Chapter Forty-Four: The First Link of the Chain Quest Completed

Ke Bei slowly raised his broadsword to his chest. The thought of soon obtaining the Nine Yang Divine Skill sent a warm current through his heart; suddenly, a trace of strength surged within his exhausted body.

“Seven left!”

Taking a deep breath, Ke Bei gazed at the eerie, frozen figures of the low-level Celestials suspended in midair. He stepped forward, and his broadsword came crashing down! With a sickening thud, the blade drew an arc and severed the neck of a Celestial.

Staggering back three steps after the blow, Ke Bei barely managed to steady himself. His eyes shone with determination. He bit his lip hard, the pain jolting his weary nerves—he feared he might collapse at any moment.

Because of Han Lingyue’s presence, a task that was almost impossible suddenly became much simpler. Ke Bei felt this was a chance granted by fate. If he fainted and missed it, and ultimately failed the mission, he would never forgive himself!

This mission meant everything to Ke Bei. Failing wouldn't just mean missing out on the coveted Nine Yang Divine Skill—he would also lose any future chance to practice inner energy techniques.

Without inner strength, how could his power ever grow?

Unwilling to accept such a fate, Ke Bei resolved to complete the mission even if it killed him.

“Six left!”

Swinging his blade, Ke Bei spat a mouthful of blood, his head spinning with dizziness.

“Hold on! Ke Bei, you must hold on!”

Shaking his head violently, Ke Bei gripped the hilt of his sword. The slightly silvery blade slid across his palm.

The broadsword, now stained with Ke Bei’s blood, was razor-sharp. Even a light cut left a deep wound, bone visible beneath the torn flesh.

A sharp hiss escaped him as cold air rushed into his lungs, but the pain snapped his mind back to clarity.

“Five left!”

“Four left!”

“Three left!”

Riding the rush, Ke Bei struck three blows in succession, finishing off three more Celestials. But with that, every last ounce of his strength was drained; his eyelids grew as heavy as mountains, and his body swayed, slowly collapsing to the ground.

“Am I doomed to fail after all?” With a bitter smile, Ke Bei felt himself lose control, falling helplessly.

“Damn, seriously? Do you really have to go this far?”

Just as Ke Bei hit the ground, Han Lingyue darted over and caught him in her arms.

“Han... Boss Han, there are still three left. Help... help me up.”

“Damn it, kid, do you have a death wish?” Han Lingyue’s expression was stern. She raised her white jade fan, intending to rap Ke Bei on the head, but hesitated, afraid to knock him out for good. She waved the fan and then stowed it away.

“Open your mouth.”

At some point, a crystal-clear divine pill the size of a longan appeared in Han Lingyue’s hand.

“Damn it, this is a huge loss today. You two good-for-nothing brats, killing a few low-level Celestials and you end up like this—aren’t you ashamed!”

Without waiting for protest, Han Lingyue pried open Ke Bei’s mouth and stuffed the precious mid-tier divine pill inside—a pill worth a million crystal coins.

A divine pill’s value was immense. For a peak third-rank expert, obtaining one could greatly increase their chances of breaking through to the Transcendent Realm.

Han Lingyue’s main purpose in killing Celestials herself was to investigate the mystery of the Divine Ruins, but she also wanted to collect some divine pills. Now that she had broken through to the Transcendent Realm and was about to become an instructor at the Genius Training Camp, these divine pills would be gifts for her future students.

As soon as Ke Bei swallowed the pill, a warm current flooded his body, bringing unspeakable comfort. The wounds dealt by the Celestials were healed in an instant.

As his strength returned, Ke Bei found his eyelids no longer so heavy, and he slowly opened his eyes.

“Boss Han, what did you give me? It’s amazing—I suddenly feel full of energy!”

Ke Bei leaped up in disbelief, his face puzzled as he looked at Han Lingyue.

“You really don’t know?”

Hearing such a foolish question, Han Lingyue’s forehead was lined with exasperation.

“Know what?” Ke Bei asked, confused.

“Damn it, you’re the boss, but don’t tell me you risked your life killing Celestials just for money!”

Han Lingyue was speechless. The effects of divine pills weren’t exactly a secret—how could anyone not know their true purpose?

“Well, a single low-tier divine pill is worth a hundred thousand crystal coins. What else but money?” Ke Bei scratched his head, cheeks reddening. He certainly couldn’t tell Han Lingyue that he needed to complete the Nine Yang Divine Skill quest chain, so he could only claim it was for the money.

