《From Abyssal Invasion to Bursting Stars with a Single Sword》


 Chapter 1 - 1: Abyss Invasion, Awaken Data Panel

    Xia Country, Coastal City.


    Ding ding ding¡­


    Lu Heng''s body jolted as he woke from his slumber and looked around, only to be instantly dumbfounded.


    Before his eyes were neat desks and towering stacks of textbooks¡ªthe classroom of Class 2, Grade 3 at Coastal High School.


    Yet, he had clearly been struggling for the Reincarnation Source Material in an Abyss Demon Nest just a moment ago. How had he suddenly ended up here?


    It took him ten minutes to sort through his thoughts, and he confirmed three things.


    First, he had been reborn and returned to the night before the Abyss Descent.


    Second, he possessed the memories of three years following the Abyss Descent.


    Third, before his rebirth, he had been at an Abyss Demon Nest fighting for the Reincarnation Source Material when an accident caused him to fall deep into the Demon Abyss.


    When he awoke again, he had been reborn three years in the past, which was now.


    The current time was 9:50 PM on September 5, 2028, according to the Blue Star Calendar. The bell he had just heard was the signal for the end of the third period of evening self-study.


    In 18 minutes, an impressive meteor shower from the Perseid meteor showers would streak across the night sky, marking the start of the Abyss invasion.


    The meteor shower would bring about the first wave of Abyss Demons worldwide.


    The first wave of Abyss Demons wouldn''t be enough to plunge the Human World into disorder, but it would trigger a period of panic.


    Lu Heng clearly remembered that, in his past life, after evening self-study, he had gone out for late snacks and encountered the meteor shower by the sea.


    At the time, a walnut-sized irregular crystal had fallen by the seaside.


    Lu Heng had picked up the crystal but didn''t know what it was.


    Half a month later, someone offered 500,000 to buy such crystals.


    Initially, his family had bought an apartment in a school district and borrowed money from relatives to afford his education; to repay that debt, they sold the crystal.


    Only half a month after did they realize the crystal was known as a Demon Crystal Core.


    The Crystal Core contained Demon Energy, and humans who absorbed this energy could awaken a data panel and become a Superpower User.


    Research institutions also referred to these humans as Demon Walkers.


    Because he had missed that Demon Crystal Core, Lu Heng only got his chance to awaken during the second year of the Abyss invasion.


    Having lost a year, even his desperate attempts couldn''t catch up with those who had the advantage of starting earlier.


    Now reborn, Lu Heng wouldn''t let this happen again.


    Having cleared his thoughts, he immediately rushed to the Coastal Beach.


    By the time he arrived at the seaside, it was exactly 10:08 PM.


    One meteor crossed the sky, followed by a second and third...


    The number of meteors increased, gradually forming a meteor shower that illuminated the entire night sky in a spectacular display.


    Couples who were on a date at the Coastal Beach cheered and took out their cell phones to snap photos.


    At that moment, a speck of purple light fell into the sea¡ªits landing spot was shallow, and a dim purple glow was faintly visible, buried in the sand.


    A thug-looking blond saw the purple light and wanted to pick it up.


    Lu Heng was one step ahead, quickly picking up the dark purple crystal¡ªit was unmistakably a Demon Crystal Core.


    "Hey! I saw it first," the blond tried to assert himself.


    Lu Heng turned and glared at him, spitting out a cold word: "Scram!"


    This blond thug, usually the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, was intimidated by Lu Heng''s fierce demeanor and didn''t dare utter a sound as he scurried away.


    Lu Heng crushed the Demon Crystal Core, and a surge of energy flowed through his palm into his body.


    The data panel appeared before his eyes:


    [Name: Lu Heng]


    [Species: Human]


    [Level: 1]


    [Qi-Blood: 90/90]


    [Source Energy: 110/110]


    [Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 12 (9+3), Constitution 9, Spirit 11, Perception 10]


    [Talent: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution]


    [Skill Slot Number: 3]


    [Skills: None]


    [Abyss Battlefield: Recruitment Countdown 7 days]


    When Superpower Users awaken, the most crucial panel data are Skill Slot Number and Initial Talent.


    These two data points determine the initial potential of a Superpower User.


    Lu Heng''s Skill Slot Number was above average, and his Initial Talent was the rare dual talents.


    The first talent.


    [Agile as a Dragon: Exceptionally agile, movements as swift as a dragon, initial Agility +3; Agility increases with every level according to the level.]


    This talent adds 30% more agility with each level.


    As the level increases, the additional Agility Attribute also increases, making this talent stronger in the later stages.


    Originally, Lu Heng''s Agility Attribute was 9, but with the enhancement from [Agile as a Dragon], it had increased to 12.


    Agility mainly affects nerve reaction speed, coordination, attack speed, running speed, and various other physical qualities.


    In the world of martial arts, only speed is invincible.


    When a superpower user engaged in a battle, within seven steps, speed was the truth, which made the Agility Attribute very important.


    Lu Heng''s first talent was already strong, but the real divine talent was actually the second one.


    "Divine Evolution: Use Divine Energy to merge and evolve skills, breaking the skill level limits and promoting the skill into a higher form."


    In his past life, although he had missed a year, he still managed to become a top superpower soldier, and this talent played a significant role.


    Lu Heng glanced at the countdown timer for the summoning to the Abyss Battlefield and muttered to himself, "Being summoned the first time I open the door, time is a bit tight."


    After awakening successfully, Lu Heng began to recall some important events from the early stages of the Abyss Descent.


    Having been reborn, he definitely needed to secure some advanced resources in advance.


    Especially for those high-level skills with unique characteristics, owning them would mean winning at the starting line.


    However, the higher the resource, the more difficult it was to obtain, so it was necessary to make a good plan, starting with the easier ones.


    After the meteor shower, the first batch of low-rank demons would appear around the world.


    If these low-rank demons appeared in densely populated areas, they would cause chaos.


    Lu Heng took out his phone and checked the school chat group.


    Someone mentioned in the group that they saw moving flames in Unity Garden, looking like ghost fires, which was quite terrifying.


    Lu Heng remembered this incident.


    In his past life, Lu Heng had rushed to Unity Garden with a fire extinguisher only to meet a boy wearing black glasses frames.


    The boy had taken the fire extinguisher and asked Lu Heng to find another one.


    Thinking that extinguishing the fire was urgent, Lu Heng handed over the fire extinguisher and then turned to find a second one.


    Later, the boy''s fire extinguishing act was formally recognized and praised by the school.


    In the commendation draft, not only was Lu Heng''s name omitted, but the boy also never mentioned in the interview that someone had handed him a fire extinguisher.


    Not long after, the boy was taken away by official authorities.


    About half a year later, that boy became a member of the national superpower organization "Iron Blood," suddenly rising to be the strongest superpower soldier from Coastal High School.


    Thinking of this, Lu Heng immediately returned to the school and ran towards Unity Garden.


    Passing by the cupboard storing firefighting equipment, he casually took a fire extinguisher.


    When he arrived at Unity Garden, as expected, he saw a group of moving flames.


    The flames were nearly as tall as a person, with thunder and lightning encircling them, and a fierce demon face could vaguely be seen within the fire, extremely terrifying.


    Just by a glance, Lu Heng recognized it as a low-rank demon¡ªThunder Fire Demon Spirit.


    At that moment, the boy with black glasses came up and stretched out his hand asking, "Give me the fire extinguisher."


    Lu Heng slapped his hand away, "Go find one yourself."


    The boy glared at Lu Heng discontentedly and ran out of Unity Garden to find a fire extinguisher.


    Lu Heng carried the fire extinguisher and stepped towards the Thunder Fire Demon Spirit.


    The demon spirit emitted a sharp scream and pounced, spitting out flames to attack.


    Lu Heng removed the safety pin of the fire extinguisher and started spraying directly.


    The fire extinguisher spewed out a sky full of white dry powder, smothering the flames.


    The Thunder Fire Demon Spirit angrily screamed and charged out of the dust, spraying fierce flames at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng, agile, swiftly retreated to dodge the attack and continued using the fire extinguisher to smother the flames on its body.


    After the flames were extinguished, the Thunder Fire Demon Spirit''s form was nothing but a black lump of coal slags. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, its flames were only temporarily extinguished; if it wasn''t completely eliminated, the flames would reignite before long.


    Having emptied a canister of dry powder, Lu Heng swung the fire extinguisher viciously at it.


    Bang!


    The Thunder Fire Demon Spirit shattered into ash, as if burned-out coal slag.


    "Hunt demons, absorb 10 points of Demon Energy."


    "Demon Energy boosts energy level, Source Energy Level raised to 2, All Attributes +1, Agility Attribute additionally +0.3."


    At the moment of leveling up, Lu Heng felt a surge of energy swirling within him, swiftly increasing his body''s strength, his muscles filled with explosive power.


    Among the shattered ashes of the Thunder Fire Demon Spirit, a glint appeared; it was a walnut-sized Demon Crystal Core.


    Lu Heng picked it up to check the properties and discovered it was a "Thunder Weapon Crystal Core."


    The Thunder Fire Demon Spirit had a chance to drop two types of crystal cores, "Flame Weapon Crystal Core" and "Thunder Weapon Crystal Core."


    Among these, the drop rate for "Thunder Weapon Crystal Core" was much lower.


    "Thunder Weapon Crystal Core: Absorb crystal core energy, chance to learn the ''Thunder Weapon'' skill."


    "Thunder Weapon: Releases thunder attached to the weapon, causing an additional 12 points of thunder damage when attacking with the weapon, and induces a slight paralysis effect on the attacked part. Damage value = 1 ¡Á Spirit Attribute. Skill Consumption: 3 points of Source Energy/minute. Skill Level: D."


    Seeing this skill, Lu Heng didn''t hesitate and immediately crushed the crystal core, absorbing the energy within.


    The energy flowed through his palm into his body, condensing into an energy group in the first skill slot.


    "Absorbed Thunder Weapon Crystal Core, learned skill ''Thunder Weapon''."


    Lu Heng snapped his fingers, a stream of electricity surged from his fingertip, emitting a crackling sound.


    "Using ''Thunder Weapon'' skill, Skill Proficiency +1."


    After testing the skill, Lu Heng quickly cleaned up the scene and left Unity Garden.


    The previous boy returned with a fire extinguisher, only to see the extinguished embers and strange coal slag on the ground.

 Chapter 2 - 2 Sword Technique Proficiency

    The next day.


    All over the internet, there were many posts discussing Abyss Demons. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some claimed to have seen black creatures, others said they were injured by the monsters.


    There were also people online asking what does a countdown of 6 days mean?


    This was clearly referring to the countdown of the Abyss Battlefield, but only those Superpower Users who had awakened the data panel could see it.


    Moreover, not every Superpower User had it¡ªonly those summoned by the Abyss Battlefield would see the countdown.


    Once the countdown to the Abyss Battlefield appeared on the data panel, it meant that when the countdown ended, one would be teleported into the battlefield and face death head-on.


    By evening time, the internet began to control discussions related to the topic.


    Apart from private circles and chat groups, content related to the Abyss posted elsewhere would be quickly censored.


    The post inquiring about the countdown had also disappeared.


    ¡­


    Lu Heng scanned the information on the internet, then went out to purchase supplies.


    Since his first acquired skill was "Thunder Weapon", he needed to buy a weapon to unleash the power of this skill.


    Lu Heng had practiced Step Sword Seven Styles before his rebirth, so he went straight to buy a Han Sword.


    The blade was engraved with patterns and eight ancient characters "Electric Zeal Ori Kunwu, Phoenix Soars with Spread Wings".


    Since he bought a decorative piece, the blade wasn''t sharpened, but it was made of good steel.


    Lu Heng found another place to sharpen it, using an electric grinder to polish it quickly¡ªjust enough to get by without spending time on slow grinding.


    As it was inconvenient to do many things with six people living in one dormitory at school,


    Lu Heng found a comfortable budget hotel and booked a monthly room.


    He also bought a motorcycle as a means of transportation.


    Buying the Han Sword, the motorcycle, and the hotel room¡ªhe used his credit card for a total of over ten thousand.


    This amount of money could easily be earned back, so there was no need to feel heartbroken about it.


    After checking into the room, Lu Heng found a place to try picking up the Step Sword Seven Styles that he had learned before his rebirth.


    The first style: Sword Drawing Style.


    His right hand drew the sword like a flash of lightning and executed a cut.


    Clang!


    The instant the sword was drawn, a string of data prompts appeared next to the hand holding the sword.


    "Practicing swordsmanship leads to enlightenment, Swordsmanship Proficiency +1"


    "Practicing swordsmanship leads to enlightenment, Swordsmanship Proficiency +1"


    Having the essence of Step Sword Seven Styles in his mind, picking it up again meant his swordsmanship progressed very quickly.


    After practicing Step Sword Seven Styles for an afternoon, his swordsmanship level was raised.


    "Beginner Level swordsmanship perfected, entering the second Sword Skill Realm¡ªMaster Level."


    Lu Heng checked his character attribute panel and found a new item under "Martial Arts".


    "Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Master), Movement Technique (Beginner), Fighting (Beginner)"


    After reaching the Master Level swordsmanship realm, the rate of proficiency growth slowed somewhat.


    To advance to the third realm, he needed several more days of practice.


    ¡­


    After finishing Step Sword Seven Styles, Lu Heng returned to the hotel room, sat down, and began scribbling in a notebook.


    He recalled the times and places of some crucial resources that appeared at the start of the Abyss Descent, recording them in symbols only he could understand.


    Since many events weren''t experienced firsthand, the information he knew was incomplete.


    Time and location could only be approximated.


    Now being the second day of the Abyss Descent, officials should have discovered the appearance of Abyss Demons around the world, but they still didn''t understand what was happening.


    Lu Heng recalled that at the beginning of the Abyss Descent, a High Rank Skill Crystal Core had appeared in the Coastal area.


    Moreover, this Skill Crystal Core was fully functional, and if acquired, one could easily start miles ahead of everyone else.


    The only problem was, he wasn''t clear on the time and place of the Skill Crystal Core''s appearance.


    Lu Heng only knew who ended up with it.


    The one who got the skill was named Gong Chusheng, a "Demon" living among humans.


    Lu Heng planned to snatch that skill, so he returned to school when the weekend was over.


    ¡­


    Monday morning, after classes.


    Students from various classes ran out of the classrooms, horsing around on their way to the cafeteria for lunch.


    As these students rushed down the staircase, they bumped into four individuals, promptly stopping their footsteps and lining up against the wall to make way.


    Among these four was Gong Chusheng.


    As the four made their way downstairs, occupying the whole path, moving at a leisurely pace, other students had to step aside.


    Because not even if they walked sideways would anyone dare to intervene with these four.


    One bespectacled kid had already adhered to the wall, making room, but still got kicked by Gong Chusheng.


    The bespectacled kid, though kicked, didn''t dare make a peep, hastily pressing tighter against the wall to let the four pass.


    Lu Heng stood in front of the teaching building, looking at the group of four led by Gong Chusheng, his face showing a reminiscing expression.


    Gong Chusheng and his gang were used to being fierce on a daily basis, deeming it light to kick someone they found displeasing.


    In his past life, a girl had been taken to an abandoned factory in the suburb by Gong Chusheng''s group.


    That night, the girl leapt from the rooftop, like a snowflake falling to the earth, into the world where the "Demon" bloomed.


    Thinking of this girl, Lu Heng sighed slightly in his heart and turned to wait for her in the cafeteria.


    ¡­


    On the first floor of the school cafeteria.


    A girl got herself a helping of two ounces of rice, thought for a moment, added a vegetable dish, and two spoonfuls of the cafeteria''s free egg drop soup, then found an empty table to sit down and start eating with her head bowed.


    The girl''s name was Su Muyu. Even though unadorned, her delicate features were hard to disguise.


    If dressed up, saying she could outshine the moon and embarrass the flowers might not be an exaggeration.


    Lu Heng knew her family had it tough. Brought up by her mother from a young age, she was thrifty with her living expenses, leading to a leaner build.


    Despite being thin, Su Muyu''s body had curves in all the right places, with her chest prominently bulging, its round outline still visible through her loose clothing.


    Growing up in a single-parent home, Su Muyu had a rather soft personality, enduring bullying at school without daring to speak about it at home.


    Because talking wouldn''t bring anyone to defend her, it would only add to the distress of her mother who was busy with daily struggles.


    While Su Muyu was eating with her head down on the first floor of the cafeteria, someone was watching her from the second floor.


    Lu Heng watched her for a long time before coming down from the second floor, got himself a meal, and sat down opposite her with his tray.


    As Su Muyu was eating, she noticed someone had joined her at the table, causing her to pause for a moment.


    She lifted her head, glanced at Lu Heng, and then lowered it again.


    The seats in the cafeteria were public space, open to anyone.


    However, if the students were not acquainted, they usually wouldn''t sit so close unless all other spots were taken.


    After sitting down, Lu Heng placed a bowl of Cordyceps Chicken Soup in front of her and said, "This soup is for you."


    "Ah?"


    Su Muyu was puzzled for a moment, then looked up at Lu Heng again with confusion on her face.


    She recognized Lu Heng because they had attended the same club before, but they had never spoken to each other.


    Lu Heng casually explained, "When I was buying the soup, I had already swiped my card, and the auntie told me this was the last portion of Cordyceps Chicken Soup. I don''t like this soup, so I''m giving it to you. I haven''t drunk any."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips, reluctant to accept something from a stranger without reason, and softly declined, "I''d rather not¡­"


    Lu Heng picked up her spoon and stirred it in the Cordyceps Chicken Soup, "Your spoon has touched it, you have to take it whether you want to or not."


    Su Muyu was immediately torn, "But... but¡­"


    "If you feel bad about it, you can give me the money," Lu Heng changed the subject, issuing an overbearing request.


    Su Muyu was stunned again, almost to the point of crying.


    Because the soup was expensive clay pot soup, even at the school cafeteria it cost 10 yuan a portion.


    10 yuan was almost enough for her daily food expenses.


    But her spoon had already been in the soup, touched by her saliva; it wouldn''t be proper to return it to someone else now.


    Although it stung to part with the money, she still took out a 10-yuan bill from her bag and pushed it towards Lu Heng.


    Seeing her reluctant but still paying demeanor, Lu Heng felt a pang of sympathy.


    She was still the same as before his rebirth, unable to refuse, willing to swallow her disadvantage and just turn away to wipe her tears in secret.


    Actually.


    Before his rebirth, Lu Heng''s relationship with Su Muyu wasn''t just that of unfamiliar classmates, but rather, they were companions who had faced life and death together.


    In his past life, Su Muyu, unwilling to be humiliated, jumped from the rooftop. She didn''t die, however, but suffered from crushed leg bones, paralyzing her lower body, confining her to a wheelchair for life.


    And the group that wanted to humiliate her, due to their influential families, did not face a fair trial.


    Later on, one year after the Abyss Descent.


    Su Muyu successfully awakened, and her life began to slowly change.


    It was also around that time that Lu Heng became her teammate.


    So, Lu Heng knew her personality all too well.


    Since money had been spent, Su Muyu, with tears, saw it through to finish the Cordyceps Chicken Soup and ate all the chicken and jujubes in it.


    After she finished the soup, Lu Heng took her 10 yuan to the cafeteria cashier to get a Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ticket.


    Su Muyu sneakily watched Lu Heng with the corner of her eye, curious about what this bad person would do with the money.


    Lu Heng returned with the Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ticket, placed it in front of her, which happened to be her favorite soup.


    She stared at the ticket, stunned once more.


    Lu Heng left the ticket and, without a word, turned around and walked away.


    "Hey!"


    Su Muyu stood up, wanting to call out to this bad person, but as the words reached her lips, they didn''t come out.


    She looked at the Lotus Root Pork Ribs Soup ticket on the table, unsure whether to take it.


    But if she didn''t take it, that was her 10 yuan spent.


    After much inner turmoil, she finally picked up the ticket and carefully placed it in the inner pocket of her backpack.


    She left with her backpack on, reaching the cafeteria door, remembered something, and turned back to the cafeteria window to ask, "Auntie, is there only Cordyceps Chicken Soup available tonight?"


    The cafeteria auntie pointed behind her at several large clay pots and answered, "We''ve got them all, radish soup, lotus root soup, black chicken soup, which one do you want?"


    "No, thank you, Auntie." Su Muyu frowned and left the cafeteria.

 Chapter 3 - 3: Saving Lives, a Rare Skill

    Abyss Descent Day 3.


    All Superpower Users summoned to the Abyss Battlefield saw the countdown on their data panels change to 5 days.


    Others might not know what this countdown meant, but Lu Heng was acutely aware that it signaled an impending, potentially fatal journey into the Abyss.


    Thus, Lu Heng focused on practicing the Step Sword Seven Styles to boost his Combat Power as much as possible in preparation for the approaching Abyss Battlefield.


    He trained until the evening, significantly improving his Sword Technique Proficiency, feeling hungry enough that his stomach growled. He then went downstairs to eat.


    School cafeteria, first floor.


    Su Muyu got her meal ready and stood hesitantly in front of the cafeteria window, debating whether to use the ticket for a lotus root pork rib soup.


    She really liked lotus root soup, but it was a bit expensive for her.


    As she was hesitating, the troublemaker appeared again.


    Lu Heng walked up beside her, tilted his head to look at her, and asked, "Where''s my meal ticket? Did you pick it up?"


    "Ah?" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu was startled yet again, but, being too shy, she quickly took out the small ticket for the lotus root soup and handed it over.


    Lu Heng gave a big grin, took the ticket, and went to the window to buy the lotus root pork rib soup.


    Su Muyu felt aggrieved, pursed her lips, found an empty seat, and sat down to eat quietly.


    After only a few bites, the troublemaker sat opposite her, picked up the lotus root pork rib soup, and placed it in front of her.


    Having been teased for two consecutive days, Su Muyu felt deeply wronged. Holding back tears, she asked, "What exactly do you want?"


    "It''s just soup, don''t overthink it," Lu Heng quickly explained.


    "I can''t just accept things from others for no reason," Su Muyu was firm on this.


    "This was bought with your money, if you won''t drink it I''ll just pour it out," Lu Heng picked up the soup bowl, pretending to tip it.


    "Don''t¡­" Su Muyu, thinking about the 10 yuan she had spent, felt reluctant to waste it.


    "If you feel embarrassed, lend me your last semester''s Chinese notes. I need to catch up on Chinese since I didn''t take notes before," Lu Heng made up an excuse.


    With skepticism, Su Muyu took her Chinese notebook from her bag and hesitantly handed it to Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng took it, placed it on the table, and began to eat.


    ...


    In the following days, aside from practicing, Lu Heng made it a point to appear at meal times, sitting across from Su Muyu to eat and occasionally ordering a soup or a meat dish for her.


    After several meals together, they became more acquainted.


    Su Muyu felt rather embarrassed and offered to help Lu Heng with tutoring.


    Lu Heng waved it off, "No need for tutoring. Help me with something else."


    "What is it?" Su Muyu looked puzzled.


    Lu Heng took out his phone, displayed a series of numbers, and said, "Memorize this number."


    Su Muyu, who had a good memory, repeated it twice in her mind and nodded, "Got it."


    Lu Heng said earnestly, "If anyone bullies you or if you''re in danger, call this number."


    "Ah?"


    Su Muyu was taken aback once more, then realized that this number was Lu Heng''s personal mobile.


    ...


    Friday afternoon, during physical education class.


    Su Muyu didn''t like gym class because when she ran, two parts of her body shook intensely, attracting strange looks from her classmates.


    Embarrassed to ask for a leave, she endured as long as she could.


    As Su Muyu ran with her classmates around the track, under the shade of roadside trees, someone was watching her.


    A group of students, drinking beer and enjoying the breeze, whistled at the girls running on the track.


    Among them, Gong Chusheng''s gaze was fixed on Su Muyu.


    A makeup-clad girl dressed like a punk angrily questioned, "Like what you see?"


    Gong Chusheng didn''t even glance at her, responding indifferently, "Yes, very pretty."


    "You want to die, Gong Chusheng?" The girl grew angrier.


    "Keep your temper in check, or one day I''ll throw you into East Lake to feed the fish," Gong Chusheng turned his gaze away and took a sip of beer.


    ...


    Evening.


    After night self-study.


    Su Muyu walked out of the school gate with her bag, heading to buy stationery.


    At the street corner, someone blocked her path.


    She quickly glanced at the person, recognized him as Gong Chusheng, and immediately took a step back, looking down, trying to bypass him.


    Gong Chusheng stretched out his hand to stop her, pointed to a sedan parked roadside, and said, "Get in."


    Su Muyu quickly shook her head and turned to head back to school.


    Gong Chusheng lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said leisurely, "Doesn''t your mom work at the garment factory? I could have her fired with just one word."


    Concerned, Su Muyu turned back and nervously asked, "What do you want?"


    Gong Chusheng opened the car door, had his followers grab her bag, and dragged her into the car.


    ...


    Lu Heng remembered that during the start of the school year was when Su Muyu had an incident.


    So these days, he was either monitoring Gong Chusheng or following Su Muyu.


    However, worried she might mistake him for a creepy stalker, he kept a respectful distance when following her.


    Seeing Su Muyu being dragged into the car, Lu Heng hurried over, but he was too late; the car had already started and was speeding towards the West Suburb.


    Lu Heng hurried back to the motel, got on his motorcycle, and chased after them towards the West Suburb.


    At that moment,


    his phone rang.


    Lu Heng, riding a bike with one hand, answered the phone with the other. He could vaguely hear Su Muyu''s voice:


    "I''m not going, let me out of the car."


    Lu Heng sped towards the memory of that abandoned factory at full throttle.


    Before he could stop the bike, he heard a girl''s shout coming from the building:


    "What are you doing? Don''t come any closer! Go away! Go away!"


    Then, Gong Chusheng''s voice followed, "Ke Xiaoyu, take out your phone and make sure the video is clear."


    The fourth member, Ke Xiaoyu, took out his phone and started recording while licking his lips, asking, "Master Gong, can we... hehe..."


    Su Muyu did not dare to think about what they were going to do, tears rolling down her face in large drops.


    She had backed up to the edge of the rooftop with nowhere else to retreat.


    Turning her head to see the height of the building below, a fear of heights surged within her. But as Gong Chusheng and his group approached, a resolute determination grew in her heart, she closed her eyes, turned around, and leaped from the fourth floor.


    When Lu Heng arrived downstairs, he saw Su Muyu jumping and hurriedly reached out to catch her.


    The moment he caught her, the impact forced him down, hitting the ground hard and letting out a muffled grunt.


    Hu hu hu...


    Su Muyu, still terrified, was panting heavily. She had jumped expecting to die, but the fall to the ground wasn''t as painful as she imagined.


    Opening her eyes, she saw Lu Heng and immediately started crying again.


    Lu Heng, who had been knocked to the ground but wasn''t hurt, took a moment to recover and then pulled her up, softly reassuring her, "It''s okay now."


    At the same time.


    On the abandoned building.


    Gong Chusheng and his group peered down.


    Initially, they were worried about the trouble if she had died from the fall, but seeing there was a cushion, they smirked:


    "There''s even a hero saving a beauty, tonight''s game is really exciting."


    Gong Chusheng and his group, each holding a baseball bat, descended the stairs and surrounded Lu Heng and Su Muyu.


    Among them, Gong Chusheng had the most influential family background, making him the leader of the group.


    The second in command, Tang Guizhe, wore gold-rim glasses and looked scholarly.


    The third member, Li Xiongwei, was muscular and the strongest of the four, primarily responsible for fighting.


    The fourth member was Ke Xiaoyu¡ªwho had been filming with his phone¡ªhe had the least influence within the group.


    Seeing the four approaching, Su Muyu hid behind Lu Heng in terror, clutching his clothes tightly.


    Lu Heng moved his neck and limbs to make sure his joints were not hurt from catching her.


    Recognizing Lu Hen as someone from a neighboring class, Gong Chusheng scoffed, "What, came over wanting a piece of the action? Unfortunately, you only get to watch."


    Lu Heng looked back at Su Muyu and pointed towards the factory gates, "Head over there first."


    Hesitant, Su Muyu took a while before she stepped away.


    Gong Chusheng''s group did not stop her, knowing she couldn''t escape without a car.


    Su Muyu stopped by a large tree at the street corner, clutching her skirt nervously as she watched the standoff.


    Without Su Muyu slowing him down, Lu Heng felt more relaxed. Brushing the dirt off his clothes, he said, "Let''s begin."


    Other than Gong Chusheng signaling with a glance, indicating his three men to act.


    The strongest, Li Xiongwei took the lead, along with Tang Guizhe and Ke Xiaoyu, swinging baseball bats at Lu Heng''s head.


    Lu Heng stepped back to dodge, then with one punch each, "bang bang bang," he knocked the three men to the ground.


    The three on the ground clutched their bleeding noses, howling.


    Gong Chusheng froze, quickly realizing that Lu Heng could fight, and switched to a smile, saying, "Turns out you''re a good fighter, follow me, and you''ll get whatever you want."


    Lu Heng looked at him coldly and mocked, "I want your head, so chop it off."


    Gong Chusheng''s expression chilled, "I gave you a chance. Do you know who my dad is? Don''t be ungrateful."


    Lu Heng walked back to his motorbike, pulled out the Han Sword, and scoffed, "If your dad dares stand in front of me, I''ll chop him up too."


    "What are you going to do?"


    Gong Chusheng, seeing Lu Heng really pull out a meter-long sword, started to feel scared and ordered the other three as he retreated, "Quick! Block him!"


    Li Xiongwei, muscular yet not very bright, actually tried to obstruct Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng moved swiftly, blood splattered as a severed head rolled on the ground.


    Now, the remaining three finally realized Lu Heng wasn''t joking and really would kill, screaming in terror, "Fuck! Have you gone mad?"


    Lu Heng swiftly cut down the other two crawling on the ground, then walked towards Gong Chusheng.


    Gong Chusheng, used to relying on his family''s influence to do whatever he wanted, had never seen someone as ruthless as Lu Heng.


    He kept retreating while negotiating, "I''ll give you money, as much as you want."


    "I don''t want money, just your head," Lu Heng pressed forward step by step.


    Gong Chusheng retreated nonstop, not using any special abilities.


    Lu Heng didn''t rush to kill him with one stroke, intending to force him to use his ability.


    Before his rebirth, Gong Chusheng had acquired a very powerful, rare skill. It seemed he hadn''t obtained that skill yet.


    Originally, Lu Heng wanted to get that Skill Crystal Core through him. It looked like he needed another plan.


    A fierce gleam in his eyes, Lu Heng strode forward, preparing to end him with one stroke.


    Gong Chusheng, in a panic, turned to run into another abandoned building, frantically trying to make a call for help on his phone.


    Just then.


    He ran head-on into a shadow.


    The shadow extended sharp claws, piercing his abdomen, lifting him off the ground.


    Lu Heng saw this dark figure, his eyes narrowing as he recognized what it was.


    It was indeed a Shadow Demon. At night, it could hide in shadows, its claws sharp enough to pierce through steel.


    And this type of Shadow Demon had a chance of dropping that rare skill.

 Chapter 4 - 4: Rare Skill, Shadow Clone!

    The Shadow Demon''s claws pierced through Gong Chusheng''s abdomen, hoisting him up.


    Gong Chusheng''s face was full of terror, he turned his head towards Lu Heng, struggling to shout, "Save... save me..."


    Seeing the Shadow Demon appear, Lu Heng immediately knew where Gong Chusheng''s rare skill had come from.


    It must have been obtained from this Shadow Demon.


    Only this time things had changed; Gong Chusheng''s panicked escape led him to collide directly with the Shadow Demon and he was impaled by a claw through his belly.


    Shadow Demons greatly increase their combat power at night; one must be cautious in dealing with them.


    Lu Heng clenched his Han Sword, activating the "Thunder Weapon" skill.


    Puff!


    A burst of blue lightning danced on the sword''s edge, illuminating the surrounding space.


    Shadow Demons hated bright light; the demon flung its arm, discarding Gong Chusheng and charged at Lu Heng with a hiss, its pitch-black claws reflecting a chilling light, thrusting towards Lu Heng''s chest.


    Lu Heng took a step back to dodge the claw strike and immediately counterattacked with a horizontal sword slash.


    Clang!


    The sword light, mixed with thunder, slashed at the body of the Shadow Demon, cutting a large gash in its body, nearly bisecting it.


    The Shadow Demon did not vanish then and there; instead, its body split in two, becoming two Shadow Demons.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng recognized that the Shadow Demon was using the "Shadow Clone" skill.


    Among the two Shadow Demons, there must be one that was a clone.


    Whether it was the original or the clone, both possessed attack power.


    Therefore, Lu Heng needed to deal with the attacks of two Shadow Demons at the same time.


    Both shadows let out sharp screams and pounced from both left and right to initiate their attack.


    Lu Heng concentrated on the fight, utilizing the high agility provided by the talent "Agile as a Dragon" to dodge and manoeuvre, while trying to discern which one was the clone.


    After seven or eight rounds of combat, Lu Heng seized an opportunity to counterstrike, swinging his sword and hitting the shoulder of a Shadow Demon, clearly feeling like it struck something solid.


    After this blow, Lu Heng identified that the demon struck by the sword was the original, meaning the other was the clone.


    Although the clone could attack, its ability to bear damage was weaker.


    After another dodge, Lu Heng seized the moment, delivering a "Seven Styles¡¤Suppressing Mountains" slash, and with a "clang," the sword pierced into the clone.


    The clone burst with a "bang," its energy instantaneously erased.


    With the clone gone, the Shadow Demon''s combat power significantly decreased.


    Lu Heng stepped up the offensive, avoiding a lunge from the Shadow Demon and executing a "Returning Dust Style," the sword cutting a swathe behind him with a "clang," bisecting the Shadow Demon at the waist, and then smoothly sheathing the blade.


    The movement was fluid, done in one fell swoop.


    [Hunting demons, absorbed 30 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Demon Energy enhances Energy Level. Source Energy Level raised to Level 3, All Attributes +1, Agility Attribute additionally +0.3]


    After the Shadow Demon''s death, the remaining energy condensed into a walnut-sized dark purple Crystal Core.


    Lu Heng picked it up and examined it in the palm of his hand.


    [Shadow Clone Crystal Core: Absorb the Crystal Core energy for a chance to learn the "Shadow Clone" skill.]


    [Shadow Clone: Consumes Source Energy to create a Shadow Clone controlled by the caster. The clone can initiate attacks, but a heavy hit will cause the clone''s energy to be erased. Skill Consumption: 60 Source Energy. Skill Level: A-Level.]


    It was indeed that skill!


    An A-level skill that emerged in the early stages of the Abyss invasion, its rarity was immeasurable.


    In memory, in his previous life, only one person had ever obtained this skill.


    And now, that person was lying on the ground, barely clinging to life.


    Gong Chusheng struggled to crawl to the wall, managing to prop himself up against it.


    His abdomen was pierced by the Shadow Demon, intestines mixed with blood spilling all over the floor.


    The injury was severe, but it had not damaged any vital organs; if rushed to the hospital immediately, there was still a chance to save his life.


    He was still desperately pleading for help: "Save... save me... I''ll give you money... my father will even give you a mansion..."


    Lu Heng looked down at Gong Chusheng lying on the ground, begging for his life, and felt very emotional inside.


    In his previous life, because Gong Chusheng had acquired the A-level "Shadow Clone" skill right from the start, leveraging his early advantage and immense wealth, he became one of the top ten Superpower Users in Coastal City.


    The him from the past had attention-grabbing combat power, commanding the winds and summoning the rain in Coastal City, doing whatever he pleased.


    However, now, he could only beg for his life in a pitiful state.


    Comparing his current situation to his high-and-mighty attitude from his previous life, it was hard to believe this was the same person.


    Lu Heng looked at his filthy appearance, raised the Shadow Clone Crystal Core in his hand, and crushed it with force.


    Energy flowed into his body through his palm and condensed into an energy ball in the second skill slot.


    "[Absorbed Shadow Clone Crystal Core, acquired skill ''Shadow Clone''.]"


    Lu Heng felt the changes in his body and then glanced at the attribute panel.


    [Name: Lu Heng]


    [Species: Human]


    [Level: 3]


    [Qi-Blood: 90/110]


    [Source Energy: 60/130]


    [Attributes: Strength 11, Agility 14, Constitution 11, Spirit 13, Perception 12]


    [Talent: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution]


    [Skill Slot Number: 3]


    [Skills: Thunder Weapon, Shadow Clone]


    [Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Proficient), Movement Technique (Beginner), Fighting (Beginner)]


    ...


    Gong Chusheng still wanted to struggle for survival, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a Demon Crystal Core.


    This Demon Crystal Core was bought by his family with money.


    However, he didn''t use it right away because with his noble identity, he would wait for the superpower user his family raised to test the Crystal Core''s effects and make sure there were no side effects before using it.


    Now he couldn''t care less and wanted to crush the Crystal Core to become a superpower user.


    Lu Heng saw his movements, swung a sword to send him to his death, and then picked up the Demon Crystal Core.


    Having done all this, he set fire to burn the four bodies clean.


    Su Muyu watched all this in a daze, her whole worldview almost collapsing.


    Especially seeing Lu Heng fighting with a shadow, everything surpassed her understanding.


    It wasn''t until Lu Heng reached out to pull her that she exclaimed and staggered back three steps.


    She had never experienced such a terrifying thing and even when looking at Lu Heng, a hint of fear arose in her eyes.


    After all, Lu Heng had just killed four people, not being afraid would be abnormal.


    But she knew in her heart that Lu Heng did it to save her.


    Her emotions fluctuated violently, and she trembled as she said, "You should leave. I''ll stay here and turn myself in, I won''t betray you."


    Lu Heng picked up the motorcycle, tossed her a helmet, and said, "Put it on, sit at the back."


    Su Muyu didn''t understand why, but despite being afraid, she still obeyed the command and sat on the motorcycle''s back seat.


    Lu Heng looked back at the raging flames and then started the motorcycle, speeding away like lightning.


    Before leaving, he used his skill to leave behind a "Shadow Clone".


    The Shadow Clone stayed to clean up the scene and incidentally create an alibi.


    ...


    When they returned to the budget hotel, it was almost 11 pm.


    Lu Heng pulled Su Muyu into the room, pressed her hand against the wall with a stern tone, "Remember every word I''m about to say now. If law enforcement comes looking, do exactly as I tell you..."


    Her wrist pressed against the wall, Su Muyu''s face flushed, turning red from her cheeks to behind her ears.


    She didn''t know if she understood, she just nodded, agreeing to everything.


    After Lu Heng finished what he had to say, he pointed to the bed in the room and said, "You sleep here tonight. If you''re tired, go to sleep first, I need to take a shower."


    "Ok," Su Muyu just nodded, standing still.


    Lu Heng picked up a towel and went into the bathroom to shower.


    He was covered in dirt, sweat, and a stench of blood from the recent fight.


    After the shower, Lu Heng came out of the bathroom drying his hair.


    Su Muyu had been sitting on the edge of the bed, but quickly stood up when she heard the bathroom door open. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng sat on the bed and pulled out a hairdryer from the bedside drawer, asking, "Do you want to take a shower?"


    Earlier at the West Suburb Abandoned Factory, Su Muyu had also gotten a lot of dirt and dust on her, so she nodded.


    As she nodded, her body trembled because the two of them were under the same roof, and she didn''t know what would happen after the shower, so she was both scared and nervous.

 Chapter 5 - 5 Alibi

    Su Muyu took off her shoes, walked into the bathroom, crouched down, and hugged her knees as she began to sob uncontrollably.


    She worried that Lu Heng might hear her crying, so she turned on the showerhead to mask the sound with the water.


    That evening, she had experienced too many things; the fact that she didn''t break down was already a sign of strength.


    As she recalled the horrifying scenes she had witnessed that night, her fear of Lu Heng grew, though she understood that he did all those things to protect her. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, she should have been dead when she jumped from the rooftop.


    This conflicting feeling of fear and reluctance to flee left her feeling very conflicted, yet she found herself desperately craving the sensation of being protected.


    Throughout her life, she had been bullied and never dared to tell her family.


    She had never known what it was like to be protected until the moment Lu Heng pulled her behind him; she felt it genuinely.


    It was a sense of security that she couldn''t resist.


    She knew in her heart that this mix of fear, longing, and enjoyment was pathological, but she couldn''t resist it.


    She hid in the bathroom for half an hour before leaving and then saw that Lu Heng was already lying in bed, his eyes closed, not knowing whether he was asleep.


    She tiptoed to the window, sat on a chair with her knees hugged, and planned to spend the night that way.


    Lu Heng wasn''t sleeping; he was just resting with his eyes closed. When he heard the squeak of the chair, he said, "You can sleep on the bed; I can sleep on the floor."


    "No¡­ no need, I''m fine this way," Su Muyu shook her head, her voice tense.


    "Suit yourself," Lu Heng said, then began to drift off to sleep.


    In her heart, Su Muyu thought that if Lu Heng really wanted to do something, she probably wouldn''t resist.


    Moreover, she wasn''t sleepy. Staring out of the window, she was lost in thought, repeatedly recalling the incomprehensible events of the previous night until she felt as if her brain was about to fry.


    ...


    The next day.


    It was five-thirty in the morning and still dark.


    Someone knocked on the door loudly.


    Lu Heng quickly opened his eyes and went to open the door.


    Su Muyu, who hadn''t slept, also stood up quickly, anxiously watching towards the door.


    The person knocking was from the law enforcement team, who showed their credentials and took them for questioning.


    On the way to the Detective Bureau, Lu Heng and Su Muyu were placed in different vehicles to prevent collusion.


    Upon reaching the Detective Bureau.


    Both were arranged in separate interrogation rooms to give their statements.


    Usually, female students are the best breakthrough point as they can easily reveal useful information.


    Thus, Shao Feipeng from the Ningyun District Detective Bureau decided to interrogate Su Muyu himself, and to ease the suspect''s nerves, he arranged for a female colleague to take notes.


    Shao Feipeng said, "Last night, that is, at 9:45 PM on September 9th, where were you?"


    Su Muyu nervously picked at her fingernails, "The evening self-study ended at 9:40 PM; I should have just left the school gate."


    Shao Feipeng asked, "And then?"


    Su Muyu replied, "I ran into a classmate, and he pulled me into his car."


    These events occurred just outside the school, where there were cameras, so this part couldn''t be lied about.


    The reason the law enforcement team could find Su Muyu so quickly was that they had accessed this surveillance footage.


    Shao Feipeng prompted, "Continue."


    Su Muyu said, "He said he was taking me somewhere, I was a bit scared and didn''t want to go, so I got out of the car."


    Shao Feipeng asked, "Where did you get out?"


    Su Muyu answered, "Near Mujing Road."


    Shao Feipeng''s expression grew serious, sensing that things were not as simple as he had anticipated, because there were no security cameras near Mujing Road.


    Narrowing his eyes slightly, he took out a photo of Lu Heng, held it up, and asked, "What is your relationship with this person?"


    Su Muyu: "We were classmates."


    Shao Feipeng: "Just classmates?"


    Su Muyu pouted, her face flushed with embarrassment, and mumbled while fiddling with the corner of her clothing, "He never said there was anything else, how would I know..."


    The female officer taking notes beside her couldn''t help but snort with laughter at Su Muyu''s innocent expression.


    ...


    After interrogating Su Muyu, Shao Feipeng found her responses to be impeccably perfect, with no loopholes.


    Leaving the interrogation room, Shao Feipeng asked someone to bring Su Muyu''s records, and then he saw her report card, which was nearly all top ten in her grade.


    He then realized that the girl he had just interrogated had a very high IQ and wasn''t going to be an easy breakthrough.


    There was no breakthrough with the girl.


    Shao Feipeng proceeded to another interrogation room to question a male suspect.


    Shao Feipeng: "Where were you at 9:50 PM on September 9th, last night?"


    Lu Heng: "I was at a budget hotel."


    Shao Feipeng: "And then what happened?"


    Lu Heng: "I received a call from a classmate, and then I rode my motorcycle to pick her up."


    Shao Feipeng: "Pick up who?"


    Lu Heng pointed to the wall on his right: "Su Muyu, she should be in the adjacent interrogation room, right?"


    Shao Feipeng: "Where did you pick her up?"


    Lu Heng: "Near Mu Jing Road, I guess."


    Shao Feipeng: "And then what? Where did you guys go?"


    Lu Heng: "I took her to He Di Road for a ride and then returned to the hotel."


    Shao Feipeng: "What did you do when you got back to the hotel?"


    Lu Heng: "Do you really need to ask? Sir, haven''t you ever rented a room before?"


    Shao Feipeng''s face darkened and he asked, "What time did you get back to the hotel?"


    Lu Heng: "Around¡­ 11 PM, I think. I didn''t really pay attention to the time."


    At this point in the questioning,


    a senior detective walked in holding a report, whispering to Shao Feipeng,


    "We checked the hotel surveillance, and the two returned to the hotel at 10:58 PM. Also, we found an eyewitness at the crime scene.


    "A taxi driver passing by the abandoned factory saw a fire and went to investigate. He then saw someone attempting to burn a body to destroy evidence.


    "The dashcam in his taxi captured the scene, and there was indeed a figure at the crime scene.


    "The dashcam showed the time was 10:55 PM; it would be impossible in three minutes to get from the abandoned factory back to the budget hotel."


    Based on the timing, Lu Heng and Su Muyu had a perfect alibi.


    However, Shao Feipeng still felt there was something off about this young man.


    He slammed his fist on the table and barked, "Confess! Gong Chusheng is in the hospital, and he said you killed someone!"


    A playful gleam crossed Lu Heng''s eyes as he thought: How can he talk if he''s reduced to ashes?


    But that was something he couldn''t say aloud.


    Lu Heng adopted a look of shock and countered loudly, "What do you mean, killed someone? I thought you came to the hotel for a prostitution sting?"


    Shao Feipeng''s face darkened once more as he covered his forehead, restraining the urge to swear.


    He was a detective inspector. Hotel raids had been off his duty list for over twenty years.


    He was feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of this case involving four deaths, two of whom came from extremely influential families.


    His superiors had ordered him to solve the case quickly.


    He had thought catching this couple would lead to a swift resolution, but it turned out to be vastly different from what he had expected.

 Chapter 6 - 6 Come over, kiss me!

    Having discovered an alibi, he should have been released immediately.


    However, Gong Chusheng''s family held a lot of power and kept pressuring the law enforcement team.


    Even with the alibi, Lu Heng ended up detained for half a day and was not released until noon.


    Since it was the weekend, Su Muyu headed home after being released.


    The two parted ways at that point.


    Watching her retreating figure, Lu Heng thought about how her life had changed and that there might be no more intersections in their paths.


    In his previous life, Su Muyu had jumped off a rooftop, paralyzing her lower body and ruining her life.


    That was what had led to their later meeting and becoming teammates.


    In this life, Su Muyu had not broken her legs, and the ones who had wanted to insult her had vanished from the world, so her life would not be as rough as it was in the past.


    With her academic performance, she could get into a very good university.


    If she could awaken in the future, her achievements would likely be higher than in her last life.


    From the moment he saved her, the butterfly effect had begun.


    Moreover, their emotions were misplaced.


    In Lu Heng''s heart, Su Muyu was a partner he had fought alongside, to the point where he almost crossed the boundary of friendship.


    But to the current Su Muyu, Lu Heng was just a classmate she hadn''t known for long, who might not even count as a friend in her heart.


    So, Lu Heng didn''t know if their paths would cross again, but whatever the future held, he hoped she would have a good life.


    ¡­


    The next two days were the weekend, and Lu Heng stayed at the express hotel, focusing on practicing the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    [Practice in swordsmanship yields insight, Sword Technique Proficiency +1]


    [Practice in swordsmanship yields insight, Sword Technique Proficiency +1]


    He had practiced the Step Sword Seven Styles for many days, and his Sword Technique Proficiency at the second realm, the Master Level, had reached (1895/2000), not far from advancing to a higher realm.


    By Sunday dinner time,


    Lu Heng went downstairs to look for somewhere to eat, but at the hotel entrance, he encountered Su Muyu.


    She stood there with a backpack on her shoulders and a lunch box in her hands.


    Seeing Lu Heng come out, she raised her hand to greet him but seemed a bit timid.


    Lu Heng walked over and asked calmly, "What''s the matter?"


    Su Muyu held up the lunch box and said, "I brought some dumplings for you, if you haven''t eaten yet¡­"


    "Come up," Lu Heng turned and went upstairs.


    Once they entered the room, Su Muyu touched the lunch box, still warm, quickly opened it, set it on the table, and even served some vinegar on a dish.


    Lu Heng picked up a dumpling, dipped it in vinegar, and ate it slowly.


    Tasting the dumplings, a trace of a smile emerged in Lu Heng''s eyes.


    It was the same as the flavor in his memory.


    If there was anything different, it was a touch of greenness.


    Although she hadn''t said it, Lu Heng knew she had made the dumplings herself, filling them generously, tastier than those bought outside.


    Su Muyu pointed to the dumplings in the lunch box and explained, "The white ones have a pork and cabbage filling, the green ones are chive-flavored, and this one has a pork and mushroom filling¡­"


    "Have you eaten?" Lu Heng asked after eating nearly half the box of dumplings.


    Su Muyu shook her head, "Not yet¡­"


    Dumplings wouldn''t taste good once they cooled, so she brought them over as soon as they were made.


    Lu Heng handed her the chopsticks, "I''m full, you eat the rest."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips, revealing a slight smile, took the chopsticks, and began to eat quietly.


    Although it was just a meal of dumplings, it was more lavish than her usual meals.


    After she finished eating, Lu Heng finally addressed the real issue:


    "About the incident the day before yesterday, you don''t have to feel indebted to me; you''ve already repaid this favor. If you have ideas of repaying me, there''s really no need, you can act as though nothing happened."


    Su Muyu was looking down, fidgeting with the fabric of her clothes, and after a long while, she asked, "Can I ask you a few questions?"


    "Ask," Lu Heng nodded.


    "That night, the black monster that appeared, was it real? At that time, my mind was a mess, and I might have hallucinated." Su Muyu hadn''t been able to find a scientific basis to explain what happened that night in the days since she returned home.


    Lu Heng calmly replied, "It was real."


    Su Muyu''s gaze sharpened, and her breathing began to quicken, "What kind of monster was that?"


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment and asked, "From this moment on, can you keep what I tell you a secret? Unless I agree, you can''t disclose it to a third person."


    Su Muyu nodded seriously, "Okay."


    With anyone else, Lu Heng definitely would not have revealed these secrets.


    But Su Muyu was different; she was a teammate he could entrust his back to, so there was an added trust from the future.


    Organizing his thoughts, Lu Heng began to answer her questions:


    "That black monster is called a Shadow Demon, a type of demon from the Abyss Plane.


    "Now, these things are appearing all over the world, but the numbers are still small, and the official reports are being suppressed, so it hasn''t drawn widespread attention."


    If someone had told her these things three days ago, she would have thought they were insane.


    Now, she knew that what Lu Heng was saying was true.


    Su Muyu thought for a moment and continued to ask, "The case with Gong Chusheng, will it lead back to us in the future?"


    Lu Heng shook his head slowly, "It''s hard to say; his family has a strong background, so there might still be trouble. But you don''t need to worry. If you don''t want to be involved anymore, just go back and focus on your studies.


    "Whoever asks you in the future, just say you don''t know. I guarantee that even if this case is investigated, it will only trace back to me, and it won''t implicate you."


    Su Muyu''s expression staggered, she looked down somewhat sadly, "I... I didn''t mean that... This whole thing started because of me; you''re the one being dragged down by me."


    Before his rebirth, Lu Heng and she were teammates, fighting side by side, in life-and-death situations.


    In this life, Lu Heng was also willing to continue being teammates with her, but her life experiences had changed, and she might not desire that kind of life on the blade''s edge.


    Last time, she had no choice, but in this life, she had the opportunity to choose.


    Therefore, Lu Heng would not force her down the same path.


    After considering for a moment, Lu Heng asked, "You came to find me, was it just to bring me dumplings, or is there something else?"


    "I... I..."


    Su Muyu was hesitant, finally bowing her head and saying, "I don''t know, but when I see you, my heart doesn''t feel so panicked."


    After all, the case with the four people including Gong Chusheng started because of her, so she had been extremely nervous all weekend, worried that law enforcement might suddenly show up at her door. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It wasn''t until she saw Lu Heng at the hotel entrance that her restless heart found a bit of peace.


    After a moment, Lu Heng said, "I will also ask you a few questions, answer me honestly."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded.


    "First question, if you encounter the kind of monster from the other night again, will you be afraid?"


    "If I''m alone, I will be afraid. But if you''re also there, I probably won''t be as scared."


    "Second question, if I take you to find that kind of monster, would you dare to go?"


    Su Muyu was stunned for a moment, then after hesitating for a while, she nodded and answered, "I dare!"


    "Third question, can you absolutely obey orders? Without questioning the reason or the outcome, just do whatever you''re told."


    The request was actually a bit excessive.


    However, Su Muyu didn''t hesitate much before nodding in agreement, "I can."


    Seeing her answer so straightforwardly, Lu Heng was a bit surprised and then gave an excessive command, "Come here, kiss me."


    Hearing this command, Su Muyu was instantly stunned, her face flushing red.


    "What?"


    "Don''t ask why, just obey," Lu Heng emphasized again.


    Su Muyu''s inner turmoil was evident as she nervously fidgeted with her clothes, breathing sharply, but still leaned in, slowly closing her eyes...


    Lu Heng watched her face draw closer, saw her eyelashes tremble slightly when she closed her eyes, and noticed her lips quivering with tension.


    Seeing her inner struggle, Lu Heng found it amusing, but he let her off, "I was just joking."


    Like receiving a pardon, Su Muyu''s chest heaved violently, gasping for air.


    Just a moment ago, her heart had been pounding wildly, the little deer in her chest nearly leaping out.

 Chapter 7 - 7 Awaken

    Seeing Su Muyu really come close, Lu Heng noticed some changes in her character compared to her previous life.


    In her previous life, Su Muyu, though gentle, would have definitely refused such an excessive request.


    After all, her life had taken a 180-degree turn, and it was normal for her character to change after avoiding such a tragic fate.


    The current Su Muyu was more lively and more naive, which was a good thing.


    "You go back to school first. After the evening self-study is over, come and find me."


    Since Su Muyu was willing to obey orders, Lu Heng decided to help her awaken ahead of time.


    ...


    At 9:40 p.m., evening self-study ended.


    Su Muyu arrived at the budget hotel on time and knocked on the door.


    Before coming, she had taken a shower, put on new clothes, neatly combed her hair into a ponytail at the back of her head, and wore a blue hair clip on her forehead, holding back her bangs to reveal her forehead, which made her look even more delicate and lovely.


    However, she did not wear makeup because she didn''t have any cosmetics and if one was good-looking enough, makeup could be counterproductive.


    Lu Heng opened the door then walked back to his desk and sat down: "Come in, close the door."


    Su Muyu gently closed the door and then stood in front of Lu Heng, a bit nervous.


    "Take it off," Lu Heng said as he looked down and opened a drawer, as if making an offhand remark.


    "..."


    Su Muyu''s expression stiffened, and her face turned red once again. Hesitantly, she fumbled with the buttons of her top, unable to unbutton even one for a long time.


    Lu Heng took out an anti-stab vest from the drawer, handed it to her, and said, "Take off your jacket and try this on, see if it fits."


    Su Muyu then realized she had misunderstood and her face turned even redder. She quickly bent down, took off her outerwear, put on the anti-stab vest, and mumbled,


    "It fits... it fits quite well..."


    After that, Lu Heng took out a Demon Crystal Core and placed it on the table: "This is called a Demon Crystal Core, it can awaken humans into superpower users, but it comes with a great cost..."


    This Demon Crystal Core was the same one that Gong Chusheng took out before he died.


    Lu Heng was halfway through speaking when he stared into her eyes, and, after a moment, said: "Once you become a superpower user, every so often, you will be drawn into the Abyss Battlefield by a mysterious force unknown and fight against various Abyss Demons.


    "If you are defeated in battle, you will die.


    "So, think carefully about whether or not you want to use it. Once you decide, there is no turning back."


    Su Muyu''s chest rose and fell slightly and, after some serious thought, she asked, "If I choose not to become a superpower user, what do we do as the number of Abyss Demons increases?"


    Lu Heng explained to her in a calm tone the future of the human world after the Abyss Descent:


    "The more demons there are, the humans'' living space will be continuously reduced.


    "However, you can always live in the highest security level human cities.


    "As long as you keep yourself in a position of value, you can live safely for the rest of your life."


    Su Muyu furrowed her brows and pressed further, "What if one can''t always be of value?"


    "When all the power users who fight against the demons die, those without other value will be thrown by the upper rulers to combat the demons."


    Pausing for a moment, Lu Heng added, "Your grades are excellent. After getting into a good university, try to transfer into a major that studies the Abyss World, you should be able to secure residency in a highest security level base city as a scientific researcher."


    "What about you?" asked Su Muyu.


    "I am already a superpower user. I will continue to fight until I uncover the truth behind the Abyss Descent, or until I die in battle."


    This was the path Lu Heng had chosen for himself; no matter the outcome, he would have no regrets.


    In her heart, Su Muyu weighed the two options, and ultimately, she took that step forward: "If I choose to become a superpower user, will you take me with you?"


    Worried that Lu Heng might refuse, she hurriedly added, "I will give my all and try not to hold you back."


    She had already decided that if Lu Heng refused, then she would choose to go back to studying, then apply for a major that researches the Abyss World, seeking to secure a residency spot in the base city for her mother.


    In her heart, she felt there was a high chance that Lu Heng would refuse.


    After all, when facing life and death battles, females had inherent disadvantages.


    Lu Heng pushed the Demon Crystal Core towards her, his tone firm: "If you are willing, and from this moment forward, follow my orders. Whether we live or die together in the future, I will not abandon you."


    Su Muyu was stunned upon hearing this promise because it was a significant one.


    She even felt a little dazed. Despite having known Lu Heng for only a short time, she could hear the firmness in his voice, as though it were an unchanging oath.


    Logically, she felt this promise was too sudden, but she couldn''t help but want to believe it, even if it meant paying with her life.


    She slowly reached out her hand, picked up the Demon Crystal Core, and held it, staring at it.


    Imagining various possibilities in her mind, after a long time, she made a decision: "How do I use this?"


    "Crush it and absorb the energy inside."


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu did as she was told and squeezed the Crystal Core with her right hand, but she didn''t manage to crush it at once.


    "Use some force. These Demon Crystal Cores will disintegrate into energy when they reach a critical point of pressure," Lu Heng explained from the side.


    Su Muyu used both hands to grip the Crystal Core firmly, and finally, with a "puff," she crushed the Core.


    The Crystal Core shattered into tiny energy specks that drilled into her palm and flowed into her body.


    A surprised expression appeared on Su Muyu''s face, as if she had seen something incredible.


    "Do you see the data?" Lu Heng asked.


    Su Muyu was stunned for a good three seconds before she finally nodded slowly: "I see it. Is this an illusion?"


    "It''s not an illusion. All items and abilities from the Abyss Plane appear in the form of data," Lu Heng explained.


    Su Muyu''s mouth opened slightly in surprise, the astonishment clear in her expression: "This panel looks like a game."


    Indeed, like a game.


    Before his rebirth, someone had proposed the idea that the World Law of the Abyss Plane had been reshaped into the form of a game.


    However, this speculation had not been confirmed, nor could it be.


    "What is your Initial Talent?" Lu Heng tapped her forehead to bring her back to reality from her shock.


    "Summoned Creature Vision," Su Muyu read the name of the Talent from the data panel.


    "Indeed..."


    This Initial Talent was the same as in her previous life.


    Her Initial Talent had not changed with the changes in her life experiences.


    "How many Skill Slots?" Lu Heng continued to ask.


    "Five. My Attributes are Strength 7, Agility 8, Constitution 8, Spirit 11, Perception 12," Su Muyu reported all her data in one breath.


    Like in her previous life, Su Muyu had a single Talent, but she had an unusually high number of Skill Slots: five in total.


    According to Xia Country''s official statistics, the average number of Initial Skill Slots for a Superpower User upon awakening was 2.15.


    And Su Muyu had as many as five Initial Skill Slots, which was also why she could become a top Superpower User even while in a wheelchair.


    After reporting her data, Su Muyu asked uncertainly, "Is this data very poor?"


    "Well... Your Spirit and Perception are quite high; it''s normal for girls to be lower in Strength. As for the number of Skill Slots... you have a lot," Lu Heng evaluated. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu didn''t play games often, but she could understand the general effects by looking at the data on the panel: "What about my Talent? Judging by the name of this Talent, does it belong to the Reconnaissance type of ability?"


    "Right, it depends on whether you want to develop in the direction of the Perception System or not," Lu Heng did not want to limit her will.


    "I''ll listen to you." Su Muyu didn''t know which direction to develop in, but she knew what she wanted.


    After asking about the data, Lu Heng brought up the most critical question: "The most important point, does your data panel have a countdown for the Abyss Battlefield?"


    "Yes, the countdown is 1 hour 23 minutes 45 seconds," Su Muyu nodded, then asked, "What is this countdown for?"


    Hearing there was a countdown, Lu Heng was briefly taken aback because her summons countdown was the same as his own.


    Normally, the chance of being summoned to the Abyss Battlefield was not high.


    It was very rare for someone like Su Muyu, who had just awakened, with almost no preparation time, to be summoned.


    Lu Heng still had a little more than an hour left on his own countdown. He had originally planned to help her awaken first, then survive an Abyss Battlefield himself, and come back later to guide her.


    Unexpectedly, she was directly summoned.

 Chapter 8 - 8 The World Devoured by the Abyss

    "I told you earlier that after becoming a superpower user, every once in a while, you will be pulled into the Abyss Battlefield by some unknown mysterious force. This countdown is the time before entering the Abyss," Lu Heng explained her confusion.


    Su Muyu immediately felt anxious. She wasn''t ready yet, but the countdown was only 1 hour and 23 minutes away: "I... I''m not ready yet. What should I do after I enter?"


    Lu Heng checked his own countdown and calmed her nervous emotions, "Don''t panic, our countdowns are the same, so we will enter the same Abyss Battlefield."


    Hearing they would enter the Abyss together, Su Muyu felt much more at ease, at least she wouldn''t be dying alone in some unknown corner.


    The next words from Lu Heng made Su Muyu tense again: "However, it''s not certain that we''ll appear in the same location, so remember what I''m about to say.


    "Every time the Abyss Gate opens, multiple superpower users are transported into the battlefield.


    "That means, where you appear, there should be other human superpower users.


    "If there are, try your best to form an alliance with someone and figure out a way to survive until I find you."


    Su Muyu nodded vigorously, "Okay!"


    Lu Heng continued, "Next, I''m going to talk about some of the rules of the Abyss World. I''ll say whatever comes to mind, and you try your best to remember everything. Once you enter, find a way to use these rules to survive..."


    Time ticked away second by second, finally reaching the last few seconds of the countdown.


    Lu Heng had told her all the survival methods he could think of, and finally held her hand, hoping to appear in the same location as her.


    Countdown 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second...


    The two looked at each other and slowly closed their eyes.


    In the darkness, a series of data prompts emerged.


    [Transporting to Abyss World ¦Á60810...]


    [Danger Level: Level 3]


    [Introduction: A city swallowed by the Abyss, being within the city will be affected by an unknown presence, and any life from outside the Abyss wishing to survive here is indulgent.]


    [Battlefield Mode: Desert Escape Killing]


    [Main Quest]


    [1. Open the iron cage, escape from the hunting ground of the Horned Demon Commander.]


    [2. Survive for 3 days in the ruined city.]


    [3. Maintain a clear mind before the time ends.]


    [Challenge Task]


    [1. Kill 100 Abyss demons.]


    [2. Find the castle hidden within the ruined city.]


    [3. Kill the Horned Demon Commander.]


    [Horned Demon Commander''s feeding countdown 30 minutes...]


    Lu Heng''s heart dropped when he saw the danger level was Level 3.


    The higher the danger level of the Abyss World you enter, the higher the mortality rate.


    Normally, superpower users entering the Abyss Battlefield for the first time should be at Danger Level 1, with a small probability of being Level 2.


    Now the danger level jumped directly to Level 3, which for a group of inexperienced human superpower users, basically meant a group wipeout.


    Moreover, the battlefield mode is also terrible, "Desert Escape Killing."


    This meant that there was at least one very terrifying Abyss Demon in this Abyss World, so frightening that there was no way to confront it.


    Humans could only run; there was no chance of fighting back.


    ...


    As his vision slowly returned, Lu Heng hurriedly observed his surroundings, looking for Su Muyu.


    At that moment, his arm was grabbed by a pair of anxious hands, and Su Muyu''s voice sounded in his ear: "Thank goodness we''re together."


    Lu Heng turned back and gave her a reassuring look, then began to observe the surrounding environment.


    Their arrival brought them to a deserted city, the city filled with a thick fog, with many high-rise buildings faintly visible, proof that the city had once flourished.


    But now it was devoid of life, the buildings blighted with signs of decay.


    Lu Heng reached out and tugged at the iron bars he was leaning against, discovering that both he and Su Muyu were locked in an iron cage.


    The cage was located inside an abandoned building, on the seventh floor.


    The entire building was missing its outer walls, covered in signs of decay, probably the result of the glass exteriors being destroyed, making it look as it is now.


    Inside the iron cage, besides Lu Heng and one other, there were eighteen more people.


    A total of twenty participants made for an awful number.


    The more the participants, the higher the danger; most of them would end up as cannon fodder, food for the demons.


    The other eighteen Superpower Users gradually woke up and began to cautiously observe one another.


    No one, including Lu Heng, was carrying any weapons.


    At the end of the countdown, Lu Heng had been holding a Han Sword, but now his hands were empty.


    As expected, weapons could not be brought in.


    Fortunately, Su Muyu still had an anti-stab vest on her.


    This was a classic example of exploiting the rules; although the anti-stab vest offered some protection, its defensive power was not especially high, causing it to be judged as clothing by the world''s rules and thereby preserved. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng had no memory of this Abyss World; the world number ¦Á60810 said it all.


    Even for Reborns, it was impossible to have experienced every Abyss World.


    Of course, while the Abyss Worlds entered differ, many commonalities still exist.


    For example, the battle mode, the style of tasks, and the experience of surviving in the Abyss World.


    ...


    After briefly observing, a bald, muscular man wearing a black vest stood up and said loudly,


    "Everyone here is a Superpower User, as is obvious from our being here.


    "The 30-minute countdown on the task panel is our time to form alliances.


    "To survive, we must unite and face the demons together; only then is there a chance to live until the end.


    "My name is Hu Biao, I used to practice fighting, and I doubt there''s anyone here who can outfight me. So, those who want to join me, bring your sincerity and talk to me."


    Having said his piece, he sat down to find a place.


    The others exchanged looks before a thug-looking blond was the first to approach, directly addressing him as boss,


    "Boss Biao, take me in, I can fight well, and I''m loyal too."


    Lu Heng was somewhat surprised when he saw this blond,


    Because this blond was the one he had encountered on the beach the night of the meteor shower, unexpectedly, he too had Awakened.


    But just one glance at the blond made it clear he was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, seeing Hu Biao as the most powerful here, he immediately approached to call him boss. Extremely typical.


    As for such a person claiming to be loyal, even a dog would laugh at the claim.


    Of course, people like the blond have their ways of surviving.


    If Hu Biao was smart enough, he would accept his allegiance.


    Because with the first person joining, others would follow suit.


    As expected, Hu Biao, without even inquiring about the blond''s abilities, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Good, welcome aboard. Any other brothers willing to join? I promise I''ll do my best to keep everyone alive."


    With one came the second, and then more and more people surrounded Hu Biao, eagerly presenting their abilities and showcasing their value.


    Among the twenty participants, there were three women.


    Apart from Su Muyu, the other two gathered around Hu Biao, seeking protection.


    Hu Biao did ask about the abilities of these people but did not reject any, accepting all of them into his group and having everyone listen to his arrangements.


    A male youth with unimpressive combat power and a student''s demeanor sought team recognition through his intellect, analyzing the environment and task:


    "Our transport here is very much like some kind of game, and the mode is Desert Escape Killing.


    "It sounds dangerous, but if the Abyss Battlefield is a game, it surely isn''t a situation with certain death.


    "So, don''t be afraid, everyone. If we search carefully for clues, we''re bound to find a way to succeed."


    Lu Heng shook his head upon hearing this person''s analysis.


    Su Muyu asked quietly in Lu Heng''s ear, "Is he wrong?"


    Lu Heng replied, "The Abyss Battlefield is never just some game; it''s more like a world being devoured, resisting the Abyss."


    In truth, before being Reborn, humans were continuously exploring and researching the Abyss, trying to understand why it appeared, but no answer was found before the rebirth.


    The only certainty was that the Abyss was engulfing humanity''s home world, Blue Star.


    As humans stepped into the Abyss and uncovered more of its hidden secrets, a terrifying reality emerged.


    Blue Star was not the first world devoured by the Abyss and was likely not to be the last.

 Chapter 9 - 9 The Rules of the Game Set by This World: Desert Escape Killing

    From his appearance, Hu Biao was indeed one of the strongest among the 20 people, and he had learned fighting, so his combat power was truly strong.


    As a result, of the remaining 19 people, 14 gravitated towards Hu Biao, already forming a group.


    The rest, if they didn''t join the group, could easily become isolated.


    Su Muyu was a little worried and whispered in Lu Heng''s ear, "Should we join them?"


    Lu Heng shook his head and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Joining them is useless, the mode of this round is Desert Escape Killing. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "When the Horned Demon Commander appears, everyone will have to run for their lives; the more people clump together, the quicker they will die."


    Without the experience from his past life, Lu Heng probably would have joined Hu Biao''s team to discuss strategies for the Abyss Battlefield.


    However, because he had the experience from before his rebirth, some things were simply beyond the capacity of humans.


    Hu Biao''s previous offer to recruit people was indeed tempting, aiming to keep everyone alive.


    Yet, in a 20-person scale Desert Escape Killing mode, it was impossible to achieve.


    The problem lay not with the Abyss Demons, but with the 20 people here.


    Twenty strangers were not capable of trusting each other.


    Nobody knew what kind of creatures had gathered here.


    Without mentioning others, there were two or three thuggish-looking individuals.


    Who knows, among us there might be criminals, vermin, or even "Demons" living among humans.


    When facing that Horned Demon Commander, one could be betrayed and attacked by a teammate at any moment; under such circumstances, forming an alliance had no meaning.


    Lu Heng had seen with his own eyes, in the Desert Escape Killing mode, some Superpower Users, in order to survive, had broken other people''s legs.


    Because there was a treacherous survival law in the Escape Killing mode: to survive, you didn''t necessarily have to run faster than the Demons, but you definitely had to run faster than the other people.


    Lu Heng scanned the 15 members of Hu Biao''s team and saw that nearly half of them were no good.


    "What do we do then?" Su Muyu began to get anxious.


    Lu Heng began to arrange their escape strategy:


    "The danger level in this world is too high, we need to do everything we can to survive.


    "Once we leave the cage, we''ll go in a different direction from this group.


    "There''s a lot of junk piled in this building. After getting out, we''ll search through the piles to see if there''s any survival supplies.


    "The highest priority for supplies is medicine, then weapons, ropes, food, drinking water...


    "If someone fights you for the same item, immediately let them have it and run out of the building as quickly as possible."


    Lu Heng placed food and drinking water relatively lower in the priority of supplies.


    Generally speaking, in outdoor survival, water is the most important. But in the Abyss Battlefield, it''s not always the case; it depends on the situation.


    This time, the Abyss Battlefield was in Survival Mode, and the main objective was to survive for three days.


    Even if there were no food and water, there was hope to hold out for those three days.


    Of course, finding food and water would be even better.


    Time passed by every minute and every second.


    Lu Heng thought quickly, reminding Su Muyu of whatever came to mind, all for the sake of surviving.


    As for the challenge tasks on the mission board, they didn''t even consider them.


    It was the first time the Abyss Battlefield was opened, with 20 people and a danger level of 3.


    Lu Heng was all too familiar with these data; this was 99% going to result in a team wipeout.


    The 15 people with Hu Biao had already formed a group, leaving Lu Heng, Su Muyu, and three others who had not joined them.


    Among these three, two seemed to be quite capable, but in a world with a danger level of 3, they were still not enough.


    Hu Biao seemed to know that he was recruiting cannon fodder. Seeing that Lu Heng was whispering all along, he approached and initiated a conversation, "Brother, want to join us?"


    Lu Heng didn''t want to conflict with him and, pointing to Su Muyu, said in a friendly tone, "The two of us are together, afraid we might drag you down."


    Hu Biao glanced at Su Muyu and felt sure in his heart that Lu Heng would die because of a woman.


    If it were anywhere else, seeing such a pretty girl, flexing muscles and stepping in to protect her would be fine, but in a world where death could come at any moment, thinking with a small head was tantamount to seeking death.


    Hu Biao gave up on Lu Heng and turned to persuade another young man wearing rimless glasses, but he was unsuccessful as well.


    After a round of persuasion, the rest were unwilling to join.


    Hu Biao didn''t waste any more time and said to his recruited team:


    "Everyone listen to me, break into groups of three and scatter to find weapons. Rendezvous here in ten minutes.


    "Then, when we encounter Demons, follow my commands and attack together.


    "The dropped Demon Crystal Cores will be distributed by me. I will allocate the Crystal Core Skills best suited to everyone''s Talents and abilities."


    Hearing his arrangements, Lu Heng sighed undetectably.


    Hu Biao had formed the largest team, but they hadn''t yet started to address the problem of the cage.


    Lu Heng had no choice but to remind aloud, "Everyone, pay attention to the Horned Demon Commander''s feeding countdown. It would be best to open the cage before that time is up."


    "I''ve got this one¡ªlock picking is my forte," boasted the blond thug, eager to show off his skills. He flashed a sycophantic smile at Hu Biao, then produced a wire and walked over to try and pick the lock.


    He inserted the wire into the keyhole and started to fiddle with it.


    Beside him, a youth dressed in a hoodie, wearing rimless glasses, with an air of a scholar, tapped a spot on the cage that had been welded by flames and said, "Look closely and see what this is. Stop wasting time."


    Everyone looked in the direction the scholarly youth had indicated, and indeed, they saw that the cage door was welded shut. Even if they managed to pick the lock, the door couldn''t be opened.


    There were only 15 minutes left until the Horned Demon Commander''s feeding time, and time was running out.


    The sooner they opened the iron door, the safer it would be.


    So, Lu Heng had no interest in waiting for them to ponder a solution and directly offered one, "When I woke up just now, I saw a bottle of water hidden away, and outside the cage, there was a steel bar.


    "Find someone with the ability to retrieve objects from a distance, bring the steel bar inside then take off a garment, soak it with water, and use the steel bar as a handle to twist the cage bars."


    Hu Biao looked around the group and demanded, "Who hid the water? Bring it out."


    The blond thug, nodding and bowing, pulled the bottle of water from his crotch and handed it to Hu Biao, "Brother Biao, I was actually saving it for you."


    Hu Biao didn''t say anything, pointed at the steel bar outside the cage and asked, "Who has the ability to retrieve objects from a distance? Bring the steel bar inside."


    The steel bar was about a meter and a half away from the cage, impossible to reach with an outstretched hand for an ordinary person.


    The scholarly young man walked to the edge of the cage and said, "I''ll give it a try."


    As he spoke, he extended his hand outside of the cage, trying to reach as close to the steel bar as possible, but his fingers were still 20 centimeters short.


    He held his breath and exerted himself with all his might.


    Suddenly, the steel bar twitched, inching a bit closer to his fingers.


    Once it was close enough, the pulling force increased, the bar moved faster, and finally, the scholarly youth grabbed it in his hand.


    Immediately after, Hu Biao, eager to assert his leadership, took off his sports vest and soaked it in water, then began to twist the bars of the cage.


    Once the cage bars were bent, they were wide enough for a person to slip through.


    Lu Heng was the first to order, "Let the girls go first. Everyone else line up, and move quickly¡ªno dawdling."


    The reason for letting the girls go first wasn''t due to any principle of priority, of course.


    Lu Heng was ensuring Su Muyu''s safety.


    Otherwise, if a demon appeared, it was likely that a stampede would occur inside the cage. Not only would Su Muyu be unable to push through the crowd and would end up at the back, but she might even get injured.


    Furthermore, letting Su Muyu out served another crucial purpose.


    Hu Biao took a look around; the floor was still relatively quiet. Wanting to show some gentlemanly conduct, he agreed with Lu Heng''s arrangement, "Let the girls go first, the rest line up."


    There were only three females among the twenty people. All three safely crawled out of the cage.


    Then, the rest of them began to line up to get out.


    After Su Muyu crawled out, she looked back at Lu Heng through the bars of the cage, visibly anxious.


    Lu Heng whispered a reminder, "Find supplies, and don''t stray from my line of sight."


    Actually, Su Muyu was a little scared, but she knew that being afraid was useless now. To survive, finding supplies was the most important thing.


    She immediately turned around and began to jog towards the piles of miscellaneous items on the floor, starting to search for something useful.


    Seeing this, the others inside the cage quickly prompted the two other women outside, "Go find stuff, find weapons!"


    Only then did the two women snap to their senses and hurriedly ran off to search for supplies.


    Next, as each person got out, they immediately rushed to start searching for weapons and supplies.


    Since Lu Heng and the scholarly youth weren''t part of Hu Biao''s team, and Hu Biao was guarding the exit, naturally, his team got priority to exit.


    Lu Heng and the scholarly youth were aware of this and didn''t argue with them.


    Starting infighting before any danger appeared would only make things worse.


    Hu Biao let all his team members out before letting the remaining four people go without lining up.


    With only four people left in the cage, they could all be out in a few seconds, so there was no need to fight over who went next.


    Lu Heng didn''t hesitate and promptly crawled out.


    The scholarly youth was the last one out and the moment he left the cage,


    A roar erupted from the building, followed by earthquake-like footsteps.


    A Horned Demon Commander, four meters tall and three meters wide with horns growing on its head, appeared.


    The Horned Demon Commander was incredibly muscular, looking like a giant gorilla with horns and a carapace.


    It roared in fury when it saw its food escaping the cage, prematurely jumping into its "dining room" and pouncing on the closest "meal."


    "Ah!"


    "Damn, what is this thing!"


    With the terrifying sight of the Horned Demon Commander, the Superpower Users immediately forgot their promises to unite against the enemy and turned tail to flee.


    Lu Heng recognized it as a High-Rank Demon with a Level over 20, the moment he saw the Horned Demon Commander appear.


    At this point in time, the Levels of human Superpower Users were generally only around 3 or 4; they had no chance of confronting this Horned Demon Commander.


    Not to mention 20 people¡ªeven 200 or 2,000 would at most only bloat the Horned Demon Commander to death.


    "Desert Escape Killing" mode had set the game rules from the beginning.

 Chapter 10 - 10 The Future of the Human World

    The Horned Demon Commander realized the iron cage filled with food was empty and ran towards it, swinging its strong forearm and with a "bang", sent the cage flying.


    Then it turned and pounced toward the nearest Superpower User, slashing down with one claw.


    Ah!


    Crack!


    This Superpower User was smashed with a single slap, the scream cut short as blood and flesh smeared the ground and walls around.


    Seeing this, the other Superpower Users were terrified, running frantically in all directions.


    Hu Biao saw his allies scattering like birds and beasts, knowing it was impossible to gather everyone now. While running, he shouted, "First, escape the building! Once out, head north. We''ll regroup there!"


    The scholarly-looking young man was the last to crawl out of the cage. When escaping, he calmly took the rebar with him.


    Lu Heng rushed towards Su Muyu, grabbed her hand, and ran, asking while moving, "What did you find?"


    "I grabbed a backpack and a rope. There was a dagger too, but someone else took it. I followed your advice and didn''t fight them for it." Su Muyu lifted the backpack to show Lu Heng the rope inside.


    "Good, let''s just get out first."


    Since everyone was on the 7th floor, it was impossible to jump out; hence, most Superpower Users ran towards the staircase.


    The Horned Demon Commander, using all four claws, lunged towards the staircase. With a swipe, it turned three people at the staircase into mincemeat.


    Boom!


    Screams of agony echoed through the building.


    Each scream signified another person being devoured by the Horned Demon Commander.


    Lu Heng, instead of running towards the staircase, dragged Su Muyu towards the edge of the floor.


    Having already witnessed death at the abandoned factory, Su Muyu was no stranger to it, but hearing such brutal screams still made her body uncontrollably tremble.


    Lu Heng pulled her to the edge of the floor and looked down.


    They were on the 7th floor, more than 20 meters above the ground.


    Lu Heng took a rope from the backpack and swung one end down toward the ground.


    The rope was only 10 meters long and not suitable for climbing, allowing them only to reach the 4th floor.


    Lu Heng made a quick decision, tied the rope to a pillar, and then wrapped a cloth around his palms three times, saying to Su Muyu, "Hold on tight."


    Su Muyu nodded vigorously and wrapped her arms around Lu Heng''s waist.


    Lu Heng released a Shadow Clone and then slid down the rope.


    Landing on the fourth floor, he leaped into the building.


    Then, he controlled the Shadow Clone on the 7th floor, preparing to untie the rope.


    At that moment,


    the scholarly-looking young man ran up, shouting while running,"Wait up! Let me slide down. Just give me two seconds; it won''t take long."


    As he spoke, he had already wrapped his palms with cloth.


    Having the cloth on his palms meant he wouldn''t tear his skin while sliding down the rope.


    Lu Heng, seeing his calm demeanor, allowed the Shadow Clone to pause for a moment.


    The scholarly young man quickly grabbed the rope and slid down.


    Once reaching the fourth floor, he immediately flipped into the building.


    Lu Heng quickly had his Shadow Clone untie the rope and throw it down, now tied to a pillar on the fourth floor.


    The rope dropped straight down to the ground.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu descended quickly, landing just as they heard the deafening roar of the Horned Demon Commander from behind the building.


    It seemed the Horned Demon Commander had noticed food escaping the building and was preparing to chase outside.


    Lu Heng immediately controlled the Shadow Clone to delay the Horned Demon Commander, but it was only for a few moments before the clone was destroyed.


    After landing, Lu Heng scanned around and chose a direction, then quickly pulled Su Muyu away.


    After sliding down, the scholarly-looking young man quickly caught up, expressing his thanks, "Thank you, my name is Chen Zihang. As a token of thanks, here is a weapon for defense."


    He then tossed an iron sword to Lu Heng, while he kept a firefighter''s axe in his hand.


    "Metal Element power?" Lu Heng thought of the way he had earlier manipulated the rebar from a distance, guessing his ability.


    "A bit of magnetic force," Chen Zihang explained casually.


    "Thanks." Lu Heng raised the iron sword in his hand and shook it, displaying its attributes.


    [Iron Sword]


    [Item Level: E]


    [Specifications: Length 130 cm, blade width 3.5 cm, weight 1.6 kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 10]


    [Evaluation: A weapon made of refined iron that causes sharp blade damage when attacking. It''s rather ordinary in quality and can be bought anywhere.] S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Having acquired the weapon, Lu Heng waved goodbye and then, along with Su Muyu, quickened their pace, rushing into the mist.


    The roars of the Horned Demon Commander still echoed from the building behind.


    ...


    The two of them sprinted until they could no longer hear the bellowing of the Horned Demon Commander, then they slowed down to catch their breath.


    Su Muyu pressed her hand against her chest, gasping heavily. Her chest heaved violently; running this far in one breath had exceeded her capacity.


    Seeing her expression, Lu Heng asked with concern, "Are you okay?"


    Su Muyu nodded and pulled her anti-stab vest tighter, "I''m fine, I''m just not used to so much exercise. I''ll recover in a bit."


    At that moment.


    A string of data suddenly appeared at the bottom of his eye.


    [Subjected to spiritual pollution from an unknown entity, Spiritual -1]


    [If Spirit drops to 0, you will go mad.]


    Seeing this prompt, Lu Heng exhaled, "Just as I thought."


    The data panel on the five-dimensional attributes now read: Strength 11, Agility 14, Constitution 11, Spirit (12/13), Perception 12.


    The original value of the Spiritual Attribute was 13, but due to the spiritual pollution from an unknown entity, it had dropped to 12.


    Su Muyu also saw the prompt and asked, "My Spiritual Attribute has decreased."


    Lu Heng looked up at the mist shrouding the entire city, feeling as if he could sense a terrifying presence hidden within it:


    "It''s spiritual pollution. No wonder the Danger Level of this world is Level 3."


    If it were just the Horned Demon Commander, the Danger Level should be Level 2, but with the ubiquitous spiritual pollution, it escalates to Level 3.


    "Since we were teleported here, about an hour has passed. Is it possible we lose 1 point of spirit every hour?" Su Muyu briefly estimated the time and came up with a rough calculation.


    Lu Heng nodded in confirmation, "Indeed, we lose 1 point every hour."


    Su Muyu frowned and said, "Then our spiritual power can last at most about ten hours, not three days."


    "So we need to find items that can resist spiritual pollution, or medicine that restores spiritual power, or perhaps..."


    Lu Heng paused, revisiting the task prompt for the Abyss Battlefield.


    The second Challenge Task states:


    [2. Find the castle hidden in the wasteland city.]


    This task didn''t appear out of nowhere; at the very least, it indicates that there is a castle hidden within the city''s mist.


    However, the nature of this castle is still uncertain.


    There might be dangers inside the castle, but there''s another possibility...


    Lu Heng voiced his speculation, "Perhaps, the castle mentioned in the challenge task might shield against spiritual pollution."


    As they spoke, they reached a building resembling a shopping mall.


    Su Muyu ran over and picked up a product package from the ground, staring at the text on it and turning back to say, "I can''t recognize any of these characters. Could it be the language of some obscure small country?"


    Lu Heng looked around at the surrounding buildings and said, "Perhaps it''s not some small country, but... another civilization."


    "Another civilization?" Su Muyu''s eyes widened, as this answer exceeded her original expectations.


    "The Abyss has swallowed more than one world; this city must be just one of the many worlds the Abyss has consumed," Lu Heng revealed this shocking secret.


    This secret was meant to be discovered by humanity a year after the Abyss Descent.


    The surprised expression on Su Muyu''s face showed she could already imagine what the Abyss Descent would bring to the human world.


    The current state of this wasteland city could very well be the future of the human world.

 Chapter 11 - 11 Skill: Scout Eagle

    "The Abyss World is far more terrifying than I imagined," Su Muyu exclaimed with a sigh.


    "Do you regret it?" Lu Heng looked into her eyes, trying to see if there was any sign of retreat in them, but he was also worried that she might indeed regret it.


    Su Muyu shook her head with a firm tone, "I had seriously considered it before I decided to follow you in here. Now that I''ve made my decision, I won''t regret it."


    While they were speaking, Lu Heng heard a "crack" sound of bone being snapped.


    Hush!


    Lu Heng made a silencing gesture and then began to tread lightly toward the direction of the sound.


    Turning the corner of the street, they saw a gray-black creature under the corner of a roof eave, gnawing on the bones of some unknown creature.


    Upon closer inspection, it was a stone gargoyle.


    Judging by its size, it appeared to be a Level 4 Stone Gargoyle.


    Lu Heng signaled for Su Muyu to hide, then circled around to make sure there were no other Abyss Demons nearby before he slowly drew his iron sword and approached.


    The stone gargoyle suddenly turned its head, noticed someone approaching, and immediately spread its wings, diving toward them.


    Lu Heng did not dodge or evade, charging directly at the stone gargoyle like an arrow released from its bow.


    With his "Agile as a Dragon" Trait, he pushed his agility to the extreme, leaping high into the air and concentrating the Power of thunder and lightning on his blade, chopping down with both hands firmly gripping his sword.


    The stone gargoyle turned back with a shrill screech, instantly hardening its skin to stone, and folding its wings together to block the sword''s light.


    Bang!


    The sword struck the stone gargoyle''s rocky skin, making a "bang" sound like that of striking granite.


    The stone gargoyle fell from the mid-air to the ground, rolling a few times, then quickly got up without having received any serious damage.


    Just as Lu Heng had predicted, this stone gargoyle''s defensive ability, among low-rank demons, was one of the highest, and its skin could turn to stone, making it highly resistant to elements such as fire, thunder, and frost.


    This meant that the "Thunder Weapon" posed very little threat to it, unable to inflict substantial damage.


    However, the stone gargoyle had a fatal weakness: once it petrified its skin, it would lose its ability to fly.


    So, it could be slowly whittled down to defeat.


    Lu Heng treated it as a practice session for the "Step Sword Seven Styles," chasing after the gargoyle, slashing more fiercely with each blow.


    The edge of the sword clashed against the petrified skin, sending sparks flying.


    Angered, the stone gargoyle let out a furious screech and swung its claws in retaliation.


    A Level 4 Stone Gargoyle had formidable combat power, with an average Attribute score reaching 13 points.


    Apart from agility, Lu Heng''s other Attributes were not as high as the gargoyle''s.


    However, this stone gargoyle lacked Spiritual system skills, meaning that mental and Perception Attributes had no impact on the battle.


    Only in Strength was there a slight gap.


    Armed with abundant combat experience and the Step Sword Seven Styles at the second-tier Sword Skill Realm, Lu Heng compensated for the lack of Strength.


    As he clashed in hard strikes, his Sword Technique Proficiency began to increase.


    "Engaged in sword technique combat, Sword Technique Proficiency +1."


    "Engaged in sword technique combat, Sword Technique Proficiency +1."


    Finally, after another slice, his Master Level Sword Technique Proficiency maxed out (2000/2000).


    "Master Level Sword Technique Training Perfect, stepping into the third Sword Skill Realm¡ªin-depth level."


    As the Sword Skill Realm improved, Lu Heng''s sword swung with a delicacy that showcased the subtle differences of his improved skill level.


    When he thrust the sword, it possessed the ferocity of a tiger leaping off a mountain.


    When he retracted the sword, the sword light flickered like thunder retreating.


    Lu Heng''s attacks grew increasingly swift, employing the most minute variations in force to deliver the most fearsome strikes.


    Pressured by the relentless attack, the stone gargoyle screeched in anger, trying to claw back amidst abandoning defensive maneuvers.


    Lu Heng seized the opportunity and swung his sword in a vertical chop.


    The sword''s blade shone with a crescent moon-like glow, striking the gargoyle''s shoulder and chipping away a piece of its rocky exterior.


    With a glitter in his eye, Lu Heng targeted the breach and thrust forward with the "Cloud Piercing Style," aiming for the gap.


    Sensing the impending danger, the agile gargoyle dodged to avoid the descending sword light.


    At an In-depth Level of swordsmanship, even as the sword tip reached the end of its thrust, it still had the capability to finely adjust the landing point of the blade''s light.


    Even though the gargoyle executed an evasive maneuver, Lu Heng still precisely stabbed into the gap of its rock skin.


    Pff!


    Ahh!


    A single thrust penetrated the gargoyle''s body, with the sword tip piercing out from its back.


    As he stabbed through the gargoyle''s body, Lu Heng activated his Thunder Weapon, and a wild torrent of thunder burst forth from within the gargoyle.


    The gargoyle emitted a series of piercing screams, desperately struggling and writhing until it turned to ash within the thunderous outburst.


    Lu Heng smoothly sheathed his sword with a clean and deft motion.


    The residual demon energy from the gargoyle condensed into a Demon Crystal Core.


    During Lu Heng''s battle,


    Su Muyu maintained her composure, knowing that she could not help against such a fearsome creature, and the right thing to do was to not become a burden.


    Thus, she picked up an Anti-riot Shield to hold in front of her, stood against the wall, positioning herself where the battle would not reach.


    Watching Lu Heng wield his sword in combat just before, her eyes gleamed with admiration, and she liked the feeling of standing behind him more and more.


    At that moment, she resolved to be his strongest support, to aid him in carving a path to the heavens amidst the apocalypse.


    After Lu Heng eliminated the gargoyle, he picked up the Demon Crystal Core from the ground and held it in his palm to check its attributes.


    Seeing this skill, a smile emerged at the corners of Lu Heng''s mouth.


    This skill was extremely practical and perfectly suited for Perception System superpower users; it could perfectly synchronize with Su Muyu''s Talent. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng turned back and gestured towards her, "Don''t just stand there dazed, come over and try to see if you can learn this skill."


    Absorbing a Skill Crystal Core only gave a chance to learn the skill; it wasn''t guaranteed.


    "Oh."


    Su Muyu replied obediently and hurried over in a few quick steps.


    Lu Heng tossed the crystal core to her, instructing, "Just like before, crush it and absorb the energy inside."


    This time, Su Muyu had experience, so she set down her shield, gripped the crystal core with both hands, and squeezed with all her might.


    The Crystal Core transformed into a string of energy, flowing from her palms into her body.


    "Try to control the energy, let it flow into your Skill Slot, and condense into an Energy Group," Lu Heng reminded her from the side.


    Su Muyu nodded, and following his instructions, she allowed the stream of energy to enter the first Skill Slot, slowly gathering into an energy group the size of a walnut.


    After the energy had gathered, she quickly checked her attribute panel and joyfully said, "I learned it; the skill is now on my panel."


    "Try out the skill effect," Lu Heng suggested.


    "Mhm."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to use the skill.


    A surge of energy burst from the Skill Slot, gathered along the blood vessels of her hands, and slowly coalesced into a 40-centimeter wingspan reconnaissance hawk.


    The semi-transparent reconnaissance hawk flapped its wings and took flight, circling in the air.


    Without needing Lu Heng to remind her, Su Muyu proactively closed her eyes and began trying her Initial Talent, the "Summoned Creature Vision."


    The moment she closed her eyes, her field of view shifted as if her eyes were on the reconnaissance hawk, allowing her to survey the ground from the sky.


    This feeling was so extraordinary, and she was completely immersed in this astonishing experience.


    She controlled the reconnaissance hawk, circling around herself and Lu Heng, her heart filled with happiness and a slight thrill.


    And at that moment,


    In her sight, she suddenly spotted something semi-transparent moving along the wall, emerging from an alleyway and lunging towards Lu Heng''s back.


    As it drew closer, she could see it more clearly¡ªthis entity had sharp, ferocious claws and vicious horns.


    Clearly, it was a demon.


    Su Muyu hurriedly threw herself towards Lu Heng, "Be careful!"


    The moment she embraced Lu Heng, her back was struck by a heavy blow, and she was sent flying away.

 Chapter 12 - 12 Invisibility Demon, Importance of Detection Ability

    Lu Heng felt Su Muyu''s back receive a fierce blow, and both of them were thrown out.


    But nothing was visible in their line of sight.


    Lu Heng''s gaze sharpened as he embraced Su Muyu and rolled on the ground twice. "How are you?"


    Su Muyu''s back was in pain, but she clenched her teeth and forced out two words, "Invis... invisibility..."


    Lu Heng hadn''t seen anything rush at them, but Su Muyu had definitely been attacked.


    Without her reminder, he had already guessed that an invisible demon had appeared.


    However, looking around, he couldn''t see it anywhere. He could only hold the iron sword in front of him and stay alert.


    "It''s coming..."


    Enduring the intense pain in her back, Su Muyu pointed towards the left.


    Lu Heng raised his sword to block to the left. With a "clang," he retreated half a step, immediately adjusted his stance, and swung his sword in a counterattack.


    But his sword only sliced through the air, hitting nothing.


    Invisible monsters were one of the most dangerous beings at the beginning of an Abyss Descent.


    Because when superpower users are at a low level, they basically don''t have the ability to detect invisibility, and encountering one usually means certain death.


    Fortunately, Su Muyu had now learned the skill of detecting invisibility and could detect the creature in advance.


    Lu Heng blocked the second attack of the invisible demon and noticed that this creature''s intelligence was very high.


    Because its second attack wasn''t aimed at him, but at Su Muyu.


    Once Su Muyu died, leaving them without the ability to detect invisibility, there would be absolutely no way to deal with this creature.


    Thus, Lu Heng always stayed by Su Muyu''s side, not daring to leave her for even a step.


    "How are you? Are your injuries severe?" Lu Heng quickly turned to look at her, noticing the large beads of sweat forming on her forehead.


    Su Muyu waved her hand, lacking the strength to speak. She clenched her teeth and directed the scout eagle to dive down.


    The scout eagle descended to two meters above the ground, then maintained that altitude and started to circle the area.


    Lu Heng immediately understood, Su Muyu was using the scout eagle to pinpoint the invisible demon''s location.


    Relying merely on pointing with fingers would only tell the approximate direction of the invisible demon, not the distance, making it hard to initiate an attack.


    However, using the scout eagle as a marker to lock onto the position of the invisible demon made things much simpler.


    Lu Heng glanced back at Su Muyu, seeing large beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. He knew she couldn''t hold out much longer and must end the battle quickly.


    "Hold on a little longer, I''m going to finish it off soon."


    Since the invisible demon relied on its invisibility, its physical attributes and strength wouldn''t be very high.


    Lu Heng held his sword horizontally and activated "Thunder Weapon." Streaks of thunder rose up along the blade, then he charged towards the position of the scout eagle.


    The scout eagle started darting left and right, appearing to dodge Lu Heng''s charge.


    Clearly, it wasn''t the scout eagle trying to dodge, but the invisible demon.


    A fierce gleam flashed in Lu Heng''s eyes as he approached the scout eagle and executed a "Zhenyue Style" chop.


    Clang!


    A powerful and heavy chop struck down, the sword blade penetrating something.


    Thunder roared out, rampaging across the body of the object.


    Amidst the blue electric currents, the form of a demon gradually became visible.


    It was indeed an invisible horned demon.


    Howl!


    The invisible horned demon let out a mournful shriek and raised its sharp claws to counterattack.


    But having lost its invisibility, it was no longer a threat to Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng dodged the claw strikes, smoothly withdrew his iron sword, and swung again, slicing it into two.


    [Killed the Invisible Horned Demon, absorbed 40 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Demon Energy strengthened energy level, Source Energy Level increased to Level 4, All Attributes +1, Agility Attribute additionally +0.3]


    The Invisible Horned Demon turned to ashes amongst the thunder and flames, and the remaining energy condensed into a Demon Crystal Core.


    Judging by the concentration of color, it was no ordinary Demon Crystal Core.


    Lu Heng picked it up to check its attributes.


    [Invisibility Veil Crystal Core: Absorbs the energy of the Crystal Core with a chance to learn the "Invisibility Veil" skill.]


    [Invisibility Veil: Releases energy that covers objects, making them optically invisible. Skill consumption: 3 Source Energy points/minute. Skill level: D.]


    ...


    Today was a lucky day, with another Skill Crystal Core appearing.


    Moreover, among the many invisibility skills, the "Invisibility Veil" was one of the most practical.


    However, there was no time to study this skill now because Su Muyu was seriously injured.


    Lu Heng quickly picked her up and left the area.


    "Is my back broken? Am I going to be in a wheelchair forever..." The impact that Su Muyu had blocked for Lu Heng had hit her spine, and she was already in excruciating pain.


    She suspected her spine might be broken, which would mean paralysis of the lower body.


    Hearing her words made Lu Heng''s heart sink.


    Could he really not change her fate of being wheelchair-bound for the rest of her life despite saving her once?


    "No! Try moving your toes." Lu Heng''s tone was a bit tense.


    Following his instructions, Su Muyu tried to move her toes and responded, "It seems like I still can."


    "Then it''s fine, if the toes can move, it means the spinal nerves aren''t damaged." Lu Heng let out a sigh of relief, and entered a shop that looked like a pharmacy in the foggy city to look for medication for external injuries.


    Lu Heng set her on a chair and let her lean forward to inspect the injury on her back.


    Her anti-stab vest had been torn open, showing the severity of the impact.


    If it weren''t for the vest, her back might have been pierced.


    Lu Heng took off her anti-stab vest and saw that her back clothing was stained red with a large patch of blood. Upon lifting the clothes, he finally saw the wound.


    It was a deep but not overly large wound caused by the impact of the Horned Demon''s horn, and blood was still seeping out.


    Checking the wound, Lu Heng said, "It hasn''t reached the bone; I will help you stop the bleeding first."


    As Lu Heng applied the medicine, Su Muyu trembled from the pain, her fists clenched tight, trying not to cry out.


    She didn''t forget to release a scouting eagle to keep watch, worried about any dangerous creatures that might be nearby.


    After all, the smell of blood could attract bloodthirsty beasts.


    Lu Heng efficiently bandaged her wound with a gauze and then helped her up.


    ...


    After stopping the bleeding, Su Muyu gradually recovered, looking less pale.


    A gargoyle had just been killed nearby, and the smell of blood might attract even more terrible creatures.


    So, Lu Heng carried her on his back and continued on their way.


    As the sky grew darker and Su Muyu, weakened from her injury, lay limp on Lu Heng''s back.


    Nonetheless, she still controlled the scouting eagle, sending it high into the air to scout and try to understand the layout of the city.


    "It''s getting dark, we need to find a place to rest, and if we could find the castle from the challenge task, that would be great. I think the castle might shield us from spiritual pollution." As Lu Heng spoke, another warning of spiritual pollution appeared, reducing his spiritual power by 1 point.


    Su Muyu had already been looking for a suitable place to rest.


    She knew well how dangerous it was to be injured in such an environment.


    Not wanting to become a burden, they needed to find a shelter where they could hide from the demons.


    Soon, using Summoned Creature Vision, she spotted a strange terrain formation in the sky.


    The terrain was circular with a depressed center and raised surroundings, and it looked less like it was man-made and more like it had been formed by a huge meteorite.


    Controlling the scouting eagle, she flew closer, and under the Detecting Invisibility skill, she finally spotted a castle barely visible in the crater.


    "I... I think I found the castle," said Su Muyu excitedly.


    Lu Heng''s eyes lit up, and he quickened his pace in the direction she was pointing.


    S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 13 - 13: Hidden Quest Series, Aurora Blade

    Lu Heng, carrying Su Muyu on his back, walked towards the castle, reminding her as they hurried along, "Before we get close, confirm first whether there''s any danger in the castle."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded and agreed, controlling the reconnaissance hawk to fly close for observation.


    The conjecture that the castle could block out spiritual pollution was just Lu Heng''s guess, so whether there was danger inside the castle was still an unknown.


    However, as they approached the castle and saw its familiar shape, Lu Heng instantly felt at ease.


    Because this castle looked very familiar.


    If there was not a second castle exactly like this one in the Abyss World, then this castle should be named Quenching Castle, a place where one could enhance weapons and improve their attributes.


    Only, the Quenching Castle from his memories was not supposed to be in this location.


    But now was not the time to worry about that.


    Carrying Su Muyu, Lu Heng approached, and the ancient gates of the castle slowly opened.


    Looking at the uniquely styled architecture before her, Su Muyu''s eyes were filled with surprise and curiosity.


    Lu Heng, on the other hand, was calm, with memories related to this castle surfacing in his mind.


    Passing through the gate, they entered the castle''s forecourt. In the center of the forecourt was a wide stone path, flanked by unknown plants.


    Some of the plants were even moving, looking very much like Cannibal Flowers.


    At that moment.


    A little person wearing a black cloak and a cat-face mask came out of the castle, approached the two, and made "gurgle" sounds.


    This was probably some kind of language, but neither of the two could understand it.


    Lu Heng was experienced in these situations and took the initiative to greet, "Hello, we''re travelers passing by, hoping to rest in the castle for a while."


    Upon hearing this, the little person immediately switched to a language the two could understand, "Welcome to Quenching Castle; you may call me Gulu."


    This self-proclaimed "Gulu," the little person, was only one meter twenty in height, and was completely wrapped in a cloak and mask, so their face was not visible.


    In fact.


    For those entering Quenching Castle for the first time, seeing his face might give them quite a shock.


    Because this one-meter twenty creature was not human, but an Abyss Species.


    There is more than one species in the Abyss Plane, as Blue Star has more than just humans.


    Not all Abyss Creatures begin by fighting with humans.


    There are also intelligent species that can coexist peacefully with humans.


    This Gulu was one of the more special ones, belonging to a subspecies of the Black Iron Dwarfs from the Abyss.


    At this point in time, other Superpower Users were still unaware of the origins of Quenching Castle.


    Lu Heng knew some of the related secrets.


    Originally, Quenching Castle was a fortress in the Abyss Plane that had angered an Abyss Demon King.


    In order to evade the wrath of the Abyss Demon King, Quenching Castle actively detached from the Abyss Plane and hid in a crevice of the overlapping space between Blue Star and the Abyss during a space overlap.


    Once Quenching Castle hid within the overlapping space, Superpower Users could enter it from Blue Star.


    In order to establish itself on Blue Star, Quenching Castle also offered Weapon Quenching services to human Superpower Users, adding energy attributes to their weapons.


    And this little person in front of them was the Quenching Master of Quenching Castle.


    Recalling these things, Lu Heng immediately thought of a possibility: Could it be that Quenching Castle had not yet escaped from the Abyss?


    Since Gulu stood quite close, Su Muyu''s sharp sense of perception had already detected that the other party was not human.


    Therefore, she was very nervous, constantly shaking Lu Heng''s clothes on his back to warn him about this.


    Lu Heng was not the least bit nervous and proactively inquired, "May we rest in the castle? Of course, as a token of gratitude, I am willing to assist Quenching Castle with anything within my capability."


    As soon as Gulu heard that Lu Heng was willing to help, he was immediately delighted, "Of course, I have much need of your assistance. You may rest in the castle first."


    "What do you need help with? I can prepare in advance," Lu Heng followed up with a question.


    "Indeed, Quenching Castle is currently lacking in some materials; if you could find them for us, that would be wonderful," Gulu said, starting to list several materials that Quenching Castle needed.


    At that moment.


    A task prompt popped up on the panels of the two.


    [Triggered Series of Hidden Quests: The Crisis of Quenching Castle]


    [Quest 1: Collect Narnia Crystals]


    [Content: Due to the use of an unstable space crystal, Quenching Castle experienced a mishap when detaching from the Abyss Plane and fell into a world consumed by the Abyss. Now Gulu hopes you can collect enough Narnia Crystals to act as a space stabilizer.]


    [Reward: Gulu''s Thank-you Gift]


    [Task 2: Collect Flame Assistance Ore]


    [Content: Quenching Castle needs a large amount of Flame Assistance Ore, and Gulu hopes you can collect enough Flame Assistance Ore to provide fuel for Quenching Castle.]


    [Reward: Gulu''s Thank-you Gift]


    Upon seeing the tasks, Lu Heng then asked, "These Narnia Crystals are very precious, usually guarded by demons. I currently don''t have a handy weapon. Can Quenching Castle help quench my weapon?"


    Based on past experience, "Gulu''s Thank-you Gift" usually meant a free weapon quenching.


    Sometimes, by communicating, one could take an advance on the reward to enhance fighting capabilities before going to collect the required items.


    Gulu spread his hands and said, "Right now, Quenching Castle doesn''t have the surplus energy to start the Quenching Furnace. However, you can take a look at my arsenal. If there is something suitable, you can borrow it for your use." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng''s eyes lit up upon hearing this.


    He had originally wanted to quench his iron sword to improve its item level slightly.


    Unexpectedly, the result was better than anticipated; he could actually go to Quenching Castle''s arsenal to pick something out.


    With a bit of thought, he understood why.


    Quenching Castle was currently in trouble and needed help. At such a time, it was natural to offer better rewards.


    Thus, Lu Heng and another followed Gulu to Quenching Castle''s weapon storeroom.


    The storeroom was filled with a variety of strange weapons.


    Some of these weapons were as small as toothpicks while others were as large as the clubs of giants.


    Lu Heng ran his hand over these weapons, checking their attributes.


    Finally, his gaze settled on a longsword.


    [Aurora Blade]


    [Item Level: C-level]


    [Specifications: Length 132 centimeters, blade width 3.6 centimeters, weight 1.6 kilograms]


    [Attributes: Attack Power 30]


    [Evaluation: A weapon forged from Aurora Original Stone, dealing Sharp Blade damage when attacking. The quality is quite exquisite, a rare sword among swords. When attacking with this cold weapon, a strength attribute bonus is received.]


    The sword body of the Aurora Blade was semi-transparent deep blue, as if a faint light was flowing within the blade, making it obvious it was no ordinary item.


    The attack power of an iron sword was only 10 points, but switching to the Aurora Blade would triple the weapon damage.


    In fact, during the battle with the gargoyles, Lu Heng felt the iron sword was not sharp enough to penetrate the gargoyle''s defenses.


    If he were to use this Aurora Blade, the situation would be completely different.


    "Can I use this one? With the help of this weapon, I can retrieve even more Narnia Crystals," Lu Heng said as he drew the Aurora Blade and swung it.


    As soon as Gulu heard it could bring back more Narnia Crystals, he immediately agreed, "Of course, if you can bring back three portions of Narnia Crystals, this weapon is yours to keep."


    Upon hearing this, Lu Heng immediately understood that the reward had been set in advance.


    Following that,


    Lu Heng picked out a bracelet for Su Muyu.


    [Energy Crystal Bracelet]


    [Item Level: D-level]


    [Specifications: Length 15 centimeters, crystal count 7, weight 90 grams]


    [Attributes: Spirit +1, Source Energy Total +20]


    [Evaluation: A bracelet made from quality energy crystals that can enhance the wearer''s spiritual power and the limit of Source Energy.]


    Su Muyu had as many as 5 skill slots, and she frequently ran out of Source Energy.


    Once her skills were learned and she used all 5, her energy would be depleted.


    Thus, equipment that could increase the limit of energy was a significant boost for her.


    Since the total Source Energy = 10 ¡Á Spiritual Attribute.


    The bracelet also added 1 point of Spirit, so the increase in the energy limit was not just 20 points, but 30 points.


    After wearing the bracelet, Su Muyu''s energy limit increased from 110 points to 140 points, and her spiritual power also rose from 11 points to 12 points.


    After selecting the equipment, Lu Heng and Su Muyu rested in the guest rooms of Quenching Castle.

 Chapter 14 - 14: The Scarcity of Support System Superpower Users

    The night passed without a word.


    The next morning,


    when Lu Heng woke, he saw Su Muyu sleeping soundly beside him, face down.


    Due to the injuries on her back, she could only sleep face down, her chest pressing against the bedding, making it even more prominent and causing an indentation in the mattress.


    Lu Heng lay on his side, watching her sleep, his mind filled with memories¡ªonly, many of those memories hadn''t happened yet...


    After a while, Su Muyu''s eyebrows twitched, and she couldn''t hold back a smile, quickly burying her head in the pillow and muttering, "Why are you staring at me?"


    She hadn''t opened her eyes from start to finish, but her strong perception allowed her to sense that Lu Heng was watching her.


    "Did you fall asleep?" Lu Heng asked.


    "Yes... I did."


    Su Muyu nodded, confirming she had indeed fallen asleep the previous night, likely from exhaustion, or maybe because she felt safe; she slept soundly, surprisingly even to herself. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon waking, Lu Heng first checked her wounds and changed her dressing.


    "The wounds are healing pretty well," Lu Heng said, helping her pull down her clothes after changing the dressing.


    Lifting her clothing each time they changed the dressing wasn''t something she thought about last night due to the pain, but today, with less pain, she began to feel shy, as lifting the clothes revealed her bra.


    Moreover, her back was quite lean and from there the front curvature was somewhat visible.


    Once the dressing was changed, her face was as flushed as if she had a high fever; she hurriedly grabbed a blanket and draped it over herself, looking like a startled deer.


    Su Muyu shook her head quickly and found a topic to cover her embarrassment: "I feel my injuries are healing quickly."


    Lu Heng explained lightly, "Superpower users definitely recover faster than ordinary people; you''re already a superpower user."


    "That''s right."


    Having awakened just last night, Su Muyu still found it hard to adjust her mentality.


    She checked her physical state and said, "My spirit has also recovered."


    As anticipated, Quenching Castle indeed isolated spiritual pollution.


    Thus, after a night''s rest, her spiritual power had returned to full capacity.


    Lu Heng sat at the desk, took out last night''s "Invisibility Veil" crystal core, and considered whether to use this skill crystal core.


    Lu Heng currently had only three skill slots and had already learned two skills, "Thunder Weapon" and "Shadow Clone," leaving just one skill slot available.


    If he used the "Invisibility Veil" crystal core, his skill slots would be filled, and any additional skill crystal cores obtained later couldn''t be used.


    From a practical standpoint, the skill "Invisibility Veil" was indeed very useful, but it didn''t increase direct combat capabilities.


    Thus, Lu Heng weighed the pros and cons of learning this skill.


    Su Muyu leaned over, saw the skill crystal core, and asked, "What is this crystal core?"


    "A very practical skill," Lu Heng answered, handing the crystal core to her to inspect.


    Su Muyu took the crystal core, checked the skill effect, and commented, "This skill is really useful, similar to the invisible horned demon from last night."


    Lu Heng agreed, "Indeed, it''s very useful. However, I only have one skill slot left, so there''s no space to learn this skill."


    Su Muyu thought about it and asked, "Looking at the skill description, this skill can be applied to other objects, so can it also be used on other people?"


    The effect of the "Invisibility Veil" was like a layer of invisible film covering the surface of an object, granting it optical invisibility.


    Lu Heng nodded and replied, "Yes, it can be used on other people."


    Su Muyu pondered a bit, then said, "Then I will learn this skill. Hmm... if it''s not suitable, we can also sell it."


    She had five skill slots and had already learned one skill, "Summoning Reconnaissance Hawk," leaving four skill slots available, which was quite sufficient for learning this skill.


    Since this skill could be applied to others, it leaned towards a supportive skill.


    "That is to say, if she learned this skill, she could provide Lu Heng with invisibility."


    However, thinking that this Skill Crystal Core must be incredibly precious, she felt greedy for asking to learn it, so she finally retracted and suggested selling it instead.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "Let''s not sell it. Initially, it might fetch a few hundred thousand, but later, it might not be buyable even for tens of millions. If you want to learn it, then learn it.


    "However, you need to understand that this skill cannot enhance your combat power.


    "The Reconnaissance Hawk currently cannot provide combat power either. With this, your first two skills also lack combat power."


    Su Muyu swung her legs, smiling beautifully, and said, "I''ll support you. Don''t all those online games you guys play have support roles?"


    Hearing this, Lu Heng was slightly taken aback, feeling a sense of trust that came from her.


    He even felt that this trust had come too quickly.


    After all, it had been less than two weeks since he had returned. In her memory, he was just a stranger who she had never spoken to before.


    It seemed that after her life trajectory had changed, having not experienced the hardships of her previous life, she was more trusting than he remembered.


    She was even willing to take on support skills voluntarily, without worrying about not having attack skills.


    In fact, most Superpower Users were reluctant to learn support skills.


    Because the number of Skill Slots was limited, every slot used was one less available.


    As the Abyss gradually devoured Blue Star, the human world would undergo earth-shattering changes.


    The world''s order and rules would be rewritten.


    The human living environment would also become incredibly dangerous.


    Thus, acquiring self-protection capabilities was the primary goal for most Superpower Users.


    Especially at the onset of the Abyss Descent, almost all Superpower Users were looking for ways to increase their combat power.


    After all, in an environment where order was collapsing, whoever held the power held the truth.


    Therefore, Superpower Users willing to support others were rare unless they were part of a close-knit group of friends or relatives who would choose someone to learn support skills.


    Even so, the person selected often was reluctant, as supporting others meant putting their lives in someone else''s hands.


    For this reason, during the early stages of the Abyss Descent, quality support system Superpower Users were extremely scarce.


    Many Superpower Users, even if their Initial Talent leaned towards the support system, would forcefully develop towards combat systems.


    However, excellent support system Superpower Users could bring significant enhancements to a team.


    It could be said that a mature team of Superpower Users had to have someone make sacrifices.


    When two Superpower User teams of equal levels encountered each other, if one had support personnel and the other did not, the team without support personnel would lose, no fighting required.


    Not to mention anything else, just the Invisibility capability alone was enough to doom a team without the Detecting Invisibility capability.


    To address this problem, some teams during the early stages of the Abyss Descent chose for each member to learn a support skill.


    This approach indeed solved the issue of support capabilities, but it led to combat system Superpower Users in the team having one fewer skill in direct confrontations.


    Moreover, most support system skills related to Spiritual and Perception Attributes.


    For example, the "Detecting Invisibility" range of the Reconnaissance Hawk skill depended on the Perception Attribute; the higher the perception, the wider the range of detecting invisibility.


    However, the Perception Attribute did not increase direct combat power.


    Thus, teams where each member learned a support skill became weaker over time, not only deficient in skills for direct confrontation but also with less effective support skill effects due to low Spiritual and Perception Attributes, overwhelmed by the opposing team''s support system Superpower Users.


    Only in the second year of the Abyss Descent did this situation slowly begin to change.


    Top-tier organizations of Superpower Users started investing resources to groom support system Superpower Users.


    ...

 Chapter 15 - 15 Trust and Cooperation

    It was the first month since Abyss Descent, and very few teams would invest resources in a support system Superpower User.


    Not many people were willing to become support system Superpower Users either, after all, one''s life is one''s own, and handing it over to someone else required absolute trust.


    If it had been his previous life, Lu Heng and Su Muyu indeed had that kind of trust between them, now having only been together for about ten days, to have established such trust so quickly was all the more precious.


    "Do you really want to learn this skill?" Lu Heng wanted to know her true thoughts, not just coerce her into listening to him.


    "I''ll listen to you, if you tell me to learn, I''ll learn," Su Muyu nodded earnestly, her tone very certain.


    Hearing her say this made Lu Heng genuinely happy. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In fact, what Lu Heng wanted most was an obedient partner, a partner who would unconditionally obey his commands and arrangements.


    After all, having rebirth memories meant there were many things inconvenient to explain.


    If a teammate constantly asked, "Why like this? Why like that? Why does this skill go to you?"


    Then Lu Heng would rather be a lone wolf.


    In the Low Martial World, personal bravery couldn''t overcome armies, ships, and nuclear bombs.


    The High Martial World was different, no matter how many people there were, they were just a number, a teammate was precious for their quality, not quantity.


    Lu Heng curiously looked at her and asked, "Are you really that obedient?"


    "Yep."


    Su Muyu nodded and answered as if it was obvious, "You said at the beginning, don''t ask for reasons, don''t ask for consequences, to listen to everything you say, I promised you."


    Lu Heng suddenly wanted to hug her and give her a kiss, but he held back, worried about scaring her.


    "Alright then, from now on, I won''t ask for your opinions. What skills you learn, what progression path you take, I will make all the decisions."


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you," Su Muyu nodded earnestly.


    She silently said to herself: After all, you saved my life, whether it turns out good or bad in the future, I leave it to you.


    Lu Heng, knowing she agreed, was very happy in his heart.


    Because of his rebirth memories, Lu Heng understood very well which ability system she should develop into. The progression path he arranged for her was definitely the best solution for the moment.


    "Alright, you learn this skill," Lu Heng decided.


    Su Muyu grasped the Crystal Core in both hands, squeezed hard, and the Crystal Core transformed into a sphere of energy, flowing up her arm and collecting into an Energy Ball in the second Skill Slot.


    "It''s done, the [Invisibility Veil] skill has appeared on the data panel."


    "Try it out," Lu Heng wanted to see the effects.


    Su Muyu stood up and released the skill. A thin layer of Source Energy spread from inside her, covering her body, then she slowly became transparent and eventually completely invisible.


    "Can you still see me?" she asked.


    Lu Heng shook his head, "No, I can''t."


    Although he couldn''t see her, because they were in one room, he could still hear her breathing.


    Su Muyu decided to play a trick, tiptoed behind Lu Heng, covered his eyes with her hands, and in a deep voice said, "Guess who."


    "So childish," Lu Heng couldn''t help but roll his eyes.


    "Ouch!" Su Muyu suddenly let out a cry of pain.


    "What happened?"


    "I pulled at a wound."


    "That''s what you get for messing about."


    "I''m in so much pain, and you still scold me."


    Su Muyu pouted, disabled her Invisibility, and sat back down in her chair, putting on an annoyed expression.


    Lu Heng found it amusing, stood up, and flicked her forehead, "Okay, next I''m going to explain an important technique for using skills, which is skill combination. This is very important, make sure you listen closely."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded earnestly.


    "You''ve tested the [Invisibility Veil] skill now, what do you think of it? Do you see any drawbacks to this skill?" Lu Heng asked.


    "Hmm... this skill is very useful. But I just tested it, and I found that I need to physically touch the target to apply the Invisibility State, which is quite limiting," Su Muyu, indeed very clever, identified a flaw in the skill after using it.


    "That''s right, the [Invisibility Veil] is indeed a short-range skill, highly restricted in use. However, if combined with the [Scouting Hawk] skill, it can be used at a distance. The method is to transform the energy of [Scouting Hawk] into the energy of the [Invisibility Veil]. You can practice it when you have time," Lu Heng explained the principle, then let her try it herself.


    After explaining the skill combination technique, they went downstairs to find something to eat.


    Quenching Castle had food to offer.


    Breakfast was a soup made from an unknown type of clam meat.


    Had Lu Heng not known that the food provided by Quenching Castle was edible, he certainly would have hesitated.


    After tasting it, although it did have a strange flavor, finding edible foodin the Abyss Worldwas already quite a feat.


    While having breakfast, Su Muyu pondered and inquired about issues related to Abyss Descent,


    "What should I be doing right now? If more demons start appearing in the real world, it will definitely be dangerous, right?"


    "You should be able to see a prompt for increased skill proficiency when you use your skills, right?" Lu Heng asked.


    Su Muyu nodded, "I saw it. Does increased skill proficiency enhance the power of the skill?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "It doesn''t increase power. However, the more proficient you become with your skill, the smoother your combat will be. Sometimes, this smoothness is more important than sheer power.


    "Moreover, once you have fully trained your proficiency, I have a way to help you evolve your skill.


    "So right now, you need to train in controlling your reconnaissance hawk, raising your proficiency as much as possible. The effect of this skill once upgraded is very strong."


    Su Muyu listened carefully, nodding in agreement, "Okay, I remember."


    A while later,


    She picked up a piece of unknown plant-based food and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before continuing with another question, "My panel shows that I am at level 1. How do I level up?"


    "There are many ways to level up," Lu Heng explained. "Training your physique and acquiring life-based vice professions can slowly increase your level. Besides those, demon hunting can also increase your level, and it''s the quickest way, but it''s also very dangerous."


    Su Muyu nodded, then asked curiously, "What level are you now?"


    "Level 4."


    "Three levels behind." Su Muyu giggled, thinking to herself that the gap wasn''t too big and that with some effort, she probably wouldn''t fall too far behind.


    After a while,


    Su Muyu suddenly realized a problem and frowned,


    "Um... I don''t have any attack skills, so I can''t beat those monsters. If I can''t beat them, then I can''t level up. Lu Heng, are you trying to trick me?"


    Lu Heng tapped her forehead with his hand, "Yeah, I tricked you. What are you going to do about it?"


    Su Muyu covered her forehead with her hand and giggled, then rested her chin in her hands and said, "Just kidding, I will seriously train my skill proficiency."


    After finishing breakfast, Lu Heng went to Gulu to express his intention to help find the Narnia Crystal, but he wasn''t familiar with the way, so he ended up with a city map.


    Holding the map, Lu Heng and Su Muyu headed out toward the marked location of the Narnia Crystal.


    The map circled three locations of the Narnia Crystal, all within valleys on the outskirts of the city.


    They left Quenching Castle and followed the map''s route until they neared the first Narnia Crystal.


    The reconnaissance hawk found the location of the crystal from hundreds of meters in the sky.


    This Narnia Crystal was placed on a stone platform resembling an altar, and beside it, a Scary Claw Demon was absorbing energy from the crystal.


    "It seems there''s only one demon." Su Muyu had the reconnaissance hawk circle the area to confirm that there were no other demons within a thousand-meter radius.


    "Put invisibility on the reconnaissance hawk and get a closer look," Lu Heng reminded.


    Su Muyu nodded, using the skill as instructed to make the reconnaissance hawk invisible and move it within ten meters for a closer reconnaissance, and indeed, she discovered something amiss.


    "There are invisible ones, just like the one we encountered yesterday - invisible Horned Demons."


    The thought of yesterday''s encounter with the invisible Horned Demon still unsettled her.


    "How many?"


    "Two invisible ones, plus the Scary Claw Demon, for a total of three," Su Muyu reported the count.


    If it had been yesterday, facing three demons would have indeed been a bit of a problem.


    However, today they were armed with the Aurora Blade, a weapon whose sharpness was several grades above.


    After contemplating for a moment, Lu Heng began to strategize, "Make me invisible too. I''ll go and take out the Scary Claw Demon first. As soon as the Scary Claw Demon falls, have the reconnaissance hawk become visible and locate the positions of the invisible Horned Demons.


    "If an invisible Horned Demon charges in your direction, apply invisibility to yourself and move towards me."


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded seriously, using [Invisibility Veil] to render Lu Heng invisible.


    Lu Heng drew the Aurora Blade and stealthily approached the Scary Claw Demon from behind.

 Chapter 16 - 16 The Hidden Rules of Task Rewards

    Under the shield of the Invisibility Veil, Lu Heng stealthily approached the Scary Claw Demon from behind, and stabbed with the Aurora Blade.


    Pu!


    The sharp blade pierced through the back of the Scary Claw Demon and protruded from its chest.


    Ao!


    The Scary Claw Demon let out a mournful scream, trying to strike back before dying.


    Lu Heng activated "Thunder Weapon", and a current of electricity shot out from the blade, paralyzing the Scary Claw Demon''s body, then he split its chest open and finished it off.


    "Killed the Scary Claw Demon, absorbed 20 Demon Energy points."


    Roar! Roar!


    Almost simultaneously, two roars sounded.


    The scouting eagle appeared midair and directly located one of the Invisible Horned Demons.


    Lu Heng pulled out the Aurora Blade and dashed toward the scouting eagle''s position.


    He executed the "Moon-cutting Style" from the Step Sword Seven Styles, slashing with a bright sword light.


    The sharp blade swept through, and from what had been an empty space, a spray of blood surged up.


    The first Invisible Horned Demon fell with a scream.


    Following that,


    The scouting eagle quickly moved towards Su Muyu''s direction.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng knew the second Invisible Horned Demon was aiming to attack Su Muyu and immediately ran to catch up.


    With the scouting eagle tracking, Su Muyu kept eyeing the second Invisible Horned Demon''s location, and when she saw it charging, she quickly entered an invisible state to hide.


    Clearly lacking the ability to detect invisibility, the second Invisible Horned Demon began to run erratically after losing its target, but its position was continuously locked by the scouting eagle.


    Lu Heng caught up and with a powerful chop, split it in two.


    Achieving a triple kill, he sheathed his sword.


    The high attack power of the weapon was different; one slash per Horned Demon, without the need for a second blow, was utterly satisfying.


    With two Invisible Horned Demons down, two data prompts popped up in succession:


    "Killed a demon, absorbed 20 points of Demon Energy."


    "Killed a demon, absorbed 20 points of Demon Energy."


    "Demon Energy strengthens energy level, Source Energy Level rises to Level 5, all attributes +1, Agility attribute additionally +0.3"


    Su Muyu, confirming that there were no other Abyss Demons nearby, came out of her invisible state.


    "Did you absorb any Demon Energy?" Lu Heng asked.


    "Yes, I gained two levels, now at Level 3, quite amazing," Su Muyu nodded with a smile, finding the leveling experience quite fascinating.


    Her five-dimensional attributes were lifted to: Strength 9, Agility 10, Constitution 10, Spirit 14 (13+1), Perception 14.


    Included among the 14 points of Spirit, 1 point was added by an Energy Crystal Bracelet.


    "That''s good." Lu Heng turned to retrieve the spoils of war.


    During the recent fight with the three Horned Demons, he had no time to collect the Demon Crystal Cores.


    Now, picking them up to check, the three Horned Demons had dropped two cores.


    One was a regular Crystal Core, and the other was a Skill Crystal Core.


    Seeing the name of this Skill Crystal Core, Lu Heng''s eyes immediately lit up.


    "Gale Step Crystal Core: Absorbing the crystal''s energy, there''s a chance to learn the ''Gale Step'' skill."


    "Gale Step: Release energy into the legs, gaining wind-like running speed, increase running speed by +80%. Skill consumption: 3 Source Energy/minute. Skill Level: D."


    This "Gale Step" Crystal Core dropped from the Scary Claw Demon, which meant that the Scary Claw Demon very likely possessed this skill.


    If the Scary Claw Demon had started running earlier, with 180% running speed, he wouldn''t have been able to catch up.


    Among the acceleration skills obtainable at the beginning of Abyss Descent, "Gale Step" was one of the most useful.


    Lu Heng directly used the "Gale Step" Crystal Core, absorbing the energy within.


    The core''s energy flowed into his body, forming an Energy Ball in the third Skill Slot.


    Having successfully learned the "Gale Step" skill, Lu Heng picked up the Narnia Crystal and returned to Quenching Castle to report back.


    ...


    On the way back, they conveniently passed a Flame Assistance Ore mining site.


    Lu Heng tried the mining task and found it to be physically demanding; to mine enough Flame Assistance Ore would take at least four to five days.


    Lu Heng decisively gave up and headed straight back to Quenching Castle.


    Upon entering Quenching Castle, he unexpectedly encountered the scholarly young man, Chen Zihang.


    His spirit seemed lethargic; he had probably just found the location of the castle, and after a day of enduring Spiritual Pollution from the Abyss, his mental state had plummeted to rock bottom.


    Gulu, seeing that Lu Heng and companion had brought back the Narnia Crystal, happily came forward: "That''s great! It really is a Narnia Crystal, thank you so much."


    He had said this as he held up the Narnia Crystal and entered the castle, leaving no time to greet Chen Zihang.


    Chen Zihang was even more surprised, "You guys..."


    Lu Heng knew what he wanted to ask, "We arrived last night."


    Chen Zihang thought for a moment, then said, "Hu Biao and his group are almost at their limit."


    Lu Heng curiously looked at him and asked, "Do you want to save them?"


    This was a question that tested humanity, but not saving them didn''t mean being cold-hearted.


    Lu Heng had experienced those three years and had seen too many cruel things with his own eyes.


    Aside from deeply affectionate companions, one could never know whether the person saved was a farmer or a snake.


    Humans only have the right to talk about humanity when their survival is ensured; otherwise, what remains is only beastliness.


    Chen Zihang spread his hands, not making a clear stance, "I''m not sure, there are a few among that group I don''t quite get along with."


    Lu Heng thought about it and finally decided to save Hu Biao and his group.


    It wasn''t about being the good guy, but because keeping this group could still be useful.


    "Tell me their location," asked Lu Heng.


    "Go out and head northeast for about three kilometers," Chen Zihang pointed towards the castle''s main gate.


    Lu Heng found a piece of paper, wrote a few words on it, then had the scout eagle hold it and sent Su Muyu to control the scout eagle to search for people.


    ...


    About half an hour later.


    Hu Biao arrived at the castle with three others.


    As soon as the four of them entered the castle gate, they collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, having reached their limits.


    Their team originally had fifteen people; now, only four remained.


    Gulu saw more people coming and immediately panicked, "So many burdens have arrived, this is trouble, the fortress''s location will definitely be discovered by the Horned Demon Commander; we must evacuate quickly!"


    Looking at his expression, he was considering driving Hu Biao and the others out of the castle.


    Lu Heng gave him an idea, "Mining Flame Assistance Ore takes time; I think they can do it."


    Gulu thought it was a good idea and said, "Alright. You can stay in the castle, but you must mine enough quantity of Flame Assistance Ore by tomorrow night, otherwise, I can only drive you out."


    Hu Biao and the others panicked at the possibility of being driven out and promptly agreed, "We are willing to mine ore and will definitely mine enough in time."


    Gulu pointed his finger at Lu Heng as a reminder, "And the crystals." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''ll handle that," Lu Heng assured.


    Gulu was very satisfied with the arrangement, turned, and walked into the central hall of the castle, starting to tinker with a strange, large machine.


    ...


    After Hu Biao and the others drank some water and ate a bit, their energy was slightly restored.


    That afternoon, Gulu hurried them to start mining.


    The four, now nearly fully recovered, took their tools to the mining field.


    It didn''t take long for them to find out that the mining task was strenuous physical labor.


    Among the four, a blond delinquent was naturally disinclined to heavy physical work and began to complain to Hu Biao, "Bro Biao, I saw that there''s another task for finding crystals, and I think the rewards for that job are better."


    Hu Biao frowned, feeling the same way but shook his head, "Since we''re assigned to mine, we''ll just mine. Just hold on until tomorrow night, that''ll make it three days."


    Seeing Hu Biao''s stance, the blond delinquent said nothing further and quietly returned to mining.


    That evening, after returning to Quenching Castle and having dinner.


    Lu Heng retrieved the second Narnia Crystal, Gulu''s attitude towards him was even warmer than before, which clearly indicated an increase in favorability.


    Seeing this, the blond delinquent was even more displeased and began to speak sarcastically, "We can also see the task for collecting crystals, why can we only mine?"


    His voice was loud, purposely meant for Lu Heng to hear.


    Lu Heng glanced at him and responded with a cold tone, "There''s another crystal to collect. Tomorrow you can come and try."


    Since the task of collecting Narnia Crystals showed the reward as "Gulu''s Gratitude Reward."


    These tasks, which did not specify exact rewards, have a lot of flexibility in terms of rewards.


    When Lu Heng chose the Aurora Blade, he was merely borrowing the weapon.


    At the time, Gulu had said that if three Narnia Crystals could be retrieved, the Aurora Blade would be offered as a gratitude reward.


    This was equivalent to specifying the reward.


    However, rewards also have levels, the more perfectly the task is completed, the higher the reward received.


    After communicating with Gulu, a hidden mission rule was confirmed: collect three crystals completely, and the reward is the Aurora Blade.


    Thus, Lu Heng needed to retrieve all three Narnia Crystals.


    If the blond delinquent dared to come and try, there really was nothing to discuss.


    Since Lu Heng could save him, naturally, he could also send him off.


    Hearing the murderous tone in Lu Heng''s voice, Hu Biao quickly waved his hands, "That''s not what we meant, we will mine earnestly, don''t take it to heart."

 Chapter 17 - 17: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Who is the Oriole?

    The next day.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu left the house, ready to retrieve the third Narnia Crystal.


    The third crystal was located in a Beast Fighting Arena to the south of Mist City, and it was the most difficult one to obtain.


    Upon arriving outside the arena, they saw the ancient building guarded by more than twenty Scary Claw Demons.


    Some of the demons were patrolling, while others were wrestling in the arena.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu entered an invisible state and, from a high building outside the arena, observed the situation inside.


    Seeing twenty to thirty Scary Claw Demons already seemed troublesome.


    Just then, a Horned Demon Commander with a group of Scary Claw Demons appeared, climbed atop the arena''s surrounding wall, and surveyed the area.


    All the Scary Claw Demons bowed to the Horned Demon Commander, showing the strict hierarchy of the Abyss Demons.


    The Horned Demon Commander was a High Rank Demon and held an absolute authority in front of these Low Rank Demons.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu watched from afar, waiting until the Horned Demon Commander finished the inspection and left the arena.


    However, instead of taking the Scary Claw Demons with him, the commander left them behind to guard the arena.


    This increased the number of Scary Claw Demons in the arena to over forty.


    Now they had a problem.


    While they were observing,


    Su Muyu suddenly said, "Someone is following us."


    "Hm?"


    "That guy with yellow hair, hiding invisibly behind the wall back there, probably followed us all the way from Quenching Castle. I just noticed him," Su Muyu explained the situation.


    "I didn''t expect him to be so daring," Lu Heng thought that the blond didn''t have the guts, but it seemed he had acquired an invisibility skill and suddenly grew bold.


    "What do we do now?" Su Muyu asked, looking at the forty or so Horned Demons in the arena and noticing they also had a ''rat'' hiding behind them.


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment, a smile appeared on his lips, "Perfect, let the ''rat'' behind us do the job of retrieving the crystal.


    "I''ll go out there and draw the Scary Claw Demons away. Our friend back there won''t be able to sit still and will definitely try to steal the crystal.


    "Once he steals the crystal, just keep an eye on him, then we''ll meet up and take the crystal back."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, "Okay."


    With the plan settled, Lu Heng moved closer to the Beast Fighting Arena while remaining invisible. He got within five meters of the door, initiated Gale Step, charged forward in a dash, and drew the Aurora Blade, cutting horizontally with the Sword Draw Slash.


    The sharp sword neatly sliced through the Scary Claw Demon''s neck, decapitating it.


    "[Killed a Scary Claw Demon, absorbed 50 points of Demon Energy.]"


    Having slain the demon at the gate, Lu Heng immediately turned and ran south.


    Roar!


    The Scary Claw Demons inside the arena let out angry roars, rushing out of the doors and over the walls, chasing in the direction Lu Heng had fled.


    Lu Heng kept his distance to give these low-level demons the illusion that they could catch him.


    Meanwhile, Su Muyu used her invisible scout hawk to keep an eye on the blond.


    As expected, when the blond saw most of the Scary Claw Demons being lured away, he started to approach the arena.


    However, not all Scary Claw Demons were drawn away; about fifteen remained guarding the Narnia Crystal.


    The blond hesitated outside the arena gates, too scared to enter.


    Watching the blond''s hesitance, Su Muyu felt a surge of impatience and urged in her mind, "Would you hurry up!"


    Feeling nervous, the blond slowly snuck towards the arena fence, moving at a glacial pace, extremely cautious.


    After three minutes of dawdling with no progress,


    Su Muyu couldn''t stand it anymore and controlled the scout hawk to scratch the wall, dislodging a brick.


    Thud!


    Ah!


    Startled, the blond jumped, drawing the attention of the Horned Demon guard.


    The guard shouted and charged toward him, throwing a handful of dust.


    The blond''s figure flickered in and out of view within the dust, too scared to attempt stealing the crystal and immediately turning to flee.


    Half of the Demon guards roared and rushed out of the arena chasing the blond.


    However, ten Demon guards remained watching over the crystal.


    Su Muyu quickly decided to act, controlling the invisible scout hawk to fly into the arena and crash into the Narnia Crystal.


    The hawk''s energy transformed into an "Invisibility Veil", covering the Narnia Crystal.


    This tactic was exactly the skill combination of "Scout Hawk" and "Invisibility Veil" that Lu Heng had explained to her yesterday¡ªit came in handy now.


    With the Narnia Crystal hidden under the cloak of invisibility, vanishing from the Demon guards'' sight,


    the ten remaining guards panicked once they realized the crystal was missing.


    As Low Rank Demons, the Scary Claw Demons were somewhat intelligent, but not particularly smart.


    Losing the Narnia Crystal meant they would be torn to shreds by the Horned Demon Commander.


    Convinced that the intruder who had just snuck into the arena had stolen the Narnia Crystal, the ten guards immediately rushed out of the arena to join the pursuit of the blond.


    Su Muyu walked into the empty arena as if strolling in a park, picked up the now-invisible Narnia Crystal, and calmly walked away to meet up with Lu Heng.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile,


    after chasing for two kilometers, the Scary Claw Demons began to return.


    After meeting up, Lu Heng and Su Muyu killed three isolated Scary Claw Demons.


    After hunting the Horned Demon yesterday, Lu Heng''s level rose to Level 6, though he had no new major skills to allocate points to.


    Su Muyu also reached Level 4, growing quickly.


    Then, they returned the Narnia Crystal to Quenching Castle.


    Gulu, holding the third piece of Narnia Crystal, was very pleased, "This is wonderful, thank you, my friend. As a token of my gratitude, have this Aurora Blade."


    Subsequently, a data prompt popped up.


    [Quest Completed: Collect Narnia Crystals]


    [Reward Acquired: Aurora Blade]


    A new item appeared on the character data panel.


    [Item: Aurora Blade]


    Su Muyu was also in the same situation, officially receiving the [Energy Crystal Bracelet] as a reward.


    By evening,


    Hu Biao and his group finally mined enough Flame Assistance Ore to complete their collection quest.


    When they delivered the last cart of Flame Assistance Ore to Gulu, he was very pleased and told everyone:


    "Now that we have enough materials, Quenching Castle needs to leave this damn place fast. Once I deactivate Quenching Castle''s disguise, that damn Horned Demon Commander will surely discover us. You all must stop it from entering the castle."


    Subsequently, everyone received a notification of a new advancement in a series of hidden quests.


    [Hidden Quest Series "Crisis of Quenching Castle" entering the second phase.]


    [Quest: Stop the Horned Demon Commander]


    [Objective: Quenching Castle has gathered enough materials to leave the Abyss, but activating the space device will make the castle''s disguise fail and face an attack by the Horned Demon Commander. Gulu asks you to stop the Horned Demon Commander until Quenching Castle escapes the Abyss.]


    [Reward: The friendship of Quenching Master Gulu]


    After the new quest appeared, Gulu added, "One more thing, after Quenching Castle leaves the Abyss, it will be discovered by a terrifying entity within the Abyss. The intensity of the Spiritual Pollution will increase by tens of times, so you must leave the Abyss quickly."


    Since the Main Quest of the Abyss Battlefield was to survive for 3 days, it was now the evening of the third day.


    According to the timeline, just enduring until midnight would complete the Main Quest and return to Blue Star.


    Gulu also needed to adjust the space device parameters, which was estimated to be activated at midnight as well.


    ¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As twilight deepened, the final stage of the Abyss Battlefield was drawing near.


    At that time,


    A person returned to Quenching Castle, it was Blondie.


    Blondie looked very disheveled; after arriving at Quenching Castle, he hung his head low as he passed through the main hall on the first floor, not daring to meet the eyes of Lu Heng and the others.


    Seeing Blondie appear, Lu Heng was a bit surprised.


    Earlier, Su Muyu had mentioned that Blondie sneaked into the Beast Fighting Arena, got discovered by a Horned Demon guard, and then his whereabouts were unknown after he fled the arena.


    It had been over three hours since he escaped from the arena.


    Hu Biao was also displeased to see Blondie, as he had vanished since noon, forcing him to complete double the mining tasks.


    "Where have you been?" Hu Biao asked coldly.


    Blondie rolled up his sleeves, revealing bandages on his arms, and said, "Boss Hu, are you interrogating me? While you guys were mining, I saw a Demon approaching the mine, and I lured it away, which is how I got injured."


    "Oh, I see." The members of Hu Biao''s team, hearing this, showed expressions of guilt.


    Lu Heng watched him with interest and suddenly asked, "You met the Horned Demon Commander, right?"


    "What?"


    Blondie''s eyes widened, feigning shock, "That thing is so terrifying, how could I possibly come back if I had seen it."


    Others might have believed him,


    especially since escaping the Horned Demon Commander was one of the objectives in the Main Quest of the Abyss Battlefield.


    So logically, encountering the Horned Demon Commander meant near certain death.


    But Lu Heng was different, aware of some secrets of the Abyss Battlefield.


    The quests in the Abyss World weren''t static; they changed with the situation.


    And the Horned Demon Commander wasn''t a stupid beast but a high-ranking intelligent Demon.


    Intelligent beings share one characteristic: they can communicate.


    What comes out of that communication depends on how it''s conducted.


    Thus, Lu Heng directly questioned, "What quest did you trigger from the Horned Demon Commander?"


    "What... quest?" Blondie''s forehead started to sweat.


    "That''s okay, I''ll guess then. You must have provided information valuable enough to let you live. In this city, the only thing of such value could be none other than Quenching Castle."


    It wasn''t a hard guess; a high-ranking Demon wouldn''t let go of food like Blondie for any lesser offerings.


    Thus, it had to be Quenching Castle.


    Seeing large beads of sweat form on Blondie''s forehead, Lu Heng continued to guess, "Your triggered quest must be to prevent Quenching Castle from leaving the Abyss. The sub-quest would likely include deliberately exposing Quenching Castle''s location and leading the Horned Demon Commander here to attack."


    Blondie sweated even more now as Lu Heng''s guess was almost exactly like the quest he had triggered.


    He had been proud inside, having triggered such an exhilarating hidden quest.


    By completing it, he could lead the Horned Demon Commander to wipe out everyone in Quenching Castle.


    Yet before he could even start, Lu Heng had seen through it.


    Moreover, such a hidden quest he triggered had another name: "Traitor Task."


    Naturally, Blondie couldn''t admit it and retorted loudly, "I didn''t! You''re slandering me! Why are you so malicious towards me?"


    "Whether it''s true or not doesn''t matter; killing you will solve the problem regardless if you triggered the Traitor Task or not," Lu Heng said with a dangerous curve to his lips.

 Chapter 18 - 18 Traitor Task

    Yellow Hair''s forehead broke out in cold sweat, and to hide the panic in his heart, he shouted loudly, "You all heard him, he doesn''t care about the facts, he just wants to frame me!"


    Hu Biao and the others frowned, unsure of whom to believe.


    As far as the confrontation between the two men was concerned, everything Lu Heng said was conjecture without evidence.


    However, if what Lu Heng said was true, then keeping Yellow Hair in Quenching Castle was too dangerous.


    Therefore, Hu Biao and his associates were indecisive.


    Lu Heng couldn''t be bothered with idle talk and walked up to grab the bandage on Yellow Hair''s arm, pulling it forcefully.


    The bandage came undone, revealing a terrifying scar on his arm.


    "The claw mark of a Scary Claw Demon. You all should know what it means to be clamped by the claws of a Scary Claw Demon," said Lu Heng, looking at Hu Biao and the others.


    Hu Biao and the others were all too aware of what happened to those clamped by a Scary Claw Demon. Their team originally had fifteen members, and several had been killed by Scary Claw Demons.


    Once clamped by the claws of a Scary Claw Demon, even if the demon was killed, the claws would not let go.


    So how did Yellow Hair manage to get free after being clamped by a Scary Claw Demon?


    The answer was becoming obvious.


    Exposed as a traitor, cold sweat streamed down Yellow Hair''s forehead as he attempted to argue, "Bro Biao, listen to me..."


    Lu Heng had no interest in their team''s internal affairs, and said directly to Hu Biao, "This is a member of your team. You know what will happen if Quenching Castle falls to the Horned Demon Commander because of someone in your team."


    Hu Biao''s face turned ashen, and he said, "I will handle this."


    With that, he walked towards Yellow Hair.


    "Bro Biao..." knowing that arguing was futile, Yellow Hair immediately activated his invisibility power and tried to escape.


    Hu Biao took a swift stride forward, grabbed him by the neck, and dragged him out of the castle.


    Yellow Hair struggled desperately, but it was of no use.


    During his struggle, a red crystal fell from his body.


    Lu Heng picked up the crystal to examine it, then showed it to everyone else.


    [Red Light Signal Crystal: A special crystal used for sending signals in Abyss World. When ignited, it produces a bright red light visible to all demons within range.]


    Seeing this signal crystal once again confirmed Lu Heng''s conjecture.


    This signal crystal was meant to mark the location of Quenching Castle.


    Once the crystal was lit, it wouldn''t be long before the Horned Demon Commander arrived with a horde of low-rank demons.


    Holding the signal crystal, Lu Heng went to find Master Gulu to explain the situation:


    "We have a traitor among us. This was found on his person."


    "Damn it, this is a demon signal crystal, the Horned Demon Commander surely has Quenching Castle in his sights now," Master Gulu panicked.


    "I can help block the Horned Demon Commander, but I need some items to carry out the plan," Lu Heng offered to help proactively.


    "Perfect, you can use any item you need from within Quenching Castle," Master Gulu now pinned his hopes on these guests from different worlds.


    "Do you have any powerful explosives?" Lu Heng inquired.


    "There are some, but this stuff is a bit dangerous," Gulu said, leading Lu Heng to the back of the castle where they rummaged through a pile of miscellaneous items, pulling out several boxes of slag produced by quenching.


    Lu Heng picked up a piece and inspected its attributes.


    [Unstable Explosives: Unstable quenching slag with significant explosive power but poor stability, prone to explode at any moment.]


    This was indeed dangerous¡ªmoving it might cause it to blow up.


    However, Lu Heng wasn''t worried. Now that he had the explosives, the plan could proceed.


    "Master Gulu, I''ll take on the task of blocking the Horned Demon Commander," Lu Heng made the promise.


    "Thank you so much, my friend. If Quenching Castle can escape the Abyss, all future weapon quenching services will be provided free for you," Gulu made a pledge.


    Lu Heng didn''t expect this bonus.


    In his previous life, the Superpower Users who completed the "Quenching Castle Crisis" series of hidden tasks could gain the friendship of Master Gulu and receive weapon quenching services at half price. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He hadn''t expected the appearance of a traitor would push Gulu to the brink, elevating the reward to entirely free services.


    Lu Heng hastened to make preparations with two more hours to go until midnight.


    He had Su Muyu deploy a scouting hawk to find a suitable ambush location, finally selecting a commercial building one kilometer away from Quenching Castle.


    Then, he released a Shadow Clone to transport the unstable explosives.


    All preparations completed, they waited quietly for midnight.


    As midnight approached, the fog in the city lifted a bit, revealing a rare glimpse of stars.


    Lu Heng talked with Hu Biao and the others, learning that they would immediately return to the main world after midnight, not participating in the task of stopping the Horned Demon Commander.


    That was fine; more people would be useless in the mission to block the Horned Demon Commander.


    As the clock neared midnight, Master Gulu officially activated the large spatial machine of Quenching Castle, beginning the detachment from the Abyss.


    At the same time, Hu Biao and others chose to return immediately after completing the main quest.


    On the data panels of Lu Heng and Su Muyu, a return option also appeared, but both chose to stay.


    Aside from Lu Heng and another person, Chen Zihang also didn''t leave, wanting to participate in the final task of stopping the Horned Demon Commander.


    The three of them arrived at the ambush point, ready to face the Horned Demon Commander.


    When severe spatial fluctuations occurred in Quenching Castle, the entire city trembled slightly.


    The Horned Demon Commander sensed this disturbance, and a roaring sound that pierced the sky came from ten kilometers away.


    Lu Heng stood on the first floor of the building, igniting a red light signal crystal.


    Roar!


    The Horned Demon Commander roared, leading groups of low-rank demons toward the red light.


    Not long after.


    Low-rank demons began appearing near the building, their eyes emitting a red glow that seemed incredibly frightening in the darkness.


    Roar!


    The Horned Demon Commander rushed to the front of the building and let out a roar towards the inside.


    Lu Heng drew out the Aurora Blade and kicked the signal crystal away.


    The Horned Demon Commander, accompanied by hundreds of low-rank demons, charged into the building toward Lu Heng, raising his forearm to slam down where Lu Heng stood.


    Boom!


    Lu Heng activated Gale Step, leaped to avoid, and the Horned Demon Commander smashed his fist into the ground, creating a five-meter-wide crater shaped like a spider''s web.


    Missing with his punch, the Horned Demon Commander continued to pounce towards Lu Heng.


    Although Gale Step enhanced his speed, facing a high-rank demon like the Horned Demon Commander was still not enough.


    The moment the second claw came smashing down, Lu Heng instantly released a Shadow Clone and fled in different directions.


    Seeing Lu Heng split into two, the Horned Demon Commander couldn''t tell which one was real and chose to chase one.


    There was a 50% chance, and Lu Heng was chosen.


    That was a bit unlucky.


    However, Lu Heng already had a contingency plan for this situation.


    Before the battle began, he had already taught Su Muyu how to use skill linkage.


    The moment the Horned Demon Commander pounced on the real Lu Heng, a scouting hawk flew into the building from the outside, flew to the Shadow Clone, and exploded into an "Invisibility Veil," enveloping the Shadow Clone.


    This was yet another linkage technique of "Scouting Hawk" and "Invisibility Veil."


    Under the cover of the invisibility energy layer, the Shadow Clone quickly entered an invisible state.


    The Horned Demon Commander was originally chasing Lu Heng''s real body but saw the other Shadow Clone enter an invisible state.


    It couldn''t tell which one was the real body and which was the fake, but one had become invisible.


    The Horned Demon Commander had a sudden thought as if seeing through everything.


    Moreover, the one that had become invisible had to be crushed immediately; otherwise, after a few seconds'' delay, it would never be caught again.


    Therefore, the Horned Demon Commander immediately changed direction and pounced on the location of the invisible Shadow Clone, striking with a claw.


    Boom!


    The ground shattered, and the Shadow Clone was blown away by the intense shockwave, its invisibility energy layer broken, revealing its form, and then the Shadow Clone could no longer withstand the power of the shockwave and burst apart.


    The Horned Demon Commander realized it had been tricked and let out an extremely angry squeal, turning around to chase after the real Lu Heng, vowing to tear this damned rat to pieces.


    Just then.


    Steel bars from the ground, ceiling, and columns extended, binding the limbs of the Horned Demon Commander.


    This move was precisely Chen Zihang''s metal element ability, and his powers had greatly increased.


    The steel bindings couldn''t hold the Horned Demon Commander for long.


    With two thuds, the Horned Demon Commander broke free from the steel bind, but Lu Heng had already taken the chance to rush out of the building.


    In the moment of rushing out of the building, he ignited all the unstable explosives installed inside.


    Boom! Boom! Boom¡­


    The load-bearing columns of the building exploded one after another, and the entire building collapsed with a loud crash, burying the Horned Demon Commander and all the low-rank demons who had charged into the building under the rubble.


    As the building collapsed, stones flew all around, and dust billowed, sweeping along the ground.


    Lu Heng, pulling Su Muyu, ran towards a distant place while watching as hundreds of data prompts flooded their panels.


    [Slay the demon, absorb 10 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Slay the demon, absorb 10 points of Demon Energy.]


    ...

 Chapter 19 - 19: Return, Divine Energy, Law Integration

    After a cascade of hundreds of data prompts, the display showed that the first challenge task was completed.


    [Challenge Task 1 Completed: Killed 100 Abyss Demons.]


    This was immediately followed by prompts for leveling up twice.


    [Source Energy Level increased to Level 7, All Attributes +1, Agility Attribute additionally +0.3]


    [Source Energy Level increased to Level 8, All Attributes +1, Agility Attribute additionally +0.3]


    However.


    Spirit noticed that there was no data prompt showing the completion of challenge task 3.


    Challenge Task 3 was to kill the Horned Demon Commander.


    The absence of a completion prompt for Challenge Task 3 indicated that...


    At the same time.


    The large spatial machinery of Quenching Castle operated at maximum power, beginning to detach from the Abyss World.


    The very next second after Quenching Castle detached from the Abyss World, the nearby space underwent drastic changes.


    Dark clouds in the sky gathered, condensing into an angry face of the Abyss Demon King.


    In an instant, the colors of the sky and earth changed, the ground shook, and the mountains quivered. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Quick, return!" Lu Heng shouted hastily.


    Almost simultaneously as he shouted, a series of data prompts appeared.


    [Suffered from Spiritual Pollution by an unknown existence, Spiritual Attribute -1]


    [Suffered from Spiritual Pollution by an unknown existence, Spiritual Attribute -1]


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, his Spiritual Attribute had dropped significantly.


    And at this moment.


    A loud "bang" erupted from the ruins of the building, and the Horned Demon Commander blasted the rocks away, emerging from the rubble and letting out a furious roar into the sky.


    Lu Heng saw Su Muyu vanish on the spot and immediately chose to return.


    Just before his spiritual power was about to hit rock bottom, his field of vision darkened.


    The Spiritual Pollution prompts finally ceased, followed by the appearance of a completion prompt for the Abyss Battlefield.


    [Abyss Battlefield ended, returning to the main world...]


    [Main Quest 1 Completed: Opened the iron cage, escaped from the Horned Demon Commander''s Hunting Ground. Reward: 100 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Main Quest 2 Completed: Survived 3 days in the wasteland city. Reward: 100 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Main Quest 3 Completed: Maintained sanity before time ended. Reward: 100 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Challenge Task 1 Completed: Killed 100 Abyss Demons. Reward: 300 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Challenge Task 2 Completed: Found the castle hidden in the wasteland city. Reward: 300 points of Divine Energy.]


    The next second.


    When Lu Heng opened his eyes, he found himself back in the room at the express hotel, sitting face to face with Su Muyu.


    The clock on the wall had just struck 12:00:01 a.m., and the date was September 12.


    As known, while they spent 3 days in the Abyss Battlefield, upon returning to the main world, the time was the same as when they entered.


    Huff, huff, huff¡­


    It was Su Muyu''s first experience with the Abyss Battlefield, and she had just suffered continuous Spiritual Pollution, so upon returning, she was taking deep breaths.


    "Are you okay?" Lu Heng asked.


    Su Muyu''s lips pursed as she hugged her knees, resting her head in Lu Heng''s arms like a gacha egg, soothing her tumultuous emotions.


    After a while, she lifted her head, feeling that something was amiss, and quickly lifted her right hand to shake it, exclaiming, "My Crystal Bracelet is gone!"


    This Energy Crystal Bracelet was a reward for completing a series of hidden tasks, the added attributes were of great help to her, and its sudden disappearance threw her into a panic.


    Lu Heng reminded, "Take a look at the item column on the data panel."


    Su Muyu quickly checked the data panel, then saw an [Energy Crystal Bracelet] listed in the item column.


    "Hey... there''s a bracelet in the item column."


    "This Crystal Bracelet belongs to the Abyss World and cannot be brought back to the real world before undergoing Law Integration. It''s the same reason why weapons and equipment from the real world cannot be taken into the Abyss World," Lu Heng explained the reason.


    Since Blue Star and the Abyss World are two different worlds, their fundamental World Laws are entirely different.


    The laws of physics from Blue Star are not applicable in the Abyss World.


    For example, the absolute zero on Blue Star is minus 273.15 degrees, the boiling point of water is 100 degrees, and the cosmic microwave background temperature is 2.7K, but this may not be the case in the Abyss World.


    Because the World Laws are different, items from both worlds cannot freely move between them.


    Of course, it is not completely impossible to carry items across the two worlds, but the items first need to undergo law assimilation.


    It''s not just Su Muyu''s Energy Crystal Bracelet; Lu Heng''s Aurora Blade was the same¡ªit was stored in the item column but couldn''t be taken out.


    "So, I can''t use this bracelet anymore?" Su Muyu frowned.


    "You can take it out again the next time you enter the Abyss World. If you want to use this bracelet on Blue Star, you''ll need to perform the Law Integration," Lu Heng continued to explain.


    "How is the integration done?"


    "You integrate it with Divine Energy. You can give it a try."


    "Alright, I''ll give it a try." Su Muyu attempted to retrieve the Energy Crystal Bracelet. A prompt appeared, stating that using Divine Energy was required to perform the integration: "It will cost 300 Divine Energy to retrieve. Should I take it out?"


    "Take it out. The Divine Energy we obtained from this round at the Abyss Battlefield should be sufficient," Lu Heng nodded in agreement.


    Su Muyu chose to perform the Law Integration and successfully retrieved the Energy Crystal Bracelet, put it on her wrist, and shook it, "Does it look good?"


    Girls will be girls, putting on equipment without first asking if it''s powerful, but rather if it looks good.


    Lu Heng shook his head and smiled, then looked at the integration cost for the Aurora Blade. As expected, it was more expensive than Su Muyu''s bracelet, requiring 600 Divine Energy to complete World Law Integration.


    After all, the Item Level of the Energy Crystal Bracelet was D-Level, and the Aurora Blade was C-Level.


    The hardness and Attack Power of the Aurora Blade were at the top of the C-Level weapons, and combined with the In-depth Level Seven Styles, it could decapitate demons of the same level with a single strike.


    In this round at the Abyss Battlefield, they completed three Main Quests and two Challenge Tasks, obtaining a total of 900 Divine Energy, a pretty good haul.


    So, Lu Heng chose to use 600 Divine Energy to perform the basic Law Integration, and then drew the Aurora Blade from the item column.


    An advantage of items that undergo World Law Integration is that they can be stored in the item column, effectively having an invisible storage space.


    With a thought, Su Muyu asked, "Since items from the Abyss World can be integrated, can the real world''s items also be taken into the Abyss World after integration?"


    Lu Heng smiled and nodded, "You''re learning to extrapolate, yes, indeed they can."


    Su Muyu continued to ponder, "Then is it possible to bring guns into the Abyss World?"


    "Yes, and most Superpower Users share your sentiment," Lu Heng smiled.


    "Firearms are indeed powerful. Wouldn''t most people think that?" Su Muyu furrowed her brow, catching on that Lu Heng didn''t seem very optimistic about firearms.


    It wasn''t that Lu Heng thought firearms were lousy; there was another reason: "Indeed, after one or two rounds in the Abyss Battlefield, the number of people bringing firearms will increase."


    "Then those with guns would be very powerful, right?" Su Muyu suddenly felt that saving her Divine Energy to bring a gun to the Abyss World was a good idea.


    "Firearms are indeed useful in the early stages, but there''s one characteristic of firearms¡ªthey don''t benefit from Strength enhancements. Unlike melee weapons, where the more Strength you have, the more powerful your attacks become¡­"


    Lu Heng paused briefly then continued, "It''s true that spending Divine Energy on firearms in the early stages has good effects, but in the mid to late stages, if your Skills, Talents, and firearms aren''t related, the advantage disappears.


    "And because you spent the Divine Energy on firearms, your own growth is too slow, which turns it into a disadvantage."


    Su Muyu listened attentively, pondered, and slowly nodded, "So it means improving myself is most important, and if I want to upgrade my weapons and equipment, it should be related to my abilities."


    "That''s correct." Thinking of someone, Lu Heng added, "And sometimes, having bullets on you is not a good thing. Like running into that Chen Zihang¡­"


    At the mention of this, Su Muyu''s eyes widened in surprise, "That''s true¡­"


    Chen Zihang''s ability was of the Metal Element, meaning he could snap his fingers, and all bullets within a certain range would automatically fire.


    If the opponent had a lot of bullets on them, they might end up peppered with holes.


    In fact, at the beginning of Abyss Descent, Superpower Users using firearms had decisive dominion. Only after the Class system emerged did the overwhelming force of firearms become less pronounced.


    Of course, if a Superpower User possesses firearm enhancement Talents or Skills, they won''t be at a disadvantage later on.

 Chapter 20 - 20: Times Have Changed, the Wicked Have Not

    Returning from the Abyss Battlefield, Lu Heng felt much more relaxed.


    At first, when he decided to help Su Muyu awaken ahead of time, he hadn''t expected her to be called to the Abyss Battlefield so soon.


    Normally, the chances of being called in the first round to the Abyss Battlefield were not high.


    Su Muyu had just awakened and was immediately summoned, with a countdown of less than an hour and a half.


    Such situations were rare.


    This truly panicked Lu Heng for a moment, fearing that she would not survive her first Abyss Battlefield.


    Later, after confirming that both of their countdowns were the same and they would enter the same Abyss Battlefield, he felt somewhat relieved.


    Now that he had successfully brought her back, he felt he had fulfilled a duty to himself.


    Lu Heng put away the Aurora Blade, then checked the data panel.


    [Name: Lu Heng]


    [Species: Human]


    [Level: Level 8]


    [Qi-Blood: 160/160]


    [Source Energy: 180/180]


    [Attributes: Strength 16, Agility 21, Constitution 16, Spirit 18, Perception 17]


    [Talents: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution]


    [Skill Slot Number: 3]


    [Skills: Thunder Weapon, Shadow Clone, Gale Step]


    [Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Meticulous), Movement Technique (Beginner), Fighting (Beginner)]


    [Divine Energy: 300]


    [Items: Aurora Blade]


    Su Muyu also advanced to Level 6, and her five-dimensional attributes increased to: Strength 12, Agility 13, Constitution 13, Spirit 17 (16+1), Perception 17.


    Having experienced the Abyss Battlefield this time, although it was just three short days, Su Muyu felt like she had gone through quite a lot.


    In these three days, from knowing nothing about the Abyss World, she had become a Level 6 Superpower User.


    The changes were too rapid, and she found it hard to adapt her mindset for the time being. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu pondered many questions, asking whatever came to mind, "Should we contact that Chen Zihang?"


    Lu Heng slowly shook his head, "For now, let''s not reveal our identities. When I was in the Abyss World, I didn''t leave him any contact information. Similarly, he didn''t give us any.


    "He probably also thought that revealing our real identities might bring about a lot of trouble."


    And indeed, that was the case.


    The Abyss invasion brought a dramatic change to the Human World.


    At the beginning, when there were not many superpower users, exposing one''s identity could lead to anything happening.


    As, the first Abyss Battlefield concluded.


    The officials must have been aware of the Abyss Battlefield''s existence, especially since people had inquired about the countdown related to the Abyss Battlefield on the internet a few days ago.


    Being discovered as a superpower user by the officials wasn''t the worst-case scenario.


    Even if taken for research by the officials, it was highly unlikely to be life-threatening.


    But if captured by some illegal organizations for research, the outcome could be dire.


    ¡­


    After resting for one night, Su Muyu went back to school the next day.


    With her diligent nature, whenever she had time, she trained the proficiency of her Reconnaissance Eagle Skill, and watching the slow increase in proficiency surprisingly satisfied her.


    Meanwhile, Lu Heng focused on training the Gale Step, increasing his skill proficiency while also practicing his movement technique.


    During training, every time he persevered for a distance, he could see the results of his training:


    [Training "Gale Step" Skill, Skill Proficiency +1]


    [Gaining insight in movement technique, Movement Technique Proficiency +1]


    [Physical attributes improved during training, Strength +0.01]


    Now that he had Divine Energy, as long as he maxed out the skill proficiency, his Initial Talent "Divine Evolution" could come into play.


    ¡­


    Regarding the matters of the Abyss and Demons, the news was still being censored on the internet.


    However, in some smaller circles, the appearance of monsters on Blue Star couldn''t be contained.


    The time came to Saturday afternoon.


    Lu Heng packed up his things, ready to go home for a meal.


    It had been nearly three weeks since school started, and he hadn''t been home yet, so it was time to make a quick visit.


    Lu Heng''s family was a warm family of three living in the Taoyuan District on Xingyang Road in the Ningyun District, about an hour''s journey from school.


    As he packed up and prepared to leave, he suddenly received a call from his mother.


    When the call connected, his mother''s voice came through the phone, a bit anxiously:


    "Son, don''t come home today, your father and I are busy, and we won''t have time to cook for you, just focus on your studies at school."


    Usually, whenever his mother knew he was coming home, she would go to the market early in the morning to buy the freshest fish and shrimp, and no matter what, she would prepare a lavish meal.


    Suddenly, she was telling him not to come home.


    There was clearly a problem.


    Lu Heng frowned and recalled his memories from before his rebirth, but didn''t remember any significant events happening at home around this time.


    Whatever it was, he would find out if he just went back to check.


    After hanging up, Lu Heng took a cab back to his old home in Ningyun District.


    As soon as he reached the doorstep, he knew something was wrong.


    The furniture inside the house was smashed to pieces and scattered all over the floor.


    At that moment, a group of thugs covered in tiger, leopard, jackal, and wolf tattoos were blocking the entrance.


    No wonder his mother didn''t want him to come, in his parents'' eyes, he was still simply the studious boy in the ivory tower, not someone who could handle this kind of situation.


    In the living room,


    his father, Lu Mingli, was talking to a middle-aged man in a floral shirt: "Boss Tang, you were the one who braked suddenly after I gave way, which caused the rear-end collision."


    The middle-aged man known as Boss Tang, holding a string of prayer beads in his hand and sitting on a chair, said indifferently, "The traffic police ruled it entirely your fault. Still trying to deny it?"


    "I''m not trying to deny anything, we''re going through the insurance," Lu Mingli continued to reason.


    "Recognize the logo on my car? Two Rs, your insurance will barely cover the cost of a headlight," Tang Hongda said, a look of scorn on his face.


    "Even if you''re here to collect a debt, that''s no reason to start smashing things," Lu Mingli attempted to reason further.


    "I smashed it, what can you do about it?" Tang Hongda said and raised his hand to slap Lu Mingli.


    Lu Heng kicked over a tattooed thug blocking the door, stepped into the living room and grabbed Tang Hongda''s wrist: "Looking for trouble, aren''t you?"


    A fierce light flashed in Tang Hongda''s eyes as he sized up Lu Heng, his voice chilly: "So, you are Lu Heng?"


    "Knowing my name, that means you came for me then."


    All the way Lu Heng thought, what exactly had happened to his family in his previous life?


    Now, it was clear that they had come for him.


    As the two faced off, the law enforcement team arrived.


    "Who called the police?" The head of the security team speaking out.


    "It was me, I called the police. Look at what they''ve done to our house," Li Xiuyun, pointing to the smashed furniture, utterly distressed.


    "What happened here?" The security team leader asked Tang Hongda sternly.


    Tang Hongda showed a damage report, and added pleasingly, "Captain Lin, we came to collect a debt, it''s right to pay back what you owe, isn''t it?"


    "One can collect debts, but beating people is not allowed," Captain Lin laid down the rule.


    "No one''s been beaten. Who beat anyone? It''s my guys who have been beaten. Captain Lin, look, my company''s employee, what happened to him?" Tang Hongda pointed to his subordinate lying on the ground.


    The very thug Lu Heng had kicked over now lay on the ground, clutching his chest and howling, a scene right out of a soccer match where players dive.


    "Who hit him? Do you want an injury examination?" Captain Lin frowned and asked Tang Hongda if he wanted to proceed with legal formalities.


    If the examination revealed minor injuries, it would become a criminal case.


    "It''s not a fight, just a misunderstanding," Li Xiuyun quickly interjected, worried about Lu Heng being taken away.


    After all, the person lying on the ground was indeed knocked over by Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng was Li Xiuyun and her husband''s lifeline; they would rather suffer losses themselves than let their son spend even a day in detention.


    Moreover, once taken into custody, it would give the other party considerable leverage.


    Tang Hongda only needed to pull some strings, break one of his underlings'' hands, and frame it on Lu Heng with determined assault charges refusing mediation, the law enforcement would initiate a criminal case.


    As for investigating the truth, that was something you''d see in TV shows.


    In reality, the law enforcement teams excelled in muddying the waters, the final outcome often just a matter of whose connections were stronger.


    "Captain Lin, you heard them, they said it''s a misunderstanding," Tang Hongda jumped at the chance to set the narrative, framing the aggressive visit as a misunderstanding.


    Furthermore, when Tang Hongda spoke to Captain Lin, their nods and smiles showed familiarity.


    In the past, ordinary people facing this situation had no choice but to accept their fate.


    Now, times had changed.


    Lu Heng didn''t twist off Tang Hongda''s head on the spot for one reason alone¡ªhe didn''t want to scare his parents.


    ¡­

 Chapter 21 - 21: Revenge Not Overnight, Take Action That Evening

    Tang Hongda dealt with Captain Lin of the public security team with a slick, smiling face, a clear sign of an old hand at this.


    Lu Heng had guessed his identity upon seeing the name on the insurance assessment report.


    The owner of Hongda Loan Company, Tang Hongda, was frankly a usurer.


    Of course, loans were extended under the maximum legal interest rates; anything below an annual rate of 24% was legal, and the law enforcement team wouldn''t intervene.


    However, such loan companies operated murky waters.


    There were many ways to implicitly increase the interest rate, such as by using financial schemes and contracts to juggle debts notoriously timed to the second for overdue fees¡ªtoo many tricks to count.


    Moreover, anyone who ran a loan company usually had some backing.


    Considering all this, Captain Lin''s attitude was quite understandable.


    Lu Heng looked at the captain of the public security team and asked, "So, you guys don''t handle troublemaking like this?"


    The captain responded officially, "I act according to regulations, compensating where compensation is due and assessing injuries where needed. You can follow formal procedures or settle matters privately, it''s up to you."


    "Fine, we don''t need your help then, you can leave," Lu Heng said, too lazy to listen to more from the captain, and promptly signed off for them to leave.


    After dispatching the law enforcement team, Lu Heng pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Tang Hongda, asking bluntly, "You''re targeting me, right? Just spit it out, what do you want?"


    A resentful look flashed in Tang Hongda''s eyes as he threatened, "Turn yourself in, and I''ll leave your family alone. Otherwise, you''ll get a taste of the destruction of your family¡­"


    Lu Heng had already guessed the answer and remained very calm, "Tang Guizhe is your son." S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Tang Guizhe was one of the four individuals who had driven Su Muyu to her suicide, and the most sinister among them.


    A forthright student once reported Tang Guizhe for smoking in the classroom, only to be bullied into severe depression, showing tendencies of self-harm and transferring schools the following semester.


    When Tang Hongda heard Lu Heng mention his son''s name, he slammed the table and bellowed, "I knew it was you! You owe my son his life!"


    "What life debt? Don''t talk nonsense!" exclaimed Li Xiuyun in a panic.


    "Mom, don''t worry, I''m fine."


    After comforting his mother, Lu Heng looked at Tang Hongda and said calmly, "The law enforcement team have already investigated and proven that the case has nothing to do with me."


    Tang Hongda retorted furiously, "That alibi of yours, you think I''d believe that? Only fools in the law enforcement would believe your crap."


    A glint appeared in Lu Heng''s eyes as he caught the mention of "alibi."


    How would a business owner know about an "alibi"?


    The content of a law enforcement''s investigation shouldn''t be known to a loan company boss.


    Unless he had someone inside the law enforcement who could access the case files.


    ¡­


    Once Lu Heng understood Tang Hongda''s motives, the rest was manageable, "If you suspect me, then come directly at me. Why involve my parents?"


    Pointing at Lu Mingli and his wife, Tang Hongda threatened Lu Heng, "Surrender yourself to the Detective Bureau, and I will spare your parents, otherwise I can''t guarantee their safety."


    "Come at me if you want to!" Lu Heng''s face showed anger as he slammed his hand on the table.


    Tang Hongda continued his threats, "You think you''re the only one who can fabricate some nonsense alibi? One day I might dump these two old folks in East Lake and have myself an alibi as well."


    Lu Heng slowly clenched his fist, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "So, it''s a contest of ruthlessness? Fine! Let''s see the truth in action then."


    "Such a milk-sop, and yet you dare to boast. I''ll wait and see your ''truth''!"


    Tang Hongda finished speaking and glared fiercely at Lu Mingli and his wife before leaving with his subordinates.


    ...


    After they had left, Lu Mingli and Li Xiuyun became anxious. "Son, what were you talking about just now? Wasn''t it about a rear-end collision? Why did it sound like something about paying with a life? Don''t scare your mom and dad."


    "Don''t worry, this Mr. Tang is clearly trying to intimidate you. I wanted to ask you, how did you get involved with these people?" Lu Heng quickly changed the subject.


    "Ah! A couple of days ago, I was driving home from work as usual. The other car suddenly cut me off at the front, I let him go, but as soon as I did, he slammed on his brakes, resulting in a rear-end collision." Lu Mingli looked extremely haggard, having not slept well for several days.


    "Isn''t there a dash cam? With such driving behavior from the other party, they should be charged with reckless driving." Lu Heng was a bit puzzled.


    "I don''t know what happened, but someone stuck two pieces of chewing gum on the dashcam lens, so it didn''t capture anything."


    As Lu Mingli mentioned this, he felt a tightness in his chest.


    After retiring, he had been driving for over a decade without a single accident.


    The first accident he had involved a car worth over ten million, and the insurance was not enough to cover it.


    When Lu Heng heard about the chewing gum on the camera lens, he immediately understood what had happened.


    It was clearly a setup by the other party, and his father was not to blame.


    Lu Heng reassured his parents, returned to his room, closed the door, and made a phone call to Su Muyu, "I''ll send you an address, come over."


    ...


    At eight in the evening.


    Lu Heng went out to meet Su Muyu.


    At the intersection of Xingyang Street, Su Muyu, wearing a plaid skirt and standing under a street lamp, looked like an elf stepping out of the light.


    Seeing Lu Heng appear, Su Muyu smiled sweetly, a sparkle in her eyes.


    "Calling you out so late, it''s not a problem, is it?" Lu Heng approached, worried that it might inconvenience her to come out too late.


    "It''s no problem, I told my mom I had to go back to school." Su Muyu, with her hands clasped behind her back and smiling brightly, was not even aware that her words implied she wouldn''t be going home tonight.


    "Did you manage to do what I asked?" Lu Heng then asked about the business.


    "Yes, I did."


    Before coming over, Su Muyu had released a recon eagle, as per Lu Heng''s request, to spy on the Hongda Loan Company on Xingyang Street.


    She reported everything, "Now, those men are drinking and playing games on the first floor, each looking quite fierce, not like good people.


    "I followed your instructions and destroyed the surveillance cameras inside the building, including the hidden one outside the safe."


    After reporting on her reconnaissance mission, Su Muyu continued:


    "There''s another thing. In the office of the company''s boss, I saw a Demon Crystal Core. He mentioned over the phone that it was acquired on someone''s behalf.


    "However, they seem unaware that it''s a Demon Crystal Core. They referred to it as a Purple Crystal on the phone.


    "Uh... that Demon Crystal Core has been placed by Tang Hongda inside the safe in the third-floor office, and the safe''s code is 753951."


    "Good job,"


    Lu Heng complemented her and then raised his hand to use a Skill and release a Shadow Clone, saying, "Why don''t you go to the mall, and if you see any clothes you like, buy a couple."


    "Oh, then I''m off." Su Muyu walked away, looking back three times with every step.


    Once Su Muyu left, Lu Heng pulled his hoodie over his head, drew the Aurora Blade, and strode towards Hongda Loan.

 Chapter 22 - 22: Thunder Tactics, A River of Blood

    Hongda Company was one of the larger companies in the area around Xingyang Street, with a four-story standalone office building.


    In the lobby on the first floor.


    A group of thugs and enforcers were playing a drinking game:


    "The chick who took nude photos for a loan a few days ago was really hot. When are we going to bring her over to have some fun?"


    "It wouldn''t be your turn even if we did. Eat your chicken feet, loser!"


    Lu Heng walked into the lobby on the first floor, turned around, and pulled down the rolling shutter door to close it.


    The group of enforcers, who were playing the drinking game, halted their actions and looked at Lu Heng with puzzled faces.


    "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" A burly man with tattooed arms stood up, kicked a chair over, and yelled loudly.


    After closing the door, Lu Heng turned around and tapped the Pixiu ornament by the door with his Aurora Blade and said, "Call your boss down here."


    "It''s that kid with the surname Lu!"


    The thugs who had gone to his house to smash things up immediately recognized Lu Heng''s identity.


    The few tattooed thugs playing the game suddenly became interested:


    "He actually dares to come here? Is his brain broken?"


    "He even brought a sword. Does he think he''s in a TV drama?"


    "What the hell are you waiting for? Get him!" Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A group of enforcers stood up, aiming to take down Lu Heng first and then run to Tang Hongda to claim credit.


    The two tattooed thugs in the lead grabbed chairs and violently smashed them towards Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng was not at all polite, twirled to dodge the incoming chairs, and then swung his sword. The incredibly sharp blade of the Aurora Blade cut off the two men''s heads as easily as slicing through tofu.


    Blood splattered, heads rolled.


    The entire lobby on the first floor instantly turned into a Shura Slaughterhouse.


    "Damn it!"


    The remaining thugs saw how ruthless Lu Heng was and were immediately terrified into a panic.


    Some ran upstairs while others tried to open the door to run out.


    Lu Heng strode forward and used the Aurora Blade like a knife, requiring no technique, chopping each one down with a single cut.


    Those who came to smash up his house today, not a single one was spared.


    Among these thugs, two had learned some martial arts skills. They immediately rushed to the counter, pulled out large machetes, and leaped at Lu Heng, swinging their blades to chop at him.


    But their small amount of skill was nothing in front of Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng didn''t even bother to dodge; he directly faced them, swinging a circular arc of sword light that cut the two large machetes in half and continued into the bellies of the two men, opening up two bloody gashes.


    The two men clutched at their split open wounds, looking at the blood and intestines spilled all over the floor and collapsed to their knees with a "thud."


    Even the two best fighters among the enforcers were chopped down.


    The rest of the thugs, even more terrified, screamed in horror and fled in all directions.


    However, the door was already closed; there was no escape, and they could only run upstairs.


    Lu Heng simply launched an unstoppable assault, slaughtering these deeply evil beings without sparing a single one.


    Originally, Tang Hongda was in his office on the third floor and was preparing to come downstairs when he was informed that Lu Heng was below.


    He had just reached the second floor when he saw several subordinates running up covered in blood.


    Tang Hongda immediately realized something was wrong, turned around to run, and wanted to hide back in his office to call for help.


    Lu Heng chased after him and chopped off his left leg with a sword.


    Tang Hongda fell to the ground, dragging his injured leg towards his office, leaving a trail of blood on the floor.


    Lu Heng chopped down the two enforcers who had run up as well, then grabbed Tang Hongda by the back of the neck, lifted him up, and slammed him against the wall with a "bang," his voice icy cold as he asked:


    "What were you saying at my house before? Say it again!"


    Tang Hongda turned his head slightly and looked back with the corner of his eye, seeing Lu Heng''s blood-splattered stern face, his heart filled with panic and confusion.


    The current Lu Heng was like a death god who had stepped out of Hell, drenched in blood¡ªan image that could shatter one''s courage at a mere glance.


    "You... you..."


    Tang Hongda couldn''t understand how a high school student could be so terrifying.


    The thugs he kept were quite capable of fighting, but the ten-plus of them had been completely chopped down by Lu Heng, not sparing a single one.


    "I was wrong, please spare me." Although terrified, Tang Hongda knew that being stubborn now would only hasten his death, and he immediately started begging for mercy.


    "What did you do wrong?"


    "I shouldn''t... shouldn''t have smashed up your house."


    "And?"


    "I shouldn''t have set up your father."


    "I heard your car is pretty expensive, and the insurance isn''t enough to cover it, how much is missing? I''ll make up the difference."


    "No need to make up, no no no, no need to compensate... it''s all my fault, let me go, please let me go..." Tang Hongda''s back was soaked with cold sweat as he kept begging, snot and tears mixing.


    "I can''t let you go, blood has already been shed like a river."


    "I can handle it, I''ll take care of these bodies, no one will know, I''m always very clean with these things."


    "What about that beast of a son of yours? No more talk of revenge?"


    "It really was you!" Tang Hongda gritted his teeth, his eyes brimming with venomous hate.


    "Looking at how you behave, your son must have followed suit. Unfortunately, no matter how wicked, he couldn''t withstand a single cut."


    Lu Heng grabbed his hair and dragged him into the third-floor office.


    Tang Hongda, seeing the safe in the office, thought he glimpsed hope for survival: "Spare me, and I''ll give you the password to the safe. It contains three hundred thousand. Let me go, and it''s yours."


    "Unfortunately for you, I know the password."


    Lu Heng walked over and spun the combination lock, 753951.


    With a "click," the safe opened.


    Tang Hongda''s eyes bulged in disbelief.


    He didn''t understand how Lu Heng knew the code.


    Aside from him, no one else knew the password to this safe.


    Lu Heng pulled out a jewelry box from the safe, opened it, and found a Demon Crystal Core.


    It was an ordinary Crystal Core¡ªabsorbing it could improve energy level strength, but repeated absorption in a short period would suffer from diminishing returns.


    "Do you know... what this is..." Tang Hongda uttered in surprise as he saw Lu Heng examining the Crystal Core.


    "Ants need not know these things." With a single swing of his sword, Lu Heng sent him into the afterlife, then found a travel bag and stuffed all the cash from the safe into it.


    Finally, he set the place ablaze, incinerating that den of scoundrels cleanly.


    ...


    Half an hour later, Detective Bureau Inspector Shao Feipeng led a team to investigate the case at Hongda Company on Xingyang Street.


    Sword wounds, flames¡ªthe features were nearly identical to the abandoned factory quadruple homicide.


    The case seemed increasingly tricky to Shao Feipeng.


    While he was surveying the scene, an officer came to report: "Boss, we just found out that this company''s boss Tang Hongda went to a residence this afternoon to trash the place, claiming it was for debt collection."


    Shao Feipeng mused, "Such debt collection is common for this type of company; this information alone is useless. Is there anything else?"


    The officer pulled out a photo and reported, "This company''s son is Lu Heng. And the boss of Hongda Company is the father of Tang Guizhe, who was killed in the abandoned factory case."


    A spark flashed in Shao Feipeng''s eyes as he felt a connection between the two cases: "Find this Lu Heng immediately."


    Nine o''clock at night.


    Su Muyu, carrying several shopping bags, followed behind Lu Heng as they left the mall.


    They were stopped by Shao Feipeng and his men at the mall entrance.


    Shao Feipeng''s instincts told him that these two were definitely up to something, but he couldn''t pinpoint the issue.


    "We have a case that requires your assistance. Come back to the Detective Bureau with us," Shao Feipeng said, intending to have his subordinates take the two away.


    After surviving the Abyss Battlefield, Lu Heng''s demeanor had changed; he glanced indifferently at Shao Feipeng and flatly refused:


    "Don''t you have more meaningful things to do, Captain Shao? What good does it do to keep hounding me? Will it earn you more bones from your master?"


    Lu Heng had already discovered that Tang Hongda could access the Detective Squad''s case files, indicating he had connections within the force.


    He didn''t know if that person was Shao Feipeng, but it didn''t matter¡ªthe corruption ran deep, and even a blameless captain couldn''t escape responsibility.


    Shao Feipeng''s expression darkened as he repeated, "Come with us to assist with the investigation."


    Lu Heng flatly refused, "I''m busy. If you want to take someone in, show an arrest warrant. Otherwise, I''m afraid I''ll have to decline."


    Shao Feipeng frowned and asked directly, "Where were you tonight between 8 and 8:30?"


    Su Muyu pointed to the mall behind her and answered, "We... We were shopping in the mall."


    Shao Feipeng gasped at this response, sensing trouble.


    Just as he had feared.


    The officers investigating inside the mall had already pulled the surveillance footage.


    At 8 pm, cameras throughout the Five Mile Bridge World Trade Mall captured Lu Heng and Su Muyu out shopping.


    In the surveillance footage, Su Muyu was blissfully shopping, occasionally hanging a bag off Lu Heng''s arm.


    After a while, she wrapped a scarf around him.


    Dozens of store cameras in the World Trade Mall caught the two out and about, providing any angle one might need.


    This alibi was more than sufficient, smacking Shao Feipeng across the face brutally.


    Every camera in the entire mall could vouch for them.


    Unless one had the Clone Technique, it was impossible to be in two places at once.


    Indeed, Lu Heng had a Shadow Clone.


    It was the Shadow Clone who had been out shopping with Su Muyu, hence the entire shopping spree where "Lu Heng" was at Su Muyu''s behest.


    Because the alibi was so airtight¡ªso crushingly conclusive¡ª


    Shao Feipeng, despite his reluctance, waved his hand and let Lu Heng and Su Muyu go.


    One of his men whispered in his ear, "Captain, this will be difficult to explain to Mr. Gong..."


    "Let him investigate it himself then!" Shao Feipeng punched the mall''s entrance door in frustration and glared back at his subordinate.


    ...

 Chapter 23 - 23 Iron Blood Supernatural Investigation Bureau

    The next day, Lu Heng brought Su Muyu back to his house to help tidy up.


    All the furniture in the living room was broken and had been replaced with new pieces, making the space more comfortable and warmer than before.


    Li Yunxiu had good relations with the neighbors, so when it was time to move furniture, many of them came to help.


    When the neighbors got together, they inevitably discussed the incident, and their opinions were pretty much the same:


    "That Tang fellow, even Heaven couldn''t stand him, took him down."


    "I went to see yesterday, those damnable ones, all burned to nothing."


    "Got no idea who they offended."


    "Must''ve done too much evil, Heaven has opened its eyes."


    "Xiuyun, nothing''s wrong with you guys, right?"


    To avoid suspicion, Li Xiuyun generally didn''t participate in the gossip, and when neighbors asked her such questions, she just casually responded, "Nothing''s wrong, the old furniture was due for replacement anyway, just took the opportunity to get new ones." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s good to change it up, out with the old, in with the new," the neighbors comforted.


    ¡­


    When the incident on Xingyang Street happened, Lu Heng was out all night and didn''t return.


    Originally, Li Xiuyun was quite worried, but seeing that Lu Heng brought back a female classmate, she became... even more worried.


    Li Xiuyun brought over a bowl of soybean and pork trotter soup and set it in front of Su Muyu, "Try this soup, it''s a family recipe."


    "Thank you, Auntie," Su Muyu quickly nodded in thanks.


    With a seat beside her taken, Li Xiuyun began to beat around the bush, "You are still in school, you should prioritize your academics, it''s already senior year, and next year you''ll have to take the college entrance exams, can''t let anything affect your studies."


    As soon as Lu Heng heard his mom say this, he knew what she was worried about and rolled his eyes, "Stop worrying unnecessarily, her grades have never fallen out of the top ten in our grade."


    Hearing how good Su Muyu''s grades were, Li Xiuyun''s attitude instantly brightened, her demeanor doing a one-eighty, "With such good grades, you must help Lu Heng more, study hard together and both get into a good university."


    Su Muyu shyly lowered her head, speaking softly, "Lu Heng''s grades are also very good."


    Li Xiuyun pulled Lu Heng out to the balcony and warned, "She looks like a good kid, you better not pick on her."


    "I know," Lu Heng said, somewhat speechless, but he still nodded in agreement to his mother''s unreasonable request.


    At that moment.


    Su Muyu suddenly started choking violently: cough cough cough...


    "What happened? Did you choke?" Li Xiuyun immediately rushed back from the balcony.


    "Auntie, I''m sorry, I''ve made a mess," Su Muyu covered her mouth to stifle her coughing, her face paling.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay."


    Seeing that Su Muyu had also wet her skirt, Li Xiuyun arranged, "Lu Heng, take your classmate to the restroom to clean up."


    Lu Heng took her arm and walked into the bathroom, asking, "What happened?"


    Su Muyu had a look of panic just now, an obvious sign that something was wrong.


    Su Muyu hurriedly explained what she had detected earlier, "I just sent out a reconnaissance eagle in an invisible state, monitoring the situation at Hongda Company, then someone came and circled the scene.


    "I thought this person was strange and wanted to get a closer look, so I moved the Summoned Creature Vision closer.


    "But somehow that person discovered my scouting eagle and waved an impact wave with his hand, knocking the scouting eagle out."


    Hearing this, Lu Heng understood why she was coughing so violently.


    Being hit under the Summoned Creature Vision, although there was no pain, the sensation of being smashed by an impact wave felt very real.


    "Since this person can produce an impact wave, he must definitely be a Superpower User. In fact, I anticipated this situation. Tang Hongda was collecting Demon Crystal Cores for someone, and I took the cores they were gathering, so of course, the person expecting the delivery would come to the scene to search."


    Su Muyu began to feel anxious, "So what do we do now?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and then assigned her a task, "Don''t worry, continue to dispatch the scouting eagle to monitor this person. However, maintain some distance and use your own judgment."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded in agreement.


    She hadn''t known that the other party was a Superpower User before, and in order to get a clearer view, she had controlled the scouting eagle to get closer, which led to its detection.


    As long as she managed the distance well, even a Superpower User would have a hard time detecting an invisible scouting eagle.


    ¡­


    As time passed, the number of Superpower Users who had experienced the Abyss Battlefield gradually increased.


    More and more Abyss Demons appeared on Blue Star, and countries around the world began to acknowledge the existence of Demons, starting to implement countermeasures.


    Da Xia officially established the "Iron Blood Supernatural Investigation Bureau" for the superpower users, referred to externally as "Iron Blood."


    Iron Blood is part of the military hierarchy, responsible for all matters related to Abyss Demons, superpower users, and other supernatural events, with authority above the enforcement team.


    When Lu Heng heard about the official establishment of Iron Blood, he was slightly surprised because it happened earlier than in his previous life.


    After Iron Blood was established, it would send out teams of superpower users to take over all cases related to supernatural powers nationwide.


    The case at Hongda Company had become quite big and was sure to attract the attention of Iron Blood.


    ...


    As Lu Heng had anticipated, it didn''t take long for Iron Blood to send people.


    That afternoon, two Iron Blood members, one old and one young, arrived at the front door of Hongda Loan Company, stepping directly over the police tape and into the crime scene.


    Among the two Iron Blood members, the older one was around fifty, with a calm demeanor and sharp eyes¡ªone could tell he had many years of investigative experience.


    The younger one followed behind, responsible for taking notes.


    Not long after,


    the inspector from Ningyun District Detective Bureau, Shao Feipeng, arrived in person and took the initiative to greet them, "I''m Shao Feipeng from Ningyun Detective Bureau, Inspector Chen, nice to meet you."


    He had already seen the work badge on the other party''s chest and directly addressed them by their surname and position, in a very respectful manner.


    Because this Chen Linian held a higher rank and came from a special department.


    Chen Linian nodded casually in acknowledgment and then walked towards the interior of Hongda Company, speaking as he moved:


    "I''ve already looked over the case files. The perpetrator''s methods are clean and precise, the cut edges are smooth¡ªthis indicates at least three years of swordsmanship training.


    "Judging by the position of the sword wound on the victims, the perpetrator prefers using the right hand to wield the weapon.


    "The murder weapon is a Straight Blade Sword with a length of 1.3 meters, extremely sharp, capable of cutting through other blades.


    "Before setting the fire, the murderer separated all flammable objects with the intention of preventing the fire from spreading.


    "From a psychological perspective, the murderer is very calm, likely someone who is usually emotionally stable.


    "No fingerprints or similar clues were left at the scene, suggesting the suspect has some capability for anti-detection and is likely well-educated.


    "In addition, the murderer probably had a personal grudge against the owner of Hongda Company..."


    Shao Feipeng followed behind and offered proactively, "Shall I have someone look into Tang Hongda''s personal relationships?"


    Chen Linian waved his hand to refuse, "No need, Iron Blood has taken over this case. The enforcement team should hand over all the files and then delete the case records."


    Shao Feipeng frowned and asked, "The higher-ups have ordered us to solve the case quickly. How long will it take to close the case now that Iron Blood has taken over?"


    Chen Linong looked back at him and bluntly exposed his thoughts, "That''s your higher-up, not mine. I don''t care about the dirty dealings you have in your jurisdiction, but once Iron Blood takes over the case, it''s no longer your concern."


    Shao Feipeng''s expression froze, and upon making eye contact with Chen, he felt a chill down his spine.


    He hesitated for a moment but still pressed on, "There''s another case that may be related to this one."


    Chen Linian raised his hand to stop him mid-sentence, "The four murders at the abandoned factory, I''ve already been to the scene. Iron Blood is taking over that as well. Go back and tell your people that this matter has exceeded their authority, and they should back off when it''s time to."


    Shao Feipeng was struck rigid again; he had been investigating these two cases for a while because in the factory murders, one of the victims came from a very influential family, which had been applying pressure.


    But once Iron Blood took over the case, he would no longer be able to continue his investigation.


    Shao Feipeng still didn''t give up, saying, "There is one person who is very suspicious and is connected to both cases."


    Chen Linian raised his hand to stop him again, "You''re talking about the high school student, right? Haven''t you discovered that there are alibis for both cases?"


    "Yes, but if Iron Blood is involved, it implies the presence of supernatural powers, which means the alibis could be falsified," Shao Feipeng quickly shifted his reasoning.


    Chen Linian shook his finger, "If we have to deny all evidence because of supernatural involvement, then there''s no point in pursuing the case.


    "To prove he''s a suspect, you need evidence that invalidates the alibi, not wishful thinking.


    "And besides, my reason for believing he''s not the murderer has nothing to do with the alibi.


    "The murderer has practiced swordsmanship for over three years¡ªnot casually, but with daily dedication¡ªand this type of swordsmanship is very familiar to me.


    "I''ve checked the details of this Lu Heng, and his daily routine at school is very clear; he had no time to practice swordsmanship for three years.


    "The murderer should be over 20 years old and have an athlete-level ability in swordsmanship. They disabled the surveillance before committing the crime and acted very meticulously."


    If Lu Heng were here to hear this Iron Blood inspector''s analysis, he would certainly be taken aback.


    Because the analysis was very accurate, almost down to reporting Lu Heng''s ID number.


    The only problem was that Lu Heng had been reborn from three years in the future and had three years of memories hidden.


    This created an information gap in the analysis that could not be bridged.


    ...

 Chapter 24 - 24 Counterkill

    After examining the crime scene at Hongda Company, Chen Linian led the young detective away.


    In the car.


    The young detective asked, "Master, when will we investigate this case?"


    Chen Linian waved his hand and replied, "Let''s put this case on hold for now. Iron Blood has just been established and is severely understaffed. There are more challenging cases to handle in the Coastal region."


    The young detective looked surprised and said, "But more than a dozen people died in this case. Isn''t that challenging enough?"


    A sharp light shone in Chen Linian''s eyes as he responded, "This superpower user is very measured in their actions, only killing those who deserved death. Such a person, in ancient times, would be called a ''Ranger.'' However, when a hero uses martial arts to break the law, we will need to catch this person once we have the resources."


    He had read the case file before coming and knew what sort of people these victims were.


    Moreover, he had made a discovery he hadn''t revealed: he recognized that the murderer had used the Step Sword Seven Styles, a sword technique he was very familiar with.


    "So where are we heading now?" the young detective inquired.


    "Guanchao Road."


    "To investigate Case 921 on Guanchao Road?"


    "Yes, the perpetrator of that case has no bottom line and needs to be found as soon as possible," Chen Linian said as he shut his eyes and rubbed his temples.


    "Master, I read the file for the Guanchao Road 921 case. The male victim logged onto the dark web, trying to sell a Demon Crystal Core, and then the whole family got killed. The murderer didn''t even spare the seven-year-old child. If the murderer bought the Demon Crystal Core, why would they silence the seller''s family?"


    "You still don''t understand the criminal psychology behind the case. Did the file mention the child had traces of Demon Energy on them?"


    "Yes, it did."


    "The truth probably is that the buyer paid the money and was ready to collect the item when the victim''s child accidentally broke the Demon Crystal Core and absorbed the energy inside. Unable to obtain the Demon Crystal Core, the buyer killed the whole family in a fit of rage."


    Hearing this analysis, the young detective couldn''t help but gasp in shock.


    ...


    The next day.


    Iron Blood Investigation Bureau issued a warrant for the Guanchao Road 921 case.


    There was no photograph on the warrant, only a sketch.


    In addition to the portrait, there was a description of the suspect.


    According to the warrant, the suspect was skilled in harming victims with shockwaves and explosives, among other methods.


    Su Muyu stared at the warrant on the bulletin board for a while as she passed by.


    When no one was around, she tore off a copy of the warrant, rolled it up, and took it with her.


    At that moment.


    Lu Heng was jogging on the river embankment road, practicing his movement technique and the proficiency of Gale Step.


    When he finished his exercise and was about to head back to the hotel, he received a call from Su Muyu.


    "I''ve seen a warrant with a sketch on it. It looks familiar to me; I want to show it to you."


    "I''m now on the river embankment road, heading back to the hotel soon. Let''s meet at the hotel."


    After ending the call, Su Muyu was about to hang up when suddenly a loud boom came through from the other end of the phone.


    Boom!


    It was so loud that the phone distorted the sound.


    "Hello? What happened? Lu Heng, are you alright? Talk to me," Su Muyu urgently inquired.


    There was no response from the other end of the phone, which made Su Muyu nervous. Then she heard a bang, sounding very much like a gunshot.


    Su Muyu immediately realized something was wrong, started running towards the river embankment road, and released her reconnaissance hawk to find Lu Heng''s location.


    ... sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile.


    On the river embankment road, just as Lu Heng was about to hang up the phone, he heard footsteps approaching from behind.


    Moreover, the footsteps were getting faster, clearly indicating hostility. Lu Heng immediately made an evasive maneuver, ducking to the side.


    Boom!


    A shockwave exploded by his ear, its blast wave almost strong enough to send a person flying.


    The blast had detonated too close, causing Lu Heng''s right foot to throb painfully. His chest felt like it was churning with qi-blood, and he staggered before falling straight toward the ground.


    Fortunately, his Agility Attribute was high enough that, just as he was about to fall, he pressed his palm against the ground, rolled to the side, and quickly stood up.


    During his roll, Lu Heng swiftly swept a glance behind him and saw a bearded middle-aged man reaching into his bosom¡ªan action clearly indicating... he was drawing a gun!


    Lu Heng''s gaze hardened as he estimated the distance between the two to be over ten meters.


    This was a very delicate distance. At this range, no matter how fast one was, they could never be faster than a bullet.


    Therefore, without hesitation, Lu Heng activated "Gale Step" and sprinted forward, increasing the distance between them. Before his pursuer could fire, he darted into an alley off the coastal road.


    Bang!


    No sooner had he dashed into the alley than a gunshot rang out behind him, with a bullet striking the wall at the entrance of the alley.


    "Huh! A Superpower User."


    The bearded middle-aged man, having missed his shot, immediately pursued into the alley with his gun ready.


    Lu Heng moved in a zigzag pattern, swiftly navigating through the alley, while glancing behind him with the corner of his eye.


    With just one look, he caught a glimpse of a murderous gaze that held utter disregard for life in the eyes of the bearded middle-aged man.


    From his words, Lu Heng gathered important information.


    If he didn''t know that Lu Heng was a Superpower User, why then was he attacking him?


    The attacker''s purpose seemed clear-cut. After missing with the shockwave, he immediately drew his gun. This was not the behavior of a random killer.


    Since he didn''t know Lu Heng was a Superpower User, there was no possibility of him being a hunter of such individuals.


    Having excluded other possibilities, only one answer remained: the man was a hired gun.


    Moreover, the power of the shockwave the bearded middle-aged man had unleashed was significant, indicating his Energy Level was not low, probably that of a Superpower User who had survived an encounter on the Abyss Battlefield.


    In an instant, Lu Heng thought of all this while maintaining his zigzag movements to evade the angles of the handgun''s shots.


    The bearded middle-aged man kept hot on his tail, but when Lu Heng deliberately slowed down, the man also reduced his speed, maintaining a distance of over ten meters to prevent Lu Heng from closing in for hand-to-hand combat.


    Between five and twenty-five meters was the golden dominance zone for handguns.


    Within five meters, a Superpower User could get close enough for hand-to-hand combat, and once it turned into a brawl, the handgun would hardly have any room to be effective.


    After two rounds of maneuvering, Lu Heng was certain that his opponent was experienced and difficult to handle.


    As he ran, a scout eagle suddenly flashed by.


    A gleam flashed in Lu Heng''s eyes, and he immediately turned, dashing into another alley.


    At the bend in the alley, a frail arm extended out.


    A smirk appeared at the corner of Lu Heng''s mouth as he ran past, slapping the hand, feeling a rush of energy transfer from the palm to him.


    The energy formed a thin membrane that enveloped Lu Heng''s entire body.


    Encased in this sphere of energy, Lu Heng''s figure rapidly became transparent as he entered an Invisibility state.


    The arm, of course, belonged to Su Muyu. After locating Lu Heng with her scout eagle, she had rushed over to back him up and applied an Invisibility Veil, granting him Invisibility.


    Once invisible, Lu Heng immediately turned back and charged in the direction he''d come from, drawing the Aurora Blade from the void.


    The bearded middle-aged man followed into the alley, heard the approaching footsteps, and his heart tightened, realizing that his target possessed Invisibility. He swiftly raised his hand toward the footsteps, discharging a shockwave.


    Boom!


    An explosive sound burst through the air, but the shockwave missed its target.


    The bearded middle-aged man immediately sensed that something was wrong, his pupils contracted, but it was too late to defend.


    Because Lu Heng was too fast.


    Lu Heng surged forward at a speed that exceeded human limits, thrusting the Aurora Blade into the man''s abdomen.


    Thump!


    With a muffled groan, his eyes widened in panic as he looked down to see his blood flowing along the "Sharp Blade" and outlining the shape of a sword and the hand that held it.


    And Lu Heng''s figure also slowly revealed itself, at close quarters, his face a mere fist''s distance from the man''s.

 Chapter 25 - 25: Abyss Integrated Pistol

    The bearded middle-aged man looked down at the sword stuck in his abdomen, his face filled with disbelief.


    He had just been through an Abyss Battlefield, and before entering, he had received a significant investment from a sponsor. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had used that money to completely fill his Skill Slot, then entered the Abyss Battlefield, where his fully skilled combat power allowed him to perfectly clear it.


    He had thought that at this moment, he should be invincible, especially with a pistol in hand.


    Yet, this high school student had engaged in close combat and instantly defeated him.


    "You¡­ how¡­ "


    "You thought you were high-level, invincible in this city, right? Unfortunately, you picked the wrong opponent," Lu Heng said as he activated the "Thunder Weapon."


    Intense Thunder Power unfolded from the blade, igniting the wound on the man''s abdomen.


    Just then.


    The Source Energy in the bearded middle-aged man''s body suddenly surged, and his entire body burst into flames like a paper doll.


    Replacement Puppet!


    Lu Heng instantly recognized the skill.


    This skill would automatically trigger when a Superpower User received a fatal attack, replacing the original body with a paper puppet to endure the subsequent attacks.


    After the "Bearded" triggered the "Replacement Puppet" skill, he avoided lethal damage but still suffered severe injuries and fled the alley clutching his wound.


    Lu Heng chased out of the alley to find the "Bearded" had run into a busy street.


    If he killed him now, there would be at least seven or eight witnesses on the street, which would lead to serious complications afterwards.


    Being targeted by Iron Blood was not something desirable.


    Lu Heng did not continue the chase and put on his Bluetooth earpiece, speaking to Su Muyu, "Keep an eye on him."


    Su Muyu responded, "I am on it."


    The "Bearded" dodged through several intersections, and after making sure he had shaken off Lu Heng, he turned into an old residential area to dress his wounds back at his place.


    Lu Heng walked slowly two streets apart, waiting for information from Su Muyu.


    It wasn''t long before Su Muyu''s voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece:


    "Xianglin Residential Area, Building 1, Unit 2, top floor, 6th floor. This person seems to be a suspect in the 921 Guanchao Road case. It''s very dangerous. Do you need me to come up and help?"


    "No need, I''ll go up alone. You stay outside the residential area," Lu Heng, not wanting to put her at risk, went into the residential area alone.


    Su Muyu continued to report on the target''s residence, "The target''s residence balcony and room windows all have anti-theft nets. Only the small window in the bathroom is passable."


    Lu Heng went directly to the rooftop of the top floor, climbed down from there, and entered the house through the small bathroom window.


    The "Bearded" was treating his wounds when he suddenly heard a faint noise from the bathroom.


    Although the bathroom occasionally made noises, like when the wind blew against the bucket, he cautiously stood up and walked to the hallway to check.


    Just as he reached the hallway, he saw Lu Heng coming out of the bathroom and immediately fired a shockwave.


    Lu Heng grabbed a nearby chair and threw it, while simultaneously activating "Gale Step" and charging forward.


    Bang!


    The shockwave blasted the chair.


    Lu Heng, moving as fast as the wind, drew his sword and stabbed forward, the blade piercing through the wooden chair and into the "Bearded" man''s chest.


    Thump!


    Already severely injured, the "Bearded" now had a sword through his chest, the blade puncturing his lung lobes, causing blood to flood into his lungs.


    He coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, then fell to the ground.


    Lu Heng neutralized all his resistance and retrieved a pistol from him.


    The pistol displayed attribute data.


    [Glock G17 Pistol (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: C]


    [Specifications: Length 18.6 cm, Weight 703 grams, Magazine Capacity 19 rounds]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 105 (using standard 9mm bullets)]


    [Evaluation: Made of engineering plastic, this lightweight handgun is highly reliable and easy to carry. The destructive power of firearms is determined by the gun body and bullets, and cannot receive bonuses from the user''s strength attribute.]


    This handgun displayed attribute data, indicating it had undergone basic Law Integration using Divine Energy and could be brought into the Abyss World.


    At the onset of Abyss Descent, firearms had great power and long range, giving them significant advantages in battle.


    As a result, many superpower users, after their first Abyss Battlefield, chose to take firearms into the Abyss World.


    However, bringing a Level C handgun into the Abyss World required consuming 600 Divine Energy.


    This price was quite high because in a Danger Level 3 Abyss Battlefield, a Main Quest rewarded 100 Divine Energy points and a Challenge Task rewarded 300 Divine Energy points.


    If it was a lower Danger Level Abyss Battlefield, the obtained Divine Energy was even less.


    That meant, to bring a handgun into the Abyss World, one needed to perfectly clear a Danger Level 3 Abyss Battlefield.


    If unable to complete the Challenge Task, they would need to save Divine Energy from two or three battles.


    Not just handguns but bullets too required additional Divine Energy for Law Integration before they could be brought into the Abyss World.


    A handgun without bullets was no better than a brick.


    Of course, the power of the handgun justified the expenditure of Divine Energy, at least initially.


    However, spending Divine Energy on items posed a problem: they could be taken by others.


    For example, right now, Lu Heng twirled the handgun and placed it into his item slot.


    "Bearded" saw the handgun he had fought so hard for being taken by Lu Heng and spat out blood in anger.


    Lu Heng crouched down, searched him, and read from a card, "Feng Kangyu, tell me, why did you attack me?"


    Coughing blood, Feng Kangyu weakly responded, "If I tell you, will you let me go?"


    "No, but I can make your death quick."


    At this stage of their dispute, reconciliation was impossible.


    As he lost more blood, Feng Kangyu''s breath grew weaker, and he grew more afraid of dying:


    "Give me a chance to live, and I can tell you the channels for trading Demon Crystal Cores. You''re a superpower user too, you should know it''s a shortcut to getting stronger."


    "Just the Dark Network, I knew that already," Lu Heng remained unmoved.


    Shortly after Abyss Descent, indeed there emerged a Crystal Core Dark Network for trading Demon Crystal Cores.


    However, not everyone could register on the Dark Network; it required special channels to obtain an account.


    "Even if you know it, you can''t get a Dark Network account," Feng Kangyu clung to his last hope.


    Lu Heng turned to look at a laptop on the living room coffee table, shattering his last struggle with a sentence, "Dark Network accounts are bound to computer hardware codes, so your account will soon become my account."


    "You!" Feng Kangyu choked out another mouthful of blood.


    Having taken what he needed, Lu Heng had no interest in dragging this out and said coldly:


    "Talk. Who ordered you to attack me? It won''t be pretty if I have to torture you. Besides, what''s the use of secrecy to your employer? He can''t save you."


    Before today, Lu Heng didn''t know Feng Kangyu, and his sudden attack was likely instigated by someone.


    Under the looming blade, Feng Kangyu confessed, "Gongteng Group, Mr. Gong suspects you''re involved in the death of his son, he wanted me to kill you after finding out the truth."


    Lu Heng figured it out immediately.


    Gong Chusheng was the famed prince of the Gongteng Group, a powerhouse business in Coastal Ningyun District, practically an emperor there.


    Just how powerful was Gongteng Group?


    Half of the properties for sale in Ningyun District were developed and invested by Gongteng Group.


    Moreover, Gongteng Group''s business spanned heavy metals and petrochemical industries, truly a giant in Coastal Ningyun District.


    It was also unfortunate that one of the four beasts Lu Heng had killed was the prince of Coastal Ningyun''s business circle.


    Indeed, it was because the Gong Family was powerful and influential that Gong Chusheng dared to act so lawlessly.


    In his previous life, Su Muyu had been driven to disability from a fall, and yet these four men got away with it.


    For a giant corporation like Gongteng Group, cleaning up after their young master Gong Chusheng was just a matter of spending some money, nothing simpler.


    However, this life, no matter how much money the Gong Family spent, they couldn''t clean up after Gong Chusheng anymore, they could only collect his body.


    ...

 Chapter 26 - 26: Leap (Please Follow)

    Having obtained the information he wanted, Lu Heng kept his promise and granted Feng Kangyu a swift end.


    At that moment, Su Muyu''s voice came through the Bluetooth earpiece:


    "Lu Heng, someone''s headed up there, dressed in plain clothes, but I think they''re from the enforcement team."


    "Enforcement teams don''t handle cases involving Superpower Users, it must be the Iron Blood people."


    Lu Heng quickly scanned his surroundings to ensure he hadn''t left any traces exposing his identity, then put on a mask and a hood, grabbed his laptop into a bag, and headed out the door.


    "They''re already on the third floor," Su Muyu said, her tone growing more anxious.


    This building had only one staircase; heading down now would definitely lead to an encounter with the Iron Blood members.


    Lu Heng took steps upwards instead, making his way to the rooftop.


    Just as he reached the rooftop, dense footsteps came from below.


    Two Iron Blood members arrived at Feng Kangyu''s door, it was Chen Linian and his apprentice.


    The young investigator reached out to knock, pounding loudly, "Is anyone there? Iron Blood handling a case, open up!"


    Chen Linian rubbed his nose, sniffing a scent of blood, his gaze sharpening as he shouted, "Kick it open!"


    Bang!


    The young investigator kicked the door open, only to see Feng Kangyu lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor.


    Chen Linian stepped forward, touched the carotid artery on the neck, "He''s just died, the culprit might still be in the house, search quickly!"


    The young investigator instantly drew his gun, beginning to check every room in the house.


    Chen Linian stood up, observing the scene and pondering, he pondered and gradually moved backwards until he stepped out the door and then abruptly turned his head towards the stairs leading up.


    This was already the sixth floor, the top floor, and going up led to the rooftop.


    With narrowed eyes, Chen Linian stepped onto the staircase, swiftly making his way to the rooftop.


    As he reached the rooftop, he saw a young man wearing a hood and mask standing there.


    Of course, this person was Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng was trying to find a way down, not expecting the other to have ascended so quickly.


    Seeing Chen Linian emerge, Lu Heng turned around intending to find an escape route.


    Chen Linian called out, "Don''t panic, come back with me to make a statement, I promise I won''t hurt you. This is the sixth floor, there''s no way out, unless you jump. Even as a Superpower User, jumping from this height, you wouldn''t die but would be severely injured, you can''t escape."


    Indeed, as he said, the building was standalone, with no other escape route but to jump.


    Lu Heng turned his head to look across the street at the residential buildings.


    The street had a dual carriageway with sidewalks, a total width exceeding 16 meters, a distance unattainable by humans without help.


    The world record for the running long jump is 8.95 meters.


    And the average for adult males in the running long jump is only between 5 and 6 meters.


    So, a 16-meter distance was indeed untraversable unaided by humans.


    However, Lu Heng lowered his center of gravity, preparing to sprint.


    Chen Linian''s eyes widened, shouting to stop him, "Don''t be impulsive, you''ll fall to your death!"


    Lu Heng ignored him, activated "Gale Step," and with a burst of strength dashed forward, his foot tapping on the railing, he catapulted himself into the air like a cannonball.


    Chen Linian rushed to the edge of the railing, saw Lu Heng spreading his arms like a big bird, crossing the 16-meter distance, and landing on the rooftop of the building across the street.


    Witnessing Lu Heng performing such a dangerous act left him astounded.


    Calculated by average male standards, the running long jump could indeed only reach around 6 meters.


    However, Lu Heng''s body attributes were much higher than an average person.


    The average five-dimensional attributes for a typical adult male were 10 points, whereas Lu Heng now had attributes of Strength 16, Agility 21, Constitution 16.


    Therefore, with a sprinting start, Lu Heng was able to jump higher and then spread his arms to use air resistance to increase hang time, and even without using any skills, breaking the world record was no problem.


    After using "Gale Step," his running speed increased by 80%, along with the increased hang time, doubled the jump distance.


    Thus, he leaped across the entire street to land on the rooftop across.


    Just as Lu Heng landed, Chen Linian''s pupils dilated dramatically as he activated a skill.


    The moment Lu Heng''s feet touched the ground, he suddenly felt the environment darken, the entire sky lost its light, and vehicles and pedestrians on the ground vanished, as if he had been pulled into a different space.


    This is...


    Spirit Control Skill.


    Lu Heng turned to look at the rooftop across the street; all the pedestrians around had vanished, only the Iron Blood senior inspector opposite was still visible.


    Spirit Control Skill, without external help, hinges on the check of spiritual power.


    The party with higher spiritual power directly negates the opponent''s Spirit Control Skill, unless the skill has an additional spiritual power bonus.


    Lu Heng''s current spiritual power was 18 points, not low, but the Iron Blood captain opposite was clearly a Spiritual Superpower User, with even higher spiritual power.


    When the Caster has higher spiritual power, after launching a Spirit Control Skill, a check of spiritual power is also carried out, and the difference in spiritual power determines the effect and duration of control.


    Of course, after the Spirit Control takes effect, if the controlled Superpower User is experienced, they can also expedite the process of breaking free by adjusting their mental state.


    Lu Heng looked at the other party and slowly began, "You''re looking for the suspect of case 921 inside that house, what use is chasing me?"


    Chen Linian exhaled and asked, "If I''m not mistaken, you used the Step Sword Seven Styles, an old friend of mine also uses it. Who did you learn it from?"


    He had noticed the Step Sword Seven Styles from inspecting the wounds on Feng Kangyu earlier.


    "If you only want to ask such pointless questions, then I''m leaving." Lu Heng felt the control power of this spiritual skill begin to wane.


    It indicated that the opponent''s spiritual power was indeed a bit higher, but only marginally so, hence the short duration of spiritual control.


    "Wait a second, give a statement with me, I guarantee I won''t make it hard for you, I can even help you apply for a special permit."


    "No time."


    Lu Heng flatly refused, then slowly closed his eyes, gathered his focus, and shouted loudly; his shout dispelled the surrounding darkness, restoring the light.


    Having successfully shaken off the control, Lu Heng turned and leaped to another residential building, bounding away across the rooftops, gradually disappearing into the distance.


    Chen Linian took a deep breath and yelled, "I will find you eventually."


    "Then I wish you success." Lu Heng continued his leaps across the rooftops, gradually fading away.


    At that moment, a young investigator, pistol in hand, rushed up to the rooftop, attempting to aim at Lu Heng.


    Chen Linian reached out to push down the barrel of the gun and said, "You won''t hit him, and this round we were one move short; we''ll get another chance to face off next time."


    ...


    Actually, even if they continued to chase, Lu Heng still had some tricks up his sleeve.


    Su Muyu was originally supposed to meet him when choosing the escape route.


    However, Lu Heng did not want to expose her invisibility ability, so he did not ask for her to assist.


    After evading the Iron Blood Investigators'' sight, Lu Heng crossed two streets, turned his coat inside out, and then met up with Su Muyu in a crowded shopping mall.


    Su Muyu followed closely behind, worryingly asking, "Lu Heng, is Gongteng Group really Gong Chusheng''s family company?"


    She, too, had heard Feng Kangyu''s confession and knew the Gong Family had hired a Superpower Killer.


    Lu Heng nodded affirmatively.


    "Should I go and surveil the Gong Family? I''m afraid they might have hired other killers." Su Muyu felt that this issue was caused by her, and considering current circumstances, the matter was far from over.


    "We can investigate which other Superpower Users the Gong Family has contacted, but take care. From now on, we would be facing Superpower Users." Lu Heng reminded her.


    "Okay, I understand." Su Muyu nodded seriously, feeling inexplicably happy.


    As she was happily thinking, Lu Heng suddenly pulled her into his arms, causing her to freeze, immobilized by his embrace.


    "Don''t move, there are Iron Blood people coming." Lu Heng whispered into her ear.


    At this moment, the two were in the shopping mall, surrounded by people coming and going.


    The one following Chen Linian, a young investigator not willing to give up, had tracked down this way.


    As he passed by Lu Heng, his eyes looked into the distance, subconsciously overlooking the embracing "couple."


    After the person walked away, Su Muyu quietly asked, "Was it the man who just passed by?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes."


    "I felt the energy aura on him, he''s a Superpower User."


    "Don''t turn to look at him. If he has high Perception, he might notice someone is watching him." Lu Heng quickly advised, turning her face back around.


    As the Iron Blood Investigator walked further away, Su Muyu''s hands still clung to Lu Heng''s clothes, their bodies pressed together, savoring this warmth of mutual reliance.

 Chapter 27 - 27 Perception Suppression

    Since Su Muyu learned that the Gongteng Group had hired superpower assassins, she would wander around the streets surrounding the Gongteng Group headquarters while training her scouting eagles to proficiency, controlling them to observe the company''s main office building.


    Skill proficiency continuously improved during the observation.


    [Continuously controlling the scouting eagles for observation, skill proficiency +1]


    [Continuously controlling the scouting eagles for observation, skill proficiency +1]


    After several days of training, the scouting eagle''s skill proficiency had reached (956/1000), it was not far from being fully trained.


    Everything went smoothly for a few consecutive days, until the fourth day at noon.


    As usual, she cloaked the scouting eagle with an Invisibility Veil and circled around the outside of the Gongteng Group headquarters, observing through Summoned Creature Vision.


    Suddenly, a warning premonition struck her; she felt as if she was being watched.


    Su Muyu immediately controlled the scouting eagle to look for the Observer.


    At that moment, the scouting eagle was attacked by an unknown energy and exploded with a "bang."


    On a pedestrian street a hundred meters away.


    Su Muyu''s body trembled, she quickly tried to stay calm, wrapped her coat tighter and walked into a milk tea shop to sit down, disguising her inner panic.


    The scouting eagle being destroyed in its invisible state indicated that there was a percept power user nearby, and one of no low level.


    She was unsure if her opponent had discovered her.


    Since the scouting eagle was destroyed while her main body was on a pedestrian street a hundred meters away, and the street was crowded, it was likely she was not exposed.


    Even so, she was still a bit scared.


    Because Lu Heng was not by her side, and she currently had no attack skills, she felt completely powerless if her opponent found her.


    Moreover, she didn''t even know who the opponent was.


    The fear brought by this unknown was far more unsettling than seeing the opponent.


    People were running on the street, she felt like the opponent was searching for her. She forced herself to calm down, ordered a lemon tea, slowly sipped it, and then took out her phone to send a message to Lu Heng.


    ¡­


    On a bustling weekend, the Champs Elysees pedestrian street was extremely lively, bustling with people coming and going.


    Lu Heng received Su Muyu''s message and immediately came over, finding her in a milk tea shop and was relieved to see she was okay.


    Upon seeing Lu Heng, Su Muyu''s lips quivered, and she inexplicably wanted to cry.


    She had been genuinely scared when Lu Heng wasn''t there earlier.


    After all, not long ago she was just a student sheltered in an ivory tower, naive about the world.


    "What happened?" Lu Heng sat next to her and asked quietly.


    "My scouting eagle was taken down, but this time I don''t even know who the opponent is." Su Muyu softly replied, her eyes continuously sweeping the street.


    Such a situation, being attacked without knowing the opponent''s location, made her very anxious.


    Lu Heng understood instantly and reassured her, "Don''t worry, this is actually a case of perception suppression; you must have encountered a perceiver of a higher level than you."


    Knowing the reason, Su Muyu''s mood slowly relaxed. She asked, "Then did the opponent discover me?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "How far was the scouting eagle from you at the time?" S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "About a hundred meters, I guess." Su Muyu gave an approximate value.


    "That distance is quite safe. Don''t worry, the opponent found the scouting eagle, but couldn''t find you." Lu Heng couldn''t help but find her nervousness amusing.


    With the crowded pedestrian street and such distance, unless the opponent turned the street upside down, it was impossible to find her.


    Su Muyu was then reassured.


    Actually, she had always been very cautious during her scouting operations.


    This was the first time she encountered an opponent who could suppress her in perception ability, and lacking experience, that''s why she was so nervous.


    "What should we do now? Could this percept power user have been hired by the Gong Family?" After calming down, Su Muyu started to think about deeper issues.


    "You encountered an opponent of a higher level than you. But it''s not a big issue, I''ll level you up a few more times, then we''ll come back and test this perceiver''s level," Lu Heng said as he took her back to the hotel to prepare.


    ¡­


    With more and more Abyss demons appearing on Blue Star, different countries began to fall into various degrees of chaos.


    The official superpower user department couldn''t cope with the increasing number of demons, and had to seek help from external superpower users.


    As September ended, the officials began to issue bounties for clearing Abyss demons.


    Since hunting Abyss demons could yield demon energy and there was also a chance to obtain a Crystal Core.


    Thus, even if the bounty money wasn''t high, many superpower users were still willing to participate.


    In the hotel.


    Su Muyu had seen the official bounty online and, with agile thoughts, proactively asked, "Lu Heng, should we accept the official bounties? Hunting demons can allow us to level up, and there''s also money."


    "There are appropriate ones we can try, but these publicly posted bounties will be contested by other superpower users." Lu Heng wasn''t greatly interested in these bounties.


    When the officials first started issuing rewards, most superpower users were still acting alone.


    As time progressed, these superpower users began to group together to compete for the rewards, forming teams.


    At this point in time, it was manageable, but a few months later, multiple superpower user teams would be competing for a single reward, and conflicts among them were likely to arise easily.


    "What should we do then?" Su Muyu was still worried about conflicts with other superpower users.


    "Don''t worry, I have a plan."


    Lu Heng found a map of an area on the electronic map, took a screenshot, and sent it to her: "Get familiar with the terrain of this beach. We''ll go take a look tomorrow."


    "Will there be any demons appearing on this beach?" Su Muyu stared at the map, carefully memorizing every detail.


    "There should be Abyss Tide Worms appearing."


    Lu Heng remembered that in this area called Gardenia Beach, at the end of September, there would appear a very spectacular swarm of Abyss Tide Worms.


    It was due to an Abyss Queen Worm laying eggs near the reefs close to Gardenia Beach.


    These eggs hatched into a large number of Abyss Tide Worms.


    After devouring all the seabed life in the nearby waters, they would come ashore from Gardenia Beach, forming a spectacular tide of worms.


    Once the worm tide formed, it was not something one or two superpower users could resist.


    However, before the tide formed, they could go and hunt a batch of Abyss Tide Worms.


    Before departing, they would need to prepare more by purchasing weapons and equipment.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    In front of Gardenia Beach.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu walked side by side on the beach; the sea breeze was gentle, blowing on their faces, very refreshing and comfortable.


    However, the fishy smell in the sea breeze was stronger than usual.


    Su Muyu released a reconnaissance eagle, which scouted the surroundings for a while to ensure there were no Abyss Demons around before they proceeded with the next plan.


    Lu Heng caught a rat, killed it, and threw it on the sand.


    The seawater washed up onto the beach, carrying the blood into the sea.


    Abyss Tide Worms were very bloodthirsty, and as soon as they smelled the scent of blood, they would definitely follow it ashore.


    However, it was hard to say when the Abyss Tide Worms would come ashore; they might have to wait a while.


    Lu Heng found a shady spot to sit down, took out his laptop, and logged into the Crystal Core Dark Network with the account bound to this computer.


    He began to browse the Demon Crystal Cores for sale.


    Su Muyu sat next to him and leaned over to look: "Would you be cheated when buying crystal cores here?"


    Others might worry about being cheated, but Lu Heng was not.


    Because the trade of Demon Crystal Cores would become normalized in the future.


    This Crystal Core Dark Network would develop at an astonishing pace to a terrifying scale, covering the globe.


    However, three years after the Abyss Descent, no one knew who had founded the Crystal Core Dark Network.


    There were even rumors that the founder of the Crystal Core Dark Network...was not human.


    However, the number of Demon Crystal Cores currently for sale on the Crystal Core Dark Network was not very large.


    Also, most of the Skill Crystal Cores for sale did not enhance combat ability.


    This was because any Skill Crystal Cores that enhanced combat power would be bought as soon as they appeared.


    For example, the "Thunder Weapon" Skill Crystal Core, which could make weapons emit thunder and inflict thunder damage when attacking.


    These types of skills were highly sought after in the early stages of Abyss Descent.


    As soon as they appeared on the Crystal Core Dark Network, they were immediately purchased, even without looking at the price.


    After all, for some who stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid, money was just a number, but superpowers were something money couldn''t buy before.


    The remaining unsold Demon Crystal Cores generally did not enhance combat abilities, some even weakened them.


    Since the number of Skill Slots for superpower users was limited, they were very cautious in choosing skills to learn.


    Skills that did not enhance combat ability, to many superpower users, had no other effect besides taking up a Skill Slot -1.


    Just then.


    A strong wind blew from the sea.


    Su Muyu quickly grabbed her sun hat and then turned to look at the sea, where a large black object appeared in the surging waves.


    She immediately pointed and exclaimed, "Look quickly!"


    Lu Heng had already seen it, but he didn''t move and continued to sit calmly under the shade, waiting.


    Su Muyu, meanwhile, controlled the reconnaissance eagle to fly over and observe: "It''s not a fish. It looks very much like a worm, and it''s quite large, probably about two meters long."


    ¡­

 Chapter 28 - 28

    With the waves crashing onto the beach, an Abyss Tide Worm that was two meters long and one meter wide crawled onto the sand.


    This Abyss Tide Worm''s body was covered in a shell, dark brown with dark purple patterns across it, adorned with over a dozen pairs of insect legs and a fearsome set of mandibles on its head, looking incredibly frightening. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The shell of the Abyss Tide Worm was extremely hard, resistant to swords and knives, and could be considered one of the highest defensive creatures among the low-rank Abyss Demons.


    Following the scent of blood, the Abyss Tide Worm crawled ashore and swallowed a beach rat whole, slowly chewing it in its stomach.


    Upon seeing this creature, Su Muyu instantly tensed up and subconsciously gripped Lu Heng''s wrist tightly.


    Lu Heng pulled her up, took out a crossbow, and placed it in her hands, "Come! Aim at it and try shooting an arrow."


    This crossbow, bought in preparation, was quite powerful; it could pierce through 3-centimeter thick wooden boards within 20 meters.


    Holding the crossbow, Su Muyu aimed at the Abyss Tide Worm, but having never used such a weapon, she was a bit shaky.


    "Don''t be nervous, aim for its eyes and shoot one arrow," Lu Heng said, supporting her arm, teaching her how to aim.


    While aiming, Su Muyu asked, "After I hit it, will it run away? We finally lured it ashore."


    The two had waited under the tree shade for almost an hour before they managed to lure an Abyss Tide Worm ashore; it would be a pity if it escaped.


    "It won''t, these things are bloodthirsty; they won''t run away from food," Lu Heng well understood the nature of Abyss Tide Worms.


    "Food?" Su Muyu was puzzled, looking around; apart from a few bags of bread in their backpacks, they hadn''t brought any other food.


    Soon, she realized something, looked at herself, then at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng nodded with a smile, "Yes, us."


    While Su Muyu aimed, she controlled a scouting eagle to get closer and observe, "The demon energy on this Abyss Tide Worm seems very strong. What level is it?"


    Lu Heng observed its size and answered, "Around level 8."


    In most cases, the level of Abyss Demons corresponds with their size. Experienced superpower users can estimate the level of Abyss Demons based on their size.


    "I''ll shoot now."


    "Okay." Lu Heng nodded.


    Su Muyu took a deep breath, held her breath and concentrated, and pulled the trigger.


    Bang! Whoosh!


    The crossbow bolt shot out and "ding" lodged into a crevice in the shell at the side of the Abyss Tide Worm''s head.


    Hiss!


    Noticing its prey, the Abyss Tide Worm emitted a sharp hiss and charged with its dozens of legs.


    "You retreat first."


    Lu Heng ordered Su Muyu to back away, then grabbed a glass bottle filled with gasoline and threw it.


    Clang!


    The glass bottle smashed on the Abyss Tide Worm, shattering and spilling gasoline over half its body.


    Following that, Lu Heng sparked a flame to ignite the gasoline, then backed off to maintain a five-meter distance, leading the Abyss Tide Worm on a ''walk'' around the beach.


    Flames engulfed the Abyss Tide Worm, causing its shell to sizzle.


    It hissed angrily chasing Lu Heng, but no matter how it chased, Lu Heng always kept a five-meter distance, akin to kite-flying, leading it in circles on the beach.


    After chasing for a few hundred meters, the shell of the Abyss Tide Worm was glowing red-hot, the high temperature beginning to damage the flesh beneath it.


    It opened its mouth in fury, spitting a glob of mucus at Lu Heng.


    This type of mucus was corrosive and hard to wash off once stuck.


    If a superpower user were hit, they would be severely injured, if not dead.


    Lu Heng, familiar with the Abyss Tide Worm''s attack pattern, kept a five-meter distance, precisely waiting for this moment.


    The attacking range of the Abyss Tide Worm''s mucus spit was exactly 5 meters.


    Lu Heng, moving just at the edge of the mucus''s range and prepared, smoothly sidestepped and dodged.


    The Abyss Tide Worm''s mucus spit missed, while the flames continued to burn its shell red-hot.


    It screeched in anger, no longer chasing Lu Heng, and turned to flee towards the sea.


    Lu Heng saw it fleeing towards the sea, but didn''t intercept it; instead, he waited for it to plunge into the seawater.


    A wave crashed over and hissed upon striking the red-hot shell.


    Due to the sudden cooling and contraction, the shell of the Abyss Tide Worm cracked.


    Lu Heng quickly followed, drew his sword, and executed the "Chasing Moon Style", stabbing into its life core through the cracked shell.


    Howl!


    The Abyss Tide Worm emitted a mournful cry and collapsed in the surf.


    "Hunting the Abyss Tide Worm, absorbed 40 points of Demon Energy."


    Lu Heng turned his head towards the shore, and asked, "Did you absorb the Demon Energy?"


    Su Muyu emerged from her invisibility state and nodded happily, "Yes, and I leveled up, I''m already Level 7."


    When the level is low, leveling up is faster, so her level gradually caught up.


    Lu Heng used his sword to pry open the head shell of the Abyss Tide Worm and extracted a Demon Crystal Core.


    "Corrosive Mucus Crystal Core"


    "Corrosive Mucus: Use skill to secrete corrosive mucus, which has a corrosive effect on metals, organics, and various other materials. Skill Consumption: 30 points of Demon Energy per kilogram. Skill Level: D."


    Lu Heng handed over the Skill Crystal Core to Su Muyu, asking with a grin, "Want to learn it?"


    After reading the skill effect, Su Muyu made a face of disgust and shook her head like a rattle drum, "No thanks."


    The skill effect was actually not bad, but secreting corrosive mucus was indeed off-putting for many.


    Of course, there were always some oddballs who liked such quirky skills.


    Lu Heng''s face broke into a mischievous smile as he handed over the crystal core, chuckling, "We agreed that you would unconditionally obey me."


    Su Muyu''s eyes widened in an instant, and she turned and ran, "I don''t want it, you can''t do this."


    "Just kidding, stop running," Lu Heng waved, calling her back.


    Next.


    The two continued to sit under the trees "fishing," waiting for the "fish" to bite.


    "I never knew hunting Abyss Tide Worms could be this easy. Next time, we should bring a mat, lay out some snacks, and have a picnic while we wait," Su Muyu said, propping up her cheek and looking at the azure sea and clear sky.


    Who would have thought that beneath such beautiful scenery lay a huge crisis.


    Lu Heng shook his head and chuckled, "Wait until a few thousand Abyss Tide Worms crawl ashore. See if you can still be as comfortable then."


    Su Muyu''s eyes widened, "When that happens, I''ll definitely just turn and run. The Abyss Tide Worms can''t detect invisibility, right?"


    "They can''t, but they can track by scent," Lu Heng spread his hands.


    "That''s a bit troublesome, the ''Invisibility Veil'' only has optical invisibility capabilities, which is a pity," Su Muyu began to notice the downsides of the skill.


    "Don''t worry, wait till the skill levels up, new functions will appear," Lu Heng explained briefly.


    "Then I need to quickly train the skill proficiency," Su Muyu nodded seriously.


    Next.


    The pace of the Abyss Tide Worms chasing the scent of blood and coming ashore quickened, some taking as little as a few minutes to an hour.


    Once, even two came up at the same time.


    However, dealing with them was the same.


    First, burn them with a burning bottle, then Lu Heng would kite two Abyss Tide Worms around on the beach.


    Once their shells turned red-hot and they fled into the sea, he swiftly slew them with a double strike of his sword.


    After two days of "fishing," they hunted 20 Abyss Tide Worms and obtained 3 crystal cores.


    A 15% drop rate, their luck was very good.


    Normally, hunting twenty to thirty demons to get one Demon Crystal Core was considered fairly lucky.


    Over those days, Lu Heng leveled up to 9, and Su Muyu also reached Level 8.


    After reaching Level 9, Lu Heng checked his attributes.


    "Name: Lu Heng"


    "Species: Human"


    "Level: 9"


    "Qi-Blood: 160/170"


    "Source Energy: 150/190"


    "Attributes: Strength 17, Agility 22, Constitution 17, Spirit 19, Perception 18"


    "Talent: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution"


    "Skill Slot Number: 3"


    "Skills: Thunder Weapon, Shadow Clone, Gale Step"


    "Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Meticulous), Movement Technique (Beginner), Fighting (Beginner)"


    Among them, the training level of "Gale Step" reached (960/1000)¡ªit would soon be maxed out.


    The training level of the movement technique also reached beginner level (810/1000), advancing quickly.


    ...

 Chapter 29 - 29 Divine Evolution, Unlocking Skill Lock

    Su Muyu had also reached Level 8, and her Perception had increased to 19 points.


    The average attribute of a normal adult in five dimensions is 10 points, so 19 points of Perception is a very high number.


    Moreover, at this point in time, there weren''t many Superpower Users who had reached this level.


    Among the three Demon Crystal Cores obtained from hunting the Abyss Tide Worm, apart from "Corrosive Mucus," there was also a Skill Crystal Core for "Prism Tower Shield."


    "Prism Tower Shield: Release energy to form a prism-shaped tower shield, blocking attacks. Skill Duration: 3 seconds. Skill Consumption: 20 points of Source Energy. Skill Level: D Level."


    This was a Defense Skill, a D-level skill with C-level defense power, but it required high technical skill from the caster.


    The advantage was its high defense power, but the disadvantage was also clear: the duration was quite short, lasting only 3 seconds.


    In other words, one could not pre-emptively activate this skill and then charge into a fight.


    The skill needed to be used in the instant an attack occurred in order to be effective.


    Of course, one could also predict an attack within the next 3 seconds and use the skill in advance.


    Either way of using the skill placed high demands on the caster.


    If it were someone else, Heng might not be confident, but Su Muyu would definitely have no problem.


    More importantly, "Prism Tower Shield" could link with the "Reconnaissance Eagle," making it a very strong combination skill when used well.


    Therefore, Heng decided to have her learn this skill.


    "Learn this skill."


    "Alright." Su Muyu crushed the crystal core, absorbed the energy of the crystal core, and learned the new skill.


    She first tried it out, then began to slowly study the skill effect.


    She had her own understanding of skills and sometimes she didn''t need Heng''s instruction to figure out how to use them.


    "Um... this skill seems to have a bit of a high difficulty in use, and it only lasts for 3 seconds."


    "Yes, that''s why the timing of its use needs to be very precise," Heng nodded.


    Su Muyu tested the skill again and frowned, "But this skill can only be used near the self; throwing out the shield energy, it only reaches up to one meter."


    After testing it, she felt the skill''s range of use was very limited.


    The appearance location of the "Prism Tower Shield" could only be up to one meter away from oneself.


    This meant that the skill was basically only for her own use, and could not be used to protect Heng.


    After all, during a battle, it was not possible for Heng to always maintain a distance of one meter from her.


    Heng smiled and reminded her, "No, this skill is indeed a close-distance defense skill for others, but for you, it can be used remotely. Do you remember the skill fusion technique I taught you?"


    "Got it." Su Muyu instantly understood.


    When she was on the Abyss Battlefield, she had already used the technique of skill fusion.


    She had now learned three skills: "Reconnaissance Eagle," "Invisibility Veil," and "Prism Tower Shield."


    Among these three skills, the one that could form a skill fusion to allow "Prism Tower Shield" to be used for remote defense was naturally "Reconnaissance Eagle."


    Su Muyu pointed at the Reconnaissance Eagle in mid-air and used the "Prism Tower Shield" skill.


    The energy of the Reconnaissance Eagle immediately transformed into a prism-shaped shield.


    Without needing practice, the first fused use of the "Prism Tower Shield" was successful.


    Heng grew even more fond of her brilliant talent, as she could learn anything with just one try.


    Su Muyu began to think further, asking, "So using the Reconnaissance Eagle, can I activate any skill remotely?"


    Heng nodded, "Apart from some more special skills, most can be activated remotely."


    Su Muyu grew to like the Reconnaissance Eagle skill even more, "So the Reconnaissance Eagle is that amazing."


    Heng reminded her, "The skill fusion effect of the Reconnaissance Eagle indeed allows many skills to be activated remotely. However, using it this way will consume the Reconnaissance Eagle, effectively increasing the Source Energy consumption."


    Su Muyu nodded thoughtfully and summarized to herself, "So, skill fusion should be used in emergency situations, and energy should be conserved normally. Hmm... Is this what is called ''Control Blue''?"


    "You know quite a lot."


    Heng found that teaching her combat techniques was quite effortless, a slight hint and she could comprehend on her own.


    Su Muyu looked at her Skill Slots, she had learned three skills already, and there were two Skill Slots left.


    "Um... I still have two Skill Slots left, can I still learn Attack Skills later?"


    Heng passed over the "Corrosive Mucus" Crystal Core, "Attack Skill."


    "No way." Su Muyu rejected the offer with her whole being, and when she saw Heng trying to give her the crystal core, she turned and ran.


    Heng chased after her with the "Corrosive Mucus" Crystal Core in hand, and the two frolicked and chased each other on the beach for a while.


    Su Muyu suddenly stopped, and Heng, unable to brake in time, ended up tackling her onto the sand.


    "`Actually, this skill is really useful.`"


    "`I know, but I don''t want it.`"


    Su Muyu was aware of a skill capable of corroding metal, which was highly practical, but she couldn''t stand the thought of her body secreting corrosive mucus.


    Lu Heng was just teasing her. There were plenty of other ways to gain an attack skill. Even without learning a new one, it was possible to evolve an existing skill to develop attack power.


    "`How far have you trained your Reconnaissance Eagle skill?`"


    "`Uh, I just maxed it out last night, didn''t get the chance to tell you yet.`" Su Muyu had finally reached full mastery (1000/1000) of the Reconnaissance Eagle skill the night before.


    After maxing it out, she had tinkered around for quite some time but couldn''t find a way to upgrade the skill. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "`That fast?`" Lu Heng was a bit surprised.


    Because Lu Heng''s Gale Step skill level was only at (998/1000). He hadn''t expected Su Muyu to max out the proficiency of the Reconnaissance Eagle skill ahead of him.


    "`Once the skill proficiency is maxed out, how do I upgrade it?`" Su Muyu had tried all sorts of methods but failed to upgrade her skill.


    "`Skills are different from martial arts; mere practice won''t level them up.`" A hint of amusement flickered in Lu Heng''s eyes as he opened his attribute interface and glanced at his Initial Talent, "Divine Evolution."


    "Divine Evolution: Use Divine Energy to fuse with and evolve skills, breaking through the skill level limits and advancing skills into a higher form."


    Superpower Users couldn''t upgrade a skill mastered through a Crystal Core simply by filling up its proficiency.


    However, "Divine Evolution" could unlock skill locks, lift the level constraints of skills, and enable skill upgrades through the fusion with Divine Energy.


    Moreover, the most powerful aspect of this Talent was that it not only allowed the evolution of one''s own skills but also could help others unlock their skill locks.


    Lu Heng extended his hand, saying, "`Give me your hand.`"


    Su Muyu did as instructed, unsure of what was to come.


    Holding her hand, Lu Heng closed his eyes, used "Divine Evolution" to unlock her skill lock, and guided, "`Now focus and try using your Divine Energy. Infuse it into the skill slot of the Reconnaissance Eagle to raise the skill level.`"


    Following his instruction, Su Muyu closed her eyes and felt a subtle shift in her Reconnaissance Eagle skill, as if the lock on the skill level had been released.


    She tried to channel Divine Energy into the Reconnaissance Eagle skill slot as told.


    As Divine Energy merged into the skill slot, the two energies intertwined within, eventually fusing together.


    The moment the fusion completed, data appeared before her eyes:


    "Consumed 300 Divine Energy points, ''Reconnaissance Eagle'' skill upgraded to ''Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk.''"


    "Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk"


    "Skill Level: C Level"


    "Skill Consumption: 20 Source Energy points"


    "Skill Effect: Summon an Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk capable of aerial scouting, Detecting Invisibility, and engaging in combat. Detecting Invisibility Range=2¡ÁPerception Power; Attack Damage=1¡ÁSpiritual Power."


    "`Did the skill upgrade succeed?`" Lu Heng inquired about the result.


    "`Mm!`"


    Su Muyu nodded vigorously, "`It was successful, it turned into an Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk, and now it has the ability to attack, and the Detecting Invisibility range has doubled.`"


    "`That''s good.`"


    For Su Muyu, the upgrade of the D level Reconnaissance Eagle to C level was significant; not only did the Detecting Invisibility range double, but it also gained attack capabilities.


    From the team perspective, this skill had to be prioritized for upgrade.


    Its priority was even above Lu Heng''s own skills.


    Lu Heng had even considered that if the first upgrade attempt failed, he would be willing to spend another 300 points of Divine Energy to ensure her Reconnaissance Eagle skill upgraded.


    When Su Muyu returned from the Abyss Battlefield, she had gained a total of 900 Divine Energy points. She spent 300 on the basic Law Integration with her Energy Crystal Bracelet.


    Now, having spent another 300 on skill upgrading, she had 300 left.


    After reviewing the upgraded skill data, Su Muyu asked, "`The attack damage isn''t linked to Perception Power but to Spiritual Power instead?`"


    Lu Heng nodded and explained, "`Yes, Perception mainly enhances detection abilities, like improved vision, hearing, and more easily spotting invisible targets or hidden traps like mechanisms.`


    "`Attack-related abilities are mostly associated with Spiritual Power. The stronger the Spiritual Power, the higher the damage inflicted by controlling the Reconnaissance Hawk.`"


    Pondering, Su Muyu asked, "`How strong is the damage at 1¡ÁSpiritual Power?`"


    "`Hmm...`" Lu Heng thought for a moment and gave an example, "`A handgun''s attack power is 105, and it''s a thermal weapon unaffected by Body Attributes, so its damage is pretty fixed.`


    "`That means, with your current Spiritual Power, controlling the Reconnaissance Hawk to attack five times is comparable to firing one shot with a handgun.`


    "`Of course, this is just a simple comparison. Actual damage depends on the area of impact.`


    "`If you target a vital spot, a single strike can be lethal if it breaks through the defense.`


    "`Beyond that, the Reconnaissance Hawk can also aim for specific parts of the body, like the eyes.`"


    "`Pecking the eyes, that sounds a bit cruel,`" Mu Yu pursed her lips, not quite ready to accept such a method of targeting vulnerabilities.


    "`You''ll understand when you encounter an enemy who is ruthless," Lu Heng shook his head and chuckled, "`Kindness to an enemy is cruelty to oneself.`"

 Chapter 30 - 30 Storm Boxing King

    While the two were researching the effects of the skill upgrade, Su Muyu suddenly looked alarmed and warned, "Someone is coming."


    The two hurried to their feet, just in time to see a man and a woman emerging from the woods.


    The man appeared to be in his late twenties, his hair dyed silver, exuding a strong aura; clearly, he was a superpower user and not of a low level.


    The woman was just over twenty, dressed in black stockings and heavy makeup, looking very sophisticated.


    However, her natural beauty was nowhere close to that of Su Muyu. Even with her meticulous makeup, she fell far short of Su Muyu''s appearance.


    As these two approached the beach, the woman in black stockings looked up at the sky at the reconnaissance eagle, raised her hand with all five fingers spread, and clenched her fist powerfully into the air, causing the reconnaissance eagle to shake violently.


    After the upgrade, the reconnaissance eagle had improved in defense, and this aerial attack failed to destroy it.


    Nevertheless, Su Muyu felt the psychic shock and her body shuddered.


    Feeling the hostility from the other side, Su Muyu whispered to Lu Heng, "This woman might be the Perceiver from the Gongteng Group we encountered before; her attack on the reconnaissance eagle looks very similar."


    Lu Heng pulled her behind him, faced the two with his head held high, and said firmly, "That''s not a very polite way to say hello."


    The woman in black stockings laughed provocatively, "Don''t be so tense, I was just joking with your little sister."


    "Just spit it out, what do you want?" Lu Heng asked, his gaze sharp as he stared at the two.


    The man with silver hair turned to look at the sea and spoke with extreme assertiveness, "We''re taking this stretch of the beach. Leave the Crystal Core behind, pack up your things, and you can go."


    The message was clear: they intended to seize the beach.


    Lu Heng wasn''t surprised by this turn of events.


    Behind the beach was the Coastal highway, with just a small patch of woods in between.


    Standing on the Coastal highway, one could easily observe the beach.


    Lu Heng had been hunting Abyss Tide Worms on the beach for the past couple of days; it was very likely observed by passing vehicles.


    Obviously.


    This man and woman must have noticed that Abyss Tide Worms came ashore on this stretch of the beach and thus wanted to take it for themselves.


    At the start of the Abyss Descent, hunting Abyss Tide Worms could not only increase one''s level but also yield Demon Crystal Cores. With such lucrative gains, who wouldn''t be tempted?


    "Stealing territory is one thing, but you want to steal the Crystal Core too? That''s pretty greedy; think you can handle it all?" Lu Heng couldn''t help but find the situation amusing, having encountered such an incident so quickly.


    "What can I say, I have a big appetite," the man with silver hair replied confidently, his neck arched, his eyes revealing the look of someone who regards others as lower beings.


    ...


    The Abyss invasion brought crisis to the human world, but it also introduced extraordinary powers.


    With the increase in power came inflated ambition and the greed for even stronger forces.


    The main way to obtain extraordinary powers was through the Demon Crystal Cores.


    Thus, among superpower users, conflicts over Demon Crystal Cores became inevitable, even risking life and limb.


    Seeing the arrogant and greedy look in the silver-haired man''s eyes, Lu Heng knew he couldn''t avoid the fight. He stretched his limbs and asked, "How do you want to go about this? Tell me."


    "Fancy putting up resistance; interesting," said the man with silver hair, rolling up his short sleeve to his shoulder, revealing his muscular arms, his face showing a combat-ready smile.


    Lu Heng pulled Su Muyu aside to the edge of the battlefield and handed her a Glock handgun, instructing, "When it starts, you leave first, don''t worry about me."


    Su Muyu nodded slightly and walked to the shade of the trees, beginning to slowly pack her backpack.


    Lu Heng turned around to face the man with silver hair, signaling, "Let''s start."


    The man with silver hair wrapped cloth around his knuckles, then charged forward, throwing a straight punch towards Lu Heng''s face. The punch was fiercely powerful and fast.


    Just from the sound of the wind carried by the fist, it was evident that if the punch landed, Lu Heng''s face would at least fracture if not completely deform.


    With the effect of "Agile as a Dragon" Talent amplified, Lu Heng''s agility had reached 22 points. Even among superpower users of the same level, he boasted extremely high agility.


    The main benefit of the agility attribute was to increase the body''s neural response speed, coordination in movement, attack speed, and running speed.


    Therefore, in terms of reaction, Lu Heng was far superior to superpower users of the same class.


    Though the silver-haired man''s punch was fast and fierce, Lu Heng slightly turned his head and dodged it with ease.


    After exchanging a couple of moves, Lu Heng realized the silver-haired man might be a professional boxer, throwing punches with seventy percent of his strength, always holding back thirty percent.


    Fists flew out, and regardless of whether they hit their mark or not, he immediately pulled back, ready to defend or continue the attack.


    Thus, the silver-haired man''s punches were fast, and his withdrawals equally swift.


    His right fist shot out, missing the target, and as he retracted it, his left fist was already in motion.


    Lu Heng had just tilted his head to the right to dodge the right jab, and immediately leaned left to evade the left jab.


    Bang, bang, a series of punches all failed to land.


    The silver-haired man was somewhat surprised, for he was well aware that with his current strength and agility, even the world boxing champions couldn''t withstand a single punch from him.


    After the first exchange, Lu Heng gauged the man''s level and attributes by the sound of the air bursting from his punches.


    The man had a strength attribute approaching 20 points, with slightly lower agility.


    To have such high attributes, this person must be at least Level 9 or above.


    At this point in time, not many superpower users had reached such a high level.


    Thanks to his memories of being reborn, Lu Heng had managed to ascend to Level 9 so quickly.


    That the other party could also rise to Level 9 in such a short time implied the backing of substantial financial resources.


    With sufficient monetary power and access to Demon Crystal Cores, one could indeed level up rapidly during the initial phase of the Abyss Descent.


    Just like Tang Hongda, who had been buying Demon Crystal Cores for others before he died.


    As long as one had enough financial strength and a channel to acquire Demon Crystal Cores, leveling up through the absorption of demon energy was indeed possible at this point in time.


    ...


    Having dodged another straight punch, Lu Heng began to counterattack, lashing out two whip kicks with the speed of lightning.


    The silver-haired man''s eyes narrowed, realizing he couldn''t dodge the incredibly fast kicks, and immediately raised his arms to block.


    "Bang, bang," the silver-haired man wasn''t injured, but the impact forced him to stagger back two steps.


    Having taken the kicks, a gleam of excitement spread across the silver-haired man''s face: "Interesting."


    He threw his head back and shouted, erupting with Source Energy, his entire body levitated, floating mid-air.


    Gale-force winds swirled around him, causing his silver hair to dance wildly, his presence soaring magnificently.


    Lu Heng was momentarily startled by this spectacle.


    He hadn''t realized it before, but now, seeing the man floating with his silver hair dancing wildly, he finally remembered who he was.


    In his past life, this man was one of the top superpower users in Coastal, the "Storm Boxing King" Lei Jinhao.


    He was the captain of "Thunder," one of the three major superpower teams in Coastal. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And his silver hair wasn''t dyed; it became silver gradually after he acquired the Storm Power.


    However, his current appearance was quite different from the "Storm Boxing King" Lu Heng remembered.


    In his memory, when the "Storm Boxing King" unleashed his power, the sky would change with winds and thunder flashing and rumbling.


    The man''s level wasn''t high enough now, so the power he displayed wasn''t as formidable.


    Even so,


    To have the ability to float in the air after erupting with power at this point in time was a testament to absolute pinnacle strength among superpower users.


    After unleashing his Storm Power, he roared and leaped three meters high, aiming a Charging Punch at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng couldn''t afford to be careless, stepping on the Gale Step, he smoothly dodged with a slide.


    Boom!


    The silver-haired man''s punch smashed into the sand, splattering it and blasting out a large crater.


    After bursting forth with Storm Power, his charging speed became faster, and his punches more ferocious.


    However, after initiating Gale Step, which increased his speed by 80%, Lu Heng still fluidly moved beneath his barrage of punches with ease.


    Moreover, his proficiency in Gale Step increased during the fight.


    [Using "Gale Step" in combat, Skill Proficiency +1]


    Gale Step''s proficiency reached (999/1000), only a hair''s breadth away from being mastered.

 Chapter 31 - 31: The Storm Boxing King Driven to Desperation

    During their fierce battle, Su Muyu packed her bag and looked back at the fight, feeling a bit worried.


    However, she knew clearly that staying here would only be a burden.


    So, she decided to follow Lu Heng''s earlier plan, take the Demon Crystal Core in her bag, enter Invisible State, and head into the forest.


    Soon, the woman in black tights noticed that Su Muyu had disappeared from her sight, and had taken the Demon Crystal Core, she angrily cursed, "You think you can get away?"


    She immediately activated her Perception Skill and chased after her into the woods.


    Seeing her going after Su Muyu, Lu Heng flashed in front of her and said, "That''s enough, don''t go too far."


    Then, a man with silver hair stood in front of Lu Heng, arrogantly saying, "You go chase, and if this guy dares to block you, I''ll kill him."


    The woman in black tights showed a frivolous smile at Lu Heng, activated her Acceleration Skill, and continued her chase into the woods.


    Lu Heng quickly warned through his Bluetooth earpiece, "That woman is chasing you, be careful."


    "Okay, don''t worry about me, I''ll be fine," Su Muyu said, though her heart was quite nervous.


    Although she was now a Superpower User, she had never fought anyone before.


    The woman in black tights pursued into the forest, and with a coquettish laugh she called out, "Little sister, no need to run; your invisibility doesn''t work on me. Just hand over the Crystal Core nicely, and I can introduce you to a strong teammate who will take good care of you."


    Su Muyu was not fast in the forest, while the woman in black tights had the Acceleration Skill.


    As time passed, the woman in black pursued for a few hundred meters in the forest and, under her Perception Skill, saw a transparent figure flash by.


    "Caught you!"


    A smile curled on her lips as she sped up, preparing to knock Su Muyu down with one kick.


    All the while, Su Muyu was observing the scene behind her using her Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk, she saw the woman in black catching up, took out the Crossbow, turned back, and pulled the trigger.


    Whoosh!


    The bolt flew towards the woman in black''s abdomen.


    The woman in black, having high Perception Ability, saw Su Muyu pulling out the Crossbow and dodged to the side of a tree trunk just as the bolt flew out.


    The bolt "thudded" into the trunk.


    "How dare you fight back, you''re asking for death!" The woman in black''s face showed rage as she coldly huffed, lunged forward, ignited the Fiery Flame Hand, and aimed a slap at Su Muyu''s face.


    Su Muyu counted silently in her mind, three, two, one, and used the Skill "Prism Tower Shield."


    A prismatic tower shield appeared out of thin air, positioned beside her, blocking the attack from the woman in black''s Fiery Flame Hand.


    Right after,


    Su Muyu controlled the Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk to swoop down, aiming for the woman in black''s eyes.


    Originally, she thought that using the Reconnaissance Hawk to peck at someone''s eyes was very cruel.


    But her opponent was ruthless, first striking with the Fiery Flame Hand to the face, a type of attack that was even crueler than deadly tactics for a woman, so Su Muyu did not hold back either.


    The woman in black saw the diving Reconnaissance Hawk, focused her gaze, and hurriedly blew it up with her hand.


    In that moment, Su Muyu pulled out the Electric Shock Baton and jabbed it into her abdomen.


    Sizzle!


    "Ah!"


    The woman in black screamed in agony, fell to the ground, and almost passed out.


    Having successfully taken her down, Su Muyu felt a bit exhilarated as she cheered in the communications channel, "I took her down, I won."


    Lu Heng, hearing Su Muyu''s voice over the Bluetooth earpiece, smiled at the silver-haired man and said, "Looks like your woman isn''t too capable." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Death wish!"


    The silver-haired man didn''t go to rescue the woman in black but swung his fists and continued his furious assault on Lu Heng.


    On the other side,


    The woman in black was nearly knocked unconscious by the Electric Shock Baton, but thanks to the Superpower User''s robust Constitution, she barely withstood the high voltage.


    She gritted her teeth, pulled out a signal flare, and launched it into the sky while shouting into the communications channel, "Someone come quick!"


    At that moment,


    A speedboat, originally searching for Abyss Tide Worms on the sea, turned and rushed towards the shore.


    A team of over a dozen Superpower Users, each armed with guns, jumped off the speedboat.


    The silver-haired man shouted at his subordinates, "Go save Yada, I''ll finish off this vermin and come over!"


    His gaze fiercely fixed on Lu Heng, his hands clenched into fists and vibrated, unleashing a storm of protective Gang Qi as he threatened, "Tell your woman if she dares to hurt a single hair on Yada, once I get my hands on her, I''ll make her beg for life but yearn for death!"


    Lu Heng, seeing another group of Superpower Users arrive, knew he couldn''t drag this on any longer and urged Su Muyu to leave quickly, then pulled out the Aurora Blade from the void.


    Half a minute earlier, "Gale Step" Training Level had reached full mark (1000/1000) in the middle of the combat.


    Lu Heng directly used "Divine Evolution," consuming 300 points of Divinity Energy, and upgraded "Gale Step."


    Divinity Energy flowed into the Skill Slot, merging with the other energy, forming a new Energy Ball.


    ["Gale Step" Skill has been upgraded to "Gale Step¡¤Thrust".]


    [Gale Step¡¤Thrust]


    [Skill Level: C]


    [Skill Consumption: 3 Source Energy points per minute]


    [Skill Effect: Releases energy into the legs, obtaining a gale-like running speed, running speed +100%. When initiating a straight-line thrust, temporarily gain a double speed boost.]


    The skill upgrade effect was even better than expected.


    Lu Heng activated both [Thunder Weapon] and [Gale Step¡¤Stab] simultaneously, charging toward the silver-haired man and employing the "Zhenyue Style" from the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    With one sword strike, he shattered the man''s storm Gang Qi protective body.


    Bang!


    The silver-haired man''s Talent combined with his skill formed a storm Gang Qi with almost A-Level strength, integrating offense and defense.


    The swirling storm Gang Qi couldn''t normally be breached by any conventional sword or blade attack.


    Now, Lu Heng had breached it with a single sword strike.


    The silver-haired man''s expression hardened, and he immediately leaped backward trying to avoid the sharp edge.


    Lu Heng gave no room for evasion, and the second sword, "Chasing Moon Style," followed immediately.


    The sword light thrust straight, utilizing the direct line thrust effect from [Gale Step¡¤Stab], and the instant speed increase surged from +100% to +200%.


    The sword thrust forward, swift as lightning.


    The silver-haired man found this thrust impossibly swift, striking in front of him in the blink of an eye, leaving no space to dodge.


    His face filled with terror; he could only grit his teeth and reach out to grab the blade, forcefully resisting it.


    The blade of the Aurora Blade was exceptionally sharp, slicing through his palms almost completely severing them.


    Seeing his attempt to resist, Lu Heng''s lips curled into a dangerous smile, executing an In-depth Level of swordsmanship to exert force at the two stages at the end of the sword technique.


    Puff!


    The sword tip broke through the grip of the palms, penetrating the silver-haired man''s chest.


    "Ah!"


    The silver-haired man''s eyes widened in horror, a sword pierced through his chest and into his lungs.


    He felt a rush of warm blood surge in his lungs, violently coughing out fresh blood.


    He had never expected Lu Heng to be so strong; with just two strikes, he was forced into a desperate situation.


    Reacting instantly, he roared and activated his trump card skill [Desperate Rage], causing his wounds to instantly close and stop bleeding. His strength, agility, and constitution surged by 30%, as he launched a counterattack against Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng saw his bloodshot eyes, immediately recognizing the [Desperate Rage] skill.


    This skill was a desperate counterattacking skill, used when injured to immediately stop bleeding, dull the pain, and significantly enhance attributes like strength and agility.


    The combat power unleashed by this skill was like a last-stage berserk Boss, unbearable for anyone.


    Such tremendous power from a skill came with massive side effects; once expended, it would result in grievous injuries, halving attributes like strength, agility, and Qi-Blood. Even a Superpower User would need more than half a month to recover.


    The silver-haired man, able to develop into the "Storm Boxing King" who dominated the Coastal region in his past life, indeed had extraordinary capabilities.


    Lu Heng had baited out his Frenzy Skill but didn''t confront him head-on and instead, using Gale Step, widened the distance.


    That group of Superpower Users saw their leader wounded and immediately started shooting at Lu Heng.


    With quick reflexes, Lu Heng dodged behind a tree, bullets thudding into the trunk.


    The number of opponents was too many, and all armed, making it tricky.


    As the Superpower Users with guns closed in, the situation became extremely tense.


    At that moment, Su Muyu emerged from the trees with a pistol pressed to the back of a black-haired woman''s head, commanding, "If you don''t want her to die, back off!"


    The silver-haired man was in a berserk state, but it wouldn''t last long.


    He originally planned to kill Lu Heng during his berserk window, saving the woman for later.


    However, Su Muyu now had a hostage.


    "If you dare to shoot, I''ll make you both wish you were dead," the silver-haired man threatened fiercely, his eyes glinting cruelly.


    Lu Heng took the black-haired woman from Su Muyu, shielding himself with her, and said, "Once your frenzy ends, who do you think will die?"


    The silver-haired man''s expression flickered, for he had already activated his Frenzy Skill and knew that once the skill ended, his combat power would be literally halved.


    The strength Lu Heng had just displayed truly scared him.


    Moreover, the longer the Frenzy Skill lasted, the more severe the aftermath injuries.


    The silver-haired man''s face darkened, and he ordered, "We''ll let you go this time, but if I ever see you again, I will show you the consequences of enraging me. Let''s go!"


    He decided to retreat while the frenzy hadn''t ended and then head to a hospital for treatment.


    After the silver-haired man and his crew got on the motorboat, Lu Heng finally let go of the black-haired woman, then went with Su Muyu back into the woods to recuperate.


    For Su Muyu, it was her first time winning a one-on-one fight, and not just by hair-pulling like girls often do.


    On the way back, she excitedly recounted her process of defeating the black-haired woman:


    "It went like this: I blocked her attack with the Prism Tower Shield, then had the Reconnaissance Hawk peck at her eyes, and finally knocked her down with an Electric Shock Baton. I won! Aren''t you going to praise me?"


    "Amazing, really amazing," Lu Heng remarked, finding her cheerful and cute demeanor at this age slightly¡­ childish.

 Chapter 32 - 32 Abyss Tide Worm Queen

    In the afternoon, Lei Jinhao''s team of superpower users took over Gardenia Beach and filled the sand with animal carcasses to lure Abyss Tide Worms ashore.


    The future "Storm Boxing King", only a month into the Abyss invasion, had already assembled a team of over fifty superpower users.


