The General Manager's office, Yang Group.
"That was what happened, Mr. Yang!"
Bald-head Mr. Zhang stood in front of a handsome young man in a suit, bowing his head respectfully, his eyes filled with a sense of reverence.
The handsome young man knocked on the table and laughed suddenly. "Surprise, surprise! That abandoned b*stard of yesteryear have become somebody! Is the sun starting to rise from the west?"
Mr. Zhang stood there respectfully, not daring to say anything.
"Leave me now!"
The handsome young man suddenly waved his hand.
"How about the debt, Mr. Yang?"
"Leave it for now. You don't have to worry about the rest. I will handle it myself!"
"Yes, Mr. Yang!"
Bald-headed Mr. Zhang turned and was about to leave. Right then, the handsome young man took out a pistol and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Mr. Zhang froze before dropping to the floor, the floor drenched in his blood. As the handsome young man pressed a button on the table, two bodyguards came in at once.
"Mr. Yang!"
"Clean it up!"
"yes, Mr. Yang!"
After the two bodyguards dragged Mr. Zhang's body away, the handsome young man's face suddenly turned hideous.
"I don't need trash like you, who couldn't even handle a minor matter like this. Not to mention I have to tie up the loose ends for you!"
While speaking, the handsome young man made a call. "Huohua? Help me kill someone!"
"Name?"
"The target is a Level 2 Arcanist and an employee of Pangu. I can kill him, but the price is one hundred million dollars!"
"Deal!"
...
In the following days, Ling Jiu did not go to the wilderness but stay home to cultivate his strength.
He studied The Rock Giant in the morning, practiced how to control his arcana in the afternoon, and absorbed the Gene Arcana at night.
He led a routine life every day, seizing every opportunity to practice. His Gene Arcana started to develop, his control of arcana matured, and his strength increased.
Three days had passed since then.
Ling Jiu decided to go out this evening to buy some good-quality direbeast meat and some other ingredients. Coming back, he and his dad cooked together. When his younger sister came home from school, the food was served on the table, and the family of three sat together having their dinner.
"Are you going to the wilderness again, Brother?"
Seeing the sumptuous meal on the table, his younger sister had guessed it, her expression collapsing.
"Yeah! I have been cultivating for quite some time at home. My strength has increased, and I have to train my combat strength in the wilderness!"
Ling Jiu took a mouthful of veggies before explaining with a smile.
His younger sister pouted. "Could you please not go? Isn't our life comfortable now? Why do you have to go risking your life in the wilderness?"
Ling Tianci also looked at his son with worries in his eyes. He had not forgotten the incident at Haitian Debt Collection Agency and was afraid that Mr. Yang would come after his son.
"I can't!"
Ling Jiu shook his head. "My goal is to become the Number One Fighter on Earth. How could I be complacent? Don't worry, Dad. You know what I am capable of. I will live!"
The next day, Ling Jiu rode his beloved ride to send his younger sister to school, and then he left.
"Ling Xiaotong, your elder brother is so cool!"
"That is a maglev motorcycle! The cheaper maglev motorcycles cost at least ten million dollars in the market. Your brother is damn rich!"
"Xiaotong, does your brother have a girlfriend?"
...
Ling Jiu rode his maglev motorcycle, activated the stealth mode, and flew in the air.
The wind howled past him. He did not have to worry about traffic rules, bends, or someone running into his path suddenly.
He could speed up as much as he wanted. These feelings of adrenaline rush and unrestraint were so fun, thousands of times more thrilled than the street-racing in his past life.
"As free as a bird and unrestrained as a fish. This is the worst and also the best era. I want to stand on the crest of a wave, becoming the master of this era!"
Flying at warp speed on the maglev motorcycle, Ling Jiu had left Lantian Base City toward the northwest.
"Xiaojiu, activate the auto-navigation system. Destination: Taibai Mountain!"
"Yes, Master!"
Half an hour later, Taibai Mountain was within view. Ling Jiu quietly alighted and tucked away the maglev motorcycle.
Taibai Mountain, even the entire Qin Mountains, were roaming with Direbeasts. Had he gone forward in such a conspicuous manner, it would attract the unwanted attention of the powerful Direbeasts. The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by a group of Direbeasts. So he figured that he had better go on foot.
"Let's start here!"
Ling Jiu had changed into a more comfortable sports suit. Setting his eyes in a Direction, he departed toward Taibai Mountain with the Direbeast radar activated.
Below Taibai Mountain was an endless plain. There were sporadic villages on the plain, but these places had become the Direbeast's lairs.
"One hundred and thirteen Class 1 Direbeasts!"
"Twenty-nine Class 2 Direbeasts!"
"Four Class 3 Direbeasts!"
"Kill these four Class 4 Direbeasts first, then only continue to Taibai Mountain!"
Half an hour later, Ling Jiu found the first Class 3 Direbeast.
It was an ant the size of an ox, body red and covered in bright-red scales. Its teeth looked like scissors glinting in a cold light, and it stood on six long legs.
"It is a Class 3 Direbeast, Terror Ant!"
This Terror Ant did not have a body-size advantage compared to other Class 3 Direbeasts. But Ling Jiu did not want to underestimate this beast. Ants were famous for their strength, especially an ant of this size definitely had an incredible level of strength.
Why was this ant called Terror Ant?
Because it ranked top in terms of strength among all the ant species. It was definitely the most outstanding among the Class 3 Direbeasts.
"Shadowform!"
Ling Jiu faded into a shadow and quietly approached the Terror Ant, which was eating the corpse of an ox-type Direbeast. Its scissor-like teeth were so sharp that they could easily cut its prey into shredded meat before fressing.
The Terror Ant did not notice that Ling Jiu was approaching as it continued to feast.
"Very good!"
Ling Jiu left the state of Shadowform and smacked the ground. "Earthen Spikes!"
Sharp rock jutted out from the ground suddenly and pierced into the belly of the Terror Ant. The earthen spikes attacked so quickly and sharply that blood spurted out of the Terror Ant's belly to the tearing sound of its skin.
The Terror Ant shrieked, stomping its feet on the ground as it tried to bounce up. Right then, a giant hand formed by soil appeared.
Bang!
The giant hand came down at once, swallowing the Terror Ant, which became motionless.
"This might have involved some trickery, but at least I killed the Terror Ant!"
Ling Jiu came in front of the Terror Ant. Looking at the dead Direbeast, he was pleased with his performance. "After becoming a Level 3 Arcanist, my control of the Earth-type arcana is definitely more skillful and smoother. Killing a Class 3 Direbeast could not have been easier!"
Ling Jiu kept the corpse of the Terror Ant and moved on to the next lair of a Class 3 Direbeast, which was an evolved black bear.
Standing at over five meters with a bloated layer of fat beneath the thick black hair, the black bear had a pair of half-meter-long fangs growing out of its mouth, its paws as large as a dustpan. It was vicious, muscular, and violent.
"It is a Class 3 Direbeast: Rampage Black Bear!"
Judging by the name, Ling Jiu knew that this thing was a violent-type meaty tank.
Indeed.
The Rampage Black Bear was not only physically strong but also superb in defense and speed. Its abilities were well-rounded with almost no weaknesses. It was a nasty Class 3 Direbeast.
Seeing this Rampage Black Bear, Ling Jiu became excited. "Just nice to test out my Rock Giant!"