Feels Great

[Appraisal Successful]

[Lone Testicle Orb: A jewel inhabited by a spirit of Nether Mist, formed from a certain organ of a Nethermist Black Goat after its death. After another creature swallows it, there is a 1% chance of gaining the ability to manipulate "Nether Mist."]

Finally, after countless failures, Zhang Ping had forcibly succeeded in appraising the black bead.

As the black bead's attributes unfolded, an image related to it appeared before Zhang Ping's eyes: a gigantic black goat radiated black mist from its entire body. The mist transformed into enormous goat horns that continuously attacked the surrounding Mutated Beasts.

Suddenly, a huge Mutated Wild Boar charged over. The black goat instantly dissolved into mist, then gathered above the Mutated Wild Boar again, descending with countless goat horns. Several large holes were immediately pierced through the boar's back.

But the Mutated Wild Boar's vitality was extraordinarily tenacious. Even as it was attacked, it opened its mouth and bit upward. The black goat immediately let out a miserable cry, and the black mist actually scattered apart.

The next second, the black goat fell from the Mutated Wild Boar's back, its entire body convulsing violently as it entered a state of rigidity.

Gradually, large amounts of black mist seeped out of its body and surged into the Mutated Wild Boar's mouth. Before the boar could spit out what was in its mouth, a cold flash swept in from somewhere unknown. Its head was instantly blasted away by the shockwave, while its body crashed heavily to the ground.

The image ended there.

Zhang Ping looked at the black bead in his hand, at a loss for words. To eat it or not to eat it—that was the question.

He had a feeling that if he ate this bead, there was a very high chance that he would gain the ability of "Nether Mist." The problem was that after learning what this thing was, he found it somewhat hard to swallow.

It was said that some foodies could eat anything. Why wasn't he a foodie?

Zhang Ping sighed inwardly.

He was certain that, in Mingzhu City, the Lone Testicle Orb was more valuable than an Elemental Gem.

This was a treasure that could change a person's fate.

Why did martial arts schools charge so much?

Because most martial arts schools possessed a powerful martial skill, one that could rival superpowers when trained to the limit.

Why were weapons and equipment so expensive?

Because when humans wielded weapons, it was equivalent to possessing an additional means. A weapon was also a kind of ability!

The problem was that the former required arduous cultivation, and even talent and comprehension. The latter likewise required learning how to use weapons, and reaching true mastery also consumed a great deal of time.

Treasures like the Lone Testicle Orb were different.

As long as one swallowed it, there was a chance of gaining an ability. How could it not be precious?

Most Awakened only had one ability in their entire lives. No one did not want more abilities.

Zhang Ping looked at the Lone Testicle Orb as scene after scene from the past surfaced in his mind.

In his previous life, he had died in a landslide, buried beneath the earth as he slowly suffocated.

At the Patrol Unit Headquarters, he had personally seen the Heavenly Fox that killed Su Jingyao standing brazenly before him, yet he still had to force a smile and play along.

At school, when Prince Yue inspected the rooms, his life and death had not been in his own hands.

In the Black Chamber, facing the Heavenly Fox's attack, there had been nothing but despair in the end.

"Does someone as weak as me have the right to be picky?"

Zhang Ping came back to his senses, looked at the Lone Testicle Orb, and mocked himself inwardly.

He tipped his head back and swallowed the Lone Testicle Orb. It took him quite a while to force it down.

After swallowing it, he immediately used Appraisal on himself, but his attributes had not changed. Just as he frowned slightly and thought he might not have gained any ability, a sharp pain suddenly erupted in his abdomen.

He gritted his teeth without making a sound, clutched his stomach, and fell to the ground, curling himself into a ball.

Vaguely, he felt as though something shot from his stomach toward his brain, but then he seemed to hear a shrill scream.

The scream was like an auditory hallucination, vanishing in an instant.

Next, black mist began seeping from his sweat glands.

The thin mist drifted around his body, as though covering him with a layer of sheer gauze.

About five minutes later, the pain gradually faded.

Zhang Ping lay sprawled on the ground in exhaustion, too lazy to move.

Only after quite a while did he use Appraisal on himself.

[Appraisal Successful]

[Summoned Beast: Zhang Ping]

[Master: Zhang Ping]

[Race: Human]

[Potential: ?????]

[Lifespan: 99]

[Rank: Novice Awakened]

[Level: 9]

[Talents]

[Contract Gem: Can consume physical strength + Mental Strength to condense a Contract Gem. Once a target willingly accepts the Contract Gem, their life, soul, and consciousness will all be ruled by the summoner. At the same time, they will gain the summoner's potential and luck blessing. After taking it for the first time, each subsequent use will slightly increase one's own potential, with a 1% chance of awakening a new talent. Note: A talent ability obtained by summoner Zhang Ping through overdrafting intelligence, potential, and luck. Although extremely powerful, it also possesses some enormous flaw. Excessive ambition may not be a good thing.]

[Absolute Command: You possess absolute dominion over your summoned beasts. Your commands can never be disobeyed.]

[Absolute Obedience: You absolutely obey the summoner's commands. You will faithfully carry out every command from the summoner.]

[Collector's Edition Appraisal Technique: Can appraise a target, with a 60% chance of obtaining the target's information. After the first successful appraisal, the chance of successfully appraising the same target afterward will rise to 100%. Note: A talent ability born from the thirst for knowledge of summoned beast Zhang Ping and summoner Zhang Ping.]

[Nethermist Nightwalker: Gain night vision. At night, your presence is greatly reduced, your movement speed is greatly increased, and your body weight decreases. You become completely invisible while in shadows. When your body is shrouded in Nether Mist, your presence is drastically reduced.]

