Chapter 3: Extreme Level: Pay 120,000 units of Space-Time Power to activate the "Ascension Ritual," which can fuse and transform your three existing "Grandmaster Technique Abilities" that have reached Lv.95, obtaining a "Technique-Type" ability that surpasses the "Grandmaster" level and is uniquely yours. The initial strength of this Technique-Type ability will be 280% to 300% of the combined combat power of the original three Grandmaster skills.
Introduction: Pursue the Extreme Realm to your heart's content.
...
Undoubtedly, Su Xiao couldn't refuse such a transaction price.
His combat style with three Grandmaster skills was extremely powerful at the Ninth Rank and Absolute Strength levels, but at the Supreme level, it was a realm of pursuing the ultimate, of gradually consolidating past accumulations to form a feeling that was uniquely one's own, pure and powerful. Otherwise, one could at most reach the upper echelons of the Supreme level, unqualified to stand at the Supreme Peak.
Moreover, the three Grandmaster skills had developed for so long, just waiting for an opportunity to bloom. Su Xiao was certain that if this "Extreme Technique" could truly bloom, it would inevitably be Blade Dao characteristic.
After the deal was settled, although none of the three said anything, the trio naturally formed a team. Subsequently, in the Dawn Ruins, the three would advance and retreat together, because Kaisa also had something to scheme there.
The three left the rest room and arrived at the spacious public area. Su Xiao summoned the Lord's Train. After boarding, he manipulated the train to seal all windows. The lights inside the train lit up one after another. Entering the bedroom, Su Xiao sat in front of the Alchemy Laboratory workbench, and the three began to discuss their next moves.
An hour later, the three started to get busy. By dusk that day, a figure composed of dark blue fluid sat on a chair. This was a substitute cultivated by Su Xiao using his own cells as a blueprint through Alchemy Biology.
Whether in terms of materials used or time spent, this substitute was not refined. Moreover, Su Xiao's Alchemy Biology level was actually quite average; his main strength was in Pharmaceutics.
This was not a problem. Su Xiao used three methods to compensate for the substitute's incompleteness to the greatest extent. First, he used the Blade Demon Spirit as the temporary soul of this substitute. Then, through Kaisa's mysterious operations, the substitute gained a semblance of a causal-level "independent individual."
A Spirit Shadow Thread formed at Su Xiao's fingertip, with the other end sinking into the back of the substitute's head.
Su Xiao took out the [Supreme Life Source Matter · Unique] and, without much hesitation, used it on the substitute. The next second, a dark red source matter power surged into the substitute's chest.
With a bang, a crimson energy shockwave spread. The substitute, which had not been granted mobility, suddenly stood up. After a moment, it slumped back into the chair. A strong, viscous death aura gradually spread from the heart as the center. When it reached the entire body, it even showed a tendency to spread along the Spirit Shadow Thread towards Su Xiao.
Shenfu stepped forward, placing one hand on the substitute's shoulder. The previously dense death aura suddenly stagnated, then surged like a spring towards Shenfu's hand, being devoured by him.
When all the gray-white death power was devoured by Shenfu, he reluctantly slowly withdrew his hand. He had to, as Su Xiao's hand was already on his sword hilt; if he didn't withdraw, he would lose a hand.
Su Xiao pulled the Spirit Shadow Thread, stripping the Blade Demon Spirit from within the substitute. Kaisa, who was maintaining the ritual, interrupted it, causing the "independent individual" causality of the substitute to collapse.
With a snap, the substitute shattered under Su Xiao's control, revealing a humanoid form composed of crimson energy. This crimson energy immediately sought out the substitute's homologous aura, which was naturally Su Xiao. All the crimson energy surged towards Su Xiao, turning into a vortex that sank into his heart.
"It's done."
Su Xiao spoke calmly, implying it was time for the guests to leave. Shenfu and Kaisa were both shrewd and understood the situation, both disembarking from the train.
Seeing Shenfu leave, Su Xiao walked towards the bed, but before he could take a single step, he fell to the ground with a thud. This enhancement was too intense. A full 2 million points of Health Cap and 2 million points of Health Value. If he hadn't had a high Health Value of 5.61 million points, this single enhancement alone would have been enough to kill him.
