Upon reading this, Hu Qi couldn't help but recall the conversation Wang Li and the others had with Helinta earlier.
The two fellows he killed, according to them, were merely the lowest-grade Blood Slaves, not even truly considered Black Blood Species.
And those two Blood Slaves who killed over a hundred people were transformed by that Lower Black-Blood Species, whose whereabouts were unknown.
The thought that such monsters existed in Qirong City made a sense of urgency and lingering fear surge within Hu Qi.
These recent battles had made him realize the benefits of his own strength.
He had originally thought his strength would provide some self-preservation.
But now, after learning the true situation regarding the Black Blood Species, he felt that his current strength was not worth mentioning at all.
If he were to encounter one, he might be completely powerless to resist.
Shaking his head, he temporarily suppressed these useless thoughts and continued to browse the information.
If the Lower Black-Blood Species are so powerful, what about the even stronger Mid-level Black-Blood Species?
Hu Qi's question did not last long; as he flipped the pages with his finger, he found the answer.
“In the thirty-fifth year of the Xi Ya Federation’s establishment, a Mid-level Black-Blood Species named Tayler appeared in Morning Glow City, causing half the city’s buildings to collapse and hundreds of thousands of people to perish.
Ultimately, the Federation deployed several powerful Martial Artists who, in conjunction with missiles, finally managed to kill it.”
Upon seeing this, Hu Qi’s eyelids twitched slightly.
He had heard of Morning Glow City; it was an Earth-Grade city located in the eastern part of the Xi Ya Federation, with a current permanent population of about two to three million.
According to records, seventy or eighty years ago, an unprecedented massive earthquake occurred there, causing countless casualties.
This event was recorded in the Federation’s textbooks; now, it seemed the casualties might be real, but the cause was not as stated.
Instead, it was caused by a Black Blood Species.
At this level, how was it any different from the monsters in movies?
The only difference was that in reality, there were no superheroes to save the world.
No, that's not right, there should be.
Thinking of this, he looked at one of the unfamiliar terms: Martial Artist.
Could this be the name for those extraordinary beings?
With this question, Hu Qi continued to read.
Soon, he found the information he needed.
“Martial Artists are a group of beings who practice Secret Martial Arts, unlock the human Treasure Trove, break through human limits, and continuously elevate their life level.
Their origins can be traced back to the Dragon Abyss Kingdom, with a history spanning several millennia.
Before this, the strongest Martial Artists were only equivalent to a Lower Black-Blood Species in strength, but since the appearance of the Black Blood Species, some kind of anomaly seems to have occurred between heaven and earth, coupled with the excavation of ancient ruins, which led to the discovery of the path forward for Martial Artists.
Were it not for this, relying solely on existing technology, it would be difficult to inflict effective damage on a Mid-level Black-Blood Species, aside from using nuclear weapons.”
His gaze continued downwards; there wasn't much else.
Regarding Martial Artists, the text only briefly mentioned them without much description.
The rest was all information about the Black Blood Species.
As for whether there were even stronger Black Blood Species beyond the upper level, there was no record here; only the last sentence stated:
“These Black Blood Species, which feed on humans, have been investigated, and it can be confirmed that their origin is the Earth Core World, located unknown depths underground.”
“Black Blood Species, Earth Core World, Martial Artists…”
Hu Qi put down his phone and rubbed his temples.
The amount of information he had acquired this time was quite large; he stood up and walked to the window, pulling open the curtains.
In the sky, the ink-blue night curtain had not yet completely dispersed.
A few scattered stars shimmered with faint light, like gems embedded in the deep firmament.
Below, the dim streets were exceptionally quiet at this time, completely empty.
Only the streetlights emitted a faint yellow glow, like a winding golden ribbon connecting the main streets and alleys.
The road was empty, with an occasional car speeding by, bringing a slight whoosh of wind that broke the temporary silence.
The steel buildings in the distance stood like silent giants in the darkness.
Their windows, some lit and some dark, seemed like their eyes, quietly observing the creatures living within them.
Everything seemed normal, but who would have thought that deep underground, at an unknown depth, lived a group of monsters that fed on humans?
And this Pandora’s Box, which contained monsters, had been opened a century ago.
This balance has been maintained until now, but will it be broken one day in the future?
Looking at his somewhat blurry reflection in the glass, as if separated from the world below, Hu Qi’s expression fell into deep thought, his mind working to digest the information he had obtained.
Although the information wasn't extensive, the content was too shocking.
There had been many conjectures about the Earth Core World in his previous life.
For example, discoveries at six to seven hundred kilometers underground suggested that it was not molten magma or flat rock as imagined, but extremely vast and rugged mountain ranges.
Or the changes in the propagation speed of seismic waves. All of these indicated that the Earth’s interior was not entirely composed of the imagined core and rock; there should also be a huge space with an ecosystem different from the surface.
However, these were ultimately just conjectures, and until Hu Qi’s Transmigration, there was no evidence to prove them.
He hadn't expected that in this world, an Earth Core World truly existed, and not only that, but it also concealed Black Blood Species that fed on humans.
This made Hu Qi feel as if he was standing on a barrel of gunpowder that could explode at any unknown time.
Although there was no record of the existence of Upper Black Blood Species in it, the fact that they were mentioned proved that the Federation had information regarding them.
“I am still too weak,” Hu Qi murmured to himself.
Originally, after cutting down those two Black Blood Species, he had thought nothing of it.
Only now did he realize that he had only faced one or two small fry, not true Black Blood Species at all.
According to the records, if he had encountered a Lower Black-Blood Species, the greatest possibility now would be that his body was already cold.
No, Black Blood Species eat people, so he might have already been eaten and excreted as waste.
Strength, only sufficient strength, could give him a sense of security.
…
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, in the hotel.
By the time Hu Qi woke up, it was already close to noon.
He couldn't be blamed; he had barely rested all night yesterday.
First, he had just finished practicing the Mad Axe Fighting Technique, and then he had a fierce battle with those two Black Blood Species.
By the time everything was handled, it was already four or five in the morning.
Although his body was full of energy, his mind was quite exhausted.
He had only slept for five or six hours.
He picked up his phone from the bedside table, wanting to check the current time.
He pressed it twice, but nothing happened; upon closer inspection, it was out of battery.
He plugged in the charger, and after charging for a while, as soon as the phone turned on, it started vibrating and ringing incessantly.
He looked closely and saw that there were more than a dozen missed calls and video calls.