Chapter 172: The Mage's Overpowered Build, The Warrior's Raw Stats!

The sudden emergence of a hulking giant caused Qin Shi's attack to hesitate.

He slowly released the bowstring, doubts rising in his heart:

"This guy's got guts! Swinging a hammer straight away — is he planning to smash an evolution-stage leader-level Iron Rust Beast to death?!"

As Qin Shi's thoughts flickered, that towering figure, carrying the momentum of wind and thunder with the weight of ten thousand jun, fiercely charged toward the leader-level beast guarded by the herd.

Thud!

Like a high-yield artillery shell detonating, the Iron Rust Beast herd bore the brunt first!

The dozen or so nearest Iron Rust Beasts were instantly shattered by the shockwave, turning into large patches of mangled flesh and blood!

High heat radiated, spreading in an instant; blazing flames surged several meters high, scorching the cliff rocks until they crackled and popped!

"As expected, an evolution-stage energy barrier isn't that easy to break."

Qin Shi looked down from above, his view broad, seeing very clearly.

That fierce, hulking giant wielding a heavy hammer pressed down from the sky; the terrifying kinetic energy accumulated did not shatter the barrier.

"If it were me, having broken through the Tendon Gate and Bone Gate — the two Great Limits — I probably wouldn't be hurt by the recoil force."

Qin Shi watched leisurely from the sidelines; this hammer strike came so ferociously, he wondered what the giant's physical body was like, whether he could withstand it.

Crack, crack, the dry ground shattered, billowing clouds of dust rising.

The hulking giant staggered back several heavy steps; his arms thick as pillars were instantly torn open with several wounds.

But the next moment, that great hammer rippled with blood light, enveloping his whole body.

The damage caused by the recoil force vanished in a moment.

"This guy's opened 【something】 too?"

Qin Shi was secretly startled, his eyes fixed tightly on the giant's heavy hammer.

This thing is immensely heavy, at least several hundred kilograms; its surface is covered in vein-like dark red patterns, like growing vines winding around the hammer handle.

That hammer strike just now felled many Iron Rust Beasts; strands of blood color were absorbed by the great hammer, guided to flow into the Shark Tooth Blood Groove carved into the hammer head.

"Weapon comes with life-steal and self-healing traits? No wonder he's so bold, charging alone into the beast herd!"

Qin Shi guessed.

One hammer failed to blast open the energy barrier; that hulking giant still wouldn't give up, smashing down two more consecutive strikes.

The life force within his body was exceedingly violent; as the hammer head swung, it stirred up rolling air currents, like a waterfall being dragged, surging and sweeping!

Two heavy hammer strikes fast as lightning, seeming to stack together!

Accompanied by a thunderous roar, the restless beast herd, like raging waves, was split open once more!

Mangled flesh and blood hissed, releasing radioactive high-temperature substances, forming a large circle of fire sea.

After several hammer strikes from the hulking giant, the energy barrier stood unmoved.

Forced by helplessness, he could only stamp his legs, like a cannonball soaring skyward, darting toward the perilous cliff covered in crystal clusters.

Immediately he swung the great hammer again, smashing the rock, borrowing momentum to escape.

Qin Shi watched this scene, involuntarily recalling a certain digging-for-survival game.

He considered:

"The Iron Rust Beast leader gnaws crystal clusters — one, for evolution; two, through overflowing energy to form a protective barrier, so it won't be disturbed."

Broken crystal clusters piled like a small mountain constructed an energy shield covering a five-to-six-meter range; even after three heavy smashes it only trembled slightly.

"If it were me, exhausting my Self-Cultivation Furnace reserves, it would take ten consecutive strikes to possibly shatter it."

Qin Shi pondered; this Iron Rust Beast's intelligence is not low, it knows to think — no wonder it commands over a hundred beast herds.

He temporarily abandoned the hunting plan; the evolution stage is not something that can be passed in a day or two.

Just like the Rebirth Transformation after a mortal body breaks its limits, it requires a fairly long time.

Night gradually enveloped the Great Rift Valley; the temperature in the Middle Layer Area seemed even lower.

Large masses of snow vapor condensed, in the blink of an eye brushing the surrounding cliffs with a layer of white.

"Body sensation approaching minus ten degrees."

Qin Shi sat cross-legged without moving; eyebrows, shoulders accumulating half a finger's thickness of snow.

