Awakened Talent: 10,000 Exp Converter!

After upgrading the last Life Fruit to Life Essence, Vincent shifted his attention to Jiang Hao's group.

Although he had made the decision to save the girls in Xu Zheng's grasp, they were still witnesses to him killing Zhang Chen and crippling Xu Zheng.

There was no way that he could entirely trust them to keep this incident a secret.

His intuition screamed at him that witnesses were liabilities

Surprisingly, before Vincent could voice his concerns, Jiang Hao seemed to sense his intentions.

Therefore, without Vincent even speaking his mind, Jiang Hao stood in front of the two girls and spoke with a resolute expression.

"Senior, please be at ease. We are willing to take the Oath of Starmark."

The Oath of Starmark—an ancient binding contract that affected the soul itself.

Unlike the commonly used Contract of Starmark, which relied on mutual agreements enforced by external systems, the Oath was absolute and entirely unforgiving.

Failure to adhere to its terms resulted in immediate, often fatal punishment.

Death, if one was fortunate.

Vincent stood still, letting the silence hang in the air as he evaluated Jiang Hao's words.

He considered whether this young man was attempting some form of manipulation.

However, seeing the resolve in Jiang Hao's unwavering gaze, Vincent's doubt began to wane.

The boy's decisiveness was commendable—though it also revealed his understanding of the situation.

Jiang Hao knew that without this oath, Vincent would have little reason to spare their lives.

With a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, Vincent nodded subtly in approval.

After a while, they agreed that if they directly or indirectly told anyone about today's events, the Starmark System would destroy their origin cores.

It was equivalent to a death sentence for any origin warriors.

Jiang Hao's group exchanged glances and nodded before they started taking the oath.

A colorful light appeared on their foreheads as they began reciting their oaths with closed eyes.

Vincent watched silently.

His interest in knowing the entity behind the Starmark System deepened. But he set it aside—for now, it was useless to know the person behind the system as he was still just a Tier 1 Origin Warrior.

When Jiang Hao and his companions completed their oath, the colorful light dimmed and faded. It left behind glowing star-shaped marks deeply imprinted on their very soul.

"Senior, we have completed it," Jiang Hao announced, his voice steady yet laced with weariness. "Please, rest assured now."

Vincent simply gave an approving nod.

Across from them, Xu Zheng, who had been slumped against a tree, was slowly regaining clarity. As he pieced together what had just transpired, his body began to tremble uncontrollably. The sight of Jiang Hao and the others taking the Oath of Starmark snapped something deep within him.

"Hahaha!"

A chilling, broken laugh escaped his lips, escalating into an unhinged cackle that echoed eerily through the clearing.

His twisted grin widened as tears, drool, and even snot streamed messily down his disheveled face.

"There's no use taking that pathetic oath," Xu Zheng sneered, his voice a hoarse rasp.

"The moment you killed Zhang Chen, the sect was already notified of his death! Hahaha! Zhang Ku is probably already on his way here!"

He erupted into another fit of wild laughter, the sound grating against the silence.

"Haha. We're all going to die!"

Vincent narrowed his eyes, his expression barely shifting as he studied the broken man. Xu Zheng's erratic behavior wasn't enough to shake his composure, but the name Zhang Ku had caught his attention.

With a slight tilt of his head, Vincent's gaze turned toward Jiang Hao, wordlessly conveying his unspoken question.

Understanding the unvoiced inquiry, Jiang Hao's previously calm expression darkened.

"Senior," he began cautiously, "the Purple Moonlight Sect possesses Origin Lamps. These lamps are bound to individuals' life forces. If the lamp's fire extinguishes, it signifies their death…"

Vincent nodded subtly.

"And regarding Zhang Chen's grandfather—Zhang Ku—I'm not certain about that old man's claims."

"So it's possible?" Vincent asked.

"Yes, if Zhang Chen had a special treasure capable of transmitting his last moments before death."

After a beat, he spoke again, his voice firm and deliberate.

"Tell me everything you know about Zhang Ku."

Jiang Hao paused to recall all the information he knew about Zhang Ku.

"Zhang Ku is one of the Purple Moonlight Sect's elders. He is known to be among the strongest elders in the sect. It is also known that he awakened an A-rank Talent. The last time I saw him was during the Sects' Cross Tournament over a year ago. At that time, he was already a Tier 4 Origin Warrior."

Vincent's gaze sharpened.

"His relationship with Zhang Chen?"

"Close," Jiang Hao replied without hesitation.

