Volume One, Chapter 16: I Have a Spear That Can Slay Immortals!

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The Mire of Corruption offered no defensive capabilities. Even with an intelligence of 50 points, a mental fortitude of 100 points, and having stacked all prior buffs, the Mire could not withstand the onslaught under Gu Xinian’s command. Sometimes, when the gap in strength is vast, many measures become futile.

Gu Xinian was not only familiar with the trial rules from his previous life but also possessed crucial knowledge unknown to most after the world’s cataclysm. He understood this transformed world far better than anyone else and was currently the only one capable of harnessing external power.

Whose power would he draw upon? Certainly not from these trial participants—compared to him, they were mere weaklings, incapable of offering any aid. The power he sought was divine.

Not just any god like low-tier deities such as Wei Yang, but the great deity Corruption, the prime god who lent his name to the sequence and held the highest divine rank.

In the trials of the gods, the path to strength was multifaceted. As the path to godhood scores and various leaderboards unlocked more features, people realized that continuously pleasing the gods to earn their favor and attention—and thus secure their blessings—was another way to grow stronger.

How then could one please the gods and gain their favor? Offering tributes in accordance with the deity’s nature was one such method.

Using the corrupted victims within the Mire of Corruption—those tainted, devoted, and transformed into monstrous abominations or mere corpses—as offerings perfectly aligned with the manner of honoring Corruption.

However, Gu Xinian’s purpose was not to seek Corruption’s blessings but merely to catch the deity’s fleeting gaze.

As Gu Xinian began his offering, a portal to the divine realm of Corruption opened within the mire. The sacrifices were instantly delivered through the gateway.

At the same time, Corruption’s gaze fell upon this humble devotee, even if only for a moment—just a single moment was all that was needed.

At that moment, Gu Xinian’s body exuded countless twisted, eerie black lights, as if innumerable writhing tentacles burst forth from within him. His flesh churned beneath his skin, seeming on the verge of bursting.

Yet, to the surrounding monsters and to Xiao Ran, Li Xuan, and the others, Gu Xinian appeared “beautiful” and “handsome.” This was not the usual beauty reserved for women, but an irresistible fatal allure that compelled them to see him as stunning.

In that instant, all the monsters and the others desired nothing more than to immerse themselves completely, to surrender and serve Gu Xinian, willing to risk life and limb to please him.

Corruption’s nature manifested perfectly through him.

But was this all there was to Corruption’s attributes?

No. At that very moment, the elite monsters and their guards succumbed to Corruption’s taint. Negative statuses emerged; reason abandoned them, and madness took hold.

Now, Gu Xinian’s condition should have been the worst. Since this was the trial’s early phase, his mental strength was low, unable to endure Corruption’s gaze. This was why, in the early stages, the gods offered no hints on how to please them or gain their favor—the believers were too weak to bear their attention.

But Gu Xinian was different.

After his rebirth as the Blasphemer, he gained control over the Primordial Celestial Palace, bore the will of the Celestial Sovereign no longer maddened, and possessed the Angel King’s mysterious mask—a divine-grade talent skill.

The Celestial Sovereign’s will could endure the wrath of all gods. How then could the will, no longer maddened, fail to withstand a mere gaze from Corruption?

Thus, in that fleeting moment, Gu Xinian became the most stable being present.

Under Corruption’s gaze, his spear—the Spear of Corruption—grew even more enigmatic and powerful.

Seizing this brief opportunity, he not only deflected the elite monsters and their guards’ attacks but shattered their formation, the spear striking like a dragon, directly targeting the elite monster.

This momentary chance was not enough to slay the elite outright, but it sufficed.

The offering ended. Corruption’s gaze vanished. Everything returned to normal.

Li Xuan and the others looked at Gu Xinian as if he were a monster.

“What just happened? It felt like when Gu Dalao told me to do something, I was willing, even if it meant dying for him!”

Their hearts roiled with shock.

Xiao Ran felt the same. She was certain that if Gu Xinian had asked her to sleep with him, she would have gladly accepted, even seeing it as a tremendous honor.

It was truly bizarre.

Yet, having endured tens of trials from the newbie stage, their mental fortitude had greatly improved under Xiao Ran and Li Xuan’s leadership. They quickly recovered.

Now was the time to strike the monsters, not to be distracted by feelings or anything else.

Thus, the following unfolded.

Monsters that once required nearly every trial participant across the entire Qinghe University campus to subdue were not only not able to gain any advantage against Li Xuan and the others but suffered great losses.

