"So this guy wasn't trying to escape—he wanted to kill monsters to level up? Looks like he's already at the critical point of breaking through. With all the top-tier special abilities I've mastered, I'm only slightly stronger than him. He must be a Level 7 Source Spirit user like me, but he probably doesn't know I'm close to breaking through too. Just thirteen more Source Spirits, and I'll become a Level 8 Source Spirit user."
These past few days, Ding Shijie had been frantically hunting powerful monsters outside. Even today, heading to Jinhui Center, he couldn't pass up the chance to level up. He stirred up a large number of monsters beneath the building to hunt, which caught Su Li's attention. Compared to Su Li, he had absorbed over a hundred more effective Source Spirits. Su Li was on the verge of breaking through to Level 7, while Ding Shijie was about to reach Level 8.
As Ding Shijie thought this, he thrust his left-hand ice sword. Su Li twisted his body, activating "Spider Walk" in the water. Illusions appeared around his legs as he stepped onto the water, accelerating instantly. With the water churning, he charged downward, widening the gap between him and Ding Shijie. His right-hand Dragon Rhinoceros Sword swung, cleaving the head off another White Jade Centipede below.
"Level 6 Source Spirit User: Source Spirits 79/90"
Soon, the water around Ding Shijie churned violently as he sped up too, charging downward. He had clearly used a similar ability to "Spider Walk" and caught up again.
The two had dived deep. Below, more and more dark shadows appeared—not just White Jade Centipedes but new monsters: massive earthworm-like creatures.
These giant earthworms were four to five meters long, as thick as buckets, with circular mouthparts at the front. When opened, they revealed rings of serrated teeth.
Su Li activated "Peek Rune," instantly capturing the data on these earthworm-like monsters.
"Name: Blood Giant Earthworm, Level: Seven, Common Source Spirit Beast. Preys on live victims, extremely bloody and cruel. Has a certain chance of evolving into an Elite Blood Giant Earthworm Beast. Killing a Blood Giant Earthworm yields no special abilities."
Su Li's heart leaped with joy. Killing a Level 7 Blood Giant Earthworm would grant him two Source Spirits. He immediately abandoned chasing the White Jade Centipedes and targeted the deeper Blood Giant Earthworms.
First, he activated "Spider Walk," rushing downward to distance himself from Ding Shijie. His right-hand Dragon Rhinoceros Sword swung. Though the Blood Giant Earthworm was a Level 7 monster, its strength wasn't much greater than the White Jade Centipede's, and its attack methods were simple. Its real trouble was a tough outer hide, hard to damage with weapons and very annoying. But against the razor-sharp Dragon Rhinoceros Sword, it posed no issue. The sword easily sliced through it, netting Su Li two Source Spirits.
Now, Su Li was only nine Source Spirits away from breaking through.
Ding Shijie caught up twice, only to have Su Li pull away again, forced to watch helplessly as Su Li killed monsters and absorbed Source Spirits.
"This damn brat, too cunning." Furious, Ding Shijie temporarily gave up chasing Su Li and started hunting the Blood Giant Earthworms instead. He was close to leveling up anyway, so he'd gather Source Spirits to reach Level 8 first.
Ding Shijie killed a Blood Giant Earthworm, gaining one Source Spirit each time. He took down three in a row, earning three Source Spirits, leaving him ten short of breaking through. Meanwhile, Su Li also killed three Blood Giant Earthworms, gaining six Source Spirits.
He now had 87 Source Spirits. Just two more Blood Giant Earthworms, and he'd break through.
After killing two more Blood Giant Earthworms, he finally gathered the 90 Source Spirits needed to level up. Messages flashed through Su Li's mind.
"Level 6 Source Spirit User: Source Spirits 90/90"
"Beginning Ascension"
"Muscles begin to strengthen, power increases, defense improves"
"Base power increased to 1400 jin"
"Defense increased to 800 jin"
"Stamina enhanced, sustained burst time extended to seven minutes"
"Lung capacity increased, breath-holding time extended to eight minutes"
"Speed improved, vision enhanced, hearing sharpened"
"..."
"Ascension Complete"
"Level 7 Source Spirit User: Source Spirits 0/110"
"Talent: Enhanced Favor"
"Base Enhancements: Strong Lungs Type 1, Muscle Boost Type 6, Super Heart Type 1, Steel Bones Type 1"
"Special Skills: Peek Rune (Flawed), Gluttonous Fang (Left), Spider Walk, Silver Armor Cover"
"Source Spirit Art: Demon Muscle"
"Base Enhancement Options: Strong Lungs Type 1, Muscle Boost Type 6, Super Heart Type 1, Steel Bones Type 1, Skin, Tongue"
"Source Spirit Art significantly upgraded, 'Demon Muscle' enters Second Form."
