Chapter 61: Flying Head Specter: Am I Feeding XP? Raising an Overpowered Boss? The Path of Invincible Physical Strength!

The members of the two God-Slaying Squads looked collectively at Xu Ran, then burst into laughter one after another.

Liu Yan’s laughter was hearty. "Little fellow, why are you interested in the eerie eyeball?"

"To tell you the truth, the eerie eyeball flies faster and faster. If it encounters a god, that god will take it away, and by then, we definitely won't be able to catch up..."

"Of course, we weren't planning to chase it anyway. Chasing it is simply too dangerous."

The charismatic older-sister-style Xiao Xue stepped in front of the paper substitute, "Hey, hey, hey! Are you already planning on heading out? How strange. We haven't even agreed to it yet."

"Fighting god-tier creatures is exhausting. We want to take a break and sleep soundly. Right, everyone?"

Lin Feng coughed twice. "Ever since the eerie eyeball was mentioned, you haven't been acting calm at all. Why are you in such a rush?"

Xu Ran: "..." Nonsense! If you were in my shoes, you'd be in a rush too! To everyone else, the eerie eyeball meant something indestructible and utterly repulsive.

But to me, it was the origin of divinity, a god-tier resource.

It was intimately connected to my future foundation-nourishing bone-tempering.

Not getting my hands on it = A massive loss.

In order to persuade the two God-Slaying Squads, Xu Ran had no choice but to confess part of the truth: "How should I put it? I can suppress the flying-head ghost's heavenly bestowed divine ability. I can also destroy that eerie eyeball. Uncle Ye can vouch for me."

Ye 平 (Ye Ping): "..."

He nodded. "Yes, I can vouch for him."

As his words fell, everyone present fell into utter silence. A series of bizarre and stunned glances flickered from the paper substitute Xu Ran to Ye Ping, and then back to the paper substitute Xu Ran.

Should this be called childish uninhibitedness?

Or was this little genius too young and inexperienced to know the terror of the eerie eyeball, leading to overconfidence?

If it were mere overconfidence, surely Ye Ping wouldn't be overconfident too?

The fourteen of them were skeptical, their subconscious telling them that destroying the eerie eyeball was an impossible feat.

However.

However.

As they looked at the confident and poised paper substitute Xu Ran, they saw reflections of their own youth in those eyes...

Back then, they too were newborn calves unafraid of tigers, determined to alter the heavens and change the earth!

Even though they now understood the immortal and indestructible nature of vengeful gods, god-tier crystal beasts, and god-tier ghosts... even after suffering heavy blows...

Facing the confidence and certainty of this younger generation, they subconsciously wanted to cherish and encourage him.

Lin Feng exchanged glances with the others, and everyone nodded silently.

"I see you've all agreed to take a trip. Let's go then, and let the little guy give it a try."

Xiao Xue said, "It doesn't matter if you fail. Kid, you could wildly hack away at 10,000 clones of a flying-head ghost at the age of eight. When you grow up in the future and lead a God-Slaying Squad to slaughter every single god-tier pest, butchering them until they have to slowly respawn in their home base, that would be a deeply satisfying thing to do."

Liu Yan also offered preventive encouragement in advance: "Right! Kill them once and strip them of their energy, and it'll take them ten years to recover."

Xu Ran smiled faintly. Are they encouraging someone who possesses [Twilight of the Gods]? Well... regardless, the two God-Slaying Squads agreed!

If they could catch up to the eerie eyeball, they could harvest some divine origin essence. As for whether it was one drop or two, it didn't matter!

Getting even a single drop was absolute net profit!

However.

Before setting off, Xu Ran exercised his usual caution: "I want to confirm first—there aren't any dangerous god-tier creatures lurking over there, right?"

The members of the two God-Slaying Squads looked at each other.

Lin Feng remarked, "You really are cautious enough. Clearly you're in a bit of a rush, but you still keep verifying the safety over and over..."

"How should I put it? At least when we were engaged in battle over there earlier, no other gods interfered. Besides, you can rest assured. Our Fire Prison Squad and Soul Purification Squad are the 11th and 13th sequence God-Slaying Squads respectively. Even if we encounter a god, as long as it's not a bizarre gimmick-monster, we can protect you safely."

Fire Prison Squad Captain Liu Yan looked at Xu Ran with admiration. "You might not understand our underworld slang—so-called gimmick-monsters specifically refer to monsters like the flying-head ghost. They possess a unique 'heavenly bestowed divine ability.' If you can't see through their heavenly bestowed divine ability and find their true body... you'll just be played around in circles by them."

"Gimmick-monsters belong to the most bizarre and repulsive category of pests. They are uniquely endowed by nature, very prone to becoming gods, and every time a brand-new gimmick-monster appears... humanity pays a heavy, painful price."

