The reek of blood quickly filled the air, an invisible miasma that made one's heart pound involuntarily.
The man called Mountain Leopard… his upper torso's organs were now scattered across the ground. It was a gruesome, bloody sight.
His lower body, having lost all support, crumpled bonelessly to the ground.
This scene sent the other men who had been surrounding Chu He into a state of absolute terror.
Their eyes widened, and they scattered, screaming in horror.
They stared at Chu He as if he were a monster, their hearts filled with terror and bewilderment.
They knew Chu He must have done it, but none of them had any idea how.
All they saw was a single, simple movement.
Chu He had extended his index finger, swiped it gently through the air, and then Mountain Leopard's body had suddenly split apart.
The young man sitting in the pavilion was also startled to his feet by this sudden turn of events. He stared at Chu He, his eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and fear.
He himself was a Martial Artist and had a certain understanding of their power and methods.
Yet, while he could sense the immense killing intent in Chu He's movement, he couldn't detect the slightest fluctuation of Elemental Power.
In this world, all Martial Artists cultivated Elemental Power. Whenever they made a move, even a top-tier King-level expert would leak some aura fluctuations.
The only exception would be one of those old, reclusive King-level masters who kept their abilities perfectly concealed.
But judging by Chu He's age, he clearly couldn't be an existence of that caliber.
Everything that had just happened was completely beyond his comprehension.
Just then, the system's mechanical notification sounded in Chu He's mind. "DING! System mission has been updated."
"New mission triggered: Do something that aligns with your childhood dream."
"Mission completion reward: Rejuvenating Pill."
"Rejuvenating Pill effect: Restores your body to its youngest, peak state."
Hearing this notification, a brilliant light immediately flashed in Chu He's eyes.
A powerful sense of anticipation and excitement surged within him.
The recent experience of gaining a hundred years of Cultivation had already made him a firm believer in the system's power.
'A childhood dream…'
Chu He's thoughts began to drift, and memories buried by time gradually resurfaced in his mind.
Back then, he had dreamed of becoming a hero who roamed the world with a sword, upholding justice.
As the years passed, that innocent dream had long been ground to dust by the harshness of reality.
Chu He's gaze slowly fell upon the young man in the pavilion.
It seemed this newly triggered system mission was somehow subtly connected to him.
Chu He took a step and began walking steadily toward the pavilion.
Seeing this, the young man was overcome by a powerful sense of unease, as if facing an impending storm.
Trembling, he fumbled for a blood-red bead. The bead radiated a bizarre aura, containing some kind of unknown power.
One glance was all Chu He needed to understand the bead's origin.
Ever since Evil Spirits invaded this world, all sorts of strange materials had appeared. This blood-red bead was undoubtedly a product of the Evil Spirits.
To possess such an item, the young man's background had to be anything but ordinary.
He walked to the edge of the pavilion, looked at the girl, and asked softly, "What are you crying about?"
The girl lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but when she caught sight of the young man out of the corner of her eye, she swallowed her words.
Her face was pale; she was clearly terrified.
The young man now stood to the side, his breathing slightly ragged as he stared intently at Chu He.
He had already offered a bank card to Chu He, while his other hand tightly gripped the blood-red bead, clearly on guard against something.
"Senior, my men were out of line just now. I hope you won't take offense."
The young man said respectfully, "This is an unregistered bank card. The password is eight eights. There's one million inside. I hope, Senior, you can forgive our earlier transgression."
His voice trembled slightly, clearly showing how deeply he feared Chu He's power.
He had provoked someone he shouldn't have, and now he could only do his best to make amends, hoping to quell the storm.
"Shut up."
Chu He shot the young man a cold glance, and an invisible force instantly enveloped his mouth.
The young man's mouth seemed to suffer a violent impact and exploded in a spray of blood and shredded flesh. The intense pain made his vision go black, and he collapsed to the ground.
The blood-red bead nearly fell from his hand, but driven by a powerful will to survive, he held on tight and, gritting his teeth through the agony, crushed it.
The instant the bead shattered, a ray of blood-red light burst forth, quickly transforming into a thick mist that tightly enveloped the young man.
This mist had some sort of protective function. Though its range wasn't wide, it was enough to completely conceal him.
At the same time, he tremblingly pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed a number, apparently calling for help.
Chu He paid the young man's actions little mind, his gaze shifting to the young girl.
The girl's eyes were red and swollen, evidence that she had just been crying. She now looked at Chu He with a mixture of fear and hope.
"Sometimes, life presents you with an opportunity, but it often only comes once. It's fleeting."
Chu He's voice was calm and deep. "This is the last time I'll ask you: what happened?"
He wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs. If the system mission hadn't been triggered, he probably wouldn't have gotten involved at all.
But since he had stumbled upon it, Chu He wanted to get to the bottom of it.
Hearing his words, the girl trembled slightly, mustering all her courage before she spoke.
Her voice quivered with a choked sob. "I have a younger brother. He's supposed to take the college entrance exam this year."
"The exam fees are a huge sum for a family like ours, and you also need a recommendation from a Fifth Grade Martial Artist or higher."
"But my family is poor. We can't possibly meet those conditions."
"So... so my father sold me to this young master."
As she spoke, the girl's voice grew quieter, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
For her, this was undoubtedly an extremely painful and humiliating matter.
She never could have imagined that her own father would sell her for the sake of her brother's exam.
In this world, the college entrance exam was critically important for every young person.
It wasn't just a test; it was a pivotal moment that determined one's future.
Only by passing it could one enter a Gaowu University to further their studies and become a true Martial Artist.
For many families, being able to produce a Martial Artist was an immense honor and the fulfillment of a great hope.
For the girl, however, it had all become a nightmare.
However, the exam fees were a heavy burden.
The other condition was just as absurd: a recommendation from a Fifth Grade Martial Artist or higher.
'If you had money, how could you possibly lack a recommendation from a Martial Artist?'
"The Great Jing has become a complete mess."
Chu He sneered, then added, "In that case, let's just kill your father and brother."