Finishing Move, Ultimate: Lotus Brilliance!

Jiang Ran looked at the prompt popping up on the panel before him, slightly stunned.

Profession fusion material...

This was not the first time he had seen this prompt.

Back when he absorbed the Seed of Return to Void to unlock the Martial Monk Profession, the panel had displayed similar information.

It was divided into two types: advancement materials and fusion materials.

Jiang Ran had kept this in mind.

However, he hadn't encountered any other materials that triggered such a prompt since then.

To the point that he had once assumed Profession fusion was a very distant prospect.

He hadn't expected to encounter it here.

"Bone Tempering Golden Marrow..."

Jiang Ran murmured the name, his gaze fixed on the dark golden stone in his hand.

He did not choose "Yes" immediately.

Instead, with a thought, he closed the panel first.

Afterward, he retrieved the massive corpse of the Zhi into his Heavenly Net Pouch and brought out the corpse of the Human-Faced Spider Mother he had slain earlier.

Although this spider mother could not be found in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, it was still a Blood-Sensing Grade Exotic Beasts.

Perhaps... it would also have similar materials?

Holding onto this thought, Jiang Ran drew his tactical knife again and began to meticulously dissect the spider mother's corpse.

Half an hour later.

Jiang Ran straightened his back and let out a soft breath.

Nothing.

Aside from some residual glandular tissue, he found no special materials like Bone Tempering Golden Marrow inside the spider mother.

"It seems... not every Blood-Sensing Grade Exotic Beasts has one." Jiang Ran mused, "Perhaps it is related to the species or innate abilities of the Exotic Beasts?"

The Zhi's Bone Tempering Golden Marrow was clearly closely related to its trait of having bone spurs on its back and hardened bones.

The spider mother's abilities were more inclined toward web-weaving and controlling its swarm.

It was normal for there to be no special material inside.

However, being able to harvest one piece of Bone Tempering Golden Marrow was already an unexpected joy.

Thus, Jiang Ran stopped dwelling on it and returned the spider mother's corpse to the Heavenly Net Pouch.

He then walked to the window and lifted a corner of the curtain.

The horizon outside was already faintly tinged with a fish-belly white.

Dawn was approaching.

Jiang Ran carefully sensed the movements in the surroundings again.

Apart from the occasional vague sound of wind in the distance, the entire old residential area was as quiet as a graveyard.

Confirming that it was temporarily safe, he sat back down on the sofa.

He opened his palm.

The dark golden Bone Tempering Golden Marrow lay quietly in his palm.

Jiang Ran closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.

The blood energy within his body circulated slowly, gradually dispelling the fatigue consumed from the previous battle.

Once his state had stabilized, he summoned the panel again.

[Do you wish to proceed with Profession fusion?]

Yes.

The moment he silently recited the word in his heart.

The Bone Tempering Golden Marrow in his palm suddenly lit up.

The dark golden light seemed to come alive, seeping into his skin through his palm, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Immediately following, a scorching warm current surged up his arm.

A slight stinging sensation accompanied its path.

But following the sting was an indescribable sense of comfort.

It felt as if his bones were being tempered anew and his muscles were being forged once more.

Jiang Ran let out a muffled groan, his entire body's muscles tensing instantly.

At the same time.

The pale blue Profession Panel in his field of vision popped up automatically once more, a series of prompts surfacing in succession:

[Please select a skill to deduce]

Below, four familiar icons were arranged in order.

Each icon was accompanied by a brief description:

[Dragon-Tiger Fist: Infused with the energy of sharp metal, the piercing power and destructive force of the fist are significantly enhanced. Can evolve into advanced traits such as Dragon Form Piercing and Tiger Form Crushing.]

[Golden Bell Shield: Fused with the vitality of golden marrow, defense shifts from external to internal. Can temper bone hardness, significantly increasing resistance to strikes and counter-shock capabilities.]

[Eight-Step Cicada Chase: Golden energy permeates the feet, causing a qualitative change in burst speed and short-range maneuvering. Stepping on the ground sounds like the clashing of golden weapons, and the footwork trajectory becomes elusive.]

[Buddha's Wrathful Vajra: The wrath of the Vajra merges with the killing intent of the golden marrow. The duration of the state is extended, the strength boost is further increased, and the wrath can condense into tangible pressure.]

All four options were incredibly tempting.

Just by reading the descriptions, it was clear that the power of each skill would far exceed its current state after deduction.

In particular, the deduction of Buddha's Wrathful Vajra directly extended its duration and enhanced its boost.

This greatly improved the strength and fault tolerance of his trump card.

But...

Below these four icons.

There was a fifth option.

A dark golden icon that had never appeared before.

In the center of the grid were three small seal-script characters.

Ultimate Move.

Jiang Ran's brows slowly furrowed.

Since obtaining the Profession Panel, the skill systems of all professions had only been divided into two types: basic profession skills and core profession skills.

This was the first time an Ultimate Move had appeared.

An ultimate move, as the name implied, was a move meant to kill in one strike.

It was a means to end a battle, an all-out burst, the final strike that wagered every chip he had.

Jiang Ran's gaze moved slowly between the five options.

Choosing to deduce an existing skill was undoubtedly the safest and most intuitive improvement.

The piercing destruction of Dragon-Tiger Fist, the bone tempering of Golden Bell Shield, the qualitative change in footwork for Eight-Step Cicada Chase, the state enhancement of Buddha's Wrathful Vajra...

No matter which one he chose.

