What the hell is the "kill line" when you're in America?

Li Ang looked at Mike, at the smile on his face that was a mixture of hope and exhaustion, and said nothing more.

nice guy?

That's not exactly a compliment.

Damn it, this godforsaken place is even harder to survive in than the world of cultivation.

Li Ang cursed inwardly.

In the world of cultivation, enemies will at least openly tell you that they want your life.

Here, the enemy will praise you and commend your hard work, then wait for you to die from exhaustion, or for other crabs to pull you out of the bucket and devour your corpse.

"Your Chinese friend, does he also live around here?" Li Ang asked casually.

"Yes, Alex, he's a really good student." Mike's face lit up again when he mentioned his friend. "He's a few years older than me and studied at the University of Washington. If he hadn't taken me in, I'd probably still be sleeping under a bridge."

"He's a good person, just like you, only he talks a lot."

"By the way, Li, I'm moving to a new apartment soon. Come visit me then!"

Li Ang nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

He watched Mike throw himself back into training with a new group, his relentless drive to exhaust himself reminded him of when he first embarked on his path to immortality.

We are both helpless and alone, and we can only rely on ourselves.

The difference is that he has a system and profound memories, while Mike only has a body that is about to collapse and a heart full of passion.

"Let's go." Li Ang patted Mike on the shoulder.

"Are you leaving already? Aren't you going to practice a little longer?" Mike asked breathlessly.

"Something came up."

Li Ang didn't offer any further explanation and turned to leave the gym.

Instead of returning to his apartment, he went into a 24-hour convenience store across from the gym.

He needs strength.

In this damned place, strength is the only thing you can rely on.

Kindness, hard work, wisdom, hope?

These things are worthless in the face of absolute violence and ruthless rules.

Li Ang leaned against the window of the convenience store, watching the occasional vehicles passing by on the street outside, and opened the system panel.

[Host: Li Ang]

[Attributes: Spirit 21, Constitution 15, Strength 15, Agility 15]

[Skill: Photographic Memory]

[Freely Allocable Attribute Points: 0]

[Magic Points: 145]

His gaze fell on the gray redemption list.

【Immortal Techniques Without a Trace (Beginner): Consumes 1000 Magic Points to awaken your faint perception of spiritual energy. There is a very low probability that you can sense residual spiritual energy in specific environments.】

[Eloquent Tongue (Beginner): Consumes 400 Magic Points. Your words will become more persuasive and deceptive.]

【Martial Arts Profound (Beginner): Consumes 150 Magic Points to solidify some of your combat instincts into physical memory, slightly improving your fighting skills】

......

The lack of any magical means was his only hope of returning to the path of immortality, but the 1,000 demonic points seemed a distant prospect.

What he needs most right now is something that can be immediately converted into combat power.

His gaze finally settled on "Martial Arts Profound Truth".

Five magic points are needed.

Li Ang looked at the system panel, his brows furrowing slightly.

He remembered the mission the system had issued to save Mike.

[Mission: Pure Lotus in a Turbid World]

Mission objective: Rescue Mike Williams

[Task Rewards: +5 free attribute points, +100 mana points]

Saving Mike will not only earn him 100 magic points, but will also allow him to meet the requirements for exchanging for "Martial Arts Profoundness".

This is a task that must be completed.

But how can we save it?

The system says he has been "abandoned by his own kind," and this "own kind" likely refers to the Black people who, like him, live in poverty.

Is it because he worked too hard and wanted to climb too high that he seemed out of place, was eventually ostracized, and even regarded as a traitor?

The logic is strange, but in this context, it seems perfectly reasonable.

When everyone around you is content to wallow in the mud, your desperate attempt to climb out is itself an offense.

It will constantly remind others just how much of a failure they are living.

Therefore, they will try every means to pull you down and make you become like them.

He couldn't just run up to Mike and say, "Hey, you're about to get killed, let me protect you."

That would just make you look like a madman.

[Martial Arts Profound Understanding (Beginner): Consumes 150 Magic Points...]

[Magic Points: 145]

Five o'clock.

It's only five points away.

Looking at the list of tasks that were not yet completed.

[Task Issued: The Feast of the Demonic Path (Incomplete)]

[Mission Objective: Expose the true nature of several demonic cultivators]

If he were to expose those monks now, only death awaits him...

Save Mike?

[Task Rewards: +5 free attribute points, +100 mana points]

One hundred magic points are enough for him to exchange for skills and still have some left over.

But this task requires waiting.

Waiting for that moment when "it will soon perish" to arrive.

But what exactly is "not long ago"?

Li Ang is not someone who likes to place his hopes on others or on vague "opportunities".

Rather than waiting, he decided to take the initiative.

He needs a goal.

A "magic cultivator" who can provide him with at least five magic points.

A damned sacrifice that allowed him to complete this final step.

Just like a hundred years ago when Li Ang was searching for traces of demonic beasts on the snowy plains of Beiju Luzhou.

He had no specific destination and wandered around the city aimlessly.

After his mental strength increased to 21 points, his five senses became exceptionally sharp.

Across the street, he could hear the drunkard's incoherent curses and the clatter of glass bottles shattering.

His "spiritual vision" allowed him to clearly depict the state of life in this area.

Figures marked with "endangered" or "low risk" signs wandered the streets.

They are the nourishment of this city, the reserve "assets" under that set of cold rules.

Li Ang had no interest in them.

He was looking for a predator, not a prey.

He needs a "demonic cultivator" who is committing evil deeds.

Only in this way will the system's "execution" be triggered, allowing him to obtain that crucial magic point.

He walked through alleyways, where graffiti distorted into grotesque faces under the dim lights.

He saw a emaciated man inserting a needle into his withered arm. The man's head was marked "critically ill," but the system did not react at all.

This is self-destruction, not plundering others, and it does not lead to the "evil path".

Li Ang continued walking forward.

He passed a 24-hour pawn shop, where a haggard-looking woman was holding a ring and arguing with the bloated shop owner behind the counter.

For women, the "cutting line" is "endangered," while for shop owners it's "high."

The shop owner, with a professional fake smile on his face, pushed the ring back with his gloved fingers, muttering nonsense like "market price" and "insufficient quality".

The woman eventually gave in, leaving dejectedly with a few crumpled banknotes in her hand.

The shop owner picked up the ring and admired it under the light.

This is plunder, but the methods are too "civilized," wrapped in the sugar-coated rules of business.

The system is still not responding.

The system is still not responding.

Li Ang's brows furrowed more and more tightly.

He realized that he had underestimated the "demonic ways" of this world.

In the world of cultivation, it's simple, direct, and perfectly natural for demonic cultivators to kill and plunder.

Here, the real "demons" are dressed in respectable clothes, speak elegant words, and use a set of seemingly fair rules to devour their prey until nothing is left.

Those street thugs carrying knives and guns were relegated to the lowest rungs, the most insignificant and low-class characters.

Do we really have to wait until Mike gets into an accident?