“Hah… Hah…” Jiang Xiao panted heavily. His physical fitness was still satisfactory, but his Star Power had been greatly depleted, thus bringing about harsh consequences and a heavy load on his body.

At this time, Blessing was the most effective because the Silver Quality Blessing could change Jiang Xiao's physical state and its effects were also long-lasting.

However, Jiang Xiao dared not give himself a Blessing at all.

After countless experiments, he had proven that his healing was toxic…

Jiang Xiao was afraid that he might die after he gave himself a Blessing.

Any form of distraction might really be lethal.

The Ape Ghouls behind him were still chasing him like wolves, but that seemed to be the only effect of Decoy that could help him.

Another shadow of Jiang Xiao dashed out towards the left and helped him distract the Ape Ghouls by disrupting their hearing.

What to do?

Jiang Xiao murmured, “Calm down and think with your brain…”

Ever since he entered the Nebula Stage, ten Skill Points were required for him to advance by a small level.

With 109 Skill Points, he could advance by ten small levels and plunge straight into the Galaxy Stage!

However, was there a point in levels?

To Jiang Xiao, the increase in level was another form of restoring Star Power and had no relation to combat power at all.

In order to increase his combat power, he still had to improve his swordsmans.h.i.+p.

Using Skill Points to increase his Star Power level was rather exhausting as well. Could he return to Han Jiangxue's side within ten times of restoring Star Power?

When the level of Star Power was increased, only his Star Power would be restored and not his vitality.

In other words, how far could he go by increasing his Star Power and fighting at this speed?

His physical fitness and could not withstand it at all.

Jiang Xiao thought that he was a qualified and satisfactory healer for a high school student.

However, without any warriors and Rules Awakened, how was he supposed to survive?

I've had enough.

I often wish to be called “Daddy”, but now, I really want to slap my unfilial children to death.

Wait a minute.

Jiang Xiao's eyes lit up as he realized that he seemed to have a Star Technique that could help him restore his Star Power and vitality.

Silver Quality Star Technique, Nostalgia!

Currently, Jiang Xiao's Silver Quality Nostalgia could at most allow the rates of restoration and output of Star Power within Jiang Xiao's body to be equal without Blessing's after-effects.

If… it was Gold Quality…

Whatever, my life is the most important now!

Jiang Xiao immediately tossed 30 Skill Points into his fourth silver star slot.

At the next moment, the Big Dipper Star Map began to show on Jiang Xiao's body and the fourth star slot immediately turned gold!

Gold Quality Nostalgia!

Gold Quality Dawn!

Activate!

Without hesitation, Jiang Xiao immediately activated Nostalgia.

All of a sudden, dim golden halos formed beneath the feet of all the Ape Ghouls behind him and on Jiang Xiao himself.

The color of the golden halo was rich, elegant, n.o.ble, and jarringly incompatible with this b.l.o.o.d.y battlefield.

However, Jiang Xiao didn't have time to appreciate these. There was an Ape Ghoul stuck to his giant sword and he hurriedly climbed out of the pit to run forward before tossing out another shot of Decoy.

Whoos.h.!.+

Inside the golden halo beneath Jiang Xiao's feet, a dark gold time scale suddenly appeared almost together with Dawn. At the same time, the halos beneath the feet of the Ape Ghouls vanished!

That was Dawn!

Nostalgia often chased after Dawn.

“It… it's getting better,” Jiang Xiao said as his eyes glistened.

The wooden sword in Jiang Xiao's hand was emitting a faint purple glow while the Ape Ghoul stuck on the blade struggled more violently. It even moved forward with Jiang Xiao's body.

A steady stream of Star Power and vitality surged into Jiang Xiao's body from the blade of the giant sword.

It was no longer a breakeven, his rate of input finally outweighed that of his output!

Gold Quality Nostalgia!

I admire you!

Jiang Xiao clearly felt that when he activated Gold Quality Nostalgia, he would consume greater amounts of Star Power, and the amount of Star Power he needed to sustain the halo was much higher.

However, the amount of Star Power Jiang Xiao absorbed had also increased, and the continuous replenishment was much higher in volume than the output.

Besides, there was also an additional intake of vitality.

For others, the longer they ran, the more exhausted they would become.

However, the longer Jiang Xiao ran, the more energetic he was.

He was like a wild stallion that had broken free from its ropes.

Today, I'm going to prove that the earth is round!

The Ape Ghouls behind me, just you wait. I'll run one round and stab you from behind!

