Chapter 32: The Strongest and the Most Useless Talent
Various natural elements converged around Su Xiao. This was a scene many magic users dreamed of, but for Su Xiao, it was utterly useless.
Whenever he tried to perceive natural elements, all kinds of them would gather around him. Light elements were blinding, fire elements were scorching, and the most troublesome were water elements. Once, when Su Xiao was sleeping, too many water elements gathered around him, condensed into actual water, and choked him awake.
After that, before sleeping, Su Xiao would disperse the water elements nearby.
Su Xiao sensed the elemental power around him. Too many elemental forces had gathered. He released his mental energy and instantly dispersed the surrounding elemental power. If any spellcaster from Arcane Eternal Star saw this, they would be so angry they'd get a brain hemorrhage.
There was no doubt that Su Xiao's temporarily awakened third talent was incredibly strong. This talent was destined to be sacrificed; it wasn't suitable for Su Xiao.
Su Xiao checked his own information through the Reincarnation Mark. The newly awakened talent ability appeared before him.
[Elemental King]
Category: Amplification Talent (Second Awakening State)
Level: SSS
Talent Effect (Passive): All elemental attack damage rank +2.
Talent Effect (Active · Devour): Can devour seven types of natural elements: Fire, Light, Water, Earth, Dark, Wind, and Lightning.
Devour Fire Natural Element: Self transforms into Elemental Constitution (Flame Lord). Negate 55% physical damage. Immune to same-rank fire damage. All fire damage dealt will inflict a continuous scorching effect equal to 0.36 × True Intelligence attribute (79 points of true fire burn damage per second). This burn lasts 5 seconds. During the burn, reduce all enemy healing/restoration effects (reduction amount depends on the difference in True Intelligence attributes between both sides, minimum 25%, maximum 63%).
Tip: This ability has been boosted by the Hunter's Elemental Affinity.
Devour Light Natural Element: Self transforms into Elemental Constitution (Light Lord). Negate 63% physical damage. When taking same-rank light damage from enemies, fully negate the damage and receive healing equal to 50% of the attack's intensity. All light abilities gain strong penetration and explosion effects. Light Lord state grants mid-rank melee ability and high-rank ranged ability.
Tip: This ability has been boosted by the Hunter's Elemental Affinity.
Devour Water Natural Element: Self transforms into Elemental Constitution (Storm God Clan). Negate 30% physical damage. When taking same-rank water damage, increase damage taken by 5%, while triggering the 'Water Revival' effect. Temporarily increase maximum Health Points by 1200 points. Effect lasts 40 minutes. This effect can stack up to 30 layers (every 5 layers of 'Water Revival' effect will immediately restore 20% of own Health Points).
Tip: This ability has been boosted by the Hunter's Elemental Affinity.
Devour Earth Natural Element: Self transforms into Elemental Constitution (Rock Domain Lord). Maximum Health Points increased by 25%. Body defense increased by 60 points. Body defense rank +2 (Armor-level defense). In Rock Domain Lord state, generate a rock shield on the body surface. Shield durability equals 8% of own Health Points. Shield defense depends on own True Stamina attribute. If the rock shield is broken, it will create an explosion wave spreading outward.
Range: Base 30 meters + Stamina attribute × 0.25 (55 meters) + Strength attribute × 0.13 (28 meters). This is impact damage with knockback effect, dealing 210 base damage + Stamina attribute × 1.5 blunt damage.
Tip: Every 60 seconds, consume own Stamina + Earth Vein Force to reset the rock shield (Earth Vein Force: body energy converted from mana in Rock Domain Lord state).
Tip: This ability has been boosted by the Hunter's Elemental Affinity.
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Devour All Seven Elements Simultaneously: Self transforms into Elemental Constitution (Elemental King). Can simultaneously control the natural elemental forces of all seven types. 20% of all elemental attack damage dealt will be true magic damage.
Tip: This effect has been boosted by the Hunter's Elemental Affinity.
If any mage lord or spellcaster saw Su Xiao's third talent data, they would absolutely lose their minds, get so angry their noses would twist and eyes would bulge, trembling as they pointed at him, unable to speak for a long time.
"Boss, this is a garbage talent."
When Baha said this, his conscience ached fiercely.
"Woof."
"..."
Su Xiao didn't speak. He wasn't surprised to awaken such a third talent.
The reason this talent ability was so powerful, even to the point of being abnormal, was ultimately due to his high elemental affinity.
Even though the Elemental King talent was in its second awakening state, it wouldn't have been this strong initially. Under each state, it was noted that this was boosted by Su Xiao's elemental affinity, which made it so powerful.
Su Xiao never considered himself to have magic talent originally. When he first entered Reincarnation Paradise, he indeed awakened the Soul Devourer and had mana growth, but at that time, his elemental affinity was only slightly higher than a normal person's. Compared to those with magic talent, the difference was at least several times.
