Swallowed Star: The Zerg Overlord

Chapter 64: Strength

In the underground base of the 9th Ancient Civilization Ruins, the door to the ruins passage opened with a series of clicks. Qin Mu's figure emerged from the passage. 

A beam of light scanned from above the passage. 

"Welcome back, War God Qin Mu." The security system of the underground base emitted an electronic synthesized voice. 

"War God Qin Mu is back! Quickly notify the military high command!" 

"It's already October 26th, almost a month." 

"It's normal. Someone stayed inside for a few months. It's only been more than twenty days." 

Inside the underground base, nearly a hundred technicians were discussing animatedly, with those from China being particularly excited and hastily contacting their superiors. 

This base was built jointly by the major powers on Earth, and each power had personnel stationed there long-term. As long as they were strong individuals from the Palace of War Gods, they could apply to enter the ruins. 

Generally speaking, those who entered the ruins could come out within a month. Any longer and they might be in danger. 

The two Chinese War Gods who entered the ruins with Qin Mu had already come out, making Qin Mu the last one. 

"Good kid, I knew you'd come back safely." Jiang Long, who had been waiting in the ruins for almost a month and was becoming increasingly anxious, saw Qin Mu come out unscathed and hurriedly went up to greet him. 

"Thank you for your trouble, Brother Jiang." Seeing the expression on Jiang Long's face, Qin Mu said. 

Originally, Qin Mu could have come out earlier, but he stayed a few extra days to thoroughly master the "Basic 312 Moves." This trip into the ruins was very rewarding for Qin Mu, laying a solid foundation while also clarifying his future direction. 

"You've been in there for so long. Even Councilor Jia has asked about you twice. How was the harvest?" Jiang Long asked in a good mood. 

"I got the Black God Suit." Qin Mu smiled, not saying much else. 

Inside the ruins, Qin Mu promised the bald crystal man not to disclose the affairs within the ruins, and he had no intention of breaking his promise. 

Qin Mu had only been in the ruins for less than a month, which was considered normal, so Jiang Long didn't ask much. 

"That's not bad. It's good to have it." 

"Let's go back first. The military has prepared a celebration banquet for you." 

"Alright." 

*** 

When Qin Mu returned from the military's celebration banquet, it was already the next day. 

After resting for a day in the Shengshi Jiangnan residential area of Yangzhou City to shed his fatigue, Qin Mu controlled the magnetic field of the planet within his body, combined with his spirit force, to soar into the sky and reach the airspace above the residential area. 

"Finally, I can give it a good try." 

The Golden Flame Eagle circled and waited nearby, but this time, Qin Mu did not ride it. Instead, he planned to fly on his own to test his speed. 

The golden auxiliary computer was very capable in various aspects. In addition to all the functions of the communication watch, network defensive and invasive capabilities, it could also test the basic combat power values from the apprentice level to the universe level. 

It also had functions to detect whether the environment within a certain range was safe, test speed, strength, and other auxiliary cultivation functions. It was one of the essential items for warriors in the universe. 

For the sake of entering the universe in the future, at Qin Mu's request, the auxiliary computer was also equipped with a set of universal language courses for the universe. This was specifically requested by Qin Mu after detailed discussions with the bald crystal man and a thorough understanding of the universe's situation. 

With his powerful talent and his status as a member of the Yun Mo, the bald crystal man naturally would not refuse such a small request. 

"Begin speed test." 

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Qin Mu's figure flew rapidly across the sky, trailing a series of violent sonic booms. 

"Using just spirit force to propel, the speed reaches 1,823 meters per second." 

"What about adding magnetic field propulsion?" 

"Boom—" In midair, Qin Mu's figure accelerated again. 

"2,516 meters per second." 

"Not bad speed. This is about the speed of a typical fifth-level planetary warrior. On Earth, in terms of speed, probably only Lei Shen and Hong are faster than me. It's a pity I don't have the Soaring Shuttle, otherwise, this speed could be doubled." 

"Let's test my current attack power." 

Behind him, one short spear after another flew out. These short spears were newly purchased by Qin Mu, totaling 72, and they were all SS-grade. This purchase emptied the military's stock of SS-grade short spears, and Qin Mu spent quite a bit of money to buy them. 

One of the short spears turned into a stream of light and struck a distant hill, piercing through it entirely. Smoke rose, and the peak collapsed. 

"Attack Power: Planetary Level One 76% (Spirit Master)" 

"Strength 1.76 million kilograms, not far from Planetary Level Two." Qin Mu was somewhat delighted. 

According to the explanation of the auxiliary computer, the range from the lowest to the highest value for a first-level planetary spirit master was 1-2 million kilograms. At 76% of Planet Level One, it was 1.76 million kilograms. 

Qin Mu's breakthrough was a result of being strengthened to the limit and breaking through on his own, so having this data was not surprising. 

"Let's test how many short spears I can control perfectly now." 

With a thought, Qin Mu moved, and short spears flew out from a backpack behind him. A total of fifty-six short spears were swiftly shuttling around Qin Mu, each controlled with exquisite precision. 

"Boom—" "Boom—" "Boom—" 

The hill, which had already collapsed, was like it had experienced a round of fierce bombing, with the entire peak leveled. 

56 times amplification. 

Before becoming a planetary spirit master, Qin Mu's amplification had reached 49 times. After breaking through, his life essence leaped, and his consciousness became even stronger, allowing him to control more short spears, although he had not tried it before. After confirmation, Qin Mu's spirit force attack had reached an astonishing 56 times amplification. 

