Chapter 10

"First, we won't go to the Yunlai Sword Sect. Our target is the Xuanling Sect!"

Qin Tianji was full of spirit, his eyes filled with a murderous intent.

"Chirp!"

What a turn of events!

Accompanied by a piercing cry that split the clouds, a massive dark cloud suddenly descended from the void, using the cloud cover to conceal its approach. With the force of a thunderbolt, it struck the mech with great force.

"Warning! 27% damage to the A334 area of the mech's outer shell!"

In an instant, sparks flew, and alarms blared inside the mech.

"Flying beast!"

Qin Tianji was taken aback.

The murderous intent in his eyes quickly turned to calm.

"One strike, nearly tearing the 92-strength outer shell of the mech. This is definitely a tenth-level beast, comparable to a human Great Swordsman!"

Even a human Sword Master would run as far as possible upon encountering a tenth-level flying beast.

Sword Masters do not yet possess the power to conquer the skies.

"Tenth-level beast! So what? When a beast reaches the tenth level, it begins to form a core within its body, containing all its essence. If I can kill this tenth-level beast and consume its core..."

His thoughts raced, and Qin Tianji's spirit surged, perfectly synchronizing with the mech's control center.

"Rumble!"

The thrusters on the back of the mech suddenly increased to the highest level, Level 4.

Fiery flames erupted from the thrusters, causing the giant claws of the flying beast, which were gripping the mech, to loosen slightly.

The sword techniques of the Yunlai Sword Sect—Twenty-Three Swords of Wind and Cloud—flashed through his mind. In the next moment, Qin Tianji's body spun, and he drew the giant sword in his right hand, aiming it directly at the flying beast.

Only then did he see the true form of the flying beast.

A giant eagle with sharp horns.

A giant eagle with a wingspan of over twelve meters.

"Thunder Eagle! The ruler of the skies, feeding on minerals containing lightning and fire, its speed as swift as lightning. A young Thunder Eagle has the strength of a High Swordsman, a mature Thunder Eagle can reach the level of a Great Swordsman, and an adult Thunder Eagle is comparable to a human Sword Master..."

Without needing Qin Tianji's command, the database of Unit 2 had already displayed all the information about this flying beast.

"A mature Thunder Eagle!"

With the thrusters at Level 4, Qin Tianji's speed slightly exceeded that of the Thunder Eagle. After flipping his body, he aimed the giant sword at the Thunder Eagle and struck with great force, creating a huge wound even on its tough, iron-like body.

"Chirp!"

Blood spurted, and the Thunder Eagle let out a painful cry, flapping its wings and ascending into the sky.

Missing its target, it immediately retreated.

The attack style of the Thunder Eagle is entirely based on speed. As long as its speed can be suppressed, the threat posed by this tenth-level beast will drop significantly.

However, as the ruler of the skies, the maximum speed of a Thunder Eagle can approach 200 meters per second. Even a Sky-level expert who can move through the air would be left in the dust by a fleeing Thunder Eagle.

"Trying to run!"

Sensing the Thunder Eagle's intention, Qin Tianji's spirit stirred, and the massive mech lunged toward the Thunder Eagle, gradually closing the distance.

The Thunder Eagle seemed to sense the danger and had to fly at its maximum speed, emitting a series of mournful cries.

"Beep! Warning! Reserve energy has dropped to 20%!"

"20%!?"

Qin Tianji was startled.

"Insufficient energy, must end the battle quickly! Unit 2, enter overdrive and activate Level 5 thrusters!"

"Beep! The host's mental capacity is insufficient for Level 5 combat. Do you wish to continue?"

"Activate!"

"Boom!"

In the next moment, the thrusters of the A-02 mech erupted in flames, and its speed increased by a third, breaking the sound barrier and entering supersonic flight.

"Kill!"

At supersonic speed, Qin Tianji caught up to the Thunder Eagle and struck down with his giant sword!

"Whoosh!"

The sword light split the air!

The head of the tenth-level beast was severed.

Crimson blood splattered the sky.

Decapitated!

Qin Tianji, who could not even defeat a sixth-level beast on his own, had instantly killed a tenth-level beast with the help of the mech!

This was the power of technology.

"I wonder when I can reach this level without external assistance."

After a moment of surprise, Qin Tianji regained his composure.

During battle, any emotional fluctuation is superfluous.

"Level 3 thrusters!"

With the change in thrust, he caught up to the Thunder Eagle falling to the ground, lifted the tenth-level beast, and then changed his speed, landing on a nearby mountain.

"Boom!"

Being his first time piloting a mech, he failed to control the force upon landing. The terrifying weight of 31 tons created numerous cracks on the ground.

