Although Bai Zemin's previous attack, which transformed into a skill called Crimson Blood Judgment, had not come into direct contact with the forest floor, the temperature of the flame from the Blazing Ring propelled by the strong tornado from the Hurricane Necklace had enough power to ignite the grass several meters below.
When the heat from the flame came in contact with the gasoline and highly flammable oil spread earlier, the ground automatically began to burn. In addition, due to the wind from the hurricane, all the flames began to spread southward, slowly burning the forest and getting closer and closer to the center.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake and the earth rumbled as if an earthquake was shaking the world. However, it was clear to Bai Zemin and the other two men present that what caused the rumbling was not an earthquake.
Roar!
A giant elephant beetle roared with its head held high as it ran in a straight line directly toward the buildings. Its body was surrounded by yellow flames that protected it from the crimson flames; however, the creature was obviously expending a lot of Mana to keep its skill active at all times.
Following right behind the giant elephant beetle, two mutated dogs whose fur looked like an iron plate, two black-furred tigers, three green-spotted cats, five huge snakes that were even bigger than a normal python before the apocalypse, and a fat bee with a two-meter stinger were rapidly approaching carrying murderous intent with bloodshot eyes.
The blood disappeared from Chen He and Liang Peng's faces at the sight of such a monstrous lineup of evolved beasts.
"It's the end!" Liang Peng couldn't help but exclaim as he tightened his grip on his hammer and prepared to fight to the death.
Being the slowest of the three, Liang Peng knew that running away was an impossibility for him so he had no choice but to fight whether he wanted to or not.
On the other hand, Chen He was not only scared by the sight but also for Shangguan Bing Xue... Did something happen to her? Considering the number of beasts that came out of the forest, the chances of her surviving were not very high...
Soon we'll join up again. He thought as he raised his crossbow and aimed at the flying bee with eyes filled with sadness.
In the midst of all this atmosphere, only Bai Zemin had an indifferent expression.
He looked at the First Order Blazing Beetle and couldn't help but blank out for a split second, remembering his battle to the death against a creature of the same type.
"Let me see how strong I've become." He muttered under his breath and narrowed his eyes as he placed one foot on the edge of the building before lunging forward with all his might.
Bang!
The edge of the building's concrete roof tore into pieces and Bai Zemin transformed into a shadow hard to notice by the naked eye.
Still in the air and taking advantage of gravity's momentum, Bai Zemin made a complete turn and while holding on to the Xuanyuan Sword slashed downward. Without skill and without any elegant style; pure strength and speed!
Boom!
The speed of the Blazing Beetle was not particularly fast and even back then Bai Zemin managed to win precisely by making use of his superior Agility; not to mention now that he had become countless times stronger.
The First Order beast did not even understand the situation and by the time it realized what was happening it was already too late.The Xuanyuan Sword, a treasure capable of piercing through the defenses of almost any creature below level 40, might have difficulty piercing through the Blazing Beetle's defenses in normal times; after all, it was a mostly defensive beast. However, the current Bai Zemin was capable of raising the sword's power to new heights due to his Strength.
His attack struck firmly right on top of the giant horn, causing a thunderous explosion. His eyes filled with murderous intent met the beast's disbelieving gaze for a moment before something terrifying happened.
Crack... Crack... Crack... Bang!
Small sized cracks began to appear from the point of impact before spreading throughout the horn. However, that was not all.
ROAR!
The Fiery Beetle's eyes quivered in shock and it staggered back several steps as it roared in pain. Not because of the loss of its main weapon, but because its shell was cracking as well!
Under the surprised gaze of the two men behind, cracks spread across the entire metal armor of the Blazing Beetle before bursting into pieces!
The creature roared again in pain and the yellow flames that belonged to it were extinguished as crimson flames were expelled by the shockwave of the previous attack.
Flash!
There was a sharp flash and the next instant the roars of the Blazing Beetle came to a complete stop... Right in the center of the beast's head appeared a red line from which blood began to flow slowly.
Splash!
