Chapter 25 – King
Zhang Ping felt something was off.
He looked at his hands, and in the next moment, they turned into pure water.
"......"
The tent fell silent. Liu Sishan's eyes widened as she watched Zhang Ping transform into a puddle of liquid.
After about a minute, she finally reacted. With a serious expression, she walked over to the liquid, dipped her finger in it lightly, and frowned. "Pure water?"
At that moment, Zhang Ping's voice came from the liquid, "Sister Sisi, you poked my stomach."
"Zhang Ping, you're still alive?" Liu Sishan withdrew her hand, asking in surprise.
Zhang Ping replied, "I should still be alive, but my current state is a bit strange. Give me a moment to adapt."
He felt quite peculiar, as if his body had become a whole.
No, that wasn't right.
It seemed his body had turned into a mass of water.
No, that wasn't right either.
How should he describe it?
In any case, there was no distinction between head, neck, torso, arms, or legs, but it seemed he could form these parts at any time, even growing multiple heads, all made of water.
This was a bit hard to control.
Zhang Ping tried to adapt, slowly controlling himself to grow an arm, and then another arm beside it.
No, that was wrong.
He needed to grow a shoulder first.
Liu Sishan stood by, watching Zhang Ping gradually restore his human form.
Finally, after half an hour, Zhang Ping fully recovered, but he was now a humanoid figure made of water, not a human.
Liu Sishan looked at the water figure of Zhang Ping and asked, "Zhang Ping, can you change back?"
"I should be able to, but I haven't found the trick yet. Let me appraise it first," Zhang Ping replied.
He raised his hand and immediately activated his appraisal skill.
[Appraisal Successful]
[Summoned Beast: Zhang Ping]
[Owner: Zhang Ping]
[Race: Human]
[Potential: ☆☆☆☆☆☆]
[Lifespan: 99]
[Rank: Primary Awakener]
[Level: 9]
[Talent]
[Contract Gem: Can consume stamina and mental strength to condense a contract gem. Once the target willingly accepts the contract gem, their life, soul, and consciousness will be dominated by the summoner, but they will also gain the summoner's potential and luck. After the first use, subsequent uses will slightly enhance the target's potential, with a 1% chance of awakening a new talent. Note: The talent ability obtained by summoner Zhang Ping through overdrafting IQ, potential, and luck is powerful but has a significant flaw. Overambition may not be a good thing.]
[Absolute Command: You have absolute control over your summoned beast. Your commands cannot be disobeyed by the summoned beast.]
[Absolute Obedience: You must absolutely obey the summoner's commands and execute them loyally.]
[Collector's Edition Appraisal Skill: Can appraise the target with a 60% chance of obtaining information. After a successful first appraisal, the success rate for subsequent appraisals on the same target will increase to 100%. Note: This talent ability was born from the curiosity of both summoned beast Zhang Ping and summoner Zhang Ping.]
[Misty Night Walker: Gains night vision, significantly reduces presence at night, greatly increases movement speed, reduces weight, becomes completely invisible in shadows, and significantly reduces presence when shrouded in mist.]
[Fire Eater: Can restore stamina by consuming flames and convert excess flames into fire elemental energy stored within the body. After releasing the energy, temporarily gains a flame-wrapped effect until the fire elemental energy is depleted. This ability will gradually increase the user's resistance to high temperatures. Note: Potential is just potential; only when it is realized as strength does it become true power.]
[Wind Whisperer: The wind will bring you all kinds of information, whether you want to know it or not. Note: There are no walls that the wind cannot penetrate, and no secrets that the wind does not know.]
[Unusual Eater: When consuming special items, there is a 10% chance of gaining a corresponding special constitution. Note: Why does this kid eat everything?]
[Misty Body: Can absorb the fear of living beings and convert it into controllable mist. Note: Your fear, my sustenance!]
[Pure Water Body: The body can transform into a pure water state, absorbing moisture to restore stamina and heal injuries while in this state.]
......
He really did gain another ability.
Zhang Ping closed the attribute panel, feeling that today was his lucky day.
Not only had his strength increased significantly tonight, but his abilities had also become more comprehensive.
He now had full confidence in challenging higher levels. Not to mention intermediate levels, he felt he could even take on high-level Awakeners and high-level Mutated Beasts.
"How is it? Can you change back?" Liu Sishan asked with concern.
Zhang Ping's transformation was because of her. If Zhang Ping had to live in this inhuman form forever, she felt responsible for helping him recover, no matter the cost.
"I can!"
Zhang Ping answered with a smile.
From the description of the ability, it was clear that the body could transform into a pure water state, so it should also be able to revert back.
However, he still needed to figure out how to do it. After all, this ability came out of nowhere, and he didn't know if it was the effect of the Contract Gem or the Unusual Eater.
"Misty Body, Pure Water Body..."
If the Misty Body was indeed the effect of the Unusual Eater, then the Pure Water Body was likely also the effect of the Unusual Eater.
So far, most of the abilities from the Contract Gem were various "ers" - Night Walker, Fire Eater, Wind Whisperer, Unusual Eater - while the abilities from the Unusual Eater were various "bodies."
Zhang Ping speculated in his mind.
He couldn't be sure if he was right, especially since there was the exception of the "Appraisal Skill."
