My Infinite Cultivation System-Chapter 116: Killing outside the safe zone

Alex vanished from beneath the vitality tree and reappeared several kilometers away, his figure dissolving into the cold air before reforming atop a jagged ridge overlooking a vast stretch of frozen terrain.

He intended to search for his next target immediately, since hunting powerful participants would allow him to accumulate points and reputation faster. However, as he prepared to move, a thought surfaced in his mind, and he paused.

Right now, he had a bounty on his head. His name had already spread across the safe zones and the battlefield. Participants were hunting him. Others were tracking his movements. Many were waiting for an opportunity to strike.

If that was the case, then searching for them would be inefficient.

They would come to him.

Alex’s eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed the situation. The safe zones were gathering points for information exchange. Participants frequently moved in and out. Rumors spread rapidly there. If he appeared near it and openly revealed himself, the news would travel instantly. Everyone who wanted his bounty would converge on his location.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

He made his decision.

Alex activated teleportation. Space folded silently around him. The frozen ridge dissolved, and in the next instant he appeared on the outskirts of one of the safe zone of the trial ground. The barrier of the safe zone shimmered faintly in the distance, a transparent dome that protected those inside from direct conflict. Outside the barrier, however, the rules did not apply.

Alex landed on a flat stretch of ground roughly two hundred meters from the safe zone boundary. Snow drifted lazily around him. Participants inside the barrier noticed his sudden appearance almost immediately. Several people turned their heads. Others recognized the silver hair and sapphire eyes.

Before anyone could react, Alex inhaled deeply.

Then he released a roar that carried across the entire region.

"I am waiting for you suckers to come after me. If you are too afraid to approach me, you can at least come here and lick my toes."

His voice thundered outward, amplified by controlled energy. The sound rolled across the frozen plains, echoing through valleys and ridges. The announcement reached not only the safe zone, but also everyone within a hundred kilometer radius.

After declaring this, Alex calmly sat down cross legged on the snow. He placed Ember carefully on his lap, then closed his eyes. His posture relaxed as though he were meditating in a peaceful garden instead of provoking thousands of killers.

The reaction was immediate.

Inside the safe zone, participants stared in disbelief. Murmurs spread like wildfire. Some laughed nervously. Others frowned in confusion. Many simply thought he had lost his mind.

"What is he doing? Has that boy gone crazy from being hunted?" someone muttered.

"He is openly provoking everyone. Does he want to die?" another whispered.

Jaros and his group were also present inside the safe zone at that moment. They had been resting after recent battles when Alex’s voice reached them. They turned toward the barrier and saw him sitting outside calmly, as if the surrounding danger meant nothing.

Jaros’s expression changed instantly.

"Damn it. What is wrong with him?" he muttered anxiously.

He clenched his fist and stepped forward. "I am going to talk some sense into him."

Before he could move, Seraphina raised her hand and stopped him. Her gaze swept across the safe zone, and her expression grew serious.

Jaros followed her line of sight. He immediately understood why she had stopped him.

The atmosphere inside the safe zone had changed. Participants who had been resting were now standing. Eyes sharpened. Killing intent surfaced openly. Many individuals began walking toward the barrier. Others prepared weapons. Some activated defensive artifacts. Their hesitation remained, but greed had already begun to overpower caution.

They knew Alex had defeated a top ranked participant. They knew he had reached rank twenty two. They also knew that killing him would grant enormous rewards.

However, fear still restrained them. Alex had demonstrated overwhelming strength, and no one wanted to be the first to attack.

At that moment, a figure stepped forward.

Theo, Valerius’s right hand man, walked to the front of the crowd. His voice rang clearly across the safe zone.

"If anyone kills him, you will instantly reach rank twenty two. Killing someone this famous will also grant massive reputation points. Not only that, Valerius himself is offering five hundred thousand points as a reward."

The announcement spread instantly. The hesitation that remained in the crowd shattered.

Greed ignited.

Participants surged toward the barrier. Some leaped forward. Others activated movement techniques. Many charged simultaneously, their bodies bursting with energy.

Boom.

Thousands of figures shot toward Alex like bullets.

Alex slowly opened his eyes.

This was exactly what he had been waiting for.

A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

"Let me show you how Doctor Strange uses his power," he murmured.

His mental domain expanded instantly. Space within several kilometers fell under his control. Every movement, every aura, every trajectory became visible to him. He counted them calmly.

There were exactly three thousand two hundred forty five candidates charging toward him.

Many possessed extraordinary speed. They were already closing in. Their bodies blurred as they attempted to overwhelm him through numbers.

Alex raised his hand slightly.

Space distorted.

Portals appeared suddenly in front of the fastest participants. Because they were charging at full speed, they could not stop in time. One after another, they plunged into the portals without realizing what had happened.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

They emerged from corresponding portals positioned directly in the paths of other charging participants. Collisions erupted instantly. Bodies slammed into each other. Momentum transferred violently. Dozens were knocked down. Others stumbled. The formation collapsed into chaos.

The battlefield became disorderly within seconds.

Jaros burst into laughter inside the safe zone. "Excellent use of his talent."

However, Alex had not finished.

"Welcome to my reality," he muttered quietly.

He activated the copied minor reality manipulation talent. Space warped again. The surrounding environment fractured like glass. The sky twisted. The ground folded. A mirror dimension formed, enclosing everyone within its boundaries.

The battlefield transformed into a distorted reflection of the original terrain. Angles bent unnaturally. Distance lost meaning. Gravity fluctuated. Participants attempted to activate talents, but Alex’s absolute domain suppressed them continuously. Space manipulation redirected attacks. Reality manipulation distorted trajectories. Many abilities failed before they could manifest.

Panic spread rapidly.

They realized they had become trapped.

Alex stood at the center of the distorted world, holding Ember calmly. To him, everyone else appeared like prey struggling inside a cage.

He swept his gaze across them.

Many participants fell to their knees. Others attempted to flee, only to find themselves running in circles due to warped space. Several tried to beg immediately.

Alex’s eyes eventually settled on Theo, who had not left the safe zone barrier. Theo’s face had turned pale. His body trembled as he realized what he had caused.

Outside, the trapped participants began shouting.

"Please forgive us, sir. We were blinded by greed."

"We will never chase you again."

"Spare us."

Their voices overlapped, filled with terror. They had finally understood the gap between them. Alex’s presence felt more oppressive than Valerius or Sofia. He was not merely strong. He controlled the battlefield itself.

Alex shook his head slightly.

"Too late."

He raised his hand.

"Die."

Reality compressed.

In the next instant, three thousand two hundred forty five participants exploded simultaneously. Their bodies burst into blood mist. The mirror dimension filled with crimson vapor that drifted silently before dissipating.

Alex activated Soul Snatcher.

Dark energy surged outward and devoured the scattered souls. Streams of spiritual essence flowed into him continuously. His soul absorbed them rapidly. Power accumulated. Pressure built inside his consciousness.

Then something snapped.

A shackle within his soul shattered. His spiritual strength surged beyond its previous limits. His perception expanded. The world felt clearer. His soul had transcended to a new level.

Alex exhaled slowly.

He understood immediately.

His soul strength had reached planetary level.

System notifications appeared.

[You have killed 3245 candidates. You gained 10,000,000 points.]

[You have gained 3000 reputation points.]