Chapter 544 Another Breakthrough in Visualization, Strength Surges!

CRUNCH!

CRUNCH!

The chewing sounds echoed as the medicine crystals were crushed between his teeth. Lu Chao swallowed two Super Energy Medicine Crystals in a row. They quickly dissolved into a warm energy that settled in his stomach.

A violent medicinal power, entirely different from Life Essence, surged through his body. Before long, it was broken down and restructured by [Plundering Growth]. Guided by his Martial Arts breathing techniques, the energy scattered and flooded into every fiber of his being.

WHOOSH.

INHALE!

Lu Chao practiced his breathing techniques once more, a flowing Qi Flame manifesting around his body.

The Ten Thousand Spirits Martial Arts Skill and the Ten Thousand Jins Return Flow circulated in succession, guiding and absorbing every last trace of the medicinal power. For a time, his muscles and veins sent out signals of intense hunger. They seemed to come alive, ruthlessly plundering all the nutrients.

Finally, with a loud exhale, Lu Chao opened his eyes and let out a breath of stale air. The white mist shot several meters outward before dissipating.

[Life Energy: 255 → 258!]

[Potential Progress: 32% → 47%]

A holographic panel appeared, and Lu Chao glanced at the data.

“The effects are quite good,” he muttered. He was slightly surprised by the three-point increase and the massive jump in his Potential Progress. After all, at his current stage, he needed to consume at least two Basic Nutritional Potions just to raise his Life Energy by a single point.

“It’s an Excellent-grade basic resource, after all,” he calculated silently. “The energy yield is at least three or four times stronger than ordinary basic resources. That being the case, I should gather and exchange for more of these related materials later on.”

With the 100,000 contribution points he currently held, he could easily exchange them for military supplies. By then, he would have enough materials to craft two or three more Super Energy Medicine Crystals, allowing him to experience another significant boost in strength—perhaps even breaking through the veteran Transcendence Level entirely.

With that thought in mind, Lu Chao dropped his combat stance and ended his cultivation session. He walked over to an iron chest in the corner of the room. Looking down, he saw three head-sized, diamond-faceted crystals that were smooth and oval in shape. They emitted a faint, sky-blue glow.

After much consideration, he decided to keep these Elemental Magic Crystal Stones. Although they were of no use to him right now, they might prove valuable in the future.

He then shifted his gaze to another item. Inside an open silver briefcase lay two vials of [Biological Anti-Toxin Serum]. There had originally been three, but he had already injected one into his body on the day he returned.

Thanks to that, Lu Chao could clearly feel that he had developed a high resistance to Superpower Level toxins, biochemical viruses, and the like. Even the blood-poison mist he had refined himself could hardly harm him anymore.

“I can hand one of the remaining two vials over to Yao Capital,” he pondered. “The last one I’ll keep to see if its specific components can be analyzed to reverse-engineer the formula for the anti-toxin serum.”

Having made up his mind, Lu Chao finally looked at the last item sitting beside the briefcase.

It was a black token, no larger than a palm. Its surface was covered in rust, but the motif of a black flame was still clearly visible. Over the past few days, he had picked it up and examined it over and over again. Aside from discovering that it was made of an exceptionally durable material, he hadn’t found anything special about it.

However…

BUZZ! BUZZ!

His communication watch suddenly vibrated.

[Mr. Ji].

Seeing the caller ID, Lu Chao’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he answered the call. A blue holographic screen projected outward, floating in mid-air.

The image showed Ji Lixian, still dressed in his signature black Platinum-Ray suit. His hair was meticulously parted to the side, and his expression was as calm as ever. He seemed to be standing on a rooftop; behind him stretched a backdrop of blue skies and white clouds, with the towering skyscrapers of the Radiant Capital City Circle looming faintly in the distance.

“Mr. Ji.”

“Lu Chao.” Ji Lixian nodded gently, offering a peaceful smile. “I’ve received the report regarding the sinkhole.

“You did the right thing. If you hadn’t taken the initiative to infiltrate it, we might have completely missed this ruin. As for the three giant lizard puppets and the things beneath the glass corridor… I’m afraid there are deeper issues involved there.”

Lu Chao nodded. He wasn’t surprised that the man knew about this. There had been many members of the Superpower Bureau who had infiltrated the ruins alongside him. They knew the details and had witnessed those events as well, so after leaving the sinkhole, he had simply reported everything to Ji Lixian.

“I’ve already sent people to investigate matters from the Old Era, especially regarding Moray Country’s biochemical experiments,” Ji Lixian continued. “Even though that sinkhole collapsed, it wasn’t Moray Country’s only experimental base from that time. If we follow the clues and dig deeper, we might be able to uncover something.”

Hearing this, Lu Chao silently agreed; he was quite curious about the secrets hidden within as well.

“However…” Ji Lixian suddenly glanced at the black token in Lu Chao’s hand, his expression turning noticeably more serious. “Keep that token safe, and don’t show it to others easily.

“The implications behind it run deep. If my guess is correct, it likely belongs to another faction from the Starry Sky.”

Oh?

Lu Chao raised an eyebrow, subconsciously tightening his grip on the black token. His suspicions were right on the mark—that ruin really was connected to factions from the Starry Sky.

“But,” Lu Chao asked, “isn’t this an artifact of the Klar Civilization?”

“Yes.” Ji Lixian’s voice lowered a fraction as he deliberately explained, “The Starry Sky is vast, and its civilizations are countless. Even the Klar Civilization is but one among them. Regardless, proceed with caution.”

“I understand.”

Lu Chao didn’t press the matter further. He understood Ji Lixian’s personality well enough; if the man didn’t elaborate, it meant it wasn’t the right time for him to know.

“There’s one more thing,” Ji Lixian said, shifting the topic. “The coalition forces of the Five Major Enterprises have already mobilized. Their vanguard unit will arrive at your location to rest and regroup first. When that time comes…” He gave Lu Chao a deeply meaningful look. “Use your own discretion.”

Lu Chao’s heart skipped a beat.

Use his own discretion?

Ji Lixian knew about his feud with Biotechnology. In other words… Han Feng would be coming to the Northern Territory too?

“I understand,” he replied.