Chapter 155: Enhancement

[Host: Fang Qingyun]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Level: Tier 9 General]
[Strength: 54 (+)]
[Speed: 54 (+)]
[Physique: 54 (+)]
[Spirit: 59 (+)]
[Psionic Energy: 2900 (+)]
[Marksmanship: Monarch]
[Blade Mastery: Novice (+)]
[Sword Mastery: Monarch]
[Trap Mastery: Intermediate (+)]
[Psionic Control: Advanced (+)]
[Cultivation Technique: Slaughter Art (31st Revolution) (+)]
[Summoned Beast: Emperor Lion]
[Origin Source: 579454]

The first thing that caught his eye was the Origin Source!
It had reached a staggering total of over half a million points—the largest single boost Fang Qingyun had ever experienced.
In the past, relying on poisons, such a feat was utterly unimaginable.
Previously, the maximum increase he could manage in a single day was tens of thousands of points, and even then, it could not be done daily. Because basic attributes like physique had their limits, increasing them by too much at once would cause his body to collapse.

Next was the Slaughter Art, which had unconsciously advanced to the 31st Revolution!
Perhaps due to the sheer number of recent battles and the frequent use of the technique, the Slaughter Art had upgraded automatically.
That was the nature of the Slaughter Art!
Its progression speed was terrifyingly fast. Sometimes, without deliberate cultivation, just engaging in a few battles was enough to trigger a breakthrough.
However, without a sufficiently powerful physique, the Slaughter Art ran the risk of igniting you from within.

"Although I can still increase my basic attribute points, is there really any need to do so?"
The corners of Fang Qingyun's lips curved upward as he called out loudly, "Clear the battlefield! Then, let's get ready and track down the other Origin Sources!"

"Ah?!"
The generals were dumbfounded.
Still hunting for more?

"Of course!" Fang Qingyun raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Everything we do follows the rules. Why shouldn't we keep hunting? Unless the higher-ups stop us, no one can block my path forward!"

Would the higher-ups stop them?
Unknown!
Judging by the current situation, the probability was very low!

***

In fact, it was just as Fang Qingyun had anticipated.
The moment Fang Qingyun eliminated the last Earth Dragon clone, the aura of the Earth Dragon's main body in the sky began to plummet rapidly.
Several monarchs cast peculiar glances at the Earth Dragon, whose face had turned livid.
This bastard had suffered a catastrophic loss this time.
A loss so immense that even they couldn't help grinning and suppressing their laughter.
If the Earth Dragon had previously stood at the absolute peak of monarch-tier existence, right now, he could only be considered an average peak monarch.
His combat power had dropped from 9999 to 9990 points!
Could he cultivate back to his former level in a thousand years?
Most likely not!
How pitiful!

"Hehe!" The Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom looked at the Earth Dragon and smiled. "Many thanks for the Earth Dragon's assistance. On behalf of the little guys of my race, I thank you."

Thank your grandpa!
The Earth Dragon glared coldly at the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom and snapped, "The game is not over yet. Do not forget, inside the barrier, my clone is still active!"

This time, the Earth Dragon had split off about fifty clones, of which Fang Qingyun had wiped out over forty in one go.
Moreover, within the combat zone, there were countless prodigies. Fang Qingyun wasn't the only one with a dazzling performance; several other geniuses had encountered the Earth Dragon's clones and directly attacked and destroyed them.
For instance, the two demons and one spirit beast who had snatched the Origin Source right out of Fang Qingyun's hands.
To still be able to snatch the Origin Source under such circumstances fully demonstrated their immense strength.
Had they confronted an Earth Dragon clone head-on, defeat was far from certain.

However...
Fang Qingyun sneered inwardly and muttered, "Daring to snatch my Origin Source... You've eaten what was mine, and I've memorized your auras. Sooner or later, you'll spit it back out with interest!"

