However, Su Chen didn’t retreat. He advanced.
The bio-current in his cells suddenly surged, his neural conduction speed shattering its physiological limits. Time seemed to stretch. Motes of dust hung suspended in the air. Before him, only the lion-maned figure, its charge accelerated, continued its desperate lunge.
’Too slow!’
He took a step and charged forward. The brilliant glow of his Holy Sword, interwoven with lightning and fire, erupted with plasma flames like a solar corona.
The two figures crossed paths in the alley.
SWOOSH!
A silent, traceless streak of light flashed through the air, severing all life in its path.
The Lion-Maned Warlock’s forward momentum hadn’t ceased, but his body was already severed at the waist.
Immense inertia from his high speed sent his upper body slamming into a pile of concrete debris ahead, while his lower half staggered a few steps before collapsing.
’Don’t take me for an ordinary Spellcaster.’
Su Chen thought ruthlessly.
Just then, the Jade Pendant on his chest trembled slightly, and a gentle yet vast torrent of energy surged into him from his heart.
’Most people get their breakthroughs in the heat of battle. Me? Mine comes after the fight is already over.’
To ensure nothing went wrong, he kept his Elemental Resonance active across the hundred-meter area and summoned Xiaoye to stand guard at his side.
The energy melted into his bones like molten gold.
A faint hum emanated from Su Chen’s body, as if every bone was being reforged. His skin transformed in tandem; old, dead layers flaked off like ash, revealing new skin as firm as if it had been forged.
The muscles beneath his skin didn’t bulge, but they coiled together layer by layer like steel cables, containing an explosive power.
Thanks to a concurrent surge of immense Life Energy, this process, much like a snake shedding its skin, didn’t cause him much pain.
This process did not last long.
’You have unlocked the body trait: Steel Bones and Iron Flesh.’
’Steel Bones and Iron Flesh: When taking heavy external blows, your skin and bones will automatically make micro-adjustments to disperse the impact. At the moment of exertion, your muscle fibers can briefly overclock their contraction, unleashing destructive force far beyond your size.’
’Power +8, Agility +3, Physique +4!’
Body Attributes: Power 35 / Physique 38 / Agility 25 / Intelligence 23 / Perception 23
Body Traits: Vitality Burst, Steel Bones and Iron Flesh.
"Excellent!"
This trait was good for both offense and defense.
When taking heavy hits, it could even synergize with Vitality Burst to drastically reduce incoming damage, preventing him from being instantly incapacitated.
Additionally, Steel Bones and Iron Flesh granted him greater explosive muscle power, providing a direct bonus to his destructive force.
The exact extent of the improvement would require further testing.
Su Chen used the Pure White Short Staff to cast a Purification Skill on himself, washing away all the filth and stench. Even his protective clothing became pristine. He then walked toward the ruins ahead.
With a mere thought, his Telekinesis branched out like a dozen invisible hands. They lifted away slabs of metal and broken wall fragments. As the dust settled, the remains underneath were revealed.
At that moment, nestled within the corpse’s collapsed sternum, Su Chen’s mind seized upon a snow-white, man-shaped ginseng fruit. Before it could struggle free from the fungal hyphae and escape, his Telekinesis tightened abruptly, trapping it and dragging it before him.
"This Bloodthirsty Fungus is amazing at finding all sorts of life-enhancing Heavenly and Earthly Treasures." Just being near the fruit made Su Chen feel refreshed and invigorated.
He didn’t think twice.
A treasure with its own Spiritual Sense was difficult to contain, so it was best to feed it directly to the pendant.
Soon, an astonishingly powerful suction surged from the heirloom Jade Pendant. It rapidly drained the immense Life Energy from the trapped ginseng. The writhing, man-shaped body shriveled and cracked, its Essence of Life—condensed over countless years—drained away completely.
A breath later, all that remained was a pinch of grayish-white powder, which fluttered down through the air.
At the same time, several Runes, a Spirit Marrow Crystal, and two portions of Spiritual Dust Sand flew out of the remains and into his hand.
One of the Runes, brimming with Spiritual Light, was none other than Acceleration Skill Lv. 7.
He was really starting to grow fond of the Bloodthirsty Fungus. Where else could he find such an excellent supply captain?

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