Chapter 457 – Still Think It’s Fun?

Before long, Lu Yuan completely disappeared.

At the spot where he had been standing, only a deep black biker jacket remained, quietly fallen to the ground.

Seconds later.

“Crack-“

A sound of something breaking suddenly echoed within the heap of bismuth iron waste ore, resembling a small hill.

In the dim, silent warehouse, the sound was particularly distinct.

The sound seemed to be just the beginning.

Gradually, a second sound, then a third, and a fourth…

The cracking noises grew more frequent, as if countless small creatures were hatching one after another.

“Rustle-“

Amid the dense cracking, the high-stacked heap of bismuth iron waste ore began to slowly collapse inward.

The dark green glow emanating from its surface gradually faded, and between the crevices of the piled ores, fine dark sand continuously trickled down…

At this moment, Lu Yuan was immersed in the pleasure of being enveloped by hundreds and thousands of streams of Life Energy.

Though each stream of Life Energy wasn’t large, akin to a trickling stream.

But as they accumulated, the amount of Life Energy injected into Lu Yuan’s body at the same time was considerable.

As soon as one “stream” dried up, another would immediately take its place.

In Lu Yuan’s core, the remaining mass of flesh began to grow visibly bigger.

It was like a sponge that had been almost completely wrung dry, and then left under the scorching sun to shrivel to its limit.

Once moistened, it gradually swelled back up.

During this “expansive” recovery process, new cells formed with each division, and every beat of the dark red flesh mass caused it to expand a bit more in volume.

In just a few seconds, the recovery of Lu Yuan’s core surpassed the efforts he had put in over the previous month.

With the integration of the Phoenix bloodline and Yuwen Tong’s mysterious bloodline, the newly generated flesh was unmatched in vitality, strength, and structure, far exceeding Lu Yuan’s former “old body.”

“Without destruction, there can be no construction. Destruction leads to rebirth, and blessings and misfortunes come together.

If this cycle of ‘rebirth’ succeeds,

My physical form will be even stronger than when I was at the tenth stage of star spirit and a Grandmaster in martial arts.

I have no idea how many levels higher my life force will rise…”

At this moment, Lu Yuan’s consciousness was immersed in an extremely wondrous state.

Indescribable, as if something in the unseen was conveying to him the true essence of life’s nirvana and the profound truths of the cycle of life and death.

A sense of inexplicable peace and joy filled Lu Yuan’s heart.

Suddenly, he realized.

His experience of having a damaged, nearly perished body slowly recovering.

Although painful, it was invaluable.

The benefits to his future development might not be any less than unlocking a Transcendent Mythical professional panel.

During the devouring process, Lu Yuan kept his eyes fixed on his professional panel.

He watched as the experience points behind his originally level 2 [Devour] skill increased with each “+1,” rapidly approaching level 3.

This was not only due to his absorption of massive amounts of Life Energy.

It also included the metallic elements from the waste ore that were continuously integrating into his body.

The amount of this material actually exceeded the Life Energy Lu Yuan needed.

A large amount of bismuth iron, bismuth silver, and other scattered waste ore metals all merged into the black sphere within Lu Yuan’s body that had formed after devouring the Blue Falcon Type 4 Mecha.

Lu Yuan noticed in the progress bars extending upward from his [Devour] skill.

The progress bar representing the devouring of non-flesh substances was climbing rapidly, seemingly nearing the unlocking of the first node.

Additionally, another skill with experience points rapidly increasing was [Seed of Misfortune].

This seed, originally no larger than a fingernail, after absorbing countless harmful substances and radiation energy from the waste ore.

Grew visibly larger at an extraordinary speed.

The skill level displayed on the professional panel quickly broke through lv1, reaching lv2…

Just as everything was progressing in a positive direction.

Lu Yuan suddenly sensed faint, strange vibrations emanating from within his core.

It felt as if something was awakening.

He was curious, but before he could explore the source of the vibrations…

The stream of Life Energy flowing into his body suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

The heap of bismuth iron waste ore in the warehouse, piled up like a small mountain… was depleted.

In the dim warehouse, a mound of black sand, about a meter high, quivered slightly.

The next moment, the sand collapsed, and a tall, slender figure walked step by step from the heap.

Faint starlight from outside the warehouse spilled in, falling on the figure and reflecting an ivory-like, smooth glow.

“Phew-“

Lu Yuan gently exhaled, the thin layer of sand in front of him blew away, revealing the biker jacket buried beneath.