But based on his speculation, he believed the Misty Body and Pure Water Body must have similarities. He tried to concentrate and carefully feel his body, gradually transforming it back into a human form.
In an instant, he went from a water figure back to a human.
"I did it!"
He opened his eyes, clenched his fists, and smiled happily.
Then he noticed that all his injuries were healed, and his body was clean and spotless.
"Put your clothes on first!" Liu Sishan threw Zhang Ping's clean clothes at him and turned around.
Zhang Ping felt a bit embarrassed and quickly put on his clothes, then realized he was sitting on his old clothes, which were covered in dust.
The Pure Water Body could repel impurities?
He thought to himself, turning his arm into water to sweep away the dust on the ground, and sure enough, it was spotless again.
"Keep eating the Salt Frost Fruit, don't waste it."
Liu Sishan turned around and saw Zhang Ping's arm still in its pure water form, and said irritably.
She admitted she was a bit envious.
Zhang Ping's growth rate was too fast, especially the Pure Water Body, which was an ability she had dreamed of.
If she could have the Pure Water Body, her strength would increase by at least 200%, and she would have the confidence to fight and win against top-level Awakeners.
And this was just one night.
Indeed, Zhang Ping's ability was Infinite Grade, not the Useless Grade identified by the school.
Infinite Grade, so powerful.
Having an Infinite Grade ability meant being destined to become a strong person.
Just like the captain she respected the most, Situ Shibai, who not only had a long lifespan but also had nearly omnipotent abilities, being the stabilizing force of the entire team.
However, she didn't envy others' stronger abilities.
Because Situ Shibai had once said that every Awakener's desire for power far exceeded that of ordinary people, and every ability was a reflection of the Awakener's deepest desires. The stronger the ability, the greater the price to be paid.
Some prices were clear and straightforward.
While some prices were invisible and intangible, only understood when it was time to pay.
A night passed without further words.
Early the next morning, Zhang Ping was woken up by Liu Sishan.
The two of them went to an uninhabited valley. Zhang Ping was eating a compressed energy bar and asked, "Sister Sisi, what are we doing today?"
"First, we need to test your new abilities. Your strength has increased too quickly, and I'm not sure if the previous plans are still useful for you," Liu Sishan replied.
Zhang Ping's face fell, and he said bitterly, "Sister Sisi, I actually think your plans are useless. If I hadn't been lucky last night, that rabbit alone would have killed me."
"......"
Liu Sishan didn't speak, just looked at Zhang Ping calmly.
The two of them remained silent.
Silent.
In the end, Zhang Ping raised his hand in surrender and said, "Alright, alright, let's do it, let's test."
"Then let's begin."
Water light surrounded Liu Sishan, and water balls quickly formed.
A stream of water whipped towards Zhang Ping. Zhang Ping's body turned into a pure water state, taking the hit without dodging. As the water whip merged into his body, Liu Sishan immediately felt a part of her controlled water was gone.
"As expected... this ability just happens to counter mine!"
Liu Sishan thought to herself.
Awakeners, especially those with elemental abilities, inherently had relationships of mutual reinforcement and restraint.
When she saw Zhang Ping's pure water state last night, she had a feeling that her ordinary attacks would hardly pose a threat to Zhang Ping.
Because Zhang Ping's body was entirely made of water, and she could only influence the water she controlled. She couldn't affect natural water or water created by other ability users.
Next, she tried attacking Zhang Ping with ice spikes and boiling water, but after a series of attacks, Zhang Ping remained unscathed.
Although Zhang Ping's screams were particularly loud when attacked by ice spikes and boiling water.
"Sister Sisi, is that enough?" Zhang Ping asked weakly.
Actually, the pure water state wasn't invincible. Flames, lightning, ice, boiling water, and even punches could cause damage. However, he could absorb moisture from the air to heal most injuries, making it seem like he wasn't hurt.
But this healing had its limits. Once exceeded, he could still be killed.
Liu Sishan created a water bubble to envelop herself and said, "Now you attack me. Let me see how strong your attacks are."
"Oh, I like this part," Zhang Ping nodded repeatedly.
As soon as he finished speaking, a misty flying knife appeared an inch in front of Liu Sishan's forehead, piercing through the protective water bubble.
Liu Sishan was shocked, staring at the flying knife suspended in front of her forehead for a long time before reacting.
If Zhang Ping had intended to kill her just now, she wouldn't have had time to react.
Although there was an element of her being caught off guard, the mist ability was terrifying. If a high-level Awakener underestimated it, they could easily be defeated by this ability.
"Sister Sisi, why does the misty Mutated Beast's ability have damage beyond its rank?" Zhang Ping waved his hand, and the misty flying knife turned into black mist and returned to his hand. Then he asked.
Liu Sishan came back to her senses and replied, "Some scholars once speculated that the misty Mutated Beast might be a descendant of a King Mutated Beast. Because it inherited some traits from the King, its ability has damage beyond its rank against beings below the King."
"A King?"
Zhang Ping couldn't help but think of the Moon Prince.
If the misty Mutated Beast was so magical because it had the King's bloodline.
Then what about the Moon Prince?
And what about the Moon King, who was a King himself?
Zhang Ping didn't dare to think further because the more he thought, the more despair he felt.
He didn't even know if Mingzhu City could still be saved.