97: Combat power exceeded 460

Shen Xiaochuan did not speak after landing.

The Shadow Wolf's corpse was still emitting black smoke, and he stood in place panting, his right hand hanging low, with electric light faintly flickering at his fingertips.

That blow just now had consumed a great deal of energy; he had only recently obtained the Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor and had not yet fully mastered it.

He walked toward the Main Hall, his footsteps slightly heavy.

The old injury on his shoulder throbbed with a dull pain, as if something inside his body was pulling at it.

The Thunder Force inside him was moving in a chaotic manner, and every breath brought discomfort.

The door behind him closed quietly.

Lilith walked out from the side hall carrying an account book, and upon seeing him drenched in sweat with unstable breathing, her expression changed immediately.

"Are you injured?"

"It's nothing." Shen Xiaochuan waved his hand. "Go to the kitchen and have Lilia prepare something to eat."

"What would you like?"

"Two types of excellent grade exotic beast meat, eighty catties each. Also, prepare some food that can suppress spiritual energy; anything will do."

Lilith turned and left immediately.

She knew that Shen Xiaochuan's appetite would greatly increase after every battle.

Last time, when he returned after slaying the Canglan Tiger, he had eaten two hundred catties of roasted meat in one sitting.

Shen Xiaochuan walked behind the screen and took off his work jacket.

The copper gear pendant hanging from his cuff had a thin crack; he glanced at it but paid it no mind.

He had worn this item since he was a child, and even though it was damaged, he had never thought of replacing it.

He stepped into the bathroom, where hot water had already been prepared.

As soon as he soaked in, his tense muscles slowly relaxed.

The scene of jumping off the city wall appeared in his mind—lightning gathered in his palm, the armor appeared suddenly, and the Shadow Wolf was knocked flying.

The recoil force of that blow still made his bones ache faintly even now.

Currently, this skill could only protect his upper body, and the duration was only three seconds, which was far too short.

His proficiency was still low, and he needed to use it more to improve.

After finishing his bath and coming out, his hair tips were still dripping.

He changed into a clean work jacket, and just as he sat down, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Lilia walked in carrying a large tray, followed by Lilith, both of them carrying food.

Six tables were quickly filled, piled high with mountains of meat, and next to them were deep purple roots and bluish leaves, emitting a slightly pungent smell.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Clearing-Fire Grass and Thunder-Patterned Potatoes," Lilia replied. "Eating too much high-energy exotic beast meat can easily cause internal heat; these help to stabilize spiritual energy."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded and reached out to grab a piece of meat, tearing into it.

A thick chunk went down with one bite, and after chewing a few times, he swallowed it.

Grease flowed from the corner of his mouth down to his neck; he wiped it away casually with the back of his hand and continued eating.

The second plate contained dark brown tendon-rich meat, which was harder to chew.

His cheeks gradually grew sore, but the more he ate, the clearer his mind became.

With every swallow, the Thunder Force inside his body surged.

By the third round, his body began to heat up, and there was a sensation of movement beneath his skin, like warm water flowing through his blood vessels.

He put down his hand, closed his eyes, and focused.

His combat power value was climbing.

It was not a slow increase, but a series of leaps.

System notifications kept popping up:

[combat power Breakthrough 400]

[combat power Breakthrough 420]

[combat power Breakthrough 450]

Finally, it settled at—

[Current combat power: 460]

The attribute panel refreshed accordingly.

Strength, speed, and spiritual energy had all increased, but the most significant improvement was in defense.

The protective effect of the Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor had changed from "temporarily triggered" to "pre-loadable"; with just a thought, the armor could cover his upper body within half a second.

The changes had not yet ended.

The growth rate of faith points also increased significantly.

Previously it was +1 per second, and now it had become:

+3! +3! +3!

[S-rank passive talent "+1 faith point per second" evolution complete]

[New effect: Gain 3 faith points per second]

[Current total faith points: 1,582,700]

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes and exhaled gently.

