Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 298: Perfect Physique, Secret of the Micro Nature!

Mu Shuang possessed four physique talents.Among them were two Perfect Grade Talents: Wind-Fire Physique and Thunder-Fire Physique.

One Rare grade: Forest-Fire Physique.

And one Excellent grade: Mountain-Fire Physique.

However, her original talents had not been this exaggerated; they were the result of the symbiotic residual state's influence.

It was just like when he searched Jiang Chuan's Cloudgrass Physique. Upon acquiring it, the Perfect grade talent had degraded into the Rare grade Wildgrass Physique.

Cheng Ye had already finished collecting the two Perfect Grade Talents. One had downgraded to Rare, and the other to Excellent, though their names remained unchanged.

Following this trend, the remaining two would most likely drop to the Common grade. This was enough to show the chasm-like gap between the Transcendent state and ordinary humans.

Opening the Information Fusion interface, a pale blue translucent light screen unfolded before Cheng Ye's eyes.

He focused his attention and gathered his breath, using his intent to guide the Marsh-Wild Physique, slowly dragging it into the main slot on the left.

The moment his thought settled, the light screen suddenly rippled. Dense water vapor rose out of nowhere, and a clear pool of water distinctly materialized.

The pool water was as crisp and clear as glazed glass, reflecting the illusory sky above. Fine, silvery-white crystals paved the bottom, while a silver arowana about the length of an index finger flicked its long, densely scaled tail, swimming leisurely through the water.

Immediately after, wild grass grew profusely around the pool. A marshy forest evolved, blending the water and sky into one unified scene.

A physique talent as exquisite as a miniature world was likely extremely rare in this world, perhaps unique to him alone.

Cheng Ye's intent shifted again. The empty slot on the right lit up with a red glow as the Rare grade Wind-Fire Physique transformed into a scorching stream of light, landing steadily within it.

Although also of the Rare grade, it was completely different from the complex and exquisite Marsh-Wild Physique. It was monotonous yet incredibly sharp.

Flames and howling winds intertwined, evolving into an elongated, crimson pillar of fire. The core of the flame glowed with a faint blue, while the outer layer was wrapped in howling astral winds. The searing heat waves caused the surrounding space to faintly distort.

Could these two be fused?

Looking at the two incompatible talents, Cheng Ye steeled his resolve and directly issued the fusion command.

Since his Recharge Value was abundant anyway, he could just continue to trigger mutations if he was unsatisfied with the result.

On either side of the magnificent illustrated catalog, the two talent selection boxes trembled simultaneously. Immediately following, the pillar of fire on the right abruptly surged. The violent wind rolled up the roaring flames, transforming them into a ferocious fire snake that lunged fiercely toward the marsh on the left.

A scorching shockwave instantly swept across the light screen. The wild grass by the pool burst into roaring flames the moment it touched the sparks. Emerald leaves curled and blackened as blue smoke rose, quickly enveloping the marsh in a fiery haze.

The silver arowana thrashed anxiously in the pool, its tail fin slapping the surface and splashing water. Yet, it could only watch helplessly as the wild grass was swallowed by the sea of fire. Even the pool water was scorched until dense bubbles formed, its crisp and clear texture gradually fading.

The wind fueled the flames, and within a few breaths, the wild grass by the pool was burned clean. Only the blackened stubble remained, a stark contrast to the previously vibrant scene full of vitality.

However, the pillar of fire had run out of momentum and was unable to boil away the pool. The raging wind began to calm, the pillar of fire slowly retracted, and the astral winds subsided. Yet, the scorching aura did not dissipate. Scattered sparks still remained on the charred earth, highlighting the overbearing nature of the wind and fire.

"Did it fail?"

Cheng Ye paused in surprise, not expecting the Wind-Fire Physique to burn away all the grass in the Marsh-Wild.

But just as that thought arose, a sudden change occurred.

From the roots of the blackened stubble, tiny, tender green sprouts emerged. They pushed through the scorched earth and grew rapidly on the soil that still held residual heat.