"Still, the flying-head ghost from just now was rather unlucky... It had just displayed its divine abilities before being taken down by you."

Liu Yan couldn't help laughing as he said this.

In the past, when they encountered not-so-bizarre gimmick-monsters... they had to endure severe injuries just to escape with their lives.

This time, encountering the flying-head ghost, they had expected to suffer heavily once again.

Who would have thought that Xu Ran would go on a rampage in the third defense line, causing the flying-head ghost's true body energy to become chaotic and exposing its flaws...

One had to admit: this was the easiest battle they had ever fought!

Fire Prison Squad's Xiao Xue added, "There's one more thing to mention..."

"Normally, gimmick-monsters won't just casually come out to attack. Compared to other god-tier creatures, the true bodies of gimmick-monsters are much more fragile."

"Their strength lies in their massive growth potential! In order to reach higher levels, gimmick-monsters usually prudently hide in the rear, cultivating diligently until the day they become upper-tier gods."

"Matters of attacking safe zones are left to ordinary gods. Of course, even so, humanity has encountered gimmick-monsters 427 times over the past two hundred years, resulting in the deaths and injuries of over 2,000 Cliff-realm powerhouses! The losses can be described as disastrous..."

Xu Ran thought thoughtfully, "Is the [Nightmare Grievance Mother] also considered a gimmick-monster?"

Lin Feng said decisively, "Yes! And she's considered a rather bizarre gimmick-monster at that."

"Oh, you've experienced the Nightmare Grievance Mother, right? Word has it that the kill file for the Nightmare Grievance Mother has been sealed. Even if we want to look at it, we'll have to wait ten years."

Xu Ran raised an eyebrow. Must say, the confidentiality level was quite high.

Presumably, the vengeful gods, god-tier crystal beasts, and god-tier ghosts had no idea what his abilities were.

Therefore, it was impossible for them to deliberately come and snipe him...

Furthermore, his safety guarantees were already fully maximized—two top-tier God-Slaying Squads ranked 11th and 13th, along with Uncle Ye, Uncle Li Wei, Aunt Xiao Miao, and Uncle Xiaoshuai... As long as it wasn't an instant-kill gimmick-monster, encountering a god meant they could seize the opportunity to complete a god-slaying!

Finally, even if he truly encountered a gimmick-monster, he still had invisibility, limb regeneration, and two substitute transfers...

He was simply—quite difficult to kill!

Thinking of his trump cards, the paper substitute Xu Ran pointed outside the safe zone: "Let's set off then! Don't let the eerie eyeball run away."

Lin Feng nodded. "Alright. Regardless of whether we can destroy it or not, since you've spoken, we're willing to accompany you on this trip."

With that, he turned to face the polluted zone, his golden trench coat fluttering up and down. "Do you want me to carry you over? At your speed, you won't even catch the dust if you try to run over..."

"Okay, thank you, Uncle Feng."

The true body Xu Ran agreed cleanly and decisively.

The paper substitute requested Uncle Ye to carry it.

Xu Ran had no intention of pulling out "Three Thousand Thundering Steps" to show off in front of people.

He naturally disliked showing off in front of others!

Even though "Three Thousand Thundering Steps" at mastery-level could reach extreme speeds when executed, his vital energy blood-value was only a little over 30,000 points after all. Wanting to drive "Three Thousand Thundering Steps" to match a Cliff-realm powerhouse consumed a massive amount of energy! He estimated that within sixty seconds, his mana pool would bottom out!

Since he could ride on the captain's back and save vital energy, why not?

"Won't carrying you be tiring? I'm still rather heavy."

Lin Feng nodded, "Good kid, you really are a bit heavy. Your bone density is several times higher than an ordinary person's. How do you cultivate?"

Xu Ran: "I don't know."

Lin Feng gave a cool laugh. "Never mind, hold on tight! We're setting off."

"I just hope no gods take the eerie eyeball away!"

Xu Ran let out a deep breath. "Best if it doesn't get taken away..."

Liu Yan: "Let's move!"

As his voice fell, nineteen powerhouses moved like lightning, sprinting at high speed in the direction the eerie eyeball had fled.

Listening to the howling wind by his ears, a smile curled the corners of Xu Ran's mouth.

"Eerie eyeball... Heh, divine origin essence, here I come."

"Mhm..."

"Still, the speed of Cliff-realm powerhouses is truly fast. Even though I possess the third-sequence... mastery-level 'Three Thousand Thundering Steps,' I can briefly touch their speed, but the duration is extremely short—only lasting 60 seconds. After 60 seconds, the vital energy in my meridians will be completely drained."

"And that's assuming my 'Three Thousand Thundering Steps' doesn't require too much vital energy..."

