Chapter 11: A Night of Understanding

Zhang Qingyuan and the others quickly stepped aside.

The severed arm vanished into Xi Yu’s hand.

“Roar!”

Having lost another limb, the Head-Swapping Ghost let out a piercing, miserable shriek.

Its combat power plummeted instantly.

Subsequently, Ding Ren proceeded to sever its remaining arms and legs one by one.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others repeated their tactic, pinning down the severed limbs while Xi Yu stored them all into his glove space.

Finally, the peddler was left as nothing more than a torso.

“You demons! Return my head! Return my arms!”

The torso’s ferocity remained unabated as it struggled, trying to lunge at the group.

Thud, thud, thud.

Zhang Qingyuan and the five others, having tasted success, all pressed their weight down upon it.

The howling came to an abrupt halt.

The dragon blood within the glove space directly suppressed the Head-Swapping Ghost, leaving it unable to even let out a scream, let alone continue its rampage.

The Head-Swapping Ghost’s decapitation-based Food Sacrifice ability was extremely powerful; Xi Yu wondered if it was possible to strip this ability away.

Food Sacrifice abilities could indeed be stripped; his own [I Can See the Quality of Ingredients] had been obtained from elsewhere.

For now, he couldn’t attend to it and would have to wait until he had time to process it.

“Phew.”

Zhang Qingyuan and the others collapsed on the ground, nearly dying of exhaustion just from assisting; this Head-Swapping Ghost was definitely the most terrifying C-class ghost they had ever encountered.

Xi Yu picked up the ghost’s shoulder pole, and immediately, a sinister aura attempted to burrow into his body.

He didn’t bother to examine it and tossed it straight into his space.

“Xi Yu, thank you.”

Ding Ren walked over and sincerely expressed his gratitude.

The Head-Swapping Ghost was far too horrific; without Xi Yu, he would have had no way to deal with it and might have even perished.

He never truly believed himself to be invincible among C-classes; there were too many mysterious, terrifying, and unknown ghosts and beasts in the world, and they had run into one today.

He also realized now that the situation in Xincheng City was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

If just one Head-Swapping Ghost was this terrifying, how horrific would the remaining five ghosts be?

He felt it was truly a miracle that Xincheng City had managed to hold out for so many days.

“No need to be polite, Captain Ding. We’re all family in the Middle Continent; we’ll be fighting together in the future anyway,” Xi Yu said with a smile.

“Ahhh! Xi Yu, thank you!”

Once Zhang Qingyuan and the others recovered their strength, they went wild, lunging forward one by one to hug Xi Yu excitedly.

Their hearts were filled with gratitude; had Xi Yu not been there today, they felt they might have all been finished.

It wasn’t just about themselves; most importantly, Xi Yu had essentially saved Ding Ren’s life.

Ding Ren certainly had the ability to escape, but for their sake, he would have fought to the bitter end—that was what they most wanted to thank Xi Yu for.

They truly felt that picking up Xi Yu was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to them.

In the future, they would cherish Xi Yu as much as possible; even if he didn’t actually need it, they would still risk their lives to protect him.

In this lifetime, they had pledged themselves to the white dragon.

“It’s okay.”

Xi Yu patted their heads one by one; fortunately, the dragon lust had mostly dissipated by now, otherwise, such a hug might have led to some chaotic trouble.

“Be good. Lord White Dragon will protect you in the future.”

It was time to show off a skill or two; otherwise, they would keep treating him like a protected animal.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others were stunned. Although… the divine dragon was acting a bit high and mighty now.

“Alright, pack up. We’re leaving.”

Ding Ren looked at Zhang Qingyuan and the others, suddenly finding them a bit of an eyesore for some reason.

****

At this point, the group was tired and hungry. After the encounter with the Head-Swapping Ghost, they were even more eager to reach Shilu County.

Without further delay, they immediately set out.

Xi Yu once again enjoyed the happiness of not having to walk, though this time he felt Ding Ren was surrounded by a low-pressure aura, and the strength of the arms holding him had increased slightly.

The man sprinted all the way, making Zhang Qingyuan and the others struggle to keep up.