The head split in two and blood splattered everywhere, staining the cracked ground and attracting the attention of the other First Order creatures that were using the Blazing Beetle as a front charge to escape the crimson flames setting the forest ablaze.
[You have acquired the Soul Power of the First Order Blazing Beetle level 31. Mana +24, Magic +15, Health +12, Stamina +8, Strength +5].
Standing over the now collapsed body of the Blazing Beetle, Bai Zemin's gaze was indifferent and he couldn't help but sigh.
Who would have thought that a little over a week ago he had almost been killed by a monster of the same type he had just slain so easily? Back then, Bai Zemin was on the verge of death countless times, and even though he won it was a miserable victory.
Moreover, something that surprised him was that he also received another message.
[Blood Will activated. For the next five minutes, increase your overall attack power by 1% for each enemy killed and 0.1% for each surrounding enemy alive up to a maximum of 50%. Current status: 2.3%/50%].
Too bad, he didn't have time to study things too much since he was in the middle of a battlefield.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!...
Suddenly the wind swooshed and Bai Zemin couldn't help but let his expression change slightly. Without delay he hurriedly jumped forward, barely escaping from danger.
Right at the place where he was standing before, several green orbs struck the flesh of the Blazing Beetle and under Bai Zemin's astonished gaze the flesh began to be corroded quickly.
With narrowed eyes, he saw the five snakes looking at him coldly. A strange green liquid was still coming out of their mouths and every time a drop reached the ground the earth steamed and small holes formed.
Bai Zemin identified the snakes as a dangerous target and quickly charged forward. The snakes were not idle either as they began to bombard him spitting acid-laden green orbs.
Bai Zemin did not dare to take the giant mutated snakes' attacks head-on as he was not confident that his Full Coat would be able to withstand the acid corrosion so he quickly began to move in a zigzagging motion.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!...
The five mutated snakes blasted acidic orbs nonstop at Bai Zemin. If just one of those orbs hit him, even with his Full Coat he would not necessarily be able to escape unscathed and if he received a direct attack on his hands, feet, or worse yet his head, then that part of his body would undoubtedly begin to corrode.
However, for such a thing to happen, the mutant snakes needed to somehow be able to match Bai Zemin's Agility or at least be able to see his movements somewhat in advance.
Bai Zemin's body flashed across the battlefield like a ghost as he skillfully dodged the acidic orbs flying in his direction, trying to close the distance between him and the five far-off mutant snakes he had identified as the greatest present danger to his life.
With nearly 17 times the speed of a normal human before the apocalypse, a few hundred meters was a distance he could close in a couple of blinks. However, the mutated snakes were not his only enemy, and activating Blood Manipulation from so far away would not give him the result he was looking for.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, one of the two Shadow Tigers charged forward and lunged at him with its mouth wide open, revealing sharp teeth with dried bloodstains on the inside.
Bai Zemin advanced instead of retreating and slashed with his sword diagonally.
A split second later, after a sharp flash where the Shadow Tiger and he crossed paths, the beast's head came off its body cleanly and rolled on the ground as blood splattered everywhere.
[You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Shadow Tiger level 37. You have acquired +17 Agility, +15 Stamina, +10 Strength, +6 Health].
[You have reached level 32. You gain 2 status points to distribute freely].
[Blood Will: 3.2%/50%].
Not even a second had passed when Bai Zemin saw out of the corner of his eye the other First Order Shadow Tiger less than a meter away. The mutated tigers were incredibly fast and in this position, it was impossible for him to move in time to defend or dodge.
However...
Roar!
The First Order Shadow Tiger roared painfully as more than a dozen blood spears rose up from the blood of the dead Shadow Tiger, piercing its body all over from the bottom up and stopping it in mid-air.
The beast did not manage to give a second roar of pain as Bai Zemin turned 360 degrees and decapitated it with ease, sending its head flying into the air.
[You have received the Soul Power of First Order Shadow Tiger level 38. You have acquired Agility +10, Stamina +6, Strength +4, Health +1].
