Chapter 500: Strength Skyrockets

Chapter 500: Chapter 24: Strength Skyrockets

Becoming citizens of the Alliance Country guaranteed them protection for the rest of their lives. They were far luckier than many scavengers at the gathering points.

For the former residents of Fortress Mountain City, such a life had existed almost exclusively in their fantasies.

“Are you still going to continue investigating the Moray Country matter?” Raccoon Cat suddenly asked, snapping back to reality as he watched the scene. “The Alliance Country is now the undisputed hegemon of Earth Star. The nations of the old era have long been destroyed, reduced to relics of the past. Why continue clinging to it?”

Penelope did not answer immediately. She gazed silently at the scene outside—a family of three smiling happily in the square. A myriad of emotions surfaced in her complex gaze.

“I still don’t want to give up.” Her voice was soft, yet unwavering.

Her parents, her homeland, her everything—it had all been reduced to ashes with the destruction of the Moray Country. The truth was the only thing she had left to hold onto.

Raccoon Cat remained silent for a few breaths before shaking his head helplessly. “Well, it seems I’ll have to keep bustling about then.”

WHOOSH!!

The autumn wind blew past the window in front of them.

A black cat lying by the window of a distant building gently swished its slender tail. Its ruby-like beastly eyes flickered slightly; it seemed to be watching Penelope and Raccoon Cat, having overheard their conversation through some unknown means. Unbothered, it stretched lazily and turned its gaze to the room behind it.

EXHALE!!

INHALE!!!

Heavy breathing sounds, akin to a whale’s intake of water, rang out intermittently, as though some colossal creature was present.

Looking closer, one could see Lu Chao standing bare-chested. His legs were spread apart, firmly rooted into the concrete floor like ancient tree roots. Wisps of misty currents swirled around him, resembling both the airflow generated by his deep breaths and the searing steam exhaled by his opening and closing pores.

Furthermore…

THUMP THUMP.

THUMP THUMP!

A robust heartbeat, as resounding as a war drum, emanated from within his body. It was accompanied by the rushing sound of his vitality and blood, which echoed and SPLASHED like a surging river.

This was merely a routine cultivation session. Yet even so, it would be enough to leave any ordinary Superpower Level expert secretly astounded.

His muscles and tendons seemed to have a life of their own, writhing slowly to temper his entire body. Every inch of his musculature resembled a thousand-tempered alloy—sharply defined, yet radiating a raw, primal wildness.

“It’s still not enough.” His gaze sharpening, Lu Chao abruptly opened his eyes.

As if understanding his intent, the Ghost Elemental Beast by the window narrowed its eyes. Its invisible Spiritual Power interfered with reality, instantly bringing a bottle of Life Essence from the table right over to him.

POP!

The bottle cap twisted off into thin air, immediately followed by a GLUG GLUG sound of swallowing. Lu Chao had consumed another bottle of Life Essence.

The violent medicinal efficacy rapidly dispersed. Fully broken down by his Plunder Growth, the energy followed the rhythm of his breathing and was guided into his limbs and bones.

The energy drained by practicing Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow was replenished at this exact moment. He even absorbed surplus nutrients, allowing him to continue pushing his stamina to the absolute limit to temper his body.

Time passed, minute by minute.

His pores seemed to have birthed a consciousness of their own, breathing autonomously, while his skin and muscles vibrated at high speeds. Finally…

HUM!

An invisible barrier was forcefully shattered. Lu Chao could clearly feel himself shaking the bottleneck of Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow. Immediately after…

CRACKLE! POP!

Sounds akin to popping beans echoed from within his body, as though he was undergoing a brand-new physical metamorphosis that breathed new life into every inch of his muscles.

Lu Chao’s eyes gleamed with brilliant intensity. The mist of sweat surrounding his body suddenly shuddered.

WHOOSH!

BOOM!!

The sweat vapor exploded, forcefully expelled from the countless pores across his body! At this moment, formless power manifested as a tangible shockwave that violently disrupted the surrounding space, causing the entire building to quake and sway.

“Success!” Lu Chao’s eyes shone brightly; he could clearly feel the profound changes within himself. He subsequently pulled up his status panel.

[Life Energy: 225 → 236!]

It had been a month. In nearly a month’s time, he had raised his Life Energy by a whopping eleven points. If it were anyone else, they would find this utterly inconceivable—because no one at the Exploration Level had ever achieved such an astronomical rate of Life Energy development.

