I transformed into a cute girl and lived a carefree life in the apocalypse.

This call elicited a response from the Qilin before her, which nuzzled against Ye Qianxue in a fawning manner. With a flash of Five Elements Divine Light, Yan Ziming, Ye Qianxue, and Mo Xin found themselves on its back, and then...

The seemingly invincible auspicious beast Qilin took advantage of the moment when Poison Scorpion was stunned, picked up Yan Ziming and the others, and ran away. The power of the five elements was running wildly, as if the heavens and earth were helping it run. Its speed completely violated the laws of physics. It disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Poison Scorpion behind.

After ensuring Yan Ziming's safety, before Ye Qianxue could even speak to Mo Xin, Mo Xin quickly transformed into countless points of light and entered Lei Qie, falling into a deep sleep.

"Ugh... um... my vision is so blurry..."

The power of the five elements was not only used to defend against enemies, but also to nourish Yan Ziming's body. Moreover, being in such close contact with the pure-blooded Qilin, the blood and qi that were inadvertently released were also a great tonic. Yan Ziming quickly regained consciousness.

"Big sister!" Ye Qianxue excitedly hugged him, bursting into tears of joy. The tears that had been held back from the corners of her eyes finally flowed out like a burst dam, soaking Yan Ziming's clothes.

Chapter 121 Relying on Oneself

Feeling the little head bobbing against his chest, Yan Ziming gently patted it a few times and comforted him, "Okay, stop crying. You're such a grown-up, yet you're still acting like a child."

"It's all... it's all because of you, my dear sister!" Ye Qianxue's voice choked with sobs. Yan Ziming hugged her and comforted her gently.

Where is Mo Xin?

By this time, Ye Qianxue had almost finished crying, and pointed at Lei Qie, saying, "Mo Xin has already gone back."

"Ah... she really worked hard. I should give her a reward when we get back."

“Hmm…” Ye Qianxue puffed out her cheeks, looking at Yan Zimo with apparent dissatisfaction.

"Of course, our adorable little sister wouldn't be complete without her too!"

Yan Ziming knew that Ye Qianxue's jealousy had slightly spilled out, so he rubbed her cheeks and teased her.

Suddenly, her vision blurred, and Yan Ziming felt an undeniable gaze fixed on her back. It contained no hostility, but rather a warm and comforting feeling.

Turning her head, she saw a pair of eyes as big as her face looking at her. These eyes were filled with the spirit of all things, like a clear pool of water, without a trace of dirt, and like a blazing sun. Yan Ziming even had the thought of worshipping them, but she extinguished it in an instant.

After staring at each other for about ten seconds, Yan Ziming tentatively called out, "Xiao Ze?"

"Meow--"

It was that familiar cat meow to Yan Ziming, but it felt incredibly out of place.

It was one thing before, since it was really big, almost like a fat cat, and its meows were quite fitting. Now it's become so majestic and imposing, and it's still meowing.

This is similar to a scene where a burly man with thick eyebrows raises his fist and punches your chest while shouting, "Waaah, you're so mean, I hate you so much~~", which almost shattered Yan Ziming's worldview.

"Calm down... I need to calm down... Just treat it like a big cat."

"Meow......"

"Damn, this won't do! It sounds so sad!" Yan Ziming couldn't stand it anymore: "Xiao Ze, can you be a little more domineering with your name!"

"Roar--"

As soon as Yan Ziming finished speaking, Xiao Ze let out a low roar, which was deafening to Yan Ziming's ears and made her head spin. She was quickly supported by Ye Qianxue.

"That's more like it... After feeding you so many good things, it would be abnormal if your strength didn't improve..."

Since we found Xiaoze six months ago, it has been exploited a lot, but it has also given us a lot in return, and we have given it all sorts of good things.

In particular, it swallowed the entire crystal core of the sea serpent. Although Yan Ziming and the others took a lot of it, there was still plenty left, which is why it had been dormant for so long.

This sleep lasted for nearly three months, the longest Xiaoze has ever slept. It would be unreasonable if his strength didn't make a qualitative leap.

Yan Ziming wasn't surprised at all. After carefully examining Xiao Ze, he said with satisfaction:

"Xiaoze, with your current strength... if we're talking about the level of mutated species, you should at least be S-rank, right? Hmm! We've got a pretty good henchman."

S-rank, which is equivalent to the seventh rank in human terms, is a filter. Those with true talent can rise rapidly, while the rest are all eliminated, placing them at the very top of the pyramid of thousands of superhumans.

What are the differences between humans and mutant species?

The answer—superpowers, and physical attributes.

Humans excel at using superpowers in combat, while mutated species rely entirely on their own destructive superhuman bodies, possessing advantages that their opponents cannot obtain.

Their respective combat capabilities are fundamentally balanced, each occupying areas that the other cannot reach.

However, the innate skills possessed by S-rank or higher mutated species have disrupted this delicate balance. This is a mysterious power similar to superpowers, or, if you had to describe it, a 'domain' that can amplify the mutated species.

The existence of innate skills allows S-class mutated species to make up for the areas they have never been able to establish themselves in to a certain extent. This type of mutated species is often very powerful in combat. For example, "Lei Yu" killed by Yan Zimo is the most typical example.

If it weren't for the difference in their ranks, Yan Ziming, at the seventh rank, would have had a tough time dealing with "Lei Yu".

However, even with talent and skills, one can only make up for the lack of expertise in this field to a certain extent.

The true auspicious beast Qilin is capable of manipulating the five elements, equivalent to five innate skills, or even more, and its combat power cannot be described as ordinary S-rank.

