Chapter 15: Transformation
The soul blade he had waited so long for was finally in hand. For other technique grandmasters, reaching Lv.95 in a technique ability was the end of the line, where the skill rank would convert to X.
The reason Su Xiao's Blade Grandmaster could still improve was due to the [Origin Stone: World] granting an all-ability rank cap increase of +Lv.10, raising his Blade Grandmaster's maximum rank to Lv.105.
The soul blade floated before Su Xiao. Whether by coincidence or karmic fate, this translucent blue soul blade closely resembled Dragon-Slaying Flash. He grasped the middle section of the soul blade with one hand, and a shockwave radiated outward from him.
Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei, who were over ten meters away, had been on alert. The fluctuations from the soul blade were far too conspicuous. All three were hiding beside a Starhorn Elk. Molei couldn't resist peeking out of curiosity, only to have something fly over and tap her on the forehead.
The soul blade in Su Xiao's hand gradually melted, transforming into a semi-fluid energy that climbed along his right arm, passed through his right shoulder and chest, then submerged into his heart, leaving vein-like patterns along the way.
Thump-thump!
Su Xiao's heart beat with unusual force. His vision instantly switched to darkness, as if he were falling through a dark liquid. But suddenly, he stopped. A gravitational pull came from above, and he ascended from the dark liquid, breaking through the black mist as faint light shone down from above.
Splashing black droplets evaporated. Su Xiao stood on a pitch-black ocean. The next instant, this black ocean turned into a sea of blood. Enemies he had slain in the past twisted into resentful forms, spreading out from the blood sea, poised to engulf him.
With a crackling sound, these twisted resentments exploded around him. If he harbored any guilt for killing these powerful foes, he would surely be dragged into the blood sea. This wasn't a test of sorts but rather a backlash phenomenon triggered when about to master immense power.
A straightforward analogy: a container wanting to hold more, to have greater capacity, must bear the weight and pressure of what it contains. The darkness and blood sea before him represented the "weight" brought by the soul blade's power. A strong heart earns the right; a fearful heart meets a death with no burial ground.
Su Xiao had always felt his blade talent wasn't particularly high... *cough* — it wasn't high before. After stacking a bunch of passives that boosted "Blade Potential," his blade talent naturally maxed out, but this was acquired through effort.
He had always been clear about one thing: his reason for becoming stronger was simply because he wanted to be strong. There really wasn't any grand purpose, like becoming the ruler of the Star Realm. Of course, defeating the Supreme Being could be considered a goal, but it had no direct connection to his pursuit of being the strongest.
Su Xiao was merely pursuing the pinnacle of strength. So whether it was the hatred symbolized by the darkness or the enmity represented by the blood sea, neither could shake his resolve. Of course, his soul strength of 1130 points also played an inseparable role.
The water beneath his feet had become crystal clear. Su Xiao looked down at his own reflection. In the watery reflection, his eyes had pitch-black pupils with dark blue irises. This reflection stared back at him.
Suddenly, Su Xiao found himself surrounded by liquid. Upon closer observation, he realized the environment hadn't changed — he had swapped positions with his reflection. This wasn't a reflection; it was the Blade Demon Spirit, imitating his appearance to become 100% identical to him.
Back in the underground space, Su Xiao, who had been standing still, suddenly opened his eyes. His pitch-black pupils and dark blue irises gave his aura a different quality than before.
With a booming air blast, "Su Xiao" was now sitting on the Starhorn Elk's back, looking at Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei, who had been hiding beside the elk. The exceptionally perceptive Starhorn Elk trembled all over, losing the strength to stand.
The next second, the Starhorn Elk's pupils also turned pitch black. It turned its head to look at Molei and the other two. Yueshitu's spiritual bond with this summoned creature was violently severed, causing her to instinctively wince and cry out in pain.
Molei, Yueshitu, and Hao Mei all sensed something was wrong, but they dared not make a move. Molei felt that even twitching a finger could get her cut down by a blade.
Su Xiao raised his hand but stopped the next moment. The pitch black in his eyes quickly faded, and his aura returned to normal. The Blade Demon Spirit hadn't invaded his entire body — only up to his right arm. He suppressed the Blade Demon Spirit back into Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Though the surroundings were filled with violent blood energy, Molei breathed a sigh of relief. She sat down on the carpet and asked, "What did you just release? I felt like I was about to kick the bucket."
"Not quite."
Su Xiao spoke. The Starhorn Elk beneath him turned its head and bit at him. This summoned creature had just regained consciousness and tried to distract Su Xiao so Yueshitu could escape. But as soon as it turned to bite him, Su Xiao casually slapped it unconscious with a big backhand.
This time, the Blade Demon Spirit seized an opportunity. It seemed risky, as if it might take over his body, but that wasn't the case. This level of "ambush" was just an appetizer. Moreover, as long as Su Xiao's consciousness and soul remained intact, the Blade Demon Spirit could never fully occupy his physical form.
Su Xiao actually welcomed the Blade Demon Spirit's "ambushes" like this. Such "ambushes," which posed little real threat to him, allowed his various demon spirit abilities' proficiency to skyrocket. For instance, this time, the three demon spirit abilities — [Substitution], [Transmission], and [Dual Blade] — all saw a massive surge in proficiency.
"What was that... controlling your body just now?"
Molei was still shaken. That gaze devoid of any emotional fluctuation made her hair stand on end.
"A cost."
"What? Don't be cryptic."
"It's the price of gaining power, but it can also be a form of power."
Su Xiao wasn't just spouting nonsense. In his view, the demon spirit was a cost in its initial stage, but in the later stages, it either became an unbearable burden or a rare and formidable power.
After speaking, Su Xiao tossed out three candies. Molei caught one and complained, "I'm not a kid. Giving me candy won't make up for my mental trauma just now... Alright, soul candy does work."
"..."
Su Xiao walked over to the carpet, which had been cleaned by the smart cleaning robot. He sat cross-legged on it, closed his eyes, and sensed himself. Earlier, his spiritual body had seemed to comprehend something on that boundless water surface, but it wasn't clear. Now, meditating with his eyes closed, he felt a tremendous change in his Blade Grandmaster, along with many notifications.
[Reminder: Your Blade Grandmaster (Technique Passive) has completed its transformation.]
[Due to your Blade Grandmaster ability's maximum rank being Lv.105, at this stage, the ability will not yet convert to X.]
[The following abilities have been stripped from the Blade Grandmaster system and become independent abilities.]