Only 100,000 points!
Mo Chen currently had 120,000 points, all painstakingly saved from previous endeavors. Now, he finally had a reason to spend them.
Without hesitation, he extended his finger and tapped the exchange button.
In an instant, a surge of fire erupted from his hand, roaring into the sky like an untamed inferno. The scorching heat radiating from the flames felt as though it could incinerate everything in its path.
Yet, standing amidst the flames, he remained motionless.
To him, this was merely an illusion—a test to challenge his will.
Sure enough, the raging fire gradually subsided, shrinking as it flickered until it was fully extinguished. And within Mo Chen's grasp lay an ancient-looking katana.
He tested its weight.
Ryūjin Jakka was as light as a feather, effortlessly maneuverable as though it was an extension of his own arm.
"Clang—!"
The blade slid from its sheath. Under the sunlight, its humble yet refined surface shimmered with a mesmerizing brilliance.
There was no excessive sharpness, no overpowering presence—only an unyielding pride that looked down upon the world and a killing intent as deep as an abyss.
At that moment, a Rapture plummeted from the sky with a deafening crash, landing behind Mo Chen. Its weapon systems whirred to life as it locked its cannon onto his back.
A Master-class Rapture with six arms!
Mo Chen didn't even blink.
With a casual motion, he raised Ryūjin Jakka and gently swung it downward, as light as a feather…
Yet the unleashed blade energy surged forth like a raging tsunami!
"Boom—!"
The supposedly indestructible Master-class Rapture was torn apart instantly by the sheer force of the attack. Its reinforced frame shattered like fragile glass, reduced to countless pieces that scattered across the battlefield.
Mo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he lifted the blade before him.
The surface of Ryūjin Jakka gleamed faintly, restraining its immense power, just as it had the moment he first unsheathed it.
But inside, he was utterly shocked.
The power of Ryūjin Jakka exceeded his expectations.
And this was just in its default state—neither Shikai nor Bankai had been activated yet!
Even at this stage…
A Master-class Rapture couldn't withstand a single strike.
"Ding-dong—!"
"System Notification: You have obtained the Zanpakutō—Ryūjin Jakka."
"Reaper talent activated. New attributes unlocked: Spiritual Pressure, Spiritual Energy, and additional stat parameters."
"New related skills acquired: Hakuda, Kido, Zanjutsu, Shunpo..."
"Spiritual Pressure attributes are determined by your soul (mental) strength."
"System Notification: Your soul strength has reached the limit of its current tier. Auto-breaking through to the next stage."
"Congratulations! Your Zanpakutō has advanced to Shikai, and you have unlocked its Initial Release abilities. Progress toward Bankai: 99.10%."
Mo Chen stared blankly at the system prompts.
An auto-upgrade? He had just bought the sword, and it was already leveling up?
What kind of god-tier after-sales service was this?!
Mo Chen was utterly perplexed.
Had he ever undergone any sort of spiritual training before?
Wait.
Mental strength?
A thought flashed through Mo Chen's mind, and his eyes lit up.
Could it be his own attributes?
Just like how the Blacklight Virus had leveled up based on the number of people he had "rescued."
After pulling up his status panel and checking the data, Mo Chen suddenly understood.
It was exactly as he suspected.
The Punishing Virus and Blacklight Virus not only enhanced his physical capabilities but also subtly strengthened his mental power over time.
After all, he had absorbed—no, saved—so many people. Even if it wasn't three or four hundred thousand, it was at least a hundred or two hundred thousand.
This realization made Mo Chen feel completely justified.
He had spent his life doing good deeds. This was simply what he deserved.
Now the question was—could the Punishing Virus be integrated with Ryūjin Jakka?
He decided to find out: without hesitation, he attempted to inject the Punishing Virus into Ryūjin Jakka.
Scarlet energy seeped into the blade like delicate threads of light, wrapping around its surface in an iridescent sheen before slowly fusing into it.
"Ding—!"
"System Notification: New skill unlocked—Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead."
Mo Chen was stunned.
Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead?
Wasn't that a technique only available after Yamamoto activated his Bankai?
Then he noticed a small description at the bottom.
"Shikai: Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead—A fusion of the Punishing Virus and Ryūjin Jakka."
"Allows the summoning of all entities previously consumed by the Punishing Virus or slain by Ryūjin Jakka, transforming them into an army of the dead, endlessly hunting down and annihilating anyone the wielder (Mo Chen) perceives as an enemy."
Summon all those who had been infected by the Punishing Virus?
Didn't that mean… he could raise an entire army instantly?
Mo Chen's heart filled with excitement.
Thinking about it carefully, it actually made sense.
The Punishing Virus was already highly invasive, capable of corrupting both living beings and inorganic matter. At its later stages, it could even generate life. Combined with Ryūjin Jakka's spiritual energy and its ability to burn through anything, summoning the infected as soldiers was completely logical.
With a sharp clang, Mo Chen sheathed his blade and turned his gaze toward the sky.
At this moment, the Ark's Nikke forces had already engaged Storm Bringer.
Fighter jets took off from the airbase, heading straight for the Rapture. Each was equipped with heavy air-to-air missiles and loitering munitions.
However, these fighter jets were models from fifteen to twenty years ago. Not only were their performance levels outdated, but even their missiles were old stock from long-past conflicts. Their explosive payloads were weak, making it hard to say whether they could even scratch Storm Bringer.
As expected, before they could even get within missile range, Storm Bringer's laser weapons fired, sweeping through the sky like a deadly scythe. The jets exploded midair one after another, bursting into flames before plummeting from the sky.
Thirty-six planes launched their first strike—only seven or eight remained.
Meanwhile, inside another combat command center.
The room was completely silent.
The only sound was the occasional tapping of a keyboard, making the eerie silence even more pronounced. Everyone closely monitored the battle, but their hearts sank further and further.
In just ten minutes, two-thirds of an entire fighter squadron had been lost.
Meanwhile, reports of casualties and losses continued to pour in one after another.
Andersen stared at the radar screen.
It was filled with red dots, densely packed—each representing a Rapture—and their numbers were still increasing.
On the other hand, friendly forces had suffered devastating losses. The bad news kept coming.
It wasn't just aerial units that had taken heavy losses. Mass-produced Nikkes had also suffered severe casualties, and even several elite Nikke units had been forced to retreat due to excessive losses.
The situation for the Ark was becoming increasingly dire.
Andersen's expression grew heavier.
The elite forces were still at least a full day away from returning. But at this rate, the Ark wouldn't last that long. Even if they somehow managed to hold out, the damage to the Ark would be catastrophic.
At that moment, a red glow flared from Storm Bringer's eye at the front.
Fighter jets frantically maneuvered to evade, but a laser blast shot out, instantly striking one of them. The aircraft erupted into flames midair, plummeting toward the ground in a fiery explosion.
Only three jets remained.
Andersen's heart sank. In a grim tone, he issued the order:
"Order all remaining air units to abort their attack mission and retreat immediately."
They couldn't afford to lose the entire air force. If they were wiped out, rebuilding an aerial fleet for the Ark would be nearly impossible.