Chapter 42 - 35: Prisoner
Lin Yi had previously been focused solely on the path of Cultivation.
He didn’t even know about something as well-known as the great tomb of the Pre-Qin Qi Cultivators; it was Luo Qian who had told him about it.
He knew even less about Anomalous Items.
But how could such a problem stump him?
In the shelter, his real body suddenly opened its eyes, decisively halting the circulation of his energy.
He swiftly took out his communicator, his fingertips flying as he rapidly searched the web for any relevant information.
In just a few moments, a massive amount of information flooded his mind.
After digesting the information,
Lin Yi let out a long, almost silent breath, his brow furrowed with gravity.
The Red Moon in the sky, the downpour of blood—this cataclysm didn’t just spawn twisted, ferocious, man-eating monsters.
Soaked in the treacherous power of the Red Moon, a new class of objects was born: artifacts that twisted the Rules and contained unfathomable power—Anomalous Items.
In essence, these items were somewhat similar to Spiritual Weapons. Both could grant a Martial Artist power beyond their own, becoming potent tools for defeating enemies.
However, at their core, the two were completely different.
Spiritual Weapons, while powerful, could be wielded without any negative consequences; they only required Qi and Blood to activate.
But these Anomalous Items were like a deadly poison coated in honey. Every use was accompanied by an unpredictable and terrifying backlash!
For example, some demanded that the user never laugh, for doing so would mean instant death. Others required one’s lifespan to power them. Some could even warp the user’s mind...
They all had powerful side effects.
Because of this terrifying price, these Anomalous Items were often locked away and tightly sealed. Only in life-or-death situations, as a last resort, would they be carefully unsealed and activated.
Therefore, these Anomalous Items were also known as...’Sealed Artifacts’!
Anomalous Items were powerful and rare, and the probability of one coming into existence was very low.
In the Yang City region, no new Anomalous Items had appeared for over a decade.
He hadn’t expected one to actually appear during this Red Moon disaster.
’Anomalous Items?’
Lin Yi shook his head, his eyes glinting with cold, hard reason.
’This has nothing to do with me. The most important thing for me right now is to absorb the Qi and Blood of monsters for my Bone Tempering!’
Sealed Artifacts were certainly rare and valuable, but to Lin Yi at this moment, they were more trouble than they were worth!
’Even if I were lucky enough to get my hands on it, what then?’
’The incredibly dangerous side effects are enough to make me hesitate. I wouldn’t be able to use it normally like a Spiritual Weapon.’
’Not to mention, I don’t know the first thing about the profound art of sealing. If I got it, it would just be a hot potato that I couldn’t even seal away for storage.’
’Ultimately, my only option would be to try and sell it.’
’But if I tried to sell it, how would I explain its origin?’
’One wrong move could attract a tide of covetous gazes and endless interrogations—a total catastrophe!’
’And more importantly...’
’...I don’t even have the first clue how to find it!’
’The investigation team has that Sealed Artifact, the ’Screaming Statue,’ which can pinpoint the location of an Anomalous Item through its energy fluctuations.’
’And me?’
’I’m empty-handed. What means do I have to detect it?’
’No, wait...’
Lin Yi suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
’I wonder if the Mosquito Avatar’s [Tracking] skill can also pick up on the unique energy fluctuations emitted by the Sealed Artifact?’
The thought invigorated his Spirit, and he rapidly began running calculations in his mind.
In the end, his gaze regained its rock-solid resolve.
’Right now, increasing my strength is the number one priority, overriding everything else!’
’However...’
’While I’m hunting monsters and absorbing their Qi and Blood, I suppose I could turn on the Tracking skill and make the search for the Sealed Artifact a secondary objective.’
’If I get lucky, it’ll be a pleasant surprise.’
’And if it’s all for nothing, that’s to be expected.’
’Either way, it won’t interfere with my set path to grow stronger!’
’Bone Tempering! Power up!’
’In this world, only absolute power is the true foundation for survival!’
With his mind made up, Lin Yi no longer hesitated.
He took control of his Mosquito Avatar, plunging like a Ghost back into the depths of the blood rain, keenly searching for any trace of the monsters spawned by the Red Moon.
Suck blood, temper bone, and get strong—fast!
...
While Lin Yi was controlling his Mosquito Avatar, hunting with abandon amidst the torrential blood rain and frantically increasing his power...
「East Suburbs of Yang City.」
「Maximum-Security Prison.」
This was where countless high-profile criminals, all of whom were Martial Artists guilty of violent crimes, were imprisoned.
The storm raged as if the heavens had burst open, and scarlet rain washed over the cold, high walls and electric fences.
On the prison yard, over a hundred criminals in uniform, their expressions ranging from ferocious to sinister, were being roughly herded into formation amidst the downpour of blood by imposing, heavily-armed guards.
On a high platform stood the man in charge of this place—the Warden.
He was built like a veritable iron tower. His one eye glinted with a menacing light that made one’s heart pound as he coldly scanned the defiant prisoners below.
"Listen up!"
The Warden’s deep, highly penetrating voice boomed through the curtain of rain, drowning out the storm:
"Don’t say I never gave you a chance to live! The Red Moon is up, monsters are running rampant, and today, I’m giving you a chance to get some fresh air!"
"Except for three types of scum—death-row inmates, rapists, and human traffickers—the rest of you..."
"...if you kill a monster and bring back its ’Heart Core,’ you’ll get one year off your sentence!"
As his words fell, a dead silence descended upon the yard, broken only by the SPLATTER of blood rain hitting the ground.
The cheers he had expected never came.
These convicts, who on any other day were vicious and brutal, were now like lambs stared down by a tiger under the Warden’s ferocious gaze. They didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, terrified of inviting a devastating strike.
The Warden seemed quite pleased with their silence. A cruel smile stretched across his lips as he continued:
"And get rid of any funny ideas! Don’t think leaving this cage means you can run wild! In each and every one of your chests—"
He raised a hand, jabbing a finger hard against his own chest, right over his heart.
"—is a micro-bomb! Your position is displayed on my monitor, every single second! If you dare get any bright ideas out there, pull any stunts..."
His voice suddenly turned ice-cold.
"...I’ll press a button and, I guarantee, you’ll go ’BOOM!’ and be blown into a pile of shredded meat! Won’t even be a whole bone left to find!"
The cold threat struck every prisoner’s heart like a physical hammer, causing the already oppressive atmosphere to practically solidify.
All the inmates fell deathly silent, their very breathing becoming cautious.
"Get lost! You worthless scum!"
The Warden waved a large hand, as if shooing away a swarm of disgusting flies.
As if granted a general pardon, the convicts—a mix of relief at having survived and terror of the unknown, blood-drenched world outside—lowered their heads and surged silently and swiftly out the prison gates amidst the guards’ shouted curses.
The Warden’s lone eye gazed at the now-empty and deathly silent yard. A rare trace of exhaustion and helplessness appeared on his chiseled face.
He looked up at the endless blood rain and muttered to himself, his voice heavy with a sense of powerlessness:
’If Yang City’s Martial Artists weren’t so lacking in strength, if our forces weren’t stretched so thin... would we really need to rely on the strength of this scum?’
Sending these dangerous criminals into battle is like drinking poison to quench a thirst, but right now, it’s the only way to fill the gap in our fighting strength!
Before his sigh had even faded,
he had already snatched up the massive, dark-edged cleaver at his feet.
His hulking figure took a step out into the downpour of blood.
His lone eye blazed with cold killing intent.
He, too, was going to hunt the rampaging monsters.