Dropping the giant eagle on the ground, Qin Tianji swung the mech's sword, tearing the beast apart. He then jumped out of the mech and quickly found the core of the tenth-level beast.

The core, no larger than an egg, contained a dense essence that was gradually dissipating.

The core of a tenth-level beast is newly formed. Once the physical body dies, the core dissipates with the loss of life essence and must be consumed immediately.

"An ordinary fifth-level swordsman would likely be overwhelmed by the power contained in a tenth-level beast's core, unable to digest it. My body was once that of an eighth-level swordsman, and two days ago, I consumed a Bone Washing Pill, fully unlocking my body's potential. With my ninth-level mental abilities, I can precisely control the subtle changes in my body. Consuming this core now will not only have no drawbacks but will also maximize its effects."

Holding the core, Qin Tianji did not hesitate and swallowed it.

Although he now possessed the A-02 mech, which gave him the combat power of a Sword Master, this was not his own strength. Moreover, he could not always stay in the mech. If he left the mech and the Xuanling Sect sent a High Swordsman to assassinate him, he would be doomed.

Only by becoming strong himself could he truly be considered a powerful person.

The core entered his body and immediately transformed into a thick essence of life, spreading throughout his body, permeating his limbs, organs, and every part of his body.

The essence of inner strength is, at its core, a concentrated essence of life.

When a person's essence and strength reach a peak, it becomes tangible, flowing throughout the body, transforming from mere strength into inner strength. The stronger the life force, the more powerful and fierce the inner strength can be.

The essence of a tenth-level beast is incredibly potent.

As this essence permeated his body, Qin Tianji clearly felt a flame-like explosion within him, activating every cell and organ. With each powerful heartbeat, the thick inner strength spread throughout his body, growing at an alarming rate with each beat.

"Cloud Sea Tide Generation Technique! Green Sea and Cloudy Sky!"

Feeling the incredible essence of life within him, Qin Tianji quickly activated the Cloud Sea Tide Generation Technique of the Yunlai Sword Sect. His ninth-level mental abilities allowed him to precisely control the essence, guiding it to be absorbed by his body.

At the same time, a slight mental vibration spread from his mental world, reaching every corner of his body, maximizing the function of each cell.

In less than half an hour after consuming the core, his fifth-level inner strength had reached its peak. An hour later, he broke through the small barrier of the fifth level, and his powerful inner strength refined every acupoint in his body.

"Fourth-level swordsman, refining inner strength; fifth-level swordsman, inner strength bursting; three-inch strike; sixth-level swordsman, inner strength throughout the body; leaves do not touch the body... With this tenth-level beast's core, I have finally refined my inner strength to every acupoint in my body. In the future, even a leaf falling on me will be detected, and I can crush it with a burst of inner strength."

Feeling the fullness in his acupoints, a smile appeared on Qin Tianji's face.

Before the sixth level, cultivation is not difficult. Any disciple of a sect with a strong lineage can reach the sixth level of swordsman if they practice diligently.

However, advancing from the fifth level to the sixth level in just one hour, even with the help of a tenth-level beast's core, is not something an ordinary person can achieve.

Two hours later, the vigorous essence of life brought by the core gradually subsided, and Qin Tianji's inner strength stabilized at the sixth level of swordsman.

"The core of a tenth-level beast contains far more than this. My body has temporarily reached saturation in absorbing the essence. The remaining essence is dormant within me. As long as I continue to push my potential, I will reach the peak of the sixth level of swordsman in at most a month."

Focusing his mind, he sensed the surging inner strength in his body, fully understanding his changes.

Although his ninth-level mental abilities were suppressed in this world and could not exert substantial attacks, they easily helped him quickly grasp his body's condition.

"Unfortunately, the mech's energy is insufficient. Otherwise, after reaching the peak of the sixth level of swordsman in a month, I could return to the Never-Setting Mountain Range and kill another tenth-level beast, consuming its core to advance to the seventh level of swordsman."

Qin Tianji said with a hint of regret.

Glancing at the 12-meter-tall giant mech beside him, he did not waste any more time and got back into the mech.

The Never-Setting Mountain Range is a gathering place for beasts. He had not yet entered the inner regions and had already encountered a powerful tenth-level beast like the Thunder Eagle. If he continued to fly deeper, he might encounter a Sky-level ruler equivalent to a human Sword Master, which would tear his mech to pieces.

Just as Qin Tianji was about to leave, his mind stirred, and his gaze fell on the mech's long-range vision function.

Using the mech's long-range vision, he keenly saw a bird's nest on the waist of a mountain peak eight kilometers away.

His mind stirred again, and the image was quickly zoomed in. On the waist of the mountain, in the bird's nest, thirteen eggs, each the size of a basketball, clearly appeared in his field of vision.

"Thunder Eagle eggs?"