Not only did Nostalgia absorb more Star Power and Vitality, but its range was also expanded from the original radius of 20 meters to 40 meters.

Jiang Xiao did not have the chance to find out what kind of changes the upgraded Dawn would have, but he had already received plenty of power.

Panting heavily, Jiang Xiao slowly felt his physical strength recover and increase. He seemed to have become stronger too, as his pace became more stable.

Of course, that was also because the Ape Ghoul was stuck on the wooden giant sword and not in its normal fighting state. There was no equal exchange of strikes and a single touch shattered everything.

At this time, Jiang Xiao was just like a vampire in full swing as he activated Nostalgia and manically consumed the Star Power and vitality of the Ape Ghoul.

This Ape Ghoul was probably not stabbed to death by the sword. It probably died because Jiang Xiao sucked all of its vitality and Star Power…

It's getting better, everything is improving, the man in me is back!

With a last cry, the look of resentment in the Ape Ghoul's eyes disappeared without a trace and Jiang Xiao could no longer feel the influx of vitality.

It died so soon?

Why didn't you persist for a while longer?

Call yourself a man!

Oh, right, you're an ape.

Jiang Xiao hurriedly tossed the corpse of the Ape Ghoul backward, after which the Ape Ghoul hit another Ape Ghoul that was chasing him. However, there were groups of howling Ape Ghouls on both sides.

While he was in a hurry, he turned around to look at the Ape Ghouls that were catching up. Jiang Xiao immediately panicked and slid.

It was not a standard football tackle. The group of Ape Ghouls could not stop in time and immediately dashed forward, but three of them managed to leap towards Jiang Xiao. But before they could catch up with him, they were already ripped up in the air.

None of the three Ape Ghouls were willing to give in and continued to attack the other Ape Ghouls rus.h.i.+ng forth.

While Jiang Xiao was slide-tackling, his right hand grazed past his waist and he performed some fancy tricks with the dagger before trying to slow himself down by sticking it into the ground.

Whoosh~ whoosh~ whoosh~

The three Ape Ghouls brushed past Jiang Xiao's body and began ripping each other apart before falling heavily onto the ground and constantly rolling about.

Just as the Ape Ghouls flew over Jiang Xiao's body, that second felt as long as a century.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Jiang Xiao saw the b.l.o.o.d.y wounds on the Ape Ghouls and the drool dripping in the air. He could see the brown and black fur flying backward, the beastly and maniacal pair of eyes, and the strong and buff bodies…

Jiang Xiao finally stopped the impact and a part of his clothes was almost tattered and badly torn by the ground.

Still alive?

This operation is over!?!

Who turned off the slow-motion camera?

Jiang Xiao frantically got up.

However, he couldn't run forward anymore because about a dozen Ape Ghouls laid in between him and the signal flare. Jiang Xiao had no choice but to return to the route he took.

Is life that boring?

Is learning still boring?

Is work still hectic, arduous, and mundane?

Brothers and sisters, come to the a.r.s.enal for an experience.

I, Jiang Xiao, will exchange lives with you!

What are you people waiting for?

Hurry and get someone to smack you on the back of your head…

I'll exchange lives with you!

Two Jiang Xiaos appeared again, one on the left and one on the right, after which they split up.

After Decoy disrupted the hearing of the Ape Ghouls twice or thrice, only two of them proceeded to chase after the decoys while most of them charged towards Jiang Xiao.

Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded.

What's going on?

Have they grown? Do they know how to differentiate between real and illusory now?

That can't be, I…

Jiang Xiao was jolted awake. The Star Map!

After several times of catching the decoys, the Ape Ghouls could tell which one was the real Jiang Xiao.

Obviously, the one without the Star Map was illusory and would shatter with just one touch!

The Ape Ghouls had some IQ, after all.

Jiang Xiao hurriedly put away his Star Map and cast another illusory figure of himself, after which they split up and ran in different directions again.

This time, the Ape Ghouls seemed to hesitate.

Indeed, the problem was with the Star Map.

There was no Star Map on Jiang Xiao's decoy while the four star slots that comprised of two gold and two silver were glowing in the internal Star Map of the real Jiang Xiao.

He was not covered in a gilded exterior with big gold chains like a nouveau riche.

The prestigious gold color represented honor!

The hefty silver represented pride!

Seeing the Ape Ghouls run in separate directions, Jiang Xiao felt relieved. He had already decided to distract and set off a group before using Green Glow reasonably and stabbing them at the right timing.

The thrilling battle continued…