"In the future, when facing Cliff-realm opponents, I need to pay special attention to the mana pool issue. Of course, it's best not to provoke monsters that far exceed me."

"But what if bad luck strikes and I encounter one? For instance, if I'm hunted down by a Cliff-realm powerhouse, how should I break the deadlock?"

"Mhm..."

To understand all worldly matters is true learning; even while riding on Lin Feng's back, Xu Ran was pondering tactical scenarios.

Thinking more now meant being able to react swiftly during battle!

"Let's speed up a bit more!"

"This eerie eyeball actually flies quite fast."

"Alright!"

Lin Feng slammed his foot hard into the ground, operating at full speed!

The wind whistled by his ears like the howling of ghosts.

They had entered the inner territory of the secondary polluted zone!

Heaven and earth were desolate and gloomy, filled everywhere with pollution and turbid Qi, with ghost tribes and crystal beast tribes appearing from time to time.

Yet the group ignored them all, blindly pursuing the eerie eyeball.

After half an hour of lightning-fast travel!

The group arrived at the central location of the secondary polluted zone.

At the center of the secondary polluted zone, the scenery changed abruptly. There were bizarre purple forests and meadows, while lakes and rivers churned with black particles, which appeared to be some kind of congregating insect species.

Leaves lined with teeth spewed pollution from ancient trees...

Vines covered in crimson red eyes twrapped around the ancient trees...

Massive corpses soaked in swamps, rotting and stinking, emitting green and purple foul odors...

"Xu Ran, remember to hold your breath, and keep your Vital Energy Lamp-Lighting Technique active. That thing isn't dead; it's deliberately releasing poison gas, and that poison gas is potent enough to rot a person's five viscera and six bowels."

Xu Ran nodded. "I've already been on guard."

In the kindergarten's library, he had read a full 6,000 books; his [Supreme Comprehension] allowed him to understand a monster's details with just a single glance.

Lin Feng: "Good."

Ye Ping: "We're almost there. I can feel a sickening fluctuation."

Xu Ran's eyes lit up, and he let out a deep breath. Catching up was what mattered; what he feared most was a god suddenly appearing and taking the eerie eyeball away... Fortunately, his 223 points of good fortune were quietly working behind the scenes.

"Then next... is harvest time!"

After another five minutes of rapid travel, the target finally appeared before everyone's eyes—

An eerie eyeball, warping space, warping vision, and warping mental power, was flying rapidly ahead.

Liu Yan: "After entering the center of the secondary polluted zone, its speed has gotten faster and faster. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any other gods along the way, or it would have been taken away directly."

"Hehe, our trip wasn't made in vain!"

Lin Feng cautioned carefully, "Everyone be careful. We are now in the center of the secondary polluted zone; there might be ultra-tier monsters lying in ambush."

While speaking, the group accelerated, casually clearing out nearby vengeful beasts, and landed beside the eyeball.

Liu Yan: "Little fellow, the eerie eyeball is right in front of you. How are you going to deal with it?"

They looked at the paper substitute Xu Ran, but the paper substitute remained silent.

Meanwhile, the invisible Xu Ran jumped down from Lin Feng's back.

It was impossible to break the invisible state!

Draw the blade!

Super Explosive Slash!

Everyone heard the clang of a blade leaving its scabbard—crisp, proficient, confident, and flamboyant.

Immediately after, the sound of tearing wind rang out!

They abruptly looked toward the eerie eyeball, narrowing their eyes, seemingly anticipating a good outcome...

However, after the blade swept past, nothing happened...

Only a wisp of gentle breeze was sent out, drifting toward the eerie eyeball...

Everyone was surprised, completely unable to understand what kind of operation that had just been. Although Xu Ran was invisible, they could still sense the details of the attack. Wasn't it just an ordinary, unremarkable slash?

And it was a slash in mid-air...

The blade didn't even touch the eerie eyeball...

Not a single point of damage was dealt! The eerie eyeball was completely unscathed!

How could it look like this? It shouldn't be like this, right?

Back in the safe zone, the little guy had been full of confidence, and his anxious expression made it seem like he was terrified the eerie eyeball would run away.

Yet the slash he had just delivered... conflicted severely with his previous confidence...

Eighteen people fell silent.

Though momentarily bewildered, they quickly calmed down.

It didn't matter if he failed; who stipulated that success was guaranteed every time? As peak Cliff-realm cultivators, how many times had they failed! They must never harsh on an eight-year-old child.

At this moment.

In their minds, they had already prepared words of comfort for Xu Ran, ensuring the boy wouldn't be made to feel embarrassed.

Their emotional intelligence was simply that high!

Mhm—the members of the Fire Prison and Soul Purification God-Slaying Squads had already defaulted to assuming Xu Ran's attempt had failed.