"There's also the 'Soaring Sky' secret technique." 

A manual with specks of starlight flew out from the inner pocket of the backpack behind him. After leaving the ruins, Qin Mu had not had time to look at this manual. The pages were made of a special black material, and the cover was dotted with starlight. A slight perception revealed that the manual exuded a breathtaking aura. 

"As expected of a secret technique that only elite disciples of Yun Mo can cultivate. It looks quite extraordinary." 

Opening the manual, a line of text filled with warning and killing intent appeared. 

"This is the secret technique of the Controller lineage of the Yun Mo. Those who practice it must not spread this technique outside. If passed to other members within Yun Mo, they will be punished with sixty years of hard labor. If it is spread outside... They will be killed without mercy!!!" 

Ignoring this warning, Qin Mu flipped directly to the next page. Having passed the elite assessment, he was a member of Yun Mo. Moreover, Yun Mo lineage was long gone, so the warning was just for show. 

"Unfortunately, the 'Soaring Sky' secret technique requires the Soaring Shuttle to truly unleash its power." 

"Learning the 'Soaring Sky' secret technique, combined with the Soaring Sky Shuttle, can double one's strength, allowing members of Yun Mo to defeat enemies beyond their level. The Soaring Shuttle has three major forms. The first form can be used when the amplification reaches 12. The second form can only be used when the amplification reaches 30. The third form is the ultimate form of the Soaring Sky Shuttle, requiring the 'Universe Level,' possessing one's domain, and an amplification of 48 to be used." Flipping through the manual page by page, Qin Mu read carefully. 

"With my strength, I can easily master the first and second forms, but the third form requires reaching the Universe Level and possessing a domain." If it were just the amplification requirement, Qin Mu had already met it, but the requirements for the domain and Universe Level strength were not enough. 

"Currently, on Earth, only Hong has a domain, right? Lei Shen only comprehended his domain during the Golden Horned Beast incident." 

Thinking about this, Qin Mu did not stop and continued to flip through the pages. 

"The Soaring Shuttle has attack, defense, and flight forms." Seeing this, Qin Mu frowned. 

The cultivation of this manual required the cooperation of the Soaring Sky Shuttle, not only the manipulation methods but also the complex patterns on the Soaring Shuttle to truly unleash its power. 

But Qin Mu still patiently examined it carefully. He didn't believe that without the Soaring Sky Shuttle, the 'Soaring Sky' secret technique would be completely useless. Learning some technical aspects was also beneficial. 

The 'Soaring Sky' was divided into three major forms, with three levels for each form, totaling nine levels. Except for the last three levels that could not be viewed, the first six levels could be freely read. 

"The attack form of the first form, the Drill Mountain Cone, is quite similar to the Sky-Piercing Cone I developed myself. It's not just simple high-speed rotation. It also involves the coordination of spirit force, the flow of energy, and the patterns on the Soaring Sky Shuttle, which can triple the lethality. This technique is much more sophisticated than what I researched myself." 

As he learned, Qin Mu tried the manipulation technique of the Drill Mountain Cone, with fifty-six short spears rotating at a peculiar frequency in front of him. The high-speed rotating short spears were obviously somewhat uncoordinated. During the rotation, short spears were occasionally thrown off and then flew back. After a while, it stabilized a bit, and Qin Mu waved his hand. 

The cone-shaped formation of high-speed rotating short spears turned into a stream of light and pierced into the collapsed hill at an extremely fast speed. As if cutting through dry weeds and rotten wood, the cone-shaped formation easily penetrated deep into the ground, with dust filling the air. It shuttled through the earth for a while before breaking through the surface. 

"The speed is faster than before, and the penetration power is greatly enhanced." Just this brief moment had significantly improved his strength. 

"Indeed, this is the benefit of having a inheritance. Even without the Soaring Sky Shuttle, just the manipulation techniques alone have greatly benefited me. With more practice, the power can still be increased." 

A light flashed in Qin Mu's eyes, and he became more interested in the Soaring Sky Shuttle. 

"I need to find a way to obtain a complete inheritance. Just a bit of basic knowledge has already improved my strength so much. If I can get the full inheritance, how much can my strength be enhanced." Standing in the sky, Qin Mu looked into the distance. 

On Earth, there were only two places that could give him a complete inheritance: the Bug Queen and the Yun Mo ship beneath the Misty Island. 

"After arranging the Zerg swarm, I'll make a trip to the Misty Island and Ruins 31. With my current strength, my speed is comparable to a fifth-level planetary warrior, with an attack of 56 times amplification. At full power, even Hong and Lei Shen might not be stronger than me." 

After carefully calculating, Qin Mu realized that his strength seemed to have reached the pinnacle on Earth. 

According to the information from the bald crystal man, the strongest on Earth, Hong, was a sixth-level planetary warrior, and Lei Shen was a fifth-level planetary warrior. Besides them, there were two third-level planetary warriors, and the rest were first and second-level, including Jia Yi, the strongest in the China military, who was only a second-level planetary warrior. 

"Below the third level of the planetary stage, I can easily defeat them. As for how strong Hong and Lei Shen are, I'll only know after fighting them. Hong possesses a domain, but I can also summon the power of the swarm to attack together. In a true battle to the death, I could mobilize millions, tens of millions, or even billions of Zergs. I could wear him down to death." 

Thinking of this, a thought arose in Qin Mu's mind, and he felt somewhat emotional. 

"Finally, my strength has been raised. I've been developing stealthily all this time. Now, the swarm can expand with full force." 

****

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