The newly sprouted blades of grass actually bore an amber luster, with faint crimson veins along their edges. They were thicker and more upright than the previous wild grass, remaining completely unaffected even when brushed by sparks.

Sensing something, the silver arowana leaped out of the water, its tail fin sweeping over the newborn grass. Wherever the water droplets fell, the blades of grass grew even more verdant and robust. The endlessly self-renewing spiritual charm resurfaced within the marsh, and this vitality now contained an added tenacious edge born from the tempering of wind and fire.

[The current information fusion process is complete. The fusion result is stable.]

[Record the fused skill: Ember-Wild Physique (Lv.3; Rare)?]

[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the random mutation mechanism. Choose to mutate?]

"Does this reflect the meaning that even a wildfire cannot burn it all away, and the spring wind breathes life anew?"

Cheng Ye felt greatly shocked. Without a second thought, he canceled the mutation and placed the Ember-Wild Physique into his skill bar.

Simply astounding!

The wild grass, strengthened through multiple fusions, actually erupted with such tenacious vitality, forcefully enduring the tempering of the wind and fire.

Moreover, the newborn wild grass wasn't even afraid of sparks, clearly gaining the trait of fire resistance.

If he equipped this, the resulting buffs would be unimaginable.

Suppressing his excitement, Cheng Ye dragged the Ember-Wild Physique into the main slot on the left and added the Excellent grade Thunder-Fire Physique.

In an instant, dark clouds surged above the light screen, and deafening thunder boomed. Purplish-gold lightning tore through the sky like silver snakes. Following that, clusters of crimson fire wrapped in lightning roared down, carrying a destructive might even more furious than the wind and fire.

The fireballs smashed accurately into the wild grass. Every time one landed, it obliterated a patch of grass, turning it into scorched earth as wisps of black smoke rose.

But unlike the spreading assault of the wind and fire, the thunder-fire leaned more toward localized, explosive bursts. Each fireball only detonated at its point of impact, creating isolated, charred craters without spreading like a wildfire.

In the blink of an eye, the marsh's ground was riddled with craters. Scorch marks from the lightning remained at the bottom of each pit. The directly incinerated areas failed to sprout new grass, as if completely stripped of their vitality.

However, the fine, scattered ashes became natural fertilizer, seeping into the soil thread by thread.

Under the nourishment of the ash, the surviving wild grass seemed infused with newfound vigor.

The stems grew sturdier, and the leaves unfurled much wider, shining with an oily, dark-green luster. The crimson veins along the edges also became sharper and more distinct.

All the wild grass completely avoided the charred craters, flourishing ever more vibrantly on the intact soil. It even spread toward the edges of the scorched earth, radiating a formidable vitality that grew defiantly amid destruction.

[The current information fusion process is complete. The fusion result is stable.]

[Record the fused skill: Ember-Wild Physique (Lv.3; Rare)?]

[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the random mutation mechanism. Choose to mutate?]

"Well, this time even the name didn't change."

"It seems an Excellent grade physique talent is hard-pressed to alter a Rare grade one."

Cheng Ye sighed in lament and chose to retain it.

Although the results of these two fusions were unexpected, they further confirmed one thing for him:

The higher the tier, the harder it was to raise the rating.

Calculating it, the Wildgrass Physique had previously assimilated the two Rare grade physiques of Water Wave and Iron Fish. Now, it had incorporated the Rare grade Wind-Fire and the Excellent grade Thunder-Fire. Including its original base, that amounted to four Rare grades and one Excellent grade, yet it still failed to break through to the Perfect Grade Talent.

However, the text in the skill box had completely turned pale red, and the skill gauge was halfway filled. At this rate, assimilating two or three more Rare talents should be enough to advance it to a true Perfect Grade Talent.

But now that he had the upgrade materials dismantled from the Heart Lake Martial Domain, there was no need to slowly search and collect them anymore.

