Before he finished writing the words "roasted chicken", Xia Yan kicked him away with her beautiful leg.

If Xia Yan was not a girl, Jiang Xiao would have lifted her clothes up and written the words on her back:

Stay loyal to your country!

Hmm…

Although Xia Yan did not step on the halo of Nostalgia and Jiang Xiao didn't give her a Blessing or Bell, the knife wounds on her arm were still healing slowly.

One could imagine how great of a state her body was in now.

Jiang Xiao finally knew where the problem lied. He shouldn't have taken such good care of her in the first place. He shouldn't have given her a Blessing + Bell just because she had sustained a small wound.

At this moment, Jiang Xiao only had something to say to Xia Yan:

I'm sorry, for giving you too much pleasure.

Through the battle, Jiang Xiao estimated that the Star Technique Nostalgia was considered a halo-type Star Technique that also had to be actively activated. It also required more than one activation.

While the halos were continuously activated, Jiang Xiao's Star Power also slowly depleted.

Given the total amount of Star Power that Jiang Xiao had at Stardust Stage Level 9, 300 seconds should be enough to wipe out all of his Star Power.

Of course, since the halo had been activated, he would be able to absorb Star Power from the enemy as long as he continued to attack.

However, the absorption of Star Power was not impressive or excellent. Given Jiang Xiao's current abilities, his absorption couldn't outweigh the rate of depletion.

If he were to be like Xia Yan and strike while the iron was hot…

Well, that was, inserting his sword directly into the corpse that was still warm, he might be able to barely achieve a breakeven.

A break-even meant that Jiang Xiao would not be able to use Nostalgia to replenish his Star Power.

He reckoned that the effect should be better once he upgraded it to Gold Quality.

However, after Nostalgia got upgraded, the rate of depletion of Star Power would increase and Jiang Xiao was unsure of the final effect of this Star Technique.

However, Nostalgia's halo did more than just absorb Star Power because it also allowed the user to absorb vitality. The scene just now was the best example.

More importantly, Nostalgia's halo would also weaken the Star Power and vitality of the enemies.

Hence, in this sense, Nostalgia was still rather useful.

If I earned two yuan, it would be two yuan.

However, I robbed those two yuan from the compet.i.tors.

At the same time, my enemies have also lost two yuan. Hence, the situation would be completely different.

After collecting the Star Beads, everyone continued to move along.

No one used such Star Beads to replenish their Star Power. Hence, there was no such thing as self-sufficiency. As a result, the Star Beads would be sold and the profits would be distributed equally amongst the four of them.

Jiang Xiao had already absorbed the Star Bead of the Savage Sorceress. Hence, he had already gained an advantage.

From the perspective of the team, none of the other three members had any objections, but the Star Beads of the spearmen and female Archers had to be divided equally. Even if Xia Yan didn't bother about that amount of money, she still had to take her fair share.

It was up to her to do whatever she wanted with the Star Beads, be it discard them or give them away.

Everyone in the team had also received significant returns on their investment in Jiang Xiao.

Unlike Jiang Xiao, they didn't need to use Star Power to ensure that Nostalgia continued running.

They just needed to enjoy the thrill of its effects and the ensuing vitality and Star Power that they would absorb.

Even though Han Jiangxue was a remote Rules Awakened, the slightest vitality and Star Power found along the trajectory of the fireball would be returned to its former owner as long as she was within the range of the halo.

The fireball that condensed in Han Jiangxue's hands formed a light purple fog. Hence, the vitality and Star Power that flowed out of the enemies' bodies would also try to find their way to her.

The vitality and Star Power that originally belonged to the enemy would express extreme aversion to the original owner and gravitate towards the ones standing in the halo. Hence, it would find its way to Han Jiangxue.

Jiang Xiao followed the team and continued to move forward. This time, the one fighting alongside him was Li Weiyi.

Meanwhile, Xia Yan and Han Jiangxue walked side by side. Xia Yan stared at her tender arm in misery and carefully scrutinized it, seemingly looking for scars.

She had already made up her mind to pin Jiang Xiao down and carve the Qingming River Painting if he were to do that to her again.

"Before coming here again next time, we'd better go to the snowfield and kill some White Ghouls for their Star Beads." Jiang Xiao suggested while walking.

Han Jiangxue answered in frustration, "Good idea, but we lack time."

Xia Yan looked at her and hurriedly said, "White Ghoul Star Beads can be bought with money. When we go back, I'll get a few bags of them."

The prices of White Ghoul Star Beads fluctuated between 500 and 800 yuan. To Jiang Xiao, those were significant amounts of money.