“Damn, I give up. That was a mid-tier divine pill I just gave you! One of those is worth a million crystal coins!”

“Divine pills aren’t just for trade; they can save your life, understand?”

“A divine pill is the essence of a Celestial’s life force, containing immense energy. As long as you’re still breathing, swallow one and you’ll be bouncing around again in no time.”

Han Lingyue explained patiently, though with a hint of resignation.

“You can actually eat these?” Ke Bei pulled out a low-tier divine pill from his pocket, examining it curiously. He truly didn’t know about its effects; as an ordinary person before, he hadn’t even realized Celestials existed.

Yet for some reason, the warmth that spread through his body after taking the pill felt familiar, as if he’d experienced something like it before.

“Three more left!”

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ke Bei focused on the reward that awaited him. His heart burned with excitement. Fixing his gaze on the remaining low-level Celestials, frozen like ice sculptures, he raised his broadsword once more.

A few swift strokes, and the last three Celestials fell easily before his blade.

“Congratulations, Host, on completing the first stage of the Nine Yang Divine Skill quest. You will now receive the first three levels of the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Would you like to claim your reward now?”

The system’s crisp prompt echoed in Ke Bei’s mind the moment he slew the hundredth Celestial.

At long last, it was done—a narrow escape, a light at the end of the tunnel!

Uncontainable joy surged through him. Where once he had nearly despaired—killing a hundred Celestials had seemed impossible—now, thanks to the monstrous strength of Han Lingyue, he had succeeded.

“Hahaha! Boss Han, thank you!” Ke Bei burst into laughter and hugged the startled Han Lingyue tightly.

“Had your fill of killing?”

Recalling Ke Bei’s reckless abandon in slaying Celestials, Han Lingyue’s lips curled into a gentle smile as she teased him.

“I’ve had my fill, more than enough!” Ke Bei’s smile was radiant. The system’s reward was within reach—he had coveted the Nine Yang Divine Skill for so long. With it, his Little Li Flying Dagger technique would finally unleash its true power, at least tenfold stronger than what brute force alone could achieve.

“How many Celestials did you kill?” Han Lingyue glanced at Xiao Jiu, then at Ke Bei, raising her brows as she asked.

“Eighty-seven,” Ke Bei replied readily.

At his answer, Xiao Jiu’s face changed drastically—he could hardly believe he’d lost.

Xiao Jiu was a Chosen, with an exceptional Diamond Body talent. Even in the Genius Training Camp at Jiujiang Base City, where talents abounded, he ranked among the top twenty third-rank experts. Yet this time, he’d been outdone by Ke Bei.

Although they hadn’t fought directly, this alone showed Ke Bei might be stronger—or at least braver.

“Let’s go, time to head back,” Han Lingyue said with a mischievous grin at Xiao Jiu.

“Alright,” Ke Bei nodded. With his mission complete, he was eager to find a secluded spot and claim his reward. Since Han Lingyue suggested leaving, he was more than happy to comply.

“There are still plenty of divine pills left,” Xiao Jiu said in a low voice, reluctant to leave.

“That’s easy,” Han Lingyue’s eyes flashed gold. Deep green energy gathered at her fingertips. With a flick of her wrist, ten streaks of energy shot out.

“Collect!” Han Lingyue commanded. Invisible force swept through the corpses of the Celestials, and one by one, the crystal-clear divine pills rose into the air, hovering above her palm.

With a faint smile, Han Lingyue pulled out her backpack and waved her hand; all the pills fell neatly inside.

“Now we can go.” She turned and smiled at Ke Bei and Xiao Jiu.

“Not going to finish off the rest?” Xiao Jiu cast a cold glance at the remaining Celestials, clearly eager for another round. Though he had lost to Ke Bei, he was unreconciled—he hadn’t fought with all his might, whereas Ke Bei had risked everything. He wanted another chance to prove himself.

“Hahaha, still not satisfied, Xiao Jiu?” Han Lingyue rapped him lightly on the head, laughing at his eagerness.

“We’ll leave the rest for the Base City troops. Commander Wang, Commander Xiao, and Commander Ye are all upper Transcendent experts—this is a trivial task for them.”

With that, Han Lingyue strode ahead. Ke Bei chuckled at Xiao Jiu and followed, while Xiao Jiu, after a final frustrated glance at the red-eyed Celestials, fell silent and trailed after them.