Facing the Abyss as a Demon Cultivator

Chu Xiu's words made Zhang Qingshan lower his head in shame. But when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with newfound determination.

"Ah Chu, thank you."

"Your words were a wake-up call. I was being arrogant. What right do I have to slack off?"

"You've always been more mature than me, helping me out countless times. Really, I'm so lucky to have you as a friend..."

Zhang Qingshan's voice trembled with emotion. Chu Xiu waved his hand dismissively. "Come on, we're brothers. Don't mention it."

He sincerely hoped Zhang Qingshan would continue to grow stronger.

A true friend was a treasure beyond measure.

But then, Zhang Qingshan continued, "Ah Chu, even if you won't join me in the dungeons, you have to promise me one thing."

Chu Xiu was taken aback. "What is it?"

Zhang Qingshan pulled out his phone and opened a page. "The first draft of the strategy map is complete. There's still a lot to be organized, but at least we've marked the locations of all the Awakened."

"I'm quite far from you, across the city. But Xiao Qin is only five kilometers away. There's a designated government assembly point nearby. I hope you two can meet up there and watch out for each other."

"You can't refuse this request."

Knowing Zhang Qingshan was concerned for his safety, Chu Xiu simply nodded in agreement.

With that settled, Zhang Qingshan didn't linger. He gave Chu Xiu a hearty punch on the shoulder and left.

His demeanor made it clear that Chu Xiu's words had motivated him to focus on leveling up.

"I can't fall behind either."

Chu Xiu sighed. Although he disagreed with Zhang Qingshan's approach, he harbored similar intentions.

He was determined to reach D-rank before the next Abyssal incursion. The opportunities within the ghoul world were his for the taking!

"But relying solely on myself, without any external assistance, the resource gap is simply too significant."

To secure their stake in the ghoul world, major factions were investing heavily, often tens of millions at a time. And that didn't even include super-rich heirs like Ye Junlin, whose personal resources were staggering.

After all, even the most basic location anchor was worth millions. If valuable resources were discovered within the ghoul world, the potential profits could reach billions!

Chu Xiu stroked his chin, logging onto a website dedicated to strategizing for the ghoul world while he recovered his strength.

After browsing for a bit, he found what he was looking for.

[Skill Assessment]

The reason Chu Xiu had invested heavily in the Qi Concealment Technique was due to the hidden darkness lurking beneath the surface of their seemingly orderly world.

Many wealthy families were reluctant to reveal their children's talents and professions.

Thus, the [Skill Assessment] was born.

In these assessments, no one cared about your profession or talent. As long as you demonstrated sufficient strength, you'd secure investment!

You didn't even have to reveal your identity. Wearing a mask was perfectly acceptable.

Of course, formal contracts involved certain safeguards to prevent people from reneging on their agreements after removing their masks.

For Chu Xiu, the [Skill Assessment] was the ideal way to secure funding.

"Once I reach level 9, I'll secure a major sponsorship and focus entirely on preparing for the Rank advancement trial!"

With his mind made up, he didn't hesitate any longer. After recovering some strength, he plunged back into the Abyss.

And so began his relentless grinding spree.

[Quest Complete]

[Quest Complete]

[Quest Complete...]

He became an unstoppable monster-slaying machine, effortlessly clearing [Difficult] dungeons that even a full party of four Awakened would approach with caution!

Moreover, with each successive run, his efficiency skyrocketed!

He didn't view this as a tedious, repetitive chore but rather as a crucible to hone his skills.

Even when facing the weakest ghouls, he remained vigilant, striving for flawless execution in every encounter.

At the same time, he constantly set new challenges for himself.

For instance, he aimed to remain unscathed even when swarmed by ghouls. He also focused on precise control over his strength, ensuring each strike was lethal yet efficient, wasting no stamina.

As a result, both his skill proficiencies and combat experience grew at an astonishing rate!

In reality, directly allocating Karma Points was a luxury. Most ordinary Awakened relied on countless battles to improve their skills!

Chu Xiu's efficiency continued to climb. His [Difficult] dungeon clear times dropped from twenty minutes to seventeen, then fifteen, and finally, he hit a record of thirteen minutes!

In a single day, he cleared a staggering seventeen dungeons!

"Ugh..." Chu Xiu collapsed onto his bed, utterly spent.

Each dungeon contained over a hundred ghouls, along with various elite bosses.

Seventeen runs meant he had slain close to two thousand! Forget slaying that many ghouls, even throwing two thousand punches, no, even two hundred, would leave an ordinary person utterly exhausted!

"It's like a fitness buff doing push-ups. The first few are effortless, you feel like you could launch yourself into orbit. But as the reps pile up, fatigue sets in rapidly."

"Even with my Physique of 20, I can't keep up with this level of intense, continuous combat!"

"I'm still not strong enough!"

Chu Xiu sighed, massaging his sore shoulders.

If other Awakened heard his thoughts, they'd probably cough up blood.

Dude! These are [Difficult] dungeons!

Even seasoned teams who spent years honing their skills at F-rank wouldn't dare to attempt such a feat!

Four or five runs a day was already pushing it. Stamina, energy, and focus inevitably declined. Encountering a particularly challenging boss in that state was a recipe for disaster!

No one would risk their life or challenge the Abyss in a weakened state!

And here was Chu Xiu, soloing these dungeons!

Yet, he remained unsatisfied!

"Thirteen minutes for a [Difficult] clear?"

"Too slow!"

"I need to clear [Nightmare] difficulty in thirteen minutes!"

(End of Chapter)

----//TL\\----

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