Chapter 245 - 184: Behind Every Piece of Pure and Auspicious Jadeite, There Is a Pile of Bloody Syringes

System: "Detected one Tier One Mutated Creature—a Red Lymphadenoma Salamander."

With a flash of Sword Qi, Li Xiang killed it, earning him 10 Achievement Points.

He walked over and picked up the dead Red Lymphadenoma Salamander to observe it closely. Although its name sounded pretty disgusting, the creature was actually quite beautiful. It was also known as the "Red Doll Fish" and "Doll Snake." It looked similar to a common lizard, but it had no scales. Instead, there were three rows of fleshy lumps along its vibrant, colorful back, giving it a higher "ornamental value" than a regular lizard.

’It’s just a shame my warehouse can’t carry living things,’ Li Xiang thought. ’Otherwise, it would have been nice to capture it alive and keep it as a pet. I could build a glass rainforest terrarium in my living room and put this little guy inside. I just wonder if it’s legal to keep this kind of pet in the country.’

’But it’s probably illegal.’

’I still have too few Achievement Points,’ Li Xiang lamented. ’It’s just not enough!’

Li Xiang had been sweeping through the mountains from dawn until sunset, and in all that time, he had only harvested a little over five thousand Achievement Points and some three hundred Spiritual Medicines. It was actually a huge haul, but it was nowhere near as great as his harvest in the Mao Lan Karst Nature Reserve in Qian Province.

That was because the reserve had many large, natural caves filled with bats—nest after nest, thousands upon thousands of them. Confined within the caves, they had been easy to hunt.

Li Xiang’s plan was to increase his current Extreme Speed to around 3 Mach. That way, while keeping his heart rate stable, his "cruising speed" could reach about 1.5 Mach.

After all, burst speed couldn’t be maintained. Sprinting all day would be exhausting, damage his body, and consume an immense amount of Spiritual Power. He’d then need to consume Spiritual Medicine to recover, which felt like a "waste."

’A "cruising speed" of 1.5 Mach is equivalent to 1,837.62 km/h. At that pace, I could run for five or six hours a day without much effort and cover around ten thousand kilometers. If I threw in the occasional sprint or burst of speed, my daily distance would be even greater.’

’However, such high speeds place great demands on the body’s physical durability. The "Giant Power" Inscription not only boosts strength but also increases that durability. Right now, my strength is about ten to fifteen tons. If I can increase that to thirty tons, my body should be durable enough to withstand an Extreme Speed of 3 Mach and a cruising speed of 1.5 Mach.’

So, why did Li Xiang set his first minor goal at 3 Mach?

This was because no existing fifth-generation fighter jet on Earth could exceed 3 Mach. A jet that could surpass 3 Mach but remained below 6 Mach would be considered sixth-generation.

Of course, the standards for a sixth-generation fighter weren’t limited to just speed; there were many other metrics, but it served as a good reference point.

There are currently three top fifth-generation fighters. First is the Eastern Great Power’s J-20, with a supersonic cruising speed of Mach 2.5 and an afterburner speed of Mach 2.8.

Second is America’s F-22, with a cruising speed of 1.5 Mach and an afterburner speed of 2.25 Mach.

Third is Russia’s Su-57, though strictly speaking, it’s only a 4.5-generation fighter. Its engines are much weaker than the other two, and its airframe is larger and heavier. Obviously, its supersonic cruise capability can’t compare to the F-22’s and definitely doesn’t reach 1.5 Mach.

A fighter jet’s cruising speed is its most fuel-efficient speed without engaging the afterburners. For Li Xiang, this was equivalent to the running speed he could maintain without redlining his heart rate.

Li Xiang’s current Extreme Speed was only 1.5 Mach, and he had to stop and rest after running for just seven or eight minutes. Otherwise, his heart rate would spike, and his body wouldn’t be able to take it. His "cruising speed" was around 900 km/h, equivalent to about Mach 0.7.

’I can’t even outrun a fifth-generation fighter. This speed is nothing to be proud of.’

’Besides, I can’t even fly. I can only run on the ground or skim along at low altitudes, while a fighter jet can soar at over ten thousand meters.’

Li Xiang did a quick mental calculation. To upgrade the "Giant Power" Inscription to thirty tons of strength would require 150,000 Achievement Points. Upgrading the "Divine Movement Technique" to an Extreme Speed of 3 Mach and a cruising speed of 1.5 Mach would require another 300,000. That totaled 450,000 Achievement Points. His current balance, however, was only around sixty-six thousand. He had a long, long way to go.

’I’m so broke!’

Moreover, that 3 Mach target was based on the stacked effect of two "Divine Movement Technique" Inscriptions. If he only used one, he would be even slower. This was the advantage of having two "Divine Movement" Inscriptions—it was equivalent to a fighter jet’s "twin-engine" setup, with two engines working in tandem.

For lunch and dinner, Li Xiang ate dry rations: chocolate, crackers, beef jerky, Spicy Strips, regular fruit, Spirit Fruit, and Spirit Wine. When you’re out in the field, you just have to make do.

He had a large stock of dry rations in his system warehouse, especially Spicy Strips—he’d bought several boxes. He had to have a few every day. Their numbing, spicy, savory flavor and chewy texture were simply divine.

’The store-bought ones are a bit unhealthy, though,’ he thought. ’I’ll make my own at home when I have time. As long as you choose good ingredients, they can be clean and hygienic, not junk food at all.’

Eating Spicy Strips is awesome. Always eating Spicy Strips is always awesome.

’What? Eating spicy food causes hemorrhoids? Other people might get them, but I definitely won’t.’

Hemorrhoids are caused by prolonged sitting or standing, which leads to swollen, congested veins in the lower rectum and anal canal. They are classified as external, internal, or mixed. In severe cases, they have to be manually pushed back in after a bowel movement and frequently cause bleeding, pain, and itching—a truly unspeakable suffering.

It’s said that nine out of ten people have hemorrhoids. Just as Yunnan Province is legendary for treating mushroom poisoning, the proctology departments in Sichuan and Chongqing are legendary in their own right. In truth, spicy food isn’t a direct cause—it won’t create hemorrhoids out of thin air—but it can easily trigger a flare-up or make existing ones symptomatic.