"The demon of the Fifth Realm, truly impressive…"
Fang Yuan sighed lightly, facing a severely wounded, near-death Crocodile Demon. He used both verbal taunts and sneak attacks, even using the [Weakening] skill he had never used before.
Even so, he was still hit head-on by the demon's tail beast orb, which landed squarely on him.
This Crocodile Demon—if you had such a trump card, why didn't you use it earlier? Why wait until you're about to die to unleash it?!
The mouse skin coat Fang Yuan had just acquired was now completely destroyed, leaving him once again exposed.
Moreover, the health bar, which had once seemed safe, now only showed 20% remaining...
Tsk tsk, even with [Virtue to Persuade] and [Iron Wall Elephant Protection], he couldn't withstand the demon's attack.
And this was with Fang Yuan having weakened the demon by using [Weakening] to reduce its strength!
With all the buffs stacked, it was barely enough to keep him alive. The Fifth Realm truly was a freakish challenge!
He almost got obliterated by the demon's ultimate move, but fortunately, his skills were superior.
At the same time, this battle also gave Fang Yuan a taste of how terrifying his summoner skills could be.
[Flash]—a teleportation skill with no trajectory—couldn't be seen through even by a Fifth Realm Demon Lord.
[Weakening], on the other hand, had a kind of numerical beauty, ignoring the opponent's realm to forcibly reduce their speed and strength.
The value of these two skills kept increasing, but sadly, the cooldown was too long, making them usable only once per battle.
After reflecting on all this, Fang Yuan turned his attention back to the Book of Virtue.
He saw the page displayed the following text:
[Slay a Fifth Realm early-stage demon, Virtue Points +10,000!!!]
Wait, did I miss a zero?!
Fang Yuan's eyes widened, his breathing quickened. Ten thousand?!
Tsk tsk, this Crocodile Demon... really made him happy!!!
In that instant, all the displeasure in Fang Yuan's heart was thrown aside.
It felt like working all day, exhausted, and then coming home to find that the 80 yuan lottery ticket you bought had won 225 million!
Is the difference between the Fourth and Fifth Realms really this vast?!
Unable to hold back, Fang Yuan's smile spread wide across his face!
"This kid is actually still smiling…"
At the same time, not far from Fang Yuan, Qin Hai was also in shock.
He stood there, frozen for quite a while, before slapping himself hard to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
What he was seeing was real!
But why on earth would a young man from the Third Realm, after taking a full-force hit from a Fifth Realm demon, remain completely unharmed?!
That's right, completely unharmed!!
There wasn't even a single wound on him, not even a hair singed… He looked like a beautiful jade sculpture…
What kind of freakish and terrifying defense is this?!
"Kid!!!"
Qin Hai's tone became tense, and he immediately pointed his large halberd at Fang Yuan:
"Are you human or demon?!"
If he'd thought before that Fang Yuan might be a human prodigy, now… he was starting to have some doubts!
No matter how strong someone is, they couldn't be this strong, could they?
Is this guy really just a student from the Tianjiao camp?
Hearing Qin Hai's question, Fang Yuan finally realized there was still someone else here. His black pupils grew even deeper as he gave a light chuckle:
"Old man, you just saw me slay this Crocodile Demon with your own eyes, and you still dare to call me 'kid'?"
Qin Hai was momentarily speechless. In confusion, he quickly changed his address:
"Then… Senior?!"
He began to suspect that this person might be disguised as someone important. After all, as one's realm increased, so did their lifespan, and their appearance could change.
Could this be some powerful person playing under an alias?
Seeing Qin Hai immediately turn cautious, Fang Yuan's smile stiffened, feeling somewhat amused.
These members of the Chongwu Guard—whether old or young—could all change their faces so quickly?
They sure knew how to read the room.
However, Fang Yuan decided not to make things too difficult for him. After all, they were on the same side.
Most importantly, his own condition wasn't great either. Although he appeared calm and vigorous on the surface, his energy and magic were depleted, and his health was near zero.
If he angered this old man, he might not win the fight...
That would be awkward—he might die to this old man instead of the Crocodile Demon.
"I was just kidding, old man."
Fang Yuan immediately said, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect: "I'm not a demon; I'm just a human, a student from the Tianjiao camp."
As for changing his expression—Fang Yuan was no slouch either!
"A student?" However, Qin Hai still looked suspicious and wary.
"A student from the Tianjiao camp? There's no way you can survive a full-on attack from a Fifth Realm Demon Lord!"
"Uh, could you at least give me some clothes? It's a bit awkward talking to you while I'm naked…" Fang Yuan said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Alright…" Qin Hai nodded, unfastening his crimson cloak from his back and tossing it to Fang Yuan. "Here, use this for now."
Fang Yuan didn't mind and wrapped it around his waist like an apron, just enough to cover his important parts.
"The reason I'm fine is because of my martial arts talent," he then answered Qin Hai's question.
"Martial arts talent? Is there such a terrifying talent in this world? How come I've never seen it before?" Qin Hai frowned.
"Well, that's your problem," Fang Yuan shrugged, offering no further explanation.
After all, martial arts talent was a broad term—anything could be explained under it.
Qin Hai stared at Fang Yuan's face for several seconds before nodding:
"Alright, I believe you. You remind me of two geniuses I've seen in my life. Although they can't match you, they aren't far behind."
Qin Hai seemed to have confirmed that Fang Yuan was on his side and relaxed considerably. He no longer stood straight but instead sat cross-legged on the ground.
As he did so, his aura diminished significantly, as if he were a regular old man nearing death.
Fang Yuan raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised by Qin Hai's words. He thought he was already OP, but judging by Qin Hai's tone, there were others out there who were similarly OP?
Interesting… I hope this guy's a big villain.
"Help me hold this!" Just then, Qin Hai spoke again. He tossed his halberd to Fang Yuan, who easily caught it.
The cold sensation from the weapon sent a shiver through Fang Yuan's palm. He realized that the halberd was quite well-balanced.
There was no doubt this was a divine weapon. It was the very weapon that had cleaved the Crocodile Demon in two, allowing Fang Yuan to seize the kill.
Of course, the one who'd put in the most effort was the halberd's owner.
"By the way, old man, was the white shadow that zoomed by earlier Chongwu Hou?" Fang Yuan asked.
The speed of that white shadow was so fast that even with the Eye of Disaster skill, he couldn't clearly see the name above its head.
"Yes," Qin Hai nodded. "And don't call me old man. My last name is Qin."
"Alright, Master Qin," Fang Yuan politely addressed him. "If you ever become a doorman, your future would be bright."
Qin Hai: "???"
"Then why did Chongwu Hou leave right after coming?" Without waiting for Qin Hai's reaction, Fang Yuan threw out another question.
"Chongwu Hou didn't come," Qin Hai smiled. "That was his shadow god. He's still in the Jianghai Palace."
At this point, a hint of pride appeared on Qin Hai's face, as if he were basking in glory.
Fang Yuan's heart skipped a beat. A shadow god leaving the body to strike a Fifth Realm Demon from miles away?!
Is Chongwu Hou's strength really that absurd?
Is he in the Sixth Realm, Seventh Realm, or even higher?!
But then again, he's someone who was granted the title of marquis, a major figure of the Yan Kingdom—how could he be weak?
But people like him, martial arts experts, why would they settle in a remote state as a governor…?