Yes, that's it!
What the Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves required wasn't mere technique, but the will of Unstoppable Advance and Invincible Presence.
Only by clearing my mind of every stray thought the moment I strike and pouring everything into that blow can I truly unleash its power.
Understanding welled up in Ji Zhixing's heart.
By now, he could consistently infuse his will into seven or eight out of every ten strikes.
Soon. It won't be long before I fully master the Eight Army-Breaking Staff Moves.
He took a deep breath, ready to continue practicing.
But the moment he raised his staff, his arms ached, and he nearly lost his grip.
"I can't go on." Ji Zhixing shook his head, feeling that his stamina was almost completely spent.
He had fought all day and practiced for so long that evening that his body had reached its limit.
He put away the Army-Breaking Staff and wiped the sweat from his face.
"Go get some rest," a voice said behind him.
Ji Zhixing turned and saw He Yanbing.
He Yanbing walked over and looked at him. "You need to balance training with rest. Besides, you still have to hunt tomorrow."
"Thank you for your concern, teacher. I'll go rest now." Ji Zhixing nodded.
He Yanbing glanced at him, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Ji Zhixing stayed where he was, letting the night breeze dry his sweat.
The night breeze was cool and felt pleasant against his skin. He looked up at the star-studded sky, far clearer than it was in the city.
I'll go to Stone Lake tomorrow, he thought silently. Hopefully, I can hunt a Petrified Crab and refine a Stone Skin Gene Potion.
Once I develop the Stone Skin Ability, I'll be stronger. Then I'll keep saving up to buy a Gigantification Gene Potion and develop Gigantification.
As for the Innate Staff Heart ability, barring any surprises, I should be almost there tomorrow!
After the breeze had blown for a while, his sweat finally dried. Only then did Ji Zhixing head toward the school bus and climb aboard to rest.
Quite a few classmates were already on the bus, sprawled across the seats. Some were asleep, while others were still chatting quietly.
Ji Zhixing found his seat, greeted Liu Qifan and the others, then closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.
The night passed uneventfully.
Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, everyone woke up one after another.
After a simple meal, the teams set off in succession to continue hunting.
Gu Zheng and the others from Rain City Middle School had left even earlier. They had said they planned to explore Lake Center Island in the middle of Stone Lake that day.
Lake Center Island...
Ji Zhixing thought silently, It must be more dangerous there, with stronger Gene Beasts. But they're strong enough to dare to go. We aren't.
Having come to this world, he was curious about everything and longed to explore.
But without enough strength, he could only rein himself in.
They had eaten a little and were about to set off when they saw that Zhou Yuan's team was ready too.
"Hey, Zhou Yuan, how many Gene Beasts are you planning to hunt today?" Zhang Haocheng chuckled and called out loudly.
Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes. "Don't get cocky. You got lucky yesterday and ran into four Iron-Feather Mountain Chickens. Today might be different."
"Luck is part of strength too." Zhang Haocheng looked immensely pleased with himself. "Don't forget-you owe us a meal when we get back to school!"
"Bullshit luck!" Zhou Yuan snorted twice and led his team away.
Liu Qifan laughed. "Look at how unwilling he is to admit defeat. Hilarious."
"All right, let's go too," Ji Zhixing said. "We're heading to Stone Lake today."
The five left the camp and headed south.
Worried about running into danger, they moved slowly. After roughly half an hour, the view suddenly opened up.
A vast lake appeared before them. Its clear water shimmered in the morning sunlight, its surface calm.
Reeds and wild grasses grew thickly along the shore, with a few large trees in places.
"This is Stone Lake," Zhao Qing said. "It's pretty big. I heard its deepest point is over ten meters."
Ji Zhixing nodded, sweeping his gaze over the lake.
Two teams were already active by the shore. They weren't from their class, but from Class Two and Class Three. They kept throwing stones into the lake, sending up bursts of spray.
"Can this really lure Petrified Crabs out?" Xie Jia found it rather hard to believe.
Liu Qifan said, "That's what the books say, anyway. Petrified Crabs have terrible tempers. If a rock hits one, it'll most likely charge out."
"Come on, let's try it too."
The five walked to an open stretch of shore and began throwing stones into the lake.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Stone after stone fell into the water, sending up splashes.
But even after they had thrown for quite a while, there was no movement on the lake.
"How long do we have to keep throwing?" Liu Qifan muttered.
Just then, startled cries rang out nearby.
Ji Zhixing turned to look. In front of Class Two's team, a sudden burst of spray erupted on the lake, and a huge crab charged out of the water.
The crab was bluish-gray all over, its shell as rough as rock. Its eight legs were thick and powerful, and its two huge claws were raised high. It looked like a millstone a meter and a half across.
"Attack! Attack! Attack!"
The team's five members immediately surrounded it, bringing all their weapons to bear as they battled the Petrified Crab.
The crab was immensely strong, its two huge claws whipping through the air with ferocious force.
Even with the five Class Two students working seamlessly together, it took them quite a while to kill the Petrified Crab.
"Yes!"
The members of that team cheered excitedly.
One immediately stepped forward, collected the Petrified Crab, and began refining it.
Ji Zhixing watched with envy.
"Let's pick up the pace too."
