Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 572 Something’s wrong with you
The rabbit's panel is indeed much richer than the pine tree's:

Skill 1: [Swift as a Rabbit] (Passive). Your reaction speed and movement speed are increased by 20%, and your agility is increased by 10%.

Skill 2: [Alert Reflex] (Passive). Rabbits are naturally timid and possess an extraordinary intuition for danger. When a potentially hostile target or danger appears nearby, you will receive a vague sense of unease or a visual highlighting.

Skill 3: [Rabbit Kicks Eagle] (Active Combat Skill). Instantly charge up, leap into the air, and while spinning in the air, forcefully kick backward with both powerful hind legs, dealing physical damage based on agility to the target, and has a high probability (against targets smaller than oneself or with poor balance) to trigger the "knockdown" or "knockback" effect.

Xiao Jie found it quite amusing. He never expected that a mere little rabbit would possess three skills, one of which was an active combat skill! When he was leveling up in the newbie village, he only thought that rabbits were fast and hard to catch, and he usually shot them down with an arrow from a distance. He had never experienced the feeling of "rabbit kicking eagle".

This was before we had fully mastered the rabbit's transformation ability.

He excitedly manipulated his new body, running and jumping around on the grass, familiarizing himself with the rabbit's movement patterns, while pondering what to choose as his next visualization target. Should he choose a more powerful beast, or try something more exotic?
As he jumped and pondered, suddenly, the newly acquired [Alert Reflex] passive skill was triggered! A strong sense of palpitation struck him without warning!

The bushes behind him suddenly shook violently, accompanied by a low, threatening roar, and a black shadow as swift as lightning pounced on him, aiming straight for his neck!
Xiao Jie was so frightened that his rabbit fur stood on end. His rabbit instincts almost made him want to run away immediately, but his immortal consciousness instantly calmed him down. He turned around sharply, his hind leg muscles tensing instantly, ready to deliver a vicious "rabbit kicks eagle"!
However, just as he turned and was about to push off, he saw clearly what was rushing towards him—it was not a wild predator, but a lynx with a graceful body and a tuft of black bristles on the tips of its ears!
Lynxes don't spawn at all on the map near the starting village! The only possibility is An Ran! She has successfully regained control of the lynx transformation skill!
I never imagined she'd learn the Thousand Illusions Transformation Technique so quickly! It's only been a day!

In a flash, Xiao Jie hastily and forcefully stopped the "Rabbit Kicks Eagle" technique that had already begun. He was joking; if that kick had landed properly, with his immortal foundation, even in rabbit form, its power would have been extraordinary! He'd probably have to go to the Underworld again to rescue someone!
The lynx (An Ran) in mid-air was clearly taken aback by the sudden turn of the "rabbit" before her, assuming such a bizarre, almost menacing fighting stance. She could even clearly see a fleeting look of surprise and…familiarity in the "rabbit's" eyes. In mid-air, a hint of anthropomorphic bewilderment even appeared on the lynx's furry face! She tried to forcefully stop her attack but it was too late; she could only instinctively shut her mouth, abruptly canceling her deadly throat-grabbing bite. Then, still carrying the momentum of her attack, the lynx frantically crashed into Xiao Jie's arms, who had just transformed back into human form.

With a soft "poof," the lynx's transformation ended the moment of impact, reverting to its original, serene form. The two collided head-on, staggering and nearly falling over together.

"Oh...sorry! I didn't expect it to be you!" An Ran scrambled to steady herself, her face full of surprise and speechlessness. "How did you...turn into a rabbit?" Her expression seemed to say: You have quite the unique hobby, don't you, my great immortal?

"It's nothing," Xiao Jie said with a smile as he helped her up. "I'm just testing out the visualization technique I just learned. It's a good opportunity to practice, starting with the simplest and gradually moving to the more complex."

"Imagining a rabbit? You're quite... childlike." An Ran suppressed a laugh and struggled to get up from his arms, only to find that Xiao Jie's arm had already naturally and steadily wrapped around her waist, with no intention of letting go.

"Ahem, speaking of which... is it okay to let go now?" An Ran asked, her face slightly flushed.

“Of course,” Xiao Jie readily agreed, but did not immediately let go. Instead, a wicked smile appeared on his lips. “However, before that, I have to do something.”

"What is it..." Before An Ran could finish her question, she saw Xiao Jie's face rapidly approaching.

Well!
An Ran's eyes widened instantly, completely unprepared for his sudden move. Her mind went blank, and she froze. The immortal's power left her utterly defenseless, forced to passively endure the unexpected yet exceptionally gentle kiss.

