Awakening

Yang Shanshan and Jiang Yuanjie were panting heavily. They were covered in wounds, and after expending so much Origin Force, they had almost none left.

In fact, three figures were already hovering high above the valley.

The aura radiating from these three was terrifying. They stood on air, all of them Martial Venerable-level experts.

The man in the lead was none other than Ji Jia's father, Ji Xiangfeng. He didn't reveal his aura, but gave off an unfathomable feeling.

The two behind him were both teachers of top students, each possessing the strength of a Seventh-Order Low-level Martial Venerable.

One of them behind Ji Xiangfeng asked, "Vice Principal Ji, your daughter has passed out. Aren't you going to rescue her?"

According to the mock exam rules, any student whose Recorder was destroyed or who had run out of strength would be taken away for treatment, which also meant they were eliminated.

The two teachers of top students looked somewhat puzzled.

They had arrived above the valley as soon as they saw the beasts surrounding Ji Jia and the others, to prevent any students from being injured. As Ji Jia's father, Ji Xiangfeng had even volunteered to come.

But now Ji Jia had passed out and was seriously injured. According to the rules, they should have taken her away for treatment at once.

Yet Ji Xiangfeng, her father, turned a blind eye. His expression was blank, calm to the point of seeming cold.

The two teachers behind him were puzzled, but they didn't say anything. Ji Xiangfeng was Ji Jia's father, so he must have his reasons.

Besides, as a man whose bloodline had reached the Eighth-Order and who was already an Intermediate Martial Venerable, Ji Xiangfeng could rescue her at a moment's notice. So the two teachers didn't think much of it.

They continued observing the situation in the valley with their Mental Power. The beasts hadn't noticed that three people had appeared above them.

"What should we do?" Yang Shanshan looked anxious. She was already struggling to hold on, and more wounds had appeared on her back.

Jiang Yuanjie was gritting his teeth. He had even more wounds than Yang Shanshan.

He roared, "Mu Qing! Ling Fei! You two idiots, wake up and help us already!"

A muffled sound suddenly rang out.

It was faint and indistinct, like the deep, powerful beat of a drum, but it was impossible to tell where it came from.

Yang Shanshan and Jiang Yuanjie froze. Then the sound came again and again, seeming to come from every direction until their ears began to ring.

"It's Mu Qing!" Jiang Yuanjie caught sight of something from the corner of his eye. Purple Lightning Bamboo was floating above Mu Qing's head, spilling purple mist around him.

The invisible sound seemed to carry some kind of power, sending ripples through the purple mist.

Suddenly,

a terrifying aura burst from Mu Qing, surging outward like a gale.

The Purple Lightning Bamboo above his head was only a tiny stalk, yet it was wrapped in hazy mist, with lightning flashing within. Its surface gleamed like crystal.

There had originally been five mysterious markings on the Purple Lightning Bamboo, symbolizing Mu Qing's Blood Qi Fifth Rank cultivation.

Now the bamboo trembled slightly, and a new marking appeared—the sixth!

That meant his cultivation had reached Blood Qi Sixth Rank!

Mu Qing suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze as dazzling as lightning.

He sprang to his feet and dashed in front of Yang Shanshan. He threw a Thunderstorm Fist, and four bolts of Blazing White Lightning burst out, slamming into the chest of a Blood Qi Sixth Rank ape.

Mu Qing's expression was cold. The Blazing White Lightning crackling over his fist shone brighter than ever before, and his Origin Force was terrifyingly thick.

The four bolts of Blazing White Lightning exploded, blasting four huge, bloody holes through the ape's body.

With a thud, the Blood Qi Sixth Rank ape hit the ground. Its body was completely charred, its flesh torn open, and blood spread across the ground.

Yang Shanshan and Jiang Yuanjie were both stunned.

They were also at Blood Qi Sixth Rank, but they didn't possess such terrifying power. They couldn't kill a beast of the same rank with a single blow.

"Roar!"

At that moment, a dark shape charged toward Mu Qing, roaring. It was a gray giant wolf with Blood Qi Sixth Rank strength.

The corner of Mu Qing's mouth lifted slightly. That strange sensation in his mind appeared, and in an instant, he saw through the gray giant wolf's weakness.

Brilliant Blazing White Lightning coiled around his arm. He threw a punch, and four bolts of lightning shot out along a strange path, exploding against the gray giant wolf.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

One bloody hole after another burst open. The gray giant wolf howled and collapsed, unable to get back up.

Yang Shanshan and Jiang Yuanjie were both dumbfounded.

"Could this guy really have the strength of Blood Qi Seventh Rank now?" Yang Shanshan's rosy lips parted, her face full of disbelief.

They had guessed that Mu Qing would reach Blood Qi Seventh Rank after breaking through, but they hadn't expected it to be true!

"Roar!"

Two Blood Qi Sixth Rank apes charged out, their target Mu Qing, their claws glinting coldly.

At that moment, Blazing White Lightning coiled around both of Mu Qing's fists. He punched with both hands, unleashing a total of eight bolts of lightning.

With a bang, the two Blood Qi Sixth Rank apes were blasted backward. Their bodies were charred black, and they were dead.

