Chapter 87: Remarkable Effect (Fifth Update)
After leaving his exclusive room, Su Xiao headed straight for the Skill Upgrade Hall. He wanted to enhance his "Technique Sublimation" ability, which could increase the power of his self-developed blade techniques, directly boosting his combat strength.
Over ten minutes later, Su Xiao stopped in front of the main entrance of the Skill Upgrade Hall. Many contractors were coming and going. After entering, he first passed through a long corridor, reached the innermost area, and entered a skill upgrade pod. The pod door locked shut.
[Yes/No to upgrade Technique Sublimation Lv.16. Upgrading this ability requires 600 Soul Coins.]
Su Xiao chose to upgrade 4 consecutive levels. Given Technique Sublimation's current level, this ability had great potential. After all, it was originally a seventh-rank ability at its initial stage—high starting point, even higher endpoint.
As soon as the skill upgrade pod activated, Su Xiao heard the sound of water beside his ears. When he opened his eyes, he was already sitting cross-legged on a circular stone platform. Below was a water surface as flat as a mirror, where water and sky merged into one, with no visible edge to the water.
Drip~
A water droplet fell, landing precisely on the water surface in front of Su Xiao. Layers of ripples spread outward, quickly forming a large expanse of water patterns. This wasn't for Su Xiao to contemplate; rather, it allowed him to directly experience what would otherwise require deep meditation.
Su Xiao stood up, drew the longsword at his waist. The blade sang softly as he swung a not-too-fast slash to his side. A cutting mark sank into the water surface, which remained calm—until the next moment.
Boom!
A water surge dozens of meters high rose from the water beside Su Xiao. The stone platform beneath him cracked apart. After he fell, he didn't sink into the water but stood on its surface.
The blade in Su Xiao's hand flipped. He gripped it in reverse, lightly touching the water surface with the tip of the longsword. The surging currents instantly calmed. A faint ring of water ripples spread outward from the blade tip, disappearing into the distance beyond sight.
A gentle breeze blew past, and Su Xiao's body scattered with the wind. Inside the skill upgrade pod, Su Xiao opened his eyes. Though everything just now wasn't real, the insight gained was genuine.
[Technique Sublimation: Lv.20 (Technique Type · Passive)]
Skill Effect 1: Increases power of self-developed blade techniques by 43% (increased by 8%).
Skill Effect 2: Blade technique potential rank +3 (increased by 1 rank).
...
Su Xiao felt that compared to the power increase of self-developed blade techniques, the boost to blade technique potential rank was rarer.
Although this improvement didn't immediately make him stronger, it affected his future growth rate. Developing blade techniques heavily relied on this aspect.
He still had plenty of Soul Coins, so Su Xiao continued upgrading Technique Sublimation.
[Yes/No to upgrade Technique Sublimation Lv.20. Upgrading this ability requires 1000 Soul Coins.]
1000 Soul Coins per level. After checking his remaining Soul Coins, Su Xiao chose to upgrade Technique Sublimation by 7 consecutive levels. Given his current strength, coordinating the upgrades of blade techniques and Technique Sublimation would yield greater combat power gains.
Consuming 7000 Soul Coins, Su Xiao arrived at a wondrous place this time. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it—a gentle breeze brushing his face, slightly warm, carrying the scent of grass and trees. Green branches sprouted, and all things revived.
This tranquility made time pass quickly. Su Xiao experienced many things. When he was still savoring it, he was pulled from the wondrous place and opened his eyes inside the skill upgrade pod.
[Technique Sublimation: Lv.27 (Technique Type · Passive)]
Skill Effect 1: Increases power of self-developed blade techniques by 57% (increased by 14%).
Skill Effect 2: Blade technique potential rank +3.
...
Upgrading Technique Sublimation was about continuous accumulation—the further back, the greater the cumulative benefit. Now, the power of his blade techniques had increased by more than half. The impact on combat was easy to imagine. This wasn't just about slashing power; functional blade techniques like "Blade Path Sword: Time" also improved.
"Hoo~"
Su Xiao let out a long breath. He was in a good state now. Even though he hadn't rested since returning to Reincarnation Paradise, the tranquility just now was equivalent to several hours of deep sleep.
Su Xiao currently had 286 Soul Crystals. He kept 86 and planned to use all 200 remaining.
[Yes/No to upgrade Blade Grandmaster Lv.50. Upgrading this ability requires Soul Crystal · Complete × 100 + 5,000,000 Paradise Coins.]
