# Chapter 2: Core Ability (or Melee/Ranged, or Technique, or Other Energy System Core Ability)
After leaving the Attribute Enhancement Hall, Su Xiao headed straight for the Skill Upgrade Hall.
The Skill Upgrade Hall was located in the central area of Reincarnation Paradise. This massive building had a unique architectural style, with a metallic sheen covering its surface and blue energy circuits flickering along the walls.
Pushing open the heavy metal door, Su Xiao entered the hall. The interior was spacious and bright, with dozens of Skill Upgrade Pods arranged in neat rows. Each pod was about three meters tall, made of translucent material, with complex runes engraved on the surface.
Currently, there weren't many contractors in the hall. A few people were using the upgrade pods, their bodies enveloped in light as skill information scrolled across the pod surfaces.
Su Xiao walked to an empty pod, placed his hand on the identification panel.
[Ding, identity confirmed. Contractor: Su Xiao.]
[Welcome to the Skill Upgrade Hall. Current available Skill Upgrade Pods: A-07.]
The pod door slid open, and Su Xiao stepped inside. The interior space was just right, with soft blue light illuminating the surroundings.
"Begin skill upgrade."
As his voice fell, a translucent interface appeared before him, displaying all his current skills.
[Skills List:]
[Blade Path: Azure Demon Lv.42 (Active Skill)]
[Blade Path Sword: Time Lv.35 (Active Skill)]
[Blade Path Sword: Extreme Lv.38 (Active Skill)]
[Azure Steel Shadow Energy Lv.50 (Passive Skill)]
[Devouring Core Lv.30 (Passive Skill)]
[Blade Demon Spirit Lv.25 (Passive Skill)]
[Melee Grandmaster Lv.40 (Passive Skill)]
[Blade Grandmaster Lv.45 (Passive Skill)]
[Blood Spear Grandmaster Lv.20 (Passive Skill)]
[Space Penetration Lv.15 (Active Skill)]
[Spirit Shadow Constitution Lv.10 (Passive Skill)]
[Space-Time Power Lv.8 (Passive Skill)]
[Abyss Resistance Lv.20 (Passive Skill)]
[Basic Passive: Physique Enhancement Lv.MAX]
[Basic Passive: Agility Enhancement Lv.MAX]
[Basic Passive: Strength Enhancement Lv.MAX]
[Basic Passive: Perception Enhancement Lv.MAX]
[Basic Passive: Soul Strength Enhancement Lv.MAX]
Su Xiao's gaze swept across the skill list, finally settling on the core ability — Azure Steel Shadow Energy.
This was the foundational ability of the Law Destruction Faction, the source of all his combat power. Azure Steel Shadow Energy could enhance his attack power, grant true damage effects, and possess special properties that suppressed spellcasters.
"Upgrade Azure Steel Shadow Energy."
[Azure Steel Shadow Energy Lv.50 → Lv.55]
[Upgrade requires: 5 Law-Destroying Skill Points, 3 Golden Skill Points, 8 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
[Confirm upgrade?]
"Confirm."
The Skill Upgrade Pod immediately began operating, and streams of energy flowed into Su Xiao's body. He felt the Azure Steel Shadow Energy within him rapidly strengthening, the energy flow becoming denser and more refined.
A few minutes later, the upgrade was complete.
[Azure Steel Shadow Energy Lv.55 (Passive Skill)]
[Skill Effect: Increases attack power by 320%, grants true damage effect (ignores 70% of enemy defenses), deals additional 850 points of true damage per attack.]
[Special Effect — Law Annihilation: When attacking spellcasters, increases true damage by 50%, and has a 30% chance to interrupt the enemy's spellcasting.]
[Special Effect — Energy Penetration: Azure Steel Shadow Energy can penetrate most energy shields, reducing the enemy's energy shield effect by 40%.]
Seeing the upgraded skill effects, Su Xiao nodded with satisfaction. The enhancement of Azure Steel Shadow Energy meant his combat power had significantly improved.
Next, he looked at the Blade Path skills.
Blade Path: Azure Demon was his main offensive skill, capable of unleashing powerful slashes. Blade Path Sword: Time and Blade Path Sword: Extreme were his trump cards, the former able to slow time, the latter unleashing an ultimate strike.
"Upgrade Blade Path: Azure Demon."
[Blade Path: Azure Demon Lv.42 → Lv.45]
[Upgrade requires: 3 Law-Destroying Skill Points, 2 Golden Skill Points, 5 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
[Confirm upgrade?]
"Confirm."
Energy surged again, and Su Xiao felt the blade techniques within him become more profound. The power of Azure Demon had increased, and its activation speed had also improved.
[Blade Path: Azure Demon Lv.45 (Active Skill)]
[Skill Effect: Unleashes a powerful slash, dealing 650% weapon damage + 1800 points of true damage. Cooldown: 8 seconds.]
