"Whew."
After surveying his surroundings, Bai Jue curled his lips into a faint smile. He glanced at the wristband, checked the nearest resource point, and headed in that direction.
But he hadn't taken more than a few steps—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound tore through the air.
Bai Jue twisted his head sharply, a wooden arrow streaking past his ear.
He turned to look, surprise flickering across his face.
In the dense undergrowth ahead stood a Forest Centaur, nearly two meters tall, bow in hand, staring straight at him. The attack had clearly come from her.
It was a female centaur.
Her eyes burned crimson with bloodlust, symmetrical black markings spreading across her face. Her upper body was clothed in woven leaves, while her lower half was a sleek white horse's body, fine fur clearly visible.
"Die… die!"
The centaur roared, utterly devoid of reason.
Her strength was far from weak—mid-Tier One.
As her roar echoed, the surrounding trees suddenly came alive. Vines surged from the ground, lashing toward Bai Jue like whips.
This was the Forest Centaur's racial ability—control over plants.
Legend said that truly powerful centaurs could command an entire forest with a single thought.
Within a forest, this was their ideal battlefield.
Unfortunately for her—
That meant nothing to Bai Jue.
He smiled lightly and raised his right hand, flicking it forward.
Boom—!
Raging black flames erupted from his body, forming roaring black dragons that swept forward, instantly incinerating the incoming vines.
"Attacking a guest the moment they arrive," Bai Jue chuckled.
"That's not very friendly."
He stepped forward.
Dark flames burst beneath his feet, propelling him forward like a cannonball. In an instant, he closed the distance and appeared before the centaur.
"Die!"
The Forest Centaur roared, showing no sign of retreat. Instead, she threw her arms outward.
The trees to her left and right twisted grotesquely, transforming into massive hand-shaped trunks that slammed down toward Bai Jue.
"Get lost."
Bai Jue's voice turned cold.
With a furious shout, flames surged skyward, burning straight through the descending trees. Immediately after, he drove his fist forward.
Dark flames wrapped around his punch.
BOOM!
The terrifying force sent the centaur flying backward like a kite with its string cut.
Before she could even rise, Bai Jue stepped forward again. From within Yama's Domain, the Soul-Reaping Scythe appeared in his hand.
He swung.
Slash—!
A head flew into the air.
Blood sprayed.
The Forest Centaur collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Instead of leaving immediately, Bai Jue put away the scythe and crouched down, studying the corpse thoughtfully. He poked it with a nearby branch, then stood up and shook his head with a sigh.
"Tsk. She really was… well-shaped."
"No wonder so many humans want Forest Centaurs as partners."
Curves where they mattered—front and back alike.
He had to admit, the centaur physique was dangerously attractive.
Unfortunately…
This one had been corrupted by Dark Entities.
Which meant she had to die.
Shaking his head, Bai Jue turned and continued onward.
[Notice: You have slain a Forest Centaur. Minor increase to Prayer Power.]
[Notice: You have executed a Forest Centaur. Reward obtained: Water of Nature.]
[Water of Nature: A rare droplet born of nature itself. Possesses the ability to purify curses.]
"Good stuff."
Reading the description, Bai Jue felt genuine delight.
Curses existed in this world—and they were notoriously insidious, often impossible to guard against.
Even if he hadn't encountered one yet, having a countermeasure in advance was invaluable.
The forest itself was vast—immense beyond expectation.
More importantly, there were many Forest Centaurs.
Or rather, these corrupted centaurs wandered the forest aimlessly, attacking any living being on sight.
Since entering, Bai Jue had already killed more than five of them.
It wasn't hard to imagine how many students might have already activated their distress devices.
After all, none of these centaurs were weak.
After a brief pause, Bai Jue set off again.
This time, however, he stopped not because of an enemy—
But because he had stumbled upon a pleasant surprise.
"If I'm not mistaken… this should be an Extreme Frost Flower, right? A natural treasure that slightly enhances ice-based abilities."
Standing beside a lake, Bai Jue stared at a blue flower emitting faint cold mist.
It wasn't extraordinarily rare, but it was a genuine heavenly treasure—worth over a hundred thousand Alliance Credits on the market.
This was his first time encountering such a treasure.
His eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he reached out to pluck it—
But just as his hand extended—
A terrifying chill swept in from behind.
Bai Jue frowned.
Dark flames surged from his body, instantly blocking the cold.
He turned.
A young man emerged from the grass, his gaze fixed greedily on the Extreme Frost Flower. Cold energy radiated from him, his expression filled with arrogance.
"Classmate," the youth said,
"Why don't you give me that flower?"
"Give it to you?"
Bai Jue sneered lightly.
"And your reason?"
"My reason?"
The young man smiled confidently.
"How about this—if you don't want to be eliminated early?"
"To be honest," Bai Jue replied lazily,
"that's a terrible reason. And don't say it like you can actually beat me."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Make it quick. Deal with him."
A mere Tier One opponent—he couldn't even be bothered to move.
The youth froze.
Thinking Bai Jue had accomplices, his body tensed as he scanned his surroundings frantically.
Nothing.
Just as he realized he might have been mocked and turned back in anger—
He saw it.
Behind Bai Jue, black mist surged, forming a swirling vortex.
Within it, pairs of blood-red eyes slowly opened, overflowing with murderous intent.
In that instant—
The young man's face turned deathly pale.
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