Jiang Shumo handled matters efficiently. In just a month and a half, he had fetched the Eye of the Thunder God.
"Many thanks, Chief Inquisitor." Su Chen expressed his sincere gratitude before reaching out to take it. It looked like a crystal, but once in his hand, he could still feel warmth, and its texture was even supple.
"You earned it." Jiang Shumo waved his hand, but then asked seemingly out of curiosity, "I remember that the class information you accessed was for the 4th-tier superior class, Calamity Walker. There doesn't seem to be this specific requirement for advancement, is there?"
"There isn't. I'm taking it to forge a weapon."
Su Chen felt a slight jolt of apprehension in his heart, but he had prepared an excuse long ago, so his response revealed no flaws.
"Is that so." Jiang Shumo looked thoughtful. It was unclear whether he believed it or not before turning and leaving.
"Being tested from time to time by this Chief Inquisitor is actually quite thrilling..." Su Chen watched him leave, shaking his head inwardly.
Given his current status and position, Jiang Shumo's probing might not stem from suspicion, but rather from habitâthe habit of a cunning old fox.
Su Chen didn't take it to heart too much. He went to the Gravity Room and closed the door.
Attempting to absorb it, the Eye of the Thunder God seeped into his pores like mercury. Ring-like ripples appeared on his skin, displaying a bizarre translucent state. One could clearly see azure-blue energy surging along his blood vessels and disappearing into somewhere in his body.
ăCalamity Walker has completed its aspirations and transformed intoâCalamity Patrolleră
"Calamity Patroller, that sounds pretty good..." Su Chen looked at the panel. The Calamity Walker had already completed its evolution. He cast his gaze downward, his eyes inevitably carrying a bit of anticipation.
ăMystic Holy Hand: 99%ă
Finally, he was only the last 1% away from advancing to the 4th tier.
Calming his state of mind, Su Chen adopted a stance and continued operating the ăReturn to Ruins Meditation Methodă.
He had already reached the Master level in it a few days ago, gaining an ability named ăRuins Abyssă, which slightly increased his total amount of mental energy.
Since this was already the final moment of the 3rd tier, Su Chen naturally didn't plan on swapping meditation methods.
This was already his progress the day before yesterday. Su Chen originally planned to finish it in one vigorous push today, but who knew Jiang Shumo would happen to deliver the Eye of the Thunder God.
Not long after, the mental energy within his brain churned ceaselessly. A feeling of overflowing swelling arising from the inside out told Su Chen, without him needing to look at his panel, that the final 1% had been filled.
When a class is developed to its absolute limit, the professional themself naturally feels it.
Su Chen pulled back his stance, slowly exhaling a breath, gradually adjusting himself to his optimal state. The Word Spirit Lord had no further requirements; he could advance at any time.
Right at this moment!
A glint flashed in his eyes. In an instant, the mental energy in Su Chen's mind abruptly boiled over.
His originally tranquil mental energy exploded like a landslide or tsunami, dissipating in all directions.
This transformation came so violently that even Su Chen was caught off guard. The expansion of his mental energy allowed him to capture absolutely all the fields of vision around him into his brain with unparalleled clarity, which made him feel uncomfortable.
But very quickly, the mental energy that had expanded outward began to collapse inward toward his brain at a terrifying speed.
The abilities born from the three meditation methodsâăHeart Condensationă, ăIce Soulă, and ăRuins Abyssăâblended with it, bursting with blazing white light amidst the compression of his mental energy.
Soon, his mental energy gradually condensed into a continuously trembling mental core. As it took shape, intense pain swept through his consciousness.
