"Who is this bastard? Such arrogance, such recklessness—they must face punishment!"
The devils seethed with uncontrollable rage.
They were itching to rip Chen Guo to shreds.
Alas, they couldn't even locate him.
The devils had banded together, making assassination attempts significantly more challenging, and as a result, Chen Guo's efficiency had taken a hit.
Nonetheless, within an hour, Chen Guo had slain 99 devils and claimed 99 Soul Stones.
Simultaneously, he had ascended to Level 22.
His ranking had finally broken into the top 100.
The devils persisted in their hunt for Chen Guo.
But Chen Guo was done indulging them.
"Senior Yim Chixia, I've gathered 99 Soul Stones. How do I use them to breach the magical barrier and enter the City of Pain?" Chen Guo, having retreated to a quiet corner, summoned Yim Chixia through a paper butterfly.
Yim Chixia, utterly astounded, exclaimed, "You've killed 99 devils in just half an hour?"
Chen Guo explained, "It could have been quicker, but those devils aren't simpletons. Once their numbers started dwindling, they caught on and started to cluster together, scouring the area for me. Assassinations became far trickier. Hence the delay, and it took me a full half-hour."
Yim Chixia was left speechless by Chen Guo's casual boast.
"I seem to have grossly underestimated your abilities. Young Hero, you are by far the most formidable among those aiding us from the Little World. Your solo efforts surpass the efficiency of an entire team," Yim Chixia acknowledged.
Realizing there were others from the Beginner Village undertaking their own quests, Chen Guo inquired, "Senior Yim Chixia, exactly how many are supporting you from the Little World?"
"Roughly a thousand," Yim Chixia replied.
"That many..." Chen Guo was momentarily taken aback, but then it dawned on him that out of billions globally, it wasn't surprising that over a thousand qualified for the task.
"Now that you have secured 99 Soul Stones, Young Hero, I will impart to you the Void Escape Formation. Arrange the Soul Stones into the formation, and you will be able to open a portal through the magical barrier to enter the City of Pain," Yim Chixia instructed.
Having finished speaking, Yim Chixia generously began instructing Chen Guo in the art of the Void Escape Formation.
This particular formation, designed to counteract demonic magic barriers, was not deemed highly secretive, and Yim Chixia hoped it would become widely known.
"Once I've mastered it, I'll be ready to back you up, Senior Yim Chixia!" declared Chen Guo.
"There's no need to rush. We still possess enough skill to hold out for quite some time," Yim Chixia reassured him.
Remaining invisible, Chen Guo utilized the Flying Thunder God Art to approach the outskirts of the vast purple barrier that shrouded a city of breathtaking beauty.
From a distance, the City of Pain appeared as a dim blur, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the city's luminescence and vibrant colors were what made it seem indistinct.
The architecture within the city was stunningly ornate, and the elven statues hinted at its origins—a magical city crafted by elves.
Yet now, the city was mostly deserted and devoid of vitality. Elf corpses littered the streets, reduced to mere skeletons, indicating the city had once faced a devastating disaster.
The central plaza, however, bustled with activity beneath the magic tower, where a throng of trial challengers gathered, with new arrivals joining continuously.
After surveying the scene, Chen Guo set up the Void Escape Formation. With the formation in place, a portal materialized on the magic barrier, through which Chen Guo stepped.
Inside the City of Pain, Chen Guo took stock of his surroundings and attempted to duplicate the remains of the elves, hoping to extract something from their skeletal remains.
But the system's alert dashed his hopes.
"Ding! Duplication initiated. Duplication failed. The essence of this being has been drained by the Ancient God, leaving nothing but remnants."
After several unsuccessful attempts to duplicate the remains of the elves, it became clear to Chen Guo that these beings had fallen prey to the Ancient God in life, their essence wholly consumed, leaving nothing to be replicated.
Undeterred, Chen Guo accepted the outcome. These relics would have been a bonus—welcome if available, but not essential.
Chen Guo made his way to the plaza and noticed that the crowd was split into two factions.
One faction was a formidable force, numbering seven to eight hundred strong, while the other barely surpassed a hundred.
The larger group faced off against the smaller, their eyes brimming with hostility.
The smaller group, however, appeared significantly outmatched.
Chen Guo surmised that this group consisted entirely of Jutrelians.
Upon his arrival, all eyes in the plaza shifted to him.
"Why is this person by themselves?"
"Where are their teammates? Without a team, how could they possibly take down ninety-nine demons?"
"Perhaps their teammates have perished. Those demons are incredibly fierce, and complete annihilation isn't unheard of."
The crowd murmured among themselves.
Leaders from both groups approached Chen Guo simultaneously:
"Brother, what nation do you hail from?"
Chen Guo responded, "I am from Jutrela."
"Hmph!" The leader of the larger group scoffed, "Yet another Jutrela dog!"
"Ignore him. Join our ranks instead. I'm Wang Mingze, and I welcome you to our Jutrelian contingent!" A burly man with a square jaw warmly addressed Chen Guo, "With you, our strength grows, even if we're still far from matching our adversaries. By the way, brother, what do they call you?"
Chen Guo, puzzled by the current state of affairs but recognizing the Jutrelians' plight, answered, "I'm Lee Xiaoyao. Brother Wang, can you fill me in? The tension here is palpable."
Wang Mingze gave a wry smile, "We Jutrelians have been singled out by that lot. We've become the bullseye for their arrows, and our situation is precarious. We need to stick together to make them think twice."