Xue Jing thought that with the enemy having arranged such a large-scale ambush, complete with electromagnetic pulses and non-human monsters, there would probably be more surprises along the way.
But unexpectedly, the journey was quite peaceful. Under his leadership, everyone safely descended the stairs to the hotel lobby.
The moment they saw the bright lights, everyone couldn't help but sigh in relief.
Never before had they felt so profoundly that humans truly cannot do without light.
"Is it safe? Is it really safe?"
"Thank goodness, let's hurry. I just want to go home. I never want to come to this hotel again!"
"Hold on, we can't be sure we're out of danger yet. First, call our families and the police, let them come pick us up!"
The group discussed excitedly.
The front desk receptionist, who had been yawning due to the lack of guests at the hotel these past few days, suddenly screamed when she saw a figure covered in blood leading a group of people through the stairwell entrance.
"Ah!!"
"What are you screaming for, shut your mouth!" Ye Chenglin, already in a bad mood, couldn't help but scold her harshly upon being assaulted by the noise.
After scolding, he seemed to realize something, and looked at Xue Jing somewhat nervously, but upon seeing that he didn't seem to care, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Ye Chenglin showed a strange expression.
Why did it feel like he was in front of a father...
The scolded receptionist shrank back, covering her mouth and trembling.
Xue Jing approached her, smiled, and said softly:
"Sister, may I borrow your phone?"
His appearance was truly frightening, covered in wounds and blood. The receptionist, making a pained face as if about to cry, reluctantly took out her phone and handed it over to him, trembling as though she was being robbed.
Xue Jing didn't care. After getting the phone, he woke up the screen, dialed the police while thinking:
"So, the range of this EMP was just the banquet hall layer... The hotel lobby isn't affected, no wonder nobody noticed anything strange for so long."
"If that's the case, then the device emitting the EMP must still be upstairs. I'll have the sheriff search for it later."
The emergency services picked up the call, and Xue Jing briefly explained what had happened. The Public Security Bureau took it seriously and said they would send someone immediately.
After calling 120, his injuries, although not severe, also needed some attention, otherwise, he didn't know if the monster's fluid might infect his wounds.
A few other people were injured too, some by the Roach Man, others by their own missteps in the dim escape environment.
After making the calls, Xue Jing handed the phone to Ye Chenglin and others, telling them to call their families one by one.
Once done with these tasks, Xue Jing walked over to a sofa in the lobby and sat down to rest.
The others didn't dare bother him, but they unintentionally moved closer to him, feeling more secure the nearer they were to him.
Xue Jing ignored them and opened the panel.
[You experienced an intense battle, stimulating your body's potential: Fitness Experience Points +1027]
[You tasted victory in the intense fight, leaving you very soothing: Health Cultivation Experience Value +829]
[You gained new insights into sprinting: Running Experience Value +538]
[You acquired a bit of a killing aura, attracting certain groups more powerfully: Charm Art Experience Value +551]
[Your accuracy improved through the intense fight: Aiming Experience Value +518]
[Your understanding of fighting greatly deepened: Fighting Experience Points +1539]
[You learned a new skill and deepened your understanding of Channeling Energy: Channeling Energy Experience Points +1347 (meets specialization requirements)]
[You visualized the true dragon sweeping the Cloud Sea: Meditative Visualization Experience Value +1211]
[Fitness upgraded to Lv7 (135/4500)]
[Health Cultivation upgraded to Lv5 (298/2000)]
[Running upgraded to Lv6 (359/3000)]
[Fighting upgraded to Lv6 (324/3000)]
[Meditative Visualization upgraded to Lv4 (748/1200)]
Even though Xue Jing had been mentally prepared and knew there was a significant reward coming, he hadn't expected it to be this huge!
Just the four-digit Skills Experience Points gain alone, there were a whopping four of them!
A series of bone-cracking sounds erupted from his body, his flesh and tendons writhed ceaselessly, and all his wounds began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His physical condition dramatically improved, the blood that flowed from his wounds was extremely viscous, vividly red, as pure as rubies, almost glowing, and it even faintly emitted a fresh fragrance.
However, Xue Jing didn't focus on the changes in his body, but was staring at the panel that showed [Channeling Energy Lv6 (Option to specialize)].
Option to specialize? What does that mean?
He clicked on [Channeling Energy], and a description immediately popped up on the interface.
[Conditions met, can convert Basic Energy Harnessing into Specialized Energy Harnessing, would you like to specialize?]
"Conditions? Does it mean I have comprehended 'Seal Cloud Tail'?"
'So, does this 'Specialized Energy Harnessing' relate to the Hidden Dragon School's martial arts?'
Xue Jing's eyes lit up; this was another new function of the panel he discovered after the upgrade of [Fitness].
And unlike the insufficient conditions for the upgrade in fitness, this time he could directly [specialize]!
"Specialized Energy Harnessing; it looks far more potent than Basic Energy Harnessing."
Xue Jing didn't hesitate and immediately clicked to specialize.
[Specialization Successful]
[Channeling Energy Lv6 (2080/3000), total 6880 Experience Points, converted to Hidden Dragon Vigor Lv4 (1880/4000)]
Hidden Dragon Vigor!
Xue Jing immediately began practicing the Armor Shaking Skill breathing methods, mobilizing the internal forces of his body to produce power.
An extremely smooth sensation naturally arose.
It was as if a machine that had been operating for years and had rusted was cleaned of rust and freshly lubricated; the power moved freely and smoothly within his body.
At that moment, if someone came close to Xue Jing, they would hear a surging, torrent-like muffled sound coming from inside his body, mixed with an indistinct fine dragon's chant.
It was as if a great dragon was using his body as a river, churning through the waters, freely moving about!
"Yes, Dad, hurry over here, I nearly died here, this must be…"
In the hotel lobby, a young man making a call to his family on his phone suddenly stopped, unable to speak.
Confused inquiries came from the phone's receiver, but received no response.
It wasn't just him, everyone in the lobby, including Pei Tiancheng and a few Dojo Disciples who had trained in martial arts, silently stared at the figure sitting on the couch, their eyes filled with terror and awe.
It was like the ordinary civilians of ancient times, finding themselves in the Golden Throne Hall facing the True Dragon Emperor, an invisible yet tangible pressure making it hard for them to breathe.
A faint golden glint flashed in Xue Jing's eyes, his body suffused with Dragon Qi.
"The ultimate goal of Hidden Dragon School, is to harbor a True Dragon within one's own body, yielding a dragon's chant and grandeur with every movement, possessing the mighty power of a True Dragon!"
"My True Dragon is born here!"
...