Only Ye Ping remained utterly calm.

He knew the inside story of [Super Explosive Slash]... That sword technique was bizarre to the extreme; though it looked like it hadn't struck the target, the eerie eyeball was likely about to crack right now—crack it was!

"Judging by the timing, in another second, or a few seconds, it should officially fracture."

Ye Ping turned slightly serious, his gaze fixed upon the eerie eyeball.

When everyone had approached the eerie eyeball, its orb had immediately locked onto them, spinning frantically! Streams of bizarre light symbolizing mockery flowed out from it.

Without a doubt, it was unbridled and fearless, confident that no one could do anything to it. Even without its outer shell, it remained arrogantly infuriating.

If it still had a fleshly body, it would surely have jumped onto everyone's faces and pissed all over them...

Sensing the eerie eyeball's mockery, Liu Yan's temper flared instantly: "Damn it! Someday, I'll find a way to smash you to pieces!"

The members of the Fire Prison Squad shared Liu Yan's fiery temper; their faces darkened as they unanimously began spitting in disgust.

"Bastard thing, how dare you mock us! Watch me blast it with a shot to vent my anger!"

With that, Xiao Xue raised her arm, preparing to unleash a blue flame laser beam and madly roast it for several minutes.

However, precisely in the second second after Xu Ran's slash...

The eerie eyeball abruptly trembled twice, like a beating heart, expanding for a split second before contracting instantly.

That was a remarkably bizarre pulsation; "thump-thump," "thump-thump" heartbeat sounds echoed in everyone's ears.

Everyone narrowed their eyes rapidly.

They looked toward the eerie eyeball!

They saw that the frantic, mockery-filled rotation of the eerie eyeball... came to an abrupt halt!!

Its god-given rule, which could not be intercepted, was forcefully interrupted—it stopped moving!

In a split second, the eerie eyeball's unbridled nature, its fearlessness, and its jeering mockery seemed to have been subjected to a time-stop.

A higher-dimensional force had frozen it.

Subsequently.

Across the surface of the eerie eyeball—which resembled a vortex and a nebula—countless cracks abruptly spread.

Cracks dense as a spiderweb!

"Crack—"

"Crack—"

Sounds resembling the ice-cracking of Ru kiln porcelain echoed all around—the shattering sound was elegant, pleasing to the ear, and continuous...

Once the shattering began, it could not be reversed.

Of course.

Without [Twilight of the Gods], it might have been able to recover.

But at this very moment.

[Twilight of the Gods] acted like a bandit, fiercely pulling out the energy within the eerie eyeball and condensing it into three multi-colored droplets of divine origin essence.

"There are actually three drops of divine origin essence?"

"Holy cow!"

"An unexpected surprise. I thought there was only one drop, and even when I boldly guessed, I only thought of two. To think there are three! It seems the flying-head ghost had been a god for quite a long time!"

"Not bad, not bad. This is equivalent to killing three [Nightmare Grievance Mothers]!"

Xu Ran felt secretly delighted.

Three drops of divine origin essence! Exceeded expectations! This feels amazing!

"Clang—"

Xu Ran sheathed his blade while cautiously shifting his position to the other side of Lin Feng.

Meanwhile, the paper substitute Xu Ran wore a warm smile as he looked at everyone. "Mission accomplished. There shouldn't be any flying-head ghosts from now on, unless they can replicate the exact same heavenly bestowed divine ability."

The Cliff-realm powerhouses present were dumbfounded: "..."

"They actually pulled it off..."

The eerie eyeball that had troubled humanity for nearly two hundred years had been slashed to smithereens by a single wave of his blade? The evil abilities within the eyeball had been completely annihilated?

Watching from close range, everyone clearly and truly felt the fall of a "god."

The eerie eyeball had shattered into dust, and the energy inside had been completely extracted and annihilated.

At this moment, everyone felt a surge of deep respect, turning to stone right where they stood: "..."

Lin Feng's eyes trembled with complex emotions. He had many things he wanted to say, yet right now, not a single word could escape his lips.

Liu Yan's eyes widened, his body leaning forward.

The others were similarly shocked to the point of petrification...

Their expressions were intensely complex. It was the most intricate mix of emotions Xu Ran had ever witnessed—as if the gloom accumulated over long, grueling years had been washed away by a torrential downpour; as if someone suffocating in despair had suddenly found breathable air and caught a glimpse of light.

That complex emotion was steeped in tragic sorrow, yet interwoven with heart-wrenching regret and melancholy...

Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy... Except for the carefree first half of their lives, the latter half of their lives was spent either in battle or preparing for battle, tasting every suffering known to humanity. Though they had grown accustomed to such a lifestyle...

