Qianji's Advancement

Void Rifts had been classified by the countless experts of Yong'an City as a disaster-level phenomenon. One could only imagine how terrifying they were.

In the three months since he had transmigrated here, Xu Jiang had heard of such disasters occurring in the outskirts before. Humans and animals alike had perished, leaving not even a blade of grass behind.

But he had never expected to experience one firsthand this time.

After falling into the Void Rift, endless darkness engulfed his entire body. Even with his eyes open, he could not see a trace of light. Even when he opened his mouth to shout, he received no response.

When the light reappeared, he was already a thousand meters in the air. Below him lay a field of ruins, and he was plummeting in free fall.

If he hit the ground like this, he would definitely be smashed to pieces.

His only hope of survival was the prompt that suddenly rang out in his mind.

Prompt: Mech upgrade complete. Activate mech?

"Of course! Activate it now!"

Xu Jiang shouted with all his strength.

The next moment, the mech case in his hand transformed into gentle ripples of water and flowed through his arm, spreading across his entire body. The solid, reassuring sensation of the mech returned to him.

"General, I successfully advanced. Thank you for your support. Huh? I had only been dormant for half an hour, and you were already starting airdrop training?"

"Airdrop training my ass! Save me! Help!"

"Yes, activating emergency evasion stance." Having received the order, Qianji began trying to save him.

Its limbs straightened and pressed close to its body as it worked to maintain balance, gliding forward in search of a possible landing spot that could cushion the fall.

Unfortunately, there was no muddy swamp or pool as he had hoped. Luckily, as they neared the ground, they passed by a steel beam.

Qianji seized the opportunity and reached out to grab it. The force of the high-altitude fall was immense, so coming to a complete stop was impossible.

But with the steel beam buffering the fall, Qianji successfully shed some of the force. Its body dropped diagonally downward, its legs bent, and it landed in a half-crouch, carving a deep trench into the ground.

Xu Jiang's first reaction was that the move had looked incredibly cool.

His second reaction was: Everything hurts!

Even with Qianji's mech protecting him and the boost from Robust Physique, landing from a thousand meters up still made Xu Jiang feel as if his entire body were about to fall apart.

"General, you're injured? That's great! I'll heal you right away."

Grenade activated first aid. A flash of white light passed over him, and the pain throughout his body noticeably eased.

Except...

"When I got hurt just now, did you say, 'That's great'?"

"Uh... I meant that I was finally useful, so I was very happy," Grenade explained.

"Is that so? Then next time, you charge in first and let me be happy too."

"No! General, I'm support! Don't make me go to the front lines."

Ignoring Grenade's pleas, Xu Jiang remained half-crouched as he began observing his surroundings.

The dim sky, abandoned streets, and ruins all around him did not resemble the architectural style of Blackwater District. He had most likely passed through the Void Rift and arrived in another world.

Xu Jiang had heard others talk about Void Rifts before. They were an extremely terrifying kind of disaster.

Houses, streets, humans... anything caught within their reach would be swallowed by the Void Rift.

And inside the Void Rifts lurked countless mutated creatures. Once someone fell in, the number of people who could survive safely could be counted on one hand.

"I just don't know what level this Void Rift is, or whether I can hold on until rescue arrives."

"This is a Level 1 Void Rift. Your disciple should still be salvageable."

In Blackwater District, a researcher carefully reported to Lei Luo.

Before them was the terrifying Void Rift that had just formed. It was a thousand meters in diameter, and the pitch-black depths were bottomless. Everything above the black hole had been ground flat and cast away.

Yong'an City had already organized forces to seal off the area around the Void Rift. They were urgently deploying equipment and doing their best to suppress the strange energy.

Every member of Team 17 rushed over after receiving the news. As they stared at the abyss-like Void Rift, sorrow filled their faces.

A D-rank Void Rift was the lowest intensity, but it was still a disaster. No matter how gifted Xu Jiang was, he was only a Level 5 newcomer. Could he truly survive?

