Chapter 112: Dual Wielding Sword and Knife

Chapter 112: Dual Wielding Sword and Knife

Spiritual Source Energy: 4383

This was the accumulation of spiritual source energy over the past half a month.

It wasn't supposed to be this much, but after defeating the legendary Great Kun yesterday, he gained almost 500 points of spiritual source energy, breaking through the 4,000-point mark.

Ji Xinghuo looked at the interface information, his eyes falling on several abilities that were ready to be upgraded.

Dimensional Stomach (Level 1: 177/1021), Golden Scale Iron Spine (Level 2: 34/257), Thunderclap Hand (Level 4: 1/2833), Aether Affinity (Level 3: 197/1439), Thousand Spirit Dexterous Hands (Level 3: 102/1117).

"Which one should I upgrade first?"

After some consideration, he decided to invest over 200 points of spiritual source energy into the Golden Scale Iron Spine, bringing it to (Level 3: 1/1327). Instantly, the green color of the scales that appeared on his skin when the ability was activated became paler, and the golden edges deepened in color. After a quick test, he found that his defensive capabilities had increased, but not significantly.

The scales on Qinghong's body also changed synchronously, returning to their original form, and her serpentine body grew slightly longer. The look in her eyes as she gazed at Ji Xinghuo was filled with anticipation.

The amount of spiritual source energy required to reach Level 4 was quite substantial, so Ji Xinghuo paused.

"Maybe I should save it for upgrading another ability."

He took out the Amber Cat's Eye.

True to its name, this expansion curiosity resembled a piece of amber, about the size of a finger, with a golden thread inside its brownish interior, resembling a cat's eye.

One could see that its etheric energy fluctuations were strong and unique, like an exotic species filled with vitality, completely different from ordinary gems.

Ji Xinghuo took out a clear glass of water and dropped the Amber Cat's Eye into it.

Gradually, it began to dissolve like sugar.

Threads of color emanated from the Amber Cat's Eye, dissolving into the water. After about ten minutes, the clear water had become bright and colorful, as if various hues had blended together in a harmonious manner. However, it also emitted a strange gasoline-like odor that was rather pungent yet strangely alluring.

Ji Xinghuo picked up the glass and drank its contents in one go.

Gulu!

"That tasted weird..." He smacked his lips, unable to pinpoint the exact flavor. Nonetheless, that was how the Amber Cat's Eye was supposed to be used.

Not long after, a sense of hunger arose within him.

"Time to fuse with another exotic species."

Ji Xinghuo, accompanied by Qinghong, left the house and strolled along Qinghao Street, browsing through several exotic species shops before finding the one he sought—the Flash Step.

During his battle with the legendary Great Kun, the Flash Step had proven to be incredibly effective, even surpassing his expectations.

One could say that without the Flash Step, he would have surely perished.

As a result, Ji Xinghuo became even more convinced that the higher the fusion success rate of an exotic species, the more suitable it was for him. From then on, he would choose exotic species to fuse with based on this rule.

Even at Level 1, the Flash Step ability that came with the ring was incredibly useful, so he was certain that fusing and upgrading it would make it even stronger, unlocking its full potential.

Being a basic ability, the Flash Step was relatively inexpensive, costing only about a hundred thousand Asia Dollars.

Its exotic species form resembled a tangled bundle of nerves. Ji Xinghuo found a medical service center and asked the doctors to dissolve the exotic species into a medicinal solution, which they then injected into his central nervous system through the back of his neck. By the time he returned home, the information on the interface had been updated.

Fusion successful. Star Power has increased by a few points.

"After all, it's just a basic ability, so it's not surprising that it only adds a few points to my Star Power," Ji Xinghuo thought, unsurprised as he viewed the information on the interface.

Exotic Species: Flash Step (Level 1: 1/11)



Not only did basic abilities provide a minimal increase in Star Power, but they also required a negligible amount of spiritual source energy to upgrade.

Ji Xinghuo immediately upgraded the Flash Step, bringing it to (Level 2: 1/71).

