The five High-Grade Spirit Stones felt like miniature suns in Lâm Minh's possession, thrumming with an almost overwhelming concentration of pure Spirit Essence.
He knew these were not to be used lightly.
Their energy was far more potent and volatile than the Low-Grade stones he was accustomed to.
Attempting to absorb one without proper preparation or sufficient foundational strength could be dangerous, potentially even damaging his meridians.
He retreated to the most secure and secluded location he could find – an abandoned, sub-basement maintenance tunnel beneath a derelict pre-invasion government building.
It was deep, dark, and unlikely to be disturbed.
Here, he spent a full day in meditation, calming his mind, circulating his existing Qi, and preparing his body for the influx of powerful energy.
He reviewed the Qi Refining cultivation manual provided by the System, focusing on techniques for absorbing and refining highly concentrated Spirit Essence.
When he finally felt ready, he took out one High-Grade Spirit Stone.
It glowed with an internal, pure white light, its surface smooth and cool to the touch.
With a deep breath, he began the absorption process.
The moment the stone's energy entered his system, it was like a dam bursting.
A torrent of incredibly pure, potent Qi surged through his meridians, far exceeding anything he had experienced before.
It was exhilarating but also immensely painful, stretching his energy pathways to their limits.
He gritted his teeth, focusing all his willpower on guiding the flood, refining it, and directing it towards his Dantian, which felt like a tiny cup trying to contain an ocean.
The process was arduous.
Hours passed in a blur of intense concentration and barely suppressed agony.
Several times, he felt like his meridians would shatter, but the resilience gained from his previous cultivation and the inherent quality of his Heaven Tier Spiritual Root (though still mostly sealed) allowed him to endure.
When the energy from the single High-Grade Spirit Stone was finally absorbed and integrated, Lâm Minh was drenched in sweat, his body trembling with exhaustion, but his Dantian pulsed with an unprecedented power.
The quality and density of his Qi had undergone a profound transformation.
[Cultivation Progress: Qi Refining Stage – Late Phase (20% progress towards Peak Completion).]
[Spiritual Root: Heaven Tier (Sealed – Stage 1/9 Unsealed). Progress to unseal Stage 2: 60%.]
[All existing skills significantly enhanced due to Qi purity and density.]
[Qi Sense (Intermediate): Range and clarity further improved. Can now faintly perceive the 'intent' behind strong emotional auras.]
[Qi Infusion (Intermediate): Objects can be imbued with greater power, capable of damaging reinforced materials. Physical strikes carry significantly more force.]
[Shadow Step (Basic): Duration and effectiveness increased. Can blend into shadows with greater ease.]
[New Qi Refining Stage Skill Unlocked due to high Qi purity: Cleansing Flame (Initiate) – Allows the generation of a small, highly concentrated flame of pure Qi capable of incinerating toxins and impurities. Can be used offensively against uncultivated or weakly cultivated beings, or defensively to purify.]
Late Phase Qi Refining!
And a new skill: Cleansing Flame.
He experimented with it, conjuring a tiny, intensely white flame on his fingertip.
It radiated a pure, almost holy heat.
This could be incredibly useful, not just for combat, but potentially for dealing with the contamination of Crimson Dream or other Madakaros toxins.
The progress on unsealing his Spiritual Root was also substantial.
One High-Grade stone had done more for him than dozens of Low-Grade ones.
He spent the next few days carefully absorbing the remaining four High-Grade Spirit Stones, each session a grueling but ultimately rewarding ordeal.
By the time the last stone was depleted, he had reached a new peak of power within the Qi Refining realm.
[Cultivation Progress: Qi Refining Stage – Peak Completion (100%). Ready for Foundation Establishment (Foundation Establishment) breakthrough when conditions are met.]
[Spiritual Root: Heaven Tier (Sealed – Stage 1/9 Unsealed). Progress to unseal Stage 2: 95%. A significant trigger or catalyst is required for full unsealing of Stage 2.]
[Cleansing Flame (Initiate) upgraded to Cleansing Flame (Adept): Flame is larger, hotter, and more controllable.]
[All other skills further enhanced.]
Peak Qi Refining. He was on the cusp of Foundation Establishment, the realm where Madakaros warriors could easily dispatch grizzly bears.
While he knew his human physiology and adapted techniques might not grant him that exact level of raw power immediately upon breakthrough, it was a monumental step.
His current strength, speed, and sensory acuity were far beyond that of any ordinary human, and likely surpassed most low-level gang enforcers or even standard ASEAN soldiers.
The only thing holding him back from attempting the Foundation Establishment breakthrough was the System's note: "when conditions are met." He suspected this meant he needed a specific catalyst, perhaps a particular type of Spirit Essence, or a moment of profound insight or danger.
His newfound power gave him a much-needed confidence boost, but it also underscored the terrifying capabilities of the Maka Legion agent he was hunting.
If this was the power of Peak Qi Refining for a human with a top-tier spiritual root, what was a Động Hư realm Madakaros capable of? The gap was still astronomical.
He resumed his surveillance of the Skulls, now with significantly enhanced abilities.
