Chapter 68

Wan Feng was slightly stunned. Tentatively, he moved the mecha forward a step, causing the giant creature in the water to stir.

He stopped, and the next second, he heard the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape snoring thunderously.

Wan Feng: …

Not just drunk, it was completely out of it.

Oddly enough, this beast could sleep soundly in the lake water without drowning in the surrounding turbulent waters.

Ji Fu gestured to Wan Feng, who understood. Together, they synchronized their mechas and surfaced from the water.

Ripples spread across the lake’s surface, stirred by the beast lurking at the bottom.

After coming ashore, Wan Feng surveyed the lake with a grave expression. “The mutation level of the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape is too high…”

A super-star level beast familiar with water was one thing, but it seemed this beast could also breathe underwater.

This wasn’t surprising. Even B-level and A-level beasts rarely died like ordinary animals or plants. Water currents, earthquakes, and even conventional weapons had very limited effects on these beasts.

Hoping the drunken Half-Howling Jingtian Ape would drown in the lake was nearly impossible.

Once it sobered up, it would inevitably come after them again, tearing them to pieces.

Wan Feng’s eyes darkened, his expression grim. “We need at least a super-star level mecha to inflict lethal damage.”

He wasn’t sure about Ji Fu’s Moonlight, but his S+ grade mecha, even at full power in berserk mode, could only inflict superficial wounds on the beast.

Running away while it slept seemed like an option. However, this was a survival battle, and they couldn’t leave the planet for a week. No matter where they ran, a super-star level beast could catch up to them.

Ji Fu didn’t focus on the lake. Instead, she scanned the surroundings.

Sunlight filtered through the trees, revealing faint star-like glimmers. These glimmers weren’t particularly noticeable during the day.

“These are Dark Forest Roses, right? B-level mutated plants. I read that the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape particularly likes to eat them.”

Surrounded by Dark Forest Roses, the beast could continually absorb energy.

Someone commented, “A dead end.”

Ji Fu paused for a moment, then pulled a few vials from her bag and handed them to Wan Feng.

“This is a high-concentration alcohol solution,” Ji Fu said calmly. “Its alcohol content is several times that of regular alcohol.”

She had extracted it from an A-level mutated plant.

Ji Fu always practiced frugality. She collected materials that others overlooked, turning them into various useful substances.

Her mentor, Du Ming, had once said that for an ordinary person without any special abilities, this solution would be lethal. Even those with abilities wouldn’t drink it, making it seem useless.

But in specific situations, it had significant value.

She handed Wan Feng the aromatic agent she had used earlier, informing him of the mixture ratio. “In fifteen minutes, pour this into the lake to keep the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape asleep.”

Wan Feng took it and asked, “What are you going to do?”

Ji Fu replied, “Find something good.”

She activated her mecha and navigated through the dense Dark Forest Roses, which were not very aggressive and bore large fruits. These mutated fruits weren’t edible for humans due to their bland taste, which was why the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape was so attracted to the aromatic agent.

Beyond the Dark Forest Rose grove, she found a small pond at its center, where beautiful, multicolored Dark Forest Lotuses grew.

“Those colors are toxic, right?”

“Definitely. Normal lotuses aren’t ice blue.”

Dark Forest Lotuses grew alongside Dark Forest Roses but weren’t the same species. The lotuses were highly toxic, so even the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape wouldn’t touch them.

Ji Fu counted seven or eight lotuses in the small pond, with one or two having a blue-gold metallic sheen, indicating they were star-level. The others were S+ grade.

This was better than she had anticipated.

She released Yan Yan to collect the lotuses while communicating with Wan Feng. “I need to mix some compounds. Could you keep an eye on the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape in the meantime?”

“Sure. How long will it take?”

Ji Fu paused, then said, “The high-concentration alcohol will keep the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape asleep for up to four days. Beyond that, it might build a tolerance. I’ll work as quickly as possible.”

After Wan Feng agreed, Ji Fu set up a temporary lab with her equipment, erected a simple tent, and began mixing compounds with her safety gear on.

She stayed in the tent for four days.

During this time, Ji Fu slept less than seven hours. Since her abilities had advanced, her body had become much stronger. Using stimulants, she could reduce her sleep and keep working continuously.

Her non-stop work exhausted the viewers more than herself.

On the fourth afternoon, Wan Feng went from occasionally adding agents to the lake to fully arming himself and monitoring the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape closely.

