"Didn't expect that after all this time, someone would still remember me. Since you know who I am, you can die now!"
The Spirit Ancestor deacon looked at Ignaz with an extremely sinister smile, though his eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of fear. After all, Ignaz had made a name for himself in the dog-eat-dog world of the black market spirit fighting arena.
Facing him, the deacon had to give it everything he had—otherwise, death was certain.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Demon-Breaking Blade!"
A massive black axe slashed toward Ignaz.
"Blood Sea Crimson: Raging Wave Triple Defense!"
Even ten-thousand-year spirit beasts would be sent flying by his strongest self-created defensive spirit skill. How could some measly thousand-year fourth-ring technique possibly break through it?
"BOOM—"
The black spirit power axe completely dissipated. Seeing this, the Spirit Ancestor deacon panicked and fled desperately toward Sky Star City, his left hand constantly wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Just as the fighting arena predicted, this White Demon—no, Ignaz—already has the strength to defeat opponents above his level. And that spirit skill he just used was incredibly strange! I need to report this to the bishop immediately."
But Ignaz had already appeared in front of him. He quickly activated his second spirit skill, driving his spear straight through the man's right hand just as he was about to raise his weapon in defense. Before the deacon could unleash any other spirit skills, Ignaz's second and third attacks followed in rapid succession, each one faster than the last.
"Splurt—"
The spear tip pierced through his throat. With a flick of his wrist, Ignaz sent the lifeless corpse flying. He looked around at the seven bodies and sighed regretfully.
"What a pain. I have to waste my blood again!"
With that, Ignaz gripped his spear tip and made a light cut. Crimson blood coated the blade and flowed downward. The seven corpses and the spilled blood formed blood energy that surged into the Blood Thunder War Spear.
In an instant, all seven men and the injured warhorses were reduced to nothing. Only some broken trees and traces of battle remained.
Under the cover of darkness, Ignaz quickly fled the scene. Just two days later, people from Sky Star City's Spirit Hall came searching. After careful investigation, they found no valuable clues and could only confirm that the seven men they had sent out were likely dead.
Later, when Ignaz passed through a large city, his feet were getting injured from all the running—and he was moving too slowly. So he bought a good horse and headed north toward the Heaven Dou Empire.
Within a month and a half, a man leading a horse stood before the gates of Heaven Dou City.
"Riding a horse is much faster than taking a carriage! Finally made it to Heaven Dou City."
He looked up at the granite city walls that towered more than ten meters high, reaching into the clouds. Through the city gates, all the buildings inside looked luxurious. The people passing by wore silk and satin, radiating an air of nobility.
Even the beggars on the streets wore clothes comparable to those of ordinary citizens of second- or third-tier cities. Erhus, violins, flutes, and other instruments were standard equipment for them—clearly, these weren't your average beggars.
"The Heaven Dou Empire sure is impressive. Better find a hotel to stay at first, rest up, and then make plans."
Ignaz entered a five-star hotel located in the bustling eastern district of Heaven Dou City.
"What? Ten gold spirit coins for one night!"
Ignaz had nearly 200,000 in cash, but coming from a poor background, he decided not to stay after hearing the price. Even sleeping outdoors or on the streets wouldn't be a big deal for him.
After asking around, he went to squat outside the Dugu family mansion in the northern noble residential district, where aristocratic children lived. This area was also a gathering place for many beggars.
Rows of beggars were lined up almost in formation, and Ignaz, squatting among them, didn't seem out of place—he blended right in.
"Here they come, brothers! The big fish are coming. Music, crying, the whole routine—let's go!"
"Brother, you're new here, right?"
An old beggar nearby, who was getting ready to start crying, quickly reminded the motionless Ignaz.
"Huh?"
"Huh, what? Didn't you hear that brother's signal? Some noble children are coming—especially those sheltered girls raised in academies. They're the easiest to win sympathy from and also the most generous."
"For our team, we only get opportunities like this once or twice a month. You'd better get moving—the more you work, the more you earn!"
Ignaz looked at the kind old beggar explaining things to him and nodded slightly. Since when did beggars form teams? And such professional ones at that.
At that moment, sad music began playing. Countless beggars started crying—some claiming their families had starved to death, others saying they were killed by fallen spirit masters. The more tragic the story, the better. The wailing could be heard from two or three streets away.
As the wealthy folks passed through the area on their way home, the crying became heart-wrenching. Even Ignaz lowered his head and managed to squeeze out a few tears.
"These are all frauds. Let's hurry past."
"Many of them are familiar faces. They often frequent the big hotels, eating and drinking to their heart's content!"
...
But just as the group of noble children was hurrying past, a silver-haired girl in the group looked pitifully in Ignaz's direction.
"Sister Yan, they're not having it easy either. Even if many are frauds, if one or two are telling the truth, we should still help them."
The silver-haired girl was none other than Ye Lingling. She took out the gold spirit coins she had saved from a month of academy life and was about to give them away as charity when a green-haired girl stopped her.
"Lingling, you're too naive. Don't let these beggars in rags and tatters fool you. Human nature is treacherous—especially for us girls when we're out and about. We must be careful. I've seen this scene many times. Watch and learn."
Dugu Yan walked toward the crowd of beggars, hands on her hips, looking quite indignant.
"Haven't you been taught enough lessons by my grandfather? You still dare to cry poverty near my house? Get lost now, or I'll call my grandfather!"
The beggars paid her no mind and continued their wailing. They knew Dugu Bo's schedule very well—he only came home two or three times a month, and his return times were basically fixed. That's why they dared to cry poverty around the Dugu family estate in the outer noble district.
Even if Dugu Bo showed up, he'd only drive them away and punish a few. He wouldn't kill these commoners. A few injuries in exchange for one or two gold spirit coins were definitely worth it.
"Fine! If you won't leave, then I'll have to use some special methods."
But in the next second, Ignaz, who had been keeping his head down, heard the two girls talking. So it was Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan! This made things much easier. While Dugu Bo was hard to find and couldn't be approached directly, he could approach his granddaughter!
Since they had come and created such a great opportunity, he had to seize it. His mind raced, and a slightly risky plan took shape.
"Let's do this—make or break!"
Ignaz steeled himself and forcibly shattered two of his meridians, spitting up a mouthful of fresh blood.
He clutched his chest with one hand, his face extremely haggard and filled with pain. This move immediately startled Dugu Yan, who had been about to act.
The beggars nearby looked at him in amazement, feeling a wave of regret.
"This new brother is setting the standard! How did we never think of the blood-spitting trick? Now that's a pro!"