‘What’s wrong?’ Xi Yu couldn’t help but find it a bit amusing. ‘Captain Ding couldn’t be… jealous, could he?’

This time, they finally encountered no more accidents along the way.

At three in the afternoon, having traveled at full speed, the group successfully reached the first city since their return to the Middle Continent: Shilu County.

Like most counties in the Middle Continent nowadays, Shilu was divided into an inner city and an outer city.

The outer city possessed a high wall seven meters tall, and a hundred meters beyond that sat a perimeter of barbed-wire fencing.

The fence was covered in monitors and alarms, with taller sentry towers stationed at intervals.

Ding Ren and his team were spotted the moment they appeared outside Shilu County.

“Welcome, welcome! Captain Ding, you’ve finally arrived.”

There were very few people in the Middle Continent who didn’t know Ding Ren’s identity, but Shilu County’s enthusiastic welcome was because they had just been notified today.

Otherwise, with their status as Realm Guards appearing suddenly, they would have certainly been met with suspicion.

Despite the notification, Shilu County still had to confirm everyone’s identities one last time.

After waiting less than a minute, the communicator on Ding Ren’s person suddenly rang.

“Welcome, Captain Ding. Welcome, brothers of the Realm Guard. Please, come in.”

Before he could even answer the device, the county gates swung open. Ding Ren checked the caller ID, answered for a few words, and then hung up.

Although the identity check had caused a brief delay, their entry into the city caused a sensation.

In no time, over a dozen people surrounded Ding Ren and his team.

Xi Yu finally understood Ding Ren’s popularity in the Middle Continent; even in such a remote place, almost everyone knew him.

If most of the soldiers hadn’t been on duty, the area would have been packed tight.

No one in Shilu County asked about their disheveled appearance; nowadays, traveling outside was dangerous for anyone.

Injuries were common, and one could easily lose their life. However, they were still filled with curiosity as to what could have injured Ding Ren.

Without Ding Ren or the others needing to speak, a large table of fragrant, steaming food was quickly served before them.

“Thank you.”

After Zhang Qingyuan thanked them on behalf of the group, he ignored everything else and buried his head in his food, eating frantically. He didn’t care at all about the dozen or so pairs of eyes watching them.

Even Ding Ren’s movements were noticeably faster.

Xi Yu had intended to marvel at finally getting a hot meal, but seeing the way the others were devouring the food like a whirlwind, he couldn’t sit still.

‘Fine, I’ll marvel after I’m full.’

However, he was judging them by his own standards.

Ding Ren and the others weren’t necessarily ignoring him; it was just that they had a very disciplined way of eating.

Everyone ate roughly the same amount, and they had left an eighth of each dish for him.

Unfortunately, there were no meat dishes at all—not even a single fish.

Even so, everyone was satisfied.

Xi Yu found that he could still eat quite a lot, downing three large bowls of rice and vegetables in one go.

Previously, he had only eaten dry rations just to stay full, but this time he wanted to eat well.

Even without meat, he was very satisfied with the meal.

But compared to Ding Ren and the others, his appetite was far behind; Zhang Qingyuan and the rest were all big eaters.

The portions were generous, and Xi Yu finally stopped after he was stuffed. Even so, about half of his portion remained.

Actually, Xi Yu wasn’t afraid of overeating since he had dragon power to aid digestion, but he didn’t want to waste food.

The small bit that remained was divided among Fang Jianbo and the others.

Xi Yu was truly full, but Zhang Qingyuan and the others still felt a bit unsatisfied.

“Are you not full? Should I have them prepare another table?”

The speaker was Chang Ping, the head of the Shilu County Military Guard and the County Seat.

“Seat” was the unique title for the local head of the Military Guard, with the ranks of “Governor” and “Officer” below it. It was the same elsewhere; the head of a city-level Military Guard was called the City Seat. Ding Ren had explained all of this to Xi Yu.

Chang Ping wore a smile and was exceptionally welcoming.

“Officer Chang, no need to trouble yourself. We’re all full.”

Chang Ping’s combat power was at the peak of D-class, similar to Zhang Qingyuan, and the two hit it off.