[You have reached level 33. You gain 2...].
[Blood Will: 4.1%/50%].
Without delay, Bai Zemin jumped to the side to evade the snakes' attacks while his mind quickly processed the previous Mana expenditure.
Approximately fifteen blood spears had consumed about 40 Mana points. If it were in the past, the amount would probably be double or more, proving how useful his previous training had been. If Bai Zemin had trained alone without enemies, the results would not be as good as they were currently.
"F*ck!"
It had only been less than five seconds since Bai Zemin had engaged in combat with the mutated First Order beasts but three of them had already been killed. Even the naturally well-spoken Chen He couldn't help but curse.
That kind of power... It was simply insane! The terrifying evolved beasts in his hands seemed to be as weak as a newborn puppy!
Chen He raised his crossbow and instead of shooting at the giant bee, he aimed at the five snakes slithering all over the battlefield. He was smart enough to know that he did not have the ability to pierce through those glowing scales, therefore, he aimed for the eyes.
Since the mutated snakes were the biggest problem, then... Chen He half-closed his eyes and relaxed his breathing before pulling the trigger.
His right hand moved strangely and the crossbow shuddered. If anyone saw it they would think it was due to nerves, but they couldn't be more wrong.
The five arrows imbu imbued with mana sliced through the air, moving at speeds almost on par with a bullet. But the most surprising thing was that the five were not moving in a straight line and slowly separated from the trajectory they were traveling.
The five snakes opened their jaws just as the two mutated dogs charged toward Bai Zemin. However, just before they could fire their skill, their eyes blasted out in a bloody mist.
The five snakes involuntarily canceled their skill and hissed in pain as they writhed furiously all over. Their scales were one of the strongest defenses among First Order creatures, yet their eyes were the weakness of any living thing!
As they writhed in pain, four of them collapsed the walls of some nearby buildings while one of them viciously struck one of the green-spotted mutated cats that were also charging towards Bai Zemin, blowing it away and sending it crashing into an adjacent building.
The mutated cat had an Agility-based proficiency, but its defense was among the lowest. Therefore, after being struck by a crazed mutated snake whose scales were incredibly hard and whose flesh was tightly compressed, the internal organs of the beast that did not expect such an attack broke out, killing it immediately.
The wind howled and the two mutated cats that charged towards Bai Zemin suddenly stopped and began to attack the mutated snake that had killed the other mutated cat, becoming entangled in a battle to the death.
The mutated snakes had high defense and great strength; a single blow was enough to end the life of a green-spotted mutated cat. However, the mutated cats were not easy prey either.
One of the cats leaped forward and its claws glowed with a pale green glow. The beast slashed viciously and tore through the mutated snake's defenses with ease, tearing a large chunk of flesh and causing the snake to howl in pain.
The snake hissed painfully and attacked with its tail again. But the mutant cat had already seen the miserable fate of its companion so it hastily jumped to the side, avoiding a certain death by a hair's breadth.
In addition, the other mutant cat also joined the fray and between the two of them began to slowly wear down the mutated snake.
[You have received the Soul Power of First Order Spiny Dog level 35. You have acquired Magic +10, Mana +10, Strength +5, Agility +2].
[You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Spiny Dog level 36. You have acquired Magic +5, Mana +4, Strength +2].
[Blood Will: 5.8%].
"Nice!" Bai Zemin ended the lives of the two mutated dogs and couldn't help but praise when he saw the mutated snakes that were giving him a headache writhing all over the place with one of their eyes covered in blood.
He couldn't get close before because the five snakes were extremely cunning and surrounded him, attacking from places that made it difficult for him to reach. However, thanks to Chen He's timely intervention, that problem was now gone.
Bang!
Bai Zemin stomped on the ground and cracks spread everywhere before he disappeared from his position.
After disappearing from his position and without having to change his course consistently after losing the harassment of the mutant snakes, Bai Zemin's terrifying speed, now unimpeded, was on full display.
