A sudden commotion in the Lakefront District shattered the quiet of the night.

The abrupt disturbance was quickly noticed by the patrolling security guards.

When they went to investigate, they were shocked to find Wu Xiaobao lying dead in a pool of blood.

Soon, the entire district was in an uproar.

The residents, roused from their sleep, were woken by the noise. One by one, they emerged, sleepy-eyed and thoroughly displeased, angrily wanting to see what was going on.

However, when they learned who had died, the fury of the once-incensed residents vanished in an instant.

The Lakefront District was located in the city center, a prime location in most people’s eyes. But if not for it being in a good school district, many residents would have likely moved out long ago.

This was all because Wu Xiaobao was infamous in the district. It was rumored that he had even killed someone before by throwing an object from a building, yet he remained unrestrained, acting recklessly and tormenting many in the community.

Now that something had happened to his family and he was dead, the other residents, though they wouldn’t say it aloud, secretly felt it was karmic retribution. Some even cheered internally that he was dead.

After all, to be so vile at such a young age meant he was rotten to the core. What would he have become if he’d grown up?

They only refrained from applauding out of fear of being judged as immoral.

Hu Qi paid no mind to the events that followed. After emerging from an alley, he reverted to his original appearance.

Looking up at the inky black night, he decided not to go home.

Because of what happened last time, Building 18 in his own Happiness District was still cordoned off with police tape.

A third of the building’s residents had been brutally dismembered into chunks of meat by the Rain Butcher, turning it into a thoroughly cursed building.

Still, in some people’s eyes, even the most cursed building was less terrifying than poverty.

Perhaps once the bodies and bloodstains were cleaned up, the building would be unsealed, and plenty of people would likely move back in.

But none of this mattered to Hu Qi. He found a nearby hotel and checked in.

After getting to his room, Hu Qi first took a shower, changed into a new set of clothes, and then sat cross-legged on the bed.

He first circulated his Crimson Sun Demon Elephant Flame Prison Skill. After a while, he confirmed there were no issues.

Only then did he slowly open his eyes and murmur to himself, "It seems Fang Xi’s lingering obsession has completely vanished!"

The moment he’d thrown Wu Xiaobao to his death, he had distinctly felt a weight lift from him, as if he had been freed from a heavy shackle. This came as quite a surprise.

In Hu Qi’s opinion, Fang Xi had been far too kind.

’I originally thought I would have to get rid of Wu Xiaobao’s entire family.’

’Only then would I be able to fulfill his obsession. But I never expected Fang Xi’s desire to be so simple. He only wanted the main culprit, Wu Xiaobao, to pay with his life. As for Wu Xiaobao’s family...’

...although Fang Xi harbored resentment toward them, he never intended to take their lives.

"It’s a pity. No matter which world you’re in, kind people don’t always get their just rewards."

Hu Qi sighed softly.

He recalled how, if Wu Xiaobao hadn’t killed Fang Xi’s mother by throwing something from a high-rise, Fang Xi’s family wouldn’t have been shattered.

Even though Fang Xi himself was ill, he wouldn’t have fallen into such despair if not for that incident.

Although Fang Xi had always wanted to kill Wu Xiaobao with his own hands to get revenge, he could never bring himself to harm a child.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have the opportunity.

In his heart, he planned to wait until the boy grew up before taking action. But unexpectedly, he was struck by that illness. Forget about revenge—he could barely walk two steps without falling.

If not for Hu Qi’s appearance, he likely would have never been able to avenge himself in this lifetime.

From this perspective, Hu Qi taking over his body could be considered a great favor.

As for the rest of Wu Xiaobao’s family...

Hu Qi had merely left them with a few parting gifts.

Nothing lethal, but their bodies would begin to develop all sorts of ailments.

It was a form of punishment.

For Hu Qi...

...the very essence of becoming stronger was to live freely and spontaneously, to break free from all shackles.

And on the long road of pursuing greater power, if one encountered matters that were vexing or left one’s heart ill at ease...

...why not act to set things right and resolve that inner turmoil? Doing so was only natural.

At this thought,

Hu Qi dismissed these useless thoughts. With a mental command, he summoned the Crimson Panel.

In an instant, the familiar, semi-transparent red panel appeared before his eyes.

Hu Qi’s gaze fell directly on the Skill section:

[Crimson Sun Demon Elephant Flame Prison Skill△ (Essence Element Chapter Ninth Layer) Traits: Yang Fire, Elephant Power]

[Dream Eye: Mirror Person, Bone Shattering Hammer, Blood Red Rope]

...

[Modification Point: 12768 (49%)]

The panel hadn’t changed much compared to before.