Good thing he broke the Three Great Limits, especially with the Bone Gate opened, blood and qi circulating, enough to withstand such a large day-night temperature difference.

He took out the red crystals collected from the War Mastiff's forehead from his Tactical Backpack, operating the Self-Cultivation Furnace.

These foreign race creatures often condense a certain "Energy Core"; if not worried about impurities and contamination, one can absolutely try absorbing them with the human body.

Qin Shi relied on the tyrannical "Universe Furnace Secret Canon" and the 【Overgrowth】 Achievement Trait.

Mainly boasting a good appetite!

Handful after handful of red crystals, refined once by the "Furnace Fire", instantly dimmed.

The energy inside slowly seeped into the mortal body; the impurity contamination existing within was dissolved in a moment.

"Although the Great Rift Valley is a High Pollution Zone, the energy factors here are much denser than the outside world."

Qin Shi discovered that his cultivation efficiency in the Great Rift Valley actually exceeded that of the Talent Apartments in the Urban Circle.

Roughly double or more.

"No wonder it fosters such a peculiar ecosystem, giving birth to so many foreign race creatures."

Qin Shi was quite surprised; he originally thought a highly polluted zone would be like a poison-smoke-covered swamp gas pool, absolutely harmful to the human body.

In reality, not so.

As long as one's strength is strong enough, here is instead an outstanding cultivation treasure land.

Even the Growth Progress Bar on the Stele Panel was slowly rising.

Previously obtaining the Martial God Inheritance caused the Growth Progress Bar to break through one percent, and it grew very stably and slowly.

After several months, it has already arrived at around five percent.

This speed, compared to before, could not be called slow.

However, situated in the Great Rift Valley of the heavily polluted area, Qin Shi felt that his Growth Progress Bar moved forward more noticeably.

"Is it because of the pollution?"

Qin Shi was confused.

He continued to close his eyes and cultivate; the breath of the furnace within his body surged, gradually showing a tendency to turn into bundles of refined light radiance.

This light radiance penetrated everywhere, moistening every inch of flesh and blood; not only did it outline the scene of tendons, bones, and skin membranes, but it also reflected the image of the five viscera and six bowels.

Within the mortal body, it was as if a small world had formed of its own accord; countless details were extremely clear, floating within the state of "Inner Vision."

"I am almost close to the threshold of the Professional Level."

Qin Shi pondered; Old Zhang and Old Liang had both told him that crossing from the Amateur Level to the Professional Level mainly involved a great change in Qi Life Force.

From strands of "Qi," it transformed into a truly existing "Light," permeating and warmly nourishing the five viscera and six bowels, further transforming the human body and breaking through limits.

Crossing this step, Qi Life Force underwent a qualitative leap; flesh vitality completely merged into the mortal body, revealing a non-human aspect.

For several consecutive days, Qin Shi squatted at an extremely high place on the cliff, silently paying attention to the evolution level of that Iron Rust Beast.

Meanwhile, he "rested" properly, filling up the consumption and fatigue from several battles in the Outer Area.

For him, cultivation was the best rest.

Spiritual Residence Inner Landscape, plus the 【Muscle Memory】 Achievement Trait.

He was fully capable of doing two things at once, attending to both the mortal body and the mind.

During these days, that burly big man often came over, as if he had also set his sights on the Iron Rust Beast leader that was likely to evolve.

Every time it was the old trick: finding a hidden place to launch a sudden attack, exerting all his strength to leap and swing his hammer.

After smashing three hammers, he immediately ran away, never staying too long, quite having the style of an assassin from the Ancient Era!

"That Furnace Heart is worth ten thousand points! Everyone is coveting it!"

Qin Shi spread his Spiritual Field Power; his mind was like a net cast out, and he captured several other strands of breath.

Their Qi Life Force was close to ninety points; placed in the Urban Circle, each of them was a top-tier university pride of heaven.

They lurked in the corners, as if waiting for an opportunity.

Probably on the fourth day, Qin Shi finished the last protein bar.

The burly big man of unknown name struck again.

He held a large hammer with both hands, still leaping down from the sky; his surging Qi Life Force almost condensed into substance, rising several meters high in light flames, as if blood-red thunder electric snakes entwined his arms, giving him a strength blessing!

"Truly mighty! This old brother!"

