Stronger with Crimson Modifier

Chapter 451: Chapter 360: An Arrow is Loosed, a Desolate God Falls (Part 1)

If this information were to get out, it would cause unnecessary slaughter and turmoil.

Of course, that was the reason Yin Zuocang had given.

He stood up.

Hu Qi found a safe in a nearby drawer.

He opened the safe. Inside lay a black flash drive.

He plugged the flash drive into a monitor, and instantly, the screen filled with images of various Runes.

They were all images of various Runes.

These were the Runes he had collected.

To collect these Runes, he had undoubtedly resorted to some bloody methods.

This wasn’t difficult for him as the leader of the gathering place.

However, for an ordinary Evolver, even if they obtained enough Runes, it would be impossible to construct and integrate them all at once.

This was because constructing Runes placed a huge strain and burden on one’s soul.

With Yin Zuocang’s Tier Four Early Stage strength, the number of Runes he could absorb and construct was limited.

Thus, the rest were stored away, waiting for him to grow stronger before he could continue integrating them.

However, this wasn’t a problem for Hu Qi.

With his Apostle Level Peak soul and Tier Four Peak strength, he was completely unhindered by this limitation. The only thing holding him back was the number of Runes available.

...

「A few hours earlier.」

Just as Hu Qi was using the Twisted Light to alter his appearance and slip into the Pan Mountain Gathering Place.

At the border between the Western and Southern Theater Commands.

High above a vast ocean.

Several figures with powerful auras hovered in the air.

Before them floated a bloody gleam of light. Within the light was a blurry, palm-sized figure.

However, the tiny figure was currently darting about erratically, just circling in place.

"Jerald, I hope you have a reasonable explanation for me!"

Kaius’s expression was grim as he looked at Jerald.

Upon hearing this.

Jerald’s expression darkened as well.

He hadn’t expected this to happen either.

To lose the target midway through the pursuit.

He thought for a moment.

Then, an idea came to him.

"This person must have entered some kind of special restricted zone. That’s the only way my Blood Origin Technique’s tracking could be disrupted."

The others were taken aback.

Restricted zones were areas inhabited by powerful Desolate Gods.

Only the powerful Life Magnet Field of a Desolate God could possibly cause his Blood Origin Technique to fail.

Nothing else made sense.

"We can’t pinpoint his exact location right now, but one thing is certain: he’s somewhere to the east, within the Southern Theater Command.

He can’t stay in the restricted zone forever. He probably just wandered in by mistake. We can start by heading in that general direction..."

Jerald explained.

Nearby, the coldness in Kaius’s gaze subsided.

"You should know the consequences of deceiving me."

"Of course! Rest assured, Your Highness. That son of a bitch won’t get away.

The moment he leaves the range of the restricted zone, my Blood Origin Technique is guaranteed to sense him."

Jerald said in a low, serious voice.

...

Time passed imperceptibly.

Two days went by.

Inside the room.

Hu Qi sat cross-legged, looking at the panel before him.

————

[Genes: Celestial King (Peak) Unknown Talisman Completion: 9.11%]

...

[Modification Points: 72739 (7%)]

Over the past two days.

He had constructed and absorbed all of the Runes.

This successfully pushed the completion progress of his Unknown Talisman to 9.11%.

Yin Zuocang, the Tier Four Evolver, had contributed the most.

The Runes in his body were more complex. Just constructing them alone took Hu Qi a significant amount of time.

However, the reward was also astonishing.

From him alone, the Unknown Talisman’s completion progress increased by about three percent.

’What a pity. Still not quite enough...’

Hu Qi stared at the numbers on the Crimson panel.

His brow furrowed slightly.

As he constructed the Runes, he also discovered some problems.

Some of the individual Runes overlapped.

This rendered them invalid. Some Runes even had only minuscule differences between them.

After being absorbed, they provided as little as 0.01% completion progress.

And these were the Runes that Yin Zuocang had already screened.

Otherwise, there would have been even more duplicates.

Yin Zuocang had already recorded most of the Rune patterns found in the Evolvers of the Pan Mountain Gathering Place; any he might have missed would be few and far between.

It would clearly be difficult to obtain enough new Runes within the Pan Mountain Gathering Place to increase his completion progress.

Just as Hu Qi was wondering if he should go "harvest" from other gathering places...

WOOO WOOO—

A sudden, shrill alarm echoed across the sky above the Pan Mountain Gathering Place.

Seeing this, Hu Qi got up, preparing to go outside and check on the situation.

TAP... TAP...

Just then.

A man with a refined and scholarly appearance walked in through the door.

He was a Tier Three Late Stage Evolver.

His name was Zhang Ming.

He was the second-in-command of the Pan Mountain Gathering Place, managing all its affairs, big and small.

At this moment, a rare trace of panic appeared on the face of the Tier Three Late Stage Evolver.

"What happened?"

Hu Qi asked calmly.

"Leader, it’s terrible! Our scouts have confirmed that the Desolate God codenamed ’Loudra’ has changed its course and is heading straight for the Pan Mountain Gathering Place! At its current speed, it will be here in half an hour at most..."

As Zhang Ming explained.

Hu Qi understood the situation.

But in contrast to the other man’s panic, Hu Qi’s expression remained placid.

"Take me there to see."

Seeing Hu Qi so composed.

Zhang Ming’s panicked expression eased slightly.

He had only just remembered.

Although the person before him wore Yin Zuocang’s face.

He wasn’t actually him.

Recalling Hu Qi’s terrifying strength.

He figured that dealing with this Desolate God would be no problem at all.

...

「A little over ten minutes later.」

At the main gate of the Pan Mountain Gathering Place.

Atop a towering watchtower, a biting cold wind howled past like blades.

Hu Qi stood at the forefront. Behind him, several Tier Three Evolvers also wore grim expressions, a faint unease visible in their eyes.

At this moment.

Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the distance.

Outside the Pan Mountain Gathering Place.

A furious wind, like an angry beast, swept across the land with a deafening roar.

Sand and dust were whipped up by the gale, filling the sky as if to bury the entire world.

At the same time, the sky darkened at an astonishing speed.

Under the dimming sky, a colossal black tornado, spanning from earth to sky, was rapidly approaching.

The funnel of the tornado resembled a black Giant Dragon.

Thick clouds of sand and dust coiled around its body, and everything in its path was mercilessly sucked into its vortex.