"You're quite the humorist, Brother Monkey."
Bai Ze touched the corner of his eye and offered this praise, then whispered, "However, I don't think Third Uncle was entirely mocking me. He seemed to be dropping a hint, trying to warn me to get away..."
Brother Monkey nodded. "That's possible. He was being very cryptic, but the message was clearly for you to leave quickly."
"Right. Let's continue leveling up for now; we need to boost our levels..."
Bai Ze then turned his gaze toward the Peach Blossom Grudge behind him. "Sun Tai, check the strategy guide so we can have an easier time once we enter."
Sun Tai, who had been too afraid to make a sound, finally spoke up. "Can I go in too? I'm truly grateful! But... shouldn't we bring another person along? That way, we could maximize the profit by making them pay for their own entrance fee," he suggested timidly.
Hearing this, Bai Ze waved his hand dismissively. "No need."
"On the path to becoming a powerhouse, you are bound to be mocked by fools, but there is no need to care about them."
"Not until you stand at a position beyond their reach will they regret their past, wondering why they ever said such things to the powerhouse they see today..."
A look of confidence flickered in Bai Ze's eyes. He offered no further explanation; instead, after exchanging a look with Brother Monkey, they stepped into the Peach Blossom Grudge one after another. Sun Tai followed closely behind.
Their actions immediately drew the attention of many in the Abyss Hall, with some even gasping in shock:
"How is this possible? They actually chose Purgatory-level difficulty. Are they crazy!?"
"They really entered a Purgatory-level Abyss... and one of them is just a blind man. What is he trying to do?"
"Heh... I recall Sun Tai got the Giant Spirit God profession, and that blind guy has the Carver profession. I suppose he got scolded by his Third Uncle earlier and now wants to prove himself? Hahaha..."
"Let's disperse. Without an Abyss Exit Card, they're dead for sure."
The boisterous crowd grew quiet as quickly as it had erupted. Everyone returned to their own business, and everything returned to its usual calm.
Inside the Peach Blossom Grudge:
This time, the entire Abyss world felt even more realistic. A faint, lingering scent of peach blossoms permeated the air.
Bai Ze could vaguely sense his surroundings—a vast, desolate landscape, though the ground was severely cracked. The sky was dim, the sun and moon obscured.
Suddenly! Rotting finger bones grabbed Sun Tai's ankles, and as the ground split open, hundreds of mummified corpses wrapped in chains crawled out!
【Peach Blossom Corpse—Debtor】
【lv5】
【Total Combat Power: 110】
【Skills: Slow Aura, Corpse Bite, Mad Contractor】
Seeing that Sun Tai couldn't hold off the corpses, Bai Ze quickly ordered, "Move, Brother Monkey!"
He and Brother Monkey shared a telepathic connection; Brother Monkey understood his intent instantly.
Brother Monkey's arm suddenly elongated, grabbing a corpse by the head and dragging it over! As he tore the corpse’s body apart, a sheepskin scroll fell out of its abdomen.
Sun Tai picked it up to examine it. "You two, this looks like an indenture!" He couldn't help but read the contents aloud:
"Peach Blossom Village villager Li Tianyi, 83 years old, nearing death, willing to sacrifice soul to gain survival time. 【Day of soul weighing, time for karmic settlement.】"
No sooner had he finished reading than the villager, whose body had been torn apart, stood up again and launched a new attack!
"Snap!" Bai Ze darted forward, throwing a carving knife that instantly pierced the corpse's heart. The creature stopped moving immediately.
"It seems we must destroy their hearts. Go for it, Brother Monkey!"
Brother Monkey didn't say a word. He simply extended a finger and whispered, "The Thirty-Second Transformation: Disassembly."
(This can decompose objects or human bodies and reassemble the parts; it can be used to attack enemies or repair oneself in battle.)
In an instant, the hearts of all 300+ corpses were forced out of their bodies, falling to the ground with a rhythmic thud.
Bai Ze could now sense the situation around him through his five senses, and even he was surprised. "This... the 32nd Transformation..."
This meant that just one of Brother Monkey's skills contained seventy-two distinct abilities... and "Disassembly" was merely the 32nd!
The sound of rising experience points kept chiming in his ears. Sun Tai was completely stunned. "666... that's just too insane..."
Sun Tai didn't dare say another word. In fact, he had already realized the true identity of this young, handsome man in the blue leather jacket. Bai Ze was a Carver, and this person was naturally his carved creation. But this was just too absurd!
Sun Tai pinched his own thigh, not daring to show his shock. He simply trotted over to collect all the equipment, asking the two to look it over.
After a quick glance, they found it was all Black Iron-level gear. Bai Ze indicated that they should put that aside for now and collect everything until they cleared the level.
Brother Monkey continued his work. He returned to the well, reached his arms down, and pulled out two reinforced Kappa!
"Die..."
Brother Monkey didn't bother checking their stats; it was meaningless. Within the same realm, he was invincible, and he could even fight against those one or two realms higher!
The two Kappa were easily dispatched, dropping an item that looked like a water droplet, which Bai Ze collected.
Immediately after, the mudfish appeared again!
However, this one was clearly a "Plus" version. Its combat power had been significantly boosted, making it a formidable opponent.
【Debt Handler—Enraged Mudfish "BOSS"】
【lv8】
【Total Combat Power: 1713】
【Skills: Thick Skin, Earth Dragon, Small-Scale Financial Domination】
"Interesting. The combat power has increased quite a bit, hasn't it?"
Brother Monkey smiled slightly. He extended his black iron rod, which shot out and pierced straight through the creature's skull!
Dead!
However, the iron rod suffered slight damage; the Black Iron-level weapon was truly too weak.
Just as the mudfish boss was killed, the entire Peach Blossom Village began to shift environments. A murderous aura spread, the ground turned into gold, and one tall building after another rose from the earth. In a mere moment, the dilapidated village had upgraded into a prosperous financial district!
The brains of those present were nearly short-circuiting. Was this the way the final boss made its entrance?
"You've got to be kidding me! It's changing the environment entirely? It's practically a Domain!" Sun Tai exclaimed, though he still stepped in front of Bai Ze, showing a bit of loyalty.
Bai Ze remained calm. With Brother Monkey here, there was no problem.
"Adventurers from afar, welcome the judgment of finance."
An elderly man in a black suit, wearing a black top hat and sporting a long beard, walked slowly from the end of the financial street. His presence was extraordinary; every step he took seemed to echo with the sound of money.
The moment he appeared, a voice boomed across the sky:
【Combat Power Comparison Initiated!】
【The party with lower combat power loses 60% of their attributes!】
At this moment, a string of numbers appeared above everyone's heads!
Professional Camp:
Sun Tai: 555 "Giant Spirit God"
Great Sage Equal to Heaven: [Hidden]
Bai Ze: 20
Abyss Camp:
Contract Lord: 2755
The old man in the black suit froze, looking panicked. "Wait? This can't be right!?"