Cosmic Demon

Chapter 299 Mechanical Sergeant, A Palm That Descends from the Sky!
"After a flurry of flashy displays, I've activated a new achievement."

Qin Shi opened the monument panel. Through continuous hunting of followers and absorption of energy factors from polluted areas, the pixelated little figure grew higher and higher.

"This [Super Stomach] seems to be a similar achievement to the previous [Overgrowth]."

Qin Shi examined the newly renovated panel, where a gray-white monument stood, displaying a large amount of information.

[Features: Significantly improves the efficiency of decomposing and converting high-density energy substances, greatly reducing energy loss and waste during the digestion stage.]

[Advanced Requirements: Successfully absorb high-density energy substances with a total amount equivalent to more than ten times one's normal life force, or successfully absorb multiple energy substances containing extreme attributes.]

"Compared to the adaptability brought about by [overgrowth], [super stomach] provides absorption capacity."

Qin Shi silently accepted the blessing of his new achievement. His extraordinary body, which was already nearly 80-90% full, instantly made room for a few more "space".

"It seems like I can also flaunt a bottle of nutrients and squeeze out some cash."

Qin Shi realized that the [Super Stomach] was not just a strengthening of the digestive organs, but an upgrade of the entire energy metabolism system.

Upon reaching the fourth dan of the professional level, his perception was greatly enhanced.

"Absorption efficiency is increased by about 25%, and conversion speed is increased by 30%."

Qin Shi closed his eyes, and the heavy nucleus-I and heavy nucleus-II he had just taken quickly integrated into every cell of his body.

Rumble!
A deafening, rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, reached his ears.

The mind and body are in perfect harmony, as if opening the door to a completely new realm, with a broad path of light unfolding beneath one's feet.

Qin Shi had witnessed such a scene when he transitioned from amateur to professional level.

now.

The optical path is reproduced!

"This is the path I'm going to take."

Compared to the previous blurriness, Qin Shi can see much more clearly this time.

This path of light bears an extraordinary mark, reaching its end with absolute "truth".

"If I break through to the third or even second dan of the professional level, I will probably be able to glimpse some of the scenery at the end of the light path."

Qin Shi, standing at the fourth level of the professional rank, strained his eyes to look into the distance, and could only vaguely see beams of light bursting forth.

At that end, it seemed as if billions of stars were collapsing and being reborn, the storm of creation was roaring silently, and the most primal pulse of the universe was rumbling.

That was an indescribable glory!

"Infinite wonders, infinite future."

A strong desire, originating from the instinct for life, arises spontaneously, pure and primal, like a wanderer longing to return home, or a newborn infant yearning for the warmth of the mother's womb.

Qin Shi Speculation:

"Is the end of the professional level the source of life? The primordial land that all living beings yearn for?"

His understanding of the extraordinary path was no longer as vague as before.

After being trained by Lao Qi and Lao He, Qin Shi had established a concrete and complete understanding of the most perfect form of the path of vitality.

Lao Qi once used the metaphor of "all rivers flowing into the sea" to describe it, while Lao He interpreted it as "emptiness returning to nothingness".

Now, having experienced it firsthand, Qin Shi realized that it was not a metaphor, but rather the most instinctive perception and call to one's own roots when leaping through different levels of life!

"One segment is the place closest to the source of life. There, the form of life, the nature of energy, and even the meaning of existence will undergo a qualitative change."

Qin Shi withdrew his gaze from the distance and focused on the present moment.

The barrier that needs to be broken through now is the one that is reduced from four to three levels.

The highly efficient absorption provided by the "super stomach" is an excellent aid!

Without any hesitation.

Qin Shi took out the two dark red metal tubes labeled "Marrow of Lava" from the box.

A viscous, crimson liquid, as red as magma, flowed slowly within it, and even through the pipe walls, one could feel its violent, scorching intensity.

"Boss...should we continue?"

Ye Xiaotang was somewhat shocked upon seeing this.

Those two vials of "heavy core series" nutrients are enough for a professional level three cultivator to consume for several days.

"The most basic principle of vitality development is energy metabolism."

Long Qiuyuan also frowned. The main material of Star Core-III is "Marrow of Lava", which has quite obvious side effects.

If one's superhuman body is not strong enough, one may pay a heavy price, suffering physical damage and even the destruction of one's entire body.

"The boss must have his reasons for doing this."

Ran Bin, however, was the one among the three who had the most confidence in Qin Shi.

She is a sniper, and her greatest skill is observing the environment and finding targets.

After following Qin Shi to participate in the western front, his various actions won everyone's trust.

Ran Bin was the most thorough one, even though she hadn't even said a word to that Lieutenant Qin.

"Binbin is even more of a fangirl than I am."

Ye Xiaotang shook her head:
"That's a Star Core-III! A high-risk military supply! Lava Essence is high-temperature energy extracted from the Earth's core. Even highly pure life force can be 'ignited' if not handled carefully."

