Chapter 85: Cultivation Breakthrough

Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Cultivation Breakthrough

"Thank you." Su Qing smiled brightly. The feeling of breaking through to Tier Two was even better than she had imagined. Not only had her gene abilities grown stronger, but the genetic source power within her body had also multiplied in depth and density.

After testing out her newly enhanced strength, Su Qing sat down with the rest of the group. They ate while discussing their plans for the day. Once they finished, she looked at Xiao Mingyue sitting beside her and asked out of sudden curiosity, "Ming Yue, you’re also a student in the elite class, so the gene you fused with must be at the Tier Three level. Given your background and wealth, are you truly not a Tier Two Gene Cultivator yet?"

"No, I’m not," Xiao Mingyue replied, shaking her head with a flat tone. "The gene I fused with is somewhat special. It might take some more time before I can break through."

After speaking, she sighed inwardly, wondering why she had been so impulsive. Now, if she wanted to break through to Tier Two, she might have to wait until after this secret realm expedition ended—or maybe even longer.

Seeing that Xiao Mingyue was reluctant to say more, Su Qing tactfully dropped the subject.

"Let’s go. We should head back to the Underground Blood River and take another look." Zhou Han stood up, his gaze turning toward the direction of Spider Valley. "Now that Su Qing has broken through, our combined strength should be enough to give it another try."

"Right," Su Qing nodded in agreement. "Today, we’ll try to kill a few more Blood Beasts so Ji Zhixing can refine them. We need to keep Gu Zheng firmly suppressed beneath us on the rankings."

"Then let’s move out!"

The five of them quickly packed up their tents, left the cliff, and made their way toward Spider Valley.

On the way, Xiao Mingyue walked alongside Ji Zhixing. She suddenly tilted her head and asked, "How much longer do you think you’ll need to break through to Tier Two?"

"Hard to say, but it shouldn’t take too long," Ji Zhixing replied after a moment of thought.

"I don’t think it’ll take long either," Zhou Han chimed in with a laugh from the side. "With the haul Ji Zhixing has gathered in this secret realm, once we get back and he exchanges it for some cultivation-assisting potions, it definitely won’t be long before he breaks through."

Tie Shan also nodded in agreement.

"Ji Zhixing fused with a Tier Two gene, so he’ll probably encounter a bottleneck when trying to break through," Su Qing added. "However, even with a bottleneck, a Tier One Gene Cultivator can usually grind their way to Tier Two in a month or two. It won’t hold him back for too long."

A month or two? Xiao Mingyue sighed inwardly once again upon hearing this.

Ji Zhixing merely smiled and didn’t say anything else. Deep down, however, he estimated that he would most likely break through today.

He thought to himself, "I might just need to refine one or two more bottles of source power gene potions, or maybe the stimulation of a single battle will be enough for me to break through to Tier Two. But there’s no need to mention that to them. After all, if I end up failing to break through, it would be far too embarrassing. It’ll just make me look like I enjoy bragging. It’s better to wait until after I actually succeed before saying anything."

The group pressed forward, casually dispatching any isolated Blood Beasts they encountered along the way. None of them laid claim to the corpses of these lone creatures; instead, they handed all of them over to Ji Zhixing for refinement.

Soon, they arrived in the depths of Spider Valley. Once there, Ji Zhixing glanced at Xiao Mingyue beside him. Compared to yesterday, she seemed unusually quiet today. She wasn’t asking him whether a Blood Crystal had dropped after every kill like she usually did. However, everyone had their own secrets, so he didn’t press her on the matter.

"Everything seems normal," Tie Shan said after scanning their surroundings. He took the lead, marching deeper into the Spider Cave. Ji Zhixing and the others followed closely behind.

It didn’t take long before they heard the sound of flowing water and arrived in front of the Blood River within the subterranean space. Numerous Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles were bobbing on the surface of the river. Their numbers appeared to have decreased significantly compared to yesterday, but there were still several dozen of them.

"Let’s use the old method and see if these Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles have learned their lesson," Tie Shan said. He picked up a rock from the ground, took aim at the nearest beast, and hurled it with vicious force.

"ROAR!"

The struck crocodile let out a furious bellow. Immediately, the other Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles floating in the river raised their heads, their blood-red eyes locking onto the shore.

Right after, an even louder roar echoed from the depths of the Blood River. The Single-Horned Blood Crocodile from yesterday—the one suspected to be at the peak of Tier Two—made its appearance. It slowly rose from the water, its massive single horn as sharp as a spear. Beside it swam the other Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile that the group had beaten back the day before.