All the Soul Crystals around Su Xiao shattered. After converting Soul Coins into Paradise Coins, the upgrade of Blade Grandmaster began.
Half an hour later, Su Xiao pressed one hand on the Dragon-Slaying Flash across his lap. A cutting mark scraped across the metal wall beside him.
[Warning: The Hunter is attempting to damage the skill upgrade pod. 5000 Paradise Coins have been forcibly deducted.]
Su Xiao ignored the Reincarnation Paradise prompt and instead checked the Blade Grandmaster ability.
[Blade Grandmaster: Lv.57 (Passive Skill)]
Skill Effect: Blade-type weapon attack power increased by 775% (increased by 24%), Base · Neural Reflex Speed +45 points (increased by 10 points), damage rank of blade-type weapon attacks +1.
Lv.10 Ultimate Ability: Mind Blade (Passive)...
Lv.20 Ultimate Ability: Soul Blade (Passive)...
Lv.30 Ultimate Ability: Blade's Extreme (Passive/Active)...
Lv.40 Ultimate Ability: Heart · Soul · Blade (Passive)...
Lv.50 Ultimate Ability: Soul Edge (Passive): When attacking with blade-type weapons, inflicts additional soul damage equal to own Soul Strength × 3.7 (increased by 0.1%).
Tip: This ability can inflict 1406 points of soul damage.
...
The Lv.50 ultimate ability of Blade Grandmaster, Soul Edge, had higher growth potential than expected. This was the strength of Blade Grandmaster reaching Lv.50 and above—cutting the soul with the blade.
Of course, this was directly related to Su Xiao's high Soul Strength, which had reached 380 points.
Su Xiao felt he wasn't suited for developing active soul-type abilities, such as directly extracting others' souls. The reason was his own characteristics. His soul was tougher, making the derived Soul Edge sharper, but everything had a price. To have edge, there couldn't be strong external control.
Compared to pulling out an enemy's soul, Su Xiao preferred to cut it apart. From a killing perspective, this was more effective.
Su Xiao was in a good state now, so he decided to upgrade Azure Shadow King as well.
Consuming 3 Golden Skill Points, the upgrade of Azure Shadow King began. It had to be said, the feeling of upgrading Azure Shadow King was unforgettable.
Nearly half an hour later, Su Xiao steadied his breathing, wiped the sweat from his chin, and successfully raised Azure Shadow King from Lv.16 to Lv.19.
[Azure Shadow King: Lv.19 (Ultimate Skill)]
Effect 1 (Shadow Devour · Passive): After killing an enemy of the same rank, immediately recovers 18% of maximum Mana (increased by 6%).
Effect 2 (Azure Shadow King · Active): Immediately consumes 6000 points of Azure Steel Shadow Energy to construct a weapon of any form within 0.03 seconds. This weapon can only attack once, dealing damage equal to the enemy's lost Mana × 2.4 (increased by 0.1%) + 4950 points of True Damage (increased by 50 points).
Tip: Both damage judgments in this attack are True Damage.
Tip: For each Lv.1 increase, this ability's attack intensity will improve.
...
Just one more level, and Azure Shadow King would reach Lv.20. At that point, there would definitely be a change. The first stage was about speed increase, the current second stage was about recovering Mana after killing enemies, and soon the third stage would come—who knew what it would enhance.
Su Xiao now had 657 Soul Coins remaining. He walked out of the Skill Upgrade Hall. Just as he exited the main entrance, a familiar figure appeared ahead.
"I've been waiting, for you, a long time. Doesn't your conscience, hurt..."
Just by hearing this unique way of speaking, he knew who it was.
"Hand it over."
Su Xiao didn't want to negotiate with the Witch. She spoke far too slowly. If this were inside a mission world, Su Xiao had ways to correct her, but there was no way in Reincarnation Paradise.
"Fine, then."
The Witch took out a wooden box, a piece of parchment, and finally a small cloth fragment stained with a few drops of blood. On it was a message from Tuanzhang, which read:
'This is the source blood of the Undying Elder. If you encounter an eighth-rank Ancient God, throw it out—it has a remarkable effect.'
Clearly, the Undying Elder, who had gone with Tuanzhang to compete for the Void Tree fruit, had clashed head-on with Tuanzhang. White Bull was probably in a similar state.
These three wouldn't turn on each other. The Starry Sky Seat was such a wondrous organization. Competing for the Void Tree fruit was one matter; the Starry Seat trade was another.
What the Witch delivered was a Void Tree fruit that Tuanzhang had seized, along with the corresponding preparation formula. It was time to start processing the Void Tree fruit.