It would allow his combat power to reach a new level in a short period of time.

However...

The scene of his previous battle with Zhi involuntarily surfaced in Jiang Ran's mind.

Buddha's Wrathful Vajra fully activated, Dragon-Tiger Fist striking out.

Time and again, he had smashed the opponent into the ruins.

But Zhi's vitality was extremely tenacious, its bones incredibly hard; even with a deformed skull and shattered internal organs, it could still struggle and counterattack.

If he hadn't eventually worn it down to death.

The outcome of the battle would not have been certain.

"Although Buddha's Wrathful Vajra counts as a trump card, it is a state-based boost, not an offensive means capable of ending everything."

Jiang Ran muttered to himself, his eyes gradually brightening.

He needed a divine ability that could decide the outcome of a battle in an instant.

A killing move that could erupt with power far beyond his current limits.

Especially after witnessing the terror of that Zhi.

Jiang Ran was even more convinced.

As his exploration deepened, the enemies he encountered in the future would only become stronger.

Without a trump card to settle the situation in one blow.

Relying solely on protracted combat and attrition would only increase the risks.

What's more...

The meaning behind the three words "Ultimate Move" might represent a deeper, hidden system of the Profession Panel.

Thinking of this, Jiang Ran took a deep breath and hesitated no longer.

"I choose... Ultimate Move."

The moment he made his choice.

The scorching sensation within his body did not recede; instead, it instantly contracted.

It felt as if all the blood and qi in his body had been forcibly clenched and compressed into his tightly gripped right fist, poised and ready to strike.

Jiang Ran snapped his eyes open.

Deep within his pupils, a phantom of a blood-colored lotus suddenly emerged.

At the same time, a panel popped up in his field of vision.

[Congratulations, you have obtained the ultimate skill "Ultimate: Lotus Brilliance"]

On the outskirts of Feng City.

At the foot of Cuiping Mountain.

The twilight light dyed the mountain ridge gold, making it look no different from the real world—tranquil and peaceful.

But at this moment, Liu San could not remain calm at all.

He crouched on a large rock, clutching his phone, his eyes wide as saucers.

What was playing on the screen was the very video captured by the drone last night.

A man in black stood atop a speeding sports car, drawing his bow and firing arrows, then fought the Ancient Exotic Beast Zhi alone, and finally summoned a blood-colored Vajra Phantom to hammer the giant beast to death.

"It's him!!" Liu San jumped up abruptly, shouting at the top of his lungs, "The Zhang Qiling I told you about is him!!"

His voice carried far across the empty mountain base.

Several people nearby, who had been scattered on guard duty and dressed in casual clothes, immediately gathered around.

The leader was a man of about thirty with an ordinary face.

He walked up to Liu San, his gaze sweeping over the phone screen, his brows twitching imperceptibly.

"Are you sure?" the man asked calmly.

"Sure! One hundred percent sure!" Liu San was so excited that spit flew everywhere, "I've seen him twice!"

The man ignored Liu San's excitement and asked directly, "Tell me everything that happened after you met him in detail. Don't leave out any details."

Liu San swallowed hard, struggling to calm himself down.

He poured out the entire process of his two encounters with Jiang Ran.

After listening, the man was silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "You mean, at first, he was about the same as an ordinary person?"

"Yes." Liu San nodded heavily, "Back then, although he was strong, he was still within the realm of a human. The second time I ran into him, he didn't look much like a human anymore."

Hearing this, the people around them could not help but frown.

If it were truly as Liu San said...

Then the speed of this person's progress was simply too exaggerated.

From using combat techniques to kill ordinary monsters to single-handedly fighting an Ancient Exotic Beast, only a few days had passed?

"The first time entering the Abyssal Void was the 14th, and today is the 18th... four days," a young woman wearing glasses calculated in a low voice, "This growth curve is completely beyond the scope of a normal person."

The leading man did not respond immediately.

He stared at the frozen frame on the phone screen for a long time before slowly speaking, instructing the people beside him:

"Try your best to find this person."

"If you can't find him..." he paused, "find a way to get in touch with him. See if we can pull him into our operations."

The person next to him nodded immediately: "Understood."

The man looked at Liu San again, his brows slightly furrowed: "What about you? How much longer will it take to find the entrance to the tomb?"

Hearing this, Liu San immediately put on a mournful face:

"Big Brother, I'm really not stalling for time... I only snuck in once before after the archaeological team finished their excavation.

Besides, the location of the tomb here is completely different from the outside."

The man sensed the evasion in Liu San's words, but he did not make things difficult for him.

Because what Liu San said was indeed true.

Although the geographical environment in the Abyssal Void was exactly the same as in reality...

That was limited to the surface.

Many things beneath the surface were different from reality.

After a moment of silence, the man turned to his companion on the other side:

"Contact Yuan Hang and the other families; we must figure out the situation underground as soon as possible."

The person next to him nodded and agreed immediately.

Then, the man suddenly remembered something and asked again: "What about the situation in reality? Who is in charge of the excavation mission for this tomb?"

The person quickly pulled up the data and reported:

"According to the public records and internal information of the Cultural Relics Bureau, the excavation of this tomb is led by the Cultural Relics Bureau. In addition to several resident archaeological experts, two experts were temporarily transferred from the Feng City Museum to participate in the preliminary work."

He swiped the screen and read out two names:

"One is Wang Wenjuan, a veteran researcher at the museum who specializes in bronzeware."

"The other is named..."

"Jiang Ran."