Led by these two Tier Two beasts, the rest of the pack slowly swam toward the shore. Their speed was unhurried, but with the peak Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile at the vanguard, they exuded a far more imposing aura than they had yesterday.

"Fall back!" Xiao Mingyue ordered in a low voice. "We’ll return to yesterday’s position and see if they pursue us. If they don’t, we’ll try engaging them here!"

"Understood!" The group acknowledged the plan and began a slow retreat.

Seeing them back away, the Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles stopped the moment they reached the riverbank.

"They really didn’t chase us," someone noted as the group halted and exchanged glances.

"Looks like we’ll have to force a fight!" Zhou Han tightened his grip on his long saber.

"I’m ready!" Tie Shan rumbled, raising his shield high.

The group slowly advanced, closing the distance between themselves and the crocodiles. One step, two steps, three steps... They drew nearer and nearer.

"ROAR!"

Once the two sides reached a certain proximity, the Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles sprang into action. Under the commanding roar of the largest beast, dozens of crocodiles charged madly at the group. The ground RUMBLED beneath their stamping feet as clouds of dust billowed into the air.

"Flame Spirit Butterflies!"

Su Qing threw her hands forward. Instantly, dozens of Flame Spirit Butterflies burst from her palms, fluttering their wings as they flew straight toward the largest Single-Horned Blood Crocodile. These butterflies were a full size larger than the ones she had summoned yesterday. The flames dancing on their wings burned even more fiercely, radiating a scorching heat.

"ROAR!"

The giant Single-Horned Blood Crocodile unleashed a deafening bellow. A terrifying shockwave of sound blasted from its maw, sweeping forward like a physical wall of force. Wherever the shockwave passed, the majority of the Flame Spirit Butterflies were shattered instantly, dissipating into showers of sparks that vanished into the air.

The few surviving butterflies managed to land on its body. A bloody light flashed across the crocodile’s scales as a dark red barrier materialized, blocking the remaining butterflies. The flames burned furiously against the shield, emitting sharp SIZZLING noises, and the barrier began to thin at a visible rate.

"It’s so strong!" Su Qing’s expression changed slightly. The power of her Flame Spirit Butterflies had increased tremendously after breaking through to Tier Two, yet they were still effortlessly neutralized by this giant crocodile.

"I’ll hold it back!" Tie Shan charged forward with his shield raised, bracing himself for a direct collision with the largest Single-Horned Blood Crocodile.

BANG!

The shield and the crocodile’s head slammed together with a heavy, muffled crash. The colossal beast merely paused for a brief second, while Tie Shan was violently knocked back four or five steps. The webbing between his thumb and index finger went numb, and he nearly lost his grip on the shield.

"What incredible strength!" Tie Shan marveled in shock.

"Plan Two!" Ji Zhixing shouted. He abruptly activated his gigantification ability. His body shot upward, instantly swelling to a towering height of 2.7 meters. Simultaneously, he triggered his Firm Rock Physique, covering his entire body in a layer of grayish-white keratinous armor. Raising his three-meter-long Tide Listening Rod, he took great strides toward the smaller Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile lagging slightly behind the pack leader.

Their original plan had been to see if they could take down the largest crocodile right out of the gate. Given the current situation, however, that seemed highly unlikely. Therefore, their only alternative was to kill the other Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles first to whittle down the enemy’s fighting forces.

"ROAR!"

Upon seeing Ji Zhixing charging at it, the slightly smaller Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile immediately recalled the vicious clubbing it had suffered at his hands yesterday. It let out a wrathful bellow and lunged into the fray against him.

"Flame Spirit Butterflies!"

"Extreme Cold Frost Slash!"

At that exact moment, Su Qing and Zhou Han also made their moves. Both unleashed their strongest attacks in unison, targeting this Tier Two beast. Dozens of Flame Spirit Butterflies descended from above, landing on the crocodile and detonating in fiery blasts that left its scale armor SIZZLING. From the opposite flank, Zhou Han’s Extreme Cold Frost Slash swept in, its blade aura carrying a bone-piercing chill as it aimed straight for the creature’s neck.

The Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile had not anticipated being focused by three attackers simultaneously. Panicking, it tried to scramble backward.

"I am invincible!"

Ji Zhixing was fully prepared for this. The moment it retreated, he surged forward with his rod and brought it crashing down, sending the beast staggering. In the very next second, Zhou Han’s attack landed. With a single brutal slash, the crocodile was slain on the spot.

"Got it!"

Ji Zhixing breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly retracted the Tide Listening Rod and spun around to assist Tie Shan.

By this point, Tie Shan was in dire straits. Although he had his shield and managed to block the massive crocodile’s attacks several times, the sheer force of every collision had sent him reeling backward. A trickle of blood was already leaking from the corner of his mouth, indicating that he had suffered internal injuries.