The beast’s movements became more frequent, signaling it was waking up.

Over these days, Ji Fu sent several vials of unknown compounds via Yan Yan. She instructed Wan Feng to add small amounts of these compounds to the lake regularly.

By the end, the lake water had turned a bizarre crimson.

The lake, already polluted by the surrounding Dark Forest Roses, had become even more contaminated.

The alliance chose such planets for exams because their environments, after multiple mutations, were unsuitable for normal human or plant life.

Wan Feng had never seen crimson lake water before. He felt like he was constantly adding ingredients to a simmering pot of soup.

There was still no news from Ji Fu.

She had picked all the Yousenlian from the pond and extracted their essence. The essence from the two star-level lotuses was completely used up.

“She must have failed thousands of times by now.”

When the third round of the alliance exam began, viewers initially thought Ji Fu’s stream would be the most exciting. But after she knocked out a super-star level beast with a potion, she spent four days broadcasting her experiment, which included blowing up at least four sets of lab equipment. Once, she even accidentally set a fire that burned half the forest, scorching many Dark Forest Roses.

Some viewers joked that she might be trying to burn all the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape’s food, starving it to death. However, the Dark Forest Roses, though not highly ranked, had an exceptional reproduction rate. In just a couple of days, the burned areas regrew.

At 4:23 Imperial Time, Ji Fu calculated that the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape would awaken in less than two minutes.

She added the last reagent, watching as the colors in the dropper bottle merged. The liquid in the test tube turned a silvery grey, which, upon mixing, transformed into a silvery-pink hue. The liquid seemed to undulate like waves, possessing an exotic charm.

Ji Fu rubbed her stiff shoulders. It was done.

The potion’s creation was highly sensitive to humidity and temperature, and the Dark Forest Lotus’s natural environment was ideal for it. Yet, there was still a high failure rate.

This was the most complex potion she had made, even after mastering antidotes and other remedies. The complexity rivaled that of the Azure Cure, yet the potion was still incomplete, missing a catalyst.

She quickly sealed the vial, entered her mecha, and activated the communication link. “The Half-Howling Jingtian Ape is waking up. Prepare for battle.”

She maneuvered Moonlight beside Wan Feng’s mecha and tossed him a vial. “Coat your weapons with this.”

Boom!

Barely finishing her sentence, an explosion erupted as the lake’s crimson water burst into the air. The water splashed onto the surrounding Dark Forest Roses, causing them to wither rapidly.

The beast leapt from the lake, its eyes blood-red and menacing. It frantically clawed at its face.

“Boom! Boom!” The Half-Howling Jingtian Ape pounded its chest with earth-shattering force.

The enraged super-star level beast raised its mechanical left arm, smashing it down on Ji Fu.

The impact, like a mountain falling, whipped up a hurricane, shredding the dense forest.

Ji Fu, piloting Moonlight, activated berserk mode and high-frequency evasion defense. Using Moonlight’s agility, she narrowly avoided the attack but still got grazed, leaving marks on the white armor from the Dark Forest Rose debris.

The Half-Howling Jingtian Ape, in a furious state, clasped its hands together to crush Moonlight into pieces.

Its massive arms descended like mountains, casting a dark shadow over Ji Fu.

Instead of dodging, Ji Fu drew a slender blade. The blade glowed an eerie blue, coated with an overdose of the Yousenlian potion.

As the beast’s attack closed in, she activated berserk mode and thrust the blade into the beast’s non-mechanical right palm.

With the crimson lake water receding, many could finally see clearly.

The beast’s unmechanized skin looked scalded, unnaturally red. This was the result of Ji Fu’s slow introduction of toxic agents into the lake.

The principle was similar to her healing baths. Just as medicinal baths could heal, they could also harm.

The lake served as a toxic bath for the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape. The highly concentrated alcohol allowed the poison to seep into its body silently.

Although the beast was super-star level and typically impervious to sub-star level weapons, the prolonged exposure to the toxic bath softened its skin.

Thus, Ji Fu’s star-level blade could penetrate the beast’s skin, embedding deeply into its arm.

“Roar!!” The potion’s effect, combined with the beast’s painful awakening, left it disoriented and in agony, its only desire to destroy everything in sight.

In this dazed state, the beast was struck by Ji Fu’s blade.

The deadly potion from the Yousenlian exploded within the beast, merging with the toxins already in its body, causing the super-star level beast to let out a powerful, anguished roar.