Countless talent skills rained down on the elite monster’s guard squad, taking them by surprise and leaving clear, terrifying wounds.

Certainly, the mere effect of Corruption’s gaze on Gu Xinian’s allies wouldn’t have been enough to cause such devastation.

The key was that Corruption’s gaze had vanished from Gu Xinian, ending its influence on them.

Yet, his S-rank talent skill, Mire of Corruption, remained.

Though this skill could infect previous trial participants—negating their attacks and driving them insane, turning them into corrupted monsters—this was because their four-dimensional attributes were far weaker than Gu Xinian’s.

The elite monster and its guards were different.

The elite monster’s attributes were far superior to Gu Xinian’s. Its guards’ attributes were also not inferior and, in some respects, even surpassed his.

The Mire of Corruption possessed a powerful hidden mechanism befitting its S-rank quality:

—If the infected enemy’s total attribute value was significantly lower than that of the caster, they would become corrupted monsters.

—If the infected enemy’s attributes were lower but closer to the caster’s, they would become corrupted monsters upon being killed.

—If the infected enemy’s attributes were comparable or superior to the caster’s, they would only suffer various debilitating negative statuses.

What were these negative statuses? Simply put, they weakened combat power and overall attributes.

Thus, under the Mire’s influence, the elite guards’ combat strength diminished, their attributes were suppressed, leaving them vulnerable and wounded.

The elite monster, however, reacted much faster.

As Corruption’s gaze dissipated from Gu Xinian, and the negative effects faded from the monster itself, the elite monster assumed a defensive stance.

Not only did it withstand Gu Xinian’s assault, but it also used its immense strength to repel the Spear of Corruption and counterattacked, swinging its massive axe toward Gu Xinian’s neck.

Its speed was not swift, but its strength was overwhelming, inducing despair.

Xiao Ran, Li Xuan, and the others, having gained a significant advantage thanks to Gu Xinian, remained vigilant.

Though absorbed in battle, they carefully observed Gu Xinian’s situation.

Seeing this scene, they couldn’t help but sweat nervously.

Such a strike, even a single person would struggle to face it, let alone their two combat squads.

If anyone familiar with the Mire of Corruption witnessed this, they would marvel that even tainted, the elite monster still possessed such formidable power—truly befitting its rank.

After being attacked by Li Xuan and Xiao Ran’s forces, the guards ceased targeting Gu Xinian and instead turned their attention to them.

Monster behaviors in the trial were adaptive.

For example, in the trial toward Nanshan Mist Subway Station, although those selecting Hell difficulty became the monsters’ primary targets, attacking a monster aggroed on a Hell difficulty participant caused monsters to shift focus to the attacker.

Now, as the elite guards redirected their assault, the real battle had only just begun.

Xiao Ran, a genius strategist, despite having been only a teacher before the world’s upheaval and unversed in military tactics, had quickly mastered command of this large force in the brief time since.

As the elite guards set their sights on them, she issued four rapid orders:

“Warriors advance.”

“Singers continue casting team-enhancing talents; those without team buffs but with single or multi-unit buffs prioritize the warriors.”

“Priests prepare to heal, focusing on the warriors.”

“Everyone else seize the opportunity to attack!”

It felt much like a coordinated party fighting a boss in a game.

At the same time, Gu Xinian’s voice rang out:

“Warriors need not tank hits; if you can dodge attacks with speed, do so.”

Instantly, the eyes of Xiao Ran, Li Xuan, and others fell upon Gu Xinian again.

The elite monster’s counterattack was faster than the guards’.

While the guards’ Corruption-induced negative effects just faded and they were caught off guard by Xiao Ran and Li Xuan’s assault, the elite monster had already completed its attack and counterstrike.

Gu Xinian did not try to endure the blow.

He knew these monsters prioritized strength and defense.

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Their agility and intelligence were comparatively low.

In fact, the elite monster’s agility and intelligence were not only unable to overwhelm Gu Xinian as its strength and defense did, but were inferior to his.

Leveraging his agility advantage and unparalleled combat skills from his previous life, Gu Xinian dodged the elite monster’s attack and launched another counterattack.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran and Li Xuan were inspired and immediately ordered:

“Follow Mr. Gu’s lead.”

At that moment, their forces sprang into action.

Warriors advanced.

Singers chanted.

Priests and others readied themselves.

Though their army could not execute orders as rigidly as a formal military, they were far from disorganized.

With Li Xuan’s military background and Xiao Ran’s high intellect leading them, having endured many battles en route to Nanshan Mist Station, the force had been tempered into a barely competent fighting unit.