"He can. He definitely can. He went down wearing his mech, so he should be able to last a while. Hurry up with the analysis. Once you find the exit, tell me immediately. I'll go down and save him!" Lei Luo was on the verge of losing control.

If he had not brought Xu Jiang here, none of this would have happened.

As his teacher, Lei Luo had failed to protect his disciple even when Xu Jiang was right beside him. His heart was filled with guilt.

He desperately wanted to go down and rescue Xu Jiang. With his strength, he could withstand the erosion of a Level 1 black hole.

But now, he had to wait for the researchers' analysis. Only after they determined the location of the Void Rift's exit could he safely bring Xu Jiang back out.

"Hold on, Xu Jiang! Whatever you do, don't let Calamity Madness infect your mind."

"Calamity Madness? Is it that terrifying? It doesn't seem to affect me at all!"

Elsewhere, Xu Jiang was inside the Void Rift, murmuring to himself as he examined Qianji's attributes.

Qianji had completed its advancement, and its appearance had now changed completely.

It was no longer a simple Skeletal Mech, but a powerful Liquid Mech.

The lightweight, form-fitting design had completely shed the clumsiness of the Skeletal Mech. Now, Xu Jiang felt as though he were wearing a bodysuit, able to control every movement with ease.

Its hard silver outer layer was traced with purple patterns, giving it a stylish and striking appearance. Its crucial power core was installed in the chest, protected by layer upon layer of armor.

The advantage of a Liquid Mech was convenience. It could usually transform into a compact device.

With the flick of a switch, Xu Jiang could rapidly equip himself and enter combat at any time.

T-1000 Mech (General)

Type: Liquid-Core New-Type Mech

Quality: Blue

Power Core: Spirit Seed Level 1 (Energy recovery speed: 50 points/second)

Power Energy: 5000/5000

Equipment Slots: Desert Eagle Pistol, Stun Baton, Grenade, Empty, Empty, Empty

Attributes: Increased explosive limb strength by 120 kg; increased equipment strength by 30%.

Traits: Divine Sense Blessing, Faith Aura

Skills: Robust Physique Lv10, Knee Strike Lv10, Shadowstep Lv7, Reconnaissance Sense Lv5, Quick Draw Lv2.

Without question, after Qianji's advancement, it could crush every mech below Level 20.

And that was with its equipment slots still not full.

With a power core, Xu Jiang could equip a Railgun, thrusters, and more. His combat strength would rise enormously again.

But those were matters for after he got out. What Xu Jiang relied on most right now were the two new traits Qianji had acquired.

Divine Sense Blessing: Consumes 50 energy points per second, increases movement speed and attack speed by 30%. When taking damage, power energy is consumed first to neutralize it. It is countered by lightning-element attacks and cannot neutralize impact force.

What an outrageous trait. Not only did it increase movement speed and attack speed, it also created a comprehensive shield without blind spots. As long as the power core still had energy, Xu Jiang would not die.

It was far more powerful and convenient than abilities like the shields and wind walls of other professions. Its only drawbacks were that it was countered by lightning and could not dissipate force.

Thinking of the bracelet Ying Xiaoxiao had shot down with a single bullet, suppressing it with dark lightning, Xu Jiang came to a realization.

"Qianji, is this the new trait you comprehended after absorbing the bracelet's rune system?"

"Yes, General. Qianji was useless and actually comprehended such a trash skill."

"Trash? This skill is incredibly strong! How is it trash?"

"No! Being countered by lightning and unable to dissipate force are fatal flaws. I will not allow flaws to exist. I will find more runes and perfect this skill to ensure the General's safety."

What a diligent little guy. I have high hopes for you. Keep it up.

After reviewing the survival skill, Xu Jiang turned to the final support skill.

Faith Aura was a new trait gained from the orange-grade mech, and it was also his greatest safeguard for surviving inside the Void Rift.

As for the old man who had sold him the mech, Xu Jiang had formed a guess in his heart.

Perhaps he was a guide.