Apocalypse: Everyone Levels Up, I Return to the Time Before the Server Opened-Chapter 53

Chapter 53: He Actually Came Out Alive!!!

“It’s dead.” Ye Qiu’s voice rang out.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then, Xie Zhongyuan began to sob softly.

He cried for quite a while, then slowly approached.

Whoosh!

In his spirit form, Xie Zhongyuan knelt directly in front of Ye Qiu.

“Big bro… no, my benefactor…” He kowtowed to Ye Qiu.

After that, his eyes locked onto the corpse of the Ultimate Split Demon, as if he wanted to devour its flesh and peel its skin.

He gritted his teeth and growled, “Damn it! It deserved to die!

“It’s finally dead!

“Our predecessors have been avenged!

“The village’s crisis is resolved!

“I… I can finally rest in peace!”

As he spoke, Xie Zhongyuan raised his hand and gently touched Ye Qiu.

A faint smile finally appeared on his face.

“Benefactor, I don’t have anything to offer you. So let me pass on my Grandmaster-level ‘Harvesting Technique.’ The blood of this Outer Demon is incredibly precious. With this skill, you can harvest all of its blood!”

As he spoke…

[Ding! You have obtained the Grandmaster-level Harvesting Technique from ‘Xie Zhongyuan.’]

[Harvesting Technique (Grandmaster): 0/100000. A sub-profession skill that can harvest blood and resources from legendary creatures.]

Ye Qiu was both surprised and delighted.

He was just about to speak, but then, he froze.

He watched as the spirit-form Xie Zhongyuan’s body began to crystallize bit by bit.

Whoosh!

A gentle breeze swept through.

His crystallized figure began to scatter with the wind.

Among the drifting crystals, a single glowing shard of light flew into Ye Qiu’s forehead.

[Ding! You have obtained the ‘Mark of the Sword.’]

[Mark of the Sword: Effect unknown. Cannot be traded or dropped. Every swordsmanship prodigy is recognized by the Sword Dao from birth and carries this mark. To unlock its power, seek out the ultimate swordmaster — Lu Gucheng — and inherit his legacy!]

“Benefactor! The will to protect humanity is now in your hands!” With a peaceful smile, Xie Zhongyuan’s voice echoed.

Then, he completely vanished from the world, as if he had never existed.

Ye Qiu touched the center of his forehead.

A strange sense of melancholy welled up.

This Xie Zhongyuan seemed to be only thirteen years old.

Besides him, all the others who entered the secret realm probably weren’t much older.

Yet none of them had flinched.

They all died to protect the Novice Village and defend humanity.

In the end, they all perished here.

Collecting his thoughts…

Whoosh!

Ye Qiu began using the Harvesting Technique on the Ultimate Split Demon’s corpse.

[Ding! Congratulations, you’ve harvested 1 drop of Outer Demon Blood.]

[Ding! Congratulations, you’ve harvested…]

[Ding! Congratulations, you’ve harvested…]

...

In total, he harvested 9 drops of Outer Demon Blood.

The rest was just bones and such.

Ye Qiu checked the demon blood, wanting to understand what made it so irresistible to the village NPCs.

Heavenly Eye!

Information appeared:

[Outer Demon Blood (Split Demon): Born from an unknown realm, the blood of these demons contains a unique substance. Consuming 1 drop will permanently increase all base stats by 100 points.]

“This… this…” Ye Qiu was utterly stunned.

A permanent consumable!!!

And no usage limit!!!

To be honest, Ye Qiu was seriously tempted to keep it all for himself.

Right now, he had 9 drops of Outer Demon Blood in his hand!

If he drank them all, that would mean a 900-point boost to all his base stats!

That’s like gaining multiple levels instantly!

But…

In the end, he held himself back.

900 points was extremely enticing.

But at times like these, you have to be cautious!

This could be a test from the NPCs.

In his previous life, those NPCs often used rare treasures to tempt and test players.

Very few ever passed such trials. So, he stored the blood carefully.

Then closed his eyes, preparing to leave the secret realm.

—

Novice Village…

On the massive village square, all the NPCs had gathered.

At the center sat Elder Xu, cross-legged with a sword in his lap.

Before him was a Bagua chart. His fingers were flying rapidly, as if calculating something.

The surrounding NPCs watched tensely. Many had hopeless expressions, faces pale as ash. An ominous omen.

The outcome was already foretold.

Everything… Everything had been part of the Outer Demon’s scheme!