Thanks to Gu Xinian, they had seized a great advantage and could now launch unrestrained, tactical assaults.

But now, as the elite guards' monsters attacked, they truly understood the import of Gu Xinian’s earlier words.

The guards’ attack speed was not overwhelming; warriors buffed by singers could dodge rather than tank hits.

Those warriors with lesser agility had no choice but to endure the blows.

After all, warriors typically invested in strength and defense.

High attack and defense were their creed.

These attributes complemented their talent skills perfectly.

From the moment the battle began, all professions unleashed their talents.

The combined effects swirled across the battlefield, painting a magnificent tableau.

It was a breathtaking scene, though no one could capture it.

Among the crowd, Pang Haoyu, who had never witnessed such grandeur, was momentarily stunned.

But he quickly refocused on Gu Xinian.

Wherever he was, his duty as a priest was to support only one person: Gu Xinian.

Whenever Gu Xinian needed him, he would immediately offer his healing skill—Spring Breeze.

Gu Xinian was currently in good condition.

The Spear of Corruption, like a black lightning bolt, pierced the elite monster’s body.

His agility surpassed the elite monster’s, so the monster could not evade his attack, which struck firmly in the chest.

Yet what happened next was astonishing.

Despite the Mire of Corruption weakening and imposing negative effects on the elite monster, Gu Xinian’s spear did not penetrate its body.

Instead, it struck what felt like an impenetrable shield, producing a harsh metallic clash.

Li Xuan, Xiao Ran, and the others watched tensely.

The elite monster was overwhelmingly powerful; even if Gu Xinian could not slay it outright, restraining it long enough was vital for victory.

Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

Pang Haoyu, though less intuitively aware of the elite monster’s power, could imagine its terrifying strength upon seeing Gu Xinian—usually unstoppable in battle—hardly gain any advantage.

He was anxious.

He was the only one present who did not worry about Gu Xinian for selfish reasons but cared deeply for him.

Yet Gu Xinian remained calm.

All of this was within his expectations.

He had witnessed the elite monster’s might in his previous life.

As the spear struck its chest, the elite monster’s lips curled into a sneer before swinging its massive axe again.

Gu Xinian immediately withdrew, leaping back to create distance.

Meanwhile, his Mire of Corruption spread rapidly, maintaining influence over every monster in the guard squad.

Pang Haoyu promptly cast Spring Breeze on Gu Xinian—not because he detected any weakness, but because he had deduced some mechanisms of the Mire.

For example, as the Mire expanded, Gu Xinian’s mental energy consumption multiplied.

In truth, Gu Xinian’s current state did not necessitate Spring Breeze, but receiving it greatly improved his condition, like adding wings to a tiger.

As Gu Xinian created distance, the elite monster’s axe swung wide and missed.

The elite monster then pursued Gu Xinian.

They began to distance themselves from the guards, Xiao Ran, and Li Xuan.

The army’s faces paled, troubled.

They had deeply felt the elite monster’s terror and witnessed Gu Xinian, a powerhouse, struggle to find any opening.

If Gu Xinian fled now, what would they do?

Though numerous, they doubted their ability to handle both the elite monster and its guards.

Pang Haoyu was momentarily stunned, noticing Gu Xinian and the elite monster growing farther apart.

Yet he was not worried about Gu Xinian fleeing, knowing no one was obligated to protect or follow anyone else.

He was merely surprised by Gu Xinian’s move.

After regaining composure, a genuine smile appeared on his lips.

Gu Xinian, after retreating a short distance, did not flee.

He sought a suitable environment to slay the elite monster.

When his spear had failed to pierce even the monster’s flesh, he briefly wished for weapons with armor penetration and piercing attributes.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

One must be content.

In his previous life, he had nothing, suffered constant setbacks, even manipulated by a gold-digging girlfriend, yet still rose to great heights.

Compared to that life, he now possessed much more.

If he complained about his environment now, how could he hope to reach the pinnacle and become truly strong?

The strong never blame their environment; only the weak complain.

Success is about finding ways; failure is about making excuses.

Did lacking armor penetration and piercing prevent him from killing the elite monster?

When confident that the elite monster’s hatred was firmly fixed on him, not distracted by others, Gu Xinian dodged the monster’s terrible attacks while attempting to lure it away.

Once far enough from the guards and others, he stopped and launched another attack.

If his strength and defense were far inferior, he would rely on agility!

Thus unfolded this scene.

The elite monster’s attacks never landed on Gu Xinian.

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