Chapter 1: The Continuously Strengthening Robot!

Recovering from the blow, the robot struck Chu Xiao in the chest once more. Chu Xiao was sent flying backward, landing heavily on the ground and coughing up a mouthful of blood. Seeing this, Wang Lulu was terrified out of her wits; she screamed frantically and rushed toward Chu Xiao, only to be intercepted by Yuan Rui standing nearby.

"Miss Wang, please trust Lieutenant General Chu. He will be fine. My current mission is to escort you safely back to the city; otherwise, I would have no way to answer to the Lieutenant General once the battle is over!"

Yuan Rui obeyed Chu Xiao's every command, deeply convinced that everything Chu Xiao said was right. At that moment, one of the robots launched an attack on Wang Lulu. Yuan Rui threw himself in front of her to block it and sustained injuries as a result, yet he still insisted on standing before Wang Lulu, protecting her with his very life!

Seeing that Yuan Rui was injured, the other soldiers rushed over to reinforce them, jointly escorting Wang Lulu into the city. Once Wang Lulu was safely inside, Yuan Rui dragged his wounded body back out, determined to live or die alongside Chu Xiao!

By this time, Chu Xiao had already climbed up from the ground. Seeing that Wang Lulu had safely returned to the city, he was relieved of any worries and could now engage the Pluto in battle without distraction. Three robots stood before Chu Xiao, determined to put him to death!

The three robots launched a simultaneous assault on Chu Xiao. Following a deafening roar, the spot where Chu Xiao had just been standing was left in absolute ruin, barren of any living blade of grass. Everyone assumed Chu Xiao was doomed, while Pluto wore a sinister smile on his side.

Yet, Chu Xiao suddenly reappeared from a different spot. Pluto's expression shifted abruptly, and no one could figure out how he had gotten there. In truth, the moment the robots attacked, Chu Xiao had raised his hands to block.

As a result, he unintentionally released a wave of energy. When his energy wave collided with those of the robots, the immense force pushed Chu Xiao violently to the side, which was why the massive explosion had occurred right where he stood!

Looking at his own hands, Chu Xiao could hardly believe he possessed such tremendous power—actually holding his ground and fighting off Pluto's three robots single-handedly without falling behind. A sudden surge of joy washed over him; this skill possessed truly astonishing might!

Just as Chu Xiao was immersed in this joy, another robot hurled an energy wave at him. Recovering from his daze in a panic, Chu Xiao threw up his hands to block once more, sending a massive energy wave surging forward.

It collided with the robot's incoming energy wave and miraculously pushed it back, detonating directly against the robot's body. With a muffled explosion, the robot was blasted to smithereens, and a streak of blue light flew straight into Chu Xiao's body!

Chu Xiao gained a fresh sliver of spiritual energy. Checking the level chart, he saw that his progress bar had risen by a small notch. At this rate, killing a dozen or so robots would allow him to level up again. Chu Xiao then noticed that Yuan Rui nearby had been gravely wounded by the robots.

The robot raised a hand, intending to deal Yuan Rui a fatal blow. Chu Xiao dashed forward swiftly, raising his hand to block. With a single energy wave, the robot was sent flying more than a dozen meters away, crashing heavily into other robots and collapsing without ever moving again!

Chu Xiao stared at his hands in disbelief. Even a basic energy wave possessed such formidable power; if he gained a few more levels, defeating Pluto would be an absolute breeze. Following this realization, Chu Xiao continuously waved his hands, unleashing numerous energy waves.

Every single one struck true against the robots. Seeing that Chu Xiao had grown overwhelmingly powerful and that continuing the fight would yield no advantage, Pluto ordered a retreat. The robots obediently slunk away, following Pluto back.

After the fierce battle, the ground was left in utter devastation, littered with corpses. Although these soldiers had all been injected with Ice Fruit juice, many of them were still no match for the powerful robots. Nevertheless, those who survived each acquired various unique skills!

Meanwhile, Chu Xiao noticed that the skill selector was buzzing continuously. Raising his hand to check, he found that he had leveled up once more. This time, in addition to the two previous choices, a primary defense skill had appeared. Curious, Chu Xiao tapped it to read the description:

Primary Defense: Once activated, this skill can fend off moderate attacks, protecting vital organs from damage. As one's level increases, the defensive power of this skill will continuously grow stronger!

He had to admit, this skill was immensely useful to Chu Xiao. Just as he was about to learn the new skill, his eyes fell upon the wounded soldiers lying on the ground, and he wished he could heal them all.

Suddenly, Chu Xiao remembered the primary alchemy skill. If he learned this skill, it would save a great deal of time in healing the soldiers. Without hesitation, he selected the alchemy skill, though he hadn't had the time to examine it closely just yet!

This alchemy skill was not limited to healing balms; as the user's level increased, various kinds of medicinal pills could be refined. Upon mastering the skill, however, darkness clouded Chu Xiao's vision, and he fainted. Seeing Chu Xiao collapse, Yuan Rui was overcome with worry.

Dragging his heavily injured body to Chu Xiao's side, Yuan Rui checked his condition, pressing his ear directly against Chu Xiao's chest. Hearing a strong, steady heartbeat devoid of any mortal danger, Yuan Rui finally set his mind at ease.

He then called over a few soldiers to carry Chu Xiao into the city and send him to the hospital for treatment. Upon learning that Chu Xiao had been taken to the hospital, Wang Lulu ran all the way there. By the time she arrived, Chu Xiao had already been taken into the operating room. Shortly after, the doctor emerged, and Wang Lulu rushed forward to inquire about his condition:

"Lieutenant General Chu's constitution is exceptionally robust and he is in no grave danger. He simply fainted from exhaustion and will wake up after some rest. The injuries on his body are merely superficial and of no consequence."

Hearing the doctor's words, Wang Lulu's hanging heart finally dropped. Pushing open the door, she saw Chu Xiao fast asleep on the hospital bed. She pulled up a chair and sat beside him, her eyes filled with deep worry and tenderness.

Before long, Chu Xiao stirred awake. Upon opening his eyes, he saw Wang Lulu sitting right beside him and offered her a reassuring smile. Seeing him conscious, Wang Lulu felt completely at ease. Remembering how much physical energy he had expended, she thought of returning home to cook something nourishing for him.

"Brother Xiao, how are you feeling? Are you better? What would you like to eat tonight? I'll make it for you!"

"I'm much better. Lulu, anything you make is my favorite!"

Once she confirmed he was all right, Wang Lulu stood up and walked toward the door. Suddenly remembering the injured soldiers, Chu Xiao struggled painfully out of bed, intending to use his newly acquired skill to refine medicinal pills for them!

However, this skill could only produce a single pill per day. This left Chu Xiao deeply disappointed; he had hoped to refine a larger batch for the wounded, but now he could only make one, which would have to go to Yuan Rui first.

Stepping out of the ward, Chu Xiao asked a nurse which room Yuan Rui was in. Upon entering, he found that although Yuan Rui had regained consciousness, his body was so frail that even lifting his head required immense effort. Yuan Rui's injuries had been severe; had he been brought in any later, he could easily have lost his life.

"Lieutenant General Chu, you... why are you here!"