Huang Di and Umbra, Reunion and Competition

  With his newly acquired ability to fly, Huang Di could now cover dozens of kilometers in mere minutes. He swiftly arrived at the region once ruled by Arachne, the Black Widow. The area, which had previously been confined to the surface, now spanned tens of kilometers, with the spiderlings spreading throughout the forest. Without a leader to impose order, they had become disorganized, yet remained a growing threat, one with the potential to overtake half the forest within a few months.

  The actions of Huang Di and Umbra in eliminating Arachne had triggered an internal struggle for dominance among the remaining spiders, raising the question of who would claim leadership over that vast army. But Huang Di left that matter for another day, his focus was on the present.

  Unfazed by the threat of rank 1, 2, and 3 beasts, he entered the cave, following the path that led directly to the Black Widow’s former nest. As he advanced, he felt waves of fury and unrest from the spiders directed at him, likely sensing that he was the one responsible for their mother’s disappearance. Left unchecked, this tension could soon erupt into a full-scale assault.

  Still, Huang Di remained calm. He knew that any attempt to invade a human settlement would end in failure. The only nearby village was inhabited by beings powerful enough to exterminate all the spiders with ease.

  As he drew closer, Huang Di felt his connection with Umbra intensify, along with a surge of anger. “Seems like his breakthrough wasn’t easy either. He must be upset that I wasn’t by his side during the process. The situation is far from ideal, but there’s nothing I can do now. I’ll just hope for the best,” he thought.

  Upon reaching the entrance to the cave, Huang Di came across the lifeless body of the Spider-Man he had left as a sentry. He reflected:

  “It seems Umbra’s breakthrough alarmed the beasts, making them suspect that something had gone wrong in the nest, that the queen was in danger. The remaining guards probably came to investigate and found this one. He tried to fulfill his duty until the end, following my orders… but he paid the price with his life. Judging by the state of the body, this happened just as I sensed Umbra’s advancement. Luckily, I arrived in time.”

  Inside the cave, Huang Di was met with a stunning sight: a towering Umbra, now six meters long and four meters tall, boasting a pair of wings and a strange golden exoskeleton layered over his skin.

  “He’s basically doubled in size… and gained new abilities,” Huang Di mused, astonished.

  Summoning his grimoire, Huang Di analyzed the updated information on Umbra. Three new abilities were listed, two that had just been added, and one that had previously been hidden: Absorption, Golden Exoskeleton, and Phantom Claw.

  “Absorption and Golden Exoskeleton are passive… Phantom Claw is clearly an offensive technique, and long-range. I can already see both the exoskeleton and claw in action. Umbra’s tearing through the defenses of the Spider-Men with ease. He used to struggle against their poison… but now, it’s like he’s shredding paper.”

  The Absorption ability caught his attention in particular, especially since it had only now been revealed:

  “This skill is unreal… It allows him to absorb one of his enemies’ abilities with a 1% chance after devouring them. That explains the exoskeleton, probably inherited from Arachne, whom he must’ve consumed during the past month to assist with his evolution. And the best part is that this ability can still be upgraded. Too bad he can’t share passive abilities with me. This one would be incredibly useful...”

  As he pondered, Huang Di watched Umbra joyfully flying through the air, unleashing attacks upon rank 5 beasts that dared to challenge him.

  “I suppose it’s time I scored a few points with him too,” Huang Di thought.

  In the blink of an eye, he sprang into action, diving into the fray. With swift and precise strikes, he began taking down the Spider-Men at a rapid pace. Seeing this, Umbra growled in protest and intensified his own assault, transforming the moment into a full-blown friendly competition, a contest between brothers-in-arms to see who could slay the most eight-legged beasts.

  Huang Di and Umbra, Alliances and Wagers

  After eliminating half of the enraged Spider-Men, the remaining half scattered in retreat, leaving Umbra and Huang Di alone. The two exchanged glances and laughed at the situation, realizing their compatibility was stronger than ever. On a whim, Huang Di approached Umbra and gently stroked his back. Umbra, unsure of his intentions, shifted just as Huang Di tried to mount him, sending the young man crashing to the ground.

  Umbra stared at Huang Di with a serious expression and responded telepathically:

  “No… no… no… not.”

  Huang Di was surprised to realize that Umbra was now capable of forming complex words, a stark contrast to the simple and fragmented thoughts he had previously communicated. This evolution to a higher rank had significantly enhanced his telepathic capabilities.

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  “Why not, my friend?” Huang Di asked.

  Umbra responded promptly:

  “My friend, not your slave. My cultivation partner, not your mount.”

  The response, though simple, was direct and revealed deep understanding. Huang Di smiled, recognizing Umbra’s stance.

  “I understand. Don’t worry. If one says no, there’s no reason to argue. Anyway, I’ve learned a new technique, take a look.”

  With that, Huang Di began levitating inside the vast cavern, flying in all directions. Umbra, seeing this as a challenge, took off as well, using not only his wings but also his newly mastered ability, Phantom Step. Even without wings, Umbra could fly using this technique, but when combined, it made him even faster and more fluid than Huang Di. Moreover, Umbra’s energy expenditure was far lower, as beasts naturally possessed superior energy reserves compared to humans, one of the inherent advantages of his clan.