Furthermore, during this brief exchange, the remaining Tier One Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles had swarmed forward. Dozens of them surged in like a relentless tide, a force Xiao Mingyue couldn’t possibly hold back on her own.

Fortunately, the decapitation strike executed by Ji Zhixing and the other two had been swift. The moment the lesser Tier Two beast fell, they immediately pivoted to reinforce their teammates.

"Sweeping A Thousand Armies!"

Ji Zhixing swung his rod in a wide horizontal arc. The three-meter-long weapon howled through the air, sending several Tier One Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles flying with shattered bones and snapped tendons.

"Flame Spirit Butterflies!"

Su Qing unleashed her butterflies and hurled them toward the Tier One creatures. The massive swarm of glowing insects landed on the crocodiles, triggering explosive blasts of fire. Chaos instantly erupted among the low-tier beasts; some rolled frantically on the ground to put out the flames, while others turned tail and fled.

"Kill!"

After Ji Zhixing’s sweeping strike relieved the pressure on Xiao Mingyue, he and Zhou Han immediately sprinted to Tie Shan’s side, joining forces with him to block the massive Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile.

"Thank God you’re here!" Tie Shan exhaled sharply, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Attack together!"

The trio launched a coordinated assault against the colossal crocodile. The giant beast was undeniably powerful, but under the seamless teamwork of the three cultivators, it was finally forced onto the defensive.

On the other side, with Su Qing’s fire support, the remaining Tier One Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles were no longer a threat. Under the bombardment of her Flame Spirit Butterflies, any beast that dared to charge forward was instantly set ablaze by the exponentially stronger flames. Although the fiery insects couldn’t kill the crocodiles outright, the agonizing pain of the burning flames proved too much for them to endure. Forced to retreat in disgrace, they didn’t dare advance any further.

"Focus your fire!"

Seeing that the Tier One creatures were cowed, Xiao Mingyue and Su Qing exchanged a glance. Without hesitation, they condensed their Flame Spirit Birds and Flame Spirit Butterflies respectively, directing the barrage at the gargantuan Tier Two Single-Horned Blood Crocodile.

Dozens of fiery birds and butterflies dove from two different angles, crashing into the giant beast’s body. The ensuing detonations scorched its scale armor pitch-black, drawing a shrill, agonizing shriek from the creature. Already fighting a losing battle, the searing flames caused the beast to panic entirely, exposing a fatal flaw in its defense.

Zhou Han’s eyes were sharp, and his hands were fast. In a flash, he closed the distance and drove his saber into the crocodile’s neck. The fierce blade aura carved open a massive gash, sending torrents of blood spraying into the air.

"Thunderclap!"

Seizing the opening, Ji Zhixing unleashed his Thunderclap stance. Treating the long rod like a spear, he thrust it with pinpoint precision straight into the giant crocodile’s eye. The weapon pierced all the way through, emerging from the other side of its skull.

"ROAR!"

The giant crocodile let out a final, despairing roar before crashing heavily to the ground. Seeing their leader dead, the remaining Single-Horned Blood Crocodiles instantly lost the will to fight and scrambled madly back toward the Blood River. Ji Zhixing and the others gave chase for a short distance, driving the entire pack back into the water before finally coming to a halt.

"PHEW!"

With the battle over, Ji Zhixing exhaled a long breath and deactivated his gigantification, his body shrinking back to its normal size. He leaned heavily on his Tide Listening Rod, gasping for air, his forehead slick with sweat.

"We finally killed this Single-Horned Blood Crocodile!" Zhou Han walked up to the largest corpse and gave it a light kick, feeling a surge of immense satisfaction.

"A peak Tier Two beast... We actually managed to kill it." Tie Shan sat down on a nearby rock, panting heavily. The blood at the corner of his mouth was still unwiped.

Su Qing was also thoroughly exhausted. She rested her hands on her knees, her complexion looking a bit pale.

"Zhixing, it’s your turn. Refine this Single-Horned Blood Crocodile and see if anything good drops." Zhou Han turned his head to look at him. However, right after he spoke, he noticed that Ji Zhixing wasn’t moving.

Ji Zhixing stood frozen in place. For some unknown reason, his eyes had slowly drifted shut.

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Han asked, momentarily stunned and confused. But in the next second, he realized something was different.

The aura radiating from Ji Zhixing’s body was changing, steadily rising bit by bit.

"Is he... breaking through?"

*(Author’s Note: Seven Chapters and twenty-two thousand words. Thank you for following the story, I bow to you all in gratitude.)*