Birth, aging, sickness, death... comrades whose ideals remained unfulfilled had turned to dust, leaving only them to survive in this world, carrying heavier hopes and gritting their teeth to keep fighting.

At this moment, all nineteen people present, excluding Xu Ran, transformed into complex human-shaped stone statues.

They stood silently, swallowing hard without a word.

Countless scenes flashed before their eyes—

Countless pouring-rain days when they carried the battered, shattered corpses of their comrades back to the safe zone in desolation...

Dozens of times, they couldn't even retrieve their comrades' bodies and could only erect empty cenotaphs for them...

Their wounds unhealed, they still had to face the tears and gazes of their comrades' families, enduring psychological agony alongside physical trauma...

Among the childhood friends from kindergarten who used to play and live together, fewer and fewer remained alive in this world.

The first three years, classmates were high-spirited, drinking and laughing together in a lively gathering.

The third three years, absences piled up, leaving only empty seats.

The sixth three years, only a small fraction kept the appointment...

A heavy, melancholic atmosphere surrounded them.

"This sorrow is too thick, as if carved into the marrow; even though I haven't experienced it, I can't help wanting to shed tears."

Xu Ran stood quietly to the side, not disturbing them.

The pent-up emotions within them needed time to drain and release...

A few minutes later.

The fiery flame-trench coat on Liu Yan suddenly flared with a rich red glow. He took a few steps forward, arriving at the spot where the eerie eyeball had been shattered.

Usually of a fiery temper, he now pressed his lips tightly together, looking like an entirely different person.

He pulled a military canteen from his waist, unscrewed the cap, took a fierce gulp himself, and then poured a circle of the liquor around the area.

The alcohol soaked into the turbid ground.

"Comrades, comrades-in-arms, this is the burial ground where a god-tier pest was utterly slain. Please come back and take a look! Please come back and share a drink!"

His words were resonant, his emotions erupting from the depths of his viscera.

The team members stepped forward one after another, pouring the water or liquor from their canteens onto the ground.

Lin Feng poured his liquor while his Adam's apple bobbed several times: "I finally dare to invite you all for a drink, otherwise I wouldn't even dare dream of seeing you..."

Xiao Xue was already weeping uncontrollably: "Teacher, one day, I will establish a safe zone right here. I will erect a three-hundred-meter monument here!"

"Chinese heroic spirits, let your souls return!"

Lin Feng clenched his fist and struck his chest, standing tall and imposing upon the earth: "Please come and witness this historic moment!"

"Chinese heroic spirits, let your souls return!"

"Chinese heroic spirits, let your souls return!"

People roared in angry low tones. The dark clouds in the sky and the pollution across the wilderness turned into wind, howling at the crowd.

Everyone looked up at the surging dark clouds, swiftly pulling the sorrow in their eyes deep into the abyss of their hearts.

They turned around and flashed a smile toward the paper substitute Xu Ran.

"You really are an astonishing genius!"

"We have—finally waited for a true God-Slayer!"

"By the way, is this ability also self-created? Can you teach it to us? Just like how you taught the Invisibility Technique... If we can also learn it..."

"Don't rush yet. Come, little Xu Ran, let sister give you a kiss. I love kissing kids the most."

The true body Xu Ran stepped back two steps: "..."

Liu Yan: "Stop teasing the kid! He's only eight years old, and you're almost fifty. You should be called aunt!"

"Don't listen to that weird aunt making trouble."

"Let's leave first. Lingering too long in the same place isn't a wise move, because there's no telling whether the news of the eerie eyeball's destruction will immediately reach other gods."

Lin Feng shook his head. "Certainly it won't be known, otherwise how could the eerie eyeball fly away by itself? Besides, vengeful gods, god-tier crystal beasts, and god-tier ghosts are even more afraid of death than we are. A god-tier ghost died here; even if they find out over there, they won't come to investigate."

With that, he looked at the paper substitute Xu Ran, harboring many words he didn't quite know how to phrase.

Finally.

He pondered for a moment. "Uh... do you have any other trial missions? We can accompany you on your trial?"

Such a super genius warranted a bodyguard detail. After all, lately, the pests seemed to be showing signs of launching an offensive.

With their two God-Slaying Squads protecting from the rear, even if god-tier monsters struck, absolute safety could be ensured.

Of course.

Protection was only one aspect.

On the other hand, they also wanted to witness more of Xu Ran's methods—invisibility, paper substitute, shattering the eerie eyeball... what other surprises could he pull out?

People were naturally curious, and the God-Slaying Squads were no exception!!

Xu Ran spoke frankly: "I'm going to kill 10,000 monsters with vital energy values exceeding 100,000 points."

The group was slightly startled: "Good lord, your trial content is this wild?"

Xu Ran: "In pursuit of invincibility, you naturally have to be a bit wild."

