Chapter Sixty: The Reward

Chapter Sixty: Reward

The peerless fiend drew ever closer, and the pressure weighing on Chu Jie and Duan Kun grew nearly unbearable. If not for their unique physiques, they would surely have perished beneath this crushing force. In this moment, Chu Jie felt as though he were a fragile sapling caught in a raging storm, ready to be uprooted at any instant.

When the peerless fiend came within ten meters of them, the pressure reached its peak. Chu Jie’s eyes burned blood-red, and the world around him warped and twisted beyond recognition. Under the immense strain, the once clear surroundings blurred, distorted so badly that nothing was discernible. Either the space truly shifted, or his senses had succumbed to hallucination.

At this point, even the fiend’s form was contorted in Chu Jie’s vision—a crimson figure, twisted and writhing like a humanoid flame. Chu Jie’s heart pounded furiously, each beat as if straining with all its might. Yet Chu Jie did not yield; he continued to channel his spiritual power, seeking some way to break free.

“I cannot die!” This was the sole conviction in Chu Jie’s heart.

He had enemies yet to vanquish, tasks still unfinished. Once more, his spiritual power ignited, but the oppressive force clung to him, eroding his flesh, immobilizing him completely. The difference in strength was too vast; the fiend’s presence alone utterly suppressed him.

Yet, to Chu Jie’s surprise, the peerless fiend did not kill him. With such overwhelming power, slaying him and Duan Kun would have been effortless; his strength was indisputable, else he could not have wrought such carnage in the Abyss of Gods and Demons.

The fiend took a single step forward, and with that, the world around them shifted again. Under the intense pressure, Chu Jie felt himself plunged into darkness, as though he’d lost control of his own body.

In truth, space itself had not drastically changed; Chu Jie was simply reaching his limit beneath the strain. But at that moment, he sensed a transformation within himself. The Nine Tribulations Physique seemed awakened by the pressure, spiritual power surging throughout his body. He regained control.

The darkness receded, and Chu Jie could once again see his surroundings. All of this resulted from his physique adapting under extreme pressure. What struck him as extraordinary was how his body now absorbed ambient energy at a rate many times faster than usual. Moreover, the pressure itself seemed drawn into his physique, the oppressive force near him absorbed and nullified.

Though he remained unable to move, his body was being tempered by the pressure, which meant his next minor tribulation might arrive sooner. He was gaining immense benefit from this ordeal.

Glancing sideways, Chu Jie saw Duan Kun’s body glowing faintly, evidently also strengthened. Duan Kun’s physique was impressive, and under the same strain, he too had been refined.

Thus, it seemed the peerless fiend had not come to kill them, but rather to aid them.

A voice echoed in Chu Jie’s mind: “Reward.”

The words were faint, devoid of gender, carrying a mechanical quality, as if bereft of emotion. Chu Jie and Duan Kun exchanged astonished glances; both had heard it, the voice entering directly into their minds.

They watched as the peerless fiend turned and departed. Throughout, they never glimpsed the fiend’s face. At first, the pressure had obscured everything; now, as clarity returned, the fiend was already leaving.

From behind, the fiend wore an extravagant robe, seemingly crafted from the pelt of some monstrous beast, flaming red and shimmering with sparks. The garment concealed all traces of build or form, leaving the fiend’s identity a mystery.

“At last, we’ve survived this ordeal!” Duan Kun sighed in relief.

“I wonder why we were rewarded,” Chu Jie mused, surveying the field of corpses. A realization dawned.

The peerless fiend’s rampage was perhaps not random, but purposeful. Chu Jie and Duan Kun had killed many, which pleased the fiend; instead of slaying them, he rewarded them, using his oppressive force to temper their bodies.

Understanding this, the two sat down to recover. The pressure they’d endured was terrifying; their spiritual power was less than half its usual strength, and quick recovery was essential.

The situation within the Abyss of Gods and Demons remained volatile; no one could predict what would happen next, but one thing was certain—the peerless fiend would not target them.

Yet, having been marked as peerless fiends themselves, many would now seek their deaths.

