Chapter 118: Eye of Truth – Close Combat Killing

After acquiring the "Steel Fang" talent and prefix title, Little Black still hadn't shown up.

At this point, returning to the Star City Shelter was clearly unrealistic.

Without Suction Cup's protection, and with the long journey ahead compounded by Little Black's relentless pursuit, Feng Qi felt certain he'd meet his end on the way.

Seizing the available time, he decided to continue hunting nearby domain creatures to enhance his strength by acquiring new talents.

Most importantly, he needed Bloodline Evolution Points—critical for unlocking Mu Yan's memory fragments.

Who knew? Mu Yan's memories might contain vital details about the dark forces.

But determining the strength of domain creatures was beyond him; he still had to rely on the narrator's scanning abilities.

With this in mind, he immediately spoke up:

"Narrator, while the Blood Source ability is still active, help me find another weakling to target."

[Overworked and unpaid, I'm like a tragic labor bot. Always being ordered around—truly pitiful. I hope you acquire a special talent like the 'Eye of Truth' someday so you can do your own scouting.]

"Eye of Truth? What kind of talent is that?" Feng Qi asked, confused.

[It's similar to my scouting ability. With the Eye of Truth, you'd be able to read detailed information about targets. It's an incredibly powerful soul-based perception ability.]

Intrigued by the explanation, Feng Qi pressed further.

"How can I acquire this ability?"

[Domain creatures with the Eye of Truth are undoubtedly terrifyingly strong. With your current strength, you'd be better off forgetting about it. Abilities of that caliber—what I'd call 'gold-tier' talents—aren't something you can hope for right now.]

"Gold-tier talent?" Feng Qi murmured, puzzled.

This was the first time he had learned that talents themselves were classified into tiers.

In the real world, human strength was typically measured using standards derived from domain creatures.

The architects of the initial cultivation system had categorized both domain creatures and human combat abilities into four levels: Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

This system originated from the "Cataclysm" domain field.

The Cataclysm domain field was one of the largest and most devastating field invasions in history, causing immense losses to humanity.

When it appeared in the real world, it expanded rapidly, engulfing several cities.

To counter its spread, the early United Military Department was formed, with countless human elites joining forces in a thirteen-year-long battle against the domain field.

Even the domain combat squads created by the historical war god, Ye Huang, were disbanded during this struggle.

Accompanying the Cataclysm domain field were numerous humanoid lifeforms known as "Calamity Beings."

These beings had a distinctive trait—their strength correlated with the color of their blood, ranging from black to green, silver, and finally gold.

Using this, humanity devised the Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers as a standardized measure of strength.

But beyond mere strength, domain creatures were also evaluated based on a secondary metric: "Calamity Level."

Calamity levels were divided into five ranks: Yin, Sha, Liao, Zhu Yin, and Chaos.

While calamity levels often corresponded to strength, they weren't strictly tied to it.

For example, a unique domain creature known as the "Spring Poison" had a combat strength only at mid-Bronze level.

However, its ability to generate plagues could destroy an entire city in extreme cases, earning it a calamity level of Liao.

Thus, calamity level was measured by destructive potential.

Previously, Feng Qi had assumed that all talents were like seeds, each with infinite potential.

Now, hearing the narrator's explanation, he realized that talents, too, had inherent disparities in power.

[Talents absolutely have tiers. Some talents start at heights ordinary ones could never reach, no matter how much they grow. For instance, the Eye of Truth. Even at its weakest—Level 1—it surpasses most high-level resilience talents, even those maxed out at Level 1000.]

"Are there talents above gold-tier?"

[Of course!]

His casual question drew a firm reply from the narrator, prompting him to ask further.

"Does that mean domain creatures with such abilities surpass the Gold tier in strength?"

[Human standards for measuring strength have always been shattered time and again. Initially, human rankings ranged from S to E, equivalent to today's lower Black Iron to upper Bronze levels. When human elites broke past S-rank, the system had to be revised.]

[The upper limit of domain creatures' strength far exceeds Gold tier. The current limit for human strength, however, is still Gold tier.]

Hearing this, Feng Qi nodded thoughtfully.

He recalled reports from the Domain Research Institute about a massive semi-phantom beast lurking in the ocean. It was speculated to surpass the Gold tier, akin to an ancient mythical beast capable of triggering apocalyptic tsunamis.

[So, don't aim too high right now. Strength comes in stages. When you kill a domain creature and extract its talent, it's like receiving a seed. You can't expect to gain godlike power all at once.]

"Fine. Could you help me find a nearby domain creature aligned with the mental growth system? I need to start getting stronger."

[Apologies, the system seems to be malfunctioning. It can only locate creatures suitable for muscle-bound warrior paths at the moment.]

Feng Qi: …

"Alright, find me one I can handle."

[Sensing… Target spotted at 11 o'clock: Bald muscular hunk, engage!]

Upon hearing the narrator's prompt, Feng Qi leaned forward, his feet digging into the ground as his body surged ahead like a cannonball, dashing toward the direction indicated—11 o'clock.

