Chapter 77: Gigantification + Rock-Solid Body = Tier 2 Combat Power!

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Gigantification + Rock-Solid Body = Tier 2 Combat Power!

"To be able to command so many spiders, it must be at least a Tier Two Blood Beast. But since we’ve already killed dozens of Blood-colored Spiders over the last few waves, there shouldn’t be too many left in the valley. I say we give it a try." Zhou Han stared intently into the depths of the valley, a hint of excitement in his tone. Having just broken through to become a Tier Two Genetic Cultivator, he had yet to properly test out his newly acquired strength and was itching for a real fight.

"Then let’s try it." Xiao Mingyue nodded, her gaze sweeping across the group before settling on Su Qing. "However, there are far too many spiderwebs in this valley. Su Qing, once we go in, burn every web you see. We need to clear them all out so our retreat doesn’t get cut off."

"Understood," Su Qing agreed. With a flip of her right hand, she condensed a Flame Spirit Butterfly in her palm. Its wings fluttered slightly, ready to take flight at a moment’s notice.

The group then marched into the valley together. Zhou Han and Tie Shan took the lead, walking side by side—one wielding a saber, the other raising a shield. Xiao Mingyue and Su Qing stayed in the middle, while Ji Zhixing brought up the rear to guard their backs. Maintaining their combat formation, the five of them quickly advanced deeper into the valley.

As they entered, the sickly sweet, metallic scent of blood in the air grew stiflingly thick, nearly suffocating them.

"Flame Spirit Butterfly!" Catching sight of a massive spiderweb blocking their path, Su Qing immediately formed another Flame Spirit Butterfly and sent it flying forward.

The moment it landed, the flames spread instantly. The webs were highly flammable, catching fire upon contact. In the blink of an eye, a massive hole was burned through as the flames traveled along the silk threads, emitting a sharp SIZZLE. Su Qing continuously released more Flame Spirit Butterflies. One web after another burned and collapsed before her, clearing a path for the team.

"SCREECH!" Deep within the valley, the spiders grew restless at the sight of the fire. Their agitated cries rose and fell, echoing off the valley walls.

Then, a louder "SCREECH!" rang out—the cry of the Tier Two Spider.

Instantly, all the other spiders fell dead silent. A heavy hush settled over the valley.

"That Tier Two is commanding them," Zhou Han whispered, his vigilant gaze scanning their surroundings.

"Do you see the Tier Two Spider?" Xiao Mingyue asked.

"No, it’s probably hiding in the back," Tie Shan replied, shaking his head and gripping his shield tightly.

"We have no choice then. Get ready for a hard fight!" Xiao Mingyue took a deep breath.

As they ventured further, a dense horde of spiders materialized before them, their blood-red eyes locked onto the intruders. The sensation of being stared down by countless pairs of eyes was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.

"Attack!" After pushing forward a bit more, Tie Shan could no longer hold back. With a mighty roar, he raised his shield and charged in with massive strides, crashing into the swarm of spiders like a wild bear.

"Kill!" Zhou Han bellowed as well, rushing forward with his saber. The blade flashed, radiating a biting chill.

The swarm instantly erupted into chaos. Seeing the humans attack, the Blood-colored Spiders scrambled forward on their eight legs, lunging at the group.

BANG!

Tie Shan’s shield smashed into a calf-sized spider, sending it flying backward. It crashed against the cliff wall, splattering blood-red bodily fluids everywhere. His defense was incredibly formidable. He was covered in an earthy-yellow glow—the Wild Bear Curse ability inherent to the Earth-Shaking Barbarian Bear gene. Combined with the giant shield in his hand, ordinary spiders couldn’t harm him at all. Even when a few managed to breach his guard and rake their claws against him, they only left shallow white marks, failing to even break his skin.

"Frost Slash!" Zhou Han wove through the valley with astonishing speed. He had fused with the Frost Giant Wolf gene, making agility his greatest asset. With every swing of his blade, a spider was slain. Wherever his saber’s gleam passed, the spiders were sliced in two, their wounds coated in a thin layer of frost. His attacks were fiercely lethal; nearly every strike was a guaranteed kill, and no spider could withstand a second blow.

Ji Zhixing did not rush into the fray. He stayed close to Xiao Mingyue and Su Qing, intercepting all the spiders that attempted to ambush them from the flanks. His movements were clean and efficient, every strike of his rod landing precisely on a spider’s vital spot.

Su Qing stood beside Xiao Mingyue, her hands weaving continuous motions. Flame Spirit Butterflies flew out from her palms, fluttering toward the spider swarm. The moment they landed, fire rapidly engulfed the spiders, making them screech in agony. Her Flame Spirit Butterflies naturally countered these creatures; almost every single one could claim a spider’s life.

This time, Xiao Mingyue did not utilize the power of wind. Stretching out her hand, she surprisingly materialized Flame Spirit Birds, which flapped their wings and dove into the swarm. The might of these Flame Spirit Birds surpassed that of Su Qing’s butterflies, their flapping wings conjuring waves of scorching heat.

Ji Zhixing glanced at Xiao Mingyue. "I wonder if that’s her own gene’s ability, or the power of refined Genetic Equipment," he thought. Retracting his gaze, he refocused on the battle at hand.

"SCREECH!"

