Before Lee Fala's demise, those around him had already scattered like monkeys fleeing through the trees, each one racing away faster than the last. Chen Guo, however, had focused on dealing with Lee Fala, the ringleader, and temporarily ignored the rest.
Now, having burned Lee Fala alive, Chen Guo was certainly not going to spare the others. Having expended a True Martial Token and endured a barrage of criticism, Chen Guo was determined to be ruthless and build a fearsome reputation.
In this harsh world, weakness meant nothing; only strength and an iron fist could quell all dissent.
"You may run fast, but against my Flying Thunder God Art, your speed is irrelevant!" Chen Guo declared, his form blinking from place to place, now employing a variety of Mount Maoshan Dao Arts.
After unlocking a trove of skills related to these arts, he had mastered 70% of them, a level of proficiency that would rank him among the sect leaders and elders within the Mount Maoshan Sect itself—a true master of the Mount Maoshan Dao Arts.
Previously, Chen Guo hadn't intended to annihilate his foes completely, using the Kingslayer to intimidate them. But now, ready to unleash havoc, he chose the more potent and expertly wielded Mount Maoshan Dao Arts as his weapons of choice.
"Heavenly Master Talisman!"
"Fire Curse!"
"Wind Curse!"
"Thunder Curse!"
"Five Ghost Heavenly Master Curse!"
Like a bolt of lightning, Chen Guo moved and cast his spells in rapid succession. Within a few exchanges, members of the Tiger Claw Gang were dropping like flies—a total slaughter.
Onlookers watched the chat fill with notifications, their skin crawling at the sight:
"Explorer? has slain trial challenger Zhou Haohe, earning 1000 Slaughter Points!"
"Explorer? has slain trial challenger Lin Mowu, earning 1000 Slaughter Points!"
"Explorer? has slain trial challenger Ding Zhen, earning 1000 Slaughter Points!"
"Explorer? has slain trial challenger Wu Qian, earning 1000 Slaughter Points!"
The announcements flooded in, as trial challengers perished one after another in abrupt succession.
"Boss Guangcheng is truly merciless. He's like a deity of death. We must never cross Boss Guangcheng in the future, or we'll surely pay dearly!"
"Beginner Village 10733 is utterly clueless. Boss Guangcheng is a force to be reckoned with; he's someone you'd want as an ally, not an enemy!"
"A one-man massacre of an entire village—such arrogance and tyranny. He's not just Guangcheng; he's practically a Demon King!"
The trial challengers who were watching were completely astounded by Chen Guo's tactics.
Finally, after half an hour.
Two-thirds of the trial challengers in Beginner Village 10733 had fallen to Chen Guo.
And Chen Guo had leveled up to 15!
Evidently, leveling up through killing was a swift process.
The remaining third of the trial challengers were in a state of shock, frozen in terror, unable to even think of escape, resigned to their impending doom.
Chen Guo searched the bodies, duplicating dozens of talents, reaping a rich harvest.
Then, Chen Guo addressed the survivors, "Aren't you going to surrender? Do you truly wish to be wiped out?"
"You... you're not going to kill us?" one of them asked, a mix of shock and relief in their voice.
Chen Guo replied, "I'm no murderous demon king. Haven't you noticed? I only killed those who insulted me on the district channel. You didn't insult me. Therefore, I'll spare you and allow you to surrender!"
"Thank you, Boss Guangcheng!"
"Boss Guangcheng, you're like a living Bodhisattva!"
"What a relief! Long live Boss Guangcheng!"
Traumatized by Chen Guo's ruthless actions, these people developed a sort of Stockholm Syndrome. Seeing that Chen Guo spared them, they were overwhelmed with gratitude, with many even kneeling and bowing deeply.
"We surrender!"
They declared together.
"The conflict is over. Explorer ??, representing Beginner Village 996, has triumphed overwhelmingly, defeating Beginner Village 10733!"
"The True Martial Emperor admires the Explorer's courage and compassion. He has bestowed upon the Explorer a special reward, a permanent 5% boost to his fighting capacity!"
"The Explorer has received the True Martial Spiritual Blessing, permanently increasing his combat power by 5%! Hail the watchful True Martial Emperor, fight bravely, and vanquish demons!"
"All trial challengers in Beginner Village 996 will receive the True Martial Spiritual Blessing for three days!"
"Beginner Village No. 10733 has been detected to have collapsed. As a result, it is now being decommissioned, and all of its resources and landscapes will be integrated into Beginner Village No. 961!"
"Out of the residents of Beginner Village No. 10733, 147 individuals are recognized for their kind and just hearts, earning the admiration of the True Martial Emperor. They are spared from punishment and will be randomly reassigned to other Beginner Villages."
"The remaining trial challengers will have all their attributes stripped and redistributed among the trial challengers of Beginner Village No. 961. Their attributes will be reset to zero, and they will face system execution for failing the default mission."
Following these announcements, many trial challengers from Beginner Village No. 10733 vanished, while the others were wiped out by the system amidst their screams.
Meanwhile, the plane's landscapes and various resources of Beginner Village No. 10733 were seamlessly merged into Beginner Village No. 961.
Additionally, the trial challengers in Beginner Village No. 961 were thrilled to discover that each of their attributes had increased by 50 points.
This brought a wave of jubilation to Beginner Village No. 961. With an abundance of resources and strengthened attributes, the once frail village was now poised for a bright future.
"This is incredible! We've hit the jackpot, like Qin Shihuang flipping a switch!"
"Our attributes have shot up by 50 points, and check out the expanded map – we've got the Asura ruins, the Underworld River bed, and loads of new monsters!"
"Our Beginner Village is on the rise!"
Despite most trial challengers being mature adults, the unexpected windfall had them all celebrating with joyous leaps and dances.
Zhou Tao took a moment to remind everyone, "Let's not forget that all of this is thanks to Boss Guangcheng. We used to grumble about him hogging all the resources, but now it's clear that having such a formidable leader means more resources for us!"
"Absolutely, all credit goes to Boss Guangcheng. He's not only powerful and dashing, but he's also got me so excited, I'm ready to have his babies!" exclaimed one of the female trial challengers, her fervor reminiscent of a die-hard fan meeting a heartthrob celebrity.
"We've got to make the most of this and properly develop the Jade Void Temple. Even if Boss Guangcheng doesn't need it, we're proud to be his loyal followers!"
In that moment, Chen Guo's prestige within Beginner Village No. 961 soared to new heights, and his renown spread far and wide, shining brighter than ever.
Chen Guo wasn't one to be swayed by hollow accolades. He was aware that despite his current unrivaled status, any lapse in vigilance could not only invite future perils but also leave room for others with Heaven Level talent to catch up—after all, he wasn't the only one in the world with such potential.
"If I let my guard down, I'm bound to be overtaken," he mused. "I must keep pushing my limits. With the map's recent expansion, I need to be the first to conquer all the bosses!"
He also realized the need to elevate his status. "Otherwise, my true fighting capacity won't be fully recognized..."
Chen Guo's combat strength read 99999, but he knew this wasn't a reflection of his limit; rather, it was the cap placed by his Explorer identity. To truly showcase his prowess, he had to aim higher.