Cheng Ye thought for a moment and decided to wait until his Recharge Value was fully replenished before taking action.

This way, even if the promotion result was unsatisfactory, he would have three chances to change it until he forged a suitable Perfect Grade Talent.

The night was already deep. The charging efficiency of the hydroelectric station had been cranked up to 300 kilowatts, making the speed incredibly fast.

Watching the Recharge Value soar rapidly, Cheng Ye even had the illusion that the moment he looked away, the number would jump up by one percent.

In the blink of an eye, just over an hour passed, and the Recharge Value was full once again.

Cheng Ye immediately opened the panel and initiated Information Fusion.

The Gathering Water Physique obtained from the dismantling barely had a color that crossed the Perfect grade threshold. Its form was even more peculiar. It possessed neither a fixed outline nor a dazzling radiance; it merely transformed into an unremarkable mass of azure water vapor gently floating on the right side of the light screen. It couldn't even compare to the violent might of the Excellent grade Thunder-Fire.

Cheng Ye slightly raised his eyebrows, inevitably feeling a bit puzzled. 'Could it be that the only thing lacking to go from Rare to Perfect is just the core information?'

However, the moment he issued the fusion command, before the thought even fully settled, an astonishing scene occurred!

The gentle azure water vapor suddenly expanded. Its previous docility had been nothing but a disguise, instantly erupting with a monstrously tyrannical aura that directly overwhelmed the might of the Thunder-Fire.

As the vapor churned, a towering flood explosively took shape. Massive waves rose like walls, sweeping outward with the force of landslides and splitting earth, crashing down upon the miniature marsh world on the left.

Without any buffer, the raging flood directly submerged the entire forest and marsh.

Those wild grasses, unyielding and fortified by two rounds of tempering, had zero resistance against the floodwaters. They were uprooted, torn to shreds, and left to rise and fall with the muddy waves.

The scorched craters were instantly filled, and the central pool was swallowed without a trace.

The silver arowana struggled in the deluge, the patterns on its scales gradually dimming. Ultimately, it was swept away by the massive waves, vanishing into the muddy water flow.

The entire miniature marsh world had completely changed its appearance. Its vitality and tenacity were entirely gone, leaving nothing but boundless floodwaters rampaging freely. The surface of the water was murky and turbulent, churning up broken grass and charred soil debris, radiating an icy aura that annihilated everything.

"Wait, where's my grass?!"

"Where's my fish?"

Cheng Ye's pupils constricted slightly, and he stood up in shock.

Was a Rare grade talent actually so vulnerable in front of a Perfect grade one, being directly and utterly overwritten?

[The current information fusion process is complete. The fusion result is: Perfect.]

[Record the fused skill: Flood Physique (Lv.3; Perfect)?]

[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the random mutation mechanism. Choose to mutate?]

"Mutate, continue to mutate!"

Cheng Ye chose to mutate without a second thought.

The ecological miniature world he had gone through so much trouble to create already possessed the three major traits of vitality, endurance, and defense.

Now that the flood had arrived, only one trait was left. Furthermore, the original talent base hadn't played any role at all, essentially acting as nothing more than a catalyst.

This was an absolute loss!

As the mutation command fell, the flood before his eyes rapidly reversed like a rewound tape. The swept-up broken grass and charred soil debris all returned to their places, ultimately shrinking back into that initial mass of azure water vapor.

But this time, the water vapor did not erupt furiously. Instead, it turned into continuous streams of gentle water, slowly flowing toward the pool in the center of the marsh.

The water streams merged into the pool, and the pool water instantly swelled, spreading outwards. The originally small pool actually expanded several times over, becoming a clear lake. The crisp lake water shimmered with sparkling ripples.

Within the lake, the silver arowana was enveloped by the warm waters. Its body expanded at a visible rate, growing from the length of a finger to the thickness of an arm. Its scales grew even finer and more radiant, while red and blue patterns flowed beneath them, exuding a mysterious spiritual charm.