Besides, why did he have to buy White Ghoul Star Beads?

Since Second Last had already set her eyes on him, he might as well take the chance and make use of this Star Pet.

At the thought of Second Last's first appearance in the Holy Ground, Jiang Xiao began to fantasize about how the flames from the vortex she produced could burn the White Ghoul Witch and White Ghouls into ashes and keep their Star Beads. Wonderful, wasn't it?

Especially when there were no enemies attacking.

To Second Last, the Holy Ground was just like a monster cage where her demands were met.

The snowfield was a low-level training site where high-level Awakened were strictly prohibited from entering.

The Awakened above the Galaxy Stage were not allowed to enter the snowfield and only people like Second Last, who belonged to the national team, could be granted entry.

At the thought of the national team, Jiang Xiao was in a dilemma. Second Last was in a strict regiment and he reckoned that it would be hard for her to get Star Beads for him.

Even until now, Jiang Xiao's Blessing was still of Silver Quality Level 1 (8/10). But it couldn't be helped because White Ghoul Witches were way too rare.

Sigh, it's all my fault for being clueless when I first arrived and accepted the White Ghoul Witch Star Bead that Han Jiangxue gave me.

G.o.d knows when it can be upgraded to Gold Quality.

If I could have another shot… I'd still choose to absorb it.

Duh, Blessing is just like d.a.m.ned witchcraft!

Jiang Xiao had plenty of Skill Points that could allow him to upgrade his Blessing to Gold Quality. However, he would feel the pinch.

After his Star Power level rose to the Nebula Stage, the upgrade of one small level would require 10 Skill Points. During the Galaxy Stage, it would require 100 Skill Points.

His hundred-odd Skill Points did sound like a lot, but he would finish using them in the blink of an eye.

Hence, he felt that it would be better to use them when necessary.

After all, there were four levels in every Star Power Stage and countless people had told Jiang Xiao the cold hard truth of them being stuck at a small level of a certain stage where they could never advance.

Everyone walked all the way to the northwest and slowly discovered that something was wrong. It seemed that someone had already explored this route.

When they set off from the supply point, everyone followed Hai Tianqing's suggestion and chose to travel northwest instead of west.

Although Hai Tianqing didn't mention it, everyone knew that he didn't want them to meet the bald man's team again or take on other dangerous routes, so he chose the Northwest route.

However, the Northwest route was probably already wiped out by the other teams!

The corpses on the ground were not dragged away by the savages and Ape Ghouls, and the charred marks could still be seen on the ground. They could occasionally see a few fallen trees too.

Jiang Xiao also saw signs of the fire extinguis.h.i.+ng. It seemed that the Awakened were decent enough to be afraid of starting a fire?

Jiang Xiao suddenly had a bold idea.

If… he were to set fire on the mountain, would there be Star Beads on the ground after the forest had been engulfed?

Jiang Xiao had no idea if there would be Star Beads all over the ground, but he knew that if he were to do that, he would probably spend the rest of his life in jail.

While he was thinking, the sounds of Ape Ghouls could be heard from the dense forest far away.

Carrying his giant wooden sword, Jiang Xiao turned to look at Li Weiyi.

"It's very far." Li Weiyi then turned to look at Han Jiangxue. "It sounds like an Ape Ghoul."

Han Jiangxue raised her head slightly and began to frown when she heard the sounds of the Ape Ghoul. "It's very likely to be a large Ape Ghoul. The noises are too dense."

Jiang Xiao also raised his head and looked at the sky through the trees and leaves in the forest.

Unfortunately, the scenes that typically appeared in television dramas did not appear. If a bunch of cooing birds was flying around, he would probably feel more emotions.

"Take a detour and go north. We'll attack the smaller groups. Xia Yan, lead the way with Xiaopi. Cooperate well and give us a new formation to follow," Han Jiangxue ordered.

"Okay." Xia Yan pursed her lips and strode forward, appearing rather unhappy.

Jiang Xiao chuckled and said, "Half an hour ago, you were still gazing at me affectionately and loving me deeply."

Xia Yan put her arm around Jiang Xiao and rested her elbow on his shoulder before rubbing his head forcefully. "Remember my words. I'll never fall in love with you for the rest of my life."

Jiang Xiao grabbed her palm and muttered, "A lifetime is so long. Who knows what will happen in the future?"

Xia Yan humphed coldly and exclaimed firmly, "If I lie to you, I'll be a dog!"

Upon hearing her words, Jiang Xiao sighed deeply and thought, Have you any idea that, in my heart, you've long been regarded as a husky.