Long Qiuyuan, unusually, united with Ye Xiaotang, who was considered "big-breasted and brainless," and reached a consensus.

“That’s right. The most terrifying thing about lava marrow is that it turns life force into ‘flammable material’.”

Long Qiuyuan did not step forward to persuade him, but silently fetched two fire extinguishers.

Snapped!
Qin Shi used his fingertips to forcefully pry open the opening of a tube containing lava marrow.

There was no smell, only a scorching heat wave hitting me.

He tilted his head back slightly and drank the scalding, viscous liquid, which was as hot as real lava, in one gulp!

boom!
It was as if they had swallowed a miniature volcano!
The energy, ten or even a hundred times more powerful than that of the Heavy Core-I type, exploded instantly!

It is no longer the gentle essence of life, but a violent energy full of destruction!
A terrifying burning sensation instantly swept over Qin Shi's entire body, turning his skin bright red.

The pores no longer emitted white steam, but rather wisps of pale red smoke!
"call!"

Even with Qin Shi's perfect physique, he almost couldn't withstand it, causing him to let out a muffled groan.

The muscle fibers groaned under the intense heat, and each bone seemed to be being forged in a furnace!
If it weren't for the instant activation of the [Super Stomach], which greatly increased the tolerance threshold, taking that bite would probably have really set me on fire from the inside out!

"Absorption, transformation..."

Qin Shi activated his cultivation technique, and the Body Refining Furnace had completely transformed into the form of the "New Path".

Psionic energy and martial arts form a dual furnace, driving the body and mind.

The platinum-gold sun spun wildly at an unprecedented speed, its light so intense it was almost blinding!

When the "One Path Through the Ages" is pushed to its limit, it is like the most greedy gluttonous beast, frantically devouring this violent heat energy and forcibly transforming it into "fuel" for tempering the body!
At the same time, the spiritual world constructed by the "Void Meditation Method" experiences violent vibrations in layers of void ripples, transforming into an invisible heavy hammer. Combined with the scorching sun's melting, it fiercely hammers away and strips away the "impurities" in this violent energy!
Severe pain!

Qin Shi gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face.

He had never suffered such intense losses in his battles against the powerful retinues of the two third-level calamities.

Extreme pain surged through the nerves like a tidal wave, causing cells to undergo a frantic transformation on the edge of destruction and rebirth!

The muscle fibers also become tougher under the impact of high temperature and energy, and faintly gleam with a metallic luster.

Bone density is further increased, and the sound of striking it is like the tinkling of gold and jade.

Even the flowing blood seemed to have a touch of scorching gold!

The effects of the "Super Stomach" are remarkable, forcefully guiding this violent energy to precisely impact several energy nodes in the body that represent the bottlenecks of the fourth stage.

Each impact was accompanied by tearing pain, but it also brought a clear sense of the barrier loosening!

After an unknown amount of time, when the energy of the first Lava Marrow had been initially refined and nearly half absorbed, Qin Shi unhesitatingly opened the second one!
An even more violent torrent of energy surged in!

This time, my body's tolerance seemed to have improved slightly. The excruciating pain was still there, but the sense of crisis of being burned to ashes had lessened.

The energies of the two lava marrows converge and merge within the body, forming an even larger and purer "quenching" high temperature.

With his incredibly powerful and extraordinary body, Qin Shi gradually and steadily suppressed the two molten lava marrows.

He guided the torrent of energy, launching the most ferocious attacks on several key points of the extraordinary body!
Snap! Snap!

An invisible cracking sound came from within! Several nodes collapsed like dams, and surging life force instantly opened up new paths!
Every corner of his extraordinary body emitted a joyful buzz, as if he were breaking free of his shackles!
A breakthrough has been achieved in the mid-stage of the fourth dan level of the professional rank!

Qin Shi felt a sense of joy and excitement, as the total amount and quality of vitality had risen to a new level!
The strength, power, speed... of the extraordinary body have increased in all aspects.

Qin Shi slowly opened his eyes, a flash of platinum light appearing in them, deep and unfathomable.

He felt the power surging through his body, and it seemed he was getting closer to the essence of "reality".

"We've taken another step closer to the source of life."

Qin Shi clenched his fist, his knuckles making a soft popping sound.

"I need about a week to rest and recharge."

He slowly got up, put on his coat, and the heat from the lava marrow had not dissipated, making Long Qiuyuan, who was holding a fire extinguisher, feel the intense heat.

She coughed twice and lowered her head:
"Okay, boss. I'll contact the Western Front Command and tell them not to send anyone."

……

……

A week later.

Qin Shi finally completed the full digestion of the two lava marrows.

Just as he was pondering how to find new hunting targets, Long Qiuyuan sent him a message.

"Boss, I have a relatively simple escort mission. Deliver a mechanical sergeant to the Anvil Outpost."