    Managing over fifty superpower users wasn''t something that could be handled by merely handing out salaries.


    Thus, it was certain that Lei Jinhao had financial backers, otherwise, he couldn''t afford so many subordinates.


    ¡­


    Atop the Baoshan Lighthouse on the coast, Su Muyu saw that others had taken over Gardenia Beach and felt a bit angry, "So annoying, they''ve taken our territory."


    Lu Heng looked at the surging waves at sea, his expression very calm, "Don''t be angry, this maritime area wasn''t going to stay calm for many days anyway."


    "But I''m still very angry. If we could have harvested Tide Worms for a couple more days, we might have gotten a couple more Crystal Cores," Su Muyu decided to stay angry.


    With a light smile, Lu Heng replied, "Ordinary Abyss Tide Worms wouldn''t yield anything good, it''s time for the next plan."


    "What plan? How come I don''t know about it?" Su Muyu blinked.


    "You don''t need to know," Lu Heng tapped on her forehead.


    "Always flicking the forehead could make one stupid," Su Muyu pouted in protest.


    "You''re already silly enough, there''s no room for a downgrade."


    After teasing her, Lu Heng turned back to the sea.


    Judging by the state of the swelling winds and waves, the swarm of Abyss Tide Worms should appear in a day or two.


    However, this "Storm Boxing King" was too arrogant.


    Even though hunting Abyss Tide Worms wasn''t highly profitable, Lu Heng wasn''t about to give them the opportunity to farm, so he took out his spare phone and made a call.


    When the call connected, neither spoke for a while.


    Finally, the person on the line asked, "Who is this?"


    "Hello, Inspector Chen," Lu Heng greeted in his usual tone.


    This number belonged to Chen Linian, a senior inspector at the Iron Blood Supernatural Investigation Bureau.


    "Who are you?"


    On the other end, the same question was asked again.


    Lu Heng did not answer the question, instead getting straight to the point:


    "Under the reefs in the Gardenia Beach maritime area, a mother Abyss Tide Worm has laid tens of thousands of eggs. In a few days, this batch of Abyss Tide Worms is likely to come ashore at Gardenia Beach.


    "Now someone is luring the Abyss Tide Worms to Gardenia Beach, I estimate the worm tide will come ashore earlier, and many people will die by then."


    After stating the facts, Lu Heng hung up the phone and removed the battery from his spare mobile.


    The call had been made.


    Less than an hour later, the Iron Blood Action Group arrived in armored vehicles and took over Gardenia Beach, driving away all of Lei Jinhao''s subordinates.


    Subsequently.


    The Iron Blood deployed speedboats to probe the waters around Gardenia Beach and began setting up their operation.


    Elsewhere.


    The silver-haired man was in the hospital receiving an IV drip of nutrients and newly-developed Source Energy Recovery Potion when he suddenly received a call from his subordinate.


    He was informed that Gardenia Beach had been sealed off by the official superpower armed department, and his team, having just taken over Gardenia Beach, was driven away without obtaining a single Demon Crystal Core.


    Upon hearing this news, the silver-haired man was so angry that he smashed his phone with a loud "bang."


    ¡­


    The response from Iron Blood was swift, deploying Perception System superpower users to scout the nearby maritime area of Gardenia Beach, confirming the presence of the Abyss Tide Worm swarm and immediately beginning their operation.


    In the early stages of the Abyss Descent, the low-rank Abyss Demons were no match under the armored force''s barrage of steel.


    If a swarm of Abyss Tide Worms appeared on Gardenia Beach, just a few armored vehicles and high-velocity machine guns were needed to obliterate the Tide Worms that made landfall.


    However, the intelligence of Abyss Demons was not low.


    If their landing was obstructed, they would immediately disperse and come ashore from other directions.


    At that point, armored vehicles would be unable to chase them down.


    Thus, dealing with them after the formation of the worm tide would be challenging to manage.


    The most appropriate method was to reduce the number of Abyss Tide Worms as much as possible before the swarm formed.


    And most importantly, it was crucial to kill the mother worm quickly.


    If the mother worm wasn''t eliminated, more Abyss Tide Worms would continue to hatch.


    If the mother worm hatched the next generation of mother worms, the swarm would spread, and thousands of kilometers of coastline would suffer.


    The next day.


    Iron Blood issued a bounty.


    Hunting each Abyss Tide Worm in the Gardenia Beach maritime area would earn a reward of 10,000.


    The bounty on the Abyss Tide Worm mother was 1 million, and all yields from hunting the mother worm would belong to the hunting team.


    From that day onwards.


    The rental prices for speedboats, yachts, and fishing boats soared by several dozen times.


    Dozens of superpower user teams gathered at Gardenia Beach, renting boats to hunt the Abyss Tide Worms at sea.


    The Abyss Tide Worms were secondary; the stronger teams aimed at the mother worm.


    For top-tier superpower user teams, a bounty of 1 million wasn''t very enticing, the real value lay in the mother worm itself.


    The rank of the queen worm is higher than that of ordinary tide worms, which means that the Demon Crystal Core derived from the queen worm''s death will certainly be of higher rank.


    ...


    Although many ships hunt Abyss Tide Worms at sea, their efficiency is not high.


    This is because Abyss Tide Worms can hide at the deepest parts of the ocean floor, and it is difficult for humans to dive that deep.


    If you were to dive into the ocean in a diving suit, it wouldn''t be to hunt Abyss Tide Worms; it would be like delivering a meal to them.


    Therefore, most Superpower User teams can only fish for Abyss Tide Worms.


    Abyss Tide Worms are generally one meter wide and two meters long. This size is quite large, but professional shark fishing equipment can still haul them in.


    Moreover, Abyss Tide Worms are extremely bloodthirsty. Using animal blood and flesh as bait makes it easy to hook them.


    "Fishing" can catch Abyss Tide Worms, but it cannot catch the queen worm.


    The top Superpower User teams target the queen worm.


    To find the queen worm, you must go into the water.


    Therefore, on the Crystal Core Dark Network, the prices of all Skill Crystal Cores related to the Water attribute began to skyrocket.


    Skill Crystal Cores that enhance underwater capabilities, such as "Underwater Breathing," "Deep Diving Pressure Balance," and "Energy Flippers," were all sold out.


    However, the top Superpower User teams did not buy these Skill Crystal Cores for their core members to use.


    A Superpower User''s Skill Slot Number is limited, and powerful Superpower Soldiers cannot afford to learn skills like "Underwater Breathing."


    Unless a Superpower User wants to dominate the ocean and choose skills related to water, they would make such a choice.


    Humans are primarily terrestrial creatures; those who take the Sea King route are always in the minority.


    Therefore, after these Water System Skill Crystal Cores were purchased, they were used by the fringe members of the team, responsible for diving down to scout and search for the queen worm.


    ... Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On a luxurious yacht, several Superpower Users dragged an Abyss Tide Worm onto the boat using a rope.


    The Abyss Tide Worm rolled onto the yacht''s deck, twisting its body and denting the deck in several places.


    The originally luxurious and elegant yacht was left dirty and in disarray.


    After the Abyss Tide Worm was dragged onto the boat, a bodyguard in a black suit walked to the cabin door and said to the person inside, "Young Master Lin, we''ve hooked another one."


    A young man in his twenties picked up a shiny silver revolver and stepped out of the cabin.


    Several Superpower Users on the deck forcefully held down the Abyss Tide Worm with tools.


    The young man held the revolver against the back of the Abyss Tide Worm''s head shell and fired three shots in quick succession.


    The Abyss Tide Worm''s dozens of leg pairs immediately stiffened and it lay on the deck, motionless.


    After killing the Abyss Tide Worm, the young man looked at the level-up notification and happily said, "Everyone has done a great job today; the bonus is doubled."


    "Thank you, boss!" Everyone answered in unison.


    ...


    Baoshan Lighthouse in Coastal City is a tourist attraction of this coastal city.


    Standing on the lighthouse and feeling the sea breeze, one can gaze at the blue waters and distant cargo ships returning to port.


    However, there were no tourists on the lighthouse today.


    This was because the authorities had issued a warning and evacuated the residents around Gardenia Beach.


    So today, only Lu Heng and Su Muyu were on Baoshan Lighthouse.


    As more and more demons appeared worldwide, the media could no longer cover it up.


    With the increasing number of bounties issued by the authorities and the blockade of the Gardenia Beach maritime area, many citizens began to learn about the Abyss invasion.


    Lu Heng received several calls from his parents, all out of concern.


    "Son, why don''t you come home and stay for a while? It''s not peaceful outside; I''ve seen many people saying they''ve seen monsters," Li Xiuyun said, seeing many news reports about Abyss Demons and was very worried.


    "Many roads are closed now. I heard that Gardenia Beach area is fully blocked, it''s like there''s a Godzilla in the ocean; I have to pass Gardenia Beach to get home¡­" Lu Heng had things to take care of and could only find an excuse to brush it off.


    "Then don''t come back for now. Just stay at the school; the school should still be safe. Don''t leave the school if it''s not necessary," Li Xiuyun quickly changed her mind because she also saw the news last night that the area surrounding Gardenia Beach was indeed blocked.


    "Okay, understood," Lu Heng reassured his mother and quickly found an excuse to hang up the phone.


    It was roughly the same situation on Su Muyu''s end; she also needed to calm her mother''s fears.


    After hanging up the phone, she switched to the vision of a reconnaissance eagle, flying a circle above the sea.


    "There are many teams killing Abyss Tide Worms in the sea; should we join them?"


    "It''s impossible to rent a boat now, and this method of hunting Abyss Tide Worms is too inefficient," Lu Heng shook his head.


    To hunt Abyss Tide Worms in the sea, you first need to rent a boat and then search for Abyss Tide Worms on the sea.


    If you''re lucky, you might kill two or three Abyss Tide Worms in a day, but the earnings are split among everyone on the boat.


    "What should we do then?" Su Muyu felt a bit frustrated inside.


    "Wait for the queen worm to appear," Lu Heng said, looking at the waves on the sea, his expression very calm.


    "The queen worm must be hiding deep, right? It seems many teams are looking for the queen worm," Su Muyu felt the difficulty of finding the queen worm was quite high.


    To others, searching for the queen worm was indeed like finding a needle in a haystack, but for Lu Heng, he already knew the standard answer.


    The previous life''s scene of the Abyss Tide Worm swarm landing on Gardenia Beach was spectacular, with overwhelming reports from Coastal City.


    Back then, many major forces spent money to hire mercenaries to come here, hunt for Demon Crystal Cores, and look for the Abyss Tide Worm queen.


    When they finally found the queen''s nest, there were even reporters who entered the nest to film first-hand footage.


    Thus, Lu Heng didn''t need to search; he already knew the location of the queen''s nest.


    ...

 Chapter 33 - 33 The Matriarchs Lair

    The next afternoon.


    The sea at Gardenia Beach had become even more lively because a team of water-element Superpower Users had discovered the mother worm.


    It was a gigantic Abyss Tide Worm, six meters long and three meters wide, with a corpulent abdomen wrapped in a hard carapace. Its appearance was fierce and terrifying, its shell as hard as iron.


    After the mother worm was discovered, more and more teams of Superpower Users gathered around, beginning their assault on the worm.


    The attacks of the vast majority of Superpower Users could not harm the mother worm deep beneath the sea.


    However, humans had mastered underwater combat methods hundreds of years ago.


    Teams of Superpower Users participating in the hunt for the Abyss Tide Worm were granted permission to use deep-water bombs.


    One after another, deep-water bombs were thrown into the sea.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    A series of muffled explosions erupted from the ocean floor.


    The blast waves from the explosions shot out of the water, creating brilliant splashes as if fireworks had bloomed.


    The consecutive explosions of deep-water bombs taught the mother worm from the Abyss Plane a lesson.


    When it came to destruction, humans had always been adept.


    More than a dozen boats chased after the mother worm at the bottom of the sea, with clusters of deep-water bombs exploding and stirring up monstrous waves as if the entire sea area was boiling.


    ...


    Upon learning that the abyssal mother worm was discovered, Lu Heng knew the time had come and called on Su Muyu to prepare for scavenging.


    As the time drew close to evening, the sea began to ebb.


    Above the sea, some submerged rocks surfaced.


    Larger rocks all had names. The third-largest rock at Gardenia Beach was called Dragon Bone Reef, which essentially became an island reef during low tide.


    After the tide receded, the exposed part of the Dragon Bone Reef was more than 300 square meters, shaped like the spine of a dinosaur.


    As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky gradually darkened. Lu Heng, accompanied by Su Muyu, descended from the Baoshan Lighthouse and made his way to the shore. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was a motorboat parked on the beach.


    Due to the receding tide, the motorboat had become stranded on the beach.


    Lu Heng pushed the motorboat towards the sea, dragging a deep trail in the sand.


    "Can you swim?"


    "I''ve never learned," Su Muyu shook her head.


    Lu Heng took a life jacket from the storage box of the motorboat and helped her put it on, imagining she would look very pretty in a swimsuit.


    Cough cough...


    Lu Heng quickly banished the inappropriate thoughts and mounted the motorboat, taking Su Muyu to Dragon Bone Reef.


    After the tide receded, the part of Dragon Bone Reef above the water stretched over twenty meters, and the submerged part was even larger.


    Moreover, with many submerged rocks around, large ships dared not venture close to this area.


    Lu Heng anchored the motorboat securely to a rock, then extended his hand to help Su Muyu down.


    Su Muyu straightened her windblown hair and tightened her life jacket, then looked around and asked, "Are there any Abyss Tide Worms here?"


    Lu Heng found a wind-sheltered spot, took off his life jacket to use as a cushion on the ground, and pulled her down to sit.


    "Right here is good. Deploy your reconnaissance hawk and check out the situation beneath this rock."


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, then released the reconnaissance hawk, which dived into the water to start scouting.


    Since the reconnaissance hawk was an energy construct, it could enter the water, but once submerged, it moved much slower.


    She maneuvered the reconnaissance hawk around the reef and reported, "It seems there are no Abyss Tide Worms nearby."


    Lu Heng reminded her, "Look for any caves or something similar."


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded again and continued searching, guiding the reconnaissance hawk through various crevices between the rocks.


    Half an hour later, she suddenly exclaimed, "I''ve found a hole, a big one, and I''m going inside..."


    As she observed the situation inside the underwater cave through the reconnaissance hawk''s perspective, she relayed what she saw.


    "Hey... The cave doesn''t extend downward but goes upward, and it''s quite long. Hey... I''ve surfaced.


    "This cave is hollow inside, not under the water, and it has come above the surface.


    "I see them! It''s an Abyss Tide Worm, but this one is quite small, only half a meter long.


    "I get it now; this is the nest of the Abyss Tide Worms. I see many eggs, sticking to the floor, some on the walls.


    "One of the eggs has cracked open, and an Abyss Tide Worm has crawled out. It''s soft-shelled, this is terrifying."


    As she spoke the word ''terrifying'', her voice clearly held a hint of surprise and excitement.


    "Find the shortest route, and later take my clone in," Lu Heng planned the next steps.


    "Alright." Su Muyu nodded, controlling the scout eagle to traverse the underwater cave again, committing the cave''s layout to memory.


    ...


    On the other side.


    As the hunt for the mother insect escalated to an intense phase, conflicts began to arise among the teams of superpower users.


    Two ships, chasing the mother insect, collided with each other, resulting in a fierce brawl that got out of hand.


    The Abyss Tide Worm mother they were hunting was the highest-ranked Abyss creature discovered on Blue Star to date.


    This meant that if the mother dropped a Demon Crystal Core, it would be of a very high level.


    Whoever got their hands on such a high-rank Crystal Core would be set up for a significant leap forward.


    Thus, for many superpower users, this hunt represented a contest of fate and fortune.


    The sky gradually darkened.


    The ships pursuing the mother moved closer to Dragon Bone Reef.


    Lu Heng, seeing the ships draw near, guessed the injured mother might be heading back to its nest.


    "It''s coming, get ready."


    Lu Heng said this and released a Shadow Clone, which he let the scout eagle guide into the underwater caverns of Dragon Bone Reef.


    Once inside the mother''s nest, Lu Heng directed the Shadow Clone to unscrew a large barrel of gasoline and sprinkle it in every corner of the nest.


    Some Abyss Tide Worms smelled the gasoline and emerged early from their eggs, opening their mouths to suck in the gasoline.


    After everything was ready, it was just a matter of waiting.


    Su Muyu, a bit nervous, asked, "Will the mother come back?"


    "If it isn''t blown to bits, it should."


    In truth, Lu Heng was also unsure whether the mother could make it back to the nest.


    After all, it was being hunted by a dozen ships on the surface.


    If the depth charges were placed accurately, the mother''s carapace definitely wouldn''t hold up.


    However, these depth charges used by the superpower users were not cutting-edge technological products, making it hard to control the explosion''s location accurately¡ªthey relied on sheer numbers.


    Whether the mother would be killed by the explosions was ultimately a question of probability.


    "The interior of the nest is enclosed, so lighting it up could easily cause an explosion; we need to keep a safe distance," Su Muyu warned as she saw the nest doused with gasoline.


    Lu Heng pulled her towards the tail end of Dragon Bone Reef, maintaining a safe distance from the cavern''s hollow rocks.


    As the night fell, visibility under the sea decreased.


    For Perception System superpower users, tracking the mother became more challenging, and a few ships lost sight of it and scattered in all directions.


    Another fifteen minutes passed.


    Suddenly, Su Muyu gripped Lu Heng''s arm and said, "It''s here, the mother has entered the den. It''s injured; a large part of its carapace on the left side is blasted apart."


    Under the watchful eye of the scout eagle, the Abyss Tide Worm mother made its way through the underwater caverns and returned to its nest, filled with the scent of gasoline.


    However, the Abyss Tide Worms didn''t seem averse to the smell. The Abyss mother worm slithered back into the nest and summoned the Tide Worms inside to crawl out and lick its wounds.


    Just then.


    Lu Heng had the Shadow Clone ignite the gasoline.


    In the blink of an eye, flames spread to every corner of the nest.


    The Abyss mother worm howled with rage in the flames, thrashing wildly, causing the cave walls to shake incessantly.


    The fire, burning in a confined space, caused an explosion.


    Boom!


    A loud boom shook Dragon Bone Reef violently, and the explosion sent rocks from the cave ceiling flying.


    The blast created a huge hole above Dragon Bone Reef.


    Rocks flung by the explosion scattered, falling into the sea and causing plumes of water to shoot up.


    Many of the flying debris from the explosion headed towards Lu Heng and Su Muyu.


    "Shield up!" Lu Heng quickly reminded.


    Su Muyu was already prepared; at the instant of explosion, she clenched her fist, creating a Prism Tower Shield in front of them.


    The debris clanged against the tower shield, all blocked effectively.


    The Abyss mother worm shrieked as it emerged from the blasted hole, but its body was already battered by depth charges and the gasoline explosion.


    Flames from within the cavern continued to consume its body.


    After struggling in the flames for half a minute, the Abyss mother worm collapsed lifelessly at the mouth of the cave.


    [Hunted the Abyss Tide Worm mother, absorbing 100 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Hunted Abyss Tide Worm larvae, absorbing 1 point of Demon Energy.]


    [Hunted Abyss Tide Worm larvae, absorbing 1 point of Demon Energy.]

 Chapter 34 - 34: The Ninth Bridge Tunnel, Revisiting Quenching Castle

    Hundreds of eggs in the nest turned into experience in the flames, and the data notifications started to flood the screen.


    "[Hunted Abyss Tide Worm juvenile, absorbed 1 point of Demon Energy.]"


    "[Hunted Abyss Tide Worm juvenile, absorbed 1 point of Demon Energy.]"


    Having absorbed a vast amount of Demon Energy, Lu Heng leveled up to 10 in one go, All Attributes +1, and the "Agile as a Dragon" Talent gave an additional +0.3 to Agility, bringing his Agility Attribute to 23 points.


    Su Muyu''s level also caught up, rising to 9.


    The explosion at Dragon Bone Reef caught the attention of the dozen or so boats on the sea, and some started to approach.


    Without waiting for the flames to die down, Lu Heng released a Shadow Clone to enter the flames and look for Demon Crystal Cores, "Use the scouting hawk to locate the Crystal Cores, once we grab the loot, let''s go."


    Su Muyu quickly commanded the scouting hawk to fly into the fire, searching for Demon Crystal Cores.


    Under the intense heat of the flames, the scouting hawk quickly burned up.


    However, with her enhanced Perception Ability, she quickly located three Demon Crystal Cores.


    Another scouting hawk was released and managed to snatch two Demon Crystal Cores from the fire.


    The last Demon Crystal Core was retrieved by Lu Heng controlling his Shadow Clone, prying open the chitinous shell of the queen worm with his sword.


    After obtaining three Crystal Cores, the two hopped on a motorboat, activated the "Invisibility Veil," and passed by a yacht, vanishing into the distance.


    ...


    Dozens of boats rushed toward Dragon Bone Reef, with two of them crashing into hidden rocks.


    Scores of Superpower User teams landed on Dragon Bone Reef only to find a huge hole blasted into it and the charred remains of the Abyss queen worm near the entrance.


    Each elite Power User, with a deep background, had a fluctuating expression.


    That man who would later be called the "Storm Boxing King," Lei Jinhao, also landed on Dragon Bone Reef.


    He was determined to obtain the queen worm''s Crystal Core and, despite not having fully recovered from his wounds, he personally came to direct his men in the hunt.


    After dumping several hundred deep-sea bombs, they got nothing.


    An old man in his fifties, with a pipe in his mouth, walked up to the silver-haired man and said leisurely, "Lei Jinhao, looks like we''ve made a wedding dress for someone else this time."


    The silver-haired man known as Lei Jinhao, with a sharp gaze, looked at his subordinates and asked, "Did anyone see who killed the queen worm in the end?"


    One of the Superpower Users raised a hand and said, "I think I saw a man and a woman on Dragon Bone Reef earlier."


    "A man and a woman?" Lei Jinhao''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    ...


    At this moment.


    The man and woman mentioned by these people had already returned to the hotel.


    "Time to divide the loot, divide the loot." Lu Heng took out all the gains and laid them out on the table.


    Previously at Gardenia Beach, they had killed Abyss Tide Worms and obtained 3 Crystal Cores.


    Of these, the "Prism Tower Shield" Crystal Core had already been used by Su Muyu.


    The remaining two were "Corrosive Mucus" and a regular Crystal Core.


    Tonight, after taking down the queen worm, they obtained another 3 Crystal Cores.


    More accurately, two of them were flat, semi-transparent orange-red crystals.


    Recognizing the color, Lu Heng roughly identified what they were, picked them up to check the data, and sure enough.


    "[Quenching Essence: A material used for quenching; when used with the corresponding materials to quench weapons or equipment, it can enhance the power and grade of weapons or equipment.]"


    Two pieces of Quenching Essence, the third was a Skill Crystal Core, "Wave Worm Shell".


    "[Wave Worm Shell]"


    "[Skill Level: C]"


    "[Skill Consumption: 50 Source Energy/day (chitinous layer growth period)]"


    "[Skill Effect: Generates a permanent chitinous layer on the body surface; once the chitinous layer reaches a certain thickness, it will harden into a shell, providing extremely strong defense.]"


    How strong was the defense of this Skill Crystal Core?


    You''d know from how the queen worm''s shell could withstand deep-sea bombs.


    However, the chitinous shell formed by this skill was permanent, unless cut off with a knife, otherwise, the bearer would always have a Wave Worm shell on their body.


    This skill is quite unique. Judging solely by its effect, it is indeed a powerful skill, but due to some special reasons, it often doesn''t fetch a high price.


    After all, most people cannot accept their bodies being covered with Wave Worm Shells; it''s just too ugly. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This [Wave Worm Shell], you wouldn''t want to learn it either, right?" Lu Heng gave Su Muyu a mischievous smile.


    "Umm umm umm..." Su Muyu shook her head like a bobble-head doll, firmly refusing to learn such a bizarre skill.


    "Then let''s set aside these two Crystal Cores for now." Lu Heng placed the [Corrosive Mucus] and [Wave Worm Shell] aside.


    Suddenly, Su Muyu revealed a playful smile, pointed at the [Wave Worm Shell] Crystal Core, and said, "You could learn this one. Maybe it would look cool."


    "Hmm? You''ve learned to tease me now, huh?"


    Lu Heng found her joking appearance quite endearing; he remembered how she never used to joke like this before. Back then, beneath her calm exterior, there was always a hint of sadness.


    Su Muyu covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, having finally managed to tease him back.


    After laughing for a while, she turned to the matter at hand and asked, "So how do we use these two pieces of Quenching Essence?"


    "Do you remember Quenching Castle? Once we find the entrance to Quenching Castle, we can use these two essences to quench our weapons, enhancing their attributes." Lu Heng stored the two pieces of Quenching Essence in his inventory.


    Su Muyu blinked in surprise and asked, "Are you saying that Quenching Castle is now on Blue Star?"


    Lu Heng corrected her, "If Quenching Castle managed to break away from the Abyss World, it should now be within the cracks of the overlapping space between the two worlds."


    "Should we go look for the entrance to Quenching Castle now?"


    Su Muyu suddenly became eager to visit Quenching Castle; after all, they had worked together to help Quenching Castle escape from the Abyss, but it was unknown whether they had succeeded.


    "We could go take a look, but I''m not sure if the entrance has appeared yet." Lu Heng remembered the Quenching Castle of his previous life. Its entrance was very secret and could not be found through ordinary means.


    "Let''s go then. That little dwarf Gulu, I wonder if he was successful." Su Muyu found the Quenching Master named Gulu quite interesting.


    "Alright. Let''s meet at eight tonight and go look for the entrance to Quenching Castle."


    It was just the right time since they had obtained the Quenching Essence; they could try quenching their weapons to enhance their power.


    ...


    Eight o''clock in the evening.


    Su Muyu arrived on time for the meeting. Before coming, she had dressed up a bit, wearing new leather shoes and tying her hair into a half-up ponytail, adorned with a sky-blue headband.


    "Where are we going?"


    "Century Bridge, underpass number nine."


    The night view of the beaches near Century Bridge was exceptionally beautiful.


    The night market lights along the river embankments connected with the colorful outline lights on Century Bridge, creating a sea of neon.


    Arriving in front of Coastal Century Bridge, Su Muyu blinked fiercely, counting three times over.


    Whether counting from left to right or right to left, there were only eight underpasses at Coastal Century Bridge.


    "One, two, three... eight. Didn''t you say it was underpass number nine?" Su Muyu started to doubt her memory.


    "It''s underpass number nine." Lu Heng led her under Century Bridge.


    As they walked to the base of the bridge, the light gradually dimmed.


    Lu Heng pointed at the underside of the bridge and said, "Look around and see if you can find the ninth underpass."


    Indeed, Coastal Century Bridge had only eight underpasses, each spanning more than a hundred meters, with the entire bridge stretching over a thousand meters in length.


    After the arrival of the Abyss Plane, the spaces of the two worlds began to overlap.


    The convergence of planes did not happen overnight but gradually, leading to spatial overlap.


    The ninth underpass was created as a result of this spatial overlap.


    However, one could not find the ninth underpass with the naked eye; it required a Superpower User with a strong Perception Skill to search for it.


    Following Lu Heng''s guidance, Su Muyu released her scout hawk, activated its Detecting Invisibility ability, and flew under the bridge to explore.


    And then, something magical happened. A new underpass appeared under the bridge.


    This underpass looked like a door, emitting a faint glow, leading to an unknown place.


    "I see it, it''s amazing." Her tone was filled with wonder.


    "Let''s go, see if we can enter." Upon hearing that the ninth underpass had appeared, Lu Heng was also delighted.


    With her eyes closed, relying on her scout hawk''s vision, and holding Lu Heng''s hand, Su Muyu walked into underpass number nine under Century Bridge.

 Chapter 35 - 35 Hidden Profession

    "Welcome, my friends, I am so delighted to see you again."


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu crossed the Century Bridge through arch number nine and arrived at the forecourt of Quenching Castle, where they heard the distinctive and strange voice of Gulu.


    Gulu was still dressed in a cloak, wearing a cat-faced mask, his entire body covered in clothes and socks, concealing his features and adding an air of mystery.


    "Hello, did you manage to leave the Abyss smoothly?" Lu Heng inquired first.


    "With your help, it was very smooth," Gulu''s tone was noticeably more relaxed than when he was in the Abyss World.


    "That''s good. We came today to try and see if we could quench our weapons. We just got two pieces of quenching material a couple of days ago," Lu Heng said as he took out the two pieces of Quenching Essence and handed them over for Gulu to see.


    Gulu took the Quenching Essence, praising, "This is some very fine quenching material. It so happens my Quenching Furnace has been fixed. We can try out its effectiveness. Please, come with me."


    As a reward for helping Gulu''s Quenching Castle escape from the Abyss, Lu Heng could have weapons and equipment quenched free of charge at Quenching Castle.


    Of course, he had to provide his own materials.


    Gulu led the two through the ancient corridors of Quenching Castle and into a forging room, sharing some history of Quenching Castle along the way.


    Entering the forging room and coming to the Quenching Furnace, Gulu introduced, "This is the Quenching Furnace. You start by adding the Quenching Essence and once it melts into a liquid state, you place the weapon to be quenched inside.


    "The Quenching Furnace broke when we separated from the Abyss, and I''ve only just repaired it, so we don''t have accurate data on the success rate of quenching yet.


    "However, from my experience, there shouldn''t be a problem. Do you want to try now?"


    Lu Heng had experience with quenching before his rebirth, so he decided to give it a try himself.


    Thus, he asked Gulu to start the Quenching Furnace, readying to quench the Aurora Blade.


    After the Quenching Furnace heated up, the Quenching Essence was added first. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Under high temperatures, the Quenching Essence slowly melted into a semi-transparent orange liquid, emitting an orange-red light.


    Then, the Aurora Blade was placed into the Quenching Furnace to heat. Once the Aurora Blade began to emit a faint glow as well, the liquid Quenching Essence was poured onto the Aurora Blade.


    The Quenching Essence slowly merged into the blade, which continued to be heated in the Quenching Furnace.


    When the heating was almost complete, Gulu gave a reminder, "It''s ready."


    Lu Heng used long-handled iron tongs to take the Aurora Blade out and then quickly cooled it in water.


    Sizzle!


    The fiery-red Aurora Blade touched the water, instantly making it boil over, with flames bursting forth.


    After the cooling was finished, several rows of data prompts emerged before his eyes.


    [Successfully quenched the Aurora Blade. Item Level of the Aurora Blade upgraded to +1.]


    [For completing your first quenching, you have acquired the Vice Profession "Apprentice Quenching Master."]


    [For performing the quenching task, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +10.]


    A new section appeared on the data panel for the Vice Profession.


    [Vice Profession: Apprentice Quenching Master (10/1000)]


    [Vice Profession Skill: Quenching]


    [Apprentice Quenching Master: Quenching success rate +10%, Flame Resistance +10%]


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected to acquire a Vice Profession and his eyes lit up.


    Moreover, this Vice Profession could increase Flame Resistance, a very useful Attribute.


    Following that, he took out the Aurora Blade to inspect its Attributes.


    [Aurora Blade +1 (Assimilated)]


    [Item Level: C Level]


    [Specifications: Length 132 centimeters, Blade Width 3.6 centimeters, Weight 1.6 kilograms]


    [Attributes: Attack Power 40]


    [Evaluation: A weapon forged from Aurora Original Stone, inflicts Sharp Blade damage when attacking. Its quality is quite superior, making it a rare sword-type weapon.]


    The quenching was successful; the Aurora Blade +1 had its Attack Power increased from 30 to 40 points¡ªa significant improvement.


    Additionally, cold weapons are different from firearms.


    The damage of firearms is fixed and cannot benefit from the user''s Strength attribute.


    Even a Superpower User with an off-the-charts Strength attribute would not inflict more damage with a shot than an ordinary person.


    Cold weapons, however, were different: the higher the Strength, the greater the damage dealt by the cold weapon.


    After the successful quenching of the Aurora Blade, a faint glow radiated from the surface of the blade, revealing at a glance that this was no ordinary weapon.


    The hunt for the mother creature had yielded a total of two pieces of Quenching Essence. Now, after using one, there was still one piece left.


    Lu Heng glanced back at Su Muyu and asked, "Do you want to try quenching your bracelet?"


    Su Muyu shook her head. "Um... Can the Aurora Blade continue to be quenched? If so, let''s keep enhancing the Aurora Blade."


    The higher the quenching level of a weapon, the lower the success rate becomes.


    However, the Aurora Blade was only at +1 level, so the success rate wouldn''t decrease by much.


    Moreover, having just acquired the vice profession of Apprentice Quenching Master, there was an additional +10% to the quenching success rate.


    Thus, Lu Heng started the furnace again, placing the second piece of Quenching Essence into it for a second quenching of the Aurora Blade.


    Heating, melting, merging, cooling¡ªa complete set of quenching steps ensued.


    Once again, the Aurora Blade was placed in the cooling water, and the water boiled.


    Sizzle!


    [The quenching process for the Aurora Blade is successful, and the grade of the Aurora Blade has been raised to +2.]


    [Completing a quenching operation yields +10 Quenching Master Professional Experience.]


    [Aurora Blade +2]


    [Attributes: Attack Power 50]


    The second quenching was successful, raising the attack power by another 10 points.


    With two quenchings, the attack power had increased from 30 to 50, nearly doubling.


    A 50-point attack power, along with strength bonuses, could easily deal close to 70 points of damage with a single swing.


    If it hit a vital area, inflicting two to three times critical damage, even a demon wouldn''t withstand a single blow.


    After performing quenching twice, Lu Heng felt an itch¡ªeager to attempt a third quenching, but unfortunately, he had no more quenching materials.


    With higher-grade Spiritual Injection Materials, weapon quenching could be taken to level 3, which allows for Spirit Injection that, if successful, could grant new Special Effects.


    But with no materials left, he would have to wait until he collected more to continue.


    Both quenching attempts were successful.


    Gulu clapped from the sidelines in admiration, "Amazing, my friend! You have great Talent for quenching. Have you ever considered becoming a Quenching Master?"


    "Uh, I haven''t thought about that. But I''m willing to give it a try when I have the time."


    Relative to that, Lu Heng was more concerned about his combat profession than the vice profession.


    Of course, it was something he could consider if he had the time.


    "In the future, Quenching Castle is always open to you. This is the Quenching Castle Badge; wearing this badge, you can enter Quenching Castle at any time," Gulu said, handing Lu Heng a badge.


    Engraved on the badge was a castle ablaze with flames, the emblem of Quenching Castle.


    "Uh, thank you." Lu Heng didn''t expect to receive the Quenching Castle Badge so soon.


    If there were a reputation system, his standing with Quenching Castle would probably be nearly maxed out by now.


    The Quenching Castle Badge, aside from representing high standing with the castle, also served as a key to its gates.


    Even Power Users who knew where the entrance to Quenching Castle was couldn''t enter whenever they wished; they had to wait for the castle to open its gates.


    Moreover, there wasn''t just one entrance to Quenching Castle, and only the master of the castle knew which one would be open.


    With the Quenching Castle Badge, it was different¡ªone could enter at any time.


    Gulu remembered something and suddenly became enraged, "Quenching Castle is currently facing a dilemma. I don''t suppose you would be willing to help us?"


    "What''s the problem? We''ll do what we can." Lu Heng knew right away that he had triggered a quest.


    Gulu spoke angrily, "The cover of the Quenching Furnace has been stolen by a damn thief. As a result, the flames have become very unstable, making the quenching failure rate extremely high."


    Lu Heng''s eyes widened as he thought to himself: Your furnace is missing its cover, yet I still managed to succeed in quenching twice in a row.


    Hearing that it was the cover that was lost, a light bulb went off in Lu Heng''s head; he suddenly remembered this task of retrieving the cover seemed to be the starting quest for a hidden profession.


    And there was something that both the combat strength and difficulty of obtaining this hidden profession had in common¡ªboth were outrageously high.


    Lu Heng quickly responded, "Who stole the cover? I''ll go get it back."


    "A damn Abyss Fire Stealer. It tried to steal my Quenching Furnace. Luckily, I discovered it in time, but it still managed to escape with the cover. Now it''s hidden somewhere unknown; if you can catch it and bring back the cover for me, that would be wonderful," Gulu pounded his fist, clearly loathing the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    [Hidden Quest Triggered: The Lost Furnace Cover of Quenching Castle]


    [Quest Details: When Quenching Castle was separating from the Abyss, an Abyss Fire Stealer hided within it and took the opportunity to steal the furnace cover. Gulu asks for your help in retrieving it.]


    [Reward: The Friendship of Quenching Castle]

 Chapter 36 - 36 The times have changed, but the power of money remains strong

    Seeing the hidden quest appear, Lu Heng''s eyes instantly lit up.


    Because this quest was precisely the starting quest for that hidden profession in his memories.


    However, in his previous life, no one had ever obtained this hidden profession.


    This hidden profession was discovered by a Superpower User with the Second Transition Class of Abyss Hunter, half a year after the Abyss Descent.


    This Second Transition Abyss Hunter completed the hidden quest but ultimately chose to abandon it.


    After all, demoting from a Second Transition Class to a First Transition Class meant a significant retreat in Combat Power.


    The Second Transition Abyss Hunter felt it was a pity, so he disclosed the process of acquiring this hidden profession.


    Many people later attempted it, but since the lid had been found, they couldn''t trigger the quest.


    In fact,


    before this Second Transition Abyss Hunter completed the quest, others had triggered it, but all had failed.


    Because the quest was too difficult, an initial quest for a First Transition hidden profession required the capability of a Second Transition profession; you can imagine the level of difficulty.


    Lu Heng''s Initial Talent was "Agile as a Dragon," coupled with "Shadow Clone" and "Gale Step¡¤Stab," these three abilities together nearly perfectly matched the characteristics of this hidden profession.


    Therefore, Lu Heng wanted to compete for this hidden profession.


    The only issue was the difficulty of acquiring this hidden profession, especially the extraordinary requirements for movement technique, mobility, and Perception Ability.


    The target named the "Abyss Fire Stealer" was an elusive thief skilled in hiding, concealment, and escape.


    One had only one chance to catch him, and if they failed, there would be no second opportunity.


    Thus, to complete this hidden profession quest, one must be well-prepared.


    Lu Heng recalled some details of the hidden quest and discussed with Gulu, "The Abyss Fire Stealer managed to steal from the Quenching Castle; surely it must be a tough one."


    Gulu agreed heavily, nodding repeatedly, "This damned thief is too cunning; if it were anyone else, I believe they would certainly not catch him, but I have confidence in you."


    Lu Heng pondered and said, "I''m willing to help, and by the sound of the thief''s name, he should be skilled at concealing himself; I''m worried I won''t find him."


    Gulu found this thought compelling, "I''ve also been worried about this matter, so I plan to let the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat lead you there; my little cat can smell the odor of the lid, but the scent is fading, so we must act quickly."


    Lu Heng promised, "The target is too cunning; I need to go back and make some preparations, and then come back when I''m ready."


    Gulu nodded in agreement, "Hurry along then; I entrust my lid to you."


    After finishing their discussion, Lu Heng took his leave from Su Muyu and returned to the hotel.


    Since the quest was triggered by two people, Su Muyu also had a quest.


    Back at the hotel, she read through the quest content carefully twice and asked, "What preparations should we make?"


    "Your Perception is enough for this quest; I have more preparations to make. To catch the Abyss Fire Stealer, I need at least an In-depth Level Body Technique, so I must find a place to focus on training for a few days," Lu Heng began thinking about his training plan.


    To complete the task for this hidden profession, there were several precondition requirements.


    First, one needed the ability to Detect Invisibility; otherwise, one couldn''t find the Abyss Fire Stealer. Su Muyu''s Perception Ability was strong enough for the task.


    Second, the movement technique had to reach In-depth Level; the moving speed needed to exceed that of a cheetah''s hunting speed, which is 30 meters/second.


    Before the appearance of Superpower Users, the human 100-meter sprint world record was 9.58 seconds.


    This meant the human''s Extreme Speed in sprinting was slightly more than 10 meters/second.


    In other words, the entry standard for this hidden profession had to reach three times the Extreme Speed of humans.


    Moreover, this was the speed of top athletes; ordinary people couldn''t achieve it¡ªthe fastest speed for an average adult male was roughly 7 meters/second.


    Of course, Superpower Users are not ordinary people.


    The average attribute of an ordinary adult male is 10 points.


    Lu Heng''s Agility Attribute had already reached 23 points. Without using any skills, his running speed could easily surge above 16 meters per second.


    After activating the Gale Step skill, the speed would double to 32 meters per second, which had already met the beginner standard for this hidden profession task.


    The speed was there, but he was still far from achieving an In-depth Level Body Technique, so he needed to undergo several days of high-intensity training.


    Su Muyu pondered for a moment before bringing up another matter, "Right, that woman named Yada should be the Perceiver I encountered outside the Gongteng Group last time.


    "Do you think that silver-haired man could be in cahoots with the Gongteng Group? If they are together, I''m worried they might send another assassin after us."


    Previously, Mr. Gong from the Gongteng Group had ordered the assassin: don''t kill Lu Heng until the truth about Gong Chusheng''s death is revealed.


    Following the intent of this order, even if Lu Heng were innocent, he would still be killed.


    That is to say, Mr. Gong didn''t care whether the target was innocent or not. He would kill anyone who was a suspect, even if it meant killing innocent people indiscriminately.


    It has to be said that as long as one is ruthless enough, this method is indeed the most direct and effective.


    Since the chairman of Gongteng Group had already employed a Superpower User assassin once, he definitely wouldn''t stop there.


    If there was one assassin, there would be a second and a third.


    If the "Storm Boxing King" Lei Jinhao had ties to the Gongteng Group, the Gong Family might even have him take action personally.


    Therefore, it was now necessary to thoroughly investigate the relationship between Gongteng Group and Lei Jinhao, at the very least, to know the enemy as well as oneself.


    By then, whether to advance or retreat, the initiative would be in their own hands.


    Lu Heng looked at Su Muyu and asked seriously, "If I asked you to go back to Champs Elysees now and find that Perceiver, would you dare to?"


    Su Muyu nodded earnestly, "I dare! I''ve leveled up to 9 now, and I think that Perceiver is the woman named Yada. I''ve already beaten her once; I''m not afraid of her anymore."


    The first time Su Muyu encountered a Perceiver on the Champs Elysees pedestrian street, her scouting hawk was destroyed without her even noticing her opponent.


    It was the first time she was suppressed by another Perceiver, without even catching a glimpse of her opponent''s shadow.


    At that time, she was quite scared.


    Now that she had leveled up, she was confident she could win back the upper hand.


    Lu Heng handed over a Demon Crystal Core, "Good, use this to absorb its power. It should get you to level 10. Then, go to Champs Elysees and find that Perceiver."


    Previously obtained a regular Crystal Core from Hongda Company and another one from hunting the Abyss Tide Worm, so he had two standard Crystal Cores on hand.


    A regular Demon Crystal Core could be used to awaken ordinary people, as well as to increase the Energy Level of Superpower Users.


    At this stage, most high-level Superpower Users were built up by stacking Crystal Cores.


    As long as there was sufficient financial support and a large number of Demon Crystal Cores were acquired, levels could be advanced by absorbing the energy from the cores. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the energy of a Demon Crystal Core couldn''t be absorbed without limits.


    Using them in quick succession could lead to diminishing returns.


    If the absorption exceeded the body''s endurance limit, it could lead to cell necrosis and even organ failure.


    It was precisely because the human body''s capacity to endure Demon Energy had limits that Blue Star hadn''t seen the appearance of "monsters" in a short time.


    If there were no limits to absorption, with the wealth controlled by the Level 33 families in the ASE All-Known Eye alliance, full-level gods could be created overnight.


    The times had indeed changed, but the power of money remained strong.


    ...

 Chapter 37 - 37: The Contest of Perceivers

    Seeing the Crystal Core handed to her by Lu Heng, Su Muyu hesitated for a moment and asked, "Shouldn''t this be saved for you to use? It would be better if your level were higher."


    Generally speaking, in a team, resources are prioritized towards Core Warriors to enhance the team''s overall combat effectiveness.


    Lu Heng''s level was already among the top tier at this stage; he was not in a hurry.


    Elevating Su Muyu''s level would make it easier to track the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    "Level 10 is a watershed; leveling up becomes increasingly slower afterward. Let''s boost you to level 10 first; it''ll bring greater benefits to the team. I need to quickly train my movement technique, so I won''t be able to accompany you for the next few days. It would be more convenient for you to act if your level is higher."


    Su Muyu felt warmth in her heart upon hearing this and nodded in agreement, "Okay, got it."


    She crushed the Crystal Core, absorbed its energy, and after about fifteen minutes, she successfully reached level 10.


    She opened her eyes, full of surprise, "I''ve reached level 10. My current Attribute Strength is 16, Agility 17, Constitution 17, Spirit 21, Perception 21."


    "That''s good, your Perception is very high. As long as that Perceiver hasn''t cheated, you can definitely suppress her," Lu Heng evaluated.


    At this point in time, let alone reaching level 10, even superpower users nurtured by major forces were still hovering around levels 7 and 8.


    Many superpower users with ordinary talent who had never been to the Abyss Battlefield were still at level 1.


    Now, those who had reached beyond level 8 were either chosen ones with incredible luck or had paved their way with money.


    Therefore, Su Muyu''s current level was also top-notch among the first-tier superpower users.


    Even wealthy major forces rarely invested a massive amount of resources in Perception System superpower users at this stage.


    Therefore, without any accidents, Su Muyu''s current Perception and Detection Abilities were unique at this stage.


    "By the way, after reaching level 10, you should consider transitioning to a combat profession. You should also think about which career path you want to develop in the future during this time," Lu Heng started to help her plan her future development.


    "A transition to a combat profession?" Su Muyu was hearing this term for the first time, so she was a bit confused.


    "Yes, a First Transition combat profession," nodded Lu Heng.


    "Acquiring a combat profession must be difficult, right?"


    "Indeed, it''s not easy."


    "Then I''ll listen to you," Su Muyu pursed her lips and smiled, deciding not to waste her brain cells on it.


    "You should have some personal preferences and ideas. Choose a career path you like; it will make the journey more enjoyable," Lu Heng indeed had several suitable career paths for her in mind, but still wanted to hear her thoughts.


    "Um... I don''t even know what options are out there."


    "The classification of combat professions can be divided according to the five-dimensional attributes..." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng began to introduce her to the types of combat professions, "You can rule out the Strength System and Agility System; those are not your forte.


    "As for the Constitution Attribute, it''s mainly related to Defense System professions. You could go down that path, but it''s not quite suitable for you either.


    "What remains are the Spiritual System and Perception System, which are relatively more interconnected.


    "Generally speaking, superpower users who major in the Perception System will minor in the Spiritual System.


    "You should be somewhat familiar with the Perception System by now. Its function is mainly scouting and anti-scouting, somewhat like a radar.


    "The Spiritual System, on the other hand, leans toward Spirit Control, and also includes Elemental Mage and Curse Mage types.


    "Don''t rush your decision. Take these few days to think it through and decide what path you want to take in the future."


    Su Muyu pondered and nodded, "Okay, I will consider it seriously."


    In the following days.


    Lu Heng rented a training room and began to practice his movement technique.


    Su Muyu returned to Champs Elysees to monitor Gongteng Group, searching for the Perceiver she encountered last time.


    ...


    Time moved into October.


    It was the second month of the Abyss''s invasion.


    With the number of demons appearing worldwide increasing, officials no longer prohibited news about demons.


    Following the news about the Abyss Tide Worm swarm appearing at Gardenia Beach, the public gradually realized their world was changing.


    Television stations and online media heavily broadcasted news of human encounters with demons, inciting widespread panic, painting a picture of the apocalypse.


    Supermarkets and online platforms experienced several waves of panic buying.


    Storing rice, storing salt, storing medicines.


    Whenever a self-media article proclaimed some supply shortage, people would rush to supermarkets to hoard.


    Online, news about the Abyss had spread everywhere, with discussions happening everywhere.


    Officials announced high-risk areas affected by the Abyss invasion daily and appealed to the public not to venture into these areas.


    Meanwhile, bounties for demons offered by the officials were increasing.


    The whole world was plunged into varying degrees of turmoil.


    Some countries even witnessed standoffs between ordinary people and superpower users, which included verbal abuse and attacks, and societal order was always on the brink of collapse.


    Some religious countries even began to execute superpower users en masse.


    Another name for superpower users was Demon Walkers; religious countries deemed superpower users as heretics, agents of demons in the human world.


    The conflict continued to escalate, eventually leading to violent clashes between religious forces and superpower users.


    In these disputes, many resistance superpower organizations began to form.


    There were also some research organizations attempting to study methods to remove Source Energy from the human body, receiving substantial financial support.


    The world was becoming increasingly fantastical, and what was fantastical was not just the Abyss Demons themselves but the actions of humanity, which were even harder to comprehend.


    Even domestically, many anti-superpower sentiments emerged, deeming superpower users as demons that must be eliminated.


    Even the more moderate voices believed that superpower users should be confined.


    This was similar to the situation depicted in movies and TV shows about mutants.


    However, there was one difference.


    In movies and TV shows, mutants are the result of genetic mutations, and mutants don''t choose to become what they are. Ordinary people cannot become mutants, thus creating two irreconcilable classes.


    But the superpower users who appeared during the Abyss invasion were different. As long as one obtained a Demon Crystal Core, an ordinary person could also awaken to become a superpower user.


    Thus, those who could see the situation clearly and had the means to obtain Demon Crystal Cores started to awaken actively.


    Even if the authorities didn''t awaken themselves, they used resources to nurture superpower users and invest in research institutions to seize initiative.


    Groups still clinging to outdated ideas and unwilling to accept Extraordinary Powers were destined to be eliminated by time.


    However, ordinary people awakening into superpower users also had to bear tremendous risks.


    The greatest risk was being conscripted to the Abyss Battlefield, and the mortality rate for the first time of conscription was enormously high.


    This was also a major reason why many authorities chose to cultivate superpower users rather than awaken themselves.

 Chapter 38 - 38: The Invaluable Super Crystal Core

    This morning, the weather was clear, and the streets after the rain felt a bit cooler.


    Due to the rampant news of the Abyss invasion, there were few pedestrians on the Champs Elysees pedestrian street.


    Su Muyu was wearing a blue denim dress and a sun hat, sitting in a beverage shop at the corner of the pedestrian street, drinking lemon tea while holding a collection of essays titled "Human World Grass and Wood."


    However, she hadn''t turned the page for half an hour because her attention was fixed on the Reconnaissance Eagle.


    After upgrading to the Advanced Reconnaissance Eagle, the eagle''s body had grown considerably, with a wingspan now reaching 1 meter.


    Its flying speed had improved as well.


    More importantly, the observation distance of the eagle eye vision had increased, as if it came with an eight-fold scope.


    Last time,


    it was here that the Reconnaissance Eagle had been killed.


    Now, having risen in level, she came back for reconnaissance, being extra cautious.


    While she was controlling the Reconnaissance Eagle to observe the environment around the Gongteng Group headquarters building, a young man placed a brand-new collection of essays opposite Su Muyu.


    The young man pulled out a chair and sat down, starting to make conversation, "Hello, you like reading too?"


    Su Muyu, disturbed, diverted her attention from the Reconnaissance Eagle and glanced at the young man, wanting to dismiss him quickly, "I''m just pretending with the book."


    The young man laughed, holding up his brand-new collection of essays, saying, "Me too, just bought it from the bookstore across the street. Let''s get to know each other, add a contact."


    Su Muyu smiled wryly and said, "I was just kidding, I''ve finished this collection of essays, and I can even recite my favorite ''Grape Month'' by heart."


    The young man left, sighing in dejection.


    Su Muyu quickly put on a mask and then turned her attention back to the Reconnaissance Eagle.


    As soon as she focused on the Reconnaissance Eagle, she saw Lei Jinhao, the silver-haired man she had encountered at Gardenia Beach, and the Perceiver named Yada.


    Lei Jinhao, with his entourage, walked into the headquarters building of Gongteng Group and entered the elevator.


    Su Muyu didn''t dare let the Reconnaissance Eagle get too close, as it was easy to be detected by Perceivers.


    After the elevator door closed, Su Muyu controlled the invisible Reconnaissance Eagle to fly into the building and confirmed that the elevator reached the top floor.


    Then, she had the Reconnaissance Eagle fly out of the building and from outside fly to the top floor, observing the situation through the glass wall.


    In the top floor lobby of Gongteng Group, in front of bright floor-to-ceiling glasses,


    Lei Jinhao, along with his associates, met Gong ZhenTeng, the chairman of Gongteng Group.


    They sat on opposite sides of a long table, discussing matters.


    However, because of the distance and the intervening glass wall, it was impossible to hear what they were discussing.


    It seemed that the discussion was not going very smoothly.


    Lei Jinhao slammed his fist on the table, looking like they were about to start arguing.


    Gong ZhenTeng''s attitude was very firm, and he showed no signs of compromise.


    The two parties were at a stalemate.


    Su Muyu wanted to hear what they were discussing and tried to get closer while also testing how large Yada''s Detecting Invisibility Range was.


    Because last time, her Perception abilities had been suppressed by the opponent.


    This time, Su Muyu was extra cautious, treating her opponent as a Perceiver of the same class. Hence, she started her cautious approach from outside a 40-meter range.


    That''s because her own Detecting Invisibility Range had reached 42 meters.


    However, this was a range only achievable after the Reconnaissance Eagle Skill had been upgraded to Level C.


    For Yada to have such a long detection distance, she would need to have a Level C Perception Skill, and her Perception Attribute would need to reach 21 points.


    To test Yada''s Perception abilities, Su Muyu controlled the Reconnaissance Eagle to gradually move from 40 meters to 30 meters, but Yada, the Perceiver, showed no reaction.


    20 meters also elicited no response.


    18 meters, 15 meters¡­


    Finally, the Perceiver named Yada turned her head and glanced outside the glass wall.


    Su Muyu immediately controlled the Reconnaissance Eagle to pull back to 15 meters away.


    Yada scanned around the glass wall, found nothing unusual, and turned her gaze back.


    After this probe, Su Muyu determined the opponent''s detecting invisibility range was only 15 meters.


    Perceivers mutually testing each other''s capabilities was also a contest of Perception.


    Originally, Su Muyu had worried that the opponent''s detecting invisibility range could reach 40 meters, but it turned out to be only 15 meters.


    Actually, she was being overly cautious. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point in time, with Abyss Descent less than a month away, the level of Superpower Users was not high, let alone those from the Perception System.


    Although the opponent''s detecting invisibility range was only 15 meters, at that distance, one still couldn''t hear conversations inside the building, especially through a glass wall.


    After a brief contemplation, Su Muyu controlled the reconnaissance hawk to fly into the building and activate the building''s fire alarm system.


    Buzzing...


    The alarm sounded, and the whole building became noisy.


    Lei Jinhao looked back at Yada and asked her to check the situation.


    Yada nodded and turned to leave the rooftop hall.


    Su Muyu took the opportunity to fly into the rooftop hall to listen closely to the conversation between Lei Jinhao and Gong ZhenTeng.


    She overheard explosive intelligence related to a Super Crystal Core.


    A few minutes later, the Perceiver named Yada returned. Su Muyu immediately dismissed the reconnaissance hawk and then took a taxi to meet Lu Heng and report the important intelligence she had just gathered.


    In a training room near the Coastal World Trade Center.


    Lu Heng was sweating profusely as he practiced his movement techniques, preparing for the initial task of his hidden profession.


    If he had pursued a regular Combat Rank, he wouldn''t need training, as his current strength and experience were sufficient to handle the First Transition task.


    However, if his goal was that hidden profession, In-depth Level Body Technique was essential.


    In the training room, Lu Heng started sprinting, leapt vertically, ran three steps on the wall, pushed off powerfully for a double half-twist in mid-air, and landed on a three-meter high platform.


    [Gained insight while practicing the body technique, Body Technique Training Level +1]


    [Beginner Level body technique training complete, entering the second tier of the Body Technique Realm¡ªMaster Level.]


    Lu Heng glanced at his Body Technique Training Level, which showed Master Level (1/2000).


    There was still a long way to go to reach the In-depth Level.


    Fortunately, Lu Heng had insights from his past life''s body technique training, which accelerated his progress.


    After his Body Technique Realm increased, Lu Heng rested for a while, drank some water, then resumed Gale Step and continued his body technique practice.


    [Gained insight while practicing the body technique, Body Technique Training Level +1]


    [Gained insight while practicing the body technique, Body Technique Training Level +1]


    ...


    As he was training, the door of the training room opened.


    Su Muyu walked into the training room, saw Lu Heng sweating profusely, and took a towel from a rack near the door to hand to him.


    Lu Heng took the towel and wiped off his sweat, asking, "What brought you here all of a sudden?"


    "Can''t I come and check on you?" Su Muyu teased.


    She had not endured the tragic experiences of their past lives, so her personality was not as melancholic as in Lu Heng''s memories. She occasionally showed her playful side and even joked around from time to time.


    However, she rarely joked in front of others, only relaxing like this with Lu Heng.


    After Lu Heng drank a bottle of an energy drink, Su Muyu displayed a look asking for praise and said, "I overhead some important intelligence; you should praise me."


    "What kind of important intelligence? You''re this happy."


    "Do you know what a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' is?" Su Muyu didn''t immediately reveal the intelligence but posed a question instead.


    Initially indifferent, Lu Heng became intrigued upon hearing the name of the crystal core.


    This ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' was a super crystal core of immeasurable value, essentially a priceless treasure. Its worth would only increase as time went on.


    Even Peak Superpower Users would engage in fierce battles to obtain a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core.''


    Two years after Abyss Descent, major forces deploying mercenaries to seize a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' was nothing unusual.


    Because a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' could increase the number of Skill Slots available to a Superpower User.

 Chapter 39 - 39 Power Structure Reshuffle and Games

    "There''s no mistake, a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' can increase the number of Skill Slots for Superpower Users."


    No need for much explanation, just by hearing the name, one would know how precious such a Super Crystal Core is.


    According to statistics compiled by the Da Xia officials, the average Initial Talent for awakened Superpower Users is 2.15 Skill Slots.


    This means the majority of Superpower Users have only two and even just one Skill Slot.


    Those with an Initial Talent of three Skill Slots constitute less than 18%.


    Even fewer reach four Slots, only 5%.


    To achieve five Skill Slots is as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, with a mere one in ten thousand probability.


    Right, Su Muyu is one such rare lucky individual.


    Lu Heng''s Initial Talent conferred him three Skill Slots, which is above average in the general population but considered low among top Superpower Users.


    Of course, Lu Heng was lucky with his two Initial Talents when he awoke.


    Considering rarity, the probability of double Talents occurring is only one in a hundred thousand.


    Moreover, even for those Superpower Users with double Talents, there''s a possibility of awakening with life-oriented or even useless Talents.


    The instances of both Initial Talents being strong are even rarer.


    Because the number of Skill Slots a Superpower User has directly dictates how many Skills they can master.


    With an additional Skill Slot, one could surpass a large group of peers.


    Take Lu Heng, for example, if he could obtain a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'', his number of Skill Slots would increase from three to four.


    By learning one more Skill, he would instantly leap from the 18% stratum to the top of the 5% pyramid.


    If used by a Superpower User with five Skill Slots, they would become a formidable entity with six Skills.


    ...


    Although Lu Heng has double Talents, his number of Skill Slots is indeed considered low among the top Superpower Users.


    Therefore, obtaining a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' would be a significant enhancement.


    "Did you discover this kind of Crystal Core?" Lu Heng''s interest was piqued upon hearing the name of this Super Crystal Core.


    Su Muyu giggled and began to report her scouting results:


    "I saw that silver-haired Lei Jinhao, he was discussing matters with Gong ZhenTeng, the chairman of Gongteng Group. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They didn''t seem to get along, nearly breaking into an argument. I managed to sneak closer to eavesdrop, and then heard the content of their quarrel.


    "It turns out, Lei Jinhao had previously collaborated with Gong ZhenTeng.


    "Gong ZhenTeng provided funds for Lei Jinhao''s team to purchase resources, and in return, Lei Jinhao dealt with troublesome matters for Gongteng Group.


    "In the beginning, Gong ZhenTeng had the upper hand, but Lei Jinhao''s Superpower User team developed rapidly and hinted at taking over control.


    "Not long ago, Gongteng Group acquired a ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'', which Lei Jinhao wanted, but Gong ZhenTeng was reluctant to part with.


    "The two quarreled, and based on the content of their argument, it seemed that Gong ZhenTeng had also funded another Superpower User team, which greatly annoyed Lei Jinhao.


    "Moreover, the Gong Family got something called ''Fighting Artist Essence'', which Lei Jinhao also wanted. That man has quite the appetite.


    "Gong ZhenTeng refused to give the ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core'' but agreed to part with the ''Fighting Artist Essence'', provided that Lei Jinhao signed an additional agreement.


    "The terms of that agreement were rather outrageous, and the two argued vehemently, almost coming to blows."


    Lu Heng got the gist of the situation upon hearing this.


    Actually.


    Such circumstances were quite common early on during the Abyss Descent.


    When Superpower Users first emerged, their Strength wasn''t sufficient to change the power structure.


    Those who already held wealth and power had more resources and could cultivate strong Superpower Soldiers.


    At this stage, the groups already at the pyramid''s peak controlled the reigns of power.


    However, as time went on and top Superpower Users grew stronger, it became increasingly difficult for the former elites to control these powerful top-tier individuals with money alone.


    In the end, the power structure began to reverse as the combat power of the top superpower users increased, albeit slowly.


    Of course, this reversal was relative, since the class that controlled wealth and power could more easily cultivate powerful superpower users.


    It was only that money could no longer directly grant authority; it needed to be converted into extraordinary strength, which would then be leveraged to acquire authority.


    It seemed that this future "Storm Boxing King" had gradually developed to a point where he could not be controlled by any financial backers.


    Of course, the consortium would not sit idly by.


    Therefore, Gong ZhenTeng had fostered a second team of superpower users to counterbalance Lei Jinhao''s team.


    Of course, Gong ZhenTeng''s fostering of the second superpower user team was not intended to make enemies of Lei Jinhao.


    His goal was to balance Lei Jinhao''s growing ambitions, making him a dog who obeys orders.


    In fact,


    In the past life, the Gong Family had fostered not just two teams of superpower users but also cultivated superpower users from their own direct lineage.


    Gong Chusheng started off with an A-level skill "Shadow Clone," and with a wealth of resources poured into him, even with his mediocre talent, he eventually became one of the top superpower soldiers in the Coastal region.


    If things had progressed as before, the Gong Family would have used this "Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core" on Gong Chusheng, the crown prince of the Gongteng Group.


    It was just that, in this life, Gong Chusheng had already been choked off by Lu Heng.


    It was unclear who in the Gong Family would get to use this "Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core."


    ...


    Lei Jinhao desired this Super Crystal Core and would definitely have a tug-of-war with the Gong Family for a while.


    It would depend on what the two parties finally agreed upon.


    After reporting the scouted information, Su Muyu turned and asked, "Do you want the ''Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core''?"


    "That''s a no-brainer, of course I want it." Lu Heng couldn''t help but roll his eyes.


    Now that all three skill slots were occupied, even if he acquired some powerful skill, he would be unable to learn it.


    If he could obtain this super crystal core, the improvement would be significant.


    "Then I''ll help you look for it and see where the Gong Family has hidden the crystal core, okay?" Su Muyu knew how important this super crystal core was to Lu Heng, so she wanted to help him find it.


    Lu Heng shook his head and said, "The Gong Family isn''t stupid; it won''t be so easy to find. Besides, we have more important things to do right now and no time to worry about this. We''ll come back to it after achieving our First Transition."


    Moreover, at this stage, superpower users were far from being able to do whatever they wanted; the power of firearms was too great, and any armed bodyguard could pose a threat to a superpower user.


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, then asked, "Alright. And about that ''Fighting Artist Essence,'' is it related to Class?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "Yes, a Fighter is a First Transition Class. However, just having the Professional Source Material isn''t enough; you also have to fight in the Source Material Struggle to achieve a Class."


    "That sounds difficult..." Su Muyu pursed her lips, feeling a bit nervous about the idea of having to participate in the Source Material Struggle herself in the future.


    She pointed to the door and said, "Then I''ll continue watching the Gongteng Group."


    "Don''t rush off, you''re already here, help me with something first." Lu Heng chuckled, closing the door of the training room.


    Su Muyu pursed her lips and mumbled, "What are we doing..."


    She still hadn''t given up the idea of finding the Super Crystal Core.


    "The priority is to acquire the First Transition Class, so train movement techniques with me," Lu Heng had a clear plan in mind.


    The Source Material for a First Transition Class had already appeared.


    Lei Jinhao would likely get the Gong Family''s share of "Fighting Artist Essence."


    Because in the past life, the "Storm Boxing King''s" First Transition Class was indeed a Fighter.


    This meant that before long, Lei Jinhao would achieve the combat profession of Fighter.


    Moreover, Lei Jinhao wasn''t even Gong ZhenTeng''s biological son; if those direct-line superpower users of the upper class and major powers were considered, the resources invested in them would only be even more substantial.


    Hence, from now on, combat professions would emerge one after another.


    Between ordinary superpower users and professionals, there would be a chasm-like difference in combat power.


    That''s why Lu Heng needed to quickly obtain that hidden profession.

 Chapter 40 - 40: Micro-level Body Technique (Request for Follow-up Reading)

    To obtain this hidden profession, one must master the movement technique to an in-depth level.


    Training alone is far less effective than training together.


    Lu Heng brought Su Muyu back to the training room and came up with a training method, "Release the Reconnaissance Hawk, and let''s train together. I''ll work on my movement techniques, and you practice controlling the hawk."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded, releasing the Reconnaissance Hawk to hover and fly around the training room.


    Lu Heng then activated Gale Step, using his body technique with bare hands attempting to catch the Reconnaissance Hawk.


    Su Muyu controlled the Reconnaissance Hawk from a first-person perspective, making it fly up and down, dodging at its limits. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng ran up and down the walls, pushing his Master Level body technique to its limit as he tried to capture the Reconnaissance Hawk.


    As days passed in this paired training, the results were excellent. Lu Heng''s proficiency in his movement technique quickly increased, and his physical strength improved as well.


    [Gained insights in practicing movement technique, movement technique proficiency +1]


    [During training, physical constitution improved, strength +0.01, agility +0.01]


    Su Muyu also made rapid progress.


    [Practicing ''Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk'' skill, skill proficiency +1]


    [During training, physical constitution improved, spirit +0.01, perception +0.01]


    After persisting for most of a week, Lu Heng''s movement technique was nearing full Master Level proficiency, but each attempt to catch the hawk was just a bit short.


    The Reconnaissance Hawk always managed to dangerously dodge Lu Heng''s hands and then dash to create distance.


    After all, the hawk could fly while Lu Heng could only chase on foot, which was quite challenging.


    Su Muyu''s improvement rate was also fast, visibly gaining stronger control over the hawk.


    After a week of focused training, Lu Heng finally maximized his proficiency in Master Level movement technique.


    [Gained insights in practicing movement technique, movement technique proficiency +1]


    [Master Level movement technique perfected, stepping into the third level of Body Technique Realm¡ªIn-depth Level.]


    The moment his body technique realm improved, Lu Heng felt as if the whole world slowed down, allowing him to sense every minute change in his surroundings.


    This feeling was extraordinary, as if he could anticipate the hawk''s dodging maneuvers.


    Lu Heng once again sprang off the wall toward the Reconnaissance Hawk, his right hand swinging out like lightning.


    The hawk pivoted and once again flashed past his hand. Su Muyu pursed her lips with a sneaky smile, about to control the hawk to extend the distance.


    Just at that instant,


    under the boost of In-depth Level movement technique, Lu Heng preempted the hawk''s evasive path, and his arm shifted a slight angle mid-air, forcefully moving the catching point by 10 centimeters to precisely grasp the hawk''s wing.


    When he landed, Lu Heng, holding the flapping Reconnaissance Hawk, shook it towards Su Muyu.


    With a pout, Su Muyu guessed the reason, "Has your movement technique leveled up?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "Yes, In-depth Level body technique allows me to predict the target''s trajectory."


    Su Muyu giggled, "Then next time, I''ll make the hawk invisible and see how you catch it."


    Lu Heng blinked, not expecting her to have that trick up her sleeve.


    To be honest, if the Reconnaissance Hawk becomes invisible, then the game is unplayable because the hawk''s position would be completely unseen.


    After this period of training, not only did his body technique reach the in-depth level, but his physical strength also enhanced.


    Lu Heng''s strength, agility, and constitution all increased by 1 point.


    Once the training increased the attribute points to whole numbers, they would show up on the attribute panel.


    Lu Heng''s current five-dimensional attributes had reached: strength 19, agility 24, constitution 19, spirit 20, perception 19.


    Su Muyu took the paired training seriously and also had significant improvements, with both spirit and perception increasing by 1 point.


    "Now that the movement technique has upgraded, should we start the hidden mission?" Su Muyu wanted to learn more about the classes.


    "Yes, it seems some superpower users have already obtained the Combat Rank, and we need to speed up," Lu Heng nodded, beginning to plan how to acquire the hidden profession.


    Su Muyu took the initiative to ask, "When do we leave?"


    "We''ve been training all day, and you must be tired. Go back and rest for now. Gather your strength, and we''ll meet at the hotel tomorrow night."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded in agreement.


    ...


    The next day.


    As usual, Su Muyu started her day by training the Reconnaissance Eagle''s Skill Proficiency.


    Ever since Lu Heng had taught her how to train Skill Proficiency, she had been diligently practicing every day, including the Invisibility Veil, which she had already trained halfway.


    While training the Reconnaissance Eagle''s skills, Su Muyu also paid close attention to the situation at the Gongteng Group.


    While the Reconnaissance Eagle circled around the Gongteng Group building, it suddenly spotted Gong ZhenTeng''s sedan leaving the company.


    She then followed it and found Gong ZhenTeng, accompanied by two bodyguards, entering the Kaiser Hotel to meet Lei Jinhao.


    Today, Lei Jinhao was not accompanied by the Perceiver named Yada, which made Su Muyu bolder. She controlled the Reconnaissance Eagle to get close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation.


    Inside the VIP suite of the Kaiser Hotel.


    Gong ZhenTeng sternly questioned, "Lei Jinhao, I heard you''ve been in contact with people from Fenglin Capital. What does that mean?"


    Fenglin Capital and the Gongteng Group were competitors, even enemies, to some extent.


    Thirty years ago, during the Gong Family''s initial capital accumulation, they used intense methods to compete for land tracts.


    That era was one of wild growth for capitalism when many tycoons and capitalists got involved in the grey economy during their early accumulation phases.


    After completing their initial accumulation, they quickly laundered their money to become large groups that could stand in the light.


    The Gongteng Group and Fenglin Capital had been competitors since then, hiring thugs and fighting over territories using all kinds of tactics.


    However, both companies had cleaned up their acts and no longer acted so blatantly.


    Now, the arrival of the Abyss had brought significant changes to the world order.


    The emergence of Superpower Users and Extraordinary Power was bound to lead to a reshuffling of money and power structures.


    To curb Lei Jinhao''s growing ambition, Gong ZhenTeng had funded another Superpower User team.


    Lei Jinhao would not let Gong ZhenTeng control him; he had indeed been in contact with Fenglin Capital, the archenemy of the Gongteng Group.


    "Mr. Gong is being overly concerned. I just had dinner once with the big boss of Fenglin Capital, who invited me earnestly; I couldn''t be rude," Lei Jinhao responded lightly to the interrogation.


    Gong ZhenTeng snorted, "Even if you hook up with Fenglin, you won''t earn their trust. You must understand, you started from our company."


    Lei Jinhao chuckled, "The chairman has raised other Superpower teams too, hm? Trust is mutual, don''t you agree?"


    Gong ZhenTeng pondered for a moment before saying, "I can give you the Fighting Artist Essence, just sign the contract we discussed earlier."


    Lei Jinhao''s expression was indifferent as he straightforwardly said, "I want that Super Crystal Core."


    Gong ZhenTeng frowned and after some consideration said, "Do one thing for me. After it''s done, I will give you that Super Crystal Core."


    The Super Crystal Core they were referring to was naturally the Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core.


    Lei Jinhao smiled slightly and said, "You want me to help you find who killed your son, right?"


    "Exactly. As long as you catch the killer, chop off his limbs, and bring him to me, the Super Crystal Core is yours," Gong ZhenTeng decided, using the Super Crystal Core as a bargaining chip to find the murderer.


    "I can do that. As soon as I find out who the killer is, I guarantee I''ll turn him into a cripple and deliver him to the chairman," Lei Jinhao confidently replied.


    After all, in the Coastal region, there were no more than a handful of Superpower Users who could rival him.


    "I have a suspect in mind. I sent a Superpower Killer before to capture him, but that killer ended up dead," Gong ZhenTeng brought up the previous attempt.


    "If you have a suspect, that simplifies things. I''ll capture him and extract the truth," Lei Jinhao nodded in agreement.


    Gong ZhenTeng took a briefcase from a bodyguard, opened it, and pushed it towards Lei Jinhao, "This is the Fighting Artist Essence you wanted. Sign the contract, and it''s yours. The Super Crystal Core will be yours once you catch the real culprit."


    He then took a photo from the inner pocket of his suit and slid it across to Lei Jinhao.


    Lei Jinhao looked at the photo, and his face showed a moment of surprise, "It''s him."

 Chapter 41 - 41: Abyss Fire Stealer

    Beneath the watchful eye of the reconnaissance falcon, Su Muyu caught sight of the photograph Gong ZhenTeng had produced, and her heart immediately started pounding furiously.


    Because the person in the photo was unmistakably Lu Heng.


    Gong ZhenTeng was using a Super Crystal Core as bait, asking Lei Jinhao to find and kill Gong Chusheng''s murderer.


    And the first suspect was Lu Heng.


    Upon learning this information, Su Muyu was overcome with worry and hastily retracted her falcon, hailing a taxi to meet up with Lu Heng at the hotel.


    The moment she opened the door of the room, she rushed inside, slamming it shut behind her, panting as she spoke, "I... I saw Lei Jinhao and Gong ZhenTeng meeting again, and Lei Jinhao has received the Fighting Artist Essence.


    "And also, Gong ZhenTeng is offering a Super Crystal Core to compel Lei Jinhao to find his son''s killer, and his first target is us."


    She included herself in the mix, resolved that they would face whatever came together, although Gong ZhenTeng''s photograph only depicted Lu Heng alone.


    Lu Heng had previously considered this possibility, so the news didn''t take him by surprise.


    "What do we do now? Lei Jinhao''s team consists of dozens of Superpower Users," Su Muyu expressed the immense pressure she felt.


    Lu Heng grabbed a motorcycle helmet, placing it in her hands as he said, "In the Abyss Era, Strength determines everything. As long as we''re powerful enough, it doesn''t matter who the opponent is, we''ll be fearless. Let''s go! To Quenching Castle."


    Thanks to the Quenching Castle Badge, they could enter Quenching Castle at will. Thus, the pair reached the ninth tunnel of Century Bridge and, without delay, passed through the tunnel directly into Quenching Castle.


    "My friend, you''re finally back. The success rate of Quenching has been dismal lately, and if I don''t find my furnace lid soon, I''ll go bankrupt," Master Gulu complained as soon as he saw Lu Heng.


    "If that''s the case, Master might consider raising the price for Quenching services," Lu Heng suggested a devious idea.


    At this stage, anyone who afforded Weapon Quenching was never short of money, and even if the price doubled, the demand would still exceed the supply.


    Based on developments in his previous life, even if the price wasn''t raised now, it was bound to increase later.


    After all, more and more Superpower Users would need Quenching services, and sooner or later Quenching Castle would cater only to an elite clientele.


    After offering his wicked suggestion, Lu Heng steered the conversation back to the main point, "I came here today to help Master retrieve his furnace lid. I''m prepared."


    "That''s great! Black Fire, come out and find that damned thief," Gulu shouted into the castle.


    A creature, entirely black and hairless, with a bundle of flames on its tail, leaped out. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite its feline appearance, it was strictly speaking not a cat, because it originated from the Abyss.


    Because it resembled a cat, humans had named this Abyss Creature the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat.


    "This is my little pet, very docile. I''ve given it a new name from the Human World. It can sniff out that damned thief''s scent. Follow it and help me retrieve my furnace lid," Gulu introduced the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat.


    This Flame-tailed Spirit Cat appeared small, measuring about twenty centimeters in length, and while it seemed docile, it was an Abyss Creature that could be extremely vicious¡ªrumored to be capable of swallowing mammoths whole.


    Well, that was just a rumor.


    Gulu handed over a bag of unidentifiable jerky to Lu Heng, cautioning, "Black Fire sometimes has a foul temper. She likes this¡ªkeep it with you."


    "Uh..."


    Once prepared, Lu Heng and Su Muyu set out with the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat to track down the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer had infiltrated Quenching Castle to commit theft during the separation from the Abyss, ending up in Blue Star''s overlapping space, and had since escaped Quenching Castle.


    Therefore, this creature was likely hiding in a corner of the coastal area.


    Following the scent, the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat led them to the outskirts of a steel factory, which was the largest in the coastal area¡ª"Coastal Steel."


    Looking at the main entrance of Coastal Steel, Lu Heng quickly realized why the Abyss Fire Stealer could be there.


    The creature''s name said it all.


    It was drawn to anything related to flames, including the theft of the Quenching Furnace''s lid, due to its obsession with flames.


    And the one thing a steel factory was never short of was flames.


    If the Abyss Fire Stealer was hiding in this steel factory, it meant the guide he had read in the previous life was not wholly applicable.


    Because the "Abyss Hunter" of the Second Rank who found the Abyss Fire Stealer in his previous life had found it on the beach, not in a steel factory.


    In fact, with a bit of thought, the reason was clear.


    That "Abyss Hunter" caught the Abyss Fire Stealer half a year after the Abyss Descent.


    At the present moment, it was only the second month of the Abyss Descent, with over four months of difference.


    It was impossible for the Abyss Fire Stealer to stay in the same place for so long.


    ...


    It was nighttime.


    The steel factory had only a few employees working the night shift, and they were resting in the air-conditioned room.


    Lu Heng had Su Muyu activate the "Invisibility Veil" to enter the steel factory.


    Once it was confirmed that the Abyss Fire Stealer was hiding in the steel factory, it would be easier to find.


    Su Muyu released a scouting eagle, which flew a circle around the steel factory.


    It wasn''t long before she spotted the mid-tier demon creature¡ªthe Abyss Fire Stealer¡ªin the steel workshop.


    From a distance, the Abyss Fire Stealer looked like a rodent-like demon walking upright, with sharp claws and dark red mane, its deep eyes extremely keen.


    At the moment, the Abyss Fire Stealer was standing next to the Quenching Furnace, absorbing the heat from the flames.


    Covered by the Invisibility Veil, Lu Heng went to the second-floor platform of the steel workshop to observe the surrounding environment, planning the strategy he would use momentarily.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer excelled in stealth and escape; while beating it wasn''t difficult, catching it was.


    If it managed to escape, it would surely hide elsewhere, and finding it again would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    This was also the reason for perfecting his movement technique to the Micro-level before coming here; otherwise, he simply couldn''t keep up with it.


    After observing the environment, Lu Heng, in his invisible state, slowly approached the Abyss Fire Stealer from behind.


    When he got within 20 meters, the Abyss Fire Stealer''s nose twitched, and then it swiftly darted toward the exit of the steel workshop.


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected the creature''s nose to be so keen, able to detect a scent from more than 20 meters away.


    This was a downside of the "Invisibility Veil"; it only offered optical invisibility and couldn''t mask scent.


    At this point, there was no choice but to use brute force.


    Lu Heng took off at high speed with Gale Step, pushing his speed to the limit. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the very spot where the Abyss Fire Stealer had just been and continued the pursuit.


    Once the chase began, the commotion grew louder.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer, sensing a pursuer behind it, spewed out a mist and disappeared within it.


    Lu Heng passed through the mist, looking left and right, but couldn''t see any trace of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    "Mu Yu!" Lu Heng called out over the Bluetooth headset.


    Almost at the same moment, the scouting eagle flew in from a window, soaring low over the ground and pinpointing the location of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    Lu Heng continued the chase, following behind the scouting eagle.


    After a strenuous run and fending off several obstacles thrown back by the Abyss Fire Stealer, Lu Heng''s invisibility began to wear off.


    As the Abyss Fire Stealer fled, it knocked over many things, causing a great deal of noise.


    Two duty officers, hearing the commotion, ran out with flashlights shouting, "Who''s there?"


    Lu Heng didn''t pay any attention to them and kept sprinting forward following the scouting eagle, reaching speeds of 30 meters per second, and swiftly passing in front of the duty officers.


    The officers, who had never seen a human move so fast, were terrified.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer remained in invisibility, escaping from the steel workshop in the blink of an eye, its speed not any slower than Lu Heng''s and obviously possessing an acceleration skill.


    The acceleration skill combined with its invisibility skill had optimized its ability to survive to the extreme.


    It was fortunate that Su Muyu was there; otherwise, they wouldn''t have even touched a hair on it.


    Su Muyu controlled the scouting eagle, flying it two meters above the head of the Abyss Fire Stealer to lock onto its position.


    Unable to see the Abyss Fire Stealer, Lu Heng could only follow behind the scouting eagle.


    After escaping the steel workshop, the Abyss Fire Stealer started leaping between buildings and even running up walls.


    Lu Heng maximized his In-depth Level Body Technique, following it closely with tumbling leaps and wall-climbing.


    The chase led them out of the steel factory and into the forest, weaving through the pine woods.


    The exaggerated speed of the Abyss Fire Stealer''s escape made it almost impossible to keep up, even with Lu Heng''s Micro-level Body Technique and Level C Gale Step.


    At this time, there would not be a second person capable of mastering the body technique to the In-depth Level.


    No one else stood a chance of catching this creature.


    It''s no wonder this hidden mission took a Superpower User with the Second Transition Class "Abyss Hunter" half a year later to complete.


    Moreover, according to the description by this Second Transition professional, the Abyss Fire Stealer''s escape methods weren''t limited to what they had seen; it also had a final trump card given to it by its Professional Source Material.

 Chapter 42 - 42: Shadow Escape, Ignoring Physical Collisions

    The Abyss Fire Stealer had indeed maxed out its escape capabilities.


    Lu Heng chased unabatedly, reaching a pursuit speed of 30 meters per second and occasionally sprinting up to 32 meters per second, only to barely maintain the distance between them.


    He chased the target out of the steel mill and into the mountains.


    Lu Heng drew his Glock G17, aiming below the scouting eagle to see if he could hit it.


    As he aimed the pistol, the scouting eagle ahead abruptly darted back and forth, its path completely unpredictable.


    Lu Heng immediately realized that the Abyss Fire Stealer was intentionally dodging the shooting angle, and there was a delay between the scouting eagle''s position and that of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    After all, after Su Muyu spotted the Abyss Fire Stealer''s position, controlling the scouting eagle to adjust took time, and they couldn''t sync perfectly.


    With the Abyss Fire Stealer''s speed of 30 meters per second, even with just a 0.1-second delay, the maximum error could reach 3 meters.


    With a 3-meter margin of error, not even a rocket launcher could reliably hit the target, let alone a pistol.


    Still, Lu Heng wanted to give it a shot and tried to predict based on the scouting eagle''s movements before pulling the trigger.


    Bang!


    The bullet shot out, hitting a distant tree, missing the target.


    Lu Heng adjusted his aim and fired another shot.


    This time the bullet disappeared into the target''s location as if it had hit, but like a stone sinking into the ocean, it stirred up no splash.


    The speed of the Abyss Fire Stealer didn''t decrease either.


    Realizing this, Lu Heng immediately understood that the Abyss Fire Stealer had defense skills, in addition to its invisibility and acceleration skills.


    Invisibility, acceleration, and now defense skills¡ªthe creature had become incredibly slippery.


    Seeing this, he knew that to catch it, he had to wait until its invisibility duration expired.


    After chasing for a full five minutes, Lu Heng started to breathe heavily. He continuously used a breathing technique to regulate his blood oxygen to keep going.


    Five minutes later, an initially empty space in front of him slowly revealed a transparent shadow.


    The shadow went from fully transparent to semi-transparent, and finally, the figure of the Abyss Fire Stealer appeared.


    Its invisibility had run out.


    A sharp gleam flashed in Lu Heng''s eyes as he leaped onto the rocky wall, running up it, and soared forward.


    He drew the Aurora Blade from thin air and executed a "Chasing Moon Style" thrust, aiming directly at the back of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    With a micro-level body technique coupled with in-depth swordsmanship, his strike was swift and accurate.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer sensed the impending danger and panicked.


    Its talent tree was completely filled with skills for evasion and concealment, so its direct combat capabilities were low.


    Moreover, the strike was too fast; it had no room to dodge.


    Just as the blade was about to pierce its back, a dark purple energy burst from its body, and its form suddenly phased into the shadows.


    The Aurora Blade stabbed into its back, but the blade tip hit nothing solid.


    The body of the Abyss Fire Stealer escaped into the shadows, continuing to flee.


    Seeing this did not discourage Lu Heng; his eyes shone even more intensely.


    For this escape into the shadows ability was the Shadow Walker''s essence ability, the Abyss Fire Stealer''s trump card.


    After escaping into the shadows, the Abyss Fire Stealer''s body became immune to all physical impacts, turning into a semi-transparent wraith and kept running.


    Lu Heng continued the chase, sword in hand, staying within striking distance.


    As a second Transition profession had claimed, once the effect of the Shadow Escape ended, its invisibility skill would soon be ready again, with just a three-second gap.


    That meant,


    If he couldn''t finish the fight within those three seconds, the Abyss Fire Stealer would enter another five-minute invisibility phase.


    Lu Heng had been chasing for so long, maintaining top speed, and his stamina was nearly spent.


    Even if he could keep going, his speed would continue to decrease.


    Moreover, having chased for so long, Su Muyu was likely also reaching her limit. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he allowed it to become invisible again, they wouldn''t last until it reappeared.


    That is to say, there was only one chance to capture the Abyss Fire Stealer, during that three-second window.


    This was the challenge of this hidden mission, and also the Abyss Fire Stealer''s only weakness.


    It just needed to survive those three seconds to slip back into invisibility, then nobody could catch it.


    To delineate the prerequisites for completing this hidden mission, one can appreciate its difficulty.


    Firstly, the ability to detect invisibility was essential, or one couldn''t even see the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    Secondly, one needed to run at 30 meters per second, three times the speed of world record sprinters.


    Moreover, one must maintain this speed for more than five minutes, not just a ten-second dash.


    To maintain that speed for five minutes demanded extraordinary stamina as well as a micro-level body technique.


    One key feature of a micro-level body technique was utilizing minimal energy for maximum maneuverability.


    It also provided the ability to run up walls and traverse mountains to pursue the target, otherwise, he would''ve long been outpaced.


    Besides, within those crucial three seconds, one needed the capability to eliminate the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    All factors considered, capturing the Abyss Fire Stealer required strong detection of invisibility, incredible speed and body skills, plus the combat power to kill mid-tier demons on the spot.


    And normally, these abilities would not coincide in the same person.


    At least in the early stages of the Abyss invasion, no one possessed all these abilities at once, not even Lu Heng.


    For the ability to detect invisibility was provided by Su Muyu.


    ...


    According to the guide''s data, the Abyss Fire Stealer''s time to escape into the shadows was only seven seconds.


    Although it was a short time, these seven seconds were crucial.


    Just then, the Abyss Fire Stealer suddenly turned and crashed into the rock wall, his form flashed as he burrowed directly into the rock wall, disappearing from sight.


    Even though Lu Heng was mentally prepared, he was still slightly surprised when he saw this scene.


    This was precisely the effect of escaping into the shadows, ignoring physical collisions.


    Without physical collisions, it meant it could pass through any physical barriers, including the rock wall in front of it.


    "Keep your eyes on the rock wall, it can only hide for seven seconds; once the time is up, it must come out."


    Lu Heng shouted into his Bluetooth headset, telling Su Muyu to monitor the rock wall and track the position of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    As the Abyss Fire Stealer burrowed into the rock wall, the chase entered its final stage.


    "I can''t find its position behind the rock wall, but I will monitor the surroundings of the rock wall; the moment it comes out, I will lock onto its position immediately," replied Su Muyu in his fastest speech.


    Since the Abyss Fire Stealer had burrowed into the rock, even the scouting falcon could not find its position; it felt as though it was blind.


    However, this state was mutual.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer hiding inside the rock wall couldn''t see the situation outside the rock wall either.


    It did not know Lu Heng''s position.


    With the speed of the Abyss Fire Stealer, seven seconds was enough to cover a distance of 210 meters.


    In other words, it could emerge from any position within 210 meters around the rock wall.


    The next seven seconds would be a psychological battle.


    Lu Heng stood still, betting that the Abyss Fire Stealer would stay in place.


    However, to be safe, Lu Heng sent out a Shadow Clone to chase towards the east.


    Time passed second by second, marked by breathing sounds; Lu Heng breathed deeply, regulating the oxygen in his blood as he silently counted the seconds.


    One second... four seconds, five seconds...


    By the fifth second,


    a rat head poked out from inside the rock wall; it was the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    Lu Heng had won his bet by waiting in place for it.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer peeked out, saw Lu Heng waiting there, and instantly withdrew in shock.


    Two seconds later, it emerged again from a position 50 meters to the east of the rock wall, only 10 meters away from the Shadow Clone.


    The Shadow Clone was the first to attack, rushing towards the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    Once the effect of the Abyss Fire Stealer''s escape into the shadows ended, unable to hide inside the rock wall, it had no choice but to activate its acceleration skill and dash out, running hectically.


    The Shadow Clone kicked out, sweeping at the lower body of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer leapt up to dodge the attack and continued its sprint forward.


    Immediately following, the scouting falcon dove down, aiming for the eyes of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer, in rage, raised its hand and clawed the scouting falcon apart.


    With the interception of the Shadow Clone and the scouting falcon, the escape of the Abyss Fire Stealer stalled for a moment.


    Lu Heng seized the opportunity and closed the distance to within 10 meters.


    And two seconds had passed, leaving just the last second of the brief interval.


    The Abyss Fire Stealer ran at full speed, closely watching the cooldown time of its invisibility skill.


    Holding out until the last second ended, it immediately lifted its palm, gathered a ball of Demon Energy, and, with a "bang," smashed it onto the ground.


    Demon Energy exploded on the ground, spreading a fog of mist.


    Its form gradually faded and disappeared into the fog.


    Just as it raised its hand to release the skill, Lu Heng activated the second effect of "Gale Step¡¤Stab," launching a straight-line thrust, the speed doubling instantly.


    Lu Heng burst forth with a speed that surpassed the limit, like a streak of lightning shooting out, with Aurora Blade in hand, he thrust the "Cloud Piercing Style" into the mist.


    Puff!


    Ah!


    The Abyss Fire Stealer had just released its Invisibility Fog Skill and hadn''t managed to escape when it was pierced through the chest by the sword, emitting a piercing wail.


    Following closely, a circle of thunder and lightning exploded from the Aurora Blade, searing its body, giving it no chance to struggle.


    "Hunted the Abyss Fire Stealer, absorbed 100 points of Demon Energy."


    After the Abyss Fire Stealer died, it split into two crystals.


    Lu Heng picked them up to inspect; the first one was a Skill Crystal Core "Mist Escape."


    "Mist Escape: Consumes Source Energy to release a layer of mist, achieving a 10-minute invisibility effect, while also masking scent and infrared detection. Skill Consumption: 30 Source Energy. Skill Level: D."


    The disadvantage of this skill was that the invisibility duration had a limit, unlike the "Invisibility Veil" which could maintain invisibility as long as there was Source Energy.


    However, this skill also had advantages, such as masking scent and infrared sensing.


    That meant, both olfactory and thermal imaging detectors could not detect this skill''s invisibility effect.


    If this skill had been used earlier to approach the Abyss Fire Stealer, it would not have detected the scent from 20 meters away, causing it to become alert.


    As Lu Heng saw this superpower, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.


    "Divine Evolution" not only upgraded skills with unlocked skill effects but also allowed for skill fusion.


    Then, Lu Heng shifted his attention to the second crystal.


    This flat crystal was today''s actual target¡ª "Shadow Walker Essence."

 Chapter 43 - 43 Trade Information: Weapon Quenching

    "The Shadow Walker Essence" is the starting material for the First Transition Class "Shadow Walker".


    The second month into the Abyss invasion saw the emergence of Class Source Materials on Blue Star, but humans did not know what a Class actually was.


    Other people were unaware, but Lu Heng knew.


    Source Material is a special substance in the Abyss World that transcends divinity; the power contained within it forms the extraordinary profession system.


    The nature of a Class is the power known as Source Material, and the so-called process of acquiring a Class is the process of competing for Source Material.


    That is to say, the battle for Source Material.


    There are two states of Source Material, one is the free state, and the other is the integrated state.


    Free state Source Material can be absorbed by living beings.


    Integrated state Source Material has already merged with a living being and cannot be absorbed by other beings.


    If a living being absorbs enough free state Source Material, it can complete integration, gaining the abilities represented by the Source Material, that is, the Class.


    This means that even if a Superpower User has absorbed Source Material, before they acquire the complete Class, this Source Material is still in a free state and can be taken by other Superpower Users.


    Only after obtaining a sufficient amount of Source Material can free state Source Material solidify into an integrated state, thereby obtaining a Class.


    Therefore, it is quite dangerous for a Superpower User to have free state Source Material on their person, as they could be attacked by other contenders for the Source Material at any time.


    The ability of the Abyss Fire Stealer to escape into shadows and ignore physical collisions comes from the "Shadow Walker Essence"


    However, the Abyss Fire Stealer did not acquire the "Shadow Walker" Class, so its Source Material is in a free state, and killing it will release Source Material.


    Lu Heng held the flaky "Shadow Walker Essence" in his hand, feeling a touch of sentiment.


    This was something that could only be obtained six months after the Abyss invasion, but he had gotten it five months early.


    In his past life, no one had ever obtained this hidden profession; let him be the first to brave the unknown.


    Lu Heng released a current to dissolve the "Shadow Walker Essence" and absorbed it into his body.


    "Acquired ''Shadow Walker'' Source Material, initiating Source Fusion battle."


    "Source Fusion Completion: 10%"


    "The Source Material is in a free state; once the fusion completion reaches 100%, Source Fusion can be completed, obtaining the First Transition Class ''Shadow Walker''."


    "Temporarily acquired Source Material Ability: Shadow Traversal"


    "Shadow Traversal: Dive into the shadow crack, exempt from all physical collisions for the duration of 7 seconds. Upon completion of the effect, the caster will exit the shadow crack. If they are inside a solid material at that time, their body will be crushed by the material, resulting in varying degrees of injury or even death."


    This ability was the one the Abyss Fire Stealer used to hide inside the rock walls.


    As expected of a hidden profession''s essential skill, its effect is so powerful that it cannot be simply quantified by data.


    In a sense, while using this ability for 7 seconds, one is invincible.


    Of course, there are downsides too.


    After losing physical collision, one cannot be attacked by the enemy, but at the same time, cannot attack the enemy either.


    Furthermore, if the effect of Shadow Traversal ends while inside solid materials like rock or steel, the body would be crushed.


    Of course, if that happens, it would only show that the Mechanic is too foolish, and it would not be related to the skill effect.


    After absorbing the Professional Source Material, Lu Heng saw a new prompt appear on his data panel.


    "Abyss Battlefield: Conscription countdown 7 days"


    Another conscription, and this one appeared simultaneously with the acquisition of Professional Source Material.


    This suggests that the upcoming Abyss Battlefield might well be a battle for Source Material.


    ...


    After Lu Heng finished absorbing the Source Material, Su Muyu ran over breathlessly, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, and took deep breaths, "Did it work?"


    She had followed all the way, running until she was nearly out of breath, and still had to control the scout eagle, so she was even more exhausted than Lu Heng.


    "Yes, it was a success," Lu Heng pointed to the corpse of the Abyss Fire Stealer on the ground.


    "That thing can really run," said Su Muyu, having witnessed firsthand how the Abyss Fire Stealer had managed to escape, moving incredibly, to the extreme.


    In the end, to stop the Abyss Fire Stealer, her scout eagle had been clawed to pieces.


    So, she missed the moment when Lu Heng''s sword pierced the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    "See if you can find where the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat is and have it search for the Abyss Fire Stealer''s den," Lu Heng reminded her.


    "Okay, the little cat is already on it, let''s follow," Su Muyu said and walked towards the direction of the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat.


    In a cave 600 meters away, the Flame-tailed Spirit Cat found the den of the Abyss Fire Stealer.


    In the den, they found the lid of the Quenching Furnace and other items the Abyss Fire Stealer had stolen.


    For example, lighters, flame throwers, barbecue grills...


    In short, any item that could spit flames was treated as a collector''s item by it.


    Most of the collection was of little value, but there was one item that caught Lu Heng''s attention.


    "Thunder Bomb: An explosive made from thunder and flame dual-attribute element materials, with a huge explosive power. Blast radius: 3 meters."


    Just looking at the effects, this thing was pretty much like a grenade.


    On Blue Star, this item wasn''t particularly rare.


    However, the appearance of data on it indicated that it came from the Abyss.


    Since it was from the Abyss, it could be brought into the Abyss.


    Lu Heng put the Thunder Bomb into his inventory, then returned to Quenching Castle with the furnace cover.


    Gulu, holding the regained furnace cover, was very sentimental, "You''ve helped me so much, I don''t know how I could thank you. You''ve gained the most sincere friendship of Quenching Castle."


    Looking at his tone and attitude, the goodwill meter was about to burst.


    Lu Heng thought: Too much sincerity in friendship makes it hard to ask for benefits.


    However, on the way back, Lu Heng had already thought of something, "Master Gulu, may I accept quenching commissions from other clients? The price will, of course, be according to Quenching Castle''s rules."


    The last time he quenched the Aurora Blade, he unlocked the vice profession panel and gained the vice profession "Apprentice Quenching Master."


    This vice profession could improve the success rate of quenching and also increase flame resistance, which was quite practical.


    Moreover, there were probably very few humans with superpowers at this stage who could obtain a vice profession, "Quenching Master" was likely unique.


    If he could take quenching orders, not only could he improve his vice profession experience, but he could also make some money on the side.


    "Of course, I''m very optimistic about your talent in the art of quenching. Keep it up!" Master Gulu readily agreed without hesitation.


    This was the benefit of maxed-out goodwill.


    After all, Lu Heng had helped Quenching Castle break away from Abyss World and had also retrieved the furnace cover. With such high prestige, it was only natural to have some privileges.


    Because the countdown to the second Abyss Battlefield recruitment had started and it might likely be a battle for source material.


    There were only 7 days left; preparations needed to be made in advance.


    Moreover, it would be best to find a suitable professional source material for Su Muyu within 7 days so that they could enter the same source material battle.


    Otherwise, Su Muyu fighting alone in a future source material battle would be very dangerous.


    Upon returning, Lu Heng posted a trade message on the Crystal Core Dark Network: "Weapon Quenching, interested private message, no reporters."


    Not long after the trade message was sent, his inbox started ding-ding-ding with private messages.


    However, most of these private messages were inquiries.


    "Can you do quenching?"


    "How do you quench weapons?"


    "What is quenching?"


    "What''s the use of weapon quenching?"


    Lu Heng didn''t reply to any of the questions and even blocked a few lucky ones who asked idiotic questions. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Real superpower users with backgrounds wouldn''t be asking such basic questions at this time.


    Quenching materials had already appeared on Blue Star at this stage, and although they were scarce, the major powers should definitely be able to obtain some.


    Those who didn''t even know about quenching at this point basically didn''t have the ability to quench weapons.


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    In Blue Sea International Villa District in Coastal City, a young man was staring at a webpage on his laptop.


    He had just seen a "Weapon Quenching" trade post on the Crystal Core Dark Network and had immediately sent a private message to the poster.


    "Can you do quenching?"


    After sending it, he waited for a reply, but after half an hour, there was none.


    He clicked on the trade post again and noticed the phrase "no reporters" that followed.


    He immediately realized the issue and quickly composed a second message: "Money is no object as long as you can do quenching."


    After editing the private message and clicking send, the website popped up a notification: "The recipient has added you to their blacklist, your message could not be sent."


    "Fuck!"


    The young man cursed but felt even more that the person who posted the trade message was the real deal.


    He quickly took out his phone and made a call, "Secretary Liu, bring me another laptop with a Crystal Core Dark Network account. Yes, I need it now."

 Chapter 44 - 44 Quenching Castle Opens Its Doors

    After posting a transaction message about "Weapon Quenching" on the Crystal Core Dark Network, Lu Heng checked his private messages for a while. Finding them to be all inquiries, he decided to go to sleep.


    The next day, he woke up and opened the Crystal Core Dark Network to find that his private messages had piled up to 99+.


    He clicked to check and ignored all inquiries, directly blocking anyone who asked multiple times.


    After sifting through over a hundred messages, he finally found one that was useful.


    "I have the quenching materials ready, money is not an issue; I hope we can meet face to face."


    Lu Heng was quite satisfied with this private message. Each word was to the point, concise and clear.


    This was the kind of party B he liked to deal with.


    Lu Heng replied with a message: "Tonight at eight o''clock, Coastal Century Bridge, ninth bridge hole. Bring the quenching materials, only one person will be received."


    ...


    In the Blue Sea International Villa District.


    As the noon approached, a young man with panda eyes got out of bed and turned on his laptop to check if there were any private message replies.


    He had waited until midnight the day before without receiving any replies, resulting in insomnia.


    After logging into the Crystal Core Dark Network, he saw an inbox notification with a red "1".


    He quickly opened the private message and raised his eyebrows; the reply was also succinct, directly setting the time, place, and requirements.


    This further indicated that it was the real deal.


    The young man immediately made a call to arrange the quenching materials and cash.


    In the evening.


    A sedan car stopped on the riverbank at the Century Bridge.


    In the back seat, there was a young man and a middle-aged man.


    The young man''s name was Lin Zeyu, 23 years old, the young master of the wealthy Coastal Lin Family and also one of the first Superpower Users to be conscripted into the Abyss Battlefield.


    After a countdown for conscription appeared, the Lin Family used their connections to find three Superpower Users with the same countdown and spent money to increase their levels to accompany Lin Zeyu into the Abyss Battlefield.


    As a result, Lin Zeyu''s first experience on the Abyss Battlefield was very smooth, completing two Challenge Tasks and reaping a rich harvest.


    The Lin Family had figured out the rules of conscription on the Abyss Battlefield early on during the period of Abyss Descent.


    Now it was seven o''clock, not yet the agreed time, but the Lin Family had arrived early at the Coastal Century Bridge.


    A bodyguard in a black suit approached the car, knocked on the window, and once it was rolled down, he bowed and said, "Young master, we have confirmed that there are only eight bridge holes in Century Bridge, with no ninth hole. We have also checked with the bridge management, and the original design of the Century Bridge included only eight holes."


    Lin Zeyu frowned and said, "The meeting is at the ninth bridge hole. There''s no mistake."


    The middle-aged man sitting beside him pondered, "Could it be a scammer? Should we have them accompany you later?"


    Lin Zeyu couldn''t help but feel that the other party did not sound like a scammer and firmly said, "The other party stated they would only meet one person; I''ll go myself."


    The middle-aged man looked towards the bodyguard outside the car and said, "Double-check the surrounding area of the bridge to ensure it''s safe."


    "Yes." The bodyguard bowed in acknowledgment and went on to take care of it.


    ...


    The time reached seven fifty.


    Lin Zeyu got out of the car with two briefcases and walked under the Century Bridge.


    Since there was no ninth bridge hole, he could only stand under the eighth and wait.


    After about five minutes.


    A voice came from behind him: "Are you the one looking to get your weapon quenched?"


    Lin Zeyu shivered and quickly turned around, only to see a cloaked figure standing in the shadow of the bridge hole, his features unclear.


    With the support of his family, he was now a Level 10 Superpower User whose Perception was much higher than that of an ordinary person.


    Normally, he would have noticed if someone sneaked up on him from behind, no matter how quietly they approached.


    But now, he had absolutely no clue how this person in a cloak had appeared.


    He was stunned for a moment and quickly nodded: "It''s me. We agreed to meet at the ninth bridge hole, but the Century Bridge only has eight."


    "Come with me," said the cloaked figure before turning and walking toward a wall of the bridge hole.


    Lin Zeyu followed with suspicion and then watched in disbelief as the figure walked into the wall.


    With his heart pounding, Lin Zeyu became even more certain that this person was remarkable and hurried forward, stepping through the wall after him.


    The moment he stepped through, he was a bit worried, but as he crossed over, he entered a Different Space.


    ...


    Lin Zeyu had just vanished near the wall of the bridge tunnel when the dozen bodyguards stationed at a distance swiftly rushed over, searching for any trace of him.


    They reached out to knock on the wall, feeling every inch of it, but it was just solid wall, bereft of anything unusual.


    The middle-aged man from the car also walked into the bridge tunnel, his expression serious as he examined the situation.


    The lead bodyguard reported, "Mr. Yu, we just saw the young master walk into this wall, and then he disappeared."


    The middle-aged man walked over and pushed against the wall himself, but couldn''t detect any abnormalities.


    He speculated in his mind that it might be some sort of magician''s trick.


    If the other party really was a swindler using such tactics to kidnap someone, things could turn very bad.


    He swiftly took out his mobile phone and dialed a number, but the phone indicated the call could not be connected.


    Frowning in thought for a moment, he ordered in a deep voice, "Spread out and search! If it is some kind of magician''s trick, they couldn''t have gone far. We must find him."


    "Yes, sir!"


    The bodyguards dispersed in all directions, combing every possible hiding spot in the vicinity of Century Bridge.


    ...


    Elsewhere.


    With one step across the wall, Lin Zeyu entered another strange space.


    Naturally, this place was Quenching Castle.


    The person in the cloak was walking in front, heading toward the interior of the castle.


    He called out, "Wait... wait a minute. This is..."


    Naturally, the cloak-clad man was none other than Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng wasn''t ready to reveal his identity so soon, so he donned a Quenching Master''s robe and also wore a cat-faced mask.


    At his question, Lu Heng turned around and said, "Welcome to Quenching Castle. Also, a reminder for next time¡ªcome alone, or Quenching Castle won''t open its doors for you again." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Zeyu was taken aback upon hearing this.


    He could imagine that his uncle and bodyguards outside must be frantic, probably turning Century Bridge upside down searching for him.


    He quickly apologized, "I''m sorry. Before I came in, I made it clear to them to wait for me outside. I''ll call them right now and tell them to go back."


    Lu Heng raised his hand to stop him, "No need. There''s no mobile connection here. Come inside with me."


    Entering the castle''s reception hall, Lu Heng took his place in the main seat, then gestured for Lin Zeyu to sit.


    Lin Zeyu had seen his fair share of impressive scenes, but stepping through a wall into another world was still a staggering experience.


    He sat down and placed two briefcases on the coffee table, saying, "I''ve brought the items with me."


    Lu Heng said, "First, take out the weapon and the quenching materials for Quenching."


    Lin Zeyu opened the first briefcase and took out a revolver that gleamed with silver light.


    The revolver was a famous collector''s edition known as the "Silver Python," entirely bright silver and quite eye-catching.


    Lu Heng picked up the Silver Python Revolver and checked the specs in hand.


    [Silver Python Revolver (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: C-Level]


    [Specifications: Length 29.1 cm, Weight 1.3 kg, Bullet Capacity: 6 rounds]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 155 (using standard 12.7mm bullets)]


    [Evaluation: Made from an alloy, this revolver packs a formidable punch, capable of killing a ferocious beast with a single shot. The power of firearms depends on the weapon and bullets, unable to benefit from the user''s Strength attribute.]


    The gun was good and had powerful firepower, but the downside was that it only had a capacity for six bullets.


    Against a Superpower User, there was virtually no time to reload.


    Of course, if one had the confidence to take down an opponent within six bullets, this revolver was indeed formidable.


    Moreover, this revolver had already been integrated with Divine Energy for Law Integration, making it viable to bring into the Abyss World.


    This meant that 600 points of Divine Energy had been spent on this gun.


    Acquiring Divine Energy was extremely difficult, and many Power Users might not amass that much even after two or three battles.


    Of course, for major forces, there were shortcuts.


    Divine Energy was bound to Power Users and couldn''t be transferred, but items that had undergone basic Law Integration were external possessions, which anyone could take.


    Thus, large forces could obtain Abyss-integrated weapons and equipment through trading methods.

 Chapter 45 - 45

    "Silver Python Revolvers, those large caliber handguns, are basically the highest in attack power among Class C firearms."


    "You can see it as the pistol class, rifle power."


    "Of course, this power comes at the cost of magazine capacity."


    "For an average superpower user, without a talent enhancement in firearms, spending divine energy on this could be somewhat embarrassing in the later stages."


    "However, for wealthy families with money ability, it doesn''t matter."


    Lu Heng put the Silver Python Revolver back and asked, "Are you planning to quench this gun?"


    "Yes, I''ve already prepared the quenching materials."


    Lin Zeyu nodded slightly and then pushed forward two pieces of Quenching Essence.


    Lu Heng wasn''t in a hurry to take on the job, and in a calm tone, he went over the precautions first:


    "Regarding weapon quenching, there are a few prerequisite conditions that need to be made clear.


    "First, quenching is not one hundred percent successful, there is a certain chance of failure. If quenching fails, materials and fees are not refunded.


    "Second, in the event of failure, there''s a very small chance that the weapon could be damaged. If it is damaged, the Quenching Castle offers no compensation, but will attempt to help repair it. There is no guarantee that it will be successfully repaired.


    "Agreeing to quench means accepting the above two terms. If you don''t accept, you can leave now."


    After hearing these terms, Lin Zeyu knew that they were disclaimers.


    He thought for a moment and asked, "What is the approximate success rate of quenching?"


    Lu Heng answered calmly, "Currently, my success rate with quenching is one hundred percent. Mentioning the precautions is just to avoid unexpected situations. If you cannot accept this, you can choose not to quench."


    Right now, Quenching Castle is the only one capable of performing weapon quenching.


    Whether the terms are overbearing or not, that''s just the way it is.


    For the Lin Family, two pieces of quenching material were not so precious that they needed to worry.


    Lin Zeyu decided then and there, "Okay, I accept the terms. Please help me with the quenching."


    Lu Heng continued, "The effect of quenching has a certain level of randomness, let me give you an approximate idea of the effects after quenching.


    "This revolver currently has an attack power of 155 points, if quenching is successful once, attack power adds 10 points, if successful twice, another 10 points.


    "If the quenching level reaches level 3, you can try for spirit injection to gain entry-level special effects. However, that requires higher grade materials, which I guess you don''t have at the moment."


    Hearing there was a higher level of weapon enhancement, Lin Zeyu looked at Lu Heng with a sense of admiration and nodded, "If the quenching is successful this time, I will collect more materials and come back."


    Lu Heng then said, "Next is the price for quenching, the price for each quench is one Demon Crystal Core. Payment can be made with Demon Crystal Cores, quenching materials, energy crystals, and other items, I have a value exchange rate chart here."


    Lin Zeyu paused for a second and asked, "Can''t I pay with cash?"


    "You can purchase Demon Crystal Cores with cash, then come for quenching."


    In fact.


    Demon Crystal Cores do have a price on Blue Star, it''s just that the price fluctuates too much.


    In the initial period after Abyss Descent, a regular crystal core was priced around 300,000 to 500,000.


    As time goes on, this price will rise all the way to over 1 million.


    Only crystal cores truly hold their value and within a certain range can be considered hard currency.


    Lu Heng would have to find ways to purchase Demon Crystal Cores with the money he got, too troublesome, and it would be easier to have the other party pay directly with Demon Crystal Cores.


    Lin Zeyu took out two Demon Crystal Cores and said, "I''ve brought two crystal cores with me, will that do?"


    "That will do." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng took the two Demon Crystal Cores, stood up, and said, "You wait here, the quenching process will take about half an hour."


    "Can I watch the quenching process?" Lin Zeyu hurriedly asked.


    "The price of apprenticeship is beyond your reach," Lu Heng had no intention of allowing him to observe the Quenching.


    "What price do you require? Name it, and I''m sure I can afford it," Lin Zeyu continued to negotiate.


    A smile curled beneath Lu Heng''s mask as he stated an astonishing condition, "Professional Source Material."


    Upon hearing these four words, Lin Zeyu was momentarily stunned.


    Professional Source Material was extremely rare at present; almost all major powers were vying for it.


    It was no longer something that could be bought with money.


    Even after naming his price, Lu Heng couldn''t be certain of Lin Zeyu''s agreement, so he did not stop walking.


    Just as he was about to reach the door, Lin Zeyu suddenly stood up and asked, "Is any type of Source Material acceptable? If there''s no restriction on the kind, I can agree."


    Although this was his plan from the start, Lu Heng was still somewhat surprised to hear that he truly agreed to the condition.


    For Lin Zeyu, the opportunity to witness the Quenching process firsthand was not something that could be measured in monetary terms.


    Even gaining access to Quenching Castle was of great value to the Lin Family.


    Lu Heng stopped and glanced at him, responding, "Perception System, Summoning system, or Spiritual system will do."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up at the mention of these systems.


    Had it been combat-oriented Professional Source Material, he truly would have had none.


    Source Material for main combat classes like Fighters, Destroyers, and Knights wasn''t something money could buy.


    Relatively speaking, Perception System Source Material was easier to come by.


    It wasn''t that the Perception System''s Professional Source Material wasn''t precious, but rather that there were just fewer superpower users willing to follow the Perception path at this stage, and naturally, the demand was smaller.


    As the young master of a great family like Lin Zeyu, he was definitely meant to become a Super Soldier and would never opt for a support route.


    Hence, to major powers, the Source Material of the Perception System wasn''t quite as scarce.


    "I have ''Sky Eye'' and ''Microscopic Sniffer'' Source Material at hand, both of the Perception System. I can trade one of them in exchange for witnessing the Quenching process," Lin Zeyu decisively decided to trade in a portion of Source Material for the chance to observe.


    Lu Heng had merely quoted a prohibitive price to test the waters and hadn''t expected the man to be truly willing to trade Professional Source Material for a chance to see the Quenching process.


    The ''Sky Eye'' class wasn''t just a simple Perception System; it was a dual system, combining Perception and Summoning.


    Currently, Su Muyu was in dire need of Professional Source Material, and ''Sky Eye'' was particularly suitable for her.


    Lu Heng''s Abyss Battlefield countdown had only three days left, and this recruitment was likely to be a battle for Source Material.


    If Su Muyu could attain Professional Source Material now, there was a high probability that she would enter the same Abyss Battlefield.


    Otherwise, if Su Muyu had to fight for Source Material on her own later, it would be very dangerous.


    After all, as a support route user, she needed to cooperate with combat superpower users to realize her value.


    If she were to be recruited solo into the Abyss Battlefield and failed to find trustworthy teammates, it was tantamount to placing her life in the hands of strangers.


    Therefore, Lu Heng hoped to find suitable Professional Source Material for Su Muyu within three days.


    Lu Heng emphasized the time constraint, "If it''s ''Sky Eye'' Source Material, then I will allow you to observe the Quenching. But this promise is only valid for three days."


    Joy immediately appeared in Lin Zeyu''s eyes as he hurriedly said, "I can go back and get it right now, wait for me for half an hour."


    For major powers, tangible items, whether Crystal Cores or Source Material, could be bought with money.


    But information beyond the current era was much more valuable than any simple item.


    With an information gap, one can earn back a hundredfold or even seize the chance to lead the change of an era.


    Therefore, as soon as Lin Zeyu heard that he could watch the Quenching process, he decided to return for the ''Sky Eye'' Source Material without hesitation.


    Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "I can wait for you for half an hour."


    "Then I''ll go and come back as fast as I can," Lin Zeyu no longer hesitated, promptly stood up, and left Quenching Castle to retrieve the Professional Source Material.

 Chapter 46 - 46

    The gates of Quenching Castle opened, and Lin Zeyu walked out, returning beneath the underpass of Century Bridge.


    He hurriedly looked back, only to see a wall.


    He reached out to touch it, and his palm came into contact with the cold, hard concrete wall.


    If he had not just experienced it himself, he would never have believed that a wall like this could be passed through by a person.


    Just as he marveled, several bodyguards ran over from a distance, shouting as they ran, "We''ve found him, we''ve found the person! Under the bridge."


    The middle-aged man hadn''t gone far and, hearing the voices, he hurried over, "Zeyu, are you all right?"


    "Uncle, I''m fine."


    Lin Zeyu answered, then took out his cellphone to call someone, briefly describing his experience in Quenching Castle, and then asked for the "Sky Eye" source material to be delivered.


    It wasn''t a long wait.


    The "Sky Eye" was brought over soon after.


    This time, Lin Zeyu had all the bodyguards return, and he waited alone in front of that section of the bridge wall:


    "I have already brought the Sky Eye source material, may I enter now?"


    After waiting a while.


    A voice came from behind him, "Come with me."


    Lin Zeyu was startled, and quickly turned around to see that cloaked Quenching Master with the cat-face mask had appeared behind him once again.


    But this time, the other party did not walk through the original wall, but a different one.


    Seeing this scene, Lin Zeyu was even more shocked.


    The entryway was not fixed.


    Passing through the bridge underpass wall, he entered Quenching Castle once more, settling into the drawing room.


    Lin Zeyu took out a palm-sized box, placed it on the table, opened it, and displayed the transparent crystal inside.


    Lu Heng picked up the crystal to check its attributes, and it was indeed the "Sky Eye" source material.


    After packing up the source material, Lu Heng stood up and headed towards the castle''s forging room, "Come with me."


    Outside the forging room.


    "Wait here for a while, I need to make some preparations first," said Lu Heng before leaving him at the doorway.


    Lin Zeyu stood in place, looking around; he always felt the castle was shrouded in mystery.


    While he was waiting, a little dwarf sauntered over and greeted him, "You must be the visitor who''s come for quenching, right?"


    Lin Zeyu promptly nodded and replied, "Yes, and you are?"


    "You may call me Gulu," replied Master Gulu offhandedly.


    Hearing this name, Lin Zeyu thought it sounded like a servant''s.


    He figured the little dwarf must be the servant of the Quenching Master he had just seen. Nevertheless, he believed he should still show respect, after all, a servant at the prime minister''s gate is a seventh-degree official.


    After exchanging greetings, Lin Zeyu began to probe around the subject, "May I ask, the Quenching Masters of Quenching Castle, are they very formidable?"


    As soon as Gulu heard what was being asked, he immediately perked up, "Of course, the owner of Quenching Castle is the most formidable Quenching Master in the world, and is one of the few remaining ones. Yep, one of the few remaining, how do you think I used that new idiom?"


    Lin Zeyu''s attention was entirely focused on the words "the most formidable Quenching Master," and he thought to himself that anyone who could be referred to as a "Master" must indeed be exceptional.


    When he looked towards the forging room again, his eyes sparkled.


    Having encountered this visitor, Gulu put his hands behind his back and strolled away, carrying himself with the air of a great master, exuding an aura of hidden depth.


    Once Lu Heng had prepared the necessary tools for quenching, he came out and said, "It''s ready, come in."


    "Of course, Master," Lin Zeyu bowed with his hands clasped, his demeanor extremely respectful.


    Spirit listened to this title with slight surprise, but he didn''t bother to explain anything and led him into the forging room. They arrived at the Quenching Furnace and began the quenching process for the Silver Python Revolver.


    The steps for quenching firearms were different from those for cold weapons.


    Spirit was fairly experienced in this and adeptly controlled the Quenching Furnace.


    Heating, melting, merging, cooling¡ªthe entire quenching sequence flowed smoothly.


    [Successfully quenched the Silver Python Revolver, and its grade has been promoted to +1]


    [Completed quenching operation, Apprentice Quenching Master professional experience +10]


    [Silver Python Revolver +1]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 165]


    After the first quenching, Spirit didn''t pause and continued with a second quenching.


    The quenching process went smoothly.


    [Successfully quenched the Silver Python Revolver, and its grade has been promoted to +2]


    [Completed quenching operation, Apprentice Quenching Master professional experience +10]


    [Silver Python Revolver +2]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 175]


    After two quenchings, Spirit placed the revolver on the tray and gestured to Lin Zeyu to inspect the quenching results.


    Lin Zeyu carefully picked up the Silver Python Revolver, checked its attributes, and his eyes immediately lit up.


    The attack power had increased from 155 to 175 points.


    It might seem like only a 20-point increase, but when breaking through limits, each point often required a hundredfold resources.


    Lin Zeyu had been worried about the quenching not being successful, as even the master had initially said that quenching doesn''t guarantee 100% success.


    He remembered what Spirit had said before, "Currently my quenching success rate is one hundred percent."


    He sighed inwardly, Truly a Quenching Master.


    After letting him check the attributes, Spirit said, "The two quenchings are complete, if everything is correct, then our transaction is settled." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Zeyu nodded eagerly, "Of course, thank you, Master."


    With the quenching finished, Lin Zeyu wanted to linger a bit longer in Quenching Castle to gather more information and even inquire about the Abyss.


    But Spirit didn''t have time for idle chat and promptly saw him out of Quenching Castle.


    As they reached the castle''s main gate, Lin Zeyu turned and asked, "Master, how do I enter the Quenching Castle in the future? Is the entrance always in the ninth tunnel of the Century Bridge?"


    Spirit''s eyelids lifted slightly as he answered, "The entrance only appears when Quenching Castle opens its doors."


    "Alright, I understand. I''ll bring materials and come back next time," said Lin Zeyu, before being escorted out of Quenching Castle.


    Once again, under the bridge, Lin Zeyu, as before, turned to press against the wall. The entrance was gone.


    ...


    In the evening.


    The Coastal Lin Family convened an important family meeting.


    Lin Zeyu briefly recounted his experience in Quenching Castle and concluded, "I have established a good rapport with the master of Quenching Castle, which means we now control the channel for weapon quenching.


    "We should utilize this channel, and I hope our family can ramp up the acquisition of quenching materials.


    "Quenching greatly enhances weapon attributes, and the price of quenching materials is going to surge significantly.


    "Furthermore, I learned an even more critical piece of information from the Quenching Master: after reaching a Quenching Level of 3, you can perform Spirit Injection, which has a chance to grant special effect entries.


    "So, in the future, as soon as high-grade Spiritual Injection Materials become available, we should secure them, regardless of the price."


    After hearing this report, the Lin Family head nodded in agreement, "Let''s do it. Zeyu, maintain your relationship with the Quenching Master well. Agree to whatever he asks for."

 Chapter 47 - 47 Skill Fusion

    After finding himself with more funds at his disposal, Lu Heng rented a top-floor apartment at Jinxiu Imperial View for increased convenience.


    The top-floor apartment came with a complimentary terrace garden, which he could use for daily practice of movement techniques and swordsmanship.


    On the terrace of the Jinxiu Imperial View top-floor apartment at night,


    Lu Heng took out the "Sky Eye" Source Material and handed it to Su Muyu,


    "Take a look at this, it should be very suitable for you. It covers both Perception and Summoning attributes, and with multiple skill slots, the potential for dual-class roles is significant.


    "I''m being conscripted the day after tomorrow, and it''s likely to be a Source Material struggle.


    "If you use this, there''s a high chance you''ll be in the same battlefield as me; that would be a lot more convenient.


    Otherwise, you might be conscripted into a Source Material struggle alone, which would be much more dangerous."


    Su Muyu took the pale blue transparent crystal in her hands and examined it, nodding as she said, "I like this one, so I''ll use it?"


    "Go ahead."


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu began to absorb the Source Material of the "Sky Eye."


    As a stream of liquid energy merged into her body, a data prompt appeared.


    ["Sky Eye" Source Material acquired, initiating Source Material Struggle.]


    [Source Fusion Completion: 10%]


    [Source Material is in a free state; once fusion completion reaches 100%, Source Fusion will be completed, granting the First Transition class "Sky Eye."]


    [Temporary Source Material Ability Acquired: Flying Evolution]


    [Flying Evolution: Enhances the owner''s vision, boosts summoned creatures'' abilities, granting them the power of flight and the ability to speak. If the summon is a flying type then its flying capabilities are strengthened.]


    [Acquired the ability "Flying Evolution," "Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk" is now upgraded to "Sky Seeker Falcon."]


    [Sky Seeker Falcon]


    [Skill Effect: Summons a Sky Seeker Falcon for reconnaissance, Detecting Invisibility, and combat in the skies. The Sky Seeker Falcon can carry up to 100kg, allowing the caster to fly with the help of the falcon.]


    [Attribute: Detecting Invisibility Range = 6¡Á Perception; Attack Damage = 3¡Á spiritual power.]


    After finishing reading the data, Su Muyu expressed her surprise, "The attack power is incredibly strong, tripled in fact. If my spiritual power were even higher, this attack power could rival a handgun. Plus, it can carry people while flying."


    Her current spiritual power was 21 points, meaning the Sky Seeker Falcon''s Attack Damage was 3¡Á21=63 points.


    Most superpower users could only withstand two or three hits from the Sky Seeker Falcon.


    Moreover, the major role of the Sky Seeker Falcon wasn''t just attacking, it also had the abilities for reconnaissance, Detecting Invisibility, and flying with a person.


    Especially the flying with a person part, that was a revolutionary capability.


    "Summon it, let''s see the effect," Lu Heng was also eager to see the result.


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded and then raised her hand to summon the Sky Seeker Falcon.


    Before her eyes, energy converged and the Sky Seeker Falcon took form, its wingspan reaching two meters, looking majestic and proud.


    Lu Heng walked up and grabbed the talons of the Sky Seeker Falcon, wanting to test the load-bearing capabilities, "Lift me up to see."


    The Sky Seeker Falcon flapped its wings and Lu Heng felt a force pulling upward on his arm, his body slowly lifting off the ground as he took flight.


    Carrying an adult in flight would significantly reduce its speed.


    However, it was an improvement from nothing to something.


    "The effect is not bad," Lu Heng commented.


    Subsequently, driven by curiosity, Su Muyu also controlled the Sky Seeker Falcon to lift her into the air.


    However, she didn''t dare to fly too high.


    After all, humans couldn''t fly naturally, and suddenly acquiring such an ability gave a surreal sensation that required gradual adjustment.


    After testing, Su Muyu pondered and then asked, "The Source Material is still in a free state, which means there''s a chance I could lose this ability, right?"


    Lu Heng briefly explained, "We''ve only obtained the initial Source Material for our First Transition Class. The total amount isn''t enough, and we need to acquire more Source Material to complete Source Fusion and achieve our Class. Our current abilities are merely temporary, provided by the Source Material."


    After explaining, Lu Heng then asked, "Has the Abyss Battlefield countdown started?"


    Su Muyu glanced at the data panel and nodded, "Yes, it started, with 2 days, 18 hours, 53 minutes, and 34 seconds remaining."


    As she recited the values, Lu Heng stared at the countdown on his own panel. "The countdowns match, just as expected. We will enter the same Source Material competition."


    Su Muyu thought for a moment, then asked, "Does that mean everyone entering the Abyss Battlefield this time has obtained Source Material?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "Right, and at this point in time, those who have obtained Professional Source Material are all backed by powerful supporters."


    Su Muyu subconsciously felt this was good news and smiled faintly, "In that case, the people we encounter should be very strong, and dealing with Demons should be much easier."


    Lu Heng shook his head, correcting her. "No, others might be more dangerous than Demons."


    Su Muyu was startled, then immediately understanding the reason, "Could it be that others can kill us and take the Professional Source Material from our bodies?"


    Lu Heng affirmed with a serious expression, "That''s right. In the Source Material competition, any unclaimed Source Material can become a target for dispute."


    Su Muyu slightly opened her mouth, "Then isn''t this trip to the Abyss Battlefield essentially a civil war among humans?"


    Lu Heng slowly shook his head, "Not necessarily. It depends on who we encounter. As long as the battlefield mode is a Source Material competition, there will inevitably be Source Material in the Abyss World we enter. It''s possible to obtain Source Material without engaging in conflict with other humans, but some may choose the shortcut."


    Su Muyu finally understood why Lu Heng insisted on the two of them entering the Source Material competition together.


    If she were summoned to the Source Material competition alone, even if there were other Superpower Users cooperating with her initially, they might very well turn on her in the end.


    On this extraordinary path, even long-time friends could become enemies, let alone temporary allies.


    ...


    With less than three days left on the countdown, they needed to prepare for entering the Abyss Battlefield.


    Lu Heng first checked all the weapons and equipment that could be brought into the Abyss World.


    Having only experienced one Abyss Battlefield, the equipment that had undergone Law Integration with Abyss Rules was not much.


    Besides the Aurora Blade, there was also a Glock G17.


    But the ammunition was limited, with only 15 rounds left.


    Because the bullets also required Divine Energy to be taken into the Abyss Battlefield, every shot used was one less.


    Su Muyu, on the other hand, had an Energy Crystal Bracelet, and nothing more.


    Before entering the Abyss Battlefield, it was necessary to maximize their combat capabilities as much as possible.


    Lu Heng remembered the Mist Escape Skill Crystal Core he had obtained before.


    This Skill Crystal Core was acquired from an Abyss Fire Stealer, and since Su Muyu already possessed a similar Skill, of course, it was not possible for her to learn it.


    A Skill Core of this quality could sell for millions on the Crystal Core Dark Network easily. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, although it is easy to sell high-quality Crystal Cores, buying them back is difficult.


    Even though Su Muyu did not need to learn this Skill, Divine Evolution could enhance the Skill Level and fuse the same type of Skills to achieve a more powerful Skill Effect.


    "I remember you still have 300 points of Divine Energy," Lu Heng said, as he took out the Mist Escape Skill Crystal Core and spun it like a top on the table.


    "Yes, I have 300 points left."


    Su Muyu had previously used 300 points of Divine Energy on her Energy Crystal Bracelet and another 300 to upgrade her Reconnaissance Hawk, leaving her with 300 points remaining.


    "Absorb the energy from this Mist Escape Skill Core, and I''ll help you unlock the Skill Lock on your Invisibility Veil. Use the Divine Energy to fuse these two Skills together and see if we can combine them into a stronger effect," Lu Heng suggested as he took her hand, guiding her to begin absorbing the energy from the Skill Core.


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded and began to absorb the energy from the Mist Escape Skill Core, channeling it into the Skill Slot for the Invisibility Veil.


    Under normal circumstances, the energy from two Skills could not be placed in the same Skill Slot.


    Forcing it would result in the Skill Slot exploding.


    After Lu Heng unlocked the Skill Lock of the Invisibility Veil, the energy from the Invisibility Veil became unstable, mixing with the energy of the other Skill.


    However, merely mixing the energies together was not enough for a complete fusion; Divine Energy was required to complete the process.


    Su Muyu channeled her Divine Energy into the Skill Slot, where the three energies intertwined and flowed together, slowly integrating and eventually condensing into a stable Energy Group.

 Chapter 48 - 48 Abyss Battlefield: Evil God Resurrection Ceremony

    "Skill fusion completed, evolved into ''Invisible Veil¡¤Escape Shadow''."


    "Invisible Veil¡¤Escape Shadow: Releases energy to cover objects, achieving an optical invisibility effect while isolating odors and infrared sensing. Skill Consumption: 3 points of Source Energy/min. Skill Level: D class."


    "Success, the skill name changed to ''Invisible Veil¡¤Escape Shadow'', and the effect has isolated odors and infrared sensing added, making it much stronger," Su Muyu said, her eyes full of surprise after seeing the evolved skill effect. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Lu Heng possessed the Talent ''Divine Evolution'', not every Skill Set had undergone fusion, so he had initially been unaware of the fusion effect.


    Now hearing that the skill had additional effects of isolating odors and infrared sensing, he was also a bit surprised.


    "The effect is very strong, the fusion went perfectly."


    In fact,


    using ''Divine Evolution'' to fuse skills, the fusion effect is uncertain.


    If one is unlucky, it could even degrade a previously decent Skill Effect.


    Generally speaking, fusing skills of the same type results in a better outcome.


    ...


    In the next two days, Lu Heng focused on training the Step Sword Seven Styles, waiting for the arrival of the Abyss Battlefield.


    Two days passed in a blink of an eye, and it was time for the Abyss Battlefield to open.


    At night.


    Lu Heng practiced the Step Sword Seven Styles one last time.


    "Insights gained from practicing swordsmanship, Sword Technique Proficiency + 1"


    "Sword Skill Realm: In-depth Level (1215/3000)"


    "Physical Constitution improved during training, Strength +0.01, Agility +0.01, Constitution +0.01"


    After finishing training, the sky gradually darkened.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu went to a supermarket, bought some drinks and snacks, sat on the terrace, looked at the city''s night view, and waited for midnight to come.


    Pshh!


    Lu Heng pulled the tab of a beer can, took a sip, and the slightly bitter taste immediately soaked into his taste buds.


    Su Muyu tried a sip, stuck out her tongue, and switched to drinking jasmine tea instead.


    One drinking beer, the other drinking a beverage, they clinked their drinks together.


    Su Muyu leaned her forehead against the bay window glass, looked at the neon lights outside, and broached a topic as they were about to enter the Abyss Battlefield,


    "Lu Heng, have you ever thought about what would happen to our families if we didn''t come back?"


    Actually, Lu Heng had thought about this question, but it was unsolvable.


    Most people''s first thought would definitely be to leave some money for their parents, but in a world where the Abyss Descent happened, leaving too much money might not be useful and could even bring danger.


    Lu Heng looked out the window and said slowly, "All we can do is try our best to survive. If we don''t come back, even if we leave a large sum of money for our family, they wouldn''t be able to hold onto it."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, "That''s what I thought too, so I felt a bit helpless. Aside from trying our best to survive, there''s no other way."


    After a while, she continued, "I thought about helping my mom Awaken before. Awakening can enhance physical fitness and seems to have no side effects. But then I thought it over, and after Awakening, she''d be conscripted into the Abyss Battlefield, which is even more dangerous."


    She concluded, based on current information, that all Superpower Users have a chance of being conscripted.


    Lu Heng flicked her forehead to remind her, "Don''t worry about that, actually, only Combat System Superpower Users are conscripted. If she acquired Life Skills, she could avoid conscription. But, we can''t rush this; it has to be done gradually."


    Su Muyu, hearing there was a way to avoid conscription, immediately cheered up, "So becoming a Life Skills Superpower User won''t get conscripted by the Abyss Battlefield?"


    "To be precise, the Abyss Battlefield only conscripts upper-mid level Superpower Users. By this pattern, there indeed is a way to avoid conscription."


    This issue had been deeply researched by many people in his previous life, and the conscription pattern of the Abyss Battlefield had largely been figured out.


    The Abyss Battlefield claims to conscript randomly, but it''s not entirely random.


    Only higher Combat Power Superpower Users are conscripted, and the lower the Combat Power, the lower the probability of conscription.


    This proportion is roughly split in half.


    Therefore, those who acquired Life Skills, since they generally have low Combat Power, aren''t usually conscripted.


    Of course, if all high Combat Power Superpower Users die in battle, the lower Combat Power Superpower Users will inevitably be conscripted.


    But by that time, civilization would likely be close to collapse.


    ...


    The time had finally reached midnight.


    The countdown had only the last three minutes left.


    Lu Heng took out a Glock handgun and handed it over, "Keep the gun with you. If, after the transport, we don''t appear in the same place, you need to protect yourself until I find you.


    "Don''t take out the handgun lightly. At this time, very few people can bring firearms into the Abyss World. Other Superpower Users who see it will definitely try to steal it."


    "Okay, I understand." Su Muyu nodded, took the Glock, placed it in her palm, and then wrapped it with the energy of the ''Invisibility Veil''.


    Instantly, the handgun became invisible.


    If it were before her awakening, her strength might not have been able to handle the recoil of the handgun.


    However, her strength had already reached 16 points. Despite being a girl, her strength attribute was much higher than that of an average person.


    The countdown ended.


    Su Muyu took Lu Heng''s hand voluntarily, and then her field of vision began to distort bizarrely.


    As their field of vision plunged into a chaotic darkness, teleportation information appeared.


    [Teleporting to Abyss World: Evil God Barton''s Burial Ground]


    [World Introduction: After the death of Evil God Barton, his Demon Servants traveled through various Abyss Worlds to retrieve pieces of his corpse, burying them in the cemetery. After a century of searching, the Demon Servants finally recovered the heart of the Evil God and began collecting Source Material to prepare for the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony.]


    [Danger Level: Level 4]


    [Battlefield Mode: Source Material Scramble]


    [Main Quest]


    [1. Escape the dungeon before the start of the resurrection ceremony.]


    [2. Attack the Demon teams transporting the Source Essence Sacrifice.]


    [3. Survive until the end of the resurrection ceremony.]


    [Challenge Task]


    [1. Find the most important Source Essence Sacrifice and prevent this sacrifice from entering Barton Temple.]


    [2. Complete Source Fusion and obtain a First Transition Class.]


    [3. Destroy the resurrection ceremony, preventing Evil God Barton from returning to the Abyss.]


    [Transport complete, loading universal language of Abyss World.]


    [Evil God Resurrection Ceremony countdown: 7 days...]


    Seeing the name of the Abyss World he was transported to made Lu Heng''s heart skip a beat.


    Because he had heard of this Abyss World''s name in his previous life.


    The "Evil God Barton''s Burial Ground" battlefield had been sensational in his previous life.


    It was a rare 100-person scale battlefield that ended tragically.


    Only a few of the summoned Superpower Users returned alive and spoke about their experiences in the Abyss.


    According to the descriptions of the returnees, they had successfully stopped the resurrection ceremony.


    It was the first time the Human World had come to know of the terrifying existence of Evil Gods in the Abyss.


    However, that was not the entire story.


    Approximately three months after the cessation of the resurrection ceremony, Evil God Barton descended upon Blue Star, destroying the central city of a small equatorial nation.


    According to the descriptions of the returnees, they had received help from an anti-magic tribe of the Abyss World and successfully stopped the resurrection ceremony.


    Yet, three months later, a dreadful event occurred.


    Evil God Barton had descended upon Blue Star, destroying a city.


    This contradicted the descriptions of the returnees.


    As the returnees had claimed, if they had stopped the resurrection ceremony, then why would Evil God Barton resurrect and descend upon Blue Star?


    The few Superpower Users who had returned from the Abyss Battlefield also suffered vengeance from Evil God Barton, all perishing.


    There was no way to verify the truth from them anymore.

 Chapter 49 - 49 Dungeon

    After viewing the data prompt for the Abyss Battlefield, the light gradually returned to my eyes.


    Lu Heng looked around and discovered that he was in a dark, damp dungeon, where the air was filled with the stench of decay.


    There were five people imprisoned in the dungeon, all humans.


    Among them, Lu Heng recognized one person, but it was not Su Muyu.


    Lu Heng stood up and walked to the entrance of the cell, looking out to see if Su Muyu was held in another cell.


    However, his gaze found no trace of Su Muyu.


    This was the worst-case scenario he had envisioned, where the two of them had not been teleported to the same place.


    At that time,


    there was a person beside him who squeezed to the entrance of the cell, peering out.


    Unfortunately, this person was Lin Zeyu, whom he had previously seen at Quenching Castle to have his revolver quenched.


    Lu Heng turned to glance at him, meeting his eyes filled with vigilance and caution.


    Their reactions upon awakening were quite similar: both squeezed their way to the entrance of the cell to look outside.


    Thus, it wasn''t hard to see that he must also be searching for someone.


    Considering Lin Zeyu''s family''s vast wealth, they did not hesitate to exchange Professional Source Material to watch the quenching process.


    With such deep pockets, since he had been conscripted to the Abyss Battlefield, he would definitely hire protectors to enter with him.


    Therefore, he must be searching for the protectors that accompanied him into the Abyss Battlefield.


    After viewing the situation outside the cell, Lin Zeyu turned discreetly and swept a glance at the few people in the cell, initiating a conversation:


    "Hello, everyone, my name is Lin Zeyu, and I''ve come with a team.


    "My few friends have been put in other cells, but we can meet up once we get out.


    "The danger level of this Abyss World is rather high, so I hope we can form an alliance and work together.


    "Firstly, I want to confirm one thing, whether everyone''s missions are the same. Do you all agree?"


    The three people in the cell looked around, and one of them skeptically asked, "If someone''s mission is different, are we going to fight immediately?"


    Lin Zeyu, with a calm demeanor, explained, "Anyone appearing here should have at least been through one Abyss Battlefield, so they should understand that basic trust is very important if we wish to cooperate.


    "If someone doesn''t want to confirm their mission, that''s fine too. They can simply refuse. Of course, if they refuse, there''s no chance to form an alliance."


    Another person agreed, "I agree that cooperation would certainly be a good thing. Besides, there''s nothing in my mission that needs to be kept secret."


    The previously skeptical person asked, "How do you plan to confirm others'' missions? Will everyone have to write them down on paper?"


    Lin Zeyu waved his hand and said, "We don''t need to go through such trouble. There are five of us here. We''ll each read out the content of one mission and then indicate the next person. If that''s okay with everyone, I''ll start."


    He paused for a moment and scanned the circle of people, seeing no objections, began to recite the content of the first main quest: "My first main quest is: to escape from the prison before the Resurrection Ceremony begins. Next, it''s your turn."


    He finished and looked towards Lu Heng who was standing aside.


    This method of establishing basic trust was something Lu Heng had experienced many times; if one had nothing to hide, indeed there was no need for secrecy.


    Moreover, Power Users teleported to the same location were highly likely to have similar missions¡ª


    unless... someone had triggered the Traitor Task.


    Lu Heng recited the content of the second main quest and then indicated the next person.


    In the end, all five people had read out the content of a mission, confirming that everyone''s missions were the same.


    It had to be said, this method for establishing fundamental trust was indeed very effective.


    The five people in the cell slowly lowered their guard and began discussing matters concerning the Abyss Battlefield.


    "This time, the danger level is too high; it''s Level 4, two levels higher than the Abyss Battlefield I experienced last time¡ªit''s quite worrying."


    "Just by reading the world introduction, you can tell this time is dangerous having encountered an Evil God."


    "At least there''s some good news¡ªthe Evil God is dead."


    Lu Heng barely spoke and also noticed that these four did not mention "Source Material."


    The mission of this Abyss Battlefield was a battle for Source Material.


    Yet these four never brought up Source Material, which actually said a lot.


    Listening to their discussion for a while, he didn''t hear any useful information.


    Lu Heng wanted to get out and meet up with Su Muyu quickly¡ªit was very dangerous for her to be alone in the Abyss World.


    "Um... I think we should consider how to leave the dungeon."


    The first main quest was indeed to escape the prison, so they certainly had to get out.


    The reason these people were not in a rush was that there were still seven days before the Resurrection Ceremony, affording plenty of time.


    Of course, they couldn''t stay too long if they wanted to complete the Challenge Task.


    Lin Zeyu continued to organize the discussion: "Since everyone has the same mission, we can form an alliance and cooperate with each other.


    "Before that, let''s share a bit about our individual skills to facilitate cooperation.


    "Let me start again. I am from the Agility system, I have long-range attack capabilities, as well as quite good self-preservation abilities."


    Once someone started, the others gradually reported their information.


    The information shared was quite simple, mainly to assign responsibilities without revealing detailed Skill data. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After summarizing the information, they established the functional composition of this temporary team.


    One from Strength, two from Agility, one from Spiritual, and one from Perception.


    The configuration was very reasonable, enough to form a rather complete team.


    Lu Heng looked at the Perception System Power User named Liu Qichen and said, "Then we''re relying on you to scout the situation outside."


    Liu Qichen nodded and began to report on the situation outside: "This dungeon has four cells, three of which are occupied. I choose the word ''thing'' because one of the cells isn''t holding people; it''s holding monsters.


    "There''s another cell similar to ours with five people locked up.


    "There are Demon Guards at the dungeon entrance, not too high-level, so they should not be difficult to deal with.


    "However, outside the dungeon is a Demon Camp with around seventy to eighty demons. Making a forceful escape might be a bit risky."


    Just then,


    Liu Qichen''s tone shifted, adding, "The people in the next cell are looking to make a move; they have an Invisible Assassin who''s already approaching the dungeon''s entrance."


    At the same moment,


    a flurry of footsteps could be heard from outside the dungeon, clearly indicating an approaching team.


    Lu Heng, hearing this, quickly cautioned, "Something''s not right; tell the people next door to hold off."


    That Invisible Assassin was also very cautious, sensing that something was amiss and quickly returned to the cell.


    Soon after, a Wing Demon Commander flapped its wings down to the entrance of the dungeon, followed by a squad of Demon Servants entering the dungeon.


    The Wing Demon Commander was three meters tall and extremely robust, with curved horns on its head and green flame patterns covering its body, and a pair of bat wings on its back.


    With just one look, Lu Heng recognized that this Wing Demon Commander was a High Rank Demon, Level 20 and above.


    If they had fought just now, roughly half of the ten people in the dungeon would probably have died.


    Dealing with just this Wing Demon Commander was already difficult enough, not to mention the dozens of Demon Servants in the Demon Camp outside¡ªwithout a solid trump card, even self-preservation would be a problem.

 Chapter 50 - 50 Source Essence Sacrifice

    The Winged Demon Commander entered the dungeon, sweeping his gaze over the four cells, and commanded in the Demon Language.


    Although the voice coming from his mouth was obscure and difficult to understand, Lu Heng could comprehend what he meant to convey.


    Not only Lu Heng, but the other people in the dungeon could also understand.


    Because when they were transported into the Abyss World, the data prompt included the addition of the Abyss Common Language.


    And the command that the Winged Demon Commander had just issued was clearly, "Load all the offerings onto the cart, and send them to the Barton Temple."


    The team of Demon Servants entered the dungeon and respectfully saluted the Winged Demon Commander, "As you command, Lord Sagers."


    The Demon Servants opened the doors of the cells, and all ten people from the dungeon were herded out and locked in the prison carts.


    The prison carts were made of an unknown material, emitting a strange heat.


    The carts were pulled by Hell Two-headed Giant Lizards.


    These Giant Lizards were incredibly large; with four claws on the ground, their heads could be raised over two meters high, with bodies six meters long and weighing seven to eight hundred catties.


    The ten people from the dungeon were loaded onto two prison carts.


    The Demon Servants, holding the reins of the Hell Two-headed Giant Lizards, began to lead the way to the Barton Temple.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers did not personally escort the convoy but instead assigned a Winged Demon Wizard to be in charge of the escort.


    On the prison cart, Perceiver Liu Qichen whispered, "Was what that Winged Demon Commander said about transporting offerings?"


    "Yes, we are the offerings," Lin Zeyu pointed to himself and then to the cart in front.


    In fact.


    Lu Heng had deduced even more information.


    One of the main quests in the Abyss Battlefield was:


    "2. Attack the demon team transporting the Source Essence Sacrifices."


    Unfortunately, all ten human Superpower Users on the two prison carts were Source Essence Sacrifices.


    Indeed, this also indirectly confirmed something: the Superpower Users who were conscripted had all obtained Professional Source Material.


    Because all ten people had free state Source Material on them, they were captured by the Demon Servants to be used as Source Material Sacrifices, to be offered to the Evil God Barton.


    "The prison cart has already left the camp. The team of Demon Servants in charge of escorting us is not too difficult to deal with. Let''s say hello to our fellow comrades in the cart ahead and make our move together," the burly Strength Superpower User wanted to act quickly. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes, let''s annihilate them," another person echoed.


    Perceiver Liu Qichen was about to communicate with the Superpower Users in the front cart to discuss acting together.


    Lu Heng frowned and cautioned, "Wait a moment."


    "What are we waiting for? The prison cart has already left the camp. With only these few Demon Servants, are you still afraid?" The Strength Superpower User glanced at Lu Heng with a hint of contempt.


    That''s the problem with temporary teams; everyone has their own ideas, and it''s difficult to achieve unity.


    Everything must be explained clearly.


    Lu Heng had no choice but to spread his hands and explain, "The Winged Demon Commander is not in charge of the escort, so the escort team is indeed not difficult to deal with.


    "However, the Winged Demon Commander''s flying speed is very fast. As soon as a battle breaks out here, he can quickly arrive on the scene.


    "Moreover, that Winged Demon Commander''s level must be over Level 20, he is a High Rank demon.


    "I don''t mind, but if the Winged Demon Commander catches up, I estimate that half of us will die."


    After hearing Lu Heng''s explanation, the others raised their eyebrows, understanding the danger.


    Lin Zeyu picked up the conversation, saying, "Listen to him, let''s wait a bit longer. Tell the friends in the cart ahead to wait as well."


    Strength-based Superpower Users didn''t oppose any further after all, Lu Heng''s reasons were plain and could be understood after a little thought.


    At the current stage,


    the Superpower Users who had been teleported in probably peaked at level 10. Even if someone''s level was unusually high, reaching level 11 would be the limit.


    Facing a level 20 Winged Demon Commander, there was no chance of victory.


    After consulting with the people in the prison cart ahead, Liu Qichen turned and said, "They agree to wait a bit longer. Actually, I think this Abyss Battlefield shouldn''t be too difficult since it''s just a ten-person scale. Everyone has been conscripted before, right? You should know that the number of people scales with the difficulty."


    Lu Heng shook his head, reminding him, "This Abyss Battlefield is not a ten-person scale."


    The few people inside the prison cart, except Lin Zeyu, all showed surprised expressions, "How do you know it''s not a ten-person scale?"


    Lu Heng looked toward Lin Zeyu and smiled, "You should know as well, right?"


    Lin Zeyu was stunned for a moment, he did indeed know that this Abyss Battlefield was not a ten-person scale, so he did not deny it.


    "What do you mean?" the other three didn''t understand.


    Lu Heng continued to explain, "When we were in the dungeon, he said he came in leading a team, you all remember, don''t you?"


    Liu Qichen nodded, "I remember, did he lie then?"


    Lu Heng smiled and continued, "That''s not it. I believe he really did lead a team in. But well¡­


    "Everyone must think that the team he mentioned is in that prison cart ahead, right?


    "In reality, the people he brought with him are not in that prison cart ahead, but somewhere else, am I right?"


    At the end, Lu Heng turned his head to look at Lin Zeyu.


    Lin Zeyu sighed and admitted, "Alright. I didn''t intend to hide it. I really did lead a team in, but I have no idea where they are now.


    "Based on this fact, one can indeed confirm that this Abyss Battlefield is not just ten people in scale, but definitely larger.


    "As for how much larger, I don''t know.


    "According to the information gathered previously about the Abyss Battlefield, the number of participants is generally a multiple of five.


    "There have been battles of 5, 10, 15 people¡­ My intelligence shows that the largest Abyss Battlefield ever encountered had a scale of 20 people.


    "So, I think the scale of this Abyss Battlefield should be more than 20 people."


    Lu Heng shook his head, deciding to add one more word of caution, "You''re still thinking too conservatively. I suggest we expect the number of participants to be much higher, 60, 70, or even 100.


    "After all, this world is the Burial Ground of the Evil God, and our task is to prevent the Resurrection Ceremony of the Evil God.


    "Though the Challenge Task can be ignored, it at least suggests that the task is leading us to prevent the resurrection of the Evil God.


    "Since it''s about stopping the Resurrection Ceremony of the Evil God, it''s not something a dozen or two dozen people can accomplish.


    "Besides, everyone has deliberately avoided mentioning one word from the beginning, the fact this Abyss Battlefield is actually a battle for the Source Material.


    "We all carry Source Material, which is why we''ve become the Source Essence Sacrifice for the resurrection ritual of the Evil God Barton."


    After listening to Lu Heng''s words, the four couldn''t help but feel a tightness in their chests.


    If the scale of this Abyss Battlefield really was 100 people, then the degree of danger was somewhat terrifying.


    Lu Heng observed the expressions of the four and put it bluntly, "Now that we''ve spoken openly, let''s not hide our intentions. The most direct way to obtain Source Material is to attack the Demon Servant convoy transporting the Source Essence Sacrifice. If we fight among ourselves, given the danger level of this Abyss Battlefield, expect a group annihilation."


    Lin Zeyu raised his voice in agreement, "I concur. It''s a Danger Level 4, and with the existence of an Evil God in this world, even dead, it''s enough to cause a group wipe. I hope everyone can form an alliance and work together to try and complete the Challenge Task."


    The other three nodded in agreement as well, but what was really going through their minds remained unknown.


    At times like this, anyone daring to disagree would immediately become a target for all.


    Therefore, the so-called alliance wasn''t all that solid at the moment.


    Lu Heng, eager to find Su Muyu, estimated the time they had left the camp and spoke up, "We are far enough away from the camp, we can make our move now."

 Chapter 51 - 51: One-Sword Instant Kill, Level 12 Winged Demon Wizard

    The Demon Servants responsible for escorting the Source Essence Sacrifice all had strengths around Level 10.


    Among them, the leading Winged Demon Wizard had reached Level 12, capable of unfolding his wings to take flight, releasing Black Witchcraft from midair to attack opponents, making him the most difficult one to deal with among the group of Demon Servants.


    The prison carriage had already left the Demon Camp by ten kilometers; it was time to make a move.


    The Superpower Users on the two prison carriages, after a simple communication, reached a consensus and acted together.


    Boom!


    Two loud explosions followed one after another as the Superpower Users broke out of their cages and launched an attack on the nearest Demon Servants.


    Lu Heng knew very clearly which targets were the most dangerous within this Demon squad, so the moment the cage broke, he instantly activated Gale Step and soared out, stepping on the back of a Two-headed Giant Lizard and lunging at the Winged Demon Wizard.


    The Winged Demon Wizard, upon discovering the sacrificial offerings breaking free from their cages, bellowed angrily, flapping his wings preparing to take flight, while commanding the Demon Servants to prevent the sacrifices from escaping.


    Lu Heng''s Agility had already been raised to 24 points, and his speed was extremely fast. In a straight-line thrust, "Gale Step¡¤Stab" burst forth with double acceleration, instantly shooting his speed up to 50 meters per second.


    The Winged Demon Wizard, leading the team at the front, was only about 20 meters away from the second prison carriage.


    With the speed of Gale Step, Lu Heng needed only a fraction of a second to bridge that distance.


    In the blink of an eye, Lu Heng had thrust forward to the near front of the Winged Demon Wizard, pulling the Aurora Blade out of the void and stabbing forward with a sword that seemed like sudden thunder, swift to the extreme.


    The Winged Demon Wizard had just flapped his wings and risen one meter off the ground when Lu Heng thrust his sword into its abdomen, sinking it to the hilt.


    The energy of the Thunder Weapon erupted simultaneously, causing the Winged Demon Wizard to tremble violently, and then it crashed heavily to the ground from midair.


    The Winged Demon Wizard was high-ranking, and despite being impaled with a sword, it wasn''t dead yet; it struggled to raise its hand, attempting to cast witchcraft in retaliation.


    With one step, Lu Heng crossed over, kicking and snapping its arm, interrupting the cast, then he followed with another sword strike, cutting off its head.


    The Winged Demon Wizard''s body twisted and released Demon Energy, then produced a Demon Crystal Core.


    "Killing Winged Demon Wizard, absorbed 120 points of Demon Energy."


    Lu Heng picked up the Demon Crystal Core, not having the time to inspect it. He looked around and called out loudly, "Everyone, the Wing Demon Commander flies very fast and will arrive at the battlefield within a few minutes, if you''re going to leave, hurry up!"


    The battle here would definitely cause the Wing Demon Commander named Sagers to come for support.


    That Level 20 High Rank Demon, no one could deal with right now. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, this battle couldn''t be delayed; kill a few Demons and then retreat.


    Once the Wing Demon Commander arrived, chasing from the sky, once you were spotted, escape would be impossible.


    Because he needed to find Su Muyu, Lu Heng didn''t plan to act with the squad; after warning them, he began to head towards the west side of the Blade Stone Forest on the main road.


    Lin Zeyu, who was in the same prison carriage, saw Lu Heng kill the Winged Demon Wizard with one sword strike, and his eyes were full of admiration.


    He also didn''t tangle with these Demon Servants any longer, pulling up his legs and chasing in the direction Lu Heng had gone.


    The Perceiver, Liu Qichen, possessed strong observational skills, always paying attention to changes on the battlefield. Seeing both Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu leaving, he quickly followed.


    ...


    After Lu Heng entered the Blade Stone Forest, he slowed his pace and turned around to look at the two men who had followed, asking, "Why are you following me?"


    Lin Zeyu spread his hands and said, "Didn''t we agree on forming an alliance earlier? I think we should advance and retreat together."


    Actually, at the start, he had wanted to be the temporary leader of this team.


    During their time in the Dungeon, he took the initiative in organizing conversation and establishing basic trust, all for this purpose.


    At first, it had some effect, and the others tended to listen to him.


    But when they were truly facing battle, he found out that Lu Heng was the calmest and had the strongest combat power.


    Still, Lu Heng had no intention of following his command.


    Despite this, he still felt that Lu Heng was the most worth allying with, so he had followed.


    For Lin Zeyu, his goal was to stay alive and return to the main world, while incidentally making connections with capable high-level Superpower Users.


    As for competing over Source Material, it was not the most urgent matter.


    There were many ways to obtain Source Material, and the Abyss Battlefield was not the only option; as long as one had enough financial resources, Source Material could also be acquired on Blue Star.


    Of course, the price would be exorbitant.


    Especially after this competition for Source Material had ended, various Superpower User organizations gradually came to understand the importance of Source Material.


    The price of Source Material appearing on Blue Star would surge tenfold, even a hundredfold.


    Lu Heng observed Lin Zeyu with a discerning gaze and directly pierced through his thoughts, "You want to follow me temporarily until you find your team, right?"


    Lin Zeyu revealed a smile and said heartily, "Aren''t you also looking for someone? We can stick together."


    When they were in the Dungeon, the first reaction for both of them upon opening their eyes was to go to the cell door and look outside.


    Lu Heng could guess that Lin Zeyu was looking for someone, and naturally, Lin Zeyu could guess as well.


    Lin Zeyu scratched his forehead with his index finger and continued, "Moreover, the team I brought in is guaranteed in their loyalty. You only need to form an alliance with me, which is like allying with three people. You won''t have to worry about any unnecessary scheming."


    Indeed, that was the case.


    In the case of other teams, Lu Heng would have to be cautious of every member.


    Forming an alliance with Lin Zeyu, it was only necessary to be certain of his stance.


    Moreover, Lin Zeyu had gone to Quenching Castle for Weapon Quenching, so Lu Heng knew his real-world identity.


    Conversely, Lin Zeyu did not recognize Lu Heng.


    After all, in his mind, the person who had Quenched his Silver Python Revolver at Quenching Castle was the unfathomable "Grandmaster of Quenching."


    No matter how much his mind wandered, he could never connect that "Grandmaster of Quenching" with the young man before him.


    Lu Heng smiled, extended his hand palm up in front of him, and said loudly, "Alright then, let''s form an alliance."


    Lin Zeyu also stretched out his hand and slapped it against Lu Heng''s palm, then gripped it firmly.


    Liu Qichen joined in at the right time, "Me too, I''ll follow both big brothers."


    He was a Perceiver, relatively weaker in combat, and definitely needed to hitch a ride with the strong.


    Having a Perceiver along made searching for people more convenient.


    Therefore, neither Lu Heng nor Lin Zeyu opposed his joining.


    The three formed a temporary team and continued to delve deeper into Blade Stone Forest.


    Along the way, Lu Heng worked hard to recall all information related to Evil God Barton''s Burial Ground.


    Since he had not personally experienced the Abyss Battlefield in his previous life, all the information in his memory came from news reports.


    Among them, the contents regarding the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony mainly came from the testimonies of Returnees.


    According to the descriptions of Returnees who had been to Evil God Barton''s Burial Ground, they had thwarted the Evil God Barton''s Resurrection Ceremony.


    If they had stopped the ceremony, then why did Evil God Barton descend on Blue Star three months later?


    This mystery remained unsolved.


    This time, Lu Heng had become the butterfly flapping its wings, unsure what kind of ripple effects he would bring to this Evil God Resurrection Ceremony.


    The trio had not been in Blade Stone Forest for long when a roar from the Wing Demon Commander pierced the heavens from the direction of the prison cart, a sound so terrifying it was unbearable.


    Liu Qichen''s expression tensed as he said, "The Wing Demon Commander has appeared, that''s too fast, only a bit over six minutes."


    The prison cart had traveled over ten kilometers away from the Demon Camp, and Lu Heng had originally thought that such a distance should have held them off for about ten minutes, but the Wing Demon Commander was faster than expected.


    Fortunately, Lu Heng had warned the other Superpower Users who didn''t dare to linger, and they had all retreated before the Wing Demon Commander arrived.


    It was unknown, however, whether anyone had been caught by the Wing Demon Commander''s pursuit.

 Chapter 52 - 52: Level Up, Enhanced Talent Effects

    The trio delved deeper into the Blade Stone Forest.


    Upon confirming there were no pursuers behind them, Lu Heng stopped and began to gather branches and other combustibles from the surroundings, ready to start a fire.


    He carried back a pile of firewood, feeling it wasn''t enough, and prepared to go find more.


    At that moment, Lin Zeyu returned, carrying a bundle of dead branches, which he added to Lu Heng''s pile.


    Lu Heng glanced at him and reminded, "I''m not lighting a fire to keep warm."


    Lin Zeyu nodded, "I know."


    Hearing him say this, Lu Heng asked curiously, "Is this also the signal for assembling your team?"


    Lin Zeyu didn''t conceal anything, spreading his hands as he replied, "Otherwise, there''s no other good method, and it''s not like I can afford to spend Divine Energy on bringing signal flares, especially since one might not even suffice."


    The goals of the two matched perfectly, both aiming to light a fire and send up a smoke signal to assemble their teams.


    On Blue Star, methods of contact were convenient; a phone call would do the trick.


    But in the Abyss World, absent an information network, they had to revert to the most primitive ways of message transmission, like signal fires and smoke signals.


    Of course, igniting a smoke signal carried certain risks.


    It might attract the Demon Servants.


    Lu Heng didn''t need to worry about this, so as long as Su Muyu saw the smoke signal, she would naturally send a reconnaissance hawk over.


    The bonfire was lit, forming a column of smoke drifting towards the sky.


    After raising the smoke signal, the three continued to move forward, with Lin Zeyu stacking stones as markers at intervals.


    After walking for a little over an hour, Liu Qichen suddenly spoke up to caution, "Someone is catching up from behind."


    At that moment, a whistle sounded from behind.


    Lin Zeyu''s face immediately revealed surprise, saying, "Don''t worry, it''s my people."


    No sooner had he finished speaking when two people sprinted over, arriving in front of Lin Zeyu, gasping for air, "We finally found you." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both of them were around thirty years old, with appearances that suggested professional training or possibly even a military background.


    After brief introductions, the five formed an ad hoc team.


    Among Lin Zeyu''s two team members, one was an Invisible Reconnaissance Soldier named Wang Xiangfeng.


    The other was a Strength warrior named Li Dayong.


    The capabilities of the five people complemented each other well, making the temporary team''s configuration quite reasonable.


    While Lin Zeyu had found the person he was looking for, Lu Heng hadn''t.


    After such a long wait, he had neither seen Su Muyu nor spotted a reconnaissance hawk in the sky.


    The situation was worse than anticipated.


    Lu Heng had also inquired with Lin Zeyu''s two subordinates, but they hadn''t seen Su Muyu either.


    He could only hope that Su Muyu was too far away to have seen the smoke signal, rather than something having gone wrong.


    ...


    Lu Heng now needed a map to analyze Su Muyu''s potential location and incidentally find the high-level resource spots he remembered.


    "We need a map now, otherwise we won''t even know where we are."


    Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement, "Indeed, a map is necessary."


    The Invisible Reconnaissance Soldier Wang Xiangfeng took out a beastskin map and handed it to Lu Heng, saying, "When we came over, we discovered a Demon Servant camp. There was a bit of turmoil in the camp, and I managed to sneak in and find this map."


    Coming from a military background, he was well aware of how important a map was, which is why he looked for one while searching for Lin Zeyu.


    Lu Heng took the map, found a place to sit, and started to examine it.


    The map centered around the Evil God''s Temple and depicted the topography of the surrounding areas.


    First, Lu Heng determined their current location¡ªit was fifty kilometers south of Barton Temple, at the Blade Stone Forest.


    Then, he memorized the locations of several important places on the map.


    After studying it, Lu Heng discovered that on the mountain to the west of the Blade Stone Forest, there was a crucial Demon Camp.


    According to his memories from the previous life, this Demon Camp contained a very important item, a key item for the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony.


    This item would be transported to Barton Temple before the Resurrection Ceremony, but he wasn''t sure if it was still in the camp at the moment.


    Lu Heng wanted to see if the item was still there, so after discussing with Lin Zeyu, he led the team through the Blade Stone Forest, reaching the mid-mountain of the southern peak.


    Indeed, a Demon Camp was built on the mountainside, with robust construction that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.


    "There are sixteen Demon Servants in the camp," Liu Qichen counted the number of Demons in the camp.


    "Only sixteen? That seems too few." Lu Heng felt that a camp of this scale should not have so few Demon Guards.


    "We passed by here earlier and found there was a commotion. We wanted to see what happened, but when we saw the smoke signal, we went to regroup first. It''s possible this camp was ambushed by a team of Superpower Users." Wang Xiangfeng briefly explained.


    "If it''s this many, just kill them all," Lu Heng suggested.


    "This... isn''t that a bit dangerous? Sixteen demon servants; even if we can beat them, it''d be very troublesome if we got hurt. Getting injured in the Abyss World is a dangerous thing," Wang Xiangfeng was very cautious.


    Lin Zeyu had previously seen Lu Heng''s skill in killing only the winged demon sorcerer, and he patted Wang Xiangfeng on the shoulder, agreeing, "Okay, let''s all listen to him."


    "Alright then. I''ll go in first to prepare. You guys move in after the fire starts," said Wang Xiangfeng as he entered an invisible state and slipped into the demon camp.


    A few minutes later, fires broke out all around the demon camp.


    More than a dozen demon servants roared and charged out, trying to extinguish the flames.


    Li Dayong rushed forward, took off the camp gate''s plank to use as a shield, and knocked the leading demon servant into the air, then swung his great axe and chopped fiercely.


    He actually didn''t want to engage at first, considering there were only five people, and among those five, there was a perceiver.


    Facing sixteen demon servants put them under pressure.


    Just as he felt the pressure increase, Lu Heng dashed forward, leapt with one foot on the surrounding wall, flipped over into the camp, drew the Aurora Blade from the void, and executed a Sword Draw Slash, chopping off a demon servant''s head.


    Immediately after, he slid forward, executed the Step Sword Seven Styles'' "Zhenyue Style" with a chop, splitting the second demon servant in two.


    At that moment, a demon servant stealthily climbed onto the roof of a stone house and leapt down from behind, attempting a sneak attack with a vicious swing of its nail hammer aiming for the back of Lu Heng''s head.


    Lu Heng turned around, using his sword to block the nail hammer, then extended his left hand to grab the demon servant''s neck, activating the skill "Thunder Weapon."


    Raging currents burst out from his palm, coursing through the entire body of the demon servant.


    Lu Heng thrust it into the ground with force, and the explosion of thunder and lightning obliterated it.


    In the blink of an eye, a triple kill.


    Three prompts appeared consecutively:


    "Killed demon servant, absorbed 80 points of demon energy."


    Just at that moment.


    A winged demon sorcerer launched a remote sneak attack from inside a stone house, sending a black witchcraft energy wave at Lu Heng.


    "Be careful!"


    Lin Zeyu shot a demon''s head off, then saw the energy wave of black witchcraft coming from the winged demon sorcerer and quickly shouted a warning.


    Lu Heng had already noticed it, and at the instant the energy wave was launched, he performed a micro-level body technique, leaping onto the roof of the stone house and dodging the black witchcraft energy wave.


    While dodging, he swung his sword horizontally, slaying a demon that was lying on the roof, ready to launch a sneak attack.


    The winged demon sorcerer hunkered down in the stone house, continuing to wave its bone wand, attacking the few people who had entered the camp with black witchcraft.


    Li Dayong used the gate plank to block a burst of black witchcraft, blasting a large hole in the plank.


    With a loud roar, he spun his axe, ready to charge into the stone house to kill the winged demon sorcerer.


    Lu Heng furrowed his brow and quickly warned, "Don''t go, it''s a trap!"


    Li Dayong''s expression turned serious, and he quickly changed direction, pouncing on another demon servant.


    Lu Heng wasn''t actually aware of a trap in the stone house; he made the judgment based on experience.


    Winged demon sorcerers could fly and would generally attack targets from the air, but this particular one hid inside the stone house, clearly indicating a problem inside.


    Lin Zeyu blew off a second demon''s head, then turned and fired a shot at the stone house.


    Bang!


    The winged demon sorcerer in the stone house dodged to the side, avoiding the line of fire, and sent out continuous waves of black witchcraft, suppressing Lin Zeyu and the others as they looked for cover.


    After killing the fourth demon servant, Lu Heng conveniently released a Shadow Clone.


    The Shadow Clone flipped through the air, leaping down from the roof, and plunged into the stone house with its sword.


    As soon as it entered the stone house, a witchcraft trap rose from the floor, extending dozens of dark thorns that ensnared the Shadow Clone.


    The winged demon sorcerer let out a cackling and vicious howl, blasting a wave of black witchcraft energy that exploded the Shadow Clone.


    The moment the Shadow Clone burst, Lu Heng used the Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal," passing through the rear wall and entering the stone house, thrusting his sword with the "Cloud Piercing Style" straight at the winged demon sorcerer''s back.


    The winged demon sorcerer sensed someone behind it, shuddered in shock, and instantly turned around, raising its bone wand to block.


    Lu Heng lifted the edge of his sword half an inch, sliding past the bone wand, and plunged the sword into the chest of the winged demon sorcerer.


    The power of thunder and lightning burst forth, reducing the winged demon sorcerer to ashes.


    "Killed winged demon sorcerer, absorbed 120 points of demon energy."


    "Demon energy enhanced the energy level; source energy level raised to 11, all attributes +2, agility attribute receives an additional +0.6."


    From source energy level 1 to 10, each level up adds +1 to all attributes.


    Level 10 is a watershed; from then on, each level gained adds +2 to all attributes. "Agile as a Dragon" brought increased agility, rising from +0.3 per level to +0.6 per level.


    The effect of "Agile as a Dragon" would improve with higher levels, which was why this talent became stronger in the later stages.


    As a result, Lu Heng''s five-dimensional attributes reached: Strength 21, Agility 27, Constitution 21, Spirit 22, Perception 21.


    With all attributes breaking through 20 points, his combat power surged, and Lu Heng activated the Unrivaled Mode, pursuing and slaying demon servants throughout the camp.

 Chapter 53 - 53: The Evil God Wearing Ring, The Secret of the Traitor Task

    The battle was exhilarating.


    After clearing the camp of Demon Servants, Lu Heng''s level had risen to Level 11, 36%.


    To level up so quickly after reaching Level 10, the demons in this camp must have been especially substantial.


    During the battle, Lin Zeyu had been observing Lu Heng.


    It was his first time seeing a human exhibit such fluid and all-conquering swordsmanship and movement technique on the battlefield.


    After the Abyss Descent, though Superpower Users did indeed gain extraordinary powers, these were mainly reflected in their Source Energy Skills.


    At this point in time, no one else had honed their movement technique and swordsmanship to an in-depth level quite like Lu Heng had.


    ...


    After the battle, Lu Heng had taken the map from Wang Xiangfeng and checked the location of this camp once again.


    From his memory, it was in this Skull Shattering camp that an item of great importance was to be transported to the Barton Temple before the start of the Resurrection Ceremony.


    This item was crucial to the resurrection ritual of the Evil God Barton. He just didn''t know if it was still in the camp.


    If the item was still here, it should be in the stone hut of the Winged Demon Wizard.


    The Winged Demon Wizard had been hiding inside the stone hut, refusing to come out, even forgoing the advantage of flight to guard the hut.


    Besides the Immobilization Traps inside the stone hut, there must be another important reason for its guard¡ªprotecting that item.


    Lu Heng walked back into the stone hut and in a niche in the wall, found an exquisitely carved box.


    Opening the box, inside was a skull-shaped ring.


    [Barton''s Ring]


    [Item Level: A-Level]


    [Specifications: Diameter 20mm, Weight 20g]


    [Attribute: Spiritual +8]


    [Special Effect: Spirit Shock]


    [Spirit Shock: Attacks carry an additional 8 points of Spiritual Damage and reduce the target''s Spiritual Attribute by 8 points.]


    [Introduction: Barton''s Wearing Ring, filled with powerful Divine Energy, may cause mental distortion in those of weak will when worn.]


    The moment he touched the ring, a quest notification appeared before his eyes:


    [Hidden Quest Triggered: Barton''s Ring]


    [Content: You''ve discovered a ring filled with Divinity. Wear the ring, heed the divine edicts, and become a follower of the god.]


    [Reward: Receive the Divine Power bestowed by Barton.]


    Upon reading the contents of the hidden quest, Lu Heng couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    This hidden quest was... too horrifying.


    From the content of the hidden quest, anyone who took on this quest could soar immediately.


    The reward was "Receive the Divine Power bestowed by Barton," akin to ascending to heaven in broad daylight.


    Plus, the difficulty of completing this quest was... ridiculously low.


    One only needed to wear the ring. It was practically being given away.


    Anyone else might have put on the ring without hesitation.


    But Lu Heng already knew what this ring was, and by looking at the content and rewards of the quest, he could deduce there was a problem with this quest.


    The quest was too easy to complete, and the reward was unreasonably good.


    It was clear that there was something off about this hidden quest.


    Others might not know what this hidden quest represented.


    However, Lu Heng had personally experienced such hidden quests, which were in fact a type of "Traitor Task."


    By comparing this hidden quest with the main quest of the Abyss Battlefield, the discrepancy became evident.


    Humans summoned to the Abyss Battlefield could all see the main quest upon arrival.


    Anyone who read the main quest carefully enough would reach one conclusion: the main quest was guiding humans to confront the Abyss World.


    Whether it was this Abyss Battlefield or the previous one, the main quest always involved confronting the Abyss World.


    What kind of quest could be considered a "Traitor Task"?


    There was only one answer: all tasks that go against the goal of "confronting the Abyss" are classified as "Traitor Tasks."


    Moreover, the rewards from completing "Traitor Tasks" aren''t settled along with the main quest at the end of the battlefield.


    Typically, they are received immediately upon completion.


    In his past life, someone had summarized the pattern of "Traitor Tasks" and analyzed a possibility: "Traitor Tasks" were most likely issued by the Abyss.


    Even more terrifying was a distinctive feature of the "Traitor Tasks"; the rewards were extremely generous, often several times that of the main quest.


    This tempted many superpower users, who found it difficult to resist and ultimately chose to walk toward the Abyss.


    Some superpower users felt that, after completing the "Traitor" task and receiving the reward, they would remain steadfast in their original intentions.


    However, those who played such mind games could never turn back.


    Because the enhancement of strength is endless.


    Just as Lu Heng was examining the ring, Lin Zeyu walked in and asked, "What did you find?"


    Lu Heng flipped his palm, stored Barton''s Ring in his item inventory, and then raised the Crystal Core the Winged Demon Wizard had dropped, replying, "I got a Skill Crystal Core."


    This battle yielded a total of two Demon Crystal Cores.


    The one Lu Heng obtained was the one extracted by the Winged Demon Wizard.


    The other, a standard Crystal Core, was picked up by Li Dayong and given to Lin Zeyu.


    Hearing it was a Skill Crystal Core, Lin Zeyu continued to inquire, "What skill is it?"


    Lu Heng had just checked its properties and replied, "The Skill Crystal Core, Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap."


    "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap: Sets a trap around the caster, immobilizing any target that steps into it with black witchcraft. Skill consumption: 20 points of Source Energy. Skill Level: D."


    Moreover, Lu Heng had two "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap" Crystal Cores, as the Winged Demon Wizard he had killed when escaping from the prison cart had also dropped this type of core.


    "Selling it?" Lin Zeyu asked directly.


    "What will you pay with?" Lu Heng asked curiously.


    "Anything works, cash, bank transfer, or trade with other crystal cores, as long as it''s of equivalent value, you can name whatever you want. Of course, it would have to be after we return," Lin Zeyu tried to display his sincerity.


    Lu Heng asked curiously, "You haven''t filled all your Skill Slots yet?"


    Lin Zeyu nodded and replied, "Right, I still have one Skill Slot empty. I want a defensive control skill, and this Black Witchcraft Trap suits me well."


    In fact, his family had purchased a suitable skill for him, which he had absorbed, but he''d been rather unlucky lately; despite absorbing the crystal core, he didn''t acquire the skill.


    He had just witnessed the Black Witchcraft Trap in the stone house being triggered, and Lu Heng''s Shadow Clone was immediately ensnared by the Dark Thorns, unable to move.


    He was quite satisfied with the effect of this skill, hence his desire to buy it.


    If it were someone else, Lu Heng might have worried about them reneging on the deal, but there was no need with Lin Zeyu.


    To witness the quenching process, an heir who could offer Professional Source Material in trade wouldn''t stiff him, he deemed.


    Of course, if Lin Zeyu died on the Abyss Battlefield, that would be quite troublesome.


    Moreover, the challenge of this Abyss Battlefield was substantial; it was better to prioritize trading for items that could enhance combat prowess.


    Lu Heng was aware that there was a Quenching Furnace on this battlefield, so he asked, "Do you have any quenching materials?"


    Lin Zeyu indeed had some, as the Lin Family had been aggressively buying quenching materials recently.


    He had planned to go to Quenching Castle after returning to continue the Weapon Quenching process.


    Using them to trade for a Skill Crystal Core now seemed fine.


    According to the current market dynamics, quenching materials were priced much higher than Skill Crystal Cores.


    Nonetheless, acquiring a skill suited to one''s learning and gaining an ability that could immediately enhance combat power on the Abyss Battlefield¡ªpaying a higher price was still worth it.


    Lin Zeyu took out a piece of Quenching Essence and said, "I have one, want to trade?"


    "Sure."


    In this trade, Lin Zeyu didn''t lose out, and Lu Heng made a killing; it was a win-win.


    After obtaining the "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap" Crystal Core, Lin Zeyu immediately crushed and absorbed the energy of the core.


    A moment later, his eyes bulged, and he blurted out a curse, "Fuck! Failed again."


    Lu Heng had already turned to walk away, but hearing the curse, he looked back with a sympathetic gaze.


    Absorbing the energy of a crystal core isn''t always a guarantee of learning the skill.


    There were many factors that influenced the likelihood, such as comprehension, energy adaptation capability, and skill compatibility.


    Of course, the most important was one''s luck.


    Lin Zeyu vigorously ruffled his hair, somewhat annoyed. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the main world, wasting a crystal core wouldn''t be a big deal for him.


    But this was the Abyss Battlefield, where one more skill meant a greater chance of survival, transforming it into a matter of life and death.


    Lu Heng looked back at this unlucky guy as if possessed by the God of Misfortune, took out the second "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap" Crystal Core, and asked, "I have another one, still want it?"


    "I want it! I don''t believe this bad luck," Lin Zeyu said.


    Now a bit obsessed, he didn''t care about the details any longer. He handed the second piece of Quenching Essence to Lu Heng, took the second "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap" Crystal Core, and crushed it to absorb.


    A few minutes later, he finally let out a long breath, "Finally succeeded."


    At that moment, he felt utterly drained, as if he had entered a sage''s moment.


    And because the skill was so hard-earned, it became all the more precious to him.


    ...

 Chapter 54 - 54: A Shortcut to Compete for Source Material (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

    After clearing the Demon Camp, Liu Qichen suddenly cried out, "Something''s wrong, come quickly!"


    Everyone, looking puzzled, ran towards Liu Qichen''s direction.


    At that moment, Liu Qichen was standing at the entrance of the dungeon, pointing inside with a look of panic on his face.


    Lu Heng saw the scene inside the dungeon, and his expression instantly stiffened.


    Because there were many bodies inside the dungeon, and they were human corpses.


    Lu Heng walked into the dungeon, his gaze sweeping over these bodies, his expression gradually becoming solemn.


    "How did this happen? These people should be like us, Superpower Users who were conscripted. How did they all die? Were they killed by Demons?" Lin Zeyu''s face showed confusion.


    Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong squatted down to check the bodies, reporting the situation, "There''s still residual body heat, they died less than an hour ago."


    "Looking at the wounds on the bodies, they were killed with fighting techniques, three had their necks twisted, two had their chests caved in, the methods were quite brutal," Li Dayong added.


    "Was this done by demons?" Liu Qichen''s face was full of doubt.


    Lu Heng shook his head, his tone solemn, "Not by demons, but killed by their own kind."


    "What?" The others all showed stunned expressions.


    "To the demons, we are sacrifices, meant to be taken to the Barton Temple. They wouldn''t just kill us like this."


    Lu Heng continued, counting the bodies, "There are exactly nine bodies here; judging from our previous situation when we were detained in the dungeon, there should have been ten people here.


    "One has killed the other nine.


    "As to why... I think you might have already guessed the reason.


    "The competition for Source Essence, this person took the Source Essence from these nine, and must have achieved a First Transition Class."


    According to the Source Essence competition rules, the starting Source Quality Fusion is 10%.


    This actually means that each Source Essence owner has 10% Source Essence, and the Source Essence of ten people together adds up to exactly 100%.


    The number of Superpower Users detained in the dungeon is very subtly, exactly ten.


    This means that if one person killed the other nine and took all their Source Essence, they could achieve 100% Source Fusion Degree, gaining a First Transition Class.


    Lu Heng had known from the start about this shortcut to complete the Source Essence competition but had chosen not to take it.


    Moreover, killing all the other Superpower Users would result in not having enough manpower to stop the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony.


    Once the Evil God Barton resurrects, everyone is doomed.


    Thus, in the Source Essence competition, killing your own kind to take their Source Essence seems like a shortcut but is actually another path to death.


    ...


    Having discovered the nine dead Superpower Users in the Demon Camp, Lu Heng became even more worried about Su Muyu''s safety.


    This round of the Abyss Battlefield had indeed seen such ruthlessly methodical Superpower Users.


    Moreover, this person had completed the Source Fusion, obtained a First Transition Class, and became even more dangerous.


    Lu Heng went up to the top of the camp mountain and lit the signal fire again, hoping Su Muyu could see it this time.


    The last time he lit the signal fire, it was in a low-lying area; if there were mountains blocking, it really might not be visible.


    After lighting the signal fire, Lu Heng stood on the mountain peak, pulling out the leather map to check.


    Just then,


    A piercing eagle screech came from the direction of Ankalie Mountain.


    Lu Heng quickly looked up and saw a Sky Falcon in the distant sky.


    Although it was a bit far, Lu Heng immediately recognized it as Su Muyu''s reconnaissance falcon.


    The reconnaissance falcon soared into the sky, circled once, but did not fly in this direction; instead, it immediately dove downward.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng furrowed his brows, activated Gale Step, and rushed towards Ankalie Mountain.


    "Where are you going?" Lin Zeyu, seeing Lu Heng suddenly running so fast, yelled out.


    "To rescue someone," Lu Heng replied without turning his head, directly charging in the direction of the reconnaissance falcon.


    Since the reconnaissance falcon had appeared, with Su Muyu''s Perception, she would definitely be able to see the signal fire.


    If it were safe, she would definitely send a scout eagle to guide the way.


    But just now, the scout eagle circled in the sky and then dove down.


    There was only one possibility: a battle was raging there, and she had no time to send the scout eagle.


    Lu Heng sprinted at full speed, reaching a velocity of 36 meters per second, with a speed exceeding 120 kilometers per hour, comparable to a racing car in full throttle.


    Lin Zeyu hurriedly signaled the other three to follow, but in the blink of an eye, he had lost sight of them. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is this a speed that a human can achieve?" Lin Zeyu panted, watching Lu Heng''s figure disappear at the horizon, his cheeks twitching continuously.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile.


    In the Stone Forest at the foot of Ankalie Mountain, two girls were fighting demons.


    One of them was Su Muyu.


    The other looked a bit odd, only about 1.2 meters tall with slightly blue skin and pointed ears, not a human, but a member of an anti-demon tribe from the Abyss World.


    There was a book in the library of Quenching Castle that recorded the Abyss tribes, mentioning this group called the Bansel people.


    The average height of the Bansel people is just over one meter, so this girl''s height was normal.


    At this moment, the Bansel tribe girl, brandishing a huge hammer, attacked the approaching demons while shouting in the common language of the Abyss, "Come on! You minions of the Evil God!"


    Su Muyu, on the other hand, picked up a shield and a wooden stick to block attacks while controlling the scout eagle to dive at the demons.


    When they were teleported to the Abyss Battlefield.


    Su Muyu appeared in a different location from the others, not locked up with other Superpower Users, but with this girl from the Bansel Tribe.


    Using their invisibility, they had escaped together, but were chased by Demon Servants and when they reached the foot of Ankalie Mountain, their invisibility was compromised, and they were forced to face the battle.


    This Bansel Tribe girl was very brave and had strong combat abilities, wielding the great hammer so fiercely that the demons hesitated to approach.


    Su Muyu belonged to the "Prism Tower Shield" class, covering for her by blocking the energy waves of Black Witchcraft cast by the Winged Demon Wizard, while continuously controlling the scout eagle to entangle the wizard, preventing it from casting spells.


    However, the number of demons around was quite large and continuing like this, the two could not hold on much longer.


    Fortunately, the Demon Servants treated them as Source Essence Sacrifice and didn''t strike to kill; otherwise the situation would have been worse.


    The scout eagle entangled the Winged Demon Wizard for a few minutes before it was destroyed by an energy wave.


    Free from distraction, the Winged Demon Wizard cast spells to attack the two again.


    Just then.


    Lu Heng descended like a divine soldier, leaping from the cliff, drew the Aurora Blade, and slashed a swirling sword light, which entered the belly of the Winged Demon Wizard, cutting it in two.


    With the death of the Winged Demon Wizard, the other Demon Servants scattered in disarray.


    "Come on! Come on!" the Bansel Warrior girl still shouted while swinging her hammer, her demeanor showing she was still eager to fight.


    Lu Heng, seeing the 1.2-meter-tall Bansel warrior girl, was slightly surprised.


    The Abyss World wasn''t just inhabited by demons; it had a very diverse range of creatures.


    Like the Abyss Black Iron Dwarves and the Bansel people, both humanoid creatures with high intelligence.


    According to the information Lu Heng knew before his rebirth, near Ankalie Mountain indeed lived a non-demon tribe called the Bansel people.


    In the library of Quenching Castle, there was an ancient book that mentioned the Bansel people.


    This tribe, centuries ago, had some dealings with the Abyss Black Iron Dwarves.


    According to the ancient texts, the Black Iron Dwarves were skilled in Forging and Quenching, and the Bansel people had once learned these techniques from them.


    Later, as the Abyss devoured their world, both tribes were forced to migrate, their civilizations coming close to extinction several times.


    This time on the Abyss Battlefield, preventing the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony, this Bansel tribe was crucial.


    A moment''s thought was enough to realize that the Bansel Tribe, having settled here, showed they had the strength to resist the Evil God''s Servants.


    Hence, to stop the Resurrection Ceremony, it was necessary to build a good relationship with this Bansel Tribe.


    After repelling the demons, the Bansel tribe''s warrior girl extended her hand and high-fived Su Muyu, celebrating their victory, "You are a brave warrior, we could definitely become best friends."


    Seeing this scene, a smile couldn''t help but appear on Lu Heng''s face.


    Clearly, Su Muyu had already succeeded in building good relations with the Bansel Tribe.

 Chapter 55 - 55 Level Up Again, Gained Source Material

    "Hello, my name is Mia, thank you for saving us." The Bansel Clan girl quickly hid the large sledgehammer behind her back and waved hello to Lu Heng.


    "Hello, my name is Lu Heng."


    Lu Heng waved back and then cast a concerned look toward Su Muyu.


    In front of an alien race girl, it was inconvenient for the two of them to whisper.


    Su Muyu smiled sweetly, her clear eyes returning a reassuring gaze, as if to say, "I''m fine, don''t worry."


    Mia, noticing the exchange of glances between the two, showed an expression of understanding and spread her hands, "Okay, so you know each other. But still, thank you."


    Lu Heng went straight to the point, "We are here to fight against demons, could you take me to see your leader?"


    "What''s so great about that old man?" Mia grimaced, apparently miffed.


    Speaking in such an impolite manner, she clearly had an unusual relationship with the tribal leader; they must be father and daughter.


    "There are very important matters to discuss with your leader," Lu Heng continued to persuade her to take them back to meet the tribal chief.


    "But I can''t go back right now," Mia said with a troubled expression.


    "Why?"


    "I have very important matters to attend to on this trip," Mia rubbed her chin, pondering.


    "What matters? Perhaps we can help," Lu Heng guessed it probably had to do with the Evil God''s Resurrection Ceremony.


    "I''ve received intelligence that a very important Evil God Sacrifice is being transported to Barton Temple. I came out to intercept this sacrifice," Mia said with utmost seriousness.


    Lu Heng saw her alone, obviously having run away from the tribal chief, no wonder she was unwilling to go back.


    "Why don''t you work with your tribal leader?"


    "That old man won''t let me participate in the battle; he wants to lock me up. Brave warriors shouldn''t be caged," Mia said firmly, raising her fist.


    "In that case, we can help you."


    "The sacrifice I''m going to intercept is a terrible object filled with evil; it''s extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to help?"


    "Of course, we''ll act together," Lu Heng and Su Muyu answered in unison.


    The main quest was to intercept the Source Essence Sacrifice, and this was also a major way to obtain Source Essence.


    This girl from the Bansel Clan could very well be the daughter of their tribal chief; establishing a friendship with her would make an alliance with the Bansel Tribe much simpler.


    Moreover, according to Mia''s description, the sacrifice was likely that terrible object he remembered.


    ...


    After Lin Zeyu and his party of four caught up, with brief introductions, seven people formed a temporary team, marching toward the mountain path on the west side of Ankalie Mountain.


    To the north of Ankalie Mountain stood a temple filled with a mysterious aura, looming within the clouds, now hidden, now visible.


    That was the Burial Ground of Evil God Barton, the worship place of the Evil God''s Servants.


    At this moment, on the mountain path to the west side of Ankalie Mountain, a team of Demon Servants hurried toward Barton Temple.


    However, the team of demons wasn''t escorting a prison cart, traveling light, not looking like they were transporting a sacrifice.


    After seeing Barton Temple, the devout Winged Demon Wizard would kneel after every distance traveled, praying earnestly.


    Only when he heard the reply from his deity would he get up and continue leading the team. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ...


    With a reconnaissance eagle observing from the sky, Su Muyu spotted the demon team from afar.


    Lu Heng marked a narrow part of the mountain pass on the map for an ambush.


    The group arrived at the mountain pass beforehand, lying in wait for the arrival of the demon team.


    As they neared the entrance to the pass, the Abyss Two-headed Giant Lizard within the demon team began to grow restless.


    "This Two-headed Giant Lizard may have sensed danger; we need to make a move now. I''ll take care of the Winged Demon Wizard, and the rest of you handle the Demon Servants," Lu Heng glanced over at Lin Zeyu.


    "Okay," Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement.


    "No problem," the Bansel Clan girl clenched her large hammers handle, eager to try.


    Lu Heng turned to her, suggesting, "How about you stay here to protect our Perceiver?"


    Mia immediately shook her head in refusal, "Warriors of the Bansel Clan should charge to the forefront!"


    At that moment,


    the Winged Demon Wizard, failing to calm the Two-headed Giant Lizard, became alerted and flew up, approaching the pass to scout.


    Seeing this, Lin Zeyu frowned, "It''s flown up; you can''t hit it, can you? Shall I take over?"


    "Do you have the confidence to take down this Winged Demon Wizard?" Lu Heng looked sideways at him.


    Lin Zeyu responded helplessly, "It might...not work out, but I can hold it off."


    Lu Heng assessed the Winged Demon Wizard''s flight altitude and said, "Never mind, I''ll do it."


    Although the Winged Demon Wizard could fly, its flying ability wasn''t very strong.


    At that moment, the Winged Demon Wizard was flying at a height of about five meters.


    This altitude was actually not low, roughly equivalent to a two-story building.


    Under normal circumstances, only ranged attacks could threaten it.


    However, Lu Heng''s combat power was hard to classify as normal.


    When the Winged Demon Wizard flew to the bottleneck area, Lu Heng issued the attack order, "Strike!"


    Then he activated Gale Step, put force into both feet, propelled himself forward, and rushed out.


    Supported by 27 points in Agility, his speed instantly surged to 36 meters per second.


    Immediately after, Lu Heng activated the second effect of Gale Step, a straight-line thrust, doubling the acceleration, and pounced on the Winged Demon Wizard like an arrow released from the bow.


    Lin Zeyu and the others also charged out, launching an attack on the demon team.


    Mia swung her giant hammer, rushed to the face of the stone giant, leapt high into the air, and with explosive Strength, smashed her hammer on the giant''s knee.


    Due to the difference in height, the spot she hit... was exactly a joint''s weak point.


    The stone giant roared, stumbled on its right leg, and was smashed to the ground with a thunderous fall.


    Lin Zeyu blasted a demon''s head with his gun, then turned to look in Lu Heng''s direction, wondering whether he should help.


    His weapon was a handgun, and although he was uncertain about taking down the Winged Demon Wizard, at least it offered ranged attacks.


    However, the situation wasn''t quite as he expected.


    After accelerating with the second phase of Gale Step, Lu Heng''s linear speed soared to 54 meters per second, and he reached below the Winged Demon Wizard in the blink of an eye.


    Only, the Winged Demon Wizard was flying at a height of 5 meters, unreachable under normal circumstances.


    Moreover, the Winged Demon Wizard was still gaining altitude while simultaneously raising a hand to cast a spell, firing a blast of Black Witchcraft Energy Wave at Lu Heng.


    During his sprint, Lu Heng swerved to dodge the energy wave''s attack, then unleashed his Shadow Clone.


    The Shadow Clone braced itself, stacking its palms and placing them at its abdomen.


    Lu Heng stepped on the palms of the Shadow Clone and pushed off hard, while the Shadow Clone also exerted force upward.


    With the combined strength, Lu Heng shot up into the sky like a rocket and pulled out the Aurora Blade from thin air, executing the "Rising Dragon Style" from the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    Clang!


    The sword light shone like a silver dragon soaring, severing the second Black Witchcraft Energy Wave.


    Boom!


    The relentless sword light engulfed the Winged Demon Wizard, slicing it in two.


    With a single stroke, he took down the Winged Demon Wizard, Lu Heng caught the falling Crystal Core in his hand, then did two somersault flips and landed on bended knee, slamming a fist into the ground to dissipate the force of his fall.


    The entire set of movements was crisp and clean, as smooth as floating clouds and flowing water.


    [Killed the Winged Demon Wizard, absorbed 120 points of Demon Energy.]


    Witnessing Lu Heng''s maneuvers, Lin Zeyu''s eyes bulged in amazement, and had he not been on the battlefield, he would have wanted to applaud in admiration.


    With the Winged Demon Wizard gone, the remaining Demon Servants crumbled like scattered sand.


    Only the stone giant proved to be troublesome; the six-meter-tall behemoth swung its arms with the force of a thousand pounds, pulverizing the ground and rocks beneath.


    Mia, dragging her giant hammer, scampered around, dodging the stone giant''s attacks.


    She wasn''t tall, but her short legs were surprisingly swift.


    After Lu Heng had dealt with the Winged Demon Wizard, he joined the battlefield like a gust of wind and took Mia''s place in front of the stone giant, delivering a heavy Chop that shattered a large piece of rock.


    However, the stone giant''s rocky Armor was too thick.


    Even though the Aurora Blade was incredibly sharp, it took several Cuts before he finally subdued it.


    The stone giant crashed to the ground, shattered into rubble under the scorching Power of thunder and lightning, then yielded a portion of Source Material.


    [Absorbed free-state Source Material, Source Quality Fusion increased.]


    [Source Quality Fusion: 20%.]


    It turned out the stone giant was a Source Essence Sacrifice, but as it was also a servant of the Evil God Barton, it counted as a voluntary sacrifice, requiring no transportation in a prison cart.


    [Killed the stone giant, absorbed 120 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Demon Energy strengthened Energy Level, Source Energy Level increased to Level 12, All Attributes +2, Agility Attribute additionally +0.6]


    After consecutive battles, having slain Level 12 Winged Demon Wizards, he leveled up again, enhancing all of his Attributes and subsequently increasing his Combat Power by a significant margin.

 Chapter 56 - 56: The Terrifying Hidden Quest

    The battle had ended, and everyone began cleaning up the battlefield.


    Lu Heng found a long wooden box on the body of the Winged Demon Wizard. When he opened the box, his eyes widened in shock, and he seemed to momentarily lose his wits as if his soul had been snatched away.


    Inside the wooden box lay a withered finger, very long and with sharp nails, clearly not belonging to a human.


    Despite its withered state, it looked as though it might move at any second.


    At the same time, Lu Heng saw a new quest prompt:


    [Triggered hidden quest: Divine Finger]


    [Objective: You have recovered the finger of a deity. Place Barton''s Ring on this finger to become the deity''s Delegate in the human world, gaining divine authority.]


    [Reward: Divine Infusion]


    Lu Heng''s breathing quickened upon seeing the prompt for this hidden quest.


    Moreover, he was so absorbed by the withered finger that he almost missed the other data prompt.


    [You suffer from a mental contamination by an unknown entity, Perception -1]


    [You suffer from a mental contamination by an unknown entity, Perception -1]


    A series of Perception -1 prompts nearly drove Lu Heng out of his mind.


    Fortunately, at the moment he saw the quest prompt, he retained a trace of caution. From the corner of his eye, he saw the contamination indicator and hastily closed the wooden box, gasping for air.


    "What happened?" Su Muyu noticed something was off with Lu Heng and hurriedly came to support his arm.


    "It''s nothing, I just need to rest for a while," Lu Heng shook his head, forcing himself to stay alert.


    This finger was too terrifying; he didn''t need to think twice to know what it was.


    Had he followed the quest prompt and placed Barton''s Ring on this finger, who knows what dreadful things might have occurred.


    The battle was over, and there was no time to rest.


    Lu Heng looked around and exclaimed, "Hurry up and clear the battlefield, then retreat from this area. Commander Level Demons will soon come to reinforce, and we must fall back to safety before that happens." S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone responded in unison, then quickly checked their weapons and loot.


    Just then.


    Su Muyu suddenly frowned and warned loudly, "There''s an ambush on the mountain."


    Everyone swiftly looked up, only to see a squad of ambushers appearing on the high ground on both sides of the road.


    This squad of ambushers was not composed of Demons, but Bansel people.


    However, among this group of Bansel people, there were also a few humans.


    One of them, with his characteristic silver hair, was unmistakably Lei Jinhao.


    Lei Jinhao stood next to an armored Bansel Tribe leader, pointed down below, and said, "Iron Arm Leader, these people are the Evil God''s Servants. They must be completely eradicated."


    The Iron Arm Leader raised his hand, and about thirty Bansel warriors simultaneously lifted their crossbows, aiming at Lu Heng and his companions.


    Seeing Lei Jinhao show up, especially side by side with a Bansel Tribe leader, Lu Heng''s brow furrowed deeply.


    Clearly, Lei Jinhao had gained the trust of the Bansel Iron Arm Leader, and the situation was getting bad.


    The Bansel people claimed to be part of the Anti-Demon Army. Although they were few in number, the fact that they could survive around Ankalie Mountain meant they possessed the strength to confront the Evil God''s kin.


    This Bansel Tribe''s Iron Arm Leader was undoubtedly Level 20 or above, wielding top-tier combat power in the Abyss World.


    The elite Bansel warriors brought by the Iron Arm Leader were also top-notch.


    This group of elite Bansel warriors was the main force in preventing the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony.


    But now, this power capable of standing against the Evil God''s kin was siding with Lei Jinhao.


    The situation was indeed grave.


    Moreover, Lei Jinhao was not alone; beside him stood the Perceiver called Yada, along with two other members of Thunder.


    Clearly, Lei Jinhao had also brought a team inside.


    And his luck was very good, not only did his team teleport to the same location, but they were also near the Bansel Tribe.


    Then, by hunting demon teams and acquiring survival materials, he had quickly gained the trust of the Iron Arm Leader of the Bansel Tribe.


    Timing, geographical, and human conditions were all in his favor.


    ...


    About thirty Bansel warriors aimed their crossbows at Lu Heng and his companions.


    They were just waiting for the command of their leader, ready to turn these outsiders into porcupines.


    To the Bansel Tribe, human superpower users were indeed outsiders; they were the original inhabitants of this world.


    Lin Zeyu''s brow furrowed as he shouted toward the high ground, "Lei Jinhao, what do you mean by this?"


    The Lin Family, with its profound heritage, had always been trying to recruit the top superpower users from the Coastal region.


    Therefore, the Lin Family had had contact with Lei Jinhao, and although they were not in a cooperative relationship, they at least knew each other.


    Moreover, Lei Jinhao was still looking to develop in the Coastal region, and even if he didn''t cooperate with the Lin Family, he didn''t want to become an enemy.


    "So it''s Young Master Lin. You can bring your people over, and I''ll ensure you return alive. But this person next to you must die," Lei Jinhao pointed directly at Lu Heng, stating his stance.


    He had already made a deal with Gong ZhenTeng, to exchange Lu Heng''s head for a [Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core].


    Since they had encountered each other on the Abyss Battlefield, they could take care of it all at once.


    Moreover, now that he had the elite soldiers of the Bansel Tribe at his disposal, he didn''t need to take action personally.


    Lin Zeyu turned to look at Lu Heng, his face showing a troubled expression.


    Lu Heng remained calm, taking the initiative to say, "It''s alright, go ahead."


    For Lin Zeyu, he had met Lu Heng only after entering the Abyss Battlefield, and they had known each other for less than a day.


    In such a short period, their relationship had not become strong enough to risk their lives for each other.


    After thinking it over for a moment, Lin Zeyu looked toward Lei Jinhao and said, "I don''t know what grudge you have, but I''ve formed an alliance with Lu Heng. Give me some face, and deal with your personal grievances after we return."


    Lei Jinhao''s lips curled into a cold smile, and he scoffed, "Young Master Lin, do you think this is the Coastal area? Here, I call the shots, and this man must die today. If you insist on interfering, then don''t blame me for being rude!"


    A fierce look flashed in his eyes, and Lin Zeyu, upon making eye contact, felt a chill run down his spine.


    In that instant, Lin Zeyu even thought that he really would be killed.


    In the Coastal area, the Lin Family indeed had deep roots.


    But in the Abyss World, the prestige of the Lin Family from the Coastal region was not so effective.


    If this Young Master of the Lin Family were to die in the Abyss World, and the two people he brought with him were killed as well, then the Lin Family would have no idea who was responsible.


    So, if they couldn''t come to an agreement, Lei Jinhao really wouldn''t mind taking down the Young Master of the Lin Family as well.


    The situation was getting tenser, as if the air itself had frozen.


    For Lin Zeyu, the most correct choice now was indeed to form an alliance with Lei Jinhao.


    Lu Heng''s expression was serene as he repeated his earlier words, "It''s alright, you go ahead."


    Lin Zeyu''s frown deepened, and after a long internal struggle, he finally clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "Since we''ve already formed an alliance, I ought to honor it."


    He looked up defiantly at the hillside and shouted, "Lei Jinhao, if you don''t want to make an enemy out of the Lin Family, don''t go too far. Otherwise, when I get out, don''t expect to get along in the Coastal area anymore."


    Lei Jinhao''s face revealed a cold smirk, his eyes slightly closing as he said leisurely, "Then I''m sorry but let''s proceed, Iron Arm Leader. Kill this group of Evil God''s Servants."


    This Iron Arm Leader of the Bansel Tribe was not sure whether these humans below were indeed servants of the Evil God, but he didn''t mind killing these outsiders to maintain the peace of Ankalie Mountain.


    For the Bansel Tribe, they were the true masters of this land, and all outsiders were uncertain elements.


    Moreover, he smelled a heavy scent of evil on a few of the humans below.


    So, he raised his hand, ready to give the order.


    Just at this moment of high tension.


    Mia ran out from behind a huge rock, spreading her arms in front of Su Muyu and shouting, "Stop!"


    She had noticed her tribespeople appearing earlier, afraid of being caught and taken back, so she had ducked behind the rock.


    But now the situation was somewhat dire, and she had no choice but to come out.

 Chapter 57 - 57: The Battle of Leadership

    The Iron Arm Leader looked at Mia, his face revealing a touch of affection at first, but his smile suddenly changed during its bloom, taking on a stern expression as he scolded,


    "Mia, come here at once! We will settle the issue of you sneaking out when we get back!"


    Mia raised her voice and defiantly retorted, "Father, what are you doing? Have them put down their crossbows immediately."


    The Iron Arm Leader, with a stern face, continued to scold, "We are cleaning up the Evil God''s Servants, come here right away."


    Mia stood in front of Su Muyu refusing to leave, and her tone became increasingly unrestrained, "They are my lifesavers, old man, I didn''t expect you to repay kindness with malice."


    Upon hearing this, the Iron Arm Leader quickly gestured with his hand for the Bansel warriors to lower their crossbows, "Our Bansel Tribe holds the highest respect for warriors, but these outsiders are filled with an evil presence."


    "What''s so strange about brave warriors fighting demons at close range and getting tainted with evil? I have it on me too, are you planning to cleanse me as well?" Mia was very adamant.


    Seeing his daughter so defiant, the Iron Arm Leader began to hesitate.


    Lei Jinhao''s gaze sank as he continued to fan the flames, "Iron Arm Leader, Mia must have been bewitched by the Evil God, Evil God Barton is best at beguiling people''s hearts, isn''t he?"


    "That''s right! Mia, come here quickly, these outsiders cannot be trusted if they can''t prove their origins." The Iron Arm Leader maintained the highest vigilance towards the newcomers.


    The dispute continued without resolution, with Mia always standing in front of Su Muyu, refusing to leave.


    Lei Jinhao and his group were constantly fanning flames next to the Iron Arm Leader, harboring deep murderous intents.


    Lu Heng watched all of this with a cold eye, never speaking.


    A battle had just taken place here, and it wouldn''t be long before Commander Level Demons would come killing their way over.


    If the delay continued, they might very well wait until the demon reinforcements arrived.


    Lu Heng thought of the content recorded in the ancient books in Quenching Castle''s library, so he took out an object and raised it high, asking loudly, "Iron Arm Leader, do you recognize this?"


    The Iron Arm Leader saw what Lu Heng was holding in his hands and was suddenly stunned, his face full of surprise and confusion, and one could even see his eyes shining.


    Seeing the Iron Arm Leader''s expression, everyone''s gaze converged on what Lu Heng was holding.


    It was an emblem held in Lu Heng''s hand, engraved with a burning castle, the emblem of Quenching Castle.


    Everyone looked at the emblem with puzzled expressions because no one recognized what it was.


    Only the Iron Arm Leader''s complexion changed drastically, he immediately turned to the side and gestured invitingly, "It turns out you are a descendant of our allies, my apologies for the disrespect, please be sure to visit Stone Hammer Castle as a guest."


    Seeing his change in attitude, Lu Heng could confirm that the Bansel Tribe indeed had a connection with Quenching Castle.


    It seemed that the contents of the ancient book in Quenching Castle''s library were indeed true.


    Lu Heng''s gaze swept over Lei Jinhao and the others, then he looked at the Iron Arm and asked with a serious tone, "Iron Arm Leader, crossing swords with us just now doesn''t seem to be the Bansel Clan''s way of treating guests, does it?"


    The Iron Arm Leader was taken aback, feeling rather embarrassed.


    Just now, he had indeed ordered his subordinates to aim their crossbows at Lu Heng and the others.


    Such behavior was indeed unfriendly.


    He turned his head and glared at Lei Jinhao to the side, passing the blame directly, "It''s all these outsiders'' influence, they must be followers of the Evil God. Guards, seize these servants of the Evil God!"


    Thirty-odd Bansel warriors immediately drew their weapons and surrounded Lei Jinhao and his group.


    Lei Jinhao didn''t expect the situation to change so swiftly; although he had been in control just moments ago, he was now branded a follower of the Evil God by the Bansel Tribe.


    He still wanted to argue, "Iron Arm Leader, we have fought against the Evil God''s Servants together."


    The Iron Arm Leader snorted coldly, "I''ve seen enough of these impersonation tricks, seize them for me!"


    Lei Jinhao''s gaze darkened as he gave a subtle look to a Perceiver named Yado.


    The Perceiver named Yado hooked the corner of their mouth with a cold curve, gesturing with their eyes towards the distant sky.


    Following their gaze, Lei Jinhao''s face also revealed a ferocious smile.


    Just then,


    A roar came from the sky.


    A battalion of Winged Demons flew over the peak of Ankalie Mountain, appearing over the battlefield.


    These elite Winged Demons, armed with War Spears, were flapping their wings and hovering in the air, looking impressively formidable.


    Due to an attack on the withered finger during transport, the wrath of the Evil God''s faction leader was provoked.


    Therefore, Winged Demon Commander Sagers personally led the Winged Demon Air Force to rush to the scene, arriving at the battlefield with utmost speed. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng''s original plan was to retreat immediately after seizing the offering, but Lei Jinhao''s appearance caused too much delay, and they were still there when Winged Demon Commander Sagers arrived.


    The situation immediately became tense.


    A rough sweep revealed there were at least fifty of these elite Winged Demons.


    This must be the most elite force within the Evil God''s followers.


    The Iron Arm Leader, seeing Winged Demon Commander Sagers emerge, lost interest in dealing with Lei Jinhao and the others, raised his Warhammer, and bellowed, "Formations! Warriors of the Bansel Clan, follow my command, form up!"


    The thirty warriors of the Bansel Clan ambushing behind the hillside charged out, merging with the thirty original crossbowmen, and moved toward the Iron Arm Leader, raising their shields to form a defensive formation in preparation for the Winged Demons'' assault.


    Roar!


    The Bansel warriors completed their formation, aiming their crossbows at the Winged Demon army in the sky, and a great battle was on the verge of breaking out.


    The Iron Arm Leader looked up to the heavens and roared, "Sagers! Come! Let''s fight to the death!"


    Clearly, this was not the first clash between the two sides, and a victor had yet to be determined, indicating that their combat powers were evenly matched.


    "Today, I''ll spare your life. Crawl back to your Stone Hammer Castle and hide. Once my lord is revived, he will personally judge you."


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers''s target was not the Bansel Tribe, but the person who had taken the withered finger.


    His gaze swept over the group on the ground and with a flap of his wings, he dived toward Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng had guessed he was the target and pushed Su Muyu, shouting, "You guys, run!"


    Then he activated Gale Step and clenched an Essential Skill, ready to fight for his life.


    Sagers''s dive was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was near the ground, lifting his fan-like talons toward Lu Heng.


    Just at that moment.


    "Your opponent is me!" The Iron Arm Leader bellowed, standing out from the crowd, leaping high, and smashing his Warhammer toward Sagers''s head.


    Sagers had no choice but to retract his claws and swing his War Spear to block.


    Bang!


    The two leaders fought fiercely, their weapons hammering out shockwaves.


    The Winged Demons in the sky followed suit and dived, and a great battle was about to erupt.


    The Bansel warriors and the elite Winged Demons clashed fiercely, with cries and screams of battle deafening.


    Lu Heng and others joined the fight, mingling with the Winged Demons in close combat.


    ...


    On the hillside.


    A member of Thunder asked Lei Jinhao in a low voice, "Leader, should we join the battle?"


    Lei Jinhao narrowed his eyes slightly, his face looking somewhat unsightly.


    He had expended effort and distributed a large amount of materials to foster a relationship with the Bansel Tribe, earning the trust of the Iron Arm.


    Yet with Lu Heng''s arrival, he was treated like a heretic by the Bansel tribal chief.


    If not for the sudden appearance of Winged Demon Commander Sagers, they would have already been captured under Iron Arm''s orders.


    Though reluctant, he knew that the reputation he had built up was now wasted.


    "Join what battle? It would be best if they all perished," the Perceiver named Yada, with all her emotions on her face, stared down fiercely at the people below.


    "Let''s go! Preserve our strength," Lei Jinhao''s eyes gleamed with a cold light, and he turned to leave the battlefield.


    ...

 Chapter 58 - 58 Mission: Teaching Quenching Skill

    The battle grew more intense.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers did not want to be entangled with Iron Arm, so he used a high-rank demon skill and thrust his war spear to push Iron Arm back, then suddenly turned and pounced towards Lu Heng.


    The strength from his legs combined with the super acceleration from flapping his wings allowed Sagers to reach Lu Heng in the blink of an eye, his millstone-sized claws already grabbing towards the top of Lu Heng''s head.


    "Be careful!" Su Muyu, seeing this scene, was so frightened that her heart almost leapt out.


    Sagers was a high-rank demon known for his speed, a super high level of 20, bringing with him more than 40 points of agility, making his speed so fast that ordinary people could not react.


    Lu Heng was also fast, but compared to a level 20 high-rank demon, there was still a big difference.


    However, Lu Heng had anticipated this, guessing that Sagers would strike at him and also had a very quick reaction time, so the moment Sagers pounced in front of him, he used the Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal."


    His body escaped into the shadows, exempt from all physical collisions.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers swiped at the air, and just as he wanted to pursue further, the Iron Arm Leader had already charged over and was again engaging in combat with him.


    Iron Arm''s combat power was quite astounding as well, swinging his warhammer, pounding Sagers repeatedly making him retreat.


    After dozens of exchanges, Sagers knew that he could not succeed today.


    Seeing that the elite Winged Demons he led were already suffering casualties, he roared angrily, leapt into the air, and led the Winged Demon troops to retreat from the battlefield.


    ...


    This battle was both thrilling and exhilarating; Lu Heng had slain five elite Winged Demons, bringing his level to 12 with 72% progress.


    Moreover, during the battle, his strength, agility, and constitution all received slight increases.


    "In combat, physical fitness increased, strength +0.1, agility +0.1, constitution +0.1"


    On the data panel, the five-dimensional attributes by default do not show the values after the decimal point unless expanded.


    When previously leveled up to 12, the agility attribute was additionally increased by 0.6, reaching 29.9.


    Now, with the increased attributes from the battle, reaching a whole number, the agility attribute finally broke through to 30 points.


    The five-dimensional attributes achieved were: strength 23, agility 30, constitution 23, Spirit 24, Perception 23


    In addition to the attribute increase, by slaying the elite Winged Demons, he also obtained a Skill Crystal Core.


    "Thunder Spear: Infuses thunder energy into the spear, throwing it to initiate a powerful attack, additionally causing thunder damage. Thunder damage = 2 ¡Á Spiritual Attribute. Skill consumption: 30 points of Source Energy. Skill level: C."


    ...


    After driving away the Winged Demon troops, everyone turned back to look for Lei Jinhao and the others, only to find that they had disappeared. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Iron Arm, being the leader of the Bansel Tribe, held no grudge against Lei Jinhao and his group, hence did not send his men to chase them, but instead warmly welcomed Lu Heng and his party to Stone Hammer Castle.


    Stone Hammer Castle was located in the valley on the west side of Ankalie Mountain, situated halfway up the mountain and built against it, appearing like a giant meteorite embedded in the mountainside.


    The entire fortress was built from giant stones, very magnificent and imposing.


    On both sides of the fortress gate, statues of two ancestors from the Bansel Tribe were carved.


    The statues of the two ancestors were very large, their strong arms raised high with enormous hammers, guarding the gate of Stone Hammer Castle.


    On the way into the fortress, Lin Zeyu approached Lu Heng, curiously asking, "That badge you had just now, was it a Quenching Castle badge?"


    He had felt a bit familiar when he saw the badge.


    However, it wasn''t that he had seen this badge before, but rather he had seen the castle depicted on the badge.


    After the recent events, Lu Heng had a rather good impression of this young master from the Coastal elite, casually replying, "It''s a Quenching Castle badge."


    Lin Zeyu''s face immediately revealed a look of surprise as he asked, "You actually got a Quenching Castle Badge, so have you also met the Quenching Master there?"


    "Met him, quite well-acquainted," Lu Heng replied casually, as if discussing something mundane.


    "I''ve also met that Quenching Master and had him quench my weapons," Lin Zeyu strengthened his resolve to build good relations with Lu Heng.


    The two talked about the "Quenching Master" in Quenching Castle, but it seemed they were not referring to the same person.


    Lu Heng realized there must have been some misunderstanding and thought, "Wasn''t it me who quenched that revolver of yours?"


    However, Lu Heng didn''t intend to explain the matter, feeling it unnecessary.


    Lin Zeyu continued to inquire, "How can one get a Quenching Castle Badge? Can you tell me?"


    The badges from Quenching Castle were basically unique.


    Of course, the badge didn''t literally possess a unique attribute, but it was so difficult to acquire that a second one rarely appeared.


    To earn a Quenching Castle Badge, one needed to make a significant contribution to the castle.


    Moreover, the contribution had to be great enough to affect the fate of Quenching Castle.


    Lu Heng had helped Quenching Castle escape the Abyss and saved it, which was how he acquired the badge.


    Unless Quenching Castle faced another existential crisis and someone helped solve it, it was unlikely for a second badge to surface; otherwise, this badge would remain one of a kind.


    Seeing him ask this way, Lu Heng didn''t shatter his dreams and replied casually, "Make a significant contribution to Quenching Castle, then there''s a chance to obtain the badge."


    "I see."


    Lin Zeyu nodded thoughtfully, thinking it must be similar to a reputation system; as long as one''s reputation was high enough, they could obtain a badge.


    Upon entering Stone Hammer Castle, the others were arranged in the guest hall, hosted by the elder of the Bansel Clan.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu were taken to a private guest room, personally received by Iron Arm and his daughter Mia.


    "May I ask, where did you get this badge from?" Iron Arm asked very kindly, clearly recognizing the badge.


    "From the master of Quenching Castle," Lu Heng placed the Quenching Castle Badge on the table, letting him examine it closely.


    "Father, what is Quenching Castle? Is it another branch of our tribe?" Mia curiously asked, having never heard of Quenching Castle before.


    "That is from a long time ago, when our tribe was still strong, up until the Abyss Descent..." Iron Arm sighed slightly.


    In fact, the history between the Bansel Tribe and Black Iron Dwarf Tribe had spanned centuries, and even the Iron Arm Leader had only heard old tales from the elders, never experiencing it himself.


    He sighed, looked up at Lu Heng, and asked, "Since you are from Quenching Castle, then..."


    Lu Heng knew what he wanted to ask and immediately nodded, saying, "Yes, I''m a Quenching Master."


    To be precise, still an Apprentice Quenching Master, but that wasn''t important.


    "That''s wonderful. Our tribe has only inherited forging skills; we no longer possess quenching skills," the Iron Arm Leader said, his tone somewhat helpless.


    The Bansel Tribe had suffered from Abyss invasions, forcing them to relocate many times, always struggling to survive, and many skills were lost.


    Taking a deep breath, the Iron Arm Leader solemnly requested, "Respected Quenching Master, may I ask if you are willing to teach the lost Quenching Skills to the Bansel Tribe again?"


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lu Heng saw a line of quest prompt:


    [Teaching Assignment Quest: The Lost Quenching Skills]


    [Details: After centuries of migration, the Bansel Tribe has lost their Quenching Skills. Stone Hammer Castle''s leader, Iron Arm, has requested that you teach the Quenching Skills to the Bansel Tribe.]


    [Reward: Friendship of Stone Hammer Castle]

 Chapter 59 - 59: Quenching, Vice Profession Level Up

    Lu Heng finished reading the task details and glanced at Su Muyu next to him, only to find she had no reaction, apparently, she hadn''t triggered the quest.


    It wasn''t surprising because the hidden task was related to quenching skills, naturally only a Quenching Master could trigger it.


    Looking at the eager eyes of the Iron Arm Leader, Lu Heng immediately agreed, "Of course there''s no problem. However, quenching requires specific quenching materials, which are quite expensive."


    The Iron Arm Leader waved towards the door, and two Bansel warriors carried a large iron box in.


    When the box was opened, it was filled with colorful stones; at a glance, many were indeed quenching materials.


    Lu Heng, seeing this large box of materials, thought about how wealthy the Bansel Tribe was.


    However, not all the materials in the box were for quenching.


    It seemed that the Bansel Tribe lacked the experience to even distinguish quenching materials.


    Lu Heng walked over to the box and began to help them sort the materials, "This piece is Quenching Essence, this piece as well... this piece isn''t a quenching material, though it has a small amount of quenching elements, the content is too low to be anything but a stone."


    "That makes sense."


    The Iron Arm father and daughter came over, watching and listening, nodding frequently, showing a keen interest in learning.


    After Lu Heng finished sorting, he pointed to the pile of Quenching Essence and asked, "With so much Quenching Essence, do you plan to do some quenching?"


    "Would you be willing to help us?" Mia''s eyes suddenly showed hope.


    The Iron Arm Leader clenched his fist, his tone a bit frustrated, "When our tribe fought against the Evil God''s Servants, our weapons were inferior. If our warriors can use better weapons, we can surely defeat those demons."


    "Then I''ll perform the quenching for you and teach you the quenching skills as well. Does your tribe still have a Quenching Furnace?" Lu Heng immediately agreed.


    "Yes, we''ve never forgotten the skills passed down by our ancestors, it''s just that we no longer have a Quenching Master in our tribe," said Iron Arm, his eyes gleaming.


    "Let''s start now."


    There were only a few days left until the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton; time was pressing. Lu Heng decided to perform weapon quenching for the Bansel Tribe and upgrade the Aurora Blade to prepare for the final battle.


    ...


    Stone Hammer Castle''s forging area was built above a river of molten lava.


    Standing on the platform of the forging area, one could see the molten river slowly flowing below.


    Because of the molten river, Stone Hammer Castle remained warm as spring even during snowy seasons.


    The Iron Arm Leader gathered all the tribal members who hadn''t gone out to the forging area, and they all bowed to Lu Heng:


    "Respected Quenching Master, please pass on the quenching skills to us, so that the light of quenching can shine again in Stone Hammer Castle."


    Among them, thirty or so Bansel craftsmen at the front were ready to learn the quenching skills.


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected such a grand gesture; was he suddenly gaining thirty or so Quenching Apprentices?


    Afterward, Iron Arm ordered a large box full of quenching materials to be brought out.


    Although the large iron box was filled with a lot of quenching materials, once distributed across the entire tribe, the quantity wasn''t considered a lot.


    After discussing, the Iron Arm Leader decided to perform quenching on the weapons of the thirty most elite warriors of the tribe.


    Mia stood in front of the Quenching Furnace and said respectfully, "Quenching Master, I will be your assistant. Please tell me what I should do."


    Lu Heng was not nervous, pointed his hand towards the Quenching Furnace in the wall and commanded, "Light the fire, heat the furnace."


    The thirty or so Bansel craftsmen crowded around and began to bustle about.


    The Quenching Furnace soon lit up. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng took a warhammer and started the quenching process, without keeping any secrets, sharing all the quenching experience he could think of with the group of dwarves.


    Heating, melting, merging, cooling ¡ª a full set of quenching steps.


    [Successfully quenched Bansel War Hammer, Bansel War Hammer grade increased to +1]


    [Performed quenching work, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +10]


    The quenching was successful, maintaining a 100% success rate.


    Subsequently, he continued by adding the second Quenching Essence for the second quenching session.


    Heating, melting, merging, cooling...


    Just during the final cooling step, the Bansel War Hammer emitted a faint glow.


    [Successfully quenched the Bansel War Hammer, Bansel War Hammer grade increased to +2]


    [Quenching operation, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +10]


    Then, he switched to an Iron Plate Crossbow to continue the quenching.


    [Quenching operation, quenching failed, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +20]


    Indeed, failure is the mother of success.


    He finally experienced a failure in quenching, but the vice profession experience gained was even greater.


    Lu Heng recalled the quenching process he had just executed and identified the reason for the failure, he noted it silently in his heart to focus more at this step next time.


    After several quenching attempts, Lu Heng began to multitask, simultaneously introducing ten portions of Quenching Essence to quench ten weapons.


    [Quenching operation, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +10]


    [Quenching operation, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +10]


    [Quenching operation, quenching failed, Apprentice Quenching Master Professional Experience +20]


    The quenching went on for an afternoon, and on the 86th attempt, his quenching experience was full.


    [Apprentice Quenching Master experience reached (1000/1000), promoted to Quenching Master.]


    [Vice Profession: Quenching Master (10/2000)]


    [Vice Profession Skills: Quenching, Spirit Injection]


    [Quenching Master: Quenching success rate +20%, Spirit Injection success rate +10%, Flame Resistance +20%]


    Finally, his Quenching Master level had upgraded; not only had the quenching success rate increased, but becoming a full Quenching Master also increased the Spirit Injection success rate by 10%.


    Lu Heng looked back at the afternoon''s outcomes, the thirty Bansel Clan warriors behind him were holding weapons that had been through quenching, with eyes filled with excitement.


    These Bansel Clan warriors started to look at Lu Heng with admiration.


    After so many quenching processes, the box of quenching materials had almost been used up.


    Lu Heng looked at the iron box, only the last piece of Quenching Essence remained.


    It was just enough to upgrade the Aurora Blade, and if successful, the quenching level would reach Level 3.


    Then, he could attempt a Spirit Injection.


    Lu Heng placed the Quenching Essence into the furnace, starting the first step of the process.


    After being promoted to a full Quenching Master, his success rate for quenching had increased, making him more adept during the process.


    Heating, melting, merging, cooling, all the steps went very smoothly.


    [Successfully quenched the Aurora Blade, Aurora Blade grade increased to +3]


    [Quenching operation, Quenching Master Professional Experience +10]


    [Aurora Blade +3]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 60]


    The quenching was completed, and the Aurora Blade reached a quenching level of 3.


    "Cough cough..."


    Lu Heng turned to face the group of Quenching Apprentices he had just gathered, and spoke aloud, "Weapons and equipment that have reached a Quenching Level of 3 can undergo Spirit Injection. Next, I will perform a Spirit Injection operation, everyone pay close attention and learn."


    The thirty or so Bansel Clan craftsmen present were visibly invigorated, eagerly anticipating the higher-level Spirit Injection Skill.


    The Iron Arm Leader asked puzzledly, "Mr. Quenching Master, we don''t have the materials for Spirit Injection."


    "I have an item here that we can try."


    Under the curious gazes of the crowd, Lu Heng then took out the "Barton''s Ring."

 Chapter 60 - 60 Spirit Injection Successful,

    Lu Heng''s fingers touched "Barton''s Ring," and he immediately felt a wave of spiritual fluctuation emanating from the ring.


    Following that, the prompt for the hidden quest appeared once again.


    [Triggered Hidden Quest: Barton''s Ring]


    [Content: You have discovered a ring filled with divinity. Wear the ring, listen to the oracle, and become a follower of the god¡­]


    Upon seeing the "Barton''s Ring," including the Iron Arm among the Bansel people, everyone showed a look of shock.


    "Be careful, such a strong evil presence!" Iron Arm could not help but take a step back, gripping his warhammer tightly.


    Lu Heng, resisting the temptation of "Barton''s Ring," slowly closed his eyes and, with a swing of his arm, threw the ring into the Quenching Furnace.


    The intense flames enveloped "Barton''s Ring," producing a plume of black smoke as if a skull formed from the smoke was struggling and shrieking within the flames.


    Seeing the ring tossed into the Quenching Furnace, Iron Arm finally exhaled, "Demons fear the sacred flames the most; this is the best method to combat them."


    Lu Heng turned around, regaining his composed expression, and continued to instruct the group of dwarf apprentices:


    "Next, I will explain another branch of Quenching Master''s skill¡ªSpirit Injection.


    "Spirit Injection is more difficult than Quenching. Pay attention, I''m going to use the Sublimation Spirit Infiltration Method next.


    "First, we put the Spiritual Injection Materials into the Quenching Furnace, heat them until they melt, and then transfer them into the sublimation furnace.


    "Then, we place the weapon that needs Spirit Injection into the upper layer of the sublimation furnace and use the sublimated gaseous Spiritual Injection Materials to infiltrate the weapon..."


    Lu Heng explained while operating, directly melting "Barton''s Ring" to use for the Spirit Injection of Aurora Blade.


    This process was one he had performed many times in his previous life, but always as an assistant to the Quenching Master.


    The Spirit Injection process slowly continued.


    As the ring melted, the evil aura was consumed, revealing a golden glow.


    This ball of golden light slowly dispersed, which Lu Heng recognized as Divine Energy, and he moved closer to absorb it.


    [Melting "Barton''s Ring" extracted 1200 points of Divine Energy.]


    The Spirit Injection procedure continued.


    The liquid essence in the lower part of the sublimation furnace kept decreasing, and the Aurora Blade on the upper layer began to emanate a faint star-like glow.


    Seeing this sight, Lu Heng''s heart pounded furiously.


    For this faint glow indicated that the chances of a successful Spirit Injection were very high.


    The thirty-some Bansel craftsmen who came to learn all gathered around the Quenching Furnace, staring with stars in their eyes.


    Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, the liquid essence of Spirit Injection completely sublimated into gas, and the Spirit Injection neared its end.


    Lu Heng gestured to his assistant to turn off the flames of the Quenching Furnace, allowing the Aurora Blade to cool slowly.


    The cooling process of Spirit Injection needed to be conducted gradually, unlike Quenching.


    After about half an hour, the Aurora Blade was fully cooled,


    [Successfully performed Spirit Injection on Aurora Blade, Aurora Blade obtained the "Spirit Slash" special effect.]


    [Performing Spirit Injection, Quenching Master Professional Experience +50]


    Upon seeing the prompt indicating the success of the Spirit Injection, a joyful expression appeared on Lu Heng''s face. He used tongs to remove the Aurora Blade, then reached out to lightly touch it, his fingers still feeling the residual warmth on the blade.


    [Aurora Blade +3]


    [Item Level: C-Level]


    [Specification: Length 132 centimeters, blade width 3.6 centimeters, weight 1.6 kilograms]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 60]


    [Special Effect: Spirit Slash]


    [Spirit Slash: Attack inflicts 8 points of Spiritual Damage and reduces the target''s Spiritual Attribute by 8 points.]


    Seeing this special effect, Lu Heng couldn''t help but brighten his eyes.


    This effect was one of the strongest among sword-class weapons.


    Facing entities like Evil Gods who excel in corrupting minds, those without high enough Spiritual Attributes would fail to withstand Spiritual Pollution.


    The "Spirit Slash" effect could weaken the target''s Spiritual Attribute, invisibly narrowing the gap in spiritual power.


    With the successful Spirit Injection, the surrounding Bansel Clan craftsmen looked at the Aurora Blade with eyes that beheld a divine weapon.


    Their gazes were not greedy, but full of admiration for the Spirit Injection skill.


    At that moment, a prompt popped up on the data panel indicating the completion of the preaching and teaching assignment.


    The Iron Arm Leader approached Lu Heng. He initially wanted to pat Lu Heng on the shoulder, but due to their height difference, he ended up grabbing Lu Heng''s arm and walking him towards the drawing room:


    "Thank you so much. Stone Hammer Castle has regained the transmission of the Quenching Master skill, all thanks to your guidance.


    "From today onward, you are the most sincere ally of the Bansel Tribe, and whatever we face, we face together. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If there''s anything you need, just ask. As long as it''s within the power of my Bansel Tribe, we will do our utmost."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "Leader, you should be aware of the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton, right?"


    "Of course, we are also troubled by that matter. The resurrection ceremony isn''t far off, and time is pressing," the Iron Arm replied with a grave expression.


    "We are here to stop the resurrection ceremony as well, so we can join forces," Lu Heng suggested.


    "That would be great. However, there''s something I''d like to discuss with you."


    "What''s that?"


    "The group of Demon Servants that you ambushed was also our target. We received intelligence that an extremely terrifying artifact of the Evil God would be passing through there, so we went to ambush it. But you acted first, and that terrifying thing should now be with you..."


    As the Iron Arm spoke, he gave Lu Heng a cautious look.


    Because he could feel that Lu Heng was enveloped in an evil aura, even more terrifying than that of Winged Demon Commander Sagers.


    Lu Heng took out a wooden box containing a dried finger, and said, "Leader, you mean this, right?"


    Upon seeing the box, the Iron Arm quickly stepped back half a step, because the aura emanating from the box was too terrifying.


    Lu Heng had opened this box before and was almost driven insane due to the Spiritual Pollution.


    At that moment,


    Mia suddenly approached and quickly snatched the box, "Give it to me. I''ll handle this."


    "Mia, what are you doing?"


    The Iron Arm''s expression turned stern, and he quickly reached out to stop her, but it was too late.


    Mia had already opened the box.


    The instant the box was opened, a terrifying Spiritual Pressure filled the entire drawing room.


    The Iron Arm quickly raised his hand and knocked the box away.


    Crack!


    The box fell to the floor, and the half section of the dried finger fell out, spreading the Spiritual Pollution.


    Mia''s eyes turned blood red as she reached for the finger.


    The Iron Arm forcibly held her back, but his spirit also became polluted, and he shook his head vigorously to stay clear-headed.


    Seeing Mia''s state, Lu Heng immediately guessed that she must have been polluted during a previous battle, with a seed of corruption planted by the Evil God, which was now taking effect.


    At the same time, Lu Heng felt dizzy and saw a series of prompts before his eyes.


    [Suffered from Spiritual Pollution from an unknown existence, Spirit -1]


    [Suffered from Spiritual Pollution from an unknown existence, Spirit -1]


    In that instant, Lu Heng felt as if the dried finger on the ground was about to sprout from his own body.


    Whew!


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and, before his mind could become muddled, pulled out the Aurora Blade and stabbed the dried finger.


    Buzz!


    In an instant, the Spiritual Pollution dissipated, and the world quieted down.


    This was the effect of the "Spirit Slash" of the Aurora Blade, which weakened the spiritual power of the dried finger and greatly reduced the effect of the Spiritual Pollution.


    If it had been the Evil God himself, the spiritual power would have been tremendously high.


    But, this was just a finger, and the intensity of the Spiritual Pollution was not so high, so the effect of "Spirit Slash" suppressed the Spiritual Pollution.


    "It''s this thing, this is Barton''s finger, it must be destroyed!" the Iron Arm said breathlessly, his face full of gravity.


    Mia regained her senses, crouched on the ground, and hugged her head weeping, "I''m sorry, I don''t know what came over me just now."


    "Don''t be afraid, the Spiritual Pollution has been suppressed," the Iron Arm quickly reassured her.

 Chapter 61 - 61: Divine Attribute, Obtaining Divine Source Material Skill

    After discussing with the Iron Arm Leader, Lu Heng decided to destroy the Evil God''s finger.


    The best way to destroy a segment of the Evil God''s finger was, naturally, to burn it in a furnace.


    So, the two of them returned to the Quenching Furnace and tossed the withered finger into it.


    Flames devoured the Evil God''s finger, burning out billowing black smoke, and emitting an unpleasant odor of charred flesh.


    During the burning process, a layer of semi-translucent substance rose up.


    Lu Heng recognized at a glance that the rising semi-translucent substance was Source Material, but it was not ordinary Source Material.


    "Absorb Source Material, Source Quality Fusion gets enhancement."


    "Source Quality Fusion: 52%"


    "Absorb Divine Source Material, Source Material Ability gains Divine Effect."


    "Shadow Traversal (Divine): Escape into the Shadow Crack, exempting all physical collisions, duration 7 seconds. Divine Effect: Gain Shadow Vision, after escaping into the shadow, vision can penetrate material barriers."


    Lu Heng''s eyes lit up at the effects of the now divine Source Material Ability.


    Originally, in the Shadow Travel State, one couldn''t see the outside once inside a material.


    This was also the main reason the Abyss Fire Stealer, even when hiding inside rock walls, couldn''t evade capture.


    If it could have seen the outside situation while hiding inside the rock walls, it could have chosen the best escape route, making it impossible to catch.


    Now the Divine Effect of "Shadow Traversal" added the ability of Shadow Vision, which was a qualitative improvement.


    Moreover, when used, Shadow Vision was not just an accompanying effect of Shadow Traversal; in certain scenarios, it had a lot of potential.


    For instance, if one needed to clearly see the inside of a sealed space, one could choose to escape into shadow and gain the Shadow Vision ability.


    ¡­


    Under the burning of the furnace, all the Divine Source Material in the withered finger was extracted and then slowly burned to ash.


    Lu Heng had been worried that the Quenching Furnace wouldn''t be able to burn the finger, because if it were a True God, it would have had an undying body, impervious to fire and blade.


    This also indicated that Evil God Barton was not a True God but rather a Demigod.


    In fact, Lu Heng had already sensed this when he obtained Barton''s Ring.


    Because the level of Barton''s Ring was only A, not as high as he had anticipated.


    This also pointed out that Evil God Barton was actually only a Demigod.


    Of course, a Demigod was still a god, and in the presence of mortals, a Demigod was still a being of omnipotence.


    The Iron Arm Leader watched as the Evil God''s finger turned to ashes and finally let out a long sigh, "I''ll go back and check on Mia, the kid lacks experience, she didn''t even know she was bewitched by the Evil God."


    "It''s not entirely her fault, I almost lost my sanity too."


    Lu Heng watched as the Iron Arm Leader left the forging room and then picked up a shovel, scooped up the furnace ash, and dumped it as fertilizer into the backyard garden of Stone Hammer Castle.


    ¡­


    After the weapons of the Bansel Tribe''s elite soldiers went through Weapon Quenching, they were significantly improved, with the Quenching Level generally reaching 3.


    This raised the Bansel Tribe''s combat power to another level.


    The next day.


    Iron Arm formulated the battle strategy and started a large-scale interception of the Source Essence Sacrifices transported by the Evil God''s Servants.


    Lu Heng and his group also participated in the battle, greatly enhancing the team''s combat power.


    On the road north of Blade Stone Forest.


    A demonic convoy transporting Source Essence Sacrifices was moving along the road toward Barton Temple.


    The scale of this demonic convoy was relatively large, formed by the combination of three transport teams.


    Due to the increasing number of demon teams being ambushed these past few days, the Demon Commander made adjustments, allowing multiple demon teams to merge and act together.


    As a result, the number of teams needing protection decreased, and the Demon Commander could manage them more easily.


    Within the Blade Stone Forest.


    Su Muyu stood atop a rocky peak, her hair fluttered by the strong winds. She took out a hairband, tied her hair into a ponytail, and then closed her eyes, controlling a scouting eagle to survey the surrounding area.


    "There are six prison carts in the demon team to the north of the Stone Forest, with over fifty Demon Servants, including six Winged Demon Wizards. Besides that, I also saw Winged Demon Commander Sagers following about five kilometers away."


    "Five kilometers away? Is it a trap? As soon as we take action, he would immediately come to ambush us," Lin Zeyu''s first reaction was to sense the danger.


    "It doesn''t seem like it. Sagers''s Winged Demon Air Force isn''t hiding; they are flying in plain sight five kilometers away, easily spotted with just a bit of scouting," Su Muyu shook her head, feeling that it wasn''t a trap.


    "Expand the scouting area with Sagers at the center."


    Lu Heng arranged for Su Muyu to continue scouting and then took out a Skill Crystal Core, inspecting it in the palm of his hand.


    This Skill Crystal Core was "Thunder Spear," which condensed Thunder Energy onto a spear and hurled it to cause Thunder Damage.


    The skill was powerful, and the damage coefficient was quite impressive.


    Moreover, when actually used, the Thunder Damage it caused was area damage, just that the area was relatively small.


    Lu Heng''s Skill Slot was full, but he happened to have a skill that was from the same series as "Thunder Spear"¡ªthey were both Thunder Skills, suitable for fusion.


    He had melted down Barton''s Ring yesterday, gaining 1200 points of Divine Energy, which would come in handy now.


    However, "Thunder Weapon" was a D-level skill, while "Thunder Spear" was a C-level skill. Fusing skills of different levels could result in either a C-level or a D-level skill.


    If the fusion resulted in a D-level skill, then it would mean both the Divine Energy and the C-level Skill Crystal Core were wasted.


    Therefore, fusing skills of different levels was a more risky method of fusion.


    After some consideration, Lu Heng made a decision, used his Talent ability to unlock the Skill Lock of "Thunder Weapon," and began to absorb the energy from the "Thunder Spear" Skill Crystal Core.


    The energy of "Thunder Spear" flowed into the first Skill Slot, mixing with the energy of "Thunder Weapon."


    The two energies collided, causing a repulsive reaction, as if the energy was about to boil over. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The energy of "Thunder Spear" was slightly stronger, suppressing the energy of "Thunder Weapon."


    After all, the former was a C-level skill, while the latter was D-level.


    If no measures were taken to calm the two energies, allowing them to continue this way would cause the Skill Slot to explode.


    Lu Heng waited until the collision of the two energies reached the most intense stage, seized the optimum moment, and introduced 600 points of Divine Energy.


    Once Divine Energy entered the Skill Slot, the two berserk energies began to fuse with the Divine Energy, ultimately forming a strange equilibrium and returning to a stable state.


    Lu Heng saw that the energy fusion was complete, immediately closed the Skill Lock.


    [Skill Fusion complete, evolved into "Thunderous Strike."]


    [Thunderous Strike: Channels Thunder Energy into the weapon, launching a powerful attack. Upon hitting the target, detonates the Thunder Energy, causing area thunderstorm damage. Thunderstorm range = 3 meters; Damage coefficient = 2¡ÁSpiritual Attribute. Skill Consumption: 30 Source Energy. Skill Level: C-level.]


    Seeing the effects of the fused skill, a hint of joy appeared in Lu Heng''s eyes.


    Upon upgrading from "Thunder Weapon" to "Thunderous Strike," the damage was doubled, and it shifted from single-target to area damage.


    The damage coefficient was quite high, reaching 2¡ÁSpiritual Attribute.


    Lu Heng''s spiritual power was now at 24 points, meaning that the unleashed thunderstorm damage could reach 48 points.


    Furthermore, if the Aurora Blade were used to execute "Thunderous Strike," it could carry the weapon''s "Spirit Slash" effect.


    This meant that the range of the thunderstorm damage would carry an additional 8 points of Spiritual Damage from "Spirit Slash," and weaken all targets by 8 Spiritual Attributes.


    The two damages combined would be 56 points.


    Lower-level cannon fodder, just getting grazed by this area damage, would be instantly eliminated.


    ¡­

 Chapter 62 - 62: Completing Source Fusion, Obtaining First Transition Class

    Su Muyu, following Lu Heng''s arrangement, conducted another reconnaissance centered around Winged Demon Commander Sagers and indeed discovered new developments.


    "At a mountain path south of the Blade Stone Forest, there is another demon troop transporting Source Essence Sacrifice, with Sagers escorting two transports at the same time, flying at the midpoint of a line connecting the two demon troops, five kilometers from each."


    The two Demon Servant troops came from different directions, one from the north of Blade Stone Forest, the other from the south.


    Looking at the map, after bypassing the Blade Stone Forest, the two demon troops would converge at a pass to the northwest of the Stone Forest.


    After a while.


    The scout sent by the Bansel Tribe returned with intelligence that was almost the same as Su Muyu''s report.


    "It seems there will be a big battle with Sagers today. Get ready for combat."


    Iron Arm planted his warhammer on the ground, clenched his fists, and prepared for battle.


    Lu Heng pondered briefly and asked, "What''s the scale of that demon troop on the south side of the Blade Stone Forest?"


    Su Muyu reported, "Four prison carriages, twenty Demon Servants, two Winged Demon Wizards."


    A troop of twenty Demon Servants wasn''t small.


    Moreover, with Winged Demon Commander Sagers escorting them, it looked very safe from the perspective of the Demon Servants.


    Lu Heng came up with a very aggressive attack plan and pulled Su Muyu and Iron Arm aside to discuss it.


    After a brief discussion, Iron Arm gave the thumbs up in agreement.


    Then, Lu Heng found Lin Zeyu to ask for his opinion, "Hmm, there''s something I''d like to discuss with you, and I hope you''ll agree."


    The tone used to broach the subject clearly hinted at a deeper implication.


    Lin Zeyu didn''t rush to disagree and asked, "What''s your proposal?"


    Lu Heng laid out his plan, "It''s like this, my Source Quality Fusion has reached 50%, and ahead of us, the demon troop has six prison carriages.


    "Each carriage holds a Source Essence Sacrifice, each containing at least 10% Source Material.


    "If I take five Source Essence Sacrifices for myself, I can complete my Source Fusion and achieve my Class.


    "After receiving my Class, I''ll immediately initiate another operation plan, which requires me to have my Class first.


    "I''ve already discussed this with the Iron Arm Leader, and he agrees with my plan, so regarding the Source Essence Sacrifices, I hope you''ll consent."


    Lin Zeyu''s mouth twitched slightly, thinking to himself: Are you discussing with me? This is clearly just informing me.


    In fact, equitable distribution of spoils is better for maintaining unity within an ad hoc team.


    But equitable distribution sometimes has its drawbacks.


    For example, now, if Lu Heng could get the Source Material from five sacrifices, he could be the first to achieve a First Transition Class and increase his combat power.


    This would greatly benefit subsequent actions.


    However, if they distributed the spoils equally, it would mean each person could only get the Source Material from one sacrifice.


    Lu Heng would need to ambush five demon troops of the same size to complete his Source Fusion.


    During this process, there would be no increase in combat capability.


    Therefore, in mature Superpower User teams, the distribution of spoils is often asymmetrical.


    How to maintain team unity under an asymmetrical distribution is another matter altogether.


    Actually.


    With the Iron Arm Leader in agreement, opposition from others would be futile.


    If worst come to worst, they could just disband.


    Lu Heng''s willingness to consult with Lin Zeyu was out of trust and also a recognition of his previous commitment to the alliance.


    Lin Zeyu had his own Superpower User subordinates and naturally understood these principles. He spread his hands and answered, "Alright. I''ll go along with your plan."


    The fact was.


    Within Lin Zeyu''s own small team, the distribution was also asymmetrical.


    Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong were heavily invested in by the Lin Family when they were in the main world, with every Skill Crystal Core maxed out.


    Additionally, their families were also cared for by the Lin Family.


    Therefore, in the Abyss Battlefield, everything these two collected went directly to Lin Zeyu for allocation.


    ¡­


    The discussion was complete.


    The warriors of the Bansel Clan had also prepared themselves for battle.


    The Iron Arm Leader raised his warhammer and bellowed, "Warriors of the Bansel Clan, raise your weapons and charge with me, crush these servants of the Evil God!"


    "Charge!"


    The elite soldiers of the Bansel Clan charged with Iron Arm, like a pack of hungry wolves pouncing on an evil flock of sheep.


    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...


    They hadn''t reached the battlefield yet when they launched a volley of crossbow bolts.


    The closest Demon Servants were directly knocked down in a row.


    Those Demon Servants that weren''t shot to death struggled to hide behind the prison carts.


    Two Abyss Two-headed Giant Lizards hit by arrows roared in pain, thrashing their tails wildly and flinging the prison carts into the air.


    Almost simultaneously, six Winged Demon Wizards spread their wings and flew up, unleashing waves of Black Witchcraft as a counterattack.


    The Iron Arm Leader charged ahead, his legs propelled him five meters into the air where he grabbed the ankle of a Winged Demon Wizard and smashed it towards the ground with force.


    Bang!


    The Winged Demon Wizard was smashed into mush, a very violent sight.


    In the sky.


    A scouting eagle swooped down with a person hanging beneath its talons, it was Lu Heng.


    As the scouting eagle swooped over a Winged Demon Wizard, Lu Heng let go of the talons and descended, drawing out the Aurora Blade and executing a Zhenyue Style strike, unleashing the combined Skill "Thunderous Strike."


    Boom!


    The sword light chopped right on top of the Winged Demon Wizard''s head, the furious Thunder Energy tore his body apart.


    Immediately after, the energy from "Thunderous Strike" exploded, whipping up a circle of thunderstorm and affecting another Winged Demon Wizard and three Demon Servants.


    Struck by the Thunder Damage, this Winged Demon Wizard became paralyzed, his spiritual power also weakened by "Spirit Slash," and he fell from the sky.


    Lu Heng skillfully spun as he landed, cutting out a returning arc of sword light that sliced this Winged Demon Wizard and the five surrounding Demon Servants.


    In the blink of an eye, he achieved a seven-hit combo.


    The Demon Energy gained from the fight flooded in like a tide.


    After seven continuous data prompts, his Energy Level surged.


    "Killing a Winged Demon Wizard, 120 points of Demon Energy absorbed."


    "Source Energy Level has risen to Level 13, All Attributes +2, Agility Attribute additionally +0.6." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After leveling up, Lu Heng''s Combat Power increased, and with his sword, he entered the battlefield like a tiger among sheep.


    Everywhere he went, Winged Demon Wizards, Demon Servants, and Two-headed Giant Lizards became vengeful spirits beneath his sword light.


    On the outskirts of the battlefield.


    Lin Zeyu shot down a Demon Servant and looked up to find that Lu Heng had entered Unrivaled Mode, his eyes wide in astonishment.


    Originally, he was quite fond of firearms and even had the Talent to follow a firearms enhancement route.


    Thus, his first enhanced weapon was the Silver Python Revolver.


    But now, seeing Lu Heng''s figure sweeping through the battlefield, his eyes filled with envy, the revolver in his hand suddenly lost its appeal.


    Roar!


    Three minutes into the battle, an angry roar came from the clouds in the sky.


    The Winged Demon Commander Sagers was still a kilometer away, but his roar traveled the distance, shaking people''s hearts.


    Sagers was fast, arriving near the battlefield in just three minutes since the start of the battle.


    Without further delay, Lu Heng rushed towards the prison carts to kill the Source Essence Sacrifices and seize the Source Material.


    "Absorbing Source Material, Source Quality Fusion increased to 65%."


    Among them, two prison carts had sacrifices with relatively high Source Material content, so after killing four sacrifices, his Source Quality Fusion reached 100%.


    "Source Fusion complete, acquired First Transition Class ''Shadow Walker.''"


    "Shadow Walker: A combat profession that traverses between the shadows and the material world, mastering the complete ''Shadow Traversal'' ability."


    "Shadow Traversal (Divine): Escapes into shadow cracks, immune to all physical collisions, duration 15 seconds. Divine Effect: Movement speed increases by +300% in Shadow Travel State; gains Shadow Vision, allowing sight to penetrate physical barriers after escaping into the shadows."

 Chapter 63 - 63: A Lone Assault on a Team of Demons

    After obtaining a complete Class, the duration of "Shadow Traversal" has directly increased from 7 seconds to 15 seconds, more than doubling.


    Furthermore, while in the Shadow Travel State, the movement speed increases by 300%.


    Coupled with the speed boost from Gale Step, one could practically take flight with a pair of wings on their back.


    Lu Heng glanced at the effects of his Source Energy Skill, beckoned to Su Muyu, and led her directly out of the battle, into the Blade Stone Forest.


    Above the sky.


    The Winged Demon Commander Sagers flew above the battlefield, letting out a furious roar as he led fifty elite Winged Demons in a dive.


    The Iron Arm Leader had long been ready for combat, holding his Warhammer high and issuing a challenging roar toward Sagers.


    The battle grew even more intense, yet Lu Heng and Su Muyu withdrew from the conflict and left.


    Lin Zeyu looked on, utterly baffled, but seeing that the Iron Arm Leader did not stop them, he stopped worrying and continued to attack the Demon Servants.


    ...


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu had exited the battle and, entering an Invisible State, disappeared within the Blade Stone Forest.


    On a mountain path to the south of the Blade Stone Forest, there was another demon squad.


    However, the distance was a bit far, nearly ten kilometers across the entire Blade Stone Forest.


    Since Sagers had already reached the battlefield in the north, this meant that the southern demon squad in the Blade Stone Forest was left unprotected by any Commander Level Demon.


    Lu Heng''s target was this demon squad.


    However, he had to be fast.


    Lu Heng climbed atop a stone peak, leaped into the air, and grabbed the claws of a scout eagle, allowing it to carry him southward.


    After evolving into a Sky Hunter Eagle, it boasted a load capacity of 100 kg.


    This carrying capacity was enough to handle a grown person, even someone a bit on the heavier side.


    However, it couldn''t carry two people.


    Thus, only Lu Heng hung from the eagle''s claws to fly, while Su Muyu was forced to run along the ground.


    Although the scout eagle''s flight speed couldn''t match that of the Winged Demon Commander, it was still quite fast.


    In seven or eight minutes, the eagle had flown over the mountain path on the southern side of the Blade Stone Forest.


    Beneath them was a demon squad, quickening their pace.


    Clearly, the battle in the north had threatened this demon squad, making them hasten their march.


    At this moment.


    The sky began to darken, clouds gathered, and a drizzle started to fall.


    Holding the eagle''s claws and flying in the sky, Lu Heng saw the rain and thought to himself that both the time and the terrain were in his favor.


    Flying over the demon squad, Lu Heng let go of the eagle''s claws, plummeting downward, activating all his skills, unleashing his strongest combat power, drawing the Aurora Blade, and unleashing a Thunderous Strike.


    Boom!


    The frenzied thunder energy cut into the demon squad, spreading across the wet ground, doubling the area of the storm. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With one thunderous slash, a wide range of control effects was achieved, paralyzing half of the squad''s demons by the thunder attack.


    Two Winged Demon Wizards hadn''t even had the time to react before the electricity caused their limbs to twitch, and they were also hit by the effects of Spirit Slash, with their Spiritual Attributes declining sharply.


    Nonetheless, the damage from Thunderous Strike wasn''t enough to fatally wound the two Winged Demon Wizards.


    The two Winged Demon Wizards shouted loudly, commanding any Demon Servants still able to move to pounce and swarm Lu Heng, while they raised their hands to cast spells in retaliation.


    The difficulty of a single person taking on an entire demon squad can well be imagined.


    Seeing a dozen or so demons brandishing their weapons and rushing toward him, Lu Heng took out the Thunder Bomb he had obtained from the nest of the Abyss Fire Stealer and threw it towards the densest group of Demon Servants.


    Boom!


    Thunder and flames exploded among the demons, instantly toppling seven or eight of them.


    With the demon servants stalling,


    the two Winged Demon Wizards completed their spells.


    Firstly, a wave of Black Witchcraft Energy flew towards him.


    Then, a Dark Thorn Trap appeared beneath Lu Heng''s feet, dark thorns growing rapidly, winding towards his ankles.


    Faced with two Witchcraft attacks, Lu Heng activated his Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal" in an instant, slipping into the shadows and becoming immune to all physical collisions, evading the witchcraft attacks.


    In the state of "Shadow Traversal," his speed surged by 300%, and combined with the acceleration of Gale Step, his figure flashed, arriving in front of the first Winged Demon Wizard; the Aurora Blade slashed, killing him.


    Following that, he turned around and swung out a sword, its light stretching five meters like a full moon, claiming the life of another Winged Demon Wizard.


    After cutting down the two Winged Demon Wizards, Lu Heng once again unleashed his unstoppable might, slaughtering through the demon ranks seven times in and out.


    Under the rampage of thunder, these demon servants were powerless to resist.


    Once the Winged Demon Wizards were dead, the rest were mere fish in a barrel, fleeing in panic.


    Lu Heng, like lightning, zigzagged across the battlefield, each sword strike claiming the life of a demon.


    Kill notifications kept popping up:


    "Killed Winged Demon Wizard, absorbed 120 points of Demon Energy."


    "Killed Demon Servant, absorbed 80 points of Demon Energy."


    "Killed Demon¡­"


    Facing off against a troop of demons alone, the surging Demon Energy flooded towards him like the tide, and Lu Heng leveled up again amidst the battle.


    "Source Energy Level increased to 14, All Attributes +2, Agility Attribute additionally +0.6"


    With the enhancement of Source Energy, his five-dimensional attributes were raised to: Strength 27, Agility 35, Constitution 27, Spirit 28, Perception 27.


    ...


    On the other side.


    After using the scout eagle to deliver Lu Heng to the second battlefield, Su Muyu converted the eagle''s energy into invisibility power.


    This allowed Lu Heng to launch his attack without giving the Winged Demon Wizards any chance to be alerted.


    After exhausting the scout eagle, Su Muyu immediately summoned a second one and flew toward the battlefield.


    Despite rushing there as fast as she could, by the time she arrived, the battle was nearing its end.


    Lu Heng cut down the last demon servant and, looking up to see Su Muyu arriving, pointed at the Source Material extracted in the prison cart, "Hurry and absorb it, we''ll retreat once you''re done."


    Although the Iron Arm Leader had promised to hold back Sagers, if Sagers chose to abandon the northern battlefield and rushed here, he should be arriving soon.


    "Okay!" Su Muyu jumped down from the scout eagle and began to absorb the Source Material.


    While she was absorbing, Lu Heng picked up the dropped spoils of war, gaining three Crystal Cores, one of which was a Skill Crystal Core.


    "Dark Thorn Trap: Lays traps around the caster, ensnaring any target that steps on them with dark thorns, dealing damage worth 3x the caster''s spiritual power per minute, with the ability to lay 3 traps simultaneously. Skill Consumption: 20 points of Source Energy. Skill Level: C."


    This skill was an upgraded version of "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap," at Level C, capable of inflicting spiritual system damage, and could lay 3 traps at once, which was far stronger than the Level D "Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap."


    After Su Muyu had absorbed the last portion of Source Material, her Source Quality Fusion reached 67%.


    It was at this moment, with a stern expression and rapid speech, that she said, "Sagers is heading this way!"


    She had always kept the scout eagle circling above, wary of the surroundings, and sure enough, she spotted Sagers flying in their direction.


    "Let''s go!"


    Lu Heng pulled her into the Blade Stone Forest, and they both entered an invisible state.


    The two had just entered the Stone Forest when Sagers flew over the battlefield.


    He looked down at the slain demons on the ground, fury burning in his eyes, but without finding the attackers, he could only transform his rage into a roar that shook the heavens.

 Chapter 64 - 64: Countdown to the Final Battle

    An ambush that wiped out two demon teams was highly successful.


    Iron Arm, leading the warriors of the Bansel tribe in triumph, could be heard laughing heartily all along the way.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers initially intended to manage both fronts, but after clashing with Iron Arm, he realized that the weaponry of the Bansel tribe had greatly improved.


    The Winged Demon Air Force he led couldn''t stop these Bansel warriors at all.


    This caused the battle situation to quickly tilt; the northern demon team crumbled under the Bansel warriors'' war hammers and spears, beyond hope of recovery.


    At this moment, he received a distress signal from the south.


    He decisively chose to abandon the northern battlefield and flew south.


    In his view, since the leaders and elite of the Bansel tribe were on the northern side of Blade Stone Forest, the team attacking from the south couldn''t be strong. He was sure he could arrive in time to save the southern sacrifice and crush these damned attackers.


    However, by the time he got there, the battle was already over, and he didn''t even catch a glimpse of the attackers¡ªthere was nothing he could do but roar in frustration.


    ¡­


    On the way back to Stone Hammer Castle, they encountered a team of Superpower Users.


    This team of Superpower Users didn''t dare get too close since the Bansel people were still very wary of outsiders.


    Su Muyu spotted them and whispered to Lu Heng, "There''s a team of Superpower Users on the eastern hillside; it seems they want to talk to us."


    This time, the Abyss Battlefield was a hundred-person scale, and two days had passed already¡ªsurely other human Superpower Users survived.


    Most Superpower User teams were attempting to intercept the Source Essence Sacrifice to prevent the resurrection ceremony.


    Lu Heng''s action with the Bansel tribe this time made quite a noise and attracted the attention of these Superpower User teams.


    Seeing human Superpower Users among the Bansel tribe''s ranks, they naturally had the idea of forming an alliance.


    Lu Heng nodded to the Iron Arm leader and then stopped by the roadside to wait for this team of Superpower Users to come and communicate.


    After the Bansel tribe''s team had passed, two members of this team of Superpower Users came forward to meet them.


    At about ten meters distance, the two men waved and greeted, "Hello."


    Lu Heng nodded to them in greeting and then began to size each other up.


    Among the two who came over, one was wearing Siam-style clothes, had dark skin, and was muscular, likely practiced in the Eight-Armed Fist.


    Eight-Armed Fist was a type of fighting technique that used eight parts of the body: both fists, elbows, knees, and feet for striking.


    This technique requires coordination with abdominal breathing and excels in elbow and knee strikes, making it very fierce and powerful.


    The expert in Eight-Armed Fist didn''t speak, instead, the other person handled the conversation:


    "Hello, I''m Liu Dongzhou, and this is our captain, Sitichai."


    "Hello, Lu Heng."


    "We just saw your ambush on the demon team, we were planning to help, but we quickly realized you didn''t need help," Liu Dongzhou was good at speaking tactfully, explaining why he was chosen to communicate.


    His words were indeed pleasing, pretending to help while actually standing by, and even if they knew it was just politeness, it still sounded pleasant.


    That''s the art of language.


    Lu Heng merely smiled without commenting.


    During the conversation, Lu Heng also observed this team of Superpower Users.


    This team was not small, consisting of 15 people¡ªa considerable force.


    However, this team''s composition was complex and not solely composed of people from Xia Country, but also included Superpower Users from other nations.


    Liu Dongzhou then asked, "I see you have a good relationship with those dwarfs..."


    "They are Bansel people." Lu Heng corrected his reference to the Bansel tribe.


    "What is your relationship with these Bansel people?" Liu Dongzhou asked the question he was most concerned about.


    "Well¡­"


    Lu Heng considered for a moment, then revealed a hearty smile and said, "A comprehensive strategic partnership."


    This definition was extremely accurate.


    Liu Dongzhou was stunned for a moment because this was a diplomatic term, representing extraordinary significance.


    In fact,


    using this term to describe it was indeed very appropriate.


    Because this was an exchange between two civilizations, it had transcended the scope of nations and risen to a higher level.


    If one were to delve deeper, the relationship between Lu Heng and the Bansel Tribe might be even closer than that of a comprehensive strategic partnership.


    After all, Lu Heng had taken in over thirty apprentices within the Bansel Tribe.


    This was much closer than a regular partnership.


    Actually, Liu Dongzhou really wanted to ask, "How did you form an alliance with the Bansel Tribe?"


    They had witnessed the fight between Iron Arm and Winged Demon Commander Sagers and clearly understood the combat power of the Bansel Tribe.


    Forming an alliance with the Bansel Tribe meant gaining a powerful allied force.


    Sitichai and Liu Dongzhou exchanged a glance, and Liu Dongzhou continued speaking,


    "If possible, we hope to form an alliance and collectively prevent the Evil God''s resurrection ceremony, which is too difficult for just one team to handle."


    "Sure," Lu Heng nodded in agreement.


    "Then can you lead us into Stone Hammer Castle to meet with the leader of the Bansel Tribe?" Liu Dongzhou made the request.


    "Sure," Lu Heng nodded again in agreement.


    Since they were going to form an alliance to prevent the Evil God resurrection ceremony, he would certainly take them into Stone Hammer Castle to discuss the action plan with the Bansel Tribe.


    The communication went smoothly, and Lu Heng and this team of Superpower Users reached an alliance intention.


    Afterward,


    Lu Heng led this team of 15 Superpower Users into Stone Hammer Castle to meet with the Iron Arm Leader.


    If it were anyone else, bringing so many outsiders into Stone Hammer Castle would surely face obstruction.


    However, Lu Heng''s prestige was so high within the Bansel Tribe, and he was almost sworn brothers with Iron Arm, so Iron Arm welcomed this 15-person team in the spacious council hall of Stone Hammer Castle.


    After a brief introduction, Iron Arm welcomed them and promised to join in combating the demons and preventing the Evil God Barton''s resurrection ceremony.


    Over the next two days,


    the Bansel Tribe continued their operations to ambush Demon Servants, and with the addition of 15 Superpower Users, the team''s combat power increased significantly.


    Lu Heng was always at the forefront, charging across the battlefield in unmatched fury, fiercely absorbing Demon Energy.


    Under the massive surge of demon energy, his Source Energy Level skyrocketed.


    Almost every time a demon team was wiped out, he leveled up.


    By the last day, Lu Heng''s level had risen from 14 to 17. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was finally the deadline for the Evil God Barton''s resurrection ceremony.


    The mission panel on the Abyss Battlefield showed the countdown to the ceremony as: 16 hours 23 minutes 55 seconds.


    This resurrection ceremony was scheduled to begin at midnight.


    According to the intelligence sent back by the Bansel Tribe scouts, the ceremony had not stopped, and Barton Temple was still preparing.


    Clearly, intercepting multiple Source Essence Sacrifices had not managed to stop the ceremony.


    Many Source Essence Sacrifices had still been delivered into Barton Temple.


    This also meant that the ultimate battle was inevitable.


    To prevent the resurrection ceremony, they must storm the Temple.


    Everyone was preparing for this final battle, striving to enhance their combat power as much as possible.

