The moment the egg cracked, Peng Gengkun felt an odd sensation, as if something bound to his very bloodline was about to emerge.
"Could it actually be my offspring?"
Peng Gengkun was astounded to see a bizarre little creature appear from the broken egg. It was an enigma, with the wings and scales of a fish, yet the gills and form of an eagle. Peng Gengkun found it indescribable.
Yet, as he watched the creature, a name instinctively came to him.
Baby Leviathan.
"The Leviathan-roc egg has evolved into a baby Leviathan, with increased devouring and digestion speeds. It can sense objects infused with Spiritual Energy within a hundred-mile radius! Should it evolve once more, it will become a Senior Leviathan."
It all clicked for Peng Gengkun.
"Having slain so many mutated beasts, the amassed evolution points have triggered the system's evolution! If its functions were once incomplete, its capabilities are now beginning to manifest. It has evolved into a baby Leviathan!"
He gazed at the diminutive creature, at a loss for words.
"How large will it grow once it becomes a Senior Leviathan? The evolution points required for another transformation seem exorbitant! A mere hundred points were needed for it to become a baby Leviathan, but a staggering thousand points are required for it to reach the Senior Leviathan stage!"
Peng Gengkun did the math, feeling a sense of resignation. By the evolution points' metric, he would need to slay and devour a thousand beings of his own level to accrue the necessary thousand points.
"Now that the system has evolved into a baby Leviathan and can detect items imbued with Spiritual Energy, it's the perfect time to test it out!"
Peng Gengkun fully engaged the system's abilities, tuning into his surroundings.
Within the mental realm crafted by the system, darkness enveloped him, obscuring his vision. But soon, he noticed spots of light beginning to appear. Clearly, these illuminated areas were laden with Spiritual Energy.
"There's an abundance! I never imagined there'd be so many Spiritual Energy-rich objects within a hundred miles. Some may not compare to Spirit Stones, but they're immensely advantageous to me! Regrettably, time is short, and I can't take everything. I'll have to select only the items brimming with the most Spiritual Energy to take with me."
Peng Gengkun zeroed in on several bright spots among many.
If the system's detected bright spots were to be categorized, these would be rated as average. Yet, what caught Peng Gengkun's attention was not the mere handful of such spots in his perceptual realm, but rather a vast expanse of them.
"Perhaps they're treasures left by those who came before us! With so many items imbued with Spiritual Energy here, I'm taking them with me!"
Peng Gengkun traced the Spiritual Energy in his consciousness and took off at a sprint.
Given Peng Gengkun's current level, he could run without needing to pause for breath. His stamina wasn't limitless, but he could cover dozens of meters in a single breath, his speed astonishing.
In under fifteen minutes, Peng Gengkun reached the source of the Spiritual Energy.
"A cave? It seems somewhat perilous, though."
Peng Gengkun eyed the cave warily. It was pitch-black inside, with a faint, foul odor wafting out. Undoubtedly, something very dangerous lurked within.
"With the power I wield now, I can escape any peril I might face!"
Reassured, Peng Gengkun plunged into the cave. He lit a torch and crouched slightly. On the ground, he noticed numerous light scratches and patches of dried slime.
Peng Gengkun ventured further into the cave, yet the mutated beast was nowhere to be seen, which left him quite astonished.
"Has it not shown up yet? Could it have left the cave already?"
While Peng Gengkun was still processing his surprise, the system blared a warning.
Before he could fully grasp the situation, a shadow lunged at him. Caught off guard, the torch tumbled from his grasp.
Peng Gengkun managed a quick glance before being tightly constricted.
Illuminated by the fallen torch, he stared at the massive python coiled around him, his eyes going wide with shock. Despite being on the verge of reaching the High Rank in Qi Refining, he was squeezed so tightly that he struggled to draw breath.
"I can't die—I have to strike back!" Peng Gengkun frantically searched his mind for an escape plan.
"Currently, I'm tightly bound, rendering my martial arts useless. But there's a move, the second form of the Great Vajra Palm, known as Vajra Subduing Devil, that can release a burst of Astral Energy and blow away everything nearby! The catch is, with the Spiritual Energy I have left, I can only execute Vajra Subduing Devil once."
With his mind made up, Peng Gengkun knew it was now or never.
"There's no other option! If I don't manage to repel this python immediately, I'm as good as dead!"
He activated the Leviathan-roc Space, and a Spirit Stone materialized in his hand. Without a second thought, Peng Gengkun shattered the stone, and its Spiritual Energy flooded into his body.
Simultaneously, Peng Gengkun unleashed the formidable second form of the Great Vajra Palm.nÊw st𝒐ries at n𝒐/vel/b/i/n(.)co𝒎
Vajra Subduing Devil!
A fierce surge of Astral Energy exploded from him in an instant.
Yet, as powerful as it was, the Astral Energy within Peng Gengkun dissipated just as quickly, leaving him drained in mere moments.
Thankfully, the earlier crushed Spirit Stone was now channeling its Spiritual Energy into Peng Gengkun, replenishing his reserves.
"Directly using a Spirit Stone for energy is incredibly wasteful—no one would do it under normal circumstances. But desperate times call for desperate measures. It's do or die!"
The might of Vajra Subduing Devil was nothing short of miraculous.
At last, Peng Gengkun sensed the python's grip weakening.
With a thunderous roar, he wrenched himself free from the python's coils and made his escape.