The sky was a canvas of swirling yellow sand, unbroken by a single cloud. Before Chen Guo stood an ancient arena, its massive form hewn from thick granite. He gazed upon the vast structure, utterly at a loss for words.
It was hard for him to believe that the Demon King, of all beings, could be so spiteful. All he had done was slay one of his insignificant underlings, and for that, he'd been banished to this godforsaken place.
"The rule: Kill a thousand demons or be killed by a thousand demons!"
"Countdown begins: 10 minutes, 9:59... 9:58..."
A grueling battle loomed ahead, but Chen Guo felt a surge of confidence. "With my Flying Thunder God Art and the new Life Siphon ability, I can endure. Even if it's a war of attrition, I'll outlast them," he mused, his mind racing with strategies.
His past experiences had tempered him; he remained cool and collected in the face of adversity.
Suddenly, Chen Guo's ears perked up. The sound of footsteps and the presence of several formidable auras signaled the approach of others. Recognizing who was coming from a distance, he swiftly switched from Lee Xiaoyao's guise to that of Guangcheng.
"Is that...?"
"Boss Guangcheng himself!"
"He got sent to this hellhole before us!"
Excited murmurs filled the air. Chen Guo, under the well-known moniker of Guangcheng, was instantly recognizable. His image had been widely circulated; it was no surprise he was identified on sight.
In the Whole Heaven Battlefield, modern devices like phones were forbidden, but in some Beginner Villages set in modern urban areas, such as those resembling post-apocalyptic wastelands from zombie outbreaks, obtaining such items was trivial. Spectators had captured Chen Guo's valiant image, making Guangcheng a name celebrated far and wide.
Chen Guo turned his attention to the newcomers: five in total, four men and one woman. He knew them at once—each was a legend on the rankings. Their combat strength might not match his, but their talents were likely of Heaven or Earth Level, their skills formidable.
The prospect of using his Omnipresent Duplication to acquire their talents, perhaps even those of Heaven Level, set Chen Guo's heart ablaze. To him, these five were no longer mere mortals; they were walking gold mines, ripe for the taking.
"It looks like I'm not alone in taking on a thousand demons. With your support, you've saved me a heap of trouble," Chen Guo said with a beaming smile, warmly greeting everyone, "Welcome!"
A man with short hair and thick eyebrows, dressed in a sturdy outfit, stared at Chen Guo in astonishment. "Everyone says that Boss Guangcheng is aloof, but I never expected you to be so approachable, Boss Guangcheng. That's quite surprising."
"There's nothing surprising about it," Chen Guo replied. "The rumors out there tend to be overblown. I'm actually quite enthusiastic, not standoffish in the least. And you are?"
As he spoke, Chen Guo extended his hand, eager to shake hands with the man before him.
"I'm Lei Kun. You've probably heard of me, haven't you?" The man reached out his hand, ready to shake his, while speaking.
So this was Lei Kun, the man ranked second on the leaderboard, with a fighting capacity just below Chen Guo's at 380,000. It was a mystery what had propelled him to such formidable strength.
"Your reputation precedes you!" Chen Guo exclaimed, vigorously shaking Lei Kun's hand and triggering the Omnipresent Duplication. "It's an honor to fight by your side!"
"Ding! Duplication initiated. You have duplicated the Heaven Level talent of Dao Seeker Lei Kun!"
"Forceful Inheritance: Upon the death of teammates, NPCs, or monsters that hold you in high regard, you will forcefully inherit their entire legacy. All their power and abilities will transfer to you!"
Chen Guo was thrilled to have copied Lei Kun's Heaven Level talent, but the details of the Forceful Inheritance made it clear that Lei Kun was no saint. He must have backstabbed plenty of teammates and NPCs, gaining their power to reach his current level of strength.
Like the notorious scoundrel Constantine from the legends, he probably wouldn't hesitate to betray and overpower allies, NPCs, and foes alike to absorb their strength.
Such a dangerous character was best kept at arm's length after a single collaboration, to avoid becoming another one of his victims.
Yet, this Forceful Inheritance was indeed a Heaven Level talent—utterly formidable. If Chen Guo could somehow win over the Buddha Tathagata and then betray him, wouldn't that be a meteoric rise to power, gaining the strength of the Buddha Tathagata himself?
This talent was on par with my Omnipresent Duplication, and its potential only grew as it advanced further. What a stroke of luck that I managed to copy such a formidable gift onto myself!
"I'm not really anyone special, but I've long admired the renowned Boss Guangcheng..." Lei Kun said, his brow suddenly furrowing, "For some reason, I feel a sense of loss, as if you've somehow gotten the better of me. It's quite peculiar."
Chen Guo was taken aback, marveling at Lei Kun's acute intuition. He had somehow sensed the covert nature of his Omnipresent Duplication.
Such a formidable individual could not be allowed to remain a threat.
"Perhaps I swiped your wallet," Chen Guo joked with a chuckle.
"Perhaps..." Lei Kun didn't elaborate. His instincts, however, warned him to keep his distance from Chen Guo in the future, lest he suffer a significant setback.
"And your name, sir?" Chen Guo asked with a smile, offering his hand to another Jutrelian after releasing Lei Kun's.
The man was somewhat portly, with a round, robot-cat-like face that exuded a simple, affable charm.
"Hello, Boss Guangcheng. My name is Lin Dong. I've long admired your reputation, and it's an honor to meet you!" The plump man was pleasantly surprised by the attention and eagerly shook Chen Guo's hand. "I was a bit anxious initially, but with you here, I'm at ease!"
This man was none other than Lin Dong, ranked fourth on the Legendary Ranking.
"Ding! Omnipresent Duplication activated. You have copied the Heaven Level talent of Dao Seeker Lin Dong, Deep Blue!"
"Deep Blue: You can refine the extraordinary items you've collected, extracting attribute points to enhance yourself!"
Chen Guo's smile grew even wider upon acquiring another Heaven Level talent. He mused that Lin Dong was like a traditional cheat character, but now his advantages were his.
The Deep Blue talent was incredibly powerful. Lin Dong likely didn't have as many skills, as good equipment, or as impressive talents as he did, and his heart sutra paled in comparison. Yet, when it came to attributes, he might be on par with him.
"Keep striving; you have a promising future ahead of you!" Chen Guo encouraged, patting Lin Dong on the shoulder before letting go of his hand.
Then, Chen Guo's eyes settled on a golden-haired young man.