[Special Effect — Azure Demon Slash: The slash carries Azure Steel Shadow Energy, increasing range by 30% and adding a penetrating effect.]
"Upgrade Blade Path Sword: Time."
[Blade Path Sword: Time Lv.35 → Lv.38]
[Upgrade requires: 2 Law-Destroying Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, 3 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
[Confirm upgrade?]
"Confirm."
[Blade Path Sword: Time Lv.38 (Active Skill)]
[Skill Effect: Slows time within a 10-meter radius, reducing enemy movement speed by 50% and attack speed by 30%. Duration: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]
[Special Effect — Time Lock: When activated, has a 20% chance to immobilize the enemy for 1 second.]
"Upgrade Blade Path Sword: Extreme."
[Blade Path Sword: Extreme Lv.38 → Lv.40]
[Upgrade requires: 2 Law-Destroying Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, 3 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
[Confirm upgrade?]
"Confirm."
[Blade Path Sword: Extreme Lv.40 (Active Skill)]
[Skill Effect: Unleashes an ultimate strike, dealing 800% weapon damage + 3000 points of true damage. This skill ignores 50% of enemy defense. Cooldown: 120 seconds.]
[Special Effect — Extreme Annihilation: If the enemy's health is below 30%, this skill deals an additional 200% damage.]
After upgrading the Blade Path skills, Su Xiao checked his remaining skill points.
[Remaining Law-Destroying Skill Points: 12]
[Remaining Golden Skill Points: 5]
[Remaining Soul Crystals (Complete): 15]
There were still quite a few skill points left, but Su Xiao didn't plan to use them all at once. He needed to reserve some for emergencies.
Next, he looked at the passive skills.
Melee Grandmaster and Blade Grandmaster were his core passive abilities, enhancing his melee combat and blade technique power respectively.
"Upgrade Melee Grandmaster."
[Melee Grandmaster Lv.40 → Lv.42]
[Upgrade requires: 2 Law-Destroying Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, 4 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
[Confirm upgrade?]
"Confirm."
[Melee Grandmaster Lv.42 (Passive Skill)]
[Skill Effect: Increases melee attack power by 180%, melee attack speed by 40%, and movement speed by 25%.]
[Special Effect — Combat Instinct: When in combat, reaction speed increases by 30%, and has a 15% chance to automatically dodge enemy attacks.]
"Upgrade Blade Grandmaster."
[Blade Grandmaster Lv.45 → Lv.47]
[Upgrade requires: 2 Law-Destroying Skill Points, 1 Golden Skill Point, 4 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
[Confirm upgrade?]
"Confirm."
[Blade Grandmaster Lv.47 (Passive Skill)]
[Skill Effect: Increases blade technique damage by 250%, blade technique activation speed by 35%, and blade aura range by 20%.]
[Special Effect — Blade Heart Resonance: When using blade techniques, has a 20% chance to trigger a double strike effect, dealing an additional 100% damage.]
After upgrading these two core passives, Su Xiao felt his overall combat power had noticeably improved.
Finally, he looked at the remaining skills.
Devouring Core was a special ability that could devour enemy energy to restore his own. Blade Demon Spirit could summon a blade demon to assist in combat. Blood Spear Grandmaster was a long-range attack method. Space Penetration allowed short-distance teleportation. Spirit Shadow Constitution enhanced soul defense. Space-Time Power was a rare ability that could manipulate space-time.
These skills were all useful, but their priority was lower than the core abilities. Su Xiao decided to save the remaining skill points for now, to be used when needed.
"End skill upgrade."
The Skill Upgrade Pod slowly stopped operating, and the door opened.
Su Xiao stepped out of the pod, feeling the power flowing through his body. This trip to the Skill Upgrade Hall had been very fruitful, significantly enhancing his core combat abilities.
He checked the time. There were still a few hours before the next mission began. He could go to the Equipment Enhancement Hall to strengthen his equipment, or go to the Trade Market to see if there were any good items.
After thinking for a moment, Su Xiao decided to head to the Equipment Enhancement Hall first.
His main weapon, Dragon-Slaying Flash, had been with him for a long time and was already at a very high enhancement level. If he could push it further, his combat power would increase even more.
Walking out of the Skill Upgrade Hall, Su Xiao headed toward the Equipment Enhancement Hall in the distance.
On the way, he passed by the Trade Market. The market was bustling with contractors setting up stalls, selling various items.
Su Xiao glanced around but didn't stop. He planned to come back and browse after finishing at the Equipment Enhancement Hall.
Soon, he arrived at the Equipment Enhancement Hall.
This building was even more magnificent than the Skill Upgrade Hall, its exterior covered in golden runes, exuding a sacred aura.
Pushing open the door, Su Xiao entered the hall.
The interior was even more spacious, with dozens of Enhancement Platforms arranged in rows. Each platform was surrounded by a translucent barrier, preventing the energy from the enhancement process from leaking out.
