Chapter 26: The Answer Feng Yun Gave Me

With stomachs full and spirits high, it was time for enhancements.

"Uncle Mou, what is your current point total?"

Qian Gu prepared to map out an enhancement path for the middle-aged man who harbored dreams of martial arts heroism.

"One Grade C, two Grade D, and 7,000 reward points."

Mou Gang’s current build was a basic Grade D Qigong enhancement, which had only cost him one Grade D horror movie side quest, 500 reward points, plus 100 points for a dragon blood injection; it was a modest investment. Even after exchanging some firearms and ammunition for the team, he still had 7,000 points left from the 10,000 he had earned over two missions.

Qian Gu chuckled, "7,000?"

Was this really the China Team? Was this still the first generation? With gains like these, one might even believe this was the third generation!

"Qian Gu, should I upgrade to intermediate Qigong now?" Mou Gang was excited, holding his points like a child with a beloved toy, his obsession with internal energy plain to see on his face.

"Not yet, I’m still looking." Qian Gu navigated the God’s exchange list, multitasking as he spoke. "However, I wouldn't recommend jumping straight to intermediate Qigong. It would be better to save up and jump straight to advanced Qigong later."

"Huh?" Mou Gang was puzzled. "Doesn't advanced Qigong require intermediate as a prerequisite?"

Qian Gu smiled and used himself as an example. "...That’s why I managed to upgrade directly to a Grade BB Dragon-Blooded Sorcerer, skipping two Grade C horror movie side quests."

"Is that even possible?" Zheng Zha chimed in eagerly. "Qian Gu, think about it—can I skip a Grade B side quest too?"

"You could, but it’s a waste of time and not cost-effective."

"Oh..." Zheng Zha deflated.

Mou Gang didn't dwell on that, asking instead, "Qian Gu, so what should I do?"

"Found it!" Qian Gu’s voice brightened. He looked around at the confused expressions of his teammates and chuckled. "Don't worry, I found something good—just the thing to get Uncle Mou on his feet."

"Tell me."

"Exchange for Qilin Blood."

[Qilin Blood: Blood of the Fire Qilin. Requires 150 reward points.]

Mou Gang followed instructions and spent the 150 points. Unlike the dragon blood, the Qilin Blood provided by God came in a small cup—glowing red and radiating heat, looking like a mass of liquid flame. Mou Gang almost dropped it in his shock. Compared to the invasive, assimilation-focused nature of dragon blood, Qilin blood was far more tyrannical.

"Have you ever seen *Wind and Cloud*?"

*Wind and Cloud*? Mou Gang paused, hesitating. "The golden scales are no mere fish in a pond; once they meet the wind and cloud, they transform into dragons?"

"Exactly!" Qian Gu nodded. As a middle-aged man with martial arts aspirations, it was only natural he would be familiar with the television adaptation of the millennium-era comic.

Mou Gang had a sudden realization and was about to splash it onto his right arm when Qian Gu grabbed him.

"What are you doing?"

"Isn't this how you make a Qilin Arm?"

"Ugh..."

In *Wind and Cloud*, there were four divine creatures: the Divine Turtle, the Phoenix, the Qilin, and the Divine Dragon. As a series representing the pinnacle of Hong Kong comics, it naturally possessed the genre’s signature flair—each of the four creatures' powers had unique, wondrous properties. Consuming them could grant longevity, multiply internal energy, or trigger divine abilities. While the Fire Qilin’s blood didn't grant immortality, it was a major "weapon" in the early stages of the series.

The Qilin Arm!

Qian Gu wiped cold sweat from his brow. "The Qilin Arm is useful, sure, but we have other options."

"Other options?" Mou Gang stopped.

"Yes." Qilin blood was a potent substance, but it could be used either internally or externally. Externally, it created the Qilin Arm—endless strength, invulnerability to weapons, and immunity to extreme temperatures, allowing an ordinary person to become a master overnight. Internally, however, it was the source of the "Mad Blood" inherited by the Nie family. It granted explosive power and instinctive self-defense, pushing the body to its absolute peak. But, because the Qilin’s murderous nature was ingrained in the blood, any activation inevitably led to madness, hence the name "Mad Blood."

Mou Gang looked at the blood in his hand, thinking about drinking it, and couldn't help but shiver. "Then do I need to exchange for the 'Heart of Ice' technique?"

