◇Breakthrough◇

Recognizing it, Lu Xing pushed himself to absorb the core's chi more forcefully.

After a few more seconds passed, Lu Xing's entire body burst with tendrils of gold light. His short hair suddenly lengthened, and his pores cleansed themselves from all impurities. He seemed to go from a slender and thin build, to a lean and average build.

Lu Xing eyes opened, their golden hue shining under the darkened skies, "I've actually...become a level 5..?"

His disbelief evident as he glanced down at the dark oozing substance on his skin.

He sighed.

'I could've done without the cleansing thing all over again.' He thought. (-_-)

Getting up, the core in his hand crumbled to dust, its chi having been emptied.

He glanced at the frozen carcass.

'It should still have a core.' Lu Xing went over and glanced at the sliced off portion of its head before using his right hand to dig into the portion still attached to the body.

Just like last time his flame covered his hand as he dug for the core. After melting and then burning away the majority of brain matter, Lu Xing finally found it. He tugged at it a few times, but it seemed to need a abit more of the brain matter melted away before it could budge.

Within minutes, Lu Xing had his prize.

'Better quality...but not one I can use.' Lu Xing mused as studied the core, 'The icy chi within it is more compatible with a ice user.'

Or else severe divergence could occur.

"I guess I'll have-" Lu Xing started.

Suddenly the darkness was illuminated by the bright glare of the headlights of a certain truck.

"Hey! Mister?! Is that you?!" Came the hollering voice.

'This damn idiot will get himself killed going on with actions like this.' Lu Xing smacked his forehead feeling a sense of worry for Xiaolang's future.

Lu Xing looked up at the sky and noticed how much closer the moon had gotten, as it kept on getting more noticeable...

'We won't make it to the warehouse in time...' Lu Xing thought with a frown, he closed his eyes and reverted them back to normal.

Then he shadowstepped to the vehicle without a second thought, once there, he got to the passenger side and forcefully pushed a gaping idiot to the passenger side.

"What was that?! That move!?! It was wicked!" Xiaolang exclaimed looking excited.

Lu Xing sat in the driver's seat and started up the truck. As he began to drive, he glanced at the mirrors. After finding that everything seemed good, Lu Xing began to drive.

A few minutes after starting the drive, Lu Xing finally glanced at the boy, "I call it..." he hesitated only a second before saying "shadowstep."

"Like from a video game?!" Xiaolang exclaimed so excited he could barely seat still.

Lu Xing nodded, "Yeah."

"Do you level up too?!" Xiaolang geeked out, "Like in some light novels the guy gets a special system..."

Lu Xing felt lost. (￣ー￣;)

"So?" Xiaolang asked, his eyes shining.

"Not quite..." Lu Xing for once sweated feeling as though there was no better way to explain Mutants or Evolutionary abilities...

Then it hit him.

"More like X-Men type of powers...sorta but not quite either." Lu Xing said feeling like an idiot for even referencing X-Men, "Some of it is more like Wuxia, Xianxia, or even Xuanhuan novels."

'Why am I even trying to explain this?' Lu Xing thought feeling frustrated with himself, 'After tonight he'll definitely figure it out on his own.'

"I don't get it?" Xiaolang asked confused.

'X-men...I feel like I may have seen that as a kid but wuxia...xian..xia...and xua...' Xiaolang pondered, 'Is that something my sister reads?'

Lu Xing wished so badly to facepalm himself.

"Nevermind." Lu Xing said, "For now call your father and check up on their progress."

"Oh right!" Xiaolang exclaimed taking out his cellphone, and dialing up his dad.

It took a few seconds but Yiran answered the call.

"How are you guys doing?" Lu Xing asked after Xiaolang placed the call on speaker.

"Were good here, we have less than an hour before we reach the warehouse." Yiran answered.

"That's good..." Lu Xing thought his mind processing that info.

'It takes three hours to reach the warehouse through this route, but we've lost a whole hour compared to those two.' Lu Xing thought, 'The skies have darkened already, and its barely 3pm...'

"We'll be cutting it close if we head straight for the warehouse at this hour." Lu Xing said glancing at Xiaolang, "We're going to have to go into the City."

"Why is this?!" Peng Xiong suddenly exclaimed, the cell caused static.

"Yeah why is that?" Xiaolang asked confused.

Lu Xing sighed, "Earthquakes. Nasty ones are about to hit China at around 6pm more than likely."

Yiran gasped from their side, and gripped her father's arm.

"How do you know all of this?" Peng Xiong asked, his expression grim as he surveyed the surroundings.

The drive to the warehouse had become tense.

"I can't tell you those details...but trust me," Lu Xing explained, "the warehouse will remain standing even after the earthquakes."

"Then what about my son and you?! Where will you two go?!" Peng Xiong gripped the steering wheel, part of him regretting allowing his son to leave.

Lu Xing was quiet for a brief moment before speaking in the cellphones direction, "There's one place less than an hour away that should withstand the earthquakes."

"...Hear that dad! Mister will take care of me, so you and sis get to safety." Xiaolang said his hands shaking, his eyes downcast.

Unlike his father and sister, he was seating right next to Lu Xing and could instantly tell something was wrong.

But he didn't want to worry his father and sister.

Instead Peng Xiong's gut told him something wasn't right...

"You take care of my boy Lu Xing." Peng Xiong said, his voice gruff, "If something so much as happens to my son...so help me....I'll..."

The implication of his unsaid words weighed heavily on Lu Xing's consciousness.

If the man Peng Xiong carried a similar mentality to the Yiran of Lu Xing's past life...then the unsaid threat was something Peng Xiong would certainly follow through on.

'Father Peng...please don't jinx us so soon...' Lu Xing sweated at the common red flag found in novels... 'We'll soon enter Y City, there I'll take us to our best bet...'