"Beast! Give me your life!"
With a thunderous shout, an elderly man in his sixties—his skin taut and smooth despite his age—stretched out a single hand in fury. In an instant, a massive azure palm, spanning several meters, materialized in the sky and descended toward Bai Yun below.
Startled, Bai Yun swiftly activated his "Earth Escape Talisman."
Whoosh!
The talisman carried him nearly ten miles away. As soon as he reappeared, he immediately employed "Thunder Step" and fled at breakneck speed.
It had been six days since completing the second task. Now, the third was at hand:
Main Mission: Eliminate the ten enforcement disciples led by the Enforcement Elder of the Xuanming Sect. Reward: 5,000 evolution points. Penalty: Half of your lifespan. Time Limit: Seven days.
Initially, Bai Yun hadn't thought much of it. With his stealth and aura-concealing abilities, he figured he could employ hit-and-run tactics, much as he had before.
But who would've guessed that the Enforcement Elder, a cultivator of the Lower Profound King Realm, could see through his stealth and aura suppression? The realization had nearly cost Bai Yun his life.
As he fled, a pang of regret gnawed at him.
Three Earth Escape Talismans—each costing 500 evolution points—had already been used. A total of 1,500 points, gone in the blink of an eye.
Seeking refuge in a secluded valley, Bai Yun quickly concealed his presence. He saved his energy by not activating his stealth skill and immediately accessed the "Cosmic Evolver" interface.
Character: Human (Cosmic Evolver)
Bloodline: None
Skills: Profound Thunder Art (Mid-tier Profound Disciple), Thunder Step (Beginner), Shadow Form, Aura Concealment
Combat Power: 256
Lifespan: 70 years
Evolution Points: 6,900
After completing the previous mission, Bai Yun had amassed 6,400 evolution points. He had refrained from frivolous spending, saving for a crucial purchase. Although he'd consumed three Earth Escape Talismans and some stamina-enhancing pills in recent days, each enforcement disciple's head was worth 200 points. After all the gains and losses, he still netted an extra 500 points.
This final mission had only one target left—a "mini-boss." Bai Yun reviewed his stats and immediately switched to the "Items" page, meticulously searching for tools to confront his foe.
The "mini-boss" was a Lower Profound King cultivator, while Bai Yun was merely a Mid-tier Profound Disciple. The disparity in power was staggering. He needed items to even the odds.
Talismans came in various tiers. The basic soundproofing and dust-cleansing talismans Bai Yun had purchased earlier cost around 50–100 evolution points each. The Earth Escape Talisman, a mid-tier talisman, typically cost 500 points. Above that were high-tier talismans, priced at around 1,000 points.
After careful consideration, Bai Yun selected two items:
"Five Thunder Annihilation Talisman": 1,000 evolution points.
"Swift Talisman": 500 evolution points.
The Five Thunder Annihilation Talisman combined the powers of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth thunder—a devastating celestial technique. Buying the manual alone would cost 10,000 points. Bai Yun, however, couldn't afford to learn it directly. The power of learned skills depended on one's energy level, and as a Mid-tier Profound Disciple, he couldn't fully unleash the talisman's potential.
The Swift Talisman, on the other hand, increased movement speed by 50% for one hour.
Once everything was prepared, Bai Yun eyed the red dot on his radar. Anticipation flickered in his gaze.
"If I can kill this 'mini-boss,' I'll have enough points for my next big purchase."
Exiting the interface, he headed straight for the red dot. When he was within a mile, he activated the Swift Talisman. His speed instantly surged to unimaginable levels.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Covering seven or eight meters with each step, he closed the distance to the Enforcement Elder in mere moments.
The elder, having spent the day flying, had depleted his profound energy. Seated cross-legged on the ground, he was meditating to recover. Before him floated a radiant Mid-tier Profound Stone, speeding up his recovery.
Despite meditating, the elder's spiritual senses were fully alert. Suddenly, a familiar presence entered his range. He stopped his meditation, his eyes snapping open, filled with killing intent as they locked onto Bai Yun.
Bai Yun's heart leapt with joy when he saw the elder sitting defenseless. Without hesitation, he crushed the Five Thunder Annihilation Talisman in his hand.
The elder's expression shifted. He sensed an oppressive force descending from above and instinctively attempted to take flight.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of thunderous explosions resounded as five bolts of lightning—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—struck in rapid succession. The elder, caught off guard, couldn't evade in time.
The forest erupted into chaos, trees and shrubs uprooted, and wildlife scattered in terror.
Bai Yun hadn't anticipated the sheer destructive power of the high-tier talisman. He barely managed to flee a short distance before being caught in the shockwave. Dazed and battered, he escaped with only minor injuries.
Smoke and dust filled the air. Bai Yun's heart sank; he hadn't heard the mission completion prompt. This meant the "mini-boss" was still alive.
After hesitating for a moment, Bai Yun steeled himself and cautiously approached the scene.
The dust settled, revealing a massive crater—ten meters wide and nearly as deep—where the elder had once stood. Inside, the "mini-boss" lay barely breathing, his tattered clothes reeking of charred flesh.
Bai Yun's face lit up with grim delight. His eyes turned cold as he leapt into the pit, plunging a poisoned dagger into the elder's chest for the final blow.
"Mission complete. Reward: 5,000 evolution points."
Relieved, Bai Yun began scavenging the elder's belongings.
"Cheapskate!"
All he found were two Mid-tier Profound Stones. Scoffing in disdain, Bai Yun climbed out of the crater and activated Thunder Step to leave the scene. Finding a hidden spot, he re-entered the "Cosmic Evolver" interface.
With 11,000 evolution points now in his possession, he finally had enough for his desired purchase:
"Rumble-Rumble Fruit": 10,000 evolution points.
Yes, Bai Yun had set his sights on the Rumble-Rumble Fruit from One Piece. After much deliberation, he'd chosen it as the perfect complement to his thunder-based techniques. With it, his cultivation and understanding of lightning would undoubtedly soar.
After all, talismans were consumables—powerful but fleeting.
It had already taken three mid-tier talismans to defeat a single Lower Profound King cultivator. What kind of resources would be required for the likes of a Profound Emperor or Profound Sovereign?
True power lay in strengthening oneself. Judging by the missions so far, each task seemed to pit him against enemies far stronger than himself. Reliance on talismans alone would eventually lead to his downfall.
Holding the Devil Fruit in his hands, Bai Yun frowned.
"I heard these taste awful…"
And the flavor? Like excrement, supposedly.