Gao Wu: I have a dimensional gate

Almost the instant she finished speaking, the woman's demeanor changed.

She straightened up, her previously hunched posture instantly transforming into murderous intent in her eyes. A dark substance rapidly spread from her feet, covering an area with a radius of three meters in the blink of an eye.

"sister!"

Li Zhao and Zou Ming were dragged away by two pitch-black tentacles, while eight tentacles transformed into spikes that pierced towards Lu Qiu from different directions, sealing off all his space to dodge.

Luqiu had made preparations in advance.

From the moment she first met Li Zhao, the girl kept boasting about her sister's strength, saying things like "she can kill a skull-crushing cat in one move" countless times.

If a woman who had endured ten years of hardship and struggle in such a harsh environment had trusted a complete stranger upon first meeting him, she certainly wouldn't have survived to this day.

Moreover... Lu Qiu also wanted to see the strength of a Level 2 Resonator.

In the instant the spikes attacked, he held his sword horizontally in front of his chest, twisted his waist and hips, and executed a sharp spinning slash that drew a perfect circle in the moonlight.

The eight sharp spikes snapped off instantly.

The broken spikes fell to the ground and instantly merged into it. The eerie, dark substance began to writhe, seemingly preparing for its next attack.

Lu Qiu quickly retreated, flashing three meters away.

The black substance only extends three meters in radius; beyond that, the spikes have little chance of attacking you.

"Sister! Stop using it, you'll die!" Li Zhao cried out from the side.

Lu Qiu squinted.

Several small clumps rose from the ground, but after struggling for a while, they ultimately failed to take shape.

"Cough—cough cough!"

The dark substance retracted into her body, and the woman bent over and coughed violently, even more violently than the previous two times, as if she would cough up her trachea at any moment.

After a long while, the coughing subsided, and she seemed unable to stand any longer.

Li Zhao rushed up to support the woman, opening his mouth as if to say something, but was stopped by the woman raising her hand.

She looked at Lu Qiu warily: "Why do you know about crystallization disease?"

"After the Great Nirvana Era, humans were affected by source energy and various mutations occurred. Crystallization disease is just one of them. The base has been researching this."

This is the history of the Great Cataclysm, but the Nirvana Era in this other world is not much different from the Great Cataclysm era. Lu Qiu just made it up on the spot.

The woman tried to wipe the blood from her mouth with a handkerchief, but the handkerchief was soaked in blood and she couldn't get it clean no matter what she did: "The fire thief?"

Lu Qiu said, "I only woke up three days ago."

He knew that saying too much would lead to mistakes, so he only provided key information, and Li Zhao would fill in the rest for him, while the three of them would fill in the blanks themselves.

What are you doing here?

"I need the energy resonance agent."

"What will you trade?"

"Two myelin glands," Lu Qiu glanced at Li Zhao and Zou Ming, "and their lives."

The woman was about to have another outburst, so Li Zhao quickly whispered a few words in her ear, and her expression relaxed slightly.

"Wait a moment." The woman glanced at Lu Qiu and gestured for Li Zhao and Zou Ming to go back inside.

The room was lit by a dim yellow light, and the smell of animal fat wafted out; they were using oil lamps.

The oil lamp cast Li Zhao's animated gestures onto the windowpane. A moment later, she opened the door and poked her head out: "Shan, my sister wants you to come in."

Lu Qiu nodded.

Inside the room, Li Zhao was re-treating Zou Ming's severed arm wound, while the woman sat in a chair, looking dejected.

"My name is Li Chun."

"Mountain."

She stared at Lu Qiu for a long time, a cautious expectation appearing in her eyes, completely different from her cold and ruthless demeanor just now.

"Cryptocrystalline disease...can you cure it?"

"There is medicine in the base."

Even in the main world, there are not many people who can become martial artists; most people's three-dimensional average is around 3.

Source energy is everywhere. If a body that is not strong enough is affected by source energy, it will develop various diseases, of which crystallization disease is just one of them.

The antagonist drugs for various sudden illnesses, such as crystallization, are very inexpensive, costing only 200 yuan per dose.

Li Chun's crystalline disease has caused a deep infection in his lungs, but as long as he takes the medication on time, he can recover in one course of treatment, and the total cost will not exceed two thousand.

Li Chun's expression showed great struggle.

Even knowing that the man in front of her had saved her sister and Zou Ming, she still couldn't trust a fire thief.

Ten years ago, her parents were killed by fire thieves before her eyes. She could only cover her mouth and use her then-weak resonance ability to hide herself and her sister.

Those arrogant fire thieves in the new city were her lifelong enemies.

