The effects of the Quenching Fruit were beyond Ye Chen's expectations. He stood up, shed his soaking clothes, wiped the black sweat from his body, and then tossed the garments aside. Bare-chested, his skin membrane was far tougher than the fabric. With his pectoral muscles defined and immensely powerful, and wearing only his camouflage trousers while barefoot, he moved.

He stretched, his bones cracking softly. Ye Chen felt as if his entire body had become lighter; in reality, his mass had increased, but the dramatic boost in constitution gave him that illusion.

He picked up the energy handgun from the ground beside him. This mechanical pistol, weighing a thousand jin, felt lighter and more agile in his grip than before. Ye Chen weighed it lightly, estimating his constitution had increased by about 10 levels, jumping from Level 33 to Level 43—nearly comparable to a Super Evolver.

"Now, even without entering the Super State, I can take care of that Yun Shaojing," Ye Chen thought, highly satisfied and fully confident in his ability to defeat him. This time, besides the ten-level increase in physique, most of his internal organs had been refined to their absolute peak, reaching the limit of Blood Evolution: Level 100 organs.

Once the limit of Blood Evolution was achieved, these organs would begin to generate 'Qi Power.'

Qi Power, also recorded in ancient classics, was later termed 'Internal Force' in Wuxia novels—the 'cultivating a single breath' concept in Buddhism referred precisely to this 'Qi Power.'

In theories of dynamics, all things in heaven and earth possess force: wind power, life force, kinetic force, and so on. Qi Power is the vital energy generated when Blood Evolution reaches its extreme, referred to as 'Spiritual Energy' in cultivation novels.

The ancient text Da Dai Liji - Yi Ben Ming states: "Those who eat meat are brave and fierce; those who eat grains are wise and clever; those who consume Qi are divine and long-lived; those who eat nothing do not pass away but become spirit."

Thus arose the concept of 'Grain Abstinence.'

Many famous works among the Hundred Schools of Thought mention this, including the concept of 'swallowing the essence of the sun and moon.' Later, during Qin Shi Huang's search for immortality, the world saw the rise of cultivation and longevity theories, leading to the myths of immortal spirits that devour spiritual energy to achieve eternal life, a concept continuing into modern cultivation novels.

Was this coincidence, or fabrication?

If thousands of years ago, someone could discover that reaching the extreme of Blood Evolution could generate Qi Power, and record the saying "consuming Qi brings divinity and immortality," could it truly be mere coincidence? Why then did experts, upon analyzing the arrowheads from the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor—hailed as the Eighth Wonder of the World—discover with shock that the technology incorporated modern aerodynamic principles?

Furthermore, the bronze swords excavated from Qin Shi Huang's tomb had not rusted, remaining bright and sharp as new. Testing revealed these swords had undergone chromate conversion coating—a technique only developed in Germany in 1937 and in the US after 1950. Yet, over two millennia ago, ancient China had already mastered this metallurgical skill, a true marvel.

From this, it is clear that ancient people were not intellectually inferior to modern ones. For example, the Qi Power generated by reaching the extreme of Blood Evolution was known thousands of years ago by the wise men who authored legendary historical texts and were revered as sages, while modern people dismiss it as mere myth.

The sky was azure, a gentle breeze blowing.

Ye Chen’s heart was perfectly calm, his state of mind achieving an ethereal void. Gradually, he sensed a faint stream of energy circulating within him. This stream could be governed by 'Spirit.' According to scientific research, the human brain acts like a signal station, capable of emitting and receiving various signals; the stronger the spiritual power, the faster and more numerous the signals emitted and received.

Ye Chen expertly guided this stream of energy, following the meridians into his right arm, gathering it all in his fist. He instantly felt as if he held a torrent of water in his hand; once unleashed, it could inflict terrifying destructive power.

"With the Qi Power currently inside me, I haven't reached the 'Qi Power Adept' realm yet; I am in the first stage," Ye Chen sensed that the volume of internal Qi Power was not large, but he didn't dwell on it. Apart from massively built monsters, any human's initially generated Qi Power only begins at the first stage.

Qi Power is divided into 10 stages.

Upon breaking through to the tenth stage, one can be called a Qi Power Adept.