It's important to know that even among S-class and above mutated species, only about 5% possess innate skills, and they all only have one innate skill, without exception.

Xiao Ze is different. As a Rui Shou Qilin, he controls the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Any one of them is more powerful than his innate skills and allows for more variations. Not to mention all five, their combined power is even greater, and they might even be able to fight across different levels.

"So you've shaken off the Scorpion, right?" Yan Ziming asked.

She did her best to lure away the SSS-level venomous scorpion, and she almost died tragically from its pincers. She also nearly dragged her younger sister, Ye Qianxue, into the mess. If it were to run back, Yan Ziming would have no choice but to accept the consequences.

"That's right, Xiaoze runs incredibly fast! Maybe even faster than Qianxue!"

Ye Qianxue drew a large circle with both hands to describe Xiaoze's escape speed. Perhaps feeling embarrassed, Xiaoze grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Only then did Yan Ziming sense something amiss.

—Ozawa was carrying them on the highway, yet there wasn't a single bump. His clothes and hair didn't flutter in the wind, and there was no air resistance whatsoever, as if they were traveling in a vacuum.

This must be a wonderful application of the power of the Five Elements...

"If we get another sequence-level crystal core, I wonder how much Xiaoze can improve?"

"Roar......"

"Huh? It's useless now? We can only improve by constantly fighting and fighting?" Yan Ziming asked in surprise.

Xiao Ze nodded, then growled a few more times to explain to Yan Ziming why.

In short, these creatures, born from the blessings of heaven and earth, can also be called 'celestial spirits'. In the early stages, they have almost no combat power, and their main role is to act as mascots.

Reaching S-rank, or even the seventh rank, which marks a watershed moment in their life stages, is the true beginning of their growth path; the preceding stages are merely a preparatory process.

At this stage, crystal nuclei play a negligible role in their growth, and the same applies to obsidian. Only by relying on its own continuous breakthroughs can it gradually transform into the highest realm.

"That's a real pity... It's such a rare opportunity for me to acquire so many obsidian crystals." Yan Ziming sighed, accepting the fact with no other choice.

In the shadows, a petite figure stared at Yan Ziming and Ye Qianxue, who were chatting and laughing. Her blood-red eyes reflected the foreground and held a hint of slyness.

"I didn't expect to escape without me lifting a finger... Well, I'd better not see her for now, I'll save it for a more impactful moment~~ Besides, she's coming too."

After saying that, the petite figure glanced at the blue-purple light that had begun to illuminate the horizon, then completely disappeared into the darkness.

Xiao Ze, who was carrying Yan Zimo and the others, seemed to sense something and looked behind him, but only saw nothing. A hint of doubt flashed in his bright eyes.

The next moment, lightning struck from the sky to the ground in the distance, and the thunderous roar connected heaven and earth. The thick fog that had not yet dissipated in the south collapsed directly, revealing a vast world of thunder!

Liu Mengxian, we've arrived!

Chapter 122 The Sky Is Beyond Reach

—North of District 7.

As the most intense battleground in District 7, the fighting here has been closely watched, but the thick fog persists, illusions abound, and all sorts of strange and unusual things emerge.

"Roar--"

A long, deep roar resounded, greatly affecting the vast sea of ​​fog, causing it to continuously collapse and disintegrate, only to be filled with even more dense fog in the next moment, endlessly.

Even those observing through a screen were all shaken by the roar, their blood churning and their heads spinning.

If we were any closer, we might have been shaken to death!

And they recognized the person who made that roar; it was none other than the main force of this battle, Marshal Yan Shan of China!

Through the mist, one can vaguely see a colossal beast with the head of a dragon and the body of a deer standing on the earth. It has antlers on its head, a tail shaped like a dragon's tail, and is over two hundred meters tall. Its strong and muscular body gives people an unparalleled sense of awe when viewed from afar.

However, this terrifying primordial behemoth looked solemnly at the sky, its rolling, ferocious power sweeping in like a majestic mountain range, suppressing all directions.

Mountain Kirin!

This form truly embodies Yan Shan's supreme combat power at the Rank 1 level, and only in this form can he unleash his Rank 1 strength.

Around him were ten beings like chaotic demonic shadows, each possessing an aura that surpassed that of countless others—pillars of the nation, super-powerful beings!

Among them, three are from China: Mu Mu, Huang Tao, and Mo Sheng. If we include Yan Shan, who is at the Sequence level, then there are four of them. Together, they could easily destroy several third-world countries overnight.

Of the other seven, two each from the United States and Russia, and three from the European Union, a total of ten ninth-rank individuals appeared here to surround and kill the shadow in the sky that was even more terrifying than the mountain qilin.

From its appearance, the giant beast in the sky has the body of the Chinese Eastern dragon, with four legs, five claws on each leg, five pairs of whiskers on its head, and shimmering blue-gold scales like armor. It breathes out towers and pavilions, soaring through the clouds.

Auspicious signs descended upon it, seemingly representing a divine will; its dragon eyes were like the sun and moon, outshining all the world's brilliance.

Mirage Dragon—Qing!

The siege has been going on for some time now. If you look closely, you can see that almost all of the ten ninth-tier warriors are injured, and even the sequence-level mountain qilin has blood flowing from its body, which shows how fierce the battle is.

The one with the most serious injuries almost died, but was fortunately saved by the mountain qilin in time, otherwise the situation of the encirclement and killing would have completely collapsed.

In contrast, the mirage dragon in the sky only had a few scratches on its blue-gold scales, with about a hundred scales curling up, but no blood flowed out, and its aura still dominated the heavens and the earth.

"This guy... his repair speed is too fast!" Mu Mu teleported behind Mo Sheng and said in a deep voice.