Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Chapter 450: Chapter 360: A Single Arrow Slays a Desolate God [1]

As for Yin Zuocang, now an ice sculpture, no one paid him any further mind.

Just then, guards in the distance heard the commotion and began rushing over.

Everything that had just transpired, from start to finish, had taken little more than ten seconds.

The Tier Three Evolvers naturally stepped forward to handle the approaching guards.

This was one of the reasons Hu Qi had spared them.

The gathering place still needed to function. If he killed all its High-Tier Evolvers, managing it would become too time-consuming—an outcome he wished to avoid.

However, just as Hu Qi was about to leave, his body suddenly trembled.

A deeply pleasant sensation slowly emerged from within him. It felt as if his compatibility with this body had reached a new level of perfection.

’The original owner’s wish has been fulfilled?’

Hu Qi’s eyes flickered.

In the previous world, the original owner’s wish had been for revenge—a clear and fixed goal.

This time, however, the wish of the body’s original owner was different; it lacked a specific target.

The original owner had wished to climb higher and attain a greater status.

This was why he had previously seized the leadership of the Rotten Leaf Gathering Place.

However, being the leader of the Rotten Leaf Gathering Place had clearly not been enough to satisfy the original owner’s wish.

But now, the position as the head of a major gathering place had finally fulfilled it.

’Truly greedy.’

Hu Qi chuckled.

After all, the original owner’s status had been that of a common slave, the lowest of the low.

He wasn’t even an Evolver.

And yet, his wish had been to become the leader of a major gathering place.

On his own, without Hu Qi’s possession, it would have been an impossible dream.

...

「Night.」

In a top-floor room in the Pan Mountain Gathering Place.

Hu Qi sat cross-legged and waved his arm.

Instantly, the void seemed to warp as if twisted by an invisible hand, sending out ripples.

A moment later, a Damaged Black Banner materialized from within the ripples.

Now, his power had grown immensely, and wielding the Damaged Black Banner was no longer as strenuous as before.

The Damaged Black Banner was pitch-black from top to bottom.

Its surface billowed despite the lack of wind.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding light seemed to dim as if it were being devoured.

As the banner’s surface trembled, a blurry face faintly materialized within it.

"Damned God Desecrator! You dare imprison my soul! My master will not spare you."

The soul of Xi Zhongsi let out an enraged roar.

Unmoved, Hu Qi met this with an indifferent expression. He simply reached out, grasped the Black Banner, and gave it a slight shake.

Immediately, Xi Zhongsi’s curses turned into a bloodcurdling scream, one that sounded as if he were suffering the agony of death by a thousand cuts.

Soon, the scream faded into nothingness.

The next moment, another face appeared on the banner’s surface.

It was the ordinary-looking face of a middle-aged man—none other than Yin Zuocang, whom Hu Qi had killed earlier.

After killing Yin Zuocang, Hu Qi had casually absorbed his soul into the Damaged Black Banner.

At this moment, Yin Zuocang’s expression was bewildered. His soul was extremely faint and almost transparent—nowhere near as solid as Xi Zhongsi’s.

This was to be expected; in terms of power, the two were worlds apart.

"Who... Who are you... Where am I...?"

Yin Zuocang’s gaze cleared, but he was startled to see his own face on Hu Qi.

He instantly remembered what had happened before.

He struggled within the Black Banner, but when he found himself unable to escape its restraints, his expression turned to panic.

"Tell me everything you know about Tier Five Human War Gods..."

Hu Qi said.

"Pah! In your dreams!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Zuocang immediately understood that this man wanted to break through to Tier Five.

But he had already been killed by him. His soul was even imprisoned. Why would he possibly give his captor what he wanted?

Faced with this defiance, Hu Qi’s expression remained unchanged. He simply gave the Damaged Black Banner a gentle shake.

Instantly, a bloodcurdling scream escaped Yin Zuocang’s lips.

After only a few seconds, he shrieked, "Agh! I’ll talk... I beg you... stop..."

Yin Zuocang’s face was contorted, and his entire soul had grown even fainter, looking as if a mere gust of wind could disperse it.

One might be able to endure physical pain through sheer willpower, but the agony inflicted upon the Spirit was impossible to bear.

Seeing this, Hu Qi stopped.

’Some people have to suffer before they’ll cooperate. Honestly, it’s something I’ll never understand.’

Soon, Yin Zuocang spilled everything he knew about Tier Five Human War Gods.

...

「Half an hour later.」

Hu Qi carefully verified the information.

He looked at the Damaged Black Banner, and with a mere thought, Yin Zuocang’s soul within it was annihilated.

Modification Point +412 (17%)

He withdrew the Black Banner.

Hu Qi’s eyes glinted.

’It’s just as I expected. The top Evolvers of this world know about the Runes in their bodies and the methods required for advancement.’

’However, only Evolvers who have reached the Tier Four Celestial King Level are qualified to know this information.’

’After all, the ability to obtain Runes from other Evolvers to accelerate one’s progress is an irresistible temptation.’

’And no one would complain about getting stronger faster.’