ăMystic Holy Hand has advanced to Word Spirit Lord!ă
ăMystic Artifact Lord has been enhancedâControllable Mystic Artifacts +1ă
ăCrimson Thunder Prison has been enhanced!ă
ăPsychokinesis has been enhanced!ă
ăMental Implantation has transformed intoâLaw Command: Can use mental seeds to issue direct commands to the target.ă
ăGaze of Black Buddha has been enhanced!ă
ăMystic Holy Hand has been enhanced!ă
ăGained professional abilityâWord Spirit: Words become reality, intensity is determined by the consumed mental energy.ă
Once the transformation ended, Su Chen opened his eyes. It was as if another layer of mist had been wiped away from the world before his eyes, rendering it clearer than ever before. After every advancement, he would experience this sensation.
Su Chen expanded his chest, taking a deep breath. As he experienced his own mental energy, he felt quite amazed. His originally drifting, unrooted mental energy had actually coalesced into a core.
"A mental core... isn't this thing only condensed upon reaching the 5th-tier?"
According to his understanding, a mental core was a highly concentrated aggregate of mental energy that basically only birthed within 5th-tier professionals. As for it being birthed at the 4th tier, it was only possible without exception for those who possessed entirely top-grade mental-type classes.
Even so, the class had to be developed to its late stages for it to be possible.
There were many benefits to condensing a mental core: mental energy recovery speed increased, mental resilience rose substantially, and there was one most miraculous point.
When the physical body was annihilated, one wouldn't die immediately. The mental core could act as an anchor for consciousness, and could even possess the bodies of other creatures.
Of course, this kind of possession was merely dragging out one's dying breath. Without the root physical body, the consumption of mental energy would continuously intensify until it completely vanished.
"Is it because my mental resilience and total capacity have already met the standard?" Su Chen couldn't help but guess. This was the only explanation, and it was also thanks to the continuous birth of various abilities from his meditation methods.
Only through accumulating them tier by tier did he possess this exceptionally advantageous edge.
After resting for a moment, Su Chen looked at his panel again. The vast majority of his abilities had been enhanced, reaching 4th-tier intensity.
And what Su Chen paid the most attention to was his new professional abilityâWord Spirit.
"It sounds like 'speaking the law'?" He raised an eyebrow, quite amazed. Pondering briefly, he couldn't help but stand up straight, clear his throat, and say with quite a sense of ceremony: "Let there be water."
As his voice fell, his mental core trembled. Su Chen's pupils contracted; he only felt his vision go dark and the world spin, about to collapse to the ground.
Fortunately, the Origin Reverser swiftly extracted stamina. Although his physical class was still at the 3rd tier, it still converted quite a bit of mental energy, allowing him to recover.
"It almost sucked me dry... that's too absurd..." Su Chen massaged his temples, staring in front of him, looking left and right, but didn't find the water he asked for anywhere.
"It probably shouldn't be used like this."
The Glutton continued to convert stamina. After completely recovering, Su Chen tried again, saying, "Take off the clothes on my body."
This time, it only consumed a small portion of mental energy, and the clothes on his body were manipulated by an invisible force, falling off.
Afterward, he experimented further. It took over half an hour for him to sum up more rules.
"This ability is like a rigid program..." Su Chen stroked his chin. "The more specific the target and the clearer the method, the less it consumes."
His initial statement, 'Let there be water', was equivalent to creation out of thin air. Not only could his mental energy not support it, but the ability also couldn't achieve it.
"The best way to use it should be target + plus method." Su Chen concluded.
"It's a bit cumbersome, but still very powerful. It indirectly rounds out my combat methods. Moreover, I can constantly convert mental energy in real-time to provide sustained power." Su Chen was still very satisfied.
"Talking an ordinary 4th-tier professional to death shouldn't be a big problem. I wonder if it could cause trouble for a 5th-tier professional if augmented by the Holy Hand."
Scanning the row of text from his advancement again, Su Chen felt a sense of satisfaction, then looked at the very top.
ăWord Spirit Lord: 0%ă
ăAzure Thunder Sovereign: 92%ă
It wouldn't be much longer before the Azure Thunder Sovereign could also advance.