He slowly picked up the biker jacket and put it on, a satisfied expression spreading across his face.

“For this moment, everything I’ve done tonight has been worth it.”

He casually pulled up his attribute panel to check.

[Name: Lu Yuan]

[Age: 17]

[strength points: 20 (limit break 1)]

[agility points: 20 (limit break 1)]

[constitution points: 20 (limit break 1)]

[intelligence points: 25 (limit break 1)]

Thanks to the recovery of his core and the extension and radiation of flesh cells, the basic attributes of Lu Qiyuan’s body experienced a significant boost.

His strength points, agility points, and constitution points all reached the height of a limit break.

What surprised Lu Yuan was that perhaps due to the nourishment of Life Energy, his consciousness power also made great strides, with his intelligence increasing by a full four points.

Calculating it all, his mental power should have already stepped into Level 2 by now.

Moreover, Lu Yuan had completely devoured all the waste ore in the warehouse.

Though the waste ore didn’t contain much of rare metals, the sheer quantity was substantial, and the black sphere formed after devouring the Blue Falcon Type 4 Mecha had expanded considerably.

Now, if he initiated a Mecha transformation, the original armor defense of the Blue Falcon Type 4 Mecha should have also increased significantly.

Then there was the [Seed of Misfortune].

It had grown from the size of a fingernail to that of a pigeon egg.

On its irregularly shaped surface, each black tendril twitched slightly, almost as if it were a living thing.

“The recovery of my core means that many high-level skills can be gradually unlocked…” Lu Yuan’s eyes sparkled as he raised a hand and gently tapped the center of his forehead.

After a moment, he shook his head helplessly and lowered his hand.

“It’s not working.”

After achieving a limit break in his four basic attributes, he attempted to enter a state of perfect limit break but was unable to recapture the feeling he had once experienced.

“I wonder if the strength of my body now can support me in wielding the power of the ultimate skill…” Lu Yuan pondered.

Just then, he noticed something. His heightened senses, made keener by his attribute boost, detected a distant commotion outside the warehouse.

He walked calmly forward and, in the blink of an eye, melted silently into the thick darkness of the night.

…

“This is it.”

Lu Feng, expressionless, jumped down from an ultra-small aircraft shaped like a Disc, with blue flames spurting from its rear.

He quietly retrieved the aircraft into a spatial capsule, gazing at the brightly lit base of the mining site in front of him.

In the small square at the center of the base, four or five men wearing simple exoskeleton devices stood, perplexed, among several piles of dismantled metal components.

Lu Feng’s eyes flickered.

Without much hesitation, he moved, slipping into the scene as silently and swiftly as a panther.

At that moment, everyone at the mining site base had their attention fixed on the piles of scrap metal in the central square.

With the aid of his level 5 mental power detection, Lu Feng’s infiltration went unnoticed by anyone present.

As he swiftly moved through the shadows of the buildings, he glanced down at his wrist.

Just as he was about to confirm the target’s location further, the blinking cursor on his wrist terminal suddenly vanished.

Frowning slightly, Lu Feng was about to take his next step when a sudden, fast-piercing sound came from behind him.

Lu Feng reacted with lightning speed.

Almost instinctively, the moment he sensed an energy beam rushing toward him, he dodged to the side.

But when he realized the true target of the energy beam, his face changed dramatically.

“Not good.”

“Boom!”

A pale blue energy ray silently hit a gray metal box with precise aim. Whatever was inside the box, when struck by the energy ray, it immediately triggered a series of violent explosions.

These small chain explosions posed no real threat to Lu Feng, but they did completely expose his position in the blazing light of the flames.

“There he is!”

“I see him!”

“Damn thief, bastard!”

A swarm of robots and miners wearing exoskeletons suddenly appeared from all directions.

Shouting angrily, they charged toward Lu Feng with great momentum.

In an instant, shells and energy spheres rained down like a storm.

Lu Feng’s expression was a bit grim as he gritted his teeth and quickly dashed away…

Five minutes later.

In the primal forest a few kilometers away from the chaotic, fiery mining site base, Lu Feng emerged agilely from the underbrush.

While walking forward, he lightly dusted off the bits of gray dust and leaves stuck to his clothing.

Suddenly, both his steps and his hand movements halted.

He looked up, expressionless, at a spot about ten meters ahead of him.

