144: Smelt all bacteria and rebuild the gold core

Xu Jingzhe gave her a wicked smile, his snow-white teeth carrying a hint of lewdness.

Goosebumps rose on Avril's skin, and she hurriedly hugged her exposed body, saying, "What, what do you want to do?"

"I'm not fully recovered yet, my waist isn't in good enough shape to exert force."

"You're supposed to be my wife." Xu Jingzhe curled his lips and joked on purpose, "What are you shy about?"

"I, I'm not shy. It's, it's just that I'm not ready. This kind of place... it's not, it's not convenient." Avril blushed, a rare sight.

"Oh, forget it. I have no interest in your body."

"However, I am very interested in the Old Art you learned. I am formally notifying you now: you are under arrest. If you want to live, hand over your Old Art." Xu Jingzhe said very seriously.

Avril reached out and placed her palm on Xu Jingzhe's forehead, saying, "You don't have a fever."

Xu Jingzhe countered with a grab, pinning her to the ground, and said, "Do I look like I'm joking with you?"

"Ouch, ouch, ow, ow..." Avril cried out in pain, anxious, and said, "Are you even a man? How can you be so rude to a beautiful woman?"

"If, Avril, one of the Eve Five Princesses, were to appear naked in the Pollution Zone, I suppose... Eve City might lose face."

"And if I were to find a few vines to tie you up and lead you around like that..."

Xu Jingzhe turned evil, his mind drifting to the rope art techniques of a certain country.

Avril's chest heaved with anger. If this kid actually did that, and it got out, it wouldn't just be her losing face—the entire family and Eve City would never be able to hold their heads up again.

"I didn't expect you to be such a shameless person!"

"A gentleman views beauty as nothing, how can you call that shameless?" Xu Jingzhe let go of Avril and said, "Teach me."

Avril had no choice. She reluctantly stood up and said, "Attack me."

Although Xu Jingzhe used the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea body art, he didn't use the energy within his body; he only used its form.

The two of them began to exchange body arts right there in that chaotic place, forgetting everything around them.

The more they fought, the more shocked Xu Jingzhe became. Every move and stance of Avril's flowed like water, delicate as drizzling rain, penetrating everywhere. She started from the details, like melon vines entwining, interlocking tightly with lingering aftereffects.

Just when you were tangled and agitated, all her power would gather and suddenly erupt with astonishing force.

The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea body art was open and imposing, incredibly fierce and powerful. It focused on overcoming ten skills with one force, with no concept of "burst" because every strike carried massive strength, capable of splitting mountains and overturning seas.

If these two techniques were merged together, it would be seamless. Beneath the fierceness, subtle dark energy would be hidden, and when it erupted, it would be impossible to defend against.

Half an hour later, Avril truly had no strength left and clamored to rest.

Xu Jingzhe ignored her and stood to the side, practicing the technique alone.

Avril watched from the side, marveling at Xu Jingzhe's talent for the Old Art. When she fought him before, she had felt the tyranny of his punches; a single punch could crush even her physical body, which was truly monstrous.

Now that the two were combined, there were no flaws.

After Xu Jingzhe studied and polished it alone for an hour, he stood by the small stream and sighed deeply; his pollution core was shattered, and the energy he could mobilize within his body was less than half of what it used to be.

When using the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea body art, its power was also only half of what it was before.

This wasn't even the most important thing; the most important thing was that he couldn't use his ability, Time Stop, as the energy in his body couldn't support it.

His overall strength was only equivalent to a Contaminator of about fifteen years; if he encountered someone with a slightly stronger ability, he would have to run.

"Um... could you help me find some leaves to make some clothes to cover up?" Avril said.

Xu Jingzhe shook his head and flatly refused, "I don't believe you'd teach me the Old Art so easily. You still need to spar with me for the next two days, starting from the beginning, practicing over and over again."

"If the moves are different from before, don't blame me for tying you up and 'showing you off' everywhere."

Avril bit her lip in anger. When had she ever suffered such indignity!

Blood was leaking from the corners of Xu Jingzhe's mouth again, and this time, half of it was golden blood. As his body gradually recovered, what flowed out was the essence of the Golden Contamination Core.

The morning sun rose in the east, and Xu Jingzhe stood up and looked into the distance.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious or what stage the competition had reached, but given his current state, it was right to go to Tark City later.

"Let's continue." He said to Avril.

Even though Avril was incredibly reluctant, for the sake of her family's and Eve City's face, she had to continue sparring.

When hungry, they ate acorns; when thirsty, they drank stream water.

Another day passed, and Xu Jingzhe became increasingly proficient in the Old Art that Avril had taught him.

System: "Ding, it's over... the pollution core actually cracked."

"You're awake." Xu Jingzhe said, "Is there a way to salvage the pollution core?"

System: "Ding, there is a way, it's just a little bit difficult."

"How do I fix it?"

System: "Ding, smelt myriad bacteria, recreate the Golden Contamination Core."

"Tell me in detail."

System: "Ding, just devour ten thousand types of bacteria that are over a thousand years old. Regardless of whether you looked down on them or not before, as long as they have survived for over a thousand years, they are a great supplement for you now."

"It just so happens that in the Pollution Zone, the one thing you have in abundance is bacteria that have survived for a thousand years."

Xu Jingzhe breathed a sigh of relief. Having a way to fix it was better than being helpless. Ten thousand types of bacteria it is.

He was the one who had made it this far by relying on bacteria, after all.

Another day passed, and Xu Jingzhe confirmed that the Old Art Avril had taught him was correct. Only then did he make her a piece of tree-bark clothing for simple coverage, and the two set off.

Without food and water, they couldn't cross the desert and could only climb over mountains and ridges.

"Hurry up. The competition lasts for a total of a month, and I estimate we've already wasted about ten days." Xu Jingzhe urged Avril.

He didn't know if she had completely given up on self-healing or was just sightseeing, but she was walking at a leisurely pace.

"What are you rushing for? We've already eaten the food and water of the Pollution Zone, we have no medicine for treatment, and we've lost the map. It's practically the same as being dead."

"Instead of rushing around like a headless chicken, it's better to enjoy the scenery and eat and drink our fill. At least we won't be hungry ghosts." Avril held a bright red fruit in her hand.

Its appearance was similar to an apple, but when you took a bite, it exploded with juice in your mouth, and it was incredibly sweet.

"Try a bite, it's very sweet?" Avril said.

"I'm not eating." Xu Jingzhe stood on high ground, looking into the distance at the stretches of mountains and dense forests, feeling a bit lost.

He really didn't know how to get to Tark City.

Just then, a sound came from the distance, moving from far to near.

Xu Jingzhe climbed down from the large rock and came to Avril's side. Her body was severely damaged, with many fractured bones yet to recover, and her combat power was only equivalent to a Contaminator of three or four years.

However, her physical body was not weaker than Xu Jingzhe's, and ordinary attacks were useless against her.

"Oh ho, there's a beauty here."

"Holy crap, that's exciting, only wearing tree bark?"

"This kid isn't bad either, wearing leaves, deep in the mountains and forests, hehehe..."

There were three people in total, staring maliciously at Avril's fair thighs, swallowing their saliva, their lewd gazes scanning her up and down.

They rubbed their hands together and slowly approached.