Chapter 101.2: Comprehending Myriad Phenomena Gate, Mutation Ability

Qi Yuan opened his eyes. He was back in City of No Return. "So that was what it means to comprehend the Origin...”

I'm back?

It came swiftly and ended just as suddenly.

He recalled the gate in the heavens, where he had spent twenty-seven years, and gained mostly mutation abilities. When the gate vanished, his comprehension ended.

"Mutation ability... what exactly is it? And the Myriad Phenomena Gate... what was that?" Qi Yuan looked down at his hands. He murmured to himself, "Fire."

A small flame appeared instantly. He hadn't used any Canglan World techniques, nor any game skills. He simply spoke, and fire came.

"Mutation?" he whispered again, but nothing happened to his body. "Maybe I haven't comprehended enough of it yet... Or maybe there's something I still haven't realized. The next chance to comprehend will probably come at level 90."

He had gained one chance at level 60, thus at level 90 and 120, he likely would again. Shaking off the thoughts, Qi Yuan lay back down beside Little Bride in the big pit under the city gate.

***

Across the windless desert, endless yellow sand stretched to the horizon, vast and magnificent.

Qi Yuan sat lazily on the city wall with Little Bride in his arms. "This defense mode isn't bad. If it were nonstop monster waves, even an iron man like me couldn't take it."

Though he had the Death Radiance ability, he was still too weak. Healing took time. To reach the Death Radiance’s full potential, he'd at least have to be of level 80 or 90. Then, he'd truly be like an undying cockroach.

He squinted toward the desert. "They're here?”

In the distance, dust clouds rose, and the demonic horde approached like a sandstorm. This time, they were stronger than ever.

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Eight hundred of them? And over twenty at level 49?"

Usually, there were only one or two monsters of that caliber. Now, there are over twenty.

A grin spread across his face. "They're coming in force,

huh

? Finally, a big one after so many small fries."

He gripped his broken sword and leapt down from the wall.

As always, he faced the demon army alone, shouting, "I am the guardian of City of No Return! Intruders shall be slain without mercy!"

His thin figure, dwarfed by the thirty-zhang-tall walls, stood defiantly against the oncoming army. But this time, unlike before, the demon army actually halted.

A woman called out, "What a handsome man."

A scantily dressed woman stepped forward. She had a plain, barely above average face, adorned with strange tattoos. Yet, her figure was straight up bombshell. Her blood-red dress slit up to the waist, exposing much of her hipbone. A deep handprint was visible on her wheat-colored skin.

This was the Demon Tamer, Caixia. She eyed Qi Yuan with a sultry gaze. "So this is why City of No Return never fell. A cultivator came to guard it."

Qi Yuan stared at her, slightly surprised. "Other than alien demons and the illusions in Heaven's End, this is my first time seeing a humanoid experience pack."

Caixia's eyes flashed with pity. "Such a handsome, strong man, yet lacking in the brain department. But that's fine. I'm not interested in your brains, only your body."

She licked her lips. "Interested in joining the Northern Army?"

It wasn't an unusual offer. Every day, countless Exorcists, defenders of the 108,000 cities, defected to the Northern side. Her previous boy-toy had been one of the deserters from Jialan City.

Qi Yuan's eyes burned with fury, gripping his broken sword. "How dare an XP drop lust after me! You're asking for death!"

What a delusional woman! Is she brain-dead?

"It seems you still don't understand reality," Caixia said coldly. "You're all alone in the City of No Return, with no reinforcements. My demon army is endless. Do you think just because you stopped a few waves, you can defend this city forever? Even a Nation Subjugator can't hold City of No Return alone. 108,000 cities will fall, one by one."

She moved backwards. As a Demon Tamer, her abilities were average. Her demons were her true weapon.

With over twenty Overlord monsters and hundreds more lesser ones, the City of No Return would be no more.

As she retreated, the demon army roared forward, "Kill!"

Qi Yuan stood alone before the city, charging straight into the army. With a single flash of sword light, more than a dozen demons were sliced apart.

Then a strange new notification echoed in his mind.

[Mutation progress +1%. Extracted 1% Demonic Origin.]

[Obtained: Demonic Origin ×1.]

Qi Yuan paused for a heartbeat. Normally, slaying demons only granted experience. Now, he was also gaining Demonic Origin.

Could it be connected to the mutation ability he'd gained from the Gate of Myriad Phenomena? And what was Demonic Origin, exactly?

He had no time to ponder as the battle raged on.

Then, he noticed something else. With every Demonic Origin gained, his blood surged, his body growing more excited. He fought even harder.

Not far away, Caixia's greedy gaze grew darker. "What a strong body... I want a taste."

After only a few hundred breaths, her lust turned to fear. The eight hundred-strong army had lost over a hundred demons, while Qi Yuan stood unscathed.

His broken sword flashed through the rain of blood, not like a swordsman, but a deadly assassin. One who charged straight into armies and still won.

Finally, she understood the horror. "You're a Nation Subjugator!"

In this small, remote City of No Return, there is actually a Nation Subjugator!

Qi Yuan's blade pierced through an Overlord demon's heart. He looked up at Caixia, eyes gleaming. "Thanks for delivering my appetizer."

There was a clear gap between level 59 and 60. In the Canglan World, that was the gap between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation. On the Moonwatch Continent, between Emperor and Peak Emperor Realm. In the Flowing Wind World, between Nation Subjugator and Overlord.

If it were before, slaying this army would have been difficult without Qi Yuan merging with Little Bride. Now, he barely broke a sweat.

Seeing this, Caixia didn't hesitate for even a second. She turned and fled. A Nation Subjugator was far beyond her reach!