 Chapter 65 - 65 Elemental Arrow, An Irresistible Deal

    After several days of fierce battles with the Demons, Lu Heng''s Source Energy Level had risen to Level 17.


    With just over ten hours until the final battle, Lu Heng began preparations, reviewing his Attributes to see if there were any areas that could still be improved.


    [Name: Lu Heng]


    [Species: Human]


    [Level: 17]


    [Qi-Blood: 330/330]


    [Source Energy: 320/340]


    [Attributes: Strength 33, Agility 43, Constitution 33, Spirit 34, Perception 33]


    [Talent: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution]


    [Combat Rank: Shadow Walker]


    [Source Material Ability: Shadow Traversal]


    [Skill Slot Number: 3]


    [Skills: Thunderous Strike, Shadow Clone, Gale Step¡¤Thrust]


    [Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (In-depth Level), Movement Technique (In-depth Level), Fighting (Master Level)]


    [Vice Profession: Quenching Master]


    [Skill: Quenching, Spirit Injection]


    [Item: Aurora Blade]


    Lu Heng''s Agility Attribute had broken through the 40-point barrier, so if he encountered the Winged Demon Commander Sagers again, he should no longer be suppressed by his speed.


    While Lu Heng was reviewing his attributes, Su Muyu entered the room and said, "I checked the Dark Thorn Trap again. It hasn''t been triggered."


    "That''s good. What level are you now?" Lu Heng then asked her about her level.


    "I''m Level 15, not far from reaching Level 16." Su Muyu felt her leveling speed had been tremendously fast these past few days, and her physical attributes had greatly improved.


    Lu Heng handed over two Energy Crystal Cores and said, "Absorb these and level up once more. With around ten hours left until the Evil God''s Resurrection Ceremony, we need to boost our combat power as much as possible."


    "What about you?"


    "My energy absorption is saturated for now; these two are for your use."


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement and absorbed the energy from the two Crystal Cores.


    The energy from the Crystal Cores stirred up an Energy Tide within her, pushing her Source Energy Level to 16.


    "I''ve leveled up, and my attributes have increased significantly. Now they are Strength 28, Agility 29, Constitution 29, Spirit 34, Perception 34," Su Muyu reported her updated attributes after leveling up.


    It was now the last day on the Abyss Battlefield, but only a third of the Superpower Users had gathered enough Source Material to undergo their First Transition.


    Most of them were Combat Superpower Users; Support Superpower Users had a hard time getting enough Source Material to achieve a First Transition.


    Su Muyu was one of the few Support Superpower Users who had completed Source Fusion and achieved a First Transition rank, thanks to Lu Heng giving her special treatment.


    On the second day in the Abyss Battlefield, Lu Heng had completed his Source Fusion and all the subsequent Source Material he obtained, he gave to her.


    Thus, she also completed her Source Fusion, achieving the First Transition rank[Sky Eye].


    With complete Source Material Ability, her Reconnaissance Eagle received further enhancements, dramatically improving its combat attributes.


    [Sky Falcon]


    [Skill Effect: Summons a Sky Falcon for reconnaissance and combat in the sky. The Sky Falcon has a carrying capacity of 200kg, allowing the Caster to fly through the sky with its help.]


    [Attributes: Detecting Invisibility Range = 8¡ÁPerception; Attack Damage = 5¡ÁSpiritual power.]


    [Reconnaissance Eagle Skill: Aerodynamic Acceleration]


    [Aerodynamic Acceleration: Enhances the flight speed of the Reconnaissance Eagle by 50%. Duration: 3 minutes; Skill Consumption: 10 Source Energy points.]


    After obtaining her First Transition rank, Su Muyu''s Source Material Ability had significantly improved.


    The carrying capacity of the Reconnaissance Eagle grew from 100kg to 200kg, a crucial enhancement.


    A few days ago. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While the Winged Demon Commander Sagers clashed with the Iron Arm Leader, Lu Heng took on an entire team of demons by himself.


    At that time, to get Lu Heng to the battlefield, Su Muyu had to run on the ground because the Reconnaissance Eagle''s carrying capacity was only 100kg.


    With that capacity, it was possible to carry two lighter girls, but with Lu Heng, it could only carry one.


    Now with the capacity doubled, it could easily carry two people.


    The wingspan of the Reconnaissance Eagle also grew from two meters to three, evolving into the majestic Sky Falcon.


    Not only had the carrying capacity increased, but the scouting range and attack power had as well.


    The attack power of the Reconnaissance Eagle surged from 3¡ÁSpiritual Power directly to 5¡ÁSpiritual Power.


    Su Muyu''s current spiritual power was 34 points, which meant that the attack power of the Reconnaissance Eagle was up to 170 points.


    Before entering the Abyss Battlefield this time, Lin Zeyu had spent a considerable amount of money to quench his Silver Python Revolver twice.


    After two quenchings, the attack power of the Silver Python Revolver was 175 points.


    That is to say, now when Su Muyu controlled the Reconnaissance Eagle to attack, the damage was almost the same as firing a shot with his collector''s edition revolver.


    This was the increase in combat power brought about by the First Transition Class.


    Superpower Users, from the time they acquired the First Transition Class, would gradually surpass firearms in terms of combat power.


    Of course, this comparison was with Superpower Users who did not have a specialization in firearms.


    If it were a Superpower User who had acquired the Gun Enhancement Skill, using firearms would result in enhanced skills and greater power.


    From this stage, Superpower Users who did not specialize in firearms and forcibly spent Divine Energy on firearms would gradually lose their advantage.


    Of course, there were not only handguns but also more powerful weapons like rifles, bombs, and rocket launchers.


    Firearms still had advantages, but they no longer had a dominant advantage.


    ...


    Tonight was the decisive battle, an extra bit of combat power meant an extra bit of chance of winning.


    Lu Heng had been trying to find a suitable Skill Crystal Core for Su Muyu these past few days because she still had one Skill Slot empty.


    Since her awakening, Su Muyu had learned four skills, which were [Reconnaissance Eagle], [Invisible Veil¡¤Escape Shadow], [Prism Tower Shield], and [Dark Thorn Trap].


    Her initial number of Skill Slots was 5, meaning there was still one empty.


    Learning an additional skill greatly enhances combat power.


    However, the Skill Crystal Cores obtained these days were not suitable for her.


    Tonight was the final battle, they could not delay any longer.


    Lu Heng took the initiative to ask, "By the way, you can still learn one skill, any ideas?"


    "Umm..."


    Su Muyu twirled her hair with her fingers, pondering for a moment before responding, "I just heard outside, Sitichai''s team obtained a Skill Crystal Core, it''s [Elemental Arrow], can I use this skill?"


    Hearing it was this skill piqued Lu Heng''s interest, and he pressed, "Which element?"


    "It seems to be the Fire Element, I didn''t see the Crystal Core, just heard them talking about it," Su Muyu mentioned while she controlled the Reconnaissance Eagle.


    "The Fire Element is good, this skill is pretty decent, and you indeed need an attack skill, so let''s go with this one," Lu Heng immediately made the decision for her.


    "Ah! But this Skill Crystal Core isn''t ours," Su Muyu quickly reminded.


    "That''s not important, I''ll go talk to them," Lu Heng responded, getting up to find Sitichai.


    In the courtyard temporarily assigned to outsiders at Stone Hammer Castle, Sitichai was practicing the Eight-Armed Fist, creating loud thumping noises, the style was very fierce.


    Actually.


    The moment Lu Heng saw this Siam man, his impression wasn''t good, as he exuded an intense air of fierceness.


    However, there was no conflict between Lu Heng and him, and since they needed to ally to prevent the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony, they definitely had to adhere to the spirit of integrity and mutual assistance among allies.


    "Hello, can we talk?" Lu Heng initiated the conversation.


    "Please take a seat," Sitichai gestured towards the stone table.


    "I''ll get straight to the point, tonight is the final battle. I heard you obtained a Skill Crystal Core [Elemental Arrow], I wonder if you''re willing to sell?" Lu Heng went straight to the point.


    Sitichai furrowed his brows, not immediately agreeing.


    In fact, his team had been debating who should use this Crystal Core.


    This was a Grade C Skill Crystal Core, very valuable.


    After pondering for a moment, Sitichai said, "An hour ago, your friend with the surname Lin asked me, and I didn''t sell."


    The friend with the surname Lin he referred to was naturally Lin Zeyu.


    Lin Zeyu had always been generous in transactions.


    Since no deal was reached, Sitichai''s expected price was high.


    And his statement also served as an anchor for Lu Heng''s expectations.


    Lu Heng nonchalantly asked, "What price did he offer?"


    Sitichai held up two fingers, "Two Quenching Essences."


    Currently, the market price of Quenching Essence was between a Grade D and Grade C Skill Crystal Core.


    Thus, two Quenching Essences for one Grade C Skill Crystal Core was a suitable price.


    However, in the Abyss Battlefield, an extra skill meant extra combat power; it couldn''t be entirely measured by market price.


    Sitichai looked into Lu Heng''s eyes and asked, "What price can you offer?"


    Lu Heng also held up two fingers, "Two Quenching Essences."


    Sitichai''s gaze hardened as he countered, "Then why should I sell to you?"


    Lu Heng calmly put forth a second condition, "Two Quenching Essences, plus two weapon quenching services using Stone Hammer Castle''s Quenching Furnace."

 Chapter 66 - 66: Trap Triggered, Demons Blood

    "Deal!"


    Sitichai, upon hearing that weapon quenching was possible, immediately agreed.


    At this stage, for most Superpower Users, quenching remained a scarce resource.


    Sitichai also needed to improve his Combat Power as much as possible before the decisive moment arrived.


    Being able to quench weapons before the final battle was a condition no one could refuse.


    The deal was struck, and Lu Heng obtained the Skill Crystal Core [Elemental Arrow¡¤Fire], then quenched a pair of knuckle-dusters for Sitichai.


    [Elemental Arrow¡¤Fire: Conjure Fire Element Arrow using Source Energy, launch it with a crossbow, inflict weapon damage on the target and additional X points of flame damage. Damage coefficient = 2¡Áspiritual power. Skill Consumption: 10 Source Energy. Skill Level: Grade C.]


    This skill effectively used 10 points of Source Energy to create an elemental arrow, requiring a crossbow to use.


    The damage from the Elemental Arrow comprised two parts.


    The first part was the weapon damage, which was the damage from the crossbow.


    The second part was the flame damage equal to 2¡Áspiritual power.


    Besides the flame damage, the Elemental Arrow had a hidden feature that allowed it to ignore most air resistance and gravity.


    This significantly increased the range of the Elemental Arrow and allowed shooters to ignore wind direction and gravity, greatly improving shooting accuracy.


    After obtaining this Skill Crystal Core, Lu Heng took it back for Su Muyu to absorb.


    Su Muyu was a bit nervous, having heard that Lin Zeyu, the God of Misfortune, had failed several times when absorbing Skill Crystal Cores.


    Since there was only one [Elemental Arrow¡¤Fire], it would be disastrous if the absorption failed.


    Thus, she focused intensely while absorbing the energy from the Crystal Core.


    Only when the data panel displayed the [Elemental Arrow¡¤Fire] skill did she finally relax. "It succeeded! Thank goodness."


    She patted her chest, relieved that she hadn''t caught someone''s bad luck.


    Seeing her nervous demeanor, Lu Heng shook his head and smiled, "Not bad in terms of perception."


    Su Muyu, curious, asked, "Is there really a ''perception'' attribute?"


    Lu Heng, tilting his head, replied, "The attribute ''perception'' probably exists, but it can''t be proven; we might consider it a hidden attribute."


    Actually.


    In his past life, many Superpower Users had discussed the topic of "perception."


    It was generally believed that "perception" existed as a hidden attribute¡ªintangible and invisible, yet genuinely impacting every Superpower User.


    Apart from perception, many factors influenced energy absorption, such as focus and energy compatibility.


    After acquiring the Elemental Arrow skill, Su Muyu tested its effectiveness.


    Since she didn''t have a crossbow, she simply formed the Elemental Arrow in her hand and threw it like a dart.


    The Fire Element Arrow struck the wall and transformed into a blaze, burning a black mark onto the wall.


    "You still need a weapon. Do you want a bow or a crossbow?" Lu Heng was interested in her preference.


    "A crossbow, probably. It''s more convenient," Su Muyu had also considered this and found the crossbow easier to handle.


    In Stone Hammer Castle, finding a crossbow was quite easy.


    Lu Heng originally planned to ask the Iron Arm Leader for one by pulling some strings.


    However, Su Muyu felt it unnecessary to trouble the tribe leader and borrowed one from Mia instead.


    She and Mia, having escaped together from the Demon Camp''s dungeon, were close friends who had shared life-and-death experiences.


    "No borrowing!"


    Mia immediately shook her head, refusing to lend the crossbow, but then she suddenly changed tack, laughing, "My crossbow is a gift to you. Come on, let''s go to the shooting range, I''ll show you how to use it." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Actually, Su Muyu had used a crossbow in the main world before, but that one hadn''t undergone Basic Law Integration, so it couldn''t be brought into the Abyss World.


    After a few practice shots, Su Muyu mastered the trick of shooting Elemental Arrows with a crossbow.


    Lu Heng watched from the side as she finished test-firing and then took the crossbow to check its attributes.


    [Mia''s Crossbow]


    [Item Level: C]


    [Specifications: Length 72 cm, width of bow arms 58 cm, weight 2.2 kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 60]


    [Evaluation: A crossbow forged from fine iron, engraved with Mia''s name.]


    The crossbow caused shooting damage when attacking, just like firearms, and couldn''t benefit from the user''s Strength bonus.


    Purely in terms of Attack Power, the damage of the crossbow wasn''t as high as that of firearms.


    After all, as a cold weapon without any Skill bonuses, it definitely couldn''t compete with firearms.


    However, the crossbow had its advantages, namely, it was relatively quiet when shooting.


    Moreover, it could be used with Elemental Arrows.


    If the damage from the Elemental Arrows was included, the power had already surpassed that of a handgun.


    Now, Su Muyu''s spiritual power was 34 points, the damage coefficient of the Elemental Arrows was 2¡Áspiritual power, which was 68 points, and together with the crossbow''s 60 points of damage, the total damage reached 128 points.


    This damage had already surpassed the 105 points of damage from a Glock G17 handgun.


    Another important point was that, as long as there was Source Energy, the crossbow combined with the Elemental Arrows could fire without worrying about bullets.


    ¡­


    Just as Su Muyu was practicing archery at the shooting range, her brow suddenly furrowed, and she said, "My trap has been triggered!"


    "Go check it out!"


    At the same time as Lu Heng spoke, he had already rushed out toward the backyard of Stone Hammer Castle, with Su Muyu and Mia quickly following.


    In the garden at the backyard of Stone Hammer Castle, a very enchanting Carrion Flower had grown, captivating and mesmerizing.


    At that moment.


    Around the flowerbed, about a dozen strands of Source Energy formed Dark Thorns, and some blood was scattered on the ground.


    Two days ago, after burning the Evil God''s Finger, the pinch of ash that was produced was poured into this flowerbed.


    Once the Evil God''s Finger was burned to ash, the Divine Attribute had been completely separated and was now worthless.


    But that was still a part of the Evil God''s body, a place of faith and conversion for the servants of the Evil God.


    Therefore, Lu Heng took a precaution and had Su Muyu place a "Dark Thorn Trap" in the flowerbed to prevent anyone from taking the ashes.


    Setting this trap was initially to prevent the appearance of a "Traitor" inside Stone Hammer Castle.


    Over the past few days, with the operation intercepting the Source Essence Sacrifice, more than twenty human Superpower Users had gathered inside Stone Hammer Castle.


    With so many Superpower Users, it was hard to say if someone might trigger the "Traitor Task."


    Of course, Lu Heng was also not sure if the trap would work, but it was worth trying.


    Unexpectedly, the trap really was triggered.


    "Did it get away?" Su Muyu walked closer to the trap to inspect.


    The trap had been triggered, but the "thing" that had triggered it was gone, leaving only some blood behind.


    The "Dark Thorn Trap" was harmful, causing damage of 3¡Áspiritual power every minute.


    This damage was high, and if ensnared by Dark Thorns for a minute, it would result in either death or serious injury.


    Of course, if one had enough Strength, they could forcibly break free from the trap.


    "If it could break free from the trap, this creature must be high-level," Lu Heng inferred from experience.


    Mia walked over, squatted down by the few drops of blood, dabbed a bit with her finger, and sniffed it at her nose, her face immediately showing a stunned expression as she said, "This is demon''s blood. This is bad! A demon has sneaked into Stone Hammer Castle, I need to go inform my father."


    Saying this, she ran towards the council hall, shouting as she ran, "Alert Level One, a demon has entered Stone Hammer Castle!"

 Chapter 67 - 67 Blood Shadow Demon

    Stone Hammer Castle had been infiltrated by a demon, which was a very dangerous signal for the Bansel Tribe.


    This sturdy fortress was built against the mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.


    Each entrance was guarded by soldiers, and under normal circumstances, demons simply couldn''t get in.


    However, the blood dripping from the Dark Thorn Trap was filled with the scent of demons, signaling that a demon had indeed infiltrated Stone Hammer Castle.


    In the history of the Bansel Clan, there were very few instances of demons sneaking into their territory.


    Each occurrence had brought significant crises to the Bansel Tribe.


    Therefore, when Mia sounded the alarm, the whole of Stone Hammer Castle was alerted, triggering the highest level of alarm.


    All warriors of the Bansel Clan grabbed their weapons, rushed out of their dwellings, found their teams, and began searching throughout Stone Hammer Castle.


    Mia ran to the council hall to inform her father of the situation.


    The Iron Arm Leader personally appeared in the square of Stone Hammer Castle, arranging for different teams to search various areas, vowing to find the demon.


    Clearly, the warriors of the Bansel Clan had rehearsed for situations like this, so the chaos didn''t last long, and dozens of guard teams dispersed to search each critical area.


    By the time Lu Heng reached the square, the Iron Arm Leader had already assigned the search tasks.


    Turning around and seeing Lu Heng, the Iron Arm Leader asked, "Mia says it was you who discovered the demon?"


    Lu Heng nodded and replied, "Yes, I set a trap, and one demon stepped into it. This demon must be of a high level because it managed to escape from the Dark Thorn Trap."


    The Iron Arm Leader pondered, "If it''s broken free from the Dark Thorn Trap, its level is indeed not low. We must be extremely careful."


    "I''ll help with the search as well," Lu Heng said, concerned that the demon lurking inside Stone Hammer Castle might have other purposes; finding it seemed more reassuring.


    "That would be great; your help would be appreciated," the Iron Arm Leader said, feeling that at a time like this, the more people that helped, the quicker they would find the demon.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu acted together, following their intuition to search various parts of Stone Hammer Castle.


    Su Muyu released a scout hawk to detect every possible hiding spot for the demon.


    After reaching her First Transition Class, her scout hawk''s range for Detecting Invisibility had increased to 8¡Á her Perception.


    With 34 points in Perception, the detection range had expanded to 272 meters.


    This detection distance was vast, equivalent to being able to detect hidden units on the ground from atop a hundred-story skyscraper.


    The scout hawk just needed to fly overhead, and no hidden units on the ground could escape Su Muyu''s perception.


    "Where might this demon be hiding?" Su Muyu pondered while searching.


    "To have infiltrated Stone Hammer Castle, it definitely won''t be simple; we must search thoroughly," Lu Heng observed every corner of Stone Hammer Castle for anything unusual.


    The entire Stone Hammer Castle was brightly lit, with every torch ablaze, illuminating the corridors surrounding the square.


    All the members of the Bansel Clan were searching for the demon hidden within Stone Hammer Castle, but it remained elusive for a long time.


    Even the Beast Tamers of the Bansel Clan, leading their Hellhounds in search of the scent, found nothing.


    Lu Heng and his companion followed the fortress''s moat, observing the situation at the bottom of the water.


    As they were searching, they encountered Mia head-on.


    Mia, carrying a Warhammer and with a Crossbow strapped to her back, led a team of guards running towards them.


    Su Muyu waved and greeted her, "Did you find it?"


    "Not yet, but I''m determined to find that damned demon," Mia responded firmly and then led the guards toward the square.


    "Keep it up!" Su Muyu gave her an encouraging fist pump.


    After Mia passed by, Lu Heng and his companion continued along the moat.


    After about ten steps, both stopped in their tracks, looked at each other, and simultaneously voiced three words, "The Crossbow!"


    Mia had the Crossbow on her back as she ran past them.


    This wouldn''t have been a problem, but half an hour earlier, Mia had given her Crossbow to Su Muyu.


    The Crossbow now on Mia''s back looked identical to the one she had given to Su Muyu.


    Finding two crossbows of the same design wasn''t strange in itself, but if both crossbows were engraved with Mia''s name, that was problematic.


    "Mia, wait a second!" Lu Heng called out, trying to stop her.


    Mia didn''t turn back; instead, she suddenly exerted force and charged forward.


    A sharp glint flashed in Lu Heng''s eyes as he activated Gale Step and chased after her.


    Both dashed along the main channel. Mia''s speed was astonishingly fast; there were even several occasions when she jumped onto the walls of Stone Hammer Castle to run.


    Lu Heng followed close behind, wall-climbing as he ran and shouting simultaneously, "Stop her! This Mia is fake!"


    The warriors of the Bansel Clan all recognized Mia and felt something was off seeing her now jumping and running on the walls.


    However, they were uncertain whether Mia was possessed by something, so they dared not shoot at her with crossbow bolts.


    Lu Heng pursued her tenaciously as Mia crossed the main channel and ran all the way to Stone Hammer Castle Square.


    The square faced the main gate, and once she crossed it, she could escape from Stone Hammer Castle.


    This "Mia''s" speed was extremely fast, so fast that even with Lu Heng''s boosted pace from Gale Step, he could only follow without stopping her.


    As "Mia" reached the square, the Iron Arm Leader, hearing the shouts, immediately confronted her.


    When he saw "Mia," he was initially startled, then bellowed and moved to intercept this "Mia."


    As a father, he instantly recognized that this "Mia" was not his daughter.


    Therefore, he charged in front of "Mia," raised his palm, and slapped it across.


    Pow!


    "Mia" was sent flying by the slap, crashing into the western wall of the square and tumbling a dozen meters away.


    Upon hitting the wall, "Mia''s" body squeezed into a misshapen red liquid, slid to the ground, and revealed its true form.


    The true body of this creature was actually a pool of blood.


    Lu Heng immediately recognized it as a High Rank Blood Shadow Demon.


    "Damn Demon!"


    The Iron Arm''s face was filled with rage upon realizing that this demon had transformed into the likeness of Mia.


    He cursed and charged forward, swinging his warhammer, attempting to crush this High Rank Blood Shadow Demon.


    The slap from before had knocked the Blood Shadow Demon out of its disguise but hadn''t inflicted any serious injury.


    The Blood Shadow Demon instantly became a streak of blood shadow and dove into the sewer next to the square, fleeing outside.


    The Iron Arm''s hammer struck the ground without hitting its target, and immediately he reached into the sewer entrance to grab, but caught nothing, "Damn it!"


    After a brief pause, Lu Heng quickly said, "Iron Arm Leader, you go check on Mia, I''ll pursue."


    "Okay!"


    Concerned for his daughter''s safety, the Iron Arm agreed immediately and turned to find Mia.


    The sewer entrance was very narrow; ordinary people simply couldn''t fit through.


    The Blood Shadow Demon was able to escape as a blood shadow, thus it could flee out of Stone Hammer Castle through the sewer.


    Although Lu Heng couldn''t fit into the sewer, he had another way and directly activated the Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal," immediately within shadows, ignoring all physical collisions and gaining wall penetration capabilities.


    After Shadow Escape, Lu Heng followed the sewer forward in pursuit.


    In the state of "Shadow Traversal," movement speed increased by 300%. Combined with a second burst of speed from Gale Step, the speed boost shot up to 500%.


    With a fivefold acceleration, Lu Heng caught up to the Blood Shadow Demon in the blink of an eye. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, Lu Heng didn''t reveal his form; he continued to hide within the walls, monitoring the Blood Shadow Demon''s movements using Shadow Vision.


    The "Shadow Traversal" state could only last for 15 seconds.


    The time was short, but enough.


    The Blood Shadow Demon had no idea that it was still being pursued from behind; thus, it hurried along the sewer, retreating toward the outside of Stone Hammer Castle at a very fast pace.


    Lu Heng confirmed the direction of its escape, then accelerated forward, reaching the sewer exit first and drawing the Aurora Blade to wait.

 Chapter 68 - 68: Illusion Pearl (Seeking Followers)

    The afterglow of the setting sun slowly sank into the horizon, as twilight began to rise and cast a layer of eerie and desolate light over the land.


    Outside the sewer outlet to the northwest of Stone Hammer Castle.


    Lu Heng gripped the Aurora Blade in his hand and silently counted down three numbers, "3, 2, 1..."


    As soon as he reached one, a blood shadow burst out of the sewer mouth like an untamed wild horse.


    The blood shadow began to twist rapidly in mid-air, reverting back to the ferocious and terrifying form of the Blood Shadow Demon.


    Horns of pride grew from its head, preparing to let out a long howl to the sky, as a mockery of the weak defenses of Stone Hammer Castle''s guards.


    But in that moment, Lu Heng swung his sword, and the sharp sword light, like a silver dragon appearing suddenly, cut across the body of the Blood Shadow Demon, bisecting it.


    Caught off guard, the Blood Shadow Demon was seriously injured by the sword strike. Its arrogant howl turned into a piercing scream in an instant, and its body split open, falling to the ground as two pools of filthy blood.


    However, the Blood Shadow Demon didn''t die from this. One of the pools of blood twisted and coalesced back into its upper body.


    It let out an angry roar, wriggling its torso, dragging its severed lower half over and fitting them back together.


    In a moment, the two pools of blood merged into one and stood up again.


    Lu Heng pursued and attacked with another sword strike.


    This time, the Blood Shadow Demon was prepared, condensing a blood and shadow fog arm blade on its arm to block the attack.


    Sword and arm blade collided, making a metallic clash accompanied by sparks.


    A fierce fight began between man and demon.


    After several exchanges, Lu Heng gauged the approximate combat power of this Blood Shadow Demon.


    Indeed, it was a high-rank Blood Shadow Demon, at Level 18 or above, with its strength, agility, and other attributes all around 40 points.


    Had it been three days earlier, Lu Heng truly wouldn''t have been a match for it.


    But now things were different. After leveling up to 17, Lu Heng had a super high agility of 43 points, and in terms of speed and reaction, he was not at all inferior to the Blood Shadow Demon.


    Moreover, his first sword strike had split it in two; although it had not dealt a fatal wound, it had seriously injured the demon.


    The Blood Shadow Demon was proficient in the elusive Blood Shadow Escape and had the resilience of a life force difficult to kill with swords and knives, but a direct confrontation was not its strong suit.


    Moreover, the Blood Shadow Demon had a fatal weakness, which was its fear of thunder and flames.


    Having tested out the Blood Shadow Demon''s combat power, the demon similarly realized that Lu Heng was not an easy opponent.


    As a result, after forcing Lu Heng back with a swing of its Blood Shadow Arm Blade, the demon turned and transformed back into a blood shadow, fleeing rapidly along the ground.


    Lu Heng was about to activate Gale Step to chase.


    At that moment, a cry of an eagle came from the sky.


    A scouting eagle dived down, striking the blood shadow. Its energy nature changed, transforming into Dark Thorns that grew out of the void and entangled the Blood Shadow Demon. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Blood Shadow Demon struggled to break free from its binds; although it managed to escape the Dark Thorn Trap, its Blood Shadow Escape was interrupted, leaving it unable to flee.


    It was forced to turn back and once again clashed with Lu Heng in an aggressive combat.


    After ten exchanges, Lu Heng retreated to dodge his arm blade, then surged back with a burst of strength in his legs and unleashed Zhenyue Style of the Step Sword Seven Styles, simultaneously executing the skill "Thunderous Strike."


    Boom!


    With one strike of the sword, thunder ran rampant.


    Fierce electricity wreaked havoc on the body of the Blood Shadow Demon.


    Howl!


    The Blood Shadow Demon let out an agonized howl, its blood body scorched by the power of thunder and lightning, emitting a pungent burnt smell.


    A look of terror appeared on its blood-formed face as it turned to flee.


    Yet, under the burning of the thunder energy, its body went into paralysis, significantly reducing its speed and making escape from Lu Heng''s grasp impossible.


    Lu Heng raised the Aurora Blade and delivered another swing, with the power of thunder and lightning, extinguishing it for good.


    [Killed the Blood Shadow Demon, absorbed 180 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Source Energy Level increased to 18, all attributes +2, agility attribute additionally +0.6]


    The blood of the Blood Shadow Demon curled up and released a Skill Crystal Core and a Treasure Bead.


    Lu Heng picked up the two items and glanced quickly at the attribute data.


    [Blood Shadow Arm Blade: Use Source Energy to condense a Blood Shadow Arm Blade on the arm, attack to draw the target''s blood, causing X points of bleeding damage, the wound unable to clot. Damage coefficient = 2¡Á strength attribute. Skill Consumption: 20 points of Source Energy. Skill Level: C Rank.]


    [Illusion Pearl: When the bead is brought close to a creature, it can reflect the creature''s form; using the bead you can transform into the reflected creature''s appearance. Item Level: B Rank.]


    Seeing the Illusion Pearl, Lu Heng finally understood how the Blood Shadow Demon had managed to change into Mia.


    Subsequently,


    Su Muyu flew out on her scouting eagle. Seeing that the battle was over, she gently descended and asked, "Weren''t you hurt?"


    She could tell that the Blood Shadow Demon was high-ranking, so she was somewhat worried.


    "I''m fine, let''s go back," Lu Heng said, pulling her to return.


    On the way back to Stone Hammer Castle, Lu Heng pondered over the day''s events, feeling that something was off.


    "How is Mia doing?" Lu Heng remembered Mia and wondered if the brave warrior from the Bansel Clan was alright.


    "She''s fine, not hurt at all," Su Muyu replied. She had checked on Mia before rushing over.


    "I always feel that something''s not right."


    Lu Heng was deep in thought and then turned to look back at where the Blood Shadow Demon had fallen, his pupils shrinking as he said, "No, that''s wrong! It wasn''t the Blood Shadow Demon that triggered your trap!"


    Su Muyu immediately realized the reason: "There must be another demon within Stone Hammer Castle!"


    The two picked up their pace and ran towards the gates of Stone Hammer Castle after coming to this realization.


    Why wasn''t it the Blood Shadow Demon that triggered the trap?


    The reason was simple, due to the bloodstains on the ground.


    The Blood Shadow Demon''s body could reattach after being severed; its blood was its body.


    Even if blood dripped onto the ground, it could be reabsorbed back into the body.


    Therefore, if it were the Blood Shadow Demon that had triggered the Dark Thorn Trap, it would not have left bloodstains at the scene.


    There was only one possibility, that someone else had triggered the trap.


    Lu Heng was even more cautious in his thinking, correcting himself, "It might not necessarily be a demon; it could also be a human."


    "But Mia said those few drops of blood were demon blood," Su Muyu expressed her confusion with a puzzled look.


    "The reason Mia said it was demon blood is because the blood carried the scent of a demon. If a human Superpower User received an infusion of the Evil God''s energy, they could also produce blood tinged with the essence of a demon," Lu Heng thought harder, finding today''s events exceedingly tricky.


    "If that''s the case, then things are even more complicated," Su Muyu frowned as she thought, trying to find a way to clear things up.


    Human Superpower Users could indeed produce blood with the scent of a demon.


    Especially those who had triggered the "Traitor Task" and fallen to become Abyss Agents, their blood would usually carry the essence of demons.


    After returning to Stone Hammer Castle,


    Lu Heng first went to the council hall and saw Mia, who seemed entirely unharmed and didn''t even know that a demon had taken on her appearance.


    "You really saw a demon that looked exactly like me? Really? I would love to see it too." Mia was quite curious, hearing everyone talk about it.


    "When were you duplicated by the demon, do you know?" Lu Heng asked the critical question.


    Mia shook her head, looking baffled, "I have no idea. I''ve been leading a team to search for demons, and I''m completely unaware of anything."


    The Iron Arm Leader asked with concern, "Mia, think again. The Blood Shadow Demon took on your form, and even I almost didn''t recognize it."


    Mia still shook her head, "No, I have not encountered any demons today."


    Suddenly, Lu Heng remembered something and said, "It wasn''t copied today. The Blood Shadow Demon had your crossbow, but today you gave the crossbow to Mu Yu. This means the Blood Shadow Demon had copied your appearance before you gave the crossbow to Mu Yu."


    Mia nodded vigorously, "Right, how did I not think of that?"


    Lu Heng continued to ask, "So when do you think you were duplicated?"


    Mia frowned and thought, still shaking her head, "Ever since I returned, I''ve been with everyone..."


    Lu Heng immediately understood, "Then it was in the dungeon."


    "In the dungeon? But that was so many days ago." Mia''s eyes widened in shock.


    Lu Heng turned to the Iron Arm Leader and shared his deduction:


    "Leader, there is another questionable point. The Blood Shadow Demon could have used Blood Shadow Escape to flee from the sewers of Stone Hammer Castle directly, yet he chose to go through the plaza.


    "At that time, the leader was in the plaza, and his chosen route is suspicious, as though he was deliberately trying to attract your attention.


    "I suspect he was covering for the escape of other demons or a traitor.


    "Additionally, considering the demon had duplicated Mia''s appearance several days ago, today''s actions by the demon must have had another purpose.


    "Inside Stone Hammer Castle, is there anything that''s particularly important for tonight''s Resurrection Ceremony?"


    This...


    Iron Arm''s expression paused, and then as if struck by revelation, he slammed a fist and said, "I understand now, these damned demons came for our tribe''s treasure."

 Chapter 69 - 69: The Stolen Bansel Clan Holy Artifact

    Next to the residence of the leader of the Bansel Tribe, there was a hidden stone chamber that stored the Holy Artifact guarded by the Bansel Tribe for generations.


    Iron Arm pushed open the door of the stone chamber and his face immediately changed drastically.


    In the center of the stone chamber was a stone platform, on which sat a box. Originally, the box contained the Holy Artifact of the Bansel Tribe, but now it was open and empty.


    "The Holy Artifact is gone!"


    Beads of sweat immediately broke out on Iron Arm''s forehead, and his whole body trembled with anger.


    This Bansel Tribal Holy Artifact had been looked after by the tribe leaders of each generation since ancient times.


    Now that the Holy Artifact had vanished, Iron Arm felt a thunderous shock. The tribal Holy Artifact had been lost on his watch.


    Mia stood outside the door, anxiously asking, "Father, what''s happened?"


    Without permission, no one from the tribe could enter this stone chamber.


    With a grave expression, Iron Arm walked to the door and said, "Come in."


    Mia and several tribal elders entered the stone chamber and, upon discovering the Holy Artifact was missing, all showed panicked expressions:


    "The Holy Artifact is gone, what happened?"


    "It must have been stolen by a demon!"


    "Was it stolen by the Blood Shadow Demon who escaped earlier?"


    Mia stared at the empty box, her face full of worry: "Where''s the nail?"


    She had seen the Holy Artifact before with her father, so she knew what should have been in the box.


    "Did any of you see any suspicious person near the stone chamber today?" Iron Arm asked in a deep voice.


    The tribal elders present all shook their heads, indicating they hadn''t seen anyone.


    "Leader, we must dispatch people to search immediately. We must find the Holy Artifact."


    "Yes, we must find the Holy Artifact!"


    Iron Arm looked at the empty box, his expression extremely grim.


    Since there wasn''t much time left until the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony, if they wanted to stop this ceremony, they must start taking action immediately.


    Spending time now searching for the Holy Artifact, even if they found it, it would most likely be too late to prevent the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton.


    As the one who taught the Bansel Tribe the Quenching Skill, Lu Heng was the only outsider allowed into the stone chamber.


    After inspecting the situation in the stone chamber, Lu Heng voiced his deduction: "The Holy Artifact must have already been taken out of Stone Hammer Castle. The appearance of the Blood Shadow Demon was a cover for the theft of the Holy Artifact."


    "In fact, no need to search, the servant of the Evil God who stole the Holy Artifact will definitely take it to the Barton Temple, as an offering for the resurrection ceremony.


    "So, to retrieve the Holy Artifact, we can skip the search step and go directly to the Barton Temple."


    Lu Heng was certain that the Bansel Tribe''s Holy Artifact would end up in the Barton Temple and not be hidden anywhere else.


    Because the Barton''s Ring, which contained Divine Energy, had already been melted down by the Quenching Furnace.


    Without this Divinity-offering, the Evil God''s servant must find another item that could provide Divine Energy for the Resurrection Ceremony.


    The Bansel Tribe''s Holy Artifact met this requirement perfectly.


    Moreover, the Holy Artifact of the Bansel Tribe was specifically designed to counter Evil God Barton.


    After hearing Lu Heng''s analysis, Iron Arm thought it made a lot of sense.


    He looked around and asked aloud, "Who can go to the Barton Temple and retrieve the Holy Artifact? We must get it back before the Resurrection Ceremony starts; otherwise, the consequences are unimaginable."


    "[Trigger hidden mission: Lost Holy Artifact of the Bansel Tribe]"


    "[Mission: The Holy Artifact guarded by Iron Arm, the leader of the Bansel Tribe, has been stolen. Iron Arm hopes someone can retrieve it before the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton begins.]"


    "[Reward: 500 points of Divine Energy]"


    "I''ll go."


    Lu Heng gave it some thought and then volunteered.


    This Holy Artifact of the Bansel Tribe, specifically used to counter Evil God Barton, had to be retrieved, even without a reward.


    Otherwise, it would be very difficult to stop the resurrection ceremony.


    "Are you sure?" Iron Arm looked at Lu Heng, his eyes filled with hope and uncertainty. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Actually, he did not want to entrust such an important task to an outsider, even though he greatly respected Lu Heng.


    This was, after all, a matter concerning the fate of the Bansel Tribe, and if possible, he would have liked to send a warrior of the Bansel Tribe instead.


    "I''ll try," Lu Heng said, already having a bold idea in mind, but he didn''t boast.


    That was Lu Heng''s nature, confident yet cautious, never making promises until the task was completed.


    "Alright. I''ll leave this matter to you then," Iron Arm couldn''t think of anyone else more appropriate for the task.


    Subsequently,


    Lu Heng and the Iron Arm Leader stepped into a secret chamber to discuss the plan to retrieve the Holy Artifact.


    This mission was highly dangerous. Lu Heng requested a batch of special weapons to prepare for the upcoming actions.


    Moreover, there was a temple map drawn by a Scout from the Bansel Tribe.


    The map outlined the general structure of the Barton Temple''s interior, but many areas were not clearly depicted.


    After all, the Bansel Tribe''s Scouts couldn''t enter inside the Barton Temple to explore.


    Lu Heng carefully memorized the map, preparing to set off.


    Before departing, Lu Heng went to meet with Lin Zeyu.


    "You have a very important task to perform, don''t you?" Lin Zeyu did not have high prestige in Stone Hammer Castle, so he was unaware of the Bansel Tribe''s lost Holy Artifact; however, he could tell that Lu Heng had something significant to attend to.


    "Yes, I must leave first," Lu Heng nodded.


    "Tonight is the final battle, and who knows what will happen," Lin Zeyu suddenly seemed a bit melancholic.


    "Try your best to survive."


    In fact, Lu Heng was uncertain whether Lin Zeyu could survive and return to the main world.


    Because, from the memories of his previous life, there was no information about Lin Zeyu becoming a top Superpower User.


    At least in the future, among the known Superpower Users in the Coastal region, there was no mention of Lin Zeyu''s name.


    In other words, if Lin Zeyu had also entered the Abyss Battlefield in his previous life, he likely would have died there, hence why no further mention of him existed.


    After interacting with him over the past few days, Lu Heng could see that although Lin Zeyu was a bit unlucky, he had good potential.


    With the Lin Family''s wealth, if he survived, his future wouldn''t be obscure.


    Actually,


    Lu Heng was also unsure if he could survive and return, considering that in his previous life, Evil God Barton descended on Blue Star and killed all the Superpower Users who tried to stop his resurrection.


    Could he successfully prevent the resurrection of Evil God Barton this time?


    It remained an uncertainty.


    Moreover, another variable in this Abyss Battlefield was Lei Jinhao.


    In his previous life, Lei Jinhao was among the top ten Superpower Users of the Coastal region, nicknamed the "Storm Boxing King."


    Meaning, he wouldn''t die in this Abyss Battlefield.


    There appeared to be a contradiction.


    Evil God Barton would descend on Blue Star in three months and kill all the Superpower Users who returned from the Abyss Battlefield.


    Yet, Lei Jinhao survived and became the "Storm Boxing King," not killed by Evil God Barton.


    Why was that?


    Could it be that in his previous life, Lei Jinhao was never conscripted into this Abyss Battlefield?


    That was possible.


    This Abyss Battlefield was a battle for the Source Material, and only those who acquired Professional Source Material would be conscripted.


    If in his previous life, Lei Jinhao acquired the Fighting Artist Essence later than this life, he wouldn''t enter this battle for Source Material.


    And Lei Jinhao being able to acquire the Fighting Artist Essence quickly this time was because Gong Chusheng had died and the Chairman of the Gongteng Group needed him to find the murderer, thus promptly granting him the essence.


    "What''s with that look? It makes it seem like I definitely can''t return," Lin Zeyu, noticing the reminiscing expression in Lu Heng''s eyes, couldn''t help but comment.


    "Nothing, I just want to remind you to be careful and strive to survive. Also, that revolver of yours has too few bullets, bring another weapon," Lu Heng could only wish him luck.


    Tonight is the final battle, and Lin Zeyu was also a bit nervous: "Could you do me a favor?"


    "Sure."


    "If I don''t survive and return, could you deliver a message to my father for me? Tell him, I''ve actually forgiven him."


    This statement seemed a bit abrupt, but it was clearly a family matter, so Lu Heng didn''t inquire further.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "I''d also like to ask you for a favor."


    "Go ahead."


    "If I don''t survive, please look after my parents and move them to another city. I fear my enemies might seek revenge on them," Lu Heng voiced his deepest concerns.


    "Alright, as long as I survive and return, I will definitely take care of it," Lin Zeyu promised.


    The two raised their fists, touched them together, and sealed the promise.

 Chapter 70 - 70 Traitor

    Resurrection Ceremony countdown: 5 hours, 52 minutes, 18 seconds.


    Lu Heng had officially set off, accompanied by Su Muyu and a team of Bansel Clan scouts.


    During the operation, Su Muyu and the Bansel Clan scouts would be responsible for the rendezvous outside the Barton Temple.


    Lu Heng had to enter the Barton Temple to locate the sacred relic of the Bansel Clan.


    Before entering the Barton Temple, Lu Heng first sought a Winged Demon Wizard and used an "Illusion Pearl" to reflect his appearance, transforming into the likeness of a Winged Demon Wizard. He then followed a team of Demon Servants and boldly entered the Barton Temple.


    The reason for choosing a Winged Demon Wizard was that their rank was neither high nor low, but just right.


    If he were a common low-rank demon, he wouldn''t have had the privilege of accessing the core area of the temple.


    If he were a Commander-Level demon, he would be easily exposed.


    A Winged Demon Wizard was just suitable.


    The Barton Temple consisted of a massive complex of buildings, substantially grand and imposing.


    At this moment.


    The main entrance of the Barton Temple was bustling with Demon Servants going in and out, preparing for the upcoming grand ceremony.


    Disguised as a Winged Demon Wizard, Lu Heng followed other Winged Demons in a line, humbly entering the temple with the piety of pilgrims.


    Passing through a long corridor, a downward staircase of a hundred steps began to appear.


    Descending the stairs would lead to the temple''s domed grand hall.


    This hall was incredibly spacious; its length, width, and height all exceeded thirty meters.


    Upon entering the domed grand hall, he encountered Winged Demon Commander Sagers.


    Sagers came in from outside, strode with his head held high towards the center of the hall, nearly brushing past Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng''s heart pounded fiercely with anxiety, even worrying that the sound of his heartbeat could be heard by this powerful Commander-Level demon.


    If he had suddenly stopped next to him, things would have been problematic.


    Fortunately, Sagers walked straight past without pausing.


    Afterward.


    Another Commander-Level demon appeared and conversed with Sagers in the center of the hall, speaking in Demon Language.


    Lu Heng could only understand a few specific words; they were indeed discussing the sacred relic of the Bansel Clan.


    At this point.


    Several human Superpower Users entered from outside the Temple, and Lu Heng couldn''t help but grow tense at the sight of them.


    The new arrivals were unmistakably Lei Jinhao and a few members of his team.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers turned to Lei Jinhao and arrogantly asked in the common language of the Abyss, "Did you get the item?"


    "We got it."


    As Lei Jinhao spoke, he took out a thirty-centimeter-long iron spike and respectfully handed it over with both hands.


    Sagers took the spike, glanced at it with satisfaction and said, "This damned nail is exactly it. It''s to be used in the ritual. Place it in the lower dungeon when the ceremony begins."


    Having finished, he handed it off to a nearby Demon Servant. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A team of Demon Servants took the spike, reverently cradling it, and walked into the passage on the right side of the grand hall.


    Lei Jinhao spoke up to inquire, "When will the blessing you promised me be fulfilled?"


    "You may receive it now. Come here and offer your loyalty to the great deity." Sagers gestured towards the statue in the middle of the hall.


    The statue was immensely tall, a full ten meters high, depicting a lean figure with two wings on its back, horns on its head, and a long tail trailing behind it.


    This statue was likely the very image of the Evil God Barton himself.


    Lei Jinhao walked in front of the statue and knelt down in devout worship.


    Suddenly, a surge of dark energy burst forth from the statue, pouring into Lei Jinhao.


    Lu Heng witnessed all of this and couldn''t help but take an involuntary breath of cold air.


    Clearly, Lei Jinhao had already received a "Traitor Task" and had completed it, thus earning the Evil God''s blessing.


    "The Traitor Task" is a name coined by Superpower Users.


    When the task appears, it is not displayed as "The Traitor Task."


    In fact,


    Lu Heng had already triggered the "Traitor Task" twice, the first time when he got Barton''s Ring, and the second time when he saw Barton''s finger.


    On both occasions, the tasks triggered were displayed as "Hidden Tasks."


    Actually, with a little thought, it''s not difficult to discover.


    The "Main Quest" and "The Traitor Task" on the Abyss Battlefield are opposite in ultimate aim.


    This time, the Main Quest of the Abyss Battlefield is clearly aimed at guiding Superpower Users to prevent the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton.


    Whereas "The Traitor Task" is about helping the resurrection of Evil God Barton.


    This also confirmed the speculation of many Superpower Users from previous lives, that "The Traitor Task" was issued by the Abyss.


    The "Traitor Task" that Lei Jinhao received was probably to steal the Holy Artifact of the Bansel Clan.


    Thinking this way, many things began to connect.


    Lei Jinhao''s group had previously gained the trust of the Bansel Clan and entered Stone Hammer Castle.


    This meant that they were familiar with the layout of Stone Hammer Castle and indeed had a better opportunity to steal the Holy Artifact of the Bansel Clan than others.


    If that''s the case,


    then some previous conjectures no longer stand.


    Previously, Lu Heng thought Lei Jinhao might not have entered this Abyss Battlefield in his past life, as he wasn''t killed by Evil God Barton three months later.


    But now, seeing Lei Jinhao inside Barton Temple and receiving an Energy Blessing from the Evil God,


    this turn of events made him a servant of the Evil God, and naturally, the Evil God wouldn''t kill him upon arriving at Blue Star.


    In an instant, Lu Heng understood many things, and a surge of emotions welled up in his chest.


    In the center of the grand hall,


    after receiving the Energy Blessing, Lei Jinhao slowly stood up, let out a long howl to the sky, and a powerful pressure swept through.


    Feeling this pressure, even Lu Heng couldn''t help but take a deep breath.


    The Winged Demon Commander Sagers pointed towards the temple''s main entrance and ordered, "Go. Guard the temple gates and after the Lord''s Resurrection Ceremony, you will receive even greater blessings."


    Lei Jinhao nodded, then led his subordinates out of the grand hall.


    The direction he walked in just happened to pass by Lu Heng.


    As they brushed shoulders, Lu Heng held his breath and remained motionless, trying his best to stay still.


    After Lei Jinhao passed by, the Perceiver named Yada also passed by Lu Heng''s side.


    As she reached Lu Heng, she suddenly stopped: "Wait a second."


    Her voice made Lu Heng''s heart skip a half-beat.


    Being exposed now would make things very bad.


    There were nearly a thousand demons gathered here, if not eight hundred.


    Moreover, with two Commander Level Demons and Lei Jinhao, who just received an Energy Blessing from the Evil God, even if he managed to escape, he would lose plenty of skin in the process.


    "What''s the matter?" Lei Jinhao turned back to look at her, his tone somewhat cold.


    "I was promised a blessing too," Yada huffed, discontent.


    "What''s the rush? If I''ve grown stronger, naturally I''ll help you," Lei Jinhao said, a bit impatient.


    The two argued about the issue as they walked out.


    After they left, Lu Heng exhaled deeply, thinking to himself that the two''s relationship was not as good as it appeared on the surface.


    Next,


    the dozen or so teams of Winged Demon Wizards waiting in the hall began to take turns prostrating and praying devoutly before the statue of Barton.


    After arranging the matters in the grand hall, Winged Demon Commander Sagers spread his wings and flew out from the hole above the hall.


    Lu Heng looked around and started looking for an opportunity to seize the Holy Artifact.

 Chapter 71 - 71: The Final Battle, All Out Attack

    The final battle was imminent, and the army of Stone Hammer Castle swarmed out, heading for Barton Temple.


    This was the battle that would determine the fate of the Bansel Tribe.


    Stone Hammer Castle was too close to Barton Temple, and if Evil God Barton were resurrected, the Bansel Tribe would lose their homeland.


    However, the Bansel Tribe had already gone through too many relocations and had finally found a place to settle down. They had taken root here and had no extra strength to endure another relocation.


    This meant that, should this battle be lost, it would be the battle of extermination for the Bansel Tribe.


    Therefore, the army of Stone Hammer Castle swarmed out, pushing ten catapults towards Barton Temple.


    The catapults were covered with canvas, hiding these ten great killing machines. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mia sat on the canvas of the catapult, showing a big smile to her chieftain father and said, "Old man, when we win, I''ll make you mushroom soup when we get back."


    "Why are you suddenly being so filial?" Iron Arm was very pleased, laughing heartily as he stroked his rough beard.


    "Have I not always been good and obedient?" Mia glared, forgetting all the outrageous things she had done in the past in the back of her mind.


    "Alright, alright . . ." Iron Arm continued to laugh heartily. In his eyes, no matter how many outrageous things his daughter had done, she was sensible and well-behaved.


    "After this battle is over, let''s keep Mr. Lu Heng. He''s helped us a lot, and many tribespeople like him." Mia had been thinking about this for the last few days.


    "Well . . ."


    Iron Arm actually wanted to, but he could see that Lu Heng didn''t belong here, so he didn''t respond to his daughter''s request.


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Outside Barton Temple.


    Su Muyu stood on a rocky peak, controlling a scouting hawk circling above Barton Temple.


    There were more demons in the temple than she had expected, making the battle destined to be tough.


    While the scouting hawk circled, it spotted two other groups of Superpower Users.


    The Superpower Users who had survived to this point weren''t just the two groups from Stone Hammer Castle; there were also some scattered groups of Superpower Users in the wilderness.


    However, these groups of Superpower Users didn''t necessarily have the goal of stopping the resurrection ceremony of the Evil God.


    After all, the three main quests of this Abyss Battlefield were:


    [1. Escape the dungeon before the resurrection ceremony begins.]


    [2. Attack the Demon team transporting the Source Essence Sacrifice.]


    [3. Survive until the end of the resurrection ceremony.]


    That is, the main quests didn''t explicitly require stopping the resurrection ceremony.


    The task of stopping the resurrection ceremony of the Evil God was a challenge task.


    The main quests of the Abyss Battlefield were mandatory to complete, but the challenge tasks weren''t obligatory, and completing them offered higher rewards than the main quests.


    Therefore, if one only wanted to return alive, it wasn''t necessary to stop the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton; it was enough just to survive until the ceremony ended.


    Su Muyu observed that the two Superpower User groups consisted of 5 and 8 people, respectively.


    They were watching Barton Temple from a considerable distance, seemingly undecided about participating in this final battle.


    After careful consideration, Su Muyu controlled the scouting hawk to fly in front of the 8-person squad and revealed the form of a sky-hunting hawk.


    "Who goes there?" The Perceiver in that squad immediately exclaimed.


    Su Muyu spoke through the scouting hawk: "Hello, I am a Perceiver of the Stone Hammer Castle army, and I would like to have a talk with your team leader."


    A burly strong man stepped forward and asked, "I am the team leader, Zheng Shikui; what would you like to talk about?"


    Su Muyu straightforwardly stated her intentions: "I can see that you are just here to scout the situation and might not be willing to join the final battle; I came here hoping to persuade you to join the fight."


    Zheng Shikui: "Stopping the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony is a challenge task, and we can survive without completing it."


    Su Muyu: "On the surface, that''s true, but there is an implicit crisis involved. After the resurrection of Evil God Barton, he will rule the entire region, and spiritual pollution will inevitably occur. If you have experienced the spiritual pollution of the Abyss World, you should understand what I mean."


    Zheng Shikui frowned.


    In fact, he decided to observe the outskirts of Barton Temple not because he had no intention of joining the battle, but to make decisions based on the situation.


    Through the Celestial Falcon, Su Muyu continued to persuade: "Actually, humans are not the main force in this decisive battle. Having been in the Abyss World for so many days, you should know that there is a Bansel Tribe here.


    "They are the main force of the final battle, and the Bansel Tribe has already come out in full force, heading to Barton Temple.


    "They are now on the main road of Ankalie Mountain¡ªif you don''t believe me, you can send a Perceiver to check.


    "The fact that the Bansel Tribe can survive in this world shows that they have the ability to contend with the Evil God.


    "Our strength is the additional weight on the balance of resistance against him¡ªperhaps you are the weight that can change the outcome.


    "Besides the army of the Bansel Tribe, we have 22 other superpower users who will join the battle.


    "If you join us, along with a team of five behind this mountain, our numbers will reach 35 people, a force that can change the situation.


    "That''s all I have to say, I hope you will consider it seriously.


    "When the battle starts, the Bansel Tribe will blow the horn of charge, and I hope to see you there."


    After finishing her speech, Su Muyu regained control of the Celestial Falcon and sent it back into the sky.


    Actually, she was a bit nervous while facing this team of superpower users.


    She had never spoken in front of so many "fierce and evil-looking" people before. This was a decision made with courage.


    However, once the conversation started, she realized it wasn''t that difficult.


    Perhaps because she was using the Celestial Falcon to communicate, she didn''t need to face so many people directly and felt less nervous.


    The speech she gave was like speaking at a school flag-raising ceremony, facing all the teachers and students.


    She had given similar speeches several times before.


    After all, being a good student, she was sometimes chosen by teachers to represent the students.


    Having persuaded the team of eight, Su Muyu took a deep breath and continued controlling the reconnaissance falcon to find the other team of five.


    Thirteen superpower users, though not many in number, demonstrated strong abilities to survive in the demon''s world and could play a significant role at critical moments.


    ...


    Inside Barton Temple.


    A team of Demon Servants carrying sacrifices passed by, and Lu Heng quietly followed them into the corridor on the right side of the grand hall.


    The corridor spiraled downward, leading into a vast cavern.


    In the cave, a group of Source Essence Sacrifices was held, most of them barely hanging on to life.


    Apart from the room imprisoning the Source Essence Sacrifices, there were many stone chambers with closed doors in the cavern.


    Lu Heng followed the Demon Servants and noticed guards outside six stone chambers; the Holy Artifact should be stored in one of them, but it was uncertain which one.


    After completing their task, the Demon Servants turned and left the cavern.


    Just then,


    a Commander Level Fiery Flame Horned Demon entered the cavern and approached an Abyss Worm imprisoned in a cell, grabbed the worm''s head, dragged it close, and bit off its head, swallowing it.


    Now, encountering this Commander Level Fiery Flame Horned Demon would likely lead to his identity being exposed.


    After all, appearing as a solitary Winged Demon Wizard in the cavern was too suspicious.


    Lu Heng quickly thought and moved to a recess in the wall to avoid the Fiery Flame Horned Demon''s line of sight. He then activated the Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal" and entered the wall.


    As the Fiery Flame Horned Demon finished eating the Abyss Worm and strode deeper into the cavern to seek another snack,


    Lu Heng hid within the wall, holding his breath, waiting quietly for the demon to pass by, while using Shadow Vision to scan around, seeking the room where the Bansel Tribe''s Holy Artifact was stored.

 Chapter 72 - 72: Signal for the Decisive Battle, The Art of Explosion

    After the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander passed by, Lu Heng, through Shadow Vision, also saw the room where the Bansel Clan Holy Artifact was located.


    Once the Commander Level Demon had walked a distance away, Lu Heng silently counted the remaining time for "Shadow Traversal" and passed through the walls to enter that room.


    The room where the Bansel Clan''s Holy Artifact was stored was a completely sealed stone chamber.


    Thus, no trace of light shone in from the outside; instead, the Holy Artifact of the Bansel Clan emitted a faint glimmer, barely allowing one to see.


    Lu Heng walked over and reached out to pick up the Bansel Clan Holy Artifact.


    This Holy Artifact was a thirty-centimeter-long iron mallet, thick at one end and pointed at the other, which could also be described as an iron spike or a large iron nail.


    Upon touching the Holy Artifact, he saw its Attribute data.


    [Bansel Clan Ancestor''s Mallet]


    [Item Level: A-Level]


    [Specifications: Length 30 cm, Weight 5.2 kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 60]


    [Special Effect: Ancestor''s Power]


    [Ancestor''s Power: Awakens the Ancestor''s Power of the Bansel Clan, possessing the strength to break through all magical barriers, and pierce the bodies and hearts of Evil Gods.]


    [Introduction: The iron mallet used by the ancestors of the Bansel Clan to kill the Evil God Barton, containing Divine Energy, and has the power to restrain Evil God Barton.]


    The Ancestor''s Mallet didn''t look big, but it was surprisingly heavy in hand and was clearly not made of ordinary cast iron.


    After obtaining the Bansel Clan''s Holy Artifact, Lu Heng waited on the spot for his Source Material Energy to recover.


    Activating "Shadow Traversal" consumed Source Material Energy, and it would take about ten minutes to fully recharge.


    If Lu Heng wanted to leave this stone chamber silently, he would have to wait for ten minutes and then use "Shadow Traversal" again to leave.


    While waiting, Lu Heng took out an Abyss Salt Bomb and placed it inside the stone chamber.


    This type of Abyss Salt Bomb, taken from the Iron Arm Leader, was the strongest Explosive that the Bansel Clan could make.


    Besides hurling stones, the Bansel Clan''s catapults would also launch such Abyss Salt Bombs.


    When Lu Heng and the Iron Arm Leader discussed in the secret chamber, they had already decided to infiltrate Barton Temple to retrieve the Holy Artifact.


    Since they were going to infiltrate Barton Temple anyway, planting a few bombs was just a matter of convenience.


    Moreover, the signal for the attack agreed upon by Lu Heng and the Iron Arm Leader was the explosion of the salt bombs.


    Time ticked away second by second.


    There were three minutes left until the Source Material Energy was fully restored.


    Lu Heng took out the blueprint of Barton Temple, released a spark of thunder at his fingertips, and reconfirmed the positions of the internal structures.


    Since this map was drawn by the Bansel Scout based on external observations, there were some discrepancies.


    Lu Heng, comparing the map with the dungeon''s structure, found the most suitable locations to plant the Abyss Salt Bombs.


    The three minutes passed, and he triggered "Shadow Traversal" again.


    In fifteen seconds, he traversed the entire dungeon, placing bombs in five key locations. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After finishing, he left a Shadow Clone in a concealed spot in the dungeon, and with the remaining three seconds of "Shadow Traversal," returned to the main hall, walked out of the shadows, and blended into the ranks of other Demons.


    ¡­


    The Resurrection Ceremony was about to begin, and one by one, Abyss Creatures containing Source Essence were dragged into the Temple''s main hall, their veins slit and pushed into the Blood Pool.


    The Source Essence-rich blood flowed out from the Blood Pool, gathering below Barton''s statue, following the lines on the ground, forming a blood Array.


    Outside the Temple, dense crowds of Demons knelt devoutly on the ground, worshipfully praying and chanting the name of an entity in Demon Language.


    ¡­


    At the same time.


    The Bansel Clan''s army arrived at the basin where Barton Temple was located, spread out several Bansel Mages to cast their magic together, unveiled a large Invisibility Veil, and approached within three hundred meters of the Temple to arrange their formation and install catapults.


    This moment would have been an excellent opportunity for the Demons to launch a surprise attack.


    However, at this very moment, a grand ceremony was taking place inside the Temple, and all the Demon Servants were worshipping, arrogantly ignoring the deployment of the Bansel Tribe.


    Purely in terms of numbers, the Demons greatly outnumbered the armies of the Bansel Tribe.


    Moreover, with the Temple''s protection, the Demon Servants were far more powerful than the Bansel Tribe.


    Under normal circumstances, the Bansel Tribe could not defeat this powerful Demon legion.


    The Bansel Tribe could only contend with the Demons by relying on the geographical advantage of Stone Hammer Castle for defense.


    Taking the offensive, however, meant the two sides'' powers were somewhat mismatched.


    Therefore, gazing upon the staggering number of demons outside the temple, a dark, oppressive mass, the high-rank demons didn''t even consider the Bansel people a threat.


    Yet, when the demons gathered in such dense numbers, a fatal weakness emerged.


    Lu Heng watched the Source Material-infused blood that filled the entire temple hall, the air reeking of the pungent odor of fresh blood.


    Once the blood array formed, the blood began to flow toward the tightly sealed door at the north side of the hall, burrowing into it through holes at the base of the door.


    The door seemed like a bloodthirsty monster, rapidly devouring the blood.


    The demons accelerated their slaughter of Source Essence Sacrifices, providing a constant supply of blood that streamed into the door.


    As the blood pool was nearly drained, the blood array began to sublime, and the door slowly creaked open.


    Behind that door lay Evil God Barton''s mausoleum, where all of the blood now converged into a Blood Feast Holy Grail.


    The Winged Demon Commander Sagers stepped forward reverently, held up a shriveled, black heart from a Soul Box, and gently placed it into the Blood Feast Holy Grail.


    The heart, as if parched for millennia, started to rapidly absorb the Source Material-rich blood upon contact, slowly floating out of the Holy Grail and generating a suction force that drew countless threads of blood, continuing to converge toward the heart.


    Looking at this black heart gave one the eerie illusion that it might start beating at any second.


    The Winged Demon Commander Sagers ordered his subordinates to retrieve the sacred relic of the Bansel Tribe from the dungeon.


    This Ancestor''s Mallet of the Bansel Clan, once the murder weapon that killed Evil God Barton, was now in play.


    Now, the Demon Servants were reclaiming this weapon of death, to be used in the Resurrection Ceremony.


    Demon Servants entered the passage on the right side of the hall, evidently going to retrieve the Bansel Clan''s holy artifact.


    However, this sacred relic was currently in Lu Heng''s possession.


    Therefore, the loss of the sacred relic would soon be exposed.


    Leaving the temple at this moment would be a bit abrupt, but he could not delay any longer.


    Lu Heng, standing at the very back of the demon ranks, scanned his surroundings before bowing his head, turning, and walking out of the temple.


    The demons around him were devoutly kneeling as if blind to anything else.


    Two Commander Level demons were busy overseeing this grand Resurrection Ceremony and had no time to pay attention to a Winged Demon Wizard straying from the rank.


    At the moment Lu Heng stepped out of the grand temple doorway, the ground suddenly shook beneath his feet, followed by a massive explosion.


    Boom!


    The Demon Servant who entered the dungeon opened the stone chamber where the sacred relic was supposed to be and ignited the Abyss Salt Bombs.


    An explosion set off a chain reaction, and six Abyss Salt Bombs planted in the dungeon detonated one after another.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    In an instant,


    Heaven and earth were torn asunder, the ground shook violently, the temple collapsed, and the earth sank.


    Rocks flew in all directions, screams and roars fused into one.


    In this moment, the art of explosions created its most magnificent display.


    As if the entire world was collapsing, the demons let out cries of terror.


    Some were buried under rubble; others scattered in all directions.


    However, the low-rank demons outside the temple continued their devout worship, their convictions unshaken even as the ground trembled beneath them.


    The explosions commenced.


    Inside the Bansel Clan''s army, Iron Arm stood atop a siege engine, raising his warhammer and shouting, "Fire! Let these damned demons taste our offering!"


    Thump! Thump! Thump...


    Bansel warriors pulled back the cover on the siege engines, releasing a volley of Abyss Salt Bombs into the throngs of demons surrounding the temple.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Low-rank demons within the blast radius immediately disintegrated, while those further away were sent flying by the shockwave of the explosions.


    Roar!


    The Winged Demon Commander Sagers, enraged, burst from the dust cloud raised by the temple''s collapse and flew out accompanied by a hundred elite Winged Demons, heading straight for the Bansel troop formation.


    A great battle was about to erupt.


    "Form ranks!" Iron Arm lifted his warhammer, striking it against the shield on his left arm, a ringing clang of metal announced their readiness, as he led the elite Bansel warriors into formation with shields raised, prepared to meet the aerial assault.


    ...


    ...


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 Chapter 73 - 73: The Sorrow of the Demon (Please Subscribe)

    The sky was overcast with dark clouds, as if shrouded by twilight haze, making the air oppressively heavy.


    Brave warriors from the Bansel Clan, clad in iron battle armor and wielding warhammers and round shields, guarded the catapults steadfastly against the Winged Demon Air Force led by Sagers, refusing to take a single step back, their eyes gleaming with an unyielding light.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers, leading the Winged Demon Air Force, circled the skies, considering himself the ruler of this realm. In his eyes, the lesser beings on the ground were no different from crawling reptiles.


    He treated the sky as his stage, ignoring the attacks from the ground, his eyes shimmering with a layer of thunderous light, leading the winged demon troops to dive bomb the Bansel Tribe''s formation time after time.


    In the air, the winged demon troops'' thunder spears drew streaks of blue light, plunging into the defenses of the Bansel Clan.


    With each dive, wherever the spears pointed, they gouged long furrows through the Bansel Clan''s defense line.


    The Bansel warriors raised their shields high, constructing an iron wall with their flesh and blood, blocking the onslaught of the winged demon army.


    Rows of Bansel warriors were lifted off their feet and thrown, yet they rallied back with warcries, clutching their shields and stubbornly maintaining their defense.


    When dealing with the winged demon army''s dive bombs, the Bansel warriors had ample experience.


    Each time the winged demons charged, five-meter-long spears would be raised diagonally within the ranks of the Bansel Clan.


    Their tactics closely resembled those of cavalry spears.


    As winged demons plunged down, they would strike the pointed array of long spears and receive a chilling welcome.


    While halting the winged demons'' charge, the Bansel warriors continued to operate the catapults, hurling bombs, and once they ran out of bombs, they threw rocks instead.


    Bombarding the demon camp and Barton Temple with booming impacts, the battle reached a fever pitch, the battlefield resounding with the war song crafted from iron and blood.


    ...


    At that moment,


    Barton Temple collapsed inward due to the explosions below, its upper structures toppling and crushing countless low-rank demons that had been prostrating outside the temple in worship.


    However, the main structure of the great hall was extremely sturdy and did not fully collapse, though many of its supporting pillars broke.


    The resurrection ceremony was at its critical juncture, and even with the temple''s collapse, the ritual did not stop.


    Of the two commander-level demons, only Winged Demon Commander Sagers emerged, while the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander oversaw the resurrection ceremony inside the great hall.


    The horned demon troops guarded the temple''s perimeter, preventing the Bansel Tribe''s army from entering.


    To halt the ceremony, the Bansel Tribe sent their elite soldiers in two charges against the temple but failed to break through the horned demon army''s defenses.


    The battle stalemated.


    Meanwhile,


    On a hillside outside Barton Temple, Lei Jinhao and his subordinates coldly observed the battle unfolding below.


    A member of the Thunder team asked, "Captain, are we not going to join the fight?"


    Lei Jinhao glanced at him indifferently and countered, "No rush."


    "But the task we''re doing..." the member frowned, clearly puzzled.


    He meant to reference the "Traitor Task," but calling themselves traitors did not seem quite right in this context.


    The mission they had triggered was actually labeled as a "Hidden Task."


    Lei Jinhao said mockingly, "Doing tasks is just for gaining strength, as for the Evil God... a dead Evil God is the best kind."


    His thought process was crystal clear.


    He indeed undertook the "Traitor Task," but he did not see himself as having joined the demon camp.


    He completed the "Traitor Task" only to obtain the Energy Blessing, which did not mean he intended to help the Evil God Barton resurrect.


    Once the Evil God Barton resurrected, they, the human superpower users, might face a grim fate of the hunting hound being boiled after the hare is caught.


    So, for Lei Jinhao, it was best if the Evil God Barton remained dead, continuously granting him Energy Blessing without limiting his actions.


    However, could an Evil God fail to consider what humans could think of?


    Was it the humans outwitting the Evil God, or the Evil God playing humans like pawns?


    This was, in fact, an unequal game, but those deeply embroiled could never see the truth.


    ...


    Lu Heng emerged from the temple''s explosion, deactivating the effect of the Illusion Pearl, and met up with Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu quickly reported the situation, "The Bansel Tribe has blocked the Winged Demon Commander''s three dive bomb attacks. There are three superpower user teams appearing around the temple. I have communicated with two of them, and they''ve agreed to join the fight.


    "The third team is Lei Jinhao''s; they have been watching from the sidelines on the northwestern hillside. Should we try to persuade them to join the battle?"


    Since Su Muyu had not witnessed what happened inside the temple, she was unaware that Lei Jinhao''s team were "Traitors," nor did she know that the Holy Artifact of the Bansel Tribe was stolen by Lei Jinhao.


    In her straightforward worldview, at a moment of life and death, humans should set aside prejudices and unite against demons.


    This was why she proposed what seemed to be a na?ve idea.


    Lu Heng immediately vetoed her suggestion, "Lei Jinhao is a Traitor; they are the ones who stole the Holy Artifact."


    Su Muyu''s brows shot up, her face flashing with surprise.


    This was her first encounter with a "Traitor."


    She quickly asked, "Then why hasn''t Lei Jinhao joined the fight as part of the demon camp?"


    Actually,


    Among human superpower users, those who became traitors did not necessarily wish to betray humanity; they simply desired power.


    Having encountered similar "Traitors" before, Lu Heng understood their mindset well.


    "He wants the reward from the Traitor Task, but he doesn''t want to help the Evil God Barton resurrect. You could think of it as being duplicitous."


    "Actually, this is what most Traitors really think.


    "Unless they harbor anti-human personalities, Traitors wouldn''t choose to join the Demon Camp from the start."


    This was not hard to understand. Su Muyu got it after a moment''s thought and nodded, saying,


    "Does this mean Lei Jinhao may not join the battle?"


    Lu Heng shook his head again, "No, as long as we breach the Temple, he will receive new Traitor Tasks and will definitely join the battle. Therefore, you must keep an eye on their movements at all times."


    Su Muyu nodded solemnly, "Okay, I understand."


    During their conversation,


    the two quickly arrived at the Bansel Clan''s position.


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers led the Winged Demon Air Force, circling in the air, preparing to launch the fourth dive.


    The first three dives resulted in injuries on both sides without a clear victor.


    The battle had reached a stalemate.


    Lu Heng glanced at the battlefield and said gravely, "The Resurrection Ceremony is still ongoing. If we drag this out, the ceremony will be completed. We must quickly take care of Sagers and have the Bansel Clan''s army storm the Temple."


    "What should I do?" asked Su Muyu.


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment, then whispered in her ear, setting the tactics.


    Meanwhile,


    Winged Demon Commander Sagers roared to the sky, raising his War Spear high, gathering the frenzied Power of thunder and lightning, leading the elite Winged Demons in the fourth dive towards the Bansel Clan''s position.


    Iron Arm stood at the forefront of the position, pounding his Warhammer against his shield to produce a booming "bang bang bang," shouting, "Compact the formation! Spears up!"


    The Bansel Clan warriors gathered tightly together, each row of warriors raising a five-meter-long Long Spear.


    The tips of the spears were raised high while the other ends were planted firmly in the ground to meet the Winged Demons'' dive.


    In the sky above,


    under the lead of Winged Demon Commander Sagers, groups of elite Winged Demons, wielding long spears, dove down from above the Bansel Clan''s lines. Wherever the spears pointed, they sent rows of Bansel Clan warriors flying.


    Some Winged Demons collided with the Long Spears, their bodies impaled and crashing to the ground to then be chopped into mincemeat by the encircling Bansel Clan warriors.


    Iron Arm faced off against Sagers, who was diving toward him, clashing head-on with a forceful strike, their weapons colliding, bursting with a deafening sound.


    Sagers swept past, pulling up to gain altitude, preparing to return to the sky.


    As Winged Demons, their greatest advantage was having the initiative in attack; they could dive to attack at any time they wished, and if they didn''t want to fight, they could withdraw at will.


    The Bansel Clan had no way to intercept these flying demons.


    Just as Sagers flapped his wings to climb higher,


    suddenly, a sky hunter falcon appeared above, with a person dangling from it.


    The sky hunter falcon dove down swiftly, using its high dive speed to intercept Sagers.


    Sagers, upon noticing the interceptor in the sky, his eyes immediately flashed with intensity.


    As the Winged Demon Commander, the sky was his domain, the reason he stood undefeated. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And now, an opponent sought to challenge him in the air.


    Sagers snorted coldly, raising his palm to gather a Lightning Spear and hurled it towards the sky hunter falcon.


    Boom!


    The violent thunder and lightning struck, instantly blowing apart the sky hunter falcon.


    The moment Sagers unleashed his attack, Lu Heng released the talons of the sky hunter falcon, plummeting down, using the inertia of the dive to quickly approach Sagers, while drawing the Aurora Blade from the void.


    In this instant.


    Sagers had just finished his dive and was during the climb, which was when his speed was at its slowest.


    And Lu Heng, carried by the sky hunter falcon from the dive, was at his fastest speed.


    In aerial combat, speed was everything.


    Sagers, the sovereign of the sky, saw a human, devoid of the power of flight, daring to challenge his dignity, and snorted coldly. Wielding the Thunder Spear, he stabbed at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng, wingless, couldn''t change direction in mid-air, so he could only collide with the Thunder Spear under inertia''s push.


    Right at the moment the Thunder Spear was about to pierce his body, Lu Heng activated the Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal," evading into the shadows, exempting him from any physical collision.


    The Thunder Spear stabbed into Lu Heng''s body, but touched nothing.


    Lu Heng slid past the Thunder Spear, crashing into Sagers''s arms, then passing through his body.


    For an instant, as he passed through Sagers, Lu Heng deactivated the "Shadow Traversal" state. His body made an electrifying spin, executing the Returning Sword Style of the Step Sword Seven Styles, slashing out a spinning blade of light.


    The blade of light entered Sagers''s back, severing his wings at the root.


    Sagers let out a roar, his back hit hard, and his wings broken; he plummeted from the sky.


    Lu Heng fell towards the ground at a speed of hundred meters per second and, when almost becoming a smashed mess, the second sky hunter falcon spread its wings and lifted, allowing Lu Heng a steady landing.


    On the other side,


    Sagers, having lost his wings, crashed to the ground but immediately got up, howling in anger, waving the Thunder Spear, seeking to kill the lowly creature that injured him.


    Lu Heng drew his sword to meet him, fighting him head-on.


    Sagers, three meters tall and incredibly strong, brandished his Thunder Spear with war-god-like ferocity.


    Lu Heng, employing his Micro-level Body Technique, with 45 points of super-high Agility, moved like a dragon among the spear strikes, dodging and weaving in combat.


    Sword and spear collided, emitting clang after clang of resonating metal.

 Chapter 74 - 74 The Death of Sagers (Please Subscribe)

    After several direct confrontations, Lu Heng had roughly figured out Sagers''s attributes.


    Sagers''s strength attribute was over 40 points, and his agility attribute was even higher, surpassing 43 points.


    Lu Heng''s current strength was 35 points, and his agility was 45 points.


    In terms of strength, Lu Heng was much lower than Sagers, but his agility was slightly superior to Sagers''s.


    Therefore, during head-to-head clashes, Lu Heng would always be shaken and forced to retreat.


    However, relying on his super high agility and in-depth level movement technique, he could still weave around and counterattack under Sagers''s assaults without falling behind.


    A few days ago, when Lu Heng encountered Sagers, he had no choice but to flee.


    Now, he was able to sever Sagers''s wings with a single sword strike and hold his own in head-to-head combat.


    The rapid increase in combat power was evident.


    Moreover, this was a battlefield slaughter, not a duel.


    Su Muyu joined the battle, and together they assaulted Sagers, dispatching the Sky Eye Falcon to swoop down on Sagers in attacking dives.


    Originally, Sagers had been the ruler of the skies, always the one to dive onto his opponents.


    Now the situation had changed¡ªthe Sky Eye Falcon held the aerial advantage, and with each piercing cry, it launched a diving attack on Sagers.


    With the addition of Su Muyu''s 34-point spiritual power, the Sky Eye Falcon''s diving attack had an attack power of 5¡Á the spiritual attribute, which was 170 points of attack power.


    Even though Sagers had extremely high defense, 170 points of attack power was enough to pose a threat to him.


    Moreover, with the Sky Eye Falcon targeting vital areas like the eyes and heart, it forced Sagers to defend himself.


    While controlling the Sky Eye Falcon''s diving attacks, Su Muyu also raised her crossbow, aimed at Sagers''s back, and fired flame attribute elemental arrows.


    The flame arrows struck Sagers''s back, igniting fierce flames, scorching his skin, and infuriating him immensely.


    Roar!


    Sagers turned around in fury; upon spotting the one who shot at him, he roared and charged toward Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu, who had been at a distance of 50 meters when she shot the arrows, felt slightly nervous when she saw Sagers coming, hurriedly went invisible, and retreated toward the Bansel Clan''s position.


    Lu Heng, seeing Sagers pursue Su Muyu, immediately activated the second stage of Gale Step, executed Chasing Moon Style from Step Sword Seven Styles, and stabbed at Sagers with his sword.


    Sagers had originally intended to crush Su Muyu first before turning back to face Lu Heng, but halfway through his charge, he realized Su Muyu had disappeared, and with a sharp sword light striking from behind, he was forced to turn around and block.


    A warrior and a demon clashed once again.


    Su Muyu, having run to a distance of 100 meters, patted her chest and exhaled a breath of relief.


    Having just seen a Commander Level demon charge at her, she couldn''t possibly claim she was unafraid.


    However, the invisibility was too useful, and with Lu Heng intercepting Sagers, she was quite safe.


    She had been shooting from a distance of 50 meters earlier and got a scare, feeling it was not very safe, so this time she increased the distance to 100 meters and once again concentrated to shoot elemental arrows at Sagers.


    Among the five-dimensional attributes, the perception attribute was a composite of abilities such as penetrative power, vision, hearing, intuition, and other perceptual abilities.


    A superpower user with high perception had vision and hearing beyond ordinary people, a more acute premonition of danger, and was better at spotting hidden clues and traps.


    The First Transition Class "Sky Eye" additionally enhanced visibility.


    Therefore, Su Muyu''s vision far surpassed the average person, equivalent to carrying an eight-times scope at all times. She could also supplement her observation with the perspective of her scout eagles.


    When shooting elemental arrows, she could ignore most of the wind resistance and the effects of gravity, so her archery accuracy from 100 meters away was very high.


    Every time Lu Heng used his movement technique to increase the distance, the arrows would punctually shoot toward Sagers.


    Sagers kept turning back furiously, but saw that Su Muyu''s distance was always over a hundred meters.


    If he could still fly, this distance would be merely a matter of a dive, but now that his wings were severed by Lu Heng, he had become a flightless vulture.


    This left him in a one-sided situation of being hit.


    As a Winged Demon Commander from the Evil God World, he was once one of the strongest combatants on this land.


    Wherever he appeared, the only option for opposing beings was death.


    As strong as he was, he now became a struggling trapped beast.


    He was angry, he shrieked, he fought back with all his might, but he could not find a way to turn the tables.


    Under the combined attacks of Lu Heng and Su Muyu, the wounds on Sagers''s body multiplied.


    Feeling the threat of death, he did not dare continue the fight and turned to retreat towards the direction of the Temple, howling to the sky, calling for the Winged Demon Air Force to come to his rescue.


    Seeing a swarm of Winged Demons flying in the sky, Su Muyu immediately changed targets, controlling her scout eagle to attack Winged Demons, and her flame arrows rapidly picked off several elite Winged Demons.


    Lu Heng, using Gale Step to catch up with Sagers, released Shadow Clones, struck from both sides to suppress Sagers''s counterattack, then swung his sword for a heavy downward chop, executing Thunderous Strike.


    Boom!


    The thunderous hit sent Sagers crashing to the ground.


    The raging lightning tore through his body, each arc of electricity mercilessly slicing his flesh and draining his life.


    He was once the most powerful being in this world, his presence always invoking the deepest fear in his opponents'' hearts.


    Yet, now he cut a sorry figure. The continuous battles had severely injured him, and he was unwilling to die like this, but he had no other choice.


    He struggled to get up, raised his spear, and launched his final counterattack at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng raised his sword to block the counterattack and followed it with a swift strike, beheading Sagers and putting an end to his life.


    [Killed Winged Demon Commander Sagers, absorbed 200 points of demon energy.]


    "Source Energy Level has risen to 19, all attributes +2, Agility attribute an additional +0.6."


    Su Muyu had also leveled up to 17, gaining an increase in all attributes, with her combat power continuing to rise.


    After the death of Sagers, a Crystal Core was separated from the body.


    Lu Heng picked up the Crystal Core, without time to inspect it, he immediately stowed it in his inventory bar, and went to meet up with Iron Arm.


    The Resurrection Ceremony was still ongoing in the Temple, they had to immediately break into the Temple, otherwise if Evil God Barton were to be resurrected, all their efforts would be in vain.


    ...


    Following the death of Winged Demon Commander Sagers, the remaining elite Winged Demons lost their will to fight and fled back to Barton Temple like headless flies.


    Iron Arm led the Bansel Clan warriors, pressing towards Barton Temple, pushing siege engines forward and continuing to hurl bombs and boulders at the Temple. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    The siege engine''s assault forced the demons to huddle inside the Temple.


    The Bansel Clan warriors launched an assault on the Temple''s main gate, clashing with the Horned Demon army guarding the Temple.


    Seeing how intense the battle was at the front of the Temple, Lu Heng turned to Su Muyu and said, "Inform the other two Superpower User squads to attack the Temple from the back door together."


    The Bansel Clan warriors attacked the front door of the Temple.


    Lu Heng, Lin Zeyu, and Sitichai, leading their team of Superpower Users, initiated an attack from the back of the Temple.


    The Bansel Clan''s assault had drawn the overwhelming majority of the demons'' attention.


    So, there were fewer demons guarding the back of the Temple, the Superpower User squad launched a charge and broke through the back door, entering the Temple''s interior.


    Seeing the advantage in battle, the other two Superpower User squads decisively joined the fight, tipping the scales of victory in favor of the Bansel Clan.


    After entering the Temple, the demons guarding the Temple roared and rushed forward, engaging in close combat with the Superpower Users.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu chose a narrow corridor without demonic guards to enter the second floor platform of the Temple''s great hall.


    At this moment.


    The Resurrection Ceremony in the great hall continued.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander took parts of Evil God Barton''s corpse from the Soul Box and placed them into the Holy Grail filled with Source Material blood.


    These parts were the servants of the Evil God, collected from various Abyssal Worlds over more than a century.


    And the most important of these parts was the jet-black heart.


    At this moment, the heart had absorbed the blood and was emitting an evil aura.


    Upon stepping into the great hall of the Temple, Lu Heng felt a spiritual pressure.


    "Subjected to spiritual pollution from an unknown existence, Spirit -1."


    Lu Heng suddenly turned to look at the jet-black heart; this spiritual pollution was unmistakably emanating from it.


    Not yet resurrected, it was already releasing spiritual pollution.


    Once resurrected, not a single person here would survive.


    Lu Heng was about to jump down from the second-floor platform to stop the ceremony.


    Just then.


    A figure blocked the way; it was Lei Jinhao.


    Seeing him appear, there wasn''t a hint of surprise in Lu Heng''s eyes; everything was as expected:


    "So, you''ve chosen to become a Traitor, even if it means being a pawn of the Evil God?"


    Lei Jinhao looked down on Lu Heng with pride and an arrogant expression, saying in a drawn-out voice,


    "I will not be anyone''s pawn; I follow only Strength, to gather mighty power within myself. One day, no one in the world will be able to dictate my fate."


    Lu Heng shook his head and chuckled, "It seems every Traitor thinks the same, but none can escape the inevitable plunge into the Abyss."


    Lei Jinhao''s lips curled into a cold sneer, contemptuously saying, "You speak as if you can see through everything, but you''re just an ant struggling on the road to becoming stronger."


    He wasn''t born at the finish line as a lucky son. He had fought in underground boxing matches, smuggled for gangs, and competed with stray dogs for food. He had clawed his way up from the filthiest gutters, so he understood all too well what an ant was.


    Everything he had, he had fought for with his own hands, against men and dogs. Thus, in his eyes, there was only the pursuit of power, and for power, any means justified the end.


    In his world, everything had to be fought and taken with one''s own hands.


    So, at Gardenia Beach, the moment he appeared, he tried to take the beach, to take the Crystal Core.


    Because that was his way of survival.


    Lu Heng did not know about Lei Jinhao''s past, nor did he want to. In the face of a Traitor, the word ''kill'' was enough to sum up all the cause and effect.


    "Right, you''ve already accepted the Evil God''s blessing; it''s no use talking more. Here, let''s settle our grievances."


    Lu Heng slowly drew the Aurora Blade from the void.


    Lei Jinhao vibrated his arms, revealing a pair of armguards, and a ring of Wolf Soul Fighting Spirit emanated from around him, proudly stating,


    "Originally, there was no mortal feud between you and me, and I had no particular need to kill you. It''s just unfortunate that you messed with Gong ZhenTeng''s son. Now, there is no other way; you have to die."


    "Have you forgotten so soon how you were forced to use Frenzy in one move last time? Are the self-inflicted injuries from the Frenzy backfire healed?"


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had heard of the name of the Storm Boxing King many times, but had never fought against him.


    That''s because in Lu Heng''s last life, he had only awakened a year after the Abyss invasion, and although he later became a top Superpower User, by that time, the Storm Boxing King had already achieved fame and become a regional overlord.


    At that time, the Storm Boxing King, holding the reins of power, had retired behind the scenes and seldom made public appearances.


    Therefore, there was no interaction between them, and naturally, no chance to fight.

 Chapter 76 - 76: Decisive Battle, Holy Artifact, Ancestors Mallet

    Lin Zeyu was choked by Lei Jinhao and pressed against the cold wall.


    He tried to struggle, but Lei Jinhao''s strength was too strong; he didn''t have even the slightest chance to resist.


    Blessed by the Evil God, the Superpower User''s combat power was something ordinary Power Users couldn''t contend with.


    Furthermore, Lei Jinhao had activated his Frenzy Skill; at that moment, he was like a godly being, one that even Commander Level Demons couldn''t compete against.


    At this moment, for the first time in his life, he felt the terror of death.


    This fear wasn''t of death itself, but of the helpless and desperate struggle that came just before.


    As his gaze met Lei Jinhao''s eyes that brimming with malevolence, he thought this man must be insane.


    If he had a grenade on him at that moment, he would have chosen to take Lei Jinhao down with him, but nothing was his to choose anymore.


    Blood spat from his mouth, his gaze shifting from Lei Jinhao''s face as he looked towards Lu Heng with a plea for help.


    Seeing Lin Zeyu''s pleading eyes, a thought suddenly struck Lu Heng. Could it be that this was how he died in his past life?


    After quickly weighing his options, Lu Heng made his decision and raised the Aurora Blade, forcing Lei Jinhao to turn back on defense.


    Just a second before, Lin Zeyu felt as though he was already in Hell, but the next, Lu Heng pulled him back from the brink of death.


    Lei Jinhao''s goal was to draw Lu Heng into combat with him, and his objective had been achieved.


    A hideous smirk spread across his face as he threw Lin Zeyu aside, then swung his fist towards Lu Heng.


    Lin Zeyu hit the ground, coughing violently and spitting out a pool of blood.


    Wang Xiangfeng quickly ran over, picked up Lin Zeyu, and retreated from the Temple.


    ...


    Lei Jinhao''s Frenzy state only lasted three minutes; for him, time was of the essence, he had to finish off Lu Heng within these three minutes, or he would have no chance at all.


    Thus, as soon as he moved, he burst out with full strength, launching his fiercest onslaught on Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng employed an In-depth Level movement technique and swordsmanship, skirmishing with him while gradually moving towards the center of the grand hall, seeking opportunities to disrupt the Resurrection Ceremony.


    In the high-intensity combat, Lu Heng''s proficiency in movement technique and swordsmanship also step by step improved.


    ...


    At this moment, the Barton Temple was plunged into chaotic battle among Humans, Demons, and the Bansel people.


    Su Muyu used her scout eagle to carry herself to the crossbeam at the top of the great hall, a position where, besides the flying Winged Demons, other demons couldn''t touch her.


    After finding a suitable spot, she took out the Crossbow and began shooting Demons with Elemental Arrows, prioritizing the Winged Demons in the air before those on the ground.


    While shooting, she maintained her Invisibility.


    Many ground-bound demons, even after being shot several arrows, couldn''t find her location.


    A woman named Yada, the one with black silk, had been searching for Su Muyu since the beginning, finally spotting the arrows shot from the temple''s crossbeams.


    A fierce, scornful light appeared in her eyes as she raised her hand and cast a Spirit Shock at Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu felt as if someone had slapped her head, followed by a brief ringing in her ears, but the impact was just that - no further harm was done.


    She immediately turned to look and realized it was the woman in black silk using the Skill.


    She had seen this Skill many times before - a Level D "Spirit Shock."


    When this skill was activated, it required a Spirit Check on the target, and the shock effect was decided based on the Spiritual difference.


    The black silk woman''s attack inflicted the lowest damage, practically zero, only causing Su Muyu''s ears to ring for a while. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This meant Su Muyu''s Spiritual Attribute was higher.


    The Spiritual difference was like a negative number, only allowing the Skill to achieve its lowest effect.


    The black silk woman had planned to knock Su Muyu down from the crossbeam with one strike, but the outcome was entirely different from what she had expected.


    With a hardened gaze, the black silk woman ran up the wall, climbed like a gecko, and then jumped onto the crossbeam, pulling out a pistol to aim at Su Muyu at close range.


    Bang!


    Su Muyu raised her hand and unfolded the Prism Tower Shield to block the pistol bullet, then swung her Crossbow to smash it down.


    Thud!


    One hit from the Crossbow knocked her to the ground.


    The black silk woman, startled, struggled to get up.


    "Do you think I''m still afraid of you?" Su Muyu stepped on her, pressing her back to the ground with the Crossbow aimed at her stomach, and pulled the trigger.


    Whoosh!


    An Elemental Arrow shot into her stomach, flames blazing fiercely.


    "Ah!"


    The black silk woman let out a miserable scream, her hair whipping around like tendrils towards Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu immediately stepped back, dodging the hair''s entanglement.


    But the black silk woman was relentless, rolling forward attempting another strike.


    However, as she rolled forward, Dark Thorns suddenly grew under her feet, binding her tightly, revealing itself to be a Level C Dark Thorn Trap.


    Sharp barbs grew on the Dark Thorns, cutting into her skin.


    She struggled desperately, but the more she did, the tighter the Dark Thorns constricted.


    No matter what tricks she tried, she couldn''t harm Su Muyu in the least and was instead utterly restrained.


    At first, she cursed loudly, but when she realized Su Muyu was now much stronger than her, her manner quickly changed, "Dear sister, I was wrong. We can talk things over, can''t you let me go first?"


    "Do you think I''m an idiot? Last time at Gardenia Beach, I didn''t know anything, I was afraid to kill, and you still want to deceive me? Go down."


    With a cold look, Su Muyu kicked her off the thirty-meter-high crossbeam.


    "Ah! You bitch..."


    The black silk woman screamed in terror as she fell from the thirty-meter-high crossbeam, crashing to the ground with a "thud," and her screaming abruptly ended.

 Chapter 76 - 76: Decisive Battle, Holy Artifact, Ancestors Mallet

    Lin Zeyu was choked by Lei Jinhao and pressed against the cold wall.


    He tried to struggle, but Lei Jinhao''s strength was too strong; he didn''t have even the slightest chance to resist.


    Blessed by the Evil God, the Superpower User''s combat power was something ordinary Power Users couldn''t contend with.


    Furthermore, Lei Jinhao had activated his Frenzy Skill; at that moment, he was like a godly being, one that even Commander Level Demons couldn''t compete against.


    At this moment, for the first time in his life, he felt the terror of death.


    This fear wasn''t of death itself, but of the helpless and desperate struggle that came just before.


    As his gaze met Lei Jinhao''s eyes that brimming with malevolence, he thought this man must be insane.


    If he had a grenade on him at that moment, he would have chosen to take Lei Jinhao down with him, but nothing was his to choose anymore.


    Blood spat from his mouth, his gaze shifting from Lei Jinhao''s face as he looked towards Lu Heng with a plea for help.


    Seeing Lin Zeyu''s pleading eyes, a thought suddenly struck Lu Heng. Could it be that this was how he died in his past life?


    After quickly weighing his options, Lu Heng made his decision and raised the Aurora Blade, forcing Lei Jinhao to turn back on defense.


    Just a second before, Lin Zeyu felt as though he was already in Hell, but the next, Lu Heng pulled him back from the brink of death.


    Lei Jinhao''s goal was to draw Lu Heng into combat with him, and his objective had been achieved.


    A hideous smirk spread across his face as he threw Lin Zeyu aside, then swung his fist towards Lu Heng.


    Lin Zeyu hit the ground, coughing violently and spitting out a pool of blood.


    Wang Xiangfeng quickly ran over, picked up Lin Zeyu, and retreated from the Temple.


    ...


    Lei Jinhao''s Frenzy state only lasted three minutes; for him, time was of the essence, he had to finish off Lu Heng within these three minutes, or he would have no chance at all.


    Thus, as soon as he moved, he burst out with full strength, launching his fiercest onslaught on Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng employed an In-depth Level movement technique and swordsmanship, skirmishing with him while gradually moving towards the center of the grand hall, seeking opportunities to disrupt the Resurrection Ceremony.


    In the high-intensity combat, Lu Heng''s proficiency in movement technique and swordsmanship also step by step improved.


    ...


    At this moment, the Barton Temple was plunged into chaotic battle among Humans, Demons, and the Bansel people.


    Su Muyu used her scout eagle to carry herself to the crossbeam at the top of the great hall, a position where, besides the flying Winged Demons, other demons couldn''t touch her.


    After finding a suitable spot, she took out the Crossbow and began shooting Demons with Elemental Arrows, prioritizing the Winged Demons in the air before those on the ground.


    While shooting, she maintained her Invisibility.


    Many ground-bound demons, even after being shot several arrows, couldn''t find her location.


    A woman named Yada, the one with black silk, had been searching for Su Muyu since the beginning, finally spotting the arrows shot from the temple''s crossbeams.


    A fierce, scornful light appeared in her eyes as she raised her hand and cast a Spirit Shock at Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu felt as if someone had slapped her head, followed by a brief ringing in her ears, but the impact was just that - no further harm was done.


    She immediately turned to look and realized it was the woman in black silk using the Skill.


    She had seen this Skill many times before - a Level D "Spirit Shock."


    When this skill was activated, it required a Spirit Check on the target, and the shock effect was decided based on the Spiritual difference.


    The black silk woman''s attack inflicted the lowest damage, practically zero, only causing Su Muyu''s ears to ring for a while. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This meant Su Muyu''s Spiritual Attribute was higher.


    The Spiritual difference was like a negative number, only allowing the Skill to achieve its lowest effect.


    The black silk woman had planned to knock Su Muyu down from the crossbeam with one strike, but the outcome was entirely different from what she had expected.


    With a hardened gaze, the black silk woman ran up the wall, climbed like a gecko, and then jumped onto the crossbeam, pulling out a pistol to aim at Su Muyu at close range.


    Bang!


    Su Muyu raised her hand and unfolded the Prism Tower Shield to block the pistol bullet, then swung her Crossbow to smash it down.


    Thud!


    One hit from the Crossbow knocked her to the ground.


    The black silk woman, startled, struggled to get up.


    "Do you think I''m still afraid of you?" Su Muyu stepped on her, pressing her back to the ground with the Crossbow aimed at her stomach, and pulled the trigger.


    Whoosh!


    An Elemental Arrow shot into her stomach, flames blazing fiercely.


    "Ah!"


    The black silk woman let out a miserable scream, her hair whipping around like tendrils towards Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu immediately stepped back, dodging the hair''s entanglement.


    But the black silk woman was relentless, rolling forward attempting another strike.


    However, as she rolled forward, Dark Thorns suddenly grew under her feet, binding her tightly, revealing itself to be a Level C Dark Thorn Trap.


    Sharp barbs grew on the Dark Thorns, cutting into her skin.


    She struggled desperately, but the more she did, the tighter the Dark Thorns constricted.


    No matter what tricks she tried, she couldn''t harm Su Muyu in the least and was instead utterly restrained.


    At first, she cursed loudly, but when she realized Su Muyu was now much stronger than her, her manner quickly changed, "Dear sister, I was wrong. We can talk things over, can''t you let me go first?"


    "Do you think I''m an idiot? Last time at Gardenia Beach, I didn''t know anything, I was afraid to kill, and you still want to deceive me? Go down."


    With a cold look, Su Muyu kicked her off the thirty-meter-high crossbeam.


    "Ah! You bitch..."


    The black silk woman screamed in terror as she fell from the thirty-meter-high crossbeam, crashing to the ground with a "thud," and her screaming abruptly ended.

 Chapter 77 - 76: Decisive Battle, Holy Artifact, Ancestors Mallet_2

    Su Muyu didn''t even spare a glance and turned around to continue shooting at the demons.


    ...


    Elsewhere, on the second-floor platform of the great hall,


    Lu Heng and Lei Jinhao had battled for two minutes, both locked in a struggle that was difficult to resolve, with no clear victor.


    Under normal circumstances, Superpower Users at level 18 or 19 should have an average Attribute around 36 points.


    With Lei Jinhao in a Frenzied state, all his Attributes surged past 45 points, exceeding even those of a Commander Level Demon, and coupled with the Fighter Class Fighting Spirit, his Combat Power was terrifyingly strong.


    Any other Superpower User facing Lei Jinhao would not last a single round.


    Lu Heng, having the Talent "Agile as a Dragon," reached an Agility of 48 points, even when the average Attributes of Superpower Users at their level were only 36 or 37.


    At a disadvantage in Strength, he relied on his superior Agility and speed, as well as his In-depth Level body movement technique and swordsmanship, to steadfastly suppress Lei Jinhao.


    The more Lei Jinhao fought, the more dismayed he became; he had thought that in his Frenzied state, crushing Lu Heng would be as easy as crushing a chicken.


    Only when he clashed head-on did he realize just how strong Lu Heng truly was.


    This left him feeling extremely bitter; in his quest for an energy infusion from the Evil God, he had willingly undertaken the Traitor Task.


    Believing that after receiving the energy infusion, he would stand unrivaled among Superpower Users, he found himself still being overpowered by Lu Heng, even in his Frenzy.


    He couldn''t understand why, having clawed his way up from humble beginnings for the sake of power, by any means necessary.


    Yet in the end, he still couldn''t overcome the man in front of him.


    In that instant, all his efforts seemed to lose their value.


    The time for Frenzy was running out; he knew it was all over.


    A wave of exhaustion swept through his body; his offensive slowed, and despair filled his mind.


    Seeing that Lei Jinhao''s attacks were slowing, Lu Heng guessed he must have given up; once the Frenzy ended, any random strike would finish him.


    At the same time,


    the Resurrection Ceremony in the Temple''s great hall was nearing its conclusion, and Evil God Barton was about to return to the Abyss.


    When that happened, the world would be completely doomed to Hell, whether for Humans or the Bansel people.


    At the very center of the Resurrection Ceremony, the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander was conducting the last step, beginning to pick a body for Evil God Barton.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander called a devout Fiery Flame Horned Demon to kneel before the heart of Evil God Barton, preparing to receive this gift.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng immediately distanced himself from Lei Jinhao, dashed to the altar with a step, and swung his sword, cutting down the Horned Demon meant to house the Evil God''s heart.


    Enraged, the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander lifted its Fiery Flame Claws towards Lu Heng''s head.


    With a push from his right foot, Lu Heng''s Micro-level Body Technique kicked in; he retreated to the left, ducking to evade the claw attack, and thrust his sword towards the Evil God''s heart.


    As the sharp blade was about to touch the heart, it was suddenly immobilized by a mysterious force, unable to penetrate even slightly.


    The power held by the Evil God''s Heart was stronger than expected.


    Then, a wave of intense Spiritual Pollution surged forth, infiltrating his brain; in an instant, Lu Heng felt his spiritual power rapidly depleting, his head buzzing.


    Being too close to the Evil God''s heart, he couldn''t withstand the Spiritual Pollution.


    Lu Heng immediately retreated to avoid the Spiritual Pollution.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander roared in anger but had to continue the Resurrection Ceremony and could not chase after Lu Heng. He could only order his subordinate Horned Demons to rush forward and attack.


    Meanwhile, the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander picked the second body to house the Evil God''s heart and proceeded with the last step of the Ceremony.


    Lu Heng cut down a dozen or so Fiery Flame Horned Demons, gathered his focus, preparing to move forward again and stop the Ceremony.


    Just then,


    Lei Jinhao flashed in front of him, his eyes emitting a strange red light, with a black energy connecting behind him.


    "I don''t believe you can beat me this time!" Lei Jinhao''s face was filled with ferocity and savagery.


    Indeed, he had felt despair just moments ago as his Frenzy neared its end.


    However, when Lu Heng killed the Horned Demon meant to house the heart, the energy infusion bestowed by the Evil God descended again, dramatically extending his Frenzy and granting him an even more powerful strength boost.


    Lu Heng saw the strange red light in his eyes and guessed what was happening.


    It was already challenging to determine a victor in the fight with Lei Jinhao in a Frenzy, and with him receiving another energy infusion, it would be even more difficult to get past him to stop the Resurrection Ceremony.


    "Another fucking energy infusion, is there nothing else you know besides accepting the Evil God''s power?" Lu Heng cursed loudly, not wanting to entangle with his opponent, he quickly scanned his surroundings, thinking of ways to stop the ritual.


    "You just have to win! I don''t care about the rest!" Lei Jinhao''s face showed a smile that was almost manic.


    His prolonged Frenzy state, although powered by the Evil God''s energy, was actually depleting his own Life Force.


    Once the energy infusion ended, he too would die from an excessive depletion of Life Force, his flesh and blood would break apart.


    But before that, he was an unfeeling, fearless killing machine.


    Lu Heng charged left and right, trying to bypass Lei Jinhao to find an opportunity to sabotage the ritual.


    However, Lei Jinhao always stood guard in front of the ritual formation, not moving an inch.


    The will of the Evil God had already taken over his brain, he had lost the ability to think, and was instinctively guarding the ritual formation.


    Moreover, in his Frenzied state with energy infusion, without pain or fear, he was like a fierce beast that knew no fear of death.


    If things went on like this, once the Resurrection Ceremony was completed, they would be utterly defeated in this battle.


    As Lu Heng was contemplating his strategy, the great doors of the Temple burst open with a crash.


    Iron Arm, leading the Bansel Clan warriors, had broken through the doors and charged in.


    Lu Heng immediately shouted to Iron Arm, "Quick! The ritual is almost done!"


    Iron Arm roared violently, swinging his Warhammer and rushing toward the altar, smashing it down on the Blood Feast Holy Grail.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander roared as it met him head-on, and they clashed fiercely, the resounding booms of their impacts making it difficult to tell them apart for a while.


    This created a two-on-two standoff in front of the altar.


    Lu Heng and Iron Arm joined forces but still found it hard to break through the blockage of Lei Jinhao and the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander.


    The situation became deadlocked once again.


    At that moment, Mia smashed a Horned Demon and rushed into the altar area, swinging her Warhammer down on the Blood Feast Holy Grail at the center of the altar.


    Boom!


    The Warhammer collided with the Holy Grail, making a sonorous clash, and the blood inside splashed out, but the ritual was still not over.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander bellowed loudly, summoning the Horned Demon troops to come back and defend, and a melee erupted around the altar.


    Mia turned back, hammering away a Horned Demon, and then swung her Warhammer toward the black Evil God''s Heart, but as she raised her Warhammer to strike, a psychic shock came rushing in.


    Her body shuddered, her head splitting with pain as her Warhammer dropped helplessly, and with her hands clutched at her forehead, she groaned in pain.


    "Mia! Come back! You can''t withstand Barton''s Spiritual Pollution," Iron Arm shouted urgently.


    Mia hurriedly dragged her Warhammer out of the range of the altar, then shouted loudly and joined her father in attacking the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander.


    Under their assault, the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander was forced to retreat step by step. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Iron Arm raised his Warhammer and brought down a thunderous blow, inflicting a severe injury on the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander, sending it flying, then turned to look in the direction of the altar.


    At the center of the altar, a chosen Horned Demon split its own chest open, lifted the black heart up, and placed it inside its chest.


    The Resurrection Ceremony was about to be completed.


    Seeing this, Mia shouted, "Father, I''ll hold off the Demon, you go stop the ritual!"


    Iron Arm couldn''t care less; he charged toward the center of the altar, simultaneously shouting, "Where''s the Holy Artifact? Quick, give it to me!"


    Lu Heng immediately pulled out the Bansel Clan Ancestor''s Mallet and threw it to Iron Arm.


    Iron Arm caught the Bansel Clan Ancestor''s Mallet, pounced in front of the Evil God''s Heart, and thrust the mallet into it.


    The Ancestor''s Mallet pierced the surface of the heart, but could not penetrate deeply.


    Iron Arm swung his Warhammer and slammed it heavily onto the Ancestor''s Mallet.


    Clang!


    The Ancestor''s Mallet pierced the Evil God''s Heart, embedding half an inch inside.


    Iron Arm raised his Warhammer again, and this time a violent storm of Spiritual Pollution flooded his mind.


    It was as if he could hear countless Evil Spirits and Demons howling and roaring.


    "Brave Bansel Clan warrior, never surrender!" Iron Arm roared with all his might, warding off the psychic contamination in his mind, and once again swung his Warhammer down hard.


    Boom!

 Chapter 78 - 77: Decisive Battle, The Sorrows of the Evil God, The Missing Finger

    The warhammer smashed down.


    With a thrust, the Ancestor''s Mallet of the Bansel Tribe pierced the heart of Evil God Barton, bursting out a clump of corrupt blood that splashed onto the head of Iron Arm, covering his face with a thick layer of black air.


    Iron Arm tried to lift his warhammer for a third strike, but he was affected by spiritual pollution and he couldn''t lift the hammer in his hand.


    The heart of Evil God Barton had been pierced by the Ancestor''s Mallet of the Bansel Clan; the resurrection ceremony was on the brink of failure.


    The situation was at a deadlock.


    Victory hung in the balance with this strike.


    Iron Arm, with every bit of his strength, lifted the warhammer again, his arms trembling.


    At that moment,


    a fiery claw pierced through Iron Arm''s back, protruding from his chest¡ªit was the gravely wounded but not dead Fiery Flame Horned Demon Leader.


    Clang!


    The warhammer fell to the ground as the Iron Arm Leader collapsed powerless.


    "Father!" Mia saw this scene, tears streaming out, and she ran to throw herself onto her father''s body.


    After piercing Iron Arm, the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Leader grabbed the heart of the Evil God, forcefully pulled out the Ancestor''s Mallet.


    With the mallet removed, billowing black air surged out from the heart of the Evil God.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Leader clutched the heart tightly, tore open his chest, and stuffed the heart inside before howling skywards, his roars piercing the clouds and echoing across the heavens.


    Dark blood vessels extended from the heart of the Evil God, starting to drain his energy.


    "Father!" Mia threw herself onto the Iron Arm Leader, sobbing uncontrollably.


    Iron Arm managed a tender smile, caressed her face with shaking hands, and wiped her tears, saying, "Mia, you are the bravest warrior of the Bansel Tribe, always be brave..."


    He placed the warhammer of the Bansel tribe leader into his daughter''s hands.


    "Father!" Mia threw herself onto her father, her shoulders shaking violently as she sobbed.


    "Mia, go. We have not lost, and we cannot lose," Iron Arm exhorted with his last strength, pushing his daughter away.


    Mia stood there, her expression intense, teeth clenched, as she picked up the tribal leader''s warhammer from the ground and, with a scream, turned and charged towards the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Leader, hammer raised high.


    ...


    On the outskirts of the temple.


    Seeing Iron Arm fall, Lu Heng''s heart wrenched, and he raised his sword towards Lei Jinhao, suppressing his anger as he said, "Get out of my way!"


    Lei Jinhao, filled with the energy of the Evil God and in a frenzied state for a full ten minutes, seemed increasingly insane.


    He laughed manically, "You are inferior to me in every attribute now, what can you do to me?"


    Lu Heng''s eyes darkened, he had used [Shadow Traversal] earlier to force out his frenzy and had been recuperating his Source Material Energy.


    He had mostly recovered now and was ready to use his second Source Energy Skill.


    Lei Jinhao, under the infusion of the Evil God''s energy, was losing his sanity, fixated solely on Lu Heng, attacking recklessly without regard for the pain or injuries he was sustaining.


    Boom!


    Lei Jinhao unleashed his full force, a Combat Energy Bursting Force slamming forward like an avalanche.


    No longer hesitating with his Source Material Energy restored, Lu Heng immediately activated [Shadow Traversal], entering into the shadow to dodge the oncoming Combat Energy Bursting Force.


    Then, bursting forth like lightning, he passed through Lei Jinhao, appearing behind him, and as the Vortex Steel Power faded, he executed the Returning Sword Style, slashing back with a chilling circular blade of light.


    As he unsheathed his sword, he canceled the Shadow Traversal state, and the sword light slashed into Lei Jinhao''s torso, cutting his upper body horizontally.


    Lei Jinhao''s upper body was thrown away, his eyes wide with shock and mouth open to scream, but no sound came; his world darkened rapidly until it lost all light entirely.


    After killing Lei Jinhao, Lu Heng immediately turned and pounced towards the Fiery Flame Horned Demon Leader, grabbing the Ancestor''s Mallet and driving it into the dark heart.


    "Ah!"


    A dreadful scream erupted in Lu Heng''s mind.


    Spiritual pollution spread.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Leader swung his claw, but Lu Heng dodged the strike, spinning around to slice off his arm with a sword.


    Mia, with tears streaming, rushed forward again, swinging the warhammer down onto the Ancestor''s Mallet.


    Clang!


    Thud!


    The Ancestor''s Mallet pierced through the heart of the Evil God, bursting a pool of corrupt blood, the black air cleared, and the dreadful screams echoing in everyone''s minds abruptly stopped.


    [By destroying the heart of Evil God Barton, special Talent "Demon Hunter" awakened.]


    [Demon Hunter (Talent): Acquires Demon Hunter instincts, more perceptive to demonic essences, and +20% damage to demons.]


    [By killing the leader of the Fiery Flame Horned Demon, absorbed 200 points of Demon Energy.] Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Source Energy Level raised to Level 20, All Attributes +2, Agility Attribute additionally +0.6]


    The heart of the Evil God exploded into a blood mist, declaring the victory of this decisive battle.


    Evil God Barton''s control over his devotees rapidly declined, and the demons, losing their will to fight, began to scatter and flee.


    The battle was finally over.


    The clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, restoring the light.


    "Father, wake up!" Mia''s crying voice came again.


    She lay sobbing on the Iron Arm Leader, tears flowing freely.


    Iron Arm still bore a claw-pierced wound on his chest, bleeding profusely.


    Mia pressed on his wound, but the bleeding could not be stopped.


    However, the wound on the chest was not the deadliest; the deadliest was the thick black air on his face, a symptom of spiritual pollution penetrating the bone marrow and heart, slowly stripping away his life.


    In the midst of bewilderment, Iron Arm raised his trembling hand and grasped Mia''s palm, a smile appearing on his face, "Mia, you succeeded, we defeated Barton..."


    "But you..." Mia''s face was full of sorrow.


    The Bansel Clan warriors gathered around, surrounding their leader, and began to sing the Bansel Clan''s prayer song.


    The chanting was not only for their leader but also for the comrades who had sacrificed themselves in the battle.


    Lu Heng couldn''t understand the lyrics, but he could understand the longing and grief in the song.


    Not only the Bansel Clan had suffered casualties, the battle had been extremely devastating for the superpower users as well, with less than one in ten surviving.


    Following the failure of the Evil God resurrection ceremony.


    All the main quests on the Abyss Battlefield were completed, and the surviving superpower users, due to their severe injuries, gradually chose to return, using Divine Energy to heal.


    A return prompt appeared in front of Lu Heng, and besides that, he was presented with a choice of three options.


    [Complete World Task: Destroy the Evil God''s Heart]


    [Reward: Choose one of three rewards]


    [1. Consume 600 points of Divine Energy, establish a space anchor point, and upon returning, use Divine Energy to travel back to this world.]


    [2. Consume 600 points of Divine Energy, remove the Spiritual Pollution from the Bansel Clan leader Iron Arm, gain the loyalty of the Bansel Clan, and have the option to claim the Bansel Clan as dependents in the future.]


    [3. Consume 600 points of Divine Energy, delete a skill.]


    Seeing these three options, Lu Heng wasn''t surprised.


    These kinds of three-choice rewards are exclusive to higher-level Abyss Battlefields, and only those who personally complete the world tasks receive them.


    The world tasks on the Abyss Battlefield don''t show up; only contributions that significantly change the world''s situation can possibly earn world task rewards.


    Without task prompts, the method to get these world task rewards is not fixed, making it extremely challenging.


    Among the three rewards, the first and the third are standard rewards.


    For completed world tasks that have weakened the Abyss''s influence on this world, the first option appears, allowing the establishment of a space anchor point and future travel using Divine Energy.


    The third reward is also standard, allowing a skill to be deleted.


    Superpower users have a limited number of skill slots, and once they are filled, no new skills can be learned.


    In future, obtaining higher-level skills becomes somewhat awkward.


    At that time, the third reward becomes significant, allowing one to delete an unwanted skill and learn a new, advanced skill.


    This is also the only way to change a misguided skill set from early stages.


    Therefore, in the future, many superpower users will aim for the third reward in an attempt to complete the world tasks.


    However, for Lu Heng, the third reward was useless; with "Divine Evolution," he could directly upgrade his skills without needing to delete lower-level ones.


    From a practical benefit standpoint, the first reward was the most cost-effective in the short term.


    After returning, it allows use of Divine Energy to enter this world and obtain resources.


    As for the second reward...


    Actually, with Lu Heng''s current reputation in the Bansel Tribe, just establishing a space anchor point and continuing to teach quenching skills in the future would also gradually earn the loyalty of the Bansel Tribe.


    However, after reviewing the three reward options, Lu Heng didn''t hesitate much before walking up to Iron Arm, raising his palm, and releasing Divine Energy toward him.


    Sparks of Divine Energy flowed out, entering Iron Arm''s body, beginning to dispel the black aura from his face.


    The Bansel Tribe warriors, seeing this, didn''t understand what was happening, but they could all see that Lu Heng was saving their leader.


    Mia quickly wiped the tears from her face, looking up blankly at Lu Heng, a spark called hope igniting in her eyes.


    The 600 points of Divine Energy were consumed, and all the black aura on Iron Arm''s face was dispelled, returning him to his normal appearance, though he still looked extremely pale from excessive blood loss.


    Being one of the top warriors in this world, a 20th-level fighter with a pierced chest, was indeed a very severe injury, but there was still a chance for survival if treated promptly.


    Just now, a doctor from the Bansel Clan had been continuously trying to stop the bleeding from Iron Arm''s wounds, but due to the severe Spiritual Pollution by the Evil God, the bleeding was delayed.


    Now that the Spiritual Pollution had been dispelled, the bleeding finally stopped.


    "Get your leader back for treatment," Lu Heng retracted his hand and spoke.


    The Bansel Tribe warriors collectively saluted Lu Heng, offering the sincerest thanks from their tribe, and then they brought a stretcher, lifting the unconscious Iron Arm, and returned to Stone Hammer Castle.


    Lu Heng stood in the broken temple, watching the disappearing figure of the Bansel Tribe''s leader at the foot of the mountain, preparing to return to Blue Star.


    Feeling Lu Heng''s impending departure, Mia wiped the tear streaks from her face, opened her arms and hugged Lu Heng''s waist, sniffling, "Thank you."


    "No need, perhaps we''ll meet again in the future."


    Lu Heng had not chosen to establish a space anchor point, so after returning, he would not be able to teleport here.


    In the future, once he reached a certain power level, he could find other ways to travel here, but that would take quite a long time.


    Lu Heng looked around and said, "Hurry and collect all the fragments of Evil God Barton''s corpse and destroy them, don''t give him another chance to revive."


    Only the heart of Evil God Barton had been destroyed earlier; there were other scattered fragments that hadn''t been dealt with.


    The Bansel Tribe warriors were already cleaning up the battlefield, collecting the pieces of Evil God Barton''s corpse.


    Besides the heart, there were some pieces of flesh and two finger segments...


    Lu Heng looked at the collected fragments of the Evil God''s corpse, frowned, and asked, "Is there another finger segment?"


    "Another finger segment? We''ve searched the entire hall and haven''t found any other fragments," a captain of the Bansel Tribe asked seriously.


    "Look again, I can assure you there were two finger segments."


    Lu Heng was certain because he had seen the Fiery Flame Horned Demon leader take out the fragments from the Soul Box and put them into the Blood Feast Holy Grail at the start of the ceremony.


    Besides that dark heart, the most conspicuous were those two finger segments.


    But now, only one finger segment had been found.


    "Hurry! We must find that finger segment!" Mia suddenly grew anxious, directing the Bansel Tribe warriors to search for the last finger segment.


    Realizing that a segment of the Evil God''s Finger had been lost, concern appeared on Lu Heng''s face, as he faintly sensed something.


    ...

 Chapter 81 - 79 Morning Visitor_2

    Evening.


    After dinner, the family held a meeting to discuss the awakening.


    Li Xiuyun went from refusing, worrying, to slowly being persuaded, and finally agreed to awaken.


    Especially once she found out her son was already a Superpower User and would face malicious monsters, she even wanted to awaken as a Combat Superpower User.


    However, she was eventually dissuaded by the men of the family.


    Now that the parents had agreed to awaken, Lu Heng handed them two ordinary Crystal Cores.


    After the couple absorbed the energy from the Crystal Cores, their worldview was struck by lightning. Gazing at the data that appeared before their eyes, they stood dumbfounded for several minutes before gradually accepting the change.


    Before going to sleep that night, Lu Heng used his laptop to search for Life Skill Crystal Cores on the Crystal Core Dark Network.


    At this stage, the price of Combat Skill Crystal Cores was getting higher and higher, but the price of Life Skills Crystal Cores was relatively average.


    Lu Heng chose several Life Skills and purchased them. Since the prices were not high, he bought a few extras for a second selection later on.


    ...


    An uneventful night passed.


    The next morning, while Lu Heng was still in the land of dreams, someone knocked on his door.


    "Lu Heng, your friend has come over. Hurry up and get up," Li Xiuyun''s voice came from outside the door, piercingly clear.


    Thinking the visitor was Su Muyu, Lu Heng thought, "This girl''s in such a rush, coming over early in the morning. Isn''t this disturbing the peace?"


    But when he opened the door, it turned out to be Lin Zeyu sitting in the living room.


    Aside from Lin Zeyu, there were two elders, probably around fifty, likely seniors from the Lin Family.


    Various gift boxes were laid out on the floor and tables of the living room.


    The bodyguard, responsible for the gifts, stood outside the door, not entering the house.


    Lu Heng''s eyes widened in disbelief and he said to Lin Zeyu, "What are you up to?"


    Lin Zeyu stood up and said matter-of-factly, "I''m obviously here to thank you. Otherwise, I would have died in there."


    After returning, his injuries had been healed by Divine Energy.


    In the Abyss Battlefield, Lei Jinhao beat him so badly that his internal organs shifted places. A normal person wouldn''t have survived, but thanks to Divine Energy, he was able to stand here all right.


    "Get in here," Lu Heng beckoned, pulling Lin Zeyu into his room.


    Once inside the room, Lin Zeyu curiously surveyed the room''s arrangements.


    The room was spotlessly clean, every book, every figurine neatly arranged.


    Because... Lu Heng didn''t usually live there.


    Lin Zeyu broached the subject, saying, "You must be wondering how I found you. Knowing your name and what you look like, finding someone for my family is pretty simple."


    He was unreserved as he spoke, lying down on the bed.


    "Get up!"


    Lu Heng pulled him up, saying, "Couldn''t you have contacted me privately? Making such a fuss, if my parents learn how dangerous the Abyss Battlefield is, they''ll worry again."


    "I understand. I didn''t mention anything about the Abyss Battlefield to your parents." Lin Zeyu was still sensible about this matter.


    "Alright, take your gifts back home, they''re all over the place, and it''s a hassle to unwrap them all," Lu Heng complained.


    "This is my token of thanks, I must give them," Lin Zeyu emphasized.


    "Why don''t you just put all the gifts into one small card?"


    "Oh yeah, the card''s right here," Lin Zeyu took out a card and slapped it into Lu Heng''s hand.


    "Alright, you can go now. Don''t make such a big show next time," Lu Heng waved him off, ready to send him back.


    "Wait, I also came to ask about Weapon Quenching. I''ve realized my Combat Power is so low..." Lin Zeyu, having been beaten by Lei Jinhao, was now eager to increase his combat strength.


    "Hang on, you''re coming to me for Quenching?" Lu Heng sharply caught the key point in his words.


    Lin Zeyu dropped his jesting demeanor and stated seriously, "I''m not stupid. I didn''t recognize you at first, but after seeing you Quench weapons for the Bansel Clan, if I still didn''t recognize you, that would mean I have a problem in my head." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Actually, Lu Heng wasn''t set on hiding his Quenching Master identity, he just didn''t want to invite too much trouble.


    Lu Heng frowned and asked, "Did you tell anyone else about my identity at Quenching Castle?"


    "So far, no one else."


    "Not even your family?"


    "Not yet, I''ll bring it up at the family meeting tonight."


    "Then don''t say anything, stuff that secret back into your brain and don''t let it out."


    "You gonna kill to keep a secret?"


    "I wouldn''t go as far as murder, but..."


    Lu Heng changed his tone, pretending to reach for the door handle, "Uncle Lin, Lin Zeyu told me to pass on a message, he said he has forgiven..."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, and he immediately pounced, covering Lu Heng''s mouth, saying, "Deal! Deal! We''ll keep each other''s secrets."


    "Okay, go now. Take all the stuff back, my parents will get ideas seeing all these things," Lu Heng said, ready to send him off.


    "Wait, wait, about the Weapon Quenching..." Lin Zeyu continued to bring up the matter.


    "Contact me online, I''ll let you know when I''m available," Lu Heng said.


    "Um... If I bring you other Superpower Organization Quenching jobs, would you take them?"


    "How much are you taking off the top?"


    "Only 10%, not a penny more."


    "Okay, arrange them together for Quenching, I''ll take ten at a time. Apart from you, no one else is received at Quenching Castle."


    Quenching weapons would improve a Quenching Master''s professional experience and earn Crystal Cores resources. Naturally, Lu Heng wouldn''t refuse such an opportunity.


    "Got it, I''ll make sure it''s done properly and neatly." Lin Zeyu had just negotiated a major deal that would affect the Power User landscape, and he was very pleased.

 Chapter 80 - 79 Morning Visitor

    Coastal Ningyun District, Taoyuan District.


    Ever since the roads around Gardenia Beach were closed off, Lu Heng hadn''t been home for a while.


    This time when he returned home, his mother dragged him around, inspecting him from head to toe, terrified that he might have been hurt somewhere.


    "I haven''t lost any limbs."


    In the past, Lu Heng would have found his mother''s suffocating care a bit annoying, but now he only felt warmth and a bit of amusement.


    "It''s good you''re okay, it''s too chaotic outside. Why don''t you come home to stay? The schools are even encouraging online classes now, it''s too dangerous outside." Li Xiuyun considered keeping Lu Heng at home.


    Lu Heng just laughed it off and had a hearty lunch at home.


    In the afternoon.


    His father, Lu Mingli, drove him out, saying there was something very important to do.


    At first, Lu Heng wondered where his father was taking him.


    He only found out when they arrived: it was a shooting range.


    Lu Mingli, in his youth, had been a ferocious soldier on the frontier. After retiring, getting married, and having children, he gradually transformed into a mild-mannered and decent father.


    Since the Abyss had invaded, demons emerged in the Human World, prompting Lu Mingli to pick up the skills he once learned.


    "Never handled a real gun before?" Lu Mingli chuckled and patted his son''s shoulder.


    The truth was, they had model guns at home, with real shells and bullets, but no gunpowder in them.


    As a child, Lu Heng would sometimes join his father when he met up with old military friends.


    Among these old military friends, some still served in the military and would sometimes carry real firearms.


    Every time, these old military friends would cheerfully urge young Lu Heng to touch the real guns, but Lu Mingli always stopped him.


    Recalling those childhood events brought a sense of nostalgia.


    Previously, Lu Mingli had hoped his son would study hard and get into a good university, so he wouldn''t have to endure the hardships he did.


    But now, things were different. The invasion of the Abyss had drastically altered the human living conditions.


    Without some means of self-protection, he wasn''t comfortable letting him out the door.


    So today, Lu Mingli found a way to bring Lu Heng here, planning to teach him something.


    On the long table in front of them, several firearms were already laid out, mainly practical models of handguns and rifles.


    "Today I''ll teach you to shoot. Next time, I''ll find someone to teach you a few defensive moves." Lu Mingli had already decided his son needed to learn some means of self-defense.


    He picked up a black model, checking the weapon as he said, "Put on the ear covers first. If you''ve never fired a gun, the sound might startle you the first time."


    Lu Heng didn''t know what facial expression to use in response to his father''s concern, he picked up a handgun, loaded it, turned off the safety, aimed at the target twenty meters ahead, and fired ten successive shots.


    Ten shots in a row, all hitting within the 9 or 10 rings.


    Lu Mingli, looking at the bullet holes in the target, showed an astonished expression.


    "Dad, I know this already, no need to teach me. What''s happened at home recently? You seem so tense?" Lu Heng could feel that his father must have encountered some issues, his vigilance maxed out, a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor.


    Lu Mingli frowned at his son, suddenly feeling like he didn''t know him¡ªit seemed like the little boy had grown up overnight.


    In a flash, he understood much more, and without asking when Lu Heng learned to shoot, he instead asked, "Have you antagonized someone outside?"


    Lu Heng didn''t answer the question, but countered, "Has someone been looking for you?"


    This kind of vague conversation wouldn''t lead to anything concrete.


    Lu Mingli directly said, "I''ve noticed someone keeping watch over our house recently. That''s why I''ve become alert and found a way to carry a gun with me."


    Lu Heng guessed it must be someone hired by Gongteng Group.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll clear things up in a few days." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Have you already..." Lu Mingli frowned and reassessed his son, sensing many things had changed.


    It wasn''t a change in appearance, but a change in presence.


    With the Abyss invasion now public, there was no need to keep hiding it.


    Lu Heng openly admitted, "I''m a Superpower User, and probably among the strongest currently."


    Even though Lu Mingli had his suspicions, hearing it directly from Lu Heng still startled him.


    He kept in touch with many old military friends, so he managed to get information that many outsiders didn''t know.


    After revealing his identity as a Superpower User, Lu Heng and his father could discuss many things openly.


    Father and son talked for a long time, sharing their thoughts and future plans.


    "Have you been to the Abyss Battlefield?"


    Lu Mingli had already heard about the Abyss Battlefield through other channels, but his knowledge was incomplete; he only knew it was extremely dangerous and had a high mortality rate.


    "I''ve been there, twice," Lu Heng nodded in acknowledgment.


    Lu Mingli''s heart immediately raced with tension; even though his son was perfectly fine in front of him, the fact that he had entered the Abyss Battlefield still uncontrollably worried him.


    They talked further about future plans.


    Lu Heng shifted the conversation to them: "Dad, I''m considering awakening you."


    Lu Mingli quickly waved his hand, "I''d rather not, your mom couldn''t handle it. If she knew, she''d worry so much she wouldn''t be able to sleep. I also can''t be drafted by the Abyss Battlefield, I need to stay and take care of your mom."


    Lu Heng knew immediately what he was worried about.


    According to current official information, the Abyss Battlefield would draft Superpower Users to enter, and the mortality rate there was very high.


    Lu Mingli wasn''t afraid of the battlefield, but he couldn''t take the risk for the sake of his family.


    Lu Heng explained with a smile, "Not every Superpower User will be drafted by the Abyss Battlefield. If you both develop towards Utility Superpowers and keep your Combat Power below average, there won''t be an issue."

 Chapter 81 - 79 Morning Visitor_2

    Evening.


    After dinner, the family held a meeting to discuss the awakening.


    Li Xiuyun went from refusing, worrying, to slowly being persuaded, and finally agreed to awaken.


    Especially once she found out her son was already a Superpower User and would face malicious monsters, she even wanted to awaken as a Combat Superpower User.


    However, she was eventually dissuaded by the men of the family.


    Now that the parents had agreed to awaken, Lu Heng handed them two ordinary Crystal Cores.


    After the couple absorbed the energy from the Crystal Cores, their worldview was struck by lightning. Gazing at the data that appeared before their eyes, they stood dumbfounded for several minutes before gradually accepting the change.


    Before going to sleep that night, Lu Heng used his laptop to search for Life Skill Crystal Cores on the Crystal Core Dark Network.


    At this stage, the price of Combat Skill Crystal Cores was getting higher and higher, but the price of Life Skills Crystal Cores was relatively average.


    Lu Heng chose several Life Skills and purchased them. Since the prices were not high, he bought a few extras for a second selection later on.


    ...


    An uneventful night passed.


    The next morning, while Lu Heng was still in the land of dreams, someone knocked on his door.


    "Lu Heng, your friend has come over. Hurry up and get up," Li Xiuyun''s voice came from outside the door, piercingly clear.


    Thinking the visitor was Su Muyu, Lu Heng thought, "This girl''s in such a rush, coming over early in the morning. Isn''t this disturbing the peace?"


    But when he opened the door, it turned out to be Lin Zeyu sitting in the living room.


    Aside from Lin Zeyu, there were two elders, probably around fifty, likely seniors from the Lin Family.


    Various gift boxes were laid out on the floor and tables of the living room.


    The bodyguard, responsible for the gifts, stood outside the door, not entering the house.


    Lu Heng''s eyes widened in disbelief and he said to Lin Zeyu, "What are you up to?"


    Lin Zeyu stood up and said matter-of-factly, "I''m obviously here to thank you. Otherwise, I would have died in there."


    After returning, his injuries had been healed by Divine Energy.


    In the Abyss Battlefield, Lei Jinhao beat him so badly that his internal organs shifted places. A normal person wouldn''t have survived, but thanks to Divine Energy, he was able to stand here all right.


    "Get in here," Lu Heng beckoned, pulling Lin Zeyu into his room.


    Once inside the room, Lin Zeyu curiously surveyed the room''s arrangements.


    The room was spotlessly clean, every book, every figurine neatly arranged.


    Because... Lu Heng didn''t usually live there.


    Lin Zeyu broached the subject, saying, "You must be wondering how I found you. Knowing your name and what you look like, finding someone for my family is pretty simple."


    He was unreserved as he spoke, lying down on the bed.


    "Get up!"


    Lu Heng pulled him up, saying, "Couldn''t you have contacted me privately? Making such a fuss, if my parents learn how dangerous the Abyss Battlefield is, they''ll worry again."


    "I understand. I didn''t mention anything about the Abyss Battlefield to your parents." Lin Zeyu was still sensible about this matter.


    "Alright, take your gifts back home, they''re all over the place, and it''s a hassle to unwrap them all," Lu Heng complained.


    "This is my token of thanks, I must give them," Lin Zeyu emphasized.


    "Why don''t you just put all the gifts into one small card?"


    "Oh yeah, the card''s right here," Lin Zeyu took out a card and slapped it into Lu Heng''s hand.


    "Alright, you can go now. Don''t make such a big show next time," Lu Heng waved him off, ready to send him back.


    "Wait, I also came to ask about Weapon Quenching. I''ve realized my Combat Power is so low..." Lin Zeyu, having been beaten by Lei Jinhao, was now eager to increase his combat strength.


    "Hang on, you''re coming to me for Quenching?" Lu Heng sharply caught the key point in his words.


    Lin Zeyu dropped his jesting demeanor and stated seriously, "I''m not stupid. I didn''t recognize you at first, but after seeing you Quench weapons for the Bansel Clan, if I still didn''t recognize you, that would mean I have a problem in my head." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Actually, Lu Heng wasn''t set on hiding his Quenching Master identity, he just didn''t want to invite too much trouble.


    Lu Heng frowned and asked, "Did you tell anyone else about my identity at Quenching Castle?"


    "So far, no one else."


    "Not even your family?"


    "Not yet, I''ll bring it up at the family meeting tonight."


    "Then don''t say anything, stuff that secret back into your brain and don''t let it out."


    "You gonna kill to keep a secret?"


    "I wouldn''t go as far as murder, but..."


    Lu Heng changed his tone, pretending to reach for the door handle, "Uncle Lin, Lin Zeyu told me to pass on a message, he said he has forgiven..."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, and he immediately pounced, covering Lu Heng''s mouth, saying, "Deal! Deal! We''ll keep each other''s secrets."


    "Okay, go now. Take all the stuff back, my parents will get ideas seeing all these things," Lu Heng said, ready to send him off.


    "Wait, wait, about the Weapon Quenching..." Lin Zeyu continued to bring up the matter.


    "Contact me online, I''ll let you know when I''m available," Lu Heng said.


    "Um... If I bring you other Superpower Organization Quenching jobs, would you take them?"


    "How much are you taking off the top?"


    "Only 10%, not a penny more."


    "Okay, arrange them together for Quenching, I''ll take ten at a time. Apart from you, no one else is received at Quenching Castle."


    Quenching weapons would improve a Quenching Master''s professional experience and earn Crystal Cores resources. Naturally, Lu Heng wouldn''t refuse such an opportunity.


    "Got it, I''ll make sure it''s done properly and neatly." Lin Zeyu had just negotiated a major deal that would affect the Power User landscape, and he was very pleased.

 Chapter 82 - 79 Morning Visitor_3

    ...


    The next evening,


    Su Muyu came from her home to meet up, and they agreed to meet outside the neighborhood.


    She was wearing a light coffee-colored plaid skirt, thin black tights paired with little leather shoes, standing under a streetlamp, looking so serene.


    Just by her appearance, who would have thought that this girl had already reached Level 18 as a Superpower User.


    When she saw Lu Heng, a glint sparkled in her eyes. She ran up to him, hands holding a food container:


    "Here are some taro rolls for you, try them and see if you like them."


    "Are they really made with mud?" Lu Heng joked.


    Su Muyu rolled her eyes and replied, "Yeah, the new spring mud from this year."


    "I''ll take them back for a midnight snack." Lu Heng laughed and took the food container.


    The two strolled through the streets under the deep autumn night sky. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu tentatively asked, "Um... can I save an Energy Crystal Core for my mom to use? I promise I''ll practice diligently to absorb Source Energy and level up fast."


    Ever since she heard that Support System Superpower Users wouldn''t be drafted, she had saved an Energy Crystal Core for her mother to Awaken.


    "That''s only right, I''ll give you another one then," Lu Heng said and took out an Energy Crystal Core, placing it in her hand.


    Since Main Battle System Superpower Users would have more combat missions and opportunities to absorb Demon Energy and level up,


    the leveling up process for Support System Superpower Users was generally much slower.


    A well-formed Superpower User team would provide Support System Superpower Users with some preferential treatment on Energy Crystal Cores to help them keep up with the main team members in terms of level.


    "Then I''ll absorb it."


    Su Muyu, who had been worried about being scolded, heard that Lu Heng was not only not angry but had also given her another Energy Crystal Core, and she happily held it in her palm.


    "Go ahead and absorb it. Should you be close to Level 19 now?" Lu Heng estimated her level, thinking it wasn''t far from 19.


    "Yeah, after absorbing this Energy Crystal Core, I should reach Level 19." Su Muyu nodded and then began to absorb the energy from the Energy Crystal Core.


    The two continued to stroll along the long street while Su Muyu slowly used up the absorbed Energy Crystal Core energy.


    When they reached the end of the street, she had leveled up to Level 19.


    "I''m at Level 19 now, Perception 41 points," Su Muyu said with a pursed smile.


    "Huh? One point more?" Lu Heng remembered her Perception being 38 points, and after leveling up, it should have been 40 points.


    "Yeah, when I was training the surveillance hawk, my Perception improved a little bit," Su Muyu held up a finger, her face bearing a "come praise me" expression.


    "Have you taken care of the matter you were assigned?" Lu Heng changed the subject.


    "I did, I''ve been using the surveillance hawk to watch the movements of the Gongteng Group. Gong ZhenTeng already knows Lei Jinhao is dead, so he''s been meeting with the leader of another Superpower User team lately, probably to cultivate new underlings," Su Muyu briefly explained the situation she spied on.


    "Did you find that Super Crystal Core?" Lu Heng wanted to learn the Skill "Bullet Time" and needed that Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core.


    "Um..."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips, worried that Lu Heng would be disappointed, and glanced at his expression with pleading eyes, answering, "Not yet, these past few days Gong ZhenTeng hasn''t mentioned that Crystal Core.


    "However, I saw Gong ZhenTeng enter the vault in the Gongteng Group building several times. It''s heavily secured, and the surveillance hawk can''t go in easily.


    "I''ll try to get the surveillance hawk into that vault next time; I think the Crystal Core is likely inside there."


    Lu Heng considered for a moment and said, "I''ll go in and take a look myself."

 Chapter 83 - 80: Entering the Vault

    The next night, at nine o''clock.


    In front of Gongteng Group''s headquarters building on Champs Elysees, Ningyun District, Coastal City.


    This building, with a total of 39 floors and a height of 203 meters, is considered a landmark in Ningyun District.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu stood in front of the building, looking up at the shining logo of Gongteng Group on the building.


    "The vault is on the 27th floor, and the security is extremely tight; there are two security checks before and after, and there is no way to enter through external ventilation ducts or such, we basically can only take the elevator up," Su Muyu briefly described the situation of the building.


    "Security is indeed tight."


    "Also, under normal circumstances, one can''t press the button for the 27th floor in the elevator without a card," Su Muyu added.


    "Did you get the card?" Lu Heng asked.


    Su Muyu pulled out a magnetic card and said, "Just got it."


    With a reconnaissance eagle available, getting a card was indeed not difficult.


    "Good, let''s go in and turn invisible," Lu Heng said as he started walking forward.


    Both became invisible and walked into the headquarters building of Gongteng Group.


    It was now nine o''clock at night, and most of the company employees had left work, but some were still working overtime or on night shifts.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu walked straight into the building, under the cover of the Invisibility Veil, as if entering an uninhabited territory.


    The infrared scanning at the entrance didn''t detect them either.


    This was because "Invisible Veil¡¤Escape Shadow" had undergone a Skill Fusion, acquiring the effect to block infrared sensors and scents.


    Thus, Lu Heng disregarded the security at the entrance, swaggeringly entered the building, swiped the card, and pressed the button for the elevator to go up to the 27th floor where the vault was located.


    The elevator stopped at the 27th floor, and the doors slowly opened, revealing guards on patrol in the corridor.


    Seeing the elevator doors open, two guards came over to check but found nothing in the elevator.


    "How come there''s nobody?" one guard scratched his head in confusion.


    "Probably someone pressed the wrong floor," the other guard casually replied, and continued on with his patrol, wanting to finish quickly and go back to the security room to play with his phone.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu stood in the corridor, watching as the two guards disappeared around the corner.


    Su Muyu turned and pointed in the other direction, saying, "The entrance to the vault is over there, there''s a second layer of security checks, and guards are stationed there 24 hours a day. Besides that, the vault door is made of alloy, and it would probably take quite a large bomb to blow it open."


    "There''s no need to break through the door; I can enter directly. You just wait outside, find a position where we can retreat at any time. If anything unexpected happens, you can leave first, don''t worry about me," Lu Heng had observed the situation outside the vault and was ready to execute his plan.


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement and began to think about the retreat route based on the structure of the building.


    Gongteng Group''s vault was indeed of very high security level, basically on par with a bank''s vault.


    Such a vault, even the best of thieves wouldn''t be able to enter.


    However, in the age of Superpowers, that wasn''t necessarily the case.


    Lu Heng used "Shadow Traversal," slipping into the shadows, ignoring physical collisions, and directly moved through the wall into the vault.


    The vault stored many gold bars, stacked together like small mountains.


    In prosperous times collect; in chaotic times hoard gold.


    This is an age-old truth.


    The more turbulent the times, the more gold retains its value, while the value of paper currency becomes no different from waste paper once monetary trust collapses.


    An Abyss invasion would directly plunge the Human World into chaos; hence, the financial magnates and capitalists had begun to hoard large quantities of gold.


    This had caused the price of gold to skyrocket over the past month, and the trend indicated it would continue to rise.


    However, gold was not the only hard currency after the invasion of the Abyss.


    The Demon Crystal Core held even higher value and not just in monetary terms, but also in its use.


    That''s why the Demon Crystal Core was the true hard currency of the era, even more solid than gold.


    Clearly, the Gong Family understood this truth as well.


    In the vault, aside from gold bars, there was also a glass cabinet storing Demon Crystal Cores, about forty to fifty in estimate.


    The total value of these cores was at least over thirty million.


    Since it had come to this, it was definite that he would take the Crystal Cores with him¡ªit was like picking up money in a sack.


    But before he started picking up money, he needed to find the "Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core."


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Outside the vault door, after Lu Heng moved through the wall into the vault, Su Muyu, having considered a retreat route, quietly waited outside.


    It wasn''t long before the elevator moved again.


    Su Muyu''s eyebrows raised, and he quickly used the reconnaissance eagle to confirm the situation in the elevator.


    He saw the elevator doors open, and Gong ZhenTeng led a team of Superpower Users out of the elevator.


    Seeing Gong ZhenTeng''s sudden appearance made Su Muyu''s heart skip a beat, and she became anxious, quickly pulling out her phone to send a message to Lu Heng.


    But there was no response; clearly, there was no signal inside the vault to receive messages.


    Fortunately, the team of Superpower Users didn''t rush towards the vault after leaving the elevator.


    This indicated that he was unaware that the vault had been compromised and was here for something else.


    Su Muyu was anxious but could do nothing, only planning ahead for the follow-up and retreat.


    Walking beside Gong ZhenTeng, a bald Superpower User clearly seemed to be the leader of the team.


    This bald man appeared to be in his thirties, looked rugged, had protruding temples, bulging veins on his muscles, and calluses on his palms, clearly skilled in firearms.


    Moreover, his demeanor indicated a high level.


    "Hong Qiang, once you sign the contract, Thunder team members and resources are all yours," Gong ZhenTeng recruited the Superpower User as they walked toward the vault door.


    Hong Qiang cracked a half smile, "Not enough."


    "The resources I offer are definitely not obtainable elsewhere," Gong ZhenTeng asserted confidently.


    Hong Qiang was discontented, "Lei Jinhao is dead, you must be quite anxious, huh?"


    Indeed, Gong ZhenTeng was anxious. He had invested a lot of money in Lei Jinhao, and counting the other superpower users in Lei Jinhao''s team, the total was at least in the billions.


    But with Lei Jinhao''s death, all that money had gone to waste.


    What was even more distressing was that the Gong Family now urgently needed to raise a new team of superpower users, otherwise many things could not be done.


    So, when Gong ZhenTeng heard that Lei Jinhao had died on the Abyss Battlefield, he immediately met with this superpower user named Hong Qiang and extended an olive branch.


    Gong ZhenTeng continued to discuss the terms, "As long as you agree, that Super Crystal Core I have will also be yours in the future."


    Hong Qiang shook his finger and corrected him, "Not in the future, now. I need to see the Crystal Core first."


    While speaking, Gong ZhenTeng had already walked to the front of the vault''s door, scanned his iris for the security check, and then took Hong Qiang inside, "Have your men wait outside."


    One didn''t need so many people to enter the vault. Hong Qiang turned to signal his men to wait at the door.


    Gong ZhenTeng gave a meaningful glance to the security staff at the vault door and said, "Open the vault door."


    The two security personnel hurried over and began the process to open the vault door.


    ...


    At this moment.


    Inside the vault.


    Lu Heng had searched the entire vault and had not found the Super Crystal Core.


    However, he did find a safe on the wall.


    A safe installed in the vault obviously meant it held the most important item inside.


    The safe required a password to open.


    Lu Heng tried twice, both times unsuccessfully.


    If he erred a third time, the safe would lock immediately and trigger an alarm.


    In such cases, the most correct approach was...


    Lu Heng drew the Aurora Blade, concentrated the Power of Thunder and Lightning, and swung his sword.


    The safe door opened in response, clean and neat.


    Lu Heng took out a box the size of a palm from the safe, opened it, and sure enough, it was the Super Crystal Core. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core: Use this Crystal Core to break through the Skill Slot Number limit, adding one more Skill Slot for the user.]


    Having obtained this Super Crystal Core, Lu Heng''s face revealed a hint of ecstatic joy as he directly absorbed it.


    [Using "Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core," Skill Slot Number +1]


    [Skill Slot Number: 4]


    After using the Super Crystal Core, the number of Skill Slots increased from 3 to 4, with an additional empty Skill Slot now available.


    Immediately after, Lu Heng took out the [Bullet Time] Crystal Core and began to absorb it.


    Energy from the Crystal Core flowed into his body through his palm, circulated around his body, and finally concentrated into an Energy Ball in the fourth Skill Slot.


    Then, on the character data panel, information on the fourth skill appeared.


    After acquiring [Bullet Time] Skill, Lu Heng looked around to see if there were any other high-value items he could take.


    Just then.


    The sound of the vault door opening could be heard, slowly opening.


    Gong ZhenTeng walked into the vault with a bald superpower user, simultaneously speaking, "Lei Jinhao is dead; you can take over Thunder. You''ll definitely be satisfied with the foundation of this team."


    "I''ve heard that you incurred the wrath of a formidable person, and that''s why Lei Jinhao is dead. Thunder can''t solve a problem like that," Hong Qiang snapped up the Gong Family''s current vulnerability, naturally asking for a large bite.


    "Lei Jinhao died on the Abyss Battlefield, which shows his incompetence," Gong ZhenTeng actually knew how Lei Jinhao died.


    Some members of Thunder who survived had come out and told the whole story of what happened on the Abyss Battlefield.


    This was also why Gong ZhenTeng was so eager to find a new enforcer.


    "Is that so?" A sneer appeared on Hong Qiang''s face.


    Gong ZhenTeng narrowed his eyes slightly, his face showing some displeasure. As the chairman of Gongteng Group, when had he ever been cornered like this?


    But with Lei Jinhao''s death, he no longer had a usable high-level enforcer and could only bleed money to buy this Hong Qiang off.


    He tugged at the corners of his mouth, countering, "What''s the matter, you''re scared? The man Lei Jinhao couldn''t handle, you worry you can''t either?"


    Hong Qiang suddenly burst into laughter, "Chairman Gong, you underestimate me. Not to look down on Lei Jinhao, but he''s nothing more than a bullet''s work in front of me."


    Gong ZhenTeng continued, "With that said, what''s there to be afraid of? Take over Thunder, and whatever you want in the future, you will have."


    Hong Qiang chuckled confidently, "Rest assured, what Lei Jinhao couldn''t do, I''ll do for you. First, hand me that Super Crystal Core, then I''ll go and bring your enemy''s entire family over to you as a greeting gift."


    Gong ZhenTeng originally intended to continue bargaining with the Super Crystal Core, but now he had no choice. He had to lead him towards the direction of the vault''s safe.


    As they approached the wall on the north side of the vault, he finally saw the condition of its wall.


    The safe''s door had been broken into.


    "What''s going on here?" Gong ZhenTeng''s eyes widened, and he turned to run back out to call people to sound the alarm.


    Just at this moment.


    Hong Qiang flipped his hands, and two Browning pistols appeared, aiming at a pillar and shouting, "Come out! I saw you."


    Lu Heng stepped out from behind the pillar, facing the two men.


    Seeing Lu Heng, Gong ZhenTeng''s eyes bulged, surprised, "It''s you!"


    Lu Heng retorted with a smirk, "Who just said they wanted to tie up my whole family? I''m right here, why not start with me?"


    Hong Qiang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Chairman Gong, is this man your enemy?"


    Actually, Gong ZhenTeng wasn''t sure if Lu Heng was the murderer of his son, but at this point, with enmity established, it didn''t matter anymore.


    "Yes, it''s him! Kill him now!" Gong ZhenTeng pointed at Lu Heng, his voice trembling.


    "That''s fine, saves me the trouble of looking elsewhere." As Hong Qiang spoke, his Browning aimed at Lu Heng''s chest and he pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    Bang!

 Chapter 84 - 81: Firearms Enhancement and Bullet Time

    Hong Qiang, the top gun enhancement expert in the Coastal region, was skilled with dual shooting and he possessed a rare arc shooting technique.


    This was the information known before reincarnation.


    Back then, superpower users would jokingly call this man "Bald Qiang."


    Of course, he didn''t actually resemble a bald eagle, but because he was bald and his name was Hong Qiang, he got the nickname.


    Hong Qiang had spent his early years as a mercenary on the Great Food Sea Battlefield, and after the Abyss Descent, he brought back a team to his country and established the superpower user team "Bullet Mark," quickly growing into a notable power in the Coastal region.


    Having been a mercenary, one could imagine just how ruthless he could be.


    Once he confirmed that Lu Heng was the target Gong ZhenTeng wanted dead, he opened fire without hesitation.


    As for interrogating or anything else, that too would have to wait until after he''d shot him down.


    Seeing Hong Qiang pull the trigger, Lu Heng made no moves to dodge; instead, he leaned forward and rushed ahead.


    This rushing action made Hong Qiang''s eyebrows rise as a trace of astonishment flashed across his eyes.


    Generally, a normal person''s reaction to seeing an opponent fire a weapon would be to find cover immediately.


    Hong Qiang had also assumed that Lu Heng would take cover, allowing him to use his trump card, "arc shooting," and to shoot Lu Heng dead behind the cover.


    But Lu Heng didn''t show any inclination to dodge; he charged straight toward the gun''s muzzle.


    Although this move caught Hong Qiang off guard, his extensive combat experience kicked in instantly. He fired both guns in rapid succession, bang bang bang, targeting Lu Heng''s limbs, abdomen, head¡ªall vital areas, leaving no room for escape.


    The moment Lu Heng lunged forward, he activated his new skill "Bullet Time."


    Buzz!


    As a droning sound filled his ears, the whole world seemed to slow down.


    In the super-sensing state of "Bullet Time," Lu Heng could even see the trajectory of the bullets.


    The first bullet, initially aimed at his chest, had its course altered as he lunged forward, leaning his body and lowering his center of gravity, causing the bullet that was headed for his chest to now aim for his throat.


    Lu Heng saw the bullet coming and, in the state of "Bullet Time," tilted his body to the left by 10 centimeters.


    The bullet skimmed past the right side of his neck at a distance of 3 centimeters, his skin feeling the hot airstream dragged by the passing bullet.


    Immediately after,


    Bang!


    The second bullet was fired, aiming for the abdomen.


    Lu Heng continued to tilt to the left, almost sliding horizontally beneath the bullet.


    Bang!


    The third bullet, aimed at his right thigh.


    Lu Heng planted his left hand on the ground and propelled himself with both legs, spinning into the air just above the trajectory of the bullet.


    Bang!


    The fourth bullet was fired, targeting the head.


    Lu Heng, now airborne, unable to change direction, saw the bullet coming and drew out the Aurora Blade, holding it in front of him to "ding" the bullet away.


    Then, landing, he thrust a stab forward, plunging the blade into Hong Qiang''s chest.


    Thud!


    Hong Qiang''s eyes bulged as he slowly lowered his head to look at the sword stuck in his chest, his face filled with disbelief.


    "You..." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You''re not as good as Lei Jinhao; you didn''t even force out my Essential Skill."


    Lu Heng pushed his head with one hand and withdrew the sword.


    Hong Qiang fell straight down, thumping onto the ground, his body twitched and the gun in his hands dropped.


    Gong ZhenTeng had originally wanted to see how Hong Qiang would kill Lu Heng, but unexpectedly, in just an encounter, Hong Qiang was dead.


    During the brief exchange of blows, everything in Lu Heng''s view had been in slow motion, the entire process lasting several seconds.


    But in Gong ZhenTeng''s eyes, it happened in an instant.


    Hong Qiang fired his gun, bang bang bang, and by the time the firing ceased, Lu Heng had already rushed to Hong Qiang''s front, and then Hong Qiang fell down.


    Gong ZhenTeng''s face instantly showed a look of terror, and he turned to flee.


    Lu Heng picked up Hong Qiang''s Browning and with two shots, bang bang, Gong ZhenTeng was brought down.


    Gong ZhenTeng struggled to continue crawling forward; he had already awakened, his life force stronger than a regular person''s, but having never been conscripted, his combat power was negligible in front of Lu Heng.


    He struggled to crawl forward, dragging a blood trail behind him.


    Lu Heng walked over and aimed the Browning at the back of his head.


    Gong ZhenTeng, feeling the reaper''s scythe hanging over his head, hurriedly looked back and pleaded, "Don''t! Don''t kill me! I can give you whatever you want."


    "I only want... you dead."


    Having said that, Lu Heng pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The bullet burst Gong ZhenTeng''s head, splattering red and white everywhere.


    ...


    Outside the vault.


    The three of Hong Qiang''s subordinates who stayed outside had also been mercenaries in the Great Food Sea, equally ruthless.


    They were initially guarding the door, but upon hearing gunfire from inside the vault, they instantly drew their guns and charged in.


    Just then,


    An Elemental Arrow was shot out, killing one of them.


    A falcon with a wingspan of three meters swooped down, toppling a man and piercing his heart.


    The last man saw his two companions fall and immediately turned to aim his gun, but after looking around, he saw nothing.


    It wasn''t until a flaming arrow flew out from a corner, felling him.


    The security personnel at the vault door were so scared out of their wits that they squatted down, held up their hands, and shouted, "Don''t kill me! Don''t kill me!"


    Su Muyu paid no attention to the two men and quickly took two steps into the vault to see the fight inside was over, then hurriedly said,


    "The vault alarm has gone off; the law enforcement team will be here soon."


    "Let''s go." Lu Heng packed away two Browning pistols into his inventory and pulled Su Muyu away.


    As they stepped out of the vault, the siren from the law enforcement team could be heard from outside the building.


    If they took the elevator down now, they would have to go to the Detective Bureau for a ''tea'' with the law enforcement team.


    So, Lu Heng and Su Muyu headed upwards through the fire escape to the rooftop and glided away from the sky, carried by the falcon.


    ...


    After reviewing the scene, the Detective Bureau handed the case over to Iron Blood.


    Half an hour later, Iron Blood''s senior inspector Chen Linian, along with his apprentice Gao Zhitin, arrived at the Gongteng Group building.


    As they stepped into the vault, Chen Linian had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.


    This was an intuition formed from many years of case work, often knowing the answer without the need to see the evidence, and it had a very high accuracy rate.


    The law enforcement team had already surveyed the scene and recreated the ballistic trajectory.


    Several stands were placed on the floor of the scene, with laser pens mounted on top, indicating the trajectory of the bullets.


    At Hong Tao''s position, four shots had been fired from two pistols.


    Gao Zhitin followed the paths of the four laser pens to look for bullet holes.


    He found three bullet holes, all in the walls, not far apart, but the fourth bullet hole was missing.


    "Master, why can we only find three bullet holes? Weren''t there four shots?" Gao Zhitin, scratching his head, was very puzzled.


    Chen Linian was silent for three seconds before saying, "The fourth shot was blocked with a sword."


    "Blocked... with a sword?" Gao Zhitin''s face showed astonishment.


    Although the Abyss Descent brought Superpower Users into the world, most of them weren''t strong, and were no match for firearms.


    In a normal world, blocking bullets with a sword was basically impossible.


    Clearly, the world was no longer normal.


    Chen Linian pointed at the ceiling to the left and said, "The bullet hole is there; this person''s swordplay has gotten faster."


    "Faster?" Gao Zhitin once again showed a puzzled expression.


    Chen Linian patted his naive apprentice on the shoulder and said, "It''s the same person you chased last time."


    Gao Zhitin swallowed hard, surprised, "This person can block bullets with a sword?"


    Chen Linian shook his head with a smile, correcting, "Not block bullets with a sword, but dodged three bullets and blocked the fourth with his sword, then killed the opponent."


    Gao Zhitin swallowed again, his face full of disbelief, "That can''t be true?"


    Chen Linian went to where Lu Heng originally stood and began to analyze the fight: "This person stood right here, the opponent shot at him, and he didn''t dodge; he just charged forward.


    "Then he dodged to the left and right, avoiding three bullets, jumping up in the air, blocking the fourth bullet with his sword, and as he landed, he stabbed through the opponent''s chest."


    As he analyzed the fight, Chen Linian twisted and turned, mimicking the dodging movements.


    "No way, this isn''t The Matrix, is it? At such a close distance, he could dodge bullets?" Gao Zhitin was still full of disbelief.


    Chen Linian nodded in confirmation, "Yes, this person is that terrifying. Last time, when you chased him, he didn''t kill you. That also confirms my profile that this person is very stable emotionally."


    Gao Zhitin swallowed again, suddenly a bit afraid.


    During the investigation of the case at 921 Guanchao Road previously, Chen Linian told him not to chase, but he still did, reluctantly following, but in the end, he did not catch up.


    Now hearing his master''s words, he suddenly felt afraid.


    A Superpower User who could dodge bullets was someone he could not handle at all.


    What about the three outside the door?


    The three outside were not injured by a sword.


    "Outside there were two arrow wounds with signs of burn from flames, not ordinary arrows, most likely Source Energy Arrows, or flames enhanced arrows. There''s another injury caused by a raptor, so there were two people and a raptor involved here."


    Chen Linian had nearly finished analyzing before he called the security personnel over to ask about the situation.


    "Did you see the suspects?"


    Both security personnel shook their heads quickly: "No... we didn''t dare to look."


    "Where''s the monitoring room? Take me there."


    Chen Linian and his apprentice arrived at the monitoring room, asking the security guard to replay the surveillance video.


    "We''ve already watched it with the law enforcement team, two hours before the incident, besides the people brought by the chairman, no one else took the elevator," the monitoring room security said.


    Chen Linian watched the surveillance video, then suddenly noticed a segment where the elevator was empty, but the button for the 27th floor lit up.


    The button was too small and when placed in the nine-grid surveillance video, hardly noticeable if one didn''t pay attention.


    Chen Linian pointed to the surveillance video in the top right corner of the grid and said, "Zoom in on this."


    After the video was enlarged, he pointed to the button for the 27th floor in the video and said, "What''s going on here? How did this button suddenly light up?"


    The monitoring room security showed a surprised look, "Eh! How could this light up? Sir, we really don''t know what''s going on, and the 27th floor requires a card to press, otherwise it won''t light up."


    Chen Linian immediately said, "Who has a card? Get everyone who could have used a card to stop at the 27th floor here!"


    After inquiring, it was found that a security team captain''s access card was missing.


    After Chen Linian finished asking, he slowly reached a conclusion, "The suspect has invisibility, and it''s invisibility that can block infrared scanning. Invisibility, dodging bullets, energy arrows, a raptor, and¡­"


    He didn''t finish his last sentence, which was "a familiar swordplay"¡ªhe had recognized it the last time, it was Step Sword Seven Styles.

 Chapter 85 - 82: The Missing Evil God Corpse

    "Time to divide the spoils."


    In the top-floor apartment of the Jinxiu Yujing District, Lu Heng turned a bag upside down and shook out a heap of Demon Crystal Cores onto the sofa.


    "How come there are so many?" Su Muyu''s eyes widened with surprise upon seeing the numerous Demon Crystal Cores.


    These Crystal Cores were naturally procured from the vault in the headquarters of the Gongteng Group.


    If they could move slowly, they could have taken the gold bars too.


    However, the gold bars were too heavy, and it would not be convenient to take them if the enforcement team arrived.


    Moreover, handling a large amount of gold could be troublesome and risky, as it might be easy to trace.


    "You take one, I take one, you take another, I..." Lu Heng began distributing the Crystal Cores.


    After dividing them, there were a total of 51 Crystal Cores, and they could not be evenly divided, so Lu Heng ended up keeping the odd one for himself.


    Su Muyu covered her mouth and laughed, "Isn''t this what they call unequal distribution?"


    "It''s not important, I just wanted to show you. After showing, I still have to take them back to purchase quenching materials," Lu Heng explained as he began putting the cores back.


    "What..." Su Muyu smiled charmingly, helping Lu Heng to put the Crystal Cores back.


    Lu Heng left ten Crystal Cores for Su Muyu, saying, "Keep these, use them as you see fit. Spend more time practicing your skill proficiency and archery. See when you can reach level 20."


    "Okay." Su Muyu nodded earnestly.


    "Uh, right, take this card, the password is six sixes, don''t hesitate to spend," Lu Heng stuffed a bank card into her hand.


    "But, taking so much money for no reason, it feels like I''m being kept," Su Muyu pursed her lips, feeling a bit uncomfortable.


    "Then consider it a team bonus," Lu Heng amended his statement.


    "That works."


    With a change of terminology, Su Muyu suddenly felt the money was justified and accepted it with a smile.


    "Also, we have another troublesome matter to handle," Lu Heng remembered another unresolved issue.


    "The matter about the Evil God''s Finger? Do you think the Evil God''s Finger was brought to Blue Star?" Su Muyu also considered this possibility.


    For her, it was merely a guess, but for Lu Heng, it was almost a certainty.


    If things developed as they had in his previous life, in three months'' time, Evil God Barton would descend upon Blue Star, slaughtering all the human superpower users that impeded his resurrection.


    Before this experience on the Abyss Battlefield, Lu Heng did not know how Evil God Barton had come to Blue Star. It wasn''t until he realized a segment of the Evil God''s Finger was missing that he understood the situation.


    Certainly, a superpower user had brought the Evil God''s Finger back to Blue Star, which led to Evil God Barton''s appearance on Blue Star in three months.


    These three months would likely be the time the superpower user accumulated strength for Evil God Barton.


    Given Evil God Barton''s vengeful nature, once he regained his strength, those who had once obstructed him were bound to die.


    Thus, they must find this superpower user within three months and destroy the finger segment.


    Moreover, they could not delay for a full three months; once Evil God Barton accumulated enough strength, it would be difficult to handle thereafter.


    Therefore, the quicker they acted, the better.


    "I''m pretty sure that the segment of Evil God''s Finger has already arrived in our world, but I don''t know who has it," Lu Heng expressed his concerns.


    "What should we do?" Su Muyu pondered as she asked.


    "This matter is a bit tricky; just the two of us investigating would be a waste of time. I will find someone to help tomorrow." Lu Heng had already figured out what to do the previous few days.


    ...


    The following evening,


    Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu had arranged to meet at Quenching Castle.


    Lin Zeyu, carrying some items, waited alone under the ninth arch of the Century Bridge.


    This time, he had not brought his bodyguards with him.


    At eight o''clock,


    Lu Heng walked down from the riverside, waving to greet him.


    Lin Zeyu was momentarily stunned, as he had originally thought Lu Heng would sneak out unnoticed from Quenching Castle and appear behind him.


    Unexpectedly, Lu Heng had come down directly from the riverside.


    "Weren''t you supposed to come out from Quenching Castle?" Lin Zeyu blinked and couldn''t help but ask.


    "I don''t live in Quenching Castle, so isn''t it normal for me to come from my home?" Lu Heng answered matter-of-factly.


    "That''s true." Lin Zeyu realized his question was rather foolish.


    Lu Heng led him through the ninth arch into Quenching Castle.


    Once inside Quenching Castle, they encountered Gulu in the front courtyard.


    Gulu was squatting on the ground, using tweezers to hold a large cockroach, feeding it to a Cannibal Flower in a flower pot.


    Indeed, such creatures as cockroaches were formidable, and within just a month, they had officially moved into Quenching Castle.


    Gulu, having not seen this kind of bug before, found it quite interesting, especially when feeding the Cannibal Flower.


    Upon seeing Gulu, Lin Zeyu hurriedly paid his respects, "Hello, master."


    "Uh-huh."


    Gulu gave him an encouraging look, finding this human youngster quite agreeable.


    Lin Zeyu patted his chest, breathing out a sigh of relief.


    During his last visit, he had mistaken this little dwarf as a servant of Quenching Castle; fortunately, he had not revealed his thoughts, else it could have been disastrous. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After greeting Gulu, Lu Heng led Lin Zeyu to the parlor.


    "I had to come in a rush this time, only received seven quenching orders; I won''t take a cut this time," Lin Zeyu placed two briefcases on the table and opened them to display the quenching materials and weapons needing quenching.


    Lu Heng briefly examined the equipment to be quenched and said, "You should still take what you deserve, we stick to our agreement, honesty first. Also, quenching isn''t guaranteed to succeed, have you communicated this to the clients?"

 Chapter 86 - 82: The Missing Evil God Corpse Part 2

    "I''ve already said you can rest easy. I even had them sign a paper contract to guarantee there''ll be no problems. Do you want to take a look at the contract? I had a lawyer draft it specifically," Lin Zeyu had already planned to treat the weapon hardening service support as a business venture.


    "No need, that''s a contract you signed with them, I''m not involved," Lu Heng waved his hand, too lazy to look.


    The weapon hardening services offered by Quenching Castle are now unique to Blue Star, no need for a contract to secure rights and interests.


    Besides, the contract wasn''t signed by Lu Heng, so no matter what problems arose, it had nothing to do with him.


    Inside the briefcase Lin Zeyu opened, there were two weapons, a collector''s edition Desert Eagle and a Tang Blade.


    "Where''s your gun? Aren''t you getting it hardened?" Lu Heng looked at him curiously.


    Lin Zeyu''s face showed a strange expression as he sighed, "I don''t know what to say. At first, I thought firearms were powerful, but after experiencing the Abyss Battlefield, I feel like they''re so weak."


    "So you''re thinking of changing your approach now?" Lu Heng guessed his thoughts.


    "I''m not sure if I should change directions, and all my skills are maxed out. Is it still possible to change now?" Lin Zeyu was very troubled.


    "Since you''ve chosen the firearms reinforcement path, why not continue on it?" Lu Heng thought he wasn''t a bad guy and didn''t mind giving him some advice.


    "The main reason is seeing your strength, I realize bullets are no use against you," Lin Zeyu voiced his inner thoughts openly.


    Ever since he was saved by Lu Heng, he felt there was no need to hide anything. If his life was saved by someone else, what was the point of keeping defenses?


    "Why compare yourself with me?"


    "I can''t compare with Lei Jinhao either."


    "He''s a traitor. If you don''t mind becoming a demon, you could become stronger too."


    "Is there a way to accept the power of the Evil Gods without falling into depravity?"


    "Lei Jinhao thought the same thing."


    "Alright..." Lin Zeyu actually had his answer already, wanting to gain strength from the Evil God without becoming a minion¡ªsuch good fortune didn''t exist.


    He paused and then asked, "So, what should I do now?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "Show me your attribute data, I can help you consider your options."


    Lin Zeyu immediately took out his phone and found a data chart: "This is from two days ago. I leveled up yesterday, a few attributes increased, but nothing else changed."


    Lu Heng took it and checked.


    His current level was 17, which was quite normal considering he had survived the Evil God''s Burial Ground and completed three Challenge Tasks.


    In choosing a development path, level and attributes weren''t the most important; the most crucial were talent and skills.


    Lin Zeyu''s initial talent was [Precision Shooting], with skills including [Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap], [Armor Piercing Bullet], [Source Energy Flash], and [Energy Hook].


    Considering his initial talent, he was indeed suitable for the firearms path.


    [Precision Shooting] was also a good talent, neglecting factors like wind resistance, gravity, concealment, making it accurate at every shot.


    Of course, exceeding the shooting range or when there is cover, [Precision Shooting] can''t resolve it on its own.


    After reviewing the talents and skills, Lu Heng handed back the phone, saying, "Your talent fits the firearms reinforcement path, no issues there."


    "But I''m so weak," Lin Zeyu lamented from his soul.


    "Maybe you''re not weak, it''s just that the people you''ve encountered are too strong," Lu Heng corrected him.


    "Okay, seems I can''t argue with that," Lin Zeyu actually knew he was weak compared to Lu Heng and Lei Jinhao, but he was okay compared to other Superpower Users.


    Still, he wanted to hear suggestions: "If I change paths now, is it too late?"


    "It''s too late," Lu Heng replied bluntly.


    Actually, changing paths wasn''t completely impossible.


    As long as he completed four World Tasks in the Abyss Battlefield, deleted all his skills, then formed a new Skill Set, and as for the initial talent, just pretend it didn''t exist.


    Forcing a change in path was also possible in this way, but it''d be meaningless.


    Completing the world task of the Abyss Battlefield four times, let alone how difficult that would be, even if it were really accomplished, it would be better to use that effort to enhance existing skills rather than delete four of them.


    "What should I do then?" Lin Zeyu pressed.


    "Want to hear my opinion?" Lu Heng smiled, his interest piqued as he looked at him.


    "Mhm!" Lin Zeyu nodded earnestly. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Continue on the firearms enhancement path. Your current skill set is not bad; it has everything it should. But ditch the handgun, get yourself a Grade B sniper rifle. If you''re going to strengthen firearms, you have to take it to the extreme."


    Lu Heng gave his advice, paused, then added, "Also, don''t just think about using guns. Fighting and movement techniques also need to be practiced. These are the basics, and sometimes they''re even more important than skills."


    Lin Zeyu pondered and asked, "If I continue on the firearms enhancement path, will there be prospects for me in the future?"


    "There will definitely be prospects, but if you want to become a War God in one step, then you might as well go to sleep," Lu Heng said, spreading his hands.


    "As long as there are prospects, I''ll listen to you." Lin Zeyu clenched his fist, made up his mind, and decided to persist with enhancing firearms.


    Actually, if he hadn''t met Lu Heng and hadn''t encountered Lei Jinhao infused with Demonic energy and gone Frenzy, his firearm enhancement wouldn''t be weak.


    However, in his last foray into the Abyss Battlefield, he met two monsters that almost shattered his fighting spirit.


    "Alright, enough about personal matters, let''s get down to business," Lu Heng began to transition to the main issue.


    "As for Quenching, I have no objections to your method."


    "Quenching is a minor matter and not worth discussing. What I want to talk about is the loss of the Evil God Corpse pieces. You might not know about this yet."


    During the time in the Abyss Battlefield, Lin Zeyu was severely injured by Lei Jinhao and eventually carried out of the Temple by Wang Xiangfeng.


    Hence, he was unaware of the details of the last battle.


    "The Evil God Corpse piece is missing? What''s the situation with that?" Lin Zeyu had passed through the Temple and had witnessed the Resurrection Ceremony, knowing how terrifying Evil God Barton was.


    "After we disrupted the Resurrection Ceremony, the Bansel Clan began to collect and destroy Evil God Corpses, but a piece of a finger went missing. I suspect it was taken back to our world by a Superpower User," Lu Heng revealed the alarming situation.


    Lin Zeyu took a sharp intake of breath and widened his eyes, "What would happen if the Evil God Corpse piece was brought over?"


    After a moment of thought, Lu Heng said, "Based on my deductions, before long, the Evil God will appear in our world and then kill us. You should understand, we prevented his resurrection, this is a vendetta."


    Lin Zeyu felt goosebumps all over his head: "What do we do now?"


    Lu Heng spoke gravely, "Right now I need you to send people to investigate every Superpower User who has entered the Evil God''s Burial Ground, get all their information, and then we will check them one by one. This needs to be completed within one month; if it drags on for three, it might be too late."


    Lin Zeyu immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, I got it. I''ll make sure it''s done."


    "Now that the important matter is settled, we can start the Quenching. Do you have any requirements for the Quenching of these two weapons?" Lu Heng inquired.


    "As long as the Attack Power is increased. The higher, the better. There are seven sets of quenching materials in total. Four are for this Desert Eagle, and the other three are for the Tang Blade," Lin Zeyu said.


    "Alright, I''ll go Quench them. You can wait here..."


    "I''ll come with you. This won''t be charged, right?" Lin Zeyu hurriedly got up to follow.


    "Fine, but you have to help me purchase a batch of quenching materials," Lu Heng decided, who also needed quenching materials, so he prepared to buy them with Demon Crystal Cores.


    "That''s fine, but the quantity can''t be too large."


    The Lin Family had always been purchasing quenching materials and had some in stock, although not in large amounts.


    After all, quenching materials are a scarce resource right now. Fortunately, there aren''t many Power Users with the access to Quenching, so the demand for quenching materials isn''t that high yet.


    Lu Heng brought the two weapons into the Forging room for Quenching.


    After completing seven Quenchings, he earned 80 points of Quenching Master Professional Experience, with one failure keeping the success rate above 85%.


    Following the Quenching process, both weapons reached Quenching Level 3.


    With this transaction completed, Lu Heng earned seven Crystal Cores, and then placed an order with Lin Zeyu for the purchase of more quenching materials, the more the better.


    With over forty Crystal Cores in hand and according to the current market price, he could buy about twenty sets of quenching materials.


    However, with quenching materials so scarce, it was unlikely to find that much all at once.

 Chapter 87 - 83: Investigation and Game

    Knock, knock, knock...


    The door to the penthouse suite on the top floor of Jinxiu Imperial View was being rapped on.


    Lu Heng opened the door to see an elderly and a young man standing outside, who were none other than Iron Blood''s senior inspector Chen Linian and his apprentice.


    "Can I help you?" Lu Heng recognized the two men but had to pretend he did not.


    Chen Linian took out his badge, showed it briefly, and said, "I''m Chen Linian from the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau. I have a few questions I''d like to verify with you."


    "It''s not a good time," Lu Heng flatly refused.


    "Are you worried we''ll find something that could be incriminating?" Gao Zhitin immediately retorted.


    That was a rather clumsy attempt at provocation.


    A trace of mocking laughter appeared at the corner of Lu Heng''s mouth as he responded, "Then come back when you''ve found some clues."


    Gao Zhitin frowned and challenged, "We''ve looked into your family background. Living here doesn''t quite suit your status as a student; that''s the biggest discrepancy."


    Jinxiu Imperial View was a high-class residential area, and this apartment was a grand penthouse with a terrace.


    At that moment,


    Someone walked out from inside the house and stood behind Lu Heng, casually flicking their bangs and asking, "What about me? Do I not fit in either?"


    This person was Lin Zeyu.


    Lin Zeyu had the files of all Superpower Users who had entered the Evil God''s Burial Ground in the country and had brought them here to discuss the next course of action.


    The Iron Blood''s main responsibility was to monitor Power Users and investigate cases related to them.


    Therefore, Power Users of significant concern in the Coastal region all had files at Iron Blood.


    Lin Zeyu, the young master of the Coastal Lin family, had participated in the hunting of swarm bugs during the last Gardenia Beach outbreak, so Iron Blood had his file.


    Chen Linian could remember every file he had read, so he recognized Lin Zeyu immediately.


    "Young people are impatient, please don''t mind them."


    Chen Linian tried to defuse the tension on behalf of his apprentice, then he continued, "I just want to ask a few questions, and I''ll leave once we''ve finished."


    "What questions?"


    "About a few cases, and about Evil God Barton," Chen Linian mentioned Evil God Barton and then watched Lu Heng''s expression closely.


    Lu Heng showed little change in expression, tilted his head, and said, "Come in."


    Iron Blood was an official organization, after all; refusing to cooperate could lead to more trouble later.


    "May I take a look around?" Chen Linian pulled out plastic shoe covers, handed two to his apprentice, and donned his own before entering the house.


    "Go ahead."


    Now that they had entered, there was no need to stop them.


    Chen Linian walked upstairs to the second floor, then pushed open the door to the terrace, leaned on the railing, and admired the Coastal scenery, "The view is nice here."


    Su Muyu came out with two cups of tea and placed them on the round table on the terrace, "Have some tea."


    Chen Linian picked up a Han Sword from the shelf on the wall, scraped his finger along the blade''s edge, and read the inscriptions on the sword, "Thunder Gathers around Kunwu, The Phoenix Spreads Its Wings. Have you practiced swordsmanship?"


    "A bit," Lu Heng offhandedly replied.


    "Care to demonstrate?" Chen Linian offered the sword to Lu Heng.


    Actually, Lu Heng could casually perform another form of swordsmanship, but he felt too lazy to engage in such antics and placed the Han Sword back on the shelf, "Inspector Chen, perhaps we should get to the point." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Linian didn''t linger on the sword issue, realizing that the sword was not sharp - purely a piece of craftsmanship.


    He sat down, scoped out Lu Heng, Su Muyu, and Lin Zeyu for a while, then asked, "Are the three of you close?"


    "Certainly," Lin Zeyu nodded in response, "We have a life-and-death friendship."


    Chen Linian nodded thoughtfully, took out a notebook, and said, "Let''s get to the point, then. The night before last, a case occurred at the Gongteng Group headquarters. Are you aware of it?"


    Lin Zeyu answered again: "Yes, the chairman of the Gongteng Group died in the vault¡ªthat event shook the whole city. Inspector Chen, you''re not suspecting me, are you? Our family indeed competes with Gongteng Group. If you go down this line of inquiry, I may need to call my lawyer."


    Gao Zhitin, who was rather impatient, interjected, "Nobody asked you. Keep quiet."


    Lin Zeyu''s face showed displeasure, but he held back, picked up a cup of tea, and walked to the railing to sip slowly while enjoying the view.


    Focusing on Lu Heng''s eyes, Chen Linian continued his questioning, "Where were you between nine and ten o''clock the night before last?"


    Lu Heng directly stated what they wanted to conclude, "I was with her, with no one else to vouch for us."


    "So, you don''t have an alibi?" Gao Zhitin picked up the thread of the conversation.


    Lu Heng shrugged, which was as good as an acknowledgement.


    In reality, using a Shadow Clone to create an alibi wouldn''t be difficult, but having an alibi every time was too deliberate and thus problematic.


    Moreover, after the emergence of Power Users, such alibis were superfluous.


    Gao Zhitin pressed on, "You had a poor relationship with Gong Chusheng, Tang Guizhe, and two others in school, didn''t you?"


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and countered, "Isn''t that quite a leap? Weren''t we talking about the Gongteng Group''s affairs?"


    Gao Zhitin slapped the table and loudly said, "The Hongda Company case, the Gongteng Group case, and the abandoned factory case. When strung together, they all revolve around you."


    Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "The few people I mentioned at school have no connection to me."


    Indeed, they had no connection, and even if others from the school were asked, the result would be the same.


    Gao Zhitin wanted to continue the questioning, but Chen Linian raised his hand to stop him and took over, asking, "There is a testimony from a member of Thunder stating that Gong ZhenTeng once hired Lei Jinhao to deal with you. Got anything to say about that?"


    The last time at the Abyss Battlefield, more than a dozen Superpower Users returned alive.


    Iron Blood had certainly investigated the incidents that took place at Evil God''s Burial Ground, so they would definitely know about Lei Jinhao''s death.


    A smile appeared on Lu Heng''s face as he asked in return, "So, does Iron Blood plan on extending its reach into the Abyss Battlefield? From now on, when summoned by the Abyss Battlefield, should we also comply with Iron Blood''s rules?"


    Iron Blood is already overwhelmed with cases in the main world and has no means to deal with matters in the Abyss Battlefield.


    Besides, the Superpower Users who enter the Abyss Battlefield try their utmost to survive¡ªwho would have the energy to worry about Iron Blood''s regulations?


    Chen Linian waved his hand and said, "We will not pursue matters that occur within the Abyss Battlefield."


    "Even if you wanted to pursue them, could you actually manage that?" Lu Heng retorted coldly, his tone laced with provocation.


    Chen Linian had to admit that Iron Blood couldn''t even manage domestic Superpower Users, let alone interfere with events in the Abyss Battlefield.


    Lu Heng admitted outright, "Yes, I did away with Lei Jinhao in the Abyss Battlefield. Report it however you like, I''ll wait for the outcome!"


    Chen Linian frowned. The investigation he needed wasn''t about this matter, but the conversation had inadvertently veered off course.


    At this moment.


    He noticed a piece of A4 paper with printed information on the table, listing the names of a dozen individuals.


    These were the names of Superpower Users who had entered the Evil God''s Burial Ground.


    He picked up the document, glanced at it, and his brows furrowed even more.


    This list had been brought by Lin Zeyu.


    When Chen Linian came in, Lu Heng could have taken the document, but he didn''t¡ªhe left it deliberately on the table.


    As Chen Linian looked at the list, his frown deepened, his mind no longer on the Gongteng Group case, and he lifted the document to ask, "What are you doing with this information?"


    Lu Heng curled his lips in a sneer, crossed his arms, and turned to gaze at the distant seascape.


    Lin Zeyu jokingly continued, "We''re not as idle as you folks¡ªgetting investigated while also investigating who brought back pieces of the Evil God to Blue Star. Inspector Chen sure is working hard, serving the corporation and the country."


    Chen Linian''s expression changed again and again.


    He was here not only to investigate the Gongteng Group treasury case but also for another task¡ªto inquire about the matters at Evil God''s Burial Ground.


    Of course, the data collected on the Abyss Battlefield wasn''t for solving cases but to gather information about the Abyss.


    "Evil God''s piece? What''s going on?" Chen Linian heard the term and instantly knew the situation was serious.


    Lu Heng deliberately left the information on the table to give Iron Blood something to do, to keep them from fixating on a handful of cases incessantly.


    "Someone brought a piece of the Evil God''s Finger from the Abyss Battlefield. We are investigating this matter. I shouldn''t need to explain¡ªyou must understand the consequences of an Evil God Corpse appearing on Blue Star."


    Chen Linian signaled to his apprentice to sit down and take notes, then asked, "Can you tell me the details about the Evil God Corpse? It''s a serious matter, and I need to report back."


    Lu Heng then recounted the loss of the Evil God''s Finger and the possibility that a Superpower User brought it back to Blue Star.


    After listening, Chen Linian asked, "Are you certain that this piece of the Evil God''s Finger was brought back to Blue Star? From your description, there isn''t concrete evidence to prove that the Evil God''s Finger has been brought to Blue Star."


    Lu Heng smiled and counter-queried, "Does Inspector Chen believe in intuition?"


    Chen Linian''s eyes revealed a hint of surprise upon hearing this question.


    Because he believed in intuition, but he only trusted his own.


    In fact, intuition doesn''t arise from nowhere.


    Often, intuition is formed through the accumulation of experience.


    When he investigates a case and enters the crime scene, sometimes he doesn''t need to look for clues to have a rough idea of what happened.


    That was his intuition, which was actually a kind of subconscious environmental sensing, arriving at conclusions without the brain''s analysis.


    Indeed, intuition is the subconscious processing of conclusions, not something generated from nothing, which is often why it tends to be accurate.


    "I understand, I''ll look into this matter personally. If you think of any other information, you can call this number." Chen Linian placed a business card with only a mobile number on it in front of Lu Heng.


    "Alright." Lu Heng picked up the card, looking at the numbers, which were the same as the ones he had dialed before.


    "That will be all, then."


    After finishing his statement, Chen Linian rose and prepared to leave; he took a few steps, then turned back to Su Muyu and asked, "Su, do you possess Invisibility?"


    A moment of bewilderment flashed across Su Muyu''s eyes, then she nodded in acknowledgment, "I do."


    This fact couldn''t be concealed¡ªit had been used many times in the Abyss Battlefield, and many had seen it.


    Denying it now would likely raise suspicions.

 Chapter 88 - 84 The Truth of the Real World

    Leaving Jinxiu Yujing District, Gao Zhitin drove while replaying the questioning process in his mind, feeling increasingly that something was amiss.


    "Master, I still feel those three people are problematic."


    "So, what about it?" Chen Linian held a notebook, writing down the list he had just seen.


    "Therefore, I think we should continue to investigate them; there''s definitely something going on with them." Gao Zhitin slapped the steering wheel, very confident in his judgment.


    Chen Linian turned to look at his apprentice, a playful smile appearing on his lips.


    Because this apprentice reminded him of his younger self, who abhorred evil and would relentlessly pursue an issue, even if it meant hitting a wall and getting a bloodied head.


    However, such a character is not fit for survival in society¡ªthe more brutal the social environment, the more suffering it brings to those people.


    "Why do you think they have problems?" Chen Linian asked curiously.


    "Do I need to say it? They definitely have problems."


    "Reasons?"


    "Uh¡­ it''s like¡­ intuition?"


    If pressed for a reason, Gao Zhitin really couldn''t articulate one.


    Chen Linian felt this apprentice was even more like himself, that is, trusting intuition, but of course, only his own.


    "Why do you want to investigate them? Even if these three people have problems, they actually aren''t much of a threat." Chen Linian''s criminal profiling skills were first-rate, able to see through a person with just a glance.


    Therefore, he was certain that these three people posed no harm.


    "But they have broken the law, and they should be punished." Gao Zhitin was very adamant about this.


    In fact, the character "Í¥" in his name represents the judicial system. Since he was young, his elders had groomed him in this direction.


    Chen Linian tugged at the corners of his mouth and said, "Do you even know what the law is?"


    "The law is obviously the regulations that uphold fairness and justice!" Gao Zhitin''s tone was very firm.


    Chen Linian shook his head, sighed, and said, "Still too young."


    "Master, what do you mean by that look? Am I wrong?" Gao Zhitin frowned suddenly.


    "If it weren''t for your calling me ''Master,'' these truths would have to be exchanged with your own pain. The law has never upheld fairness and justice, it upholds stability. Justice only exists in one place¡­"


    Chen Linian did not finish his sentence but instead poked his own chest with his finger.


    Justice lies in the human heart.


    This is an old saying but applicable from ancient times to the present.


    Gao Zhitin''s values were severely shaken; he abruptly hit the brakes, looking at his master with incredulous eyes.


    "What are you looking at? If it weren''t for you calling me ''Master,'' I would tell you the law upholds fairness and justice, understand? Only heartfelt words reveal the truth." Chen Linian glared at his stunned young apprentice.


    "But Master, what I''ve learned¡­" Gao Zhitin started to say that what he had learned from childhood conflicted with what he heard today.


    "But¡­"


    "There are no ''buts.'' You think the law upholds fairness and justice, but there will always be people who are not bound by the law, and there will be even more in the future." Chen Linian showed a look of frustration, as if he was dealing with someone obstinate.


    Gao Zhitin''s expression fell, and shaking his head, he said, "Then what''s the point of what I''ve been insisting on?"


    He even felt an urge to cry because the things he had steadfastly believed in were crumbling.


    And they were being pushed over by the person he trusted and respected the most.


    Chen Linian sighed, and poking his chest again, said, "Of course, it has meaning. Didn''t I tell you? Justice lies in the human heart. You have to hold onto that in your heart, but don''t let others see it. Understand?"


    Gao Zhitin stared blankly at Chen Linian, at his chest, and suddenly understood something.


    The things he had been upholding in his heart hadn''t completely collapsed; they were simply hidden.


    "Master, then what should I do?"


    "Ask your own heart. Don''t ask about rules and regulations; those are meant to regulate the masses, to maintain stability."


    "I don''t understand." Gao Zhitin shook his head.


    Chen Linian pondered for a moment and asked, "Why do you insist on investigating those three people?"


    "They committed crimes," Gao Zhitin said as if it were obvious.


    "What evil did they do?"


    "They did¡­"


    Gao Zhitin suddenly found himself at a loss for words because according to the information gathered,


    the three cases involving those individuals seemed to involve victims who could hardly be considered good people, to say they were human demons would not be an exaggeration.


    To investigate the case of four people killed in an abandoned factory, he had personally visited the school to conduct interviews, asking many students and teachers.


    Teachers generally kept silent, as they naturally had their jobs to consider.


    Among the students, however, some told the truth.


    After all, Gong Chusheng was already dead, there was no need to fear him. So, students who had been beaten up by the four or who had been bullied into transferring schools disclosed the truth.


    After hearing this, Gao Zhitin was indignant, but from a legal standpoint, the case still needed to be pursued.


    And the second case, related to Hongda Company, which was involved in loan sharking, the company''s hard drives even contained many photos used to threaten borrowers.


    Discovering these clues, he was equally outraged; however outraged, the case still needed to be pursued.


    Finally, there was Gong ZhenTeng''s case¡ªthese past few days, he had already found some clues, learning that Gong ZhenTeng had hired hitmen and was responsible for covering up Gong Chusheng''s misdeeds from the past.


    Each instance inflamed his sense of outrage, but again, the case still needed to be pursued.


    Gao Zhitin thought about all this and hung his head.


    He suddenly realized that the world was not as he thought it was.


    He pressed his hand to his chest and began to understand a little of his master''s words.


    Seeing that he was starting to see the light, Chen Linian asked, "Now that you know some Power Users have brought Evil God Corpse pieces out of the Abyss, are you going to look into that, or continue investigating those three people?"


    Gao Zhitin didn''t hesitate, "First, we need to find the Evil God. If this case isn''t handled properly, it''ll cause huge trouble."


    "Right, finally coming to your senses. Let''s hit the road," Chen Linian said as he patted Gao''s back.


    In fact,


    there was another reason he stopped investigating Lu Heng.


    He was a Spiritual Superpower User, and during the interrogation, he had tried to probe using his spiritual abilities, all to no effect.


    A Spiritual Superpower User''s skills being completely ineffective against an Agility Superpower User indicated that the opponent''s Strength was unfathomably deep.


    At that moment, he realized that continuing the investigation was pointless.


    Unless there was a treason-level crime that warranted national forces to arrest, any further investigation would just be a waste of time.


    In this world, some people were beyond the constraints of the law.


    The only thing that could restrain such people was morality.


    ...


    Aboard the spacious terrace of the Jinxiu Imperial View,


    Lin Zeyu patted the railing of the deck and praised, "This place is nice, the view is great, and you can even see the ocean, though it is a bit far."


    He did some quick calculations in his mind, planning to buy this house.


    In that case, the next time he visited, Lu Heng would have no way to turn him away because he would be the landlord.


    Haha...


    He laughed heartily in his mind, already picturing Lu Heng''s surprised face.


    But then he thought, what if Lu Heng just moves out after he buys the place? That would be a real waste.


    He slapped the railing, deciding to have the previous landlord sign a ten-year lease with Lu Heng at a ridiculously low price.


    "I''m really clever," Lin Zeyu laughed again in his mind.


    "What are you muttering about?" Lu Heng noticed him talking to himself, looking like a fool.


    "Nothing... Let''s talk business. Where should we start looking? Just thinking of the Evil God Corpse gives me the creeps," Lin Zeyu quickly changed the subject.


    "Let''s start with Lei Jinhao''s subordinates. They''ve done the Traitor Task and are the most likely to have taken the Evil God Corpse," Lu Heng suggested.


    "That''s what I was thinking too. I''ve already had someone keep an eye on those two; we can go over anytime," Lin Zeyu was very thorough, often taking initiative in matters without being asked to.


    "Let''s do it now," Lu Heng wanted to find the one who took the Evil God''s Finger as soon as possible to avoid further complications.


    ...


    Andu Academy District.


    Lu Heng, Su Muyu, and Lin Zeyu arrived at Building 6, Unit 1, Floor 23 of the district.


    Knock-knock-knock...


    Lin Zeyu knocked on the door loudly, shouting, "Fei Zhijie, open the door!"


    There was no response after several calls.


    Lin Zeyu''s tone turned cold as he raised his voice, "If you force us to act, it won''t be pretty. Do you think you can escape? You know how Lei Jinhao died."


    After a few more shouts, the door slowly opened.


    Fei Zhijie''s face showed panic, but he didn''t dare to run.


    He was very aware of the strength of the three people outside¡ªLin Zeyu wasn''t much of a concern, but Lu Heng was a fearsome existence capable of killing an Evil God.


    Escaping would truly be a death wish.


    After Fei Zhijie opened the door, the three immediately noticed the bandages on his right ring finger, wrapping the entire finger.


    Lin Zeyu reacted quickly, flipping out a revolver and aiming it at him.


    Fei Zhijie immediately became alarmed and used his Defense Skill, shouting, "Don''t shoot! We can talk this out; I haven''t run, don''t shoot!"


    Lin Zeyu pointed to the bandages on his right ring finger with the gun and demanded, "What''s with the bandage on your hand?"


    Fei Zhijie looked at his finger and answered, "I accidentally cut it; what''s the problem?"


    Lin Zeyu, still holding the gun, commanded, "Unwrap the bandage, unwrap it!"


    Fei Zhijie frantically untied the bandage, revealing the wound.


    Lin Zeyu pinched his finger for close inspection, causing him to cry out in pain as the wound opened and started to bleed again.


    "It hurts... it really hurts..." Fei Zhijie''s face was full of pleas.


    At first glance, when Lu Heng and the others saw the bandage on his finger, they subconsciously thought the Evil God''s Finger was wrapped under it.


    However, after a closer look, there was nothing unusual about the finger¡ªthe blood flowing from the wound was the normal color of fresh red.


    If it had been the Evil God''s Finger, one look at its horrific appearance would have been unmistakable.


    "What do you want from me? Can I wrap the bandage back now?" After Fei Zhijie unwrapped the bandage, the wound started bleeding again, so he wanted to rebandage it.


    "Go ahead and wrap it. We''re going to take a look inside your house," Lin Zeyu said, stepping over the threshold before waiting for permission, and began searching the house.


    Fei Zhijie knelt in front of the TV cabinet to find some bandages and iodine to redress the wound, asking as he did so,


    "What do you want from me? Like anyone in the Abyss Battlefield, I had no choice. Now that Lei Jinhao is dead, do you still not intend to let me go?"


    "Don''t be nervous. Just cooperate with us in finding something. Once we find it, we assure you won''t be harmed," Lin Zeyu patted his shoulder.


    Lu Heng looked back at Su Muyu, signaling her to search the entire house. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finding things naturally favored Perceivers; just by deploying a scouting eagle to fly around the room, they could tell if there was an Evil God Corpse.


    Lu Heng sat down on the sofa and said, "I have a few questions for you."


    "Go ahead, ask away."


    "Of those who survived from your team, did anyone bring out something special?"


    "Well... I''m not really sure. What are you looking for? I only brought out a Crystal Core. As long as you let me go, it''s yours," Fei Zhijie finished bandaging his finger, hoping to buy his life with the Crystal Core.

 Chapter 89 - 85 Investigating the Evil God Corpse

    After Lu Heng and two others left, less than half an hour had passed.


    Fei Zhijie''s door was again vigorously knocked on.


    Upon opening the door, he saw an old man and a young man outside, none other than Iron Blood Senior Inspector Chen Linian and his apprentice.


    Almost the same reaction as before, Gao Zhitin swiftly drew his pistol, aimed at the bandage on his hand, and loudly questioned, "What happened to your hand?"


    "Don''t... don''t shoot! It''s just a cut, just a cut, I''ll unwrap it for you, I''ll unwrap it..."


    Fei Zhijie hurriedly unwrapped the freshly bandaged hand, revealing his ill-fated finger.


    Gao Zhitin approached, examined the finger carefully by pinching it, and then turned to shake his head at Chen Linian, indicating there was no problem.


    Chen Linian saw as well, being a Spiritual Superpower User, he knew immediately whether there was an issue just by looking.


    Fei Zhijie let out a helpless sigh and said, "There were three people here just now, like you, they drew their guns as soon as they saw the bandage on my hand. I really just accidentally cut it, what exactly are you looking for?"


    Chen Linian placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Don''t be nervous, it''s just routine questioning. The three people you mentioned just now, were they three young people, including a girl?"


    "Yes, I know their names, the leader was called Lu Heng, I encountered him in the Abyss Battlefield," sighed Fei Zhijie.


    "What did they ask you?" Chen Linian pulled him to sit down and began to inquire in a gentle tone.


    "They said someone brought something out of the Abyss Battlefield, then they searched my house, didn''t find anything, and left," Fei Zhijie briefly explained what had happened.


    Hearing this, Gao Zhitin raised his eyebrows and said, "Master, they too were looking for..."


    He didn''t utter the words "Evil God''s Finger" because it involved case details that shouldn''t be disclosed to outsiders.


    Chen Linian continued with the questions, then signaled his apprentice to search the house.


    Gao Zhitin inspected the entire house but found nothing suspicious.


    After leaving Fei Zhijie''s house, Chen Linian took out a tissue to clean the blood from his apprentice''s fingers, then handed it to him and said, "Take this back for analysis."


    "It''s always the careful details with you, Master," Gao Zhitin had pinched Fei Zhijie''s finger during the inspection and got blood from the wound on his hands.


    Looking at the finger, there seemed to be no issues.


    However, conducting a blood analysis was safer.


    ...


    Elsewhere.


    Lin Zeyu was driving a black SUV on the Coastal Green Ring Overpass, with Lu Heng and Su Muyu sitting in the back.


    "Where are we heading now?"


    "Continuing the investigation," Lu Heng stared out the car window, lost in thought.


    Su Muyu holding on to the documents, searched for the nearest Superpower User''s address: "The next one is named He Suiyong, residing in Yuxiu Garden, Hedong New District."


    The three of them continued interrogating Superpower Users who had returned from the Evil God''s Burial Grounds, searching for the person who had brought the Evil God''s Finger out of the Abyss.


    Some of these Power Users had indeed brought items back from the Abyss.


    However, most were weapons, equipment, and some special artifacts.


    As Lu Heng''s group investigated, Iron Blood Senior Inspector Chen Linian also conducted his investigations with his apprentice.


    The two groups often questioned the same Superpower User one after another.


    Sometimes Chen Linian and his apprentice were ahead, other times Lu Heng''s group was.


    During questioning, they would occasionally probe what questions the other party had asked.


    Actually,


    Lu Heng had disclosed this matter to Chen Linian for an added layer of security.


    To conduct a saturated investigation, ensuring no minor details were overlooked.


    Besides, with Chen Linian''s many years of experience in handling cases, his expertise was certainly rich.


    After half a month,


    Lu Heng and his group had interviewed all domestic Superpower Users who returned from the Evil God''s Burial Grounds, the results were not promising.


    They hadn''t found the Evil God''s finger segment.


    Not only had Lu Heng''s group not found it, but Chen Linian and his apprentice hadn''t either. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Not only had they not found it, but the samples sent for trace analysis by Chen Linian and his apprentice also showed no issues.


    ...


    After interrogating the last domestic Superpower User, Chen Linian deliberately waited at the door, lighting a cigarette and slowly smoking.


    When Lu Heng''s group emerged, Chen Linian initiated, "Shall we talk?"


    Lu Heng walked with him to the stairwell, waiting for him to speak first.


    Chen Linian, holding the cigarette and leaning on the windowsill, lifted the cigarette in his hand and asked, "Do you mind if I take a puff? My brain tends to freeze if I don''t smoke while thinking."


    With that said, Lu Heng didn''t comment and went straight to the point, "What do you want to talk about?"


    Chen Linian pondered and asked, "We''ve been searching for half a month now, outside of your group and another nine Superpower Users, all were scrutinized and none had issues. Regarding the matter of the Evil God''s Finger, thus far, it''s originating from your claims, do you still stand by your statement?"


    "I stand by it," Lu Heng nodded with no hint of hesitation.


    "Do you have evidence to support your assertion?" asked Chen Linian again.


    "No."


    "But we''ve already investigated the nine, and didn''t find the Evil God''s Finger you mentioned, how do you explain that?"


    "We''ve finished searching domestically, but there are still three people alive abroad," Lu Heng said.


    "Do you plan to go abroad to continue your search?" Chen Linian seemed somewhat surprised, sensing Lu Heng''s determination.


    "Yes," Lu Heng nodded.


    Chen Linian turned towards the exterior window, took a puff of his cigarette, and after a moment, he nodded and said, "Alright, continue then."


    It was just the three abroad left; having searched for half a month already, a few more days wouldn''t matter.


    ...


    Having decided to continue the investigation abroad, Lin Zeyu efficiently arranged for three passports.


    The three took a day of rest, then the next day they boarded a plane, heading to Chiang Mai, a major city in Siam.

 Chapter 90 - 85 Investigating the Evil God Corpse Part 2

    Leaving the airport, Su Muyu checked the list and electronic map:


    "Our first target is named Su Cha, living in Chiang Mai. It''s a half-hour taxi ride away."


    Half an hour later.


    The trio arrived in front of a house in Chiang Mai, only to find it surrounded by people.


    At that moment, the Siam Police had cordoned off the perimeter of the house.


    Clearly, something had happened.


    Lu Heng frowned, pushed through the crowd, and directly crossed the cordon into the house.


    Two Siam Police officers approached to stop him, babbling away in their language.


    Though incomprehensible, they were undoubtedly saying something about not being allowed to enter the murder scene.


    As soon as Lu Heng entered the house, he was confronted with a shocking scene.


    On the living room floor lay a corpse, a shriveled corpse, as if all its flesh and blood had been drained, leaving only skin and bones.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng could confirm that Evil God Barton had appeared.


    In his past life, news reports about the descent of Evil God Barton also mentioned blood-drained corpses.


    Now, such a mummified corpse was before him.


    The corpse was so desiccated it was unrecognizable.


    "What''s this person''s name?" Lu Heng asked loudly, pointing at the body, to the two Siam police officers in front of him, but the language barrier prevented communication.


    However, there were many people from Xia Country in Chiang Mai, and someone in the crowd answered Lu Heng''s question.


    "This person is Su Cha, are you his friends?"


    Upon learning the corpse was indeed their target, Su Cha, Lu Heng turned and left.


    Su Cha was a Superpower User from Sitichai''s team, and now he had become a corpse.


    After traveling for most of the day and feeling a bit hungry, the trio found a place to sit down and eat before considering their next move.


    "Su Cha is dead, could it be that Evil God Barton has started taking revenge? Once he''s killed a few Superpower Users in Siam, will he come for us next?" Lin Zeyu felt his scalp tingle.


    He too had seen the mummified corpse; if this matter wasn''t handled properly, he too could end up in that ghastly state.


    "Given the current situation, it seems likely," Lu Heng pondered rapidly.


    "Su Cha is dead; who actually took The Evil God''s Finger back home?" Lin Zeyu hurriedly checked the list.


    In reality, there weren''t many suspects left.


    A total of 15 Superpower Users had returned alive from the Evil God''s Burial Ground.


    Besides the three of them, there were nine inside the country, and three on the Siam side.


    Now that Su Cha was dead, that left only two other Siam Superpower Users, Sitichai and Weiseg. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, the answer was almost palpable; the person who brought back The Evil God''s Finger was among Sitichai and Weiseg.


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Chen Linian and his disciple had also arrived in Chiang Mai and entered the house just behind Lu Heng and his companions, encountering the same mummified corpse.


    Originally, he had doubted the existence of the incident involving The Evil God''s Finger that Lu Heng described, but after seeing the corpse, there was no longer any need to doubt.


    "Master, a Superpower User really did take The Evil God''s Finger out, this corpse..." Gao Zhitin felt the evil aura emanating from the mummified body, realizing that no lab tests were needed to know a major incident had occurred.


    As they left the house.


    Chen Linian crossed the street and entered a restaurant, sitting down at a table next to Lu Heng''s group, ordered two bowls of noodles, and talked while eating:


    "You were right, something has happened. Who are you planning to check next?"


    Su Muyu glanced at Lu Heng and, seeing that he did not object, answered, "Weiseg, in Bangkok, a one-hour flight away."


    Chen Linian tapped the table in front of his disciple and said, "Did you hear that? Eat up and book tickets."


    "Alright!" Gao Zhitin quickly finished his noodles and then whipped out his phone to book a flight.


    ...


    An hour and a half later.


    Lu Heng''s group and Chen Linian''s disciples left the Bangkok airport one after the other, taking taxis to Weiseg''s address listed in the documents.


    But just like in Chiang Mai, the place was packed with people and the Siam Police had set up cordons.


    Both groups squeezed into the house and, unsurprisingly, discovered yet another mummified corpse.


    Upon leaving the murder scene, Chen Linian immediately took out his phone and called back home: "Get in touch with the Siam Police right away, have them monitor someone named Sitichai, who is a Superpower User. Yes, immediately, right now! I am heading over."


    All Superpower Users who had returned from the Evil God''s Burial Ground had been checked, except for Sitichai.


    Moreover, with two of the three Siam Superpower Users dead, all incorrect answers had been eliminated, clearly indicating an issue with Sitichai.


    According to records, Sitichai lived in Sanpalan County, on the western side of Bangkok, a distance of 30 kilometers, which could be a half-hour ride if fast.


    Lu Heng''s group prepared to take a taxi to Sanpalan County and were looking for a cab when.


    Gao Zhitin walked over, coughed, and said, "My master asked me to tell you, we just found out Sitichai bought a plane ticket to Phuket Island, and the plane has already taken off."


    Lu Heng and his companions exchanged looks and immediately returned to the airport to fly to Phuket Island.


    On the airplane.


    The trio discussed their next move.


    "What''s Sitichai doing flying to Phuket Island? If he wanted revenge on us, he should have flown directly to our country."


    "Perhaps he feels he hasn''t accumulated enough Strength yet," Lu Heng wasn''t entirely sure what Sitichai''s goal was.


    It could also be that Phuket Island had his target, and he wanted to continue gaining more power.

 Chapter 91 - 85 Investigating the Evil God Corpse_3

    Three hours later.


    Lu Heng and his two companions arrived at Phuket Island, emerging from the airport at nine in the evening.


    Darkness had fully descended.


    Since Sitichai''s recorded address was in Sanpalan County but he was now on Phuket Island, they did not know his exact location.


    Lu Heng could only wait for news, and it wasn''t long before his phone rang with a message.


    The message, sent by Chen Linian, contained just an address: Phuket Island Xilai Bay Resort.


    This time.


    Chen Linian and his disciple arrived at Xilai Bay Resort first.


    Gao Zhitin walked up to the hotel reception, showed some identification, and said, "Could you check which room Sitichai is in?"


    His ID was useless abroad, however, and the receptionist smiled apologetically, "I''m sorry, sir, we can''t reveal guest information."


    Chen Linian promptly took out a pistol from his inventory, slapped it on the counter, and said one word, "Check!"


    The receptionist immediately shakily searched the computer, then reported Sitichai''s room number.


    Lu Heng and his companions had just arrived at Xilai Bay Resort and received another message, this time with just a room number: 802.


    As they entered the hotel lobby, there was some commotion, with the receptionist speaking to the manager, apparently about to call the police.


    Lu Heng didn''t approach the reception, but headed straight for the elevator to the eighth floor.


    Upon reaching the eighth floor, he saw the exterior of room 802.


    Chen Linian and Gao Zhitin were positioned on either side of the wall near the door, and then Gao Zhitin stretched out his hand to knock.


    There was no response from inside; the room was eerily quiet.


    Lu Heng glanced at Su Muyu, who, understanding, released a scouting hawk to observe the room''s interior from the opposite window.


    Gao Zhitin reached out to knock a second time.


    At that moment.


    Su Muyu suddenly shouted a warning, "Be careful, he has a gun!"


    No sooner had she spoken.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, blasting a large hole through the door.


    Gao Zhitin had dodged just in time but was still visibly shaken; he looked down at his abdomen, and upon seeing no bullet wound, he exhaled deeply.


    At that moment.


    Sitichai held a double-barreled shotgun and yelled out the door in Siam, unintelligible to them.


    Now that they had located him, the rest was simple.


    Lu Heng charged forward, drew the Aurora Blade, and chopped the door open to rush into the room.


    Click, click!


    Sitichai loaded his shotgun aiming to fire again.


    But Lu Heng was too fast; he flashed his hand up, pushing the gun barrel upward.


    Bang!


    The shotgun fired into the ceiling, blasting a large hole in the suspended ceiling.


    Taking advantage of the situation, Sitichai dropped his shotgun and, exploding with Source Energy, swung a punch.


    The two exchanged blows for two or three rounds until Lu Heng knocked him down with a whirlwind sweeping leg, pinning him under the point of the Aurora Blade.


    The gap in Combat Power was too vast, and the victory was decided in an instant.


    The reason it lasted a few more exchanges was because Lu Heng did not want to expose too much in front of Chen Linian, using no Skills but only basic Fighting to subdue Sitichai.


    Chen Linian and his disciple followed into the room, pointing their guns at Sitichai.


    Realizing he was outnumbered and outgunned, Sitichai knew further resistance would be suicidal.


    Moreover, he recognized Lu Heng.


    He knew Lu Heng''s capabilities, so he understood that Lu Heng''s not killing him immediately was already sparing him.


    "Don''t, I surrender. Lu Heng, we have no grudges. It doesn''t have to be this way." Sitichai hurriedly lifted his hands over his head in surrender. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone holding a gun kept their eyes fixed on his hands.


    And on his left hand''s index and middle fingers, wrapped conspicuously in gauze.

 Chapter 92 - 86: The Last Person

    Seeing Sitichai''s finger wrapped in gauze, Lu Heng pressed the Aurora Blade even tighter against him, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.


    Not just Lu Heng, Chen Linian and Lin Zeyu all tightened their grips on their guns and switched off the safeties.


    This made the atmosphere even tenser.


    "Don''t, don''t do this." Sitichai dared not resist at all.


    For him, the guns were the least of his worries. He was chiefly aware that he was no match for Lu Heng, and any resistance would lead to certain death.


    Lin Zeyu pointed his gun at the gauze on his finger and chuckled, "Did you attach the Evil God''s Finger to your hand? Lucky we arrived in time, or you might have caused a major disaster."


    "What Evil God''s Finger?" Sitichai''s face showed a look of surprise.


    "Stop talking nonsense, unwrap the gauze!" Lin Zeyu commanded.


    "I''m unwrapping it, I''m unwrapping it."


    Sitichai dared not resist and could only comply, unraveling the gauze from his left index finger.


    After unwrapping, his finger appeared fine except for some minor injuries on his hand.


    "I was practicing punching and broke the skin, so I wrapped it up," Sitichai explained after removing the gauze.


    It''s common for people who practice boxing to have injuries on their hands.


    His finger was indeed fine, just a normal human finger.


    Lin Zeyu frowned and pointed to another finger wrapped in gauze, "Unwrap that one too!"


    Sitichai unwrapped the gauze on his middle finger as well, which, like his index finger, was a normal human finger without any issues.


    Lin Zeyu''s face showed confusion, the gun barrel now pointed downward, "Then it must be on your toes!"


    Sitichai didn''t understand why these people wanted to see his fingers and toes, but that wasn''t important.


    He promptly took off his shoes as well, revealing unscathed feet.


    Seeing this, everyone displayed a confused expression.


    "It could be somewhere else, the Evil God''s Finger doesn''t necessarily have to be attached to a hand," Lin Zeyu continued to examine other possibilities.


    Chen Linian, however, shook his head, put away his gun, and said, "No need to search further, it''s not on him. Both those corpses exuded an evil aura, but there''s none on him."


    "What in the world is going on?" Lin Zeyu was completely baffled.


    After showing the fingers and toes of both his hands and feet, and thus proving his innocence, Sitichai finally got up from the ground.


    At that moment,


    the police from Siam arrived at the hotel.


    Sitichai went out to explain the situation to the police from Siam, "There''s no issue here, I''ll compensate for the broken door."


    After managing the Siam police, Chen Linian gestured for his disciple to search the hotel room.


    Gao Zhitin checked every corner of the hotel, looking for any suspicious spots, but found nothing.


    Lu Heng stood in the hotel lounge area, chin in hand, pondering, and asked, "Why did you come to Phuket Island?"


    Sitichai, sitting on the sofa, spread his hands and answered, "For a vacation. After coming out from the Abyss Battlefield, I wanted to relax."


    Lu Heng continued, "Do you know Su Cha and Weiseg?"


    "I know them. Weiseg and I are friends. I met Su Cha in the Abyss Battlefield, we exchanged contact details, planning to collaborate in the future," Sitichai honestly replied.


    "Do you know they are in trouble?" Lu Heng asked this while staring into his eyes.


    "What trouble? I spoke with Weiseg on the phone the day before yesterday," Sitichai''s face showing confusion.


    "Then you might want to check the news," Lu Heng suggested.


    Sitichai took out his phone, searched for news, and then saw the news about mummified corpses, which had been identified as Weiseg and Su Cha.


    After seeing the news, his face was filled with shock, "What happened?"


    Lu Heng paused to think, feeling that disclosing the matter to him didn''t matter.


    Strictly speaking, Sitichai was also involved in this matter.


    He had participated in the action to stop the resurrection ceremony, so he was also a target for Evil God Barton''s revenge.


    "Somebody brought a piece of the Evil God''s Finger from the Abyss Battlefield, and your two friends died because of it."


    "Who?" Sitichai widened his eyes.


    Lin Zeyu came over and interjected, "We initially thought it was you."


    "Why me? Couldn''t it be someone else?" Sitichai was perplexed.


    Lin Zeyu spread his hands and said, "Because we''ve checked all the Power Users who returned from the Evil God''s Burial Ground, and you were the last one. Plus, two people you know were drained completely. You tell me, aren''t you the prime suspect?"


    Sitichai was stunned, shaking his head, "I really don''t know what''s going on."


    Chen Linian and his disciples were also discussing the case, and their investigation had hit a dead end.


    Gao Zhitin brought up a new idea, "Is it possible that the person who brought the Evil God''s Finger was already killed by the Evil God?


    "The person carrying the Evil God''s Finger might be either Su Cha or Weiseg, and after they touched the Evil God''s Finger, it drained their flesh and blood."


    Despite the leap in this line of thought, it was indeed a possibility.


    Lu Heng, however, shook his head, rejecting this speculation, "This doesn''t fit with the Evil God''s modus operandi. Evil God Barton likes to enslave his servants to do his bidding.


    "He could completely have made the Power User who brought his finger out into one of his minions, instead of draining this Power User."


    "If he needed to consume flesh, he could have randomly chosen any Superpower User he encountered on the road.


    "Since he targeted Superpower Users returning from the Evil God''s Burial Ground, it indicates that this is an act of revenge."


    After listening, Chen Linian looked at Lu Heng with a scrutinizing gaze.


    This analysis was too accurate and almost identical to his own.


    Having worked on cases for many years, he possessed a wealth of experience and could profile criminals based on their behavioral traits and deduce their psychological state.


    As long as there is intelligence in a being, there is logic in its actions.


    Even an Evil God would have psychological traits.


    For instance, Evil God Barton, due to the disruption of his resurrection ceremony, chose to take revenge on Superpower Users.


    This is the logic of behavior, unavoidable for any intelligent being.


    Chen Linian took out a cigarette, sniffed it without lighting it, and then said, "I agree with this analysis. The two deceased Superpower Users were indeed acts of revenge, and the one who brought out the Evil God''s Finger is still alive."


    "But we have checked all the Superpower Users who came out of the Evil God''s Burial Ground," Lin Zeyu said frustratingly, scratching his head almost to the point of explosion, unable to come up with a reason.


    "Is it possible that there were other Superpower Users who came out from the Evil God''s Burial Ground that aren''t documented?" Gao Zhitin suggested another possibility.


    Su Muyu, who seldom spoke, said, "That shouldn''t be the case. I''ve gone through the documents, and there''s nothing missing. Even if there were other Superpower Users from the Evil God''s Burial Ground that we don''t know about, that person definitely never entered the Barton Temple nor had contact with the Evil God''s Finger."


    Since preventing the Evil God Resurrection Ceremony is a Challenge Task, it is optional.


    Thus, if a Superpower User hid elsewhere and did not participate in the final battle, it''s possible they survived and returned.


    However, such Superpower Users would not have entered the Barton Temple, naturally having no chance to contact the Evil God''s Finger.


    Lu Heng took over and said, "Don''t look elsewhere. The target is definitely among the fifteen people on the record. We must have missed something when we investigated before."


    As he spoke, Lu Heng looked at Chen Linian and said, "Inspector Chen, I hope you can check..."


    Before Lu Heng could finish, Chen Linian reached into his pocket for his cellphone: "Understood, air travel information."


    He pulled out his phone and walked to the balcony to make a call, ordering an Iron Blood Investigator inside the country to pull up flight information.


    The reason for checking flight information was straightforward.


    Of the fifteen people listed, aside from the three including Lu Heng, nine were in the country, and three in Siam.


    Among the three in Siam, two had died, leaving only Sitichai.


    Now, with Sitichai in front of them, he was largely ruled out as a suspect.


    Therefore, the issue lay with the nine individuals in the country.


    For these nine people to appear in Siam and kill Su Cha and Weiseg, they would need to take a flight.


    With the authority of Iron Blood, pulling flight information was simple.


    Thus, Chen Linian soon received a reply, "Checked already. No flight information. The nine in the country didn''t buy any flight tickets in the past half month."


    Lin Zeyu looked at Sitichai, suspicious, and said, "The nine in the country haven''t gone abroad, so it must be you."


    "Why has it come back to me? I truly didn''t. Besides, Weiseg and I were close brothers; I couldn''t possibly have killed him," Sitichai quickly defended.


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment and then said, "Then there''s only one possibility left. This person did not use their own identity to fly."


    Chen Linian also considered this, "If that''s the case, then we can''t track them."


    If this person used someone else''s identity, it indeed would be untraceable.


    Since one could use anyone''s identity, any random person encountered on the road would suffice.


    As for how to board a plane using someone else''s identity, with the powers of the Evil God, dealing with airport security would be all too simple.


    After serious consideration, Lu Heng looked at Chen Linian and mentioned, "There''s only one solution left, send your people to confirm the locations of those nine Superpower Users in the country. Whoever you can''t find is our suspect."


    After a pause, Lu Heng added, "First, confirm the two linked to Thunder."


    Lu Heng crouched down and began to recall the previous investigation of the two Superpower Users related to Thunder, considering what might have been overlooked.


    This approach was the most direct and effective.


    With two people dead on the side of Siam, it meant that the person who took the Evil God''s Finger was in Siam.


    From the nine in the country, whoever''s movements are suspicious is the person.


    Chen Linian contacted the country, instructing them to verify the whereabouts of the nine.


    Half an hour later.


    Chen Linian received a response, looked at Lu Heng, but did not immediately disclose the answer.


    Lu Heng raised his head, looking at him and asked, "Is it Fei Zhijie?"


    Chen Linian''s eyes narrowed slightly as he confirmed, "Yes, it''s him. The person sent found his cellphone at his residence, but not him."


    Hearing it was Fei Zhijie, Gao Zhitin showed a shocked expression and said, "That can''t be right. We tested his blood, and there was nothing wrong. How could it be him?"


    "Perhaps we got there too early before he could attach the Evil God''s Finger," Lu Heng finally understood what had happened.


    He had memories of a past life, so he had begun investigating the matter of the Evil God''s Finger very early in this life.


    Because of the premature investigation, they missed the key evidence. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s time to issue a warrant," Lu Heng reminded.


    "It''s already been issued. All domestic airports will receive the warrant, and as soon as he appears on any surveillance, we will be immediately informed," answered Chen Linian.


    ...

 Chapter 93 - 87: Evil Gods Finger, Divine Attribute Source Material

    The timeline rewinds to half a month ago.


    On the 23rd floor of Building 6, Unit 1, in the Andu Academy District, was Fei Zhijie''s dwelling.


    In the span of half a month, two separate groups, one led by Lu Heng and the other by Chen Linian, had visited one after the other to investigate Fei Zhijie.


    On the same day, just ten minutes before Lin Zeyu knocked on the door.


    Fei Zhijie, holding a withered finger, was engaged in an intense internal struggle.


    This withered finger was something he had brought back from the Abyss World; it belonged to Evil God Barton.


    During the melee, he found this finger in a temple.


    The finger seemed to possess some sort of magic, constantly tempting him.


    After the failure of the Resurrection Ceremony, he chose to return and brought the withered finger with him.


    In the following few days, he hesitated over whether or not to follow the mission hint.


    Because he had received a mission, hinting that transplanting the finger into his palm would grant him endless strength.


    He knew how powerful this strength was because Lei Jinhao had once possessed it.


    Although Lei Jinhao was dead, he was acutely aware of how terrifying that strength could be.


    Thus, in the days following his return, he constantly wavered, several times rushing into the kitchen, picking up a kitchen knife and preparing to chop at his finger, but each time he ultimately held back.


    He feared both the pain of chopping off a finger and the prospect of ending up with the same fate as Lei Jinhao.


    Yet, the desiccated finger had an irresistible magical allure.


    Until that afternoon.


    A surge of impulse took over, and he dashed into the kitchen. Grasping the knife, he attempted to chop at his finger.


    Just at that moment.


    A knock on the door resounded, followed by Lin Zeyu''s shouts.


    Startled, his knife veered off course, slicing a chunk of flesh but not severing the finger.


    He quickly bandaged his finger and disposed of the shriveled piece in the toilet, flushing it away, then fetched a piece of meat from the refrigerator, pretending to cut vegetables.


    Afterward, he went to answer the door, leading to Lu Heng and two others entering to search and inquire about the whereabouts of the Evil God''s Finger.


    Half an hour after Lu Heng''s trio had left, the senior inspector from the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau also arrived.


    Their inquiry was also about the Evil God''s Finger.


    By then, the finger was already flushed away and while the wound on his hand was a genuine cut, his fingers were his own¡ªno test would indicate otherwise.


    Once both groups had departed, he fell into intense turmoil.


    He gradually realized that his own strength was too feeble in this world; had he been stronger than Lu Heng and the others, he wouldn''t have been at the point of a gun, unable to resist.


    So, he finally decided.


    Taking advantage of the night, he lifted the manhole cover to the building''s independent sewer settling tank, fished out the finger, severed his own finger, and transplanted the Evil God''s Finger onto it.


    From that moment, he felt an immense power flooding through him.


    Afterward, he killed a Superpower User who had a grudge against him, the Evil God''s Finger draining the person''s flesh and blood.


    Under the influence of the Evil God''s will, he developed an intense thought; he resolved to eliminate all the Superpower Users who had hindered the Resurrection Ceremony.


    Only, someone was investigating the Evil God''s Finger.


    He couldn''t wait for them to come investigating. Now that he had transplanted the Evil God''s Finger, if those two groups were to come back, he would have no way to conceal it.


    Thus, he chose to go to Siam first and kill the Superpower Users there.


    To conceal his movements, he used a different identity.


    After arriving in Siam, there appeared two dry corpses in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.


    While taking action, he delighted in the sensation of this newfound power. Those two Power Users, once so arrogant, were now impotent under the pressure of his power.


    Holding Su Cha and Weiseg by their necks, lifting them, he saw the fear and begging in their eyes.


    It was a sensation of supremacy he had never experienced before the transplantation of the Evil God''s Finger.


    Following the deaths of Su Cha and Weiseg, his next target was Sitichai.


    From time on the Abyss Battlefield, he knew Sitichai was formidable in combat.


    That''s why he saved Sitichai for last.


    After draining Su Cha and Weiseg''s flesh and blood, his strength multiplied many times over.


    He was confident that Sitichai was no match for him now.


    Thus, the next day, he went to Sanpalan County.


    However, upon his arrival, Sitichai had already left the house and his whereabouts were unknown.


    He captured an employee from Bangkok Airways, extracted flight information from them, and on departure, drained the employee''s blood as well.


    Afterward, he boarded a flight and arrived at Phuket Island, heading towards the Xilai Bay Resort Hotel.


    As he was about to enter the hotel.


    He saw two individuals entering before him¡ªthe high-ranking inspector from the Xia Country Iron Blood Investigation Bureau.


    He quickly hid, taking refuge in the Palman Hotel across the street, observing the situation at the Xilai Bay Resort Hotel.


    It wasn''t long.


    Lu Heng and his companions reached the Xilai Bay Hotel, and both groups broke into Sitichai''s room.


    Later the Siam police arrived, and not long after that, they left.


    From the room at the Palman Hotel three hundred meters away, Fei Zhijie''s gaze was chillingly cold as he watched it all.


    He felt lucky, twice skirting the edge of death, but luck was on his side both times.


    The first was when Lu Heng''s trio came to investigate; had they been a few minutes later, he would have attached the Evil God''s Finger.


    Then outside the Xilai Bay Resort Hotel, Chen Linian entered the hotel a step ahead of him, sparing him yet another brush with fate.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile.


    Inside the Xilai Bay Resort Hotel, Lu Heng speculated that it was Fei Zhijie and also thought of many things.


    "Inspector Chen, I''m going to have to trouble you to check if there have been any similar cases of desiccated corpses within the country."


    There was no need for explanation; Chen Linian had also thought of this and had already dispatched agents to investigate domestically.


    Case files were directly accessible, so a response came within a few minutes.


    Chen Linian briefly outlined the case: "There''s one inside the country that happened a week ago, and the victim was also turned into a dry corpse."


    Lu Heng continued, "Let''s use this person''s identity to check the flight information."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the information arrived.


    Chen Linian had already sent someone to investigate, "There''s flight information. A week ago, they flew from Coastal to Chiang Mai, then to Bangkok, and this afternoon, from Bangkok to Phuket Island. They were on the flight just in front of us, disembarked half an hour before we did."


    A gleam flashed in Lu Heng''s eyes as he spoke, "Then he''s near us. Mu Yu, try to find him. He must be hiding in a corner, watching us right now."


    The invisible reconnaissance eagle flew out from the Siam Bay Holiday Hotel, beginning its search for suspicious targets in the vicinity.


    Lin Zeyu wanted to walk to the balcony and look outside.


    Lu Heng immediately spoke out to stop him, "Come back, don''t just look around aimlessly."


    Su Muyu''s perception was sufficiently high, so as long as the curtains of the rooms weren''t drawn, the reconnaissance eagle could make a round outside each hotel and clearly see the situation of the people inside.


    Five minutes later.


    She suddenly opened her eyes and said, "Found him, in the Palman Hotel, on the third floor, farthest to the right."


    No sooner had the words left her mouth than her tone changed, "Not good, it looks like he''s alerted. He has rushed out of the room¡­ he''s killing people!"


    "Stop him!"


    Lu Heng''s figure moved. He rushed toward the balcony, leapt into the air, and burst out.


    At the same time.


    Su Muyu controlled the reconnaissance eagle to dive at Fei Zhijie.


    Two terrifying tentacles stretched out from Fei Zhijie''s back, striking and shattering the reconnaissance eagle with one blow.


    Seeing Lu Heng dash out, Lin Zeyu also immediately followed suit, running to the balcony and preparing to jump out. However, after a glancing below, he was so frightened he quickly stopped himself, "It''s so high!"


    This was the 8th floor; a fall wouldn''t turn one to mud, but it would certainly break every bone in the body.


    But Lu Heng had already jumped out, and he was now falling downward.


    Just then.


    The cry of an eagle came from behind, as the second reconnaissance eagle flew out, gliding above Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng reached out to grab the eagle''s talons and glided towards the Palman Hotel opposite.


    The distance of 300 meters was covered in a matter of seconds. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng smashed through the glass of the third-floor room on the far right, rolled upon landing, and then drew his sword and rushed out of the room.


    In the hotel corridor lay many lifeless bodies.


    Some had been drained of blood; others were half-drained.


    This scene recalled the terrible scenes of Evil God Barton''s rampage in his previous life.


    Evil God Barton extended countless tentacles, draining the blood of all living creatures he encountered.


    Following the bloody trail, Lu Heng pursued the perpetrator to the staircase. There, he heard the urgent roar of a car engine from below. A sports car with its gas pedal floored burst out of the hotel entrance.


    Lu Heng''s gaze sharpened. If the creature got away in the car, things would complicate further.


    With Siam''s police involved in a high-speed chase against this monster, they wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Lu Heng made a split-second decision, activating "Shadow Traversal." His feet picked up the Gale''s speed, speeding out at five times the usual pace. He charged onto the street just as the sports car was leaving the hotel entrance, turning and hitting the gas. In that instant, he brought down his sword with a decisive slash.


    Boom!


    The front end of the sports car split in two, tumbling into a wall.


    The monstrous figure covered in tentacles got out of the car, its tentacles lashing out toward Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng initiated "Bullet Time," sprinting forward, drawing nearer to the monster. He cut off three attacking tentacles, closed in within a step''s range, then unleashed the skill "Thunderous Heavenly Prison."


    Roar!


    The divine thunder fell, enveloping the tentacled creature.


    The wild thunder shredded all of its tentacles.


    The tentacled monster roared and howled in the thunder, desperately struggling.


    Ultimately, it broke free from the Thunderous Heavenly Prison, setting off a thunderstorm that scorched all the tentacles on its body until smoke billowed.


    Lu Heng pursued and stabbed through its body while thunder wreaked havoc.


    Its tentacles all fell limp, and Fei Zhijie regained a hint of consciousness, his eyes unwillingly looking up at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng used his sword to lift his right hand, and on that hand... the ring finger was missing.


    Without seeing the Evil God''s Finger, his right hand''s ring finger was completely severed, the finger now missing.


    Lu Heng immediately called to the approaching reconnaissance eagle, "Quick, find the finger, the finger''s gone."


    The reconnaissance eagle flew back into the hotel to search.


    At that moment.


    Lin Zeyu, Chen Linian, and others arrived. They aimed their guns at the dying Fei Zhijie and asked, "How did it go?"


    "The finger''s gone."


    Having said that, Lu Heng turned back and walked into the hotel, starting to inspect every corpse.


    Lin Zeyu took to examining the fingers of every corpse.


    Lu Heng reminded, "It''s not just the finger¡ªthe piece of the Evil God''s Finger doesn''t necessarily have to be attached to a hand. It could grow on any part of the body."


    As he spoke.


    Lu Heng rapidly recalled in his mind the bodies he had seen while running through the corridor earlier. He quickly identified one body that seemed out of place.


    While other bodies had been drained of blood, only one had fresh blood at the corner of its mouth.


    Lu Heng walked back to the third floor and stood over that particular body. He raised his sword toward the corpse''s abdomen.


    Just then.


    The body suddenly opened its eyes and lunged at him.


    Lu Heng swung his sword, felling it to the ground.


    A bloodstained finger shot out from the corpse''s mouth. It fell to the floor, squirming like a worm.


    Lu Heng stabbed his sword into the finger, picking it up, igniting a burst of thunder to burn the Evil God''s Finger.


    Black smoke billowed out of the Evil God''s Finger. It condensed into a fearsome face of the Evil God, struggling and roaring in the flames.


    At the same time.


    Lu Heng felt a surge of Spiritual Pollution attacking him, reducing his spiritual power by 1.


    However, the effect of the "Spirit Slash" of the Aurora Blade meant that the Spiritual Pollution from the fragment of the Evil God''s Finger wasn''t too strong.


    Lu Heng was affected, but the impact was not severe.


    Thus, enduring the Spiritual Pollution, he burned the Evil God''s Finger to ashes, from which emerged a clump of Divine Attribute Source Material.


    "Divine Attribute Source Material: full of divinity. It can be used to enhance Source Material Ability."

 Chapter 94 - 88: Second Transition Class, Corpse Bone Bird

    After destroying the Evil God''s Finger, Lu Heng finally let out a long sigh of relief, having resolved the issue, and also obtained a clump of Divine Attribute Source Material.


    Looking back at his last life, he was grateful that he had dealt with the descent of the Evil God upon Blue Star earlier than before.


    In just half a month, Fei Zhijie had already grown blood-sucking tentacles all over his body.


    Had he been half a month later, Fei would have completely transformed into a mountain of flesh covered in tentacles, ravaging the city and draining the life of all he encountered.


    In his last life, the Evil God Barton had nearly devoured a city''s worth of humans before being driven back to the Abyss by nuclear missiles.


    Gao Zhitin crouched by the roadside, staring at the "monster" covered in tentacles before him, feeling a stirring in his stomach and almost vomiting.


    He couldn''t imagine that such a terrifying "monster" could actually be killed by humans.


    Moreover, a single person had single-handedly disposed of this "monster," so quickly that they didn''t even arrive at the scene in time before the battle had concluded.


    When he turned his head to look at that person, his eyes were filled with surprise and a hint of admiration.


    At that moment, he finally understood his master''s saying, that there will always be some things that are beyond the reach of the law, and only morality can constrain them.


    Before the Abyss Descent, such people existed, those at the top of the power hierarchy who were already beyond the reach of the law and only fell in power struggles.


    Now, times had changed, bringing forth another group, those at the peak of Strength, who were also beyond the confines of order.


    ...


    The terrorist incident at the West Bay Resort Hotel caused a severe shock in the locale.


    Lu Heng didn''t want to be detained and questioned by the local Siam police, so he left the scene before they arrived and took an early flight back home the next morning.


    After returning home, Lu Heng resumed a carefree life, with everything handed to him on a silver platter.


    Having been away for many days, Li Xiuyun was worried; seeing her son return filled her with joy, and she served all her best dishes on the table.


    That evening during dinner.


    The news was playing on TV.


    There had been an increasing number of demon-related news broadcasts in recent times.


    All sorts of bizarre incidents, whose truths were untraceable, were also categorized as demon-related.


    At this moment, the TV was broadcasting another piece of news.


    The news was about the discovery of numerous large oceanic creatures'' corpses in the Coastal area''s offshore waters.


    Some were whales, others were sharks.


    The TV showed footage shot by reporters¡ªmany oceanic creatures floating on the sea surface, which looked abnormal to viewers.


    Moreover, some of these dead oceanic creatures were intact, some had their innards eaten away, and others were left with only skeletons.


    While reporting, the journalist mentioned that a month ago, Gardenia Beach had seen an outbreak of Abyss Tide Worms, then speculated whether these dead oceanic creatures could be related to the Abyss Tide Worms.


    Hearing the news, Lu Heng looked back at the TV, raised his eyebrows, and remembered what this event was about. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    These widespread deaths among oceanic creatures had nothing to do with the Abyss Tide Worms.


    Moreover, the mother of the Abyss Tide Worms had been killed, and the danger of the Abyss Tide Worms had long been resolved.


    This time, the mass death of oceanic creatures was due to a different incident.


    And this incident would yield something very important.


    Lu Heng hadn''t finished his meal, but he stood up with his bowl in hand and walked to the TV, continuing to eat as he watched.


    "What are you looking at? You''re not even eating properly," Li Xiuyun asked.


    "Just watching the news," Lu Heng responded afterward.


    On the TV, the camera was filming a dead blue whale, its abdomen cut open, its innards gone, exposing the bones within the abdominal cavity.


    The reporter''s tone was very shocked, describing the scene with exaggerated emphasis.


    Having seen the news, Lu Heng quickly finished his meal and then returned to his room to write and draw in his notebook, recording the information he remembered.


    Two pieces of information were most important about this incident.


    First, the reason for the deaths of the large sea creatures was the appearance of a Corpse Bone Bird in the open sea.


    It was called a Corpse Bone Bird simply because its shape somewhat resembled that of a bird, with wings, but it had nothing to do with actual birds.


    These large sea creatures were eaten by the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Second, if things were the same as in his previous life, this incident would not only feature Corpse Bone Birds but also another powerful Abyss Creature.


    This Abyss Creature carried a Second Transition Class Source Material [Swordsman].


    The power Lu Heng currently possessed was very compatible with this Class, and if he could obtain this Class Source Material, it would greatly enhance him.


    However, advancement in Class is not entirely fixed; during the Second Transition, the nature of the original Class could cause changes to occur.


    This means that [Swordsman] and [Shadow Walker] might merge into a new Class.


    A year after the Abyss Descent, the Superpower User community would gradually formulate the formulae for Class fusion.


    For instance: [Defender]+[Knight]=[Guardian Knight]


    Since each Class has varying levels of strength, a formula that can produce a strong Class is often sought after by Superpower Users.


    This also means that powerful Class Source Materials become the target of contention among many Superpower Users.


    However, Class fusion is not guaranteed to happen, as some Classes have strong exclusivity.


    And typically, exclusivity is a feature of the stronger Classes.


    Lu Heng now faced a problem; because no one in his previous life had obtained the hidden Class [Shadow Walker], there was no existing formula for Class fusion to apply.


    But based on experience, fusing two high-Combat Power Classes usually resulted in a sum that, even if not greater than the individual parts, would not be much weaker.


    Therefore, without knowing the fusion formula, choosing strong Class Source Material that suits one''s powers was generally not a mistake.


    Lu Heng''s swordsmanship had already reached the In-depth Level, and his Training Level was over halfway practiced, not far from the next Sword Skill Realm.


    So, the [Swordsman] Class was very appropriate.


    The Source Material for [Swordsman] was not dropped by the Corpse Bone Bird, but by another powerful presence from the Abyss that bred the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Thus, to acquire the [Swordsman] Source Material, one will need to contend not only with the Corpse Bone Bird but also with that powerful presence.


    Currently, humans had not yet discovered the Corpse Bone Bird, only seeing the dead sea creatures on the surface.


    In about half a month, the Corpse Bone Bird would be discovered by humans.


    Lu Heng assessed his own Combat Power and realized he was not ready to handle this event, so he needed to improve quickly.


    Moreover, this was not an event one could handle alone; he needed other help.


    Lu Heng laid out a plan to enhance his Combat Power in all aspects, then took out his phone and texted Lin Zeyu and Su Muyu to meet tomorrow night at Quenching Castle.


    After sending the messages, Lu Heng took out the [Divine Attribute Source Material], ready to begin the first step of enhancement.

 Chapter 95 - 89: New Ability, Quenching Rivals

    After a Superpower User acquires a Class, the Source Material inside their body transitions from a free state to an integrated state.


    Therefore, after they acquire a Class, Superpower Users no longer absorb Source Material unless they obtain Second Transition Source Material.


    Divine Attribute is quite special, as it can continue to be absorbed after acquiring a Class, enhancing Class Ability.


    Lu Heng held the Divine Attribute, released a surge of the Power of Thunder and Lightning, melted it into energy, and absorbed it into his body.


    [Absorption of Divine Attribute, Source Material Ability enhanced.]


    Lu Heng glanced at the increased effects of Shadow Traversal after enhancing it with Divine Attribute.


    In addition to the original 300% acceleration and Shadow Vision effects, Shadow Traversal gained a new effect.


    During the skill''s 15-second duration, after exiting Shadow Travel State, one can enter Shadow Escape again.


    Seeing the newly emerged effect, Lu Heng was very satisfied with this enhancement.


    The newly added effect turned a single-phase skill into a dual-phase one; after exiting Shadow Travel State, it was possible to enter Shadow Escape a second time.


    This way, the operability of this ability greatly increased.


    ...


    Eight o''clock the next evening.


    Century Bridge, Bridge Tunnel No. 9.


    Lin Zeyu waited underneath the bridge tunnel carrying two large boxes.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu came over and took him to Quenching Castle.


    After setting down the boxes, Lin Zeyu said, "The Quenching material you asked me to collect last time, I could only manage to produce five portions of Quenching Essence for you.


    "The price of Quenching materials has recently skyrocketed, more than doubling."


    It was only a matter of time before Quenching materials prices surged; the more organizations and powers involved in purchasing Quenching materials, the faster the prices rise.


    Lin Zeyu continued, "There''s something else I need to tell you; another Quenching Master has appeared domestically, leading to even more powers joining in the purchase of Quenching materials, now even money can''t always secure them."


    "Another Quenching Master?" Lu Heng was a bit curious.


    Over time, the emergence of other Quenching Masters was inevitable.


    The Vice Profession of a Quenching Master indeed has thresholds, but they aren''t so high that other Superpower Users can''t reach them.


    Thus, as time goes on, other Quenching Masters will definitely appear.


    The question is, where do Quenching Furnaces come from?


    Quenching Furnaces aren''t a product of Blue Star but rather of Abyss World.


    Due to different fundamental Laws, Quenching Furnaces can''t be made on Blue Star.


    Lin Zeyu''s next words answered this question, "According to the information our family has obtained, a Superpower User obtained the Vice Profession of a Quenching Master in the Abyss Battlefield."


    "What''s the Name?" Lu Heng inquired about the Name of this Quenching Master.


    "The Name is He Shangyong," Lin Zeyu replied.


    When Lu Heng heard the Name, he vaguely remembered it but recalled it wasn''t particularly well-known among Quenching Masters in future generations.


    Hearing the Name, he also wondered where this He Shangyong would perform Quenching.


    This He Shangyong must have completed a World Task in the Abyss Battlefield, earning the right to travel to that world.


    In the world of the Abyss, there are Quenching Furnaces.


    They can consume Divine Energy and teleport into this world to quench weapons.


    Lin Zeyu then said, "You have no idea how much the prices for quenching materials have skyrocketed recently, all thanks to that He Shangyong, and the forces behind him. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He Shangyong has already partnered with Chunshang Group. Now, Chunshang Group is promoting him as the country''s only Quenching Master and has received a lot of media coverage.


    "Chunshang Group has completely crafted the image of He Shangyong as a Quenching Master celebrity, who overnight became worth over a hundred million.


    "As a result, the prices of quenching materials soared. Even disregarding the cost, our family has been able to acquire very limited amounts of quenching materials during this period."


    After mentioning this, Lin Zeyu chuckled and said, "How about we take them on in a contest against Chunshang Group? This guy''s quenching skill is nothing compared to yours, it''s all hype."


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and asked, "You''re planning to use me as your gun?"


    Lin Zeyu hastily waved his hands, "No, of course not. I''m just really sick of how Chunshang Group and that He Shangyong have been overhyping things and want to take down their arrogance."


    Actually,


    If his life goal was to be a Quenching Master, coming out and crafting an image of one might be possible.


    But once roped in by capitalism, many things would no longer be under his control.


    Furthermore, Lu Heng didn''t want to stand under the spotlight, competing for popularity with every Tom, Dick, and Harry.


    Once the Vice Profession of a Quenching Master becomes entangled in the vortex of hype, quenching itself would become secondary.


    It would all come down to who could better play the game of hype. As for the quenching abilities, it would be hard to prove who is stronger or weaker.


    Eventually, whoever hypes better becomes more famous.


    After pondering for a moment, Lu Heng said, "If they like to hype things up, let them be. If you really want to crush their arrogance, maybe there are other ways?"


    "What ways?"


    Having spent some time together, Lin Zeyu had become familiar with Lu Heng''s personality and guessed that Lu Heng already had a plan, or else he wouldn''t have said anything.


    "I bet this He Shangyong must be entering the Abyss World to perform quenching, consuming Divine Energy with every trip. So to quench weapons, he needs to continuously expend Divine Energy, which drives up his quenching costs significantly. Besides, I''m guessing his success rate isn''t very high."


    As Lu Heng spoke, a smile played on the corner of his lips.


    His reasoning was simple: In the future, this man wasn''t a famous Quenching Master, indicating that his natural Talent for it wasn''t up to the mark.


    Defeating a Quenching Master who needed to teleport into the Abyss and had a low success rate was rather simple.


    Lu Heng paused, then continued, "So, just create your own quenching brand. Offer a minimum success rate guarantee. If it falls below that, perform the quenching for free until it''s successful."


    Upon hearing this method, Lin Zeyu blinked and said, "If the success rate falls below the guarantee, the quenching is free, and I''m assuming the cost of materials is on me, right?"


    "What else? You should know my success rate. You could also inquire about He Shangyong''s rate to see if this plan is feasible before going ahead with it. If you don''t think it will work, then forget it," Lu Heng said with a shrug.


    Lin Zeyu laughed heartily, jokingly clarifying, "No, I have full confidence in Master Lu''s success rate. My concern is, if one day you stop collaborating with me, how will I handle those guaranteed quenching contracts? By then, my life will be in your hands."


    Lu Heng cocked his head and countered, "Has your life not been in my hands before?"


    "Um..."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened as he suddenly realized that was indeed the case.


    His life had been saved by Lu Heng from the Abyss Battlefield.


    With a slap of his hand, he said, "Alright, I''ll go back and do just that. So, what do we set as our guaranteed quenching success rate?"


    After thinking for a moment, Lu Heng said, "Based on my current quenching success rate, it''s 85%. I''m confident I can continue to improve this rate, but we can''t offer such a high guarantee. That would be the upper limit. You should find out what the competitors'' success rates are and then decide for yourself."


    "Got it, I''ll make sure it''s done perfectly." Lin Zeyu''s confidence surged upon hearing the success rate.

 Chapter 96 - 90 Weapon Special Effect: Melt Armor

    After discussing the new Quenching Master competitors, Lu Heng took out his phone and showed a video to the two of them.


    Su Muyu watched the video and smiled, "I saw this news, and I also looked up related reports. Many large marine creature corpses have appeared in the offshore areas of the East Sea, carried by the ocean currents."


    Lin Zeyu, looking at the blue whale''s corpse in the video, blurted out, "This couldn''t be the work of Abyss Creatures, could it?"


    In fact, most people''s first reaction would be to associate it with an Abyss invasion.


    This didn''t even require analysis, as people would naturally think in that direction.


    Lu Heng continued, "To hunt such large creatures, I think it must be a very large Abyss Creature."


    Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement, "That makes sense, definitely makes sense."


    Su Muyu pulled up a post on her phone and said, "I also saw a professional''s assessment of the matter, and I think this person''s view makes a lot of sense.


    "They said that some of these large marine creatures were dead but not eaten, while others had their innards eaten.


    "Some were eaten after being dead for a while.


    "This person speculated that the thing that killed these marine creatures is a corpse-eating creature, killing them to create rotten flesh."


    Lin Zeyu raised his eyebrows and said, "Wait, corpse-eating creatures don''t just eat rotten flesh, right? They can also eat fresh meat. If they can kill it, why not eat it right away?"


    Lu Heng laughed and replied, "Maybe this thing only likes to eat rotten flesh, or perhaps only rotten corpses."


    The person''s analysis online had a problem, but the conclusion was correct.


    Indeed, the Corpse Bone Bird really only eats rotten corpses, which is why so many large marine creatures died offshore.


    "Well, if it is an Abyss Creature, the emergence of some freaky thing wouldn''t be surprising," commented Lin Zeyu, who, having seen the monster grown from the transplanted Evil God''s Finger, thought that the appearance of any terrifying Abyss Creatures would not be odd.


    Lu Heng continued, "Considering the rate at which this news is spreading, I think it won''t be long before the authorities issue a bounty."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyebrows shot up, "You mean, are we going to take on this bounty?"


    Lu Heng did not spell it out but nodded in response, "Possibly, so there are a few things we need you to prepare. First, we need a boat, as large as possible."


    "That''s simple, I have a yacht that can stay out at sea for seven days without docking. If that''s not big enough, I can arrange for an even larger transport ship," Lin Zeyu felt that this request was very simple.


    "Drifting on the sea for seven days should be good enough," Lu Heng nodded, indicating the yacht would suffice.


    Actually, seven days would not be enough to resolve the matter.


    However, you could dock for supplies during this time; it''s not like you can''t dock after setting sail, so the yacht would be suitable.


    "Secondly, we need to raise our Combat Power as much as possible and, if we can, hire a few powerful helpers," Lu Heng went on to the second item.


    "There''s no problem hiring help; I can manage that."


    The Lin Family already had a tradition of cultivating teams of Superpower Users, so getting a few of them to help out was just a matter of saying the word.


    Lu Heng then took out a list and said, "Third, purchase the items on this list, especially the Bone Corrosion Spirit Material. This material is very important, but I need to discuss it with you." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There''s no need for discussion. If it''s on the market, I can definitely get it," Lin Zeyu replied without hesitation.


    "We still need to talk about it, because it''s being considered for you," Lu Heng added.


    "For me?" Lin Zeyu was taken aback.


    "Do you remember what I discussed with you last time? I suggested that you get a B-Level sniper rifle. If you want to develop in this direction, adding the Bone Erosion special effect to the sniper rifle is a T1-Level weapon enhancement route. Of course, this is up to you; if you have other ideas, you can follow your plans," Lu Heng explained.


    After hearing this, Lin Zeyu said, "I see, I''ll follow your advice, if you say it''s good, then it must be something worthwhile."


    After spending some time together, Lin Zeyu had grown accustomed to following Lu Heng''s commands.


    Sometimes, he reflected on how he ended up feeling like a subordinate to Lu Heng.


    He was always the boss before, and any Superpower User he met would smile and greet him respectfully as Young Master Lin.


    Now, things had changed, and he obeyed Lu Heng''s every word.


    Additionally, the choices that Lu Heng made were always right.


    He quite enjoyed this state, where he didn''t need to think and just had to do as Lu Heng said to reap the greatest benefits.


    It was like getting stronger without any effort.


    "Then the money for buying this Bone Corrosion Spirit Material..." Lin Zeyu asked about the financial aspect.


    "You''re paying for your own enhancement; do you even have to ask?" Lu Heng replied as if it were obvious.


    "Of course, and for the cost of the infusion?" Lin Zeyu chuckled.


    "Fine, I''ll do the infusion for you at no extra charge. But you know that infusions have a failure rate," Lu Heng felt it was important to clarify this; if the infusion failed, it would be awkward the next time they met.


    "Understood," Lin Zeyu chuckled knowingly.


    Actually.


    Lu Heng suggested the Bone Corrosion effect for Lin Zeyu because it was particularly effective against Corpse Bone Birds.


    No mistake.


    With the Bone Corrosion effect, combating Corpse Bone Birds would save a lot of effort.


    Of course, even without the Corpse Bone Bird issue, adding Bone Corrosion to a firearm was a T1-Level special effect.


    Simply put.


    This was about using Lin Zeyu''s money to enhance his weapon, then using it for their own purposes, a win-win situation.


    Lu Heng then pointed to the third type of material they needed, "And these Melt Armor Spiritual Injection Materials, these are for Mu Yu, and I''ll pay for this material myself."


    Su Muyu was taken aback and asked, "Is there something for me?"


    "Yes, your crossbow needs enhancement," Lu Heng answered with a nod.


    "The Melt Armor special effect is also very effective against the Corpse Bone Birds."


    "Moreover, this effect, when used in conjunction with Flame Elemental Arrows, is a perfect match."


    After their conversation, Lin Zeyu went back to prepare things.


    Two days later, Lin Zeyu had finally gathered all the materials, and the three of them met again at Quenching Castle.


    Lin Zeyu said with a smile, "I swept up all the Spiritual Injection Materials on the Crystal Core Dark Network, not even sparing the rubbish ones.


    "Now that guy named He Shangyong, a Quenching Master, has no clue about Spirit Injection, so Chunshang Group only knows how to promote Quenching.


    "It''s led to Quenching materials skyrocketing in price, while the price of Spiritual Injection Materials hasn''t increased much¡ªI''ve snatched them all up.


    "I have a feeling I''m going to make a fortune off this, so I''ll cover Mu Yu''s Melt Armor Spirit Material."


    He brought everything, two lots of Spiritual Injection Materials and Quenching materials.


    Seeing his proud demeanor, Lu Heng said, "Why don''t you cover the Quenching materials too?"


    "Eh?"


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened as he protested, "Hey, it can''t all be on me."


    "Just joking."


    The Lin family indeed had substantial financial resources, but things must be kept separate.


    Even brothers should clear their accounts; if Lin Zeyu had to pay for everything, their friendship wouldn''t last long.


    Lu Heng took out 15 Demon Crystal Cores and pushed them towards him, "This is for the cost of the Quenching Essence. Take it."


    Lin Zeyu quickly counted and said, "I''ve collected 5 portions of Quenching Essence for you, so 10 Crystal Cores are enough."


    Lu Heng reminded him, "The price ratio between Demon Crystal Cores and Quenching Essence isn''t 2 to 1 now, right?"


    "Now it''s 3 to 1. The Chunshang Group''s hyping of that rubbish Quenching Master has caused the price of Quenching Essence to soar, and it''s hard to get now."


    Lin Zeyu complained and then added, "When you asked me to collect Quenching Essence, the price hadn''t gone up yet, so it was still 2 to 1. But next time, it''ll be 3 to 1."


    "That works. Grab your weapons and materials, and let''s do some Quenching."


    Lu Heng led them to the forge, activated the Quenching Furnace, and began the Quenching process.


    "Where''s your rifle? Hand it over," Lu Heng asked, reaching out behind him.


    "Wait¡­ Wait a second, let Mu Yu go first. Mine can wait."


    Lin Zeyu, always plagued by the God of Misfortune''s presence, wanted Su Muyu to go through Quenching first.


    With an arched eyebrow, Su Muyu teased, "What''s that supposed to mean? Using me as a test first?"


    "Uh..."


    Lin Zeyu was suddenly at a loss for words.


    "You actually believe in such things? Haven''t you ever studied probability?"


    Su Muyu didn''t really mind undergoing Quenching first and handed over her crossbow to Lu Heng.


    "My sufferings, you just wouldn''t understand."


    Lin Zeyu felt truly sorrowful and had no one to share his discomfort with.


    Lu Heng didn''t care who he Quenched for first; he took the crossbow and, once the Quenching Furnace was heated up, began melting the Quenching Essence in the flames.


    Heating, pouring, quenching, cooling¡ªa series of steps followed.


    Quenching successful, Quenching Master professional experience +10.


    [Mia''s Crossbow] Quenching level rose to Level 1, and Attack Power increased by 10.


    Lin Zeyu peeked over to see the successful Quenching and envy was clear on his face.


    Lu Heng continued to fire up the furnace for the second Quenching.


    Successful again, [Mia''s Crossbow] Quenching level rose to Level 2.


    The third Quenching followed swiftly.


    Another success, Quenching Level 3.


    Lu Heng''s hands were feeling great, so he proceeded directly to the Spirit Injection process.


    He introduced the Melt Armor Spirit Material and applied the Sublimation Spirit Infiltration Method.


    Spirit Injection successful, Quenching Master professional experience +50.


    Three Quenchings and one Spirit Injection, all successful.


    Afterwards, Lu Heng took out the crossbow to examine its attributes.


    [Mia''s Crossbow+3]


    [Item Level: C]


    [Specifications: Length 72 cm, bow arms width 58 cm, weight 2.2 kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 90]


    [Special Effect: Melt Armor]


    [Melt Armor: 50% chance on attack to cause armor penetration against hard armor. Chance increased to 100% when using Flame Attribute attacks.]


    [Evaluation: A crossbow forged from refined iron, etched with the name Mia.]


    Just as he remembered, the Melt Armor effect, when combined with Flame Attribute attacks, could double the chances, making it incredibly potent.


    Su Muyu possessed the ''Elemental Arrow¡¤Fire'' skill, perfectly complementing this special effect.


    She took the crossbow, glanced at the attributes, and her eyes widened, "This effect is so strong."


    "Let me see."


    Lin Zeyu took it for a look and then his face was filled with pure envy.


    "Your turn now." Lu Heng patted his shoulder.


    Lin Zeyu''s expression turned serious, "You''ve had four consecutive successes. Maybe I should Quench another day; I have a bad feeling about this."

 Chapter 97 - 91: Weapon Enhancement, Spend Money to Rush!

    "Some other day my foot, hurry up and take it out." Lu Heng forcibly grabbed his SVD sniper rifle.


    Holding the sniper rifle, he could see the attribute data, which had already undergone basic Law Integration.


    [SVD Sniper Rifle (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: B Level]


    [Specifications: Length 122 centimeters, weight 4.3 kilograms, magazine capacity 10 rounds, bullet caliber 7.62mm]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 480 (Attack power decreases with the bullet''s flight distance, decaying 50% at 1000 meters)]


    [Evaluation: A well-crafted sniper rifle with high precision. The destructive power of a firearm is determined by the gun body and the bullets, and cannot receive the user''s Strength attribute bonus.]


    The attack power of this SVD sniper rifle was exceptionally high, reaching 480 points.


    A Glock G17 had an attack power of only 105 points, while this SVD sniper rifle had an attack power of 480 points, which was more than four times that of the pistol.


    This was the terrifying aspect of rifles: their enormous power.


    That is to say,


    If he could bring this thing into the Evil God''s Burial Ground, as long as he hit the target, he could blow off the Winged Demon Commander Sagers'' head with one shot.


    Rifles were so fierce, after all, it was a B-level weapon.


    However, when sniping distant targets with a sniper rifle, there would be a decay in attack power.


    This kind of decay was not evident with pistols.


    Because pistols were mainly used in street fights where the shooting distance was generally within 20 meters.


    The bullet speed decay at this distance is minimal and can be ignored.


    It''s different with sniper rifles, as their effective range can be several hundred meters or even over a thousand meters.


    Due to air resistance, there is a significant difference between the bullet speed as it leaves the barrel and when it hits the target.


    Therefore, the shooting damage caused by the sniper rifle continues to decrease throughout the bullet''s flight. At 1000 meters, the attack power decays by 50%.


    In other words, when the SVD sniper rifle hits a target 1000 meters away, it could only be considered to have 240 attack power.


    Even so, as long as it hits the torso, this attack power is enough to instantly kill any ordinary person and most Superpower Users.


    Only a small number of Superpower Users with defensive enhancements might withstand a shot, but they would still be seriously injured.


    Seeing the attributes of this gun, Lu Heng asked, "How much Divine Energy was spent on the integration?"


    Lin Zeyu stretched out two fingers and answered, "Two thousand."


    What concept was 2000 points of Divine Energy?


    If it were a Danger Level 3 Abyss Battlefield, completing one Main Quest could yield 100 points of Divine Energy.


    For an average Superpower User, being able to complete three Main Quests and return alive would be an ideal situation.


    As for Challenge Tasks, not everyone can complete them.


    Moreover, most Superpower Users enter an Abyss Battlefield with a danger level lower than 3, thus earning even less Divine Energy.


    In other words, an average Superpower User would need to survive through 7 or 8 Abyss Battlefields to accumulate enough Divine Energy to bring this SVD sniper rifle into the Abyss Battlefield.


    And that''s if they didn''t spend a single point elsewhere; that''s how hard it would be to integrate a sniper rifle like this.


    And the attack power of this SVD sniper rifle justified this amount of Divine Energy. A shot to the head could explode the head of a Level 20 high-rank Demon.


    Of course, there was one prerequisite: that you hit the target.


    With the Winged Demon Commander Sagers'' flying ability and Agility attribute, it would not be easy to hit, let alone hit the head.


    That is to say, the SVD sniper rifle was powerful enough; hitting the target was the user''s problem.


    ...


    "Don''t... don''t..." Lin Zeyu reached out to stop him, still wanting to wait a while longer.


    "Don''t touch me, if you pass your bad luck to me, you can''t blame me," Lu Heng raised his palm as a reminder.


    Lin Zeyu withdrew his hand with a resigned face, having accepted the fact that he was possessed by the God of Misfortune.


    Lu Heng continued with the quenching steps, heating, quenching, cooling...


    By the last step, Lu Heng exclaimed, "Ah!"


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened and he said, "I told you."


    "Told you nothing, it''s a success."


    Lu Heng chuckled, cradling the SVD sniper rifle as he checked it.


    The attack power had increased from 480 points to 490 points. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he proceeded with a second quenching.


    Lin Zeyu clasped his hands together, starting to pray, and mumbled incantations under his breath, "Fail this time, fail this time..."


    Lu Heng frowned at him and said wordlessly, "What do you mean? Are you hoping for it to fail?"


    "You don''t understand; failing now is like getting it out of the way, making the Spirit Injection easier later. We have extra quenching material, but only one set of Spiritual Injection Materials, we can''t afford to lose them," Lin Zeyu''s thinking was very clear, he was even willing to have the quenching fail on purpose.


    And then,


    The second quenching was also a success.


    The attack power of the sniper rifle increased by another 10 points.


    Lu Heng then proceeded with the third quenching, performing the steps with proficiency.


    Lin Zeyu continued his incantations, "Fail this time, fail this time..."


    Lu Heng turned back and asked, "Should I intentionally fail once?"


    "That works," Lin Zeyu nodded, not minding the waste of a Quenching Essence.


    Lu Heng rolled his eyes, not understanding his logic, but continued the quenching seriously.


    After the quenching was completed, it was successful once again.


    The attack power of the SVD sniper rifle had increased to 510 points.


    Lu Heng picked up the [Bone Erosion] Spiritual Injection Materials, preparing for the Spirit Injection process.


    Lin Zeyu, however, wore a crestfallen expression: "It''s over, three successful quenchings; this means it will fail at Spirit Injection. Lu Heng, are there any other options for special effects for Spirit Injection? I''ll go get another set of Spiritual Injection Materials."

 Chapter 98 - 91: Weapon Enhancement, Break the Bank to Upgrade!_2

    Lu Heng couldn''t stand this guy and rolled his eyes at him, then he started firing up the forge, heating the spiritual injection materials, and began the sublimation and spirit injection process.


    Lin Zeyu closed his eyes, brought his hands together, and started praying, "Everything was successful just now, might as well be successful this time, too." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu, standing by and watching, could hardly hold back her laughter and couldn''t help but tease, "What if there''s a delay with your prayers, and he didn''t hear you just now, but hears you now?"


    Lin Zeyu glared and hurriedly covered his tracks, "Pfft, pfft pfft... Everything I said just now was BS, it doesn''t count."


    Spiritual injection materials are indeed hard to come by, and at this stage, it''s very difficult to find a second batch of the same materials.


    So, if the spirit injection fails this time, they''d have to give up on the [Bone Erosion] special effect.


    This special effect was vital for the Corpse Bone Bird treasure, and it would be quite troublesome without it.


    No matter what kind of fit Lin Zeyu threw, Lu Heng was always serious and focused on the spirit injection process.


    Actually, every time the quenching failed, halfway through, he would feel that the reaction inside the forge was off.


    So, before completing the last step, whether it would be a success or a failure, Lu Heng usually had a hunch.


    As the final process was completed, a faint glow emanated from the sniper rifle.


    At the same time, Lu Heng saw the notification for a successful spirit injection.


    [Spirit Injection Successful, Quenching Master Professional Experience +50]


    He checked the attributes, and the results were as expected, exceptionally good.


    [SVD Sniper Rifle +3 (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: B-Level]


    [Specification: Length 122 centimeters, Weight 4.3 kilograms, Magazine Capacity 10 rounds, Bullet Caliber 7.62mm]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 510 (Attack power decreases with the distance the bullet travels, 50% decay over 1000 meters)]


    [Special Effect: Bone Erosion]


    [Bone Erosion: A special effect exclusive to firearms and bows, bullets and arrows shot into the target corrode the target''s bones, causing continuous damage. The effect of Bone Erosion cannot be removed until the bullet or arrow is extracted.]


    After reviewing the attributes, Lu Heng handed the rifle back to Lin Zeyu, saying, "Take a look."


    Lin Zeyu, with stars in his eyes, admired the rifle and exclaimed, "Lu Heng, you''re like my godfather. No, you''re my real dad, to actually hit four flashes in a row. No, eight flashes, freaking awesome."


    "I don''t have such an unlucky son," Lu Heng said with an eye roll.


    Lin Zeyu now felt completely refreshed, as if his bad luck had been swept away.


    In fact, failing at quenching a couple of times wasn''t a big deal for him in terms of lost materials.


    But this feeling of consecutive successes is something money can''t buy.


    Moreover, having been in a state possessed by the God of Misfortune, the sudden burst of good luck made him unbelievably happy and comfortable.


    Lin Zeyu fondled the gun and said, "Lu Heng, this gun''s attack power is a bit scary. I didn''t know sniper rifles could hit so hard. Now, with this gun, I can blow away a Commander Level demon with a single shot."


    Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Right, as long as you can hit the target. It''s powerful, no doubt."


    Firearms enhancements are very strong, of course, provided you don''t come across "monsters."


    If you meet one of those you can''t shoot, or if you do shoot them, they have defense skills to block bullets, and then they surge forward into close combat to take out the gunman in one move, then there''s not much you can do.


    Unfortunately, Lin Zeyu had one such "monster" right in front of him.


    If it were a fight between same-level superpower users, firearm enhancements wouldn''t be at a disadvantage, the only drawback being a bit wasteful of bullets.


    Plus, bringing bullets into the Abyss Battlefield requires the additional use of divine energy.


    Therefore, firearms enhancements can be quite costly, and average superpower users might not be able to sustain it.


    In fact.


    Even superpower users with money ability couldn''t integrate a sniper rifle at this stage, not everyone.