Qin Shi raised an eyebrow and opened the transmitted mission briefing.

As the battle lines continue to advance, it is necessary to dispatch mechanical soldiers from the rear to activate specialized purification systems to disperse heavily contaminated nodes.

By establishing temporary "pure lands" and building "defense lines," the erosion of the Netherworld is significantly reduced, ensuring the smooth flow of military supplies.

"received."

Qin Shi scanned the route map.

The location of the anvil outpost is situated on the edge of the area that was once covered by the activated field.

He was just about to head to the front lines on the western front, so this trip was just a side job.

"Okay, boss."

Long Qiuyuan nodded.

The Kirov airship turned and sailed for about seven hours before rendezvousing with a mixed squad consisting of three heavy armored personnel carriers and two Rock-class fire support vehicles.

"It's quite a large-scale operation."

Qin Shi stood above the airship, its massive shadow sweeping across the cracked, scorched earth. The engine maintained a low hum as it steadily flew alongside the airship at an altitude of about 300 meters.

"Mechanical sergeants are advanced technical soldiers, as rare as divine machine pilots."

Long Qiuyuan shrugged and said.

Qin remained silent.

The soldiers on the front lines are divided into different types, and generally speaking, the "least valuable" ones are probably the new recruits produced by the Yellow Springs Training Camp.

Units like the pilots of the supermachine guns and the mechanical sergeants are elite units with high strategic value.

The view from the air was much clearer. Qin Shi silently gazed down, and the scenes on both sides of the war zone road were shocking.

The dilapidated tents of the field medical station, the long lines of wounded soldiers, the crookedly standing armored vehicles, and the wreckage of armored vehicles lying on their sides, slowly corroded by the contamination of living organisms...

"The intensity of the war continues to rise."

Qin Shi thought of Governor Feng Wuyang's grand strategic direction. If the eastern and western battlefields were to be pushed to the Fu Hai, heavy casualties would be inevitable.

"The greater the cost, the worse the chance of achieving the desired victory. The Governor's situation will likely be dire."

As Qin Shi pondered, he suddenly noticed an unusual fluctuation.

Immediately afterwards, the lead vehicle of the convoy below, the Mammoth, suddenly braked hard!

The piercing alarm sounded and was transmitted to the airship via the shared communication channel!

"Warning! High-energy response! Left front, underground!"

The convoy commander's voice cracked with tension, hurried and brief.

Boom!

The earth arched violently like a drumhead and suddenly cracked open!

A monster resembling a giant burrowing centipede, with its carapace covered in pustules and a wailing human face, burst out of the ground!

It raised its ferocious head, and a terrifying aura belonging to the third level of disaster spread out.

The earth churned and cracked, and the entire convoy was attacked!

The main gun of the Rock Fire Support Vehicle was urgently charged, and the soldiers hastily set up their weapons on the vehicle. Faced with this sudden terrorist attack, their formation inevitably became chaotic.

"boss……"

Long Qiuyuan looked at Qin Shi.

"Warm up and loosen up your muscles."

Without further ado, the latter instructed Long Qiuyuan to open the hatch.

Normally, the escort convoy could handle an attack of this magnitude without Qin Shi having to lift a finger.

But after a week of reflection and rest, he was eager to "release" his abundant energy.

call!
A gust of wind swirled, and Qin Shi took a step forward, his figure appearing at the edge of the airship's open side hatch.

At a height of 300 meters, there was no threat whatsoever. Qin Shi's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the giant centipede.

He leaped!

Without using any cushioning device, Qin Shi's body tore through the air like a meteor.

The rapidly descending air whistled past his ears, and the astonished faces of the convoy soldiers zoomed in on him.

When they were less than fifty meters away from the family members, their descent suddenly slowed!

It wasn't that Qin Shi was equipped with some kind of deceleration device, but rather that it was a life-repelling space that resembled a tangible life field.

The creature that suddenly attacked was called the "Howling Earth Worm".

It seemed to sense a deadly threat from above, and its head, covered with compound eyes, suddenly rose.

They then quickly abandoned attacking the convoy and instead targeted Qin Shi.

All the faces on the abscesses turned to the sky, emitting even more piercing, concentrated spiritual spikes.

Mixed with substantial dark energy, it shot upwards like a black thicket of thorns!
Faced with an attack powerful enough to pierce light armor and destroy a squad, Qin Shi made no unnecessary movements, not even touching the hilt of his sword.

He faced the terrifying impact that was enough to break the spirit of an ordinary soldier, his body falling, his right hand pressing down in a half-hearted manner!
hum-

At the center of his brow, the extremely compressed phantom of a white-gold sun suddenly lit up!
The incomparably pure "true" will is no longer like an invisible blade, but has transformed into a giant hand covered in platinum flames, blotting out the sky and the sun!

As Qin Shi made a downward pressing motion, the object crashed down!

(End of this chapter)