ocean-life Chapter 122 Adaptation
Chapter 122 Adaptation
Chapter 122 Adaptation
The cool water washed away the foul-smelling, sticky black grime, revealing refreshed skin underneath. Xu Mo dried himself off and changed into clean, crisp clothes, experiencing a wondrous feeling as if he had broken free of heavy shackles and been reborn.
This wasn't just a physical feeling of refreshment; Xu Mo clearly felt as if a volcano about to erupt was lurking within him, containing an unprecedented and immense power. Every muscle was brimming with explosive power, his bones were as hard as iron, his internal organs were strong and robust, and his breath was long and deep.
Xu Mo even had a strange feeling that if he encountered a level-two mutated zombie like the one he encountered in the core of the industrial zone, he was confident that he could fight it head-on without being at a disadvantage.
Besides the significant increase in strength, Xu Mo found that his six senses had also become more acute and clear. He could see the fine lines on the wall more clearly and could distinguish the finer dust and smells in the air.
The most obvious effect was hearing. Xu Mo felt that he could even faintly hear the low, intermittent roars of zombies from the distant ruins through the thick metal walls of the fortress.
This would have been absolutely impossible in the past.
The leap in strength brought a greater sense of security, but it also spurred Xu Mo to test his limits. Thinking of the Iron Bone Realm mentioned in the cultivation technique description—"unable to be harmed by ordinary weapons, and able to withstand pistol bullets"—Xu Mo's gaze fell upon the TT33.
On the pistol. He took a deep breath and silently circulated the surging blood and qi within his body, which flowed like the Yangtze River.
As his blood and qi surged, Xu Mo immediately felt his skin, muscles, and especially the depths of his bones being instantly infused with energy, becoming denser and harder. He could even feel the blood and qi rapidly circulating under his skin, forming an invisible, resilient barrier.
Without much hesitation, Xu Mo raised his left hand, held the gun in his right hand, aimed the muzzle at his palm, and then put the pistol down.
"Are you kidding me? Do you think I'd test it on my own hand? What if it doesn't work? I can't ask for a refund then!"
"Forget it, there's no need to hurt myself like this," Xu Mo muttered to himself.
Testing capabilities is about defining safety boundaries, not about courting disaster.
Xu Mo did a simple test of his strength and speed. Although the space inside the fortress was small and he couldn't use his full strength, he could clearly feel that his strength and speed had increased by at least several times compared to when he was in the Bull Skin Realm, just by moving heavy supply boxes and making a burst of movement. This was a qualitative leap.
The significant increase in his strength made Xu Mo's mind race. He thought to himself, "Should I go deeper into the core area to investigate?"
But Xu Mo quickly suppressed the thought.
"Going out is fine, but there's no need to deliberately venture deep into the core area. Who knows what kind of zombies might crawl out from there?" Xu Mo quickly calmed down.
Increased strength does not equate to invincibility. The core of the Red Star Industrial Zone can "refresh" zombies and even breed level-two zombies, making it far more dangerous than imagined.
My current bold ideas are most likely due to the psychological arrogance and restlessness brought about by my sudden increase in strength. It's precisely at times like these that I need to be more cautious. It's best if I don't go out for the next few days, otherwise this kind of blind arrogance might just get me into trouble.
Moreover, having just broken through to the next level, I am not yet proficient in the application of my power. If I were to venture too far in, I might attract an even more terrifying being or find myself in some kind of predicament, which would be a greater loss than gain. To be on the safe side, I should gradually expand the scope of my activities and the intensity of my exploration, while ensuring my safety.
Furthermore, through his experience rescuing the Sharp Sword Squad, Xu Mo gained a more direct understanding of the so-called "superhumans'" strength. All six members of the Sharp Sword Squad (excluding the one who sacrificed himself) were officially recognized superhumans, but judging from their combat performance, they struggled considerably when facing a group of level-one mutated zombies, and could only flee for their lives when facing level-two zombies.
In comparison, he could deal with level one zombies relatively easily when he was in the Bull Skin Realm, and after breaking through to the Iron Bone Realm, his strength far surpassed theirs.
"Are Lu Chuan and the others just beginner or intermediate level ability users? Or is it that my training is stronger than that of ordinary ability users of the same level?" Xu Mo pondered.