    After all, it would take 2000 points of divine energy.


    Lin Zeyu had so much because he had entered the Evil God''s Burial Ground and participated in preventing the resurrection ceremony of Evil God Barton, completing three challenge tasks, hence obtaining so much divine energy.


    For other superpower users, not to mention 2000 points of divine energy, very few can even come up with 1000 points.


    Lin Zeyu provided his own quenching materials, so now Lu Heng still had two portions of Quenching Essence left.


    Since Lin Zeyu was prepared for the quenching to fail a couple of times, he brought two extra portions of Quenching Essence.


    Lu Heng used the Crystal Core to purchase additional Quenching Essence and then performed the Quenching on the Aurora Blade.


    Today, Lu Heng''s Quenching was as if divinely assisted, successfully achieving four consecutive successes.


    Quenching Master Professional Experience increased by 40 points.


    The Quenching Level of the Aurora Blade had reached Level 7, with its Attack Power hitting 100 points.


    Looking solely at Attack Power, the Aurora Blade was significantly lower than a sniper rifle.


    After all, Lin Zeyu''s SVD sniper rifle was a Grade B weapon, whereas the Aurora Blade was currently only Grade C.


    However, in actual use, the gap between the two wasn''t as vast.


    Because the Attack Power of firearms couldn''t benefit from an increase in Strength, the damage dealt depended entirely on the gun and its bullets.


    Blades, on the other hand, were different; higher Strength meant higher damage output with blade weapons.


    That is to say, as the Strength attribute continued to increase, the power of blade weapons would grow stronger and stronger.


    This was why firearms were particularly strong in the early phase but not as outrageous later on.


    Moreover, Superpower Users who enhanced firearms had to spend their skills on improving bullet accuracy, which led to weaker combat strength in direct confrontations.


    Once a close combat Superpower User breached the distance to a gunman, the gunman was usually instantaneously defeated, with no power to resist.


    Thus, the battle between gunmen and close combat Superpower Users became a contest of constantly adjusting distances.


    If the gunman could eliminate the close combat Superpower User from beyond close range, then the gunman would win; once breached, they could only wait for fate''s judgment.


    ...


    Every three levels of Quenching allowed for one instance of Spirit Injection, gaining special effect entries.


    This meant that with a Quenching Level of +6, a second Spirit Injection could be performed, and now the Aurora Blade had reached the conditions for a second Spirit Injection with its Quenching Level of +7.


    Originally, Lu Heng had considered waiting until he accumulated enough Crystal Cores next time before purchasing Spiritual Injection Materials.


    This time, however, the injection materials from Su Muyu were paid for by Lin Zeyu, so Lu Heng still had some Crystal Cores left over.


    "Didn''t you say you''d swept up all the Spirit Injection Materials on the Crystal Core Dark Network? Show me the list, and let''s see if there''s anything suitable for me," Lu Heng asked.


    "Yeah, let me find it." Lin Zeyu scrolled through his phone and handed over a list to Lu Heng.


    "Fiery Flame Amplification, Wind Resistance Resistance..."


    Lu Heng read out the names of Spirit Injection Materials on the list.


    Lin Zeyu interjected, "It''s this Wind Resistance Resistance, I was originally planning to get it for the sniper rifle."


    Actually, his thought process was correct.


    The effect of [Wind Resistance Resistance] was to reduce the influence of wind resistance on bullets by 50%.


    Reducing the wind resistance meant that the sniper rifle had a longer range, and the drop in bullet damage was lessened.


    Which meant that, at a distance of 1000 meters, the Attack Power decline of his +3 SVD sniper rifle was 50%; after obtaining the [Wind Resistance Resistance] effect, the decline would be reduced to 25%.


    Under the Attack Power decline effect, his rifle''s Attack Power at 1000 meters was 255 points.


    With the [Wind Resistance Resistance] effect, the Attack Power at 1000 meters would be 382.5, increasing the Attack Power by 50%.


    This calculation showed just how powerful the [Wind Resistance Resistance] effect was.


    "Once your sniper rifle reaches a Quenching Level of 6, you can perform a second Spirit Injection and have this effect," said Lu Heng.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened instantly, and he immediately stood up, saying, "Then what are we waiting for? I''ll even sell my cooking pots to raise the Quenching Level to 6. I''m going to get the quenching material right now; let''s ride today''s lucky streak!"


    Money Ability was just that swaggering.


    Now that the price of quenching material was soaring, as long as there was a price tag, it could still be obtained.


    The Lin Family had been acquiring quenching material recently, so Lin Zeyu had some inventory, although not much.


    Originally, Lin Zeyu had intended to use it sparingly, but when he heard that reaching a Quenching Level of 6 allowed for a second Spirit Injection,


    What was there to wait for?


    Of course, it was time to splurge!


    Lu Heng wasn''t in a hurry to agree; he continued to scan the list, and then he saw a name of a Spirit Injection Material on the list, [Sharp Blade].


    "Bring over this [Sharp Blade] material too."

 Chapter 99 - 92: Dual Special Effect Weapons, Divine Weapon!

    Lin Zeyu didn''t go back to get the material, but directly had it delivered by drivers and continued the quenching process.


    Due to four consecutive successes before, Lin Zeyu was very excited now and rubbed his hands vigorously as he watched the quenching furnace.


    Lu Heng reminded him, "The higher the quenching level, the higher the failure rate, you need to think it through."


    "I know, I know. If all attempts were successful, I''d be afraid I''d use up all my luck here and have bad luck elsewhere. Just go for it, I can handle one or two failures, as long as the spirit injection doesn''t fail," Lin Zeyu stated calmly. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng restarted the furnace and began the quenching process on the SVD sniper rifle.


    The quenching sequence was going well, but when it came to integrating the quenching material with the rifle body, it did not merge and caused the quenching to fail.


    Quenching Master Professional Experience +20 points.


    Lu Heng frowned, recalling his recent operations and considering what adjustments could be made.


    Lin Zeyu was not upset at all, expressing a demeanor that implied this was to be expected, "Good, it finally failed. Now I''m relieved. Keep going, don''t stop."


    Lu Heng continued quenching and, learning from the previous experience, succeeded in the second attempt.


    Then there were three consecutive successes, and when it came time for spirit injection, he reached the highest level of concentration.


    Seeing the process of spirit injection come to an end, Lin Zeyu rubbed his hands and anxiously asked, "How did it go? How did it go?"


    Lu Heng took out the SVD sniper rifle, looked at it, and handed it over saying, "See for yourself."


    Lin Zeyu took the sniper rifle, glanced at it, and his entire body cells vibrated with excitement, shouting several times, "YES! YES! Lu Heng, you are the god among quenching masters! That crappy He Shangyong, let him eat shit."


    SVD Sniper Rifle Quenching Level reached Level 6.


    [SVD Sniper Rifle +6 (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: B]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 540]


    [Special Effects: Bone Erosion, Wind Resistance]


    [Wind Resistance: Reduces wind drag by 50%, slowing down the attenuation speed of attack power during the bullet''s flight.]


    At this stage, this rifle was terrifyingly powerful.


    The additional invisible effect from [Wind Resistance]also indirectly increased the bullet''s speed and, consequently, its accuracy.


    This rifle might be Blue Star''s first weapon with dual special effects and could fetch any price at auction, likely fiercely contested by the level 33 families of the ASE Alliance.


    Now brimming with confidence, Lin Zeyu, who had recently felt weak and complained to Lu Heng, held the B-level sniper rifle and wanted nothing more than to burst out in wild laughter.


    Next, Lu Heng began the spirit injection on the Aurora Blade.


    Injecting [Sharp Blade]spirit essence, melting, sublimating, injecting...


    The process bathed the Aurora Blade in a soft glow.


    [Spirit Injection Successful, Aurora Blade gains new effect "Sharp Blade".]


    [Aurora Blade +7 (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: C]


    [Specifications: Length 132 cm, Blade Width 3.6 cm, Weight 1.6 kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 150]


    [Special Effects: Spirit Slash, Sharp Blade]


    [Sharp Blade: Exclusive effect for bladed weapons, improves the sharpness of the weapon, weapon attack power +50 points, increases destruction power against hard materials by 30%.]


    Another weapon with dual special effects!


    The [Sharp Blade] effect directly added 50 points to attack power, incredibly fierce.


    Moreover, it allowed the melee weapon to benefit from the user''s strength bonus.


    If the Aurora Blade had been this powerful back at the Evil God''s Burial Ground, it could have exploded the Winged Demon Commander Sagers with a single strike.


    "How is it?" Lin Zeyu hurried over to watch.


    "Not bad. Probably one of the only dual-effect weapons in Blue Star," Lu Heng did not brag too much.


    After examining the attributes of the Aurora Blade, Lin Zeyu praised it, "This sword can instantly kill anyone it encounters. With these two divine weapons, who should we fear?"


    He turned to look at Su Muyu and teased, "Look at Su Muyu''s expression, she''s completely envious."


    Su Muyu furrowed her brows and glared, "I am not!"


    Lu Heng flicked her forehead and said, "Next time, I''ll upgrade your crossbow."


    "I''m in no rush. I''m a support, so upgrading weapons isn''t a high priority for me," Su Muyu said, but deep down, she was very happy.


    It was the third month of the Abyss invasion, and she had already reached level 19 as a superpower user, standing at the top of the pyramid among first-tier superpower users.


    Thus, she was quite satisfied with her current combat power.


    "Alright, today''s weapon enhancement was very successful. Let''s leave it at that, go back and rest, and we''ll regroup when the officials issue a bounty."


    Coming out of Quenching Castle, Lu Heng and Su Mutyu went back to Jinxiu Imperial View together.


    Lin Zeyu headed back to Blue Sea International but took a slight detour to drop Lu Heng and his companion off at the main entrance of Jinxiu Imperial View.


    A few days ago, Lin Zeyu had someone purchase the large flat unit in Jinxiu Imperial View and had successfully become Lu Heng''s landlord.


    He also used another communication channel to add Lu Heng as a friend under the guise of being the landlord, infiltrating Lu Heng''s social circle.


    Lu Heng did not expect Lin Zeyu to be so "sly"; he thought the landlord had changed his number.


    After returning to Jinxiu Imperial View, Lu Heng inquired about Su Muyu''s skill proficiency.


    "Um, the proficiency of the Invisibility Veil is fully trained. Should I upgrade this skill now?" Su Muyu always adhered to the principle of saving whenever possible and was conservative in using divine energy.


    Hearing that she had fully trained a skill, Lu Heng smiled and complimented her, "You''ve trained quite fast. The invisibility skill indeed needs an upgrade. Let''s upgrade it now. This invisibility skill is a bit low-level; it won''t be very effective against Perceivers with detection abilities."


    Su Muyu was a Perception System superpower user herself, and her range for detecting invisibility was 8¡Á her perception.


    Her current perception was 41 points, which meant her range for detecting invisibility extended up to 328 meters.


    This range was enough to detect invisible units from atop a hundred-story skyscraper to the ground.


    In other words, using her own detection skill against her invisibility skill, the latter was practically ineffective.


    Lu Heng used the "Divine Evolution" Talent to unlock the "Invisibility Veil¡¤Escape Shadow" skill lock for her, allowing her to upgrade the skill.


    Su Muyu channeled 300 points of divine energy into the skill slot, merging it with the original energy group.


    More than ten minutes later, the skill upgrade was completed.


    She glanced at the effects of the upgraded skill, a hint of delight appearing in her eyes.


    [Large Invisibility Curtain¡¤Escape Shadow]


    [Skill Level: C]


    [Skill Consumption: 5 Source Energy points/minute]


    [Skill Range: 30-meter diameter]


    [Skill Effect 1: Releases energy to create an invisibility veil that covers objects, achieving an optical invisibility effect while also blocking odors and infrared sensing.]


    [Skill Effect 2: Invisibility effect gains detection resistance; detection resistance factor = 6¡Á perception.]


    "The upgrade was successful, now it''s a large invisibility curtain. The range has expanded to 30 meters, much larger than before, and it even includes a new detection resistance effect." Su Muyu briefly explained the effects after the upgrade.


    Upon hearing this, Lu Heng commented, "The effect is powerful, the invisibility coverage is even larger than I anticipated, it will be very useful for our next plan."


    The original [Invisibility Veil] could only cover a diameter of two meters, essentially enough to keep one person in an invisible state.


    Now, with the extended range of 30 meters, a whole building could be made to disappear from sight.


    ...


    After comprehensively enhancing weapons, skills, and class abilities, Lu Heng quietly waited for the Corpse Bone Bird to appear.


    As expected, more and more marine creature carcasses started appearing off the East Sea.


    Ships at sea started capturing footage of the Corpse Bone Bird, causing a sensation.


    The news was vying to report on this terrifying creature spotted above the sea, dubbing it the "Corpse Bone Bird."


    Since this terrifying creature had wings and an exoskeleton covering its body, and it fed on large marine creature carcasses, reporters naturally came to call it the "Corpse Bone Bird."


    However, from a biological standpoint, this creature had nothing to do with birds.


    This terrifying creature, over 30 meters in length, could fly in the sky and would kill any large marine creature it encountered.


    There were even instances of ships being attacked.


    Not long after the Corpse Bone Bird appeared, the authorities issued a bounty.


    Meanwhile, the authorities also designated the area of the sea where the Corpse Bone Bird appeared as a hazardous zone, ceasing all shipping routes within.


    Later, the authorities dispatched drones to scour the sea surface, but they could not find the Corpse Bone Bird.


    The Corpse Bone Bird had appeared suddenly and disappeared just as abruptly, leaving no one aware of the whereabouts of this terrifying creature.


    Considering its body length of 30 meters, it was indeed very large.


    But, in the vast expanse of the ocean, finding this creature was not going to be easy.


    When Lin Zeyu saw the news photo of the Corpse Bone Bird, he immediately called Lu Heng:


    "It''s appeared, it''s the Corpse Bone Bird, just as we predicted. This thing also looks terrifying. The authorities have issued a bounty. When are we heading out?"


    He was already impatient, eager to test out the power of the double special effect SVD sniper rifle.


    Lu Heng asked calmly, "Have you found the people you were looking for?"


    "The Huan Yu Security Company is under my family''s control. You can pick any superpower bodyguard from the company. If none satisfy you, you can also rent from other security companies," Lin Zeyu replied.


    "Okay, we''ll go over and review the personnel data tomorrow," Lu Heng said before hanging up the phone.


    The next morning.


    Lin Zeyu drove over, picking up Lu Heng and Su Muyu, and they headed to Huan Yu Security Company.


    A month and a half ago, when the Abyss Tide Worms had rampaged across Gardenia Beach.


    Lin Zeyu had driven a yacht, leading a group of superpower users hunting the Abyss Tide Worms on the sea.


    Subsequently, his family directly purchased a security company, renamed it Huan Yu Security, and began recruiting a large number of superpower security personnel.


    Now, the number of superpower users registered with Huan Yu Security Company had already surpassed 200.


    These superpower bodyguards had different contracts.


    Some worked at the company, some were only registered and didn''t work at the company daily, they were only notified to gather for tasks when needed.


    Yesterday, when Lu Heng said he wanted to pick people, Lin Zeyu informed all the superpower bodyguards to come to the company to assemble and await the leaders'' inspection.

 Chapter 100 - 93: Huan Yu Security Company, Forming a Team

    The Coastal Global Center building is the most expensive office building in the Coastal CBD.


    Huan Yu Security Company is located here.


    Today is the day when Huan Yu Security Company has the most staff present, with 182 Superpower Users signed under Huan Yu''s flag actually present.


    In addition to Superpower Users, Huan Yu Security Company also has over a thousand employees responsible for logistical support.


    Lin Zeyu led Lu Heng into the company, and the manager waiting in the lobby quickly came forward to greet them, "Boss, everyone is here, awaiting your instructions."


    In the lobby, stood more than a hundred uniformed Superpower Users, neatly formed into four rows.


    In addition to these, there were several dozen casually dressed Superpower Users sitting in the sofa area, drinking tea.


    Those Superpower Users not in uniform had signed a cooperation agreement with Huan Yu Security, with very lenient contract terms, so most of them did not wear the company uniform.


    Some had even signed non-exclusive agreements with multiple security companies.


    The stronger the Superpower User, the more privileges they had.


    Therefore, in terms of strength, it was actually those casually dressed, sitting in the sofa area and drinking tea who were stronger.


    "Boss, here is the personal information of the security personnel." The manager handed a stack of documents to Lin Zeyu.


    Lin Zeyu then handed it to Lu Heng, saying, "Take a look. Pick whoever you want, and just name them directly."


    Lu Heng took the documents, didn''t even look at them, and directly asked, "First, introduce the overall situation."


    The manager had the qualifications to be a manager, naturally.


    Without needing to look at the documents, he was able to reply, "Under Huan Yu Security, we currently have 215 Superpower Users, with 182 actually present today.


    "Additionally, 33 are out on missions and not currently in the company. After you look over the documents, if needed, we can also call them back.


    "Among the 215 Superpower Users, 73 are above level 10, with the highest at level 18.


    "Our Superpower Users'' functions range from the Defense System, Spiritual System to Perception System, covering all sectors and capable of handling most task requirements."


    At this stage, the 73 above level 10 were already a very strong team of Superpower Users.


    Lu Heng walked past these people, observing them, searching for suitable helpers for the mission.


    As Lu Heng was observing them, these 182 Superpower Users were also staring at Lu Heng.


    It was a rare full-gathering day at Huan Yu Security, and they had thought they would meet some high-profile figure, but the person who came was very young, even looking like a student.


    This made several strong Superpower Users show impatience on their faces.


    At this stage, Superpower Users who could reach levels 17 and 18 had to have perfectly cleared one or two level 3 and above Abyss Battlefields.


    Such Superpower Users were very powerful, standing at the top of the pyramid in the first tier.


    Strength and temperament often correlate.


    Top-tier Superpower Users naturally didn''t want to waste time meeting someone unimportant.


    The Superpower Users in the sofa area were already whispering among themselves:


    "Which major family''s young master is this? Another task accompanying the young master on a hunting trip?"


    "What else could it be? This company is controlled by the Lin family, initially it was just to provide bodyguards for the Lin family''s young master."


    "Probably some family that has good private ties with the Lin family. The upside of these tasks is quick payment, but they are indeed quite dull."


    In the sofa area, at the table with the highest level, two people recognized Lu Heng.


    These two were Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong.


    They had participated in the final battle at the Evil God''s Burial Ground, and after Lin Zeyu was injured, they escorted Lin Zeyu out of the battlefield.


    So they had also made it back alive.


    Others didn''t recognize Lu Heng, but as soon as these two saw him, they immediately stood up and smiled towards Lu Heng.


    The surrounding Superpower Users, noticing their odd reaction, reached out and pulled at Wang Xiangfeng, asking, "What are you doing? Your attitude is so respectful, like you''ve seen some important figure."


    Wang Xiangfeng shook off his hand and said in a low voice, "Shut up. Our table combined couldn''t last a round against him."


    Their table was the highest-level table in the sofa area.


    With a total of 6 people, average level 17.


    Six average level 17 Superpower Users placed outside would be fiercely sought after by any major power.


    Now, someone was saying that these 6 people combined couldn''t last a round against a certain person.


    This sounded quite preposterous.


    "Old Wang, you''re joking, right?"


    "I''m not joking with you; just go and try if you don''t believe."


    Soon someone realized and asked, "This person wouldn''t happen to be the one who came out of the Evil God''s Burial Ground, would he?"


    "Yes, he''s the one who saved our boss, and Lei Jinhao also died by his hand," Wang Xiangfeng revealed the truth.


    Concerning the matters of the Evil God''s Burial Ground, the Lin family had imposed a gag order on them.


    However, 15 Superpower Users had come out from the Evil God''s Burial Ground; with so many people, news couldn''t be completely sealed, so the Superpower Users present had heard more or less about the happenings at the Evil God''s Burial Ground.


    Hearing Wang Xiangfeng say this, the Superpower Users at the table quickly stood up and when they looked towards Lu Heng again, their expressions became very respectful.


    Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong stepped forward, standing at the front of the queue and greeted, "Brother Lu, it''s been a while."


    Lu Heng nodded in acknowledgement, "How have you all been?"


    "We''ve been very good, thanks to your care on the Abyss Battlefield." Both men expressed their appreciation with serious expressions.


    They were able to return alive and had completed the three Challenge Tasks in the Evil God''s Burial Ground, all thanks to Lu Heng dealing with the Evil God''s Heart.


    With this experience in the Abyss Battlefield, they had become the highest-level superpower users in the Huan Yu Security Company.


    "Do you have a mission this time? If there''s anything that needs us, just say it," Wang Xiangfeng quickly volunteered.


    "I''m here to pick someone today, but I need a superpower user with specific abilities."


    Lu Heng merely followed up with their inquiry and then turned to the side to ask the manager, "Do you have any superpower users here who have mastered Healing Reduction abilities?"


    The manager clapped his hands and loudly inquired, "Anyone with Healing Reduction abilities, step forward!"


    Lu Heng added, "It''s the skill that reduces the recovery effects on the target."


    The manager repeated the question twice, but no one responded.


    Healing Reduction abilities function to diminish the target''s recovery effects.


    However, human superpower users rarely possess recovery abilities.


    Thus, with a limited number of skill slots, most superpower users are trying to stack combat power; not many are willing to learn a skill that doesn''t enhance their combat power.


    Seeing no one responding, Lin Zeyu also shouted, "Is there really not a single one of you with Healing Reduction abilities?"


    He had previously boasted to Lu Heng that he had any type of superpower user available.


    Now, the first requirement from Lu Heng was unmet by anyone. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The manager reacted quickly and turned back to Lin Zeyu, suggesting, "Boss, we do have a Healing Reduction Skill Crystal Core in the storage, shall we let someone learn it now?"


    Lin Zeyu felt it was a feasible solution and nodded in agreement, "Sure, bring the Skill Crystal Core over for Lu Heng to look at."


    The manager had someone fetch a Skill Crystal Core.


    [Weapon Empowerment¡¤Reduction Healing: Adds an energy effect to the weapon, causing an attack to reduce the target''s recovery effect by 50%. Duration: 10 minutes; Skill Consumption: 10 Source Energy; Skill Level: D-Level.]


    "This skill is good, we can use it," Lu Heng evaluated.


    Lin Zeyu looked at the superpower users present and asked, "Who still has a skill slot and is willing to learn this skill, step forward."


    The superpower users began whispering among one another.


    The number of superpower users with available skill slots wasn''t high, and even with an available slot, they had to consider the skill combination, whether it was suitable to learn this skill.


    After a bout of whispering among the superpower users, finally, two people stepped forward, willing to learn this skill.


    At that moment.


    Wang Xiangfeng suddenly raised his hand and said, "Brother Lu, how about letting me do it?"


    Lin Zeyu curiously asked, "Aren''t your skill slots full?"


    Wang Xiangfeng explained, "My First Transition class is [Skill Master], and my Source Material ability is to add a special skill slot, moreover, the skill in this slot can be enhanced by the Source Material ability."


    Hearing his explanation, Lu Heng promptly grew interested, "This is good, I think we can let Wang Xiangfeng learn this skill. However, you guys discuss it and decide if that''s how you want to arrange it."


    Wang Xiangfeng''s original function was that of an Invisible Reconnaissance Soldier and his skill set was diverse, making it unlikely for him to develop into a primary combat superpower user.


    Now, hearing that Lu Heng was looking for a superpower user with Healing Reduction abilities, he might as well learn this skill now and continue hitching a ride.


    Lin Zeyu spoke a few words with Wang Xiangfeng and finally agreed to let Wang Xiangfeng learn this skill [Weapon Empowerment¡¤Reduction Healing].


    Normally, according to the contracts of the Huan Yu Security Company, the skills learned by their superpower users needed to be recorded at market price.


    The subsequent costs would be deducted from the commissions, and until fully offset, the superpower users who used the company''s Skill Crystal Cores couldn''t leave the company.


    However, Wang Xiangfeng had carried Lin Zeyu out of the Temple at the Evil God''s Burial Ground.


    Thus, Lin Zeyu waved away the cost, directly giving the Skill Crystal Core to Wang Xiangfeng.


    Wang Xiangfeng absorbed the energy of the crystal core, gaining the new skill [Weapon Empowerment¡¤Reduction Healing (Source Material Enhanced)].


    The skill slot he used was the special skill slot added by the First Transition class [Skill Master], and the learned skill would receive an enhanced effect.


    "What''s the effect after enhancement?" Lu Heng asked.


    "The Healing Reduction effect has increased to 70%," Wang Xiangfeng answered.


    "Not bad, a D-level skill with a C-level effect. Plus, the skill consumption is even less than that of a C-level skill," Lu Heng remarked.


    Subsequently.


    Lu Heng picked a few more superpower users for this offshore operation.


    Having previously experienced the Abyss Battlefield with Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong and cooperated well.


    Since he was bringing Wang Xiangfeng, he might as well bring Li Dayong along too.


    The team was successfully assembled, including 12 people in total with the superpower users responsible for steering the boat.


    With the team members arranged, weapons still needed to be prepared.


    Huan Yu Security Company had an officially authorized gun license, so Lin Zeyu also prepared a batch of firearms.


    Everything was ready, and the next day, they set sail on a yacht, embarking on this offshore voyage.

 Chapter 101 - 94: Bounty Competition, Corpse Bone Bird Appears!

    The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the deck of the yacht, reflecting a layer of golden light.


    Lin Zeyu''s yacht was named Huan Yu, the same one he had used to hunt Abyss Tide Worms at Gardenia Beach.


    The name of the yacht was a bit grand, and it truly was one of the larger ones with a length of 26 meters and a double deck.


    Originally, it was a luxury yacht full of entertainment value, but unfortunately, Lin Zeyu had wrecked its shape.


    Last time, while hunting Abyss Tide Worms, several parts had been severely damaged.


    After returning, Lin Zeyu had taken the yacht straight to the dock for modifications, adding armor around the outer ring.


    The original entertainment facilities were all removed, creating more space for storing supplies and weapons.


    In short, the vessel was now an armored yacht.


    This yacht''s cruising speed was over 20 knots, or 36 kilometers per hour, and could reach up to 28 knots at full speed.


    Departing from Coastal Port to the sea area where Corpse Bone Birds appeared, the distance was 250 nautical miles or about 463 kilometers.


    It would take half a day to get there.


    Thus, the Huan Yu yacht set sail in the afternoon and reached the target area by midnight.


    During the trip, except for the on-duty personnel, everyone else had gone back to their cabins to sleep.


    The night passed uneventfully.


    The next morning.


    Lu Heng got out of bed, went up to the second deck, and watched the red sun rise from the east as he stretched lazily.


    "Would you like some soy milk? It''s hot." Su Muyu handed him a cup of freshly heated soy milk and slowly finished her own.


    "Have you been on a ship before?" Lu Heng took the soy milk and asked casually.


    Su Muyu shook her head. "No, this is my first time at sea."


    Her family''s financial situation wasn''t good when she was young, and she had never left her hometown, let alone been to sea.


    This was also her first time on such a luxurious yacht.


    "Do you get seasick?" Lu Heng asked.


    Su Muyu shook her head again. "No, and since our Constitution is so much stronger than that of ordinary people, even if I did get seasick, the reaction should be minimal, right?"


    "That''s true."


    Lu Heng nodded in agreement and then brought up the main topic. "From today, you''ll need to use the scouting eagle to observe the surrounding ocean area to see if you can find any Corpse Bone Birds."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips and asked, "The ocean is so vast, is there any way to find the Corpse Bone Birds, or is it just luck?"


    "It''s mostly just luck, but if I must suggest a method, finding dead large ocean creatures works too. You can follow the trail of marine carcasses, which increases the chances of encountering Corpse Bone Birds." Lu Heng looked up and finished his soy milk, and Su Muyu took the cup from him. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ocean was too vast; not to mention a single Corpse Bone Bird, even if a naval fleet hid in the ocean, satellites couldn''t find it.


    So, finding Corpse Bone Birds did indeed require some luck.


    Relatively speaking, with Lu Heng around, locating Corpse Bone Birds should be simpler.


    He had marked a circle on the ocean map, and searching within this range should suffice.


    The circle was a bit large, though, so finding them still required a bit of luck.


    Over the next three days, the Huan Yu drifted at sea, cruising at a speed of 20 knots.


    Originally, the yacht could stay at sea for seven days.


    This meant if it were navigating in a straight line, it would need to return by the fourth day.


    However, Lin Zeyu had all the entertainment facilities removed, and the space was used to store food and fresh water.


    Thus, the duration of the voyage stretched from seven days to twelve days.


    After drifting for three days, the team encountered another ship.


    They exchanged greetings and learned that the other party was also searching for Corpse Bone Birds.


    The authority had already issued a bounty, and although the bounty amount wasn''t high, Corpse Bone Birds were high-level Abyss Creatures and had significant value.


    Hence, more than one Superpower User team was searching for Corpse Bone Birds.


    On the afternoon of the fourth day,


    Lin Zeyu set up a grill on the deck, had people dive to catch a few fish to grill, and even opened a bottle of red wine, thoroughly enjoying the sea breeze.


    When Lu Heng came up to the deck, he saw Lin Zeyu had just prepared the fish and took it away from him directly.


    Lin Zeyu was just about to eat when his fish was snatched away; his sunglasses nearly fell off.


    "Hey! At least leave me half?" he swallowed saliva, craving fresh fish after many days.


    At that moment,


    Su Muyu ran up briskly, pointing towards the left side of the ship, "Another ship over there."


    "It seems there are quite a few teams hunting Corpse Bone Birds, let me check." Lin Zeyu stood up, picked up a pair of binoculars, and looked in the direction Su Muyu was pointing.


    After a while, he complained in an annoyed tone, "Damn, it''s a ship from the Wolf Pack."


    Lu Heng had heard the name of this Superpower User team; this group called "Wolf Pack" was quite famous in later years, backed by big capital and very powerful.


    "From your tone, do you have a feud?"


    "Kind of. It''s not too big, not too small. The Wolf Pack is a security company''s Superpower User team under Chunshang Group. Previously, they poached several of my people without any respect." Lin Zeyu said angrily.


    As Abyss Descent entered its third month,


    All around the world, every conglomerate, power, and family started to develop their Superpower User teams.


    Anyone whose brain wasn''t rusted could see that in the future, whoever controlled extraordinary power would hold the authority.


    Therefore, any power that hadn''t started training Superpower User teams by now would soon be phased out.


    As a result, all conglomerates and powers were spending heavily to recruit potential Superpower Users.

 Chapter 102 - 94: Competition for the Bounty, the Corpse Bone Bird Appears!_2

    A superpower user with great potential and a high level is often coveted by multiple forces.


    Even some who had already signed contracts would be lured away with the payment of a penalty fee.


    Previously, the Wolfpack had poached several high-level superpower users from Lin Zeyu''s Huan Yu Security Company, which resulted in bad blood between the two.


    Even without the poaching incident, Lin Zeyu and the team Wolfpack didn''t get along.


    Because behind the Wolfpack was the Chunshang Group, a multinational conglomerate controlled by foreign capital.


    Recently, the "Quenching Master" He Shangyong, who had made a sudden appearance, was being backed by the Chunshang Group.


    To break the pattern, Lin Zeyu boldly offered a guaranteed minimum success rate for weapon quenching, promising a floor of 70%.


    This move was rather ruthless, as the Chunshang Group dared not compete, as they simply couldn''t handle it.


    Lin Zeyu had specifically inquired and found that He Shangyong''s quenching success rate was only around 50% and required entry into Abyss World, which was very costly.


    Not to mention a 70% guaranteed success rate, even 50% was too much for the Chunshang Group to handle.


    Therefore, in the competition of the quenching market, the Chunshang Group was purely taking a loss for the sake of publicity; although they gained fame, the truly capable superpower users who could perform weapon quenching weren''t foolish ¨C they would undoubtedly choose the side with a 70% guaranteed success rate.


    After this confrontation in the quenching market, Lin''s company and the Chunshang Group became rivals.


    "They seem to be coming closer, are they looking to greet us?" Su Muyu saw through her scout eagle that the Wolfpack''s speedboat was approaching.


    "Wang Xiangfeng, grab the gear, set up the formation, we can''t lose our momentum," Lin Zeyu said, ready to face off the boat that was approaching.


    As the Wolfpack''s boat came closer, Lin Zeyu was preparing to speak to the people on the other boat.


    Unexpectedly, the Wolfpack''s boat suddenly accelerated past the Huan Yu, dousing it with a trail of spray.


    This was a clear act of provocation, yet not enough to start a fight.


    "Damn it! Bunch of assholes!"


    Lin Zeyu cursed and shouted, "Quick! Speed up and get ahead of them."


    The Huan Yu began to accelerate in pursuit, but even at its top speed of 28 knots, it still couldn''t catch up with the boat ahead.


    "We can''t catch up, boss," Wang Xiangfeng said helplessly. "Their boat is an armed speedboat, ours is a yacht."


    Yachts were meant for leisurely ocean outings, focusing on comfort and luxury, and not as performance-oriented as other vessels.


    Armed speedboats were different, designed for armed actions, they had stronger performance and faster speeds.


    "Damn it! I''ll get myself an armed speedboat when we get back. No, make it a warship," fumed Lin Zeyu.


    He was just venting; acquiring a warship wasn''t exactly as simple as just deciding to get one.


    If he was really persistent, it was possible to buy some retired relics from other countries, though of course, all their weapons would have to be removed.


    After running ahead for a while, the Wolfpack''s armed speedboat suddenly slowed down again and pulled up alongside the Huan Yu.


    One of the Wolfpack''s leaders leaned against the railing, smirking at Lin Zeyu, "Not much of a boat you''ve got there, Young Master Lin."


    "What''s the point of having a good boat? It''s the people that matter," Lin Zeyu retorted with defiance.


    "Looks like Huan Yu''s people aren''t up to scratch either, are they? The ones who were are all with us now," the Wolfpack leader continued to taunt.


    Lin Zeyu''s face darkened, and he snapped, "Black Wolf, are you looking for trouble or what?"


    Black Wolf just shrugged and said, "Just saying hello, look how mad you got, Young Master Lin. Alright, we''re off. Just relax and have fun. If you run into danger, send out a distress signal. If it''s not too far, I''ll surely come to the rescue."


    "Get the hell out! I''ll be waiting for you to cry for help!" Lin Zeyu immediately shot back.


    "You''re not here hunting for Corpse Bone Bird too, are you? With the group you have, even if you find one, it''ll just be delivering food. Why bother? Just eat some seafood and go back," said Black Wolf with a full face of mockery, wagging his finger at Lin Zeyu.


    After the taunts, Black Wolf ordered the armed speedboat to speed up, leaving the Huan Yu behind once more.


    "These cowards! Just all talk, if he dared to make a move, I''d definitely kill him!" Lin Zeyu grumbled.


    ... sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the days that followed, they encountered five or six more boats searching for the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Most of them simply exchanged greetings and then separated, and some didn''t even come close, going their separate ways.


    After 10 days drifting at sea, the Huan Yu was running low on food and water, and needed to find a port to resupply.


    And then, on that afternoon.


    At last, they had come across the corpse of a large marine creature, a whale shark.


    The whale shark was 20 meters long, floating stiffly on the surface of the water, pushed by the waves.


    "This whale shark, it hasn''t been eaten yet," Su Muyu observed the exterior and found the whale shark to be intact.


    "Why not haul up some meat to try? I''ve never eaten such a big fish," Lin Zeyu licked his lips.


    "This whale shark must have been dead for a few days, the ocean''s carnivorous fish shoals dare not eat it, but you sure are bold," Lu Heng teased.


    Lin Zeyu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you saying that this whale shark is no longer edible?"


    To be precise, the prey killed by the Corpse Bone Bird contains strong toxins, which is why the carnivorous fish shoals of the ocean dare not eat these corpses.


    "You can try if you''d like, at worst you''ll just suffer from a ruptured intestine, not a big deal," Lu Heng joked as he looked at him.


    "Let''s forget I said anything, now what should we do?" Lin Zeyu asked.


    Lu Heng leaped forth from the deck, jumping onto the back of the whale shark, checking its head and discovering a wound.


    This was the standard wound inflicted by the Corpse Bone Bird when it swoops down to kill its prey, a one-strike death.


    After the kill, the Corpse Bone Bird would not eat but simply leave, waiting for the corpse to slowly decay. After a few days, it would return to feast on the rotten remains.


    Having checked the whale shark''s condition, Lu Heng returned to the deck and said, "This whale shark''s corpse has begun to rot. Food to this extent of decay is the Corpse Bone Bird''s favorite.


    "Moreover, this whale shark is quite large, the Corpse Bone Bird won''t pass up such a large meal, it will definitely return.


    "We just need to wait nearby for at most one day, and the Corpse Bone Bird will come back here to feed."


    Upon hearing that they would finally encounter a Corpse Bone Bird, Lin Zeyu immediately became excited and said, "Okay, then we''ll wait here."


    "First, let''s keep our distance and watch from 10 kilometers away," Lu Heng instructed the Huan Yu to sail ten kilometers out and monitor the whale shark corpse.


    Time slowly trickled by.


    From morning they waited until the afternoon, and then until evening.


    The others began to get nervous: first, worried about whether they could deal with such a terrifying creature if the Corpse Bone Bird appeared;


    Second, concerned that if the Corpse Bone Bird didn''t show up, they would have waited in vain.


    After evening passed, the sun slowly sank into the horizon, the sky gradually darkening.


    The Corpse Bone Bird had not yet appeared.


    When the time reached nine o''clock in the evening, a round moon rose into the sky.


    Tonight was a full moon night, and although it was not as bright as during the day, the ocean''s reflection of the moonlight allowed one to see clearly.


    Just as everyone was struggling to stay awake, Su Muyu suddenly jolted to her feet: "It''s here, it has appeared."


    "Where?" Lin Zeyu also sprung up.


    "In the southeast direction, it''s flying towards the whale shark''s corpse," Su Muyu replied.


    "Hurry, hurry... get the boat moving, charge over there, it''s time to get started!" Lin Zeyu shouted.


    "Wait a moment, don''t rush, let it eat for a while first. The Corpse Bone Bird is very vigilant when it starts feeding. Wait until it is halfway through, then its vigilance will gradually relax, and that''s when it''s the best time to make our move," Lu Heng quickly said.


    Every second ticked by.


    Everyone was ready for battle, anxiously waiting for Lu Heng to issue the attack order.


    After waiting for about twenty minutes, Lu Heng finally said, "We can go now. Mu Yu, make the whole ship invisible, and reduce the speed to one quarter."


    Su Muyu released the large Invisibility Veil, enveloping the entire Huan Yu within it.


    After the skill was upgraded to Level C, the invisibility coverage had expanded to 30 meters, and the Huan Yu, at a full length of 26 meters, was completely covered.


    The Huan Yu, in its invisible state, slowly approached the Corpse Bone Bird.


    By the time they were at a distance of 1000 meters, Lu Heng gestured for everyone to be quiet. They still didn''t take action even when they reached 500 meters.


    Finally, drawing close to a distance of 300 meters, the Corpse Bone Bird''s appearance became clearly visible to the naked eye.


    It was a 30-meter-long terrifying creature with a pair of wings; claws were on the wings, its body covered in an exoskeleton, looking a bit like a bird, but also like a pterosaur.


    At this moment, the Corpse Bone Bird was pounced on the whale shark''s corpse, its four claws firmly grasping the whale shark as it greedily devoured the innards.


    Lu Heng waved his right hand and said, "This is good, at this distance, set up sniper rifles and machine guns, and take a round of shots. Lin Zeyu, you take the first shot, try to hit the exact center of its torso and make full use of ''Bone Erosion''."

 Chapter 103 - 95: The Struggle for the Corpse Bone Bird, Black Against Black!

    As they entered the 1-kilometer range, the Huan Yu''s engines had been shut down, and it continued to glide forward on inertia.


    Approaching 300 meters, Lu Heng ordered the start of the attack, while instructing the helmsman to turn the rudder.


    Lin Zeyu shouldered a dual special effect SVD sniper rifle, propped it on the cover, and aimed at the Corpse Bone Bird 300 meters away.


    This SVD sniper rifle had the "Wind Resistance Resistance" special effect. Over a distance of 1,000 meters, the Attack Power decay was only 25%, and at 300 meters, the decay was even smaller, only 7.5%.


    Therefore, at this range, the power of this rifle was very fierce.


    Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong each set up a heavy machine gun, targeting the Corpse Bone Bird together.


    After everyone was ready, Lin Zeyu turned his head to look at Lu Heng and cast an inquiring glance.


    Lu Heng gave a thumbs up to signal that he could shoot.


    Lin Zeyu used the skill "Armor Piercing Bullet," and under the enhancement of the Talent "Precise Shooting," he pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The bullet fired with an initial velocity of 900 meters/second, hitting the Corpse Bone Bird in the blink of an eye, striking it in the middle of the chest cavity.


    With over 500 points of Attack Power, the bullet, amplified by the "Armor Piercing Bullet," instantly penetrated the Corpse Bone Bird''s exoskeleton, bursting out a clot of blood plasma.


    The bullet tumbled and deformed, drilling into the Corpse Bone Bird''s body, creating a cavitation effect that tore a bloody cavity inside.


    Finally, the fragments burst open, nailing themselves onto the bone.


    The "Bone Erosion" special effect kicked in, beginning to corrode the bone.


    The corrosion process was relatively slow and did not immediately show effects.


    Roar!


    The Corpse Bone Bird roared in pain, raising its head to look for the attacker.


    Immediately after that,


    Wang Xiangfeng and Li Dayong opened fire at the same time. Two heavy machine guns spat out tongues of flame, sending out two barrages of bullets that "rat-tat-tat" hit the Corpse Bone Bird.


    However, these two heavy machine guns didn''t have "Wind Resistance Resistance" and "Bone Erosion" effects, nor were they enhanced by the "Armor Piercing Bullet" skill, so their firepower was much lower than Lin Zeyu''s sniper rifle.


    The string of bullets hit the Corpse Bone Bird''s body but were deflected by its exoskeleton, leaving only tiny bullet holes.


    "This thing''s defense is too high; the bullets don''t even penetrate!"


    Wang Xiangfeng, with his better marksmanship, realized that the heavy machine gun bullets couldn''t penetrate the Corpse Bone Bird''s exoskeleton and immediately turned to aim at the wound torn open by the sniper rifle.


    His QJY heavy machine gun had a fire rate of 300 rounds/minute.


    In one minute, 300 bullets poured out, and about 20% of them hit the Corpse Bone Bird''s wounds, tearing them even larger.


    Su Muyu also began shooting simultaneously, with Flame Arrows hitting and triggering the "Melt Armor" special effect, with intense flames melting through the Corpse Bone Bird''s exoskeleton.


    Two seconds after the heavy machine guns opened fire, Lin Zeyu''s second shot also went out, hitting the Corpse Bone Bird''s abdomen and again piercing through the exoskeleton, creating a second wound.


    Under the attacks of Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, more and more wounds appeared on the Corpse Bone Bird''s body.


    Roar!


    Seeing the two tongues of flame, the Corpse Bone Bird immediately roared and leaped forward, pouncing toward them.


    This Corpse Bone Bird was 30 meters long, while the Huan Yu was only 26 meters in total length.


    That is to say, this Corpse Bone Bird was longer than the yacht the team was riding.


    Seeing the Corpse Bone Bird pouncing, everyone was startled.


    Lu Heng quickly commanded, "Speed up and pull away."


    The engines of the Huan Yu were activated, running at full power, accelerating and increasing the distance.


    The team moved to the stern and continued attacking.


    The Corpse Bone Bird was incredibly fast, catching up to the top of the Huan Yu in less than ten seconds, its two front claws striking down.


    With its 30-meter-long frame, a single swipe could split the Huan Yu in two.


    Lu Heng leaped up and dashed out, drawing the Aurora Blade, and slashed down.


    The sword light cut through the Corpse Bone Bird''s exoskeleton, creating a two-meter-long gash.


    The Corpse Bone Bird roared and swung its claw down in an attack. Lu Heng kicked off its body, leveraging the force to evade the strike, and at the same time released the skill "Thunderous Heavenly Prison."


    Boom!


    A thunderous roar exploded, and wild thunder swept through, engulfing the Corpse Bone Bird, briefly imprisoning it.


    Roar!


    The Corpse Bone Bird roared angrily, instantly breaking free from the "Thunderous Heavenly Prison," causing the Power of thunder and lightning to detonate and unleash a storm of thunder ravaging its body, scorching out a rotten smell from the burnt flesh.


    Apart from Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, Wang Xiangfeng, and Li Dayong, there were seven Power Users who were on the team for the first time and were also witnessing Lu Heng''s action for the first time.


    Seeing Lu Heng daring to rush toward the Corpse Bone Bird, making a large slash on its body, and still managing to retreat unharmed, they were immediately filled with shock.


    Prior to this, they had heard privately about Lu Heng''s deeds at the Evil God''s Burial Ground, but seeing it with their own eyes now, his Combat Power still exceeded their expectations.


    The Corpse Bone Bird, delayed by the "Thunderous Heavenly Prison," allowed the Huan Yu to gain some distance, escaping the fate of being slapped in half.


    After widening the gap, Lin Zeyu, Wang Xiangfeng, and Li Dayong continued to fire wildly; bullets poured onto the Corpse Bone Bird like free money, sparking a flurry of sparks with a clinking sound.


    The two heavy machine guns had a magazine capacity of 200 rounds and emptied one magazine in less than a minute before immediately loading the second magazine and continuing to "rat-a-tat" fire away.


    More and more wounds appeared on the Corpse Bone Bird''s body, its exoskeleton shattered.


    However, it was so large that even with more than a dozen breaches in its outer layer of the exoskeleton, it wasn''t fundamentally injured and continued to roar in pursuit.


    Each time the Corpse Bone Bird caught up, Lu Heng would fend it off, then pull away again, attacking with long-range firepower.


    A 30-meter-long Abyss Creature required some time to be completely killed.


    The battle continued in a stalemate, with the Corpse Bone Bird''s wounds accumulating.


    Lu Heng saw it was about time and prepared for the most fierce attack, shouting loudly, "Are the high-explosive bombs ready?"


    "Ready," the crew member in charge of ammunition coordination replied loudly.


    "Good..."


    Lu Heng was about to order the use of the high-explosive bombs.


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    An armed speedboat charged toward us from a distance, and when it was 500 meters away, it launched an RPG rocket grenade, attacking the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Boom!


    With a loud explosion, the Corpse Bone Bird shook violently.


    "Damn, it''s the Wolf Gang again, those bastards! What do they mean by this?" Lin Zeyu immediately recognized the speedboat rushing toward them as the Wolf Gang''s, which they had encountered a few days ago.


    His swearing had barely finished when someone answered his question.


    The Wolf Gang''s armed speedboat closed in, and their leader, Black Wolf, fully armed, commanded, "You can go now, we''ll take over the fight from here."


    "Get the fuck out of here! We were almost done!" Lin Zeyu was so angry he almost turned his gun around to blow him away first.


    "I''m telling you to leave as a courtesy, take the hint and don''t be ungrateful. Otherwise, I''ll wipe out your whole ship!" Black Wolf''s face suddenly showed a fierce expression.


    "We found it first!" Lin Zeyu still wanted to argue.


    "Don''t force me to get rough!" Black Wolf''s tone turned threatening.


    Lin Zeyu wanted to argue further, but Lu Heng stretched out his hand to stop him and then looked at Black Wolf and asked, "Are you willing to cooperate?"


    Having information from his past life, Lu Heng knew very well that this battle to surround and kill the Corpse Bone Bird was not so simple.


    The main event hadn''t even begun yet.


    If the other party was willing to cooperate, this fight could go a little easier.


    The reason Lu Heng suggested cooperation was also to see the breadth of this person''s mind.


    "Do you think you''re worthy?" Black Wolf responded with a contemptuous look.


    "I can''t take this; let''s fight them!" Lin Zeyu lost his temper.


    Fighting with Black Wolf and his gang of Superpower Users now would definitely result in casualties, even if they could win. The subsequent battle would be troublesome, and they might even be wiped out by the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Therefore, Lu Heng decisively stopped Lin Zeyu and said loudly, "Since that''s the case, we''ll leave it to you. Turn the helm; we''re leaving."


    The Superpower User responsible for steering turned the helm, increasing the distance and giving the fight over to the Wolf Gang''s armed speedboat.


    Lu Heng''s actions raised a hint of suspicion in Black Wolf''s eyes.


    He initially thought that they would need to teach the crew aboard the Huan Yu a lesson to drive them away.


    Unexpectedly, Lu Heng left so readily.


    He left so quickly that it felt suspicious to Black Wolf.


    However, the Corpse Bone Bird was already before them, riddled with wounds.


    What was there to think about at such a time?


    Of course, rush forward, kill the Corpse Bone Bird, claim the reward, and collect the bounty.


    Black Wolf gestured and commanded, "Launchers, keep at it! Blast that big bastard to pieces!"


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Five launchers fired simultaneously, sending five rocket grenades flying toward the Corpse Bone Bird.


    ...


    Aboard the Huan Yu.


    Watching the distance grow, Lin Zeyu felt very aggrieved: "Lu Heng, what the hell? We had such a hard time getting the Corpse Bone Bird down to that state, and to just hand it over to that no-good Wolf Gang?"


    It wasn''t just Lin Zeyu; the others on the ship were also dissatisfied.


    After all, they fought for so long and worked so hard, almost having completely destroyed the Corpse Bone Bird''s exoskeleton. Now, to give it to their competitors was something no one could easily accept.


    Only Su Muyu was calm; she was used to Lu Heng''s occasional odd decisions, which always turned out to be right.


    Moreover, she also felt that such a huge Corpse Bone Bird, falling to just a few shots, seemed a little too easy.


    Hearing everyone''s questions, Lu Heng said, "Don''t rush; let''s wait and see."


    Hearing this, Lin Zeyu nodded and said, "Fine. If Black Wolf and his men kill the Corpse Bone Bird later, we''ll just double-cross them."


    They had a grudge, and now Black Wolf had stolen the kill for the Corpse Bone Bird; there was nothing to hesitate about.


    ...


    In the middle of the battlefield.


    Five RPG rocket grenades hit the Corpse Bone Bird, causing fierce explosions with a "boom boom boom," turning the already wounded Corpse Bone Bird into a battered mess, teetering on the brink of collapse.


    Seeing the battle so easily won, a smile appeared on Black Wolf''s face.


    But he was cautious.


    Because Lu Heng''s voluntary retreat was somewhat suspicious, Black Wolf cautiously continued ordering his men to fire the launchers, deciding to completely raze the Corpse Bone Bird before moving in closer.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Another five rocket grenades bombarded the Corpse Bone Bird.


    The Corpse Bone Bird, critically injured, let out a piercing screech to the sky, then turned and began to flee.


    "You still want to escape? Accelerate, chase it down, and finish it off!" Black Wolf immediately ordered, and the armed speedboat surged forward at full speed.


    They pursued for over a thousand meters, and the machine guns on the boat continued to fire, hitting the fleeing Corpse Bone Bird''s back.


    Ao!


    The Corpse Bone Bird screeched as it tried to escape.


    After a few minutes of chasing, a red flash suddenly appeared in front of the Corpse Bone Bird.


    A shadow rushed toward Black Wolf''s armed speedboat, and a scarlet sword light fell from the sky.


    Clang!


    With a resonant sound, the sword light cleaved the speedboat''s hull in two.


    The 36-meter-long armed speedboat''s dragon bone snapped, and the ship''s body tilted, with the Superpower Users aboard suddenly shouting in panic.


    "What''s going on?"


    "The ship is sinking!"


    "What is that?"

 Chapter 104 - 96: Hunting the Corpse Bone Bird, Walking on Water

    The sudden appearance of a crimson shadow, with the body of a man and the head of a goat, covered in crimson armor, its hair seemed like clotted blood, each strand vividly visible.


    In its claws, it held a long crimson sword, standing on the surface of the sea without sinking.


    This Crimson Demon with a single strike had severed the wolf pack''s armed boat.


    That armed speedboat was 36 meters in length and 7 meters wide.


    Such a large boat, yet it was severed in half at the dragon bone with one sword strike, showing how terrifying this Crimson Demon was.


    After the boat''s body was fractured, seawater poured into the cabin, the deck tilted, signaling the onset of sinking.


    However, this armed speedboat had watertight compartments, as long as it didn''t continue to suffer attacks, even if it were to sink, it could last a few hours.


    Black Wolf originally wanted to salvage the boat''s dragon bone, but the break was too swift, rendering it untenable.


    He shouted, "Don''t panic! Draw weapons, kill the incoming enemy first! Rescue will arrive soon!"


    All aboard were Superpower Users, even if the boat sank, wearing life jackets and floating in the sea, they could hold out until rescue arrived.


    Thus, when Black Wolf shouted, his men calmed down, shouldering firearms and firing at the Crimson Demon on the sea surface.


    Da da da...


    The Crimson Demon raised a hand and opened a shield, ding ding ding blocking all the bullets.


    Seeing this, Black Wolf''s face displayed a grave expression.


    With the speed that this thing had appeared, it was impossible to hit with a rocket launcher.


    He knew the opponent he faced this time was extremely terrifying, making him sweat profusely at the forehead.


    After the Crimson Demon blocked the bullets, it lunged forward, boarding the foredeck of the armed speedboat, and with one sword, killed the Superpower User holding a gun.


    The surrounding Superpower Users, seeing this, screamed in terror and turned to flee.


    Black Wolf knew he was in trouble now; if he couldn''t withstand this creature''s assault, the whole team would die here.


    He roared, drawing a large sword and charged at the Crimson Demon.


    Clang!


    After two strikes of blade against sword, the Crimson Demon kicked out, sending Black Wolf flying.


    Black Wolf was flung against the cabin wall, the kick to his abdomen nearly expelled his stomach.


    He clearly felt he was no match for this creature, horror apparent on his face, and recalled Lu Heng''s previous proposal for cooperation, thus he shouted, "Quick! Call Lin Zeyu for help, hurry!"


    At the brink of death, pride was no longer a concern.


    Previously, he had boldly provoked Lin Zeyu because he was confident he could handle any opponent.


    Now, completely unable to withstand the Crimson Demon, the first thing he thought of was Lu Heng''s proposal for cooperation.


    He didn''t think that Lu Heng''s group would be able to handle this Crimson Demon, but if they could just stall the creature, he might have a chance to escape with his men.


    ...


    Five kilometers away, Huan Yu was floating on the surface of the sea.


    Su Muyu was reporting the situation on the battlefield in real-time: "A goat-headed, human-bodied demon appeared, completely red like blood, this demon is very strong, and with one sword it has sliced through the dragon bone of the wolf pack''s boat, that boat is sinking."


    Lin Zeyu was also using binoculars to observe the battlefield, he too saw the wolf pack''s boat being cleanly sunk.


    Seeing the boat crack open, he felt a bit exhilarated but was quickly worried that his yacht couldn''t withstand a single sword strike from that demon.


    Lu Heng took the binoculars, glanced at the battlefield, and as he remembered, information matched.


    The Corpse Bone Bird was indeed not appearing alone.


    Anytime the Corpse Bone Bird was injured, a completely crimson demon was sure to appear.


    This goat-headed, human-bodied Crimson Demon was a Bloodline Sword Demon.


    The [Swordsman] Source Material was carried by him, and the move that severed the armed speedboat''s dragon bone was the [Swordsman] Source Material Ability [Rift Slash].


    At that moment.


    Wang Xiangfeng ran up from the cabin and said, "The wolf pack has sent a distress signal, and in the distress broadcast, they specifically named us for rescue."


    "What rescue! A boat over thirty meters long, and that thing sliced it in one strike. Is that something humans can handle?" Lin Zeyu felt this creature was beyond handling and was inclined to retreat.


    Still, he asked Lu Heng, "Should we go rescue them?"


    "We can''t save them now. If they had agreed to cooperate from the start, we could''ve discussed tactics. But as it is, there''s no need to attempt rescue." Lu Heng shook his head.


    People must be responsible for their choices.


    Ten minutes ago, Black Wolf made the decision to snatch the Corpse Bone Bird, leading to this outcome.


    "What should we do then? Should we retreat?" Lin Zeyu hastily asked.


    "Start the boat, chase the Corpse Bone Bird, we''ll take it down first," Lu Heng ordered in a steady tone.


    Because of the wolf pack''s armed boat being cleaved in half, fear had shadowed the hearts of the Superpower Users aboard Huan Yu.


    However, since Lu Heng had given the order, it must be executed.


    Huan Yu cranked up full power, chasing towards the direction of the Corpse Bone Bird.


    The Corpse Bone Bird had returned near the whale shark''s corpse, beginning to devour the flesh, healing its injuries.


    Also, the Corpse Bone Bird''s recovery speed was very fast, some of the smaller wounds had already closed up, only the larger wounds were still clearly visible.


    When Huan Yu reached within 1000 meters, Lu Heng yelled, "Put Healing Reduction Empowerment on the bullets, shoot to prevent it from healing."


    Wang Xiangfeng quickly used the enhanced [Weapon Empowerment¡¤Reduction Healing] skill on Lin Zeyu''s sniper rifle bullets.


    In the type of skill that involves weapon empowerment, when empowering firearms, it''s necessary to empower the bullets, not the firearm itself.


    Lin Zeyu aimed at the Corpse Bone Bird and fired off a shot.


    Bang!


    The bullet pierced through the Corpse Bone Bird''s exoskeleton, burrowing into its flesh. The Healing Reduction empowerment took effect immediately, halting the Corpse Bone Bird''s regeneration.


    Its wound healing speed plummeted, nearly stopping.


    Two heavy machine guns fired at the same time, sending a rapid torrent of bullets.


    At a distance of 1000 meters, the limit of the heavy machine guns'' range, hitting a target was quite challenging.


    However, with the Corpse Bone Bird being 30 meters in length, a wild spray of bullets still managed to hit it.


    Ow!


    The Corpse Bone Bird was attacked once again and let out a piercing scream.


    They had to finish off the Corpse Bone Bird quickly, or else the Bloodline Sword Demon would come to its rescue.


    Thus, Lu Heng immediately shouted, "High explosives, quick!"


    The crew member responsible for ammunition had already prepared the high explosives. Lu Heng glanced at Su Muyu and said, "Go."


    Su Muyu nodded, controlled the Scout Eagle to enter an invisible state, grabbed a bundle of high explosives, and flew toward the Corpse Bone Bird.


    In its invisible state, the Scout Eagle used the skill "Aerodynamic Acceleration," increasing its speed by 50%, then it ascended before diving toward the Corpse Bone Bird.


    The velocity at the end of the dive reached 380 kilometers per hour, plunging directly into the wound of the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Su Muyu quickly clenched her fist, causing an energy transformation in the Scout Eagle, turning its energy into that of Elemental Arrows.


    Flame arrows scattered within the Corpse Bone Bird, igniting the high explosives.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    A series of explosions erupted from within the Corpse Bone Bird, blasting through its body and leaving several three-meter-long gaping holes.


    "Another round," Lu Heng said.


    Su Muyu released a second Scout Eagle, grabbed another bundle of high explosives, and charged toward the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    The second round of explosions split the corpse of the bird open, almost severing it.


    Lu Heng leapt into the sea, activated Gale Step, sprinted across the surface of the water, and astonishingly began running on the water.


    The crew aboard the ship, seeing Lu Heng running atop the waves, all wore expressions of shock.


    "How... how did he do that?" Lin Zeyu asked in disbelief.


    Su Muyu was initially surprised as well, but she quickly recalled an article she had read and immediately understood.


    "In nature, there are animals that can run on the surface of water, like basilisk lizards.


    "I read an article before where scientists calculated using the model of a basilisk lizard running on water.


    "For an adult human to run on water, they need to sprint at a speed of 110 kilometers per hour without falling in.


    "His speed has reached the requirement. Combined with the technique of treading on the water, he can indeed run on water."


    That article did exist.


    However, the requirement of 110 kilometers per hour is the minimum.


    If humans want to run stably on water, apart from speed, they also need sufficient technique.


    In nature, when basilisk lizards run on water, they slap their feet against the water to generate upward lift.


    Humans need to use leg strength to tread on the water to achieve lift.


    Thus, to truly run on water, continuous treading is required. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And Lu Heng had mastered this technique in his previous life.


    Lu Heng''s current level was 20, his attributes had reached Strength 40, Agility 50, Constitution 40.


    After activating Gale Step, his running speed could surge to 70 meters per second, equivalent to a speed of 252 kilometers per hour, comparable to the sprint speed of a racing car.


    With such a fast speed and skilled wave-treading technique, he could definitely run on water.


    Lu Heng, treading the waves, charged toward the Corpse Bone Bird, leaped, and with one sword stroke, he decapitated it.


    [Killed the Corpse Bone Bird, absorbed 500 Demon Energy points.]


    [Source Energy Level increased to 21, All Attributes +3, additional +0.9 for Agility Attribute]


    Above level 20, each upgrade brought more attributes, from +2 for all attributes to +3, with "Agile as a Dragon" Talent providing even more agility, an increase of 0.9 per upgrade, almost an additional point per level.


    This talent got stronger in the later stages, because of this reason.


    After the death of the Corpse Bone Bird, three crystal cores emerged; one was a Skill Crystal Core[Exoskeleton Armor], and the other two were[high-level energy crystal cores].


    Seeing the[high-level energy crystal cores], Lu Heng''s eyes lit up.


    This type of high-level crystal core was very rare, only high-rank demons had a probability of dropping them.


    Unexpectedly, this Corpse Bone Bird had produced two at once.


    Lu Heng immediately crushed one of the[high-level energy crystal cores] and absorbed its energy.


    [Absorbed "high-level energy crystal core," enhancing Source Energy Level.]


    [Source Energy Level increased to 22, All Attributes +3, additional +0.9 for Agility Attribute]


    Rising two levels in succession, energy tides surged within Lu Heng''s body, this frenzied energy akin to a volcanic eruption, wanting to burst out.


    Lu Heng quickly glanced at his attributes; his five-dimensional attributes had increased to Strength 46, Agility 58, Constitution 46, Spirit 47, Perception 46.


    His combat power had ascended a tier.


    Initially, Lu Heng had been worried that facing the Bloodline Sword Demon might be tricky, but now with his increased combat power, he was more confident.

 Chapter 105 - 97 Bloodline Sword Demon, Essential Skill Rift Slash

    Before dying, the Corpse Bone Bird let out a shriek that attracted the Bloodline Sword Demon, but he was too late¡ªLu Heng had already killed the beast with the utmost haste.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon didn''t even catch a glimpse of who was behind the attack, as he charged over, saw the Huan Yu and swiftly pounced on it, intent on sinking the ship first.


    "The demon is coming!"


    The scout eagle in the sky spotted the approach of the Bloodline Sword Demon, and Su Muyu immediately warned everyone loudly.


    "Turn on invisibility and retreat quickly!" Lu Heng gestured, urging Su Muyu to turn the Huan Yu invisible and escort it to retreat.


    The Wolfpack''s armed speedboat, spanning 36 meters in length, had been split in two by the Bloodline Sword Demon with a single strike.


    The Huan Yu was only 26 meters long, with a weaker structure. If it got so much as touched, it would sink even faster.


    Su Muyu raised her hand and shouted, "Shift the rudder, start retreating, everyone put on life jackets."


    Retreating the ship was naturally the aim of preserving it, but they also had to prepare for the worst scenario, so wearing life jackets was the right call.


    Su Muyu, who had the scout eagle, could actually take off anytime, but the scout eagle might need to save others, so she put on a life jacket as well.


    The Huan Yu entered an invisible state and began to retreat at full speed.


    However, such a large ship would still cause visible splashes at the stern when running at full speed, even in an invisible state.


    So, if the Bloodline Sword Demon decided to search, he would definitely find it.


    Seeing the Bloodline Sword Demon charging towards the Huan Yu, Lu Heng immediately leaped onto the ocean''s surface, stepping with Gale Step, racing across the water and angling to intercept the Bloodline Sword Demon.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon was fast, but Lu Heng was faster. In the blink of an eye, he intercepted him, swinging the Aurora Blade in a broad slash.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon raised his sword to block.


    Clang!


    The Aurora Blade collided with the Scarlet Blood Sword, sparking a ringlet of fire.


    Human and demon crossed paths, and Lu Heng continued onward, his feet kicking up plumes of fiery spray as he looped a wide circle to charge at the Bloodline Sword Demon again. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The reason he had to make a wide loop is that he couldn''t afford to stop.


    Stamping against the surface of the water does indeed allow for running on the sea, but there''s a catch¡ªyou can''t stop because the moment you do, you''ll sink.


    Once his clothes were soaked, they would add weight, inadvertently slowing him down.


    Thus, Lu Heng kept running, clashing with the Bloodline Sword Demon time after time, unleashing Quick Attack Swordsmanship with each exchange.


    Clang clang clang¡­


    Sword lights clashed, sparking off a series of firelets.


    Roar!


    The Bloodline Sword Demon was beyond enraged since his Corpse Bone Birds were dead.


    All he wanted now was to kill this human in front of him and then sink the ship too.


    After a dozen or so rounds of combat, Lu Heng had a rough estimate of the Bloodline Sword Demon''s strength.


    His level was likely 24, with all attributes over 50 points, and Agility Attribute surpassing 55 points. His power was formidable.


    Lu Heng''s attributes were presently Strength at 46 points, Agility at 58 points, with the remaining attributes fluctuating around 46 to 47 points.


    Therefore, he couldn''t match the Bloodline Sword Demon in strength. After a few head-on collisions, his palms were even buzzing slightly.


    Luckily, his higher Agility Attribute gave him an edge in speed. Combined with In-depth Level movement technique and Step Sword Seven Styles, he managed a deadlock.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon noticed this as well, and a sharp light flashed in his crimson eyes as he unleashed the Gale Continuous Stabbing skill.


    The Scarlet Blood Sword instantly lunged numerous sword shadows, aiming at Lu Heng''s crucial points all over his body.


    The skill allowed a burst of several times the speed of a stabbing sword in an instant, furiously stabbing in a way the opponent couldn''t dodge.


    Right when the sword shadows reached him, Lu Heng''s eyes sparked with energy, utilizing the Skill "Bullet Time."


    In an instant, everything around him slowed, including the water droplets leaping from the sea hanging midair, gradually falling.


    The sword shadows thrust by the Bloodline Sword Demon also slowed down.


    Under "Bullet Time", Lu Heng ducked his head, sidestepped, tucked his waist, raised his leg, leaped up, and shifted through various poses in a blink, avoiding the incoming sword shadows.


    In slow motion, it indeed looked like he was dodging.


    However, to the Bloodline Sword Demon, Lu Heng''s evasive maneuvers were as swift as his own stabbing shadows, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.


    Amidst the series of sword shadows lunging out, Lu Heng''s evasions were like flashes of lightning.


    After avoiding all the sword shadows, Lu Heng was already at the Bloodline Sword Demon''s side, swinging his sword towards the demon''s right shoulder.


    Clang!


    The Aurora Blade hit the Bloodline Sword Demon''s crimson armor, with the Sharp Blade special effect kicking in, breaking through the armor and leaving a deep, bone-exposed wound on the Bloodline Sword Demon''s right shoulder.


    Roar!


    The Bloodline Sword Demon yelped in pain, roaring furiously, and pressed his hand on the wound.


    His wound began to heal at a visibly rapid pace, even sealing the gap in the crimson armor as if he had never been injured.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng wasn''t too surprised.


    From the start, he knew that Bloodline Sword Demons possessed strong Recovery Power, a racial characteristic of the Bloodline Demon species, which was why they had sought out a Superpower User with the "Healing Reduction" Skill in their team initially.


    ...


    After pulling a distance of a thousand meters, the Huan Yu lowered engine power, slowing down and reducing the splashes at the stern.


    They maintained the distance while keeping an eye on the battle.


    Lin Zeyu kept his sniper rifle aimed, but a distance of a thousand meters was far too great, and with both individuals constantly moving at speeds difficult to track with the naked eye, he had no chance to shoot.


    "Su Muyu, what do we do now? I dare not shoot," Lin Zeyu turned to Su Muyu, seeking her opinion.


    Su Muyu was tense as well, but all they could do at the moment was to watch: "Patiently wait. If he needs help, he''ll let us know."

 Chapter 106 - 97: Bloodline Sword Demon, Essential Skill Rift Slash_2

    She had always kept the reconnaissance eagle hovering above the battlefield, ready to dive down to help if needed.


    However, her reconnaissance eagle, despite having an Attack Power of 5¡Á spiritual power, was insufficient against the Bloodline Sword Demon. She had to wait for Lu Heng''s attack signal.


    Onboard, the Superpower Users were also observing the battlefield with telescopes.


    Seeing a human and a Demon fiercely battling on the sea, each of them was incredibly shocked:


    "Are they really that powerful?"


    "I thought we were done for when I saw the Crimson Demon chop a wolf pack''s boat in half with a single strike. I had no idea Lu Heng was this strong."


    Lin Zeyu looked proudly at his subordinates: "I''ve always said you were lucky to be chosen. Now you know how fierce my brother is, right?"


    "You''re right, Young Master Lin, we''re only out at sea by hanging onto your coattails," the underlings quickly agreed, nodding their heads.


    "It''s just uncertain if we can win. It looks evenly matched," one anxious Superpower User said, furrowing his brows.


    After all, it was Lu Heng who was strong. If Lu Heng took even a slight step back, everyone on the boat would turn into cannon fodder.


    "We will definitely win," Lin Zeyu said, though he was also unsure. But at this time, he could only trust Lu Heng.


    "I''m just worried that the Demon might use that move that split the boat''s body. I don''t know if Lu Heng can withstand it," a prudent Superpower User voiced his concern.


    Not only him, everyone on the boat was worried.


    They had all seen the Crimson Demon bisect the armed boat of the wolf pack. That sword strike was too terrifying, beyond any human''s capacity to withstand.


    Indeed,


    They were not the only ones concerned about this attack.


    Lu Heng was also worried, so he was constantly clenching an Essential Skill, ready to release it at any moment.


    It had been more than ten minutes since the Bloodline Sword Demon had chopped the armed speedboat in half; the Source Material Energy consumed by that skill should have already fully recovered.


    Lu Heng was waiting for that one sword strike.


    This strike was the Second Transition Class Swordsman''s Essential Skill, "Rift Slash." In this world, there wasn''t any material that could withstand this strike.


    However, the Bloodline Sword Demon seemed to want to use this strike to sink the Huan Yu, and had hesitated to use it on Lu Heng.


    The human and Demon had been fighting intensely for over ten minutes, still with no winner.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon grew increasingly angry, clearly feeling that although the human in front of him had less Strength, he was faster than him.


    Even when he used the Gale Continuous Stabbing skill, the human could dodge it with an exaggerated speed.


    Continuing this way, they couldn''t determine a winner.


    Moreover, the Bloodline Sword Demon was growing impatient, and a dangerous red light flashed in his eyes. Finally, in a head-on collision, he unleashed the Swordsman''s Source Material Ability "Rift Slash."


    With one strike, red light swept through the surrounding space, cutting a three-meter-long Rift Sword Radiance directly at Lu Heng''s head.


    This strike was made too quickly, leaving no chance for Lu Heng to dodge.


    Also, just seconds ago, Lu Heng had used "Bullet Time" to dodge "Gale Continuous Stabbing" and couldn''t use it to escape this strike.


    On Blue Star, there wasn''t any material that could withstand "Rift Slash."


    Just as "Rift Slash" was about to impact, Lu Heng activated the Source Material Ability "Shadow Traversal" and dived into the Shadow, immune to physical collisions.


    Although "Shadow Traversal" state can immunize against physical collisions, "Rift Slash" wasn''t just a physical attack.


    So, the moment Lu Heng entered the Shadows, he flashed to the left at five times the speed.


    The Sword Radiance of "Rift Slash" passed by, and Lu Heng felt a potent energy grazed his side, distorting even the space itself.


    Fortunately, he had avoided the energy''s center of the Sword Radiance and was not severely affected.


    Lu Heng steadied his mind and, while in the Shadow Traversal State, burst forth at five times speed, stabbing forward with Chasing Moon Style toward the Bloodline Sword Demon. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The instant he unleashed Chasing Moon Style, he exited the Shadow Traversal state and with a flash of cold light on his blade, thrust into the chest of the Bloodline Sword Demon, the blade piercing through his body and out his back.


    A torrent of blood rolled out from the ridge of Aurora Blade.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon had not expected that, after unleashing "Rift Slash," not only had he not killed his opponent, but he had also been impaled.


    Howl!


    He roared to the skies, blood erupting from his body, using the Bloodline Demon''s Species Ability, "Crimson Splatter."


    His blood shot out like arrows, each blood arrow carrying the toxin of the Bloodline Demon, any non-Bloodline organism touching it would be struck with Blood Poison and die.


    However, this move would cause the Bloodline Sword Demon to lose a lot of blood and enter a critical condition.


    Therefore, Bloodline creatures often use this to turn the tide by erupting their blood after being wounded, killing their opponent in return.


    Lu Heng was prepared. At the moment the "Crimson Splatter" appeared, he re-entered "Shadow Traversal," diving into the shadows to dodge the blood arrows.


    After spraying the blood arrows, the Bloodline Sword Demon immediately dived into the sea to flee the battlefield.


    It was night now, and the light was dim. As the Bloodline Sword Demon submerged, he disappeared.


    However, Bloodline Demons were not aquatic creatures and couldn''t hide in the sea for long.


    Moreover, he was severely injured and needed to replenish his blood quickly.


    Lu Heng pressed the communicator on his ear and spoke rapidly: "Keep an eye on the sea, find his location, he''s bound to surface!"


    "Understood."


    Even before Lu Heng had issued the reminder, Su Muyu had been looking already.


    About half a minute later, Su Muyu finally located the Bloodline Sword Demon: "By the sunken ship."


    The wolf pack''s combat vessel had been thoroughly sunk.


    However, the Black Wolf had luckily survived, climbed onto the lifeboat, and was paddling with an oar, trying to escape the area.

 Chapter 107 - 97 Bloodline Sword Demon, Essential Skill Rift Slash_3

    The Crimson Demon that just appeared was too terrifying; Black Wolf never imagined that such a dreadful demon could exist in this world.


    Their armed boat was sunk in an instant, and even the combined force of the superpower users on board was no match for the Crimson Demon.


    Had the Crimson Demon not gone to rescue the Corpse Bone Bird, even he would have been killed.


    Just when he thought he could escape alive from this area of the sea, a dark shadow suddenly appeared beneath the lifeboat.


    In the next moment, the Crimson Demon burst from the water and leapt onto the lifeboat.


    To his surprise, he noticed a bloody hole in the chest of the Crimson Demon, indicating it was seriously injured.


    He couldn''t imagine who could have possibly injured this formidable demon.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon jumped onto the lifeboat, grabbed Black Wolf by the neck, lifted him up, then revealed its fangs and bit into Black Wolf''s neck, starting to suck his blood.


    This was the Bloodline Clan''s method of replenishing blood, using the Crimson Splatter, which resulted in a significant blood loss that needed to be replenished immediately.


    The method of replenishment was to drink the blood of other creatures.


    "Ah! Ah..."


    Black Wolf screamed in horror; he had no ability to resist and could only watch helplessly as the demon sucked his fresh blood.


    Elsewhere,


    Su Muyu found the Bloodline Sword Demon and shouted loudly, "He''s on the lifeboat, he''s sucking blood!"


    Lu Heng immediately rushed towards the sunken ship, while saying into the communicator, "Healing Reduction bullets, shoot him! Stop him from recovering, or he will be at full health in a couple of minutes."


    The Bloodline Clan was terrifying in this regard; even if severely injured and using the Crimson Splatter, as long as they had a suitable blood supply, they could replenish their blood in just a few minutes.


    Lin Zeyu immediately set up his sniper rifle, using Healing Reduction bullets, and aimed at the Bloodline Sword Demon 1,000 meters away.


    1,000 meters was a bit far, and hitting a moving target at that distance would usually be impossible. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the Bloodline Sword Demon was sucking blood and enjoying the process, standing still.


    Lin Zeyu''s Initial Talent was [Precise Shooting], further enhanced with [Wind Resistance], reducing the wind''s effect on the bullet; hence even at 1,000 meters, the accuracy was extremely high.


    He took a deep breath, held his breath, and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The sniper rifle''s bullet flew out, crossing the 1,000-meter distance, and burrowed into the wound on the back of the Bloodline Sword Demon.


    Puff!


    The Bloodline Sword Demon''s body shook, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.


    The shrapnel lodged in his body, the [Bone Erosion] special effect kicked in, beginning to erode his bones.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon roared in anger, reached into the chest wound, and forcefully plucked out the bullet, then continued to suck blood.


    However, he suddenly realized that the restorative effect of bloodsucking was greatly reduced, to a degree that was unacceptable to him.


    The healing of the wound also stopped.


    He knew it was the effect of that shot, continuing to suck blood was now useless.


    Moreover, he saw Lu Heng charging towards him, angrily raising the Scarlet Blood Sword and slashing at Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng soared through the air, his feet skimming over the waves, dodging the attack of the Scarlet Blood Sword, and leapt up, launching a Zhenyue Style strike.


    The sword light slashed down, cleaving the Bloodline Sword Demon from the right shoulder to the left hip, splattering blood.


    Lu Heng also released the [Thunderous Heavenly Prison], the frenzied thunder turning the splattered blood into ashes.


    [Eliminated the Bloodline Sword Demon, absorbed 500 points of Demon Energy.]


    With the Bloodline Sword Demon dead, a Crystal Core and a portion of Source Material were released, precisely the Source Material for the Second Transition Class [Swordsman].

 Chapter 108 - 98: Stop the ship for inspection, or it will be sunk in three seconds!

    Upon obtaining the Swordsman Source Material, Lu Heng didn''t hesitate and absorbed it immediately.


    ""


    ""


    ""


    ""


    ""


    After absorbing the Swordsman Source Material, Lu Heng glanced at his data panel and noticed that there was no countdown for conscription into the Abyss Battlefield.


    The absence of a countdown indicated that there was no Abyss Battlefield requiring Source Material struggle.


    Alternatively, it could be that currently there are too few Superpower Users who have obtained Second Transition Class Source Material, not enough to form a team to enter the Source Battlefield.


    The lack of a conscription countdown was a good thing; it meant there was more time to prepare.


    Moreover, the struggle for Source Material isn''t confined to the Abyss Battlefield.


    In fact, Source Material can also be acquired on Blue Star.


    As long as one acquires 100% of the Source Material, fusion can still be completed.


    Therefore, after initiating the Source Material struggle, even if one is in the main world, danger still lurks.


    If one encounters other Power Users who have also initiated the Source Material struggle, it could lead to an unending battle until death.


    After obtaining the Second Transition Source Material, Lu Heng''s body was enveloped in a halo that lingered for a long time, making him stand out like a glowing figure against the night, attracting attention.


    The Bloodline Sword Demon had released not only the Swordsman Class but also a Skill Crystal Core "Bloodsucking Healing."


    Aside from that.


    That Scarlet Blood Sword was also a gem.


    Lu Heng picked it up and looked at its attributes.


    This sword was much heavier than the Aurora Blade, and the blade was wider as well.


    Additionally, it had a unique effect specific to Bloodline Clan weapons, which was to grow by absorbing fresh blood.


    The enhancement level of this sword was increased through absorbing fresh blood, and it had already reached Level 5.


    Humans who acquired this sword could continue to use it, and the Bloodsucking Growth effect would still be valid.


    However, there was one issue; the sword was nurtured with the Bloodline Demon Clan''s fresh blood.


    Consequently, if placed in a Quenching Furnace for Quenching, the flames would burn away the fresh blood, destroying the Bloodsucking Growth effect and the original Level 5 enhancement would be lost.


    Simply put, the Bloodsucking Growth characteristic of a Bloodline weapon conflicts with Quenching.


    Indeed.


    This method of weapon growth was developed by the Bloodline Demons, who do not use Quenching to enhance their weapons, creating an alternative enhancement method based on their species'' trait.


    For Power Users without access to Quenching, acquiring such a weapon is not a bad thing.


    However, as a Quenching Master himself, Lu Heng had no need for a Bloodsucking Growth type of weapon.


    Nonetheless, the sword still had its uses; after all, it was a B-Level weapon and could be employed as a material for Forging Weapons.


    ...


    The Black Wolf lay on the lifeboat, with two bloody holes in his neck.


    The holes were bitten by the Bloodline Sword Demon, piercing the carotid arteries, causing blood to gush from the wounds.


    He opened his eyes wide in terror, stretched his hand towards Lu Heng, and with a weak voice, pleaded for help: "Save... save me..."


    Lu Heng looked at his plea and spread his hands helplessly, "Bitten like this by a Bloodline Demon, not even a deity could save you."


    To facilitate bloodsucking, the Bloodline Demons had evolved anticoagulant toxins in their blood poison. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In other words, the blood of creatures bitten by Bloodline Demons has lost the ability to clot, and even if the wound were to be stitched up, the bleeding could not be stopped.


    Especially since his major artery had been punctured.


    "All I can do is help you find relief," said Lu Heng, raising his sword and seeking his consent with his eyes.


    "Save... save me..." Black Wolf, filled with regret, thought if he had agreed to cooperate earlier, he may not have ended up in this situation.


    With eyes full of unwillingness, he used his last bit of strength to ask, "Did you... know from the beginning?"


    "Pretty much. Everyone is responsible for their own decisions. You wanted the Corpse Bone Bird, I let you have it; you couldn''t handle it, you can''t blame me," Lu Heng shrugged.


    Upon hearing this, Black Wolf''s hand fell, his pupils dilated, losing the light of life.


    ...


    "How did it go?" Lin Zeyu''s voice came through the communications channel.


    "The fight''s over, come pick me up," said Lu Heng. He was quite exhausted from the battle and thus waited on the lifeboat for the Huan Yu to come and pick him up.


    The Huan Yu fired up its engines and headed in Lu Heng''s direction.


    The battle being over, Su Muyu no longer maintained the Invisibility Veil.


    After all, shrouding such a large ship with an Invisibility Veil consumed a significant amount of Source Energy.


    And after such an extended battle, her Source Energy was nearly depleted.


    The Huan Yu slowly sailed close to the sunken ship, the crew on board waving at Lu Heng with faces full of excitement.


    Lu Heng was about to jump aboard.


    Just at that moment,


    A strong spotlight beam shot towards them from the distance, almost blinding Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng shielded his eyes from the spotlight with his hand, barely able to make out a huge shadow appearing on the sea''s surface.


    "What''s that?"


    The power of the spotlight was so intense that everyone on board couldn''t open their eyes or see what it was, making them all grow anxious.


    Su Muyu spotted what was emitting the spotlight and answered, "A large ship, really big, looks like a warship, there''s a cannon on the deck. They''re charging towards us, very fast."


    This abruptly appearing vessel was 45 meters long, clearly a gunboat, with an anti-aircraft gun mounted on the bow deck.


    Such ships were typically used for maritime patrols, and their sudden appearance here was a mystery.


    Since this was the public sea, the ship did not necessarily belong to Xia Country.


    When they were searching for the Corpse Bone Bird, the Huan Yu had sailed southwards and encountered ships from other countries on the sea.


    Some were cargo ships on the sea routes, others were armed vessels also searching for the Corpse Bone Bird.


    Now a large ship had suddenly appeared, and it was using a high-power spotlight, which was quite impolite.


    "What flag are they flying?" inquired Lu Heng.


    Ships appearing on the public sea usually flew a flag to identify their nationality.


    "The flag¡­ this design, it seems to be the Java flag." Su Muyu had some impression of this flag, but there were so many countries in the world with similar flags, so she couldn''t be certain.


    While everyone was puzzled,


    The voice from the Java gunboat began to speak through a loudspeaker, in English:


    "Vessel ahead, stop and submit to inspection. You have entered Java territorial waters. Stop and submit to inspection."


    Lu Heng frowned, not expecting to encounter a naval vessel from another country.


    If they stopped to let them board and inspect at this time, there was no telling what might happen.


    Lu Heng jumped onto the Huan Yu and ordered directly, "Turn the rudder, we''re leaving, ignore them."


    The Huan Yu turned sharply and sped up to full power, heading back to port.


    Su Muyu glanced at the yacht''s satellite navigation and said, "We are indeed closer to Java, but we''re definitely not in their territorial waters. We are on the public sea."


    Seeing the Huan Yu turn and sail away, the Java gunboat accelerated at full power, chasing them, and continued to shout through the loudspeaker:


    "Stop your vessel for inspection or we will open fire."


    The Huan Yu was just a yacht; although armoring had been added to the sides, it stood no chance against a gunboat ¨C it was like an egg against granite.


    The anti-aircraft gun on the opposing gunboat may not have been large-crafted, but one round of shelling could sink the yacht.


    "What do we do?" everyone on board tensed.


    If the other side actually fired, the nature of the incident would change completely.


    "Do we have a national flag aboard? Hang up our flag," Lu Heng asked.


    "Yes, I''ll go hang it," replied Wang Xiangfeng, hurriedly going to raise the flag.


    "Also, check the surveillance equipment and send the video back using the satellite signal," added Lin Zeyu.


    A red flag was slowly raised and fluttered in the wind atop the mast of the Huan Yu.


    After hoisting the flag, if the other party had any sense, they should have turned back.


    However, unexpectedly, the Java vessel showed no signs of retreating and instead persisted in the chase, the shouts from the loudspeaker switching to bilingual, first in English and then in Xia Country''s language.


    Seeing them still pursuing after the flag was raised, something was not right.


    Lu Heng narrowed his eyes, fixed on the Java gunboat chasing them and felt puzzled, "Are the people on that ship really so bold?"


    "I''ll send a scout hawk to check," offered Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu released a scout hawk, which entered stealth mode and flew to the Java gunboat. It picked up dangerous information.


    She whispered into Lu Heng''s ear, "On the gunboat, someone is talking in English with the captain. They want the spoils of the Corpse Bone Bird, and they''ve noticed you have a Source Halo; they mean to take you down."


    After hearing this, Lu Heng''s eyes flickered with a cold light.


    At that moment,


    The gunboat fired a warning shot, not directly with the cannon, but with a gun aimed at the hull of the Huan Yu.


    Bang!


    After the shot, the loudspeaker continued:


    "Three seconds count down. If you don''t stop, we''ll sink you!"


    Lu Heng''s eyes sparkled sharply as he ordered, "Activate invisibility, turn the rudder, everyone get ready for battle."


    With that, Lu Heng leaped up and shouted, "Scout hawk!"


    The scout hawk took off, catching Lu Heng in mid-air, and soared higher.


    Lu Heng grasped the hawk''s claw, flying up to fifty meters, positioned above the Java ship, then released the hawk''s claw and plummeted down, drawing the Aurora Blade, unleashing Source Energy and delivered a "Rift Slash."


    The "Rift Slash" descended from the sky, cleaving down onto the hull of the Java ship.


    The sword light carved through the deck, severed the dragon bone support, and tore open the hull.


    Boom!


    Creak!


    The Java gunboat nearly split in half down the middle, and even the unbroken half of the hull began to fracture under the strain.


    Finally, the ship leaned to both sides, and the Java sailors on board screamed in terror.


    Only the loudspeaker continued repeating the previous message: "Immediately stop for inspection. If you resist, we will sink you in three seconds!"

 Chapter 109 - 99 Nicknamed

    Two ships were being chased and their surveillance devices were continuously filming the scene, transmitting it in real-time via satellite signal.


    Thus, everything that happened to the Java Gunboat was transmitted to the outside world in real time.


    At this point, it was impossible to completely lock down the news.


    In the sky.


    Lu Heng, clutching the claws of the reconnaissance eagle, was suspended in mid-air, overlooking the tilted Java ship below.


    Since the reconnaissance eagle was in an invisible state, it appeared as if Lu Heng alone was hovering in the sky, looking down at the squealing ants below.


    A moment ago, the Java captain, who had arrogantly claimed he would sink the Huan Yu, was now terrified, clinging to the cabin wall, screaming for someone to save him.


    Lu Heng''s strike from the sky had sliced the ship in two.


    Such terrifying might had scared him out of his wits.


    Lu Heng loudly asked, "Do you still want to board and inspect?"


    Inside the bridge, the Java captain clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture, babbling incomprehensibly.


    The short Superpower User, who had been inciting the Java captain to fire earlier, immediately knelt down and pleaded, "We were wrong, we dare not do it again."


    Lu Heng asked again, "So, can we leave now?"


    The Java captain, after hearing the translation from the person beside him, quickly nodded and kept begging, just wanting Lu Heng to leave as soon as possible.


    ...


    Having subdued this Java captain, Lu Heng then returned to the Huan Yu and set course to return home.


    On the voyage back, Lu Heng took out two Crystal Cores, one was a "High-Rank Energy Crystal Core," and the other was an "Exoskeleton Armor" Skill Crystal Core.


    The "High-Rank Energy Crystal Core" couldn''t be used continuously, so Lu Heng took it out to allocate.


    Upon seeing the data on the Crystal Core, Lin Zeyu immediately chose the "High-Rank Energy Crystal Core."


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu took the "Exoskeleton Armor" Crystal Core.


    In terms of value, the "High-Rank Energy Crystal Core" was worth much more.


    However, by this allocation plan, Lin Zeyu and his Superpower Users were dividing this "High-Rank Energy Crystal Core" among themselves, and how they divided it internally was not Lu Heng''s concern.


    Lin Zeyu knew how to get his subordinates to work for him.


    During this hunt for the Corpse Bone Bird, Lu Heng obtained the "Swordsman" Source Material, as well as the weapon of the Bloodline Sword Demon.


    It was safe to say they made a huge profit from this venture.


    Lin Zeyu was also extremely satisfied, as he had leveled up during the killing of the Corpse Bone Bird, and after absorbing the "High-Rank Energy Crystal Core," he leveled up once more.


    This trip to sea resulted in him gaining two levels.


    If he had led the team to hunt Demons himself, it might have taken two or three attempts just to level up once.


    He realized that as long as he followed Lu Heng, his level would rocket up swiftly.


    ...


    A day later, the Huan Yu returned to the Coastal Docking Area.


    Just as he went ashore, back to a place where there was cellphone signal, Lu Heng''s phone started chiming incessantly.


    Checking it, he saw dozens of missed calls, all from his parents.


    Lu Heng was about to call them back, but before he could dial, his phone rang again.


    As soon as the call connected, his mother''s voice came through:


    "Son, is that you? Are you on the phone now? How are you doing? Speak, please¡­"


    "I''m fine, don''t worry," Lu Heng quickly reassured his mother.


    This time on the open sea, there was only satellite signal, and only the satellite phone on the yacht could be used, making it rather inconvenient.


    Thinking about getting home soon on the way back, he had gone to his cabin to sleep.


    Little did he know that his parents had become so anxious during that time.


    Li Xiuyun, hearing her son''s voice, breathed a deep sigh of relief, saying, "You scared us to death. Where are you now? Are you hurt?"


    "I just got off the ship, I''m doing pretty well, I''ll take a cab home soon," Lu Heng replied.


    "What happened at sea exactly? What, in fact, happened?" Li Xiuyun urgently asked.


    "It''s nothing," Lu Heng pretended as if he knew nothing.


    "Now there''s a video online that has gone viral. They say it was first shared from that foreign ''Facebook'' site, what an odd site name. You appeared in the video, a lot of people are saying you fought with a warship, what exactly happened?" Li Xiuyun asked urgently.


    Lu Heng, hearing this, was momentarily stunned, not knowing how to explain.


    On the open sea, of course, there was no cellphone signal, but there was a satellite signal, and more advanced large ships all had satellite communication equipment, capable of accessing the internet.


    In fact, during the chase with that Java ship, he had known cameras on board the ship were continuously filming and broadcasting the scene live.


    Thus, the incident with the Java Gunboat was bound to come out.


    Only, Lu Heng hadn''t expected the video to be uploaded online.


    While he was talking on the phone,


    Su Muyu held out her cellphone, having searched for the video, opened it up and handed it to Lu Heng.


    The video wasn''t very clear, but one could see a figure moving in the sky, then a slash of a sword striking downwards.


    Following that, the video''s frame began to shake violently, with a vague view of the skewed angle and broken gunwale of the ship.


    Due to the distance, the figure captured wasn''t very clear; if one did not know the person, it was difficult to recognize them.


    However, being parents, they could recognize their own child from just the silhouette; the video''s clarity was enough for them to identify Lu Heng.


    Still joking, Lu Heng said, "Mom, what are you talking about? Could you have mistaken someone else?"


    "What mistaken someone? With that trait of yours, you''ve been like this since you were little, laughing whenever you lie. Just come home right now," Li Xiuyun nagged relentlessly over the phone.


    Lu Heng agreed repeatedly and then found an excuse to hang up.


    "I need to rush home, I don''t know how the video at sea got uploaded to the internet."


    "What do we do now? Could there be trouble?" Su Muyu furrowed her brow, her expression a bit tense.


    "Don''t worry, they fired first; we were just defending ourselves..."


    Lu Heng then waved at Lin Zeyu and called him over, "Have you heard about the video online?"


    Lin Zeyu had already received the news, and he had been on the phone all along, nodded in response, "I know, don''t worry, I can handle this." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng wasn''t really worried; after a brief discussion, everyone went home.


    As soon as he got home, Lu Heng was pulled aside by his mother to check if he had returned in one piece.


    After the inspection, Li Xiuyun took out her mobile phone, played the video, and asked, "This person in the sky, this one, this is you, right?"


    "With that war-damaged video quality, you can make me out?" Lu Heng quipped.


    "Don''t try to lie. Including the time in the womb, I''ve been raising you for almost twenty years; how could I not recognize you? Come on, tell me, what happened? How did you get into a conflict with the foreign ship? How serious is this? Will someone come to arrest you?"


    Li Xiuyun had already considered all possibilities and thought of ways to deal with them, "Your dad and I discussed it; if someone comes to arrest you, you should run and hide in the countryside for a while."


    Lu Heng was somewhat speechless, spreading his hands, "Mom, don''t be so nervous. They started it, and we were defending ourselves; no one is going to arrest us."


    Moreover, while they were being chased, Huan Yu had raised the national flag.


    Seeing Xia Country''s flag, if the other side still dared to chase and even open fire, even if their ship was sunk, nobody could blame them.


    ...


    As the Abyss Invasion entered its fourth month, the combat power of top Superpower Users had grown ever stronger.


    Demons appearing worldwide required powerful Superpower Users to combat them.


    This made the status of Superpower Users rise rapidly.


    This was unlike the mutants; their world didn''t face the crisis of an Abyss Invasion, leading to class conflict between mutants and ordinary people.


    One or two months ago, there were indeed conflicts between Superpower Users and ordinary people worldwide, even situations where theocratic states wanted to burn Superpower Users.


    However, as more Abyss Demons appeared worldwide, ordinary people faced the threat of demons, but Superpower Users could combat them.


    This caused ordinary people to need Superpower Users'' protection, inadvertently putting Superpower Users and ordinary people on the same side.


    Social conflicts are curious; when an external enemy exists, internal conflicts quickly disappear.


    Some nations even initiate wars or proxy wars to divert domestic conflicts.


    Now, the Abyss Invasion is that external conflict, intense and with no room for compromise.


    Therefore, the conflict between Superpower Users and ordinary people soon vanished.


    After the status of Superpower Users increased, powerful Superpower Users could receive preferential treatment from countries around the world.


    Thus, from the fourth month of the Abyss Descent, top Superpower Users would gradually show their strength and gain more say.


    Lu Heng was aware of this, so despite knowing he would be captured by surveillance, he dared to act.


    However, Lu Heng didn''t expect that the officials from Java would put the video directly on international websites to seek condemnation through public opinion.


    On his way back home, Lu Heng had checked the internet discourse on his mobile.


    The whole internet is discussing this topic now, and it has even spawned a meme "Shipbreaker."


    The whole internet is asking a question:


    "Who is this ''Shipbreaker''? Is he human?"


    "He looks quite human, but could he be a demon that looks human?"


    "Indeed, ''Shipbreaker,'' one strike and a warship is broken."


    "Are Superpower Users this strong now? That''s too fierce!"


    "Does anyone know who this ''Shipbreaker'' is? Paying handsomely for information."


    "This guy looks like a classmate of mine."


    "''Shipbreaker,'' is that a class? Can someone tell me if that is a class?"


    From this topic, many netizens started DIYing Class Abilities for Superpower Users online:


    "Second Transition Class ''Shipbreaker,'' class ability, +50% attack against ships."


    "That''s obviously fake. How could it only give a +50% attack? One strike can sever a warship; it should at least be +500%."


    "That''s too conservative; I think +5000% makes more sense."


    "Is it possible that this skill isn''t exclusively for attacking ships?"


    "Does anyone know what kind of ship was cut?"


    "That''s an easy question: a Java Islands sea patrol gunboat, 45 meters long, 8 meters wide. The ship was equipped with a 30mm shipborne anti-aircraft gun, which can also make a big hole in a ship if it''s used against it."


    As public opinion fermented, unknown forces started entering the scene to guide the discourse.


    "This Superpower User definitely has an anti-social personality, blatantly attacking a foreign ship in international waters; he should be brought to a military tribunal."


    "That''s right, I just saw someone recognize him as a Superpower User from a certain major Eastern country."


    "The Eastern great country''s official inaction??? They let such dangerous Superpower Users roam free."


    "Lucky people of that Eastern country, having such dangerous Superpower Users nearby, what''s the difference between them and demons?"


    "I have reasons to suspect that this Superpower User from Xia Country is the traitor. Those who understand, understand."


    Signs of manipulated public opinion began to appear.


    Lin Zeyu, who had returned home hoping to rest for a couple of days, didn''t expect further incidents.


    He had someone release the video of the Java ship pursuing Huan Yu, which clearly recorded the Java Gunboat firing first, and the video even added a close-up of gunshot holes in the hull at the end.


    This video spread wildly across major online platforms once it was released.


    Public opinion began to form two camps, one condemning the Java ship for pursuing a Xia Country yacht in Public Sea waters.


    The other camp, skilled in remote cultivation, continued to distort facts, attempting to guide public opinion.


    The two opinion camps argued online, and the battle grew fiercer.

 Chapter 110 - 100: Meeting the Leader, Bounty Reward

    Blue Sea International, No. 28.


    In the morning, Lu Heng received a call from Lin Zeyu, mentioning that there were official people who wanted to meet.


    A friction with another country''s ships on the Public Sea, even if the other side fired first, the officials would still want to clarify the course of events.


    So, at ten o''clock in the morning, Lu Heng and Su Muyu came together.


    Upon entering Lin Zeyu''s home, there were already a few people sitting in the living room.


    Seeing Lu Heng coming in, these people immediately stood up.


    Lin Zeyu hurriedly introduced them, "Lu Heng, this is Liu Changhong, the district chief of Ningyun District, and this is Miao Zairen, the leader of the Iron Blood Coastal Division."


    Liu Changhong had a rather cultured appearance, wearing a pair of glasses. He sized up Lu Heng, immediately came forward, and offered a handshake, "Thank you, thank you. I appreciate that Comrade Lu took the time to come."


    Since Lu Heng''s household registration was in the Coastal Ningyun District, he was considered a resident under Liu''s administration.


    Having such a powerful Superpower User emerge from Ningyun District lent some prestige to Liu Changhong as the district chief.


    As for Miao Zairen, he was the leader of the Iron Blood Coastal Division, and all the Superpower Users in the Coastal area were under his management.


    Lu Heng shook hands with them both and looked past them at the other two people.


    Lin Zeyu continued, "These two don''t need an introduction, you''re already acquainted."


    The two indeed were familiar faces, the senior inspector of Iron Blood, Chen Linian, and his disciple.


    Lu Heng had initially been worried about the nuanced attitude of the officials. Now, seeing the district leader personally coming over and warmly shaking hands at the onset, it was clear what their stance was.


    With a bit more thought, he understood what was happening.


    If this had been three months ago, the officials might not have taken this attitude.


    It was now the end of the fourth month of the Abyss Descent, and in a few days, it would enter the fifth month.


    To the general populace, it was only known that terrifying monsters had appeared on Blue Star, not understanding what this signified.


    The officials had more intelligence, piecing together information from those who had returned from the Abyss Battlefield, and could get a sense of the Abyss''s origins.


    Therefore, they were very aware that the future situation would become more serious.


    Superpower Users'' combat power could already cause massive destruction to warships, and in such circumstances, Power Users were the new age''s human-shaped weapons, needing to be cultivated vigorously.


    Xia Country, from its first leader, understood the importance of the will of the people.


    Therefore, the attitude of the higher-ups would directly determine the attitude at the grassroots level.


    At this point in time, the power displayed by Lu Heng was unrivaled, or at the very least, an extraordinary existence.


    As for the friction with the ships of other countries on the Public Sea, especially since the other side fired first, not sinking the other party''s ship demonstrated the magnanimous disposition of an ancient, civilized nation.


    "Please take a seat."


    After sitting down, the work of Ningyun District Chief Liu Changhong and the leader of the Iron Blood Coastal Division, Miao Zairen, was done.


    They were just there to meet face-to-face and express the official stance.


    The following tasks were handled by Chen Linian and his disciple.


    "The higher-ups sent you to deal with this?" Lu Heng looked at the two, curiously asking.


    "My main role is to inquire about the course of events, then write a report to be submitted," Chen Linian slightly nodded.


    "There''s not much to ask really; the video recorded everything quite clearly," said Lu Heng.


    "I''ve watched the video, and indeed, there seems to be no issue. However, we still need to put together a written report," Chen Linian signaled to his disciple to record and also started the recording device to capture the inquiry process.


    Lu Heng curiously asked, "How is the government defining this incident?"


    Because they had both been involved in the investigation of the Evil God''s Finger case before, Chen Linian did not mind disclosing some information without breaking discipline:


    "You guys don''t need to worry, the Public Sea is a common area by nature. Since the other side fired first, self-defense and retaliation is not a problem.


    "If I were to express my personal feelings, I could only say, ''well done.'' Java had done too much wrong in the past and deserved to be taught a harsh lesson."


    Gao Zhitin took a while before raising his hand to ask a question, "Why was the move you used so powerful?"


    Lu Heng curiously asked, "Is this question going to be included in the report as well?"


    "No, no, I was just curious," Gao Zhitin quickly waved his hand.


    Chen Linian sternly glanced at his disciple, indicating that he should take the record seriously and not interrupt.


    Then, he took out a notebook and started asking, "Why were you in the Public Sea?"


    Lin Zeyu proactively answered, "For the bounty, of course. You Iron Blood posted a bounty for the Corpse Bone Bird, and we went to hunt for it. Is that reason sufficient?"


    Chen Linian nodded and continued asking, "After the incident, our reconnaissance team searched that sea area and indeed found the body of a Corpse Bone Bird. Did you kill it?"


    Lin Zeyu continued to answer promptly, "Yes, we killed it. I haven''t claimed the bounty yet; could you help us fill out the form to collect the bounty later?"


    Chen Linian then asked, "According to the traces left at the scene, there''s also a ship that sank in that area."


    Lin Zeyu spread his hands and said, "The armed speedboat of the wolf pack, we''ve seen it."


    Chen Linian''s eyebrows rose as he asked, "Did you guys have a conflict?"


    Lin Zeyu didn''t mind telling the truth at all, "We had a few verbal spats. I''ve been drifting at sea for too long, and my temper isn''t great. It''s not illegal to say something ugly, right?"


    "Just a few words in an argument?" Chen Linian stared into Lin Zeyu''s eyes, trying to discern whether he was lying.


    He found that it was easier to see through Lin Zeyu''s inner thoughts than it was with Lu Heng and Su Muyu.


    Therefore, he preferred to hear Lin Zeyu quickly answer because he could tell whether he was lying just by the tone of his voice.


    Lin Zeyu waved his hand and said, "That coward Black Wolf only dares to have a shouting match with me. If he had the guts to throw a punch, I would have hit him a long time ago."


    Upon hearing this, Chen Linian knew that there was a lot of bragging in that statement, but there was no lie.


    He followed up with, "How did the wolf pack''s boat sink?"


    Lin Zeyu answered matter-of-factly, "It was sunk by the Bloodline Sword Demon. You didn''t see it, that demon covered in blood-red, so strong and so terrifying. If it weren''t for Lu Heng, we definitely wouldn''t have made it back."


    "Bloodline Sword Demon..." Chen Linian glanced at his apprentice and said, "Take special note of this part."


    The scouting team that went to that area of the sea only found the Corpse Bone Bird''s body and didn''t find any other demons'' bodies.


    After all, the body of a Bloodline Sword Demon is similar in size to a human''s, and once it sinks to the bottom of the sea, it could be pushed by the ocean currents anywhere; it''s normal not to find it.


    Therefore, the government didn''t obtain any information about the "Bloodline Sword Demon."


    This piece of information was also mentioned by Lu Heng on the way back, otherwise, Lin Zeyu wouldn''t have known that the thing was called the Bloodline Sword Demon.


    "Can you provide more details about this Bloodline Sword Demon? Detailed information would be of great help to the country." Chen Linian showed a serious expression, hoping to gather more information about the kinds of Abyss Demons.


    Another important job of Iron Blood was to collect data about the Abyss.


    So any time a Superpower User returned from the Abyss Battlefield, Iron Blood would send someone to gather information.


    Lin Zeyu didn''t know much about the Bloodline Sword Demon.


    So, Lu Heng took over the conversation, saying, "Precisely, it''s a demon species called the Bloodline Clan, their appearance is a goat-headed human body, and their blood is toxic..."


    After a brief introduction to the Bloodline Demons, Chen Linian listened while nodding, occasionally asking for key pieces of information. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng shared all the information he could.


    As for the source of the information, there were many excuses: Quenching Castle, Bansel Tribe, any Abyss Battlefield could serve as a source of information.


    Therefore, Chen Linian didn''t delve into where Lu Heng got his information from, focusing only on the information itself.


    After asking about what had happened, Chen Linian stood up to leave, adding one last comment, "If similar situations arise in the future, you can contact us. We will strive to protect the interests of our country''s Superpower Users."


    ...


    Coming out of Blue Sea International, Lin Zeyu drove Lu Heng and the others back while saying,


    "Oh, there''s something I have to tell you. Someone anonymously reported that we sank our own country''s boat in the Public Sea."


    "Do you know who reported it?"


    "I had someone check it out; it was reported by the Chunshang Group."


    The Chunshang Group was the financial backer behind the wolf pack Superpower combat team, and the Black Wolf''s armed speedboat was quite valuable, funded by the Chunshang Group.


    "No wonder Iron Blood asked us about that armed speedboat." Lu Heng had found it strange before, but now he understood what had happened.


    "They went for an anonymous report; I just made a direct report against the Chunshang Group for spreading false information. Just wait and see," Lin Zeyu directly butted heads with the Chunshang Group.


    ...


    The next day at noon.


    Iron Blood released a statement defining the "Shipbreaker" incident that happened on the Public Sea.


    The incident was characterized as a legitimate and reasonable act of self-defense by the country''s Superpower Users in international waters.


    As for the anonymous report, the statement mentioned they found no evidence of conflict between the Huan Yu and Black Wolf''s vessels.


    Moreover, the statement named and penalized several media outlets for spreading false information.


    Once the statement was released, the official stance was clear. The remote breeding species with IP in the country immediately quieted down and dared not spread rumors anymore.


    The Chunshang Group''s anonymous report had no effect, and the media they had bribed were singled out for punishment. The controlling consortium behind them was very displeased, but they had no recourse against Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu.


    ...


    The hunting expedition at sea succeeded in killing the Corpse Bone Bird.


    After verification, Iron Blood issued a reward of 6 million.


    The 6 million reward, just looking at the amount, seemed quite substantial.


    However, compared to the eradication of the threat of the Corpse Bone Bird, the bounty was well worth it.


    If the government had not offered a bounty and instead sent ships to clear out the Corpse Bone Bird, not to mention whether there would be enough personnel, even with sufficient personnel, it would take a dozen or even dozens of ships several months of searching to possibly locate the Corpse Bone Bird.


    The cost alone would far exceed 6 million.


    After receiving the reward, Lin Zeyu and Lu Heng discussed it and decided to split it among the twelve people who had gone out to sea with them on the Huan Yu.


    Lin Zeyu also added a bit extra, giving each person a bonus of 600,000.

 Chapter 111 - 101: Mysterious Invitation, Past of the Future

    Three days after the wreckage incident,


    a special guest visited the Taoyuan District.


    Li Xiuyun called Lu Heng, urging him to come home quickly before making tea for the guest.


    When Lu Heng got home, he saw a young man in a suit and leather shoes sitting in the living room.


    He appeared to be in his thirties, slightly above average build, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and looked very refined.


    The man stood up respectfully and reached out proactively to shake hands as soon as he saw Lu Heng return. "Hello, Mr. Lu Heng, my name is Pu Lizhi, and I am here on behalf of Chunshang Group to invite you to join us."


    Upon hearing the name of Chunshang Group, Lu Heng couldn''t help but frown. "What does Chunshang Group want me for?"


    Pu Lizhi nodded respectfully and responded, "Chunshang Group greatly admires you and hopes to become friends. Mr. Lu need not worry, the Chunshang Group merely wishes to befriend you and will not impose any compulsory demands."


    "Chunshang Group hasn''t been very friendly toward me," Lu Heng said, scrutinizing him.


    "Yes. Before this, there might have been some misunderstandings between Chunshang Group and Mr. Lu. Thus, to show our sincerity, please accept this."


    Pu Lizhi pulled an invitation out of his inner pocket, presenting it with both hands, and said,


    "This is an invitation to the ultimate Crystal Core auction. High-level Crystal Cores will be auctioned there.


    On the invitation, there''s information about several important auction items, Mr. Lu can have a look.


    "To show our sincerity, all expenses for Mr. Lu on the night of the auction will be covered by Chunshang Group as compensation for the misunderstandings."


    When Lu Heng heard about the ultimate Crystal Core auction, his eyebrows raised.


    This auction was very famous in the future, where Crystal Cores often sold for astronomical prices.


    In his previous life, a Crystal Core was bought for one million and then sold on the Crystal Core Dark Network for ten million.


    Later, it appeared at the ultimate Crystal Core auction and was finally auctioned off for 300 million.


    That Crystal Core had increased in value 300 times, from one million to 300 million.


    Moreover, the ultimate Crystal Core auction wasn''t a public event; only those who received an invitation could participate.


    Thus, those who could enter this auction were either representatives of top-tier financial consortia or Superpower Users with Peak Combat Power.


    In his previous life, many Superpower Users felt honored to receive an invitation to the ultimate Crystal Core auction, which, in a sense, was a symbol of power.


    However, this invitation was an olive branch from the Chunshang Group.


    The Chunshang Group didn''t ask for any contracts to be signed, meaning the invitation and the promised benefits were unconditionally given.


    But accepting favors often meant being indebted to others. What about next time?


    Accepting too much made it awkward to refuse requests from Chunshang Group in the future.


    Well, Lu Heng could refuse, but he was worried that Chunshang Group had other motives.


    Moreover, Chunshang Group had directly come to his home to issue the invitation in front of his parents, implying another layer of meaning. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In a certain sense, this was a form of threat.


    "Sorry, but I can''t accept this," Lu Heng directly pushed the invitation back.


    Pu Lizhi hurriedly presented the invitation again with respect. "Please, Mr. Lu, you must accept. It''s just a small gesture with no other implications. Please don''t overthink it."


    "I''m not overthinking, but I can''t accept. Please leave," Lu Heng said, gesturing for the guest to leave.


    "Mr. Lu, please believe me, Chunshang Group is very sincere and just hopes to become friends with you," Pu Lizhi insisted as he was led to the door.


    After seeing him off, Lu Heng closed the door.


    Li Xiuyun asked, "Who was that?"


    "An agent from a multinational financial consortium. Don''t let such people in anymore," Lu Heng said, surprised that Chunshang Group had taken the initiative to come.


    In the end, it all came down to power. In this era, only those with Peak Combat Power could hold the highest authority.


    Big consortia didn''t lack money; what they lacked were Superpower Users with top-tier Combat Power.


    Li Xiuyun frowned, "He seemed polite, bowing and shaking hands when we met. It seemed rude to turn him away at the door."


    She hadn''t previously encountered anyone so eager to offer money and gifts.


    Lu Heng spoke sternly, "Don''t be deceived by his current enthusiasm. It was Chunshang Group who anonymously reported that I sank our own nation''s ship previously."


    Li Xiuyun became indignant upon hearing this, "How can people be so deceitful? Just after causing trouble, they turn around, bring gifts, and act shameless?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "These types of incidents might increase. Continuing to live here in Taoyuan isn''t appropriate anymore. I''ll find another house; let''s move out."


    "Moving? We''ve lived here for over a decade and gotten used to it," Li Xiuyun, who got along well with the neighbors, didn''t want to move.


    Lu Mingli understood why and interjected, "Just listen to your son. I think Chunshang Group knows our son''s identity now, and that''s why they''re trying to allure him.


    "This district is indeed nice, but it''s a bit old, and the management is lax, allowing anyone to come in. Incidents like this might happen more frequently."


    After discussing it, the parents finally agreed to move.


    However, finding a house proved to be a hassle.


    Lu Heng wanted to find a place with stringent security to prevent unrelated people from disturbing his parents.


    Such houses were usually exorbitantly priced.


    After settling matters with his parents, Lu Heng visited Jinxiu Imperial View.


    Lu Heng had barely stepped inside and hadn''t even changed his shoes when someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    Lu Heng walked back to the door and peered through the peephole, yet he saw no one, only an envelope floating in mid-air.


    Yes, an envelope floating in mid-air.


    Late at night, someone knocking, but no one outside the door, just an envelope floating in the air.


    If it were a regular person, they would likely be scared half to death.


    Lu Heng, however, wasn''t frightened and opened the door, walking out to stand in the elevator hallway, looking around, still seeing no one.


    The envelope just floated in front of him.


    Lu Heng extended his hand, placed it under the envelope, and the envelope landed on his palm.


    He opened the envelope to find a black invitation inside.


    On it was just one English word: "creator."


    Others might not know what this single-word invitation meant, but Lu Heng did.


    Seeing that word on the invitation, a spark flickered in Lu Heng''s eyes, and he whispered to himself, "It''s finally come."


    This was the invitation from the Creator Club.


    The Creator Club was extremely famous in the future, with many of the top superpower users being members of this organization.


    The word "creator" translated to "Creator" or could also mean creator, or God.


    From the name alone, one could tell how grand the club''s scope was.


    In the superpower user circles, there was even a belief that receiving an invitation from the Creator Club symbolized the world''s acknowledgment of a top superpower user.


    There were many rumors about the Creator Club, both positive and negative.


    Rumors said that a much larger organization backed the Creator Club.


    Such top-tier superpower organizations often had transnational natures, supported by global financial conglomerates.


    In his previous life, countless superpower users dreamed of receiving an invitation from the Creator Club.


    However, this invitation, with no contact information or method of joining, bore only the single word: creator.


    This meant that the Creator Club extended an invitation but offered no choice for the invitee to accept or decline.


    The Creator never asked for an invitee''s opinion, as they always presented irresistible conditions; there were no exceptions.


    In reality,


    Lu Heng had been a member of this organization in his previous life, and so had Su Muyu.


    However, he had joined the Creator Club later in his previous life; it was after the second year of the Abyss Descent.


    Now the invitation from the Creator Club had appeared a year early.


    Lu Heng took the invitation back inside the house, closed the door, lifted it towards the ceiling light, and under the light''s casting, he saw the faint appearance of a number, 028.


    This was a membership number for the Creator Club.


    The number was different from his last life.


    The reason was clear: receiving the Creator''s invitation a year early would naturally change the membership number.


    The number 028 indicated that before Lu Heng, the club had already had 27 members.


    Typically, the earlier the membership number, the stronger the superpower user''s strength.


    After all, the earlier the number, the earlier they had received the Creator''s invitation. In a sense, this represented their strength.


    Of course, occasionally, members with a later number could be stronger than those with an earlier number, but overall, member strength tended to decrease in sequence by membership number.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng''s number was 328, while Su Muyu''s was 327.


    His number had advanced from 328 to 028, moving up by 300 places.


    Now, in the fourth month after the Abyss Descent, the Creator already had 27 members.


    And these 27 individuals were certainly not weak.


    Although Lu Heng had rebirth memories, he had no impression of these 27 people.


    Because, in his previous life, he had never met these individuals, and he did not even know their identities.


    After receiving the Creator''s invitation again, many future memories emerged in his mind.


    Initially, Lu Heng did not wish to join such a mysterious organization, but once he was summoned to what was called the Death Forbidden Land in the Abyss Battlefield.


    No one had ever returned from this Abyss Battlefield.


    Su Muyu tried everything, but she couldn''t obtain the chance to be summoned alongside him.


    Eventually, after Lu Heng was transported into the Death Forbidden Land, she agreed to the Creator''s invitation to gain access to the Death Forbidden Land and obtained the artifact that influenced the summoning.


    That was how Su Muyu joined the Creator, and later Lu Heng joined as well.


    The entire process of joining the Creator lacked any compulsion. The Creator always proposed irresistible conditions.


    After seeing the number, Lu Heng did not continue examining the invitation, but tucked it back into the envelope and carelessly placed it on the key cabinet in the entryway.


    This Creator invitation didn''t necessitate further scrutiny, as it was just an ordinary paper card.

 Chapter 112 - 102 The Quenching Master Contract of Astronomical Numbers

    In the future, as more Abyss Demons appeared on Blue Star,


    humankind''s living space would continue to shrink.


    By the third year of the Abyss invasion, humans had begun constructing base cities, erecting high walls to fend off Demons.


    Lu Heng now wanted to buy a house with better security so that his parents could move there, free from disturbances from unrelated people.


    Knowing that Coastal would later be developed into a base city, buying a house there now meant making a direct purchase within the base city''s area.


    However, that would make it very expensive.


    Lu Heng took out all his Crystal Cores to check and prepared to gather them to settle the house payment first.


    Besides the ordinary Energy Crystal Cores, there were a few unused Skill Crystal Cores.


    The first was a D-level "Corrosive Mucus," dropped by an Abyss Tide Worm.


    The second was a C-level "Wave Worm Shell," dropped by an Abyss Tide Worm Queen.


    The third was a C-level "Blood Shadow Arm Blade," dropped by a Blood Shadow Demon.


    The fourth was a C-level "Exoskeleton Armor," dropped by a Corpse Bone Bird.


    The fifth was a C-level "Bloodsucking Healing," dropped by a Bloodline Sword Demon.


    It was unfortunate that the Bloodline Sword Demon dropped a C-level "Bloodsucking Healing" instead of a B-level "Gale Continuous Stabbing," as one of the latter would equal the total of the other four.


    There were five Skill Crystal Cores in total, and apart from the "Corrosive Mucus," the rest were all C-level.


    These Skill Crystal Cores, aside from a few unique types, actually had decent Skill Effects.


    Additionally, they were all skills that Combat Superpower Users could learn, and the selling price would not be low if put up for sale.


    Combined, the five Skill Crystal Cores would be worth over 15 million, which should be enough to buy a house.


    After making the list, Lu Heng packed up the Crystal Cores, ready to sell this batch.


    Actually, he could sell them on the Crystal Core Dark Network.


    However, selling there was slow, and the transaction process was troublesome.


    Therefore, Lu Heng planned to ask Lin Zeyu for help.


    Large forces had their own trading channels, making selling Crystal Cores more convenient.


    In the afternoon,


    Lin Zeyu responded to the summons and arrived at Jinxiu Imperial View, as the landlord he didn''t have the keys and had to knock politely on the door.


    After entering, he started calling to order a meal, intending to have a feast there.


    "Every time you come here just to order food," Lu Heng complained.


    "At home, one must sit properly and eat properly, it''s too uncomfortable, your place is better," Lin Zeyu lay down on the sofa, squirmed comfortably a couple of times, and found the most comfortable posture.


    Lu Heng took out the five Skill Crystal Cores and placed them on the coffee table, saying, "Take these and help me sell them."


    Lin Zeyu sat up, picked up the Crystal Cores to inspect them, and commented, "These are pretty good Crystal Cores, why sell them?"


    Lu Heng replied, "Some people started harassing my parents in Taoyuan, so I plan to buy a house for them to move into."


    "Who''s harassing your uncle and aunt? Tell me, I''ll send someone to teach them a lesson!" Lin Zeyu put on a determined expression to stand up for his brother.


    "Chunshang Group," Lu Heng said.


    "Chun..."


    Lin Zeyu lay back down, spread his hands, and said, "Can''t mess with those; they are backed by a multinational consortium. I''ll just help you sell the Crystal Cores. How much are you planning to sell them for?"


    "15 million should be feasible," Lu Heng suggested a realistic price based on the current market.


    "That''s not high, I think it can sell for 18 million," Lin Zeyu, who often followed the Crystal Core market for his personal use, was more familiar with the pricing.


    "The extra can be your commission," Lu Heng said.


    If broken down and sold slowly according to the strength of each skill, it indeed could fetch 18 million, or even more.


    Of course, retail and wholesale were inherently priced differently.


    "Okay, I''ll transfer the money to you," Lin Zeyu felt that Lu Heng wanted the money quickly, so he decided to advance it.


    "That works," Lu Heng didn''t object.


    "The amount is substantial, I''ll have finance handle it tomorrow."


    Lin Zeyu pulled out his phone, called the group''s financial director, and after finishing the call, turned back and asked, "Do you need help with buying the house? I can have someone look for properties that are not available through other channels."


    "Sure, help me find a place near Mingqiong District with good security," Lu Heng requested.


    "Why not live in Blue Sea International, then we''d be neighbors," Lin Zeyu suggested.


    "That place is too expensive," Lu Heng retorted.


    "I''ll advance you the payment if you agree to move there," Lin Zeyu promised earnestly.


    "Let''s forget it, your place is a bit low-lying, if a sea demon appears one day, a single spit could flood it," Lu Heng, with his experience of rebirth, knew Blue Sea International was not very safe in the future.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, keenly catching the crucial point of that statement, he jumped up from the sofa and asked, "Are you saying Blue Sea International won''t be safe in the future?"


    Lu Heng quickly clarified, "I just feel it''s not very safe, but I don''t know anything."


    "No, no, no..."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes sparkled, "What you said has never failed to come true. I hadn''t noticed before, but Blue Sea International does have a low elevation; indeed, if a Godzilla-like monster appeared, a spit from it could flood the place.


    "No, I also need to buy another safer house, you''re buying in Mingqiong District, then I''ll also buy there.


    "Better yet, I''ll buy several more properties, they''re sure to appreciate in value later."


    Lu Heng swallowed and thought: Serves you right for getting rich; your sense is too sharp.


    Lin Zeyu lay back on the sofa for a while, then suddenly remembered something, and took out an invitation card, handing it to Lu Heng, and asked, "Are you going to attend this?"


    Lu Heng took it and was surprised, as it was an invitation to the Ultimate Crystal Core Auction: "You have this too?"


    "You received an invitation?" Lin Zeyu asked curiously.


    "Not exactly, it was given by Chunshang Group, they said they''d cover the expenses at the auction."


    "Holy shit! What a deal, why aren''t they covering for me? I could make them go bankrupt."


    Lin Zeyu scoffed and suddenly his eyes bulged, then he began to scheme, chuckling, "Did you accept the invitation they gave you?"


    Even a fool could see that the Chunshang Group wanted to win over Lu Heng.


    Once Lu Heng accepted their favors this time, he would be easy to talk to in the future.


    Lin Zeyu''s quenching business currently relied entirely on Lu Heng.


    If Lu Heng were to be poached by Chunshang Group, Lin would be devastated.


    "No," Lu Heng replied.


    Lin Zeyu slapped the coffee table, deciding, "Good brother, that''s loyal. Let''s go to this invitation together, I''ll cover all the auction expenses."


    "Forget it, I''m not going. You go ahead. I still have things to do," Lu Heng shook his head, refusing to attend the auction.


    Because he needed to save money to buy a house, he didn''t have extra funds to participate in the auction.


    If he went, he would have to let Lin Zeyu foot the bill for everything, which actually didn''t sit right with him.


    Moreover, Lu Heng indeed still had things to do.


    When he killed the Bloodline Sword Demon, he had obtained the Level B Scarlet Blood Sword.


    This sword could be used as forging materials, so Lu Heng planned to reforge the Aurora Blade.


    However, Lu Heng had no experience in forging, so he needed to visit Quenching Castle to talk with Master Gulu.


    ...


    The next evening.


    As Lu Heng was preparing to leave, a visitor came to his door. Upon opening it, there stood Pu Lizhi from Chunshang Group.


    Upon seeing Lu Heng, Pu Lizhi bowed respectfully at ninety degrees, "Mr. Lu, good day. Sorry to intrude, please forgive my disruption."


    Although Lu Heng had no fond feeling for Chunshang Group, Pu Lizhi''s attitude was very respectful; bowing at a ninety-degree angle made it hard to be too harsh on him.


    "What is it?"


    Pu Lizhi took out a contract from his briefcase and handed it to Lu Heng, saying, "This is a quenching service support contract. Chunshang Group hopes to represent Mr. Lu''s quenching business.


    "Chunshang Group guarantees no commission will be taken; this clause is already written in the contract.


    "Moreover, Chunshang Group will guarantee a contract of one billion for Mr. Lu each year. If this amount isn''t met, Chunshang Group will pay the difference to complete it.


    "Additionally, the guaranteed contract payment for one year can be prefunded as long as Mr. Lu agrees, and this amount can be transferred tomorrow.


    "If Mr. Lu is still dissatisfied, he could also meet personally with the president of the Asia-Pacific region of Chunshang Group."


    Upon hearing the terms offered by Chunshang Group, Lu Heng felt a small surprise.


    Even though they were competitors, he had to admit that Chunshang Group was really willing to spend.


    A guaranteed billion a year and prepayment for the term.


    If it weren''t for past grievances with Chunshang Group, Lu Heng might have agreed.


    However, there was one thing that Lu Heng didn''t understand.


    How did Chunshang Group know he was a Quenching Master?


    ...


    He found the answer when he arrived at the ninth tunnel of the Century Bridge.


    Under the bridge of Century Bridge, there was someone waiting in the tunnel, obviously intending to enter Quenching Castle.


    As Lu Heng approached, he recognized who the person was.


    Hu Biao, the superpower user who had helped Quenching Castle escape from the Abyss during their time in the Abyss Battlefield.


    Strictly speaking.


    Hu Biao had also participated in the mission to help Quenching Castle escape the Abyss, his task being to excavate Flame Assistance Ore.


    Relatively speaking, his task was simpler, so his contribution to Quenching Castle was not as significant as Lu Heng''s.


    Moreover, he did not participate in the final battle to stop the Horned Demon Commander.


    Therefore, his reputation in Quenching Castle was not particularly high. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, low as it might be, he indeed knew Master Gulu and had helped Quenching Castle.


    If Gulu knew he was seeking an audience outside, it was possible he would agree to meet him.


    Seeing Hu Biao here, Lu Heng had already figured out some things.


    Lu Heng approached and asked, "Did Chunshang Group send you here?"


    Hu Biao turned his head, saw it was Lu Heng, and his expression stiffened momentarily as he stammered, "I..."


    "There''s no point in lying about such a matter," Lu Heng said.


    Hu Biao nodded in admission, "Chunshang Group gave me an offer I couldn''t refuse."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment then asked, "So, you told Chunshang Group about what happened in the Abyss Battlefield?"


    Hu Biao scratched his head, answering, "Not everything."


    Lu Heng guessed, "At least they know about Quenching Castle''s existence, and they sent you to scout out a way in, hoping to get access, right?"


    Hu Biao nodded in acknowledgement, "I''m not as capable as you, but I also want to gain resources. I''ve helped Master Gulu, though not as much as you did. Using this little connection to exchange for compensation isn''t too much, right?"


    Indeed, the existence of Quenching Castle would sooner or later be known to other superpower users; it couldn''t be hidden for long.


    Moreover, more superpower users would eventually gain access to Quenching Castle.


    This development was inevitable.


    If not Hu Biao taking this advantage, it would be some other superpower user.


    Lu Heng thought for a bit and then said, "Did you receive all benefits Chunshang Group offered you?"


    Hu Biao nodded, "Half of it."


    Lu Heng said, "Then go back, ask them for the other half. Then tell them not to waste their efforts anymore. My relationship with Quenching Castle can''t be undermined by anyone."


    With that, Lu Heng walked towards the tunnel and disappeared by the tunnel wall in the blink of an eye.


    Hu Biao stared in disbelief, walking forward and touching the wall, only to feel the cold, hard concrete.

 Chapter 113 - 103: Encounter with the Horned Demon Commander Again

    Inside Quenching Castle.


    Gulu was playing with cockroaches in front of the courtyard''s flowerbed, and he never tired of feeding the Cannibal Flowers with them.


    "Hey! You''re here. These bugs are really interesting. I catch them to feed every day, but there are always more. You can''t catch them all."


    Lu Heng sighed, holding his forehead, "Well, they''re said to be the strongest creatures on Blue Star."


    Gulu looked surprised: "So these little critters are that powerful? If I keep using them to feed the flowers, won''t I anger their queen?"


    Lu Heng wasn''t concerned about that at all, replying, "Don''t worry about that, feed them all you like. The worst they could do is annoy you to death."


    With a look of having learned something new, Gulu asked, "Quite interesting. Can you eat these bugs?"


    Lu Heng''s face twitched as he said, "Theoretically...they''re not really fit to eat, but if you insist on eating them, it''s not impossible. It''s just that..."


    Gulu didn''t wait to hear more, quickly asking, "What''s the usual cooking method?"


    Lu Heng''s facial twitching worsened, "They''re usually roasted, I guess?"


    Gulu nodded thoughtfully, "Next time you come, I''ll roast a plate for us to try."


    "Thanks, but I''ll pass," Lu Heng said, knowing this was no joke. The Abyss Black Iron Dwarves did, in fact, eat bugs, so he quickly declined.


    "That''s a real pity," Gulu said, a bit disappointed.


    He stood up, gestured to the entrance, and asked, "That person outside has been waiting at the door for a long time. Do you think I should see him?"


    Lu Heng shrugged, "It''s up to you if you want to see him. If you want Quenching Castle to be more lively, you could let more people in."


    "Make Quenching Castle more lively?"


    Gulu began to seriously consider this, but it took him a while to get back to business, "Are you here today for Weapon Quenching?"


    "No, I want to reforge the Aurora Blade," Lu Heng said as he took out both the Aurora Blade and the Scarlet Blood Sword to show him.


    Gulu took the two swords, examining them closely, "Wow! This is a Bloodline Demon''s sword. Did you kill a Bloodline Demon?"


    "Yes, a very powerful Bloodline Sword Demon," Lu Heng emphasized the demon''s strength a bit.


    "Haven''t seen a Scarlet weapon of such a high level in a long time. Using this as Forging Materials is definitely great. Come with me," Gulu said, grabbing both swords and dashing into the forge.


    After running into the forge, he changed into a Forging Master''s attire, turned around and declared firmly, "Dear Lu Heng, let me introduce myself again. I am Forging Master Gulu, pleased to meet you."


    Lu Heng''s mouth twitched as he responded in kind, "Pleased to meet you... Master Gulu."


    The Abyss Black Iron Dwarves excelled in forging and Quenching Skills. The Bansel Clan had learned their forging and quenching skills from the Abyss Black Iron Dwarves.


    Thus, Gulu indeed possessed both skills.


    So, he was the last surviving master of both forging and quenching skills among the Abyss Black Iron Dwarves.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had learned Quenching, but not forging, so he planned to entrust this weapon''s reforging to Gulu.


    After all, the Aurora Blade was originally his creation; it was only natural that he should be the one to reforge it.


    Gulu first put on a monocle-style magnifying glass, examining the Aurora Blade, while drawing forging blueprints on the table, "This sword has gained a lot of experience with you... yes... and suffered many hardships, even the blade has nicks."


    It was normal for the Aurora Blade, having gone through many fierce battles, to have some minor damages. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, he was using a magnifying glass to inspect it.


    The first time he entered the Abyss Battlefield, the Aurora Blade''s level was enough to handle the combat.


    But after the second time on the Abyss Battlefield, the level of the Aurora Blade started to feel a bit low.


    This time in combat against the Bloodline Sword Demon, it clashed directly against a Level B Scarlet Blood Sword.


    Luckily, the Aurora Blade was now at +7 and had double Special Effects, otherwise it could have been suppressed by the Level B weapon and easily broken.


    Since the Aurora Blade was originally forged by Gulu, he was very familiar with its craftsmanship and materials.


    After the inspection, he turned and ran to open a chest of Forging Materials, rummaging through, "Not this one... not this one... darn, seems like there''s no suitable material left."


    Lu Heng hoped the reforging of the Aurora Blade could raise its level, and enhancing the level certainly required the addition of materials.


    The Scarlet Blood Sword would be the primary material, but other auxiliary materials would undoubtedly be necessary.


    Therefore, Lu Heng volunteered, "What materials do you need? I''ll see if I can buy them."


    As Gulu searched the chest, he replied, "Definitely not for sale. What I want is a High Rank Horned Demon''s horn. That material is both hard and tough. If I can get a High Rank Horned Demon''s horn, I''m confident I can forge the Aurora Blade to a higher level."


    Lu Heng heard this request and felt somewhat helpless.


    High Rank Horned Demon''s horns, they weren''t easy to come by.


    Thinking it over, to date, he had encountered only two High Rank Horned Demons.


    One in the Evil God''s Burial Ground, a Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander.


    The other, on his first time on the Abyss Battlefield, the Horned Demon Commander.


    The Fiery Flame Horned Demon Commander was already dead, but since he hadn''t taken the horns, they were likely held by the Bansel Clan in Stone Hammer Castle by now.


    And since he hadn''t chosen the Space Anchor Point from the three-choice reward for completing the World Task, he couldn''t go to Stone Hammer Castle, and couldn''t get that pair of horns.


    As for the Horned Demon Commander...


    Lu Heng suddenly had an idea and asked, "Master, do you still have a way to return to the previous Abyss World? I''ll just go and take down that Horned Demon Commander."

 Chapter 114 - 103: Encounter with the Horned Demon Commander Again_2

    Master Gulu''s eyes widened in surprise, "That world is very dangerous, and I''m worried that you won''t be able to come back if you go in again."


    Lu Heng, who was fairly familiar with the Abyss World, thought seriously and then said, "I can give it a try."


    After a moment, Master Gulu replied, "There is indeed a spatial marker left in the Quenching Castle that can teleport you into the Abyss World. But once there, you will definitely be subjected to intense Spiritual Pollution, so I do not recommend taking the risk."


    "I''ll go in and take a look, and if it''s dangerous, I''ll come right back," Lu Heng suggested.


    "All right then. However, you must be quick because I cannot guarantee how long the spatial marker will last. You have to return to the marker''s location as quickly as possible for me to be able to bring you back. Otherwise, you might get stuck there," Gulu reminded again.


    "Understood."


    Lu Heng nodded in agreement, retrieved the Aurora Blade, and then followed Gulu to the Departure Room.


    Inside the Departure Room was a strangely shaped machine.


    This machine was a product of Abyss technology, a transporter created using the laws of the Abyss.


    The transporter was slightly low because it was made for the Black Iron Dwarfs of the Abyss, the tallest of whom were no more than 1.3 meters.


    Lu Heng walked into the transporter and barely managed to stand upright.


    Then, Gulu activated the transporter, connecting to the spatial marker.


    A flash of white light passed, and after a few seconds, his vision slowly returned.


    The next second.


    Lu Heng saw a data prompt.


    [Subjected to Spiritual Pollution from an unknown entity, Spirit -1]


    The intensity of the Spiritual Pollution was many times stronger than the first time he entered.


    The first time he entered the Abyss Battlefield, Spiritual Pollution decreased his spirit by about one point every hour.


    Now, the intensity had increased to one point per minute.


    The intensity of the Spiritual Pollution had almost increased sixtyfold.


    No wonder Gulu said this world was becoming more dangerous, just the Spiritual Pollution alone was unbearable for anyone.


    Moreover, after killing the Horned Demon Commander, there might be a massive outbreak of Spiritual Pollution.


    Therefore, he had to hurry.


    Having been to this world before, he was very familiar with the terrain.


    Lu Heng used the Illusion Pearl to transform into the appearance of a Scary Claw Demon and then ran toward the lair of the Horned Demon Commander.


    The lair of the Horned Demon Commander was located in that dilapidated building, his favorite dining spot.


    Since he had transformed into the image of a Scary Claw Demon, even if he occasionally encountered demons along the way, it did not cause much of a stir.


    Lu Heng didn''t have time to deal with these low-rank demons and rushed directly to the Horned Demon Commander''s Hunting Ground, then climbed up to the seventh floor from the exterior wall.


    After reaching an Agility of 58 points, a single leap measured the height of two floors, so getting up to the seventh floor was just a matter of three leaps.


    After reaching the seventh floor, Lu Heng hid behind a pillar and looked inside.


    He saw the metal cage that kept "food," everything was the same as the first time he came in except for a new cage.


    At that moment, the cage incredibly held "food."


    And Lu Heng recognized these "foods." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were not humans or wild beasts, but a group of small dwarfs from the Bansel Clan.


    A group of Bansel people, both men and women, gathered inside the cage, trying to break free from the prison.


    Seeing this situation, Lu Heng was not very surprised.


    Because even before his rebirth, he knew that not only humans were conscripted by the Abyss Battlefield.


    In fact, in all worlds invaded by the Abyss, the intelligent species would appear to be conscripted.


    The more numerous the group, the more frequently conscriptions occurred.


    Seeing the Bansel people in the cage, Lu Heng immediately knew that the Bansel people had been conscripted by the Abyss Battlefield and transported here.


    That is to say, he had broken into an ongoing Abyss Battlefield.


    This group of Bansel people was using brute force to pry open the iron cage.


    The iron cage was tough, but the Bansel people were small, and they forcefully created an opening large enough to crawl through.


    So, the group of Bansel people started to crawl out of the cage.


    By the third person.


    Heavy footsteps thudded upstairs, and the figure of the Horned Demon Commander appeared on the floor, seemingly amused by the group of "food" trying to escape.


    "Ah!"


    The Bansel people were startled, and the one responsible for prying open the iron cage bars was so frightened that he let go of his grip.


    The iron cage bars snapped back, trapping a Bansel person''s head.


    This Bansel person cried out in panic, "Ah¡­ help, help!"


    The Horned Demon Commander strode forward, grabbed a Bansel person, and was about to stuff him into his mouth.


    The size of a Bansel person was just right for one bite.


    Just then,


    Lu Heng dashed forward with a burst of speed using Gale Step''s second stage acceleration, instantly reaching a speed of a hundred meters per second, charging right in front of the Horned Demon Commander and drawing the Aurora Blade at the same time.


    The moment he saw the Aurora Blade, the Horned Demon Commander recognized this tall figure as the annoying creature that had once injured him and successfully escaped.


    Roar!


    The Horned Demon Commander roared in anger, threw away the Bansel person in his hand, and raised his two gigantic claws, "Bang! Bang!" He continuously slammed them down towards Lu Heng.


    With time pressing, Lu Heng activated "Bullet Time", dodging left and right, gracefully avoiding the two strikes.


    Then, without giving the Horned Demon Commander a chance to strike again, he raised his Aurora Blade and delivered a "Rift Slash".


    Rift Sword Radiance descended with an unstoppable force, cutting the Horned Demon Commander in half.


    A clean, swift kill without any hesitation.


    [Killing the Horned Demon Commander, absorbed 450 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Source Energy Level increased to Level 23, All Attributes +3, Agility Attribute bonus +0.9]


    [Acquired Source Material, Source Quality Fusion increased to 22.5%]


    In addition to the Source Material, the Horned Demon Commander also released a Skill Crystal Core.


    While leveling up, along with the notification of killing the Horned Demon Commander, a notification of spiritual power -1 also appeared.


    The intensity of Spiritual Pollution began to erupt, rapidly depleting his spiritual power by 1 point per second.


    Lu Heng had no time to delay further, immediately cut off the Horned Demon Commander''s horn, then turned back to the stunned group of Bansel people.


    "Are you from Stone Hammer Castle?" Lu Heng recognized them as Bansel people, but with thousands in Stone Hammer Castle, he couldn''t recognize each one.


    Moreover, the Bansel people had undergone many migrations, it was possible that other tribe branches were scattered in other worlds.


    These few Bansel people hesitated for a moment, then immediately bowed respectfully in gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Lu, for rescuing us. Thank you, Mr. Lu!"


    Lu Heng instantly knew they indeed came from Stone Hammer Castle, if it were other Bansel tribe branches, they wouldn''t have been so respectful.


    "The intensity of Spiritual Pollution here is increasing; you better go back. I can''t linger here anymore. Pass a message to your leader and Mia, I''ll try to visit them in the future. Hurry along now," Lu Heng urged again.


    "Okay, thank you, Mr. Lu." The group of Bansel people expressed their gratitude once more, then one by one chose to return, teleporting out of this world.


    In the midst of speaking, spiritual power again -1.


    Lu Heng wasted no more time, immediately activating Gale Step''s second stage acceleration, and dashed toward the direction of the spatial marker.


    At the same moment,


    The death of the Horned Demon Commander incited the fury of some unknown entity in this world.


    The sky began to fill with dark clouds.


    The clouds quickly gathered into a Demon God''s head, which roared loudly, then opened its mouth to spew out a black cloud, condensing into a sky-piercing long spear, thrusting down towards Lu Heng.


    Seeing the dark cloud spear coming down, Lu Heng dared not take it lightly, instantly used Shadow Traversal sinking straight down and burrowed into the ground, pushing his speed to the limit.


    Gale Step second stage acceleration at 200%, and Shadow Travel State acceleration at 300%, a total of 500% acceleration, allowed Lu Heng to zip through the underground like lightning.


    Through Shadow Vision, he could see the Demon God formed by gathering clouds in the sky, constantly spraying out clouds, attacking the ground.


    Each attack was targeted at Lu Heng''s position.


    This meant that even though Lu Heng was hiding underground, he could not escape the lock-on of this being.


    As he ran, Lu Heng continuously dodged left and right, avoiding the attacks of the dark cloud spear.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    With each strike of the real dark cloud spear, the ground shook violently.


    In an instant, the sky shattered and the earth quaked, shaking the mountains.


    This enraged Demon God seemed determined to completely destroy this world, a scene of apocalypse descending between heaven and earth.


    Lu Heng pushed to his highest speed, breaking through to 200 meters per second.


    With the spatial marker about 5 kilometers away from the Horned Demon Commander''s lair, Lu Heng reached the marker location in just over twenty seconds at maximum speed, then burst out from underground and crashed into the spatial marker.


    In a flash,


    A buzzing noise rang in his ears, followed by the booming sounds of the sky crumbling and the earth splitting.

 Chapter 115 - 104 Aurora Blade Upgrade

    Phew!


    Lu Heng exhaled deeply, his vision restored to the sight of Quenching Castle''s departure room.


    Finally back.


    Then he glanced at his Spiritual Attribute, which had dropped to 12 points.


    Now the full value of the Spiritual Attribute was 50 points, and he had only been in the Abyss World for such a short while, yet his spirit had been directly contaminated to 12 points.


    Luckily he returned quickly enough; if he had delayed for another ten seconds or so, he wouldn''t have been able to come out at all.


    Although it was dangerous, he had successfully killed the Horned Demon Commander and obtained the horns of a high-rank demon.


    Lu Heng took out the demon horn and handed it to Gulu, saying, "Master, see if this can be used."


    Gulu took the demon horn, his eyes lighting up immediately, praising, "Brilliant, you really killed that detestable Horned Demon Commander.


    "You are truly a brave warrior. With these demon horns, we can definitely forge a higher-level weapon.


    "Come with me quickly, let''s start now and turn this Aurora Blade into an even more powerful weapon."


    Saying this, he took the demon horns and ran back to the forging room, fired up the forging furnace, and began the second forging of the Aurora Blade.


    The Scarlet Blood Sword and demon horns were both forging materials, melted in the forging furnace to burn off the impurities, and then the forging began.


    The second forging process took a bit of time, lasting three hours to complete.


    After completion, Gulu raised the brand-new Aurora Blade and shouted, "Success! Blessed by the God of Melting, I have finally forged a level B weapon."


    Lu Heng felt something was off about that statement.


    But his attention was all on the Aurora Blade.


    He took the Aurora Blade and felt its weight; it was a bit heavier, and then he checked the attributes, which brightened his eyes.


    [Superior Aurora Blade+7 (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: B]


    [Specifications: Length 132 centimeters, blade width 3.6 centimeters, weight 1.8 kilograms]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 210]


    [Special Effect: Spirit Slash LV2, Sharp Blade]


    [Spirit Slash LV2: Attacks carry 12 points of Spiritual Damage, with an added Spirit Slash effect, weakening the target''s Spiritual Attribute by 12 points.]


    The weapon''s second forging was a success, which had a chance to increase the level of the existing special effect.


    So, the [Spirit Slash] effect was upgraded to LV2, improving the damage and the numeric value for weakening the target''s Spiritual Attribute.


    The Attack Power also increased from 150 to 210 points.


    This Attack Power was very fierce, and swordsman weapons could gain the addition of Strength attribute.


    With the current Attack Power and special effect damage of the Aurora Blade, a demon below level 20 would be instantly killed with a casual swing.


    This time''s venture into the Abyss World was fruitful, not only did the Aurora Blade ascend to level B, but he also obtained a Crystal Core.


    Before, in the Abyss, there was no time to check.


    Now taking it out for a look, it was a Skill Crystal Core [Barbaric Charge].


    [Barbaric Charge: Temporarily increase Strength attribute by 30%, initiating a fierce charge. Skill Consumption: 20 points of Source Energy; Skill Level C.]


    The Skill Effect was strong; temporarily increasing Strength attribute to initiate a charge, in the later stages, could break into a group of demons and send all the demons it passed flying.


    This was also the first skill Lu Heng acquired with a temporary attribute boost after his rebirth.


    The skill was also the most frequently used by the Horned Demon Commander, using the horns to initiate a Barbaric Charge, which was like a mad bull, the horns capable of impaling the target.


    With the second forging of the Aurora Blade complete, Lu Heng thanked Master Gulu and then came out of Quenching Castle.


    It was a bit late when he came out; it was already eleven o''clock at night.


    As he just walked out of the tunnel, someone came towards him, emitting a strong aura of a Superpower User.


    Lu Heng wasn''t sure who the other person was; it could be a member of the creator club, or someone sent by the Chunshang Group, or another Superpower User who knew the entrance to Quenching Castle.


    The person was wearing a round top hat, and the neon light of Century Bridge splashed on one side of him, so he couldn''t see the face clearly, but he could tell it was a man, probably in his thirties.


    "Something up?"


    The other party was clearly looking for him, so Lu Heng stopped and asked. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Two things," the man replied, extending two fingers.


    "Tell me."


    "First, Mr. Kenji Ono would like to invite you for a drink of green liquor."


    "And the second?"


    "Did you kill the Black Wolf?" The man slightly raised his head, a cold glance flashing in his eyes.


    Hearing the question, Lu Heng already guessed the man''s identity, "Which wolf are you from the Wolfpack?"


    "Lone Wolf," the man answered calmly.


    The Wolfpack was a team of Superpower Users, led by five, all named after wolves.


    The Black Wolf that he had encountered in the Public Sea was one of the five leaders, and now another leader from the Wolfpack appeared here.


    Lu Heng curiously asked, "If I did kill the Black Wolf, and I agree to go drink with Kenji Ono, what do you plan to do?"


    The Lone Wolf''s expression stiffened, and he did not answer the question.


    Because Kenji Ono was the Asia-Pacific Region President of the Chunshang Group, he was the ultimate boss behind the pack.


    And he was just a leader within the pack.


    He was not qualified to disobey Kenji Ono''s order.


    And with Lu Heng''s current Quenching Master status, if he were willing to accept Kenji Ono''s invitation to join Chunshang Group, his status would be above his own.


    By then, even if Black Wolf had been killed by Lu Heng, he would have no recourse.


    After a long silence, Lone Wolf made a gesture of invitation: "The car''s waiting up on the riverbank."


    Lu Heng tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "Hearing you ask about Black Wolf''s death, I thought you still had some fight in you. Turns out you''ve been domesticated already, you shouldn''t be called a wolf anymore."


    Lone Wolf''s expression stiffened again, his face coloring slightly.


    Lu Heng had no interest in wasting any more time with him. He walked towards the riverbank and said, "Go back and tell Kenji Ono that I don''t drink, nor am I interested in joining Chunshang Group."


    After hearing this, Lone Wolf slowly clenched his fist and squeezed out the same question from between his teeth: "Did you kill Black Wolf?"


    As Lu Heng walked by him, he replied, "No."


    Lone Wolf couldn''t accept this, and a circle of thunder and lightning sprung from his palm, grasping towards Lu Heng''s shoulder.


    Lu Heng''s gaze turned icy, he raised his hand and seized Lone Wolf''s wrist, generating a circle of even more powerful thunderous power, and with a forceful press downwards, pinned him down to one knee.


    Lone Wolf still wanted to struggle, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t break free from Lu Heng''s suppression.


    At this moment, he realized how terrifyingly strong Lu Heng truly was.


    His own level was top-tier among current Superpower Users, having risen to Level 19, with a Strength attribute reaching 38 points, already one of the elite existences in the first tier of Superpower Users.


    However, without Lu Heng even using his full strength, he had been forced to kneel, the gap was so large that there was no room for struggle.


    "Do you know what you''re doing?" Lu Heng''s voice carried a hint of chill.


    Lone Wolf felt a powerful oppressive force even on a spiritual level and quickly begged for mercy, "I''m sorry, I give up. I''m also convinced that you didn''t kill Black Wolf; someone as strong as you have no need to lie to someone as inconsequential as me."


    Lu Heng let go of him and asked, "What is Chunshang Group implying now?"


    Lone Wolf was silent for two seconds before responding, "Mr. Kenji Ono wishes to invite you to serve as the Chief Quenching Master, and you can have whatever you want as long as you agree."


    Lu Heng then asked, "And if I don''t agree?"


    Lone Wolf lowered his head, not answering the question.


    With his status, he also had no way of answering.


    Seeing his silence, Lu Heng roughly understood what it meant.


    ...


    The next afternoon.


    Lin Zeyu came running to Jinxiu Imperial View and asked, "I had the group''s finance department transfer money to you; did you receive it?"


    Lu Heng had received it in the morning and nodded, "I received it."


    Then Lin Zeyu brought over a residential layout plan of a complex in Mingqiong District''s Qionghua Tianglu Lake and asked, "Take a look and see if there''s one you like; any floor in these two buildings is available."


    The complex had very good surroundings, being one of the best in the Mingqiong District.


    "You can get access to so many properties?" Lu Heng was a bit curious.


    "With the connections controlled by quenching, getting hold of two buildings isn''t too difficult," Lin Zeyu grinned with a smug laugh.


    "Then should I be taking some interest?" Lu Heng looked at his smug expression and inexplicably felt like beating him up.


    "No problem, you can pick any apartment from these buildings. After you choose, just move in, and I''ll handle all the paperwork; it''s all on me," Lin Zeyu said, patting his chest with a very generous look.


    In fact, he had already heard the news that Chunshang Group wanted to poach Lu Heng.


    Had it not been for the fairly good relationship between the two men, few could resist the offer Chunshang Group had made.


    So now, he really wanted to give Lu Heng more, but he was afraid the gift wouldn''t be accepted.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and then said, "How about you prepare a contract? It doesn''t seem right for me to take things without something in return, let''s put it on paper."


    Lin Zeyu instantly perked up, "Really?"


    Lu Heng nodded: "Really."


    Lin Zeyu jumped up and hugged Lu Heng tightly. "Then it''s settled; I''ll have someone prepare the contract right away. We''ll just sign it for the formality, and everything will be the same as before."


    In the current era, as long as one''s strength was strong enough, even with a signed contract, one could back out at any time.


    The reason Lu Heng proactively suggested signing a contract was really to show his stance and to avoid further harassment from other financial groups.


    Moreover, with a contract, he could openly choose an apartment, and the house payment could be included in the contract.


    Having settled this matter, Lin Zeyu remembered something else and asked, "Are you going to the Ultimate Auction tonight?"


    Lu Heng wasn''t interested and waved his hand dismissively.


    Lin Zeyu handed him an auction brochure and asked, "Have a look at this auction item, called a ''Team Contract.'' According to the brochure, it allows Superpower Users to form a team and enter the Abyss Battlefield together when they are conscripted. Is this really possible?"


    As soon as Lu Heng heard it was a Team Contract, he became interested and took it to have a look.


    The Team Contract was a type of item obtained from the Abyss Battlefield; Superpower Users who signed their names on it would be regarded as a team, and when conscripted, they would enter the Abyss Battlefield together.


    This Team Contract was incredibly rare, and he had not expected it to appear at this Ultimate Auction.


    "If there is such a thing, then it''s indeed worth taking a look."

 Chapter 116 - 105: The Highly Sought-After Su Muyu

    Ningyun District, No. 12 Fengqi Alley.


    This was an old-style house, four stories tall, with the landlord renting out each floor to a different household.


    Su Muyu and her mother lived on the third floor.


    The building was a bit old, but its advantage was that each floor had an independent kitchen and bathroom.


    Su Muyu had followed her mother in moving homes three times as she grew up. Once when she started elementary school, they moved closer to the school; a second time when she entered junior high, they moved closer to that school.


    The third time was when she started high school, but they didn''t move close to the high school.


    Because the high school was a key city school, the surrounding area was extremely valuable, and no affordable rental properties were available.


    Moreover, after Su Muyu started high school, she chose to board at school and didn''t need to move close to it.


    Therefore, the last time Su Mu moved, she relocated close to the garment factory where she worked. That way, she wouldn''t have to worry about coming home late from overtime work and could earn a little more money.


    Ever since Abyss Descent, Su Muyu had become a Superpower User, and her level was very high, which made her a lot of money.


    The money she earned was enough to improve their lifestyle, but still not quite enough to buy a house.


    Originally, Su Muyu wanted her mother to move to a better neighborhood, but Su Mu didn''t want to move and preferred to save money.


    Given the environment Su Muyu grew up in, it''s not surprising that she too developed a frugal nature, let alone how stubborn Su Mu could be about this.


    Moreover, most of the residents in Fengqi Alley were employees of the garment factory and knew each other well, so they were accustomed to living there.


    Therefore, Su Muyu did not force her mother to move.


    That afternoon.


    Su Muyu returned from outside, opened the door without changing shoes, and saw many gift boxes piled up in the living room.


    "Mom, mom, who sent all these things?"


    Su Mu came out of the kitchen beaming, saying, "A company sent them over, they are all for you, as a thank you for your help."


    "What help? I haven''t helped any company," Su Muyu furrowed her brows immediately.


    Su Mu frowned and said, "These are all nice things, you know. I opened one box and looked, it''s not a scam, and the people who gave the gifts didn''t ask for anything else, they just left after giving them."


    Su Muyu was even more puzzled and hastily asked, "Who sent them? You can''t just randomly accept things from people."


    "Your mom has lived for most of her life, and this is the first time someone has delivered a gift to our door, I didn''t know what to do," Su Mu quickly explained, seeing that her daughter''s expression was not quite right.


    "It''s okay, you just tell me, who sent them?"


    Su Muyu knew her mother''s character, a meticulous person who had worked hard to raise her. Suddenly receiving gifts would certainly make her both happy and unsure of how to react.


    Su Mu took out a business card and said, "That person also left a business card. They even said if you join their company, they will continue to support your studies. You won''t need to work, and they''ll still pay you a salary every month. The salary they offered is higher than your mom''s annual salary in one month."


    When Su Muyu saw the business card, it confirmed her guess ¨C it was indeed from Chunshang Group.


    She took a deep breath and said, "Mom, these things aren''t for me. They don''t want to hire me; they want me to persuade Lu Heng to join them."


    Su Mu had heard Lu Heng''s name a few times, knew he was her daughter''s classmate, and that they were close, but had never met him.


    Seeing her daughter''s furrowed brow, she immediately became worried, "Darling, has mom caused trouble for you?"


    Su Muyu saw her mother''s worried face and quickly calmed down, adopting a serene expression, "You don''t need to worry, I''ll handle this. After I find that person, I''ll return the gifts."


    "In the future, if this happens again, just refuse everything. Don''t accept anything, and if we want something, we''ll buy it ourselves.


    "I can make money now, right? I gave you the debit card, didn''t I? You know how much money is in there."


    To soothe her mother''s heart, she had given the bank card from the team bonus to her mother to manage.


    For someone like Su Mu, who had worked hard for half her life, having some money in hand made her feel hopeful about the future.


    Su Muyu understood her mother''s personality well, so in order to reassure her, she left the money in her care.


    Su Mu held onto the money but was reluctant to spend it. Just checking the balance each month was enough to give her peace of mind.


    Still, she remained somewhat concerned, "Darling, aren''t you too young to be earning money? Won''t you get tired?"


    Su Muyu smiled broadly, "No. With someone shielding me from wind and rain ahead, it''s not tiring at all."


    "That''s good, that''s good," Su Mu had always known her daughter was smart. To ensure Su Muyu could study properly, she had always moved with her daughter as she progressed through school.


    She also knew that Su Muyu was now a Superpower User, just like the ones frequently featured on TV news.


    She felt proud of her daughter''s abilities, but she couldn''t help worrying.


    ...


    As Su Muyu was considering how to deal with these gifts, her cell phone rang.


    Upon checking, she saw it was Lu Heng who had called.


    Seeing the name on her phone, Su Muyu''s eyes sparkled a bit more, and upon answering, she asked, "Hey, what made you think to call me all of a sudden?"


    Lu Heng, "There''s an Ultimate Auction tonight with some rare items. Lin Zeyu and I are going to check it out. I was wondering if you''d like to come along."


    Su Muyu agreed without a second thought, "Sure. When shall we go?"


    Lu Heng, "A car''s already coming to pick you up. Before we go, we need to find you an evening gown, so you''ll need to come and pick one out."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips, "Is it that troublesome?"


    Lu Heng actually wanted to see Su Muyu in an evening gown; she would definitely look beautiful.


    In his previous life, since he was always in a wheelchair, he had never seen her wearing an evening gown.


    After the phone call.


    Su Muyu reached out to hug her mother and said, "Don''t worry, life will get better and better, and you won''t have to work so hard."


    "Alright," Su Mu knew her daughter was smart, having been clever since childhood, and felt very reassured. A mist formed in her eyes, which she hastily wiped away with the back of her hand.


    ...


    Su Muyu left the house, got into a car at the intersection of Fengqi Sanxiang, and headed for Century Square.


    Lu Heng sat with her in the back seat, speaking softly.


    After carefully choosing her words, Su Muyu said, "Um... I have something to tell you. Chunshang Group has sent many gifts to my house. My mom didn''t know why and accepted them all.


    "I will find a way to return the items in a few days. I''m worried Chunshang Group might use this to make demands of you, so I wanted to give you a heads-up."


    Lu Heng looked at her worried expression, smiled, and said, "It''s a small matter; my family received a bunch too. if you don''t want it, you can just throw it away. Or you can find a second-hand gift shop to take everything and pay back the value in cash."


    Su Muyu nodded and said, "That does seem more convenient."


    Lu Heng watched her expressions for a while, making her feel awkward.


    Su Muyu shrank into her seat and asked with pursed lips, "Why are you staring at me like that?"


    Lu Heng could probably guess how Chunshang Group had persuaded her mother, so he asked, "How much money did Chunshang Group promise your mother?"


    "Um..."


    Su Muyu hesitated before answering, "One hundred thousand a month... as salary."


    Now, when major forces sign Superpower Users, they have to pay a salary. One hundred thousand a month isn''t low, but for Su Muyu''s level, it''s not extravagant.


    Lu Heng adjusted the front passenger seat and asked, "Is Huan Yu still signing people?"


    Lin Zeyu, who was taken aback, almost jumped up and quickly turned to say, "We are! Would Lady Su be willing to sign with Huan Yu?"


    A Superpower User like Su Muyu, who is already level 20, and especially a Support system Power User with a higher difficulty in leveling up, was highly sought after by numerous Superpower User teams.


    Lin Zeyu had previously not thought about it; since he assumed Su Muyu was negotiating with Lu Heng, he worried that if he approached her for a contract, Lu Heng might think he was poaching, so he never considered this option.


    "Ah?" Su Muyu was a bit stunned, not quite understanding the current situation.


    Lu Heng directly asked, "If Mu Yu signs with Huan Yu, what kind of contract will you offer her?"


    Lin Zeyu said loudly, "Of course, the top-level contract, the highest of the top. No, double the top-level contract."


    Signing this contract wasn''t just about securing a level 20 Support system Superpower User; it was akin to tying Lu Heng, a major influencer, to them.


    Such a deal, if given to Chunshang Group, would be astronomical.


    Su Muyu didn''t want to be too exceptional and quickly waved her hands, "No need for it to be that high; just a normal contract is fine."


    Being that smart, she knew that signing this contract was like implicitly tying Lu Heng down.


    But she didn''t want to limit Lu Heng because of her, so she didn''t plan to accept special treatment.


    After some serious thought, she emphasized, "I''m willing to sign with Huan Yu as a Support system Superpower User, but I want to earn my benefits based solely on my abilities, without involving anyone else."


    "Definitely, and certainly, if Lady Su is willing, the salary will be top-notch. Switching to another company would only offer a higher price," Lin Zeyu was ready to agree to anything.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "Chunshang Group found your house; do you want to move too? I''m planning to have my parents move to Qionghua Tianglu Lake."


    "Uh..."


    Su Muyu was momentarily stunned; she had considered it, but her savings were a bit short of the mark.


    In fact, in the past few months, she had saved almost a million.


    That amount of money was astronomical for her mother, who had not seen so much money in her entire life.


    However, that sum was indeed too meager to buy a house in Coastal.


    Let alone in a high-end residential area like Qionghua Tianglu Lake.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Zeyu thought: That''s my cue!


    He immediately slapped the back of the seat and said, "Right, move to Qionghua Tianglu Lake! The company will offer you a zero-interest mortgage. The monthly payment will be deducted from your salary. How does that sound?"


    He had secured two buildings in Qionghua Tianglu Lake. Offering one of them to sign Su Muyu, the influential Power User, was more than worth it.


    "Is that possible?" Su Muyu was unsure and the swift resolution made it all feel surreal to her.


    "Of course, it''s possible; I couldn''t ask for anything better. Plus, Lu Heng''s parents will also move to Qionghua Tianglu Lake. You''ll be neighbors then." Lin Zeyu chuckled, finding the detail of being "neighbors" quite pivotal.


    Su Muyu''s heart began to pound wildly, overwhelmed by the sudden happiness; she stammered, "Then... then, will my salary be enough to cover the monthly payment?"


    "Of course, it will be enough! Oh my, Lady Su, do you really not know? Whichever Superpower User team you sign with now will offer you a seven-figure annual salary," Lin Zeyu was all too familiar with this; he''d been recruiting and losing recruits constantly.


    The salaries that competitors offered high-level Superpower Users were sky-high. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Then... then, alright." Su Muyu tried to contain her joy but couldn''t help smiling.

 Chapter 117 - 106: Sky-High Auction, Team Contract

    Century Square, Coastal flagship store of Yayun Apparel.


    This is the Lin family''s high-end clothing brand, primarily dealing in suits, formal wear, and wedding dresses.


    Lin Zeyu brought two people to Yayun''s flagship store and was immediately greeted by a staff member.


    "Pick some evening dresses for them, just a regular dinner party, nothing too formal," Lin Zeyu mentioned, not bringing up the auction, only mentioning a regular dinner party.


    "Alright," the female staff member promptly led Su Muyu inside to choose her dress.


    Lu Heng was more casual, "Just find me a comfortable suit to wear."


    All the suits here are tailored; the store''s designer, by measuring Lu Heng''s shoulder width with his fingers, knew almost exactly what size was needed.


    Thus, Lu Heng quickly tried on a notched lapel suit, didn''t bother changing into another, and directly went back to the sofa area to wait.


    Lin Zeyu, already bored, picked up a fashion magazine from the sofa area leafing through it, which featured photos of supermodels from various major fashion weeks.


    Dressing up was more troublesome for girls, starting with wearing an undergarment as a hugely time-consuming task.


    And Su Muyu, having no experience at all, had to ask the female staff member everything.


    Especially for many evening dresses, where shoulder straps shouldn''t show, necessitating an invisible bra.


    The female staff member picked out a lovely evening dress for Su Muyu to try on.


    After waiting for over ten minutes, Su Muyu finally emerged from the dressing room.


    Lu Heng looked up, his eyes bulging; it indeed looked good, but the neckline was too low.


    Su Muyu came out covering her chest with her hands, feeling uncomfortable.


    Lin Zeyu put down the magazine preparing to look at her.


    Lu Heng grabbed the magazine and threw it into Lin Zeyu''s face, saying, "Look at your magazine."


    "Ouch..." Lin Zeyu flopped onto the sofa and started to feign injury, "My handsome face, you''ll have to compensate."


    Lu Heng stepped forward and said, "Let''s change it."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips and asked, "Doesn''t it look good?"


    "It looks good, but don''t you feel uncomfortable?" Lu Heng didn''t know how to explain.


    "Indeed uncomfortable. Then I''ll go change," Su Muyu said as she headed back to the dressing room.


    Lu Heng reminded the female staff member, "Find something livelier, with a higher neckline."


    The female staff member nodded in understanding and turned to select an appropriate evening gown.


    Lu Heng sat back in the sofa area and waited another fifteen minutes.


    Su Muyu came out from the dressing room, this time wearing a gown with sheer sleeves and a naturally beautiful skirt line.


    Paired with small leather shoes and lace-patterned stockings, it looked elegant yet vibrant.


    "That''s it, let''s go," Lu Heng decided immediately, mainly because just trying on two outfits took half an hour. If they continued, the auction might end.


    The female staff member chuckled, "Aren''t you going to ask the girl what she thinks?" sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu, lifting her skirt, twirled left and right, asking, "How is it?"


    "Very good, this is the one," Lu Heng urged.


    "That''s so dismissive," Su Muyu puckered her lips, murmuring a complaint, but she was delighted inside, her face full of smiles.


    After all, as a girl, wearing beautiful clothes always makes one happy.


    Coming out of Century Square, the three directly headed to the venue of the Ultimate Auction.


    The venue was decorated magnificently and atmospherically.


    At seven in the evening.


    The three, carrying invitations, passed through security and entered the venue.


    The Ultimate Auction was not just a mere auction but also a social gathering for the elite class.


    Indeed, many attended the auction just to meet top Superpower Users; the auction was secondary.


    Lu Heng, holding Su Muyu''s hand, entered the venue and saw many elites, clutching wine glasses, gathered in small groups to chat.


    Once inside, Lin Zeyu occasionally met acquaintances and waved to greet them.


    Here, Lu Heng occasionally saw a few familiar faces.


    After all, the Power Users attending this auction were the top tier of the current phase, many of whom would also be famous in later times.


    However, Lu Heng''s current identity had no intersection with these people, so he planned not to initiate greetings but stood with Su Muyu in a corner of the venue, speaking softly.


    At that moment,


    a few men in suits approached; among them, a short middle-aged man went up to Lu Heng, greeted him in awkward Chinese, "Hello, Mr. Lu Heng."


    Lu Heng didn''t recognize the person and looked confused.


    A nearby secretary quickly helped introduce, "Mr. Lu Heng, this is Mr. Kenji Ono."


    Kenji Ono continued, "I couldn''t invite you for a drink a few days ago; I wonder if I might have the honor tonight?"


    When Lu Heng heard it was Kenji Ono, he knew what it was about.


    Kenji Ono was the president of the Asia-Pacific Region for Chunshang Group, the shadowy boss behind the wolf pack.


    The renowned Quenching Master He Shangyong, promoted by Chunshang Group, had fame but lacked ability.


    So, Chunshang Group had recently approached Lu Heng, offering a guaranteed contract of one billion a year.


    Before Lu Heng could respond,


    Lin Zeyu hurriedly left the woman he was flirting with, rushed over, blocked Kenji Ono, and said, "Sorry, Lu Heng has already signed with me and cannot accommodate Mr. Ono''s wishes."


    "What a pity. However, Chunshang Group''s doors will always be open to Mr. Lu Heng. Not limited to the Asia-Pacific Region, whenever Mr. Lu Heng wishes, he could become the most famous Quenching Master worldwide," Even knowing Lu Heng had signed elsewhere, Kenji Ono continued to extend an olive branch.

 Chapter 118 - 106 Exorbitant Auction, Team Contract_2

    After all, contracts can be broken, and the Chunshang Group doesn''t mind paying a penalty, even if it''s astronomically high.


    With Lin Zeyu here, there''s not much point in continuing the conversation.


    Kenji Ono raised his glass with a smile and then turned and walked away.


    ...


    At 7:30 p.m.


    The Ultimate Auction officially began, with elites from various major forces gradually taking their seats.


    In addition to the seats in the hall, there were twelve compartments on the second-floor terrace.


    One of them belonged to the Lin Family.


    Lu Heng and his two companions went up to the second-floor terrace and entered the compartment. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the wall of the compartment, there was a display screen that was broadcasting close-up images of the auction items in real-time.


    Moreover, standing in front of the compartment''s terrace, one could also directly see the auction items on the host stage.


    In fact, even without seeing the auction items, it wouldn''t affect the bidding.


    Because the information about the auction items had already been printed into colorful brochures, one for each guest attending tonight.


    Especially for items like the Skill Crystal Cores, their functions were presented directly in the form of data, so there was no worry about encountering counterfeits as one might with antiques.


    Items that made it to the auction were all meticulously selected, not only high in level but also stronger in practical Effect.


    The auction officially commenced, and the first item was presented.


    The auctioneer began to introduce the item, "Let''s look at our first item tonight. It''s a Skill Crystal Core. On page seven of the brochure is ''Fluid Metal,'' a B-Level Skill, a very powerful ability..."


    Su Muyu flipped to page seven of the brochure, which contained the data information of the ''Fluid Metal'' Skill Crystal Core.


    "Looking at the data, the Effect is indeed impressive."


    Lin Zeyu also picked up a brochure to check, and after a while, he turned his head and asked, "Lu Heng, what do you think of this Skill?"


    "It''s okay, it lives up to its B-Level," Lu Heng gave an impartial Evaluation.


    The Skills obtained through the Crystal Cores were displayed on the data interface, including their Skill Level.


    However, within the same level, there were variations in strength.


    Moreover, some Skills had extremely strong practical Effects, even exceeding their level.


    Similarly, some Skills were rated B-Level but when actually used, the Effects were not ideal.


    This ''Fluid Metal'' Skill, simply put, is about converting Source Energy into a metal catalyst, which can melt various metals into a fluid state like mercury at room temperature.


    When the Source Energy is withdrawn, the metal loses its fluidity and reverts back to a solid structure.


    Hence, this Skill, in practical use, can have many unique applications.


    Of course, if there had to be a downside to this Skill, it would be that it has no Attack Power.


    Yes, this is a Skill that does not inherently possess Attack Power.


    Whether or not someone will bid for it depends on whether they can see its true value.


    Lin Zeyu thoughtfully asked, "What price do you think this Skill could fetch?"


    "It''s hard to say. Skills without Attack Power aren''t necessarily hotly contested, but the Effect of this Skill is actually quite useful. If someone understands its Effect, they might bid a lot of money for it," Lu Heng assessed.


    Skills like ''Fluid Metal'' which have strong uses but lack Attack Power are the most volatile in price.


    This is somewhat different from Skills with Attack Power.


    Skills with Attack Power usually have more stable prices.


    Just by looking at the Attack Power value, one can know the approximate price.


    Moreover, Skills with Attack Power tend to attract many competitors.


    Lin Zeyu then asked, "What price do you think it can be bought for? If the price is not too high, it wouldn''t be a loss to buy it."


    He could see that the Skill was very effective, but he wasn''t quite sure what price would make it worthwhile, hence the question.


    Lu Heng didn''t answer his question but instead turned to look at him and asked, "Do you have plenty of funds available right now?"


    "Uh... I suppose so," Lin Zeyu''s tone wasn''t very certain.


    He had indeed prepared some funds for this auction, but whether it was sufficient was hard to tell.


    Lu Heng said, "If you''re aiming for that final team Contract at the end, I suggest you save your money. That item is likely to be fiercely contested by many major forces."


    Lin Zeyu also knew that the team Contract would be highly sought after, but he had no idea to what extent.


    He didn''t have an idea, but Lu Heng did.


    Because, in his previous life, he had seen many major forces fighting over a team Contract.


    ...


    The bidding for the ''Fluid Metal'' Crystal Core officially started, with the starting bid at 10 million, and gradually people bid higher.


    At this stage, the price of a B-Level Crystal Core usually hovered around 20 million, although the starting bid would generally be set lower.


    This Crystal Core had gone through several bids, and the price had risen from 10 million to 30 million.


    A price of 30 million was already above the average for a B-Level.


    Of course, the prices of Skill Crystal Cores were determined by their Skill Effects and did not have a uniform price.


    Lin Zeyu wanted to participate in the bidding to see if he could get it for a decent price, so he asked, "Can it be bought for 30 million?"


    "A price of 30 million isn''t a loss, but there isn''t much room for growth," Lu Heng replied.


    Lin Zeyu thought for a while and decided to test the waters, raising the bid to 35 million.


    Then, other bidders raised the price further, pushing it to 40 million.


    This price was essentially the fair price for this Crystal Core. If someone specialized in Metal Element Abilities saw a need, they might continue bidding. If not, a price of 40 million would about top it off.

 Chapter 119 - 106: Sky-High Auction, Team Contract_3

    Lu Heng had initially thought the price would be set like that, but unexpectedly, another bidder placed a bid, pushing the price to 45 million.


    The [Fluid Metal] eventually sold for 45 million.


    Looking at the price of the first item, it was clear that the items in the Ultimate Auction were indeed valuable, and the families and forces participating in the auction also had significant financial power. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The subsequent items were sequentially put up for auction, and all were sold, with the lowest going for 20 million and the highest reaching 80 million.


    Lu Heng had been somewhat interested in the item that reached 80 million.


    It was a [Spirit Resistance Ring], capable of increasing the wearer''s resistance to mental attacks and pollution.


    However, despite the item not increasing Attack Power, there were knowledgeable people on the scene, and the price quickly shot up to 80 million.


    After the previous items had been auctioned off, the climax of the auction arrived with the last item up for sale: the [Team Contract].


    The auctioneer briefly introduced the history of this item, then said, "The introduction of this [Team Contract] is on page seventeen of the information booklet; our esteemed guests can check it. The large screen will also display detailed data about this item, as well as evaluations by powerful Superpower Soldiers."


    The information booklets had already been sent to the invitees when the auction was being prepared.


    Thus, many of the major powers attending tonight were specifically there for this [Team Contract].


    Lu Heng opened the booklet to page seventeen, glanced at the data, and it was just as he remembered.


    This item had appeared in his past life, around the same time, and had sold for a staggeringly high price.


    This item could affect the conscription rules of the Abyss Battlefield.


    Normally, the conscription into the Abyss Battlefield was random, making it hard to influence.


    Once the conscription countdown ended, Superpower Users would inevitably be transported into the Abyss Battlefield.


    In his past life, many research institutions had studied the conscription rules of the Abyss Battlefield and tried various methods to prevent transportation, but none were successful.


    Only a few items obtained from the Abyss could influence the conscription rules of the Abyss Battlefield.


    The [Team Contract] was one of them.


    Lin Zeyu had been studying the effects of this item over the past two days.


    According to the data, it was a contract that could bind five Superpower Users together; when conscripted to the Abyss Battlefield, all five would be summoned together.


    What would this mean for large families and powers?


    The first time Lin Zeyu received a conscription, the Lin Family, to protect him, used connections nationwide to find other Superpower Users with the same countdown, then spent money training these Power Users to accompany Lin Zeyu into the Abyss Battlefield.


    By doing this, the Lin Family ensured Lin Zeyu could safely get through his first experience on the Abyss Battlefield.


    This method indeed achieved the effect of protecting a specific individual, but as the Danger Level of the Abyss Battlefield increased and powerful Superpower Users formed organized groups, this method became increasingly difficult to implement.


    The [Team Contract] could provide a permanent solution to this problem.


    Thus, to those world-class families and forces, the role of this [Team Contract] was to find four Power Users to protect an important target.


    Heirs of great families, descendants of higher-ups, and rulers of large conglomerates, once conscripted, would need such a [Team Contract] to ensure their safety.


    Thus, one could well imagine what final price this item would fetch at the auction.

 Chapter 120 - 107: Team Contract? Thigh Contract!

    The atmosphere within the auction hall had evidently shifted as the final lot of the evening was presented.


    Tonight, a total of 16 lots were auctioned, and the "Team Contract" was the last.


    Before this lot was introduced, at least half of the guests in attendance hadn''t participated in bidding.


    This implied that most of these individuals had come specifically for the "Team Contract."


    Lin Zeyu started to feel anxious, for he needed this "Team Contract."


    Though officially named "Team Contract," it was colloquially known as the "Leg-hugging Handbook."


    The Lin Family, in an attempt to save his life, had once splurged on connections to hire Superpower Users to accompany him into the Abyss Battlefield.


    However, this tactic was becoming increasingly difficult to execute.


    If one still wished to join a team to venture into the Abyss Battlefield, then acquiring the "Team Contract" was the best option.


    All he had to do was to shell out the money for this contract and write the names of Lu Heng and Su Muyu on it, and it would be settled.


    The problem was, he could also sense that most of the guests in the twelve private rooms on the second floor were interested in this contract, and a few were determined to win it at all costs.


    Moreover, those attending the auction were not only from families in the Coastal region.


    Lin Zeyu had noticed that people had come from the capital, which indicated just how intense the competition would be.


    He wanted this item.


    Other heirs of his status from different families surely wanted it as well.


    And these people were not lacking in funds.


    Moreover, bidding on this item was akin to buying a lifeline.


    Lin Zeyu felt increasingly uneasy about the funds he had prepared. Turning to Lu Heng, he whispered in his ear, "What do you think this contract will sell for? Nine figures are a sure thing, do you think it will go up to ten?"


    Lu Heng glanced at him, and after a while, replied, "It''s possible."


    Thus far,


    the highest bid of the night had reached 80 million, with none surpassing the billion mark.


    It was almost certain that the "Team Contract" would exceed one billion, but whether it would reach ten billion was another question.


    If there was an heir of a financial empire present who had been summoned and was in a precarious situation, then there would be no limit to the bidding.


    Lin Zeyu felt the growing difficulty of the competition, stood up, took a few steps, and then pointed to the door, saying, "I''ll step out to make a call."


    After speaking, he left the private room to find a place to call.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu stayed behind, watching the auctioneer introduce the "Team Contract."


    Although the data booklet contained information on the "Team Contract," there were some rules that wouldn''t be reflected in the data.


    These rules significantly impacted the price.


    And since there was only one "Team Contract," these rules couldn''t be tested, so one could only guess.


    What the auctioneer was currently discussing was an analysis of this contract by some research institutions, though its accuracy wasn''t guaranteed.


    For instance,


    the data clearly indicated that the "Team Contract" allowed for five people''s names to be inscribed, binding them into a team.


    This raised several questions.


    Must the Superpower Users sign personally?


    What would happen if someone else''s name was written?


    If one could write someone else''s name, it would mean pulling anyone into the Abyss Battlefield.


    However, the auctioneer had already dismissed this possibility from the stage.


    Considering the multitude of people with the same name worldwide, it was nearly certain that only the individual''s own signature would be valid.


    Furthermore, there was another critical question. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Should one of the five signatories die, what would happen?


    Could another name be signed in replacement of the deceased?


    This detail, too, was absent from the item''s data.


    Yet, this matter was crucial.


    If a substitution was permissible after a death, the implications were terrifying.


    Major powers could replace members at will simply by taking one out.


    The ambiguity of this rule shrouded the contract in a menacing veil of blood.


    Of course, this rule was unclear only to others.


    Lu Heng was well aware of the truth.


    Once the "Team Contract" had five names inscribed, the binding of the team would be fixed; no additions or subtractions could be made.


    If one were to die, then the team would be left with just four members, with no possibility of adding another.


    In other words, the "Team Contract" could only ever bear five names, and following the signatures, no alterations were allowed.


    ...


    Su Muyu looked up and whispered to Lu Heng, "Do you want this?"


    Lu Heng''s eyes carried a trace of emotion as he replied, "I do, but we can''t afford it."


    Indeed, they couldn''t afford it now; the final price could very well reach ten billion, which was beyond what the two of them could procure.


    Su Muyu sighed, pursing her lips, and said, "That''s true, I don''t even have a million to offer."


    Lu Heng could see that Lin Zeyu definitely desired it.


    In fact, Lin Zeyu''s fate had already begun to change.


    In his previous life, he had actually died in the Evil God''s Burial Ground, and thus there was no "afterward."


    Because of Lu Heng''s appearance, he was able to return alive from the Evil God''s Burial Ground, and he had the opportunity to participate in this auction.


    While the two were talking,


    a knocking sound echoed from outside the door.


    Lu Heng thought it was Lin Zeyu returning from his phone call, so he got up to open the door, only to see Pu Lizhi standing there.


    Pu Lizhi respectfully greeted, "Mr. Lu, may I have a word with you?"


    Lu Heng did not know what he wanted, so he walked with him to the end of the hallway to hear what he had to say.


    Pu Lizhi was the assistant president of the Chunshang Group in the Asia-Pacific Region, wielding considerable power.


    "Mr. Lu, Mr. Ono has an idea, for the Chunshang Group to win the bid for this ''Team Contract,'' and then Mr. Ono would only need two of the contract spots, with the other three spots gifted to Mr. Lu, unconditionally."


    Upon hearing this, Lu Heng couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow, suddenly realizing that this Kenji Ono was indeed very adept at conducting business and maintaining relationships.


    He could even use such a ''Team Contract'' to pull people together.


    According to Kenji Ono''s suggestion, the three spots on the contract were to be directly gifted.


    Meaning, Lu Heng could have Su Muyu sign the contract with him, and could even bring along another person.


    If the price of the ''Team Contract'' were tentatively set at one billion, then those three spots would be worth six hundred million; a gift of six hundred million without conditions was indeed a bold move.


    Anyone else hearing such generous terms would probably have agreed right away.


    However, Lu Heng read something else between the lines.


    Kenji Ono wanted to bid on this ''Team Contract,'' but only needed two spots.


    Which meant that the Chunshang Group had an important person who needed this contract for protection.


    Certainly not to protect two people, because if it were to protect two, no spots would be given away.


    After all, a spot for a "bodyguard" must be reserved.


    Furthermore, once Lu Heng agreed to this, it would mean he would become the "bodyguard" of that crucial person in the Chunshang Group.


    After all, their interests would be tied together, and he would also be transported to the Abyss Battlefield with the person Chunshang Group wanted to protect, and in such a situation, he would definitely have to put in the effort to protect that person.


    After tying the interests together, it would be much simpler to continue building connections.


    After some thought, Lu Heng ultimately refused the proposal, "Forget it, I don''t want to be a bodyguard for someone with an unknown identity."


    If Lin Zeyu were to win this ''Team Contract,''


    Lu Heng would, however, be willing to sign it, as Lin Zeyu was relatively easy to get along with and didn''t have any messy ideas.


    Simply put, Lin Zeyu was very skilled at "hitching a ride."


    Yes, even "hitching a ride" required skill.


    If it were someone who was full of themselves, bursting with ideas yet utterly foolish,


    Lu Heng wouldn''t even give them a chance to get close.


    When Lin Zeyu was in the Abyss Battlefield, he initially wanted to be the team leader, but as soon as he realized that there were superpowered individuals nearby, he immediately switched to "leg-hair mode," and the transition was incredibly smooth, without any hindrance.


    ...


    When Lu Heng returned to the private room, Lin Zeyu was already seated, nervously focusing on the screen where the ''Team Contract'' was displayed.


    For Lu Heng, this contract was an item for establishing a stable team.


    But to Lin Zeyu, it was his strongest life-saving tool, second only to infinite resurrection.


    After a while, there was another knock on the door.


    Lin Zeyu hurried to open it, and in came a middle-aged man who bore a resemblance to Lin Zeyu.


    "This is my uncle," Lin Zeyu quickly introduced. "And these two are my friends."


    Since he was the elder relative, Lu Heng and Su Muyu stood up hastily, but they didn''t know how to address him.


    "If you don''t mind, you can call me the same as Zeyu, or you can call me ''Uncle Yu'' if you like," Yu Heping said with a hearty smile as he greeted them first.


    "Uh... hello, Uncle Yu," said Lu Heng and Su Muyu.


    Lin Zeyu invited his uncle to sit down, pointing at the item displayed on the screen, "This is it, the Team Contract. It can bind five people together; when summoned, they''ll be transported to the Abyss Battlefield together."


    Yu Heping was close with his nephew, so he knew what Lin Zeyu had experienced in the Abyss Battlefield.


    After giving it some thought, he asked, "This item is indeed very important, but how much more do you think you need?"


    Lin Zeyu stretched out his hand, spreading his five fingers to show a number.


    "That''s not a small amount," Yu Heping murmured thoughtfully.


    The number that Lin Zeyu gestured meant five hundred million.


    Even a publicly-listed company couldn''t come up with five hundred million in cash just like that.


    Of course, as long as there are sufficient assets, this sum could be raised, just by mortgaging with a bank.


    "If I have this, then I can be in the same team as Lu Heng and her, it''s very important," Lin Zeyu emphasized again.


    He even turned to look at Lu Heng and added, "Right?"


    "Right?" Lu Heng smiled and raised an eyebrow.


    "Aren''t I right? You promised."


    "What did I promise?"


    Lin Zeyu quickly combed through his memories, trying to find proof of Lu Heng''s promise, but he suddenly realized that they hadn''t actually discussed this before, they were just talking about the value of the contract.


    His scalp at the back of his head stood up, and he began to be petulant, "I don''t care, you promised anyway."


    Lu Heng was just joking around, and seeing his friend''s uncle there, he decided not to tease him further and nodded, "Right, we agreed on that. However, the price of this contract is likely to be outrageous."


    After pondering for a moment and considering that his nephew''s life was at stake, Yu Heping took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I''ll prepare five hundred million for you."


    "Uncle Yu, you''re the best," Lin Zeyu clapped his hands together with relief, the infusion of five hundred million settling his worries.

 Chapter 121 - 108: A Piece of News Worth Three Hundred Million

    "The final item of tonight''s auction, a team contract, starting bid of 100 million, with each bid increment no less than 10 million. Let the auction begin."


    The auctioneer finished introducing the various data of the "team contract" and formally started the auction.


    The starting bid was set directly at 100 million, causing many who were interested in the contract but lacked financial power to give up.


    This starting price also meant that superpower users invited on the basis of their abilities almost stood no chance of competing.


    Now in the fourth month of the Abyss Descent, even superpower users endowed with exceptional talents would not have amassed such incredible wealth at this point.


    Hence, only those families and consortia with profound resources could participate in the auction.


    As the auction began, the frequency of bids was very high.


    Especially on the second floor in the private booths, bids were made frequently.


    More than half of these twelve booths, which had not participated in the bidding for previous items, were now eagerly placing bids.


    It was evident that these financially powerful entities were all targeting this contract.


    After a round of intense bidding, there were a total of 12 bids, and the price soared to 250 million.


    Then, from the third booth on the second floor, a direct bid of 300 million was placed, bringing a brief pause to the flurry of bids.


    However, it didn''t take long before another bid was made, increasing the price to 310 million.


    Subsequently, the two parties began to outbid each other, raising the price six times, reaching 400 million. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This price, already four times the starting bid, caused many in the audience to gasp in astonishment.


    Before coming, many were aware that the contract''s price would be high, but no one anticipated competition this fierce.


    And the situation of yet further escalating bids showed no signs of stopping.


    Lin Zeyu, watching the price climb higher, nervously jittered his leg: "This won''t do, at this rate, who knows how high it will go."


    Yu Heping pondered, "Let''s place a high bid. Incremental increases won''t stop the momentum."


    Lin Zeyu pressed the bidding button in the booth and spoke into the microphone, "500 million!"


    The auctioneer, exhilarated by the bid, announced, "500 million, guest in booth number seven on the second floor bids 500 million. Any higher offers?


    "Team contract, 500 million, for the first time.


    "Team contract, 500 million, for the second time..."


    The auctioneer was ready to grab the gavel.


    At this moment, a bid came again from the third booth, 550 million.


    The price jumped by 50 million.


    Lin Zeyu smacked his forehead, frustrated: "We were so close."


    Yu Heping, having contended on many a business battleground, remarked, "This might go up to a billion."


    "That''s beyond our capacity," Lin Zeyu responded with a frown.


    He turned to look at Lu Heng and asked, "Is there any way?"


    Lu Heng spread his hands, "At an auction, what can you do?"


    "That''s true," Lin Zeyu felt powerless.


    Moreover, it wasn''t just one entity bidding; two or three others were driving up the price, clearly unwilling to give up.


    Another round of bids was made, pushing the price directly to 600 million.


    At this price, most of the audience had withdrawn from the bidding war, leaving only those few still competing to determine the final price.


    And if it was about protecting someone, it was a matter of life or death.


    For protecting heirs of those consortia, 600 million truly wasn''t much.


    Although there was indeed no way to prevent others from bidding at the auction, things weren''t absolute.


    Suddenly, Lu Heng had an idea, "If we must talk about a solution, it''s not entirely impossible."


    "What''s the solution?" Everyone in the booth turned to look at Lu Heng.


    "Superpower users drafted into the Abyss Battlefield have a danger level proportional to their combat power, a fact that''s commonly accepted," Lu Heng shared his thought about the summoning rules of the Abyss Battlefield.


    "Right, that''s a well-established consensus, everyone knows it," Lin Zeyu nodded.


    "Can this rule affect the contract price?" Yu Heping asked.


    "If a team is summoned, the overall combat power rating will be enhanced based on the team contract, and the danger level will be determined by the highest-level superpower user in the team. That means if someone with weak abilities seeks protection from very strong superpower users, they''re cannon fodder and might die even quicker," Lu Heng analytically explained this summoning rule of the Abyss Battlefield.


    This rule, a hidden catch of the "team contract", wasn''t reflected in the data but indeed existed.


    Superpower users with team contracts, when summoned, would receive a combat power rating bonus, and the entire team''s power would be assessed by the most powerful member.


    This implied that if the person needing protection had a low level, they too would be transported to a high-level Abyss Battlefield, with predictable consequences.


    Upon hearing this, Lin Zeyu understood immediately, "Right, I''ll spread this information right now."


    This summoning rule for the Abyss Battlefield circulated among the circles involved in the bidding.


    It made those entities initially wanting to use the "team contract" for protection start to hesitate.


    If the person to be protected had a high level, it was still manageable; if their level was lower, then seeking the protection of four powerful high-level superpower users was indeed akin to marching to one''s doom.


    After the news spread, the bidding for the "Team Contract" finally slowed down and stopped.


    Lin Zeyu made one last bid, "650 million."


    The auctioneer called out the price three times, and after no further bids, he knocked down the auctioneer''s hammer.


    Although the price was halted by a piece of news, 650 million was no small sum, and it shocked the guests present.


    Thus, after the deal was made, the venue erupted in a cacophony of noise.


    The auctioneer was also thrilled, as selling an item for 650 million was the highest price he had achieved in his career.


    However, those present were unaware that in a past life, the price of this "Team Contract" had reached the billions.


    Because, at the time, superpower users did not understand the conscription rules of the Abyss Battlefield and had not considered the impact of the team contract on the conscription rules.


    Lu Heng had released this rule in advance, which directly caused the price of the contract to be one-third lower than in his previous life.


    The auction concluded.


    Lin Zeyu and Yu Heping went backstage to sign the contract and finalize the method of payment for the auction.


    A price of 650 million could not possibly be paid on the spot; funds had to be mobilized.


    Therefore, they naturally could not take the "Team Contract" away immediately.


    ...


    Half an hour later.


    At the top floor of the Coastal Century Building, Kenji Ono called his assistant in and asked,


    "Did you find out? Where did that message about the Abyss Battlefield conscription rules come from?"


    Pu Lizhi bowed and replied, "The information we found seems to indicate it came from the Lin Family."


    "The Lin Family," Kenji Ono repeated the words, his eyes narrowing slightly.


    The message coming from the Lin Family was not an issue in itself, but the "Team Contract" had been auctioned off by Lin Zeyu in the end.


    Connecting these two pieces of information, something seemed amiss.


    "Is there a chance the message could be false?" Kenji Ono raised this possibility.


    Pu Lizhi bowed lower, responding, "Our people have also studied it; there''s a high chance the message is true, and it aligns well with the previously summarized rules of the Abyss Battlefield."


    Kenji Ono hummed, "The message might be true, but it''s also true that the Lin Family bought the contract."


    Pu Lizhi lowered his head even more, "The price of 650 million was already too high; the Lin Family hasn''t really profited from this."


    Dismissing this matter, Kenji Ono then asked, "Did you find a way to enter the Quenching Castle, as I instructed?"


    Pu Lizhi carefully chose his words to reply, "According to the intelligence we''ve gathered, only three people have entered the Quenching Castle through the tunnel under the Century Bridge: Lu Heng, Su Muyu, and Lin Zeyu. Moreover, I speculate that the other two were brought in by Lu Heng, so it''s possible that Lu Heng is the only one who has the privilege to enter the Quenching Castle."


    Kenji Ono pondered for a moment then asked, "Didn''t you say you found others who had been to the Quenching Castle? Can''t they get in either?"


    "We''re trying, there''s still hope to get in," Pu Lizhi replied.


    "As long as you can get into the Quenching Castle, bring He Shangyong with you; he''s also a Quenching Master. If he can perform weapon quenching there, we won''t be completely outmatched by the Lin Family," Kenji Ono instructed.


    "Yes! I''ll arrange it immediately."


    During this period, Chunshang Group had been trying to break into the quenching business.


    Although they promoted "Quenching Master" He Shangyong, a quenching master who needed to go to the Abyss World to perform quenching had no practical significance.


    Chunshang Group kept trying to win over Lu Heng, but they weren''t putting all their eggs in one basket.


    While trying to win over Lu Heng, Chunshang Group was also searching for ways to enter the Quenching Castle.


    ...


    Quenching Castle.


    Gulu had pondered for several days over Lu Heng''s words: "Let the Quenching Castle be livelier."


    He thought making it livelier was a good idea, especially since the worker named Hu Biao had been waiting outside for several days.


    After all, Hu Biao had helped the Quenching Castle to break free from the Abyss, and even if his contributions were minimal, he shouldn''t be left out in the cold for too long.


    Therefore, that evening, the Quenching Castle formally opened its doors to Hu Biao.


    Seeing the doors open, Hu Biao, overwhelmed with emotion, stepped into the castle gate and then saw Gulu holding a bowl of something at the entrance.


    "Welcome, my friend. Please taste the dish I have prepared."


    Hu Biao looked down at the bowl in Gulu''s hands, his eyes widening.


    Because in that bowl, shockingly, were some crispy-fried... cockroaches!


    "You want me to eat this?" Hu Biao pointed at the bowl of cockroaches, his cheeks twitching.


    "Yes," Gulu nodded.


    Hu Biao, unsure if refusing would result in his expulsion and, having finally been let in, reasoned that eating a bug was no big deal and wouldn''t be fatal.


    He awkwardly reached out, picked up a fried cockroach, placed it in his mouth without chewing, swallowed it down with tears (held back), and swallowed it forcefully.


    Seeing Hu Biao devouring the dish with apparent relish, Gulu''s face instantly lit up with delight and said, "Eat more; if this isn''t enough, there''s more in the kitchen."


    Hu Biao was utterly numb to the core.

 Chapter 122 - 109: Quenching Assessment, Distress Signal

    Abyss Descent, five months in, the temperature had grown a bit cold.


    Although Superpower Users like Constitution were generally more resistant to cold, Lu Heng still donned a down jacket at his mother''s insistent urging.


    Over the past few days, he had accumulated ten Quenching Orders for weapon forging.


    Today, Lu Heng came to Quenching Castle, ready to complete these orders and earn some Crystal Cores.


    When he entered Quenching Castle through the ninth bridge tunnel carrying two boxes, he was slightly surprised.


    Because there were more people than usual in Quenching Castle today, a group of Superpower Users was gathered in the castle''s forecourt, surrounding Gulu and doing something inexplicable.


    Primarily, it was because Gulu was fairly short, and from a distance, it was impossible to see him.


    But he could be heard.


    "Try it, give it a taste."


    Driven by curiosity, Lu Heng made his way over and peered into the crowd, only for his entire body to go numb.


    Gulu was holding a basin, which was full of fried cockroaches.


    A group of Superpower Users, their faces a mask of struggle, hesitantly reached out to grab the cockroaches from the basin and slowly put them into their mouths, their movements as slow as if they were under an Advanced Stasis Technique.


    At that sight, Lu Heng was covered in goosebumps.


    But to be fair, sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    the living conditions for Black Iron Dwarves in the Abyss were quite harsh, and indeed, they had a custom of eating insects, of course, the bugs from Abyss World.


    Once Lu Heng realized what was happening, he felt his stomach churn with Overturning Rivers and Seas, nearly vomiting, and hurriedly quickened his pace towards the castle''s interior.


    As he swiftly passed the forecourt,


    one of the Superpower Users held a fried cockroach for ages without managing to put it into his mouth. Upon noticing someone sidestepping the odd snack and heading in, the individual immediately pointed at Lu Heng and questioned, "Why doesn''t he have to eat?"


    Gulu turned his head and saw Lu Heng, holding up a basin of the "delicacy," and cheerfully asked, "Would you like to try? I added some really tasty seasoning."


    "No, thank you." Lu Heng firmly waved off the offer and continued on his way.


    Gulu didn''t press further and carried on persuading others to have more tastes.


    The other Superpower Users saw that Lu Heng did not partake yet was allowed inside, instantly feeling discontent, "Why can he go in without eating? Then I won''t eat either."


    Upon hearing this Superpower User''s bold claim, Gulu''s face darkened, and he promptly shooed the person, "Then out you go!"


    Hu Biao quickly explained to the Superpower User, "Mr. He, that man has privileges in Quenching Castle, you''d better just eat."


    This questioning individual was none other than He Shangyong, known as a "Quenching Master," promoted by Chunshang Group.


    Hu Biao had waited under Century Bridge for three days, finally securing entrance to Quenching Castle and successfully leading people in.


    However, unbeknownst to him was who had established the rule that one must first taste some "delicacies" at the entrance to Quenching Castle.


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected that, as a result of a joke he once shared with Gulu, he had taken it seriously.


    Clearly, this was a small issue arising from significant cultural differences.


    ...


    Lu Heng entered the forging room to begin Weapon Quenching.


    Out of the ten Quenching Orders completed, eight were successful, and two failed.


    It must have been the acid reflux affecting his performance; today''s success rate for Quenching was only 80%.


    Through ten Quenching processes, Quenching Master Professional Experience increased by a total of 120 points.


    Quenching Master Professional Experience had grown to (750/2000), still some way from leveling up the vice profession.


    So far, he had not received any orders for Spirit Injection, presuming that negotiations for such orders would need to be conducted in person.


    During the Quenching process,


    someone lingered outside the forging room door, persistently asking Gulu if they could observe inside the forging room.


    Lu Heng simply locked the door from inside.


    Gulu, preoccupied with guiding visitors around Quenching Castle, disregarded the inquirer.


    After Quenching was done, Lu Heng cleaned the molten residue in the Quenching Furnace and neatly arranged its components.


    Then, emerging from the forging room, he returned to the foyer, prepared to settle the Quenching Order revenue shares with Gulu.


    Since using Quenching Furnaces in Quenching Castle required paying a share of each order to the castle,


    But Gulu never hurried the payment, relying entirely on Lu Heng''s conscience.


    When he got back to the foyer, the Superpower Users who had visited Quenching Castle earlier had taken a complete tour, now all congregated in the foyer drinking tea.


    Fortunately, the tea was normal, with no bizarre additions, providing some relief to the tense nerves of the Superpower Users.


    Gulu was quite happy today, as it had been a long time since Quenching Castle was so bustling.


    He Shangyong was there on behalf of Chunshang Group, and seizing the moment of Gulu''s good mood, he made a request:


    "Master Gulu, I am also a Quenching Master. May I use the Quenching Furnace of Quenching Castle? Any Crystal Cores I earn, the castle can take a share first."


    Gulu was actually quite easy-going, as long as his customs and principles were not contravened.


    Yet, when presented with this human''s request, Gulu didn''t immediately agree but took the matter under serious consideration.


    At that moment, Lu Heng walked in from outside.


    Gulu asked directly, "Lu Heng, what do you think? This Quenching Master also wants to use the Quenching Furnace. I don''t have to do anything, I just get a share. What''s your opinion?"


    The arrangement he spoke of was similar to that of Lu Heng''s.


    The Superpower Users present, who had already been shocked by Lu Heng''s exemption from eating the "delicacies," were even more surprised.


    Some even questioned in their minds: Who truly is the master of Quenching Castle?


    He Shangyong''s expression turned sour, as he knew who Lu Heng was.


    As a "Quenching Master" endorsed by Chunshang Group, he had always been aware of a rival, and that rival was Lu Heng.


    So, when he heard Gulu seeking Lu Heng''s opinion, he thought to himself that it was all over.

 Chapter 123 - 109 Quenching Assessment, Distress Signal_2

    The competitor would definitely try to prevent him from using the Quenching Furnace.


    However, Lu Heng''s response caught him by surprise.


    After a moment''s thought, Lu Heng replied, "As long as the Crystal Cores earned can compensate for the consumption of the Quenching Furnace, I see no problem."


    The reason he did not outright deny the competitor the chance to use the Quenching Furnace was not out of magnanimity, but because it was unnecessary.


    Quenching Castle would interact with more and more Superpower Users in the future, and human Quenching Masters couldn''t possibly remain singular forever.


    That is to say, if He Shangyong were blocked now, there would still be Chen Shangyong and Wang Shangyong later.


    Instead of blocking these people, it was better to improve relations with Gulu.


    Thus, the suggestion Lu Heng made was for the benefit of Quenching Castle, thinking from Gulu''s perspective ¡ª the correct way to build rapport.


    After giving it some thought, Gulu asked, "That makes sense, but how can we know if it''s worth the consumption of the Quenching Furnace?"


    Upon hearing there was room for discussion, He Shangyong quickly said, "It''s definitely worth the consumption."


    Gulu couldn''t trust a stranger and kept watching Lu Heng, wanting to hear his suggestion.


    "It''s simple; just do an assessment. Perform a quenching, and you give a score¡ªwon''t that settle it?" Lu Heng offered a very fair suggestion.


    "Right, an assessment."


    Gulu stood up and pointed at He Shangyong, saying, "Do you have quenching materials with you? If so, come with me for a quenching session, and I''ll assess your ability."


    Upon hearing this, He Shangyong eagerly agreed, "I''ve brought them, I''ve brought them, I''ll make sure to perform well."


    Gulu then pointed at Lu Heng and said, "You come too, and give him a score."


    The Superpower Users present showed surprised expressions, thinking to themselves: What exactly is his relationship with Quenching Castle? How come he''s involved in evaluating Quenching Masters?


    Even Hu Biao was surprised; he clearly knew the relationship between Lu Heng and Quenching Castle.


    It was only that time four months ago in the Abyss Battlefield, where they had helped Quenching Castle escape from the Abyss.


    In such a short time span, Lu Heng had seemingly become the half-owner of Quenching Castle.


    He Shangyong''s face turned ashen. He had originally seen Lu Heng as a competitor, but now his opponent had become his evaluating mentor.


    How could he even proceed?


    However, he had no choice but to bite the bullet.


    This was his only chance, as giving up now would mean it would be very difficult to have another opportunity in the future.


    Gulu did not prevent others from watching, so all the Superpower Users followed en masse into the forging area.


    Lu Heng and Gulu found a spot to sit and prepare to watch the performance of the newly appointed Apprentice Quenching Master.


    He Shangyong started the process with trepidation¡ªwarming up the furnace, inserting the quenching materials, melting, quenching...


    He went through a series of procedures.


    Lu Heng watched expressionlessly, not uttering a single word throughout.


    Gulu stood up from his seat several times, wanting to offer a reminder, but each time the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back because this was an assessment; if he gave any hints, it would invalidate the evaluation.


    Finally,


    He Shangyong completed the quenching procedures, but an unusual situation occurred.


    The quenching was only partially successful, having increased only half of the intended quenching attribute.


    Such a situation did indeed exist and should be considered incomplete.


    Normally, when faced with this, the approach would be to add some more quenching material and repeat the latter part of the process to complete the quenching.


    In terms of data, this incomplete state of quenching would require an additional 50% of quenching materials for a successful outcome.


    After He Shangyong recognized this situation, he quickly glanced over at Gulu, then gritted his teeth, took out another portion of quenching material, threw it into the Quenching Furnace, and repeated the latter half of the process. Only then was he finally able to complete the quenching.


    The quenching was completed.


    He Shangyong turned and shot a glance at Lu Heng, then respectfully bowed to Gulu, saying, "Please, master, provide your assessment."


    Gulu didn''t give his opinion directly but instead turned to ask Lu Heng, "What do you think?"


    Lu Heng casually replied, "Not too bad, pretty average."


    This evaluation was not intentionally derogatory, it was rather noncommittal.


    Gulu then asked, "So, do you think we should let him use the Quenching Furnace?"


    Everyone looked at Lu Heng, guessing what he would say.


    Lu Heng spread his hands and said, "Between the two options, let the master decide."


    Gulu was not very satisfied with this evaluation. He hopped down from the chair, walked over, and closed the door of the Quenching Furnace, then began to scold:


    "Let''s not talk about Quenching Skill, your skills have nothing to brag about. Just look at your attitude; every time Lu Heng uses the Quenching Furnace, he cleans up the residue inside and puts the parts back where they belong.


    "You didn''t clean up at all. Don''t you know that if the material residue isn''t cleaned up in time it settles in the furnace, it can lead to temperature changes inside the furnace?


    "Also, your Quenching Skill isn''t up to par, nowhere near Lu Heng''s level. You''re not cut out to be a Quenching Master; my score for you is a fail."


    The Superpower Users present widened their eyes upon hearing Gulu''s scolding and thought to themselves: Are you the so-called dream-crushing mentor? So ruthless.


    He Shangyong froze where he stood. If it had been Lu Heng belittling him, he could have claimed it was malicious suppression from a competitor.


    But in fact, Lu Heng had not said anything throughout, whereas Gulu''s evaluation of him was very poor.


    He actually knew that the Quenching Furnace needed to be cleaned after use, but this task was generally the responsibility of the Quenching Master''s assistant; he had never needed to do it before.


    However, if he brought up this excuse now, it would just be asking for trouble.


    He Shangyong''s Quenching evaluation failed, resulting in the Chunshang Group''s plan to infiltrate Quenching Castle completely shattering.


    ...


    Leaving Quenching Castle, Hu Biao and He Shangyong had to report back to Kenji Ono.


    Hu Biao wasn''t nervous because he had completed everything that the Chunshang Group had asked him to do.


    His only responsibility was to bring someone into Quenching Castle, and he had definitely done that.


    As for He Shangyong not having gained the approval of the owner of Quenching Castle, that was not his problem.


    The Chunshang Group''s strategy failed in the Quenching Master arena, while the value of Lu Heng''s Quenching Skill rose.


    During this time, the Chunshang Group''s plans in Coastal had faced continuous setbacks, causing great dissatisfaction among the financial moguls behind them, putting a lot of pressure on Kenji Ono.


    ...


    After leaving Quenching Castle, Lu Heng needed to hand over the Quenching Orders to Lin Zeyu, so he sent him a message.


    It wasn''t long before Lin Zeyu''s reply came: "I just finished paying the auction fee this afternoon; I''m now going to pick up the team contract. You can go to the company for the handover; I don''t need to be present."


    Now that it was dark, it was quite late to go pick up a team contract.


    Lu Heng didn''t think too much about it and first went to Huan Yu Company to hand over two weapons from the Quenching Orders.


    Huan Yu Company set a minimum success rate of 70% for the Quenching business, so even if Lu Heng performed poorly today, his success rate was still above the minimum threshold.


    After finishing the handover, Lu Heng prepared to go home.


    Just at that moment.


    Huan Yu Security Company was suddenly alerted, and a group of Superpower User bodyguards rushed out of the building.


    Lu Heng stopped the Huan Yu Security manager in charge of the handover, asking puzzledly, "What''s happening?"


    "The boss sent a distress signal," the manager said, sounding rather flustered.


    "A distress signal?" Lu Heng''s brows furrowed deeply, and he immediately thought of Lin Zeyu going to pick up the team contract so late, which indeed seemed problematic.


    "Can you get in touch with him?" Lu Heng asked immediately.


    The manager at Huan Yu Security instantly took out an earpiece communicator and said, "This is the company emergency communicator. As soon as the boss sends a distress signal, all the company''s security personnel will be notified. Mr. Lu, please help us out."


    Lu Heng took the communicator, put it on his ear, and spoke, "What''s the situation now?"


    The voice of a Huan Yu command staff member came through the communication channel: "The boss has been shot, his vehicle is stopped on the river embankment road near Jiangbin Park, and we haven''t been able to reach him." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he listened to the information, Lu Heng walked outside.


    Every member of Huan Yu Security Company mobilized, with a dozen vehicles starting up one after the other.


    Lu Heng got into one of the cars and asked over the communication channel, "Mu Yu, can you hear me?"


    One of the initial reasons for establishing Huan Yu Security Company was to provide bodyguard services for Lin Zeyu.


    When Lin Zeyu sent out a distress signal, all of Huan Yu''s security personnel would receive the message.


    Su Muyu had signed with Huan Yu Security just a few days ago and naturally received the distress signal as well.


    "I can hear you; I''m on my way. The scout eagle should arrive in two minutes near Jiangbin Park," Su Muyu''s voice came through the communication channel.


    "Alright, maintain contact."


    As he spoke, the car''s engine roared to life with an urgent howl, speeding toward the direction of the river embankment road near Jiangbin Park.

 Chapter 124 - 110 Sniper Duel, Hunter and Prey

    "Who accompanied Lin Zeyu outside?"


    On the road, Lu Heng began to ask a few key questions.


    "Wang Xiangfeng went with him, the boss said it was just to get something and there was no need for so many people," came the reply from the company manager over the communication channel.


    Lu Heng continued, "Why did they need to get something so late? It''s obviously past working hours."


    It was now past nine o''clock in the evening. Normally, this was not the time to go fetching things.


    "The accounts were only finished just before the end of work this afternoon, and Zhi Zhen said they could transfer the items tomorrow. However, the boss was anxious and insisted on getting it tonight to avoid any unforeseen problems."


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment, then asked, "How many people knew he was going to fetch the item, and what it was?" Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Throughout the entire conversation, Lu Heng never once mentioned the words "team contract."


    From the few sentences exchanged just now, he had gleaned an important piece of information.


    Lin Zeyu''s decision to get the item that night was spontaneous, meaning it was not a premeditated trap but a sudden impulse.


    Moreover, at this stage, there weren''t many who could threaten Lin Zeyu, especially with someone like Wang Xiangfeng by his side.


    This meant that the attackers could only be from some organization or power group.


    And this force knew Lin Zeyu was going to retrieve the "team contract."


    Lin Zeyu had only decided to get it that night.


    From this, it could be inferred that there was an inside informant at Huan Yu Company passing messages to the attackers.


    With over a thousand employees at Huan Yu Company, it wouldn''t be surprising if one or two were bought off by other financial conglomerates or forces.


    Now it was just a matter of seeing who knew Lin Zeyu was going to retrieve the "team contract" that night.


    "This... When the boss called Wang Xiangfeng, many people in the company saw it, but it wasn''t said what they were going for. Whether anyone guessed it or not, that''s hard to say," the manager was uncertain.


    After hearing this, Lu Heng knew that it was too late to catch the mole; the urgent priority was to find Lin Zeyu, and there would be time later to catch the mole.


    Lu Heng gave it some thought, then asked, "Since Lin Zeyu was able to send a distress signal, he must have a locator on him, right?"


    The manager said, "Yes, I''m currently monitoring it in the company''s server room. The boss''s location is inside Jiangbin Park, roughly around Wangjiang Pavilion."


    Lu Heng then asked, "Is the location moving?"


    The manager replied, "It hasn''t moved for several minutes now."


    Lu Heng turned to ask, "Mu Yu, has the reconnaissance eagle arrived?"


    Su Muyu answered, "It''s almost there. Jiangbin Park is already within sight. I see Lin Zeyu''s car, it''s crashed into the guardrail at the riverside road, and there''s no one inside."


    The reconnaissance eagle has enhanced vision capabilities, equivalent to having an eight-power scope, so flying high in the sky, it could observe the ground from a distance of three to four kilometers with ease.


    Lu Heng started to assign tasks, "Good. Check around Jiangbin Park near Wangjiang Pavilion, see if there''s any signal device used for location."


    Su Muyu responded, "I can''t see anything too small, but I see three people near Wangjiang Pavilion. They seem to be Superpower Users, looking for something."


    Lu Heng furrowed his brow and asked, "Are they from Huan Yu?"


    The manager replied, "No, our people haven''t arrived yet."


    Lu Heng''s brow furrowed even deeper, "There''s a mole in the server room, revoke the communication privileges of everyone in the company, just leave mine and Su Muyu''s. Keep Lin Zeyu''s and Wang Xiangfeng''s communication privileges intact if they connect, I want to know immediately."


    The Superpower Users searching at Wangjiang Pavilion were not from Huan Yu, so they could only be associated with the attackers.


    And Lin Zeyu''s location was pinpointed to Wangjiang Pavilion, information only known to those in the Huan Yu server room, meaning there was definitely a mole there.


    "Alright. Quick! Do as Mr. Lu said, everyone in the server room, hand over all communication devices, nobody leaves this room!" The manager immediately arranged it.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "Notify Iron Blood, with such a commotion happening in the city, they''ll have to get involved."


    The manager replied, "Okay. I''ll inform the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau right away."


    After a while.


    Su Muyu''s voice came through, "The reconnaissance eagle has reached Jiangbin Park near Wangjiang Pavilion. Those three found something in the bushes, a communicator. They''re about to leave, should I stop them?"


    Lu Heng immediately decided, "You can try, it''s not necessary to stop them completely, just wound one of them."


    Capturing an injured attacker could potentially provide more useful information after interrogation.


    At this point, they didn''t even know who the opponent was; everything was a guess and very reactive.


    Moreover, Lin Zeyu had dropped his communicator in the bushes after sending out a distress signal.


    This indicated he realized there was a mole in the company, so he disposed of the communicator since it could reveal his location.


    If he discarded the communicator to prevent the attackers from tracking him, he must be hiding.


    Just then.


    A voice joined the communication channel, "Can you hear me? This is Wang Xiangfeng, I''ve hijacked a car and now I''m heading down from the third Coastal Bridge interchange, with three cars chasing me. Beware of snipers, there are snipers!"


    Lu Heng quickly followed up, "Is Lin Zeyu in the car?"


    Wang Xiangfeng replied breathlessly, "No."


    Lu Heng asked, "Where is he? The communication channel has been cleared, only Su Muyu and I are left."


    Wang Xiangfeng panted, "I don''t know. The boss said there might be a mole in the company, then he threw away his communicator. He was hit by a stray bullet in the leg; he can''t have gone far. I could only hijack a car and try to draw the attackers away first."

 Chapter 125 - 110 Sniper Duel, Hunter and Prey_2

    Lu Heng bowed his head in thought.


    Just a few minutes ago, the attackers had been looking for the tracking device near Wangjiang Pavilion, which meant they had not found Lin Zeyu yet.


    Now that they were chasing Wang Xiangfeng with three cars, it indicated that the attackers did not know Lin Zeyu''s location and could only pursue Wang Xiangfeng first.


    Moreover, there was another key point¡ªwhat was the attackers'' actual target?


    As this thought struck Lu Heng, he immediately asked, "Is the contract in the car?"


    Wang Xiangfeng was silent for two seconds before he replied, "Yes, the briefcase is on the passenger seat."


    "Understood."


    Lu Heng roughly understood what was happening and ordered the superpower bodyguard in the car, "Notify everyone, Coastal Bridge Three east interchange, support Wang Xiangfeng, the opponents have a sniper."


    The communication privileges of the bodyguards from Huan Yu in the car were cut off, but there were still other ways to relay the command, and it was quickly passed down.


    Lu Heng cut off the communication privileges of these people so as to not give the mole first-hand information.


    Su Muyu asked, "What about me? Where should I go?"


    Lu Heng said, "You come to the third bridge too. Have the scouting hawks look around the park to see if they can find Lin Zeyu''s trail, and be careful to use invisibility."


    All Huan Yu vehicles turned to head towards the east interchange of Bridge Three, and as they were close to the overpass, they saw three cars chasing one car rushing down from the overpass.


    The lead silver SUV was extremely fast, overtaking continuously, causing vehicles on the road to honk incessantly with "beep beep beep."


    The three cars behind were not slow either, descending from the overpass like a flash of lightning.


    At this speed, even a slight problem could potentially lead them to crash through the guardrail.


    Just as the silver SUV was rushing down the overpass, a black sedan burst out from a junction and with a "bang," it hit the rear door of the lead car.


    The silver SUV flipped over instantaneously, rolled several times, and finally stopped when it hit the green belt.


    All of the vehicle''s safety systems activated, and the airbags filled the entire driver''s space.


    The car body was severely deformed, but fortunately, the impact was on the back door, and the A-pillar of the driver''s seat was only bent, not completely broken.


    Bang!


    The car door was kicked open from the inside, as Wang Xiangfeng, with a bloodied head, rolled out of the car, his eyes dazed, clearly bewildered from the violent crash.


    The head of the black sedan was also deformed from the impact but did not flip. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A superpower user wearing a ghost mask got out of the car, walked over, and dragged the briefcase from the SUV''s passenger side, opening it to take a look.


    The briefcase was empty.


    The ghost-masked superpower user, seeing nothing inside the case, instantly grabbed Wang Xiangfeng by the collar in anger and lifted him up to demand, "Where is the stuff?"


    Because the communication channel was kept open, Lu Heng could hear this voice.


    He had also heard the sound of the car crash.


    The questioning voice had a strange accent, clearly not belonging to a person from Da Xia.


    Wang Xiangfeng, already somewhat stunned, grinned and said, "Behind you."


    The "Ghost-faced Man" turned to look, only to see someone charging at a speed beyond human understanding¡ªsomeone who, in the midst of moving, had also drawn a long sword that emitted a faint blue, ghostly glow.


    Of course, it was Lu Heng. As soon as the car was close, he leapt out, activated Gale Step to the second stage for acceleration, and rushed over at a speed faster than a motorcycle.


    The "Ghost-faced Man" snorted coldly, discarded Wang Xiangfeng, drew a glaringly sharp tachi, and held it in front of himself, ready for combat.


    Lu Heng lunged forward and led with the Cloud Piercing Style of the Step Sword Seven Styles, stabbing directly at the "Ghost-faced Man''s" throat.


    The "Ghost-faced Man" swept his tachi upward, lifting it to block the Aurora Blade.


    When Lu Heng executed the Cloud Piercing Style, he had not used his full strength, leaving a third of his power in reserve. At the moment the sword clashed with the tachi, he suddenly changed his move.


    Only after mastering the Step Sword Seven Styles to the In-depth Level and reaching the Conception Level¡ªor at least the cusp of it¡ªcould one attempt the subsequent change in move.


    The change required more than just In-depth Level mastery; it also demanded greater control over the nuances of the moves, as well as a faster speed.


    Lu Heng''s swordsmanship had already reached the second half of the In-depth Level, and with his past life''s experience, he was able to try the advanced changing moves.


    In the instant the sword and tachi collided, Lu Heng executed the exquisite change known as "Swallow Reversing Body."


    The slash of the Aurora Blade suddenly twisted, grazing past the side of the tachi and sparking a trail of fire, escaping the block of the blade. Then, the sword light flashed and drove straight into the neck of the "Ghost-faced Man."


    Gurgle!


    Blood splattered as the blade sank into the throat, and the "Ghost-faced Man" toppled over spinning in place.


    Lu Heng crouched down to check on Wang Xiangfeng, "Are you all right?"


    "Sniper... sniper..." Wang Xiangfeng murmured with his last bit of strength as a warning.


    Lu Heng pulled him behind the green belt to avoid potential sniper shooting angles.


    Then, he walked back, severed the "Ghost-faced Man''s" head, held it in his hand, turned around, and looked in the direction from which the chasing cars were coming.


    Huan Yu vehicles had also arrived and were engaged in intense gunfire with the three chasing vehicles.


    If the enemies had a sniper, it was unlikely the sniper would be following the cars.


    Considering how far Wang Xiangfeng had driven, it was unlikely the sniper had run ahead; they should be in the direction from which they had come.


    Therefore, Lu Heng, holding the "Ghost-faced Man''s" head, looked back in the direction they had come from, waiting for the sniper to take a shot, speaking through the communication channel, "Mu Yu, watch out for the sniper, he might be on one of the surrounding buildings. He should try to shoot me."


    The attackers had been using tachis, and now that Lu Heng was showing off the "Ghost-faced Man''s" head as a threat, the sniper would surely take a shot.


    Lu Heng''s gaze swept across the buildings in front, waiting for the flash from a sniper rifle.

 Chapter 126 - 110 Sniper Duel, Hunter and Prey_3

    Time ticked away anxiously.


    Lu Heng was breathing heavily, tense. Although he had come up with a response, facing a sniper was still a highly dangerous affair.


    Once he failed to grasp the right moment and was hit by a sniper bullet, he would be dealing with nearly 500 points of Attack Power. Even at a greater distance, with bullet power attenuation, it would still be around 300 Attack Power.


    Taking a gunshot wouldn''t result in death but certainly major injury. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A shot to the chest or head, and not even gods could save the victim.


    Lu Heng''s gaze was intense as he eyed the sniper''s probable position.


    In the sky, the invisible scout eagle circled overhead, equally searching for the sniper.


    Huff... huff...


    As Lu Heng stood still, holding the head of the "Ghost-faced Man," waiting for the time it takes to breathe seven times.


    In the middle floor of a building on the north side of the overpass, a flash of light appeared.


    That was unmistakably the flash of a sniper rifle.


    Sniper bullets are supersonic, usually traveling at speeds over 800 meters per second.


    Which means, if you want to react after hearing the gunshot, it''s over.


    Because the bullet travels faster than the sound, by the time you hear the shot, you''ve already been hit.


    However, light is much faster than a bullet.


    Under the cover of night, the flash from the sniper rifle was strikingly conspicuous.


    The instant Lu Heng spotted the flash of light, he activated "Shadow Traversal."


    0.5 seconds later, the bullet whistled by, "whooshing" through the air where his chest had been and striking the road behind him.


    Lu Heng exhaled sharply and immediately burst forth at five times his normal speed, charging towards the building where the sniper was positioned.


    At the same time,


    Su Muyu reacted too, commanding the scout eagle to dive towards the direction of the building.


    Just as Lu Heng and the scout eagle started their move, a second sniper flash lit up atop the Eastern Tower of Coastal Bridge Three.


    Two snipers?


    Lu Heng''s first thought was exactly this, and he felt a moment of concern, but then he relaxed, realizing he was in a Shadow Traversal state, immune to all physical collisions; even if there was a second sniper, he wouldn''t be hit.


    But around him, there was no sign of anyone being hit by a second bullet.


    And the light from the sniper atop the main tower was elongated.


    If one were the target of a sniper, the flash would appear round, a single point. An elongated flash indicated the sniper was firing in a different direction.


    Soon, Su Muyu''s voice came through the comm channel.


    "The sniper''s been hit."


    Now Lu Heng was sure of his guess; the second one to fire, targeting the first sniper, was obvious.


    The building where the first sniper lay was only 800 meters from Lu Heng''s original position.


    Sprinting at five times speed, Lu Heng reached the first sniper''s location in a matter of seconds, confirming the sniper had been shot dead, then spoke through the comm channel:


    "You go to the main tower on Coastal Bridge Three and pick up Lin Zeyu. The second shot must have been his."


    Support from Huan Yu had arrived; this attack operation was a failure for the instigating power behind it.


    So, after about fifteen minutes of combat, the remaining attackers scattered and ran.


    The superpower users from Huan Yu caught some while the rest fled into residential areas, becoming hard to pursue.


    The scout eagle delivered Lin Zeyu, injured with a sniper rifle in tow, connecting with Lu Heng.


    Lin Zeyu, with a sniper rifle and limping on one leg, grinned at Lu Heng, "How about it? Did I pass the entry test for the team?"


    Although Lu Heng had the ability to deal with enemy snipers, that was because the opponents weren''t very strong; against stronger foes, someone capable of countering enemy snipers was needed.


    So, Lu Heng had to admit that Lin Zeyu''s performance tonight was quite impressive.


    From being ambushed at the start, to sustaining a leg injury, then lying in wait, and finally counter-sniping the attacker.


    That was indeed the quality of an excellent sniper, and his shooting was accurate, a shot to the head.


    In fact, Lin Zeyu had always been competitive. Before entering Evil God''s Burial Ground, he had wanted to form his own superpower user combat team.


    However, meeting Lu Heng inside the Burial Ground made him realize his own strength was not enough to entice Lu Heng to join.


    The Ultimate Auction presented a [Contract], a great opportunity to become teammates with Lu Heng.


    Yet, if Lu Heng only reluctantly teamed up with him because of the [Contract]''s effect, Lin Zeyu would feel somewhat dissatisfied.


    He hadn''t expected attackers to appear tonight. When they did, his competitive spirit flared up, and after discarding his communicator, he found a place to hide.


    While in the car, he had been shot by a sniper among the attackers, wounding his leg.


    Worrying that the blood might be traced, he had jumped directly into the river, swum to the base of Bridge Three, then used an [Energy Hook] to climb out of the water and up to the main tower on the eastern side of the bridge.


    Then, his counter-hunting began.


    The duel between snipers was like two hunters hidden in the shadows; the one who fires first, if he doesn''t succeed, exposes his position.


    So, Wang Xiangfeng''s desperate escape in the car was actually prearranged to lure out the attackers.


    But the attacker''s sniper was patient, not shooting even when Wang Xiangfeng crashed the car.


    It was only when Lu Heng held up the head of "Ghost-faced Man" as a taunt that the sniper was forced to fire.


    Having taken his shot, the sniper''s position was revealed, and the outcome was inevitably a headshot by Lin Zeyu.


    "All right, stop showing off. Hurry up and get to a hospital for your leg," said Lu Heng as he helped him into the car and sent him off for medical treatment.


    After boarding the car, Lu Heng curiously asked, "Where did you put the [Contract]?"


    "Heh heh..."


    Lin Zeyu chuckled, pulling out the [Contract] from his pocket, "Something this important, I would never let go, not even in death."

 Chapter 131 - 114: Breakthrough in Swordsmanship, An Unexpected Invitation

    At seven in the evening, as the sky grew dim, Lu Heng turned on the lights in the training room, took a sip of electrolyte water, and continued to battle against the last bit of proficiency.


    After reaching a proficiency of (2999/3000) in In-depth Level swordsmanship, he had been battling for over an hour, but he couldn''t achieve that last point of proficiency, as if his sword skill realm had come to a standstill.


    This situation is actually a martial arts bottleneck, Lu Heng originally had insights from his past life, so he shouldn''t have a bottleneck, yet he still encountered one.


    Lu Heng''s temper flared, the more he was stuck on that last point of proficiency and made no progress, the less he was willing to give up.


    Even though he was famished, he wanted to overcome this barrier first.


    In fact, in situations like these, finding a sword expert of the same level to spar with might just lead to a breakthrough.


    Only, finding a nearly Conception Level sword expert was not so easy now.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, sat back at the table, and opened a video on the computer to watch.


    The video was of a competition featuring the Fusang Swordsmanship champion Hideyoshi Tsugawa, and it was this battle that made him famous. After this battle, he became a widely recognized master of swordsmanship and received countless praises.


    After carefully watching the video, Lu Heng also felt that Hideyoshi Tsugawa performed exceptionally well in the swordsmanship match, especially the Retreating Strike Technique he used when switching from defense to attack was very exquisite.


    The video was taken three years ago. In three years, plus the Extraordinary Power he gained after the Abyss Descent, to what extent had this Hideyoshi Tsugawa improved?


    Lu Heng closed his eyes and mentally simulated Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique from the video, envisioning his own countermeasures.


    If it were the moves in the video, it would be very simple for Lu Heng to deal with them; he wouldn''t even need any special technique, he could just pinch the opponent''s sword with two fingers.


    Because the Hideyoshi Tsugawa in the video was just an ordinary person, he didn''t have Extraordinary Power, and his Strength, Agility, and various Attributes were all at ordinary human levels.


    Even as the pinnacle among ordinary people, he was still just an ordinary person.


    Lu Heng, with a 62-point Agility contributing to his nerve reaction speed, could pinch Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s sword with his fingers in the instant the sword tip reached him.


    But now, Hideyoshi Tsugawa is no longer the one in that video.


    The level of swordsmanship might not have changed much, but the Body Attributes would definitely have surged several times.


    In other words, the current Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s sword strikes would be many times faster than what was shown in the video.


    Lu Heng played the video at double speed, directly jumping to three times the normal speed, and watched it again, his eyebrows raising involuntarily.


    After the speed of the sword strikes increased, the oppressive feeling emitted by the swordsmanship also surged several times.


    Moreover, three times the speed is probably still not Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s current level; he must be stronger than three times the speed.


    Lu Heng closed his eyes and mentally simulated Hideyoshi Tsugawa executing the Retreating Strike Technique, increasing the speed to four times, then to five times.


    Through this method, he approximated Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s current swordsmanship strength.


    After simulating it, he could confirm that Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s current level of swordsmanship was very strong.


    Even top combat-powered close-range Superpower Users at the present stage would have difficulty passing three moves in front of him.


    Lu Heng, with his eyes closed, repeatedly simulated in his mind Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique at five times the speed.


    Again and again...


    Until he ingrained that move into his memory.


    The Retreating Strike Technique in Fusang Swordsmanship is one of the moves in the Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes.


    "Retreat" means to step back and dodge; the unique feature of this technique is that it launches an attack while retreating, so it requires very fast reactions.


    Lu Heng stood up, closed his eyes and walked to the center of the training area, gripped the Aurora Blade firmly, and imagined Hideyoshi Tsugawa standing in front of him for a duel.


    After a two-second standoff, Lu Heng made the first move, stabbing out a Cloud Piercing Style, the blade passing by the side of Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Tachi and aiming straight for his right shoulder.


    Ha!


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa reacted swiftly with a shout, stepping back to the left rear to dodge and immediately using the Retreating Strike Technique for a counterattack.


    The retreat and counterattack occurred almost simultaneously.


    When the Retreating Strike Technique was executed, the situation took a sharp turn, as Hideyoshi Tsugawa dodged Lu Heng''s sword edge while his counterattacking strike was already slashing above the head.


    Just then, because Lu Heng had taken the initiative to attack, his body was in a state of forward momentum, making it impossible to retreat and dodge Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s incoming attack.


    It looked as if he was about to be hit by Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique.


    In that split second, Lu Heng immediately employed a variation of the Cloud Piercing Style called Swallow''s Body Folding, the sword light took a sudden turn, switching from a stab to a parry, and with a "clang" sound, deflected Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Tachi.


    [Sword Technique Proficiency gained, proficiency +1]


    [Sword Technique Proficiency: In-depth Level (3000/3000)]


    [In-depth Level swordsmanship perfected, stepping into the fourth tier of Sword Skill Realm - Conception Level.]


    Phew!


    He had finally broken through.


    Lu Heng abruptly opened his eyes, exhaling deeply.


    At that moment, responding to Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique, he had executed a variation of Cloud Piercing Style called Swallow''s Body Folding, altering the finishing move of his sword attack.


    But this time, the alteration was not for the purpose of attacking, but for defense.


    Originally, Cloud Piercing Style was an offensive maneuver, and its alteration into Swallow''s Body Folding was also meant to attack.


    Yet using an offensive maneuver for defense is itself a form of "alteration".


    Previously, Lu Heng blindly pursued fierce attacks, which caused his swordsmanship to be stuck on the last point of proficiency. By switching from offense to defense, he finally achieved a breakthrough.


    This was the enlightenment in the way of the sword.


    After the breakthrough, Lu Heng''s face showed a smile. This time, it was not just a breakthrough in swordsmanship, but also a mental one.


    Sometimes, being too rigid can lead to breaking. Appropriate defense and giving up offense temporarily is the essence of a higher sword skill realm.


    Lu Heng savored the process of the breakthrough when his stomach suddenly let out a fierce protest.


    Looking at the time, it was already half past seven. To achieve the last bit of proficiency level, he had been fighting for one and a half hours.


    Now he had finally broken through.


    Lu Heng hurried home to eat, feeding his growling stomach.


    ...


    The next day at noon.


    Lin Zeyu was already prepared for action, with all his men arranged and just waiting for the right moment.


    Just then, a small incident occurred.


    Lu Heng received a joint invitation from Kenji Ono and Hideyoshi Tsugawa, which was to visit Kenji Ono''s residence in Coastal and discuss swordsmanship with Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Since a month ago, the Chunshang Group had not stopped trying to woo Lu Heng.


    After all, not only was Lu Heng strong in combat, but also a Quenching Master. Whoever could recruit him would gain enormous support in the world of the Abyss Descent.


    Upon seeing this invitation, Lin Zeyu said angrily, "This Kenji brat, doesn''t he know that we''ve already signed a team contract? Still trying to poach people, is he delusional? Anyway, we are planning on making our move, so don''t go, and just act directly."


    Su Muyu also expressed some concerns, "I''m worried it''s a trap."


    After careful consideration, Lu Heng said, "The original plan remains the same. However, I''ll accept this invitation."


    "Ah? Then what should we do?" Lin Zeyu immediately frowned.


    "Continue with the original plan. I''ll go meet this Kenji Ono and Hideyoshi Tsugawa to see what they want," Lu Heng decided. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the afternoon.


    Lu Heng took the sedan sent by Kenji Ono and headed to a manor in Yue Ning District.


    The manor was not large, but very distinctive.


    Kenji Ono personally greeted Lu Heng at the entrance of the manor, "Welcome, welcome, Mr. Lu, your visit is a great honor."


    Next to him stood another man dressed in ronin attire, Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Lu Heng responded politely, then was led by the two men into the manor, where they had tea next to the garden in the tea room.


    A woman dressed in kimono was kneeling on the wooden floor, beginning to prepare tea.


    Lu Heng made no extra polite banter and got straight to the point, "Mr. Ono, what did you want to talk about by inviting me over today?"


    Kenji Ono was not quite accustomed to such a direct way of talking and with a light cough, said,


    "Mr. Lu is indeed straightforward, so I will be direct as well. I have some misunderstandings with the Lin Family, and to my regret, I have not been able to become friends with Mr. Lu.


    "Therefore, I have thought of a win-win solution, hoping we can shake hands and make peace.


    "Mr. Lu can mediate between me and the Lin Family.


    "Additionally, I would like to invest in Mr. Lu. We could set up a Quenching service support company, with the Chunshang Group investing in full, but only holding 40% of the shares.


    "Mr. Lu would join with technology shares, holding 60% of the shares. What do you think of this proposal?"


    When Lu Heng heard this, he was somewhat surprised.


    There was no denying it.


    The proposal was very attractive.


    However, having no time and energy to focus on managing a company, even if he were to start one, Lu Heng would end up hiring a manager to take care of it.


    Company management was complicated, and with the Chunshang Group holding a 40% share, one could anticipate what might happen.


    Lu Heng smiled without accepting immediately, nor refusing outright, and asked, "Is there more?"


    Kenji Ono continued, "There is also the matter of the [Team Contract]."


    Lu Heng reminded, "The [Team Contract] has already been used; it seems there''s no room for negotiation on that."


    Kenji Ono raised his hand, "Mr. Lu, don''t be in a hurry to refuse. If I''m not mistaken, there are only three names signed on this [Team Contract] right now."


    Lu Heng nodded in acknowledgment, "Yes, only three people have signed it so far."


    Kenji Ono revealed a smile and continued, "This is the same as my previous proposal. I am willing to pay more than the auction price for the remaining two spots on the contract."


    Lu Heng''s eyebrows raised. By his words, Kenji Ono was willing to spend 6.5 billion to buy the remaining two spots on the [Team Contract].


    If calculated this way, it meant that his side would obtain three team spots for free.


    Moreover, there was a subtle point here.


    Who gets the money?


    Kenji Ono invited him, implying that if Lu Heng wanted to take the 6.5 billion, Kenji Ono would certainly not object.


    However, if Lin Zeyu found out about this, he''d probably not take it well.


    Lu Heng still did not outright refuse but instead asked, "Mr. Ono, who are you planning to give these two spots to?"


    Kenji Ono nodded towards Hideyoshi Tsugawa and said, "Let me introduce this man here. This is Fusang''s swordsmanship champion, Hideyoshi Tsugawa, a top ten contender in Fusang Swordsmanship.


    "If you agree to this proposal, then Hideyoshi Tsugawa will become your teammate.


    "Having a powerful sword expert like Hideyoshi Tsugawa, I believe you won''t find a second superpower user team in the world stronger than yours."

 Chapter 132 - 115: Spirit Resistance Ring, Top Ten Masters of Fusang Swordsmanship

    Hearing Kenji Ono''s words, Lu Heng couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    When he saw Hideyoshi Tsugawa just now, Lu Heng had thought that one of the two team contract slots Kenji Ono wanted might be for Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Hearing him say it outright was still a bit surprising.


    Yesterday, during his breakthrough in swordsmanship, he watched Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s videos and simulated his retreating strike technique in his mind, finally breaking through the bottleneck in swordsmanship.


    Based on the known data, Hideyoshi Tsugawa was indeed very strong; it was hard to say who had the higher realm of swordsmanship if they confronted each other directly.


    Lu Heng had three years of reborn memories, while Hideyoshi Tsugawa had already been the champion of Fusang Swordsmanship competitions three years ago.


    Those who reach the pinnacle in a certain field always have far greater perseverance than ordinary people.


    If he disregarded identity and character and only considered combat power, Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s strength was definitely sufficient to be a teammate.


    However, choosing teammates wasn''t just about strength; trust was even more important.


    Lu Heng looked into Kenji Ono''s eyes and asked, "And the other slot?"


    Kenji Ono didn''t immediately answer, but after pondering for a moment, he said, "The other slot, I can''t tell you about right now, but I can assure you that this person will definitely not hold you back."


    With the multinational consortium behind Chunshang Group as backing, someone could spend 650 million to buy two slots and even have ten of Fusang''s top swordsmen as bodyguards.


    Just how significant was this person''s background?


    "What do you think, Mr. Lu?" Kenji Ono asked again.


    "I''m curious, have you not found any other means of securing backers? Preferably within a team, you have control over three people," Lu Heng stared into his eyes.


    "Because I trust Mr. Lu''s character and also hope to become friends with Mr. Lu," Kenji Ono replied very sincerely.


    If it were someone else, they might have been moved by his sincerity.


    However.


    Lu Heng understood all too well how cruel the Abyss invasion era was.


    A team contract indeed could sign up to five people, but the added members could also disappear ¡ª as long as they died.


    That is to say, after the two people joined the team, they could use external forces to artificially control the team''s numbers.


    Furthermore, reducing team numbers could also lower the combat power rating when the team is summoned.


    That is to say.


    The team contract''s limit is five people, but that doesn''t mean they necessarily must have five.


    Of course.


    Lu Heng also believed that Kenji Ono definitely wanted to win him over, as at the current stage, a Quenching Master was much more valuable than a top-tier Superpower User.


    However, there was a limit to the value of interests, and if the person he was protecting faced danger, even a Quenching Master could be sacrificed.


    Lu Heng could imagine that if he really agreed to the other party''s request to give them two slots and form a team.


    The Chunshang Group would likely offer a substantial benefit and reconcile with the Lin Family.


    Additionally, with the presence of a team contract, it might indeed be possible to peacefully resolve the matter and form a team with strong nominal combat power.


    However, such a fragile team relationship was not what Lu Heng wanted.


    "Let''s forget it, I have other plans for forming a team," Lu Heng finally chose to refuse.


    Kenji Ono''s expression faltered, then he turned to glance at Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa spoke up, "Do you think my strength isn''t qualified to be your teammate?"


    Lu Heng looked at him, smiled suddenly, and replied, "Not at all."


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa stood up, issuing a challenge with a serious tone, "I am the successor of the Kashima Shinry¨± swordsmanship, and I heard you are also a swordsman, so let''s decide with swords.


    "A duel. If I win, hand over the two slots of that team contract, dare to compete?"


    "And what if I win?" Lu Heng asked with a smile lacing his tone, composed.


    At that moment.


    Kenji Ono took out a jewelry box, placed it on the table, and opened it to display its contents.


    Inside was a cast iron ring, the very one sold for eighty million at the Ultimate Auction previously.


    And this cast iron ring was known as the "Spirit Resistance Ring."


    During the auction, the display screen had shown the attributes of this ring.


    "Spirit Resistance Ring: Improves resistance to spirit attacks and spiritual pollution, reducing the effects by 50% when subjected to spiritual pollution or spirit attacks."


    This ring was very practical.


    Wearing this ring on the Abyss Battlefield would allow one to withstand spiritual pollution for a longer time.


    For instance, the last time Lu Heng entered the Abyss World and killed the Horned Demon Commander, having this ring would have provided much more time, reducing the urgency.


    Besides, it also increased resistance to spirit attacks.


    For example, Spirit Shock skills, based on the difference in spiritual attributes, could cause a temporary spiritual disruption, and if the spiritual difference was too significant, it could even knock someone unconscious directly.


    In a battle of equals, if one were hit by a Spirit Shock, experiencing a few seconds of daze could mean certain death.


    Wearing this Spirit Resistance Ring would achieve greater resistance to spirit attacks, allowing one to recover more quickly from the confusion caused by spiritual disruption.


    Therefore, the lower a Superpower User''s spiritual attribute, the higher the demand for this ring.


    Lu Heng''s Spiritual Attribute wasn''t low, but facing the Spiritual Pollution of the Abyss Battlefield, this ring was indeed a fully practical treasure.


    At the last Ultimate Auction, Lu Heng had shown great interest in this ring.


    The ring itself did not increase Combat Power, and Lu Heng felt that not everyone might recognize its value.


    If the auction price wasn''t too high, he considered trying to acquire it at a low price.


    However, there were knowledgeable people at the event; the price was bid up to 80 million, far exceeding his affordable range.


    Unexpectedly, now the ring had appeared before him again.


    Kenji Ono smiled and said, "If Mr. Lu wins, how about I give you this ring as a gift?"


    Lu Heng had been interested in this ring during the auction, and sadly the price had been too high. Now, the other party was using it as a bet, which perfectly suited his wishes.


    "Okay, let''s have me experience the latest in Fusang Swordsmanship."


    "Mr. Lu, please."


    The three left the teahouse and entered another room, the Sword Room.


    The room was spacious and quiet.


    "Hideyoshi Tsugawa usually practices swordsmanship here. You can duel here," Kenji Ono called to a maid at the door.


    Two maids came in holding wooden swords, respectfully handing them to Lu Heng and Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    These wooden swords were used in Fusang Swordsmanship competitions; they were thick, edgeless, with rounded tips.


    In swordsmanship competitions, points were scored by striking valid parts of the opponent''s body, earning one point per hit.


    Usually, the competitors also needed to wear protective gear to prevent injuries from the swords.


    Although they were just wooden swords, they had a significant weight, and a hit to the head without protective gear could easily knock someone unconscious.


    Two maids entered with two sets of protective gear, ready to help them suit up.


    Lu Heng looked at the wooden sword in his hand; for a Superpower User, using a wooden sword was rather childlike. He then said, "We don''t need protective gear, do we?"


    "I also dislike protective gear," Hideyoshi Tsugawa waved his hand, signaling the maids to leave.


    He didn''t even like wooden swords and preferred to fight with real weapons.


    However, this match had been arranged by Kenji Ono, with the intent to conquer Lu Heng with swordsmanship and then win him over. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng swung the wooden sword a few times. Since this type of wooden sword was specific to Fusang and he had never used it before, he wasn''t very accustomed to it, causing some awkwardness when he performed the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    Fortunately, his Strength attribute was high enough that this clumsiness was within an acceptable range.


    "Please!" Hideyoshi Tsugawa, following Fusang Swordsmanship etiquette, bowed and assumed a starting position.


    Lu Heng also raised his sword, adjusted his breathing, and locked eyes with his opponent.


    Since he had seen footage of his opponent''s previous matches, he knew that Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s swordsmanship was very advanced, and having improved over three years, he needed to be very cautious.


    "Ha!"


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa waited for Lu Heng to ready his stance, then shouted as he initiated an attack aimed at Lu Heng''s arm.


    This move was a basic Skill Attack from the Fusang Swordsmanship Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes, meant to score points.


    A successful hit would score one point.


    For ordinary people, attacking the arms might be useful, but for a Superpower User with Agility of 62 points, there were too many dodging options; a slight movement of the arm could avoid the attack.


    As if he had already anticipated this, Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s eyes suddenly sparkled as he switched techniques to a flurry of moves from the Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes.


    Lu Heng, unfamiliar with Fusang Swordsmanship, fought purely according to the Step Sword Seven Styles. Anticipating the flurry of blows, he easily blocked the combination with a swing of his sword.


    The swift and successive attacks were all smoothly parried by Lu Heng, confirming to Hideyoshi Tsugawa that Lu Heng was not an opponent to be easily defeated.


    Three years ago, when he won the Fusang Swordsmanship championship, he was already recognized as one of the top ten masters in Fusang.


    At that time, there were few in Fusang who qualified as his competition, let alone those unskilled in swordsmanship.


    Three years had passed and he had become a Superpower User, achieving Extraordinary Power.


    For someone untrained in swordsmanship, they wouldn''t last a move against him, Superpower Users included.


    Yet Lu Heng had easily countered his two attacks. Although he employed a basic Skill Attack Technique that seemed neither intricate nor cunning, the more fundamental the sword technique, the more effective it was.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s breath deepened as he focused, ready to demonstrate his true capabilities.


    Lu Heng also sensed the change in his aura, grounded his stance, and entered a formal combat state.


    To duel a powerful swordsmanship master was a rare opportunity.


    Especially when precision was required in swordsmanship, an equal level challenge was needed to break through limitations.


    Lu Heng also wanted to test whether his swordsmanship, elevated to the Conception Level, could truly dominate this Fusang sword master.


    Shout!


    Both parties, intent on proving their superiority, simultaneously burst forth with their swords.


    Bang bang bang¡­


    A series of rapid clashes followed, their sword speeds far exceeding the usual limits of swordsmanship.


    Lu Heng wielded Chop, Stab, Point, Break, Pick, Cut, Sweep ¡ª all fundamental sword techniques.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa employed the Skill Attack Methods of the Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes, aiming for speed.


    The two men advanced and retreated, their movements so fast that the average human eye could scarcely follow. Within a few breaths, they had exchanged over a dozen blows, matched in strength and skill, neither able to best the other.

 Chapter 129 - 112: The Value of Divine Evolution, Sword Skill Realm

    Qionghua Tianglu Lake, Lin Zeyu had picked out another house, to serve as the meeting place for the three of them.


    "Kenji Ono, president of Chunshang Group''s Asia-Pacific region, cunning by nature, once a gang member during the Fusang era, very ruthless and brutal."


    Lin Zeyu took out a photo of Kenji Ono, placed it on the table, and tapped it with his finger, "According to the information garnered the day before yesterday, it was he who ordered the move. Their target was the team contract."


    "Now, we have already utilized the contract, so Kenji Ono has temporarily ceased action, with no further moves."


    Then, Su Muyu took out a second photo, placed it on the table, and said, "This man is named Hideyoshi Tsugawa, the strongest superpower user by Kenji Ono''s side. He was formerly a ronin in Fusang, said to have been a master of Fusang swordsmanship, and a swordsmanship champion. He is now at a very high level, the toughest one to deal with around Kenji Ono."


    Since Lu Heng had agreed to Lin Zeyu taking action, Su Muyu had already investigated the superpower users around Kenji Ono in the past two days.


    She then took out another photo and said, "This woman, named Keiko Kaneda, follows Kenji Ono around twenty-four hours a day, including at night. She is also a superpower user, and her level is not low."


    Having introduced these two key figures, she continued, "In addition, when Kenji Ono goes out, there will be a team of ten superpower user bodyguards accompanying him, some of whom are perceivers. If you get too close while scouting, you''ll be detected."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "What about the car? What does Kenji Ono usually drive?"


    Lin Zeyu pulled out a photo from the table and said, "This one, a custom armored Crown sedan."


    Su Muyu added, "Before getting into the car each time, there will be a superpower user from the Perception System checking the entire vehicle, including underneath. Given the events of the past few days, Kenji Ono''s bodyguards have been exceptionally vigilant, so placing a time bomb under the car is unlikely."


    Lu Heng thought again, then asked, "Which hospital does Kenji Ono usually visit?"


    Lin Zeyu replied, "Yongxing Private Hospital, a Japan-funded private hospital invested in Coastal. Chunshang Group holds a minor share in this hospital. Kenji Ono always gets treatment here and hasn''t visited any other hospitals."


    Lu Heng then asked, "How many people do we have?"


    Lin Zeyu gestured around with his fingers, saying, "Aside from us three, we have seven more superpower bodyguards, all trusted by me, ranging from level 12 to 18."


    Lu Heng compared the strength of both sides and said, "That should be enough, we can give it a try. I''ll now discuss the action plan..."


    After discussing, the three of them formulated an action plan.


    Once the plan was set, Lu Heng added, "Since this operation is very dangerous, if it becomes impossible to proceed, I will order a retreat. Everyone must withdraw immediately, no reckless actions."


    "Understood." Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement.


    "The opponent is tough, so before we act, we need to enhance our combat power as much as possible," Lu Heng reminded.


    "In this period, my Energy Crystal Core absorption has been fully ramped up, I should reach level 21 by tomorrow. I''ve also been practicing my shooting skills constantly to ensure I''m not dragging us down," Lin Zeyu said confidently, clenching his fist.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "Have any skills reached full proficiency?"


    Lin Zeyu replied, "The proficiency of ''Armor Piercing Bullet'' is full, but it hasn''t been upgraded."


    He had always enjoyed using guns, so the first Crystal Core Skill he learned was "Armor Piercing Bullet."


    Using this skill, one could pierce through the tough shells of Abyss Tide Worms with a single shot.


    Later, he chose the firearms enhancement path. When practicing shooting, he also concurrently practiced the proficiency of "Armor Piercing Bullet," so this skill''s proficiency was filled very early.


    He thought for a moment and said, "By the way, I have important intelligence about the Abyss Battlefield. In the Abyss Battlefield, if you complete a World Task, you can receive a reward to choose one out of three options, and if you''re lucky, one of the three options might allow you to use Divine Energy to upgrade a skill."


    Currently, the number of superpower users worldwide is already sizable, and the number of Abyss Battlefields experienced is also considerable.


    Thus, many secretive messages about the Abyss Battlefield circulate among large clans and major forces.


    As a result, large families have channels to obtain intelligence that ordinary superpower users cannot reach.


    About completing World Tasks in the Abyss Battlefield and receiving a reward to choose one out of three, Lin Family had gotten this intelligence through information exchange.


    Therefore, Lin Zeyu already knew about the possibility of encountering an option to upgrade skills among the three choices.


    In the Abyss Descent Era, ways to upgrade skills were scarce.


    Completing a World Task in the Abyss Battlefield and using Divine Energy to upgrade a skill by choosing one out of three rewards was one of the methods.


    Of course, this assumes the World Task is completed and luck is on your side to have the skill upgrade option show up among the three choices.


    However, for Lu Heng, there was no need to complete the World Task or pick from the three choices. All he needed to do was use "Divine Evolution" to unlock the skill lock to upgrade a fully proficient skill.


    This was the strength of the "Divine Evolution" Initial Talent.


    Essentially, this talent was equivalent to receiving countless times the skill upgrade reward from the World Task''s three choices.


    As the later stages approached, the value of this talent became even higher.


    Lin Zeyu followed up by asking, "How can one complete a World Task in the Abyss Battlefield? Do you know?"


    Lu Heng didn''t respond directly but countered, "Do you still have any Divine Energy?"


    "Yep, still got 400 points," Lin Zeyu said, stretching out four fingers.


    "Want a world task reward?"


    "Yeah, I do. How can I get it?"


    Lu Heng waved his fingers and said, "Simple, just beg me."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Lin Zeyu blinked, not understanding.


    Su Muyu covered her mouth and giggled, explaining, "Just beg him. If you ask him, he''ll give you the world task reward."


    "There''s such a good deal? Foster father! I''m begging you," Lin Zeyu said, throwing away his pride.


    Because he was certain Lu Heng wouldn''t make such a meaningless joke and neither would Su Muyu, it meant that Lu Heng really could issue a world task reward.


    This is heaven-sent!


    "Alright, alright, stop calling," Lu Heng said.


    Every time he saw Lin Zeyu abandon his dignity like this, Lu Heng could hardly take it. He quickly unlocked the skill lock on his "Armor Piercing Bullet" skill, explaining,


    "The skill lock is unlocked. Channel 300 points of Divine Energy into the skill slot, and merge it with the original energy. Concentrate during the merger, don''t get distracted. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If nothing goes wrong, your skill should upgrade after the merger."


    Lin Zeyu casually asked, "What if something goes wrong?"


    Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "Then the skill will be ruined, and the skill slot might even explode."


    Lin Zeyu swallowed hard, "That sounds terrifying. What if something happens to me?"


    Su Muyu spread her hands and said, "I''ve never had an accident. If you have one, then that''s your problem."


    Lin Zeyu suddenly glared, "You guys know I''m cursed by the God of Misfortune!"


    Lu Heng crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch, saying, "Anyway, the skill lock is already undone. You handle it."


    Lin Zeyu swallowed again, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and his heart thudded wildly as he began to channel Divine Energy into the skill slot, following Lu Heng''s instructions.


    Seeing him sweat from the forehead, Lu Heng realized this guy was truly nervous.


    Su Muyu chimed in from the side, "Don''t be nervous. Just imagine the two energies as two cups of water pouring into the same cup slowly. Don''t spill it, just wait until they completely merge, then speak."


    "It''s merged, it''s merged," Lin Zeyu said with his eyes closed.


    "Is it completely merged? Is the energy still churning?" Lu Heng wasn''t sure if it was truly merged.


    "It''s still swirling, but it''s merged," Lin Zeyu replied.


    "Wait a bit longer until the energy slows down before you speak," Lu Heng reminded.


    "It''s slowing, getting slower, almost stopping," Lin Zeyu hurriedly said.


    Lu Heng used "Divine Evolution" to lock up his skill, completing the final step.


    "Done, check the skill effect."


    Lin Zeyu hurriedly checked the attribute panel and then his eyes lit up, exclaiming excitedly, "Holy shit! It really upgraded, the skill has reached Level C. Lu Heng, what kind of sorcerer are you?"


    Lu Heng just smiled and said, "Secret, only team members get this benefit."


    Lin Zeyu gave a thumbs up, "Got it!"


    "How are the attributes?" Lu Heng asked.


    Lin Zeyu read out the upgraded skill effects.


    [Advanced Armor Piercing Bullet: Adds advanced armor-piercing effects to bullets, able to penetrate hard armor, ignoring 50% of the armor''s defense. Skill Consumption: 10 points of Source Energy; Skill Level: Level C.]


    "That''s too strong, it was 30% defense penetration before, now it''s increased to 50%. Now, I can penetrate a tank," exclaimed Lin Zeyu, clenching his fist, full of confidence.


    In reality, penetrating tank armor might still be a stretch, but hitting critical parts to immobilize a tank would be much easier.


    "The effect is indeed very good. If that''s the case, our success rate should increase significantly. Let''s proceed with the plan we discussed earlier. The next couple of days, I also need to practice my swordsmanship to face that Fusang Swordsmanship champion," Lu Heng said, having completed the skill upgrade for him, and sent him off.


    In the coming time, Lu Heng needed to intensively practice his sword technique proficiency.


    It had already been the fifth month since the Abyss Descent began, and since the first month, Lu Heng had consistently practiced swordsmanship and movement techniques, increasing his training levels.


    His meticulous level sword technique proficiency had now reached (2750/3000), still a bit away from stepping into the next realm. A few more days of hard work might see a breakthrough.


    Moreover, during the last battle, Lu Heng had spontaneously executed the Conception-Level Step Sword Seven Styles variant technique called "Sparrow Turns," showing signs that he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

 Chapter 130 - 113 Cultivating Swordsmanship, Breakthrough is Imminent

    Step Sword Seven Styles, the original seven moves were fixed, but the swordsmanship did not end with these moves. Instead, it offered the possibility of open-ended variations.


    Moreover, the lineage of this swordsmanship does not teach these variations.


    When Lu Heng learned this swordsmanship, his teacher had said,


    "All the Seven Styles are yours now, but you must comprehend the variations yourself. If everyone''s variations were the same, they wouldn''t be variations. The essence of a variation lies in the word ''variation'' itself."


    Therefore, by the end of training this swordsmanship, one must conceive their own variations.


    "Swallow Severing Form" was a variation Lu Heng had created in his previous life.


    The variations of the Step Sword Seven Styles required control beyond the Meticulous Level to make subtle and exquisite adjustments.


    Hence, theoretically, the variations of the Step Sword Seven Styles required a Conception Level of swordsmanship realm.


    Of course, this does not mean that one has to reach the Conception Level to practice these variations.


    One can practice variations at any time, but whether they can be executed is another matter.


    Typically, swordspeople would start trying variations in the later stages of the Meticulous Level, and successful adaptation of these variations is a hallmark of stepping into the Conception Level.


    Thus, in the late stages of the Meticulous Level, as one nearly steps into the Conception Level, one can train in variations, but this does not mean that a variation can be executed with every sword strike. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had already mastered his self-created "Swallow Severing Form" variation. Therefore, during his last encounter with a Fusang Tachi Warrior, a sudden spark of inspiration struck him when he saw the opponent''s blocking maneuver and realized it could be countered by "Swallow Severing Form."


    Thus, as he drew his sword, he fortuitously executed the "Swallow Severing Form" variation; the sword light passed over the tachi and suddenly twisted, slashing through the opponent''s carotid artery.


    This move was executed so swiftly and fiercely that it instantly downed the opponent.


    Although Lu Heng succeeded in executing "Swallow Severing Form" last time, he couldn''t always perform it upon trying several times after returning.


    Since his sword skill had not reached the Conception Level, whether he could execute "Swallow Severing Form" depended on his state at the moment.


    Lu Heng''s current sword technique proficiency had reached (2750/3000). He was seizing every moment over the few days, hopeful to enter into the next realm.


    So, while Lin Zeyu was preparing the action plan,


    Lu Heng was diligently practicing his swordsmanship in the training room near Qionghua Tianglu Lake, aiming to elevate his sword skill realm.


    In fact,


    after reaching (2000/3000) in sword technique proficiency, it became extremely slow to improve, sometimes only 1 or 2 points could be added after a whole morning of practice.


    This was normal, as the difficulty increases with higher levels of any martial arts.


    Sometimes, it could even come to a standstill.


    However, after successfully executing the "Swallow Severing Form" variation, the speed of proficiency improvement had accelerated.


    Each successful execution of "Swallow Severing Form" came with a proficiency improvement notification.


    Lu Heng leapt up, rebounded from the wall, and thrust forth the Aurora Blade in the Cloud Piercing Style, picturing in his mind the encounter with the Tachi Warrior, imagining an imaginary enemy blocking the Cloud Piercing Style, and then changing the blade direction to execute "Swallow Severing Form," slashing through.


    Clang!


    [A breakthrough in swordsmanship training, Sword Technique Proficiency +1]


    Successfully executing "Swallow Severing Form" again, it raised his proficiency by one point, making it (2751/3000).


    If every implementation of "Swallow Severing Form" could increase the sword technique proficiency by one point, then just 249 more times would suffice to step into the next realm.


    Lu Heng revitalized his Strength and continued to practice.


    Since performing end variations of the sword still took considerable effort, each usage of the variation required his utmost strength, consuming a great deal of physical energy.


    After practicing for two periods, he was slightly out of breath.


    The enhancement of his sword technique proficiency was also very rapid, reaching (2836/3000) by the end of the morning, getting closer to stepping into the next realm.


    At noon,


    Li Xiuyun had prepared the meal and called him back to eat.


    The current training room, arranged by Lin Zeyu, was spacious and located in another building next to the new house by Qionghua Tianglu Lake.


    At mealtimes, he only needed to take the elevator downstairs to eat.


    When he got home,


    he found Su Muyu and her daughter there. Lu Heng hurriedly greeted, "Hello Auntie Su."


    "Hello, hello, hello¡­"


    Last time they moved, Su Mu had seen Lu Heng for the first time. They didn''t have time to talk, just greeted each other briefly before busying themselves with their rooms.


    Today, as they were eating together, Su Mu stared at Lu Heng, saying, "Mu Yu often speaks of you."


    Lu Heng laughed and said, "Really? Has Mu Yu been speaking ill of me behind my back?"


    "Not at all!" Su Muyu quickly denied, then playfully glared at Lu Heng.


    Su Mu quickly spoke up for her daughter, "Mu Yu always speaks highly of you in front of me. I couldn''t believe such a good person existed until I saw you with my own eyes."


    Li Xiuyun laughed heartily, "Sister Su sure knows how to compliment someone. My son is good in every aspect, except he''s incredibly stubborn. Once he''s made up his mind, even we as parents can''t dissuade him."


    Su Mu continued her praises, "This shows that Lu Heng is decisive. It''s good for a boy to have his own views and make decisions."


    Lu Heng was so complimented that he even started to doubt himself.


    The two families sat down together for a meal and got more familiar as they chatted.


    Li Xiuyun was naturally sociable and quickly became close with Su Mu like sisters, even proposing that they take Latin dance classes together sometime.


    Still concerned for her daughter, Su Mu, after dinner, pulled Lu Heng aside on the balcony to ask him, "Lu Heng, Mu Yu told me that she bought the apartment next door. But how could she afford such a nice place? I''m really worried. You''re close to Mu Yu; you know how she got this apartment, right?"


    Lu Heng showed a reassuring smile and replied, "Aunt Su, rest assured. It''s true that Mu Yu bought it; it''s an interest-free mortgage. The monthly payments are deducted straight from her salary."


    Su Mu was still worried and pressed on, "But it''s such a nice apartment, and it''s duplex. How could a salary afford that?"


    Based on her simple logic, her monthly salary was only two to three thousand yuan; with overtime, perhaps a bit more than three thousand.


    Thus, after paying rent, she was only left with half of her salary, and that half was the living expenses for mother and daughter; there was no way to save any money.


    She never dared to dream that one day she could live in such a big house.


    Lu Heng confidently assured her, "Auntie, don''t worry. Remember the time someone came to your house with gifts?"


    "Yes. Mu Yu said she returned all the gifts." Su Mu nodded.


    "Those people gave gifts because they wanted you to persuade Mu Yu to join their company, right?" Lu Heng continued to guide her thinking.


    "Right, that man really said that as long as Mu Yu joined their company, they would give her a million a year and she wouldn''t even need to go to the office. Just complete the work when there''s work. I thought it must be a scam." Su Mu remembered clearly.


    "That man wasn''t a scammer, and what he said was true. However, that company wasn''t very good, so Mu Yu signed with Huan Yu Security Company. The salary there is only more, not less than what the other company offered, so are you reassured now?" Lu Heng spoke in the most convincing tone.


    After hearing this, Su Mu finally breathed a sigh of relief, "That''s good to hear. Aunt knows you are capable, and if you say it''s true, then it must be true. Please take good care of Mu Yu in the future. She''s been bullied outside since she was little and never dared to tell me when she got home. Thinking about this, I feel like I owe her a lot."


    Lu Heng quickly reassured her, "Auntie, don''t worry. Mu Yu has grown up now. Not only can she protect herself now, but she can also protect you."


    Su Mu, hearing her daughter praised, was pleased and nodded, "Right, Mu Yu has always been obedient and a good child. You must believe in her too."


    Speaking up for her daughter, Su Mu, just like any other mother around the world, genuinely hoped the best for her daughter.


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "Sure, I will always believe in her."


    As they were talking,


    Su Muyu saw them and worried her mother might be saying something odd again. She bit her lips and came out, saying, "Mom, what are you discussing with Lu Heng? Don''t go saying strange things again."


    Lu Heng showed a smile and said, "Aunt Su was just praising you, saying all good things about you."


    Su Muyu, linking arms with her mother, said, "The giant grapes are washed; let''s go back and eat them."


    When both sets of parents gathered to talk, Su Muyu ran upstairs and, with pursed lips, whispered in Lu Heng''s ear, "What did my mom just say to you?"


    Lu Heng grinned and replied, "Guess."