The reason Su Xiao now had such high elemental affinity was ultimately because he was a Law Destroyer. Law Destroyers had another title: Element Guardians. With this identity, elemental affinity couldn't be low, and the growth potential of elemental affinity was also very high.
The third talent had a total of eight forms that could be freely switched during battle, but Su Xiao wouldn't activate this talent ability.
Su Xiao indeed couldn't use magic abilities, but he could harness elemental power to enter an elemental constitution form.
This came at a cost. Once Su Xiao chose to devour elemental power, the Cyan Steel Shadow energy within him would contain residual elemental force, causing the Cyan Steel Shadow energy to become impure.
If the Cyan Steel Shadow energy became too mixed, first, the amount of enemy mana burned would decrease, then true damage would decrease, and finally, the level of the Cyan Steel Shadow ability would continuously decline.
Su Xiao looked at his third talent ability. Although this talent couldn't be used and was only meant to be sacrificed, that didn't mean this talent ability had no value. It depended on how one exploited it.
The Elemental King's absurdly strong attributes gave Su Xiao an idea. The Death Grail would likely seep liquid again in about 5 to 6 days. Even if he could only temporarily awaken the talent ability, this was an opportunity. Su Xiao didn't believe he was the only one who had obtained items like [Ancient Will].
First, Su Xiao needed a trustworthy partner. The Three Brothers of National Football were the best choice; they had cooperated twice before.
Su Xiao's plan was to partially edit the Elemental King's talent data, removing descriptions like 'This effect has been boosted by the Hunter's Elemental Affinity.'
This would make it seem that after drinking the Death Grail's liquid, one temporarily awakened an incredibly powerful talent. Elemental King was the best advertisement.
Even better, Su Xiao could display the Elemental King's data through Void Tree's notarization. There would be no issues with this. The hidden parts would be seen as not wanting to reveal all their cards.
Elemental King + Death Grail's liquid + Ancient Will, all displayed together on the communication platform. Would the contractors in this world not be tempted after seeing this?
A temporarily awakened talent could last about half a month. For contractors, with such a long buffer period, after returning to the Paradise, as long as they were willing to spend soul coins, they might be able to buy items similar to [Ancient Will].
This was a third talent. Theoretically, each person could awaken at most two talent abilities. A third talent was the absolute limit. If there was even the slightest possibility of awakening, contractors would be willing to invest massive resources. In life-and-death battles, sometimes being just a bit stronger determined life or death.
Su Xiao felt that a large sum of soul coins was about to come his way.
He browsed the world communication platform's messages, found the post record of the National Football Team's leader, used it as a medium, and tried to contact him through the Reincarnation Mark.
After about ten seconds, the National Football Team leader replied through the mark. Su Xiao sent all the data on Elemental King + Death Grail's liquid + Ancient Will and proposed that this matter must be kept absolutely confidential, without mentioning that these things came from him.
It wasn't that Su Xiao was timid or overly cautious. He was the legion commander of the Execution Agency. If a contractor hostile to him learned about the sale of Death Grail's liquid and reported it to the Execution Agency, Su Xiao would be in a very passive position.
With the National Football Team as an intermediary, even if a hostile contractor guessed that these things came from Su Xiao, they couldn't do anything about it.
After seeing the data on Elemental King + Death Grail's liquid + Ancient Will, the National Football Team leader immediately replied: 'Brother Bai Ye, don't let good stuff go to outsiders. Sell it to us instead.'
Su Xiao immediately refused. The National Football Team leader didn't insist on buying. Su Xiao's refusal was too decisive, not even considering their two previous collaborations. Although the Three Brothers of National Football were goofy, they weren't stupid. They vaguely guessed that these items had issues and the effects after use weren't this exaggerated.
Before long, the Three Brothers of National Football posted a message on the communication platform. The originally quiet platform instantly became lively, with at least a hundred contractors speaking up.
Many were watching. [Ancient Will] was naturally not for sale; only the Death Grail's liquid was being sold. The contractors hesitated because they weren't sure if they could obtain items similar to [Ancient Will] after returning to the Paradise this time.
Even so, many people still made offers.
Most could see that Elemental King might be false advertising, but the opportunity to awaken a third talent had its own inherent value.
The first to bid was Black Rose, starting at 5700 soul coins. A few seconds later, Alec raised the bid to 6700 soul coins, starting an auction.
Interestingly, Fairy also bid and asked about the attitude of the Three Brothers of National Football. The Three Brothers stated they didn't care if Fairy was a public enemy.
Su Xiao watched the messages on the communication platform, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Black Rose (Reincarnation Paradise): "8500 soul coins!"
[This post has paid 1 soul coin.]
Snake King Envoy (Sanctuary Paradise): "I bid 9000 soul coins."
Fairy (Public Enemy): "13500 soul coins."
Bai Ye (Reincarnation Paradise): "15000 soul coins."