Besides doubling the space, there were no other new abilities.
The opening channel of the Dimension Stomach was originally the size of a palm, and after upgrading, it expanded by a third, still very small without any qualitative change.
Ji Xinghuo was somewhat puzzled.
The Rotating Magnetic Field was only a Transcendent Ability, gaining new powers with each upgrade, while the Dimension Stomach was a Star Fall Ability, which seemed quite ordinary after upgrading.
Only then did he understand that the differences between abilities were too great and there was no fixed rule.
The grade of an ability was not the only standard for measurement.
There were still 29,090 points of Spiritual Origin Ability.
"I can’t use all of it," Ji Xinghuo thought, "I always used to run out of Spiritual Origin Ability, so I used as much as I had. Now that I have a surplus, I can save some for newly fused abilities."
"I can still reap quite a lot next, so there’s no need to keep this much."
"I’ll use some more."
Ji Xinghuo chose two abilities that didn’t cost much to upgrade, [Thunderbolt Hand (Fourth Level 78/2833)], [Star Force (Third Level 303/1567)], and invested over four thousand points of Spiritual Origin Ability to upgrade both Thunderbolt Hand and Star Force by one level each.
The interface updated to: [Thunderbolt Hand (Fifth Level 1/10333)]
[Star Force (Fourth Level 1/7717)]
After the upgrades, the might of both abilities improved significantly, but since it was inconvenient to test them now, Ji Xinghuo had to give up on that.
He then upgraded Qing Hong’s "Gravity Mutation" and "Spirit Smell," consuming over 3,600 points of Spiritual Origin Ability.
21,388 points remained.
Ji Xinghuo decided to stop upgrading.
His strength was sufficient to protect himself in the upcoming battle. Upgrading too swiftly, he had many things he hadn’t had the chance to explore and adapt to.
After the battle, if he could save up to a hundred thousand points of Spiritual Origin Ability, he would upgrade both the Rotating Magnetic Field and the Electrostatic Field by another level.
A Fifth Level Electromagnetic Field wouldn’t just be more powerful, it should also have new abilities!
All morning, Ji Xinghuo followed the Highlander army on a crazy dash of over two hundred kilometers, resting only once. By near noon, the next target to attack wasn’t far, but unexpectedly, the Biao Clan settlement took the initiative to strike.
Over a thousand of the Biao Clan were lying in ambush behind a relatively low hill, and as the Blood Fury Tribe’s army was passing by, halfway through, they launched their attack.
Because the hill was far away and the Biao Clan had masters adept at creating illusions, He Yan and the Highlanders’ scouts did not detect them.
Ji Xinghuo had noticed it long ago but didn’t reveal it.
Thus, an encounter battle began.
The strength of both sides varied too greatly, and despite the Biao Clan being the initiator of the attack, once the Highlanders stabilized their formation, they immediately counterattacked.
Ji Xinghuo didn’t exert much effort, he and the mercenaries together repelled the enemy.
The battle lasted half an hour.
The Blood Fury Tribe won again, but at a considerable cost.
Nearly two thousand Highlanders died, almost as many as in the previous battle, while the Biao Clan were completely wiped out, with a casualty ratio of one to two.
The mercenaries lost more than twenty members.
Ji Xinghuo and his two companions came through unharmed. In this battle, he gained more than 24,000 points of Spiritual Origin Ability, nearly doubling the figure on the interface!
After the battle, over a dozen Red Emperor Blood Crystals were produced.
He Yan collected the Blood Crystals, all stowed away in the hide pouch he carried with him.
Leaving the battlefield, He Yan led the army to the Biao Clan settlement, which was found to be already deserted, so the only option was to burn and destroy it.
The march that followed was continuously troubled.
The Biao Clan changed their strategy, splitting into many small-scale teams, launching attacks every so often. There were also Legendary Biao Clan single-handedly charging into the Blood Fury Tribe’s army, slaughtering many without engaging He Yan directly, killing a few then promptly withdrawing.
There were also Biao Clan assassins skilled in hiding, constantly harassing and stealthily killing along the way.
He Yan did not just sit by and wait for death.
Among the Highlanders were assassins proficient in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, whom he dispatched in waves to seek out and lay ambushes for the Biao Clan. Both sides came and went around the marching route, each having wins and losses.
Ji Xinghuo’s Electromagnetic Induction mastered the movements around him.
But he kept quiet about it.
Silently observing these followers of the Red Emperor play their deadly games, it was just regrettable that many died too far away for him to absorb their Spiritual Origin Ability.
When night fell, He Yan chose a valley to camp in and arranged a tight schedule for night watches and Patrol Teams.
The Biao Clan’s assassination harassment didn’t stop.
When they set off again into the starry night, after ten hours of camping, their numbers had dropped by another three to four hundred.
Of course, the Biao Clan left behind many bodies as well.
Whether Highlanders or mercenaries, all were mentally prepared and no one shrank back.
Advancing amidst death and blood, upon reaching the pre-set third Biao Clan settlement, they found the enemy had already withdrawn.
Even the Biao Clan themselves had burned down the settlement.
Looking at the black smoke rising amidst the mountains, He Yan’s face showed no emotion as he ordered, "Accelerate the march, head straight for the Red River Giant Peak."
Everyone understood what was happening.
The Skull Crusher Tribe had retreated to the Red River Giant Peak, where they intended to gather their forces and fight a decisive battle against the Blood Fury Tribe.
Shortly after daybreak.
A vague and vast mountain shadow appeared on the horizon. As they drew closer, the contours of the peak became gradually clearer. It could be seen that it was a giant peak, standing like a pillar between heaven and earth. Even in the many highlands of the Bloody Plateau, such tall mountains were not common, standing out like a crane amongst chickens.
Even from over a hundred kilometers away, one could still see the sunlight reflecting off the snow at the peak of the mountain.
Marching toward the Giant Peak, a great oppressive feeling hit them head-on, the closer they got, the more they could feel its grandeur and awe.