With nearly two hundred Agility points, the distance between him and one of the mutated snakes was closed in a moment. The beast hissed in pain and upon seeing him immediately retaliated by spitting out an orb of acid.
Bai Zemin leaned at an unnatural angle to the left as if his body was made of rubber, avoiding what could be certain death. Taking advantage of that same movement he swung his sword from above downward and fiercely slashed the mutated snake's body.
Clang!
Surprisingly, the mutated snake's scales could not be cut and for the first time since he obtained the Xuanyuan Sword, he failed to break through his enemy's defenses. Not only were the snake's scales extremely tough, but Bai Zemin could also feel a strange slippery liquid that when he cut earlier caused the sword blade to slip and lose a great deal of its power.
The mutated snake swung its tail like a whip and struck forward with a look filled with murderous intent. The power of its tail was terrifying enough to slay another First Order creature with a single strike, which was proof enough of how dreadful it was.
However, Bai Zemin secretly sneered, and instead of dodging, he stepped forward as he slammed his left fist fiercely.
Bang!
When the human's small fist and the beast's tail with a thickness of over a meter collided, the normally expected scene of the human being crushed did not happen.
The mutated snake hissed painfully once again and its body was sent flying like a kite with a broken string before thunderously slamming into a building and collapsing it in the process.
Bai Zemin did not give the creature time to prepare and lunged forward while sheathing his sword. After arriving next to the snake he sat on top of its head and clamped his legs tightly around it before beginning to strike mercilessly with both fists.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The difference between the previous Bai Zemin and the current one was not small by any means. After evolving to First Order and successfully acquiring his Berserker Blood job, he gained a great increase of power not only in the stats scrolling on his status window.
As a Berserker, Bai Zemin's attack power increased by 20% when he used certain weapons or his bare hands; therefore, his strikes at this time were actually several times more powerful than normal and, as if this wasn't enough, he was also receiving a boost of almost 6% thanks to his new passive skill not yet observed by him.
The mutated snake opened its single eye wide and howled in pain. The beast began to writhe endlessly but failed to shake Bai Zemin in any way. Even when it hit other buildings in the process it failed to shake him off its back. Its scales split and blood began to flow but Bai Zemin's blows did not stop and in less than two seconds he had already struck a few dozen times.
The mutated snake's wild movements slowed down noticeably and the sparkle in its eyes slowly faded, showing that its life was coming to an end.
Swoosh!
Bai Zemin sensed danger from behind but he didn't need to turn around to know who the attacker was this time. Just judging by the sound of the wind it was obvious that it wasn't any of the other three mutated snakes, it was the giant bee!
He laughed coldly and as his fists blasted against the mutated snake's head he said nonchalantly, "Wall of Blood!"
Surprisingly, a two-meter-high wall rose from the pool of blood accumulated from the death of so many sizable beasts, separating him and the giant bee.
Mana's expenditure this time had been considerable, 20 points to raise the wall. But this was also normal since he had not yet mastered this new energy in any way and like Shangguan Bing Xue had only an initial understanding.
However, what happened next was most surprising.
When the giant bee's sting hit the wall, it seemed to pass through it as if it were a puddle of water; without any difficulty whatsoever. In fact, it even formed ripples as if the wall of blood was not in a solid-state!
The giant bee's body began to glow slightly and gradually its size began to increase. It was obviously absorbing enemy blood to become more powerful!
However, how could Bai Zemin have forgotten about the mutated bee he killed on the first day of the apocalypse? Back then, the Big Bee had absorbed some of the zombie's body to become stronger.
Berserkers were known as a melee class with an attack power even more powerful than that of warriors in most role-playing games. However, Bai Zemin was actually a Blood Berserker.
What was the difference? Magic.
"Blood Spears!"
Bai Zemin's voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
The wall of blood suddenly opened and two huge red spears shot out like a torpedo. The giant bee did not even have time to retreat when its two wings were sliced wide open by the two spears that pierced through its weak defense with ease.
The creature let out a strange yell and fell to the ground unable to do anything but shake its body. Without its wings, the giant bee did not have enough power to move as it would like since its weight was too great for it, which had evolved by absorbing Mana and not by absorbing Soul Power.