The wind roared past his ears as he ran. Each stride spanned several meters, leaving deep footprints in the ground.

Before long, his target came into view.

It was a humanoid domain creature standing over two meters tall, its muscular body covered in dense, sinewy flesh. A white bone mask obscured its face, revealing only eerie green eyes. In its right hand, it wielded a long spear made entirely of bone.

The domain creature quickly noticed Feng Qi charging toward it. It let out a sharp, threatening cry and turned to aim its bone spear at him.

With the Blood Source ability nearing its limit, Feng Qi knew he couldn't waste time. He lunged directly at the humanoid domain creature.

As the spear tip closed in on him, his mind power burst forth, nudging the spear aside. His massive fist came crashing down toward the creature's masked head.

To his surprise, the domain creature twisted its body to dodge the punch. It countered by lifting its right knee sharply, delivering a brutal knee strike to Feng Qi's chest.

The impact sent him flying backward.

[Oof, that looked painful! Don't underestimate domain creatures just because they seem brutish. Intelligent ones know how to fight properly.]

The narrator's mocking tone echoed in his mind.

Gritting his teeth, Feng Qi released his mind power to stabilize himself mid-air before landing.

Staring down the humanoid domain creature as it lowered its leg and issued another warning growl, he charged forward once more.

This time, he used his mind power to form invisible chains, temporarily immobilizing the domain creature.

His massive fist slammed squarely into its head.

"Crack!"

A fracture appeared on the bone mask. The creature stumbled backward, its glowing eyes momentarily dazed by the blow.

But before he could follow up, the domain creature suddenly released its grip on the spear and delivered a vicious hook punch that struck Feng Qi squarely in the face.

Both combatants were sent sprawling in opposite directions.

Wiping blood from his mouth as he stood, Feng Qi assumed the stance for Tiger Fist and growled, "Come on!"

His mind power was now depleted, but the encounter had awakened his ferocity.

Planting his feet firmly, he lunged at the domain creature, which responded by charging toward him as well.

Thus began a brutal, close-quarters brawl.

With the Blood Source ability still active for a short time, Feng Qi abandoned all defense. He allowed the creature's blows to land on him, returning each strike with equal ferocity.

Blood streamed from wounds across his body, dripping to the ground. Yet, possessed by a wild, relentless energy, he continued swinging his fists.

[Ah, what a natural! It's such a shame you're not fully committed to the muscle-bound warrior path. With moves like these, you have a promising future in close combat!]

Under Feng Qi's relentless assault, the humanoid domain creature began to falter.

Unlike Feng Qi, who fought recklessly, the creature seemed unwilling to risk mutual destruction. It shifted its strategy, transitioning from offense to defense.

After taking a few more punches, the domain creature suddenly extended both arms to catch Feng Qi's incoming right fist. Simultaneously, it locked its legs around Feng Qi's left leg and threw itself backward, slamming him to the ground with tremendous force.

Struggling to free himself, Feng Qi found the creature shifting its position with unsettling speed. It pinned his legs, locked its hands around his throat, and began squeezing with terrifying strength.

Realizing the danger, Feng Qi knew that if he couldn't break free, the creature would snap his neck.

[Can't break free? Then bite it! Do I have to spell it out? This isn't some polite sparring match where biting's off-limits. Anything goes—grab, gouge, or use every part of your body. Heck, if you could swing your—well, you get the idea. Just kill it!]

Feng Qi: …

Without hesitation, he opened his mouth and sank his teeth into the creature's arm.

His enhanced teeth easily pierced through the tough muscle, crunching down onto bone.

"Crack!"

A sickening snap echoed as the bone broke, and the domain creature let out an agonized shriek.

Seizing the opportunity, Feng Qi twisted his body and delivered a powerful uppercut to the creature's jaw.

"Crack!"

Its jaw dislocated with a grotesque shift.

Taking advantage of the moment, Feng Qi wrapped his thick right arm around the creature's neck and drove it into the ground with brutal force.

"Boom!"

As the creature writhed in pain, Feng Qi rained down a flurry of punches on its bone mask.

Finally, as the Blood Source energy dissipated and the crimson aura surrounding him faded, the humanoid domain creature beneath him fell still, its life extinguished.

[See? I wasn't lying. In close combat, you need to master techniques and remember that every part of your body is a weapon. Sure, teeth aren't your first choice, but in the right circumstances, they can be surprisingly effective.]

Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi nodded.

"Thanks. You were right."

[No need to be so formal. You don't need to thank me—we're family. Just don't forget next time.]

"Stupid system."

[Stupid zombie idiot!]

As the narrator bantered, a stream of vital energy emerged from the slain domain creature's body and flowed into Feng Qi's.

Just as he was about to check his attribute panel to see what new talent he'd gained, a noise caught his attention.

Looking up, he saw a group of figures wearing bone masks and wielding spears rapidly approaching.

Without hesitation, Feng Qi turned and bolted.

The ferocity he had displayed moments earlier vanished completely as self-preservation took over.