Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

Chapter 124 Fiery Rain Purgatory

What comes into view is an endless inferno of flames.

Golden-red flames shot into the sky, turning the entire southern battlefield into a sea of fire. The ground cracked, rubble melted in the intense heat, and dark red magma flowed slowly along the fissures, filling the air with a pungent, acrid smell. The once dense, overwhelming army of rotting corpses had vanished completely. Not even ashes remained; they had vaporized and evaporated.

Only flames.

Shen Xi stood atop the mountain of corpses, or more precisely, on scorched earth that had been turned to glaze by flames. The mountain of corpses beneath his feet had long since turned to ashes in the rain of fire, but the small patch of ground he stood on was deliberately preserved by the Vermilion Bird projection. Within a three-meter radius around him, the temperature was normal and the air was fresh, a stark contrast to the inferno outside.

He looked up at the Vermilion Bird projection floating in the sky. The enormous figure was still slowly flapping its wings, golden-red flames flowing at the wingtips, but the rain of fire had ceased. The entire southern district of corpses had been burned to ashes.

Not a single one was left.

More than ten thousand rotting corpses, including ordinary ones, elites, leaders, and even those special mutant forms that poured out from the portal, were all vaporized in the rain of fire. They didn't even have time to scream before they were gone.

Shen Xi's lips twitched slightly.

Is this legendary power? A projection, in one minute, wiped out more than ten thousand rotting corpses? If this projection were the real person descending, how terrifying would that be? He dared not imagine.

Just then, the system notification sounded again. This time, it wasn't a sporadic notification, but a dense, continuous roar.

[The Vermilion Bird projection has killed a level 12 elite corpse. The host receives a 10% bonus: Experience +15, Gold +10, Merit +4!]

[The Vermilion Bird projection has killed a level 15 boss, the Corpse. The host receives a 10% bonus: Experience +30, Gold +22, Merit +7!]

[The Vermilion Bird projection killed a level 9 common corpse, and the host gained 10% rewards: Experience +9, Gold +6, Merit +2!]

[The Vermilion Bird projection kills...]

Hundreds, even tens of thousands of kill notifications scrolled wildly before his eyes like a waterfall. His experience bar surged at a visible rate, soaring from the edge of level 24 and breaking through the level-up threshold in the blink of an eye.

[Experience points reached the cap, level up!]

[Congratulations to player "Taichu" for reaching level 25! Influenced by the Kaitian and Chaos classes, all attributes +3! Free attribute points +5!]

A warm current surged through his body, his muscles swelled, his blood rushed, and his five senses instantly became clearer. Shen Xi took a deep breath, feeling the surging power within him, but before he could fully experience it, his experience bar was full again.

[Experience points reached the cap, level up!]

[Congratulations to player "Taichu" for reaching level 26! Influenced by the Kaitian and Chaos classes, all attributes +3! Free attribute points +5!]

Another wave of warmth washed over her. All her attributes surged again, and she gained another 5 free attribute points. Shen Xi looked down at her hands, a slow smile spreading across her face.

Two consecutive increases.

It took less than two minutes to go from level 24 to level 26.

Although he only receives 10% of the rewards from the corpses killed by the Vermilion Bird projection, the sheer number of them is overwhelming. Over ten thousand corpses—even at 10%, it's equivalent to him personally killing over a thousand. Moreover, those corpses are all of high level, with elites and leaders making up a significant proportion, giving them far more experience than ordinary corpses.

In addition, the Kyoto Glory Badge's special effect grants a 30% increase in gold and experience gain.

"This speed is insane," Shen Xi murmured.

Having done all this, the Vermilion Bird projection slowly turned around, facing the direction of the city's fortifications. Its golden-red eyes pierced through the churning black mist, through the scarlet fortifications, and looked directly at the world outside.

Then, it opened its mouth.

It's not exhalation, but rather a gathering of energy.

A fist-sized, golden-red orb of light slowly took shape deep within its throat. The orb's color was deeper and more intense than the surrounding flames, almost dripping with blood. Its surface was covered with densely packed runes, each radiating a chilling aura of destruction.

Nanming Lihuo.

The Vermilion Bird projection tilted its neck slightly backward, then suddenly swung it forward.

The golden-red orb shot out from its mouth like a meteor, trailing a long, fiery tail, hurtling towards the city's fortress. The orb moved at an astonishing speed, striking the fortress in less than half a second. Then, the entire world fell silent.

Pass through the barrier and fly directly to the portal.

The portals were reflected in Shen Xi's pupils.

Five seats.

Five enormous, eerie blue teleportation portals stood in a row deep within the black mist. Each one was tens of meters tall, with densely packed runes flowing across its frame. The doors were wide open, and eerie blue light poured out from within, illuminating the surrounding darkness with a ghostly aura.

But at this moment, no more corpses poured out of the door.

The golden-red sphere of light exploded the instant it passed through the barrier. Countless fine, hair-like golden-red rays shot out from the sphere, forming a giant spiderweb that simultaneously enveloped the five portals. The moment those rays touched the portals, the eerie blue frames began to crack, the runes extinguished one by one, and the light on the doors rapidly dimmed.