Qin Shi clicked his tongue in admiration; he believed that having broken through the Three Great Limits, his physical body looked down upon those of the Amateur Level who had not broken through the Hundred Point Threshold.

He did not expect that in the Middle Layer Area of the Great Rift Valley, he would encounter an existence not inferior to himself.

This hammer should be the burly big man's one hundred and twenty percent strength, heavily smashing onto the Energy Barrier!

Crack!

Accompanied by a huge roar like thunder, the indestructible barrier obviously sank several inches deep.

The violent force condensed into a point, then shook open, triggering a Great Explosion!

As if tens of thousands of barrels of gunpowder had been ignited, erupting with terrifying destructive power!

The Iron Rust Beasts rushing forward were like being plowed by a farm tool a thousand meters high.

Instantly turned into mangled flesh and blood!

Thick blood light enveloped the burly big man, slowly repairing his arm injury that was close to breaking.

He combined the strength of three hammers into one hammer!

Striving to shatter the barrier and slay the Iron Rust Beast leader!

But it was a pity; even with such a fierce offensive, it only blasted the Energy Barrier into cracks and did not completely destroy it.

"Damn! This turtle shell is really hard!"

The burly big man's voice was rough and hoarse; he, in a state of exhaustion, clearly knew he could not stop the evolution of this Iron Rust Beast leader.

He swung the large hammer again, sweeping out strong wind pressure, blowing open the terrifying fire ring containing radioactive substances, and then exerted force with both legs, leaping toward the cliff.

But just as the burly big man intended to leave triumphantly, sharp stones like a sudden downpour of rain suddenly struck.

The former, out of helplessness, twisted his body and spun, dancing the large hammer so tightly that not even water could penetrate, blocking the sudden and sinister ambush!

At the same time, his heavy body inevitably fell, landing once again among the encirclement of the Iron Rust Beast herd.

"So sinister; let Hammer Brother consume the beast herd, and then make a move."

Qin Shi clicked his tongue; he saw clearly that the ambusher was another team that had been hiding for several days.

The other side had three people in total, two men and one woman, all fully equipped.

The one who smashed rocks and carried out the ambush was a petite girl.

She looked very weak, but actually possessed astonishing Qi Jin; the sharp stones she threw were not inferior in lethality to a strong bow and powerful crossbow.

"Damn it!"

The burly big man cursed; the frenzied beast herd gradually closed in, climbing on the surrounding cliffs, leaving no room for escape.

Hammer wind howled wildly, crushing wave after wave of Iron Rust Beasts rushing to kill, making that circle of blazing firelight brighter and brighter.

When the burly big man was about to be submerged by the beast herd, the squad above also moved together; they rushed down the cliff, constantly dissipating force, and landed in the battle circle.

The Iron Rust Beast leader was about to complete its evolution; that heart had transformed to ninety-nine percent, lacking only the last bit, to completely become a Furnace Heart.

The three people seemed to be from the same school; they actually knew how to perform a certain Combined Attack Technique, their Qi Life Force merging with each other, as if dragons and snakes entwined, roaring to the sky!

Six fists not distinguishing front from back, striking the same place, on the crack made by the burly big man's hammer!

Crack crack!

As if bulletproof glass was shattered; first, spiderweb-like patterns spread open, then it caved inward, with a pop, completely broken!

The Leader-level Iron Rust Beast was completely exposed!

"Kill!"

The three's tacit understanding was extremely high; as their gazes intersected, they decided to strike, killing with one blow!

They had waited this long for precisely this moment!

The Furnace Heart was about to take shape; the Iron Rust Beast could not abandon its evolution, and could only allow itself to be slaughtered!

Qi Life Force approaching ninety points howled and surged, like great rivers washing through space.

That mutually entwined dragon-snake, fully ten-odd meters long, roared and fiercely struck at the petite Iron Rust Beast.

But the next moment, the three's determined expressions froze, stiffened, then turned to horror.

The Leader-level Iron Rust Beast suddenly opened its vertical pupils filled with rage, inside which flickered humanized light.

In an instant, it interrupted its soon-to-succeed evolution stage and opened its mouthparts!

The Iron Heart surged with blinding light, radioactive substance highly concentrated; in less than a fraction of a second, it sprayed a high temperature heat flow of terrifying lethality!

It directly pierced through and evaporated half of the petite girl's skull; the human body's hardest bone seemed to melt like candle wax.