As the body count rose, the hidden Tier Two Spider finally lost its patience. Accompanied by an ear-piercing shriek, a massive spider slowly emerged from the depths of the valley. Its legs were a full two to three meters long, and when splayed out, its frame dwarfed any spider they had encountered thus far. Its eight blood-red eyes locked onto the group, brimming with tyrannical fury.

"It’s the Tier Two Blood-colored Spider!" Zhou Han’s eyes lit up, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Speed up! Kill as many of the other spiders as you can first!" Xiao Mingyue ordered immediately.

Hearing this, the team promptly accelerated their slaughter of the remaining Blood-colored Spiders. They weren’t afraid of this beast showing itself; they were afraid of it staying hidden. A Tier Two Blood Beast lurking in the shadows posed far too great a threat, forcing them to remain on constant guard against sneak attacks.

"SCREECH!"

But just then, another spider’s cry rang out. The sound was nearly identical to the first—just as deep, just as imposing. In the next moment, another spider of the exact same colossal size crawled out from the depths of the valley.

A second one!

"There’s another one?" Everyone’s expressions changed. They could handle a single Tier Two Spider, but two might be troublesome. Still, having fought their way this far, none of them were willing to back down without giving it their all.

"We can’t drag this out! Go all out!" Zhou Han roared. His speed surged even higher as he zipped through the valley, his flashing saber claiming a spider’s life with every strike.

Tie Shan erupted as well, violently bashing with his shield to send one spider after another flying. Su Qing and Xiao Mingyue accelerated their release of flames. The Flame Spirit Butterflies and Flame Spirit Birds intertwined, forming a sea of fire that forced the spider swarm to retreat step by step.

"Everyone, clear the way!" Ji Zhixing took a deep breath, expanding his chest. He knew there was no point in hiding his true strength any longer.

"Gigantification!" With a thought, he resonated with his Staff Soldier Stone Monkey gene. He channeled his genetic source power, allowing it to surge through his body according to the Gigantification technique’s circulation path. A strange power poured out from his gene nodes, instantly spreading to his limbs and bones.

His body began to grow. One point eight three meters, two meters, two point two, two point five, two point seven!

Infused with source power, the Tide Listening Rod in his hands also grew rapidly. It expanded from over two meters to over three meters long. As thick as a bowl, it exuded a heavy, oppressive aura.

"Boulder Physique!" Ji Zhixing’s mind moved again. A grayish-white cuticle surfaced from beneath his skin, covering his entire body like a suit of rock armor. His muscles tightened like iron, his tendons pulled taut like bowstrings, and his bones hardened like steel. The Golden Chapter blossomed with golden light, dyeing his clothes in a golden hue that expanded alongside his body and clung tightly to him.

"This guy..." Su Qing gaped from the sidelines, utterly stunned by Ji Zhixing’s transformation.

"Kill!" Ignoring the others, Ji Zhixing gripped the three-meter-long Tide Listening Rod and took massive strides forward. Like a titan, he charged straight into the swarm.

"Sweeping Thousands!" He swung the long rod in a wide arc, generating a visible ring of white shockwaves. As the massive, three-meter rod swept past, seven or eight spiders were simultaneously launched into the air. They slammed into the distant cliff wall with dull, resounding THUDS.

"Kill!" Ji Zhixing bellowed again.

As he simultaneously triggered Gigantification and Boulder Physique, his will seemingly resonated with the will of the Staff Soldier Stone Monkey. That indomitable, invincible resolve to shatter armies surged and boiled within his heart. His eyes turned slightly red, as if flames were dancing within his pupils.

"Shattering Void!" The long rod crashed down, directly smashing a millstone-sized spider into bloody pulp.

"Thunder Strike!" The rod thrust forward, impaling two spiders and pinning them to the ground.

With every strike, multiple spiders perished. This crushing, destructive power and peerless momentum forced even Zhou Han and Tie Shan at the front to cast sidelong glances in awe.

"Is this guy... really a Cultivator who fused with a Tier Two gene?" Zhou Han stared at Ji Zhixing in astonishment. The combat prowess Ji Zhixing was currently unleashing felt as though it had already surpassed Zhou Han’s own strength before his breakthrough to Tier Two.

"SCREECH!"

Seeing Ji Zhixing slaughtering its kin so mercilessly, one of the Tier Two Blood-colored Spiders immediately abandoned its original target. Its eight legs scrambled rapidly as it charged toward him. Its speed was incredible; with its legs alternating in a blur, it resembled a streak of dark red lightning. Stopping right in front of Ji Zhixing, it reared up on its front two legs and viciously stabbed them toward him like a pair of long spears.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Ji Zhixing immediately executed the Boulder Rod Technique. His long rod danced through the air, deflecting the thrusting spider legs one by one. The collisions between rod and legs rang out with the crisp sound of clashing metal, sending strings of sparks flying.

"So strong!" Ji Zhixing drew a sharp breath.

The strength of this Tier Two Blood-colored Spider was terrifying. Its two front legs were like long spears, stabbing and retracting with astonishing speed. Furthermore, the angles of its strikes were incredibly tricky, making them nearly impossible to defend against.

Not daring to be careless, he pushed the Boulder Rod Technique to its limits, perfecting his defense. The Tide Listening Rod transformed into layers of barriers in his hands, completely blocking the incoming strikes. Though he was outmatched, he could just barely hold his ground.

At this moment, with the combined buffs of Gigantification and Boulder Physique, he incredibly displayed the combat power of a Tier Two!