Liu Yan raised an eyebrow: "Then let's go. We'll help you find pest gathering grounds, and you take charge of slaughtering them."

Thus.

Xu Ran enjoyed unprecedented bodyguard service—China's 11th and 13th ranked God-Slaying Squads were responsible for escorting his trial mission, supplemented by four Cliff-realm powerhouses: Ye Ping, Cai Miao, Li Wei, and Fu Lin.

A luxury bodyguard lineup powerful enough to make even gods give way!

"Xu Ran, there's a gathering ground ahead, all ghost-type creatures. There are 500 ghosts with over 100,000 vital energy points, and six ghosts with 500,000 vital energy points. We'll help you take care of the 500,000-point pests."

Liu Yan lunged out, swiftly wiping out the six mid-tier ghosts.

Xu Ran: "Thank you."

As his words fell, his paper puppet legion pounced outward—assassinating, clawing, slapping, biting, slashing, and hammering.

The paper puppet legion dealt with the ghosts in a barbarous and overbearing manner; ghosts with 100,000 vital energy points were directly torn apart and annihilated.

Cai Miao's eyelids twitched wildly: "Looking at it again, I still feel that achieving this level of lethality at this age can only be described as defying the heavens!"

"No wonder Ye Ping said... little nephew will definitely be the champion of this year's God-Slaying Squads."

Li Wei stroked his chin in thought: "If the paper puppet legion has no weaknesses, it's definitely the champion. I think the thing that poses the greatest threat to him might be [Sin-Cleansing Thousand Thunders]. Lightning's attack power is simply too fierce."

"Can we think of a way to help him patch up this shortcoming?"

Fu Lin: "That we'll have to ask little nephew. Little nephew, are your paper puppets afraid of lightning?"

Xu Ran: "I haven't tested [Sin-Cleansing Thousand Thunders] yet. Still, it doesn't matter; if I lose the paper puppets, I have other methods."

Cai Miao looked at the paper substitute Xu Ran in astonishment: "So confident?"

Xu Ran nodded: "Yeah. Actually, my goal isn't even the championship of the selection tournament anymore; winning the championship is just something I'll do along the way."

Everyone: "..."

Wait, what did he just say?

Terrifying!

This year might be the strongest first-batch kindergarten in 150 years.

Yet he claimed winning the championship was just a casual byproduct?

It sounded utterly exaggerated, but judging by the methods Xu Ran had displayed, perhaps he really was leading by a generation gap.

Cai Miao flushed slightly: "Uh... little nephew, we still need to be a bit cautious. We can't capsize in the gutter, and we must secure the championship steadily."

Xu Ran recalled his paper puppet legion: "I've already been very humble... Mhm... Let's head to the next target!"

The members of the two God-Slaying Squads looked at one another: "We're killing a bit too fast... solving everything in less than ten minutes!"

"I didn't expect ghost-type creatures with 100,000 vital energy points to be so fragile in front of you."

Xu Ran humbly replied: "It was the flying-head ghost that fed me experience. If not for it, I would have had to spend time slaughtering 10,000 ghosts across the polluted zone to raise the paper puppet legion's strength first before completing the trial."

Lin Feng smiled: "So the flying-head ghost not only delivered a free head, but also fed a wave of experience to the future big boss?"

Everyone burst into laughter.

A smile also surfaced on Xu Ran's face.

Actually, that unlucky flying-head ghost... wasn't just there to feed experience... More importantly, it had sacrificed itself to deliver three drops of divine origin essence!!

Right now, Xu Ran possessed a full four drops of divine origin essence, and visually, the moment he drew a vermilion-gold bone foundation, he would immediately be able to complete a nourishment!

Such altruistic "self-sacrifice for the enemy" moved Xu Ran to the verge of tears.

Liu Yan: "Let's go, let's go, onto the next target. 10,000 ghost-type creatures with over 100,000 vital energy points—no matter how fast we kill, it'll still take two or three days."

"Let's finish it early, just in case some sudden mission pops up and forces us to leave."

Xiao Xue said: "Right, in case we have to execute a special mission, having Ye Ping and the others protect you won't be quite as safe."

Ye Ping: "..."

Li Wei: "..."

Cai Miao: "..."

Fu Lin: "..."

The four of them fell into an awkward silence.

"Are you looking down on the four of us as weaklings?"

Lin Feng laughed heartily: "No, no... we didn't say that. We just want to share the pressure on you guys."

Ye Ping: "Ah Feng still has the highest emotional intelligence."

Liu Yan: "Ahem... alright, our next target is almost here, and there are actually only 400 target pests left..."

"Looks like we need to pick up the pace."

The God-Slaying Squads grew a bit more urgent.

They sped like lightning through the central zone of the secondary polluted zone, carrying Xu Ran along.

