Chapter 18: A Leap Forward

Within an hour, his lifespan had increased by more than twelve hundred years.

This was something Tang Mubai could never have imagined before. Back in Hongye City, driving around all day, the lifespan he gained amounted to just seventy or eighty years. Yet, venturing outside the city just once had granted him over twelve hundred years—more than ten times what he could have earned inside. There was simply no comparison between the two. Of course, the environments themselves were incomparable as well. If Tang Mubai ventured out alone, leaving aside whether he could find a wilderness like the assessment mountain, even just covering such a distance would be a challenge.

The Martial Association wielded enormous power, and the Military guarded the Domain Wall. The latter, in particular, monitored every movement within dozens of kilometers outside the wall, almost every moment. Thanks to these two titans, they could pinpoint exactly where non-human life appeared, and gauge its strength. Tang Mubai had truly caught a ride this time, which was why he gained so much lifespan.

His accumulated lifespan now totaled 1343 years. After some quick calculations, he realized that over three hundred eight-legged sand bugs had died. Yet, this did not mean each of the hundred-plus participants had killed three bugs. In fact, more than thirty people were eliminated during the assessment, either frightened into calling for help and losing qualification, or devoured by sand bugs and rescued by drones.

The vast majority of sand bugs were slain by the drones’ aerial gunfire. Earlier, as Tang Mubai wandered near the summit of the mountain, he saw a team fiercely battling the bugs. The group, more than a dozen strong, fought in perfect coordination, and the sand bugs fell one after another. But as the battle raged on, even more sand bugs surged from underground—over a hundred in number. Tang Mubai was stunned; the bugs emerged en masse, encircling the team completely. The group resisted fiercely for nearly ten minutes before being forced to call for rescue.

Then, the three hovering drones opened their gun ports, unleashing six-barrel machine guns and sweeping the ground with relentless fire. The roar of the guns, the screeches of the sand bugs, and Tang Mubai’s internal notifications of lifespan increases all flashed incessantly in his mind. That moment was when his lifespan had increased the most.

Such fortune would not come easily again. Despite his regret, Tang Mubai did not give up hope. Next time, he would venture out himself! The rewards outside the Domain Wall far outweighed those inside Hongye City. As soon as he grew stronger, Tang Mubai would make another expedition.

Martial artists enjoyed many benefits, but they also had obligations—mandatory tasks. Every year, they had to venture out once, participating in the Military’s organized hunt for non-human life. Mercenary groups faced similar requirements: one expedition outside every three months.

For Miracle Mercenary Group, it had been a month since their last outing. This meant Tang Mubai had only two months left.

Within two months, he needed to lead the Miracle Mercenary Group on an expedition beyond the Domain. Regardless of how many members the group had—one or two—it didn’t matter. If he wanted to avoid the group being dissolved, they had to go out. These two months would be his time to grow stronger! Yes, he would reach Profession Grade Eight!

Tang Mubai’s father had been at that level before his death. If he could reach Grade Eight within two months, he would take the team outside!

…

The corpses of giant bugs could be sold. For example, when the assessment participants dragged the sand bug carcasses down from the mountain, the Military offered a price of one thousand Federal Credits per bug. If someone didn’t want to sell, the Martial Association would help transport them back to the city for a fee. One thousand credits per bug was neither low nor high. All participants agreed without dispute, and sold their kills to the Military, who paid immediately, transferring funds to their bank cards.

After the busy settlement, everyone boarded the bus for Hongye City. The bus drove steadily to the Domain Wall. Just as when leaving, entering required a thorough inspection. Only after confirming everything was normal could they pass through the wall’s gate.

All one hundred-plus participants returned to the bus and sped straight toward Hongye City. At this point, Tang Mubai sat in the last row, eyes closed as if asleep, but in reality, he was allocating the twelve hundred years of lifespan he had just acquired.

First, Tang Mubai consumed six hundred years of lifespan to increase his Blood Vitality by thirty units, raising his total to fifty-two. Then, he spent one hundred fifty years to boost his attributes—physique, strength, agility—each to ten. Again, he used one hundred fifty years to raise his perception to five. Three hundred more years went into increasing his willpower attribute to five.

After these allocations, the twelve hundred years dwindled rapidly, leaving only one hundred forty-three years. Considering his options, Tang Mubai tried to enhance "Flight on Grass." When fighting isn’t possible, escape is. Though the skill’s grade was not high, mastering it could make its power formidable.

Previously, Tang Mubai had already brought "Flight on Grass" to the Mastered realm. He now attempted to ascend further, which instantly cost twelve years of lifespan.

The realms of martial arts mastery were: Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Mastered, Transcendent, Perfected.

Tang Mubai had previously enhanced several skills to Mastered, consuming fifteen years in total. Now, advancing from Mastered to Transcendent cost twelve years for one skill!

Surprised as he was, Tang Mubai pressed onward, further improving "Flight on Grass."

Swoosh!

His lifespan gauge dropped by another twenty-four years. Advancing from Transcendent to Perfected required twenty-four years! Though a large sum, it remained within his tolerance. This meant he could upgrade "Wave-Cutting Blade," "Nine Arrows Over the Mountain," and "Tiger Roar Fist" to Perfected with only thirty-six years of lifespan each!

Of course, he didn’t have enough lifespan this time to enhance all three skills simultaneously. After some thought, Tang Mubai elevated "Wave-Cutting Blade" and "Tiger Roar Fist" to Perfected, and brought "Nine Arrows Over the Mountain" to Transcendent.

After all these upgrades, only twenty-three years of lifespan remained. Though he had gone from over twelve hundred to just twenty-three, Tang Mubai was thoroughly satisfied.

He opened his system panel—

Name: Tang Mubai
Physique: 10 (+)
Strength: 10 (+)
Agility: 10 (+)
Perception: 5 (+)
Willpower: 5 (+)
Blood Vitality: 52k (+)
Martial Arts: Golden Mist Art (Beginner+), Tiger Roar Fist (Perfected), Wave-Cutting Blade (Perfected), Nine Arrows Over the Mountain (Transcendent+), Flight on Grass (Perfected)
Ability: Pressure Control (Basic+)
Lifespan: 23 years
Retinue: 1

…

One venture beyond the Domain Wall, and his strength had soared once again.

Tang Mubai could not hide the upward curve of his lips. He could clearly sense the change within himself. The blood in his body roared, the muscle memory coursed through him countless times. With perception at five, his enhanced hearing caught every hushed conversation in the bus. Even the heartbeats of those within five meters to his left and right were as clear as day to him!