CP : 5 - Heavenly Punishment

I was expecting someone to take the initiative to call out to me. Moreover, he didn't look like a warrior.

"You're here for the monster cores too, aren't you?" At that moment, he started to appear cunning.

"I'm not interested in monster cores." My response was clear. I shouldn't get into a confrontation with any group here just yet. I had just awakened, and I wasn't ready to play with the big fish already.

"If you don't need free monster cores, then why are you here? You should be honest with yourself! Everyone wants to benefit from the Heavenly Punishment—I'm sure you're no different."

The man in the blue robe spoke again. What he was talking about definitely sounded intriguing. What was the Heavenly Punishment? And had everyone really come here just for free monster cores?

"Heavenly Punishment? What do you mean?" I was beginning to feel that this event was somehow connected to Wang Jian. Additionally, one of the spirits within me had memories related to this.

A memory of a child sacrificed for the Heavenly Punishment...

The arrogant expression on the man's face grew even more. "Haven't you heard about the massacre of the Wang Family? Even though the Emperor never confessed to it, deep down, everyone knows who did it. The heavens will surely demand retribution for this massacre."

The man in front of me spoke so freely about the Emperor. Feng Region was exactly like this. Many people in this lawless region held no respect for the Emperor, the sacred sects, or the clans.

I quickly used aura mastery to scan my surroundings. I was beginning to feel uneasy. Suddenly, a man had appeared and started talking to me about the Wang Family.

The man's cultivation realm was Grand Master. He was the strongest cultivator in the area. Most of the people here seemed like useless extras. Where were the true powerhouses? For now, there didn't seem to be any immediate threats to me.

"Anyway, what's the connection between monster cores and the Heavenly Punishment?"

My question was clear and direct. There were numerous monster corpses around us, and the man had called them "free monster cores." Something must have been killing them already.

"After the Wang Family was massacred, a rumor began to spread—about dead monsters… Of course, no one knows the exact reason… This is clearly a heavenly punishment. In the next few years, there may not be any more monster cores."

The situation was dire. Without monster cores, my Mask ability would be in serious trouble. Of course, I could try to trade and buy them with money, but if the monsters didn't respawn, the prices would become unbearable.

"Did you confirm what you're saying?"

"Mysterious Master, I'm sure you've felt it too. There's nothing in this forest except people. If you don't hurry, you'll miss out on a great blessing." The man's confident tone made his words seem truthful.

"What's your offer? I don't believe you approached me without a reason. If you have a proper proposal, I'll consider it." The man was clearly preparing to convince me for something. No one would talk about these things just for conversation, right?

"As you can see, my team and I aren't strong enough to compete with the others. We need your help. Whatever you collect is yours; we only ask that you protect what we gather. In return, we can pay you." Even though he still looked arrogant in his blue robe, his offer sounded decent.

"Who said I need money? Show me what you've collected. If I see anything useful, I'll give you my offer." It was my turn to act arrogant. He was probably trying to look proud because he thought I was young.

The man slowly called out to his men. There were seven of them, including himself. Among them, only two could be considered strong. There were two Grand Masters.

[11× Spirit Monster Core]

[46× Great Master Monster Core]

[73× Master Monster Core]

"I want a 20% share of everything. Also, in exchange for my protection, you will gather monster cores for me over the next two days." The reward was generous. Missing such an opportunity would have been a huge mistake.

"20%? That's too much… 2 Spirit, 9 Great Master, and 15 Master Cores… And you want two days of our time…" Before the man could finish his sentence, two figures joined us.

Of course, they were none other than Long and Zhou. I quickly accessed the system and enhanced their power.

[User Zhou's mask has been upgraded to Master level. 5 Grand Master Monster Cores have been consumed!]

[Ding! Clan member Zhou has made a breakthrough. Clan Leader, choose a blessing for Zhou!]

[Master Rank Sword Mastery] [Master Rank Breathing Technique]

[User Long's mask has been upgraded to Master level. 5 Grand Master Monster Cores have been consumed!]

[Ding! Clan member Long has made a breakthrough. Clan Leader, choose a blessing for Long!]

[Master Rank Sword Mastery] [Master Rank Step Technique]

The techniques and masteries are ranked as follows:

[Low Rank -> Mid Rank -> Advanced Rank -> Master Rank -> Unrivaled Rank -> Peerless Rank -> Heaven Rank]

Among these masteries, the most important one was Master Rank. If a person learned a technique at the Master Rank level, they could pass it on to others. That's why my choice was clear.

[Clan member Long has been taught the "7 Styles of the Mysterious Wind" technique!]

[Clan member Zhou has been taught the "Beast's Heart Sword" technique!]

I chose Sword Mastery for both of them. My choice was somewhat instinctive—I believed this would be the best option. I didn't have much information about the other options anyway.

"Welcome! I believe we've reached an agreement. We will protect you in exchange for your help. Otherwise…" I didn't need to finish my sentence. If they wanted to leave, I wouldn't stop them.

As for Long and Zhou, I had already called them when I started speaking with the man in the blue robe. Fortunately, they had been following me closely and reached my side quickly.

"Hahahahaha… Then we want 50% of what we collect over the next two days." The man was clearly shocked. He wasn't just intimidated by me but also by Zhou and Long. Was he one of those people who laughed when they got nervous?

"All Spirit Monster Cores and above will be mine, but you'll get 50% of the lower-tier cores. Also, I want my share of your current collection right now."