Second target location, 400 ghost-type creatures with 100,000 vital energy points...

Third target location, 600 ghost-type creatures with 100,000 vital energy points...

After finishing off the third batch.

Liu Yan couldn't help wondering: "I observed your paper puppet legion, and their combat power isn't increasing anymore. Why do you need to kill so many?"

Xu Ran explained simply: "To grow stronger."

Xiao Xue: "Is it to improve combat skills? But you didn't make a move yourself."

The paper substitute Xu Ran spread his hands: "I have my own methods."

Xiao Xue wanted to ask more, but Liu Yan raised a hand to stop her: "Don't ask too much. The little fellow hasn't grown up yet, so no matter how curious you are, you have to hold back. What if you expose his trump cards?"

Xiao Xue curled her lips: "Fine, fine. Let's keep killing. Watching the little guy slaughter ghost-type creatures is quite a treat anyway."

Xu Ran: "..."

Most of the day slipped away in the blink of an eye.

The progress of Xu Ran's [Murderous Heart Incinerates] reached 4,500 points...

Still over halfway away from the 10,000 target.

Actually, killing ghosts was extremely simple.

It was the traveling that took up time.

In the secondary polluted zone, it basically took about twenty minutes of running to find a single gathering ground.

Around five in the afternoon.

The two God-Slaying Squads halted their travel: "We can only finish this tomorrow. Before nightfall, we must return to the safe zone. In the dark, the pests' abilities will skyrocket. If we encounter a night-patrolling gimmick-monster, it'll be even worse."

Xu Ran nodded: "Safety comes first."

With that, he hopped onto Lin Feng's back to ride the "bullet train."

Forty-five minutes later.

The group moved like lightning, descending upon the ruins of the Sixth Safe Zone, where cultivators were busy rebuilding the outer wall.

"Safe."

Xu Ran lifted his invisibility state. At this moment, his condition was pristine, his handsome facial features filled with smiles, his eyes bright and energetic, carrying a unique kind of charm.

"Thank you, uncles and aunts."

Liu Yan raised an eyebrow: "You really are cautious. When traveling outside, use a substitute to attract attention while hiding yourself in invisibility. This substitute can probably still take one fatal blow for you, right?"

Xu Ran smiled and spread his hands. Although he had two, he defaulted to one.

Lin Feng gave a cold chuckle: "With a talent like his, how can he not be cautious?"

"If he were a reckless brawler, I'd be worried he'd run into a gimmick-monster and capsize from carelessness. With him being this cautious, it means the future of China is bright."

Xu Ran spread his hands: "I'm scared too. The books have very few records on gimmick-monsters, which means encountering one tests impromptu performance to the extreme."

Liu Yan sighed: "No choice... Encountering a gimmick-monster means nine deaths and one life. Even if you make it back alive, the intel might not be accurate..."

Xu Ran: "Indeed. That's why I have to be cautious."

Lin Feng: "Good, keep it up. You must grow up safely!"

Xiao Xue licked her lips: "Let's order food first; I'm starving. We can discuss more at the dining table."

"Let's go."

The God-Slaying Squads soared into the air, their flame-trench coats and golden trench coats flashing with light.

Xu Ran and Ye Ping followed closely by their sides.

On the streets.

Numerous cultivators looked up in surprise.

Flying was prohibited inside the safe zone, and only God-Slaying Squads and special personnel wearing God-Slaying attire were permitted to soar freely.

Therefore, whenever someone took to the air, they were inevitably the most dazzling powerhouses.

A tall, thin man exclaimed: "Ah—that's the Fire Prison God-Slaying Squad and the Soul Purification God-Slaying Squad!"

A chubby, bald-headed youth shouted: "The disgusting flying-head ghosts from today were slaughtered by them!"

A square-faced man with a heavy beard boasted: "I was at the scene! Today's battle started at twenty past midnight and finished at eleven-30 in the morning, setting a record for the fastest execution speed of a gimmick-god!"

A busty woman in black silk leggings chimed in: "It's already headline news! I rushed over specifically just to catch a glimpse of the big shots' heroic postures!"

The cultivators chattered noisily, creating a stir.

The busty woman in black silk leggings continued: "That young boy wearing a mask, with delicate hands and looking no older than fifteen... must be the super-novice who commanded the paper puppet legion and fought as a one-man army today, right?"

The square-faced bearded man said: "Yeah, I was there. Nobody knows his name, but they say he's a super genius from Jing Province. He looked totally cool back then. Being able to witness such a shocking scene means I have bragging rights for a lifetime, haha."

A frail man in glasses analyzed: "Some people speculate that he was one of the major contributors to the record-breaking execution speed. He slashed away 10,000 clones of the flying-head ghost one by one, allowing those two God-Slaying Squads to find the flaw..."