Zhang Haocheng, Liu Qifan, and the others felt reinvigorated as well.
"I'll use a bigger rock this time."
Ji Zhixing walked some distance away and bent down to pick up a larger rock, fully the size of a basketball. Holding it in both hands, he hurled it into the lake.
Splash!
The rock hit the water, sending up a great burst of spray.
They stared at the water and waited.
Boom!
Suddenly, the lake's surface erupted, water spraying in every direction!
A huge bluish-gray crab burst from the water amid a shower of spray. Its eight legs scuttled rapidly as it charged straight toward the shore!
Ji Zhixing's pupils contracted.
This crab was a size larger than the one Class Two had just fought.
Its two open claws were as big as washbasins, and its eyes fixed on them, brimming with rage.
Here it comes! Ji Zhixing's heart tightened, but excitement immediately surged through him.
"Fall back!"
"Let's lure it farther away!"
At Ji Zhixing's low shout, all five immediately retreated.
Waving its two enormous claws, the Petrified Crab rapidly scuttled sideways after them on its eight legs.
Ji Zhixing watched the crab as he backed away.
Yes, that's it. The farther from the water, the better, he thought silently. It has the advantage by the water, but on land, we're on our home ground.
The five lured the Petrified Crab more than ten meters from the lake before stopping.
"Surround it and kill it!"
Luo Yongguang raised the Great Shield and strode forward, blocking the Petrified Crab's path.
He had fused with the wild bull king gene and possessed two gene abilities: Wild Bull King Strength and Endurance.
Wild Bull King Strength was a passive ability that gave him immense strength comparable to a wild bull king's.
Endurance was also passive. It increased his resistance to pain, allowing him to endure his injuries and keep fighting.
Bang!
The Petrified Crab's huge claw slammed into the shield with a deafening crash.
Luo Yongguang swayed and stumbled back two steps before steadying himself.
This Petrified Crab was astonishingly strong.
"Entangle!"
Seeing this, Xie Jia swept her hands outward. Gene source force surged, and illusory green vines shot out, instantly winding around several of the Petrified Crab's legs.
The Petrified Crab struggled desperately, but the vines were exceptionally tough. Although it snapped a few, more vines wound around it.
"Attack!"
Seeing this, Ji Zhixing and Zhang Haocheng charged forward together.
Zhang Haocheng had fused with the wild donkey king gene and also had two gene abilities. One was Wild Donkey King Strength, another passive ability that boosted his strength while also granting a certain increase in speed.
His other ability was Endurance, just like Luo Yongguang's.
Holding his spear, he thrust viciously at the Petrified Crab's eyes.
But the Petrified Crab swept its claw across, knocking his spear off course so that it struck its body instead.
"This shell is too hard!" Zhang Haocheng shouted. "We can only stab its weak spots!"
Liu Qifan circled the Petrified Crab several times with his saber, even less certain where to attack.
"I'll do it!"
Ji Zhixing's gaze sharpened. He raised the Army-Breaking Staff high, pouring all his strength, gene source energy, and that indomitable will to advance into this single strike!
Shatter Space Form!
Bang!
The staff smashed viciously into the Petrified Crab's forehead.
So hard! Ji Zhixing was startled, the impact numbing the web between his thumb and forefinger.
But the force of that blow also drove the Petrified Crab's head down and made its body sway.
It works!
Ji Zhixing's eyes lit up.
Although he hadn't broken through its hard shell, the Staff Technique delivered a vibrating force that could injure the flesh beneath the armor.
"Again!"
Earth-Shaking Form!
Another staff strike crashed down.
The Petrified Crab was driven back again and again, but Xie Jia's vines held it fast, preventing its escape.
"Grrr!" The Petrified Crab hissed furiously, flailing its two huge claws as it tried to attack Ji Zhixing.
But Luo Yongguang's shield blocked it time after time, while Zhang Haocheng's spear kept darting toward its eyes, dividing its attention.
Ji Zhixing seized the opportunity, raining down strike after strike.
Army-Breaking Form!
Unstoppable Advance!
Invincible Presence!
He delivered seven or eight blows in succession, infusing every one with his will. That feeling grew clearer and stronger.
Yes, that's it!
A surge of exhilaration filled Ji Zhixing's heart.
When I practiced before, only seven or eight strikes out of ten succeeded. Now that I'm fighting, I'm even more focused, more immersed, and my success rate is higher!
This is real combat!
Bang!
Another staff strike crashed down.
Part of the Petrified Crab's head caved in, and cracks appeared across its bluish-gray shell.
Its struggles grew weaker and weaker. Its eight legs twitched, gradually falling still.
"Die!"
Ji Zhixing roared and brought his staff down viciously one last time.
This strike concentrated all his strength and all his will!
Bang!
With a tremendous crash, the Petrified Crab's head shattered completely. Its bluish-gray shell split apart, exposing the mangled flesh within.
The Petrified Crab stiffened and crashed to the ground.
"Hah... hah..."
Ji Zhixing panted heavily, standing in place with his weight resting on his staff. His gaze was unfocused. Rather than looking at the fallen Petrified Crab, he seemed to be recalling that final strike.
That feeling had been utterly exhilarating.
One strike descended, his mind free of stray thoughts, everything poured into it.
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