Chapter 86: Optical Stringer
Chapter 86: Optical Stringer
"Only 743 spiritual source energy points to upgrade Triple Bolt Hand again!" Ji Xinghuo's eyebrows shot up, somewhat surprised.
But thinking that Bolt Hand was just a superior ability, it seemed understandable.
He raised his hand, and electric lights blossomed from his fingertips.
Crack!
A silver-white lightning bolt shot out, striking a point ten meters away, its thunderous roar reverberating within the martial arts arena.
"Is that its limit?" Ji Xinghuo compared and found that the lightning of the Triple Bolt Hand could only reach about ten meters, just five meters further than the Single Bolt. Beyond ten meters, its power plummeted, and the lightning almost dissipated without much lethality.
However, one could clearly see the increase in the lightning's power from its diameter and brightness!
Now, releasing a bolt of lightning required a minimum of one stellar power, and one could invest up to 30 stellar power to triple its might. But this also required a longer charging time, close to two seconds.
"The difference between Single and Triple Bolt Hand should be more than just increased lethality."
Ji Xinghuo studied it carefully.
He released Bolt Hand after Bolt Hand and soon discovered the difference. It seemed that he could slightly control the direction of the lightning with his gestures!
"I think I understand now."
Ji Xinghuo's eyes lit up as he looked at his palms.
He then focused his gaze forward, and with a brightening of his fingertips, the sound of buzzing currents lasted for about a second. As he thrust his hand forward, a thick bolt of lightning shot out. The twisting and turning lightning suddenly changed course after traveling five or six meters, veering to the left by about a meter.
"It works!"
Ji Xinghuo was delighted. Previously, when he released lightning, he had to point directly at his target, and once the direction was chosen, it couldn't be changed.
Although the path of the lightning was unpredictable, twisting and turning, it would eventually hit the intended target.
But now, he could truly change the direction of the lightning.
Aside from needing to be more focused, the key to changing the lightning's direction seemed to lie in his gestures, especially the movement of his fingers.
The lightning was like a thread being pulled and redirected by the movement of his fingers.
This was difficult!
One had to complete the action in an extremely short moment, and their thoughts had to be quick enough as well.
However, Ji Xinghuo soon grasped it preliminarily, thanks to his Thousand Dexterity Hand ability, which was also at the Triple level.
"I never expected that Thousand Dexterity Hands and Bolt Hand would have a synergistic effect. The combination of two Tier 3 abilities has produced unexpected results!"
Ji Xinghuo kept trying.
With each release of lightning, he gradually became proficient at controlling its direction. However, he could only redirect the lightning at its end, and the maximum deviation of two meters was already the limit.
Moreover, the accuracy of the redirected lightning decreased.
But he was already satisfied.
After releasing lightning dozens of times, Ji Xinghuo suddenly felt a tingling numbness in his wrist, so he stopped immediately.
Using Bolt Hand too frequently could overload the tendons and possibly injure his arms.
Most of his stellar power had been consumed as well.
Ji Xinghuo activated his Spinning Magnetic Field, and the tingling pain in his wrist immediately faded. He raised his hand again, and currents gathered on his skin, converging at his fingertips with a bright, dazzling light, and finally erupting with a thunderous roar. A silver-white lightning bolt thicker than his arm spanned the entire martial arts arena, instantly striking the wall opposite him.
Boom!
The entire arena trembled.
There was a charred mark on the concrete wall, with a half-meter-deep pit at its center. Debris was scattered as far as ten meters away, leaving the place in disarray.
"Uh..."
Even Ji Xinghuo was stunned by the power.
"What happened, Xinghuo?" Ren Mian's figure appeared at the entrance of the martial arts arena, followed by Chi Zhonglin and Jiang Nan Caiyi.
Ji Xinghuo looked at his three teammates with an embarrassed expression. "I was trying out my new ability and accidentally went overboard."
Ren Mian stepped inside and looked at the marks on the wall in astonishment. "Bolt Hand?"
Ji Xinghuo nodded.
Chi Zhonglin reached out to touch the edge of the pit, feeling the heat, and asked incredulously, "Can Bolt Hand reach so far and be so powerful?"
He had witnessed Bolt Hand several times and had some understanding of the ability, but Ji Xinghuo's Bolt Hand seemed a bit over the top.
If that strike had hit him, he would likely have been seriously injured.
"I have the Spinning Magnetic Field, which amplifies the Bolt Hand," Ji Xinghuo explained.
In fact, he was surprised himself.
The amplification effect of the Double Spinning Magnetic Field on the Triple Bolt Hand was far stronger than that of the Single Bolt Hand. The attack range was nearly thirty meters, and the lethality had increased by more than five times. This silver-white lightning bolt had consumed about 80 stellar power points.
However, the preparation time for releasing the lightning was too long, exceeding three seconds, and the lightning couldn't be redirected.
Obviously, it couldn't be used frequently.
Hearing Ji Xinghuo's explanation, Chi Zhonglin believed him and said enviously, "As expected of the strongest Magnetic Field Maniac profession. Anyone who engages in close combat with you is truly unlucky. They'll definitely be electrocuted badly!"
"It's even more miserable to fight against Xinghuo from a distance." Jiang Nan Caiyi added softly.
Chi Zhonglin thought of Ji Xinghuo's archery skills and fell silent for a while before sighing, "Luckily, you're my teammate."
Ren Mian's eyes were also filled with amazement.
She kept staring at the marks on the wall, seemingly still doubtful, but in the end, she didn't ask further.
Ji Xinghuo changed the subject and asked, "Sister Ren, have you succeeded in your spiritual power fusion?"
"Of course."
