"Only two more levels left."

After eight long hours of battle, Ren Suo was also showing signs of exhaustion.

But he still had things to do.

Although the battle had been lengthy, it had been stable throughout, and he had passed the fifth level almost unscathed. Therefore, Ren Suo didn't find an opportunity to make the magicians 'sacrifice' themselves.

Watching the Silver-White Magician purify the source of the demon, the Transcendents quickly gathered around. However, at that moment, the Silver-White Magician looked at them and released a spell—

Healing Offering "Warm Fire"!

When cast, it would burst into a dazzling light, leaving behind an orange-yellow orb of light. Those who approached the orb would receive continuous healing, making it a decent healing offering.

However, Ren Suo used it only to hide the departure of the Silver-White Magician in the burst of light!

After the warm light dissipated, the Transcendents saw that both the Silver-White Magician and the other female magicians had all vanished from the Secret Realm. The commanders sighed and directed the troops to spread out and scavenge resources from the Secret Realm based on their numbers and designated areas—

"Hmm... the walls here are really sweet, tasty!"

「————————」

When Ren Suo woke up, he looked at the ambiguous sky outside and couldn't immediately tell if it was morning or evening.

Eight hours of intense gameplay, plus ninety hours of uninterrupted Cultivation, had left even Ren Suo feeling a bit tired.

He wasn't sure if the activated effect of the Goddess Jade Pendant would diminish over time. Therefore, Ren Suo preferred to continue his Cultivation using Unlimited Energy after clearing the levels, rather than waste even a fraction of the jade pendant's power.

The effect of the Goddess Jade Pendant this time was particularly significant. It seemed to treat all the humanoid locusts as Demons, given that they were all considered clones of the boss.

Even if the humanoid locusts could only activate a tiny amount of the Goddess Jade Pendant's energy, and most were eradicated by the Supernatural Squad, the number personally obliterated by the magicians was still huge.

This great opportunity led Ren Suo to avoid all social interactions and focus on Cultivation at home. When hungry, he ate stockpiled food. When sleepy... he was pushing himself to the absolute limit, so he never felt tired.

But Ren Suo's extreme dedication had not been in vain: he was now at the first turn 56%, with his Cultivation level jumping 15% in just four days. His Talent had improved by leaps and bounds. Ren Suo felt his Cultivation efficiency was almost two to three times what it had been before.

It was only when he deactivated Unlimited Energy that he instantly collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

To push oneself to the absolute limit, then sleep until naturally waking—truly the life of a deity.

Ren Suo checked his phone. Yep, he had slept for about ten hours.

Dong Chengling had sent a message asking him to inform her in advance when he finished his seclusion. Ren Suo had told Dong Chengling before starting his Cultivation that he would be in seclusion and temporarily not go out, and Dong Chengling had been very supportive.

But he mumbled a bit, wanting to go back to sleep. Although he had already slept for ten hours, Ren Suo could continue sleeping if he wished—until he had slept enough for a whole week.

Just then, the Wristband on Ren Suo's right hand started to DING-A-LING. Ren Suo sighed, waking up fully in just one second.

Ren Suo fell asleep quickly and woke up quickly. The main significance of the Evolution of the Cat for him was that he would no longer be troubled by sleep.

After all, cats are wild creatures that need to maintain sleep while staying alert. Thus, having the Evolution of the Cat, Ren Suo could fall asleep extremely quickly and, upon waking, could immediately shake off any grogginess if he wished.

Damn it...

Ren Suo sat up and checked his Wristband, finding an emergency notice. The location was the school hospital; four people were injured.

Strange. They don't fight during school, but trouble arises during the summer holidays?

Being an emergency monk was Ren Suo's profession, so even after grumbling, he quickly got dressed and headed over.

The nurses at the school hospital seemed to be waiting for Ren Suo. As soon as he arrived, they immediately took him to the operating room on the second floor. "The situation this time is very special," a nurse informed him. "Doctor Ren, if you also find this difficult, we must transfer them to Lianjiang Third Hospital as soon as possible."

Lianjiang Third Hospital, located in the suburbs, was a Cultivator hospital that had a Spirit Dispersion Array. Qiao Muyi had also been treated there after being attacked by a Strange Creature. Ren Suo hadn't expected it to be so serious. "Isn't it just a fight among students?"

The nurse said, "No, it seems they were attacked by Demons outside."

"Demons?" Ren Suo was taken aback.

When the nurse opened the operating room door, Ren Suo saw two men and two women lying on hospital beds, one of them Gu Yueyan.

At that moment, Ren Suo's right arm suddenly trembled.

Ren Suo walked over and saw wounds on the students' bodies resembling the claw marks of a wild beast, but a putrid smell emanated from the wounds, which oozed black blood.

The doctor beside him, seeing Ren Suo arrive, said, "These aren't ordinary injuries. They're related to Extraordinary Strength. For now, we can only stop the bleeding."