That breath was mixed with electric sparks, crackling softly in the air.

The Believers he could summon also changed accordingly.

In the past, it was limited to combat power below 30, but now the range had expanded to 30–35.

Although still low-tier, the overall strength had increased.

"That is enough," he said.

Lilith and Lilia were cleaning up the empty plates.

Only leftover bones and vegetable scraps remained on the tables; all six tables had been cleared.

"You two go and rest," he said.

The two acknowledged him and exited the room.

As she closed the door, Lilia couldn't help but look back.

Shen Xiaochuan was sitting under the lamp, his aura already different—his eyes were calm, his posture steady, as if he were a different person.

The room returned to silence.

Shen Xiaochuan leaned back in his chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table.

faith points increased automatically, adding 9 points every three seconds, like a background program running stably.

He brought up the System interface to check available resources.

Before he finished looking, a new message suddenly popped up.

[White Snow Princess message: Ji Boduan has been dealt with; the body was dumped in the northwest wasteland valley, with no one to collect it. The intelligence is confirmed; he was hoarding foreign tokens in the southeast mines, intending to lure the enemy into the city.]

Shen Xiaochuan stared at this message for three seconds.

He recalled the last time Ji Boduan came to the Main Hall.

That man had been bowing and scraping, claiming that the mine's output was fluctuating and requesting more manpower.

At the time, he should have been suspicious, but because he was in seclusion to Cultivate the Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor, he did not investigate further.

Now that the person had been brought to justice, the truth was revealed.

"Well handled," he replied.

After the message was sent, the room became quiet again.

He raised his palm, and lightning slowly gathered in his palm.

This time, the light was more stable, and the color was no longer pure white, but revealed a faint purple hue.

The Thunder Force had already achieved Fusion with his body, no longer causing rejection.

The old injury on his left shoulder no longer hurt either.

When the Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor was in operation, the Thunder Force would automatically repair damaged areas, as if clearing his meridians anew.

He stood up and walked around the room twice.

His steps were light, and his body felt as if it had been reshaped.

combat power 460 was not the end, but merely a starting point.

faith points were growing rapidly, and there were more resources to exchange.

The next step was to recruit stronger Believers and prioritize reinforcing the defenses outside the city.

While he was thinking, the System popped up another notification:

[Summonable Believers range updated]

[Selectable targets: combat power 30–35, initial loyalty value adjustable]

[Suggestion: Prioritize recruiting those with basic combat experience]

Shen Xiaochuan noted the information but did not act immediately.

The number of Believers was already quite large, and management still needed optimization; it would be safer to expand after the command System was upgraded.

He walked to the window and pushed it open a crack.

The sky outside was already bright, and patrol soldiers were walking back and forth on the city wall.

The morning market in the city was starting, and pots and pans were clanging.

Everything was as usual.

But he knew that everything was already different.

He was stronger, had more faith points, and his means were more abundant.

The Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor could withstand one fatal attack, giving him more tactical options.

In the future, he would not have to fight head-on against enemies; perhaps he could try taking a hit first and then look for an opportunity to counterattack.

He closed the window and returned to the table.

Just as he sat down, the terminal vibrated again.

[White Snow Princess new message: Are you there? There is one more thing.]

Shen Xiaochuan clicked it open.

[You said you wanted to investigate who had contact with Ji Boduan. I checked the records and found that he met with a gray-robed person last week. Their face was covered, but judging by their gait, they should be from the East District.]

His finger paused on the screen.

The East District was the old city area, home to a large number of early Awakened.

The order there was chaotic, and it was a mix of good and bad people.

Some sold intelligence, some operated black markets, and others secretly worked for outer gods.

A gray-robed person...

Just as he was about to reply, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Lilia poked her head in. "Karl is outside and says he has an urgent matter to report."

Shen Xiaochuan looked up: "Tell him to wait a moment."

He turned back to the screen and continued typing: [Pull up that person's movement route; I want to see the whole thing.]