"When the time comes, body tempering methods, meditation methods, and auxiliary potions will all have to be replaced..." Su Chen thought, then frowned. "However, isn't my advancement speed a bit too fast? It's like I don't even need to complete class requirements."
"I'll wait until the Azure Thunder Sovereign also advances before comprehensively replacing all the resources. It won't be long either way, and it'll save me some trouble."
"I'll first have Gu Bing prepare the materials for upgrading my weapon."
Su Chen retrieved the scale armor, spirit blade, and combat boots from his storage space, experiencing them one by one using the Weapon Nurturer class.
"Earth Dragon Dark Scales, Dragon Bone Cold Iron, Phantom Mirage Skin... there are truly quite a lot of materials."
After obtaining the requirement for the upgrades, Su Chen sent a message to Gu Bing, asking her to start preparing them.
"As for a new Mystic Artifact to control..." Su Chen calculated. He had attack, defense, and speed.
Extending his hand, a metallic mask appeared in his palm. "How about strengthening my concealment capabilities?"
Thinking about it, Su Chen put it away again. Once a Mystic Artifact was controlled, it couldn't be changed, so there was no rush at the moment.
Striking while the iron was hot, Su Chen rested for a moment, gulped down a few mouthfuls of nutrient potion, and continued developing the Azure Thunder Sovereign.
He prepared to wait until he had the Essence of Spirituality in hand and had taken on the Spirit Adept class before mentioning the matter of viewing the stone slab to Chong Jingtian and the others.
Since there was only one chance, it was better to be safe. It was still hard to say what exactly the panel's recording situation was.
âŠâŠ
"Chief..."
He Kang followed behind Chong Jingtian. His thick eyebrows were squeezed together, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes darted around erratically. Behind him followed a few other people; all were Inner Court Seeds of the Adjudication Court, looking extremely uneasy.
"Where are we going?"
He couldn't help but ask. The group was walking down a narrow metal corridor. The cramped space, combined with the unknown circumstances, made them feel apprehensive in their hearts.
They couldn't help being apprehensive.
Today, Chong Jingtian had suddenly gathered them together and blindfolded their five senses. When they opened their eyes, they were already in this narrow corridor, not knowing where they were.
It looked like they were being taken to some secret location.
However, none of them felt the excitement of a great duty descending upon them from the heavens; instead, it was mostly fear and trepidation.
If there was any good thing, it should have gone to that group of Core Seeds first. No matter what, it shouldn't be their turn.
"We're here." Chong Jingtian stopped. He Kang focused his gaze and saw a heavy metal door ahead that was currently open. It was a full tens of centimeters thick, forged from dark alloy. The etched runic seals on its surface flickered as if breathing autonomously in the dim environment.
Standing next to it was the white-haired and white-bearded Pu Zhenghong.
Inside the doorway was a mass of crimson cloud mist, occasionally erupting with red electrical arcs. It was impossible to see clearly what exactly was inside.
Elder Pu is also here... He Kang's heart trembled even more, and his legs turned to jelly. It seemed that the bigger the spectacle, the more afraid he became.
"Chief..."
"Can't you show a bit of courage?" Seeing him in this state, Chong Jingtian inevitably felt annoyed and said coldly, "He Kang, you go in first."
"Chief..." He Kang called out again, hoping to evoke Chong Jingtian's protective affection.
Ever since Xiao Ying's death last time, he had distanced himself further and further from Wei Yufan. Surely he wouldn't be punished again because of those matters.
"Go in!"
Without another word, Chong Jingtian kicked him straight inside.
"Ah!"
With a wail, He Kang tumbled into the crimson cloud mist. Staggering a few steps, he barely managed to stand firm and subconsciously looked up.
And right before his eyes stood a giant stone slab, a full person's height. It presented an irregular broken shape, its edges covered in jagged cracks.
Its main body possessed a matte cinnabar color, faintly revealing a weak luster resembling flowing lava. Lines of symbols were carved onto it, and within the sunken grooves of the symbols rested dark gold deposits of crystallization.
