Zixin didn't answer Gu Ning at all, just glared at him fiercely.
Gu Ning couldn't help laughing at his appearance: "What? If staring could kill, there'd be no need to level up. Confess quickly, and I'll make it painless."
Zixin remained silent. Losing patience, Gu Ning directly cut off one of his fingers with a dagger dropped from today's monster kill. Though Gu Ning looked calm, he had to steel himself—after all, he'd been an ordinary civilian before, never killed anyone or participated in battles, so this wasn't easy for him. But he also knew that in this world, he had to face bloodshed, so he could only train himself to adapt.
Zixin howled in pain and cursed nonstop. Gu Ning ignored him, still smiling: "How about it? Speak or not? It's not crucial information anyway. Is it worth suffering for this?"
Gritting his teeth, Zixin still refused to talk. Gu Ning then cut off two more fingers. Unable to endure, Zixin—a mere ordinary person—begged for mercy. After obtaining the information he wanted, Gu Ning personally slit his throat.
Though Gu Ning felt nauseous after his first kill, he gradually calmed down.
[Congratulations! You've eliminated a Demon Realm novice lord's forces, earning 66 merit points and 660 white stones.]
[Congratulations! You've obtained several supplies, 1 Territory Core, 1 Green Fishing Rod, 36 Plastics, 12 Iron Ingots, 3 Copper Ingots, 1 White Wall Blueprint, 1 Green Arrow Tower Blueprint, and 321 White Stones.]
[Tip: Unclaimed ship detected. Occupy/Destroy.]
Three consecutive prompts, each a pleasant surprise—it was a massive haul! Killing a lord actually yielded their supplies, far more profitable than hunting sea beasts, especially with merit points at stake. Seeing the last prompt, Gu Ning decisively chose "Destroy"—only a fool would occupy it in this situation.
[Congratulations! You've obtained 1 Tier-1 Ship Core, 1 Green Oar Blueprint, and 15 Woods.]
Unexpected extra loot!
Gu Ning collected these items, then returned to his wooden boat with Windsor on Xiaolan (the mount). This bountiful harvest made Gu Ning eager to encounter the next lord, but also heightened his vigilance against Spiritual Realm lords. After all, while killing allies didn't grant Heavenly Mother rewards, it offered lord-level supplies. Gu Ning believed some lords would stoop to this—and if he let his guard down, others might strike, knowing he had the highest survival score in the Spiritual Realm.
Putting these thoughts aside, Gu Ning resumed hunting sea beasts, proceeding smoothly with minimal danger. Occasionally, he'd kill a Demon Realm lord, each time gaining substantial loot.
An hour before the Demon Realm closed, Gu Ning encountered a Spiritual Realm lord being attacked by a 5-meter-long jellyfish. She was on a Tier-2 wooden boat with a lion-maned orc in leather armor—apparently a lion tribe member.
Gu Ning checked their stats:
Noxina (Excellent)
Level: 4
Baru (Excellent Hero)
Level: 4
He recognized Noxina, who ranked 6th on the survival scoreboard. Seeing Gu Ning, she first panicked, then rejoiced, shouting, "Gu Ning, save me!" As she yelled, she whispered to the orc, who threw a pink orb at Gu Ning. Windsor shot it mid-air, releasing a pink mist.
Just then, Gu Ning saw Noxina smile brightly. The jellyfish suddenly abandoned her and swam toward him. This red jellyfish moved like a floating red cloth in the water. Realizing he'd been tricked—she'd used a prop to attract the beast's attack—Gu Ning cursed angrily: "Damn it! I'll deal with you after taking down this jellyfish."
Crimson Lotus Jellyfish (Blue)
Level: 6
Strength: 29
Agility: 31
Defense: 30
Skills: Confusion, Binding Threads
Windsor attacked first but staggered mid-shot, her arrow missing—likely the jellyfish's Confusion skill. In an instant, red threads descended to entangle the boat. Windsor quickly cast two Light Shields, which groaned under the tightening threads. Xiaolan joined the attack but lacked speed and ranged skills.
Gu Ning struck repeatedly, but the jellyfish's agility made it hard to hit. Windsor then used Entanglement, binding it with light ropes. Despite Confusion干扰, Gu Ning and Xiaolan seized the opportunity to attack. With Windsor's 60+ power Entanglement, the jellyfish couldn't break free and was soon overwhelmed.
It dropped a Skill Stone, which Gu Ning eagerly claimed.
Confusion (Blue): Disrupts creatures with wisdom no more than 30% higher than your own.
Learning Requirements: Illusionist, Light Elementalist.
A useful skill—they'd have finished faster without its interference.可惜Gu Ning couldn't check monsters' wisdom stats, wondering why this blue-tier jellyfish affected Windsor. He gave the stone to Windsor, who learned it happily, gaining 3 Affinity points.
With the jellyfish defeated, it was time for revenge. Spotting Noxina's distant shadow, Gu Ning ordered Xiaolan to pursue.