Devouring the Stars: Soul Master

Chapter 103: Rapid Progression, Opening of the Ascent Channel

"Good news has come from the Jiangnan Base City Military Region: with the military's advance, the first batch of three cities have been completely recaptured!"
On other fronts, progress is also being made rapidly.

During the live television broadcast, tanks and armored vehicles advanced rapidly through the city's ruins, and amidst the roar of artillery and gunfire, large numbers of monsters were shot down.

Around the tanks and armored vehicles, fully armed military warriors moved swiftly through the city, wielding long guns and swords to kill the monsters hidden among them.

Many soldiers were also operating drones and using detection equipment to thoroughly clear out any monsters that might be hiding there.

Of course, occasionally some soldiers were injured or seriously wounded.

During the live stream, many people witnessed a soldier's arm being torn apart by the monster, exposing his internal organs.

Logically speaking, this kind of injury would undoubtedly be fatal.

Even in the top-tier hospitals, they probably couldn't save him.

However, the medics immediately stepped forward, administered a special medicine, and then performed basic treatment on his wound.

As a result, under the watchful eyes of countless people, the soldier, whom many believed was doomed, miraculously recovered from his wounds within minutes, and even his severed limbs regenerated!
After a short rest, they changed into their gear and headed back to the battlefield.

What's most astonishing is that this soldier's strength also broke through to the level of a martial artist!
This boosted the morale of the combat personnel and those in the rear to an unprecedented level!
At the same time, all the people were filled with boundless curiosity about this mysterious potion.

Their enthusiasm for war instantly reached its peak.

Hovering in the sky, Luo Feng looked down at the advancing ranks, and heard Babata's voice in his ears.

"Luo Feng, prepare to head to the next city. All the lord-level monsters in this city have been cleared out, so we don't need you anymore."

There's a King-level monster over there; if you're too late, someone else might snatch it away.

"Roger that!"

Luo Feng grinned, and the speed of his Sky Shuttle increased dramatically.

This is the third city he has participated in recapturing.

As a top-tier expert in the Dark Blade Legion who has broken through to the planetary level, his mission is to carry out decapitation operations against the city's king-level and lord-level monsters.

However, there are too many monks and not enough porridge.

With only eighty planetary-level beings and over six thousand high-level war gods mobilized across the entire China, the king-level monsters in the city simply wouldn't be enough to go around!

"After we finish off this batch, we'll head to several war bases along the coast. The pressure there is even greater; some king-level monsters have already set sail."

We can't put all the pressure on Ming Ge.

Luo Feng's gaze was sinister.

At this moment, the situation in China is excellent, but this is because the Chinese military caught the sea monster off guard.

The real threat to humanity is still sea monsters!

"Pressure? I don't think he thinks that way. In such a short time, he has killed more than a dozen king-level monsters. If you are even a little slower, you won't be able to keep up."

In the virtual space, Babata sat there leisurely, munching on an apple.

In his view, no matter how the fight goes, with Qin Ming there, China will definitely be the victor; it's just a matter of casualties.

"Then I need to hurry! I've never killed a King-level monster before!"

Luo Feng's expression relaxed.

……

Kyoto base city.

After rapidly advancing across the country and border areas, executing decapitation tactics and killing a total of 14 king-level monsters, Qin Ming finally relaxed.

"I have extracted approximately 12 billion blood and flesh crystals from monsters I killed in City 003 and other areas, and I have distributed them evenly to the six major base cities."

This contains 2 million units from the Kyoto base city.

This should be enough for the entire country in the first round of use.

Inside the base command center, Qin Ming's spatial ring flashed, moving out one huge iron box after another and placing them in front of Jia Yi.

"12 billion? That's fantastic!"

Jia Yi's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward, excitedly opening an iron box. He carefully stroked the neatly arranged essence of flesh and blood inside.

Previously, the Dark Blade Legion was created with only 6000 million essences of flesh and blood.

