At this moment, the outside world was unaware that three different-dimensional spaces were simultaneously overlapping.
The most terrifying aspect, however, was not the space that Xu Que occupied, but the C-level and S-level dimensional overlaps that had taken place over Mo Luo City.
As for the space Xu Que inhabited, it was a combination of B-level and Super-A-level overlaps.
---
Within the dimensional space,
Xu Que was desperately absorbing spiritual energy, his absorption speed astonishing even Han Xiaoyu and the others.
"Strange, I'm ranked seventeenth in cultivation, yet I've never seen anyone absorb spiritual energy this quickly," Han Xiaoyu mumbled.
"This person must be one of the top ten experts, because I've heard that the rewards for the top ten are extremely generous," a member of the team remarked.
"Should we...?" another teammate gestured with a motion across his throat.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiaoyu scolded sharply, "Are you out of your mind? We're from the Dayu Corporation, not some shady group! If you keep thinking like that, get out!"
The teammate, chastised, lowered his head in false contrition, but his clenched fists betrayed him.
It wasn't just him—others had similar thoughts.
Unbeknownst to them, everything was being recorded in the eyes of two people.
The first, of course, was Xu Que. Though his eyes were closed, his perception had already extended within a radius of five hundred meters.
The second was Liang Jinyu. Though she wasn't as capable as Xu Que, being a woman who had made it this far undoubtedly meant she had some skills.
Xu Que was immensely relieved that he had secured the top position on the "Cultivation Ranking."
Thanks to the "Automatic Cultivation" temporary ability, he was able to expand his perception. Without this gift, he would have been incapable of doing so.
As a vortex of spiritual energy exploded, Xu Que finally condensed twenty stars.
The surrounding onlookers widened their eyes in awe. It was their first time witnessing someone practice in this manner.
Meanwhile,
In the forest, Wei Yanqing couldn't help but laugh.
"Truly a bunch of fools. Instead of hiding in a safe place, they rush into the open."
"Our captain's great, but that kid is certainly strange."
"Our captain is naturally impressive. But right now, they're nothing more than bait. As long as we evade the creatures' pursuit and kill the ultimate boss, we can escape."
Little did they know, their conversation had been overheard by the White Ghosts, twenty meters away.
"Alright, let's rest for a moment, then..."
Before Wei Yanqing could finish his sentence, an arrow instantly sliced across his cheek.
Following this, a hail of arrows came crashing down!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."
"Damn, those monsters are here!"
The man who had been flattering Wei Yanqing scrambled out.
But in the next instant, he was riddled with arrows, resembling a porcupine.
The sight stunned everyone. The barrage of arrows was so dense that there was no chance of avoiding them.
As the arrows pelted the trees, the very trees they had been using for cover were unable to hold up much longer.
"Damn it, move along the path of the arrows for cover, and retreat quickly!" Wei Yanqing shouted.
At that moment, Wei Yanqing deeply regretted coming here; this place was far less secure than the one they had entered.
As Wei Yanqing's team fled, the White Ghosts revealed bloodthirsty grins, then vanished from sight.
More than ten minutes later, Wei Yanqing's team, panting and exhausted, took refuge in a thicket.
During their desperate escape, a question gnawed at Wei Yanqing's mind.
Why had the creatures targeted them, and not the other team?
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
As Wei Yanqing mulled over this, the air was sliced by the whistling of arrows.
"Ugh..."
The screams of three team members interrupted his thoughts.
His eyes widened as he fixed his gaze on the left and right.
"This can't be happening!"
How could this be?
They had hidden so well, yet the creatures had found them!
As a strong leader, Wei Yanqing could not accept this reality.
But the White Ghosts wasted no time, releasing a second wave of arrows.
"Ah..."
"Save me!"
---
Slaughter! It was an unopposed massacre!
In the blink of an eye, only three members of Wei Yanqing's team remained.
"Captain!"
Wei Yanqing watched in horror as one of his team members, covered in arrows, reached out a blood-soaked hand toward him.
Wei Yanqing was nearly driven mad, stepping back frantically, then turning to flee.
But before he could take two steps,
A White Ghost appeared above him.
The target wasn't him, but a teammate behind him.
The White Ghost's speed was astounding. Wei Yanqing only saw a white blur before turning his head and witnessing a scene that filled him with terror.
The White Ghost pinned a teammate to the ground, slowly slashing open his throat with a dagger.
As blood spilled out, the White Ghost's sinister laughter echoed.
Wei Yanqing screamed in horror.
Without caring about his remaining teammates, he bolted into the forest.
In that moment, Wei Yanqing unleashed all his spiritual energy to flee.
The White Ghosts, watching his retreat, grinned.
But their smiles were chilling, as though a group of vengeful spirits were mocking a helpless plaything.
As they readied to shoot their next prey, one particularly grotesque White Ghost raised a hand to stop them.
The others silently lowered their bows.
The ugly White Ghost then began to chase after Wei Yanqing.
Breathing heavily, Wei Yanqing hid behind a large tree.
His throat felt tight, and a burning sensation started deep within.
Thinking of the creature's mocking smile, fear surged within him.
The brutal deaths of his teammates, the gruesome images of their slaughter, haunted him like an infernal prison.
Wei Yanqing suddenly felt a chill. Looking down, he saw that his hand had gone numb, and his legs were beginning to buckle.
"Damn it, why did it turn out this way? I made the best escape route!"
He didn't want to admit his failure.
But as he thought of the other team, a sinister smile curled on his lips.
"By now, your team must have been wiped out."
As he focused on Xu Que's team, a faint scent of blood wafted from behind.
A cold, spine-chilling sensation shot up his back.
Wei Yanqing darted forward, performing a somersault just in time to avoid a dagger that struck where he had just been.
He spun around, eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at the creature before him.
"How is this possible?"
He couldn't believe that such a hideous creature had managed to approach him so silently.
The grotesque White Ghost licked the dagger, then made a horrifying gesture toward Wei Yanqing.
If Xu Que had been there, he would have remained unphased, for the White Ghost's neck-slashing gesture was its signature move to taunt its prey.
Wei Yanqing tried to flee, but his legs were no longer obeying him.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"
Wei Yanqing yelled in frustration, attempting to break free with sheer willpower.
Little did he know, his defiant behavior only enraged the White Ghost.
As he regained some feeling in his body, the White Ghost moved.
Its speed wasn't exceptional, but it was more than enough to deal with the weakened Wei Yanqing.
A flash of cold steel passed across Wei Yanqing's neck, and he instinctively touched it.
Warm...
It was blood—his blood!
Before he could react, the White Ghost lunged at him again.
"Die!"
Wei Yanqing fought back desperately, fully aware of his dire situation.
The White Ghost dodged his desperate slash and immediately thrust its dagger into Wei Yanqing's throat.
"Thud!"
Blood gushed, and Wei Yanqing's pupils contracted as he collapsed into the snow, unwilling to accept his fate.