On an open grassy area under the starlight stood a slender, handsome young man in a deep-colored biker jacket, chewing gum and watching him with a faint smile.

“Young Master.”

Lu Feng calmly addressed the young man, articulating each word: “The bedtime game is over. You should go back to sleep.”

“Ha…”

Upon hearing Lu Feng’s words, the young man let out a silent laugh.

Then, he straightened up, dropping his playful demeanor, spat out the gum, and began walking toward Lu Feng, each step deliberate under the starlight.

“I will report your performance tonight truthfully to…”

Lu Feng continued to speak with a detached tone.

However, the young man approaching him seemed to quicken his pace, and before Lu Feng could finish his sentence, he suddenly appeared right in front of him.

“Hiss-“

A pale, slender hand, shaped into a claw, tore through the starlight, creating faint, visible trails of translucent air as it aimed straight for Lu Feng’s face.

Lu Feng’s pupils contracted sharply, and a flash of precision burst from deep within his eyes.

Though he seemed somewhat surprised, his facial expression remained utterly calm.

“Looks like you haven’t exhausted all your energy yet…”

Lu Feng muttered softly, his shoulders giving a slight shake. His arms, like sharp blades, lifted to meet the incoming hand.

“Perfect timing, I want to see… just how much you’ve been hiding.”

“Bang!”

Lu Feng’s arms firmly blocked the oncoming hand, forcing it to retreat under the pressure of his strength.

He turned his right hand, attempting to seize the opponent’s hand.

But it moved with the agility of a snake, swiftly retracting from his grasp.

“Interesting…”

Lu Feng’s eyes gleamed slightly. Changing his attack, his arms shot out with remarkable speed, trailing shadows in the air.

The momentum behind this strike was impressive.

However, just as Lu Feng’s hands were about to grab the target, he felt a quick tap on a specific spot on his forearms.

The sensation was like a needle prick, and the strength drained from his hands instantly.

A look of mild astonishment appeared on Lu Feng’s face as he prepared to retreat.

A pale claw had already broken through his defense, with unstoppable momentum aimed at his eyes and throat.

The precision and viciousness of this move were natural and flawless, like a hunter’s instinct.

The attack carried an indescribable, eerie resonance within its technique.

In that split second, a sense of overwhelming despair and catastrophic dread welled up in Lu Feng’s heart, as if the world was collapsing and an apocalypse was nigh.

Cold sweat beaded on Lu Feng’s forehead.

He knew that if he couldn’t block this strike, he would be severely injured or permanently crippled, even if he survived.

“Still find this interesting?”

A voice, light and slightly amused, whispered by Lu Feng’s ear.

At this moment, Lu Feng could no longer hold back.

The dormant mental power in his mind exploded instantly.

“Boom!”

Invisible waves of mental power suddenly radiated out, forming a small, unseen hurricane around Lu Feng. This hurricane directly blocked the lethal intent of the claw, sweeping it away entirely.

The owner of the pale hand also paused slightly under the influence of this powerful mental power, then leapt back like a great bird.

“Whoosh-whoosh-“

Lu Feng, having just escaped the desperation of the deadly attack, stood in place, breathing heavily.

His face was filled with shock and disbelief.

He looked up, following the serene starlight ahead.

There, in his field of view, still stood the young figure with a faint smile.

The appearance and stature were familiar, but the demeanor and aura were so foreign that Lu Feng felt as if he was meeting this person for the first time.

“Swish-“

Before Lu Feng could fully process his swirling emotions, he saw the young man on the other side lift a hand and toss something toward him.

Instinctively, Lu Feng reached out to catch it.

Holding it up to his eyes, he realized it was his own Mecha’s spatial device.

“Did he just… during our fight… also manage to take my Mecha device from me?!”

Lu Feng stared blankly at the spatial device in his hand, a tremendous shock rising within him like never before.

Yet, the upheaval within his heart had only just begun when he felt an intangible wind arise in the clearing, rustling his hair and stirring the grass and leaves around him into a gentle rustle.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

The next moment, he saw…

A Blue Falcon Type 4 Mecha, over six meters tall, standing quietly not far in front of him.

Starlight fell upon the Mecha’s dark blue exterior, yet it reflected no light at all.

The Mecha raised one arm, beckoning him with a slow curl of its finger.

Then came that same calm yet slightly relaxed young voice, clear through the body of the Mecha.

“Come, put on your Mecha and continue…”

“Don’t make it seem like I’m bullying you.”