Currently, quite a few contractors were using the platforms, the sounds of equipment clashing and energy explosions filling the air.
Su Xiao walked to an empty platform and placed his hand on the identification panel.
[Ding, identity confirmed. Contractor: Su Xiao.]
[Welcome to the Equipment Enhancement Hall. Current available Enhancement Platform: C-12.]
Su Xiao stepped onto the platform, and the barrier immediately rose, enclosing him inside.
He drew Dragon-Slashing Flash from his waist. The blade gleamed coldly, its edge sharp.
"Begin equipment enhancement."
[Equipment: Dragon-Slashing Flash (Holy Spirit Rank)]
[Current Enhancement Level: +12]
[Enhancement to +13 requires: 3 Holy Spirit Enhancement Stones, 2 Origin Stones, 50,000 Paradise Coins.]
[Success rate: 45%.]
[Confirm enhancement?]
"Confirm."
The Enhancement Platform immediately began operating, and streams of energy converged onto Dragon-Slashing Flash. The blade trembled slightly, emitting a sharp hum.
Su Xiao watched the enhancement process intently. Equipment enhancement was risky; failure could cause the equipment to drop in level or even be damaged.
Fortunately, his luck was good this time.
[Ding, enhancement successful!]
[Dragon-Slashing Flash +12 → +13]
[Weapon base attack increased by 15%.]
[New special effect unlocked — Dragon's Might: When attacking, has a 10% chance to release dragon pressure, reducing the enemy's combat power by 20%.]
Seeing the enhancement result, Su Xiao showed a satisfied expression. The new special effect was very practical, capable of weakening enemies in battle.
He continued enhancing.
"Continue enhancement."
[Enhancement to +14 requires: 5 Holy Spirit Enhancement Stones, 3 Origin Stones, 80,000 Paradise Coins.]
[Success rate: 30%.]
[Confirm enhancement?]
"Confirm."
This time, the enhancement process was noticeably more intense. Dragon-Slashing Flash emitted a dazzling light, and the energy fluctuations on the platform became violent.
Su Xiao held his breath, focusing intently.
[Ding, enhancement successful!]
[Dragon-Slashing Flash +13 → +14]
[Weapon base attack increased by 20%.]
[Existing special effects enhanced.]
Seeing another success, Su Xiao felt even more pleased. But he knew that the higher the enhancement level, the lower the success rate. Continuing to enhance would be very risky.
After thinking, he decided to stop here for now. +14 was already a very high enhancement level; continuing would risk damaging the weapon.
"End enhancement."
The Enhancement Platform stopped operating, and the barrier slowly lowered.
Su Xiao sheathed Dragon-Slashing Flash and left the Equipment Enhancement Hall.
Next, he planned to go to the Trade Market to see if there were any good items.
Walking into the Trade Market, the noise hit him. Contractors were shouting and bargaining, the atmosphere lively.
Su Xiao strolled through the market, occasionally stopping to look at some stalls.
Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a stall.
The stall was set up by a contractor wearing a black robe. On the stall were some unusual items, including a pitch-black crystal that emanated a faint abyssal aura.
Su Xiao walked over and picked up the crystal.
"What is this?"
The black-robed contractor looked up at him and said, "This is an Abyss Crystal, a rare material that can be used to enhance Abyss-type equipment or craft special items."
"How much?"
"30,000 Paradise Coins."
Su Xiao pondered for a moment. This price was reasonable. Abyss Crystals were indeed rare and could be useful for future missions.
"Deal."
He paid 30,000 Paradise Coins and put away the Abyss Crystal.
Continuing to browse, Su Xiao found some other useful items, including a few Soul Crystals and some alchemical materials.
He bought them all, spending a total of over 100,000 Paradise Coins.
After finishing his shopping, Su Xiao prepared to leave the Trade Market.
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.
"White Night."
Su Xiao turned around and saw a middle-aged man in a suit walking toward him. It was Mawen Hua'erzi.
"Waltz, what brings you here?"
Mawen Hua'erzi smiled and said, "I was just passing by and saw you. How have you been lately?"
"Not bad, just finished upgrading some skills and equipment."
"Oh? Looks like you're preparing for the next mission." Mawen Hua'erzi's expression turned serious. "I heard there's a big mission coming up, and many contractors are preparing."
Su Xiao nodded. "I know. That's why I'm getting ready."
"Need any help?"
"Not for now. If I do, I'll let you know."
"Alright, take care." Mawen Hua'erzi patted his shoulder and then turned and left.
Su Xiao watched his departing figure, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Mawen Hua'erzi was an old friend, a veteran contractor with rich experience. His reminder meant the upcoming mission was likely very dangerous.
But for Su Xiao, danger also meant opportunity.
He took a deep breath, his gaze firm.
No matter what the mission was, he was ready.