    "Stop it, just tell me!" Su Muyu looked anxious, fearing her mother had said something strange.


    Understanding her psyche, the more sensitive a child is, the more they worry about such matters.


    Seeing she was really anxious, Lu Heng quietly said to her, "Don''t worry. Your mom asked me to take good care of you. She said you are dutiful and also said¡­"


    "What else did she say?" Su Muyu got nervous.


    "She also said that you''ve been bullied outside when you were little and you never dared to tell her," Lu Heng revealed.


    Su Muyu stiffened.


    She knew about these issues too, but her mother never discussed them with her.


    The curious thing was that even if Su Mu didn''t mention it, Lu Heng knew about it and had always known, starting from his previous life.


    That''s why Lu Heng had always been attentive in protecting her, hoping to give her a sense of security.


    Su Mu''s request today was something Lu Heng had already been doing for a long time.


    Sometimes, the interweaving of time is just so miraculous.


    ¡­


    In the following days, Lu Heng continued to diligently practice the variations of Step Sword Seven Styles.


    The success rate of "Swallow Breaking Body" increased as his Sword Technique Proficiency Level increased.


    Basically, it only failed to execute once in every three or four attempts.


    After three days of practice, by the third evening, his Sword Technique Proficiency finally reached (2999/3000).


    As his mother sent several messages urging him to come for dinner, Lu Heng did not stop his practice, deciding to cross the threshold of the Conception Level Sword Skill Realm before heading home.

 Chapter 131 - 114: Breakthrough in Swordsmanship, An Unexpected Invitation

    At seven in the evening, as the sky grew dim, Lu Heng turned on the lights in the training room, took a sip of electrolyte water, and continued to battle against the last bit of proficiency.


    After reaching a proficiency of (2999/3000) in In-depth Level swordsmanship, he had been battling for over an hour, but he couldn''t achieve that last point of proficiency, as if his sword skill realm had come to a standstill.


    This situation is actually a martial arts bottleneck, Lu Heng originally had insights from his past life, so he shouldn''t have a bottleneck, yet he still encountered one.


    Lu Heng''s temper flared, the more he was stuck on that last point of proficiency and made no progress, the less he was willing to give up.


    Even though he was famished, he wanted to overcome this barrier first.


    In fact, in situations like these, finding a sword expert of the same level to spar with might just lead to a breakthrough.


    Only, finding a nearly Conception Level sword expert was not so easy now.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, sat back at the table, and opened a video on the computer to watch.


    The video was of a competition featuring the Fusang Swordsmanship champion Hideyoshi Tsugawa, and it was this battle that made him famous. After this battle, he became a widely recognized master of swordsmanship and received countless praises.


    After carefully watching the video, Lu Heng also felt that Hideyoshi Tsugawa performed exceptionally well in the swordsmanship match, especially the Retreating Strike Technique he used when switching from defense to attack was very exquisite.


    The video was taken three years ago. In three years, plus the Extraordinary Power he gained after the Abyss Descent, to what extent had this Hideyoshi Tsugawa improved?


    Lu Heng closed his eyes and mentally simulated Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique from the video, envisioning his own countermeasures.


    If it were the moves in the video, it would be very simple for Lu Heng to deal with them; he wouldn''t even need any special technique, he could just pinch the opponent''s sword with two fingers.


    Because the Hideyoshi Tsugawa in the video was just an ordinary person, he didn''t have Extraordinary Power, and his Strength, Agility, and various Attributes were all at ordinary human levels.


    Even as the pinnacle among ordinary people, he was still just an ordinary person.


    Lu Heng, with a 62-point Agility contributing to his nerve reaction speed, could pinch Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s sword with his fingers in the instant the sword tip reached him.


    But now, Hideyoshi Tsugawa is no longer the one in that video.


    The level of swordsmanship might not have changed much, but the Body Attributes would definitely have surged several times.


    In other words, the current Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s sword strikes would be many times faster than what was shown in the video.


    Lu Heng played the video at double speed, directly jumping to three times the normal speed, and watched it again, his eyebrows raising involuntarily.


    After the speed of the sword strikes increased, the oppressive feeling emitted by the swordsmanship also surged several times.


    Moreover, three times the speed is probably still not Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s current level; he must be stronger than three times the speed.


    Lu Heng closed his eyes and mentally simulated Hideyoshi Tsugawa executing the Retreating Strike Technique, increasing the speed to four times, then to five times.


    Through this method, he approximated Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s current swordsmanship strength.


    After simulating it, he could confirm that Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s current level of swordsmanship was very strong.


    Even top combat-powered close-range Superpower Users at the present stage would have difficulty passing three moves in front of him.


    Lu Heng, with his eyes closed, repeatedly simulated in his mind Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique at five times the speed.


    Again and again...


    Until he ingrained that move into his memory.


    The Retreating Strike Technique in Fusang Swordsmanship is one of the moves in the Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes.


    "Retreat" means to step back and dodge; the unique feature of this technique is that it launches an attack while retreating, so it requires very fast reactions.


    Lu Heng stood up, closed his eyes and walked to the center of the training area, gripped the Aurora Blade firmly, and imagined Hideyoshi Tsugawa standing in front of him for a duel.


    After a two-second standoff, Lu Heng made the first move, stabbing out a Cloud Piercing Style, the blade passing by the side of Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Tachi and aiming straight for his right shoulder.


    Ha!


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa reacted swiftly with a shout, stepping back to the left rear to dodge and immediately using the Retreating Strike Technique for a counterattack.


    The retreat and counterattack occurred almost simultaneously.


    When the Retreating Strike Technique was executed, the situation took a sharp turn, as Hideyoshi Tsugawa dodged Lu Heng''s sword edge while his counterattacking strike was already slashing above the head.


    Just then, because Lu Heng had taken the initiative to attack, his body was in a state of forward momentum, making it impossible to retreat and dodge Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s incoming attack.


    It looked as if he was about to be hit by Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique.


    In that split second, Lu Heng immediately employed a variation of the Cloud Piercing Style called Swallow''s Body Folding, the sword light took a sudden turn, switching from a stab to a parry, and with a "clang" sound, deflected Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Tachi.


    [Sword Technique Proficiency gained, proficiency +1]


    [Sword Technique Proficiency: In-depth Level (3000/3000)]


    [In-depth Level swordsmanship perfected, stepping into the fourth tier of Sword Skill Realm - Conception Level.]


    Phew!


    He had finally broken through.


    Lu Heng abruptly opened his eyes, exhaling deeply.


    At that moment, responding to Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Retreating Strike Technique, he had executed a variation of Cloud Piercing Style called Swallow''s Body Folding, altering the finishing move of his sword attack.


    But this time, the alteration was not for the purpose of attacking, but for defense.


    Originally, Cloud Piercing Style was an offensive maneuver, and its alteration into Swallow''s Body Folding was also meant to attack.


    Yet using an offensive maneuver for defense is itself a form of "alteration".


    Previously, Lu Heng blindly pursued fierce attacks, which caused his swordsmanship to be stuck on the last point of proficiency. By switching from offense to defense, he finally achieved a breakthrough.


    This was the enlightenment in the way of the sword.


    After the breakthrough, Lu Heng''s face showed a smile. This time, it was not just a breakthrough in swordsmanship, but also a mental one.


    Sometimes, being too rigid can lead to breaking. Appropriate defense and giving up offense temporarily is the essence of a higher sword skill realm.


    Lu Heng savored the process of the breakthrough when his stomach suddenly let out a fierce protest.


    Looking at the time, it was already half past seven. To achieve the last bit of proficiency level, he had been fighting for one and a half hours.


    Now he had finally broken through.


    Lu Heng hurried home to eat, feeding his growling stomach.


    ...


    The next day at noon.


    Lin Zeyu was already prepared for action, with all his men arranged and just waiting for the right moment.


    Just then, a small incident occurred.


    Lu Heng received a joint invitation from Kenji Ono and Hideyoshi Tsugawa, which was to visit Kenji Ono''s residence in Coastal and discuss swordsmanship with Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Since a month ago, the Chunshang Group had not stopped trying to woo Lu Heng.


    After all, not only was Lu Heng strong in combat, but also a Quenching Master. Whoever could recruit him would gain enormous support in the world of the Abyss Descent.


    Upon seeing this invitation, Lin Zeyu said angrily, "This Kenji brat, doesn''t he know that we''ve already signed a team contract? Still trying to poach people, is he delusional? Anyway, we are planning on making our move, so don''t go, and just act directly."


    Su Muyu also expressed some concerns, "I''m worried it''s a trap."


    After careful consideration, Lu Heng said, "The original plan remains the same. However, I''ll accept this invitation."


    "Ah? Then what should we do?" Lin Zeyu immediately frowned.


    "Continue with the original plan. I''ll go meet this Kenji Ono and Hideyoshi Tsugawa to see what they want," Lu Heng decided. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the afternoon.


    Lu Heng took the sedan sent by Kenji Ono and headed to a manor in Yue Ning District.


    The manor was not large, but very distinctive.


    Kenji Ono personally greeted Lu Heng at the entrance of the manor, "Welcome, welcome, Mr. Lu, your visit is a great honor."


    Next to him stood another man dressed in ronin attire, Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Lu Heng responded politely, then was led by the two men into the manor, where they had tea next to the garden in the tea room.


    A woman dressed in kimono was kneeling on the wooden floor, beginning to prepare tea.


    Lu Heng made no extra polite banter and got straight to the point, "Mr. Ono, what did you want to talk about by inviting me over today?"


    Kenji Ono was not quite accustomed to such a direct way of talking and with a light cough, said,


    "Mr. Lu is indeed straightforward, so I will be direct as well. I have some misunderstandings with the Lin Family, and to my regret, I have not been able to become friends with Mr. Lu.


    "Therefore, I have thought of a win-win solution, hoping we can shake hands and make peace.


    "Mr. Lu can mediate between me and the Lin Family.


    "Additionally, I would like to invest in Mr. Lu. We could set up a Quenching service support company, with the Chunshang Group investing in full, but only holding 40% of the shares.


    "Mr. Lu would join with technology shares, holding 60% of the shares. What do you think of this proposal?"


    When Lu Heng heard this, he was somewhat surprised.


    There was no denying it.


    The proposal was very attractive.


    However, having no time and energy to focus on managing a company, even if he were to start one, Lu Heng would end up hiring a manager to take care of it.


    Company management was complicated, and with the Chunshang Group holding a 40% share, one could anticipate what might happen.


    Lu Heng smiled without accepting immediately, nor refusing outright, and asked, "Is there more?"


    Kenji Ono continued, "There is also the matter of the [Team Contract]."


    Lu Heng reminded, "The [Team Contract] has already been used; it seems there''s no room for negotiation on that."


    Kenji Ono raised his hand, "Mr. Lu, don''t be in a hurry to refuse. If I''m not mistaken, there are only three names signed on this [Team Contract] right now."


    Lu Heng nodded in acknowledgment, "Yes, only three people have signed it so far."


    Kenji Ono revealed a smile and continued, "This is the same as my previous proposal. I am willing to pay more than the auction price for the remaining two spots on the contract."


    Lu Heng''s eyebrows raised. By his words, Kenji Ono was willing to spend 6.5 billion to buy the remaining two spots on the [Team Contract].


    If calculated this way, it meant that his side would obtain three team spots for free.


    Moreover, there was a subtle point here.


    Who gets the money?


    Kenji Ono invited him, implying that if Lu Heng wanted to take the 6.5 billion, Kenji Ono would certainly not object.


    However, if Lin Zeyu found out about this, he''d probably not take it well.


    Lu Heng still did not outright refuse but instead asked, "Mr. Ono, who are you planning to give these two spots to?"


    Kenji Ono nodded towards Hideyoshi Tsugawa and said, "Let me introduce this man here. This is Fusang''s swordsmanship champion, Hideyoshi Tsugawa, a top ten contender in Fusang Swordsmanship.


    "If you agree to this proposal, then Hideyoshi Tsugawa will become your teammate.


    "Having a powerful sword expert like Hideyoshi Tsugawa, I believe you won''t find a second superpower user team in the world stronger than yours."

 Chapter 132 - 115: Spirit Resistance Ring, Top Ten Masters of Fusang Swordsmanship

    Hearing Kenji Ono''s words, Lu Heng couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    When he saw Hideyoshi Tsugawa just now, Lu Heng had thought that one of the two team contract slots Kenji Ono wanted might be for Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Hearing him say it outright was still a bit surprising.


    Yesterday, during his breakthrough in swordsmanship, he watched Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s videos and simulated his retreating strike technique in his mind, finally breaking through the bottleneck in swordsmanship.


    Based on the known data, Hideyoshi Tsugawa was indeed very strong; it was hard to say who had the higher realm of swordsmanship if they confronted each other directly.


    Lu Heng had three years of reborn memories, while Hideyoshi Tsugawa had already been the champion of Fusang Swordsmanship competitions three years ago.


    Those who reach the pinnacle in a certain field always have far greater perseverance than ordinary people.


    If he disregarded identity and character and only considered combat power, Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s strength was definitely sufficient to be a teammate.


    However, choosing teammates wasn''t just about strength; trust was even more important.


    Lu Heng looked into Kenji Ono''s eyes and asked, "And the other slot?"


    Kenji Ono didn''t immediately answer, but after pondering for a moment, he said, "The other slot, I can''t tell you about right now, but I can assure you that this person will definitely not hold you back."


    With the multinational consortium behind Chunshang Group as backing, someone could spend 650 million to buy two slots and even have ten of Fusang''s top swordsmen as bodyguards.


    Just how significant was this person''s background?


    "What do you think, Mr. Lu?" Kenji Ono asked again.


    "I''m curious, have you not found any other means of securing backers? Preferably within a team, you have control over three people," Lu Heng stared into his eyes.


    "Because I trust Mr. Lu''s character and also hope to become friends with Mr. Lu," Kenji Ono replied very sincerely.


    If it were someone else, they might have been moved by his sincerity.


    However.


    Lu Heng understood all too well how cruel the Abyss invasion era was.


    A team contract indeed could sign up to five people, but the added members could also disappear ¡ª as long as they died.


    That is to say, after the two people joined the team, they could use external forces to artificially control the team''s numbers.


    Furthermore, reducing team numbers could also lower the combat power rating when the team is summoned.


    That is to say.


    The team contract''s limit is five people, but that doesn''t mean they necessarily must have five.


    Of course.


    Lu Heng also believed that Kenji Ono definitely wanted to win him over, as at the current stage, a Quenching Master was much more valuable than a top-tier Superpower User.


    However, there was a limit to the value of interests, and if the person he was protecting faced danger, even a Quenching Master could be sacrificed.


    Lu Heng could imagine that if he really agreed to the other party''s request to give them two slots and form a team.


    The Chunshang Group would likely offer a substantial benefit and reconcile with the Lin Family.


    Additionally, with the presence of a team contract, it might indeed be possible to peacefully resolve the matter and form a team with strong nominal combat power.


    However, such a fragile team relationship was not what Lu Heng wanted.


    "Let''s forget it, I have other plans for forming a team," Lu Heng finally chose to refuse.


    Kenji Ono''s expression faltered, then he turned to glance at Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa spoke up, "Do you think my strength isn''t qualified to be your teammate?"


    Lu Heng looked at him, smiled suddenly, and replied, "Not at all."


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa stood up, issuing a challenge with a serious tone, "I am the successor of the Kashima Shinry¨± swordsmanship, and I heard you are also a swordsman, so let''s decide with swords.


    "A duel. If I win, hand over the two slots of that team contract, dare to compete?"


    "And what if I win?" Lu Heng asked with a smile lacing his tone, composed.


    At that moment.


    Kenji Ono took out a jewelry box, placed it on the table, and opened it to display its contents.


    Inside was a cast iron ring, the very one sold for eighty million at the Ultimate Auction previously.


    And this cast iron ring was known as the "Spirit Resistance Ring."


    During the auction, the display screen had shown the attributes of this ring.


    "Spirit Resistance Ring: Improves resistance to spirit attacks and spiritual pollution, reducing the effects by 50% when subjected to spiritual pollution or spirit attacks."


    This ring was very practical.


    Wearing this ring on the Abyss Battlefield would allow one to withstand spiritual pollution for a longer time.


    For instance, the last time Lu Heng entered the Abyss World and killed the Horned Demon Commander, having this ring would have provided much more time, reducing the urgency.


    Besides, it also increased resistance to spirit attacks.


    For example, Spirit Shock skills, based on the difference in spiritual attributes, could cause a temporary spiritual disruption, and if the spiritual difference was too significant, it could even knock someone unconscious directly.


    In a battle of equals, if one were hit by a Spirit Shock, experiencing a few seconds of daze could mean certain death.


    Wearing this Spirit Resistance Ring would achieve greater resistance to spirit attacks, allowing one to recover more quickly from the confusion caused by spiritual disruption.


    Therefore, the lower a Superpower User''s spiritual attribute, the higher the demand for this ring.


    Lu Heng''s Spiritual Attribute wasn''t low, but facing the Spiritual Pollution of the Abyss Battlefield, this ring was indeed a fully practical treasure.


    At the last Ultimate Auction, Lu Heng had shown great interest in this ring.


    The ring itself did not increase Combat Power, and Lu Heng felt that not everyone might recognize its value.


    If the auction price wasn''t too high, he considered trying to acquire it at a low price.


    However, there were knowledgeable people at the event; the price was bid up to 80 million, far exceeding his affordable range.


    Unexpectedly, now the ring had appeared before him again.


    Kenji Ono smiled and said, "If Mr. Lu wins, how about I give you this ring as a gift?"


    Lu Heng had been interested in this ring during the auction, and sadly the price had been too high. Now, the other party was using it as a bet, which perfectly suited his wishes.


    "Okay, let''s have me experience the latest in Fusang Swordsmanship."


    "Mr. Lu, please."


    The three left the teahouse and entered another room, the Sword Room.


    The room was spacious and quiet.


    "Hideyoshi Tsugawa usually practices swordsmanship here. You can duel here," Kenji Ono called to a maid at the door.


    Two maids came in holding wooden swords, respectfully handing them to Lu Heng and Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    These wooden swords were used in Fusang Swordsmanship competitions; they were thick, edgeless, with rounded tips.


    In swordsmanship competitions, points were scored by striking valid parts of the opponent''s body, earning one point per hit.


    Usually, the competitors also needed to wear protective gear to prevent injuries from the swords.


    Although they were just wooden swords, they had a significant weight, and a hit to the head without protective gear could easily knock someone unconscious.


    Two maids entered with two sets of protective gear, ready to help them suit up.


    Lu Heng looked at the wooden sword in his hand; for a Superpower User, using a wooden sword was rather childlike. He then said, "We don''t need protective gear, do we?"


    "I also dislike protective gear," Hideyoshi Tsugawa waved his hand, signaling the maids to leave.


    He didn''t even like wooden swords and preferred to fight with real weapons.


    However, this match had been arranged by Kenji Ono, with the intent to conquer Lu Heng with swordsmanship and then win him over. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng swung the wooden sword a few times. Since this type of wooden sword was specific to Fusang and he had never used it before, he wasn''t very accustomed to it, causing some awkwardness when he performed the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    Fortunately, his Strength attribute was high enough that this clumsiness was within an acceptable range.


    "Please!" Hideyoshi Tsugawa, following Fusang Swordsmanship etiquette, bowed and assumed a starting position.


    Lu Heng also raised his sword, adjusted his breathing, and locked eyes with his opponent.


    Since he had seen footage of his opponent''s previous matches, he knew that Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s swordsmanship was very advanced, and having improved over three years, he needed to be very cautious.


    "Ha!"


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa waited for Lu Heng to ready his stance, then shouted as he initiated an attack aimed at Lu Heng''s arm.


    This move was a basic Skill Attack from the Fusang Swordsmanship Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes, meant to score points.


    A successful hit would score one point.


    For ordinary people, attacking the arms might be useful, but for a Superpower User with Agility of 62 points, there were too many dodging options; a slight movement of the arm could avoid the attack.


    As if he had already anticipated this, Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s eyes suddenly sparkled as he switched techniques to a flurry of moves from the Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes.


    Lu Heng, unfamiliar with Fusang Swordsmanship, fought purely according to the Step Sword Seven Styles. Anticipating the flurry of blows, he easily blocked the combination with a swing of his sword.


    The swift and successive attacks were all smoothly parried by Lu Heng, confirming to Hideyoshi Tsugawa that Lu Heng was not an opponent to be easily defeated.


    Three years ago, when he won the Fusang Swordsmanship championship, he was already recognized as one of the top ten masters in Fusang.


    At that time, there were few in Fusang who qualified as his competition, let alone those unskilled in swordsmanship.


    Three years had passed and he had become a Superpower User, achieving Extraordinary Power.


    For someone untrained in swordsmanship, they wouldn''t last a move against him, Superpower Users included.


    Yet Lu Heng had easily countered his two attacks. Although he employed a basic Skill Attack Technique that seemed neither intricate nor cunning, the more fundamental the sword technique, the more effective it was.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s breath deepened as he focused, ready to demonstrate his true capabilities.


    Lu Heng also sensed the change in his aura, grounded his stance, and entered a formal combat state.


    To duel a powerful swordsmanship master was a rare opportunity.


    Especially when precision was required in swordsmanship, an equal level challenge was needed to break through limitations.


    Lu Heng also wanted to test whether his swordsmanship, elevated to the Conception Level, could truly dominate this Fusang sword master.


    Shout!


    Both parties, intent on proving their superiority, simultaneously burst forth with their swords.


    Bang bang bang¡­


    A series of rapid clashes followed, their sword speeds far exceeding the usual limits of swordsmanship.


    Lu Heng wielded Chop, Stab, Point, Break, Pick, Cut, Sweep ¡ª all fundamental sword techniques.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa employed the Skill Attack Methods of the Nine Forms Thirteen Strokes, aiming for speed.


    The two men advanced and retreated, their movements so fast that the average human eye could scarcely follow. Within a few breaths, they had exchanged over a dozen blows, matched in strength and skill, neither able to best the other.

 Chapter 133 - 116: Setting a Feast like Hongmen, Staging a Solo Adventure

    After exchanging more than a dozen moves, Lu Heng had been able to confirm that his opponent, Hideyoshi Tsugawa, had also reached the Conception Level of swordsmanship.


    This was a much higher level than he had been three years ago.


    Since they were using wooden swords to spar, both sides were not using their full strength.


    If they had used their full strength, the wooden swords would have broken with just a casual strike.


    Thus, both participants were scoring points based on hitting effective parts without using deadly moves.


    Even so, the level of swordsmanship was apparent.


    After several rounds of exchanges, Lu Heng had roughly gauged the opponent''s strength.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s level was indeed high, at least Level 22, with Agility Attribute over 55 points.


    The Strength attribute was uncertain because neither side had unleashed their full strength, and their strikes were meant just to score points, so it was difficult to test the Strength attribute.


    However, with Agility reaching 55 points, the Strength attribute, even if lower, would definitely be above 50 points.


    Lu Heng could suppress his opponent with his Agility attribute, but this kind of scoring competition was new to him, so he lacked experience.


    Therefore, the fight was evenly matched.


    As Lu Heng fought, his demeanor became more composed because he had ascertained the opponent''s strength and felt more confident.


    Neither in terms of attributes nor sword skill realm was he inferior to his opponent, and he could easily handle the competition even in an area he was not good at.


    If it were a direct combat, he would have been even more confident.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa, however, grew increasingly apprehensive as he could tell that Lu Heng was much younger, by at least a decade.


    Yet, during their contest, he realized something astonishing.


    "Has your sword skill realm reached the Conception Level?"


    "Just reached it recently."


    In fact, Lu Heng had also noticed that Hideyoshi Tsugawa had only recently reached the Conception Level as well, and many moves and techniques were predictable to each other during the sword fight. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In terms of sword technique level, they were about the same, but the age difference made a significant gap.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa had started learning Fusang Kashima Shindo-ryu Swordsmanship from a very young age, participated in competitions from the age of twenty, and after nearly ten years of competitions, he won a swordsmanship championship at thirty and was ranked among the top ten swordsmen of Fusang Swordsmanship.


    He was also the kaomon of the modern Fusang Kashima Shindo-ryu and was regarded as a god-like figure in the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle.


    Yet, he, who had received countless praises, was now evenly matched with an unknown young man from Da Xia.


    For him, this was a colossal failure.


    Thus, Hideyoshi Tsugawa became more anxious as they fought, and anxiety made it easy for him to show flaws.


    Lu Heng seized the opportunity, performed a variation of the Cloud Piercing Style called "Swallow Breaking Body," hitting Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s effective parts twice in succession, scoring two points.


    In high-level matches, a two-point lead was a significant gap.


    And with Lu Heng''s strength, if this were an actual competition, he would just need to defend well to almost guarantee a win.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s gaze darkened, and he launched an even fiercer attack, the wooden swords clashing with loud "bangs."


    As he exerted more force, the wooden swords eventually could not withstand it, and with a loud "bang," both swords shattered.


    Lu Heng leaped back, looked at the broken wooden sword, and smiled, asking, "Does this settle the score?"


    If the competition ended now, Lu Heng would have won by two points, according to the score.


    However, if it were a formal competition, the time hadn''t run out yet, so it was up to Hideyoshi Tsugawa to decide.


    Kenji Ono had been watching from outside the door; although not understanding swordsmanship, he could tell from Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s disposition who had won.


    His gaze sank, and with a cold huff, he turned and walked away.


    Lu Heng saw Kenji Ono turn and leave without leaving behind the [Spirit Resistance Ring], which was somewhat unkind.


    However, Hideyoshi Tsugawa hadn''t conceded defeat yet, so it was only fair to give him a chance to catch up.


    Hideyoshi''s gaze turned frosty as he drew a glittering Tachi from thin air and challenged, "How about we use real swords for the second half, dare you?"


    Lu Heng, who wasn''t accustomed to using Fusang wooden swords, saw no reason to back down since his opponent had initiated using real swords, and equally pulled out the Aurora Blade from thin air.


    With weapons switched, they clashed again.


    Clang!


    The first clanging sound of steel exploded, and Lu Heng''s blood boiled with it.


    This was a true face-off, unleashing full forces, clashing blades in exhilarating combat.


    Clang!


    Another sword strike sounded.


    Lu Heng started to get excited, fully unleashing the power of the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    That lousy wooden sword had been unable to execute the deadly moves of the Step Sword Seven Styles.


    Clang! Clang! Clang...


    As Lu Heng''s onslaught intensified, Hideyoshi Tsugawa felt the pressure increasing, and with Lu Heng''s 62 points in Agility overwhelming his attack speed, his 55 points in Agility became an increasingly apparent disadvantage.


    Every move Lu Heng made was too fast for him to dodge; he could only block with his Tachi.


    Using the Tachi to block, counterattacking became difficult.


    Therefore, after switching to real swords, Lu Heng''s onslaught multiplied in intensity several times, forcing Hideyoshi to defend frequently, with less than a thirty percent chance to counterattack.


    Lu Heng fought more heartily, and his sword technique proficiency continued to improve during the battle.


    [Executing sword combat techniques, gaining insight, Sword Technique Proficiency +1]


    After a few exchanges of sword strikes, Lu Heng realized Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s Strength attribute was around 51 points.


    Lu Heng''s Strength attribute was 49 points, slightly lower by 2 points, but his Agility was 62 points, seven points higher than Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s.


    Therefore, leveraging his superior agility, Lu Heng launched attacks as swift as lightning, pressing Hideyoshi Tsugawa to the point where he could barely catch his breath.

 Chapter 134 - 116: Setting a Feast like Hongmen, Staging a Solo Adventure_2

    Had it not been for his slightly higher Strength attribute, he would have been overwhelmed much earlier.


    Lu Heng fought with increasing joy, while Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s expression grew uglier by the minute.


    Kenji Ono had invited Lu Heng over with a clear purpose.


    He intended to have Hideyoshi Tsugawa overpower Lu Heng with his Strength, convincing Lu Heng to agree to relinquish two team slots to protect the person behind him.


    The current situation was looking bad; Hideyoshi Tsugawa was getting dominated and if this continued, his defeat was certain.


    This meant that Kenji Ono''s purpose for today''s invitation had failed.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s gaze darkened, a sudden flash of red light in his eyes as his Source Energy surged, enhancing his strikes from less than thirty percent to fifty percent.


    Moreover, Lu Heng felt a special kind of pressure, as if his soul was being watched by something terrifying. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This wasn''t the first time Lu Heng had experienced such a sensation, so he quickly realized that Hideyoshi Tsugawa was using an Essential Skill, specifically the "Revenge Kill" at the First Transition level.


    This Essential Skill allowed marking a target for revenge, launching fierce attacks on them with greatly increased attack speed and strength.


    Not only that, but the skill also locked onto the revenge target, enabling Hideyoshi Tsugawa to sense the target''s position even with his eyes closed.


    Meaning, even if the target used invisibility, they couldn''t escape.


    Seeing him using the Source Material Ability, Lu Heng knew this had already gone beyond a simple swordsmanship duel.


    Until now, they had only been competing with swordsmanship; neither had used any skills.


    Since using skills would defeat the purpose of a sword duel.


    Moreover, Hideyoshi Tsugawa had opened with "Revenge Kill," his eyes filled with lethal intent.


    This signaled a fight to the death.


    Not only that, but there was also movement in the courtyard.


    Initially, many attendants in kimonos were present in the courtyard, all of whom had now withdrawn, leaving it empty.


    Kenji Ono had vanished too.


    Clearly, this was a setup for a kill, and the next step would probably involve a gunman.


    However, since Hideyoshi Tsugawa hadn''t lost yet, it hadn''t reached that point.


    Just as anticipated, this was indeed a trap.


    Kenji Ono set a trap, and Lu Heng was walking into the lion''s den solo.


    Since the dagger is drawn when the trap is set, the fight was inevitable.


    After using the "Revenge Kill," Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s sword speed soared, even surpassing Lu Heng.


    A Source Material Ability indeed, forcibly closing a gap of seven agility points and gaining the upper hand.


    Now that the Essential Skill was deployed, Hideyoshi Tsugawa held nothing back.


    After a clash of blades, Lu Heng leaped back as Hideyoshi Tsugawa flipped his palm, hurling three shurikens with the skill "Broken Sky Shuriken."


    The three shurikens spun, tracing three arcs aimed at three critical points on Lu Heng''s body.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa charged forward, thrusting his sword directly towards Lu Heng''s chest.


    This move, coupled with the three shurikens, was like launching four simultaneous attacks.


    Confident under the "Revenge Kill" enhancement, Hideyoshi Tsugawa believed no one in the world could block this fatal strike.


    Just as this deadly strike was about to succeed,


    Lu Heng activated the skill "Bullet Time."


    Suddenly, everything around him slowed down, even the beads of sweat from his forehead during the leap clearly visible.


    Under "Bullet Time," Lu Heng dodged the first shuriken, promptly flicked away the second with his fingers, and caught the third.


    Meanwhile, Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s killing strike was already thrusting towards him.


    Lu Heng parried with his sword and, sliding his blade along the Tachi, flicked it away and swung a horizontal cut directly at Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s chest.


    Despite being a Conception Level swordsman, in the moment of the horizontal cut, Hideyoshi Tsugawa made a final evasive maneuver, leaning backward as the sword light grazed over his head, cutting off a tuft of his hair.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa passed by, thinking he had narrowly evaded the counterattack.


    However, as they passed by each other, Lu Heng, without even turning his head, flung his left hand backward.


    Thud!


    The caught shuriken flew backward, burying itself in Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s back.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa grunted, immediately turning around with shock filling his eyes.


    He had never expected that his supposed fatal combination of the shuriken and killing strike would be countered, and even more so that the last shuriken he caught would be used to stab him in the back.


    Although he was his opponent, Lu Heng had to admit that the battle had been exhilarating.


    However, the exhilarating fight was coming to an end.


    That was because a squad of gunmen had stormed into the courtyard, surrounding it completely.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s face was full of anger as he yelled at the intruding gunmen, "Get out!"


    He still refused to give up and wanted to continue fighting.


    Lu Heng didn''t mind finishing the match with him because this fight had already increased his Sword Technique Proficiency by 152 points, which was much faster than usual training.


    The gunmen surrounding the courtyard did not retreat, but they also did not open fire; clearly, they too were waiting.


    ...


    On the other hand.


    Kenji Ono buttoned up his suit, walked out of the mansion, and got into a sedan.


    His bodyguard, Keiko Kaneda, also got into the back seat of the sedan, ready to leave.


    An underling approached the sedan, leaned down to the window, and asked, "Tsugawa Hideyoshi refuses to withdraw, what should we do?"


    Kenji Ono''s face darkened as he said, "Then let him fight until he has had enough! I thought the top ten sword masters were formidable, yet they can''t even suppress a young upstart from Da Xia. This Lu Heng can''t be left alive¡ªhe''s too insolent. Send him to meet Yama; he must die here today."


    "Yes!" the underling replied with a bow.


    The car window rose, the sedan''s engine started, and it slowly left the mansion.


    Just as it exited the main gate, suddenly a gunshot sounded.


    Bang!


    The sedan shook, and a hole appeared in the bulletproof glass.


    Keiko Kaneda''s scream came from the back seat, "The chairman''s been shot! Quick! We need help!"


    The black-suited bodyguards around the sedan panicked, pulling out their pistols and forming a circle around the sedan.


    "We''ve got a sniper! We''ve got a sniper!"


    The group of black-suited bodyguards raised their guns, scanning the surroundings, but could not locate the sniper.


    Suddenly, there was a burst of fire inside the sedan.


    Kenji Ono''s skill "Replacement Puppet" activated, turning into a burning Puppet Paperman.


    Keiko Kaneda quickly pulled Kenji Ono under the seat, dodging further sniper shots.


    "Replacement Puppet" could avoid one fatal attack, but the damage incurred remained the same.


    Thus, Kenji Ono had been shot in the right chest, and his injuries were severe.


    Just as Keiko Kaneda was instructing the driver to drive away, her Perception Skill suddenly detected something falling from the sky, and she cried out loud, "There''s something from above! Shoot it down!"


    The black-suited bodyguards looked up but saw nothing.


    One of the bodyguards immediately shot a skill "Source Energy Visibility Dust" into the sky.


    A cloud of sparkling dust energy surged upwards, revealing an invisible reconnaissance eagle.


    In the eagle''s claws, there was a bomb, diving down rapidly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    As the eagle became visible, the black-suited bodyguards fired continuously, hitting the bomb.


    Boom!


    The bomb exploded ten meters in the air, knocking down the bodyguards below.


    The sedan shook from the blast, but thankfully, its bulletproof armor protected those inside from the explosion.


    Keiko Kaneda urged the driver urgently, "Quick! To the hospital! To Yongxing Hospital!"


    The sedan started up again, racing out of the estate, headed in the direction of Yongxing Private Hospital.


    The estate''s bodyguards also quickly got into their cars, preparing to follow to the hospital.


    At that moment.


    Two cars charged to the front gate of the mansion, their doors opened, and seven of Lin Zeyu''s confidants got out, using the car doors as cover, and began firing, engaging the estate''s bodyguards in a gunfight.


    Both sides irreversibly turned against one another, sparking a fierce gunfight that would only end in death.


    From a distance at the water tower, Lin Zeyu shot and killed five of Kenji Ono''s bodyguards. Seeing that his side had an advantage in the mansion''s gunfight, he immediately packed up his sniper rifle and went after Kenji Ono.


    ...

 Chapter 135 - 117: The Conception Level Contest, Competing for Source Material

    A shuriken plunged into his back, and the pain of the wound brought Hideyoshi Tsugawa back to his senses.


    He suddenly realized that during their recent exchange, his composure had nearly crumbled.


    Ever since obtaining the championship in the Fusang swordsmanship competition three years ago and becoming one of the top ten masters of Fusang Swordsmanship, his mindset had stabilized, never faltering.


    For swordsmanship, sometimes the state of mind is more important than the Sword Realm. With an unstable mentality, defeat would not be surprising.


    Despite the injury, such wounds are insignificant for a Superpower User.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa took a deep breath, reached to his back, plucked out the shuriken and tossed it away, readjusting his mindset before lifting his renowned blade "Izumi Tiger Cutter" once again.


    After realigning his mentality, his spirit soared, and the air around him seemed to change with his Conception Level aura.


    Lu Heng sensed the Conception Level aura emanating from him and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Finally, he was about to reveal his true Conception Level swordsmanship.


    This level of Sword Skill Realm allows one to exude a sword-synced aura with every breath they take.


    It''s a kind of oppressive force derived from swordsmanship, able to convey the sword''s edge without a single strike.


    Lu Heng too calmed down, emitting a Conception Level swordsmanship aura, engaging in a silent contest of might.


    The suited assassins surrounding the courtyard seemed to grow impatient. One of them stepped forward and said, "Mr. Kenji Ono has been attacked; we must conclude the mission here immediately."


    A glint of ferocity flashed through Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s eyes as he flung a shuriken, nailing the throat of the speaker, effectively sealing it and then bellowed, "Scram!"


    The other assassins in suits dared not approach further but couldn''t leave the courtyard either, so they continued to wait by the exit.


    The stand-off between Lu Heng and Hideyoshi Tsugawa went on, amid the echoing gunshots outside the manor.


    The mutual assassination plot had begun.


    No message from the surveillance eagle had been received, indicating that everything was proceeding as planned.


    The strongest Superpower User beside Kenji Ono was Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    If anyone else were to face Hideyoshi, they might be cut down at first contact.


    Therefore, Lu Heng''s goal was Hideyoshi Tsugawa. By holding this Fusang Swordsmanship master at bay, he could give his side an advantage.


    Of course, if he could quickly dispatch Hideyoshi Tsugawa and provide support to Su Muyu and the others, the situation would be even more controllable.


    However, Hideyoshi Tsugawa was indeed powerful. With over twenty years of solid swordsmanship and Class Ability at his disposal, his combat power was formidable, one of the few in the world.


    No one could stop him if he were to be let loose.


    Both parties had displayed their Conception Level swordsmanship aura; though their swords remained still, the gleam of swords clashed in their eyes.


    Amid this stand-off, they each sought the other''s opening.


    This was a collision of Sword Skill Realms, and the one who fell into the disadvantage faced the peril of a fatal strike.


    Unsure how long the stand-off had lasted, Lu Heng did not wish to drag out the fight any longer and intentionally revealed an opening.


    With a shout!


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s eyes flashed with murderous intent as he roared and lunged forward, his blade aimed at Lu Heng''s exposed weakness, directly targeting Lu Heng''s right shoulder.


    The sword strike was fast and fierce.


    Even though Lu Heng had deliberately exposed an opening, he still felt tremendous pressure and immediately raised his sword to block, leaping backward.


    In that instant, the red hue of "Revenge Kill" skyrocketed in Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s eyes. Without exhausting the momentum of the first strike, the second sword strike, "Rift Slash," was swiftly unleashed.


    And furthermore, the spatial Rift Slash was released in the blink of an eye as the second consecutive strike after the first, catching the opponent off-guard.


    Lu Heng, already retreating, barely left the ground when the next strike arrived.


    Moreover, the Rift Slash extended the length of the sword blade invisibly, ensuring that Lu Heng''s leap backward could not evade it.


    In that critical moment, Lu Heng activated his Essential Skill "Shadow Traversal," stepping on Shadow Energy and rolling to the side to dodge.


    The Rift Slash tore through space, striking the sword room''s wall with a "boom," reducing the wooden wall and ceiling to splinters.


    Lu Heng rolled and narrowly dodged the Rift Slash.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s face showed shock at that moment.


    He had unleashed his strongest Second Transition Essential Skill.


    In this world, no material could withstand that strike.


    Yet, as the sword glow flashed, he saw a layer of Shadow Energy cloak Lu Heng, who then rolled aside like lightning, avoiding the Rift Slash.


    No sooner had Lu Heng rolled away from the Rift Slash than he did not grant Hideyoshi Tsugawa a chance to react, immediately emerging from the Shadow Traversal state, only three meters away, swung his sword in a horizontal cut, deploying the Second Transition Essential Skill "Rift Slash" himself.


    Clang!


    The sword''s glow flashed, slicing across Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s waist, severing all in its path.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s body split in half at the waist, the upper half flung away, blood spraying out and staining the ground.


    He recognized in that split second the "Rift Slash," identical to the sword technique he himself had used.


    He was all too aware of the terror of that strike, and, realizing he couldn''t escape, he knew the contest had ended.


    As the fatal blow approached, he closed his eyes in resignation.


    [Source Material conflict complete, Source Material absorbed, Source Quality Fusion increased to 37%.]

 Chapter 136 - 117: Conception Level Contest, Competing for Source Material_2

    [Performed a swordsmanship battle, gained insight, sword technique proficiency +1]


    The two consecutive data prompts indicate that Hideyoshi Tsugawa hadn''t acquired [Swordsman], only the starting Source Material of the [Swordsman] class.


    It means that the Source Material on him was the same as on Lu Heng, both in a free state.


    Thus, both of them were in a state of competing for Source Material.


    Lu Heng won and seized the Source Material from the other party.


    ...


    Two [Rift Slash] moves shattered the entire sword room.


    The black-suited assassins surrounding them realized Hideyoshi Tsugawa was dead, stunned for a full second before they remembered to raise their guns and shoot.


    Bang bang bang...


    More than a dozen handguns targeted Lu Heng, firing wildly.


    Lu Heng clenched his left hand violently, and the Source Material Energy burst forth, instantly entering the second phase of Shadow Traversal state, exempting physical collision, dodging all bullets.


    Then, with a flash of his figure, he appeared behind the gunmen, swept past the dozen assailants like the wind, wielding the Aurora Blade horizontally, drawing a long trail of sword light.


    Wherever the sword light passed, blood splattered wildly, completing sixteen consecutive cuts in the blink of an eye.


    Having dealt with the assassins at the Ono Kenji manor, Lu Heng picked up the Fusang Name Blade "Izumi Tiger Cutter," then put on the communicator and connected with his team: "How''s the situation?"


    Immediately, Su Muyu''s somewhat joyous voice came through the earpiece: "Ono Kenji''s car rushed into Yongxing Private Hospital, he has already entered the ward, this hospital is highly regarded locally. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, Ono Kenji utilized official power, and now law enforcement has secured the entrance to the hospital, mishandling it might turn into a diplomatic incident."


    After reporting the situation, Su Muyu hurriedly asked: "How about your side, need help?"


    "No need, I''ve handled things here," Lu Heng reassured her, then walked out of the manor, took the car key from an assassin''s body, and pressed the key lock.


    Beep! Beep!


    A black sedan parked at the manor entrance responded.


    Lu Heng walked over, opened the car door, got in, started the engine, and rushed towards Yongxing Private Hospital.


    On the way.


    Lin Zeyu complained over the communication channel: "I hit Ono Kenji, but this guy has a life-saving skill, couldn''t kill him with one shot."


    After the Abyss Descent, people like Ono Kenji, who are older but hold high positions, would stack defense skills after awakening.


    Because they don''t have the energy to fight, have a large number of bodyguards and assassins around them, and don''t need to fight personally.


    At times like these, preserving life becomes their first choice.


    Thus, such powerful individuals would always have several life-saving skills.


    Lu Heng in his past life hadn''t dealt with Ono Kenji, not knowing which skills he had, but he could guess that there must be life-saving skills.


    Thus, from the start, Lu Heng knew Lin Zeyu couldn''t be successful with just one shot, but at least it was enough to send Ono Kenji to the hospital.


    That was also why they investigated Ono Kenji and checked Yongxing Private Hospital initially.


    ...


    Outside Yongxing Private Hospital.


    The darkening sky cast a mysterious air over the hospital.


    Lin Zeyu, with several close subordinates, was already lurking outside the hospital.


    Su Muyu''s reconnaissance eagle had circled above the hospital several times, only knowing which building Ono Kenji entered, but not certain of the room.


    The situation was temporarily stalemated since law enforcement officers were guarding outside Yongxing Private Hospital.


    Law enforcement had received an alert, definitely were on call, especially since Ono Kenji was shot in Da Xia, making the nature of the incident very sensitive.


    When Lu Heng arrived outside the hospital, the sky had already darkened.


    "Found Ono Kenji''s location yet?"


    "Not yet, there are Perceivers in the hospital, if the reconnaissance eagle goes in, it could startle the guard, and the defense level might increase," Su Muyu said, having wanted to send in the reconnaissance eagle earlier but had just approached when she detected Perceivers.


    Lu Heng nodded and started thinking. The operation had reached this point, it was impossible to let Ono Kenji live to see tomorrow''s sun, else more trouble would ensue.


    Actually, charging in to kill Ono Kenji wasn''t out of the question.


    With Hideyoshi Tsugawa dead, there were no Power Users left around Ono Kenji who could stop Lu Heng.


    However, charging in meant a direct confrontation with law enforcement was necessary.


    This would change the nature of the incident.


    Moreover, this incident had escalated quite a bit, and Iron Blood''s people should arrive soon.


    Just as Lu Heng was considering how to go in and finish off Ono Kenji.


    Su Muyu spoke up, reminding him, "Iron Blood''s people are here, it''s that Inspector Chen."


    Lu Heng turned to look in the direction Su Muyu indicated, indeed seeing a sedan parked by the roadside with Chen Linian and his apprentice Gao Zhiting getting out of the car.


    The Iron Blood Investigation Bureau is a special department, with authority on par with national security.


    With Iron Blood involved, things became even more complicated.


    Lin Zeyu was also aware of this: "Both Iron Blood and law enforcement are here, can''t barge in now. Can only sneak in, otherwise we might just have to give up."


    He was still clear-headed, knowing what could be done and what couldn''t.


    Lu Heng looked at Chen Linian, suddenly thinking of a solution.


    As a senior inspector from Iron Blood Investigation Bureau, Chen Linian coming to the scene would definitely have to meet Ono Kenji.


    That is...


    Just as Lu Heng was thinking of a way.


    A black-suited bodyguard standing at the hospital entrance stepped forward, pointing at Chen Linian and his apprentice, and spoke in broken Chinese with a commanding tone: "Your parked car is blocking the hospital entrance."


    Gao Zhiting looked back and said, "Isn''t blocking though, can''t a vehicle still pass?"

 Chapter 137 - 117: Conception Level Contest, Competing for Source Material_3

    He was in a hurry when driving and parked right beside the hospital entrance.


    The Fusang bodyguard in a black suit spoke, "If Mr. Kenji Ono suffers another attack because you''re blocking the way and unable to escape, will you take responsibility?"


    "Hey! My temper..." Gao Zhitin really wanted to deal with this bodyguard.


    Chen Linian didn''t want to escalate the situation and said, "Forget it, just move your car. Move it to that alley over there."


    Having received instructions from his master, Gao Zhitin didn''t argue further. He returned to the car, started it, and backed it into the alley next to the hospital.


    At this time,


    Lu Heng had a thought flashing in his mind and asked, "Do you have a tranquilizer?"


    "Yes," Lin Zeyu immediately replied.


    "Give me a tranquilizer, and make me invisible."


    Lu Heng took a tranquilizer syringe, then entered an invisible state and quickly headed towards the alley.


    After parking the car, Gao Zhitin got out, cursed the Fusang man, and slammed the car door with a "bang." S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just then,


    He suddenly felt someone behind him. As he was about to turn around, his mouth was covered, then a sharp pain hit his neck as a tube of fluid was injected into his vein.


    Under the effect of the tranquilizer, his vision rapidly darkened and then he lost consciousness.


    Lu Heng took his identification, stuffed it into his trouser pocket, placed him in the back seat of the car, then used the "Illusion Pearl" to transform into his appearance, and finally walked out of the alley.


    Chen Linian, growing a bit impatient, took out a cigarette. He intended to light it, but he thought better of it since smoking would certainly be prohibited inside the hospital.


    He merely sniffed the cigarette and then clamped it over his ear while beckoning to his apprentice "Gao Zhitin," urging, "Hurry up."


    Lu Heng, disguised as "Gao Zhitin," sprinted a couple of steps towards Chen Linian without a word.


    At such times, the less spoken, the lesser the chance of slipping up.


    Chen Linian, focused on handling the case, didn''t contemplate whether there was something off about this apprentice. He turned and walked towards the hospital entrance, showed his badge to the enforcement team, and entered the hospital.


    Lu Heng also took out his badge, flashed it, and followed Chen Linian inside.


    Having interacted many times before with this pair of master and disciple, he was somewhat familiar with their relationship.


    Lu Heng, mirroring Gao Zhitin''s usual demeanor, walked slightly behind Chen Linian, mimicking his walking stride perfectly, only speaking less.


    Chen Linian headed straight towards the hospital building, guided by the enforcement team, and arrived outside the ward where Kenji Ono was located.


    After communicating with the Chunshang Group bodyguard at the door, the bodyguard went in to report.


    Shortly after, Keiko Kaneda came out and invited the two inside.


    Kenji Ono''s wounds had been properly bandaged, and since he had the Replacement Puppet skill, the injuries were not fatal.


    While treating his wounds, he dared not opt for general anesthesia out of fear he would not wake up again, so he insisted on local anesthesia.


    It was also for this reason that he was still conscious.


    Chen Linian began to ask questions, while Lu Heng pretended to take notes.


    After a few questions, Chen Linian asked, "Are the bullets that wounded Mr. Ono still around?"


    "They are still here, I''ll take Inspector Chen to see them," said Keiko Kaneda as she led Chen Linian to see the bullet fragment.


    Only Kenji Ono and Lu Heng were left in the room.


    Lu Heng, initially pretending to take notes, now that Chen Linian had left, didn''t need to pretend anymore and casually tossed the notebook onto the hospital bed.


    Kenji Ono noticed there were no actual notes written, just a comical meme drawn.


    He immediately sensed something was amiss, "Who are you?"


    Lu Heng grinned and said, "Mr. Ono, we had an agreement, I win and the Spirit Resistance Ring is mine. Not honoring a lost bet isn''t right, is it?"

 Chapter 138 - 118: Stand up and cover my mouth from behind

    Recognizing the person in front of him as Lu Heng, Kenji Ono''s expression quickly changed, first shock, then panic, followed by fear, and finally pleading.


    He wanted to scream for help, but Lu Heng was too close; even if someone heard, he was undoubtedly doomed.


    His hand trembling, he took out the Spirit Resistance Ring and presented it to Lu Heng, saying, "We can talk, we can talk about anything. Whatever exists in this world can be used for exchange..."


    Lu Heng took the ring, put it on the index finger of his left hand, and rotated it twice with his thumb. Hearing that he still wanted to reconcile, Lu Heng lightly closed his eyes and made a swift motion with his hand.


    Kenji Ono then clutched his throat with both hands and fell down, blood seeping through his fingers and staining the bedsheets with a bright red blossom of death.


    Lu Heng watched him take his last breath, made sure he did not trigger any life-saving skills, and then used Shadow Escape to leave the hospital.


    ...


    A few minutes later.


    Chen Linian and Keiko Kaneda returned after watching the footage.


    As Keiko opened the door and saw Kenji Ono already dead on the hospital bed, her eyes went wide in horror, and she fell to the ground, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Ah!"


    Chen Linian immediately rushed in, checking under the bed, the restroom, the windows, all the while shouting, "Gao Zhitin! Gao Zhitin!"


    There was nothing unusual in the room, no signs of forced entry, and the windows were intact.


    Only two things had happened in the room, Kenji Ono had died, and Gao Zhitin was missing.


    Chen Linian saw a notebook left on the bed, picked it up, and as he looked at the emoticons drawn on it, his mind buzzed.


    He soon realized something, and after recalling Gao Zhitin''s behavior earlier, which seemed mostly normal except that he talked less than usual.


    It''s normal for someone to talk less when they''re not in high spirits.


    So, at first, Chen Linian didn''t mind it, but looking back now, that was the flaw.


    That meant the apprentice he had been with earlier was someone else in disguise.


    The two had driven together, and Gao Zhitin was acting normally in the car.


    So, the problem must have arisen...


    Chen Linian dashed out of the door, ran out of the hospital, into the alley, and pulled open the car door.


    There was no one in the driver''s seat.


    He quickly pulled open the backseat and then saw Gao Zhitin lying underneath the backseat.


    His heart panicked for a moment, he quickly felt for the carotid artery on the neck, found a pulse, and breathed a sigh of relief, sitting by the car door, taking deep breaths.


    His mind raced, replaying the entire event.


    The suspect had impersonated Gao Zhitin, entered the hospital with him, and killed Kenji Ono.


    However, the suspect did not kill Gao Zhitin.


    He stood up again, checked his apprentice''s neck, and quickly found a needle mark.


    His temper flaring, he slapped his apprentice''s face several times, shouting, "Wake up! Wake up!"


    Not waking up indicated a strong dose of the drug was used.


    Chen Linian sat down again, took the cigarette from his ear, lit it, and smoked as he thought.


    The suspect not killing his apprentice showed that the perpetrator did not kill indiscriminately, was calm in conduct, and had boundaries.


    The suspect being able to look like Gao Zhitin suggested metamorphic abilities.


    He closed his eyes, recalling walking into the hospital with the impostor apprentice amidst the swirling smoke.


    Throughout the process, the impostor had been very convincing, almost perfect in every detail from walking to general mannerisms, even standing posture, which were remarkably similar.


    This meant...


    "This person knows me!" Chen Linian concluded.


    Since the victim was the president of a transnational corporation in the Asia-Pacific region and held Fusang nationality,


    this incident could potentially turn into an international affair.


    Therefore, leaders from various levels of the Tonghua District law enforcement and the Detective Bureau all rushed over, fearing implications from this incident.


    ...


    Gao Zhitin slept for three hours before he was finally awakened.


    He shook his head, feeling dizzy and confused, and asked, "Master, what happened to me?"


    Chen Linian looked at him, not knowing whether to be angry or furious, and finally sighed and said, "Go back and write a self-criticism."


    "What happened?"


    "Kenji Ono is dead."


    "How did he die? What happened?" Gao Zhitin had no idea what had transpired.


    "The suspect impersonated you, came into the hospital with me, and took the opportunity to kill Kenji Ono when I walked away," Chen Linian briefly explained.


    Gao Zhitin''s expression was as dramatic as if he had been struck by lightning, his mouth agape, his eyes wide, and then he finally remembered the events before he fainted, touching the needle mark on his neck, saying,


    "I remember now... someone covered my mouth, and then I was injected in the neck."


    Chen Linian immediately asked, "Did you see what that person looked like?"


    Gao Zhitin shook his head, "No, he attacked from behind me, and even his palms were invisible."


    "Invisible, disguised, and then silently disappeared - this person has too many skills," Chen Linian''s intuition told him this might be the most challenging case of his career.


    ...


    Today was not only the incident at Yongxing Private Hospital, but another incident had occurred at Kenji Ono''s Coastal mansion.


    Moreover, the two cases were intricately related.


    In the top-floor grand flat of Jinxiu Imperial View.


    Lin Zeyu had already laid his cards on the table, admitting that he had bought the apartment.


    Therefore, Lu Heng decided not to pay rent anymore and also demanded the return of the previously transferred deposit and three months'' advance rent.


    Because the training room at Qionghua Tianglu Lake was too close to his parents, if the enforcement team or the investigation bureau showed up, he would have to rack his brain to explain it to them.


    Therefore, tonight''s gathering was held at Jinxiu Imperial View.


    Lu Heng, Su Muyu, and Lin Zeyu, along with seven of Huan Yu''s trusted subordinates, sat down together to drink and eat meat.


    Lin Zeyu had the most famous seafood restaurant in Coastal send a tableful of dishes over.


    A six-kilogram lobster was served on the table, and the waitstaff, using tools, dismantled the lobster and neatly arranged the meat on the plates.


    "Eat well and drink well, tonight there will be a tenfold bonus, and the end-of-year performance will be doubled," Lin Zeyu announced loudly, raising his wine glass.


    "The boss is mighty!" a group of trusted subordinates sang his praises in unison.


    "Come on! Let''s have one," Lin Zeyu raised his wine glass, having everyone down it with him.


    Su Muyu tasted a bit of red wine, found it a bit sour, and decided to drink cola instead, as the colors were almost the same.


    Leaning on the railing of the terrace, Lu Heng said, "We might have more friends arriving tonight, so don''t drink too hurriedly."


    "Understood, Boss Lu," Huan Yu''s subordinates began to address Lu Heng as Boss Lu.


    Although Lu Heng didn''t hold such a position in Huan Yu, the title was used out of respect, and having an official position wasn''t important.


    After a while, Su Muyu spoke up, reminding, "They''re here, already downstairs."


    Lin Zeyu signaled his subordinates, saying, "Let''s call it a night, you guys go home first, we''ll drink more another time."


    After these words, he sent a big red packet in the group for this operation.


    The group of trusted subordinates went downstairs while scrambling for the red packet.


    Not long after the subordinates had left, the door was knocked on.


    Lu Heng took off the Spirit Resistance Ring from his left index finger, stuffed it in his pocket, and then went to open the door, "Inspector Chen, long time no see."


    Chen Linian''s mood wasn''t very good. Upon stepping onto the terrace and seeing the table full of dishes, he sneered, "Celebrating, huh? Can three people eat all this?"


    Lin Zeyu laughed heartily, "Well, Inspector Chen is here too, let''s eat together."


    Chen Linian glanced at the trash can, saying, "Surely three people don''t need this many cups?"


    "Just had a team-building session, after all, as the company boss, I need to bond with the employees," Lin Zeyu replied nonchalantly.


    "Are you sure you weren''t bonding with someone from another company?" Chen Linian asked coldly, his expression hard.


    Both phrases were "bonding," but the implications were entirely different.


    Lin Zeyu also put away his smile, asking, "Inspector Chen, are you here for an investigation? If you have an investigation order, please show it so I can call my lawyer."


    Chen Linian raised his hand, saying, "Don''t be so tense, I''m just here to take a look. Although we''re not exactly friends, we are old acquaintances."


    Lu Heng was still sitting on the chair by the railing, staying silent the whole time. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Approaching him, Chen Linian pulled over a chair and sat down, staring into Lu Heng''s eyes, asking, "I heard that this afternoon you received an invitation from Kenji Ono to visit his mansion."


    Lu Heng nodded, "That''s right."


    Chen Linian, "What happened afterward?"


    Lu Heng, "Had some tea, chatted a bit, what else could it be?"


    Chen Linian, "Let''s be direct. Was it you who killed someone at Kenji Ono''s mansion?"


    Lu Heng, "Didn''t the surveillance catch anything?"


    Chen Linian, "All the cameras were turned off."


    Lu Heng, "I wasn''t the one who turned them off."


    Chen Linian, "I know, Kenji Ono''s people turned them off ahead of time."


    This afternoon''s meeting was a trap; since it was a trap, Kenji Ono wouldn''t have intentionally left behind video evidence that could be used against him, so he had the surveillance turned off beforehand.


    Lu Heng spread his hands and asked, "Then why are you still asking me?"


    Chen Linian, "I just want to know what happened."


    Lu Heng tugged at the corner of his mouth, "A trap, Inspector Chen, do you intend to help me get justice?"


    With that invitation, Kenji Ono had set a trap, inviting Lu Heng over, intending to eliminate him on the spot if they couldn''t come to an agreement.


    Meaning, Lu Heng was the real victim.


    However, the people Kenji Ono had arranged couldn''t overpower Lu Heng, resulting in the opposite outcome.


    Chen Linian probably had an idea of what had happened, but now that Kenji Ono was dead, and Hideyoshi Tsugawa too, this matter couldn''t be investigated further.


    At this moment.


    Lin Zeyu also came over, pulling a chair to sit down, staring into Chen Linian''s eyes, he demanded, "Inspector Chen, when will you give me an explanation about the attack I suffered last week on the riverbank road?"


    The last time Lin Zeyu was attacked, the assassins who died all came from Fusang, and their specific identities were difficult to verify.


    Thus, it was a cross-border case; even if they knew who the mastermind was, they couldn''t get the evidence, and there was no way to further the investigation.


    Today''s case was equally tricky.


    Under tight security, the assassin had entered the hospital undetected and killed Kenji Ono.


    Gao Zhitin was furious because the assassin had impersonated him to enter the hospital.


    He walked up to Lu Heng, turned around, and said, "Lu Heng, stand up and cover my mouth from behind."

 Chapter 139 - 119: Truth and Reality

    For those unaware, Gao Zhitin''s request seemed a bit odd.


    However, no one present found it strange.


    Lu Heng smiled, accommodated his request, stood up, and extended his left hand; covering Gao Zhitin''s mouth from behind with it, he then lifted his right hand, mimicking an injection action near his neck:


    "Like this?"


    At that moment, Gao Zhitin''s pupils contracted sharply, because the sensation was too familiar.


    His heart pounded wildly, he gasped for breath, "It was you, wasn''t it?"


    Lu Heng laughed heartily, sat back down in his chair, and said to Chen Linian, "Does your apprentice also use intuition to solve cases? Did he learn that from you?"


    Chen Linian had regained his composure and said leisurely, "My intuition is seldom wrong."


    Lu Heng teased, "Too bad intuition can''t count as evidence."


    Actually,


    Chen Linian already knew clearly what had happened.


    This was a struggle between two forces, and it was impossible to clearly state who was right or wrong.


    First, Lin Zeyu had been attacked, but he was lucky to survive.


    Everyone actually knew it was Kenji Ono, the President of the Asia-Pacific region of the Chunshang Group, who did it, but there was no evidence.


    Before today, the Lin Family had been negotiating with Kenji Ono, but no agreement had been reached.


    And today''s incident was clearly Lin Zeyu''s retaliation.


    From a basic moral perspective, it was Kenji Ono who struck first and should bear the primary responsibility for the feud between the two families.


    But now, he was dead.


    And the law never follows simplistic views; it only speaks to evidence.


    That is to say, if Iron Blood can find evidence of Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu attacking Kenji Ono, the case must be pursued.


    Reality is not a TV drama; justice and the law do not always stand on the same side.


    Moreover, Kenji Ono''s sensitive identity made the situation incredibly complex.


    Facing complex matters, the best approach was¡ªto cut the Gordian knot quickly.


    And that is what Lu Heng did, solving everything with one strike, leaving the remaining troubles to others.


    ¡­


    Chen Linian didn''t manage to obtain any useful information and stood up to take his leave.


    Lin Zeyu escorted him to the door and at the doorway, took out a business card to hand over, saying with a smile, "Inspector Chen, you''re always welcome to come over for a drink and chat as old friends. But if it''s to investigate a case, please directly contact my lawyer."


    Chen Linian sighed, hesitated for a long moment, but still said, "Hideyoshi Tsugawa is the successor to the Kashima Shintou Sword Saint, and now he''s dead in Coastal. Things won''t simply end like this; you all need to be careful."


    Lin Zeyu replied in a relaxed tone, "I''m also forced into a corner; I took a bullet and after all these days, no one has told me how the investigation is going. I hope, Inspector Chen, when you investigate, you don''t underestimate us, that would be good."


    Chen Linian said nothing more, stuffed the business card into his pocket, and turned to enter the elevator.


    ¡­


    On the road.


    Gao Zhitin was silent as he drove, without speaking a word.


    Curious, Chen Linian asked, "Why so quiet? The suspect didn''t say a word when he impersonated you either."


    "It was him!" Gao Zhitin suddenly blurted out two words.


    "Then what?"


    "There''s no ''then what,''" Gao Zhitin sighed heavily.


    "Weren''t you the most persistent before? Following up on clues until the very end," Chen Linian teased with a smile.


    "Master, you know who it is too, right?" Gao Zhitin counter-asked.


    "This world has never lacked secrets that everyone seemingly knows, both in the past and now."


    "What should I do then?" Gao Zhitin sounded somewhat helpless.


    "What do you want to do?"


    "I don''t know, I suddenly don''t want to investigate anymore."


    "Why?"


    "No reason, just don''t feel like it. Kenji Ono sent people to kill first, and then he got killed in retaliation..."


    Gao Zhitin stopped the car by the roadside, turned his head, and said indignantly,


    "Does that mean one can''t fight back if they''re being hunted down by people sent by Kenji Ono? If there''s no evidence found of Kenji Ono hiring assassins, does that mean he can forever evade the law?"


    Chen Linian shook his head smiling, "Yeah, as long as there''s no evidence, he can forever evade the law. Welcome to the real world."


    For a moment, Gao Zhitin was perplexed, not even sure to whom his master was referring.


    After a while, Gao Zhitin asked again, "But in Kenji Ono''s courtyard, Lu Heng''s fingerprints and skin tissue were found."


    "So what?"


    "That proves he was there, and perhaps, he killed those people."


    "Facing a group of people illegally armed within the country, there''s unlimited self-defense. Even if he admitted to killing those people, what could happen?" Chen Linian anticipated the outcome of the investigation.


    Actually.


    After visiting the scene at Kenji Ono''s mansion, Chen Linian could already reconstruct a rough sequence of events in his mind.


    It was indeed a trap set by Kenji Ono, a banquet with hidden dangers.


    Only, Kenji Ono hit a snag.


    If it wasn''t Kenji Ono who died but instead the person he targeted, the outcome would have been different.


    Then, the law enforcement team wouldn''t even be able to enter Kenji Ono''s mansion to investigate.


    ¡­


    Jinxiu Imperial View.


    After seeing Chen Linian and his apprentice off, Lin Zeyu came back and said, "Before that Chen guy left, he told me Hideyoshi Tsugawa is a descendant of the Kashima Shintou Sword Saint from Fusang, and he also said that things won''t end so easily. That ''pants sword saint'' won''t come for revenge, will he?"


    "Probably."


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had heard of Fusang''s Kashima Shintou swordsmanship, a very powerful force during the Abyss Descent Era.


    After the Abyss Descent, the situation of Fusang''s four islands was one where power was divided among four groups, with Kashima Shintou playing a very important role.


    Kashima Shintou was actually a derivative faction of the genuine Katori Shinto-ryu.


    And this Sword Saint of Kashima Shintou was a leading figure in the new faction, very famous in later generations, a person with peak combat power.


    Lu Heng wasn''t sure about the relationship between Hideyoshi Tsugawa and this world-renowned Sword Saint. Even if that famous Sword Saint came looking for a fight, he''d fight if he had to.


    Reborn in this world, if he was going to do anything, it would be to become the strongest person.


    So, no matter who it was, he wasn''t afraid to fight.


    ...


    Lu Heng took the Spirit Resistance Ring out again and slowly twisted it on his finger, then drew the famous blade, the "Izumi Tiger Cutter."


    This "Izumi Tiger Cutter" was the tachi used by Hideyoshi Tsugawa, already integrated with the Abyss Rules.


    "Izumi Tiger Cutter +6 (Integrated)"


    "Item Level: B Level"


    "Specifications: Length 121 centimeters, blade width 3.2 centimeters, weight 1.5 kilograms"


    "Attribute: Attack Power 200"


    "Special Effect: Sharp Blade"


    "Evaluation: Crafted using a three-layer hardening steel process, extremely sharp."


    This weapon was also B Level, the same as the current level of the Aurora Blade.


    Previously, when the Aurora Blade was at C Level, it was reforged with a B Level Scarlet Blood Sword, upgrading the Aurora Blade to B Level.


    This B Level "Izumi Tiger Cutter" could actually be used as forging material as well.


    But since this "Izumi Tiger Cutter" was only B Level, using it as material wouldn''t be enough to upgrade the Aurora Blade to A Level.


    So, for now, he''d stow it away until he collected more forging materials for further forging.


    Or, if he got the right price, he might consider selling it.


    However, this blade was a renowned Fusang sword, and everyone knew it was Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s weapon, so selling it could be troublesome.


    Better to wait until he had enough materials and then use it to upgrade the Aurora Blade.


    Lu Heng grasped the Izumi Tiger Cutter and practiced a few sword moves. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Zeyu, curious, asked, "Is that Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s sword? Let me take a look."


    As he spoke, he reached out to take it.


    "Stop that, dare you, a gun-wielder, touch this blade?" Lu Heng gave him a glare.


    "Hey! Now, I''m not convinced," Lin Zeyu protested with renewed vigor.


    Lu Heng was just joking and handed it over, saying, "A Fusang renowned blade, if sent to an auction in Fusang, would probably fetch a sky-high price."


    Indeed, it would fetch a sky-high price, and the quenching level was already at Level 6.


    It probably was a piece quenched by the "Quenching Master" He Shangyong in the Abyss World.


    Lin Zeyu, holding the Izumi Tiger Cutter, exclaimed in surprise, "It has a quenching level of 6 and even a special effect. This blade is pretty fierce."


    As time passed since the Abyss Descent, the world began to see more and more Quenching Masters.


    Not only that, but other vice professions such as Forging Masters would appear.


    Big powers, willing to spend the money, would slowly accumulate weapons with special effects.


    Lin Zeyu clenched his fist and said, "No, I feel our dual special effect weapons are losing their overwhelming advantage; we need to keep upgrading."


    "Can we still purchase quenching materials?" Lu Heng asked.


    "It''s difficult, the price of quenching materials changes every day, rising more outrageously than Bitcoin," Lin Zeyu complained.


    Not just quenching materials, but spiritual injection materials were the same, skyrocketing in price.


    This was to be expected.


    As Superpower Users'' demand for weapon quenching grew, the price of quenching materials would soar.


    Moreover, now other Superpower Users could enter Quenching Castle, and more would seek Gulu''s quenching services.


    However, the opening hours of Quenching Castle were uncertain; everything depended on fate.


    Mainly, it depended on Gulu''s mood, whenever Gulu felt like inviting Power Users into Quenching Castle to taste delicious food, that''s when the doors would open.


    And for ordinary Power Users seeking Gulu''s quenching, they could basically only quench for themselves; taking up quenching orders was basically impossible.


    That "Quenching Master" He Shangyong, having failed the last quenching assessment, had already lost his qualifications to perform quenching in Quenching Castle.


    So, the only one who could take quenching orders was still Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng began considering an idea: "How about we have the parties pay the quenching fee in quenching materials? We could increase the base success rate a bit for that."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up, and he said, "I think this could work, how much can the base success rate be raised?"


    After some thought, Lu Heng said, "I personally think 80% is secure, but we need to leave some margin."


    Lin Zeyu clapped and said, "Then let''s go with 75%; this base success rate will scare other Quenching Masters to death."


    Because the base success rate required filling the gap with quenching materials.


    If any quenching was accidental and the success rate fell below 75%, you had to pay out of pocket to make up for the failed quenching level.


    Of course, after a number of quenching sessions, the overall success rate would definitely be sufficient.


    With Lu Heng''s current quenching success rate easily stable at around 85%, offering a base success rate of 75% wasn''t a problem.


    ...

 Chapter 140 - 120 Dual Special Effect Crossbows, Cyber World Weapons

    During this period, Huan Yu Company had taken a few Quenching orders.


    That afternoon, S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng went to Huan Yu Company to check the weapons and quenching materials in the box. After closing it, he was ready to take them to Quenching Castle.


    At the current stage, the Quenching weapons for Power Users were still mainly firearms since firearms had great power and compared to swords, didn''t require as much skill to use.


    Su Muyu ran out of the elevator and asked, "Are you going to Quenching Castle today?"


    "Right, I''ve accumulated a few days'' worth of Quenching orders and I happen to have some free time today, so I''ll finish them first," Lu Heng nodded.


    "Hmm, I''ve saved up some quenching material recently, help me upgrade my weapon too," Su Muyu had been quietly saving up quenching material for a while.


    Among the three people in the team, both Lu Heng''s Aurora Blade and Lin Zeyu''s SVD sniper rifle were double Special Effect weapons, leaving only her Crossbow with a single Special Effect.


    In fact, possessing a single Special Effect weapon at the current stage already surpassed 99.9% of Superpower Users.


    Nevertheless, Su Muyu still wanted to improve, so she had quietly saved almost two months'' worth of quenching materials.


    "Where did you get the quenching material from?" Lu Heng asked curiously.


    The prices for quenching materials on the market had soared, and they were hard to purchase even with money.


    "Got it during a quest, I was lucky," Su Muyu casually explained.


    As the Abyss''s invasion entered the fifth month, the number of Abyss Demons appearing around the world kept increasing.


    The official quests published also began to grow in number.


    Superpower Users started forming teams to compete for these quest targets.


    Su Muyu started paying attention to these quests, going to the quest targets, releasing the scout hawk, sending a bomb over, blowing up the Abyss Demon upon location, then letting the scout hawk pick up the stuff and leave.


    With a strong Skill Set and strong Perception, she could find the quest targets in the fastest time.


    While other Superpower Users were still scouting, she had already eliminated the quest target.


    "Quests don''t easily yield quenching material."


    "I''ve figured out a bit of a pattern. Creatures with a Fire attribute, like the Flame Demon Spirit and the Flaming Beetle, tend to have a higher rate of dropping quenching material. Add a little luck, and I got two pieces of Quenching Essence, plus one more I exchanged with a Crystal Core," Su Muyu giggled, a bit proud of herself.


    "If that''s the case, let''s do the second Spirit Injection as well."


    Lu Heng had the manager bring over the list of Spiritual Injection Materials, and he began picking the materials.


    Two months ago, when other Superpower Users were still unaware of Spirit Injection as a method of enhancement, Lu Heng had already shared this information with Lin Zeyu.


    So, Lin Zeyu had collected a batch of Spiritual Injection Materials in advance, holding them in his hand and waiting for their value to increase.


    Lu Heng looked over the list once and finally pointed to a material called "Broken Sensitivity" and said, "Bring this material to me, I want to use it. When your boss comes back, tell him."


    The manager immediately sent someone to fetch it and respectfully said, "The boss has ordered that whatever Mr. Lu wants, he can use it, there''s no need to report to him."


    Lu Heng, carrying two boxes, went with Su Muyu to Quenching Castle.


    When they arrived at the ninth tunnel of Century Bridge, they found quite a few Superpower Users gathered beneath the bridge tunnel.


    Clearly, these Superpower Users all hoped to enter Quenching Castle.


    The secret of Quenching Castle had finally leaked.


    More and more Superpower Users knew about the existence of Quenching Castle, and even without quenching material, they wanted to go in and take a look.


    The result was that atop Century Bridge, more than a dozen Superpower Users had gathered.


    Quenching Castle hadn''t opened in a few days, and there were even Superpower Users setting up camp at the bottom of the bridge tunnel.


    The scene was a bit awkward.


    If Lu Heng went over now and opened the door to Quenching Castle, the crowd would definitely rush up.


    "Seems a bit troublesome," Su Muyu also noticed the problem.


    It was inevitable for Quenching Castle to go through this phase. After all, to humans, Quenching Castle was an extremely mysterious place.


    Not just for Superpower Users, even ordinary humans wanted to enter, even if just for a glimpse.


    "Go in invisibly," Lu Heng directly told Su Muyu to activate Invisibility, then they passed through the bridge tunnel into Quenching Castle.


    Some of the Perceivers among the group guarding under the bridge sensed something.


    However, with Su Muyu''s high Level and strong Invisibility Skill, as soon as these Perceivers sensed the abnormality, the two of them had already entered Quenching Castle.


    Gulu was in the courtyard studying the Cannibal Flower, which had grown increasingly robust since eating the protein-rich Blue Star''s strongest insects.


    "Master, why didn''t you let anyone in to keep you company?" Lu Heng asked curiously.


    "These guys are too gluttonous and ate up all my reserves of insects," Gulu complained helplessly.


    "What''s so tasty?" Su Muyu perked up upon hearing there was food.


    She hadn''t accompanied Lu Heng to process Quenching orders in the past because she was saving up for quenching material, so it had been a while since she last visited Quenching Castle and wasn''t aware of any recent happenings there.


    Hearing Su Muyu''s interest in his cooking, Gulu said excitedly, "Next time when I make it, you can come and try. Speaking of which, Lu Heng, do you know where to buy cockroaches? Help me buy two trucks'' worth."


    Lu Heng''s eyes bulged, thinking: Who are you trying to poison?


    If you really needed to buy cockroaches, technically, they were available.


    But this time, Lu Heng decided to be smarter and said definitively, "They''re not available, these insects are too strong, humans can''t handle them."

 Chapter 141 - 120 Double Special Effect Crossbows, Cyber World Weapons_2

    "That''s a real pity," Gulu genuinely felt sorry.


    "Those people outside..." Lu Heng gestured toward the door behind him.


    "They''re too enthusiastic, guarding the door every day, sometimes they don''t leave at night but sleep outside. I feel a bit bad about it, but Quenching Castle doesn''t have that many rooms, we can''t accommodate so many people," Gulu was troubled by this.


    Lu Heng thought it over and felt that this development wasn''t sustainable, he suggested, "Why not change the entrance location? Next time humans come in, explain the rules to them, they mustn''t reveal the entrance''s location, or else we''ll have them eat bugs."


    Gulu nodded in agreement: "That could work, where do you think we should move it?"


    Lu Heng replied, "Let''s choose the old clock tower by the riverbank. We can keep this entrance unused for the usual, only open it when you think it''s necessary to meet someone."


    "Alright, we''ll do as you say," Gulu nodded in agreement.


    ...


    After discussing the new entrance for Quenching Castle with Gulu, Lu Heng went with Su Muyu to the forging room to begin weapon quenching.


    Su Muyu''s Crossbow was already at Quenching Level +3, and it had gained a Special Effect [Melt Armor]. The Flame Arrows it shot could melt through target''s Armor, which was a very strong effect.


    This time, the second Spirit Injection Effect Lu Heng picked for her was [Broken Sensitivity].


    It was a well-balanced effect suitable for her.


    During the quenching of [Mia''s Crossbow], two attempts were successful, but the third one encountered a slight mishap and didn''t succeed at once, resulting in a half-level Quenching status.


    This was the same issue that occurred during He Shangyong''s quenching assessment.


    Lu Heng hadn''t encountered this situation before, but this time he did.


    Usually, this happens because the quenching material ran out, but the quenching wasn''t completed.


    The solution was simple, just add half the amount of quenching material to complete the process.


    The current order was settled with quenching material, and of course, the price of the quenching service was calculated based on the original price; it''s not like every quenching process could earn a piece of quenching material.


    Due to the soaring prices of quenching materials now, the conversion ratio between quenching material and Energy Crystal Core has risen from 1:2 all the way to 1:5.


    Therefore, from the ten quenching orders taken this time, two pieces of quenching material could be earned.


    The third quenching of the Crossbow was not completely successful, so Lu Heng added half a portion of quenching material to complete the third quenching.


    After completing three quenching processes, [Mia''s Crossbow] had reached Quenching Level 6, with an Attack Power increased to 120 points.


    Next, Lu Heng continued the Spirit Injection process, bringing his focus to the highest.


    Melt the material, transfer it to the sublimation furnace, then perform the sublimation spirit injection.


    [Spirit Injection successful, Mia''s Crossbow gains the special effect "Broken Sensitivity".]


    [Performing Spirit Injection work, Quenching Master Professional Experience +50]


    Spirit Injection was successful, Lu Heng picked up the Crossbow to check its attribute data, a satisfied expression on his face.


    [Mia''s Crossbow +6]


    [Item Level: C]


    [Specifications: Length 72 cm, Bow width 58 cm, Weight 2.2 kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 120]


    [Special Effect: Melt Armor, Broken Sensitivity]


    [Broken Sensitivity: Attacks inflict 8 points of nerve damage, with added Broken Sensitivity effect to reduce target''s Agility Attribute by 8 points.]


    [Evaluation: Steel-forged Crossbow, engraved with Mia''s name.]


    [Broken Sensitivity] and [Spirit Slash] belong to the same series of effects.


    While [Spirit Slash] reduces the target''s Spiritual Attribute, [Broken Sensitivity] reduces the Agility Attribute.


    Su Muyu''s current skill set includes Detection Ability, Invisibility, and Remote Attack Ability; typically, Superpower Users can''t get close to her.


    However, if she encounters a highly agile speed-type warrior, she still risks being attacked.


    This [Broken Sensitivity] can reduce the target''s Agility Attribute, as hitting the target reduces their movement speed and neural response speed, thus indirectly easing the pressure.


    Combined with [Dark Thorn Trap], the number of Superpower Users on Blue Star who could threaten Su Muyu are few and far between.


    Right now, the Crossbow''s Attack Power is 120 points.


    However, this Attack Power does not include the damage from arrows; if using Elemental Arrows for attack, it additionally adds twice the Spiritual Power''s damage.


    Su Muyu''s current Spiritual Attribute is 45 points, so the Elemental Arrows cause 90 points of damage.


    "That is to say, the Elemental Arrows shot from her crossbow actually had an Attack Power of 210 points."


    "This Attack Power could topple a Level 20 High Rank Demon in just two arrows if it didn''t have any Defense Skills or armor."


    "Take a look."


    After Lu Heng had checked the Spirit Injected Attributes and saw that there were no issues, he handed it over to Su Muyu to examine.


    Su Muyu took the crossbow, her eyes filled with surprise.


    This way, she also had a weapon with dual Special Effects.


    Even one of the top ten masters of Fusang Swordsmanship, Hideyoshi Tsugawa, who was sponsored by a major conglomerate, only had a weapon with one Special Effect.


    At the current stage, weapons with dual Special Effects were exceedingly rare and would definitely fetch astronomical prices at auction.


    ...


    Next, Lu Heng completed ten Quenching Orders as well.


    Out of ten quenching attempts, one failed, making the success rate 90%, far higher than the guaranteed minimum success rate.


    Moreover, this round of orders was from repeat customers.


    The more they were repeat customers, the clearer it was that the 75% guaranteed success rate advertised by Huan Yu was just a conservative figure for contract purposes; the actual success rate was over 85%, even reaching more than 90%.


    Thus, the Huan Yu Quenching Service had already created a brand effect among various major forces.


    Those who had used Huan Yu Quenching Service would generally not consider other Quenching Masters.


    After completing this round of orders, Lu Heng''s Quenching Master Professional Experience had grown to (1080/2000).


    His Training Level was more than halfway there, and taking a few more orders would bring him close to leveling up.


    ...


    After completing the quenching, Su Muyu helped clean up the Quenching Furnace, then put all the equipment away properly.


    Leaving the forging room, Lu Heng went to settle the quenching profits with Gulu.


    Since the orders were taken using the Quenching Castle''s Quenching Furnace, the profits earned definitely had to be shared with Gulu.


    This definitely needed to be settled clearly.


    However, Gulu had no specific requests on the mode of payment, so Lu Heng always gave him a share in Energy Crystal Cores.


    Relatively speaking, Energy Crystal Cores were easier to obtain as long as one spent money to buy them.


    Quenching Essences were becoming increasingly difficult to acquire, so paying Gulu''s share with Energy Crystal Cores was essentially a roundabout way of procuring quenching materials.


    It was a sizable gain, both coming and going.


    After settling the division of profits, Lu Heng and Su Muyu went home.


    It just so happened his mother had cooked green bean and kelp sweet soup, and she invited Su Muyu to join.


    While drinking the sweet soup,


    Lu Heng browsed the trading information on the Crystal Core Dark Network on his computer.


    As the fifth month of the Abyss Descent approached, the trading information on the Crystal Core Dark Network was no longer limited to Skill Crystal Cores; items from the Abyss World were being sold as well.


    And these items varied greatly, including everything imaginable.


    Some were valuable, while others were purely useless.


    Moreover, since the Abyss World was actually composed of countless worlds, the variety of items that appeared was truly astounding.


    For instance, Lu Heng possessed an Illusion Pearl, an item without any Attack Power, but its value was immeasurable. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If put up for auction and it found a knowledgeable buyer, it could fetch an astronomical figure.


    While browsing, Lu Heng suddenly noticed an interesting piece of trade information.


    "Offering a Cyber World Ray Gun, knowledgeable buyers contact me privately, please do not disturb if you''re unacquainted."


    A Cyber World Ray Gun had already appeared at this time?


    Lu Heng was not unfamiliar with ray guns, which were essentially similar to laser guns.


    Humans also possessed similar technology, but it had not yet been developed into individual weapons, and the energy consumption was too high for widespread use.


    Generally speaking, ray guns weren''t considered particularly unusual technology, but if it was a Ray Gun from Cyber World, that was a different story.


    If the Superpower User selling the Cyber World Ray Gun wasn''t lying, this ray gun could not only be used as a weapon but also for scientific research.

 Chapter 142 - 121 The Characteristics of Energy Weapons, Conscription Countdown

    As Lu Heng was browsing the transaction information for the cyber beam gun, Lin Zeyu called him.


    "Check out the Crystal Core Dark Network, I saw someone selling a cyber beam gun there, a weapon from the future, isn''t this thing going to be sky-high?"


    Hearing this tone, Lu Heng knew Lin Zeyu was excited and asked with a smile, "Thinking of buying?"


    "Yes!"


    "What are you going to do with your dual effect sniper rifle?"


    "Weapons don''t get jealous, how great would it be to have a backup piece?"


    "Does your family own a tech company that researches energy weapons?" Lu Heng suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.


    "No, why?" Lin Zeyu was a bit puzzled.


    "Didn''t you notice that the seller didn''t post any specific weapon parameters?" Lu Heng continued.


    "Right, they didn''t, but it can''t be a scam, can it? People with access to Crystal Core Dark Network accounts won''t bother posting false information."


    Since the Crystal Core Dark Network is not a public website, it requires special computers and accounts to log in.


    Therefore, an account on the Crystal Core Dark Network itself carries a high value.


    Using such an account to spread false information would be pointless¡ªonce reported, the account would be lost.


    Thus, the transaction information on the Crystal Core Dark Network is generally quite reliable.


    Moreover, during the transaction, the buyer will definitely inspect the goods carefully; if anything is amiss, the deal can be canceled.


    Therefore, posting false information on the Crystal Core Dark Network is just a waste of time.


    "The item should be real, but the weapon parameters might not be too enticing, and the price is likely to be frightening," Lu Heng evaluated the transaction information.


    The transaction information for this cyber beam gun requested that those knowledgeable about the product send a private message to discuss the price.


    This revealed several hidden messages.


    First, the seller isn''t sure how high a price to set for this cyber beam gun produced in the Cyber World.


    Second, the seller has high price expectations for this ray gun and wants to sell it at an exorbitant price.


    Actually, Lu Heng knew another piece of information¡ªthe performance of such ray guns was not as good as expected.


    He even felt that the seller was offering it for sale precisely because it hadn''t lived up to expectations and wanted to trade it for resources that could enhance combat power.


    Such cyber beam guns obtained from Abyss World were definitely stronger than the laser weapons currently available to humans, but anyone with a little bit of professional knowledge knew that the strength of an individual soldier''s weapon, however powerful, was limited.


    Currently, humans use laser weapons typically as vehicle-mounted weapons, because they require a lot of energy.


    Portable weapons still need to carry a large battery, otherwise, they can''t support usage.


    The ray guns from the Cyber World essentially solve the problem of battery size, but definitely make compromises in power to do so.


    Lu Heng had seen such cyber beam guns in his past life, and their features were quite distinct.


    Being laser-type weapons, the advantage is that they hit their target immediately upon firing.


    Of course, this assumes you''ve already aimed at your target when you pull the trigger.


    Ray weapons lack kinetic damage; they burn the target by focusing rays, so they need time to cause adequate damage.


    If the rays just sweep over swiftly, the damage caused won''t be very obvious.


    This is like one''s hand brushing quickly over flames without getting immediately burnt; it takes a bit more time of burning to cause damage.


    The same is true for ray guns.


    Hence, cyber beam guns aren''t as strong in use as one might imagine.


    Of course, if the ray weapon were scaled up to be vehicle-mounted, with the power increased a hundredfold, that would be a different story.


    Lu Heng had seen the highest-level, B-level cyber beam guns, which dealt damage of 300 points per second.


    This power, to kill an ordinary person, would take just 0.3 seconds.


    A level 20 Superpower User could only withstand a B-level ray gun for a maximum of 1 second.


    If you ask whether such ray guns are strong?


    They are indeed powerful, taking just 1 second to kill an unprotected level 20 Superpower User.


    But no Superpower User would stand still and let a ray gun hit them for as long as 1 second.


    Additionally, energy weapons have another characteristic¡ªthey cannot use the Quenching enhancement system.


    All electronic products are incompatible with Quenching enhancements.


    Energy weapons have their own enhancement system, which involves increasing battery capacity and energy output rate for strengthening.


    Beyond that, energy weapons also have another troublesome aspect¡ªonce broken, they are very difficult to repair.


    Therefore.


    The cyber beam gun being sold has more research value than practical use value.


    Lu Heng would rather recommend that the authorities purchase it for research than for actual use, as it doesn''t offer much of an advantage over human weaponry.


    Actually.


    The true utilization of such cyber beam guns is in large-scale, organized cluster attacks.


    A single cyber beam gun doesn''t show much power, but in a gun battle, if a hundred soldiers all use ray guns¡ªthen the impact would be different.


    ¡­


    Lin Zeyu was still very interested and pressed on, "So should I buy it?"


    Lu Heng didn''t dampen his enthusiasm and replied, "Buy it if you want, as long as you think it''s worth it."


    Lin Zeyu then asked, "What price do you think is reasonable to buy it for?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "Seven to eight million, any more would be pointless."


    Actually, if it''s for research purposes, it might be worth even more.


    But as a weapon, this thing is just a B-level thermal weapon.


    Don''t have too many expectations for B-level thermal weapons; there are too many B-level firearms in the Human World, any standard assault rifle is at this level.


    If you wanted to buy an assault rifle, ten to twenty thousand would be enough.


    After a while.


    Lin Zeyu spoke in an annoyed tone, "I offered this guy ten million for it, and he told me to get lost."


    "Ha ha..."


    Lu Heng couldn''t help but laugh, already able to imagine Lin Zeyu''s expression. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Zeyu, still not giving up, asked, "Is this gun really not worth ten million?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "What level do you think this gun is?"


    Lin Zeyu fell silent for two seconds before answering, "Level B? Maybe even Level A."


    Lu Heng laughed, "If it were Level A, the seller would have mentioned it in the trade information straight away. A Level A weapon can definitely sell for a sky-high price, and any information that could raise the price wouldn''t be left out.


    "So, I''m guessing this ray gun is either Level C or Level B. Take another look, what level is your sniper rifle?"


    Lin Zeyu naturally replied, "Of course, it''s Level B."


    Lu Heng continued, "So, this Cyber Beam Gun is a weapon of the same level as your sniper rifle, how powerful do you hope it could be?"


    Lin Zeyu was suddenly stunned.


    The reason he wanted to buy it in the first place was out of curiosity about Cyber Technology, but now that he thought about it carefully, how powerful could a Level B weapon really be?


    It''s pretty much the same as a sniper rifle.


    "So, this guy is just trying to rip people off!" Lin Zeyu finally caught on.


    "Not exactly ripping people off. At the very least, the weapon has its scientific research value," Lu Heng amusingly retorted.


    ...


    While the two were on the phone, the trade information suddenly disappeared.


    This usually meant someone had bought the item, and the seller had removed the listing.


    Lin Zeyu''s offer of ten million had been met with disdain, suggesting the seller''s expectation was much higher, perhaps even exceeding a hundred million.


    It was likely that a technology company or official entities had purchased the item.


    After all, nobody would spend hundreds of millions on a weapon equivalent to a Level B rifle.


    At that moment.


    Lu Heng suddenly saw a notification:


    [Abyss Battlefield: Recruitment countdown 7 days]


    Upon seeing the recruitment notice for the Abyss Battlefield, Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and immediately said, "Check your data panel."


    At first unaware of what was happening, Lin Zeyu casually said, "Check what? I haven''t leveled up these past days¡­ Holy shit! I''ve been drafted."


    Lu Heng corrected, "We''ve been drafted."


    Since the three had signed a team contract, they would be recruited together by the Abyss Battlefield.


    Lin Zeyu instantly became anxious as this was his first time being drafted in a team format, "What do we do now?"


    Checking the time, Lu Heng said, "It''s a bit late today. Let''s gather tomorrow; we need to do some preparations."


    ...


    The next day.


    The gathering place was the Training Room by Qionghua Tianglu Lake.


    When Lu Heng arrived in the morning, the sweeping robots were busily at work.


    Su Muyu was washing cups in the kitchen and then prepared a pot of lemon water.


    Seeing Lu Heng come in, she turned and asked, "Have you eaten?"


    "I have."


    "I bought some steamed buns and soy milk; you can have some if you''re hungry."


    Su Muyu finished washing the cups and cleaned the kitchen counter as well.


    The two sat on the balcony and soaked up the sun for a while before Lin Zeyu arrived.


    As soon as Lin Zeyu walked in, he chuckled, "Am I interrupting?"


    "Yes, you can go back," Lu Heng bluntly replied.


    "Don''t be like that. I''ve brought a lot of stuff over."


    As he spoke, Lin Zeyu began taking items out of his inventory, "I got six grenades; we get two each, they''ve already been synthesized, and we can take them into the Abyss Battlefield."


    Lu Heng picked up a grenade, examined it, and asked, "How much Divine Energy per grenade?"


    Lin Zeyu raised a finger, "One hundred."


    A hundred points of Divine Energy to integrate a grenade, and six grenades were equivalent to the price of a Level C weapon.


    All things considered, integrating grenades was somewhat extravagant.


    Of course, the power of a grenade justified the expense, a shame that it is a one-time weapon and disappears after use.


    Lin Zeyu, having emerged from the Evil God''s Burial Ground, had 2400 points of Divine Energy, spent 2000 integrating his SVD sniper rifle, and 300 more to upgrade his Armor Piercing Bullets.


    That meant he didn''t have enough Divine Energy left.


    Clearly, the Divine Energy for these six grenades wasn''t his.


    Anything with a price can be bought with money.


    Quenching materials can be purchased, and so can Divine Energy.


    Except, Divine Energy can''t be transferred.


    So, it can''t be part of standard exchanges.


    However, items integrated with Divine Energy can be given to others.


    Hence, it is possible to buy Divine Energy integrated weapons with money.


    Even if they can''t be bought, they could be traded for Advanced Skill Crystal Core, as long as the offer was rich enough.

 Chapter 143 - 122 Recruitment Rules, Teleportation Countdown

    Lu Heng picked up a grenade, fiddled with it for a moment, and looked at Su Muyu, asking, "Do you know how to use this?"


    Su Muyu nodded and answered, "Yes."


    She had often used reconnaissance eagles to throw grenades while taking on bounties, so indeed, she knew how to use them.


    Lin Zeyu took over the conversation, teasing, "I checked the company''s weapon usage a few days ago. Lady Su, you''ve drawn over a hundred grenades in the past two months. One might think you''re in the arms trade."


    Su Muyu shook her head, a bit embarrassed, and said, "I have been using a bit too many, but I''ve been settling the accounts at the going rate."


    Lin Zeyu waved his hand and said, "Use them as you like, no need to settle the accounts. A few thousand bucks worth of stuff isn''t worth fussing over."


    Lu Heng divided six grenades among them, saying, "Everyone take two each, and we''ll coordinate when it''s time to use them."


    "Okay."


    After distributing the grenades, Lin Zeyu also took out some compressed biscuits and water supplies.


    "There''s this too, all assimilated, so they can be brought into Abyss World. If we end up in a world without a clean water source, these will be crucial."


    Lu Heng distributed the compressed biscuits and water, one share per person, to be kept for critical moments.


    In fact, Lin Zeyu had initially wanted to prepare a full set of outdoor survival gear.


    However, after careful consideration, he realized that many items were unnecessary.


    For example, flint is important for wilderness survival, but Superpower Users generally don''t need it; a simple fire attribute skill could solve the problem.


    Even without flame skills, disassembling a bullet and using its gunpowder would do the trick easily.


    Next.


    The three began analyzing the potential situations of the upcoming Abyss Battlefield.


    "The last time we entered Evil God''s Burial Ground, it was danger level 4. Could it be higher this time?" Lin Zeyu asked nervously.


    "It''s hard to say. The danger level of the Evil God''s Burial Ground was rated at 4 because of the boost from the Source Material competition," Lu Heng said, taking a sip from his cup.


    After a pause, Lu Heng added, "However, this time we have the team contract bonus, so I estimate the danger level won''t be lower than 4."


    The existence of the team contract meant that an established team entering the Abyss Battlefield would be given more weight in the combat power rating.


    Therefore, the level of the Abyss Battlefield they entered would be higher.


    Furthermore, the more members in the team, the higher this rating would be.


    If it''s a team with poor coordination and lack of trust, entering the Abyss Battlefield could be even more dangerous.


    That was also why Lu Heng didn''t want Hideyoshi Tsugawa to join the team. Teammates who distrusted each other would only make the Abyss Battlefield more perilous.


    Su Muyu thoughtfully asked, "If our team is being summoned, is it possible that other Superpower Users who are summoned are also from a team?"


    Lu Heng nodded and replied, "It''s very likely, so after entering, we might encounter other Superpower User teams. At this time, those who can get a team contract are certainly not weak, so we should be mentally prepared in advance."


    Lin Zeyu waved his hand, speaking in a carefree manner, "It''s not like we''re fighting other Superpower Users. Our target is the Demons."


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "That''s not necessarily the case."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyebrows raised, and he immediately thought of Lei Jinhao.


    Lei Jinhao was a Superpower User from Coastal, and he knew the Lin Family.


    Even Lin Zeyu, as the young master of the Lin Family, had barely escaped being killed by Lei Jinhao.


    "You mean, there might be Traitors?" Lin Zeyu''s expression gradually became serious.


    Lu Heng smiled again and said, "That''s entirely possible. So, once we''re in there, we can only trust each other and remain vigilant against other Superpower Users."


    "Got it." Both nodded together.


    Actually.


    Lu Heng knew more secret information.


    It was the fifth month of Abyss Descent; at this point, the number of team contracts appearing was very limited.


    But that''s only through the usual channels.


    If it''s for Traitors, they have additional means to acquire special items.


    In other words, the Traitor Task could possibly reward items such as "team contracts."


    This time, going into the Abyss Battlefield, the three of us are a summoned team.


    Correspondingly, the chance of the summoned Superpower Users being part of a team is quite high.


    That means there could possibly be Traitor teams.


    That''s right, Traitor teams.


    Moreover, there might even be a special Abyss Battlefield mode.


    In his past life, Lu Heng had experienced a special battlefield mode, where one of the Challenge Tasks was to "eliminate Traitors."


    Currently, the number of Superpower Users who can form teams was low, and Traitors had a chance to be rewarded with team items through their tasks.


    So, the likelihood of encountering Traitor teams in this summons was extremely high.


    Besides, there might also be a "Source Material competition."


    Lu Heng now already had possession of free-state Second Transition "Swordsman" Source Material, with a fusion degree of 37%.


    This means, if this time''s Abyss Battlefield is centered around him as the primary subject, the chances of a "Source Material competition" would be quite high.


    There''s also a hidden rule for "team contracts."


    In fact.


    The team, when being recruited, isn''t directly summoned as a whole. Instead, a specific Superpower User within the team is called upon, and other team members follow them into the mission.


    That is to say, the type of Abyss Battlefield they would enter is related to the individual who''s being recruited.


    However, the countdown for recruitment appears simultaneously for all team members and doesn''t reveal who the targeted individual is, so it''s impossible to conduct a detailed analysis.


    Lu Heng could only lay out all the possibilities, to give the other two some mental preparation.


    Lin Zeyu, hearing that it might be a "Source Material Battle," hurriedly asked, "Then should I find some Second Transition Class Source Material within these seven days?"


    Lu Heng said, "If there''s suitable equipment available, you can use it, but it''s not necessary to find Source Material that doesn''t fit your Class just because of the recruitment."


    Lin Zeyu nodded and replied, "Understood. I''ll try to find some. If I do find something suitable, I''ll ask for your opinion."


    Next.


    The three began to speculate about which type of Abyss World they might enter.


    "Could it be the Evil God''s Burial Ground again? I kind of miss Mia and the others."


    Su Muyu was still using the Crossbow given to her by Mia, which had already been upgraded with dual Special Effects, and she wanted to show it to Mia.


    "It''s possible, but the likelihood is small," Lu Heng indeed had heard about being recruited into the same Abyss Battlefield consecutively, but the chance was very slim.


    Moreover, the world of the Bansel Clan had been cleared of Evil God Barton; there was no need to summon Superpower Users to battle an Evil God.


    Unless some powerful Demon had appeared in that world.


    But it hadn''t been long since the last incident; those little Dwarfs of the Bansel Clan wouldn''t have the misfortune of dealing with another powerful Demon right after defeating Evil God Barton.


    Besides, even if the Bansel Clan did encounter a new formidable enemy, the chance that their team of three would be summoned was very slim.


    Lin Zeyu recalled the Cyber Beam Gun he still coveted from the previous day and asked, "Is it possible that we''re going to enter the Cyber World? Someone was selling Cyber Beam Guns yesterday; surely someone has entered a Cyber Battlefield before."


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "That''s a possibility, but again, it''s a matter of probability." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking of the Cyber Abyss Battlefield.


    Lu Heng couldn''t help falling into reminiscence because, in his last life, he had once entered a Cyber Abyss Battlefield.


    It had been his first encounter with a civilization level higher than that of humans.


    The Bansel Clan''s warriors were indeed strong, but in terms of civilization level, the Bansel Clan''s wasn''t particularly lofty.


    By contrast, if recruited to enter a Cyber World, the civilization level of that world would most likely be higher than that of humanity.


    In the following days.


    Lu Heng dedicated his time to practicing swordsmanship and movement technique, aiming to improve his basic skills as much as possible.


    Thanks to Lu Heng''s reminder, Su Muyu also realized the importance of fundamental movement technique and began practicing alongside him.


    Though she was a Support system Superpower User and seldom encountered close combat, if an enemy forced her into melee range, lacking movement technique could easily result in being quickly defeated by a close-combat Demon.


    Lin Zeyu split his time between practicing with his guns and searching for various resources, especially a suitable piece of Second Transition Class Source Material.


    However, Second Transition Class Source Material was extremely rare, a scarce resource that money couldn''t always buy.


    Time flew by.


    It was the final day of the countdown to the Abyss Battlefield recruitment.


    At dinner time, the trio had a proper meal with their families, then saying they needed to step out, they prepared to meet up.


    Lu Mingli, hearing his son mention stepping out, realized what was happening and followed him out the door to ask, "Are you being summoned again?"


    Lu Heng nodded in confirmation, "Yes, summoned. It''s tonight."


    Lu Mingli''s expression clearly showed his anxiety; after all, his son was about to face the most difficult dangers in the world, and as a father, it was impossible not to worry.


    His facial expression was visibly concerned, yet unsure of how to express that worry, he ended up saying, "Don''t worry about home, I''ll take good care of your mother."


    "Okay," Lu Heng nodded, giving a smile.


    "Do you have any instructions for me?" Lu Mingli pondered and pondered, unsure of what to say, finally managing to ask this.


    "Well... practice with guns whenever you have time. Basics don''t factor into Combat Power ratings, so even if you''re good at them, it won''t increase the chances of being summoned." Lu Heng revealed a hidden rule.


    "I''ve been practicing," Lu Mingli nodded.


    "Then I''ll go meet up with the other two." Lu Heng gestured towards the elevator.


    "Alright, come back early." Lu Mingli expressed his deepest hope.


    "I''ll come back after the job is done," Lu Heng promised with a nod, then stepped into the elevator.


    Lu Mingli watched the elevator doors slowly close, staying rooted in place, not willing to leave.


    How he wished that when the elevator doors opened again, his son would return safe and sound.


    ...


    That evening.


    The three met in the Training Room at Qionghua Tianglu Lake, readying themselves for the imminent Abyss Battlefield.


    Lin Zeyu had prepared three insurance contracts and said, "One for each person. Fill in the beneficiary and sign. I think this will help you feel more at ease."


    Su Muyu took a look at the contract, thanked him, and then wrote her mother''s name in the beneficiary section before signing and marking her fingerprint.


    Lu Heng did the same, writing his mother''s name and signing.


    Lin Zeyu hesitated at the beneficiary section because he wasn''t sure who to write.


    Actually, his family had no lack of insurance money; the Lin Family would continue as usual even if he didn''t return.


    "Write Uncle Huiping. At least you''ve got to pay back the money for the contract book," Lu Heng made the decision for him.


    "Alright," Lin Zeyu nodded, writing his uncle Yu Heping''s name in the beneficiary section.

 Chapter 144 - 123: Teleportation, Cyber Wasteland, Faction Mode

    After signing the insurance contract, the countdown to the Abyss Battlefield reached its final moment.


    Lu Heng and his two teammates high-fived each other, ready to embark on this unknown journey.


    [Transportation to Abyss World: Cyber Wasteland Orion ¦Ë838]


    [World Introduction: This is a Wasteland Planet, a planet gradually abandoned due to resource depletion in the course of civilization''s development. The planet is covered with half-mechanical paupers, industrial waste, outdated machinery, and the Central Computer System that maintains order.]


    [Event: After the Abyss Descent, it had a huge impact on this Wasteland Planet, throwing the world into chaos and giving rise to two fiercely opposing factions: the Central System Camp and the Rogue Mechanical Servants Camp.]


    [Danger Level: Level 4]


    [Battlefield Mode: Faction Mode]


    [Main Quest]


    [1, Find a way to join either the Central System Camp or the Rogue Mechanical Servants Camp.]


    [2, Join one of the camps.]


    [3, Survive for 15 days while being hunted by the opposing camp.]


    [Challenge Task]


    [1, Destroy 30 combat units of the opposing faction.]


    [2, Identify and eliminate the source of Abyss pollution.] sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [3, Double-faced spy, join both camps simultaneously and survive until the end of the time.]


    [Transportation complete, loading the common language of Orion ¦Ë838 World.]


    ...


    As his vision gradually returned, Lu Heng opened his eyes to complete darkness, unable to see anything.


    The surface beneath him was jolting slightly, as if he were inside some kind of transportation vehicle.


    Then, a bright light appeared ahead, illuminating the space around him.


    Lu Heng shielded his eyes with his hand and, after slowly adjusting to the brightness, finally made out the space around him.


    He was inside a cubic space, much like a cargo truck or similar transportation vehicle.


    Su Muyu was already awake, and the bright light had come from her Flame Arrow Skill.


    Lin Zeyu was slumped to one side, still not awake.


    Besides the three teammates, there were seven other people in the truck''s cargo area.


    Everyone had a cyber-style bracelet on their wrist.


    People in the cargo area began examining their bracelets, and some even took out weapons, trying to break them off.


    Lu Heng was about to speak up to stop them when someone from a corner of the truck beat him to it, "Don''t try to pry it off; I''m worried these things might explode if we break them."


    The voice sounded familiar.


    Lu Heng directed the light from Su Muyu''s hand toward the source of the voice and indeed found a familiar face.


    It was Chen Zihang, the Superpower User with the Magnetic Force Skill, whom he had met in the first Abyss Battlefield.


    The two made eye contact, recognizing each other, but by a silent agreement, said nothing and looked away after an exchange of glances.


    The Power Users in the cargo area, heeding Chen Zihang''s warning, dared not tamper with the bracelets on their hands any further.


    Chen Zihang''s concern was justified, yet not entirely accurate.


    Lu Heng knew what the device on his wrist was; it was Electronic Shackles.


    Forcibly prying the shackles off wouldn''t cause an explosion, but it would trigger a high-voltage shock, enough to knock out a Power User.


    The appearance of Electronic Shackles meant that the Superpower Users transported here were considered "captured beings."


    "Beings" was the operative word, for it was still unclear what the native inhabitants of this world were like.


    Lin Zeyu was sleeping soundly, even beginning to snore.


    His snoring brought an awkward silence to the entire cargo area.


    After all, being able to sleep in such an environment wasn''t something ordinary people could do.


    Lu Heng stood up and kicked Lin Zeyu to wake him.


    Lin Zeyu wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and groggily asked, "What''s going on? Where are we now?"


    As his consciousness cleared, he remembered they were in the midst of being transported into the Abyss Battlefield, so he immediately perked up and scrutinized the other people in the truck with a cautious gaze.


    And all those people were staring back at him.


    Lin Zeyu sensed that the atmosphere was off and moved closer to Lu Heng.


    This move conveyed a message to the other Power Users in the cargo area: he was part of Lu Heng''s team.


    There was no need to hide that they were a team.


    Sometimes, disclosing one''s team identity could quickly unify the opinions of other scattered Power Users.


    Of course, with ten people in the truck, there could be more than one team.


    Lu Heng took out his Aurora Blade and stabbed it into one side of the truck''s metal walls, then saw blue-purple neon lights streaming in.


    Looking through the hole pierced by the Aurora Blade, he finally saw the state of this world.


    Under a dust-covered sky was a Cyber City interwoven with blue and purple neon lights.


    But this Cyber City was in severe disrepair.


    Just like the world information described, it was a Cyber Wasteland World.


    A planet abandoned because of resource exhaustion, so this Cyber City was gradually decaying.


    No one was repairing the broken roads, and the extinguished neons continued to dim.


    Once-prosperous skyscrapers had become the territory of armed forces.


    Su Muyu dispatched a scouting hawk through the hole to get an overall view of the world.


    She whispered to Lu Heng an update on what she saw: "We''re inside a vehicle resembling a cargo truck, unsure where it''s taking us. There are very few vehicles on the road; I don''t see a second moving vehicle within five kilometers."


    This was a typical feature of the Cyber Wasteland; the entire world was in decline.


    The city was no longer bustling, and the world had lost its vigor.

 Chapter 145 - 123: Teleportation, Cyber Wasteland, Faction Mode_2

    ...


    Among the superpower users in the carriage, there were not a few perceivers.


    Therefore, these people didn''t need to come any closer to see; they could observe the outside world.


    After observing the outside world, Lu Heng walked to the middle of the carriage, looked at the other passengers, and then asked, "Are there any other teams here? If so, the team leader could come forward and say hello."


    Two seconds after he finished speaking,


    Chen Zihang stood up and walked over to Lu Heng.


    The two looked at each other calmly, as if they were meeting for the first time and introducing themselves.


    "Hello, Lu Heng."


    "Hello, Chen Zihang."


    "How many people are in your team?" Lu Heng glanced at the few people gathered behind him.


    "Five," Chen Zihang replied.


    "Three," Lu Heng responded, adopting an attitude of equal exchange and reporting his own team''s number.


    This meant that in this section of the carriage, there were only two solo individuals.


    Lu Heng briefly observed the superpower users in Chen Zihang''s team and noticed that they were all quite young, around 20 years old.


    Three of them had buzz cuts and sat with good posture.


    Such behavior had already given them away; these three were very likely from a discipline force.


    If they were from a discipline force, the possibility of there being a traitor team among them was much lower.


    Moreover, he had interacted with Chen Zihang during the first Abyss Battlefield and had a certain understanding of him.


    Therefore, he could increase the trust level, but necessary caution was still required.


    "Should we discuss the world information?" suggested Chen Zihang.


    "That would be fine."


    So ten people gathered around, forming a circle, and began to discuss the information for this Abyss Battlefield.


    Chen Zihang first had everyone take turns reading a piece of quest information, hoping to identify if there were any traitors.


    Lu Heng did not object and read a piece of quest information as requested.


    However, Lu Heng knew very well that this method would not identify any traitors.


    That was because traitors could also see the Abyss Battlefield''s quest information, but they would, in addition, receive traitor tasks.


    In fact, someone had analyzed in his past life that the unknown existence that conscripted superpower users into the Abyss Battlefield did not have the ability to distinguish traitors, so traitors could also receive the quests from the Abyss Battlefield.


    After confirming that everyone''s world information was the same, the discussion began to focus on the main topic.


    Chen Zihang was the first to point out something odd: "This Abyss Battlefield is strange in that there is no clear hostile faction, which is different from previous Abyss Battlefields we''ve experienced."


    Lu Heng had noticed this as well.


    In the two Abyss Battlefields he had experienced before, the hostile factions were very clear.


    In the first Abyss World, the enemy faction was the Horned Demon Commander and his Horned Demon Clan.


    In the second, the Evil God''s Burial Ground, the enemy faction was even clearer, being the Evil God Barton and his servants.


    However, this Abyss Battlefield was a little different.


    The battlefield mode was "Camp Mode," but there were two factions in this world.


    Moreover, according to the main quest prompts, superpower users could choose to join one of the factions.


    In other words, joining a faction was not compulsory.


    Yet, these two factions were clearly antagonistic toward each other.


    The third main quest required surviving for 15 days under pursuit from an enemy faction.


    So, whichever faction one joined, one would be hunted by the other faction.


    In this way, once human superpower users joined different factions, they would become enemies to each other.


    "Yeah, if we join different factions later on, wouldn''t we become enemies?" A solo superpower user chimed in.


    Relatively speaking, the two individuals without teams in this carriage would face more pressure than those who were part of a team.


    These two solo superpower users were one named Huo Lingshan and the other Liu Liangpeng.


    Both men had rather average appearances with somewhat darker complexions, one dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, the other in a short-sleeved shirt and casual pants.


    The one who had just spoken was Huo Lingshan, whose eyes bore a hint of depth.


    Liu Liangpeng raised his hand and suggested, "Why don''t we all join the same camp when we talk? That way, we won''t become enemies."


    At this moment,


    Lin Zeyu interjected, "If you want to be safe, it might be better not to join any camp at all."


    Huo Lingshan objected, "The main quest requires joining a camp, and the main quest is mandatory."


    Lin Zeyu chuckled, "You could find a way to join a camp and then join at the very last second of the fifteen-day period to complete the main quest, then immediately go back. Absolutely safe, no side effects."


    "This... there might be significant side effects," Chen Zihang reminded.


    "Really?" Lin Zeyu turned his head to Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng nodded, "Joining a camp, you''ll be hunted by the enemy camp. Not joining a camp, you''ll likely be hunted by both camps."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, "Can you really play it like that?"


    Lu Heng continued, "Actually, joining a camp is not so much about combating the opposing camp as it is about the main quest hinting at how to survive in this world.


    "Just join one of the camps and then hide out in that camp''s base, and you''re likely to make it until the end."


    However, having come this far, if you just want to survive the fifteen days and return, then the trip to the Cyber World loses half its meaning.


    Chen Zihang flashed a smile, looking at Lu Heng, and they exchanged a glance.


    After a brief exchange, he realized that although there were ten people here, the only one really worth communicating with was Lu Heng.


    In this carriage, he represented one team, and Lu Heng represented another.


    The other two independents, after the earlier discussion, hadn''t provided any constructive suggestions.


    If there were any action strategies to discuss, it would be sufficient to just discuss them with Lu Heng.


    Chen Zihang came to understand this and took the initiative to ask, "Lu Heng, what are your thoughts?"


    Lu Heng countered with a question, "Do you just want to survive until the end, or do you want to do something?"


    Chen Zihang replied confidently, "I want to do something."


    Lu Heng nodded, "If that''s the case, my suggestion is that we join different camps."


    Chen Zihang didn''t object, but instead began to seriously consider it.


    Lin Zeyu was gaping, "Doesn''t that mean we''d be opposing each other?"


    Lu Heng reminded, "Take a look at the third challenge task; it has hinted that we could be double-faced spies. From this perspective, our existence here and these two camps don''t seem to be on the same side."


    Chen Zihang agreed, "Indeed, let''s decide that then. We''ll join different camps, and then exchange information. The more information we obtain, the clearer we can understand the situation on the Abyss Battlefield."


    "Good, that''s decided then." Having agreed to join different camps, Lu Heng then asked, "Which camp do you plan to join?"


    Chen Zihang had already thought about this and answered, "I hope to join the Central System Camp."


    Lu Heng, knowing more information, readily agreed upon hearing his choice of the Central System Camp, "Okay, then we''ll choose the out-of-control servitors." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From the names of the two camps, it can be inferred that the "Central System" is likely the central computer or something similar of this world.


    "The out-of-control servitors" is a nickname for servitors that have gone rogue.


    In terms of power levels, the "Central System" camp is probably stronger.


    So, joining the "Central System" camp should be somewhat safer.


    As the two had come to an agreement, the remaining independents hastily promised, "So you two are forming an alliance? Then I... I''ll do the same, I''ll also form an alliance. Regardless of which camp I join, there will be no hostilities, and we''ll exchange information."


    The group began to delve deeper into analyzing the information revealed by the tasks.


    "Let''s discuss the situation concerning the two camps. What exactly are the out-of-control servitors?" Huo Lingshan posed a question.


    Chen Zihang generously shared his analysis, "If you''ve played ''Stellaris,'' there are out-of-control servitors in the game.


    "I''m not sure if the out-of-control servitors in this world are the same as in the game, so I can only analyze based on the information from the game.


    "This world is a Cyber Wasteland, which although now in decline, must have once been advanced.


    "The presence of out-of-control servitors indicates that this world used a large number of mechanical servants in the past.


    "For example, robots for cleaning, trash can robots, any tedious task could be handed over to robots.


    "These mechanical servants, developed to a certain degree, were all connected to a network, but their network and the citizens'' network were likely separate.


    "The out-of-control servitors refer to, the mechanical servants experiencing an awakening, developing a Gestalt Consciousness..."

 Chapter 146 - 124 Cyber Technology, Split Up and Take Action

    "What is a Gestalt Consciousness?" Someone raised their hand and asked this question.


    Explaining this thing is a bit troublesome, and Chen Zihang could only give an example:


    "You can think of Gestalt Consciousness as a machine version of the Hive Mind; in simpler terms, it''s like viewing the community of Gestalt Consciousness as a beehive.


    "The most basic robots are like the worker bees in the beehive, responsible for the most fundamental tasks. Above them, there are drones and the Bee Queen, each unit performing its duties, acting like a single entity.


    "Gestalt Consciousness is when a relatively large number of robots form a hive-like community structure."


    After Chen Zihang finished this part, he turned his head to look at Lu Heng, wearing an expression that seemed to be waiting for Lu Heng to speak.


    Since the discussion started, Lu Heng had spoken very little.


    So, Chen Zihang wanted to hear Lu Heng talk, to obtain more useful information.


    Lu Heng saw what he was getting at, smiled, and took over the topic:


    "The Central System actually has similar characteristics, presumably including a central computer, connecting individuals in this world.


    "What does each individual do? Where do they go? Whether it''s combat on a large scale or traffic on a small scale, all are controlled by this central computer.


    "To use a more understandable term, this Central System is probably what we call a super AI.


    "In films and TV shows, there are many stories about AI rebellion, so there''s no need to explain that.


    "However, whether the AI of this Central System has rebelled, that remains unknown.


    "As it stands, at least one problem exists between the Central AI System and the rogue Mechanical Servants Gestalt Consciousness."


    After a pause, Lu Heng added: "As for what we should do, anything mentioned in our current task information is fair game. As for hidden tasks that surface later, use your judgment. Finally, a reminder: in the strict sense, we belong to a third-party faction, so don''t mistake our identity."


    Chen Zihang heard some of the information he wanted, but felt it was not enough and took the initiative to ask, "What kind of civilization do you think this world is?"


    Lu Heng waited two seconds before responding, "I believe it''s a Mechanical Civilization, or a semi-mechanical one. The parts that haven''t been mechanized probably bear some resemblance to humans."


    Chen Zihang nodded in agreement, "That''s similar to what I was thinking."


    In fact,


    In a sense, human civilization belongs to the early stages of Mechanical Civilization.


    Of course, whether human civilization will evolve into a Mechanical Civilization depends on how the technology tree is developed.


    If one day humans unlock branches of the technology tree like Mechanical Consciousness and Human Body Mechanization, they would very likely head down the path of Mechanical Civilization.


    Civilization development is a gradual process; even if the Mechanical Civilization tree is unlocked, it will still go through various stages and advance slowly.


    ¡­


    Actually, Lu Heng knew a bit more information, but that was memory he brought back from his rebirth, and there were things he couldn''t say.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had entered a Cyber Wasteland World, but it was not this Orion ¦Ë838.


    So, the environment of the worlds was somewhat similar, but not the same.


    In addition, the information provided by the Challenge Task mentioned the existence of an Abyss Pollution Source in this Cyber Wasteland World.


    This means that this place is also a world eroded by the Abyss, and there is likewise likely to be a Demon present.


    It''s just unclear in what form it would manifest.


    The reason Lu Heng chose the rogue Mechanical Servants faction had another motive.


    In the Cyber Wasteland World he entered in his past life, there was Source Material, and the probability of finding Source Material in the rogue Mechanical Servants faction was greater.


    Currently, Lu Heng''s Fusion Degree with the Second Transition Source Material was 37%. If he could find Source Material in this world, he would have the chance to reach Second Transition Class.


    Moreover,


    The Central System is a super AI created by the Cyber Civilization, specializing and stricter in management and control.


    If one were to join the Central System Camp, many actions would be restricted.


    As for why Chen Zihang chose the Central System Camp,


    Lu Heng could guess the probable reason.


    Three people in Chen Zihang''s team were from the disciplinary forces, S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meaning he most likely had a military background.


    When a Superpower User with a military background enters the Cyber World, what is their primary goal?


    Without a doubt, it''s technology.


    Indeed, it is certainly technology.


    However,


    If Chen Zihang''s team hadn''t shown up, Lu Heng would also have considered taking Cyber Technology back with him.


    Even so, taking it back wouldn''t particularly enhance human civilization.


    A little thought makes this clear.


    It often takes ten to twenty years for a technology to be invented and then brought to market.


    Take 3D printing technology, for instance; humans invented the first 3D printer in 1983, but it wasn''t until after 2000 that 3D printing truly entered the market.


    Seventeen years had passed.


    Perhaps someone thinks that because it''s a civilian technology, it was that slow.


    Then consider military technology; Da Xia''s 10th series fighter jet started in 1986, flew first in 1998, and was finalized in 2004.


    Eighteen years had passed.


    So, even if humans acquired the technology data from the Cyber World, how would they realize these technologies?


    Firstly, the foundational laws of the two worlds are different, so that technological data would require one experiment after another before considering application.


    Moreover, industrial technology cannot produce tech products just by acquiring technological data.


    Many people know chips are made from sand, but only a few companies can produce high-end chips.


    Thus, even with technological data, without a matching industrial system, it cannot be manufactured.


    Of course, the technological data of the Cyber World is definitely valuable, and hugely so.


    It can point humanity toward the path of technological development and accelerate the process of human civilization''s technological progression.


    But these are not results that can be seen in just a year or two.


    With the Abyss invasion, humanity might not hold out until a technological breakthrough.


    Moreover, the living environment for humans will be continuously compressed by the Abyss Demons, possibly even destroying industrial systems and leading to a loss of continuity.


    Therefore, the technological data of the Cyber World is very valuable, but it doesn''t possess the ability to drastically change fate in the short term.


    Humans can only resist the invasion of the Abyss and then have the opportunity to wait for a technological breakthrough.


    However, even with a technological breakthrough, it does not guarantee an absolute solution.


    Just look at the situation at hand.


    Even the Cyber World has been invaded by the Abyss, which shows that the technology of the Cyber World is not so powerful against the Abyss.


    ...


    Regardless of how future situations may develop, what needs to be done still has to be done.


    Therefore, Chen Zihang is sure to try to bring the Cyber Technology back, and Lu Heng also supports him in doing so and will even lend a hand when necessary.


    Lu Heng guessed what he wanted to do, and he also guessed that Lu Heng knew what he wanted to do.


    The two shared an understanding glance and smiled at each other.


    Chen Zihang said, "Now that we''ve finished discussing, let''s start. It''s about time we split up."


    Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Let''s split here then. I just looked at the bottom of the electronic shackles; there''s a metal plate, which is likely an electric probe. So forcibly prying open the electronic shackles should trigger a high voltage electric shock.


    "Furthermore, once the electronic shackles are pried open, the Central System will definitely receive an alarm and then send armed units to pursue us.


    "So we need to unlock everyone''s electronic shackles at the same time. Everyone will have to find their own way."


    The Danger Level of this Abyss Battlefield is Level 4.


    Superpower Users who are conscripted here are almost at Level 20, if not already.


    So, everyone has a way to break the electronic shackles; it''s just a matter of timing.


    "Are all of you ready? I will count down from three. When I hit one, everyone breaks the electronic shackles and charges out in all directions," Chen Zihang announced loud and clear, raising his hand.


    Three, two, one!


    Bang, bang, bang...


    A succession of blasts from electronic shackles rang out, and all ten people freed themselves, breaking through the iron doors of the transport vehicle and charging out.


    The vehicle came to an immediate stop when breached, emitting an alarm on the spot.


    However, there was no "thing" descending from the driver''s seat.


    Su Muyu had already seen there was no driver in the driver''s compartment.


    Yes, the transport was on autopilot, and there were no weapons equipped. Once the "biologicals" it was carrying managed to escape, its program was to stay put and sound the alarm.


    The alarm went off, and an armed drone took off from a guard post three kilometers away, flying towards the location of the alarm.


    Su Muyu had just jumped down from the transport and saw the armed drone appear. He quickly pointed towards the sky in front of the road and shouted, "Armed drone incoming, watch out!"


    Lin Zeyu pulled out his SVD sniper rifle, aimed it at the armed drone.


    When the armed drone flew within a one-kilometer range, he pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    With a gunshot, the armed drone jolted, black smoke billowed from its body, and it tumbled out of the air.


    Lu Heng looked around and said, "There will likely be armed robots with stronger firepower appearing soon. It''s best we split up here."


    "Alright, until we meet again," Chen Zihang lifted his hand and gave Lu Heng a high-five, then led his team off towards the road ahead.


    "Let''s go, too," Lu Heng chose a different direction.


    The two independent Superpower Users didn''t follow Chen Zihang, nor did they trail behind Lu Heng''s group of three; instead, they crossed the road barrier and headed towards the river.


    "Those two..."


    Su Muyu watched the two disappear into the city''s fog, furrowing her brow, finding it a bit strange.


    Lu Heng also frowned and said, "I hadn''t noticed before, but those two are together."


    On the transport, based on where they sat and what they discussed, they didn''t seem to be part of the same team.


    Normally, if you are independent, you tend to follow a team that is not hostile towards you, as it increases your chances of survival.


    These two independents neither followed any team nor left together.


    The key is, there was no interaction between the two on the transport.


    If they had interacted and decided to band together, that would have made sense.


    This situation made it quite apparent they knew each other and pretended not to on the transport.


    Now, thinking back, Lu Heng found some clues.


    In truth, one could discern the depths from which the ten people on the transport came from based on their clothes.


    Chen Zihang''s team wore thick clothing, indicating they came from a region with higher latitude.


    Lu Heng and his companions wore autumn wear, which was moderate.


    Huo Lingshan and Liu Liangpeng were dressed in short sleeves, which actually suggested they came from a tropical region, and their deep skin tone hinted at ample sunlight.


    Now when he recalled it, there was indeed a high chance those two knew each other.


    It was just that at the time, the focus was on analyzing world information and the two had a very low presence, so he did not pay much attention to them.

 Chapter 147 - 125: Hard Currency in Cyber World, Purchasing Robots

    "There''s something coming, a tracked armed robot with six gun barrels."


    The alarm kept ringing, and it wasn''t long before the armed robot arrived.


    Su Muyu described the robot''s appearance.


    Lu Heng knew immediately what it was; it was a mechanical guard from the Cyber World.


    This kind of mechanical guard had no legs but was equipped with tracks, allowing it to move over rugged terrain.


    Its weapon consisted of six gun barrels connected to a main magazine, firing simultaneously when attacking, which one could imagine would be tremendously fierce.


    Moreover, this mechanical guard likely had energy weapons.


    "Don''t rush to attack, go invisible and check out the situation," Lu Heng said as he asked Su Muyu to activate invisibility, and together with the other two, they became invisible and stood by the roadside to wait.


    The mechanical guard, cranking its tracks, passed by them with clanking sounds, charging toward the transport vehicle emitting the alarm.


    There was not the slightest pause as it swept past.


    From the mechanical guard''s reaction, it was evident that it likely used infrared detection.


    Su Muyu''s Invisibility Skill, which had integrated the effect of "Mist Escape," could block both infrared and olfactory detection.


    Therefore, the mechanical guard''s infrared system completely missed them, rushing straight past.


    Lin Zeyu, watching the mechanical guard, clicked his tongue in admiration, "This thing is pretty cool; it''d be great to snag one for ourselves."


    "A sniper rifle costs 2000 Divine Energy; how much do you think this thing costs?" Lu Heng''s remark swiftly quenched his idea.


    A single sniper rifle was worth 2000 Divine Energy points; this mechanical guard with six gun barrels would undoubtedly cost tens of thousands.


    With so much Divine Energy, why not do something worthwhile?


    "Forget it, the way this thing just charged past us looked too stupid." Lin Zeyu gave up on the idea.


    "If it had spotted us, you''d know how stupid it is not. Six gun barrels, firing a thousand bullets a minute would be a piece of cake," Lu Heng laughed.


    "Should we attack?" Lin Zeyu asked again.


    "Do you see the last position of the armor on the torso of the mechanical guard? That''s where the battery is," Lu Heng pointed at the middle part of the mechanical guard where the logo was and asked.


    "Got it, just shoot that spot and it''s dealt with," Lin Zeyu said, ready to take action.


    "Wrong! What I mean is, don''t shoot at that spot at all," Lu Heng corrected.


    "Why not? Isn''t that the battery? Can''t we just blow it up with one shot? Or does shooting the battery cause an explosion? Then we should stay further away," Lin Zeyu was very confused.


    "Forget it, I''ll handle it personally."


    Lu Heng said as he drew the Aurora Blade, approached, and with two swift slashes, cut the mechanical guard into three pieces.


    The middle piece was exactly where the battery was.


    Lu Heng picked up the battery and tucked it into his item slot, then turned and said, "Alright, let''s move on."


    The three continued along the road.


    The road had many pits and holes; some clearly had been broken for a long time.


    This was also a typical sign of a civilization in decline.


    "Where are we headed now?" Lin Zeyu finally asked a meaningful question.


    "To the city to see if we can find something that communicates."


    The trio made their way into the Cyber City.


    Although the Cyber Civilization was in decline, the city was still operational.


    The Central System was definitely still running smoothly, although the status of the uncontrollable Mechanical Servants was unknown.


    Entering the city, they finally saw some entities not equipped with weapons, but it was unclear what exactly they were.


    Because these entities could be of various bizarre shapes and mostly consisted of half-mechanical bodies, with some organic parts.


    It might not necessarily be organic; it could be bionic.


    Due to the peculiar shapes of these entities, Lu Heng and his friends did not stand out much.


    At most, they would be regarded as another type of uniquely structured entity.


    Upon being transported into this world, they had already been loaded with the common language of this world.


    Thus, the conversations they heard around them were comprehensible.


    After wandering around the city for a while.


    Lu Heng confirmed a few things.


    First, this world did not use cash; most transactions used electronic currency.


    Second, if not using electronic money, batteries could be used as hard currency.


    Third, this world was indeed undergoing a semi-mechanization process, with many half-mechanized citizens in the city.


    This world was somewhat similar to the one Lu Heng remembered.


    With this, many survival experiences from the Cyber World could be applied.


    The trio stopped in front of a Mechanical Repair Shop that was still open.


    Inside the shop, a half-mechanical uncle with retractable mechanical eyes was busy twisting a mechanical arm with tools.


    Lu Heng stepped forward and greeted in the common language of this world, "Hello."


    The repair shop uncle looked up, glanced at the three of them, and asked in surprise, "Are you bionic people? Or are your mechanical bodies so perfect that I can barely see the metallic structure?"


    Lu Heng directly took out the battery of the mechanical guard, slapped it in front of the repair uncle, and asked, "Do you have intelligent Servant Robots here? I want to buy one."


    The repair uncle, seeing the battery the size of a brick, immediately lit up, "Nice stuff."


    He took a careful look at it and was immediately shocked, eyes widening as he exclaimed, "This this this... This is a military battery!"


    Lu Heng spread his hands and said, "There was a gunfight just now, pretty intense, so I just picked it up. If you''re afraid to take it, I''ll find someone else."


    In this city, the Central AI and the rogue Mechanical Servants were adversaries, and conflicts would occur from time to time.


    So, stumbling upon one or two batteries was indeed possible.


    "Take, take, take, I''ll take it, but it''s risky for me," the repair shop uncle lifted his electronic arm and lowered the shop''s automatic door.


    As Lu Heng had anticipated, batteries were a universal currency in this world.


    The higher the Level of the battery, the greater its value.


    This Mechanical Guard''s battery was Level C and was a military battery, half a level higher than civilian use.


    Thus, the value of this battery was very high.


    Lu Heng had once experienced a Cyber World, so he knew this information and had deliberately left the battery when he attacked the Mechanical Guard.


    Other parts of the Mechanical Guard were valuable too, like weapons and ammunition. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, these items were difficult to sell and could easily cause trouble.


    Lin Zeyu did pick up a few bullets from a Mechanical Guard, but they were the wrong caliber for his sniper rifle.


    ...


    After closing the shop door, the repair shop uncle led the three of them to a room at the back of the shop.


    While walking, he chatted, "You three are really special. Are your limbs really bionic? They must be extremely valuable. Where are you from?"


    After considering for a moment, Lu Heng made a probing response, "From Queen Star Circle."


    Upon hearing this answer, the repair shop uncle stiffened and then turned around with a surprised face, "You are from Capital Star Circle?"


    Queen Star Circle was the Cyber World Lu Heng had experienced in his previous life.


    Now seeing the great reaction from the repair shop uncle, he finally confirmed something.


    This Orion ¦Ë838 and the Cyber World he had experienced in his previous life belonged to the same civilization.


    In fact.


    When entering the city and seeing the environment, Lu Heng felt it was somewhat familiar but not exactly the same.


    The reason it wasn''t very similar was simple; the Cyber World from his previous life was the Capital Star Circle of this civilization, while this planet was a resource-depleted Cyber Wasteland.


    Whether in terms of prosperity or technological level, this Orion ¦Ë838 was far inferior to Queen Star Circle.


    This was also the reason for the repair shop uncle''s shock.


    For the citizens left on this forsaken planet, it was essentially being left here to await death at the bottom.


    They lingered on, enduring the invasion of the Abyss while also trying to find a way to escape this hopeless planet.


    Now, someone said they came from Queen Star Circle.


    Moreover, the one who spoke showed no signs of mechanical constructs and seemed entirely composed of high-grade bionic components.


    It was entirely reasonable to say they were from Capital Star Circle.


    The repair shop uncle began to ask nervously, "Do the three of you have any missions here? Is there anything I can help with? I know a lot about mechanical constructs. I can fix any of them."


    Lu Heng interrupted his self-promotion and said, "Let''s see the Intelligent Servant Robots first."


    "Okay, please come in, my lords. It''s a bit messy here, but don''t mind the mess, everything here is good stuff¡­"


    The repair shop uncle began introducing several Intelligent Servant Robots he had repaired and assembled:


    "This one is a lawn robot. You might think it looks strange, but a century ago, it was considered a high-grade robot.


    "At that time, the houses in high-end residential areas all had lawns...


    "Oh, I forgot the status of you three lords; you must have seen many lawns in Capital Star Circle."


    The repair shop uncle glanced at Lu Heng''s expression and seeing no response, continued introducing the next robot:


    "This is an aquatic pet automatic feeding robot. This was also a high-grade robot last century.


    "It can sense the state of aquatic pets, dispense various types of food, and even monitor water temperature, oxygen levels, and more."


    Seeing Lu Heng still unresponsive, the repair shop uncle quickly introduced another:


    "This is a child companion robot. You might not think it very useful now, but last century¡­"


    Lu Heng realized there were indeed many antiques here, each introduced as high-grade robots from last century.


    But thinking a bit, it made sense.


    These robots, functionally, had indeed been high-grade.


    In a Cyber World where there still are lawns, those must be in high-end residences.


    Those who keep fish as pets aren''t ordinary either.


    As for child companion robots, those are even rarer.


    In the Cyber World, after citizens began mechanization, the birth rate would drop to extremely low levels, almost close to zero.


    Even if one wanted to raise offspring, there was a specific set of technological programs for rearing.


    Citizens wanting to become parents just needed to place an order with such companies and wait long enough to skip the infancy stage and receive a child of a specified age.


    Therefore, in this environment, child companion robots were indeed a rare species.


    And this type of child companion robot typically took over a portion of the educational tasks.


    That is to say, the robot''s database would store a wealth of world knowledge.


    Lu Heng pointed at the child companion robot and said, "Let''s go with this one."

 Chapter 148 - 126: Sikes Mechanical Civilization, A Mechanical Tiger

    Night.


    Lu Heng and the others found a hotel to stay in.


    The service robot at the hotel enthusiastically explained how to use the room''s charging port, even though none of the three needed it.


    Instead, the child companion robot automatically walked over and stood by the charging port.


    This child companion robot looked like a cartoon dinosaur toy, one meter tall, with limbs that could move.


    Back at the repair shop, Lu Heng had confirmed with the repairman that the robot''s network module was intact but had not activated the networking function.


    The repairman repeatedly warned that once the networking function was activated for this type of service robot, there was a possibility it could be lost.


    And he emphatically stated that he would not be responsible if activating the networking function resulted in the robot being lost.


    This is a major characteristic of the rogue mechanical servant factions.


    Normally, a service robot with its networking function enabled can update the latest control programs, optimize program settings, and fix bugs through the network.


    However, these antique robots from the last century, mostly produced by now-bankrupt companies with non-existent servers, could not update their programs.


    Thus, such outdated robots usually had their network modules removed or deactivated.


    It was for this reason that Lu Heng had confirmed with the repairman whether the robot had a network module or not.


    The network module was very important for Lu Heng''s subsequent plans.


    Once these types of service robots were connected to a network, the gestalt consciousness of the rogue mechanical servants would attempt to connect to these robots.


    The connection process is essentially cracking the service robot''s control program; once successfully cracked, the robot would become part of the gestalt consciousness, like a worker bee in a hive.


    This is why rogue mechanical servants could expand so rapidly, infecting connected service robots like a virus. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This led many service robot owners to disable their networking functions.


    ...


    Lu Heng was thinking about the strategy to pass the Abyss Battlefield, but first, he needed to confirm some key information.


    So, before resting for the night, he communicated with the cartoon dinosaur robot using voice commands to gather more information about Orion ¦Ë838.


    Since the cartoon dinosaur had not been connected to the network for many years, most of the stored data was from before the appearance of the rogue mechanical servants, with only a very small amount afterward.


    From the conversation, a few key pieces of information were obtained.


    First, Orion ¦Ë838 was a resource planet of the Sikes Civilization; after the depletion of resources, the civilization withdrew, leaving behind those too poor to board the spaceships.


    Second, the Sikes Civilization had begun their machine revolution two centuries ago and is now transitioning from a semi-mechanical civilization to a full mechanical civilization.


    When the machine revolution first started, it was fashionable for citizens of the civilization to transform their bodies into machinery.


    Moreover, mechanical transformation came with many benefits.


    For instance, greater strength, additional functions not available to organic life forms, and significantly extended lifespan.


    Thus, the previous two centuries were a period of mechanical transformation for the civilization.


    Interestingly, after the machine revolution, the majority of citizens from the main species of the Sikes Civilization underwent mechanical transformations.


    At that time, citizens began to miss their organic bodies, and bionic limbs once again became a cultural trend.


    The Sikes Civilization is now in such a period, with bionic limbs becoming synonymous with luxury.


    This was also why the repair shop owner had shown such an admiring expression when he saw Lu Heng and his companions.


    In the eyes of the citizens of Orion ¦Ë838, being able to use perfect bionic limbs meant certain stature and power indeed.


    Therefore, when Lu Heng and his companions walked through the city, none who could see would dare to trouble them.


    The situation was like seeing a multimillion-dollar sports car on the roads of the human world, with other vehicles quickly making way, ordinary people couldn''t afford to provoke, and even traffic police rarely dared to stop them.


    Third, the withdrawal of the main body of the civilization was completed thirty years ago, while records related to rogue mechanical servants appeared fifteen years ago.


    By the time the main body had withdrawn from the planet, only old machines, industrial waste, and the lower-class citizens remained.


    Therefore, after the emergence of rogue mechanical servants, no one on the planet had the capability to deal with the problem.


    In fact,


    At the first sign of the appearance of rogue mechanical servants, updating the programming of the servant robots to prevent the expansion of the rogue consciousness was possible and would have been an easy solution.


    But with the civilization''s main body already evacuated from the planet, without anyone to maintain the servant robots'' programming, the gestalt consciousness of the rogue mechanical servants quickly expanded after it emerged, forming a faction capable of challenging the Central System.


    Fourth, the first records of the Abyss appeared five years ago.


    If these records were correct, the emergence of the rogue mechanical servants had nothing to do with the Abyss invasion.


    However, it was still unclear whether the struggle between the Central System Camp and the rogue mechanical servants had any connection with the Abyss invasion.


    Fifth, there were no records about Source Material in the cartoon dinosaur''s data.


    However, Lu Heng had previously entered the Queen Star Circle of the Sikes Mechanical Civilization, where Source Material was present.


    So, there should also be Source Material here, although it might be in such small quantities that a service robot would not have the permission to access such information.


    ...


    While interacting with the cartoon dinosaur, Lu Heng asked some very critical questions.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu''s questions, on the other hand, were more humorous.

 Chapter 149 - 126: Sikes Mechanical Civilization, A Mechanical Tiger_2

    "Do you guys eat food, or do you consume motor oil?"


    "Are the faces of robots all standard models? Is customization expensive?"


    Questions like these were wildly imaginative.


    After gathering useful information, the three took turns keeping watch and resting.


    In the late hours of the night,


    Lu Heng was shaken awake and heard Su Muyu''s voice next to his ear, "That cartoon dinosaur has walked out; should I go after it?"


    Upon hearing this, Lu Heng immediately sat up, kicked Lin Zeyu to wake him, and called out, "Time for business."


    "What''s up? What''s going on?" Lin Zeyu looked completely bewildered.


    "That cartoon dinosaur has run off; could it really, as the repair shop owner said, get lost once it''s networked?" Su Muyu was still a bit confused.


    Lin Zeyu gradually regained his senses, and while putting on his shoes, he said, "Could it be that the boss deliberately installed some program to control the robot to return to him?"


    "Let''s follow it and find out."


    The three left the hotel, following the cartoon dinosaur.


    The wheels of the cartoon dinosaur crunched over the uneven concrete surface, making creaking noises, moving in a consistent direction, clearly with a specific destination in mind.


    They followed it through three blocks until the cartoon dinosaur entered a downward staircase and into an underground chamber.


    Lu Heng had Su Muyu activate invisibility before following into the underground chamber.


    The lighting in the underground chamber was very dim; only the indicator lights of a few robots emitted enough light for the three to barely make out the situation inside.


    In this underground chamber, there were about a dozen service-type robots.


    At the moment, a tracked maintenance bot was disassembling these service bots with the tools on its mechanical arms, removing component after component.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu were quite startled by the sight.


    Because the disassembled robots did not resist at all, they just stood there quietly while the maintenance bot dismantled them piece by piece.


    After the vital components were removed, the useless shells were piled in the corner of the chamber, like a stack of discarded "corpses."


    Lu Heng, however, was not surprised by this scene.


    Because this was one of the characteristics of rogue Mechanical Servants.


    Any robot could sustain damage, and once damaged, it would need repairs; if parts were damaged, they would need to be replaced.


    However, the industrial systems of this planet were mostly withdrawn, making most parts unproducible. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Where would the spare parts for repairs come from then?


    They could only be taken from other robots.


    The Gestalt Consciousness of rogue Mechanical Servants was a collective entity, resembling the consciousness of a bee swarm.


    However, within a bee swarm, there are workers, soldiers, drones, and the Bee Queen,


    Each individual has a rank. If the Bee Queen''s parts got damaged, naturally they would be taken from the other "workers" and installed onto the Bee Queen.


    That''s why the maintenance bots could be seen dismantling service bots because these service bots were the "workers" in this group, the lowest rank.


    After the cartoon dinosaur entered the underground chamber, it lined up at the end, quietly waiting to be dismantled.


    Seeing the cartoon dinosaur quietly waiting to be dismantled, seemingly cute but calmly awaiting "death" without a hint of resistance, Su Muyu felt a puzzling emotion and whispered, "So pitiful."


    At that moment,


    there came a rapid sound of tracks rolling over the ground from outside the chamber.


    "Another robot bringing parts?" Lin Zeyu curiously looked back.


    Then, he saw a mechanical guard burst into the chamber and began to riddle the robots inside with bullets.


    The maintenance bot, spotting the mechanical guard, turned and fled, its high-speed tracks screeching as it zoomed away, sounding the alarm:


    "Alert! Ninth District is under attack, requesting backup... Alert! Ninth District is under attack, requesting backup..."


    The dozen or so service bots, including the cartoon dinosaur, did not flee but instead turned and surrounded the mechanical guard, using their bodies to block the guard and help the maintenance bot escape.


    Obviously,


    Within the ranks of rogue Mechanical Servants, maintenance bots held a higher status than ordinary robots.


    After all, with maintenance bots, other damaged robots could be brought back to work.


    Without maintenance bots, the rogue Mechanical Servant camp would lose a bot with every casualty.


    Da da da...


    A volley from the mechanical guard reduced the dozen service bots to ruins.


    The cartoon dinosaur lay on the ground, its half-rotating wheel still spinning, continuously sounding the alarm.


    "Should we intervene?" Su Muyu asked, furrowing her brows.


    "Let''s follow and assess the situation first," Lu Heng said, not rushing to act.


    The Central System Camp and the rogue Mechanical Servant Camp were locked in constant combat, with incidents like this happening every day.


    Stopping one or two skirmishes meant nothing; the key was to find a breaking point in the deadlock.


    The three followed the mechanical guard out of the chamber,


    Exiting the underground chamber into the street above, they heard similar gunfire in the distance.


    Clearly, the incident wasn''t isolated; similar events were unfolding in nearby districts.


    More and more mechanical guards appeared on the streets, their hefty tracks rolling over the pavement, the sound of vibrating metal chains resonating.


    Looking around, one could see around a dozen mechanical guards chasing a variety of oddly shaped robots on the streets.


    Judging by the scene, this wasn''t a one-off operation; it was likely a systematic siege orchestrated by the Central System.

 Chapter 150 - 126: Sikes Mechanical Civilization, A Mechanical Tiger_3

    In the midst of the chase, several service robots had already been smashed to bits.


    The mechanical guards that had taken out their targets were convening with others to encircle and eliminate the remaining rogue Mechanical Servants.


    "This is just a one-sided slaughter," Lin Zeyu couldn''t help but comment as he watched the scene unfold.


    Lu Heng felt that things shouldn''t be so simple.


    If the rogue Mechanical Servants had no ability to resist at all, they couldn''t possibly mount a counteroffensive.


    As Lu Heng pondered this, the flames of battle spread all the way to the Ecological Island''s sea bridge.


    Hundreds upon hundreds of service robots, from every city block, fled towards the sea bridge.


    Behind these service robots, squads of mechanical guards gave chase, the machine guns crazily raking fire, shredding the fleeing robots into pieces.


    From a bird''s-eye view from the sky, one could clearly see two groups of robots converging towards the bridge, amid ceaseless spurts of machine gun fire.


    When the mechanical guards reached the head of the bridge, a sudden change occurred.


    Several unique machines rushed out from the direction of the bridge towards the mechanical guards, initiating fierce combat.


    Over a hundred mechanical guards engaged in a bloody fight with more than twenty armed machines.


    These armed machines varied in appearance: some looked like tanks, some like excavators, some like animals, others like wild beasts, and still, others resembled primate creatures.


    Just as Lu Heng had anticipated, the rogue Mechanical Servants had combat units too, just not as many.


    The battle was fiercely contested, with heavy losses on both sides.


    Half of the mechanical guards were already down, and many of the rogue Mechanical Servants'' combat units had been battered by machine gun fire.


    "Should we take action?" Su Muyu asked again.


    "Let them finish fighting. We haven''t joined a faction yet. Acting now would incur attacks from both sides," Lu Heng didn''t hurry to act but continued to wait.


    Gradually, the rogue Mechanical Servants began to slowly turn the tide of battle.


    Because among the rogue Mechanical Servants, there was an extremely powerful combat unit.


    That was a beast-shaped fighting machine, somewhat resembling a tiger, equipped with liquid metal armor.


    The outer armor of the Mechanical Tiger could morph its shape. Bullets fired at it would embed into the liquid metal, then slowly be ejected back out.


    Therefore, the machine gun fire from the mechanical guards posed almost no threat to the Mechanical Tiger.


    The Mechanical Tiger charged through the ranks of the mechanical guards, flipping and smashing them one after another.


    At that moment,


    Behind the mechanical guards emerged a three-meter-tall Light Beam Armored Vehicle, emitting a red High Energy Beam that struck the Mechanical Tiger.


    Under the onslaught of the High Energy Beam, the liquid metal on the Mechanical Tiger rapidly melted, revealing the Mechanical Core in a mere blink, and it was on the verge of being blown apart.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng''s eyebrows twitched as he said, "Move!" S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bang!


    Lin Zeyu, already primed to act, was the first to open fire, with his Advanced Armor-piercing Bullet penetrating the fire control radar of the Light Beam Armored Vehicle.


    The High Energy Beam from the Light Beam Armored Vehicle instantly ceased.


    Lu Heng drew the Aurora Blade and charged forward, directly using "Rift Slash" to cleave the three-meter-tall Light Beam Armored Vehicle in two.


    Boom!


    The Light Beam Armored Vehicle burst into flames, with sparks flying in all directions.


    "Clean up the battlefield, and do it quickly. The commotion here is big; it might attract other Superpower Users," Lu Heng hurriedly reminded them.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu quickly began to sweep the battlefield, collecting batteries that remained undamaged from the robots.


    From yesterday''s ordeal, they knew batteries were valuable commodities in this world, especially on this Planet, where they were incredibly expensive.


    That was because the planet''s industrial system had mostly been retracted, making it impossible to produce batteries, particularly high-end ones.


    After dispatching the Light Beam Armored Vehicle, Lu Heng strode up to the Mechanical Tiger.


    At this moment, the Mechanical Tiger''s outer armor had been melted into a pool of molten iron under the attack of the High Energy Beam, leaving its Mechanical Core exposed.


    On the Mechanical Core, Lu Heng sensed the aura of Source Material.

 Chapter 151 - 127: Cutting-edge Technology Product, Mechanical Beast

    A hint of joy flashed through Lu Heng''s eyes upon discovering Source Material on the energy core of the Mechanical Tiger.


    Just as expected, this world indeed contained Source Material.


    Moreover, the Source Material combined with a mechanical core was a very special form of existence.


    Currently, the "Swordsman''s" Source Quality Fusion was 37%. Given the density of the Source Material in this mechanical core, only two or three cores would be required to achieve a 100% fusion degree.


    Lu Heng stretched his hand towards the core of the Mechanical Tiger, stopping mid-air.


    This was because the core of the Mechanical Tiger was not entirely damaged; it was still struggling to repair its broken mechanical shell.


    However, its liquid metal shell had already been melted by the Light Beam, and repairing it would require a substantial amount of energy.


    Lu Heng hadn''t immediately taken the Source Material from the mechanical core because he remembered someone from his past life who had similar mechanical guards.


    Indeed, this wasn''t the first time Lu Heng had seen such liquid metal mechanical beasts.


    In his previous life, in the Cyber World, he had seen them numerous times.


    Moreover, these liquid metal mechanical beasts were a very special type of robot, straddling the line between military and civilian use.


    They were mechanical beasts raised by the ruling class of the Sikes Civilization in the Capital Star Circle,


    serving multiple functions including guardians, beast fighters, and pets.


    Because they could serve as guardians, their combat power was strong, capable of contending with swarms of mechanical guards.


    Among the upper ruling class of the Sikes Civilization, there was a popular form of entertainment¡ªbeast fighting, but with mechanical beasts.


    Thus, mechanical beasts can be said to be the epitome of Sikes Civilization''s cutting-edge technology.


    Just like human civilization''s F1 race cars, which are the "arena" for top car brands, where the cars use the most advanced technology, especially the engines.


    The Mechanical Arena of the Sikes Civilization was similar, with each mechanical beast utilizing the pinnacle of technological advancements, especially the mechanical core.


    Therefore, these mechanical beasts were not military robots, yet they possessed combat capabilities comparable to military robots, making them a rather unique existence.


    These liquid metal mechanical beasts were extremely rare, and seeing one on this abandoned planet initially surprised Lu Heng.


    Such entities were typically only observable within the upper echelons of the Queen Star Circle.


    The Mechanical Tiger could have been accidentally left behind when the civilization migrated.


    Or it might have been brought over by someone in the Sikes ruling class.


    Lu Heng was now contemplating a problem he recalled from his past life, where he saw human Superpower Users with similar mechanical beasts.


    That is, humans could potentially obtain these mechanical beasts.


    However, no Superpower User had ever disclosed the method of acquisition.


    Methods for acquiring such rare combat capabilities were usually monopolized by major powers and not easily revealed.


    It was quite normal for ordinary Superpower Users not to know.


    Lu Heng searched his mind for all information related to mechanical beast fighting, pondering whether there was a way to tame this mechanical beast.


    Mechanical beast fighting was a form of entertainment for the Sikes upper ruling class, but it also served the roles of pets and guardians.


    Thus, after a mechanical beast was produced, its core would bind with the owner who purchased it and could never be unbound.


    The number of owners a mechanical beast could bind to might be plural, usually involving family members of the main owner.


    Once the information was bound, it could not be erased until the mechanical core was destroyed.


    To add new binding information, authorization from the original binder was required.


    When commands from different binders conflicted, priority was determined by the order of binding.


    In other words,


    to acquire such a mechanical beast, one would need binding permissions from the previous owner before taking it away.


    Moreover, the original owner, having higher authority, could retrieve it at any time if desired.


    Currently,


    this Mechanical Tiger was on an abandoned planet and had become a member of the renegade Mechanical Servant faction.


    This meant that its original owner was likely gone, or perhaps the owner was also within the renegade Mechanical Servant faction.


    In either case, obtaining control over this Mechanical Tiger wasn''t likely.


    Unless this Mechanical Tiger had never had an owner bound to it, but this possibility was extremely low.


    However, there was a special circumstance.


    Mechanical beast fighters inherently lacked Source Material.


    The Sikes Civilization didn''t possess Source Material technology, so the robots they produced couldn''t have Source Material.


    Therefore, the Source Material in the core of this Mechanical Tiger must have been acquired later.


    Furthermore, the combination of Source Material and a robot induces special changes, leading to the emergence of intelligent consciousness in the robot, transforming it into a form of unique mechanical life.


    Source Material was indeed such a miraculous substance.


    Humans obtaining Source Material could gain a Class.


    Robots obtaining Source Material could develop intelligent consciousness.


    However, the intelligence generated in robots was not greatly enhanced. The level of intelligence depended on the robot''s own mechanical core.


    That is, a regular electronic watch that gained Source Material and developed intelligence wouldn''t become significantly smarter; it would still remain a watch, not transforming into something like a Light Computer.


    ...


    Lu Heng reviewed all the information about Mechanical Beasts and realized there was no way to subdue the Mechanical Tiger.


    At that moment, the core of the Mechanical Tiger emitted a distress signal.


    Lu Heng crouched down and asked out loud, "If I manage to repair you, can I bind to become your owner?"


    The core of the Mechanical Tiger gave a negative response.


    Seeing the rejection, Lu Heng confirmed something, the Mechanical Beast had an owner.


    It was just uncertain whether its owner was dead or not on this planet.


    Thus, Lu Heng thought it was better to absorb the Source Material, so he reached out his palm, preparing to obtain it.


    The Source Material had already fused with the core of the Mechanical Tiger. If taken away, the core would lose its energy support and be completely damaged.


    Just as his fingers were about to touch the Mechanical Core, a hidden quest suddenly triggered.


    [Hidden Quest Triggered: Mechanical Heart]


    [Content: You have discovered an intelligent Mechanical Core emitting a distress signal. Consuming 600 points of Divine Energy can help repair its metal limbs.]


    [Reward: Trust of Mechanical Beast No. 101]


    The moment he saw the hidden quest, Lu Heng''s first reaction was to determine if the quest was a "Traitor Task".


    Because "Traitor Tasks" also display as "Hidden Quests".


    After reading the content, it didn''t seem like a "Traitor Task".


    The reward was too unattractive.


    What were the "Traitor Tasks" at the Evil God''s Burial Ground like?


    Directly receiving Divine Blessings, skyrocketing combat power.


    This hidden quest offered the trust of Mechanical Beast No. 101.


    And it required spending 600 points of Divine Energy to repair its metal limbs, an imbalance between the cost and the benefits.


    The hidden quest was not very attractive and had no foreseeable generous rewards.


    To other Superpower Users, indeed, it held no appeal.


    Yet Lu Heng felt this hidden quest had potential to explore.


    Firstly, this Mechanical Tiger was a product of the cutting-edge technology of the Sikes Civilization, and in the rogue Mechanical Servant faction, similar high-end robots should be rare.


    That is to say, at least at the "Bee" level in the Gestalt Consciousness of the Mechanical Tiger, just below the "Bee Queen".


    Moreover, this Mechanical Tiger possessed intelligence, meaning it could think.


    Gaining its trust could allow him to bring himself and two others into the rebel Mechanical Servant''s base.


    Lu Heng''s initial goal was to join the rogue Mechanical Servant faction, so saving this Mechanical Tiger would complete this main quest.


    Furthermore, this Mechanical Tiger held a high rank among the rogue Mechanical Servants, allowing access to the high-level units within the faction.


    It''s only the second day on the Abyss Battlefield, and being able to touch upon a faction''s high-level units on the second day was hugely advantageous for later strategic control.


    600 points of Divine Energy was indeed a bit much, but as long as this trust was utilized properly, it could achieve what other Superpower Users could not.


    Realizing this, Lu Heng no longer hesitated and chose to spend 600 points of Divine Energy to help repair the Mechanical Tiger''s limbs.


    Bits of Divine Energy released, enveloping the core of the Mechanical Tiger.


    At this moment.


    Lin Zeyu came over and said, "The battlefield is cleared, collected 36 undamaged batteries. Oh¡­ what''s this situation?"


    He saw the Mechanical Tiger, which had been turned into a puddle of molten metal by the Light Beam, suddenly coalesce and stand up again.


    According to previous information, before joining a faction, they would be hunted by both factions.


    Therefore, as soon as the Mechanical Tiger stood up, Lin Zeyu immediately gripped his gun cautiously.


    However, after the Mechanical Tiger stood up, it lowered its body towards Lu Heng in a gesture of thanks.


    "I am here to help you; take me to your base," Lu Heng directly stated his request.


    "Please follow me." The Mechanical Tiger turned and headed towards the direction of the Ecological Island Bridge.


    Lu Heng motioned for the other two to hurry up and follow, walking behind the Mechanical Tiger onto the bridge.


    Crossing the bridge, they arrived at the Ecological Island.


    Below the bridge, about two to three dozen maintenance robots were repairing the service robots that had managed to escape back.


    Some robots had several bullet holes from machine guns but were not completely destroyed and had managed to flee back to the island.


    After arriving on the island, most of the robots seen were service robots.


    Clearly, this island was the headquarters of the rogue Mechanical Servants.


    No wonder the rogue Mechanical Servants had managed to hold out against the Central System''s siege; they had occupied an island.


    Since the main body of the planet''s civilization was already moved away, the industrial system was gone, strategic weaponry had been taken away or destroyed.


    Thus, there were no weapons like missiles that could destroy this bridge.


    The two factions had been pulling at each other at both ends of this ocean-crossing bridge for over a decade.


    Lu Heng, seeing the situation on Ecological Island, said, "Take me to see your Bee Queen, or should I call it the Main Brain?"


    "I need to apply to the higher-ups."


    The Mechanical Tiger responded, then paused for half a second, and continued, "The higher-ups have denied your request to meet and stated that before you join the faction and make significant contributions, you will not be granted an audience." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu exchanged looks and said, "Then we will join the faction now."

 Chapter 152 - 128 Meeting Between Camp Spies, Plan to Attack the Island

    "Confirmed joining the Mechanical Servant faction, and then three robots delivered three electronic bracelets, which were worn on the wrists of Lu Heng and his two companions.


    These electronic bracelets looked a lot like the electronic shackles they had worn on their hands before.


    Simply put, these electronic bracelets served as terminal information transmitters for the Mechanical Servant faction, used for communication and monitoring unit actions.


    After putting on the electronic bracelets, they officially joined the Mechanical Servant faction and completed the first and second main quests.


    According to the main quest requirements, if they didn''t want to take any more risks, staying on the Ecological Island for 15 days would allow them to return to Blue Star.


    However, having spent 600 points of Divine Energy, they had to do something to earn back that expenditure, or else it would be a major loss.


    ...


    After spending three days on the Ecological Island, they gained a better understanding of the world.


    It was also time for the meeting with Chen Zihang as previously arranged.


    When they parted on the transport vehicle earlier, they had agreed to meet every five days to exchange information and resources.


    Therefore,


    On the evening of the fifth day, Lu Heng found Mechanical Tiger 101 and stated that he needed to leave the Ecological Island for a while.


    Since electronic bracelets were worn on their wrists, sneaking out was impossible; removal of the bracelets would signify defection.


    Thus, they could only leave the island through official means.


    Mechanical Tiger 101 indeed held a high rank within the Mechanical Servants, directly assigning a mission for Lu Heng and his companions to attack an enemy faction''s combat unit and retrieve energy batteries.


    The industrial system on this planet was no longer capable of producing high-level energy batteries, so they were becoming increasingly scarce and could only be obtained from the combat units of opposing factions.


    Having accepted the task, Lu Heng, along with Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, left the Ecological Island and headed to the previously agreed meeting point.


    Upon reaching the meeting site,


    Lu Heng stopped three kilometers away and had Su Muyu scout the surrounding area.


    Since Chen Zihang was likely to have joined the Central System Camp, they already belonged to opposing factions.


    Even though they had initially agreed to form an alliance, necessary caution was still imperative.


    After scouting the area, Su Muyu reported what she observed, "Chen Zihang has arrived; he has four team members with him, no other mechanical combat units, all looks normal."


    "Good, I''ll go meet him. You two maintain a distance of one kilometer," Lu Heng said as he walked toward Chen Zihang''s direction.


    Chen Zihang made the same arrangement, instructing his four team members to stay a kilometer away.


    As the two approached within three meters of each other, Chen Zihang placed a device on the ground and then explained in Mandarin, "This is a signal jammer, it can temporarily block communication signals."


    Lu Heng understood what he meant and nodded, asking, "Have you joined the Central System Camp?"


    Chen Zihang nodded, "I have; the process was fairly smooth."


    He also noticed the electronic bracelet on Lu Heng''s wrist and said, "You must have joined as well?"


    "Yes, it''s pretty much as we planned," Lu Heng nodded.


    "That''s good, let''s exchange information now. Have you come across any other Superpower Users?" Chen Zihang was the first to inquire.


    "Not yet, we''ve been on the Ecological Island for three days. Apart from us three, we haven''t discovered any other humans. How about on your end?" Lu Heng finished his reply and also asked about the situation on the other side.


    "There are more people on my side; I''ve already met 23 Superpower Users, not sure if there are others yet to be discovered," Chen Zihang showed a helpless expression.


    "It seems they all have more confidence in your faction," Lu Heng understood what was going on.


    In fact, in such a factional mode, the correct way to survive was to join the superior faction.


    As for helping the inferior side, that was just too naive.


    In the face of survival, these messy thoughts were just a burden.


    So, any Superpower User with a sound mind would tend to join the superior faction.


    Clearly, in the Abyss Battlefield, the Central System was the superior faction, and overwhelmingly so.


    After all, the Central System controlled all the mechanical guards and military robots within the city.


    The Mechanical Servants, on the other hand, were a group of service-type robots.


    The gap in combat strength between the two sides was evident.


    The Mechanical Servants had managed to hold out for so long thanks to the geographical advantage of the Ecological Island.


    Without major weapons like missiles, the military robots controlled by the Central System also had a hard time assaulting the island.


    Consequently, the Superpower Users who were transported in, upon clearly understanding the situation, would choose to join the Central System Camp.


    Chen Zihang spread his hands and warned, "So you have to be careful; we have a significant advantage on our side, and in seven days, we''ll be launching a large-scale attack on the island. I suggest you leave the island that day to avoid the battlefield."


    "Do you have an exact time for the attack?" Lu Heng asked.


    "Yes, but this information is critical, I want to exchange for resources," Chen Zihang was practical, immediately proposing a trade.


    "Okay, what do you want to exchange?"


    Since it was an exchange of information, it was only natural to bring something of equivalent value, and Lu Heng agreed to his request.


    "Batteries. Ten C-level Energy Batteries," Chen Zihang said, spreading five fingers.


    "Sure, I''ll give them to you all together later," Lu Heng nodded in agreement.


    "Okay, the exact time for the assault on the island is twelve midnight, seven days from now, primarily targeting the cross-sea bridge. Besides that, there will be Superpower Users landing on the island from the south side of the bridge, and my team will be among them," Chen Zihang provided the precise information.


    The reason for choosing twelve midnight to attack was quite simple.


    Most of the military robots controlled by the Central System Camp had infrared systems, making nighttime no different from daytime.


    In the camp of the rogue Mechanical Servants, most were service robots, and even if they were modified into combat robots, they lacked infrared systems, which made their combat effectiveness poor at night.


    "What''s your combat objective?" Lu Heng asked next.


    "The goal is straightforward¡ªto completely destroy the rogue Mechanical Servants'' Gestalt Consciousness. But at the moment, I don''t know if there''s a ''core'' unit in your camp''s Gestalt Consciousness. If you can tell me the location of the Gestalt Consciousness core, it will offset the need for ten C-level batteries," Chen Zihang made an intelligence request.


    Lu Heng shook his head and replied, "I''ve tried to meet with the highest-level units in the camp, but haven''t seen any. So I''m also not sure if a ''core'' type of unit exists. The units I''ve had contact with so far are probably second level."


    After pondering for a moment, Lu Heng raised the next question, "Have you discovered any Abyss Pollution Source on your side?"


    Chen Zihang shook his head and replied, "No, I''ve looked but haven''t found anything related to the Abyss. How about you?"


    Lu Heng spread his hands, "Same here. Have you seen the main entity of the Central System?"


    Chen Zihang shook his head again, "No, it''s not easy to enter the machine room where the Central System resides."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "In the Challenge Task, one of the requirements is to find the Abyss Pollution Source, which means there must be something related to the Abyss in this world. It should be within the two camps.


    "I believe the Abyss Pollution Source is either in the Central System''s machine room or with the Rogue Mechanical Servants'' core."


    Chen Zihang nodded and expressed his agreement, "That''s the same as my thought. So we have to keep trying to contact higher-level units. I will try to enter the Central System''s machine room, and you try to meet with the Rogue Mechanical Servants'' core."


    "Sure," Lu Heng nodded in agreement.


    "There''s one more thing, the ''Double-faced Spy'' Challenge Task¡ªI''ll try to prepare three bracelets that will allow you to join the Central System Camp. In the same way, I hope you can give me five bracelets. If you find the number imbalanced, I can make up the difference with batteries," Chen Zihang proposed a way to complete the last Challenge Task.


    "That''s fine, don''t worry about the difference," Lu Heng agreed.


    Getting hold of these things was what mattered; the difficulty of getting three or five wasn''t significantly different.


    "Anything else? If not, let''s end the meeting here. Shielding the signal for too long may arouse suspicion from the Central System," Chen Zihang glanced at the time, considering bringing the meeting to a close.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and reminded him, "The two people who were on the same transport vehicle as us earlier, they are in your camp, right?" S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Zihang nodded, "Yes, they''re with me."


    Lu Heng gave a warning, "Those two are likely a team; they pretended not to know each other on the transport vehicle. You might want to be cautious."


    Chen Zihang nodded, "Alright, I''ll be careful."


    The meeting concluded, and Lu Heng gave him ten C-level Energy Batteries as payment for the intelligence.


    They set the time for their next meeting and then went their separate ways.


    ...


    The meeting took place at night; therefore, after parting ways, it was just past nine in the evening.


    This city was no longer prosperous, so after nine o''clock at night, it became extremely deserted.


    Lu Heng decided to take this opportunity to complete one of the Challenge Tasks, which was to destroy 30 enemy combat units.


    He also wanted to try and see if destroying 30 enemy camp combat units would allow him a chance to meet with the core of the Rogue Mechanical Servants.


    In the time that followed,


    Lu Heng and his two companions took advantage of the cover of darkness and commenced their operations.


    Scout drones patrolled the sky, looking for mechanical guards. Once found, Lu Heng would approach and cut them down with a sword, taking their batteries.


    The destruction of a mechanical guard would trigger an alarm, drawing more mechanical guards to the location.


    The mechanical guards'' treads grated across the pavement, emitting a grating squeal that set one''s teeth on edge.


    Groups of mechanical guards converged from all directions; destroying one felt like stirring up a hornet''s nest.


    The machine guns on the mechanical guards were still quite formidable, and the flesh certainly couldn''t withstand them.


    Moreover, there were armed drones in the air.


    If surrounded and strafed by a dozen mechanical guards and armed drones, it would be difficult to avoid getting hit, and a single bullet could spell disaster.


    Luckily, they had scout drones in the sky.


    Su Muyu always found a gap to break through, "Go this way, there''s a mechanical guard thirty meters to your left."


    Lu Heng followed her lead, moving swiftly through the streets, cutting down mechanical guards that he passed, and leading the two others out of the encirclement.


    In one hour, they destroyed 30 mechanical guards, completing the first Challenge Task.


    In the process, they collected 25 C-level Energy Batteries.


    Finally, the three of them broke free from the encirclement and returned to the Ecological Island.

 Chapter 153 - 129: Brain in a Vat, Energy Blessing!

    The next morning.


    Lu Heng and his two companions returned to Ecological Island and discovered something strange.


    The robots on Ecological Island had begun constructing defensive fortifications on the bridge and shore, with hundreds of repair robots working, their mechanical arms welding weapons and armor with buzzing ray guns.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng was a bit surprised.


    He had only received news from Chen Zihang last night that the hostile camp would soon attack the island, and by this morning, defensive constructions had already begun on Ecological Island.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu exchanged glances, looking puzzled.


    "We didn''t send back news about the island being attacked, did we?" Lin Zeyu was also a bit confused.


    "The Central System Camp also has spies; the leak wasn''t from us, so it must have been other Superpower Users," Lu Heng thought, remembering what Chen Zihang had mentioned the night before, that the opposing camp already had 23 Superpower Users.


    From this information, one could deduce that this Abyss Battlefield was supposed to have 30 participants.


    The remaining Superpower Users who hadn''t appeared yet might not have joined a camp or might be well hidden.


    In the opposing camp with 23 Superpower Users, it wouldn''t be odd for one or two spies to send information back to Ecological Island.


    Lu Heng returned to Ecological Island to deliver the task assigned to the Mechanical Tiger the day before.


    When he had left the island yesterday, the Mechanical Tiger had hoped that Lu Heng would destroy a mechanical guard and bring back its energy battery.


    Now, Ecological Island was in dire need of batteries; even some repair robots couldn''t start due to damaged batteries.


    Lu Heng directly took out twenty-five Energy Batteries, saying, "Here are the batteries you asked for, I brought back twenty-five."


    Although the Mechanical Tiger was a machine, its Mechanical Core had merged with Source Material, giving it an intelligent consciousness.


    Thus, it showed a surprised expression when it saw the many Energy Batteries Lu Heng had brought back, "This is great, it will be a big help to us. Bring the batteries and come with me; we are going to awaken more repair robots."


    The Mechanical Tiger led Lu Heng to a deserted robot warehouse on Ecological Island.


    The warehouse was underground and very spacious.


    The abandoned robots were not piled up like trash, but rather, they stood quietly, twenty centimeters apart from each other, as if in deep slumber.


    Lu Heng handed the Energy Batteries to a nearby repair robot, which entered the warehouse and installed the batteries inside these dormant robots.


    After the batteries were installed, the control panel of a robot lit up, its wheels turned slightly, and without greeting anyone, it turned around and walked out of the underground warehouse to start working on the bridge.


    The twenty-five batteries awakened twenty-five robots, adding to the "manpower" for building defensive fortifications.


    Bringing back so many batteries significantly increased his contributions within the Mechanical Servant rogue camp.


    Lu Heng made another request to the Mechanical Tiger: "Can I meet your superior?"


    The Mechanical Tiger paused for half a second, clearly communicating with its superior, then responded, "My superior wants you to participate in the forthcoming defense battle and has asked me to take you to collect weapons. After the defense battle, my superior will consider your request to meet."


    Bringing back twenty-five Energy Batteries was still not enough to meet the Mechanical Tiger''s superior.


    It was no longer a mystery; the so-called superior of the Mechanical Tiger was undeniably the main brain behind the Gestalt Consciousness of the rogue Mechanical Servants.


    It looked like they would only meet after the defense battle of Ecological Island had happened. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng had also contemplated finding the main brain''s location on Ecological Island, but this idea was difficult to achieve.


    Because it wasn''t even known what the Gestalt Consciousness''s main brain was¡ªit could be a computer or a bracelet.


    Ultimately, any terminal device connected to the Gestalt network could be the main brain.


    Therefore, without knowing what the target was, it was impossible to search for it.


    Moreover, forcibly approaching the main brain could be deemed a threat, leading to attack by other Ecological Island robots.


    Lu Heng and his companions followed the Mechanical Tiger into the Ecological Island''s arsenal, where they saw batches of Cyber World weapons.


    Among them, there was a large number of Energy Weapons.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up upon seeing these Energy Weapons. He picked up one and said, "This Ray Gun looks very similar to the one I saw on the Crystal Core Dark Network before. This thing is pretty good. It deals 300 points of damage per second, though that isn''t particularly high."


    His SVD sniper rifle had an Attack Power of over 500 points, and even shooting from 1000 meters away after attenuation, it could still inflict over 300 points of damage.


    From this, one could see that this Cyber Beam Gun didn''t have an Attack Power as high as the SVD sniper rifle.


    Of course, both weapons were of different types, and directly comparing damage values was actually inappropriate.


    Energy Weapons only caused energy damage, while a sniper rifle was a Kinetic Energy Weapon, its bullets inflicting kinetic damage.


    In the material world, the destructive force of kinetic energy would never become outdated.


    Because a moving object with mass naturally requires a lot of energy.


    Moreover, this type of energy can be carried far by material objects.


    Energy Weapons lacked kinetic damage, but their advantage was clear: the beams were propelled at the speed of light, nearly instantaneously hitting the target.


    Conversely, Energy Weapons needed a moment to cause damage.


    The Level B Ray Gun in Lin Zeyu''s hand could inflict 300 points of damage in 1 second¡ªthis damage was not low, capable of killing a Power User below Level 20 in just one second.


    Besides,


    Ray Guns also had the advantage of not needing a magazine change; as long as the battery had charge, it could be continuously used.

 Chapter 154 - 129: Brain in a Vat, Energy Blessing! _2

    Normally, the battery in a ray gun is enough to last a full battle.


    Lu Heng and his two companions had each received a Cyber Beam Gun, equivalent to bringing back a reward of 25 C-Level energy batteries.


    Having a ray weapon for self-defense still had its advantages.


    Especially for Lin Zeyu, who had wanted to buy the ray gun from the Crystal Core Dark Network back when he was on Blue Star, but couldn''t afford it as the seller treated it like a family heirloom with an exorbitant price.


    Unexpectedly, after one venture into the Abyss Battlefield, obtaining such a ray gun had been quite easy.


    After getting the ray guns, the three of them went to the shooting range on the island to test them.


    The ray guns were much simpler to use than kinetic firearms.


    Since ray guns lacked recoil, the muzzle didn''t jump when fired.


    Moreover, ray guns weren''t affected by gravity or wind direction; they would hit whatever you aimed at as long as your hand didn''t shake.


    Therefore, they didn''t require much practice to use proficiently.


    ...


    After several days of construction, the defense works of the Ecological Island were nearly complete.


    The time had also come for the island attack Chen Zihang had talked about.


    Before that, Lu Heng exchanged some energy batteries for five camp bracelets.


    Before beginning the attack, Lu Heng had the chance to meet with Chen Zihang, exchange camp bracelets, and briefly swap information, keeping the initial attack plan unchanged.


    However, the direction from which the Superpower Users were to land had changed.


    After all, it was obvious with a mere glance that defensive structures had been constructed on Ecological Island.


    Originally, the direction where the Superpower Users were supposed to land had solid fortifications.


    Superpower Users didn''t want to be turned into swiss cheese by coastal machine guns, so they changed the direction of their landing.


    This news was important but also not so significant.


    The movement of Superpower Users was convenient; they could change their landing spot at any time, and it was impossible to build defenses around the entire Ecological Island, so the main defensive direction was still the sea bridge.


    ...


    After swapping to the Central System Camp bracelets, Lu Heng handed the bracelets to Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, but did not activate them immediately.


    This bracelet was intended for the last challenge task; they just needed to use it before the Abyss Battlefield time ended.


    If worn now, the robots on Ecological Island would consider them red-named targets and seek to eliminate them.


    ...


    The time had reached midnight.


    Finally, it was time for the Central System Camp''s attack on the island.


    Hundreds of mechanical guards and Light Prism Tanks began to gather towards the direction of the sea bridge.


    Armored vehicles charged at the forefront, resisting the barrage of steel bullets from the island''s robots.


    The battle was imminent.


    The tongues of flame spewed by both sides'' weapons illuminated the entire bridge.


    And the high-energy lasers shot from the Light Prism Tanks swept across Ecological Island''s defenses, carving out scorched earth.


    ...


    On Ecological Island, atop the building closest to the bridge,


    Lu Heng and his two companions were watching this grand robot war, which was indeed different from battles involving humans.


    Robots had no fear, no sensation of pain; they would persist in their charge until completely destroyed.


    "Should we join the battle?" Lin Zeyu scratched his head, peering through his sniper rifle.


    "Let''s wait and see," Lu Heng said, not rushing to join the fight.


    As of now, it wasn''t clear yet which side they should help.


    Humans and Superpower Users had been conscripted not to help the robots fight but to find and eradicate the Abyss Pollution Sources.


    Whether the robot camps won or lost wasn''t the concern of humans.


    Locating the Abyss Pollution Source was critical.


    Lu Heng had always suspected that there was something amiss with the rogue Mechanical Servant camp''s leading brain and had requested a meeting with it twice, only to be rejected both times.


    The more he was refused, the more Lu Heng felt there was a problem.


    Thus, if this island attack could force the rogue Mechanical Servant''s lead brain to reveal itself, that would be what Lu Heng hoped to see.


    Half an hour into the defense of the bridge,


    a team of nearly twenty Superpower Users landed from the north side of Ecological Island, making their way inside the island, sweeping through rogue Mechanical Servants as they rushed towards the central hemisphere-shaped building.


    Su Muyu discovered the Superpower User who had landed and reported, "The Superpower User has landed on the island, and his target is very clear. He''s headed toward that hemispherical building in the middle. Chen Zihang''s team is also among them."


    "Activate invisibility, let''s follow and see," Lu Heng said as he led the two others toward the hemispherical building.


    That hemispherical building was indeed a rather special structure on the Ecological Island.


    They had passed by it from the outside several times but had never gone inside.


    The Superpower Users from the Central System Camp rushed to the building, blasted the door open with explosives, and entered.


    The hemispherical building covered a large area and had a complex internal structure.


    Once the Superpower Users entered the building, they split into several teams and entered different passages to start searching the building.


    Lu Heng, in an invisible state, followed into the building.


    From the outside, the hemispherical building appeared to be ten stories high, but upon entering, it was discovered that there were another ten floors underground.


    With twenty floors in total, both above ground and underground, plus a very large floor area and numerous passageways inside, it would take some time to thoroughly explore.


    "Which way should we go?" Su Muyu looked around, unsure of how to lead the way.


    "Which way did Chen Zihang go?" asked Lu Heng.


    "Chen Zihang went down the passage; he probably thinks the target is underground," Su Muyu pointed in the direction Chen Zihang had gone.


    The hemispherical structure had ten levels underground.


    With such a deep structure, if the main brain was indeed in this building, hiding it underground was indeed very likely.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "The reconnaissance eagle will follow Chen Zihang; we''ll go upstairs."


    Currently, Lu Heng was still allied with Chen Zihang.


    Both parties had a clear goal: to find the Abyss Pollution Source.


    Lu Heng suspected there was an issue with the controller of the Mechanical Servants, so if Chen Zihang found the main brain, he could communicate with him through the reconnaissance eagle.


    However, given the complexity inside the building, the main brain might not necessarily be underground. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Therefore, Lu Heng decided to head upstairs to increase the chances of finding the main brain.


    ...


    Besides Chen Zihang, another dozen Superpower Users from the Central System Camp also entered the hemispherical building and dispersed to search.


    Meanwhile,


    In a room on the ninth floor of the hemispherical building,


    a Mechanical Tiger guarded the entrance of this room.


    Its information network received real-time monitoring footage,


    so the news of Superpower Users entering the hemispherical building had already spread to all Mechanical Servant individuals.


    Combat robots assigned to guard the Ecological Island began converging towards the hemispherical building, entering to intercept the Superpower Users.


    Some Superpower Users encountered combat robots and a battle erupted, with booming sounds spreading throughout the entire building.


    About twenty minutes later,


    a team of Superpower Users reached the ninth floor and entered the room where the Mechanical Tiger was.


    The Mechanical Tiger emitted a mechanical roar and engaged in battle with three Superpower Users.


    These three Superpower Users were very powerful and, acting together, subdued the Mechanical Tiger in a few minutes. Then, they opened a large alloy door behind the Mechanical Tiger.


    As the door opened, the view inside was revealed.


    Upon seeing what was behind the door, the three Superpower Users all showed surprised expressions.


    Because in that room, there was a huge glass tank filled with an unknown liquid.


    Floating in the liquid was an object resembling a brain and yet a heart.


    A Brain in a Jar!


    However, this Brain in a Jar looked different from a human brain, but it was still recognizable as the cognitive organ of some kind of intelligent creature.


    At that moment, many tubes were connected to this brain, and it was even pulsating slightly.


    Just as these three Superpower Users were astonished, two more individuals entered the room, none other than Huo Lingshan and Liu Liangpeng.


    These two were Superpower Users who had been transported on the same vehicle as Lu Heng and Chen Zihang.


    After they appeared, they indicated they would not vie for credit but only wished to tag along on the Challenge Task, offering to exchange Energy Batteries in return.


    Since these Superpower Users all belonged to the Central System Camp and had landed on the island together, the three did not suspect anything and agreed to their request.


    Just as the three were about to destroy the Brain in a Jar, Huo Lingshan and Liu Liangpeng suddenly attacked, killing the three Superpower Users.


    After succeeding, the two approached the Brain in a Jar, pressing their palms against the glass.


    Abyss Energy began to emanate from the liquid in the glass tank, merging into their bodies¡ªit was indeed an Abyss Energy Blessing.

 Chapter 155 - 130: Breaking the Brain in the Jar, the Traitor Appears

    Inside the hemispherical building of the Ecological Island.


    Lu Heng''s team started from the first floor and worked their way up, experiencing smoother progress than other Superpower Users.


    Because the other Superpower Users would be attacked by the robots of the Ecological Island, not only was Lu Heng''s team not attacked, but some robots even notified them of where to provide support.


    Upon encountering other Superpower Users, they were especially wary due to being from different camps, but none initiated an attack.


    Lu Heng''s team simply passed by, typically with an exchange of glances.


    They made their way to the ninth floor and then came across Huo Lingshan and Liu Liangpeng, who had started at the same transport vehicle.


    Huo Lingshan and Liu Liangpeng were passing through the corridor with a Mechanical Tiger when they encountered Lu Heng. They first showed a guarded expression, and then Liu Liangpeng was the first to speak,


    "Don''t fight, we had agreed from the start not to attack each other."


    Indeed, such a thing had been said while discussing information about the Abyss Battlefield on the transport vehicle, but no official alliance was formed.


    Of course, Lu Heng and the other Superpower Users hadn''t fought, and barring special circumstances, they wouldn''t be enemies with these two either.


    Seeing that Lu Heng didn''t show hostility, Liu Liangpeng continued, "We''ve already searched this floor; you can go up to the next one."


    "Is that so?"


    "Yes, we''ve searched every room," Huo Lingshan added hastily.


    Lu Heng eyed the Mechanical Tiger beside them for a while and asked curiously, "That thing, have you tamed it?"


    "Ah? Uh..."


    Liu Liangpeng and his companion were taken aback at first but then quickly nodded, saying, "Yes, we''ve tamed it; now it follows our commands."


    A dangerous curve formed at the corner of Lu Heng''s mouth as he said, "That means you must have seen the controller."


    Liu Liangpeng''s eyes widened as he hurriedly denied it, "No, we haven''t found it."


    Watching their poor acting, Lu Heng shared a secret, "It took me 600 Divine Energy to repair it, and even then, I only gained its trust.


    "In this world, you can destroy it, but no one except its original master can command it.


    "What''s more, you two are part of the Central System Camp, and in its eyes, you are red-named; the fact that it hasn''t attacked you is telling enough."


    Liu Liangpeng still tried to argue, "I don''t know what you''re talking about. We got a hidden task, and this Mechanical Tiger is temporarily obeying our commands."


    "Is that so? Then I''ll take a look in this room." Lu Heng pointed to the room they had come out of.


    "There''s no need to go in; we really have searched it."


    Liu Liangpeng, seeing Lu Heng insist on entering, reached out to stop him while accumulating Shadow Energy in his hand.


    Lu Heng drew his sword like lightning and unleashed a Zhenyue Style Chop.


    Liu Liangpeng reacted quickly, erecting a Shadow Shield before him, intending to block the slash.


    However, he had no idea how high the Aurora Blade''s Attack Power was, with two Special Effects and Lu Heng''s Strength enhancement included.


    The chop shattered the Shadow Shield with a "bang," the sword''s radiance buried into his right shoulder, slantingly cutting in ten centimeters, nearly dislocating half of his shoulder.


    In the next instant, his body suddenly surged with Source Material Energy, his body burning like a Puppet Paperman.


    Meanwhile, his real body emerged from the Puppet Paperman, gasping for air.


    Another "Replacement Puppet."


    This life-saving Skill was indeed handy, automatically triggering in the face of a fatal injury.


    Nevertheless, after the Skill activated, the real body still suffered severe damage.


    Lu Heng flicked aside the Puppet Paperman and kicked the man flying with a swift foot.


    Almost simultaneously.


    Huo Lingshan also made his move, firing a series of rapid Vacuum Explosions at Lu Heng, bombarding with a series of "bangs."


    Su Muyu immediately deployed a "Prism Tower Shield" in front of Lu Heng, blocking the barrage of Vacuum Explosions.


    Almost at the same time.


    Lin Zeyu had a Silver Python Revolver in his hand, spun a flourish, and fired a shot.


    Bang!


    The large-caliber bullet, empowered by an Advanced Armor-Piercing Bullet, pierced through Huo Lingshan''s chest.


    The battle ended after just a brief encounter.


    These two''s Combat Power wasn''t enough to pose a threat to Lu Heng and his two companions.


    The Mechanical Tiger at their side did not move but instead questioned, "I didn''t tell you to attack them."


    Within the level hierarchy of the Gestalt Consciousness of the rogue Mechanical Servants, Mechanical Tiger had a higher Level than the three members of Lu Heng''s team, so according to the hierarchy, it could command Lu Heng and his team. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, being from the same camp, when Lu Heng killed Huo Lingshan, the Mechanical Tiger didn''t attack but instead questioned.


    Lu Heng ignored the Mechanical Tiger''s question; after killing the two, he went straight into the room.


    Inside the room, there were obvious signs of combat, and opposite the room, there was an alloy door.


    Lu Heng walked over, ready to open the alloy door.


    At that moment.


    The Mechanical Tiger suddenly rushed over, blocking the door, and commanded, "Step back! You do not have permission to enter here."


    Seeing Mechanical Tiger blocking the door, the situation became clear.


    The controller of the rogue Mechanical Servants must be inside.


    "I can repair you, so naturally, I can destroy you too." Lu Heng raised his hand, opening his five fingers toward the Mechanical Tiger, then clenched his fist fiercely, releasing "Thunderous Heavenly Prison."


    Boom!


    Hundreds of thick bolts of lightning intertwined, trapping the Mechanical Tiger.


    Lu Heng trapped the Mechanical Tiger and then opened the alloy door.


    The three of them saw the situation behind the door and, just like the previous three people, expressions of surprise appeared on their faces.


    A "brain in a vat" floated in a glass chamber, which was filled with some unknown liquid.


    Although they had guessed that the master brain was here, they were still very surprised to actually see it.


    At first, referring to it as the "master brain" was merely a habitual expression, meaning the unit responsible for the main computing function within the Gestalt Consciousness.


    They hadn''t expected it to truly be a "brain."


    This brain was clearly not human, but it was very similar, and its size confirmed that it was the brain of an intelligent being.


    The planet was once a resource planet of the Sikes Civilization, so this brain should be that of a Sikes person.


    Moreover, since the Mechanical Tiger was always guarding this place, this brain must be its master.


    Lu Heng walked towards the glass chamber, and when he was about a meter away,


    The glass wall displayed an image of a Sikes person, who spoke, "Y233501, Y233502, Y233503, you are now commanded to guard the building and eliminate all intruders."


    The three numbers he had mentioned were the codes for Lu Heng and the two others, more precisely, the codes for their faction wristbands.


    At the same time, a hidden task prompt popped up.


    [Hidden Task Triggered: Guard the Master Brain]


    [Task Objective: Guard the master brain until the battle ends to receive an Energy Blessing and gain the power of gods.]


    [Reward: Energy Blessing]


    Seeing the hidden task appear, Lu Heng turned back to look at Su Muyu and the others, "Do you have it?"


    Su Muyu nodded and said, "Yes, a hidden task."


    Lin Zeyu clicked his tongue and said, "This must be a Traitor Task, right?"


    "The two people just now must have been Traitors."


    Speaking, Lu Heng looked up at the "brain in a vat" and slowly drew the Aurora Blade.


    The expression on the Sikes person''s face on the glass wall tensed up and it commanded again, "I order you, immediately exit the master brain room and eliminate all intruders!"


    Lu Heng''s gaze was firm as he asked, "I am curious, do you still have self-awareness? Isn''t it uncomfortable to live in a glass vat like this?"


    "Y233501, are you going to betray the collective?" The master brain''s face on the glass shouted angrily.


    Lu Heng didn''t respond to his words anymore and lifted the Aurora Blade, ready to shatter the glass chamber.


    Just then,


    A wave of Spiritual Pollution spread out, so intense that it was suffocating.


    [Affected by the Spiritual Pollution from an unknown existence, Spiritual Attribute -10.]


    Losing 10 points of spiritual power in one go, the intensity of the Spiritual Pollution was terrifying.


    "Ah!"


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu both grunted at the same time, unable to withstand the pressure, they knelt down on one knee.


    Lu Heng was wearing a Spirit Resistance Ring on his left index finger, reducing the intensity of the Spiritual Pollution, but he was still almost breathless from being suppressed.


    Seeing Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu about to pass out, Lu Heng hurriedly shouted, "Get out of here, quick!"


    Lin Zeyu couldn''t care less about anything else, he rolled straight onto the ground and used rolling to leave the room, hiding behind a wall and gasping for air.


    Even so, his spiritual attribute continued to drop rapidly.


    Su Muyu had higher spiritual power but she, too, was trembling and gritting her teeth from the terrifying Spiritual Pollution. She turned around, ran out of the room, and shouted, "What about you?"


    Lu Heng, with the ring resisting 50% of the Spiritual Pollution, still lost 5 points of spiritual power with each wave of pollution that hit.


    Moreover, these waves of Spiritual Pollution were coming every second.


    If it continued like this, he wouldn''t last 10 seconds.


    Lu Heng shouted, forcing himself to stay lucid, and then raised the Aurora Blade, chopping down with it.


    Clang!


    An Energy Shield surged on the glass wall, blocking the strike.


    The Sikes face on the wall smirked and said in an undeniable tone, "Obey my command and become my servant."


    [Affected by the Spiritual Pollution from an unknown existence, Spiritual Attribute -10.]


    [Spirit Resistance Ring reduces the effect of Spiritual Pollution.]


    The source of the Abyss Pollution present here was stronger than any they had encountered before.


    It could even emit an Energy Shield which even the Aurora Blade couldn''t slash through.


    Furthermore, Lu Heng now faced intense spiritual force oppression and couldn''t unleash his full strength.


    No wonder this was a Danger Level 4 world. If another Superpower User tried to destroy this glass chamber, they wouldn''t be able to do it at all.


    A cold light flashed in Lu Heng''s eyes, who made a decisive move, unleashing Source Material Energy, and cut down with a Rift Slash.


    Clang! Boom!


    The indestructible Rift Sword Radiance slashed out, instantly shattering the Energy Shield and breaking the glass wall.


    Crash!


    The glass wall shattered piece by piece, and the thick liquid from the vat burst out, covering the floor.


    The unprotected brain fell to the ground, with several of the conduits attached to it breaking off.


    The intensity of the Spiritual Pollution dropped several levels in an instant, and Lu Heng could finally breathe, gasping for air noisily.

 Chapter 156 - 131: Binding the Mechanical Beast, Switching Factions

    As the brain hit the ground, the intensity of the Spiritual Pollution decreased by several levels, but it did not disappear completely.


    Lu Heng immediately swung his sword, piercing through the brain and severing all the connecting tubes, causing the Spiritual Pollution to finally vanish.


    Roar!


    The Mechanical Tiger let out a roar, broke free from the Thunder restraints, and rushed to shield the nearly destroyed brain.


    Lu Heng looked up, adjusted his breathing, and raised his sword toward the Mechanical Tiger.


    The brain in the vat was already broken, and the Abyss Pollution Source had been eliminated; this Abyss Battlefield was about to end.


    The owner of this Mechanical Tiger must have been this brain.


    According to the rules of mechanical beast programming, after the death of the owner, the Mechanical Beast would face two scenarios: either remain guarding their owner''s body until its mechanical form completely failed,


    or some Mechanical Beasts, at the time of purchase, would be implanted with a Revenge program by their owners.


    Upon confirming the killer of their owner, the Mechanical Beasts would then activate their Revenge program.


    Ordinary robots, even military robots, do not possess a Revenge program.


    The Revenge program implanted in Mechanical Beasts is a special exception granted by the ruling class of the Sikes Civilization. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, not all Mechanical Beasts are equipped with this Revenge program.


    Lu Heng was not sure whether this Mechanical Tiger had it.


    However, once a Mechanical Beast was bound to an owner, it could not be modified, it could only be destroyed.


    Thus, there was no other way.


    Since it couldn''t be subdued, it had to be completely destroyed.


    Roar!


    The Mechanical Tiger emitted a metallic-sounding simulated roar, filled with anger.


    Its mechanical core had fused with Source Material, granting it intelligence and the capability to show emotions that only living beings possess.


    Now that its owner had been killed, it was filled with immense rage.


    Just as Lu Heng was about to make his move,


    the face of the Sikes individual reappeared on the shattered glass on the ground.


    Since there were many fragments, each piece displayed his face, and for a moment, it seemed as if the entire room was filled with his shadows.


    Lu Heng''s gaze sharpened as he thought, Could it be that he''s not completely dead yet?


    He was about to use Thunder to completely incinerate the brain.


    However, he heard the Sikes individual speak, "Thank you, unknown species of intelligent life."


    Hearing this voice, there was no hostility, but rather a sense of relief and release from bondage.


    Moreover, the Spiritual Pollution had completely disappeared.


    Lu Heng then understood what was happening, "So, your self-awareness hasn''t completely vanished."


    "My name is Lakrini Sikes. I have been trapped here for fifteen years. Due to the Spiritual Pollution from the Abyss, many things have been beyond my control..."


    Lakrini Sikes showed a relaxed smile and continued, "Actually, I came to this planet to investigate the Abyss, but instead, I ended up being controlled by it.


    "I fear time is running out. The Abyss is spreading to the Capital Star Circle, but the rulers there might not have realized this yet.


    "I request that you send a warning to the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization, alerting them to the crisis emanating from the Abyss."


    Lu Heng heard the request but there was no indication of a hidden mission or anything similar.


    Clearly, the request went beyond the scope of this Abyss Battlefield.


    This Abyss Battlefield encompassed only this planet, whereas his request entailed sending a warning to the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization.


    This meant that the impact would extend beyond the scope of the Abyss Battlefield.


    In the future, the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization might also face an Abyss Battlefield.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had once been transported to the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization. If he now sent a warning to the Sikes Civilization''s Capital Star Circle, would he directly alter the future course of the Sikes Civilization?


    With no time for deliberation, Lu Heng quickly weighed the pros and cons and agreed, "Okay, I''ll find a way to send the warning to your civilization."


    "Good, thank you, stranger. I have been trapped here for fifteen years and have nothing of value to offer in gratitude," Lakrini Sikes expressed his sincere thanks.


    It seemed as if he intended to ask for help without giving anything in return.


    Even without a reward, Lu Heng would still try, as any effort to counter the Abyss invasion was worth attempting.


    Of course, it would be better if there was a reward.


    Lu Heng pointed at the Mechanical Tiger in front of him and said, "This could be considered as a token of gratitude."


    Lakrini Sikes seemed to realize something and exclaimed, "Ah, yes, I almost forgot¡ª101, initiate binding authority, bind to the intelligent life before me. After my death, he will be your sole master, gaining full authority."


    The Mechanical Tiger showed no hesitation as the program started and it bowed its head to Lu Heng to complete the neural binding.


    Binding completed.


    Lakrini Sikes spoke one final time, "Please grant me a flame to bid farewell to this world."


    Lu Heng complied with his request and incinerated his brain with Flames.


    The Mechanical Tiger watched the gradually diminishing fire, falling into a long silence.


    Lu Heng had initially thought that it would be impossible to obtain a Mechanical Beast of this kind, but in the end, he successfully bound it through these circumstances.


    Since the Power Users of the Central System Camp were still searching the building, he didn''t have the leisure to study the functions of this Mechanical Beast; he needed to hurry and leave.


    The three of them and the Mechanical Tiger swiftly left the hemispherical building.


    Lu Heng took the opportunity to have Su Muyu relay a message to Chen Zihang through the reconnaissance eagle, telling him that the main brain controlling the rogue Mechanical Servants had been destroyed and arranging to meet him on the southeast beach of the Ecological Island.


    Upon hearing this news, Chen Zihang also left the hemispherical building and headed for the beach in the southeast.


    On the beach.


    Lu Heng enjoyed the sea breeze as he checked the data for Mechanical Beast 101.


    A new item had been added to the character''s data panel.


    [Mechanical Followers: Mechanical Beast 101]


    [Mechanical Beast 101]


    [Core Level: A Level]


    [Specifications: Length 3.2 meters, shoulder height 1.3 meters, weight 1.6 tons]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 350]


    [Trait: Source Fusion]


    [Source Fusion: The Mechanical Core is enhanced with Source Material, acquiring a mechanical life form, and has three Skill Slots.]


    [Skill Slot Number: 3]


    [Evaluation: A Mechanical Beast created with the top technology of the Sikes Civilization, possessing a liquid metal shell that can transform at will, reducing most physical attacks. The Mechanical Core has an intelligent interface and can be equipped with a variety of Sikes Civilization weapons.]


    After reviewing the data for the Mechanical Tiger, Lu Heng couldn''t help but widen his eyes.


    An A-level Mechanical Beast, its stats were very impressive.


    Its outer shell made of liquid metal could transform at will, meaning its appearance wasn''t fixed. The initial form resembled a tiger, overall one size larger than a Northeast Tiger.


    The most attractive feature was undoubtedly the Source Fusion.


    After the fusion of the Mechanical Core with Source Material, it had unexpectedly developed a mechanical life form and possessed three Skill Slots.


    This meant that he could teach it skills.


    Previously, he thought that 600 points of Divine Energy was a bit much, but now it seemed like a huge bargain.


    Not to mention, even if its own combat power was weak, having three Skill Slots and absolute loyalty made it possible to use as a skill deployment device.


    Furthermore, this Mechanical Tiger was manufactured with the pinnacle of Sikes Civilization''s technology, already at an A-level, and its combat power was not weak.


    They waited on the beach for about fifteen minutes.


    Chen Zihang''s team arrived on the beach.


    "The main brain has been destroyed by you?" Chen Zihang first sought to confirm the accuracy of this information.


    "Yes, I''ve destroyed the main brain. It was indeed a Sikes brain, and it had been corrupted by the Abyss. The Spiritual Pollution was incredibly strong, and I almost couldn''t withstand it." Lu Heng briefly described the situation at the time.


    Chen Zihang glanced at the mission information and asked, "Have you completed your second Challenge Task then? I haven''t completed mine, does it mean I didn''t benefit from the destruction of the Abyss Pollution Source you carried out?"


    This Abyss Battlefield.


    Among the three Challenge Tasks, the first was to destroy 30 combat units from the enemy factions.


    This was easy to achieve and had been completed a few days ago.


    Once a Challenge Task objective was reached, the task would display "Completed."


    Hearing Chen Zihang''s question, Lu Heng checked his mission information and then raised an eyebrow, answering, "Strange, my second Challenge Task isn''t marked as completed either."


    The second Challenge Task was: Find the root of the Abyss Pollution and eradicate it.


    Lu Heng had definitely destroyed that corrupted brain, yet the task had not been marked as completed, which was peculiar.


    "I''m certain I''ve destroyed that brain. I burned it with fire."


    Chen Zihang furrowed his brow and pondered, "Is it possible that the Abyss Pollution Source hasn''t been completely cleared?"


    Lu Heng recalled the events, then asked, "What about on your end? Is it possible that the Central System has also been polluted by the Abyss? Have you confirmed this?"


    Chen Zihang shook his head in response, "No, I don''t have the authority to enter the Central System''s machine room, so I can''t give a definite answer."


    Lu Heng spread his hands and said, "The Abyss Pollution Source on my end has been dealt with. Unless there''s a second source. If there is a second one, I suggest we first ascertain whether the Central System has been polluted."


    Chen Zihang nodded in agreement, "I''ll find a way to do that. As soon as the island attack is over, I''ll head back to see if I can get into the machine room."


    The island attack was drawing to a close.


    The main brain of the rogue Mechanical Servants had been destroyed, and without the computation power support of the main brain, the remaining robots were unable to mount an effective defense.


    However, the Gestalt Consciousness of the rogue Mechanical Servants hadn''t been completely eradicated.


    Because according to the structure of the Gestalt Consciousness, it consists of individual units forming a collective consciousness.


    This means that even if any single conscious unit is destroyed, the Gestalt Consciousness will continue to operate.


    However, if the destroyed unit has high computational power, the overall computational power of the Gestalt Consciousness will significantly decrease, leading to lowered operational efficiency.


    Now that the main brain was destroyed, the computational power of the remaining rogue Mechanical Servants was insufficient, and they couldn''t withstand the attack from the Mechanical Guards.


    Hundreds of Mechanical Guards stormed the Ecological Island, using machine guns to destroy all rogue robots within sight.


    Without the Ecological Island as a base, the rogue Mechanical Servant faction was effectively annihilated.


    Lu Heng, seeing the situation clearly, took out three Central System Camp wristbands that Chen Zihang had given him, and said to Su Muyu and the other person, "Put on the wristbands, we are switching factions."

 Chapter 157 - 132: Mechanical Demon Experiment, Breakthrough into the Engine Room

    This abandoned planet''s sky was perennially clouded with gray haze, seldomly displaying the blue of the heavens.


    Today, fortuitously, a small patch of clear sky appeared, revealing two suns in the heavens.


    To be exact, they weren''t suns, but rather the stars of the Orion ¦Ë838 Constant Star System.


    "Why are there two suns?" Lin Zeyu asked with a surprised expression upon seeing two dazzling stars in the sky.


    Lu Heng was also slightly surprised, as he didn''t initially know that this star system was a dual-star system.


    These two stars orbited each other, so from the planet, one appeared larger and the other smaller.


    However, the smaller one was actually larger in size; it only appeared smaller because it was further away.


    And the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization was not within this Constant Star System.


    Seeing the appearance of two suns in the sky, it was no wonder the Sikes Civilization abandoned the planet after depleting its important resources.


    A dual-star system itself is a relatively stable star system, but the climate on a planet can still undergo significant changes due to the planetary orbit.


    Such changes are quite harsh for organic life.


    ...


    After donning the Central System Camp''s bracelets, Lu Heng''s squad removed their original bracelets and completed the faction switch.


    Then, Lu Heng''s trio and Chen Zihang''s team returned together to the Central System Camp''s base.


    Chen Zihang pointed at a few buildings within the base and said, "I''ve already checked the outer buildings, only places like control rooms left. There are just three buildings left we don''t have access to, one of which should contain the Central System''s control room."


    Lu Heng surveyed the environment and asked, "Are you thinking of forcing entry on the last day, or do you want to start trying now?"


    "Better on the last day. When the time is almost up, we''ll force our way in to take a look. If we don''t find anything, when time''s up we can return. Besides, I still have things to do right now." After some thought, Chen Zihang decided to act on the final day.


    "That works, let''s just force our way in on the last day then," Lu Heng agreed with his suggestion.


    Since searching for the Abyss Pollution Source was a Challenge Task, it wasn''t mandatory to complete.


    Forcibly breaching the Central System''s control room would inevitably lead to being deemed a rogue machine and targeted by the robots.


    Therefore, making a forced entry when time was nearly over to search for the control room was indeed the best strategy. Regardless of whether they could find the control room, they could choose to return after the time ended.


    Safety first, then attempt to maximize benefits.


    And Lu Heng could guess what Chen Zihang referred to as "still having things to do".


    Initially, Lu Heng had guessed that three members from Chen''s team came from the disciplinary forces.


    That is to say, Chen Zihang''s team was probably formed by the nation.


    With national backing, one could imagine how strong this team''s capabilities were.


    Fortunately, such nationally fostered teams generally wouldn''t commit extreme acts for personal gain, making them suitable allies.


    Since they were a nationally fostered team entering the Abyss Battlefield, they surely came with a mission.


    And the technology of the Cyber World held significant importance for any nation.


    Although such technology was unlikely to swing the situation around in the short term, it could accelerate human technological progress over the long term.


    Lu Heng looked into his eyes and asked, "Didn''t find what you were looking for?"


    Chen Zihang was startled for a moment, then realized that Lu Heng had guessed their objective, and he sighed helplessly before answering, "Right, we haven''t found it yet."


    In fact, Lu Heng had already guessed it may turn out this way, "This planet has been abandoned, and the Sikes Civilization''s industrial systems have moved away. Finding detailed technological data won''t be easy, indeed.


    "However, there will definitely be some technological data archives in the Central System''s database, so it''s still possible to proceed as planned."


    Chen Zihang nodded, "I think so too."


    ...


    Over the next two days.


    Su Muyu and the Perceiver from Chen Zihang''s team carried out reconnaissance on the three suspicious buildings in the Central System base.


    Under the exploration of the Invisibility Reconnaissance Hawk, most areas were ruled out, leaving only a few floors of two buildings with the highest level security systems installed, which even recon hawks couldn''t penetrate.


    On the last day. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only floors 21, 22, and 23 of Building 1 and the basement of Building 3 remained un-surveyed.


    Since the basement of Building 3 was inaccessible, it was impossible to determine just how many levels were underground.


    Time progressed to the final day of the Abyss Battlefield.


    Other Superpower Users began preparing for the return to the main world.


    Meanwhile, Lu Heng and Chen Zihang''s teams were prepping for their final operation.


    "Let''s divide the targets. Building 1 and Building 3, our two teams, one for each location. Once we find the control room, we''ll notify each other. Which one do you want to go to? You pick first," Lu Heng let Chen Zihang choose first.


    Chen Zihang had been attempting to explore Building 1 previously, and he felt that the defenses on floors 21, 22, and 23 were the highest.


    So he had already chosen his target, "I''ll take Building 1."


    "Alright, I''ll head to the basement of Building 3," Lu Heng agreed.


    As the final hour approached.


    Once this hour passed, the third Main Quest of the Abyss Battlefield, lasting 15 days, would be complete.


    These past few days, the Central System''s robots had been clearing out the remaining mechanical units of the unruly Mechanical Servants.


    Although the mainframe of the rogue Mechanical Servants had been destroyed, the nature of the Gestalt Consciousness was such that all units combined to form a single consciousness whole, able to continue operating even if any unit was destroyed.

 Chapter 158 - 132: Mechanical Demon Experiment, Breakthrough into the Engine Room_2

    So, there were still scattered rogue Mechanical Servants active in the city, and the Central System needed to clean up all these out-of-control robots to prevent a resurgence.


    Because of this, the defense force inside the base of the Central System was not very strong, as all the mechanical guards had been sent out.


    Lu Heng and Chen Zihang checked the time and then split up to take action.


    Building 3 was a low-rise building covering a relatively large area.


    The three of them took advantage of the mechanical guards coming in and out of the basement of Building 3 and went in using Invisibility.


    When they triggered the alarm at the first security check, they forcibly broke through.


    The trio rushed into the basement, only to discover that it was an underground laboratory for researching mechanical life.


    Upon seeing the research content, Lu Heng''s face showed a surprised expression.


    Because the project being researched in this laboratory was actually a combination of demons and machinery.


    In the laboratory, a group of demons was undergoing mechanical limb transformations, among which was a Commander Level Horned Demon.


    This Horned Demon Commander was injured, with broken horns and claws. He did not resist and voluntarily allowed the laboratory robots to use metal materials to repair his damaged horns.


    Seeing humans enter, the Horned Demon Commander immediately let out an angry roar, charging with its incomplete body to attack.


    Now facing a Commander Level Demon, Lu Heng no longer felt much pressure.


    In addition, with Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, the three easily managed to defeat this Horned Demon Commander and the other demons in the laboratory.


    [Killed a Horned Demon Commander, absorbed 500 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Killed a Scary Claw Demon, absorbed 200 points of Demon Energy.]


    [Source Energy Level has risen to 24, All Attributes +3, Agility Attribute additionally +0.9]


    After absorbing the Demon Energy, Lu Heng''s level rose to 24.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu''s levels also successively rose to 23, and their combat effectiveness was enhanced.


    After realizing this was an underground laboratory, it was certain that the Central System''s machine room was definitely located on floors 21, 22, and 23 of Building 1.


    Moreover, having a Mechanical Demon Transformation Laboratory in this base indicated that the Central System''s super AI had also surely been contaminated by the Abyss.


    The corruption of the Abyss could not be avoided even by machinery, so mechanical civilization was unable to withstand the devouring of the Abyss.


    However, compared to organic life, it was indeed slower for the Abyss to corrupt mechanical units.


    After clearing the Mechanical Demon Laboratory, Lu Heng immediately rushed to Building 1.


    In front of the 21st floor''s main entrance in Building 1, a battle was taking place.


    Chen Zihang had initially tried to enter the 21st floor through authorization but was blocked and had to breach forcefully.


    As a result, he was now engaged in a gunfight with mechanical guards on the 21st floor.


    The machine-gun fire from the mechanical guards forced Chen Zihang''s team to stay down.


    "We can''t delay any longer, let''s immediately rush in, or more mechanical guards will keep gathering," Chen Zihang signaled, commanding his team to breach.


    Three Superpower Soldiers, originally military personnel, threw two grenades and then rushed out with a Light Energy Shield at the forefront, getting close to the mechanical guards before crazily sweeping them with an enhanced Flamethrower, melting six mechanical guards into molten iron. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After taking care of the mechanical guards at the entrance, the three rushed onto the 21st floor.


    At the same time.


    Mechanical guards within the base began to converge on Building 1.


    Chen Zihang''s communicator received a signal, and after connecting, he heard Lu Heng''s voice.


    "Have you made it inside?"


    "We''re breaching. How about you?"


    "An underground laboratory for researching Mechanical Demons, I''ve already cleared it," Lu Heng answered.


    "That fast?"


    "There weren''t many guards in the underground laboratory."


    "What''s the situation outside now?"


    "At least three hundred mechanical guards are converging on Building 1, you need to speed up," Lu Heng reminded.


    "Cover for me. We''ve already finished searching the 21st floor, now heading to the 22nd," Chen Zihang said.


    "Okay, I''ll hold them off for you."


    After saying this, Lu Heng cut off the communication and threw two grenades to destroy the elevators of Building 1, and blocked the stairwells with objects.


    "Lin Zeyu, go invisible, we''ll use the reconnaissance drone to fly up to the 21st floor," Lu Heng said, wrapping his arm around Su Muyu''s waist and grabbing the reconnaissance drone''s claws to begin ascending.


    "What about me?" Lin Zeyu quickly asked.


    "You stay outside to back us up, contact us via communicator if anything happens," Lu Heng arranged for him to stay outside as support.


    Snipers often need to act alone.


    Plus, with mechanical guards all converging on Building 1, it was actually safer to lie in ambush atop other buildings.


    Lin Zeyu turned and walked towards Building 2, looking for a sniping position.


    During the flight, the reconnaissance drone encountered the interception of armed drones.


    Su Muyu quickly took down a drone with her Crossbow, but for every one she took down, a dozen more would surround them.


    The Energy Weapons on the armed drones "zzzzz" fired High Energy Beams in unison.


    Su Muyu released the [Prism Tower Shield] to block the High Energy Beams, then swiftly flew into the 21st floor.


    Once inside the building, Lu Heng pulled her to quickly run through the corridor while the reconnaissance drone took the rear, taking down all the pursuing drones.


    They traversed the 21st floor''s corridor, tracking Chen Zihang''s team''s footprints and reached the 22nd floor.


    There was an alloy door on the 22nd floor.


    This alloy door had the highest security level in the entire base, indicating that something very important was behind it.


    In front of the alloy door, there were also twenty-five High Energy Ray Guns, ready to attack anyone showing their head with High Energy Beams.

 Chapter 159 - 132: Mechanical Demon Experiment, Breakthrough into the Engine Room_3

    "What''s the situation now?" Lu Heng approached Chen Zihang from behind and asked.


    "Over twenty high-energy ray guns, you get shot as soon as you show your face, with extremely high attack damage, several times stronger than a ray gun. An arm grazed by a ray will carbonize," Chen Zihang explained, pointing at a teammate''s arm.


    The superpower soldier''s arm had a palm-sized patch of charred skin that was severely carbonized.


    As long as the energy output is sufficient, ray weapons were indeed very powerful.


    The power of individual ray weapons wasn''t prominent; the reason was that the battery''s output power wasn''t high.


    The high-energy ray guns in front of this alloy gate were different, as they were installed inside the building and could use the building''s energy system, which had much higher output power than individual ray weapons.


    Thus, the firepower of these high-energy ray guns was extremely fierce.


    Moreover, when fired, the rays traveled as light and, locked on by fire control radar, they were as good as hitting their target as soon as they were fired.


    With over twenty high-energy ray guns defending, Chen Zihang and his team couldn''t even show their faces.


    Chen Zihang picked up a helmet and tossed it forward.


    Out of the twenty-five high-energy ray guns, ten fired at once. With a "boom," the helmet was instantly incinerated into ashes, leaving only a few drips of molten iron on the ground.


    Lu Heng picked up a piece of broken glass from the ground, threw it, and caught the reflection of the glass to observe the situation in the hall.


    The twenty-five high-energy ray guns were divided into five arrays, installed throughout the hall.


    The barrels of the high-energy ray guns could rotate 360 degrees, including aiming at the ceiling.


    Su Muyu tested controlling an invisible recon drone to fly out, but even the invisible drone was locked on and shot down by the high-energy ray guns'' fire control radar.


    "My team''s abilities are quite troubled by this kind of firepower." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Chen Zihang was a bit perplexed. They had tried to throw grenades at the guns earlier, but as soon as the grenade reached mid-air, it was locked on by the fire control radar and shot down.


    "No worries, I''ll handle this one."


    After observation, Lu Heng found that although these high-energy ray guns could indeed rotate 360 degrees and hit their targets at the speed of light, making evasion impossible, there was a weakness¡ªthe barrels needed time to rotate.


    The rotation of the barrels by 180 degrees took about 0.5 seconds.


    This rotation speed was actually very fast, but it was completely possible to exploit this 0.5-second gap to solve the problem.


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and activated "Shadow Traversal," directly passing through walls.


    The twenty-five high-energy ray guns immediately rotated their barrels, targeting Lu Heng''s position, and opened fire as a group.


    Twenty-five high-energy rays passed through Lu Heng''s body, but hit nothing.


    In the Shadow Travel State, Lu Heng swiftly rushed behind one of the high-energy ray guns.


    As the twenty-five high-energy rays targeted Lu Heng''s movement, they followed him all the way to the gun.


    Twenty-four of the ray guns immediately ceased firing.


    Obviously, the high-energy ray gun array had a non-attack directive so that when a target moved behind one of the guns, the other ray guns would stop firing.


    This was as Lu Heng had anticipated. He directly stepped out of the Shadow Travel State, used a shuriken to destroy that ray gun.


    Then, activating "Bullet Time," he navigated among the high-energy ray guns, exploiting their cease-fire directive, and broke all twenty-five guns one by one.


    After destroying the twenty-five high-energy ray guns, both teams approached the alloy gate, opened it, and finally saw what was behind it.

 Chapter 160 - 133: Return, World Task One of Three Rewards Selection

    Behind the alloy doors indeed lay the Central System''s machine room.


    However, as soon as the door opened, what came into view were Abyss Tentacles covering the ground, walls, and ceiling.


    In the middle of the machine room, there was a spherical, semi-transparent machine containing a glowing sphere within.


    Lu Heng immediately recognized it; this was the intelligent light computer invented by the Sikes Civilization.


    This type of super-intelligent light computer is typically used in the central systems of a civilization''s star chains.


    On a planet, there is usually only one of such a central intelligent light computer.


    At this moment, the Abyss Tentacles, which plastered the walls, had already extended into the light computer, affecting its operation.


    After the alloy door opened, the tentacles began to spread outward, reaching out to attack both teams.


    Chen Zihang saw the Abyss Tentacles and immediately ordered, "Quick! Defense array, purging flames."


    The Superpower User in his team immediately deployed a defense array to resist the Abyss Tentacles, while two of them joined forces to spew a torrent of flames, burning the Abyss Tentacles.


    Seeing these flames, Lu Heng''s eyebrows twitched; these were flames specifically designed to counter Abyss Energy, very effective at purging Abyss Demons.


    Under the scorching of the flames, the entire room''s Abyss Tentacles rapidly disintegrated and were ultimately completely eliminated.


    Lu Heng felt the Abyss Energy being eradicated and checked the task data.


    As expected, he saw that the second Challenge Task, "Find the Abyss Pollution Source and eliminate the contamination," had been completed.


    ...


    After the Abyss Tentacles in the machine room were burnt to ashes, the light computer was also badly damaged by the flames but had not completely stopped working.


    Chen Zihang hurriedly sent people in, trying to extract useful technological data from the light computer''s database.


    His team included specialized computer talent, albeit human computers differed vastly from those of the Sikes Civilization.


    However, their purpose for entering was clear, and in the fifteen days prior, they must have had the computer specialists learn the Sikes Civilization''s computer technology.


    Upon teleportation, they had already been loaded with the universal language of this world; thus, the learning process wasn''t too difficult.


    While Chen Zihang''s team was copying the data.


    Lu Heng also entered the machine room, attempting to communicate with the light computer to fulfill the last wish of Lakrini Sikes.


    Before her death, Lakrini Sikes hoped that Lu Heng would send a warning to the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization, alerting them of the Abyss Descent.


    Therefore.


    Lu Heng recorded a message for the light computer to transmit, "Greetings, Sikes Civilization. This message is sent at the behest of Lakrini Sikes to issue a warning about the Abyss invasion. The Abyss has descended..."


    The recording was completed, and he had the light computer send it.


    As for whether the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization could receive it, and what sort of response they would have afterward, that was beyond Lu Heng''s control.


    In his past life, this abandoned planet in Orion Lambda 838 also had an Abyss Battlefield like this.


    Only, he didn''t know whether any Superpower Users had sent this warning message in his past life.


    In any case, Lu Heng had entered the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization a year later in his past life, but he didn''t witness the Sikes Civilization mounting an effective defense against the Abyss invasion there.


    He wondered whether sending out the warning this time would change the fate of the Sikes Civilization.


    ...


    After the message was sent, time arrived at the point of return.


    The info panel of the Abyss Battlefield showed that the Main Quest was complete, and he could return.


    At the same time.


    Lu Heng was presented with three world task reward options to choose from.


    Clearly, by eliminating the two Abyss Pollution Sources¡ªthe Central System machine room and the out-of-control Mechanical Servant''s main brain¡ªhe had altered the world''s state of affairs, fulfilling the World Task''s completion condition.


    Therefore, the three-option World Task rewards were triggered. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Complete the World Task, you may choose one reward from the following three options.]


    [1. Spend 600 Divine Energy to establish a Space Anchor Point; upon return, you can spend Divine Energy to come back to this world.]


    [2. Spend 600 Divine Energy for Law Integration of the Mechanical Beast No. 101, allowing you to take it back to the main world.]


    [3. Spend Divine Energy to upgrade a Skill that has full Training Level, the amount of Divine Energy consumed varies with the Skill Level.]


    After the three-option rewards appeared, Lu Heng glanced at Chen Zihang and noticed no change on his face.


    His teammates were the same, showing no sign of contemplation.


    It seemed they hadn''t received the three-option World Task rewards.


    The World Task rewards required a contribution that would change the world''s framework.


    Lu Heng had first destroyed the main brain of the out-of-control Mechanical Servant, then cleared the Abyss Tentacles in the Central System machine room.


    Having been involved in the elimination of both Abyss Pollution Sources, whereas Chen Zihang''s team hadn''t participated in clearing the out-of-control Mechanical Servant''s main brain, they only completed half of the World Task contribution and naturally did not receive World Task rewards.


    At that moment.


    Lin Zeyu''s voice came through the communicator, "I''ve received the world task reward, how should I pick from the three options?"


    Since the three were now bound as team members, their contributions were shared, meaning Lin Zeyu and Su Muyu also got to pick from the three world task rewards.


    In Lu Heng''s three options, the second was related to the Mechanical Tiger, so it was uncertain what their second options were.


    "What are all three of your reward options?"


    Lin Zeyu read out the three reward options, then Su Muyu continued, "Mine are the same."


    The first and third reward options were the same for the three of them, it was just the second option that was different.


    Lu Heng''s second reward was to perform Law Integration on the Mechanical Tiger, which could be brought back to Blue Star.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, on the other hand, were very lucky, their second reward option was the relatively rare addition of a Skill Slot.


    Adding a Skill Slot was basically one of the best rewards among the three options for world tasks.


    Of course, if the first reward was used well, its value could be infinitely high.


    "Pick the second one. Add a Skill Slot," Lu Heng decided for them.


    Su Muyu thought for a moment and asked, "Shouldn''t we have one person pick the first reward, so we can still enter this world in the future?"


    Lu Heng had already considered this matter.


    Actually, in a vehicle team, having one person set up a Space Anchor Point was a good strategy.


    It was equivalent to planting a flag in this world for the team, allowing future return visits.


    However, a Space Anchor Point could only be used by one person, meaning whoever picked the first reward and set up a Space Anchor Point, would be able to teleport here, but the rest of the team members couldn''t.


    "I have more Skill Slots, so letting go of one reward to pick a Space Anchor Point is acceptable to me," Su Muyu shared her thoughts.


    "No need; this world is a resource-depleted planet, and Chen Zihang will take the technological data back, so this world is of average value. Five Skill Slots are very rare, and at this point in time, you probably can''t find a second person in the whole world with six," Lu Heng still decided to have them all pick Skill Slots.


    It was the end of May in the Abyss Descent, and at this point in time, getting to six Skill Slots wasn''t something that could be achieved just by Money Ability.


    Superpower Users who initially have five Skill Slots are very rare, let alone adding one more, that''s even harder.


    Maybe two years after the Abyss Descent, there would be more Superpower Users with six Skill Slots, but right now they were an extremely rare existence.


    Once Lu Heng confirmed the Skill Slot selections for them, he chose the second option himself to perform Law Integration on the Mechanical Tiger.


    After picking their rewards, the Mechanical Tiger following behind Lu Heng shook its metallic body, undergoing some subtle changes.


    "Time''s up, if there''s nothing else, let''s return," Lu Heng gave Chen Zihang a nod, signaling a goodbye.


    "Okay, see you," Chen Zihang waved farewell.


    Lu Heng waved his hand, notifying the two team members, "Return."


    Choosing to return, a bright light appeared in front of them, too blinding to keep their eyes open.


    After the brightness subsided, darkness enveloped them once again.


    A series of data prompts appeared in the darkness:


    [End of Abyss Battlefield, returning to the main world...]


    [Complete Main Quest 1: Find a way to join the Central System Camp or the Rogue Mechanical Servant Camp. Gain 200 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Main Quest 2: Join one of the camps. Gain 200 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Main Quest 3: Survive for 15 days under the hostile camp''s pursuit. Gain 200 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Challenge Task 1: Destroy a number of enemy camp combat units, reaching 30. Gain 600 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Challenge Task 2: Find and eliminate the source of the Abyss Pollution. Gain 600 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Challenge Task 3: Double-faced Spy, join both camps simultaneously and survive until the end of the time. Gain 600 points of Divine Energy.]


    After a moment, a faint light began to slowly return in front of them.


    Lu Heng slowly opened his eyes and found himself back in the Training Room of the Coastal Qionghua Tianshulu District.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu had also teleported back, their minor injuries already healed.


    "Phew... Back again, feels great," Lin Zeyu moved his arm, feeling an inexplicable sense of relaxation.


    Besides the three of them, there was now an extra Mechanical Tiger in the Training Room.


    This Mechanical Tiger was over three meters long, with a shoulder height of 1.3 meters, standing on its claws with its head reaching up to a human''s chest, very large in size, weighing almost two tons.


    To call it a Mechanical Tiger was only because its external shape somewhat resembled the tigers of Blue Star, whereas its true form was more akin to a ferocious Mechanical Beast.


    Moreover, because its outer shell was made of Liquid Metal, capable of shape-shifting at will, it was reflecting a metallic luster all over, exuding a sci-fi aesthetic.


    "Holy smokes! It can actually be brought over," Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened in shock upon seeing the Mechanical Tiger.


    "My luck isn''t that great; my three options didn''t include adding a Skill Slot, so I brought the Mechanical Tiger back," Lu Heng explained with a shrug.


    "Wow! You call this bad luck? Why don''t you give the Mechanical Tiger to me? I''d rather trade a Skill Slot for this Mechanical Beast, just having it as a statue in my house would be explosively cool," Lin Zeyu''s eyes were full of envy.


    Su Muyu smiled and reached out to touch the Mechanical Tiger, saying, "Jealous, huh? I live right next door; I can see our tiger boy every day."


    "I''m moving in first thing tomorrow, right beneath your floors," Lin Zeyu slammed his palm with determination, deciding to move over from Blue Sea International the very next day.

 Chapter 161 - 134: A Character Both Arrogant and Inferior

    During the time in the Abyss Battlefield,


    Lu Heng''s level had risen to 24, and his combat power had also been enhanced.


    Upon returning to the main world, Lu Heng first checked his own attribute data.


    [Name: Lu Heng]


    [Species: Human]


    [Level: 24]


    [Qi-Blood: 520/520]


    [Source Energy: 530/530]


    [Attributes: Strength 52, Agility 66, Constitution 52, Spirit 53, Perception 52]


    [Talent: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution, Demon Hunter]


    [Combat Rank: Shadow Walker]


    [Source Material Ability: Shadow Traversal, Rift Slash]


    [Skill Slot Number: 4]


    [Skills: Thunderous Heavenly Prison, Shadow Clone, Gale Step¡¤Stab, Bullet Time]


    [Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Conception Level), Fighting (Master Level), Movement Technique (In-Depth Level)]


    [Vice Profession: Quenching Master]


    [Mechanical Followers: Mechanical Beast 101]


    [Equipment: Aurora Blade, Spirit Resistance Ring] S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Mechanical Tiger 101 is Lu Heng''s personal mechanical follower, other people can''t see the attributes of the Mechanical Tiger.


    Lin Zeyu asked curiously, "What level is this big tiger, and how much is its attack power?"


    "A Level, 350 attack power," Lu Heng casually reported the data.


    Lin Zeyu frowned and pondered, then said, "It seems like the attack power isn''t that explosive, but this thing is A Level."


    Su Muyu glanced at him and reminded him, "You''re not comparing its attack power to the 540 attack power of your sniper rifle, are you? The bullet power diminishes over distance, so when it hits the target, it''s only about 300 attack power, approximately the same as this big guy''s. Moreover, they only need to scratch with their claws, no ammo required."


    An attack power of 350 could smack down a superpower user below level 20; even those above level 20 wouldn''t be able to take many hits.


    Thus, this attack power was already very high.


    Moreover, the Mechanical Beast had one important characteristic, that is liquid metal.


    A liquid metal shell could virtually make it immune to bullets.


    If fired upon by a heavy machine gun, the bullets would embed themselves in the liquid metal, causing no effective damage to the Mechanical Tiger itself.


    Therefore, with the liquid metal characteristic, the Mechanical Tiger was essentially immune to most bullet damage.


    Besides that, there was something even stronger.


    Laughing, Lu Heng said, "Oh, it has three skill slots."


    "Three..."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened in disbelief. He had never considered that a mechanical tiger could have skill slots, "No way? It''s a machine, isn''t it? How can it have skill slots?"


    Lu Heng shrugged and said, "Anyway, it just does."


    Lin Zeyu gave a thumbs up and said, "Alright. This big fellow is indeed awesome, I''m even more envious now."


    He hurriedly checked his own data panel and said, "Fortunately, I''ve added a skill slot. What skill should I learn for this new slot?"


    "It depends. Your skill set is quite comprehensive as it is, so it''s whether you want to continue increasing your attack power, or improve your survival abilities," Lu Heng helped to analyze the thought process for skill combination.


    "I''m not sure which ability I should enhance. What type of skill do you think I should learn?" Lin Zeyu was seriously considering his options, but he had no clue.


    "If it were me, I''d look at the skill effect before deciding. If you encounter a good skill, grab it first, whether it''s an offensive or defensive skill, doesn''t matter. As long as it fits the direction of firearm enhancement and the effect is strong," Lu Heng addressed the issue with a team''s perspective in mind.


    A team needs to have strong offensive capabilities, as well as the ability to protect the team.


    Whatever the ability, it''s best to have the right person learn it.


    For instance, spiritual system and perception system skills are naturally best learned by Su Muyu to bring out the best effects.


    And Lin Zeyu should mainly choose firearms enhancement skills.


    Lu Heng added, "As for skill levels, that''s not the most important thing. The key is whether the skill effect is good."


    Lin Zeyu nodded and agreed, "Got it."


    Since Lu Heng had the "Divine Evolution" ability, which could unlock skill locks and use divine energy to elevate skill levels,


    even if he learned a D Level skill, it could be enhanced with divine energy.


    Therefore, if it was a D Level skill with a unique effect, it was still a great choice; there was no need to specifically search for high-level skills.


    After discussing the thought process for skill combinations, Lin Zeyu stood up and said, "Then I''ll go back and see if there are any useful skills. If there are, I''ll share them with you guys."


    "Sure. If there are skills in the direction of metal enhancement, as well as defensive skills, keep an eye out," Lu Heng pointed towards the Mechanical Tiger.


    "Understood, our team has added a new unit to our combat power," Lin Zeyu had already understood the position of the Mechanical Tiger.


    It was clear the team had added a new member, only this one didn''t take up a team spot.


    Moreover, this was a member with three skill slots.


    After all, Lu Heng''s initial skill slots were only three.


    During this time in the Abyss Battlefield, he hadn''t rolled an option to increase his skill slots, and having used a "Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core" previously, his skill slot number was now four.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu had completed the World Task, and the rewards for all three in one had the option to increase Skill Slots, so now their Skill Slot Numbers were six and five respectively, placing them in the first tier of Superpower Users.


    After just experiencing the Abyss Battlefield.


    All three of them wanted to return home to see their parents, to have a meal at home.


    Before parting ways, Lu Heng reminded them, "By the way, this time we gained 2,400 points of Divine Energy, which can be used to upgrade Skills. So, when you have time, practice increasing your Skill Proficiency."


    "Got it, my second Skill''s Proficiency is about to be maxed out soon," Lin Zeyu said, waving his hand as he went down to the garage to drive off.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu went back to Building 2 and took the elevator home.


    "Auntie, are you getting used to living in the new home after the move?" Lu Heng remembered how Su Mu had been concerned for her daughter and asked casually.


    "Don''t worry. My mom is really strong. She was a bit unused to it during the first few days but she''s fine now. It''s just that she thinks such a nice house has to be cleaned spotlessly, so she mops the floor every day. These past few days, I have been teaching her how to use a cleaning robot, but she doesn''t think the robot cleans well enough," Su Muyu spread her hands in resignation.


    When they got home, it was already past one in the morning.


    Lu Heng quietly opened the door, not wanting to wake his parents, but as soon as he did, he found them sitting in the living room, staring in the direction of the door.


    "Still not asleep?" Lu Heng asked nonchalantly.


    Li Xiuyun didn''t ask what Lu Heng had been through, but stood up and asked, "Are you hungry? Want some late-night snacks? Should I cook noodles or dumplings?"


    "Eh, I''m a bit hungry, let''s go with dumplings," Lu Heng decided, as his stomach seemed to prefer dumplings at the moment.


    Seeing his son return safely, Lu Mingli''s face clearly brightened with happiness and relief, yet he said nothing.


    After staring at each other for a while, Lu Mingli stood up and said, "Alright, now that you''re back, I''m going to sleep. It''s past one in the morning, what time will I get up if I don''t sleep now?"


    After saying that, he walked back to his room with hands clasped behind his back, heading to sleep.


    After the dumplings were cooked, Lu Heng took his bowl back to his room and said, "Mom, you should go to sleep too. I''ll wash my own dishes after eating."


    "No need to wash, just leave them in the kitchen. I''ll wash them when I get up tomorrow," Li Xiuyun said, took off her apron, washed her hands, and also went to bed.


    Lu Heng, holding his bowl of soup dumplings, returned to his room, then, there was a thumping noise coming from the balcony window.


    A scouting eagle was circling outside on the balcony.


    Lu Heng, bowl in hand, stepped out onto the balcony and looked toward the balcony next door.


    Su Muyu was standing there, waving, and asked, "Want some late-night snack? Tremella and peach gum dessert soup."


    Lu Heng raised the bowl of dumplings in his hand and asked, "Dumplings, want some?"


    "Shall we share a little of each?" Su Muyu suggested.


    "Sure."


    Lu Heng pointed to the terrace connecting the two sets of rooms above.


    Once on the terrace, Su Muyu brought up a large serving of tremella and peach gum dessert soup along with two bowls. They split the dumplings and dessert soup into halves, then sat down on the terrace together, eating slowly.


    "The dumplings taste really good, did Auntie make them?" Su Muyu took a bite of the dumplings and complimented them.


    "My mom can''t make them so neatly, all exactly the same size; they''re obviously bought from the supermarket." Lu Heng didn''t spare his mother''s feelings at all.


    The way he teased her so was a clear sign of their close kinship.


    Su Muyu smiled charmingly and said, "Then you try the dessert soup, this was handmade by my mom."


    Lu Heng took a sip and nodded, "Hmm, the taste is good, she could open a shop with this."


    Su Muyu raised a finger and said, "Exactly! My mom actually did have a dessert soup stall before, the kind you push on a cart. But then..."


    "What happened then?" Lu Heng casually asked.


    "Actually, reflecting on it now, I wasn''t very well-behaved when I was little. In primary school, on the way home after school, I would pass by my mom''s dessert stall. Later, when my classmates found out, they laughed at me for my mom selling dessert on the street with a three-wheeled cart. I cried an entire afternoon..."


    Su Muyu said this, then lowered her head, and added, "After that, my mom quit selling at the stall and took a job in a garment factory."


    To those who didn''t know her well, she might seem too fragile.


    However, Lu Heng understood that she was overly sensitive and insecure, but in her heart, she was also extremely proud.


    It was a paradoxical personality, both prideful and insecure.


    She was proud because she was indeed very smart, with her grades never falling out of the top three in her class since elementary school and always among the top ten in the whole grade.


    Such achievements would be a matter of pride for any family.


    Yet she was insecure because her family was poor, lacking everything from clothing to toys that others had.


    As a child, other girls could wear pretty dresses, but she didn''t have one.


    Later, when her mother started working at the garment factory, she bought fabric and made a red dress for her.


    However, those dresses were popular among her schoolmates, and hers, while pretty, was seldom worn.


    Also, other girls would often buy posters of celebrities, gathering together to discuss which stars or groups were attractive or "shippable."


    She never participated because she would not buy celebrity merchandise, posters, nor albums, and thus couldn''t relate with the other girls.


    This made her seem very solitary in class.


    Coupled with her good grades and the frequent praise from teachers, she gradually faced exclusion from her classmates.


    When those classmates found out that her mother sold dessert on the street, of course, they mocked her relentlessly.


    Her pride and insecurity both were shattered in that period.


    To spare her daughter further upset, her mother then quit the street stall and opted to work in the garment factory.


    At the time in primary school, Su Muyu felt much better emotionally, thinking that her classmates would no longer see her mother on the streets.


    But as she grew older, she felt she had been too weak then, having let her mother endure so much, which brought her a sense of regret.


    "You''re not talking about the dessert stall at Five Miles Bridge, are you? My mom and I used to go shopping there, and we often had dessert when it was hot. If I had met you at the stall then, we might have gotten to know each other sooner." Lu Heng gave her a smile tinged with memories.

 Chapter 162 - 135 The Second Variation, Skill Crystal Core [Metal Enhancement]

    Clang!


    Early in the morning, in the training room by Qionghua Tianglu Lake, the sound of sword practice rang out with a ding-ding-dong-dong.


    Last night, Lu Heng had slept soundly, and upon waking up in the morning, he felt very spirited. After breakfast, he came over to start practicing his swordsmanship.


    Due to the previous events, having defeated a master swordsman from the Fusang Kijima Shinto stream, it was considered a slap in the face for that school.


    If that Sword Saint from Fusang''s Kijima Shinto stream wanted to reclaim his honor, it was likely he''d come looking.


    However, that Fusang Kijima Shinto stream''s Sword Saint had been renowned for a long time and might not actually issue a challenge.


    After all, challenging a young person thirty years his junior would look bad, and if he lost, it would look even worse.


    No matter if the Kijima Shinto stream''s Sect Leader would come to challenge him or not, practicing swordsmanship was definitely the right choice.


    Lu Heng''s Sword Skill Realm had already stepped into the Fourth Realm, the Conception Level.


    However, he had only just entered the Conception Level and just crossed that threshold, with much room for improvement.


    Additionally, for the variations of the Step Sword Seven Styles, he had so far practiced only one.


    So, Lu Heng began practicing the second variation.


    In his past life, there was actually one variation of the Step Sword Seven Styles that he had only half-mastered, and that was the variation of the "Zhenyue Style."


    The variations of the Step Sword Seven Styles were all individually designed so that each person''s variations would be unique.


    The second variation of the "Zhenyue Style" that Lu Heng had contemplated himself was named "Returning Wind," but it could only be considered half-mastered.


    The "Zhenyue Style" itself was a powerful chop with a heavy force, aggressive in attack, but exposed flaws on both the left and right sides when executed. If one encountered a swordsmanship expert, they might seize the flaw to counterattack.


    Therefore, Lu Heng wanted to use a variation to compensate for the flaws of the "Zhenyue Style," hence the creation of the "Returning Wind" variation.


    However, the difficulty of executing this variation was too great when it was initially imagined, and upon attempting to perform it, he found it quite challenging.


    In the end, he never truly mastered it and could only consider it half a variation.


    Now, with the lessons learned from his past life, he had two choices: redesign the variation for one that wasn''t as difficult and could be mastered more quickly, or brute force it and master the move by sheer determination.


    Given the complexity of executing the "Returning Wind" variation, Lu Heng had also considered how exactly it could be executed.


    The answer was that it required a highly skilled movement technique for coordination.


    The "Returning Wind" variation was about swiftly changing from "Zhenyue Style" and slashing a circle of whirling sword light to lock the vulnerabilities on both sides of the body.


    Thus, if an opponent tried to attack the vulnerabilities on both sides, they would be blocked by the sword path of "Returning Wind," achieving a balance of offense and defense.


    The idea was indeed good, but the transition from "Zhenyue Style" to "Returning Wind" was extremely difficult.


    After much thought, Lu Heng ultimately decided to master the "Returning Wind."


    If the difficulty was high, then he would break through the Body Technique Realm and force this variation into existence.


    Having been reborn with the experience of two lifetimes, what was the point if there weren''t challenges to tackle?


    ...


    So, from the morning, Lu Heng was in the training room, cultivating the "Returning Wind" variation of the "Zhenyue Style."


    He even brought over the Mechanical Tiger for paired practice.


    As per Lu Heng''s instructions, after being hit by the "Zhenyue Style," the Mechanical Tiger would randomly attack from the left or right with its tail.


    Machine language was indeed very mechanical, as Lu Heng''s command was for random attacks on the left or right.


    The Mechanical Tiger truly attacked at random without showing any signs, and after being chopped by the "Zhenyue Style," it would randomly select a lucky direction and whip its tail over.


    At that moment.


    Lu Heng started to execute "Returning Wind," slashing out the swirling blade light, and sealed off the tail being whipped over by the Mechanical Tiger.


    Every time the tail collided with the Aurora Blade, a loud clang of metal clashing against metal resonated.


    Every strike by Lu Heng was with full force, chopping upon the Mechanical Tiger''s head and leaving deep sword marks that were as wide as a palm.


    But for the Mechanical Tiger, sustaining attacks of this level only meant cracks opening up on its liquid metal exterior, which would recover after a short while.


    As long as its Mechanical Core was not damaged, the hits were essentially ineffective.


    After an afternoon of sparring practice, Lu Heng only successfully executed "Returning Wind" once.


    After practicing, he calmed down to reflect and realized it was still the movement technique that couldn''t keep up, just marginally off.


    At the moment, the level of his movement technique was at the In-depth Level (1852/3000), still some distance away from the next realm.


    During sparring practice, it wasn''t just the swordsmanship that was being cultivated¡ªhis movement technique was also improving simultaneously.


    The cultivation of basic skills had always relied on laying a solid foundation step by step, with no shortcuts to take.


    Every day during training, as he watched the steady increase in Sword Technique Proficiency and movement technique proficiency, his confidence in mastering "Returning Wind" grew.


    Clang!


    Another chop landed on the Mechanical Tiger''s head, almost breaking open half of its skull.


    At that time.


    Lin Zeyu came in from outside and, seeing this scene, couldn''t help but remark, "You''re really going hard, aren''t you? How did such a handsome big tiger become your punching bag?"


    After practicing all morning, Lu Heng, too, felt a bit tired and put away his sword to rest for a while.


    The Mechanical Tiger, after being chopped with the sword, only seemed a bit brutal, but within a few seconds, the liquid metal had reverted to normal.


    "Jealous?" Lu Heng retorted casually.


    "Jealous! How about next time you bring it along for me to use as a target practice for shooting, what do you say?" Lin Zeyu propsed a novel idea.


    Anyway, the Mechanical Tiger was immune to cuts and slashes from swords, as well as basically bulletproof, so using it for target practice wouldn''t really make a difference.


    "Sure, as long as you can run faster than it," Lu Heng said with an indifferent expression.


    Lin Zeyu glared and said, "I''m talking about being a stationary target, not moving at all."


    "I didn''t make it stay still when I was sparring. How come there are restrictions when it comes to you?" Lu Heng gave him a sidelong glance.


    The Mechanical Tiger, having intelligent consciousness, understood Lin Zeyu was treating it as a target for a game and bared its teeth with a roar.


    Lin Zeyu shivered and almost fell off the stool: "Pretty fierce!"


    "What did you come to the Training Room for?" Lu Heng asked.


    "I''ve already moved in, so this is my Training Room too. If there''s nothing else, I can spar with you," Lin Zeyu said, warming up his neck, ready to show his stuff.


    "Are you sure?" Lu Heng looked at him with a bemused expression, like he was sizing up a punching bag.


    ...


    Bang!


    Ah!


    With an overhead throw, Lin Zeyu hit the ground hard, nearly falling apart, and then shouted, "Stop! Stop! No more fighting, you''re hitting too hard."


    He rubbed his buttocks and quickly crawled behind a pillar to hide.


    He had originally wanted to spar with Lu Heng to enhance his basic Fighting skills but hadn''t expected to be on the receiving end of a beating from the get-go, which was no help at all in training.


    His durability, on the other hand, improved steadily.


    "I only used twenty percent of my strength," Lu Heng held up two fingers. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I''m almost falling apart here, stick with the Mechanical Tiger for your practice. That thing won''t fall apart," Lin Zeyu promptly called off the sparring request.


    "Tired of sparring, time to go home for a meal," Lu Heng stretched his limbs and muscles, looking as if he thoroughly enjoyed himself.


    "Hold on, I almost forgot, my ''Source Energy Flash'' proficiency is full, help me with my Skill Upgrade," Lin Zeyu remarked, nearly forgetting the important matter.


    Lu Heng helped him unlock the Skill Lock, allowing him to manage his own Skill Upgrade.


    Lin Zeyu fiddled for a while and then suddenly widened his eyes, "Something doesn''t seem right, it didn''t fail the Upgrade, did it?"


    "It could," Lu Heng said, nodding earnestly.


    "Divine Evolution" unlocks the Skill Lock, indeed allowing the use of Divine Energy for upgrading Skills or performing Skill Fusions, but indeed, there''s the possibility of upgrade failure.


    "Damn it! I thought it wouldn''t fail. Now what?" Lin Zeyu''s eyes bugged out.


    "Failed upgrade isn''t a big issue. Just add double the amount of Divinity energy and continue upgrading," Lu Heng reminded.


    Lin Zeyu, not wanting to be distracted, hurriedly added twice the Divine Energy and after a moment, he managed to upgrade successfully: "Done, it worked this time."


    Lu Heng helped him lock the Skill and asked, "What did it upgrade to?"


    "''Source Energy Shock Bomb.''"


    Lin Zeyu, while answering, read the Skill Effect description: "Huh... The effect of the Skill has gotten a lot stronger; this is even more powerful than a Flash Bomb."


    The "Source Energy Shock Bomb" does indeed have a formidable effect; it''s a C-Level Skill, after all.


    The Skill involves compressing Source Energy into a Shock Bomb, when thrown, the effect is stronger than that of a Flash Bomb.


    In modern weapons, a "Flash Bomb" can be seen in games, and one may think it''s just for flash.


    In reality, a "Flash Bomb" is a type of grenade, also known as a "Shock Bomb," "Stun Grenade," or "Flash Grenade."


    When it explodes, it does indeed emit a blinding light, preventing people from opening their eyes.


    Directly looking at such a flash, even if you aren''t blinded, it can make you blind for a while, with tears streaming down all day and vision blurred.


    Furthermore, a "Shock Bomb" is accompanied by a loud explosion, causing dizziness and confusion, or even knocking someone out.


    Getting hit by a "Shock Bomb" up close, forget continuing the fight, being able to crawl back to your position is a sign of superior Constitution.


    Therefore, the "Source Energy Shock Bomb" Skill is indeed very potent.


    Throw it, and if it explodes in close proximity, it can directly incapacitate targets within the blast radius.


    Of course, Superpower Users have a better physical Constitution than normal people and higher durability, so their recovery from a Shock Bomb is quicker.


    If they are farther from the blast, they can indeed regain fighting capability more quickly.


    Even so, the tactical role of the "Source Energy Shock Bomb" is still very substantial.


    "Not bad. You could think about finding some soldiers who''ve come out of the military to practice the usage techniques," Lu Heng suggested.


    "I''ve been learning for a while now. I''m telling you, I''m pretty skilled at throwing grenades," Lin Zeyu bragged.


    Afterward, he took out his laptop, logged into the Crystal Core Dark Network, and pointing to a listing, said, "Oh right. I saw a Skill Crystal Core last night. Take a look and tell me if you want to buy it."


    Lu Heng glanced at the name of the Skill Crystal Core and knew its effect without even looking at the specifics.


    The listing for the Skill Crystal Core was named "Metal Enhancement."


    Lu Heng initially thought Lin Zeyu was choosing a Skill for himself, but seeing the name, he asked, "Isn''t this meant for you to use?"


    "Of course. It would be useless for me. What, make bullets a bit harder?" Lin Zeyu replied as if it were obvious.


    "If it''s for the Mechanical Tiger, this Skill would indeed be very appropriate," Lu Heng evaluated.


    "You want it? If so, I''ll make the purchase," Lin Zeyu was ready to act.


    "I''ll buy it myself. I have to put together the skills for this tiger on my own," Lu Heng said, waving his hand and heading out the door. Then he used his own laptop at home to log into the Crystal Core Dark Network and selected to purchase the "Metal Enhancement" Crystal Core.


    No haggling. For a C-Level Skill, the asking price of 8 million was a bit higher than the market price, but still within a reasonable range.


    And in the case of a suitable Skill, even a several-fold increase in price is worth it.


    So Lu Heng didn''t bargain, confirmed the purchase directly, and then used his Offshore Bank account to transfer the money to the seller''s specified account.

 Chapter 163 - 136: Trading Turmoil

    After the transfer was complete, the agreed-upon time and location for the delivery was set.


    A day later, Lu Heng had practiced his movement technique to (2005/3000), then he left to go to the delivery location, ready to pick up the Metal Enhancement Crystal Core.


    Since the Crystal Core Dark Network was never a public site, concealing one''s identity could avoid a lot of trouble.


    So, Lu Heng used an Illusion Pearl to change his appearance and then waited at the delivery spot.


    But even when the agreed time came, the trader didn''t show up.


    He found a spot to open his laptop and checked the backend information of the Crystal Core Dark Network.


    There was no problem, the agreed time and location were correct.


    So, Lu Heng sent a private message to inquire about the situation.


    After almost an hour, the other party finally responded with a private message, "The transaction is canceled, the money will be refunded the way it came."


    Upon reading this private message, Lu Heng got a bit pissed off.


    Indeed, it''s common to cancel transactions on the Crystal Core Dark Network before the transaction is completed.


    After all, it''s normal for disagreements to arise during the transaction process, and a negotiation breakdown naturally leads to cancellation.


    However, the other party hadn''t even negotiated, and moreover, they replied only after Lu Heng sent an inquiry an hour after the agreed time.


    This made things rather irritating.


    This Metal Enhancement was indeed well-suited for the Mechanical Tiger, so Lu Heng sent another private message asking about the reason, "Why was the transaction canceled?"


    "The price is too low."


    "But you set the price at 8 million, I didn''t even bargain."


    "I set it too low, is that not okay?"


    "Fine, then set a new price."


    "It looks like you know how precious my Crystal Core is, why didn''t you say anything at the start?"


    Looking at this private message, Lu Heng really wanted to strangle this nutcase.


    Indeed, a Level C Skill Crystal Core is precious, but the market value is usually around 5 million.


    Metal Enhancement is a rather practical skill, so a slight increase to 6 million is also normal.


    However, this skill does not have any Attack Power and isn''t the type that Superpower Users would scramble for.


    Moreover, this skill is only suitable for Superpower Users with a Metal Element enhancement direction, so the demand isn''t that large.


    Therefore, a normal transaction price of 6 million is reasonable.


    Of course, money can''t buy what the heart desires.


    If someone who likes this skill comes across it, paying a premium is also normal.


    Lu Heng did think this skill was suitable for the Mechanical Tiger, so when he first saw the price at 8 million, he didn''t haggle and just went for it.


    The seller, however, pulled this stunt.


    In fact, if the other party had canceled the transaction before the agreed trade time, Lu Heng would have felt it was reasonable.


    But to have no communication past the trade time, to respond only after an hour to an inquiry...


    This attitude really pissed him off.


    Lu Heng sent another private message, "How much do you want? Name your price!"


    The reply came, "You couldn''t afford it even if I named a price, I''ve already sold it to someone else for triple the cost, almost got fooled by you."


    Lu Heng was so annoyed he almost laughed, and he really wanted to know who would buy that Crystal Core.


    Moreover, the other party mentioned a refund but has yet to actually send the money back.


    Lu Heng sent another message asking, "When will the money be returned?"


    After a long while, the reply came, "Just wait. Are you missing those few million that much?"


    The more Lu Heng stepped back and thought about it, the angrier he felt, and suddenly a wicked idea popped into his head.


    He took out his phone and called Lin Zeyu, "Hey, do you remember that Skill Crystal Core you told me about the day before yesterday?"


    "I remember, didn''t you buy it? What''s up?" Lin Zeyu asked, puzzled.


    "The seller is messing with me. I went to the trade spot and waited for over an hour, then he says it''s been sold to someone else for triple the price. I reckon he hasn''t delivered yet, message him and drive the price up," Lu Heng spoke with evident frustration.


    "This guy is so arrogant, watch how I deal with him!" Lin Zeyu said and hung up the phone, ready to cause trouble.


    He sent a private message asking about the price, and after a while, he added, "Would you sell for 30 million? If that''s not enough, I''ll add more."


    You could tell this was a sucker.


    Sure enough, the seller took the bait, and the price soared all the way to 50 million.


    Lin Zeyu made the offers without hesitation, just to mess with the seller.


    After agreeing to a deal at 50 million, they set the time and place for the transaction.


    And the next day.


    Lin Zeyu went to the trade location with his people and pinned the trader down.


    Once they had them restrained, they found it was a fashionably dressed woman in her late twenties, heavily made up.


    After the woman was restrained, she began to shout, "What are you doing? Don''t touch me, if you touch me once, I''ll have my husband kill you all!"


    Lin Zeyu hadn''t expected this kind of situation, but he didn''t bother with small talk and directly told her to call her man over for a talk.


    The woman kept yelling, "Do you know who my husband is? Once he gets here, you''ll all regret it, I''m telling you, my husband is a Superpower User, he could poke you to death with one finger."


    They waited for about half an hour.


    A Superpower User, about thirty years old with a wolf head tattoo on the right side of his neck, arrived, glaring angrily at Lin Zeyu and the others.


    As soon as the wolf-headed man arrived, the woman immediately jumped up, pointed at Lin Zeyu, and began to complain, "Husband, you teach them a lesson, they hurt me just now."


    Lin Zeyu glanced at the man with the wolf tattoo, seeing nothing special, and asked, "Are we going to fight?"


    The wolf-headed man wasn''t as loud as the woman, but still said arrogantly, "Apologize to my woman and we can forget this ever happened."


    Hearing this, the woman was displeased, "Just apologize and you think it''s over? You must avenge me today, punish them, or this isn''t finished!"


    Lin Zeyu looked at his underlings and asked, "Does anyone know this guy? Which gang is he from?"


    His underlings all shook their heads, none recognizing him.


    The wolf-headed man immediately brought up his backing, saying, "My boss is Chuanshan Piao Ye, you''d better know your place. You still have time to apologize."


    "Who is Chuanshan Piao Ye?" Lin Zeyu had never heard of this person and turned to look at his underlings.


    An underling bent over and whispered in Lin Zeyu''s ear, "He''s a local gangster in Chuanshan District."


    At that moment, Li Dayong stepped forward and said, "Boss, that Piao Ye is just a small fry, let me fetch him over."


    "Sure, go bring that son of a bitch here, I want to see which deity he is." Lin Zeyu, after hearing his underling''s words, had a rough idea of the opponent''s background.


    Now he could show off.


    So, he took out his phone and called Lu Heng, saying, "Hehe, the job is done, are you coming to get your Crystal Core?"


    Half an hour passed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Lu Heng arrived, he saw Lin Zeyu restraining two people, a man and a woman, neither looking particularly powerful.


    Then, an MPV drove up, and Li Dayong, dragging a man by his clothes out of the car, said, "This one, claims to be your lackey. Come on, identify yourself."


    Chuanshan Piao Ye, a fifty-year-old man with a circle of beard and a scar on his face, looked quite imposing.


    Piao Ye was dragged out of the car and then saw his underling, fist raised, standing off against someone.


    He strode forward, kicked the wolf-headed man, and scolded, "When did I ever ask you to make a fool of yourself like this? Apologize to Young Master Lin now, and in the future, don''t use my name to cause trouble outside."


    The wolf-headed man, obviously seasoned in the underworld, knew immediately that he had messed with someone he shouldn''t have. When kicked down, he didn''t dare to stand up but instead crawled over to Lin Zeyu on his knees to apologize:


    "I''m sorry, it''s all my fault, I didn''t recognize Young Master Lin, all my mistake, I''ll slap my own face."


    He then raised his hand and started slapping his face with loud smacks, hitting so hard that after just two or three hits, finger marks appeared on his face.


    The woman, upon seeing this situation, exclaimed angrily, "Are you a piece of trash? I asked you to come help me take revenge, and you get up!"


    While cursing, she kept kicking the wolf-headed man.


    The wolf-headed man''s expression grew fierce, as he turned back and slapped the woman to the ground, cursing, "If it weren''t for you, you damn bitch causing trouble, how would I end up in such bad luck!"


    "You dare hit me!" the woman yelled as she lay on the ground, pointing her finger and howling at the wolf-headed man.


    Lin Zeyu clapped his hand on the stone table and said, "Stop, stop, stop, take your fight back home. I have a question, who sold the [Metal Enhancement]?"


    "I... I sold it." The wolf-headed man raised his hand and then quickly explained: "I''ve been busy these past two days, so I let this woman handle it for me."


    "A C-level Crystal Core for 50 million, you really dare to ask for that much; but truth is, I can afford it. Come on, hand over the Crystal Core, let me see it." Lin Zeyu stretched out his hand to demand the Crystal Core.


    "50 million?"


    The wolf-headed man was visibly surprised and gasped, "Was it not 5 million?"


    Lin Zeyu took out his phone and showed the bargaining records, "Look carefully, it went up from 8 million to 50 million. And about the 8 million you said you''d refund, it''s been days and still no money returned. The money was paid, but the goods not delivered. You playing me?"


    The wolf-headed man was initially perplexed but quickly figured out what had happened and slapped the woman across the face and hastily explained:


    "Young Master Lin, it''s not like that. It''s all this woman causing trouble, she told me just yesterday she sold it for 5 million, that we''d get the money in a couple of days.


    "She also said she was handling the delivery for me. I''ve been busy, so I listened to her.


    "I swear, she told me it was 5 million; I absolutely had no intention of scamming you."


    The wolf-headed man pleaded pitifully, then distanced himself from the woman.


    Though the woman called him husband, they had no marital relationship, merely a man-woman relationship.


    The wolf-headed man didn''t expect to be scammed and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got, slapping the woman again and scolding, "So you thought you''d take the 50 million and run away? You think it''s fun to play me?"


    "I didn''t, I definitely would have given you all the money from the Crystal Core sale," the woman started begging for mercy as she realized things were unraveling.


    "I still don''t know what you are? You told me last night it was 5 million. Even when it was initially sold for 8 million, you were thinking of pocketing 3 million. Encountering such a thing as you, I''ve really seen all there is!"


    The wolf-headed man quickly took out the Crystal Core and handed it over to Lin Zeyu with both hands.


    Lin Zeyu took a look at the information of the Crystal Core and asked, "How much was this thing again?"


    "Eight hundred, no no no, five hundred, just five hundred," the wolf-headed man quickly corrected, just wanting to smooth things over.


    "Do you want it?" Lin Zeyu turned and handed the Crystal Core to Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng took a look, saw that there were no issues with the Crystal Core, then turned and walked away, leaving behind the words, "Trade at market price."


    "Understood." Lin Zeyu drew two fingers across his temple.


    Watching Lu Heng leave, Lin Zeyu turned back around, his expression turning cold as he cursed, "Do you know who my boss is? To think that there are still people in this world daring enough to play him, you have the gall and yet you still demand money."

 Chapter 164 - 137: The Fog Appears

    Lu Heng returned to Qionghua Tianglu Lake and took out the Metal Enhancement Crystal Core, handing it to the Mechanical Tiger, saying, "Try this, there''s a Skill Slot, it should be able to absorb the energy inside."


    Since he had never obtained such a Mechanical Beast before, he wasn''t clear on how they absorbed the Skill Crystal Cores.


    Anyway, the data panel showed that there were 3 Skill Slots, so it should be able to absorb it.


    The Mechanical Tiger opened its mouth and swallowed the Crystal Core.


    Lu Heng placed his hand on its large head, feeling the icy cold metal with his palm while staring at the data panel.


    After about ten minutes, the data panel of the Mechanical Tiger finally showed a change in the skill section.


    "Skill: Metal Enhancement"


    "Metal Enhancement: Enhances Metal Element abilities, increases metal hardness, impact resistance, and element resistance by 50%."


    Then, Lu Heng drew the Aurora Blade and chopped the Mechanical Tiger with the same force as before.


    Clang!


    The blow clearly made the recoil force on his palm much stronger.


    This morning, a chop could break open a sword mark ten centimeters deep, but now it could only make one five centimeters deep.


    The impact resistance had indeed improved a lot.


    Moreover, this was with a +7 Quenching Level dual-special-effect weapon, and he had used all his strength.


    Such strong destructive power only managed to break open a five-centimeter-deep sword mark. With this strength, it could already withstand attacks from Light Beam Armored Vehicles.


    In the following days, Lu Heng continued to practice his swordsmanship and movement technique.


    Time gradually moved into the sixth month of the Abyss Descent.


    In the middle of the sixth month, many low-lying areas around the world began to experience a persistent, mysterious fog that kept expanding.


    Lu Heng, seeing the news about the fog, raised an eyebrow, remembering this event.


    During the sixth month of the Abyss Descent, fog would indeed appear in low-lying areas around the world.


    These fogs marked a critical transition from the early to the middle stages of the Abyss Descent. As the fog appeared, more Demons emerged, continuously shrinking the living space for humans.


    And in the southwestern Liu River region, an even more dangerous event was happening.


    There was a nuclear power station in the Liu River region, and the fog, spreading outwards, was getting closer and closer to it.


    According to the speed of the fog''s expansion, within a maximum of half a month, the fog would envelop the nuclear power station.


    By then, if an accident occurred, it would be extremely dreadful.


    After seeing the news, Lu Heng started thinking about how to provide information to the government to solve this crisis.


    However,


    Before Lu Heng could make contact himself, a phone call came in.


    "Hello, I am Chen Zihang."


    "Uh, how do you know my number?"


    "Knowing your name, finding a number isn''t hard."


    "What''s the matter?"


    "I''m contacting you on behalf of the higher-ups, hoping to meet, it''s about the fog."


    "Sure, when shall we meet?"


    "Tomorrow morning."


    ...


    The next morning.


    Following the address given by Chen Zihang, Lu Heng arrived at an inconspicuous building on Coastal Heavy Round Street.


    After entering, he first met Chen Zihang, then met Iron Blood Investigation Bureau senior inspector Chen Linian, and several other high-ranking officials.


    "This is Special Envoy Liu, who came specifically to meet you," Chen Zihang introduced.


    "Hello." Lu Heng shook hands with Special Envoy Liu.


    After the introductions, the others began to prepare the documents.


    Curious, Lu Heng looked at Chen Zihang and asked, "What''s your status?"


    "Haven''t you already guessed?" Chen Zihang countered.


    "I have an idea, but not the specifics."


    Chen Zihang spread his hands, saying, "Actually, I''m just a student from the Aerospace University. After going through the Abyss Battlefield twice, I was conscripted."


    The Aerospace University was quite a special school, and Chen Zihang''s name seemed to carry a special meaning.


    Lu Heng roughly guessed his family background, then asked, "Was it your suggestion to find me?"


    Chen Zihang nodded, "Yes, this issue is rather tricky. I was conscripted, so I recommended you to the higher-ups."


    Lu Heng actually already knew what the matter was about, and since Chen Zihang had recommended him, he decided to join the operation.


    It wasn''t long before,


    Special Envoy Liu prepared the documents, brought them over, and spoke seriously, "You''ve probably seen the news and know about the fog.


    "However, there are some things not broadcast on the news.


    "There is also a fog in Liu River, and the location of the fog is problematic. Just thirty kilometers from the fog is the Liu River nuclear power station.


    "If this incident isn''t handled well, the consequences will be very severe, so we''ve organized a team specifically to tackle this.


    "Comrade Chen Zihang recommended you, so we hope you can join and help resolve this crisis."


    Lu Heng glanced at Chen Linian beside him, his eyes carrying a trace of amusement.


    Due to Kenji Ono''s case previously, the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau hadn''t closed the case yet.


    Theoretically, Chen Linian was still on the case, while he himself was a suspect in the case.


    Chen Linian''s face showed no change in expression; he took a cigarette, sniffed it, then clipped it to his ear and turned his head towards Lu Heng, revealing a cryptic smile.


    Lu Heng shifted his gaze from Chen Linian''s face to Commissioner Liu, saying, "I''m willing to join, but I need to confirm my role in the team."


    Commissioner Liu did not provide a definite answer, "There''s no precise rule for this; we hope everyone can work together to solve the crisis."


    Lu Heng nodded, saying, "Alright, let me be straightforward. I need a certain degree of authority because I''ve seen this type of fog."


    At this remark,


    Everyone present showed expressions of both shock and delight.


    "Really? You''re saying you''ve seen this kind of fog before?" Commissioner Liu asked, his expression the most excited.


    "Yes, I have."


    Lu Heng had already decided before coming that certain information needed to be shared.


