’Interesting.’
’So this Giant Aphid Rhinoceros Beetle really is a "thief."’
’What’s more interesting is that it has already successfully usurped control of the entire massive colony of Aphid-Spiders.’
’It has completely replaced the original "Aphid-Spider Queen."’
When the surrounding Aphid-Spiders saw a strange little creature run up to the mother-body, they instinctively closed in.
Trapped in the middle, the little vole trembled in fear.
Seeing this, Qin Ziwen fell into thought.
This also answered one of his questions.
No wonder the only creatures around the Giant Aphid Rhinoceros Beetle were the Aphid-Spiders.
Even if other young creatures were lucky enough to eat the rock honey, it would be difficult for them to survive near it.
The rock honey only made these younglings dependent on the Giant Aphid Rhinoceros Beetle; it didn’t make them coexist peacefully.
Competition and even hostility existed among these young creatures.
Unless a stronger will could constantly monitor and suppress their desire to fight amongst themselves.
But clearly, this Zen-like Giant Aphid Rhinoceros Beetle didn’t have the energy for that.
’I originally wanted it to raise an insectoid army, but now it seems it won’t be that simple.’
’At the very least, I’ll first have to change its lazy, sluggish personality.’
...
「Martial Arts Arena.」
In the center of the grounds, Jiang Shan was swinging a great saber, each slash roaring with ferocious power.
A few burly men nearby clapped and cheered him on.
Jiang Shan stopped, resting his saber to the side as someone handed him a can of food.
Jiang Shan tore open the can and gave it a light sniff. It was the special canned food rumored to be produced by Chairman Qin’s new building, but it didn’t have any particular smell.
It didn’t look much different from an ordinary can of meat.
Without hesitation, he stabbed a piece with his fork and swallowed it in a large gulp.
The tender, smooth meat slid down his throat and into his stomach. A few seconds later, Jiang Shan, his eyes closed, felt a warm current rise from his belly.
The warmth surged through his entire body. He took a deep breath, lifted his saber, and began to practice with his weapon again.
His movements grew faster and faster.
The men at the side were still cheering at first, but their voices gradually died down.
Jiang Shan’s saber moved faster and faster until the blade itself was a blur, leaving only a silver arc whistling through the air.
The arc grew wider and wider. The few onlookers scrambled backward; one man knocked over a wooden weapons rack but paid it no mind.
"Jiang!"
No one dared to approach him.
Jiang Shan’s eyes were closed, the momentum of his saber now beyond his control.
He was like a beast trapped in a cage, searching desperately for a way out.
The saber in his hand was the door it had found.
"He’s stuck at a bottleneck." Mogu had appeared at the edge of the arena at some point, his arms crossed as he watched Jiang Shan in the center.
All around, the others who were training stopped and turned to look at Jiang Shan.
VMMMM!
The sound of the blade cleaving the air suddenly changed pitch.
It sounded like tearing silk.
With one final slash, Jiang Shan’s eyes snapped open.
"I see it!"
The blow landed with unstoppable force.
The wooden training dummy before him offered no resistance, cleaved in two by the single strike.
Mogu offered two words: "Well done." He gave Jiang Shan an appreciative glance before turning to leave.
Jiang Shan looked down at the saber in his hands. The speed of that last strike was far beyond what he’d been capable of just moments before.
’I think I broke through the bottleneck.’
’But I’m already Five Stars. To break through the Five Stars bottleneck...’
’Doesn’t that mean... I’m Extraordinary?!’
’But isn’t it only possible to break through to the Extraordinary realm by using a Breakthrough Card?’
News of Jiang Shan’s breakthrough to the Extraordinary realm soon reached Qin Ziwen’s ears.
He summoned Jiang Shan. "Congratulations. You’re the first person to achieve an Extraordinary breakthrough while training in the arena."
Jiang Shan said, "I have you to thank for it, Chairman Qin. Especially for that can of food you gave me. I felt my condition improve greatly after eating it."
Qin Ziwen nodded. "Yes, that canned food has the effect of assisting with breakthroughs to the Extraordinary realm."
Hearing this, Jiang Shan let out a long breath. No wonder. He’d had a peculiar feeling after eating it.
"Chairman, is it possible to reach the Extraordinary realm without a Breakthrough Card?"
In Jiang Shan’s mind, using a Breakthrough Card was essential for becoming Extraordinary.
But Breakthrough Cards were incredibly rare; besides the Chairman, almost no one had ever obtained one.
"It wasn’t possible before, but it is now," Qin Ziwen answered.
"The current Martial Arts Arena has this function. It gives you a chance to break through the physical limits of an ordinary mortal and ascend to the Extraordinary realm.
"However, this type of breakthrough is purely one of physical strength. It doesn’t grant a Path attribute, only an Extraordinary level of physical power. There’s still a gap between this and a true Extraordinary."
Jiang Shan looked thoughtful.
Qin Ziwen said, "Actually, even after breaking through to the Extraordinary realm, you can still use a Breakthrough Card to challenge the tasks on it and acquire a Path."
Jiang Shan was a little surprised. "It works like that?"
Mogu spoke up, "It does, but the difficulty of the task will scale with your strength."
Jiang Shan felt a twinge of regret. Some of his ideas had just been dashed.
He had thought that using a Breakthrough Card after reaching the Extraordinary realm would make completing the task easier.
Now it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Qin Ziwen said, "Being able to break your limits and ascend to the Extraordinary realm is a good thing. That you could break through at this stage proves you have good potential. Keep up the good work. Take this Breakthrough Card as a reward for being the first to achieve this."
Jiang Shan was stunned by the sudden reward.
He couldn’t believe it. Even after taking the Breakthrough Card with both hands, his fingers were still trembling slightly.
"Thank you, Chairman! I am willing to die for you!"
After Jiang Shan left, Yan Da stepped out from the nearby shadows. He watched the man’s retreating back with a complex expression.
Within the Home, aside from the few who had already become Extraordinary, nearly everyone who had reached Five Stars had their eyes fixed on the path to the Extraordinary realm.
He hadn’t expected this man to be the first among those below the Extraordinary realm to succeed.
"There’s always someone better out there. Whether it’s luck or talent, being able to break through at this stage is a good thing. Don’t be discouraged. Being one step ahead now doesn’t mean he’ll be ahead every step of the way. His task’s difficulty will be higher than yours. You might even complete your Breakthrough Card’s task faster," Qin Ziwen comforted him.
"Yes, sir." Yan Da lowered his head.
"This last Breakthrough Card is for you." Qin Ziwen handed the Breakthrough Card to Yan Da.
Yan Da crushed the Card.
His eyes snapped shut.
After a long moment, he opened his eyes.
"What task did you receive?"
"A Second Gear difficulty task: ’Underwater Yama.’ I have to hunt one hundred Fishmen alone in an underwater environment, including one Extraordinary Fishman," Yan Da said in a low voice.
"That task... is doable." Qin Ziwen nodded. The difficulty wasn’t that high.
The individual combat strength of the Darktide Tribe’s Fishmen isn’t that high.
The tricky parts are their numbers and the various dangerous underwater creatures they raise.
As long as you can avoid the dangerous aquatic creatures and find the right opportunity, hunting an Extraordinary Fishman from the Darktide Tribe is not impossible.
"What about the Third Gear task?" Qin Ziwen was curious. As far as he knew, Yan Da was quite bold. What kind of Third Gear task would make him give it up?
Yan Da replied, "The Third Gear difficulty task is called ’Water Monarch.’ It requires me to tame an underwater creature whose adult weight exceeds my own by a thousand times."
...
...