The talent "Enhanced Blessing" was real—he had actually gained an extra opportunity for enhancement. This meant that every time he advanced in the future, it would almost be equivalent to someone else advancing two levels.
Forcing himself to suppress the joy that threatened to burst into laughter, Su Li chose to apply this extra enhancement from the talent to his muscles once again. After all, compared to the other three rather lackluster options, strengthening his muscles was the most worthwhile choice.
Strengthening muscles granted maximum power increase, and he needed strength—only formidable power could defeat powerful enemies and yield better rewards.
Thinking back to the terror and might of the Nightmare Beast and the Corpse Mother, Su Li felt he still had too many shortcomings; he needed to become stronger.
With his choice, new information appeared in his mind again.
"Muscle enhancement begins. Muscle Boost Type 3 upgraded to Muscle Boost Type 4, additional muscle strength increased by nine hundred jin."
This extra enhancement opportunity could not trigger the "Enhanced Blessing" talent; only enhancements gained during advancement were effective.
Having chosen muscle enhancement twice in a row, every muscle in Su Li's body was now undergoing transformation. The energy of the spirit source fully saturated each muscle, making them feel as if they were about to melt. An unimaginably terrifying power surged endlessly from these muscles.
He even developed a sensation for these muscles, as if each one had come alive, as dexterous as his ten fingers. He began to clearly understand that he could freely mobilize and control every muscle in his body at will.
Muscle Boost Type 4, after four consecutive enhancements, had reached a terrifying level. To put it in perspective, the basic strength gained by a Level 4 spirit source user was only eight hundred jin, yet Muscle Boost Type 4's additional strength reached nine hundred jin, surpassing the basic strength of a Level 4 spirit source user themselves.
In the state of Muscle Boost Type 4, Su Li could mobilize all his muscles to deliver his strongest attack, with power reaching one thousand seven hundred jin. Compared to his previous strength of one thousand jin, this single advancement had increased his power by seven hundred jin.
This was nearly a doubling of strength.
If Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao knew his power level at this moment, they would be shocked. After all, Ding Longyun, at Level 4, had never enhanced his muscles, so his maximum strength was only eight hundred jin.
Gong Xiao, at Level 3, had enhanced her muscles once, so her maximum strength was also eight hundred jin.
Now, it was as if the combined strength of Ding Longyun and Gong Xiao was less than Su Li's alone.
Feeling the formidable power within him, he could freely command every muscle in his body. This sensation was incredibly奇妙. Muscle Boost Type 4 not only enhanced strength but also perfected muscle control. In a single breath, he could concentrate power in one area, contract the muscles there to become as hard as iron, enhancing muscle defense. If this continued to strengthen, at some point in the future, even bullets might not penetrate his enhanced muscle defense.
Just then, new information suddenly appeared in his mind again.
"Muscles enhanced four times, triggering comprehension of Muscle Defense State. Defense can offset up to five hundred jin of attack power."
Processing and understanding this new information, Su Li immediately realized that, in addition to his original Muscle Attack State, he had now comprehended a new Muscle Defense State. The defense could offset up to five hundred jin of attack power, meaning that when he controlled his muscles into a defensive state, attacks below five hundred jin could not break through his muscle defense and harm him.
If an opponent's attack exceeded five hundred jin—say, a one-thousand-jin strike—after the defense offset, he would only need to endure five hundred jin of damage.
"What an astonishing change. If an opponent's strength is a bit weaker, could I just stand still and let them hit me without getting hurt?"
Understanding the implications, Su Li marveled at how increasingly remarkable the effects of muscle enhancement were becoming.
Su Li killed the advanced corpse beast, successfully advancing to Level 4 spirit source user. Then, after two consecutive muscle enhancements, his body underwent earth-shattering changes. Meanwhile, on the other side, Gong Xiao also succeeded in killing the advanced corpse beast with scales on its right arm, obtaining a spirit source.
She turned around and saw Su Li standing still, his expression strange—alternating between joy and shock, as if he had suddenly gone mad.
The advanced corpse beast with a hard shell on its right leg, which Su Li had slammed to the ground, had many bones broken throughout its body. Yet it still staggered and struggled to rise, attempting to attack the motionless Su Li. But because many of its bones were broken, its body twisted, and its attack speed was slow.
Ding Longyun, enduring the pain, stepped forward and used his right hand's "Soul Devourer" to strike its head. The advanced corpse beast's eyes rolled back, and it collapsed silently, dead.
Ding Longyun obtained a spirit source, and a message immediately appeared.
"Level 4 Spirit Source User: 4/50"
Since becoming a Level 4 spirit source user, this was only the fourth effective spirit source he had harvested.
This advanced corpse beast was special. If a Level 2 or Level 3 spirit source user killed it, they could harvest a spirit source. Ding Longyun, at Level 4, still obtained a spirit source from killing it. Clearly, these advanced corpse beasts varied in strength and differed greatly from ordinary spirit source beasts, making it impossible to apply the rules of ordinary spirit source beasts to predict these advanced ones.
After obtaining the spirit source, Ding Longyun's wounds began to heal immediately. The fangs embedded in his face and chest were slowly pushed out by the healing force. Ding Longyun felt for these fangs and, enduring the pain, pulled them out one by one.
"Su Li, why are you standing there in a daze?" Ding Longyun called out, seeing Su Li motionless as if suddenly possessed.
At the edge of the rooftop ahead, five low-level corpse beasts had climbed up.
These low-level corpse beasts were not only weak in strength but, more importantly, their spirit sources were useless to them now—even Xu Xuehui, the weakest among them, no longer needed them.
Gong Xiao stepped forward without even attacking their heads. Instead, she kicked them one after another, sending the newly climbed low-level corpse beasts flying off the rooftop.
She looked down and saw that the water below was filled with numerous dark shadows climbing upward—all sea spiders with black-and-white stripes.
"Sea spiders," Gong Xiao exclaimed with delight.
These Level 3 sea spiders were undoubtedly the best targets for farming spirit sources. For her, the more, the better.
Hearing Ding Longyun call him, Su Li finally calmed down from the shock of his massive improvement. He smiled slightly at Ding Longyun and said, "Nothing much. I was just thinking—maybe we should toss a few more corpses down and go for a big haul tonight."