With that, his subordinates below had already finished cleaning up the battlefield.
Aside from corpses, they had found a spatial storage artifact.
Furthermore, the weapons and armor left behind by these powerful beings were of exceptional quality.
At this, Fang Qingyun waved his hand grandly.
Distribute them!
Such a massive haul of equipment and battle merits left the generals in high spirits.
Given Fang Qingyun's domineering style, they had mentally prepared themselves to walk away empty-handed.
Yet Fang Qingyun had bestowed so many battle merits upon them instead.
With these battle merits, they could exchange them for numerous valuable treasures back within the human race, which would be of immense benefit to their future growth.
A few small favors doled out under high-pressure rule were enough to evoke boundless gratitude.

Fang Qingyun closed his eyes, sensed their surroundings, located the position of the next Origin Source, and swung his hand forward.
Let's go!
Continue the hunt for Origin Sources!

***

Up in the sky, the several monarchs fell silent.
The Earth Dragon let out a mocking chuckle and said, "Human race, if you truly intend to keep pushing like this, I will recall my remaining clones. As for this contest for the Origin Source, you win."
The Spider Monarch and the Demon Monarch similarly cast cold, icy glances.
The human race was going too far!
They weren't even planning to leave them so much as a drop of soup!

Xuan Ji didn't even know what to say.
Fang Qingyun had no intention of stopping; he actually wanted to keep going.
This...
Although it felt exhilarating!
Such an approach was truly ill-advised!
These two alien races, coupled with such a terrifying powerhouse, were already being driven to the brink of madness.
Once they joined forces to target them, the human race would be finished.
Xuan Ji shifted his gaze toward the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom.

Truth be told, things had already reached a sufficient climax at this point.
Fang Qingyun had reaped dozens of Origin Source fragments—whether from the mainland or the Earth Dragon, they were genuine Origin Sources, enough for him to digest and absorb for several decades.
Aside from him, several other young human prodigies had also made gains.
As things stood, the human race had already made a massive profit.
If they called it a day right now and returned home, within a few years, Fang Qingyun would undoubtedly become a formidable upper-tier divine general.
That would be more than enough to be enfeoffed as a Grand Duke. Combined with his summoned beast, even a monarch might not be unbeatable; at the very least, he could stall an ordinary monarch.
This was of paramount importance.
The human race's development from scratch to the present day relied entirely on bit-by-bit accumulation.
The slightest advantage was enough to fill them with joy, yet right now, they were making leaps and bounds.
Especially since the opposing side possessed a powerhouse like the Earth Dragon.
No matter how much that fellow's power had declined, he still had the strength to stall the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom.

Yet the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom acted as though he hadn't noticed Xuan Ji's gaze, continuing to watch Fang Qingyun with keen interest, a faint trace of anticipation lingering in his eyes.
Anticipation for what?
Could Fang Qingyun possibly ascend directly to the rank of Monarch?
Even if you fed him the Earth Dragon to chew on, he couldn't achieve that.

"Lord Prime Minister!"
Xuan Ji transmitted his voice to question the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom.
The Prime Minister still gave no response.
Xuan Ji understood.
He smiled bitterly to himself.
This time, things were genuinely going to blow up on a massive scale.

Noticing this, the other monarchs sneered. Exchanging glances, once they grasped the human race's intentions, they instantly knew what course of action to take.
Before long, bizarre changes began to ripple across various sections of the barrier.
Wherever Fang Qingyun headed, the spirit beasts and demons stationed there would rapidly retreat.
They completely avoided any direct contact with Fang Qingyun.
At the same time, the advance routes of many powerful spirit beasts and demons straightened out, leading them directly toward locations where other Origin Sources were hidden.

Xuan Ji frowned slightly, casting a displeased glance at the Demon Monarch and the Spider Monarch.
To flag the locations of the Origin Sources to their clansmen so blatantly showed far too little regard for the human race.
However, considering the overwhelming advantages Fang Qingyun had already secured, Xuan Ji swallowed his anger.

Who would have thought that at this very moment, the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom would speak up once more.
"You two, if you continue to pull such stunts, don't blame me for being discourteous!"
His voice was calm, yet laden with immense power.