"This is..." He Kang subconsciously looked over. His mind seemed to be drawn in, but he couldn't see it clearly either, as it was shrouded in a layer of hazy mist.
Vaguely, he seemed to spot a pair of dragon eyes. Deep within the vertical pupils danced dark golden flames, and thunderbolts flashed.
The faint sound of thunder echoed by his ears, seemingly mixed with rage.
He Kang's cheeks twitched. As if struck by a heavy blow, his entire body was blasted flying backward out of the cloud mist.
With quick eyes and nimble hands, Chong Jingtian grabbed him.
He Kang only felt the world spin and a severe pain in his chest. Looking down, it was already a charred black mess.
"What did you see?" Chong Jingtian asked.
"I... I..." He Kang's expression was vacant. Thinking back subconsciously, he only remembered being kicked inside, and then flying back out again.
Seeing him in this state, Chong Jingtian understood in his heart. Although he had a premonition early on, he still shook his head in disappointment and tossed out a vial of green potion.
"Azure Cloud Potion?" Reaching out to catch it, He Kang couldn't help but be shocked. This was an extremely precious medical potion, capable of repairing injuries even for 5th-tier professionals.
Enduring the stabbing pain in his chest, he downed it in one gulp. Green light immediately radiated from the wound on his chest, and granulation tissue squirmed, rapidly repairing the injury.
"Ren Yong." Chong Jingtian looked at the next person. The other gave a bitter smile, walked in resigned to his fate, and then flew back out.
This cycle repeated until the very last person.
"Ah..." a miserable scream tore out from the mist. The final figure to be blasted out actually had his left arm explode into pieces. Blood splattered all over the ground, leaving only a mangled stump.
Chong Jingtian's expression changed. He hurriedly stepped forward to catch him, took out a vial of Azure Cloud Potion, and poured it into his mouth. After stabilizing the injury,
he then looked at Pu Zhenghong, saying in a deep voice, "It's only been five people, why did it become enraged?"
Pu Zhenghong was also very surprised and said helplessly, "Spirituality is like human nature; no one can predict it."
Chong Jingtian's brows furrowed tightly. He reached out and, from who knows where, pulled out a bottle of purple-gold potion that looked thick like gel. He sprinkled it onto the arm bone that was stripped entirely of flesh and blood.
Immediately, flesh and blood actually grew back onto that bone at a speed visible to the naked eye. Very quickly, it was perfectly restored as though it had never been injured.
"Thank you, Chief..." This person's face was extremely pale. Chong Jingtian patted his shoulder, then swept a glance over the few people whose faces were filled with terror, saying in a deep voice, "You all go wait for me at the entrance first."
"It's fortunate. Although the spirituality was enraged, it didn't attach the power of heavenly punishment, so it could be repaired." Pu Zhenghong retracted his gaze.
The effects of the Azure Cloud Potion were outstanding. The injuries of He Kang and the others were more or less healed. Hearing this, they hurriedly turned and left.
Watching them leave, only then did Pu Zhenghong shake his head and say, "They all only have Red Gold talent. It's useless for them to come. Why make them suffer this torment?"
"What if by some massive stroke of luck..." Chong Jingtian sighed. "Pinning all our hopes solely on Su Chen is entirely too unfair to him as well."
Pu Zhenghong understood Chong Jingtian's thoughts, but still said, "Is there not still Hong Xuan?"
"Hong Xuan..." Chong Jingtian fell silent.
"You can't avoid it. When Yuandu came, they came fully prepared." Pu Zhenghong said faintly: "Even if Su Chen succeeds, the spirituality residing within this broken stone slab is incapable of making him the Chosen One. He must head to the Ruins."
"If Yuandu disagrees, the Ruins cannot be opened. We definitely have to let Hong Xuan see the stone slab. If Su Chen fails, we can still only pin our hopes on Hong Xuan."
"Unless you want to drag them down with you to be buried together."
(End of this chapter)