Ren Mian smiled slightly, and a faint white light shone from her fingertips, giving a pure and flawless feeling. The light stabilized and formed a small light ball, like a little light bulb.
Whoosh!
A pit appeared on the concrete wall, much smaller than the one created by Ji Xinghuo's lightning strike, with a diameter of only two or three centimeters. There was no explosion, nor was there a loud noise.
However, Ji Xinghuo's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Wow!"
Chi Zhonglin, who was standing by the wall, was startled and quickly stepped back. The beam had landed just two or three meters away from him. He then curiously stepped forward to examine the wall, inhaling sharply at the sight.
The meter-thick concrete wall had been completely pierced by the beam of light!
As the training arena was underground, the wall was backed by soil. The edges of the small hole left by the beam were glazed, as if burned by intense heat, and one could directly see the soil behind the wall.
"Optical Stringer!"
"Sister Ren, are you now an Optical Stringer?"
Ji Xinghuo looked at Ren Mian as if he were appraising a rare treasure.
There were many branches of Spirit Energy Stringers, and in addition to the core "Spirit Energy," they also needed a "Resonance Ability" to determine the form of energy they could control.
For example, the Tuning Ability of a Thermal Stringer is usually "Combustion" or "Cryogenesis." When combined with Spiritual Energy, they can master the energy of thermodynamics and its applications.
The Tuning Ability of a Sonic Stringer is related to vibration, allowing them to manipulate mechanical wave energy, often manifesting as sound.
And Optical Stringers, they control the energy of light!
This was an extremely rare branch of Spirit Energy, as the Tuning Ability for light was very scarce. Ji Xinghuo didn't know which ability Ren Mian had combined with her Spirit Energy to master light, but it was evident that her strength would surge to a shocking degree.
The energy contained in light far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.
Through their Spirit Energy, Optical Stringers could develop numerous powerful techniques, combining lethality with functionality: light beams, light waves, luminosity variations, focusing for heating, light bursts, spectral changes, flickering, optical invisibility, and more! The greatest advantage of Optical Stringers was their attack range and pinpoint lethality. As their Spirit Energy strengthened, they became akin to humanoid laser cannons, striking fear into the hearts of their opponents.
Ren Mian smiled faintly, her exquisite face radiating an indescribable charm.
"Congratulations, Sister!"
Jiang Nan Caiyi cheered excitedly, happier about Ren Mian's strength enhancement than her own.
Chi Zhonglin also looked on with envy.
"One of you is a Magnetic Field Maniac, and the other is an Optical Stringer!" He shook his head in wonder, suddenly feeling a sense of urgency. "If I don't work harder, I'll be left behind. I'll be the odd one out..."
"I need to step up my efforts, too!" Jiang Nan Caiyi clenched her fists.
"You can do it!"
Ren Mian encouraged them both, then continued, "From now on, I'll be preparing for my advancement to Superhuman. In the short term, I won't be going out to hunt, so you should also seize the time to evolve into Superhumans as soon as possible. Let me know if there's anything you need."
"I'll be fusing with Bloody Frenzy tomorrow," Chi Zhonglin said. "Then I'll return to Earth to cultivate and accumulate stellar power while choosing a compatible star gland."
"I'll also be more diligent in my training," Jiang Nan Caiyi added.
"Good." Ren Mian nodded. "I'll stay here for another Star Realm month to help you both. I'll leave a month from now, and at best, I'll be back in about a year. At worst, it won't take more than two years. During this time, you can cultivate or do as you please; it's entirely up to your personal plans."
Sadness filled Jiang Nan Caiyi's eyes. "Sister, will you be gone for so long?"
"Parting is for the sake of a better reunion," Ren Mian said softly. "Caiyi, you're no longer an eighteen-year-old girl; you should have your own opinions. You can't follow me forever. One day, you'll need to learn to leave me and forge your own path."
"I want to stay by your side forever, Sister," Jiang Nan Caiyi said, shaking her head. Then, she nodded firmly. "But if this is what you expect of me, I will definitely make it happen."
Ren Mian smiled with satisfaction.
She glanced at Ji Xinghuo, then turned and left the training arena.
The next thirty-plus days were the most peaceful yet fulfilling time Ji Xinghuo had spent in the Star Realm. He immersed himself in cultivation, and his strength steadily grew.
He hadn't finished using the Grade B Blood Marrow Solution he had bought previously, so he went to Wang Longtai and purchased another batch from Selina, enough for a Star Realm month. He drank a bottle every day to enhance his cultivation.
After upgrading the Triple Bolt Hand, he still had 311 Spiritual Source Energy points left.
After some consideration, Ji Xinghuo decided to invest all of these points into Ether Affinity, reaching (Tier 3: 508/1439). Combined with the Grade B Blood Marrow Solution, his cultivation efficiency was remarkable, and he almost gained one stellar power point every day.
A bottle of Grade B Blood Marrow Solution cost 50,000 Asian dollars.
During this Star Realm month, Ji Xinghuo spent over 1.8 million on his cultivation, gaining 37 stellar power points in return. His total stellar power reached 431 points!
In the meantime, Chi Zhonglin successfully fused with "Bloody Frenzy" and returned to Earth after cultivating together with Ji Xinghuo for over half a month.
Jiang Nan Caiyi's luck wasn't as good; she hadn't been able to find anyone selling a Devil's Soul.
Following Ren Mian's suggestion, she fused with "Demonification," which also resulted in a significant boost to her strength.
One day, after Ji Xinghuo finished his combat training at the Extreme Martial Arts Gym, he returned to the villa, and Ren Mian suddenly said, "Xinghuo, come to my room for a moment."
(End of Chapter)
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