“Alright then, go take a bath and get a good night’s sleep. We can talk about business tomorrow.”

Chang Ping didn’t stand on ceremony. Pure grain was very expensive and rationed; even he didn’t have much of a quota. The meal Zhang Qingyuan and the others had just eaten was worth an entire month of his rations.

“Alright, thank you for the trouble,” Zhang Qingyuan said gratefully.

“Then get some rest. We’ll take our leave now.”

Chang Ping and his men left decisively, giving them their space. They were very thoughtful, not only preparing clothes for them but also leaving a pile of medicine, likely having noticed that everyone was carrying various injuries.

Everyone remembered this kindness.

“Xi Yu, do you want to bathe first?”

The gatehouse wasn’t a residence, so there was no dedicated shower room; bathing meant using buckets to rinse off outside.

Knowing they had to head to Xincheng City tomorrow, Chang Ping didn’t have them enter the city proper, letting them make do at the gatehouse for the night.

No one dared to watch Xi Yu bathe; Fang Jianbo and the others stood guard outside.

Xi Yu’s body wasn’t actually dirty; he didn’t even have the scent of sweat.

The dragon power always purged all filth from his body as if it were harmful. After a quick rinse and changing into new clothes, he felt refreshed and clean.

He finally had a pair of new shoes that belonged to him.

When he walked out in his new clothes and shoes, Fang Jianbo and the others stared at him intently, and even Ding Ren was dazed for a few seconds.

Simply by changing into plain clothes, he truly looked as if he had just stepped back from a world of myth.

Ding Ren stepped forward. “Where are my shoes and cloak?”

Xi Yu instinctively took a step back, not expecting the man to step up and ask that. “I’ve put them away. I’ll wash them and return them to you later.”

“It’s fine. No need to wash them.”

Xi Yu had no choice but to take the items out and return them.

When Ding Ren came out, he was wearing his own shoes and clothes; the clothes had been washed and dried by him using his power. As for the shoes, Xi Yu was certain he hadn’t washed them.

After everyone finished bathing, they had to sleep in one room due to the lack of extra space.

However, this time they finally didn’t need a night watch; with their Military Guard comrades from the Middle Continent nearby, they slept very peacefully.

Especially Ding Ren; the earlier battle had caused his wounds to reopen. After reapplying medicine, he finally couldn’t hold out any longer and fell into a deep sleep.

He had been the most exhausted all along, having had essentially no rest, and now he could finally sleep with a peace of mind.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others only felt relieved once they saw Ding Ren asleep, and they soon followed suit.

Xi Yu slept for three hours and woke up feeling that his energy was mostly recovered.

He hadn’t been particularly tired to begin with, having basically been carried through everything. All the work had been done by Ding Ren and the others, and in the end, he had even been spared the effort of walking.

Now that it was finally safe, he intended to begin his training regimen.

He was desperate to increase his strength.

Looking at the others who were sound asleep, he carefully climbed up and left the room.

It was already past nine in the evening.

the Shilu County military guards were on duty, and no one stopped him when they saw him come out.

To avoid trouble, Xi Yu stopped at a clearing not far from the room where Ding Ren and the others were sleeping and began his training schedule.

There were two widely known theories about Mutation Particles in the future: Mutational Aggregation and Soul Affinity.

They referred to the idea that the higher the degree of mutation and the stronger the soul, the more powerful the attraction to Mutation Particles would be.

Most methods for increasing combat power in the future were based on these two theories.

Soul Affinity also explained why the number of beasts decreased after the catastrophe while ghosts became more numerous. Most beasts had low intelligence and weak souls, so they were gradually phased out by the new world.

The true cultivation method for Mutation Particles only became applicable once one reached B-class.

At B-class, the human body’s degree of mutation and soul transformation reached a high level, allowing one to control their body’s evolution toward the forms of those at the peak of the food chain. In fact, the true forms of the Food Sequence Lords were the cultivation methods for Mutation Particles.

At this stage, for Xi Yu to increase his combat strength—aside from dietary supplements—his only remaining option was extreme physical training.

