Murmurs of studying drifted from the neighboring courtyard, occasionally interspersed with scolding.

Those were several disciples from the Carefree Sect dragging their heavily injured bodies, studying diligently by the cold window.

It had to be said, Duge's motivational methods were very effective. For the sake of future limb regeneration, for future wealth and honor, for future vengeance, everyone was putting in two hundred percent effort...

There wasn't much attribute left to squeeze out of these guys anymore; going any more ruthless could actually take their lives. Although the local City God and land deities didn't usually interfere much, what if a few lost souls became wild ghosts and went to the Underworld to file a complaint against him?

At this critical juncture, both heaven and earth were searching for Alien Warriors; if the Underworld found out, then heaven would too.

With his current attributes and skills, if Heavenly Soldiers and Generals came to kill him, he feared he would be minced within minutes.

Monkey Sun caused havoc in the heavens only after learning his skills!

No, that's not right.

Monkey King's training was arranged by the big shots; he didn't have that privilege...

At that thought, Duge broke out in a cold sweat.

Due to habit, when he previously injured others, he hadn't even thought about dealing with their souls.

Lucky for him that he decided to grind some more ruthless attributes this time and only disemboweled them. If it had been like his previous world where slitting throats and stabbing hearts were normal, he might have already been exposed by now.

Indeed, good deeds beget good rewards!

But to be ruthless without killing, adding this precondition, it seemed the difficulty of survival had just increased.

It looks like learning Immortal Techniques must be prioritized.

At the very least, he must first learn how to handle souls and ensure they are utterly obliterated after grinding for ruthlessness!

In the Immortal Martial World, it seemed you could handle this with something like a Spirit Summoning Banner---to imprison their souls so they couldn't report to the Underworld;

and also things like Soul Devouring Staffs, Soul Extermination Bows...

Suddenly, Duge froze. Damn it, with ruthlessness as the keyword, he had unconsciously begun to tread the crooked path!

Grinding bones into dust, seizing souls---none of the magic artifacts associated with these functions had anything to do with the Righteous Sects!

Duge gazed up at the moon, was he destined to become a Demon Head in this world?

But becoming a Demon Head meant he would be making enemies of the entire world...

Too frightening!

No.

He can't go down the path of a Demon Head. Even if he had to obliterate souls, he must still wear the face of the Righteous Sects. Lin Zhengying scattered the souls of evil spirits all the time, and he was still considered a good person!

...

Alas!

Looking at his fluctuating rank of 636 on the player panel, Duge sighed.

Having only dealt with a few thugs and a gang of beggars, his influence on this world was minimal, his rank purely at the bottom. Given the current situation, there was no concern for the rankings being disclosed in a month's time.

But this also meant that his personal strength was very low, and should he encounter any emergencies, he might not even have the strength to retaliate.

To grind for strength meant exposing himself; not grinding for it meant no sense of security...

Life is difficult, choices are difficult!

Why did he, of all things, receive the keyword "ruthlessness"?

A child's body, if given keywords like innocence, naiveté, or childlike sincerity that fit his identity better, grinding would be both secure and discreet. How nice would that be!

But Duge seldom complained about others or fate.

After all, complaining solves nothing and would only create more internal friction for him. Better to face challenges proactively, and before he knew it, the path would be laid out.

Just like Niu Sanbao and others who had designs on him, they became his nutrients eventually.

Nothing is difficult for one who is determined!

After much contemplation, Duge decided to take the initiative.

Opportunities are sought, not waited for.

He had yet to grind out two more skills from ruthlessness!

Strength is the real sense of security.

Having made up his mind, Duge slipped through the window and decided to cause trouble for Dragon Willow Villa. They treated young children as tools for others' enjoyment - that Villa was no good either, and he felts wholly justified in grinding his ruthlessness from them...

...

Fan City enacted a curfew at night.

But the curfew only applied to ordinary citizens; the officials and nobles still had their own nightlife, the pleasure quarters were as brightly lit as ever.

Most parts of the city were silent and dark.

In a city the size of Fan City, residents rarely went out at night, which meant the patrolling guards would often walk around the streets a couple of times as a formality before returning to drink and make merry, then off to bed.

Duge's small figure walking on the streets went mostly unnoticed.

Dragon Willow Villa was on the outskirts of the city, and to get there, one had to leave the city.

However, Duge's attributes weren't high, and his speed was not fast. Even in climbing the city walls to leave, he relied on the Dark God Power; otherwise, without inner strength and Qinggong, the six-meter-high city walls would be quite a challenge to scale.

The Dark God Power was imperceptible when used in the night; it clung to the palms of his hands, and as long as he made an effort to climb, the audience from Pan-Universe Entertainment wouldn't notice...

This further solidified Duge's resolve to enhance his strength as soon as possible.

If he couldn't even handle a city wall, what would he do when facing an enemy -- really use Divine Power for a tough fight?

Though he had used the threat of exposing his Divine Power to coerce Bai Long, as Ross had predicted, Duge valued his life far more than Pan-Universe Entertainment. It wasn't worth exposing himself for such minor matters.

Once he improved his attributes and learned spells, he would be able to use Divine Power openly without being criticized for it.

It was only now that Duge understood why Bai Long didn't offer further advice before he entered the Alien Battlefield. In a world where magic existed, it could indeed help him conceal the use of various Divine Powers. Those damned people really have everything calculated.