Chapter 134: Little Sister, What Is Your Name?

The rewards for slaying this high-level demon were undeniably bountiful for Song Qi.

The immense amount of experience points went without saying. More importantly, he had obtained a fragment of the World Essence, which would allow one of his skills to ascend to the Rule-level.

"Well then... which skill should I choose?"

Song Qi tapped open his interface. There were seven skills in total, but only two were worth his consideration.

One was [Directional Warp]. Once this skill was elevated to a Rule-level, it would allow him to ignore the seals of all non-Rule-level skills, making it much easier to escape.

The other was [Soul Link]. The advantage of this skill was that once it became a Rule-level ability, it would effectively grant him all the Rule-level skills of Lu Bu, Ying Zheng, and the others, while simultaneously boosting his own combat prowess to a new height. As for whether he could copy Di Xin’s, he wasn’t entirely certain.

After some thought...

"I’ll go with Soul Link."

"If I encounter an enemy I truly can't defeat, I’ll just link with Lu Bu and activate 'Reckless Charge' to run away. If I can't escape even with Lu Bu’s current agility stats and 'Reckless Charge' active, then [Directional Warp] wouldn't be much help either."

Having decided, he tapped the screen with his finger.

The moment he pressed it, Song Qi’s vision blurred! The entire world entered the same state he had experienced when touching the prayer mat, only his vision was even clearer. Countless fine lines intertwined in his eyes; even the earth and sky, devoid of supernatural power, were obscured by these threads. Then, a massive, radiant light—as hot as a sun—hung high in the heavens!

Magnificent, spectacular, and warm.

"Is that... the World Essence?" Song Qi was momentarily dazed. This was his first time seeing the manifestation of the World Essence.

His internal supernatural power automatically surged, constructing the model for [Soul Link]. A drop of liquid fell from the Essence high above. Though the World Essence seemed infinitely far away, the droplet it shed landed instantly before Song Qi. There were no spatial fluctuations, no flickering; it was as if the World Essence was not in the distance, but right in front of him!

Song Qi snapped back to reality, exiting that profound state and returning to his original self. Looking at the panel again, [Soul Link] had already become a Rule-level skill.

"Hmph!"

"Who said it’s impossible to comprehend the Rules before level 60?"

"With my own brilliant talent, unparalleled genius, and extraordinary wisdom, I, Song, have forcibly broken the limits of this world, internalized the Essence, and shattered the imagination of ordinary mortals!"

"At level 48, I have successfully achieved enlightenment on the Third Continent!!!"

"Let this be recorded!"

"Boss Song is amazing!!!"

Clap, clap, clap!

Song Qi turned around to see that Chu Shaojiang had returned from somewhere and was applauding him enthusiastically.

"Huh, you didn't die?" Song Qi was surprised. The shockwaves from the previous battle were not something a mid-level professional could withstand. The entire landscape had been turned upside down. How was Chu Shaojiang still standing there like nothing had happened, save for a slightly disheveled appearance?

"Many thanks for your concern, Boss Song. It was indeed dangerous, but I luckily found a cave behind the mountain and hid there until now."

*A pest that lives for a thousand years...* Song Qi thought to himself.

After learning of Chu Shaojiang’s character, could he say he liked him? Certainly not. While there were people who used such sycophants to get things done, no one actually *liked* a scoundrel. After all, a scoundrel was someone who would betray anyone without hesitation for the sake of profit. Even among scoundrels, people preferred those who were loyal and righteous.

But could he say he hated him? That didn't seem quite right either. After all, the man was very good at providing emotional value—or, as it’s commonly called, sycophancy.

"Since you're still alive, come along. But if we run into a powerful enemy, I might not be able to look after you. Watch yourself."

"Don't worry, Boss Song!" Chu Shaojiang was delighted that the other man hadn't chased him away and was even willing to protect him. As he said this, he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, by the way, Boss Song! I saw a few people near the cave entrance earlier. They aren't professionals, yet they possess supernatural power. Their strength isn't much, though. I felt they were suspicious, so I knocked them all out and tied them up. Would you like to go take a look?"

Song Qi was stunned. "Humans? Isn't this the Third Continent? How could there be humans here?"

"Let's go, take a look!"

According to school textbooks, there were five continents in the world. The First Continent was the current stronghold of human cities, though half of its territory was still occupied by monsters and demons. The Second, Fourth, and Fifth Continents were also under demonic control. Only the Third Continent was teeming with endless monsters, and there were even Rule-level monsters of unknown quantity living there! The sheer number and high quality of the monsters were such that even the demons had to give up on coveting this land.

And now, Chu Shaojiang had actually found humans here?!

Soon, the two arrived at the cave entrance. There were three people inside, all bound together. Two were adults—a man and a woman—and there was also a young girl who looked to be only seven or eight years old. They were wearing animal skins, their hair a tangled mess, and beside them lay a few weapons made from animal teeth.

Both adults, regardless of gender, had very prominent muscle definition. It was clear these three were not from the Thirteen Districts; they were likely savages who had lived in the wilderness since birth.

The three of them were currently glaring with fury, making communication clearly difficult. Song Qi thought for a moment and, wanting to figure out their origins, decided to start with the easiest one to communicate with.

He took a lollipop from his system inventory and approached the little girl with a friendly smile.

"Little sister, what’s your name?"