A familiar feeling washed over him, and Su Xiao immediately fell into a dream. In a dreamlike state, Su Xiao seemed to sink into darkness.
In the darkness, he suddenly stopped. The darkness ahead was denser, but he could sense that there seemed to be a massive creature ahead. A dozen or so crimson eyes arranged in a V-shape opened in the darkness ahead.
"!"
Su Xiao abruptly opened his eyes, sitting up from the bed, breathing heavily. After a few seconds, his breathing began to stabilize.
"Meeting again."
Su Xiao murmured, pressing one hand to his forehead. He gently massaged his temple with his thumb, letting the headache gradually fade. When he took another deep breath, he felt his body was unprecedentedly powerful. It was a feeling of life force surging through his blood. His Health Value had leaped to a staggering 7.61 million points, a level that would make any Tank System envious to the point of cellular breakdown.
Su Xiao opened his personal information, skipping over other attributes, and looked at the location of the Charm Attribute.
Charm: -25 points.
This surprised Su Xiao for a moment. It had been so long. His Charm Attribute seemed to have only increased at low ranks. Now, it had finally made a breakthrough, going from -30 points to -25 points. This was really a good...
Just as Su Xiao's thoughts reached this point, he suddenly noticed that the Charm Attribute had slipped from -25 points to -26 points. A very ominous feeling arose.
-27
-28
-29
Under Su Xiao's gaze, the drop rate of the Charm Attribute was faster than his heartbeat. The good news was that it finally stabilized at -29 points. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief in his heart.
-30
-31
-32
The corner of Su Xiao's eye twitched almost imperceptibly. He really hadn't expected that after this Charm Attribute increase, it would actually rebound. After observing for a moment, confirming that the Charm Attribute had stabilized at -32 points, he closed the attribute list.
The significant increase in life force made Su Xiao feel a bit more at ease about this trip to the Dawn Ruins. After all, as a Hunter, he was heading to the enemy's base camp. He needed to maximize his combat power as much as possible.
In terms of attack capability, Su Xiao was temporarily sufficient at the Absolute Strength level. Moreover, to significantly improve this aspect, he would have to wait until he was promoted to the Supreme level. Thus, focusing on defense was also a very good choice.
But having strong Health Value was not enough. Su Xiao also needed high physical defense and damage reduction. In terms of physical defense, he had the bonus from the Indestructible Constitution. When his Health Value was below 70%, he could get a ridiculous bonus of 950 points. Adding his base physical defense, breaking 1000 was no problem. Although higher physical defense was always better, damage immunity was a deeper layer of defense.
All "Damage Reduction" is not a certified bonus from the Paradise or an illusory bonus like a game buff. It is a derivative of "Body Energy," but it does not appear naturally; it must be stimulated postnatally.
For over 90% of Contractors, their first contact with this protective energy is through the base attributes of an Eternal Rank main defensive equipment. For example, Su Xiao's [Wild Hunt Night] has this base attribute.
"Eternal Rank Leather Armor Base Bonus: 15% Physical/Energy Damage Reduction."
Generally, Cloth Armor level is 5%, Leather Armor level is 10%, and only Heavy Armor level can reach 15%. All thanks to Lide's continuous efforts, of course, this cannot be said to his face, or he might get a hammer from Lide.
Su Xiao had long awakened this protective energy, which came from one of the bonuses of Blade Grandmaster:
"Blade Grandmaster · Lv.70 Ultimate Ability: Blade Domain (Ultimate · Passive), you gain 10% All Damage Reduction."
In fact, the judgment and classification of "Damage Reduction" are very strict and detailed. The "Damage Reduction" brought by one's own mastered abilities is "Base · Damage Reduction," while the "Damage Reduction" bonus from external sources like equipment and titles is "Buff · Damage Reduction."
There is no difference in effect between the two, but the stacking method is different. "Base · Damage Reduction" is additive. Taking Su Xiao as an example, his "Base · Damage Reduction" includes: