Chapter 24: I Am Not Turning Into a Cthulhu, Am I?

After wolfing down a serving of egg-stuffed pancakes, Lu Wenwu returned to his underground training room, feeling entirely satisfied.

[Name: Blood of an Outer God 10ml (Purified)]
[Type: Special Material]
[Description: Purified blood of an Outer God. Impurities have been removed, leaving only the concentrated essence of its energy and properties. Can be used for direct consumption, artifact refining, alchemy, potion making, equipment enchanting, constructing magic circles, and various other purposes.]
[Note: The divinity, godhood, and divine nature of this deity are unknown. Direct consumption and refinement may grant a portion of the entity's traits.]
[Warning: Consumption carries a risk of death if Soul Strength is below 200; certain death if below 100. Consume with caution.]

The blood, dazzling like a ruby, swirled within the custom transparent container, looking magnificent. Having made his decision long ago, Lu Wenwu felt no hesitation. He popped the cap, tilted his head back to drain the contents, and immediately activated "Heaven-Devouring Earth-Consuming."

As the pure divine blood hit his throat, an indescribable flavor erupted in his mouth. It wasn't just a taste; it carried a profound impact on his spirit and soul. It was not "corruption"—the system-purified blood would not cause such a debuff. Instead, it was the raw, forced dissemination of knowledge beyond mortal comprehension, seeping relentlessly into Lu Wenwu’s soul.

If one had to describe it, it was akin to taking a sleep-deprived college student, tying them to a chair, and forcing them to stay awake while teaching them advanced calculus on the left, physics on the right, and a foreign tongue delivered by an elderly stranger in the middle. The feeling of being forced to listen to and memorize things one could not possibly understand was an intense, indescribable discomfort.

Under this strain, Lu Wenwu’s stamina drained like water through a burst dam, while his personal status window’s [Physique] attribute slowly climbed. Half an hour passed in silence.

Lu Wenwu gasped for air, drenched as if he had just been pulled from a pool, his skin covered in a thick layer of blackish-red sweat. He was at less than ten percent of his stamina, teetering on the edge of exhaustion. Despite his poor physical state, his mood was jubilant. The power of "Heaven-Devouring Earth-Consuming" had worked perfectly, successfully extracting the most essential properties from those 10ml of divine blood!

[You have successfully refined the blood of an Outer God.]
[You have gained a faint trace of Outer God bloodline traits.]
[Note: This trait may attract or repel unknown organisms.]
[Your mental power has been significantly enhanced.]
[You have gained a new talent: Flesh Regeneration.]

[Name: Flesh Regeneration]
[Category: Talent]
[Description: A special talent acquired by consuming the blood of an Outer God. Your stamina recovery speed is increased. Furthermore, you can use your own stamina, blood energy, and internal energy to repair damaged physical structures. The consumption depends on physical strength, energy level, degree of damage, and the importance of the organ.]

"Good, good. At least I'm still human," Lu Wenwu chuckled, scrambling up from the floor and channeling his blood energy, which was now twice as surging as before. A dragon of blood energy coiled around him, and his bronze-toned arms instantly turned a dark red with a metallic sheen. The dragon-scale patterns extended to his neck, covering his shoulders.

Even the most diluted divine blood was a genuine treasure. A mere ten milliliters had multiplied the coverage of his Blood-Energy Dragon Scales several times over! By comparison, the boost to his raw physical stats was modest, only adding about fifty points.

After the consumption, Lu Wenwu felt as if he had broken through some kind of shackle. He sensed he could use a power within his mind to perceive and scan his surroundings, forming a 360-degree field of vision that he could adjust at will. On average, it was a hemispherical range with a radius of ten meters, though it could extend much further if focused in a single direction. In the parlance of cultivation novels, this would likely be called Divine Sense, or more simply, mental power.

With this, he had fully digested the gains from his previous instance. After a shower, he sprawled onto his living room sofa and opened his personal panel.

[ID]: Invincible Tyrannosaurus God of War
[Level]: Lv10 (D+)
[Physique]: 312.34
[HP]: 31234
[Talent]: Flesh Regeneration, Evilbane, Eye of Insight
[Cultivation]: Virtue-Based Body Refining Technique
[Supernatural Ability]: Heaven-Devouring Earth-Consuming
[Skills]: Egg-Stuffed Pancake Cooking [Master of All], Military Killing Fist [Proficient], Military Combat Arts [Proficient], Shadow Step [Proficient], Firearms Mastery [Superficial]
[Equipment]: Battle Armor [Rare], Heavy Cannon Gauntlets [Rare]
[Free Attribute Points]: 0
[Spirit Coins]: 5136

"My stats have increased more than fivefold in a single instance. In terms of Spirit Coins, these rewards are worth millions. Surely no one at my level has gained more?"

"My raw data alone is ten to twenty times that of an average Level 10 player. I am absolutely invincible at Tier D."

"If we're talking comprehensive strength, I could crush those C-tier players who have only cultivated the first layer or two of top-tier techniques. If I ran into C-tier bosses like Qian Limin or Lai San again, I could kill them with a single punch."

"Compared to veteran players, all I lack is a wealth of combat and instance experience. Unfortunately, that can't be rushed..."

"Regardless, passing the so-called Advanced Trial should be a breeze. I shouldn't be thinking about how to clear it, but how to farm points and aim for a rating higher than [Incredible]."

"According to the records, that requires digging up as many side quests and hidden tasks as possible, while uncovering the worldview and background of the instance..."

"Maomao’s strength is lagging behind too much. Even if I bring her other stats to 10, dumping everything else into agility, she still seems a bit weak. She's stronger than other players, but compared to me, she's falling behind. I’m progressing too fast; I need to find a way to enhance her."

"Sigh, what a headache..."

As he muttered to himself, the doorbell rang. Maomao immediately sprinted over, stood on her hind legs, and hooked her claws onto the door handle, clicking it open.

Standing at the door was a slightly startled Liu Ming.

"Every time I see Maomao, I can't help but be shocked," Liu Ming remarked. "By the way, Brother Wu, did you know Xiaobao can go to the water dispenser and get his own water?"

Lu Wenwu handed him a glass of water and asked, surprised, "Of course I know. Is that supposed to be rare?"

Liu Ming was dumbfounded. "It's not rare???"

"Now that you mention it... Xiaobao does seem smarter than other cats. He’s very easy to raise." Lu Wenwu said, picking up the curled-up Xiaobao from the cat tree and petting him, only to receive a flurry of "cat punches" and a look of pure disdain.

"I don't know how two such spiritual little creatures ended up wandering the streets. Tsk tsk... looks like I really hit the jackpot!"