Beggar Cultivation System
Chapter 353 - 353: Devastation

"So even a Lich is running, huh?" Apollo raised an eyebrow as he stared at the ten-meter-tall Lich-type monster in front of him. Floating before its skull made his already small frame appear even smaller—like a bird hovering in front of a human.

This was his first time encountering a Lich-type monster, and from the looks of it, the one in front of him was a hybrid.

Liches are not born as monsters—Liches are humans. They died, and through the force of nature, were revived in another form. It's a natural birth of a creature that only occurs once every few thousand years.

This kind of monster is strong, capable of unleashing various powers and abilities. They possess at least three Attributes within their bodies, and the moment the fire in their sockets ignites, they gain mastery over these Attributes—as if they had been wielding them for hundreds of years.

With the power of Core Creation, their strength can rival Cultivation Stages even higher than their own. And being undead, their bodies are as tough as those of Body Cultivators.

These abilities are feared by many—but some, especially humans, envy them. This envy has led to the emergence of Unnatural Births.

Humans, driven by obsession, perform twisted rituals to kill and then revive themselves as Liches. This method has a much higher success rate than natural birth, making it one of the most extremely forbidden rituals. Anyone even remotely connected to such rites is immediately interrogated—and executed on the spot.

However, according to the records Apollo read back in the Library of the Great Serpent Cultivation School, the last known signs of such rituals were centuries ago, when the Empire launched a campaign to eradicate all forms of Unnatural Birth Rituals.

Yet, seeing the Lich before him, it seemed the Empire didn't completely succeed—though they clearly destroyed many of the known rituals.

Apollo stared thoughtfully at the armored skeleton before him. This wasn't the kind of monster that appeared often—just like those other beasts with Core Creation-level strength. But this Lich was far more intriguing than any snarling brute. Liches behaved more like humans, and their wide range of abilities made them ideal subjects for someone like Apollo, who had a deep interest in studying Battle Techniques.

As the two locked eyes for a moment, the Lich opened its mouth again, beginning to gather another ball of flame.

Seeing this, Apollo followed suit, summoning his own Fire Blast directly in front of the Lich.

"I wonder which is stronger—your flame or mine," Apollo muttered, his clothes and hair fluttering from the powerful winds generated by the two flame spheres.

Apollo still didn't know whether the Lich in front of him was an Unnatural or a Natural Birth. He was essentially taking a gamble. If this was a Natural Birth Lich—which was significantly stronger—then this would be his first time pushing himself to the limit since his breakthrough.

Ever since advancing, Apollo had never been forced to exert himself to the point of using the Great Serpent Ascendant Transformation, or burning through all his Alm Points just to survive.

Until now, every battle had been an exercise in control—mixing techniques, testing combinations, and, in his own way, playing around. Though he'd expended effort, Apollo had yet to reach the edge of his power.

But with a Lich like this in front of him, that was about to change. He would make sure to make the most of this opportunity.

...

A strong whirring sound echoed across the area. Red flame and white flame collided violently before exploding.

The blast formed a massive sphere of red and white light, expanding for dozens of meters before erupting further. Shockwaves tore through the surroundings—upturning earth, scorching everything black, and flinging desert ground high into the sky.

A blur appeared in the sky some distance away, clothes fluttering as he watched the brilliant sphere of light shrink back to its center point.

Apollo narrowed his eyes, then glanced at his right hand. It was trembling, a faint numbness crawling through his fingers.

"He can handle my Fire Blast?" he muttered, his gaze returning to the spot where the explosion had occurred. There, the monster stood tall, staring straight at him with burning eye sockets. "He's alive. Good, this is good."

With those words, he activated the revised version of the Simple Movement Technique—amplified by Lightning Attributes—and his body reappeared right in front of the Lich.

The Lich now stood in the center of a crater, the ground beneath blackened to its limit. Upturned rocks formed jagged borders around the crater, with clouds of dust floating through the air.

As Apollo's figure materialized, the hard-shelled Lich turned to face him.

There was no emotion—only the flickering fire within its hollow eyes.

"It must be because of your shell… That's why you're so tough," Apollo muttered, his gaze falling on the Lich's armored chest. He hadn't held back with his previous attack—not his full strength, sure—but still powerful enough to obliterate several streets.

Yet the Lich remained standing, seemingly unfazed.

However, when Apollo noticed the state of the Lich's chest, he let out a sigh.

"Just like that rat… You're not that strong," he said, disappointment clear in his voice.

The Lich's chest was cracked, fragments falling to the ground between them. The broken black shell revealed the white skeleton beneath, its ribs and lungs fractured—barely clinging to what little structure they had. Behind the shattered bones sat a glossy orb, its surface wrapped in multicolored flames.

And it wasn't just the chest—the cracks extended to the shoulders and the six-pack-like exoskeleton over the stomach. It looked like a shattered egg—ready to burst from a single touch.

Apollo focused on the flames surrounding the Lich's core. After a moment, he let out another sigh. "You're Unnatural. What a pity—I was hoping for a Natural Birth Lich."

Every Lich had a core inside them. If it was surrounded by three Attributes, it was a Natural Birth. But if there were only one or two—like the one in front of Apollo—it was Unnatural.

As Apollo examined the core, the Lich raised its right hand and launched a punch.

A normal Qi-Condensation Cultivator would have suffered serious injuries from that blow. But Apollo was anything but normal. Activating True Hardening, his entire body radiated a subtle glow. The blackened fist collided with him, the impact sending shockwaves through the earth and further tearing up the crater.

Cracks spread across the Lich's arm—starting from the hand, racing up to the shoulder—before the shell exploded, revealing its skeletal fist.

"Now it's my turn," Apollo said.

He raised his own fist, covering it with a combination of Fire Blast, Wind Blast, Water Blade Disintegration Technique, and several other strengthening techniques he'd mastered. The merging of these forces formed a cascade of lights that gathered at the center of his fist.

"B-bye."

With that, Apollo threw his punch.

The moment he did, a chaotic gust of wind echoed across the area, followed by a blinding light—and then a thunderous explosion.

The light only lasted a few seconds before it faded.

When it did, Apollo stared ahead at a massive gouge in the earth, left behind by his devastating strike. The Lich had been disintegrated on the spot.

The trail of destruction stretched all the way into the forest—some trees had been blasted into the sky.

"Oops… I overdid it," Apollo muttered with a bitter smile.