The Demon Monarch's eyes widened slightly as he stared in disbelief at the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom.
What on earth were the humans trying to do?
They had already pushed them to this absolute limit, yet they still wanted to press down with further oppression.
Had he lost his mind?

After a brief, heavy silence, the Spider Monarch also spoke up, "Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom, do you even know what you're doing?"
"Of course," the Prime Minister replied calmly. "Fair and just!"
"Whoever dares to violate this, don't blame me for being unreasonable!"

The Demon Monarch and the Spider Monarch exchanged glances.
Just what kind of backing did this human race possess?
How dared they provoke both the spirit beast and demon races, as well as the Earth Dragon, all at once?
Even the most powerful demon race wouldn't dare pull such a stunt!
True, the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom was a top-tier monarch, but the spirit beast and demon races also possessed monarchs of that caliber, and rumor had it the demon race had more than one.
The Earth Dragon was also of that tier.
If those three forces truly resolved to act, it would be enough to wipe out the human race.
On what grounds?
Confusion filled the eyes of the demon and spirit beast monarchs as they fell into deep thought.

"Shall we test the waters?"
The voice of the Spider Monarch suddenly rang in the ear of the Demon Monarch, Mourinho.
Mourinho glanced at him sideways. "How do we test them?"
"The spirit beast race will naturally dispatch troops and powerhouses, but the demon race's offensive against the spirit beasts should stop here!" the Spider Monarch said calmly.

Heh!
The Demon Monarch sneered inwardly and replied indifferently, "What could that possibly test? Unless the spirit beast race is willing to deploy a monarch to probe the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom."

Go screw yourself!
The corners of the Spider Monarch's mouth twitched.
You really have the nerve to say that!
Probe the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom?
What happens if I die?!
The monarchs of other clans don't take orders from me anyway!

Seeing the Spider Monarch fall silent, the Demon Monarch sneered and said no more.
Ask the demon race to halt their offensive against the spirit beasts?
Such a golden opportunity only came once every few centuries, and you expect us to stop just because you said so?
In your dreams!
True, they missed out on the Origin Sources, but the territories they were currently conquering were real, tangible gains.
Even though the demon race already possessed two core continents, who would ever complain about having too much territory?
At worst, once they plundered the resources, they could sell the land back to the human race for a massive profit.
And yet, you drop a casual sentence telling me to send troops and powerhouses to test the waters while you halt your own attacks?
Who are you trying to scam?
Isn't your spirit beast race currently fighting a heated war with the humans yourselves? Do you even need to send more troops?
Do you have any spare strength left?

Wait!
The Demon Monarch suddenly realized—this was probably the exact scheme the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom was playing at.
Yet, even after the Spider Monarch and the Demon Monarch figured it out, the war between the demons and spirit beasts still wouldn't stop, because the stakes and interests involved were simply too colossal.

"I'll do it!"
Suddenly, the Earth Dragon broke his silence.
He didn't use voice transmission; he spoke out loud.
Every monarch present, including the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom, turned their gaze toward him.
Staring fixedly at the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom, the Earth Dragon said coldly, "I'll keep this fellow occupied. Do you dare join forces and butcher a human monarch?"

"Hehe!"
The Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom let out a soft laugh. Looking lazily at the Earth Dragon, he smiled and said, "Earth Dragon, you don't need to ask them. If you want to test me yourself, let's have our battle in the void!"
"Fine!"
The Earth Dragon sneered. Though his power had dropped severely, he refused to believe that his tens of thousands of years of accumulation were inferior to the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom.
True, he had lost a massive amount of Origin Source this time, but void behemoths possessed Origin Sources in the greatest abundance.
Their lifespans were simply too vast, and their accumulations far too deep.

