first thought was the [City God Seal] in his hand.

If he could make this thing evolve, his plan to build the Netherworld could definitely be accelerated by half the time.

But just as he brought the scroll near the City God Seal, the System notification poured down like a bucket of cold water.

"Ding! Target item's grade is too high / severely damaged, cannot evolve."

"Tsk, so it doesn't work after all."

Qin Ji pursed his lips, though he wasn't surprised.

The City God Seal was, after all, a foundational item involving the rules of the Netherworld; a mere ordinary evolution scroll was indeed not enough.

Since he couldn't strengthen his core item, he would strengthen his survival capabilities.

Qin Ji's fingers scrolled through his backpack, finally stopping on a warm, smooth jade pendant.

[ purification jade pendant (Rare Grade) ]

[ Effect: Remove one negative status. Cooldown: 60 seconds. ]

This was a small top-tier item he had randomly obtained earlier; its attributes were standard.

But in this kind of holographic game, crowd control skills were often more lethal than damage skills.

Once hit by chain crowd control, no matter how high your attributes were, you could only be a target.

"Evolve."

Qin Ji tore the scroll directly and slapped it onto the jade pendant.

"Hum—"

A blinding golden light erupted, and dense runes appeared on the originally smooth surface of the jade pendant, its size shrinking by a circle, becoming crystal clear.

"Ding! Evolution successful!"

[ Myriad Laws Immunity · Bodhi Jade (Legendary Grade) ]

[ Wearing Requirement: Soul-bound, cannot be dropped, cannot be stolen. ]

[ Effect: The wearer is immune to 85% of all negative statuses (including but not limited to knock-up, stun, freeze, curse, mental control). ]

[ Durability: 100 / 100 ]

"85% crowd control immunity..."

Qin Ji looked at the new attributes, raising an eyebrow slightly.

This value was already extremely terrifying; one had to know that in the setting of God's Domain, even gods wouldn't dare claim they could be immune to all crowd control.

85% almost meant that apart from rule-level hard crowd control, other skills hitting him would basically be like tickling.

But he still felt it wasn't perfect.

This thing had durability.

Once it was shattered during intense combat, he would become a turtle without a shell.

"Fortunately, I kept an ace up my sleeve."

Qin Ji reached back and pulled out another scroll with a dusty, dull luster from the depths of his backpack—[Everlasting Scroll].

This was something he had pilfered from an inconspicuous corner in the Fan Hall; at the time, he thought the name was quite unlucky, but he hadn't expected it to come in handy so soon.

[ Everlasting Scroll: Locks the durability of a piece of equipment to "Indestructible". ]

"Use."

As the scroll turned into a stream of light and merged into the jade pendant, the line "Durability: 100 / 100" instantly changed to a golden "∞ (Indestructible)".

Qin Ji hung the jade pendant at his waist, feeling the warm, smooth coolness flow through his entire body, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening.

High attack, True Damage, and now, high crowd control immunity.

Only now did he truly have the capital to walk sideways in this world.

"The last item."

Qin Ji casually picked up a [Saint Grade Talent Awakening Stone].

This thing was useless to him; his talent [Greedy Grasp] was already an existence that transcended grade.

But for his future "henchmen," this thing was a priceless treasure.

"Village Chief Li, thanks."

Qin Ji put away the items and turned to leave.

"Wait, adventurer." Village Chief Li suddenly called him back, his expression becoming somewhat complex, hesitant to speak, "Have you... heard of 'The Return'?"

"The Return?" Qin Ji's footsteps paused, and he turned back to look at the old man, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, perhaps I'm just old and muddled." Village Chief Li shook his head, a trace of imperceptible fear flashing in his cloudy eyes, "It's just... if you encounter people from 'Above' in the future, please be sure to be careful. This world is not as simple as you see."

Qin Ji looked deeply at Village Chief Li, not pressing for more.

He knew that some plot points were not yet time to be triggered.

"I'm leaving."

Qin Ji waved his hand, and his figure disappeared into white light once again.

The next second, he returned to that deathly silent Burial Ground.

But this time, his eyes were even greedier, even more unscrupulous.

"Alright, warm-up over."

Qin Ji stood atop a massive pile of white bones, the City God Seal in his hand emitting a ghostly black light, like a hungry black hole, frantically devouring the stray Death Qi around him.

"Next... it's time to let this land have a new master."

A violent wind whipped up his black coat, revealing the crystal-clear jade pendant at his waist.

In the distance, countless undead creatures seemed to sense the arrival of their natural enemy, letting out uneasy low roars, and under the gaze of those purple-gold pupils, the entire Burial Ground was trembling slightly, as if welcoming a tyrant about to ascend the throne.