Who gave you permission to travel through time with Earth?

"What's the biggest problem facing Grandpa Xu Hao? He can't find any of your people, and his wings are being clipped little by little by those ambush tactics. It's so troublesome."

"But I had the chance to hop on the fast track and go straight to the top with you guys, saving me from so many boring detours. Don't you think... I'm pretty lucky?"

Fang Jin said with a smile that this was exactly what he wanted, this was what he had been planning from the beginning, and now that all the preparations were complete, the next task... was actually the simplest and most straightforward.

He slowly raised his hands from his pockets, his heart pounding like a drum, a bright, turbid current filling his body, and light red burn marks gradually appearing on his skin.

"Haha? Lucky? Aren't you just setting yourself on a dead end, even thoughtfully locking yourself in jail?"

Jing Xiu chuckled to himself; the scene seemed utterly ridiculous. Fang Jin's painstaking efforts had indeed yielded results, but... that was contingent on him reaching the breakout zone alive.

"The preset time is fifteen minutes, and there's probably about half left. I'm quite curious, if all that ends up on the chessboard is a pile of minced meat... how are you going to complete your grand plan?"

Jing Xiu remained confident. After all, no matter how useless the iron shield was, their passage through the tavern was an open secret, and the six cups of poisoned wine must have been drunk by the kid in front of him.

He had experienced the effects of those drinks firsthand; the first four cups were enough to make an ordinary person drunk to death, not to mention the last two cups, which were indeed poisonous water that could corrode the intestines.

Players below the second tier will die instantly upon contact. Players at the second tier with high martial arts might be able to barely withstand it, but it will inevitably lead to serious injury and dizziness. Although Fang Jin looks normal, how much combat power can he actually maintain?

Moreover, even if Fang Jin is still at his peak... why should he be afraid of an unknown nobody?

"..."

"The Wind and Sand Decapitate Barbarians."

A few grains of sand fell from his sleeve, and Jing Xiu's body instantly disappeared from the spot. The Howling Moon Slash, which he had been preparing for a long time, slashed down from the sky, and the mottled wolf fangs were about to bite off Fang Jin's head!

"That was decisive."

Fang Jin smiled and praised, but his body leaned backward at an angle powerful enough to snap his waist. The blade's energy was just a hair's breadth away from his face, and Jing Xiu's dazed expression happened to fall into his eyes.

"Unfortunately, it's not very useful. Do you really think my informant would be so stupid as to forget to tell me about something as important as teleportation skills?"

The characteristic of [Body Control] was revealed at this moment. Even Fang Jin had not expected that this passive skill would be so useful in actual combat. All the body's movements could be executed according to his wishes.

He leaned back and braced himself on the ground, tightened his waist to gather momentum, and then kicked his legs upwards like spring-loaded cannonballs, with a large amount of dense, hot white smoke rising from his legs!

"clang--!"

Jing Xiu was unable to move in the air and could only passively defend himself by holding his long sword horizontally. Then, a loud bang erupted just inches away, and he felt as if he had been hit head-on by a train!

A tremendous force was transmitted from the blade to his wrist, and his hands and the blade together let out a mournful cry of unbearable strain! His body even stumbled backward several steps, and when he landed, his legs were a little sore and trembling.

"you……"

He was stunned and tried to look up, but Fang Jin had already rushed in front of him, her crimson fist slamming into his abdomen from below with a loud thud! Jing Xiu's body, which was off the ground, was instantly jolted back up by the impact!

Fang Jin chewed on the candy, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up into a smile. Since the banquet was upgraded, this was the first time he had let loose and fought to his heart's content. This feeling was more stimulating to his nerves than the alcohol!

"What are you standing there for? I've only just warmed up!"

[Skill: Forge Mode (40%)]

[Rank: No upper limit (increases with the upper limit of the talent 'Star Eater', current level 20)]

【Feature 1: "Overheating": Using chaotic and disordered heat energy, the player's physical functions are pushed to the limit. The closer the body is to overheating and collapsing, the stronger the power it can unleash.】

【Characteristic 2: "Energy": Consumes the body's heat source to replenish physical strength and vitality. The furnace can contain energy beyond lava; as physical fitness increases, other substances can be projected.】

[Conditions: 1. Star Eater, 2. Never-ending overheating]

[Note: Dude, don't get yourself cooked... but if you do, remember to serve yourself.]

Skill growth potential is divided into three categories: non-upgradeable, upgradeable, and unlimited, representing the upper limit of different skills' potential. Unlimited potential is undoubtedly the most valuable of them all.

Most skills with no upper limit are fundamental abilities that extend from the talent inherited itself. They become more powerful as the talent is refined, but they can also hit a bottleneck as the system becomes stagnant.

After Fang Jin stabilized Earth and became a Star Eater, the Furnace Mode became the first awakened skill with no upper limit. While its drawbacks were significant, its advantages far outweighed them.

Not only did it push his already superior physical body to a higher level in a short time, but the harsh internal environment also enhanced his resistance to anomalies. From a six-dimensional perspective, these two aspects were particularly outstanding.

This includes poisons and alcohol.

"Damn... he's completely unaffected!"

Jing Xiu cursed angrily. He had already suffered serious injuries when he clashed with Xu Hao and the others in the second chessboard. Now, almost all of his newly scabbed wounds had reopened, and the pain made his eyes bloodshot!

He staggered back to the corner, bit his thumb, and quickly smeared the blood on the scabbard. The dark scabbard glowed with a blood-red light, and the sword inside trembled slightly.

Jingxiu's sword was just an ordinary iron bar, but the scabbard was a cursed piece of equipment he obtained in a certain swordsman dungeon. Jingxiu had not yet been lucky enough to obtain the demonic sword that was paired with it.

Even so, the scabbard itself possesses various special properties, so his swordsmanship mostly revolves around the technique of drawing the sword, with very few pure slashing techniques.

At this moment, Jing Xiu offered his blood to the scabbard, signifying that he was sacrificing a portion of his lifespan in exchange for the fastest and purest strike. The sword inside the scabbard was on the verge of shattering due to the immense pressure!

"You bastard surnamed Fang, go to hell!"

Iron Shield finally came to its senses, its mask spraying grayish-white smoke, and both triggers fully activated! Countless cannons, gathering all the heat from its body, roared and pounced towards Fang Jin!

Fang Jin was too lazy to pay him any more attention. He also stretched out his hands, the molten liquid surging and roaring under his skin! He directly grabbed those hot and dense cannon muzzles, squeezing the hard metal tubes until they deformed!

"ah……!"

He then grabbed the iron shield and threw it at Jing Xiu, who was poised to strike by the wall. He then hid behind the shield, leaped three or four meters, and followed closely behind.

The two unleashed their strongest moves almost simultaneously!