C112 Big Expense.

"No good—I must seize a chance to regain my strength, or it won't be long before I'm devoured by them!"

Seizing the moment, Ning Qi unleashed a fierce slash with his blade and a simultaneous palm strike, carving out a path for himself. He brandished the Dragon Slaying Blade, fending off the encircling Plague Dragon Rats as he broke free from their siege. The Plague Dragon Rats screeched piercingly and gave chase. Every so often, Plague Dragon Rats lurking on either side of the walls attempted to ambush Ning Qi, but he dispatched them with swift palm strikes or decisive blade swings.

Before long, a swarm of at least a thousand Plague Dragon Rats had amassed behind Ning Qi, creating a scene of epic proportions.

When a fork in the road emerged ahead, Ning Qi unhesitatingly chose the path to the right.

He continued to fend off the Plague Dragon Rats. After the time it would take to brew a cup of tea, Ning Qi spotted his chance. There was a recess ahead that could serve as a refuge. If he could just duck inside and use the Dragon Devourer Hellfire to deter them, he could buy himself at least half the time it took to brew a cup of tea. That would be enough time for Ning Qi to dash to the Dragon Slaying Shop and purchase some pills to restore his Battle Power and stamina.

In a swift motion, Ning Qi deftly ducked into the recess, releasing bursts of Dragon Devourer Hellfire in all directions. The Plague Dragon Rats that had been eager to squeeze in and tear at Ning Qi halted abruptly. But with too many pressing from behind, they were shoved forward, and the unfortunate few at the front were pushed right into the inferno, incinerated by the Dragon Devourer Hellfire without a hair left.

Ning Qi immediately diverted half his attention to the Dragon Slaying Shop.

His Dragon Slaying Coin balance stood at 4870, indicating he had slain at least 370 Plague Dragon Rats. Now, he was less than 10,000 experience points shy of reaching the rank of Seven Star Grand Battle Master.

"I need to make a beeline for the recovery section and get some medicinal pills, fast!"

The vast array of goods in the shop left Ning Qi's head spinning. After much searching, he finally located the very pills he needed most at that moment.

"Low-grade Yellow Rank Qi Returning Pill, available for just 1 Dragon Slaying Coin. Consuming one pill grants a martial artist the Battle Power of a four-star Dou Zhe. (This is based on the average fighter. Martial artists with exceptional talents will experience a much greater increase in Battle Power compared to their peers.)"

It became clear that Ning Qi had to purchase a Middle-grade Profound Rank Qi Returning Pill to meet his needs. Upon seeing the price, he couldn't help but explode with anger, "System, your greed knows no bounds! A Middle-grade Profound Rank Qi Returning Pill for 50 Dragon Slaying Coins?"

"Hand over ten of them!"

Despite his frustration, Ning Qi resolutely bought ten Qi Returning Pills. He was determined to recoup these expenses from those Plague Dragon Rats. With 500 Dragon Slaying Coins subtracted, Ning Qi's spatial bag now contained ten Middle-grade Profound Rank Qi Returning Pills. He took one immediately and felt his power surge back to its peak in an instant!

Ning Qi's confidence was restored, but his physical fatigue lingered. It looked like he would need to purchase some additional medicinal pills.

"Low-grade Yellow Rank Resurrection Pill, priced at 5 Dragon Slaying Coins. It doubles a martial artist's physical strength recovery rate for 12 hours!"

"Supreme Yellow Rank Resurrection Pill goes for 90 Dragon Slaying Coins. It boosts a martial artist's physical strength recovery rate by tenfold for 12 hours!"

"I'll start with one Supreme Yellow Rank Resurrection Pill."

Ning Qi reluctantly parted with his coins.

The moment he took the pill, he could feel his strength rapidly returning. From his original 4,870 Dragon Slaying Coins, only 4,280 remained.

Ning Qi was about to exit the Dragon Slaying Shop when a section for special items caught his eye. Recalling that certain Battle Weapons could neutralize poison, he eagerly clicked to explore further.

