The Yuanling Water Monkeys, resembling sloths, possess claws as sharp as B-grade weapons. Should one of these creatures capture its prey, it would surely render them either dead or crippled. Yet, the most distinctive trait of these creatures is their insatiable thirst for blood.
In the second year following the arrival of the Tianyuan, a devastating Yuanling Water Monkey plague erupted in Magic City. These creatures do not typically feed on flesh, but they are extraordinarily sensitive to blood. During that catastrophic event, tens of thousands perished overnight. It was only after five grueling days of combat that the plague was finally eradicated. The final toll was staggering—over two hundred thousand were wounded, and the death count exceeded one hundred thousand.
Without hesitation, Xu Que swung his blade at the first Yuanling Water Monkey that charged from the shadows. The others, seeing their companion fall, unsheathed their claws and rushed towards him.
These monkeys, not as agile as the Shadow Panthers, were easily evaded by Xu Que, who swiftly severed the heads of two more. With each swing of his Cloud Essence Demon Cutter, the blade cleaved through the air, leaving behind a trail of deadly sparks.
The eerie, shrill screeches of the monkeys echoed behind him, but Xu Que was prepared. He rolled on the spot and, with one fluid motion, struck the approaching Yuanling Water Monkey down.
The battle, sudden as it was, ended as quickly as it had begun. Within two minutes, Xu Que had slaughtered fourteen of these vicious creatures.
Noticing that the monkeys' bodies had dropped some items, Xu Que swiftly collected them.
[You have obtained C-grade material, Sharp Claw.]
[Name: Sharp Claw C-grade]
[Quality: Excellent (Purple)]
[Miscellaneous Material: Right paw claw of an adult Yuanling Water Monkey, useful for forging and alchemy.]
Xu Que's heart leaped with joy as he collected not one, but two Sharp Claws. Though equipment was important, his greater desire was for forging materials, for such treasures could only be found within the dimensional space.
Closing the inventory, Xu Que opened his personal attribute panel, sensing that his efforts had borne fruit, likely raising his level by at least two stars.
[Name: Xu Que]
[Cultivation: B-grade Two Stars, 9%]
[Martial Arts: Heaven-Slashing Style (slightly developed), Sword Mastery (slightly developed)]
[Cultivation Technique: Early-stage Breathing Technique (upgradable)]
[Bloodline: None]
[Companion Beast: None]
[Honor: 2924]
[Trade Hall (unopened)]
Indeed! Two stars. It was time to prepare for what lay ahead.
Xu Que peered into the space ahead, detecting only the stench of decay. No immediate danger was triggered, so he retracted his head cautiously.
He chose not to enter but instead retraced his steps, returning to the end of the Central District passage.
Given his current cultivation, Xu Que decided it would be more prudent to acquire two more techniques. No matter how high his cultivation, without life-saving or offensive methods, it was meaningless.
Cultivation, he mused, was like a vast container. Without a medium or techniques, it was but a vessel for storing energy. Only with the proper techniques could this energy be harnessed and wielded.
Meanwhile, Zhao Xian and the others slowly opened their eyes after their cultivation, sensing a sudden surge of energy. Their faces lit up with joy.
"Xu, you were right! Five hours of cultivation here is like decades of work back home!" Huang Bo exclaimed.
"Indeed," Qi Shan added, "I once thought warriors would be obsolete due to firearms, but with our current strength, those weapons are no longer a threat."
"Enough chatter," Zhao Xian interjected. "Let's get to ranking as Xu suggested."
Before Zhao Xian had finished speaking, Kun Shao had already entered his pseudonym into the confirmation panel.
Instantly, a flood of electronic information buzzed in his ears.
"Shit… Shit!" Kun Shao gasped. "There's a reward for making it onto the [Cultivation Leaderboard]!"
Hearing this, Zhao Xian and the others turned their attention to Kun Shao. Though they had heard Xu Que mention rewards for ranking on the leaderboard, they hadn't taken it seriously. In their minds, personal strength was the only true measure of a warrior.
"What's the reward? What has you so excited?" Huang Bo asked, intrigued.
"A permanent talent that boosts cultivation speed by fifty times, plus a temporary talent called [Cultivation Amplification] that seems to enhance my Breathing Technique."
As Kun Shao explained, he activated the temporary talent, and instantly his Breathing Technique was upgraded to an intermediate level.
"Shit…" Zhao Xian and the others stared at Kun Shao in disbelief.
"What's going on? Spit it out!" Zhao Xian demanded impatiently.
"I… I can't really explain it," Kun Shao replied, still overwhelmed. "Let me just show you my stats."
[Name: Cai Kun]
[Cultivation: D-grade Zero Stars, 2%]
[Martial Arts: None]
[Cultivation Technique: Mid-stage Breathing Technique (upgradable)]
[Bloodline: None]
[Companion Beast: None]
[Honor: 11]
[Trade Hall (unopened)]
Upon hearing that Kun Shao's Breathing Technique had reached the mid-stage, Zhao Xian raised an eyebrow in astonishment.
"You not only got a permanent cultivation talent, but you also received a temporary talent that enhances your Breathing Technique?" Zhao Xian confirmed.
"Yes!" Kun Shao nodded eagerly.
Zhao Xian turned to the others, and his look was unmistakable.
Seeing Zhao Xian's intense gaze, Huang Bo and the others understood instantly but still joked, "Xian Ge, this kid doesn't play fair. You go first, and once we all make it onto the [Cultivation Leaderboard], we'll give him a good beating!"
Kun Shao froze, stunned by the massive rewards he had unexpectedly received. He had only meant to try it out, not anticipating such a windfall.
Zhao Xian glanced at Kun Shao and casually said, "Alright, let's all share our rewards once we're done."
No one objected, nodding in agreement.
As Zhao Xian confirmed his codename, his reward arrived as well. Though it wasn't as grand as Kun Shao's permanent talent, he too received a temporary talent that boosted his Breathing Technique.
In Xu Que's eyes, while the temporary boost to the Breathing Technique was useful, it still paled in comparison to a talent like the automatic cultivation one, which was far superior in both efficiency and long-term benefits.
The [Cultivation Leaderboard] granted divine rewards to the top ranker, while those ranked second to fifth received saintly rewards—slightly less impressive, but still significant. Temporary talents were the same for all.
Ranks six to ten were reserved for higher-level rewards, still valuable but lacking the weight of the top five.
"My reward's thirty times, and I also received a temporary talent to enhance my Breathing Technique," Huang Bo said.
"Twenty times for me, same temporary talent," Qi Shan added.
"I only got ten times, and my temporary talent is [Spiritual Qi Absorption]," Qi Kai admitted awkwardly.
Zhao Xian nodded, seemingly understanding. "The leaderboard rewards depend on rank. The [Avenger] must have gotten something slightly better than Kun Shao, but it's alright. We're six in total, and Xu Que is the top of the [Territory Leaderboard]."
"Wait, if he's that strong, why isn't he on the [Cultivation Leaderboard]?" Kun Shao remarked, puzzled.
Indeed, the question lingered in the minds of the others. But Xu Que had assured them that the [Avenger] wasn't him.
"Could it be that Xu has a vendetta against the [Avenger]?" Huang Bo asked, glancing at the others, his confusion evident.