Crystallization disease is also thanks to them.

But Li Chun knew he had no choice.

They either have to cooperate with Lu Qiu or struggle for a few days and die. Without her as a Level 2 Resonator, the refugee settlement doesn't know how long they can survive the search in the new city.

Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth: "We only have one set of complete materials right now, which can be used to prepay for one source energy resonance agent."

Lu Qiu raised one eyebrow.

In his original plan, the best outcome would be to reach a cooperation agreement with Li Chun, and obtaining the resonance agent would have to wait for Li Chun to bring the antagonist drug.

Li Chun's crystalline disease is more serious than he appears.

Lu Qiu readily agreed: "Sure, but I can only bring the antagonist medication tomorrow."

"Cough cough, I can manage," Li Chun said, covering her mouth with a new handkerchief. She ordered, "Zou Ming, go to the basement to prepare the medicine. I'll stay with the guests."

She glanced at Zou Ming's severed arm and said, "Xiao Zhao, go and help him."

"Sis, I don't know how..." Li Zhao's face fell, but seeing her sister's unquestionable gaze, she reluctantly opened the basement cover. "I'll ruin the medicinal herbs."

"I can help," Lu Qiu suggested. "I'm in charge of plant research at the base."

He has basic pharmaceutical skills, and going down to help would not only confirm his identity as a fire thief, but if he could also master the preparation method of the resonance agent, that would be even better.

Li Chun did not refuse.

Lu Qiu and the two climbed down the rope ladder.

The basement space is about 20 square meters. It is a bit damp, but the soil is compacted and the floor is covered with stone slabs to prevent moisture.

The medicine-making equipment was small, taking up just enough space on a table. On the table next to it were many medicinal herbs and organs from strange beasts.

Lu Qiu was somewhat surprised when he glanced at it.

A panel notification popped up on a few patches of dark moss.

[Blackthorn Moss: A lower-level energy plant mutated by human energy crystallization particles, possessing the effect of stabilizing energy properties.]

He had only ever seen blackthorn moss in history books.

In the early stages of the Great Cataclysm, a large number of crystallized patients died, and blackthorn moss grew abundantly in the places where they were buried.

Now that no one dies from crystallization disease in the main world, the Human Alliance has banned the cultivation of blackthorn moss out of humanitarian reasons, and this species has become extinct in the main world.

Seeing the fresh blackthorn moss, Lu Qiu felt a complex mix of emotions.

Zou Ming stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Let's start preparing, Shan."

He began to provide guidance.

"Remove connective tissue, and perform a myelin section."

With years of martial arts training and the added advantage of basic medicine-making skills, Lu Qiu's hands were very steady, and he finished the treatment in no time.

Zou Ming whistled in surprise, but without saying anything, he pointed to the equipment next to him: "We can use this to make the fermentation liquid for the cheek pouches."

He guided Lu Qiu step by step, and Lu Qiu completed the task meticulously.

Grind the nodules of *Scutellaria barbata* into powder, crush *Hymenochloa chinensis*...

Soaking, stirring, centrifuging, mixing, filtering...

Two and a half hours later, Lu Qiu ignored the "Basic Medicine Making Proficiency +3" prompt, picked up the rough glass bottle and shook it, reflecting an amber light under the oil lamp.

[Low-Grade Source Energy Resonance Agent - Flesh and Blood Type: A potion with a low probability of awakening flesh and blood type talent abilities upon consumption; can be used repeatedly.]

Panel information pops up in a timely manner.

First, it confirmed Lu Qiu's conjecture that the so-called resonance ability and talent ability are essentially the same thing.

Secondly, the resonant can be reused.

The training manual contains a detailed description of the prototype type II talent potion. If you do not awaken after taking it once, then taking more will not have any effect.

The resonance agent can be reused until awakening.

Lu Qiu uncorked the bottle, ready to drink it and see the effect.

"Shan, are you really going to drink this?" Li Zhao, who had been watching for a long time, finally couldn't help but ask, "Flesh and blood type resonance ability is the worst, are you really going to use this?"

In her mind, Lu Qiu was an unparalleled master who could fight her sister to a draw without relying on resonance ability.

If Lu Qiu could awaken an elemental ability similar to his sister's, his strength would experience a qualitative leap; taking the flesh-and-blood resonance agent would be a complete waste.

Lu Qiu downed the amber liquid in one gulp: "Of course."

Unlike the people from another world, what he most wants to awaken is the flesh and blood type, even if it's just a simple increase in strength and speed, it can qualitatively change his strength.