"Swish!"
He charged into the void first.
"Lord Prime Minister!" Xuan Ji couldn't help crying out in alarm.
"Keep your eyes on the little guy!" The Prime Minister waved a hand, instructing, "Don't let other powerhouses interfere and actually lay a hand on him."
"Understood!" Xuan Ji felt a wave of anxiety. He wanted to help the Prime Minister deal with the Earth Dragon.
However, the moment he attempted to move, both the Spider Monarch and the Demon Monarch simultaneously released their auras, locking him firmly in place.
Their intent was crystal clear: they had no intention of letting him reinforce the Prime Minister of the Celestial Kingdom.

***

"BOOM!!!"
A heaven-shaking explosion rang out.
The psionic energy between heaven and earth began to fluctuate violently.
It churned like a pot of boiling water!
At that moment, countless top-tier powerhouses raised their heads, looking toward the void with expressions of shock and uncertainty.
A monarch!
A top-tier monarch, and they were fighting!
Why?
Was a full-scale war about to break out again?

All the monarchs belonging to the three major races immediately sprang into action.
The human monarchs rushed to their respective garrisoned zones and activated various defensive arrays.
The spirit beast monarchs hurried back to their ancestral grounds to sit guard over their clan.
As for the demon race, they activated their barrier, their monarchs positioning themselves atop it, watching the void with cold eyes.

Even Fang Qingyun and the others inside the barrier felt the drastic upheaval sweeping across the world.
They simply didn't know what had happened.
"Whatever happened, it doesn't matter. Let's just continue with our own business!"
A chilling smile played at the corners of Fang Qingyun's lips.
He resumed his journey of hunting down Origin Sources.

To outsiders, he might have seemed a bit out of control.
With such events unfolding, he was still hunting for Origin Sources—wasn't he worried at all?
Little did they know, Fang Qingyun had undergone yet another transformation.

[Host: Fang Qingyun]
[Occupation: Martial Artist]
[Level: Tier 9 General]
[Strength: 55 (+)]
[Speed: 55 (+)]
[Physique: 55 (+)]
[Spirit: 59 (+)]
[Psionic Energy: 2999 (+)]
[Marksmanship: Supreme]
[Blade Mastery: Novice (+)]
[Sword Mastery: Supreme]
[Trap Mastery: Intermediate (+)]
[Psionic Control: Advanced (+)]
[Cultivation Technique: Slaughter Art (32nd Revolution) (+)]
[Summoned Beast: Emperor Lion]
[Origin Source: 468354]

Every single basic attribute point, aside from Spirit, had increased by another point.
His psionic energy had reached the absolute peak of the General tier; without breaking through to the Divine General tier, it could no longer be increased.
The Slaughter Art had advanced by yet another revolution.
Most crucially, Marksmanship and Sword Mastery.
Fang Qingyun had invested points into upgrading these two skills as well.
Ascending from Monarch to Supreme had cost 50,000 Origin Source points.
The cost was by no means small, but it was thoroughly worth it.
The moment these two skills upgraded, Fang Qingyun felt as though he had transformed into a sword and a spear himself.

The power of his summoned beast, Little Black the Emperor Lion, had also leveled up following Fang Qingyun's advancement, reaching the peak of the mid-tier Divine General level.
This meant Fang Qingyun's current combat power had likewise reached the pinnacle of the mid-tier Divine General rank.
Peak Tier 6 Divine General!
He was too powerful!
Fang Qingyun could feel his blood surging rapidly, rushing like a great river.
He was breathing heavily!
He wanted to battle!
The powerhouses within the combat zone could no longer arouse his interest.
If he so desired, he could slaughter every single powerhouse in the combat zone.
No, in front of him, these beings could no longer even be called powerhouses.
He wanted to fight the powerhouses of the outside world!
He wanted to fight Divine Generals!

Of course, before that, he needed to acquire sufficient Origin Source.
As long as he had those resources, his strength could continue to grow without limit.

Swish!
Tearing forward at a blinding speed that left his general-tier subordinates far behind, Fang Qingyun suddenly halted his steps, lifted his head, and stared fixedly at a spot not far ahead.
Right there, an Origin Source was waiting!