After a while, until An Ran felt a little out of breath, Xiao Jie smiled and let go of her hand, took half a step back, and watched with amusement as An Ran jumped away from him in a flustered and blushing manner, like a frightened deer.

"You! What are you doing?!" She was both ashamed and angry, stamping her foot and scolding him, her heart pounding like a drum.

Xiao Jie, however, put on an utterly innocent expression and said matter-of-factly, "You kissed me without warning before, so of course I have to kiss you back. It's only right to return the favor, otherwise wouldn't you be taking advantage of me for nothing?"

"You—!" Upon hearing this absurd logic, An Ran was speechless with a look of bewilderment, pointing at him, too angry to speak.

However, seeing Xiao Jie's familiar, slightly roguish smile and the lively, spirited light in his eyes—a light different from yesterday's indifference—she vaguely sensed something was amiss.

“Something’s not right…” An Ran looked Xiao Jie up and down, and said suspiciously, “Why do you look a little… strange today? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you seem… more… vibrant than before? And also more… annoying!” She finally found a suitable word.

"I just learned a new skill, gained some insights, and my state of mind has changed a bit," Xiao Jie explained vaguely, then changed the subject, "By the way, you're almost level ten now, right? I was just about to go to Crimson Flame Peak in Flowing Fire Prefecture to observe the Golden Crow. Would you be interested in going with me to see it? By the way, I can help you learn the Qi Refining Technique on the way."

"Okay, okay!" The moment An Ran's attention was drawn to the mention of learning magic and becoming an immortal, her eyes lit up, and she instantly forgot her earlier embarrassment and reproach.

"The Thousand Transformations Technique you gave me is truly exquisite! It's just that some parts are too profound and mysterious; I was completely confused by much of it. But even the first few pages, the most basic content, have already benefited me greatly! I tried it a few times yesterday and regained my mastery of the lynx transformation!" She excitedly shared her achievement, then asked with some concern, "Is the Qi Refining Technique difficult to learn? What if I can't learn it?"

Looking at her expectant yet fearful expression, Xiao Jie couldn't help but smile confidently and patted his chest: "What are you afraid of? I'm here, aren't I? I guarantee you'll learn!"

As he spoke, he summoned a pure white, soft, yet rock-solid auspicious cloud, which gently lifted the two of them up and they flew swiftly towards the distant Konglao Mountain.

Mount Konglao remained shrouded in mist and clouds, exuding an ethereal aura. However, unlike before, near the entrance platform halfway up the mountain, some simple yet practical defensive fortifications had appeared—wooden arrow towers and low walls built of rough stones. There was even a squad of about ten NPC soldiers, dressed in the standard leather armor of the Longxiang Kingdom and carrying long spears, stationed and patrolling the area.

It seems that the Dragon Soaring Guild attaches great importance to the Konglao Mountain Heavenly Waterfall Cave, a resource point that can produce rare medicinal herbs and materials, and has already sent troops to take over the area.

Although the location was remote and unlikely to attract players, soldiers were still stationed there to guard it. Xiao Jie was too lazy to deal with these NPC guards, nor did he intend to disturb players who might be leveling up or doing quests there. He casually cast an invisibility spell, and a soft halo flashed, perfectly concealing him and An Ran's figures in the air. They silently bypassed the guards from high above and landed precisely inside the entrance of the Heavenly Waterfall Cave, which was hidden by the curtain of water.

The cave was much quieter than when he last visited. The rare herbs and minerals that once shone with various colors had almost all been harvested, leaving only some newly sprouted buds or seedlings that had not yet grown into mature plants, slowly growing in the humid air, waiting for the next harvest cycle.

Seeing that there was no one in the cave, Xiao Jie led An Ran straight to the ancient wall carving that depicted the secret manual of "Qi Refining Technique".

"Look, this is the original of the Ancient Qi Refining Technique. How about it, can you understand it?" Xiao Jie asked, pointing to the profound and ancient characters and Qi circulation diagrams carved on the wall.

“I recognize all the characters, I can roughly understand the diagrams, and I’ve learned the skills…” An Ran looked at it carefully for a while, then frowned and said, “But when I try to sense and guide it according to what it says, it has no effect at all! The system keeps prompting ‘Insufficient spiritual energy, unable to perform Qi refining cultivation.’”

