I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

He passed through the barrier and entered a brand-new space.

The stench of blood in his nose disappeared in an instant, and he greedily breathed in the fresh air. Whether it was psychological or not, he felt the air on the fifth layer was unusually refreshing and pleasant, as if it came from a prairie.

[Attribute Points +40000…]

[Attribute Points +40000…]

[Attribute Points +40000…]

The number of Attribute Points on this layer had soared once again, reaching forty thousand. It seemed that for each layer ascended, the System Attribute Points would increase by ten thousand.

After taking a few deep breaths, Li Xiaobai completely rid his nostrils of the scent of blood and a smile couldn’t help but appear on his face, “A clean and tidy room is indeed pleasant to the eyes and refreshing to the nose.”

He then headed towards the center of the fifth layer.

In this layer, he likewise didn’t see any people right away. The resident of the fifth layer should be ‘Extremely Ferocious’ of the fearsome foursome. The third layer had a miser, the fourth had a glutton, and he wondered what kind of being would be on this layer.

As before, adhering to the belief that it was a crime to leave a place empty-handed and abhorring all waste, Li Xiaobai kept walking and casually pocketed all the Luminous Pearls on the roadside. He didn’t need them, but other cultivators definitely did, and selling them as a set should fetch a nice price.

At the center of the fifth layer, there were two small wooden huts, and the decorations in front of each hut were exactly the same. In front of the houses, there were two rows of plants, with a fenced area around each. The first row had spider plants, and the second row had some kind of yellow flower he didn’t recognize.

Outside the fence was a path paved with cobblestones, with a small lake on either side.

As he got closer, Li Xiaobai’s brow furrowed slightly; he felt there was something off about this scenery. It was beautiful, but it seemed too symmetrical, unnaturally so.

The two huts were identical in every way – their height, thickness, and even the number of logs used on the eaves were remarkably consistent. Not only that, but he also noticed that each plant in the hanging baskets had exactly nine leaves, no more, no less, and every single one was the exact same size and shape.

“Was this copied with Divine Skills?”

“But what’s the point of doing that?”

Li Xiaobai was puzzled. He didn’t need to look to know that the two lakes would be exactly the same size too. Moreover, he suspected that even the number of pebbles paving the paths on both sides would be the same. What he didn’t understand, however, was the purpose of creating such a mirror world?

Could this be the domain of ‘Extremely Ferocious’?

Just as he was about to explore further, he heard a “creak” as the door of one of the wooden houses opened, and a man in white, holding a scroll, slowly walked out, closed the door, and stood right between the two houses. He smiled faintly and said, “Visitors are guests, are you a fellow prisoner new to the fifth layer?”

“I am Li Xiaobai, just here to experience life, I happened to pass by the fifth layer…”

Li Xiaobai’s heart relaxed as he clasped his fists and greeted, it appeared that the ‘Extremely Ferocious’ on this layer had no great hostility. But then he saw the young man in white’s expression suddenly change.

The young man in white let out a shrill scream as if he had seen something terrifying, pointed at Li Xiaobai with a trembling hand, and said, “You’re not a prisoner of the fifth layer, you’ve just come from the fourth layer!”

“Damn you, you actually came directly from that bumpkin’s territory, do you have any idea that there are bloodstains under your feet!”

“Because of you bumpkin, my fifth layer is asymmetrical now!”

‘Extremely Ferocious’ had a fierce look on his face as he suddenly rushed towards Li Xiaobai, a strong and sharp aura approaching rapidly, stirring up gales of wind.

Li Xiaobai’s face showed astonishment as he instinctively drew out his Longsword to subdue the other party, but the young man in white did not attack and instead brushed past him, quickly making his way to the staircase entrance of the fifth layer. He took out a handkerchief and began to rapidly wipe away the bloody footprints on the ground.

He seemed anxious and irritable.

After a short while, the young man in white cleared all the bloody footprints from the ground, and he even took it upon himself to kneel down and wipe Li Xiaobai’s shoes clean.

“You bumpkin nearly ruined my grand plans!”

“The guy who came up from the fourth level really doesn’t know any rules!”

“Come here and stand on this stone tile, and don’t you dare move!”

The young man in white spoke with an icy tone, his gaze filled with frost, instructing Li Xiaobai to stand in the middle of the path, and then he also stood on the same straight line, facing Li Xiaobai from a distance.

Without asking, Li Xiaobai had already completely understood, this guy had obsessive-compulsive disorder! And moreover, it was an extreme kind of OCD with a cleanliness fetish, which was why everything on this fifth level was in pairs, and exactly the same!

“Uh, Li Xiaobai is my name, at your service. May I ask what your esteemed name is, brother?”

Li Xiaobai asked.

“I am ‘Ferocious’, and I don’t welcome you here, so scram.”

‘Ferocious’ spoke irritably, opening his mouth only to shoo people away. In his eyes, Li Xiaobai’s very existence was an anomaly, a presence that would only wander around the fifth level, disrupting his symmetrical laws!

“Can you tell me about the situations on the sixth and seventh levels?”

Li Xiaobai continued, unconcerned, as there was also no trace of blood fragments on this level.

“Just two crude people, what’s there to say?”

“Leave quickly, and don’t disturb the fifth level!”

‘Ferocious’ said dismissively, his speech laced with disdain.

But out of politeness, he still made a pot of tea for Li Xiaobai, and each held a teacup in their hands. It was evident that he was a very cultured person.

“I’m planning on taking a look around every level. I’ve heard that the top two levels detain some extraordinary masters. Could you elaborate?”

Li Xiaobai said slowly.

He noticed that the other party’s actions with the teacup would mirror his own, always maintaining symmetry with his posture. Finding it quite peculiar, Li Xiaobai kept switching the cup from left hand to right, amusingly watching ‘Ferocious’ frantically change his posture.

“Don’t move!” ‘Ferocious’ barked, flames of rage igniting in his eyes once more.

“The sixth level just detains a madman, who spends all day boasting about how impressive he is. Despite his substantial cultivation level, the person is already a wreck.”

“As for the seventh level, it’s not a place for a bumpkin like you. It detains a terrifying entity, very likely at the Half-step Human Immortal realm. Just a sneeze from them could shatter you, so do not bring disgrace upon yourself by going there, leave at once!”

In ‘Ferocious” eyes, there was nothing but scorn for Li Xiaobai—not a disdain of strength, but of temperament. His gaze seemed to say: What does it matter how strong you are? You’re just a bumpkin!

“I see. Then I shall take my leave.”

Watching the other’s disdainful look, a hint of amusement flashed in Li Xiaobai’s eyes. He casually smeared a bit of mud from the ground and dabbed it onto his white clothes at the chest, creating a particularly jarring stain.

As expected, in the next second ‘Ferocious’ exploded into a fit again. The smear of dirt on Li Xiaobai’s chest almost caused his eyebrows to knot into hemp ropes, and he felt an overwhelming surge of irritation. Without another word, he rushed over and started cleaning Li Xiaobai’s lapel, practically refurbishing the whole garment.

“Heh heh, thanks, buddy, even going to the trouble of personally cleaning this bumpkin’s clothes for me. I really am sorry to inconvenience you.”

Li Xiaobai’s smile was sly.

“You mere bumpkin, how dare you mock me, you’re finished!”