To his dismay, even the least effective Poison Dispelling Pill cost 500 Dragon Slaying Coins. Considering that slaying a single Plague Dragon Rat only netted him 1 Dragon Slaying Coin, and he had already invested 590, he decided against the purchase. Exiting the Dragon Slaying Shop, Ning Qi looked at the horde of Plague Dragon Rats with a cold sneer. They were eager to rip him to shreds and devour him. With a thunderous roar, he brandished his blade and charged into battle!

In no time at all, the system's notification chimed in once more.

"Host, congratulations on your successful advancement to a Seven-Star Grand Battle Master!"

The notifications were incessant as Ning Qi cut down Plague Dragon Rat after Plague Dragon Rat. Half a day into the battle, he was pushed deeper into the cave, where he discovered the Plague Dragon Rats had evolved from low Third Rank to middle Third Rank, growing even larger in size.

"Host, congratulations on slaying a Third Rank Mid-grade Demon Beast, the 'Plague Dragon Rat', and earning 800 experience points."

"Host, congratulations on earning 1.5 Dragon Slaying Coins!"

Indeed! A Mid Third Rank Plague Dragon Rat yielded 0.5 more Dragon Slaying Coins than its lower-ranked counterpart! Ning Qi's heart surged with elation.

"Kill!"

He showed no mercy, relentlessly slaying the oncoming Plague Dragon Rats with his blade, reducing them to ashes with the Dragon Devourer Hellfire.

Eventually, Ning Qi was seeing red, his blade never ceasing. He couldn't count the number of Plague Dragon Rats he had dispatched, but inevitably, he sustained an injury from one of the creatures.

"Host, you've been afflicted with plague poison. Please administer an antidote promptly, or your HP will decrease by 50 points every second!"

The system's alert rang out.

At this rate, Ning Qi's HP would be exhausted within minutes, leading to his demise. Without hesitation, Ning Qi took out the last of his High-grade Earth Rank Revival Pills and popped several into his mouth as a precaution. Simultaneously, he scoured the Dragon Slaying Shop for a detoxification pill.

Time was of the essence, so he made a quick decision. Spotting a Middle-grade Profound Rank detoxification pill for 20 Dragon Slaying Coins, he purchased and consumed it immediately.

"Detoxification successful."

Relief washed over Ning Qi as he heard the system's confirmation. He steeled himself to avoid further injury from the Plague Dragon Rats; after all, a detoxification pill costing 20 Dragon Slaying Coins was no small expense.

Ning Qi lost track of time, but he was acutely aware that after depleting ten Middle-grade Profound Rank Qi Returning Pills, he had ascended two levels, achieving the rank of a Nine-Star Grand Battle Master.

With his rapid progression, even the most talented individuals couldn't hold a candle to him!

At that moment, his Dragon Slaying Coin balance stood at 5,326.5.

As his cultivation deepened, he effortlessly dealt with the swarms of frenzied Plague Dragon Rats. He purchased three Middle-grade Profound Rank Qi Returning Pills and one Supreme Yellow Rank Resurrection Pill for any unforeseen emergencies.

One month later.

Ning Qi exuded the aura of a Peak Grand Battle Master. Clutching the Dragon Slaying Blade, his piercing gaze swept across the area. The stench of blood mixed with foul odors assaulted his senses, but Ning Qi, now accustomed to it, felt no discomfort.

His eyes found no trace of Plague Dragon Rats, a clear sign that he had eradicated those in the vicinity.

"23,500 Dragon Slaying Coins! Hahaha! I've hit the jackpot this time!" Ning Qi chuckled to himself.

Had he not consumed numerous Qi Returning Pills, Resurrection Pills, and a handful of detoxification pills, his Dragon Slaying Coin tally would surely have surpassed 25,000!

Still, compared to the 4,500 Dragon Slaying Coins he had before venturing into the cave, he had amassed an additional 19,000 coins—a sum equivalent to nearly ten tasks of the Barbaric Ox's Crest!