"You already possess all the conditions necessary to become a true powerhouse,"
Admiration glimmered in her eyes.
"Your talents surpass mine, you hold strong principles, and you are a womanizer, always coveting me yet never ingratiating yourself to me without limits..."
As she spoke, Ren Mian’s expression was filled with allure, as if she were seducing.
Ji Xinghuo’s old face blushed slightly.
"Love without a basis of interest is not solid. Talent, principles, love along with the exchange of benefits are enough to ensure that you are willing to give me the Alien Species of the plant origin," Ren Mian stated confidently.
"How do we exchange?" Ji Xinghuo asked curiously.
"Of course, it’ll be a fair trade,"
Ren Mian gently stroked the ring on her left hand’s pale middle finger, crafted from silvery white metal, robust and inlaid with a multifaceted gemstone, radiating a subtle energy glow.
She took the ring off, and it floated toward Ji Xinghuo’s hand.
"This ’Light Ring’ is my most valuable treasure, Apocalypse Two Stars, from one of the most powerful nations of the Star Realm, the ’Star Spirit Empire’."
"It comes with an ’Ether Resonance’ effect."
"Wearing the Light Ring allows you to directly absorb light energy and convert it into the energy your body needs, eliminating the need to eat or breathe, and you only need to drink a small amount of water to survive. It can also use light energy for physical recovery, maintain body temperature, and even allow survival in outer space."
"The Light Ring can generate a ’Light Blade’, a pure energy weapon, although only 20 centimeters long, it is extremely sharp and can easily cut through titanium alloy."
Ji Xinghuo listened, dumbfounded. Equipment of Apocalypse Two Stars, that was extravagant!
He put the Light Ring on his right middle finger and immediately felt his Ether Sensitivity become much stronger.
He originally had two Ether Resonances, and now with the ring, he had three.
Star Power recovery immediately accelerated.
Ji Xinghuo instantly knew that he could directly control the ether energy floating around him!
A transcendent feeling surged into his mind. It was quite dim in the Underground City, but he was still able to absorb some light energy, converting it within his body, warm and fulfilling, with a continual supply of energy, never again feeling hunger.
He clenched his right fist, his thoughts shifting.
A translucent blade shot out from the gemstone on the ring, only 20 centimeters long and about two fingers wide, the entire blade made of faint flowing light, extremely stable, yet emitting no heat.
Ji Xinghuo casually swung it, leaving a thin mark on the trunk of a nearby tree.
When cutting, he barely felt any resistance.
Ji Xinghuo was astonished; the sharpness of the Light Blade was only slightly inferior to the Purple Lightning Sword.
After all, the Light Blade was an energy blade, whereas the Purple Lightning Sword was a tangible high-frequency blade.
Maintaining the Light Blade consumed Star Power, five points per second.
It would consume 300 points per minute, a substantial amount. However, it clearly wasn’t the correct usage of the Light Blade but instead to be summoned unexpectedly in close combat to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy.
Watching Ji Xinghuo retract the Light Blade, Ren Mian asked, "How do you like the Light Ring?"
Ji Xinghuo took off the ring.
An Apocalypse Two Stars equipment, although very powerful and well-suited for oneself, still could not compare to an Eclipse Species.
Ren Mian immediately declared solemnly, "Besides the plant prototype, I’ll give you the rest of the Mutants, along with this Light Ring."
"Moreover, once I have fused with the plant prototype, I might have a chance to obtain the ’Green Spirit Holy Leaf,’ a rare expansion item effective even for Shepherd Star Saints, increasing one’s fusion opportunity. If I manage to obtain it, I will share a piece with you."
Ji Xinghuo was deeply shaken.
The higher the rank of a Mutant, the rarer and harder to find the expansion items become.
The Green Spirit Holy Leaf, usable even by Saints, demonstrated its immense value, certainly not inferior to a Star-falling Species.
Although this was just a promise and might not be fulfilled, it sufficiently showed her sincerity.
Seeing that he had not responded, Ren Mian was not impatient.
"I have no more treasures," she said with a smile, "Xinghuo, don’t be too greedy."
"Sister Ren, you have plenty of treasures, hehe..."
Ji Xinghuo’s gaze swept over her, he touched his chin, and a playful smile appeared on his face.
"You’re asking for death!" Ren Mian glared at him, pretending to make a move.
"Ah, I’m just joking."
Ji Xinghuo quickly begged for mercy, threw the Mutant he held into her hands, and announced, "It’s yours now, the plant prototype."
Ren Mian caught the Mutant, relieved.
Indeed, this trade hadn’t yet reached her bottom line; she could offer more if Ji Xinghuo still didn’t agree, only needing to add other items.
As for turning hostile and snatching it, this thought briefly crossed Ren Mian’s mind but was instantly dismissed.
She knew Ji Xinghuo wasn’t so ruthless; turning hostile would be a losing proposition.
A deeper reason was that Ren Mian wasn’t sure she could defeat Ji Xinghuo; she had come to realize that she could no longer see through this man.
Ji Xinghuo, unaware of her thoughts, was nevertheless very impressed; Sister Ren had a precise grasp of both his situation and psychology.
The plant prototype did not match well with him. While it would be valuable to another Mutant, particularly one who worked as a Plant Witch for the sake of an Eclipse Species, it wasn’t particularly attractive to him.
He found the role of Electromagnetic Dominator far more appealing!
These two Professional Templates were also in conflict, and giving the plant prototype to Ren Mian would allow its greatest potential to be realized.
He slid the Light Ring onto his right middle finger, and it instantly turned invisible, blending into his skin.
"Now I have three rings."
The Stealth Ring and Acceleration Ring were won on his left hand, and now he had added a Light Ring on his right.
He looked at his hands, finding three rings a bit too many.
"Next time I return to Earth, I’ll give the Acceleration Ring to my second brother." The Acceleration Ring came with Ether Sensitivity, high-frequency thinking, and agile footsteps—none of these effects were useful to him anymore, but they were perfect for his brother, Zhong Ming.
Ren Mian securely packed away the Mutant. "Once the Vine Banyan Complex is dead, the monsters nearby in the underground will soon discover the leaderless territory of the Underground City. We need to leave quickly before we are surrounded by monsters."
"Alright." Ji Xinghuo also packed up the other Mutants.
He picked up Ren Mian and flew towards the passage of the Underground City.
The entrance of the passage had been blasted shut by Qian Lv, but Ren Mian used plants to pry open a gap, and the two quickly passed through, leaving the vast Underground City behind, plunging back into darkness and silence.