Die, Replay, Repeat

Throughout the night, Fang Xiu had killed countless Specters, only to be killed by them just as many times.

But none of that mattered to him. What truly mattered was that in the Land Between, he was like a perpetual motion machine. While most others found their Spiritual Energy draining the more they fought, Fang Xiu was the opposite.

His Spiritual Energy seemed limitless, effortlessly replenishing with every battle.

By now, he no longer needed to control Taotie. The projection didn't rely on his Spiritual Energy to exist in this world. It could sustain itself—and even grow. In fact, Taotie had grown slightly larger throughout the night.

As Fang Xiu roughly calculated his kills, he realized he had slain around 100,000 Specters, including several Class-B and a few Class-A ones.

He had also encountered numerous Class-S Specters, and even some beyond that tier.

He hadn't bothered to engage with them, though, not out of fear, but because battling Class-S Specters would take too long.

He could spend half a day killing a single Class-S Specter, but the time and energy wasted—and the number of times he would die in the process—wasn't worth it.

Instead, he focused on hunting lower-tier Specters, where the kills came quicker and more efficiently.

As for those beyond Class-S? Fang Xiu hadn't even considered fighting them. Not only had he not killed any, but they had sought him out, killing him several times in return.

Fang Xiu wasn't alone in his hunt. Taotie had also been feasting. The amount of Spirit Money Taotie had consumed from Specters could easily translate to at least four million Spirit Money bills.

The reason for the large amount was because there was more than one Taotie.

Initially, there had only been one Taotie, but as Fang Xiu's Spiritual Energy replenished, he summoned another one.

After that, he summoned another, and then another—creating a cycle of endless consumption.

By the end of the night, Fang Xiu had summoned four Taoties.

Each Taotie was sent in a different direction—north, south, east, and west—to maximize their efficiency in devouring Specters.

Thanks to this strategy, Fang Xiu had managed to rake in a staggering four million Spirit Money in just one night.

The ease with which Spirit Money flowed into his hands left Fang Xiu wondering why others in the Land Between, who had been stuck here for years, were still struggling to make even one hundred million.

He could earn four million in a single day—and by tomorrow, if he summoned another four Taoties, that would be eight million.

It wouldn't be long before he not only earned enough to leave Whitestone, but could even own the place.

If anyone else in the Land Between knew what Fang Xiu was experiencing, they would probably be consumed with jealousy.

While others toiled away, barely scraping together enough Spirit Money to cover their lodging costs, Fang Xiu was accumulating vast wealth without spending a single cent. He had essentially found a way to bypass the system entirely.

After spending the entire night hunting Specters, Fang Xiu decided it was time to take a break and head back to Whitestone to exchange his Spirit Money.

Spirit Money didn't just materialize out of thin air—it had to be exchanged at pawnshops. But how this process worked was still unclear to Fang Xiu.

Besides, his trip to the Land Between wasn't just about killing Specters. He had a deeper purpose: to uncover the secrets of this place, as well as to follow the trail left by Zhou Qingfeng.

It was clear that Whitestone's pawnshop and Yue Lai Inn held many secrets, just like the burial shrouds and substitute dolls that Lu Ziming and the others had purchased.

These were typical elements from the previous era, and Fang Xiu was certain that the combat prowess of that age far outstripped the power of the current one.

After all, this era's strongest were just beginning to rise. Meanwhile, the previous age had already launched a successful counterattack against the Other Side and wiped them out. The gap between the two eras was vast.

Fang Xiu speculated that the fifth tier wasn't the ultimate limit for psychics. Given it that the previous era had fielded sixth-tier psychics, the possibilities for the current age were far greater than anyone realized.

As Fang Xiu walked toward Whitestone, he replayed the events of the night in his mind. Yang Ming and the others had not yet been freed.

After the intense battle, they were injured, and their Spiritual Energy was nearly depleted. It would take more than a single night for them to recover.

He had barely made it a hundred meters when he suddenly stopped. His senses heightened, he calmly scanned the surroundings and spoke, "Come out."

A shadowy voice responded, tinged with amusement. "Heh… that sharp perception doesn't seem like something a third-tier psychic should have."

From the nearby Specter forest, a man wearing a burial shroud and a gaunt face stepped into view. He chuckled darkly and said, "I see now why you were able to defeat the former Chief Commander. There's really something unique about you."

"Too bad, though," he continued, his grin mocking. "The younger generation is too brash these days, breaking the rules we, the old guard, established. Makes things tough for us veterans."

More people draped in burial shrouds began to emerge from the shadows, their eyes ranging from mocking to violently cold.

Some sneered, others glowered, but all shared the same look—suppressed madness, a fury simmering beneath the surface.

This was the reality of the Land Between. Years of fighting Specters, scraping together a living, had consumed these men. Their resentment burned hotter than the rage of any Specter.

Most were fourth-tier psychics, though two were fifth-tier—and one of them was a foreigner.

Fang Xiu didn't flinch. His expression remained calm as he asked, "Where's Lu Ziming? Send him out."

The gaunt man's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Mr. Fang, do you really think this is your territory?" he sneered. "We old-timers have established some rules in order to leave this place and make a profit. No one is allowed to kill anyone recklessly, regardless of personal grudge. But you killed Wei Xin, one of our money-makers. So tell me, are you ready for the consequences?"

A rotund middle-aged man interjected with a laugh, his tone light and mocking. "Oh come on, Wang, you're scaring the newcomer. You're Fang Xiu, right? I heard you brought two ladies with you. Where are they? They didn't die yesterday, did they? I mean, after all, you managed to take over fifty thousand Spirit Money from Wei Xin. That's enough to stay at Yue Lai Inn. Bring the girls out so we can have a look."

The middle-aged man's perceptive tone suggested he had been watching Fang Xiu closely—he knew exactly how much Spirit Money had been taken.

"Just nine of you? How dull," Fang Xiu said with a slight frown, his disappointment evident.

One of the men scoffed, "Heh, sounds like he doesn't even see us as a threat."

Another chimed in, "You might look calm, but I bet you're panicking inside. You and your friends knew we'd stop you at Yue Lai Inn or the shed, so you snuck out before dawn and ran from the city. You didn't think we could find you, but we've been here for years. We know this place like the back of our hands. You can't escape us."

One of the men smirked, "But don't worry, Fang Xiu. We're not the type to kill without reason. If you and your team each owe us a million and hand over the two girls, we might let you live."

Just then, Lu Ziming appeared. His face was ashen, his breath shallow and uneven—he hadn't recovered from the previous battle.

As soon as he spotted Fang Xiu, his eyes locked onto him, filled with hatred, as if he wanted to tear him apart.

Through gritted teeth, he spat, "I don't care about the others, but Fang Xiu must die. As for the two women—Luo Qingxin is mine. The other one is yours."

A hush fell over the group at his words, but then one man spoke, irritated, "Lu Ziming, Whitestone only has two women left now, and you want to claim one for yourself?"

Lu Ziming sneered, "Luo Qingxin is like a sister to me."

Another man scoffed, "A sister? We don't care even if she's your mother!"