[You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Jiao-Lao Snake level 45. You have acquired Strength +4, Stamina +2].
[You have reached level 34...].
[Blood Will: 6.7%/50%].
He dashed forward at full speed without rest and before the mutated bee could even howl in pain its head was ripped off its body after a sharp flash.
[You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Blood Sucking Bee level 39. You have acquired Agility +5].
[Blood Will: 7.6%/50%].
Gradually, the Soul Power he received from First Order creatures became thinner. The evolution experience was still corresponding, but the additional stats were less; as to whether it would stop or not he didn't know yet.
Bang!
Suddenly there was a bang on the battlefield and Bai Zemin arrived just in time to see Liang Peng hitting one of the mutated cats with green spots and sending it flying with his hammer.
"Oh?" Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow and was surprised to see that while he was killing, Chen He and Liang Peng hadn't been slacking off either.
Apparently, at some point, one of the green-spotted mutated cats had been hit by the mutated snake, getting seriously injured.
The mutated snake was still locked in a battle to the death with the other green-spotted mutated cat so it could not break away and Liang Peng took the opportunity to finish off the second cat.
As for Chen He... He was currently moving all over the place while shooting arrows at the last mutated snake that was chasing him.
Although his arrows did not possess the power to pierce through the snake's defenses as they were just normal arrows empowered by a bit of Mana, they did cause enough pain to make the creature enraged.
The mutated snake was faster, but Chen He was cunning and jumped from building to building without getting caught; every time a building was demolished he jumped to another and continued.
Moreover, the mutated snake did not dare to stop to cast acidic orbs as it seemed to remember the consequences by feeling the pain in one of its now empty sockets.
Thanks to the two of them, Bai Zemin had not been disturbed for a couple of seconds and was able to finish off two more First Order beasts.
As for the last mutated snake, apparently, the beast realized that things were not looking good and quickly turned to flee. When Bai Zemin noticed it he barely caught a glimpse of the beast's tail disappearing into the crimson flames in the direction of the forest.
Using that liquid as a protective layer, the mutated snake might have a chance to flee in another direction; but if it stayed it would definitely be slaughtered sooner
The green-spotted mutated cat that was facing the mutated snake was breathing heavily and the glow on its claws had dimmed considerably. Its speed had slowed by at least 50% and its entire body was bathed in sweat and dust.
On the other hand, the mutated snake was riddled with slashes across the length and breadth of its body, revealing red flesh and gushing blood. The red glow in its eyes had dimmed and its movements had become heavier than normal.
Although the battle between the two creatures had only lasted a few seconds so far, both had given 101% of their total in order to end the life of the other. A single mistake could cost anyone their life so during those few seconds they had activated their innate skill countless times, depleting Stamina and Mana without reserve.
To grow stronger, to evolve, to take a step beyond.
Each existence might have different motives but they all wanted to stand victorious. Unfortunately, the destiny of the green-spotted mutant cat and the destiny of the Jiao-Lao Snake was not to advance.
Swoosh!
The wind whistled noisily and all the green-spotted mutant cat could see out of the corner of its eye was the metallic luster of a blade approaching its neck.
[You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Gale Cat level 40. You have acquired Agility +3]
[Blood Will:: 8.2%/50%]
The creature's head shot skyward and the bright red blood of the Gale Cat was reflected in the eye of the Jiao-Lao Snake. That was the last the beast could see before its head was severed from its body as well.
[You have acquired the Soul Power of First Order Jiao-Lao Snake level 43]
[Blood Will: 9.1%/50%]
"No more extra stats from the Jiao-Lao Snake Soul Power, eh?" Bai Zemin sighed as he shook the blood off his sword.
Since the Jiao-Lao Snake was weakened and riddled with wounds, killing it was easier than usual. Although it was a pity not to get more stats like that, it was something Bai Zemin expected to happen sooner or later.
He stomped the ground beneath his feet and shot forward, following the booming sound a few hundred meters away.
