Fireballs, earth spikes, and other spells of fire and earth rained relentlessly toward Baili An.
But suddenly, his movements accelerated, and in an instant, he vanished from her sight.
Her heart clenched. She had never felt death so close.
Frantically, she shouted in the fastest voice she could manage:
"Wait, wait! I'm a member of the Holy Spirit Cult!"
"Huh?" a slightly surprised voice called out from behind her.
Goosebumps rose instantly across the back of her hands, cold sweat breaking out on her spine.
Without her two muscular companions, she just a pure mage had no ability to resist Baili An at all.
"You're from the Holy Spirit Cult?"
The Holy Spirit Cult was a global organization notorious for its ruthlessness. Governments everywhere, whether the Longxia Empire or Western nations, considered them a terrorist organization.
But inside the cult, special methods existed that could significantly enhance a follower's power.
Even under global suppression, many ability users risked everything to join secretly.
"That's right! And I have a secret I can tell you," she said, hope flickering in her voice as she saw Baili An's apparent interest.
"If you want to join the cult, I could even introduce you. A talent like you would definitely be valued. And those two useless men? Forget about them they're dead already."
If she could bring a young prodigy like him into the cult, it would be a major achievement and maybe she could even earn a real place inside the organization.
At just twenty-seven, she was young and tired of living like a mouse.
Her heart leapt with hope, but Baili An's calm tone shattered her expectations.
"Turn around."
Terrified, she obeyed instinctively.
Facing him, she forced a small smile onto her delicate, pale face.
"Don't kill me… I can tell you the secret first… eh?"
She froze. Her anxious mind hesitated as Baili An suddenly leaned closer.
In a fraction of a second, her racing thoughts caught up with the danger.
Blushing, she leaned in slowly, almost unconsciously, toward his handsome young face.
Baili An raised his hand, stopping her.
"You don't need to say anything."
Confused, she blinked, trying to process what was happening. The crimson eyes before her blurred her thoughts.
'So this is how he plays it…'
Baili An was using his Sharingan to read her memories.
The Holy Spirit Cult had left countless victims in its wake. He had no intention of joining them, but the "secret" she mentioned piqued his curiosity.
After a short moment, Baili An released the technique.
The woman regained her senses, instinctively checking her own status.
It quickly became clear that things were not as she had expected.
"I see… you were planning to kill someone. A student from the academy."
Her face turned pale with shock. She could think of nothing else.
"How do you know?!"
Seeing Baili An's calm expression, she panicked completely.
"Wait, I was wrong! I don't want to die! I'm a fifth-tier elemental mage I'm useful! I can help you hunt monsters! I'll do whatever you ask! Please, spare me!"
"There's no such thing as free mercy…" Baili An did not hesitate. He raised the Tang Dao in his hand.
"Everyone pays the price for their choices."
With that, he swung decisively.
Baili An's movements were fast and precise. She barely felt any pain before collapsing to the ground.
He did not know what ran through her mind at her last moment. All he saw were her final tears, and the look in her eyes as if she were recalling memories.
The scene fell silent, save for the faint sound of a nearby river.
Baili An looked at the three bodies before him and remained silent for a long time.
This was the first time he had killed a person.
He placed a hand over his heart. His heartbeat remained steady, and the Tang Dao in his right hand still dripped with blood.
"To kill so calmly… I've really changed since coming to this world."
Life was fragile. Over the past year hunting monsters, he had experienced this countless times.
But this this was his first time taking a human life.
Yet his emotions were almost as calm as when he killed the Gluttonous Slime.
Killing humans also provided Source Essence. Baili An had just confirmed this.
"I'm basically a supercharged Gluttonous Slime…"
The very way Source Essence was gained put him at the threshold of hell.
With a single misstep, Baili An could walk down a path to ruin.
And he had the power to bring hell to the human world…
But the path was under his own feet. Baili An had never thought of becoming a slave to power.
To fall to temptation and be consumed would be laughable.
Who could even say whether he owned the power or if the power owned him?
"Good thing I'm the one with the advantage. Otherwise, who knows what would happen to this world?"
Baili An gave himself a self-congratulatory smirk. His personality was slightly cocky.
…
He had spent the entire day inside the secret realm.
Only as night fell did he exit.
Stepping through the portal, he entered a large square bustling with people. Monster hunters carried corpses of slain creatures, while some companies escorted live monsters for collection.
The square was surrounded by wide roads, lined with countless shops.
Baili An's young figure immediately drew attention. At his age, someone like him was rare in this area.
"That's him. That psychic fifth-tier challenged him before, and he took him down with one look."
"One look? What's a powerhouse like him doing in such an ordinary secret realm?"
"No idea. A year ago, he was a rookie and even asked me some questions. Now, he's leagues ahead."
"Beating you so badly and you're still bragging?"
"Genius growth is terrifying, that's all I can say."
"At his age, he should be competing in the national selection. In a few years, with the psychic cultivation secrets, he'll reach sixth-tier. That's real evolution."
"He's on another level entirely. Don't take it personally."
Idle hunters whispered among themselves, glancing at Baili An.
He walked through the square to a large, well-known collection shop. The staff stared, surprised, as he placed the Gluttonous Slime crystal on the counter.
It was mostly intact. Baili An's earnings increased by 1.7 million, bringing his total savings to nearly 20 million.
After that, he headed to another location:
The City Psychic Abnormality Control Bureau abbreviated as the Psychic Bureau.
It was an official department, responsible for handling supernatural incidents.