It shook its head and flicked its long tail, its eyes filled with ignorance. It swam around blankly for a few laps before adapting to its new size. A faint blue light rippled around its body, making it look even more magnificent.

As for those wild grasses that had undergone two rounds of tempering, they failed to keep up with the changes. The lake water continued to spread, submerging the grass stalks, the leaves, and eventually drowning the entire patch of grass.

The wild grass slowly unfurled in the water and dissipated into specks of green light, as if returning its energy to the lake.

[The current information fusion process is complete. The fusion result is: Perfect.]

[Record the fused skill: Silver Lake Physique (Lv.3; Perfect)?]

[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the random mutation mechanism. Choose to mutate?]

"Huh, this time it retained the defensive attributes and even enhanced the silver arowana?"

Cheng Ye's gaze shifted; he was starting to understand how to use the dismantled materials.

This was equivalent to a random rune, possibly representing water vapor. Spreading freely, it became a flood; inserted into the silver arowana's information, it manifested as lake water and growth.

'What if I insert the information fragment of the entire Ember-Wild Physique?'

"Continue to mutate!" Cheng Ye's eyes flashed with a hint of anticipation as he issued the command again without hesitation.

The scene on the light screen rewound back to the beginning.

But one second, two seconds... time quietly slipped by. A full ten seconds passed, yet there was absolutely no change on the screen. There was neither the violent reappearance of the flood nor the warm nourishment of the water vapor, as if the mutation command had sunk like a stone in the sea.

"No reaction? Could the mutation have failed this time?" Cheng Ye furrowed his brows slightly, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

He stared intently at the interface, but whether it was the lake, the silver arowana, or the ground beneath, everything remained the same. Even the air...

No, the air was becoming humid. It felt just like the sudden arrival of summer showers every year.

A refreshing scent, like sweet rain after a long drought, pierced his nasal passages, making him want to sneeze.

Suddenly, a deafening clap of thunder echoed from the void. It was actually the exact same explosive bang from when the Thunder-Fire Physique was fused!

Dark clouds instantly gathered, but they were no longer the dark red ones that had wrapped the fireballs. Instead, they were an ink-blue hue glistening with moisture. Purplish-gold lightning wove through the clouds, but rather than sending down destructive fireballs, the thunder was accompanied by the sudden patter of drizzling rain.

At first, it was merely a fine curtain of rain. But in the blink of an eye, it turned into a torrential downpour, pouring down like the Milky Way cascading from the heavens. The rain smashed into the lake, sending splashes over three meters high into the air, and struck the earth with a loud, rhythmic patter.

However, what put him at ease was that, unlike the previous flood, this rainfall—despite its exaggerated volume—carried no sense of frenzy. On the contrary, it was incredibly gentle, flowing smoothly along the terrain to wash over and expand the entire forest and marsh!

The charred craters were filled in, and the hardened earth was washed and softened, forcefully carving out vast tracts of new territory that expanded the miniature world's domain by nearly half.

The rainstorm continuously fed into the lake, endlessly widening its surface. The silver arowana swam cheerfully in the clear waters, the red and blue patterns on its scales growing ever more profound.

Meanwhile, on the newly rain-soaked land, the wild grass began to grow wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Vitality!

The Gathering Water Physique had transformed into the purest vitality, beginning to propel the evolution of every blade of grass and every tree in the miniature world.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but just as Cheng Ye was watching, utterly overwhelmed by the sights, a prompt popped up.

[The current information fusion process is complete. The fusion result is: Perfect.]

[Record the fused skill: Micro Nature Physique (Lv.3; Perfect)?]

[Detected that the Collector's current Recharge Value can trigger the random mutation mechanism. Choose to mutate?]

"Micro Nature?!"

An indescribable wave of ecstasy surged into his heart. Cheng Ye felt that all his anticipation had been worth it!

Because his initial idea had been precisely to create an all-around buffing physique talent through continuous fusion:

From vitality to endurance, from attack to defense, from speed to agility...