His Qi Sense could map out their patrols and strongholds with startling clarity.
His Shadow Step allowed him to move through their territory like a ghost.
He quickly identified Breaker's main haunt – a fortified section of a derelict parking garage – and began to observe the comings and goings.
The Skulls were still on a rampage, but their initial fury was giving way to a more organized, if still brutal, consolidation of power.
Crimson Dream flowed freely, and the number of dangerously unstable Dreamers was increasing, making entire blocks near the Rust Market no-go zones for ordinary citizens.
One evening, while observing Breaker's garage from a high, shadowed perch, Lâm Minh witnessed something that made his blood run cold.
A sleek, black, unmarked ground vehicle, its windows tinted to an impenetrable darkness, arrived at the garage.
It bore no official markings, but its design was advanced, far beyond typical civilian or even most ASEAN military vehicles.
Breaker himself, flanked by his toughest lieutenants, came out to meet it, his usual arrogant swagger replaced by an uncharacteristic, almost subservient, deference.
A figure emerged from the vehicle – tall, cloaked, their features entirely obscured by shadow and a wide-brimmed hat.
Even from a distance, Lâm Minh's Qi Sense recoiled from the aura of this individual.
It was cold, alien, and suffused with a power that dwarfed his own Peak Qi Refining by an unimaginable degree.
It wasn't just strong; it felt… wrong. Like a void.
Maka Legion, Lâm Minh thought, his heart hammering.
Or their direct intermediary.
This had to be the Skulls' supplier, the source of Crimson Dream.
The cloaked figure didn't stay long.
A few crates were exchanged – presumably Crimson Dream for whatever currency or service the Skulls provided.
Then, the figure re-entered the vehicle, and it sped away, disappearing into the city's chaotic sprawl.
Lâm Minh knew he couldn't follow that vehicle; it was too fast, too advanced, and the occupant too powerful.
But he had seen the supplier.
He had felt their terrifying presence.
This was the entity Commander Trinh was truly after.
He immediately reported his sighting to Yan.
The news caused a significant stir.
"A cloaked figure, exuding immense power, meeting directly with Breaker…" Yan relayed Trinh's reaction.
"This aligns with her worst fears. The agent is not just supplying; they are directly managing their human assets. This makes them far more dangerous and harder to isolate."
Trinh ordered an immediate increase in surveillance on Breaker and any further appearances of the black vehicle, but she also cautioned Lâm Minh against any direct engagement with the cloaked figure.
"You are to observe and report only, Minh. Confronting that entity with your current strength would be suicide."
Lâm Minh knew she was right.
But the encounter had lit a fire under him.
He needed to break through to Foundation Establishment.
Desperately.
The opportunity, or rather the dire necessity, came sooner than he expected.
A few days later, a frantic, coded message reached him through one of Hạnh's contacts.
It was from Hạnh herself.
"Minh! Trouble. Big trouble. Cường and Tuấn… they got snatched. By the Skulls. Breaker thinks they were involved in your raid. He's… interrogating them at the garage.Heard he's making an example. You need to… if there's anything…" The message cut off abruptly.
Lâm Minh's blood turned to ice.
Cường and Tuấn captured.
Breaker "interrogating" them.
That meant torture, and a slow, brutal death.
They were his crew, his responsibility in a way.
He had brought them into this.
He couldn't abandon them.
His loyalty to his comrades warred with Trinh's orders to avoid direct confrontation.
But looking the other way was not an option.
Not for the Lâm Minh who had seen too many friends die in his past life.
He contacted Yan immediately. "Hạnh's crew, Cường and Tuấn, have been taken by Breaker. He's torturing them at the parking garage. I'm going in."
"Minh, no!" Yan's voice was urgent, alarmed.
"That's a suicide mission! Breaker will have the entire garage fortified. You can't take them all on, even at Peak Qi Refining! Trinh's orders were clear!"
"Orders be damned," Lâm Minh said, his voice cold steel.
"They're my people. If I don't try, they die. And Breaker will just get bolder."
"At least wait for support! Trinh can mobilize a tactical team, but it will take time!"
"They don't have time," Lâm Minh stated.
"I'm their only chance right now."
He knew this was reckless.
He knew he was likely walking into a death trap.
But the thought of Cường and Tuấn suffering at Breaker's hands ignited a cold fury within him, a desperate resolve.
This was it.
The "significant trigger or catalyst" the System had mentioned for unsealing Stage 2 of his Spiritual Root, and perhaps even for breaking through to Foundation Establishment.
The crucible of battle, the desperation of saving his comrades.
He checked his gear: his Qi-infused crowbar, the remaining tranquilizer darts, his knives, and the small vial of Cleansing Flame he could now manifest.
It wasn't much against an entire gang stronghold.
But he had something else: the burning power of Peak Qi Refining, a lifetime of combat experience, and a desperate, unyielding will.
"Yan," Lâm Minh said, his voice a low growl.
"Tell Hạnh to stay put, stay safe. If I don't make it back… tell her I tried."
He cut the connection before Yan could argue further.
It was time to pay the butcher's bill. He was going to storm the Skulls' stronghold, alone.