    As for how to explain the source of the information, that was simple.


    Just saying it was information obtained from the Abyss Battlefield would suffice.


    The time and frequency each Superpower User was summoned to the Abyss Battlefield were uncertain.


    Lu Heng didn''t need to specify which visit to the Abyss Battlefield it was; he just needed to provide crucial information.


    "If that''s the case, then that''s wonderful. We really need you. Thank you for joining," Commissioner Liu said, emotionally shaking Lu Heng''s hand.


    Even to the point that Lu Heng felt a bit uncomfortable.


    Having seen this kind of fog, Lu Heng''s authority in the crisis team rocketed to one of the top spots, surpassing even Chen Zihang.


    Soon after, the crisis team convened their first meeting to discuss the fog crisis.


    Officials had already sent people to approach and investigate the fog, and the results of the investigation were out.


    A member of the crisis team first reported the results:


    "After investigation, this fog exhibits mild corrosive properties; humans active within it will be somewhat affected, but it won''t be fatal in the short term.


    "Moreover, personnel who entered the fog for investigation have not returned; the situation is very severe..."


    After his report,


    Lu Heng took over the topic: "I''ve seen this kind of fog in the Abyss Battlefield; this fog is a sign of an intensifying Abyss invasion.


    "Therefore, after the appearance of the fog, the number of demons will significantly increase.


    "The areas where the fog appears need to be evacuated quickly."


    One person asked, "Can the fog be cleared?"


    Lu Heng replied, "It can be, but it''s very difficult. However, the fog will have a maximum spread area, meaning after reaching its maximum extent, it will stop expanding.


    "In the global context, the number of appearances of this fog is too many to clear entirely, so priority should be given to evacuation from fog areas. Considering clearing the fog can come later."


    Chen Zihang raised his hand and asked, "How does the fog appear?"


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and replied, "It''s due to an intensifying overlap of the space between the Abyss and Blue Star, causing cracks in the overlapping space, allowing fog to seep out from the Abyss.


    "The mild corrosiveness of the fog is not the hardest to deal with; rather, it''s the spiritual pollution from within the fog that is the most dangerous.


    "Therefore, humans cannot stay in the fog for long periods, or they will lose their minds and become puppets of the Abyss."


    Commissioner Liu pulled out a map, saying, "This is the Liu River Nuclear Power Plant. The fog that appeared in Liu River Valley is only thirty kilometers from the nuclear power plant. According to the fog''s rate of expansion, in at most half a month, the fog will engulf the nuclear power plant. What do you think should be done about this situation?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "I suggest carrying out two plans simultaneously. First, shut down the nuclear power plant reactors and handle the nuclear elements. At the same time, deploy a team into the fog to attempt to remove it.


    "If the removal of the fog is successful, the nuclear power plant can resume operation. If it is not successful, we''ll have to abandon it. Therefore, both plans must be carried out together."


    The members of the crisis team, reflecting on it, nodded in agreement, generally in favor.


    Actually, carrying out both plans simultaneously was the most prudent approach, aiming to minimize the risk to the event.


    Commissioner Liu and other researchers in the crisis team discussed briefly and reached a consensus: "We all agree with Comrade Lu''s plan; the work to shut down the nuclear power plant is already underway.


    "Now we need to consider deploying a team into the fog to attempt clearing it.


    "Since you, Comrade Lu, are the only one who has seen the fog, would you be willing to lead the team?"


    Lu Heng had seriously considered this issue; having involved himself in this matter, he definitely wanted to venture into the fog.


    Moreover, areas where fog appeared always had Abyss Rifts.


    The main reason for the occurrence of Abyss Rifts was the high energy density.


    Areas with high energy density often contained advanced resources. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Moreover, Lu Heng vaguely remembered that in the fog of the Liu River area, a high-level resource had indeed appeared, making it worth the venture.


    Having thought it through, Lu Heng nodded and said, "I''m willing to go, but I have one question: who I take with me, do I decide that?"


    Commissioner Liu hurriedly agreed, "Of course, you definitely have the final say, though we will also recommend the best warriors to accompany you."


    Lu Heng turned his head to look at Chen Zihang, asking, "Are you going?"


    Chen Zihang responded non-committally, "I''ll follow the organization''s arrangement."


    Hearing him say this, Lu Heng smiled and said, "Then it''s him."


    "Alright, Comrade Chen Zihang, the organization hopes you can act together with Comrade Lu Heng; we will provide you with strong support," Commissioner Liu immediately ratified, placing Chen Zihang in the team.


    Lu Heng began making requests, mentioning everything he could think of: "I also need a special operations squad with an average level over 18, skilled in wilderness combat, and an armored vehicle with tracks, equipped with a cannon, and various other ammunition... I have other requests, which I''ll mention when I think of them."


    "No problem, whatever people or materials you need, we will provide," Commissioner Liu basically agreed to any request, as long as it was feasible to give.

 Chapter 165 - 138 Challenge Letter

    "Six months..."


    Lu Heng returned from the Mist Crisis Group''s office and stood on the balcony of the training room, gazing at the distant green mountains.


    The mountains were dark green as if painted with ink, rolling continuously and covered with a thin layer of mist.


    Future abyss scholars would divide the Abyss Descent into several periods, mainly based on the number of demons as the criteria.


    The initial six months of the Abyss Descent was when the mist appeared, signaling the gradual transition into the middle stage, and demons on Blue Star would become increasingly numerous.


    With the appearance of the mist, the dangers within it would accelerate.


    This also caused humans to start retreating, gradually moving towards the cities.


    Once again, human society faced a severe challenge to its order.


    Lost in memories and thoughts, Lu Heng''s mind wandered far away.


    Until Su Muyu pushed the door open and he came back to his senses.


    Then, Lin Zeyu also hurried over and the team was assembled.


    Lu Heng formally announced the next task: "I have been commissioned by the national Mist Crisis Group, and in two days, I''ll lead the team into the mist at Liu River to find a solution to the crisis. I called you here to discuss whether you want to go or not."


    "Go? Why not?" Lin Zeyu answered as if it was the most natural thing.


    "When we are drafted, we will for sure be drafted together, so even if we don''t want to enter, we must. However, for this mission, if you don''t want to go, you don''t have to. The crisis group will assign another team to enter Liu River with me." Lu Heng explained briefly.


    "I want to go, as long as I''m not a burden to you," Su Muyu said with determined eyes.


    "Alright, then you''ll come along," Lu Heng met her gaze, understanding her intention and agreed to her joining.


    "In that case, what''s there to discuss? If you two are going, what would I stay in Coastal for?" Lin Zeyu was even more straightforward, spreading his hands to show there was no need to think it over.


    "Alright, we''re in agreement then. We''re expected to depart in two days, so get ready. It''s going to be dangerous, and we need to make ample preparations. There''s no need to prepare extra weapons and ammunition, the state has already provided them..."


    Lu Heng paused to think, then said, "The day after tomorrow, there is another meeting with the crisis group. At that time, you will join to discuss the specific action plan."


    "Okay, I will start preparing now," Lin Zeyu said and indicated towards the door.


    "Hold on, did you prepare that rugged off-road vehicle I asked for last time?" Lu Heng hurriedly inquired.


    Because of the Mechanical Tiger, this big fellow, taking it out was inconvenient.


    Mainly, having such a Mechanical Beast running on the streets would attract onlookers, and it could end up all over the internet if someone took a picture.


    Therefore, Lu Heng considered getting a heavy-duty off-road vehicle and arranging a place for the Mechanical Tiger on it.


    Since its liquid metal shell could change shape at will, it wasn''t demanding in terms of space¡ªonly the load capacity mattered.


    "I''ve placed an order for a Dongfeng Warrior Series 20; its appearance is tough as can be, but you mentioned increasing the load, so it needs additional modifications. It will take a couple of days before we can pick it up," Lin Zeyu said.


    "Once you have the vehicle, bring it straight here," Lu Heng nodded and instructed.


    "No problem, I''ll have someone drive it over," Lin Zeyu said as he prepared to go back and get ready for the departure.


    He had almost reached the door when he suddenly recalled something, turned back and said, "Oh right, I almost forgot, I received a message today. That guy claimed to be the Kashima Shintou Sword Saint has entered the country on yesterday''s flight."


    Lu Heng frowned and said, "What an inconvenient time."


    He would soon be departing for Liu River and had no time to deal with this person.


    "Exactly, coming just at this time. Who knows if he''s coming for us specifically." Lin Zeyu had only received the message, knowing that the Sect Leader from Fusang''s Kashima Shintou had arrived, but the exact reason for his visit remained unknown.


    After the last conflict, Chunshang Group''s Asia-Pacific region president Kenji Ono was done for.


    However, such a large multinational corporation wouldn''t come to a halt just because one president was gone.


    Naturally, when one president fell, a second would take his place.


    The new president of Chunshang Group''s Asia-Pacific region had learned from his predecessor''s experience, acting much more discreetly and not daring to start trouble.


    So, there hadn''t been much commotion in the past two months.


    Over the next two days,


    Lin Zeyu checked the information on that Fusang Kashima Shintou Sword Saint and sent it to Lu Heng to review.


    The current Sect Leader of Kashima Shintou was named Saito Takeji, considered to be a Sword Saint-level figure of the present age.


    His disciple was Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    Even the disciple was regarded as one of Fusang Swordsmanship''s top ten masters, so one could imagine the prestige and status of Saito Takeji, the Sect Leader of Kashima Shintou.


    However, two days had passed, and Saito Takeji had not made an appearance.


    Lu Heng wasn''t sure of his purpose for visiting Coastal and didn''t have time to pay attention to him, as he was busy preparing for the mission to Liu River.


    On the morning of departure, the Dongfeng Warrior that Lin Zeyu had ordered also arrived.


    Lu Heng took the Mechanical Tiger into an independent garage and arranged for it to be loaded onto the vehicle.


    Even though this Dongfeng Warrior had been modified for increased load capacity, the vehicle still noticeably sank when the Mechanical Tiger boarded.


    Lu Heng had never driven this vehicle, and he didn''t have time for a driver''s license, so since the destination today was more formal, he had planned to have Lin Zeyu drive.


    There was still some time left.


    Lu Heng went out to the supermarket to buy water. Just as he stepped out the door, he was stopped by a person dressed in Fusang attire.


    The man, with a stern face, asked for Lu Heng''s name and then handed him a challenge letter.


    However, this person appeared to be in his twenties and was not Saito Takeji.


    Lu Heng didn''t take the challenge letter; instead, he asked coldly, "Who are you?"


    The man from Fusang didn''t answer but gestured towards a sedan behind him.


    The rear window of the sedan rolled down, and a Japanese man in his forties or fifties sitting in the car shot a sharp and piercing gaze at Lu Heng.


    With just one glance, Lu Heng could tell that this man was very strong, especially that sword-like gaze, as if countless blades were clashing just from their eyes meeting.


    Lu Heng''s gaze darkened, thinking how precise the timing was.


    A challenge issued exactly on the day of departure.


    The challenge was right in front of him; whether he chose to fight or not, it was a situation that needed to be addressed.


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment, took the challenge letter, and checked the time.


    The battle was set for seven days later.


    This timing was problematic, as seven days was not enough to clear the mist in the Liu River area.


    Lu Heng thought for a while and then spoke to Saito Takeji in the car, "If you want to fight, come back in fifteen days."


    Saito Takeji didn''t understand Chinese. After hearing the interpreter by his side explain, he babbled something in Fusang language, "Delaying for a few more days won''t help you."


    "I''ll accept the challenge, but the time is changed to fifteen days from now. If you don''t agree, then go back to your island," Lu Heng said and then turned around to leave.


    Hearing the interpreter explain, Saito Takeji snorted coldly, "I''ll let you delay for a few more days. The honor of Kashima Shintou cannot be trampled by you."


    ...


    This incident came up before departure, and it lingered in Lu Heng''s mind all the way to the gathering point.


    Upon reaching the rendezvous, members of the Mist Crisis Group came out to meet them, "We represent the nation and the people to thank you. If you need anything, just let us know."


    Lu Heng directly took out the challenge letter and handed it over, "Then please deal with this."


    The leader of the crisis group took it and looked through it. Since the letter was written in two languages, it was understandable without translation.


    The special envoy Liu frowned after reading it, "This Fusang person really knows how to cause trouble. Alright, I will file an application to expel him from the country."


    Actually, Lu Heng was worried that during his time away, these people would cause trouble for his family.


    Hearing that they could be expelled was indeed a satisfactory solution.


    "Okay, expel them from the country and make sure they cannot enter again within fifteen days. After that, it doesn''t matter," Lu Heng agreed to the plan.


    Special envoy Liu immediately made a promise, "Comrade, rest assured, we will safeguard your operation. Leave the rear to us; we won''t let any small fry cause trouble."


    Lu Heng was satisfied with his assurance and said, "Good, once the assembly is complete, we can set out."


    "There''s another team on their way, arriving soon. You will depart together," Special envoy Liu explained.


    It didn''t take long.


    A transport vehicle drove into the gathering area.


    A squad of Superpower Soldiers jumped off, led by a spirited female warrior.


    This female warrior had a short bob haircut and came over to give a military salute, announcing, "Special Warfare Jian Qing of the Sharp Sword squad, reporting for duty!"


    "Alright, I''ll introduce you. This is Lu Heng, get to know each other; he''s part of another team entering the Liu River area," Special envoy Liu said as he made the introductions.


    Jian Qing reached out her hand to Lu Heng for a handshake and greeted, "Hello."


    "Hello."


    When Lu Heng saw this Superpower User named Jian Qing, a flash of surprise crossed his face.


    Because, in his past life, he had heard of her name.


    She was known by the nickname "Wind Empress Jian Qing," a very famous Wind Element Superpower User of the future.


    However, she was from a military background, so she rarely appeared in public.


    The rumors about her circulated among the Superpower User community, and her nickname had spread this way; she never promoted it herself. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was different from Lei Jinhao.


    Lei Jinhao mixed in circles of Superpower Users, where he needed fame to maintain prestige and gain more influence.


    Therefore, the moniker "Storm Boxing King" was a conscious promotion by him and his team.


    The Wind Empress Jian Qing, on the contrary, didn''t need this sort of recognition. As for the rumors, it was all word of mouth from the outside.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and realized why she was here.


    Her nickname was "Wind Empress," so naturally, her power was of the Wind Attribute.


    The Mist Crisis Group had transferred her to enter the Liu River area, likely hoping she could use her ability to blow away the mist there.


    The idea itself wasn''t flawed.


    A normal fog would dissipate with strong winds.


    But the Abyss mist was different, even if temporarily blown away, it would quickly settle again.


    Thus, merely using wind to dispel the mist was unlikely to be effective.


    Of course, temporary clearing of the mist could also aid their mission, so bringing her in for the operation was not a problem in itself.


    However.


    Lu Heng noticed that her shoulder sported quite a few stars, indicating a high rank within the organization.


    If this was the case, then there was a problem.


    Once they entered the mist, the question was, who would lead?


    This was crucial since it was important to clearly delineate responsibilities. If they entered the mist and opinions diverged, leading to disputes, that could create serious issues.


    "How will the teams be divided?" Lu Heng asked.


    "You lead one team, and Jian Qing leads another. You can either move together or split up to operate," the crisis group leader explained.


    Lu Heng understood immediately.


    It was a saturation mission strategy.


    When a crisis emerges, one that is so severe that it threatens human survival, saturation missions become a necessity.


    To ensure the crisis is mitigated, one cannot put all eggs in one basket.


    At such a time, deploying multiple teams to execute the same mission could enhance the chances of successfully resolving the crisis.


    After listening, Lu Heng gave a nod of understanding, "Understood."


    Since they were each leading a team, the division of authority was quite straightforward¡ªthey could collaborate if compatible, or they could act independently if not.

 Chapter 166 - 139: Saturated Action, Entering the Fog

    After exchanging greetings, Jian Qing turned to Su Muyu behind Lu Heng and joked, "I didn''t expect your team to have a girl too. Hello, I''m Jian Qing."


    "Uh... I..." Su Muyu was taken aback for a moment, ready to respond politely to her greeting.


    Jian Qing laughed heartily and said, "I know, Su Muyu, I''ve read your profiles."


    After saying this, she turned her head to smile at Lu Heng and continued, "I''m quite straightforward and speak my mind, so if I do something later that upsets you, don''t take it to heart. I just want to resolve the crisis. After all, there''s a nuclear power station in the Liu River area, and this mission cannot afford any mistakes."


    Hearing her words, Lu Heng knew she was planning to stir things up.


    Without waiting for Lu Heng to speak, Jian Qing turned to the leader of the crisis management team and said, "For the sake of resolving the crisis, I would like to transfer someone from Lu Heng''s team. Is that okay?"


    The special delegate frowned upon hearing her request and said, "This... you''ll have to discuss it with Comrade Lu Heng."


    Jian Qing turned back around, smiling, and asked, "Comrade Lu Heng, may I?"


    "Whom do you want?"


    Lu Heng''s purpose was also to quickly resolve the crisis in Liu River; if transferring someone to her team could solve the crisis more effectively, there was nothing unacceptable about it.


    "I hope Chen Zihang can come to my team. Don''t worry, if Chen Zihang comes over to my side, I will definitely replenish your team''s numbers." Jian Qing stated her intent.


    Lu Heng turned to beckon Chen Zihang and said, "Captain Jian hopes that you can join her team. What do you think?"


    Jian Qing stood with one hand on her hip, displaying a smile, and said, "My abilities combined with yours would make it easier to disperse the fog. I hope you''ll consider my proposal."


    Indeed, their powers, one being wind and the other magnetic force, could more easily disperse regular fog when working together.


    Chen Zihang pushed his glasses up and, after a moment of serious thought, replied, "In pursuit of resolving the Liu River crisis, I think it''s better for me to stay in Lu Heng''s team."


    Surprised by his response, Jian Qing asked, "Wouldn''t our abilities paired together more easily disperse the fog?"


    Chen Zihang answered, "That''s true for normal fog, but I''ve looked at the detection reports, and I don''t think that method will work. Considering crisis resolution, I would prefer to act with Lu Heng."


    Jian Qing did not press further and nodded, "All right then. In that case, let''s get ready to depart. Group two, everyone, listen to the command, get in the vehicles and prepare to depart."


    The Superpower Soldiers quickly boarded the vehicles upon the command.


    Lu Heng also turned to get ready to board the vehicle, when someone patted him on the shoulder.


    Jian Qing stepped closer and said, "Don''t take what happened just now to heart; I only did it to better resolve the crisis, not to deliberately compete with you for people. The nuclear power station is of great importance, after all."


    Lu Heng smiled indifferently and replied, "It''s a minor matter, no need to explain."


    "At the meeting, I read the fog data you brought up¡ªit''s very useful. Once we enter the fog, I hope we can cooperate fully." Jian Qing waved her hand and boarded the vehicle to set off.


    ...


    That afternoon, in a five-star hotel in Coastal.


    Three people dressed in green uniforms arrived at the VIP lounge, presenting documents and formally initiating the extradition of Saito Takeji, the Sect Leader of the Fusang Kashima Shintou style.


    Saito Takeji and the high-ranking officials from Chunshang Group who were with him were extremely surprised, argued loudly, and demanded to know the reason.


    The reason stated on the document was endangering national security.


    This charge was rather serious, but since it was only an extradition, the problem wasn''t especially grave.


    Saito Takeji never imagined that he, a revered Kashima Shintou Sword Saint in Fusang, would one day be expelled.


    At the airport while waiting, an indignant Saito Takeji berated the new CEO of Chunshang Group, "What kind of operation are you running? How could something like an expulsion happen to me?"


    Hiroshi Takada, the new CEO of Chunshang Group''s Asia-Pacific Region, hastily smiled and appeased, "We heard that the procedure was approved from the top down.


    "I have reason to suspect that it''s Lu Heng''s despicable trickery at work.


    "He must fear of Saito''s reputation, hence the refusal to accept a challenge.


    "It goes without saying that Mr. Tsugawa Hideyoshi must have also been killed by his schemes."


    Saito Takeji snorted coldly, "There are definitely less than ten people in this world who could defeat Tsugawa. Da Xia does not have anyone who can surpass him in the way of the sword¡ªthe only other possibility is through trickery."


    "It''s definitely so, Mr. Saito. I asked around¡ªthe effectiveness of this expulsion will only last fifteen days. After that, you can return." Hiroshi Takada said hastily.


    "Do you know how much time I''m wasting by coming here?" Saito Takeji scoffed.


    "Yes, yes, this is also for avenging Tsugawa and to vindicate the Shintou line. Moreover, the Source Material on Tsugawa...." Hiroshi Takada started to say but did not finish his sentence.


    Saito Takeji''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    He had decided to come to Da Xia to issue a challenge, and one of the reasons was the Second Transition Source Material that was with Tsugawa Hideyoshi.


    Source Material is in a free state before Source Fusion is completed and will be released upon death.


    This meant, after Tsugawa Hideyoshi''s death, Source Material would surely be released.


    Whoever obtained this Source Material could acquire the starting Source Material for the Second Transition Class Swordsman.


    "If there''s already Second Transition Source Material, obtaining this share of Source Material can increase the Source Material Fusion Degree."


    Those who knew that Hideyoshi Tsugawa had Source Material could guess that this share of Source Material was now in Lu Heng''s possession.


    One of the main reasons Saito Takeji traveled all the way to Coastal was this very Source Material.


    However,


    He never anticipated that within just a couple of days of arriving in Coastal, he would be exiled.


    It was only a fifteen-day exile, but for him, it was a disgrace.


    As he waited for his flight, several people in green uniforms stood quietly beside him, like pillars, silent and still.


    In fact,


    With his abilities, he could easily break free from their watch. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But if he did so, he would face a Da Xia-wide manhunt, which would be even more humiliating.


    His eyes narrowed with a chilling gleam, and he clenched his fists, swearing silently that in fifteen days, he would make that young man from Da Xia regret everything he had done.


    ...


    Fifteen days was Lu Heng''s initial estimate of the time it would take to return from Liu River, but he had no idea how long it would actually take.


    However, if they couldn''t resolve the spreading fog at Liu River within fifteen days, the fog would envelop the nuclear power station, and that would essentially mean mission failure.


    It wasn''t just Liu River; several regions across the country needed to deal with fog crises.


    Since all task force information was shared, the information provided by Lu Heng could help not only at Liu River but in other places as well.


    That very afternoon,


    Two dispatch teams for the Liu River fog crisis arrived at their destination and then transferred to the Liu River military base''s tracked armored vehicles to officially head toward the fog-covered area.


    These tracked armored vehicles weren''t tanks, but rather armored personnel carriers suited to mountainous terrain, equipped with a 20mm caliber machine gun according to requirements.


    Upon reaching the edge of the fog, the two tracked vehicles came to a stop.


    Jian Qing stood up from within the vehicle, looked up at the slowly spreading fog, and then jumped off the map in hand from the opposite vehicle.


    Lu Heng also dismounted and joined her to discuss the next course of action.


    "How do you plan to proceed after entering?" Jian Qing asked proactively.


    Lu Heng had not visited Liu River or participated in the fog crisis operation here in his past life, and so was unfamiliar with what had happened inside the fog.


    However, having entered the fog many times after Awakening, he had a clear idea of the dangers that awaited within.


    Looking at the map, Lu Heng asked, "Would you mind if we split up?"


    "What do you mean?" Jian Qing didn''t hastily agree, but neither did she oppose the idea.


    "We need to locate the Crack from which the fog is emanating, but we can''t detect the point of fog leakage from outside. We need to go in to find it; once we locate it, we can start looking for a solution. Therefore, if we search separately, it increases our chances," Lu Heng shared his thoughts.


    "That''s fine, we''ll discuss the next steps after we find the point of leakage."


    The situation was simple: they needed to find the origin of the spreading fog, so Jian Qing readily agreed.


    The operation was already designed to be comprehensive, with both dispatched teams capable of completing the mission independently.


    Of course, capability didn''t guarantee success, so it still depended on how things actually unfolded.


    "Alright, let''s divide up the area then and start searching separately. I''ve already submitted information on the fog Cracks before, there''s no need to go over that again, right?" Lu Heng pointed out on the map, considering how to divide the area.


    "Of course, I''ve reviewed the information, and it''s very useful. Even if you didn''t come to Liu River in person, the information you''ve provided is already a significant contribution."


    Jian Qing spoke as she traced circles on the map with her finger, "Let''s divide it up based on the valley''s terrain. Now that the fog has spread out, let''s use this creek running down the middle of the valley as the dividing line; you choose a side."


    Lu Heng surveyed the map, guessing where the fog Crack was most likely to appear, and then pointed to the valley on the east side of the creek, "Then I''ll take the east side."


    "Good. I''ll take the other side. If you encounter any dangers you can''t handle, fire a signal flare, and I''ll come to rescue." After speaking, Jian Qing saluted with her hand at her temple and prepared to board the vehicle to proceed.


    Before coming here, the research department had already conducted numerous tests on the fog.


    The reports indicated that not only was the fog corrosive but it also had a strong isolating effect on electromagnetic waves, rendering communication signals ineffective beyond a certain distance.


    That''s why they needed to prepare signal flares before entering the fog so that, in case of emergency, they could fire flares to call for help.


    In the information on the fog submitted earlier, Lu Heng also specified the required composition for teams entering the fog zone, which was the necessity of having a Perceiver, and ideally, in a ten-person team, there should be three Perceivers.


    Because visibility within the fog was so low, only a Perceiver could expand their range of perception.


    One Perceiver might have oversights, so it''s best to have three.


    Given that firearms and other thermal weaponry were present, having more Perceivers wouldn''t significantly reduce combat capability.


    After all, at this stage, the combat power of many Superpower Users couldn''t compare to even the smallest caliber of a 20mm machine gun.

 Chapter 167 - 140 Shadows in the Mist

    The two of them agreed on their respective search areas, and Jian Qing was ready to get in the vehicle. As she turned around, she noticed a tiger with a metallic surface next to Lu Heng and curiously asked,


    "Is this thing alive? Or is it a machine?"


    Judging by appearances, it was hard to tell, since the Mechanical Tiger''s surface was made of liquid metal, allowing its limbs to move freely.


    This situation had already surpassed ordinary people''s understanding of machinery.


    Generally speaking, if a robot is to move its limbs, then there must be gears or the like in the joints.


    But this Mechanical Tiger''s appearance revealed no mechanical structure; aside from its metallic surface, it looked very much like a living predator.


    On Blue Star, not only humans could awaken abilities, but other creatures also had the potential to mutate.


    However, wild beasts wouldn''t mutate on their own, so the chances of mutation were relatively small.


    Mutated wild beasts could also gain special abilities.


    In other words, if a tiger gained the ability to metalize its skin, it''s possible for a Mechanical Tiger to occur.


    Lu Heng glanced at the Mechanical Tiger and responded, "It''s a machine."


    Jian Qing raised her eyebrows in admiration, "That''s cool, you got it from the Abyss Battlefield, right? Next time we meet, tell me how to get such an impressive Mechanical Beast."


    Lu Heng shrugged his shoulders and replied, "We''ll talk after this mission is done."


    "Well, I''m off." Jian Qing waved her hand and proceeded to board the vehicle.


    After the two tracked vehicles entered the mist, they reached a fork by a stream and separated, one going left and the other right.


    Before being enveloped by the mist, Jian Qing waved her hand and called out loudly, "Hey! Since you dared to bring a girl here, you better make sure to take her back safely."


    Naturally, she was referring to Su Muyu.


    In fact, it was rare for girls to undertake such dangerous missions.


    Jian Qing herself had been in a similar situation before, seldom being allowed to participate in hazardous tasks.


    However, since the Abyss Descent event, things had changed a bit.


    Her Talent was too exceptional; she had participated in many Abyss Battlefield missions, using her strengths to change her comrades'' views.


    Moreover, the theory was that her Wind Attribute ability could actually prove useful in the mist, which is why she had come.


    Su Muyu was different, not on a national assignment, but brought in by Lu Heng himself.


    And that''s why Jian Qing had said what she did.


    Lu Heng did not respond to her comment, just smiled and waved his hand.


    In fact, like Jian Qing''s presence there,


    Su Muyu played a vital role in this operation.


    She was currently the strongest Perceiver that could be found in the territory of Da Xia. There might be others, but none could completely surpass her in Perception Ability.


    And the existence of the mist greatly reduced human visibility, making it extremely dangerous to scout without a Perceiver.


    ...


    Lu Heng''s current team consisted of ten people, including Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, Chen Zihang''s five-member squad, and two additional Superpower Soldiers.


    Out of the ten, besides Lu Heng, there were two other Perceivers.


    One of them was a member of Chen Zihang''s team, Wu Weibing, a Reconnaissance Soldier from the special forces who was chosen for his outstanding Awakened abilities to form a team with several others including Chen Zihang.


    Lu Heng assigned different tasks to the three Perceivers.


    One was responsible for scouting ahead, another for keeping watch on the rear and both sides.


    Su Muyu was tasked with aerial reconnaissance to ensure nothing was overlooked.


    Actually, if it were solely for better scouting directions in the mist, it would be better to increase the number of Perceivers.


    However, arranging three Perceivers in a ten-person team was already a relatively large number.


    To ensure enough Combat Power to cope with an encounter with Abyss Creatures, it was not feasible to keep reducing the main combat personnel.


    ...


    The tracked vehicle creaked and clattered through the mountainous terrain, which was rugged, but the vehicle advanced steadily.


    The Mechanical Tiger followed behind the vehicle, moving even more smoothly.


    Wheeled vehicles definitely run faster on flat ground than creatures or machines on foot.


    However, once it comes to mountainous terrain, wheels are not so useful, and tracks must be installed.


    Tracks can only handle general mountain terrain; if it''s necessary to climb, then they are completely inefficient.


    Lin Zeyu swayed back and forth on the vehicle, occasionally taking out the sniper rifle and bracing it against the guard, aiming into the mist:


    "This mist is just ridiculous, with only ten meters of visibility, what''s the point of a sniper rifle?"


    Lu Heng glanced at him and teased, "Now you know why I initially didn''t want to bring you along, right?"


    "What? You really didn''t want to bring me? I''m about to be abandoned? I''ve worked so hard on my shooting, who am I doing this for?" Lin Zeyu suddenly exclaimed.


    "Aren''t you doing it for yourself?" Lu Heng rolled his eyes.


    "Right, it is for myself, but it also improves the team''s Combat Power," Lin Zeyu spread his hands.


    "Don''t be so downhearted, your Source Energy Shock Bomb is still useful. That level of energy should be able to disperse the mist."


    Lu Heng was just joking with him. In the mist, indeed the sniper rifle would struggle to be effective, but a machine gun could be used, and when combined with "Advanced Armor-piercing Bullets," it could still be fierce.


    Lin Zeyu scratched his head and asked, "I''ve realized that my power enhancement direction has a fatal weakness. If I meet a superpower user who can create fog, wouldn''t I be helpless against him?"


    Su Muyu pursed her lips and smiled, "It seems like they don''t even need to create fog¡ªan ordinary smoke bomb would do."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened as he complained, "Why do you even know about this? Have you been playing CS or what?"


    "I''ve seen pigs run," Su Muyu chuckled with her hand over her mouth.


    Lin Zeyu put on a serious expression and asked, "Lu Heng, is there any way to solve this problem? Is there a method that would let me shoot the target in the fog with one shot?"


    After thinking for a moment, Lu Heng said, "There is a way, depending on whether you want to learn that kind of skill."


    "What skill?" Lin Zeyu hurriedly pressed on.


    "It''s actually oriented towards Perception System skills. They could more or less solve this issue. For example, using the vision of a Reconnaissance Eagle to lock onto the target''s position and then take a shot," Lu Heng suggested a strategy.


    "Yeah, right, how about I get a recon eagle too?" Lin Zeyu clapped his hands, feeling it was a good idea.


    When Su Muyu had spare time, she would browse the Crystal Core Dark Network to check out transaction information.


    She wasn''t there to buy crystal cores but to gather skill information by looking at transaction listings.


    Transaction information usually disclosed data about the skills, so by checking out these lists, she could learn about the capabilities of different skills.


    With this, she had come to understand the effects of many skills.


    After understanding many skills, she had also deduced some patterns.


    No skill could do everything; a single skill couldn''t possibly have every effect.


    Perception System skills generally didn''t have Attack Power.


    Skills with Attack Power usually lacked defensive capabilities.


    Occasionally, some skills would have two functions, but their numeric values would be lower than those specialized in a single function. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, a skill''s effectiveness was proportional to its Level.


    A Level D skill would definitely be weaker than a similar Level C skill.


    Hence, when Lin Zeyu spoke about getting a Reconnaissance Eagle,


    she chimed in to remind him, "You''ve got to think it through. Recon Eagles don''t have invisibility or attack abilities, and they could be detected by the opponent from a long distance. Plus, you don''t have Summoned Creature Vision, so you also won''t be able to use the Eagle''s vision."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened after hearing this.


    He then realized that the strength of Su Muyu''s Recon Eagle was the result of a combination of various skills.


    For instance, Su Muyu''s Recon Eagle possessed invisibility capabilities.


    In reality, Recon Eagles couldn''t turn invisible on their own; Su Muyu''s eagle could become invisible because it had the "Invisibility Veil" skill.


    Normally, superpower users couldn''t switch their vision to a Recon Eagle, because it was Su Muyu''s Talent "Summoned Creature Vision" that granted that ability.


    Additionally, regular Recon Eagles didn''t have Attack Power, unless they were upgraded to "Advanced Reconnaissance Hawks."


    Not just that, normal Recon Eagles couldn''t carry weight, nor could they carry people in flight¡ªit was Su Muyu''s Class "Sky Eye" that provided that ability.


    Thinking this through, Lin Zeyu suddenly realized that if he truly learned a Reconnaissance Eagle Skill and used it in front of Su Muyu, it would be a comical case of displaying one''s slight skill before an expert.


    Unconvinced, Lin Zeyu asked, "Lu Heng, is there any skill that has both detection and invisibility capabilities and can also provide a sniper''s field of vision?"


    The surrounding superpower users couldn''t help but want to laugh.


    Chen Zihang patted his shoulder and said, "Bro, you''re asking for too much. If there were such a skill, I''d want it too."


    Lin Zeyu argued, "I''m not even asking for Attack Power, just invisibility and a field of vision. That''s not too much to ask, is it?"


    "Actually, it''s quite a lot," the group said, barely holding back laughter.


    Yet, after some thought, Lu Heng suddenly said, "It''s not that such a skill doesn''t exist at all."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up as he eagerly asked, "Really? What skill is it?"


    Lu Heng did know of a skill that could meet his requirements, but it had limitations: "I''ve actually seen one on the Crystal Core Dark Network, called ''Hidden Eye.''"


    "Really? I''ll get one when I get back. Is that kind of Skill Crystal Core rare?" Lin Zeyu''s eyes sparkled.


    "You''re not going to ask about the downsides?" Lu Heng said with a smile.


    "With invisibility and vision, what more could I need?" Lin Zeyu felt those two effects were sufficient, but then he turned and asked, "What are the downsides?"


    Lu Heng spread his hands and said, "It can''t move."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes bulged as he asked, "How is it supposed to be used if it can''t move?"


    Chen Zihang jumped in with an explanation, "Ever played a game? Isn''t this skill like placing a ward? So, you have to walk over and put it down."


    "Holy crap! That description is...spot on," Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened as he finally understood what the skill entailed.


    Lu Heng spread his hands and said, "Every skill has its advantages and disadvantages. Wanting a single skill to solve both invisibility and vision is bound to have some shortcomings. It''s about whether you can accept them. If used correctly, it can be quite handy."


    "I''ll think about it, I''ll think about it¡­" Lin Zeyu decided to consider it some more.


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "If I were you, I''d learn this skill."


    "Why?" Lin Zeyu curiously pressed.


    "A sniper shouldn''t chase after opponents. Doing so would be like walking into a trap. Snipers usually are the ones who flee, and leaving ''Hidden Eyes'' along their escape route would let them know the opponent''s location at any time. This skill is designed for professional snipers," Lu Heng analyzed the usage method for him.


    After hearing this, Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. Combined with Source Energy Shock Bombs and Black Witchcraft Traps, any melee superpower user who dares to come after me without looking out will be in for a rough time."


    While they were discussing skills,


    Su Muyu suddenly furrowed her brows and said, "Shh! Quiet. I just saw a shadow dart by up ahead."

 Chapter 168 - 141 Terrifying Abyss Creatures

    Perception detected something flit through the mist ahead, and Su Muyu immediately made the reconnaissance eagle follow it.


    The track vehicles also came to a temporary halt to listen more clearly to the surrounding sounds.


    Everyone entered a state of alert, ready to respond to any potential attacks that might come.


    The mist had been present for over a week, making any encounter with Abyss Creatures within it a possibility.


    That was what made the mist so terrifying; one never knew what they might encounter within.


    Two minutes after the reconnaissance eagle flew out, Su Muyu opened her eyes and said with a serious expression, "Didn''t catch up to it."


    Lu Heng furrowed his brows, pondering what that fleeting shadow could have been.


    The fact that not even the reconnaissance eagle could catch up to it suggested that the thing was very fast, of a high level, and possibly even capable of concealing itself.


    With such limited information, Lu Heng couldn''t immediately deduce which kind of Abyss Creature it could be.


    "Let''s keep moving forward," Lu Heng told the driver to continue driving.


    The track vehicle proceeded over the rugged terrain, crushing rocks, and producing a grating noise.


    After covering some distance, Chen Zihang''s team''s Perceiver, Wu Weibing, spoke up, "I think I saw an animal carcass."


    Then Su Muyu added, "It''s the body of an elk, to our front left, about two hundred meters away."


    As the mist grew thicker and visibility dropped below ten meters, apart from Perceivers, no one could see the situation two hundred meters away.


    "Let''s move closer to take a look."


    The track vehicle stopped about ten meters from the elk''s carcass.


    Lu Heng jumped off the vehicle, intending to inspect the condition of the elk''s body.


    Animals that died in the mist were likely killed by Abyss Creatures.


    Therefore, the carcass could reveal a lot of information, and it was possible to analyze what kind of Abyss Creature caused the injuries by examining the wounds.


    Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, and Chen Zihang also got off the vehicle and walked towards the elk.


    Lin Zeyu circled around the elk''s body and then pointed to the wound on its back, saying, "It seems to have been bitten to death; the wound is deep, and the bite force must have been tremendous."


    Lu Heng examined the wound on the elk''s back; the gash was severe, almost as if the spine had been bitten off.


    Because the tear was so bad, the shape of the teeth was indistinguishable, leaving it impossible to tell what had bitten it.


    Lu Heng stood in front of the elk''s body, frowning in contemplation, mentally paging through each type of Abyss Creature that could appear in the mist and then systematically eliminating them.


    Chen Zihang also examined the carcass and said quizzically, "It just bit it once and didn''t eat the elk; perhaps our arrival scared it away, or it might be picky and didn''t like the taste of elk."


    After several members of the team examined the elk''s body, no useful conclusions were drawn.


    "We haven''t seen similar bite marks in the Abyss Battlefield, but whatever did this is definitely dangerous; we need to stay alert. Let''s go, we''ll continue our investigation," suggested Chen Zihang, the deputy leader of the team.


    However, Lu Heng remained in front of the elk''s body, furrowing his brows in thought.


    Chen Zihang asked curiously, "Is there a problem?"


    "Wait a second¡­"


    As he spoke, Lu Heng crouched on his own, placed his hand on the elk''s abdomen, and then pulled out the Aurora Blade and sliced open the elk''s belly.


    When the belly was cut open, intestines, internal organs, and a bulging sac-like amnion were exposed.


    "Is that the stomach?" Lin Zeyu looked curiously at the bulging sac.


    Seeing the bulging amnion, Lu Heng, who already knew what it was, quickly raised his hand and said, "Step back a bit."


    Hearing his words and knowing that the situation wasn''t simple, everyone hastily took a few steps back and went on high alert.


    Lu Heng then slashed open the amnion with his blade, and a viscous fluid burst out.


    Right after that, the amnion exploded with force, and something suddenly sprang at Lu Heng''s face, causing everyone''s hearts to leap in fear.


    Lu Heng was prepared; with a swing of the Aurora Blade, he cut down the creature.


    The creature fell to the ground in two pieces, still twisting and convulsing.


    It was only then that everyone got a clear look at it; it was a strange-looking creature, thirty centimeters long with tentacles, claws, and a horrifying mouthpart.


    "What¡­ what is this thing?" Someone in the team was shocked upon seeing such a disgusting creature.


    "A Parasitic Demon, also called an Abyssal Alien," Lu Heng said, instantly feeling the pressure increase.


    This creature was one of the most dangerous among the various Abyss Creatures found in the mist.


    This kind of creature was called a Parasitic Demon, but Superpower Users commonly referred to it as an Abyssal Alien.


    Its parasitic method of reproduction resembled that of aliens too closely.


    After killing its host, an Abyssal Alien would lay eggs inside the carcass of the creature.


    Once the eggs hatched, they would consume the carcass.


    These creatures grew incredibly fast, and after consuming the carcass, an Abyssal Alien would grow to its first adult form.


    The name Abyssal Alien was quite illustrative; simply hearing the name would make those present envision the horrific reproductive method of these creatures.


    That was also why the name had gained traction; no explanation was needed¡ªthe name said it all.


    "The thing that just darted past our vehicle, that wouldn''t happen to be an Abyssal Alien, would it?" someone exclaimed, eyes widening with sudden tension.


    "Possibly," said Lu Heng, though he couldn''t be a hundred percent sure because he hadn''t seen the thing with his own eyes.


    Realizing it was an Abyssal Alien, Lu Heng began to worry about another matter.


    Since Abyssal Aliens rarely appear in the mist, he hadn''t thought of them before, so they went unmentioned when he submitted the data on the mist.


    In other words, Jian Qing''s team was unaware of the existence of Abyssal Aliens.


    "Burn these two segments of the larvae."


    Lu Heng instructed before striding back to the tracked vehicle.


    Chen Zihang lit a fire and turned the bisected Abyssal Alien larvae to ash.


    Back on the tracked vehicle, Lu Heng asked the driver, "Turn on the communicator and see if we can get in touch with the other team."


    The vehicle was equipped with a high-powered communicator which, in the absence of mist, could receive signals from any location in the world.


    The driver turned on the communicator to broadcast a signal, and after a moment, shook his head, "No good, there''s no signal."


    Indeed, the mist had the specific property of weakening electromagnetic signals; beyond a certain distance, the signals would diminish significantly until they disappeared completely.


    Therefore, once inside the mist, communication would be cut off unless the other party was not too far away.


    The mist enveloping Liu River now had a diameter of fifty kilometers and a height exceeding three hundred meters.


    Once inside the mist, establishing communication became very difficult.


    Unless Jian Qing''s team sent up a flare, allowing Su Muyu to dispatch a recon hawk, there was virtually no way to make contact.


    The Superpower Soldiers in Jian Qing''s team had been recruited from special forces and the Defense University and were not lacking in strength; otherwise, their superiors wouldn''t dare send them into the mist.


    As things had developed to this stage, they could only rely on themselves.


    Being a mist exploration team, they needed the capability to face the crises within the mist. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If they lacked even the ability to deal with the Abyssal Aliens, becoming a burden from the start, that would be a mistake on the part of their superiors.


    "Let''s continue moving forward and complete the exploration of the mist zone according to the preset route. We''ll find the crack first," Lu Heng signaled to everyone to get back on the vehicle and proceed.


    In the recent slaying of the Abyssal Alien larvae, he had gained 15 points of Demon Energy.


    After all, it was just a larva, the energy yield was quite low, and no Crystal Core was produced.


    The tracked vehicle continued moving forward.


    Now that they knew Abyssal Aliens existed in the mist, everyone heightened their vigilance, intently watching the swirling fog.


    However, aside from the Perceiver, the others'' visibility did not exceed ten meters; no matter how wide they opened their eyes, it was of no use.


    In such an environment, they could only rely on the Perceiver for reconnaissance.


    Several hundred meters forward, Wu Weibing discovered a second dead animal¡ªthis time it wasn''t just one.


    There were two wild boar corpses, the distance between their fallen bodies less than ten meters.


    Having previous experience with the elk, the group directly opened up the bellies of the wild boars and killed the larvae within.


    The team consisted of Superpower Users with not insignificant levels, so dealing with these larvae was quite easy.


    Before leaving, Lu Heng thought for a moment and added, "Burn the wild boar corpses as well, don''t leave anything for the Abyssal Aliens."


    The growth rate of the Abyssal Aliens was rapid; leaving food behind meant they would just grow bigger after consuming it, naturally becoming tougher to handle.


    The continuous discovery of animal corpses parasitized by Abyssal Alien larvae meant that there were many of these aliens in the mist.


    Back in the vehicle, Lu Heng shared all the information he could think of related to the Abyssal Aliens:


    "Abyssal Aliens have enhanced Strength and Agility traits, making them very fast and strong; they are a type of Abyss Creature that''s extremely powerful physically.


    "Basically, the Strength and Agility of an Abyssal Alien are about 20% higher than those of a Superpower User of the same level, so we''re at a disadvantage in close combat.


    "Moreover, Abyssal Aliens can also spit Corrosive Mucus, which is more potent than that of the Abyss Tide Worm, and at a C-level.


    "If a leading Abyssal Alien appears, it''s more dangerous; the corrosive mucus it spits might even be of B-level. If you get even a little on you, your body will be corroded into a puddle of filthy liquid."


    Everyone listened and drew a sharp breath.


    In the mist, this type of close-combat creature, fast and strong, was the most dangerous.


    Under normal circumstances, you could spot your target from a great distance and respond accordingly.


    Especially if armed with thermal weapons, you could start shooting from hundreds of meters away, shredding the Abyssal Alien before it closed in.


    But in the mist, visibility was less than ten meters.


    If an Abyssal Alien suddenly charged out of the mist, at such a short distance, there wouldn''t even be time to react.


    Fortunately, before setting off, Lu Heng had stressed repeatedly that the team must include at least three Perceivers.


    The skills of Perceivers complemented each other, making it possible to issue a warning before the appearance of an Abyssal Alien.


    Even so, everyone''s nerves were taut, eyes wide open, staring into the fog ahead.


    Sometimes, the mere sighting of a shadow would send a chill down their spine, prompting them to point and shout, "What is that?"


    As it turned out, once the vehicle approached, it would be nothing more than the trunk of a large tree.


    The team continued on through the tension, delving deeper into the mist.

 Chapter 169 - 142: Exploring the Heavenly Pit, Encountering an Attack by Abyss Creatures

    After penetrating ten kilometers into the fog, its density continued to increase, reducing visibility to less than eight meters.


    The tracked vehicle came to a halt in front of a heavenly pit.


    The team member responsible for terrain perception, Wu Weibing, held up the map and said to Lu Heng, "Ahead is the Peak Forest Sky Hole of the Liu River area, 352 meters in diameter, 377 meters deep, with a complex internal structure. The fog is too thick to see what''s below, we might need to go down and explore to confirm whether there''s an Abyss Rift inside."


    Su Muyu raised her hand and said, "I''ll take this one, but it will take some time."


    "Use the reconnaissance eagle to explore, everyone else stay alert on-site. If you''ve been sitting too long and want to stretch, you can get out and move your legs, but you must not stray from the Perceiver''s line of sight," Lu Heng arranged the team''s tasks.


    Su Muyu agreed and then closed her eyes, controlling the reconnaissance eagle to fly into the Peak Forest Sky Hole to explore whether there was an Abyss Rift.


    Because of the fog, the visibility of the reconnaissance eagle was also greatly limited.


    Thus, letting the reconnaissance eagle fly to every nook in the sky hole to explore was the only way to confirm the presence of any rifts.


    The team had been traveling for half a day and everyone''s legs were numb from sitting.


    So, everyone jumped off the vehicle to stretch their limbs.


    However, they did not dare to walk far and only moved around near the tracked vehicle.


    Lu Heng went to the edge of the sky hole, picked up a rock, and threw it down.


    It took about six or seven seconds before they heard the rock hit the ground, and it didn''t even hit the bottom of the hole as they later heard the faint sound of the rock rolling.


    From the time it took for the rock to hit the ground, it was clear that the sky hole was indeed very deep.


    Exploring it would take some time.


    Lu Heng walked back to the vehicle and sat down next to Su Muyu to give her a sense of security.


    After about ten minutes of investigation.


    Su Muyu suddenly said in a hurried tone, "I see eggs! Really big eggs!"


    Everyone, hearing her voice, quickly became alert and gathered back beside the tracked vehicle.


    "What kind of eggs?" Lu Heng asked, frowning.


    "Oval-shaped, a large one, even bigger than a football," Su Muyu said, her voice tense as she described the large egg she saw through the reconnaissance eagle''s vision.


    Eggs larger than a football couldn''t possibly belong to Blue Star.


    "Does it have some irregular patterns on it?" asked Lu Heng.


    "Yes, it''s stuck on a rock wall. Should I break one to check?" Su Muyu took a deep breath, preparing herself to break open an egg.


    "Break one to have a look," Lu Heng nodded in agreement.


    Although the purpose of entering the fog was to find an Abyss Rift, encountering the eggs of Abyss Creatures was something best dealt with immediately or it might cause trouble later.


    Su Muyu controlled the reconnaissance eagle to use its claw to break an egg, then she shuddered and said, "I broke it open. Something rushed out of it, resembling the larva of an Abyssal Alien."


    "That''s an egg of the Abyssal Alien then. These creatures can reproduce by laying eggs or through parasitism," Lu Heng had already guessed.


    Since the mist already revealed the presence of Abyssal Aliens, encountering their eggs was not something to be surprised about.


    "What do we do now?" Su Muyu asked hurriedly.


    "Continue exploring the sky hole to confirm if there''s an Abyss Rift. If not, see how many eggs there are. If there are too many, we''ll burn them," Lu Heng ordered.


    Su Muyu nodded and continued to control the reconnaissance eagle to explore deeper into the sky hole.


    "How much longer would it be?" Lu Heng asked about the time.


    "It might take about half an hour," Su Muyu had only explored one-third of the area and indeed needed more time to complete the investigation.


    Just then,


    Wu Weibing suddenly alerted loudly, "Something''s moving in the fog!"


    Everyone became vigilant and took out their weapons.


    Wu Weibing immediately climbed back onto the vehicle, set up the 20mm cannon, and adjusted its direction, aiming into the foggy woods.


    However, because the fog was too dense, even with Perception Skill, they could only detect something moving within the fog.


    Moreover, it wasn''t charging straight towards them.


    So, Wu Weibing kept adjusting the direction of the cannon''s aim.


    The rest of the troops also set up their machine guns, ready for battle.


    In this tense atmosphere, time passed bit by bit.


    Wu Weibing didn''t fire yet, and the others could only anxiously wait.


    After about half a minute, Wu Weibing''s breathing steadied, but he still held the handle of the cannon.


    Due to the lengthy wait, Lin Zeyu couldn''t help but ask, "What''s the situation?" sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wu Weibing exhaled and said, "Just now, that thing was in the woods ahead, it shook a few times, I thought it was going to charge over, but now it''s gone."


    Seeing this situation, everyone became even more tense. "Does it have invisibility?"


    Lu Heng explained, "This is a hunting tactic of the Abyssal Aliens, they''ll try multiple times and then retreat. They repeat this a few times until the prey becomes complacent and lowers its guard, then they''ll truly launch an attack. So, we must always stay vigilant."


    "This is way too tricky," Lin Zeyu''s heart was racing with tension.


    A direct confrontation with an Abyssal Alien was acceptable even if they were powerful.


    It''s this kind of intangible torment that was truly distressing.


    After about five minutes.


    Wu Weibing became alert again, rotating the cannon''s muzzle direction, but still he did not fire.


    Everyone else also stretched their nerves to the limit, ready to face the battle.


    "But," half a minute later, Wu Weibing said helplessly, "It''s gone again."


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Even though Lu Heng had reminded them to stay alert, encountering such a situation made it inevitable for their bodies to slacken, despite what their minds knew.


    After three or four back-and-forths, everyone was frustrated, but the thing in the fog just didn''t come forward.


    Lu Heng spoke up, "It should be about time, hold on."


    Chen Zihang added, "Come on! Shout to keep the spirits up!"


    "Unity is strength!" Wu Weibing led the song to keep their spirits highly focused.


    Lu Heng whispered a reminder in Su Muyu''s ear, "When the battle starts, fight first."


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded in agreement.


    Exploration could continue after the fight, but confronting the terrifying creatures in the fog was crucial.


    Everyone waited with the lyrics in mind.


    At that moment,


    Wu Weibing became alert again and turned the turret of the mounted gun.


    This time, he distinctly felt that the creature was about to rush up. He was about to open fire when he suddenly exclaimed in shock, "Fight! There are many, so many!"


    He didn''t have time to count how many there were. He just felt that many terrifying creatures were rushing out of the fog.


    As he shouted, he also opened fire.


    The machine gun rattled, spitting bullets like a fire snake into the foggy forest, banging away without knowing if it hit anything.


    Another perceiver also raised their machine gun and swept shots into the fog.


    Lin Zeyu felt a bit helpless; he was a firearms-enhanced superpower user but couldn''t see anything in the fog.


    Moreover, a sniper rifle only had ten bullets. The key to using it was to hit the target with each shot. Using it like an assault rifle would exhaust the bullets quickly.


    However, other firearms were available on the armored vehicle.


    He quickly grabbed an assault rifle from the weapon box and started firing in the direction the perceivers were targeting, without knowing what he was hitting.


    Su Muyu also immediately opened her eyes, pulled back her scout eagle, and raised her crossbow to fire into the foggy forest.


    "Five heads... no wait, six, six Abyssal Aliens," she called out while shooting, reminding them of the number.


    Hearing this, Lu Heng also shivered inwardly,


    That number was a bit terrifying.


    Lu Heng shouted loudly, "Disperse the fog, clear the view! Throw the Source Energy Shock Bombs further!"


    The fog could be dispersed, but it wouldn''t be long before it enveloped the area again.


    Besides, a high-temperature explosion could also temporarily disperse the fog.


    The team had a superpower user capable of dispersing fog, and they immediately started to clear the surrounding mist.


    Lin Zeyu also used the Source Energy Shock Bombs, throwing them in the direction the perceivers were shooting.


    Bang! Bang! Bang...


    Several consecutive explosions cleared a small area of fog.


    This allowed the team to see up to twenty meters away.


    Soon, the first Abyssal Alien charged out of the fog, revealing its grotesque and terrifying form at a distance of twenty meters.


    Even though the team already knew what was lurking in the fog and had seen Abyssal Alien larvae, finding them disgusting,


    no one but Lu Heng had seen an Abyssal Alien up close.


    When the Abyssal Alien appeared in front of them, everyone was horrified by its hideous form and terrifying claws, causing their scalps to tingle.


    This Abyssal Alien was three meters tall, with sharp teeth and fangs, somewhat resembling a mutated velociraptor.


    Wu Weibing controlled the machine gun, rattling shots at the Abyssal Alien.


    The 20mm bullets exploded against the Abyssal Alien, blasting apart segments of slime.


    The machine gun fired 450 rounds per minute, seven bullets per second, pouring dense bullets over the Abyssal Alien and shredding its body, creating gaping holes.


    As the Abyssal Alien charged within ten meters, it couldn''t hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, sliding forward.


    At the same time,


    another five Abyssal Aliens charged from various directions through the fog, the tallest being three meters and the smallest two and a half meters.


    The machine gun had just taken down one Abyssal Alien, and there was no time to turn and target the others.


    Lu Heng knew that if these five Abyssal Aliens reached the vehicle, there would definitely be casualties.


    Of the team, there were three perceivers, a gunman, spiritual system and support system superpower users, and only three were close-combat superpower users.


    This meant that apart from these three people, everyone else in the team lacked the capability to confront the Abyssal Aliens head-on.


    Therefore, it was crucial to quickly eliminate one or two Abyssal Aliens to reduce the pressure on the team.


    Lu Heng pointed at one of the Abyssal Aliens and commanded, "Attack!"


    The Mechanical Tiger immediately pounced on one of the Abyssal Aliens.


    When the Mechanical Tiger was on all fours, its shoulder height was 1.3 meters, but standing up, it was over three meters tall.


    Plus, with a weight comparable to that of a car, its charge bore significant kinetic energy, pinning down an Abyssal Alien as they began tearing at each other.


    Meanwhile, Lu Heng drew the Aurora Blade, charging at another Abyssal Alien and unleashed the "Rift Slash" powered by Source Material Energy.

 Chapter 170 - 143 Battle Abyssal Alien, Level Up

    The Second Transition Essential Skill "Rift Slash" was unleashed in an instant, as the chilling sword radiance slashed downwards from above.


    There was nothing in this world capable of blocking this sword strike, and the sword radiance cleaved onto the head of the Abyssal Alien, instantly tearing apart its body and splitting it into two halves.


    A one-strike kill.


    Seeing this, the other team members couldn''t help but raise their eyebrows, a hint of surprise blossoming in their hearts.


    Seeing the team leader''s combat power this formidable was like an injection of a strong heart stimulant for them.


    Bullets and skills poured out crazily, attacking the other three Abyssal Aliens.


    Due to the proximity, a distance of twenty meters could be traversed in the blink of an eye.


    The leading Abyssal Alien slammed into the caterpillar vehicle with a "Bang," shaking the vehicle violently, nearly causing it to tip over.


    The few people on the vehicle were thrown off by the impact, scrambling to get up and continue fighting.


    Wu Weibing refused to let go of the gatling gun, gripping the handle tightly in his hands.


    The Abyssal Alien jumped onto the combat vehicle with a "Bang" and swung its claw at his head.


    Even as a Superpower User, the body couldn''t withstand a direct hit from an Abyssal Alien.


    Su Muyu did a flip in mid-air, landing on the ground. Upon seeing this scene, she promptly deployed the "Prism Tower Shield" to block the attack for him.


    Bang!


    The Abyssal Alien shattered the "Prism Tower Shield" with a swipe of its claw, then opened its gaping maw to bite at Wu Weibing''s head.


    Taking advantage of the defense provided by the "Prism Tower Shield," Wu Weibing rotated the gatling gun''s barrel and fired almost directly into the mouth of the Abyssal Alien.


    Puh! Puh! Puh...


    A string of bullets penetrated the mouth of the Abyssal Alien, exiting through the back of its head, shattering the skull and spewing out a viscous blood.


    In its dying throes, the Abyssal Alien spat out a glob of Corrosive Mucus, which landed on the gatling gun''s barrel, dissolving through it.


    When the eroded barrel fired again, there was a "Bang" as it burst.


    Subsequently, the second Abyssal Alien rushed towards the combat vehicle, beginning its pursuit of those who jumped off. The first target was Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu reacted swiftly, grabbing the claws of the scout eagle to immediately rise into the air, avoiding the Abyssal Alien''s pounce. Then she attacked with Elemental Flame Arrows.


    One after another, the Flame Arrows pinned into the head of the Abyssal Alien, lighting flames and scorching it into extreme anger.


    The Abyssal Alien had a strong resistance to attacks. The flames could hurt it, but a prolonged incineration was required to do so; it couldn''t stop its attacks in a short time.


    The Abyssal Alien, failing to reach Su Muyu, turned its attention to Lin Zeyu.


    By this time, the Abyssal Alien had charged into melee range, and messy combat with the team ensued.


    In such close quarters, firearms were scarcely effective.


    Firing a gun in close combat could easily result in friendly fire.


    Lin Zeyu, seeing the fire-engulfed Abyssal Alien rushing over, quickly threw down a restraining trap and then turned to run towards Lu Heng.


    He was acutely aware that there was only one person who could save him there.


    The Abyssal Alien stepped on the restraining trap but was only held back for a second before breaking free and pouncing towards Lin Zeyu.


    Lu Heng had just dispatched an Abyssal Alien when he heard Lin Zeyu''s shout. He immediately turned and dashed over, intercepting the Abyssal Alien for him.


    Bang!


    Lu Heng executed a Zhenyue Style heavy chop, colliding with the Abyssal Alien, and was sent flying by the powerful impact.


    That level of impact force indicated that the Abyssal Alien''s Strength attribute was at least above 65 points¡ªa truly terrifying figure.


    A characteristic of Abyssal Alien creatures is their tremendous physical strength.


    Apart from Corrosive Mucus, common Abyssal Aliens didn''t possess other powerful skills, but they did have enhanced attributes in Strength, Agility, and Constitution.


    Thus, an Abyssal Alien''s Strength, Agility, and other attributes were much higher than those of a Superpower User of the same level, typically by 20%, especially Strength, which could even be 30% higher.


    Indeed, just by looking at their stature, it was clear that such a three-meter-tall fearsome creature would have incredible strength.


    Lu Heng''s Strength attribute was at 52 points, and his Agility at 66 points.


    So, in a head-on collision, he couldn''t withstand the onslaught of this Abyssal Alien.


    Under the Strength enhancement attribute, its Strength surpassed 65 points, and though its Agility wasn''t as high, it was close to 60 points.


    Such creatures were akin to a flesh-made battle vehicle, capable of almost overturning an armored vehicle with a direct charge.


    Hence, upon directly confronting the attack, Lu Heng was blown away.


    As he flew back, Lu Heng raised his hand to unleash the "Thunderous Heavenly Prison," forming a cage of furious thunder and lightning to envelop the Abyssal Alien.


    Rumble! Rumble...


    Under the torrent of thunder, the Abyssal Alien roared furiously, its body scorched by the power of thunder and lightning, producing a strong burnt smell.


    The Abyssal Alien endured the electrical onslaught, breaking free of the Thunder Cage and continuing its charge towards Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng knew where the weakness of the Abyssal Alien lay¡ªon the top of its head.


    That part was the vulnerable point of the Abyssal Alien''s armor shell, the easiest to penetrate.


    Of course, this vulnerability was only relative; it wasn''t as if a single touch could end it.


    In the moment the Abyssal Alien lunged, Lu Heng sidestepped with a slide, then leaped up, somersaulting over its head.


    While in mid-air, he executed an inverted Rising Dragon Style strike with the Aurora Blade.


    The Aurora Blade''s immense attack power cleaved into the back half of the Abyssal Alien''s head. With a single stroke, it pierced the carapace and split its head open.


    Ah!


    This Abyssal Alien howled as it fell to the ground, completely deprived of its combat strength.


    Lin Zeyu, seeing the spot Lu Heng had targeted, remembered what Lu Heng mentioned about the Abyssal Alien''s weakness during their earlier journey.


    He remembered the weakness was on the top of the head, but in the heat of the battle, he could only think about running away.


    Moreover, when facing the charge of an Abyssal Alien, it was impossible to strike its head.


    Now that he had calmed down, he shot out an Energy Hook and latched onto a large tree branch, retracted the hook to pull himself up into the tree.


    From his elevated position, he took out his SVD sniper rifle and aimed at the last two Abyssal Aliens in the battlefield.


    Out of the six Abyssal Aliens, four had already been killed.


    Only two remained, with Chen Zihang leading two team members in encircling one of the Abyssal Aliens, gaining the upper hand.


    Apart from that, there was the last Abyssal Alien, engaged in a fierce battle with the Mechanical Tiger.


    The Mechanical Tiger and the Abyssal Alien fought violently, their clash causing the trees and rocks in the forest to shatter with loud bangs.


    Both of the large creatures were ferocious, evenly matched in combat.


    The Mechanical Tiger''s metallic surface was pitted and corroded by the Abyssal Alien''s Corrosive Mucus, but it tenaciously held on, fighting against the corrosion and the Abyssal Alien under the effect of "Metal Enhancement."


    However, the carapace of the Abyssal Alien was also extremely hard, making it difficult to determine a victor in a short time.


    Lin Zeyu aimed for the top of this Abyssal Alien''s head, and the moment the Mechanical Tiger took it down, he pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The Advanced Armor-piercing Bullet, enhanced by the "Bone Erosion" special effect, shot through the Abyssal Alien''s head.


    Shrapnel swirled inside the Alien''s brain, causing a cavitation effect, and turned its brain tissue to mush, finally bursting out through its mouth.


    The Abyssal Alien collapsed with a thud, signaling the end of the fight.


    After killing six Abyssal Aliens, everyone stood breathing heavily.


    ...


    Having killed two Abyssal Aliens, Lu Heng absorbed 500 points of Demon Energy from each, leading to another level up.


    "Source Energy Level increased to 25, All Attributes +3, Agility Attribute additionally +0.9."


    The battle was over.


    The team hurriedly cleaned the battlefield, ensuring all the Abyssal Aliens were indeed dead, then burned the bodies to prevent any further incidents.


    Lu Heng exhaled and motioned to Su Muyu, saying, "Quickly finish scouting the Heavenly Pit, then we''ll leave this place."


    The fierce battle that had just taken place here would attract other Abyss Creatures due to the smell of blood.


    Therefore, they needed to leave quickly.


    It was inevitable for team members to suffer injuries in a fight, even just a splash of the Corrosive Mucus could corrode a deep wound.


    Teammates hastened to wash the wounds with water and dress them.


    Su Muyu approached Lu Heng and whispered, "Before the fight started, I saw a special egg inside the Heavenly Pit, it seems a bit different. Do you want to go take a look?"


    Lu Heng nodded and had the reconnaissance eagle carry him into the Heavenly Pit, where at the bottom, he saw a special Abyssal Alien egg emitting a faint glow.


    No wonder Su Muyu thought this egg was strange; it was an egg that contained Source Material.


    If this egg were to hatch, it would produce an Abyssal Alien Commander, additionally strengthened by the Source Material.


    If allowed to mature, it would become a big problem.


    Lu Heng plunged his sword into the egg, releasing the Power of Thunder and Lightning to kill the larva inside, turning it to ashes.


    He then absorbed a portion of Source Material with a high content.


    "Source Material absorbed, Source Quality Fusion increased to 56%."


    The Source Quality Fusion was now over halfway, and he was not far from obtaining a complete Second Transition Class.


    After coming out of the Heavenly Pit, Su Muyu used the reconnaissance eagle to destroy all of the Abyssal Alien eggs and then set fire to clean them out.


    The entire Heavenly Pit had been explored, and they found no Abyss Rift.


    However, since they found a Commander Level egg containing Source Material here, it meant that the Rift could not be too far away.


    Following this trail, there was a good chance of finding the Abyss Rift.


    Once the team finished cleaning up the battlefield, they boarded the vehicle and set off again.


    The track vehicle had been hit by the Abyssal Alien, denting a large section of the left armor. Fortunately, the vehicle wasn''t broken and could still move forward.


    However, the barrel of the autocannon had been dissolved by the Corrosive Mucus.


    Wu Weibing felt somewhat distressed: "It''s all my fault."


    "Fighting is dangerous, and winning is already very good, weapons being damaged is normal," Lu Heng said, patting his shoulder.


    Chen Zihang smiled and said, "Don''t worry, I might be able to fix it. Do we have a spare barrel on the vehicle?"


    When going on a mission, if conditions allowed, a spare barrel was essential.


    If they were on foot, carrying a spare barrel would be a hassle, but arriving in a track vehicle meant having a spare barrel was standard.


    All that was damaged on this autocannon was the barrel. As long as the body was undamaged, replacing it with a new barrel should be possible to fix.


    Chen Zihang also had Magnetic Force and could manipulate the shape of metal, making the repair not too difficult.


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 Chapter 171 - 144 The Abyss Creatures that

    The track armored vehicle continued to advance, and the sky gradually darkened.


    Although the visibility during the day was already low in the fog, at night it became even worse, almost to the point where you couldn''t see your hand in front of your face.


    "It''s getting dark, we need to find a place to rest. The visibility is too low at night, sometimes I even doubt if my Perception Skill can clearly see the road ahead."


    Because the visibility was so low, Wu Weibing, the driver, also dared not drive too fast, fearing that he might drive into a ditch.


    Indeed, they needed to find somewhere to camp for the night, as neither their spirits nor their physical strength could withstand continuing the mission.


    Moreover, night was when the Abyss Creatures were most active, and also the most dangerous time of the day.


    "We need to find a suitable place for camping," Lu Heng said as he pulled out the map and started looking.


    One of the warriors in the team pointed to a spot on the map and said, "I have been here before; there''s a Forester''s house at this location, where we can rest."


    When the team was assembled, a soldier familiar with the Liu River environment was specially included, and along the way, they followed his suggestions on how to proceed.


    "Then let''s head to that location."


    Half an hour later.


    The team arrived at the marked Forester''s house on the map; the house was built of brick and stone and was quite rudimentary.


    However, in such a remote wilderness, having a place to shelter from the wind and rain was already good enough.


    Everyone got out of the vehicle, brought in the important supplies into the house, and then covered up the vehicle.


    The house was empty, the Forester had probably already evacuated from the Mist Zone, and some pots and pans and other household utensils were left behind.


    After establishing the campsite, the team divided into three groups: two went out to collect firewood, and one stayed behind to fix up the house and set up weapons.


    Because they might encounter Abyss Creatures during the night, it was necessary to set up weapons and lay traps to deal with potential dangers.


    Once enough firewood had been collected, a fire was started, a pot set up, and they began to boil water for soup.


    The main meal was compressed biscuits, which tasted average, but they also brought some canned meat; turning it into a soup and soaking the compressed biscuits in it greatly improved the taste.


    After filling their stomachs, Wu Weibing took out the Crystal Cores they had collected from the day''s battlefield.


    "We got two Crystal Cores today; take a look if you need one. If so, go ahead and use it."


    He was in charge of supplies for the team, so the spoils were kept in his care.


    Lu Heng reached out and took the two Crystal Cores to check their attributes.


    The first was a Level C Advanced Corrosive Mucus, an upgraded version of the Corrosive Mucus from the Abyss Tide Worm.


    The second was a Level B Skill Crystal Core City-breaking Charge.


    Seeing this skill, Lu Heng''s brows lifted slightly.


    The skill was very powerful, but it had a flaw.


    As already written in the skill description, due to the intense impact, the user''s own body might get hurt.


    Lu Heng had seen a Superpower User utilize this skill in his last life.


    The punch was so powerful that it could directly knock an opponent flying, but if it hit something solid, the user himself would end up dizzy and disoriented.


    Moreover, the Superpower User he had seen in his last life only dared to use 60% of the skill''s power; any more than that was unbearable.


    The features of this skill were quite evident.


    Actually, it was intended for those in the Defense System, and even then, only specialized, high Constitution Defenders could use it effectively.


    For an ordinary Combat Superpower User to employ it would be like the Seven Injuries Fist; hurting the enemy a thousand, self-harming eight hundred.


    Seeing the skill, Lu Heng held onto it and said, "I can use this one, I''ll take it."


    No one objected.


    More than half of the team hailed from the military or the Defense University. Their goal was to find the Crack and complete the mission, so no one wanted to harbor grudges over a single Skill Crystal Core.


    Lu Heng wanted this Crystal Core for a straightforward reason.


    The Mechanical Tiger had three Skill Slots, and so far, only one was being used, and this City-breaking Charge was perfect for it.


    The drawback of the was that if the user''s own defense wasn''t high enough, the violent charge would injure themselves.


    The Mechanical Tiger had no such issues, its entire body made of Liquid Metal, could deform without injury if it collided.


    Thus, using this skill was effectively without adverse effects.


    Lu Heng held the Skill Crystal Core, stepped outside, patted the Mechanical Tiger''s massive head, and then stuffed the Crystal Core into its mouth.


    A few minutes later, the City-breaking Charge skill name appeared on the Mechanical Tiger''s data panel.


    "Familiarize yourself with the skill data and analyze the method and timing of use," Lu Heng said as he patted the tiger''s head again, then turned to walk back into the house.


    The Mechanical Tiger''s Mechanical Core intelligence was quite high, merged with Source Material, and in terms of computing power, much stronger than Blue Star''s AI, analyzing the skill usage was certainly not an issue.


    ...


    At night.


    The team split into three groups for taking turns keeping watch, while the rest rested.


    They passed an uneventful night until the next morning, when they were awakened by Wu Weibing''s voice.


    "Wake up! There''s something strange on the ground!"


    Several team members with military backgrounds were up at a moment''s notice.


    Lu Heng too, snapped open his eyes and sat up, turning to look at the door, only to see a strange layer of something extending through the door gap.


    This layer, like a blanket, was creeping along the ground at a visible rate and was about to cover the entire room.


    "What is this? So disgusting!" When Lin Zeyu got up, his foot stepped on this substance, and his shoe soles got coated with a layer of it.


    After sticking to the shoe soles, it started to grow from the shoe toward the slope, and no matter how hard he shook, he couldn''t shake it off.


    Everyone hurriedly stomped their feet, but the substance kept spreading up their shoes onto their feet.


    Lu Heng saw this stuff, furrowed his brow, and reminded everyone, "Burn it with fire!"


    What remained from last night''s fire was only ashes.


    However, there was a flame superpower user in the team, who could easily release flames.


    The flames were sprayed out, scorching the entire house.


    That "carpet" on the ground quickly shrank upon encountering the flames and retreated through the gap under the door.


    Having temporarily repelled this "carpet," everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began to ponder the problem. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What the hell is this?"


    "It should be a fungal blanket." Lu Heng had actually already recognized what this thing was.


    It was an Abyss Fungus Blanket, which is not like ordinary bacteria and can be considered bacteria from the Abyss World


    "Fungal blanket? Is it something from our world, or is it from the Abyss?" Everyone''s eyes widened, their understanding violently shaken.


    "It''s an Abyss Fungus Blanket. Sticking to a bit of it is not too dangerous, but if it grows inside your body, then that''s troublesome, and you can''t even get rid of it at the hospital."


    Having said this, Lu Heng pointed to the tracked vehicle outside the door and said, "Quickly, go and check the vehicle, this stuff can corrode metal."


    The flame superpower user immediately blazed a trail with fire and ran out to pull off the tarp covering the tracked vehicle.


    As soon as the tarp was pulled off, they saw that the entire vehicle was covered with a fungal blanket, as if the vehicle had grown hair.


    The sight of the flesh-colored fungal fluff made one''s scalp tingle.


    Without waiting for a reminder, the flame superpower user immediately fired up and burned off the blanket covering the vehicle.


    When the fungal blanket encountered flames, it gave off a thick dust.


    Everyone hurriedly covered their noses, fearing that inhaling the spores into their lungs could lead to disaster if a fungal blanket grew there.


    Once the fungal blanket was cleared, Wu Weibing quickly climbed onto the vehicle to attempt to start it.


    But, the vehicle''s engine had absolutely no response.


    "It won''t start!"


    Lu Heng bent over, checked under the vehicle, and said with a sigh, "We can''t use this vehicle anymore, even if the engine could start, the bearings wouldn''t turn."


    The fungal blanket had covered the entire vehicle, and had already grown into the bearings, causing the metal parts such as wheels and bearings to bulge.


    Standing upright, Lu Heng said, "Check your weapons for any issues. From here on, we''ll have to walk."


    According to the original plan, they could drive to cover most of the Mist Zone, and the remaining small part had to be covered on foot.


    So, a walk had always been part of the plan.


    Now they just had to start walking earlier.


    However, this would extend the duration of the mission.


    Also, some weapons couldn''t be carried anymore.


    Especially the 20mm machine gun; being vehicle-mounted, it was too cumbersome for individual soldiers to carry.


    "What should we do? This gun is our most powerful weapon." Wu Weibing checked the machine gun, which was still functional.


    But with the vehicle out of commission, it was difficult to transport.


    It wasn''t that they absolutely couldn''t carry it; with the physical strength of superpower users, carrying the machine gun wouldn''t be a big problem.


    But this would affect the team''s travel speed.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, then patted the Mechanical Tiger and said, "We can take it, just let the Mechanical Tiger carry it."


    "Is that possible?" Wu Weibing wasn''t sure about the Mechanical Tiger''s carrying capacity.


    After all, it didn''t look like it was designed to transport weapons.


    And they couldn''t see the Mechanical Tiger''s data.


    Lu Heng gestured and said, "Bring it over."


    Wu Weibing picked up the machine gun and mounted it on the back of the Mechanical Tiger.


    The metal surface of the Mechanical Tiger was somewhat slippery, and there was no interface for stabilization, so it wasn''t steady.


    But what happened next made everyone''s eyes widen in astonishment.


    The metal on the back of the Mechanical Tiger began to deform, forming a cradle that connected directly to the machine gun''s interface, without even needing screws, it was fixed in place.


    "This thing is... amazing." Wu Weibing''s eyes widened in admiration.


    Lu Heng checked the weight and said, "Hang two more boxes of supplies. Any more than that, and we can''t carry it."


    The Mechanical Tiger wasn''t designed for transporting supplies, so it had limited capacity.


    However, to be able to carry a machine gun and add two boxes of supplies greatly relieved the pressure on the team.


    Finally, after loading the gear, there was still a little space on the back of the Mechanical Tiger.


    Lu Heng waved to Su Muyu, helped her up, and let her sit on the back of the tiger, "This mission might last a few more days, and you''re the only one with transport now."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips and said, "Is this really okay?"


    The rest of the team said in unison, "It''s fine, we''ll need you for recon."


    When Su Muyu used Summoned Creature Vision for reconnaissance, her own mobility was compromised, so riding on the back of the Mechanical Tiger could improve the team''s efficiency.

 Chapter 172 - 145: The Disappearing Fungal Blanket

    Within the mist, a fungal blanket appeared, a very dangerous sign.


    Because the fungal blanket is a special organism rarely seen in the Abyss invasion, it resembles bacteria but isn''t entirely bacterial.


    According to Blue Star''s biological classification, it''s quite difficult to categorize this thing into one specific category.


    However, the real danger is that fungal blankets are often accompanied by high-level Abyss Creatures.


    The vehicle had broken down now, so we could only continue on foot.


    The mist was still spreading, and there were ten days until it reached Liu River nuclear power station.


    If we couldn''t find the Crack within ten days, we would have no choice but to abandon the Liu River nuclear power station.


    By then, power supply issues would arise in the surrounding areas.


    If the electricity supply couldn''t be restored, many factories would cease operations, impacting the industrial system.


    The loss of one nuclear power station might not be enough to grind the industrial system to a halt, but mist was appearing all over the world.


    If we couldn''t save the Liu River power station, who could guarantee the safety of the other nuclear power stations?


    Therefore, looking at the mist crisis from a broader perspective, it was imperative to resolve it. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Otherwise, the consequences would be severe.


    Moreover, Da Xia was the largest industrial nation on Blue Star; should its industrial system be affected, it would mean that civilization''s industrial technology would struggle to achieve further breakthroughs.


    Don''t assume that other nations outside of Da Xia have the ability to save civilization.


    Nations immersed in finance only knew how to bleed others dry; in times of disaster, their first response was to flee to safe regions.


    If Da Xia''s industrial system couldn''t be preserved, humanity would regress towards the Stone Age at an alarming rate.


    Yes, if we couldn''t withstand the Abyss invasion, being pushed back to the Stone Age was only a matter of time.


    One only had to look at the Bansel Tribe to understand this.


    Whether it was the Bansel Tribe or the Black Iron Dwarfs, their civilizations had once flourished but were ultimately suppressed by the Abyss, forced to migrate continually.


    Although the Bansel Tribe still retained its forging arts, compared to their prosperous period, it was almost akin to the Bronze Age if not the Stone Age.


    Humans no longer had any retreats.


    Lu Heng was aware of this, and so were the leaders of Da Xia.


    That''s why the dispatched teams were two in number, operating in saturation; as long as one team succeeded, the Liu River nuclear power station could be saved.


    Lu Heng and Jian Qing decided to split up at the start, each to explore half of the Mist Valley in order to find the Abyss Rift more quickly.


    But this didn''t mean that Lu Heng was only responsible for the eastern valley.


    If he finished searching the eastern valley without finding a Crack point, and there were no signs of success on Jian Qing''s side.


    Then Lu Heng would head west and search the western valley as well.


    Since communication channels were lost in the mist, Lu Heng was also unsure about Jian Qing''s team''s situation.


    If the worst-case scenario occurred, and her team had been wiped out, then Lu Heng''s would be the only one left carrying out the mission.


    ...


    After equipping weapons and supplies, the team continued on their way.


    Overnight, the fungal blanket had enveloped the entire hillside.


    Furthermore, Lu Heng believed that the thicker the fungal blanket, the higher the likelihood of discovering an Abyss Rift.


    Therefore, the team had to move in the direction from which the fungal blanket had spread, making their way atop it.


    Treading on the fungal blanket felt somewhat like walking on a carpet or snow, carrying a certain muddiness as though stepping into glutinous flesh.


    The sensation was unpleasant, but we had no choice but to grit our teeth and proceed.


    Moreover, walking on the fungal blanket caused it to slowly creep up the shoes, and if it extended inside the trousers, it would be quite troublesome to clean.


    Therefore, after walking a certain distance, we had to stop to clean off the fungal blanket stuck to our shoes.


    Fortunately, the fungal blanket was vulnerable to fire; a quick singe would make it retract.


    Thunder worked too.


    There were many in the team with Flame Abilities, so we could deal with the fungal blanket while moving forward.


    If all else failed, we simply lit a torch and torched the shoes in a circle after a stretch of walking.


    ...


    Not only did the shoes collect fungal blanket, the Mechanical Tiger couldn''t avoid it either; after a short trek, its paws would be covered in a furry fungal growth, as if it had sprouted fur.


    Su Muyu used Flame Arrows to disperse the fungal blanket, ensuring the safety of the carried supplies.


    Nearly half of the team''s supplies were on the back of the Mechanical Tiger, along with one artillery piece.


    Although called a cannon, the main difference between this artillery and a heavy machine gun was in the caliber.


    The heavy machine guns produced in Xia Country had calibers of 14.5mm and 20mm cannon could be regarded as a large heavy machine gun.


    However, according to weapons classification, calibers exceeding 20mm were uniformly referred to as cannons.


    The difference in power of firearms was in the caliber despite it being a small difference.


    The reason a 20mm caliber could be called a cannon was due to its truly formidable power.


    With a firing rate of 450 rounds per minute, it could tear an Abyssal Alien to shreds in mere seconds.


    This was the reason Lu Heng had the Mechanical Tiger carry this cannon.


    ...


    In the following three days, the team continued to search the Mist Valley by day and camp to rest at night, taking turns to keep watch.


    Initially, Lu Heng thought that in areas dense with the fungal blanket, there was hope of finding an Abyss Rift; yet, even after leaving the fungal-covered areas, no Crack points had been discovered.


    Since the searching wasn''t performed by Lu Heng himself, it was unavoidable to worry about the thoroughness of the search.


    "But theoretically, it shouldn''t be possible to miss a crack when three Perceivers were responsible for scouting it together."


    Su Muyu also repeatedly assured that every hole had been scouted and no Abyss Rift was found.


    There was no news from Jian Qing''s side either.


    Both teams carried signal flares; electromagnetic signals were indeed blocked, but signal flares could be launched to fly above the fog.


    The scouting eagles would be able to see them.


    So far, no signal flares had been spotted.


    This was actually a good sign, suggesting that Jian Qing''s team hadn''t encountered any dangers beyond their ability to handle.


    As for the possibility that they''d encountered Abyss Creatures so powerful that they hadn''t even had a chance to launch a signal flare, that seemed less likely.


    After all, Jian Qing was a renowned Power User of later generations and wouldn''t be taken down in an instant without a chance to launch a signal flare.


    ...


    On the fifth day into the Mist Valley,


    Lu Heng''s team of ten continued forward, exploring the last area of the eastern valley.


    According to the original plan, if they still couldn''t find the crack after finishing this area today, they would have to move into the western valley.


    This area was a sandy zone with sparse vegetation.


    Two kilometers into the area, the group saw a skeleton, an animal skeleton.


    "This seems to be the skeleton of a wild boar." Chen Zihang wasn''t completely certain, but judging by the size, it indeed looked similar.


    The skeleton had no flesh, only white bones remaining.


    Lu Heng walked behind the skeleton to check out the spine; the spine had been bitten through.


    A bitten spine was consistent with an Abyssal Alien''s way of attacking animals.


    "Was this killed by an Abyssal Alien? Did the larvae eat the animal''s body so clean?" Chen Zihang also saw the wound on the spine, which was very similar to previously seen animal bodies.


    Lin Zeyu squatted down, scraped the bones with a dagger, and said, "Isn''t this too clean? Not a speck of flesh left. Does that thing eat so cleanly?"


    Lu Heng shook his head and corrected, "It wasn''t cleaned by an Abyssal Alien, but by a Fungal Blanket."


    "A Fungal Blanket?" Everyone showed a puzzled expression.


    "Right, Fungal Blankets are carnivorous, covering animal carcasses and devouring all the flesh, leaving only bones behind. That''s why it''s so clean," Lu Heng explained.


    "But we don''t see any Fungal Blanket," Chen Zihang looked around but indeed saw no signs of a Fungal Blanket.


    Lu Heng had already noticed this; there were no Fungal Blankets nearby, yet there was a skeleton that had been licked clean by one, leaving only one possibility.


    "The Fungal Blanket is mobile; it definitely appeared here, consumed everything edible, and then left the area," Lu Heng deduced.


    Hearing this, everyone suddenly felt their hair stand on end.


    "This is too disgusting; thank goodness I wasn''t crawled over by such a thing." Lin Zeyu said as he patted his clothes, fearing he might have come into contact with something so dreadful.


    Strictly speaking, a Fungal Blanket isn''t particularly dangerous.


    It doesn''t spread quickly, and its corrosiveness is not high.


    If a human comes into contact with it, they can wipe it off immediately and then scorch it with fire to get rid of it clean.


    But once these things appear, they cover an area of more than ten kilometers, an expanse too large to clean up.


    Chen Zihang pondered and posed a question: "What if the Fungal Blanket continues to spread, taking over all of Blue Star''s land? Then humans will have nowhere to settle."


    According to his concerns, if the Fungal Blanket truly spread across all lands of Blue Star, then humans indeed would have a hard time surviving.


    Lu Heng explained, "Fungal Blankets can only exist in the fog because the fog is acidic, and they can only survive in the acidic environment of the fog.


    "If the day comes when all of Earth''s land is enveloped by fog, then indeed we''re done for, there''s no saving it."


    This was also why the fog had to be cleared.


    Actually, even without the Fungal Blanket, any area shrouded in fog is uninhabitable for humans.


    A world where visibility is less than ten meters and Abyss Demons may charge out of the fog at any time is undeniably difficult for survival.


    Lu Heng looked ahead to the Gobi, frowning in thought.


    Initially, Lu Heng believed that the denser the Fungal Blanket was, the greater the possibility that an Abyss Rift would be nearby.


    This was because Fungal Blankets usually spread from cracks, so the center of the Fungal Blanket was often the point of the crack.


    However, having thoroughly searched the Fungal Blanket area before and finding no crack,


    Lu Heng previously suspected they had missed something, but now it seemed that wasn''t the case; rather, the Fungal Blankets had moved.


    Meaning, the original location of the Fungal Blankets wasn''t within the area they now covered.


    And this Gobi desert, once home to Fungal Blankets, now had none.


    So, it was possible that the Fungal Blankets had spread from this Gobi.


    Continuing forward, there was a good chance they would find the crack.


    But why did the Fungal Blankets leave this Gobi?


    With this question in mind, Lu Heng led the team on, delving deeper into the Gobi desert.


    "Stay alert; we''re likely to be near where the Fungal Blanket first appeared. The crack might be just ahead."


    Everyone grew vigilant, proceeding forward.


    After walking another two kilometers, everyone increasingly felt the heat.


    "Is it getting hotter for you guys?" Lin Zeyu tugged at his collar, fanning himself with his clothes.


    "The temperature is indeed rising. Have we entered a geothermal area? But there''s no notation of that on the map," Wu Weibing said, looking at the map with a puzzled face.


    Lu Heng vaguely sensed something; the rise in temperature could likely mean they''d entered the territory of a powerful Abyss Creature belonging to flame.


    But without having seen this Abyss Creature yet, the temperature was already increasing¡ªjust what level was this thing?


    No wonder the Fungal Blankets fled this area; it was to avoid the fiery creature here.

 Chapter 173 - 146: Powerful Flame Creature

    The area with the rising temperature up ahead is a Gobi in the Liu River region, which has sparse vegetation and features exposed sandstone everywhere. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This Gobi is not very large, with a diameter of less than two kilometers, and there is a sandstone hill in the center.


    Lu Heng and his group were preparing to enter the central area of the Gobi.


    Suddenly, Su Muyu stretched out her hand, pointing ahead, and said urgently, "A signal flare! There''s a signal flare over there."


    Due to the fog, the visibility during the day is less than ten meters, while the thickness of the fog can reach three hundred meters.


    Therefore, Superpower Users without the Perception Skill cannot see the signal flare in the fog.


    Looking up at the sky, one can''t even see branches ten meters high.


    Therefore, only Perceivers can see the signal flare.


    Su Muyu had her scouting eagle flying outside the fog to scout, so she was the first to notice the signal flare.


    In this Mist Valley, apart from Jian Qing''s team, there could be no other Superpower Users.


    Therefore, the appearance of the signal flare must be a distress signal sent by the small team led by Jian Qing.


    According to the initial agreement, the number of signal flares launched represented the level of danger.


    "Let''s go! How many signal flares did they send?" Lu Heng immediately led the team toward the direction of the signal flare.


    "Only one, I only saw one."


    While responding, Su Muyu controlled the scouting eagle to fly ahead first to scout the situation.


    Since the location of the signal flare was not far, it only took the scouting eagle a few seconds to get there using the Acceleration Skill.


    After seeing the situation clearly, Su Muyu reported the situation while following the team to provide assistance,


    "Jian Qing''s team encountered a very large Flame Demon. This creature is ten meters tall, its body emitting flames, and when it spews flames, they explode, scattering sparks everywhere."


    Hearing the description, the possibility Lu Heng had in mind momentarily had accelerated. He rushed to the front of Sandstone Hill and saw Jian Qing''s team fighting a Flame Demon, retreating as they fought.


    The Flame Demon was exactly as Su Muyu described. It stood ten meters tall, its body ablaze with intense flames, and the fireballs it hurled exploded upon hitting the ground, bursting into countless fragments of fire.


    There were already members of Jian Qing''s team burnt by the flames, and the team was protecting their wounded while retreating.


    From its size and the intensity of its flames, this Flame Demon was over Level 28.


    Such a high-level Flame Demon, with a flaming body temperature of several thousand degrees, made it impossible for organic lifeforms to approach within three meters of it.


    Staying within three meters of it for three seconds would result in severe thermal burns.


    Moreover, the fireballs launched by the Flame Demon were as powerful as High Explosive Burning Bombs; even a slight touch from the burst flames would result in severe burns.


    Encountering such a formidable Abyss Demon in the sixth month of Abyss Descent could easily lead to a team wipeout.


    Jian Qing was continuously manipulating strong winds to fend off the attacks of fireballs.


    Each fireball expelled by the Flame Demon was twisted away by the tornado, which was why the team had not been struck directly by the fireballs.


    Otherwise, a direct hit from a fireball would kill at least half of the people.


    Lu Heng rushed forward and unleashed the "Thunderous Heavenly Prison" to trap the Flame Demon.


    However, the Flame Demon had a Fire attribute, which gave it high resistance to Thunder, so the thunder strikes couldn''t inflict effective damage but only managed to confine it temporarily.


    Chen Zihang, Wu Weibing, and others immediately stepped forward to help Jian Qing''s team retreat with their wounded.


    With the support, the pressure on Jian Qing was greatly reduced.


    "What''s the situation?" Lu Heng quickly inquired.


    "We ran into it while scouting ahead near the Sandstone Hill. Someone got hurt right at the first encounter. Our vehicle was also destroyed by a fireball, forcing us to send a signal flare for help," Jian Qing quickly summarized the events.


    "Is there a crack point inside Sandstone Hill?" Lu Heng inquired urgently.


    "We don''t know yet; we didn''t get a chance to scout before being attacked by this thing," Jian Qing replied while considering her strategy.


    Her team already had wounded members, so the most rational decision now was to immediately retreat from the Gobi and treat the wounded.


    What actions to take afterward could be reconsidered.


    "Let''s retreat first. After resting, we can deal with this creature," Jian Qing suggested this course of action.


    "Since you''ve been here, have you only encountered this Flame Demon?" Lu Heng urgently asked.


    "Yes, we haven''t spotted any other Abyss Creatures," Jian Qing nodded.


    "Then we need to deal with this thing quickly and then destroy the crack point, otherwise more Abyss Creatures will gather here."


    Abyss Creatures were not unintelligent beasts; once humans attempted to destroy a crack point, the Abyss Creatures in the fog would immediately converge to protect the crack point.


    On their way here, they had encountered several types of Abyss Creatures.


    Not to mention others, if a few more Abyssal Aliens appeared along with this Flame Demon, the two teams combined wouldn''t be able to withstand them, let alone considering that Jian Qing''s team already had injured members.


    Without this information, the best strategy indeed would have been to retreat from the Gobi and plan carefully after regrouping.


    However, the longer they delayed, the more Abyss Creatures would gather.


    Thus, to solve the situation with the Flame Demon, they had to act now; any later would be too late.


    Jian Qing, after hearing Lu Heng''s explanation, pondered for a moment and chose to trust him.


    She turned back to see that the wounded from her team had already withdrawn to a safe distance and then asked, "So, what do you plan to do?"


    While the two were discussing, the Flame Demon had already broken free from the Thunder Cage and launched an attack toward Lu Heng, who was closest.


    Due to the Flame Demon''s body burning with fierce flames, the fog evaporated around it.


    Thus, the fog was much thinner around the Flame Demon, and visibility could reach over twenty meters.


    Seeing the fireball hurled by the Flame Demon, Lu Heng immediately dodged to the left while swiftly strategizing.

 Chapter 174 - 146: Powerful Flame Creature_2

    The team had passed by a pond on their way over, which was the upstream source of the stream.


    The most direct and effective strategy against flames is water.


    Lu Heng pointed in the direction behind them and said, "There''s a pond back there, let''s lure the Flame Demon over to it first."


    Jian Qing understood immediately what he meant.


    They had also passed by that stretch of pond water when they came.


    After the two teams entered the fog, they split up to search.


    The dividing line was the stream in the middle of the valley.


    The source of the stream was that pond, which was marked on the map as Green Dragon Pond.


    Following the stream upstream, Green Dragon Pond was where it ended.


    Therefore, going further north from Green Dragon Pond to the Gobi Zone, there''s no stream, marking the end of the search for both teams.


    Lu Heng''s team''s tracked vehicle became stuck after encountering the Fungal Blanket.


    Thus, for the next few days, they traveled on foot, which was why they were slower.


    Jian Qing''s team, on the other hand, drove all the way to the Gobi Zone, arriving first and encountering the Flame Demon''s attack.


    Now, Lu Heng suggested luring the Flame Demon to Green Dragon Pond, and Jian Qing immediately agreed, taking up the whirlwind and rushing towards Green Dragon Pond.


    The Flame Demon chased for a kilometer and was about to give up the chase. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing this, Jian Qing turned back, raised her assault rifle, and fired a burst at it.


    The Flame Demon became enraged once again and continued the pursuit all the way to Green Dragon Pond.


    True to its name, the pond water was green and bottomless.


    While the Flame Demon had been lured to Green Dragon Pond, it was not about to dive into the water voluntarily.


    Had it been anyone else, they might have been powerless, but for the Mistress of Wind, Jian Qing, it only took a bit of wind power to solve this problem.


    Lu Heng made this decision precisely because he knew of Jian Qing''s abilities.


    Without needing a reminder, Jian Qing rushed to the front of Green Dragon Pond, leapt, and jumped straight towards it.


    As she fell towards the water''s surface, she did not sink, but instead hovered over the water, controlling the wind.


    She cried out to the heavens, and Source Energy surged within her, creating a tornado around her.


    The tornado sucked up the pond water, forming a massive water column with a diameter of three meters, shooting skywards like a Water Dragon.


    The Water Dragon soared thirty meters into the air, then turned and plummeted down towards the Flame Demon.


    With a splash and a sizzle...


    The Water Dragon and the Flame Demon collided, emitting a hissing sound as the flames were extinguished.


    The fire on the Flame Demon was quenched by half, revealing a coal-black entity beneath.


    However, after the Water Dragon was expended, the flames on the Flame Demon slowly began to reignite.


    Jian Qing continued to increase the intensity of her Source Energy output, stirring up even larger Water Dragons to continue the attack.


    After three Water Dragons, most of the flames on the Flame Demon were extinguished, leaving a huge, dark red monster.


    Members of both squads arrived, Wu Weibing from the Mechanical Tiger unbuckled the machine cannon from its back, placed it on the ground, and opened fire with a rattling sound.


    The dense cannon fire struck the dark red body of the Flame Demon, chipping away coal-mine-like fragments and creating fist-sized craters on its body.


    A 20mm machine cannon, hitting the shell of the Flame Demon, could only make craters the size of a fist.


    The body strength of the Flame Demon was comparable to steel.


    The 20mm might not seem big, only as wide as a thumb, but the power of the machine gun was formidable.


    If it were a human, taking a 20mm bullet, their body would be torn to bloody fragments by the kinetic energy, beyond any hope of reassembly.


    Such ferocious fire against the Flame Demon could only create fist-sized craters.


    For the ten-meter tall Flame Demon, fist-sized craters were little more than an itch.


    ...


    Jian Qing continued to control the Water Dragon to attack the Flame Demon, preventing the regeneration of its flames.


    As the flames were extinguished, the heat radiating from the Flame Demon plummeted.


    In a state of intense burning, getting within three meters would mean enduring the scorching heat of several thousand degrees.


    Therefore, when facing the Flame Demon, melee Superpower Users had no means against it and couldn''t even get close.


    Now the Flame Demon''s flames were extinguished, the temperature fell, and it became possible to approach.


    Seizing the opportunity, Lu Heng charged forward, leapt high, and unleashed his Essential Skill, Rift Slash, in Zhenyue Style.


    A three-meter-long sword light fell, splitting the body of the Flame Demon in half.


    The Flame Demon''s coal-black body split open up to its chest where suddenly, a fierce light of flames burst forth.


    Boom!


    A violent explosion engulfed a twenty-meter radius.


    This was the Molten Core Explosion of the Flame Demon, a self-destruct Skill with terrifying power.


    With this Molten Core Explosion Skill, even powerful melee Superpower Users would be taken out by it if they truly vanquished the Flame Demon.


    Fortunately, Lu Heng was aware of this Skill from the start, so at the moment of the Molten Lava Core Explosion, he activated Shadow Traversal and momentary escaped into the Shadow to avoid the blast.


    Boom!


    The violent explosion shook the earth, as if it were an earthquake.


    Jian Qing, still controlling the Water Dragon preparing for another attack, suddenly saw Lu Heng strike, and then the Flame Demon self-destructed, everything happening too suddenly.


    Furthermore, the explosion engulfed a twenty-meter radius, and the blast swallowed everything, even blowing a deep crater into the ground.


    Lu Heng was also engulfed in the blast.


    Seeing this, Jian Qing showed a panicked expression and cried out loudly in distress, "Lu Heng!"


    It wasn''t just her, Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, Chen Zihang, and others who had come to support also witnessed this terrifying explosion.


    Su Muyu, who was very familiar with Lu Heng''s abilities, knew he had a Skill to evade the explosion, but she was nevertheless extremely worried. She immediately directed the scouting hawk into the aftermath of the explosion, hoping to confirm Lu Heng''s safety.

 Chapter 175 - 146 Mighty Flame Creature_3

    The next moment,


    a shadow enveloped in Shadow Energy burst out from the aftermath of the explosion, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.


    However, the battle had not ended.


    After the Flame Demon self-destructed, its body split into three pieces.


    Amidst the flames of the explosion, the three pieces reignited into flames, becoming three Flame Demons.


    However, after splitting into three, they were much smaller, only four meters tall.


    Even so, they were not easy to deal with.


    This was the terrifying aspect of the Flame Demon, even if one had the ability to kill it, it would split into smaller Flame Demons after self-destructing.


    Seeing the three Flame Demons split, Lu Heng, using his experience, discerned that two of them were Level 22, and the slightly larger one was Level 23.


    As it was Jian Qing and Lu Heng''s first time working together, Jian Qing was momentarily stunned when she saw Lu Heng emerging from the explosion.


    Lu Heng shouted, "Continue! Water Dragon attack!"


    Jian Qing snapped back to reality and hurriedly controlled the tornado, continuing to gather pond water to attack the split Flame Demons.


    The three split Flame Demons, now Level 22 and 23, were not as tricky to deal with as before.


    The two teams began their combined attack.


    After the Water Dragon extinguished the flames, the Flame Demon''s fire attacks were significantly weakened.


    The Mechanical Tiger dismounted its cannons and equipment, issuing a metallic roar and unleashed a Level-B Skill, "City-breaking Charge," charging at one of the Flame Demons.


    With the skill''s boost, the Mechanical Tiger charged straight ahead, like a frenzied iron bull, colliding head-on with the Flame Demon.


    Boom!


    The violent collision smashed the Flame Demon''s body to pieces.


    This Level 22 Flame Demon, once again self-destructed, splitting into three smaller Level 17 Flame Demons.


    The Mechanical Tiger was also deformed by the explosion of the Molten Lava Core, its liquid metal shell distorted, and its entire tiger head blasted off.


    However, after struggling on the ground for a bit, the liquid metal shell visibly recovered at a rapid pace, and it continued to pounce on another Flame Demon.


    Superpower Users seeing the Mechanical Tiger in battle for the first time revealed expressions of astonishment.


    The combat power of this Mechanical Tiger was far stronger than they had anticipated.


    Moreover, this kind of reckless fighting style was impossible for humans to imitate.


    Even if someone learned the skill "City-breaking Charge," they would not dare to smash their head against a Flame Demon. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Humans dared not; the Mechanical Tiger dared. As long as the damage did not reach the Mechanical Core, it didn''t matter what shape the outer liquid metal was blasted into.


    However, smashing a Level 22 Flame Demon was its limit.


    If it had been the original Level 28 Flame Demon, a single fireball would have melted the Mechanical Tiger''s metal shell into molten iron.


    After the Flame Demon split a second time into smaller Level 17 Flame Demons, they no longer posed a threat to the two Superpower Soldier teams; a few skills were enough to clean them up.


    The battle lasted half an hour, ending only when the Flame Demon was smashed into Level 1 Flame Demon Spirits and cleared away.


    Every time they exploded a Flame Demon, the participating warriors absorbed Demon Energy.


    Lu Heng initially cut down the Level 28 Flame Demon, directly harvesting 800 points of Demon Energy.


    The subsequent splitting and smaller Flame Demons released an immense amount of Demon Energy.


    The energy Lu Heng absorbed created an Energy Tide within his body, breaking through level boundaries once again.


    [Source Energy Level increased to 26, All Attributes +3, Agility Attribute additionally +0.9]


    After leveling up, the five-dimensional attributes rose to: Strength 58, Agility 74, Constitution 58, Spirit 59, Perception 58.


    Su Muyu also leveled up to 25, with both Spirit and Perception reaching 60 points.

 Chapter 176 - 147: Distributing the Spoils of War, The Three-Skill Mechanical Beast

    "The Flame Demon shattered into a pile of coal slag, releasing three Skill Crystal Cores, a piece of Black Crystal Ore, and a fiery red Source Material."


    "Having cleaned up the battlefield, the two teams had no time to slowly study the items they had obtained."


    "Because the mission was still incomplete, the most crucial task remained to locate the rift points and destroy them."


    "Even though they had killed the Flame Demon, they had not yet investigated whether there were rift points within the Sandstone Hill."


    "Therefore, the two teams immediately returned to the Sandstone Hill to carry out their search."


    "The Sandstone Hill was not large, merely a small hill made of sandstone with crisscrossing rock caves on it."


    "The combined teams had six Perceivers who together conducted the search, and it didn''t take long to make a discovery."


    "''Found it, I see a peculiar space,''" said a Perceiver from Jian Qing''s team, who was the first to spot something."


    "Lu Heng advised, ''The others should finish surveying their assigned areas to avoid the possibility of multiple rift points.''"


    "Abyss Rifts are created when two world spaces overlap."


    "Once a rift point appears, the likelihood of multiple nearby rift points is substantial."


    "Several minutes later, the six Perceivers finished their search, ultimately locating two rift points."


    "Both rift points were inside the rock caves of the Sandstone Hill, one of which was particularly tricky to access."


    "Lu Heng entered the cave and used the Second Transition Class Skill ''Rift Slash'' to destroy the rift point."


    "If it weren''t for Lu Heng''s presence, destroying the rift point would have been quite difficult."


    "Because an Abyss Rift is formed by the overlapping of two worlds'' spaces due to compression."


    "This is an issue at the spatial level; ordinary Strength can''t affect an Abyss Rift."


    "Lu Heng''s ''Rift Slash'' happens to possess a spatial attribute, allowing him to destroy the rift point with a single strike."


    "To resolve an Abyss Rift, it is commonly necessary to bring a Superpower User with space department abilities."


    "However, space department abilities are extremely high-level powers and were very rare during the early stages of the Abyss Descent."


    "Even now, six months into the middle phase of the Abyss Descent, the number of space department Ability Users remains a minority."


    "If you lack space department abilities, your only option is to forcibly destroy the rift point with explosives."


    "When the explosive power reaches a critical point, it can indeed affect the space, but whether it can successfully destroy the rift point also depends on luck."


    "If you simply cannot destroy the rift point, blowing up the cave to bury the rift point can temporarily solve the problem with the fog."


    "You can always send a space department Ability User later to deal with the rift point."


    "After destroying one rift point, Lu Heng waited for his Source Material Energy to fully restore before destroying the second rift point."


    "During the process of destroying the rift points, a group of six or seven Abyssal Aliens came closing in."


    "Now that the two teams had merged, setting up the weapons made dealing with the Abyssal Aliens much simpler¡ªjust keep the formation and sweep with machine guns."


    "With both rift points destroyed, this perilous mission was finally accomplished."


    "Jian Qing and Chen Zihang started to use their abilities to blow away the surrounding fog."


    "A fierce wind arose, swirling the fog around Sandstone Hill towards the sky, drifting into the distance."


    "In an instant, the wind had cleared several hundred meters of fog."


    "Everyone finally saw the blue sky and took a deep breath of fresh air."


    "After breathing the acidic fog in the mist for about seven or eight days, several people in the team had swollen respiratory tracts."


    "Breathing fresh air felt as though they had been reborn."


    "With the nearby fog dispersed, the communicator finally could receive satellite signals, allowing them to contact Liu River''s military base and request a helicopter for pickup."


    "Liu River''s military base sent two 20-series helicopters, retrieving both teams and sending the injured for treatment."


    "The completion of this mission also meant it was time for everyone to part ways."


    "Everyone would rest at the military base for one night before leaving the next day."


    "In the evening,"


    "the two teams gathered."


    "Wu Weibing took out all the spoils of war they had obtained, preparing to divide them."


    "They would soon part ways and thus needed to distribute the items."


    "As to how to split them, that had to be discussed together."


    "The spoils needing distribution included three Skill Crystal Cores, five regular Crystal Cores, a piece of Black Crystal Ore, and a fiery red Source Material dropped by the Flame Demon."


    "Lu Heng had already examined the attributes of this Source Material, which was a Second Transition Class ''Flame Messenger''s'' Source Material."


    "For the Ability Users who had not acquired Second Transition Source Material, absorbing this piece would allow them to obtain the ''Flame Messenger''s'' Class Ability prematurely and initiate the Source Material battle."


    "Lu Heng already possessed the Second Transition Class ''Swordsman''s'' Source Material, so absorbing this piece would increase his Source Material Fusion Degree."


    "Therefore, this Source Material could be used by all twenty people present, depending on who it was given to."


    "Usually, Class Source Material should be given priority to those who need that Class."


    "''Does anyone need this piece of Source Material?''" Wu Weibing picked up the Source Material and asked everyone."


    "Indeed, if talking about usability, everyone could use it, but suitability was another issue."


    "If it were a wild team, regardless of suitability, they would fight over it first."


    Most of the superpower users present were from the special forces, so they were highly disciplined.


    Jian Qing raised her hand and said, "There''s a flame ability user in my team who can use this. Let me know if you have any need for it. If the Source Material is allocated to our team, we won''t take any other Crystal Cores."


    As the team captain, Jian Qing tried her best to secure the Source Material for her teammates.


    In fact, there was also a flame ability user in Lu Heng''s team, who had primarily dealt with the fungal blanket previously.


    Lu Heng looked at him and asked, "What about you? Do you need it?"


    The Flame Demon had also derived other flame skills that would suit flame ability users.


    It was all about making a choice.


    The flame ability user in Lu Heng''s team was named Tao Yalun, who was also interested in the Source Material of the "Flame Messenger."


    This Tao Yalun was a member of Chen Zihang''s squad and had previously entered a Wasteland Planet of the Sikes Civilization with them.


    Although Lu Heng was temporarily his commander, if Tao Yalun wanted it, Lu Heng would definitely help him secure it.


    However, acquiring Source Material had its benefits as well as risks.


    Once one absorbed the Source Material, it would mean the start of a Source Material battle, with the possibility of being attacked by other superpower users.


    Tao Yalun thought for a moment and said, "I can do without the Source Material, but I want a Skill Crystal Core."


    He then pointed to the Skill Crystal Core named "Fiery Flame Amplification."


    This skill, once activated, could increase flame power by 30% for a duration of one minute.


    The skill was indeed strong, boosting flame power by 30% directly.


    The teams discussed and finally decided: the "Flame Messenger" Source Material would go to the flame ability user in Jian Qing''s team.


    The "Fiery Flame Amplification" Crystal Core would go to Tao Yalun.


    Besides that,


    The Flame Demon had also dissociated two other Skill Crystal Cores.


    "Fiery Flame Shield: Releases a flame shield around the user that lasts for 180 seconds, increases flame resistance by 50%, absorbs 500 points of flame damage, and causes 20 points per second of flame damage to any target that touches the shield. Skill energy consumption: 30 Source Energy; Skill Level: C."


    There was also a C-Level "Blast Fireball" Skill Crystal Core.


    Lu Heng discussed with Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu for a bit before reaching out, picking up the "Fiery Flame Shield" Crystal Core, and the Black Crystal Ore, saying, "We''ll take these two, you guys divide the rest. This Black Crystal Ore is a forging stone, I can pay the difference."


    Chen Zihang waved his hand and said, "No need, the rest are just fine for us."


    The remaining ordinary Crystal Cores were also distributed, and thus the spoils were divided.


    Then, everyone gathered to drink and chat, and when tired, they dispersed and went to rest.


    The "Fiery Flame Shield" Crystal Core was very useful, and its skill effect was strong, but it only added a shield to the user. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This means it isn''t a support skill but a defense skill.


    If it were used by Su Muyu, this skill could only add a shield to herself.


    So, Lu Heng planned to use it for the Mechanical Tiger.


    The liquid metal shell of the Mechanical Tiger was basically immune to physical attacks unless the impact was so powerful that it could bulldoze through a Class A Mechanical Beast.


    However, the Mechanical Tiger still had a weakness¡ªit was vulnerable to flames.


    Extreme high temperatures could melt its metal shell into molten iron.


    Just like in the Abyss Battlefield before, a high-energy beam from a Sikes Technology Light Prism Tank had melted its shell into molten iron.


    Considering this weakness, Lu Heng chose this "Fiery Flame Shield" Crystal Core for the Mechanical Tiger.


    With this Crystal Core, which could absorb 500 points of flame damage and increase its flame resistance by 50%,


    With this skill, coupled with the "Metal Enhancement" effect, it could now withstand high-temperature burns.


    The skill was named "Fiery Flame Shield," meant to block flame damage, but its true effect was to shield against high temperatures.


    High-energy lasers caused the same type of scorch damage as flames.


    Therefore, this "Fiery Flame Shield" could also protect against heat-based laser weapons.


    After feeding the Crystal Core to the Mechanical Tiger, it now possessed three skills.


    These were the C-class "Metal Enhancement," B-class "City-Breaking Charge," and C-class "Fiery Flame Shield."


    Combined, this hulking beast could be considered Blue Star''s number one armored bulwark, nearly immune to physical attacks, and now its resistance to flames had also improved.


    Plus, with the reckless "City-Breaking Charge," it could even face a tank head-on.


    Talking about combat power, the Mechanical Tiger''s abilities were already on par with a Level 25 superpower user.


    Especially when facing the Flame Demon or Abyssal Aliens, where ordinary superpower users would hesitate to confront directly, the Mechanical Tiger could.


    After resting in Liu River for one night, the next morning,


    The two teams of twenty people formally split up, each heading home or back to their unit.


    Lu Heng and his two companions returned to Coastal, rested well for a day, and prepared to take a Black Crystal Forging Stone the next day for an attempted upgrade of the Aurora Blade.


    Before heading to Quenching Castle, he received an international message from Lin Zeyu.


    Ten days ago, Kashima Shintou Sword Saint Saito Takeji was expelled from the country.


    Following that, Fusang propagated a narrative that said all swordsmen from Da Xia were despicable and cowardly, fearing to face a challenge and using official power to expel the Sword Saint from Fusang.


    This was the situation, but framed differently, it sounded entirely distinct.

 Chapter 177 - 148: Ruthlessly Squeezing the Conglomerates Who Want to Enter Quenching Castle

    "Really shameless, we were dealing with the fog problem to save the Liu River nuclear power station; we had no time for a fight. But that son of a bitch actually says we are scared to fight!" Lin Zeyu was very angry.


    He just got back, and people from various circles had already sent him messages about this.


    Now the rumor that the Da Xia swordsmen were too scared to accept the challenge, using official power to expel the Fusang Sword Master, was spreading like wildfire.


    Lu Heng originally didn''t know about this until Lin Zeyu told him. After hearing it, he wasn''t the least bit angry.


    When your opponents start to use public opinion as a weapon, it means they dare not take action.


    Lu Heng''s usual approach was, if you can fight, then don''t waste time talking.


    Moreover, fog had appeared all over the world.


    Fusang was no exception; many islands in Fusang had also been enveloped in fog.


    That Kashima Sword Master from Fusang wasn''t thinking about protecting nuclear power stations or anything like that; he was just fixated on how to regain face for his disciple.


    Lu Heng wasn''t interested in responding to such things; if the other party dared to challenge him, he''d simply fight.


    In a duel, whoever wins is right.


    The person who loses, the more rumors they spread, the more they look like a clown.


    So, as long as Saito Takeji dared to issue another challenge, Lu Heng would accept it.


    ...


    The next day.


    The weather was clear, and the temperature was pleasant.


    After over two months of development, the existence of the ninth tunnel under Century Bridge had already spread within the Superpower User circles.


    Therefore, there were always people guarding beneath Century Bridge.


    With the mid-phase of the Abyss invasion, there were already double-digit Quenching Masters within Da Xia''s borders.


    So, not only the Chunshang Group, but many other conglomerates entered the fray, spending huge sums to cultivate Quenching Masters.


    However, these Quenching Masters all needed to enter the Abyss World and use the Abyss World''s Quenching Furnace to perform quenching.


    Thus, Quenching Castle, this quenching channel on Blue Star, remained a scarce resource.


    This is why all the major conglomerates wanted to send people into Quenching Castle to gain this channel for weapon quenching.


    It had made Century Bridge a contested strategic location, with all of them engaged in an unending overt and covert struggle.


    Under these circumstances, it was not suitable to leave the door open anymore.


    Lin Zeyu also had a headache: "Quenching Castle seems to have been closed for many days now, what should we do? Can we still go in? The company has taken on a lot of orders lately; if we can''t complete them, we''ll have to pay penalties."


    As the Abyss invasion reached the mid-phase, the number of Superpower Users who had been to the Abyss Battlefield was increasing.


    The number of Abyss Creatures appearing around the world was also on the rise, as were the drops of Crystal Cores and quenching materials.


    Consequently, the number of Superpower Users in need of quenching began to increase.


    And Huan Yu Company was currently the only one in Da Xia that dared to offer a 75% guaranteed success rate for quenching.


    This kind of temptation was irresistible to Superpower Users.


    Hence, quenching orders came fluttering in like snowflakes.


    After being out for ten days, he had already accumulated more than thirty orders, which needed to be completed as soon as possible.


    Lu Heng had planned to go to Quenching Castle today to perform the third forging on the Aurora Blade.


    The Black Crystal Forging Stones extracted from the Flame Demon were B-grade forging stones, suitable for forging C-grade and B-grade weapons.


    However, if B-grade weapons were to be forged, one Black Crystal Forging Stone wouldn''t be enough.


    If forced, the success rate was very low.


    Luckily, Lu Heng had another set of forging materials, the Fusang Name Blade "Izumi no Tora Cuts," which was also a B-grade Tachi, with quite impressive attributes itself.


    But Lu Heng had no use for keeping it, so it was better used as forging material.


    After getting ready, he took his forging materials and was about to leave when he waved to Lin Zeyu, "Come on, I''ll take you to Quenching Castle."


    Lin Zeyu quickly sprang up from the couch and asked, "Through Century Bridge? You can''t get there anymore; several conglomerates have started stationing people there twenty-four hours a day."


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "Just follow me. Bring the materials."


    "Okay!" Lin Zeyu''s eyes sparkled with inexplicable excitement.


    He didn''t know what method Lu Heng had to enter Quenching Castle, but he was sure Lu Heng had a way.


    The two of them drove to the river embankment road. When they were 500 meters away from Century Bridge, Lu Heng asked the driver to stop.


    Lin Zeyu hurriedly followed, glancing toward the direction of Century Bridge.


    One glance was enough to spot several Superpower Users guarding the embankment; they weren''t regular pedestrians or tourists, they were definitely sent by the conglomerates.


    Lin Zeyu took the box down from the car and asked curiously, "Are we going to use invisibility to get there? But Su Muyu isn''t here."


    Lu Heng didn''t answer his question, getting out of the car and directly entering the old clock tower on the embankment road, climbing the stairs.


    Lin Zeyu realized they weren''t going to Century Bridge, his eyes lighting up, "Is this a new entrance?"


    "Right, you might consider taking over this clock tower," Lu Heng said offhandedly.


    "I''ll have someone buy the clock tower as soon as I get back," Lin Zeyu responded immediately upon hearing it was a new entrance. Such an important asset of course had to be secured.


    It would be a major loss if, like the ninth tunnel of Century Bridge, it were to be watched by other conglomerates.


    The large clock in this clock tower had actually been out of use for a while, in a state of disrepair.


    There had been rumors a couple of years ago that the clock tower was going to be demolished for redevelopment.


    However, for some reason, nothing came of it later on.


    Lu Heng climbed to the top of the clock tower, wound up the big clock, set the hour and minute hands to twelve, and then turned and stepped into the wall beside him.


    Lin Zeyu had already experienced this kind of wall-penetrating event before, so he hurriedly followed, stepping into the wall.


    The next second, they entered the front courtyard of the Quenching Castle.


    This time, Master Gulu wasn''t playing with cockroaches in the front courtyard, with no idea where he had gone.


    Lin Zeyu shouted out loud, "Master Gulu, we''ve come to see you, and I''ve brought the best pastries from Coastal."


    Hearing the voice, Gulu appeared lethargically at the castle entrance.


    "What''s going on?" Lu Heng asked curiously.


    "It''s so boring. As soon as Quenching Castle opened, a bunch of strange people came in. Last time, someone even sneaked into the castle trying to steal something. Now I dare not open the door anymore. But then, it''s boring without anyone coming in," Gulu began to complain.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "When do you want people to come in, and how many at a time? Tell me, maybe I can think of a way to help you."


    Gulu tilted his head and thought for a while, saying three days would work, letting in about ten people at a time, but it would be better to pick and choose who came in.


    Hearing his request, Lu Heng smiled and said, "That''s easy. We could simply open up two fixed days a week. Let''s set it for Wednesday and Saturday.


    "As for who to invite, we can let Lin Zeyu be in charge. Create a Quenching Castle Club that operates on a membership basis. Only those who have been screened can come in."


    On hearing such a great offer, Lin Zeyu eagerly agreed, "I can do it. I''ll make sure to satisfy the master. Whether they want beauties or great beauties, it''s not a problem."


    Lu Heng gave him a disdainful look. Was he planning to ensnare Gulu with the promise of beautiful women?


    If delivering beauties could''ve worked, those tycoons would have occupied Quenching Castle long ago.


    After all, to those at the pinnacle of the pyramid, beauty was not a scarce resource.


    Seeing Gulu interested in the idea, Lu Heng took the box from Lin Zeyu''s hands, "I''ll go to quench, and you discuss the details with the master."


    "No problem. Master, let''s go in and discuss the details. I''ll take notes of your requirements to make sure everything''s perfectly managed," Lin Zeyu said, looping his arm around Gulu''s shoulder as they walked inside the castle, preparing to get the Quenching Castle Club up and running.


    If this project succeeded, he would hold the pass to enter Quenching Castle.


    This authority, if used well, could lead to an instant rise.


    ...


    Lu Heng arrived at the forging room and began by completing the orders he had taken.


    There were a total of 37 orders, of which 35 required quenching, while two involved spirit injection.


    Lu Heng started with quenching first, succeeding in 32 out of the 35 attempts.


    The quenching success rate was 91.4%, far above the Huan Yu Company''s guaranteed success rate.


    The high success rate was also because the quenching levels of the weapons in these orders weren''t very high.


    The lower the weapon quenching level, the higher the success rate of quenching indeed tended to be.


    After completing the quenching, he proceeded with two spirit injections, both of which were successful.


    Huan Yu Company did take spirit injection orders, but they didn''t guarantee success.


    That''s because spiritual injection materials are too scarce, and there are too many types.


    For example, there''s only one set of Melt Armor spiritual injection materials on the market, with no second set to be found. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if a guarantee were offered for spirit injection, a second set of materials for reattempt couldn''t be found in case of failure.


    Moreover, spirit injection is more difficult than quenching, and while the major conglomerates are competing in the quenching business, none have yet entered the spirit injection market.


    Therefore, only Lu Heng could take spirit injection orders. Whether the process was successful depended on personal luck; if it failed, the client had to bear the consequences.


    For those unwilling to take that risk, the solution is simple.


    Just decline the order.


    Fortunately, both spirit infections succeeded this time.


    [Spirit Injection Completed, Quenching Master Professional Experience +50]


    After 35 quenching attempts plus two spirit injections, the Quenching Master Professional Experience finally maxed out.


    [Quenching Master experience reached (2000/2000), promoted to Advanced Quenching Master.]


    [Vice Profession: Advanced Quenching Master (10/3000)]


    [Advanced Quenching Master: Quenching success rate +30%, Spirit Injection success rate +20%, Flame Resistance +30%]


    With the upgrade in the vice profession, the success rates for quenching and spirit injection both increased, and flame resistance also increased to 30%.


    Huan Yu Company had recently changed the payment method for taking orders; now, the counterparty is required to pay with quenching materials.


    So from these 37 orders, Lu Heng earned five Quenching Essences.


    He then proceeded to quench the Aurora Blade, feeding in Quenching Essence, melting, pouring, quenching, cooling...


    After two consecutive quenching attempts, which were successful, the Quenching Level of the Aurora Blade increased from +7 to +9, reaching the maximum quenching level.


    [Superior Aurora Blade+9 (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: B Grade]


    [Specifications: Length 132 centimeters, blade width 3.6 centimeters, weight 1.8 kilograms]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 230]


    [Special Effect: Spirit Slash LV2, Sharp Blade]


    [Evaluation: A weapon crafted from Aurora Original Stone, inflicting Sharp Blade damage during an attack. Extremely high quality; a rare sword-type weapon.]


    After completing the quenching, Lu Heng swung the Aurora Blade to test the effect after reaching the maximum quenching level.


    Then, Lin Zeyu and Gulu entered the forging room, laughing and talking, clearly having a great time.


    Taking advantage of Gulu''s good mood, Lu Heng said, "Master Gulu, I''ve brought forging materials today. Let''s perform a three forging on the Aurora Blade."

 Chapter 178 - 149: A Sea of People at the Martial Arts Competition

    "You got advanced forging materials?" Gulu''s eyes lit up as soon as he heard that Lu Heng wanted to carry out the third forging for the Aurora Blade.


    "Yes, I got a piece of black crystal forging stone." Lu Heng took out the black crystal forging stone extracted from the Flame Demon and handed it over for him to see.


    "Great material, and this kind of black crystal forging stone is most suitable for forging weapons made of aurora material. However, if you have only one piece, the material might not be sufficient." Gulu rubbed his chin, recalling whether there were any forging materials left in Quenching Castle.


    However, having thought it through, he realized that Quenching Castle had no higher-level forging materials left; they had used up all their resources when they broke away from the Abyss.


    Lu Heng took out the Fusang Name Blade "Izumi Tiger Cutter" and said, "I''m planning to use this as a forging material. Along with the black crystal forging stone, it should be enough."


    "This blade is good, truly a fine sword. Using it as a forging material couldn''t be better. The weather is nice today; let''s start right now."


    Gulu immediately became excited, ran over to put on his forging suit, and then fired up the furnace to start the preparatory work.


    The black crystal forging stone and the Izumi Tiger Cutter were the main materials for forging, and other auxiliary materials would also be needed.


    The auxiliary materials were quite common, and there were many in the Quenching Castle.


    Gulu rummaged through several boxes, took out all the auxiliary materials needed, and placed them all on the table.


    He first put the Izumi Tiger Cutter and black crystal forging stone into the furnace to calcine and burn off the impurities, and then began the forging process.


    The forging operation took some time. Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu helped out, and it took three hours to complete.


    When the forging was completed, Lu Heng saw a string of data prompts appear.


    [Assisted a Forging Master in weapon forging, obtained the vice profession "Forging Assistant".]


    [Participated in assisting forging operations, Forging Assistant profession experience +10]


    The last time he had performed the second forging on the Aurora Blade, he did not acquire the vice profession, possibly because his participation level was not high enough.


    It should also have something to do with the fact that Gulu''s original forging master level was not high enough.


    If one were to assist an Apprentice Forger, they would not become a Forging Assistant.


    The probability of obtaining the Forging Assistant vice profession by assisting a professional Forging Master was also very low.


    Only by assisting a high-level Forging Master or a Forging Grand Master would the probability of gaining the vice profession be relatively high.


    Gulu must have raised his forging level after the last forging, which is why the "Forging Assistant" vice profession appeared this time.


    And it was not only Lu Heng who got the Forging Assistant vice profession. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Zeyu came over, his face full of surprise, and said, "I got a vice profession called Forging Assistant. Am I going to take off now?"


    "Hmm, it''s more like skimming the ground; I have this vice profession too." Lu Heng teased him.


    Lin Zeyu immediately widened his eyes: "Aren''t you a Quenching Master? Why did you get another Forging Assistant?"


    Lu Heng spread his hands: "What does that have to do with you?"


    Although it was only the Forging Assistant, it was the first time Lin Zeyu had obtained a vice profession, so he was extremely excited.


    Moreover, the Forging Assistant still came with additional effect bonuses.


    [Forging Assistant: Assists to increase the success rate of forging by +5%.]


    The forging complete, Gulu''s face radiated excitement as he lifted the thrice-forged Aurora Blade and laughed out loud, "Blessed by the God of Melting, I have finally forged a divine weapon; the forging skills of the Black Iron Tribe haven''t been lost!"


    Lu Heng had realized last time that this "Forging Master" had never even forged a B-level weapon before.


    Presumably, as Quenching Castle migrated and detached from the Abyss, many skills had been on the verge of being lost.


    Gulu could be considered knowledgeable about forging, but without advanced materials for trials, his highest forging level had been C-level before Lu Heng appeared.


    Lu Heng quickly took the Aurora Blade to check its attributes and couldn''t help but reveal a look of surprise when he saw the attack power.


    [Superior Aurora Blade+9 (Abyss Integration)]


    [Item Level: A-Level]


    [Specifications: Length 132cm, Blade Width 3.6cm, Weight 1.85kg]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 345 (Special Effect Bonus)]


    [Special Effect: Spirit Slash LV2, Sharp Blade LV2]


    [Sharp Blade LV2: Exclusive special effect for edged weapons such as swords, improves weapon sharpness, weapon attack power +75 points, and increases damage to hard materials by 50%.]


    Each forging had a chance to improve the level of special effects; this time, the forging directly upgraded the [Sharp Blade] effect from LV1 to LV2, enhancing the attack power from 50 points to 75 points.


    Moreover, [Sharp Blade] had stronger destructive power against hard materials, making it truly like slicing through butter.


    An attack power of 345 points after special effect bonuses, and given that this was a cold weapon, meant it could receive bonuses from the strength attribute.


    A casual strike, and any below level 25 would be as mere ants.


    A double special effect A-level weapon, and both effects were at LV2.


    This sword''s appearance in the sixth month after Abyss Descent could be described as terrifyingly ahead of its time.


    ...


    The time came to the end of June in the Abyss Era.


    The 15-day expulsion period had ended, and Saito Takeji once again came to Da Xia, this time bringing many people from the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle.


    This group declared their intention to vindicate Fusang Swordsmanship and condemn the shameful acts of the Da Xia swordsmen.


    Therefore.


    When Lu Heng received the challenge for the second time, it was quite a spectacle.


    Over a hundred people surrounded the entrance of Qionghua Tianglu Lake, demanding Lu Heng to come out and meet them.


    After Lu Heng came out, a disciple of the Kashima Shin-ryu handed over the challenge.


    Many of the Fusang group wielded weapons, some with wooden swords and others with tachi, casting an atmosphere of tension.


    Concerned about incidents breaking out, the enforcement team deployed police forces, blocking the front of Qionghua Tianglu Lake.

 Chapter 179 - 149: A Sea of People at the Martial Arts Competition_2

    The challenge was delivered, and Lu Heng did not reach for it immediately but turned to look at the black sedan by the roadside.


    The same car, in the same position.


    Just like last time, the window on the rear seat of the car came down, and Saito Takeji, with a tuft of mustache on his philtrum, sat in the car, his aura even more formidable than before.


    Clearly, to prepare for this battle, Saito Takeji returned to Fusang and had gained significant enhancements.


    Moreover, he now represented the face of Fusang Swordsmanship, so the financial groups within the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle would support him.


    Thus, in these fifteen days, Saito Takeji had received the support of the entire Fusang Swordsmanship Circle, with countless extraordinary resources leaning towards him, making it difficult not to become stronger.


    Saito Takeji was already recognized as the Sect Leader of Fusang''s Kashima Shintou, regarded as a Sword Saint by the people of Fusang, with unfathomably deep strength.


    Now, having gained so many extraordinary resources, his strength had skyrocketed, becoming invincible in the realm of Fusang Swordsmanship.


    The scale of issuing the challenge today left no room for retreat.


    If Lu Heng did not accept this battle, domestic public opinion would explode.


    Although Lu Heng did not care about public opinion, he did not want to be pointed at and called a coward.


    In fact, the purpose of Saito Takeji and the Chunshang Group making such a grand arrangement was to force Lu Heng into battle.


    Lu Heng saw through the opponent''s intentions, knowing it was an obvious ploy, but didn''t mind; he would just fight.


    Under everyone''s gaze, Lu Heng picked up the challenge letter, checking the time and location.


    The time was three days later, and the place was the Coastal International Sword Dojo.


    Due to the large scale of the arrangement, Lu Heng''s parents were also aware of the situation.


    Competing in a duel, the parents were definitely worried.


    However, Lu Heng tried to downplay it as much as possible, "Don''t worry, it''s just a duel, not much different from an Olympic event."


    These words were just to comfort his parents.


    Lu Heng was very aware that Saito Takeji would not hold back in this battle.


    Thus, this battle was bound to be a fight to the death.


    Lu Mingli saw the scale of the challenge issued by Saito Takeji, so he knew clearly that his son absolutely could not back down from this fight.


    This matter was no longer about an individual; what was at stake was the backbone of a Da Xia man.


    "Dad and Mom know that you can''t back out of this fight, but you have to promise us, whether you win or lose, you must come back alive," Lu Mingli said solemnly.


    He did not seek any victory in this battle, even a loss would be acceptable as long as his son came back alive.


    No matter what happened later, they would face it together as a family.


    Lu Heng showed a relaxed smile, "Don''t worry. It''s just a duel, a small matter."


    Despite what he said, Lu Heng was still a bit nervous.


    After all, his opponent was a Sword Saint from Fusang, steeped in swordsmanship for decades, his strength could not be weak.


    In the following three days,


    Lu Heng was in the Training Room, practicing swordsmanship and movement techniques, and finally on the third day, his proficiency in movement technique reached the Micro-level (2999/3000).


    While executing the upside-down Rising Dragon Style with his foot on the ceiling, his movement technique officially broke through the Micro-level boundary.


    [Insight gained from practicing movement techniques, movement technique proficiency +1]


    [Micro-level movement technique mastery achieved perfection, stepping into the fourth level of Body Technique Realm¡ªConception Level.]


    With the Conception-level movement technique, Lu Heng once again performed the modified Zhenyue Style technique "Returning Wind," his figure revolving like lightning and emitting a cut of Returning Wind Sword Light.


    The sword light formed a full moon, sharp and unmatched.


    Having perfected the movement technique, he also perfected the modified technique, "Returning Wind."


    After breaking through his movement technique, Lu Heng rested for half a day.


    The time also reached the day of the duel written in the challenge letter.


    Early in the morning, Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu were waiting at the door, ready to accompany Lu Heng to the Sword Dojo.


    At nine-thirty in the morning,


    the area outside the Coastal International Sword Dojo was packed with people.


    News that today, Saito Takeji, the Kashima Shintou Sword Saint from Fusang, would be competing here had spread.


    Some even came from other cities by plane, wanting to witness the duel.


    Most of the gathered crowd was there to see Saito Takeji.


    After all, he was the Sword Saint of Fusang.


    The title "Sword Saint" alone was enough to attract countless spectators.


    Compared to others, Lu Heng had little to no reputation, somewhat unknown.


    After all, the match between Lu Heng and Hideyoshi Tsugawa was not public, and those who saw it were silenced.


    One was a Sword Saint from Fusang, the other an unheard-of passerby from Da Xia.


    The crowd gathered at the Coastal International Sword Dojo was there to see someone quite obvious.


    The duel hadn''t started yet.


    Outside the Sword Dojo, it was already packed with people discussing the duel.


    "Saito Takeji is fighting whom?"


    "A guy named Lu Heng."


    "A new sword mastery expert? Why haven''t I heard of him before?"


    "I don''t know, never heard the name, don''t know from which corner he popped up."


    "How can such a minor character start with a duel against the Sect Leader of the Kashima Shintou? That doesn''t make sense." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I heard Saito Takeji personally issued the challenge."


    "It was indeed Saito Takeji who came in person to deliver the challenge, I was there, Fusang brought hundreds of people, it was a grand scene."


    "The Kashima Shintou Sword Saint personally challenging an unknown minor character? What''s going on? This Lu Heng must be a new sword mastery expert, right?"


    In the crowd, some knew the course of events.


    "I went to several Fusang swordsmanship forums to dig up information, it seems Saito Takeji issued a challenge fifteen days ago, but this Lu Heng was too scared to respond. However, Lu Heng has backers, and they actually used official forces to expel Saito Takeji from the country."


    "Is that so despicable?"


    "Currently, the people in Fusang are all cursing, calling our country''s swordsmen despicable and shameless, afraid to accept challenges, only knowing how to use official rules to expel rivals."


    "How come Lu Heng accepted the challenge this time?"


    "Could he not accept? Hundreds from the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle came, blocked his house, nearly resorted to violence."


    "Did this Lu Heng offend Saito Takeji? A Sword Saint bullying a minor character, isn''t that a bit too much?"


    "I dug up information from Fusang websites, it seems this Lu Heng defeated Saito Takeji''s favorite pupil, Hideyoshi Tsugawa."


    "He beat Hideyoshi Tsugawa? When did that happen?"


    "It must have been last month?"


    "No, Hideyoshi is one of the top ten masters of Fusang swordsmanship, how could there be no news if he lost a duel?"


    "Seems it''s not just a loss, the version I heard was that Hideyoshi Tsugawa was taken out by this Lu Heng."


    "That intense?"


    "Hideyoshi is one of the top ten masters of Fusang swordsmanship, could he really be killed by a minor character?"


    "Hard to say, perhaps this Lu Heng has strong skills. If he had a Gun Enhancement Skill and suddenly drew a gun, shot Hideyoshi, it wouldn''t be strange at all."


    "That''s true, a sneak attack with a gun enhanced by a skill could indeed be very effective."


    In common perception, the power of firearms remains strong.


    Usually, Superpower Users cannot withstand handgun shots.


    The crowd outside the Sword Dojo became increasingly agitated.


    Information sources were not only from Fusang websites; domestic individuals also tranported content from Fusang websites and translated it.


    "I saw the translated content; if it''s true, then Saito Takeji is here for revenge for his pupil."


    "From this perspective, Lu Heng probably ambushed and killed Hideyoshi Tsugawa, and Saito Takeji issued the challenge for revenge."


    "If that''s the case, a Sword Saint challenging an unknown minor character becomes understandable."


    Among the murmuring,


    People from the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle arrived at the Sword Dojo first.


    Saito Takeji, surrounded by dozens, entered the Sword Dojo, changed into his Kendo Uniform, and stepped onto the platform.


    With the last ten minutes left before the time agreed for the duel,


    The Sword Dojo had been booked for the day and was not open, so guards at the door were keeping the crowd wanting to watch the duel outside.


    However, a few privileged individuals were allowed inside the Sword Dojo.


    Jian Qing and Chen Zihang had heard about the duel a few days in advance, so they came early.


    The pair, having heard the discussions from the crowd at the entrance, kept a consistently calm expression as they walked through the crowd and entered the Sword Dojo.


    The time reached 10 a.m.


    Lu Heng arrived at the entrance of the Sword Dojo and was slightly taken aback by the sea of people outside.


    He had anticipated a large crowd, but did not expect it to be this enormous.

 Chapter 180 - 150: Conception Level Contest

    Sword Dojo backstage.


    Lu Heng began preparing for the martial arts duel. Despite being in the backstage rest room, he could still hear the noisy bustle outside the Sword Dojo.


    Lin Zeyu was rubbing his hands together eagerly, looking as if all arrangements were in place. He leaned close to Lu Heng and said,


    "You go all out when fighting, and if something seems off, just give me a look. I''ve arranged two hundred men in the neighboring hotel. At your command, we''ll rush in!"


    Lu Heng glanced at him, thinking this guy really doesn''t know what to make of the situation.


    To have quietly arranged so many people.


    Actually, arranging so many people probably wouldn''t be necessary, but with hundreds of people from Fusang arriving for the duel, even if just to support, there was the fear of an actual confrontation breaking out.


    If a fight really broke out, without those two hundred men, it would indeed be hard to control the crowd.


    Su Muyu stood by, twirling her hair with her fingers.


    She wanted to help, but couldn''t.


    If it were on the Abyss Battlefield, they could fight side by side.


    But the duel was a one-on-one contest, where even teammates could not assist.


    Just as Lu Heng was preparing, someone knocked on the rest room door.


    Knock, knock, knock¡­


    Jian Qing, after knocking, directly pushed the door open, walked up to Lu Heng, hands in his pockets, and said, "I''m here on behalf of the military. If you don''t want to fight, I can report it and sort this out for you."


    Lu Heng had just led his team to resolve the mist crisis in the Liu River region, earning commendation and about to receive a medal. If he were suppressed by someone from Fusang now, his comrades who had entered the mist together would be the first to object.


    "No need, it will just be said that I used official means to expel him. It''s bothersome," Lu Heng waved his hand dismissively.


    Flies aren''t scary, but their incessant buzzing is annoying.


    That was the situation with the large group of people from Fusang outside now.


    "Alright then, I''ll watch you perform from below," Jian Qing waved his hand and walked out of the rest room to find a comfortable seat in the audience area of the Sword Dojo.


    ¡­


    This Coastal International Sword Dojo was booked by the Chunshang Group.


    The security at the entrance stopped onlookers from entering, but anyone of Fusang nationality was allowed entry.


    Therefore, one side of the audience seats was now filled with people from Fusang.


    There were even some oddballs who wore kimonos and disguised themselves as people from Fusang to sneak in.


    Indeed, all sorts of creatures exist in a large forest.


    On the other side of the audience, there were only Jian Qing and Chen Zihang, the rest of the seats depressingly empty, forming a sharp contrast to the crowded side.


    Jian Qing sat with hands spread over the back of the chair, legs crossed, exuding a powerful presence.


    Chen Zihang, a bit worried, asked, "Lieutenant Jian, with so many of them over there, what if a fight actually breaks out?"


    Jian Qing, with a face full of nonchalance, replied, "Our country is best at self-defense and counterattacks. They better dare to lay a hand."


    For some reason, Chen Zihang sensed an undercurrent of looming violence in her answer.


    ¡­


    The time arrived at ten o''clock.


    Saito Takeji looked towards a disciple below the platform and muttered a few words.


    This disciple of Kashima Shin-ryu nobly stepped forward and shouted towards Jian Qing and the other, "Hey! Where are your duelists? It''s time; come out and meet your demise!"


    Jian Qing looked around and then realized something, this Fusang disciple was addressing them.


    Due to the Sword Dojo''s restriction on Da Xia people, there were only Jian Qing and Chen Zihang in Lu Heng''s audience section.


    Just then.


    Lu Heng strode out of the rest room and slowly stepped onto the platform.


    Following that.


    A Sword Dojo manager walked onto the platform, holding a tray that contained a document.


    "Sign this disclaimer first."


    Lu Heng glanced over the document titled ''Duel Disclaimer'' which was essentially a life-and-death contract.


    Meaning, by signing this, one acknowledges that in case of any injury or fatality during the duel, the Sword Dojo bears no responsibility, and neither does the opponent. The signee assumes all responsibility.


    In fact.


    Any sport involving intense physical activity could potentially result in injuries or fatalities.


    Boxing, fencing, even ball sports have had incidents.


    Such disclaimers indeed carry a certain legal weight.


    Lu Heng, expression calm, picked up the pen and signed the disclaimer.


    The manager of the Sword Dojo turned to leave the platform.


    Lu Heng frowned and called out to him, "Did you forget something?"


    The manager turned back, puzzled, "What?"


    "Am I the only one required to sign this?" Lu Heng looked at his puzzled face and found it rather laughable.


    The manager almost blurted out: Who else then?


    But he held back, moved with the tray to Saito Takeji, and had him sign.


    Since Lu Heng had signed, for the sake of face, Saito Takeji certainly would sign.


    After signing, the manager moved to the edge of the platform and said, "Once I leave the platform, you two can start. This duel has no rules, no points needed. It ends when one party concedes or loses the ability to fight."


    Saito Takeji, not rushing to begin, arms folded holding a Tachi, spoke with a chilling voice, letting his disciple translate, "Did you kill Hideyoshi Tsugawa?"


    Lu Heng did not deny it, "That duel was initiated by him."


    Saito Takeji snorted coldly, "Is Hideyoshi''s tachi, Hequan Tora Kiri, in your possession?"


    Lu Heng drew the Aurora Blade from thin air and responded, "I suppose it is."


    The Hequan Tora Kiri had already been used as weapon nourishment and had become part of the Aurora Blade.


    From this perspective, it could indeed be said to be in Lu Heng''s hands.


    Saito Takeji snorted coldly, "Do you know what tachi I have in my hands?"


    "I''m not interested in knowing." Lu Heng truly wasn''t interested, but the other party kept talking. Interrupting someone mid-speech and suddenly attacking seemed like a sneak attack, so he could only let him finish talking.


    Saito Takeji drew his tachi out ten centimeters, revealing the shiny blade within the scabbard.


    The cold light reflected from the blade made it clear that it was a good sword.


    Saito Takeji slowly explained, "This blade is named ''Hequan Zongzheng,'' and it is the ''father'' to Hequan Tora Kiri. So, you must pay a price for what you''ve done."


    "Are you done?" Lu Heng still interrupted his lengthy story, urging him to make a move.


    "Hmph!"


    Saito Takeji snorted coldly, pulled out the Hequan Zongzheng, discarded the scabbard, held the sword with both hands in front of him, and shouted, "Let''s begin, inferior sword student of Da Xia."


    Lu Heng positioned himself sideways with his sword, his eyes gathering a sharp glint.


    Without making a move, the Sword Dao Realm already enveloped everything around him.


    As soon as the Sword Dao Realm appeared, both parties confirmed something¡ªthat both had reached the Conception Level.


    When masters duel at this level, a single glance sharp enough could sweep across the field.


    If Meticulous Level swordsmanship involves achieving perfection in the minutiae and displaying exquisite maneuvers, each maneuver is an intricate game of strategy and contest.


    Then, Conception Level swordsmanship focuses more on the dominance and momentum of the sword.


    If the opponents are a whole major level apart, at the Conception Level, the Meticulous Level has no chance of making a move¡ªthe duel is lost in the stage of clashing auras.


    If someone from the Meticulous Level tries to forcefully attack, during the moment of contact, the Conception Level could immediately win with a gap in boundary like a domain.


    Both being at the Conception Level, the collision of their auras was evenly matched.


    In the spectator seats on the Fusang side, many from the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle were seated. Their strength wasn''t necessarily strong, but their theoretical knowledge was deep.


    Thus, many recognized that although neither had made a move, they had already commenced a clash of auras.


    This surprised many people.


    Because, in many eyes, this was not a fair contest but a crushing defeat by a Fusang Sword Saint against an unknown opponent.


    Yet, as both stood on the Sword Platform radiating their aura, something was amiss.


    Both had reached the Conception Level.


    An unsung character possessing the sword Dao level of Conception Level?


    This was beyond everyone''s expectations.


    Jian Qing did not understand swordsmanship, but she could feel that although neither had made a move, they were already in combat.


    She turned to Su Muyu beside her and asked, "Conception Level?"


    "Um¡­"


    Su Muyu had been watching the contest on the platform intently. Hearing Jian Qing''s question, he replied, "Yes, it is Conception Level, but I''m not really sure what that level entails."


    Jian Qing''s lips curled into a smile, "This is beyond my expectations. Lu Heng''s basic skills are so strong, no wonder he was unflustered facing the Flame Demon last time."


    ¡­ sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On the platform.


    Their standoff in the realm of aura continued.


    Neither had moved their swords, but their eyes had clashed many times.


    After such a long standoff in the realm, both were certain of one thing¡ªsimply clashing auras could not determine the victor.


    Now it was about who would break the deadlock and attack first.


    However, at the Conception Level, often the tactic of stillness controlling movement secured a better chance of victory.


    Thus, a sword master at the Conception Level, during a contest, might never make a move, but when they do, it could very well determine the victor in a single strike.


    Moreover, Tsugawa Shindo-ryu was indeed known worldwide for "overcoming the enemy with one move."


    And what Saito Takeji was best at was the Retreating Strike Technique, overcoming the enemy in a single move during the dodging process.


    In fact.


    Hideyoshi Tsugawa was also adept at the Retreating Strike Technique, after all, he was Saito Takeji''s disciple, and the art of the Retreating Strike was passed down through their lineage.


    However, Hideyoshi Tsugawa, being younger, sometimes took the initiative to attack, not solely relying on the Retreating Strike Technique to face an opponent.


    The Retreating Strike Technique is a defensive counter-attack accomplished while retreating and striking simultaneously.


    Saito Takeji was most skilled at the Retreating Strike Technique, so as soon as his opponent made a move, he would counterattack like thunder, killing his opponent in one stroke.


    Over his lifetime, he had fought in 39 official duels and had never been defeated.


    This was also why he was hailed as a Sword Saint.


    Before coming here, Lu Heng had already learned about Saito Takeji''s life and knew his tactics.


    Moreover, this old turtle was very patient, his hand holding the sword not trembling at all during the standoff.


    Lu Heng had not specifically practiced the Retreating Strike Technique, so he was versatile in both attack and defense.


    Since the opponent was so enduring, Lu Heng chose to attack.


    At the moment when the clash of auras reached its peak, Lu Heng suddenly made his move, sprinting forward, his sword executing a Zhenyue Style chop.


    With a momentum heavy and powerful chop descending, Saito Takeji''s eyes burst with a sharp gleam, his lips even revealing a cold smirk, for Lu Heng''s move had exposed vulnerabilities at his front and both sides.


    Saito Takeji immediately stepped back, his thirty-year mastered signature Retreating Strike coming into play¡ªin the instant he stepped back, he drew his sword and made a slash, aiming directly for Lu Heng''s right shoulder.

 Chapter 181 - 151 Sword Saint Is No Better Than This

    Saito Takeji made his move with full confidence, and Lu Heng recognized it immediately.


    It was his famous finishing move, "Tiger Claw".


    This technique was known for its speed, not necessarily its high attack power, but it targeted areas such as the shoulders, neck, and head, where even a small amount of force, if landed, was lethal.


    The moment Saito Takeji struck, he had already deemed his opponent as good as dead.


    In a duel of this caliber, a single opening was enough to determine the winner.


    The breach Lu Heng exposed was surprisingly large.


    Saito even hesitated for a moment, wondering if Lu Heng had intentionally revealed such an obvious flaw.


    Lu Heng had not intentionally exposed himself, the nature of the Zhenyue Style tended to reveal breaches at the front and sides.


    Of course, with both fighters being at the Conception Level in their sword capabilities, it wasn''t likely that a simple Zhenyue move would suffice.


    Thus, Lu Heng had already prepared an alternative move.


    In the instant Saito Takeji executed his prized "Tiger Claw" technique.


    Lu Heng also shifted his stance, transitioning from Zhenyue Style to Returning Wind, his sword''s radiance suddenly shifted direction, syncing with his footsteps, and he unleashed a moon-shaped slash in front of him.


    Clang!


    The sword''s radiance was piercing and unmatched as it struck the Tachi, producing a crisp metallic sound.


    The Fusang Name Blade "Hequan Zongzheng" in Saito''s hand snapped immediately and fell to the ground.


    That moment.


    Everyone present was stunned.


    In just one exchange, Saito Takeji''s sword had broken.


    Lu Heng had considered the attack power of the Aurora Blade and the ["Sharp Blade"] special effect to severely damage the Fusang Name Blade,


    But the power of the Aurora Blade proved more terrifying than he anticipated.


    It had cut Saito Takeji''s Fusang Name Blade clean in half.


    An A-Class dual-special-effect +9 Quenching Level divine weapon against a B-Class Tachi represented an overwhelming advantage.


    The moment Hequan Zongzheng broke, Saito''s mind went blank.


    This was his first encounter with having a weapon shattered, and at the instant of collision, he felt his hand go numb from the shock, the force exerted by Lu Heng far surpassing his expectations.


    The spectators were shocked by this abrupt turn.


    Many first thought, "Someone must have tampered with Mr. Saito''s Tachi!"


    Even among sword experts, a blade breaking was rare.


    After all, these were steel forged through countless tempering, beyond the capacity of ordinary strength to break.


    However, with the emergence of Superpower Users and increasing strength among sword wielders,


    Lu Heng''s strength had reached 58 points, nearly six times that of an ordinary person.


    Coupled with his swordsmanship, the force behind his strike was too great for any ordinary blade to withstand.


    Although Hequan Zongzheng was not an ordinary blade but a B-Class weapon, it stood no chance against the A-Class Aurora Blade.


    Lu Heng''s single stroke broke Saito''s Tachi, and he smirked, "Fighting you is much easier than fighting Hideyoshi Tsugawa."


    At those words,


    An uproar ensued at the venue.


    This statement was overtly mocking.


    Saito Takeji was Hideyoshi Tsugawa''s teacher, and now someone claimed that the teacher was easier to handle than the disciple.


    Hearing this, Saito''s face alternated between white and red with rage and embarrassment, desiring to tear apart this detestable Da Xia man in front of him, but his sword was already broken.


    But at this stage of the competition, he had no way out.


    Having taken resources from several Fusang conglomerates, if he lost, he would have to perform seppuku upon returning.


    Lu Heng, uninterested in wasting more time, lifted his sword again and declared, "It''s over, Sword Saint sir."


    With that, he made his final slash.


    Deprived of a sword, Saito could only retreat, ultimately gritting his teeth to deploy his Class Ability, smashing a ball of Source Energy into the ground.


    The Source Energy exploded, raising a cloud of fog.


    It was indeed the Class Ability of [Ninja], allowing him to instantly conceal himself.


    Subsequently, the ambient light dimmed as if enveloped by a tangible shadow.


    Lu Heng sensed endless murderous intent from all around ¨C it was the...


    Instant Shadow Kill Array!


    The Essence Skill of the Second Rank "Shadow Slayer."


    Second-Rank [Shadow Slayer] is the direct advanced class of First-Rank [Ninja], with strong synergistic effects, enhancing the power of the Instant Shadow Kill Array.


    Moreover, Saito had already hidden himself at this point, invisible except for the pervasive sense of lethal intent.


    Su Muyu raised an eyebrow, ready to inform Lu Heng of Saito''s location.


    But just as she was about to speak,


    A group from the Fusang spectators rushed forward, pointing at Su Muyu and shouting, "No hints allowed! Giving hints would mean fighting two against one."


    Lu Heng declared loudly, "Do I need any hints for such a trivial matter?"


    With that, Lu Heng executed the ["Rift Slash"].


    The sword radiance spiraled, cutting across every spot on the Sword Platform, with its five-meter-long radiance, there was no escaping this slash.


    Lu Heng even raised his hand, ready to deploy ["Thunderous Heavenly Prison"], should Saito choose to evade above, he would finish him with the Thunder Cage.


    The Sword Platform''s fences shattered inch by inch under the sword radiance.


    As the sword light passed a pillar, blood burst forth, and Saito''s body, cut in two, fell off the platform.


    His torso was gone, only the chest upward and the legs remained.


    Seeing this scene, everyone present showed shocked expressions.


    At that moment, the entire Sword Dojo fell deadly silent.


    While everyone was still in shock, Saito''s body suddenly swelled and burst into a cloud of energy, vanishing.


    Then, a dark shadow formed right above Lu Heng''s head, consolidating into a Blade of Shadow slashing downward.


    Lu Heng didn''t even need to look up; knowing that if Saito was still alive, he''d be right above.


    Thus, at the moment the shadow appeared, he activated ["Thunderous Heavenly Prison"].


    Boom!


    A thunderous explosion echoed as thick bolts of lightning formed a cage, trapping the shadow in mid-air.


    "Ah!"


    Saito, imprisoned within the Thunder Cage, groaned under the lightning strikes, then tried to concentrate his Source Material Energy to forcibly break through the cage.


    Lu Heng did not give him another chance, and with a swing of his sword upwards.


    The sword light fell, cutting Saito in half, and under the bombardment of lightning, he crashed down onto the platform, blood scattering everywhere.


    A crushing defeat!


    It was a complete domination.


    Originally, these Fusang people and fake Fusang people had come to watch the duel of Saito Takeji, the Sword Saint.


    But the duel ended as soon as it began.


    Saito Takeji did not even have the chance to counterattack; his Tachi was cut in the first move, he was forced to use two Essence Techniques in the second, and he was split into two in the third.


    Such overwhelming and suffocating power deeply plunged this group of Fusang people into madness.


    "It''s impossible! How could our Fusang Sword Saint lose!"


    "It must be the Da Xia people playing dirty, swapping our Sword Saint''s Tachi."


    "No mistake! Da Xia people couldn''t possibly defeat our Sword Saint."


    "I don''t believe it, this can''t be real."


    The venue was chosen by the Fusang people, and the time was set by them.


    Lu Heng arrived, cut down Saito Takeji, sheathed his Aurora Blade, and turned to leave the platform.


    Some crazed Fusang samurai drew their weapons, roaring as they charged forward to start a fight.


    "Despicable Da Xia people! They must have tampered with Mr. Saito''s blade!"


    Bang!


    Lin Zeyu suddenly fired a gun into the air, silencing the group of Fusang people.


    Jian Qing also stood up; she was there as a military representative and would intervene if the situation got out of control.


    However, the Fusang people seemed hesitant to truly start a fight, yelling and screaming, but not daring to come too close.


    Jian Qing, controlling the wind, landed on the platform and picked up the broken half of Hequan Zongzheng''s blade, flicking it with her finger. "This truly was a fine blade, such a pity."


    She tossed the hilted half off the platform, saying, "Take this back for inspection, see if this blade is indeed your esteemed Fusang Name Blade."


    She kept the other half as evidence to prevent any unfounded rumors from arising.


    ¡­


    After coming down, Su Muyu jumped into Lu Heng''s arms, hugging his neck, bouncing with joy.


    She had been very worried initially, but seeing the duel won, the stone hanging in her heart finally fell.


    "Right, your aunt and uncle said to call them immediately after the duel," Su Muyu quickly reminded.


    Lu Heng had not let his parents come, worried they could not handle watching the duel.


    Now that the duel was over, Lu Heng hurriedly took out his phone to call his mother.


    The phone hadn''t even finished ringing when it was picked up.


    "Lu Heng, is that you?"


    "Mom, it''s me. The duel is over. I''m fine, not hurt at all."


    "That''s good, that''s good."


    The voice from the phone breathed heavily, bearing a sense of clouds dispersing and bright light shining through.


    "That''s it for now, I''ll be coming home soon." Lu Heng reported his safety and then hung up.


    "Good, good..."


    ¡­


    Lu Heng approached the stunned Sword Dojo manager, picking up the two signed indemnity forms from the table beside him.


    The look in the Sword Dojo manager''s eyes when he gazed at Lu Heng was incredibly complex, filled with disbelief.


    Lu Heng, uninterested in giving him a second glance, took the two indemnity forms and walked away.


    The Sword Dojo manager collapsed into his chair.


    At the beginning, he never thought Saito Takeji would need to sign such a life-and-death contract.


    After all, one was a revered Fusang Sword Saint and the other a nobody without fame.


    The gap between them was enormous, to make Saito Takeji sign such a contract seemed like an excess.


    However, when the actual fight occurred, Saito Takeji turned out to be the mud, unable to withstand three moves in Lu Heng''s hands, falling in two pieces to the ground.


    Now, a large group of disciples from the new Shimane School of Fusang were wailing around Saito Takeji''s bisected corpse.


    Suddenly one of the Shimane School disciples, driven mad, roared as he turned and swung his blade toward Lu Heng''s back.


    Jian Qing, just descending from the platform, drew the pistol from her leg, placing it against the Fusang man''s head and pulling the trigger.


    Bang!


    A headshot.


    After firing, Jian Qing holstered her gun, handing it to Lu Heng, "Give me the indemnity forms, I''ll submit them."


    Lu Heng then handed over the two indemnity forms.


    Jian Qing took the papers, shook them slightly, and said, "Someone will handle the rest."


    A Fusang Sword Saint coming into Da Xia territory and then dying.


    If handled poorly, this could become an international incident.


    Thus, the duel indemnity form was crucial.


    As for the Shimane School disciple who just died, it was Jian Qing who fired the shot, a junior military officer.


    A Fusang person committing an armed assault here justified the shooting completely.


    Jian Qing, after firing, didn''t even bother to glance at the person.


    ¡­


    The duel platform was located in the Sword Dojo''s first-floor hall.


    Thus, the crowd gathered at the entrance could also see what was happening on the platform.


    After Saito Takeji died, the spectating crowd also exploded.


    Those gathered here were all drawn by the fame of Saito Takeji, the Fusang Sword Saint. But now that he had died without lasting three moves against Lu Heng.


    This caused many people''s beliefs to collapse.


    "How is this possible!"


    "Saito Sword Saint actually lost."


    "There must be some trick!"


    "He must have been poisoned!"


    Among these onlookers, many had reasonable world views, just knowing about the event and coming to watch while cheering on their countrymen.


    "Poisoned my ass! This trash couldn''t even block three moves, and yet dares claim to be a Sword Saint. The duel venue was chosen by you Fusang bastards, the time set by you, and you start playing dirty once you lose!"


    "The venue and time were set by Saito Takeji. He even rented the whole Sword Dojo, allowing only Fusang people in, yet you claim there was foul play. Have some shame!"


    After winning, speaking becomes bolder.


    Initially, those wishing to speak up for their countryman were surrounded and silenced by a bunch of foolish crowds. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Now, with the situation reversed, they pointed fingers and retorted fiercely.


    ¡­


    (Third update delivered, asking for full subscriptions. Not far from the recommended list, so pulling the average subscription. Been up almost a month, averaging ten thousand words a day, working hard, give some more subscriptions, folks.)

 Chapter 182 - 152 Flame Emblem Club

    After leaving the Sword Dojo, Lu Heng got into the car heading home and checked the Source Quality Fusion on the data panel.


    [Source Quality Fusion: 82%]


    The Source Quality Fusion had increased when he used his Rift Sword Radiance to cut down Saito Takeji.


    Seeing the increase in Source Quality Fusion, Lu Heng finally understood why Saito Takeji insisted on dueling, one reason must have been for the Source Material.


    Because of the battles for Source Material, there naturally existed a hostile relationship between Superpower Users who possessed unbound Source Material.


    However, since normal methods were incapable of detecting unbound Source Material, it was impossible to identify Superpower Users with Source Material from a crowd.


    Therefore, during the contests for Source Material, one had to rely on guesswork.


    Clearly, Saito Takeji knew that Hideyoshi Tsugawa carried Source Material, and since Lu Heng had killed Hideyoshi Tsugawa, that Source Material naturally transferred to Lu Heng.


    Unfortunately for Saito Takeji, he lost.


    When Lu Heng fought Saito Takeji, it felt much simpler than fighting Hideyoshi Tsugawa.


    It wasn''t that Saito Takeji was weaker than Hideyoshi Tsugawa, but rather that Lu Heng''s strength had increased.


    When he fought Hideyoshi Tsugawa, their powers were evenly matched, resulting in a back-and-forth battle.


    By the time he faced Saito Takeji, Lu Heng''s level had risen to 26, and his physical strength far surpassed Saito Takeji''s, on top of the overwhelming superiority of his weapons.


    A combination of multiple factors turned the duel into a crushing defeat.


    ...


    The death of Fusang Sword Saint Saito Takeji in a duel in Da Xia caused an uproar back in Fusang Country.


    For Fusang, whether Saito Takeji actually died on the spot wasn''t the key issue.


    Even if he hadn''t died on the spot, he would have been forced to commit seppuku upon his return to Fusang.


    Because for the people of Fusang, Saito Takeji had lost face abroad.


    This led to an increasing number of Fusang Swordsmen declaring their intention to challenge the swordsmen of Da Xia.


    However, most of those Fusang people making loud claims were just weaklings.


    Moreover, some weren''t merely boasting, they were actually applying for passports with the intention of traveling to Da Xia to issue challenges.


    Because of this, the Da Xia authorities tightened their visa review process, outright denying entry to these lunatics.


    ...


    The matter of duels came to a temporary halt.


    The Quenching Castle Club, organized by Lin Zeyu, had finally taken off.


    In addition, as the Huan Yu Company''s business grew increasingly larger, it became necessary to restructure the company''s management.


    Initially, Huan Yu was simply a security company, hired to employ Superpower Users as bodyguards for Lin Zeyu.


    Now, with the addition of Quenching services support, quenching materials, and Spiritual Injection Materials, all these businesses were managed by Huan Yu Company.


    Huan Yu was no longer just a simplistic security firm.


    With its business expanding into numerous areas, and given that Huan Yu started as a security firm, the structure of the company was impeding further business expansion.


    Therefore, it was necessary to restructure the company.


    That morning.


    Lin Zeyu gathered the executives of Huan Yu Company for a meeting and also called Lu Heng and Su Muyu to the company.


    The executives of Huan Yu waited outside as Lin Zeyu wanted to first confirm the direction of the restructuring with Lu Heng and Su Muyu.


    The three of them sat together on the sofa, discussing the future direction of Huan Yu''s development.


    "I hadn''t anticipated Huan Yu''s rapid development; initially, it was just a security company. Now that''s no longer sufficient as the business has expanded too quickly; we must adjust the company structure..." Lin Zeyu opened a document and said, "Here''s the plan I''ve considered, to separate the various tasks and establish subsidiaries.


    "A separate subsidiary will be created specifically for Quenching service support to clarify the business division and increase efficiency.


    "Also, the new Quenching Castle Club project will be spun off into its own subsidiary.


    "I''ve already thought of a name for the club; it will be called ''Flame Emblem,'' which will become the prestigious pass to enter Quenching Castle in the future.


    "Huan Yu Security will remain, exclusively managing security services and the brokerage of Superpower Users.


    "Lastly, we''ll establish a group company responsible for the overall coordination and management of all subsidiaries.


    "What do you think of the name ''Hengyu'' for the group? I think it sounds especially nice." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu nudged her mouth and joked, "So my name isn''t included, huh?"


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, "What? Aren''t you two considered as one?"


    Su Muyu initially wanted to tease him further, but hearing his response, she suddenly burst into laughter, "Alright then."


    The three of them made swift decisions, casually settling the matters of Hengyu Group in just a few words.


    The shares of Hengyu Group were divided into three parts: Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu each held 35%, with the remaining 30% belonging to the team, represented by Su Muyu.


    The team''s 30% shares were collectively owned by all members who signed the team''s Contract. Currently, there were three team members, and should new members join in the future, they would also share in the rights to this 30% stake.


    After the company restructuring was complete, the Flame Emblem Club was officially established.


    The release of the name "Flame Emblem," alongside the club''s function, immediately sent shockwaves through major consortia.


    Because the "Flame Emblem" brand unambiguously denoted it as the access pass to Quenching Castle.


    The club would regularly organize members to enter Quenching Castle.


    As for how to join "Flame Emblem," all explanatory rights were reserved by Hengyu Group.


    Representatives from the major consortia had staked out under the Century Bridge for two or three months only to elicit such an outcome.


    Initially, three months earlier, Hu Biao successfully led people into Quenching Castle, among whom was the most crucial Quenching Master promoted by Chunshang Group''s He Shangyong.

 Chapter 183 - 152 Flame Emblem Club_2

    However, Chunshang Group failed to seize the opportunity to take down Quenching Castle.


    As a result, the times Quenching Castle opened became fewer and fewer; in the last one and a half months, it hadn''t opened its doors even once.


    Some consortia even suspected that Quenching Castle had already left Blue Star.


    In the end, the emergence of Flame Emblem Club proved one thing.


    Quenching Castle wasn''t refusing to open its doors, it was only opening them for a certain person.


    After the establishment of Flame Emblem Club, Lin Zeyu had people purchase all the buildings and land around the old clock tower on Riverbank Road and converted them into a fortress.


    And the main venue of Flame Emblem Club was located right opposite the old clock tower.


    Once this news came out,


    the number of Superpower Users camping out on Century Bridge decreased, as all the major consortia had realized that Bridge Hole No. 9 might never open again.


    To gain access to Quenching Castle, the major consortia could only reach out to Flame Emblem Club.


    Lin Zeyu set a rather frightening price for the club''s entry tickets¡ªthe tickets were at the level of tens of millions.


    After joining the club, one still had to queue.


    As for who would be chosen to enter Quenching Castle, that relied entirely on Lin Zeyu''s mood.


    In short, he had a tight grip on the situation.


    Some consortia refused to accept this and wanted to find an alternative way into Quenching Castle.


    There was even an idiot who thought about dismantling the tunnels of Century Bridge to see.


    Many people did not believe that a club that had popped up suddenly could have the capability to bring people into Quenching Castle.


    However, as long as one knew which company was the parent of Flame Emblem Club, they would have no doubts on this matter.


    Chunshang Group also spent money to join the club, sending people in the hope of entering Quenching Castle again.


    Lin Zeyu did not stop them; if they were actively giving money, of course, he would not turn them away.


    As for whether to grant them entry to Quenching Castle, the ultimate interpretation right belonged to the club.


    By the time Saturday came around.


    Flame Emblem had its first gathering; the club''s management team picked ten members and then took them into Quenching Castle.


    Some people had entered Quenching Castle, and those who were chosen were basically not likely to cause trouble inside.


    Gulu was very pleased with the people who came this time; it solved his problem of feeling bored, as well as the issue of the entrants causing chaos everywhere.


    Among this group of entrants, there were a few who had been to Quenching Castle before.


    This time, these few had already steeled themselves, prepared to eat charcoal-grilled cockroaches.


    To their surprise, they found that entering Quenching Castle didn''t necessarily require eating that stuff.


    Gulu hadn''t been holding a big plate full of "delicacies" to welcome them at the entrance this time.


    Realizing this, they underwent a torrent of emotions, feeling that their previous efforts of gritting their teeth to taste the "delicacies" had been in vain.


    ... Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Among this group that entered Quenching Castle, some had come with a purpose.


    One of the executives from Fengcai Consortium tried to discuss business with Gulu, hoping to take on Quenching Orders for him.


    Now, there were more Quenching Masters on Blue Star than just Lu Heng.


    Among the Superpower Users, there were no fewer than ten Quenching Masters.


    Moreover, one Quenching Master had a more stable Quenching Skill than Lu Heng, and that was Gulu.


    Which means, if they couldn''t get other Quenching Masters into Quenching Castle, it was entirely possible to take on orders for Gulu to fulfill.


    As long as this channel could be unlocked, these consortia wouldn''t even mind forgoing their cut.


    Simply put, if the business deal was successful and Gulu agreed to let Fengcai Consortium take on his Quenching Orders, it would mean that Fengcai Consortium could freely enter and leave Quenching Castle.


    Once that door was opened, everything else would be easy to handle.


    Gulu, hearing this person talk about the deal, lay back in his chair and said, "I''m pretty expensive."


    "Of course, hiring Master Gulu for Quenching would definitely be at the highest price, higher than any other Quenching Master on the market," the executive from Fengcai Consortium gave a thumbs-up and lavished praise.


    Gulu nodded contentedly and said, "Okay."


    "Then from now on, I will be Master Gulu''s agent for Quenching services. Whenever Master Gulu has time, we can discuss the business details," the executive''s eyes lit up, thinking he had achieved his goal.


    Master Gulu waved his hand and said, "The details, you should discuss with Little Linzi."


    Little Linzi of course referred to Lin Zeyu.


    Since Lin Zeyu dared to bring someone in, he was naturally confident that no one could pry away even a blade of grass or piece of wood from Quenching Castle.


    With the relationship between Lu Heng and Master Gulu, even if someone managed to coax Gulu successfully, as long as Lu Heng came forward to say a word, the situation would be rectified.


    Moreover, Lin Zeyu was getting along especially well with Gulu, who had affectionately started calling him Little Linzi.


    Upon hearing the term "Little Linzi," the complexion of this executive from Fengcai Consortium turned dark.


    He had thought that they had truly come to an arrangement; what he didn''t expect was that although Gulu was indeed easy to talk to, he was incredibly laid-back. Anything cumbersome, and the unified response was, "Just discuss it with Little Linzi."


    Flame Emblem had been fully authorized to handle Quenching Castle''s affairs.


    Gulu was so satisfied with the arrangements made by Flame Emblem, it completely resolved his worries.


    ...


    After the first event at the Flame Emblem Club, the members spread the news quickly within the industry after returning.


    Several major consortiums confirmed a few things.


    Firstly, the Flame Emblem Club truly had the capability to take people into Quenching Castle.


    Secondly, the entrance to Quenching Castle was no longer at Century Bridge, pit number nine.


    Thirdly, Master Gulu from Quenching Castle was easy to talk to, he agreed to everything, but no substantial business could be concluded; those wanting to discuss business could only turn to Flame Emblem or Hengyu Group.


    Fourthly, Quenching Castle had started a new business: Forging.


    Fifth, the market''s Forging Materials had been swept clean a month earlier, and there honestly hadn''t been much to begin with, even less so for high-level materials.


    Of course, it was Lin Zeyu who was behind the acquisition of Forging Materials.


    Even as the Aurora Blade went through its second forging, Lin Zeyu had already started acquiring Forging Materials.


    However, Forging Materials were exceedingly scarce; high-level materials were even rarer.


    The Forging Materials that could be purchased were mostly D-Level, with C-Level being very few, and B-Level essentially non-existent.


    B-Level Forging Materials were of the caliber of Black Crystal Forging Stones.


    Black Crystal Forging Stones were dropped by Flame Demons, and with Abyss Descent at the end of June, there were very few Abyss Demons of the Flame Demon''s class, thus the chance of defeating them and obtaining Forging Materials was even smaller.


    Even if there were forces that obtained Forging Materials of such caliber, they wouldn''t put them up for sale.


    For high-level materials like these, the first choice of major powers was to keep them.


    After all, for large consortiums and families, a few tens of millions in funds didn''t greatly impact the consortium, but a piece of high-level material not available on the market had immeasurable value.


    Therefore, the quantity of Forging Materials on the market was very limited.


    When the major consortiums wanted to acquire them, the meager amount of Forging Materials had already been swept clean by Lin Zeyu.


    According to the plan of the Flame Emblem Club, there would be two days open for activities at Quenching Castle every week.


    However, how many times the events were actually held depended on Gulu''s mood.


    If the Dwarf uncle was not in the mood to entertain visitors that day, the event would be directly canceled; if he was suddenly in high spirits, an event would be held on the spot.


    The major consortiums did everything possible to send their Quenching Masters into Quenching Castle.


    After a few Quenching Masters entered Quenching Castle, they expressed to Gulu that they wanted to use the Quenching Furnace, even willing to sign contracts with Hengyu Quenching Service Company.


    These Quenching Masters had the backing of consortiums but still chose to sign with Hengyu Quenching Service Company.


    The reason was simple: if they gained the privilege to use the Quenching Furnace, they could earn the reputation of Quenching Castle, with limitless possibilities for the future.


    Initially, Lin Zeyu didn''t want these Quenching Masters to enter Quenching Castle, but Lu Heng didn''t mind.


    After these Quenching Masters entered Quenching Castle and requested the use of the Quenching Furnace from Gulu, they all underwent assessments, just like before.


    They had to perform a Quenching task, and their performance would determine the outcome.


    Master Gulu''s assessment standards were quite simple, based on Lu Heng''s first performance.


    The result was that all the Quenching Masters who participated in the assessment were eliminated by Gulu.


    Even those Quenching Masters who sincerely wished to take Gulu as a mentor were refused, the reason being that their talent was too poor.


    Gulu was completely oblivious to the fact that the assessment standards were set too high.


    Moreover, Quenching Castle didn''t need apprentices at the moment.


    This resulted in the major consortiums'' schemes falling through.

 Chapter 184 - 153: Terrifying Intelligence, An Offer You Cant Refuse

    Before the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle had come to bolster their presence from Fusang, hundreds had arrived to support Saito Takeji.


    Although the competition had ended, most of those people had not yet returned.


    Thus, undercurrents continuously surged throughout Coastal City.


    These Fusang Swordsmen all wanted to regain their lost honor, after all, Saito Takeji''s defeat was not just a personal matter, but a loss of face for the entire Fusang Swordsmanship Circle.


    However, the movements of this group of Fusang Swordsmen were under surveillance, any abnormal behavior would lead to their detention for investigation.


    With the emergence of the Flame Emblem Club, Chunshang Group attempted to send people into Quenching Castle but couldn''t get through Gulu at all.


    Major conglomerates were hallucinating, as if Quenching Castle had become the private territory of someone, only with this person''s approval could others enter.


    Beneath the calm surface of Coastal City, an undercurrent was swelling.


    ...


    On this night.


    Moonlight poured onto the living room from the balcony of the Training Room by Qionghua Tianglu Lake, casting a person''s shadow on the floor.


    Lu Heng sensed someone''s presence on the balcony and immediately turned to look.


    He saw a figure standing on the balcony railing with its back to the moonlight, the brightness of the moon made it impossible to see his face clearly.


    Only a pair of mysterious, unpredictable eyes could be seen, colored pupils.


    "Who are you?" Lu Heng furrowed his brows as he fixed his gaze on the person''s eyes and spoke.


    The mystery person pulled out an envelope and casually tossed it over.


    The envelope flew over in a spin, and Lu Heng reached out to catch it.


    The envelope didn''t have any recipient information, just a single word "creator," and inside was a piece of letter paper.


    Creator Club, a mysterious organization with influence across countries worldwide, also goes by "Creator Club."


    The depth of this organization''s strength was unfathomable, possessing many powers beyond human comprehension.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had been a member of this organization, back then Su Muyu had accepted a tool from the Creator Club that could influence recruitment, for the sake of entering "Death Forbidden Land" together with him.


    For this, Su Muyu joined creator, and later on, Lu Heng followed suit.


    At that time, Lu Heng''s number within creator was 328.


    However, in this life, the time he received the Creator Club''s invitation was much earlier; he had gotten the invitation two months prior, and the number on the invitation was 028.


    An advance of exactly 300 places.


    Creator organization''s invitations were not mandatory, nor would they ask if the invitee was willing.


    Because creator would always present a condition the invitee couldn''t refuse.


    In his past life, Su Muyu didn''t want to see him die in "Death Forbidden Land," so she accepted creator''s help, which was a condition Su Muyu couldn''t refuse.


    In this life, although Lu Heng had already received the invitation, he hadn''t yet seen the conditions creator would offer.


    Holding the envelope, Lu Heng didn''t rush to open it but said, "I''ve received the invitation, but I haven''t agreed to it."


    The mysterious person wasn''t surprised by the refusal, and spoke with an even tone, "This envelope contains information that will determine the life and death of many people around you. If you want to save yourself and those people, you can open it and see."


    Upon hearing this, Lu Heng''s brow furrowed as he asked, "Does opening the envelope mean accepting the invitation, is that what you mean?"


    The mysterious person didn''t answer, which counted as implicit agreement.


    This was creator organization''s style, offering highly tempting conditions, whether it be resources, information, or anything in the world.


    Moreover, anything that creator organization dared to use as an invitation condition must definitely be true.


    Having been a member of creator in his past life, Lu Heng knew their capabilities well.


    Since they claimed the information inside the envelope could affect his and others'' life and death, it meant a crisis was approaching.


    And in creator''s view, he was bound to die in this crisis.


    What exactly was it?


    Recently, he had stood out too much, cutting down Saito Takeji on the martial arts stage, and had offended too many.


    Countless people from Fusang wanted him dead.


    But what exactly was this crisis?


    Holding the envelope, Lu Heng said, "If I open the envelope and the information inside isn''t as valuable as you think, what then?"


    The mysterious person spoke with firm certainty, "It is."


    This tone, like stating that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, was speaking an undeniable truth.


    For a moment, Lu Heng felt the impulse to open the envelope.


    After all, life was more important than anything, especially when it involved the lives of those around him.


    Contemplating, Lu Heng further inquired, "What if I open the envelope but still refuse to join you?"


    The mysterious person: "You won''t."


    Creator doesn''t randomly pick people; anyone chosen by creator is the strongest and most unique superpower user in the world.


    After a moment of thought, Lu Heng asked, "What''s your number?"


    "027." The mysterious person replied.


    Lu Heng had received invitation number 028, meaning the person before him was the one invited just before himself, and he had already joined creator.


    "I''m a little curious, how did creator get you to accept the invitation?"


    The mysterious person 027 didn''t answer the question and slowly leaned backwards, falling off the balcony railing.


    Lu Heng hurried over and looked down.


    027 plummeted like a bat, then vanished in a flash.


    Lu Heng, holding the envelope, walked back to the couch and sat down, placing the envelope on the coffee table, pondering whether or not to open it.


    The presence of this envelope here meant that a crisis was surely heading his way.


    And the creator had learned of it, making this a bargaining chip.


    If Lu Heng opened the envelope, dealt with the crisis, and then refused to join the creator,


    then to the creator, he would become someone without credibility; the creator wouldn''t come up with theories but would directly retract the invitation.


    Yes, retract the invitation.


    A person without credibility had no right to be invited by the Creator Club.


    The sheer name of the Creator Club already indicated the grandeur of the organization''s goals.


    Should he join this organization just like in his past life?


    According to Lu Heng''s understanding of the creator, this organization was of an absolutely neutral attribute, with only one goal: investigate, understand, and utilize the Abyss Rules.


    The organization was called the "Creator Club" because they believed that the entity which created the Abyss Battlefield was the world''s "creator."


    And the Abyss was seen as an Outer God.


    The Abyss Descent was a struggle between the creator and the Outer Gods.


    No one had ever confirmed this theory.


    Whether the theory was true was also irrelevant.


    The purpose of the Creator Club was to search for the "creator."


    If the "creator" indeed existed, then they would become the human delegates of the "creator."


    If the "creator" did not exist, then they would uncover the truth and then... become the "creator."


    Regardless of which goal became reality, neither would affect the philosophy and ultimate objective of the Creator Club.


    Based on his experiences in his past life, Lu Heng had no ill feelings toward the Creator Club.


    They had not forced him to join, nor had they forced Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu joined voluntarily, with the purpose of exchanging for tools that could command influence.


    Because Su Muyu joined, he naturally joined as well.


    Thus, the process of joining the Creator Club was devoid of any coercion.


    This life was similar; 027 brought the crisis information.


    He could choose to open it or leave it.


    Everything was voluntary.


    Lu Heng clasped his hands tightly, propping them against his forehead, lost in thought.


    What exactly was this crisis?


    Something that could pose a crisis and also threaten the life and death of himself and those around him.


    It implied that the opponent was strong and on antagonistic terms.


    Lately, the ones who harbored the deepest grudge were surely the group led by Saito Takeji from the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle.


    Besides them, there were the Chunshang Group and other jealous tycoons coveting Quenching Castle.


    Relatively speaking, the resentment from the Fusang Swordsmanship Circle was deeper.


    The jealousy from the tycoons coveting Quenching Castle stemmed mostly from financial and economic competition, generally not life-threatening unless there were other unknown factors.


    Because of his understanding of the Creator Club, Lu Heng believed that since 027 said this information could threaten the lives of those around him, then it definitely could.


    The Creator Club''s judgment had never been wrong, at least Lu Heng hadn''t seen them wrong.


    Meaning, the envelope certainly contained information he did not know.


    After much contemplation, Lu Heng finally picked up the envelope and opened it to look inside.


    The contents of the letter were data on a kind of monster.


    This monster''s name was "Soul Capturing Monster," a ghostly presence that could seize living souls and was a terrifying existence.


    Moreover, people whose souls were taken by the Soul Capturing Monster wouldn''t die immediately but would be controlled by the monster, acting as if they were normal people.


    Lu Heng, seeing the words "Soul Capturing Monster," immediately realized what this information meant.


    Because he had heard the name "Soul Capturing Monster" before in his past life.


    A terrifying Soul Capturing Monster had once appeared in Fusang, sparking an incident involving such monsters.


    The Soul Capturing Monster had controlled many political figures in Fusang, directly manipulating Fusang''s political affairs. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, that had happened in the second year after the Abyss Descent.


    Now, it was the end of the sixth month of the Abyss Descent, half a year away from the Soul Capturing Monster incident.


    Yet, the Creator Club had delivered the data on the Soul Capturing Monster to him now.


    Since the materials had arrived, it meant that the Soul Capturing Monster had already appeared and was coming for him.


    In the Soul Capturing Monster incident a year after the Abyss Descent in his past life, the monster had controlled numerous political figures in Fusang.


    Such a fearsome Abyss Demon, used to target just one Superpower User, seemed a bit of overkill.


    Moreover, since the Soul Capturing Monster could control humans, it meant it could target anyone close to him.


    Like his parents, or companions, or even the families of companions.


    In short, the Soul Capturing Monster crisis could erupt from anyone close to him.


    After reading the contents of the letter, Lu Heng slowly exhaled, unable to deny that the Creator Club was just like in his past life, the terms they offered were always impossible to refuse.

 Chapter 185 - 154: I Want Your Soul Too

    On the envelope, besides the information on the Soul Capturing Monster, there was one last line of text.


    "Information validity deadline, March 2nd, 10 PM."


    Today was March 2nd.


    Lu Heng quickly glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already 9:58 PM.


    That meant the information was only valid for two more minutes.


    What did this mean?


    Why would a piece of information have a validity deadline?


    The answer was obvious.


    After 10 PM, the Soul Capturing Monster would likely succeed, and once the Soul Capturing Monster succeeded, resulting in an irreversible situation, this information would no longer serve its warning purpose.


    Besides that.


    The validity deadline had another implication, meaning that opening this envelope after 10 PM on March 2nd did not signify acceptance of the invitation.


    Since the information had lost its relevance, the conditions offered by the Creator Club did not satisfy the invitees, so it could not be considered as accepting the invitation.


    Since they were unaware of the location of the Soul Capturing Monster and only had two minutes left.


    It was too late to go back now.


    Moreover, the Soul Capturing Monster could attack anyone nearby, not just his parents, but possibly Su Muyu''s mother or Lin Zeyu''s relatives.


    It was already too late to stop the Soul Capturing Monster.


    Since the Creator Club had provided information about the Soul Capturing Monster, it implied that they knew where it was and naturally had a way to stop it.


    The moment Lu Heng saw the validity deadline, he realized these key pieces of information and immediately spoke out, "The envelope''s open. Stop the Soul Capturing Monster!"


    After saying this, Lu Heng immediately stood up, intending to rush back home.


    Even if there might not be enough time, he had to try.


    Just as he stood up, his phone rang.


    He checked it.


    There was a message from an unknown number: "Welcome, 028."


    Following the message was an address, shockingly his own home.


    Lu Heng hurried home, and when he reached the front door, he saw a person standing motionless at the doorway.


    The person was wearing a security uniform, unmistakably a security guard from Qionghua Tianglu Lake.


    Lu Heng even recognized the guard from the neighborhood, finding him somewhat familiar.


    Now, this guard was standing there, motionless.


    Apart from that, at the end of the corridor, there was another figure, the mysterious person 027.


    027 raised a hand and projected a card, emitting a prismatic beam of light.


    The beam shone on the guard, extracting a non-corporeal Soul Capturing Monster from his body.


    The Soul Capturing Monster, like a ghost, was sucked into the card and trapped inside.


    027 withdrew the card, put it into the pocket, and gave Lu Heng a calm glance, said nothing, and then vanished from sight in a flash.


    That glance seemed to have anticipated that Lu Heng would open the envelope.


    Because Lu Heng had experienced today what he had gone through not long ago.


    After the Soul Capturing Monster was extracted, the security guard collapsed.


    Lu Heng walked over, felt for the carotid artery in the neck, and as predicted, there was no pulse.


    The Soul Capturing Monster had taken not just the soul but also the life.


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and called Lin Zeyu on his phone, "Send someone over to handle this. Also, assemble the team, I need to discuss something."


    Ten minutes later, Lu Heng and Su Muyu arrived at the floor where Lin Zeyu lived.


    Since Lin Zeyu had also moved to Qionghua Tianglu Lake and lived just below Lu Heng''s apartment, it was more convenient to have a discussion there.


    Lin Zeyu had already received the message from his subordinates, learned about the death of a security guard, and arranged for the company to follow the condolence process.


    "What happened?"


    As soon as Lu Heng and Su Muyu entered, Lin Zeyu quickly inquired about the situation.


    The sudden death of a security guard, especially right at Lu Heng''s doorstep, was clearly fishy, yet there were no wounds found on the guard.


    The whole situation was steeped in strangeness.


    Lu Heng looked at Su Muyu and asked, "Did you notice a security guard going upstairs?"


    Su Muyu nodded and responded, "I did, but it''s pretty normal for security guards to go upstairs."


    In a residential complex, security guards indeed freely enter and exit various buildings without raising suspicion.


    Nor could one prevent security guards from going upstairs; otherwise, it could create problems when incidents genuinely occur.


    Thus, stopping them was not an option.


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and said, "The security guard was killed by the Soul Capturing Monster. After sucking a person''s soul, it can control their actions, making it difficult even for their closest ones to distinguish them. Now you understand the situation?"


    Both of them were not fools; after hearing this explanation, and coupling it with the security guard dying at Lu Heng''s doorstep.


    The scenario was quite clear.


    "How could a Soul Capturing Monster appear?" Su Muyu instantly grew tense, since she had been training her reconnaissance falcons to enhance their skill level, ensuring there were always falcons circling around.


    She was able to see the happenings in the residential area and noticed security personnel heading upstairs, but could not detect anything peculiar with them.


    The dreadful aspect of the Soul Capturing Monsters lay precisely here, one couldn''t even distinguish those controlled by the monsters among their closest people, how could she?


    "This Soul Capturing Monster must have come from Fusang," Lu Heng hadn''t confirmed this with 027, but actually, there was no need for confirmation.


    In his previous life, there had been an incident in Fusang where political figures were controlled by Soul Capturing Monsters, and combining it with today''s events, a conclusion could already be made.


    "Is this those Fusang people''s revenge?" Lin Zeyu also understood what was going on.


    "Revenge is certain, but apart from that, fighting for Source Material should also be one of their goals." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng''s Source Quality Fusion had already reached 82%, not far from 100% fusion.


    Others could not see Lu Heng''s Source Quality Fusion data, but they could speculate approximately.


    Because Hideyoshi Tsugawa possessed Source Material, Saito Takeji possessed Source Material.


    Adding on Lu Heng''s own Source Material, it meant Lu Heng had at least three portions of Source Material.


    Three portions of Source Material added together meant that the fusion level couldn''t be low.


    This meant if a Superpower User with Source Material now were to kill Lu Heng and seize this 82% Source Material, as long as his original Source Material reached 18%, he could instantly complete the Source fusion and achieve Second Transition Class.


    Who could resist such a significant temptation?


    Thus, anyone who knew that Saito Takeji and Hideyoshi Tsugawa possessed Source Material wanted to kill Lu Heng.


    "What do we do now?" Lin Zeyu felt the pressure mounting as the enemy had already started resorting to any means necessary.


    Su Muyu furrowed her brows and pondered for a moment before saying, "If their goal is to snatch the Source Material, it should be more complex than just sending a Soul Capturing Monster, there must be other arrangements."


    To fight for Source Material, they needed to get their hands on it.


    Even if the Soul Capturing Monster succeeded, someone still needed to come and take away the Source Material.


    So, just as Su Muyu said, this person wouldn''t just send a Soul Capturing Monster and then do nothing; there must be other actions planned.


    Lu Heng also knew this, which is why he had asked the two to gather.


    "Right, there must be something else happening today. Instead of waiting, we might as well take the initiative to draw the snake out of its hole."


    "What do you mean?" Lin Zeyu pressed.


    "The target of the Soul Capturing Monster is me. According to the enemy''s thinking, even if the Soul Capturing Monster can''t kill me, it should at least harm me to meet their expectations. So, we''ll use their plan against them, I''ll pretend to be injured, then make an emergency call, and be sent to the hospital..."


    Lu Heng began orchestrating the plan. After finishing, the three of them split up to act.


    ...


    Ten minutes later.


    An ambulance arrived at Qionghua Tianglu Lake with a ding-dong sound.


    Lu Heng had been shot in the abdomen, also took several stabs in the back, and was covered in blood.


    Su Muyu, with a worried expression on her face, helped the severely injured Lu Heng onto the ambulance.


    As she lifted her leg to follow him onto the ambulance, the doctor on board immediately raised his hand to stop her: "You can''t come up. The patient has lost too much blood, we need to perform a transfusion immediately, and other people coming aboard could easily cause infection. You should find another means of transport to the hospital, Second Hospital."


    "Okay, please save him, save him quickly," Su Muyu pleaded while wiping away her tears.


    "Don''t worry, we will do everything we can," the doctor said, then closed the ambulance door.


    The ambulance left Qionghua Tianglu Lake, heading towards the direction of Second Hospital.


    Inside the ambulance.


    Lu Heng lay in a pool of blood on the emergency bed, his consciousness already somewhat blurred, lips cracked as he spoke, "Give me a blood transfusion first; my consciousness is getting blurry, I can''t hold on much longer."


    The doctor took out a bottle of medicine, used a syringe to draw the liquid from the bottle, and said in a mocking tone, "A Superpower User really does have a good constitution; to sustain such severe injuries and not yet have fainted."


    He then stuck the syringe into Lu Heng''s neck and pushed the liquid in.


    Lu Heng sensed something was wrong and with his last bit of strength asked, "Why aren''t you giving me a blood transfusion? What are you injecting me with¡­ what is it?"


    The doctor removed his mask, revealing the face of a man in his thirties with typical Fusang features.


    After injecting the medicine, the doctor turned to the nurse sitting beside him, bowed at ninety degrees, and spoke in Fusang language, "The injection is done, a tenfold dose of sedative. Even a Superpower User wouldn''t have the strength to resist, especially with such severe injuries."


    Lu Heng turned his head to look at the nurse, a male nurse.


    It seemed he disliked his outfit, removing the nurse cap and mask, he shook his hair.


    Lu Heng recognized him immediately; this person was the important figure from the Soul Capturing Monster incident in his previous life in Fusang, the person controlling the Soul Capturing Monsters, named Sato Ichiro.


    And this Sato Ichiro was also a core member of the Mitsui group in Fusang.


    If things had proceeded as in the original timeline, half a year later, the Mitsui group would control several Fusang politicians through the Soul Capturing Monsters controlled by Sato Ichiro, thereby controlling Fusang''s political scene.


    However, the current Lu Heng was not supposed to know Sato Ichiro.


    Thus, Lu Heng showed a puzzled expression, "Who are you..."


    Sato Ichiro exhaled and said, "You don''t need to know who I am. You just need to know that your Source Material will soon be mine."


    He indicated his own chest as he spoke.


    In fact.


    Lu Heng had already roughly guessed his Class¡ªone capable of controlling the Soul Capturing Monsters¡ªnot just one but potentially two classes.


    Observing Sato Ichiro, two Classes seemed most likely.


    One was the "Demon Master," and the other was the "Soul Reaper."


    Sato Ichiro poked Lu Heng''s chest and said, "Not just the Source Material; your soul... I want that too."

 Chapter 186 - 155: The Slaughterhouse of the God of Death in Shura

    Sato Ichiro reached out and lifted Lu Heng''s chin, his devil-like fingers hooked out a wisp of shadow from Lu Heng''s body.


    This wisp of shadow contained human will, spirit, and consciousness, as if it were the soul being peeled from the body.


    This was the ability of the Second Transition Class "Soul Reaper."


    Once a human''s soul was peeled from the body, it lost all protection, becoming extremely fragile with no means to resist the manipulation of a "Soul Reaper."


    Lu Heng''s "soul" was pulled out of his body, his face full of panic.


    "Shh..."


    Sato Ichiro made a silencing gesture, slowly saying, "Don''t be nervous, this is a wonderful process. However, there is something else to do before this.


    "Now, take out your sword, the one that could cut through Hequan Zongzheng."


    Previously, at the Coastal International Sword Dojo competition, hundreds of Fusang people witnessed the duel.


    At that time, Lu Heng had broken Saito Takeji''s Fusang Name Blade, Hequan Zongzheng, with just one strike.


    In Fusang, Hequan Zongzheng was a famous blade with a far-reaching reputation.


    It was the only blade worthy of a Sword Saint''s status.


    Yet, such a blade was cut in half with a single strike.


    Anyone who had seen the competition could tell that the sword Lu Heng used was definitely a divine weapon, far superior to Hequan Zongzheng.


    Therefore, Sato Ichiro''s target was not only the Source Material but also Lu Heng''s soul, and he wanted everything.


    Second Transition Source Material, Lu Heng''s soul, and also the Aurora Blade.


    "Soul Reaper" was originally a Second Transition Class.


    However, he had not yet achieved the full Class but had temporarily acquired the initial Source Material of "Soul Reaper", gaining the temporary ability to reap souls.


    Lu Heng, on the other hand, had at least three people''s Source Materials within him.


    This meant that once he seized the Source Materials from Lu Heng, he could complete the Source Fusion and formally achieve the "Soul Reaper" Class.


    Second Transition Class, strong soul, plus a divine weapon.


    One action, three kinds of ascension resources.


    Who could resist such a temptation?


    "Take out the sword," Sato Ichiro commanded again.


    A soul without its body''s protection could not defy a "Soul Reaper''s" command.


    However, after repeating the command, Lu Heng still did not follow his will and take out the Aurora Blade.


    Lu Heng slowly exhaled, his tone returning to calm, and said, "Sato Ichiro, Class Soul Reaper, skilled in controlling Soul Capturing Monsters, killing people from thousands of miles away invisibly."


    Sato Ichiro''s gaze sharpened on hearing this.


    His plan for this operation was very meticulous, and his identity was supposed to be confidential.


    In fact, few people knew that he had come from Fusang.


    Furthermore, as a core member of the Sanyo Corporation, a Fusang conglomerate, his appearance in Da Xia meant that the entire Chunshang Group had to follow his arrangements.


    Even within Chunshang Group, nobody knew his identity.


    Yet, Lu Heng had spoken his name and Class, even knowing about the Soul Capturing Monsters.


    Sato Ichiro frowned, puzzled, his eyes narrowing as he asked, "How do you know?"


    Lu Heng cracked a dangerous smile, saying, "I also know, Soul Reapers are skilled in controlling Soul Capturing Monsters, their methods cunning and unpredictable.


    "But in direct combat, they are weak, and if I face you directly, I just need to move a finger to crush you."


    Sato Ichiro was taken aback, hastily stepping back.


    But then he calmed down again, saying, "You''ve been injected with a sedative and are seriously injured; you couldn''t possibly still have the capacity to resist."


    He had already checked the wounds; they were real.


    After calming down, he stepped forward again, not wasting any more time, extending his devilish fingers to pull out Lu Heng''s soul again, intending to devour it directly.


    As Lu Heng had said, Soul Reapers have cunning methods that are hard to defend against. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But this Class is indeed weak in direct combat, while Lu Heng could crush a Sword Saint directly, indeed, just needing to move a finger to crush him.


    Sato Ichiro loved this kind of Class that could kill invisibly from the shadows.


    It matched his cautious nature.


    He was indeed very cautious, initially wanting the Aurora Blade as well, but now sensing something amiss with Lu Heng, he immediately decided to give up on the Aurora Blade and simply eat Lu Heng''s soul first.


    His devilish fingers strenuously hooked the soul.


    However, something bizarre happened.


    The wisp of shadow that emerged from within Lu Heng, instead of being hooked out, sank back in.


    "What''s going on? Why can''t I hook it out?" Sato Ichiro''s face showed confusion.


    Lu Heng cracked a smile, answering his question, "Because my soul isn''t here."


    "What!"


    Sato Ichiro''s gaze sharpened, his hand flipped over and he drew a Short Tachi, stabbing it backhand into Lu Heng''s chest.


    Puff!


    The Short Tachi pierced into the chest cavity, but no blood flowed out, and there was no change in Lu Heng''s expression.


    "Clone! It''s a clone! Damn it!"


    Sato Ichiro was suddenly panicked, bursting with emotion, slashing violently over a dozen times, bursting Lu Heng''s Shadow Clone.


    He felt intense fear surge through him because he was a devil who reaped souls from the shadows, unable to compare in combat power with the strong.


    Facing someone like Lu Heng, who could kill a Sword Saint with one strike, exposing his identity meant facing the threat of death.


    His heart pounded violently, his body breaking out in a cold sweat, then he abruptly turned his head, looking towards another person in the car.

 Chapter 187 - 155: Shura Slaughterhouse of the God of Killing_2

    ...


    The ambulance sped down the streets at eleven o''clock at night.


    Suddenly, a tiger, reflecting a metallic luster like a tank, burst from the diagonally and with a bang struck the ambulance.


    The ambulance immediately flipped on its side and crashed into the landscaped area.


    Immediately after,


    a person dressed in a nurse''s uniform jumped down from the vehicle and sprinted forward¡ªit was Sato Ichiro.


    As he ran, he yelled, "Take action! Quick, take action! Protect me!"


    He had barely taken a few steps.


    Bang!


    A gunshot rang out, and a flame spat out from a kilometer away.


    The bullet instantly pierced Sato Ichiro''s body, making him tumble and scatter fresh blood all over the ground.


    Immediately after, his body ignited with the flames of a Replacement Puppet.


    The next moment, he got up again and continued to sprint forward.


    At the same time,


    several vehicles following the ambulance rushed forward and surrounded Sato Ichiro.


    A dozen Fusang Superpower Users alighted from the vehicles, took out weapons, and began aiming in all directions.


    Ninjas also disappeared into shadows, rushing towards the direction from which the shots had been fired.


    Sato Ichiro was a core member of the Fusang financial conglomerate Sanyo Corporation. Since arriving in Da Xia, the entire Chunshang Group had been under his command.


    Tonight''s operation was not his alone.


    The entire Chunshang Group had sprung into action.


    However, before the operation commenced, the people of Chunshang Group did not know what the operation was or who the target was; they were only waiting for orders.


    Now that the orders had arrived, five vehicles came forward to protect Sato Ichiro.


    Gunmen, ninjas, samurais¡ªsome were responsible for protection, others for locating the sniper,


    and some for dealing with the Mechanical Tiger that had flipped the ambulance.


    Dada dada...


    Three Fusang Superpower Users, carrying machine guns, fired at the Mechanical Tiger.


    The bullets pinged off the Mechanical Tiger, some were deflected, others buried into the metal casing. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Yet, these did no damage to the Mechanical Tiger.


    The Mechanical Tiger emitted a metallic roar and charged toward the group of Fusang Superpower Users.


    One Fusang Superpower User rushed forward, unleashed Source Energy, and slammed his palms onto the ground.


    The concrete ground rose up, forming a wall that blocked the Mechanical Tiger.


    Bang!


    The Mechanical Tiger crashed into the concrete, blasting a large hole.


    ...


    On the other side,


    Lin Zeyu swung his gun around, aimed at a Fusang Superpower User''s head, and fired another shot.


    Bang!


    A headshot.


    The next instant, a spark appeared on a building a kilometer away.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes narrowed as he tried to roll and dodge, but it was almost too late.


    The bullet smashed into the [Prism Tower Shield] in front of him, instantly shattering the shield.


    It was Su Muyu''s Defense Skill that saved him from the shot.


    Lin Zeyu took the opportunity to get up and duck behind cover, changing his position, readying for the next attack.


    On the other side,


    Su Muyu controlled a reconnaissance hawk, beginning the search for the enemy sniper.


    After firing one shot, the enemy sniper immediately changed positions, not remaining at the original firing spot.


    However, Su Muyu''s Perception had already reached 60 points.


    With his high Perception combined with the reconnaissance hawk''s Detection Ability, he locked onto the sniper from 300 meters away.


    The sniper sprinted on the rooftop, used gliding abilities to jump to another building, then found a second sniper spot, lay down, and set up the sniper rifle, preparing to take the second shot.


    Just then, an invisible reconnaissance hawk swooped down, launching a dive attack on him.


    Scream!


    The celestial falcon''s diving talon strike, powered by 5¡Á spiritual power with an Attack Power of 300 points under a 60-point spiritual boost,


    calculating the defense and Defense Skills, this attack could heavily injure any Power User below Level 20.


    And Su Muyu didn''t give the sniper any chance to struggle.


    After the swooping attack had hit, the reconnaissance eagle immediately changed its energy nature, transforming into a "Elemental Arrow¡¤Fire."


    Flame arrows erupted from within the body of the reconnaissance eagle, forming dozens of arrows scattering at close range.


    The sniper suffered one swooping attack, and then was instantly blown apart by a scatter of flame arrows blazing across his back, enveloping him in flames and killing him instantly.


    ...


    On the other side, after being subjected to a sniper attack, Lin Zeyu learned his lesson, moving to a different location after firing each shot, and when it came time to fire the third.


    A shadow appeared, blinking behind Lin Zeyu, with a tachi thrusting straight out ¡ª it was a Fusang ninja, and one with rank at that.


    Right after the ninja had stabbed at Lin Zeyu''s back, his feet suddenly got entangled, and dozens of Dark Thorns extended from the ground, wrapping around his legs.


    Lin Zeyu turned and pulled out his Silver Python Revolver, firing a shot at the ninja with a "bang."


    The ninja immediately activated an Essential Skill, releasing a mist and instantaneously breaking free from the thorns'' bind, disappearing from sight.


    Lin Zeyu did not linger; he released an Energy Hook, leaping directly from the balcony with the help of the hook to swing to the opposite building, while saying through the communication channel, "There are ninjas! I''m being chased by ninjas!"


    "They''re gone now."


    Lu Heng''s voice came through, as he had disposed of that ninja with one sword strike and then leaped up, caught the claws of the reconnaissance eagle, and glided toward the battlefield.


    At the start of the battle, only the Mechanical Tiger was on the frontlines.


    Lu Heng had not appeared straight away, he had been waiting for the ninja.


    Having dealt with the ninja who attacked Lin Zeyu, Lu Heng finally rushed toward the battlefield.


    Five cars, a dozen Fusang Superpower Users, the machine guns rattling with fierce gunfire.


    Nonetheless, all these were ineffective against Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng dove down to the ground and, bursting forward, entered the Shadow amid a storm of bullets, exploding into quintuple speed within the blink of an eye and smashing into the midst of the Fusang Power Users, directly smashing their firearms.


    Guns have a serious flaw; once the enemy enters within the formation, continuing to shoot could injure one''s own people.


    Thus, as Lu Heng broke into the formation of Fusang Superpower Users, the gunfire abruptly ceased.


    Lu Heng was swift with his sword, slaying his opponents with strokes swift and deadly.


    Even the Fusang Sword Saint could not withstand more than three moves; these Fusang gunmen and samurai were even more susceptible.


    Lu Heng moved like a tiger among sheep, his blade unstoppable.


    As Fusang samurai tried to block with their swords, Lu Heng would cut both the swordsman and the blade in two with a single swing.


    Ah! Ah! Ah...


    Cries of terror erupted from the crowd, blood splattering everywhere.


    In an instant, the battlefield was transformed into a Shura Slaughterhouse.


    Even some Fusang gunmen cried out in terror, turning to run only to be pounced on by the Mechanical Tiger, which crushed their heads.


    One Fusang gunman drew his pistol, aiming at Lu Heng.


    But Lu Heng was too fast, like a phantom weaving through the battlefield, making it extremely difficult to keep sight of him, let alone aim with a gun.


    This Fusang gunman, already mentally broken, screamed and fired wildly.


    Bang!


    A shot rang out, hitting a Fusang samurai three meters in front of him, who fell to the ground clutching his abdomen, cursing loudly in Fusang.


    In a matter of moments.


    Lu Heng had significantly reduced the number of Fusang assassins, the ground awash with fresh blood and dismembered limbs.


    In just a dozen breaths, there was no one left standing on the field.


    Lu Heng released "Thunderous Heavenly Prison," the frenzied thunder igniting the gasoline on the ground, bursting into roaring flames.


    Finally, Lu Heng approached Sato Ichiro.


    Sato Ichiro, clutching at a wound on his chest, kept retreating until he backed against a wall on the roadside.


    With a voice of wailing, he said, "Spare me, spare me."


    Lu Heng''s gaze was cold and silent as he raised his sword and brought it down with one stroke.


    Thud!


    Sato Ichiro''s body split diagonally from the chest, blood spraying out, casting a bloody streak across Lu Heng''s face.


    In the light of the flames and blood, Lu Heng''s ice-cold face took on an extra layer of ruthlessness and ferocity, as if a slayer had stepped out of hell.


    Due to the battle ending so swiftly.


    The Iron Blood and police squad could only arrive afterward.


    Besides them, there was also an ambulance.


    Someone had made a call; it was certain that the police and ambulance would come.


    The paramedics glanced at the battlefield, hardly finding any casualties worth saving, then hurried to attend to the injured in their ambulance.


    The ambulance that came to take Lu Heng was legitimately a medical vehicle, just that it had been controlled by Sato Ichiro.


    Inside were also a driver and a medic.


    Thus, the newly arrived paramedics quickly rescued the wounded from the vehicle to administer aid.

 Chapter 188 - 156 Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell

    He did not obtain the Source Material.


    Lu Heng confirmed over and over that his Source Quality Fusion Degree was still 82%, not a fraction higher.


    This was quite unreasonable.


    Of course, it wasn''t entirely impossible for this to happen, just that the likelihood was a bit low.


    There was only one scenario that would result in killing Sato Ichiro without getting any Source Material.


    That was if the Source Material on him was not in a free state.


    In other words, he had already obtained the complete "Soul Reaper" Class.


    But could that be possible?


    The "Soul Reaper" is a Second Rank Class, and currently, there are very few Superpower Users who can obtain the starting Source Material of Second Rank, no one should have been able to obtain a complete Second Rank Class yet.


    Lu Heng had cut down two Superpower Users, Hideyoshi Tsugawa and Saito Takeji, who both possessed Second Transition Source Material, and only then had he pushed his Source Quality Fusion Degree to 82%.


    Could Sato Ichiro have pushed his Source Fusion Degree to 100% so quickly?


    The likelihood of that was too low.


    Moreover, there was another most critical piece of information.


    While on the ambulance, Sato Ichiro had said a sentence, "You do not need to know who I am, you just need to know that your Source Material will very soon be mine."


    This sentence had already indicated that Sato Ichiro''s primary goal was to contest for Source Material.


    That is to say, he must have initiated a battle for Source Material, and there definitely was free-state Source Material on him.


    If there was free-state Source Material, then it should have been possible to absorb it.


    However, Lu Heng''s Source Quality Fusion had not increased, and there was no prompt of absorbing Source Material.


    Why was that?


    Lu Heng squatted down, straightened Sato Ichiro''s face, and looked carefully.


    There was no problem with the body; it was indeed Sato Ichiro.


    If it was a disguise skill, after death the skill effect would also disappear.


    Since there was no change in appearance, it proved that the one who died was Sato Ichiro.


    So where had the Source Material gone?


    ¡­


    On the street, the siren of the ambulance was blaring urgently.


    The rescuers were saving lives.


    Two people were rescued from the ambulance, one the driver and the other a doctor.


    "This doctor still has a pulse, quickly get him to the hospital for surgery."


    "The driver also still has a pulse¡­"


    The rescuers brought over stretchers, lifting the critically injured, unconscious doctor and driver, preparing to carry them onto the ambulance for emergency rescue at the hospital.


    At that moment.


    Lu Heng glanced at the doctor being lifted, strode over, pulled out his gun, loaded, took off the safety, and pressed it against the doctor''s forehead.


    The surrounding rescuers, law enforcement officers, and agents from the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau who saw this scene, almost at the same time, cried out, "Stop!"


    Chen Linian hurriedly shouted, "Don''t shoot! This is a medical worker."


    When Lu Heng had used the Shadow Clone to get in the ambulance, it was the doctor with the Fusang features who had injected him with a tenfold dose of the sedative.


    If it were a regular person, such a dose would directly kill them.


    Therefore, even if this doctor with the Fusang features was a real doctor, then he still deserved to die.


    Lu Heng pressed the gun against his head, staring at his face, trying to see if he would have any reaction.


    However, this Fusang doctor seemed to be truly unconscious, with no reaction at all.


    Chen Linian hastened forward a couple of steps, attempting to intervene, "Don''t shoot, even if this man has committed a crime, he should be investigated by us..."


    Bang!


    Without even a glance at Chen Linian, Lu Heng shot in the middle of his sentence.


    With a gunshot sound, the Fusang doctor''s head exploded.


    Half of this Fusang doctor''s head was gone, and he couldn''t be deader.


    Chen Linian had just walked up beside him when he was splattered with blood on his face, suddenly stunned there, not knowing how to face this situation.


    Originally, he thought this would be the end.


    But after Lu Heng had shot the Fusang doctor, he suddenly turned his head towards another stretcher.


    On that stretcher lay the ambulance driver.


    "What are you doing!" Chen Linian suddenly showed a terrified expression, wanting to rush over and stop him.


    Lu Heng didn''t look back as he walked towards the driver, then released a Shadow Clone.


    The Shadow Clone held a sword to Chen Linian''s neck, preventing him from continuing to move forward.


    Lu Heng walked beside the driver''s stretcher, lifted the gun to his head, staring at his expression.


    Though the driver appeared motionless, his eyelashes trembled slightly.


    Lu Heng slowly spoke, "Do you know why your Golden Cicada Shell escape failed? You shouldn''t have taken the Source Material away."


    That''s right.


    There was no Source Material on Sato Ichiro, no Source Material on the Fusang doctor.


    And there were only three people in the ambulance, besides Sato Ichiro and the Fusang doctor, only the driver was left.


    Eliminating the other possibilities, the remaining one, no matter how unlikely, had to be the truth.


    "I can give you everything you want..." the driver began to speak, but before he could finish,


    Bang!


    Lu Heng pulled the trigger, a headshot spattered white and red all over the ground.


    The two stretcher-bearers, frightened, screamed and turned to flee.


    [Absorbed Source Material, Source Quality Fusion reached 100%.]


    [Source Fusion complete, Class fusion occurred, promoted to Second Transition Class "Shadow Swordsman".] sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Shadow Swordsman: A swordsman that moves between shadows and the material world, mastering the complete skills "Shadow Traversal" and "Rift Slash".]


    [Rift Slash: Releasing Source Material Energy to unleash a sword radiance with the power to tear through space, indestructible. The path of the sword radiance forms a Rift Trace that lasts for 3 seconds, which nothing can pass through entirely, not even in a Shadow Travel State.]


    Just as predicted, the [Shadow Walker] indeed fused with the [Swordsman], forming the Second Transition Class [Shadow Swordsman].


    Because of the nature of Class fusion, the likelihood of encountering the same Class decreases in the later stages.


    Even the same [Swordsman] will fuse into different Swordsman Classes due to the influence of other Classes.


    The fused [Shadow Swordsman] Class gained a new effect for [Rift Slash].


    After the Rift Sword Radiance is released, it can form a Rift Trace.


    The Rift Trace can essentially be considered a barrier, anything attempting to pass through it gets torn apart.


    Moreover, carrying the abilities of the Shadow Class means that even Shadow Traversal cannot bypass the Rift Trace.


    Seeing the data notifications, Lu Heng''s lips curved up in a slight smile.


    As deduced, Sato Ichiro indeed used the trick "Golden Cicada Shell," with his "soul" burrowing into the driver''s body, attempting to make a miraculous escape.


    Sadly for him, the Source Material he carried betrayed him.


    In reality, if it were anyone else, even if they guessed that Sato Ichiro might have used "Golden Cicada Shell," they might have been helpless.


    After all, the law enforcement squad and the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau had arrived; it was now inappropriate to kill.


    However, Lu Heng didn''t care about that at all, he executed the Fusang doctor and driver right in front of the senior inspector of the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau.


    Chen Linian was now somewhat troubled, as the situation was difficult to handle.


    He took a deep breath and said to Lu Heng, "You need to come back with me to give a statement."


    Lu Heng took out a wet wipe, cleaning the blood off his hands and face, his tone as indifferent as water, "No time."


    "Do you realize what you have just done?" Chen Linian''s emotions were complex.


    Lu Heng was the most troublesome person he had met in all his years.


    In the past six months, he had dealt with Lu Heng on many occasions, even investigating the case of the Evil God''s Finger in Siam together.


    He had distinctly felt just now that Lu Heng had killed not out of passion, but calmly¡ªwith each bullet aimed to kill for a clear purpose.


    "What did I do? A bunch of Fusang assassins come to Da Xia, committing murder and arson, what is the Iron Blood supposed to do?" Lu Heng glanced at him sideways.


    Chen Linian was left speechless.


    Because he had seen very clearly that indeed Fusang assassins had perpetrated crimes within the borders of Da Xia, only to have the tables turned on them and be counter-killed.


    Chen Linian could only use a negotiating tone, "At least you should record a statement, clarify the events of tonight."


    "No time, investigate however you please," Lu Heng, having finished wiping the blood, threw the wet wipe on the ground and walked away.


    Just then, Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu rushed over, and the three walked away side by side.


    Lin Zeyu looked back at Chen Linian and loudly said, "Inspector Chen, it''s time to investigate Chunshang Group, it''s the third time Fusang assassins have appeared. Don''t let us do all your work for you."


    Chen Linian''s face turned from green to red with embarrassment, touched by the sarcasm.


    Fusang assassins had appeared three times in a row in the Coastal area, each time causing a major commotion with gunfire and bombs.


    The Iron Blood Investigation Bureau indeed bore some responsibility for such incidents.


    Chen Linian wasn''t the only person from the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau present.


    His apprentice, Gao Zhitin, was also there.


    This was his first time witnessing Lu Heng''s [Shadow Clone] ability.


    The ability to create a clone identical to oneself.


    Gao Zhitin immediately thought back to those two cases six months ago.


    The case of four people murdered in an abandoned factory¡ªback then, the case file mentioned a taxi''s dashcam footage of someone at the crime scene, but at the time of the recording, Lu Heng had returned to his hotel, establishing his alibi.


    And the Hongda Loan Company case, when the Five Miles Bridge shopping mall''s cameras captured Lu Heng and Su Muyu shopping during the time of the incident.


    Both cases had solid alibis at the time and indeed there was no issue.


    However, the key point now appeared.


    Gao Zhitin''s heart raced as he felt he had discovered a significant secret. These alibis for both cases could have been fabricated using a clone.


    With that realization, many things became clear.


    He quietly noted these clues in his notebook, but quickly closed it when colleagues approached.


    He was no longer fixated on investigating Lu Heng.


    In fact, he was very certain that the person who attacked him from behind over a month ago, knocked him out, then entered Yongxing Hospital disguised as him and killed Kenji Ono, was also Lu Heng.


    He had no intention of pursuing the matter further.


    Over the past six months, he had encountered too many cases.


    Some devils with cruel methods could exploit legal loopholes to go unpunished.


    While some people, who have not done evil and have even saved many, must be confined by the strictures of the law.


    So, he recorded the clues he discovered in his notebook, intending only to keep them as a record.


    He was gradually coming to accept a fact: the law maintains order, but what he sought was fairness and justice.

 Chapter 189 - 157: The First-Class Merit Medal at the Hearing

    Mingqiong District Case 302 Hearing.


    This hearing was attended by representative from the legislative, supervisory, and investigative bodies.


    It was essentially equivalent to the Abyss Era''s "Three Law Departments Tribunal."


    However, the hearing was not a prosecutorial process, but rather a session to hear descriptions of objective facts and discuss whether to proceed to further prosecution.


    Thus, this hearing did not involve judgment, but it would impact the direction of subsequent case handling.


    That night, dozens of Fusang people died, and an explanation was undoubtedly necessary.


    Therefore, Lu Heng sat calmly at the very center of the hearing, surrounded by people from the Three Law Departments.


    Apart from the representatives of the Three Law Departments, one more person sat in the last row of seats, tucked away in the far corner.


    Jian Qing, a lieutenant in the special forces.


    Following the Liu River mist crisis, she had received a first-class merit award, no longer a second lieutenant but promoted to lieutenant.


    She sat there carelessly, legs crossed, hands resting on her thighs, looking unconcerned as she watched the hearing.


    The hearing began.


    The prosecutor in charge of questioning started, "Where were you on the evening of the 2nd this month?"


    Lu Heng was dissatisfied with the opening question, "On the evening of the 2nd, I was the one who encountered the Fusang assassins, no need to ask, I admit it."


    Prosecutor, "Why did the conflict occur?"


    The questioning had just started, but Lu Heng wasn''t interested in answering one question after another.


    So, Lu Heng decided to end the hearing with a single statement.


    Lu Heng stood up, took out a piece of paper, and shook it as he said, "I suggest everyone look at what''s written here. After reading it, I''ll explain a bit more, and then we can end this boring meeting."


    The officials of the Three Law Departments exchanged glances and took turns reading the paper''s contents.


    On the paper were details about the "Soul Capturing Monster," and the expressions on their faces varied as they read about this creature.


    After they had all finished reading, Lu Heng continued, "This is an Abyss Demon controlled by a superpower user from Fusang, just as the information states, the Soul Capturing Monster can control anyone, including those present here..."


    At this point, the atmosphere in the room seemed to shift, sending shivers down the spines of the officials seated there.


    Seeing their expressions, Lu Heng went on, "Not only those present here but also those of higher ranks than yours, even the highest among them.


    "If I''ve guessed correctly, the political figures in Fusang have already been controlled by the Soul Capturing Monster, and the unfolding events will certainly get more interesting.


    "Among those who died on the night of the 2nd was a Fusang person named Sato Ichiro, whose class is ''Soul Reaper,'' and he was the main person controlling the Soul Capturing Monster.


    "As for whether there are other Fusang people who can control the Soul Capturing Monster, you all might want to guess for yourselves.


    "Alright, I''ve laid out the information, can we conclude this hearing now?"


    This statement completely unsettled the officials from the Three Law Departments.


    If this intelligence was true, it was terrifying.


    Currently, the event of the Soul Capturing Monster controlling Fusang political figures hadn''t erupted, but that didn''t mean it hadn''t happened.


    One year after the Abyss invasion, an incident involving the Soul Capturing Monster controlling Fusang political figures would burst into the open.


    That moment would be when the event was exposed.


    This means that the Soul Capturing Monster had already been controlling Fusang''s political figures for some time, though it was unclear when it started.


    But one thing was certain, Sato Ichiro had already acquired the ability to control the Soul Capturing Monster.


    Perhaps, at this point in time, Fusang political figures were already under the control of the Soul Capturing Monster.


    A nation''s political figures being controlled could shake the foundations of its destiny.


    Is there still the mood to hold a hearing now?


    The officials of the Three Law Departments exchanged opinions and unanimously agreed to end the hearing.


    The hearing had just started when it abruptly ended.


    When the presiding officer announced the end of the hearing, Jian Qing stood up from the back row, clacking her boots down the steps of the auditorium, and approached Lu Heng.


    She reached out to straighten Lu Heng''s attire, then stepped back and said, "This occasion is a bit unique. However, I''m heading back soon, so let''s handle this matter here. It''s quite a formal occasion, anyway."


    Officials from the Three Law Departments were still organizing documents and materials on the table, not leaving the meeting room yet, suddenly saw a lieutenant coming down, all somewhat perplexed.


    Jian Qing flattened Lu Heng''s clothes, stepped back, saluted with a "snap" and then produced a medal, announcing:


    "Lu Heng, in the Liu River rescue operation, exhibited superior talent and selfless dedication, earning first-class merit for both the group and individually. I hereby award this medal to honor this merit, responsibility, and legacy, inspiring successors to pursue excellence and courageously accept responsibilities. Salute!"


    Snap!


    After the announcement, Jian Qing stepped forward again, placed a medal on Lu Heng''s left chest, and said, "The group medal is with me, come over anytime if you want a photo together. Alright, I''m in a hurry, I''m off."


    After handing out the medal, Jian Qing waved her hand and left.


    This left the officials from the Three Law Departments somewhat dazed.


    They were increasingly unclear as to what this hearing was actually for.


    A lieutenant personally came to award medals, and right off the bat, it was a first-class merit award for both group and individual.


    To the officials from the Three Law Departments present, it was clear enough, a group first-class merit was one thing, but individual first-class was another.


    For instance, a research team that made epoch-defining scientific achievements did not need to reach the level of "two bombs and one satellite"; results just a level or two lower could earn a group first-class merit.


    Personal first-class merit was harder to achieve.


    Even if someone had distinguished themselves in the military, it was very difficult to achieve first-class merit.


    There was even a jesting saying that being alive made it hard to earn first-class merit; if someone died in the line of duty, the combination of the act and the sacrifice could increase the likelihood of a posthumous first-class merit award.


    But now, Lu Heng was alive and well, without any injuries; what had he done to receive this individual first-class merit medal?


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected to wear the medal at such a "formal" event.


    Just how rushed was she?


    ...


    After the hearing, Iron Blood experienced some agitation.


    The existence of the Soul Capturing Monster genuinely frightened some people.


    The higher-ups issued a red-headed document, ordering Iron Blood to thoroughly investigate the Soul Capturing Monster incident.


    Since the Soul Capturing Monster had come from Fusang, businesses, organizations, and forces related to Fusang were the main focus of the investigation.


    In particular, Chunshang Group was almost hung out to dry.


    Everyone who had come into contact with Sato Ichiro was detained and rigorously interrogated to uncover the origins of the Soul Capturing Monster. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Sato Ichiro had entered the country secretly, he had definitely made contact with some people once inside.


    Under Iron Blood''s intense investigation, clues were still uncovered.


    This led to the discovery of incriminating evidence against Chunshang Group, and under the charges of endangering national security, all of Chunshang Group''s companies within the borders of Da Xia were seized.


    This multinational conglomerate, which once called the shots in the Coastal region, had finally reached its end.


    However, since Chunshang Group was a multinational conglomerate, Da Xia could only seize the companies within its borders; it had no jurisdiction over foreign enterprises.


    After this event, Chunshang Group completely withdrew from Da Xia.


    Originally, to obstruct the development of Hengyu, Chunshang Group had used various legitimate and illegitimate competitive means, severely blocking Hengyu''s development.


    Now, with Chunshang Group out of the picture,


    Hengyu officially dominated the Quenching market, leaving other competitors with no means to contend.


    As the seven-month mark of the Abyss Descent approached, the mysterious mist continued to expand worldwide.


    Not every region had the capability to clear the mist, compressing humanity''s living space.


    Da Xia began initiating the Base City plan in preparation for the future.


    Without long-term considerations, there must be short-term anxieties, so the Base City plan was an essential move.


    The sites for the Base Cities in major cities had not yet been determined; this news circulated only among the higher echelons.


    Even so, it caused undercurrents in all the major cities.


    Once the Base City plan was confirmed, it meant that the locations chosen for the Base Cities would become incredibly valuable.


    ...


    Recently, Lin Zeyu encountered a peculiar situation.


    Several groups that had partnerships with the Lin family approached him, hoping to purchase buildings at Qionghua Tianglu Lake.


    Having listened to Lu Heng earlier, Lin Zeyu had acquired half of the Qionghua Tianglu District and also invested in several surrounding districts.


    Lin Zeyu wasn''t particularly attached to these properties and would sell them if there was a need for funds.


    Moreover, the company did indeed need funding currently.


    However, suddenly having several inquiries was somewhat unusual.


    Thus, he decided on the spot to hold on to the properties for a while longer to see how things would unfold.


    Besides, he didn''t have the time to deal with this matter recently, as he was acquiring quenching materials to upgrade the weapons for the three-person team.


    Lu Heng''s Aurora Blade had already reached a Quenching Level of 9 and therefore did not require further quenching.


    Both Su Muyu''s crossbow and Lin Zeyu''s sniper rifle were at Quenching Level 6.


    As the number of high-level Superpower Users increased, so did the demand for weapon quenching.


    The price of quenching materials had skyrocketed.


    If it hadn''t been for bringing their weapons to Quenching Level 6 quite early on, they would now find purchasing materials far more difficult, with costs several times higher.


    Currently, 30% of Hengyu''s shares belonged to the team, held by Su Muyu.


    These 30% shares were dedicated to team development.


    The team''s weapon and equipment upgrades were primarily funded by the dividends from these shares.


    This was critical for rapidly building the team''s strength.


    In addition to weapon quenching, Lin Zeyu was also on the lookout for suitable Skill Crystal Cores.


    Last time in the Abyss Battlefield, he completed a World Task and acquired an additional Skill Slot, but he hadn''t yet found a suitable skill.


    Mainly because he wanted too much, it was a bit like being spoiled for choice.


    He had acquired a few Skill Crystal Cores on the Crystal Core Dark Network, planning to bring them to Quenching Castle when he went, to have Lu Heng help him decide.

 Chapter 190 - 158: A Famous Quenching Master of Later Generations

    It was once again the activity day for the Flame Emblem.


    Today, the Flame Emblem Club building was especially lively, even members who had not obtained qualifications to enter the event would come to the club, hoping for a chance to sneak into Quenching Castle.


    As the number of members of the Flame Emblem Club continued to increase, it became necessary to queue for each event, with some waiting a month or even two without their turn coming up.


    "Why can''t it ever be my turn? I''ve been queuing for over a month now, and it''s always queuing, queuing..."


    A middle-aged Quenching Master, very indignant, ranted at the reception desk of the Flame Emblem Club: "I''ve paid the membership fee too, a million for membership, do you think that money''s blown in by the wind?"


    The receptionist at the Flame Emblem Club was accustomed to this kind of situation and responded with a smile, "Mr. Yuan, our club requires a pre-deposit of one million for joining, but this is not the membership fee ¨C you can spend this one million in the club.


    "Moreover, if you are not satisfied with the club''s services, I can help you with the withdrawal process, and the pre-deposited amount will be fully refunded.


    "Would you like to proceed with the withdrawal, Mr. Yuan? I can assist with that right away."


    "No... no need, I don''t want to withdraw," the middle-aged Quenching Master, identified as Mr. Yuan, immediately backed down, frantically waving his hand.


    "Then is there anything else you need?" the receptionist asked with a smile.


    "How much longer do I have to wait before it''s my turn?" Mr. Yuan, the Quenching Master, asked dejectedly.


    "I don''t know that either, as I don''t have the authority to check the queuing system," the receptionist replied with a smile.


    "But I really need to enter Quenching Castle. I can''t just keep waiting in vain ¨C is there any way you can talk to your boss for me..."


    Mr. Yuan''s tone became softer and more pleading: "Please, I''m a Quenching Master. As long as you let me into Quenching Castle, I''ll agree to any conditions.


    "I''m out of options here, I need to make some money, please help me."


    The receptionist maintained her smile and said, "Sorry, Mr. Yuan, there is nothing I can do."


    In fact.


    Competition for membership in the Flame Emblem Club was fierce, as the major consortia all wanted to send people into Quenching Castle, even driving up the entry standards to the tens of millions level.


    However, Lu Heng felt that ordinary Superpower Users should be given a chance, otherwise, soon all those entering Quenching Castle would be those handpicked by the big consortia.


    Therefore, the Flame Emblem maintained the standard of a pre-deposit of one million for joining.


    It''s just that after joining, members needed to queue to enter Quenching Castle.


    Outside, the entry tickets for Quenching Castle obtained through queuing had already been speculated by the major consortia to tens of millions.


    However, if the club found out that someone was buying or selling entry tickets, they would directly cancel their entry qualifications and then expel them from membership.


    Even so, some consortia operated in secret.


    As Mr. Yuan, the Quenching Master, was speaking with the receptionist.


    Lu Heng walked into the hall of the Flame Emblem Club and happened to hear this Mr. Yuan''s conversation with the reception desk, so he turned his head for a glance as he passed by.


    When he saw the Quenching Master, he felt he looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before, so he stopped in his tracks.


    Upon seeing Lu Heng enter, the manager of the Flame Emblem Club immediately came over to greet him: "President Lu, President Lin mentioned today that you would be coming; everything has been arranged for the event, let me lead you there."


    Mr. Yuan, upon hearing the club manager''s words and noticing his respectful demeanor, immediately realized that this young man who had arrived must be a big shot.


    He quickly advanced a few steps forward and introduced himself: "Hello, President Lu, my name is Yuan Hecheng. I am a Quenching Master, my Talent is ''High Temperature Balance,'' and I would like to enter Quenching Castle for an evaluation. I have been queuing for a very long time."


    The club manager, seeing someone disturbing the boss, quickly signaled the security over.


    If this Yuan Hecheng suddenly did something rash, it would be his ¨C the manager''s ¨C dereliction of duty, which would cost him his job.


    Lu Heng paused when he heard the name "Yuan Hecheng."


    Because this name was famous in the future ¨C it was well-known in the Coastal area and even nationwide as a distinguished Quenching Master.


    Actually, just from his self-introduction of the Talent "High Temperature Balance," it was obvious.


    This Talent could maintain a constant temperature range in the Quenching Furnace, greatly increasing the success rate of Quenching.


    With this Talent, he was bound to achieve success in the profession of a Quenching Master.


    The security rushed over, ready to remove the man.


    Lu Heng raised his hand to stop the security''s action, then said, "Let him come in with me."


    Yuan Hecheng, who had just seen the security closing in, was prepared to resist, but then the situation turned on a dime, and suddenly he saw a glimmer of hope in the darkness.


    Once inside a conference room.


    After sitting down, Lu Heng took the initiative to ask, "You''re a Quenching Master?"


    Yuan Hecheng quickly nodded in response: "Yes, I''m a Quenching Master."


    The current Yuan Hecheng was not as renowned as he would be in later years.


    In the future, wherever he appeared, he would be surrounded by many people.


    After all, a Quenching Grandmaster during the Abyss Descent Era was a very rare resource.


    The current Yuan Hecheng, however, was disheveled, with tousled hair and a beard, a far cry from the prestigious Quenching Grandmaster he remembered, and so Lu Heng, at first glance, only thought he looked familiar and did not recognize him.


    Lu Heng was curious and asked, "Have any consortia invested in you?"


    Yuan Hecheng first nodded, then quickly shook his head: "Someone approached me about it, but I didn''t agree."


    "Why didn''t you agree?" Lu Heng continued.


    "The conditions they offered were too harsh. If I signed the contract, they would invest in me and arrange for my entry into Quenching Castle. Only after passing the Quenching Castle evaluation would I receive a decent treatment, and if I didn''t pass, I''d only receive a basic salary," Yuan Hecheng candidly explained the situation.


    Since Quenching Castle is currently the only place on Blue Star with a Quenching Furnace, and the emergence of the Flame Emblem Club has become the only channel to enter Quenching Castle.


    After Chunshang Group withdrew from Da Xia, other consortia also found that investing in Quenching Masters made it very hard to get a return.


    In such a situation, the major consortia did not directly give up on the occupation of Quenching Master. They continued to invest, but the contracts became more and more stringent.


    Because if the consortia wanted to train a Quenching Master, they had to get past the hurdle of Quenching Castle.


    But to send a Quenching Master into Quenching Castle, a large sum of money had to be invested.


    What frustrated the consortia even more was that so far, not a single Quenching Master had managed to pass the assessment at Quenching Castle.


    Not one.


    This meant that, so far, the money the consortia had invested in Quenching Masters had all been in vain.


    As for entering Abyss World for Quenching, this approach was not profitable.


    Because Hengyu had pushed the guaranteed success rate of Quenching up to 75%.


    This guaranteed figure was too excessive, directly causing the consortia to be unable to recoup their investments in the industry of Quenching.


    These consortia were unable to recoup their investments in the Quenching Masters they funded, yet they could not give up on the Quenching market.


    What to do?


    They could only continue to invest and then sign increasingly stringent contracts with Quenching Masters.


    Now a strange situation had formed where the number of Quenching Masters was increasing, but there was only one Quenching Furnace on Blue Star.


    This caused the Quenching Furnace to be scarce, while Quenching Masters turned out to be not so rare.


    Therefore, when the consortia signed contracts with Quenching Masters, the terms started at ten years, and there were even demands for fifteen-year terms.


    Moreover, the terms of the contracts were very harsh.


    After signing the contract, the consortium would spend money to send the Quenching Masters into Quenching Castle for assessment.


    If the assessment was passed, their treatment would naturally skyrocket, but if they failed, they could only get a very low basic salary.


    As for taking on Quenching Orders, that was impossible to achieve.


    ...


    Having just seen Lu Heng''s visibly agitated demeanor, clearly under great pressure, Lu Heng had asked,


    "Why are you in such a hurry to enter Quenching Castle if no consortium is investing in you? If you queue patiently, your turn will eventually come."


    Yuan Hecheng quickly stood up, his tone anxious as he said, "No, I must enter Quenching Castle as soon as possible."


    There was obviously a reason for his urgency.


    Lu Heng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Why the hurry?"


    Yuan Hecheng''s expression showed difficulty, and after hesitating a few times, he finally let out a sigh and said, "I urgently need money."


    "How much do you need?" Lu Heng continued to ask, wanting to understand the situation of the future prominent Quenching Master more clearly.


    Especially his background.


    This was very important.


    If he had already signed with other consortia, and was a Quenching Master arranged by them, then there was no need for Lu Heng to step in to help.


    Yuan Hecheng held up one finger and said, "At least ten million."


    Ten million, for a famous Quenching Master, was just a drop in the bucket.


    For the major consortia as well, but for ordinary people, it might be more money than they would ever see in their lifetimes.


    Lu Heng then asked, "Is there no consortium willing to invest ten million in you?"


    Yuan Hecheng sighed, his tone helpless as he said, "There are consortia willing to invest, but the money isn''t given directly to me. The contract stipulates that the money can only be used for Quenching. Plus, there would be a specific agent responsible for managing the funds. I wouldn''t be able to access a dime."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "Have you talked to them about an advance on your compensation?"


    Yuan Hecheng nodded and replied, "I''ve discussed it. I talked to the people at Dingsheng. If they were willing to advance me ten million, I''d be willing to sign a fifteen-year indenture agreement. But they didn''t agree, thinking it would be hard to recoup the costs.


    "I also understand the current situation. Only by passing the assessment at Quenching Castle can one gain value. Otherwise, even as a Quenching Master, no one would be willing to advance so much money.


    "That''s why I had to come here myself, hoping to try my luck."


    After hearing his response, Lu Heng understood the purpose of his visit to the club.


    His strategy was indeed correct.


    As long as he could enter Quenching Castle and pass Gulu''s assessment, his value would skyrocket a thousandfold once he got out.


    By then, it wouldn''t be him asking those consortia anymore; they would be the ones presenting him with blank checks, waiting for him to write the amount.


    Yet, so far, not a single Quenching Master had managed to pass Gulu''s assessment. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was also the reason Dingsheng Consortium was unwilling to advance him ten million in compensation.


    Lu Heng thought for a while, then asked, "Why are you in such a hurry for ten million?"


    This amount of money wasn''t really a lot for a successful Quenching Master.


    He just needed to develop slowly, and in the future, he could earn much more than this figure.


    Yuan Hecheng took a deep breath, remained silent for a long time before answering, "Because... my daughter has been conscripted, and she''s only ten years old..."

 Chapter 191 - 159: Dual Talents, Mechanical Heart

    When Yuan Hecheng said this, tears had already welled up in his eyes. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng was slightly moved and finally understood why he was in such a hurry.


    How could a father not be anxious when he learns that his ten-year-old daughter has been conscripted by the Abyss Battlefield?


    Lu Heng frowned and tried to recall any information about Yuan Hecheng''s daughter.


    Yuan Hecheng was a rather famous Quenching Master in the later age, his name was well-known throughout Da Xia.


    There were many news stories about Yuan Hecheng in the future, but after racking his brain, Lu Heng couldn''t find any information about his daughter.


    Perhaps he kept his daughter out of the media to protect her.


    Or perhaps there was another reason; his daughter might have died on the Abyss Battlefield.


    The Abyss Battlefield conscripted Superpower Users without any age restrictions, it only mattered if a Superpower User was suitable or not.


    And Lu Heng suspected the latter was more probable.


    That''s because Yuan Hecheng only rose to prominence as a famous Quenching Master one year after the Abyss Descent in his previous life.


    Now, it was the seventh month since the Abyss Descent, and there were still five months left before he would become a renowned Quenching Master.


    The profession of a Quenching Master, as long as one is recognized by the Quenching Castle, could immediately skyrocket in value and attract capital, not requiring as long as five months.


    Yuan Hecheng had only risen to prominence one year after the Abyss Descent in his past life.


    That is to say, if Lu Heng didn''t intervene in this matter, Yuan Hecheng would remain unknown for the next five months.


    He might even fall into depression for a few months because of his daughter''s death.


    Of course, these were all Lu Heng''s guesses, and he wasn''t certain what exactly had happened in his past life.


    After giving it some serious thought, Lu Heng asked, "If I gave you ten million, what would you do with it?"


    Yuan Hecheng, seeing a ray of hope, hurriedly said, "If you give me ten million, I''m willing to sign an indenture contract for fifteen or twenty years."


    Lu Heng asked again, "I mean, if you got ten million, what would you plan to buy with it? Skill Crystal Cores?"


    Yuan Hecheng quickly nodded, "Exactly, I want to buy Skill Crystal Cores for my daughter, as many lifesaving Skill Crystal Cores as possible. I just want her to be able to come out alive from the Abyss Battlefield."


    Actually,


    This matter had something strange about it.


    The Abyss Battlefield''s conscription indeed had no age limit, but the conscription rules were patterned by Combat Power.


    The lower the Combat Power, the lower the probability of being conscripted, so life-related Superpower Users were basically not conscripted.


    According to the conscription rule of the Abyss Battlefield, one must reach a certain level of Combat Power to be conscripted.


    But what reasons led to the conscription of Yuan Hecheng''s ten-year-old daughter?


    This question was difficult to ask.


    After a moment''s thought, Lu Heng asked, "How long is left on the conscription countdown?"


    "There are two days left... no, only a day and a half now." Yuan Hecheng realized that it was already afternoon and more than half of the day had passed.


    Hearing this, Lu Heng frowned and said, "Even if I gave you ten million now, you wouldn''t have enough time to buy the appropriate Skill Crystal Cores."


    Yuan Hecheng sighed and said, "I have no other choice but to buy whatever I can find."


    For so many days, Lu Heng was the first person willing to listen to him for so long.


    Therefore, Yuan Hecheng saw Lu Heng as the last lifeline, his eyes gleaming with hope: "Director Lu, it doesn''t need to be ten million, eight million will do. I am willing to sign a twenty-year indenture contract, I''ll do anything you ask."


    After some consideration, Lu Heng said, "I can sign you on, ten million is no problem. However, you will need to be my Quenching Assistant, and I can let you handle any orders below Quenching Level 3. Also, you probably won''t make it in time to buy Skill Crystal Cores now. I''ll have my assistant bring over a list of Crystal Cores later, and you can take anything suitable from it for your use."


    Yuan Hecheng didn''t expect happiness to come so unexpectedly, and he almost felt like kneeling in gratitude, "Thank you, Director Lu, thank you, Director Lu."


    At this time,


    Lin Zeyu pushed the door open and said, "I''ve been waiting for you for a long time. The manager said you were here, what''s so busy about? Can we go now?"


    Lu Heng waved his hand and said, "Perfect timing, get someone to draft a Quenching Master contract and set the term for ten years. Include a prepaid amount of ten million, and also bring over the list of Skill Crystal Cores."


    Lin Zeyu blinked and pointing at Yuan Hecheng asked, "Are you signing him?"


    Yuan Hecheng quickly stood up and bowed to Lin Zeyu, "Boss, my name is Yuan Hecheng, and I''m a Quenching Master."


    Quenching Masters weren''t in high demand at the moment, and Lin Zeyu couldn''t see anything particularly special about this Yuan Hecheng.


    More importantly, Yuan Hecheng had never been to Quenching Castle or gone through an assessment, so why were they going straight to signing a contract?


    Lin Zeyu blinked again and asked, "Shouldn''t we assess him first?"


    The mention of an assessment tightened Yuan Hecheng''s heart.


    Although he was confident, he feared the "what if."


    What if he failed the assessment and the agreement went down the drain? He would feel like dying.


    After all, he was gambling with his daughter''s life, and even with a one in ten thousand chance of failing the assessment, he didn''t dare to take the risk.


    Lu Heng waved his hand dismissively and said, "No need, just do as I said and make it quick."


    Lin Zeyu didn''t ask anymore and agreed, "Okay, then, I''ll arrange it."


    He then turned and left to call someone to handle the matter.


    The company was efficient in its operation, and the contracts were already prepared, only requiring a change in the term and the amount.


    After Yuan Hecheng signed his name on the contract, and saw Lin Zeyu stamp the company''s seal, the stone hanging over his heart finally dropped.


    Lu Heng continued, "Old Yuan, is it okay for me to address you that way?"

 Chapter 192 - 159: Dual Talents, Mechanical Heart_2

    "Sure, sure, Mr. Lu, you''re too kind," Yuan Hecheng quickly nodded in agreement.


    "We have some Skill Crystal Cores on hand. You can take some suitable ones to use first. However, you''ll need to bring your daughter over to select the appropriate Skills based on her Talent," Lu Heng handed him a list of the Skill Crystal Cores.


    "Okay, I''ll go back and bring her here right away. Should we come here?" Yuan Hecheng had now signed the contract, but he didn''t know whether there were suitable Skill Crystal Cores for his daughter.


    If there were no suitable Skill Crystal Cores, they would have to buy them elsewhere, which might not leave enough time.


    After all, the conscription countdown only had a day and a half left.


    ...


    An hour later, Yuan Hecheng arrived with a young girl.


    The young girl was very cute and lively, also well-behaved and sensible.


    Upon seeing Lin Zeyu at the door, Yuan Hecheng hurriedly said, "Yaoyao, say hello, this is Uncle Lin... or should you call him Brother instead?"


    Lin Zeyu glared, saying, "Do I look that old?"


    "Then just call him Brother Lin," Yuan Hecheng quickly agreed.


    Yuan Yaoyao was a bit shy, she pursed her lips and smiled while edging back slightly, then called out softly.


    Once seated, Lu Heng eyed the young girl, feeling she looked a bit familiar but couldn''t recall where he had seen her before.


    He was certain she wasn''t a Peak Superpower User with Peak Combat Power from the future, as he hadn''t heard of any Peak Superpower Users so young in his previous life.


    "What Talent have you Awakened?" asked Lu Heng.


    "Um..."


    Yuan Yaoyao put her hands on her knees, picked at her nails a bit, and after a couple of hesitant sounds, she replied, "Metal Ion Reduction."


    Hearing about her Talent, Lu Heng felt puzzled and glanced at Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu got the hint, stood up, and left. After a while, she returned with a cup of blue liquid: "Copper sulfate solution."


    Lu Heng pushed the blue solution towards her, saying, "Is this okay?"


    Yuan Yaoyao didn''t speak, just slowly stretched out her hand and dipped her right index finger into the copper sulfate solution.


    After about ten seconds, she pulled her finger out, and a layer of crimson metal covered it.


    This Talent was very special and would be valuable in the field of scientific research, but it didn''t translate into great Combat Power.


    Lu Heng continued, "Can you control this ability? To reduce when needed, and not react when it''s not?"


    Yuan Yaoyao shook her head: "When I touch water, a layer of something always coats my hands."


    She wasn''t too fond of this ability.


    Any contact with water would leave a layer of metal on her skin.


    It didn''t need to be as concentrated as a copper sulfate solution; even normal tap water would trigger a reaction.


    Because tap water also contained trace amounts of metal ions, they would be reduced by her Superpower and adhere to her skin.


    Although the quantity was small, the buildup was noticeable.


    It was manageable on her hands, but bathing was the most uncomfortable part.


    Seeing her expression, Lu Heng smiled and said, "When you get to a higher Level later, you''ll slowly learn to control this ability so that it won''t react when not needed."


    Hearing she would eventually be able to control this power brightened Yuan Yaoyao''s mood.


    Lu Heng then inquired, "Do you have any other Talents or abilities?"


    "No... no, I don''t," Yaoyao shook her head, her gestures becoming smaller.


    "Are you sure?" Lu Heng pressed.


    Yaoyao nodded with her head down, but Lu Heng felt she wasn''t telling the truth.


    Because just with the "Metal Ion Reduction" alone, it didn''t display much Combat Power.


    Moreover, at her current age, her physical condition was weak, and her Level was low, so according to the patterns of conscription from the Abyss Battlefield, it was unlikely she would be conscripted.


    Therefore, there was only one possibility; either she wasn''t being conscripted, or she was hiding some Talent with strong Combat Power.


    Lu Heng continued, "What does your countdown say? Read the numbers out loud."


    Yuan Yaoyao began to read out a series of numbers: "1 day, 8 hours, 12 minutes, 19 seconds, 18 seconds, 17 seconds..."


    Lu Heng checked the time, and the countdown was exactly until twelve o''clock tomorrow night.


    The countdown was correct; it was unlikely that the young girl would tell such a lie while constantly keeping track of the countdown.


    Plus, it was her first time being conscripted, so she probably wouldn''t be able to state the exact countdown number accurately.


    That meant she truly was conscripted.


    Therefore, there was only one remaining possibility¡ªshe concealed a Talent with great combat power.


    Lu Heng adopted a serious tone and said, "You lied."


    At these words,


    Yuan Yaoyao''s body stiffened, and beside her, Yuan Hecheng looked puzzled and defended his daughter, "Mr. Lu, Yaoyao is very sensible and well-behaved."


    Lu Heng fixed his gaze on the young girl''s expression, but her head drooped lower and lower.


    "There''s only a little more than a day left on the countdown. The survival rate for conscripts in the Abyss Battlefield is less than 30%, which means after the countdown ends, there is a 70% chance you won''t return, and you''ll never see your father again. Are you sure you want to keep lying?"


    Yuan Yaoyao''s body started to tremble, she pursed her lips, and tears were about to fall.


    "Mr. Lu, Yaoyao is very sensible, she wouldn''t lie," Yuan Hecheng continued to defend his daughter.


    Lu Heng raised his hand to interrupt him and said, "Let her speak for herself."


    Yuan Yaoyao wiped her tears with her hand and nodded in acknowledgment, "There is another Talent on the data, but I think I might have a mental illness."


    Yuan Hecheng did not know about this, and he hadn''t ever imagined his daughter lying to him, "What''s going on?"


    Having two initial Talents was extremely rare, it was one in ten thousand. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng asked, "What is the other Talent?"


    Yuan Yaoyao gripped her skirt with both hands and after a long while, she finally replied, "Mechanical Heart. I can hear the refrigerator and rice cooker at home talking; I''m sure I also have a mental illness."


    Hearing this, Yuan Hecheng''s expression changed as well, and he helped to clarify, "Yaoyao''s mother left us due to mental illness, so..."


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow when he heard it was the Talent "Mechanical Heart."


    This Talent was very distinctive, exactly as she described.


    Superpower Users with this Talent, it was said, could hear machines speaking. In their eyes, all machinery had "life."


    Of course, if one doesn''t understand this Talent and only hears the description, it does indeed sound like a mental illness.


    After a moment''s consideration, Lu Heng explained, "The ''Mechanical Heart'' Talent can indeed hear machines speaking; this is normal, not a mental illness. Moreover, this ability is powerful if used correctly."


    If it was the Talent "Mechanical Heart," then her conscription wasn''t surprising.


    The Abyss Battlefield conscripted Superpower Users based on their combat power, Talents, and skills.


    In his previous life, someone had proposed a theory that the same Superpower User entering different Abyss Battlefields would have different combat power ratings.


    For example, the "Mechanical Heart," if it entered the Evil God''s Burial Ground, that Talent''s rating would be very low, because there wouldn''t be many mechanical units to utilize the Talent.


    Conversely, if it entered the Cyber World, then the "Mechanical Heart" would take off, given a very high rating.


    This theory had never been confirmed, but Lu Heng thought there was some truth to it.


    According to this theory, Yuan Yaoyao was very likely to be conscripted into a world with mechanical units.


    If it was a world without machines, then her Talent rating would be very low, not reaching the score required for conscription.


    Therefore, the Abyss Battlefield that conscripted her could only be a world with a substantial number of mechanical units.


    Moreover, according to the lack of news in his previous life about Yuan Hecheng having a daughter, Yuan Yaoyao probably didn''t survive the last time.


    After all, she was just a ten-year-old girl and had no other survival skills; surviving in the Abyss World was truly difficult.


    Seeing this little girl, Su Muyu felt very sorry for her and took the initiative, "Let''s help her."


    Lu Heng picked up the Crystal Core list and said, "Let''s see if there are any suitable Skill Crystal Cores. By the way, how many Skill Slots?"


    Yuan Yaoyao stretched out three fingers, "Three."


    "You aren''t lying this time, right?" Lu Heng teased.


    "I''m not lying. I... earlier..." Yuan Yaoyao puffed out her cheeks, wanting to explain.


    "Brother Lu is just teasing you. Behave," Yuan Hecheng quickly started flipping through the Crystal Core list.


    All he wanted now was to prepare a few life-saving Skills for his daughter. He asked for nothing else but for his daughter to be able to survive and return from the Abyss World.

 Chapter 193 - 160: Metal Mechanical Strengthening Route

    "Metal Ion Reduction" combined with "Mechanical Heart," plus three Skill Slots.


    This initial template resembled someone, both had Dual Talents and three Skill Slots, with similarly strong Initial Talents.


    Combining these two Talents fundamentally determined the development path, which was the metal-mechanical route.


    Lu Heng''s gaze swept over the Crystal Core list, stopped on a Crystal Core''s name, tapped on it with his finger, and said, "Let''s go with this one."


    The others turned their heads to look, read the Crystal Core''s name Lu Heng was pointing at, and said, "Fluid Metal."


    Lin Zeyu suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Wait a minute, I just acquired this a few days ago, this number!"


    He stretched out four fingers toward Lu Heng.


    This "Fluid Metal" Crystal Core, three months earlier, was put up in the Ultimate Auction and had fetched a price of 45 million.


    The auction price would be slightly higher, though acquiring it normally could be a bit cheaper, the difference was limited.


    "So what?" Lu Heng blinked and asked.


    "The thing is, I planned to use this for myself, I wanted to discuss with you if I could use this Skill, it''s good for both offense and defense." Lin Zeyu had one empty Skill Slot, and had originally collected several Skill Crystal Cores, planning to consult Lu Heng.


    Yuan Hecheng thought Lin Zeyu''s four fingers meant four million upon seeing them.


    His contract had a ten million upfront payment and he trusted Lu Heng greatly, also feeling the Skill was good, thus he asked, "I can buy this with money, it''s written in the contract about the ten million upfront."


    Lin Zeyu waved his hand and directly responded, "You can''t afford it."


    This left Yuan Hecheng stunned, not knowing how to react.


    Su Muyu helped explain, "This guy doesn''t mince his words, but he doesn''t mean any harm. However, this Crystal Core is Grade B, and its buying price is forty million."


    Upon hearing this price, Yuan Hecheng''s eyes widened, realizing Lin Zeyu''s comment about not being able to afford it was truly because he couldn''t afford it.


    During this period, he had been pleading with consortia to sign a twenty-year indenture just for a ten million upfront payment, but no consortia were willing.


    With ten million, he could actually purchase several decent Grade D or C Crystal Cores.


    His original plan was to buy three Grade D or C life-saving Skills for his daughter, which ten million would suffice for.


    Unexpectedly, Lu Heng initially recommended a Grade B, and it was among the pricier ones in that category.


    He took the Crystal Core and examined it closely, after which he understood why this Skill was so expensive.


    "Fluid Metal: Consumes massive Source Energy to enhance the ductility of metal, turning metal into a fluid, thereby altering its shape, and upon retrieving the Source Energy, the metal returns to its original hardness. Skill Consumption: 10 Source Energy per minute; Skill Level: Grade B."


    This Skill was simply one of the strongest for a Metal Element Power User.


    With this Skill, a Metal Element Power User could create endless possibilities.


    Moreover, this Skill could synergize with Yuan Yaoyao''s "Metal Ion Reduction" Talent.


    There was no need for a detailed analysis, after reading the Skill data, Yuan Hecheng knew this Skill was indeed very suitable for his daughter and was worth spending all their money on.


    However, he could not gather such an amount of money even if he sold everything he owned.


    Even if he doubled the term of the indenture, he could only buy half.


    Without enough money, he didn''t have the audacity to ask.


    Lu Heng confidently said, "This is the one, bring the Crystal Core over."


    Lin Zeyu had with difficulty acquired a Grade B Skill, and really wanted to use it for himself: "I wanted to use this myself."


    "You''d be wasting it," Lu Heng blocked him with a sentence, "Let the young lady use it first, and I''ll help you find a suitable one later."


    "Alright." Lin Zeyu could only agree and asked someone to bring the "Fluid Metal" Crystal Core over.


    Yuan Hecheng''s face reddened a bit and he said, "Mr. Lu, I can''t afford this Crystal Core."


    Lu Heng spoke lightly, "It''s okay, just take it and use it, nothing is more important than life."


    Yuan Hecheng''s eyes misted up as he said, "Mr. Lu, I''ll work like a horse for you, I''ll do whatever you ask."


    "I treat people sincerely, as long as they treat me sincerely in return."


    Lu Heng continued to go through the Crystal Core list, selected two more Crystal Cores for his daughter, then took out an "Abyss Battlefield Survival Manual" and slid it over, saying, "There''s a little more than a day left, reading this material should be helpful to you."


    This "Abyss Battlefield Survival Manual" contained experiences and methods for surviving in the Abyss World and some specific data about various Abyss Worlds.


    For Power Users being conscripted for the first time, this manual would be very helpful.


    "Thank you, thank you..." Yuan Hecheng said gratefully multiple times.


    In the week prior, Yuan Yaoyao could see her father had been running around frantically, and he had become haggard.


    She knew what her father was doing and knew it was something very difficult.


    So today, she realized she had received a grand favor and looked at Lu Heng with a gleam of light shining in her eyes.


    After the Skill Crystal Core was brought over and absorbed by Yuan Yaoyao, filling all three Skill Slots, the remaining time was to finish reading the "Abyss Battlefield Survival Manual," then wait for the conscription to arrive.


    ...


    Lu Heng knew this was a time Yuan Hecheng definitely wanted to be by his daughter''s side and wouldn''t have the mind to enter Quenching Castle, so he let them go home.


    After the father and daughter left, Lin Zeyu complained, "That was a skill I had prepared for myself." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it necessary to be that stingy?" Lu Heng shot back.


    "You don''t know how hard it is to collect Crystal Cores when you''re not in charge. That was a level B Crystal Core, and I had just gotten one in half a year," Lin Zeyu sighed.


    When Lu Heng was looking at the Crystal Core list earlier, he had already noticed another skill and said, "Didn''t you collect the ''Hidden Eye''? That skill is quite good."


    Lin Zeyu rolled his eyes and said, "That skill is only level C, just level C. And it doesn''t move; it''s such a useless feature."


    Lu Heng shook his head and chuckled, "That skill is a level C Divine Skill. If it were me, I would choose that over ''Fluid Metal.''"


    Lin Zeyu frowned skeptically, "Are you sure? A level C skill can compare to a level B?"


    According to the logic of a normal Superpower User, wasn''t the answer obvious? Of course, you''d blindly choose level B.


    Lu Heng reminded him, "As long as you max out your proficiency in this skill, I can turn it into a level B ''Void Eye.''"


    Upon hearing this, Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up, "Right, the skill level is just a formality, of course the skill effect is more important. Then I''ll learn ''Hidden Eye.''"


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu were a bit speechless seeing his sudden change of attitude.


    Lin Zeyu started to test out his new skill ''Hidden Eye,'' coalescing an energy eyeball on his palm.


    "How do I use this?"


    "Close your eyes and try," Lu Heng suggested.


    Lin Zeyu closed his eyes, and to his surprise, instead of darkness, he saw through the ''Hidden Eye.''


    "This is just too amazing."


    He began to place ''Hidden Eye'' around different spots in the room.


    "It''s practically an infinite surveillance network; I can place as many eyes as I want."


    "Until you run out of Source Energy, or... until your spirit breaks," Lu Heng answered.


    "Spirit breaks?"


    Lin Zeyu looked puzzled, then he closed his eyes and suddenly stiffened, collapsing onto the sofa with a cry, quickly opening his eyes and gasping for breath.


    He had created twenty or thirty energy eyeballs at once, and as soon as he closed his eyes, the visions from all those eyeballs assaulted him, almost overwhelming his spirit.


    After testing the skill, Lin Zeyu, holding the Crystal Core list, asked, "Which Crystal Core would Lady Su like? Let''s think about this together."


    Su Muyu was also considering which skill to choose while looking at the list earlier.


    There were a few usable skills, but none particularly suitable.


    Lu Heng, having already finished looking at the list, said, "There''s nothing particularly suitable, let''s wait and see."


    Lin Zeyu pointed to a Crystal Core on the list and said, "This ''Source Energy Shield'' seems pretty good; it lasts a long time."


    Lu Heng evaluated, "''Source Energy Shield'' can''t stop a sniper bullet, you''d still get your head blown off even with it."


    "Cough, cough, cough..."


    Lin Zeyu changed his tune and said, "This skill isn''t really good enough, let''s keep looking."


    ''Source Energy Shield'' is a fairly standard defense skill, it can stop a handgun bullet but not a rifle bullet, its defensive power isn''t as good as ''Prism Tower Shield.''


    Of course, ''Source Energy Shield'' also has its advantages, such as a longer duration, which allows it to be activated in advance for a charge.


    Su Muyu continued, "By the way, my ''Prism Tower Shield'' has maxed out its proficiency. Should I upgrade it now?"


    "Upgrade it. You''re so rich," Lu Heng casually replied.


    "Where am I rich!" Su Muyu suddenly widened her eyes, looking frantic.


    "I meant rich in Divine Energy," Lu Heng quickly corrected.


    Su Muyu, having returned from Cyber Wasteland, hadn''t spent the 2,400 points of Divinity she had gained, plus the 600 points she had left over.


    So, her Divinity was indeed a hefty 3,000 points.


    Su Muyu pursed her lips, holding back a smile, and quickly changed the subject, "Then I''ll start upgrading the ''Prism Tower Shield.''"


    "Okay, I''ll help you unlock the Skill Lock," Lu Heng used his Talent to unlock her skill.


    Su Muyu introduced 300 points of Divinity into the Skill Slot, merging with the ''Prism Tower Shield''s energy to form a larger Energy Ball.


    "It''s done."


    "It''s finished just like that?" Lin Zeyu blinked, remembering the time he had failed a skill upgrade, ending up spending double the Divinity.


    Now Su Muyu''s skill upgrade was much faster than his, taking less than a minute to complete.


    Lu Heng locked up her Skill Lock and then said, "Everyone''s physical constitution is different; this is probably a hidden Talent."


    Lin Zeyu, with eyes wide, protested, "Lu Heng, tell me the truth, were you not really focused when upgrading my skill?"


    "What could I do if I were?" Lu Heng joked as he continued the banter.


    "If that''s how you talk, then we can''t be friends. From now on¡­ from now on, I can only call you father-in-law!" Lin Zeyu suddenly flipped the script, revealing his goofy nature.

 Chapter 194 - 161: Returning a Favor, Second Transition Source Material

    "What did it upgrade to? If the upgrade effect isn''t good, let me know so I can have some fun," Lin Zeyu asked about the upgrade effect of [Prism Tower Shield].


    After signing the team contract, the jokes Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu shared became more cutting.


    Su Muyu had been looking at the post-upgrade skill effects, so when asked, he recited the data of the skill after the upgrade.


    [Prism Force Field: Releases energy to create a 3¡Á3 square meter triangular force field. Any material entering the force field would slow down, eventually to zero. Skill duration: 6 seconds. Skill consumption: 40 Source Energy points. Skill level: C Level.]


    "This skill''s effect..." Lin Zeyu wasn''t sure how strong the skill actually was after hearing the data.


    "C Level skill, B Level defense effect," Lu Heng concluded.


    Originally, [Prism Tower Shield] was a D Level skill with a C Level defense effect.


    After the upgrade, [Prism Force Field] became a C Level skill with a B Level defense effect.


    Just speaking of defense power, it was pretty formidable.


    Of course, as before, this skill still required timing for its release.


    However, the duration had been increased from 3 seconds to 6 seconds, greatly increasing the margin of error.


    When Lin Zeyu heard it was a C Level skill with B Level defense, he realized that the upgrade effect was quite impressive.


    However, he quickly thought that, after this upgrade, he would benefit the most from [Prism Force Field].


    In future duels, having a stable 6 seconds of invincibility sounded incredibly thrilling.


    After helping Su Muyu upgrade his skill, Lu Heng also checked his own skill proficiency.


    The proficiency of [Gale Step¡¤Stab] had reached (1920/2000), and it was not far from an upgrade.


    ...


    So, for the next two days,


    Lu Heng focused on practicing the proficiency of Gale Step, and by the morning two days later, he had filled the proficiency of [Gale Step¡¤Stab] to 2000 points.


    With sweat still on his body, Lu Heng unlocked the skill lock on Gale Step, injected 600 points of Divine Energy, and commenced the upgrade.


    ["Gale Step¡¤Stab" skill upgraded to "Windwalker."]


    [Windwalker]


    [Skill level: B Level]


    [Skill consumption: 5 Source Energy points/minute]


    [Skill effect: Gain the power of the gale, increasing running speed by 120%. Charge in place for two seconds, gather the power of windwalking, and burst forth with a 3x acceleration effect for a straight-line thrust. Additionally, reduces air resistance and improves durability when breaking the sound barrier.]


    Seeing the upgraded skill, Lu Heng''s eyes lit up.


    This upgrade had surprisingly given him one of the top three speed enhancement skills in the B Level category.


    [Windwalker] had been the skill of the first superpower user to break the sound barrier in his past life.


    However, this barrier-breaking superpower user had only appeared a year after Abyss Descent and was already a peak Level 30 superpower user at that time.


    Now, only seven months in, breaking the sound barrier at this point would be quite terrifying.


    The reason [Windwalker] could break the sound barrier mainly involved two factors, the first being the reduction in air resistance.


    The second was charging in place for two seconds before launching a straight-line thrust with a 3x acceleration effect.


    This 3x acceleration effect wasn''t simply 300%, but actually 3x the effectiveness of the skill acceleration, or effectively 360%.


    Lu Heng found a spacious area and tested the skill effect.


    He charged in place for two seconds, then launched a straight-line thrust, thrusting forward a hundred meters with a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.


    In the blink of an eye, he had already reached beyond a hundred meters.


    However, he did not break the sound barrier during the thrust.


    Actually, Lu Heng had calculated the data beforehand.


    His current level was 26, with an Agility Attribute of 74 points. After the accelerated thrust of [Windwalker], his instantaneous speed exceeded 200 meters/second, not yet reaching the speed to break the sound barrier.


    However, this was just the acceleration from [Windwalker]. If the 300% acceleration from [Shadow Traversal] was added, according to the calculated results, it had reached the threshold for breaking the sound barrier.


