Wan Daren was only slightly stronger than the Xiantian realm.

Although she was human, she couldn't quite be considered a Human-rank. At most, a half-step Human-rank!

Because the cultivation technique she practiced was not a Human-rank cultivation method in the conventional sense, but a heretical Human-rank cultivation method that deliberately reduced her cultivation and strength!

The more one cultivated this kind of technique, the more it reduced the cultivator's strength. The only benefit was that it could break through the shackles of the realm, allowing one to break through from the Xiantian realm to the Human-rank.

This breakthrough should have caused her strength to skyrocket, but due to the heretical Human-rank technique, her strength first plummeted before she received the boost from the Human-rank realm.

With one increase and one decrease, her overall strength naturally increased, but the increase was limited.

Compared to ordinary Xiantian realm martial artists, she could naturally display an overwhelming advantage and seem invincible.

But if she faced a normal Human-rank expert, she would be blown away in minutes. She wouldn't even need a Human-rank expert; a slightly more powerful Xiantian realm martial artist would have the ability to contend with her.

This was the drawback of the heretical technique, the price of taking a shortcut. Because of this technique, even her aptitude was eroded, and her strength would become extremely difficult to improve.

Yet, even so, many people still flocked to this kind of heretical technique.

Because Human-rank techniques were simply too precious and too rare.

For those without an organization or a lineage, obtaining a normal Human-rank technique was extremely difficult.

No, it shouldn't be said a normal Human-rank technique, but even a low-level or inferior Human-rank technique was hard to come by!

On the other hand, this kind of technique that improved the realm through heretical means could be purchased from various channels such as the black market, becoming one of the few ways for unaffiliated people to rise.

Therefore, even though this heretical Human-rank technique improved one's realm in such an unorthodox way, exchanging a reduction in strength for an increase in realm, it still tempted people greatly.

Having one's strength permanently stuck in the Xiantian realm versus becoming a weak Human-rank expert in a low-profile manner were two completely different concepts.

Human-rank, even in a large city like Chu Nuan City, were well-known figures, while Xiantian realm martial artists didn't receive such treatment.

Therefore, Human-rank was the lifelong pursuit of many people, and the realm where many ultimately stopped.

Below Human-rank, one could still rely on hard work to make progress.

Above Human-rank, it was a dual battle of talent and resources, and neither was dispensable!

Wan Daren was a typical martial artist who had climbed up from the bottom, and her resources were barely enough.

Upon reaching Human-rank, she should have chosen a peerless technique that could directly reach the Yu-rank, achieving a brilliant future.

However, the reality was that she couldn't even afford a good Human-rank technique. She had no way to buy one, so she could only take the heretical path, forcibly improving her realm.

After doing so, her strength became stuck there.

She could only accumulate resources and find another way to obtain a Human-rank technique, or purchase rare natural treasures to nourish her body and slowly recover, in order to continue improving her strength.

Wan Daren wanted to join the official government forces, but the problem was that they didn't want her.

Whether it was Qingsi or Lan Shan, as official government forces, they had their own talent channels. They directly promoted promising talents from the counties and villages below, and with an abundant and rich martial arts treasure trove, they had no shortage of people.

An unaffiliated person like her who had joined the path halfway, whose background was unclear and whose experiences were not clean, was not qualified to enter the system of official government organizations.

As for outside the official government forces, there was only the Tian Shang Alliance, intelligence organizations, and some underground forces, and even security organizations, that didn't care about her background. They only looked at her strength and hired her for money.

"When I save enough money to buy a good Human-rank technique, I'll find a way to sneak into a sect and get a position."

This was Wan Daren's ideal before tonight.

But now, Wan Daren only wanted to escape from Fang Yue's clutches and survive.

However, contrary to her wishes, she turned her head in horror and discovered that the shadows entwined around Fang Yue's feet were suddenly dyed with a rich black aura, and his speed suddenly exploded.

It was as if the previous following was merely controlling the distance, all for the sake of an instant burst now, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

Before Wan Daren could react, the black blade had already struck her chest.

As blood splattered, a huge wound was cut into her chest, and her whole body flew backward.

Fang Yue then unleashed his black aura and followed closely again, catching up to Wan Daren in mid-air and slashing her neck with a blade, directly chopping off her head.

Her head rolled to the ground, while her headless corpse continued to fly forward until it landed on the ground, kicking up dust, before stopping its movement.

"System Notification: Congratulations to player [Ye Se Li Ming] for killing [Wan Ru Jun]. Comprehension increased by 0.1 points."

"System Notification: Congratulations to player [Ye Se Li Ming] for killing [Wan Ru Jun]. Reward: Yuli +100, Xieli +100, Yangshou +1 year, [Gui Jing] progress +1%."

Nice!

Fang Yue's face lit up with joy.

When he was rampaging earlier, his internal energy and Gui value were consumed too much, and he couldn't muster them up at the moment. That was why he hadn't been able to catch up with Wan Daren, this Human-rank expert.

After taking medicine, his internal energy slowly recovered, while Gui value could only be slowly recovered over time. Every time he killed someone, it could also recover a bit, but it was used too quickly, and the recovery amount still couldn't keep up with the consumption rate.

Fang Yue planned to use [Gui Value] less in the future. This thing, in a sense, was also one of his trump cards.

After rummaging through Wan Daren's corpse, he only pitifully found a bag of bloodstones and a Hunxiao flower, which was one of the natural treasures. Whether consumed directly or used to make pills, it could increase one's cultivation.

Most likely, it was one of the rewards that the Kongshan Merchant Troupe had given Wan Daren for coming.

Fang Yue looked at the few empty small bottles, which smelled of medicine. They looked brand new, so they should also be one of the rewards, but Wan Daren had eaten them all.

Was she reincarnated as a poor ghost?

Fang Yue was a little dissatisfied. How could she be so shabby, being a Human-rank expert? She was simply the poorest and most down-and-out Human-rank martial artist Fang Yue had ever seen. No wonder she was in such a miserable state, turning around and running away when she saw him.

Fang Yue's strength could completely match that of a Human-rank early stage, and a very powerful one at that.

Therefore, Wan Daren, who was only at the half-step Human-rank, was no match for Fang Yue no matter what.

"Lord Ye!"

As Fang Yue was finishing looting the spoils, the voice of the young miss sounded from behind.

Looking back, Fang Yue found that the young miss was leading people towards him.

Surprisingly, the young miss's spirit was much better than it had been two days ago. She was radiant and full of energy.

Seeing Fang Yue, she smiled sweetly, and stopped immediately when she came to his side.

Glancing at the corpse on the ground, the young miss said, "Congratulations, Lord Ye, for killing a Human-rank martial artist!"

Fang Yue waved his hand. If he hadn't killed so enthusiastically before, nearly exhausting his internal energy and Gui value, he wouldn't have taken so long to catch up and kill her.