The busty woman in black silk leggings wondered: "Hh—such a super genius should have his own God-Slaying Squad, right? How come we only see him alone?"

The square-faced bearded man guessed: "Perhaps he only rose to prominence recently. Anyway, there's no way he could be a trainee from the newest batch of Demigod Kindergarten, right?

At ten or eleven years old, acting as a one-man army, obliterating ghosts with over 60,000 vital energy points in a single slash, and even chopping down 10,000 of them in half an hour—is that possible? Absolutely impossible!!

He's most likely a super genius of fifteen or sixteen who only recently discovered that his heavenly bestowed divine ability counters ghosts."

The frail man in glasses retorted: "I think we can boldly speculate! During the morning battle, Ye Ping was escorting that young teenager!"

"According to my intel, Ye Ping returned to the Demigod Kindergarten in Jing Province. The young teenager he looks after mostly likely hails from the Demigod Kindergarten! So I reckon the kid is around ten years old and will be participating in the 49th God-Slaying Squad Selection Tournament!"

The square-faced bearded man scoffed: "Oh, give me a break! How could a ten-year-old act as a one-man army and slaughter 10,000 flying-head ghosts with over 60,000 vital energy points? Do you know super-novices or do I?"

"I was right there at the scene! Do I not see more clearly than you?"

The frail man in glasses muttered: "......Heh. What do you know? I'm the one who's right."

Ye Ping remarked: "They're discussing you."

Xu Ran spread his hands: "Good thing I always wear my origami mask. Otherwise, if my photo got uploaded online, I'd become a trending public figure, which isn't conducive to me playing sneak attacks."

Ye Ping smiled with relief.

The others: "..." What a sinister mindset. Could this be the original intention behind inventing the Invisibility Technique?

Too sinister!

Yet on the alien battlefield, such a sinister mindset was precisely what allowed one to survive the longest and possess the most terrifying lethality.

Safe Zone Logistics Area.

Tang Pavilion.

This was a place specially prepared to supply food for the God-Slaying Squads. The God-Slaying Squads grew too exhausted from battle, and the food here would rapidly relieve their fatigue and replenish their consumption.

Sitting at the dining table.

The members of the God-Slaying Squads, who originally had a head full of questions they wanted to ask, relaxed their tightly wound nerves the moment they sat in the chairs and fell fast asleep right there.

Not long after.

The delicacies were served, and Xu Ran and the others had to wake them up one by one.

Even after eating, they remained deeply exhausted.

Xu Ran said: "Go get some rest quickly, we'll talk tomorrow after you wake up."

The fourteen members of the two God-Slaying Squads nodded: "We've run three consecutive battles back-to-back... Sleep for now, and tomorrow we'll take you out to slaughter ghosts."

Xu Ran: "Sounds good!"

The night passed without incident.

The next day!

Eight in the morning.

The members of the God-Slaying Squads leaped to their feet, washed up quickly, and came looking for Xu Ran.

Xu Ran was currently brushing up on today's Supreme Comprehension.

Liu Yan said: "We can leave now. It's eight o'clock; today we'll definitely help you complete your trial mission."

Xu Ran smiled gratefully: "Then thank you all. With you guys protecting me, I feel quite reassured."

Lin Feng declared: "Let's move out! Today we're going to sweep through the semi-core location of the secondary polluted zone."

Thus.

The group set off at eight in the morning and arrived at the semi-core location of the secondary polluted zone by ten-thirty.

Searching for targets.

The God-Slaying Squads wiped out whatever ghosts Xu Ran couldn't kill, and left the rest entirely for Xu Ran to blast through.

Four in the afternoon.

The mission was completed.

[Mission Completed]: Congratulations, the gold-tier achievement [Murderous Heart Incinerates] has reached 10,000/10,000 progress... maximum value reached, mission completed...

[Mission Reward]: A Killing Heart. (Killing Heart: All negative effects brought by killing will be contained within the Killing Heart, unable to affect you in the slightest.

When the Killing Heart accumulates enough negative emotions, it will condense into Myriad Tribulation Flames. Myriad Tribulation Flames can temper the physical body and allow it to undergo Nirvana.)

[Do you wish to claim the Killing Heart? Yes / No?]

"Finally got my hands on it. The Killing Heart and Myriad Tribulation Flames..."

Xu Ran felt secretly overjoyed.

Compared to his movement techniques and offensive power, his physical body had always been his "weak point."

However, starting from this moment, his physical body would also embark on a path of invincibility...

Of course, it would probably still require quite a bit of grinding.

Still, what Xu Ran feared least of all was grinding!

(PS: Dear readers asked for more updates, so here is a 10,000-word update~~~ Please send votes~~~~)