    Before he had time to test further, he suddenly received a call from Lin Zeyu.


    Yuan Hecheng, looking haggard, had run to the Flame Emblem Building for help. His daughter had been conscripted the night before at twelve o''clock, and he had waited all night without her return.


    "Please, save Yaoyao, save her..."


    When Lu Heng arrived at the Flame Emblem Building, he saw Yuan Hecheng kneeling in front of Lin Zeyu, pleading. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lin Zeyu didn''t know what to do, and he was completely out of ideas.


    Lu Heng had already heard about the situation over the phone, and it was now almost noon.


    Yuan Yaoyao had been transported into the Abyss Battlefield the previous night at twelve o''clock, and it had been almost half a day with no return.


    In such a situation, the prospects were generally grim.


    Although many possibilities existed in the Abyss World, and sometimes superpower users didn''t return on time, there weren''t any cases of death.


    However, such incidents were rare.


    Moreover, people outside the Abyss Battlefield could not influence those within the battlefield.


    Even if Lu Heng wanted to help, there was nothing he could do.


    Yuan Hecheng also knew that no one could help him, but he couldn''t accept the reality and ultimately collapsed to the ground.


    Lu Heng helped him to the couch to rest, wanting to offer some words of comfort but not knowing what to say.


    In situations like this, no words of comfort would suffice.


    For Yuan Hecheng, his daughter was his life, and now that he had lost her, he no longer saw any reason to live.


    As the clock struck twelve noon.

 Chapter 195 - 161: Repaying a Peach with a Plum, Second Transition Source Material_2

    Two minutes had passed when Yuan Hecheng''s phone rang. He picked it up and froze, the caller ID on the phone displaying "Yaoyao."


    He hesitated for half a second before hastily answering the call, anxiously shouting, "Yaoyao, Yaoyao, is that you?"


    "Dad, where did you go? You''re not at home waiting for me."


    The slightly reproachful voice of Yuan Yaoyao came through the phone.


    Relief and joy washed over Yuan Hecheng''s face. "Daddy will be right back, Daddy will be right back, don''t wander off."


    He said this while continuing to talk on the phone and running outside to hail a taxi.


    Lin Zeyu quickly gestured to the manager to have someone send him back.


    After watching them leave, Lin Zeyu''s face was full of confusion, "It''s been half a day since then, how did she suddenly reappear?" S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng glanced at the club hall''s wall clock, which showed just after twelve o''clock noon.


    Including the call time, Yuan Yaoyao''s reappearance and the summoning time were exactly twelve hours apart.


    Lu Heng had already guessed the reason in his heart, the Abyss World of level five and above has a different rate of time flow from the main world.


    That is to say, Yuan Yaoyao was summoned into an Abyss World of level five or higher.


    Reaching level five in the world does not mean that the task difficulty is of level five.


    The battle mode has a significant impact on the difficulty of the mission.


    For example, in the same Abyss World, the difficulty in Survival Mode would definitely be lower than in the Enemy Annihilation Mode.


    ...


    An hour later.


    Yuan Hecheng and his daughter returned to the Flame Emblem Building.


    Yuan Yaoyao shyly hid behind her father.


    "Boss Lu, Yaoyao says she has something to give you to thank you for your help," Yuan Hecheng explained the reason for their visit.


    Yuan Yaoyao hurried forward, holding an oval-shaped transparent crystal, and handed it to Lu Heng.


    Seeing this, Lin Zeyu blurted out from the side, "I helped you too, why are you only giving him a gift?"


    Yuan Yaoyao''s expression faltered, stammering, "I... I only have one..."


    Su Muyu quickly went over and patted her head, "Don''t mind this Lin guy, he''s just teasing you."


    Lu Heng took the crystal and glanced at it, his eyebrows rising slightly.


    Because this was a piece of Source Material, and it was Second Transition Source Material at that.


    Holding the Source Material, Lu Heng turned to Yuan Hecheng and asked, "Are you really sure you want to give this Source Material to me?"


    Yuan Yaoyao pursed her lips, revealing a smile and nodded her head.


    Her smile seemed a bit more reserved than before.


    Who knows what she had gone through in the Abyss Battlefield to come into possession of such a Second Transition Source Material?


    This was a treasure that could only be derived from powerful Abyss Demons at the level of a Flame Demon, how did this young girl obtain it?


    Lu Heng''s question was mainly directed at Yuan Hecheng, as he was the guardian.


    Yuan Hecheng nodded and said, "That''s what I thought too, it''s better to give it to you. We can''t use such Source Material, and the Skill Crystal Core Yaoyao absorbed is too expensive. If we don''t use this to offset some of the debt, I may never be able to pay back so much money in my lifetime."


    After pondering for a moment, Lu Heng said, "Then it''s decided, we''ll accept this Source Material. The cost of the Crystal Core that Yaoyao used will be completely offset. In addition, we''ll arrange a house for you by Qionghua Tianglu Lake, which you can move into or sell if you like."


    "Ah? I''ve heard that houses by Qionghua Tianglu Lake are very expensive," Yuan Hecheng was stunned.


    Their father-daughter duo wasn''t well off and hadn''t dared dream about housing in the Mingqiong District.


    Moreover, ever since the news spread that the state was planning to build a base city, the house prices in the Mingqiong District had soared, and they were now so high that even money couldn''t buy them.


    Holding the Second Transition Source Material, Lu Heng said, "This Source Material is very valuable, I won''t negotiate a price with you. Consider it a gift from me, and then I will give you a return gift."


    "Okay, okay," Yuan Hecheng agreed hurriedly.


    He too had heard some rumors about the Coastal area''s base city plans, and although the exact location was debated¡ªsome said Mingqiong District, others said Ningyun District¡ªhe was certain about one thing: What he didn''t know, a high-ranking person like Lu Heng surely did.


    So, if a base city truly was to be built in the Coastal area in the future, it would likely be in the Mingqiong District.


    And now that the prices for homes in the Mingqiong District were sky-high, they were well out of his reach.


    Yet, the future base city would be the safest place, and of course, he wanted to provide his daughter with the safest environment possible.


    Therefore, getting a set of houses in the Mingqiong District filled his heart with gratitude.


    ...


    The Second Transition Source Material given by Yuan Yaoyao was very suitable for the class of Su Muyu.


    Now that there were many people around, directly absorbing it posed a safety risk.


    After all, after absorbing Source Material, one would initiate a Source Material battle and become a target for other contenders.


    Hence, Lu Heng decided to store the Second Transition Source Material first, planning to let Su Muyu use it later that night.


    In the past few days, because of the conscription of Yuan Yaoyao, Yuan Hecheng had no mood to participate in Quenching work.


    Now that Yuan Yaoyao had safely returned,


    Lu Heng asked, "Do you have time to work now, or should I give you a few more days to rest?"


    Yuan Hecheng quickly waved his hand, "No need for rest, I can work. I can work right now."


    The thought of the possibility of moving to Qionghua Tianglu Lake and facing higher living expenses made him eager to work and earn money as soon as possible.


    Moreover, now that his daughter had returned safe and sound, he was filled with energy and wanted to work as hard as possible.


    "That''s good, follow me into Quenching Castle."


    Lu Heng said and stood up, heading towards the direction of the club''s bell tower.


    "What about Yaoyao..." Yuan Hecheng was unsure of how to arrange things for his daughter and considered taking her home first.


    "She can come in as well." Lu Heng waved a hand, signaling them to follow.


    "Eh! Eh!" Yuan Hecheng''s eyes lit up, and he quickly pulled his daughter along with him.


    He had never imagined that his daughter could also enter Quenching Castle.


    In the circle of Quenching Masters, Quenching Castle was akin to a Holy Temple and was extremely difficult to enter.


    Now, not only could he enter Quenching Castle, but he could also bring his daughter inside.


    The group entered Quenching Castle through the bell tower entrance and then directly into the Forging room.


    Lu Heng started heating up the Quenching Furnace, preparing for Quenching.


    Yuan Hecheng nervously asked, "I haven''t been assessed yet, can I use the Quenching Furnace now? I''ve heard that if Master Gulu is not pleased, he''ll throw people out."


    Lin Zeyu laughed and said, "In Quenching Castle, aside from Master Gulu, it''s Lu Heng who calls the shots. Whoever he wants to let in, gets in. Whoever he wants to train as a Quenching Master, becomes a Quenching Master."


    After the preparations were complete, Lu Heng explained the workflow:


    "I plan to make you my assistant, mainly responsible for controlling the furnace temperature. Can you do that?"


    "I can, there''s no problem. The work I''m most confident about is controlling the furnace temperature," Yuan Hecheng quickly nodded.


    His Initial Talent was [High-Temperature Balance], which made him much stronger at controlling furnace temperatures than other Quenching Masters.


    For Lu Heng to make him an assistant meant that he, indirectly, also had the [High-Temperature Balance] Talent.


    "Additionally, I''ll leave Quenching Orders below Level 3 to you. You''re still an Apprentice Quenching Master, aren''t you?"


    "Yes, still an Apprentice Quenching Master. Opportunities for Quenching have been rare."


    "No worries, you''ll slowly move up."


    Lu Heng encouraged him a couple of sentences, then began the Quenching process.


    The reason for handing over Quenching Orders below Level 3 to him was to share some of the workload in taking orders and to cultivate a Quenching Master with good Talent.


    Moreover, after rising to the [Advanced Quenching Master] class, working on Quenching assignments below Level 3 hardly yielded any professional experience.


    Lu Heng was hardly gaining experience from Level 3 or below Quenching at present.


    It was the perfect opportunity to hand this part of the work over to Yuan Hecheng, allowing himself to focus on Level 3 and above Quenching, saving time without delaying the advancement of Quenching Master experience.


    Afterward, Lu Heng completed the thirty-odd Quenching Orders he had accumulated over the past few days.


    Then he proceeded to upgrade Su Muyu''s Crossbow and Lin Zeyu''s SVD sniper rifle through Quenching.


    He raised the Quenching Level of both their weapons to +9.


    Su Muyu''s [Mia''s Crossbow] Attack Power increased to 150 points.


    As it had not gone through a second Forging, the Crossbow was still at Class C.


    For a Class C Crossbow, 150 Attack Power was already formidable.


    If there were materials for a second Forging, the Attack Power could immediately break through 200 points.

 Chapter 196 - 162 Second Transition Class, Sky Vault Lord

    Night had fallen, and the stars were scattered across the sky.


    The early spring night carried a touch of chill.


    Yet Quenching Castle was quite warm, so stepping out from Quenching Castle, one would feel the cool air assault them.


    Lu Heng took off his coat and draped it over Su Muyu''s shoulders.


    After the quenching work was over, Yuan Hecheng left with his daughter, thanking them a thousand times over.


    Lin Zeyu arranged for a driver to send the father and daughter away, then turned back, rubbing his hands, and asked, "What was that Second Transition Source Material just now? Is it suitable for me?"


    "Not suitable," Lu Heng answered decisively before finding a place to sit down and taking out the Source Material.


    "Let me see."


    Lin Zeyu took it over, checked the attribute, and his expression fell. He turned and handed it to Su Muyu, saying, "It''s yours."


    Su Muyu took it and glanced at the name of the Source Material, instantly understanding why Lin Zeyu had such an expression.


    Because the Source Material''s class name was "Sky Vault Lord," a sky-related second transition class that also possessed the ability to enhance Flying Summons, giving it half from the Summoning system.


    "So I should use this Source Material?" Su Muyu sought confirmation.


    Lu Heng nodded, "It''s very suitable for you; go ahead."


    Su Muyu nodded and began absorbing the "Sky Vault Lord" Source Material.


    "Absorbing ''Sky Vault Lord'' Source Material triggers Source Fusion battle."


    "Fusion Progress of Source Material: 12%"


    "Temporarily gained Source Material Ability: Sky Vault Lord."


    "Sky Vault Lord: Conjures energy wings to fly in the sky, becoming the master of the skies."


    "Effect 1: Energy wings can envelop the body for defense, or turn into energy feather arrows for attack." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Effect 2: Enhances combat power of flying summons, raises the level of the summons."


    "Sky Falcon" upgrades to "Divine Feathered Eagle."


    "Divine Feathered Eagle"


    "Skill Level: B-Level"


    "Skill Consumption: 100 Source Energy points"


    "Skill Effect: Summon a Divine Feathered Eagle for reconnaissance, detecting invisibility, and combat. Divine Feathered Eagle has a carrying load of 500kg, and the caster can fly by riding the Divine Feathered Eagle."


    "Attributes: Detecting Invisibility Range = 10¡ÁPerception; Attack Damage = 6¡ÁSpiritual Power."


    "Divine Feathered Eagle Skill: Flowing Light Speed"


    "Flowing Light Speed: In an unburdened state, the Divine Feathered Eagle can transform into a streak of light to fly, reaching X meters/second. Speed coefficient = 6¡ÁSpiritual Power."


    Having finished absorbing the Source Material, Su Muyu acquired the temporary Source Material Ability.


    After reviewing the data of the Source Material Ability, a joyful smile surfaced on her face.


    "How is it? Are the Source Material Abilities up to scratch?" Lu Heng wasn''t sure about the specific effects.


    Su Muyu raised her hand, releasing Source Material Energy, and with a pair of energy wings unfolding behind her, she gently fluttered them and began to float in the air.


    Seeing this effect, Lin Zeyu''s eyes bulged, and he muttered under his breath, "I''m not jealous, not jealous at all!"


    In fact, if the "Sky Vault Lord" class didn''t have the ability to enhance flying summons, its flying ability alone would make it a universal class.


    Whether it''s a Combat Superpower User, a Support system Superpower User, or a Spiritual Superpower User, having the ability to fly would be beneficial.


    However, if this class only had flight capability, then it wouldn''t match the strength of a second transition class.


    Because the mere ability to fly could completely be replaced by a similar flight skill.


    Hence, the most valuable aspect of the "Sky Vault Lord" class abilities were the Feathered Wings Defense and enhancement of flying summons.


    After evolving the Reconnaissance Falcon into the B-Level Divine Feathered Eagle, it developed a powerful Acceleration Skill "Flowing Light Speed."


    This skill enabled the Divine Feathered Eagle to burst forth at a speed of 6¡ÁSpiritual Power (meters/second).


    Currently, Su Muyu''s Spiritual Attribute was 60 points, which meant that under "Flowing Light Speed," the Divine Feathered Eagle could fly at 360 meters/second.


    On Blue Star, the speed of sound was 340 meters/second.


    This meant that the Divine Feathered Eagle had already achieved Supersonic flight capability.


    "The Reconnaissance Falcon has evolved into the Divine Feathered Eagle, and ''Flowing Light Speed'' is potent¡ªalready capable of supersonic flight. It''s a pity that it cannot carry passengers in this state," Su Muyu felt a bit regretful.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "Don''t worry, once the Source Fusion is complete, the effects of the Source Material Ability will improve, and perhaps this skill will enhance as well."


    Su Muyu''s eyes immediately brightened, "Right, if I gain the complete class later, and ''Flowing Light Speed'' can carry weight, that would be amazing."


    Once the Source Fusion is completed, the Source Material Ability will indeed improve.


    However, whether it could improve the "Flowing Light Speed" skill of the Divine Feathered Eagle remained to be seen.


    While the three of them were discussing the tactical strategy of this class, a notice popped up on all three of their data panels simultaneously.


    "Abyss Battlefield: Conscription countdown 7 days."


    The three of them furrowed their brows simultaneously and said in unison, "We''ve been conscripted."


    Lu Heng rapidly analyzed, saying, "It must be Mu Yu who was conscripted, right after gaining the Source Material. It''s very likely to be a Source Material battle."


    Lin Zeyu raised an eyebrow, saying, "But I haven''t obtained any Source Material, and being conscripted into a Source Material battle is too unjust for me."


    Lu Heng reminded, "Once you''re in the Source Material battle world, there''s an abundance of Source Material."


    Lin Zeyu''s expression froze, he said, "Right, I can find a suitable Source Material inside."


    Su Muyu was a bit nervous because it was because of her alone that the whole team was summoned; she felt that there was suddenly something more on her shoulders.


    "I still have one Skill Slot left, should I fill up this slot with a skill before we teleport?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "It''s best to find a suitable skill before we enter, to increase our combat power as much as possible. Pay more attention to the Crystal Core Dark Network and the Skill Crystal Cores for sale in the market these next few days, even if the prices are high, it''s okay, just get them first."


    Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement, "Okay, I will have people on the lookout, and we''ll snap up anything suitable. What type of skill should we be looking for?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "Spirit Control Skills or Spirit Resistance Skills. I am worried that this time we may have to fight with Superpower Users."


    As the Abyss Descent reached its seventh month, Second Rank Source Materials began to emerge.


    The top Superpower Users started the second round of the Source Energy struggle, and those Superpower Users already possessed a First Transition Class and knew the true nature of the Source Energy battle.


    With the development of the Abyss Era, Superpower Users became increasingly aware of the cruelty of this era.


    Thus, by the time the battle for Second Transition Source Materials had begun, the instances of Superpower Users killing each other directly had become more and more frequent.


    Even to the extent that teammates would kill each other for Source Material.


    Lu Heng carefully reviewed the Talents and Skills of everyone in the team; the types of skills were very comprehensive, the only type missing was Spirit Control Skills.


    Spirit Control Skills were not necessarily a must.


    However, if there were no Spirit Control Skills, it would be best for someone in the team to have Spirit Resistance Skills.


    Lu Heng had a Spirit Resistance Ring, but this ring could only be worn by one person, and if the other two encountered a powerful Spiritual Superpower User, they would be easily ensnared.


    Therefore, currently only Su Muyu had an empty Skill Slot, so it would be best if she could learn a Spiritual Skill, either Spirit Control or Spirit Resistance.


    The countdown for the summons had appeared, but fortunately, there were 7 days to prepare.


    This time wasn''t long, but it was enough to get ready.


    After Lin Zeyu returned, he started spending money to acquire supplies.


    Grenades and bombs assimilated with Divine Energy, as well as food and drinking water.


    Grenades and bombs that consumed Divine Energy were a bit more expensive, whereas food and water were relatively cheaper.


    Preparing food and water was to prevent extreme situations.


    In case the team appeared in a Death Forbidden Zone and couldn''t find anything edible, at that time, food and water would be more important than anything else.


    On the fifth day of the countdown, one evening,


    Lu Heng came out of the Training Room, ready to go home. As soon as he opened the door, he saw an envelope neatly placed on the ground at the doorway.


    In the buildings of Qionghua Tianglu Lake, to ride the elevator to a certain floor, you would need the magnetic card of the resident of that floor; otherwise, the elevator wouldn''t open.


    Therefore, you wouldn''t normally find random items in the corridor.


    Looking at the envelope, Lu Heng recognized the paper right away. He bent over to pick it up but did not open it. Instead, he asked aloud, "What is this?"


    At that moment, a figure appeared at the end of the corridor; it was the mysterious person with the colorful pupils, number 027.


    Lu Heng''s number in "Creator" was 028; this 027 was the mysterious person who had helped to deal with the Soul Capturing Monster last time.


    "Your task," 027 briefly explained the contents of the envelope.


    "Must I complete it?" Lu Heng asked again.


    "Up to you," 027 answered nonchalantly.


    Lu Heng opened the envelope, inside was an invitation, and the number on the invitation was 029.


    Besides that, there were two cards; one card had a person''s name, the other was a demon card.


    Seeing the number 029 and the person''s name on the card,


    Lu Heng understood what it meant; it was a task issued by "creator."


    028 had been invited by 027, and by that logic, the task to invite 029 naturally fell to 028.


    And Lu Heng was 028.


    However, the name on the card was not a person from Da Xia; it was "Hasegawa Tom."


    Lu Heng shook the card and asked, "I have to find this person too?"


    "No need, just wait," 027 said this and disappeared in a flash.


    Although this was already the third meeting with this person, Lu Heng still couldn''t discern his identity or understand his abilities.


    Holding the envelope, Lu Heng returned to the Training Room, sat down on the sofa, and began to think about this matter.


    There were two cards in the envelope, one was the name card of the person to be invited.


    The other was a card with a demon drawn on it, and the demon on this card... was moving!


    Yes, the "drawn" demon on this card was moving.


    If it were anyone else, seeing the demon moving on the card would definitely give them a scare.


    Lu Heng, however, remained calm because he knew what the card was from the start.


    It was a Sealing Card obtained from the Abyss World, and the thing sealed inside was the Soul Capturing Monster from that day.


    Lu Heng had seen with his own eyes 027 throwing out a Sealing Card and sucking the Soul Capturing Monster into it.


    He hadn''t expected that now the card would end up in his hands, and the Soul Capturing Monster was still inside it.

 Chapter 197 - 163: Commanding Will

    The next morning, a gentle drizzle filled the sky.


    Bright and early, Lin Zeyu called, "I''ve found a B-class Spirit Control Skill. The data looks powerful, but it''s quite pricey, and the seller doesn''t seem eager to sell. He says he wants to meet you to negotiate."


    Lu Heng was a bit puzzled and asked, "Why does he want to see me?"


    Lin Zeyu replied as if it were obvious, "You''re now the only Quenching Master in possession of the Quenching Castle''s key. Isn''t it normal to want to talk to you? He probably wants to insert someone into Quenching Castle."


    After thinking for a moment, Lu Heng asked, "What''s the skill called?"


    Lin Zeyu answered, "From the data he sent, the skill is named ''Commanding Will.'' Judging by the skill description, it''s really strong, having the ability to control a target. Just thinking about it is terrifying."


    If it were truly that skill, it indeed would be frightening. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This could be said to be the most terrifying among B-class Spirit Control Skills.


    Because ''Commanding Will'' could directly control the target and dictate their actions.


    In other words,


    if you encountered an opponent with ''Commanding Will,'' you might face a situation where a teammate shoots you in the back.


    Lin Zeyu continued, "I finally understand why you said if we don''t have Spirit Control Skills, we need to seek out Spirit Resistance Skills. If someone controlled you and you turned on me, not even a god could save me."


    Lu Heng''s Spiritual Attribute wasn''t low, and he possessed a Spirit Resistance Ring, so the likelihood of this happening was relatively small.


    Unless the opponent''s Spiritual Attribute was exceedingly high.


    Even facing a Spiritual Superpower User with incredibly high spiritual power, one could rely on experience to strengthen the will''s resistance and shake off control faster.


    Of course, this B-class ''Commanding Will'' had impressively strong effects.


    "This skill is terrifying. If the seller is willing, then we should buy it regardless of the high price," Lu Heng stated.


    "I want to buy it as well, but even after offering 60 million, the seller wouldn''t budge and insisted on meeting you," Lin Zeyu said.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "Alright. I''ll meet with him."


    ...


    In the afternoon,


    Lu Heng arrived at the agreed location, a teahouse inside the Coastal International Trade Building.


    Lin Zeyu had arrived early, ordered a set of tea, and was joking with the server who was preparing the tea.


    After a while,


    two middle-aged men walked in and approached Lu Heng. One of them extended his hand and said, "Hello Mr. Lu, I am Hasegawa Tom."


    Hearing this name, Lu Heng''s eyebrows lifted imperceptibly.


    It was clearly a Fusang (Japanese) name, and there was nothing peculiar about the name itself.


    Lu Heng was a bit surprised because the name written in the envelope given by 027 was "Hasegawa Tom."


    This meant that the man from Fusang in front of him was the person invited by the "Creator," codenamed 029, right after himself.


    "Step outside for a bit; I want to talk to him alone." As soon as Lu Heng saw Hasegawa Tom, he sent Lin Zeyu away.


    Hasegawa Tom also dismissed his entourage, leaving just the two of them.


    The two began to size each other up, analyzing character traits from each other''s words and behavior.


    Hasegawa Tom appeared to be in his thirties but not yet forty, with the typical facial features of a Fusang person, though his stature was quite tall and his gaze sharp.


    When he took up his teacup to drink, he used his left hand, indicating he was likely left-handed.


    Besides that, there seemed to be a compelling need for symmetry; the clothes he wore and even his hairstyle needed to be balanced.


    "I don''t like to beat around the bush; let''s get straight to the point. What do you want to discuss with me?" Lu Heng jumped directly to the matter at hand, without hesitance.


    Hasegawa Tom chuckled and said, "Mr. Lu is indeed straightforward. It''s simple, a month ago, a Soul Capturing Monster appeared in Coastal. I believe Mr. Lu has it now, and I would like Mr. Lu to return it."


    Lu Heng''s eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing his request.


    The other party''s objective was actually to retrieve the Soul Capturing Monster.


    And 027 had delivered the Sealing Card, containing the sealed Soul Capturing Monster, on time to him just the day before.


    Moreover, this Hasegawa Tom in front of him was someone the "Creator" wished to invite. It meant that he must possess some distinctive qualities.


    Those invited by the "Creator" either had great Combat Power, possessed unique abilities, or held irreplaceable value that no one else could provide.


    Lu Heng stared into Hasegawa Tom''s eyes, pondering what characteristic this person might possess to catch the "Creator''s" interest.


    The teahouse fell into a long silence before Hasegawa Tom asked again, "Mr. Lu, could you please confirm whether you have the Soul Capturing Monster or not?"


    Lu Heng set down his teacup and nodded, "Yes, I do."


    Hasegawa Tom showed a pleased expression upon hearing this reply and continued, "Good. Name your price, Mr. Lu. I would like to buy back the Soul Capturing Monster."


    Lu Heng did not instantly respond but rather pondered while swirling his teacup. After a moment, he asked, "The ''Commanding Will'' Crystal Core? Let me see it."


    Hasegawa Tom remained silent for a while before replying, "The Crystal Core is too precious to be brought out. Once I see the Soul Capturing Monster, I will show it to you."


    Lu Heng laughed softly, then sharply changed the subject, abruptly asking, "How many Soul Capturing Monsters do you have?"


    Hasegawa Tom calmly picked up his teacup, not answering the question.


    According to the timeline from Lu Heng''s previous life, the Abyss Descent would occur a year later, and an incident would erupt in Fusang involving politicians controlled by Soul Capturing Monsters.


    However, not much information had been revealed about the incident.


    It was unknown how many Fusang politicians had been controlled; just that there was more than one.


    And it was also unknown Since when the incident had started, but it seemed now that by the time it erupted, those Fusang politicians had been under control for at least half a year.


    Furthermore, there was another key piece of information.


    A single Soul Capturing Monster could only control one person.


    "That is to say, there are multiple politicians in Fusang who are under the control of the Soul Capturing Monsters. This indicates the existence of a multitude of such creatures.


    With each additional monster, one more politician can be controlled.


    It goes without saying, the value of a Soul Capturing Monster is immense.


    Sato Ichiro brought one to Da Xia in pursuit of the Source Material, resulting in the beast''s loss.


    This was a colossal loss for Sanyo Corporation, one of the three major financial groups of Fusang.


    To recuperate their losses, Sanyo Corporation would naturally send someone to search for the Soul Capturing Monster.


    Clearly, this Hasegawa Tom was the Superpower User sent to look for the monster, and after their conversation, Lu Heng could confirm that he was a Spiritual Superpower User.


    Hasegawa Tom continued to persuade, "The Soul Capturing Monster holds no value for you. I hope you can sell it to me. You can name your price. As long as you agree to return the monster, you will be a friend of Sanyo Corporation in the future."


    Sanyo Corporation, as one of the three giants of Fusang, had influence over both the underworld and legitimate businesses.


    The incident involving controlling politicians and affecting Fusang''s political landscape was Sanyo Corporation''s doing.


    Furthermore, after the outbreak of the event in the previous life, Sanyo Corporation faced no retaliation.


    Therefore, some suspected that the number of politicians under Sanyo''s control was not limited to those exposed.


    Imaginably, the reach of Sanyo Corporation''s power in Fusang was terrifying.


    Lu Heng had no interest in becoming a friend of Sanyo Corporation; no matter how powerful they were in Fusang, their reach didn''t extend to Da Xia.


    However, Lu Heng was contemplating whether to carry out the mission assigned by 027.


    According to the mission''s requirements, Hasegawa Tom needed to be invited to join ''Creator.''


    And as per ''Creator''s'' principles, the invitee would not be coerced to join but would be presented with an offer too tempting to refuse.


    So, could the value of the Soul Capturing Monster get him to agree to join ''Creator''?


    If using the monster could exchange for his membership in ''Creator,'' then he could fulfill the mission assigned by 027.


    And, 027 had also sent the Sealing Card that had suppressed the Soul Capturing Monster.


    It was clear that he was supposed to negotiate with Hasegawa Tom using the monster.


    "Mr. Lu, have you made up your mind?" Hasegawa Tom asked once more.


    Lu Heng took out the invitation and slid it across, asking, "Do you know what this is?"


    Hasegawa Tom picked up the invitation, opened it, and saw just one word on it: ''creator.''


    To the average Superpower User, this invitation would mean nothing.


    But as one of the top three financial groups in Fusang, Sanyo Corporation wielded great power, had many information channels, and controlled several politicians.


    Thus, Hasegawa Tom knew many secrets unknown to the ordinary person.


    His eyes narrowed slightly, "Are you a member of ''creator''?"


    "What ''creator''?" Lu Heng feigned a puzzled expression.


    "Isn''t this the invitation you gave me?" The light in Hasegawa Tom''s eyes flickered strangely.


    "This was given to me by someone on my way in to pass on to you," Lu Heng spread his hands.


    Hasegawa Tom pondered for a moment and felt that this was more reasonable.


    According to what he knew, members of ''creator'' were mysterious, with no one aware of their identities, and no member had ever revealed themselves.


    Naturally, no ''creator'' member would send invitations in person.


    Holding the invitation, Hasegawa Tom asked, "What are the conditions?"


    "What conditions? I''m just the messenger. Shouldn''t you be giving me something in return?" Lu Heng shrugged.


    Hasegawa Tom found it somewhat amusing and snorted coldly as a sinister gleam suddenly flashed in his eyes.


    In an instant.


    Lu Heng felt the world before his eyes darken as if shadows enveloped everything around him, and then his hands began moving uncontrollably over his body, searching for something.


    Lu Heng tried to forcefully control his hands, but to no avail.


    Not just his arms, but his legs, even his head, were beyond his control.


    Lu Heng immediately understood what was happening¡ªhe had clearly been hit with a Spirit Control Skill.


    Sitting across from him, Hasegawa Tom''s eyes emitted an eerie pupil light, which turned out to be... Commanding Will!


    This damn Fusang, talking about the ''Commanding Will'' Crystal Core, had used it already¡ªtherefore, he couldn''t produce it at all.


    Lu Heng watched as his hands reached into his pocket and turned everything in it out onto the table.


    Cell phone, keys, tissues¡ªnothing was spared.


    However, the Sealing Card that contained the Soul Capturing Monster wasn''t found.


    Because Lu Heng never brought that item with him in the first place.


    Once he realized he''d been affected by the ''Commanding Will'' skill, Lu Heng began attempting to break free from it.


    This skill was powerful, but it had several weaknesses.


    First, when the Caster was controlling the target, they had to focus their spiritual power on the victim, rendering the Caster''s own body immobile.


    Secondly, the target could use external stimuli to break free from the ''Commanding Will'' - the stronger the stimulus, the faster the release, particularly through pain. If the pain was intense enough, one could break free instantly.


    Moreover, Lu Heng was less controlled than the average standard for this skill, and he could still move some parts of his body.


    Hasegawa Tom felt Lu Heng gradually escaping his control and immediately asked with a commanding tone, "Where is the Soul Capturing Monster?"


    Lu Heng''s lips parted, starting to reply uncontrollably, "It''s at... fuck you!"


    Just as he was about to reveal the location, Lu Heng''s left thumb pressed down hard on the Spirit Resistance Ring, driving the sharp edge of the ring into his skin to create pain.


    Then, he shouted loudly and instantly broke free from the ''Commanding Will,'' unsheathing the Aurora Blade in a flash and striking out with it.

 Chapter 198 - 164 Mirror Avatar

    Sword light cut down, and Hasegawa Tom''s body twisted along the direction of the sword light, and finally dissipated into invisibility.


    Seeing this scene,


    Lu Heng''s eyes flashed fiercely as he recognized it as some kind of Clone Technique.


    Moreover, this Hasegawa Tom had been a clone from the beginning, not the actual person.


    If that was the case, where the real Hasegawa Tom was, nobody knew.


    From this, it was clear that the person was extremely cautious.


    The reason for this caution was easy to understand with a bit of thought.


    Sato Ichiro, with Soul Capturing Monster, had come to Da Xia, and not only had he died, but the Soul Capturing Monster was lost as well.


    In terms of strength, Sato Ichiro was not weak at all; he already possessed the Source Material of a Second Transition Class "Soul Reaper," definitely a top level Superpower User.


    Such a high-level Superpower User had died, so Hasegawa Tom was clearly aware of how dangerous the mission target was; the safest approach was naturally to use a clone to probe.


    Now the only question was, what was this Clone Skill?


    Lu Heng carefully recalled some details from when he had met Hasegawa Tom.


    When they first met, the initial impression Hasegawa Tom gave was that of someone who might have OCD; his clothes and hairstyle were meticulously symmetrical.


    Initially, Lu Heng thought he had a symmetry obsession, but now reflecting back, it might not be OCD.


    Aside from the symmetrical clothes and hairstyle, there was also the fact that he used his left hand when drinking tea.


    Normally, seeing someone using their left hand, one would assume the person was left-handed.


    Lu Heng originally thought so too, but now he understood.


    He was not left-handed; it was a Mirror.


    His extreme symmetrical attire and hairdo also affirmed this.


    His Clone Skill was "Mirror Avatar."


    It was an A-level Skill, and the Mirror Avatar released would make mirror image movements opposite to those of the original body.


    That is to say,


    if the original body picked up a teacup with the right hand, the Mirror Avatar would pick it up with the left hand.


    The symmetrical clothing was intended to maintain consistency between the original body and the clone.


    "Mirror Avatar" and "Shadow Clone" were two very rare Clone Skills, both A-level.


    However, there were differences between the two Skills.


    One of the main features was that "Mirror Avatar" could use the original body''s Skills, whereas "Shadow Clone" could not. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was the advantage of "Mirror Avatar," and it was a significant advantage.


    However, "Mirror Avatar" also had drawbacks.


    That is, the Mirror Avatar mirrored the movements of the original body.


    That is, the original body had to constantly control the actions of the clone and could not do anything else.


    "Shadow Clone" could not use the original body''s Skills, but it could move freely, attacking the target together with the original body during battle.


    "Mirror Avatar," since it required the original body for mirror control, meant the original and the Mirror Avatar could not participate in combat simultaneously.


    Therefore, "Shadow Clone" was more suitable for Combat Superpower Users, while "Mirror Avatar" was more suitable for Caster Superpower Users and Support System Superpower Users hidden behind the scenes.


    Besides this, the appearance of the "Shadow Clone" was the same as the original, and unless the clone''s energy was shattered, it was hard to discern it was a clone.


    "Mirror Avatar" had a drawback, that being the clone and the original were mirror opposites.


    Through this, one could distinguish between the original and the clone.


    Of course, Casters could also find ways to compensate for this drawback, like Hasegawa Tom, who obsessively maintained symmetry.


    ...


    Just as Lu Heng had deduced, in a star-rated hotel two kilometers away.


    A Superpower User sat on the couch, observing the Energy Mirror in front of him, placing the teacup back on the coffee table with his right hand.


    This person was indeed Hasegawa Tom.


    In front of him, there was a three-meter-high oval-shaped Energy Mirror.


    This was the mirror put forth by the "Mirror Avatar" Skill.


    Just now, he had been talking to Lu Heng through this mirror.


    All the actions made by the Mirror Avatar were controlled by him, including the action of holding the teacup.


    Just a few minutes ago, the Energy Mirror was still showing Lu Heng''s form.


    Until Lu Heng brought out a long sword from thin air, cut down the identity, and the image in the mirror also vanished with it.


    Hasegawa Tom picked up a cigar from the coffee table, used cigar scissors to clip off both ends, lit it, took a couple of draws, exhaled smoke, and let the whole room fill with swirling clouds.


    After the recent remote confrontation, he confirmed one thing.


    Sato Ichiro had not died in vain.


    Because Lu Heng was the first person to break free from the control of "Commanding Will" in just three seconds.


    Moreover, he could tell, Lu Heng initially did not resist, probably wanting to understand his purpose, so when he was searching Lu Heng by controlling him, Lu Heng did not resist the control.


    It was only when he asked about the location of the Soul Capturing Monster that he broke free instantly.


    This time the target was far trickier than he had anticipated.


    ...


    Two kilometers away.


    In the tea house of the International Trade Building.


    In the lobby, Lin Zeyu was sitting in the sofa area, watching the tea master brew tea, the tea master dressed in a cheongsam, her movements full of grace.


    Lin Zeyu nodded and swayed, a look of appreciation on his face.


    When Lu Heng came out of the tea room, he saw this guy joking with the tea master, completely unaware of what had just happened.


    "How did it go? How was the talk?" Lin Zeyu quickly approached Lu Heng to ask.


    "Not very well."


    "What exactly does ''not very well'' mean?"

 Chapter 199 - 164 Mirror Avatar_2

    "I gave that person a stab."


    Lin Zeyu raised an eyebrow, his reaction a bit peculiar, "Did you snatch the Crystal Core?"


    Lu Heng gave him a glare, "It wasn''t the main body, it was a Mirror Avatar."


    Lin Zeyu raised his eyebrow again, "There''s such a thing? So, what''s the situation now?"


    "Let''s talk about it when we get back."


    The two quickly descended the stairs and took a car back.


    On the way back, Lu Heng sent a message to Su Muyu, asking her to meet at the Flame Emblem Building.


    After they met, Lu Heng explained the earlier incident in the most concise and to-the-point manner,


    "Mitsui Group sent a guy named Hasegawa Tom over to take back the Soul Capturing Monster. I had a bit of a conflict with him, so we need to make some arrangements."


    Lin Zeyu asked with raised eyebrows, "So, you''re saying this guy was deceiving me, and he never had the ''Commanding Will'' Crystal Core, right?"


    "No, he had the ''Commanding Will'' Crystal Core..."


    Lu Heng paused, then added, "But he already used it."


    "F*ck! He''s messing with me," Lin Zeyu was immediately annoyed.


    "This Skill is very dangerous, and this guy has another even more dangerous Skill called ''Mirror Avatar,'' an A-level Skill that can use the main body''s other Skills. So, he can release a Mirror Avatar, then control anyone using Commanding Will," Lu Heng explained the combined use of the two Skills.


    "How effective is the control effect of ''Commanding Will''?" Su Muyu asked, pondering a key question. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It took me three seconds to break free from control, but for others, they might be controlled for ten minutes or even longer," Lu Heng said.


    Being controlled for ten minutes wasn''t an analysis but an effect he had witnessed in his memories.


    In his previous life, he had seen someone controlled by ''Commanding Will'' pull out a gun and kill four teammates.


    Hearing that Lu Heng could break free from control in three seconds, Su Muyu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there a method to break free from control?"


    Lu Heng organized his thoughts and began to analyze the Skill, "The control effect of this Skill is determined by the spiritual difference. The higher the spiritual power, the less one is affected by control, and the shorter the duration of control.


    "In addition to that, to break free from control, apart from relying on willpower resistance, there is also pain.


    "Intense pain can stimulate the brain and quickly break free from control, the more severe the pain, the faster one breaks free.


    "Beyond that, there are Spirit Resistance Skills that can temporarily increase Spirit Resistance, strengthen willpower, and likewise fight against Spirit Control."


    Su Muyu listened and thought, simulating scenarios of being controlled by ''Commanding Will'' in her mind, considering how to deal with this Skill.


    Relative to this, Lu Heng had more experience resisting Spirit Control Skills and had a ''Spirit Resistance Ring,'' so he was relatively less fearful of this Skill.


    Su Muyu had a high Spiritual Attribute and was relatively resistant to Spiritual Skills, so as long as she was careful, the problem wouldn''t be too big.


    Lin Zeyu, on the other hand, was more troublesome. He wasn''t a Spiritual Superpower User, lacked experience against Spirit Control, and if controlled, using firearms posed a significant threat to teammates.


    So, he was indeed the best target for Hasegawa Tom.


    Seeing the two casting not-so-friendly glances at him, Lin Zeyu stiffened his neck and said, "Why are you both looking at me like that?"


    Lu Heng continued discussing serious matters, "Initially, I wanted to find a Spirit Control Skill for Mu Yu, but now it seems, maybe finding a Spirit Resistance Skill is a higher priority."


    Lin Zeyu snapped his fingers and said, "If it''s a Spirit Resistance Skill, there are many more options."


    For most Superpower Users, attack-oriented Skills are preferred.


    This leads to Skill Crystal Cores on the market, where Attack Skills fetched higher prices than Defense Skills, often 50% more or even double.


    Support Skills are even cheaper, with prices only a third or a quarter of Attack Skills.


    Within Spiritual Skills, Spirit Control Skills are offensive, while Spirit Resistance Skills are supportive defensive types.


    Thus, Spirit Control Skills are scarce and expensive on the market, and it is difficult to find suitable ones.


    Spirit Resistance Skills are different.


    There are already few Power Users willing to take the support route, so the demand for these kinds of Support Skills is naturally low.


    "Purchasing such skills is indeed much easier, and there are many options available."


    Lin Zeyu took out a new batch of Skill Crystal Cores they had just received and flipped through the list to show the two.


    Since support skills weren''t expensive, they would buy any good ones they saw right away.


    Because Lu Heng had mentioned before that large forces would value support system power users more and more and that such skills would appreciate in value.


    So buying them wouldn''t be a loss, even if they went unused.


    Lin Zeyu pointed at a name on the list and asked, "How about this one, ''Will Awakening,'' C-level? I bought it as soon as I saw the skill effect, and it cost only two million."


    Lu Heng quickly scanned the list and also noticed the ''Will Awakening'' skill, nodding immediately, "Sounds good, let''s go with this one. Used well, its effect could be quite impressive."


    Lin Zeyu made a call to have the ''Will Awakening'' Skill Crystal Core sent over.


    After Lu Heng reviewed its attributes, he passed it to Su Muyu, "Take a look at this and see if you want to learn it."


    Su Muyu took the Skill Crystal Core and seriously read the skill introduction on the data interface.


    ''Will Awakening: Passive effect, the skill holder''s spirit resistance +50%. Active effect, release Source Energy to stimulate and awaken the target''s consciousness, clearing the target''s state of spiritual control loss. Skill consumption: 50 points of Source Energy; Skill level: C-level.''


    This skill was very powerful, capable of not only clearing teammates'' states of spiritual control loss but also enhancing the user''s own spirit resistance.


    "This effect is good; I''ll use it." Su Muyu said and began to absorb the energy of ''Will Awakening.''


    Lin Zeyu leaned back on the couch, crossed his legs, and said nonchalantly, "Lady Su, don''t be nervous during absorption, there are several more skills of the same type. If absorption fails, we can always try a few others."


    Su Muyu gave him a glare and retorted after a moment, "I have already successfully absorbed it. You think I''m as unlucky as you?"


    Then, she tested the skill.


    Both Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu felt the effect of the ''Will Awakening'' energy entering their minds, a strange sensation of becoming exceptionally lucid.


    "Now what do we do? We only have four days left on our recruitment countdown, so we should take care of this Hasegawa Tom before entering the Abyss Battlefield, right?" Lin Zeyu took out his Silver Python Revolver, dumped out the bullets, and loaded them back one by one.


    He liked to play with bullets while pondering, though it never helped him come up with any brilliant plans.


    However, he was right about one thing.


    They had to take care of Hasegawa Tom before entering the Abyss Battlefield.


    After entering the Abyss Battlefield, they wouldn''t be able to manage anything outside.


    In the Abyss Battlefield itself, anything could happen.


    So, this risk had to be eliminated before the recruitment countdown ended.


    After thinking for a moment, Lu Heng said, "This time, we take the initiative to strike, find this person first, then consider the next action."


    Su Muyu pursed her lips and asked, "Is there a way to narrow down the search area? Looking for a needle in a haystack isn''t realistic."


    Finding one person in a city as big as Coastal City was indeed like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    Lu Heng folded his arms and propped his chin, recalling the details from the teahouse and thinking of clues that could limit the search area:


    "This person has symmetrical-compulsive disorder; it''s easy enough to buy symmetrical clothes, but hair can''t be kept fixed for long, it has to be styled daily.


    "Moreover, with his special requirements, an ordinary hair salon definitely wouldn''t suffice, he would certainly choose a high-end stylist."


    Listening, Su Muyu contemplated and posed a question, "Is it possible he brought his own personal stylist?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "It''s a possibility, but his hair has been permed, and even if he brought his stylist, they couldn''t possibly bring such a large perm machine. So, even with a stylist, they would need the facilities of a hair salon.


    "Additionally, the ''Mirror Avatar'' skill''s controlled avatars can''t be too far away, so we can start by searching within a three-kilometer radius of the International Trade Building."


    Su Muyu listened intently, then slowly nodded, "Understood, I''ll search the star-rated hotels near the trade building, checking each salon. This range isn''t small, but a day or two should be enough to cover it."


    "Okay, let''s do that. After finding the person, we''ll discuss the next step."


    After the discussion, the three readied themselves to take action independently.


    Lin Zeyu stood up and scratched his scalp, grumbling, "Can you believe this guy? Just shave your head and be done with it. Would save so much trouble."

 Chapter 200 - 165 Will Awakening

    The next evening, the sky was strewn with clouds that resembled fish scales, exceptionally beautiful.


    Su Muyu controlled his Spirit Eagle to carry a phone high into the sky, snapping pictures of the fiery clouds.


    Just as he was taking pictures, Lu Heng and Lin Zeyu came in from outside.


    They had just seen a message from Su Muyu in the team chat, saying that he had located Tom Hasegawa''s position, so they had come over.


    "Where?" Lu Heng asked directly about the location.


    Su Muyu turned around, hands clasped behind his back, and said, "You didn''t even ask me how I found it."


    "Weren''t the clues we discussed yesterday useful?" Lu Heng guessed from her response that the situation might be different from yesterday''s discussion.


    "Yes."


    Su Muyu nodded and continued, "I searched all day without any luck until I saw a high-end hair salon unloading goods in front of their store.


    "The items unloaded were new machines, nicely boxed up, clearly brand new.


    "That''s when I considered a possibility, and after asking inside the shop, I found out that someone had bought several of their machines last week.


    "I figured that Tom Hasegawa hadn''t gone to the hair salon to get a hairdo but had bought the machines from the shop.


    "I started my search all over again and finally located those machines in the presidential suite of Nuoya Hotel."


    After hearing this, Lin Zeyu couldn''t help but comment, "Hey! That''s quite the style¡ªsetting up a hair salon in a hotel suite. I''ve never been that lavish."


    Tom Hasegawa was a core member of the Mitsui Consortium, his lifestyle in Fusang was almost akin to the Emperor''s, and even in Da Xia, he was unwilling to lower his living standards.


    Initially, Lu Heng had underestimated the lavish lifestyle of this core member of the Mitsui Consortium. When in Da Xia, Hasegawa even required a personal hairstylist and converted a hotel room into a hair salon.


    "It''s easier once we''ve found the person. Let''s go there tomorrow noon and resolve this matter cleanly."


    The three discussed their plan of action a bit more and then went back to make their preparations.


    ¡­


    The next night at ten.


    An MPV drove towards the Nuoya Hotel and stopped about five hundred meters away.


    Lu Heng and the others got out of the car, prepared to find a spot to set up a sniper point.


    Just then,


    Two Fusang men came walking towards them, stopped in front of Lu Heng, and bowed at a ninety-degree angle, saying, "Mr. Lu, the boss has been waiting for you for a long time, he invites you three to have a drink."


    "Who is your boss?"


    "Mr. Tom Hasegawa," replied the two Fusang bodyguards respectfully.


    Lu Heng was a bit surprised that the other party had issued an invitation in advance but quickly realized what was going on.


    While Su Muyu was tracking their movements, the other party could monitor theirs as well.


    After all, they hadn''t hidden their tracks.


    For ordinary perceivers, tracking Su Muyu might be challenging, but to monitor himself and Lin Zeyu, they just needed to dispatch a perceiver with invisibility.


    If it was a perceiver capable of invisibility, monitoring from three hundred meters away would be hard to spot by anyone but perceivers.


    Additionally,


    There was another thing that might have alerted Tom Hasegawa.


    Yesterday, Su Muyu had inquired at the hair salon, and if Hasegawa was cautious enough, he could have received a message from there.


    Since they had been noticed, continuing the ambush would be pointless.


    Lu Heng exchanged glances with Su and Lin, then followed the two Fusang men into the Nuoya Hotel, heading to the presidential suite on the top floor.


    In the living room of the suite, a small low table was set up with three cushions in front of it; Tom Hasegawa, dressed in a kimono, sat opposite the table, on which sake utensils had already been laid out.


    "Please have a seat."


    Tom Hasegawa raised his right hand, gesturing for them to sit.


    Since he had come, Lu Heng also wanted to hear what he had to say and thus sat cross-legged on a cushion.


    For Fusang people, the correct way to sit on a cushion is kneeling.


    Lu Heng wasn''t accustomed to that and simply sat cross-legged.


    "What do you want to say?"


    "Firstly, someone asked you to pass on an invitation to me, is it time to give it to me now?" Hasegawa took the initiative to ask.


    Lu Heng took out the invitation marked with ''creator'' and the number 029 and handed it over to him.


    It was a task given to him by 027 to pass it on.


    Tom Hasegawa then asked, "What else did the person who asked you to deliver this invitation say?"


    Lu Heng thought for two seconds before responding, "He also gave me a card."


    "What card?"


    "A Sealing Card."


    "What is sealed?"


    "A Soul Capturing Monster."


    "Then that card should be for me; hand it over." Tom Hasegawa smiled as he heard it was a Soul Capturing Monster.


    "But I don''t plan on giving it to you," Lu Heng grinned as he denied.


    Tom Hasegawa''s expression darkened and said, "Do you know what this invitation represents?"


    "I don''t need to know," Lu Heng answered, indifferent.


    Hasegawa tugged at the corner of his mouth, sneering, "That''s right, someone like you will never understand how high the sky is. This invitation is for me, and as long as I agree to join, the Sealing Card containing the Soul Capturing Monster is the condition for inviting me."


    "So you''ve agreed to join?" asked Lu Heng curiously.


    "Why not join?" Hasegawa laughed lightly, responding to the question.


    Lu Heng gave it some thought. The mysterious organization ''creator'' had unfathomable power behind it.


    No superpower user who knew what ''creator'' was would refuse such an invitation.


    Moreover, when ''creator'' issued invitations, the gifts presented were always generous.


    If a Superpower User is unwilling to join, the "creator" still offers conditions that the invitee cannot refuse.


    Lu Heng had to admit that at the time, the Soul Capturing Monster had already arrived at his doorstep; agreeing a few minutes later would have led to unbearable consequences for him.


    Therefore, the "creator" still, like in his previous life, always provided conditions that the invitee couldn''t refuse.


    However, not every invitee wanted to reject the offer.


    For example, the Hasegawa Tom in front of him was very willing to join.


    Moreover, even if they didn''t offer him a Soul Capturing Monster, he would have agreed to join.


    Lu Heng curled up the corners of his mouth, smiling as he said, "Since you want to join, then hand over the list of all the controlled Fusang politicians controlled by the Soul Capturing Monster, and the method of control as well."


    Upon hearing this demand, Hasegawa Tom''s gaze sharpened, and he directly refused, "Impossible."


    Lu Heng grinned and said, "You''re not joining in good faith."


    Hasegawa Tom frowned, questioning, "Why should I hand the list over to you?"


    Lu Heng shrugged, "That''s what the creator wants."


    Hasegawa Tom''s frown deepened, suspiciously asking, "Are you a member of the creator?"


    "What do you think?" Lu Heng asked with a smile.


    "Even if you are a member of the creator. When the creator extends an invitation, they offer generous gifts, not such excessive demands." Hasegawa Tom finally realized something was off here.


    According to information obtained by the Mitsui Consortium, the mysterious organization "creator" offers generous terms when inviting members.


    Yet, here was Lu Heng demanding the list of Fusang''s controlled politicians and even the method of control, which was completely the opposite of the intelligence.


    Lu Heng smiled, saying, "This proves your intelligence is not accurate enough. The organization isn''t a charity; if I say you must hand it over, then you must do so."


    Hasegawa Tom''s eyes narrowed slightly, his voice cold, "Impossible!"


    "Then there''s nothing I can do," Lu Heng said, spreading his hands.


    Suddenly, the tension between them escalated.


    Hasegawa Tom''s eyes turned cold, and suddenly a strange color flashed in his eyes.


    It was the "Commanding Will" again.


    The moment his eyes flashed with that strange color.


    Su Muyu suddenly clutched his forehead, resisting the spirit control.


    Next to him, Lin Zeyu drew the Silver Python Revolver from his lower back and "click, click, click" fired at Lu Heng''s back.


    However, after several trigger pulls, only the clicking of the trigger was heard, but no bullets came out. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That was also why Lu Heng hadn''t moved because he had anticipated this scenario from the start.


    So, Lin Zeyu''s pistol was loaded not with real bullets but with empty shells.


    Realizing there were no bullets, Lin Zeyu quickly threw away the revolver and drew a dagger to launch another attack.


    At that moment, Su Muyu bit his lip, used the pain to regain consciousness, and then used the skill "Will Awakening" to bring back Lin Zeyu''s consciousness.


    Huff! Huff! Huff...


    Lin Zeyu breathed heavily, swallowed, and said, "So this is what being controlled feels like¡ªfeeling like your body isn''t your own."


    Seeing both recover their senses so quickly, Hasegawa Tom showed a hint of shock.


    He hadn''t expected these three people to be so difficult to handle.


    It was one thing for Lu Heng to be hard to control, but the girl next to him was also difficult, and Lin Zeyu, who should have been the easiest to control, had been awakened by his partner''s skill.


    Almost instantly, the "Commanding Will" lost its effect.


    At that moment.


    Lu Heng raised his hand and slowly drew the Aurora Blade from the void.


    Hasegawa Tom''s eyes flashed with panic, and he quickly said, "We can talk about this, there''s no need to be sworn enemies."


    Lu Heng didn''t swing his blade to cut him but suddenly turned around, stepped back toward the sliding wooden door, and swung his sword.


    Bang!


    The wooden door shattered, revealing another room inside.


    Inside the room, another Hasegawa Tom was kneeling on a cushion with three Samurai holding Tachi standing guard.


    The Aurora Blade fell, and one of the Fusang Samurai used his right arm to block the sword.


    Clang!


    With a crisp sound, the Aurora Blade cut through the Tachi, and the blade slashed into the Fusang Samurai''s shoulder.


    The Fusang Samurai grunted, taking the blow without retreating, as blood gushed from his shoulder.


    The hidden Hasegawa Tom pondered, "How did you know the one outside was fake?"


    Lu Heng''s lips curled up mockingly, saying, "You were too deliberate. Using your right hand for gestures, pouring drinks with your right hand, holding the wine cup with your right hand, you seemed to be deliberately telling me that the one outside was right-handed."


    The first time they met in the tea room.


    That "Hasegawa Tom" used his left hand to hold the tea cup, making Lu Heng think he was left-handed; he later realized that was a Mirror Avatar, whose left and right hands are the opposite of the original.


    After arriving at the hotel this time, the "Hasegawa Tom" outside kept using his right hand, as if he was afraid others wouldn''t know he was right-handed.


    Based on the original logic, Hasegawa Tom''s real body is right-handed, and the Mirror Avatar is left-handed.


    There wasn''t a problem with this itself, but his actions were too deliberate.


    Lu Heng added, "There''s a proverb in Da Xia, ''Too much is as bad as not enough.''"


    Furthermore.


    Another reason let Lu Heng confirm Hasegawa Tom was here.


    Because Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu were both controlled by "Commanding Will" simultaneously.


    A Caster could only release "Commanding Will" on one target at a time, so how could two targets be controlled simultaneously?


    Others couldn''t do it, but Hasegawa Tom could.


    His real body could control one while the Mirror Avatar used skills to control the other.


    So, he could control two people at the same time.


    If they hadn''t been prepared in advance, without the "Will Awakening" skill, both Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu would have been controlled and end up fighting each other.


    Now, Su Muyu using "Will Awakening" had counteracted Hasegawa Tom''s deadly move, displaying its full restraining effect.

 Chapter 201 - 166: Special Items That Allow Early Entry into the Abyss Battlefield

    "Kill them all!"


    Hasegawa Tom''s eyes shone with a cold murderous intent as he raised his hand to give the order.


    More than a dozen Fusang assassins burst out from behind the screen, raising machine guns, assault rifles, and cyber beam guns as they opened fire on Lu Heng and his two companions.


    Dada dada...


    Tut-tut-tut...


    Bullets formed a curtain of steel as they poured down on the trio.


    Had it been anyone else, they would''ve been turned into sieves instantaneously under such a fierce attack.


    Su Muyu had been prepared all along. She raised her hand to deploy a "Prism Force Field" in front of them.


    The bullets hit the force field. Their speed rapidly dropped to zero, and they clinked as they fell to the ground.


    The defense of the prism force field was indeed strong, but it could only last for six seconds.


    Lin Zeyu hurriedly reloaded his revolver and fired at Hasegawa Tom, bang bang bang.


    Two Fusang assassins stepped in front of Hasegawa Tom, conjuring up shields to block the bullets.


    Both sides relied on defense skills to fend off the bullets, engaging in a heated exchange of gunfire.


    However, as time went by, the energy glow of the prism force field began to weaken. Once the six seconds were up, they wouldn''t be able to withstand such intense gunfire.


    Su Muyu quickly released her Spirit Eagle, charging towards Hasegawa Tom.


    Hasegawa Tom raised his hand and, with a gesture, immobilized the Spirit Eagle in midair.


    Lu Heng recognized the move immediately. It was a second transition class ability of a "Spirit Mind Master."


    The source material ability of a "Spirit Mind Master" allowed for telekinesis strong enough to move objects at a distance.


    No wonder the creator organization valued him; he actually possessed the rare class of "Spirit Mind Master."


    Coupled with "Mirror Avatar" and "Commanding Will," Hasegawa Tom''s strength could be considered among the pinnacle of the spiritual system power users at this stage.


    The Spirit Eagle struggled against Hasegawa Tom''s spiritual power, but for the moment, it couldn''t break free.


    A nearby Fusang assassin immediately unleashed a Vacuum Wave, bombarding the Spirit Eagle with bang bang bang.


    The Spirit Eagle, having leveled up, had increased its resilience significantly, but it couldn''t withstand attacks from so many Fusang assassins at once and was about to be destroyed.


    Su Muyu''s gaze sharpened as she immediately shifted the energy nature of the Spirit Eagle, transforming it into dozens of flame arrows that scattered downward.


    Swish swish swish...


    The flame arrows showered down and three Fusang assassins, who were unprotected by shields, fell to the ground, moaning in pain as they rolled around, beating the flames on their bodies.


    Time ticked by second by second, and only three seconds remained until the prism force field vanished.


    Lu Heng immediately released his source material energy, executing a "Rift Slash."


    A five-meter-long rift sword radiance swept through, instantly breaking through the protective shield conjured by the combined efforts of the Fusang assassins, cutting the frontmost assassins in half, and splattering blood.


    Just then,


    Hasegawa Tom''s eyes hardened, and with a double-handed gesture, he telekinetically pulled six Fusang assassins back, avoiding the rift slash. The rest who weren''t pulled away were all cut in half.


    With the Fusang assassins slain, their firearms fell to the ground.


    Hasegawa Tom''s gaze darkened. He raised his palm and, using his spiritual power, grabbed a dozen machine guns and assault rifles to continue firing.


    The firepower was no less intense than before.


    Lu Heng saw that he was pulling out all the stops. His eyes flashed with a keen light as he grasped the Aurora Blade tightly, beginning to gather strength.


    After upgrading Gale Step to "Windwalker," not only had his running speed increased by 120%, but there was an additional effect.


    Charging for two seconds granted the windwalking effect, bursting forth with a threefold speed enhancement for a linear thrust.


    Lu Heng charged for two seconds, compressing the force of the wild wind, then suddenly burst forth. He became a flash of lightning shooting out, reaching a terrifying speed of 200 meters per second.


    In the space of less than ten meters, it took only 0.05 seconds to thrust to the endpoint.


    Almost instantly, the Aurora Blade pierced through two Fusang assassins, and the blade tip stabbed into Hasegawa Tom''s abdomen.


    Puh!


    Hasegawa Tom''s body shook, his spiritual power dissipated, and the firearms fell from mid-air.


    He widened his eyes and looked at Lu Heng, trying to speak, "You..."


    Lu Heng withdrew his blade, pushing aside the corpses of the two Fusang assassins, ready to strike again.


    Hasegawa Tom quickly pulled out an invitation from the creator organization, held it up to Lu Heng, and said, "I have agreed to join the creator; you can''t kill me."


    Lu Heng reached out, took hold of the invitation, and pulled it back. "Sorry, but you haven''t earned my approval, so I''ll be taking back the invitation now."


    "You!" Hasegawa Tom''s eyes bulged.


    Lu Heng thrust his sword down, the blade piercing his chest.


    At that moment,


    Hasegawa Tom crushed something like a pill, and his body suddenly flickered and disappeared from the spot, leaving only a few drops of blood on the ground.


    Lu Heng''s expression tightened, noting Hasegawa Tom had simply vanished.


    Su Muyu reacted quickly, immediately commanding the Spirit Eagle to search, but even after circling the hotel, Hasegawa Tom was nowhere to be found.


    Lin Zeyu ran up, staring intently at the ground, "What happened? Was it a teleportation ability?"


    Lu Heng shook his head and said, "It''s not teleportation. If it were, the move wouldn''t cover such a distance, and Mu Yu could have easily found him. Besides, Skill Crystal Cores hardly ever contain teleportation abilities, unless it''s a high-transition class''s essential skill. But his second transition class is ''Spirit Mind Master,'' which doesn''t have teleportation abilities."


    Teleportation skills are a part of the Space Department skills, and for Crystal Core Skills below S Level, there is no teleportation ability.


    Even among S Level and above Crystal Core Skills, teleportation is extremely rare.


    Relatively speaking, a higher chance of teleportation abilities appears with Essential Skills of advanced Class ranks.


    After synthesizing all the information, it was impossible for Hasegawa Tom to possess teleportation skills.


    "I''ve searched all around the hotel within a one-kilometer radius and haven''t found him," Su Muyu walked up and reported the scouting results.


    "Without teleportation skills, how could this person suddenly disappear?" Lin Zeyu scratched his scalp, puzzled by the situation.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and put forth a possibility, "He might have entered the Abyss Battlefield."


    "Entered the Abyss Battlefield? Such a coincidence?" Lin Zeyu blinked.


    Su Muyu quickly checked the time and said, "It''s 11:12 p.m. now, not the conscription time for the Abyss Battlefield."


    So far, all information indicates that the conscription time for the Abyss Battlefield is always at midnight.


    The timing was off.


    Lu Heng explained, "There must be a special item that allows for early transportation."


    Indeed, such an item exists, named the "Abyss Marker."


    After the countdown for the conscription to the Abyss Battlefield appears, using the "Abyss Marker" allows for direct transport into the Abyss Battlefield.


    Yes, this item was very domineering.


    By using it after the conscription countdown appears, one could enter the Abyss Battlefield seven days early.


    If it was a confrontational battlefield mode, entering seven days early could garner a significant advantage.


    As such, the value of this item was incalculable.


    Used well, it could lead to complete control over the lightning and thunder in the Abyss Battlefield.


    However, this item was single-use; once used, it was gone. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And it could only transport one person.


    If a team was conscripted and the conscription countdown appeared for all team members,


    and one of them used the "Abyss Marker," then only that team member could enter early, the others still had to wait for the countdown to end for transport.


    Even being able to send just one person early, this item, if well used, could dominate the battlefield.


    "What do we do now? If this person has gone into the Abyss Battlefield, we can''t follow," Lin Zeyu scratched his head, feeling that the situation had become more complicated.


    Lu Heng looked at the conscription countdown on his data panel, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said, "Not necessarily."


    "What do you mean ''not necessarily''?" Lin Zeyu didn''t understand what he meant.


    Su Muyu, sharp as ever, immediately grasped the meaning and helped explain, "This item allows for early access to the Abyss Battlefield, which means Hasegawa Tom was already conscripted.


    "The conscription countdown is usually seven days, which means the countdown for the Abyss Battlefield that conscripted him is definitely within seven days.


    "And with his abilities as a Second Transition Spirit Mind Master at this stage, the chances of him completing the Source Fusion are very slim.


    "From this, we can infer that Hasegawa Tom most likely entered a Source Material Battle, which could very well be the same one we''re headed for."


    At this stage, very few superpower users can obtain Source Material from the Second Transition.


    There wouldn''t be many Abyss Battlefields hosting a Source Material Battle, maybe even just one.


    If both were conscripted for a Source Material Battle, the chances of entering the same Abyss Battlefield were very high.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened in alarm, "If that''s the case and he''s gone in first, couldn''t he have time to ambush us?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "Yes, if we''ve entered the same Abyss Battlefield, Hasegawa Tom will have the first-move advantage, and we will start in a disadvantaged position."


    Lin Zeyu became anxious, "Then we should hurry and prepare."


    Lu Heng shook his head with a smile, "There''s not much we can prepare for outside; we don''t even know which Abyss World we''re entering. At most, we can bring extra weapons and supplies."


    Su Muyu thought of another key point, "If he''s in a different Abyss Battlefield, he could be transported back at any moment, right?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "Correct, if he''s not in the same one as us, he''ll be transported back after the Abyss Battlefield ends."


    Since time flows differently in the Abyss Battlefield and the main world, it was impossible to determine when Hasegawa Tom would be transported back.


    However, it was certain that it wouldn''t be too long, generally no more than three days.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up, "Then should we wait here for him? As soon as he shows up, I''ll blast him with one shot."


    Lu Heng considered it and then said, "Never mind, let''s focus on preparing for the Abyss Battlefield. There will be people here to handle this."


    If Lu Heng''s prediction was right, it wasn''t long before Iron Blood''s senior inspector Chen Linian arrived with his team and broke in.


    But as he entered, he found the fight had already ended.


    A fierce gunfight had just erupted here, shattering the suite''s windows. Chen Linian had rushed over as soon as he received the assignment.


    Seeing it was an "old friend," Lu Heng shrugged his shoulders and briefly explained what had happened.


    After hearing the story, Chen Linian immediately sealed off Nuoya Hotel.


    Nuoya Hotel''s major shareholder, supported by Fusang capital, initially wanted to file a protest with the foreign affairs department, but they were strongly suppressed.


    Afterward, Iron Blood set up control over Nuoya Hotel.


    This time, with Hasegawa Tom bringing so many Fusang assassins into the country, they had crossed a red line.


    Orders from above were clear: as soon as Hasegawa Tom appeared, he was to be captured immediately, dead or alive.

 Chapter 202 - 167: Teleportation, Sikes Civilization Second Gaia Star

    Spring equinox.


    The sun directly shines on the equator, making day and night of equal length.


    The temperature slowly warms up, with the noon sunlight being very bright.


    And today, the countdown to conscription ends.


    After dinner, the team of three gathers in the training room to make their final preparations.


    "I just sent a scouting eagle to check on the situation at the Nuoya Hotel, and Iron Blood''s people are still there," Su Muyu said, carrying a pot of red dates and silver ear soup into the room and then heading to the kitchen for bowls.


    "It''s been three days, and Hasegawa Tom hasn''t shown up? Seems like he''s waiting for us to enter the Abyss Battlefield," Lin Zeyu began to feel that the chance of being transported into the same Abyss battlefield was nearly one hundred percent.


    "We''re probably going to the same Abyss battlefield," Lu Heng felt, sensing that after this teleportation, they would need to face an extremely complex environment.


    Hasegawa Tom had been missing for three days now¡ªif not in the same Abyss battlefield, according to the time flow difference between the Abyss World and Blue Star, he should have been sent back by now.


    Lin Zeyu pondered and asked, "We''re not going to be ambushed by Hasegawa Tom as soon as we teleport there, are we?"


    Lu Heng shook his head, "The location of our teleportation is uncertain; the possibility of being ambushed right after arriving is small. However, being ambushed isn''t the biggest problem. The biggest problem would be if Hasegawa Tom uses his head start to control the situation."


    If Hasegawa Tom entered the Abyss Battlefield early, he might simply use this advantage to locate teleport spots and ambush superpower users.


    That would actually be the easiest situation to resolve.


    The best strategy for entering the Abyss Battlefield early would be, with that advantage, to quickly gain control over the situation in Abyss World.


    For example, by gaining reputation within an Abyssal force, controlling that force, and then using that force to deal with other superpower users.


    He could even completely block others from completing their main quest.


    That would be a real checkmate.


    ...


    "Six grenades each, water, compressed biscuits¡­" Lin Zeyu began distributing supplies.


    Although the supplies prepared last time hadn''t been used up, facing such a complex situation this time, it wouldn''t hurt to prepare a bit more.


    After stowing the supplies, Lu Heng beckoned to call the Mechanical Tiger over.


    The Mechanical Tiger bounded over and circled around Lu Heng twice.


    If it weren''t for the golden gleaming shell, just by its movements, it was no different from an animal.


    Lin Zeyu curiously asked, "Can the Mechanical Tiger be brought into the Abyss Battlefield?"


    "It can."


    Lu Heng was certain about this because the data panel showed that the Mechanical Tiger was a Mechanical Follower.


    Additionally, bringing the Mechanical Tiger back to Blue Star was one of the rewards from picking one out of three in a World Task, naturally, it could be brought into the Abyss Battlefield.


    "That''s awesome! Our team has four combatants," Lin Zeyu''s eyes sparkled.


    Although it was a team of three, they had four combat powers.


    Lin Zeyu would not underestimate the combat capability of the Mechanical Tiger; even if he were locked in a cage fight with it, he would definitely lose without any chance of fighting back.


    In a one-on-one outside, running away would be his only option.


    There was no way around it; with its liquid metal shell and "Metal Enhancement" skills, the Mechanical Tiger was essentially immune to bullet shots.


    Unfortunately for Lin Zeyu, who specialized in gunnery, he just couldn''t beat this beast.


    ...


    As midnight approached, the topic of their conversation started to focus on the types of Abyss Battlefields.


    Since the upcoming Abyss Battlefield was almost certain to be a Source Material competition,


    usually, any Abyss World where Source Material exists, comes with a high danger level.


    The lowest level is 4 and can be even higher.


    In Abyss World, Source Material is a very special kind of substance, or rather, an energy.


    Even the Evil God needs Source Material Sacrifices during a Resurrection Ceremony.


    Needless to say, Source Material is very important to those powerful Abyss Demon Kings.


    That means, in a world where Source Material exists, there are likely to be powerful Abyss Demon Kings around.


    Aside from that, the Mechanical Civilization also has Source Material.


    For instance, the Source Material in Mechanical Tiger imparts it with biological traits and intelligence.


    From these traits, it can be seen that Source Material is an energy closely related to life.


    It can resurrect a dead Evil God and can give life and consciousness to lifeless mechanics.


    ...


    As the time gradually reached midnight.


    The three raised their right hands together and touched fists, "See you in the Abyss."


    "See you in the Abyss."


    The conscription countdown ended. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The teleportation began. The world in front of them darkened, followed by a piercing white light that made it impossible to keep their eyes open.


    Afterward, as the bright light subsided, darkness enveloped the world again.


    Teleportation data began to emerge in front of them:


    [Teleport to Abyss World: Sikes Civilization, Queen Star Circle, Second Gaia]


    [World Introduction: This is a Gaia planet transformed by the Sikes Civilization. The planet has a pleasant climate and is suitable for the vast majority of life forms. This planet is the culmination of the Sikes Civilization''s technology and the most dazzling planet in the Queen Star Circle.]


    [Event: Behind the prosperity, there are undercurrents, and the highly advanced civilization cannot escape the devouring of the Abyss. The descent of the Abyss has sparked diverse ideologies within the Sikes Civilization, giving rise to the Descent Faction, Salvation Faction, and Escape Faction, along with many smaller factions. The infighting among these factions has led to turbulence in the civilization.]


    [Danger Level: Level 5]


    [Battle Mode: Survival Mode]


    [Main Quest]


    [1. Survive in the Mechanical Beast Fighting competition.]


    [2. Choose whether to accept mechanical limb modification, which becomes permanent after the mechanical transformation and can be brought back to the main world.]


    [3. Survive 15 days within the Sikes Civilization.]


    [Challenge Task]


    [1. Source Material Struggle, complete Source Fusion, and obtain a Second Transition Class.]


    [2. Find the source of the Abyss contamination and eliminate it.]


    [3. Join one of the three major factions and complete the task assigned by the faction.]


    [Transport complete, loading common language of the Sikes Civilization.]


    After reading the transport information, Lu Heng was slightly surprised.


    He had entered the Sikes Civilization, more precisely the Second Gaia Planet in the Queen Star Circle.


    In his reborn memories, the Sikes Civilization''s conscriptions increased rapidly after a year of the Abyss Descent.


    Unexpectedly, at the end of the seventh month, he was conscripted by the Queen Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had entered the Queen Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization, but it was not this Second Gaia Planet, but the Capital Star "Queen".


    Although it wasn''t the same planet, both belonged to the Sikes Civilization''s Capital Star Circle, with similar levels of technology and prosperity.


    In addition, the team had previously entered a deserted planet of the Sikes Civilization and had some understanding of the civilization.


    Entering the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization this time offered a slight advantage.


    Upon waking, Lu Heng immediately determined his location and found himself in a glass pod, facing a glass wall.


    The space inside the glass pod was quite small, about two meters square.


    Lu Heng had some wires attached to his back; these were for monitoring vital signs, which were transmitted in real-time to the computer management system.


    Because the glass pod was only two meters square and quite cramped, it contained only himself.


    Lu Heng looked out of the glass wall and then saw Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, who, like him, were locked in separate glass pods.


    Besides them, Lu Heng also saw a Mechanical Tiger.


    The Mechanical Tiger, like a sculpture, was in another glass pod, also connected with wires.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu had already woken up. After exchanging looks, none of them made any rash movements but instead observed the surroundings first.


    The Mechanical Tiger was in a dormant state, probably powered off.


    Lu Heng, seeing this setup, actually already knew what this place was.


    Hints had been revealed in the main quest.


    This was a Mechanical Arena of the Sikes Civilization; the individual glass pods were where the "beasts" were held.


    The ruling class of the Sikes Civilization indeed had a unique passion for mechanical beast fights.


    All leading mechanical technology companies would create powerful mechanical beasts for the competitions.


    The technology companies that won the Mechanical Beast competitions would receive investments from various consortiums.


    Thus, mechanical beast fighting in the Sikes Civilization represented a melee of mechanics and was also a contest of technology and financial power.


    However, the Mechanical Arena didn''t just feature mechanical beast fights.


    The upper echelons of the Sikes Civilization also enjoyed watching mechanical beasts fighting against various creatures.


    Such as mechanical beasts versus genetically engineered wild beasts.


    There were also battles with demons, which had appeared after the Abyss Descent.


    In addition, there were rarer fights, such as those between mechanical beasts and... humans.


    To be precise, not just humans, the Sikes Civilization would bring all strange creatures that appeared in their world to fight against mechanical beasts.


    And after being conscripted to the Abyss Battlefield, human Superpower Users became a new type of "beast" in the Sikes Civilization.


    Now, Lu Heng and his companions were locked in "fighting cages."


    They didn''t know when they would be taken out to face various powerful mechanical beasts in a deadly duel.


    In the Mechanical Arena of the Sikes Civilization, more creatures were killed by mechanical beasts than died at the dining table.


    Because the mechanical transformation of the Sikes Civilization was at its final stage, nearing the transformation to a Mechanical Civilization.


    This meant that the organic citizen population of the Sikes Civilization was quite small, and their need for food was also minimal.


    This led to more creatures dying in the Mechanical Arena than being consumed.


    After waking up, Lu Heng and the others tried speaking a few words, but the soundproofing of the glass pods was too effective, preventing their voices from carrying.


    Fortunately, the three of them had prepared in advance and learned some sign language, allowing them to communicate through it.


    Using sign language, Lu Heng informed the others about their current situation, clarifying that this place was a Mechanical Arena and they could be taken out at any moment to compete against mechanical beasts.


    Even the first item in the main quest was ["1. Survive in the Mechanical Beast Fighting competition."].


    If things went as anticipated,


    the doors of the Mechanical Beast Warehouse slowly opened, and two track robots moved in along the corridor, starting to pick the "beasts" for the upcoming match.


    And the direction the two robots were heading was exactly where Lu Heng and his companions were located.

 Chapter 203 - 168 The Pride of a Higher Civilization

    Two robots walked up to Lu Heng''s glass chamber, releasing a scanning beam that swept over him through the glass walls twice.


    Afterward, one of the robots extended a mechanical arm to press a button in front of the glass chamber.


    The glass chamber moved slightly and began descending slowly.


    Lu Heng realized he had been selected and hurriedly signaled Su Muyu and the other with gestures for free movement.


    The glass chamber continued its descent into a pipe that was structured like a glass elevator, then proceeded sideways.


    After a moment, it stopped at a designated position, and a square hole opened directly above.


    The sides of the hole measured exactly two meters, the same width as the glass chamber.


    The glass chamber began to ascend, slowly passing through the hole to emerge above the ground.


    Stepping out of the tunnel, Lu Heng adjusted to the light and looked around, finding himself, as expected, in the Sikes Civilization''s Mechanical Arena.


    It was a massive Mechanical Arena, easily accommodating a crowd of a hundred thousand from a rough sweep of the eye.


    Such a level of arena ranked within the top ten across the Sikes Civilization.


    Placed on any single planet, it was essentially the largest arena.


    Right now, sparsely scattered in the seats were various oddly-shaped Sikes people, most of them having undergone mechanical transformations.


    To a newcomer seeing a Sikes for the first time, the impressively designed mechanical shells might be astonishing, and they might assume these Sikes with flashy mechanical modifications were people of great importance.


    That wasn''t really the case.


    The Sikes Civilization had gone through various phases in its process of mechanical transformation.


    In the initial phases of mechanical transformations, roughly two centuries ago, the Sikes Civilization was just sparking a frenzy of enhancements, and citizens prided themselves on possessing impressively designed mechanical limbs.


    Back then, if one wanted top-notch mechanical limbs, significant financial resources were necessary.


    By the mid-stage of the Mechanical Civilization''s transformation, more than 90% of Sikes people had undergone some form of mechanical modification.


    Some modified an arm, others a leg, and some even modified their ears and other organs.


    At this stage, acquiring flashy mechanical limbs was no longer a trend.


    Mechanical transformations became more diversified and evolved into various factions.


    Some Sikes liked transforming their bodies to resemble wild beasts, insects, or various strange, even repugnant creatures.


    Such peculiar tastes existed among the Sikes, though they never became mainstream.


    Diversity was the norm, especially mechanical transformations capable of morphing, which were popular for quite some time.


    In the late stages of the Mechanical Civilization''s transformation, or about twenty to thirty years ago, a "Renaissance" emerged within the Sikes Civilization.


    The upper echelons began to revert to the most primitive look of Sikes people, utilizing the most expensive bionic skins.


    Beyond ordinary bionic skin was the thermoregulating bionic skin.


    Without peeling back the bionic skin to see the internal structure, the touch and feel almost perfectly mimicked that of organic creatures.


    Hence, those in the stands with flashy mechanical modifications were actually those of lower status.


    The true nobility of this civilization were those Sikes who appeared unmodified but were fully mechanized inside, disguised with bionic skin that mimicked organic beings.


    Clearly, today was a kind of recreational event, hence the crowd in the stands wasn''t very large, but still amounted to a couple of thousand people.


    ...


    After the glass chamber rose, the door opened.


    Lu Heng stepped out of the glass chamber, looking ahead at a Mechanical Beast spaced ten meters away.


    This Mechanical Beast was incredibly robust, resembling a beetle bristling with spines.


    This Mechanical Beetle, even on its six legs, stood over three meters tall, its frontal spikes just beginning to curl upwards, seemingly ready to sprint forward and impale its opponent against the wall.


    Lu Heng knew this creature was now his opponent.


    Mechanical Beasts were the technological pinnacle of the Sikes Civilization, so the combat power of this Mechanical Beetle wouldn''t be inferior to that of a Mechanical Tiger, at least A-level.


    If he exerted full strength, Lu Heng was confident he could win.


    However, showing all his cards in front of so many Sikes people wasn''t a good strategy.


    Moreover, the Main Quest didn''t require winning the beast fight, merely to survive in the competition.


    After stepping out of the glass chamber, the chamber behind him began to descend, sinking below the ground as the hole completely closed. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment,


    the sound of the starting bell rang out in the Beast Fighting Arena.


    Ding...


    After three chimes, the previously stationary Mechanical Beetle immediately sprang into action, charging towards Lu Heng, its spikes thrusting forward.


    Lu Heng moved his feet to dodge, his high Agility making evasion relatively easy.


    As he dodged, Lu Heng also observed the Sikes in the stands.


    Clearly,


    this was a frequent type of entertainment event for the Sikes Civilization, where Mechanical Beasts slaughtered organic creatures for sport.


    The spectacle of such competitions lay in watching Mechanical Beasts tearing organic life apart, demonstrating the might of their mechanical bodies.


    However, today''s bout didn''t align with the audience''s expectations.


    The Mechanical Beetle launched several attacks, none of which reached Lu Heng.


    The audience yearned to see a Mechanical Beast ripping apart a fleshy being, desiring gruesome, blood-strewn scenes.


    Yet, Lu Heng continued to dodge, running swiftly on the ground and along walls.

 Chapter 204 - 168: The Pride of a Higher Civilization_2

    The Mechanical Beetle slammed into walls to create large holes with every charge, but it never even touched Lu Heng.


    Boos and curses rained down from the spectators, degrading the company that had created the Mechanical Beetle.


    ...


    While Lu Heng was entangled with the Mechanical Beast,


    In the Beast Fighting Warehouse, Su Muyu took out a crossbow and shot an arrow at a corner of the glass cabin.


    Under the "Melt Armor" special effect, she pierced a hole through the glass cabin.


    Afterward, she released Source Energy to summon her Divine Feather Eagle.


    The Divine Feather Eagle entered an invisible state and began its exploration.


    Once it had explored the entire structure of the Mechanical Arena, the match outside was over.


    The venue was filled with waves of booing from the audience.


    Because Lu Heng had dragged out the battle for a whole thirty minutes until the competition ended.


    During this time, his training level in movement technique had increased by 125 points.


    Lu Heng had treated the Mechanical Beetle purely as a sparring partner for practicing his movement technique, nimbly dodging around and above it without ever getting hit.


    After the match ended, Lu Heng was not returned to the original Beast Fighting Warehouse but was taken to a spacious office.


    Inside the office, a Sikes with no visible signs of mechanical transformation and a pair of blue eyes asked, "You must be an intelligent being, can you communicate?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "Yes."


    "Good. Then are you a Demon?" the blue-eyed Sikes asked.


    "No," Lu Heng denied.


    "Why are you here then?" the blue-eyed Sikes continued.


    "The Abyss Battlefield summons, do you have information on this?" Lu Heng wasn''t sure whether the Sikes Civilization at this point knew about the summoning rules of the Abyss Battlefield.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng''s first entry into the Sikes World was one year after Abyss Descent.


    At that time, the Sikes Civilization had some understanding of the Abyss.


    And the Sikes people were also subject to the summons of the Abyss Battlefield.


    According to the summoning pattern of the Abyss Battlefield, all intelligent beings from worlds invaded by the Abyss would be summoned.


    Because of this reason, Lu Heng had always felt that the summoning of the Abyss Battlefield seemed like support for worlds invaded by the Abyss, with the intention to unite with these worlds to fight against the Abyss.


    Therefore, the Sikes would also be summoned, but it was uncertain from when.


    "I see, then from which world do you come?" the blue-eyed Sikes asked. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The Human World."


    "What are your star coordinates?"


    "Can''t say," Lu Heng was not willing to disclose the coordinates of the sun because doing so might cause unknown events decades later.


    "To what extent has your world been invaded by the Abyss?" the blue-eyed Sikes''s questions were very pertinent.


    "Seven months into the invasion, an Abyss Rift has already appeared," Lu Heng thought before sharing information he could share.


    After answering, Lu Heng attempted to gain the support of this individual by saying, "I am here to help you; I hope we can fight against the Abyss together."


    The blue-eyed Sikes laughed and said, "You''re mistaken about something. Our civilization is very strong; we don''t need help from other civilizations."


    Lu Heng frowned, once again sensing the pride of the Sikes Civilization.


    Indeed, the Sikes Civilization was arrogant, especially in front of Human Civilization.


    Because the Sikes Civilization had reached a civilization level of over 2.1, much higher than Human Civilization. They had surpassed the Constant Star Civilization, and were evolving towards a Star System Level Civilization.


    Whereas Human Civilization was actually only at level 0.8.


    According to the classification of civilization levels, a 1.0 level civilization is a planetary civilization, which requires full exploitation of planetary resources.


    Humanity is not yet finished with its planetary civilization phase; there are still many resources on Blue Star that it doesn''t have the capability to exploit.


    A 2.0 civilization, on the other hand, is a Constant Star Civilization, which can fully utilize the resources of a Constant Star.


    Meaning, to evolve to 2.0, Human Civilization would need the technology to fully harness the resources of the sun.


    The Sikes Civilization had completed the process of becoming a Constant Star Civilization and had begun to advance towards a Star System Level Civilization. Although they had only taken the first step in the development of a Star System Level Civilization, their level of civilization was indeed much higher than that of the humanity.


    Therefore, the Sikes Civilization was not only arrogant in front of human civilization but held this attitude towards all inferior civilizations.


    Lu Heng furrowed his brows and said, "The Abyss isn''t as simple as you think; it''s not something you can deal with just by having a higher level of technology."


    "Is that so?"


    The blue-eyed member of the Sikes laughed and said, "If that''s what you think, then let me show you an interesting battle."


    He then took Lu Heng back to the Mechanical Arena.


    However, this time Lu Heng was not thrown into the arena to fight the Mechanical Beasts but was taken to the spectator seats.


    At that moment,


    in the arena, a Mechanical Beast was fighting a Wing Demon Commander.


    The Wing Demon Commander flew into the air, roaring and launching an attack on the Mechanical Beast.


    The Mechanical Beast, with its wings spread on its back, did not take flight but revealed 30 miniature missile launchers and simultaneously fired 30 mini Fusion Bombs.


    With the fire control radar''s locking, the 30 mini Fusion Bombs all hit the target, the Wing Demon Commander.


    The Wing Demon Commander was blasted into pieces, its remnants scattering on the ground with no intact body to be found.


    The blue-eyed Sikes turned to look at Lu Heng, arrogantly smiled, and said, "Do you understand now? Demons, to us, are no different from you humans, just toys for entertainment."


    Lu Heng, after watching this battle between the Mechanical Beast and the Wing Demon Commander, said nothing.


    If one were to judge solely from this battle, the technological level of the Sikes Civilization was indeed high, and the Mechanical Beasts they manufactured could easily obliterate Commander Level demons.


    That was a fact.


    However, Lu Heng, in his previous life, had entered the Capital Star of the Sikes Civilization. At that time, the pollution from the Abyss on the Sikes Capital Star was very serious.


    The Descent Faction, Salvation Faction, and the Escape Faction were all fighting each other, and the civilization was constantly plagued by internal rebellion.


    And the demons appearing in the Sikes Civilization were becoming more powerful, and the civilization could collapse internally at any moment.


    Should the timeline develop as it had in his previous life, the Sikes Civilization would not escape a fate of invasion by the Abyss, followed by civilizational decline.


    Lu Heng had seen the decline of the Sikes Civilization, a stark contrast with the attitude of the current blue-eyed Sikes noble.


    In fact, Lu Heng had a lot to say, wanting to persuade him to reassess the terrifying nature of the Abyss.


    But Lu Heng knew clearly in his heart that saying anything would be futile.


    Because in the eyes of the Sikes, humans were just life forms from an inferior civilization, and in their eyes, humans were not much better than cockroaches.


    Therefore, the Sikes would not listen to human persuasion, especially not a Sikes noble with blue eyes like the one in front of him.


    So, Lu Heng lost interest in continuing to persuade.


    Sometimes, in the face of such circumstances, one can only respect the fate of others.


    Even if persuasion were truly necessary, it should be addressed to a Sikes willing to listen.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and then asked, "May I apply for a visa? As an envoy from another civilization."


    In his previous life, someone had obtained a visa from the Sikes Civilization, which allowed them to move freely on the planets of the Sikes Civilization.


    Of course, the premise was to obey the laws of the Sikes.


    The blue-eyed noble laughed and refused, "You are just a plaything for the beast fighting arena; my willingness to speak with you is solely out of curiosity. Would your civilization issue a visa to an animal in a zoo?"


    As expected.


    Lu Heng was not too surprised and did not say anything further, then was taken back to the Beast Fighting Warehouse in a glass chamber by a robot that had been summoned.


    After returning to the Beast Fighting Warehouse, Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu were still there.


    The three began to discuss plans to escape the Mechanical Arena.


    Originally, Lu Heng had hoped to obtain a visa to leave the Beast Fighting Arena freely by communicating with the blue-eyed Sikes noble.


    Unfortunately, it was not successful.


    There was no choice but to escape.


    After their discussion, they planned to first destroy the arena''s electrical system with the help of the Divine Feather Eagle, then release the most ferocious beasts from the warehouse, and finally seize the opportunity to flee the Beast Fighting Arena.

 Chapter 205 - 169: The Meeting Method of the Escape Faction

    After escaping the Mechanical Beast Fighting Arena, the three of them finally saw the bustling Cyber City.


    It was completely different from the Cyber Wasteland they had seen before.


    The skyscrapers of the Cyber Wasteland were all dilapidated, the entire city was shrouded in a layer of grey haze, and even the blue and purple neon lights emanated a decayed breath.


    However, the planet they were on now was Second Gaia Star in the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization, one of the most prosperous planets of the Sikes Civilization.


    Skyscrapers stood tall in the city, with vehicles not limited to the ground; many could be seen flying over people''s heads.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, seeing vehicles flying over their heads for the first time, were utterly astonished.


    Lu Heng, however, was calm, for he had seen it all in his previous life.


    "Are those vehicles flying over there? Why can they fly?" Lin Zeyu''s mouth was agape wide enough to fit an orange.


    "Anti-gravity technology, it''s a 2.0 Constant Star Civilization technology; the Sikes Civilization has mastered it. However, ground vehicles haven''t been completely abandoned; anti-gravity devices are very expensive." Lu Heng explained.


    Indeed, the Sikes Civilization had unlocked the anti-gravity tech tree, but the technology had only just begun to be commercialized, so the number of flying vehicles wasn''t high.


    "Do you think Blue Star will become like this in the future?" Lin Zeyu found everything novel.


    "If humanity can develop into a Constant Star Civilization, then probably," said Lu Heng, though he wasn''t certain either, as he had never seen what a 2.0 Level human civilization would look like.


    The present human civilization was only at 0.8 Level, far from Level 2.0.


    "Where do we go now?" Lin Zeyu was like an inquisitive machine, completely bewildered in this "Future World."


    "We only have 15 days in the Abyss Battlefield, and there''s a lot to do. We can''t afford to waste a single day, so we must find a faction to assist us," Lu Heng had already thought of a direction.


    "How do we find one? Grab a faction leader, put a gun to his head, and order him to work. How''s that for a plan?" Lin Zeyu asked, grinning.


    "Not so good," Su Muyu shot down his idea instantly. "The moment you pull out your gun, you''ll be blown to pieces by a miniature fusion bomb."


    She had observed the structure of the Beast Fighting Arena earlier and saw the battle between the Mechanical Beast and the Winged Demon Commander.


    A Commander-Level Winged Demon, during the Abyss Descent, was so powerful.


    Yet such a powerful Commander-Level Demon, once captured by the Sikes Civilization, became a plaything in the arena.


    "What''s a fusion bomb?" Lin Zeyu hadn''t thought in that direction.


    "Nuclear bomb," Lu Heng gave him the answer.


    "What? Can nuclear bombs be used just like that?" Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened.


    "Controlled Nuclear Fusion is a 1.0 technology; for the Sikes Civilization, nuclear fusion is as trivial as TNT is for humans," Lu Heng explained.


    "That powerful?" Regretting not having paid more attention in his studies, Lin Zeyu couldn''t imagine how nuclear bombs, feared by humanity, were considered conventional weapons by the Sikes Civilization.


    He still found it a bit unbelievable, "But aren''t they afraid of radiation?"


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "They are afraid, but not very much. Besides, the Sikes Civilization''s miniature fusion bombs cause very little radiation residue, and they have very advanced radiation cleaning technologies.


    "Even if there were radiation residue, just push a machine over to sweep it, and it''ll be clean.


    "However, these aren''t the most important. The key is, the Sikes Civilization has completed mechanical body modifications; 99% of its citizens are mechanical beings and are not afraid of radiation."


    It is organic life forms that truly fear nuclear radiation because it would induce genetic mutations.


    Robots are different, if their parts are damaged by radiation, just take them back to the factory and replace the parts.


    Therefore, the use of miniature nuclear weapons by the Sikes Civilization had become normalized.


    "That''s outrageous," Lin Zeyu finally understood how dangerous this world was: "So what do we do? Where do we go now?"


    "Come with me."


    Lu Heng led them along the streets, looking for a method to contact a faction.


    Without visas, the three were considered unknown foreign species in the cities of the Sikes Civilization, and would be arrested by mechanical guards if discovered.


    Luckily, they had the Mechanical Tiger.


    The Mechanical Tiger was genuinely registered in the Sikes Civilization as a Mechanical Beast Fighting participant.


    And since Mechanical Beasts were a pastime only the upper echelons could afford, the "registration" of the Mechanical Tiger had a high status.


    So, when they encountered mechanical guard inspections, it was all up to the Mechanical Tiger to defuse the situation.


    ¡­


    After crossing several streets, Lu Heng found a computer terminal that could be used to contact factional forces.


    In fact.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had come into contact with a faction of the Sikes Civilization ¡ª the Escape Faction.


    Following the Abyss Descent, divisions began appearing within the Sikes Civilization.


    Among them, the three most powerful factions were the Descent Faction, the Salvation Faction, and the Escape Faction.


    The Descent Faction believed the power of the Abyss was great and that accepting the baptism of the Abyss could grant power beyond civilization''s technology.


    The Descent Faction''s existence was to welcome the Descent of the Abyss, and they didn''t mind handing over civilization to the rule of the Abyss.


    Therefore, within the Sikes Civilization, the Descent Faction acted as delegates for the Abyss.


    The Salvation Faction, on the other hand, wished to rescue civilization from the mire of the Abyss and firmly believed that with the power of civilization''s technology, the Abyss invasion could be easily countered.


    The Salvation Faction also had the most supporters.


    This indicated that the vast majority of citizens of the Sikes Civilization had not lost their minds.


    The Escape Faction was another relatively special group. They believed that the Abyss was unstoppable and that they should flee the current constant star system and develop in another one before the Abyss completely devoured civilization.


    The civilizational rank of the Sikes Civilization was 2.1, having already taken the first step towards a galaxy civilization, indeed possessing the ability for interstellar travel.


    If they chose to escape, the Sikes Civilization indeed had the capacity to continue the spark of civilization.


    However, once escape was chosen, that meant abandoning their home.


    This was something most Sikes people were unwilling to face, so the number of supporters for the Escape Faction was very small at the outset of the Abyss invasion.


    ¡­


    Within the Sikes Civilization, these three factions also had other nicknames.


    The Descent Faction was considered "extremists," the Salvation Faction was called "Arrogant," and the Escape Faction was mocked as "cowards."


    In Lu Heng''s past life, when he was conscripted into the Sikes World, he had joined a faction, unfortunately, it was the Escape Faction.


    Therefore, Lu Heng knew the internal communication methods of the Escape Faction.


    Lu Heng now urgently needed the power of a faction to take action. Even though the Escape Faction had fewer members, it was sufficient.


    After all, it was not possible to truly control a large faction in such a short amount of time.


    Through a computer terminal, using the internal communication method of the Escape Faction, Lu Heng contacted the regional manager of the Escape Faction and scheduled a meeting time and place.


    The appointed time was in the evening, and the meeting spot was on the bank of the artificial river.


    Evening.


    The entire city was bathed in the bluish-purple neon lights, offering a unique beauty.


    Lu Heng and his two companions arrived at the bank of the artificial river but did not go out to meet immediately. Instead, they observed from the shore.


    The banks and levees of the artificial river, lit by neon, looked like a winding blue-purple light dragon, absolutely magical.


    Su Muyu, leaning on the railing with both hands, exclaimed, "It''s so beautiful."


    Indeed it was beautiful, but the artificial river was filled with industrial wastewater, albeit treated industrial wastewater.


    In fact, this artificial river was more like a channel as big as a river, whose purpose was to discharge wastewater.


    The time reached 9 o''clock in the evening.


    A cylindrical robot appeared by the riverbank.


    Arriving at the agreed-upon coordinates, the robot began a 360-degree rotation of its head, searching for the contact.


    Its location was the precise coordinate agreed upon, not a centimeter off.


    "Is it that robot?" Su Muyu asked.


    "It should be. I''ll go over to meet. You two stay here. If something''s not right, we''ll withdraw."


    Although he had joined the Escape Faction of the Sikes Civilization in his previous life, out of caution, Lu Heng decided to go alone to the meeting.


    "Okay," Su Muyu nodded and activated an invisibility veil to cover both the Mechanical Tiger and Lin Zeyu.


    Lu Heng stepped towards the riverbank, standing in front of the cylindrical robot.


    The cylindrical robot, about one meter tall, had no legs and moved on wheels.


    Upon seeing Lu Heng, the cylindrical robot emitted a scanning beam and swept Lu Heng from top to bottom, then began to inquire, "What creature are you?"


    "I am human, from another civilization," Lu Heng replied calmly.


    Cylindrical robot: "What is your purpose in contacting us?"


    Lu Heng had prepared his speech beforehand, "I have a deep understanding of the Abyss. I believe the Sikes Civilization needs to arrange a plan to preserve the seed of civilization, so I hope to meet with the leader of your faction."


    In everyday speech, this faction was called the "Escape Faction," but within the faction itself, they would not refer to themselves like this.


    The faction had another official name, "Civilization Continuation Plan."


    The cylindrical robot continued to inquire, "You need to provide more details for us to consider whether you are qualified to meet the leader."


    Having joined this faction in his previous life, convincing the faction''s manager wouldn''t be difficult for Lu Heng, given enough time.


    Just as Lu Heng was about to speak, dozens of miniature missiles suddenly appeared in the sky, shooting over at a speed that broke the sound barrier.


    Lu Heng''s eyes narrowed, and he instantly saw the missiles appearing. He immediately used an Essential Skill, "Shadow Traversal," and dove into the shadows.


    The speed of these miniature missiles was too fast, breaking the speed of sound, and in the blink of an eye, they struck the spot where Lu Heng and the cylindrical robot had been standing.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Fierce explosions instantly plowed out dozens of large pits in the ground.


    The cylindrical robot was reduced to ashes in the explosion.


    Three hundred meters away, Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu watched this scene, nearly crying out in anxiety.


    Fortunately, in the next second, Lu Heng burst out from the center of the explosion.


    Su Muyu immediately controlled the God-feathered Eagle to fly up and cast the invisibility veil to obscure Lu Heng. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as Lu Heng entered the invisible state, the location he had just passed was bombarded by a dense rain of miniature missiles.


    Shortly after, a dozen mechanical guards rushed over and began to search the area.


    After reuniting, the three immediately withdrew from the riverside area, evading the pursuit of mechanical guards.

 Chapter 206 - 170 Reminder from a Distant Star

    The three of them retreated from the search area of the mech police guard and found a temporary hideout to take cover.


    "How did we suddenly get attacked? They started with dozens of miniature missiles. That''s just too absurd," Lin Zeyu vocalized the question that was on everyone''s mind.


    Lu Heng hadn''t figured out what exactly was going on either.


    His recent communication with the cylindrical robot had gone smoothly.


    Although he had not yet gained the approval of the Escape Faction, being able to continue the conversation indicated there was room for further contact.


    "The attacker turned the meeting robot to ash, so it''s unlikely to be an attack by the Escape Faction."


    If it had been an assault by the Escape Faction, they wouldn''t have destroyed that cylindrical robot. With the Sikes Civilization''s technological methods, there were better ways to attack.


    From this, one could deduce that the attacker was not part of the same faction as the Escape Faction.


    However, as far as Lu Heng remembered, the three factions within the Sikes Civilization''s internal struggle were not so intense as to attack each other.


    These three factions of the Sikes Civilization had different ideologies, but they all belonged to the same civilization. There definitely was competition among them, but not to the extent of resolving their differences through warfare.


    Su Muyu, cradling her right elbow in her left hand and pinching her chin with her right hand, paced the room deep in thought and said:


    "The mech police guards who were searching for us had official insignias. They must be the official mech police guard of the Sikes Civilization."


    "Could it be that they have filed a case against us discussing the Beast Fighting Arena, and we are being hunted?"


    Lu Heng slowly shook his head, "Even if it''s a manhunt, they wouldn''t go to such extremes. Starting with dozens of miniature missiles, this isn''t an arrest but an attempt to kill us outright."


    Su Muyu also showed a puzzled expression, "Right, the launch of the miniature missiles was basically a sneak attack, which doesn''t quite align with normal arrest procedures."


    She looked out the window, suddenly thought of a crucial point, and added, "There''s another strange thing. Your meeting with that cylindrical robot lasted at most three minutes.


    "Even if we were discovered by the mech police guard, it wouldn''t be possible to gather so many of them that quickly, along with arranging a missile bombardment."


    Lu Heng also recognized the issue and nodded in agreement, "I noticed that as well. The attacker must have known our meeting coordinates in advance.


    "If that''s the case, there''s only one possibility, there was a leak in the communication line I used to contact the managers of the Escape Faction."


    "What do we do now?" Lin Zeyu, finding himself unable to contribute, asked the most substantial question.


    "I want to double-check to see if there''s a problem with the channel to the Escape Faction."


    Having made up his mind, Lu Heng sought out another computer terminal and contacted the regional manager of the Escape Faction to schedule a second meeting time and place.


    This time, Lu Heng dispatched a Shadow Clone, sending it to the street corner.


    He met with a cylindrical robot again and exchanged only a couple of sentences before facing another barrage of miniature missiles, followed by sweeping high-energy beams.


    The number of mech police guards deployed to hunt them had doubled since the last encounter.


    The Shadow Clone was obliterated in an instant under the missile attack, and the cylindrical robot was also blown to pieces.


    They were attacked once again.


    The circumstances of the two meetings were almost identical.


    There was no longer any doubt; the message had been leaked, and it was an official pursuit by the Sikes.


    However, the Escape Faction had sent a cylindrical robot for the meeting twice.


    Although these robots had no armed modules, they were highly intelligent and not easily expendable.


    Therefore, it was almost certain that it wasn''t the Escape Faction''s manager who betrayed the information, but rather there was a problem during the transmission of the information.


    They had suffered from missile bombardments twice in one day.


    Although Lin Zeyu was not in the blast zone, he felt a tingling in his scalp just watching from afar: "Do you think there''s any chance Hasegawa Tom is behind this? That bastard, if he transported to this world before us, would definitely want to kill us."


    Before their arrival, the trio had analyzed that Hasegawa Tom might have entered the same Abyss Battlefield and even earlier.


    Which meant, Hasegawa Tom could have already obtained a high status within one of the factions and then made use of the faction''s power to initiate the attacks.


    Su Muyu slowly nodded, further analyzing the idea, "There certainly is that possibility, but there''s one question, how did Hasegawa Tom know we had come in? And how did he know it was us contacting the Escape Faction?"


    Lu Heng''s eyelids gently closed as he said, "He must have seen me. I fought a match in the Mechanical Arena. As long as he keeps an eye on the beast fights, he can easily find my videos.


    "As for how certain he was that it was us contacting the Escape Faction, that''s not difficult.


    "At this time, anyone contacting the Escape Faction in this manner, even if it''s not us, is highly likely to be other Superpower Users.


    "This time, the Challenge Task was a Source Material battle. Even if he found out that the contact was not us, killing other Superpower Users would still get him the Source Material, so it wouldn''t affect his decision."


    "So you''re saying Hasegawa Tom has already joined the Escape Faction? This starting situation is too disadvantageous for us. What do we do now?" Lin Zeyu asked the same question again.


    He was utterly clueless now and suggested, "Should we try joining another faction?"


    Lu Heng shook his head, "It''s not a good idea to switch."


    Within the three factions, the Descent Faction was a group of lunatics, essentially embodying anti-social personalities.


    These people from the Sikes race hoped for the Abyss to descend and rule the Sikes World.


    Joining this faction would mean serving the Abyss, leading to many troubles later on.


    The Salvation Faction, also known as the Stay and Defend Faction, was the mainstream faction of the Sikes Civilization, with over 70% of the Sikes people supporting it.


    This faction had significant influence and did not accept outsiders joining them.


    The Escape Faction, on the other hand, was open to outsiders due to their smaller power and population, hence they were willing to accept outside groups.


    Although the third task in the "Challenge Task" was to join one of the three factions, realistically, only the Escape Faction was accessible to join.


    Moreover, Lu Heng only knew the communication methods of the Escape Faction.


    So when it came to joining a faction, there were no other choices.


    ...


    Two consecutive meeting failures made the plan to join a faction problematic.


    Lu Heng calmed down and began to collect world information to rethink his action plan.


    The official name of the Escape Faction was the "Civilization Continuation Plan."


    This faction was not an illegal organization; it had an official website that publicly promoted its ideology.


    Anyone could access the data about the faction by logging onto the website of the "Civilization Continuation Plan."


    This included information about the faction leader.


    The three of them began to browse the website, reading and discussing the information.


    The current number one leader of the Escape Faction was a woman named Yeliana Sikes.


    The surname "Sikes" in Sikes Civilization was a prominent family name; two centuries ago, "Sikes" was even of royal heritage, but it later became normalized, allowing any Sikes citizen to use the surname.


    On the Civilization Continuation Plan website there was a photo of Yeliana Sikes; she appeared to be a normal Sikes female without a mechanical exoskeleton, using bionic skin.


    Likewise, her exact age was also indiscernible.


    If one were to use human concepts of age, Yeliana Sikes would appear to be in her twenties.


    The website also displayed the percentage of the population supporting the Escape Faction, accounting for 7% of the Sikes citizens.


    This support rate was higher than what Lu Heng remembered.


    In his previous life, when he entered the Sikes World, the support rate for the Escape Faction was only at 5%, and it was on the rise at that time.


    Because in his previous life, he had entered the Sikes World a year after the Abyss Descent, when the Abyss invasion was more severe than now.


    Large-scale internal conflicts within the Sikes Civilization had already erupted.


    And the Abyss was showing increasingly overwhelming strength.


    As the Abyss became more difficult to combat, the support rates for the Descent Faction and the Escape Faction would continue to increase, while the Stay and Defend Faction''s support would rapidly decline.


    This meant that the support rate for the Escape Faction should gradually increase as the Abyss invasion progressed.


    But why had it reached 7% already?


    According to the timeline, the current support rate should be below 5%.


    A support rate higher than his original memory was the first inconsistency.


    Moreover, the number one leader of the Escape Faction was not the same person from his memory.


    When Lu Heng had joined the Escape Faction in his past life, he had never met this Yeliana Sikes among the faction''s leaders.


    Meaning, this Yeliana Sikes had either died or retreated from public life in the timeline of his previous life.


    Could it be her death that led to a significant drop in the support rate for the Escape Faction?


    As Lu Heng pondered this mystery,


    Su Muyu suddenly reached out and tugged at Lu Heng''s arm, then pointed at the holographic display screen and said, "Take a look at this news article."


    Lu Heng turned to look and froze the moment he read the headline.


    It was titled "Warning from the Famous Scientist Lakrini Sikes."


    The article''s subtitle read "The Abyss is Unbeatable; Only Fleeing the Constant Star System Can Ensure the Continuation of Civilization."


    At first glance, the news article seemed like propaganda for the Escape Faction, using Lakrini Sikes''s warning as its material.


    Who is Lakrini Sikes?


    He was the brain in the vat on the ¦Ë838 Wasteland Planet in Orion.


    When Lu Heng helped free him, he also entrusted Lu Heng with a recording to send an early warning about the Abyss invasion to the Sikes Civilization.


    And now, this message was appearing in the news.


    Lin Zeyu also leaned in to look and blurted out in shock, "This... isn''t this the warning message we sent?"


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "Yes, it''s the one we sent, I never imagined it would become a propaganda slogan for the Escape Faction."


    Su Muyu continued to check Lakrini Sikes''s data and exclaimed in surprise, "Turns out this Lakrini Sikes was one of the three most prominent scientists in their civilization over the past century."


    Understanding dawned on Lu Heng as to why the current support rate for the Escape Faction was so much higher than in his previous life.


    It turned out that Lakrini Sikes was a famous scientist of this century, and a scientist of such caliber had broadcast a message urging the civilization to be vigilant of an Abyss invasion.


    For the average Sikes person, their first reaction would be that the Abyss was truly terrifying.


    Moreover, Lakrini Sikes died on a Wasteland Planet because of his investigations into the true nature of the Abyss. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If such a renowned scientist could die, the ordinary Sikes people would feel even more that the Abyss was unbeatable.


    Under such a mindset, it was not surprising to see an increase in the number of Sikes citizens supporting the Escape Faction.


    Furthermore,


    Su Muyu found an even more crucial piece of information in the data.


    The number one leader of the Escape Faction, Yeliana Sikes, turned out to be the daughter of Lakrini Sikes.

 Chapter 207 - 171: Showdown

    The situation within the Sikes Civilization appeared to have subtly changed due to a message sent from the Wasteland Planet.


    The change seemed small, but its impact was profound.


    The support rate for the Escape Faction had risen by two or three percentage points. At a glance, this number seemed insignificant, but when applied to individual Sikes citizens, it translated into tens of millions of people.


    A single reminder message had caused tens of millions to change their minds and support the Escape Faction, which was no small change.


    Unfortunately, it was Lu Heng who had sent this message.


    Lu Heng had not anticipated that things would develop this way.


    After careful recollection, he confirmed that Yeliana Sikes had not been among the leaders of the Escape Faction in his past life.


    That meant Yeliana Sikes had likely chosen to join the Escape Faction and become a faction leader because of a message her father had sent.


    The reminder from Lakrini Sikes had become a slogan for ideological propaganda within the Escape Faction. It was no surprise that Yeliana Sikes, as his daughter, had been pushed into a leadership position by the Escape Faction.


    "Looking at the current situation, Hasegawa Tom probably already holds some power within the Escape Faction, and it might be difficult for us to join them now," Su Muyu said after reading the information on the network, feeling that the situation was unfavorable for their side.


    After thinking for a moment, Lu Heng said, "That''s not necessarily the case."


    "Have you thought of a way to break the deadlock?" Su Muyu immediately guessed that Lu Heng had come up with a plan.


    Lu Heng began to check the information about Yeliana Sikes in the media of the Sikes Civilization, then deduced the city she was in based on the news.


    As a faction leader, Yeliana Sikes needed to travel to various locations to speak and gain more supporters.


    Thus, the news would report on speeches by Yeliana Sikes.


    There would even be announcements of the venues for her speeches.


    "We''ll just go directly to Yeliana Sikes. No need for mediated communication, we''ll just talk to her directly. She has a speech in City 3 tomorrow; we''ll just find out where she''s staying and arrange a meeting," Lu Heng decided to bypass the usual intermediaries and speak directly to the faction leader.


    The next day.


    After Yeliana Sikes''s speech was over, Su Muyu used the Shen Feather Eagle to track her and determine her place of residence for the evening.


    After eight o''clock in the evening.


    Lu Heng and two others arrived at Yeliana Sikes''s residence, explained their intent at the surveillance device at the door, and were soon let inside.


    A domestic robot at the door scanned them with a beam of light from top to bottom before leading them into the house.


    The house''s decor was very classical, with a cyber-renaissance feel combined with a touch of science fiction, quite unique.


    At this moment,


    Yeliana Sikes was ironing the skin on her arm with a bionic skin care device.


    Bionic skin indeed represented the pinnacle of technological advancement in the Sikes Civilization, but it required regular maintenance to preserve the quality of the bionic skin.


    "Hello, Ms. Sikes, or would ''madam'' be more suitable?" Lu Heng greeted first. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I know who you are, superpower users from human civilization, but you are dangerous elements. I need to remind you that this house has the highest level of security, and if I send out a signal, you will be captured and sent to Federal Prison," Yeliana Sikes''s tone was not very friendly.


    Lu Heng frowned and said, "We mean no harm."


    Yeliana Sikes gave a sneer that a human could recognize and turned on a holographic screen to play a news segment.


    The news reported an incident of alien life-forms escaping from the Mechanical Arena, and displayed photos of Lu Heng and his companions.


    Lu Heng glanced at the news and spread his hands, saying, "We just don''t want to become toys for the Mechanical Beast, and we haven''t done anything extreme. It''s actually your side that has a traitor."


    "Oh? You mean the incidents yesterday when you tried to meet twice and were attacked?" Yeliana Sikes was already aware of what had happened the day before.


    "Obviously, the locations and times for the meetups were leaked," Lu Heng said.


    "It could also be a leak from your side, and besides, you know nothing of our civilization''s technology. Tracking your location isn''t that difficult," Yeliana Sikes didn''t believe in the presence of a traitor among her people.


    If it were anyone else, they might not be able to evade the pervasive surveillance network of the Sikes Civilization.


    But Lu Heng and his companions certainly had the ability.


    The civil surveillance network of the Sikes Civilization mostly employed infrared scanning, while Su Muyu''s Invisibility Skill could block infrared scans.


    And the more advanced surveillance technologies were not available everywhere.


    With sufficient experience, Lu Heng was certain of not being monitored.


    Lu Heng then asked, "I have a question that if answered, will clarify where the problem lies. Has a human joined your faction recently?"


    Yeliana Sikes narrowed her eyes slightly but did not answer the question. "What are you trying to say?"


    Seeing her reaction, Lu Heng guessed the answer.


    Her lack of response confirmed his suspicion.


    If no human had joined, she could have simply said no; there was no need for secrecy.


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "It seems you trust this person a lot, but you''d do well to heed my advice; this person is dangerous."


    Indeed, this probing had confirmed that Hasegawa Tom had indeed come in earlier, joined the Escape Faction, and even met and gained the trust of Yeliana Sikes in person.

 Chapter 208 - 171 Showdown_2

    The person who joined the Escape Faction could only be Hasegawa Tom.


    This time''s Abyss Battlefield danger level is 5, and it''s a competition for Source Material, so the scale won''t be small, at least 30 people.


    Thus, there must be other human Superpower Users who were drafted.


    However, these drafted Superpower Users just arrived the day before yesterday; it''s impossible for them to gain power within the Escape Faction so quickly.


    Only Hasegawa Tom, who came in advance, and due to the different flow of time between the two worlds, might have been here for over a month.


    That much time is enough for him to rise to a high position within the Escape Faction.


    Yeliana Sikes smiled and said, "Indeed, he anticipated that you would come looking, and you would defame him, trying to sow discord among our faction members. Everything is just as he predicted."


    Lu Heng''s expression froze, and he furrowed his brows.


    Things were much trickier than expected.


    "What else did he say? I''m quite curious."


    "He also said that you would defame him, then use information from the Abyss to negotiate with me. You really did bring information related to the Abyss, didn''t you?" Yeliana Sikes seemed to have seen through everything.


    Lu Heng''s mouth curved into a smile as he said, "So you choose to believe him, not us, right?"


    Yeliana Sikes was straightforward in her response, "Of course, you shouldn''t expect that I would believe what you say upon our first meeting."


    Lu Heng looked around and said, "If I''m not mistaken, that person also suggested that once you see us, you should take action to capture us, or even kill us outright. This house must be filled with robots of strong combat power, right?"


    Yeliana Sikes didn''t deny it, she nodded in affirmation, "Talking with you is quite interesting, but unfortunately, your actions are all within expectations."


    She glanced at the time and said, "You don''t have much time left. If you can''t convince me within five minutes, then I''ll have to eliminate you to prevent future troubles."


    "I wouldn''t dare come here without an ace up my sleeve, and it''s one that person doesn''t know of," Lu Heng was still composed.


    "Then bring out your ace. You have four and a half minutes left," Yeliana Sikes said coldly, seemingly on the verge of losing patience. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng took a deep breath, adopted a serious expression, and said, "I''ve met your father, Lakrini Sikes."


    Yeliana Sikes suddenly showed a look of anger, rebuking, "You have no right to mention my father! The contributions he made to civilization are something you bottom-dwellers could never understand!"


    Seeing how much she cared about her father, Lu Heng''s smile brightened, and he shifted the conversation, asking, "After talking for so long, don''t you think my voice sounds a bit familiar?"


    Yeliana Sikes''s gaze sharpened as her brain''s computer quickly analyzed the wave pattern of Lu Heng''s voice, immediately identifying an issue.


    She voiced her anger sharply, "You dare to mimic that recording! You''re challenging my bottom line!"


    The recording in question was indeed personally recorded by Lu Heng, but the Escape Faction had played it during their broadcasts.


    Thus, collecting this recording wasn''t difficult with the intention to do so.


    Therefore, imitating the voice print of the recording wasn''t too difficult either.


    Lu Heng scratched his forehead with his finger and spread his hands, saying, "That recording was sent by me; there''s no need for imitation."


    Yeliana Sikes narrowed her eyes slightly, "Do you know what the consequences of deceiving me would be?"


    Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "How about this. I have evidence to prove that I indeed met your father. I can show you the evidence, but in exchange, you hand over Hasegawa Tom to me. Do we have a deal?"


    Yeliana Sikes remained visibly angry, snorted coldly, and said, "You expect to trade a faction member for a piece of unverified proof? You''re thinking too wishfully."


    Lu Heng spread his hands and said, "If I can''t prove it, just give the order to attack. But if I do have evidence that I met your father, then handing over a traitor from your side shouldn''t be too much to ask of you."


    Yeliana Sikes''s calculating intellect was high; she had already clearly distinguished the pros and cons of the situation from the start.


    However, Lu Heng bringing up her father had greatly affected her emotions, hence the lingering anger.


    After a moment of silence, Yeliana Sikes said coldly, "Alright, produce the evidence."


    In reality, she also wanted to know what had happened in the final moments of her father''s life.


    Lu Heng waved his hand outside, sending out a radio signal to call the Mechanical Tiger in.


    As the Mechanical Tiger entered, it walked into the living room and then bowed its body towards Yeliana Sikes as if to salute.


    Upon seeing the Mechanical Tiger, Yeliana Sikes''s expression froze.


    This was because it was her father''s Mechanical Guardian Beast, also a guardian beast.


    Moreover, the Mechanical Guardian Beast''s serial number was 101, an early model of the Mechanical Guardian Beast.


    The primary binding for the Mechanical Tiger listed Lakrini Sikes first, followed by Yeliana Sikes.


    Lu Heng was only the third in line.


    Thus, when the Mechanical Tiger entered, it prostrated in a salute to Yeliana Sikes.


    "Anka!"


    Yeliana Sikes''s face showed a surprised expression as she called out the Mechanical Tiger''s name.


    That was the name she had given to the Mechanical Tiger as a child, "Anka"!


    She did not recognize it from its appearance since the properties of the liquid metal allowed the Mechanical Tiger''s appearance to change freely.


    Her method of identifying the Mechanical Tiger was very straightforward; she only needed to connect to the signal and check the serial number.


    Therefore, with just a glance, she recognized it as her father''s side Mechanical Guardian Beast.


    "Why is Anka with you?" Yeliana Sikes was very puzzled.


    Because she had viewed the Mechanical Tiger''s binding information, which included Lu Heng''s data.


    In other words, Lu Heng was the owner of the Mechanical Tiger and was the third in line.


    Lu Heng explained, "This was a gift from Mr. Lakrini as thanks for conveying a message for him. You should be clearer than I am that without Mr. Lakrini''s consent, it would not be possible for me to become Anka''s owner."


    Yeliana Sikes naturally understood this point; the process was tied to the Mechanical Core, and unless the Mechanical Core was destroyed, this program could not be changed.


    In other words,


    The third owner information within the Mechanical Core of the Mechanical Tiger had confirmed that Lakrini had personally gifted his Mechanical Guardian Beast to Lu Heng.


    Yeliana Sikes''s expression shifted from shock to confusion as she murmured to herself, "You really met my father..."


    "Yes, I''ve met him and did him a small favor. I just didn''t expect that the message I passed on would become a faction slogan," Lu Heng felt a bit nostalgic.


    "Was he... alright while he was alive?" Yeliana Sikes dropped her hostile demeanor and began to inquire about her father''s condition.


    From her reaction, despite undergoing mechanical transformation, she still retained the affection of a daughter for her father.


    "Not overly well, his brain was preserved in a cultivation tank and had been locked away for fifteen years," Lu Heng briefly recounted the situation at that time.


    However, several key pieces of information were omitted.


    The first piece of information omitted was that Lakrini Sikes''s brain had been contaminated by the Abyss.


    The second piece was that it was Lu Heng himself who had ended the life of Lakrini Sikes''s brain.


    For Lakrini Sikes, death was a liberation.


    Lu Heng had helped him to find that liberation.


    But if this information were disclosed to Yeliana Sikes, Lu Heng would become the murderer of her father.


    Consequently, Lu Heng directly omitted these two key pieces of information and simply stated that he had met Lakrini Sikes and that he had been rewarded with the Mechanical Tiger in gratitude for passing on a message.


    Yeliana Sikes gestured for the Mechanical Tiger Anka to come closer and then reached out to gently stroke it: "Anka, you''ve been with father all along, haven''t you? Good boy..."


    Seizing the moment, Lu Heng pressed, "So, according to our initial agreement, can you hand over Hasegawa Tom to me now? Or just tell me his location."

 Chapter 209 - 172: The Combat Power of Mechanical Transformation

    Sikes Civilization, Second Gaia Planet, City 3.


    Lu Heng arrived in front of a grid house in Gaseous Street, shattering the door with one sword strike.


    Inside the house, Hasegawa Tom was sitting in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, looking sideways at the neon nightscape outside.


    "I had thought that you wouldn''t be easy to deal with, but I couldn''t imagine how you managed it."


    Upon first seeing Hasegawa Tom, Lu Heng was slightly surprised because a large part of his body was covered in mechanical transformation shells.


    Hasegawa Tom rose from his smart mobile chair and turned around to reveal his front, more than half of his torso, from chest to abdomen, was covered with a metallic shell.


    In the Main Quest, there was a choice about whether to accept mechanical transformation.


    Actually, this Main Quest was sort of a giveaway; regardless of whether you accepted the transformation, the Main Quest would be completed.


    Furthermore, the content of the Main Quest was clearly described; after accepting the mechanical transformation, it would be permanent and could be taken back to the origin world.


    This means that after undergoing the mechanical transformation, one would still have the transformed body upon returning to Blue Star.


    From a technological perspective, undergoing mechanical transformation was definitely advantageous.


    Because a body with mechanical transformation has a metallic shell and could replace parts at any time, it wouldn''t require lengthy recovery periods after injuries.


    Besides, mechanical limbs could unleash power surpassing ordinary humans, even surpassing ordinary Superpower Users.


    Mechanical limbs could also be equipped with cutting-edge weapons from Sikes Civilization, providing a quick way to enhance combat power.


    In the Abyss Era, following the mechanical transformation path was a standard enhancement route.


    Compared to other enhancement methods, each had its pros and cons.


    Mechanical transformation routes even had exclusive classes that could leverage the unique advantages of mechanical bodies.


    However, most human Superpower Users still resisted mechanical transformations mentally.


    It was a conceptual resistance, feeling as though the body might be flawed after undergoing mechanical transformation.


    Actually,


    Mechanical transformation had long been hinted at in the Human World.


    For example, inserting steel pins into the body after fractures, heart bypass surgeries, and limb prostheses - these surgeries were essentially forms of basic mechanical transformation.


    However, these transformations were minimal enough that people found them more acceptable.


    The level of mechanical transformation in Sikes Civilization was much higher, directly replacing human organs, limbs, and even critical parts like the heart with machinery.


    Hasegawa Tom showcased his mechanical exoskeleton with a tone of vengeance, "Surprised? I''ve undergone extensive mechanical transformation."


    Lu Heng, seeing clearly the transformed parts, had already guessed the reason for his transformation.


    The transformed parts were primarily focused on the torso, especially around the abdomen, which was completely replaced with a metallic shell.


    Usually, humans started with limbs when undergoing mechanical transformation.


    Directly transforming organs made acceptance harder; comparatively, transforming limbs was more acceptable.


    Hasegawa Tom said coldly, "All this metal casing, courtesy of you."


    The parts he had transformed were the ones injured before being teletransported.


    Before using the Abyss Marker, Lu Heng had used the Windwalker Skill to stab through his abdomen and then added a second stab.


    It was during the second stab that Hasegawa Tom used the Abyss Marker to teleport into the Abyss Battlefield.


    Thus, he had already been stabbed twice before being transported and was severely injured, with organs damaged.


    Such injuries would have been difficult to treat on Blue Star.


    In Sikes Civilization, however, it was much simpler; he was wheeled into a laboratory and underwent mechanical transformation.


    Thus, the chest and abdomen were the most heavily transformed areas.


    Hasegawa Tom shifted from initial hatred to a sinister smile, "Though the mechanical transformation was forced, the results are much more powerful than I anticipated."


    Relatively speaking, Lu Heng was quite familiar with mechanical transformations.


    The civilization level of Sikes Civilization was 2.1, much higher than that of humans.


    Acquiring a technological upgrade of 2.1-level technology to transform the body certainly could enhance combat power significantly.


    Because the transformed mechanical organs could have functional modules fitted, and with enough money, mechanical transformation offered a quick path to enhancing combat power.


    Even the mechanical bodies could be equipped with fusion batteries and miniature fusion bombs.


    For humans, such a level of technology was akin to a dimension-reducing strike.


    Of course, outfitting such cutting-edge weapons required substantial financial backing.


    After all, the majority of Sikes citizens couldn''t afford them, let alone an alien entity.


    However, since Hasegawa Tom had climbed to a high position within the Escape Faction, what level of Sikes weaponry he could equip was uncertain.


    Hasegawa Tom sighed and asked, "Before I kill you, one last question, how did you persuade Yeliana Sikes? It took me a month to secure my current position within the Escape Faction. You''ve only been here for a few days."


    Lu Heng replied with a calm smile, "You took a month, while I had started planning a year ago, of course, I won."


    Hasegawa Tom narrowed his eyes, unable to think of a way to make arrangements more than a year in advance.


    He no longer wanted to think about it, and shouted loudly, "Call your two teammates in. I''ll clean up all of you at once." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 210 - 172: Combat Power of Mechanical Transformation_2

    He slowly rose, unfurling an energy barrier from his metal casing as if a Mechanical War God descended upon the world.


    Lu Heng saw him levitate and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    This floating ability was unmistakably the anti-gravity module of Sikes Civilization.


    Indeed, Hasegawa Tom had undergone mechanical enhancements and installed an anti-gravity module.


    It was top-notch Sikes technology.


    Because anti-gravity technology was 2.0 tech that only Constant Star Civilizations could master at the pinnacle of their development.


    Even within Sikes Civilization, anti-gravity technology was only just starting to be used commercially and wasn''t widespread due to its high cost.


    Getting to outfit oneself with an anti-gravity module a month in advance signified that he had indeed accomplished a lot in that time.


    After floating up, Hasegawa Tom slowly raised his hand and made a pinching motion in the air.


    Lu Heng felt an enormous force grip his neck and lift upward; it was the Source Material Ability, Spiritual Power, of the Second Transition Class Spirit Mind Master.


    Moreover, the Spiritual Power he was using now was much stronger than when on Blue Star.


    The show of force from this Spiritual Power was no less than what 60 points of Strength could muster.


    And since it was Spiritual Power, being transmitted through the air to exert such a potent force indicated an even higher spiritual power.


    This meant that his mechanical augmentations likely included a module of the Spiritual Enhancement type.


    The combination of these two modules had boosted his combat power by over 30%, not to mention the unknown weapon module he might have equipped.


    Lu Heng shouted loudly to free himself from the constraint of the Spiritual Power and then struck with his sword.


    Hasegawa Tom raised his hand and deployed an ion shield that blocked the sword''s attack.


    Another functional module, ion shield technology, with a level below anti-gravity technology but strong functionality and high defensive capability.


    From just a singe exchange, Lu Heng discerned the new powers of the anti-gravity module, ion shield module, and the spiritual power enhancement module on his opponent.


    Not only that, but these modules surely demanded substantial energy support, which meant that a fusion battery must be indispensable.


    Combined, these functional modules could easily crush any other Superpower User in his presence.


    Additionally, Lu Heng noticed something even more alarming: the one before him wasn''t Hasegawa Tom''s true body but instead his Mirror Avatar.


    That''s right, this was just a Mirror Avatar.


    The reason for distinguishing this was quite simple.


    The Sikes engineers who performed his mechanical transformation seemed not to suffer from obsessive-compulsive symmetry, having not made the augmentations symmetrically.


    Thus, it was apparent from his modifications that this was a Mirror Avatar.


    After breaking free from the mental pressure, Lu Heng leveraged the Windwalker Skill, gathering his strength for two seconds, then unleashed a lightning-fast Cloud Piercing Style thrust.


    His sword pierced through the body, shattering the energy of the mirror avatar.


    The Mirror Avatar exploded into fragments.


    Immediately, Lu Heng spoke up on the communication channel: "Find his real body, should be within a three-kilometer radius."


    Su Muyu was already on it, the Spirit Feather Eagle scouring the area within three kilometers rapidly.


    Meanwhile,


    Lin Zeyu''s voice came through the communication channel: "Someone is approaching, humans, three Superpower Users, and they don''t seem friendly."


    Lu Heng burst out of the grid house onto the street, and that''s when he saw the three oncoming Superpower Users.


    They were indeed human, two from Fusang and the other was a black man.


    This black man had a burly physique, looking quite akin to a gorilla with his arms, limbs, and one side of his skull all covered in metal casings, clearly having undergone mechanical transformation.


    Lu Heng with his sword ready shouted, "Stop! In the Abyss Battlefield, I do not initiate attacks on human Superpower Users, but my counterattacks will show no mercy."


    Having encountered all sorts of Superpower Users in the Abyss Battlefield and knowing many secrets of the Abyss,


    Lu Heng always believed that humans drafted into the Abyss Battlefield were there to counter the Abyss, not to slaughter each other.


    With that conviction, Lu Heng usually refrained from attacking human Superpower Users, but if the other party dared to make the first move, his counterattack would be merciless, even more brutal than anyone else.


    The black man burst into loud laughter: "You''re the bounty target. Killing you, I can swap for a high-Level fusion battery. You''re dead!"


    He swung his iron fist toward Lu Heng.


    His arm indeed had an iron fist, covered entirely in a metal layer, clearly indicating the whole arm had been transformed.


    When the fist was thrown, it burst forth with a mechanical vibration and a pneumatic jet acceleration at the elbow, resulting in a punch with a force that seemed to exceed the limit of 70 points of Strength.


    However, against Lu Heng, this low-tech mechanical transformation was meaningless.


    Lu Heng''s gaze turned cold, and without dodging, he rushed forward with a quick step, evading the iron fist and then swinging his sword.


    The sharp blade cut into the attacker''s shoulder, the Aurora Blade piercing the metal shell and slashing into the mechanical transformation module.


    At the same time, the blade erupted with the Power of Thunder and Lightning, wildly spreading and destroying all the mechanical modules.


    Indeed, mechanical transformations could make one stronger, but the modules had a fatal flaw¡ªthey were susceptible to damage from thunder and lightning attacks.


    The outer layer of the metal shell was treated to resist electric and radiation attacks, protecting against external thunder and lightning strikes.


    But, the internally rampaging thunder and lightning were lethal to the mechanical being.


    "Ah!"


    The man had just thrown a punch when his entire body became paralyzed, and a mechanical failure warning appeared in his eyes.


    All the mechanical modules in his body turned red, and he was immobile, crashing to the ground with a "thud."


    Lu Heng stepped on his head, stepping over him: "To undergo such trashy mechanical transformations, gorillas really haven''t evolved brains."


    He crushed his head with one foot, extracting a piece of Source Material.


    Who knew what luck this gorilla had encountered to have garnered Second Transition Source Material.


    This Abyss Battlefield was a conflict for Source Material, where, besides a few special exceptions, all Superpower Users conscripted had to have Source Material.


    It could have been due to luck or perhaps purchased with wealth.


    But judging by this gorilla''s circumstances, it was likely the former.


    After killing the man and extracting the Source Material,


    Lu Heng didn''t reach for it because having attained the Second Transition Class, he had no need to compete for Source Material.


    Before the teleportation, they had discussed how to handle Source Material during combat.


    Source Material was to be given to Su Muyu first since she initiated the Source Material conflict, and absorbing Source Material to 100% might allow her to complete Source Fusion and attain a Class.


    Besides, there was another scenario: if they encountered Source Material suitable for Lin Zeyu''s use, they could hold on to it.


    Lin Zeyu had not yet obtained Second Transition Source Material. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While on Blue Star, he had wanted to buy suitable Source Material but hadn''t found the right fit.


    This was because, at the beginning of Abyss Descent, the demand for Source Material for firearms enhancement skills was too high.


    Most Power Users, after obtaining Divine Energy, would first save up Divine Energy to assimilate firearms.


    After all, firearms did possess significant power, being the crystallization of Human technology.


    During the early stages of Abyss Descent, cold weapons were no match against firearms.


    For this reason, most Power Users were equipped with firearms, many of whom chose firearms enhancement skills and Source Material.


    Especially when it came to Class choices, First Transition Class Users who chose firearms enhancement found it troublesome to switch paths during the Second Transition.


    Thus, those who chose firearms enhancement in the early stages had to continue down that path by the Second Transition.


    This led to Second Transition Source Material for firearms enhancement being costly and in high demand, too pricey to buy even if one had the money.


    That''s why Lu Heng told Lin Zeyu that he might be able to find suitable Second Transition Source Material after entering the Abyss Battlefield.


    After all, there were many opportunities to obtain Source Material in the battle for Source Material on the Abyss Battlefield.


    After the Source Material emerged from the man, the Divine Feather Eagle promptly flew over and snatched it away.


    Su Muyu glanced at the name of the Source Material, it belonged to a close-combat Class, primarily enhancing Strength, not suitable for Lin Zeyu, so she absorbed it directly and then saw the notification of increased Source Quality Fusion.


    [Source Material absorbed, Source Quality Fusion increased to 37%.]


    The Source Material was absorbed, but Lin Zeyu couldn''t help asking, "What Class?"


    "War Armor Warrior, close combat, are you thinking of changing?" Su Muyu had already absorbed it but still teased him.


    Actually, when Lin Zeyu saw that man, he had already guessed the Source Material wouldn''t suit him, but he could not help feeling a little reconciled without asking.

 Chapter 211 - 173: Spiritual Field, Evasion Radar Module

    "After killing that black man, the remaining two Fusangese were no match for Lu Heng either."


    "A casual sword stroke could kill them, and Lin Zeyu even snatched a kill by blowing the head off one Fusangese who was dodging."


    "Only one of the Fusangese had Source Material; it seemed the other was bound by some relationship and had been summoned along."


    "Su Muyu absorbed the Source Material, raising her Source Quality Fusion to 51%, and then located Hasegawa Tom."


    "The control distance for Mirror Avatars wasn''t too far. With the help of Spirit Feather Eagle, finding him wasn''t difficult."


    "''He''s at Gaseous Street District, number 1012, just 1500 meters ahead in a grid-patterned house.''"


    "Lu Heng arrived in front of this house, originally planning to surround it to prevent Hasegawa Tom from escaping."


    "Unexpectedly, Hasegawa Tom flew right out of the house." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He had an Anti-gravity Module equipped and could freely propel his body with the help of Spiritual Power."


    "Combining the two functions gave him the ability to fly freely."


    "Actually, even relying solely on Spiritual Power, a Spirit Mind Master could fly."


    "However, that would require using Spiritual Power to counteract gravity, and at a lower Class, it wasn''t convenient to fly this way due to the significant consumption of Source Energy, and the speed was slow."


    "With an Anti-gravity Module, it was different. The body unaffected by gravity, Spiritual Power could be used entirely for propulsion. The acceleration of flight surpassed gravitational acceleration, and the speed was extremely fast."


    "Hasegawa Tom flew out and hovered in mid-air, followed shortly by two Mechanical Beasts rushing out and taking up positions around him, ready for battle."


    "As Lu Heng got within ten meters of Hasegawa Tom, he suddenly felt an invisible Spiritual Field around him, suppressing his movements."


    "This was unmistakably a Spiritual Field, a large-scale suppression field of a Spirit Mind Master."


    "Superpower Users who entered the field were subjected to its pressure, their actions greatly limited."


    "This sensation felt as if one were carrying hundreds of pounds of weight. If a Superpower User''s Level weren''t high enough, they would be directly pressed to the ground by the Spiritual Field."


    "Feeling the existence of the Spiritual Field, Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, noticing that Hasegawa Tom''s Combat Power had greatly increased."


    "Just by getting into the Abyss Battlefield a bit sooner, he had obtained such a massive boost. Given more time, who knows how much he would have developed."


    "A confident smile appeared on Hasegawa Tom''s face as he arrogantly said, ''I wanted to save some trouble, but in the end, I have to take action myself. Now, taking you guys down is quite easy for me.''"


    "As he spoke, he pressed his hand down toward Lu Heng, and the Spiritual Field suddenly intensified three times over."


    "Lu Heng felt the immense pressure surge from three hundred pounds to a thousand on his body. If his Strength attribute weren''t high enough, he wouldn''t have been able to withstand it."


    "Immediately after,"


    "Hasegawa Tom pointed, and two Mechanical Beasts resembling Hellhounds roared and pounced, aiming to tear Lu Heng to shreds."


    "The Mechanical Tiger behind Lu Heng leaped forward, engaging in combat with one of the Mechanical Beasts."


    "Under the heavy pressure of the Spiritual Field, the Mechanical Tiger''s movements were greatly restricted, but it managed to hold off one Mechanical Beast."


    "Lu Heng utilized his movement technique to dodge the other Mechanical Beast''s attacks and then, under the heavy pressure of the field, charged forward, launching an attack at Hasegawa Tom."


    "The closer he got to Hasegawa Tom, the more intense the physical pressure of the field became."


    "As he approached within three meters, the pressure of the field soared to a staggering 1500 pounds."


    "Lu Heng shouted and, withstanding the heavy pressure, thrust out with his sword."


    "Because of the presence of the field''s pressure, this thrust was much slower than usual."


    "Hasegawa Tom lightly lifted his hand. His Spiritual Power propelled him aside with agility to dodge the thrust."


    "Lu Heng tried several stabs, but all were evaded."


    "Hasegawa Tom burst into laughter, ''This is why the creator invited me. The strength of a Spirit Mind Master is something you can''t comprehend.''"


    "In fact, Lu Heng had known from the start how strong a Spirit Mind Master was. If he completed Source Fusion and obtained a full Class, his Spiritual Field would be even stronger."


    "The fact that "the creator" invited him was indeed partly because of the Spirit Mind Master Class."


    "Furthermore, he controlled the Soul Capturing Monster, effectively controlling the political situation in Fusang, which was another important reason the "creator" organization valued him."


    "However, Lu Heng hadn''t followed 027''s instructions to invite him to join, but almost killed him instead."


    "The reason Lu Heng dared to do so was that "the creator" was a rather loose organization."


    "The hierarchy of power in the organization was sequential."


    "In other words, the smaller the number in "the creator," the higher the rank of power."


    "Lu Heng was 028. If Hasegawa Tom officially joined, his number would be 029."


    "That is to say, Lu Heng would be Hasegawa Tom''s superior and authorized to issue commands to him."


    "Just as 027 had the authority to issue commands to Lu Heng."


    "In other words,"


    "during the invitation process, if Lu Heng was dissatisfied, he could retract the invitation at any time."


    "Just like when Lu Heng received the invitation. The envelope that contained the Soul Capturing Monster''s data had its validity only for that evening until ten o''clock."


    "Lu Heng opened the envelope in the last two minutes of its validity."


    "Had he opened the envelope too late, it would have meant a refusal of the invitation, and 027 had the authority to retract the invitation."


    "That was the authority of 027."


    "Now, that authority was in Lu Heng''s hands."


    "Lu Heng was dissatisfied with Hasegawa Tom. The invitation procedure wasn''t completed, so he could retract the invitation at any moment."


    "Coldness glinted in Hasegawa Tom''s eyes as he said, ''You''ve snatched back my invitation, aren''t you afraid of being cleared by the creator?''"


    Lu Heng twisted the corners of his mouth and said, "Have you gotten things wrong? You are not a member of the creators yet, but I am, and my rank is higher than yours. Whether you can join the creators or not is up to me, and you haven''t passed my inspection."


    Hasegawa Tom scoffed coldly, "Then I''ll just kill you and go directly to your superiors."


    "You don''t really think you can take me down with spiritual power, do you?"


    Lu Heng had indeed tried to attack with his sword several times. Under the heavy pressure of the field, the speed of his attack had slowed, while Hasegawa Tom, with the help of the anti-gravity system and spiritual power, could move freely in mid-air, displaying a tremendous ability to dodge.


    Hasegawa Tom burst into laughter and said, "Haven''t you noticed? Your sword can''t hurt me at all; you must think it''s the spiritual field suppressing your speed that''s causing you to miss. However, there are more powerful functions on me that you don''t know about."


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and launched several more attacks.


    He then found that Hasegawa Tom could dodge each attack with precise timing as if he had some kind of dodge cheat activated.


    Lu Heng even used a variation of the Step Sword Seven Styles, nearly succeeding, but just as his sword light was about to stab into his abdomen, his figure miraculously moved sideways by 10 centimeters to the right, avoiding the sword.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng almost suspected that he had a "Bullet Time" type of skill.


    Because the movement where he shifted sideways by 10 centimeters at the end was just too reminiscent of the dodging ability in "Bullet Time," making the most effective dodge in a fraction of a second.


    After several attacks were dodged at the last moment, Lu Heng roughly guessed the reason.


    "You actually have an evasion radar module."


    Hasegawa Tom raised an eyebrow and said with a proud smile, "You actually know about this module. That''s quite rare."


    The evasion radar module, a component of the Sikes Civilization''s mechanical upgrades, was one of the more advanced features.


    The evasion radar module worked by using radar detection to lock on enemy attacks and then calculating the optimum evasion strategy through the AI system for the most precise dodging.


    This module could make the most accurate judgments, but had no dodge ability on its own.


    The user themselves must have the ability to dodge to make it work.


    If it were any other superpower user, even with the evasion radar module, they wouldn''t be fast enough to dodge Lu Heng''s sword.


    However, Hasegawa Tom significantly suppressed Lu Heng''s speed with the spiritual field, and with the anti-gravity system combined with the power of spiritual power providing the dodge propulsion, he obtained the ability to precisely dodge attacks.


    In other words, Hasegawa Tom, relying on spiritual power, the evasion radar module, and the anti-gravity module, had together achieved a "Bullet Time" level of dodging ability.


    After understanding the source of his dodging ability, Lu Heng''s mouth curved into a smile as he said, "For others, perhaps they can do nothing against you, but to me, your dodge ability is insignificant."


    Dodging has a prerequisite¡ªit requires a speed fast enough to avoid the attack.


    Meaning the defender''s dodging speed must reach a threshold to be able to avoid the attack, and the faster the attacker''s speed, the higher this threshold becomes.


    When the attacker''s speed far exceeds the dodging threshold, the defender, even with an evasion radar system, cannot escape.


    In other words, the way to counter Hasegawa Tom''s dodging ability was simple: increase the speed of the sword strike to the extreme, overpowering his dodging speed, making it impossible for him to dodge.


    Lu Heng''s eyes gleamed as he lowered his body and began charging his power as a "Windwalker."


    Streams of Gale Force gathered within Lu Heng''s body, compressing continuously.


    Hasegawa Tom felt the presence of a whirlwind gathering around Lu Heng''s body. He had seen this move before.


    Back on Blue Star, it was this very move that had struck him through with a sword, causing serious injury.


    Thus, seeing Lu Heng begin to charge, a ruthless look flashed in his eyes as he snorted coldly, "The same skill, you want to use it against me a second time? Die!"


    With that, he raised his mechanical arm and activated the attack module.


    The shell of the mechanical arm flipped open and twelve miniature fusion bombs shot out.


    At the same time, a Mechanical Beast entangled by the Divine Feather Eagle turned its head, its liquid metal shell on its body opening to reveal a missile module launching another twelve miniature fusion bombs.


    Twenty-four miniature missiles fired towards Lu Heng.


    At that moment, Lu Heng was in the middle of charging, compressing the Gale Force.


    Unable to make big movements while charging, otherwise the charging would fail.


    While charging under the spiritual field, Lu Heng could barely move his body unless he aborted the process.


    But the twenty-four miniature missiles were already on their way.


    A smile curved Lu Heng''s lips; he did not interrupt his charge, instead immediately activating "Shadow Traversal," letting his body slip into the shadows, becoming exempt from physical collision.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    The twenty-four miniature fusion bombs struck the spot where Lu Heng stood, blowing craters into the ground.


    Hasegawa Tom''s spiritual power quickly scanned the explosion zone but found no shattered remains of Lu Heng.


    This made him feel something was amiss, so he immediately flew backward to create a safe distance.


    Just at that moment.


    Lu Heng finished charging, and the Gale Force erupted, turning him into a shadowy lightning bolt, shooting out from the explosion''s flames.


    "Windwalker" charged and exploded, accelerating by 360%, and the "Shadow Traversal" state sped up by 300%.


    The combined effects amounted to a 660% acceleration.


    Supported by a super high Agility of 74 points, Lu Heng burst out at an extreme speed of 390 meters per second, instantly breaking the sound barrier.


    Boom!


    In an instant, he crossed a hundred meters and the Cloud Piercing Style stabbed into Hasegawa Tom''s abdomen, sinking into the hilt.


    The ferocious kinetic energy instantly shredded his metal shell, blowing the metal apart.


    Hasegawa Tom''s body broke in half and fell from the sky, organic body parts spraying blood.


    His eyes filled with shock, his brain entered a moment of void.


    Because just in the moment of fleeing backward, he had seen the alerts from the evasion radar system, red alerts across the whole system, warning him of an attack he couldn''t dodge.


    Almost at the moment the red alert appeared, he was run through by the sword, with no chance to react.

 Chapter 212 - 174 Class: Sky Vault Lord

    "Are you done over there? I can hardly hold on anymore."


    Lin Zeyu shouted into the communication channel, single-handedly holding off a charge of over a dozen mechanical guards with Source Energy Shock Bombs.


    Such a ruckus in Gaseous Street, and the use of miniature missiles, had wrecked a large portion of the area.


    Naturally, it attracted nearby mechanical guards.


    Lin Zeyu kept intercepting the converging mechanical guards. At first, when there were few, one shot each as long as he hit the battery, these mechanical guards would drop.


    Although the armor on the mechanical guards'' battery modules was the thickest, it couldn''t withstand the attack of the Dual Effect Sniper Rifle coupled with the "Advanced Armor-Piercing Bullet" skill.


    One shot per mechanical guard, directly blowing up the battery.


    However, as the number of mechanical guards converging increased, he didn''t even have time to reload, only able to intercept with Source Energy Shock Bombs.


    In the end, he could no longer hold them off.


    "Mu Yu, take over for him. Once the operation is complete, we''re moving out."


    Lu Heng spoke into the communication channel while stepping in front of Hasegawa Tom.


    The mechanical transformation module at Hasegawa Tom''s abdomen had shattered, causing his body to split into two.


    However, since he had undergone mechanical transformation, there were no organs in his chest or abdomen, so even though his body was in two pieces, he didn''t die.


    Hasegawa Tom could still use spiritual power, carrying his upper torso as he tried to fly away.


    His mechanical transformation was extensive. As long as his head was preserved, returning to the mechanical transformation factory to attach a mechanical body would lead to an immediate restoration to his intact condition.


    However, Lu Heng didn''t give him that chance, slashing with his sword and cleaving his head in two like slicing a watermelon.


    After Hasegawa Tom died, his Second Transition Class "Spirit Mind Master" Source Material was released.


    Lu Heng picked up the "Spirit Mind Master" Source Material, turned back, and also killed the two Mechanical Beasts.


    The Mechanical Beasts'' master-servant programming, once bound, couldn''t be modified.


    Thus, Lu Heng directly blew up the mechanical core of the two Mechanical Beasts and picked up the miniature missile launcher module from one of them.


    Then, Lu Heng and his team regrouped and withdrew from Gaseous Street before the mechanical guards could encircle them.


    ¡­


    After withdrawing, the trio directly went to the safe house organized by Yeliana Sikes.


    Having gained the trust of Yeliana Sikes and successfully joining the Escape Faction, they had completed half of the third challenge task.


    After confirming safety, the three were finally able to rest, eat, and restore their strength.


    Lu Heng took out the "Spirit Mind Master" Source Material, tossed it to Su Muyu, and said, "Absorb this."


    Lin Zeyu took it and glanced at it, saying, "This class is strong, Spirit Mind Master."


    Indeed, "Spirit Mind Master" is strong; there''s no dispute there.


    However, this class is a spiritual system class, and only Su Muyu barely qualifies.


    Su Muyu already had the "Sky Vault Lord" Class Source Material, both very strong classes, but the "Sky Vault Lord" was more in line with her path.


    "Spirit Mind Master" was still more suited to Superpower Users who specialized in spiritual power.


    Lin Zeyu was on a firearms enhancement path. Using "Spirit Mind Master" wasn''t impossible, but his later development path needed significant adjustments.


    He felt a bit envious and asked, "Is there a possibility for me to transition to ''Spirit Mind Master''?"


    Lu Heng glanced at him and answered, "Possible, but you would need to make large adjustments in your subsequent path, and you''re not specialized in spiritual power, so you won''t get the best effect from ''Spirit Mind Master''."


    The most important ability of "Spirit Mind Master" is the Spiritual Field, which requires very high spiritual power.


    If one possesses a spiritual growth talent like "Agile as a Dragon", then adopting the "Spirit Mind Master" class would be very strong.


    Without high spiritual power, "Spirit Mind Master" wouldn''t be as effective.


    Lin Zeyu, not having a Second Transition Source Material yet, felt an itch and asked, "If I transition to ''Spirit Mind Master'', how effective can it be?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and answered, "About 70% effective."


    "70%, that''s pretty high," Lin Zeyu heard 70% and thought, why need anything else?


    Lu Heng glanced disdainfully at him and said, "In my view, if you took a firearms enhancement class for your Second Transition Class, you could score 90%."


    "90%!"


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, and he asked uncertainly, "Am I that strong?"


    Su Muyu couldn''t help but snap at him, "Perhaps he''s talking about a percentage system."


    "A percentage system, not likely right. I''m not that bad..."


    As he said this, doubt suddenly crept into his mind, and he hurriedly asked, "Lu Heng, it''s not a percentage system, right?"


    Lu Heng shook his head and smiled, ignoring the idiot.


    After some serious thinking, Lin Zeyu concluded that he surely wouldn''t only get a single-digit score in a percentage system, then passed the Source Material back to Su Muyu.


    "Here you go. This Source Material is quite substantial, about 57%. If Hasegawa Tom had a little more time, he probably would have achieved a complete class."


    Su Muyu took the Source Material and thought for a moment before asking, "Should we keep it? After we return, this Source Material could definitely be traded for many resources."


    Her hoarding nature erupted again, liking to stash good things without using them.


    Her Divine Energy had already accumulated to 2700 points.


    Lu Heng promptly made the decision for her: "Absorb it, and claim the ''Sky Vault Lord'' class now. Afterward, we just need to focus on finding Source Material for this fool."


    "Right, right, right, absorb it quickly," Lin Zeyu heard this and felt the arrangement was especially good. As long as Su Muyu completed the Source Fusion, it would be his turn next.


    And also, since the team was so strong, collecting more Source Material could potentially satisfy their needs at once.


    "Okay."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, absorbing that portion of Source Material.


    [Absorbing Source Material, Source Quality Fusion reached 100%]


    [Source Fusion complete, Class Fusion complete, promoted to Second Transition Class "Sky Vault Lord".]


    [Sky Vault Lord: Condenses Energy Wings to fly in the sky, becoming the master of the skies.]


    [Effect 1: Energy Wings can envelop the body for defense, or transform into Energy Feather Arrows for attacks.]


    [Effect 2: Enhances the combat power of flying summoned creatures and increases summoning level.]


    [Effect 3: Controls the weather in a small area, summoning wind and rain, gathering clouds.]


    [Divine Feathered Eagle Power enhanced.]


    [Attribute: Detecting Invisibility Range=12¡ÁPerception; Attack Damage=8¡ÁSpiritual Power.]


    [Divine Feathered Eagle Skill: Flowing Light Speed, Blazing Flame Light]


    [Blazing Flame Light: Releases all energy, emitting Blazing Flame Light, illuminating a 10-meter radius, causing high-temperature damage. Damage coefficient=20¡ÁSpiritual Power.]


    After reading the abilities obtained from the completed Class, Su Muyu excitedly said, "I''ve gained the power to control the weather, although it''s only on a small scale, this power is incredible, right?"


    Lu Heng nodded and replied, "Indeed, it''s impressive, even having a certain strategic value."


    Su Muyu continued, "The scout eagle''s scouting range and attack power have both increased. Now its attack is even more fierce than a sniper rifle."


    Lin Zeyu, upon hearing this, widened his eyes, "What do you mean? Now even an eagle has a higher attack than me?"


    Su Muyu covered her mouth and laughed, "What''s the matter? Can''t accept it?"


    "All good, all good... How can I not accept it," Lin Zeyu quickly backed down.


    Considering just attack power, the Divine Feathered Eagle''s attack power was 8¡ÁSpiritual Power, and currently, Su Muyu''s Spiritual Power was at 60 points, meaning the Divine Feathered Eagle had an attack power of 480.


    However, the Divine Feathered Eagle couldn''t use weapons or have skill enhancements, so in a real fight, Lin Zeyu''s damage output would be higher.


    After all, he had the "Advanced Armor-Piercing Bullet" and "Precise Shooting" Talent, plus a +9 Dual Effect Sniper Rifle, which meant the bullet power wasn''t just a simple number.


    ...


    Then, Lu Heng waved over the Mechanical Tiger Anka, and handed over a missile module, asking, "Can it be used?"


    The Mechanical Tiger''s liquid metal shell transformed, incorporating the missile module into the liquid metal, positioning it at the abdomen.


    Because the module was installed under the liquid metal shell, it was completely invisible from the outside.


    "What''s that?" asked a curious Lin Zeyu.


    "Missile firing module, we just picked it up, kept it to see if the Mechanical Tiger could use it," Lu Heng was also not too sure.


    Because technological products are quickly outdated, if the interface wasn''t compatible, it might not work.


    However, since the Mechanical Tiger had already installed the missile module, it meant it could be used.


    Lu Heng glanced at the Mechanical Tiger''s data panel, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.


    [Mechanical Beast 101]


    [Core Level: A]


    [Attribute: Attack Power 350]


    [Skills: Metal Enhancement, City-breaking Charge, Fiery Flame Shield]


    [Mechanical Module: Miniature Missile Firing Module (Missiles available 0/12)]


    The data on the Mechanical Tiger showed the missile firing module, meaning the interface was compatible, and it could be used.


    However, since there were no miniature missiles left¡ªall had been fired during a previous battle¡ªthey needed to find suitable types of missiles to load before the module could be functional.


    "Give it a try, see what it does," Lin Zeyu circled around the Mechanical Tiger.


    The Mechanical Tiger''s liquid metal shell on both sides opened, exposing the missile firing module, and twelve miniature missile ports opened simultaneously.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyebrows rose, he exclaimed, "That''s way too cool!"


    Lu Heng teased, "Want one?"


    "I want one!" Lin Zeyu nodded vigorously.


    "Accept mechanical transformation, and this kind of module can be installed."


    "No, thanks." Lin Zeyu rolled his eyes resolutely refusing; the thought of turning his body into mechanical metal was simply unacceptable.


    However, he remained curious and asked, "Tell me honestly, is mechanical modification good or not?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and answered, "There''s no good or bad, it''s just a choice. Mechanical bodies have pros and cons."


    "What are they? What are the advantages and disadvantages?"


    "The advantages are many; mechanical bodies don''t get sick, damaged parts can be replaced directly. They don''t need food, just charging. As for the disadvantages..." Lu Heng paused after listing the advantages.


    Su Muyu took over, "The disadvantage would probably be losing biological evolution abilities. Combat power upgrading entirely depends on technological level. Obtaining higher level technological modules can instantly enhance combat capabilities, but without higher tech support, combat effectiveness would stagnate or even degrade when damaged and unable to be repaired."


    Lu Heng continued, "Actually, if one chooses mechanical modification, then establishing a presence in the Cyber World as a second main world is a route that could quickly boost combat power. However, the metal element''s mechanical modification has one major downside."


    "What''s that?" S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Never encounter Chen Zihang."

 Chapter 213 - 175: Really Hungry

    "Last night, a demon attack occurred in the Gaseous District, where a demon devoured four alien life forms and destroyed more than twenty Mechanical Guards. The nature of the incident is extremely malicious¡­"


    Upon seeing the morning news the next day, Lu Heng and his two companions were dumbfounded.


    The incident that happened last night in the Gaseous District of City 3 was clearly a battle with Hasegawa Tom.


    How could the news report describe it as a demon attack?


    Soon, the three of them saw the reason in the news video.


    The battle last night had resulted in four deaths: a black man, two people from Fusang, and Hasegawa Tom.


    When Lu Heng made his move, his technique was clean and sharp, usually killing with a single stroke, leaving a very smooth cut.


    However, the four corpses shown in the news video looked as if they had been gnawed on by wild dogs, with not a single piece of flesh intact.


    Even the contents of their skulls had been eaten clean, creating a scene that was extremely bloody and gruesome.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened as he said, "We didn''t do this!"


    Clearly, they hadn''t.


    Even if they had wanted to do so, they couldn''t have produced so many jagged tooth marks.


    There was only one possibility¡ªafter the three of them had left, something had completely devoured the four bodies.


    "How could this be so terrible?" Su Muyu said, feeling nauseated upon seeing the bloody images in the video.


    "It must be because there''s so little food, this thing must have been starving," Lu Heng quipped, making a hellish joke.


    But he wasn''t entirely joking.


    The Sikes Civilization was already a semi-Mechanical Civilization, with every Sikes citizen in the city being mechanical.


    Being mechanical beings, they only required charging and did not need food, so there was very little food in the city, and organisms were scarce¡ªwasn''t that enough to starve?


    Just as the three of them were amazed by the news content,


    Su Muyu raised her eyebrows, alerting, "Yeliana has brought a squad of guards here."


    Before she had finished speaking, the door was pushed open from the outside.


    Yeliana Sikes entered with a squad of Mechanical Guards and loudly demanded, "Which demon are you exactly?"


    Hearing this accusation, Lu Heng remained composed and retorted, "Are you referring to this news report?"


    "What else? Don''t tell me that you weren''t the ones who killed those people," Yeliana Sikes said with deep suspicion in her eyes.


    Lu Heng spread his hands and stated, "We did kill them, but we didn''t eat them."


    If he had said this to other humans, it would have been relatively easy to believe.


    After all, a human seeing such a bloody scene would not think it was done by humans.


    However, Yeliana Sikes didn''t think so.


    To her, humans were alien life forms.


    If one day an alien life form arrived on Blue Star and devoured humans this way, humans wouldn''t find it too strange.


    Lu Heng beckoned the Mechanical Tiger Anka over and said, "You can ask Anka, if you don''t trust us, you should at least trust Anka, right?"


    In the Mechanical Tiger''s binding information, Yeliana Sikes was second in line.


    She didn''t ask verbally but instead directly interfaced with the Mechanical Tiger to exchange information, then nodded and said, "The bodies surely weren''t eaten by you, but the people were killed by you, so the incident is still related to you."


    Due to her mechanical transformation, Yeliana Sikes''s thinking leaned towards mechanical reasoning.


    For mechanical thinking, the judgment of a matter only has two states, "0" and "1."


    The information provided by the Mechanical Tiger Anka completely convinced her of Lu Heng and his companions.


    Lu Heng pondered and then said, "I suspect that this matter is related to the demon. Our purpose here is to find the demon. I hope to obtain a visa to go to the scene for investigation. Perhaps we can find that fearsome thing."


    The computational thinking speed is determined by the processing power, and Yeliana Sikes''s processing power was strong.


    Thus, on whether to grant Lu Heng and his companions a visa, she only needed 0.01 seconds to decide.


    Then, she took three bracelets from the Mechanical Guards and said, "These are visa bracelets that will allow you to move in the planet''s areas below Level B."


    The planet areas of Sikes Civilization are divided into A, B, and C levels.


    Usually, A-level areas include military and scientific buildings, which cannot be accessed with a B-level visa.


    Lu Heng took the bracelets and asked, "Can we go to the scene to check it out? We were there last night, revisiting the scene now could help us find more clues."


    Yeliana Sikes thought briefly and answered, "You can. I''ll send a squad of Mechanical Guards to escort you there, but I need to know about any clues you find right away."


    ¡­


    In the afternoon.


    Lu Heng and his companions, dressed in metal-shelled clothing, arrived at Gaseous Street.


    The scene had been sealed off, needing the escort of Mechanical Guards to cross the barrier and enter the street where the battle had occurred the previous night.


    The three traced their steps from the night before, walking the route from start to finish.


    The spots where Lu Heng killed the black man and the two from Fusang showed few traces of battle because they had been quick kills.


    The three bodies had not been dragged; they lay where they were devoured into fragments.


    The bones also bore marks of sharp teeth.


    Su Muyu repeatedly covered her mouth with her hand, suppressing the acid reflux in her stomach.


    "This has been eaten quite cleanly, he must have been very hungry," Lin Zeyu squatted in front of several pieces of broken bones and made a very objective evaluation.


    Lu Heng picked up a steel bar, turned over a bone, and saw a strange trace.


    From the bite marks on the bone, it was clearly bitten by sharp teeth, but some traces did not look like tooth marks; rather, they seemed to be made by something made of metal.


    This skeleton was wider and belonged to the black man; Lu Heng had dealt with him with one stroke of his sword.


    Therefore, the marks on these bones were not made by the Aurora Blade.


    "Strange."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "There are traces here made by a metallic Sharp Blade, but the other parts are bitten by sharp teeth. If there were only biting marks, it wouldn''t be strange¡ªany demon with sharp teeth could do it. But, the presence of metallic marks, too, is a bit peculiar," Lu Heng shared his doubts.


    "Is it possible that these corpses were gnawed by two things, one being a demon with sharp teeth and the other some sort of metallic object?" Lin Zeyu speculated.


    Su Muyu shook her head and said, "That shouldn''t be the case. Although this isn''t the center of City No. 3, such commotion brought the mechanical guards here. There wouldn''t have been enough time for two separate gnawing episodes.


    "So, I think there''s another possibility. Do you all remember the laboratory we destroyed on Orion ¦Ë838?


    "In that underground lab, they were conducting mechanical modification experiments on demons. If similar experiments are being conducted here, that would make sense."


    Lu Heng also considered this possibility, which seemed more likely than Lin Zeyu''s speculation.


    "If that''s the case, following this clue might lead us to find the Abyss Pollution Source."


    Among the tasks in this challenge was to find the source of the Abyss pollution.


    [2. Find the root of the Abyss pollution and eliminate it.]


    They had been clueless initially, but having found this clue, it seemed hopeful to find the source.


    Afterwards, Lu Heng went to see the remains of Hasegawa Tom and noticed several missing mechanical modification modules. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He distinctly remembered using the supersonic Cloud Piercing Style last night, stabbing through Hasegawa Tom''s mechanical mods.


    The massive kinetic energy tore these modules apart, then burst with the Power of Thunder and Lightning, destroying all the mechanical elements.


    When the modules exploded, they shattered into pieces on the ground.


    Due to the severe damage to these modules and lack of time to collect them, they were left here.


    However, now it was evident that one-third of the scattered mechanical module fragments had been taken away.


    If it was officials from the Sikes Civilization who had cleaned up, they would have taken everything, not just part of it.


    Now, only one-third missing indicated that there was definitely some secret hidden within these taken mechanical pieces.


    ¡­


    After spending half an hour on site, suddenly a mechanical police officer arrived.


    This mechanical officer first interrogated Lu Heng and the others, scanning their Visa Bracelets before letting them go.


    After leaving the site, Lu Heng went to meet Yeliana Sikes.


    There were still some questions that he needed answers to from her.


    Lu Heng pointed at the photos on the holographic screen and asked, "Can you identify what these mechanical module fragments are?"


    Using her access privileges, Yeliana Sikes consulted the site inspection report and replied, "The identification report just came out; the main functions of these module fragments are anti-gravity systems, miniature missile launch systems, and evasion radar systems."


    Lu Heng continued, "Anything else? Are there other modules?"


    He had recognized these modification modules on Hasegawa Tom the previous night.


    Yeliana Sikes shook her head and replied, "The fragments are very fragmented, so we can only identify the module functions through primary components, thus the report only mentioned these three types of fragments."


    Lu Heng pondered and then asked further, "Is there a module that enhances spiritual power?"


    Last night when battling with Hasegawa Tom, he had distinctly felt that his Spiritual Field was stronger than when they first met.


    Thus, he had inferred that his spiritual power had risen above 70 points.


    In such a short time, his spiritual power couldn''t have increased so significantly without some enhancements.


    So, at that time, Lu Heng suspected that Hasegawa Tom had installed a Spiritual Power Enhancement Module.


    Yeliana Sikes said surprisingly, "There''s no such module you''re talking about."


    "Are you sure?"


    "It''s not that the fragments don''t have it; it''s that our Sikes technology doesn''t have a module to boost spiritual power."


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and said in surprise, "Are you sure?"


    "Of course, we only need computing power, not spiritual power," Yeliana Sikes responded very crisply.


    Lu Heng paused for a moment because her response was indeed correct.


    Sikes Civilization was already in the final stages of a semi-mechanical civilization, and robots don''t possess something like spiritual power.


    Because of this trait, robots are completely immune to Spirit Control Skills.


    Following this line of thought, it made sense that the Sikes Civilization''s mechanical modification technology wouldn''t include modules that enhance spiritual power.


    However, in his previous life, when Lu Heng had entered Queen Star of Sikes, he had seen a Spiritual Power Enhancement Module.


    If his memory was accurate, it meant that Sikes Civilization did not yet have this technology but would have it a year later.

 Chapter 214 - 176: The Pioneer of Mechanical Life

    The Spiritual Power Enhancement Module within mechanical transformations is useless to the Sikes because a fully transformed Sikes individual does not possess "Spirit" as an attribute.


    That means, under normal circumstances, the Sikes Civilization would not research spiritual power enhancement technology.


    A technology deemed valueless would not be developed.


    Even if it was a passing technological advance, it would only reach the laboratory stage.


    Unless there were other reasons motivating the research of this technology.


    The development of a new technology to the stage of producing products usually takes a considerable amount of time.


    In other words, if the Sikes Civilization had a Spiritual Power Enhancement Module a year later, then they should already be researching it now, or perhaps laboratory products might even exist. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, since this technology has not been made public, Yeliana Sikes was unaware of its existence.


    After Hasegawa Tom had a Spiritual Power Enhancement Module fitted to him, the fragments were collected upon his death.


    This means that some organization or force is secretly conducting research in this technology and does not want it to be known.


    Then, a new question arose.


    Was the "thing" that collected the fragments of the Spiritual Power Enhancement Module the same "thing" that was eating the corpses?


    Lu Heng spoke with certainty, "Miss Sikes, you might need to consider the Spiritual Power Enhancement Module seriously because I found such a module on Hasegawa Tom''s body, it''s just that you were not aware."


    Yeliana Sikes''s gaze sharpened, displaying a look of confusion, she asked, "Are you sure?"


    Lu Heng nodded affirmatively, "I am very sure, and moreover, at least a third of the parts were missing from the scattered fragments on the ground. In other words, someone took away pieces of the Spiritual Power Enhancement Module."


    Yeliana Sikes raised an eyebrow and revisited the inspection report.


    In the report, she noticed it did mention a small amount of fragments from an unknown module.


    However, these mechanical transformation modules were smashed, producing some indecipherable fragments, which were generally not further investigated.


    Now, hearing the doubts raised by Lu Heng and combining them with the contents of the inspection report, Yeliana Sikes realized that indeed fragments from an unknown module had been taken.


    Leaving other fragments behind but taking this particular module was in itself quite telling.


    Given his low clearance level, it was challenging for Lu Heng to obtain valuable information within the Sikes Civilization network data; therefore, he had no choice but to inquire with Yeliana Sikes.


    "There must be some organization or laboratory researching the Spiritual Power Enhancement Module. I believe that the ''entity'' which took the module fragments and the ''entity'' eating the corpses might be the same, or even if they are not, following this lead could provide more information. So, Miss Sikes, I think you should look over additional material and provide some clues," Lu Heng suggested.


    When a computer is weighing whether to do something, there are only two possible outcomes: "yes" and "no."


    There was no need for extensive persuasion; as long as the request was reasonable and beneficial to her, Yeliana Sikes would not refuse.


    After making her calculations, she reached a decision, then quickly perused the information and provided a clue,


    "In the last year, there was a wanted scientist researching mechanical life, believing that robots can also possess characteristics of life. Perhaps following this lead may unravel some clues.


    "The scientist''s name is Xavier Matrix, because his research project breached the Sikes Third Edition Technology Union Act, he''s currently wanted. I find this Xavier Matrix very suspicious."


    "Xavier Matrix?"


    On hearing the name, Lu Heng raised an eyebrow.


    Because in future generations, this name was quite famous¡ªan infamous mad scientist of the Sikes Civilization and a pioneer of mechanical life research.


    The reason he violated the Sikes Technology Union Act was that his ideals conflicted with the laws of the Sikes Civilization.


    The Sikes Civilization did not forbid the research of mechanical life.


    In fact, it was an important research direction for the Mechanical Civilization.


    However, Sikes laws stipulated that only Sikes citizens could become mechanical life forms, and it was not permissible to grant life to ordinary mechanical life forms.


    This means that robots manufactured in factories within the Sikes Civilization are not to possess life.


    Only individuals who were originally Sikes citizens could be granted life.


    The purpose of this act is to ensure the "human rights" of Sikes citizens.


    A peculiar set of laws, but also quite reasonable.


    Do Sikes individuals who have undergone mechanical transformations still retain "human rights"?


    That question seemed to relate to morality; then, do Sikes individuals who have been transformed into robots still have morality?


    The answer is yes.


    "Morality" is an abstract concept, and "human rights" are more concrete but equally invisible and intangible.


    However, if a civilization lacks both of these, whether the civilization itself still exists is questionable.


    Hence, the Sikes Civilization indeed had a set of laws that prohibited research organizations from granting life to assembly line robots.


    Nonetheless, the technology of mechanical life is still in the research phase.


    Actually, similar issues also exist within human society.


    For instance, should the "citizen" status be acknowledged for cloned humans if human cloning becomes a reality.


    This is a sensitive topic.


    If the "citizen" status of cloned humans is recognized, then they would be entitled to "human rights" and protected by law.

 Chapter 215 - 176: The Pioneer of Mechanical Life_2

    Humans hadn''t yet encountered this problem, but with the advance of technology, they would inevitably face it one day.


    Returning to the topic of mechanical life, this Ze Wei''er Matrix was later known as a pioneer of mechanical life.


    However, Ze Wei''er Matrix did not have a good reputation within the Sikes Civilization because he researched technology by any means necessary, even notorious methods.


    Besides that,


    Ze Wei''er Matrix would also become famous in the future for another reason, which was the Combat Mechanical Angels he created were so powerful that even the military couldn''t handle them.


    Otherwise, with his notorious reputation, even if he wasn''t killed, he would definitely be kept under surveillance.


    Of course, the current scientific achievements of Ze Wei''er Matrix probably weren''t that strong yet.


    When Lu Heng heard the name Ze Wei''er Matrix, he speculated that this crazy scientist might be researching Mechanical Demons.


    This possibility was significant, given the reputation of Ze Wei''er Matrix, it wouldn''t be surprising if he did such a thing.


    If Ze Wei''er Matrix was really researching Mechanical Demons, the Spiritual Power Enhancement Module must also have been his creation.


    Then it seemed like things were beginning to connect.


    There was a demon that had undergone mechanical transformation but hadn''t completed the full mechanical process, so it devoured those four bodies and took away the module fragments.


    ...


    Over the next two days,


    the three including Lu Heng began to investigate this crazy scientist, Ze Wei''er Matrix, to find any possible Mechanical Demons.


    On the third day at noon,


    they encountered another human team.


    This team consisted of five people who had also received a visa from the Sikes Civilization and should have already joined a faction. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When the two teams met, neither side initiated conflict.


    Afterward, the other team proposed a discussion.


    Thus, they met on the artificial riverbank.


    The team opposite them was clearly not from Da Xia, as this team included two Caucasians, two Black people, and one whose race was indistinct.


    They identified themselves as the America Team.


    Interestingly, their team consisted of two men, two women, and one who was gender-neutral.


    It had to be said that this America Team was very politically correct.


    The Caucasian leader greeted them in Sikes Common Language, "Hello, my name is Alex Austin. Are you from Fusang, or Da Xia?"


    Lu Heng glanced over the five people and answered, "Da Xia."


    Alex Austin puffed out his chest and said, "Over these two days, we''ve passed by each other a few times. So, I want to ask you guys, are you tracking Ze Wei''er Matrix?"


    As he said, Su Muyu had indeed noticed this America Team two or three times in the past few days, the closest they had come was within a five hundred meters range, after which both teams separated in different directions.


    Since neither party had directly collided or had a conflict of interest, although they had spotted each other, they hadn''t actually met face to face.


    However, the frequent meetings suggested that their goals might be the same.


    Lu Heng, hearing his inquiry, pondered for a moment, then responded, "Indeed, we are looking for Ze Wei''er Matrix."


    Alex Austin looked back at his teammates and continued, "Ze Wei''er Matrix is our target for the mission. I think we can cooperate and inform each other when we find Ze Wei''er Matrix. I can assure you, we won''t harm you."


    Lu Heng really wanted to say: Even if you want to, you''d need the capability to do so.


    However, so far, there had been no conflict with each other, and there was no need to make enemies at this point.


    So, Lu Heng casually agreed, "That''s possible."


    Alex Austin continued, "Have you already joined the Escape Faction? The cowards'' faction."


    Lu Heng frowned, not responding to his comment, but could roughly guess that the other party must have joined the Descent Faction.


    Although the third Challenge Task stated to join one of the three factions, in reality, the Stay and Defend Faction had a support rate of over 70% in the Sikes Civilization, being the most powerful faction, and it generally wouldn''t recruit extraterrestrial beings into the faction.


    Since the other party wasn''t part of the Escape Faction, it could only be the Descent Faction.


    Lu Heng observed the five people, speculating about their mission.


    The philosophy of the Descent Faction is to welcome the arrival of the Abyss, a faction composed of lunatics, many with antisocial personalities.


    And Alex Austin''s team was also looking for Xavier Matrix, was this the mission given to them by the Descent Faction? What was the purpose?


    Could it be that the Descent Faction was also investigating the case that happened on Gaseous Street?


    It didn''t seem likely.


    After their conversation, both sides split up and left.


    Before leaving, a Superpower User named Harris from the American team, whose gender was unclear, stuffed a piece of paper into Lin Zeyu''s hand and said, "Call me after you get back."


    Lin Zeyu''s face showed an expression more uncomfortable than if he had eaten a fly, threw the paper away, spat, and turned around seeking comfort:


    "What does he mean by this? Does he think I''m too handsome?"


    Lu Heng responded with a stern face, "Do you have some misunderstanding about being handsome?"


    Lin Zeyu raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "See, he gave me a note but not you, doesn''t that explain everything?"


    Lu Heng rolled his eyes, "Is it possible that you just fit a pervert''s aesthetic?"


    "Spit spit spit..."


    Lin Zeyu still felt disgusted and said clenching his fist, "Don''t let me see him again, otherwise, I''ll definitely blow his head off."


    Suddenly, an idea flashed in Lu Heng''s mind, "You go set up a meeting with him."


    "What?" Lin Zeyu''s face showed an even more shocked expression.


    "Set up a meeting with him, don''t you understand?" Lu Heng repeated the command.


    "I don''t understand, am I sick? Why would I set up a meeting with him!" Lin Zeyu was completely agitated.


    "Sick or not, you can get checked at the hospital next time, just set up the meeting alone first," Lu Heng said.


    "I don''t want to!" Lin Zeyu flatly refused.


    Su Muyu covered her mouth and chuckled, "What Lu Heng means is to get him out so that we have some questions to ask."


    Now Lin Zeyu understood, but still sulked, "Do I really have to sell my looks?"


    "How can you sell what you don''t have? Hurry up," Lu Heng urged.


    Two hours later.


    Lin Zeyu used a scouting eagle to send a note and managed to lure Harris out from the American team.


    Upon seeing the note, Harris immediately came over alone to the address provided.


    As soon as he saw Lin Zeyu, his face showed ecstatic delight, "I knew you would ask to meet me."


    "I asked your fucking head!" Lin Zeyu cursed and immediately pulled out his revolver and fired a shot.


    Seeing this, Harris''s face showed anger, and he prepared to retaliate.


    Suddenly, a sword was pointed at his neck, Lu Heng appeared unnoticed.


    Harris''s demeanor stiffened, and he quickly raised his hands, asking, "What do you want to do? If you dare to touch me, my teammates will kill you all."


    Lu Heng kicked his knee, forcing him to kneel, then demanded, "What''s your purpose in looking for Xavier Matrix? Speak!"


    "You think I''ll tell you?" Harris tried to act tough.


    Lu Heng hooked the corner of his mouth, took out a Sealing Card from the Soul Capturing Monster, held it in front of him, and said, "Want to try it? Let it consume your soul, then I can ask whatever I want to know."


    Harris was startled, nowhere near as tough as he thought he was, and quickly waved his hand, "No, no... I''ll speak, the Descent Faction instructed us to capture Xavier Matrix and bring him back."


    "Bring him back for what?" Lu Heng continued to inquire.


    "I don''t know, the Descent Faction''s mission was just to capture Xavier Matrix and bring him back, and they said to bring back Xavier Matrix''s research data as well," Harris hurriedly explained.


    Lu Heng quickly thought it over.


    Their mission wasn''t to kill Xavier Matrix but to capture and bring him back, and also to take his research data back, meaning the Descent Faction wanted to acquire the results of Xavier Matrix''s research.


    After questioning, Lu Heng let Harris go.


    Lin Zeyu was considering whether to just shoot and eradicate this creature, asking, "Really let him go? Won''t he go back and tell them about our interrogation?"


    "He won''t tell. If he doesn''t, his team won''t know he leaked the mission. If he speaks out, the white leader of his team won''t let him off so easily. Let''s go. We better find Xavier Matrix first," Lu Heng waved his hand and stepped into the city filled with neon lights.

 Chapter 216 - 177: An Unexpected Meeting

    The Xavier Matrix had long been wanted by the Sikes Civilization''s judicial authorities. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to memories from his past life, the Xavier Matrix would survive into the future and become a pioneer of mechanical life.


    That is to say, the judicial authorities of the Sikes Civilization had never captured him.


    And his ability to move around in a city with an incredibly developed surveillance network was enough to show that his technical strength could easily crack the surveillance network.


    In short, trying to find him by relying on official power was basically impossible.


    Others couldn''t find him, but Lu Heng had a way.


    Because the Xavier Matrix had a particular hobby.


    He liked plants, not bionic plants, but real plants.


    This was a relatively unusual hobby within the Sikes Civilization.


    Therefore, these past few days, Lu Heng had Su Muyu looking for places in the city where plants existed, especially areas with large plants.


    However, unless you got close enough to touch them, it was difficult to distinguish between bionic plants and real plants.


    The Sikes Civilization had maxed out their tech tree in creating bionic animals, plants, and skin.


    Sometimes, from afar, a wall of vines might seem real, even having dry yellow leaves on the ground.


    But upon closer inspection, they turned out to be bionic plants, even the leaves on the ground were bionic dry leaves.


    Even though it was not easy to find, after three days,


    Su Muyu finally found a house filled with plants, and confirmed that the plants were real.


    The plants were indeed real, but whether the person living inside was the Xavier Matrix was still uncertain.


    "What do we do next? Rush in and capture the Sikes inside for interrogation?" Lin Zeyu proposed.


    He hadn''t finished speaking when Lu Heng had already walked towards the yard filled with plants.


    At the gate, one could see a household robot watering and caring for the plants inside the yard.


    Lu Heng rang the doorbell.


    The household robot turned around, moved to the door, connected to the outdoor holographic screen, and asked, "May I know whom you are looking for?"


    "I would like to visit your master, I''ve seen many plants, but the variety of plants in this garden is new to me," Lu Heng explained his purpose.


    All the plants in this yard were from the Sikes World, not found on Blue Star, but some characteristics were similar.


    For instance, they all need sunlight, water, and soil.


    Hearing his opening conversation about plants, the owner of the house came out and personally opened the door.


    Standing at the door was a tall and skinny Sikes male, dressed like a scholar.


    The moment Lu Heng''s eyes met his, both showed a peculiar look.


    Because Lu Heng recognized him immediately, this man was the Xavier Matrix.


    This mad scientist could move freely in a city where he was wanted everywhere, without needing to change his appearance.


    When the Xavier Matrix saw Lu Heng, he also showed a peculiar look, because he could tell at a glance that Lu Heng was an extraterrestrial.


    "Where are you from?" he asked proactively.


    "From a constant star system called the Solar System," Lu Heng replied.


    "Is the primary life form in your place organic?" he asked again.


    "Yes, and there are many types, with over 350,000 species of plants," Lu Heng hit right on the other''s point of interest with each sentence.


    "Please come in, come in for a cup of tea," the Xavier Matrix immediately made a welcoming gesture, inviting Lu Heng and the other two into the yard.


    Lin Zeyu''s face was filled with astonishment, having originally thought they were there for a brawl, it had inexplicably turned into a house visit.


    After sitting down,


    The Xavier Matrix activated a holographic screen and asked, "Do you mind if I record the content of our conversation?"


    Lu Heng nodded in agreement, "Yes."


    The Xavier Matrix, pleased, asked, "You are organic life and haven''t undergone mechanical transformations, correct?"


    He had already scanned the bodies of the three visitors and found no mechanical limbs.


    Lu Heng nodded, "Correct, we are organic life forms."


    The Xavier Matrix nodded and asked, "Then should I offer food or something similar to host you? You may not understand, but if it were other guests, I have a wireless charging network here, there''s no need for food to host."


    Actually, Lu Heng''s impression of this legendary mad scientist had all come from documents; he had never interacted with him.


    Thus, this was their first contact.


    Lu Heng found the infamously "notorious" scientist to be extremely courteous and unexpectedly warm.


    "That won''t be necessary, and I''m not sure if we could even eat what is available here."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix lifted a finger and said, "There''s one thing that should be fine. I''ve noticed you have a high content of this substance in your bodies."


    As he spoke, he had the domestic robot bring over three cups filled with a transparent liquid.


    He explained, "Pure water, it should be safe, filtered through a dialysis membrane, the purity almost 100%."


    Offering water to guests is indeed a common way to treat guests in the Human World.


    However, sitting opposite him was the legendary mad scientist, making it uncertain whether the water contained some micro substances.


    To prevent being drugged by this mad scientist and used as experimental material, Lu Heng did not take the cup of water and said instead, "Thank you, we are not thirsty."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix was unsure if this way of hosting was appropriate, so he did not insist and began to shift to a topic of his interest, "Can you talk about the plants in your world? It would be even better if you could draw them."


    Lu Heng started to discuss the plants of Blue Star.


    During the conversation, Lu Heng also discovered a key piece of information.


    Ze Wei''er Matrix had not encountered humans for the first time, as he showed a clear understanding of the plants in the Human World, and his questions were very precise.


    He even knew some specific botanical terms.


    This meant he had previously encountered humans, which could also explain why he was so calm upon seeing humans.


    After discussing plants, Lu Heng tentatively asked, "Are you a botanist?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix waved his hand and replied, "No, I am simply interested in plants, a form of life completely different from animals. Have you not noticed how similar the coldness of plants is to machinery? But plants are life, while machinery is just machinery."


    Lu Heng began to understand why he liked plants.


    He actually thought that plants and machinery had similarities, and his research was on mechanical life.


    In other words, his underlying message was: If plants can be life, why can''t machinery be?


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "What about demons? Do you think demons are alive?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix nodded and answered, "Of course, demons are also life, like you, they are creatures from another planet. However, compared to you, demons are harder to communicate with."


    Lu Heng actually agreed with this perspective, but thinking of humans and demons as equal extraterrestrial beings felt somewhat irritating to hear.


    They talked a lot about plants.


    After a quiet moment, Ze Wei''er Matrix asked, "What is your purpose in finding me? Can you tell me now?"


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you know we were coming to find you?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix remained relaxed in his chair and replied, "I don''t believe my place would attract so many extraterrestrial visitors unless those who come are interested in what I talked about since you entered."


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "You are not quite as I imagined."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix, curious, asked, "What did you think I would be like? A mad scientist, so mad that he is terrifying, ready to snatch up any creature to research?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and asked, "What are your views on the Descent Faction, Stay and Defend Faction, and Escape Faction?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix was a bit surprised by this topic, "These factions are not entirely independent, they can coexist. I don''t see a need for an opinion.


    "If you have the ability to fight against the Abyss, fight; if you can''t, then choose to escape; if you can''t escape, then you must accept the Abyss.


    "This is actually the same issue, just different response plans in different situations, but some people can''t calculate that far."


    Lu Heng heard this explanation for the first time.


    After listening, he indeed felt it made a lot of sense.


    Fighting against the Abyss was necessary if possible; when no longer possible, there was no choice but to flee or accept it.


    However, not every Sikes understood this so thoroughly.


    Thus, even when resistance was still possible, the Descent Faction emerged.


    Some thought of escaping before even being at a disadvantage.


    This also indirectly proved the diversity of species, even a semi-Mechanical Civilization could not escape individual thinking differences.


    Rectifying these thinking differences for Mechanical Civilization was actually simple, just reprogram every brain to process thoughts identically.


    However, whether the Sikes Civilization would still exist afterward, that remains a research topic.


    While Lu Heng was lost in thought.


    Ze Wei''er Matrix suddenly asked, "How many of you have come? Are all here to visit?"


    Lu Heng''s eyes narrowed as he turned to look at Su Muyu.


    Su Muyu said, "That America team has arrived, they are at the door now."


    At that moment,


    Two armed robots of a special model appeared, aiming their laser weapons at Lu Heng and the other two, while two others aimed at the door.


    Lu Heng sighed, "The conversation was beyond my expectations for a first meeting, but the ending was also unexpected. Although it''s useless, I still have to clarify, we three are not with those humans outside."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix suddenly revealed a pair of Mechanical Wings behind him, levitating into combat mode, and replied, "I believe you, but that does not lessen my caution towards you."


    Lu Heng made a welcoming gesture and said, "You can go ahead and meet the guests outside, we will wait here quietly."

 Chapter 217 - 178 Mechanical Angel, Thunder God

    Originally, Lu Heng thought that Ze Wei''er''s deployment of Mechanical Wings was to deal with the American team outside.


    Three minutes later, he realized that what he faced were armed drones that clouded the sky like dark clouds.


    Thousands of armed drones hovered in the sky, guarding an Anti-gravity Fighter.


    A warning came from the Anti-gravity Fighter, "106th wanted criminal detected, coordinates x16546, y35452. Units within 10 kilometers are instructed to evacuate. The capture operation will officially commence in 30 seconds."


    Lu Heng stood in the courtyard, looking up at the spectacular scene in the sky, slightly surprised.


    He hadn''t expected that at this time, Ze Wei''er''s Matrix would receive such high-level attention.


    Judging from the models of these thousands of armed drones, they were all military models. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Anti-gravity Fighter in the middle was even stronger; it was an aerial combat unit equipped with tactical Fusion Bombs.


    Who would have thought that to capture a scientist, they would have to mobilize such a degree of armed force?


    Ze Wei''er Matrix glanced at the lush plants in the courtyard and lamented, "It''s a pity I''ve cared for these plants for so long."


    Lu Heng walked into the courtyard and said, "I can help you look after one."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix even pointed to a pot of unknown Blue Leaf Grass in the corner and said, "That one."


    Lu Heng walked over and picked up the palm-sized potted plant.


    "You should leave. I don''t have time to entertain guests today," Ze Wei''er Matrix waved them off.


    Lu Heng gestured and, together with Su Muyu, left the courtyard and stopped on a hillside a kilometer away.


    It was the Sikes Civilization''s Military attempting to capture a scientist, a complicated event. They had to get a clear picture of the situation before intervening rashly.


    If judged by the Sikes Civilization as Ze Wei''er''s accomplices, they might become wanted by the Sikes''s Military.


    Lu Heng did not possess Ze Wei''er''s cutting-edge technology and wouldn''t be able to move freely under pursuit by the Sikes Military.


    "The capture procedure countdown begins: 3, 2..." the Anti-gravity Fighter continued to broadcast the countdown.


    When it came to the last three seconds,


    Ze Wei''er Matrix made the first move, but it wasn''t his physical body that acted.


    From the basement of the courtyard, a Mechanical Angel flew out.


    This Mechanical Angel was slender, covered in black armor, with Mechanical Wings on its back, exuding an ultimate beauty that conformed to human aesthetics.


    Seeing this Mechanical Angel appear, Lu Heng''s eyebrows raised in recognition¡ªit was Ze Wei''er Matrix''s most famous Mechanical Battle Angel, the "Black Feather Spirit."


    He didn''t expect it to be available at this time already.


    No wonder the Sikes''s Military couldn''t handle him; this Mechanical Angel was absurdly powerful.


    The Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel flew into the sky, its eight Mechanical Wings unfurled at the back; the bottom two wings shot out, transforming into two swords that hovered beside it.


    Each hand grasping a Mechanical Sword, it flew toward the sky-filled armed drones at the instant the countdown ended, swinging both Mechanical Swords simultaneously, slashing out two arcs of Plasma Sword Light.


    These arcs of Plasma Sword Light, over a hundred meters long, sliced through any armed drone in their path, cutting them neatly in half.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    The battle ignited instantly.


    As the Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel charged through the drone swarm, the sky lit up with sparks as if fireworks were going off.


    When the majority of the drone swarm had been slashed apart, the remaining drones finally began to retaliate, firing laser weapons, missiles, and Kinetic Energy Weapons at the Mechanical Angel.


    With an array of combative heat weapons, the sky seemed ablaze with light.


    A barrier unfolded in front of the Black Feather Spirit to block the laser weapon attacks. Then it altered its trajectory and activated high-speed mode, zipping through the sky.


    Miniature Missiles locked onto its position, their ion propellant flames chasing from behind.


    The Black Feather Spirit darted among the drones, with Miniature Missiles colliding into the drones and bursting into booming explosions.


    Ten seconds into the fight, the thousands of drones were left in tatters.


    During this, the Black Feather Spirit''s outer armor took several hits, and the armor''s shell and Mechanical Wings suffered various degrees of damage.


    However, after sustaining damage, her metallic shell began to self-repair at a visibly rapid rate, her metal seemingly alive.


    Lu Heng saw this and raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised.


    This Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel seemed to differ slightly from the one he had encountered in his previous life.


    After all, Mechanical Angels would surely continually update their modules with the progress of technology, so differences were to be expected.


    However, he didn''t recall this Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel having such a metal healing ability.


    Was this a new ability, or had the Black Feather Spirit he saw in his past life simply never displayed it?


    In just over ten seconds of combat, most of the drones had plummeted from the sky.


    The Anti-gravity Fighter fired high-energy lasers, continuously shooting at the Black Feather Spirit.


    The Black Feather Spirit boosted its defense Shield and charged at the Anti-gravity Fighter. With twin swords out, it slashed plasma arcs, cutting a massive gash in the fighter''s belly.


    Due to the Anti-gravity Fighter''s potent lasers, it pierced the Black Feather Spirit''s Shield, melting the outer armor out of shape.


    Nonetheless, the Black Feather Spirit''s remarkable self-healing metal ability once again became evident as its damaged outer armor began to quickly regenerate.


    Meanwhile, the Anti-gravity Fighter was teetering on the verge of collapse, changing direction to retreat, while sending out a distress signal.


    ...


    Meanwhile, at the edge of the battlefield.


    On top of a tall building, five members of the American team stood on the rooftop, watching the battle with a mocking expression.


    From the beginning to the end of the battle, they showed no intention of joining in.


    Until the anti-gravity fighter issued a distress signal.


    Alex Austin''s visa bracelet on his wrist popped up a holographic screen, displaying the mission.


    A smile curled up at the corner of his mouth as he said, "It''s our turn now."


    With that, he leapt into the air, his body covered in a layer of exoskeleton armor, shield in his left hand and hammer in his right, like a cannonball shot toward the Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel.


    The Black Feather Spirit registered the new target and clashed with it, slicing out plasma sword light.


    Alex Austin raised his Star Shield, blocking the plasma sword light.


    The ripples emanating from the Star Shield dispersed all of the plasma sword light.


    Both parties'' sprinting speeds were extremely fast, and they collided with each other in the blink of an eye.


    Alex Austin slammed into the Mechanical Angel with his Star Shield and then swung the Thunder Hammer down with a crushing blow.


    Boom!


    A surge of frenzied energy burst from the Thunder Hammer, sending the Black Feather Spirit flying backward in a straight line, crashing into the ground at an angle, and punching through a wall with a "bang."


    Seeing this scene.


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened in astonishment, "Is this guy really that fierce?"


    Lu Heng had already recognized that this Alex Austin was a future peak Superpower User from America, known as "Thunder God Austin."


    The first time he encountered him, Lu Heng wasn''t sure of his current strength.


    Now he could see.


    At this point in time, he was already wielding two A-level weapons, deservedly backed by the All-Knowing Eye''s 33rd-level family of the ASE.


    Moreover, with the backing of the American military, one could imagine how strong his combat power was.


    In fact, those who were summoned to the Abyss Battlefield this time had all been part of the Second Transition Source Material struggle and were very strong in combat.


    The American team led by Alex Austin was clearly not a makeshift assembly but a bona fide team bound by a solid contract.


    Seeing this level of combat power, Lu Heng was not surprised.


    After being knocked down, the Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel got back up, but its movements were quite unnatural, its metallic outer shell fractured in many places and undergoing repairs.


    After knocking down the Black Feather Spirit with one move, Alex Austin turned and charged towards the Xavier Matrix.


    The Xavier Matrix raised its hand to shoot a high-energy laser, but even as the laser scorched the A-level Star Shield to a red-hot state, it still couldn''t break through.


    Braving the laser, Alex Austin charged forward and swung the Thunder Hammer, smashing it straight down on Xavier Matrix''s head.


    Boom!


    Just as the Thunder Hammer was about to crush the Xavier Matrix, the Black Feather Spirit rushed up, taking the blow in his stead.


    With a scream of agony, the Black Feather Spirit was struck by the Thunder Hammer and flew out straight, three of its mechanical wings broken off, and it crashed to the ground, creating a crater.


    "That''s way too fierce!" Lin Zeyu''s eyes were filled with astonishment.


    He had only seen this level of combat power in two people¡ªone was Lu Heng, and the other was this Alex Austin.


    The crater made by the Black Feather Spirit was just a hundred meters away from where Lu Heng and his companions stood.


    The Black Feather Spirit lay in the pit, its metallic outer shell even more severely fractured but apparently still operational, struggling and attempting to repair its shell.


    "Do we join the fight?" Su Muyu was unsure about whether to step in and help.


    And even less certain about which side to assist.


    Because initially, they sought out Xavier Matrix to investigate whether he was related to the Gaseous Street case.


    Based on the current situation, it was very possible that Xavier Matrix would be captured by the Sikes Civilization officials.


    Lu Heng jumped down the hill, walked over to the Black Feather Spirit, and squatted down to check on the condition of the Mechanical Angel.


    Just then.


    The Black Feather Spirit suddenly spoke, "Brother Lu, help me..."


    Hearing this voice, Lu Heng''s eyes shot open, and without hesitation, he drew his sword and charged towards Alex Austin to take on the battle in place of Xavier Matrix.


    Boom! Clang!


    The first fierce collision sent them both retreating ten meters.


    Alex Austin cursed, "You dare to stop me? Do you know the consequences?"


    Lu Heng stood tall, Aurora Blade in hand, and said, "Mr. Xavier, I might not be able to take care of that pot of Blue Leaf Grass for you. However, you can take care of it yourself."


    Xavier Matrix, with its mechanical thinking, took only 0.01 seconds to calculate the results and immediately turned to flee, taking two robots with him.


    The severely damaged Black Feather Spirit Mechanical Angel also retreated along with them.


    In the end, only Lu Heng and his two companions were left, facing off against the five members of the American team.

 Chapter 218 - 179: Space-based Weapons

    After the battle between the Black Feather Spirit and the drone swarm, the entire block had turned into ruins.


    Lu Heng stood atop the wreckage and faced off against Alex Austin with three hard-fought exchanges. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A look of surprise appeared on Alex Austin''s face; he hadn''t expected that there would be someone in this world who could confront him head-on.


    His face filled with arrogance and anger, he reprimanded, "I made it clear to you, our target is the Xavier Matrix. Do you know what happens to those who obstruct me?"


    With his usual calm and mocking tone, Lu Heng said, "If you had the ability, you wouldn''t be wasting your breath."


    "Seeking death!"


    Alex Austin was instantly enraged, lifting up his Star Shield and Thunder Hammer to launch another attack.


    Wielding his sword, Lu Heng met the challenge, and after a few rounds of fighting, he found that the opponent''s attributes were extremely high, almost as if he was in the state of an adrenaline boost.


    The fierce clash between them further shattered the already pockmarked street into even more debris.


    Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, and the Mechanical Tiger Anka were dealing with the other four members of the American team.


    This American team of Superpower Users had a very distinctive makeup, including a white woman and a black woman.


    The two women of different skin colors looked down on each other, arguing while battling, which allowed Su Muyu alone, with her divine feathered eagle, to restrain them and still gain the upper hand.


    The fight lasted for over ten minutes, with no clear victor.


    Just then,


    Alex Austin suddenly ordered his team to retreat and was the first to distance himself from Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng felt that their retreat was sudden, and the next second, he saw the clouds in the sky churning.


    Seeing this, Lu Heng immediately realized what was happening and shouted urgently, "Run! The Sikes Civilization is using space-based weapons!"


    The churning clouds in the sky were a sign of the Sikes space-based weapon''s energy gathering.


    Su Muyu immediately unfolded her [Sky Vault Lord] class Energy Wings and flew away into the distance.


    The Mechanical Tiger Anka sprinted at full speed, faster than a cheetah.


    Only Lin Zeyu was a bit slow, while in the sky, a spiraling cloud formation was already taking shape, signaling serious trouble.


    "What do I do? Someone give me a lift," he hastily called out on the comm channel.


    Without hesitation, a divine feathered eagle swooped down, its talons grasping his shoulders, carrying him away into the distance.


    As he ran, Lu Heng called out, "Activate invisibility, then find cover, at least a ten-story building for cover."


    As soon as he finished speaking,


    A burst of intense light lit up the sky, followed by a beam of space-based laser shooting down.


    Lu Heng immediately used [Shadow Escape], and with the added speed of [Windwalker], he sprinted across the ground at 700 kilometers per hour, swift as the wind and fast as lightning.


    Boom!


    The space-based laser struck a spot 3 meters behind Lu Heng, instantly vaporizing the ground''s soil.


    Lu Heng glanced back and felt a bout of shock; the aim of the space-based weapon was too precise.


    His speed, given the double acceleration, could burst up to 200 meters per second.


    And this Sikes Civilization space-based weapon only had a 3-meter margin of error in its attack.


    To be exact, that wasn''t even an error.


    It was only because Lu Heng was moving so fast that after the fire control radar locked on, the slight delay from the shot being fired to hitting allowed Lu Heng to move those 3 meters¡ªhence the slight miss.


    A mere 3-meter margin of error when targeting something moving at 700 kilometers per hour.


    Such precision, for anyone else, would leave no chance of evasion.


    No wonder the American team had retreated; clearly, they had received a message from the Descent Faction.


    Fortunately, the space-based weapon was more than 1000 kilometers above the ground, and at such a distance, it wasn''t that easy to lock onto a target.


    After Lu Heng and Su Muyu regrouped, they activated the Invisibility Veil and retreated together, blending into the city streets.


    Following the firing of the space-based weapons, dense swarms of Sikes mechanical guards and drones converged on the area.


    Unable to find Ze Wei''er, they began to encircle Lu Heng and his two comrades.


    However, since the mechanical guards primarily used infrared detection, Su Muyu''s [Invisibility Veil] skill allowed the team to silently evade the encircling guards.


    ...


    After breaking free from the encirclement, the three finally breathed a sigh of relief and stopped to rest.


    "What was that just now? It''s outrageous; I saw a beam of light shine down from the sky," Lin Zeyu was still in shock.


    "It''s the Sikes Civilization''s space-based weapon," Lu Heng said, a frown on his face as he pondered.


    It was outlandish that the Sikes Civilization had resorted to using a space-based weapon.


    It must have been due to the obliteration of the drone swarm and the serious damage to the anti-gravity fighter that enraged the Sikes Military to deploy the space-based weapon.


    "No wonder the Danger Level is 5; it is indeed quite terrifying. That laser almost hit you," Su Muyu was still feeling scared.


    She observed from afar that the laser seemed to have grazed by Lu Heng and shot into the ground.


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "The margin of error was only 3 meters, and my speed at that time was 700 kilometers per hour; anyone else definitely couldn''t have dodged it."


    "Holy shit!" Lin Zeyu could only utter this.


    Reflecting, Su Muyu asked, "I have a question, why did we suddenly start helping Ze Wei''er?"


    She didn''t know the reason and was just following Lu Heng''s orders.


    Now that they were back in a safe place, she remembered to ask.


    After some thought, Lu Heng replied, "I''m not completely sure, but we might recognize that Black Feather Spirit."


    The Black Feather Spirit''s voice had been quite soft when it spoke, so only Lu Heng had heard it.

 Chapter 219 - 179: Space-based Weapons_2

    Upon hearing it, Lu Heng''s head buzzed, and he decisively took action.


    The voice he had heard did indeed sound very similar.


    However, he hadn''t seen what the Black Feather Spirit looked like beneath its mechanical shell, so he couldn''t be entirely sure.


    Moreover, there was a possibility that the voice was meant to deceive.


    "We know each other? What do you mean?" Lin Zeyu looked utterly confused.


    "You''ll understand when you meet Ze Wei''er Matrix next time."


    Lu Heng couldn''t be one hundred percent sure at the moment either, so he decided to clear things up the next time he saw Ze Wei''er Matrix, if he could still find Ze Wei''er Matrix, that is.


    ...


    The next day.


    The news about the Sikes authorities'' arrest of Ze Wei''er Matrix was broadcast.


    However, the report did not mention any details.


    After all, for the Sikes Civilization, having over a thousand drones obliterated by a Mechanical Angel was a considerable loss of face.


    Even the Sikes Military had to resort to space-based weapons in the end.


    Moreover, when they deployed the space-based weapons, unable to find Ze Wei''er Matrix, they thought to vent their anger on Lu Heng and his two companions, but to no avail.


    In the afternoon.


    Lu Heng retrieved the Visa Bracelet from his inventory, and as soon as he took it out, hundreds of message alerts popped up.


    Since the Visa Bracelet was a product of the Sikes Civilization, it contained a location system.


    If he wandered around outside with it on, the Sikes Civilization could locate him at any time.


    Therefore, the three of them usually kept the Visa Bracelet in their inventory and only took it out when needed.


    Looking at it now, hundreds of message alerts appeared on the holographic screen of the bracelet.


    Furthermore, these messages were sent at a fixed rate of every 10 minutes.


    This fixed-rate sending of messages was clearly the work of a robot.


    Indeed, most Sikes people are robots.


    The messages were sent by Yeliana Sikes, who was obviously shocked after seeing the news.


    She was worried that the incident would affect the fate of her and the Escape Faction.


    As soon as Lu Heng connected to the communication, he immediately saw Yeliana Sikes in a furious rage.


    "Why did you confront the military? Give me a reasonable explanation, or I will stop your visa!"


    Since the Visa Bracelet was an electronic device, she did indeed have the power to cut off its service.


    Lu Heng gestured to Su Muyu, signaling her to send the Spirit Feather Eagle to scout.


    Because once the Visa Bracelet connected to the network, it could potentially be monitored by the Sikes officials, revealing their location.


    Lu Heng considered his response: "Ms. Sikes, I was acting on your orders to investigate Ze Wei''er Matrix. If anything happens to me, you can''t evade responsibility either."


    "Are you threatening me?" Yeliana Sikes''s voice suddenly turned cold.


    "No, and besides, the Mechanical Tiger that''s moving with me is your Guardian Beast. Even if I don''t mention you, the authorities will trace it back to you. So now we are ''in the same boat''¡ªdo you understand this human civilization idiom?" Lu Heng elaborated a bit.


    Although Yeliana Sikes was angry, what Lu Heng said was a fact.


    Although she hadn''t instructed Lu Heng to stir up a conflict with the Sikes Military, it was indeed she who sent the three to investigate Ze Wei''er Matrix.


    Also, the Mechanical Tiger Anka really was her Guardian Beast. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If the Mechanical Tiger were captured by Sikes officials and the information about its master contained in Anka''s core was revealed, she would inevitably be investigated by the military.


    It was a scenario she couldn''t accept, so her computational core quickly finished thinking and made the most accurate judgment:


    "I will minimize the impact of this incident, but you must not cause any more trouble for me.


    "Also, tell me now, why did you help Ze Wei''er Matrix?


    "If it weren''t for your meddling, Ze Wei''er Matrix would have been already captured."


    Lu Heng spread his hands and replied, "Based on the current clues, I think that the Xavier Matrix and the Gaseous Street incident involving the consumption of corpses are unrelated."


    In fact, Lu Heng did not have concrete evidence to prove that the Xavier Matrix was unrelated to the Gaseous Street case.


    But sometimes, intuition does indeed come close to the truth.


    During his conversation with the Xavier Matrix, Lu Heng could feel that this "mad scientist" was not as "mad" as the rumors suggested.


    Moreover, he liked plants and kept the plants in his yard in immaculate order.


    Unless one suffers from split personality, an individual''s character is usually quite stable.


    The case that occurred in Gaseous Street involved a terrifying entity that had gnawed away the limbs of four bodies, leaving the scene in total disarray.


    This is not something someone who keeps their yard plants in such perfect order would do.


    The psychological characteristics of the two places were too different; it was simply impossible for the same person to have committed both acts.


    As for whether it was possible that a Mechanical Demon dispatched by Xavier Matrix did it?


    This possibility was even lower.


    The Combat Mechanical Angels created by Xavier Matrix had a very fluid aesthetic of a living being, which was completely at odds with the scattered chunks of flesh in Gaseous Street.


    If the Xavier Matrix truly wanted to send "something" to carry out a task, it would certainly be most convenient to send out a Mechanical Angel; there was no need for overkill by sending a monster that consumed corpses.


    Combining these clues, Lu Heng concluded that the case in Gaseous Street was not related to Xavier Matrix.


    Of course.


    Lu Heng still had to continue looking for Xavier Matrix, at the very least to clarify the identity of the Black Feather Spirit.


    ...


    Yeliana Sikes was not satisfied with Lu Heng''s answer and scolded, "Even if the Gaseous Street case has nothing to do with Xavier Matrix, he is still a target wanted by the military. You should not be helping him. The moment you see him, you should capture him immediately."


    Although the Escape Faction was known as the "cowards" within Sikes Civilization, they were a formal Sikes Faction with a complete faction structure.


    Yeliana Sikes held an official position within Sikes Civilization as well.


    Thus, her stance was consistent with the official one.


    Xavier Matrix was a criminal wanted by the Sikes authorities, so in her view, he should be apprehended.


    "Okay, if I can still see him next time." Lu Heng did not intend to argue with her on this topic because with different stances, continued argument would lead to no results.


    After a pause, Lu Heng changed the subject and asked, "Among the teams responsible for capturing Xavier Matrix, there is another human team. I suspect they might have joined the Descent Faction. Is it possible to acquire their information?"


    Yeliana Sikes inquired, "What do you want their information for?"


    Lu Heng answered, "I suspect they are related to the Gaseous Street case."


    Yeliana Sikes asked with confusion, "So you humans consume corpses, is that right?"


    In her line of thinking, humans were extraterrestrial creatures, and it was possible for extraterrestrial creatures to eat anything.


    That''s why, initially, she even suspected that the four bodies were consumed by Lu Heng and his two companions.


    Lu Heng did not intend to explain this to her; he simply repeated, "I suspect them, so it would be best if I could have their information. Also, the Descent Faction might be conducting some sort of terrifying experiment. I think if we can strike a blow against the Descent Faction, that should be in line with your interests."


    Within Sikes Civilization, there were ideological conflicts among the Descent Faction, the Stay and Defend Faction, and the Escape Faction, so competition was everywhere.


    However, the Sikes Civilization was still in the early stages of the Abyss invasion, and the internal environment of the civilization had not yet become so severe.


    Thus, the current skirmishes between the three factions were carried out covertly and not openly.


    Nevertheless, striking a blow against the Descent Faction would indeed align with Yeliana Sikes''s interests.


    Therefore, her computational core only took 0.01 seconds to process before agreeing to Lu Heng''s request, "Okay, I will get you their information."


    Upon hearing her agreement, Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and said, "That being the case, that team can also easily acquire my information, right?"


    Yeliana Sikes replied, "Of course, as long as you have the appropriate permission level, you can access visa information."


    Within Sikes Civilization, the visa information of extraterrestrial beings did not require a high permission level.


    Therefore, the Descent Faction could easily obtain the information of Lu Heng and his companions.


    This meant that from now on, they needed to be constantly vigilant about the team led by Alex Austin.

 Chapter 220 - 180: The Scientist Who Studied Demons

    After ending the call, Lu Heng placed the visa bracelet back into the inventory and changed his drop-off point to avoid exposing his whereabouts.


    Today marked the 9th day since entering the Abyss Battlefield.


    According to the main quest description, the duration of this Abyss Battlefield was 15 days.


    So, in another six days, he could return.


    Although the matter with the Zevel Matrix and the Black Feather Spirit had not been resolved, it wasn''t a mission that had to be completed.


    If it really couldn''t be resolved, he could temporarily give up.


    What really needed to be dealt with were the missions issued by the Abyss Battlefield.


    Su Muyu would always carefully read the mission prompts each time she entered the Abyss Battlefield, thinking about the content of the missions to extract useful information.


    After completing a mission, she would confirm it again.


    She checked the missions and reminded him, "We still have six days left, we need to think about how to complete the missions, this relates to Divine Energy, and other matters are secondary."


    Lu Heng opened the mission panel to look at the completion status of the missions.


    Out of the three main quests, the first and second had been completed.


    The third main quest was to survive for 15 days and didn''t need consideration; he just had to stay alive until the time was up and then choose to return.


    The requirements of the main quests also suggested that.


    Although the world''s Danger Level of the Abyss Battlefield was level 5, the actual mission danger level was below 5.


    The main quests were essentially completed, and what needed to be considered next were the challenge missions.


    There were three challenge missions.


    [1. Source Material Battle, complete Source Fusion, and attain a Second Transition Class.]


    [2. Find and eradicate the Abyss Pollution Source.]


    [3. Join one of the three major factions, and complete the mission issued by that faction.]


    Among them, the first challenge mission had already been completed by Lu Heng before he came in, and Su Muyu had completed it as well.


    Only Lin Zeyu had not yet attained the Source Material for Second Transition Class; this needed attention.


    The third challenge mission of joining a faction had also been completed; the faction mission still required follow-up.


    Finally, what needed special attention was the second challenge mission, to find the Abyss Pollution Source and clear the pollution.


    So far, they didn''t know where the Abyss Pollution Source was.


    However, that "thing" in the Gaseous Street which had consumed the four corpses was very likely a clue.


    If that "thing" was really a demon as speculated, or even a mechanically modified demon.


    Then, tracing this demon might provide an opportunity to find the Abyss Pollution Source.


    ...


    Although Lu Heng felt that the case in the Gaseous Street had no connection with the Zevel Matrix, this was just a speculation and needed further investigation to verify this conclusion.


    Therefore, Lu Heng considered visiting the Zevel Matrix''s plant garden again for inspection, one reason being to investigate for any demonic traces, and another to learn more about the secrets of the Black Feather Spirit.


    The next morning.


    Lu Heng used an Illusion Pearl to transform into a Sikes individual and went with Yeliana Sikes to investigate the plant garden.


    The reason for changing his appearance was to avoid being detected by the Sikes officials and causing unnecessary trouble.


    Moreover, Yeliana Sikes agreed to take Lu Heng over only after he had changed his appearance.


    Because of that day''s battle, the Zevel Matrix''s plant garden was severely damaged.


    Half a house had vanished into thin air.


    The plants in the garden were badly damaged and basically beyond saving.


    Only a broken flowerpot lay under the courtyard wall, saved by the wall''s barrier, preserving the plants inside it.


    Although it was left with only two leaves, the root system was intact.


    Lu Heng picked up the goose-yellow thistle-like plant, wrapped a bit of mud around it, found a container to put it in, then held it in his palm, ready to take it back to see if it could be revived.


    At that moment.


    Another team walked into the garden; it was a Descent Faction Sikes person leading three members of Alex Austin''s team.


    This American team did not bring all five members, only three had come.


    Alex Austin scanned the area and, seeing Lu Heng holding a plant, asked the neighboring Descent Faction manager, "Is that within the rules?"


    The Descent Faction manager immediately pointed at Lu Heng and demanded, "What is your identity? Items at the scene should not be touched at will."


    Yeliana Sikes immediately stepped in front of Lu Heng and retorted, "Nelson, since when do you have the authority to question my employee?"


    This Sikes person named Nelson was the city manager for the Descent Faction''s third city and was considered high-ranking within the Descent Faction, but not at the leader level.


    Yeliana Sikes, on the other hand, was the number one leader of the Escape Faction; although the Escape Faction was not as powerful as the Descent Faction, Yeliana Sikes held more authority in terms of office.


    Nelson emphasized, "Items at the scene must not be touched, let alone taken away. Is there any need for discussion on this matter?"


    Lu Heng returned the Yellow Thorn to the half-collapsed encircling wall and then remained silent.


    Alex Austin approached, briefly examining the plant and container, not finding anything unusual and therefore not pursuing the matter further.


    As he passed by Lu Heng, his gaze swept over Lu Heng''s face.


    Lu Heng also glanced at him; the instant their eyes met, a fleeting change flickered in both their gazes.


    However, there was no follow-up; the two men brushed past each other without looking back.


    Yeliana Sikes didn''t want to stay in the same place as Nelson and gestured for Lu Heng to join her in the basement of the courtyard.


    This courtyard''s basement was the experimental laboratory of the Xavier Matrix.


    There were a total of three floors underground, filled with numerous experimental materials as well as mechanical parts.


    However, all the data files had been erased, so the Sikes officialdom hadn''t obtained any experimental data.


    Lu Heng walked around the basement not to search for experimental data but to look for traces related to Demons.


    Then, on the second floor of the underground laboratory, he found something special¡ªa pair of Scary Claw Demon horns.


    Yeliana Sikes also noticed the Demon horns and said, "As expected, Xavier Matrix indeed has connections with Demons; there are traces of them right here in the laboratory."


    Lu Heng put on gloves and picked up the pair of Demon horns to examine them.


    They were certainly Demon horns, with some experimental tools and several Demon fingernails placed nearby.


    It was clear that Xavier Matrix had been studying Demons.


    However, it seemed there were no signs of Abyss pollution here.


    Based on previous experience, places that had been contaminated by the Abyss would inevitably leave traces.


    Therefore, Lu Heng felt that the discovery of a pair of Demon horns in the laboratory did not prove a direct connection between Xavier Matrix and Abyss pollution¡ªit only suggested that he had been studying Demons.


    In a world invaded by the Abyss, it was only natural for scientists to study Demons. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If even the scientific study of Demons wasn''t allowed, how could a civilization find ways to combat them?


    Unless it could be proven that Xavier Matrix was related to the Abyss Pollution Source, researching Demons should not be a reason to convict.


    In the underground laboratory, Lu Heng found several pieces of armor similar to the Black Feather Spirit, picking them up to examine; they were shoulder parts of the battle armor outer shell, with no apparent special features.


    As for the functional modules of the Black Feather Spirit, none were found in the underground laboratory.


    Besides that,


    Lu Heng discovered a microscope specifically for observing plant cells in the laboratory, with a dried-up piece of plant leaf tissue still on it.


    After the tour was complete, Nelson, the Descent Faction administrator, arrived with Alex Austin.


    Yeliana Sikes turned and asked Lu Heng, "Have you finished looking?"


    Lu Heng nodded, then followed her out of the underground laboratory.


    Back in the courtyard, Lu Heng looked around, no other clues were to be found; in the end, he took the Yellow Thorn from the wall with him.


    ...


    In the anti-gravity car, Yeliana Sikes asked, "Did you find any clues? Can you tell me now why you''re helping Xavier Matrix? The man is a madman; he''ll stop at nothing for his research, and his laboratory even contains Demon horns and fingernails, I don''t understand why you would help him."


    Lu Heng, holding the plant in his hands, replied, "I don''t see anything wrong with studying Demons; to find a way to deal with them, it''s necessary to research them."


    Yeliana Sikes looked intently at Lu Heng''s face, saying in a heavy tone, "Your answer is very dangerous. I''m starting to regret giving you a visa."


    Changing tack, Lu Heng asked, "What was your purpose in deliberately leading me to investigate Xavier Matrix?"


    The clues about Xavier Matrix initially came from Yeliana Sikes.


    Yet she had no evidence to prove that the Gaseous Street case was related to Xavier Matrix, but she had steered the investigation toward the mad scientist.


    In reality, Lu Heng had been suspicious of this from the beginning, but he followed her lead and started investigating Xavier Matrix.


    Because the third Challenge Task in the Abyss Battlefield was to complete a faction mission.


    And investigating Xavier Matrix was indeed a faction mission given by Yeliana Sikes.


    Despite his suspicions, he followed her request and started the search for Xavier Matrix.


    But Yeliana Sikes hadn''t expected that this foreign human would indeed find Xavier Matrix so quickly.


    Confronted with Lu Heng''s questioning, Yeliana Sikes did not respond directly but maintained her silence.


    Lu Heng continued, "Are you trying to get something from Xavier Matrix? I believe you should tell me the truth because the Descent Faction also wants something from him. If you do not speak the truth, I can''t guarantee that this thing will not end up in the hands of the Descent Faction."


    Yeliana Sikes'' eyes narrowed slightly as she asked, "Do you still have a way to find Xavier Matrix?"


    Lu Heng did not answer her question and instead looked down at the Yellow Thorn in his hands.


    After a while, Yeliana Sikes finally spoke, "I need the Mechanical Angel research data he has worked on; it holds technology coveted even by the military¡ªa very important piece of technology. Moreover, there''s information that he has developed a special technology that has never been seen before."


    In fact, Lu Heng had already guessed the answer.


    The Combat Mechanical Angels created by Xavier Matrix were capable of single-handedly taking on thousands of drones and sinking anti-gravity fighters.


    Had it not been for the arrival of Alex Austin, the Sikes Military operation to capture Xavier Matrix would never have succeeded.

 Chapter 221 - 181 Miniature Missile, Invitation from Xavier Matrix

    "If you catch the Xavier Matrix, bring it to me before handing it over to the military,"


    Yeliana Sikes'' computational core, through Lu Heng''s reactions, had deduced that Lu Heng had an 82.7% chance of locating the Xavier Matrix.


    Therefore, she put forth an additional request.


    Clearly, this request was hiding some secret.


    Lu Heng looked up at her and asked, "Why do you want to see him?"


    Yeliana Sikes didn''t answer but instead made an offer, "Just bring him to me and, within my power, you can have whatever you want."


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, feeling even more that there was something amiss.


    As for finding the Xavier Matrix, even the Sikes officials couldn''t do it, so naturally, Lu Heng couldn''t either.


    However, he could make it come to him.


    Lu Heng had a plant in his possession, a plant that the Xavier Matrix had nurtured for a long time, and it was the only plant that had survived in his yard.


    If he really liked plants, he would definitely come to retrieve the Yellow Thorn.


    Moreover, Lu Heng had once helped him and was technically indebted to him. Theoretically, he needed to return the favor.


    However, this was human thinking; whether the Sikes people would think about repaying favors was unknown.


    Since Yeliana Sikes had made such a special request, Lu Heng naturally wouldn''t miss this chance to gain resources.


    "Bring me a batch of miniature missiles first," Lu Heng directly made his request.


    "I meant that after you bring the Xavier Matrix, I will give you what you want," Yeliana Sikes corrected.


    "If the Xavier Matrix were so easy to capture, why don''t you go after it yourself? I need weapons now," Lu Heng persisted forcefully.


    Yeliana Sikes had no choice but to agree but posed a condition, "You bring Anka over."


    Two hours later.


    Lu Heng arrived with the Mechanical Tiger Anka at the location designated by Yeliana Sikes.


    Actually, Lu Heng had guessed what she wanted to do, and he was quite happy about her doing so.


    Yeliana Sikes walked up to the Mechanical Tiger Anka, crouched down, stroked its head, then opened the control panel of the Mechanical Tiger and slowly said,


    "Anka, from now on, you will follow your new master. It''s also what father wanted, you don''t owe me anymore."


    As she spoke, she deleted the binding information about her from the core of the Mechanical Tiger.


    She did this for a simple reason, because this Mechanical Tiger had been involved in the Gaseous Street and Xavier Matrix case.


    If the Sikes Military captured the Mechanical Tiger and checked her from the binding information, it would create big trouble for her.


    To disassociate herself, deleting the binding information was the best choice.


    After deleting her binding information, Lu Heng became the Mechanical Tiger Anka''s highest authority owner.


    When Lu Heng came, he had already guessed what she wanted to do and was pleased to see her do it.


    Afterward, Yeliana Sikes secretly had her subordinates bring over an alloy box.


    The alloy box was opened, containing twenty-four miniature missiles inside.


    Actually, what Lu Heng most wanted were miniature fusion bombs, but even Yeliana Sikes couldn''t easily access those, let alone allow humans to use them.


    Having miniature missiles was also great; they were filled with all-nitrogen explosives, more powerful than the king of explosives, CL-20.


    ¡­


    Lu Heng went back to his base with the Mechanical Tiger Anka and the box.


    "What''s in this box?" Lin Zeyu pointed at the box, curious.


    "Just open it and see," Lu Heng casually put down the box, letting him open it.


    Lin Zeyu opened the box and then saw it was filled with miniature missiles, counting a total of twenty-four.


    "Are these¡­ missiles?"


    "That''s right, all-nitrogen ion miniature missiles," Lu Heng nodded.


    "Awesome," Lin Zeyu''s eyes lit up as he picked one up to examine it, even reaching out to touch the tip of the warhead, "It shouldn''t explode from a touch, should it?"


    "That''s hard to say, Sikes Technology, it might just explode suddenly, usually damaging robots, they don''t mind," Lu Heng shrugged.


    Lin Zeyu immediately widened his eyes and hurriedly put the miniature missile back into the box.


    Lu Heng called the Mechanical Tiger over to be equipped with the miniature missiles.


    The Mechanical Tiger opened its metal casing, revealing the miniature missile launch mechanism, then adjusted its direction to connect with the box of miniature missiles, and twelve miniature missiles were automatically loaded into the launch slots.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, and asked, "Anka, what other feature modules do you need? If I have a chance, I''ll try to get some and install them for you."


    The Mechanical Tiger Anka displayed a feature module list on a holographic screen, sorted by function level.


    Among them, the top priority feature module was the anti-gravity module.


    Seeing this module, Lu Heng couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows and said, "You''re asking for quite a lot."


    But if he really could obtain an anti-gravity module, then the Mechanical Tiger could fly.


    A nearly two-ton-heavy beast, if it could fly, that would be a significant enhancement.


    However, the anti-gravity system only provided the capability of suspension and lacked a propulsion system. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This meant that without additional systems, the Mechanical Tiger couldn''t fly but simply hover.


    Of course.


    Even without a propulsion system, the anti-gravity module was still useful.


    The anti-gravity feature didn''t need to operate at full power; it could run at half power, effectively reducing weight and increasing running speed.


    As for how much power to use, it could be adjusted manually.


    Lin Zeyu leaned in to check the feature list, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, "It has a Skill Slot, can equip functional modules, and even launch missiles, why don''t you just fly to the sky?"


    Lu Heng pointed to the first line of the anti-gravity module and said, "If it had this, it really could fly."


    Lin Zeyu swallowed his saliva, realizing that this tiger was getting more and more outrageous.


    If this continued, his status as the third member of the team was in jeopardy.


    "No way, I need to hurry and obtain Second Transition Source Material. It was agreed that after Mu Yu''s complete Source Fusion, it would be my turn, and there are only five days left. When can I get Second Transition Source Material?" Lin Zeyu started to complain.


    He began to miss the "Spirit Mind Master" Source Material, although a score of 7 didn''t compare to 9, at least it was something, better than nothing.


    Lu Heng glanced at the Yellow Thorn on the windowsill and said, "It should be soon."


    Source Material appeared alongside the Abyss invasion, so to the Sikes Civilization, it was an unknown substance.


    ¡­


    At midnight.


    A beetle flew in through the window, and Su Muyu immediately sat up, staring at the beetle, ready to react.


    However, the beetle landed on the windowsill, and the next second, a holographic screen popped up.


    Su Muyu got up, nudged Lu Heng, and pointing towards the windowsill said, "Look at this quickly."


    Lu Heng turned his head, saw a metallic beetle the size of a thumb, and above it, a holographic screen appeared.


    The holographic screen flickered a few times, then displayed the image of the Xavier Matrix.


    "Hello, friend from the human civilization."


    Seeing the Xavier Matrix appear, a slight smile crossed Lu Heng''s face.


    Things were unfolding as expected.


    "Hello, Mr. Xavier," Lu Heng stood up, waving his hand in greeting.


    "Thank you for taking care of this plant. You''ve maintained it well, but it needs very specific trace elements and must be watered with a special nutrient solution. Therefore, if it''s convenient for you, could you bring the plant to me?" Xavier Matrix tactfully made this request.


    What he really meant was to meet.


    If he just wanted the plant, he could have sent a bigger robot to directly take it.


    Naturally, that would have been quite impolite.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and answered, "Yes, now? Is it convenient for you?"


    "It''s fine right now. You can follow this beetle here; I will block the surveillance networks along the way," Xavier Matrix said.


    Ending the call, Lu Heng woke up Lin Zeyu, and the three of them, along with the Mechanical Tiger and the Yellow Thorn, followed the metallic beetle, crossed three blocks, walked two kilometers along the riverbank, and entered a courtyard filled with red climbing ivies.


    The house''s exterior walls were covered in plants similar to climbing ivy.


    It was clear that these weren''t climbing ivies, but they climbed the walls in the same manner.


    The climbing ivy''s leaf color was maple red, very beautiful.


    Su Muyu entered the courtyard, pinched a maple red ivy leaf on the wall, and said, "It''s actually this courtyard; I''ve been here before. These are biomechanical plants¡­ huh?"


    A surprised expression crossed her face because when she pinched a leaf, it secreted juice, immediately causing her to panic.


    "The last time I was here, these were fake plants¡­" she said in disbelief.


    Because now, the walls full of maple red ivies were real plants, which she found unbelievable.


    Lu Heng also examined the plants in the courtyard, some were real and others were biomechanical.


    At that moment.


    Xavier Matrix came out of the house: "Welcome."


    Su Muyu hurriedly apologized, "I thought these were biomechanical plants, I''m so sorry..."


    She pointed to the leaf where she had left the mark with her nail, a look of apology on her face.


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a kiss mark left by a human friend''s finger, it won''t mind," Xavier Matrix eased Su Muyu''s embarrassment.


    Su Muyu''s guilt eased somewhat, but she grew more puzzled.


    Because the last time she had surveyed with the Divine Feather Eagle, she had confirmed that all these maple red ivies were biomechanical, and now they had turned real, which was unthinkable.


    However, she didn''t question further and instead followed Lu Heng inside the house.


    Inside, a domestic robot brought them some pure water.


    "Please, have a seat," Xavier Matrix gestured hospitably.


    This time, the interaction between the two sides was much friendlier than the first.


    After all, Lu Heng''s group had helped him before, and some trust had been established. It was hard to say whether they could become friends, but at least they were not enemies for now.

 Chapter 222 - 182 Mechanical Angel: Black Feather Spirit

    "Mr. Ze Wei''er, you should know our identities; we were summoned by the Abyss Battlefield, so when the time comes, we will return," Lu Heng directly revealed his identity, aiming to make Xavier Matrix let down his guard for an efficient discussion of the matters at hand.


    The Sikes World was not seeing summoned extraterrestrial beings for the first time, and the Sikes people could also be summoned.


    Therefore, the term "summoned" was not something incomprehensible within the Sikes Civilization.


    "I know you, with a very peculiar way of appearing, and just as peculiar when you leave," Xavier Matrix gave his evaluation.


    "Because we will leave when it''s time, our time is limited, and we hope to resolve some matters before departure," Lu Heng began to transition to the main topic.


    "You say, if I can help you," Xavier Matrix had previously received help, so he didn''t mind returning the favor.


    "The first matter, do you know Yeliana Sikes?" Lu Heng started with this question. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Yeliana Sikes had requested that Xavier Matrix be captured and brought to her, Lu Heng didn''t intend to do so.


    Even if he wanted to, the difficulty was tremendous.


    After all, there was no need to take the risk for something that even the Sikes Military couldn''t accomplish.


    Moreover, his contact with this mad scientist was currently good; turning hostile abruptly was meaningless.


    Xavier Matrix, upon hearing the name Yeliana Sikes, fell silent for a moment before he answered, "I know her, but to be precise, I know her father, Lakrini Sikes."


    Lu Heng raised his eyebrows at this reply, guessing what it might be about, but still listened for him to continue.


    "I and Lakrini Sikes were both scientists researching mechanical life, but our research directions differed. About fifteen years ago, I and Lakrini discovered the existence of the Abyss, and we captured a Demon to study..."


    Xavier Matrix began to slowly recount his story with Lakrini Sikes:


    "Later, Lakrini believed that the Abyss would destroy our civilization, and he wanted to chase the source of the Abyss, so he left the Capital Star Circle.


    "I, on the other hand, discovered a peculiar substance that was of great help to my research on mechanical life.


    "So, we parted ways to pursue our own research, and I later heard that he went to an extragalactic system, losing contact after that.


    "There were rumors that he went missing, and his daughter, Yeliana, came to ask me about his whereabouts.


    "I hadn''t received any messages from Lakrini since our farewell, so I didn''t know his whereabouts either.


    "Later, Yeliana got news from somewhere, suspecting that I had deceived her father into going to the extragalactic system, leading to his disappearance.


    "For a while after, she saw me as an enemy, and no matter how I tried to explain, it was futile.


    "Afterward, because my research project violated the Mechanical Life Act, I was pursued by the military and had to hide.


    "About a year ago, the officials suddenly received a message from Lakrini, warning the civilization of the Abyss invasion.


    "I have listened to that recording, and if your voice hasn''t been disguised, I believe that recording was sent by you."


    Lu Heng raised his eyebrows and asked, "So the first time we met when you invited me into your home as a guest was for this reason too?"


    Xavier Matrix admitted, "That''s one of the reasons."


    "And then?"


    "Later, due to Lakrini''s warning, Yeliana was endorsed by the Escape Faction, elected as the new leader, and she hasn''t forgotten to search for me. Because of Lakrini''s demise, she is even more convinced that I caused her father''s death," Xavier Matrix said with a tone of helplessness.


    Lu Heng pretty much understood the situation and frankly said, "Yeliana hoped that I could bring you to see her, of course, whether you want to see her is your choice to make freely, I''m only conveying the message."


    Xavier Matrix nodded and responded, "Thank you, I will consider it."


    Lu Heng continued to inquire about the second matter, "Additionally, there is the issue regarding the Demon experiments; the Sikes Military found parts like a Demon''s horn and nails in your underground lab, and they believe you have been conducting illegal research."


    Xavier Matrix admitted frankly, "As a scientist, studying the material composition of Demons to understand the Abyss is necessary; I don''t think there''s anything wrong with such research."


    Lu Heng then asked, "So, have you been researching mechanical transformations of Demons?"


    Xavier Matrix shook his head, denying, "No, Demons are creatures with highly extreme behaviors and personalities, and they are not suitable as the carriers of thoughts. If one were to modify Demons, the first thing to clear would be their thinking organs, not their limbs."


    Lu Heng could understand his line of thinking, so by hearing this explanation, he could confirm that Xavier Matrix had not been researching Mechanical Demons.


    "What about the case in Gaseous Street? I saw a Spiritual Power Enhancement Module there, which is not existing technology of the Sikes Civilization."


    Xavier Matrix shook his head once again, "That incident has nothing to do with me, I''ve also watched the news, and just like you deduced, I also believe it was the work of Demons.


    "In City 3, there must be people conducting research related to Demons, perhaps even domesticating them.


    "As for the Spiritual Power Enhancement Module, I have indeed been researching the field of spiritual power, but so are other scientists who are conducting similar research."

 Chapter 223 - 182 Mechanical Angel: Black Feather Spirit_2

    "If you want to obtain the clue," he considered, "it is highly likely that the lab hired by the Descent Faction is conducting the research."


    The direction of the investigation circled back to the Descent Faction.


    Due to his experiences in a previous life, Lu Heng knew that there were issues with the Descent Faction itself, he was just not certain whether the incident on Gaseous Street had been their doing.


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment and asked one last question, "There is one more thing, the Mechanical Angel in the black battle armor that day, can I meet her?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix was silent for two seconds before replying, "I''m sorry, that won''t be possible."


    Lu Heng frowned and pressed, "Why not?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix paused before answering, "She''s the Black Feather Spirit, and she has her own mind."


    Lu Heng grew more puzzled. "Do you mean she refuses to meet me?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix remained silent, which meant he was conceding that point.


    Lu Heng then asked, "Can I at least know her current status? Is the damage severe?"


    "There''s no need to worry about that, the repairs have been completed," Ze Wei''er Matrix answered calmly.


    However, his calm demeanor left Lu Heng uncertain whether it was a psychological reaction or just a characteristic state of a mechanical entity.


    Lu Heng grew more puzzled, for the call for help he had heard from Black Feather Spirit sounded very much like Yuan Yaoyao''s voice.


    When he first heard it, Lu Heng''s initial reaction was that she was calling for help.


    But if it was Yuan Yaoyao, why wouldn''t she want to see him?


    Was Ze Wei''er Matrix hiding something?


    Moreover, if Black Feather Spirit was a Mechanical Angel, was it really Yuan Yaoyao?


    Black Feather Spirit was a Mechanical Angel that had emerged in his previous life and was one of the strongest angels Ze Wei''er Matrix had created.


    Was the Black Feather Spirit of his past life the same entity as the current one?


    This question couldn''t be answered.


    Because Mechanical Angels, warships, spacecraft, and robots might inherit their names and serial numbers.


    When a warship retired, a newly commissioned ship could use the old ship''s name and serial number.


    Robots had similar naming rules.


    Mechanical Angels could inherit names and identifiers as well.


    If this current Black Feather Spirit really was Yuan Yaoyao, did it mean she had been transformed into a Mechanical Angel?


    Given Ze Wei''er Matrix''s reputation as a "mad scientist," such a possibility existed.


    Moreover, Yuan Yaoyao''s Initial Talents were "Metal Ion Reduction" and "Mechanical Heart."


    Ethics aside, both her talents were suited for a mechanical enhancement path.


    Beyond that,


    another piece of information made Lu Heng suspicious.


    The current Black Feather Spirit possessed the ability to repair its metal shell.


    This repairing capability could be achieved by the "Fluid Metal" Skill, coupled with control programs in a computing core.


    In the past life, Lu Heng had never seen Black Feather Spirit use such a repair ability.


    If the past Black Feather Spirit lacked this repairing ability, and the current one possessed it, then the "Fluid Metal" Skill could be the answer to his doubt.


    After pondering for a long time, Lu Heng asked again, "Are you certain I cannot meet the Black Feather Spirit?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix candidly said, "As I told you, Black Feather Spirit has its own independent thoughts, and I won''t restrict any of her actions."


    Lu Heng''s expression darkened as he asked one final question, "Is the essence of Black Feather Spirit human?"


    This question was crucial and could resolve all ambiguities.


    Ze Wei''er Matrix fell silent before replying, "Yes."


    Hearing this response, Lu Heng''s gaze hardened.


    If Black Feather Spirit truly was Yuan Yaoyao,


    then in this strange world, without her father by her side,


    and her father was Lu Heng''s Quenching Assistant.


    In this situation, Lu Heng could be considered her half guardian, so he couldn''t just ignore the matter, even if it meant causing a confrontation.


    Lu Heng slammed the table and rebuked, "So you transformed her into a robot!"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix sensed the anger emanating from Lu Heng and asked, "Your emotions surged abruptly."


    "Yes! If you don''t give me a satisfactory answer, I might even kill you!" Lu Heng didn''t hide the murderous intent in his eyes.


    "Because of Black Feather Spirit?"


    "What else? In this world, I can be considered her half guardian. For Mechanical Civilization, you don''t understand what a guardian means, do you?" Lu Heng challenged.


    "I understand what a guardian means, but I can''t understand the reason for your anger," Ze Wei''er Matrix expressed candidly.


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and said, "You forced her to undergo Mechanical Transformation?"


    "There was no coercion. Moreover, I calculated the reason for your possible anger. Are you concerned about the extent of Black Feather Spirit''s Mechanical Transformation?"


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, realizing that the machine''s thinking was indeed peculiar, but it had mentioned a key phrase, "extent of Mechanical Transformation."


    "What do you mean by the extent of Mechanical Transformation? How extensive is Black Feather Spirit''s Mechanical Transformation?"


    After understanding the reason for Lu Heng''s anger, Ze Wei''er Matrix began to explain efficiently:


    "Now that I understand why you are angry, I need to explain that in Sikes Civilization, there is no concept of the extent of Mechanical Transformation.


    "For me, Mechanical Transformation and using tools are the same; both aim to improve individual operational efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and add capabilities.


    "To a living being, whether it''s holding a laser weapon, installing a laser weapon under the skin, or replacing an arm with a mechanical arm equipped with a laser weapon, essentially, there are no differences, they are all using tools.


    "In the early stages of the Mechanical Revolution in Sikes Civilization, Mechanical Transformations were conducted because the efficiency of individual bodies was significantly lower than that of mechanical limbs.


    "Because of the significant increase in operational efficiency, Mechanical Transformation became popular.


    "When changing a mechanical eyeball becomes as simple as changing glasses, there''s no longer any ideological burden about whether to undergo Mechanical Transformation.


    "Do you understand now? It''s like if I were to change Black Feather Spirit''s glasses, you certainly wouldn''t get angry about it."


    Although Lu Heng could understand, the human mindset couldn''t easily accept Mechanical Transformation, so he continued sternly, "Understanding it is useless from my position, you have no right to perform Mechanical Transformation on her."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix, realizing the explanation wasn''t getting through, quickly calculated and then said, "Well, communication is indeed difficult. In that case, you can directly communicate with Black Feather Spirit if she is willing."


    As he finished speaking, a holographic screen appeared in front of them.


    The screen flickered a few times, displaying the image of Black Feather Spirit.


    "Yuan Yaoyao!" Lu Heng''s voice was stern.


    Black Feather Spirit was still clad in black battle armor, with two mechanical antennae moving on her head, but she didn''t respond.


    "I will tell your father about this," Lu Heng''s tone grew even more severe.


    "Don''t tell! I don''t want him to know," Black Feather Spirit finally spoke, her voice indeed that of Yuan Yaoyao.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu had been listening nearby, initially not understanding what Lu Heng and Ze Wei''er Matrix were arguing about.


    But as soon as they heard Black Feather Spirit speak, they were both stunned.


    Black Feather Spirit continued, "The professor didn''t force me to undergo Mechanical Transformation; I agreed to it. I really like my current battle armor. Don''t you think I am powerful now?


    "After returning, I took exams at school, and scored full marks in every subject, especially in computation problems; they were too simple."


    Hearing her voice, Lu Heng''s concerns lessened slightly.


    Judging from the tone of her speech, at least her thinking was normal and very much in line with her original self. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng took a deep breath and said, "Come out, before I lose my temper."


    Black Feather Spirit fell silent for a while, then turned off the holographic screen communication.


    After a while, she flew in from outside, standing in front of Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng quickly thought through his options, unsure of how to handle the situation now.


    In fact, when she was first summoned, after returning, Lu Heng had felt that her expression seemed a bit sluggish.


    He hadn''t thought much of it at the time, but now he realized she might have already undergone transformation then.


    However, at that time, there were no signs of Mechanical Transformation on her exterior.


    Lu Heng asked, "What was transformed? Did you undergo transformation the first time you returned?"


    Black Feather Spirit nodded, "Transformed."


    Pointing to the back of her head, she said, "A Light Computer Chip was implanted, which helps me calculate and also connects to the network to search for information. Now, I score one hundred percent on every exam."

 Chapter 224 - 183: The Unknown Matters

    In the timeline of his previous life, there was a segment about the story of Black Feather Spirit that Lu Heng didn''t know.


    And in this life, no one else would ever know either, because it didn''t happen.


    In the previous life, the first time Yuan Yaoyao was conscripted,


    her father, Yuan Hecheng, had run around trying to buy her a Skill Crystal Core, but in the end, he wasn''t able to buy a high-level one, only securing a D-level Crystal Core with minimal effect.


    However, Yuan Yaoyao didn''t die during her first deployment to the Abyss Battlefield.


    But she did die during the second conscription.


    On her second deployment, she entered the same world.


    When Ze Wei''er Matrix was caught by the military, she, as the Black Feather Spirit, went into battle just like this life, severing all the drones.


    But she was no match for Alex Austin, and in the end, while covering for Ze Wei''er Matrix''s escape, she was destroyed by Alex Austin.


    After Ze Wei''er Matrix escaped, he took back the fragments of the Black Feather Spirit and then recreated the second generation of Black Feather Spirit.


    Therefore, in his past life, the Black Feather Spirit that Lu Heng saw was the second generation, which looked almost the same as the first generation but was no longer the same.


    In this life, because Lu Heng appeared and held off Alex Austin, Yuan Yaoyao survived.


    Hence, the events of the past life did not occur.


    And Lu Heng would never know of this event from his previous life; the questions he had about the Black Feather Spirit remained etched in his memory.


    ...


    At this moment, Yuan Yaoyao was boasting about how powerful the implanted Light Computer Chip was.


    She had even retracted her face shield, revealing her face, which indeed looked as it originally did, yet it was impossible to tell if it was the synthetic skin or if she hadn''t undergone facial transformation.


    However, Lu Heng was contemplating other issues. He pointed at her and said, "Take off the outer battle armor."


    Yuan Yaoyao puffed up her cheeks and mumbled, "No."


    "What''s not okay about it?" Lu Heng frowned, considering how he would explain to Yuan Hecheng if she had undergone full-body modifications.


    Yuan Yaoyao pursed her lips and muttered, "I''m not wearing clothes... just a tank top and..."


    "Then forget it." Lu Heng simply asked directly, "Aside from the implanted chip, what else has been augmented?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix, having a basic understanding of the psychological burden humans faced toward mechanical augmentation, began to explain:


    "You might have some misunderstandings about mechanical transformation; it''s not for the sake of transformation itself but to enhance the operating efficiency of the individual.


    "Only when the mechanical body has higher operational efficiency than the organic body, do we replace the organic body with a mechanical one.


    "The original body of the Black Feather Spirit has an ability to change the malleability of metal materials.


    "The strength of this ability is related to the total amount of Source Energy, and the total Source Energy is related to the total volume of the body''s cells.


    "Thus, preserving more cellular tissue can lead to a stronger ''Fluid Metal'' ability and also enhance the efficiency of the ''Mechanical Heart'' and ''Metal Ion Reduction'' abilities.


    "Therefore, there''s no need to replace limbs at this stage. In the future, when mechanical limbs that can substitute for organic ones and improve efficiency are developed, then a replacement can take place.


    "Currently, the augmentation plan I''ve designed involves gradually replacing the skeleton with metal to enhance the body''s resistance to impacts..."


    Lu Heng raised his hand, indicating he didn''t want to hear any more about his augmentation plan.


    For now, it seemed that Yuan Yaoyao had not been forcibly modified, so there wasn''t too much of a problem.


    With only four days left before their return, it was necessary to complete the remaining Challenge Tasks as quickly as possible.


    After two encounters and the memories of his past life,


    one thing was certain, Ze Wei''er Matrix''s technical strength had indeed reached a level where even the Sikes Civilization had no way to handle him officially.


    He had just been persecuted by the military a day ago, and yet he had already comfortably resettled in a courtyard filled with many plants.


    He likely hadn''t been much delayed in his research projects.


    Comparatively speaking, collaborating with Ze Wei''er Matrix was more efficient than working with other factions.


    Moreover, due to Yuan Yaoyao''s relationship, there was a natural connection with Ze Wei''er Matrix, which made things a bit more stable.


    ...


    Lu Heng directly addressed the most important topic, asking, "Yuan Yaoyao, what is your second Challenge Task?"


    Yuan Yaoyao looked at the task panel and answered, "Find the Abyss Pollution Source and eliminate it."


    Lu Heng turned to Ze Wei''er Matrix and said, "We may need your help, is that alright?"


    "Of course," Ze Wei''er Matrix readily agreed.


    "Professor Ze Wei''er, do you have any leads on the Abyss Pollution Source?" Lu Heng asked directly.


    Since Ze Wei''er Matrix could move freely while under military pursuit, his privileges within the Central System must be very high, and naturally, he could access a lot of information other people couldn''t.


    "Various signs indicate that labs of the Descent Faction are conducting extensive research on Demons, even mechanically transforming them. If this is related to the Abyss Pollution Source, then there''s over a 70% chance that the source is within the region controlled by the Descent Faction," Ze Wei''er Matrix deduced from the information he had gathered.


    "Are there any specific targets we should investigate thoroughly? We''ll handle the investigation," Lu Heng asked.


    "There are. If you investigate these few secret bases of the Descent Faction, you might find the answer."


    Ze Wei''er Matrix provided the coordinates of several secret bases of the Descent Faction and offered to support their network system, block signals, and even disrupt the communications of the Descent Faction.


    Lu Heng studied the electronic map, pondering the locations of those Descent Faction secret bases and how to start the investigation.


    After discussing and setting up a plan of action, Ze Wei''er Matrix took the initiative and said, "I can provide you with some equipment and mechanical modules, do you have any requirements?"


    Lu Heng beckoned to the Mechanical Tiger Anka, "Do you have an Anti-gravity Module?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix raised an eyebrow and said, "I do have Anti-gravity Modules, but your Mechanical Beast is quite heavy. Even using the same model of Anti-gravity Module as the Black Feather Spirit, at maximum power, it wouldn''t be able to fly."


    "Reducing gravity''s influence and increasing running speed works as well," Lu Heng understood that different weights of machinery required varying power from an anti-gravity module.


    The Black Feather Spirit only weighed about one-tenth of the Mechanical Tiger, so an anti-gravity module used on the Black Feather Spirit would naturally not enable the Mechanical Tiger to fly.


    Xavier Matrix used electromagnetic signals to instruct the domestic robots to retrieve an anti-gravity module from the basement.


    When Lu Heng took it, he saw it was a rectangular module, which outwardly didn''t seem to have anything special about it.


    He handed it to the Mechanical Tiger for adaptation.


    The Mechanical Tiger installed it beneath the liquid metal outer shell and, after adaptation, initiated the anti-gravity module, reducing its weight to 36% of the original.


    Only the weight was reduced, not the mass.


    On Blue Star, mass is often equated with weight, but the two are actually different.


    Xavier Matrix watched the results and said, "If we have a chance to meet again, I could make an anti-gravity module specifically for your Mechanical Beast."


    Lu Heng was delighted to hear this promise.


    However, making an anti-gravity module was certainly not something that could be completed in just a few days, so when he spoke of "the chance to meet again," he was referring to the next time he was summoned.


    Thus, whether there really was another chance to meet was hard to say.


    ...


    In the next three days.


    Lu Heng began to investigate several secret bases of the Descent Faction around City #3.


    In reconnaissance, Su Muyu was naturally the best.


    For most Descent Faction bases, it was enough to send the invisible Shen Feather Hawks to fly around and then everything would be clear.


    Only when faced with a base the Shen Feather Hawks couldn''t enter did they need to consider other methods.


    One common method was for Lu Heng to use the Illusion Pearl, disguising himself as a member of the Descent Faction and then entering the base to investigate.


    In three days.


    He investigated five of the Descent Faction''s secret bases and found a Mechanical Demon Laboratory but did not locate the Abyss Pollution Source.


    The Challenge Task required finding the Abyss Pollution Source; finding the Mechanical Demon Laboratory was useless.


    It was possible, however, to hand over the investigation data to Yeliana Sikes for the Sikes Civilization to resolve the issue.


    By the evening of the third day.


    Lu Heng, along with Yuan Yaoyao and two others, began investigating the sixth Descent Faction secret base.


    Xavier Matrix had provided the coordinates for a total of seven Descent Faction bases, so two were yet to be investigated.


    This was the sixth, and if the Abyss Pollution Source could not be found here, then there was only one target left.


    Of course, it was also possible there was no Abyss Pollution Source within the Descent Faction at all.


    If that were the case, the Challenge Task would be impossible to complete.


    Because there wasn''t enough time left, with only a day and a half remaining before his return.


    ...


    Like before, they started with Su Muyu sending out the Shen Feather Hawks for reconnaissance.


    After circling the perimeter, Su Muyu said, "The security at this base is tighter than any of the previous five; I simply can''t get in unless we force our way through, and that would alert them."


    Lu Heng stood up and said, "Then I''ll do it."


    The four waited outside the base for a long time. Lu Heng needed a guard to come out so he could transform into the guard''s appearance, then enter the base.


    But no guard came out.


    The pyramid-shaped base, silent as a tomb, had no guards coming and going even after three hours of surveillance.


    Moreover, because they were robots, there was no need for any natural breaks, and they could be wirelessly charged through a network, so there was no need for the base to have any contact with the outside world.


    After a moment of thought, Lu Heng said, "If that''s the case, I''ll just use Shadow Traversal to go straight in."


    This was actually a bit risky.


    Shadow Traversal was typically used as a means to escape danger; once inside, one could immediately withdraw in the face of danger. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, if he used Shadow Traversal to enter and then encountered danger, there would be no means to exit.


    "Isn''t that too risky?" Su Muyu was a bit worried.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll just make a quick round for a look, and come out in 15 seconds."


    Lu Heng gave her a reassuring look, then used Shadow Traversal to dive underground, rushing towards the base at the highest speed while internally counting the time.


    As Shadow Traversal only lasted 15 seconds, he had at most 7.5 seconds to turn back.


    With the combined acceleration from Shadow Traversal and Windwalker, Lu Heng charged into the base at a speed of 260 meters per second.


    Under Shadow Vision, as he neared the base by about thirty meters, he saw the underground structure of the base.


    A single glance revealed at least six stories of underground construction.


    This was the Descent Faction base with the most underground levels he had seen in all his investigations.


    Lu Heng circled around a third of the underground structures, noted some exterior details, and at the 8-second mark, immediately turned back. He rushed up to the surface, finishing the reconnaissance in the last second.


    "How did it go?" Su Muyu asked intently.


    Whew!


    Lu Heng exhaled and answered, "There are six levels of construction underground. I feel this base is likely what we''re looking for, but I haven''t found the Abyss Pollution Source yet. I need to change directions and try again."

 Chapter 225 - 184: Action, Breaking Through the Descent Faction Base

    Delrimus Base No. 3.


    This, on the surface, appeared to be a research base focused on mechanical beasts, a part of the Sikes Civilization Descent Faction''s infrastructure.


    However, having circled half the perimeter of the underground structure, Lu Heng discovered that the base''s security level was extremely high, far surpassing any other base he had previously investigated.


    Lu Heng changed his direction and, once his Source Material Energy had fully recovered, he entered Shadow Travel again, diving into the ground and utilizing Shadow Vision for reconnaissance.


    The range of Shadow Vision wasn''t enough to penetrate the entire underground base, so he could only observe the periphery.


    On the fifth sublevel, he encountered an intricate laser matrix system.


    The defense was comparable to the highest level military bases of Sikes Military.


    Even in the state of Shadow Travel, he could not access the fifth level.


    If the radar system of the laser matrix detected him, it would surely arouse suspicion.


    Besides, Lu Heng on the third and fourth floors discovered two Demon Mechanical Transformation Laboratories.


    In these laboratories, several Commander Level Demons were undergoing mechanical transformation experiments.


    Although he had not seen the Abyss Pollution Source yet, Lu Heng felt that it must lie beneath the Delrimus Base No. 3.


    Even if it wasn''t the Abyss Pollution Source, something more terrible than the Mechanical Demon Laboratories was certainly hidden there.


    ...


    After returning to the surface, Lu Heng tapped the mechanical scarab and said, "Professor Ze Wei''er, I''d like to talk with you."


    As soon as he finished speaking, a holographic screen popped up above the mechanical scarab, displaying the image of the Xavier Matrix.


    "Did you find anything?"


    "I''ve seen an extensive laser matrix in the underground section of Delrimus Base No. 3, levels three and four house Mechanical Demon Laboratories. I believe there''s something even more terrifying in levels five and six, likely the Abyss Pollution Source. But the defense is too strong, unless we force our way in, there''s no way to get in," Lu Heng briefly reported his findings.


    Xavier Matrix''s processing power was immense; it determined the results almost the instant he finished speaking.


    Its response was swift, as if unconsidered, but had actually been through meticulous calculation by its core processor.


    "Could you sketch out the underground structure of the Delrimus Base No. 3?"


    "I can try."


    Lu Heng extended his finger towards the holographic screen, beginning to draw the rough structure of the underground construction while verbally describing, "Here''s the laser matrix, and here and here¡­"


    The finger-drawn map was crude, but combined with the verbal description, Xavier Matrix calculated a three-dimensional structural diagram.


    Then, Lu Heng adjusted this 3D model to finalize the underground structure of Delrimus Base No. 3.


    After reflecting, Xavier Matrix asked, "From the architectural structure, floors five and six indeed should contain more secretive items; we need to investigate this thoroughly. What''s your plan?"


    Lu Heng had already considered this question, "We only have one day left before our return, so we must act on the last night.


    "I think we should just destroy the base, even if we don''t find the Abyss Pollution Source, at least we can eliminate the Mechanical Demon Laboratories."


    "I am willing to cooperate with your operation," replied Xavier Matrix.


    Among the three main factions in the current Sikes Civilization, Xavier Matrix supported the Stay and Defend Faction.


    As for the Escape Faction, it did not align with his philosophy, but he saw nothing inherently wrong with the faction itself.


    In times of disaster, some people naturally prioritize escaping, seeking safety from catastrophe.


    Moreover, a civilization needs a contingency plan to preserve its seeds of civilization.


    The Escape Faction name might sound derogatory, but its purpose was precisely to preserve such seeds.


    Comparatively speaking¡­


    The philosophy of the Descent Faction was hardest for others to accept, wanting the Abyss to descend and rule the Sikes World.


    It was a revelry of anti-social individuals.


    Therefore, if it became necessary to use force against a faction, Xavier Matrix would not hesitate to fire upon the Descent Faction.


    In addition, researching Mechanical Demons strongly clashed with his scientific principles.


    From the beginning, he believed that if one were to transform Demons, the first step should be removing their minds, simply put, taking their brains out.


    This research direction, however, was not shared by the Descent Faction.


    ...


    With the final day before their return upon them.


    If they were to take action against Delrimus Base No. 3, they needed to make preparations.


    And before the action, ample rest was needed.


    So Lu Heng and his two companions first took Yuan Yaoyao back to Xavier Matrix''s base to briefly discuss the next day''s action plan, then rested until dawn.


    Humans need to rest, but robots do not. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, while Lu Heng and his companions rested, the Xavier Matrix''s robots continuously prepared.


    They adjusted equipment and infiltrated various Sikes official systems, getting ready for the action scheduled for the next evening.


    ...


    As evening fell the next day.


    Before the action commenced, everyone gathered to review the plan once more and considered potential contingency plans for unexpected situations.


    Considering they were about to face the highest level of defense system within Sikes Civilization and might encounter other human superpower users,


    a retreat plan was essential.


    If the situation became unmanageable, they needed to safely withdraw or hold out until the return time.


    At eight in the evening.


    A transport vehicle drove out from Begonia Courtyard, covered with an Invisibility Veil, heading towards the direction of Delrimus Base No. 3.


    Half an hour later.


    The transport vehicle reached the military base''s periphery.


    There were two Mechanical Angels on board, one was the Black Feather Spirit and the other was the White Feather Spirit.


    Aside from that, there were six self-propelled firepower suppression systems and twenty-four armed drones.


    According to the introduction by Xavier Matrix, the most important was a metal alloy box in the corner containing a powerful weapon.


    The time was 9:05 AM.


    All operational units synchronized their watches and began their final preparations.


    Lu Heng tapped on the helmet of the Black Feather Spirit and reminded, "If you encounter danger, retreat first, no matter what, you have to hold on until the return time. Set an alarm in the system, and as soon as it''s the return time, head back immediately."


    "Got it. My light computer system will give me battle prompts, so you don''t need to worry," affirmed the Black Feather Spirit, nodding as the two wing-like antennas on its head moved.


    After everyone was ready, Lu Heng picked up the metal alloy box in the corner, gestured towards the direction of the Delrims 3 Base, and ordered, "Action!"


    Su Muyu immediately activated the Invisibility Veil and escorted all operational units close to the outer wall of Delrims 3 Base.


    After approaching the outer wall, Lu Heng activated "Shadow Traversal," carrying the metal alloy box through the wall and into the interior of Delrims 3 Base.


    The defense system of this secret base mainly focused on the underground, thus the defenses on the above-ground part were not as high.


    Lu Heng entered the interior of the above-ground building, found a secluded corner, and opened the metal alloy box.


    Inside the metal alloy box were densely packed tiny particles.


    To the naked eye, they looked like a bunch of metal particles, each only the size of a grain of rice.


    However, Lu Heng had seen the enlarged structural diagram of these particles, and they were not ordinary.


    After opening the metal alloy box, these tiny particles began to move, crawling out of the box like ants, spreading out, burrowing into various pipes in the building.


    These ant-like crawling things were officially called "Thybaid Level Nanite Exploding Robots."


    While moving, these robots would extend mechanical legs to crawl, resembling spiders with eight legs in the structure diagram.


    Each robot was only the size of a grain of rice but possessed enormous power and could autonomously search for targets to execute targeted explosions.


    More frighteningly, inside the metal alloy box were a total of 300,000 of these tiny creatures.


    After all nanite exploding spiders had crawled out of the box, they spread out in all directions.


    Lu Heng watched the time and began the countdown.


    According to the well-planned operational scheme, the nanite exploding spiders would take ten minutes to find the explosion points and then carry out the explosions.


    The sound of the explosion was the signal for the operation to officially begin.


    Time passed by second by second.


    After ten minutes, Lu Heng silently counted down the final seconds.


    Then, a thunderous boom rang out inside the base.


    Lu Heng could clearly hear the explosion; the closest one was no more than thirty meters away.


    The vibrations from the explosion were not very intense, and the feeling underfoot was not strong.


    The nanite exploding robots performed targeted explosions, and after calculating the necessary explosive force, they gathered just enough units to detonate.


    This made the explosive force just slightly over the needed threshold, without any wasteful excess power.


    Thus, the explosions were perfectly measured.


    After the first explosion, explosions began to ignite one after another inside the base.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    After the 300,000 nanite exploding robots reached their specified locations, they began to detonate in sequence.


    They blasted through several key locations of Delrims 3 Base, creating breaches and making the shortest pathways for the subsequent breakthrough actions.


    After the explosions began, an alarm sounded inside Delrims 3 Base.


    The buzzing alarm echoed throughout the entire base.


    The alarm signal began transmitting outward but received no response.


    This was because the alarm system had been hacked by Xavier Matrix, temporarily blocking the signal transmission.


    However, this could only last for a short while and it was uncertain how long it could hold.


    Thus, this operation had to be quick, otherwise, they would face the crazy armed onslaught of the Descent Faction.


    Boom!


    An explosion blasted a hole in the outer wall of Delrims 3 Base.


    Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, along with Yuan Yaoyao''s Black Feather Spirit and another Mechanical Angel, the White Feather Spirit, entered the base through the hole.


    After meeting with them, Lu Heng, following the planned scheme, began to break downwards.


    The pathway downward had already been blown open by the nanite exploding robots, so the breakthrough downwards was very fast.


    Alarm bells rang throughout the base, and the defense system detected the intruders.


    Mechanical guards from various locations converged, opening fire upon spotting the intruders.


    As the group entered the first underground level, they encountered sixteen mechanical guards in the corridor.


    The sixteen mechanical guards opened fire simultaneously.


    Da-da-da¡­


    Bullets sprayed like dense rain.


    Su Muyu activated the "Prism Force Field," blocking all the bullets.


    The two Mechanical Angels retaliated using their laser weapons.


    "We''re heading straight to the next level."


    This operation needed to be as quick as possible due to the pressing time, so Lu Heng decided not to waste time on these mechanical guards and directly led the team through the hole blasted by the nanite exploding robots to the next level.


    Lin Zeyu covered their rear, throwing two Source Energy Shock Bombs towards the hole just as the mechanical guards gathered, blasting them to smithereens.


    The team continued to break downwards, quickly reaching the third underground level with the aid of the nanite exploding robots.


    This level was where the Mechanical Demon Laboratory was located, requiring a quick clearing operation.

 Chapter 226 - 185: Break Through Defense, Level Up

    Delrimus Base 3 had failed to send out its distress signal, but after some adjustments, it managed to send the information through a backup channel.


    Upon receiving the alert, the upper echelons of the Descent Faction were enraged, promptly dispatching armed forces to support Delrimus Base 3.


    Meanwhile,


    Below Delrimus Base 3 on level three, Lu Heng made his way to the gateway of the first laboratory.


    This location was used for experiments with Mechanical Demons, hence the segregation system was robust; one could only enter through this door.


    Lu Heng was about to act when a voice transmitted from the communicator, from the Xavier Matrix.


    "Descent Faction used a backup communication line and has received the alert of the base being attacked. The first batch of reinforcements, consisting mainly of drones and mechanical guards, is expected to arrive within ten minutes. The second wave will arrive after thirty minutes, mainly comprising Mechanical Warriors and Superpower Users."


    Lu Heng considered for a moment and asked, "If I block the passage we came through now, will there be a way to evacuate everyone later?"


    The Xavier Matrix replied, "If you go down to level six, there''s basically no guaranteed method of stable evacuation. You''ll have to decide for yourself."


    "Understood."


    After making up his mind, Lu Heng said, "Help me intercept the reinforcements; try to delay them until midnight."


    The Xavier Matrix agreed, "I''ll do my best to intercept the reinforcements, but I can''t guarantee stopping them all. If escape becomes impossible, you can choose to abandon the mechanical units."


    He had already guessed what Lu Heng was thinking, so he took the initiative to suggest abandoning the mechanical units.


    The mechanical units participating in this operation were dear to him, but if necessary, they would have to be sacrificed.


    ...


    After ending the call, Lu Heng organized the tactics for the third level: "I''ll cut open this door with a slash from the Aurora Blade, followed by the Source Energy Shock Bomb to clear the way, then the mechanical units will execute firepower suppression and advance. Once inside, eliminate all Demons and Mechanicals in sight, leave none."


    Everyone gave a thumbs up to indicate confirmation.


    Then, Lu Heng activated his Source Material Energy, unleashing a Rift Slash.


    The Rift Sword Radiance sliced diagonally into the alloy door, bursting it open with a loud bang.


    As the alloy door collapsed, inside mechanical guards immediately opened fire with various kinetic and energy weapons.


    A barrage of bullets formed a steel curtain, pouring down like rain, but upon reaching the doorway, they were shredded by an invisible Rift Barrier.