The only difference was in the Dream Eye section, which now included a new Dream Eye called ’Blood Red Rope’, the one from the inverted woman in the red dress.

’Crimson, modify. Upgrade the Crimson Sun Demon Elephant Flame Prison Skill!’

The command flashed through Hu Qi’s mind.

The next second.

In the Skill section, the characters for the Crimson Sun Demon Elephant Flame Prison Skill began to twist and distort.

At the same time, the Qi Blood True Strength within Hu Qi, already surging at its absolute peak, began to undergo a peculiar transformation.

According to the normal progression path for a Secret Martial Artist...

...the next step should be to open the Qi Vein Divine Treasure, located three inches below the navel. This would allow one to absorb the Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, cleanse the physical body, and advance to the rank of Qi Dao Grandmaster.

However, the human anatomy in this world was different; the Qi Vein Divine Treasure simply didn’t exist.

Logically, this meant the Cultivation Technique could not be upgraded any further.

However, the Crimson Sun Demon Elephant Flame Prison Skill was a special Cultivation Technique created specifically to adapt to this world, so it naturally wouldn’t have such a limitation.

Through Introspection, Hu Qi clearly saw his Qi Blood True Strength, which had been gushing out of the Essence Element Divine Treasure, now surging like a tidal wave back into it.

The Essence Element Divine Treasure, already nearing a state of perfection, actually began to expand. Its original position was right at the edge of his heart, and as it grew, it directly enveloped and fused with the heart itself.

This was no illusion—it had truly integrated his heart.

In an instant, a sharp, twisting pain shot through him. Hu Qi could clearly feel his heart vanish, as if it had melted away into his body.

The heart, after all, is the most vital human organ besides the brain.

It plays the crucial role of pumping blood, continuously driving circulation to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every organ in the body. Once the heart stops working...

...the body’s organs will quickly suffer damage from lack of blood and oxygen, leading to functional failure and a swift death. Its importance is self-evident.

If a normal person’s heart were to vanish, they would die almost instantly.

However, Hu Qi possessed the terrifying physique of a Peak Martial Arts Family. Even with his heart gone, he remained alive, his face merely a few shades paler than before.

Ten minutes passed. Hu Qi’s aura grew increasingly faint, and his skin turned ashen-white as paper.

His body was motionless, as if he were dead.

Just then, three sinister, cold powers began to emerge from his body. The lights in the room started to flicker, and vague, indistinct figures appeared in the bathroom mirror and on the windowpanes.

Faintly, a dull thudding sound, like a rubber ball hitting the ground, echoed continuously, growing closer.

Outside the window, raindrops began to fall from the previously silent night sky, streaking down the glass.

Throughout the hotel, everyone felt a sudden chill.

Looking out their windows, they found that the distant neon lights had become blurry.

It was as if they were looking through a layer of mist.

As for this situation...

No one thought much of it.

It was approaching autumn and winter, so a light fog at night was normal.

It was just that the sudden drop in temperature was a bit unsettling.

The reason for this phenomenon...

...was, naturally, the reawakening of the three Dream Eye powers Hu Qi had absorbed.

Under normal circumstances, the Dream Eye powers wouldn’t act up like this. But with Hu Qi now on the verge of death, the situation was different.

If things continued to develop this way, once the three Dream Eye powers fully revived...

...Hu Qi’s body would transform into an even more powerful Nightmare vessel, merging the three powers.

At that point, the result would likely be even more terrifying than Building 18—a true, layered Nightmare.

Suddenly.

THUD!

A dull, yet incredibly powerful sound rang out.

The sound was even deeper and more forceful than the thud of the red-dressed woman’s head hitting the ground. And its source...

...was Hu Qi. Or more precisely, it came from the spot in his chest where his heart used to be.

Inside Hu Qi, the Essence Element that had been expanding began to slowly contract. In the end, it transformed from a sphere into a fist-sized shape that looked just like a heart.

However, this ’heart’ was clearly different from that of a normal human.

Its surface shimmered with a faint golden light.

As this strange heart began to beat and contract rhythmically...

...the three restless, reawakening Nightmare Powers instantly vanished without a trace.

The overhead light instantly returned to normal, the figures in the mirror disappeared, and the drizzling rain outside stopped, as if nothing had ever happened.

Flames erupted on the surface of Hu Qi’s body. Their initially dark red color gradually transformed into a pale gold.

Strangely, no matter how the flames leaped and danced, they couldn’t ignite the bedsheets or his clothes, as if they were mere phantoms that didn’t exist in this space.

After a long moment, the flames gradually receded.

Hu Qi slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of dark golden flame flashing within them before vanishing.