Xiao Jie nodded and explained, "That's not surprising. The spiritual veins of Mount Konglao have long been depleted. The spiritual energy here may have been abundant back then, but it has long since dissipated. Nowadays, the only places in the world that can still retain rich spiritual energy are probably some unknown secret realms or the depths of the ruins of ancient sects."

He paused, then remembered something: "Oh right, the spiritual energy within the Mountain and Sea Painting Realm of Guyun Prefecture should be quite abundant, enough for you to cultivate your Qi Refining Technique to a certain level. However..." He glanced at An Ran, "That is the abode of immortals. As a mortal, it is inconvenient for me to take you there directly, due to the rules."

Seeing the disappointment on An Ran's face, Xiao Jie smiled and added, "But don't worry, didn't I give you the 'Demon Refining Gourd'? Its core function is this. In the future, you can collect the inner cores of demons and use the Demon Refining Gourd to refine them into the purest spiritual energy, which you can then absorb directly. The effect is much faster and more stable than trying to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here."

"Remember the five steps to becoming an immortal that I told you about? Just follow them one by one. The Demon Refining Gourd is the key to helping you quickly skip the 'Qi Refining' stage."

"Let's go, this matter is settled. I'm going to Liuhuo Prefecture to meditate on the Golden Crow. I'll take you back to Ginkgo Village first..."

"Golden Crow?!" An Ran's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, and she grabbed Xiao Jie's arm. "Is that the legendary divine bird that lives in the sun? I want to see it too! Please take me to see it! Please!" Her face was full of curiosity and longing.

"It might be a bit dangerous," Xiao Jie warned. "Crimson Flame Peak is not a tourist destination. The environment there is extreme, and there might even be powerful fire-type monsters."

"What are you afraid of!" An Ran slapped Xiao Jie on the shoulder, her tone full of trust in him. "Aren't you here? You're an immortal!"

These trusting words made Xiao Jie feel comfortable and he couldn't help but smile confidently: "That's true."

"So confident?" Now it was An Ran's turn to be a little surprised. In her memory, Xiao Jie, although powerful, was usually quite low-key and cautious.

Xiao Jie laughed heartily and said frankly, "Of course, I'm an immortal! Protecting you is more than enough. Besides..." He deliberately dragged out his words, teasingly adding, "If you accidentally really die, I can just go to the underworld to retrieve you again. Practice makes perfect!"

"Pah! Pah! You jinx!" An Ran punched him playfully, but the excitement in her eyes didn't diminish at all.

Amidst laughter and conversation, Xiao Jie once again mounted auspicious clouds, naturally wrapped his arm around An Ran's waist, transformed into a streak of light, adjusted his direction, and headed straight for Crimson Flame Peak in the Southern Flowing Fire Prefecture!

The auspicious clouds pierced through the mist, flying swiftly and steadily. The mountains and land beneath their feet rushed past, farmland, villages, rivers, and forests gradually being replaced by barren, reddish-brown deserts and continuous volcanic landscapes. The temperature in the air began to rise noticeably, and a faint smell of sulfur permeated the air. The closer they got to the center of the Blazing Fire State, the harsher the environment became; the earth cracked, and lava rivers flowed slowly like scars on the land, the heat waves in the air distorting their vision.

Only a few oases dot this reddish-brown land, where human traces and towns can be found.

After flying for a while, as the two gradually arrived at the westernmost part of Liuhuo Prefecture, a towering, massive mountain, its entire body a scorching crimson red, as if it were burning fiercely, finally appeared at the edge of their vision. Even from a great distance, the sweltering heat and soaring fire elemental energy that hit them made their breath feel hot and their skin burning.

"We've arrived, this is it—Crimson Flame Peak." Xiao Jie descended from the clouds and hovered in safe airspace some distance from the mountain peak.

Looking down at the terrifying, crimson mountain with its scorching heatwave, as if even the air itself was burning, Xiao Jie could clearly feel An Ran's breathing become rapid beside him, and her health bar began to drop extremely slowly—this was due to damage from the continuous high environmental temperature.

"No, I can't breathe!" An Ran suddenly gasped.

Without hesitation, he waved his hand, and a cool, clear light, with ripples like water, instantly enveloped An Ran.

"The Fire Avoidance Technique. That way you won't feel the unbearable heat," he explained. With An Ran's current level and health, she couldn't withstand the scorching heat around Crimson Flame Peak. Without protection, she probably wouldn't last long before being roasted alive.

Having made thorough preparations, Xiao Jie rode on auspicious clouds, cautiously approaching the seemingly eternally burning Crimson Flame Peak. The real challenge was only just beginning.

(End of this chapter)