Chapter 94 September 4th

September 4th, 17:50.

Inside his personal space training grounds, Xu Jingming carefully practiced the Heavenly Python Evolution Method. His entire being resembled a flood dragon, sometimes soaring upwards, sometimes crouching low, sometimes slithering, sometimes exploding forth…

Once he finished this round of the *Tian Mang Jinhua Fa* (Heavenly Python Evolution Method), Xu Jingming once again opened his personal combat power panel and gently tapped, "Evolve the method to the limit."

Gene Evolution Method: *Tian Mang Jinhua Fa* (Heavenly Python Evolution Method) (Advanced Level 18%) (Practice Time 602 days, Cannot be improved)

Body: 195

Skills: Spear Technique (Third Order 46%), Footwork (Third Order 5%), Shield Technique (Third Order 32%)

Base Combat Power: 4680

Actual Combat Bonus: 40%

Combat Power: 6552

"I've practiced the evolution method more than twenty times today, and it's getting harder and harder to improve," Xu Jingming thought, looking at his personal combat power panel. "My physical fitness has improved by five points since this morning. Let's see if I can break through this time."

Whoosh.

Once again, he went to the mission space. A stream of light fell, landing under the Star Tower.

"I failed all four attempts earlier today. Relying on spear techniques, I still can't defend against the Tiger King's attacks. If I use shield techniques, I can last longer against the Tiger King, but the damage from the shield bash…given the Tiger King's physique, it's useless." Xu Jingming also had a headache.

The Tiger King's physique was too terrifying. Strength, speed, and agility all surpassed Xu Jingming. The ferocity of the Eight Extremes Shield Technique, no matter how he smashed or chopped…only caused a little blood to appear on the Tiger King's nose, with no other injuries.

Using the spear could injure the Tiger King! But the Tiger King's claws were too terrifying; Xu Jingming couldn't defend at all.

"Back then, my master used shield and saber in combination. One hand used the shield for defense, to delay time, while the other hand used the saber, not to attack the Tiger King's vitals, but to inflict wounds. Over time, the Tiger King's injuries worsened, and its strength decreased…only then could my master kill the Tiger King."

"But I can't imitate my master; our fighting styles are different."

"My only path to success is with the spear."

Xu Jingming understood this point.

The spear could at least break through the defenses! It posed a threat to the Tiger King!

"No wonder the Star Tower has been open for over a month, and among so many experts worldwide, only six have passed it." The closer he got to victory, the more he understood how difficult it was to pass. Xu Jingming once again arrived at the third level of the Star Tower.

Familiar tropical rainforest environment, dark and humid, plants growing wildly. Xu Jingming, wearing light armor and holding a spear, looked around.

His ears twitched, hearing a faint sound. Xu Jingming immediately looked in the direction of the noise and saw amber eyes staring at him from the shadows.

"You big cat, stop hiding." Xu Jingming was also familiar with the routine, charging directly forward with his spear. The tiger hiding there, as if offended, also pounced out.

The two faced off head-on.

Xu Jingming stepped lightly, dodging nimbly, sending his spear forward, and retreating immediately, not lingering in place.

Pfft!

A fatal wound appeared on the tiger's neck, and it vanished into illusion.

With the all-around improvement in his physical condition, as well as improvements in spear skills and other aspects, the ordinary tigers on the third level were no longer a threat to Xu Jingming.

"Roar~~~" A low roar sounded, and tigers began to appear from all directions, surrounding him. Among them was the largest Tiger King, its front leg taller and thicker than Xu Jingming himself, like a furry pillar. Its head was enormous, its physique terrifying. Blunt attacks were useless against it.

"Little ones, hurry up and get off work, don't delay me; I have to deal with the Tiger King." Xu Jingming, holding his spear, took the initiative to charge forward.

Immediately, six tigers roared and charged.

Pfft pfft pfft!

Xu Jingming's footwork changed, his spear transforming into streaks of phantom images, instantly killing three tigers in succession. The remaining three tigers were shocked, leaping and dodging, as more tigers surrounded them.

"Haha…these ordinary tigers are indeed less of a threat after my footwork breakthrough." Xu Jingming was, after all, a human, and smaller. The tigers were too large. Xu Jingming relied on his footwork to weave in and out, making it difficult for the tigers to form a perfect encirclement. Xu Jingming usually only had to face two or three tigers at a time.

The spear was even faster at killing than swords or sabers.

After killing a total of twelve tigers, the Tiger King, who had been silently observing Xu Jingming, finally let out a low roar and charged out. The other tigers obediently cooperated with the Tiger King. Xu Jingming's expression also changed slightly.

"Swoosh." Xu Jingming dodged behind the other tigers, not engaging the Tiger King at all.

The Tiger King roared, but Xu Jingming was small and agile, darting around, his spear dancing, constantly reaping the lives of ordinary tigers. The remaining tigers…were even used by Xu Jingming to block the Tiger King.

Xu Jingming used his footwork to harvest tigers. His master, Liu Hai, still needed to get close to deliver a saber strike! Xu Jingming only needed to thrust his spear to kill one. This was easier than his master's method.

In less than five minutes, the encircling tigers had dwindled to fewer than ten. The Tiger King finally let out a low roar, and all the remaining tigers retreated.

