In his daze, the woman suddenly transformed into a blood-red silhouette, sealing Ren Yuanhao's major acupoints with a swift hand!
"Hey, the Mandala gene can't be touched!"
Ren Yuanhao attempted to break free from the sealed acupoints using his Water and Fire energies, but the woman's technique was peculiar. For a short while, there was no possibility of breaking through.
"You're the first person to tell me this thing can't be touched. With it, I can save my people, so goodbye."
The woman snatched Ren Yuanhao's cleverly concealed waist pouch, clutched her chest, and stumbled out the door.
"Damn it, Ren Yuanhao, you'll definitely die by a woman's hand in this life!"
Ren Yuanhao's sweat poured from his forehead with the surge of his Water and Fire energies. Yet, after two to three minutes of continuous effort, his acupoints remained unsealed. Just then, he recalled a perilous move from the Azure Sea Tidal Flow Art, specifically designed to release sealed acupoints.
It was called, Wave Overturning Flow.
The essence of the Tidal Flow Art was to let the true qi circulate freely throughout the body like the ocean, guided by intent. Where intent goes, rocks crack and waves surge, turning rivers and seas upside down!
However, the Wave Overturning Flow was akin to a maelstrom within the sea, with currents constantly colliding. The two forces clashed, generating an even more ferocious qi. If this qi was controlled well, it could grant the body a power of more than the sum of its parts in a short time, allowing true qi to explode and instantly break open sealed acupoints.
The danger, however, was also evident: the body might not withstand the force of this internal qi explosion, resulting in severe injuries or even the complete loss of cultivation.
"Damn it, it seems this is the only way."
Having made up his mind, Ren Yuanhao immediately circulated his internal true qi with his intent. The Tidal Flow Art had always been used in a flowing manner, but this time, he had to divide his true qi into two streams with his intent: one flowing east, the other west!
In an instant, true qi violently collided and exploded within him, like giant waves crashing skyward, a pillar of water seemingly splitting the world in two!
Ren Yuanhao coughed up a mouthful of blood, his internal circulation in disarray. He immediately sat down cross-legged and, following the methods recorded in the Tidal Flow Art and the Three Points Unified Qi technique, directed his fire-attribute true qi into his dantian, his water-attribute true qi into the Merman's Tear, and then used the Star Absorbing Technique to neutralize the surging true qi within his body.
If any Qi Cultivation master or cultivator were to witness this scene, they would be utterly astonished.
Most people cultivated Qi through a gradual, accumulative process, adhering to a single method for nurturing their true qi. For Ren Yuanhao, however, simultaneously practicing three major techniques not only avoided chaos but also proceeded in an orderly fashion, complementing each other. This was an utterly perception-defying method of cultivation.
The danger of this move was difficult to fully describe. Fortunately, Ren Yuanhao was daring in his skill. Relying on what could be called a flash of inspiration, a self-created technique, he managed to execute the Wave Overturning Flow and neutralize all the perils!
However, by this time, more than ten minutes had passed since the woman had left, and without knowing her whereabouts, tracking her down would be extremely difficult.
"Right, the Green Skin Worm!"
Ren Yuanhao frantically contacted the system assistant. It took ten minutes before the system assistant finally responded.
"Green Skin Worm? It seems you're too concerned about that woman."
"What concern? She stole the Mandala gene!"
"Yes, yes, whatever you say. Then what are you waiting for? Go quickly."
Ren Yuanhao let the Green Skin Worm sniff the fragments of the woman's clothing, and the worm then darted away at extreme speed, disappearing from sight.
...
At this time, a crescent moon hung high in the sky, and vast yellow sands stretched out. Without the Green Skin Worm's guidance, Ren Yuanhao would surely have been lost long ago.
"It's been a while since I've seen the desert moon."
"As if you've ever seen it before."
Ren Yuanhao chatted with the system as he tensed his muscles and leaped forward.
"Aren't you curious about my origins?"
Ren Yuanhao leaped onto a towering sand dune. The cold moon was boundless, the yellow sand swirled, and sparse poplar trees stood like ghosts emerging from the dark night.
He gazed into the distance, still seeing no one in the direction indicated by the Green Skin Worm, then leaped down again and ran swiftly.
"You're just an advanced artificial intelligence. I have no expectations for your appearance, as you are merely a paper figure, composed of pixels and data."
"That's right. I am merely an illusory being supported by pixel data. And now that I can see these sights through your eyes, I must thank you."
Ren Yuanhao suddenly stopped, his expression turning somewhat tense.
"Hey, hey, hey, Assistant Miss, am I about to kick the bucket? Or am I dreaming."
"That's enough. I'm not as heartless as you imagine."
"Alright, let's talk business. I feel like if I dwell on this, I won't be able to sleep again."
As they spoke, Ren Yuanhao noticed that the Green Skin Worm had almost stopped moving. The worm was less than two kilometers from Ren Yuanhao's current location.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm sensing a large number of ability users!"
"Your perception is correct, and I feel an extremely powerful presence among them."
The system suddenly paused, its tone becoming extremely low.
"No, that's~ a Glutton!"
Ren Yuanhao was completely bewildered. "Hey, hey, hey, explain to me what a Glutton is!"
"Someone who devours four or more ability users is called a Glutton! Don't go, run quickly!"
Ren Yuanhao's mind went blank. His first reaction wasn't to flee, but rather to worry about that woman, and even more so about those dozens of Mandala genes!
At that moment, an even more terrifying image flashed into his mind.
"Hey, hey, hey, if the Mandala gene can successfully activate a person's potential and turn them into an acquired ability user, then can a born ability user devour the abilities within him! Or perhaps, can acquired ability users devour each other!"
This question was terrifying. Because if it were possible, it meant that so-called 'Gluttons' could be cultivated!
"You can think about whether it's possible while fleeing. You'll die if you keep this up!"
"Are Gluttons that formidable? Aren't they dealt with by an ultrasonic device?"
"Nonsense, do you have one!"
Ren Yuanhao's head ached slightly. He then calmed his mind. "I don't, but I have the system assistant!"
The system suddenly paused.
"I should be moved to tears upon hearing that, but in this situation, I can't guarantee you'll make it out alive. Just as that woman said, perhaps, that place is hell!"
Ren Yuanhao lit a cigarette, his eyes burning with an extremely domineering light, exuding an aura of knowing it cannot be done yet proceeding anyway, as if he would march forward even if ten thousand men stood in his way!
"Fortune favors the bold, and you've been telling me to learn to devour ability users. Hey, there's a Glutton there, a moving delicacy! And you want me to leave now?"