Su Li immediately chose to enhance his muscles, upgrading "Muscle Boost Type 6" to the higher-level "Muscle Boost Type 7."
"Muscle Boost Type 7 unlocked, gaining an additional 1800 jin of power."
Then, the talent-triggered second enhancement continued with heart enhancement.
With the second heart enhancement, Super Heart Type 1 advanced to Super Heart Type 2.
Super Heart Type 2 dramatically boosted stamina, adding another 100 jin to power, and most importantly, extended the maximum burst duration by another three minutes.
This meant his power burst duration now reached up to eleven minutes.
His current maximum power reached 3500 jin, a 600-jin increase from Level 6. Of course, the qualitative leap to Level 7 wasn't due to this 600-jin boost but because his "Demon Muscle" had finally entered the Second Form.
"Demon Muscle" Second Form consumed stamina faster, but his overall power burst would terrifyingly increase. With his current maximum of 3500 jin, entering the Second Form could potentially unleash up to 10,000 jin of force.
This was unimaginable power, meaning Su Li could now lift an adult elephant with his bare arms. Concentrating such force into his arms or even a small fist would unleash devastating destruction.
This was the true qualitative leap. Compared to before, Su Li's strength had surged dramatically. Without hesitation, he activated "Spider Walk" and entered the "Demon Muscle" Second Form.
After seven enhancements, his muscles began to show clear qualitative changes—no longer hard or simply active, but subtly shifting toward a liquid state.
Su Li even wondered if further muscle enhancement would fully liquefy them. Liquid muscles throughout the body could perfectly shape the strongest physique. When defense was needed, a thought could harden the liquid muscles into steel. For combat, they could switch to a liquid state, perfectly channeling every ounce of power. Liquid muscles flowing through the body would provide endless sustained energy, offering infinite possibilities—even reshaping into forms like swords, shields, or wings.
Of course, he was far from that stage, but the signs were there.
"Demon Muscle" Second Form consumed stamina at four times the normal rate, while boosting power, speed, and defense threefold. Combat capability would reach truly terrifying levels, though stamina drain was severe. Fortunately, Su Li had enhanced his heart twice, greatly increasing stamina. Under normal conditions, he could fight at full power for eleven minutes. Even in the Second Form, he could maintain it for three to four minutes.
Water surged around him. Su Li gripped the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword, suddenly accelerating through the water to attack Ding Shijie, who was hunting Blood Giant Earthworms.
Ding Shijie, still eight Source Spirits short of breaking through, noticed Su Li charging at him and realized he must have leveled up.
But Ding Shijie wasn't afraid. Not every breakthrough brought a massive boost.
For Source Spirit users, the first four levels had minimal gaps between each. Only from Level 4 to Level 5, with the mastery of Source Spirit Arts, came a qualitative leap.
From Level 5 to Level 6, the improvement was limited, with no obvious change. A strong Level 5 could easily kill a Level 6.
From Level 6 to Level 7, another qualitative shift occurred.
In Ding Shijie's estimation, Su Li had been Level 7 like him. Even if he broke through to Level 8, Ding Shijie guessed the boost from Level 7 to Level 8 would be limited.
If that were true, Ding Shijie had nothing to fear.
He raised his ice sword without hesitation to counterattack.
In the water, the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword and ice sword clashed again.
Ding Shijie's face showed shock. He felt Su Li's strength was absurdly immense. His left-hand ice sword couldn't hold on and was knocked flying.
The ice sword flew seven or eight meters through the water before its momentum died and it began to sink.
Panicking, Ding Shijie activated a special ability, shooting forward to retrieve the falling sword.
The Second Form of "Demon Muscle" was terrifying indeed—one strike had sent Ding Shijie's ice sword flying. Su Li followed up with "Spider Walk," moving faster than Ding Shijie, and thrust his sword again.
Unable to dodge, Ding Shijie raised his blood-red right arm to block.
The high-temperature blood-red arm hissed in the water, its power greatly diminished by the water.
The Dragon Rhinoceros Sword slammed into the blood-red arm. Ding Shijie's face twisted as his arm couldn't withstand the force, sinking under the blow. Pain shot through his arm, and he saw a wound on the supposedly invulnerable blood-red arm.
"How has his power become so terrifying?"
Ding Shijie was horrified.
Su Li closed in again, the Dragon Rhinoceros Sword thrusting once more.
Ding Shijie's face darkened. He extended both hands, and an invisible force appeared, forming a faint shield between him and Su Li.