"One-on-one now." Xu Jingming looked at the Tiger King.

There was no other way.

If he was too arrogant and faced the combined attacks of the Tiger King and the tigers simultaneously, he wouldn't be able to withstand ten seconds.

Without any worries, facing the Tiger King one-on-one, he could fight for a longer time.

"Boom." The Tiger King pounced, a fishy wind hitting his face. The huge claws, each larger than Xu Jingming's shield, came at him.

Xu Jingming flashed his body, hiding behind a large tree, and then thrust out rapidly.

The huge tiger paw that came slapping down hooked slightly, colliding with Xu Jingming's spear blade. With a clang, it shook Xu Jingming's spear away.

While shaking away this attack, the Tiger King leaped forward, already closing in. Xu Jingming flashed again, his spear flipping upwards towards the Tiger King's neck. The Tiger King raised its front leg slightly, knocking the spear away. The other claw, however, lashed out nimbly towards Xu Jingming.

"Bang."

He retracted his spear to block, but while defending, the terrifying impact force sent Xu Jingming flying backward. In mid-air, he tapped the trunk of a large tree with his foot and shot away into the distance.

The Tiger King leaped across the air, its speed even more terrifying.

Xu Jingming was in a sorry state.

He was at a disadvantage in terms of speed and agility and could only use the environment. The trees and vines hindered the large Tiger King. Even if the Tiger King could shatter a tree with one paw, it would still take time.

One spear thrust after another.

"Pfft." When the Tiger King impatiently shattered a tree, a spear suddenly erupted as the tree exploded, piercing into the Tiger King's left foreleg, breaking through the fur. He pulled it back, and blood stained the fur red.

"It's impossible to attack the Tiger King's vitals up close. Only by first injuring its limbs, reducing its threat, will there be a chance to attack its vitals," Xu Jingming understood through repeated clashes.

The massive Tiger King furiously pursued the slippery human expert.

Xu Jingming used the environment to delay time, or relied on his spear to defend and resist, but defending for too long would inevitably lead to mistakes.

"Whoosh." A huge claw came tearing through the air, ripping through Xu Jingming's body. Xu Jingming turned into nothingness and disappeared.

"Failed again." Xu Jingming appeared outside the Star Tower, reflecting on the previous battle. "This time, the one-on-one fight lasted quite a while, and I added seven wounds to the Tiger King, but it's still far from killing it."

"To win, either my spear technique needs to improve, or my footwork needs to improve," Xu Jingming thought. "But I can feel that I'm not far off. I should be able to pass within a week."

Being able to fight the Tiger King one-on-one for so long meant that their strength was very close. He could see the hope of passing.

…

At home, after dinner. Xu Jingming and Li Miaomiao sat on the sofa, eating fruit, and watching television programs.

"Jingming, you spent too long in the virtual world today. You spent the whole day inside, almost sixteen hours?" Li Miaomiao asked.

"Almost half an hour more until I hit the limit," Xu Jingming said with a smile. "I'm not going in for now. I'll wait until the competition is about to start before entering the virtual world."

"Why are you pushing yourself so hard?" Li Miaomiao asked. "In the past, we only went into the virtual world after dark, didn't we? Have you changed your schedule?"

Xu Jingming gently hugged his girlfriend and sighed, "On the one hand, I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to passing the third level of the Star Tower and want to do it in one go. On the other hand, the pressure from Senior Lei Yunfang is too great."

"Did you pass?" Li Miaomiao asked. After asking, she immediately slapped her head. "I'm being silly. If you passed, the whole internet would have exploded, and the whole world would know."

"The Tiger King is too strong. Its body surpasses the advanced level of the evolution method in every way," Xu Jingming said. "Although its combat intelligence is not as good as humans, it's still very difficult to defeat. I should be able to pass within a week."

"Within a week?" Li Miaomiao was a little excited. "There are only six people on the Star Ranking now. Within a week, it shouldn't reach ten. Then Jingming, you'll be in the global top ten."

"Don't be too happy about things that haven't happened yet," Xu Jingming said. "What we need to deal with next is Senior Lei Yunfang."

Li Miaomiao lay in Xu Jingming's arms and responded, "Yeah, Senior Lei Yunfang's footwork is unfathomable. Archers at a distance pose no threat to him at all. If they get too close, Lei Yunfang flashes and catches up, killing them with one strike."

"Archers can't threaten him, and ordinary team members are even less of a threat," Xu Jingming said. "As for one-on-one…I have to admit, I haven't even passed the third level of the Star Tower yet."

The competition was about to start in a few hours.

But he indeed lacked confidence.

"Even if you fail, it's a rare experience to learn from," Li Miaomiao comforted him. "Someone wins and someone loses in a competition. Don't worry about temporary success or failure. The competition among experts in the virtual world is about the next five or ten years, or even longer. We need to have a long-term vision."

Xu Jingming lowered his head and kissed his girlfriend's forehead.

Whenever he was tired, his girlfriend would always comfort him, allowing him to relax even more.

"We have nothing to do today. How about we have some fun?" Xu Jingming looked at Li Miaomiao with a smile.

Li Miaomiao blushed and said, "Go take a shower first!"

"Okay!" Xu Jingming immediately got up and rushed towards the bathroom.