Endless Ascension

Chapter 26: Chapter 26, The Sin Value

The moment Qin Ze excavated the crystal core, the system's mission was already accomplished.

Gazing at the crystal core in his hand, Qin Ze felt a profound reluctance, yet he also knew it wouldn't be right. After all, the burly man and his crew had chased after this beast for half a month, and Qin Ze had merely stumbled upon the prize. Moreover, he had gained a divine technique, whose value far exceeded that of the crystal core.

The burly man's face contorted in surprise; he had never seen such generosity before. This was a crystal core, capable of propelling a martial artist's cultivation to the Gathering Spirits realm within three years. For ordinary martial practitioners, it was akin to a heavenly-grade elixir.

The Qin family, the third most powerful clan in Qinghe City, would struggle to afford even ten such crystal cores, illustrating just how invaluable they were.

Even the lofty cultivators of the Xiuzhen world held these crystal cores in high esteem, yet Qin Ze was offering it to him freely. The burly man's heart surged with excitement and greed, for he desperately needed this crystal core. But as soon as he caught sight of the corpse of Yantian in the pit, his expression turned solemn. After a month-long hunt that left his comrades dead, accepting this crystal core would burden him with their suffering, and he would surely lose his will to cultivate, living the rest of his life in remorse.

After a long moment of contemplation, he made up his mind and firmly declined, "Thank you, but I cannot accept this."

Qin Ze was taken aback but promptly placed the crystal core back into his spatial ring. He introduced himself, "My name is Qin Ze."

"I'm Hei Yan," the burly man replied with a faint smile.

He didn't know what divine ability Qin Ze possessed to absorb the divine technique from the Violent Golden Gorilla, but from the recent battle and Qin Ze's composure, he sensed that the young man was extraordinary, almost mystical.

Perhaps leaving the crystal core with Qin Ze would be for the best, as his future achievements might be immeasurable.

Hei Yan felt a sense of relief and laughed heartily, "Brother Qin, may our paths cross again someday."

"Uncle, where are you headed?" Qin Ze hastened after him, for Hei Yan was the perfect guide to know everything about the Kunlun Mountains. Qin Ze intended to break through to the Agile Movement realm within half a month and then venture deeper into the mountains for cultivation.

Therefore, he needed an experienced navigator or even a partner, and Hei Yan, a powerful Cultivation of Steel Realm cultivator, was too valuable to let go.

It was precisely for this reason that Qin Ze had offered the crystal core. After all, one must give up something to gain something.

However, since Hei Yan had declined, Qin Ze persisted, catching up to him.

"Crime Points +1, current Crime Points: 7..."

A jolt went through Qin Ze's heart as he recalled the system's notification after killing Qin Kun and the others. "What are Crime Points?"

He couldn't help but ask himself as he accessed his attributes in his mind, scrutinizing the Crime Points section. A shiver ran through him as he realized the unexpected benefit of taking lives.

Crime Points: 1000 points can be used to cultivate the demonic art, Blood Shadow, transforming into a Heaven-defying Demon.

10,000 points grant access to the Demon Realm, achieving the supreme path of Demonhood.

100,000...

1,000,000...

Note: Unerasable. The more Crime Points, the higher immunity to Demonic Arts and the lower immunity to Celestial Paths...

"Damn, is this pushing me towards the path of Demons?"

Qin Ze secretly rejoiced. The Crime Points were more of a boon than a burden to him, though he couldn't help but hesitate at the thought of needing a thousand points to cultivate Blood Shadow. That meant slaughtering a thousand souls—a true mass murderer's feat.

With only seven points to his name, he was far from that milestone. Qin Ze let go of his concerns and turned his attention to the still-closed-eyed Yun Man in his arms. He couldn't resist gently tapping her nose, saying with a smile, "It's alright now, little girl."

Yun Man slowly opened her eyes, meeting Qin Ze's unwavering gaze. A blush crept across her cheeks, making her as enchanting as a peach blossom in full bloom.

"She's already this captivating. In a couple of years, she'll be irresistible," Qin Ze thought to himself. Holding Yun Man's delicate frame, he inhaled her subtle fragrance, his body responding subtly. Thankfully, the dim night concealed his reaction.

Helping Yun Man to her feet, he quickly averted his gaze, taking a deep breath before examining her back injury. He pulled out a 'Protective Spirit Pill', saying, "Take this. It'll aid in healing and alleviate the pain."

Yun Man nodded softly, swallowing the pill. Soon, her complexion regained a hint of rosiness. Gazing at the massive Violent Golden Ape in the distance, she murmured in awe, "A fifth-rank beast, so powerful."

Qin Ze chuckled, picking up the beast's core crystal and glancing at the burly bearded man not far away. After a moment of hesitation, he called out loudly, "Uncle, you can take this core crystal."

"Let's go out and recuperate for a while, then we'll make further plans," Heiyan said calmly, gazing at the night sky.

"Uncle, how about coming with me to Qinghe City to recuperate for a while?"

"Qinghe City? Are you a disciple of the Qin family?"

"Yes, I entered the mountains bordering the Kunlun Mountains to hunt demon beasts for the Autumn Hunt competition hosted by my family," Qin Ze replied truthfully.

The burly bearded man nodded slightly, considering for a moment, then said, "Alright, I have no fixed abode anyway, so it doesn't matter where I go."

Qin Ze concealed his joy and said, "The Autumn Hunt competition ends tomorrow afternoon. You can come back to Qinghe City with me then."

"Sounds good," Heiyan agreed heartily.

He felt that Qin Ze was special, reminiscent of Yantian, his best brother. Something in his heart seemed to be released, as if he could find a little solace in Qin Ze.

Furthermore, he held Qin Ze in high esteem. Although he hadn't met countless people, he had seen many clan heirs, and Qin Ze was the most comforting to him.

The three of them returned to the cave on the mountainside, where Yun Man was sitting in meditation to heal her wounds at the innermost part.

Qin Ze grilled demon beast meat and enjoyed a hearty meal with Heiyan, acting like friends despite their age difference, chatting happily.

As the night darkened, the forest resumed its usual restlessness, with low-level demon beasts beginning to run rampant...

One figure, dragging a long knife and covered in wounds, fiercely battled amidst the demon beasts.

Like a god of slaughter incarnate, every strike of his knife resulted in the death of a demon beast.

A ninth-level warrior, a king below the Lingdong Realm.

Qin Feng was cold and ruthless, like the ice of the underworld, his long knife pointing and slashing vigorously.

The cries of demon beasts pierced the night sky, making the restless beasts even more frenzied...

To change the Qin family, he must possess unparalleled strength. This belief had taken root in his heart...

Advancing in his cultivation was his only way forward.