"Zhang Ku dotes on Zhang Chen. It's no secret within the sect—his affection for his grandson is almost excessive."

"Anything else I should know?"

Jiang Hao frowned slightly.

"I apologize, Senior, but that's all the information I have about Zhang Ku."

Vincent gave a curt nod, a gesture of acknowledgment rather than dismissal.

The lack of insight into Zhang Ku's specific talent or abilities was unfortunate, but the information Jiang Hao provided was enough to form a rough estimate of what he might be facing.

His thoughts, however, were soon interrupted by the sound of Xu Zheng's continued laughter.

"Hahaha! You think you've won?!" Xu Zheng spat, his laughter teetering on hysteria. "You're already a dead man walking! When Zhang Ku arrives, you—"

Vincent cut him off with a single, icy glance.

"Maybe," he said evenly, his tone devoid of emotion. "But you won't live to witness it."

Without hesitation, Vincent snapped Xu Zheng's neck with a simple clench of his fist.

The twisted expression on Xu Zheng's face froze mid-laugh.

His lifeless body slumped to the ground, eyes wide and mouth agape as if the sound of his final mockery lingered in the air.

You have successfully killed Xu Zheng — Tier 2 (5★).

You have received +500 Experience Points!

You have recovered +200 Primal Energy!

Talent Activated!

+5,000,000 Experience Points!

Your Primal Energy is still full!

Without a word, Vincent collected Zhang Chen and Xu Zheng's belongings and stored them in his storage ring.

Just as he prepared to burn the corpses and erase any evidence of the battle, Jiang Hao and his junior sisters approached him cautiously.

Their expressions, though filled with gratitude, bore traces of awe and fear as they looked upon the man who had so easily dismantled their foes.

"Senior," Jiang Hao began, his tone respectful but firm, "we would like to extend our official thanks for saving us. My name is Jiang Hao, and these two are my junior sisters, Lu Mengmeng and Fu Xingxing."

Lu Mengmeng and Fu Xingxing bowed deeply in unison.

"Thank you for saving us!" they said earnestly.

"If there's ever a time you need assistance, please seek us out at the Mystic Light Sect," Jiang Hao continued, reaching into his robes and withdrawing a small, intricately carved token.

The emblem of their sect shimmered faintly in the light as he presented it to Vincent.

Vincent accepted the token without a word.

"We truly appreciate your kindness today, Senior," Jiang Hao said, bowing again.

"But we must take our leave now. May fortune favor you on your path. Farewell."

Without waiting for further response, Jiang Hao and the two girls departed, their figures disappearing into the forest's dense foliage.

Saving them hadn't been a big deal.

Since he had already offended Zhang Chen's group, he was not the type to show mercy to his enemies. Hence, everything had gone according to his plan.

Vincent watched them for a moment before turning back to the gruesome task at hand.

He incinerated the corpses of Zhang Chen and Xu Zheng with quick precision, the fire leaving no trace behind.

He then ventured deep into the Mad Ape Mountain Forest.

Purple Moonlight Sect.

Far away, within the inner sanctum of the Purple Moonlight Sect, a gray-haired, middle-aged man sat in meditation.

His sharp brows furrowed slightly as he maintained his composure, his dark purple martial robes billowing slightly despite the stillness of the dimly lit room.

His meditation was interrupted by a faint sound at the door. The elder's sharp eyes snapped open as an unmistakable voice rang out.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Pardon my intrusion, Elder Zhang, but I have urgent news to report."

Zhang Ku's brows twitched in irritation, but he responded coolly.

"Enter."

The door slid open, revealing a man dressed in plain light-purple martial robes. He stepped forward hesitantly, clearly nervous under the intense scrutiny of the elder's gaze.

"What is it?" Zhang Ku demanded.

"Speak. What could be so urgent as to disturb my cultivation?"

The man gulped audibly, his posture stiff with unease.

"Y-Yes, Elder Zhang," he stammered. "I-It concerns your grandson, Zhang Chen…" Find your next read on empire

A flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Ku's features, though his tone remained even.

"What of him? Has he caused trouble again?"

"N-No," the man said shakily, pausing as though unsure how to proceed.

"I… I regret to inform you that… Young Master Zhang Chen's origin lamp… its light has gone out."

The room fell deathly silent.

"What did you just say?" Zhang Ku asked, his voice low and dangerous.

The man clenched his fists nervously as he repeated, "Young Master Zhang Chen's lamp… has gone out…"

Suddenly, a suffocating pressure filled the room. The man fell to his knees, gasping for breath under the weight of Zhang Ku's fury.