    This Rift Barrier, created by the Rift Slash, left behind Rift Traces that blocked and tore apart any material flying toward it.


    Lin Zeyu quickly condensed Source Energy in his palm, creating a "Source Energy Shock Bomb" and threw it into the lab.


    Boom!


    An intense explosion reverberated inside. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The bullets and lasers fired from inside stalled for a moment.


    As the Rift Traces that had blocked the initial wave of attacks slowly faded, Su Muyu activated the Prism Force Field to withstand the following barrage and began to push forward.


    The team''s Mechanical Units opened fire with a flurry of sounds, bullets, and laser beams cutting through the air, instantly destroying the frontmost dozen mechanical guards.


    Next,


    Mechanical Tiger Anka led the charge, activating the Fiery Flame Shield and performing a City-breaking Charge, bursting forth like a Vajra Beast at the forefront, enduring the barrage and sending all mechanical units and Mechanical Demons along the path flying.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    One by one, mechanical guards were sent flying by the City-breaking Charge, smashing against the walls and breaking into pieces.


    The rest of the Mechanical Units followed, continuing to fire from behind Su Muyu''s Prism Force Field, suppressing the enemy''s firepower.


    After the first wave of attack, Lu Heng''s side gained the upper hand.


    Next, three Commander Level Demons emerged from the laboratory with a dozen Demon subordinates rushing forward.


    One of them, the Wing Demon Commander, flapping its wings, clad in Mechanical Battle Armor, wielding a Mechanical Spear, flew up and hurled a Thunder Spear at Su Muyu.


    At that moment, Su Muyu''s Prism Force Field had run out.


    She immediately unfolded her Sky Vault Lord Wings, shielding herself in front.


    With a thunderous crash, the Thunder Spear collided with the Sky Vault Wings, sending a circle of frenzied thunder around.


    Su Muyu''s wings protected the Mechanical Units behind from the Thunder Spear, then she flapped her Energy Wings and flew up, directing the Divine Hawk Eagle to charge forward, blocking the Wing Demon Commander from launching another attack.


    She then raised Mia''s Crossbow, firing Flame Arrows, joining the Divine Hawk Eagle in the assault on the Wing Demon Commander.


    With Lin Zeyu providing sniper cover from behind, it took less than three minutes to bring down the Wing Demon Commander from the air.


    On the other side,


    Lu Heng burst forth at Extreme Speed along the ground, drawing out the Aurora Blade and streaking through the ranks of Demons, each swing bisecting Demons cleanly.


    One of the Demon Commanders, a giant worm modified with a tank, was covered in thick armor, resembling a flesh mountain tank.


    Lu Heng swung twice, carving two large gashes in the armor, but the armor was too thick, and the giant worm Commander remained unharmed.


    The giant worm Commander issued an angry shriek and sprayed a large amount of deadly venom, pouring down like raindrops.


    Lu Heng''s gaze sharpened as he quickly shouted, "Find cover!"


    "I''ve got it!"


    Transformed into the Black Feather Spirit, Yuan Yaoyao looked at the electronic screen before her, the Light Computer system calculating the optimal combat strategy.


    Fighting for her was like playing a video game; she controlled the Black Feather Spirit to dash out, activating the Energy Shield to block the deadly venom, and then unleashed two Mechanical Lightsabers, slashing with two beams of ion sword light.

 Chapter 227 - 185: Break Through Defense, Level Up_2

    The ion sword light tore through the giant Abyss Worm Commander''s outer armor, plowing two deep wounds into its back.


    The ion sword light cauterized the wounds, emanating a burnt stench.


    Seizing the opportunity, Lu Heng followed up from behind the Black Feather Spirit, dodging the poisonous mucus sprayed out, then leaped up, performing a reversed Rising Dragon Slash from the back of the Abyss Worm Commander, splitting its back in two.


    At the same time, he took out an All-Nitrogen Ion Bomb and threw it into the wound on its back.


    The All-Nitrogen Ion Bomb exploded with a loud "bang," causing the body of the Abyss Worm Commander to tremble violently as mucus, blood, and viscera burst out all at once.


    [In battle, gained insight, Sword Technique Proficiency +1]


    [Killed the Giant Abyss Worm Commander, absorbed 1000 points of Demon Energy.]


    Along with the dozen or so mechanical demons he had just cleared, the absorbed energy broke through the level barrier.


    [Source Energy Level increased to 27, All Attributes +3, Agility Attribute additionally +0.9]


    After taking down the Giant Abyss Worm Commander and the Wing Demon Commander, the guarding forces on the third floor lab quickly collapsed.


    Under the fire suppression of the mechanical units, each demon was shredded under the barrage, and each mechanical guard was shot into a sieve with debris scattered everywhere.


    In just 5 minutes, the battle was near its end, all enemy targets cleaned up.


    "30 seconds to clean up the battlefield; Anka, use miniature missiles to blow up the passageway we came through. We''ll move to the fourth floor in 30 seconds," Lu Heng quickly arranged the action steps.


    All units mobilized to start cleaning the battlefield.


    Su Muyu controlled the Divine Feather Eagle, circled around the area, and collected all the Source Material and Crystal Cores.


    Lin Zeyu searched among the ruins for usable mechanical modules.


    However, during the battle, the fire suppression was very fierce, so most of the mechanical guards were smashed, leaving hardly any intact modules.


    The passage to the fourth floor had already been sealed.


    However, that wasn''t a problem.


    Nano self-destruct robots found the weakest spot in the passage to the fourth floor and conducted a targeted detonation.


    Boom!


    A loud blast created a downward hole.


    Lu Heng led the team down to the underground fourth-floor passage, and following the structure they had initially seen, they broke through the mechanical guards'' resistance and rushed to the door of the fourth-floor lab.


    The fourth floor was a laboratory for mechanical demon research, differing from the previous floor, which was for demon body modifications.


    This floor involved creating suitable mechanical modules for equipping demons.


    Relatively speaking, the fourth floor had more Commander Level demons.


    However, under the strong fire suppression of the team, they quickly broke through and began clearing the demons on this floor.


    The mechanical units conducting fire suppression, along with Lin Zeyu''s positions, were all at the back.


    While conducting fire suppression, a Shadow Demon suddenly appeared from behind, extending its claws to stab at Lin Zeyu''s back.


    Lin Zeyu had placed Hidden Eyes along the way to keep an eye on the rear.


    The moment the Shadow Demon appeared, he immediately did a forward roll to dodge the attack and yelled, "There''s an invisible one!"


    The moment the Shadow Demon attacked, it triggered a Black Witchcraft Immobilization Trap, and several Dark Thorns grew from the ground and walls, entangling the Shadow Demon.


    The Shadow Demon immediately turned into a shadow, slipped into the ground, and broke free from the trap, continuing to chase forward.


    Passing by a mechanical unit, it extended its claws from the ground and smashed a self-propelled laser beam vehicle into pieces.


    Lin Zeyu turned his gun and fired two shots at the Shadow Demon with a "bang, bang," hitting the ground and creating two pits, but causing no damage to the Shadow Demon.


    "This thing''s like a shadow; can''t hit it!"


    "Shadow Demons are afraid of light; use the Shock Bomb and Divine Feather Eagle''s Skill. If that doesn''t work, call me," Lu Heng was advancing furiously at the front and couldn''t head back temporarily.


    Lin Zeyu heeded the reminder, raised his hand to shoot an Energy Hook at the ceiling, rose into the air, and then concentrated a Source Energy Shock Bomb, simultaneously shouting, "Shock Bomb explosion countdown 3, 2, 1..."


    After the countdown, the Source Energy Shock Bomb energy compressed completely and was thrown at the Shadow Demon.


    Boom!


    The explosion of the Shock Bomb erupted.


    At the moment of explosion, Lin Zeyu turned around, closed his eyes, and shielded them with the back of his hand.


    Other mechanical units also activated the Shock Bomb defense mode, enduring the impact of the Source Energy Shock Bomb.


    The Source Energy Shock Bomb exploded, releasing a bright light that instantly caused the Shadow Demon to scream in agony. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    However, the Source Energy Shock Bomb did not kill the Shadow Demon outright.


    The body of the Shadow Demon was blasted into pieces, sliding along the wall as it tried to pursue Lin Zeyu.


    Right after that,


    Su Muyu reminded through the communication channel, "Blazing Flame Light countdown 3, 2, 1..."


    Divine Feather Eagle charged forward, unleashing all its energy, and used its innate skill "Blazing Flame Light," emitting a sun-like intense light that enveloped a 10-meter radius and inflicted high-temperature damage of 1200 degrees at the center.


    Under the intense high-temperature light, the Shadow Demon struggled and screamed, eventually being burnt to ashes.


    After dealing with the Shadow Demon, Lin Zeyu saw a data prompt that he had absorbed 600 points of Demon Energy, and his level had been raised to 26.


    Lu Heng cut down two Commander Level Demons ahead, then swept through the remaining low-level demons and mechanical guards with firepower.


    The battle was resolved in a total of eight minutes.


    "Clean up the battlefield, we are moving to the next floor immediately, Anka, destroy the entrance passage."


    After giving the order, Lu Heng then commanded the nano self-destruct robots to find a way down.


    The fourth floor was cleared, next was the fifth floor.


    During reconnaissance, Lu Heng had not seen the interior of the fifth floor because the defense level was too high, featuring wall-to-wall laser matrices that would turn anyone who dared approach into ash.


    ...


    After cleaning up the battlefield and collecting all the Source Material and Crystal Cores.


    The team reached the entrance to the fifth floor.


    The nano self-destruct robots detonated directionally, blasting a gap, but there were not enough robots remaining, and the walls of the fifth floor were thicker than the previous ones, so only a fist-sized hole was created.


    Such a small hole was too small for a person to pass through.


    And below that, the corridor was filled with laser matrices.


    Just sticking one''s head out would result in being attacked by hundreds of laser beams.


    Lu Heng picked up a metal sheet and threw it into the hole.


    As the metal sheet fell into the corridor, before even touching the ground, it was struck by hundreds of laser beams and instantly melted into molten iron, dripping onto the floor.


    Looking inside through the Hidden Eye, Lin Zeyu said, "This is too intense; it turns to molten iron instantly. If it were a person, they''d be cooked in a millisecond."


    Beforehand, Lu Heng had discussed a plan with Ze Wei''er Matrix.


    However, Ze Wei''er Matrix indicated that they needed to see the arrangement of the laser matrix to find a solution.


    Lu Heng promptly asked, "Professor Ze Wei''er, have you found a breakthrough method?"


    From atop a mechanical unit, a holographic screen popped up and responded, "This is indeed the highest level laser defense matrix from the Sikes Military. It is difficult to break through from the front.


    "The strategy I can provide is to cut off the energy supply, then deplete the laser matrix''s battery energy, and finally destroy the laser matrix.


    "However, once the energy supply line is cut, the system will activate a backup line, which roughly takes about 30 seconds.


    "The laser matrix''s battery energy can maintain its attack for about 20 seconds.


    "This means you must deplete the laser matrix''s energy within 30 seconds, then use the remaining 10 seconds to destroy it."


    After hearing this, Lu Heng found the challenge rather daunting.


    However, having reached this point, they could only proceed.


    Lu Heng then asked, "What''s the situation outside?"


    Ze Wei''er Matrix replied, "The first reinforcement arrived ten minutes ago and has started intercepting. Only a few unmanned drones have entered the base interior, so they should not pose a threat to you.


    "However, the control network I am managing has noticed that the second batch of reinforcements will arrive in fifteen minutes, including a team of Human Superpower Users.


    "With the current firepower of the mechanical units, it is not possible to stop this team of Superpower Users."

 Chapter 228 - 186: The American Team Attacks

    As the laboratories on the 3rd and 4th floors of the base were breached, the Descent Faction''s top brass were furious.


    This secret base had cost the Descent Faction a tremendous amount of financial resources to establish, and now it was being destroyed by attackers.


    Therefore, the top brass of the Descent Faction furiously ordered all available armed forces to go and support.


    Sikes''s official offer for help was rejected by the Descent Faction.


    Because the "things" inside the Delrim Base No. 3 could not be known to the officials, nor could they be known by other factions.


    Otherwise, the secrets of Delrim Base No. 3 would become an excuse for other factions to attack the Descent Faction.


    For the top brass of the Descent Faction, the laboratories in the base were very important, but the faction''s support rate was even more crucial.


    Because the faction''s support rate was the foundation of the Descent Faction; if the things in the base were exposed, then the support rate could plummet significantly, followed by the halving of various funds and investments.


    This was something that the faction leaders could not accept, so even if Delrim Base No. 3 was attacked, the Descent Faction was unwilling to accept support from officials and other factions.


    ...


    Outside Delrim Base No. 3.


    A drone swarm of two hundred units converged, preparing to provide support to the base.


    The drone swarm had just reached the outside of the base when they were first attacked by the ground autonomous firepower suppression robots.


    Then, twenty-four technologically advanced armed drones took off to intercept this two hundred strong drone swarm.


    Rat-tat-tat!


    Rat-a-tat!


    The two sides exchanged fire fiercely, and with only the loss of a single drone, the Xavier Matrix-controlled ground firepower system and drone squadron brought down more than one hundred fifty drones, leaving a few dozen to fly into the base.


    In addition to the destroyed drones, a few were also damaged.


    The broken drones landed inside a transport vehicle, where the in-vehicle repair system began repairing the damaged parts of the drones.


    A few minutes later, the repaired drones took off again to continue the fight.


    Fifteen minutes later.


    The American team led by Alex Austin arrived outside the base.


    This was a faction mission issued by the Descent Faction leaders, and they had promised great benefits.


    Therefore, the American team rushed over as soon as possible.


    Arriving outside the base, they happened to see the mechanical units of both enemies and friends in a firefight.


    The superpower user named Harris, raising a sniper rifle, blew up one drone with a single shot, and asked, "Should we clear out these drones?"


    "With just this few, give me one minute," another superpower user said, then leapt into the air and flew towards the drone swarm.


    He conjured a tornado, tossing the drones around in the sky, then smashing them into each other, exploding and falling down with a "bang".


    In less than a minute, about two dozen drones were cleared out.


    At the same time.


    Alex Austin charged out with his Star Shield, blocking the shots from the ground autonomous firepower suppression system, rushed up close, and swung a hammer.


    The thunder exploded violently.


    In the blink of an eye, all the ground autonomous firepower suppression systems were destroyed.


    The American team cleared out the external mechanical units and then entered the base, following the passage created by the self-destructing nanobots.


    However, when they arrived at the entrance to the first underground level, they found that the entrance had been collapsed.


    "Damn it! The entrance is collapsed. These Da Xia people only know how to buy time," one member of the American team cursed out loud as he kicked a stone from the entrance.


    Now that the base''s alarm had been sent out, and along with the alarm, the information of the intruders had also been sent out, including several brief video clips.


    Although the video clips were fragmented, they were enough for them to recognize that the intruders were a team of Da Xia''s superpower users.


    This was another reason Alex Austin decided to take on this mission.


    Last time, they came close to capturing Xavier Matrix; if the Da Xia superpower users hadn''t interfered, they would now have a high status within the Descent Faction.


    "What do we do now? Shall we move these debris?" the sniper Harris asked.


    "Too time-consuming: Kalim, blow another entrance for us," ordered Alex Austin.


    The one called Kalim was a white superpower user, the heavy gunner of the American team.


    He took out an RPG launcher, loaded a rocket, found another spot, and asked, "Is this position okay?"


    The white female on the team placed her hand on the wall, closed her eyes, and using her x-ray vision to check behind the wall, said, "Move two steps to the right. Yes, right there."


    "Back off!"


    Kalim spoke and took the lead in moving back to the side of the wall. He aimed the rocket launcher at that spot and then fired the rocket.


    Boom!


    With a loud blast, the rocket blew a big hole in the wall, and a piece of the ceiling collapsed.


    "Go!"


    Alex Austin had no time to consider whether the base was destroyed and immediately led his team inside.


    All along the way, every entrance was blocked.


    They tried to go through normal passages, but after the alarm sounded, all passages were locked. Reopening them would take time.


    Moreover, some passages were also blasted away.


    So if they wanted to move down quickly, they could only use oriented blasting like the intruders did.


    After blasting open two holes, Kalim began to express his dissatisfaction, "Do you know how expensive my rockets are? After we get back, each of you has to use Divine Energy to synthesize a rocket for me, otherwise I won''t open any more holes."


    Alex Austin glanced at him and replied, "After we get back, I''ll have ASE Corporation fill your rockets to the brim."


    "That''s more like it," Kalim agreed to continue leading the way.


    As a heavy gunner like him, his firepower was indeed fierce, but such ferocity was built on money and resources.


    An RPG rocket on Blue Star wasn''t expensive at all, in America, it only cost 100 dollars.


    However, to bring an RPG rocket into the Abyss Battlefield, it wasn''t just a matter of 100 dollars, it required the use of Divine Energy for assimilation. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the average Superpower User, these RPG rockets were truly unaffordable.


    But the team of Superpower Users led by Alex Austin had the support of the ASE All-Knowing Eye Alliance.


    The ASE Alliance was the largest capitalist family alliance on Blue Star, and each of the Level 33 families within it was rich enough to rival countries.


    Now, with the Abyss invasion nearing the end of July, the resources controlled by the ASE Alliance in the Abyss had become immensely vast.


    Relying on these substantial resources, they raised Alex Austin''s team.


    The two weapons used by Alex Austin, the Star Shield and the Thunder Hammer, were both Grade A weapons.


    Having two Grade A weapons on the same Superpower User, one could imagine what kind of existence he was in America.


    Within the nations of America, he had already started being known as "Thunder God Austin."


    Other Superpower Users in his team also received substantial resource support.


    Heavy Gunner Kalim could bring a large number of RPG rockets into the Abyss Battlefield, which was indicative of the immense resources they had obtained.


    Naturally, these RPG rockets were not assimilated by Kalim using his Divine Energy, but were all paid for by the ASE Alliance.


    ...


    At this moment.


    In the fifth underground level of Delrims Base 3, Lu Heng was leading his team in preparing to make a breakthrough.


    Just two minutes ago, Lu Heng had received a notification from the Xavier Matrix.


    He learned that the American team led by Alex Austin had entered the base and that the outer mechanical units had been nearly completely destroyed, unable to intercept any further.


    Lu Heng glanced at the time, it was 11 p.m., with only one last hour remaining.


    "Let''s begin. We''ll break through the laser matrix first," Lu Heng arranged the action plan and synchronized with the Xavier Matrix.


    "Three seconds on the countdown, the energy supply system will be cut off. The disconnection time is 30 seconds."


    The holographic screen displayed the countdown 3, 2, 1...


    At the last second, Lu Heng ordered the start of the breakthrough.


    The moment the energy supply was cut off, the Shadow Clone was the first to leap into the fifth level, then began to charge forward through the corridor.


    A hundred or so lasers swept towards him. The Shadow Clone sprinted at his fastest speed, attempting to dodge the laser fire as much as possible, but still shattered after two seconds.


    Then.


    Su Muyu commanded the Divine Feathered Eagle to rush into the corridor, flying along the ceiling, continuing to attract the laser matrix''s firepower.


    While the laser matrix targeted the Divine Feathered Eagle, the Mechanical Tiger Anka launched six Miniature Missiles into the corridor, locking onto and attacking the laser matrix.


    However, the laser matrix immediately abandoned the Divine Feathered Eagle, redirecting to intercept the Miniature Missiles.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    In an instant, the six Miniature Missiles were intercepted and exploded mid-air.


    The shrapnel failed to hit the targets and exploded, but the power of the explosion still destroyed two laser projectors.


    The Divine Feathered Eagle continued to fly forward, drawing laser sweeps while also observing the structure of the laser matrix inside the corridor.


    Just when the Divine Feathered Eagle was about to be blasted by the lasers, it used the Divine Feathered Eagle Skill "Blazing Flame Light," emitting a 1200-degree high-temperature beam, burning down a dozen laser projectors.


    After using the Skill Consumption to deplete the energy of the laser matrix for 10 seconds.


    "Go! Everyone, follow up," Lu Heng pulled Su Muyu and jumped first into the fifth level.


    Su Muyu immediately activated the "Prism Force Field," blocking the attack of the laser matrix.


    The mechanical units that followed fired simultaneously, attacking the laser matrix.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    One by one, the laser projectors were destroyed in the assault.


    Su Muyu''s "Prism Force Field" lasted for six seconds before the skill ended.


    Lu Heng instantly unleashed a slash of "Rift Slash," creating a Rift Trace, continuing to block the laser fire.


    The Rift Trace lasted for three seconds, and after it ended, Mechanical Tiger Anka''s outer metal deformed, forming a giant shield in the front, activating the "Fiery Flame Shield" skill, blocking the last second of the high-energy laser.


    After the last second passed, the battery energy of the laser matrix was exhausted, the intensity of the lasers rapidly decreased, and finally disappeared.


    Lu Heng glanced at the time and said, "We only have nine seconds, destroy all the laser projectors, fast!"


    The calculation was 30 seconds of cutting off the energy supply, with the laser matrix''s battery capacity lasting for 20 seconds, originally leaving a 10-second gap.


    However, in actual combat, the laser matrix did not operate at full power for the full 20 seconds, hence there was a one-second discrepancy.


    Although there were only nine seconds left, it was enough.


    Lu Heng, sword in hand, soared out, swinging his blade to destroy all the laser projectors he passed.


    Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, Yuan Yaoyao with her Black Feather Spirit, and including the White Feather Spirit, all mechanical units spread out, firing full force, destroying all the laser projectors in sight.


    In those nine seconds, the team unleashed their fiercest firepower, turning the entire laser matrix into rubble.

 Chapter 229 - 187: The Thing Beneath the Sixth Layer

    After destroying the laser matrix, everyone stopped to take a brief rest.


    Having previously swept through two demon laboratories, they had harvested fifteen regular Crystal Cores, three Skill Crystal Cores, and two portions of Source Material.


    Su Muyu took out the two portions of Source Material and handed them to Lin Zeyu, asking, "We just obtained two portions of Source Material, both are Professional Source Material with specific properties. Do you want to use them?"


    Lin Zeyu took them and examined them in his hands before asking, "Lu Heng, which one should I use? I need to return soon and pick one quickly, otherwise I won''t be able to complete my first challenge task."


    The first of the three challenge tasks was the Source Material Contest Task.


    This challenge task was not mandatory to complete, but there was a reward of Divine Energy for completing it.


    If it was possible to complete, of course, it was best to do so.


    "What are the Classes?" Lu Heng was busy looking for the entrance to the sixth layer in the fifth layer.


    "One is ''Beast Language Man,'' and the other is ''Demon Hunter,''" Lin Zeyu quickly replied. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "''Demon Hunter'' is good; that''s a pretty good one. Check the Class Ability and if you are satisfied with it, then go ahead and use it," Lu Heng gave a high evaluation upon hearing that one of them was a ''Demon Hunter.''


    Lin Zeyu seriously read the introduction to the ''Demon Hunter'' Class Source Material and nodded, "Indeed, this Class is very good. I''ll absorb it then."


    He absorbed the ''Demon Hunter'' Class Source Material, officially initiating the Source Material Contest, and then asked, "Can I also absorb the remaining Source Material?"


    Source Material is divided into non-specific Source Material and Class Source Material, where non-specific Source Material can increase Source Quality Fusion but cannot initiate a Class.


    A Superpower User who possessed Class Source Material could also absorb other Class Source Materials to increase their Source Quality Fusion, effectively using the Class Source Material as non-specific Source Material.


    "Sure, go ahead and use it," Lu Heng nodded in agreement.


    If they were to keep Class Source Material, it could be brought back for other Superpower Users to use.


    However, they were about to face a decisive battle, and Alex Austin''s American team had already entered the base. At this point, it was naturally best to maximize combat power, and there was no need to conserve the Source Material.


    Moreover, the ''Beast Language Man'' Class was not so important as to need to be specially kept.


    This Class could be particularly effective in certain worlds but was not a universally applicable Class.


    Therefore, letting Lin Zeyu absorb it to increase his Source Quality Fusion was the best choice.


    ¡­


    After passing through the laser matrix, everyone discovered a hemispherical structure inside the fifth layer.


    This hemispherical object covered such a large area, with a diameter of over a hundred meters, making it more appropriate to refer to it as a building.


    There was an additional structure inside the fifth layer of the underground base.


    Moreover, the sphere had a series of intricate patterns, which even Lu Heng could not recognize.


    After searching around thoroughly, they didn''t find an entrance to the next layer.


    Based on the structure of the fifth layer alone, it seemed like there was no sixth layer.


    However, Lu Heng had seen six layers of structure beneath the ground using Shadow Vision, which made the situation somewhat strange.


    After circling the fifth layer, everyone was quite puzzled: "Wasn''t there supposed to be a sixth layer?"


    In fact.


    The information about DrelimsBase No. 3 having six underground layers was initially provided by Lu Heng and had not been corroborated by any other sources.


    Lu Heng placed his hand on the hemisphere structure in front of him and frowned, "There must be a sixth layer. If there''s no downward passage, then there must be something wrong with this hemisphere."


    "Then let''s break through the hemisphere''s walls to see what''s inside," Lin Zeyu''s idea was straightforward.


    After careful consideration, Lu Heng said, "For safety''s sake, I''ll use Shadow Vision first to check the situation inside."


    He had only seen the six underground layers of this base before but hadn''t seen what was inside the sixth layer.


    Now that he was here, and such a strange hemispherical structure appeared.


    Lu Heng decided to first use Shadow Traversal to pass through the walls and take a look inside before planning the next step.


    Lin Zeyu glanced at the time and said, "We only have half an hour left. Is it enough time?"


    Su Muyu was also a bit worried, "Using up Shadow Traversal, if we encounter the American team later, won''t it be difficult to engage in direct combat?"


    "Don''t worry, I have my arrangements," Lu Heng said before activating Shadow Traversal, slipping into the ground, and switching on his Shadow Vision to try observing the situation inside the sixth layer.


    However, observing through Shadow Vision, he discovered that the sixth layer''s periphery was covered with a black medium that actually blocked the observation with Shadow Vision.


    Walking half a circle around the sixth layer, he found that the black medium appeared spherical.


    The entire structure of the sixth layer was spherical, with the upper hemisphere being the fifth layer''s hemispherical structure.


    Lu Heng found this shape very odd and attempted to approach the black medium, then felt a strong Abyssal aura.


    The closer he got to the black medium, the more violent the surrounding energy surged.


    Moreover, the energy within this black medium was of a very high intensity, even exceeding the strength of the 30th energy level.


    When approaching the black medium, Lu Heng even felt his own body being eroded by it, as the black medium tried to penetrate into his body.


    It didn''t take much to guess that there was something very dreadful behind this black medium.


    As time passed, the duration of Shadow Traversal was also coming to an end.


    Lu Heng could only return to the fifth floor first, his mind constantly pondering what could be behind the black medium.


    The others gathered around, inquiring about the situation.


    "What''s it like? What''s below?"


    Lu Heng shook his head and said, "There''s a layer of black medium blocking the Shadow Vision, and I felt that within the black medium, there''s a strength surpassing level 30.


    "This time, we''re probably facing the strongest thing we''ve encountered to date, and this thing must undoubtedly come from the Abyss.


    "We''ve indeed found the right place, but whether we''ll be able to clear this Abyss Pollution Source, that''s uncertain."


    Greater fear comes from the unknown.


    If Lu Heng could see what was behind the black medium, he could make a judgement as to whether or not to break through the hemispherical wall.


    Now he couldn''t see it, only knowing that whatever was behind the black medium had to be terrifying.


    "So what do we do now? Do we take action? Or should we wait until the last minute, blow open the wall, and if something terrifying bursts out, we''ll immediately return?" Lin Zeyu offered a relatively safe method.


    This plan could indeed ensure safety, but realistically, blowing up the wall at the last minute would mean that even if they saw what was inside, there wouldn''t be enough time to destroy it.


    That is to say, this plan could only give them a glimpse of what was on the sixth floor but wouldn''t allow them to eliminate it, thus not completing the Challenge Task.


    Of course, getting a glimpse of what''s inside and knowing what it is still had value, at least they could gather firsthand information.


    Just as everyone was discussing.


    A rumble came from the direction of the fourth floor, and a big hole was blasted into the wall.


    The American team of five stepped into the entrance, and the two sides formally met face to face.


    "We meet again, and this time you can''t run away. I didn''t expect you''d corner yourselves into a dead end." Alex Austin moved his neck around, starting his warm-up before the fight.


    The actions of Lu Heng and his companions, from a logical standpoint, were indeed like pushing themselves further into a dead end.


    Because they had collapsed the entrance to every lower level they descended.


    Meaning if they wanted to retreat, there were no exits.


    This tactic indeed held back the American team for a long time.


    If there were entrances left, the American team would just follow them all the way down, only needing a few minutes to reach the fifth level.


    But with the entrances destroyed, the American team needed to find alternate routes downward.


    They were delayed by a whopping forty minutes.


    Harris cackled, "They''re hoping to drag it out until the return time and then just directly go back."


    Heavy Gunner Kaleem, with an RPG rocket launcher on his shoulder, sneered, "They''re wishful thinking. Under my firepower, if they last five minutes, I lose. And they hope to last twenty-five minutes?"


    It was already 11:35 PM, with only the last 25 minutes left until the return time.


    Not only had the American team''s five members come in, but they also brought in over thirty mechanical guards, which after entering, lined up in formation, cannons locked onto Lu Heng and his teammates.


    "The enemy has some fierce firepower, what do we do?" Lin Zeyu swallowed nervously.


    This was the fifth subterranean level; there wasn''t enough space for a sniper to utilize their skills.


    If it came down to a firepower contest, they simply couldn''t withstand the thirty-plus mechanical guards.


    Yuan Yaoyao, looking at the data on the screen, reminded, "Brother Lu, the total firepower of the other side is twelve times ours, the pressure is great."


    Lu Heng looked at Alex Austin, a smile curling on his lips, beckoned and said, "Everyone, come stand by me. I also want to see if they dare to open fire."


    From the moment the American team came in until now, three minutes had passed without them opening fire.


    Everyone gathered beside Lu Heng, and behind him was that hemispherical structure.


    Seeing this, Alex Austin''s expression darkened, and the standoff momentarily froze.


    "Despicable Da Xia people!" His face showed anger, and he cursed.


    Lu Heng wasn''t very sure at first, but now seeing his expression, he confirmed something.


    The American team had accepted a mission from the Descent Faction to support this base, and in their mission, there was definitely a task to protect whatever was on the sixth floor.


    This was the reason they hadn''t started shooting the moment they came in.


    Otherwise, they would have begun a barrage as soon as they charged in.


    Moreover, Lu Heng had noticed something even more suspicious.


    "I''m curious, don''t you have a mission to clear the Abyss Pollution? Unless you have pig brains, you''d definitely know that this is an Abyss Pollution Source. But from the looks of it, you don''t seem to intend to destroy it."


    The Descent Faction wouldn''t possibly reward them with Divine Energy.


    To a Superpower User, the rewards from the Descent Faction are incomparable to Divine Energy.


    So what is driving them to protect the Abyss Pollution Source on the sixth floor instead of destroying it?


    Alex Austin snorted coldly and argued, "There''s a line in the Challenge Task that says to join a faction and complete the tasks given by the faction. The mission the Descent Faction gave us is to protect this base."


    Lu Heng tugged at the corner of his mouth, piercing his sophistry, "No, the first task the Descent Faction gave you was to capture Ze Wei''er Xavier Matrix.


    "Moreover, joining a faction is only a means, not an end. The true meaning of the Challenge Task is for you to join a faction and then to go undercover in the faction to investigate whether any factions are related to the Abyss Pollution Source.


    "So there must be other reasons that compel you to protect what''s below, which is interesting indeed."

 Chapter 230 - 188 Abyss Meat Tumor

    "Kill him!"


    Alex Austin''s eyes flashed with a murderous intent upon hearing Lu Heng''s speculation, and he suddenly commanded his team members.


    Bang!


    American gunman Harris immediately opened fire with a sneak attack.


    The bullet shot out, flying towards Lu Heng''s forehead.


    In that instant, Lu Heng activated his Bullet Time skill, saw the bullet coming straight for him, then reached out and caught the bullet in his hand.


    "Let''s move!"


    "I''ll take on the mechanical units!" Yuan Yaoyao, following the prompts from her light computer, declared her target and piloted the Black Feather Spirit into action, coordinating with the White Feather Spirit for a pincer attack on the enemy''s mechanical units from both sides.


    As they struck, both Mechanical Angels fired electromagnetic interference bombs simultaneously.


    Boom!


    The electromagnetic interference bombs were intercepted by laser fire midway and exploded on impact.


    However, they still released electromagnetic interference signals, enveloping most of the enemy''s mechanical units.


    More than half of the mechanical guards and drones experienced signal disruption.


    Taking advantage of the electromagnetic interference, the two Mechanical Angels launched fierce attacks on the mechanical guards and drones.


    With the Black Feather Spirit''s track record of thousands of drone kills, Yaoyao''s attack on the mechanical units was nothing short of a crushing defeat.


    Boom!


    One by one, mechanical guards exploded.


    Alex Austin''s gaze darkened and he immediately surged forward to intercept the Black Feather Spirit, "Seeking death!"


    Five days ago, the Black Feather Spirit had been defeated by him and had Lu Heng not intervened, he would have crushed it completely.


    Therefore, he planned to repeat the feat and take out the Black Feather Spirit in seconds.


    However, this time there were two Mechanical Angels.


    Lu Heng quickly assessed the situation, contemplating whether to intercept Alex Austin to relieve Yaoyao.


    Based on their last fight, the Black Feather Spirit could withstand Alex Austin for seven or eight rounds.


    Now with the White Feather Spirit to assist, the situation should be much better.


    Time was running short, and they needed to make a fast decision.


    Therefore, Lu Heng made a decisive decision, ordered the Mechanical Tiger Anka to assist the Black Feather Spirit, and then dashed towards the rest of the American team:


    "Give you three seconds to come and defend me; otherwise, your teammates are done for."


    Alex Austin, full of arrogance, scoffed, "You think you''re worthy? Quist, stop him!"


    The strong African American team member immediately swelled in size, becoming a two-and-a-half-meter giant covered in rock, charging at Lu Heng.


    Seeing the Stone Giant rush forward, Lu Heng avoided a head-on collision.


    Because he recognized the size increase, he identified this African American named Quist as a Stone Giant, a class among the Second Transition sequence known for its top-tier defense.


    Even if he could take him down, it would take a lot of time.


    In a team fight, with other targets available, focusing on a tank was somewhat foolish.


    So, Lu Heng swiftly sidestepped Quist''s tackle and targeted the African American woman instead.


    "Seeking death, monkey," the African American woman cursed as her body began to change, her hands sprouting sharp beast claws, transforming into a leopard half-beast man, pouncing on Lu Heng with a swipe of her claws.


    Lu Heng saw her as a brainless beast and swung his sword in a Moon-cutting Style, showcasing the force of his dual special-effect Class A weapons, slicing through her beast claws, severing half her forearm.


    "Ah!"


    The African American woman screamed in agony, turned to flee, and hysterically screamed curses: "Damn it! Are you even a man? You hurt me, you''re not a gentleman at all!"


    After her transformation into a leopard half-beast person, she was incredibly quick, covering dozens of meters in the blink of an eye.


    But she wasn''t faster than Lu Heng.


    "The most gentlemanly thing I can do is to give you a quick end," Lu Heng continued his pursuit.


    The African American woman shouted loudly, "Quist, are you dead? Stop him!"


    Stone Giant Quist stretched out his rocky arm, which extended to form a stone pillar and grabbed Lu Heng''s waist and abdomen.


    The African American woman thought she had escaped to a safe distance and that Lu Heng had been caught by his teammate. Pulling out her laser gun, she tried to counterattack.


    Lu Heng, caught by the Stone Giant, didn''t struggle; he instead began to charge up. Then, at the moment the laser gun fired, he used Shadow Traversal, slipping into the shadows to avoid the laser and also shaking off the grip of the stone arm.


    As his charge completed, Lu Heng shot out like lightning.


    Boom!


    With a sonic boom, Lu Heng broke the sound barrier, creating a Sonic Boom Cloud around him.


    At a speed of 396 meters per second, Lu Heng charged at the African American woman and stabbed her with his sword.


    Pff!


    The blade pierced her throat and exited the back of her neck, killing her instantly.


    After killing the African American woman, Lu Heng charged up on the spot again.


    Alex Austin saw one member of his team killed, and he was entangled by two Mechanical Angels and a Mechanical Tiger, unable to make a kill.


    He turned back angrily and roared, "Quist, what the hell are you doing? Stop him!"


    Quist angrily retorted, "I did stop him! You can''t beat him yourself, what makes you think I can? Why don''t you make me the team leader and let the boss give all the resources to me? Then you''d be out of the picture!"


    All the while, he charged at Lu Heng with a furious howl, angered over the loss of the African American woman he had a thing with.


    He roared louder, and his body grew even bigger until he turned into a huge rock shackle, trying to confine Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng ignored him completely, finished charging, and instantly entered the second phase of Shadow Travel state, bursting out once more as a dark purple streak of lightning.


    His target this time was Heavy Gunner Kalim.


    Kalim was the American team''s heavy gunner, lacking much defensive capability. He only felt a blur before him when a blue translucent blade stabbed into his chest.


    "FUCK!"


    Kaleem''s eyes bulged, and he cursed as he recklessly pulled the trigger without any standards at the moment of impending death.


    Whoosh!


    An RPG rocket flew out, headed for the hemispherical building.


    Bang!


    The rocket exploded, blasting a large hole in the wall of the hemispherical building.


    A breath of the Abyss surged out from the hole. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But no terrifying demons rushed out.


    Now, in the heat of battle, no one could afford to be distracted by what was below the sixth floor.


    Lu Heng unleashed two consecutive moves, taking out two members of the American team in seconds.


    "Damn it! You bunch of trash."


    Alex Austin, realizing the heavy gunner was also dead, showed utter fury on his face as he charged up to Lu Heng and berated him, "You damn monkey!"


    Lu Heng pulled up the corners of his mouth and said, "I told you, you had three seconds to come defend against me."


    Alex Austin narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his head to look at the other two members of Lu Heng''s team, shouting angrily, "Then I''ll just kill off your teammates as well!"


    He rushed straight for Su Muyu and raised the Thunder Hammer to smash it down, sending out circles of frenzied thunder.


    Su Muyu spread her energy wings and flew up, looping around with him; whenever he caught up, she would control the divine feather eagle to intercept.


    Alex Austin kept pursuing Su Muyu, crashing into various defense skills and trap skills.


    Dark Thorn Traps, Prism Force Fields, skill after skill collided with him.


    Although his overwhelming strength allowed him to forcefully break through these traps and defense skills, each one delayed him.


    Just as he was about to catch up with Su Muyu, she suddenly vanished from his sight.


    Su Muyu said through the communicator, "I can''t beat him, but I can drag this out for half an hour."


    If it were a straightforward confrontation, Su Muyu had no chance against Alex Austin.


    However, battle wasn''t just about a simple head-on collision.


    Su Muyu''s six-skill strength came into play, with a plethora of tactics available ¨C she could fly, become invisible, block bullets, set traps, and even had her divine feather eagle to intercept.


    Even her energy wings could defend, and her flight speed was very fast.


    Alex Austin seemed to be toyed with, as Su Muyu led him on a chase around the entire field.


    Seeing that she could hold back Alex Austin, Lu Heng couldn''t help but smile knowingly and said, "If you feel the pressure, run behind me."


    "Okay," Su Muyu replied, leading Alex Austin toward Lu Heng.


    As Alex Austin followed Su Muyu, he ran smack into Lu Heng''s sword, the two colliding with a move and both being shaken back three meters.


    Elsewhere,


    Lin Zeyu and the American sniper were shooting at each other, both hiding behind cover, dreading to show their heads.


    He saw that the Black woman and heavy gunner Kaleem killed by Lu Heng had both dropped source material; he hurriedly called out over the communications channel, "Mu Yu, Lady Su, help me out, source material, two pieces of source material."


    Su Muyu, now with her hands free, controlled the divine feather eagle to fly over, grasped the two pieces of source material, and dropped them beside Lin Zeyu.


    Lin Zeyu immediately absorbed the source material.


    The American team had a considerable amount of source material, and after absorbing two pieces, his Source Quality Fusion instantly reached 100%, granting him the complete Class of a Demon Hunter.


    Then, using the full abilities of a Demon Hunter, he marked the target; even through the cover, he could see the red outline of the target''s body.


    He could even see the position of the marked target with his eyes closed.


    He tossed out a Source Energy Shock Bomb, suppressing Harris''s field of vision, then rolled out, closed his eyes to find the shooting angle, aimed at Harris behind the cover, and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    A headshot.


    Just as the fight was reaching its most intense, Su Muyu suddenly noticed something wrong; the divine feather eagle flew over the hole in the hemispherical wall, spotting the situation inside.


    She quickly yelled, "Lu Heng, down there... down there... it''s terrifying, something is squirming."


    As soon as her voice fell, the squirming thing below the sixth floor had already surged out of the hole.


    Lu Heng turned his head to look and his face instantly showed a look of shock.


    What emerged was a mass of giant meat tumors moving as if they were mountains of flesh, spilling out from the hole and spreading in all directions.


    Tentacles extended from the meat tumors, attacking all living creatures within range.


    With one glance, Lu Heng recognized them¡ªit was an "Abyss Meat Tumor."


    An Abyss Meat Tumor wasn''t just a single lump, but a horrifying entity that could grow indefinitely.


    As long as there was enough material for it to feed on, an Abyss Meat Tumor could engulf an entire city.


    Such a horrific thing was hidden beneath the sixth floor.


    Once such a thing began to extend, getting rid of it would be extremely difficult.


    The best method to deal with an Abyss Meat Tumor was to destroy it before it grew to an uncontrollable size.


    In that moment, Lu Heng finally understood why the Descent Faction wanted to seal off this base.


    The only weakness of an Abyss Meat Tumor was that while it wasn''t big enough, it was relatively easy to destroy.


    That is to say,


    As long as the Abyss Meat Tumor grew to a sufficient size, then burst forth, even missile bombardment would struggle to eliminate it completely.


    Unless it was cleansed with nuclear weapons, but in that case, the city would be lost as well.


    This implied that,


    The Descent Faction only needed to hide the Abyss Meat Tumor in this base, allowing it to grow to a sufficient size before releasing it.


    By that time, the city would be swallowed by the Abyss Meat Tumor, which would then continue to stretch out, gradually engulfing the entire planet bit by bit.


    Indeed, the Abyss Meat Tumor had the awful capacity to devour an entire planet, simply given enough time.


    By that time, under the rampage of the Abyss Meat Tumor, the Descent Faction would rule the Second Gaia Star of the Sikes Civilization.

 Chapter 231 - 189: Destroying the Abyss Pollution Source, Time to Return!

    "Retreat!"


    Lu Heng saw the Abyss Meat Tumor surging from the sixth level and shouted urgently, "Retreat from the base, do not let this thing touch you!"


    "What is this?" Lin Zeyu, holding a sniper rifle, asked as he ran toward the exit.


    "Abyss Meat Tumor, this thing will devour all organic matter in sight, if it entangles you, you won''t be able to get away," Lu Heng quickly explained.


    "It''s disgusting." Lin Zeyu ran even harder.


    "Mu Yu is leading the way up front, watch out for traps on the road, and forget those fools from the American team!" Lu Heng grabbed the Black Feather Spirit and pushed it toward the exit.


    Su Muyu hurriedly flew towards the hole previously blasted by the American team with an RPG launcher, sending a divine feather eagle to scout ahead.


    The hole blasted by the nanite self-destruct robots had been blocked.


    Fortunately, the American team had created a new entrance when they came in, so they could escape along the path opened by the American team.


    However, since the path was opened by the American team, its safety couldn''t be guaranteed; if there were bombs or traps installed, it could be very dangerous.


    Thus, Su Muyu had to lead the way upfront, using the divine feather eagle to scout and clear any traps.


    "Trying to leave? You all die here!" Alex Austin rushed forward, trying to stop Lin Zeyu and the others.


    Lu Heng stood in front of him with his sword drawn and said, "Your opponent is me."


    The Abyss Meat Tumor expanded outward, devouring all organic matter it touched.


    The bodies of three deceased members of the American team were touched by the meat tumor and were devoured, slowly turning into flesh and becoming part of the Abyss Meat Tumor.


    "Court death!"


    Alex Austin was now immensely angered. Three of his team members had died, the sixth level''s wall had been broken, and things inside had surged out.


    This meant that not only had his team suffered losses, but also the mission had failed.


    He roared, raising the Thunder Hammer high and smashing it down toward Lu Heng, the extreme anger sending out a circle of thunderstorms, shaking the ground and cracking it like spiderwebs.


    The surging Abyss Meat Tumor shrank back upon encountering the thunder.


    Abyss Meat Tumor feared thunder and lightning, flames, but to destroy it with thunder and lightning required immense energy.


    Seeing the Thunderous Fury strike down, Lu Heng also released the Thunderous Heavenly Prison Skill, confronting thunder with thunder. Furious lightning intertwined, spreading outward, destroying everything it touched.


    Under the thunderous strikes, Lu Heng and Alex Austin engaged in a direct confrontation, sword clashing with hammer, resonating a series of booming echoes.


    Meanwhile.


    Su Muyu led the team out of the fifth level, swiftly retreating up the passage.


    The Stone Giant, Quist, also tried to escape but was blocked by a Source Energy Shock Bomb that Lin Zeyu threw back as he reached the exit.


    The approaching Abyss Meat Tumor entangled the Stone Giant, slowly absorbing him into its flesh.


    "Why are you eating me? Let go! I have a mission... let go..." Quist''s voice drowned out inside the Abyss Meat Tumor, disappearing at last.


    As the Abyss Meat Tumor filled the fifth level and spread toward the exit of the fourth level, only the areas ravaged by thunder remained unoccupied.


    Su Muyu''s voice came over the comm channel: "Lu Heng, get out quick, we''re on the second level, about to exit soon..."


    The voice stopped there, as the comm link started emitting static noises.


    This was due to the Abyss Meat Tumor filling all the crevices on the fifth level, its black substance blocking electromagnetic signals, leading to the cutting off of all communications.


    Lu Heng gathered the thunder on his sword blade, slashed the Abyss Meat Tumor open and rushed into the corridor.


    Alex Austin, resonating rings of shock, chased along the path behind him.


    Lu Heng, as quick as a gust, shook him off in the blink of an eye, regrouped with his team, and retreated from the base.


    Once outside the base, having cleared the few mechanical units of the Descent Faction, he then communicated with Xavier Matrix.


    "There is an Abyss Meat Tumor on the sixth underground level, if we don''t find a way to stop it, it could devour the entire planet."


    Xavier Matrix, hearing about the entity hidden inside the base could devour an entire planet, immediately inquired:


    "What exactly is an Abyss Meat Tumor? I need more information."


    Lu Heng explained in the simplest terms, "An Abyss Meat Tumor is a flesh mass that devours organic material and grows very fast.


    "It fears thunder and lightning, flames, and high temperatures, but due to its rapid growth rate, if it is not destroyed while it is still relatively small, once it spreads, it is very difficult to destroy, unless the entire city is destroyed with it."


    Using the images and data transmitted back by Xavier''s mechanical units, along with the description from Lu Heng, he mostly understood about the Abyss Meat Tumor and then began calculations.


    He finally concluded, "Given the size of the Abyss Meat Tumor now, it''s no longer possible for a single individual to clear it."


    Lu Heng also realized this, "To clear it now, we have to use powerful nuclear weapons or space-based weapons. Anyway, to stop the spread of the Abyss Meat Tumor, it must be the Sikes Military taking action, using nuclear strikes.


    "And also, according to my analysis, this mass of Abyss Meat Tumor is already quite large, and the nuclear strike plans must be executed immediately, otherwise in a few days, it won''t be manageable anymore."


    Xavier Matrix replied, "I don''t have control over such powerful weapons; we must communicate with the military."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "I suggest you meet with Yeliana Sikes, persuade her to propose a nuclear strike to the Sikes Military."


    For the people of Sikes, meeting doesn''t always need physical presence, communicating directly can achieve the same effect.


    Moreover, the computational core of the Sikes can accomplish extensive communication in just a few seconds.


    Therefore, just two seconds later.


    Xavier Matrix answered, "I''ve already spoken to Yeliana, she agrees to jointly lobby the military for a nuclear strike, and the strike order will be executed within five minutes."


    Lu Heng, hearing this response, had to admit that the efficiency of the Mechanical Civilization was incredibly high.


    As long as the calculation program deemed it necessary, a decision could be made in just a few seconds, and then execution would begin.


    Lu Heng quickly checked the time¡ªit was already 11:55 PM.


    That meant the Sikes Military''s nuclear strike would coincide with the return time.


    The timing was just perfect.


    If the Sikes Military could destroy the Abyss Meat Tumor, it would mean the mission was completed.


    At that moment,


    The last counterattack of the Descent Faction arrived, with swarms of drones, mechanical guards, anti-gravity fighters, and ground mobile artillery arriving and launching an attack on Lu Heng and his associates.


    Clearly, the Descent Faction was making a last-ditch effort to prevent the military from destroying the Abyss Meat Tumor.


    Faced with the Descent Faction''s madness, the Sikes Military and the Xavier Matrix briefly formed a unified front and jointly attacked the Descent Faction''s mechanical units.


    Both sides exchanged fierce firepower, turning the night into day.


    Meanwhile,


    Alex Austin burst out from the base and launched a fierce attack on Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng drew his sword and fought him, swords and hammers colliding, creating bursts of air blasts and sparks.


    Alex Austin exploded with his strongest combat power, becoming the god of thunder and lightning, floating in the air, with thunder surging all around, violently bombarding Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng avoided the brunt, moving on the ground like lightning, swift as the wind, dodging the thunder strikes.


    Time passed by the second.


    In the last minute before the return time,


    The Abyss Meat Tumor surged out of the base, masses of tumors began to spread all around, swallowing all organic matter they touched, emitting a foul stench.


    The mechanical units controlled by the Xavier Matrix redirected some of the firepower to attack the Abyss Meat Tumor, stopping this mountain-like flesh from growing further.


    Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, and two Mechanical Angels also launched attacks on the Abyss Meat Tumor, preventing it from spreading further.


    As the last minute approached,


    The countdown for the nuclear strike started broadcasting on the communication channel of the Xavier Matrix.


    "The nuclear bomb is coming, let''s go!" Lu Heng waved his hand, ordering the team to quickly evacuate.


    One minute''s time.


    The team retreated five kilometers away, while Alex Austin relentlessly pursued them.


    In his eyes, Lu Heng was dodging left and right on the ground, like a mouse being chased around.


    Hence, he wanted to give it his all and finish off Lu Heng.


    If Lu Heng died, the remaining Da Xia superpower users would be nothing but helpless junk before him.


    Lu Heng was indeed moving quickly on the ground, dodging left and right like lightning, avoiding his thunderous strikes, hardly counterattacking.


    The reason for not counterattacking was that his Source Material Energy had not fully recovered yet; he was waiting for energy.


    The time came to the final ten seconds. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A nuclear missile streaked across the night sky, falling into the Delrimus Base No. 3.


    Boom!


    The fusion bomb exploded, creating a mushroom cloud, destroying the entire base and generating millions of degrees of heat.


    The intense heat melted through the underground structures, turning the Abyss Meat Tumor tissue into ashes.


    However, Delrimus Base No. 3''s underground structures had six levels, and one nuclear bomb was not enough to destroy the Abyss Meat Tumors in all six underground levels.


    At that moment,


    The clouds in the sky began to churn.


    The space-based weapons fired, shooting a thick laser into Delrimus Base No. 3, melting through the six underground levels, further intensifying the heat, completely destroying the Abyss Meat Tumor.


    Also at this moment,


    Lu Heng''s Source Material Energy had fully recovered, and he turned and unleashed a Rift Slash.


    The Rift Sword Radiance slashed towards Alex Austin in mid-air, marking Lu Heng''s sudden counterattack after dodging for three minutes.


    Alex Austin immediately raised the Star Shield, emitting a defensive shield, and while the shield blocked the Rift Sword Radiance for a brief moment, he dodged the direction of the sword radiance.


    Lu Heng did not believe this strike would succeed, so as he launched the Rift Slash, he began to charge up.


    The Rift Trace created by the Rift Slash blocked Alex Austin''s subsequent attacks.


    Lu Heng took this time to complete his charge, entered the Shadow, and then turned into a shadow lightning, shooting out at a speed of 396 meters per second, stirring up a sonic boom cloud.


    A sword stabbed into Alex Austin''s chest.


    Ah!


    Alex Austin let out a roar, his eyes widened in disbelief.


    Lu Heng did not want to give him a chance to struggle; the Power of thunder and lightning burst out from the sword, then he held the sword horizontally and slashed, cleaving his chest open directly.


    Alex Austin''s chest wound tore open, his thoracic cavity was almost split in two by the sword blade, spewing blood.


    "Ah!"


    Due to the severe pain, Alex Austin let out a heart-wrenching scream, clutched the sword blade tightly, and desperately shouted two words, "Return!"


    His body began to fade and disappear, leaving only a pool of blood dripping onto the ground.

 Chapter 232 - 190: Return! Reward Skill Slot

    Just a split second more, and he could have left Thunder God Austin from the American team for dead.


    After clearing out the demons in Delrims Base No. 3, as well as the gigantic Abyss Meat Tumor,


    Lu Heng absorbed the tremendous energy, causing a tide of energy inside him that raised his Source Energy Level to 28.


    [Source Energy Level increased to Level 28, All Attributes +3, Agility Attribute additionally +0.9]


    After reaching Level 28, his physical condition improved all around, and his five-dimensional attributes reached: Strength 64, Agility 82, Constitution 64, Spirit 65, Perception 64.


    Su Muyu, on the other hand, reached Level 27, having five-dimensional attributes as follows: Strength 58, Agility 60, Constitution 60, Spirit 66, Perception 66.


    After the Abyss Meat Tumor was cleared, a world task notification popped up in front of the group of three, plus Yuan Yaoyao.


    [World Task completed: Clear the Abyss Meat Tumor]


    [World Task Reward: Choose one from the following three rewards.]


    [1, Use 600 points of Divine Energy to establish a Space Anchor Point, allowing return to this world after leaving by consuming Divine Energy.]


    [2, Use 1200 points of Divine Energy to add a Skill Slot.]


    [3, Use Divine Energy to upgrade a fully mastered skill, consuming varying amounts of Divine Energy depending on the Skill Level.]


    Upon seeing the three reward options, Lu Heng didn''t hesitate and chose the second reward.


    Initially, during his awakening, he only had 3 Skill Slots; later, he used a Super Crystal Core to add one more, making it 4 Skill Slots.


    Four skill slots aren''t few among ordinary superpower users, but only average among top-level superpower users.


    Unlike Su Muyu, who initially had 5 skill slots and later got one more from a world task, making it 6 skill slots total.


    Thus, Lu Heng was in great need of Skill Slots, and finding one as a World Task reward, he chose without hesitation.


    The chance of receiving a Skill Slot as a World Task reward, in fact, is very low.


    In his past life, someone had analyzed that among the three choice rewards of a World Task, the Space Anchor Point is usually guaranteed.


    Then the options to upgrade or remove a skill also appear more frequently.


    Apart from these, there are five or six more types of World Task reward choices.


    Adding them up, there are about ten options in total, and the occurrence of the reward of a Skill Slot is relatively low.


    So basically, it could take up to ten World Tasks to see the Skill Slot reward option once.


    For many superpower users, completing even one World Task is difficult, let alone ten.


    Another reason Lu Heng made his choice so quickly was to allow his teammates to return to the main world as soon as possible.


    "Quick! Return, don''t linger. Yuan Yaoyao, return immediately, don''t delay even for a second."


    "Why the rush? I''m still looking at the World Task rewards," Lin Zeyu said, reading each word of the World Task reward information slowly.


    "The Sikes Military has cleared the Abyss Meat Tumor, their next target is us, plus the backlash from the Descent Faction is also heading our way. The space-based weapons should already be swinging their barrels our way, they''ll fire on us any second now! Don''t hesitate, return immediately," Lu Heng rapidly explained.


    To the Sikes Civilization, humans will always be extraterrestrial beings.


    And furthermore, Lu Heng and his two companions are linked to the Ze Wei''er Matrix, which had utilized space-based weapons last time but had missed its target.


    This time, the space-based weapons have launched, having fired at the Abyss Meat Tumor, they are set to target Lu Heng and his companions next.


    Lin Zeyu instantly got nervous and asked hastily, "Which reward should I pick?"


    "If there''s a Skill Slot, pick the Skill Slot," Lu Heng answered.


    "There''s no Skill Slot, but there''s a Space Anchor Point, a Skill Upgrade, and another option to draw a Skill of B-level or above to replace an existing skill. Does this option only draw B-level skills?" Lin Zeyu quickly asked.


    "Skills of B-level and above all have a chance of appearing; it''s sort of like gambling on drawing a high-level skill. If the general level of your skills is low, this reward has actually quite a high cost-effectiveness," Lu Heng explained.


    Indeed, among the World Task rewards, there is the option to draw skills.


    The skills drawn are usually related to the world the user is in.


    And there''s even a chance to draw A-level, or even higher-level skills. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, the chances of drawing high-level skills are relatively low.


    For superpower users equipped with all high-level skills, this reward is quite ordinary.


    But for those who have learned multiple D-level skills, the cost-effectiveness of this reward is extremely high.


    At the early stages of the Abyss Descent, most skills accessible to superpower users are generally D-level.


    For a short-term boost in combat power, even if it''s a D-level skill, it''s usually learned to the maximum first.


    Hence, most skills learned by superpower users are a mix of D-level and C-level.


    In such cases, encountering a skill-drawing reward, especially drawing a B-level or higher skill, and if lucky enough to draw an A-level skill directly, is a qualitative leap.


    Therefore, among the superpower user community, the skill-drawing reward is highly regarded.


    "Space Anchor Point or drawing skills, pick one for yourself," Lu Heng suggested.


    Su Muyu interjected, "I''ll pick the Space Anchor Point. My other two options are to upgrade a skill and to delete a skill. I choose the Space Anchor Point, letting Lin Zeyu choose to draw skills."


    "That settles it, choose and immediately return," Lu Heng reminded.


    At that moment,


    Yuan Yaoyao had already taken the lead in returning, her body fading away and disappearing.


    She did not ask for Lu Heng''s opinion; clearly, her light computer system had already prioritized the three options for her.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu also immediately returned, their bodies fading and vanishing.


    Lu Heng looked up at the sky, unsurprisingly, 1300 kilometers in outer space, that space-based weapon fired again.


    Half a second after Lu Heng returned, a thick laser bombarded the spot where Lu Heng had been standing, instantly vaporizing the soil and rocks on the ground.


    Lu Heng had already teleported away from the Sikes World, now in an endless void, with a series of data prompts appearing before him.


    [End of Abyss Battlefield, return to main world¡­]


    [Complete Main Quest 1: Survive in the Mechanical Beast competition. Gain 200 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Main Quest 2: Choose whether to accept mechanical limb transformation, which will permanently take effect after the mechanical transformation and can be brought back to the main world. Gain 200 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Main Quest 3: Survive 15 days in Sikes Civilization. Gain 200 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Challenge Task 1: Source Material Battle, complete Source Fusion, attain Second Transition Class. Gain 600 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Challenge Task 2: Find the root source of the Abyss contamination and eliminate the pollution. Gain 600 points of Divine Energy.]


    [Complete Challenge Task 3: Join one of the three major factions and complete the tasks assigned by the faction. Gain 600 points of Divine Energy.]


    Lu Heng''s vision restored, finding himself in the training room at Qionghua Tianglu Lake.


    Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu also gradually regained consciousness, looking around in confusion and then trying hard to recall the situation before they were summoned to the Abyss Battlefield.


    "We''re finally back," Lin Zeyu stood up, stretching his body.


    "What was the last skill you drew?" Lu Heng remembered that just a few seconds earlier, Lin Zeyu had been asking about the rewards.


    "Guess," Lin Zeyu said with a teasing expression.


    Seeing his expression, it was clear he had drawn a decent skill.


    "Not interested in knowing."


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu looked at each other and walked away, ignoring him.


    "Come on, ask me," Lin Zeyu suddenly choked up.


    He had intended to tease them a bit, but now that Lu Heng and the other didn''t want to listen, it was him feeling uncomfortable.


    "Not interested, are you hungry? Want to eat wontons?" Lu Heng asked.


    "Sure, let''s go downstairs for wontons. I haven''t eaten them in a long time," Su Muyu nodded, and they walked outside together.


    "I drew a very useful B-level skill, I rarely get lucky, aren''t you curious?" Lin Zeyu felt even more uncomfortable and followed behind them.


    "Only B-level, even less curious," they both shook their heads together.


    "Not curious but I''ll still tell you, I drew [Bait Trap], way stronger than the original trap skill," Lin Zeyu couldn''t hold back whether they wanted to listen or not and hurriedly spoke.


    "Not bad, suits you well," Lu Heng evaluated.


    "I think so too," Lin Zeyu felt more assured about the skill.


    He followed them into the elevator, saying, "By the way, my proficiency in Hidden Eye is almost full, I can upgrade it in a few days."


    Su Muyu glanced at her attribute panel and said, "I should be faster, my Divine Feather Eagle is almost full. It''s B-level now, can it be upgraded to A-level once the proficiency is full?"


    Lu Heng nodded in response, "It can, but the consumption of Divine Energy will double."


    Su Muyu giggled, "I have saved a lot of Divine Energy, definitely enough."


    She indeed had a knack for hoarding Divine Energy; aside from using it to upgrade skills, she rarely used it, so she now had over four thousand Divine Energy.


    "Then find me when you''ve maxed out the proficiency, I''ll help you upgrade," Lu Heng agreed nodding.


    "I''ll soon have an A-level skill," Su Muyu was especially happy now.


    After the Divine Feather Eagle was upgraded, she would have her first A-level skill, the thought alone thrilled her, eager to max out the proficiency quickly.


    Upon hearing his teammate would soon have an A-level skill, Lin Zeyu felt an itch, thinking he must quickly get an A-level skill as well.


    His highest-level skill was now B-level, making him the weak link in their team.


    Actually, since the beginning of Abyss Descent, he had been continuously spending money to acquire Skill Crystal Cores.


    However, in the early stages of the Abyss Descent, C-level was considered high for available Skill Crystal Cores.


    Now that the Abyss invasion had entered the mid-stage, B-level skills had begun to appear sporadically.


    If one was willing to spend the money, indeed, B-level skills could be obtained, but the skill slots were used up.


    This resulted in a situation where, even with money, there was no way to upgrade the skill level.


    For other Superpower Users, in order to upgrade skill levels or increase Skill Slot Numbers, they could only rely on world task rewards from the Abyss Battlefield.


    Only Lu Heng could ignore the rules of the Abyss World, unlock the Skill Lock, equivalent to infinitely using the world task rewards for skill upgrades.


    That was the real substance of [Divine Evolution].

 Chapter 233 - 191 Space Anchor Point

    Dong, dong, dong...


    The Mechanical Tiger, Anka, emerged from the Training Room, its steps resounding heavily on the ground.


    This big fellow was too heavy, weighing almost as much as a car.


    "Why has the tiger followed us out?" Lin Zeyu turned around to look, slightly puzzled.


    Previously, without a command, this big fellow had always stayed in the Training Room.


    The Mechanical Tiger walked up to Lu Heng, circled around him twice, its behavior becoming more and more like that of a biological creature.


    In fact, its mechanical core had fused with the Source Material, creating a mechanical life form of sorts, now possessing biological thought.


    Previously, the information about its bound master included two people.


    Moreover, Yeliana Sikes''s authorization sequence even ranked ahead of Lu Heng.


    This return was completely different.


    When they were in the Sikes Civilization, Yeliana Sikes, fearing that the binding information in the Mechanical Tiger''s core might implicate her, had her binding information deleted.


    Therefore, Lu Heng was now the first sequence in its master recognition information, and with the emergence of biological thought, it occasionally exhibited behaviors uncharacteristic of mechanical units.


    "Why do I feel like Anka has gotten heavier?" Su Muyu heard the footsteps of the Mechanical Tiger and felt the sound was somewhat heavy.


    "It hasn''t gotten heavier, it has regained its previous weight," Lu Heng explained.


    During their time in the Sikes Capital Star Circle, a high-powered anti-gravity module had been installed in the Mechanical Tiger, reducing its weight to 36%, making it feel much lighter when running. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, this "lightness" was only in comparison to its original weight.


    Even with the anti-gravity module activated, its weight still exceeded five hundred kilograms.


    The anti-gravity module and the miniature missile module had not undergone Law Integration, so they could not be brought to Blue Star.


    They were now stored in Lu Heng''s inventory, and they needed to undergo Law Integration before they could be taken out on Blue Star.


    Su Muyu thought of the reason and said, "I have a lot of Divine Energy, I''ll integrate the anti-gravity module, so Anka can run around everywhere."


    Because it was too heavy, there were many places the Mechanical Tiger couldn''t go.


    For example, it couldn''t ride in elevators; this big fellow would cause an elevator to collapse once it entered.


    If the anti-gravity module was installed, things would be much simpler.


    Lu Heng remembered something Ze Wei''er of Xavier Matrix had promised and said, "Ze Wei''er said he would help us create a high-powered anti-gravity module, don''t integrate this low-power one yet. you''ve established a Space Anchor Point, you can find time to visit the Sikes Civilization again, and see if the Mechanical Tiger''s exclusive anti-gravity module has been made."


    Su Muyu nodded in agreement, "Okay, I''ll find time to have a look."


    "Stay in the Training Room for now. Once we bring back the anti-gravity module, you''ll be able to move freely," Lu Heng said as he patted its large head.


    The Mechanical Tiger nodded to show it understood, then turned and walked back into the Training Room.


    ...


    The three of them went outside the residential area and found a wonton shop, ordering three bowls of wontons to start eating.


    On the planets of the Sikes Civilization, there really wasn''t anything tasty to eat.


    The people of Sikes mainly relied on charging, and the few who still needed to eat primarily consumed nutrient liquids.


    For the Sikes Civilization, there was no such thing as food culture anymore.


    This was an inevitable result of developing into a Mechanical Civilization.


    So, for the fifteen days they had been in the Sikes Civilization, there hadn''t been any food that could satisfy their taste buds.


    Now, being able to eat a bowl of wontons and sip the soup felt incredibly delicious.


    Just as the three of them were commenting on how particularly delicious the wontons were today,


    a phone call came through.


    Lu Heng picked up the phone, recognizing the number as Chen Linian''s.


    "What''s up, Inspector Chen?"


    Chen Linian, "Since you guys are back, can we stop staking out the Nuoya Hotel?"


    Lu Heng, "Ah, I forgot to notify you, Hasegawa Tom is dead in the Abyss Battlefield."


    Chen Linian didn''t ask about Hasegawa Tom''s cause of death, as there was no need to pursue it anymore.


    So, he changed the topic, "Understood, when do you have time? We need to document the situation of the Abyss Battlefield and save it."


    Lu Heng, "Whenever I''m free."


    Hasegawa Tom had undergone mechanical transformation in the Sikes Civilization and his combat power had greatly increased, but he was still killed by Lu Heng.


    Thus, Iron Blood no longer needed to continue blockading the Nuoya Hotel.


    However, due to this incident, it was hard for the Nuoya Hotel, a hotel owned by Fusang Capital, to continue operating in Coastal City.


    ...


    Since the Abyss Battlefield they entered this time reached Level 5, the time flow speed in the Abyss Battlefield was different from that in the main world.


    Fifteen days in the Abyss Battlefield amounted to only about a day and a half after their return.


    After finishing the wontons, Lin Zeyu had to go to his company for a checkup.


    Flame Emblem Club, Quenching business, and Huan Yu Security - he needed to check in on these company matters.


    Lu Heng and Su Muyu, on the other hand, went home to check in with their parents before starting to train their Skill Proficiency.


    Currently, Su Muyu''s Divine Feathered Eagle Skill Level was B, and her proficiency was almost full, just a bit short.


    She was eager to train and acquire her first Level A Skill.


    ...


    In the evening.


    Lu Heng was practicing modifications of the Rising Dragon Style in the Training Room, where moonlight and sword light intertwined, beautifying the night.


    At that moment,


    a figure appeared outside the balcony, clad in a cloak and wearing a hood, beneath which a pair of colorful irises was visible, clearly identifying the figure as 027.


    Since Lu Heng had never seen 027''s face, he could only identify him by his attire and those distinctive irises.

 Chapter 234 - 191 Space Anchor Point_2

    027''s voice came in from the balcony, "Is the task complete?"


    Lu Heng took out the Sealing Card that had sealed the Soul Capturing Monster, held it up, and said, "The invitation was unsuccessful. Do you want me to return the Sealing Card and the invitation?"


    027: "Did the invitation target die?"


    Lu Heng nodded, "He''s dead."


    027: "Did you kill him?"


    Lu Heng nodded again, "I killed him."


    027: "Why?"


    Lu Heng: "He didn''t meet my standards."


    027: "I didn''t ask you to evaluate him."


    Lu Heng: "When you invited me, did you proceed entirely by instructions?"


    027: "No."


    Lu Heng: "In that case, don''t worry about the way I invite."


    027: "Alright. I hope the next invitation target won''t also die by your hand."


    Lu Heng: "That will depend on whether he can meet my standards or not."


    027: "What are your standards?"


    Lu Heng: "There are no fixed standards, if I think it''s okay, then it''s okay."


    027: "Being so uncontrollable, it''s easy to cause dissatisfaction among those ranked before you."


    Lu Heng: "There''s nothing to be dissatisfied about. If the invitation target is dead, it proves he''s not as good as me."


    In the Abyss Era, strength was everything.


    Originally, Hasegawa Tom was indeed a target for invitation by the creator, because he had potential in his Class and controlled politicians in Fusang, making him a very good target for invitation.


    However, Hasegawa Tom was now dead.


    His worth alive was not as high as Lu Heng''s, dead he was even less valuable.


    An organization would not be dissatisfied with its members over a worthless corpse.


    Even if there was a little dissatisfaction, it would not affect the outcome.


    Lu Heng was not joining the mysterious organization of the creator for the first time, so he was very familiar with its loose structure.


    027 came over just to confirm if Hasegawa Tom was dead, and after getting a definite answer, he left.


    ...


    The next day.


    While at the Flame Emblem Club, Lu Heng was cornered by a young girl.


    Yuan Yaoyao braced her hands on the wall, blocking his way, then tilted her head up, puffed out her cheeks, and said, "You mustn''t tell my dad about my affair."


    Lu Heng frowned and said, "That doesn''t seem quite appropriate, does it?"


    "Why isn''t it appropriate? I can look after myself, and he can''t help anyway. Telling him will only make him worry," Yuan Yaoyao reasoned.


    Lu Heng looked at her limbs and didn''t see any mechanical modules, unsure of the extent of her transformation.


    "You''re worried that your dad won''t agree to your mechanical transformation, aren''t you?"


    "You know that, and that''s good," Yuan Yaoyao admitted frankly.


    "Do you plan to continue transforming?" Lu Heng considered and decided it was better to ask clearly.


    "Of course, I really like my current state. Black Feather Spirit feels like part of my body; I love it so much. And, I want to become stronger. Professor Ze Wei''er has also promised to research stronger mechanical modules for me in the future," Yuan Yaoyao nodded in admission.


    "Are you sure you don''t need to discuss it with your dad?" Lu Heng inquired.


    "You don''t understand. I''ve calculated with my Light Computer; my Talent is suited for the mechanical enhancement route. Besides, I''ve simulated the previous Abyss Battlefield experiences with my Light Computer. If I hadn''t taken the mechanical enhancement route, I would have died long ago. Do you think it''s better for me to follow the mechanical route or to be dead?" Yuan Yaoyao asked a very pragmatic question.


    Lu Heng was stunned for a moment because the answer to that question did indeed support her choice of the mechanical enhancement route.


    Others didn''t know, but Lu Heng had the memories of his past life and thus knew that if he hadn''t changed her destiny, she would most likely have died on the Abyss Battlefield already.


    Moreover, with a Talent like [Mechanical Heart], following the mechanical enhancement route was indeed the strongest.


    Lu Heng pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, as long as you''re willing to take responsibility for your choices, I won''t interfere with your decisions."


    Yuan Yaoyao immediately nodded, "Of course, I''ll take responsibility for my choices. We have an agreement, you promised me, don''t tell my dad."


    After seriously considering it, Lu Heng nodded.


    In fact, Lu Heng did recognize that Yuan Hecheng couldn''t help her much.


    A Quenching Master didn''t do much for mechanical enhancement, and sometimes the more you care, the less able you are to think calmly.


    Yuan Yaoyao, feeling pleased, said, "We have an agreement, you promised. To repay you, I''ve got some good news, Professor Ze Wei''er has already made the anti-gravity module for Anka, I can go over and bring it back for you."


    Lu Heng was somewhat surprised and asked, "You can teleport to the Sikes Civilization?"


    Yuan Yaoyao nodded, "Yeah, a reward from a World Task. After the Light Computer system calculated, it recommended I choose the Space Anchor Point, which was far more important than the other two options."


    For her, selecting the Space Anchor Point in the Sikes World indeed had a very high priority, even comparable to the reward for a Skill Slot.


    Since her path was that of mechanical enhancement, the Space Anchor Point in the Cyber World was essential.


    Lu Heng curiously asked, "So, you have the ability to communicate with the Xavier Matrix?"


    Yuan Yaoyao nodded again, "Yes, the Black Feather Spirit has quantum entanglement communication technology, which allows for communication. Moreover, I''ve spoken to the professor, and he has a way to bring you guys over through the Space Anchor Point."


    Lu Heng raised his eyebrows, even more astonished, "You''re saying, you can use a Space Anchor Point to bring people who don''t have one?"


    Yuan Yaoyao confirmed, "Right, this is a technique developed by the professor, it can use the Black Feather Spirit to take you guys over."


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected this kind of surprise, "Alright, let''s find a time, I''d like to meet with the Xavier Matrix in person."


    ...


    The next day.


    Lu Heng gathered his team members, and after confirming through the Black Feather Spirit that they could teleport, asked Yuan Yaoyao to activate the Space Anchor Point.


    The Black Feather Spirit then teleported the trio to the Second Gaia Star of the Sikes Civilization.


    As their vision returned, they found themselves inside a teleportation device.


    They had arrived at an underground research lab specializing in space technology, located beneath the Begonia Courtyard, with its red maple leaves.


    If Lu Heng''s expectations were correct, a data prompt appeared.


    [Teleportation into the Second Gaia Star within the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization, located in this world will continuously consume Divine Energy. Divine Energy Consumption: 10 points/day.]


    10 points of energy per day, this consumption rate was the same as the regular usage of the Space Anchor Point for teleportation.


    The Xavier Matrix''s teleportation technology was essentially an expansion of a single-user Space Anchor Point to group usage.


    Lin Zeyu was very surprised, "We actually made it."


    "Welcome, friends from the Human World," the Xavier Matrix greeted with a wave of his hand.


    "Hello, we can only stay for twenty-four hours, so let''s not stand on ceremony and get down to business straight away," Lu Heng got straight to the point.


    This direct approach was very much in line with the thinking of machinery.


    As such, the Xavier Matrix readily agreed, "Of course, I have already been informed by the Black Feather Spirit that the first thing you want to do is to collect the anti-gravity module.


    "Just a few days ago, I took the time to make a high-powered anti-gravity module, which is very suitable for use with Mechanical Beasts. Take it back and give it a try."


    Since the Mechanical Tiger was too large, Lu Heng was worried about problems with the transportation if he let the Black Feather Spirit bring it along, so he hadn''t brought it over.


    After all, there was no combat mission this time around, and it was enough just to bring back the anti-gravity module.


    The Xavier Matrix led everyone out of the space teleportation lab and into another room, pointing to a cubic mechanical module on the table, "This is it, customized for your Mechanical Beast, enough to let it float."


    Lu Heng''s eyes lit up immediately, asking, "If that''s the case, doesn''t it mean it could fly?"


    The Xavier Matrix nodded, "Yes, it just needs to be equipped with a flying engine module."


    Lu Heng laughed and asked, "You have one ready, don''t you?"


    The Xavier Matrix nodded, "Yes, the same model used by the Mechanical Angels, I''ll give it to you as well."


    "Thank you," Lu Heng promptly expressed his gratitude. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With that, the Mechanical Tiger might just be able to fly.


    A Mechanical Tiger as heavy as a car that could also fly¡ªit was a dreamy thought.

 Chapter 235 - 192: The Flying Mechanical Wings Tiger

    "Has the Abyss Meat Tumor been completely cleaned up?"


    After receiving the mechanical module, Lu Heng turned to inquire about other matters.


    "The authorities conducted two deep cleanings; there shouldn''t be any problems," Xavier Matrix replied with a tone calm and undisturbed.


    Abyss Meat Tumors are extremely peculiar, said to be creatures of the Abyss, but they seem to lack organs such as brains and are merely masses of flesh.


    However, this mass of flesh can devour any organic matter and grows rapidly, which is why it poses such a huge threat.


    What''s more troublesome is that if even a small piece remains, it might resurge.


    Therefore, multiple cleanups are necessary to ensure complete removal.


    Lu Heng wanted to understand more about the current situation of the Sikes Civilization, perhaps for future use.


    "What''s the status of the Descent Faction now?"


    Xavier Matrix is connected to the network and constantly monitors the civilization''s situation, so there is no need to check before answering:


    "After the incident at Delrims-3 base was exposed, the support rate for the Descent Faction was halved, dropping below 4%.


    "All high-ranking members of the Descent Faction involved in the Delrims-3 base incident have been captured, subjected to signal imprisonment for more than three years."


    For the Sikes Civilization, "capturing" and "imprisonment" are not quite the same as humans conceive.


    In mechanical civilization, implementing signal imprisonment means cutting off all network signals of the individual.


    This is a very severe punishment.


    For the Sikes, being deprived of network signals is more terrifying than physical imprisonment.


    The Abyss Meat Tumor incident at Delrims-3 base indeed dealt a heavy blow to the Descent Faction.


    However, not all members of the Descent Faction were involved, so it''s impossible to ban the faction outright.


    Although the Descent Faction has not been completely dissolved, it has been significantly weakened.


    Its support rate is now even lower than that of the Escape Faction.


    The Descent Faction''s support declined, but a peculiar situation emerged.


    After the Abyss Meat Tumor incident, any Sikes supporting the Descent Faction were completely insane.


    This incident purified the supporters of the Descent Faction.


    Having understood the changes in the Sikes Civilization''s situation, Lu Heng made another request, "Professor Xavier, would you be willing to provide technological data to help develop human civilization? Mutual aid between civilizations, to jointly confront the Abyss in the future."


    If this request were posed to the leaders of the human world, it might necessitate lengthy contemplation and even a gathering of think tanks to deliberate for a long time before a response could be given.


    For the Sikes with mechanical thinking, it''s different. The thinking time only depends on the computing power of the core processor.


    Upon hearing a request, the core processor will simulate several outcomes based on the content of the request.


    Agree to the request, disagree with the request, or partially agree.


    Different answers will yield different outcomes.


    Ultimately, the outcome that aligns with the individual''s goals will be selected.


    However, not every Sikes will make the same decision when faced with the same request.


    Because during the calculation, each Sikes will use its own goals as the criteria, not the future of the civilization.


    This is also why the Sikes are still a semi-mechanical civilization, not purely a mechanical civilization.


    Therefore, Lu Heng was not sure if Xavier Matrix would agree.


    Regardless of whether it agrees or not, the core processor''s thinking will be swift.


    Only a second passed, and Xavier Matrix agreed, "Yes, I will give you the technological data that can be provided, but according to my understanding, Sikes technology may not necessarily suit the human world."


    Lu Heng certainly understood this point; the technology of the Sikes Civilization isn''t simply usable upon acquisition, but it could definitely greatly aid in the advancement of human technology.


    As for whether human technology might deviate due to the influence of Sikes technology, that wasn''t a concern at present.


    If information obtained from the Cyber World could lead to deviation in technological development, that would be humanity''s fate, and no one else could be blamed.


    ...


    Before leaving the Sikes World, Lu Heng obtained the technological data of the Sikes Civilization.


    Of course, not all of the pinnacle technology of the Sikes Civilization was included.


    Any civilization that provides technological aid to another always holds something back.


    Therefore, the technology data that Lu Heng obtained was roughly equivalent to that of a Level 1.6 civilization.


    Currently, human civilization is only at Level 0.8; hence obtaining data from a Level 1.6 civilization would be immensely helpful.


    Most crucially included was Controlled Nuclear Fusion technology.


    This is the most critical technology that humanity needs to break through and is a revolutionary technology.


    Controlled Nuclear Fusion is the benchmark of Level 1.0 technology, and it was included in the data.


    ...


    After the meeting concluded, Lu Heng and his party returned to Blue Star.


    The anti-gravity module and power engine that they brought back were left with Su Muyu, as these two modules still required her to perform Law Integration using Divine Energy.


    The two modules together consumed 3200 points of Divine Energy. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu, holding the two mechanical modules, handed them to the Mechanical Tiger, "Install them and see."


    The Mechanical Tiger seemed extremely happy as it fitted the two modules.


    The anti-gravity module retreated into its body, hidden beneath the shell of liquid metal.


    The power engine, on the other hand, was installed externally because it was a model used by the Mechanical Angel.


    In fact, the power engine of the Mechanical Angel was that set of mechanical wings.


    The mechanical wings had multiple micro ion thrusters arranged in a row. Although each micro ion thruster had minimal power, when linked together, they could provide substantial thrust.


    Although it was the power engine model of the Mechanical Angel, Ze Wei''er had adjusted the mechanical wings before bringing them back, making them more suitable for mechanical beasts.


    After installing the mechanical wings, the tiger had completely turned into a winged mechanical tiger, looking even more majestic when it flapped its wings.


    Lin Zeyu, with a face full of envy, reached out to pat the Mechanical Tiger''s head, exclaiming, "You''ve really taken to the skies now; are you planning to compete for the third spot in our team soon?"


    Su Muyu covered her mouth and laughed, "What are you thinking? You''re the one competing with Anka."


    "Huh?" Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened.


    Lu Heng raised his hand and said, "Fly up and have a look, but don''t fly around wildly, just hover."


    The Mechanical Tiger emitted a metallic roar, slowly floating up, and even mimicking the flapping of its wings a few times.


    In fact,


    Flapping its wings did not assist with its flight at all, and the mechanical wings were not powered by flapping.


    It was a natural reaction after acquiring biological thinking, still imitating similar creatures.


    And on Blue Star, most creatures with wings were birds.


    Birds flap their wings during flight, so it mimicked that movement.


    "Cool! Absolutely stunning!" Lin Zeyu clicked his tongue in admiration.


    He elbowed Lu Heng lightly, saying, "Let me take this big guy out to show off in a few days."


    Back when he was a rich young master, he had a group of fair-weather friends.


    Later, when the Abyss Descent happened, most of these friends, with their family''s wealth, became superpower users.


    However, most of them prioritized surviving after being recruited.


    It had been a long time since Lin Zeyu had gathered with these friends, so he wanted to take the winged mechanical tiger out to strut in front of those guys.


    "As long as it agrees to go with you," Lu Heng teased him with a smile.


    Lin Zeyu rolled his eyes instantly, "This guy only listens to you."


    His eyes sparked with an idea, "Anka doesn''t have the laser weapon module yet, I''ll take care of that, let me just take it out for a spin, just once."


    "Alright then," Lu Heng agreed, seeing his persistence.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Chen Linian called again, hoping to find a time to record the information about the Sikes Civilization.


    He had learned through other channels that Lu Heng was previously recruited into the Capital Star Circle of the Sikes Civilization.


    After listening to him, Lu Heng slowly spoke, "Your rank isn''t high enough, I suggest you inform the people from the Defense Science Academy to come see me, ideally someone at the director level."


    Chen Linian was stunned at first.


    However, he immediately guessed what that meant and said excitedly, "Okay, I''ll report to my superiors right away, prepare for the next few days."


    There was no need to wait until the next day.


    That very night,


    A call came in to confirm the time with Lu Heng.


    Then, early the next morning, Zheng Shinan, the director of the Academy of Sciences, personally led a team to the Coastal area.


    Upon meeting, Zheng Shinan enthusiastically came forward to shake hands, "Comrade, hello. I heard about this yesterday, and I couldn''t sleep all night."


    In fact,


    After Chen Linian reported to his superiors the day before, the news quickly spread within the Defense Science Academy.


    Of course, the Defense Science Academy wouldn''t immediately send someone after hearing just a word. They definitely had a process to verify the information.


    Thus, last night, Zheng Shinan met with Jian Qing and Chen Zihang.


    Especially Chen Zihang, who was a student at the Aerospace University and was originally in the field of scientific research, his family belonged to the same field.


    Upon hearing that Lu Heng had requested the Director of the Defense Science Academy to visit, Chen Zihang merely said, "If it were me, I''d go right now. Lu Heng doesn''t waste time on meaningless things."


    Thus, Zheng Shinan organized a team and traveled to the Coastal area on the flight the next morning.


    "Let''s sit down and talk. I''ve heard that you''ve entered a Cyber World," Zheng Shinan, being from a scientific research background, couldn''t wait to learn about the Sikes Civilization.


    "It is indeed a Cyber World named Sikes Civilization, civilization level 2.1. Actually, there''s not much I need to say. I''ve called you here just to hand this over to you."


    As he spoke, Lu Heng handed over a storage device, adding, "This contains the technological data obtained from the Sikes Civilization, which is technological assistance from the Sikes Civilization to human civilization.


    "As for how to use this data, I''ll leave that to the professionals."


    Zheng Shinan reached out to take the storage device, his fingers trembling slightly.


    Only a true researcher could understand how precious this was.


    For those engaged in scientific research, being able to personally see higher-level technological data was an honor.

 Chapter 236 - 193 New Invitation Target

    Across the American Continent, to some people, even the air smelled sweet.


    Sunlight poured in through the window as Alex Austin awoke with a start from his bed, gasping for air.


    He had the same dream again, instinctively lowering his head to hold his chest, which had once been sliced open by a sword, revealing even the lobes of his lungs.


    At that moment,


    A woman in a business suit walked in and said, "Lieutenant Austin, you woke up later today than yesterday, which isn''t a good sign."


    Alex Austin rubbed his face and exhaled without responding to her comment.


    In the last mission on the Abyss Battlefield, he was the only one to return alive; the other four members of his team had died.


    He had also failed to bring back the object his superiors had requested. As a result, his superiors, the investors in him, the consortia looking to earn profits, and the families of his teammates were all dissatisfied with him.


    In short, he felt that the whole world, including himself, was dissatisfied.


    While he was undergoing special training in America, he was invincible; nobody could match him.


    At one point, he even felt like he was a god of this world, capable of crushing anyone who displeased him with ease.


    Even the State Legislators who met with him had to treat him with great respect.


    But since his return from the Abyss Battlefield, everything had changed.


    He had changed.


    In his quest to become stronger, he trained frantically every day and injected himself with Superpower Injection Liquid that hadn''t yet passed human trials.


    This Superpower Potion could enhance muscular strength, increase cellular activity, and unleash superhuman power.


    The muscles injected with Superpower Potion would also be visibly larger and more powerful than other muscle areas.


    However, there were side effects, including hormonal imbalances in his body.


    One external manifestation was disrupted biological clocks; sometimes he would sleep for over ten hours, but other times his sleep would be very short.


    The female agent continued, "Dr. Ralph reminded you to visit him, and Coach Jacob asked me to tell you to report to him as soon as you wake up as the special training group has updated your training schedule. And there''s¡­"


    "And what? Why are there so many damn things!"


    Alex Austin was already getting impatient, glaring at the female agent.


    The female agent was not frightened at all, pointing to an envelope on the table, "This envelope was left at your door this morning. It''s unsigned, but likely intended for you. Hopefully, it''s not a notice from the tax bureau."


    She even made a little joke at the end.


    If it were a notice from the tax bureau and not handled properly, it could cause major problems.


    Therefore, Alex Austin reached for the envelope, opened it, and found it was not a notification from any department but an invitation with only the word "creator" printed on it.


    Additionally, there was a faint watermark with the numbers "029".


    He frowned at the invitation, feeling perplexed.


    The female agent added, "Also, Mr. Raymond requested that you report to the Federation Intelligence Bureau headquarters before this afternoon."


    Although Alex Austin was very impatient, when he heard that it was an order from the Federation Intelligence Bureau, he only climbed out of bed, threw the invitation into the trash can, and went into the bathroom to wash up.


    ¡­


    An hour and a half later.


    Alex Austin stood in a conference room at the headquarters of the Federation Intelligence Bureau.


    Several Intelligence Bureau officials sat with stern expressions, making the meeting feel very austere.


    "Go through the events on the Abyss Battlefield again, specifically the process and reasons behind the deaths of your teammates."


    Not that question again.


    Alex Austin held back his anger, "I''ve already told you the last time, and the time before."


    "Then tell it once more," the intelligence officer repeated expressionlessly.


    He took a deep breath and recounted how those four idiots had died again.


    The Intelligence Bureau officials were expressionless and skeptical, "Are you saying that our highly trained elite warriors were no match for a few Eastern Superpower Users?"


    "That''s the fact." Alex Austin was reluctant to admit it, but it was true.


    The Intelligence Bureau officials continued skeptically, "Earlier you mentioned that Lichia and Kaleem were killed within three seconds by the same Eastern Superpower User. Since when have our elite warriors been so weak?"


    The intelligence officer concluded with a mocking look towards his colleagues, who all laughed, clearly disbelieving Alex Austin''s story.


    Alex Austin had explained it many times already and did not want his team members to seem so ineffectual, but that was the reality.


    He even clearly remembered the words spoken by that Eastern Superpower User: "Give me three seconds to block me, or your teammates are gone."


    He thought those words were ridiculous at the time, so he didn''t listen, and within three seconds, two team members were dead.


    The speed of that Eastern Superpower User was like lightning, each flash resulting in fewer teammates.


    By the time he realized, it was too late.


    The Intelligence Bureau had now asked him to recount the battle three times about the foolish deaths of his teammates, and he had told them truthfully every time.


    However, he had concealed one fact: that he had been stabbed in the chest by the Eastern Superpower User''s sword, not mentioning it at all.


    Faced with the probing questions from the Intelligence Bureau officials, his only response was a shrug, "I''ve recounted my experiences on the Abyss Battlefield faithfully. If you find them unreasonable, record them however you wish."


    S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 237 - 193 New Invitation Target_2

    Intelligence Agency officials changed the subject, "Before you entered the Abyss Battlefield, do you remember the mission you were given?"


    Alex Austin exhaled and answered, "I remember."


    "What mission? Repeat it."


    "Enter a high-tech civilization and obtain technological data."


    "Did you complete it?"


    "I was working on it. If we could have won the final battle, I could have acquired technological data from the Sikes Civilization''s Descent Faction."


    The Intelligence Agency official''s tone grew colder, "In other words, you failed."


    A failure.


    This was the branding thrust upon Alex Austin after his return.


    He despised this title, yet he had no way to refute it.


    His team had started off quite successfully when they were in the Sikes Civilization.


    They could not only complete the challenge tasks but also secret ones.


    Especially in the last battle at the Delrimus 3 base¡ªif they could have held the base, they could have attained a higher status with the Descent Faction.


    Then they would have been eligible to request technological data from the upper echelons of the Descent Faction.


    On Blue Star, the arms race among major powers had never ceased.


    It was a matter of balancing the economy and military.


    And technology was the keystone in the arms race, particularly technology that was ahead of its time.


    Therefore,


    when the nations of the world learned of the existence of the Cyber World within the Abyss Battlefield, they had been trying to acquire technological data from the Cyber World.


    The first batch of cyber-technology weapons brought back by the Superpower Users mostly went into research institutions of various countries.


    However, these Cyber World technologies differed greatly from Human World technologies.


    Trying to study the Cyber World weapons by dismantling them was difficult and inefficient.


    Thus, a simpler and more effective method was to take the technological data directly from the Cyber World.


    There had been Superpower Users who succeeded before, but they only obtained technological data in specific fields, which helped break through certain technologies but did not greatly enhance the overall technological progress.


    ...


    With a sarcastic expression, the Intelligence Agency official said, "You failed, but several Eastern Superpower Users succeeded. We just received the news that they obtained a piece of top-secret technological data."


    Upon hearing this news, Alex Austin''s expression instantly stiffened.


    In a deep voice, he said, "If it hadn''t been for some strange reasons that saw to my team being saddled with four useless members, I definitely wouldn''t have lost."


    From the very beginning of assembling his team, he had been dissatisfied with certain team members.


    The reasons those waste-of-spaces joined were unacceptable to him, it was bad enough that some were male and some female, but there were also those who were neither.


    The Intelligence Agency official laughed and said, "This time you get to pick your own team, go retrieve that technological data. With this data, the Federation can be great once more."


    Alex Austin slightly narrowed his eyes and clenched his fist, saying, "This time when picking my team, no one is allowed to interfere, otherwise I will withdraw immediately."


    This demand was not something a regular Intelligence Agency official could promise.


    Sitting in the conference room, having been silent all along, Fisher Raymond was the one who truly held decision-making power there.


    After listening to everyone''s statements, he finally spoke,


    "You may, but if your requirements are met and you still fail, you know what the consequences will be."


    Alex Austin held his head high with confidence, even a bit of arrogance, as he loudly proclaimed, "As long as the team is assembled according to my specifications, the team I lead will be the strongest on this planet. No matter who stands before me, I will crush them!"


    ...


    As time entered the eighth month of the Abyss invasion, great changes began to take place in the Human World.


    An old era had passed, old powers had fallen into silence, and new forces had emerged.


    The era of the Transcendents had become inevitable.


    Just a few months earlier, certain groups and forces wanted to "restore order from chaos" by researching ways to remove the extraordinary powers of the Superpower Users.


    These counter-current forces and organizations, however, were all engulfed by the rolling waves of the era, vanishing in the flood of time.


    New powers rose, and old powers embraced extraordinary strength, becoming new rulers.


    The upheavals and changes of an era became stories frequently enacted in the middle of the Abyss Descent.


    In the tides of era transformation, the financial nations, which only knew how to suck blood, were in peril, only the industrial nations could ensure sufficient force to resist the Abyss invasion.


    And Da Xia was the largest industrial nation on Blue Star.


    Not only that, Da Xia had also received a set of technology data from the Sikes Civilization, and they had literally grasped the future in their hands.


    ...


    At this time, in a training facility by the Coastal region of Da Xia, Lu Heng was practicing his swordsmanship.


    Ever since his Extreme Speed surpassed the speed of sound, the space of the original Training Room had become insufficient.


    So, they purchased a stadium and reconstructed it into a training facility for regular team training.


    After reaching the Conception Level in his Sword Skill Realm, the pace of his cultivation had become increasingly slow.


    Sometimes, after a long period of cultivation, he would not see any prompt for an increase in his Training Level.


    It was indeed the case that the higher the realm of swordsmanship, the slower the improvement; this was normal.


    After a few attempts, Lu Heng discovered that using the Windwalker Skill in combination with practicing swordsmanship effectively increased the pace of improvement in his Sword Skill Realm.


    Therefore, Lu Heng''s current method of practicing swordsmanship was to gather Strength, strike with the sword, then gather Strength again, and strike.


    Like a streak of Gale, he flickered across the square, alternating between stillness and movement as he searched for the essential secret to breaking through the bottleneck of his swordsmanship.


    While Lu Heng was practicing, unbeknownst to him, a spectator had arrived in the stands.


    This spectator was cloaked, wearing a hood, with a glint of multicolored pupil light shining from beneath it.


    As May arrived, the weather slowly warmed up.


    Lu Heng had already switched to short sleeves, and sometimes, when practicing intensely, he would even take off his shirt because of the profuse sweat.


    After practicing for a while, Lu Heng walked back to the side of the field to drink water and rest, looking up at 027, he asked, "Aren''t you hot?"


    "It''s bearable."


    "Is there something you need?"


    027 took out an envelope and flicked it towards Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng caught the envelope, already guessing what it was: "Another invitation?"


    The last invitation''s target was Hasegawa Tom, who had already been taken care of by Lu Heng.


    So this time, it must be a new target.


    "Correct, I hope this invitation''s target meets your expectations," said 027 with a tone of banter.


    "Who is it?"


    "The envelope has the name."


    Lu Heng opened the envelope, took out the name card inside, and was taken aback once again.


    The name card bore the name "Alex Austin", which translated phonetically into "Alex Austin".


    Without a doubt, the Creator Organization had set their sights on this Thunder God Austin from the American Continent.


    Rationally considering this invitation, it was not at all surprising.


    Because Alex Austin was known as the "Thunder God" in his previous life, his strength truly stood at the pinnacle of the American Continent.


    From the perspective of the Creator Organization, inviting Alex Austin was completely reasonable.


    However, having this invitation handed to Lu Heng made it quite delicate.


    Lu Heng lifted the name card and said, "This guy is on the other side of the ocean, I don''t take on jobs that far away."


    027 spoke calmly, "He won''t be far away for long."


    Lu Heng frowned and immediately understood the implication.


    His words clearly indicated that Alex Austin would be coming to Da Xia.


    This was not an interesting piece of information.


    What was his purpose for coming?


    It was highly unlikely that a top Eastern Superpower User from the American Continent would come to Da Xia for tourism.


    Lu Heng placed the invitation back into the envelope, holding it up and said, "I can''t invite this guy."


    It would already be showing restraint if they didn''t come to blows upon meeting, let alone inviting the other party to join the organization.


    "You are capable of inviting him," 027 emphasized.


    Lu Heng frowned and asked, "With what shall I invite him? You haven''t given me an invitation gift."


    According to the habits of the Creator Organization, when they decide to invite someone, they always prepare an item or a condition that the person can''t refuse. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just like the Sealing Card that contained the Soul Capturing Monster, that was an item Hasegawa Tom absolutely couldn''t refuse.


    027 replied, "You have the invitation gift, and you''re the only one who has it."

 Chapter 238 - 194: The Battle of Technology

    "I don''t have it."


    When Lu Heng heard that the condition for inviting Alex Austin was the Sikes Civilization''s technology information, he didn''t even think about it and flatly denied it.


    "How could you not have it?" 027''s tone remained completely unfluctuating.


    Even this kind of stable, emotionless tone sounded a bit like a robot from the Cyber World.


    "I''ve already turned it in," Lu Heng straightforwardly admitted he had handed over the technology information.


    "You don''t have a backup either?" 027 asked with the same calm tone.


    "No," Lu Heng answered quite decisively.


    "Aren''t you afraid of losing the data? If it''s lost and there''s no backup, humanity will lose this set of data," 027 finally showed a trace of curiosity.


    According to normal thinking, one should make backups.


    However, when Lu Heng decided to submit it to the nation, he had no plans to get involved in the aftermath; keeping a backup would just be inviting trouble.


    Like now, for instance.


    As for the loss of data, it was indeed a bit of trouble, but not completely unsolvable.


    You could go back to the Sikes Civilization and ask the Xavier Matrix for another copy.


    Without further explanation, Lu Heng, holding the invitation, said, "I can''t invite him, you''ll have to figure it out yourself."


    "This is the task assigned to you. Figure it out yourself. Whether or not the invitee agrees, the invitation must be delivered to his hands. If you can''t do it, then you don''t meet my test standards," 027 said and then turned and disappeared.


    Lu Heng hadn''t expected that this matter would end up falling on his own shoulders, having to invite Alex Austin to join.


    ...


    The news that Da Xia had acquired cyber technology had already spread far and wide.


    This situation was quite normal.


    Because the set of information obtained from the Sikes Civilization was equivalent to the technology tree blueprint of a 1.6-level civilization, involving nearly all fields such as machinery, biology, nuclear energy, batteries, networks, etc.


    Thus, this technology information was not something a single Academy of Sciences could digest; it required the full industrial chain to digest it together.


    Therefore, after the Academy of Sciences obtained this technology information, it began to mobilize research personnel and technical talents from all fields nationwide to meet and discuss plans for the digestion of this information.


    Since many people were involved, the news naturally got out.


    This was something that couldn''t be stopped; it was just a matter of time.


    Clearly, the Creator Organization knew now, and other nations should know as well.


    Previously 027 had mentioned that Alex Austin would come to Da Xia, likely for this technology information.


    Normally, if it were a cooperation in the field of technology, a scientific research team should be sent, not a Superpower Soldier.


    There was clearly something amiss with this affair.


    After Lu Heng thought it through, he took out his phone and sent a message to Chen Linian, simply writing down one person''s name.


    A name was enough, Iron Blood naturally had ways to find out what was going on.


    By noon that day, Iron Blood issued an order to stop issuing a visa to Alex Austin.


    This led to Alex Austin being stopped at the airport before entering the country, being sent back the way he came.


    This made Alex Austin very angry, he even wanted to smash the airplane, but this passenger jet belonged to White Eagle Airlines.


    ...


    The next day.


    As Lu Heng was practicing his swordsmanship on the training ground, Jian Qing appeared beside the field.


    Seeing her, Lu Heng stopped, wiped off his sweat and walked over, greeting her, "What brings you here?"


    Jian Qing looked him up and down with interest and clicked her tongue in admiration, "You''ve gotten much stronger than a month ago, did you eat hormones?"


    This clearly was a joke, Lu Heng shrugged his shoulders and asked, "You must have serious business, right?"


    "There''s something serious, but it''s not that critical. I came to notify you, the technology data you submitted to the nation is of immeasurable value, and you will be awarded a first-class merit for it. So, you''ll soon have a second first-class merit medal, which is even more than I have," Jian Qing''s tone carried a hint of admiration.


    "Is that what you came for?" Lu Heng felt this wasn''t worth her making a personal visit.


    "Indeed there is another matter. Yesterday the airport stopped Alex Austin, the man really intended to enter the country. The news initially came from you, so I came to ask about the source," Jian Qing explained her purpose.


    Lu Heng shook his head and answered, "I also received the intelligence from another person, but I don''t know the identity of that person."


    027 had never revealed his identity, so this was true; Lu Heng really didn''t know who he was, only that he was a member of the Creator Organization.


    After hearing this, Jian Qing nodded slowly and said, "Although we''ve forbidden Alex Austin''s entry, Superpower Users have too many ways to enter a country, it''s actually impossible to stop them. Moreover, last night, the Perceiver responsible for monitoring Alex Austin sent back news that they have lost his location."


    Lu Heng had already anticipated this.


    Actually, from the moment he heard that Alex Austin was stopped at the airport, he thought that forbidding entry to a Superpower User of this level wouldn''t be very effective.


    Power Users have many abilities and skills, anything is possible.


    Especially the skill to change one''s appearance; they come in all sorts of strange forms.


    With Alex Austin''s abilities, he could easily use another person''s passport and change his appearance to enter the country.


    Alternatively, he could directly enter from the sea; with his abilities, there were innumerable ways to get into Da Xia, and few could stop him.


    Therefore, customs could only stop Alex Austin from entering the country once, and even then, not for long.


    Even now, as the two of them were conversing, Alex Austin might have already entered Da Xia territory.


    Jian Qing continued, "The General Staff believes that Alex Austin is most likely here for those Sikes Civilization technology documents.


    "Since you were the one who turned in those documents, there''s a chance that Alex Austin might come looking for you."


    Lu Heng shrugged, "I didn''t keep a backup."


    Jian Qing nodded, "I believe you, but the White Eagle Federation doesn''t think so, and they will definitely send someone to start with you.


    Lu Heng also understood this logic and after some thought, answered, "I don''t have a backup here, so even if he comes looking for me, he won''t be able to get the documents from me.


    "So, if the White Eagle Federation''s target is those documents, I think the Academy of Sciences is the place that really needs to beef up its security."


    Jian Qing agreed, "The General Staff thinks the same, and in fact, since acquiring those technology documents, the security level at the Academy of Sciences has been raised to the highest."


    She paused for a moment and continued, "Besides Alex Austin, we''ve also found that other Superpower Users from the White Eagle Federation have entered the country.


    "However, there are just too many people traveling between the two countries on flights every day, and among them, some are Superpower Users, so it''s not possible to ban all people from the White Eagle Federation from entry.


    "So, this confrontation is bound to happen.


    "According to the intelligence we''ve gathered, the White Eagle Federation has developed a Superpower Injection Liquid that can greatly enhance the combat power of Superpower Users.


    "However, this Superpower Injection Liquid has not yet been tested on humans, but it has already started to be used on Superpower Users.


    "Intelligence shows that in the past month, the combat power of Alex Austin has increased rapidly, and we suspect that he has used this Superpower Injection Liquid.


    "So, Alex Austin''s current combat power is very strong, and at the moment, there is no Superpower Soldier in the army who can confidently beat him.


    "I''ve come here with another request, to ask if you would be willing to take on this task and assist in cooperative defense.


    "If you agree, you can name any conditions you have, as long as the nation can accommodate them.


    After listening, Lu Heng finally understood what this was all about.


    It was about finding someone to deal with Alex Austin.


    On Blue Star, due to the existence of thermal weapons, firepower is not afraid of a single Superpower User.


    However, the confrontation between Superpower Users isn''t conventional warfare.


    Superpower Users can enter cities, and densely populated areas where large-scale lethal weapons cannot be used.


    In this situation, the power of thermal weapons would be greatly limited.


    And Alex Austin''s combat power had reached a level where he could ignore regular firearms.


    Therefore, he wasn''t so easy to deal with.


    Moreover, Alex Austin''s whereabouts are currently untraceable, meaning the opponent is in the dark, making it very troublesome to respond.


    Lu Heng is one of the few Superpower Users who can directly confront Alex Austin.


    Additionally, Lu Heng himself is a key figure in this incident and is likely to become a target of Alex Austin''s.


    In such a situation, banding together to arrange defensive measures is a good choice.


    Besides that.


    Lu Heng had another matter, which was that the Creator Organization had taken an interest in Alex Austin.


    The invitation was currently in Lu Heng''s hands, and from what 027 implied, this invitation must be delivered, and it would be best if Alex Austin accepted it.


    The previous invitation to Hasegawa Tom had failed, and if this one failed as well, it would mean consecutive failures.


    If this continued, it could lead to some trouble.


    In any case, this matter had to be handled well.


    After serious consideration, Lu Heng agreed, "I can. I can cooperate with your operation."


    "Good, I knew you would agree," Jian Qing revealed a smile and added, "Remember to bring your little girlfriend too." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Jian, the great beauty, don''t you need me?"


    Just then, Lin Zeyu entered the training ground and joined in the conversation.


    Jian Qing turned to look at him and said with a smile, "What the army has the least shortage of... are Snipers."


    Lin Zeyu immediately raised his eyebrows, then realized he had no comeback.


    He had followed the firearms enhancement path, and his current role was that of a Sniper.


    And indeed, the army did not lack Snipers, with a multitude of Sharpshooters.


    With a little training, it wasn''t difficult to produce several Superpower Snipers among the special forces.


    Lin Zeyu protested, "That''s not fair."


    Jian Qing laughed heartily, "I''m just kidding. Your matters aren''t really my concern anyway. It''s up to your captain to decide. I''m off."


    She waved her hand and turned toward the exit.


    As she reached the door, she encountered Su Muyu coming in and greeted her, "Long time no see."


    "Indeed, it has been a while. Is there something going on?" Su Muyu greeted back with a smile.


    "I''ve discussed the matter with Lu Heng. Arrange it among yourselves, I need to get going," said Jian Qing before leaving the training ground and getting into a military compound car and driving away.

 Chapter 239 - 195 Quasi-S Level Skill: Chongming Bird

    "Jian Qing is here, there must be something important, right?" As soon as Su Muyu saw Jian Qing appear, she knew something must have happened.


    "Alex Austin may have already entered the country, and he probably brought a team of Superpower Users with him," Lu Heng stated, revealing the most critical information.


    Upon hearing this, Su Muyu knew it was serious and quickly asked, "What does he want by coming here? Is he seeking revenge on us, or is it... for that technological document?"


    She didn''t know those key points, but being clever, she could think of many possibilities.


    Lu Heng nodded and answered, "Indeed, it''s for that technological document, so Alex Austin likely has two targets, the first being me, and the second being the Academy of Sciences."


    "Jian Qing hopes we can cooperate with the military to prevent Alex Austin from stealing the technological document."


    Lin Zeyu, brushing his bangs back arrogantly, said in an annoying tone, "This idiot dares to come to our turf, can''t we just kill him this time?"


    Su Muyu cautioned, "We should still be careful. After all, the White Eagle Federation is a superpower, a thin camel is still bigger than a horse, not to mention the White Eagle Federation isn''t thin. The Super Soldiers they train can''t be weak. Moreover, we don''t even know how many people they''ve brought, it won''t be easy to deal with."


    Lu Heng agreed, "Indeed, currently, we don''t know where Alex Austin is, nor do we know how many Superpower Users he has brought with him or what kind of abilities they possess. So, this mission is challenging to handle."


    In this era, Superpower Users possess a myriad of bizarre abilities of all types.


    Thus, the Superpower Users sent by the White Eagle Federation could potentially steal technological documents in unpredictable ways, using unpredictable means.


    Lin Zeyu, perplexed, asked, "Don''t we not have a backup? It''s useless to come to us."


    Lu Heng spread his hands and responded, "Indeed, we don''t have one, but do you think Alex Austin would believe that?"


    Lin Zeyu, holding his hands as if gripping a sniper rifle, making a aiming gesture, said, "Whether he believes it or not, if he shows up, I''ll blow his head off with one shot."


    With a smile, Lu Heng glanced at him and warned, "The military''s intelligence says that Alex Austin has injected a Superpower Potion, and his combat power has surged. I suggest you run when you see him, don''t hesitate."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, he asked, "What kind of Superpower Potion is so powerful? How much is it? I''m going to get a couple of bottles too."


    Lu Heng smirked playfully and asked, "Are you sure you want to inject that stuff?"


    "Why not if it makes me stronger?"


    Lin Zeyu was excited upon hearing about a pay-to-win method of getting stronger, which was right up his alley.


    The others didn''t know what the Superpower Potion was, but Lu Heng did.


    Because in his previous life, this Superpower Potion was quite famous and even sparked a craze for Superpower Potions, with countless Superpower Users rushing to inject it.


    A month after the potion became rampant in the White Eagle Federation, it started to appear domestically.


    Two months later, the Da Xia officials declared Superpower Potion a prohibited substance, banning its sale, storage, and injection.


    From the official stance, it was clear there were problems with the Superpower Potion.


    This Superpower Potion incident occurred a year after the Abyss Descent.


    In his previous life, Lu Heng had his opportunity to awaken around the time the Superpower Potion was spreading.


    Back then, he almost spent money on the potion to enhance his strength.


    However, Lu Heng was cautious, did not purchase blindly, checked some information, and discovered news of Power Users in foreign countries getting into trouble from injecting the Superpower Potion.


    Yet, this news was suppressed and did not cause much uproar.


    At that time, seeing these news reports made Lu Heng even more cautious. He chose to wait temporarily, and later the officials included Superpower Potion in the banned substances list.


    ...


    At this moment in mid-August during the Abyss Invasion, Lu Heng hadn''t expected the Superpower Potion to already appear.


    However, at this stage, the Superpower Potion was likely still experimental, and only Superpower Users nurtured by capitals like Alex Austin had the means to access it.


    Although there were issues with the Superpower Potion, one thing was true.


    The Superpower Potion did indeed cause the combat power of Superpower Users to skyrocket. The side effects that followed were a matter for later; with the current injection, it undoubtedly enhanced combat strength.


    That is to say, the current Alex Austin would be much stronger now than he was back on the Abyss Battlefield.


    Recalling these matters, Lu Heng said, "Remember what I said, this Superpower Potion hasn''t undergone human trials, it definitely has side effects, so it shouldn''t be used. Also, since Alex Austin has injected this potion, his combat power will significantly increase, so we must be cautious."


    Su Muyu nodded seriously and said, "Then we must also hurry to enhance our strength. My Skyhawk''s proficiency is already full, help me upgrade."


    Lu Heng pulled her to a nearby chair to sit down, then helped her unlock the Skyhawk''s Skill Lock, and advised her on the precautions for upgrading the skill: "Upgrading from Level B to Level A requires 1500 points of Divine Energy, and additionally, the fusion process needs to maintain stability between two energy flows, which can be achieved using an energy vortex."


    Su Muyu closed her eyes, channeled 1500 points of Divine Energy into the Skill Slot, and merged it with the Skyhawk''s energy.


    The two balls of energy slowly blended and rotated together.


    During this process, the energy boiled several times but was resolved by Su Muyu using rotating methods.


    After more than ten minutes, the two energies finally completely merged.


    "It''s done, quickly lock the skill," she urgently said.


    Lu Heng locked the Skill Lock for her.


    Su Muyu glanced at the displayed Skill Level after the energy fusion, then breathed a deep sigh of relief, joyfully saying, "It was a success."


    A string of data prompts also appeared at the bottom of her eyes.


    [Skill "Skyhawk" promoted to "Chongming Bird".]


    [Chongming Bird]


    [Skill Level: A-Level (Class Enhanced)]


    [Skill Consumption: 150 Source Energy points.]


    [Skill Effect: Summons a Chongming Bird to conduct reconnaissance and battle in the sky, controlling flames. The Chongming Bird has a carrying capacity of 1000 kg, allowing the caster to fly in the sky with its aid.]


    [Attribute: Detecting Invisibility Range = 15¡ÁPerception; Attack Damage = 10¡ÁSpiritual Power.]


    [Chongming Bird Skills: Flowing Light Shuttle, Solar Wind] Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Flowing Light Shuttle: In an unladen state, the Chongming Bird can transform into a streak of light and shuttle through the air at a speed of X meters per second. Speed coefficient = 10¡ÁSpiritual Power.]


    [Solar Wind: The Chongming Bird generates a gust of Solar Wind, radiating over a 20-meter range, causing temperatures of X degrees. Heat coefficient = 100¡ÁSpiritual Power.]


    Su Muyu was more and more amazed as she reviewed the upgraded effects of her skill.


    She shared the skill effects, and Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed, "No way. An A-level skill shouldn''t be this strong, should it? This is too outrageous!"


    The description of the skill on the panel alone made it clear that this skill was absurdly powerful.


    Compared to other A-level skills, the strength of this skill was obviously above the norm.


    Lu Heng also felt that the skill strength was far beyond expectations but was not surprised, "After all, having gone through two class enhancements, it''s naturally stronger than a regular A-level skill."


    "This is outright level fraud," Lin Zeyu thought the skill was too powerful, his face flushing with envy.


    "Looking at the skill effect, it could almost be considered a Quasi-S Level skill," Lu Heng evaluated.


    In fact, just a little thought about how many times the skill had been enhanced explained why it was so powerful.


    The skill had started off as a D-Level Reconnaissance Hawk.


    It was a very ordinary skill with only reconnaissance effectiveness and no attack power.


    Later, through Lu Heng''s "Divine Evolution," it was upgraded to a C-Level "Advanced Reconnaissance Hawk."


    Then, through the First Transition Class "Sky Eye," it underwent Source Material enhancement and upgraded to "Sky Falcon."


    After that, through the Second Transition Class "Sky Vault Lord," it underwent another round of Source Material enhancement and upgraded to a B-level "Divine Feather Hawk."


    Now, it had been upgraded once more, evolving into an A-level "Chongming Bird."


    The skill had undergone four evolutions, two of which were class-related Source Material enhancements.


    In other words, half of Su Muyu''s Source Material abilities from her two classes were manifested in this skill.


    That was why it now far exceeded the A-level standard as the "Chongming Bird."


    Su Muyu was very happy, summoning the Chongming Bird to circle in the sky.


    Its fiery red feathers blazed like flames, resembling a mythical bird from ancient legends.


    In this skill upgrade, Su Muyu had consumed 1500 points of Divine Energy, in addition to those she had previously spent on integrating a mechanical module into the Mechanical Tiger.


    She had nearly depleted the Divine Energy that she had been saving for so long.


    Lin Zeyu, watching the Chongming Bird circling in the sky, took a deep breath and said, "I also want to upgrade my skills, as my ''Hidden Eye'' Training Level is also full."


    Lu Heng helped him disable the Skill Lock on the "Hidden Eye," then shared some tips on merging energy.


    After about fifteen minutes, Lin Zeyu had spent 600 points of Divine Energy and successfully upgraded his skill.


    "Hidden Eye" was upgraded to B-Level "Void Eye."


    After releasing the "Void Eye," one could hide within the void, evading detection by the Perceivers.


    This was a more covert method than invisibility; general Perception Skills could not detect it.


    Additionally,


    "Void Eye" added an effect which allowed it to fire Void Beams that cause energy damage, linking the damage to Spiritual Attribute.


    The damage itself was secondary; the true value of the skill was the ability to hide within the void.


    This meant that as long as the "Void Eye" was placed in advance, Perceivers would not be able to detect it.


    This was a qualitative effect, not something measurable by numbers.


    With both teammates'' strengths improved, Lu Heng began considering his upgrade directions.


    He had earned an additional Skill Slot as part of the world task reward after returning from the Sikes Civilization.


    He hadn''t used this Skill Slot yet, so he could now learn a new skill.


    These past few days, Lu Heng had kept an eye on various Skill Crystal Cores and trading channels on the Crystal Core Dark Network, but none had fully satisfied him.


    The four skills he currently mastered, "Thunderous Heavenly Prison," "Shadow Clone," "Bullet Time," and "Windwalker."


    Two A-Level and two B-Level skills.


    With such a Skill Set, ordinary low-level skills offer little improvement, so he needed a skill above B-level.


    If he could directly obtain an A-Level skill, that would naturally be better, saving time that would otherwise be spent on building Training Level and conserving Divine Energy.


    However, A-level skills are very strong and not typically available to ordinary Superpower Users.


    Major forces acquiring such skills generally would not sell them.


    Thus, acquiring an A-level skill was very challenging.


    However, Jian Qing had mentioned before that having contributed critical technological information, he could request any condition from the state, as long as it was within their power to grant.


    Therefore, Lu Heng considered using this opportunity to request a high-level skill suitable for himself.

 Chapter 240 - 196: The Skill to Turn the Tide of Battle (Revised)

    Lu Heng reevaluated his skill set, noting that all four of his current skills were oriented towards attack or supporting attack.


    From a skill combination strategy perspective, he now lacked a life-saving skill that could reverse the situation, or a defensive skill.


    In the Abyss Era, superpower users possessed a wide variety of powers, and anything could happen.


    Moreover, the power of firearms was tremendous, especially ultra-long-range sniping, which was very difficult to defend against.


    Or high-explosive bombs, or even missiles; a momentary lack of attention could easily result in injury.


    Without a skill to reverse the situation, once injured, he would be extremely passive against the enemy''s relentless onslaught.


    Therefore, possessing a skill that could reverse the situation was very important.


    Previously, the number of skill slots was too small to free up a skill slot to learn a defense skill.


    Now, with the number of skill slots increased to five and one slot open, he could consider a defensive skill that could reverse the situation.


    Thinking of this, a memory surfaced in his mind.


    In his past life, Lu Heng had joined a mercenary organization with official backing.


    As the Abyss invasion intensified, superpower user teams would gradually merge into large superpower mercenary organizations.


    The greater the survival pressure on humans, the faster superpower user teams would merge.


    Because only large mercenary organizations had a competitive edge in this apocalyptic environment.


    Even official entities would establish mercenary organizations to participate in military operations.


    In this era, to motivate superpower users to exert effort, interests were the greatest driving force.


    In fact, before the onset of the Abyss Era, it was common for superpowers to wage proxy wars using mercenaries.


    In the Abyss Era, this was even more the case, as superpower users needed to acquire resources to grow stronger continuously.


    With this motivation, the formation of mercenary organizations was an inevitable trend.


    Even some mercenary organizations would have official backing.


    In his past life, Lu Heng had joined one such mercenary organization with official support.


    In this mercenary organization, he had met some people, some things.


    He had experienced life and death together, as well as suppression and betrayal.


    The reason why Lu Heng remembered this was that there was a person in this mercenary organization who had obtained a very strong defensive skill.


    And this skill was actually an official reward.


    According to the timeline, this skill should appear around this time.


    Lu Heng had made two significant achievements and had not yet officially received a reward, but this skill was strong and very suitable for him.


    After careful consideration, Lu Heng called Jian Qing, clarified his purpose, and expressed his need for such a skill.


    Upon hearing this, Jian Qing laughed and said, "You''re quite well-informed. There is such a skill, and we''re considering who to give it to. If you want it, come by. I''ll send you the address."


    ...


    The next day.


    Lu Heng arrived at the Coastal Battle Zone Superpower Soldier Special Training Base following the address.


    There were guards outside the base, and ordinary people could not get close.


    As he approached the entrance, Jian Qing was already waiting outside.


    She greeted the guards, then led Lu Heng into the base.


    As they walked, Jian Qing said, "We didn''t talk clearly over the phone yesterday. The skill you want is ''Damage Retrospection,'' right? The organization is considering who to give this skill to. If you want it, I can only try to get it for you but can''t guarantee it."


    The skill Lu Heng wanted was indeed ''Damage Retrospection,'' a Level A skill that was powerful enough to reverse the situation.


    They arrived at the base''s fighting training field.


    A field officer with two bars and three stars on his shoulder was standing at the edge of the field, watching the superpower soldiers sparring.


    Jian Qing stepped forward and greeted, "Commander, Lu Heng has arrived."


    Fang Zhengru turned around, extended his hand, and shook hands with Lu Heng, "Welcome to visit the base."


    Jian Qing helped to explain, "Commander, Lu Heng is here for the ''Damage Retrospection'' skill. He''s made two first-class achievements and was promised a reward."


    Fang Zhengru nodded and said, "We need to discuss this. Comrade Lu, you might not be aware, but the Skill Crystal Core has already been earmarked for either Jian Qing or Zhuo Hongjun. If you want it, you''ll need to discuss it with them."


    Hearing this, Lu Heng was somewhat surprised.


    His memory was that the skill belonged to Zhuo Hongjun, not Jian Qing.


    If the skill had been Jian Qing''s, Lu Heng would not have wanted to compete with her for it, as they had been through rescue operations together and were friends.


    It wouldn''t be right to grab her chance.


    However, in his memory, it was Zhuo Hongjun who obtained this skill.


    After his rebirth, Lu Heng had always suspected that the betrayal at the Abyss Demon Nest was related to this man.


    Moreover, this person was a typical case of mediocre ability but a fast career rise due to strong background connections.


    As Lu Heng had not known in his past life that ''Damage Retrospection'' was a skill contended by Jian Qing and Zhuo Hongjun, he had only assumed the skill was destined for Zhuo Hongjun.


    This additional information confirmed something else, Zhuo Hongjun indeed had a substantial background.


    Jian Qing had earned her first-class individual merits solidly, while Zhuo Hongjun was a golden War God, claiming all team medals. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That these two were competing for the skill, and Zhuo Hongjun ended up getting it.


    In the future, Zhuo Hongjun would only be meddling from behind, while Jian Qing would be the one diving deep into the battlefield as a super soldier.


    Actually, if someone wielded a set of support system skills and assisted the team from behind the lines, there would be no issue.


    The problem was, Zhuo Hongjun, using a super soldier''s skill set, was doing nothing but giving orders from the back.


    That was why Lu Heng wanted to contend for the ''Damage Retrospection'' skill.


    If the skill had been Jian Qing''s, Lu Heng wouldn''t have tried to take her chance.


    However, this skill was given to someone who could only meddle from the team''s back, and why wouldn''t he strive for such an opportunity?


    ...


    "Let''s do this. Bring Zhuo Hongjun over and ask for his thoughts. After all, this was already settled, so any sudden changes should at least be communicated to them," Fang Zhengru said. He then beckoned towards the training field and called out, "Zhuo Hongjun, come here for a moment."


    A superpower soldier training on the field walked over, his gaze sweeping over Jian Qing and Lu Heng''s faces before looking toward Fang Zhengru and asking, "Commander, what''s the matter?"


    Fang Zhengru explained the matter of Lu Heng wanting to compete for the "Damage Retrospection" skill. "This is Comrade Lu Heng, who has been meritorious on multiple occasions with outstanding contributions. Therefore, the organization promised him a reward. The skill that was originally set, can you and Jian Qing step aside for a moment? Give it to Comrade Lu Heng first."


    Zhuo Hongjun glanced at Lu Heng and replied, "Sure, we''re all contributing to the country, but I''m just curious, from which war zone did Lu Heng come? What merits did he achieve?"


    The superpower soldiers at this training base were all pulled from various war zones.


    Lu Heng actually didn''t belong to the military sequence. He indeed had achievements, but his background in terms of identity wasn''t strong.


    Of course, in the Abyss Era, strength was the strongest background.


    Jian Qing helped explain, "Lu Heng has achieved first-class merit twice, and the organization promised him a reward."


    Zhuo Hongjun nodded and said, "Understood. With such great achievements from Comrade Lu, those of us with fewer merits definitely should step aside. Commander, I have no objections. However, since this Crystal Core was originally intended for me and Jian Qing to compete for, if it''s now going to be given to Comrade Lu Heng, doesn''t the organization have to compensate Jian Qing?"


    His words were polite, but there was an underlying tone of sarcasm.


    In essence, he was insinuating that Lu Heng, leveraging his merits, was taking away the resource from him and Jian Qing.


    Hearing this, Jian Qing quickly said, "I will not participate in this competition for the skill, I''m bowing out."


    If it were about taking the Crystal Core from Zhuo Hongjun, Lu Heng would not feel any psychological burden.


    However, taking it from Jian Qing was another story.


    Though Lu Heng knew that Jian Qing wouldn''t be able to obtain the skill.


    But that memory came from his reincarnation, it hadn''t happened yet.


    In other words, if he took this skill now.


    In Jian Qing''s eyes, it would look as if he used his merits to forcibly take the Skill Crystal Core from her and Zhuo Hongjun.


    Lu Heng quite liked Jian Qing and didn''t want her to get the wrong impression, so he said, "You don''t have to drop out, the skill suits you well too. Maybe I should pick another reward."


    Jian Qing smiled and said, "It''s okay, you take it if you need it, I really don''t mind."


    Zhuo Hongjun, showing a seemingly generous smile, put forward another suggestion, "Commander, why don''t the three of us compete fairly for it then? What do you think?"


    After finishing, he looked at Lu Heng with what seemed to be a friendly smile and asked, "A fair competition, you wouldn''t mind, right?"


    Actually, in his previous life, Lu Heng knew Zhuo Hongjun, as they had both joined the same official-backed mercenary organization, "Saber-toothed Tiger."


    Only, when Lu Heng joined the Saber-toothed Tiger Mercenary Group, he went in as a regular mercenary.


    While Zhuo Hongjun dropped in as the deputy commander of the Saber-toothed Tigers.


    Because of this, Lu Heng was not unfamiliar with Zhuo Hongjun. Hearing his suggestion, he chuckled meaningfully and replied, "Works for me."


    Fang Zhengru showed a contemplative expression, asking, "Comrade Lu Heng, are you sure? With the merits you''ve achieved, if you want this skill, the organization would definitely allocate it to you."


    Lu Heng, seeing Zhuo Hongjun''s series of impressive acts, was keen on letting him finish his performance. How else could he enjoy the show?


    "It''s okay, let it be the three of us."


    Fang Zhengru thought for a moment, "If you all agree to this arrangement, then let''s have the three of you compete."


    Zhuo Hongjun, seizing the moment, said, "Commander, why not just have a contest to decide, whoever wins takes it, that would be the fairest."


    Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, not expecting the other party to suggest such a direct form of competition.


    If it were really decided by contest, it would be over with a single punch.


    However, Fang Zhengru sternly rebuked, "What do you think the army is? Is competition just about fighting?"


    Zhuo Hongjun continued with another proposal, "How about this. A few days ago, wasn''t there talk about a super soldier from America who entered our country? Moreover, this person''s target might be the scientific and technological data of our Academy of Sciences.


    "Let''s set him as the target, whoever catches him first gets the ''Damage Retrospection'' Crystal Core. That would be fair, right?"


    After hearing this plan, Fang Zhengru thought it was not bad and that it could motivate his superpower soldiers to engage actively.


    If they could catch Alex Austin, that would be even better, as it would count as a significant achievement.


    He turned to look at Lu Heng, asking, "What about you two? Do you think this arrangement is okay?"


    "Fine by me. I have no problem."


    Although it added a bit of uncertainty, Alex Austin was already a target to deal with, and this Level A Crystal Core was just an added bonus.


    Jian Qing had wanted to withdraw anyway, so naturally, she had no objections.


    Seeing that the three had no objections, Fang Zhengru declared, "Since you all agree, then that''s settled. Comrade Lu Heng, don''t worry, this Crystal Core will be the reward for capturing that Alex Austin. As for your first-class merit award, the organization will have other arrangements."


    After the matter was settled, Lu Heng took his leave.


    Jian Qing walked him to the door.


    He wandered on the lawn outside the base for a bit.


    Lu Heng then asked, "You wanted to withdraw from the competition, it wasn''t because of me, was it?"


    Jian Qing laughed out loud, responding, "You noticed."


    Lu Heng had already guessed, "So, you know you won''t get this skill, right?"


    Jian Qing nodded and, spreading her hands, replied, "Correct, I''m pretty sure I won''t be getting this skill."


    That was her real reason for withdrawing from the competition.


    It also gave her a reason to lend Lu Heng a hand.


    For her, it was an anticipation of a high probability of not receiving the skill.


    For Lu Heng, it was a certainty she wouldn''t get it.


    Things were quite wondrous.


    Lu Heng curiously looked at her, asking, "Would you like me to seize this skill?"


    Jian Qing shrugged, replying, "It''s up to you if you want it, really. I''ve decided to drop out, but the skill is a good fit for you. If you can get it, that''d be good.


    "However, if you do want it, you''ll have to work hard. Don''t just treat this as a fair competition."


    He didn''t need her reminder to know that this wouldn''t be any fair competition.


    Whoever catches Alex Austin gets the ''Damage Retrospection'' Crystal Core.


    There was one very curious point about this... there was no rule that one must capture him personally.

 Chapter 241 - 197: Sudden Contact

    The night in Coastal, where stars in the sky merged with neon lights on the ground, was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Lu Heng returned from the training base, grabbed a drink, and stood on the Training Room''s balcony to slowly enjoy the night.


    Just then,


    the door opened, and Su Muyu entered from outside, closed the door behind her, walked to the balcony, and said softly, "The night is truly beautiful."


    Lu Heng glanced sideways at her and replied, "It''s quite nice."


    Suddenly, Su Muyu stepped behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her cheek against his back, her stance somewhat suggestive.


    Lu Heng was surprised; he hadn''t expected Su Muyu to be so forward tonight, and he could even feel the soft pressure against his back.


    "What''s gotten into you tonight?"


    "Shush! Don''t speak."


    Su Muyu pushed Lu Heng onto a lounge chair on the balcony, then straddled him, her posture becoming even more provocative.


    Lu Heng was stunned for a moment, feeling that something was off about Su Muyu, as if she had turned into someone else.


    He was about to ask what was going on when the door suddenly burst open again.


    Lin Zeyu came in with beer and skewers, then saw the two in a compromising position on the balcony lounge chair, and his expression instantly froze.


    "Uh, seems I''ve walked in on something. Sorry."


    He quickly turned around to leave, preparing to close the door behind him.


    But Su Muyu didn''t care, grasping at Lu Heng''s belt.


    Lu Heng''s gaze darkened, and he swung a punch towards her face.


    She blocked the punch and then, using the force, executed a backflip to land on the balcony railing, pouting as she complained, "Why did you hit me?"


    Lu Heng demanded coldly, "Who are you?"


    Perched on the balcony railing, Su Muyu tossed her hair and bit her lip, asking, "Don''t you like it?"


    ¡­


    Meanwhile,


    Lin Zeyu reached the elevator lobby, his face a picture of awkwardness, mumbling to himself, "How could I walk into the wrong scene? Really!"


    He repeatedly pressed the elevator button, worried that Lu Heng might chase after him and beat him, intending to flee the scene quickly.


    Finally, after a long wait, the elevator arrived with a ding, and the doors opened.


    Su Muyu was inside and waved, saying, "What a coincidence."


    "Indeed, a coincidence," replied Lin Zeyu mindlessly, quickly stepping into the elevator.


    Su Muyu, however, walked out, eyeing the large bag of barbecue and beer he was carrying, and curiously asked, "Are you going to eat all that by yourself?"


    "Wait a minute!"


    Lin Zeyu hastily stretched his hand to prevent the elevator doors from closing, finally realizing something as his thoughts raced.


    Because, just half a minute earlier, he had seen Lu Heng and Su Muyu in an intimate pose on the lounge chair at the Training Room''s balcony.


    But now, Su Muyu was standing in the elevator bay.


    So, who was with Lu Heng in the Training Room?


    Lin Zeyu began to furrow his brows, wondering if he had mistaken someone else for Su Muyu. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After all, from the entrance to the balcony through the glass door, plus it being late at night, it was indeed possible to mistake someone else.


    If it wasn''t Su Muyu on the balcony, but another woman.


    That would be disastrous.


    The team might fall apart!


    And yet, Lin Zeyu recalled clearly that the woman he saw on the balcony was dressed the same as Su Muyu, with an identical hairstyle.


    If that was the case, then there were two Su Muyus.


    That was even worse.


    "There''s trouble."


    Lin Zeyu raced out of the elevator, heading back to reopen the door, thinking to himself: Lu Heng, you''d better hold yourself together. If this was a trap, it could all be over.


    Listening to him, Su Muyu reacted swiftly, releasing a Chongming Bird to fly out of the building, heading toward the Training Room balcony.


    ¡­


    When the two reached the Training Room, they saw Lu Heng standing in front of the balcony railing alone.


    Su Muyu knitted her brows and asked, "What happened?"


    Lin Zeyu thought he might have seen things, having just seen Lu Heng with a woman looking very much like Su Muyu, sitting in an intimate pose on the balcony lounge chair.


    "No way, I only had one can of beer on the way; I can''t be drunk. I clearly saw..."


    He pointed at the lounge chair, trying to explain, but then he paused.


    Because the person was gone, and if indeed Lu Heng was having a secret rendezvous, bringing this up could lead to a fight within the team, and still be disastrous.


    Lu Heng turned around, scrutinizing Su Muyu from head to toe, and demanded, "Show me a Skill."


    Confused, Su Muyu blinked and casually executed a Prism Force Field Skill.


    Seeing this Skill, Lu Heng confirmed that the real Su Muyu was before him, then pointed to the balcony railing, explaining, "Just now, a Superpower User transformed into your appearance."


    Once hearing this, Lin Zeyu was finally certain of one thing: his eyes hadn''t deceived him; what he saw was real.


    Su Muyu expressed her astonishment, "Transformed into me? What''s going on?"


    Lu Heng pondered and said, "They likely intended to approach me, but I am unsure whether they wanted to kill me or steal technological data through some other method. It is probably someone sent by the White Eagle Federation.


    The fake Su Muyu had been rather intimate when she approached.


    Such a beautiful girl offering herself proactively, few men could resist the temptation.


    Lu Heng even had a momentary thought of getting carried away, but the behavior of the other party was too different from Su Muyu''s, so he quickly saw through it.


    After the brief confrontation just now, Lu Heng felt that the Superpower User who had transformed into Su Muyu''s appearance didn''t quite act like someone from Da Xia.


    It must be a cultural difference. If it were in the White Eagle Federation, such proactive flirtation would be relatively normal.


    However, Su Muyu didn''t have that kind of personality, so her portrayal wasn''t convincing.


    "You mean, someone from the White Eagle Federation has already started to make a move?" Lin Zeyu exclaimed with widened eyes.


    "Yes, and this person can change their appearance, which is a bit tricky."


    Just now, when Lu Heng first noticed it, he worried that it might actually be Su Muyu, so he dared not strike directly.


    Later, when he wanted to capture the other party, he discovered that they had already used a substitution skill to escape.


    The figure speaking at the balcony railing was just a form created by a substitution skill.


    When Su Muyu heard that someone had transformed into her and was just on the balcony, she quickly controlled the Chongming Bird to circle around, trying to find the person.


    However, after several loops, she found nothing.


    The Superpower User could change their appearance but didn''t have invisibility; identifying them was very difficult.


    If it were someone familiar, they could be recognized based on their behavior.


    But if it were someone unfamiliar, it was tough.


    For instance, if the Superpower User transformed into a security guard and walked around the neighborhood, even a Perceiver would have a hard time noticing any problems.


    After Su Muyu controlled the Chongming Bird to fly around three times, she shook her head and said, "Didn''t find them, they must have run away. If this Superpower User is targeting us, they could reappear at any time."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and said, "From now on, let''s use a code, when we meet, we show the code first to confirm identity."


    "Yes, that way we can be sure there won''t be problems among the three of us."


    The three gathered together and gestured a hand signal as the temporary code.


    Lin Zeyu put down his beer and skewers and said, "Let''s have some late-night snacks first, and discuss while we eat."


    The three sat down, eating skewers while discussing the matter.


    Su Muyu pondered and asked, "Are you sure that the Superpower User who changed into my appearance is a woman?"


    "This..."


    Lu Heng frowned slightly, his tone uncertain, "Should be."


    The contact just now felt very real.


    However, for a Superpower User with shapeshifting ability, it''s truly hard to determine gender just by looking at the appearance.


    "It should be, so that means you''re uncertain," Su Muyu suddenly seemed a bit angry.


    "Cough cough cough..." Lin Zeyu quickly tried to ease the atmosphere and said, "Lu Heng, how did you differentiate that it wasn''t Mu Yu?"


    Lu Heng explained, "The behavior was different."


    Su Muyu''s eyes flickered as she asked, "Does she look exactly like me?"


    Lu Heng: "Near... almost."


    Su Muyu continued to inquire, "Nearly the same, so there''s a bit of difference... who is prettier, her or me?"


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened upon hearing this question, thinking: This is an easy question but also a deadly one. Answer it right, you score points; answer it wrong, you lose your life.


    Lu Heng shook his head and chuckled, "Both look like you, of course both are pretty."


    Su Muyu bit her lip, stifled a laugh, and tried to keep a straight face, "I wonder if that''s truly what you think."


    Lin Zeyu felt that Lu Heng''s answer wasn''t standard at all, even though there could have been a more standard response.


    But it seemed that the storm had passed for now.


    Su Muyu started pondering the core issue, "Are you sure she''s a Superpower User sent from the White Eagle Federation?"


    Lu Heng shook his head again, "Not sure, she hadn''t shown any purpose by the time I realized it."


    Su Muyu expressed concern, "You weren''t hurt, were you?"


    "No," Lu Heng shook his head.


    "Is there a chance you were internally injured or poisoned from a scratch?" Su Muyu continued to ask.


    "If I were injured or poisoned, I would definitely know," said Lu Heng confidently.


    He did indeed make contact with that Superpower User, but the opponent had not attacked.


    For top-tier Superpower Users, there was no need to attack; even the slightest hint of hostility could be detected as off.


    Lu Heng mulled over and said, "I''ve been thinking all this time about which power sent this Superpower User.


    "Thinking it over, only two possibilities exist; either she was sent by the Fusang Mitsui Consortium, or the White Eagle Federation.


    "The former wants the Soul Capturing Monster back, the latter wants the technological data.


    "But regardless of which it is, we must be cautious.


    "Also, I want to inform you of something else; we need to find a way to locate Alex Austin.


    "I''ve accepted a mission from above to capture Alex Austin; the reward is an A-level skill.


    "I need this skill, so we have to find him as soon as possible."


    Su Muyu nodded and responded, "I will maintain surveillance at all times, but it''s tough since the opponent is in the dark, and we are exposed."


    Lin Zeyu was more interested in the reward, asking, "What is the A-level skill rewarded?"


    Lu Heng briefly described the skill effect, "''Damage Retrospection,'' which can reverse any damage received in the last 3 seconds."


    Lin Zeyu''s eyes widened, "That''s a strong skill. Practically invincible."


    Lu Heng said, "Not invincible, since it only reverses damage received within 3 seconds; if you''re taken out in one move, then the skill is useless. Of course, if used well, it can turn the tables."

 Chapter 242 - 198: The Shapeshifter Appears

    After finishing the skewers, Lin Zeyu yawned and went home first.


    Su Muyu walked over to the balcony and after looking at the night view outside for a while, she suddenly turned around and asked, "That Superpower User, when they transformed into my appearance, what did they do with you?"


    Lu Heng was taken aback and stammered a response, "Nothing really."


    "Really?"


    "Of course it''s true."


    "Then what did they want to do with you?"


    "How should I know what others are thinking? I don''t have a Mind Reading Technique."


    Su Muyu''s eyes curved into crescents, her face full of suspicion as she asked, "Then what do you want to do?"


    After being pressed several times, Lu Heng suddenly changed his attitude, stood up, and walked towards her, asking, "Do you really want to know?"


    This time, it was Su Muyu who was taken aback, her eyes glancing to the upper right corner, "I just want to know what you guys did."


    Lu Heng grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and then hugged her from behind around the waist, "Pretty much like this, you holding me like this."


    Su Muyu propped her arms on the railing, furrowing her brows to argue, "It wasn''t me."


    Lu Heng pushed her against the railing and chuckled, "I don''t care, I felt it was you at that time."


    Su Muyu suddenly felt a bit angry and huffed, "I''m not like that."


    Lu Heng continued to grin mischievously, "So, do you not want to do this, or do you want to but are too embarrassed to do it?"


    "I don''t even know what you''re talking about." Su Muyu pursed her lips and elbowed Lu Heng in the stomach.


    Holding her waist, with the cool night breeze blowing, Lu Heng was flooded with memories from his past life.


    Actually,


    In his previous life, their relationship was very close, and it even reached the point of crossing the boundaries of friendship.


    They had embraced like this before.


    Only, during one of those embraces, Lu Heng had felt her prosthetic limb.


    At that moment, Lu Heng''s hand paused for an instant.


    Su Muyu''s sensitive nerves immediately went on the defensive, pushing Lu Heng away and using her dress to cover her prosthetic limbs.


    After that incident, Su Muyu always avoided physical contact.


    That was also the reason why in the past life, they never crossed the boundary of friendship.


    The appearance of the Abyss that brought Extraordinary Powers, if it were just a broken leg or nerve damage preventing standing, there were many types of Extraordinary Powers that could heal it.


    However, in her past life, Su Muyu had suffered a comminuted fracture of both legs, requiring amputation, which is why she had to always be in a wheelchair.


    At that time, Lu Heng really didn''t do it on purpose; he just touched the prosthetics and his subconscious reaction made him pause just for an instant, yet that touched her sensitive nerves.


    Because of this, Lu Heng always had a knot in his heart and felt very sorry for her.


    Remembering this, Lu Heng''s palm involuntarily moved downward, touching a slender leg, and it was as if a piece that had been missing for a long time was finally in place.


    Feeling violated like this, Su Muyu frowned in anger, slapped that despicable hand, and huffed, "What are you doing?"


    Lu Heng shuddered, waking from his memories, and quickly let go of her, coughing twice to cover his embarrassment. Then he scratched the back of his head, pretending as if nothing had happened.


    Su Muyu was puffing her cheeks, her face not looking like a face, her eyes not looking like eyes. She felt that she should be very angry, but her heart seemed to have a little deer prancing around.


    ...


    The next day.


    Lin Zeyu spent some money to get a Cyber Laser Gun and brought it over to install on the Mechanical Tiger.


    This Cyber Laser Gun was of B Level, and if used by a Superpower User, many times it wouldn''t be as effective as same-level B Level assault or sniper rifles. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was because the battery of a portable laser gun limits the energy output power of the weapon.


    But it was different when installed on the Mechanical Tiger, it could be powered by the Mechanical Core, and additional battery modules could also be fitted.


    In terms of energy output power, it could be significantly increased.


    After the Mechanical Tiger received the laser gun, it was modified into a laser emitter, then interfaced and fitted inside the mouth.


    Opening its mouth, it could shoot out a high-energy laser, and with sufficient energy supply, the power was much greater than before.


    After installing the laser emitter, Lin Zeyu prepared to take the Mechanical Tiger out for a stroll.


    He and a group of friends from the circle had arranged a gathering at the newly opened Supreme Club, then he brought the Mechanical Tiger over to show off.


    Inside the Supreme Club, a bunch of heirs and heiresses from large families and financial conglomerates gathered together, drinking and chatting.


    With the Mechanical Tiger, Lin Zeyu greeted these friends whom he hadn''t seen for a while, immediately gaining everyone''s attention.


    When the Mechanical Tiger spread its Mechanical Wings and flew into mid-air, it sparked a round of admiration.


    "Lin Zeyu, are you selling this tiger? Just name your price, I''ll buy it no matter how much," a scion of a financial conglomerate instantly took a fancy to the Mechanical Tiger.


    A Mechanical Beast with a full metal shell that could fly with its Mechanical Wings, using an ion propulsion engine no less.


    Who wouldn''t want it?


    Especially these heirs from large families and conglomerates, each one from childhood never experienced not getting what they wanted.


    If they didn''t get it, there was only one reason: the price wasn''t high enough.


    And what these people lacked the least was money.


    Lin Zeyu looked at this transnational financial conglomerate''s young master, smugly saying, "Ju Shaocong, it''s not that I look down on you, but you really can''t afford this Mechanical Tiger."


    The one called Ju Shaocong, the scion of the financial conglomerate, immediately felt displeased, "There''s nothing in this world I can''t afford, as long as you dare to name your price."


    Lin Zeyu shook his head and smiled, "Ju Shaocong, don''t be too arrogant. Go back and research just what rank a flying Mechanical Beast from the Sikes Civilization really is."


    Information about the Sikes Civilization, among the conglomerates and major forces of Blue Star, was no longer a secret.

 Chapter 243 - 198 Shapeshifter Appears_2

    After all, many teams of Superpower Users had already passed through Sikes World, so the news must have spread among the upper circles.


    Lin Zeyu led his Mechanical Tiger on a parade, saw those once snobbish folks, each of them got cozy with him, and he was ready to head home, satisfied.


    Showing off was enough; it was time to go back and train his Skill Proficiency, and also practice shooting.


    Since he decided to follow the firearms enhancement route, he maintained a training volume of a thousand bullets per day and simultaneously trained the proficiency of [Advanced Armor-Piercing Bullet] while shooting.


    So, the [Advanced Armor-Piercing Bullet] was not far from full proficiency.


    As he was preparing to leave, Ju Shaocong brought in three beauties and said, "Lin Zeyu, let me introduce you to some new friends."


    The three who came were indeed stunning, and one of them exactly fit Lin Zeyu''s taste in looks.


    They found a private room, sat down, and continued drinking and chatting.


    "Young Master Lin, hello, my name is Rose," said the beauty who had caught Lin Zeyu''s eye, raising her glass to clink with his, then sitting close to chat.


    The conversation became more and more stimulating.


    Rose''s fingers traced over his arm and leg, commenting, "You have great muscle definition."


    Lin Zeyu raised an eyebrow; this was not a time to be timid. He straightened up and boasted, "Not only are my muscles great, but I also have a particularly strong skill. Want to try it out?"


    His Second Transition Class [Demon Hunter], could mark a target, mentally lock onto it, and see the target''s location even without it being in his line of sight, or even with his eyes closed.


    Not only that, this skill could increase damage by 30%, and upon activating the skill a second time, it could detonate the mark, recalculating the damage inflicted on the target during the marking period.


    Furthermore, the marked target would be unable to detect the mark''s presence, only [Demon Hunter] himself could see it.


    The damage effect of this skill depended on how much damage was dealt during the marking period.


    If the damage dealt was low, detonating the mark would cause equally low damage.


    Moreover, the attacked parts were all the same.


    In other words, using this skill on something special could theoretically double the pleasure.


    As they were chatting merrily, Lin Zeyu casually placed a mark on her.


    "This Mechanical Tiger is really cool; can you give it to me as a gift?" Rose joked, making a small request.


    Lin Zeyu handled it with ease, "Sure, how many days do you want to play with it?"


    "Stop it." Rose''s phone rang; she pushed Lin Zeyu slightly, stood up to check her phone, then turned back and said, "I''m going to touch up my makeup."


    Lin Zeyu continued to stay in the private room, drinking with other friends from the circle.


    Another beauty came over to flirt with him.


    After half an hour, the one named Rose hadn''t returned.


    Lin Zeyu wasn''t much interested in the other beauties, so he stood up to stretch his neck, looked around, and noticed that Rose hadn''t come back.


    His pursuits were different now, and he had no interest in wasting time drinking, so he decided to take the Mechanical Tiger and head home.


    Ju Shaocong, with an arm around a garishly painted lady, said, "Don''t rush off. We''ve only had a little to drink, let''s open two more bottles of Musigny and keep going."


    "I have important things to deal with." Lin Zeyu''s interest had faded, and even if Rose came back, he did not want to stay. Waving his hand, he walked out.


    "It''s a shame, weren''t you and Rose having a great time? Ask her to join you somewhere else to keep drinking," Ju Shaocong suggested.


    Lin Zeyu shook his hand and walked out of the private room.


    After leaving the private room, Lin Zeyu felt a bit strange.


    He had been having a good chat with Rose, but then she said she was going to touch up her makeup and hadn''t come back.


    Could it be that some other big boss had called her away?


    Lin Zeyu thought of the mark he had placed on Rose and decided to try using the mark to find her. Closing his eyes, he prepared to search.


    Upon closing his eyes, his vision dimmed, and the marked target would appear as a red outline, visible in the darkened field of vision.


    As soon as he closed his eyes, he saw the red human outline, and it was right in the club''s first-floor lobby.


    Lin Zeyu opened his eyes, walked into the first-floor lobby, and looked in the direction of the red mark.


    But left to right, he didn''t see the rose anywhere.


    Lin Zeyu was a bit puzzled and closed his eyes again to search. He found that the target with the red outline was in the sofa area of the first-floor lobby.


    Once he opened his eyes again and looked in that direction, he was instantly stunned.


    There was indeed someone sitting in that sofa''s position, but it was not the rose. It wasn''t even a Da Xia person. It was a blonde Westerner.


    This blonde Westerner looked completely different from the rose he saw earlier. Clearly, they were not the same person.


    But why would the Demon Hunter Mark appear on another person?


    Lin Zeyu quickly realized something was wrong, hurriedly backed away, hid in the corridor, and then took out his phone to send a message to Lu Heng.


    He had just sent the message when suddenly someone greeted him, "Young Master Lin, what are you doing here?"


    Lin Zeyu looked up and was instantly stunned, because the person who had greeted him was precisely the rose.


    Startled for a moment, Lin Zeyu quickly put on a smile and replied, "You took so long to touch up your makeup, I was about to leave."


    The rose came over, hooked his arm, and said, "Come on, have a few more drinks. I''ll keep you company."


    "Okay... sure." Lin Zeyu tried to act normal as he walked back to the private room with her. Along the way, he closed his eyes to confirm that the mark was still on her.


    His mind raced, and he suddenly stopped walking and suggested, "How about we go somewhere else to drink? It''s too crowded here, it''s not fun."


    "Sure," agreed the rose.


    The two went to a neighboring hotel and opened a deluxe suite.


    "Let''s take a shower together."


    Once inside the suite, Lin Zeyu headed to the bathroom.


    "No, you go first," the rose said as she pushed him into the bathroom, letting go of his hand.


    Lin Zeyu entered the bathroom, turned on the tap, then sat beside the bathtub and glanced at his phone, muttering anxiously, "Come on, read the message, read the message. Otherwise, this piece of ''Monk''s Flesh'' will be completely devoured by the demoness."


    He hurriedly sent his location as well, then sent another message to Su Muyu and one in the team chat.


    After sending the messages, he stood up, set up a "Void Eye" at the bathroom entrance, and then began to wait quietly.


    Time ticked away slowly.


    With his eyes closed, Lin Zeyu could see the outline of the rose, who kept moving around the suite, even pulling out a pistol to check the ammunition before putting it away.


    He wasn''t worried about this rose alone.


    However, earlier in the lobby on the first floor, Lin Zeyu saw her talking with another Caucasian in the sofa area, clearly arranging some plan.


    That Caucasian must be outside the room by now, and there might be more than one person.


    If Lin Zeyu killed this rose now, the people outside could rush in, and he might not be able to handle it.


    After all, trapped in a hotel suite, a sniper''s long-range skills wouldn''t come into play, and if faced with close-combat Power Users, he could easily be defeated in seconds.


    He anxiously waited in the bathroom for five minutes, listening to the rushing sound of water from the faucet, his heartbeat getting faster and faster.


    Five minutes earlier, someone in the team chat had messaged him to buy time.


    But outside, that rose started pacing by the bathroom door, clearly preparing to make a move.


    Lin Zeyu stared at his phone until it finally vibrated. A message came in the group chat. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Su Muyu: "Outside the hotel room, three suspicious individuals, two Caucasians and one African-American, likely Power Users. The curtains of the suite are drawn, can''t see inside."


    Lu Heng: "We''ll take care of the three outside the suite, will act in 30 seconds. You handle the one inside, if you can''t, give a heads up."


    Lin Zeyu sent a "Received" sticker, then placed a "Bait Trap" in the bathtub and began to prepare.


    The "Bait Trap" Skill could create a decoy identical to himself.


    The decoy had no Attack Power and couldn''t fight, but if attacked, it would turn into a trap and bind the attacker.


    Time dripped away.


    Under the Demon Hunter Mark, through the wall, Lin Zeyu saw the rose reach out and grasp the bathroom''s doorknob.

 Chapter 244 - 199: Data Theft

    Bang!


    The shapeshifter grabbed the bathroom door handle, tried to twist it open twice without success, then with a thud, she kicked the door in, stepped inside, and raised her gun at Lin Zeyu in the bathtub, sneering,


    "Young Master Lin, you sure do take a long bath."


    Lin Zeyu realized that she wasn''t even pretending anymore¡ªnot just in her actions but also in her appearance.


    The intruder was no longer Rose but was reverting to her original form, with blonde hair returning and her facial features and skin tone on her arms were slowly changing back.


    "You..." Lin Zeyu''s face showed surprise.


    "Surprised? There''s more to come." The shapeshifter''s face showed a dangerous smile as she pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    A shot hit his abdomen, and Lin Zeyu''s body exploded into strands of energy chains that bound the shapeshifter.


    The shapeshifter was shocked and tried to react.


    Just then.


    Bang!


    Another gunshot, and a hole ripped through the shower curtain.


    The shapeshifter looked down at her abdomen, where a bloody hole appeared, blood oozed out profusely.


    Bang!


    Another shot from behind the shower curtain hit her wrist, knocking her gun onto the floor.


    At that moment.


    Lin Zeyu, with a revolver, pushed the shower curtain aside and stepped out.


    The shapeshifter clutched her wound, screaming pitifully as she unleashed her full strength and used her ability to break free from the trap and turned to flee the bathroom.


    "Help! Help! Save me!" she cried while on the run, her body shifting into a viscous skin that sealed her wound temporarily to stop the bleeding.


    This was an additional effect of her shapeshifting superpower, allowing temporary closure of wounds to prevent them from worsening.


    However, the wound still remained, only temporarily sealed, and she needed immediate medical attention.


    This time she wasn''t working alone; three others had come to assist.


    Originally, they planned to capture Lin Zeyu and then force him to reveal the backup of the Sikes Technology data.


    But, she did not anticipate being countered.


    As she nearly reached the door, Lin Zeyu detonated the Demon Hunter Mark.


    Pop!


    The shapeshifter''s previously sealed wound burst open again.


    She cried out in pain and fell to the floor.


    Lin Zeyu approached, stepping on her arm, and aimed his gun at her head: "You''re really brazen, not even fully employing your beauty trap before resorting to violence."


    At that moment.


    Someone pushed the door open from the outside.


    The shapeshifter''s eyes suddenly filled with hope, and she twisted her head toward the door.


    Her three teammates should be outside and with their help, overpowering Lin Zeyu would be a piece of cake.


    However, the person appearing outside the door was not her teammates, but Lin Zeyu''s.


    Lu Heng entered the room and asked, "Is everything taken care of?"


    "Of course, effortlessly." Lin Zeyu didn''t miss the chance to boast.


    He held the gun at the shapeshifter''s forehead and asked, "Should I kill her?"


    "Leave her for Iron Blood. They need to clearly interrogate them about their mission," Lu Heng answered.


    It wasn''t long.


    Before Chen Linian came with his team and took the shapeshifter and the other three superpower users away for interrogation.


    The results came out that very night.


    Around nine o''clock, Lu Heng received a phone call from Chen Linian with the information they had extracted.


    "These four individuals are from the White Eagle Federation and entered the country a week ago, heading straight for Coastal after their arrival.


    "Their target is you, aiming to steal the backup of tech data from you."


    After listening, Lu Heng asked, "Didn''t Alex Austin act together with them?"


    The encounter with the three White Eagle superpower users outside the hotel had been quite easy, although all of them were level 20 plus superpower users.


    However, Lu Heng had now reached Level 28, and dealing with these slightly above level 20 superpower users was a walkover.


    From start to finish, Alex Austin was nowhere to be seen.


    According to the intelligence they had previously received, the one responsible for stealing the tech data was supposed to be a team led by Alex Austin.


    Chen Linian replied, "We''ve interrogated them about this question too. These four individuals are not on the same team as Alex Austin, but they are from the same group, and their objective is the technology data."


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "Do they know Alex Austin''s whereabouts?"


    Chen Linian answered, "They don''t. All four have been interrogated, and their operations don''t overlap with Alex Austin''s, so they aren''t aware of his action plan."


    As expected, since the two teams operated independently, naturally they wouldn''t be privy to each other''s plans.


    If Alex Austin''s target was different from the shapeshifter''s, then since the shapeshifter was here, Alex Austin would likely head to the Defense Science Academy.


    After all, only these two locations held the opportunity to access Sikes Civilization''s technological data.


    As for security at the Academy of Sciences, that was someone else''s responsibility.


    ...


    At 11:30 p.m. the next day.


    Lu Heng was preparing for bed when he suddenly received a call from Jian Qing.


    From the call, he could hear that Jian Qing was running, speaking while on the move:


    "Urgent situation, I''ll keep it short. The Academy of Sciences was attacked, and some backup disks of technological data were stolen.


    "I''ve now been assigned a task by the higher-ups to mobilize and provide support, you get ready too and join the action immediately."


    Lu Heng frowned, "Even if Alex Austin made a move himself, wouldn''t it be prevented?"


    Jian Qing replied very quickly, "I don''t know the details, but it wasn''t a frontal assault, according to the messages sent back; it was Alex Austin creating chaos with a surprise attack, and then other Superpower Users stole the data."


    After ending the call, Lu Heng got up to notify Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, then put on his coat, ready to set off.


    The three met up and rushed to the military airport, joined up with Jian Qing, and together took a flight to the Capital.


    ...


    At two in the morning.


    Lu Heng, Su Muyu, Lin Zeyu, and the platoon of Superpower Soldiers brought by Jian Qing exited the airport.


    Several troop transports were already waiting outside the airport.


    After boarding, Jian Qing began to inquire with the instructor on the vehicle.


    "What happened?"


    The instructor in the vehicle kept his explanation brief, "Several Superpower Users with strong Combat Power attacked the Academy of Sciences, drawing the guards'' attention.


    "Then a Spiritual Superpower User took the opportunity to Spirit Control one of the researchers at the Academy of Sciences and stole a hard drive.


    "When they found the person, the researcher who had been controlled was already silenced, and the hard drive was missing."


    Jian Qing then asked, "So what''s the plan now?"


    The instructor answered, "Citywide manhunt. The spy who stole the hard drive probably hasn''t left the city. We must find the hard drive before it gets out of the country."


    An hour later.


    The troop transport arrived at the block where the Academy of Sciences was located.


    At this point, the entire block was under martial law.


    After disembarking, there was a full body check at the entrance of the blockade zone before they could enter.


    Inside the Academy of Sciences, security was extremely tight with guards stationed every few steps.


    Before Lu Heng and his group, several teams had already come to participate in the manhunt.


    The Capital Iron Blood Investigation Bureau had also sent personnel for an on-site investigation.


    Upon entering the temporary command center, the General in charge of the operation was deploying an action plan, casting a citywide net to ensure the person was found.


    Lu Heng listened briefly and felt that a citywide manhunt was like looking for a needle in a haystack.


    In this era, people could no longer be caught simply by conducting a citywide manhunt.


    Superpower Users have too many special abilities; there are countless ways to evade a search.


    Those who could fly or become invisible, after obtaining the item, could just turn invisible, fly into the sky, and leave the city, making them impossible to find.


    Of course, a citywide manhunt was necessary.


    Even if they couldn''t catch up with the hard drive, they could at least catch a few of the spies who stole the data.


    However, once the hard drive''s data was leaked abroad, even if people were caught, it would be of no use.


    After entering the conference room.


    Lu Heng saw several familiar faces in the conference room; Chen Zihang was there, and so was Zhuo Hongjun.


    Next, Instructor Liu brought Lu Heng and his group to a General and briefly introduced their identities.


    The General then arranged, "Good timing, we''re short on hands. The search areas have been divided; the first group of warriors has already begun the manhunt. You''re the second group; head out now, keep in contact, we must retrieve that hard drive." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The dozen or so Junior Officers present immediately stood up, saluted, then turned and dashed out of the conference room to board the military vehicles and proceed to the allocated task areas.


    A citywide manhunt was the simplest and most direct method.


    It was also a method of last resort.


    Jian Qing already held the rank of Captain, so Lu Heng and the rest were assigned to her team, which she led to search one of the areas.


    Upon leaving the conference room, Lu Heng waved to Chen Zihang, an acknowledgment, without time to talk.


    After stepping out of the conference room, Lu Heng pulled Jian Qing aside and asked, "Are we just going to search aimlessly?"


    As per the task assigned by the higher-ups, Jian Qing needed to lead the team to search an allocated area.


    According to the General''s intention, they had to dig three feet into the ground if necessary to find the people.


    Jian Qing was a military person, treating the execution of orders as her absolute duty, "Carrying out orders is what we''re supposed to do."


    "I''m not part of the military hierarchy; I want to see the scene of the hard drive theft," Lu Heng put forth his request.


    "This..."


    In reality, Jian Qing also wanted to take a look; otherwise, it was truly a matter of blindly carrying out the orders from above, without any knowledge of the specific situation.


    In fact.


    In the military, what Generals liked least were soldiers with special ideas.


    If every soldier thought this way, then there would be nothing to do.


    Jian Qing understood this, and if it were just military warriors she was leading, she would''ve gone straight to the task, but Lu Heng was not part of the military.


    Thus, she took Lu Heng and the others to report to Instructor Liu, "Instructor Liu, Comrade Lu Heng wishes to have a look at the scene of the data theft incident."


    Instructor Liu revealed a serious expression, saying, "You should complete the orders from above first."


    Jian Qing contended, "Instructor, the technological data from the Sikes Civilization were brought back by Lu Heng. I think letting him investigate the scene could help in finding the stolen data."


    This was indeed a special circumstance, and after Instructor Liu considered it and reported it higher up, he led Lu Heng and the group into the Academy of Sciences to view the scene of the hard drive theft.

 Chapter 245 - 200 The Theft Process

    As Spirit, Su Muyu, and Jian Qing entered the crime scene, they found that Zhuo Hongjun and Chen Zihang were also present.


    In addition to them, there was a senior inspector from the Capital Iron Blood Investigation Bureau, Li Zhaofeng.


    After the introductions, Lu Heng shook hands with Li Zhaofeng, and they got acquainted.


    A guard was recounting what had happened during the incident.


    Along the way, they had heard bits and pieces of the case.


    It was only after hearing the complete explanation at the scene that Lu Heng finally pieced the whole incident together.


    Alex Austin had indeed appeared, but the situation was not as initially thought.


    Of the guards on duty tonight, Zhuo Hongjun was the rotational officer on alert, holding the rank of Captain, and he was the highest-ranking officer among the evening''s rotational guards.


    That is to say, before the incident alarmed the superiors and a General was sent to command the operation, Zhuo Hongjun, being the highest-ranking officer present that night, was in charge of directing the scene.


    Although the guard did not directly express suspicion towards Zhuo Hongjun, by linking together the content of his narrative, one could roughly deduce the sequence of events.


    Before coming here, Lu Heng and Jian Qing had continuously heard news that Alex Austin had attacked the Academy of Sciences.


    This news sounded rather shocking; blatantly attacking the Academy of Sciences seemed preposterous no matter how one heard it.


    During the Abyss Era, indeed, anything preposterous could happen.


    However, there was more to tonight''s incident.


    Now, after hearing the complete account of the event on site, Lu Heng understood what had actually occurred.


    In fact,


    Alex Austin had not really launched an attack, but he had indeed appeared.


    He showed up near the Third Research Institute of the Academy of Sciences and was then detected by a Perceiver on guard duty that night.


    After the Perceiver guard discovered Alex Austin, he immediately reported it, and naturally, it reached Zhuo Hongjun.


    Because he was the highest-ranking junior officer on rotational guard duty that night.


    After Zhuo Hongjun heard the news, he chose to report it.


    Up to this point, there was nothing amiss.


    However, after Zhuo Hongjun reported Alex Austin''s whereabouts, he immediately took a team of guards to apprehend him.


    This led to a battle, causing quite a stir.


    This, in turn, caused a lapse in the Academy of Sciences'' security, and subsequently, a data theft occurred.


    Naturally, there are some details in this matter that Lu Heng deduced.


    In the process of the guard''s narrative, there seemed to be no fault in Zhuo Hongjun''s decision-making.


    Discovering an enemy spy, reporting the information, and then deploying forces to apprehend him.


    At first glance, it appeared there was no issue.


    It was only the outcome that was problematic.


    If there were to be an assignment of blame, Zhuo Hongjun would certainly need to reflect on his actions, but given his background, that would be all, at most, he might be deemed rash.


    Others might not notice, but Lu Heng and Jian Qing exchanged a glance after hearing this, and both guessed the reason others did not know.


    The reason Zhuo Hongjun chose to rashly strike and capture Alex Austin was quite simple.


    Naturally, it was because of the skill "Damage Retrospection."


    Previously, at the training base, a method had been decided for competing over this skill: whoever captured Alex Austin would get the skill.


    Tonight, Zhuo Hongjun discovered Alex Austin and saw it as the best opportunity, naturally, he took immediate action, leading his subordinates¡ªSuperpower Soldiers¡ªto attempt to capture Alex Austin in one fell swoop.


    As a result of him taking away a team of guards, the Academy of Sciences'' defense force had a loophole, and a hard drive that backed up data from Sikes Technology was lost.


    After listening to the guard''s account, Lu Heng and Jian Qing both guessed what had happened, but the most pressing matter was to recover the hard drive.


    Afterward, Lu Heng and his group were led by the head of the guard through three levels of security checks before they could enter the machine room where the hard drive was lost.


    Having to go through three levels of security checks, from a rigorous inspection perspective, was already very strict.


    The guard captain said, "Under normal circumstances, these three security checks would prevent any spy from coming in, but the person who came in last night was a researcher from the academy, someone with the authority to pass through these three checks."


    Indeed, this was an unsolvable problem if a researcher was controlled by Spirit Control and then took the hard drive out.


    With such extraordinary powers in play, even the most secure inspections could be difficult to maintain.


    Next,


    Lu Heng saw the mainframe from which the hard drive had been taken; there was a lock on the outside of the mainframe, but it had been broken, and the hard drive had been forcibly removed, even breaking off a corner.


    Although a corner of the hard drive had been broken off, it did not prevent the data inside from being retrieved technically.


    Lu Heng stared at the damaged mainframe and asked, "Were all the data lost?"


    The deputy director hurriedly explained, "No, we used a method of separate backups, dividing the data into more than a hundred parts according to different fields. What was lost was just one part, mainly the controlled nuclear fusion portion."


    Lu Heng frowned upon hearing that it was the data on controlled nuclear fusion that had been lost.


    Controlled nuclear fusion is 1.0 technology and a hallmark of planetary civilization.


    Once controlled nuclear fusion is mastered, civilization will move from a planetary civilization toward a constant star civilization.


    Thus, this technology is of tremendous importance.


    Fortunately, it was only a portion of the technological data that was lost, not all of it, so it wasn''t the worst-case scenario.


    Subsequently,


    Lu Heng went to the surveillance room to review the footage of the research personnel entering the computer room and taking the hard drive.


    In the surveillance video, this researcher seemed normal, but his actions clearly weren''t driven by his own will.


    After watching the video, Lu Heng''s conclusion was the same as his previous analysis.


    "This person was indeed under spirit control, the opponent came prepared."


    Observing the researcher''s condition, Lu Heng speculated that the spirit control skill could be one of two possibilities:


    One was a Level C "Spirit Control," and the other was Level B "Commanding Will."


    If it were a Level C "Spirit Control," then the controller wouldn''t be more than two hundred meters away.


    If it were a Level B "Commanding Will," the distance could be over a thousand meters.


    The difference between the two was significant.


    If the distance didn''t exceed two hundred meters, it meant that the controller was very close to the vicinity of the Academy of Sciences.


    If it was over a thousand meters, that would be more difficult to deal with.


    As for which of the two abilities it was, it was impossible to distinguish just from the surveillance footage.


    Lu Heng turned around and asked the head of the security team, "Did you notice any suspicious persons around the Academy at the time of the incident?"


    "How large an area around?" the head of security thoughtfully asked.


    "Within two hundred meters of where the hard drive was lost," Lu Heng said.


    "That''s a very small range, it even extends to the entrance of the Academy," frowned the head of security.


    "Then retrieve the surveillance data from the surrounding streets to see if any suspicious individuals are found," Lu Heng arranged the task.


    The head of security didn''t move, instead looking towards Instructor Liu.


    Instructor Liu nodded and said, "I''ll assign someone to handle it."


    Afterward,


    Lu Heng obtained the data of the controlled researcher and found that this researcher was not a superpower user, but rather an ordinary person.


    Following the Abyss Descent, not everyone was willing to awaken.


    Because, based on the information widely accepted now, it was believed that upon awakening as a superpower user, one would be conscripted into the Abyss Battlefield.


    As for the conscription pattern, it hadn''t been completely explored yet.


    Therefore, many ordinary people who didn''t want to be conscripted by the Abyss Battlefield chose not to awaken.


    Among these researchers, a higher proportion of those who wished to focus on scientific research chose not to awaken.


    Seeing that the researcher was not a superpower user, Lu Heng asked, "He''s not a superpower user?"


    "Correct, Mr. Liu has not awakened," the head of security confirmed with a nod.


    "May I see the list of research personnel who were in the Academy of Sciences tonight? It would be better if the details were more extensive," Lu Heng made another request.


    With Instructor Liu overseeing and all actions being taken in accordance with Lu Heng''s requests,


    the head of security promptly went to get the list of personnel present at the Academy tonight.


    After reviewing it, Lu Heng found that of the researchers present at the Academy tonight, only two had access through those three security checks.


    One was the silenced Mr. Liu, and the other was the head of research, who was a Level 10 superpower user.


    Moreover, the clearance level of the head of research was even higher.


    That is to say, if the head of research was controlled, it was possible to steal even more technological data.


    However, the spirit controller did not do so and chose an unawakened researcher instead.


    Ordinary people are relatively more susceptible to spirit control.


    Controlling an ordinary person is indeed simpler, but a Level 10 is not exceptionally high.


    A spiritual superpower user sent on such a mission to steal scientific secrets could not possibly be low level.


    In this situation, still choosing an unawakened researcher,


    instead of trying to obtain more technological data,


    meant there was only one reason: he was not confident in controlling the Level 10 head of research.


    A Level 10 head of research would certainly have a higher spiritual attribute, but as a non-combat superpower user, the increase would be limited.


    If this spirit controller was indeed using the Level B "Commanding Will," controlling a Level 10 superpower user would be an easy task.


    Level B "Commanding Will" is very powerful. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lu Heng had personally experienced the skill used by Hasegawa Tom, so he knew the strength of this ability.


    Even Lu Heng could lose control for an instant, a Level 10 head of research wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Yet, the spiritual superpower user still chose the unawakened ordinary researcher.


    Therefore, there was only one possibility, his ability to control a Level 10 head of research was difficult.


    That is to say, this spirit controller''s ability was not a Level B "Commanding Will," but rather a Level C "Spirit Control."


    After realizing this, Lu Heng said with certainty, "Check all the surveillance around the Science Academy, I''m sure there''s a spiritual superpower user who has appeared in the vicinity."


    After listening, Instructor Liu frowned, but seeing Lu Heng so confident, chose to believe him and loudly commanded, "Dispatch more personnel, check all the surveillance in the surrounding blocks, find this person!"

 Chapter 246 - 201 Suspicions

    In the surveillance room.


    After dispatching additional personnel to review all the surveillance footage, the head of the security team, You ZhanYu, came over to report,


    "Instructor, we''ve checked the surveillance for three hours before and after the incident occurred. There were no suspicious individuals around the Academy of Sciences."


    Lu Heng stared at the surveillance screen, his brow furrowed in deep thought.


    Actually, the current surveillance equipment was very advanced. If there were moving targets in the surveillance footage, the video''s progress bar would be tagged with different colors.


    That is to say, one only needed to review the parts where the colors were tagged.


    Of course, to ensure nothing was missed, Instructor Liu still dispatched personnel to watch every frame of the surveillance video.


    The result was the same; no suspicious individuals were recorded in the surveillance footage.


    Jian Qing pondered the problem, "Is it possible that the person has invisibility abilities?"


    Security team head You ZhanYu explained, "That''s very unlikely. Usual invisibility is optical invisibility, which cannot block infrared detection. The Academy of Sciences'' surveillance equipment all have infrared detection capabilities, so even an invisible person would be captured.


    "Even if this Superpower User had invisibility capabilities that could block infrared detection, it''s useless.


    "Amongst the security guards on duty tonight, one third are Perceivers, constantly monitoring the inside and outside of the Academy of Sciences.


    "Without invisibility, walking down the street wouldn''t raise suspicion, but daring to appear in an invisible state would get you captured immediately."


    In fact, Lu Heng had just contemplated the possibility of invisibility but immediately dismissed the notion.


    Invisibility abilities are very useful when Perceivers are not present.


    In an encounter in the wild, it is practically a Divine Skill for a surprise attack.


    However, trying to enter a tightly guarded building with invisibility abilities is impossible.


    Under the cross-scrutiny of several Perceivers, being invisible is no different from exposing oneself.


    After a moment''s contemplation, Lu Heng said, "Can we pull up all surveillance footage of Engineer Liu from his entry to his departure from the Academy of Sciences? I want to watch it from the beginning."


    From the time he arrived on the scene for investigation to now, nearly an hour had passed.


    Yet, there were still no leads.


    Lu Heng wanted to continue the search which made some people impatient.


    If it weren''t for Instructor Liu''s orders, someone would have already raised objections.


    Moreover, the longer the delay, the slimmer the chance of capturing the spy throughout the city.


    Zhuo Hongjun voiced his doubts, "Surveillance footage has already been reviewed by the inspectors from Iron Blood. I think continuing to watch it is useless. We should go search immediately."


    Senior Inspector from the Capital Iron Blood Investigation Bureau, Li Zhaofeng, added, "We have indeed reviewed all the surveillance videos of the researcher who was under Spirit Control, from his entry to his exit from the Academy of Sciences. There was nothing out of the ordinary. This is also one of the reasons why we deduce that he was under a Spiritual Skill control."


    Security team head You ZhanYu supplemented, "I am not skeptical of Comrade Lu Heng, but it''s very natural to make an incorrect analysis. We have already delayed for a long time. As soldiers, we should follow orders and participate in the search operation, instead of wasting time here."


    Zhuo Hongjun looked at Instructor Liu and questioned, "Instructor, I think we are wasting time here, and it''s because of an outsider."


    The "outsider" mentioned was naturally Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng wasn''t part of the military ranks. The main reason he could be here was because he had brought back the Sikes Technology data, a special circumstance.


    Otherwise, under normal circumstances, no one else would be allowed to enter the Academy of Sciences.


    Instructor Liu fell into contemplation. The situation was urgent, and if the lost hard drive couldn''t be recovered before dawn, it would become even more difficult.


    Security team head You ZhanYu continued, "Instructor, Inspector Li Zhaofeng from Iron Blood is the one in charge of investigating this case. Our duty is to pursue the spy who stole the technology. Professional tasks should be left to professionals. Inspector Li, what do you think?"


    Li Zhaofeng had been holding his elbow with his left hand, his right hand supporting his chin in contemplation. When he heard his name, he raised an eyebrow and said, "As long as the hard drive can be recovered, it doesn''t matter who investigates."


    Zhuo Hongjun was somewhat anxious, "Instructor, before dawn is the golden eight hours. I believe now is the best opportunity to search. If we miss this window, even if we clarify the course of the incident, it will be difficult to recover the hard drive."


    Lin Zeyu eyed the man critically and queried, "Then why don''t you go search? What are you doing here? Are we hindering your search?"


    His words were somewhat impolite, causing Zhuo Hongjun''s expression to darken.


    He glared at Lin Zeyu, his tone icy as he said, "What are you, to speak to me like that?"


    If this were in Coastal, Lin Zeyu''s family was financially strong.


    Wealth in front of ordinary people is a formidable Strength, but in front of authority, wealth seemed less significant.


    And standing behind Zhuo Hongjun was authority.


    Therefore, in his view, Lin Zeyu was just an ant that could be easily crushed, just a bit fatter than the average person.


    Zhuo Hongjun had actually been eager to lead a team in pursuit of Alex Austin. Due to the competition for the Skill Crystal Core, he naturally didn''t want to lose.


    The reason he had stayed was out of fear that someone would "sling mud" at him.


    Because the theft of the technology data was somewhat related to his own initiative to pursue Alex Austin.


    As the highest-ranking Junior Officer on duty that night, leading the guards to chase Alex Austin ended with the Academy of Sciences losing data.


    He didn''t think this had anything to do with his initiative, but if someone insisted there was a connection, then he would be in big trouble.


    His reason for staying was to keep an eye on this place, to prevent anyone from trying to "sling mud" at him.


    This was also his family''s intention, for him to keep close watch on the investigation team.


    Originally, he hadn''t paid much attention, but when he saw Lu Heng appear,


    he felt a sense of crisis.


    Because he and Lu Heng were competing for the Damage Retrospection Crystal Core. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If at this time, he were reprimanded by his superiors due to an error, he would undoubtedly lose the qualification to compete for the Crystal Core.


    Right at this moment, instead of agreeing to search for the White Eagle spy, Lu Heng insisted on staying to investigate the case.


    Zhuo Hongjun immediately made a judgment in his heart, convinced that Lu Heng was using the investigation as a pretext to find evidence to "slander" him.


    Therefore, he insisted on staying to keep an eye on Lu Heng.


    ¡­


    At this moment, although everyone present appeared to be investigating the case, each had their own thoughts.


    Lu Heng paid no heed to the arguments of these people and directly asked, "Inspector Li, you''ve viewed the surveillance footage, before Worker Liu was silenced. All his actions, are they captured in the video? Did he ever leave the frame?"


    "Basically not," Li Zhaofeng answered.


    "The meaning of ''basically not'' is that there is, correct?" Lu Heng emphasized.


    "In fact, it really isn''t significant. There''s no camera in the restroom, but there''s only a half-second gap between when Worker Liu exited one frame and entered the next. That means he merely passed the restroom''s entrance without entering. Moreover, in that half-second of leaving the frame, it''s not possible for any significant action to be taken," Li Zhaofeng said, having his subordinates pull up the surveillance footage and play back that segment.


    Lu Heng watched the screen intently. From the security footage, the victim left the frame of one camera and walked past the restroom''s entrance to the frame of the next camera in a mere instant¡ªpossibly even less than half a second.


    Such a brief timeframe, and since the victim was just a regular person and not a Superpower User without any special abilities, there really was nothing he could have done.


    From the surveillance footage, that short break from camera view seemed to show no issues.


    Subsequently,


    Lu Heng finished viewing the entire surveillance of the victim, connecting all his routes together.


    The researcher under Spirit Control, Worker Liu, entered the Academy of Sciences through the main entrance, then into Building Three, passing through three security checks, to the computer room where the hard drive was lost, removed the hard disk, hid it in his clothes, and then left.


    Later, he crossed the corridor and exited through the back door.


    After crossing the road, he entered an alley and never came out.


    The body was found in that alley.


    The alley was quite short, only about ten meters, with surveillance cameras on both streets at each end.


    After the victim entered the alley, no suspicious individual appeared in the vicinity.


    Therefore, according to regular deduction, the victim was under Spirit Control, then entered the Academy of Sciences, and stole the hard drive.


    After leaving the institute, he met with the behind-the-scenes person in the alley to hand over the hard drive and was then silenced.


    The entire incident appeared very clear and straightforward.


    However, Lu Heng still insisted that the distance between the Spirit Controller and the victim wouldn''t exceed two hundred meters.


    For the same reason as before.


    The skill used by the Spirit Controller was likely a Level C "Spirit Control," not a Level B "Commanding Will."


    If it were the Level B "Commanding Will," they could completely control a Source Energy Level 10 research director, obtaining higher authority and more scientific data.


    The temptation to gain more scientific data is profound; the decision to choose a researcher with one less level of clearance instead was very telling.


    Thus, Lu Heng persisted in the belief that the distance between the Spirit Controller and the victim would not exceed 200 meters.


    Yet, a distance of 200 meters was indeed very close.


    The Academy of Sciences had so many guards, of which one-third were Perceivers, plus the surveillance system.


    Not a single suspicious target had been detected.


    This was highly illogical.


    Unless¡­


    Lu Heng thought of a possibility, and made a request, "Instructor Liu, I need the name list of all guards, scientific staff, in short, everyone who was in the Academy of Sciences at the time of the incident tonight."


    Instructor Liu frowned upon hearing the request, looking somewhat troubled.


    Because this request was tantamount to revealing the details of all the guards.


    Zhuo Hongjun was the first to object, "You still want to drag this out? If it were anyone else, I would suspect you''re deliberately trying to buy time for the spy to escape."


    Lu Heng cast a dismissive glance at him and said, "Unfortunately, it was I who brought this piece of scientific data back. Any other person in the world might steal this data, but I most certainly could not."


    The guard captain, You ZhanYu, joined the conversation, "I trust Comrade Lu Heng definitely doesn''t fall under suspicion, but the most important thing now is to retrieve the hard drive; finding out the truth of the case is secondary.


    "Moreover, the Academy of Sciences guard''s information is confidential. If it all comes out now, then these guards will have to be replaced, otherwise, they will become targets for spies."


    His words made sense; the confidentiality of the guards'' identities prevented infiltration by spies.


    Now, Lu Heng wanted all the guards'' details.


    Instructor Liu hesitated, even if Lu Heng was not under suspicion, it did not mean his method of investigation was appropriate.


    With time pressing, Lu Heng had to make a definitive decision and said directly, "I suspect that the Spirit Controller is right here within the Academy of Sciences!"


    Upon these words, all present were momentarily stunned.

 Chapter 247 - 202 Capture

    "I suspect the Spirit Controller is right here in the Academy of Sciences!"


    This statement made everyone on edge, for if this assertion was true, there were more secrets to tonight''s event.


    "How can you be sure that the Spirit Controller is inside the Academy of Sciences? If you have no evidence, do you know the consequences of making such baseless accusations?"


    Zhuo Hongjun couldn''t fathom what Lu Heng was up to, but he worried that the accusations would eventually be aimed at him, making him even more vigilant.


    Captain You ZhanYu furrowed his brows and questioned, "Captain Zhuo is right. Without evidence, such groundless suspicions are of no help to the investigation. I still think that the Iron Blood should handle this case." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Senior Inspector Li Zhaofeng of the Capital Iron Blood Investigation Bureau had been considering this possibility. He concluded that while it could not be ruled out, there was no evidence to support it.


    He curiously asked, "Comrade Lu Heng, do you have any basis for your statement, or is it merely a personal conjecture?"


    Indeed, this senior inspector from the Iron Blood, Li Zhaofeng, was the one in charge of the investigation tonight.


    Gaining his trust would indeed be more beneficial for the investigation.


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "Inspector Li, can you access all available Skill Crystal Core data?"


    Li Zhaofeng nodded, "Yes."


    The Iron Blood was responsible for investigating all cases involving Superpower Users and collecting various extraordinary powers data was part of their job.


    Thus, they did have Skill Crystal Core data in their database. Any information ever made public would be in the Iron Blood''s database.


    Lu Heng continued, "Having the Skill Crystal Core data makes things easier. Based on the information, we can analyze what Skill was used to control the victim, Instructor Liu.


    "Due to limited time, I won''t go into detail about the analysis process now, but Inspector Li, if you are interested, you can review it slowly later.


    "After my analysis, I believe the control Skill should be either Level C or Level B. Do you agree, Inspector Li?"


    Li Zhaofeng nodded, "It makes sense. Level D is too low, it wouldn''t make sense to use such a low Level Skill at the Academy of Sciences.


    "Level A Skills are too rare; currently, there are no Level A Spirit Control Skills in the Iron Blood''s database that fit the criteria."


    In fact, he had already looked up the data on Spirit Control Skills during his investigation, so he could easily join the conversation.


    Lu Heng continued, "Then, we can preliminarily determine that the control Skill lies between Level C and B.


    "Based on the data I have collected, there are two Skills that match the victim''s control characteristics¡ªLevel C ''Spirit Control'' and Level B ''Commanding Will.''


    "I just looked at the list of research personnel present tonight at the Academy of Sciences, and there is a research director whose clearance level is higher than the victim''s. Controlling this research director could give access to more technological data.


    "Under these circumstances, the Spirit Controller still chose a victim who had not Awakened.


    "This indicates that the Spirit Controller''s Skill has insufficient Control Power over Power Users; hence, the choice of an ordinary person.


    "Based on this, I believe the Spirit Controller''s Skill should be Level C ''Spirit Control.''"


    Li Zhaofeng, hearing this, finally believed that Lu Heng was not fooling around but was genuinely analyzing the case.


    He nodded, "That''s possible, the reasoning process can''t be 100% certain, but it''s indeed highly probable."


    Indeed, Lu Heng''s deductions involved some steps that were not 100% certain.


    For example, the Spirit Controller chose to control an ordinary researcher rather than a research director with a Level 10 in Source Energy.


    From this, believing that the Spirit Controller''s control Skill has lower Control Power on Power Users.


    This deduction might not be 100% correct. If the Spirit Controller chose randomly, then the conclusion would not be 100% accurate.


    Of course, analysis and deduction do not need to be 100% accurate, only judicial cases require it.


    Deduction is about assuming boldly and verifying carefully.


    Therefore, according to Li Zhaofeng''s many years of experience in handling cases, there was no problem with the analysis, and the conclusions drawn were reasonable.


    The next step was to carefully verify the correctness of these deductions.


    Lu Heng continued, "Based on the above deductions, let us assume that the Spirit Controller is using the Level C ''Spirit Control.''


    "I don''t know if the Iron Blood''s database has detailed test data for this Skill.


    "From my personal experience, I am sure the effective range of this Skill does not exceed 200 meters. Depending on the Spiritual Attribute level, there could be variations, but not significantly.


    "I don''t know if the Iron Blood has this data, but if they do, coupled with the lack of any suspicious targets in the vicinity.


    "We can then draw a conclusion: the Spirit Controller is right here in the Academy of Sciences."


    Li Zhaofeng turned and signaled his subordinate to confirm the Skill data.


    A moment later, the assistant came back and whispered something in his ear.


    Li Zhaofeng nodded and said, "I agree with Comrade Lu Heng''s analysis. Bring in the data of all the guards tonight, including the data of every person present in the Academy of Sciences tonight, even the Junior Officers."


    With the senior inspector from the Iron Blood in agreement, Instructor Liu would naturally not object.


    Captain You ZhanYu had no choice but to have someone fetch the data.


    Subsequently, Lu Heng and Li Zhaofeng each led a team, cross-examining this security data.


    The information to be checked was simple: just find all guards who possess Spirit Control Skills.

 Chapter 248 - 202 Capture_2

    "Just a review, and there''s no problem found from the data,"


    The data on these guards and scientific researchers was quite detailed, including their Awakening Date, Initial Talent, Skill Slot Number, learned Skills, the time taken to learn those Skills, Skill Level, and Source Energy Level.


    Even details about when they were drafted into the Abyss Battlefield and how many times they were drafted were recorded.


    The data also included information update times, which were basically updated every three days.


    After reviewing all the data, there was no Superpower User found who possessed the "Spirit Control" skill, not even one with any kind of spirit control skill.


    These guards were all in a military sequence, and when selecting their skill combination, they needed to communicate with their superiors.


    Superpower Soldiers who had learned spirit control skills would not be assigned as guards but placed in departments that interrogate prisoners.


    Therefore, it was normal for the guards not to have the spirit control skills.


    With this discovery, the lead was lost again.


    Zhuo Hongjun grew more impatient, glanced at the time, and said, "We''ve already wasted two hours, and with only four hours left until dawn, the chances of retrieving the hard drive are slim if we still waste time here."


    Lu Heng closed the file and stepped outside.


    Instructor Liu reminded him, "You can''t walk around in the Academy of Sciences alone."


    Although Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu were with him, as the two of them were regarded as a pair, it still counted as walking alone even with the three of them.


    "I''ll follow along," said the head of the security team, You ZhanYu, waving over a guard to accompany Lu Heng out.


    Lu Heng walked into the corridor seen in the surveillance video¡ªthe end of the hallway was the restroom.


    In the entire surveillance video, the victim, Mr. Liu, was always present, except for one second of out-of-frame time at the restroom door.


    The victim was an ordinary person, had no superpowers, and theoretically, couldn''t accomplish anything in just a second.


    However, this was the only position not monitored, so if there was a problem, it had to be here.


    Lu Heng stood at the restroom entrance and looked inside.


    At the entrance of the restroom were the sinks, with the men''s restroom to the right and the women''s to the left. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it possible there''s something wrong inside the restroom?" guessed Lin Zeyu.


    "The probability is low, one second isn''t enough time to go inside and come back out," Lu Heng shook his head.


    "I''ll take a look inside this one," Su Muyu said, pointing to the women''s restroom and then stepping inside.


    Although Lu Heng felt there was no issue inside the restroom, checking didn''t take much time, so he also went into the men''s restroom to have a look.


    After checking, they found nothing suspicious.


    Lu Heng walked back to the entrance of the restroom and looked around to determine the positions of the two surveillance cameras.


    The captain of the security team, You ZhanYu, went to the sink, turned on the tap, washed his face, and refreshed himself: "Staying up this late, I''m getting a bit sleepy."


    The accompanying officer complained, "Captain, I think we are engaging in a futile effort."


    There was a cylindrical stainless steel trash can at the entrance of the restroom.


    Lu Heng walked over, lifted the lid of the trash can, and peeked inside.


    You ZhanYu said, "We''ve already checked the trash can. The trash inside was treated as evidence, bagged, and taken back to Iron Blood for analysis."


    The officer commented, "Actually, there was no need for an analysis¡ªit''s just some tissues, makeup pads, all very normal items."


    Lu Heng shook the trash can slightly, nudged the round marks on the floor with his foot, and then headed straight back.


    "We''ve seen enough, let''s go back."


    Su Muyu quickly caught up and asked quietly, "Did you notice anything?"


    Lu Heng casually replied, "Not yet."


    Then, he leaned closer to her ear and whispered a few words.


    When they returned to the surveillance room, Lu Heng asked, "Inspector Li, is the analysis report of the evidence from the restroom ready? Can I see it?"


    "Yes."


    Li Zhaofeng pulled out a report, handing it to Lu Heng.


    Lu Heng took it, flipping through the report, which included photographs taken during the evidence collection at the scene, photographs of the evidence, and the chemical analysis report of the evidence.


    As the guard mentioned, there was nothing suspicious in the trash can.


    The trash can by the restroom entrance usually contained these items.


    While Lu Heng was looking at the photos on the lab report, a communications officer rushed in and loudly reported, "Alex Austin was spotted in the Jingwei District. The search team exchanged fire with him and needs high-rank superpower soldiers for backup."


    Zhuo Hongjun, upon hearing that Alex Austin had appeared, grabbed his hat and headed for the door, then turned back and asked, "Aren''t you all coming?"


    Jian Qing had already risen and was considering going to provide support.


    Alex Austin''s combat power was at the peak among the superpower users at this stage. In alley warfare where high-powered thermal weapons couldn''t be used, high-rank superpower soldiers were needed to confront him directly.


    Lin Zeyu also stood up, looked at Lu Heng, and asked, "Shall we go?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment, looked at Jian Qing, and said, "You guys go ahead. I''ll check the surveillance again."


    Zhuo Hongjun snorted coldly and walked straight out, immediately leading the team.


    Jian Qing also set off at once.


    She wouldn''t be of much use if she stayed, and she also wanted to meet this Thunder God from the White Eagle Federation.


    Lu Heng, on the other hand, continued to look through the photos on the lab report, with no intention of joining the battle.


    Li Zhaofeng asked curiously, "I heard from Captain Jian that your combat power is far above hers. Why aren''t you going? This could be an opportunity to distinguish yourself."


    Lu Heng looked up at him, smiled, and said, "What''s more important, capturing Alex Austin or recovering the hard drive?"


    Li Zhaofeng replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, it''s recovering the hard drive."


    "Then what we''re doing is the most important."


    "Right. Did you find any clues?" Li Zhaofeng asked.


    "Let''s look at the surveillance again. Bring up the footage of the restroom area from an hour after the victim passed through," Lu Heng said.


    Li Zhaofeng realized that many of Lu Heng''s analyses matched his own thoughts after the recent case discussion, so he was eager to hear what Lu Heng intended to investigate.


    The surveillance footage began playing back the segment showing the victim, Mr. Liu, passing through the restroom area within one hour.


    Li Zhaofeng said, "We''ve already watched this segment many times. From the victim''s death, to the Academy of Science triggering the alarm, to us securing the scene, it wasn''t an hour, but only fifteen minutes.


    "In those fifteen minutes, no suspicious figures passed by the restroom, only six guards who passed in three groups, consecutively.


    "I''ve already asked; after the alarm was raised, the guards were ordered to secure all key intersections; their passing by the restroom door was routine.


    "Moreover, these six guards didn''t even stop in the restroom. Since they were running, their time passing by the restroom door was less than a second."


    Among these six guards, a few were met tonight, including the guard captain You ZhanYu and the deputy captain He Jiandong.


    As Li Zhaofeng explained, Lu Heng continued to watch the surveillance footage and then said, "Could you play the segment with the second pair of guards passing by again?"


    After replaying once.


    Lu Heng said, "Play it again."


    After the second time.


    Lu Heng said, "Sorry, one more time."


    The investigator cut the clip and set it to loop.


    In the surveillance footage, two guards jogged towards the corner and then passed by the restroom door, appearing on the second camera.


    "Why isn''t it there?" Lu Heng stared at the screen, feeling something was off.


    "What do you suspect?" Li Zhaofeng was also puzzled.


    "Let me think." Lu Heng furrowed his brows and closed his eyes in thought.


    Li Zhaofeng turned back to stare at the looping guards on the screen, one of whom was You ZhanYu.


    Suddenly, Lu Heng''s eyes snapped open, and he muttered, "Let''s take a gamble."


    Then, pointing at the surveillance screen, he said, "Inspector Li, could you detain these two guards?"


    Li Zhaofeng furrowed his brows, puzzled, and asked, "Are you sure?"


    Lu Heng nodded, his eyes showing a firm resolve.


    Quickly weighing the options, Li Zhaofeng pressed the transmitter and said, "Detain guard captain You ZhanYu and guard member Cui Chengye, and bring them here."

 Chapter 249 - 203: Deductive Truth

    "What do you mean? It''s one thing to arrest me, but to take our team leader too, are you crazy? Who do you think you are?" Cui Chengye yelled at Lu Heng with a face full of rage when he was brought into the surveillance room.


    The security team leader, You ZhanYu, quickly held him back, trying to soothe him, "Calm down, this is all for the investigation. Once things are explained clearly, we''ll naturally be released."


    Having calmed his subordinate, he walked up to Lu Heng and asked, "Do you really suspect me? Whether you believe it or not, I have to say that investigating me is a complete waste of time."


    Instructor Liu was also puzzled and asked, "Comrade Lu Heng, we really don''t have time to waste."


    Lu Heng stood up, organized his thoughts, and said, "Then I''ll cut to the chase. I do suspect Captain You ZhanYu, and, what''s more, I even think the hard drive is on him."


    "What!"


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the room showed a shocked expression.


    You ZhanYu, especially, widened his eyes in disbelief, retorting, "Have you gone mad? Come on then, search me, see if I have the hard drive on me. And my duty room, the lockers, here''s the key, go and search quickly."


    "No need, it''s already been searched, nothing there."


    When Lu Heng had returned from the restroom earlier, he had whispered a few words to Su Muyu, instructing her to check the security duty room and the lockers, where indeed, the missing hard drive was not found.


    Cui Chengye was frustrated but amused, "You''re hilarious, the hard drive was clearly taken away by Engineer Liu, it must have been intercepted by a spy in the alley behind the Academy of Sciences. Yet, you think it''s on the captain, your train of thought is simply ridiculous."


    Engineer Liu, the researcher who was silenced, had indeed left the Academy of Sciences and was killed in an alley just a street away.


    According to normal reasoning, the hard drive should have been taken by his killer.


    Lu Heng nodded, "That''s what I thought at first, but there''s one thing, Engineer Liu actually committed suicide by swallowing a gun."


    Cui Chengye continued, "What''s the problem with that? The other person has Spirit Control Skill. They controlled him to commit suicide, right?"


    Lu Heng went on, "Of course it''s possible, but if it were a face-to-face handover of the hard drive, why wouldn''t the Spirit Controller just shoot or use a knife to silence him, instead of using Spirit Control?


    "Maybe you don''t know, but the ''Spirit Control'' skill allows the controller to experience some of the senses of the controlled person, such as vision, hearing, touch.


    "That means using Spirit Control to make someone swallow a gun and commit suicide actually feels almost no different from doing it oneself, except perhaps the pain would be less sharp.


    "If there''s a much simpler method, why insist on using Spirit Control to silence someone? I believe the Spirit Controller never appeared in that alley but executed the killing remotely.


    "If it was done remotely, then where did the hard drive go? There''s only one possibility, the hard drive was never taken out of the Academy of Sciences.


    "Engineer Liu''s movements within the academy were all captured on surveillance, except for a one-second gap at one point.


    "Actually, this gap of one second was really short, short enough that it wasn''t worth suspecting anything.


    "Not until I made a trip to the restroom and walked around, did I realize the key point."


    Everyone was listening quietly, eager to hear what Lu Heng was going to say next.


    Because, at present, the clues didn''t seem to support the conjecture Lu Heng was suggesting.


    Li Zhaofeng stared at the surveillance footage without spotting any anomalies.


    Seeing that no one was arguing anymore, Lu Heng continued:


    "At the entrance of the restroom there is a cylindrical stainless steel trash bin, which I''m sure everyone is aware of."


    Cui Chengye sneered, "And all the trash from that bin has been sent to Iron Blood for forensic analysis, hasn''t it? No issues there? If there had been, we would''ve arrested someone already instead of wasting time here, right?"


    "Don''t rush."


    Lu Heng picked up the forensic report, showing a photo of the trash bin on it, and continued, "Initially, I didn''t think much of it either, until I saw the markings on the floor tile underneath the bin.


    "Since the restroom is quite humid, the paper towels and cotton pads thrown into the bin are often wet.


    "Over time, a rust circle has formed under the bin.


    "As I stood outside the restroom, I noticed that part of the rust circle was exposed outside the trash bin''s perimeter.


    "At first, I worried that Iron Blood had moved the bin during evidence collection, which would''ve exposed the rust circle beneath.


    "So, I went back and looked at the photo in the forensic report, which was taken before evidence was collected, showing clearly that a segment of the rust circle was exposed even then.


    "This indicates that someone moved that trash bin within the fifteen minutes before Iron Blood secured the scene for evidence collection."


    This line of reasoning seemed to make sense, but at the same time, it appeared to have flaws.


    Cui Chengye immediately challenged, "What if a janitor moved the bin while cleaning?"


    Before Lu Heng could respond, Li Zhaofeng spoke up, "No, I''ve examined the bottom of the bin, and there''s only one rust circle.


    "This means that the janitor is very careful and always places the bin back in its exact position, precisely covering the rust circle. This is why there is not multiple overlapping rust circles.


    "And it wouldn''t be difficult to verify this. Just ask the janitor, and it will be clear, but I think it''s unnecessary.


    "Lu Heng''s conjecture has no problems, and these clues do indicate that the bin was moved."


    The security team leader, You ZhanYu, asked with a serious expression, "What does that prove? Are you saying the hard drive is in the trash bin? If so, contact with the garbage inside would have left traces on the hard drive, which the forensic report would have detected."


    "No," Lu Heng countered, "the hard drive wasn''t in the trash bin; it was outside the bin."


    You ZhanYu shook his head, chuckling, "That''s even less likely. After the incident, it wasn''t just Cui and I who passed by the restroom, other guards had already been through there."


    Cui Chengye pointed at the surveillance footage on the screen, arguing:


    "Look for yourself, there were six guards, divided into three groups, passing by the restroom one after the other, and we were the second group. No matter how you look at it, you can''t suspect us.


    "If the hard drive was really placed outside the trash can, wouldn''t the guards who passed by earlier have seen it?"


    All the while, the surveillance footage of the restroom entrance played continuously on the screen, with no one pausing it, so it kept looping.


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "Right, they couldn''t see it."


    The other four guards who had passed by the restroom entrance were also called over, one of them interjecting, "We''re not blind, how could we not see something as big as that placed outside the trash can?"


    Lu Heng corrected, "Exactly speaking, the hard drive was placed behind the trash can. That''s why the trash can was moved, to hide the hard drive behind it. A hard drive isn''t thick, less than two centimeters. If it''s behind the trash can and you don''t look closely, naturally you won''t find it."


    As soon as these words were spoken,


    the several guards expressing doubt glanced at each other and didn''t retort.


    If the hard drive was hidden behind the trash can, then indeed, it could be easily overlooked if one just ran by.


    Lu Heng continued, "Instructor Liu only left the camera''s view for one second at the restroom entrance, he definitely didn''t have time to go inside the restroom, but it was quite possible for him to slip the hard drive behind the trash can."


    Captain You ZhanYu then voiced his skepticism, "Alright, even if your theory is true, where is the hard drive now? Who took it? Me? I didn''t have a chance to take it."


    Cui Chengye chimed in, "Yeah, I was with the captain when we passed by the restroom. If he had gone to take the hard drive, how could I not have known?"


    You ZhanYu continued, pointing at the surveillance footage, "The footage must have looped dozens of times by now, right? Do I look like someone who could hide a hard drive on him?"


    The guards'' uniforms were quite form-fitting and tucked into their trousers, and there was no place on their bodies where a hard drive could be hidden.


    If someone had a hard drive on them, it would be clear to see when the surveillance footage was enlarged.


    Just now, Li Zhaofeng had been watching the enlarged surveillance footage, and it wasn''t just You ZhanYu whose body showed no signs of hiding a hard drive; all six guards who passed by the restroom didn''t have somewhere to hide it.


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "I was suspicious at first too, because there really wasn''t a place on your body where you could hide a hard drive, until I thought of another possibility..."


    "Which possibility?" Everyone present was curious.


    Lu Heng didn''t answer, but a slight smile appeared on his face. He slowly raised his right hand and with a flip of his palm, a handgun appeared, twirled in a flourish, and with another flip of his hand, the gun disappeared.


    Seeing this, everyone understood.


    Superpower Users have an inventory system to stow weapons and equipment.


    However, not just any item could be stowed away.


    To keep an item from Blue Star in the inventory system, it had to go through basic Law Integration.


    Lu Heng smiled and said, "You see? Captain You indeed has nowhere on his body to hide a hard drive, but you could have stored the hard drive in your inventory system, just costing a bit of Divine Energy.


    "For such a risky espionage action, spending a little Divinity to ensure success is not a loss."


    You ZhanYu''s brow furrowed, "Even if that''s the case, it doesn''t prove it was me. Any Superpower User could have done it, and most of the guards are Superpower Users."


    Lu Heng nodded and said, "Right, at first I was wondering who it could be. But one of your actions put you on my list of suspects.


    "When I first said I wanted to check near the restroom entrance, you took the initiative to accompany me and supervise.


    "As captain of the guards, it would have been sufficient to send two guards with me, no need for personal oversight.


    "When I was examining the trash can, you stood by seemingly casually, but stole glances in my direction every now and then.


    "Later, when I came back to review the surveillance footage, sure enough, amongst the guards who passed by the restroom, there you were." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At this point in the reasoning, You ZhanYu''s suspicion indeed started to grow.


    Cui Chengye frowned with confusion, "Hold on. I was walking with the captain at that time. If he took the hard drive, how could I not know?"


    Lu Heng reminded, "You''ve forgotten something. He has Spirit Control skills; controlling you for a second couldn''t be easier."


    Cui Chengye immediately retorted, "That''s not right; the captain doesn''t have Spirit Control skills."


    He pointed at the guard''s information, continuing to defend his captain, "Didn''t you see the guard''s information? The captain doesn''t have Spirit Control skills. All three Skill Slots are full, didn''t you check for yourselves?"


    Lu Heng had indeed checked all the guards'' information and indeed there didn''t seem to be any issues.


    Captain You ZhanYu did have three Skill Slots, and none of the three skills were of the Spiritual system.


    However, skills could change.


    As long as one completed a World Task on the Abyss Battlefield, there was a chance to modify one''s skills.


    Whether it was to remove a skill, add a Skill Slot, or draw a new Skill to replace an existing one, it could change the original set of skills.


    Without further explanation, Lu Heng continued to smile looking towards You ZhanYu, asking, "Do you have one?"


    You ZhanYu fell silent.


    Continuing, Lu Heng said, "Your denial is useless. Call a higher-level Spirit Interrogator here, and you won''t be able to conceal anything."


    In the Abyss Era, the emergence of extraordinary abilities provided Superpower Users with more methods to commit crimes, but also gave investigators more means to investigate.


    Li Zhaofeng revealed a smiling expression, saying, "No need to call a Spirit Interrogator here, I can do it. Captain You ZhanYu, please answer me, do you have Spirit Control abilities?"


    At this juncture,


    there was no use in sophistry. You ZhanYu gave a bitter smile, his strength failing as he hung his head and admitted, "It was me."

 Chapter 250 - 204: Retaking the Hard Drive, Countermeasure Plan

    Hearing You ZhanYu''s admission, the surrounding guards reacted swiftly, forming a semicircle to encircle him, ready to take action at any moment.


    You ZhanYu let out a long sigh, having accepted his fate, but still wanted to know why he failed, "Why would you suspect me? The operation plan was supposed to be perfect."


    Indeed, the plan was designed with great ingenuity.


    He was right there in the Academy of Sciences, but he hadn''t stolen the technological data himself. Instead, he used his Spirit Control skill to manipulate a researcher into taking out the hard drive.


    Then he had the researcher place the hard drive in a surveillance blind spot before controlling him to leave the Academy of Sciences and die in an alley behind the streets.


    They created the illusion that the victim, Engineer Liu, had been dealing the hard drive in the alleyway behind the streets before being silenced.


    And the hard drive had never left the Academy of Sciences from beginning to end.


    The plan had fooled everyone at first.


    Who would have guessed that even though the researcher who stole the hard drive was already dead outside the Academy of Sciences, the hard drive was still inside it?


    It was completely illogical.


    After the case broke, as the head of security, he used his authority to arrange the security work within the Academy of Sciences. Then, while passing through the restroom''s surveillance blind spot, he seized the opportunity to take the hard drive.


    If he kept the hard drive on his person or hid it somewhere else, it could possibly be found.


    After all, the senior inspectors and investigators of Iron Blood might have special investigation superpowers, making the likelihood of finding the hard drive quite high.


    If the plan was just that, it wouldn''t be perfect.


    So he had one foolproof strategy, which was to assimilate the hard drive with Divine Energy, directly taking it into his inventory.


    In this way, no matter how strong Iron Blood''s investigation superpowers were, they wouldn''t be able to find the hard drive.


    Once the plan reached this stage, all he needed to do was hold out until dawn, wait for this manhunt to end, and then he could leave safely.


    He could find time later to hand over the hard drive, easily and unnoticed.


    What he didn''t expect was that someone would eventually find a clue.


    "I don''t believe I gave anything away. Even if you suspected that the hard drive was hidden behind the trash can, it shouldn''t have been so easy to pinpoint me," You ZhanYu still wanted to know the answer.


    Lu Heng explained, "In fact, from the moment I deduced that the Spirit Controller was in the Academy of Sciences, I began paying attention to everyone present''s reactions.


    "And I was convinced that this Spirit Controller was definitely among us.


    "Because he would certainly want to keep an eye on the investigation process in order to respond at any given moment.


    "If it were me, I too would blend into the investigation team.


    "Although these were just speculations, they aligned with the criminal psychology and were consistent with a criminal''s logic.


    "There weren''t many people following the investigation team, just about a dozen, and some of them were unlikely to have committed the act.


    "For example, my teammates and me, and Captain Jian who came with me.


    "After these few criteria narrowed down the possibilities, the scope was reduced to six or seven people.


    "So I just needed to focus on these six or seven people.


    "During the investigation, two people showed impatience and a lack of willingness to cooperate.


    "One was you, the other was Zhuo Hongjun.


    "I suspected Zhuo Hongjun at first, but when he learned of Alex Austin''s appearance, he immediately led a team to apprehend him.


    "His willingness to leave the investigation team to arrest someone ruled him out as a suspect.


    "Subsequently, I suggested investigating the restroom.


    "Your initiative to accompany me also indicated that you wanted to keep an eye on me.


    "Actually, you didn''t hide it well.


    "If you wanted to hide, you shouldn''t have paid attention to me or watched me.


    "But by not watching me, you wouldn''t be at ease, which created an unsolvable dilemma.


    "As for finally pinpointing you, I used the process of elimination.


    "The person who took the hard drive must have been to the restroom before Iron Blood locked down the scene.


    "Of the six guards who passed through the restroom, only you and Cui Chengye were constantly around me.


    "In the end, you two were pinpointed, and although I wasn''t sure which of you it was, it was good enough to call in the Spirit Interrogator and question you both to clarify things.


    "My final decision was to take a gamble. Since you were the head of security and arranged the patrol routes, you indeed had more opportunities to act.


    "Clearly, I bet right."


    Cui Chengye''s face showed a look of astonishment, staring at You ZhanYu with disbelief.


    He still couldn''t make sense of it, "No, that''s not right. The captain doesn''t have Spirit Control skills; we''ve worked together for so long, and we''re all clear about each other''s abilities."


    Spirit opened the guard''s data and explained, "I guess it must be the last time you were recruited into the Abyss Battlefield, where you added a skill or replaced one.


    "You also weren''t very thorough with the most recent update of your information.


    "The last recruitment shows you entered a Level 3 Abyss Battlefield, but looking at the changes in the data, aside from the level, no other abilities were added.


    "Even if you were in survival mode and held out until the end in a Level 3 Abyss Battlefield, there should have been some improvement.


    "Of course, if you''re particularly unlucky, it''s possible to see no change.


    "But there''s one thing, you leveled up twice in this Abyss Battlefield, which means you performed quite well and must have been through several battles.


    "Under such circumstances, not having any other ability enhancements is a bit strange.


    "This also confirms my suspicion that you gained a Spirit Control skill in the Abyss Battlefield, but you didn''t report it, which is why it''s not on the record."


    You ZhanYu''s head drooped weakly, as Spirit''s analysis was spot on.


    Indeed, he had gained a Spirit Control skill during his last visit to the Abyss Battlefield.


    Spirit pondered and asked, "But there''s still something I don''t understand. Why would you steal technological data? If you could become head of the security, it means your political examination was without issues. You shouldn''t have been so easily infiltrated."


    You ZhanYu looked up at the ceiling, took a slow breath, and answered, "Because I was infiltrated in the Abyss Battlefield in order to survive. I had to form a temporary squad with a group of White Eagle Federation Superpower Users. If not for that, I''d have died there."


    Spirit said with confusion, "Even with the help of the White Eagle Superpower Users, that''s no excuse to betray your country, is it?"


    You ZhanYu nodded in admission, "Because, I completed a hidden task with that White Eagle squad, and only after finishing it, did I realize it was a Traitor Task, but it was too late to turn back.


    "The Spirit Control skill was also from that Traitor Task. The rewards from the Traitor Task were too tempting, and only after experiencing it myself did I understand why so many Superpower Users, knowing the dire consequences of becoming a traitor, couldn''t resist the temptation."


    He sighed and continued, "In the end, I underestimated you. In fact, I was always on guard against Inspector Li. It wasn''t until after you deduced that there was a Spirit Controller in the Academy of Sciences that I realized I might be exposed. My nervousness caused my slip-up."


    Instructor Liu had also not expected that, after investigating all night, the mole would be right beside them.


    He rebuked loudly, "You ZhanYu, hand over the hard drive now, don''t even think about resisting. You should be clear that once you''re exposed, you have no chance to escape."


    Actually, as long as the hard drive was confirmed to be on his person, whether he handed it over or not was already irrelevant.


    As long as the technological data wasn''t leaked, there was no problem.


    Of course, seeing the hard drive with their own eyes was the only way to be sure it had been recovered.


    You ZhanYu took out the hard drive, and a nearby guard stepped forward to take it and handed it over to Instructor Liu.


    Instructor Liu glanced at the hard drive and ordered, "Send the hard drive for inspection to see if it''s the missing one. Formally arrest You ZhanYu and detain him for trial."


    At that moment, Spirit lifted a hand and said, "Wait a moment, there''s still something we need to do."


    Instructor Liu had great trust in Spirit by now and asked, "What else is there?"


    Spirit turned to You ZhanYu and asked, "You should have a way to contact Alex Austin, right?"


    You ZhanYu nodded.


    Instructor Liu, curious, inquired, "Comrade Spirit, how do you know he can contact Alex Austin?"


    Spirit explained, "Actually, I''ve been asking Mu Yu to keep an eye on him with her Perception Skill to see if he would try to contact the outside world.


    "There was no sign that he tried to communicate with the outside world, but considering his Spirit Control skill, he could control any one of us to contact the outside.


    "Shortly after my first analysis of the case, news of Alex Austin''s appearance was relayed back.


    "Isn''t that too coincidental? And the location of his appearance is quite far. Logically, with Austin''s level and combat power, escaping pursuit should be simple.


    "Yet Austin appeared. It made me think of a reason. Austin''s appearance was actually meant to disrupt the rhythm of our investigation, to draw us there.


    "In fact, this tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain succeeded.


    "Captain Jian and Zhuo Hongjun both led teams to pursue Austin.


    "If I hadn''t been convinced that the Spirit Controller was in the Academy of Sciences, I would most likely have gone too."


    You ZhanYu exhaled and admitted, "Yes, I controlled a communicator who could reach the outside and sent a message to Austin."


    Spirit''s face revealed a small smile as he continued, "That''s right. Since you can contact him, please do so again, inform him to meet you at a suitable location."


    Instructor Liu, upon hearing this strategy, nodded in agreement, "Right, this is a good plan. You ZhanYu, do as Comrade Spirit says. If you can lead all the enemy spies to a designated location, you can be considered redeeming yourself."


    You ZhanYu, having no other options, agreed.


    ...


    At this time, the General in charge of the citywide pursuit received the news that the hard drive had been recovered and personally came over to give his commendations.


    "I''ve already heard about Comrade Spirit''s investigation process. You recovered the stolen hard drive in the shortest time. Let''s give Comrade Spirit a round of applause."


    Clap clap clap... S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Afterward, the Generals in command discussed with Spirit''s team and devised a plan for the next steps.


    They instructed You ZhanYu to send out a message indicating that his identity was exposed and that he needed assistance from the enemy spies.


    The citywide pursuit would continue to mislead the enemy.


    Meanwhile, several teams of Superpower Soldiers with the highest combat prowess would lay in ambush at the rendezvous point, ready to strike at the group of enemy spies.

 Chapter 251 - 205: Luring the Enemy into a Trap

    The night was ink-black, and all was silent.


    The occasional moonbeam pierced the clouds, casting mottled shadows that added an air of mystery to the still evening.


    Behind this calm, a carefully orchestrated ambush plan was quietly unfolding.


    After his confession, Junior Officer You ZhanYu, the head of the security team, sent out a pickup message to the White Eagle contact channel as instructed.


    The message indicated he had left the Academy of Sciences, but his identity had been exposed, so he urgently needed to transfer the hard drive and requested Alex Austin to help him leave Da Xia.


    This message had been analyzed by several staff members to ensure it would lure the enemy spy into the trap without arousing suspicion.


    The mentioned rendezvous point was at Ningta Bridge downstream of the Jingshui River.


    The location had been meticulously chosen.


    Ningta Bridge was not a main thoroughfare, so there were few vehicles and pedestrians in the early hours of the morning.


    At the same time, a meetup here would offer multiple escape routes, via water or land.


    This way, Alex Austin wouldn''t suspect a trap.


    At this moment.


    Lu Heng was on the river embankment of the Jingshui River.


    Su Muyu had activated the Invisibility Veil, enveloping a ten-meter radius and concealing the command team for this operation.


    Moreover.


    Jian Qing, Zhuo Hongjun, and other Junior Officers each led a squad of Superpower Soldiers, lying in wait at various points, ready to intercept at any time.


    Junior Officer You ZhanYu, standing in front of his superiors, felt a complex mix of emotions.


    He had once been a loyal and brave warrior, yet now he stood against his country.


    His heart was filled with regret, but he had no choice.


    What had happened on the Abyss Battlefield left him with no room to turn back; he had to follow the path to its dark end.


    "Go. Lure out the enemy spy, and you can make amends for your wrongdoings," the commander gestured towards the riverbank and then ordered the guards to unlock the shackles on his wrists.


    You ZhanYu flexed his wrists, turned to look at Lu Heng with a complex smile, and said something strange: "Thank you."


    Lu Heng frowned and asked, "Why are you thanking me? I''m the one who caught you."


    You ZhanYu looked up at the sky, exhaled deeply, and spoke pensively, "As long as a person still has a chance to live, they will do whatever it takes to survive. Even if burdened with sin and regret, you walk the path to its dark end.


    "But my heart aches because I know what I''m doing; I don''t want this, but I can''t turn back¡ªbecause I am a traitor.


    "Now I am at peace, even though I know the judgment I face. But at least I no longer have to suffer. Isn''t that a release in itself?


    "Lastly, let me give you a word of advice. Never become a traitor of the Abyss. Don''t harbor any hope of returning once you''re on that path."


    After speaking, he took the holstered gun handed to him by the guard, slung it over his shoulder, and headed towards the riverbank.


    ...


    Actually, Lu Heng didn''t need his warning. He was well aware that taking on a Traitor Task was absolutely forbidden¡ªit was the Abyss''s temptation of Superpower Users.


    Faced with a mysterious force capable of devouring countless worlds, a human hoping to receive the rewards of a Traitor Task without falling into becoming an Abyss Minion was impossible.


    In his past life, Lu Heng had seen too many succumb to the temptation and fall as traitors; not one had met a good end.


    It was a road of no return.


    ...


    You ZhanYu ran swiftly to the riverbank, then looked around for the person to pick him up.


    However, after dashing over a hundred meters along the riverbank and searching everywhere, he could not find the one meeting him.


    He took out the hard drive, raised it high, and shouted, "Do you still want the information? I''ve been exposed; unless you get me out of the country, this data will be my funeral offering!"


    After his shout, there was still no response around him.


    He threw the hard drive onto the ground and pulled out his pistol, aiming it at the hard drive as if to shoot it. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At that moment.


    A cloaked figure appeared on the riverbank and quickly approached him, stretching out a hand and speaking in English, "Give it to me."


    You ZhanYu picked up the hard drive, pressed the gun against it, and threatened, "Get me out of here, or you can forget about the hard drive."


    "Come with me," the cloaked figure gestured and then turned to lead the way.


    You ZhanYu had no choice but to follow.


    Atop the embankment, the faces of the command team watching these events unfold bore grave expressions.


    The ploy to lure the enemy had not progressed as planned, but it couldn''t be deemed a failure either.


    The strategy had indeed flushed out an enemy spy, but only one, and it was an Assassin System Superpower User adept at stealth.


    There were plenty of Perceivers around, and catching this assassin shouldn''t be a problem, but Alex Austin had not shown himself.


    Capturing just a lowly minion bore little significance.


    The commanding general ordered the Power Users with stealth abilities to follow, while the others remained in place, standing by to avoid startling the enemy.


    Su Muyu frowned and asked, "Should we follow?"


    Lu Heng pondered the same question, wondering why Alex Austin had failed to appear?


    Alex Austin did not show up. Did he know this was a trap?


    Probably not. If they knew it was a trap, they wouldn''t send anyone.


    Since they sent someone, it meant they didn''t realize it was a trap, and at the same time, they wanted the hard drive.


    Therefore, the plan to lure the enemy had not failed.


    Now the question was, how to find Alex Austin?


    Following standard logic, this assassin superpower user should have taken You ZhanYu to meet Alex Austin.


    But could it be that simple?


    Lu Heng began to put himself in the enemy''s shoes. If he were Alex Austin, what would he do now? Where would he be?


    Thinking of this question.


    Lu Heng looked up and surveyed his surroundings. If it were him, before appearing, he would definitely first confirm whether this pickup was a trap.


    How would he confirm?


    Of course, from a position where he could see the river bank, watching how things unfolded while having his team''s assassin move You ZhanYu to another location.


    By changing locations, he could create space and observe whether there were any ambushes behind You ZhanYu.


    That meant if Alex Austin had the same idea, he should be at a place where he could see the river bank right now.


    Moreover, Alex Austin would definitely arrange for a perceiver on the path You ZhanYu was taking to scout for any ambushes from behind.


    With this thought, Lu Heng spoke up, "Hold on, I think Alex Austin should be nearby. We can''t send an invisible soldier after You ZhanYu now; he would be detected by the enemy''s perceiver."


    The commanding general nodded in agreement, saying, "That makes sense. Everyone, hold your positions. Deploy perceivers to broaden the search area. Within a three-kilometer radius, every position with a view of the river bank should be checked. Let''s see if there are any enemy spies lurking around."


    Perceivers and stealth operatives were sent out to scout the area within a three-kilometer radius.


    A three-kilometer radius was actually quite large, and it would take a long time to check every position if they had to be thoroughly examined.


    However, Alex Austin''s team was definitely somewhere where they could see the river bank, so that narrowed down the search area considerably.


    Lu Heng took a map, spread it out, and together with Su Muyu, they picked a few of the most likely locations for her to scout.


    "Here, here, and here... go take a look and see if there''s anyone there."


    "Okay." Su Muyu nodded, released her Chongming Bird, entered an invisible state, and flew into the sky for reconnaissance.


    Since her Chongming Bird had reached A-level, and after two class enhancements, its true strength was already quasi-S level.


    So, in terms of contests of perception, Su Muyu had no rival at this stage.


    As long as Alex Austin''s team were in any of these positions, they definitely couldn''t escape detection.


    ...


    Time ticked by, second by second.


    Su Muyu checked the five most likely positions on the map, diving down close to confirm and prevent any special methods of concealment.


    After the reconnaissance, she shook her head and reported, "Nothing found; those five positions are clear."


    Lu Heng frowned as he stared at the map. The five positions he had marked were the highest points within three kilometers and the most ideal vantage points to observe the river bank.


    "Nothing?" Lu Heng continued to study the map, looking from one landmark to another, occasionally glancing up at the corresponding locations.


    After looking up four or five times, each time his gaze swept across the Jingshui River, he saw a pleasure boat drifting downstream.


    Previously, he had only focused on the surrounding high ground, but if it were on the Jingshui River, it would also provide a good view of the river bank.


    Lu Heng was about to point at the pleasure boat in the middle of the Jingshui River when,


    At that moment.


    Zhuo Hongjun''s voice came over the communication channel: "Reporting to the commander, we have found enemy spies on the river boat. The second action team requests permission to strike!"


    "Wait for the other teams to encircle them," the commanding general wanted a more secure capture of the spies.


    However, Zhuo Hongjun spoke rapidly, saying, "There''s no time. Our team is very close to the pleasure boat. Sir, I am confident we can take down Alex Austin; please let us engage!"


    As he said this.


    On the western river bank, more than a dozen assault rifles opened fire at the same time, shooting at the pleasure boat on the river.


    The battle erupted instantly.


    Alex Austin leaped into action, clad in a cloak of thunder and lightning, instantly lighting up the night sky, then rode the thunder toward the western bank and slammed down his Thunder Hammer.


    Boom!


    Thunder surged, sending rocks flying about on the river bank.


    The second action team''s gunfire was instantly silenced.


    Zhuo Hongjun drew two military daggers and rushed to battle with Alex Austin.


    In Alex Austin''s team, apart from the just-seen cloak-wearing assassin, there were three other superpower users: a Flame Walker controlling flames, a Mechanic mastering mechanical puppets, and a Spirit Striker.


    On realizing the battle had begun, the cloak-wearing assassin turned back, struck down You ZhanYu with one hit, snatched the hard drive, and then quickly skimmed toward the river surface to meet up with the team.


    Alex Austin, along with his four superpower users, charged up the western river bank, crushing the second action team.


    Zhuo Hongjun had hoped to take down Alex Austin in one fell swoop, but after clashing three times, he realized Alex Austin''s combat power far exceeded his expectations.

 Chapter 252 - 206: Sonic Boom Sword

    In this operation''s team, Zhuo Hongjun''s military rank was not low.


    That''s why he got to lead one of the teams, setting up an ambush.


    One of the reasons he was able to promote to the rank of Captain at such a young age was the profound background of his family, and he was also eager to make a name for himself.


    In fact, he never felt that Lu Heng was qualified to compete with him.


    Yet, his superiors insisted on making him compete with Lu Heng for the "Damage Retrospection" Skill.


    He didn''t want to lose to someone of low birth like Lu Heng.


    So, even if it meant defying military orders, he had to beat Alex Austin to the punch and capture him.


    By doing so, not only could he win the competition with Lu Heng and obtain the "Damage Retrospection" Skill, but he could also wash away previous suspicions of reckless credits grabbing.


    When he was at the Academy of Sciences and heard the news of Alex Austin''s appearance, he wanted to do just that.


    But at that time, nearly half of the guards he brought with him were Perceivers, not main combat Superpower Users.


    He led this group of guards to chase Alex Austin but failed to catch him.


    This time was different; in his Second Action Team, there were high-combat-power Superpower Soldiers called in from home specifically to help him.


    So, when he spotted Alex Austin, he didn''t hesitate to launch an attack.


    However, Alex Austin''s combat power far exceeded his expectations.


    In just one encounter, he was hammered and sent flying.


    With that single strike, he felt that Alex Austin''s strength attribute had reached a terrifying level.


    He got hammered and nearly thrown more than ten meters away, but luckily his level was high enough to barely stabilize his form without falling.


    Immediately after, several of his high-combat-power Superpower Soldiers opened fire.


    Bullets pinged harmlessly off Alex Austin''s Star Shield, causing no effective damage.


    Alex Austin turned around and threw his Star Shield.


    Like a boomerang, the Star Shield flew out, knocking several Superpower Soldiers to the ground with a series of bangs.


    After circling once, the Star Shield returned to Alex Austin''s hand.


    Alex Austin then charged forward, swinging his Thunder Hammer and continuing to pummel Zhuo Hongjun.


    Zhuo Hongjun hurriedly erected an earthen wall for defense, getting beaten without the slightest ability to fight back.


    The high-combat-power Superpower Soldiers from his family, who came to help, were either knocked away by Alex Austin''s Star Shield or caught up in a fierce battle with other White Eagle Superpower Soldiers.


    A White Eagle Spirit Striker who was also a Perceiver called out, "Other Da Xia teams are closing in."


    Alex Austin realized Zhuo Hongjun had strong defense abilities, especially with his earthen wall, which would take some effort to smash.


    But time was of the essence.


    He looked back and asked, "Did you get the item?"


    The assassin Superpower User raised the hard drive in his hand, replying, "Got it!"


    "Let''s go!" After hammering Zhuo Hongjun away, Alex Austin led his team to retreat while fighting.


    Zhuo Hongjun tumbled away, and even with his Shield for defense and the external skeletal support gained from Cyber World, he wasn''t killed by the blow, but he was injured. His face took a hit, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with teeth. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The deputy of the Second Action Team didn''t expect these enemy spies to be so difficult to deal with. He had actually wanted to wait for other teams to surround them before taking action, but Zhuo Hongjun was his superior, so he had only to follow orders.


    Now, as he saw Alex Austin''s team about to withdraw,


    He hurriedly shouted into the communication channel, "Targets are escaping, moving south along the river at high speed, requesting backup."


    Just when everyone thought the White Eagle spies were going to get away, a red bird suddenly appeared in the sky.


    This bird, red as fire, was unmistakably Su Muyu''s Chongming Bird.


    After the Chongming Bird appeared, it flapped its wings, creating a gust of Solar Wind.


    Thousands of degrees of Flamewaves swept down, and the five White Eagle Superpower Users felt the terrible heat and dared not face it, stopping in their tracks.


    The Solar Wind rolled over them, and the two nearest White Eagle Superpower Users'' hair caught fire from the scorching heat.


    Even the Spirit Striker''s Shield was instantly penetrated by the Solar Wind.


    "This fire is too strong, retreat!" The Spirit Striker turned and ran.


    The five White Eagles were forced to turn back.


    At this moment,


    Lu Heng was walking on the river surface, leaping to land on the riverbank.


    Seeing Lu Heng appear, Zhuo Hongjun''s face showed a trace of resentment.


    Lu Heng glanced at him and said coldly, "Turns out you can get even worse."


    Since he knew him in a previous life, Lu Heng had no good feelings toward this gilded War God.


    Because he used to take a set of Super Soldier Skill Sets, hiding behind the troops, barking orders.


    Much to Lu Heng''s surprise, this man wasn''t always fond of hiding at the back giving directions. He turned out to be reckless for glory in his youth, and only later did he become that way.


    Lu Heng originally thought that he had seen the worst of him in a past life, but it turned out that was better; his current glory-seeking behavior was even more pathetic.


    Zhuo Hongjun, upon hearing these words, was immediately infuriated, clenching his teeth he cursed, "Don''t think you stand a chance against Alex Austin, his combat power is not something you can contend with, try if you don''t believe me. I want to see how many moves you can withstand against him."


    No matter what he said,


    This battle was inevitable, because Alex Austin was stopped by the Solar Wind.


    Turning around and seeing Lu Heng, he no longer wanted to leave.


    Because he wanted to avenge the blow he had received in the Abyss Battlefield.


    "Finally, we meet again!" Hate filled Alex Austin''s eyes.


    He had been the Thunder God within the White Eagle Federation, respected by even the State Legislators.


    However, everything changed after his return from the Sikes Civilization.


    Because he had been defeated.


    Even the invincible him had fallen, and to a Da Xia superpower user, no less.


    For the proud White Eagle Federation, this was unforgivable.


    Thus, with that defeat, his standing in the White Eagle Federation plummeted from its sacred pedestal.


    State Legislators and Intelligence Agency officials, who once treated him with utmost respect, now dared to mock him.


    This downfall was all thanks to the Da Xia superpower user before him.


    To reclaim the glory of the Thunder God, he had to trample over Lu Heng''s corpse and ascend the peak once again.


    To enhance his combat power, he had, since his return from the Sikes Civilization, subjected himself to injections of a Superpower Potion that had yet to complete human trials.


    Suffering the indignity, he trained with the help of the Superpower Potion, skyrocketing his body attributes and overall combat power.


    He had come to Da Xia this time with dual objectives: the first was technological data, and the second was to eliminate Lu Heng.


    Now, both targets were within his grasp.


    He wanted them both.


    "This time, I''ll show you what true strength is. Die for me!"


    Alex Austin roared and instantly unleashed his strongest combat power, lunging towards Lu Heng.


    Time was of the essence, he needed to swiftly defeat Lu Heng, then lead the retreat with his team, taking the technological data with him to throw back in the faces of those Intelligence Agency officials.


    His formidable presence burst forth, the thunder and lightning roared in the heavens and earth, raging through the space around them, the ground''s sand and mud shattering and flying everywhere¡ªa terrifying vista of cataclysmic proportions.


    Bearing the fury of the thunder, he charged at Lu Heng with the Thunder Hammer raised high, ready to smash down.


    Lu Heng, quick as lightning, retreated backward to dodge the thunderous blows, parrying the Thunder Hammer''s strikes.


    Boom!


    Sword and hammer clashed, sparks flying.


    Lu Heng was pushed back three steps, realizing that the other''s strength was terrifyingly high.


    From the clash, he could tell that his strength was nearing 80 points.


    At this point in time, there was no normal method to reach 80 points in strength attribute.


    Discovering this, Lu Heng wasn''t surprised.


    Because he had already known about the injection of the Superpower Potion from the beginning.


    This type of Superpower Potion indeed possessed such might, able to drastically boost a superpower user''s body attributes.


    Regardless of any side effects that might follow, his combat power was undeniably terrifying in the present.


    Facing such a formidable opponent, Lu Heng remained calm, using Conception Level movement technique to evade, and combing it with defensive sword forms to deflect the force of his opponent''s assaults.


    After three dodges, Lu Heng seized a flaw in Alex Austin''s attack, unleashing Source Material Energy to strike with Rift Sword Radiance when there was no space for evasion.


    As the Rift Sword Radiance flashed into existence, the thunder was extinguished, the sword radiance cutting with the power to sever everything struck towards Alex Austin.


    The sword was quick and vicious, seizing the flaw in his advance, leaving no room to dodge.


    His gaze intensifying, he immediately activated a Thunder Shield in defense while raising the Star Shield to block the radiance of the sword.


    This Star Shield, created from colossal resources from the White Eagle Federation, had been reinforced through three Abyss Battlefields to reach its current A-level status.


    An A-level shield, at this point in time, was presumed to be unbreakable by anything.


    However, Rift Slash was a Second Transition Essential Skill, and on Blue Star, no substance could withstand this sword strike.


    The sword radiance passed, and the Star Shield shattered with a loud crack, falling to the ground in two halves.


    Alex Austin''s focus sharpened as he leaped back, avoiding the remaining force of the sword radiance.


    Lu Heng saw his Star Shield shatter, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth: "It''s over."


    To Lu Heng, the most troublesome part about dealing with Alex Austin was his A-level shield.


    Just relying on the power of the A-level Aurora Blade, piercing through an A-level Star Shield would take a significant amount of effort.


    Now, he had dared to use the Star Shield to catch the slash of the Rift Sword Radiance.


    Without his shield, he was like a clam stripped of its shell, riddled with vulnerabilities.


    Lu Heng activated the Windwalker Skill to charge, sparks of light flashing in his eyes.


    As Alex Austin had already witnessed Lu Heng''s frightening supersonic swordsmanship, he knew that Lu Heng''s movements were a prelude to breaking the sound barrier.


    Facing a supersonic opponent, escape was utterly futile.


    So, he summoned his Thunder Lord''s Source Material Energy, calling down a thousand bolts of thunder with maximum might.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Lu Heng initiated Shadow Traversal, slipping into the shadows, evading the thunderous assaults; in the next moment, fully charged, his body shot out at a speed of 410 meters per second, a sword stroke cutting across.


    Alex Austin, now defenseless without his shield, had no chance to react; the sword''s gleam skimmed past his neck, his head flying off into the air, tumbling dozens of meters before falling into the river.


    The headless corpse remained standing for a moment, blood spurting before it fell straight down.


    After killing Alex Austin, Lu Heng did not stop; his Sound Explosion Sword struck repeatedly.


    With each sonic boom, one of the White Eagle Superpower Users was bisected by the sword''s light.


    Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Four consecutive sonic booms, and four White Eagle Superpower Users were slain, not one left standing.


    Zhuo Hongjun stared in disbelief, witnessing it all, his face a mixture of shock, resentment, and unwillingness.

 Chapter 253 - 207: A Chasm-like Gap, Obtaining a Crystal Core

    "How could this be..." Zhuo Hongjun''s inner voice muttered, his eyes filled with unwillingness and malice.


    Just a few minutes ago, when he had confidently requested to join the battle from the senior general, he believed that as long as he took action, he could defeat Alex Austin before the others arrived.


    But when he actually engaged Alex Austin, he realized just how difficult this Thunder God of the White Eagle Federation was to deal with.


    He had always held himself in high regard, never placing anyone else in his eyes, but after fighting Alex Austin, he had no choice but to admit that Austin''s strength far exceeded his imagination.


    He didn''t even have a chance to fight back and was completely pressed down.


    If Alex Austin hadn''t needed to retreat quickly, after another ten or so rounds, he might have even been killed.


    It was precisely because Alex Austin''s combat power was too terrifying,


    that when Lu Heng arrived, he still believed that Lu Heng definitely wasn''t a match for Alex Austin.


    Sometimes, the human heart is just that despicable.


    The moment Lu Heng appeared, Zhuo wanted to see Lu Heng suffer a crushing defeat.


    In that case, his own defeat to Alex Austin wouldn''t be as shameful. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even if it meant letting this group of enemy superpower users escape, it didn''t matter.


    He just wanted to see Lu Heng suffer a miserable defeat, not even caring if national interests were harmed.


    However, when Lu Heng made his move, the situation changed.


    Although Lu Heng also started by retreating and dodging, avoiding Alex Austin''s fierce onslaught.


    But after only dodging three times, his counterattack was like a landslide and tsunami.


    A sharp sword''s radiance destroyed Alex Austin''s wall-like defense, followed by breaking the sound barrier, raising five sonic boom clouds in succession, each sonic explosion killing a White Eagle superpower user.


    The terrifying combat power made him feel suffocated.


    The superpower users sent by the White Eagle Federation to carry out the theft of technological data were all top-of-the-pyramid beings.


    Yet, in front of Lu Heng, they couldn''t even block a single sword strike.


    This frightening disparity in strength elicited deep jealousy and unwillingness in Zhuo Hongjun''s heart.


    He couldn''t accept this fact; since childhood, he had been cultivated as an elite.


    After the Abyss Descent, he had the backing of power, securing only the top resources, and every Skill Crystal Core he absorbed was of Class B or higher.


    Countless superpower users had to fight with all they had for a Class C skill, but to him, Class C skills weren''t even worth a glance.


    The first time he saw Lu Heng at the special training base, he didn''t even consider him a threat.


    A superpower user from an ordinary background wouldn''t have qualified to speak to him in a different place.


    Yet, such a seemingly ordinary superpower user, the Sound Explosion Sword he wielded was so dazzling.


    He suppressed Alex Austin, who had no chance of responding, into a weakling who could be killed with a single sword strike by Lu Heng.


    This gap was too great for him to accept.


    This sense of defeat, like a sharp blade, was slicing away at his fragile ego.


    ...


    Lu Heng killed five enemy spies without even glancing back at Zhuo Hongjun, bending down to pick up two Star Shields and Thunder Hammers dropped on the ground, and storing them in his inventory.


    Both these weapons were Class A; such good forging materials couldn''t be missed.


    After the battle ended, Jian Qing and the rest of the support troops arrived.


    Jian Qing drifted down from the sky, powered by the wind, only to find the fight was already over.


    She wasn''t slow; she flew over as soon as she received the order.


    It was just that her original ambush spot was a bit too far away, so it took a little time.


    By the time she arrived, the battle had ended.


    It wasn''t that she was too slow, but that Lu Heng was too fast.


    Five Sound Explosion Swords, instantly killing five people, from the first sound of the explosion to the last, took less than ten seconds in total.


    When Jian Qing arrived above the river, she still saw Lu Heng unleash two Sound Explosion Swords.


    It really was just two flashes; two sonic boom clouds burst forth, and the opponent was sliced and sent flying.


    The light of the sword, swung at supersonic speeds, carried tremendous kinetic energy; hence the opponent''s bisected body was truly spun through the air, with blood trailing behind in a startlingly beautiful arc.


    After landing, Jian Qing remarked, "It''s been just over two months since we last fought the Flame Demon together, and I can''t comprehend the speed of your combat power''s improvement."


    Lu Heng smiled at her and said, "You''re also advancing quite fast."


    Jian Qing was now a Captain, and at her age, another promotion would make her a Major.


    Hearing the two mutually praise each other, Zhuo Hongjun felt an even greater sense of disparity, his face darkening frighteningly.


    Moreover, the competition for the Damage Retrospection Crystal Core had a clear outcome.


    The rule established at the beginning was that whoever captured Alex Austin would get the core.


    The result was obvious, even with generals present to witness everything.


    This made Zhuo Hongjun even more uncomfortable, completely losing face in front of everyone.


    He could even imagine the kind of reprimand he''d receive once he got home.


    From childhood to adulthood, he had always received the best education, the best resources after the Abyss Descent.


    Every time there was a call to arms for the Abyss Battlefield, superpower soldiers with the same countdown timer for conscription from all the major warzones would be transferred over to join him in the Abyss Battlefield.


    He had entered the Abyss Battlefield a total of four times and claimed three World Task rewards.


    He was so proud in his heart, proudly believing he stood at the pinnacle of human strength.


    However, when facing Alex Austin, he felt a vast gap.


    The white eagle''s Thunder God with such terrifying combat power was no match for Lu Heng.


    At that moment, his pride was trampled relentlessly underfoot.


    ...


    Lu Heng never gave Zhuo Hongjun as much as a glance from start to finish. Once he confirmed that all five enemy spies were taken care of, he crossed the river with Jian Qing to check on You ZhanYu.


    You ZhanYu had served as bait to draw out the enemy spies, and even though he had redeemed himself through his actions, he still needed to be brought back for trial.


    However, when Lu Heng found You ZhanYu, he realized that You had already knelt under the bridge piling of Jingshui Bridge and committed suicide by swallowing a gun.


    Just as he had said before, he was freed.


    In the Abyss, he had fallen from grace, embarking on an irreversible path of a Traitor.


    He had betrayed his initial beliefs, his homeland, and the glory he had once been awarded.


    He didn''t wish to continue this descent, but he had no choice.


    Death was the only choice he could make to put an end to all the sins he had committed.


    If his death could leave behind anything, it would be a warning to posterity.


    A Traitor is doomed never to be able to turn back.


    Lu Heng understood this well, but other Superpower Users of this era might not possess this awareness.


    ...


    The mission was completed; the stolen hard drives were recovered, and an ambush was set for the spies of the enemy nation.


    The only thing that made the higher-ranking Generals somewhat dissatisfied was that Lu Heng had been too heavy-handed, not leaving a single prisoner alive.


    This led to no possibility of interrogation.


    A few days later, Lu Heng received his third medal, this one being a second class merit.


    If one only considered the recovery of the hard drives and the ambush of enemy spies, earning a first class merit would have been justifiable.


    However, since Lu Heng had already received two first class merits, and this act of merit was slightly less significant compared to the previous two, he was awarded a second class merit in the end.


    It was Jian Qing again who delivered the medal.


    As she pinned the medal on Lu Heng, she remarked, "At this rate, you''ll have more medals than me soon."


    Although she also participated in the operation, she didn''t have much individual merit, so she received a collective second class merit.


    "Also, here''s the Skill Crystal Core you asked for. Plus, the rewards previously promised by the organization still stand. You can make any request at any time, anything is fine, as long as the country can accommodate it." Jian Qing opened the box and took out the "Damage Retrospection" Crystal Core, formally handing it over.


    Lu Heng, holding the Crystal Core, lifted it and said, "I didn''t mean to outshine you."


    Jian Qing waved her hand dismissively, "Do you really think I''m that petty? Besides, I am clear about this: if you hadn''t taken the Crystal Core, it wouldn''t have ended up in my hands anyway. Some things are simply meant to be."


    After delivering the medal and Crystal Core, she said her goodbyes and left.


    Lu Heng held the Crystal Core, discharged a bolt of thunder, breaking the Crystal Core down into energy and absorbing it into his body.


    A few minutes later, the Crystal Core''s energy condensed into an Energy Ball in the fifth Skill Slot.


    On the data panel, the fifth Skill "Damage Retrospection" appeared.


    He finally had five Skills filled.


    Thinking back to when he first awakened, he only had three Skill Slots, which had now grown to five¡ªa significant improvement.


    Lu Heng checked over his combat power data in an instant.


    [Name: Lu Heng]


    [Level: 28]


    [Qi-Blood: 640/640]


    [Source Energy: 650/650]


    [Attributes: Strength 64, Agility 82, Constitution 64, Spirit 65, Perception 64]


    [Talents: Agile as a Dragon, Divine Evolution, Demon Hunter]


    [Combat Rank: Shadow Swordsman (Second Transition)]


    [Source Material Ability: Shadow Traversal, Rift Slash]


    [Skill Slot Number: 5]


    [Skills: Thunderous Heavenly Prison, Shadow Clone, Windwalker, Bullet Time, Damage Retrospection]


    [Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Conception Level), Fighting (Master Level), Movement Technique (Conception Level)]


    [Vice Professions: Advanced Quenching Master, Forging Assistant]


    While checking "Shadow Clone," he noticed the Skill Proficiency had reached (4960/5000).


    The proficiency training of an A-level Skill was indeed much slower than other lower-level Skills.


    He had acquired this Skill during the first few days of the Abyss Descent, and now, after eight months, the proficiency was finally nearing completion.


    This meant that the Skill was about to be upgraded.


    Only 40 points of proficiency were needed; with dedicated training, it could be maxed out.


    However, a significant amount of Divine Energy was required for the upgrade of an A-level Skill.


    Afterward, Lu Heng tested the Skill Effect of "Damage Retrospection."


    Although Skills came with data descriptions, the real effects could only be known after testing.


    After all, some effects wouldn''t be apparent in the data.


    After testing the effect of this Skill, Lu Heng found it to be even stronger than he had anticipated, almost equivalent to 3 seconds of invincibility.


    Of course, this Skill could not defend against direct, fatal instantaneous damage.


    For instance, in a nuclear explosion, matter would be instantly incinerated, leaving no chance to retcon the damage.


    Even so, this Skill was powerful, as any damage that wasn''t an instant kill could be directly retconned. Even if he were shot by a sniper bullet, he could immediately activate the Skill and revert his body to the state before taking the damage.


    Additionally, another reason Lu Heng valued this Skill was that upon upgrading, it had the potential to develop abilities that could influence space-time.

 Chapter 254 - 208 Situation

    "After the incident of stealing Sikes Technology data ended, a few days later, a spokesperson for the White Eagle Federation issued a statement that ignited public opinion on the international web.


    The White Eagle Federation claimed that Da Xia had gained technology from the Future World, with a technological level surpassing current human technology by fifteen hundred years.


    The White Eagle Federation also specified that this technological data from the Future World was a means of technological assistance from the Sikes Civilization to human civilization, belonging to the common wealth of all humanity.


    The spokesperson of the White Eagle Federation further sternly condemned Da Xia for monopolizing this technological data and called upon all countries of the world to unite, demanding that Da Xia make this Sikes Civilization''s technological data public.


    After this statement was released, it immediately sparked a global uproar in public opinion.


    Countries around the world, especially those in the Western World, pointed their fingers directly at Da Xia, considering it a stumbling block to the development of human civilization, a sinner against human civilization.


    The White Eagle Federation also publicly stated that it would join countries around the world in issuing a threat, should Da Xia refuse to hand over the Sikes Civilization''s technological data, sanctions would be imposed.


    Human nature is a very strange thing.


    The ancient sages once said a profound proverb, ''We should worry not about scarcity but about uneven distribution.''


    And that''s the unfortunate reality.


    If all of humanity were without Cyber Technology, there wouldn''t be any clandestine struggles to snatch that technology.


    But now that Da Xia holds in its hands level 1.6 technological data of the Sikes Civilization, it instantly became the target of many.


    Countries that didn''t obtain this technological data all wanted to pounce on the cake.


    Enemy nations first sent out Superpower Users to try to snatch it, and when that failed, they immediately turned to the tools of public opinion, stirring up the world against the East.


    Because of the growing uproar in public opinion this time, many malicious incidents were triggered.


    In certain countries, there were multiple cases of harm against people of Da Xia Clan descent.


    And those offenders did not receive any punishment.


    Some states within the White Eagle Federation are even discussing legislation to ban the use of Superpowers by Da Xia Clan members.


    Because they believe that when members of the Da Xia Clan use Superpowers, it is for committing theft and other criminal acts.


    The logic of the ''thief crying thief'' was applied with pure hypocrisy.


    ...


    This morning.


    Lu Heng was invited to visit the Southern War Zone Headquarters and while at the Superpower Soldier training camp, he met Captain Li Guining, the Battle Zone Chief.


    "Welcome, welcome." As the Battle Zone Chief, Li Guining took the initiative to extend his hand and shake with Lu Heng.


    "Good day, good day." Lu Heng initially did not recognize this chief, and it was only after sitting down and hearing the introduction from Jian Qing that he learned of the other''s identity.


    The Southern War Zone Chief appeared to be in his fifties, with a somewhat honest look, neatly dressed, yet unassuming.


    Because he wasn''t in formal attire, there were no epaulettes on his shoulders. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That was the main reason Lu Heng didn''t recognize him.


    "Comrade Lu Heng, on behalf of the organization, I commend you for your contributions, and after internal discussions, the organization has decided to award you with a commendation. However, it is uncertain what you need, so the organization has decided to wait for your request. As long as it''s legal and ethical, and the state can accommodate, you can make any request." Li Guining formally, on behalf of the officials, promised this reward.


    Lu Heng had been thinking about what reward he might need.


    A Crystal Core, weapons equipment¡ªthese were all possible requests.


    But having an official promise from a Battle Zone Chief is in itself more valuable than weapons or equipment.


    Lu Heng could make this request whenever he was in need.


    And this promise, before being fulfilled, was the most valuable.


    It meant that Lu Heng could ask the nation to do something, one thing that wasn''t against morals or the law.


    The value of this promise could be boundless.


    This was the real reward for holding 1.6 level Civilization technology.


    Before, it had always been Jian Qing saying that one could make a request to the nation, but Jian Qing was only a Captain, and her promise was not as official.


    Now it was a promise by the Battle Zone Chief, which made the reward certain.


    Subsequently.


    Li Guining began to talk about the previous espionage incident, praising, "I''ve seen the report about you. Comrade Lu is truly a talent one in ten million."


    "You flatter me too much," said Lu Heng, quickly trying to show humility.


    "By the way, have you heard about some of the rumors circulating abroad these past days?" Li Guining began talking about recent events.


    The international discourse was controlled by the media mouthpieces of the White Eagle.


    The group of bandits had first sent out Power Users to try to steal, and finding that impossible, immediately began using tools of public opinion, conducting targeted smear campaigns.


    They had learned the profound proverb, ''We should worry not about scarcity but about uneven distribution.''


    If nobody had this technology, naturally there would be no dispute over it.


    But if one nation acquired this future technology, other nations that did not secure it naturally harbored resentment."


    Therefore, the opinion on the foreign networks is overwhelmingly attacking Da Xia.


    Even some domestic products of remote farming are joining the fray to criticize their own country, believing that Da Xia should make its cyber technology public, claiming that this is the normal way to promote the development of human civilization.


    Li Guining made casual conversation, "Comrade Lu, what''s your take on the current opinion outside?"


    Lu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "Just ignore it."


    Li Guining nodded slightly and asked, "Aren''t you worried that the image of our Da Xia will be damaged?"


    Lu Heng smiled and answered, "Our ancestors have long given us the answer: ''Those who are not of our race are sure to have a different heart.'' Even without this incident, do not expect Western countries to have a favorable attitude toward the people of Da Xia."


    Li Guining deeply agreed, responding, "I didn''t expect someone as young as you to have such a clear perspective, unlike some young people who, having learned a bit of foreign culture, are pontificating on the internet."


    Lu Heng had seen too much of the cruelty of the Abyss''s apocalyptic world, knowing what the true nature of those Western pirates'' descendants entailed.


    In contrast, the people living on the lands of Da Xia are hardworking and resilient, possessing the ability to gradually improve their lives through agriculture.


    Their history of prosperity is starkly different from certain other groups, which rely on plundering¡ªpure banditry.


    Ancient Da Xia had the capability to navigate the open seas, but wherever they went, the main goal was to spread civilization and exchange cultures.


    In contrast, once certain groups learned to sail, every new land they discovered was met with a bloody massacre, even cleansing the indigenous people and occupying the land.


    These descendants of bandits have cruelty and meanness written in their genes.


    Centuries ago, they used muskets and spears for plundering; centuries later, they use financial wars to do the same.


    The means they used have changed, but the essence has never varied.


    After pondering for a moment, Li Guining asked, "The current foreign opinion is very unfavorable for us, how do you think we should respond?"


    Lu Heng smiled faintly and answered, "We don''t need to bother at all. The times have changed. If they had other means, they wouldn''t resort to verbal abuse."


    Because of his memories from his rebirth, Lu Heng was well aware that the world was no longer a place where public opinion alone could sway situations.


    During peacetimes, public opinion still had some usefulness.


    But when the apocalypse descended and survival was a luxury, public opinion was a joke.


    When those countries that vilified and insulted Da Xia were beaten down by the Abyss Demons until they lost their temper, they would immediately kneel and come begging for help.


    Some groups are just that ludicrous; full of haughty directives when they believe themselves to be powerful, yet when beaten down, they can swallow their pride to beg¡ªand even when begging, they keep their necks raised, maintaining their pretense of nobility.


    Lu Heng had seen it all too many times.


    The human world was fated not to protect every nation; as the situation developed, those countries lacking in worth and scheming were inevitably heading toward destruction.


    And it was Da Xia that would become the last bastion of civilization''s spark, for it is the largest industrial nation on Blue Star, inhabited by the most diligent people of the planet.


    Lu Heng paused, then added, "I''ve observed other worlds besieged by Abyss invasions, and according to patterns of development, the living environment for humans will grow increasingly hostile. It won''t be long before those who curse us will come begging to us."


    Li Guining continued, "Then do you think we should make future technology public?"


    Lu Heng shook his head, replying, "We cannot make it public."


    Li Guining persisted, "Why?"


    He wasn''t genuinely ignorant of the answer, but wanted to hear Lu Heng''s thoughts.


    Lu Heng considered for a moment and answered, "I''ll predict the scenario development after making future technology public.


    "After future technology is made public, those Western countries would surely conduct technology research upon receiving the technical data.


    "So the question arises, which technologies will they research?


    "This Sikes Civilization''s technological data covers all industries and fields, from the most basic screw to spaceships; it''s all in the data.


    "Even if we wish to assimilate all the technology, it would be difficult to manage in a short period, and it''s even less possible for the other countries.


    "Hence, those Western countries can only selectively research a part of the technology, and that would be a small part.


    "So which technologies will they pick?


    "The answer is simple: weapons, high-powered weapons.


    "For those accustomed to bandit thinking, when confronted with the choice between farming tools and muskets and only able to choose one, they will inevitably pick the musket.


    "However, the people of Da Xia are different; many would choose the farming tools.


    "That''s the difference.


    "Once we make Sikes Technology public, the result will inevitably see those Western countries put all their energy into researching future weapons.


    "Fusion bombs, antimatter bombs¡ªanything of great destructive power will not be passed up.


    "In the end, we''ll be holding farming tools, yet having to be wary of their future-tech weapons.


    "And when their living conditions worsen, they will start considering coming to take our survival resources.


    "They may even repeat what happened centuries ago¡ªcoming over to occupy our land and seize our industrial systems."


    A hint of a smile appeared on Li Guining''s face as he further inquired, "If that''s the case, what do you think about making agricultural technology public and keeping weapons technology secret¡ªis that feasible?"


    Lu Heng shook his head again, "It''s not feasible. It''s better to be firm and keep everything hidden. If we make a portion of the technology public, those Western countries will think we are easy to talk to and will only use more despicable means to force us into making weapons technology public.


    "In short, this is an insurmountable situation, the racial characteristics determine their bandit logic, and it won''t change one bit because of our kindness."

 Chapter 255 - 209: When they start using their mouths, it means they really dont dare to take action

    During his recent conversation with Li Guining, Lu Heng initially thought they were merely having a casual chat.


    As they talked, Lu Heng believed they were discussing international situations.


    After the conversation ended, Lu Heng realized that it had actually been an ideological and moral assessment.


    Indeed, an examination of ideological and moral values.


    One could easily deduce that.


    As Battle Zone Chief of the Southern War Zone, where the staff department housed numerous strategists, Li Guining was well-versed.


    Regarding the consequences of releasing Sikes Technology information to the public.


    The staff had already run through many scenarios and had discussed various outcomes.


    Thus, it was unnecessary for a young man like Lu Heng to brief a Battle Zone Chief on the situation.


    Of course, Lu Heng''s conclusions were not based on mere speculation but stemmed from the memories of his rebirth and his understanding of the Abyss.


    Although Li Guining did not need Lu Heng to analyze the situation, he found that Lu Heng''s conclusions coincided remarkably with those of the staff.


    Even some details were more intricate in Lu Heng''s explanation.


    Because those details were not conjectured by Lu Heng, but witnessed firsthand; thus, when spoken, they sounded much more authentic.


    It was only after the chat, on his way back, that Lu Heng truly understood what that meeting had been about.


    It had indeed been an ideological and moral assessment.


    Because of Lu Heng''s formidable combat power, he had caught the attention of significant figures like Li Guining.


    Moreover, a recent betrayal by a guard captain had made the high command of all battle zones more cautious.


    An entity like Lu Heng, standing at the pinnacle among Superpower Soldiers, could have unimaginable consequences if he betrayed.


    A guard captain''s betrayal had almost resulted in the theft of crucial technological information.


    If a warrior of Lu Heng''s caliber were to betray, it wasn''t just a matter of how much was lost but the enormous harm it could cause.


    Thus, a Battle Zone Chief like Li Guining personally conducted this ideological examination.


    Throughout the conversation, which seemed to revolve around the global situation, Li Guining was actually asking one constant question, "Where does your loyalty lie?"


    For someone like Li Guining, it was unnecessary to ponder what Lu Heng had done or whom he had killed.


    He just needed to know one thing, "Do you identify with your own country?"


    That was what truly concerned Li Guining, as long as this major direction was correct, minor details were unimportant.


    It seemed that Lu Heng''s answers had satisfied him greatly.


    Thus, as he left, Lu Heng received a card with just one number on it, Li Guining''s personal number.


    It wasn''t even the adjutant''s number, but his very own personal number.


    ...


    Time gradually moved into the ninth month of the Abyss Descent.


    The fissure fog continued to expand, compressing human living space.


    Countries around the world started seeing the emergence of large Mercenary Organizations, hired to enter the fog and handle the crisis.


    As the fog-covered area continued to grow, Da Xia officially had to abandon parts of its territory, pulling back the defense lines.


    Facing Abyss invasions, it was inevitable for humans to shrink their living space and build defenses against the Demons.


    As the defense lines adjusted, some areas needed to be gradually abandoned.


    This led to the relocation or abandonment of some factories and energy buildings.


    This included several nuclear power stations, which, being outside the planned defense lines, had to be shut down.


    The reason for this situation was that nuclear power stations were often built in sparsely populated areas due to nuclear contamination issues.


    Given their remote locations, including these areas in the defense lines would greatly increase the cost of defense; hence, it was a correct choice to abandon them.


    This led to a shortage in power supply, prompting official policies to limit electricity during certain times.


    This was the inevitable result of the situation''s development, and the power shortage would become more severe.


    This was in Da Xia, which possessed unparalleled electrical technology.


    In other countries, some regions had already reverted to a time without lights.


    ...


    Although there were power supply issues, the situation in this life would be much better.


    Because Lu Heng had brought back Sikes'' technological information, which included technology on controlled nuclear fusion.


    Actually, human research on controlled nuclear fusion was in its final stages, with a few technical issues yet unsolved, but overcoming these would illuminate the entire controlled nuclear fusion technology tree.


    How important is controlled nuclear fusion technology?


    Why is this technology said to represent the first step in moving from a planetary civilization to a constant star civilization?


    The reason is simple.


    With this technology mastered, humanity would no longer have to worry about energy problems.


    This technology is so powerful that once humans have mastered it, they will have an endless supply of electricity.


    Seawater can be used to extract the materials needed for a nuclear fusion power station, and the electricity provided is several times that of a nuclear fission power station.


    More importantly, controlled nuclear fusion technology is a clean energy source.


    There are no carbon emissions and no radioactive waste pollution.


    It is highly safe and does not undergo chain reactions.


    This means that nuclear fusion power plants can be built on the outskirts of cities, unlike nuclear fission power plants which can only be constructed in remote areas.


    Now, the information on controlled nuclear fusion technology from the Sikes Civilization is in the hands of the research team at Da Xia Defense Science Academy.


    The research group has already begun to conduct technical verification experiments.


    Since the technology information was obtained from the Sikes Civilization, it is not ready to use straight away.


    The technology needs to be recreated in laboratories and its feasibility verified before it can finally be made into a product.


    Moreover, many of the technologies, tools, and materials required in these technological plans do not exist ready-made in the human world and need to be developed one by one.


    It seems that controlled nuclear fusion technology is just one technology, but to realize it, a massive industrial system is required for support.


    Fortunately, human-controlled nuclear fusion technology has already reached the final stage of research; now, it only needs the information from the Sikes technology to find solutions to the current technological challenges.


    Among them, the most critical technology is the containment solution for plasma.


    During the nuclear fusion process, the behavior of the plasma is complex and unstable.


    For instance, turbulence and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities could cause energy leakage and the failure of plasma containment.


    This is the major technological hurdle that human-controlled nuclear fusion technology needs to overcome.


    In Sikes Technology, there exists a complete solution for plasma containment.


    By optimizing the magnetic field structure and improving heating effectiveness, the control over plasma is enhanced, reducing its instability and its impact on the nuclear fusion reaction.


    Additionally, there is another technological challenge that must be addressed.


    Since controlled nuclear fusion requires temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees to sustain the nuclear fusion reaction.


    Maintaining this temperature requires a significant energy input.


    However, the energy conversion ratio of existing human technology is very low.


    In current human-controlled nuclear fusion experiments, the energy input often exceeds the energy obtained from the nuclear fusion reaction.


    An input greater than the output makes it impossible to obtain a viable energy supply.


    The controlled nuclear fusion technology information from the Sikes Civilization also includes a mature energy conversion solution that can increase the efficiency of energy conversion and more advanced energy storage technologies.


    Therefore, once this controlled nuclear fusion technology information from the Sikes Civilization is obtained, and laboratory validations are performed, it won''t be long before controlled nuclear fusion technology is mastered.


    The current frontier of human energy research is controlled nuclear fusion technology, whoever masters this technology controls an inexhaustible source of energy.


    With energy issues resolved, high-powered laser weapons, and energy supplies for electronic warfare, all energy problems are solved.


    The civilization level could even leap directly from 0.8 to 1.0, albeit other technologies from 0.8 to 1.0 levels need to follow up accordingly.


    This is why the White Eagle Federation dispatched Superpower Users to steal this technology.


    Because whoever controls controlled nuclear fusion technology will lead the future human world, unequivocally.


    A little thought makes this clear.


    What was the primary source of energy at the beginning of this century?


    The answer is oil.


    To secure oil, some major countries have repeatedly staged full military operations in the areas around the Great Food Sea to vie for oil.


    However, from an energy perspective, oil is not a superior source of energy.


    Pollution, extraction difficulties, and other factors prevent oil from being a top-tier energy source.


    Of course, oil development and utilization have created a complete industrial system allowing this black liquid to be processed into many products.


    Nevertheless, fundamentally, oil is based on its energy value.


    Each time there is a problem with oil trading, it leads to severe oil price fluctuations.


    An energy source that causes significant pollution, is hard to extract, and has a low energy conversion rate can still serve as a hard currency in the human world, directly linked to money.


    Imagine replacing it with controlled nuclear fusion technology; the reaction materials can be extracted from seawater, and the energy provided is billions of times higher than that of oil; its value cannot even be quantified.


    It can be said that any country that controls this technology at this point in time can instantly ascend to the summit of the human world, becoming akin to a divine nation.


    This technology is just that formidable.


    Understanding this, it''s clear why the White Eagle Federation is doing everything in its power to obtain this technology, even going as far as manipulating public opinion and rallying other Western countries to attack Da Xia.


    Unfortunately, times have changed. Now humans are exhausted from resisting the Abyss invasion and simply do not have the capacity to wage war on other countries, making proxy wars difficult to initiate.


    Thus, the White Eagle Federation can only engage in propaganda warfare, threatening in various ways but not daring to make a move.


    To a bully, when they are capable of plundering by force, they do not talk; when they start talking, it indicates that they truly do not dare to act.


    Quite evidently, the White Eagle Federation does not dare to engage in open warfare now.


    As for proxy wars, even if some crazed nation decides to start a hot war, with Blue Star being the first major industrial nation, it would only take a few days to teach this proxy a harsh lesson on just how terrifying a cornered rabbit can be.


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