The rescue was unexpectedly efficient. Before Li Cunxu even boarded the wolf-skin hot air balloon to the flare's location, a rescue team had already found them and escorted them all the way out.

On the way back, they saw the entrance to the secret realm's rift. Rescue teams, in droves, headed towards the secret realm. The evil beasts they encountered were crushed to dust before this massive team.

Li Cunxu was somewhat puzzled. The rescue was indeed too efficient. If he hadn't witnessed the alliance's rescue speed in the game, he might have thought such rapid rescue speed was a given.

The alliance's rescue speed was not slow, but it wasn't this fast either. Originally, he expected a rescue to take three to four days. Judging by the fierce posture of the rescue team, they might need less than half a day to rescue everyone inside the secret realm.

As Li Cunxu predicted, everyone inside the secret realm was rescued within half a day.

The mayor personally came to the scene and asked, "Has everyone been rescued?"

The rescue leader reported, "All those alive have been rescued. This Celestial Sweeping Comet event involved a thousand people, and we rescued eight hundred seventy-four people."

The mayor frowned, somewhat displeased. How come, having used the Blessing spell, still one hundred twenty-six people died?

The cost of using the Blessing spell is not ordinary, sacrificing ten years of a king's luck. This king can't do anything in ten years but stay at home to safely pass the misfortune period. Otherwise, facing enemies outside comes with a great risk of falling.

Once, a king became an evident example. Losing ten years of luck, unable to stay idle at home, he ventured out traveling and mountain climbing, only to encounter the Evil Divine Son on the way down the mountain and fought a battle.

Originally, there was a chance to escape, but at the best moment to run, an old ailment relapsed, and he couldn't escape, ultimately dying.

Afterward, kings who used the Blessing spell honestly stayed in the alliance's arranged luck protection zone.

The mayor was quite unhappy, so many people died. He wanted to present a perfect record to the citizens to add some flair to his tenure history and increase his chances of reelection.

"How come so many people died?"

"There was an Evil Scythe Scarecrow in the secret realm."

The mayor suddenly realized, oh, that thing was there! No wonder.

The Evil Scythe Scarecrow has the attribute of misfortune, ignoring the Blessing spell.

"Wait, if there's an Evil Scythe Scarecrow, the death toll is likely more than that!"

Once tasting the sweetness of eating human memories and becoming smarter, the Evil Scythe Scarecrow would uncontrollably hunt humans and absorb more human memories until it evolved into a horrifying scarecrow, and it would stop this behavior.

The rescue leader said, "Someone used the weak point of the Evil Scythe Scarecrow not being able to attack high altitudes to restrain it."

The mayor said, "Who is it? They deserve praise and a reward."

...

At night, the Golden Beastmaster who killed the Evil Scythe Scarecrow finished inventorying the spoils, with an unsure expression.

The material dropped by the Evil Scythe Scarecrow, [Evil Scythe Scarecrow's Shell], was an empty shell.

"There's only one situation where an empty shell appears: the Evil Scythe Scarecrow used a life-parasitic straw. If the life-parasitic straw parasitizes those rescued, it will cause great trouble, no, I must report it immediately."

The Golden Beastmaster stood up, his hand on the doorknob. As he was about to turn it, he hesitated.

"I recently applied for the Flying Heaven Rescue Organization's 'Lord Support Plan.' If at this moment such a big mistake of letting the Evil Scythe Scarecrow escape is exposed, the Lord Support Plan will definitely fail. No, this is absolutely not okay. The Lord Support Plan is crucial for my breakthrough to the Lord-tier Beastmaster. If I miss this chance, I won't have the opportunity to break through to the Lord-tier in this lifetime due to my qualifications."

The Lord Support Plan is a reward for outstanding contributors within the Flying Heaven Rescue Organization, lending resources to break through from Gold to Lord-tier which the Beastmaster can pay back after becoming a Lord-tier.

After hesitating for a long time, the Golden Beastmaster sat back on the sofa and comforted himself.

"There are many Evil Scythe Scarecrows disguised as humans. One more, one less, doesn't matter."

"I hope the human parasitized by the Evil Scythe Scarecrow is exposed later, not before my resources are in hand."

"If the Evil Scythe Scarecrow is exposed, then what? Let me think. No one can prove that it was me who let that Evil Scythe Scarecrow escape. As long as I refuse to admit, who can do anything to me."

"The Honest Beast at the police station is a problem. I need to get something from the black market to block the abilities of Honest Beast."

...

In the taxi home, Li Cunxu was stunned.

The life-parasitic straw was killed by the curse inside him, or more accurately, played to death by the curse.

The Blood Infant Spirit made the life-parasitic straw produce a blood-colored little baby life-parasitic straw, which also had parasitic and absorbing capabilities. The blood-colored life-parasitic straw parasitized the original life-parasitic straw and absorbed its power.

The Golden Dragon Curse consumed the last bit of the Red Dragon Curse, ushering in an epic enhancement, though it remained inferior in front of the Blood Infant Spirit and Peach Blossom Tribulation Spirit curses.

The Golden Dragon Curse turned the Evil Scythe Scarecrow's consciousness within the life-parasitic straw dragon-proud. The arrogant life-parasitic straw refused to absorb Li Cunxu's power and memories, considering them too lowly and unworthy of its stature.

It deemed the mayor of Tongdu a suitable target for parasitic absorption.

Before the Peach Blossom Tribulation Spirit could exert its power, the life-parasitic straw was sucked dry by the Blood Infant Spirit-produced baby version of the life-parasitic straw.

Upon the death of the life-parasitic straw, the blood-colored life-parasitic straw also died.

The rule of the Blood Infant Curse dictates that when the mother body dies, the blood infant follows suit.

After the life-parasitic straw died, its foundation spread within Li Cunxu's body.

Li Cunxu could feel his physique slowly strengthening by absorbing the life-parasitic straw's foundation.

Good thing?

No, it's not a good thing.

The power of the Evil Scythe Scarecrow had been tainted by the Ten Thousand Tribulations Evil God; absorbing this power would also lead to being tainted.

But decisions of whether to absorb it or not were not Li Cunxu's to make; his body would absorb it on its own.

Just like poison, once swallowed, telling your body not to digest it ensuring your body will comply without digesting or absorbing is impossible.

Exiting the taxi and closing the door, Li Cunxu, in a daze, heard a seductive whisper.

"Don't pay the fare, rob him. A lousy driver dares to ask me for the fare, who does he think he is?"

Li Cunxu shook his head and glanced at the grass by the roadside.

"Bury the driver, and the flowers and grass will flourish there next year."

Li Cunxu diverted his gaze and lowered his head.

"Don't kill, puncture the tire! Puncturing tires must be fun."

Li Cunxu, without money or phone, returned to the barn cabin, fetched money, and paid the driver.

Turning around, he saw the gear turning on the corner of the Mechanical Annihilation Hunter's eye, and malicious thoughts in Li Cunxu's heart surfaced again.

"Pull out its gear, it must be fun."

Li Cunxu immediately washed his face with water, using the cold to sober up.

"Is this the corruption of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Evil God? How terrifying, no wonder so many people fail to resist corruption and fall into becoming Evil God cultists."

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