Facing the Abyss as a Demon Cultivator

Chu Xiu's fearless demeanor gave the four pause. They were confident that their combined combat strength could crush him, which was why they dared to confront him as a group. However, none of them underestimated Chu Xiu in the slightest.

After all, he had the first-mover advantage. Even if solo hunting was less efficient than team efforts, he should have reached Rank 3 by now. Subduing a fellow Rank 3 Awakened without suffering any injuries was far more difficult than killing them outright.

Most importantly, everyone knew one thing: Chu Xiu was ruthless. A completely different breed compared to these giggling high schoolers.

As they hesitated, a puzzled voice came from the doorway, "Why haven't you guys left yet?"

It was Shen Zhuo. He had probably returned to the stronghold, noticed their prolonged absence, and came looking for them.

"Tsk," Wu Xinyi clicked her tongue in annoyance, spitting out a harsh, "This isn't over."

With that, she turned and stormed out the door.

Seeing their leader depart, the others naturally followed suit.

Chu Xiu shook his head in slight disappointment. Honestly, if these four had shown true determination to kill and steal, he would have held them in higher regard.

But this outcome wasn't bad either.

While he didn't mind unleashing a massacre, maintaining a facade of friendship with Shen Zhuo's team was currently beneficial to his development.

Short-term Karma Point gains aside, Shen Zhuo, being the rich kid he was, could provide a lot of help in future explorations. After all, once the seven-day trial ended, Shen Zhuo would definitely have access to a large amount of resources from his family. Collaborating with him in the next entry would bring great convenience.

Therefore, even if he had to take action, Chu Xiu wanted to minimize the impact as much as possible.

But... only if these people didn't pose a threat to him.

Recalling the flicker of greed and resentment in Li Shan's eyes as he left, a thoughtful look crossed Chu Xiu's face.

After pondering for a while, he flicked his finger. The Yin Ghost, transforming into its spectral form, drifted out and stealthily followed the group.

"Brother Wang, are we really going to let this go?" Li Shan asked, unable to conceal his frustration.

Wang Long snorted, "What else can we do? You know Shen Zhuo, that bleeding heart. If we cause a scene, we'll be the ones in trouble."

"Of course, we won't forget this debt. We'll find another opportunity later. There's no need to rush."

Wu Xinyi nodded in agreement. "He's right. We're all combat professions. The power gap between us will only widen. We're wary of his Bone Equipment now, but once we level up again and acquire high-level combat skills, subduing him will be child's play."

The tall, lanky youth added, "We can also raise the price of meat. We can't let him have it easy."

"Good idea!" Wang Long nodded viciously. "He doesn't have a Cloud Deer. Where's he going to find food? He'll have to come begging to us!"

This plan was actually quite feasible. In this post-apocalyptic world, finding food was indeed a top priority, especially since Awakened individuals needed to consume more as their rank increased.

Although Chu Xiu was lucky enough to secure a wild boar, it only weighed around 50 kilograms. The elite Ghoul Hound had devoured a significant portion, and after removing the hide, bones, and spilled innards, only five or six kilograms of usable meat remained.

If he ate freely, Chu Xiu could finish it all in a day.

If it weren't for the scarcity of food, Chu Xiu wouldn't have bothered keeping the Cloud Deer around in the first place.

The group continued their discussion, each suggesting ways to exploit Chu Xiu and vent their dissatisfaction. Charging him for accommodation at the stronghold, demanding a security fee, and so on.

However, these methods seemed rather childish and petty.

Just then, Li Shan casually remarked, "If subduing him is so troublesome, why don't we just find a chance to kill him?"

Silence descended upon the group. All three of them stopped in their tracks and turned to look at him.

Li Shan waved his hands repeatedly. "Ah, sorry, I got carried away. We're all classmates. How could we actually kill someone?"

Wu Xinyi frowned. "I don't like him either, but he hasn't done anything wrong to deserve that."

The tall, lanky youth agreed. "Indeed. The Three No's Principle is a lesson learned from our predecessors. Avoiding infighting is paramount. Helping you get back the Karma Points he owes you is one thing, but killing and stealing is absolutely unacceptable. Once we set that precedent, we'll be trapped in a cycle of suspicion and vigilance."

Li Shan chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, come on, I was just suggesting a possibility. I wouldn't actually think that. What kind of person do you take me for?"

Wu Xinyi and the tall youth nodded, dropping the subject. However, Wang Long remained deep in thought, seemingly calculating something.

The four of them returned to the stronghold without further discussion. Soon, laughter filled the air, as if the previous confrontation had never happened.

"Li Shan is more interesting than I imagined."

In his room, Chu Xiu listened intently to the group's conversation through the Yin Ghost, a playful smile gracing his lips. However, his eyes gradually turned cold.

Li Shan alone posed no threat to him.

But if he managed to persuade the others, especially Shen Zhuo, and brought the entire team down on him, even Chu Xiu would have a headache.

Shen Zhuo was a genuine Rank 4 Awakened with a high-grade combat profession and two entire Rare quality equipment pieces.

The others might have lower combat strength, but their roles were well-balanced with both melee and ranged attackers. Dealing with them all at once would be troublesome.

In a worst-case scenario, he would also have to factor in Guan Ke.

People said that Machinists were weak in the early stages, but that weakness was relative to other S-rank professions. Anyone who underestimated them was a fool.

There was also Guan Ke's unknown S-rank talent and the unpredictable variables it might bring.

While Chu Xiu didn't believe this disorganized bunch could truly unite, he wouldn't treat them lightly.

"It seems it's time to eliminate some potential threats in advance."

"However, I need the right opportunity."

A plan was already forming in Chu Xiu's mind.

But for now, increasing his own strength was his top priority.

"First, let's consider how to spend these Karma Points."

Chu Xiu currently possessed nearly 400 Karma Points, undoubtedly the wealthiest person in the stronghold.

After careful consideration, he decided to save them for now.

The Shadow Wind Blade was, after all, a low-level spell. Upgrading it further wouldn't make a significant difference. He could level up his other skills gradually, and using Karma Points to force growth felt like a waste.

It was better to save them for future skills.

If all else failed, he could directly use them to level up by increasing his profession experience.

"So, next up is—"

"Hunting time!"

Chu Xiu licked his lips in anticipation.

For a Demonic Cultivator, the path to power was paved with slaughter!

The entire city's worth of Ghouls were nothing but fuel for his growth!

He repeated yesterday's preparations, setting up his safety measures with the climbing rope before rappelling down the wall.

Hanging outside the wall, the cold midnight wind slapped against his face. Looking down, he saw countless black dots moving rapidly, accompanied by chilling growls.

The Ghouls were on a hunting frenzy. With no other prey available, they turned on each other.

One by one, Ghouls were torn apart, their black blood staining the parched earth, as if devouring the last vestiges of life.

"The Ghouls seem even more frenzied than yesterday."

Observing the bloody scene below, Chu Xiu sensed something amiss.

He looked up. The blood-red moon was slowly rising.

Tonight, the Blood Moon appeared larger than the previous night, its crimson glow even more bewitching.

A thought struck him like lightning.

"At this rate, by tomorrow night, the final night of the trial, the moon will be full..."

(End of Chapter)