Going Deeper

Hundreds of feather-blades started devouring it all at once. The sight was honestly a little terrifying.

The absurdly thick alloy door, along with the several tons of reinforced steel plates embedded in the walls, lost its luster completely in just a few minutes.

Its once-bright silver-gray surface quickly turned dull and dark, then began to flake, as if it had aged several hundred years in an instant. The once-solid metal structure crumbled like a biscuit, showering rust flakes everywhere.

In the end, this top-tier defensive fortification—which even explosives might not have been able to breach—was completely devoured by Sky Splitter, leaving nothing behind but reddish-brown iron-oxide dust.

Full and satisfied, the feather-blades hovering in midair stopped darting around and quickly returned to Lin Fan's back.

As the wings reassembled and settled against his back,

a bone-deep chill shot up Lin Fan's spine and straight to his head, making him shiver.

The sensation was incredibly strange.

If the energy from Calamity just now had been like roasting someone over a fire, harsh and scorching,

then Sky Splitter's return gift now was like washing his mind with spring water, gentle and cleansing.

Lin Fan felt his brain go "buzz."

His head, which had felt as heavy as lead from overusing his telekinetic power, cleared in an instant, and the throbbing pressure vanished without a trace.

The chill was like a layer of thermal paste applied to an overheating CPU. The smooth, soothing sensation was almost addictive.

Aside from that pleasant feeling, Lin Fan could also sense his telekinetic strength steadily climbing.

His previously blurry range of perception expanded all at once.

Fifty meters.

One hundred meters.

And it wasn't just his range of perception. Lin Fan could feel his thoughts racing several times faster, too.

Those Force Application Techniques that had once seemed so convoluted now made sense as soon as he thought them through. His body instinctively knew how to apply its strength.

This was an improvement in comprehension!

Just as Lin Fan was reveling in the sensation, Sky Splitter on his back began making a series of rapid "clack-clack" sounds.

It sounded like a mechanical watch being wound, crisp and clear.

At the base of the wings, new growths began bursting out like bamboo shoots after rain.

Fresh feathers poked out one after another, looking even sharper than before.

Every edge gleamed with a cold light, and their surfaces were etched with sleek, futuristic patterns.

They were densely packed, and their number had doubled!

The wings now looked much thicker and broader, more imposing than before, yet not the least bit cumbersome.

With its wings fully spread, the new Sky Splitter had a wingspan of four meters.

Lin Fan turned his head and looked at the wings on his back, his eyes brimming with satisfaction.

[Sky Splitter (Tier 1)]

[Telekinetic Compatibility: 100%]

[Traits Changed:]

[Devouring Range: 1->10]

[Devouring Speed: 1->10]

[Base Attributes: Sharpness +10, Weight +10, Hardness +10]

[New Function Unlocked: Can inscribe law runes.]

[Structural Evolution: Feather count increased by 108 (216 total).]

[Secret Technique Inheritance: Acquired the first level of Sky-Splitting Escape Method.]

Lin Fan closed his eyes.

He didn't need to consciously focus. The connection between his telekinetic power and the wings was crystal clear.

It felt as if the more than two hundred feathers were new fingers he'd grown. He could move them however he wanted.

There was no need for any fancy maneuvers. All it took was a thought from Lin Fan.

The hundreds of feathers instantly dispersed, then reassembled, their flexibility utterly absurd.

One moment, they formed an impenetrable silver shield; the next, they became a metallic whirlwind, whirling through the air with a shrill, slicing whistle. Anyone caught inside would probably be reduced to minced meat.

"My physical abilities have surged, and my Spiritual Force has transformed."

"And on top of that, I've inherited two exclusive Combat Secret Techniques..."

Lin Fan snapped his eyes open, his gaze blazing with excitement that he couldn't hide.

He was now a completely different person from the unlucky guy who'd nearly been killed in that sneak attack just moments ago.

He didn't need to gather strength, bend his knees, or push off the ground.

With just a slight shift of his thoughts, Sky Splitter's wings gave a gentle flap, and he rose into the air with ease.

He hovered in midair, silver wings spread behind him, Calamity hanging loosely in his hand.

A suffocating pressure filled the cramped underground space.

"Woohoo! This feels amazing."

After taking a quick taste of what it was like to be a birdman, Lin Fan slowly descended.

His feet touched solid ground again. The buoyant, weightless sensation faded, replaced by the reassuring feeling of standing firmly on his own two feet.

With a metallic clang,

the enormous silver wings folded up in an instant and disappeared into Lin Fan's Space Ring.

The sense of being able to control everything subsided with them. Lin Fan let out a breath and forced his turbulent emotions back down.

"Sky Splitter is still too conspicuous. I should use it sparingly until I reach Planetary Level."

Lin Fan then turned around and looked at the corpse of the high-level commander-grade beast lying not far away.

The high-level commander-grade Iron-Bristled Demon Badger might have been ugly, but the materials from its body were a literal "gold mine." Every part of it was valuable.

Its single horn could be made into an armor-piercing bullet tip, its hide could be made into protective gear, and its flesh and blood were all highly sought-after commodities on the black market.

Its heart in particular was a powerful supplement for martial artists who practiced certain special techniques.

Lin Fan walked over with Calamity in hand and flicked his wrist, sending the sickle through an arc of motion.

The upgraded sickle really was different. It was almost too sharp.

The thick hide, which even large-caliber sniper rifles couldn't penetrate, was as fragile as a sheet of A4 paper before the dark-red blade.

Lin Fan brought his hand down.

A few quick slashes.

He cut off the most valuable part, the single horn, in one clean piece.

Next came the four fangs and the thickest protective hide on its back.

As for the delicate work of carving up the meat and separating it from the bones, Lin Fan couldn't be bothered. His Space Ring was big enough, so he'd just take the whole thing.

With a thought,

the giant corpse on the ground and the pool of blood beside it vanished at once, stuffed wholesale into his Space Ring.

The underground space, which had felt somewhat cramped before, was suddenly much more open. Only the mess strewn across the floor and the lingering stench of blood remained.

After collecting his spoils, Lin Fan didn't hurry to leave.

He looked toward the vault door the Iron-Bristled Demon Badger had burst out of.

The Iron-Bristled Demon Badger had occupied this place for so long that it must have had a nest. And there might even be something valuable hidden inside.

After all, monsters had habits too. Commander-grade Iron-Bristled Demon Badgers, especially those intelligent enough to think, often liked collecting shiny objects or things made of metal.

Following the heavy, rank smell and the marks on the ground, Lin Fan made his way deeper into the vault.

The farther in he went, the darker it became, and the stronger the stench grew. It nearly brought tears to his eyes.

After passing several metal shelves that had been twisted out of shape by brute force, he finally found something.

A huge "nest" appeared before him.

"Oh? There really is one!"