"Shouldn't injuries like this be sent directly to the Third Hospital?" Ren Suo asked, looking at their wounds, which ranged from the length of a finger to the width of a palm and looked terrifying. "If they were injured outside, is there any need to send them back to the school hospital?"

"We walked back on our own. We thought it wasn't so serious..."

Hearing a familiar voice, Ren Suo turned his head to see Lin Xianyu, tears in her eyes, covering her face with a tissue.

Ren Suo asked, "What exactly happened?"

Lin Xianyu sobbed, "We, a few of us, went out together to have fun today. After karaoke, we were looking for a place to eat when we passed by an alley and felt there was something in there...

"I don't know how to explain it, but all of us had that strange feeling. As soon as we entered the alley, we were attacked by a shadowy creature. The shadow was very fast; we couldn't see it clearly. It was like a fly, not very damaging. Although we managed to escape, everyone except me was injured.

"Their injuries weren't so big at the time, like small cuts from a scrape, so we didn't take it seriously and didn't even call the police, thinking we'd just encountered some strange little animal. Unexpectedly, on the way, their injuries got worse and worse. By the time we returned to school, they couldn't even stand up..."

Demons that specifically target Transcendents with Qi Cyclones, and even fish for them?

Ren Suo had never seen such Demons in *Over My Dead Body*. It seemed to be a new species.

However, Ren Suo also hadn't seen this new species of Demon on the internal network. He often browsed it, so if he hadn't seen any mention, it most likely appeared recently.

Spiritual Energy level increases… new Demons emerge…

Ren Suo narrowed his eyes slightly, faintly feeling as though it was his fault. He squatted down beside Lin Xianyu and said, "Don't worry, I will heal them."

"Tha-thank you!" Lin Xianyu burst into tears and reached out to Ren Suo's head—

She rubbed his head vigorously.

It was then that Ren Suo realized he had left in such a hurry that he forgot to bring a hat.

However, her rubbing his head seemed to calm Lin Xianyu down somewhat. She said, "Big Brother Ren, you must save our class president and the others."

"Alright, alright, don't worry." Ren Suo went to the injured young man and performed Spell Healing on him.

The wound quickly stopped bleeding and scabbed under the Spell, but Ren Suo could clearly hear a very faint scream from within it, as if coming from a very distant place.

"It's working!"

Lin Xianyu and the others sighed in relief. Although they trusted Ren Suo's healing ability, the wound's bizarre nature surpassed their imagination. They had actually been prepared to transport the injured to the Third Hospital.

However, at that moment, Ren Suo felt the Mark of the Jade Pendant on his right hand growing warmer and warmer—

For the past few days, Ren Suo had kept the Goddess Jade Pendant equipped for his Cultivation. In his haste to leave, he hadn't even worn a hat, let alone changed equipment.

Was the Goddess Jade Pendant triggered?

Ren Suo closely observed the patients' wounds. He found that their wounds were less like scratches and more like gaps gnawed out by tiny insects—the torn flesh was jagged. According to the doctor, the wounds were even expanding non-stop.

Demons enticed them into the alley, but instead of killing them, they only injured them...

Although Lin Xianyu had awakened spells, she was a high school girl who had never fought before. Even with a sharp blade in her hands, she was still ineffective. Facing Demons, Ren Suo did not think she was capable of protecting others; it would have been a stroke of luck if she could avoid being hurt herself.

This meant the fate of the four students was the result of the Demons' choice.

The Goddess Jade Pendant reacted. That means I eliminated a live Demon. Did the Demons leave seeds in their wounds, using them as vessels to reproduce...?

No, that's not right. If that were the case, they could have just killed them and hidden the bodies; there was no need to let them leave alive... Unless their offspring are capable of self-preservation and reproduction as soon as they emerge, which would explain such a fearless expansion strategy?

The more Ren Suo thought about it, the more he felt this was major news. There was nothing related in the internal network yet. If Ren Suo submitted his findings, it would surely cause an uproar!

This new type of Demon posed an extreme threat; in densely populated urban areas, it was akin to a biological weapon.

However, there must be some restrictions, as evidenced by their selective attacks only on Cultivator students. The bodies of ordinary people probably couldn't sustain the offspring of these Demons.

But upon realizing he was dealing with the offspring of Demons, Ren Suo gradually entered work mode.

Indifference, ruthlessness, concentration.

「——————」

It's so uncomfortable...

Gu Yueyan never expected to face so many calamities; just a few days had passed, and another incident occurred. She had made plans to go out with classmates, yet they had encountered a Demon attack on the road.

Several parts of her body ached, and her mind was in chaos, but Gu Yueyan had not lost consciousness.

She felt as though she was enveloped in darkness, her body being consumed by it inch by inch. She gradually lost feeling in her legs, arms, neck...

Suddenly, a warm current flowed into her body, restoring her legs and arms that had been engulfed by the darkness.

The darkness was gradually dispelled, and Gu Yueyan slowly regained control over her body.

