Chapter 54
"Those people who came days before us should've picked up on this by now, right? Either that demonic energy you mentioned infects the most talented first… or their talent's so bad, they haven't noticed a thing."
Zhu Zhuqing casually listed off a few possibilities.
Of course, putting Lin Bai in the same category as other humans was pointless — it just wasn't a fair comparison.
She and Xiao Wu had been training together on the Tiger Body Refining Technique. The method was painful, slow, and demanded the cooperation of both practitioners. According to Lin Bai, though, women carried Yin energy by nature. This technique refined the body through the Yin evil spirits in the earth's veins and, once mastered, would even enhance their root talent.
What Lin Bai hadn't told them was that the talent enhancement mainly came from the Yin Yang Nine Dragons Art. And neither of them knew they were essentially cultivating a dual cultivation method with him.
"You think too much," Xiao Wu said, waving a hand. "Lin Bai, just do what you want. Zhuqing and I will back you up."
Xiao Wu had always preferred leaning on someone else's brain when she could get away with it. Right now, her attention was on the demonic energy floating in the air, her soul power flaring slightly as she amused herself trying to catch it.
"Alright then," Lin Bai shrugged. "Whether those people realize it or not, I'll just toss a few notes over to the six major forces. Let them figure it out."
There wasn't any point overthinking something like this. If the sky was going to fall, some taller guy would hold it up. He still needed time to grow.
"But something's weird," Lin Bai murmured, his eyes narrowing. "I just noticed… one of the groups that built a stall here is from the Haotian Sect. Weren't they forced into hiding by Spirit Hall? What're they doing here?"
"Haotian Sect? Why do you care about them?" Xiao Wu asked, tilting her head up at him.
"It's nothing."
Lin Bai smiled and brushed it off. It really had nothing to do with him. "C'mon, let's keep shopping. I'll clean up this demonic energy when it builds up. Won't slow us down."
"Mm."
Neither Zhuqing nor Xiao Wu had any objections. Minor stuff like this — they let Lin Bai handle it.
The three of them wandered around for a while, swapping out some old equipment for new, and their overall strength saw a decent boost.
They were just about to head out hunting when a sharp alarm suddenly blared across the market, amplified by a soul tool loudspeaker.
"Monster siege! All soul masters head to your assigned defensive points outside the market! Anyone retreating without a fight will be permanently barred from the Adventurer Market!"
The Soul Saint Lin Bai had spotted earlier soared into the air, glaring down to silence the sudden panic. With a powerhouse like him around, order was quick to return.
"What's this about a monster siege? Don't monsters stay in their own territories?" Xiao Wu asked, standing on tiptoe, trying to get a look past the crowd.
"Let's go see for ourselves," Lin Bai said, a little curious. He had a hunch this might be tied to the demonic energy he sensed.
The three followed the flow of people to the market's outer edge. What they saw was a chasm — clearly man-made — with sharp stakes lashed together as makeshift barricades. Thorny brambles lined the chasm itself, meant to slow anything that tried to cross.
Beyond the market, the ground was a dried, crusted black. If you looked closely, it was the color of old blood. A faint, sour stench hung in the air — a mix of decay and filth.
There was only one path out: a wooden bridge. On the other side, a mass of beasts was gathering. Strange, twisted creatures, their eyes blood-red, hot breath snorting from their nostrils.
Demonic energy, thick and angry.
Lin Bai's expression shifted slightly as a few things clicked into place. So the monsters inside the dungeon had absorbed most of the loose demonic energy. That explained why people hadn't been affected much.
But there was still something strange. Even driven mad, the monsters were acting too organized, gathering like this to assault the camp together. They should've turned on each other first.
Weird.
That was the only word for it. The people around them looked nervous, sure — but beneath that, Lin Bai saw excitement.
Experience.
This was a rare chance. A horde of monsters like this would be a leveling paradise, and sticking with a larger group lowered the risk of getting hurt.
"Watch your formation. Stick with your team. Don't let the monsters breach the market," the Seven-ringed Soul Saint called out from above. He sounded relaxed, like this wasn't even a challenge.
And honestly, for someone at his level, it wasn't. If the numbers weren't ridiculous, he could probably wipe out half the horde alone by unleashing his martial spirit true form.
"Hey," Xiao Wu asked curiously. "Why are they called 'Warcraft' anyway? Aren't they just crazed monsters?"
Before Lin Bai could answer, Oscar came jogging over, grinning like an idiot.
"It's because when they go crazy like this, it's like they're possessed," he explained.
Xiao Wu twitched her nose. She wasn't particularly interested in Oscar, but since he was answering her question, there was no need to chase him off.
"They just look a little pissed off to me. Possessed's a stretch."
Her voice had a hint of playfulness to it.
Oscar puffed up. "You must be new to the eighth floor, huh? This is normal. Around here, monsters randomly enter these berserk states. Either they go crazy like this, or it's mating season, or they hole up in their dens for weeks without eating. Some starve to death in there. Either way — yeah, it's like they're possessed."
"Ohh, so that's how it is."
Xiao Wu's tone shifted immediately. She looped her arm around Lin Bai's and gave Oscar a pointed look. "Alright then. Off you go. Don't make my boyfriend jealous."
Lin Bai raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything.
Oscar's smile stiffened. His heart skipped a beat, then crashed straight into disappointment.
"Haha… alright, I'll be careful. These monsters are dangerous, you guys be safe too."
He left in a hurry, sulking. Behind him, the others were already waiting.
"Alright, go ahead, laugh it up," Oscar muttered, covering his face.
And they did.
"Pffft— Hahahaha!"
Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai didn't hold back, laughing like idiots. Even Zhao Wuji, who should've set a better example, quietly chuckled behind his hand.
Oscar felt like burying himself alive.
They'd made a bet about whether he could land a successful pickup, and after Zhao Wuji's announcement, he'd been hit with textbook-level rejection.
After everyone got their laughs in, Dai Mubai straightened his collar and swaggered forward.
"Listen up, you lot. Those two are obviously a couple — and you still tried to claim they were just siblings. Idiot."
He glanced over at Zhu Zhuqing. "Now watch and learn how it's done."
He squared his shoulders and headed her way.
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