This discovery gave Xu Mo more confidence in his cultivation path, but it also reminded him that there are many types of superhumans with different abilities, and they are not necessarily all capable of close combat, so generalizations cannot be made.
Suddenly, Xu Mo remembered something and slapped his forehead.
"I almost forgot about the important matter! It's time to report to headquarters!"
Xu Mo felt a jolt of excitement as he calmed down from the thrill of his increased strength.
"How long did it actually take me to break through this time?" He was a little unsure, unsure how long he had spent fully immersed in the breakthrough and cleansing process, and whether he had missed the designated contact window.
Without further delay, he immediately walked to the military encrypted radio fixed on the control panel, skillfully turned on the power, adjusted it to the designated encryption frequency, and picked up the microphone.
"C-07 calling command, C-07 calling command. Routine status report: zombies are currently in normal condition, fortress is in normal condition, and I am in good condition."
After a brief period of static, a normal male voice came through the radio speaker: "Command received, C-07. Report recorded. Maintain observation, safety precautions, over."
The response was concise and standard, with no additional questions.
Hearing the reply, Xu Mo felt a slight sense of relief. It seemed that the time he spent on his breakthrough was not long enough to cause concern at the command center or trigger a loss of contact alarm.
After ending the call, Xu Mo turned on the walkie-talkie and listened intently for a while to the other scattered conversations on the channel. Sure enough, most of the topics still revolved around the attack and rescue of the "Sharp Sword" team.
"So, in crucial moments, we still have to rely on our superhuman team!" This was the voice of Wang Meng, the observer from Fortress D-10, filled with a sense of pride and excitement. He was clearly communicating with the others. "You guys didn't see how strong that mysterious superhuman was! Swish, swish, swish, he wiped out a whole group of zombies in just a few moves. It was simply amazing!"
"Really?" someone exclaimed in surprise.
"What about the Sharp Sword Squad? How are they doing?" someone else asked.
"He was picked up by helicopter, probably to go back to Jiangcheng for treatment and to report," Wang Meng replied. "Sigh, it's a pity I didn't get to see that big shot's true face—"
"I've become a big shot?" Xu Mo couldn't help but laugh after hearing Wang Meng's words.
However, upon hearing that the Sharp Sword Squad had been picked up, Xu Mo became even more certain of his deduction that the Yijiang City Shelter indeed possessed effective methods to deal with the zombie virus infection. Otherwise, Lu Chuan and his companions, with their obvious infected wounds, would not have been allowed to freely return to the densely populated shelter.
This method is clearly not widely used, and its production is likely limited, its cost is high, or its use is subject to stringent conditions, meaning it can only be prioritized for elite personnel performing high-risk missions.
This further strengthened Xu Mo's determination to improve his own strength and reduce his dependence on external forces.
The next morning, as the rising sun once again cast its first golden rays through the gaps in the observation hole into the fortress, Xu Mo promptly set up the stance of the "Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training" and began a new day of "qi gathering".
However, as soon as he got into the zone, Xu Mo noticed something was different.
In the past, the best time to gather Qi was during the short period of time when the sun was rising in the early morning and Yang Qi was just beginning to emerge but not yet intense, and during the time of sunset when Yang Qi was receding and becoming mild.
Because once the sun rises higher, the energy in sunlight becomes too violent, and forcibly absorbing its energy will only burn the body, doing more harm than good.
But today, as the standing meditation was in progress, and his Qi and blood were connected with the external energy, Xu Mo was surprised to find that the sun had been up for some time and the light was significantly stronger than when he finished gathering Qi in the past. However, the energy he absorbed was still gentle and controllable, and he did not feel any discomfort or violent impact.
Xu Mo tried to extend the time for gathering Qi slightly.
A quarter of an hour, half an hour —
It wasn't until the sun had climbed halfway up the sky and the sunlight began to become somewhat dazzling that Xu Mo felt the energy he was absorbing gradually take on a slightly hot quality, putting a minor burden on his body's meridians.
Upon noticing the discomfort, Xu Mo immediately stopped gathering Qi.
In the afternoon, Xu Mo tried to collect qi again when the sun began to set significantly in the west, and succeeded once more.
"The time for gathering Qi has been extended!" Xu Mo felt a surge of joy, which was undoubtedly one of the direct benefits of breaking through his cultivation level.