Mu Qing stood there, thin arcs of electricity coiling around his body.

He truly had power comparable to Blood Qi Seventh Rank now, and perhaps even a little more.

According to the sensation in his mind, he could see through his opponents' weaknesses. Every punch he threw carried a deadly threat.

And in his dantian, an incredibly thick mass of Origin Force now churned. A little black fish swam within it.

That little black fish was none other than Mu Qing's own Blood Spirit!

With his First Blood Spirit in his dantian and his Second Blood Spirit in his mind, the power of both Blood Spirits bolstered him. The two kinds of Origin Force made Mu Qing's fighting strength soar. Ordinary Blood Qi Sixth Rank fighters were no match for him.

What puzzled him was that his mysterious father had clearly said his First Blood Spirit should have been the Mad Shark Blood Spirit. Why, then, was the Blood Spirit he had awakened now a tiny, pitch-black fish, as black as ink, with six golden markings on its body symbolizing Blood Qi Sixth Rank cultivation?

Mu Qing guessed that the Blood Spirit was different from what his mysterious father had told him because of the fact that he had never been able to awaken it before.

Though the Blood Spirit seemed weak, the Origin Force it brought was astonishingly thick. The Origin Force in his dantian was almost as powerful as the surging Origin Force in his mind.

When Mu Qing used the Origin Force in his dantian, a chill spread out. Clearly, this Blood Spirit had a water attribute.

Whatever the case, possessing Dual Blood Spirits had made him incredibly powerful. The strength he could unleash far surpassed two tons!

"Hahaha! I broke through!"

Just then, Ling Fei stood up, laughing as his aura surged.

He had only recently broken through to Blood Qi Sixth Rank, but after swallowing the Vermilion Fruit, he had broken through again, reaching Blood Qi Seventh Rank!

His progress was astonishingly fast.

As soon as Ling Fei came to, he took in the situation. When he saw that Ji Jia had passed out, his expression changed, and he hurried into the battle to fight the gray wolves and apes.

With the strength of Blood Qi Seventh Rank, Ling Fei had an easy time dealing with the beasts. He repeatedly unleashed Sharp Metal Palm, even cutting giant wolves in half at the waist!

"Ling Fei, hold off this pack of beasts. I'm going to check on Ji Jia!" Mu Qing kicked away a gray wolf that had pounced at him and shouted.

Ling Fei nodded. He planted himself at the front, the golden light on his palms dazzling. He alone held back the huge pack of beasts.

The gray wolves and apes didn't dare approach. They were afraid those palms would slice their bodies apart!

Ling Fei's Origin Force had a metal attribute and possessed formidable cutting power. Once he infused it into his palms, they were almost like blades, flashing with golden light and capable of cutting through flesh!

By now, Mu Qing had reached Ji Jia's side.

Her brows were furrowed, and her face was pale. Three deep wounds on her abdomen were still bleeding.

Her snow-white skin was exposed, and her clothes were in tatters. Mu Qing covered her with his own clothes, then quickly bandaged her and used Origin Force to seal her wounds.

Some kinds of Origin Force could help wounds heal. For example, the water-attributed Origin Force produced by the pitch-black fish in Mu Qing's dantian was gentle and mild, and could be used for simple treatment.

Song Yalan's wood-attributed Origin Force, for instance, was even better suited to healing.

Mu Qing took a deep breath as Origin Force poured from his body into Ji Jia.

His palm rested against Ji Jia's crystal-clear skin. The soft, smooth sensation made Mu Qing's heart stir.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Mu Qing noticed that as his Origin Force flowed into her, a bloody light shone from the wounds on Ji Jia's abdomen, and they began to heal at astonishing speed.

His eyes widened slightly. His water-attributed Origin Force could help heal wounds, but it shouldn't be this powerful. Some unknown force was clearly helping Ji Jia recover.

Sure enough, the next moment, under Mu Qing's gaze, a bloody glow enveloped Ji Jia's abdomen, and a crimson bead appeared.

It was the power released by this bead that healed the wounds on Ji Jia's abdomen, leaving her skin smooth and flawless, as though she had never been hurt.

Mu Qing looked astonished. He hadn't expected Ji Jia to have such a treasure, one that could heal her injuries at a critical moment.

But after healing Ji Jia's injuries, the Blood Pearl didn't return to her body. Instead, it suddenly burrowed underground.

"What..." Mu Qing couldn't make sense of it.

He looked at her delicate, pretty face and saw that her complexion had grown rosier. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Whatever the case, Ji Jia's wounds had stopped bleeding. Though she was still unconscious, she was no longer in danger.

"Yang Shanshan!" Mu Qing shouted to her, signaling for her to look after Ji Jia.

Yang Shanshan had no objections. She had some wounds of her own, but could still manage, and she hoisted the unconscious Ji Jia onto her back.

Mu Qing turned and went to Jiang Yuanjie's side to help him fight the gray wolves and apes.

Jiang Yuanjie had been holding out for a long time. He had even more wounds than Yang Shanshan and was already gravely injured.

Mu Qing's arrival made things much easier for him. His Origin Force was nearly depleted, so Mu Qing told him to rest nearby and recover his Origin Force and stamina.