Chapter 134: Significant Enhancement

Li Gang clenched his fists, feeling the power surging within his body, accompanied by an indescribable yearning taking root inside him.

He cast his gaze toward Lin Yan. She was still staring at the virtual screen before her, indicating that her enhancement process was not yet complete. Li Gang did not disturb her; instead, he chose an open space and began to practice his guiding technique alone.

During the day, the two of them had to travel, leaving only an hour or two after lunch for practice, which made their time at night exceptionally precious. Although, for them now, the distinction between traveling by day or by night was no longer significant. Having exhausted all their enhancement opportunities, their high base stats meant they could fully recover from a day’s fatigue and mental strain with just a few hours of sleep. In fact, given their current stats, going several days without rest would hardly be a challenge. Once their four base stats far exceeded the human average by several times, they were no longer ordinary people.

After using up all her accumulated enhancement points, Lin Yan stared at her personal enhancement panel to review the results:
Physical: 428
Mental: 422
Strength: 400
Speed: 525
Overall Combat Power: 927
Remaining Enhancement Opportunities: 0 (enhancements cannot be stored). Full Recovery/Treatment Charges: 28.

She had spent nearly half of her accumulated enhancements on strength, raising it to 400, yet it remained her lowest stat. Looking at the strength attribute, Lin Yan whispered to herself, "Reaching 400 points should be enough for now, but I must find an opportunity to get my hands on the Strength volume as well. Once I collect all four fragments of the basic guiding technique and obtain the complete version, the speed of my growth will increase significantly."

She closed her panel, sensed the changes in her body, and looked toward Li Gang, finding him in the middle of his practice. "He’s quite diligent," she murmured.

The reason she kept her distance while undergoing enhancements was twofold: first, she did not want her own method to influence Li Gang’s judgment; more importantly, she did not want her stats to demoralize him. Lin Yan was incredibly observant, insightful, and possessed an excellent memory. Even without checking his panel, she could deduce his approximate stats based on his usual training and combat performance. Under her guidance, Li Gang had indeed improved rapidly, but his time spent learning basic skills—marksmanship, combat, blade techniques—had delayed his progress with the guiding technique. Since his stats were already lower than hers, the gap had widened further. This was why she never showed him her panel.

After familiarizing herself with her new state, she walked to a nearby stream. Listening to the gurgling water, she fell into thought. "Regarding the 'Basic' in the name of the guiding technique given by the 'God'—is it referring to the four basic stats, or does it imply that this is merely the most fundamental technique, and higher-level versions exist?"

To Lin Yan, the name likely pointed to one of two possibilities: either it simply referred to the four basic stats, or it hinted at a broader, more advanced system of cultivation. She hoped for the latter, as it would imply a complete hierarchy—perhaps primary, intermediate, and advanced levels—forming a structured path to power.

She had long held a theory about the identity of the "God," though she had never shared it with Li Gang. Looking up at the stars, she reflected that Earth was but a grain of sand in the vast, boundless universe. She believed the "God" likely originated from a highly advanced extraterrestrial civilization, perhaps one that had already mastered the power of universal laws. This would provide a rational explanation for everything, from the third-generation auxiliary sub-intelligence to the advanced cultivation system and the ability to erase all humanity with a single thought.

Lin Yan did not believe in gods; she was an atheist. To her, "Gods" were simply beings further along the path of evolution. She clenched her fist, her expression filled with anticipation and excitement. "I wonder how this hunting game will unfold? I am truly looking forward to it."

Unlike Li Gang, she felt no anxiety about the future. She was eager to see what kind of hunters she would encounter and which ones would pose a genuine threat. Deep down, she possessed a fighting spirit and courage second to none. She crouched down, cupped the cold stream water in her hands, and sniffed it; it was fresh and clean. She let the water slip through her fingers and returned to the campsite. After watching Li Gang practice for a few minutes, she found her own spot and began to cultivate in silence.

As the eastern sky began to brighten, Li Gang finished the final movement of the second stage of the Speed volume. He opened his panel:
Physical: 486
Mental: 271
Strength: 300
Speed: 260
Overall Combat Power: 460
Remaining Enhancement Opportunities: 0. Full Recovery/Treatment Charges: 25.

Overnight, aside from an hour of sleep, he had practiced the Speed volume seven times successfully, raising his speed from 246 to 260. It was his most efficient session yet. He realized this was likely due to the significant boost in his base stats after using all his enhancement points. While happy, he wondered if his previous habit of hoarding enhancement points had been a mistake. Still, he brushed the thought aside; every choice had its pros and cons. He realized now why Lin Yan never interfered with his decisions—she must have known this all along.

He glanced over at Lin Yan, who was still meditating on the Mental volume. He approached quietly and watched her for a long time before packing up the unused tent. He only dared to stare when she was deep in meditation. After starting a fire, he roasted the remaining half of the wild boar from the previous night. The intense practice had left him famished.

As the first rays of sunlight hit the grass, Lin Yan opened her eyes. They finished their meal, extinguished the fire, and hit the road. Throughout the day, they passed a few groups of "Chosen Ones," but none showed interest in them, much to Li Gang’s relief.

By evening, they entered Yunnan Province and stopped at a service area on the highway near Qujing. Although their enhanced bodies didn't strictly require rest, they chose to stop. Other Chosen Ones were likely using this time to cultivate as well. They had already "wasted" their daytime hours traveling, so they needed to balance their schedule.

They spent the evening eating packaged food from the service station, saving their compressed rations for emergencies. Li Gang felt little fatigue despite a full day of driving; the physical toll of the road was nothing compared to the exhaustion of practicing the guiding technique.

The next day, at dawn, they set off again. According to Lin Yan, they would reach the South China Military District in half a day. After an hour on the highway, they exited onto a national road. Following Lin Yan's directions, the landscape grew increasingly desolate, with no signs of human habitation for miles, leaving them in a vast, empty wilderness.