The beast’s roar, carrying devastating power, was even more terrifying than its previous physical attacks. Everything within the range of the soundwave was shredded into pieces.

“The power of a super-star level beast is truly horrifying.”

“And this is after repeated poisoning has significantly weakened it. It’s hard to imagine its full strength.”

Viewers in Ji Fu’s livestream could clearly see the current poisoning status of the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape on her mech’s control panel.

“Poison Progress: 81%”

The data showed that it was in a state of severe hallucination, and its strength had been greatly diminished.

Wan Feng, realizing the situation, immediately soaked his mech’s light blade in the potion Ji Fu had given him. He specialized in using a light blade, and with the potion applied, he launched a powerful strike at the beast’s right shoulder.

Wan Feng, already strong, unleashed a near star-level attack in berserk mode with the potion’s aid. The Half-Howling Jingtian Ape, already wounded and weakened by the poison, wavered slightly.

In its confusion, Wan Feng’s strike landed, making the beast howl to the sky. Its massive mouth released wave after wave of powerful sonic attacks.

The Half-Howling Jingtian Ape.

Its name derived from its most formidable attack, capable of tearing apart anything with its ultrasonic waves.

As the howls erupted, the planet’s landscape crumbled, mountains and valleys collapsing.

The continuous roaring sound was deafening.

Amidst the intense howling, both Wan Feng and Ji Fu were affected. Wan Feng’s light blade shattered into pieces under the sonic assault, and his mech’s control panel flashed red with alarms blaring.

Ji Fu’s situation was slightly better; her high-intensity flashing defense on Moonlight withstood the sonic barrage. Instead of retreating, she maneuvered her mech towards the epicenter of the sound waves.

She drew the potion she had spent four days creating. While piloting the mech, she unsealed the vial and placed it in Moonlight’s weapon compartment. Holding the slender, 70% damaged blade, she activated berserk mode and leapt towards the beast, aiming for its throat.

As she jumped, the beast noticed her movement but reacted too slowly due to the intense effects of the poison. In that brief moment, Ji Fu drove the blade deep into its throat, the most vulnerable part of its body.

The slender blade, already on the verge of breaking, exploded upon piercing the beast’s throat, releasing the potent potion inside. The surrounding howling ceased abruptly. The massive beast staggered back and collapsed heavily among the star-lit Yousenlian.

Simultaneously, the white Moonlight on Ji Fu’s mech was destroyed by the sonic attack, its defense system shattered. A black Moonlight covered her body instantly. Exhausted, with her temples throbbing from overusing her abilities, she ignored the pain and retrieved the shattered blade from the beast’s throat.

Hot, corrosive blood gushed out, but Ji Fu’s mech arm pierced through it, grasping a small golden orb hidden in the beast’s throat.

Ignoring the corrosive damage, Ji Fu used Moonlight’s purification system to wash the orb clean. This golden orb was the beast’s sonic core.

Usually, the most valuable part of a beast was its beast core. But for this unique beast, its sonic core was the source of its ultrasonic power.

Under the sunlight, the sonic core appeared a mechanical pale gold. Ji Fu used her uncorroded left arm to crush the core, collecting the golden liquid in a vial for preliminary refinement.

The instrument showed a five-minute timer. Exhausted, Ji Fu collapsed to the ground as an announcement echoed through the arena.

“Interstellar Academy Ji Fu, Wan Feng, have slain the super-star level Half-Howling Jingtian Ape, earning 14,750 points.”

Everyone in the arena was shocked by the announcement.

A double S+ team had slain a super-star level beast—a feat once considered nearly impossible. Although Ji Fu could pilot a star-level mech, her innate abilities were just barely half-star level. Even so, this was an extraordinary achievement.

The livestream was filled with astonished comments.

Wan Feng, also injured, exited his mech and sat beside Ji Fu.

He panted lightly, looking at Ji Fu’s burned right hand, and softly asked, “Are you okay?”

Ji Fu gently shook her head. Instead of immediately removing her mech, she took a high-efficiency nutrient solution from her backpack and handed it to Wan Feng.

Wan Feng recognized it and paused for a moment when she took it out.

Ji Fu softly said, “There’s a third person on this planet.”

Wan Feng’s expression changed instantly.

Not just him, even the viewers who had been following the livestream were momentarily stunned.

“Someone else is there?”

“Who? Why haven’t they shown up?”

“They must have their reasons for hiding. As for who it is… you’ll know if you leave and check.”