“If we kill more people, do you think there’ll be other rewards?” Duan Kun wondered aloud, having just restored his spiritual power and feeling that his body’s strength had greatly increased. The tempering had been highly beneficial.

Chu Jie shook his head. “Let’s not. We’ve already killed enough; unless absolutely necessary, we should avoid further slaughter.”

He was not afraid of bloodshed, but to kill for the sake of reward was something he could not condone. Besides, he still didn’t understand the fiend’s true motives for his carnage.

After this experience, both Chu Jie and Duan Kun felt lingering dread, but their curiosity about the Abyss’s depths remained. Perhaps unimaginable opportunities lay hidden there.

For those in this place, sometimes fortune outweighed cultivation; when opportunity arose, it must be seized.

“The peerless fiend came up from the sixth terrace—does that mean he slaughtered everyone below?” Duan Kun speculated.

“I think he killed many, but there must be survivors,” Chu Jie replied, scanning the area, which was littered with corpses. In the distance, a few shadowy figures observed them furtively.

As soon as Chu Jie spotted them, they vanished quickly.

Chu Jie smiled wryly; soon, rumors would spread throughout the abyss—two fiends had unleashed another massacre, killing hundreds.

The Abyss of Gods and Demons was undergoing dramatic change, drawing many in search of fortune. Bloodslaughter City’s attention was fixed here.

But the peerless fiend’s threat loomed large; soon, teams would gather to hunt him, though whether they could succeed remained uncertain.

Once recovered, the two made their way toward the sixth terrace.

Moments later, they broke through its entrance, arriving at the sixth terrace. Before the abyss changed, the omnipresent Nine Heavens Gale would have hindered them; now, they faced no resistance here.

Only a few terraces remained before they reached the bottom, and the wild aura emanating from the abyss grew ever stronger.

Though the gales had vanished, the terrain became increasingly harsh on the sixth terrace. Massive boulders hung suspended in midair, their levitation a mystery, perhaps caused by some unique force within the abyss.

It was said that someone had once shattered one of these floating stones, finding nothing inside, so nowadays few paid them any mind.

Here, perhaps due to the strength of the Nine Heavens Gale, vegetation was virtually nonexistent.

Chu Jie and Duan Kun walked for a while, finding nothing but, in one spot, a cluster of corpses—over a dozen, all high-level spiritual cultivators. Judging by their power and recalling the earlier mention of reinforcements, they must have been the ill-fated ones, slain by the peerless fiend.

The identity of the force that had targeted them remained unknown, but Chu Jie was certain they would cross paths again.

The sixth terrace appeared to have been thoroughly cleansed; many corpses were found as they soon reached the entrance to the seventh terrace.

From the seventh terrace onward, numerous Blackwind Serpents appeared. Though the lower levels grew narrower, the abyss’s spaces were still vast.

Upon entering the seventh terrace, Chu Jie and Duan Kun encountered frequent attacks from Blackwind Serpents, which, without the Nine Heavens Gale, swarmed out and roamed freely.

“There are plenty of Blackwind Serpents here, but they fly too high,” Chu Jie finally understood why so few were found in the outer city. Despite their numbers, they flew fast and at such heights that very few could be caught.

Duan Kun watched them regretfully. “If only we could catch a few Blackwind Serpents—they’re extremely beneficial for the body. But it’s so difficult.”

“I’ve already gathered quite a few; they’ll last me for a while. I still have more than six hundred,” Chu Jie chuckled.

Duan Kun was stunned—over six hundred? That was incredible. How had Chu Jie caught so many?

“Really that many?” Duan Kun could hardly believe it. Though he’d eaten Blackwind Serpent meat before, he never imagined such a quantity.

“It was pure luck—in the Snake King’s cave. We can try our luck there again; it’s the best place to hunt them,” Chu Jie explained.

Since they planned to establish a power base on the fringes and expand, they would need plenty of resources. Blackwind Serpents were essential.

At that moment, they spotted a group of over twenty cultivators, all seemingly high-level, gathered together and sharing a meal.

Before Chu Jie could approach, one called out to them: “Come over here—do you want to join us?”