"Combining my Level 43 constitution with first-stage Qi Power, I wonder what kind of destructive force it will yield." Ye Chen’s eyes gleamed. He retracted the energy handgun, transforming it into a ring on his finger; it still weighed 1000 jin, the weight unaltered by the change in form or size.

Ye Chen walked to the edge of the skyscraper floor, glancing around. There were no powerful monsters in this immediate vicinity, which slightly eased his mind. He moved, leaping off the twenty-something-story building. All that remained was the whistling wind and the rapidly expanding ground below. If he fell straight down like this, even with his constitution, his bones would shatter upon impact.

Thud!

Upon descending to the fourth floor of the building, his feet suddenly pushed off the wall, shooting his body forward. The downward momentum was momentarily halted. He then executed several rolls in mid-air—not for show, but to dissipate the downward force.

He landed on the ground.

First, his toes absorbed some of the impact, then his soles, followed by a bend in his knees and a slight crouch of his waist. This sequence of movements flowed seamlessly, completely dissipating the falling force without injury.

After landing, Ye Chen did not draw his Blood-Red Battle Saber but charged towards the hiding spot of the Armored Mastiff bare-handed. Beneath the building, several vehicles were parked. Ye Chen approached one, used the tip of his shoe to slightly flip up the chassis of a sedan, causing the car to tip upwards and sideways. Ye Chen grabbed it, lifted it high, and hurled it forcefully toward where the Armored Mastiff was concealed.

Boom!

The car smashed into the building, shattering the wood and glass above, and slammed directly into the Armored Mastiff, which had been hiding behind the debris, preparing an ambush. The creature, having smelled the scent of blood, had quietly positioned itself there, listening intently for Ye Chen’s footsteps. As the steps approached, it felt a surge of glee, but before it could savor the moment, it was unexpectedly struck by the massive sedan, getting knocked aside. It didn't even register the impact immediately, only being profoundly startled.

"Roar~~~"

The Armored Mastiff roared in fury, smashing the sedan aside with one paw, and rushed out like the wind, landing on the road outside the building. It bared its teeth at Ye Chen, its eyes filled with rage.

Ye Chen smiled faintly, then moved instantly, charging directly at the Armored Mastiff. This action suited the beast perfectly; it yearned to tear the detestable human who had startled it into shreds. It certainly wouldn't dodge, roaring as it lunged at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged. His foot slipped beneath the Armored Mastiff, positioning himself between its four limbs. He focused the Qi Power in his body onto his right fist, aiming for its pectoral area. Due to their height difference, he couldn't reach its head unless he jumped; jumping, however, would eliminate leverage, significantly weakening the punch's power.

The Armored Mastiff's eyes were savage; it offered no evasion. It was supremely confident that its tough hide could withstand the attack from this vile human. Thus, willing to take Ye Chen’s punch, it raised its claw to strike his back.

Bang!

The fist struck the Armored Mastiff’s chest.

Ye Chen felt the Qi Power surge out of him. Protected by the Qi Power, his fist suffered no damage, but a sound of cracking bone echoed from the Armored Mastiff’s chest.

Given the Armored Mastiff’s physical defense, even a human with Level 50 constitution could not injure it bare-handed, mainly because its hide was too thick.

As the sound of shattering bone rang out, the Armored Mastiff’s body instantly stiffened, then tilted slightly before collapsing motionless to the side. A large amount of blood seeped out between its teeth—it had died from ruptured internal organs.

One punch.

With a single blow, Ye Chen had slain an Armored Mastiff whose constitution was two levels higher than his own and renowned for its defense.

Although Ye Chen had experienced the might of Qi Power before, using it again now still brought him pleasant surprise. The terror of Qi Power lay in its ability to penetrate defenses regardless of external reinforcement.

At the spot where Ye Chen’s fist hit the Armored Mastiff, there was no external abrasion, but its heart and other organs had been vibrated apart by the penetrating Qi Power.

"Worthy of being called Qi Power. If I reach the 'Qi Power Adept' realm, the energy can be projected externally to injure foes across a distance," Ye Chen felt exhilarated. He hoisted the Armored Mastiff's body, not stowing it in his spatial link, but slinging it over his shoulder. He then turned and sprinted rapidly toward the direction of the base city.