Without needing the barrage of comments, many people quickly exited Ji Fu’s livestream.

Both Ji Fu’s and Wan Feng’s livestreams showed their exam room number in the upper right corner: Exam Room 03.

Opening all the livestream windows, everyone immediately saw the third stream from Exam Room 03.

The person was piloting a mech, flying at extreme speed towards Ji Fu and Wan Feng’s location.

Back with Ji Fu, there was still a minute and a half left for the extraction process.

Wan Feng took the high-efficiency nutrient solution without hesitation.

“Do you know who it is?” he asked gravely.

Ji Fu shook her head slightly, her voice cold, “They are using a super-star level mech.”

Only a super-star level mech could evade the detection of both Ji Fu and Wan Feng.

With the livestream running, she hadn’t activated the global system to track the other person.

Over the past few days, the other person had been very cautious, maintaining a distance to avoid detection by their mechs.

Ji Fu knew this because, on the first day in the exam room, she had sent out Yan Yan to retrieve the Dark Lotus.

Retrieving the Dark Lotus was not easy. Yan Yan, after transforming, dug deep into the pond’s mud and detected a faint signal.

The other person not only kept their distance but also knew about the super-star level beast they were dealing with.

They had been biding their time, waiting for Ji Fu and Wan Feng to engage the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape.

This was a highly unfriendly signal.

If they were cooperative, they would have shown up during the days Ji Fu was conducting experiments. Not showing up meant they were waiting for Ji Fu and Wan Feng to be eliminated by the beast.

Even if they weren’t eliminated, the other person must have known that after the fight with the beast, Ji Fu and Wan Feng would be at their limit.

Then, the other person could close in and take them both out in one go.

Ji Fu didn’t say much, but Wan Feng had already sensed the malice from her words.

He reactivated his mech, opened the high-efficiency nutrient solution, and drank it down.

They had indeed used clever tactics to deal with the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape, but regardless of the method, it was still two S+ pilots taking down a super-star level beast.

After the beast’s death, their points had increased significantly.

Especially Ji Fu, who now ranked third in the survival battle points.

Just behind the top two, Fang Yuyan and Zhou Xingyu.

Regardless, Wan Feng wasn’t about to let anyone take what they had earned.

“Ding—” As Wan Feng logged into his mech, the instrument beside Ji Fu sounded.

“Extraction complete.”

She retrieved the vial from the weapon compartment.

The potion, after the intense sonic waves, had turned into a smoky pink liquid.

A loud rumble echoed from a distance, but Ji Fu didn’t even look up. She calmly placed the refined transparent crystal into the vial.

The crystal extracted from the sonic core was very small, and it quickly fused with the liquid.

Done.

Ji Fu shook the vial, her eyes gleaming.

Looking up, she saw a giant mech appear before her.

A warning popped up on her control interface:

“Warning, super-star level mech in sight.”

Ji Fu squinted and directly faced the super-star level mech.

After hiding for so long, she had speculated about the opponent’s strength, and the person now before her matched her expectations.

It was Shen Qingxue.

Shen Qinglan’s younger sister, Shen Qingxue.

Shen Qingxue’s talent hadn’t reached the super-star level, but she was indeed using a super-star level mech.

The Shen siblings’ talent resonance was incredibly powerful.

Even when not on the same planet, they could use it synchronously.

Shen Qingxue looked expressionlessly at the person before her.

She had intended to attack once detecting Ji Fu’s movements.

But due to the presence of the Half-Howling Jingtian Ape, she had held back.

Her time for talent resonance with Shen Qinglan was limited, and she wasn’t sure she could kill a super-star level beast within that timeframe.

From the start, she had planned to let Ji Fu and Wan Feng handle it.

She hadn’t expected Ji Fu to actually kill the beast after four days of silence.

However, both Ji Fu and the S+ mech soldier were injured, and Ji Fu’s wearable mech had been destroyed.

According to the survival battle rules, eliminating them would also grant her their points.

They had fought fiercely against the beast, and now they were certainly no match for her.

Shen Qingxue then controlled her mech and charged straight at Ji Fu.

Just as Shen Qingxue was about to take action, a warning suddenly popped up on her super-star level mech’s control panel.

“Warning! Warning! Enemy information has changed.”

Shen Qingxue paused for a moment, then heard a broadcast that echoed throughout the entire exam room.

“The information for this exam’s participants will be updated.”

“Ji Fu from the Interstellar Academy, talent upgraded to: Star Level.”