He tested it out in the training ground and found that at Level 1, the Flash Step allowed him to move about two meters, roughly three steps, similar to the effect of the Flash Step ring.

Upon reaching Level 2, the movement distance increased to four steps, approximately 2.8 meters. There was a slight increase in movement speed, which would have gone unnoticed if not for his keen senses.

He upgraded the Flash Step once more, reaching (Level 3: 1/211).

With Level 3 Flash Step, the distance he could cover increased yet again, this time by a more significant amount, nearing four meters.

Ji Xinghuo thought to himself that the Flash Step of the Great Kun he had slain last month was at Level 3. The consumption of Star Power and physical energy wasn't much higher than at Level 1, only about a third more, and the movement speed had noticeably improved.

Then he upgraded it to (Level 4: 1/701), and the Flash Step could reach a maximum distance of six meters! Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up at this discovery.

When combined with the explosive power of the rotating magnetic field, his movement distance doubled, allowing him to instantly cover a distance of twelve meters or more.

Glancing at the interface, Ji Xinghuo saw that upgrading the Flash Step three levels in a row had only consumed less than 300 points of spiritual source energy, leaving him with a substantial amount. He decided to upgrade it once more, reaching (Level 5: 1/2081).

At Level 5, the Flash Step allowed him to move about nine meters instantly.

Still able to upgrade!

Ji Xinghuo gritted his teeth and invested over 2,000 points of spiritual source energy, intending to bring the Flash Step directly to Level 6.

When the progress bar showed (Level 5: 2081/2081), he immediately sensed something different. This upgrade felt distinct from the previous ones, and a strange sensation washed over him, causing his brain to tremble. The virtual image of a human body on the right side of the interface flickered continuously.

From the inside out, his nerves, bones, muscles, and blood seemed to undergo some sort of transformation, becoming more adaptable to the acceleration changes brought about by high-speed movement.

This modification lasted for several minutes.

The interface information updated once more.

Ability: Instant Step (Level 5: 1/8431)



Ji Xinghuo's eyes widened as he read the updated information. The Flash Step had evolved into the Instant Step—an advancement of the ability!

What effects did the Instant Step possess? What level of ability was it?

Ji Xinghuo had never heard of this ability before, but he was about to find out.

Ji Xinghuo was both surprised and delighted, but also a little uncertain.

This ability to jump through space was not actually very rare. Jing Ke's Jumping Dagger and Yuan Chongzhen's Shadow Shuttle, which he used when transforming into the Shadow Panther, could achieve similar effects.

However, the Instant Step was much faster than both of those abilities, and it required almost no preparation time. With a single thought, he could instantly teleport.

This was similar to the super-limit ability "Teleportation," yet it felt different.

Ji Xinghuo tried the Instant Step a few more times.

Gradually, he began to understand.

"So that's how it is!" He recalled that Instant Step was a spatial movement ability that could only be used in the Star Realm, and it was completely useless back on Earth.

The Instant Step seemed to have no movement process, but in reality, it did.

It still moved from one point to another in space; it just did so incredibly fast that it was difficult to perceive, creating a visual effect similar to teleportation. However, there was a fundamental difference between the two.

This meant that the Instant Step could also be used on Earth! It just had a shorter range.

Ji Xinghuo tried it a few times and found that the Instant Step could move him a maximum distance of about two meters, similar to a Level 1 Flash Step.

However, he could slow down and switch back to the Flash Step. Although the speed wasn't as dramatic as the Instant Step, a single Flash Step could still move him ten meters. With the amplifying effect of the rotating magnetic field, he could cover a distance of twenty meters in a flash, like a bolt of lightning.

Ji Xinghuo could freely switch between the Instant Step and the Flash Step.

The rotating magnetic field could also amplify the distance of the Instant Step, extending it to about three meters, but it consumed a lot of starlight. Each use of the Instant Step reduced his starlight by about 30 points.

The Instant Step also put a lot of strain on his body.

Ji Xinghuo practiced less than ten times before his stamina hit rock bottom. His whole body ached as if he had run for hundreds of kilometers without rest.