It had lured one human genius after another into the inner secret realm, pretending to be vulnerable. But in truth, those who entered became nothing more than food for the demon!

By devouring the blood of the prodigies, it grew stronger and stronger by the day!

“It’s already been a full day and night…” An old NPC, the eldest of them all, slowly walked toward the square with the help of several younger NPCs.

Though aged, his voice was clear and unwavering.

Everyone heard him loud and clear.

Silence fell.

Blacksmith Zhang Tie muttered, “Based on past experience, once someone stays in the inner realm longer than a day, they’re usually declared dead. And now, it’s been a full day and a night…”

The herbalist lady frowned, “What a load of crap. Just talk, talk, talk!”

Beside her stood a stunningly beautiful girl.

She tugged her mother’s hand and whispered, “Mom, that boy is from the Undying Clan. Even if he dies, he can come back.”

The apothecary glanced at her daughter, then sighed bitterly.

“The Undying Clan can only revive using ancient altars… but the inner secret realm isn’t actually part of the Novice Village. If he dies there, he really might be gone forever.”

“What?!” The girl was stunned, quickly covering her mouth.

The herbalist sighed again. “Even with ancient altars, the Undying Clan can still be killed. Just destroy their soul with a special method. Their body becomes a mindless shell, which is no different from death.”

The girl fell silent, staring blankly.

Just then, Elder Xu, who had been divining with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

Everyone rushed over.

“Hahaha…”

To their surprise, Elder Xu suddenly looked to the sky and laughed wildly, like he had gone mad!

“E-Elder Xu?” A nearby NPC jumped in alarm, calling out, but afraid to get too close.

Disturbing someone mid-divination was a serious taboo!

“What’s wrong with the village chief?”

“Maybe… he lost it…”

“Sigh… I said it before. That demon can’t be defeated. Only by opening the Heavenly Gate and summoning an ancient god can we survive!”

“Summoning an ancient god? Hah, ignorant fool! Many ancient gods are evil beyond belief!”

“Yeah, evil gods are even scarier than the demon!”

“Could it be… our human race is truly finished?!”

“Sigh, we should just live one more day while we can…”

The NPCs were consumed with despair.

Young ones cried. The elderly could barely stand. The herbalist’s daughter buried her face in her mother’s arms, quietly sobbing.

Despair was the most terrifying thing of all.

Then, Elder Xu suddenly stopped laughing. He stood up. Took a deep breath.

Then declared loudly, “The Outer Demon in the inner secret realm—” he paused, “…has no signs of life remaining!”

Silence.

A dead silence.

What?!!!

The demon in the inner realm… had no signs of life left?!

Blacksmith Zhang Tie froze, then looked completely shocked!

Anyone else, he might not believe.

But this was Elder Xu.

His words were absolute truth.

He alone still held ancient godly power!

Zhang Aguai, who was just about to prepare a farewell banquet for the fallen Undying “hero,” stopped in his tracks.

He was utterly shaken.

This news was beyond belief, utterly mind-boggling!

Anyone else saying it would just make people laugh, but Elder Xu said it.

The one who had mastered the divine arts of 3,000 paths!

Even the herbalist lady stared in shock, unable to speak for a long time.

Only her heavy breathing betrayed her inner turmoil.

That… that was an Outer Demon!

So many prodigies had entered to slay it over the years and not a single one had ever returned!

Yet its presence only grew stronger year after year.

Even the most faithful believers in Elder Xu felt dazed and disoriented now.

Before long, the entire square erupted!

“Village chief, are you going senile?!”

“I’m over 300 years old! Don’t mess with me like this!”

“I don’t believe it! That Undying kid was only Level 12!”

“He hadn’t even reached Level 15! How could he possibly beat the demon?!”

“Maybe it was mutual destruction?”

“No way! Level 12 trying to go out with a demon? Get real!”

“If even that wasn’t possible, then slaying the demon is pure fantasy!”

“It always was fantasy!”

“They sent genius after genius in, all for nothing!”

“The demon just grew stronger with every kill!”

“This is just a trick to calm the villagers!”

“No life signs doesn’t mean it’s dead! Stop treating us like fools!”

“Let’s just migrate already!”

“This village isn’t worth staying in!”

Doubt and outrage spread among the NPCs.

Until…

BZZZZZZ…

The space in the middle of the square rippled.

A figure slowly appeared, cloaked in a glowing hood, wearing a demonic suit of armor.

It was the Undying Clan youth who entered the inner realm!!!

He had come out alive!!!

How is that possible?!