Five portals collapsed simultaneously.

The door frame shattered, turning into countless eerie blue fragments that drifted into the black mist. The light on the door completely extinguished, revealing the hazy void behind it. The rotting corpses that hadn't yet managed to emerge were forever trapped at the other end of the teleportation channel.

After completing all this, the Vermilion Bird projection folded its wings and slowly descended.

Two minutes have passed.

Its body began to turn transparent, the golden-red flames extinguished from its wingtips and dissipated from its tail feathers. Latest plot: Click to follow. The colossal, sky-covering figure was fading at a visible speed.

Shen Xi stood there, looking up at the disappearing figure. He opened his mouth, wanting to say thank you, but the words caught in his throat. Could a projection understand human speech?

Just then, the disappearing figure suddenly stopped.

The Vermilion Bird projection lowered its head, its golden-red eyes meeting Shen Xi's gaze once more.

Then, a voice rang in his mind.

It wasn't the mechanical voice of a post-apocalyptic survival game, nor the voice of a dominating system, but a woman's voice—cold, ethereal, and carrying a sense of indifference as if looking down upon all living beings.

But beneath that indifference lay a complex emotion that was hard to define.

"The presence of an old friend... it was worth the trip."

Shen Xi's pupils contracted sharply. He came in person? What does that mean? Isn't this just a projection?

The voice projected from the Vermilion Bird continued to echo in his mind, this time with a hint of surprise in its tone: "The aura of chaos... how long has it been? I never thought that this world could give birth to a new inheritor of chaos."

It paused, a hint of amusement in its voice: "Hmm? And Pangu too? This kid actually inherited their legacy at the same time... Interesting, very interesting."

A chill ran down Shen Xi's back.

The Vermilion Bird projection actually saw through his inheritance at a glance.

That cool voice rang out again, this time with a hint of relief: "In that case, I have what you need here. I'll give it to you."

The moment the words left his mouth, the Vermilion Bird projection vanished completely.

But at the very last moment before it vanished, three golden-red feathers detached from its tail feathers and drifted toward Shen Xi.

Then, a system notification sounded.

[Congratulations to player "Taichu" for reaching level 27! Influenced by the Kaitian and Chaos classes, all attributes +3! Free attribute points +5!]

Another promotion.

It took less than three seconds to go from level 26 to level 27. Shen Xi stared at the notification, his lips twitching. Even he himself found this leveling speed absurd.

At the same time, the rankings for the Huaxia region were updated.

[China Region Ranking]

1st Place: Tai Chu - Level 27 (Class: Creator)

2rd Place: Mingying - Level 20 (Class: Asura)

3nd Place: Wu Anjun – Level 19 (Class: Military Soul)

4th Place: Naro - Level 18 (Class: Shadow Dancer)

5th Place: Gu Yunting – Level 17 (Class: Sword Heart)

……

Every player in the China region, regardless of their city, whether they were fighting, resting, or fleeing for their lives, saw this update. Then, the world chat exploded.

World Channel

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!!! The Primordial Chaos is at level 27?!"

"I was level 24 just now, how did I get to level 27 in the blink of an eye?!"

"Three consecutive promotions?! What the hell is a three-consecutive-promotion?!"

"I worked hard for a month and only reached level 12, and he leveled up three times in a minute?!"

"Dude, are you cheating?!"

"Hey upstairs, where do you get cheats for a post-apocalyptic survival game? This is real skill!"

"What kind of real skill is this? This is fucking divine!"

"The Primordial Era is enough for the China region, why should we upgrade? Let's just relax..."

"Yeah, let's just give up, we can't catch up anyway."

"Primordial God is awesome! China Region is awesome!"

"We beg the Primordial God to come to our city! We want to win without lifting a finger too!"

Shen Xi didn't read the comments and couldn't help but smile.

"The presence of an old friend... it was worth the trip."

He came in person. It wasn't a projection, but a descent of consciousness. The one that hovered above the Southern District, incinerated countless corpses, and shattered the teleportation portal wasn't a mindless projection, but the consciousness of the Vermilion Bird itself.

Shen Xi took a deep breath, suppressing her shock, and looked up at her surroundings.

The intense flames began to slowly dissipate. The golden-red light faded from the sky, and the black mist gathered again, though much fainter than before. The magma on the ground began to cool, the scorched earth gradually hardened, and the pungent smell of burning in the air was dispersed by the night wind.

It was as if nothing had ever happened.

But the scorched earth, the cooled lava, and the lingering warmth in the air all prove that the cataclysmic fire just now was real.

Shen Xi stood there, silent for a long time.

Then, he opened the properties panel.

[Player: Tai Chu (Supreme Ruler of the Three Realms)]

[Professions: Creator (First Rebirth), Chaos (First Rebirth)]

Level: 27 (Experience: 347/17000)

Strength: 142 + 10 = 152

[Spiritual Energy: 142 + 10 = 152]

Agility: 142 + 10 = 152

[Physical Fitness: 142 + 10 = 152]

Free attribute points: 15

[Reputation: 22600]