Seeing that Tang Xue's spirit was still intact, Xu Que licked his lips and then, with a swift motion, snapped her fingers one by one.
"Do not worry, I am not so cruel. I will let you live long enough to witness the fall of the Chasfield family!"
Xu Que's words were like the whispers of death itself, echoing incessantly in Tang Xue's ears.
"I regret it, kill me now, I beg you, just end my life! I know you're powerful, I believe you can do it," Tang Xue pleaded desperately.
"No!" Xu Que smiled coldly, "I never take back my words."
As Xu Que finished speaking, Tang Xue let out a scream of agony.
She truly regretted it now, knowing all too well the fiendish methods of this demon. She did not wish to endure such torment... but it was already too late!
Xu Que proceeded to sever the tendons in her left hand, followed by her legs.
"Do not worry, every day, I will let you taste a different form of torment," Xu Que whispered as he gently patted her cheek.
Tang Xue knew her fate was sealed.
She began to regret provoking this soulless demon with the Chasfield family. If she could choose again, she would have begged Xu Que to end her life immediately.
Xu Que paid no mind to Tang Xue's thoughts. His focus had shifted, and he began to observe the Star-Rending Hound with interest.
In his past life, he had only encountered C-rank versions of the creature, and there were no records of B-rank variants in his data.
The freshly evolved Star-Rending Hound opened its eyes, sensing an offense as it turned its blood-red gaze upon Xu Que.
"Interesting."
Xu Que smiled, sheathing his D-rank serrated blade, and instead drew his longsword, tauntingly flicking his fingers.
"Roar!"
The Star-Rending Hound, enraged, felt certain that it could tear apart the creature before it. It pushed off the ground with its four legs and charged toward Xu Que.
"Slash!"
In a flash, the sword's arc cleaved the hound in two, sending its halves flying in opposite directions.
Tang Xue stood there stunned, realizing just how laughable her situation was.
Xu Que ignored her reaction and bent to pick up two glowing orbs from the remains of the hound's body, examining them closely.
[You have obtained consumable item: Bloodthirsty Bloodline Crystal.]
[Name: Bloodthirsty Bloodline Crystal (Unidentified Bloodline)]
[Quality: Rough (Gray)]
[Consumable Item: An unidentified bloodline crystal, refining it will yield an unknown effect.]
Upon seeing that it was indeed a bloodline crystal, Xu Que's lips curled into a smile.
The value of this item was undeniably high. Regardless of the final rank, it could rival an A-rank Saint Spirit-level beast.
Xu Que immediately used his [Eye of Insight] to identify it.
[Name: Bloodthirsty Bloodline Crystal C-rank.]
[Quality: Excellent (Purple)]
[Bloodline Purity: 68%]
[Consumable Item: Refining this crystal has a high probability of obtaining a Bloodthirsty Bloodline, a certain chance of acquiring a Frenzied Bloodline, and a very low chance of obtaining an Extremely Frenzied Bloodline.]
After seeing the properties, Xu Que chose not to refine it immediately.
Although he aimed to claim the top spot on the [Bloodline Rankings], if he refined this mid-tier bloodline, it would be a complete waste of his efforts.
In his past life, many did not understand the rarity of bloodlines. They thought merely ranking high on the leaderboard was a good thing, but after countless battles, they learned the true significance of bloodlines.
While the Bloodline of the King of Hell was strong, it was not the strongest. His position at the top was due to the fact that the former elites had nearly all perished, and his luck had been extraordinary—finding such a bloodline crystal in an overlooked crack. This had allowed him to unlock his bloodline first. However, from the way he healed after each battle, it was clear his bloodline was regenerative in nature.
Xu Que quickly analyzed the situation, deciding to abandon the idea of refining this crystal.
As for whether to sell or gift it... he was undecided. From his current standpoint, it was priceless.
He would wait and see. If he could acquire a better bloodline from elsewhere, he would donate this one to the official organization, making it a strategic favor to call in later.
As for Zhao Xian and the others, Xu Que had no intention of letting them refine such a bloodline, for strong individuals never chose such a bloodline.
Tang Xue, bound to the wall, had no idea what Xu Que was doing. Just as she tried to struggle, a black sword pierced through her arm.
A piercing scream filled the air as she glared at the sword in fury.
"If you don't want to suffer, then stay still. I will make your worst nightmares come true," Xu Que remarked as he tossed her a final glance, heading toward the upper floors of the villa and reviewing his next item.
As for her escape, Xu Que had no concerns.
After all, a person with all their tendons severed could never escape from this villa.
[Name: Left Eye of the Star-Rending Hound King B-rank (Unique Pendant)]
[Quality: Excellent (Purple)]
[Active: Using it grants brief psychic vision (30 seconds duration, cooldown: 90 minutes)]
[Passive: Wearing it increases alertness to danger, with a chance of triggering an escape effect.]
Upon seeing the attributes of this item, Xu Que was somewhat astonished.
In his past life, he had encountered many remarkable pendants, but never one with such extraordinary properties.
After removing the A-rank Mirror Heart, Xu Que returned to the basement and activated the pendant.
In an instant, it felt as though a fog had descended over his vision.
With the brief psychic vision, Xu Que immediately focused on Tang Xue.
"What's this? It can't peer into her thoughts. Why am I only sensing emotional fluctuations?" Xu Que muttered, unsatisfied. He quickly moved to stand before Tang Xue, delivering a punch to her chest.
Tang Xue let out a muffled grunt. She had no idea what this madman was up to, but she truly wished for death to escape this torment.
Sensing her emotional turmoil, Xu Que smiled.
So this "psychic vision" wasn't about reading someone's thoughts, but rather detecting emotional responses to a situation or problem.
"Interesting," Xu Que said with a smirk.
"Kill me, Xu Que, just kill me..." Tang Xue sobbed.
Xu Que interrupted her, "Shut your mouth and await your torment!"
"Ah!!!"
Hearing Xu Que's words, Tang Xue screamed in rage.
Xu Que ignored her. Here, no one could hear her cries, no matter how loud.
As he left the villa, the sky was beginning to brighten.
"Didn't expect the time to pass so quickly," Xu Que mused before stepping onto his flying sword and heading off.
---
When Xu Que returned, Shen Mengchu was busy reviewing some documents.
"Didn't you rest?" Xu Que asked with concern.
"There's too much to do, so I just took a quick nap on the couch," Shen Mengchu smiled.
But then, she froze, noticing that the blood on Xu Que's clothes was not from an alien creature.
"You killed someone?" Shen Mengchu asked cautiously.
"Yes," Xu Que nodded. "Those people won't be troubling us again."
Shen Mengchu stood there, stunned for a moment, before she pieced it together.
"Those people who were tailing us?" she asked.
"To be precise, it was the ones who sabotaged the training camp and stole from the Security Bureau," Xu Que replied.
Shen Mengchu gasped. "Was it Tang Xue and her group?"
"Ji Bodda was among them," Xu Que smiled.
"Where are their bodies? I'll report to the higher-ups right away."
"Except for Tang Xue, I dealt with the others and fed their bodies to the alien creatures," Xu Que stated casually.
Upon hearing this, Shen Mengchu froze, her hand holding the phone stiffened.
She found it hard to believe. Wasn't the city cleared of alien creatures already? Could Xu Que have taken the bodies into some rift?
Xu Que, noticing her confusion, smiled and said, "You can notify Elder Peng and the others, but be sure to tell them to leave Tang Xue for me. I have big plans for her."
Shen Mengchu didn't understand Xu Que's intentions, but she nodded and agreed, sharing the location of Longjing Courtyard with Elder Peng and the others.