  Not wanting to embarrass himself, Huang Di congratulated his companion on advancing to rank 6. After several minutes of flight through the cavern, Umbra noticed Huang Di had grown tired of the game and gave him a smug glance. Huang Di simply smiled and began walking toward the cave’s exit, followed closely by a visibly excited Umbra.

  As they walked, Huang Di commented:

  “So, my friend, I believe you’ve grown quite a bit stronger, haven’t you? We’ve only got a few days left before my evaluation test begins. While you were advancing to rank 6, I fought a beast of the same level. It ended up dying… from overeating.”

  “Hmm…” Umbra looked at him with curiosity.

  “We need to train our teamwork. Apparently, there are still two more rank 6 beasts in this small dimension.”

  Huang Di proposed:

  “The idea is this, either we each face one separately, or we team up to take them both down. What do you think?”

  Umbra responded confidently:

  “Piece of cake. I used to fight those when I was weaker. Now, they’re nothing. Let’s split up and conquer. Whoever finishes first gets the spoils.”

  Huang Di was taken aback. Umbra’s communication was improving by the minute, expressing himself with clarity, and even a touch of provocation. Huang Di realized he needed to rethink what he knew about beast intelligence.

  Umbra continued:

  “Looks like we’re somewhat compatible… but I wonder if you’ve got the guts to place a bet.”

  “A bet? On what?” Huang Di asked.

  “I like that shiny thing on your finger. If I win, I want it.”

  “What do I get in return? That’s a valuable item,” Huang Di countered.

  “I’ll let you ride me. But only for long journeys.”

  Huang Di considered for a moment, then responded:

  “Deal.”

  With a mischievous grin, Umbra said:

  “Since I’m faster, I’ll give you a head start. I’ll take the South, you go West. I think the West is closer, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?”

  Huang Di noticed the provocation. He knew the western beast had already been located, while the southern region had yet to be mapped. Umbra was clearly trying to mock him if he lost, despite the apparent disadvantage.

  Even so, the two agreed to finalize the details of their wager in the morning. Only a week and a few hours remained before the deadline for Huang Di’s test. As it was now three in the morning, they decided to rest for the night.

  The Duel Between Huang Di and Umbra

  Huang Di and Umbra returned to the cavern, leaving behind the enraged Spider-Men, who were powerless to retaliate. Huang Di stored Umbra within his grimoire to let him rest. Although initially reluctant, Umbra eventually conceded, albeit still somewhat disgruntled. With a moment of peace, Huang Di was able to clearly analyze the gains from his recent victories, including the treasures from the bunker.

  The rank 6 items and equipment were among the most valuable he had acquired: dimensional rings, beast cores from rank 6 and lower, as well as black iron cores also of rank 6. The remaining items could be sold, many were useless to him, but held significant historical or commercial value: paintings, artifacts, sculptures. Huang Di believed he could earn a substantial profit, but that would have to wait until he completed the trial and left that place.

  What concerned him most was time. In two weeks and a few hours, the entrance to that space would be teleported elsewhere. That raised important questions, how would he return in the future? And would it even be worth doing so? He already had nearly everything he needed. If he defeated the two remaining bosses, he would extract the most valuable resources. The only thing left would be the black iron mining, which would require a dedicated team. But how could he bring people there? The doubts swirled in his mind like a tempest of emotions.

  Realizing he was straying from his focus, Huang Di punched himself hard in the leg, leaving a visible imprint of his fist on his thigh. He then learned that, despite his enhanced defense, it still hadn’t surpassed his own strength. After calming down, he resumed his meditation and began refining his Qi, now fueled by a great volume of ordinary energy. He needed to channel and consume that energy to absorb the metal Qi within his body.

  With his acquired knowledge, he began and completed the process successfully. Through the night and into dawn, he fused the metal Qi with his ordinary energy, balancing the forces within. He was a single step away from reaching level two of the Earth rank but chose to delay the breakthrough, he didn’t want to face the trial on an unstable foundation.

  The recent battles against rank 6 beasts had helped solidify his newfound power. He knew there was still one final challenge before the test. Thus, at six in the morning, Huang Di and Umbra gathered to discuss the rules of their competition.

  It was agreed that they would travel together to the lairs of the remaining beasts, but only one of them would engage each target. Time would be counted from the moment they entered the combat zone, and victory would be achieved once the beast was either defeated or rendered irreversibly incapacitated.

  Umbra, ever prideful, insisted on going first, he believed himself to be the strongest and didn’t want to hear excuses. He claimed that, by going first, he would give the second contender the chance to win, if they could slay their opponent in less time.

  They flew together toward the south, quickly arriving at the designated area. The timer would begin as soon as they entered the zone, so the hunt itself would count toward the final time.

  Umbra took the lead in the search. From above, they observed a desert-like region, with a large dead tree at one end and a dormant volcano on the other. After twenty minutes with no sign of the beast, Umbra began to grow restless. Though he could sense its presence, he was unable to pinpoint it. Half an hour passed, and Umbra, now impatient, cast a suspicious look at Huang Di, as if suspecting he had been tricked.

  Seeing this, Huang Di laughed and said:

  “Giving up already, my friend? We both know something is here. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”

  Umbra still eyed him with distrust when, two kilometers away, the sand began to shift. A massive worm, one hundred and twenty meters long, surged from the surface as if gasping for air, and just as quickly began to burrow once more.

  In that moment, both Huang Di and Umbra confirmed it: that was Umbra’s target. But now, Huang Di wondered how exactly his friend would overcome such a beast.