Inside the arena.
Ren Shitou gasped for air, his lungs like a worn-out bellows, each breath carrying the sweet, metallic tang of blood.
The deep, bone-visible knife wound on his chest seemed to split him in two.
Across from him, the Butcher was in an even worse state.
His knife-wielding arm was twisted at a grotesque angle… but in his cloudy eyes, a bestial ferocity still burned.
Both were gathering their last reserves of strength, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to the other.
High above, in the shadow of a steel beam.
Jueying had already determined this was the optimal moment.
A perfect time to kill two birds with one stone.
He could eliminate the traitor, the Butcher, and simultaneously test the true limits of Ren Shitou, the King of Destiny.
His body subtly lowered, like a cheetah about to pounce, muscles tensed to their extreme.
However.
A figure suddenly emerged from the chaotic crowd beneath the stage.
It was a Fat Man.
Chi Baobao.
He walked slowly, his face no longer bearing the simple-minded weakness and fear from before.
Instead, there was a strange, almost obsessive, intoxicated smile.
He extended his tongue, lightly licking the corner of his mouth, as if savoring some peerless delicacy, murmuring in a voice only he could hear:
"This is the taste..."
His appearance plunged the entire arena into an eerie silence.
All eyes were fixed on this strange Fat Man.
The heavily wounded Ren Shitou and the Butcher were stunned.
Even Jueying, who was about to act, paused, his brows tightly furrowed.
What did this Fat Man want?
Chi Baobao ignored everyone.
His gaze was fixed on the disarmed, disheveled Butcher.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"Savage cooking methods, crude ingredient preparation, it's simply a waste of natural resources."
His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached the Butcher's ears.
The Butcher trembled all over!
A fear originating from the depths of his soul instantly seized his heart!
He had seen countless kinds of gazes—fierce, cruel, greedy… but he had never seen a gaze like this!
The Fat Man before him was not looking at an enemy, an opponent.
He was looking at… a piece of meat on a cutting board!
Just like he himself looked at the pigs and sheep about to be slaughtered!
"You… what the hell do you want?!"
The Butcher roared, feigning bravery.
Chi Baobao did not reply.
He merely grinned, revealing an incredibly brilliant smile.
The next second.
He moved!
Boom!
His corpulent body, at this moment, erupted with terrifying speed completely unsuited to his size!
The air shrieked as it was torn apart!
He now held a set of gleaming silver kitchen utensils in his hands!
They weren't weapons!
They were a boning knife, a carving knife, and even… a set of Western-style dining knife and fork!
Faced with this bizarre scene, the Butcher subconsciously swung his other good hand, attempting to resist.
However, all was futile.
Chi Baobao's movements carried a chilling 'professionalism'.
His knife work wasn't for killing, but for… 'processing ingredients'!
Like a master butcher carving an ox!
Knife glints flashed, precisely avoiding all bones, following the muscle fibers, in the most elegant and efficient manner, instantly dismembering all of the Butcher's ability to resist!
The Butcher's proud [Gluttony System], in front of Chi Baobao, was like a street vendor encountering a god of cuisine ruling the world!
Completely, overwhelmingly… dimensionally crushed!
"No!!!"
In the Butcher's terrified, distorted gaze, Chi Baobao stopped his movements.
He used a dining fork, slowly and methodically, from the Butcher's body… Boom—!
The moment the meat entered his mouth.
Chi Baobao's Fat Man body trembled violently, and in his eyes, it seemed as if universes were being born and dying, and galaxies were spiraling backward!
A massive, unimaginable power erupted within him!
His aura began to surge wildly at a visible rate!
"So… this is true gourmet food…"
After devouring the Butcher's energy, Chi Baobao's power rating instantly soared from the unremarkable "White," directly breaking through the "Purple" barrier… He slowly turned around.
His greedy eyes looked at the only other person remaining in the arena.
Ren Shitou.
In Chi Baobao's eyes, this blood-soaked man was no longer a person.
He was a… top-tier "main course"—of higher quality, better taste, and more immense energy than the "appetizer" from before!
Ren Shitou felt his scalp explode!
He looked at the Fat Man before him, now finding him ten times more terrifying than the Butcher!
A fatal sense of crisis enveloped his entire body!
He forcibly squeezed out strength, adopting a defensive stance.
However, he knew he couldn't block it.
Absolutely couldn't block it!
Just at this critical moment!
A black lightning bolt descended from the sky!
Jueying had made his move!
He could not stand by and watch Ren Shitou, this important chess piece, die at the hands of such an inexplicable monster!
The short blade in his hand, carrying a chilling light that seemed to tear through everything, silently pierced towards Chi Baobao's vital spot in the back of his heart!
Pfft!
The fatal attack instantly jolted Chi Baobao, who was still immersed in the aftertaste of his "gourmet meal," awake!
He narrowly avoided his heart, but a bone-deep wound was still cut into his back!
The intense pain caused much of the all-consuming madness in his eyes to recede.
He stared blankly at the wary Jueying and Ren Shitou, then looked down at the Butcher's remains on the ground.
He seemed to… finally realize what he had done.
"Ah!"
Chi Baobao's face instantly contorted in terror, he clutched his head with both hands, his Fat Man body painfully collapsing to the ground, letting out heart-wrenching wails.
"I… I just… I couldn't control myself!"
"It wasn't me! That wasn't me! I didn't do it on purpose…"
Jueying watched this scene, his brows tightly furrowed.
He did not make another move.
The mission target, the Butcher, was dead, and Ren Shitou was still alive.
As for this Chi Baobao… this suddenly appearing "monster" had completely exceeded the scope of his mission and his understanding.
This matter needed to be reported back!
He merely spoke coldly to Chi Baobao, who was kneeling on the ground.
"About this matter, when we return to Tianming Pavilion, you will have a chance to explain."
With that said, he no longer lingered, his figure flashed, he helped up the heavily wounded Ren Shitou, and quickly disappeared into the shadows.
On the vast arena.
Only Chi Baobao remained, kneeling beside the Butcher's remains.
Around him, there was a dead silent crowd, and countless pairs of terrified eyes.
He slowly raised his head.
The expression of fear and innocence on his face receded like a tide.
In its place was a lingering intoxication, and a deep craving for the next "meal"… A brand new "Scavenger" that fed on Tianming Zhe (Fated Ones).
Was born… At the same time.
In the meeting room of Tianming Pavilion.
The "Master" and "Heavenly Secret" watched the screen expressionlessly.
When they saw what Chi Baobao had done, even these two cunning old foxes instantly turned ashen… A monster even more terrifying than the Butcher!
Had been born right under their noses!
...Lu Family Manor, study.
Lu Cheng finished watching the entire "live broadcast," stretched contentedly, and casually turned off the screen in front of him.
He picked up the slightly cool coffee on the table and took a small sip.
"Not bad."
"The ingredients were handled very cleanly, and the table manners were excellent."
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze seemingly piercing through endless space, landing on the chessboard named Tianming Pavilion.