Chapter 116: System Upgrade

The Nether Ghost Insects, which had previously seemed to fear neither life nor death, suddenly underwent a change. They stopped their relentless, wave-like onslaught. With synchronized movements, they began to retreat, pulling back several dozen meters from Yang Wenhao in the blink of an eye. Yang Wenhao watched their withdrawal with bewilderment.

Just as he was pondering the situation, a massive dark shadow emerged. Illuminated by Yang Wenhao’s Primordial True Fire, he finally caught sight of the behemoth. If his guess was correct, this was the very thing the man named Liu had been raving about before he died.

It was the Nether Ghost Insect King. Being creatures of the Netherworld, these insects possessed unique traits. Within their clan, a king could be born, but such a creature was terrifyingly powerful—and precisely because of that power, it was extremely difficult for one to come into existence. Yang Wenhao never imagined he would encounter one in the mortal realm.

"Damn it! What the hell is this? Just how many people did that guy named Liu lure here?"

The moment the Nether Ghost Insect King appeared, it radiated a monstrous aura—a hallmark of Netherworld denizens.

"System, scan this thing for data immediately!"

Seeing the "Golden Core Stage" label, Yang Wenhao gasped. If a larva was already at the Golden Core Stage, one could only imagine how formidable it would be as an adult. This was clearly how the Nether Ghost Insect clan managed to thrive in the Netherworld.

"Host may upgrade the Primordial True Fire to the Samadhi True Fire. The Samadhi True Fire is the ultimate embodiment of rigidity and yang energy, capable of incinerating all filth in the world."

"Damn it, screw it!" Yang Wenhao gritted his teeth and poured the ten thousand points he had just earned into upgrading his fire.

The transition from Primordial to Samadhi did not change the appearance of the flames much, but the intensity of that rigid, solar energy increased several times over. Yang Wenhao unleashed a torrent of Samadhi True Fire, which spread like a wildfire, using the corpses piled in the trench as fuel. The weaker Nether Ghost Insects were instantly reduced to ash. Fortunately, these creatures still yielded points, or Yang Wenhao would have been overextending himself.

"Kekekeke."

The Nether Ghost Insect King, lurking in the trench, seemed enraged by the slaughter of its offspring. It emitted a chilling, shrill cry and lunged at Yang Wenhao. Yang Wenhao backhanded a blast of Samadhi True Fire at it.

"Kekekeke."

As a Netherworld creature, the King was steeped in malevolent energy, but the Samadhi True Fire was the nemesis of such yin-aligned beings. It had only brushed against the flames for a split second before one of its wings was incinerated. Furious but now wary, the King dared not press the attack. It glared at Yang Wenhao, screeching as if to say, "If you have the guts, come down here and stop playing with fire!"

Yang Wenhao chuckled to himself, seeing the King’s fear; the fifteen thousand points he had spent were well worth it. At this moment, the King and its brood were nothing more than his prey—pure, easy points.

"Watch this! Flame Explosion!"

Despite the grandiose name, it was simply a barrage of fireballs made of Samadhi True Fire. They struck the trench like falling meteors, followed by a series of earth-shattering roars as the area was consumed by a hellish inferno. The King was livid, yet it was powerless against Yang Wenhao. Gradually, the insects surrounding the King were wiped out, leaving it completely isolated.

"Today, I, Yang, shall act on behalf of the heavens and purge you, you filthy creature!"

With Samadhi True Fire in his left hand and a long sword in his right, Yang Wenhao charged. He knew he had to act personally; the King was too fast, and the fireballs alone couldn't land a hit. A strange glimmer flickered in the King’s pitch-black eyes; it had been waiting for this exact moment.

"Kekekeke."

With a piercing shriek, the King suddenly erupted in speed and lunged at Yang Wenhao. Yang Wenhao sneered, his left hand glowing intensely as the Samadhi True Fire transformed into a fire dragon, hurtling toward the monster. The King possessed many limbs, and despite its injured wing, its speed remained undiminished; it easily evaded the dragon.

"Damn it, I don't believe this!"

Yang Wenhao stowed his sword and pulled out his Nine Heavens Ring-Jade Zither.

*Clang-dong.*

The sound of the zither echoed throughout the cave. Before Yang Wenhao’s eyes, soldiers wielding weapons materialized out of thin air.

"Infuse with Samadhi True Fire!"

The flames in Yang Wenhao’s hands transformed into shimmering armor, coating the soldiers. They looked like gods of fire reborn, radiating a terrifying heat. Even Yang Wenhao was surprised; he hadn't realized this was possible. But since it was, he no longer feared the King.

*Zheng!*

With another pluck of the strings, the soldiers’ eyes glowed red. Clutching their flaming weapons, they swarmed the King. Sensing the danger, the King tried to flee, but Yang Wenhao wouldn't allow it. The soldiers formed a tight perimeter, boxing the King in. Its fate was sealed.

"Die!"

A flying sword shot out, wreathed in the flames of the Samadhi True Fire. The King’s attention was fixed entirely on the soldiers; it never saw the divine blade coming. Unsurprisingly, the sword pierced the King’s skull, and the light in its eyes faded instantly.

Yet, Yang Wenhao didn't stop, for he hadn't received the notification that the King was dead.

"Brothers, keep at it! Kill it!"

The soldiers obeyed, hacking away at the King’s shell. Sure enough, the King hadn't died; it had been feigning death to lure Yang Wenhao closer. Unfortunately for the monster, Yang Wenhao was far too cautious to be blinded by greed.

The King was internally cursing. *What kind of creature is this? It's clearly already dead, so why are you still hitting it? Are you even human?*

Finally, under the relentless assault of the flame-wreathed soldiers, the King was beaten to death.

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for killing the Netherworld creature: Nether Ghost Insect King (Juvenile). Obtained 3,000 points."

With those 3,000 points, his total now stood at exactly ten thousand.

"System, initiate the upgrade," Yang Wenhao commanded.

"Deducting 10,000 points. The upgrade will take one month to complete. Upon completion, the Host will begin interdimensional travel."

The system then fell silent. Yang Wenhao was pleased; one month was perfect. The high school entrance exams would take place within that month, and once they were over, he would embark on his journey. The timing couldn't have been better.