He possesses martial arts skills, and his flesh-and-blood innate abilities can maximize his strength.

"Uh, okay," Li Zhao shrugged, "Get ready, it might hurt a little in a bit."

Lu Qiu nodded.

When Longke drank the talent potion earlier, he had no reaction, which made him subconsciously relax. However, after Li Zhao reminded him, his heart tightened.

One minute.

five minutes.

ten minutes.

Lu Qiu checked the panel several times, but there was nothing in the status bar except for "Minor Unity of Heaven and Man". He gradually relaxed.

Did it just pass by so easily?

suddenly.

His whole body began to convulse violently, starting from his internal organs, producing a continuous, painful, and numb sensation, as if countless tiny insects were crawling all over his body.

"Well."

Lu Qiu groaned and knelt down. Even though he had been bruised and knocked over by the Iron-haired Wild Boar before, and his internal organs had almost shifted in an instant, Lu Qiu did not feel any pain than he was now.

This pain penetrates deep into the bone marrow, and as the blood and qi circulate, it seems to reach the skin of the body.

Then, he was in excruciating pain, worse than death, all over his body. His vision blurred, and he seemed to be struggling on the edge of life and death.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

He kept pounding his fists on the ground to distract himself, cracking the 20-centimeter-thick stone slab, which was then hammered into smaller pieces.

Zou Ming and Li Zhao turned pale with fright, and Li Chun also poked his head out from under the basement slab.

They had never seen anything like it before.

Li Zhao had also taken a resonance agent, but it was an elemental type that he had confiscated from the people in the new district. Although it was uncomfortable, it was far less exaggerated than Lu Qiu's reaction.

Moreover, they had also witnessed the awakening of flesh-and-blood type resonators, who at most would roll around in their stomachs a few times and then be fine.

How could Luqiu be so exaggerated?

The spasms and convulsions of his internal organs became increasingly violent, and fresh blood continued to gush from Lu Qiu's mouth and nose.

The spasms in his lungs were the most severe; he couldn't even breathe properly and could only desperately open his mouth wide, constantly making "hoarse" sounds.

Lu Qiu's consciousness began to blur, the excruciating pain almost tore his consciousness apart, making it difficult to breathe, and he no longer had the strength to pound the ground to vent his frustration.

Li Chun's expression changed drastically. If Lu Qiu died, her newly ignited hope for survival would be extinguished.

Li Chun shouted, "He's short of oxygen! Give him artificial respiration, quick!"

Lu Qiu's face had begun to change from dark red to purplish-black, a sign of extreme hypoxia and circulatory failure.

Zou Ming hesitated and took a step forward, but was pushed away by Li Zhao.

She had only known this man named "Shan" for a few hours and they didn't have a deep relationship, but she didn't want her sister's hope of survival to be cut off.

But when she turned Lu Qiu, who was lying on the ground, over and prepared to give him artificial respiration as if her life depended on it, Lu Qiu pushed her away.

The force was very light.

"I'm alright..." Just as he was on the verge of death, the excruciating pain suddenly receded like a tide, and Lu Qiu's bodily organs began to return to normal, with his blood and qi circulating much faster than before.

"Huff... huff..." He propped himself up on the ground and sat up, opening the panel to check.

Name: Lu Qiu

Qi and Blood: 9.54 → 9.6

Muscle: 9.07→9.18

Skeleton: 9.15→9.2

技能：第八套全国中小学生基础训练法（精通）、白鹤桩（精通丨10/500）、初级製药（入门丨20/50）、虎形拳（入门丨20/50）

Status: Minor Unity of Heaven and Man

Talent: Flesh Furnace (C-rank, 2%)

Realm: None

Personal space: None

His three dimensions have been comprehensively improved. Although he used a D-grade Qi and Blood potion and a standard muscle set at 7 p.m., it was impossible for him to have such a large improvement.

It's probably due to the resonance agent.

The talent bar appeared on the panel, and a new talent called "Flesh Furnace" was added.

Lu Qiu's mind stirred, and detailed information unfolded before his eyes.

[Flesh Furnace: Rating C, passively absorbs source energy, increases wound healing speed by 10 times, can be actively activated, significantly increases source energy consumption for a short period, increases healing speed by 100 times, can be upgraded.]

An average human with a three-dimensional mean of 3 can heal a minor injury in 3 to 7 days.

Lu Qiu's current three-dimensional average is 9.33, and this type of injury will recover in about a day.

With the Flesh Furnace, the healing speed is increased fivefold, reducing recovery time to 2.4 hours. If activated actively, full recovery takes only fourteen minutes.

If combined with internal injury medication, the recovery speed can be further shortened.

