According to his intel, these two gentlemen at each other’s throats should be mid-stage Foundation Builders.

  They were clearly in a css he had no business challenging, but by the looks of it…

  This game will be a lose-lose scenario.

  No matter who comes out on top in the end, the hyenas will rush over, turning it into a game of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

  Once the water becomes troubled, there’s a real chance for him to snipe this opportunity!

  And if he can get his hands on this treasure… think about all the possibilities!

  But barely after his greed showed its tail, a firm hand cpped his shoulder.

  “Ouu, Brother Bai, I can guess what’ you’re thinking, but forget about it. A magic treasure at this level… I’m afraid some core disciples has already set their eyes on it.”

  All of Bubai’s aroused greed immediately got doused by a bucket of ice-cold reality.

  That’s right…

  Core disciples can’t go on stage in person to bully the fresh blood, but that doesn’t mean their dogs can’t!

  These true predators can easily send their henchmen to harvest whatever catches their eyes!

  Even if they didn’t make a move, there were always a bunch of eager bootlickers ready to fetch the prize and hand it up with tongues wagging in hopes of earning a pat on the head.

  This was the privilege of those perched high above the rest. The power of status.

  As for someone like himself who cked the status?

  Snatching this treasure will be like kicking open a hornet’s nest with bare feet!

  Dear Merlin, the st thing he wanted was to end up with a whole body crawling with ants!

  Some opportunities were just not destined for him.

  Besides, did he even need this thing?

  By the looks of it, this was clearly a dangerous, self-harming weapon that harmed both the wielder and foe alike!

  So why in bzing Merlin’s name did he even get the bad idea of grabbing it in the first pce?

  Truth be told, his greed might not be worse than his lust.

  But he usually kept his greed in check to avoid nding himself in hot water.

  He’s not so silly to pick up the sesame seed just to lose the melon.

  But this time… Bubai still felt an almost uncontrolble urge to possess that scroll. This was too strange!

  Bloody Merlin... he must have been influenced by that scroll’s power!

  Seriously, that’s some overpowered desire-amplifying ability!

  It’s so far away, yet he was still affected!

  Truly, a cursed influence! The scariest part is that it happens unknowingly.

  This sort of thing was really insidious and hard to guard against, especially without a counterbance.

  Thankfully, there’s others around to help out.

  So all is good, especially since there’s a perfect outlet to vent it all…

  Bubai gazed down at the mature rose that was willing to accept every inch of his amplified darkness, every st drop of his dark desires.

  Ah... right. There’s no need to think too much. No need to bottle up his dark desires.

  Just let his instincts run wild!

  Bubai stood up and started showing off some of that heaven-overturning cudgel piston skills!

  Happy ughter came from a seat away. “Ahahaha! It seems like Brother Bai likes it rough, just like me! Come, let’s compete!”

  Bubai shot a gnce over to see the fellow conqueror spring to his feet to mirror him in doing what an author would probably only stuff in the full version behind a paywall.

  Right between them, Qian Feifu clicked his tongue and mocked, “Tsk, tsk. You two really don’t know how to cherish jade.”

  But is he really as calm as he looks?

  Face it. Everybody had a dark side.

  Some caged it, some can’t. And some... just love pretending.

  Who was acting? Who was for real?

  It was much harder to tell than the outcome of the battle raging below.

  Below.

  "Die! Die! DIE!"

  Cackling like a maniac, Yu Shusheng lifted up his prey by the neck and his cw dug into the other’s stomach like a hot knife through butter.

  "Ugh—!" Eyes bulging, Tie Zhubi choked out a fountain of blood.

  His legs kicked, filing around helplessly, and his hands desperately cwed at the iron grip around his throat.

  But he couldn't break free.

  Despair gripped his heart. He looked at the half-bckened lunatic enveloped by a vortex of bloody red mist.

  How… how is he still this strong?!

  Why can those spindly, chopstick-like arms possess such monstrous power, even after being tainted by such a powerful poison?

  Is the power of that accursed scroll really that powerful?!

  Tie Zhubi’s eyes strayed to the scroll discarded on the ground far away from them.

  Its bloody-red mist was still churning out endlessly, coating the arena floor in a thick, suffocating fog.

  Every breath, he could taste that bloody power, feel it worm its way into his every pore, arousing his bloodlust and greed.

  Incomprehensible chants hummed in his ears. It was a chaotic, alien nguage.

  Yet somehow… its meaning rang loud and clear in his mind.

  Embrace the endless chaos. Embrace it for… Power. Immortality. Everything…

  But seeing the example set by his “good” brother, Tie Zhubi was really afraid he’ll also lose his sanity and turn into a mindless beast!

  He had fought to keep this sanity intact by resisting its dreaded influence, but now... he was at wit’s end.

  Facing death, there was no other choice...

  Embrace the mist! Accept the unparalleled power! Kill!

  Kill him and you’ll live! Kill!

  Kill him and the immortal treasure will be his! Kill!

  His vision swam in red. Then, slowly... the red darkened, bleeding out into bck.

  Bck then bled into everything, into his veins, into his very soul.

  Bck... why bck?

  He didn’t know. He didn’t care.

  He only knew the pain went away and felt the raw power surging through his limbs.

  Thanks to that, the once-helpless hands managed to tear off the life-strangling cw on his neck!

  Free at st! The air never tasted fresher, but...

  That didn’t matter. Only a single thought flooded his mind. Kill! Kill! Kill!

  Qi and blood surged. Eyes dyed red. The newborn savage beast roared and pounced forward!

  The other didn’t retreat, meeting the assault with equal ferocity.

  Like feral beasts, the former brothers collided, tearing at each other’s throats!

  Bck and red blood spttered. In mere breaths, wounds stacked like no tomorrow!

  Neither backed down, and it seemed they won’t stop until they tear each other apart!

  This was destined to be a massacre with no winner.

  But soon… a variable appeared.

  The purplish-bck poison spreading from one man’s chest finally took root on his face.

  Bck took over the veins and even the bloodshot pupils got corrupted bck.

  But in that darkness, light seemed to be born once more.

  The next moment, teeth tore into his throat, snuffing out the st spark of fire in those pupils.

  As if sensing the death of its vessel, blood-red mist spilled out and flowed back to its origin, leaving behind nothing but a hollow shell.

  Even then, the bloodthirsty winner still pounced on the lifeless carcass like a starving beast.

  What followed was carnage.

  The raging beast seemed hell bent on tearing every single bone apart!

  Ripped. Tore. Devoured.

  Again and again, as if the battle had never ended. As if he couldn't stop.

  Then, suddenly—

  "Ugh—!"

  The beast’s entire body seized up. He clutched his disemboweled stomach and doubled over like a cooked shrimp, gasping in pain.

  The red haze of madness slowly lifted. Sanity slowly returned in fragments.

  Tasting what was in his mouth, Tie Zhubi looked at his blood-soaked cws, then slowly looked up.

  One gnce and his pale face drained of color.

  "What… what have I done?"