As he swallowed the half pill, radiating anger and desperation. In a last-ditch effort, it extended its moss fingers, which now resembled long green poles, to grab the other half of the pill. But Liu Xing's right hand lashed out with a thin lightning thread as big as a needle. The yellow glowing thread sliced through the outstretched moss finger. As the half pill fell to the ground, the moss-fox roared and kicked the ground, taking off like a rocket and leaving a huge cloud of dust in its wake. All that effort for a mere half pill just a few meters away.

Liu Xing whipped his lightning needle again. But, as he did so, a surge of qi exploded from his stomach and coursed through his body like molten rock. The sensation of qi tearing through his muscles, tendons, and bones was agonizing. His skin flushed crimson, as if scalded by boiling water, and the world seemed to slow to a crawl. Liu Xing could see the moss-fox's hand trace a path across the ground, attempting to scoop up the half pill, now just half a meter distant. As time seemed to stretch, Liu Xing realized his body was undergoing a transformation.

Additional Information 4: Records indicate these pills are considered high-quality, though their efficacy diminishes for cultivators of higher realms. Each pill significantly enhances a cultivator's muscles, bones, tendons, and organs, bolstering bodily strength and resilience. Alchemist Zhang Ye, who concocted them, named them Diamond Pills.

Additional Information 5: Diamond Pills also fortify the qi path.

Activating techniques involved manipulating qi flow within these paths. Thus, qi paths were vital to cultivators, and strengthening them directly enhanced a cultivator's power.

As Liu Xing felt his body transforming, he attempted to activate the Exploding Technique. This time, he channeled far more qi into the technique, doubling or even tripling his usual amount. Overloading a technique with qi was typically dangerous. However, feeling his body's transformation, Liu Xing disregarded the risk and activated the Exploding Technique with triple the amount of qi. As the technique ignited and his gun absorbed the technique, a ferocious smile stretched across Liu Xing's face.

"Eat this!"

He fired. Six bullets of brilliant blue light erupted from the gun, hurtling toward the moss-fox. Just as the moss-fox scooped up the half pill, the six bullets slammed into it. Six explosions blossomed, then coalesced into a colossal blast, creating a deafening roar that felt like a bomb detonating in his ears. The ground quaked as if in an earthquake. The brilliant light of the explosion illuminated the spires, and the shockwave obliterated the green mist that had permeated the area.

Seeing the massive explosion, Liu Xing was filled with exhilaration. He had only consumed half a pill, yet the bullets infused with the Exploding Fist technique were devastatingly potent. He doubted anyone in the Lock Opening realm could withstand such an attack. What would happen if he consumed a whole pill? Or even two?

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After a few moments, the dust cloud surrounding the moss-fox dissipated, revealing the creature. Its head was gone, obliterated. A blackened, charred stump of a neck remained, with green blood oozing from the ravaged flesh like magma seeping through scorched earth. Its two green wings and left hand were also gone. Its right hand, which had attempted to snatch the pill, remained intact, but now black, like a branch charred in a roaring fire. Two fingers remained, positioned as if pinching a marble, yet nothing lay between them.

Liu Xing smiled. It seemed the half pill had also turned to dust.

"Looks like I won," Liu Xing muttered. He glanced at his gun, expecting the green strips on its side to glow, but they remained dark and Liu Xing's eyes widened.

The moss-fox was still alive!

As if on cue, the charred neck suddenly bubbled, like boiling water. Green moss erupted, slowly reforming its head. Liu Xing realized the fox was dead, but its cultivation and body now belonged to the moss. As this thought solidified, he saw the remaining charred flesh oozing more green moss, as if its entire body bled green. Then, the moss began to sizzle, as if acidic, eating away at the flesh. The green mist, previously dispersed, suddenly swirled wildly around the moss-fox.

Liu Xing deduced that the moss was abandoning the fox body. The moss's desperate pursuit of the Diamond Pills now made sense. It likely intended to maximize the fox's physical form before fully possessing it. The question of why the fox hadn't consumed the pills, instead guarding them, remained unanswered, and likely would know unless the fox somehow revived. The point was that the moss was abandoning the fox's body, which meant that it no longer needed the diamond pills. This indicated that it was either extremely angry with Liu Xing, which drove it to kill him with all its might, or it wanted to find a new host.

Liu Xing probed the moss's qi and sensed it was stronger, but not overwhelmingly so. Still, caution was warranted; some spirit beasts possessed unique and troublesome abilities.

While the moss continued its transformation, Liu Xing turned and kicked off the ground, scanning for the other pills. He quickly located one nestled in a small hole webbed with cracks. Liu Xing scooped up the pill and, without hesitation, swallowed it. Then, he turned to see the fox body had ceased transforming. Instead of a fox, it now resembled a green humanoid, with a muscular torso and lean limbs. Compared to the fox's physique, its new form was akin that of a runner.

Atop its neck, in place of a normal head, sat a giant green ball of moss, roughly half a meter in diameter. It lacked eyes, mouth, or ears, yet Liu Xing felt the moss was watching him.

As he watched the moss, his body underwent another transformation. The half pill had made him feel like he was boiling inside, but the whole pill felt like thousands of magma needles piercing his skin. White smoke rose from his body. He clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. Agony consumed him, and he knew this process was far from over. The half pill was still wreaking havoc, and combined with the full pill, he felt as if his body was dissolving into magma. Yet, with each wave of pain, he felt his body growing stronger. Adrenaline surged through him, and he felt capable of enduring it.

The swirling green mist intensified, forming a miniature tornado, growing denser and denser. Though it possessed no mouth or eyes, Liu Xing sensed the moss was smiling, like a lion confidently trapping a rabbit.

Liu Xing inhaled deeply. He had consumed one and a half Diamond Pills. While his transformation continued, his body already felt significantly stronger, his qi paths wider and tougher, as if evolved. He was stronger than a moment ago, and now, he had a real chance at victory.

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