With these, China's overall strength will surely experience another leap forward.

Casualties in war will also be greatly reduced.

Even the most basic essence of flesh and blood contains enough vitality to regenerate severed limbs.

Unless one dies on the spot, taking a dose of flesh and blood essence can save one's life.

After a short rest, he's back to being a vigorous and energetic man.

This has an exceptionally significant boost to the morale of the military.

Not to mention, it can slightly increase one's strength after consumption.

As soldiers who undergo year-round training, even those with poor physical fitness are at least at the intermediate trainee level. They can become martial artists by taking four or five pills at most.

However, this also consumes a great deal of the essence of flesh and blood; the essence that Qin Ming originally gave us has been almost completely depleted.

With this replenishment, we can fight without restraint.

"With this essence of flesh and blood, the motivation of the military warriors, as well as the resentment of those members of the Extreme Martial Arts School and Thunder Martial Arts School who were forcibly conscripted, will be much less."

As he arranged for people to carry all the essence of flesh and blood down, Jia Yi's serious face visibly relaxed.

Even in the military, the use of blood and flesh essence cannot be distributed in the same way as a free-for-all.

Aside from saving lives and treating injuries, everything else was based on military merit!

Exchange military merits for rewards!
Only in this way can we select those with exceptional talent.

At the same time, this is also a relatively fair measure.

"Resentment? Those martial arts school members were meant to go to the battlefield."

The privileges we usually give them aren't given for nothing.

Enjoying privileges without contributing anything?

This won't do!

Qin Ming shook his head slightly. Since the Great Nirvana, the status of martial artists has been extremely high.

This is partly due to the immense power possessed by the martial artists themselves, and partly because the martial artists during the Great Nirvana period made significant contributions to the base city.

However, as time has passed, this situation has clearly ceased to exist.

Qin Ming did not object to martial artists having special privileges, because it was inevitable.

In an era where power resides within ourselves, it is unrealistic to talk about equality for all.

Furthermore, as their strength increases, these privileges will become even greater.

It's a joke to ask an immortal being who exists forever to talk about human rights and equality with ordinary people who can only live for less than 100 years.

Granting special privileges? No problem!

However, when a crisis occurs or a critical moment arrives, it's time to step up.

Otherwise, if someone enjoys privileges for decades, it would be wrong to shrink back and watch from the sidelines, or even point fingers, during wartime. The role of those in power is not suppression, but rather to maintain a balance.

"Of course, there should still be appropriate incentive policies."

Qin Ming said.

If you want a horse to run fast, you have to make sure it's well-fed.

The martial artists in the two martial arts schools are quite strong, at least much more experienced in combat than those who are quickly trained through the essence of flesh and blood.

With them around, some casualties can be reduced.

"Yes, also, the nationwide martial arts training program can begin."

Through live battlefield broadcasts, they all learned of the existence of the essence of flesh and blood.

These essential nutrients, once packaged, can be partially released to the market as an incentive.

This kind of grassroots atmosphere can further inspire people.

Haha, we've also obtained a lot of advanced gene technology from Babata, and the first batch of gene optimization drugs with no side effects is about to be successfully developed.

Then you won't need to work so hard.

Jia Yi laughed loudly as he spoke.

From the very beginning, they discussed the improvement of everyone in the entire army and even the whole country.

With hundreds of billions of monsters on land and in the sea, achieving this is not difficult; the entire Chinese nation only has a population of a little over a billion.

However, China's future prosperity and development cannot forever rely on Qin Ming.

No matter how much essence of flesh and blood there is, it will eventually run out.

Qin Ming couldn't keep refining flesh and blood essence for everyone in China forever.

At most, he'll give it a push.

Ultimately, we must rely on China's own strength.

Gene therapy is a good alternative.

In fact, China and other forces on Earth have been conducting research on gene-based drugs for a long time, and with considerable success.