"The Heart of Ice starts at Grade B." Qian Gu’s words crushed that thought instantly. It was too expensive; with only one Grade C side quest to his name, Mou Gang couldn't afford it.

Zheng Zha slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Then I—"

"Sit down."

"Right!"

Qian Gu tapped his fingers on the table, the sound echoing in everyone's hearts. "Rest assured, I have a solution. The 'Mad Blood's' murderous nature is simply the inability to suppress the Qilin's instinctual frenzy. I have a way to handle that."

He tossed a spell scroll onto the table: *Mechanical Mind*.

A 2nd-circle spell from the Enchantment school, it made the user’s thinking process clear and structured, turning their mind into something as cold and precise as a machine, while granting resistance against mental-influence spells.

"I’ve already analyzed this spell; I can cast it at any time," Qian Gu calculated. "Given my current mastery, I can guarantee it lasts for one minute. In a critical battle, one minute is more than enough."

In the God’s space, one shouldn't dream of taking the "righteous" path. While the "heretical" path might risk an unstable foundation or a dead-end for future growth, it provided the high, immediate combat power that was essential for survival in a place where your life hung in the balance. As for the cost? One could always "pay to win" later with enough points to patch the flaws.

Only by staying alive could you output damage, and only then was there a future.

"Next, spend 5,000 reward points on rare treasures—preferably small, high-potency items," Qian Gu added. "Things like Blood Bodhi, Tianshan Snow Lotus, or Millennium Ginseng."

"Huh?" Mou Gang was stunned. "What kind of path is this?"

"The orthodox path," Qian Gu smiled brilliantly. "Haven't you read martial arts novels? When a young protagonist wants to catch up to the masters of the Jianghu, they either get power passed down from an elder or consume medicinal treasures. Even Hero Guo Jing drank the snake blood of Liang Ziweng!"

"I remember that," Mou Gang nodded, though his face twisted. "But 5,000 points worth of treasures—isn't that too much?"

"Not at all."

Too much? It was common knowledge that in the "Infinite Multiverse," the average absorption rate for these treasures was less than one in ten thousand. Of course, the effects for those with high absorption were terrifying—some people would have elemental fires and storms swirling in their stomachs, yet even then, their absorption rate was only a fraction. If Qian Gu didn't remember a "patch" suggesting that 5,000 points of treasures could push someone from Grade D to the second tier of internal energy, he would have told Mou Gang to just stick to a safe Grade C enhancement.

"Right, remember to do this..."

He almost forgot the sword cultivator's energy absorption technique—simple, effective, and it could even be powered by mental energy. Mou Gang memorized the technique, recited it twice, and then, with the air of a tragic hero setting off on a dangerous mission, tilted his head back and downed the Qilin blood.

*Hiss—*

The pain was agonizing! Mou Gang curled up like a shrimp, his face contorted as the searing blood scorched his throat. The ancestors of the Nie family were martial powerhouses who could duel the Fire Qilin; their physiques and internal energy were incomparable to Mou Gang’s. Just because they could drink the blood easily didn't mean he could.

In seconds, Mou Gang was cooked through, his skin glowing bright red and radiating such intense heat that no one could get close.

"Qian Gu, this is..." Zheng Zha couldn't bear to watch and wanted to call for God to heal him.

"Not yet," Qian Gu shook his head and pointed. "Let him absorb a bit more."

*Mechanical Mind!*

Qian Gu cast the 2nd-circle spell on Mou Gang. It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head; his mind cleared instantly. The burning sensation remained, but it was suppressed by his newfound cold logic, allowing him to perceive the changes in his body with clarity.

First, his internal energy: it was burned away by the fire, leaving only the essence. This essence soaked into the energy of the Qilin blood, shifting from colorless to a fiery, scarlet hue, transforming from a neutral, balanced energy into something scorching and malevolent.

Next, his body: unlike the dragon blood, which eroded the flesh, the Qilin blood permeated from his stomach into his bloodstream, devouring his own blood and replacing it. Everywhere it flowed, it scorched, making his flesh feel as if it were turning to charcoal.

*Almost there...*

Mou Gang didn't know why that thought appeared in his mind. The next instant, the blood surged into his heart.

*Sizzle—*

A violent pain erupted in his chest; his heart felt as if it had been shredded into a pulpy mess.

"God... Repair!"