His body at the Iron Bone Realm was far stronger than when he was at the Bull Skin Realm, both in terms of the resilience of his meridians and the efficiency and control over energy absorption and transformation. This allowed him to withstand energy absorption for longer periods and over a wider range of time, thus greatly increasing the total amount of "qi" he could "absorb" each day.
Recalling that when he broke through to the Iron Bone Realm, the warm current that promptly replenished his blood and qi was the pure energy accumulated from his daily "qi gathering," Xu Mo placed unprecedented importance on this seemingly auxiliary but actually crucial part of his cultivation.
"Gathering Qi not only nourishes the blood and strengthens the foundation, but it can also save lives in critical moments and even assist in breakthroughs." Xu Mo clarified the focus of his future cultivation. "From now on, I must ensure that I gather Qi every day, rain or shine, and make it my top priority."
The improvement in his strength and realm, coupled with a deeper understanding of the cultivation system, gave Xu Mo more confidence to continue surviving in the perilous Red Star Industrial Zone and even explore its secrets.
Over the next few days, Xu Mo's life returned to its usual rhythm: regular observation and recording, continued cultivation, routine reporting, and listening to the observers' tense or bored chatter on the public channel of the walkie-talkie. He did not immediately decide to go out and explore again just because of his breakthrough in strength.
Xu Mo knew that his top priority was to fully adapt to this surge in power.
Breaking through to the Iron Bone Realm brings not only a qualitative leap in defense, but also a comprehensive leap in physical attributes. Strength, speed, and agility all increase significantly, but this power is like a newly drawn blade, sharp and unpredictable.
During the first two days of training, Xu Mo often broke things because he used too much force. He would squeeze the handle of a water bottle flat, and when he tried to put down a supply box gently, it would make the ground tremble slightly with a "bang". Once, when he was practicing boxing, he exerted a little too much force and the fabric of his training uniform under his armpits and on his back torn with a "rip" from his stretched muscles.
"Tsk, another piece ruined." Looking at the clothes with a large tear in his hand, Xu Mo shook his head helplessly. Fortunately, he had collected enough clothes, otherwise he might have faced the embarrassing situation of having nothing to wear. This also made Xu Mo more focused on practicing the fine control of his body's strength. Through repeated stance training, slow strength exercises, and deliberate restraint in daily activities, he gradually made this powerful strength as easy as his own.
In addition, he didn't miss using the "door" ability every 48 hours. When the time came, Xu Mo would open the portal to the world where time was frozen and scavenge some supplies.
Five or six days passed peacefully like this. Xu Mo felt that he had basically adapted to the power of the Iron Bone Realm, and could control it at will. His daily actions no longer felt out of control. The restlessness caused by the sudden increase in strength, the urge to go out and show off his skills immediately, had also subsided a lot, replaced by a more calm assessment and planning.
After his training that day, Xu Mo changed into a sturdy black combat uniform and checked his equipment—a triangular bayonet, an AK47, a TT33 pistol, and several magazines. This mission was primarily for reconnaissance of the surrounding area; he would travel light and prioritize agility.
The goal this time was also very clear: Xu Mo decided to go and see what the current situation was of the three fortresses, F-10, F-11, and F-12, which had previously encountered problems.
After all, the original mission of the Sharp Swords Ability Team was to investigate the anomalies in this area, and their encounter with the Level 2 Venom Zombie was likely related to this.
Five or six days have passed since the Sharp Sword Squad was brought back to Jiangcheng. What subsequent actions have been taken in Jiangcheng? Have new observers been assigned to the three fortresses, or are they still vacant? Are there any other dangers lurking in the environment there? These questions lingered in Xu Mo's mind, and he wanted to go and see for himself.
Pushing open the fortress entrance and stepping back into the ruins, Xu Mo immediately sensed something was amiss.
The scattered zombies around him seemed slow to react to his appearance.
In the past, as long as he appeared within a certain range of zombies, even from a distance, those guys would immediately be attracted by the scent of a living person and rush over with a roar. But now, even after walking a dozen meters out of the fortress, the several zombies wandering aimlessly nearby showed no reaction, maintaining their original paths as if he were a stone or a piece of dead wood.
Xu Mo was surprised and deliberately slowed down to approach the nearest zombie. When he was less than two meters away from the zombie, almost within its reach, the zombie seemed to suddenly wake up from a dream. It abruptly turned its rotting head, its turbid eyes "staring" at Xu Mo, and then let out a low growl before baring its teeth and claws and lunging forward.