Even the brain pulp inside was cooked, distributing a scorched stench!

The two standing behind had their eyes split with rage, unable to hold back a shout:

"Little Junior Sister..."

No one could have expected this Leader-level Iron Rust Beast to be so decisive!

Willing to give up an extremely rare evolution opportunity!

Chi!

The Iron Rust Beast did not care about those damn humans' grief; its vertical pupils filled with icy killing intent, that incompletely evolved Iron Heart was heated again, blazing fiery red.

The radioactive substance accumulated from daily gnawing on metal elements was extracted!

Another fierce beam of intense light sprayed out!

The remaining two were on guard, hurriedly dodging, yet they were not faster than the high temperature heat flow that vanished in a flash!

One of them had an arm torn apart, turning to green smoke and drifting away in an instant.

Such terrifying high temperature, nearly as scorching as volcanic magma, even a Professional-level mortal body could not withstand!

"Junior Brother, run quickly!"

The one with the severed arm, seemingly the Senior Brother, endured the pain preparing to hold the rear.

"Run, your, mother!"

But a burly big man suddenly charged out, smashing the Junior Brother's body to pieces with one hammer blow!

His gaze was fierce; his thick arm was completely wrapped by the hammer handle's dark red vines, fine blood-red electric arcs jumping around his body, as if a war god killed out of hell.

"I can't leave, and you lot don't even think about running!"

The foul-mouthed burly big man, heedless, rushed at the severed-arm man, another hammer fiercely descending.

Pa-ji a sound!

Bones and flesh utterly shattered, mortal body mangled!

The heavily panting burly big man stared at that Iron Rust Beast leader whose evolution process was interrupted, grinned and said:

"On account of me helping you get revenge, can we talk?"

The Leader-level Iron Rust Beast's vertical pupils showed coldness; its powerful spirit distributed a ferocity and brutality unique to foreign race creatures.

As if saying:

"I will tear you to pieces bit by bit!"

The burly big man smiled bitterly; he truly had no strength left, hammer-killing two dog scum who ambushed him was already his limit.

Just as he prepared to fight to the death, air exploded, booming like rain!

In less than two seconds, arrow light like artillery coverage enveloped the dense beast herds on the cliffs on both sides.

That radioactive substance was so thick it formed dense clouds, rising up, corroding everything!

"Fuck! How is each one more insidious than the last! There's even a turtle grandson hiding!"

The burly big man couldn't help cursing angrily.

"Speak nicely! Brother!"

A young person's clear voice spiraled down, containing a few parts amusement:

"Uncertain, I might be your life-saving benefactor!"

Qin Shi held his bow and swept a volley; since precision wasn't enough, he made up for it with strike range, clearing and sweeping away most of the beast herds.

He flew down urgently, operating Hundred Aspects Refining Force, like a wisp of drifting airflow, landing lightly.

That Leader-level Iron Rust Beast's hind limbs gripped the ground, seemingly sensing a threat, hurriedly launching an attack.

The radioactive substance permeating the air, like a funnel, the Iron Heart charging and overheating, was all absorbed by it, tempered into a high temperature heat flow!

Bang!

Exploded with incomparable clarity!

Qin Shi's palm loosely gripped; Mental Transformation's thought force rebounded, faster than the Leader-level Iron Rust Beast's gathering momentum.

Like a giant hand clenching, air violently contracted; the latter's Iron Heart was forcibly dug out!

"Warrior grinds monsters, Mage outputs damage on BOSS, the feeling of switching anytime is really good."

After grabbing that Iron Heart, Qin Shi's palm slapped again; thought force carried kinetic energy, like a solid iron ball of thousands of catties smashing down, pressing the Leader-level Iron Rust Beast into a pulp!

"Fuck! Which path's monster are you!?"

The burly big man's eyes widened round, incredulously saying:

"Actually walking two paths! And both this fierce!"

Walk both the Martial Path and the Spiritual Path!

Isn't this just Supermodel Brother!

Qin Shi was rather humble, smiling subtly:

"Brother, you flatter me."

He carefully sized up this Hammer Brother, his face bearing vicissitudes, his build burly, feeling not like an age fit to participate in the Top Hundred competition.

The latter seemed to guess what Qin Shi was thinking, coughing as he said:

"Supermodel Brother, I'm only sixteen this year, I just look a bit old."

(Chapter End)