Chapter 21: Unexpected Development
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Before Li Xuan could say a word, Xu Miantu said, “It’s still early, and the number of bone beads we have isn’t enough to guarantee us first place. We naturally need to proceed forward.”
Jiang Hao also looked at the map and said, “Based on the map, this area is still the safe zone. We can proceed another ten kilometers without encountering much danger.”
Li Xuan opened up the map on his phone and nodded after taking a look. “Based on the information, there aren’t any Legendary stage creatures in the vicinity. It should be ok if we proceed forward a little. We need to obtain enough bone beads to be the bona fide winners of Guide City. We cannot afford otherwise.”
Zhou Wen knew that he needed to dissuade Li Xuan and company from proceeding forward; otherwise, the death of any one of them when they encountered the Skeleton General would drastically affect his results.
Although Zhou Wen didn’t have any plans to enter high society via the university he attended, he still wished to enroll in a reputable university.
If any of the four of them died, the chances of entering a top reputable university became extremely slim. No matter how well he did in his other subjects, he would only be able to enroll in a first-rate university. That wasn’t something Zhou Wen wanted.
“Li Xuan, do you believe in the sixth sense?” Zhou Wen pondered for a moment and asked Li Xuan.
“What are you getting at?” Li Xuan didn’t directly answer as he asked with piqued interest.
“I find my sixth sense better than most people. Since I was little, I would have a vague feeling just before encountering danger. This feeling leaves me very uncomfortable. Although I’m not sure if it’s a premonition for danger, I usually encounter trouble soon after.” Zhou Wen continued, “And I just had a very uncomfortable feeling.”
“Just admit to being afraid. Why use sixth sense as an excuse?” Xu Miantu spoke with contempt.
Li Xuan sized up Zhou Wen for a moment before casting his gaze at Jiang Hao.
Jiang Hao thought and then said, “The bone beads we have at present can’t guarantee us first place. It might be a little inappropriate if we were to head back now.”
Clearly, Jiang Hao was supportive of continuing forward.
Seeing Li Xuan somewhat persuaded, Zhou Wen hurriedly said, “Li Xuan, please trust me. Although this feeling of mine doesn’t happen every time danger rears its head, great trouble is certain once I have this feeling. If I’m just a coward, I could have just retreated to the entrance and waited for you guys. There isn’t a need for me to tell you this.”
After a pause, Zhou Wen continued, “Just as Xu Miantu said, Guide City is a small city. There aren’t many high schoolers who are that strong. I doubt many high schoolers will dare to venture past the designated zone to kill Skeleton Soldiers. We have already obtained a sizable number of bone beads and can always return to the designated zone to kill more. First place is practically guaranteed without taking any risks. After all, we only have one life. There’s no harm in being cautious.”
“What you say makes sense.” Li Xuan seemed to be moved by Zhou Wen’s words as he nodded. “Let’s do this then. We shall head back before heading elsewhere to hunt Skeleton Soldiers.”
“Come on, there’s no need for that.” Xu Miantu grumbled but didn’t dare disobey Li Xuan’s decision. He turned around and headed back with the team.
Jiang Hao also followed and walked by Li Xuan’s side.
Obviously, Zhou Wen had already turned around to head back, but after taking two steps, he suddenly heard Jiang Hao exclaim. “What’s that?”
He gave everyone a shock as they turned to look. They found him looking at an ancient building with a bewildered look as though he had seen something most terrifying.
Zhou Wen, Li Xuan, and Xu Miantu subconsciously turned their heads to look when a glint flashed in Jiang Hao’s hands. A strange jade dagger appeared in each of his hands.
The jade dagger in Jiang Hao’s left hand struck like a venomous snake’s tongue, instantly stabbing Li Xuan. The foot-long blade plunged into his waist completely.
This sudden development happened so abruptly that Xu Miantu didn’t even realize what was happening when the other jade dagger in Jiang Hao’s right hand swiped at his neck.
Xu Miantu had retreated quickly but had failed to avoid being injured. Although none of his arteries were severed, his neck was instantly dyed red with blood.
“Jiang Hao… What are you doing…” Xu Miantu wore a look of alarm as he covered the wound on his neck, shouting as he retreated. He was filled with disbelief over what had just happened.
Jiang Hao ignored Xu Miantu as he clenched the pair of jade daggers with both hands, staring intently at the wound on Li Xuan’s waist.
He was responsible for the wound and he knew what kind of effect such a wound would have; however, the flesh and fat at the wound seemed to possess a certain force that exerted pressure on the wound. The tiny amount of blood that had seeped out was nearly impossible for a wound this deep.
“I never expected that the promiscuous third scion of the Li family would have mastered something that would require being a virgin—the Invincible Connate Divine Art,” Jiang Hao said slowly as he glared at Li Xuan.
Zhou Wen was similarly alarmed when he heard “Invincible Connate Divine Art.”
Primordial Energy Skills and Companion Beasts could be obtained by hunting dimensional creatures, but Primordial Energy Arts weren’t things that could be obtained by dimensional crystals.
Legend had it that Primordial Energy Arts stemmed from ancient arts like Chinese qigong , battle qi , or Japanese ninjutsu . However, due to the lack of Primordial Energy Crystals in the past, those arts lacked the support of Primordial Energy, preventing them from expressing their true might.
It was only when the dimensional creatures appeared, allowing humans to absorb dimensional crystals, that these arts grew in use, gradually developing into present-day Primordial Energy Arts.
Primordial Energy Arts had significant effects on humans. Absorbing dimensional crystals allowed humans to grow stronger and evolve, but this wasn’t sufficient at advancing between stages. Instead, it was Primordial Energy Arts that possessed the power to allow a breakthrough of such restrictions.
For instance, if Zhou Wen wanted to advance from the Mortal stage to the Legendary stage, simply absorbing dimensional crystals would be insufficient. He would need to advance Ascetic Meditation to a whole new realm before his body would evolve to the Legendary stage.
However, Primordial Energy Arts had their differences. Ascetic Meditation could, at best, advance Zhou Wen to the Legendary stage—the maximum it could go. It was unable to advance Zhou Wen to the Epic stage no matter how much more he cultivated in it.
Among the known Primordial Energy Arts, there were fewer than twenty that allowed humans to advance to the Epic stage. Invincible Connate Divine Art was one of them.
Furthermore, Invincible Connate Divine Art had a strange cultivation requirement. It required the cultivator to be a virgin.
Once one was no longer a virgin, the Invincible Connate Divine Art would become ineffective, losing all of its original might.