Only when a physique talent completely encompassed all these traits could he simply fuse any newly acquired physiques into it to shore up specific weaknesses. Whether in terms of inclusiveness or expandability, it would achieve absolute perfection!

And now, the fusion result was stepping right toward his most desired direction. It had comprehensively strengthened all his existing attributes without the slightest deviation, directly forging the foundation of nature.

Of course, this nature still lacked the crucial closed-loop mechanism; for now, it was just the most basic skeleton.

But it was exactly this skeleton that would allow him to accommodate more special physiques in the future, achieving the unification of all things!

"Give up mutation and retain."

As the Information Fusion interface flashed, all the anomalies completely dissipated.

The pale red "Micro Nature Physique" fell into the skill bar, radiating an intense aura of delight.

After plugging the Collector back into the charging port, Cheng Ye drove his car back into town, heading straight for the simple warehouse behind the trading station.

This place stored the residents' rations and supplies, and it was guarded by militiamen twenty-four hours a day.

"Open the door. I need to go in and check the quantity of nutrient paste."

"Right away!"

Upon entering the warehouse, the lights turned on naturally.

Cheng Ye strode toward the corner where the nutrient paste was stacked. The regular paste was in the front, while ten boxes of yellow-bagged nutrient paste were neatly stacked in the back.

These had been ordered the day before yesterday, prepared for field duty, but they were now perfect for activating his new physique talent.

He opened his skill bar, took a few deep breaths, and silently issued the command: 'Equip, Micro Nature Physique!'

As his intent settled, the pale red skill icon representing the Perfect Grade Talent jumped into his equipment slot.

The familiar phenomenon manifested. Cheng Ye only felt his vision blur for a moment, and by the time the dizziness faded, just like when he equipped the Marsh-Wild Physique, the warehouse before him had completely vanished. He once again stood inside the vibrant, life-filled forest and marsh world.

It was just that the wild grass, which had only appeared to be growing vigorously in the fusion interface, turned out to be calf-high when he stepped in personally. It was astoundingly lush.

The original pool had expanded to over ten meters wide. The silver arowana was only the size of an index finger, its figure hidden deep in the water, nowhere to be found.

"Personally experiencing my own physique talent... this feeling is truly wonderful."

Cheng Ye chuckled lightly. Considering it was only a foundational framework enhancement, there shouldn't be any overly violent changes.

But just as he stretched his legs, planning to stroll around this miniature natural world...

Suddenly, a faint, almost imperceptible sensation reached him.

Cheng Ye subconsciously looked up at the sky. Previously, the sky of the Marsh-Wild Physique had just been a pale grey void with absolutely nothing in it.

But with the Perfect Grade Micro Nature Physique, a few patches of clouds had appeared in the misty sky.

Furthermore, these clouds hadn't scattered randomly. They had actually converged into a very specific shape.

A seemingly very simple symbol.

'Hm?'

Cheng Ye instantly froze, carefully studying it for several seconds. It wasn't until that sensation transmitted from within the clouds once more that a look of utter disbelief surfaced on his face.

'Are you kidding me? A rune?!'

'The Micro Nature Physique actually condensed into a rune?'

Even though this rune was as simple as it could possibly be, and even though he couldn't recall the exact shapes of the runes he had seen before, his subconscious told him that let alone the runes inside the Demonic Eye Sponge, even the ones that had flashed when analyzing Li Matai's Life Blessing were dozens of times more complex than this single stroke.

But this was still a rune! No matter how simple, it still exceeded the boundaries of human cognition!

'Does every Perfect Grade Talent naturally come with this rune?'

'Or is it that the information dismantled from the Heaven-Man Martial Domain is intrinsically this exact runic stroke before my eyes?'

Cheng Ye furrowed his brows and shifted his gaze away, but in the very next second, his expression changed drastically, his eyes full of disbelief.

'Dammit, I remembered it!'

He had actually memorized this runic stroke that likely represented "water vapor"!