She tried hard to open her eyes. Under the glaring ceiling light, she saw a tall and familiar figure rubbing her neck.

The burning pain on her neck was subdued by a cool sensation. Fully awakened, Gu Yueyan first froze, then vigorously lifted her hands. She noticed the wounds on her arms had healed perfectly, leaving no scars.

"You're awake? Then rest well, don't overexert yourself. There won't be any scars, don't worry."

After treating the last patient, Ren Suo disengaged from the Jade Pendant's work mode. After informing the doctor that all patients were out of danger, he hurriedly left the operating room to go home.

Once the wounds were healed and the students woke up one by one, Ren Suo couldn't help further with their care. It was now up to the professional medical team to observe them.

But he had to rush to publish this paper!

Even though Ren Suo had not seen related papers the previous night, it didn't mean no one had discovered them today!

The internal network offered high rewards for research and discovery of 'major dangerous entities.' For dangerous entities like the 'Jade Maiden at the Crossroads' that Ren Suo had seen before, both discoverers and researchers could earn many Research Points.

To miss out on such easily obtainable Research Points would be an injustice!

"Wait!"

Ren Suo turned his head to see Gu Yueyan stumbling out, looking as though she was about to fall. He quickly went over to support her. "What are you doing?" he said. "Although you should be fine, you still need to rest more..."

"Wait." Gu Yueyan, gasping for breath, grabbed Ren Suo and whispered into his ear, "There's something I must ask you..."

"We can talk about it next time. I'll tell Dong Chengling you won't be joining her for dinner tonight."

Ren Suo was also in a hurry; he needed to rush back and write his paper.

Compared to the intelligence about Ren Naiser and Fairy Palace, this was special information he had honestly discovered himself. It was like a student who often cheats suddenly passing an exam on their own merit—Ren Suo was eager to frame this exam paper and prove himself!

"It has nothing to do with Teacher Dong. I just want to ask you... ask you..."

These past few days, Gu Yueyan hadn't seen Ren Suo at all.

She had heard from Teacher Dong that Ren Suo was in seclusion for Cultivation, not stepping foot outside his house.

She didn't know why Ren Suo, a man who exuded 'I don't want to try hard' from every fiber of his being, would suddenly start to work diligently. However, Gu Yueyan thought it was a good thing. As long as I don't see him, maybe I can calm down and think things through, right?

That's what Gu Yueyan thought, and that's what she did. These days, apart from studying and practicing Cultivation, she hung out with friends and fully enjoyed the summer vacation.

She thought her heart had settled. She thought she could go back to the way she was before. She thought...

But when Gu Yueyan woke up on the hospital bed and saw Ren Suo first thing, she felt like she had lost.

The efforts of the past few days had almost all vanished like bubbles.

Gu Yueyan hated hesitation so much and didn't want to return to the confusion of the past few days, so she chased after him. Maybe her mind wasn't clear, or perhaps it was due to a long-repressed impulse—she hoped to get an answer.

"...Why did you appear before me again? Why did you save me again?"

"Because I'm a Healing Cultivator," Ren Suo said, utterly bewildered. "Of course, I'd come to save you if you're in trouble. Actually, I have work to do. We can chat when you're feeling better..."

Yes, it was the expected answer, but it wasn't what Gu Yueyan wanted to hear.

"Then... am I important to you...?" Her voice trembled with nervousness.

"Of course, very important," Ren Suo replied without thinking, deep in thought about how to write his paper. "I must have spent a lifetime's luck to encounter... Salted Fish, come quick and help your class president back!"

If not for Gu Yueyan and the others, Ren Suo would have never had the chance to discover a new species of Demons. Such opportunities to earn Points for free, Ren Suo really felt it might just come once in a lifetime.

Gu Yueyan could no longer stand. Ren Suo handed her over to Lin Xianyu, who had rushed out, gave a quick instruction, and then hurriedly left.

Lin Xianyu helped Gu Yueyan back to the hospital room. Gu Yueyan kept her head down and remained silent. Lin Xianyu suddenly leaned in to look into her eyes. "Your face is so red. Do you have a fever?"

"...No." Gu Yueyan turned her gaze away.

Lin Xianyu's eyes darted around. "You don't seem fully recovered. Should I call Big Brother Ren back to look after you—"

"Don't!" Gu Yueyan's tone suddenly rose, then she whispered back, "I'm fine... I don't want to see him again..."

"...For now."

Lin Xianyu said with a playful smile, "HEH HEH."

「——————」

After getting home, Ren Suo suddenly became alert. Did I just say something very rude?

Ren Suo had worn the Seeker of the Dao Correction Hat for so long that even when he took it off, he couldn't change his blunt way of speaking. This was especially true when he was thinking about something else.

For instance, when Ren Suo was walking and thinking about a game and met Zhao Huo, he'd greet him by blurting out, "Is your anus better now?"

Ren Suo himself wasn't bothered, but Zhao Huo ended up being suspected by others of being a 'zero'.

"Forget it, I should get on with writing the paper."

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