Chapter 84: The Tenth Death Pact

The matriarchal rhinoceros had come seeking the Beast Embryo Pill, which was effective only for pregnant wild beasts; beasts without suspicion could not perceive the pill’s fragrance. As she caught sight of Gu Feng and his companions, the beastly nature of the mother rhinoceros erupted, and she charged directly toward Xue Ziyan, who stood closest to her.

Gu Feng was startled and quickly deduced that the rhinoceros had been drawn by the Beast Embryo Pill. Without delay, he exchanged for another pill and held it in his hand. The moment the matriarch caught its scent, she abandoned Xue Ziyan, her fervent gaze now locked onto Gu Feng’s hand.

With a furious bellow, she stamped her four feet, charging toward Gu Feng with such force that the ground trembled beneath her. Those cultivating nearby had already been disturbed by the rhinoceros’s presence. Aside from Feng Wan’er, the others seemed unconcerned for Gu Feng and continued their cultivation. Seeing their indifference, Feng Wan’er also ignored the situation, focusing on her own practice.

“Damn it!” Gu Feng cursed. “She’s trying to snatch it!” He was annoyed; if she had behaved herself, he could have exchanged something else of value for her. But to try force—did she think Gu Feng was afraid of her?

He promptly tossed the Beast Embryo Pill high into the air. The rhinoceros’s gaze followed its arc hungrily, desperate to obtain it. Gu Feng exchanged for an ordinary bow and arrow. Though he was no archer, the system allowed him to instantly acquire a book on basic archery, and he learned to shoot on the spot.

He drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and with a thunderous twang, the wooden arrow shot toward the falling pill. The mother rhinoceros opened her cavernous mouth, ready for the pill to drop in.

With a sharp thud, the pill was pierced by the arrow, shattering into powder that the wind scattered. The matriarch immediately turned her attention to Gu Feng, her large, brass-eyes reddening as if flames might ignite within.

With a furious cry, water-elemental energy gathered in her mouth, coalescing into a sphere of spiritual force. She spat, and a water arrow shot toward Gu Feng.

“Damn, that’s a cannon!” Gu Feng, aided by his system, scrambled aside in a messy dodge. The rhinoceros’s power matched that of the Giant Water Python, both at the tenth level of spiritual beasts, but her combat prowess far exceeded the python’s.

Dodging her attack, Gu Feng’s anger flared—how dare she resort to violence against him, that was courting death. Admiring Xue Lin’s archery, he exchanged for a high-grade fire-element bow called Sunburn.

Activating his equipment’s acceleration, his speed surged, though it consumed more spiritual energy. But spiritual energy was never an issue for Gu Feng. He threw another Beast Embryo Pill into the distance; as expected, the matriarch abandoned her attack, rushing after the pill.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Feng formed a flaming arrow from spiritual energy and, with a resounding crack, shot it toward the rhinoceros’s rear—aiming precisely at the target.

Despite her high level, the matriarch ignored Gu Feng’s attack, her mind set only on obtaining the pill. She bit down on the pill and was overjoyed at having finally acquired the rare medicine. The effects took hold immediately, and she was about to give birth.

With a gush, the fiery arrow struck her anus, causing a searing pain.

The matriarch exploded with rage, utterly unprepared for Gu Feng to target her in such a manner.

“Ding! Killed the baby rhinoceros, experience +5.”

Hearing the system’s announcement, Gu Feng was astonished. No way—was it just a coincidence?

The baby rhinoceros was expelled, and it emerged with a bloody hole in its head.

Unexpectedly, at the very moment the baby was born, the flaming arrow shot into the matriarch’s anus, and the baby’s head collided with the arrow. Being of a low level with almost no defense, the baby was instantly killed.

The matriarch went mad. Her offspring had barely entered the world before Gu Feng annihilated it—if she didn’t go insane, who would?

“Ding! The matriarchal rhinoceros’s murderous intent toward you has reached maximum. Tenth Death Contract activated.”

With the Death Contract in place, Gu Feng felt no fear. He opened his arms wide, as if inviting her wrath with a mocking embrace.

The matriarch had no intention of backing down, and charged ferociously at Gu Feng.

Gu Feng deliberately refrained from detonating himself ahead of time, wanting to experience the horror of being struck by such force.

With a thunderous crash and the sound of bones shattering in succession, pain was absent—the disparity was so vast that he was knocked unconscious instantly.

“Ding! Suffered a heavy blow, forty-one bones fractured, instant death.”

His soul appeared in the resurrection space, leaving Gu Feng dumbfounded.

“Ding! You were killed by the matriarchal rhinoceros, level decreased by three, resurrection time tenfold penalty invalidated, instead deducting one thousand points.”

Hearing the system’s words, Gu Feng was so depressed he could die again. Wasn’t he just seeking an experience? And now he’d lost levels?

“Ding! The matriarchal rhinoceros has killed you, becoming your mortal enemy. Slay her, and your level will increase by one.”

“Level up—so this is my consolation?” Gu Feng mused. “Resurrect.”

He revived on the spot. Meanwhile, the matriarch devoured his corpse in one gulp, then prepared to attack the others.

Gu Feng roared, “You bastard! How dare you kill me and make me lose three levels? You’re dead!”

“Triple Slash!”

Gu Feng launched his Triple Slash at the rhinoceros. She stared at him in confusion—wasn’t he the one she’d just killed and swallowed whole? Who was this?

But it didn’t matter; anyone who had killed her child deserved death.

The matriarch charged at Gu Feng again.

“Hmph! Die, you wretch! Self-destruct!”

With a booming explosion, Feng Wan’er observed Gu Feng’s repeated self-detonations with curiosity. How could he self-destruct and not die? Who was Gu Feng, really? And who were those who followed him?

“Ding! Slain mortal enemy, matriarchal rhinoceros. Level increased by one.”

“Ding! Tenth Death Contract completed. New journey unlocked: Power +10,000, all attributes doubled, reward points +10,000, gold coins +100,000, resurrection points +100.”

The reward for the tenth Death Contract pleased Gu Feng, though he was unsure what use the hundred resurrection points would have; previously, they could be used for early revival, but now he could resurrect at will, rendering them obsolete.

“Hurry! The explosion came from that direction—go check it out. Maybe two giant beasts battled each other and both suffered, leaving us to profit.”

Within the system, Gu Feng saw a team of over ten adventurers heading his way. He did not rush to revive, but watched with interest, wondering how they’d react upon seeing Gu Yan and her companions.

Soon, the group reached the edge of the small basin, spotting the massive corpse of the Giant Water Python. Their eyes shone with greed, their hearts exclaiming, “We’re rich!”

Seeing five people cultivating around the python, they assumed the five had joined forces to slay it and must be severely wounded, thus too busy healing to harvest its corpse.

One skinny fellow with a pointed chin, observing Gu Yan and Xue Wen, exclaimed, “Based on my experience, judging from these two women’s figures, they must be real beauties.”

At his words, everyone turned to look at Gu Yan and Xue Wen, especially Gu Yan, whose chaotic beauty became ever more apparent.

“Indeed, a true beauty!”

“Boss, why don’t we…”