Xu Mo shifted his footing, easily dodging the slow pounce. With a casual flick of his triangular dagger, he ended its "confusion." Having gotten used to the triangular dagger, Xu Mo felt it was even more convenient to use than a machete.
After dealing with the zombie, Xu Mo seemed to be deep in thought. These zombies weren't ignoring him; rather, their perception of him had been reduced.
Xu Mo tested it several times and the results were roughly the same. As long as he kept a distance of about two to three meters from the zombies and did not do any strenuous exercise, these ordinary zombies ignored him.
However, once one enters this "alert zone," or if one actively displays obvious hostility or engages in vigorous activity, these will be activated.
"Is it because upon reaching the Iron Bone Realm, one's Qi and blood are contained internally, life force is locked within the body, and the leakage of Qi is greatly reduced?" Xu Mo thought of a possible reason. His cultivation was itself a process of constantly tempering his physique, strengthening himself, and conserving his essence, Qi, and spirit.
Having broken through to the Iron Bone Realm, his physical functions and control have greatly improved, and his ability to control his own aura has likely also been greatly enhanced, making the "living aura" he exudes extremely faint, making it difficult for ordinary zombies, who mainly rely on primitive senses, to easily detect it.
"Whatever the principle behind it, this is a good thing." Xu Mo's lips curled slightly. This means that his stealth in the ruins will be greatly increased, and he can more easily avoid unnecessary entanglements, making it more advantageous for both reconnaissance and relocation.
Having determined the direction, Xu Mo didn't delay any longer. He moved swiftly towards the location of the three fortresses in Sector F.
He still chose to use the terrain for cover, but he was faster and moved lighter than before. His figure disappeared into the distance with a few leaps among the ruins. The three fortresses, F-10, F-11, and F-12, were not far apart and were loosely distributed in a triangle. Xu Mo arrived near them one by one without much effort.
Instead of rushing towards the fortress entrance, he chose to observe carefully with binoculars from a high vantage point or a concealed location in the surrounding area.
The situation is obvious.
On the iconic outer walls of the three fortresses, clear signs of battle remain—dark green patches of varying sizes with irregularly corroded edges, markings left by the venom spheres after they exploded and corroded.
Most of the venom spheres only left pits of varying depths on the outer wall, without causing structural damage, which shows that the fortress's construction materials and craftsmanship are quite excellent and can resist strong acid corrosion to a certain extent.
However, the fatal flaw lies in the observation hole.
Xu Mo clearly saw that among the several observation holes facing different directions on each main body of the fortress, at least one or two observation holes had obvious traces of venom corrosion on their edges or inside. In particular, several observation holes on the F-10 fortress showed signs of severe corrosion and melting at their edges, with the holes being larger than the standard size.
One can imagine that if the observer had been standing there looking out, and a sudden ball of venom had landed on the observation hole, the splashed venom could have instantly seeped in, with unimaginable consequences.
The entrances to all three fortresses were slightly ajar, not completely locked. This suggests that, like the Sharp Sword Squad, they entered, inspected, and then left without redeploying personnel.
In either case, it all points to the same conclusion: these three fortresses are currently empty and unguarded.
Xu Mo had no intention of going inside to investigate. Inside would likely be nothing more than a post-battle mess, or an empty shell cleaned up by subsequent personnel; there wouldn't be any valuable information, and it might even leave unnecessary traces. His objective had been achieved: confirming the attack method of the Level 2 Venom Zombies, verifying the F-sector observer's theory of missing personnel, and understanding the current situation in Jiangcheng where no new personnel had been redeployed.
"It seems that the level-two venomous zombie is very likely the culprit behind the disappearance of these three fortress observers. Lu Chuan and his team came to investigate and happened to run into or alert it—" Xu Mo sorted through the clues in his mind. "Now the zombie has been dealt with, but the secret of the 'source' remains, and Jiangcheng will definitely have more to do."
After taking one last look around the area, which was eerily silent, Xu Mo stopped and turned back to point C, retracing his steps.
07 Fortress.
This reconnaissance trip was short, went smoothly, and yielded clear results. More importantly, he unexpectedly discovered another advantage of the Iron Bone Realm: its stealth capability. This adds a significant advantage to his future, more in-depth explorations.
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