However, there was a smile on his face.

"No wonder the compatibility is so high. With spiritual source energy, I can greatly tap into the potential of the Flash Step and evolve it into the Instant Step."

"The Instant Step is definitely a super-limit ability, and I'm sure I can upgrade it further in the future!"

He still had 1,085 points of spiritual source energy remaining.

Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment and decided to invest it all into the Dimensional Stomach, upgrading his only Starfall ability to Level 2. As expected of a Starfall ability, upgrading it to Level 2 cost him over a thousand points of spiritual source energy, and the progress bar now showed (Level 2: 1/5101).

"That's a bit ridiculous," he muttered, looking at the progress required for Level 3.

The changes brought about by the Dimensional Stomach at Level 2 were obvious. The space had expanded to nearly four cubic meters, double that of Level 1. The opening of the space had also increased slightly, but not by much.

The difficulty of upgrading the Starfall ability far exceeded Ji Xinghuo's imagination.

He poured the remaining 200-plus points of spiritual source energy into Aether Affinity, reaching (Level 3: 438/1439).

After that, Ji Xinghuo began his cultivation for the day.

He practiced from morning to afternoon and then into the evening. Suddenly, he realized that the sky outside had darkened, and when he stepped out, he remembered that today was the first day of "Night Moon." The Star Realm was entering its cold season, and from now on, it would get colder day by day.

The night only lasted for four and a half minutes before the sky was filled with countless stars and the reflection of the Milky Way, transforming into a starlit night.

Ji Xinghuo admired the view for a moment before heading out.

Soon, he arrived at the Extreme Martial Arts Gym, which he hadn't visited in a long time. The receptionist saw him and greeted him warmly, "Mr. Ji, it's been a while."

"Is Coach Tu here?" Ji Xinghuo asked.

"Yes, he is."

"I'll go and find him then." Ji Xinghuo still had unpaid classes at the martial arts gym, and this was the time when classes usually started.

When he arrived at the training hall, he saw Coach Tu Hongda, with about a dozen other members, half of whom he didn't recognize.

"Coach Tu."

Tu Hongda turned and saw that it was Ji Xinghuo, and a smile appeared on his face, but it quickly faded as he asked, "Are you back today to take the practical combat class?"

"Yes, Coach," Ji Xinghuo nodded.

"Then take your place."

Coach Tu didn't engage in further conversation and began the lesson as usual, arranging for two members to spar and then providing guidance after determining the winner.

Ji Xinghuo watched intently, and before long, Coach Tu called out his name.

He stepped into the training field and drew his weapon.

That's when Coach Tu noticed that Ji Xinghuo wasn't holding a knife, and he asked in surprise, "Why did you switch to practicing with a sword?"

Ji Xinghuo held a two-meter-long alloy longsword in his hand, weighing about 10 kilograms. The blade was broad, and its shape resembled the Magic Sound, a fine second-grade weapon that cost only 50,000 Asia Dollars.

"I suddenly felt like practicing with a sword, so I decided to give it a try," he explained casually.

Coach Tu nodded but didn't ask further questions.

It was up to the members of the martial arts gym to choose which weapon they wanted to practice with, and it was quite common for someone to switch weapons. However, when they switched to a new weapon that they weren't proficient in, their martial arts rank would inevitably drop, sometimes by three or four ranks, and other times by one or two.

Ji Xinghuo was originally an eighth-rank martial artist with the knife, but when he switched to the sword, his rank immediately dropped to sixth rank.

On that day, he lost more matches than he won.

However, in the following days, Ji Xinghuo made rapid progress. In just five days, he returned to the eighth rank of martial arts, matching his previous strength with the knife.

When practicing at home, he began to experiment with dual-wielding the sword and knife.

Sword in his left hand and knife in his right.

With his Thousand Spirit Dexterous Hands, Ji Xinghuo had balanced strength in both hands, and both hands were equally agile and quick. It didn't take long for him to master the combat techniques of dual-wielding.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end