Achieving Demon Godhood from Unlocking Talents

「That same day.」

Lu Chao stood in the Cultivation Chamber and opened the contact list on his wristband.

His gaze paused for a moment on the contact labeled [Aunt You]. His eyes flashed as he made a decision.

'Hopefully, the Hunter Guild will have a few surprises for me.'

Two complete sets of magic power crystals were equivalent to the nutritional resources in two vials of energy mineral essence. Naturally, he couldn't let them go to waste.

However, the required purification materials—a mineral called Red Jade Stone and a Spirit Plant named Silver Crystal Grass—were quite rare. The Superpower Bureau's internal network didn't have a sufficient supply, so he needed to find another way to acquire them.

Naturally, his thoughts turned once again to the Hunter Guild, and to the elder, You Qiulin.

Whether it was the Hunters who frequently went in and out of the wilderness or their connections to the black market, You Qiulin undoubtedly had more convenient channels in these areas.

He already owed him a few favors anyway; owing a few more wouldn't hurt.

He would simply repay them all one by one in the future.

BUZZ!

The message was sent in an instant. Lu Chao asked him to keep an eye out for the items.

Then, he looked around the small Cultivation Chamber.

The stinging pain in his left arm was already beginning to fade. The powerful restorative ability of [Tough Body] was at work again, gradually healing the damage caused by the strain of using his Martial Skill.

However, Lu Chao's eyes scanned the room as he walked over to a corner. From a sheet-metal cabinet, he once again took out two items.

The ruins map, on kraft paper, was well-preserved. He had placed it together with the wilderness map You Qiulin had given him a few days ago and had already looked it over roughly a few times.

Besides that, he looked at the metal sphere. It was pitch-black and engraved with several golden patterns.

HUM!

A brown Martial Arts Flame surged from his palm, like a ball of high-temperature fire, and slowly bored into the sphere.

The color of the Qi Flame was a shade deeper than before. Unbeknownst to him, he had already made significant progress in the [Hundred Refinements] stage, allowing his Golden Stone Flame to undergo multiple fusions and increase in quality.

His eyes brightened, a trace of expectation flashing through them.

Lu Chao focused on the metal sphere before him, continuously pouring his Qi Flame into it.

Gradually, as if being replenished with energy, the golden patterns on the black shell brightened once more, beginning to shine.

...

WHIRR!!

「That same day, in the afternoon.」

Several black jeeps from the Superpower Bureau drove through the city block.

A sprawling plaza area was just ahead. A massive glass elevator, capable of carrying nearly a hundred people, shot up from the underground Hive District to the surface.

"Fang Xu, did you see the news? That cargo ship was completely wrecked."

"Yeah, I saw. A lot of people are saying it was destroyed by a Mutant Beast, some kind of black whale hundreds of meters long..."

"I think that's fake. Hundreds of meters long? Not even some Beast Kings are that terrifying, right?"

Sitting in the front, Chen Xiao gripped the steering wheel, chatting with Fang Xu as he stepped on the gas.

Listening quietly to their gossip, Lu Chao sat in the back of the jeep without interrupting, silently recalling his attempt from that morning.

'Still a little bit off.'

A hint of regret flashed in his eyes. During the morning's infusion of Qi Flame, the metal sphere's light patterns had flickered, but it still hadn't truly activated.

Clearly, his current Martial Arts Flame was still a bit lacking, or perhaps the energy infusion hadn't been complete enough.

'But it should be soon.'

A vague intuition grew in his mind, and a trace of curiosity and anticipation appeared in Lu Chao's eyes.

He had obtained this item back when he was at the Professional level, and by now, more than a year had passed.

In all that time, no method he tried could damage it, not even using his Titan's Power. This alone spoke volumes about the metal sphere's origins.

As the thought crossed his mind, the black jeep began to slow down.

Many patrol team vehicles were parked in the streets near the plaza, which was in a state of partial lockdown.

Members of a patrol unit, identified by the red maple leaf logos on their chests, stood guard with loaded weapons, rotating shifts on both sides of the street. Furthermore, in the plaza area, some Superpower Members in black combat uniforms had already arrived.

"I can't believe those commissioners are coming to inspect our Satellite City No. 4 again."

Chen Xiao, who was driving, clicked his tongue and changed the subject.

He had on a black bulletproof vest. In the passenger seat, Fang Xu was dressed similarly, tightly gripping a submachine gun and wearing a ballistic helmet and wireless headset.

"Seriously, Team Leader, we should be able to go to the Hive District this time, right?"

He said with a grin, looking at the back seat through the rearview mirror.

Fang Xu also looked on with anticipation, waiting for an answer.

"Haha."

Seeing what was on their minds, Lu Chao chuckled, then gave a slight nod.

The United Committee commissioners had sent a notice to the Fourth Branch a few days ago. The reason was that the urban inspection work was about to begin again.

Perhaps Satellite City No. 4 had been chosen again because of its success in eliminating a large number of Rebel hideouts.

As a Superpower Team leader, he would naturally have to personally escort the group of commissioners shortly. This meant his team members would also get to participate in this mission, which offered higher contribution points.

"Hehe, we can always count on our Team Leader."

Hearing the confirmation, Chen Xiao broke into a wide grin.

He hadn't forgotten the frustration and helplessness he'd felt the last few times, when they could only stand guard outside the plaza.

"By the way, any news from Gao Hu?"

Lu Chao asked, thinking about the matter concerning Ma Biao that he had asked him to look into.

"Not yet."

Chen Xiao shook his head and said helplessly, "That Ma Biao is extremely treacherous. Every time he makes a move, he finds a new place to hide in the wilderness."

"I heard Li Xiyuan even led a team into the wilderness himself. Who knows if he'll find him."

Because of the trouble Lu Chao had faced when he first reported for duty, Chen Xiao didn't have much respect for Li Xiyuan and didn't hesitate to use his full name.

Hearing this, Lu Chao grew thoughtful and didn't ask any more questions.