C14 Life and Death Battle

After Hu Wang departed, the villagers all urged Chen Wu to flee under the cover of night.

Chen Wu merely chuckled. If Hu Wang had agreed to the terms, he certainly wouldn't allow him to escape. He suspected the Hu Family's servants were already keeping a watchful eye on the entire village.

Should Chen Wu attempt to escape out of fear, not only would his chance to accuse Hu Wang of attempted robbery and murder fall through, but the truth of him killing Lee Wang would stand undisputed. In such a case, even if Lee Wang failed to kill him, the Empire would dispatch formidable hunters to pursue a Demonic Pet Master like him, making it impossible for Chen Wu to take a single step in safety.

Yet, Chen Wu wasn't overly concerned. In fact, he was brimming with confidence. Blood Rain's power was certainly on par with a Grade 3 Blood Wolf, and the mastery of a new skill had made Blood Rain even more formidable. Although Chen Wu wasn't entirely sure he could kill Hu Wang, he felt he had a 60% chance of defeating him.

Furthermore, Chen Wu had mastered an intermediate defensive secret technique, The Prison of Land Light, which could both trap his enemies and protect himself, offering a perfect balance of offense and defense.

Chen Wu was eager to witness Blood Rain triumph over Hu Wang's Blood Wolf!

This night was far from wasted. In fact, it was crucial for Chen Wu, for surviving it meant that come morning, he would receive the fourth day's sign-in reward from the system.

So far, the system's seven-day sign-in bonus had been claimed for three days. On the first day, he received a low-grade Demonic Spirit Pill, which helped Blood Rain advance to a Grade 2 Demonic Beast. The second day brought a Low-level Soul Condensing Pill, aiding Chen Wu's own breakthrough to an Intermediate Grade 1 Demonic Pet Master. The third day's reward was a Skill Crystal Stone, granting Blood Rain a new skill.

The system's sign-in rewards consistently provided just the right enhancements to bolster Chen Wu's capabilities in every aspect.

Chen Wu spared no time, holding himself to rigorous standards. While other children his age had already reached the Spiritual Mist Stage by fifteen and could contract a Demonic Pet by sixteen, advancing rapidly in Spiritual Energy, Chen Wu knew that despite the system's assistance, diligence was key. Opponents like Hu Wang served as a stark reminder that until he possessed undeniable strength, it was wiser to keep a low profile.

He began to regret his impulsive decision to kill Lee Wang, as it had led to Hu Wang tracking him down so swiftly. Yet, this fleeting moment of remorse was quickly dismissed by Chen Wu. After all, the world offered no cure for regret, and dwelling on past actions was pointless.

Even if he hadn't slain Lee Wang, wouldn't Hu Wang have come to his rescue and attempted to eliminate Chen Wu in the process? Releasing Lee Wang would have been an even greater folly; he would have simply returned with his father, and the inevitable conflict would have ensued.

"Well then, if there's no avoiding it, I'll face it head-on," Chen Wu resolved. "As someone who has traversed worlds, possessing the Golden Finger, it would be a disgrace to perish in the Beginner Village. If I refuse to live an ordinary life, then I'm prepared to risk everything in the fight!"

With renewed conviction, Chen Wu dedicated himself to mastering the Eternal Nirvana Lotus Technique. The more he practiced, the more he realized the complexity of this Spirit Cultivation Technique. His Spiritual Energy grew slowly, yet it was a tangible progression he could sense daily. He knew that even the scions of noble families, practicing High-grade Secret Arts, would need several days of cultivation to notice any significant enhancement in their Spiritual Energy. Chen Wu's progress, however, was exponentially faster.

This led him to suspect that the system had provided him with a high-level, possibly even top-tier, Spirit Cultivation Technique under the guise of a low-level Soul Sense Stone. Naturally, this delighted Chen Wu. Who wouldn't relish the opportunity to practice a supreme Secret Art and outpace their peers?

Chen Wu immersed himself in his cultivation, drawing in the sparse Heaven-earth Energy that flowed toward him with each cycle of his technique. To him, it seemed like a few fireflies flickering in the darkness, gradually increasing in number, yet it took a considerable amount of time before one finally merged with his being. This integration invigorated the Lotus Seed within him, although the growth was nearly imperceptible.

It became clear that reaching the Late Period of the Spiritual Mist Stage, let alone its zenith, would be a lengthy endeavor without the aid of the system's Pills.

As dawn broke the next morning, the residents of Green-stone Town were already bustling about, starting their day with the first light of the sun.

Despite its size, with the inclusion of a few neighboring villages, Green-stone Town was home to fewer than 80,000 people. So when Hu Wang rode his fierce Blood Wolf onto the independent Beast Battling Platform across from the town's largest plaza, Green-stone Plaza, it drew the attention of countless townsfolk. They gathered in small clusters, watching Hu Wang with a mix of curiosity and concern, murmuring amongst themselves.

Hu Wang's notoriety was well-known, and those who feared him spoke in hushed tones. Among the onlookers were many who had lost loved ones to Hu Wang's Blood Wolf, their eyes filled with hatred as they stood in the crowd, clenching their fists in impotent sorrow.

In a world where power was paramount, and particularly in modest Green-stone Town, a Demonic Pet Master was a figure of considerable influence.

The entire town boasted fewer than twenty Demonic Pet Masters, with about half of them affiliated with the town hall. They formed a Demonic Pet Master squad in response to the empire's decree. The imperial law mandated that the smallest unit of land measurement was the town, which had to have at least ten Demonic Pet Masters, supported by subsidies from the empire.

The position of mayor, in the grand scheme of the empire, was the most minor official rank, barely qualifying as an "official." Typically, the role was filled by local powerhouses. If a family had a member serving in an imperial position, they were considered nobility, albeit of the lowest tier, known as "people's honor."

The status of these low-tier nobles was only marginally above that of the common folk, as they had the privilege of collecting a monthly stipend from the empire, provided they were within five direct generations of the official. While the amount was modest, it represented resources beyond what the average person could earn in a year.

The mayor oversaw all the low-level nobles within his jurisdiction and was responsible for managing every Demonic Pet Master in the area.

Yet, most Demonic Pet Masters were known for their defiant nature. With the right incentives, the mayor would often overlook their transgressions, as was the case with Hu Wang.

Yet today, this notorious villain had the audacity to show up on the Beast Battling Platform, leaving many Demonic Pet Masters who had caught wind of his arrival utterly astonished. They gathered around the plaza, eagerly anticipating what spectacle Hu Wang was about to present.