However, his gaze shifted downward to the next column.

[Potential Progress: 71%!]

His Potential Progress had skyrocketed, jumping by more than double.

Almost everything from Lu Weilong’s treasury—the Beast King Bone Core, energy ores, Superpower Spirit Plants, and the like—had been refined into Life Essence over the past month. These served as his most abundant source of energy replenishment. What’s more…

CRACK!

Lu Chao clenched his fists, vividly sensing the comprehensive enhancement of his physique. The forced improvement brought on by nutrient intake was only one aspect. Even more crucial was his daily, unwavering Martial Arts cultivation. And, of course, the new breakthrough in his Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow!

“The Locking Power realm…” Lu Chao carefully attuned himself to the subtle changes within his body. These stemmed from the profound cultivation secrets of Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow, as well as the sudden epiphany of his breakthrough. His physique had been elevated across the board; his strength, speed, and physical toughness had nearly doubled.

On top of that…

“Overlapping Power.”

HUM!

Lu Chao’s body jolted, and the surrounding air erupted with a sharp burst. Looking closer, one could see his muscles vibrating on a microscopic level. Every inch of his flesh and meridians had been revitalized, brimming with elevated vitality. He could unleash immense power with a mere thought. Outwardly, there didn’t seem to be much of a change. However…

[2nd Floor: Locking Power. No matter how devastating a close-quarters physical blow is, you can lock a portion of the kinetic force within your body, temporarily storing it within your muscle groups to unleash as an Overlapping Power counterattack!]

The essence of this high-tier Martial Arts hard body skill flashed through his mind. Lu Chao was certain that if he suffered a heavy physical blow in close-quarters combat, he could absolutely retain a portion of its kinetic impact. He could temporarily lock it within his muscle groups, effectively converting it into his own strength.

Following that, he could condense this stored force into a single point, folding it into every punch and kick of his counterattack. This would amplify his own strength, unleashing an even more devastating rebound strike. Alternatively, he could disperse the force throughout his musculature and forcefully expel it outward, creating a shockwave to blast away any enemies in his immediate vicinity.

“This actually operates quite similarly to a Qi Explosion skill,” Lu Chao realized, his gaze sharpening as the realization dawned on him.

The Qi Explosion skill was an exceedingly profound Qi Manipulation Skill. Only by comprehending its essence could one truly shatter the upper limit of 240 Life Energy points and break through to the Superpower Third Level. In a sense, he had prematurely gained access to a unique trait characteristic of the Transcendence Level. He had even forced his way into this echelon purely through his physical prowess.

Nodding inwardly, he thought, “Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow is indeed worthy of its status as a high-tier hard body skill. It truly lives up to its reputation as a Martial Arts legacy left behind by Robert, the greatest of the Starry Sky Heroes.”

However…

“There are still some key differences between the two.” As Lu Chao gradually adapted to this newly acquired power, he quickly identified its distinctions from the Qi Explosion skill.

Qi Explosion relied on compressing and releasing one’s Qi Flame, forcefully ejecting it from the skin’s pores to generate a terrifying atmospheric shockwave. It could be actively unleashed anytime, anywhere. Conversely, an Overlapping Power counterattack required one to first absorb the kinetic impact of an opponent, temporarily storing it within the muscles before condensing and detonating it.

Lu Chao’s eyes flickered as he gained a deeper understanding of its underlying mysteries. He wasn’t disappointed in the slightest. While the Overlapping Power counterattack appeared passive, it didn’t require any additional expenditure of his own stamina. That was its true, unique advantage. In fact, it complemented his Barbarian talent perfectly, ensuring he would only grow stronger as a battle dragged on.

Moreover…

“Although there are distinct differences between the two,” he murmured, clenching his fists as he looked up at the Ghost Element perched by the window, “some of their underlying mechanics actually share a common ground…”

Meeting its ruby-red eyes, Lu Chao broke into a confident smile.

“If I can extrapolate and integrate the insights from this technique, wouldn’t I be able to master a genuine Qi Explosion?” he thought.

“Furthermore… what if I use this as my foundation?

“I could elevate my Qi Manipulation Skill to an entirely new echelon, thereby shattering my current life limits and vaulting directly into the Transcendence Level!”