The intense pain he had just experienced had damaged his internal organs, and Lu Qiu's body was covered in blood. He decided to activate the active ability of the Flesh and Blood Furnace.

The thought had barely formed when a warm current burst forth in his lower abdomen, quickly spreading to his limbs and bones.

"Mountain, what kind of resonance ability have you awakened..." Before Li Zhao could finish speaking, he saw the wound on Lu Qiu's hand, which had appeared from smashing the stone slab, begin to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

three minutes.

Li Zhao stared in astonishment as she watched the wound on Lu Qiu's hand heal and scab fall off, revealing pale pink new skin underneath. She was speechless with surprise.

Zou Ming was also surprised: "What kind of ability is this?"

"It should be called a flesh and blood furnace," Li Chun said from the cover. "It's relatively weak in terms of flesh and blood resonance capabilities."

In her understanding, using abilities can cause damage to the body. For example, her B-rank "Nether Swamp" allows her to manipulate materialized shadow energy in combat.

Frequent use in a short period of time will make the body very weak.

Lu Qiu's restorative abilities involve using source energy to damage the body, but the effect of the ability is to restore the body, so in the end, nothing really happened.

But Lu Qiu stood up, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Thank you, I'm very satisfied."

Then his stomach growled.

Before becoming a Source Energy Warrior, one's body cannot directly absorb Source Energy from the environment and needs to supplement it by consuming medicinal herbs and exotic beast meat.

Having just experienced the effects of the flesh-and-blood furnace, Lu Qiu's stomach is now completely empty.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he restrained himself from looking at the strange beast materials on the table, afraid that he might lose control and swallow them whole: "Is there anything to eat?"

"Of course," Li Zhao patted his shoulder, "We won't let our friends go hungry."

After seeing the tragic state of Lu Qiu's awakened resonance ability, she felt that they could already be considered "friends".

After half an hour.

Lu Qiu finished the last piece of dried meat on the table, and the emptiness in his stomach finally subsided.

Zou Ming's mouth dropped open, looking like he'd seen a ghost, while even the usually composed Li Chun twitched his lips.

Li Zhao said with a long face, "You've eaten up my and my sister's food reserves for five days."

There was a lot of dried meat drying in the yard, including snake meat, lizard meat, and giant cheek pouch rat meat, weighing about 200 kilograms, enough to support the two sisters for ten days.

This guy ate 100 kilograms by himself, is he even human?

Zou Ming tentatively said, "Um... I still have some at home, Professor Shan, do you want some?"

"No need," Lu Qiu said, wiping his mouth and standing up. "I'll find a way to get the meat, and the crystallization disease antagonist. I'll deliver everything by midnight tomorrow."

Li Chun nodded in thanks and watched Lu Qiu leave, saying, "Thank you."

Once Lu Qiu's figure had completely disappeared into the alley, Li Zhao closed the door and ran back to ask, "Sister, can he really bring medicine to cure the illness?"

"So what if we can't get it? Aren't your and Zou Ming's lives worth a bottle of resonance agent and a hundred kilograms of flesh?" Li Chun coughed twice and stared blankly at the doorway.

"He's very strong. Even before I got the crystallization disease, I might not have been able to beat him. If I befriend him, the refugees in Ye City will have another helper if I die."

Li Zhao's eyes reddened: "Sister, the mountain will definitely be alright."

……

After leaving the refugee area and confirming that no one was following him, Lu Qiu passed through the dimensional gate back to the main world and began to ponder the application of his innate abilities.

The C-rank rating of the Flesh Furnace is well-deserved. Although the multiplier for increasing healing speed is exaggerated, it is difficult to make a difference in battle.

But it suits me perfectly right now.

Not only did it accelerate the healing process, but Lu Qiu also noticed a dramatic increase in digestion speed when he first ate the meat.

This means that whether he eats exotic beast meat to improve his muscles or uses potions to improve his blood and bones, he will be much faster than others.

Next, his strength will increase at an exaggerated rate.

Furthermore, the entry for Flesh Furnace includes a "2%" and the description also mentions "can be improved," indicating that the current healing multiplier is not the limit for Flesh Furnace.

If its effect is doubled, or even more...

Lu Qiu already had a picture in his mind: Long Ke pierced his chest with a Qingji Hand, and within seconds, the flesh and blood regenerated and recovered.

If it really comes to that, with his current average in all three dimensions, he could outlast all the students ranked ahead of him in the training base.

However, he needs more points before that.

Lu Qiu took a deep breath, raised his long sword, and charged toward a wild boar with iron bristles in the distance.