[Fire Eater: Can restore physical strength by devouring flames, and convert excess flames into Fire Element energy stored within the body. After releasing the energy, you will temporarily gain a flame-wreathed effect until the Fire Element energy is exhausted.

This ability will gradually increase the user's resistance to high temperatures.

Note: Potential is ultimately only potential. Only when it is converted into strength does it become true power.]

[Wind Whisperer: The wind will bring you all kinds of information, whether you want to know it or not.

Note: There are no walls that keep out the wind, nor secrets the wind does not know.]

[Other-Eater: When devouring special items, there is a 10% chance of gaining the corresponding special constitution.

Note: Why does this kid eat everything?]

[Nethermist Body: Can absorb the fear of living creatures and convert it into controllable Nether Mist.

Note: Your fear is my food!]

It was worth it!

After reading his attributes, Zhang Ping wanted to burst into laughter, but considering that the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader was nearby, he held it in.

He truly had not expected consuming the Lone Testicle Orb to improve him so greatly. His lifespan had risen from 89 to 99, while his Level had risen from Level 3 to Level 9.

Strategic Appraisal had upgraded into Collector's Edition Appraisal Technique, and Nightwalker had evolved into Nethermist Nightwalker.

Most, most, most importantly, he had actually gained two more abilities this time.

Nether Mist.

This was his first true offensive ability, and it was one that combined offense and defense.

As for Other-Eater, he had not experienced it yet, so he was not sure of its exact effects. Still, gaining such tremendous improvements after consuming the Lone Testicle Orb already left him extremely satisfied—so satisfied that he could not possibly be more satisfied.

Amazing!

Zhang Ping lay on the ground with his eyes closed, smiling silently. But as he smiled, tears began to flow.

There were too many things he wanted to do.

Those Heavenly Foxes that made his teeth itch with hatred—he had long wanted to kill every last one of them, but his strength had been insufficient, so all he could do was watch helplessly.

Especially after personally seeing Su Jingyao's human skin, he had still needed to pretend he knew nothing. He had even needed to act calmly before the murderer, pretending that the other person was Su Jingyao.

Whenever he recalled that feeling, it burned his heart like fire.

Zhang Ping placed his right hand over his mouth. Then Fire Element transformed into flames, which he quickly devoured. Once his physical strength recovered, he sat up from the ground.

Although his injuries had not healed, he felt much better after recovering his physical strength.

He looked toward the battlefield and found that Liu Sishan had already approached the Salt Frost Tree. The burly men wielding axes had also climbed onto the Salt Frost Tree and were struggling upward.

The White Ape had also carved a bloody path not far from Liu Sishan and likewise approached the Salt Frost Tree.

Zhang Ping counted and found that there were around ten people who might be able to pick the Salt Frost Fruit, while the number of Mutated Beasts was slightly greater. The White Giant Serpent, the White Ape, and other Mutated Beasts had all broken through the encirclement.

"I hope she's alright."

Zhang Ping knew that his current strength was still not enough to help Liu Sishan, so he could only pray silently in his heart.

Then he looked at his own hand. The Nether Mist drifting around him immediately condensed in his palm. Compared to the enormous mass of Nether Mist controlled by the black goat, he could currently only gather a palm-sized clump.

Only by absorbing enough fear could he possibly convert more Nether Mist.

Nether Mist was not true mist, but an extremely special existence. It did not even count as energy, and Zhang Ping did not know what it truly was.

Zhang Ping could use it to cut objects, block attacks, and even wrap himself in Nether Mist to shift his position. Visually, it looked like elementalization.

This ability had tremendous potential. Even stranger, it possessed attributes beyond its rank.

Even though Zhang Ping was only a Novice Awakened, Nether Mist could still effectively harm high-level and even top-level Mutated Beasts. It was an exceptionally special ability.

"Nethermist Black Goat... I'll investigate what kind of Mutated Beast it is when I get the chance."

Zhang Ping controlled the Nether Mist to circle around his body and fly. With another thought, he used the Nether Mist to cut apart the surrounding rocks. He gently stroked the smooth cut surface of a rock and thought silently.

Grrr.

At that moment, his stomach rumbled like thunder. He was hungry.

After leaving that morning, he had only eaten compressed energy bars at noon and in the evening. Although his physical strength had recovered now, that did not mean he would not get hungry.

After thinking for a moment, he poked his head out to look at the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader in the distance again.

With his current strength, the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader no longer counted as a challenge. However, as food, it might be perfect for testing Other-Eater's function.

He flicked a finger, and a ball of Nether Mist shot toward the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader in an instant.

The Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader reacted quickly. Facing the Nether Mist, it immediately leaped up, its powerful hind legs kicking fiercely at the mist. But the next second, the Nether Mist pierced straight through its legs and into its brain, killing it in one strike!

Why did all Awakened pursue more and stronger abilities?

Because a powerful offensive superpower could easily change the outcome of a battle.

Zhang Ping stepped forward and picked up the thoroughly dead Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader. He weighed it in his hand and estimated that it was around forty jin.

Carrying the Corrosive Water Bullet Rabbit Leader, he returned behind the rocks and formed a small knife with Nether Mist. Although he had far less Nether Mist than the Nethermist Black Goat, compared with the Nethermist Black Goat, which could only turn Nether Mist into goat horns to attack enemies, his control was far more flexible and varied.

He skinned it and removed its internal organs.

Then flames burned in Zhang Ping's palm as he carefully roasted every inch of rabbit meat. There was salt all around, so he carefully scraped off some salt that looked clean and lightly sprinkled it over the rabbit meat.

A fragrant scent drifted from his position toward the battlefield.