It only took him a couple of seconds to circle around the collapsed buildings to see the last living First Order beast chasing after Chen He and demolishing every building in its path with its tail.
Such a scene was worthy of a science fiction movie, but now it was happening in reality right in front of his eyes. Even the most skeptical would be forced to accept that the world would never be the same in the face of such a horrifying view.
The Jiao-Lao Snake seemed to be able to sense Bai Zemin's overwhelming Soul Power as its head turned in his direction and looked at him coldly before lunging towards him as it constantly shot out acidic orbs.
"That won't work if you're alone." Bai Zemin muttered and suddenly disappeared from his previous position.
His speed burst completely and in the next instant, he appeared right under the beast's body, right under its jaw.
BOOM!
With a boost in his attack power of almost 30%, Bai Zemin's fist fiercely connected with the Jiao-Lao Snake's jaws, sending it flying.
However, to his and Chen He's surprise, the creature did not stand up again and two orbs of light entered their bodies soon after, indicating the death of the enemy.
[You have reached level 35...]
[Blood Will: 10%]
Apparently, Bai Zemin's blow had succeeded in destroying the brain from the outside, killing the creature with a punch.
Bai Zemin gave Chen He a thumbs-up before bending down to pick up the red-colored orb that had fallen next to the Jiao-Lao Snake's death. In fact, not only had this snake dropped a treasure orb... For to Bai Zemin's delight, all the First Order creatures had dropped at least one red orb!
Could it be that after the First Order there is always treasure? Bai Zemin would have to ask Lilith later.
"Hey, Bai Zemin!" Chen He approached agitated and tired but his eyes were filled with worry as he anxiously asked, "Bing Xue? She's still not back
Shangguan Bing Xue?" Bai Zemin blinked before looking around.
Between the excitement of successfully evolving to First Order, acquiring a powerful initial job, and the bloody battle against a dozen First Order existences, Bai Zemin hadn't had time to think too much about anything so he only now realized that Shangguan Bing Xue was nowhere to be seen.
The two men looked at the burning forest with different thoughts.
"She... Could she have been killed by those First Order beasts?" Chen He asked in a low voice as he clenched his fists tightly.
Bai Zemin remained silent and looked up at a building that was still intact in the midst of so much destruction.
There, standing at the top, an incredibly beautiful woman to the point of taking the breath away from anyone who saw her was looking at him with a bright smile. Her hair waved in sync with the wind and her ruby eyes made her look like an angel from heaven if it weren't for the enchanting aura of a demon that surrounded her.
As if she knew what he wanted to ask just by his gaze, Lilith's voice reached his ears, "You have made this big sister veeery happy, little Zemin. This is the first time I see or hear about a First Order existence capable of wiping out a dozen in less than a minute and practically single-handedly... I wonder what you will become when you advance further in the Order? Will you be able to satisfy this big sister in bed~?"
Bai Zemin almost spat out two liters of blood when he heard her last sentence. However, to his surprise, she sounded genuinely pleased and joyful; as if seeing his previous performance was a great delight to her.
"That aside..." Lilith looked at the burning forest and said lazily, "That Lower Existence called Shangguan Bing Xue is not dead. She's still alive but you'd better hurry if you want to get her out of there."
He nodded imperceptibly and looked at Chen He before saying indifferently, "You wait here. I'll go get her out. Go with Liang Peng and take care of the treasures until I return."
"What?" Chen He blinked and looked to his side only to realize that Bai Zemin had already disappeared and was now several dozen meters away.
His face turned pale as he realized how horrifying Bai Zemin's speed was and unconsciously glanced at the First Order Jiao-Lao Snake's body. However, Chen He soon processed what he told him before and his eyes shone.
Take her out? So she was still alive!
His legs felt weak and he had to force himself forward. He had to protect those treasures or if Liang Peng did something stupid then no one would be able to stop Bai Zemin if he went crazy.
Let alone now that he had seen what Bai Zemin was capable of actually doing during this battle to the death!