Many martial artists purchase gene serums to enhance their strength when they can no longer improve it. For example, the members of the Fire Hammer Squad in the original timeline collectively used gene serums to reach the level of warrior general.

However, current gene therapy drugs have significant side effects.

Once used, its power will be fixed and cannot be improved further.

This is due to limitations in technology.

In reality, the apprentice level doesn't involve much in the way of artistic conception, fundamentals, or any mysterious concepts; it's simply about improving physical fitness.

There are many planetary-level species in the universe.

With the existing technological foundation, plus the technological support provided by Babata, developing a gene serum that can enable ordinary people to reach the first level of the apprentice level is not a difficult task.

The only issues to be addressed are the side effects and costs.

There are many similar things in the universe, such as the Purple Light Dew.

In the universe, this is a beverage commonly used by some wealthy families.

It only costs 10 Black Dragon Coins per kilogram.

15 milliliters can enable a senior martial arts student to evolve into a first-level apprentice. This liquid has a lower density than water, and 15 milliliters is approximately 10 grams.

Some planets are rich in resources, with reserves measured in thousands or even tens of thousands of tons.

If something similar could be developed on Earth, it would not only improve our own capabilities, but it would also be a worthwhile commodity to sell in space.

In the future, basic gene therapy agents will become something like vaccines, enabling everyone to become a martial artist.

And the training of martial arts practitioners will become as widespread as education.

This will be an upward mobility channel for those at the bottom.

As long as upward mobility exists, social classes will not become completely rigid.

The "All-People Martial Arts" program provides everyone with the opportunity to cultivate, forming the foundation of such an upward path.

"Well, I'll leave the matter of everyone becoming a martial artist to you; I won't get involved."

Qin Ming smiled and nodded; he was happy to see this happen.

The idea of ​​everyone becoming martial artists was something Jia Yi and his group never dared to dream of before.

But what is happening now is something that will definitely happen in the near future.

On Earth, this would be considered a turning point in history.

But when it comes to the universe, it's really nothing.

The bloodlines of the universe are divided into ten grades.

Except for those in the ninth and tenth ranks who are considered unqualified upon reaching adulthood, those in the seventh and eighth ranks can become apprentices upon reaching adulthood.

The fifth and sixth classes are equivalent to planetary level adults.

The highest rank among human bloodlines is the ability to reach the 'Domain Lord' level upon adulthood.

An adult apprentice is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Jia Yi and the others didn't know, but Qin Ming knew very well that only planetary-level beings were qualified to be called human in the universe!

Those below the planetary level are merely walking slaves, ineligible even to become citizens of a cosmic nation, or even to ride in a spaceship.

"Besides delivering these flesh and blood essences, I also came to deal with the beast tide that has gathered in the Bohai region. There should be three Ocean King-level monsters in there, right?"
The number of monsters that have gathered has exceeded 100 million, putting considerable pressure on the surrounding areas.

Unfortunately, those two beast kings never showed themselves.

Without saying much more, Qin Ming stood up and walked out.

As an inland sea of ​​China, and very close to the capital city of Kyoto, the Bohai Sea is a gathering place for a large number of monsters year-round.

As soon as the war began, a King-level monster appeared, eyeing the Kyoto base city covetously.

However, this is a good thing for Qin Ming.

What he fears least is these monsters coming together; it's the scattered monsters that are harder to deal with.

Harvesting more monster souls might allow you to raise a star-level monster in the "breeding" mode.

"Those two beast kings are very cunning. They are probably still observing the situation. In the past, with Hong and Leishen intimidating them, they have been hiding in the depths of the sea for many years."

The situation is not right now, so they are even less likely to show their faces easily.

However, under their command, a large number of King-level monsters have begun to launch a beast tide, attacking human base cities.

We were well-prepared, so the pressure wasn't too great.

However, the situation is less certain for other forces.

Jia Yi shook his head.

"Pressure from other forces? Isn't that a good thing? Unification is impossible without bloodshed."

(End of this chapter)