Training made the physique strong, which naturally led to an increase in power.

As for increasing soul power, traditional methods weren’t suitable for him. The constant impact of the dragon’s instinct was, in itself, a form of training for his soul power.

So, he only needed to focus on training his body.

A normal person would have to be careful not to overtrain, but Xi Yu didn’t have that problem. No matter how he trained, he didn’t have to worry about injuring himself, as the dragon power would repair his body.

Even with the most intense training, there wouldn’t be a single visible change to his physical appearance. Even his looks would remain eternally youthful, as if frozen in time. Aside from his muscles becoming tighter, there wouldn’t even be a single callus on his hands.

However, there were pros and cons.

In his previous life, it was exactly because of this that he had nowhere to hide.

Now, he no longer had to worry; with Ding Ren and the others there, and with the Middle Continent behind him, he could train however he wanted without any reservations.

This allowed his spirit to feel incredibly relaxed.

He was happy.

Increasing his strength, besides reducing the influence of the dragon’s nature, was an addictive pursuit in its own right.

Xi Yu decided not to treat himself as human and to train himself ruthlessly.

‘Right, I forgot I’m not actually human anymore.’

He started with basic push-ups, only switching to another method once he found it tedious. Xi Yu didn’t practice with weapons; this way, the commotion was minimal and wouldn’t disturb anyone.

This was the first time since his rebirth that he could train so freely and without reserve; Xi Yu was truly satisfied.

One hour.

Two hours.

Three hours.

Xi Yu lost track of time and never once stopped to rest.

Initially, the Shilu County soldiers only noticed him coming out to exercise; aside from a bit of surprise, no one cared. But gradually, more and more gazes were drawn to him, and by the end, everyone was shocked.

As military guards, every one of them trained hard, but very few trained as desperately as Xi Yu. Most importantly, after more than three hours, Xi Yu hadn’t rested for a single second, which was simply unfathomable to them.

Their only reaction—he was a total freak.

It was already midnight, and he still showed no intention of stopping.

Thinking of Ding Ren’s nickname, “The Madman,” they all swallowed hard—did the Realm Guards really train like this?

It was too insane.

After another three hours passed, Chang Ping was also alerted in the early hours of the morning.

He stood nearby and watched Xi Yu train for over ten minutes, his eyes gleaming.

‘Where did Ding Ren pick up this treasure?’ He was certain in his heart that as long as Xi Yu didn’t die young, he would likely become another Ding Ren in the future.

‘No, he might even be stronger than Ding Ren.’

After the catastrophe, all humans were undergoing evolution.

While there were geniuses, there were absolutely no useless people; it all depended on whether you worked hard enough.

And in this new world, aside from the essences dropped by beasts and ghosts, there were almost no natural treasures. Training was virtually the only way to grow stronger.

Below D-class, it was easy enough, but those who became C-class had all put in incredible effort.

Judging by what he saw, Chang Ping witnessed astounding willpower and superior physical qualities in Xi Yu. Even a fool would know that his future potential was limitless—this was perhaps a B-class seed.

In an instant, he had an impulse: to poach him.

Though he felt it was impossible, he still had to try. What if?

Action followed desire; perhaps Ding Ren hadn’t realized this kid was a treasure yet.

“Ahem, little brother, would you be interested in staying here in Shilu County? Following the Realm Guards around, drifting from place to place, how can that compare to focusing entirely on cultivation here with us? Don’t worry—if you’re willing to stay, I guarantee that the resources of the entire county will be prioritized for you.”

Chang Ping wasn’t speaking without reason.

Although they were only a small county town, they possessed great autonomy. Moreover, compared to large cities, they had a bit more freedom here. If nothing else, food was plentiful, and any harvested essences could be given entirely to Xi Yu.

As long as a talent they discovered themselves agreed, they could stay locally. Even if he had to leave eventually, even a small amount of shared history would be of infinite benefit to them.

Based on this, he dared to compete for anyone.

Chang Ping was mid-passionate speech when a soldier in front of him awkwardly gestured for him to look behind. Chang Ping turned around in confusion and froze instantly.